《This Ascent to Divinity is Lewder Than Expected》 1.01 Loading In 1.01 Loading In ¡°Hello? Oh, oh dear. Please wake up. I know my memory editing skills are rusty, but surely you¡¯re intact. Hello?¡± The soft, concerned words floated from down a long hallway, from across a chasm, a world over, or somewhere even farther. They bounced around in the recesses of her mind, and Zoey stirred. Or tried to. ¡°Oh,¡± the soft exmation of surprise came. ¡°That¡¯s it, you¡¯ll be fine.¡± A series of gentle pats on her cheek, which Zoey only half felt. ¡°Come on, now. What¡¯s a little magical brain surgery, and dimensional travel? You¡¯re a tough cookie. Why do you think I chose you?¡± Zoey¡¯s head lolled to the side, managing some miniscule form of movement, but still unable to open her eyes. She struggled from the fugue like a woman wing from a pit of tar. The haze clung to her in sticky ck strands, yanking her down as she tried desperately to pull herself to consciousness. Several more pats on her cheek, sharper this time. Enough to leave a sting. ¡°Up and at ¡®em. We¡¯ve things to discuss, sweetheart, and I¡¯m a busy goddess.¡± The words, and her stinging cheek, acted as the catalyst she needed. Zoey groaned, and her eyes fluttered open. She stared into the warm, smiling face of an angel. ¡°There you are,¡± the achingly beautiful woman said, relief in on her face. ¡°Had me worried for a second, if I¡¯m being honest.¡± Even if Zoey hadn¡¯t woken from what felt like a hundred-year nap, she wouldn¡¯t have managed a more eloquent response than what stumbled out of her mouth. ¡°What?¡± Enormous, white-feathered wings folded behind the woman¡¯s back, as if her form, and dress, hadn¡¯t been ethereal enough. Her inhumanityid in in sight, and Zoey meant that in the most ttering way possible. Humans had ws. The creature in front of her did not. A flowing dress of diaphanous fabric draped from her shoulders and hips, so thin the woman might as well have been naked. Zoey could see everything. She might¡¯ve blushed if not for how she stared dumbly, her brain failing to understand, even in part, what she was seeing. ¡°I realize you¡¯re disoriented,¡± the woman said, ¡°but that¡¯s to be expected, so please don¡¯t worry. Mortals aren¡¯t built for interdimensional travel. I lent you some of my essence ¡­ but mortals aren¡¯t meant for that, either.¡± Augh, light and airy, which stole Zoey¡¯s breath, as everything about the woman did. ¡°Trading big problems for smaller ones. What¡¯s the life of the divine, if not that?¡± ¡°What?¡± Zoey repeated. She didn¡¯t stutter this time, at least, though she would have preferred toe off marginally moreposed. She tried again. ¡°Where am I? Who are you?¡± Zoey looked around, tearing her gaze from the heavenly being in front of her, an action that burned an inexplicable instinct inside her, like she¡¯d performed a great sphemy for doing so. It took a second to ce where she was: somewhere she hadn¡¯t been in forever. By the nostalgic stic red chairs and single-unit wooden desks with cubbies underneath, she¡¯d ended up at Riverwood Elementary. Miss Paulson¡¯s 3rd grade science ss, to be specific, identified by the back wall, where a diagram of the sr system expanded outward, each neatlybeled and sloppily drawn by her ssmates. Zoey had been the one responsible for Mars. Being generous to herself, it was only mildly worse than the rest. ¡°The name I was given,¡± the woman said, surprising Zoey, who had been briefly startled from where she¡¯d woken at, ¡°is Ephythithys. But Ephy is fine, since I realize the former¡¯s a mouthful.¡± She smiled. ¡°For your first question ¡­ I¡¯m not sure. This ce came from your memories.¡± She tapped a slim finger against her lips, looking around the room. ¡°Somewhere important to you, I assume.¡± ¡°It¡¯s ¡­ Miss Paulson was my favorite teacher, growing up. And I liked science ss ¡­¡± she trailed off, then shook her head. ¡°Why am I here? What¡¯s going on?¡± She tried to stand from Miss Paulson¡¯s office chair, but she staggered in ce, head swimming, then copsed backward. She skidded a foot or so from the momentum, wheels squeaking loudly in the eerily silent ssroom. Ephy tutted at her. ¡°I¡¯ll exin, but don¡¯t push yourself. You¡¯re still weak from the trip.¡± Her hips swayed in an entrancing rhythm as she closed the gap. Zoey took note, again, of how little her dress obscured her body. Ephy ran a hand through Zoey¡¯s hair, electrifying where her fingers traced. Zoey¡¯s breath caught. ¡°But you¡¯re here,¡± Ephy said, ¡°because I have need of you.¡± Zoey¡¯s eyes flicked to Ephy¡¯s practically naked chest, then lower, to her crotch, the blonde hair shaved in a cute heart, and finally back up. Zoey flushed, and Ephyughed. ¡°Not in that way, though maybe if we had more time.¡± She tapped Zoey¡¯s nose in a yfully scolding way. ¡°Important matters first. Settle down.¡± Every passing moment only confused Zoey further. Who this beautiful, inhuman woman was, why Zoey was here, and why she¡¯d woken in her third grade science ssroom. She racked her brain for how she¡¯d ended up in this situation, and came up with little. Too little. Her brow furrowed. She couldn¡¯t remember anything. Ephy sat in Zoey¡¯sp, then took her face in both hands. ¡°Stay with me, darling. I¡¯ll return your memories in time. I just didn¡¯t want you to be distracted.¡± Having the most gorgeous woman Zoey had ever seen seated across herp, with a clear view of both her bare chest and crotch, weren¡¯t circumstances that could be considered ¡®distraction-free¡¯. ¡°Making that difficult,¡± she choked out. Even the bizarre im that she¡¯d ¡®taken Zoey¡¯s memories away¡¯ had difficulty piercing that much more primitive interest. Ephyughed, then moved her hands from her cheeks upward, curling her fingers into Zoey¡¯s short ck hair. ¡°As the goddess of sensuality, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t help myself. But you really ought to focus. What I have to say is,¡± her lips quirked, ¡°rather relevant.¡± Zoey could tell an understatement when she heard one. ¡°You need my help,¡± Zoey said. Attempting to puzzle anything out until she¡¯d heard Ephy¡¯s piece would, at a guess, be an exercise in futility. She forced herself to focus, to ignore Ephy¡¯s warm weight pressing down on herp, and the scalding proximity of their bodies. Was the sitting-on-herp necessary? Not that Zoey¡¯s less evolved brain wasining. Just, what was she supposed to do with her hands? Zoey assumed the touching was a one-way thing. ¡°I needed a champion,¡± Ephy said with a nod. ¡°For?¡± She ignored the absurdity of the statement; when faced with the already insane surroundings and circumstances she was in, the words digested easier than they should have. ¡°To save the world.¡± A long pause. ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± ¡°Not yours, I¡¯m afraid.¡± Her lips quirked. ¡°Or, pleased to reassure you? But one in the cluster I hold dominion.¡± ¡°Save the world,¡± Zoey repeated. ¡°And ascend while doing so,¡± Ephy said with a serious nod. ¡°Though those are tall orders, each, and the second more than the first. But I have faith.¡± Right. ¡°Why can¡¯t I remember anything?¡± Zoey set aside the insanity of what wasing out of the supposed-goddess¡¯s mouth. ¡°I made some adjustments,¡± Ephy said easily. ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s better if you''re distraction-free. Your past life doesn¡¯t matter for the foreseeable future. Should you seed, they¡¯ll be returned. You have my word.¡± ¡®Adjustments¡¯. As if she¡¯d gone in and scooped out Zoey¡¯s brain. Was she dreaming? Logic said yes, but everything was too painfully, crystally clear. Zoey shook her head. ¡°Okay. Okay. Start from the beginning. We¡¯re getting nowhere.¡± Despite her ims of viting the sanctity of her mind, Ephy didn¡¯t seem like her enemy. Ephy sighed. ¡°It¡¯ll go in circles. Your doubt and confusion is reasonable, but also irrelevant. Let¡¯s move to practical matters.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve exined enough,¡± Ephy said, shrugging. ¡°You need toe to terms with it, but that won¡¯t happen until you have time to rest. But no matter. We need to get to why you¡¯re here, speaking with me. I have business to attend to. So. Character creation.¡± Even for all of the strangeness urring in quick session, the incongruent words ¡®character creation¡¯ made Zoey pause. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Like a videogame?¡± Ephy paused, off-foot for the first time. ¡°I almost forgot. You¡¯re from his ne.¡± She said it more to herself than to Zoey. ¡°Yes, like a ¡®videogame¡¯.¡± The words stumbled from her mouth, like they meant nothing to her, specifically, but rather, a second-hand ount, something she¡¯d heard of but never gained an understanding of. Zoey¡¯s headache deepened. How did she manage to be more and more confused, when she¡¯d started off as baffled? ¡°So,¡± Ephy said. ¡°That¡¯s good. I don¡¯t need to exin the concept. Are you ready?¡± ¡°No?¡± ¡°Perfect. Let¡¯s start.¡± Ephy climbed off Zoey¡¯sp, and Zoey missed the heat and press of her body immediately, and the gentle, coaxing way she¡¯d been ying with her hair. She considered trying to stand again, but didn¡¯t think she¡¯d have much sess. Her head still swam from earlier, and she felt faint. ¡°First, let¡¯s establish some important information.¡± That¡¯d be a first. ¡°As the goddess of sensuality and eroticism, the benefits I can afford you will take some ¡­ getting used to. But you¡¯ll put them to good use, I trust. I picked you because you¡¯re a pervert.¡± ¡°What?¡± Where the hell had thate from? ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m¡ª¡± She was what? ¡°Normal?¡± Ephy didn¡¯t acknowledge what she¡¯d said, which was mildly irritating. She couldn¡¯t level an usation like that then say nothing about it. ¡°Let¡¯s start with your body. Do you have a preference, or can I choose?¡± ¡°What?¡± Ephy gave her a disapproving look. ¡°I¡¯m trying to work with you, but if you don¡¯t start answering in meaningful ways, I¡¯ll take things into my own hands. No more ¡®whats¡¯, ¡®huhs¡¯, and ¡®what do you means¡¯. Body type. Do you have a preference?¡± ¡°For myself?¡± Ephy made an irritated noise, then crossed her arms. The expression she leveled Zoey¡¯s way was scathingly unimpressed. Where¡¯d the demure, kind woman go? Surely she couldn¡¯t be getting impatient ¡­ Zoey¡¯s confusion was extremely justified, especially when she¡¯d exined so little. ¡°Yes, for yourself,¡± Ephy said. ¡°This is yourst chance.¡± Zoey bit her tongue on another rifying question. So. Ignore the absurdity behind Ephy¡¯s words, and what she was implying she¡¯d do: change Zoe¡¯s body, somehow. ¡°I like how I am. So, no changes?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a sweet sentiment, and good for you. But for a champion of mine, I won¡¯t take less than perfection. Those hips are going wider, that chest is getting fuller, and you are growing at least a seven-inch cock.¡± One of those things was not like the others. ¡°Excuse me?¡± Ephy paused at the shock in Zoey¡¯s voice. ¡°I suppose I could make an exception,¡± she reluctantly said. ¡°Just, t chests are attractive in their own right, but for a goddess of fertility, a full bosom is more fitting with¡ª¡± ¡°Not that! The¡ªthe cock!¡± ¡°What about it?¡± Ephy asked, confused. ¡°How else would you fill your seed into the unexpecting women of the Fractures?¡± Zoey sputtered, for more reasons than she could name. Ephy made a sympathetic sound, as ifing to a realization. ¡°It¡¯ll take some adjusting, but you¡¯ll grow to like it. It really is such a great sensation, emptying yourself into a cute little conquest as she squirms and spasms against you.¡± Ephy sighed dreamily. ¡°It¡¯s almost as good as getting filled up yourself, but I know that¡¯s not your thing, and I¡¯m ever the goddess of aodation. Now! You really are taking too long to get through this. As I said, I¡¯m a busy divinity, and I have matters to attend to. My brothers won¡¯t be happy I¡¯m meddling. Sost, chance for input.¡± ¡°ck hair,¡± Zoey said, somehow pushing away the strangeness of everything¡ªand the apparently mandatory cock she¡¯d be receiving. If this was happening, then she would at least have a say in the matter. ¡°Short, cropped. And, uh, tall. Six foot or more. Lean. Intimidating, not all soft curves.¡± Ephy pouted. ¡°I feel like you¡¯re saying something about me, now.¡± Zoey pointedly didn¡¯t pay attention to all the ¡®soft curves¡¯ Ephy had brought to her attention. Maintaining her focus hadn¡¯t gotten much easier. The implied seriousness of the situation was the only thing corralling her attention away from Ephy¡¯s sensual figure. ¡°I¡¯ll work with you on that,¡± Ephy said. ¡°But like I said, you¡¯re getting hips and a full chest. If you want to be tall, dark, and handsome, I guess I can help you out, but you will look like one of my champions. Now, close your eyes. This¡¯ll feel strange.¡± Zoey closed her eyes, thinking surely this was a dream, a fabrication of her mind ¡­ but knowing it wasn¡¯t. Her body started to tingle, then burn. Not painfully, just ¡­ ufortably. It spread, fire ants crawling across her body, igniting every inch of her skin. The strangest part was, of course, the tingling in her crotch, then the alien sensation of something starting to grow. Zoey¡¯s hips squirmed back and forth as something new took up residence between her legs, growing and growing and growing. Her eyes shot open, unable to help herself, and she watched as the cock expanded upward, harder, bigger, and more pulsing by the second. A thick vein ran up the edge, and Zoey couldn¡¯t believe howrge it got¡ªthen continued to get. ¡°I thought you said seven inches,¡± Zoey gasped when it finally stopped. ¡°Lower end,¡± Ephy said sweetly. ¡°But a champion of mine wields the best, and you didn¡¯t specify.¡± ¡°How big is this thing?¡± Zoey stared down at the monster between her legs. It had to reach up to the base of her breasts, if she leaned over. Breasts which were now three times the size they¡¯d been before ¡­ though that only put her somewhere in the upper range of ¡®busty¡¯, because she hadn¡¯t had much to write home about, before. ¡°Hm,¡± Ephy said. ¡°I¡¯d guess ¡­ between twelve and fourteen inches?¡± Fourteen inches! What the hell? ¡°It won¡¯t even fit!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that mean,¡± Ephy scoffed. ¡°It¡¯ll fit. You¡¯ll just have to figure out how your runes work.¡± ¡°Runes?¡± ¡°Down the road,¡± Ephy said with a wave of her hand. ¡°Once you¡¯vended in the Fractures. Character creation, remember? Your body¡¯s done, so now, ss.¡± Zoey hadn¡¯t remotely had enough time toe to terms with her body¡ªwhich, while resembling her old one, was changed in every way¡ªbut Ephy pushed forward with enthusiasm, not giving her an opportunity to reel. Maybe that was the point. ¡°Three choices. Charmer, Siphon, and Bonder.¡± It took all of Zoey¡¯s effort to focus on the question, and not least because the addition between her legs was even more interested in Ephy¡¯s naked form than Zoey had already been, and she¡¯d been exceedingly interested as things stood. It twitched of its own ord, and Zoey fought the excruciating urge for her hands to go to it, to grip and stroke to relieve the pulsating ache. Why the hell was it so intense? Were all cocks this sensitive? ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± Zoey struggled out. Ephy seemed aware, and amused, by her plight. She sashayed over, then sat on Zoey¡¯sp. Zoey let out a little groan at the way her cock pressed into Ephy¡¯s stomach. ¡°Well,¡± Ephy said, ¡°like I said, they¡¯re all derivatives of powers I can offer you as the goddess of seduction. But they¡¯re different, yes.¡± ¡°I thought you said goddess of sensuality,¡± Zoey groaned, fighting against the urge to buck her hips, gain purchase against Ephy¡¯s soft stomach. ¡°And eroticism.¡± Ephy leaned forward, and whispered into Zoey¡¯s ear. ¡°Well. I¡¯m a woman of many talents.¡± ¡°Stop,¡± she gasped, ¡°stop teasing. Why is this so, mmm, intense?¡± ¡°Yours is more sensitive than most. Only the best, for champions of Ephythithys.¡± Ephy slid her hips forward, grinding the paper-thin cloth between the two of their crotches. Her lower lips parted into Zoey¡¯s shaft, sliding up and down her length. Zoey¡¯s mind shed white, cock pulsing hard. A foreign urge mmed into her: to grab Ephy by the hips, to shove her to the floor, and bury herself as deep as she could, to piston and jerk until she expended a convulsing cock¡¯s worth of hot, sticky seed into Ephy¡¯s fertile womb. C-Christ. Where the hell did thate from? ¡°How generous of you,¡± Zoey said breathlessly. ¡°And so much for avoiding ¡®distractions¡¯.¡± Ephyughed, probably knowing what was happening inside Zoey¡¯s head, and inside her twitching cock. ¡°You¡¯ll have plenty of relief, down in the Fractures. But I¡¯m afraid, none from me.¡± Ephy leaned back then flicked the tip of Zoey¡¯s dick, which thrilled a lightning bolt of pleasure through her. ¡°What happened to being in a rush?¡± Zoey ground out. ¡°Seems to me you have plenty of time, if you¡¯re teasing like this.¡± Ephyughed. ¡°Oops. I guess you¡¯re right. Didn¡¯t notice ¡­ it¡¯s in my nature, okay? sses. I¡¯ll summarize each, but keep in mind nuance is lost in brevity. So. Charmer. Influence people¡¯s minds, or those of creatures. Siphon, take other¡¯s power for your own. And Bonder.¡± Ephy huffed. ¡°For the gross, gooey romantics. Share yourself with others, and grow with them.¡± Ephy sighed. ¡°I have a feeling what you¡¯re going to choose, and I¡¯m not happy about it.¡± ¡°Charmer sounds ¡­ troubling.¡± ¡°Sensuality cares little for consent,¡± Ephy said with an uncaring shrug. ¡°Don¡¯t mistake me for something I¡¯m not.¡± Zoey paused, the frankness catching her off guard. ¡° ¡­ Bonder,¡± she eventually said. If she was being forced into this¡ªwhatever ¡®this¡¯ was¡ªthen she¡¯d be taking the least troubling ¡®ss¡¯. ¡°Shocking,¡± Ephy said with a roll of her eyes. ¡°I hope your time down in the Fractures gives you some ¡­ adventurous spirit. But results are all I¡¯m after, so, so be it. Be a gross romantic, if you want.¡± Ephy leaned forward, and Zoey whimpered at the way Ephy¡¯s crotch pushed into her throbbing member. ¡°Onest choice. Your discipline. A craft, to go with your ss. Engraver, alchemist, or cksmith?¡± ¡°And each of these rte to your ¡­ mmm ¡­ mantle as a goddess, I¡¯m assuming?¡± ¡°It¡¯s almost like you pay attention.¡± ¡°So an alchemist would brew potions rting to ¡­¡± ¡°All manners of wicked, pleasurable delights,¡± Ephy grinned. Then, sobering, ¡°And more practical matters, in the same way your ss will be functional. Saving the world isn¡¯t all conquest of tight, nubile bodies, unfortunately. Those are just stepping stones along the way.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Ephy had a way with words, Zoey was finding out. ¡°They¡¯re what they sound like?¡± Ephy nodded. ¡°Then ¡­ alchemist?¡± There was an appeal to the craft that called to her, though the concept of the other two were fascinating as well. It had been a harder choice than her ss. ¡°Perfect,¡± Ephy said. ¡°That¡¯s it, then. I¡¯ll send you on your way.¡± Zoey blinked rapidly. ¡°But you haven¡¯t told me what I¡¯m supposed to do.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I? Save the world. Oh, and don¡¯t mention me, or your ¡­ home. That couldplicate things.¡± ¡°¡®Save the world¡¯? That¡¯s¡ªthat¡¯s so unhelpful. What does that even mean?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll figure it out,¡± Ephy said, patting her cheek for the fourth or fifth time, and this time, it was condescending, rather thanforting. ¡°Stop being a baby. Are you ready?¡± ¡°Not remotely¡ª!¡± And then she was gone. 1.02 An Abrupt Introduction 1.02 An Abrupt Introduction There was no transition. One moment Zoey was talking to the blonde-haired goddess, and the next she opened her eyes to a crammed, tight space, a warm body pressed beneath her. Despite theck of cognitive shift, she gasped and startled, as if she¡¯d been asleep for a long time and had just jerked to consciousness. ¡°Shit, you¡¯re awake,¡± a foreign, crisply ented voice said. ¡°Calm down. Easy.¡± Zoey shoved herself up, but she hit her head, stopping her. Her hands shot up to grab at her now-banged head, but those were stuck in ce, too. In fact, as her panic mounted and she started to thrash in ce, she discovered she was locked in ce. Wherever she¡¯d ended up, the space waspact enough she had zero mobility¡ªor close enough. Zoey didn¡¯t have ustrophobia, but who the hell was okay with being crammed so tight they were unable to even move one¡¯s hands to their head? For several moments she panicked in a desperate attempt to escape the dark, tight space she found herself in. Her movements became violent as she iled. The soft body pressed beneath her yelped, then protested. ¡°Hey. Hey. Listen to me. I said listen.¡± The hissmanding and infuriated¡ªjerked Zoey out of her panic by dint of intensity alone. She quieted, hyperventtion still in full force, but at least getting a hold of her thrashing. She blinked down into the piercing blue eyes of her entombed partner. ¡°Shards are brutal, and oftentimes strange,¡± whoever was pinned beneath her said, ¡°but always fair. We wouldn¡¯t have been summoned here only to be provided a slow death with no escape. So stop panicking, and think.¡± The authority in her voice forced Zoey to do as ordered: to think. Unfortunately, it was about the cloudy-ice of her pale irises, and the sharp edge of her jaw, the refined ent she spat each of her words with. The delicate, small frame of the person crushed beneath her. The way their bodies were crammed together. The way their naked bodies were crammed together. Breasts, shoved against each other. Stomachs, crotches, thighs, too, a tangle of sweaty limbs, the tiny space suffocating with warmth from their extended sharing. Zoey¡¯s cock twitched. Her partner of circumstance sucked in a gasp of air as Zoey¡¯s member expanded, slowly but steadily filling the space between their stomachs. It was far, far from a subtle thing, with how generous Ephy had been in her bestowal. It engorged with blood until it had stiffened all the way to above their belly buttons. It scalded Zoey¡¯s skin, so she assumed it must be doing the same to her partner, that the heat emanating wasn¡¯t in Zoey¡¯s head. Her face burned, and by how her partner¡¯s eyes had widened, Zoey assumed she had also been shocked out of a response. Though, it was only a natural reaction, considering the position they found themselves in. Or so she assumed ¡­ she was hardly a veteran in this whole, cock-wielding profession. ¡°Well,¡± Zoey eventually said, breaking the stunned silence. ¡°Good news is, I¡¯m not panicking anymore.¡± ¡°Why the hell are you hard?¡± her partner shrilled. ¡°Because I¡¯m crammed, naked, in a dark space with a gorgeous girl stuffed beneath me?¡± ¡°And? So what! How dare you! Do you know who I am?¡± Do you know who I am? That was an interesting response that had burst from her partner¡¯s mouth. It indicated something important, at a guess, though it was low on Zoey¡¯s priority list to find out what. And so much for the calm, assuredposure Zoey had been introduced to. Being confronted with a slow death in an underground prison barelyrge enough to fit two girls wasn¡¯t enough to unnerve her, but a cock pressed against her stomach had her stuttering over her words? Her priorities might be disordered. Not that Zoey was handling things well, either. The awkwardness of their situation burned into her, lighting up her face, neck, shoulders¡ªprobably her whole body. Because what a situation. Just, Zoey¡¯s difort tended to manifest as sarcasm, not ack ofposure. ¡°Where are we?¡± she asked, ironically the calm one, now. It was a deliberate, strained type ofposure, seeing how having the soft, hot flesh of a girl¡¯s defined stomach pressed into her cock was excruciatingly difficult to ignore. ¡°The entrance to a shard, obviously. Now, if you don¡¯t mind, get that thing under control.¡± ¡°Not really a choice I have." The only ¡®choice¡¯ was to not start viciously humping, which every instinct in Zoey¡¯s body screamed to do. But however erotic the circumstances she found herself in, Zoey wouldn¡¯t do that to a clearly unwilling participant. ¡°Well, figure it out.¡± The girl beneath her squirmed, wiggling Zoey¡¯s cock between their stomachs, and the action wrenched a moan from Zoey¡¯s lips. A moan which silenced¡ªand stilled¡ªthe other girl. ¡°Maybe don¡¯t do that,¡± Zoey suggested in a sarcastic pant. ¡°Trying to keep things under wraps, remember?¡± The rapid breathing of her partner¡ªwhich hadn¡¯t existed until now¡ªpierced the tiny space they were in, louder even than Zoey¡¯s. ¡°Alright,¡± Zoey said. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°We¡¯re stuck,¡± the girl said tightly. ¡°I¡¯ve deduced that.¡± Zoey took a calming breath. ¡°What¡¯s your name? Mine¡¯s Zoey.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Seeing the situation we''re in, I think pleasantries are in order.¡± A long silence, in which only their panting could be heard. The girl swallowed. ¡°Rosalie.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Rosalie.¡± ¡°Enchanted.¡± Sarcasm dripped from the response, but Zoey forgave it. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on,¡± Zoey said. ¡°You said there¡¯s a way out?¡± ¡°A shard wouldn¡¯t just kill us, no alternatives offered, so yes. There has to be.¡± Zoey shelved the term ¡®shard¡¯. ¡°You¡¯ve been awake for a while?¡± ¡°Long enough.¡± ¡°And you couldn¡¯t figure anything out?¡± ¡°Clearly not. The solution lies with you, since none of my runes are applicable here.¡± Ephy mentioned those, didn¡¯t she? ¡°What are those? Runes, I mean.¡± A long, disbelieving pause. ¡°Is that some kind of joke?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°You¡¯re in the Fractures. In a shard. What do you mean, ¡®what are runes¡¯?¡± ¡°Look, princess,¡± Zoey sighed. ¡°We¡¯re buried underground together, with about an inch of breathing room, so how about you humor me?¡± Rosalie¡¯s response came after a few tense moments. Zoey had stopped supporting her head, instead resting it to the left of Rosalie¡¯s, pressing her forehead into the coarse material of whatever casket they found themselves in. She was trying very, very hard to ignore her cock¡¯s positioning sandwiched between their bodies, to little sess. ¡°Runes are ¡­ the progenitors of skills.¡± That said nothing of use, not to Zoey. ¡°Skills?¡± Another long pause, but Rosalie eventually answered. ¡°Evolving a rune grants skills associated with it. Skills are ¡­ the fundamental unit of power for a Wayfarer. An ability, granted by the gods. How we survive in the Fractures, conquer shards, and im their riches for ourselves and Haven.¡± To say Zoey was having information dumped on her would be an understatement. Then again, seeing how she¡¯d just had a conversation with the goddess of eroticism, then been dropped into a new world as her champion, that was expected, wasn¡¯t it? She tucked away the terms¡ªshards, Wayfarers, skills, runes, Haven, the Fractures¡ªand focused on the immediately relevant. ¡°And I have those? Skills?¡± It was more of a prompting question; Ephy had implied she did. At a guess, it would be rted to the ¡®Bonder¡¯ ss she¡¯d been given. ¡°All Wayfarers do, the moment they enter the Fractures.¡± ¡°And you think mine will get us out of here? How do I use them?¡± A tense pause. ¡°How are you even here? How could you possibly have managed to delve deep enough into the Fractures to enter a shard, without knowing how skills work?¡± ¡°I don''t know,¡± Zoey said honestly. ¡°I can¡¯t remember much besides my name.¡± And shes of her old life, stripped of personal context. Like seeing memories on a t.v. screen. ¡°Oh,¡± Rosalie said. After adjusting to this announcement¡ªand seemingly believing it, or at least choosing to for now¡ªshe said, ¡°Well. Do you at least remember how to draw your tab anima?¡± ¡°Don''t even know what that is.¡± ¡°That could be ¡­ a problem.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Skills are intuitive, but you need to know what they are to use them. And bringing forth one¡¯s tab anima takes practice. Most Wayfarers spend their first week¡ªor several¡ªlearning how to draw it, and how to use their skills effectively.¡± ¡°Guess I¡¯m getting the crash course, then. Skipping the training wheels. What¡¯s the rundown?¡± Rosalie was quiet for a second. Their asynchronous, mismatched breathing patterns was serving to heave sweat-covered skin across her cock in a consistent rhythm, and the constant stimtion¡ªnot to mention the situation itself¡ªmeant it wouldn¡¯t be going down any time soon. ¡°There¡¯s an easier way,¡± Rosalie said slowly. ¡°I can read your anima myself.¡± ¡°Oh. Do that, then.¡± Why hadn¡¯t she already? Rosalie studied her with a perplexed expression. Again, Zoey was apprehended by those serious, piercing ice-blue eyes. ¡°Baring one¡¯s runes and symbols is a highly personal matter. You don¡¯t seem to realize that. Your memory problems, I assume. So make sure you understand what you¡¯re offering.¡± Zoeyughed, the dire circumstances and the concern in Rosalie¡¯s words tickling her for a reason she couldn''t ce. ¡°Of course you¡¯re a sweetheart," Zoey said. It made total sense, for some reason, for all the girl''s serious, domineering attitude. ¡°I am not.¡± Rosalie sounded offended Zoey had even suggested it. ¡°It¡¯s¡ªit¡¯s simply private, intimate information, and your memory is allegedly scrambled. So. I wanted informed consent.¡± ¡°Pretty sure we¡¯re a few steps past sharing ''intimate'' information,¡± Zoey said amusedly. Her cock pulsed in emphasis. ¡°So yeah. Go for it. What do we need to do?¡± Rosalie huffed. ¡°Skin contact, but I think we have that covered.¡± Anotherugh, shaking her body, which really wasn''t doing favors for keeping movement to a minimum, and Zoey¡¯s general attempts to ignore her predicament. ¡°Besides that,¡± Rosalie said, ¡°just don¡¯t refuse my request.¡± ¡°And that means?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll find out. Close your eyes.¡± Zoey did so. The conversation stilled, Rosalie focusing on something Zoey couldn¡¯t begin to guess at. Thatck of distraction¡ªthe banter and flood of information¡ªno longer assisted Zoey in ignoring her aching member. Eventually, a tingle somewhere in the back of her spine appeared, and Zoey¡¯s first instinct was to push it away. But it felt artificial, somehow. Like a ¡®request¡¯, as Rosalie had put it, though Zoey couldn¡¯t exin how she¡¯de to that inexplicable conclusion. She didn¡¯t fight it. A secondter, Rosalie sucked in a breath of air. ¡°What?¡± Zoey asked. Rosalie didn¡¯t reply. Zoey opened her eyes, and saw that Rosalie¡¯s own were closed, and her brow was furrowed down in surprise¡ªor concern. Zoey tried to be patient, but to say her curiosity was killing her would be an understatement. And she would prefer for the distraction of conversation to return. She was trying not to lose herself to the biological, maddening urge to jerk her hips back and forth, to take hot, slippery relief against Rosalie¡¯s stomach. ¡°Well,¡± Rosalie said, eyes still closed. ¡°I believe you¡¯re in strange circumstances, as you told me.¡± ¡°You thought I was lying?¡± ¡°You¡¯re first evolution on all of your runes,¡± Rosalie said, ignoring her. ¡°It¡¯s like you just arrived to the Fractures.¡± Zoey almost responded ¡®I did¡¯, but as Ephy had instructed her, her involvement with the goddess, and her transmigration from Earth, needed to be kept a secret. ¡°Evolution?¡± she said instead. ¡°How far advanced your runes are.¡± ¡°It worked? You can see them?¡± ¡°I can.¡± Rosalie paused. ¡°I¡¯ll read them out for you.¡±
Rune of Bonding [1]: Bond. Release seed onto or inside target and activate skill to form Bond. [1]: crity. Bonded targets evolve runes with less effort. [1]: Bolster. Provides a powerful, temporary boost in strength to Bonded target. Rune of Arcana [1]: First Circle. Cast spells up to one circle inplexity. [1]: Element: Ice. Rune of Sensuality [1]: Lust. Mana reced with alternate resource system Lust. Symbols are activated by expending Lust. [1]: Harvest. Perform erotic acts onto self and others to harvest Lust. Bonded targets provide greater yield. Rune of the Alchemist [1]: Identify. Ascertain name and use of basic alchemy reagents. Generalist Skills [1]: Inspect. Discern basic information about equipment linked to the System. [1]: Inventory. Store and withdraw items from inventory-space. 1.03 A Forced (And Slippery) Encounter 1.03 A Forced (And Slippery) Encounter Zoey sat in stunned silence as she absorbed the information dumped onto her. She had expected one or two skills, but instead, she had ten alien abilities to puzzle over. Everything Ephy had detailed came into clearer view: the game-like terminology she had been using, runes, skills, and so on. Rosalie had detailed the list of supernatural abilities offered to her in a clinical, removed voice, but that didn¡¯t mitigate the perplexed amazement Zoey felt. So. She had found herself in a world that operated on RPG-like principles. For how oddly things had started, how was her situation only bing stranger? ¡°I see,¡± Zoey said. Like usual, she focused on the here-and-now. ¡°So. Escape.¡± The two of them stayed silent. They had individually put together what needed to happen. It was fairly obvious. ¡°It seems to me,¡± Rosalie said tightly, ¡°that you need to Bond to me, then use Bolster. The boost in strength will allow me to wrench us free.¡± Assuming they weren¡¯t buried underground, and that this strange box they¡¯d found themselves in could, in fact, be escaped from. ¡°And you¡¯re ¡­ okay with that?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Starving to death in a tiny coffin, or having you jerk off on me. I guess the second¡¯s preferable.¡± She turned her head to the right, avoiding meeting Zoey¡¯s eyes. ¡°So. Get to it.¡± It wasn¡¯t the most glowing of consent, but Zoey got the sense Rosalie wasn¡¯t the type of person to be providing happy, overt permission for these circumstances. And what choice did they have? Zoey¡¯s hands were as bound as Rosalie¡¯s. They were stuck in this situation together. How they¡¯d ended up in such a strange scenario ¡­ Zoey suspected a meddling goddess. Her breathing¡ªand heart rate¡ªpicked up. It had calmed from their earlier analysis of the situation, Zoey¡¯s runes and skills. Her lips parted as she started to pant, and it grew loud in the cramped space. Rosalie probably felt trickles of the humid air against the side of her face. There wasn¡¯t any way for Zoey to avoid it, pushed in against each other like they were. Zoey pressed her body up by her elbows, gaining the tiny inch of space they were provided. Her cock twitched, once, in preparation of what she¡¯d been given permission to do. ¡°Okay,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Well. Might as well get to it. Are you ready?¡± ¡°No,¡± Rosalie said, eyes closed and still facing away. ¡°But take longer, will you?¡± Again, it wasn¡¯t the happiest of permissions, but it was permission. Zoey gave in to her newly found biological urges. Her hips jerked forward, across the tiny distance she was afforded, and her throbbing cock grinded against sweaty skin. That first, slick indulgence of Zoey¡¯s cock grinding against Rosalie¡¯s stomach couldn¡¯t be put into words. It was mind-erasing. It forced one of the lewdest noises out of Zoey¡¯s mouth that she had ever produced, a mix between a whine, a moan, and an agonized sigh. Finally. Relief. Zoey was far from happy that Rosalie couldn¡¯t refuse, but it wasn¡¯t like Zoey had options, either. She was forced to do this as much as Rosalie. And sure, Rosalie might not want to have herpact, muscly, pretty little body used as Zoey¡¯s ything, a b of meat to extract a pulsing orgasm from, to be covered in cum for express purpose of allowing them to escape, but Zoey didn¡¯t want this either. Not cognitively, at least, as a sapient being who didn¡¯t enjoy being forced into something as intimate as sex¡ªor something close to sex. However much her hips moved on their own ord, now, however much Zoey couldn¡¯t have stopped if she wanted to. But this was the situation they were in. Zoey humping her girthy girlcock against Rosalie¡¯s stomach¡ªbetween their stomachs¡ªproviding a sweaty, filthy friction, using lubricant of pre-cum and exertion as Zoey finally got the relief she so desperately needed. The first hints of rapture started to build deep in Zoey¡¯s lower body. Slowly, bit by bit, still a far way off, but arriving. It was a hot, aching sensation she had never experienced before. Zoey¡¯s head fell forward, overtop Rosalie¡¯s ear, which she panted into, and Zoey closed her eyes and lost herself to the feelings crashing through her length. Rosalie¡¯s own gasps were loud, painfully obvious. For not doing anything, she was breathing shockingly hard, sucking in breaths and hupping. And seeing how, based on their alignment in this coffin, their crotches were pressed into each other, Zoey didn¡¯t think all that wetness they were sharing was entirely sweat, sweat produced from the muggy conditions. Plenty of it, she thought, was arousal. From both of them. Natural lubricant from their aching lower halves. Rosalie¡¯s slickness, and her own, provided a slippery liquid that spread with the humping of Zoey¡¯s shaft, coating her cock as she slid between them. Zoey jerked awkwardly up and down, sliding her stiffness forward, then back, again and again, building to a pulsing, twitching climax. Rosalie¡¯s hips bucked for the first time, joining in with Zoey¡¯s diligent efforts, and it didn¡¯t seem intentional. Rosalie¡¯s body locked up, as if the serious, formal-speaking girl was shocked at what she¡¯d done. ¡°Keep going,¡± Zoey exhaled hotly into her ear. ¡°That¡¯s a good girl.¡± She wasn¡¯t sure where the words came from. Zoey was adrift in a hot sea of pleasure, bliss coursing through her lower half. Zoey wiggled her body around to get her upper thigh pressed against Rosalie¡¯s slick entrance, providing better purchase for her to grind against. Rosalie acquiesced. Her hips bucked a second time. Then a third. Soon enough, the two of them worked into a rhythm, grinding against each other, Zoey against Rosalie¡¯s abs, and Rosalie against her leg, building toward their mutual salvation. Because that was what this was. Salvation. They weren¡¯t doing this for pleasure. Sure, pleasure was a byproduct, but their hot, sweaty indulgence was from necessity, and nothing more. They needed out of this trap they¡¯d found themselves in. Anything else, a byproduct. The slide of their bodies together had nothing to do with want. With the gross, sticky pleasures of human lust. ¡°Shit,¡± Zoey groaned. ¡°You, you ready?¡± ¡°As ever,¡± Rosalie gasped back, her hips jerking and wiggling against Zoey with almost as much fervor as Zoey herself. Zoey focused on the building, white-hot burning at the base of her cock. She¡¯d had plenty of orgasms in her life, of course, but always as a girl. She¡¯d heard that guys¡¯ climaxes were more intense, or at least more sudden, that they burned fast then were spent. But that wasn¡¯t her experience. The feeling built, and built, and built, so much higher than anything she¡¯d felt in her life, and not slowing down, but spreading through her body, erasing rational thought, waves of pleasure drowning out everything. Maybe it was the reality of the situation. Maybe it was Rosalie¡¯s perfect, reluctant-then-willing body grinding against hers that built Zoey to such an unbelievable high. Whatever it was, the orgasm that clenched her stomach was unlike anything she¡¯d felt. The world-ending relief hit her all at once, her cock spasming as it finally released its sticky payload. The first spray escaped Zoey¡¯s girlrod, and Zoey cried out in half-pain, half indescribable pleasure. Sandwiched by their two stomachs, the cream had nowhere to go besides between them, coating Zoey¡¯s continued thrusting. It spread between their abs, providing an even slicker, slippier surface for Zoey to rub against. Rather than slowing, Zoey¡¯s pistoning picked up speed, and Rosalie¡¯s own body started to rack in pleasure. She was cumming, too? They''d been rubbing against each other for a while, but that was still surprisingly fast. But those thoughts passed her mind only briefly. She was upied in the erasing pleasure of white-hot orgasm. The second wave of hot cream escaped her cock, turning an already coated surface drenched. Her seed spilled between their stomachs, flooding between them, nowhere else to go. But Zoey¡¯s cock wasn¡¯t expended. The third wave suffused her throbbing member, jettisoning out another load of hot, lewd liquid. Flooding turned drenched, then overflowing. Her cum was everywhere, working between them as they humped their bodies against each other. Rosalie¡¯s body continued to convulse, shaking from the strength of her orgasm. Zoey had been with girls before, of course, but the pride of sess that suffused her was different from those encounters. Her pulsing, sticky member being the provider of that spasming pleasure fed into Zoey¡¯s imagination, forcing her cock to seize harder, because even after three drenching spurts, she hadn¡¯t been emptied. Zoey shoved off the ground as hard as she could, somehow growing the tight space between their bodies further, so that the sticky load of her cock could make greater distance. And it worked. The next batch of gooey white batter made better distance: it flew out, caressing her cock with hot bliss as it did,unching onto Rosalie¡¯s chest. Further, even. Onto her neck. Rosalie didn¡¯t mind, or notice. The two of them thrashed against each other, moaning with obscene volume, their husky voices echoing through the tiny space they shared. Zoey couldn¡¯t believe how quickly the situation had devolved. Rosalie had seemed soposed, but by the way her body twisted and her lower half shoved desperately against Zoey, she wanted this as badly as her, if not more. In reality, she was a cock-hungry whore. She wanted pleasure. If Zoey had been in a better position, she would have wanted Zoey to thrust inside. To have her pussy walls convulsing and twitching against a stranger¡¯s massive girlcock as she milked out hot seed into her womb. Rosalie wanted to be filled up. To be stuffed with sticky, impregnating girlcum. Zoey closed her eyes, and pretended to provide that to her. Another convulsion of her cock, the strongest of all the ones prior, and the sheer strength of the seizureunched white strands all the way to Rosalie¡¯s face, who produced a surprised squeak of noise. It was almost unbelievable how much seed escaped from Zoey¡¯s cock, considering how much had already burst from her. The white batter clung to almost every inch of their bodies. It gathered in sticky pools beneath them, dripping between their legs and off their stomachs. And yet Zoey¡¯s convulsing provided more, and more, onto Rosalie¡¯s face, neck, upper chest, still not spent. Everyst drop of girlcum was milked from her twitching cock as Rosalie thrusted her desperate lower half against Zoey, until Zoey truly did have nothing else to give¡ªand they sat in a pool of her cum. Ephy hadn¡¯t been kidding. Only the best for her champions. So much had escaped her it was nearlyical. Zoey copsed, her orgasm finally concluding. Almost as an afterthought, she activated Bond, which had been the whole purpose of this. She¡¯s not done yet, Zoey¡¯s brain registered through the haze. She rallied, drawing on some second wind to keep grinding so that she could ride Rosalie¡¯s orgasm to its own maximum. But Zoey was so unbelievably spent that she couldn¡¯t do much. She wanted to be a considerate partner and help Rosalie¡ªfor all that the well-spoken, stiff girl would never im to be wanting this¡ªbut Zoey didn¡¯t have it in her. This newer form of orgasm was so much more exhausting than the ones she could coax out of herself, back when she hadn¡¯t wielded a massive b of meat between her legs. Still, she gave it her best, exhausted effort, because Rosalie deserved pleasure as much as she did. Rosalie¡¯s twitching finally ended, and she copsed, her body stopping its writhing. Zoey did the same. The tiny space finally went quiet¡ªrtively¡ªno longer suffused in moaning, whining, and groaning, only the gasping inhtions of two girls who¡¯d just humped each other until their hearts had nearly exploded. They sucked in air, dizzy from exertion and body-racking orgasms. Hot, sticky liquid coated the bottom of the box, and every inch between their shared skin, their tits, even the strands that had reached up to Rosalie¡¯s face and hair. Pressed into each other, plenty of it had gotten onto Zoey herself. It was a long time before one of them spoke. ¡°Well,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°You did it, right?¡± 1.04 Proper Greetings 1.04 Proper Greetings The wooden box creaked as Rosalie¡¯s empowered body shoved with full strength. Wood tore as nails ripped, metal popping and wrenching from their securements. Underneath her, Rosalie¡¯s body shook with exertion. Her awkward positioning didn¡¯t help, hands and knees finding leverage wherever it could in the shared, cramped space. With a final snap, the lid sheared, then buckled from its nailed-in edges, flying and ttering somewhere to the side. Orange light, and fresh air, flooded in. Zoey and Rosalie mbered out, then rolled over and copsed onto cold stone. Zoey¡¯s cum clung to their bodies, and it wasn¡¯t until the air of the room reached her nose that she realized how musky their shared space had been. Though they¡¯d already rested briefly from their grinding, intimate pleasure, the next series of panting as they lied shoulder-to-shoulder and stared up at a crumbling stone ceiling was born from relief of a different kind: that they weren¡¯t doomed to slow starvation in a wooden box. Zoey had used the word ¡®coffin¡¯, earlier, to describe where they¡¯d been stuck, and it turned out that¡¯d been urate. A tiny, glossy ck boxid to their left, the previous nailed-in lid discarded somewhere to the side. Rosalie patted Zoey¡¯s stomach in a ¡®let¡¯s get to it¡¯ gesture, then stood. Zoey did as told. She took in Rosalie, in detail, for the first time. She was short, five-three at a guess. But at the observation, Zoey paused, because her judgment was likely impaired from the changes to her body. Ephy had sprouted her height up by six inches or more, and so Zoey should be six foot or taller, now, though Ephy hadn¡¯t specified what exact changes she¡¯d made. So maybe Rosalie was average height, or even taller. Her perception when it came to height was in disarray. Her body, though, was the kind women would kill for. Zoey¡¯s cock had be delightedly acquainted with Rosalie¡¯s hard stomach, and the sight in front of her confirmed what she had learned by feel: this woman was a warrior. Not only was her body hard in all the ces Zoey liked (despite the soft curves, wide hips, and shapely breasts), more than a few scars littered her stomach, shoulders, and a cute, faded streak ran horizontally across her nose, which the darkness of the coffin hadn¡¯t allowed her to see. Her skin, of course, glistened in the dim light of the wall torches, covered equally in sweat and Zoey¡¯s cum. Zoey¡¯s cum. That was her sticky fluid marking Rosalie¡¯s body in nearlyical amounts. Hers. It was hard to exin the intense, dominating pride she felt at the sight. Her cock twitched, though didn''t harden again. It was spent from earlier escapades. Zoey wasn''t the only one to appraise her partner. Rosalie¡¯s eyes had been crawling across Zoey¡¯s body, taking stock of the woman she¡¯d been thrust into strange circumstances with. Hers was likely of a more clinical nature. ¡°Well,¡± Rosalie finally said, her appraisal not something Zoey was privy to. Her face was cool and collected. Impassive. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s time for a proper introduction.¡± She stepped forward and held her hand out. ¡°Rosalie. Lancer. Second advancement. It''s a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Zoey was taken aback by how theposed, intense demeanor had returned, especially after what had happened. But maybe that was Rosalie¡¯s natural state, and their erotic circumstances had simply resulted in a break of herposure. In fact, perhaps it was the circumstances themselves that had Rosalie needing to impose formality between them. "Zoey, for the second time,¡± she returned, shaking her hand. ¡°And, uh, I¡¯ve got no clue what Lancer means, or second advancement.¡± Rosalie paused. ¡°Right. Memory problems.¡± She withdrew her hand. Zoey wondered if they were really pretending Zoey hadn¡¯t drenched her in cum just a few minutes prior, and that this was their first meeting. But whatever. If it made Rosalie morefortable, then sure. ¡°Lancer is¡ª¡± she paused. ¡°Let¡¯s ensure we¡¯re safe, first. Then talk.¡± Zoey nodded; that was a smart idea. She turned and inspected the room they¡¯d escaped into. On first inspection, it gave the impression of an abandoned temple, though she wasn¡¯t sure whether they were underground or above; there were no windows to check. Thick green vines sprouted from various ces, wiggling through the cracked stone brick, and giving the room an overrun-by-nature feel. Decaying red banners, moth-eaten at the edges, draped from the walls. Three more coffinsid in an aligned square; she and Rosalie had woken in the front-left. The others had their lids parted, not having been nailed in. Only they¡¯d received that pleasure, Zoey guessed. She walked to the wall and studied the vines. She rubbed one of them between her fingers, wondering why they were covered in a slippery, clear fluid. Water? It didn¡¯t feel like it. Honestly, it felt like lubricant. Which, uh, gave her a bad feeling. Zoey was from Earth, after all, a twenty-first century girl, and she¡¯d spent her fair share of time on the inte. Considering how this ¡®shard¡¯ had introduced her and Rosalie, finding slimy green vines coated in what felt like lubricant implied some ¡­ concerning things. She almost opened her mouth to mention it to Rosalie, then realized how insane she would sound. Careful of the vines. They might want to molest you. Zoey was surely being ridiculous. The vines hadn¡¯t responded to her touch, anyway. Just paranoia. Or perversion. At a sudden ripping noise, Zoey turned to see what Rosalie was doing. She had torn one of the red banners off the wall and had started wiping herself down. Which was fair ¡­ but Zoey frowned, because she¡¯d greatly enjoyed the sight of Rosalie¡¯s body covered in her seed. But it was only practical. Ephy had said saving the world wasn¡¯t all ¡®conquest of tight, nubile bodies¡¯, and that there would be genuine danger ahead, mountains to climb, and obstacles to ovee. So cleaning themselves off and focusing on practical matters was for the best. Once Rosalie was done, she tossed the fabric to Zoey, who did the same. It didn¡¯t do the greatest of jobs. Her cum had dried a slight amount already, and without water, it wasn¡¯t the easiest thing to clean off. Oddly, Zoey felt satisfied at that. No small amount of the girlcum she¡¯d sttered Rosalie with would be left over, caked onto her. Possibly for a while. Until they could shower or bathe, which Zoey didn¡¯t see in the short foreseeable future. Seriously, cool it with the perviness. Zoey wouldn¡¯t ever have called herself the most chaste, blushing of people, but she didn¡¯t think she¡¯d ever been this sex-obsessed. Was it the addition between her legs? Definitely a contributor ¡­ but maybe it was what she had just been subjected to, and the implication by Ephy more would being. Though with Rosalie? Zoey had her doubts. She didn¡¯t seem the type of woman to be pouncing on someone she barely knew. That first time might have been theirst, since it¡¯d been strictly necessary. But she hoped not. Zoey¡¯s eyes locked to Rosalie¡¯s ass as she moved around the room, watching the way it swayed. Such a small, defined girl had no reason having a butt that perfect, that filled-out. A stirring between her legs forced her to look away. It seemed the refractory period was ending, and Zoey would rather not have to exin another erection. She wouldn¡¯t have the excuse of being piled on top of a naked girl, this time. Rosalie would know she¡¯d been staring, and imagining lewd things in the safety of her mind. ¡°Find anything?¡± Zoey asked. Rosalie turned to Zoey, and Zoey maintained firm eye contact. Rosalie¡¯s perky, pale tits were still inly in her peripheral vision, and further down, situated beneath defined abs, a neatly-trimmed patch of tinum hair, same as the shoulder-length tresses above. But if Zoey tried hard enough, she could pretend she didn¡¯t see any of it. Settle down, girl, she said to her stirring lower body. Or was it boy? Cocks were obviously pretty masculine ¡­ but she didn¡¯t like the idea of calling it such. And besides, hers was kind of cuter, more feminine, wasn¡¯t it? Okay, that was a lie, it was huge, veiny, throbbing, and definitely an angrier, more impressive piece than any man on Earth could wield, but it was a girl anyway, damnit. ¡°We¡¯re safe here, I assume,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Only one exit, that door. Unfortunately, it doesn''t look like my spear or armor is here. It must be somewhere in the shard, but it could take time to find. So. Considering we¡¯ve been given a reprieve, now¡¯s the opportunity to form a n of attack.¡± Talking business. Absolutely. It would help tremendously with not embarrassing herself by raising mast in front of her impromptu partner. And there was a lot of business to talk. ¡°Okay,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Can you catch me up? Shards. That¡¯s where we are, you said, but what¡¯s that mean? And the Fractures. Haven, too? And advancements ¡­ you said you were second. And¡ª¡± Rosalie raised a hand. There was a casual, assumed authority in the movement that gave Zoey pause. Don¡¯t you know who I am? Rosalie¡¯s words from earlier echoed in her head. And that. Zoey should probably bring that exmation up. Who was she? Somebody important, based on her arrogant posture, her ramrod-straight back, the way she carried herself with such assured confidence andmanded Zoey around. ¡°I¡¯ll give you an overview,¡± Rosalie said, ¡°but I¡¯m hardly going to exin everything you¡¯ve forgotten. It¡¯s a world¡¯s worth of information, literally.¡± Ironic phrasing. ¡°The basics are fine.¡± And finally addressing a matter Zoey knew had to be addressed, she said, ¡°And can you, uh, cover yourself up? With one of the banners? I don¡¯t want to, uh, embarrass us again.¡± Rosalie¡¯s eyes flicked down to Zoey¡¯s cock, and at the attention, it twitched. It didn¡¯t fully stiffen, but only at great effort by Zoey, who ran through the least arousing scenarios in her head that she could invent. ¡°Right.¡± Zoey could tell by the stutter in Rosalie¡¯s voice, and the flush and blinking, that something along the lines of, why didn¡¯t I think of that, crossed her mind. They each made impromptu clothes from the decaying, moth-eaten banners. They wouldn¡¯t be functional for moving around, and definitely not fighting, but it bought them some temporary modesty¡ªand Zoey some reprieve. Though not having such a gorgeous woman on disy ¡­ Zoey hated herself for being the one to suggest it. ¡°Shards,¡± Rosalie said firmly, corralling them back to topic. ¡°Shards are pocket dimensions separated from the greater clusters that makes up the Fractures. Deeper, further removed¡ªlittle is known for certain, and theoreticals are irrelevant. Functionally, know they¡¯re dangerous pocket realms that need to be cleared before we can return to the Fractures.¡± ¡°Which is where society is?¡± ¡°Wayfarer societies,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°But yes.¡± ¡°And that means?¡± ¡°Civilians live in Haven, not in the Fractures. The Fractures are for ¡­ the adventurous.¡± She paused. ¡°With exceptions, of course. Plenty delve down to provide services to Wayfarers. Even tailors make good money in the Fractures, many times what they could up above, because of the implied risk.¡± She shook her head. ¡°But that¡¯s not important. Yes. Society in a vague sense lives in the Fractures, not within shards.¡± ¡°And we¡¯re trying to return there.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°You, at least. I came here intentionally. Shards are lucrative, and evolve runes faster than the monsters found above. So my real goal was to clear this shard, emptying out any resources I could find. Routine. The usual goal of a Wayfarer.¡± Her lips pursed. ¡°You¡¯veplicated that. You¡¯re unfit for delving a shard, and memoryless, so I¡¯ll need to escort you to safety, rather than taking my time to loot the structure dry, as I normally would.¡± ¡°Hey.¡± Zoey didn¡¯t know why she was offended. Obviously she was unfit for adventuring; this woman exudedpetence, and Zoey knew without demonstration that she could fight, that she might have been trained for it since birth. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right, but¡ª¡± But what? Zoey didn¡¯t like being treated as dead weight? Well, she probably was, and that didn¡¯t change regardless of if she wanted to delve the shard (the new terminology felt a bit odd to use, but she¡¯d have to get used to that). But did she, even? Want to? Ostensibly that was what Zoey¡¯s mission here was, as delivered by Ephy. Speaking of mission, what if Zoey refused? To ¡®save the world¡¯, whatever that meant? Could she go settle down somewhere? Live a normal life, for a sense of the word? Did she want to? Would Ephy intervene? She wouldn¡¯t get her memories back, for sure. Did she care if she didn¡¯t? They¡¯d been excised so thoroughly the fact they were tattered in incoherent patches didn¡¯t even bother her. She was missing the faces of her parents, siblings if she had them, friends, and so on¡ªbut so what? They didn¡¯t exist to her anymore. Weren¡¯t ¡®distractions¡¯, as Ephy had put it, the exact reason she¡¯d done it in the first ce. Her head started to hurt. Now that she had a moment to think, the enormity of everything that had happened mmed into her. No small amount of dread, either. For her own mental health, she went along with things as they¡¯d beenid out for her. She would acquiesce to Ephy¡¯s orders ¡­ until she had time to actually think about all this chaos. At a minimum, she could shelve it until she found civilization, a ce with people, and safety. They were far from out of the woods, regardless that they¡¯d escaped from the coffin. ¡°I guess that¡¯s true,¡± Zoey finally said. ¡°But I¡¯m sure I could do something to help. Two pairs of hands is better than one, right?¡± ¡°Not remotely. You¡¯d get in my way, and I¡¯d expend more effort saving you than you¡¯d offer in return.¡± The words stung, but again, they were probably true. Rosalie bit her lip. ¡°But ¡­ your runes ¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Well. They¡¯re quite useful.¡± ¡°They are?¡± ¡°They¡¯re the strongest first-advancement skills I¡¯ve ever seen. And your Rune of Bonding. It¡¯s ¡­ I¡¯ve never even known a person with a mythic-tier rune. Even my father¡ª¡± Her teeth clicked shut. Smooth, Zoey thought. Real subtle. So she was trying to keep some things about her past under wraps? She wasn¡¯t good at it. But Zoey didn¡¯t point that out. ¡°Mythic-tier?¡± Rosalie waved her hand dismissively. ¡°Just know it¡¯s quite rare. Vanishingly so. I mean, this bond you formed with me ¡­ it elerates the evolution of my own runes.¡± She sounded disbelieving, though she¡¯d read the words from Zoey¡¯s tab anima herself, so the legitimacy of the skill wasn¡¯t in question. ¡°That¡¯s good?¡± Zoey asked. Rosalie gave her a t look, not answering outright. Zoey could put two and two together. ¡°There¡¯s a gap between us,¡± Rosalie said, ¡°a significant one, but perhaps ¡­ well, I¡¯m curious to see how you develop. You might be useful.¡± The cold analysis amused Zoey. ¡°Not interested in me for me, huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re a delightful woman to be around,¡± thepliment was lost in the impassive way she said it, ¡°but I have goals a little loftier than to be picking my teammates on merit of how well they deliver a quip.¡± She really was a bundle of seriousness, wasn¡¯t she? It was kind of cute. ¡°Okay. So. You do think I can help.¡± ¡°Depends. Do you remember how to cast spells?¡± Zoey hadn¡¯t been flinging fireballs around back home, so no. She shook her head. Then for full disclosure, ¡°Never even been in a fight.¡± Rosalie blinked at that. Zoey guessed in this world, the modern standard of non-violence wasn¡¯t quite the same. ¡°I thought you don¡¯t have your memories,¡± Rosalie said, having been blinking at her for a different reason than Zoey had assumed. Zoey paused. She¡¯d just a second ago been amused for Rosalie poorly keeping things under wraps, and there Zoey went, doing it too. ¡°I remember ¡­ some. It¡¯s foggy.¡± Honesty was the best policy here. ¡°But I guess I can¡¯t say I haven¡¯t been in a fight for certain. It¡¯s all in tatters.¡± Rosalie studied her for a second, then seemingly shrugged it off. At a guess, whether Zoey was lying or not didn¡¯t especially matter. ¡°Well. You see the problem, then? You can¡¯t cast spells, much less fight.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get the hang of it?¡± Zoey suggested hopefully. ¡°I¡¯m sure I can do something to help.¡± Rosalie bit her lip, considering the im. She nced at the wooden door, then a decision solidified on her face. ¡°We have time to find out. Let¡¯s see if we can get you acquainted to flinging a basic ice spike, and we¡¯ll go from there.¡± 1.05 Self Care 1.05 Self Care ¡°Well,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°You¡¯re better than most novices. If you keep out of the way, you might be able to help. In ¡­ some small way.¡± It was far from glowing praise, but it meant Zoey wouldn¡¯t be forced to stay out of the action entirely. That was a win, in her book. And why the hell was spellcasting¡ªutilizing her Rune of Arcana¡ªso difficult? Hadn¡¯t she been summoned to this world by a literal goddess ¡­ shouldn¡¯t she be a prodigy at everything she did, or something? Instead, Rosalie seemed distinctly unimpressed, even after Zoey had spent an hour clumsily crafting together one-circle spells, and the same one again and again: a simple ice spike given velocity. ¡°Now,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°For your mana situation.¡± It¡¯s called lust, actually. Zoey had picked up a thing or two about how this world worked, by now, during the lessons Rosalie had provided her. Mana was what normal mages used to fuel their spells, but Zoey¡¯s resource system had been reced by ¡®lust¡¯, which was recharged by ¡­ well, by things such as what she and Rosalie had done in the coffin, which had been what topped her off in the first ce. ¡°I¡¯m running low,¡± Zoey said with a nod. ¡°It¡¯s time for us to recharge.¡± Rosalie stared. ¡°Us?¡± Zoey blinked. She realized the assumption she had made. ¡°Well, I just mean, uh, it says bonded targets provide more ¡­ and I figured¡ª¡± ¡°You are perfectly capable of jerking yourself off, thank you very much,¡± Rosalie¡¯s incredulous reply came. It seemed Zoey¡¯s earlier assumption¡ªthat their intimacy in the coffin had been a one-time thing¡ªwas true. ¡°Right,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Right. Didn¡¯t mean to assume¡ªuh. Anyway. So, like, I should do that now, then?¡± ¡°Unless you¡¯re waiting on something?¡± She made a shooing motion. ¡°Do it in the corner. And don¡¯t let me hear you.¡± Zoey paused, feeling a bit demeaned. ¡°I know this is an odd situation, but¡ª¡± ¡°A disgusting one, actually.¡± ¡°Disgusting?¡± Her temper red; Rosalie¡¯s snippiness was getting to her. ¡°You didn¡¯t think that an hour ago, did you?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°You were just as into it as me, princess.¡± ¡°I was not.¡± The words were two full octaves higher than normal. ¡°That body racking orgasm was ¡­ an act, then?¡± ¡°Orgasm? I absolutely did not. Are you¡ªare you insane?¡± Zoey stared incredulously. She was denying that? ¡°Okay. The fact you joined in, then? Or are you denying the humping, too?¡± ¡°Because I wanted it over faster, pervert. And you told me to.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for insults.¡± ¡°And there¡¯s no need for you to be propositioning me to jerk you off, either. But you did that, didn¡¯t you?¡± Zoey realized she needed to be the mature one here. Rosalie¡¯s embarrassment over sexual matters was even higher than Zoey had thought it would be. And while the harsh rejection and insults stung, she could tell Rosalie needed to be able to deny what had happened¡ªfor her ownfort. Zoey could do that, at least. ¡°Fine. Fine. I¡¯ll go ¡­ take care of it. Alone.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t take too long.¡± Zoey bit her tongue on a retort. Rosalie had been otherwise pleasant¡ªif serious and domineering¡ªup until this point. She¡¯d only been rude when sex had been brought up. Well, not even sex. It¡¯d just have been a handjob. But whatever. Zoey walked to the corner, feeling like a pretty giant idiot. ¡®Don¡¯t make any noise¡¯? Could this be any more embarrassing? She shrugged off the banner she¡¯d been wearing, then set it out against the floor to sit on. It shielded her from the grime and dirt of the stonebrick, though the banner itself wasn¡¯t the cleanest thing. She spread her legs out and stared down at her cock. Well. Time to make personal acquaintance. She hadn¡¯t had an opportunity to do that, yet. She poked at the sensitive flesh. Even when it was soft, the size of the thing wasically unwieldy. Zoey had always preferred girls, so cocks hadn¡¯t ever done much for her. Strap-ons were fun, sure, and she didn¡¯t have anything against cocks; just, she¡¯d never been interested in men, so. Having her own wasn¡¯t so bad. At least as far as that interaction with Rosalie had gone. At the reminder, she started to grow. She wrapped a hand around the shaft, feeling it expand in her soft grip¡ªand wondering at her slim, feminine fingers wrapped around the massive rod of meat. It was probably¡ªscratch that, definitely¡ªweird to be turned on by seeing her own hand wrapped around her cock, at seeing her own cock grow, but she¡¯d be lying if she said it didn¡¯t do something for her: the mismatch in sizes, the way she could barely fit it in her grip. Seriously, why the hell was it so big? Ephy must have a size kink, to be forcing a monster like this onto Zoey. And maybe Zoey had a bit of one, too, based on how she admired the fact it just kept growing. Especially since Ephy implied the whole ¡®fitting¡¯ thing shouldn¡¯t be an issue, once she ¡®figured out her runes¡¯. Which hadn¡¯t happened yet, but runes evolved and new skills were revealed, so Zoey assumed that¡¯d be down the line. Finally full mast, Zoey admired her impressive weapon. She gripped it in both hands, thin fingers covering aically small amount of space. So. Jerking off, guy-style. How did it work? It couldn¡¯t be thatplicated. Didn¡¯t they use lotion, though, or something? Lubricant? She gripped herself and ran her hands up and down, but with how much real estate there was, Zoey quickly realized she¡¯d be needing some sliding, if she wanted to be effective about things. Unless ¡­ a hand went to the top, where she caressed the tip, then tried a few jerking motions. Zoey winced in pleasure¡ªthat had definitely been better. But still. Lubricant would help. Her spit? There was no shot she could produce enough to cover herself, not with her size, and spit dried up pretty fast anyway. After being spoiled by Rosalie¡¯s convulsing, sweaty body, Zoey could tell it would take some work to get herself off; spit wouldn¡¯tst long enough. Her first interaction had set a high bar, and since she¡¯d been so thoroughly emptied just an hour prior, she didn¡¯t even have the advantage of being pent up. An idea popped into her head. She shimmied on her butt a few feet to the wall, where the vines sprouted between the stonebrick. They still glistened in the flickering orange torchlight, covered in that slick liquid Zoey had noticed when they¡¯d first arrived. Well. How convenient. She wiped both hands across the various green protrusions, collecting the lubricant across her fingers, then she re-gripped her cock and started spreading the liquid. The effort worked fabulously; a few more applications, and Zoey¡¯s cock glistened in the light, covered from base to tip in the oily liquid. Zoey gave it another shot: she ran both hands up, then down, squeezing with a firm grip. Her cock pulsed happily, and Zoey let out a breathless moan of content. Time to get to it, then. Zoeyid down across the red banner draped on the floor, then closed her eyes and got to work. She experimented for a bit. The cockhead was most sensitive, of course. Squeezing her fingers shut, then having her cock pierce between them, felt heavenly, like Zoey was slipping into some lewd part of a woman, and not her own hand. But it was also bursts of pleasure, where simply working away in a pumping motion with both hands served better for building her toward orgasm. Which was still a long way off. She didn¡¯t even feel hints of it yet, for all that she was enjoying her efforts. Probably need some mental assistance. There was an obvious person to fantasize about, especially considering they¡¯d already mutually orgasmed against each other during one of the most erotic situations Zoey had ever found herself in. So she focused on that memory: on the feeling of her cock grinding against Rosalie, and all the cute, agonized noises she¡¯d been making as she tried desperately to get herself off. Definitely working, Zoey thought as another breathless moan escaped her lips. A squeaking noise pierced the room, briefly making Zoey open her eyes, before shutting them and refocusing. Zoey assumed Rosalie had looked over and seen Zoey working away at her enormous shaft. Zoey might¡¯veughed if her attention hadn¡¯t been so intently directed at coaxing out the building pleasure in her member. Because had Rosalie thought Zoey wouldn¡¯t make any noise? Zoey would be amodating where she could, but not that amodating. And it¡¯d been her fault she¡¯d looked over. What Zoey would be doing was pretty obvious. Zoey¡¯s hips started moving on their own ord, joining in on her hands'' efforts in milking out an intensifying pleasure that finally made itself apparent, that starting building deep in her cock, and the core of her stomach, heralding the start of the end. She pumped faster, falling deeper into her fantasies. It wasn¡¯t her hands sliding up and down her cock, but actually the spasming walls of the cute, serious tinum-haired blondie in the other corner of the room. Rosalie¡¯s cunt squeezed around Zoey¡¯s cock as she bounced up and down, ass impacting her crotch, the tight, hot wetness of her breeding hole doing its hardest to fulfill its biological imperative. It wanted to be filled. It wanted to be stuffed to overflowing with Zoey¡¯s hot seed. And she could provide that, couldn¡¯t she? Just had to work ¡­ a little harder. Go a little faster. Harder. Faster. Please. Please. Zoey¡¯s feet slid back on their own ord, and she arched her back, so that only her feet and shoulders were making contact with the ground. Her hands pistoned with as much speed and strength as she could muster. Her cock stuck out an angle, and she realized in this position she¡¯d be spraying all over herself, but in the condition her melting mind was in, she didn¡¯t care remotely. It wasing. The heat. The pulsating, aching, relief. She needed to empty herself. It was Rosalie¡¯s tight pussy begging for it. Zoey could do it. For her. For Rosalie. She needed to be filled. To be bred. To have Zoey¡¯s sticky spunk spraying into her womb. Zoey whined as she milked out her first solo orgasm. It erupted with a spasm, and a hot ssh of liquid hit Zoey¡¯s face. She wasn¡¯t particrly interested in tasting it, so she cemented her lips shut, but the idea she wasing over her own face was insanely hot, so rather than aiming away, Zoey let the next spray hit the same ce again. With the strength andck of finesse Zoey was pumping away with, plenty of her baby batter went astray: across her stomach, tits, shoulders, neck, and surely everywhere nearby, too, not just her face. Like her previous orgasm, Zoey had a lot of spunk to shoot out; that it¡¯d been only an hour since herst didn¡¯t seem to matter. Her face was well and thoroughly covered by the time Zoey¡¯s hips sagged down, and she had coaxed out everyst drop she could manage. Shey panting on the ground for a while, then finally sat up and started cleaning herself, starting with clearing the spunk from her eyes, so she could open them. She had a shard to explore. Saving the world wasn¡¯t all perversion. Just mostly, from the look of things. 1.06 First Steps 1.06 First Steps Rosalie peered out into the hallway, then, after a few moment¡¯s quiet analysis, stepped forward and waved for Zoey to follow. She did so. At a distance, as they had discussed. They had dropped the impromptu banner-clothing. By high odds, they¡¯d be getting in a few tussles in the uing adventure, and tripping over hastily tied, decaying cloth would be a pretty hrious way to go, especially when both she and Rosalie had already milked out orgasms from each other; modesty really ought not to be a concern of theirs. Rosalie was embarrassed about sex and rted fields, that much was obvious, but even she wasn¡¯t that impractical. Her good-sense as a Wayfarer overruled her desire to cover her body up. And so Zoey got a great view of her ass as she walked carefully down the hallway, inspecting for traps, or potential threats. If Zoey hadn¡¯t just emptied herself, her cock probably would¡¯ve risen up in its stiff, angry seal of approval. Because Christ, this girl had one of the best asses she¡¯d ever seen. And Zoey had had the inte, back home, so that was really saying something. Like the room prior, the hallway was nondescript besides the vines curling from between crumbling gaps in the wall. The presence of nt-life was much more pervasive. Zoey¡¯s paranoia flickered again, but she forced it down. Rosalie was the expert here, and she¡¯d thought nothing of the vines, even when Zoey had roundabout brought it up, asking whether they were dangerous. For that effort, she¡¯d only received an odd look, and a snidement about how using the slime to jerk herself off had been dangerous, because who knew if it was poisonous, but otherwise, no, they were just vines. So. Clearly they meant nothing. Just a convenient (in regards to Zoey¡¯s earlier plight) part of the scenery. Zoey didn¡¯t know what to expect from this adventure. Combat, certainly. Traps, a given. Loot¡ªan interesting uing event. Rosalie had given her an overview of how the world worked, but every shard was different. Each came with their own form of monsters, and obstacles, to ovee. Like the coffin debacle, and that Rosalie¡¯s weapons and armor had gone missing. Hopefully forever. Not really, because she needed those, but damn, Zoey wasn¡¯t going to be happy when she didn¡¯t get to see that ass wiggling in front of her. She wanted so, so desperately to discover the sensation of burying herself into Rosalie, and feeling those soft cheeks pressing into her crotch, but while Zoey¡¯s horniness levels had skyrocketed since her new addition between her legs, the urges were far from overwhelming, at least in a literal sense. She could control herself. She wasn¡¯t some savage. She admired from afar. But maybe someday ¡­ A vine, thicker than the previous, drew Zoey¡¯s attention as they slowly advanced down the hallway. It wasid out across the floor, from wall to wall, serving as a stumbling block. The strongest paranoia yet hit Zoey, the need to call out and warn Rosalie, who¡¯d clearly seen it, but thought of it only as scenery, something to watch her footing for. Zoey bit her tongue. Rosalie knew best. Right? Rosalie stepped carefully across the thick protrusion, and Zoey felt silly, for a brief, ridiculous moment. She¡¯d overreacted. Of course it was safe. What was it going to do, grab her and¡ª Then the vine shuddered, and Zoey barely made out what happened next. The vine came to life, snaking out and wrapping around Rosalie¡¯s legs at thigh-level, securing her in thick, green loops, like an anaconda. Rosalie was swiped from her feet with barely time to squeak in surprise. She dangled from the ceiling, upside down, and in response, the mass of vines on the wall started to writhe and animate, heeding the incapacitation therger, trap-vine on the floor had provided. Oh, shit. Zoey hadn¡¯t been paranoid; she¡¯d been dead right. Of course the dungeon they found themselves in wanted to molest them. It had crammed them in a coffin and forced Zoey to orgasm across Rosalie¡¯s body as their very first obstacle, for god¡¯s sake. And while what was about to happen to Rosalie would be an amazing show, and something Zoey would have loved to see in an abstract sense, Zoey sure as hell wasn¡¯t letting Rosalie just hang there and be groped by slimy vines. Not if she didn¡¯t want it, at least. Which, knowing Rosalie, was definitely the case. Not that she¡¯d be getting out entirely unscathed. Zoey could only do so much, and the slimy green vines were on Rosalie in a blink. They wrapped around her torso, and her arms, further securing her in ce, and the most enterprising of the bunch shoved itself into her mouth. At least her lower holes seemed to be spared, since the thick, securing vine had her thighs solidly shut. Her tits and mouth, not so much. Rosalie thrashed about, trying to fight the vines off. Zoey finally startled into action; she was hardly some trained adventurer, and everything had happened in what felt like half a second. Her arsenal of tools was small, but she could at least try. An hour of practice was far from enough time to have be a proficient spellcaster, but she had at least some. She called forth that strange well of energy, then in some inexplicable way, activated her Rune of Arcana, calling forth a single circle: the fundamental unit of spellcasting. Mentally drawing the swooping, interlocking diagram for a high-velocity ice spike in the way Rosalie had taught her, she flung out the first of her spells, aimed directly at thergest vine, the one that had Rosalie¡¯s legs incapacitated. It cut through green nt flesh with surprising efficacy. Two more spikes had thergest of the vines severed, and Rosalie thumping into the floor. The strength of the bindings at her legs now cut off, Rosalie¡¯s thrashing gained purchase; the grip started to loosen at her thighs, and Zoey could hear the vines start to tear. Rosalie¡¯s mouth was still upied by a squirming upant, and¡ªZoey paused in surprise. It was emptying some kind of fluid into her mouth. A translucent, pink material dribbled from her chin and out her nose. Based on the second, Zoey assumed the vine must be injecting its payload with no small amount of force. Shit. That wasn¡¯t something dangerous, right? Seeing how it was a trap, it couldn¡¯t be pleasant. Zoey needed to get Rosalie out, like, now. She almost pped her forehead in realization, then genuinely despised herself for forgetting¡ªagain, she wasn¡¯t some hardened veteran. She¡¯d forgotten the other tool she had avable. Like she had once before in the coffin, Zoey pushed a surge of strength into Rosalie, utilizing their bond to Bolster her. Gaining newfound strength, Rosalie¡¯s efforts finally yielded fruit; the vines at her thighs ripped, and her arms broke free from the smaller assaulters. She grabbed the vine squirming into her mouth and pulled it out, gasping air and hacking at the liquid in her throat and lungs, then crawled from her squiggling prison, Zoey assisting in dragging her to safety. Rosalie copsed back, and Zoey leaned over her, panicked and not sure what to do. Rosalie was hacking out whatever pink liquid her molesters had shoved down her throat. ¡°Are you good? Are you¡ªshit, is that stuff dangerous? It¡¯s not poison, right?¡± She felt incredibly useless, and fumed at herself for not doing more. Ironically, or perhaps expectedly, Rosalie was calm despite the attack. She waved away Zoey¡¯s concern, not able to talk as she gasped and coughed out liquid, but conveying with bodynguage that she was fine. It did a lot to assure her ¡­ but not entirely. ¡°It¡¯s not poison,¡± Rosalie finally said when she could speak. She hacked between words. ¡°This is only a first advancement shard. None of the traps are deadly.¡± Zoey took the reassurance at face value, but she still had a bad feeling. ¡°What¡¯s it do, then?¡± ¡°Weakens me, at a guess. We¡¯ll be finding out.¡± She cleared her throat for a tenth or eleventh time. Reluctantly, she said, ¡°Thanks for the help.¡± ¡°I should¡¯ve used Bolster as soon as you were snagged. I¡¯m so stupid.¡± Maybe she¡¯d have been able to tear herself out before the vine had gotten into her mouth, but Zoey¡¯d been an idiot and hadn¡¯t reacted in time. Rosalie didn¡¯t contradict her, but she didn¡¯t seem to me Zoey, either. ¡°You¡¯re new to delving. Mastering your panic is one of the hardest steps.¡± Rosalie wiped her hands down her chest, and they came back covered in clear liquid. Strands bridged from her hands to her breasts. ¡°Gods, I¡¯m covered in this stuff. I feel like I¡¯ve been dumped in a tub of sap.¡± Zoey¡¯s panic finally settled, and she took in the nude woman covered head-to-toe in gooey lubricant. In the glinting light of the wall torches, it served as oil, turning her body glossy and very much something Zoey¡¯s cock appreciated. Ah, shit. Well, this was going to be a hard erection to exin. Rosalie gave it one look, then shook her head in disgust. ¡°Pervert.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re fine,¡± Zoey said. Rosalie huffed and forced herself to her feet. ¡°It caught me off guard. It won¡¯t happen again.¡± Her pride was stung that she¡¯d fallen for the trap. ¡°I knew something was weird about those vines.¡± ¡°I suppose you did,¡± Rosalie said sourly. A short silence, and given the proof she¡¯d needed, Zoey chose to broach a topic she felt needed to be, however strange it might sound. ¡°I think the dungeon wants to get in our pants.¡± The euphemism felt silly considering their nakedness, but it felt better than saying ¡®molest¡¯ ¡­ or an even harsher term. ¡°Dungeon?¡± ¡°Shard,¡± she corrected. The world was game-like, but they had their own specific terms. Not a dungeon, but a shard. Rosalie was quiet for a bit. ¡°You might be right. I¡¯ve never heard of such a thing ¡­ but.¡± She bit her lip. ¡°It might have to do with you.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Shards conform to their opposition. Seeing how your runes encourage ¡­¡± Rosalie didn¡¯t finish the thought. ¡°It makes sense the shardtched to that, and is a pervert, too, now. I just ¡­ didn¡¯t want to consider the possibility.¡± Pervert, too? She¡¯d been throwing that word around a lot. Zoey had hardly asked for any of this, okay? And getting an erection at a naked, drop-dead gorgeous girl covered in oil was far from a ¡®perverted¡¯ reaction. But Zoey had learned to take her licks. Rosalie was pleasant otherwise. ¡°Regardless,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Let¡¯s keep it moving forward.¡± Rosalie¡ªand Zoey¡ªeyed the mass of vines on the wall as they passed, but as soon as Rosalie had freed herself, the nts had reverted to their inert nature. They didn¡¯t so much as twitch as they creeped by. They advanced down the hallway, quickly putting distance between them and the coffin-room. It didn¡¯t take long for action to find them. She heard the skittering of the creature before she saw it. Rosalie, of course, did as well. Her foot skidded back and she dropped into some form ofbat stance¡ªor what seemed to be so, based on Zoey¡¯s amateur appraisal. A knee-high, ck-furred thing appeared around the corner, and spared not a moment tounch itself at Rosalie. Zoey, like previously, reacted with a dy, shocked despite her mental preparation for a fight. Because what the hell was that thing? Not that she¡¯d expected some, she didn¡¯t know, coherent animal like a dog or a cougar, seeing how she was in an alien world, but seriously. The squeal, the blur of ck fur, and the way it threw itself forward with reckless abandon, freaked her the fuck out, okay? This time, at least, Zoey activated Bolster immediately, feeling her energy reserves dip. Rosalie made short work of it. Zoey would¡¯ve helped, but with Rosalie wrapped in a violent, lightning-fast struggle of flesh and fur, Zoey didn¡¯t remotely trust herself tounch an ice spike and not cause coteral damage. Rosalie didn¡¯t need the help, anyway. It was a nauseatingly violent affair, Rosalie¡¯s killing of the monster, but what had Zoey expected? ¡°Well,¡± Rosalie said when things had concluded, as she stared down at the beast that had been beaten into submission. ¡°The shard¡¯s only goal isn¡¯t getting in our pants. It¡¯s normal to some degree.¡± ¡°What a relief,¡± Zoey said dryly. She had liked the vines better. 1.07 Under The Influence 1.07 Under The Influence Content Warning: Spoiler Sexual acts performed under the influence of an aphrodisiac. [copse] Rosalie was acting strange. The culprit was obvious. Had Zoey really thought nothing woulde from the pink liquid that had been shoved down Rosalie¡¯s throat? It had been a trap. Traps didn¡¯t imply nothingness when they seeded. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re fine?¡± Zoey asked carefully, after the seventh time she caught Rosalie turning around and staring at her cock. She had effusively denied it each time, because Rosalie was Rosalie. She¡¯d even denied that the liquid was having any effect, but the truth was in as day. An aphrodisiac. Rosalie had had a bucket of aphrodisiac injected into her stomach. And the effects were showing. Which was a troubling realization. Zoey wouldn¡¯t be taking advantage of the situation; that much was a given. Honestly, she didn¡¯t think Rosalie would be yielding to the sensation, anyways. She was prideful like that. And repressed, more frankly. She¡¯d never admit she wanted Zoey¡¯s cock inside her. However many times she got distracted when she looked Zoey¡¯s way, then had her eyes ensnared by the enormous, soft protrusion of girlmeat between her legs. ¡°Fine?¡± Rosalie asked, her cheeks flushed almost a crimson red¡ªas they had been for the past ten minutes. ¡°What do you mean? Please don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re still worried about the trap. Clearly, the liquid didn¡¯t do anything. It would¡¯ve shown by now.¡± Uh-huh, Zoey wanted to say. Rosalie¡¯s stalwart adherence to refusing to acknowledge that her skin and mind had been set ame by a liquid influence would have been amusing¡ªscratch that, was amusing, just concerning in equal measure¡ªif not for how distracted she¡¯d be. Seeing how they were working their way through a shard, where dangerous critters and trapsy at every corner, distractions were really not what they wanted, for safety¡¯s sake. Zoey¡¯s eyes certainly weren¡¯t discerning enough to pick out suspicious features. ¡°Do we need to take a break? Let it wear off?¡± ¡°Let what wear off?¡± ¡°Rosalie. Please. Your face is red.¡± And you¡¯re staring at my cock. Right now. As we speak. Her hand fluttered to her face, as if to check the temperature of her cheeks, and she blinked. ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s take a break.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. We¡¯re continuing. But you can do as you want.¡± She wrenched her eyes from between Zoey¡¯s legs, then turned forward and walked. Why did this woman have to be so stubborn? And the aphrodisiac was picking up potency. Rosalie¡¯s steps grew less certain by the second; she seemed unsteady on her feet, which was unsettling to see, with how Rosalie normally moved like a predator, or if not that, a queen striding through her domain. Zoey realized she needed to take executivemand here. Rosalie¡¯s brain wasn¡¯t working how it should. She strode forward and grabbed Rosalie by the wrist. ¡°We¡¯re taking a break. I¡¯m tired.¡± ¡°You¡¯re tired?¡± she echoed. Zoey needed to frame it as weakness stemming from her, not Rosalie. Rosalie would never admit to having anything resembling weakness. ¡°Yes. I need to rest.¡± Rosalie shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re trying to get me to stop. I¡¯m not stupid. I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s keep going.¡± She jerked her hand out of Zoey¡¯s grip and continued forward. Inmed, Zoey jogged forward to spin around and intercept her¡ªbut she stumbled, foot snagging on a vine, and she sprawled forward onto the stone, elbows jarring as shended. Oh, crap. The vine rippled to life, and barely a second passed before Zoey was wrapped in a slimy nt-embrace. Except ¡­ rather than hanging her by her thighs in the air, the vines sucked her into the wall. Thergest of the nts¡ªwhat she had tripped over¡ªencircled her by her stomach, pinning her into a mass of cold, lubricated ntlife. But they made no move to shove down Zoey¡¯s throat, or any of her other holes. Or even to molest her. They simply locked her in ce, securing her arms, hands, and legs in various positions. Rosalie stood there, blinking. Her reactions had been dulled by the aphrodisiac; she was reacting even slower than Zoey, by this point. ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to go ahead of me,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°That¡¯s why.¡± Zoey struggled against the vines, but if Rosalie couldn¡¯t escape without help¡ªdespite having runes focused on empowering her body and reactions¡ªthen obviously Zoey found little sess. ¡°Little help, here?¡± Zoey snapped. Why the hell weren¡¯t they doing to her what they had to Rosalie? Rosalie didn¡¯t move. Zoey looked up from the green wrappings. Rosalie had an idle look on her face, and predictably, her eyes were locked to Zoey¡¯s crotch, as they had consistently been for the past hour. Zoey stilled,ing to a sudden understanding. Step one: drug Rosalie. Step two: capture Zoey. Step three: see what happened. Set them up, knock them down. ¡°Rosalie,¡± Zoey said carefully. ¡°I need help.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Rosalie replied idly. ¡°You do? Why?¡± Her eyes didn¡¯t move from her crotch. Zoey could see the slickness between her thighs. ¡°Please help me,¡± she said slowly. ¡°I¡¯m stuck, and you need to cut me out.¡± Rosalie approached. Her eyes didn¡¯t drift up to meet Zoey¡¯s. Zoey¡¯s stomach continued to sink. Rather than moving to help her, Rosalie got down on her knees. Zoey¡¯s body reacted on its own. Having the worshiping gaze of a girl she¡¯d been constantly fantasizing over locked to her cock didn¡¯t give her much choice. Biological reactions didn¡¯t care for context. Her aching girth didn¡¯t care Rosalie wasn¡¯t in her right mind. It saw a gorgeous girl staring with lust, and responded. All fourteen inches expanded outward, and Rosalie stared in awe. Zoey saw the way her knees rubbed together, the way she lifted up and squirmed in her knelt-over position, idly trying to satisfy the burning heat between her legs. Zoey could imagine the need coursing through her; she¡¯d been feeling that constantly since her strange transmigration through worlds, and Zoey wasn¡¯t even egged on by an aphrodisiac. ¡°Why is it so big?¡± Rosalie asked. ¡°And on a girl ¡­ why does a girl have such a giant cock between her legs?¡± That subject hadn¡¯t been brought up yet. Zoey had half assumed it must be normal in this world. But by the wonder in her voice, maybe not. Maybe Rosalie had simply had time toe to terms with the strange urrence; she had been conscious for longer than Zoey in that coffin they¡¯d shared. Maybe she had determined not to bring it up, to be considerate. Who knew? ¡°Rosalie.¡± This time, her name didn¡¯t even pierce through the fugue. Zoey tried again. ¡°Rosalie. Rosie.¡± The nickname did the trick, and it even set the girl blinking. ¡°Only my friends call me that,¡± she said absently. ¡°I guess you can. I think I¡¯d like to be your friend, when you have something like this between your legs.¡± Rosalie reached out, but Zoey preempted her. ¡°Don¡¯t touch it.¡± Rosalie paused. ¡°You don¡¯t want me to?¡± ¡°No.¡± Yes. A thousand times yes. But she wouldn¡¯t give permission for Rosalie to go against her own right-mind; she¡¯d made it clear she didn¡¯t want to be involved with Zoey, and for all that her aching sex wanted Rosalie to y with it, Zoey wasn¡¯t some savage. She cared much more about her partner¡¯s mental well-being. However much the way her cock jumping in rhythmic pulses would suggest otherwise, or the way Zoey couldn¡¯t quite prevent her hips from wiggling side to side in anticipation. ¡°But ¡­¡± Rosalie started, staring down. She leaned forward and opened her mouth, and it took everything Zoey had to not jerk her hips forward, to thrust her cock into the wet, open hole. Rosalie breathed hot, humid air onto her cock head, and the sensation was so incredible she started leaking precum. ¡°I think ¡­ I think I¡¯d like to, though.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Pretty sure I do,¡± Rosalie said. Her voice had affected a permanent idleness. Nothing she said came with anything less than with a dreamlike haze. Her lips hovered an inch away from Zoey¡¯s cock. ¡°Please?¡± she whispered, brushing hot air against Zoey¡¯s member. ¡°I can ¡­ I can make you feel good.¡± ¡°No.¡± She said it as firmly as she could. ¡°I don¡¯t want that.¡± It was the most tant lie to ever escape her lips, and she hadn¡¯t been some goody-two-shoes teenager, growing up. But maybe the refusal would save Rosalie from her own mistakes, from the altered state of mind she operated under. Rosalie hesitated. Under any rational state, the words would have stopped Rosalie¡¯s advances in their tracks. But she was too far gone. ¡°How far do you think I can get?¡± Rosalie asked. ¡°It¡¯ll reach to my stomach if I go all the way down, won¡¯t it? And when you cum, it¡¯ll go straight in. Wow ¡­ I really want to see what that feels like.¡± ¡°Rosie,¡± Zoey said, trying the nickname a second time to grab her attention. It did little, so she tried again. Because Rosalie was leaning forward. ¡°Rosie, don¡¯t¡ª¡± Then her lips pressed into Zoey¡¯s cock in a gentle kiss, and her head carried forward even further, splitting her plush lips open. A soft, warm, wet heat enveloped Zoey¡¯s cock. She¡¯d done it. That was Rosalie¡¯s wet tongue pressing on the lower half of Zoey¡¯s cock. Zoey¡¯s head fell back as a groan escaped her, eyes fluttering closed. Rosalie pushed her head further, and Zoey¡¯s cock hit the back of her throat. Her tongue stroked yfully at the bottom of her shaft. ¡°Fuck,¡± Zoey said. ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t ¡­ Rosie, this isn¡¯t ¡­¡± Rosalie sucked, applying pressure, and Zoey¡¯s protests were cut off with a moan. Rosalie pulled her head back, and Zoey¡¯s hips bucked forward in anger, that she¡¯d been suddenly deprived of her warm hole. ¡°You taste amazing,¡± Rosalie said breathlessly. ¡°Everything I thought it would be.¡± She reached out and grabbed Zoey¡¯s shaft, then pped her face with the rod of girlmeat. Zoey sucked in a breath of air, and Rosalie grinned up at her. There was something wild in her eyes. Not a vacancy, like before, but as if the aphrodisiac had only brought her desires to the forefront, had stripped her inhibitions away, and now here Rosalie was, in her true, released nature. In fact, she sounded more lucid now than she had for the past hour. ¡°I¡¯ve always preferred girls, and you¡¯re so my type ¡­ but the cock?¡± Rosalie ran a tongue across her length. The stroking of soft velvet lips was agony, and bliss. ¡°Well. It¡¯s everything I didn¡¯t know I wanted.¡± ¡°R-Rosie,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°Oh, quiet, you. Your mana is running low, and I¡¯m helping you stock up. Nothing more. Now ¡­ let¡¯s find an answer to that question.¡± Rosalie re-enveloped her cock with her mouth, and this time, instead of stopping when Zoey¡¯s cock reached the back of her throat, she pushed forward, forcing Zoey¡¯s member to bend, to amodate entry. Then, bumping into the back of her mouth, into hot, slippery flesh, hitting that tight upper-seal. Zoey¡¯s hips moved by themselves. She shoved herself forward, cock piercing that tight ring and sliding into the long, spit-lubricated shaft of Rosalie¡¯s throat. She whined in satisfaction, hips grinding side to side in pleasure. In Rosie¡¯s throat. I¡¯m in her throat. ¡®How far do you think I can go?¡¯ she had said. Zoey guessed they were finding that out together. Rosalie reached out and grabbed Zoey¡¯s ass, for purpose of leverage. She wiggled her head back and forth as she tried to get the huge blockage of girlmeat down deeper, further toward her stomach. Zoey wished she could help. Rosalie was really giving it her best effort, and Zoey would love to see if she could seed. But her hands were¡ª The vines at her wrists released, freeing her arms. Zoey didn¡¯t even think about it. Her hands went to Rosalie¡¯s tinum blonde hair, and she shoved her head down with all her strength. Another two inches slid down Rosalie¡¯s throat. Rosalie choked, throat spasming as she coughed and hacked at the unnatural entry. A bit of teeth scraped against skin, but Zoey didn¡¯t mind. Rosalie didn¡¯t pull back at the sudden force. Instead, the grip at Zoey¡¯s ass grew stronger, and the failure¡ªthe embarrassment of choking¡ªspurred Rosalie on. She shoved, and made it another inch down. Only halfway. For anyone but Zoey, Rosalie would have her nose buried in the soft hair of her partner¡¯s pubic hair. But for Zoey, she had so much further to go. They worked together. Rosalie¡¯s throat wasn¡¯t conditioned for this, that much was obvious. And enthusiasm could only go so far. Butbined with Zoey¡¯s grunting, bucking efforts, the press of her hands into Rosalie¡¯s soft, white-blonde hair, and Rosalie¡¯s own gripping of Zoey¡¯s ass and the shoving-down of her head, it finally happened. Rosalie¡¯s nose buried into Zoey¡¯s pelvis.. More than the sensation, the sight of Rosalie¡¯s pretty, watering, ice-blue eyes blinking up at Zoey in supreme satisfaction was what made her cock spasm in unexpected pleasure. The orgasm appeared all at once, nothing like the slow-build before. Zoey cried out in half-pain, half-pleasure as her girth spasmed in Rosalie¡¯s throat. Zoey forced her eyes not to close¡ªforced herself to hold eye contact with the pretty girl who had her nose buried in her pubic hair¡ªwhile her cock erupted hot seed directly into her stomach. At the first spurt, Rosalie¡¯s throat contracted and shivered, and her entire body heaved at the alien sensation of having hot fluid injected down fourteen inches of her throat. Her head drifted sideways as she became dizzy, but Zoey helped her out: she mmed Rosalie''s head back down, reinstating the tight press of nose-into-crotch right as the second spurt erupted into her stomach. Zoey stuffed Rosalie¡¯s stomach full of life-giving white spunk, even as Rosalie¡¯s eyes fluttered fromck of oxygen. She didn¡¯t make an effort to pull back, despite starting to lose consciousness. She¡¯d be fine. Zoey kept going. Kept emptying herself. Rosalie had worked hard for this, and she deserved every drop. If she passed out, that was fine. Zoey wouldn¡¯t stop until she¡¯d been expended. And eventually, she was. The sensation of fourteen inches of cock sliding up and out of Rosalie¡¯s throat was the best thing she¡¯d ever felt, and the noise¡ªthe pop of cockhead separating from Rosalie¡¯s lips¡ªwas the best sound she¡¯d ever heard. A day of firsts for both of them. Rosalie copsed sideways, only half¡ªa quarter¡ªconscious from ack of air. She gasped and choked as shey on the floor, hacking out white, sticky seed, small portions of the buckets of semen Zoey had emptied into her, which her stomach couldn¡¯t amodate. Finally, Rosie mumbled, ¡°That was amazing ¡­¡± Then passed out.
When Rosalie stirred to consciousness, the aphrodisiac had worn off. Zoey was still hanging from the wall. Rosalie pushed herself to a sitting position, confusion in on her face as she blinked and took in her surroundings. She looked at the spit-soaked, now-soft member between Zoey¡¯s legs, then how she still hung from the wall. Zoey waited quietly for her reaction. Now that the mind-erasing pleasure had racked through her body and passed, Zoey hade to terms with the situation. What had happened. That despite Zoey¡¯s best efforts, Rosalie had been taken over by a chemical influence and done something she wouldn¡¯t have otherwise. How would she handle that? Zoey wished she could have done more to prevent the situation, for all the bliss it had provided. She wished when the vines had released her arms, she hadn¡¯t given in to the euphoria of the moment. Shame crawled in her stomach. The distraught expression was only to be expected. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Zoey asked gently. ¡°Me? Am I okay? Oh my gods, what did I do to you? Zoey¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Fine? I¡ªI¡ª¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything to me,¡± Zoey said firmly. ¡°I was hoping to snap you out of it. That¡¯s why I said to stop. On my side, I¡¯m perfectly happy with what happened.¡± Rosalie reeled back. She blinked several times. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Zoey repeated. Rosalie¡¯s brow furrowed down. ¡°I¡¯m¡ªyou¡¯re really fine? I didn¡¯t¡ª?¡± ¡°No.¡± Her body sagged in relief. She staggered to her feet. ¡°Let¡¯s get you out of there. I should have¡ªI should have listened to you. To stop, take a break. Why am I so stubborn?¡± Despite having that exact thought, Zoey chose to reassure her. ¡°You weren¡¯t in your right mind. I¡¯m sorry that happened to you. And I¡¯m sorry I joined in.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡ª¡± Rosalie paused, then scorched red. ¡°Worse things could¡¯ve happened,¡± she settled on. ¡°Don¡¯t ¡­ be upset. I¡¯m not.¡± So maybe neither of them were too unhappy about what had happened. Like Rosalie¡¯s had a moment earlier, Zoey¡¯s shoulders sagged in relief. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I got all the way down,¡± Rosalie said. Zoey blinked, and Rosalie flushed again¡ªeven though her previous hadn¡¯t yet settled. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m just saying. fourteen inches! Gods, have you seen that thing?¡± Rosalie wasn¡¯t a person who rambled, but here she was, rambling. She rubbed at her throat. ¡°Can¡¯t believe it even fit. It¡¯s like, the size of my fist. That pink liquid must have been more than an aphrodisiac. It had to have helped, somehow." Rosalie''s hand went to her stomach. "And I¡¯m so full ¡­ you shot so much into me, I can feel it sloshing around.¡± Rosalie¡¯s easily offered words did something to stir Zoey¡¯s dormant cock, regardless of how it had just been sucked dry. ¡°Well. You worked for it, so. Got everything you deserved.¡± Rosalie stared at her. ¡°You¡¯re disgusting,¡± she said. Zoeyughed. Rosalie huffed, and a hint of a smile quirked her lips. She got to work peeling Zoey from the wall. The vines yielded with surprising ease. 1.08 Loot I 1.08 Loot I Zoey and Rosalie worked through the crumbling halls of the shard, avoiding traps and fighting off a variety of strange monsters. Eventually, they pushed through a thick pair of drooping double-doors, and into a room stuffed with boxes, weapon racks, and rusted suits of armor. Rosalie made a noise of appreciation. ¡°Loot,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s about time we bumped into some. Hopefully my armor¡¯s here.¡± The casual way the serious girl used the game-like terminology was still something Zoey hadn¡¯t ustomed herself to. But when it was a fundamental aspect of her world, of course she didn¡¯t think twice about using a word as normally relegated to video games as ¡®loot¡¯. As for Rosalie¡¯s armor being in this room ¡­ well, for all it would be practical, Zoey secretly hoped not. At least they¡¯d have weapons besides their fists, now. Not that Zoey would be using one. Rosalie had made it clear the only thing Zoey was allowed to do was stay back and sling ice spikes when she had the opportunity. ¡°You can tell the quality of items by the metal bands,¡± Rosalie said idly, gesturing at the side of the room, where arge, rusted chest sat between weapon racks. ¡°Steel. So, umon. Better than copper, but not likely anything good. I told you the rarities, right?¡± ¡°Common, umon, rare, superior, and mythic.¡± The topic had been brought up when Zoey had asked what having a ¡®mythic-tier¡¯ rune meant, which apparently her Rune of Bonding was. Then again, of course the rune granted by a literal goddess was the best it got. ¡°What kind of stuff is inside, usually?¡± ¡°Varies.¡± Rosalie delivered a harsh kick into the side of the chest, then danced backward. ¡°Checking for mimics?¡± Zoey asked. Rosalie blinked at her. ¡°I thought your memories¡ª¡± she shook her head. ¡°No, clearly you¡¯ve retained some basic information. Still, you remember mimics, but not runes? Or spells?¡± Well. The mimic thing had been a joke, something that had escaped from her without her thinking too hard about what she was saying. And she only knew of mimics from osmosis of pop culture back on Earth. ¡°I guess,¡± Zoey said, the real exnation obviously too tricky to get into¡ªand Ephy had barred her from doing so, anyway. She¡¯d rather not find out what happened when she ignored a goddess¡¯s direct order. ¡°Hm.¡± Rosalie didn¡¯t spend overmuch time reading into Zoey¡¯s response, because why would she? ¡°Well, let¡¯s see what we¡¯ve got.¡± Zoey approached, leaning forward as Rosalie cracked open the chest, curious despite herself. Because while video games had never been too much of her thing, the idea of loot was ¡­ appealing, she guessed? Like opening a mystery box. It could be anything. The lid swung open, and ¡­ A ck void filled the interior. Rosalie didn¡¯t seem surprised, but the sight gave Zoey pause. Why had she expected something normal? Rosalie reached in, rummaged for a second, then pulled out the first item their adventures had yielded: a small pouch of brown fabric, with about a fist¡¯s size of material in it. ¡°Alchemy reagents?¡± Rosalie said. ¡°What a droll start.¡± ¡°How can you tell?¡± She hadn¡¯t looked inside the bag. Rosalie gave her an odd look. ¡°Inspect.¡± Right. For the second time in as many minutes, Zoey¡¯s brain was working rationally, instead of in the context of the magical world she found herself in. Not many things could be Inspected, but loot was explicitly one. [Coruscant meroot, Powdered]: A fine, gritty substance useful in the preparation of potions that inme or mute the senses. ¡°Inme or mute the senses?¡± Zoey echoed. ¡°Is that what it says?¡± ¡°Huh? Yeah?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not an alchemist,¡± she reminded Zoey. ¡°The description for me is just, ¡®a fine, gritty red substance used in alchemy¡¯. Your Identify skill affords you more information.¡± Rosalie paused. ¡°But ¡­ inmes the senses?¡± ¡°Like an aphrodisiac?¡± They each paused at the reminder of what had happened earlier. Rosalie blushed and cleared her throat. ¡°Reagents often have wide usage. But as one application, perhaps. It would be fitting of the shard¡¯s theme to give us something like this.¡± She handed it to Zoey and brushed forward. ¡°But I have no use for it. It¡¯s yours.¡± So Zoey got everything Rosalie didn¡¯t want¡ªthe discarded, useless items. But she couldn¡¯t reallyin. Rosalie was the professional here, and the one doing all the hard work of clearing the shard. Zoey hadn¡¯t had to grapple down furred monsters in a blur of limbs and ws. Wouldn¡¯t have been able to, frankly, even with the spells she could now cast. Using another of those strange abilities afforded to her, Zoey vanished the pouch into her inventory. So weird, she thought, staring at the empty space in her hand where the pouch had just been. Now it sat somewhere in the back of her mind, to be pulled out of pocket-space when she needed it. Rosalie continued to withdraw items from the chest, pulling objects from the inky void, inspecting them, then either handing them off to Zoey, setting them to the side, or stashing them in her inventory. Shemented on each. Many of the items were expected for a world running on RPG-like principles. Health potions, small weapons, rations (actually quite relevant; she was starting to get hungry), and other miscenea. Seeing Rosalie sort through the items popped a thought into her head. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s in your inventory? From before, I mean.¡± Before the two of them had gotten into this mess. ¡°The shard emptied it. So nothing.¡± ¡°It can do that?¡± ¡°It took my armor and weapons,¡± she said dryly, ¡°so why couldn¡¯t it take my inventory?¡± ¡°I guess.¡± She¡¯d assumed the dimensional space was sacrosanct, for some reason. ¡°Is thatmon?¡± ¡°No. Nothing about you, this shard, or our circumstances ismon, Zoey.¡± Fair. ¡°But you¡¯ll be getting it back?¡± ¡°I hope. Presumably, worst-case, it¡¯ll be as part of the boss loot.¡± Rosalie was quiet for a bit. ¡°I, as most Wayfarers, kept almost every coin I owned in my inventory, so I really hope it¡¯s not lost to the ether. That would be ¡­ unfortunate.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± Zoey said. ¡°That sucks.¡± She sympathized. Rosalie had effectively had her bank ount zeroed out, and with no guarantees it would be returned. And hearing how coins were the dominant currency of this world, she briefly wondered what was awaiting her on the other side of this deadlyplex of vines and stone. What was the technology level like? Were there other races? Elves and orcs or whatever? Goblins? Dragons? Just how game-like were they talking, here? How fantasy inspired? She guessed she¡¯d be finding out sooner orter, but now wasn¡¯t the time to broach the subject. If ever. It would be hard to ask questions like that without Rosalie bing suspicious about her ¡®memory-issues¡¯. The next item Rosalie pulled out was a small wooden box. She cracked it open, and her brow furrowed down. Zoey leaned over to see what had prompted the confusion. She blinked. [Coldsteel Adornments]: Rare. Six pairs of two, growing in size, to amodate the most and least adventurous. Effects active only when both are in use. Nestled in folds of ck cloth were six pairs of steel buttplugs. Zoey startedughing. She couldn¡¯t help herself. Half from surprise, half from¡ªwell, because it was fucking funny. What the hell? ¡°What?¡± Rosalie asked. ¡°Why are youughing? I don¡¯t get it. Is it ¡­ jewelry? ¡®Most and least adventurous¡¯?¡± Zoey slunk to the ground as her body racked withughter. The fact Rosalie was blinking at the sex toys cluelessly made the whole thing even funnier. ¡°Oh my god, that¡¯s so amazing.¡± ¡°What? Exin!¡± ¡°Jewelry ¡­ it definitely is, for a sense of the word ¡­¡± she barely managed to wheeze out. ¡°Exin.¡± Rosalie stamped her foot in an uncharacteristically petnt manner. She seemed highly displeased that Zoey knew what was going on and she didn¡¯t. ¡°Zoey! How are they ¡®jewelry of a kind¡¯? Stopughing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s where they go. It¡¯s ¡­ non-traditional jewelry. Slightly more intimate than most.¡± She looked down at the box, pausing at Zoey¡¯s description. Realization dawned¡ªor a suspicion, at least¡ªand she gently ced the box down on the floor, then slid it over to Zoey with her foot. ¡°I am appalled,¡± Rosalie said simply. ¡°Clearly, these belong to you, and your disgusting ss.¡± Zoey¡¯sughter resurfaced, which was a shame, because she¡¯d finally started to calm down. ¡°It doesn¡¯t say what the effects are,¡± Zoey said once she¡¯d regained control. ¡°Is that normal?¡± ¡°Most artifacts take experimentation to discover their full use. The Inspect skill only assists.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± Zoey said. ¡°So. Wanna find out, then? Only works in pairs.¡± Rosalie didn¡¯t dignify the question with a response. Zoey had only suggested it to tease; obviously Rosalie wouldn¡¯t be doing that. Though she admitted she was curious, now ¡­ what did the toys do? Somethingbat rted? It would need to be a pretty big benefit to justify getting into a fight with a steel plug shoved up her butt. That couldn¡¯t befortable. Or conducive to movement. She tucked the item away into her inventory, to be dealt withter. Rosalie pulled out three bottles of clear liquid next, and disdain twisted her face a half secondter. Zoey¡¯s giggling picked back up, because she could guess what they were¡ªbut she checked with Inspect to verify. [Bottle of Lubricant]: Thick and longsting. Apply water to wash away. ¡°How considerate,¡± Zoey grinned. She looked up at the ceiling and pressed her hands together in a praying gesture. ¡°Thank you, Miss Shard-Overlord. I¡¯ll put it to good use.¡± ¡°What in the world are you doing?¡± ¡°Thanking our generous benefactor.¡± Rosalie made a noise of disgust and tossed the bottles at her, which Zoey fumbled, then vanished into her inventory. Rosalie reached back into the chest. And it kept getting better. This time, she pulled out actual jewelry¡ªone that didn¡¯t stretch the definition of the word (and stretch some other things along with it). But ¡­ [Nipple Rings of crity]: Rare. Engraved with two unidentified effect sigils. ¡°You¡¯re kidding me,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Rare equipment, and it¡¯s, it¡¯s, it¡¯s this?¡± Zoey grinned, but didn¡¯t tease. ¡°How do you ¡®identify¡¯ the sigils? You said, experimentation?¡± ¡°Can provide an idea, if the effects are noticeable. But taking them to an artificer is better practice. Especially because not all effects are friendly. We¡¯ll want to identify almost everything through an artificer¡ªitem descriptions aren¡¯t necessarily trustworthy.¡± She was holding the thin silver studs by her fingertips, and away from her body, as if they were poisonous. Rosalie¡¯s difort with the items continued to be hrious. ¡°It¡¯s a shame neither of us are pierced,¡± Zoey said. ¡°We¡¯ll have to get that done once we make it to safety.¡± Rosalie raised her eyebrows Zoey¡¯s way. ¡°First, that certainly will not be happening, and second, that ¡®we¡¯ of yours is highly prospective.¡± ¡°Prospective? Sorry?¡± ¡°You¡¯re implying we¡¯ll stay a party after I¡¯ve escorted you to a city.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Zoey said. That had been a quick way to bring her mood crashing down. Because yeah, she¡¯d kind of assumed that, even though Rosalie had, earlier, told her there was no such guarantee. Rosalie had goals¡ªreal ones¡ªand Zoey¡¯s ipetence was only partially made up for by her supposedly powerful abilities. ¡°Right,¡± Zoey said. Rosalie seemed vaguely upset by Zoey¡¯s reaction, or that she had brought it up in the first ce, but she didn¡¯t retract the statement. She focused back on the task at hand: emptying out the chest. 1.09 Shameful Confessions 1.09 Shameful Confessions Zoey had never been a person to sulk, so Rosalie¡¯s less-than-encouraging statement didn¡¯t keep her stuck in the mud for long. If anything, it let Zoey know that she needed to be putting greater effort in. That if she wanted Rosalie as a long-term addition to this adventure, Zoey needed to take the serious side of her lewd transmigration more ¡­ well, seriously. And she wanted that. To have Rosalie by her side for the extended future. A surprising amount. The reminder that Zoey couldn¡¯t, in fact, take that for granted had her looking at Rosalie in a new light. And Zoey had already had a high opinion to begin with. Rosalie¡¯spanionship was the kind that had to be earned. Not as a prize, a reward, because that was a gross way to view it, but because effort deserved effort, goodness goodness, and so on, and Rosalie had gleaming qualities pouring from her in droves. Sure, she could be snippish, and she might be drowning in denial when it came to a few matters of the heart (in a less-than-appropriate sense of ¡®matters-of-the-heart¡¯), but that was where Zoey¡¯sints ended, really. They hacked their way through the stone and vine-infested interior of the shard, ying monsters, avoiding traps, and clearing rooms¡ªarmed with weapons, now, which did wonders for Rosalie¡¯s alreadypetent fighting skills¡ªand eventually they emerged from the crumbling cathedral and out into a twilit forest. Zoey had been briefly confused, wondering whether they¡¯d escaped the shard, but Rosalie had shaken her head and exined plenty of shards progressed in aesthetics; they¡¯d simply entered the next ¡®phase¡¯, forck of a better word. They set off down a beaten footpath which winded between crooked trees. Leaves rustled in the wind, providing an ambience that was a nonsensical mix between eerie and calming. The breeze set a chill on her skin that gave the two of them a legitimate reason for wanting clothes, beyond modesty. Goosebumps were set prickling as they plodded down, seeking the exit of the shard. And presumably, whatever boss monstery in wait, guarding it. Zoey asked Rosalie how she knew which way to go, and she responded that she didn¡¯t, not for certain, but that the obvious paths were more often the correct one. Seeing how there was a whole pocket-dimension to explore, if that maxim hadn¡¯t held true, simply finding the boss would take an unreasonable amount of time. So, the dirt path that winded from the cathedral¡¯s entrance was the obvious candidate. Rosalie¡¯s sharp senses noticed the sound of moving water before Zoey''s did. She steered them off the path, taking a detour. They picked across felled logs and sunk their toes into the dark, moist loam of the forest¡ªhad it rained recently?¡ªbefore bumping into their destination: a burbling hot springs which probably didn¡¯t make logical sense for its existence, but hey, incoherent pocket dimension, remember? Steam wafted from the pool. At the edge¡ªthe deep end, it seemed¡ªa waterfall pounded into the water, throwing up sprays of mist. Rosalie seemed especially happy to have been given an opportunity to clean herself off. Zoey considered asking whether it could be a trap, but Rosalie didn¡¯t seem concerned, and this wasn¡¯t like the vine situation; she trusted Rosalie knew what was going on. Rosalie sank into the warm water, step by step, body quickly obscuring as she walked into the steam. Zoey followed after her. It was, unsurprisingly, hot. It took a second for her to adjust to the warmth, but once she had, the heated water coaxed out the exhaustion and tension from the previous several hours. She tossed handfuls of water into her face and hair, then scrubbed, working out the grime that had collected, then afterward, dug under her nails to clean those out, too. Rosalie was doing simr. After the practical matters had been attended to, they simply rxed. Rosalie waded out to underneath the waterfall and let the water pour over her. Zoey didn¡¯t think hot springs usually had waterfalls feeding them, but she¡¯d seen, and would be seeing, a lot stranger in theing ¡­ god, how many years of her life? How long would she be here? In this world? She didn¡¯t want to mentally delve into those topics yet, so she shied away and let herself be distracted by more attention-grabbing matters. Like Rosalie. The outline of her back, and her long tinum hair that dipped into the water and syed out, normally reaching all the way to her lower back. She¡¯dined about not having something to tie it with; it had been annoying for her to handle during her fights. It was an otherwise impractical aspect to a strictly practical girl. Zoey suspected she was fond of it. For good reason. It was gorgeous. Everything about Rosalie was gorgeous. "I can feel you ogling, you know." Zoey started in surprise. Rosalie continued to demonstrate an awareness of her surroundings that bordered on the supernatural. Considering the world Zoey found herself in, it might be just that: supernatural. "Not ogling," Zoey said. "I''m just wondering how you''re so pretty." The words surprised her as much as they did Rosalie, who turned and blinked at her. Her cheeks colored, and she looked back forward. "Pretty. That''s not thepliment you think it is." "You''d rather me say ''dangerous''," Zoey said, knowing Rosalie in at least some small way, by now. "Or ''regal''. Deadly as you are elegant. Those are all true, too. But pretty is the word that popped in my head." The waterfall pounded against the pool, filling the silence that was Rosalie¡¯s response, and Zoey hesitated, wondering whether she''d been too direct. But Rosalie finally huffed. "And what, exactly, has prompted this barrage of ttery?" There wasn''t annoyance in her tone, which spurred Zoey on. "I don''t know. Just wanted to say it. I don''t have much of a filter." "That much is apparent." Zoey waded forward. Rosalie didn''t turn, though she definitely heard the sloshing water as she closed the distance. Zoey took that as good news¡ªthat she hadn''t been told to stop. Arriving behind Rosalie, she reached out and took long locks of tinum hair in her hands. Rosalie''s hair was wet, darker than normal, but still silky, pale, and gorgeous. She yed with it for a bit, running her fingers through and separating tresses, squeezing water out as she traced gently down the length. She was surprised Rosalie let her. "Long hair''s always felt like too much of a hassle," Zoey murmured. "But when I see yours, I get the point. Makes me want to grow it out." Rosalie turned, and Zoey let the tinum locks slide from her hands. Rosalie wore a perplexed expression, and she studied Zoey. "What are you doing?" "Sorry?" Zoey was a bit distracted by the six or more inches of height she had over the shorter girl. And the intensity of her eyes, capturing her like they had every time before. Everything about her is heart-stopping. How is it fair? Rosalie blushed, then looked away. "Stop looking at me like that." Zoey blinked. She''d identally won a staring contest, lost in Rosalie¡¯s eyes. "Sorry." She didn''t know what she was apologizing for, but it felt like she''d been caught doing something inappropriate. A short silence. Rosalie huffed. "Fine." "Fine?" Rosalie grabbed Zoey''s hand, and the two of them waded back to the shallow end. "It''s really obvious. I''d rather you just ask, next time. Not all this nonsense." "Ask what?" Zoey hadn''t a clue what was going on. "You need relief. That''s why you said all that embarrassing stuff, and why you''re acting like this." Rosalie pointedly didn''t make eye contact as she dragged Zoey along. "Normally I don''t suffer sycophants, but I suppose you''re my responsibility. So fine." "I didn''t call you pretty because I wanted in your pants," Zoey said amusedly. "I told you, I just wanted to say it." They were almost out of the spring now, and Rosalie''s gorgeous, dripping body revealed itself bit by bit, no longer obscured by the steaming water. What Rosalie had implied hit her, suddenly. ''Fine''? ''Relief''? As in ¡­ she''s going to help me? That hadn''t been Zoey''s intention at all, but her lower half wasn''t displeased with the development. "I guess I''ll start being more vocal," Zoey said with a grin, and a quickly growing member. "Who would''ve thought calling you pretty would get you going so fast?" "I''m not ''going'', thank you." She sniffed, and Zoey could make out the deep flush even from behind, sshes of red coloring the tops of her shoulders. "This is your problem. I''m just helping solve it." "Sure," Zoey said, smirking. "Want me to keepying them on? Should I say how you move like nobody I''ve ever seen? That such an intimidating, deadly-looking girl has no right having such soft, cute curves? That your eyes literally turn my brain off? Or how about¡ª" "Shut up. What''s g-gotten into you?" "No way." Zoeyughed, the stutter somehow the funniest thing she''d heard all day. "You do, don''t you? You have a praise kink. That''s so¡ª" Zoey''s teasing was cut off with a gasp, as Rosalie turned on her. "Ah," she said. "I figured out how to turn the nonsense off. Thank the heavens." Her slim hand stroked up and down Zoey''s length, derailing her train of thought. "Really," Rosalie said. "I already told you I''d help. What was all that for?" "M-Meant it," Zoey gasped between strokes. ¡°You¡¯re gorgeous. Stunning. And more than that, good-hearted, caring, beautiful inside and out. Y-you, you¡¯re, ahh¡ªfuck me.¡± Her ability to string together sentences frayed as Rosalie picked up her pace, and a second hand joined the first, determinedly attempting to shut Zoey up. But she wouldn¡¯t be defeated so easily. ¡°I barely know you, but every minute in yourpany, my opinion¡ªmy opinion¡ª¡± she panted as her stomach squirmed with pleasure, ¡°s-shit, that¡¯s, that¡¯s so¡ªkeep going like that, I¡ª¡± Zoey whined, hips bucking into Rosalie¡¯s hands, then forced herself to focus. ¡°My opinion of you goes higher,¡± she finished. ¡°I¡¯m d I met you.¡± ¡°Is this a confession?¡± Zoey couldn¡¯t make out the expression in Rosalie¡¯s eyes. Their gazes hadn¡¯t separated for a second, and the intoxicating eye-contact amplified the feeling of Rosalie¡¯s encouraging strokes to an almost painful degree. ¡°No,¡± Zoey said. ¡°I¡¯m not saying I¡¯ve fallen for you. Just that it''d be easy.¡± Too easy. Rosalie¡¯s hands worked down her length, then back up, over and over. The smaller girl was shockinglyposed, for so normally being a disaster when it came to intimate matters. The situation with the vines must have closed that gap, and in no small way. She studied Zoey with a nk look on her face, and Zoey wondered if she was being too honest. But her brain wasn¡¯t working like it should. Rosalie¡¯s soft, powerful hands were coaxing out sentences she would normally have been more discretionary with. ¡°It¡¯d be easy?¡± Rosalie said quietly. ¡°To fall for me?¡± ¡°I think it would,¡± Zoey replied. For close to a minute, only the lewd whines of Zoey¡¯s pleasure filled the air. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± Rosalie finally said. ¡°Now get down. We don¡¯t have all day, and we¡¯ll need to clean up once we''re done.¡± Rosalie guided Zoey to the floor, then pushed her down so she was syed out, half-leaned up by her elbows. Rosalie climbed on herp and continued stroking, but now with her body supported by Zoey¡¯s thighs. Her crotch pressed into the base of Zoey¡¯s cock. It was a highlypromising position. ¡°You have lubricant, don¡¯t you?¡± Rosalie asked. Her voice¡ªand posture¡ªwas still all business. Only the red on her face, and the wetness between her thighs, betrayed her inner emotions. Zoey¡¯s words had affected her. But in what way ¡­ well, Zoey wasn¡¯t sure, yet. But she¡¯d only said the truth. So, however it worked out¡ªat least she had that. And her brain was upied with other matters. She could only stave off the lust for so long. She¡¯d said her piece, so now it was time to enjoy Rosalie¡¯s help. Summoning that bottle of lubricant she¡¯d acquired from earlier, Zoey poured the slick clear liquid onto the top of her cock, and Rosalie got to work rubbing her hands into it, spreading the slippery stuff. Zoey watched Rosalie stare intently as she worked away. There was something predatory, hungry, in her eyes. Her mouth had fallen open, lips parted in absent concentration. ¡°Do you ¡­¡± Rosalie started, then cut off. ¡°Do I what?¡± Rosalie bit her lip. She was still staring at her cock, and not Zoey. ¡°Do you want to ¡­ use my chest?¡± Zoey blinked rapidly. ¡°I¡¯ll squeeze them together, like this.¡± Rosalie stopped stroking to press her tits together. ¡°You can go between them. Um. If you want.¡± A beat of silence, then Zoey leaned up. Rosalie squeaked in surprise as her seat tipped her over, and she fell into the grass. Zoey climbed over her, taking Rosalie¡¯s offer, and with shaking hands guided her cock to her sternum, just beneath her breasts. Zoey wasn¡¯t the only one whoseposure had frayed; Rosalie panted in excitement, and she squeezed her tits together, shaping Zoey¡¯s new ything. Zoey thrust into it. Her cock, thoroughly covered in lubricant, slid easily between the excruciatingly soft, pressed-together skin. The friction, and pressure, wasn¡¯t as gratifying as Rosalie¡¯s powerful hands, but the idea it was Rosalie¡¯s tits she had her cock stuffed between, that Rosalie had been the one to suggest this lewd act, made up the deficiency. The feeling wiped away her thoughts, and her consciousness distilled down to the slide of her pulsing meat between Rosalie¡¯s tits. She humped away awkwardly, supporting herself by her hands and her crotch resting on Rosalie¡¯s stomach, pistoning her hips in long strokes. With her impressive length, she bumped her cockhead into Rosalie¡¯s chin with every back and forth. Rosalie leaned her head forward, and the next stroke had her cock impacting her soft, rosy lips. They parted, and Zoey¡¯s cock pierced into her wet mouth¡ªthen popped out with the back-stroke. Rosalie leaned her head in further, and when she caught Zoey next, Zoey managed to work into a rhythm where she was thrusting both between Rosalie¡¯s soft, pressed-together breasts, and inside Rosalie¡¯s wet, weing mouth, tongue teasing circles around her cockhead. ¡°You want to know what I think?¡± Zoey panted between lewd jerks of her hips. The words came unbidden, spilling from her mouth without a thought. ¡°What I think, Rosie, is that for all your denials, all that prim and proper posture, you like this. Being used. Servicing me. Your tight, fuckable body, doing whatever it can to milk out pleasure.¡± She watched for Rosalie¡¯s reaction, but Zoey had gotten it right. There was no outrage in the husky lust descending into her eyes. Zoey¡¯s demeaning words had stirred something in her. Rosalie¡¯s head continued to bob, mouthtched to her cock, awkwardly meeting Zoey¡¯s pistoning as she thrusted between her tits. ¡°What I think,¡± she continued gruffly, emboldened by theck of protest, ¡°is that a certain gorgeous princess has been caged up too long. That she¡¯s gotten used to respect. To people walking on eggshells.¡± Zoey pulled out of Rosalie¡¯s mouth, and her tits, then shuffled down so she could lean and murmur into her ear, ¡°and that really, she just wants to be called what she is.¡± ¡°And that is?¡± Rosalie¡¯s breathless response came, mouth no longer upied. Zoey¡¯s spit-and-lubricant covered cock pulsed against Rosalie¡¯s stomach, scalding both their skin. ¡°A fucktoy,¡± Zoey whispered, lips not an inch from her ear. ¡°A cock-hungry slut. A girl who wants nothing more to be stuffed. Filled up. Who knows why she¡¯s been given so many soft curves, and wet, warm holes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± Rosalie said huskily, ¡°That''s not ¡­ who I am ¡­¡± She sounded doubtful. Zoey¡¯s hand slid down Rosalie¡¯s stomach, and to between her legs. Rosalie¡¯s hips bucked of their own ord, pressing her pussy into Zoey¡¯s hand, seeking pressure. ¡°Your body,¡± Zoey murmured in Rosalie¡¯s ear, ¡°is the more honest participant.¡± She rubbed tight, hard circles into Rosalie¡¯s pussy, amazed at just how wet she was, and how instantly her fingers were drenched. Rosalie writhed under her. ¡°So,¡± she whispered, ¡°here¡¯s your chance.¡± Her index and ring finger yed between Rosalie¡¯s lower lips, teasing entry. ¡°Tell me what you want, that¡¯s it, and you¡¯ll get it.¡± Rosalie¡¯s hips tried to buck into Zoey¡¯s hand, to prate herself with Zoey¡¯s fingers, but Zoey had expected it, and her hand danced back. Zoeyughed softly into her ear. ¡°Nice try. Say it. That¡¯s the only way.¡± She rubbed smaller circles into her entrance, on the very edge of slipping in, but not. She could tell by the way Rosalie was whining the sensation was killing her. The expectation. The need. ¡°Nothing to say,¡± Rosalie finally gasped. ¡°Not sure, ahh, what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Come on, now,¡± Zoey tutted. ¡°It¡¯s just us here. Alone. No one to hear. It¡¯ll be our secret. So please. Listen to what this,¡± she pressed the base of her palm into Rosalie¡¯s core, wrenching a groan from Rosalie, and another writhing of her pelvis, ¡°is telling you.¡± Zoey continued to tease, and finally: ¡°Fine. D-Do it. I, I need you to, to¡ª¡± she couldn¡¯t finish. ¡°To do what?¡± Zoey asked sweetly. ¡°Make me feel good.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Zoey, please. Your fingers. Fuck me. Fill me up.¡± ¡°And who¡¯s asking? Is it my little fucktoy?¡± ¡°Zoey.¡± ¡°Answer me.¡± ¡°Yes. Fine. Okay? It¡¯s your f-fucktoy. Your cock hungry whore. Your stupid slut is begging to feel good. Okay?¡± Her lower half thrashed desperately for relief. ¡°So please. Help her. She wants to cum. She wants it so badly.¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t hard, was it?¡± Zoey sank her middle two fingers into Rosalie¡¯s begging heat. This, at least, Zoey wasn¡¯t an amateur at, as with the new equipment between her legs. Zoey had always preferred girls, so she¡¯d picked up a thing or two. She explored Rosalie¡¯s insides, noting which movements caught her breath, which ones had her hands scrambling at the grass for something to hold on to, where curling her fingers had Rosalie¡¯s toes doing the same. She made sure to be mean about it. She didn¡¯t offer relief quickly. Despite how little they¡¯d done, Rosalie was already riding the edge of a crashing, pulsing orgasm, but Zoey knew the signs well enough to keep Rosalie on the edge of bliss, but not send her crashing over. She whined and protested, knowing what Zoey was doing, but when her hand came down to find relief herself, Zoey swatted it away. The second time, Zoey threatened to stop. So Rosalie was forced to endure. And she endured. Until she couldn¡¯t. Her begging turned pitiful. ¡°Please. Zoey. Let me. I¡¯m so close. Please. It¡¯s, it¡¯s right there. I want to feel good. Let mee. Please. Please. I need to. I need to. Fuck. Zoey. I can¡¯t, I can¡¯t, I can¡¯t.¡± Zoey could hear the tears in her eyes, the burning frustration of being denied something she so desperately needed. ¡°Okay. But it¡¯s only fair if you do something for me, in return.¡± ¡°Anything. Anything.¡± ¡°I want you to be honest with yourself.¡± ¡°How? I, I will. Just, please, let me¡ª¡± ¡°Shhh.¡± Rosalie went quiet, besides the panting and whining. ¡°You¡¯ve been stealing looks,¡± Zoey said. ¡°It¡¯s not very subtle. You¡¯re obsessed, aren¡¯t you? Maybe I have an ego ¡­ I want you to tell me what you think of it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Put it into words. And you¡¯ll finally get relief.¡± Zoey curled her fingers to emphasize her point, drawing a gasp from Rosalie. ¡°I c-cant. Too, too embarrassing ¡­¡± ¡°Then I guess this is where it ends.¡± Zoey¡¯s fingers slid from inside Rosalie, trails of her arousal bridging from her fingers. ¡°No,¡± Rosalie burst out. ¡°No. Keep going. I will.¡± She resumed. ¡°So?¡± ¡°What do you want me to say?¡± ¡°Just be honest.¡± ¡°But. I don¡¯t know. Fuck. It¡¯s, it¡¯s perfect. Obviously. I wanted it inside me the moment we met. I want it in me now. It¡¯s so big. It would hurt. I want it to hurt. For it to barely fit. For me to stretch around you. To feel every inch. To be full. For, for you to, oh my gods, oh my gods, it¡¯s, it¡¯s¡ª¡± Rosalie¡¯s hands scrambled madly at the grass, tearing up clumps and digging into the soft dirt. Zoey thrusted her fingers in and out as fast as she could, the time for yful subtlety gone. Intensity. That was all that mattered. Building higher, going faster. Zoey used the thumb of her free hand to rub at Rosalie¡¯s clit as she thrusted two fingers in and out, filling the air with lewd, messy sounds. Rosalie whined and cried, her needy pussy spasming around Zoey¡¯s fingers, and her stomach shaking, her entire body shaking. To Zoey¡¯s surprise, Rosalie kept going¡ªkept rambling on, fulfilling Zoey¡¯s earlier request. ¡°I want you to shove into me, to not care. To use me. To use my hole. To treat me like the s-slut I am. To be yours. For you to make me yours. To bend me over, fuck me, use me, fill me up, stuff me with your hot seed, breed me, whenever you want, yours. Yours. Your object. Fuck. Please. Please.¡± Her words were losing coherency, more shaking and stuttering than not, and the intensity of the orgasm wracking her body had brought tears to her eyes; she sobbed between demeaning statements, the pleasure having reached such an unbelievable high her brain had stopped being able to deal with it. She writhed, sobbed, gasped, shook, and clenched around Zoey¡¯s fingers, spasming from relief. Her hands shot up, grabbing at Zoey''s wrist, and knees mping closed, begging her to stop. She finally acquiesced. Her fingers slid from her twitching pussy, trailing arousal. Rosalie sagged into the dirt. Zoey kissed her way up her body, stopped with a gentle one on her cheek, wiped the tears from her eyes, and said, ¡°I''m taking it you liked that.¡± 1.10 Coming Down 1.10 Coming Down Rosaliey next to her oddpanion, heart finally slowing from its gallop, panting receding, and her brain returning to its better senses. Mind no longer foggy from lust, several realizations dawned on her. First, that the absolutely wicked things Zoey had done with her hands, the pleasure that she¡¯d coaxed out of Rosalie¡¯s begging lower half, had been almost unbelievable. That if Rosalie hadn¡¯t seen Zoey¡¯s tab anima herself, hadn¡¯t seen the listing of all the skills avable to her, then Rosalie would bepletely convinced that the dark-haired girl had had help, that her fingers had been aided by some gods-granted ability. But they hadn¡¯t. She was just skilled. She knew how to turn Rosalie into a puddle of melting pleasure with just her fingers and some taunting words. It was a terrifying realization¡ªthe realization how desperately Rosalie wanted to explore that capability of herpanion. Thoroughly. Again and again. But that desire was precluded by the second discovery that fell upon Rosalie: She could never look Zoey in the eyes again. The things she¡¯d said. The words that had been forced out of her. The honesty behind them. She was mortified. Beyond mortified. There wasn¡¯t a word for it. Rosalie had never used such vulgarnguage in her entire life. And directed at herself? ¡®Fucktoy¡¯? ¡®Cock-hungry whore¡¯? Such degenerate phrases had never even graced the ears of the youngest heiress of the d¡¯Celestin family. And Rosalie had been the one to say them. To mean them. Her reputation was forever marred, regardless of whether it reached the light of day. And Zoey¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t the only Rosalie could never meet again. Her father¡¯s, her sisters¡¯, even Rosalie¡¯s own gaze she wouldn¡¯t be able to meet in the mirror. ¡®Breed me¡¯? Rosalie had instructed another woman to breed her. As if she were some object. Some conquest. A collection of holes to be used as she desired. The concept was ludicrous. How had it happened? How had Zoey extracted those insulting words from Rosalie¡¯s lips? And with such ease? Rosalie knew how. She remembered the crashing waves of pleasure, the hungry need she¡¯d never¡ªnot once¡ªin her life felt. Not to that quantity. Not to that overwhelming, mind-erasing height. Zoey shifted, and Rosalie, still wrapped in her embrace, jostled too. Her radiating heat¡ªthe soft curves pressing into Rosalie¡ªwas intoxicating. Skinship had never been something Rosalie was afforded. Not a d¡¯Celestin. The royal family of the Deepshunter Guild was focused even by Wayfarer standards; Rosalie had known littlefort in her years, and never so easily offered as by the woman nestled into her side. Partially, of course, because most would never dare. Should Father have seen how Zoey had treated her in this exchange, he¡¯d employ brilliant minds from the Fractures over to invent a horrible retribution, something never before seen and which would live in infamy. Rosalie had been tantly, painfully off-limits from the moment she¡¯d started drawing suitor¡¯s eyes. Which was fine. Rosalie had a purpose, and romance was not it. Perhaps that was why the indulgence had been so intoxicating. How ¡­ those words had slipped from her mouth. Been coaxed and pulled from her mouth. ¡°Not to be pushy,¡± Zoey mumbled into Rosalie¡¯s ear, the intimacy of her proximity sending shivers down her spine. ¡°But I kinda stopped halfway to take care of you.¡± Take care of her. Zoey had certainly done that. She¡¯d been melted down and reformed in powerful hands. In the curling, encouraging motions of fingers as they explored Rosalie¡¯s insides. The rest of what Zoey had said hit her. ¡®Stopped halfway¡¯. Zoey had been thrusting between her breasts, and into her mouth, when she¡¯d pulled away to coerce Rosalie into saying the most embarrassing sentences she¡¯d ever uttered¡ªor had even passed her mind. She wanted Rosalie to finish her off. That emanating, scalding heat pressed against her stomach, Zoey spooning her like she was, was her cock draped across Rosalie¡¯s stomach. And it wasn¡¯t from a friendly interest. Rosalie¡¯s eyes flicked down, taking in the enormous girlcockid across her. Her heart rate picked up. ¡°Rosie?¡± Zoey murmured. Rosalie realized she hadn¡¯t responded. But how could she? How could she ever speak again? After what Zoey had heard escape her lips? What did she think of her, now? Not that a member of the d¡¯Celestin family cared for the opinions of nobodies, and that was what Zoey was, truth told, but the concept still pained her. As a matter of her birthright, Rosalie always presented a solid appearance of herself. It was the one thing that mattered as much aspetence, in the eyes of the d¡¯Celestin family. Ability, reputation. The pirs on which Rosalie¡¯s life rested. And now, the second¡ªreputationy toppled, crumbling. Your stupid slut is begging to feel good. She wants it so badly. Please. Please. Rosalie thought she might heave. ¡°Hey,¡± Zoey said softly. Her hand brushed away a strand of Rosalie¡¯s hair, and Rosalie realized just now that her eyes had squeezed shut. ¡°Did I go too far? How are you?¡± The gentle concern washed through Rosalie, and she breathed in¡ªand it caught in her throat. ¡°Ah, shit,¡± Zoey said. ¡°I did, didn¡¯t I? I thought you were having fun.¡± Rosalie had been having a lot more than fun. The concept of ¡®Rosalie d¡¯Celestin¡¯ hadn¡¯t even existed¡ªwhat had been in its ce was a sludge of hot, burning sma, a thing that was almost a sentient being, but only wanted and needed and formed no true rational thoughts. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Rosalie said. Her voice was locked with irond control. She knew how to beposed in face of anything. Terror, excitement, pain¡ªshe¡¯d be trained for it from a startlingly young age. She made an addendum. But not pleasure. The opposite. The deprivation, perhaps, worked against her. Zoey¡¯s soft lips pressed into Rosalie¡¯s neck, then another kiss, just beneath her jaw. Rosalie couldn¡¯t help the way her neck craned, opening up the space¡ªsuch an indecorous permission, and offered without thought. This is the problem. ¡°We all say stupid shit when we¡¯re about toe,¡± Zoey said, amusementcing her tone, as if this were some joke. ¡°And I bullied it out of you, so you can¡¯t be med.¡± She knew exactly the source of Rosalie¡¯s distress. But of course she did. After what she¡¯d done? Pretty obvious. And for all the reassurance, Rosalie doubted most people stooped to the level Rosalie had, said the things she did, regardless of how lost in the moment they were. Even if they did, how ¡®most people¡¯ acted didn¡¯t matter. Rosalie wasn¡¯t most people. Couldn¡¯t be. She was held to higher standards. And had fallen lower, regardless. ¡°Seriously,¡± Zoey said. ¡°If you keep pouting, I will start showering you inpliments. I¡¯ll be super embarrassing about it, over the top as possible.¡± Rosalie¡¯s eyes flicked open. For a brief moment they caught Zoey¡¯s¡ªfrom so up close, those deep green irises bored into her¡ªbefore Rosalie nced away, as if burned. Because there wasn¡¯t any judgment there. Only teasing amusement. Which didn¡¯t make sense. She leaned up, extricating herself from Zoey¡¯s grasp. ¡°Let¡¯s get you taken care of. We need to keep moving.¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Zoey said. ¡°I want you to tell me all that shit you said doesn¡¯t matter, first. Because it doesn¡¯t.¡± Rosalie stared down at herpanion. Zoey frowned, then sat up herself. She took Rosalie¡¯s face in both her hands. Rosalie had genuinely no idea why she allowed it. Why she leaned into it, even, and her eyes closed. ¡°It doesn¡¯t,¡± Zoey said. Somehow the sheer certainty in her voice started to convince her. ¡°Not that there¡¯s anything wrong with being ¡­ all those things you said.¡± Cock-hungry whore, Rosalie¡¯s mind supplied. ¡°But what we say in the heat of the moment is for fun. It¡¯s a way to take a load off. And it says nothing about who we are. Not to mention, I never kiss and tell, so if you¡¯re worrying about that, you¡¯re insulting my honor.¡± How, exactly, this girl knew what was guing Rosalie¡¯s thoughts, and addressed each in order, baffled Rosalie. Was she that obvious? Or was it Zoey in specific who had such an easy read on her? She wanted to be upset. But with her face cradled in Zoey¡¯s hands, and being reassured in such a soft, concerned voice, she couldn¡¯t be. Rosalie sighed, the tension somehow draining from her. ¡°You¡¯re reading into things,¡± she said simply, opening her eyes and meeting Zoey¡¯s. ¡°I was merely tired. As reasonable, after what you did to me. Now please, stop being so dramatic.¡± A smile split Zoey¡¯s face. Rosalie¡¯s deflection¡ªher attempts at nonchnce¡ªmight not have been as convincing as she¡¯d hoped. Why does she care that her reassurances worked? Rosalie rolled her eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s get you taken care of.¡± ¡°Noints there,¡± Zoey grinned. ¡°If you¡¯re taking suggestions, can we do what we were before?¡± For all her sweetness, she¡¯s still a pervert. ¡°Fine,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°But don¡¯t think it¡¯s bing a regr thing.¡± 1.11 Fun With Slime I 1.11 Fun With Slime I Zoey¡¯s stomach clenched as she emptied herself onto Rosalie¡¯s face. Rosalie pumped diligently away, reverting to her hands from the previous use of her tits and mouth, and expertly milked out Zoey¡¯s sticky delivery. Zoey really couldn¡¯t understate how amazing Rosalie¡¯s hands were. It didn''t make sense how they were so soft, yet so powerful. Probably her upbringing, her extensive training inbat, which resulted in strength and dexterity in equal measure. And a helping of natural talent. But still, Zoey didn¡¯t know how such an ostensibly inexperienced girl¡ªZoey didn¡¯t know that for sure, but Rosalie¡¯s behaviors suggested it¡ªknew with such intuitiveness which way to twist her wrists, and the perfect pace to slide her hands up and down to easily persuade Zoey¡¯s cock to empty itself. Afterward, Zoey enjoyed the sight of Rosalie¡¯s chest and face so thoroughly covered in her warm girl spunk. Rosalie wiped her eyes clear, opened them, looked up at her, and leveled a scathing re at Zoey¡¯s self-satisfied smirk. ¡°You really are disgusting, I hope you know that.¡± Zoey would have teased back by alluding to Rosalie¡¯s whining, perverted confessions, but she didn¡¯t. Rosalie had been genuinely upset¡ªsomething she¡¯d worked past, Zoey thought, but it was best Zoey didn¡¯t dig too hard into the weakness. Best saved for when Zoey had her fingers wriggling around inside Rosalie, anyway. Embarrassing admissions only stayed embarrassing when forced out sparingly. They washed themselves off in the hotspring, Zoey¡¯s well of supernatural power now topped-off, then continued along their adventure.
¡°This is it,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°I¡¯m almost certain.¡± ¡°The boss room?¡± ¡°Just so.¡± It had only taken an hour more of pressing forward before they reached an ominous sign driven into the road, ckened at the edges and time-weary. ¡®BEWARE THE SLIME,¡¯ the decaying wood read, scrawled in ck paint that hadn¡¯t dried before it started to drip, and while Zoey might not be genre-savvy, she could recognize the imminent warning of a boss encounter when she saw one. ¡°It¡¯s about time,¡± Zoey said. ¡°This ought to be interesting.¡± Rosalie frowned at Zoey, then hesitated, as if bracing herself for an unpleasant topic. Zoey¡¯s stomach sank, Rosalie¡¯s next words obvious. ¡°You don¡¯t want me toe with,¡± Zoey preempted. ¡°It¡¯s for the best,¡± Rosalie said slowly. ¡°This won¡¯t be like the earlier fights. Bosses are smarter. They employ strategy. If they identify a weak point¡ª¡± ¡°They¡¯ll dig into it.¡± Zoey sighed. ¡°You don¡¯t need to defend yourself. I get it.¡± Zoey¡¯s time spent advancing through the shard had made the difference in theirbat proficiency starkly apparent. And while it was a kick to her pride to be told joining in on the final fight would do nothing but cripple her partner, she¡¯d much rather take a kick to the pride than end up dead. The brutal reality of the shard had been presented to Zoey, and while both she and Rosalie remained unharmed, that was on part of the second¡¯spetence, and not ack of trying from the shard. They could be hurt. Killed, if they sufficiently misstepped. This adventure Zoey had been thrust into, while interesting, and even half-whimsical from its simrity to videogames back home, was still dangerous. It needed to be treated as the threat it represented. So Zoey shoved down her protests and did what was better for the both of them. ¡°Okay. Well. Good luck. And don¡¯t get hurt.¡± Rosalie sniffed. ¡°This is a first advancement shard. Even without my armor, I¡¯d be mortified to be injured, much less defeated.¡± Zoey believed her. But that didn¡¯t mean she wasn¡¯t worried, seeing her partner go off and tackle the most dangerous part of the shard herself. ¡°Remember to expect something weird. This isn¡¯t a normal shard. Be ready for anything.¡± Rosalie paused, then grimaced. ¡°Right. I can¡¯t say I¡¯m looking forward to what it¡¯s put together. But some parts of the shard are normal ¡­ so perhaps the boss will be too.¡± Rosalie didn¡¯t sound like she believed it would. Zoey didn¡¯t, either. But they could hope. Rosalie gave a serious nod to Zoey, then turned and advanced forward. Zoey posted up under the base of a tree, watching her figure disappear into the darkness, and tried not to worry too much.
It¡¯d been about an hour, not that Zoey had a way to tell the time, but she knew something had gone wrong. Rosalie had departed too long ago. Why hadn¡¯t Zoey asked when to expect her back? She¡¯d assumed a handful of minutes, and when that had passed, she¡¯d adjusted her estimate to ten or twenty. Then thirty. An hourter, Zoey sat, stomach wringing in fear and expecting the worst. Perhaps something odd had urred. Maybe she¡¯d won, and been shunted out of the shard as soon as she had. Zoey didn¡¯t know how these things worked. But just because Rosalie hadn¡¯t returned didn¡¯t mean she¡¯d lost¡ª(and thus been injured? Killed? Surely not the second?)¡ªbut simply that she couldn¡¯t return, which several situations could ount for. Trapped, to name a second. Perhaps she¡¯d fallen down a pit and needed Zoe¡¯s help. Which was absurd, but she was just spitballing, here. Or maybe she¡¯d gotten lost. Either way, it was time to go lend aid. Not that Zoey could provide much of that in the case Rosalie had lost. Because anything that could square up against Rosalie ande out the victor, Zoey wouldst, hm, a minute? To be enormously generous. Ten seconds, the more realistic estimate. One attack? Probably a single attack. Maybe someday she could hold her own, but she hadn¡¯t had an opportunity to practice, and Zoe was hardly a talented fighter by her nature. She stopped herself from pacing around in circles, then, deciding waiting only made things worse, and Rosalie wasn¡¯t returning, continued down the trail, passing the hunched-over sign dering ¡®BEWARE THE SLIME¡¯. Zoey gripped the light, spiked mace she¡¯d raided from the armory earlier. Her spells were the more effective weapon, considering Zoey¡¯sck of proficiency with arms, but its reassuring weight helped steady her. And maces didn¡¯t take much finesse to use at their simplest level, which was why Rosalie had suggested it. The reason for the sign¡¯s warning became apparent in short order. Thick green goo appeared in clumps as Zoey worked her way forward, coating rocks, trees, and grass in shiny globs that glinted in the permanent moonlight of the pocket dimension. Zoey wondered if it was poisonous. Not acidic, at least; the grass and trees seemed unharmed. But why ¡®beware the slime¡¯, then? She forced away her curiosity and didn¡¯t attempt something as stupid as scooping up the green material. Bolded warnings scrawled on signs hammered into the floor were usually best heeded. Or so Zoey assumed. Again, not an expert at this whole, dungeon-adventuring thing. The beaten trail lost itself to nature as she ventured forward, disappearing just as the treeline opened up into a clearing. Zoey blinked as she took in the¡ªfrankly magnificent¡ªsightid in front of her. An enormous clearing syed out, the circr treeline almost unnaturally sharp, like it¡¯d been cultivated¡ªor designed by some greater Maker¡ªto be that way. The stars seemed brighter, now, and the crescent-moon burned in the sky. The inappropriate word Zoey wanted to use was ¡®cinematic¡¯, but while at some moments in the past few hours Zoey had been able to treat her new reality as¡ªwell, not the reality it was¡ªnow was not one of those moments. The sight was breath-taking, but also unnerving. Ominous. It heralded a final encounter. An ending of some sorts. Hers? At the centery an enormous pool of that green goo,rger even than the hot springs she and Rosalie had visited. The slime was thick and viscous and only slightly translucent; in such quantities it appeared almost as a solid object. To the right of the pool, a blonde figurey unconscious, supported by a boulder of the green slime. Her head and hair was visible, but the rest of her body was obscured by the slightly-opaque material; Zoey could only make out a shadow of it. Her stomach tightened in fear, because sure enough, Rosalie had lost. How? What did that say for Zoey? And what had she lost to? The only sce Zoey took was that it looked like she¡¯d been captured, not killed. She seemed alive. Though from this distance, the extent of her injuries was difficult to make out. Zoey needed to get closer. She walked hesitantly forward, rolling her grip on her weapon, feelingically out of ce, and unprepared. She wasn¡¯t some warrior. Even keeping her feet moving forward toward the grim reality that awaited her was difficult. She swallowed, hard. Zoey made it halfway to Rosalie before the pool of slime shivered. She froze in her tracks, a deer in headlights, and watched ripples of green shake the liquid. Beware the slime. Guess I¡¯m finding out why. At the shore of theke, a figure coalesced, roiling from the bubbling edge and taking shape. Zoey probably shouldn¡¯t have been surprised at what emerged, but she was. A curvaceous, translucent woman of green slime rose in height, forming from the liquid that poured out of theke. She finished taking shape even as she advanced, confidently, hips swaying with sensual swagger as she strode forward. A sculpted, soft body fashioned from the see-through y: navel, nipples, vicle, the other enticing edges to a woman¡¯s body, naked and on full disy. Her shape was nothing like Rosalie¡¯s: not hard muscles and deadly-looking, but gentle, round, with full breasts and skin (slime?) that looked painfully soft to the touch. A mane of thick slime simted hair, swaying to beneath her butt, and bouncing with every confident step. Her breasts were generous, perfectly shaped, and she had perky, hard nipples a shade darker. Behind them, and down a bit, inside the slime-girl¡¯s lower chest, was a perfect sphere, fist-sized, of forest-green material, standing out against the neon translucence that made up the rest of her body. Zoey wasn¡¯t sure what it was; some part of her alien biology? Her face was the most unnerving, upsetting for its dyssynchrony with the implied deadliness of the situation: it was warm, bubbly, smiling, exuberant, even, as if the slime-girl was delighted to have received a visitor. She looked at Zoey the way someone would for having their best friend unexpectedly show up after years overseas. Delighted. Like she was about to break into a run and scoop Zoey up in a hug. Zoey shakily rose her mace up, then brought an ice spike to the forefront of her mind. The slime-girl paused in her advance¡ªshe wasn¡¯t far, now, less than twenty feet. ¡°Aw,¡± she pouted, putting her hands on her hips. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you want to y like she did.¡± Zoey reeled back. She could talk? The discovery changed everything. Or did it? Were talking bosses normal? She wasn¡¯t prepared for this. Assuming this was a non-standard situation, then a talking, sapient creature could be reasoned with. Maybe they didn¡¯t need to fight? Or ¡­ Zoey¡¯s brain catching up with the slime-girl¡¯s words ¡­ maybe the way Rosalie had fought the creature had been all wrong. ¡°Like she did?¡± Zoey asked carefully. ¡°All that poking and shing, it really hurts, you know! I don¡¯t like hurting people, but she made me. Because she didn¡¯t want to fight the fun way.¡± Zoey was forming a picture in her head of what had gone down in this clearing¡ªand what the ¡®less fun¡¯ and ¡®more fun¡¯ types of fighting were. She nced Rosalie¡¯s way. Alive. Just hurt. Back to the slime-girl. ¡°Well,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Any chance I can take her and go?¡± ¡°Without ying? That¡¯s such a mean request! Do you know how long it is between visitors?¡± There¡¯d been people before her and Rosalie? She guessed that made sense? Or was it just part of the slime-girl¡¯s ¡­ programming? That was a weird word to use. But how real were these ¡®shards¡¯, anyway? Did they persist outside of their adventure, or were they designed, the sapient creatures instated with default memories? Zoey didn¡¯t have time to be puzzling over stuff like this. She lowered her mace, and let the ice-spike spell fizzle. Going even further, she tossed her weapon to the side and let it impact the soft grass as a sign of good faith. Zoey¡¯s way out of this predicament wasn¡¯t a fight¡ªnot a physical one, in the way Rosalie had supplied. Again, if Rosalie had lost, Zoey stood less chance than a gnat. She¡¯d have to win another way. ¡°Can I challenge you for her?¡± Zoey asked. A smile split the slime-girl¡¯s face. ¡°Depends what you mean by challenge,¡± she sing-songed. She resumed her swaying forward, and Zoey didn¡¯t retreat, though instinct screamed for her to. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know, I¡¯m not an easy slime to satisfy.¡± The slime-girl¡¯s features resolved as she got closer, and Zoey could make out the finer details to her figure. The yful, gentle eyes, the soft, full lips, and the pouty curves between her legs, glistening with wetness¡ªher chosen form was thorough, as expected for what ¡®challenges¡¯ she preferred to offer. Zoey¡¯s length started to stiffen right as the slime-girl finished closing the gap between them. Without sparing a moment, the slime-girl reached up and took Zoey¡¯s face in both her hands, then pressed her lips to Zoey¡¯s. She pried Zoey¡¯s mouth open and slipped her tongue in, causing Zoey to squeak in surprise. She closed her eyes and reciprocated, her hands going to the slime-girl¡¯s slim waist. The slime-girl tasted sweet, and a bit citrusy¡ªlike a lime, though that might be her neon green color influencing Zoey¡¯s assumptions. Either way, it was far from unpleasant having her mouth explored by a probing, sticky tongue. The slime-girl withdrew, their mouths separating in a pop. Zoey was breathing hard, and her lower-half was now fully at the ready, bent upward and pressing against a sticky body. The slime-girl beamed up at her¡ªZoey was much taller¡ªand her breathing had also picked up. ¡°I knew you¡¯d be more fun than her. And wow ¡­ you¡¯ve got so much to offer. This is the best day ever.¡± Her hand went to Zoey¡¯s member, stroking up and down, exploring its size. Her thumb rubbed into the base of where her head met the shaft, sliding over the bump and tracing the shape. Zoey¡¯s breath caught. The slime-girl kept their eyes locked, not looking down at what her hand was doing. ¡°Do you have a name?¡± Zoey asked. She wasn¡¯t sure why. Seeing how they were in for a presumably extended session of ¡®fighting¡¯, some basic conversation didn¡¯t seem out of order. Especially because she was curious about the creature¡¯s existence. Sure, they might be fighting over Zoey¡¯s im of Rosalie, perhaps even their lives, but still. Would this creature kill them if she failed? Zoey didn¡¯t get the feeling she would ¡­ but she had no clue what was going on. The slime-girlughed. ¡°Wow. Such a gentleman. I think you¡¯re the first to ask. Mel. Short for Emerald-Melt.¡± She leaned forward, still stroking up and down Zoey¡¯s length, and whispered, "But you can just call me your sticky, gooey ything, because that''s what I am.¡± A noise of delight. ¡°Ooh. It liked that, didn¡¯t it? It jumped in my hand.¡± ¡°Feels like you¡¯re cheating,¡± Zoey said, doing her best to ignore the slime-girl¡¯s caressing. ¡°You¡¯re starting early. I still don¡¯t know how this¡¯s working. How do I ¡®win¡¯?¡± ¡°Last one standing, dummy. Do I need to spell it out for you?¡± ¡°Not first toe?¡± Mel paused, long up-and-down strokes stilling. Her expression was highly affronted. ¡°You think I¡¯m only getting one out of you?¡± Ah. ¡°So this could take a while.¡± ¡°It better take a while.¡± Her stroking resumed, faster than before. ¡°And you¡¯re wasting time not getting to it. But before you do, let me show you something.¡± She pushed Zoey, and, not having expected it, she stumbled backwards, falling on her ass. Not afraid to be a bit rough, then. It hadn¡¯t hurt, with the soft grass eating the impact, but she¡¯d still been pushed over. Mel sat on top of her thighs, leaving Zoey¡¯s cock erected into the air. She resumed stroking. ¡°There¡¯s some amazing benefits to this body. Want to see one?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a captive audience, aren''t I?¡± Zoey murmured. How could she say no? 1.12 Fun With Slime II 1.12 Fun With Slime II ¡°So,¡± Mel said. ¡°The best part of my body. Wanna guess what it is?¡± ¡°Mmm. There¡¯s a lot to pick from.¡± Mel beamed, and pped Zoey''s shoulder. ¡°Stop it, you flirt. Here. In my opinion, it¡¯s this.¡± Mel¡¯s hand slid to the top of Zoey¡¯s cock, the base of her palm positioned t against the tip. Zoey got the briefest inkling of what was about to happen, and then Mel pressed down. Zoey¡¯s cock sank into the sticky substance, slowly filling up Mel¡¯s arm. She groaned in pleasure. The feeling was incredible: warm, tight, sticky, gripping to her cock as her length slid into Mel¡¯s body. Her arm. Zoey hadn¡¯t expected normal sex from a woman made from goo, but she hadn¡¯t expected this. To be fucking her hand, in the literal sense. Weird, but hot, she admitted to herself, watching her cock fill up Mel¡¯s arm, then Mel¡¯s fingers reach Zoey¡¯s pelvis, having gone all the way to the base. She curled her fingers inward, gripping Zoey¡¯s pubic hair. Definitely hot. Her cock reached all the way up to the woman¡¯s elbow. She could see it suspended in the green, translucent goo. Her hand slid up, then back down, squeezing Zoey¡¯s cock with the motion. This might be harder than I thought. Mel¡¯s insides felt really good, and they hadn¡¯t even gotten to the serious stuff. Zoey doubted those cute, anatomically-urate lips between her legs wouldn¡¯t be getting use before this encounter was over. Really, they were Zoey¡¯s only chance to exhaust Mel before she herself ran out of steam. She was already at a disadvantage because of her cock. She knew from having experienced both types of pleasure that while her newest tool might feel great, it was much easier to keep going aftering the so-called natural way. Zoey was much more spent after orgasm than she used to be. So she really ought to get to it. But instead, she watched her cock slide up and down Mel¡¯s arm in fascination, and pleasure. Really fucking weird, she confirmed a second time, not that Zoey¡¯s pulsing girlcock wasining in the slightest. ¡°You asked me my name,¡± Mel said, ¡°but I didn¡¯t get yours.¡± ¡°Zoey,¡± she breathed out. ¡°Does that¡ªdoes that trick work anywhere?¡± Mel gave her a sly smile. ¡°Why? Where do you want to stick it?¡± ¡°Just wondering.¡± She could imagine a few ideas, and they were much weirder than through Mel¡¯s hand. But also slightly too degenerate for even Zoey to bring up, much less ask. ¡°In my ear?¡± Mel asked, apparently having no such shame ¡°With this thing, it¡¯d go all the way through my head, you naughty girl. And sorry, that¡¯s ufortable, so hands and feet are all you¡¯re getting.¡± ¡°Right. Hand¡¯s are, um, enough.¡± ¡°I know. I can feel it squirming inside. You really like it.¡± Her cock pulsed. ¡°You have sensation in there?¡± ¡°Everywhere.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± ¡°Wow, indeed,¡± Mel said, eyes sparkling. Zoey let herself indulge for a few more moments, Mel¡¯s sticky insides pleasuring her length, before she admitted to herself she needed to treat this more seriously. She grabbed Mel¡¯s wrist and extracted her cock from the green goo¡ªit made a lewd squelching sound as it separated¡ªthen pushed Mel over, who acquiesced with a delighted squeak. Zoey spread the slime-girl¡¯s legs open, then dipped her face between Mel¡¯s thighs. ¡°Can I taste you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask,¡± Mel said, wiggling her hips. ¡°Just do. You¡¯ve got your work cut out, remember? I would love if you win. I¡¯m your number one supporter.¡± Zoey couldn¡¯t help the chuckle; this goo-girl really wanted some relief. Concern still ate at Zoey in the back of her head, but there was no point in worrying about what ¡®losing¡¯ meant. She just had to win. Simple. Just had to leave this curvy, sweet-tasting slime-girl a puddle of satisfied exhaustion. It might take some work, but Zoey was definitely, one-hundred percent up for the task. Zoey ran a thumb up and down Mel¡¯s folds, watching them part and marveling at how realistic they were¡ªand how cute. She was well and ready to go, her slick excitement covering Zoey¡¯s thumb. She sunk both thumbs in and gently spread Mel apart, then looked in at the bumpy green walls. Since Mel¡¯s entire body was translucent, the edges were difficult to make out, even spread wide open, but she saw that Mel¡¯s anatomy was true to life. ¡°Hey,¡± Mel protested. ¡°I¡¯m not exactly bashful, but staring in is really embarrassing. You said you were going to¡ª¡± Mel¡¯s words were cut off with a gasp as Zoey slipped her thumbs out, leaned forward, and sunk her tongue into her eager entrance. ¡°There you go,¡± Mel sighed. Her hand went to Zoey¡¯s head and pushed down, getting her wiggling tongue another inch deeper. Zoey¡¯s hands went up to grip at Mel¡¯s spread-open thighs to better support herself and her efforts. She explored Mel¡¯s lower entrance, taking her time, caressing and squirming her tongue in sweet, coaxing motions, enjoying the honey-like, hint-of-citrus taste. Zoey loved the natural taste of a woman, of course, but Mel¡¯s insides were tasty by more literal standards. And she smelled amazing. With Zoey¡¯s nose stuffed into her pelvis (clean-shaven, for a silly sense of the phrase), Mel¡¯s scent radiated into her, intoxicating with its fruitiness. ¡°A-Ah,¡± Mel whined. ¡°You¡¯re better at this, mmm, than I thought. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t be so cocky.¡± Zoey didn¡¯t reply. Her mouth was a bit upied. ¡°First one¡¯s free, I guess,¡± Mel sighed, gripping Zoey¡¯s hair tighter, and the wiggling in her hips starting to pick up speed. ¡°Puts us on even ying ground.¡± Zoey worked away diligently. Nobody ever said it was easy conquering a dungeon. Finally, Mel¡¯s breathing grew ragged, and Zoey could tell by the way her stomach was starting to twitch that Mel was getting close. She¡¯d take her ¡®free one¡¯ happily. Zoey didn¡¯t know how many times she¡¯d have to make Mele before she¡¯d be copsed from exhaustion, but based on some of Zoey¡¯s longer sessions? Could be a half a dozen or more. And that had been for a regr girl. Zoey coaxed the shaking slime-girl through a body-wracking orgasm. Her back arched, her thighs squeezed around Zoey¡¯s head, and she shoved Zoey¡¯s head in, cutting off her ability to breathe with her nose stuffed deep into her pelvis, but Zoey didn¡¯t stop until Mel¡¯s squeezing thighs loosened and she patted on Zoey¡¯s head to let go. She pulled back, sucking in air, and a bit dizzy. Her cock was aching from need, the experience of having her head crushed between Mel¡¯s thighs as she came having gotten her painfully hard. Precum dripped from its tip, and it twitched in anticipation. Fortunately¡ªunfortunately?¡ªMel¡¯s first orgasm seemed to have not tired her out remotely, but instead riled her up. She pushed Zoey over (they were taking turns doing that) and climbed atop her. Mel¡¯s gooey lower parts rubbed against Zoey¡¯s cock, excruciatingly satisfying. She leaned forward and kissed Zoey while sliding back and forth, the slimeyposition of her body and the excessive lubricant dripping from her orgasm providing a slick, easy movement. Zoey bucked into her, helping her along, and savoring the sweet taste of Mel¡¯s mouth¡ªand in sharing the juice that had gushed from her convulsing pussy. She pulled back just enough to break from the kiss and murmured happily, ¡°You taste so good.¡± ¡°That¡¯s mostly you,¡± Zoeyughed. Her hands had gone to Mel¡¯s waist, helping with the rhythm and motion of rubbing her lower-half against Zoey¡¯s cock. The first hints of something was starting to build, and Zoey rallied her determination¡ªshe couldn¡¯t allow herself to be pleasured without doing the same in return. ¡°Lift yourself up.¡± ¡°Is it time?¡± ¡°Up.¡± With the length of Zoey¡¯s cock, Mel had to lift aical, awkward distance to position Zoey¡¯s tip at her entrance. I¡¯m about to be inside her. To feel her walls squeeze around me. While Zoey had had something close in the form of Rosalie¡¯s throat, and she supposed Mel¡¯s hand, this would be the first time she actually prated a woman with her new equipment. Zoey¡¯s heart started racing harder, and it had already been galloping. Mel rubbed Zoey¡¯s tip yfully against her entrance, spreading her lips with its head. It rubbed Zoey¡¯s precum into her own excitement, creating a slick, lewd mess. ¡°Are you ready?¡± Mel asked breathlessly. ¡°Gods, it¡¯s going to go so deep.¡± ¡°Hurry up.¡± Zoey wanted to thrust inside, but she knew her size was unwieldy, so Mel needed to ease herself into it, even ounting for her malleable body. Mel finally started to press down, and Zoey¡¯s cock slipped¡ªfor the first time¡ªinto the warm, soft heat of where it belonged: Mel¡¯s breeding hole. A groan escaped her lips as Mel¡¯s grippy, tight pussy spread open to amodate her. ¡°S-So big.¡± Mel eased down, gripping Zoey¡¯s shaft with a hand to guide its entrance. Zoey¡¯s head fell back into the grass, eyes closed, savoring the squeeze of Mel¡¯s walls pressing in all around her. And she kept going lower, enveloping more of Zoey, amplifying the sensation with every second as more and more of her cock was pressed in by tight, wet goo-flesh. ¡°So full, o-only half way. How is it so big? You¡¯re stretching me ¡­¡± Zoey drowned in bliss as her cock slid inch by inch into Mel¡¯s pussy, until finally, Mel¡¯s soft ass impacted her crotch, indicating she¡¯d finished¡ªthat she¡¯d gotten everyst bit in. That Zoey had stuffed her full, stretching Mel out to her absolute maximum. Zoey opened her eyes and basked in the sight of her cock suspended in translucent green slime, past Mel¡¯s navel, all the way up to the base of her breasts. It reached to just beneath that slightly darker, floating green orb Zoey had noted earlier. If Zoey thrusted, just hard enough, she might be able to bump her cock into it. Though she wasn¡¯t sure why she would. Maybe it was ¡ª Zoey¡¯s thought was cut off as Mel lifted herself, then bounced back down. Her slime impacted Zoey¡¯s thighs with a squelch, and thebined pressure of her coaxing inner walls and the bounce of her ass against Zoey was incredible, impossible to describe. She moaned, and lost control of her attempts to be considerate; she needed to thrust and shove, and who cared if she was too big for Mel? Zoey needed to go faster. Mel was taking things too slow. She gripped Mel¡¯s waist, hard, then bucked underneath her, mming into Mel rather than the other way around. Mel gasped in surprise, and Zoey didn¡¯t let up. She pistoned in and out, hips jerking in rhythm with Zoey¡¯s hands mming Mel down by her waist, to provide a louder, lewder impact between their lower halves. Each collision squelched as Mel¡¯s gooey body tried to stick to Zoey¡¯s crotch. Mel worked with her, caught off guard, and whining in something that sounded close to pain, but enthusiastic despite the fact, allowing her body to be used however Zoey wanted. She hadn¡¯t been kidding; she was Zoey¡¯s sticky ything. Zoey didn¡¯t need to ask. Mel was hers to do with what she wanted. Zoey¡¯s thoughts became less coherent as her brain started to melt in pleasure. Her pistoning increased in speed. ¡°Give it to me,¡± Mel begged, bouncing up and down. ¡°Please. I want to feel it shoot inside. Do that for me.¡± She let the burning satisfaction of her cock crescendo, indulging entirely in the feeling, any thoughts of dying gratification for purpose ofsting longer disappearing. She needed to empty herself into this busty, eager slime-girl. To fill her with hot seed. Could a slime-girl be bred? If so, Zoey was about to aplish it. Her length spasmed, finally giving in to Mel¡¯s desperate, excited coaxings. Zoey¡¯s girlcum jettisoned out into clinging slime-girl pussy. Zoey kept her eyes open and watched, through Mel¡¯s translucent body, as strings of white shot out from her cock and into her¡ªpast her cervix, which Zoey had been bumping into, and the force of her convulsing cock pushing seed into her womb, filling up the space with gooey white liquid in real-time as Zoey watched in awe. The sight spurred her twitching cock on, encouraging it to give more and more as it pounded up and down, she and Mel not slowing as Zoey¡¯s cock gave in. Mel¡¯s womb filled, then overflowed, seed spilling down Zoey¡¯s cock and stuffing her walls, obscuring Zoey¡¯s cock from view in a wash of white. She watched as it poured from Mel¡¯s pussy and out between them. And, like usual, Zoey just kept going, kept spasming, her output unusually high. She had Ephy to thank for that¡ªwhich she briefly did. She sent off a prayer, imagining a smirking goddess looking down at her. Mel¡¯s second orgasm crashed into her, shaking her slimy body, and bringing Zoey¡¯s pleasure to a new high as her walls convulsed and milked Zoey with shocking pressure, caressing with tight squeezes. Finally, Zoey was spent¡ªand dizzy¡ªbut she forced herself not to give in to her exhaustion. She copsed back, stopping her pumping, but not allowing herself to close her eyes and sag into the ground. ¡°Do I at least get a second to catch my breath?¡± she panted. Mel leaned back and shimmied down Zoey¡¯s legs, her member sliding from her pussy, and spilling out seed as the stopper finally exited. Zoey could still see her white spunk outlining the entirety of her pleasure-giving insides: womb and vagina both. It was a bit weird, like a lot of this had been. But a lot hotter than weird. Or maybe hotter because it was weird. ¡°I didn¡¯t get a break, did I?¡± Melughed. ¡°You have fingers and a mouth, until it¡¯s working again. And a pretty blonde to save, if you''re forgetting. So get to it.¡± 1.13 Fun With Slime III 1.13 Fun With Slime III After Zoey¡¯s third orgasm, and Mel¡¯s eighth, she was starting to lose hope. Zoey had expected the slime-girl would be longsting, on ount of her being a magical dungeon¡¯s final boss, and by matter of her wanting to fight through the proxy of fucking. But eight times? And they hadn¡¯t been gentle climaxes. Her whole body had been a shaking, twitching mess each time, turning the slime-girl¡¯s brain to mush as she whined and spat obscenities and lewd nonsense, but still, she kept going¡ªkept wanting more. The good news was that Zoey¡¯s efforts were having an effect. The dark-green orb inside Mel¡¯s chest had started to affect an orange tint, approaching red. Zoey used her not-veryprehensive understanding of video games to guess the orb somehow rted to her status, or her ¡®healthiness¡¯, for a perversion of the word. She was being worn out. And that could be seen physically, too, by the way Mel¡¯s control of her body had lost some of its finesse. Every pping thrust of Zoey¡¯s cock into her insides left sticky green residue, now, no longer just clinging, but actually separating from her body. She was melting from pleasure¡ªliterally. Which had meant things had gotten quite messy in the past twenty minutes. Zoey was covered in green slime¡ªMel¡¯s green slime¡ªthough her body hadn¡¯t actually changed much; it was the same gorgeous collection of curves, and provided the same tight interior coaxing for Zoey¡¯s girlcock. She had, however, grown the tiniest bit smaller¡ªher miscing of her goo shrinking her height by maybe an inch. There was another piece of good news, despite Zoey¡¯s fatigue, and the way her stamina gged. Zoey had a n. She¡¯d formed it while curling out Mel¡¯s eighth orgasm with her fingers and tongue. The orb, deep inside Mel¡¯s body: Zoey thought she could reach it, now that Mel¡¯s body had more give¡ªand by the fact it seemed to have shrunken the smallest amount. Zoey finished riding Mel down, then rolled her over onto her back. She shuffled between her legs, gripping her cock and lining it up to her entrance. ¡°R-Really ought to pace yourself,¡± Mel teased. ¡°Going inside again? Already? I know you like my insides, but you¡¯re going to lose.¡± Zoey was already close to losing, so she needed to go for a hail-mary. She grunted instead of responding, not having the energy to respond to Mel¡¯s yful teasing anymore. She pouted at that, but gasped when Zoey¡¯s cock split her lower lips open, and she pressed in. Just because she and Mel had been going at it for a while didn¡¯t mean she¡¯d grown immune to the slime-girl¡¯s tight walls, but Zoey reined her reactions in and forced herself to focus. She paid attention to how deep her cock reached¡ªZoey¡¯s generous loads of girlcum from her previous orgasms had slowly absorbed into Mel¡¯s slime, then disappeared¡ªwhen she was buried all the way in. Where there¡¯d been two inches or so until the orb, now there was only one. If Zoey mmed hard enough, it should bump. And who knew if that would do anything, but it was her best shot. ¡°Help me,¡± Zoey said gruffly. ¡°Push hard.¡± Melughed delightedly. ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± She dug her hands into the soft earth to either side of her, getting a grip for helping push against Zoey. She hadn¡¯t an idea what Zoey was going for, Zoey assumed. Zoey pulled back, savoring the hot, sticky slide of the slime-girl¡¯s pussy despite the importance of her goal, then, mustering all her strength, mmed in as hard as she could. Mel, ever the amodator, did as Zoey asked¡ªshe pushed as hard as she could, too, jerking her lower body into Zoey. Zoey¡¯s cock slid through Mel¡¯s body, and with the force of her impact, her lower half pped into Mel¡¯s and managed to embed half an inch into her gooey substance. Zoey craned her hips forward, too, really getting as far as she could. The tip of her cock bumped a hard object. The reaction was almost shocking. Mel cried out, her pussy mping down like a vice, and her entire body spasming. For almost ten second she shook, writhing around on the ground, before finally releasing, and panting. Zoey couldn¡¯t help but be concerned¡ªit looked like it had been legitimately painful, which wasn¡¯t her goal. Or, had it been? ¡°Oh my gods,¡± Mel panted out. ¡°You h-hit my core. I can¡¯t believe you can reach that far.¡± Something wild appeared in her eyes. ¡°Do it again. It hurt so much.¡± Huh. So it had been painful, but Mel had liked it anyway. Zoey pulled back, Mel braced against the dirt, and they worked together to m Zoey¡¯s cock back into her ¡®core¡¯, which, Zoey guessed, was what the orb of translucent ss was called. Mel contracted and spasmed, her ninth orgasm ravaging her body, despite that they¡¯d just started¡ªthat it had only taken two thrusts. Zoey almost sagged in relief, because it looked like she¡¯d found the advantage she needed. The problem was, Mel¡¯s seizure-like spasms were really doing something to milk Zoey¡¯s cock, and while she hadn¡¯t fallen apart in two thrusts like Mel, she was also closer to giving out than the slime-girl. She couldn¡¯t afford to keep exhausting herself. The ninth, tenth, and eleventh climaxes were easy enough to draw from Mel. On the twelfth, Zoey emptied herself into Mel¡¯s cute insides, and copsed forward, panting into the sticky girl¡¯s shapely breasts. Still smelled sweet and citrusy. Wasn¡¯t quite asforting, anymore. ¡°Aw, c¡¯mon,¡± Melined. ¡°Just a few more. I think you¡¯ll actually have me.¡± She wasn¡¯t lying; the core had dipped further into red, a simr neon to Mel¡¯s green slime. Zoey wed her way to a fourth wind, got back up, and continued pounding into slimy, clenching pussy. Fourteen did the trick. Mely in a gooey puddle, her body barely able to keep formed. She murmured happy nonsense to herself, eyes closed, and the previous forest-green core in her lower-chest now a bright, neon red, with cracks running through it. Zoey wanted so desperately to fall back into the grass and pass out, but she had shit to do. She staggered to her feet, swaying and almost falling over. ¡°Sure you don¡¯t want some more?¡± Mel babbled happily to her as she passed. ¡°You can still use me. I just can¡¯t move.¡± No, thank you. The first half had been amazing, but the second half, not so much. Zoey enjoyed a good fucking, but that had been, uh, stressful. Usually her life¡ªand her friend¡¯s life¡ªwasn¡¯t on the line. With Mel¡¯s defeat, the pile of slime holding Rosalie in ce had melted, leaving the blonde girl unconscious and copsed-over. Her spear, the one she had taken from the armory,y a half-dozen feet to her side. Zoey knelt down and rolled her onto her back. This was the first time she¡¯d been able to see Rosalie up close. She wasn¡¯t in great shape. Rosalie had chosen to face Mel in the more traditional arena of battle, and had taken damage appropriate to that. Since Zoey had had a delightful opportunity to explore Rosalie¡¯s body, she could tell what cuts, bruises, and other injuries had been recent. The odd part was that most looked well into the process of healing. The cuts were scabbed over and already fading. Rosalie¡¯s runes? A healing aspect of the slime? Something else? Either way, Rosalie was breathing, and while beaten-up, on her way to recovery. Zoey¡¯s anger spiked at the fact Mel had hurt Rosalie. Oddly, it reminded her of that first interaction with Ephy¡ªwhen Zoey had been offered the ss ¡®Charmer¡¯, which influenced the minds of people. Ephy had said, ¡®don¡¯t mistake me something for I¡¯m not¡¯. Zoey got the feeling that was what she had done with Mel. She was enthusiastic, yful, and great at making Zoey feel good, but that didn¡¯t mean she hadn¡¯t been willing to fight¡ªand hurt¡ªRosalie. To fight and hurt her, too. Though was that perspective justified? Rosalie had been the one toe fight Mel, not the other way around. Could Mel have let them pass without a fight? Was it coded into her gics to defend the shard¡¯s exit? It might be a moreplicated issue than first appraised, but Zoey didn¡¯t want to think about that. All she saw was Rosalie,ying unconscious and still healing, and felt furious. She shook Rosalie by the shoulders gently, trying to rouse her. ¡°Hey. Daylight¡¯s burning. Up and at ¡®em, princess.¡± Rosalie stirred, and a few pats to the cheek had her blinking up at Zoey. A smile split Zoey¡¯s face, mostly relief. ¡°Zoey?¡± Rosalie asked groggily. She leaned up, a hand going to her forehead as she groaned. ¡°I feel awful. What ¡­¡± she looked around, eyesnding on Mel. ¡°... happened?¡± ¡°It¡¯s taken care of, don¡¯t worry,¡± Zoey said. ¡°But we should get going. I don¡¯t know if she¡¯ll heal.¡± ¡°You ¡­ defeated her?¡± Rosalie sounded utterly baffled. Which, from her perspective, might be fair¡ªshe likely assumed Zoey had won inbat. ¡°Why are you covered in so much slime?¡± Because I just got done fucking a melting slime girl until my limbs were, ironically, jello. ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Can you stand?¡± ¡°Of course I can stand.¡± Rosalie shakily got to her feet, then swayed¡ªand would have fallen, if Zoey didn¡¯t reach out and steady her. ¡°Stop being ridiculous,¡± Rosalie protested, ¡°I can stand without help.¡± Managing this girl¡¯s pride was going to take effort in theing weeks, Zoey could tell. Her best option was to ignore the protest and move to practical matters, to distract her from how she was helping. ¡°How do we get out of here?¡± Rosalie spared another nce at the copsed slime girl, then said, ¡°Probably through the clearing. But I want to go look at her.¡± She didn¡¯t push Zoey away, and leaned against her for support. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I want to,¡± she said tly. Zoey sighed and didn¡¯t contradict her. She helped Rosalie over the first few steps, but soon enough, her arms were swatted away, and with more strength than before¡ªshe seemed to have regained her steadiness. So Zoey let go. Rosalie finished striding over to the slime girl by herself. She looked down and studied her, and Zoey realized why this might have been a bad idea. ¡°What¡¯s all the¡ª?¡± Rosalie paused. ¡°You did not,¡± Rosalie said. Sticky white strands floated around in Mel¡¯s lower body, not yet absorbed. ¡°She did,¡± Mel mumbled happily. ¡°It was so amazing.¡± Rosalie jumped. ¡°She¡¯s still alive!¡± ¡°I hardly killed her,¡± Zoey said, mildly affronted. ¡°Kinda wish you did,¡± Mel whined. ¡°Dying feels so good.¡± Zoey stared in disbelief at the slime-girl. Getting killed felt good? She guessed Mel respawned, and had experienced it before? But still ¡­ what the hell. So weird. Not that she was kink-shaming, she guessed? If a girl got off on dying, um, good for her?? ¡°Why¡ªWhy¡ª¡± Rosalie seemed to be confronting the fact Zoey had fucked Mel into submission, rather than fought her. ¡°Offered to you, too,¡± Mel mumbled. ¡°But you wanted a boring fight.¡± ¡°Offered to me? No, you didn¡¯t. What?¡± Zoey paused. Knowing Rosalie, it was quite possible Mel¡¯s offers of ¡®fighting another way¡¯ had gonepletely over her head, and Mel had taken that for rejection. ¡°Hey, Mel,¡± Zoey said. ¡°How do we get out of here?¡± ¡°You know her name?¡± ¡°Out the opposite end of the clearing,¡± Mel mumbled. Her eyes were still closed. She was in seriously bad shape ¡­ however happy she seemed to be about affairs. ¡°But there¡¯s a secret loot room beneath theke. Should raid it. As thanks for ¡­ the amazing time.¡± ¡°You are disgusting,¡± Rosalie said to Zoey. ¡°You fucked the boss into submission?¡± ¡°Could¡¯ve been you,¡± Mel said. ¡°Quiet, you¡ªyou perverted creature! As if I would¡ª¡± she cut off, then spun to Zoey. Her cheeks were flushed. ¡°Let¡¯s keep it moving. The loot room. Do we swim down?¡± ¡°Make sure you hold your breath.¡± Rosalie shot another re at Mel. ¡°Thanks, Mel,¡± Zoey said. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine, right?¡± ¡°More¡¯n fine ¡­¡± she sighed contentedly. Rosalie stalked away, toward the slimeke. Zoey jogged to catch up. ¡°Hey. You¡¯re not mad, are you?¡± ¡°Mad? Why in the world would I be mad?¡± The incredulity on Rosalie¡¯s face seemed genuine. Zoey had misread the situation. ¡°Never mind.¡± ¡°You think I¡¯m upset you fucked another girl? Even if we were a thing, why would I be? And we''re not, by the way." She guessed Rosalie¡¯s culture was a bit more open about multiple partners than hers. Polyamory hadn¡¯t been especially popr back home, not that Zoey had ever had a problem with it. ¡°Right. Again, my bad.¡± Rosalie opened her mouth as if to say more¡ªand by the look on her face, it wouldn¡¯t have been nice¡ªbut then she huffed, and spun back forward. ¡°We¡¯re dawdling. Loot, then exiting the shard. I¡¯m ready to be out of this disgusting ce.¡± 1.14 Loot II 1.14 Loot II Swimming down through theke of slime was ufortable, but all things considered, not especially difficult. Exhausted as Zoey was from her thorough ¡®fight¡¯ with Mel, her arms and legs ached as she struggled her way through the surprisingly loose liquid¡ªnot nearly as clinging as it appeared. She even sank with ease, not floating, and spurred on by her long strokes, quickly descended. She reached the bottom and hit air¡ªthen tumbled eight feet and toppled,nding on her back in a pile of spongy green gtin. She sank in and bounced a few feet from the impact, arms cartwheeling, then bounced again, before she managed to steady. ¡°Are you intending to make a fool of yourself, or is iting naturally?¡± Rosalie, ever the dexterous acrobat, must havended gracefully, giving her a perfect view of Zoey¡¯s iling. ¡°Let¡¯s say intended,¡± Zoey said. ¡°That makes me look better, right?¡± Rosalie rolled her eyes, then advanced toward one of the two things of import in the slimy green cavern: three chests, two with bands of emerald wrapped around their center, and one with a band of sapphire. Zoey blinked in surprise. All three chests were of higher rarity than the one they¡¯d previously raided, and by how Rosalie had described things, the blue-band¡ªsapphire, representing ¡®superior¡¯¡ªwas the second best quality a person could find, and was supposed to be exceedingly rare. ¡°Wow,¡± Zoey said. ¡°That¡¯s a nice haul, huh?¡± ¡°Depends,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°But not as good as it seems, I suspect. I have my suspicions what¡¯s in the sapphire chest.¡± Without ceremony¡ªthese things didn¡¯t have quite the novelty for Rosalie as they did as for Zoey, and so she had no reason to take her time¡ªRosalie flung open the centermost chest. She pulled out a seven-foot gleaming spear. ¡°Mmm,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Good. My inventory.¡± She reached in, and the next item out was a pair of metal boots. Rosalie nodded along in satisfaction as she continued to empty the chest. So that one didn¡¯t count as ¡®real¡¯ loot, then. The superior-rated chest was a fluke, simply Rosalie¡¯s inventory handed back to her. Zoey looked at the two green-banded chests. ¡°Still, two rares is pretty good, right?¡± ¡°For the nightmare of this shard? Hardly.¡± Then, reluctantly, ¡°But objectively, yes, for how it was rtively small, as far as shards go. Assuming we don¡¯t get exceedingly unlucky with the yield. Always a possibility.¡± Zoey didn¡¯t think the shard had been that bad. She¡¯d had some, uh, good times. Funny enough, the few parts Zoey hadn¡¯t especially liked¡ªthe monsters and patches of brutal fighting¡ªwere probably the parts Rosalie considered tolerable. The next item Rosalie pulled from the inventory-chest broke Zoey¡¯s heart. ¡°Thank the gods,¡± Rosalie said as she slipped on her undergarments. ¡°I half expected these not to be in there.¡± ¡°If only they hadn¡¯t,¡± Zoey sighed. Her days of ogling Rosalie¡¯s naked body were over. Was there any greater tragedy? Rosalie shot an annoyed squint at Zoey¡¯s dramatics. ¡°Some of us don¡¯t like parading about with our privates on disy.¡± She tossed Zoey a towel, one of the many items Rosalie continued to pull out and deposit into that private pocket-space between worlds. ¡°Clean yourself up.¡± Zoey did so, using the fabric to wipe the copious amounts of green slime from her body, and the other mixture of less-appropriate liquids spread across her lower half. She supposed getting dressed was necessary. They couldn¡¯t continue their nudism in civilization, obviously. Zoey was a bit surprised at how ustomed she had be to the feeling of being naked around Rosalie. Even at the start, she¡¯d been less bashful about it than she¡¯d have thought. Their first meeting¡ªthe tight coffin¡ªhad been quite the icebreaker. ¡°I¡¯d offer you some of my clothes, but they won¡¯t fit,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°You¡¯re too tall. And busty. And ¡­¡± she cleared her throat. ¡°I don¡¯t think women¡¯s garments are something that fit you, down low. But I have a pair of men¡¯s britches and underwear, somewhere in here.¡± Right. Zoey couldn¡¯t exactly go around wearing tight pants and women¡¯s underwear anymore, not unless she wanted some awkward things on in disy. She¡¯d have to wear loose pants and boxers, and even then, there¡¯d probably be a bulge, considering how much heat Zoey was packing. She paused,ing to terms with the reality of her situation. For having gotten extensive use out of her cock in the past half-day, there was still a lot of ustoming to do. Life as a girl with a fourteen-inch cock. Sure to pose some difficulties¡ªor at least strangeness¡ªin civilized society. Finally finding the items she was looking for, Rosalie tossed her some in, hardy-looking clothes. Zoey shrugged on the long-sleeve shirt, a pair of men¡¯s undergarments that she guessed qualified as this world¡¯s equivalent of ¡®boxer-briefs¡¯, then the brown traveling leathers. They fit poorly, to say the least. The shirt was far too loose, meant for someone much broader than her; the underwear too tight, both from excessive equipment and wide hips; and finally, the pants, which were the closest to being eptable, but still too baggy for her liking. At least it hid Zoey¡¯s secret. While she wasn¡¯t hard, at least. She doubted much on the could hide it when she got excited. Not having a bra wasn¡¯t ideal, but Rosalie didn¡¯t have something that fit her. Zoey supposed she should be grateful this world even had them. Hadn¡¯t they used, like, corsets and other types of chest bindings, before? Zoey wasn¡¯t great with her history. Either way, by the modest white support Rosalie had put on, Zoey could tell their worlds¡¯ clothing standards were in a simr ce; she just didn¡¯t have something that fit Zoey¡¯s chest. ¡°Why do you have men¡¯s clothing, anyway?¡± ¡°To be prepared,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Anything reasonable that I might need, I try to have.¡± ¡°And why would you need men¡¯s clothing?¡± ¡°For if a party member needs it?¡± She raised an eyebrow. ¡°Like now.¡± Zoey guessed it was fair enough reasoning. ¡°Thanks.¡± Rosalie snorted. ¡°Please. You¡¯re doing me a favor by covering up. So no, thank you.¡± Zoey refrained from pointing out that Rosalie¡¯s fondness of her ¡®extra equipment¡¯ had been quite apparent in their adventures, and not just that, but Zoey¡¯s body in general. Would it kill the blonde girl to be honest with herself? Rosalie tossed her a pair of boots. ¡°Store those for if you need them. They¡¯re too big, but depending where we end up in the Fractures, big might be better than barefoot.¡± Zoey pocketed the boots as instructed. ¡°Sheesh. You¡¯re still going.¡± She had been pulling items out in a constant stream, and had yet to slow. ¡°How much can you put in an inventory, anyway?¡± ¡°Depends on your advancement. You, less than me. But still quite a lot.¡± ¡°Convenient.¡± ¡°I suppose?¡± Rosalie gave her an odd look. Zoey tried to put herself in Rosalie¡¯s shoes. Inventory was, presumably, something all people in this world had ess to. Calling it convenient might be simr to making a casualment about how ¡®convenient¡¯ thumbs and brains were. Not incorrect ¡­ but a strange, perhaps even revealing, thought to muse about. Then, absurdly, her mind bounced to the implications an ability like an ¡®inventory¡¯ must have on the world. It¡¯d be impossible to enforce security standards, like ¡®no weapons¡¯ in certain ces. Also, depending on how significant the storage capabilities were, it could affect how trade worked ¡­ as in, a person could load up with boxes of material and set off without need for a wagon, or mules, or such. Or, say, theft. Could a person walk into a store and drop items into their inventory, then waltz off? How would anyone know? Did people have to be followed around in shops to prevent that? Were ¡®shopping-procedures¡¯ wholly modified from what Zoey knew back on Earth? Or some stranger solution that Zoey hadn¡¯t considered, or couldn¡¯t, like a spell that prevented the use of inventory-deposit? Maybe it could be detected somehow. Zoey shook her head. She might ask Rosalieter¡ªor find the answer naturally. There were a million and one questions she could pour out on how an alien world functioned, but she both didn¡¯t want to reveal to Rosalie her (what she would see as) odd thought processes, and she didn¡¯t want to waste time, since it would take all night to cover even a fraction of her questions. Take things as theye. A good motto by Earth standards, and doubly applicable here. Rosalie started pulling out clinking bags of coins, which gave Zoey pause. She counted five before they stopped. ¡°So you¡¯re loaded, or something?¡± ¡°Hardly. Those were mostly copper and silver. The earnings of a second-advancement Wayfarer is by no means lucrative.¡± Copper, silver, and presumably gold coins. Maybe higher denominations, too? Finances were going to be another curious thing to learn about. Sounded like it was straightforward, at least. Coins. Couldn¡¯tplicate those too much. ¡°You can startying out the loot from the other chests,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°You don¡¯t need to stand there and watch me.¡± ¡°Just figured you¡¯d want to be the one.¡± Rosalie had taken over the process of looting thest chest they¡¯d found; Zoey hadn¡¯t pulled out any of the items. Rosalie did that¡ªtook charge, naturally, part of who she was. Zoey didn¡¯t mind. She wasn¡¯t a pushover, but she¡¯d never felt the need to takemand. Could do it, sure. Just preferred to only when no one else would. ¡°For the excitement of the reveal?¡± Rosalie scoffed. ¡°Who do you take me for? Some green, first-generation Wayfarer? Only wet-eared novices care about something like that.¡± Zoey paused. ¡°I think it¡¯s fun,¡± she said defensively. ¡°Point in case.¡± Sometimes Rosalie¡¯s arrogance peeked through with more obviousness than others. Zoey still saw the goodness in her¡ªit was blindingly in to see¡ªbut she had her ws, without a doubt. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with taking enjoyment in the small things.¡± Rosalie snorted, again. She didn¡¯t look over Zoey¡¯s way. Zoey bit her tongue on pushing the point, because she knew when to pick her battles. ¡°Justy them out,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°We¡¯ll divvy it up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m getting a cut, this time?¡± Rosalie had pocketed most of the loot from the first chest, which Zoey had thought entirely fair; Zoey had done exceedingly little to earn any of it. Rosalie stilled. Her mood soured visibly, even with her back turned as she paused half-up from extracting an item from the chest. ¡°If anything,¡± she said bitterly, ¡°you should be getting the lion¡¯s share. I might have died without you.¡± Ah, Zoey realized. That¡¯s why. That was the reason Rosalie had been upset, before diving into the slimeke¡ªwhich Zoey had misinterpreted as anger at Zoey¡¯s involvement with Mel. She was furious at herself for losing. For needing to be saved by Zoey. Now that she¡¯d made the connection, it was pretty obvious. That was one-hundred-percent something Rosalie would be sour over. ¡°I don¡¯t care either way,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Fifty-fifty, you take it all, whatever. What¡¯s mine is yours. We¡¯re sticking together, aren¡¯t we?¡± Rosalie stilled a second time. Then resumed. ¡°I suppose we are. You¡¯ll need someone to show you the ropes.¡± Like usual, no effusive confirmations, no exmations of camaraderieship and anticipation of future escapades, but it was Rosalie. Of course not. Zoey grinned. Earlier, there¡¯d been hesitation on whether they¡¯d be forming a party. Rosalie had made up her mind: yes. Zoey didn¡¯t make a big deal out of it, because Rosalie would definitelyunch some bitingments her way for doing so. Instead she walked over to the rightmost of the chests and cracked it open, smiling stupidly. An inky ck void weed her. Zoey reached in, half expecting it to be cold to the touch, or some indescribable feeling, but instead, it just felt like¡ªwell, nothing. More air. Her fingers groped for the bottom of the chest, and grazed something. She adjusted, then gripped the jar of something, pulling it out. [Cleansing Liquid]: Common. To aid a person in adventures down less-beaten paths. Cleans thoroughly and leaves a fruity aftertaste. Zoey paused, then burst outughing. ¡°Let me guess,¡± Rosalie said dryly. ¡°Something perverted?¡± ¡°It¡¯s ying coy, but I think so. It¡¯s, uh. Cleaning agent.¡± ¡°Cleaning agent?¡± ¡°For, you know. A squeaky clean back door. Leaves a fruity aftertaste.¡± Rosalie parsed the exnation, brow furrowed¡ªher innocence the more amusing part of the whole thing, which Zoey had to fight down anotherugh from. Her expression cleared up, and her lips twisted in disgust. ¡°The degeneracy of this shard knows no bounds.¡± ¡°Do you just pour it in?¡± Zoey asked, turning the bottle of dark-red stic-like material around. There was nobel. The liquid sloshed around, viscous as water. It tapered at the top to a cap that looked like it could be twisted open. Using some basic intuition, Zoey assumed she would need to shove it ¡®up there¡¯ then squeeze, and it would do its magical work. Honestly, it was kind of amazing. Getting ready for spelunking expeditions of that sort could be an ordeal ¡­ not that Zoey had ever been that into backdoor-y. She¡¯d had one girlfriend who was, though, so she knew her way around. ¡°Because I would know?¡± Rosalie asked. ¡°Ugh. Stop talking about it.¡± Zoey chuckled, then set the item aside, rather than putting it in her inventory¡ªthe loot would need to be divided up. The next item out was tiny, and took some groping around in the void to find. [Silvercut Tongue Stud]: Umon. Ministrations of the mouth find greater potency. ¡°I call this one,¡± Zoey said. ¡°I so call this one.¡± Rosalie nced over. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Magical tongue piercing that makes me give better head. So don¡¯t worry, it¡¯ll help you out, too.¡± ¡°Help me!¡± Rosalie flushed. ¡°As if I would let you¡ªlet you put your¡ª¡± She cleared her throat, then pointedly returned to her own chest. ¡°You and this shard are well suited for each other. Perhaps you shouldn¡¯t leave, and instead spend your remaining days here.¡± Now there was a thought. With a host like Mel, would she really have that much toin about? As for Rosalie¡¯s im that Zoey wouldn¡¯t be getting her tongue inside her ¡­ well, they¡¯d see about that. For all Rosalie¡¯s protests, they had only known each other a day, and yet Zoey had had her cock rubbed against her stomach, in her mouth, and between her tits. There were some extenuating circumstances allowing that fast intimacy, but the floodgates had been opened, so to say¡ªand Rosalie clearly enjoyed having them been so. Zoey pocketed the stud into her inventory, not setting it aside to divvy it up. Because she was getting it put in at the first opportunity. She was excited to see how well it worked. What kind of embarrassing things would she force out of Rosalie, aided with supernaturalpetency? Speaking of, though, how did piercings work in this world? With stuff like healing potions, could she just suck it up, stab the metal through, then drink a potion? It¡¯d be a painful ordeal, obviously, but Zoey had never been too squeamish, or sensitive to pain. For not having to go through a whole ¡®process¡¯, it¡¯d be worth it. She¡¯d never had a tongue piercing, but part of the reason was because she¡¯d heard it was a hassle, both to get and maintain. Magical healing to elerate things¡ªand the benefits this particr jewelry offered¡ªhad tipped the scales to ¡®definitely worth it¡¯. She pulled out the next item. Still plenty to work through. 1.15 Tutorial, End 1.15 Tutorial, End [baster Gloves of Focus]: Umon. Aids the neophyte spellcaster in quicker, more coherent casting of spells. ¡°Finally,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Functional equipment. And something perfectly suited for you.¡± Zoey frowned down at the tiny gloves in her hands. ¡°They won¡¯t fit.¡± Maybe Zoey¡¯s old body could have crammed the small piece of clothing on, but Zoey¡¯d grown by a non-insignificant amount; she was much taller than the average girl, now, and her hands were of course proportionally simr. (The extra length on her fingers was quite appreciated. As Rosalie had found out.) ¡°Nonsense,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Unbound equipment resizes itself to the wearer. Go ahead. I doubt we¡¯ll be selling them. Better to use what the shard gives¡ªcheaper.¡± Zoey wiggled her fingers into the soft fabric, believing Rosalie¡¯s words but still slightly doubtful. Incredibly, as Zoey¡¯s hand stuffed inside, the cloth expanded, wrapping around in a perfect fit. The other behaved simrly as she tugged it on. [baster Gloves of Focus]: Umon. Bound. Aids the neophyte spellcaster in quicker, more coherent casting of spells. ¡°What does ¡®bound¡¯ mean? Or, uh, entail?¡± ¡°That it belongs to you,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°That it can¡¯t be inspected without your permission, nor can others wear it and gain its benefit. Thus, that it¡¯s virtually worthless to sell.¡± ¡°Is there a way to unbind?¡± ¡°Yes, but for a first advancement piece of equipment, doing so would be ludicrous.¡± ¡°It¡¯s expensive?¡± ¡°Exceptionally.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Zoey had a lot to learn about how the adventuring world worked. She turned her hands back and forth, admiring the bright white fabric and intricate designs. ¡°Doesn¡¯t really fit with my other clothes.¡± Rosalie shrugged. ¡°Congrattions. That marks you as a Wayfarer.¡± ¡°Hodgepodge aesthetics?¡± ¡°A coherent outfit usually means one sacrificed practicality for ¡®looking good¡¯.¡± Rosalie¡¯s lip pulled back in disdain as she sneered the words. ¡°With some exceptions, of course, but an unfortunate amount of Wayfarers are concerned with appearances over wearing the most effective pieces for a given situation.¡± ¡°Exceptions being?¡± ¡°Large enough shards¡ªor repeated visits to them¡ªcan produce a full set of equipment that looks as if they were designed to be worn together. It¡¯s moremon at higher advancements than lower.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°Keep it moving, will you?¡± Zoey had stopped her diligent extraction of loot to talk with Rosalie. The blonde girl clearly wanted to get things over with. Her desire to be out of this shard was genuine; she was visibly impatient. [Quartz-Encrusted Tiara]: An adornment lined with thick gemstones of quartz. ¡°It doesn¡¯t say what it does,¡± Zoey said, brow furrowing. ¡°Not even that it has ¡®unidentified effect sigils¡¯.¡± It was normal for the Inspect ability to not give a detailed ounting of what items did, but usually there was at least an allusion. ¡°Could mean it does nothing,¡± Rosalie said, ¡°but more likely, we¡¯ll need to take it to an artificer to have it identified. Some items are more explicit about what they do than others. Loot descriptions follow no particr pattern. Set it aside.¡± Zoey did so, then moved on. [Shaft Ring of Binding]: Rare. For when crescendos need to be dyed, or prevented. Can only be deactivated by the activator. A cock ring. Like usual, the perverted nature of the item brought a quirk to Zoey¡¯s lips. The whole situation was a bit funny, however much Rosalie protested. Because magical sex items as a reward for fucking a slime-girl into gooey submission? Well, strangeness was often a catalyst for humor, and here, for Zoey, it definitely was. ¡°That one¡¯s mine,¡± Rosalie said, making Zoey start blinking. ¡°What?¡± She held a hand out impatiently. ¡°You took the tongue stud. This one¡¯s mine.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because you make a mess, and should I want to not deal with that, this item means I get to choose when.¡± ¡°That, uh.¡± Zoey foresaw some tortuous moments in the future, if Rosalie had absolute control over when she got toe. ¡°That¡¯s, okay, just, don¡¯t be mean?¡± She handed it over. ¡°Mmm,¡± Rosalie said, turning the item over in inspection, then vanishing it. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± The ominous statement only mildly made up for the fact that Rosalie¡¯s iming of the item implied they¡¯d be seeing more intimate encounters in the future. Zoey wondered if Rosalie realized she¡¯d implied that¡ªZoey would have figured her more embarrassed about doing so. Or, by the growing pink on her cheeks, maybe she just had. Zoeyughed, Rosalie scowled at her, and Zoey continued on. The next item: [Blossom Blight]: Red flower petals which serve as the primary catalyst for brewing potions that inhibit or amplify the potency of life-giving seed. Zoey blinked down at the pouch of alchemy reagents. ¡°Wow,¡± she said. ¡°Like, makes you knock someone up?¡± ¡°What?¡± Rosalie stuttered. ¡°What does it say?¡± Right¡ªRosalie couldn¡¯t see the description of the item in the same way Zoey could, since Zoey had a rune of alchemy and a skill that helped in the identification of reagents. She ryed the description to Rosalie, who shook her head in disgust¡ªsomething she¡¯d done a lot, in the past ten minutes. ¡°Or inhibits,¡± Zoey said. ¡°That¡¯s actually kind of useful. Means it¡¯ll stop me from getting a girl pregnant. If that¡¯s, uh, something I can do in the first ce.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± They hadn¡¯t talked about Zoey¡¯s addition between her legs, not in any depth. The only time Rosalie had brought it up was that off-handment during the aphrodisiac debacle. ¡°I don¡¯t, yeah. Honestly, I could see it going either way.¡± Rosalie hesitated, as if she wanted to ask more, but apparently thought the topic too personal to pursue. Zoey wouldn¡¯t have minded talking about it, but she didn¡¯t know what answers to give. She was still keeping secrets from Rosalie¡ªthe nature of her transmigration, and how her memories weren¡¯t quite as vanished as she implied. Just ¡­ foggied, removed from personal context. She remembered most of her life¡ªit had trickled back bit by bit¡ªbut the names of her friends and family, their faces, and even her feelings of fondness for them had been scrubbed away. It was eerie to think about. One of the reasons she was avoiding doing so. ¡°Well,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Useful would be right, in that case. Thest thing a Wayfarer needs is idental motherhood. There¡¯s few ways to meteor a promising career with such speed.¡± Zoey bit her lip. That was true enough, not that there was anything wrong with wanting a kid early in life. Definitely threw a wrench in ns, though, if not specifically nned for. She¡¯d have to be more careful with herself. Again, not all fun and games. Could slime-girls get knocked up? Huh. Probably best not to think about that. She¡¯d choose to believe ¡®no¡¯. Condoms, and potions made from this ¡®blossom blight¡¯, as soon as possible. Better safe than sorry, heading forward. ¡°How¡¯s potion-making work, anyway?¡± ¡°And I would know, why?¡± Zoey blinked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. You know everything.¡± Rosalie huffed. ¡°Hardly. The arcane crafts areplex, and take a lifetime to master. They¡¯re not something I have more than a peripheral understanding of.¡± Complex? ¡°Was kinda hoping you just threw stuff in a cauldron and stirred.¡± Rosalie gave her an unimpressed look. ¡°To think you were bestowed a crafting rune. It¡¯s almost offensive.¡± ¡°You weren¡¯t?¡± ¡°Of course I wasn¡¯t.¡± ¡°It¡¯s rare?¡± ¡°To receive both three and a rune of arcane crafting? Rare is aical understatement. Not to mention your primary¡ªBonding¡ªbeing a mythic-tier rune. And Sensuality, a superior.¡± She shook her head in disbelief. ¡°If you had recounted it to me instead of shown me, I¡¯d haveughed at the absurdity of the lie. It wouldn¡¯t even have been within the bounds of believability.¡± Zoey took that in. She was a bit confused at the announcement. ¡°But you didn¡¯t seem that surprised when you first read my anima.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I? What was I supposed to do? sp my hand to my mouth and faint? My jaw drop, and start stuttering over my words?¡± No, that didn¡¯t sound like Rosalie. Fair enough. The widened-eyes and intake of air had probably been all the indicator Zoey had needed to know her circumstances were incredible. Just, she hadn¡¯t gotten a grasp on who Rosalie was, yet. ¡°Huh.¡± She corralled her thoughts back to the original question. ¡°So, alchemy¡¯s difficult? It¡¯ll take study?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll need to apprentice under someone. If you choose to pursue advancing the rune, it¡¯ll be a challenge bncing your obligations. You¡¯ll need to decide where your priorities lie.¡± ¡°With you,¡± Zoey said. ¡°So I guess wayfaring. My other runes.¡± Rosalie stared, then nced away, cheeks coloring. Zoey realized she¡¯d been frank to the point of being revealing. ¡°Give it some thought. You have options avable. Few are so fortunate to be in your position, and it deserves consideration.¡± Zoey didn¡¯t have to give it thought, but for both their sakes¡¯, she said, ¡°Okay. I will.¡± A brief pause. ¡°I¡¯ll be able to do some stuff, though, right? With alchemy?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that depends on your aptitude, the quality of your mentor, and the usefulness of the skills the rune affords you as you advance. No two paths¡ªeven for the same rune¡ªare the same.¡± ¡°I see.¡± She pursed her lips. ¡°Could I like,mission someone to make potions with this, then?¡± She held up the bag of blossom blight, because that had been what prompted this whole train of thought. ¡°I don¡¯t see why not. But alchemists can be expensive.¡± ¡°But it¡¯d be in the budget?¡± ¡°Likely,¡± Rosalie said. She narrowed her eyes. ¡°Depends on the yield of this shard¡¯s loot. But perhaps not high on the priority list, when you could simply control yourself. Or are condoms¡ªor, the gods forbid, abstinence¡ªan option wholly impossible for you?¡± Zoey coughed. ¡°Right. Uh ¡­ yeah. Not high on the list, got it.¡± Rosalie shook her head in exasperation. She gestured at the chest for Zoey to move things along. Her hand scrambled at the bottom of the wood, but found nothing. ¡°It¡¯s empty, I think?¡± Rosalie nodded. ¡°Perfect. We can leave.¡± They¡¯d emptied out the other chest, already. It had been mostly practical equipment¡ªa scattering of mundane items of the sort useful in day-to-day wayfaring, or if not that, unidentified equipment to be sold or inspected back at a city. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s the exit?¡± Zoey asked, gesturing at the ck void embedded on the wall opposite from the chests. When she¡¯d first fallen into the hidden cavern, she¡¯d noted that there were two things of interest. The first, the chests, and the second, the ck portal. ¡°Mel said the exit was past the clearing. Are there multiple?¡± ¡°Depends on the shard. But yes. And in this one, clearly so.¡± She was already striding toward the portal, not a person who preferred to waste time. She stopped just at the edge. Zoey arrived at her side. ¡°Guess the tutorial¡¯s finally over,¡± Zoey said. Rosalie gave her an odd look. ¡°Never mind,¡± Zoeyughed. ¡°You ready?¡± ¡°Of course I am.¡± Zoey slipped her hand into Rosalie¡¯s. Rosalie nced down at it and frowned. But she didn¡¯t pull away. ¡°Here we go, then,¡± Zoey said. They stepped forward. 2.01 Into The Wild 2.01 Into The Wild Zoey¡¯s skin went cold, her stomach sank, and the ground was thrown from her feet. For one never-ending second, she was torn apart, scattered to the wind like an urn emptied into the ocean breeze. Then she snapped back to coherency, reassembled in an instant. She staggered and almost fell, if not for Rosalie¡¯s powerful grip steadying her. ¡°You really are a novice,¡± her blonde partner said, amused. ¡°Woah. That was ¡­ trippy.¡± Zoey blinked around at their new surroundings, eyes adjusting to the light. They had been wandering around dimly lit areas for so many hours that having the sun back above her was an almost painful experience. Sunset approached, streaking the sky with orange-yellow rays. They stood in an autumn forest, leaves having shed from the twisted branches to coat the ground in a decaying nket. The foliage crunched as Zoey turned in a circle. Crickets chirped and birds sang somewhere in the background. Zoey had gotten so used to the shard¡¯s eerie silence that the noise of a living forest caught her off guard. The air was dry and hot. There were nondmarks in any direction. Certainly not anything man-made. ¡°Where are we?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°In the Fractures.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Where? Who knows?¡± ¡°So we¡¯re lost?¡± ¡°A Wayfarer is always lost. Now we seek an outpost.¡± She chose a random direction¡ªor what appeared to be so by Zoey¡ªand walked. Zoey jogged after her. Like usual, Rosalie spared not a moment before moving to practical matters. It made sense to get moving. They could cover ground as they talked. ¡°Right. So, what¡¯s the n? How do we find ¡­ an outpost?¡± Rosalie heard the question in her voice: ¡®outpost¡¯? ¡°The Fractures are scattered with them. We¡¯re hardly in a unique situation. They¡¯re rest points. We¡¯ll eat, sleep, then enlist a guide to aid us back to proper civilization.¡± ¡°A guide?¡± ¡°The Fractures are too numerous, and shifting, for a Wayfarer to navigate themselves. Guides spend their lifetimes wrangling even a basic understanding of their local cluster, and still struggle. But they¡¯re morepetent than we could hope to be.¡± That made sense. Zoey had gained a basic understanding of how the Fractures, and shards, worked in their previous talks. Haven, at the metaphorical ¡®top¡¯ of thedder, was safe, but was a barren wastnd,cking resources and arablend. Wayfarers¡ªthose granted runes¡ªventured into the Fractures, a collection of shattered pocket-realms, essed through scattered ¡®Gates¡¯ in Haven, to bring back resources to feed and supply their civilian poption. The Fractures were littered with threats of their own, but not nearly as deadly and frequent as those found in shards, which swarmed with monsters. Though, danger levels varied. The realms of the Fractures were rated in the same way as shards, through an ¡®advancement¡¯ score which lined up to the rune system. First-advancement shards tended to expel Wayfarers into first-advancement pockets of the Fractures, so the ce she and Rosalie had found themselves in was safer, overall, than the shard they¡¯d been in. But not safe, necessarily. They¡¯d need to be on the lookout. Zoey didn¡¯t have a perfect understanding of how everything slotted together, but she had a foggy picture. It was a lot to take in. ¡°Okay. So, outpost, eat, rest, clean up, then set out to a bigger city. What¡¯s our future look like after that?¡± They crunched along the forest floor, picking over logs and avoiding low-hanging branches. Zoey wondered how long it would be before they found hints of a path, or something else that would lead them to an ¡®outpost¡¯. Rosalie had pulled all manners of survival supplies from that chest in the dungeon, her ¡®inventory chest¡¯, so they had everything they needed for an extended period of roughing it. But Zoey would rather not be making a multiple-day hike. It sounded like Rosalie expected it to not take long. ¡°There¡¯s a repeating process to an efficient Wayfarer,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Clear a shard, loot it dry. Equip what you can. Haul the rest back to a city, identify and sell it, then stock up on whatever supplies were expended. Perhaps take a day or two to rest and heal, if necessary. Then set out to an appropriate advancement zone and explore until you find a shard entrance. Rinse and repeat.¡± She paused. ¡°Thingsplicate with parties, but I¡¯ve been working alone.¡± It would sound monotonous, if not for the implied variety in every adventure. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I prefer it.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I¡¯d have eventually partied up, since it¡¯s all but a necessity as advancement raises, but for now ¡­ I went solo.¡± ¡°Eventually?¡± Zoey quoted. ¡°How long have you been doing this?¡± ¡°Not long,¡± Rosalie said, surprising her. ¡°I¡¯m only second advancement. This was my seventh trip. It¡¯s been ¡­ two weeks?¡± ¡°Two weeks?¡± Zoey had figured Rosalie some kind of extensive veteran. She carried herself like one. Clearly, it was her upbringing. She¡¯d been prepared for this from a young age. Which brought a question to mind, ¡°How old are you, anyway?¡± ¡°Eighteen, and two weeks,¡± Rosalie said, emphasizing the second part to point out she''d entered immediately on her eighteenth birthday. ¡°Wayfarers aren¡¯t allowed into the Fractures until adulthood. That¡¯s when runes develop.¡± Zoey had figured Rosalie older than her, for some reason. The way she presented herself, so stoic andposed. Determined. Zoey had assumed she was in her early twenties at the oldest, based on her appearance, but eighteen? Younger than she¡¯d thought. ¡°Huh. I¡¯m neen.¡± Rosalie shot her a look. ¡°You enteredte, then. I wonder why, when you were given such powerful runes.¡± Well. She hadn¡¯t been given them at eighteen, like the regrs of this world. She¡¯d been given them a year and some changeter, after being yanked through dimensions by a perverted goddess. Not something she could exin to Rosalie. Even if Ephy¡¯s order to not do so hadn¡¯t hung over her head, she might not have wanted to. Rosalie wouldn¡¯t believe her. Who would? She¡¯d rathere off as an amnesiac, or even secretive, than a crazy person. ¡°Not sure,¡± Zoey said. ¡°I¡¯ve really got no clue what¡¯s going on with me.¡± An honest statement. Rosalie pursed her lips. ¡°Are you going to seek out your family, when we make it to safety? Try to find someone you know?¡± That would be a reasonable thing to do. Zoey wondered how to answer it. ¡°Probably not.¡± She didn¡¯t expand. Rosalie didn¡¯t push. She, at least, understood not spilling one¡¯s heart or motivations out. She had her own secrets she was keeping¡ªand poorly. Who her father was, for one, or who she was in general. Zoey didn¡¯t need to be a detective to see Rosalie was someone important, and trying to hide the fact. ¡°Will you be?¡± Zoey asked. Rosalie paused, then grimaced. ¡°Eventually, I¡¯ll have to.¡± ¡°You should have already?¡± ¡°Yes. My family won¡¯t be pleased I dawdled.¡± ¡°They¡¯re Wayfarers, too?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Why haven¡¯t you?¡± A silence. Zoey wondered if she¡¯d pushed too far¡ªeven though she¡¯d barely pushed at all. ¡°I¡¯ve been enjoying some time away,¡± Rosalie eventually admitted. ¡°My family is ¡­¡± she struggled for how to put it. ¡°Demanding,¡± Zoey suggested. ¡°Domineering.¡± Rosalie looked at her. ¡°Precisely. How did you know?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t sound upset with them, but you want to be away. It¡¯s not that hard of a guess.¡± Andpetence like Rosalie¡¯s, at such a young age, doesn¡¯te from a soft,fortable upbringing. ¡°Well, yes,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°I can avoid returning for a few weeks yet, before they be concerned. My sister did something simr. As long as I arrive having done something with myself¡ªthird advancement, preferably, nearing fourth¡ªthen the consequences won¡¯t be too dire.¡± Dire. That was quite the word to use, in reference to the reception of your family after some time away. Zoey frowned, making unkind judgments on what her parents must be like. ¡°Okay. And in the meantime? More granr. What¡¯s the n once we hit the city? Just trying to get a feel for things.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Rosalie organized her thoughts as they walked. ¡°First, drop the items off with an artificer so they can be identified, paying for expedited work. Better to be efficient, and have it ready in the morning, than maximize profit. After, we¡¯ll visit a clothing store and get some attire better suited to you.¡± The poorly-fitting shirt, underwear, and pants were pretty annoying. And she¡¯d like a bra. Zoey¡¯d never had that big of a bust, but now¡ªuh, definitely more than most. She¡¯d rather have had a smaller, but still shapely, chest like Rosalie¡¯s, as she¡¯d had before. But Ephy had been insistent her body fit her status as her ¡®champion¡¯. ¡°Following that,¡± Rosalie said, ¡°we¡¯ll register at the local guild, stock up on Wayfaring supplies, perhaps check the job board, then¡ªsince the items won¡¯t be ready till morning¡ªwe¡¯ll visit an alchemist shop. Get you acquainted to what a profession in alchemy would be like.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Cool. That¡¯s¡ª¡± nice? Considerate of her? ¡°Thanks.¡± Rosalie shrugged. ¡°You sounded interested. And we¡¯ll have time while we wait for the items to be identified.¡± Zoey grinned at Rosalie¡¯s inability to reply with a ¡®your wee¡¯. She absolutely refused to admit that she was a sweetheart, despite the serious outward demeanor. Because arranging a meetup with an alchemist wasn¡¯t something she needed to do; or even should have, assuming they were looking to be Wayfarers. ¡°And the guild,¡± Zoey said. ¡°What¡¯s that about?¡± Rosalie paused. ¡°Wayfarers congregate in guilds. Most gather under one of the three highguild banners, but they¡¯re technically their own entities, with their own guildhalls and hierarchy. They serve as a ces to rest, put together parties, stock up on basic supplies, so on. We¡¯ll rent a room there for the night.¡± ¡°Highguilds?¡± ¡°The prominent political entities of the Fractures. Striders, the Deepshunters, and the Sovereign.¡± She paused. ¡°Though thest aren¡¯t a guild in the traditional sense. We¡¯re in Striders territory, assuming the shard didn¡¯t shunt us out exceptionally far, which it shouldn¡¯t have.¡± ¡°Is that yours?¡± ¡°No,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°My family is aligned under the Deepshunters. I would suggest you don¡¯t mention the fact. Highguild rtions aren¡¯t ¡­ friendly.¡± Zoey didn¡¯t imagine a societyposed of violent adventurers would have the most copacetic of diplomatic rtions. And seeing how there was ¡®territory¡¯ associated with each, that implied disputes¡ªof the ¡®warring¡¯ or at least ¡®skirmishing¡¯ sort. Even back on Earth, in modern society, people hadn¡¯t figured out how to be good to each other. No difference here. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± That Rosalie trusted her enough to tell her was ttering, honestly. ¡°Why aren¡¯t the Sovereign a normal highguild?¡± ¡°They have no subsidiaries. And you need to be seventh advancement to join, which is ¡­ difficult. They have few members inparison to the other two highguilds, and they¡¯re loosely unified. The name gives it away. They¡¯re powerful Wayfarers who wanted to be left out of politics.¡± ¡°So they banded together and told the other two to fuck off.¡± Zoey respected that. ¡°Precisely. Though for being allegedly ¡®out of politics¡¯, they exert their influence with annoying frequency.¡± Zoey frowned. With annoying frequency. That made it sound like their interventions were annoying in a personal sense, more personal than a low-ranking member of one of the guilds might view it. Zoey was making assumptions here, but she guessed Rosalie¡¯s family was high up the hierarchy of the Deepshunters, enough where the Sovereign¡¯s machinations were something her family griped over at the dinner table; that was the tone she¡¯d taken, as if she took personal offense. She briefly considered voicing this observation, but decided not to. If Rosalie wanted to be secretive, that was her right. Especially when Zoey was being so herself. ¡°You said you had a sister,¡± Zoey said instead. ¡°Just one?¡± ¡°Two,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°One a year older, the other six. You?¡± She grimaced immediately. ¡°You don¡¯t remember. I spoke carelessly.¡± Zoey shrugged. She was hardly offended. Though the fact she couldn¡¯t remember whether she had siblings was upsetting. ¡°How are they?¡± ¡°Fine. I¡¯d rather not talk about family.¡± Zoey had seen something of the sorting, but she¡¯d wanted to try, regardless. They crunched along the autumn forest. ¡°Think we¡¯ll be able to sell the stuff we found?¡± ¡°The less appropriate items, you mean?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Obviously the regr equipment and items would sell fine¡ªor poorly, whichever was the standard for low-advancement items. ¡°It sounded like you¡¯d never seen anything like them, so wouldn¡¯t that mean they¡¯re valuable?¡± Rare usually meant expensive. ¡°Likely. Though ¡­ distasteful ¡­ it¡¯s possible we¡¯ve found ourselves a trove of novelty items.¡± Sex does sell. Like that tongue stud she¡¯d imed for herself¡ªshe was sure that would find a buyer, if she¡¯d been willing to sell. Zoey knew she herself would put a probably embarrassing amount of her funds down on it. Because giving magically enhanced head? That was awesome. She couldn¡¯t wait to try it out. ¡°How rare do you think they are?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°Are they like, never-heard-of-before? Or just umon?¡± Rosalie considered the question. ¡°Truthfully, I wouldn¡¯t know. It¡¯s not a topic I¡¯ve ever wandered on, whether shards provide erotic toys as part of their drop tables¡ª¡± there it is again, Zoey thought, the seamless use of such game-like terminology, ¡°¡ªbut they are known for having incredible variance. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s been simr items collected. Perhaps it just never came up in conversation, being obviously unsuitable for politepany.¡± ¡°But still rare, at least somewhat. It¡¯ll make good money.¡± Rosalie shrugged. ¡°Sure. I don¡¯t know for certain. Money doesn¡¯t particrly matter, truth told.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t?¡± ¡°A Wayfarer who relies on top-of-the-line equipment to advance through shards¡ªand their runes¡ªis hardly a Wayfarer at all. Items should be supplemental and nothing more. Doubly true at the lower advancements.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± Zoey said. ¡°I like the purist attitude. How about you back your words up?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do the next one naked, too.¡± Rosalie shot her a disgusted look, which Zoey only grinned at. ¡°You¡¯d like that, wouldn¡¯t you, you incorrigible woman?¡± ¡°Very much,¡± Zoey said shamelessly. ¡°Very, very much. To think I¡¯ll only get to see you naked sometimes, now ¡­¡± she sighed. ¡°Sometimes?¡± Rosalie huffed. ¡°That implies you will again.¡± ¡°Oh, I think I will,¡± Zoey said. ¡°And I think you know that, too.¡± Rosalie flushed and didn¡¯t reply. She did, however, pick up speed, forcing aughing Zoey to jog after her. 2.02 Reflections 2.02 Reflections It was past dark when the outpost came into view. Zoey¡¯s legs ached from the walk. She hadn¡¯t been an inactive person back home, but she¡¯d been exerting herself (in more than a few meanings of the word) constantly since waking ten hours ago, and the activities had taken their toll. Fortunately, she had magical assistance to lean on. The murky-yellow potions they¡¯d looted provided a supernatural boost in stamina which eased her pained muscles, and the blisters she had started to collect were washed away by their red counterparts, the health potions. Magic. Super convenient stuff. They had stumbled on a dirt path after an hour of walking. Whether by providence or luck, Zoey didn¡¯t know. Rosalie said it was faster than usual, but most ventures back to town were short things. From there, a two hour¡¯s trip led them to the edges of a tiny outpost. She meant tiny; there were six or seven buildings in total. Outposts were scattered all throughout the Fractures, ready to host people in her and Rosalie¡¯s situation, and since the Fractures were already less populous than Haven¡ªwhere the bulk of this world¡¯s society lived¡ªthese outposts usually held less than twenty people, and much of them were migratory. Zoey admired the architecture as Rosalie beelined to the inn, where they¡¯d be resting for the night. The buildings were well-made but distinctly medieval-European. She intuited a few answers to her earlier musings: the world¡¯s technology level wasn¡¯t quite caught up to Zoey¡¯s. That was bizarre to think about. She hoped she wouldn¡¯t becking too many modern amenities. Zoey would miss cellphones and being able to look up whatever she wanted, when she wanted, but it wasn¡¯t something she¡¯d die without. Running water, plumbing, air conditioning, and such? She hoped Rosalie¡¯s world had figured out magical alternatives to those, because she¡¯d feel those absences much more sharply. Entering the tiny inn (at a guess, it could host up to four; these outposts weren¡¯t meant to be stayed at for long, or see traffic in general) Zoey saw they had at least figured out pseudo-electrical lighting: warm yellow lights hummed in the ceilings, some¡ªwhat appeared to be¡ªarcane symbol carved into the ss, and only visible because Zoey had squinted up at it in curiosity. Thentern left a ck afterimage. Zoey briefly, and humorously, wondered if a health potion would make it go away faster, but she didn¡¯t test it; she simply blinked the imprint away while Rosalie greeted a heavyset innkeeper at the counter. Emphasis on heavy-set. For, uh. A couple reasons. The man was made of granite. What the hell, Zoey thought. She had given thought to the possibility of other races existing in this world, but she¡¯d forgotten about it, truth told. Until here, now, with an animated piece of rock hunched over the counter and speaking to Rosalie. ¡°One night, and a meal in the morning, if you please.¡± Rosalie spoke to him with the dismissive nature of someone used to making these professional arrangements. The fact he was a personposed of chunky, interlocking blocks of stone didn¡¯t provide the slightest reaction; this was an utterly mundane sight to Rosalie. The innkeeper didn¡¯t seem offended for Rosalie¡¯s brusqueness. He was blinking sleep out of his eyes, with her and Rosalie having arrived past when he¡¯d settled down for the night. The bleariness was seriously odd for how humanizing it was. Zoey shook away the disorientation; she didn¡¯t want to be caught staring. This should seem normal to her, even ounting for amnesia. ¡°Two rooms or one?¡± the rock-man asked. ¡°Tw¡ª¡± Rosalie barely started, before being interrupted by Zoey. ¡°One is fine.¡± Rosalie narrowed her eyes at Zoey, but after Zoey grinned at her, she conceded. ¡°One is fine.¡± Coins passed hands, and the innkeeper handed them a key and gave directions. He ambled off through the door behind him. To his own quarters? Zoey stared at his enormous back as he went. The rock-man was built like a boulder, forgive the pun. Rosalie and Zoey walked up crickety stairs and retired in a small but well-furnished room. Zoey explored the space, interested. With her first impression of the old building, she¡¯d expected using the restroom would include an outhouse, but she quickly found that wasn¡¯t true. There was a bathroom in the inn room, their own, and it was furnished with running water, a sink, toilet, and a metal tub. There was even a shower head sticking from a pole. Zoey released a breath she hadn¡¯t known she¡¯d been holding. She wouldn¡¯t have to be dealing with medieval-times bathroom procedures. Maybe not quite up to modern standards, but there was plumbing. How? Magic, Zoey was sure. She didn¡¯t care. Hot water, and a shower, sounded heavenly. She paused at the mirror above the sink. It was the first time Zoey had seen herself since the changes. A hand traced her cheek and nose as she inspected herself, an inexplicable feeling of dread settling in. This wasn¡¯t her face. Or even her. This person in the mirror was too beautiful, too wless. There were hints of Zoey, sure. She recognized her features. The ratios and structure were simr. But anything that could remotely be called a w had been smoothed over. Her hair was a glossy, gorgeous ck, almostically attractive for how chaotic the day had been. It ought to be covered in grime, dirt, and tangled. Which it kind of was, but looked rugged for the fact. Good, not gross. She grimaced and looked away. Maybe eventually she¡¯d be appreciative of what Ephy had done to her, but right now, it bordered on upsetting. Zoey had liked her face. It wasn¡¯t perfect, and she¡¯d been fine with that. She hadn¡¯t needed, or wanted, ¡®fixing¡¯. And that was just her face. Her body had seen plenty of changes too. Moreprehensive ones. Deal with itter. A smaller voice said, or never. Don¡¯t think about it all. ¡°Hey,¡± Zoey called. ¡°You want first shower? Or do you want to share?¡± Rosalie appeared in the bathroom doorway. ¡°I permitted this under the assumption you wouldn¡¯t be ¡­ well, yourself. Don¡¯t push things. You take the first, and I won¡¯t be joining.¡± ¡°Just offering,¡± Zoey grinned. ¡°A ¡®no¡¯ would¡¯ve been enough.¡± Rosalie rolled her eyes and left. ¡°Don¡¯t take too long,¡± she said. ¡°I feel disgusting.¡± The same for Zoey. Today had been an endless stream of sweat, orgasms, slime, and rolling around in nature. The hot springs had helped, but some soap, hot water, and scrubbing would do wonders for returning to a status of ¡®human being¡¯. Or ¡®sapient being¡¯? Considering the rock-man innkeeper, Zoey might need to adjust how she referred to certain things. ¡®Humanity¡¯ referred to a specific subset of sapient life, now. Weird. She¡¯d probably fumble her phrasing, here and there, in theing weeks. (Weeks, months, years, decades? How long?) Zoey closed the door, stripped from the men¡¯s clothing Rosalie had provided her, and draped them over the towel rod, edging the towel over to make space. She paused half-way through it, realizing she could drop the items into her inventory. It would be a while before that ability internalized. She¡¯d already situated the clothes, so she didn¡¯t bother. She turned around and inspected her body. The changes were less upsetting as with her face. Zoey didn¡¯t view her figure as ¡®her¡¯ as much as her face, for obvious reasons. Ephy had been generous. Zoey had already seen her abs, but in the mirror they were much easier to take in. It had taken a serious diet and months of crunches to even get a hint of those things peeking through, back when she¡¯d actually tried to have some, and here she was now, zero effort, rocking a six-pack that she could grate cheese against. Maybe it¡¯s not all bad, Zoey admitted, flexing and rubbing her hand against the bumpy ridges. She¡¯d definitely gotten lucky in some regards. She cupped her breasts and inspected those, too. Besides her height, her chest had been what had taken the most immediate adjusting to, because the weight had made itself noticeable right on transformation. Zoey hadn¡¯t been totally t chested before, but she hadn¡¯t had much. And they hadn¡¯t been nearly as perfect as these. Shapely, huge, cute nipples a light shade of pink, evenly proportioned, and looked natural to her body shape. It¡¯s definitely not all bad, Zoey thought. The cock she didn¡¯t pay much mind to. She¡¯d be well acquainted to it, more than anything else. Though the new perspective¡ªlooking at it through the mirror¡ªdid give her pause. She turned her hips side to side to admire it. Was it narcissism she hardened at the sight? Probably. It didn¡¯t really seem like ¡®her body¡¯, and it felt like ogling a stranger, so Zoey didn¡¯t think she could be entirely med. Because it was a damn nice cock, regardless of who it belonged to. All in all, one of the best figures she¡¯d ever seen. She saw no ws anywhere. Stomach, hips, abs, legs, tits, face, hair¡ªall of it, perfect. A supermodel right before the shoot. She wished she could find a w. The sight creeped her out. She¡¯d admire it on someone else, but not her. Zoey sighed, then turned away from the mirror. Most people would be happy about this, wouldn¡¯t they? The body changes, at least, and the face. Not the ¡®memories stolen, transported to a different world¡¯ part. She wandered over to the metal tub and yed with the handles and knobs until she figured out how to get water pouring from the shower head. She tugged the curtain around so water wouldn¡¯t get everywhere, waited for it to heat, then stepped in. Like she¡¯d predicted, the spray of steaming water on her skin was orgasmic. She scrubbed herself down with the provided bar of soap. She hesitated before using it for her hair, but she was in a beggars-couldn¡¯t-be-choosers situation here, so quicklythered her hands up and scrubbed that down too. Don¡¯t think hair-care matters much, anymore. Seeing how it had been glossy and perfect after a full day of filth, she suspected Ephy¡¯s blessing would keep Zoey looking beautiful regardless of what was happening. No conditioner and some less-than-ideal soap usage wouldn¡¯t be the breaking point. She flicked off the water knob and stepped from the tub. A nce in the mirror showed her skin red and flushed from the heat. She¡¯d always preferred steaming showers. One of her girlfriends hadined about it. A girlfriend whose name or face she couldn¡¯t remember, scrubbed from her memories like the filth had just been from her skin. Her stomach twisted, and she shied away from thinking about it. ¡°All yours,¡± Zoey called out, stepping from the bathroom, having wiped herself dry with the towel. She wore her underwear and her shirt, but not her pants. She¡¯d dropped those into her inventory. Rosalie¡¯s eyes shied from Zoey¡¯s bare legs, which she grinned at. Hadn¡¯t Rosalie spent an entire day staring at Zoey¡¯s naked body? Enjoying her naked body? And now some bare legs had her blushing and looking away. The reaction was, in a word, adorable. Rosalie had been writing in a journal when Zoey walked in, but she closed it, and it vanished a secondter. ¡°You keep a diary?¡± Zoey asked. Rosalie snorted and didn¡¯t rify. Not a diary, she could assume. Knowing Rosalie, some kind of mission log, perhaps a listing of what items they¡¯d gathered, or some other practical venture. Rosalie stood. ¡°Sure you don¡¯t wantpany?¡± Zoey asked as she passed. ¡°Quite positive.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll get the bed warm for us.¡± Rosalie shot an irritated look over her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll be sleeping when I¡¯m done. Don¡¯t get your hopes up. I¡¯m tired.¡± Zoey copsed back into the soft sheets and stared up at the ceiling. The water turned on and pounded in the background, through the wall. She debated on whether she¡¯d try anything with Rosalie when she came back. She sounded serious about not wanting to, but if she had been ufortable with intimacy, she¡¯d have declined Zoey¡¯s suggestion to share a room. Her earlier words were probably to save face. Rosalie could never be outwardly suggesting having fun together. Zoey had learned that much about her. So it¡¯d be on Zoey to initiate. But as the minutes ticked by, Rosalie taking her time in the shower, Zoey¡¯s eyes started to sag. Asleep before the door clicked open, she didn¡¯t get to see Rosalie¡¯s disappointed frown as she stared down at Zoey¡¯s sleeping form. Or hear the soft sigh that escaped her lips. ¡°Idiot,¡± Rosalie whispered. ¡°I even shaved.¡± 2.03 Level Up 2.03 Level Up Rosalie d¡¯Celestin had heard that the Fractures¡ªand to a greater extent, their shards¡ªwere above all else, capricious. Fickle. No two behaved the same, and even the same shard was prone to aberrancy within its domain. But the one she had shared with her tall, dark-hairedpanion had been many times odder than she had prepared for, even ounting for this. It concerned her, truthfully, whether partnering with Zoey would result in simr shards. Would alltch to such ¡­ indecorous ¡­ behavior as a result of Zoey¡¯s runes? Or had the previous shard been an outlier? If the former, Rosalie might have to reconsider her decision to adventure with Zoey. Or did she? Had it really been that bad? For all the difort it had provided, it had also offered some ¡­ ¡®not¡¯ ¡­ difort ¡­ She couldn¡¯t explicitly say she had fun. A d¡¯Celestin would never. And who was this girl, anyway? Rosalie stared into the sleeping face of the strangest woman she¡¯d ever met, her heart finally calming from its pounding. Rosalie had never woken in the arms of another person. She had never thought it would turn her insides to a gooey mess, or have her stomach bouncing with butterflies to the point she felt nauseous. But that had been what happened, five minutes ago, when Rosalie¡¯s eyes had fluttered open, and she had felt herself entangled by the soft heat of a woman she¡¯d shared more intimacy with than anyone in her life. It wasn¡¯t any person who would have invoked the feelings. Not ¡®waking in another¡¯s¡¯ arms by itself. It was because it was the odd, caring, gorgeous woman she¡¯d met the day prior who was breathing softly next to her. Rosalie¡¯s body pressed tightly into Zoey¡¯s, and while, havinge down from the bliss in some small manner, she could now be frank, now admit that things were a bit warmer than she¡¯d have preferred, with sweat starting to gather where their bodies met, Rosalie still wouldn¡¯t have broken contact for anything. She¡¯d haveid this way an hour. Two. However long she could. Not that she would ever, in one hundred years, under extensive torture, admit such. Besides, it was a biological reaction. A weak, human one. Rosalie didn¡¯t care for Zoey, not really. She was a potentially useful party member, and that was why Rosalie had offered to partner with her, regardless that it would take ages to catch her up to speed, and that she showed no natural talent forbat. She had rare, powerful runes¡ªone that even elerated Rosalie¡¯s own advancement!¡ªand that was the reason Rosalie wanted to be around her. That was the reason she studied Zoey¡¯s sleeping face and felt like she might float away. Her runes. Did that make sense? Even an intense effort in self-deception couldn¡¯t quite get her to a ¡®yes¡¯, so she chose not to think about it. Rosalie knew herself quite well in some regards, and exceptionally poorly in others. That was what a life of focus afforded: imbnce. To exceed, sacrifices needed to be made. Romance had been one of many for Rosalie, growing up. And it would remain that way. The barest, tiniest hints of a crush (was that what it was? With a thrill, Rosalie realized she had found a word for it) meant nothing. Her goals hadn¡¯t shifted one inch. Her circumstances, either. She was still the youngest daughter to Enzo d¡¯Celestin, Guildmaster of the Deepshunters, one of the five single most powerful men in existence. To say she had expectations piled on her would be aical understatement. ¡®A mountain¡¯ might not do it justice. But pressure hardened. Made stronger. The crushing pressure her father exerted was not some form of cruelty. Enzo was not cruel, for all his faults; his position merely demanded it. His violent efforts during Rosalie¡¯s upbringing had been to chisel from granite a sessor worthy of his title. His two previous attempts¡ªElodie and Charlotte¡ªhad not emerged from the stone to his liking. Rosalie hadn¡¯t either, she suspected. But a few smidges closer. And she¡¯d drawn his scathing attention from her sisters, so she was pleased with that, at least. They had be less miserable when Rosalie had been chosen as his sessor. As for Rosalie? Well. When a mountain rested on her shoulders, what were a few more boulders? The past two weeks had been some of the best of her life. She¡¯d done nothing butmit herself to carving through shards, advancing her runes, gathering equipment and resources, then repeating. This task, she¡¯d been trained for her entire life¡ªand was many times easier than her training. It had been a vacation. Away from her father. Vacations were something d¡¯Celestins were rarely afforded. And Zoey. Zoey had been the gilded lining to an already solid block of gold. The ¡®good¡¯ piled on good. Almost more than Rosalie¡¯s (tiny, insignificant, miniscule, irrelevant, pointless, distracting, shouldn¡¯t-exist) crush, it was her casualpanionship that Rosalie (didn¡¯t, absolutely not, why would she?) adored. Rosalie hadn¡¯t had friends growing up. She¡¯d only had her sisters. And those were ¡­plicated rtionships. Charlotte especially. For all she¡¯d been inly happier Father¡¯s attention had shifted to Rosalie, she was still furious she¡¯d been discarded as heiress. She hates me for it. Charlotte had doted over her, before Father had chosen Rosalie. No longer. But she¡¯s happier now. What was being hated, in face of that? Something in Zoey¡¯s breathing pattern changed. Her nose twitched. She¡¯s waking up. A few momentster, Zoey¡¯s eyes opened. The smile that melted across Zoey¡¯s face pained Rosalie in a way she had never experienced. ¡°Good morning, beautiful,¡± Zoey murmured. Rosalie¡¯s heart did something it hadn¡¯t ever before. Something that mildly concerned her. She might have to talk to a physician about it. ¡°You¡¯re a clingy sleeper,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Perhaps I was justified in requesting two rooms.¡± ¡°Mmm,¡± Zoey said, stretching and rolling her neck¡ªand squeezing Rosalie in, as a way to ease her muscles into wakefulness. Rosalie wasn¡¯t affected by the sudden pressure between their bodies. ¡°Happy you didn¡¯t,¡± Zoey mumbled, snuggling into her. Rosalie scoffed. ¡°We¡¯re on a schedule, if you don¡¯t realize. It¡¯s well past daybreak. We should get up.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I bask in the bliss of having a cute girl in my bed, for a second? You¡¯re such a taskmaster.¡± She scoffed again. Perhaps louder than was appropriate. ¡°Hey,¡± Zoey said, suddenly. ¡°What¡¯s a tingling in the back of your neck mean?¡± Rosalie blinked. ¡°It feels like, uh, I don¡¯t know. Something¡¯s changed. It¡¯s weird.¡± Rosalie¡¯s brow furrowed as she extricated herself from Zoey¡¯s grasp. Now seated, and the covers thrown partially off, she frowned down at Zoey. ¡°You did not advance a rune after a single shard.¡± Zoey blinked rapidly up at her. ¡°Is that what happened?¡± Without thinking, Rosalie ced a pointer finger on Zoey¡¯s forehead and requested to read her anima. A secondter, ### Rune of Bonding (Mythic) [1]: Bond. Release seed onto or inside target and activate to Bond. [1]: crity. Bonded targets evolve runes with greater speed. [1]: Bolster. Provides a powerful, temporary boost in strength to Bonded target. Rune of Arcana (High) [1]: First Circle. Cast spells up to one Circle inplexity. [1]: Element: Ice. Rune of Sensuality (Superior) [1]: Lust. Mana reced with resource system Lust. Symbols are activated by expending Lust. [1]: Harvest. Perform erotic acts onto self or others to harvest Lust. Bonded targets provide greater yield. [2]: Pressure Point. Identify sensitive areas. [2]: Amodate. Tight spaces are more obliging. Rune of the Alchemist (Common) [1]: Identify. Ascertain name and use of basic alchemy reagents when using Inspect. Generalist Skills [1]: Inspect. Discern basic information about equipment linked to the System. [1]: Inventory. Store items in personal inventory-space. ### She had. Rosalie opened her eyes and stared incredulously at Zoey. Her ¡®Rune of Sensuality¡¯ had moved from first to second advancement after only a single shard. And sure, she¡¯d made good use of it¡ªrunes progressed on rted activities, and Zoey had had plenty of ¡­ sensual engagements ¡­ in her time in the shard¡ªbut still. One shard? Absurd. It had taken Rosalie four before her first had progressed. Her party-member¡¯s situation grew stranger and stranger. ¡°What¡¯s it say?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°And you gotta show me how to do that myself, when you get the chance. Not that I mind sharing. With you, at least.¡± Rosalie paused, then flushed crimson. She¡¯d just requested¡ªand been given¡ªess to a person¡¯s tab anima with less ceremony than most spouses shared. And she doesn¡¯t even realize what it means. But Rosalie did. And she¡¯d requested it nheless, without even voicing it into words. Tiny, small, insignificant crush, she reminded herself. ¡°You¡¯ve gained two skills,¡± Rosalie said, hoping the red she felt burning her face didn¡¯t show. Zoey grinned. ¡°They must be good, based on that.¡± She poked at Rosalie¡¯s cheeks, which she swatted away, then huffed at. Rosalie wasn¡¯t blushing because of Zoey¡¯s new skills¡ªthough they were, admittedly, embarrassing in their own right. She had no intentions of letting Zoey know the real reason. ¡°The first,¡± Rosalie said pointedly, ¡°is Pressure Point. It lets you identify sensitive areas of a target.¡± Zoey paused. ¡°Okay, first, that¡¯s wicked. But is it for sex only, or like, monsters too?¡± Zoey frankness, like usual, was hard to digest. She tried not to let it color her cheeks further. ¡°I presume both. It seems ambiguouslybeled on purpose.¡± The Scribe could be vague in Her wording of offered skills. Most believed it to be intentional. Because obviously. Why would a deity¡¯s actions be unintentional? ¡°Awesome. Maybe next shard, I can help more. It kind of sucked being useless.¡± A foreign, instinctive urge bubbled up¡ªto reassure Zoey. But such a nature wasn¡¯t who she was, at her core, and she pushed it down. Zoey had been dead weight when it came to most fights. She¡¯d saved Rosalie twice, sure, but those had been odd circumstances. In a normal shard, she¡¯d be worse than most party members by an order of magnitude. ¡°It does sound useful,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°The second?¡± Rosalie cleared her throat. ¡°That¡¯s the embarrassing one,¡± Zoey said, grinning. ¡°Amodate,¡± she recited. ¡°Make tight spaces more obliging.¡± Zoey¡¯s grin widened. ¡°Oh, thank god.¡± Rosalie, like multiple times before, noted the ¡®thank god¡¯. It revealed more than Zoey likely realized. Why would a person be so openly sphemous? The ease the phrase slipped from her, she didn¡¯t know she was doing it. Did she see only one god as as the ¡®true¡¯ god? Who? And why? The gods¡¯ presences in the mortal ne was hardly unproven; while rare, they presented themselves during moments of great duress. A documented fact. A thought came to her, and Rosalie prevented a snort. Knowing Zoey, likely Ephythithys. Such a perverted woman would worship only the goddess of life, fertility, and sexuality, relegating all other deities to secondary importance. Though, why not ¡®oh my goddess¡¯, in that case? She supposed it wouldn¡¯t be wholly odd to refer to any individual member of the pantheon as god, regardless of presented gender, but still. Strange. Like before, Rosalie didn¡¯t react to the idental reveal. Truth told, she wanted Zoey to keep slipping up and offering hints into her past. Her ¡®memory problems¡¯ weren¡¯t asprehensive as she presented. Though definitely they existed ¡­ her circumstances were odd in some manner Rosalie couldn¡¯t decipher, but most of what she said seemed honest. Rosalie didn¡¯t want to push the point. Did she have a right, when she so inly hid who she was? ¡°It does seem useful, considering your ¡­¡± ¡°Prodigious size?¡± ¡°Unseemly size.¡± ¡°Unseemly?¡± Zoey pouted. ¡°That¡¯s not very nice.¡± ¡°It¡¯s bigger than my forearm.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s a bad thing?¡± No. Absolutely not. ¡°Obviously.¡± Zoey paused. ¡°Yeah. I guess it is. Too big¡¯s painful, which isn¡¯t fun.¡± She grinned. ¡°But that¡¯s fixed now, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Depends.¡± ¡°On?¡± ¡°How effective it is.¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess so.¡± An even more wicked smile. ¡°Wanna help me find out?¡± Rosalie¡¯s heart started mming in her chest. She forced her nose to wrinkle in disgust. ¡°No, not particrly.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re a helpful party-member, so you will?¡± Zoey suggested yfully¡ªand tauntingly, as if she saw through Rosalie. Rosalie made a show of considering it, then reluctantly said, ¡°I suppose it¡¯s my duty.¡± She finished throwing off the sheets¡ªwhich had shuffled down their waists from earlier movement¡ªrevealing Zoey¡¯s previously-hidden lower half. Zoey had started stiffening in anticipation of their conversation. Her enormous cock poked out from the leg-hole in her underwear, growing to her knee as it engorged with blood. How can she even think straight when that thing gets hard? It had to take up half her body¡¯s blood. She doesn¡¯t, Rosalie reminded herself. She doesn¡¯t think straight. Zoey¡¯s kind and concerned nature receded when she was aroused. She¡¯d seen it more than a few times. Not that I¡¯mining. Rosalie paused. No, she was definitelyining. Why would she be happy that whenever her dick got hard, Zoey treated Rosalie like an object to extract pleasure from? A d¡¯Celestin would never take enjoyment in such degrading treatment. Rosalie¡¯s fingers hooked around Zoey¡¯s underwear as she tugged it down, springing forth a girlcock at least twelve inches long. It throbbed in veiny glory, leaking a liquid at its tip. Pree, Rosalie¡¯s limited knowledge on sex provided. ¡°You really are such a troublesome teammate,¡± Rosalie said, voiceposed, despite her amazement¡ªamazement that presented itself whenever she saw Zoey¡¯s member. How was it so big? Why was it on a girl? ¡°Good thing I have a considerate mentor.¡± ¡°Good thing, indeed,¡± Rosalie huffed. The scorching heat on her face wasn¡¯t showing, right? Rosalie¡¯s hands went to Zoey¡¯s impressive cock and started stroking in a way she¡¯d grown bizarrely familiar with. She savored the radiating heat, and the way it twitched in Rosalie¡¯s controlled movements. That wince. That breathless exhtion. I¡¯m the reason for that. Zoey pulled out a bottle of lube, then squeezed it on the top of her cock head. Rosalie fulfilled her duty and worked it in, slender fingers massaging in the slippery liquid. ¡°Hey,¡± Zoey said suddenly, between side-to-side wiggling of her hips, and whining inhtions of pleasure. ¡°If I wanted to put in that tongue ring, how¡¯s it work? Could I just shove it through and drink a health potion?¡± Rosalie blinked at the question. ¡°I would suggest a numbing agent first, but yes, that would be the general process. I could do it for you, if you want?¡± A smile split Zoey¡¯s face. ¡°I mean, you¡¯d be the one reaping the benefits. So if you want to?¡± Her heart skipped a beat. For a moment, she imagined Zoey¡¯s head shoved between her thighs, her diligent tongue working away to explore her insides¡ªand aided by a magical item. What would it feel like? Even thinking about it had her breathing ragged. Her response was calm,posed. ¡°As if I¡¯d let you put your gross mouth down there.¡± ¡°Even if I asked nicely? I¡¯ve been wondering what you taste like.¡± ¡°Have you?¡± ¡°Since we met. You drive me crazy, you know that, right? You¡¯re gorgeous. The prettiest girl I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± Coming from the actual most gorgeous person Rosalie had ever set eyes on, thepliment forced a flush onto her cheeks which even her denial didn¡¯t let her pretend wasn¡¯t obvious. She pointedly didn¡¯t meet Zoey¡¯s eyes, instead stroking her hands up and down Zoey¡¯s length. ¡°Shut up,¡± she ineloquently said. Zoeyughed. ¡°We¡¯re testing your skill,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Nothing more.¡± ¡°Right. And how do you want to do that, again?¡± Inside. Gods, please. Inside me. I want it so bad. ¡°My mouth, obviously,¡± she said, contradicting the throbbing between her thighs. ¡°We don¡¯t have a condom.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t? I thought you were supposed to be prepared?¡± ¡°And you think that includes condoms?¡± The outrage in her voice wasn¡¯t genuine, seeing how Rosalie desperately wished she did have them on hand. She had even been in such an addled statest night she¡¯d shaved her pubic region in preparation for taking Zoey, consequences be damned. It was a good thing she¡¯d fallen asleep. Rosalie hade to her senses by morning. Her throat was all Zoey would be getting. ¡°Sure. Just in case, right?¡± Rosalie huffed. ¡°Still. Your mouth. Noints. Last time was ¡­ pretty amazing.¡± ¡°Last time, I had an aphrodisiac aiding me.¡± There wasn¡¯t a chance Rosalie would have gotten so deep, without it. This time, she¡¯d have Zoey¡¯s newest skill helping her ¡­ but with such girth and length, it¡¯d still be an effort. ¡°It¡¯ll be ¡­ a challenge.¡± Zoey sobered at the reminder of Rosalie¡¯s dubious consent to that encounter. Not that Zoey had had opportunity to consent either. Zoey had been more upset at the interaction than Rosalie had. Which was sweet. Rosalie would have reassured her¡ªmore than she had¡ªabout how Rosalie¡¯s chemical influence hadn¡¯t actually bothered her, but how could she, without revealing how badly she wanted¡ª Well. She didn¡¯t want it, that badly. Zoey¡¯s cock was amazing, but it wasn¡¯t like any time her eyes caught it, her brain nked out. It wasn¡¯t like anytime she saw Zoey¡¯s impressive mast, she couldn¡¯t think about anything besides what it would feel like stuffed inside her, what its throbbing heat would feel like squirming around in her insides. Or what¡¯d it feel like crammed down her throat, cutting off her oxygen supply as Rosalie¡¯s eyes rolled back in euphoria, vision darkening at the edges as Zoey used her throat as a means of extracting an orgasm. Rosalie¡¯s hands stroked up and down Zoey¡¯s cock in lewd motions. Rosalie had always been a person who picked up new skills fast. And this one¡ªthe way Zoey¡¯s hips wiggled and her cock pulsed in pleasure¡ªwas something she paid more attention to than most. Because she was a diligent teammate. Wayfaring required teamwork. She was fulfilling her duty as Zoey¡¯s party-member. She was disgusted by her bizarre ss, of course. The perverted collection of runes she¡¯d been granted by the gods. But she¡¯d persist regardless of her distaste. It was her duty as Zoey¡¯s teammate. And why had she agreed to be her teammate? Because ¡­ because ¡­ Zoey was useful, obviously. She had potential. She watched Zoey¡¯s body shiver in pleasure. Zoey said, ¡°I¡¯m uh, ready. Don¡¯t wanna finish before we test things out, and you¡¯re, um, pretty good at this.¡± Right. Rosalie had initiated because they wanted to test Zoey¡¯s skill. Her determined two-handed stroking had only been to work the lubricant in. She¡¯d gotten lost in¡ªin absent-mindedness, not lust. Lust? Absurd. Rosalie couldn¡¯t be less aroused if she tried. She stopped stroking, then repositioned herself,ying down, so her legs were halfway hanging off the bed, and Zoey¡¯s cock was positioned to the left of her face, its length pressing into her cheek. Zoey¡¯s expression was resolving into that hazy, lost-in-pleasure one that told Rosalie she would finally stop being nice. Thank the gods. Rosalie greatly appreciated Zoey¡¯s consideration, but during sex, she¡ª She nothing. Zoey¡¯s mean, forceful, dominating behavior was irritating and nothing more. But she tolerated it. Like a good teammate would. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Zoey breathed. Rosalie gripped the base of Zoey¡¯s cock and raised her mouth up to its tip. Why is it so gods-damned big? ¡°Hurry up.¡± Rosalie lips wrapped around Zoey¡¯s girlcock, then carried forward. 2.04 A Morning Together 2.04 A Morning Together Zoey¡¯s cock spread Rosalie¡¯s mouth open, and she tasted Zoey¡¯s natural musk, a hint of vani on her stroking tongue, the inn¡¯s soap from their showersst night. Her jaw strained to amodate her size. Rosalie wiggled her head down to get Zoey further in. It took only a few inches before she was hitting the back of her throat. Considering Zoey¡¯s length, it was almostical how little Rosalie forced down before Zoey was bumping against her tight upper-opening, tickling her gag-reflex, which she stalwartly fought against. Zoey¡¯s hands curled into Rosalie¡¯s hair, digging her long fingers in, and Rosalie savored the feeling. Almost more than the lustful satisfaction, it was these easy shows of intimacy¡ªthe sighs, and the burying of Zoey¡¯s hands into her hair¡ªthat had Rosalie¡¯s heart fluttering. I have a girl¡¯s cock in my mouth. Though it had happened once before, the realization thrilled through her, igniting Rosalie¡¯s nerves. Zoey¡¯s cock. It¡¯s her pulsing cock that¡¯s stuffed into my mouth. The haze of lust descended on Rosalie, now, not just Zoey. Still gripping the base of Zoey¡¯s shaft, Rosalie opened her throat and let Zoey¡¯s cock slide in. Having such arge object enter a hole distinctly not designed for it was, of course, ufortable. But Rosalie savored the stretch. Or more urately, savored the groan that escaped Zoey¡¯s mouth as her cock slid into Rosalie¡¯s tight throat. ¡°Good girl,¡± Zoey muttered, hands providing a forceful pressure to bring her head further down. ¡°Good girl.¡± Between Rosalie¡¯s thighs, her core pulsed with need. If only we had a condom. But they didn¡¯t, and even lost in a melting haze of lust, Rosalie¡¯s better sense prevented herself from risking pregnancy. She didn¡¯t know if a girl could get another girl pregnant, but why would she chance it? Rosalie¡¯s throat spread open, inch by inch, and Zoey¡¯s width slid down her lubricated pleasure-hole. That¡¯s what it is. Zoey¡¯s pleasure-hole. Less than a day earlier, Zoey had extracted whining confessions from Rosalie¡ªthat her body was built for pleasure, that the wet, warm holes Rosalie owned existed entirely from the pleasure of Zoey. And it¡¯s true. What greater purpose could they serve than this? Than making Zoey whine in ecstasy? There was no greater noise in existence than her breathless exhtions. And no greater sensation than having her head shoved down, throat spasming as she choked on the sudden intrusion of girlmeat. ¡°Sorry,¡± Zoey gasped. ¡°But deeper. Go deeper.¡± Her hands, wrapped in Rosalie¡¯s hair, forced her down, not considerate in the slightest of the difficulty of having such girthy girlcock invade a hole not meant for anything but air and food. As she shouldn¡¯t be. Rosalie¡¯s throat was built for Zoey¡¯s pleasure. It was hers to be used as she chose. Regardless of difficulty, unnaturalness. Her throat convulsed around a pulsing shaft, and she coughed, diaphragm spasming, trying to reject the unnatural object stuffed down it, spreading throat flesh apart in an almost painful way. Her eyes watered with the effort. Zoey didn¡¯t care. Her hips bucked, sending her unwieldy girlcock deeper. Thank the gods. Rosalie wrapped her hands around Zoey¡¯s waist and helped. Could she swallow it all the way, even when she wasn¡¯t aided by the aphrodisiac? Clearly, Zoey¡¯s skill was working. A forearm sized object had no right fitting down Rosalie¡¯s throat, but there it was anyway, stuffing her tight hole, inch by inch. And she would get it all the way down. She would. She didn¡¯t care if she passed out while trying. She didn¡¯t care if she choked on Zoey¡¯s cock. She would love it. Rosalie was a filthy, cock-hungry whore, and this was what she made for. She wiggled her head forward, trying to get it further. Another inch crammed down her throat. How is there still more? But she was almost at the base. She almost had her tight hole enveloping Zoey¡¯s needy cock in entirety. She looked forward to when her throat had opened up, and she had gotten it ustomed to Zoey¡¯s size. Then, Zoey could thrust and pound, use her throat like the upper-pussy it was. Imagine that. Zoey hips jerking in and out, using Rosalie like the toy she was. To feel such massive length sliding up and down, in and out, as Rosalie choked on it. As Zoey whined in pleasure. One of Rosalie¡¯s hands had gone between her legs, rubbing desperately to relieve some of the tension, and she hadn¡¯t even noticed. This is only about testing Zoey¡¯s skill. I shouldn¡¯t be ¡­ relieving myself. But her hand rubbed away, unheeding of Rosalie¡¯s shame. Rosalie¡¯s shame. Did that exist, really? She¡¯d rather it didn¡¯t. Who cared who she was? That she was the daughter of one of the most powerful men in the world? What Rosalie really wanted was to be a cocktoy. Zoey¡¯s cocktoy. That was her destination in life. Her nose buried into Zoey¡¯s soft, dark pubic hair, and if Rosalie could have sighed in satisfaction, she would have. But her throat was rather full. And, like Rosalie had hoped, with Rosalie¡¯s throat having widened and properly adjusted to Zoey¡¯s girth, Zoey started thrusting. It was indescribable. The feeling of having girlcock stuffing her throat, sliding up and down, her pleasure-hole widening and tightening with every insertion and extraction. Rosalie¡¯s fingers rubbed desperately between her legs. I¡¯m going toe before her, and she¡¯s not even doing anything to me. Was there anything more shameful? Not only was Rosalie letting herself be used¡ªas was her body¡¯s purpose¡ªbut she¡¯d be orgasming when her partner wasn¡¯t wasn¡¯t even pleasuring her. A pulsing, hot need radiated from her lower body, and her body started to shake. Zoeyughed, suffusing further shame into Rosalie. ¡°Already?¡± Rosalie¡¯s vision was ckening at the edges. ¡°Even I¡¯m not there, yet.¡± She continued thrusting into Rosalie even as she teased her. She couldn¡¯t reply, her throat obviously wrapped around Zoey¡¯s enormous cock. Zoey pulled her head up by her hair, violently, not at all like Zoey¡¯s usual self. The pain sharpened her, only amplifying Rosalie¡¯s orgasm. Zoey¡¯s cockhead popped from her throat, and Rosalie gasped, a biological instinct, even as her body convulsed. Zoey fingers dipped to between her thighs, swatting away Rosalie¡¯s fingers and taking over her efforts herself. Rosalie fell back and allowed herself to be forced to a twitching orgasm. When it was over, Zoey crawled forward and ced her cock between Rosalie¡¯s breasts. Rosalie knew her role, even hazy froming down from her crescendo. She pressed her tits tights and let Zoey slide between them. Zoey grunted as she picked up speed. She was getting close. She and Zoey had pleasured each other a few times before, so Rosalie had a basic read on her. ¡°Please. Give it to me. I want to taste it.¡± Rosalie had never in her life imagined she¡¯d say such words. Even as they passed her lips¡ªher throat still aching from having amodated such an enormous invader¡ªshe couldn¡¯t believe it was her saying them. She floated somewhere outside her body, listening to the perverted woman spewing obscenities. ¡°Please, Zoey. Come for your little whore. Cover her tits. She wants to feel your warm seed. Please? For her?¡± ¡°I want you to swallow it.¡± Zoey¡¯s cock bumped against her chin as she thrusted. Rosalie said, ¡°Every drop. I promise. Are you close?¡± ¡°Almost. Bit more.¡± She pressed her tits tighter and let herself be used. Eventually Zoey¡¯s face started to twist. She leaned forward, pushing Zoey off her¡ªshe was too lost in pleasure to remember her previous request¡ªthen slid Zoey¡¯s length down her throat again, to be used as a depositing vat for Zoey¡¯s orgasm. Her cock spasmed, and hot, sticky seed erupted from her cock, directly down Rosalie¡¯s throat. Rosalie had only managed to get halfway, or three-quarters, down¡ªeven with her throat adjusted to Zoey¡¯s length¡ªso the pulsing ejacte of Zoey¡¯s girlcum soaked her throat in a different way from the first time, when Rosalie had her nose pressed into Zoey¡¯s crotch. She coughed, unable to help herself. Zoey whined at the additional feeling, and despite Rosalie¡¯s difort at choking, she was pleased she could be of service. Her stomach stuffed full of Zoey¡¯s seed bit by bit. Like usual, it took a while before Zoey¡¯s stomach stopped twitching with pleasure, and the hot ejections ceased, Zoey¡¯s cock having finished emptying itself. So much. How does she always produce so much? It was one of Rosalie¡¯s favorite parts. Zoey released an obscene amount of fluid, every time. Zoey pulled out, and Rosalie felt twelve or more inches of cock slip from her throat. So amazing. She sputtered as she hacked cum into her hands. Her stomach couldn¡¯t fit it all. With so much poured in, and the intensity of her coughing fit, entire body heaving to clear liquid, some of it came out of her nose. She felt sloshy and full, coughing up big globs into her hand, throat convulsing as she expelled the foreign liquid. ¡°Shit,¡± Zoey said, copsing back in fluttery-eye exhaustion, watching the mess that was Rosalie as she tried to normalize her airways, cum dripping from her nose and mouth. ¡°I think I might be in love.¡± The two of them froze. They both ignored what she had said. It had been a joke. Something said in the heat of the moment. Rosalie finished clearing her throat and said, ¡°It looks like your skill works.¡± Zoey still seemed spent from the fun, but not so much she couldn¡¯t speak. I¡¯ll have to do better next time. ¡°Yeah, guess it does. You¡¯re really amazing at that, Rosie.¡± Less than five people had ever been allowed the diminutive nickname, but somehow Zoey had wandered onto that list with improprietous, insolent ease. Rosalie¡¯s center ached with unfulfilled desire, but now that Zoey had finished, how was she supposed to request further attention? Withouting off as ¡­ Well, what she was. The lust-haze had receded in some small amount, so she couldn¡¯t be direct about things. Rosalie wiped her mouth, then frowned disdainfully down at the sticky strands bridging between her fingers. ¡°You would think with how often I use my mouth, you would, too.¡± Zoey¡¯s panting, exhausted expression cleared, shockingly fast, into something predatory. ¡°You want me to? Use my mouth?¡± Rosalie scoffed. ¡°I wanted to wait until the tongue ring,¡± Zoey said. She leaned forward, off the pillows, and grabbed Rosalie by the waist, spinning and tossing her down so her own head was on the pillows. ¡°But since you asked ¡­¡± ¡°I most certainly did not.¡± Her lower half squirmed in excitement. ¡°You really are a needy slut.¡± Zoey¡¯s head was between her legs, her bright green eyes staring up at Rosalie, and Rosalie couldn¡¯t think straight¡ªless even than before. ¡°You need to ask. Tell me you want my tongue.¡± ¡°The only thing I¡¯ve wanted from your mouth,¡± Rosalie panted, ¡°was for it to stop making so much unnecessary noise.¡± Zoey sneered up at her. She ran a wet lick up the crease where her leg met her pelvis, then again, on the other side. Rosalie¡¯s thoughts went white. ¡°Say it.¡± Her tongue worked above Rosalie¡¯s pussy, on the stubbly hair fromst night¡¯s shaving. She has to have noticed. ¡°I want it. Do you?¡± Her response stuttered out of her. How could Zoey turn her into such a melting mess, with such ease? Rosalie was a d¡¯Celestin, wasn¡¯t she? ¡°If¡ªIf you want to.¡± ¡°Not good enough. Try again.¡± She pressed her lips to Rosalie¡¯s core, and Rosalie wiggled her lower half against Zoey¡¯s mouth, finding what pleasure she could. Just say it. You already know what you are. Her earlier statements had been from being lost in heat, and it had drawn back from her previous orgasm. But the next was building, and her mentality, her reservations, decayed, just as it had prior. ¡°I¡ªI¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯re what? My what?¡± ¡°I¡¯m your needy slut. Please, Zoey, I want to feel your tongue inside me. Please.¡± Zoey obliged, tongue sinking into Rosalie¡¯s heat. Rosalie¡¯s hands curled into dark, glossy hair as she whined in pleasure. The feeling¡ªlike most of what Zoey could provide¡ªwas indescribable. Zoey¡¯s skilled, powerful tongue explored her insides, stirring around in circles and slow, curling strokes to gently coax out Rosalie¡¯s twitching reactions. How is she so good at this? It¡¯s not fair. How was I ever supposed to resist? And her other skill had to being to use, here. Pressure Point¡ªidentify sensitive areas. Even ounting for skill, the way Zoey¡¯s tongue sought out Rosalie¡¯s tender spots was with much too uracy to be natural. Almost before she could believe it, Rosalie¡¯s second orgasm was spasming through her body, her clenching lower hole shivering with pleasure. Her thighs closed around Zoey¡¯s head, as did her hands pushing down, getting her exploring tongue just a bit deeper. Which she took advantage of, curling against territory yet explored. ¡°F-Fuck me,¡± Rosalie cried, hips jerking back and forth, raising Zoey¡¯s head with each lewd thrust, and bouncing the bed, creaking wooden beams. ¡°Faster. Faster! Oh my gods!¡± Ever the professional, Zoey worked her up, up, up, and then down, gently, only stopping when Rosalie¡¯s pitiful cries turned pained, and she pushed her head away. Zoey¡¯s eyes were hazy as she refused to release eye contact. Rosalie hadn¡¯t thought they could be prettier, but draped in lust, they somehow were. Rosalieid limp against the pillows, thest remnants of her orgasm shaking her. She wondered how every time Zoey extracted bliss from her, it was a more mind-blowing high than the previous. ¡°How was it?¡± Zoey asked, shimmying up and kissing her neck, then cheek, then forehead. ¡°It was ¡­ adequate ¡­¡± Rosalie breathed. 2.05 A Trip to the Trees 2.05 A Trip to the Trees Zoey¡¯s dreams were odd. Turned out, having her memories wiped by a demanding goddess resulted in dreams that didn¡¯t have much totch to, and thus, were incoherent. Strange. Twisting and ephemeral. She wouldn¡¯t say they¡¯d been outright upsetting, but they¡¯d been bizarre. More mind-bending than most. Rosalie¡¯s enthusiastic extracting from Zoey¡¯s lower half had made things up. Zoey¡¯s morning had started off pretty great, all things considered. Rosalie had, of course, immediately upon their mutual satisfaction, risen from the bed and professed how they ¡®needed to get things moving¡¯. Which was true enough. Zoey was supposed to be saving the world, whatever that meant. Why her party-member was more devoted to that goal than she herself was, Zoey didn¡¯t know. Considering Rosalie¡¯s urgent coaxing of Zoey¡¯s lower half, maybe Ephy had made the wrong choice. Here was a girl dedicated to power and sex in equal measure, for all her reticent and denying nature. Why had Ephy chosen Zoey, anyway? Zoey had a thousand and one impossible-to-answer questions bouncing around in her head, so it was hardly difficult to add that one to the list of ¡®ignored¡¯. If there was any skill Zoey was cultivating since her arrival to this world, it was blissful ignorance. She didn¡¯t ask, this time, to join Rosalie in the shower. And Rosalie didn¡¯t protest when she slipped in, then wrapped her hands around her waist, her lower half pressing into Rosalie¡¯s ass. Zoey was learning a few things about her serious-faced partner. Primarily, that she ought to stop asking, and start paying attention to how she reacted, instead. Which was a problematic mindset, Zoey knew. If a direct no ever came out of Rosalie¡¯s mouth, she would stop in an instant. But initiation¡ªwell, Zoey needed to be assertive when it came to that. Even if Rosalie alluded to not wanting Zoey¡¯s attention. Shit. That sounds bad. She¡¯d have to walk that tight-rope carefully. But for Rosalie? She would. Happily. Zoey enjoyed the hot spray of water, hunched over and resting her head on Rosalie¡¯s shoulder as Rosaliethered soap across herself, pretending to ignore Zoey. Or maybe actually ignoring her. Again, hard to tell with this girl. ¡°You¡¯re so useless,¡± Rosalie huffed. ¡°Not even going to help?¡± Zoeyughed, water droplets slipping down her face and from her lips, before aiding Rosalie inthering the soap across her body. She made sure to y with Rosalie¡¯s tits¡ªrubbing pointer-fingers across cute, hard nipples until she was breathing hard¡ªwhile getting her well and thoroughly clean. Rosalie returned the effort, though stopped thrusting her hand into Zoey¡¯s cock when it had reached full mast. Tease, Zoey wanted to say, despite the fact she¡¯d done the same thing just a second earlier, rubbing fingers into Rosalie¡¯s tits and between her legs. They stepped from the shower, skin flushed in excitement, but knowing they needed to move on with their day. Can¡¯t spend forever fucking each other, Zoey thought. Which was a tragedy, but she¡¯d have to learn to live with it. Zoey watched Rosalie go about her morning routine. She dried her hair with some magical item that vaguely resembled a hairdryer¡ªonly vaguely, by function, a rock with some sigil carved into it that blew hot air¡ªthen how she wrangled her long, tinum hair into a ponytail. The domesticity of it all ached Zoey¡¯s heart. ¡°It looks great on you,¡± Zoey said, which received a huff as Rosalie continued to go about her routine. ¡°Are you going to get dressed, or just watch me? ¡°The second.¡± Zoey savored the coloring in Rosalie¡¯s cheeks. Zoey¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and her earlier words¡ªyou¡¯d be easy to fall for¡ªhammered into her ears. Not easy. Effortless. Impossible to not. It had already happened. Shit. Was it unreciprocated? Zoey couldn¡¯t be certain. Rosalie allowed Zoey to nuzzle her head into the crook of her neck, but she rolled her eyes when she did. When Zoeythered her inpliments, she mostly seemed annoyed. And Zoey wanted to be confident that it was part of Rosalie¡¯s act, but such consistent rejections were hard to shrug off. And sex was sex. It wasn¡¯t romance. Did Rosalie only like her for the pleasure she could provide? Whatever. Zoey would have Rosalie in whatever manner she was willing to return. They left the inn a few hours after sunrise. The innkeeper was less friendly with them than before. Maybe they¡¯d made more noise than Zoey had thought. They¡¯d certainly left more mess than could be called considerate. Multiple pulsing orgasms weren¡¯t the cleanest of things, and it¡¯d been impromptu enough Zoey had forgotten toy towels out. She was still getting used to this whole, wielding-guy¡¯s-equipment thing. She considered apologizing in advance, but sheesh, how awkward. The rock-man only disliked the noise they¡¯d made. The mess would be discoveredter. Sorry, dude. Part of the job? They left a tip in the form of an apology. He was slightly less annoyed after that. It must¡¯ve been generous. Their destination was routine: the squat, in building the innkeeper provided. The guide¡¯s house. The person who would lead them to civilization greater than six tiny buildings. The bartering was quick and harsh. The man seemed to enjoy Rosalie¡¯s no-nonsense, t tone as she scolded him for his fleecing suggestions. Zoey enjoyed Rosalie¡¯s harsh tone for a different reason. Thisposed, powerful woman was writhing around my tongue, half an hour earlier. She mostly spectated the interaction. They set off shortly, headed west. Or ¡®west¡¯. Who knew if the sun rose in the east, in this pocket-realm? To borrow a phrase, she wasn¡¯t in Kansas anymore. ### The trip to the nearest city was uneventful. Monotonous. Havingpany, Rosalie wasn¡¯t a hundredth as willing to reciprocate in Zoey¡¯s flirting, and Zoey wasn¡¯tfortable in asking odd questions: how the world worked, and et cetera. So it was painfully boring. Itsted around five hours. The man made mind-numbing small talk. It revealed a few interesting facts about life in the Fractures, but mostly Zoey focused on how her feet hurt. The stamina potions helped, even if she was embarrassed she was the only one to pull them out. ### Triyhull, or the City Nested In The Trees, was a sprawling metropolis hanging between titanic towers of wood. It took six shifts¡ªthe standard verbiage for moving between realms¡ªto reach from whatever irrelevant pocket they had been shunted into. Upon arriving, Zoey¡¯s breath was understandably stolen. Even Rosalie seemed vaguely appreciative, despite being more ustomed to the impressive sights of the Fractures. Zoey was slightly less appreciative of the two-hundred-story climb from the forest-floor and up into the canopy, where Triyhull proper began. Thank god for stamina potions. Was there any downsides to relying on the yellow potions so heavily? Rosalie hadn¡¯t said anything, and Zoey would have assumed she would. But maybe she was being nice by not pointing out Zoey¡¯s weakness. Rosalie was harsh in some ways, but she had a soft spot for Zoey. One of the few reasons Zoey kept hope kindled that her affection was reciprocated. The press of alien life was more apparent in a big city. Rather than a single odd stone-man innkeeper, the sapient life of the Fractures swarmed around her as their guide led her and Rosalie to the nearest guildhall¡ªthe ¡®Last of the Forest¡¯. Men and women built from flickering mes drifted by, feet hovering off the ground, bodies red or blue or green, almost painful to look at from their brightness. Half-human, half-animals brushed against her in a hurry, fox-ears and dog-tails and antlers so seamlessly integrated in their appearance, but no less alien for the fact. Zoey tried to not stare. The two races were just some of many. The peoples of the Fractures were varied as the pocket realms thatprised it, she discovered. And nobody paid attention to the stream of strange lifeforms, so Zoey needed to do the same. She would rather Rosalie didn¡¯t be suspicious of her. Zoey hadn¡¯t told many lies in regard to her past, but the few she had, she¡¯d rather keep under lock and key. The guide parted without much fanfare. Coins passed Rosalie¡¯s hands and into his, and then they were alone, standing outside the Last of the Forest¡¯s guildhall. ¡°It¡¯s quite the sight,¡± Zoey offered. ¡°It¡¯s something,¡± Rosalie returned idly. ¡°We¡¯ve a long day ahead of us. To the artificer district, then.¡± ### Going about the identification of their less-than-appropriate items was, to put it lightly, awkward. Because how were they supposed to request their nipple rings, cock rings, butt plugs, and so on be analyzed by a highly skilled artificer? These people were, as a whole, men and women who had devoted their lives to the study of magical items. And for all Rosalie had suggested it possible, by Zoey¡¯s fumbling exnations, it didn¡¯t seem sex toys were something often produced by a shard. Because. Uh. Obviously not, for all she¡¯d convinced herself it might be usible. Zoey took the lead on the situation, though even she¡ªsomewhat experienced in sexual matters, and much less shameful than Rosalie¡ªfound difficulty in exining the situation. She wouldn¡¯t say her face zed as she talked to the hunched-over grandma (why did it have to be an old woman? Zoey might have preferred any other demographic, especially considering her raised eyebrows, and vaguely disapproving expression), but her cheeks were definitely colored as she exined the nature of their items. ¡°An artefact,¡± Anja One-Eye said, ¡°that inserts into the anus.¡± ¡°Two people¡¯s, theye in pairs,¡± Zoey mumbled, not a person to trip over her words, but Jesus, if there was ever a time. ¡°Sounds like there¡¯s some kind of linking effect? You can look at them yourself.¡± The box of growing-in-size butt plugs were set across the counter, Anja eying them with something between distaste (Rosalie had an ally there) and curiosity (Zoey had an ally, too). ¡°Just what kind of shard did you wander into, dear?¡± Anja asked. Rosalie snorted, and Zoey cleared her throat. She¡¯d been much more amused when their bizarre circumstances had been a shared hrity between her and Rosalie only. The tititing nature of the shard was much less funny in face of a disapproving, hunched-over, leather-skinned grandma. ¡°An odd one,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Do you think you can have them identified, or not?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get snippy, now,¡± Anja scolded. ¡°It¡¯s an odd collection to take in. I¡¯m not intending to make you ufortable.¡± ¡°Great,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Can you, or can¡¯t you?¡± She was only human. Her polite nature extended only so far, and after exining her suspected use of several sex toys to a blissfully unaware, painfully vani seventy-year-old-woman, her patience had frayed. Or maybe her embarrassment. Rosalie¡¯s snorts weren¡¯t helping. ¡°Sigils are sigils,¡± Anja One-Eye said. ¡°I don¡¯t see why I wouldn¡¯t. Though perhaps seeking out a specialty identifier would be best.¡± ¡°And you can provide directions to someone like that?¡± ¡°I could. But the rest of your haul, I would be happy to handle for you.¡± Anja was, ultimately, a business-woman; her difort with handling Zoey and Rosalie¡¯s lessmon portion of equipment wasn¡¯t overshadowed by her desire to secure a profitable arrangement. ¡°Perfect,¡± Zoey said, not caring about the economics behind the whole fiasco, and wanting to be over with this. ¡°We¡¯ll do that.¡± Finally, Rosalie stepped in. ¡°Twelve copper for every sigil identification, expedited. Two silver for connecting us to a specialist. We¡¯ll discuss sales in the morning.¡± The offer must have been generous, because Anja epted immediately. Though, ever the business-woman, she didn¡¯t show her satisfaction, and grumbled instead. ¡°I can make that work. Tomorrow morning? How early?¡± ¡°When do you open?¡± ¡°First bell.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be there.¡± Anja nodded. ¡°I would help you with the rest, but ¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s odd, we realize. A specialist is fine.¡± ¡°Fe is an odd woman. Butpetent. She¡¯ll sort you out without problem.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all we ask. She¡¯ll take expedited orders?¡± ¡°As far as I know. You¡¯ll want to get there as soon as possible. She closes early.¡± Rosalie nodded. ¡°Then let¡¯s finish this, and have you pass us directions.¡± 2.06 Out Shopping 2.06 Out Shopping Fe Dullette was an odd woman, as perhaps expected of the suggested connection for identifying sex toys spat out of a lewd pocket dimension. She was also painfully attractive, and dressed in a way to emphasize it. That she had horns curling from her head, and a short, puffy-white tail sprouting from her tailbone? Well, Zoey was quickly ustoming herself to the fact not all people here were human, and Fe¡¯s plush, sheep-girl appearance definitely did something for her. Not that Zoey allowed herself to harden at her curvy, meek appearance. Because, as she¡¯d already stated, an erection would be literally impossible to ignore, considering Zoey¡¯s generous bestowal. Fe¡¯s figure wasn¡¯t so impressive as to counteract the insanely embarrassing predicament she¡¯d be in if she raised mast. Though still impressive. The sheep-girl had hips with their own gravitational well. Zoey¡¯s exnation to Fe was much less awkward than with Anja One-Eye, which she was exceedingly grateful for. She didn¡¯t need to exin what the rounded silver objects were beyond the words ¡®butt-plugs¡¯, or why jewelry that attached to erotic zones would be appealing to certain people. She was, while perhaps not promiscuous, at a minimum knowledgeable. She knew her way around Zoey¡¯s (in what had been her opinion, until Anja) mostly vani sex-rted items. Anja¡¯s opinion on who to go to had been well-formed. In fact, Fe seemed outright intrigued by their haul, not simply ¡®not ufortable¡¯. ¡°And where was the entrance to this shard?¡± Fe asked, shooting apologetic nces between them. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, of course.¡± Zoey looked at Rosalie. Obviously Zoey couldn¡¯t answer that question. Her arrival to the shard had been under once-in-a-lifetime circumstances. Rosalie had been the one to enter it naturally. ¡°The Verdant Sanctum,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°You¡¯ll forgive me if I¡¯m not more specific than that.¡± Fe bobbed her head. ¡°Of course. Such a valuable find, you¡¯ll want to visit it again, I¡¯m sure. It was only curiosity¡ªeverything you say is confidential. I¡¯m a professional.¡± Revisit? That was something they could do? Zoey wouldn¡¯t mind stopping by to see Mel again. ¡°Once was more than enough,¡± Rosalie said dryly. ¡°But with such strange items ¡­ I can see these selling exceptionally well. Even I would¡ª¡± the sheep-girl coughed. ¡°That is, buyers won¡¯t be difficult to find. The market might be niche, but the supply is lower than the demand.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve seen items like this?¡± ¡°Here and there,¡± Fe said. ¡°They¡¯re quite umon.¡± So their assumption had been right. Rare, but not unheard of. ¡°But you can identify them?¡± Rosalie asked. ¡°By tomorrow morning? We¡¯ll pay for the rush. We want to be on our way.¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯d be happy to, with items as interesting as these. I¡¯ll get right on it.¡± ¡°Then we won¡¯t hold you.¡± Rosalie and Zoey left the store, and Zoey nced back, seeing the sheep-girl flip the ss storefront¡¯s ¡®open¡¯ sign to ¡®closed¡¯, then the blinds flicker down. Zoey wondered how such items were ¡®identified¡¯. What, exactly, would the busty sheep-girl be doing? ### The next stop was the shopping district. They chose their destination at random, one of the hundred buildings crammed shoulder-to-shoulder and teeming with patronage. Treyhull was one of the most populous cities in the Fractures; one of the primary congregating points for Wayfarers, and so there was nock of either customers or stores. Though as Rosalie had said, many of these people weren¡¯t Wayfarers, but civilians who had ventured from Haven to provide their services at a more lucrative rate, exchanging their day-to-day safety for a higher sry. Perhaps not a significant amount of safety was traded away, though. Not in a ce like Treyhull. Guards were posted everywhere, green-and-blue uniforms sharp, and adorned with silver badges. Their eyes were pointed to the sky, scanning with vignce. Zoey could infer threats didn¡¯te from the forest floor, often¡ªthough they¡¯d built the city in the treetops because it was far from safe there¡ªbut rather from above. Some manner of winged beasts? She had yet to see anything. The shop they entered was smaller than most, and only a few people wandered around inside, browsing. Most were humans and the half-animal, half-human creatures she¡¯d seen so many variations of. Shops divided themselves based on their typical patronage, which was reasonable. What would fit on a human would have difficulty fitting on those hulking rock-creatures, and no individual store could supply clothing for all races. These weren¡¯t huge department buildings, like back on Earth She looked through the wares, collecting shirts, pants, and undergarments to try on. A young ck-haired woman helped Zoey with finding a bra that fit. Her eyes flicked to Zoey¡¯s lower body more times than could be called subtle during the process, giving Zoey the first confirmation that the unnatural addition down there wasn¡¯t something that could be hidden, even with boxer-briefs and baggy pants. Oh well. She guessed she¡¯d have to get used to the odd looks. By the slight flush on the woman¡¯s cheeks as she went about assisting Zoey, it wasn¡¯t a disgusted look. Rather, an intrigued one. The same woman helped Zoey carry the clothes to a dressing room. She wrote something down on a notebook as Zoey walked in, probably keeping track what she¡¯d brought with her. Zoey¡¯s mind wandered to her earlier thoughts about how theft and inventories worked. How did they prevent it? Close observation? Some manner of alert system? She¡¯d ask Rosalieter; it wasn¡¯t like she nned to steal, anyway. Inside the stall, Zoey went about trying the various items on. She started with the undergarments¡ªthe underwear, specifically. She was trying to find something a good mix between securing and not ufortable, which was a hard line to toe. If she wanted to receive less looks, she¡¯d need to wear something that glued her package in nice and firm, but Zoey didn¡¯t like the feel of that. Too loose, though, and just walking around would make her situation apparent to anybody nearby. A knocking at the door interrupted Zoey¡¯s efforts. She nced at the wood, then said, ¡°upied?¡± ¡°Sorry to bother you, ma¡¯am.¡± It was the same woman who had been helping her earlier. Her voice was timid, and¡ªa bit breathless? ¡°It looked like you might need help. Can I, um,e in?¡± While Zoey wasn¡¯t an expert on this world¡¯s customs, she didn¡¯t think store attendants were supposed to ask to enter their client¡¯s dressing room. A grin crept onto her lips as she guessed what was happening. ¡°I¡¯m barely dressed,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Is that fine?¡± The door handle clicked open, and the attendant slipped in. Her cheek were already flushed, and she nced behind nervously, as if she couldn¡¯t believe what she was doing. Then back forward, to Zoey. And her state of undress. Zoey was wearing only her underwear; the woman took in her mostly-naked form and breathed in surprise. Her eyes lingered on Zoey¡¯s tits, then stomach, then lower¡ªto the main surprise, the reason Zoey suspected she¡¯de in. The pair of men¡¯s underwear she had on was ¡­ well, one of the tight-fitting ones. Too much so. It secured her equipment in ce, but created a defined outline that left nothing to the imagination. The attendant sucked in another breath of air, louder this time, more disbelieving¡ªand more admiring. Zoey started to harden, and the woman¡¯s eyes widened in pace with it. Not remotely able to stay in the underwear itself, it slid down her leg as it filled out, then peeked through the leg exit¡ªand kept going. It grew down to her knee before it had finished. The attendant stared. ¡°It¡¯s hard to find something that fits,¡± Zoey said cheekily. ¡°I¡ªI bet. I thought it looked like you had ¡­¡± she trailed off, then her eyes flicked up, to meet Zoey¡¯s. She smiled, cheeks now a deep red, the flush crawling down her neck, too. ¡°Well. I¡¯m sure I could offer some professional advice. Before I make suggestions, can I get a full idea of what I¡¯m in for?¡± ¡°You sure you¡¯re ready for that?¡± ¡°Not remotely. But I¡¯d like to, anyway.¡± Zoey¡¯s thumbs hooked at the band of her underwear, and slid them down. Her cock, no longer secured in ce, bounced up, filling the space between them. The woman¡ªZoey caught a glimpse of a nametag, ¡®Callie¡¯¡ªstared, taking a few seconds to find a response. ¡°It¡¯s¡ªhow is it ¡­ ? It¡¯s so big.¡± ¡°She¡¯s a bit unwieldy,¡± Zoey agreed. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be insensitive, but ¡­ how, when it doesn¡¯t look like you¡¯re ¡­?¡± ¡°Magical mishap,¡± Zoey said. ¡°It¡¯s actually pretty new. Haven¡¯t broken her in yet.¡± Callieughed, half from her lingering shock, and half from Zoey¡¯s silly phrasing. ¡°I would love to help you, but I¡¯m not sure I could.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll fit, if that¡¯s what you mean. Had to get some special lubricantmissioned.¡± The false exnation slipped from her lips naturally. Couldn¡¯t really exin it was her skill doing it. ¡°It must be really special.¡± ¡°It is. Can I pull it out?¡± ¡°I suppose I can make an exception to store policy,¡± Callie breathed. ¡°But really ¡­ it¡¯s so big. Can I touch it?¡± ¡°Be my guest,¡± Zoey grinned, pulling out a bottle of lubricant from her inventory. Really, the whole pocket-space thing was so convenient. Never caught unprepared. The lube obviously wasn¡¯t what would make Zoey fit. It was the newest of her runes that would allow her cock to squeeze into tight spaces that wouldn¡¯t normally amodate her. To her partner¡¯s amplified pleasure, hopefully. Callie would be the first who got to test it out, at least for her lower holes. Rosalie had made it clear it worked for her throat. Zoey sighed as the attendant¡¯s cool hands wrapped around her cock. I can¡¯t believe this is happening. A total stranger. ¡°It¡¯s so hot ¡­¡± Callie murmured, pulling back and forth, stretching Zoey¡¯s cock skin and sending a shiver of pleasure up her stomach. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯ll fit?¡± Zoey poured out a string of lubricant down her cock, which Callie immediately worked on spreading around. ¡°Only one way to find out. I¡¯ll get you ready?¡± ¡°I¡¯m more than ready,¡± Callie breathed. ¡°And I need to get back to work. I can¡¯t be gone for long. It¡¯s not that slow of a day.¡± She turned around and bunched up her long ck skirt, bundling it above her waist and revealingcy red underwear. Zoey hooked her thumbs around them and shimmied them to her thighs, taking the implicit permission. ¡°I saw your bulge, and thought surely not ¡­ and then that I had to see what it was like.¡± ¡°I hope it meets expectations,¡± Zoey said, gripping her slippery cock and lining it up to Callie¡¯s entrance. She rubbed it up and down, sliding between folds. Callie was right¡ªshe was ready, and didn¡¯t need Zoey¡¯s fingers or tongue in preparation. ¡°I really doubt it won¡¯t.¡± Zoey paused, remembering something. ¡°Shit. I don¡¯t have a condom.¡± As a girl, that¡¯d never been something she needed to worry about. ¡°I have a potion at home. It¡¯s fine, please. I want to feel it.¡± Good to know those existed. Magical n-B¡¯s. Assuming she could even get girls pregnant. ¡°When Ie, I, uh, produce a lot more than usual.¡± ¡°That sounds amazing,¡± she breathed. ¡°I mean, for clean-up.¡± Callie paused. ¡°Well, look at you, Miss Considerate.¡± She grinded herself against Zoey. ¡°But please. Fuck me. I don¡¯t care.¡± Whatever. Zoey¡¯d done her civic duty by bringing it up. She guided herself in, feeling Callie spread, and savoring the hot, wet pressure that wrapped around her cock. Callie breathed, sharply, as she spread wider and wider, taking Zoey¡¯s unnatural girth. For a second Zoey was worried even with her skill, she wouldn¡¯t fit. But she got the first two inches in, past her cock head¡ªand so her full width¡ªand Callie didn¡¯t grab out or cry in pain. She did seem to lock still, knees bent inward, as she grappled with undoubtedly thergest cock she¡¯d ever taken, but she handled it. By the groan that escaped her lips, more than handled it. Quite enjoyed the experience. Zoey¡¯s hand left her cock, moving to grip Callie¡¯s waist. She got some lube on the woman¡¯s nice blouse, fingers wet from her cock, but she didn¡¯t think Callie would care. She was already breaking more than a few policies by doing this, so a slightly dirtied uniform was the least of her worries. She pulled Callie toward her slowly, filling her up inch-by-inch. Zoey desperately wanted to thrust with abandon, but like usual, having such an unwieldy weapon came with downsides; she needed to take things easy if she wanted her partners to have fun. Which she very much did. The best part of sex was the noises she could draw out of other people¡ªher own pleasure was only a close second. ¡°How¡ªhow is there still more?¡± ¡°Halfway,¡± Zoey grunted. ¡°Half? I can feel it in my stomach!¡± Zoey¡¯s cock pulsed at the lewd words. She kept pushing forward, and Callie started to wiggle in some mixture of difort and pleasure. She didn¡¯t tell her to stop, so Zoey kept going. Her hips finally met Callie¡¯s ass. ¡°I can¡¯t even describe it,¡± Callie whined. ¡°I¡¯m so full. Like my entire body¡¯s wrapped around you.¡± Zoey pulled back a few inches, then pumped forward, pping flesh against flesh. Callie gasped. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Zoey asked. She could feel her cocktip bumping the end of Callie¡¯s insides. It made sense Mel liked cervix stimtion, but¡ªnot that Zoey was an expert on deep pration, seeing how she¡¯d always preferred women¡ªfrom what she¡¯d talked about with her friends, it was very hit or miss. ¡°Amazing,¡± Callie groaned. ¡°Harder. And faster. What are you waiting for?¡± Zoey¡¯d gotten lucky twice in a row, then. Maybe her skills helped her along. Either way, she did as instructed. Having spread Callie out and gotten her ustomed to her impressive length, Zoey could start the real fun. She gripped Callie¡¯s waist and started pumping. Loud ps of skin echoed through the tiny room, and Zoey briefly wondered whether they needed to be quieter. But she¡¯d already tried to be considerate several times, and Callie had brushed her off each time. Either she¡¯d nned for it, or she didn¡¯t care if she were fired. Zoey buried herself into the woman¡¯s squeezing pussy and didn¡¯t particrly care which it was. Zoey shuffle-stepped over to the bench, then sat and pulled Callie down on top of her. She squealed as Zoey¡¯s cock pressed into her from a new position, filling her up from a different angle. Zoey gripped Callie¡¯s chin and forced her head to turn toward her, then captured Callie¡¯s mouth. She forced her tongue in and explored, Callie reciprocating with eagerness, every thrust of Zoey¡¯s lower half drawing out pitiful moans and whines that ended up breathed into Zoey¡¯s own mouth. She wrapped her hands around Callie¡¯s stomach and picked up speed. One hand dipped to between Callie¡¯s legs to rub at her clit. For some inexplicable reason, Callie¡¯s fully dressed attire made the situation more erotic. A hand quested up and squeezed at her chest over her clothes. Then, Zoey untucked the blouse, and wiggled her arm in and pulled down her bra. She pistoned away inside Callie¡¯s breeding hole as she pinched a nipple and rubbed tight circles on her clit, most of her clothes pushed aside to provide ess to her erotic spots. ¡°F-Fuck, it¡¯s so much, so big, I, I¡ª¡± Zoey could tell a building orgasm when she heard one. ¡°Are you going to cum? For me? Will you milk me with your tight, squeezing little pussy?¡± Callie shivered. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want.¡± Zoey gripped harder around her stomach and jackhammered. ¡°Then do it. Cum. You want to feel it, don¡¯t you? What it feels like to get filled up by a girl with a cock? To feel a girl¡¯s hot, sticky load? That¡¯s why you followed me, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Callie started to shake. ¡°Y-Yes. I want to k-know. Please. Give it to me.¡± ¡°Then earn it. Use your clenching fuck hole and milk it out. I won¡¯t give it to you until you do.¡± Callie¡¯s orgasm washed over her, pussy spasming against Zoey¡¯s cock. Like promised, Zoey delivered. She¡¯d been holding off desperately, and finally having her throbbing girlcock pressed in by spasming walls pulled hot strings of gooey white from her length. Zoey emptied herself into the stranger¡ªthe woman she had met a few minutes prior¡ªfilling her with the seed she so desperately wanted. Zoey¡¯s thrusting lost friction as her cock was covered with her own cum, coating the pretty girl¡¯s begging insides. It spilled from out of her pussy and onto Zoey¡¯sp, stretching between their lower halves with every thrust, like they¡¯d been covered in glue. ps and moans echoed in the small room, growing slower as they climbed down from the crescendo. Spent, Zoey¡¯s head thunked into the back wall of the dressing room, and the two of their synchronized orgasm¡¯s concluded. She panted, dizzy, like usual after expending herself, and Callie did the same, copsed against Zoey¡¯s body. Zoey¡¯s cock stayed happily in her insides, pulsing irrhythmically and pushing another spurt of white every few seconds, which dripped between them. ¡°You weren¡¯t kidding,¡± Callie said, exhausted, head leaned against Zoey¡¯s. She ced a hand against her stomach. ¡°There¡¯s so much. I can feel it stuffing inside me. The potion might not even work.¡± Which might have been hot to Zoey a few seconds ago, the idea of impregnating a stranger, but not when she¡¯d already emptied herself. She leaned up in concern, but Callieughed. ¡°Kidding, kidding. I¡¯m not looking to be a mom.¡± Well, now she¡¯d put a paranoia inside Zoey, even if the words sounded entirely genuine, that she was kidding. Zoey huffed, then leaned back, forcing the worry away. But she really ought to start using condoms, however amazing it felt to empty herself inside. Callie leaned forward and pulled Zoey¡¯s softening cock out. Her cum spilled onto the floor, dripping down her thighs and onto her socks, her glossy ck business shoes. She¡¯d umted a significant puddle down on the floor, too. ¡°I should¡¯ve listened to you,¡± Callie said, pursing her lips. Zoey¡¯s mess was a terrible inconvenience, even when she hadn¡¯t been in society, where cleanliness standards were higher. But seeing how she felt every searing ejection of that white liquid¡ªand it was likely one of the reasons her orgasmssted so long¡ªwell, Zoey wasn¡¯t that fussed. Though they were in a predicament, now. Zoey leaned up from the wooden bench and took in the ruined dressing room. The girlcum coating the bench, floor, and Callie¡¯s pulled-down underwear, down her thighs, drenching her long dark socks a shade cker. ¡°Definitely getting fired,¡± Callie confirmed with a cute nod, putting her hands on her hips. She kicked off her shoes, then started wrangling her skirt off. ¡°Wanna go a few more times to make it worth it?¡± ¡°You read my mind,¡± Zoey said. 2.07 Sabina 2.07 Sabina ¡°Are you incapable of controlling yourself?¡± Rosalie hissed. ¡°The dressing room! And so loud! Everyone heard you!¡± ¡°It was mostly her,¡± Zoey said defensively. ¡°I was trying to be quiet.¡± ¡°Quiet! Were you? I could hear the pping from across the store. Do you have any idea how mortifying that was?¡± ¡°Why would you be embarrassed?¡± Zoey¡¯s face was burning crimson. Lost in the moment, she¡¯d been more than willing to break the litany of social norms she had, pounding herself into the cute store attendant. Now, faced with Rosalie¡¯s scathing condemnation, and having been escorted out by an ufortable-looking guardsman, the reality of what she¡¯d done had hit her. And she hadn¡¯t even gotten to buy the clothes she¡¯d picked out. ¡°Why would I be embarrassed? Are you serious? I came in with you, you blithering idiot!¡± Rosalie was actually pretty mad. Zoey supposed she had every right to be. ¡°I¡ªyeah, I¡¯m sorry. She just, came in and,¡± Zoey gesticted with her hands. ¡°It all happened so fast.¡± ¡°I took care of you this morning. Was that not enough? How many times a day do you need to be satisfied?¡± Zoey coughed. As many times as cute girls throw themselves at me? The upper bound number would only upset Rosalie, so she didn¡¯t share it. But still. She shouldn¡¯t have done it in the dressing room. That had been inappropriate. And she¡¯d embarrassed Rosalie. Zoey could embarrass herself as much as she wanted, but her association with Rosalie had been inconsiderate. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I really am. If I can make it up to you, just let me know.¡± Rosalie¡¯s eyes widened in outrage, and Zoey stuttered to rify. ¡°Not like that! I¡¯m not being gross. I¡¯m sorry I put you in that situation. Really. If I can make it up, tell me how.¡± The words cated her, but she still wasn¡¯t pleased. She shook her head and stalked away. ¡°Make it up to me by not sticking your dick in the next halfway-willing girl you find. At least when we¡¯re together. We¡¯re on a schedule if you¡¯ve forgotten¡ªor I am, since you clearly aren¡¯t¡ªand you wasted an hour of our time, dealing with that.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Zoey said. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Callie had wrung her well and dry, anyway. She had made sure losing her job had been worth it; she¡¯d used Zoey until both their legs were shaking. So Zoey would be good for, hm, about an hour, considering this insatiable thing between her legs. It¡¯s not entirely my fault, okay? ### The next clothing store was less eventful. Zoey made the first additions to her burgeoning wardrobe. She went with the looser men¡¯s underwear. It turned out¡ªas demonstrated by Callie¡ªthat there were benefits to the odd looks Zoey received when her situation was on subtle disy. What was a bit of embarrassment, when it meant eager girls like Callie could discover her secret, and take interest? ### Afterward, she and Rosalie headed to an alchemist rmended by Fe. The artificers of Treyhull were a tight knit group, as was perhaps expected. And since Zoey was consideringmissioning some potions from the reagents she¡¯d acquired, she wanted someone who was prepared for their odd nature. Fe had assured her that Sabina was the go-to for the odd and bizarre. The alchemist was a woman who loved, above all else, inventions and exploration; a trait that had allegedly left her in quite a poor fiscal situation, despite her talents at potion-making. Which was a fact that confirmed itself on arrival. Sabina¡¯s store was in ragged condition. The ss panes out front were foggy from not being cleaned. The sign above the doorway could use a paint-over. Overall, not the greatest first impression. And it was closed. ¡°Crap,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Do we go in anyway?¡± ¡°Might as well.¡± The door was unlocked, at least. A bell rang as they entered. Sabina¡ªor so Zoey guessed¡ªwas at the far end of the store, in the back-left, hunched over a bubbling ss vat. She wore white robes not dissimr fromb-dress back home on Earth, and also goggles, white gloves, and her hair was tied back in a bun. She nced their way for a second, said nothing, then looked back forward. ¡°Are you, uh, open?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°The sign says I am, does it not?¡± the cool reply came. ¡°No, actually. It¡¯s flipped to closed.¡± Sabina¡¯s hands stilled from her stirring. ¡°Oh. Be a dear, then.¡± Zoey changed the sign to ¡®open¡¯. Sabina didn¡¯t sound bothered she¡¯d missed half a day¡¯s worth of customers. ¡°I was wondering why it was so peaceful,¡± Sabina said. ¡°I was managing to get some work done.¡± ¡°Sorry to interrupt that,¡± Zoey joked. ¡°Mmm,¡± Sabina said. ¡°I suppose it can¡¯t be helped. I ept your apology.¡± Zoey paused. Had that been dry humor, or had she taken Zoey seriously? Fe had said the woman was odd. ¡°I, uh. Fe gave us directions to you.¡± ¡°What for?¡± The curt reply didn¡¯t seem harsh by intention. Zoey was getting the feeling this wasn¡¯t a woman whose social graces were her redeeming feature. ¡°Business, I assume,¡± Sabina continued. ¡°Get to it.¡± ¡°I like her,¡± Rosalie murmured. Of course you do. They approached, and Zoey took in the woman in greater detail. Sabina was a willow-tall, stick-thin woman. She had several inches even on Zoey, which meant Sabina was exceptionally tall even by men¡¯s standards. She would tower in a crowd, sticking out like a reed. She looked a bit like a gazelle. And no, Zoey wasn¡¯t saying that because of the antlers. Though they did tie the image together. She had a severe facial structure: sharp cheekbones, a permanent frown, and eyes that were cold, gray, and serious. Zoey was taken apart and deconstructed in the woman¡¯s gaze, then reassembled, having been understood for herposite parts. To put it in a phrase, she was intimidating as hell. And fucking hot. Zoey¡¯d always had a thing for stern women. She looked to be in her mid twenties. Older than Zoey, but not by too much. Just enough for her to register as, ¡®hot older woman¡¯. Christ. Please, step on me, Mistress Alchemist. Can I grab anything for you? ¡°We¡¯ve got some odd reagents,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Fe told us you were the person to go to have them identified, andmissioned with.¡± That caught Sabina¡¯s attention. Fe¡¯s description continued to be spot on; the woman valued novelty, and research, so ¡®odd reagents¡¯ was the same phrase as ¡®early Christmas¡¯ to her. Sabina nced down at the boiling liquid¡ªbrown-red, with specks of ck floating around¡ªthen adjusted some dials, stripped off her gloves, and walked over. ¡°Lay them out.¡± She gestured at the counter at the front of the store, where it looked like payment typically took ce. Zoey did so. She¡¯d only received two of the strange reagents¡ªones that were inly unique to the shard, and possibly valuable¡ªand she was intensely interested in each. She checked the descriptions as she set them down. [Coruscant meroot, Powdered]: A fine, gritty substance useful in the preparation of potions that inme or mute the senses. [Blossom Blight]: Red flower petals which serve as the primary catalyst for brewing potions that inhibit or amplify the potency of life-giving seed. ¡°May I?¡± Sabina asked. ¡°Go for it.¡± She opened the first of the bags, the meroot, and used a thin metal tool to extract a sample of the fine powder. She held it up at eye level and inspected the reagent, turning her head side to side. A frown tugged on her lips. ¡°Curious,¡± she said, lowering the tool back to the pouch and pouring the powder back in, then deftly tying the strings back closed. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like it. How much do you want for it?¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Zoey said. ¡°It¡¯s not for sale. We were hoping you could make something for us.¡± ¡°Perhaps,¡± Sabina said. ¡°I would need to consult the Association. While I¡¯ve never handled,¡± she nced sideways at the pouch, ¡°this ¡®coruscant meroot¡¯, that doesn¡¯t mean there¡¯s no information avable. But turning a rare ingredient into a functional potion is aplicated process. It varies for each alchemist. No two paths are the same. Even if others have seeded, my own is no guarantee.¡± ¡°Or the other way around.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± she said without arrogance. No two paths are the same. Rosalie had said something like that, before, though not quite in the same context. ¡°But you¡¯d be willing to try?¡± ¡°More than willing,¡± Sabina said. ¡°Working with strange reagents ¡­ truth told, I¡¯d pay you for the opportunity. Let¡¯s meet in the middle. Consider it free of charge.¡± Zoey could see why Sabina was having financial difficulties, despite having a solid reputation forpetency. ¡°No, that¡¯s fine, we¡¯ll pay. Because, uh, I have something else to ask, in exchange for us not shopping around.¡± ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking for someone to show me the ropes. Not an apprenticeship or anything, but kind of¡ªacquaint me? Give me the big picture.¡± Sabina shot her a curious look; she¡¯d been inspecting the two ingredients on the counter. ¡°You have a Rune of Alchemy?¡± ¡°I do. I haven¡¯t ever used it.¡± Sabina raised her eyebrows. ¡°And why not?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I have ¡­ severe memory loss, and can¡¯t remember much of anything. But it¡¯s first advancement, and I don¡¯t know anything about alchemy. I¡¯d like to learn.¡± ¡°How curious.¡± She shrugged. ¡°But I¡¯ve no time to be ying as a teacher. My work needs me. Try someone else.¡± ¡°I¡¯d be willing to make this a recurring rtionship,¡± Zoey said, nodding at the pouches, wanting to push the point; she didn¡¯t know why, but she wanted Sabina as her teacher. Who am I kidding? I know why. Look at those legs. Probably not how she should be making her decision. But there were practical ones too: she waspetent, and they had something to bribe her with. ¡°Any odd reagents, we¡¯ll bring to you. And I won¡¯t be in your hair much. Wayfaring¡¯s taking the front seat.¡± ¡°Hardly a binary,¡± Sabina said. ¡°There¡¯s plenty of alchemists who adventure.¡± ¡°There are?¡± ¡°Perhaps to less sess, since their paths adjust to minimal equipment and field conditions, but yes.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Well, either way. It seems like it could be a mutually beneficial arrangement. And if it doesn¡¯t work out, you can drop me.¡± Sabina scrutinized her, a long middle-finger tapping against the counter. ¡°I suppose we could test the waters,¡± Sabina said. ¡°But I¡¯m no instructor. My guidance will be poor. You would be better served finding someonepetent in training others.¡± She shrugged, as if she didn¡¯t care if Zoey made a poor decision¡ªshe was just informing her it would be one. ¡°And I¡¯ll emphasize that if you fail to bring in interesting reagents from your adventures, this arrangement will no longer hold appeal.¡± Zoey didn¡¯t think that¡¯d be happening. She and Rosalie had definitely not seen thest of strange shards, and stranger loot. ¡°Perfect. Let¡¯s talk details?¡± ¡°As long as we make it quick,¡± Sabina said, eying the ingredients on the counter. ¡°I¡¯d like to start experimenting.¡± ### Thest, but far from least, destination of the day was back to where the guide had first dropped her and Rosalie off: the Last of the Forest¡¯s guildhall. The architecture of Treyhull had been uniformly breathtaking, but the guildhall, more than most: it had the look of a structure that the city had been built around, that when this sprawling metropolis had first started to be draped around the titanic trees, the guildhall had been at its heart. The seed of the city. Rosalie took the lead. Zoey trailed behind, admiring the insides of the building that went up, and up, and up¡ªhundreds, or what felt like thousands of feet. The guildhall was carved into one of the enormous tree-trunks, and bridges spanned here and there as Zoey craned her neck up, creating a patchwork of brown strings that slowly luded her sight to the top. She bumped into someone, who eyed her in annoyance, waving away her apologies but clearly irritated. ¡°Shit,¡± Zoeyughed to Rosalie. ¡°I¡¯ming off as a tourist.¡± Rosalie, though she hadn¡¯t been to Treyhull, wasn¡¯t nearly as interested in taking in the sights. Strictly here for business. Who would¡¯ve guessed? Rosalie really could benefit in taking a load off, in living life in the slowne for once. Zoey¡¯d try to coax that out of her, eventually. The receptionist was a mousy woman with freckles. And she meant mousy in a literal sense, like usual; the half-human hybrids were moremon than humans in Treyhull. She had big mouse ears on the top of her head, and a generally twitchy, but friendly, demeanor. ¡°Hi! Wee to the Last of the Forest¡¯s guildhall. My name is Leia. How can I help you?¡± ¡°We¡¯d like to register,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Temporary. We¡¯re only passing through. Two weeks, I expect, but more or less is possible.¡± Zoey had asked Rosalie for rification on how this would work¡ªtheir ¡®setting up¡¯ in Treyhull. Before Zoey, Rosalie had gone to whatever city was nearest the shard she¡¯d just exited. But since they were making connections, now¡ªwith need for consistent item identifiers and an alchemist teacher for Zoey¡ªthey¡¯d take the longer trips back to this specific metropolis, rather than whatever was closest. The goal would be to adventure realms nearby to the one that hosted Treyhull, as to avoid being spat out far away. Still, they¡¯d likely be shunted a fair distance each time; it would be a bit of a trip back. ¡°No problem,¡± Leia said cheerfully, drawing out two forms from underneath her desk. ¡°I¡¯ll get you squared away in no time.¡± Rosalie waited patiently. ¡°Name?¡± ¡°Rosalie Soliz.¡± Huh¡ªZoey had never gotten Rosalie¡¯s surname. ¡°Role?¡± ¡°Lancer.¡± ¡°Advancement?¡± ¡°Second.¡± The questions continued, Rosalie answering instantly, the mouse-girl writing as fast as she could. Finally, Leia¡¯s attention turned to Zoey, pulling over the second paper. ¡°Name?¡± ¡°Zoey Vickery,¡± Rosalie answered for her. Leia blinked, and so did Zoey. Leia wavered between looking at Zoey and Rosalie. Zoey gestured to Rosalie, so shemitted to her. ¡°Role?¡± ¡°Aegis.¡± ¡°Advancement?¡± ¡°First.¡± And so on. When they¡¯d been passed two badges¡ªRosalie¡¯s was purple, with a ¡®II¡¯ written on it, and Zoey¡¯s yellow, with a ¡®I¡¯¡ªZoey said, ¡°You gave fake names.¡± ¡°Of course I did.¡± ¡°I get for you, but why me?¡± ¡°Why not? It¡¯s only good practice.¡± Zoey gave her an odd look, but epted the exnation. ¡°I never learned what ncer¡¯ meant. And mine, ¡®aegis¡¯.¡± ¡°There¡¯s seven,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Guardian, striker, and booster are the purist roles. Defense, attack, support.¡± ¡°And the four others are mixed,¡± Zoey guessed. ¡°Lancer is attack and defense. Aegis, attack and support. Pir, support and defense. And finally, verse, which is all three¡ªor sses that fall outside the paradigm.¡± When Zoey had first been whisked off through worlds, Ephy had used the word ¡®ss¡¯, and she¡¯d heard it from Rosalie a few times, too. Zoey was a ¡®Bonder¡¯. ¡°What are sses?¡± Zoey was growing less ufortable with asking odd questions. She had to, honestly. Couldn¡¯t stay in the dark forever. And Rosalie never seemed to mind, even if she gave Zoey perplexed looks. ¡°They describe your runes, and the specific path they¡¯re following.¡± ¡°So why not use ss names, instead of this?¡± Rosalie scoffed. ¡°And memorize the hundreds, or thousands, that exist? Roles are simpler. If a party wants to get granr in finding an idealposition, they may¡ªbut for most, roles serve fine to put together a functional group.¡± That made sense. ¡°And what¡¯s your ss, then?¡± Rosalie stopped walking, and Zoey stumbled a step. Rosalie stared at her, brow furrowed, as if trying toe to a decision. Zoey blinked. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me. I was just curious.¡± ¡°I ¡­ shouldn¡¯t,¡± Rosalie finally said. ¡°It¡¯s a personal question. I¡¯d rather not.¡± Even if Zoey had said it was fine she didn¡¯t, Zoey felt the tiniest bit stung she hadn¡¯t been trusted with the information. She couldn¡¯t possibly think Zoey would tell someone else, could she? Or was it because her ss would reveal something? But what? She was sure Rosalie had her reasons. They continued forward. ¡°Where are we headed?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°To the LFG board,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Lancer and aegis, as a duo? No. If we¡¯re forming a party, we¡¯ll do it right.¡± 2.08 LFG 2.08 LFG ¡°That¡¯s, uh,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s a good idea?¡± ¡°Your ss, you mean.¡± ¡°Yeah. My ss.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re ufortable with the idea of ¡®bonding¡¯ another girl.¡± Seeing Rosalie, so typically stoic, air-quote and sneer the phrase was a bit funny. ¡°You¡¯ve fucked¡ªhow many girls in the past twenty four hours? Me, the slime creature, the attendant, and I saw you eying both Fe and Sabina. You aren¡¯t remotely subtle. I¡¯m surprised Anja was safe. This is where you draw the line?¡± ¡°No,¡± Zoey said, ignoring Rosalie¡¯s usations, ¡°I meant, are we even sure I can bond to more than one person? Or would it break yours?¡± ¡°Only one way to find out, isn¡¯t there?¡± ¡°I guess. I¡¯m just¡ª¡± she cut herself off. ¡°Say it.¡± ¡°Never mind.¡± ¡°Say it, Zoey.¡± Zoey waved her hand, starting to blush. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Rosalie stopped walking and crossed her arms. ¡°If we¡¯re going to be party-members, you will voice your opinion on team decisions.¡± ¡°I was looking forward to it just being us, okay?¡± Zoey flushed. ¡°I thought we were going to, you know. Have some time together. Just us. For a bit longer.¡± Whatever Rosalie had expected, it hadn¡¯t been that. She looked like a deer caught in headlights, which was a distinctly not-Rosalie reaction. ¡°Like I said, it was stupid.¡± ¡°This¡ªthis isn¡¯t a vacation, Zoey.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°A functional party fills every role. We¡¯ll get more done. And it¡¯ll diffuse yourck of experience.¡± ¡°It makes sense. I know.¡± Rosalie opened her mouth a few times, as if to push the point, but Zoey had agreed with everything. She huffed and turned back forward. ¡°We¡¯ll ¡­ we¡¯ll have ¡®us¡¯ time between shards,¡± Rosalie mumbled, almost quiet enough Zoey couldn¡¯t hear. ¡°What?¡± Rosalie stalked forward. ¡°We¡¯ll be looking for a guardian, striker, or anotherncer. At this advancement, even a half-role support is enough¡ªso you have that filled. I can fill either offense or defense, so I want a teammate specialized in one or the other. I¡¯ll lean heavier into whatever they don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Is that the standard strategy?¡± ¡°There is no standard strategy. Teamposition isn¡¯t a solved science. Opinions vary. I told you mine.¡± ¡°Well, yours is the best out there, I¡¯m assuming.¡± ¡°Mmm,¡± Rosalie said, not outright agreeing, but both of them knowing it was true. ¡°Still. It might take some searching to find a good fit.¡± ¡°Just one more? So three of us?¡± ¡°For now.¡± ¡°How big do parties get?¡± ¡°Five is ideal.¡± ¡°For all advancements? Now, orter on?¡± ¡°All advancements. But it¡¯s a question with a lot of variability. I¡¯m already generalizing. I was doing fine solo. Some sses can. Some sses¡ªboosters, the obvious one¡ªcan¡¯t. Five members provides a bnce between sharing loot and tackling shards smaller parties can¡¯t.¡± ¡°So why are we going with three?¡± ¡°Because five is a headache,¡± Rosalie said tly. ¡°Even two is a headache, so far.¡± ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Are you denying it?¡± Zoey had been an annoyance for Rosalie, all things considered. ¡°It¡¯s still not very nice.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not very nice.¡± ¡°Bullshit,¡± Zoey said. ¡°You¡¯re a sweetheart.¡± ¡°And you have an addled brain, if you think that.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got a hard exterior, but gooey insides. You didn¡¯t have me fooled for a second.¡± Rosalie pointedly ignored her, but the blush on her cheeks betrayed how Zoey¡¯s words had worked. They arrived at the LFG board. Zoey¡¯s eyes scanned the hundreds of listings crammed on the expansive pinboard. The papers tacked in were short, functional, and informative. Standardized. Name, advancement, role, avability, and finally, a short description where they discussed what they were looking for, and any other relevant information. Rosalie pulled out a notebook and started writing. ¡°Girls only, right?¡± she asked. ¡°Uh, yeah.¡± Zoey hesitated before her next words, knowing they were stupid. But she couldn¡¯t help herself. ¡°This is weird. It feels like we¡¯re looking for someone to have a threesome with.¡± Rosalie went stiff. A disbelieving expression turned, slowly, to face her. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°Unbelievable,¡± Rosalie said. ### Rosalie worked fast. She collected a smattering of potential candidates and got to work tracking them down. The guildhall receptionist helped point them in the right direction. They barely got more than a few sentences into Rosalie¡¯s first interrogation before Rosalie was shaking her head and stalking away. Zoey shot an apologetic look to a bewildered me-woman. ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Zoey asked, jogging to catch up. ¡°Inadequate.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Second advancement in three months? No.¡± ¡°That¡¯s bad?¡± ¡°It¡¯s average.¡± ¡°... and average is bad.¡± ¡°Average is horrendous.¡± ¡°We can be that picky?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll resort to a duo before we settle for a dead-end.¡± Truth told, Zoey was feeling like the dead-end, right about now. She¡¯d been pretty useless in the first shard, and without a chance to have practiced, she¡¯d be useless going into the second. At least she had the ¡®identify weakness¡¯ skill from her second advancement on her Rune of Sensuality, so she could be marginally more helpful, but still. Her partner was quite clearly the creme de crop, and Zoey was ¡­ Zoey. Promising only because she¡¯d had an amazing ss thrust onto her. Didn¡¯t feel great. ¡°Still. I don¡¯t think you should¡¯ve been so rude.¡± ¡°We¡¯re on a schedule. I¡¯m not going to conduct a full interview when I know my answer.¡± ¡°You could¡¯ve told her why.¡± ¡°That would have been rude. Better she think me odd, than for me to berate her for being average.¡± That was ¡­ actually a fair point. Rosalie was being considerate¡ªin a roundabout way¡ªby stalking away and not listing out a person¡¯s deficiencies. And not even deficiencies, but simply how they failed to meet Rosalie¡¯s excruciating expectations. ¡°Besides,¡± Rosalie said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure having sex with a sr is something you want to be doing on the regr.¡± She tucked away the race name for the floating me-people. ¡°I mean,¡± Zoey said. ¡°I¡¯ll try anything once. Who knows? Maybe it¡¯d be fun.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t even have sex organs,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°And yes, they¡¯re as hot as they look.¡± She shook her head and stalked forward. ¡°But knowing you, you would enjoy it.¡± ¡°Nothing a bit of burn cream couldn¡¯t fix,¡± Zoey grinned. The second, third, and fourth interviews¡ªinterrogations¡ªwent in a simr manner. It wasn¡¯t until the fifth that Rosalie¡¯s questions extended past opening pleasantries. ¡°And you?¡± the fox-woman¡ªDelta¡ªreturned. ¡°Four weeks.¡± Delta whistled. ¡°Damn, blondie. You had your nose to the grindstone. That¡¯s fast.¡± Zoey stayed quiet, absorbing the easy lie that had slipped from Rosalie¡¯s lips. She had told Zoey it had taken her two weeks to hit second advancement¡ªor less, since two weeks was simply how long she¡¯d been in the Fractures. And four was fast? Enough to draw out an impressed whistle from someone Rosalie herself saw as a potential teammate? Her partner was morepetent than she¡¯d thought. Competent enough she needed to lie to avoid drawing attention. Well-known enough she gave fake names to guildhall receptionists. Who was she, really? Not that if she was some famous figure, Zoey would know the name. Alien world, and all. ¡°I set a quick pace,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°You would be expected to match it.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Delta returned easily. ¡°Not tryna toil in obscurity, forever. I¡¯m taking it you¡¯re shooting for the big leagues?¡± ¡°I have no intention of living a safe and easy life.¡± Deltaughed. ¡°Right. So, shards. What advancement? Third? How many you putting together?¡± ¡°Second will be fine,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°We¡¯re staying small. You¡¯ll be our third, andst.¡± ¡°And who¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Zoey,¡± Zoey offered. She¡¯d been trailing behind Rosalie for the better part of an hour, and she¡¯d prefer to regain some agency, because as things stood, it felt a bit like she was a lost child following meekly behind Rosalie. She¡¯d said maybe a dozen words to their potentials. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± They had found the fox-woman at the bar of the guildhall, working her way through a tankard of what Zoey assumed to be alcohol. She didn¡¯t seem drunk, or even flushed. She was leaned back on the chair far enough it was supported only on two legs, precariously bnced. Her fingers tapped the table as she took Zoey in. The up-and-down of Zoey¡¯s body was slightly less than chaste. A grin split her lips. ¡°Zoey. That¡¯s a cute name.¡± Was she being hit on? ¡°Thanks. I like yours, too.¡± Delta opened her mouth to continue the dialogue, but Rosalie cleared her throat, pointedly dragging her attention back. Zoey paid closer attention to the fox-woman¡¯s curves, the orange-and-white ears sprouting from her head. They were ¡­ well, they did something for Zoey. She wasing around on this whole, half-animal thing. It was pretty cute. Delta was dressed not casually, but how Zoey assumed she¡¯d be venturing into dungeons: in full leather armor, her bow set across the table. Why she didn¡¯t store the weapon in her inventory ¡­ Zoey couldn¡¯t say for sure. Advertising? She was ¡®looking for group¡¯. But the fact her curves showed through even a full set of (slightly mismatched) leather armor promised a body that Zoey would be greatly appreciative of. ¡°You¡¯re a striker,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°How strictly?¡± ¡°I hurt things. Not much else.¡± Rosalie nodded. ¡°Good. I can fill defense. How much attention would you need?¡± ¡°None. I can run solo, need be.¡± Rosalie kept nodding. The answers were what she wanted to hear. ¡°My partner¡¯s ss is strange,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°You¡¯ll need to have an open mind.¡± Which gave Delta pause. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°The prerequisites for her supporting skills are odd. You may have to perform some ¡­ slightly ufortable actions to facilitate it.¡± Zoey winced. The clinical nature Rosalie described her Bond skill was bringing a heat to Zoey¡¯s face, though, how else were they supposed to handle the situation? ¡° ¡­ what?¡± came the reasonable response. ¡°What¡¯s the exact wording, again?¡± Rosalie asked Zoey. Zoey wasn¡¯t handling things much better. Pink tinted her cheeks. Zoey saved her from having to go further. It was Zoey¡¯s cross to bear, so to say. And she could deal with the awkwardness better than Rosalie. Not without a blush, but still better. ¡°We¡¯ll have to be intimate,¡± Zoey said. She didn¡¯t broach the whole, ¡®release seed onto or inside¡¯ part, because the exact wording was so much worse than being roundabout; it could be left implied. Delta stared at her. ¡°By intimate, you mean ¡­¡± ¡°Sex,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Or not sex, but, uh. Intimacy. More than kissing.¡± Okay, maybe she was just as awkward about this. ¡°Right,¡± Delta said. A long pause. ¡°Look,¡± she finally said. ¡°Why bullshit? If you wanted a threesome, the answer would¡¯ve been yes, until you tried ¡­ whatever this is.¡± Rosalie started sputtering, but Zoeyughed. It broke the awkwardness. For her, at least. ¡°I know it¡¯s odd. My ss is ¡­ perverted. I can let you read my anima, if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± Delta¡¯s eyebrows shot up, and Rosalie immediately said, ¡°No, that¡¯s not necessary.¡± Zoey might have underestimated how personal the offer was. ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡± ¡°No, she isn¡¯t,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Why is it such a big deal?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°What?¡± Delta asked. ¡°Big deal? Are you¡ª¡± ¡°She has memory problems,¡± Rosalie said, ring at Zoey. ¡°She doesn¡¯t know what she¡¯s offering.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Zoey really didn¡¯t get why it was a whole ¡®thing¡¯. So Delta would know her runes and skills. At first advancement on most of them, it barely gave away anything. Wouldn¡¯t she learn them just by being on a party with her? ¡°Memory problems?¡± Delta asked. ¡°What the hell is going on, here?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll need to take our word for it,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°She¡¯s not sharing her anima.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°Take your word that she needs to fuck me? To use her skills?¡± Delta asked. ¡°Are you insane?¡± Zoey raised her palms up and said, ¡°Both of you. Please. Be quiet.¡± Things were getting too chaotic for her liking. She turned to Rosalie first. ¡°There¡¯s no avoiding it. Why would she believe us?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll simply move to the next, if she doesn¡¯t.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my choice, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± A frustrated expression appeared. ¡°Because she can¡¯t be trusted.¡± ¡°With what?¡± ¡°Your situation! How incautious can you be? Do you have any idea the circumstances you¡¯re in?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t. I would¡¯ve figured you knew that.¡± Rosalie rubbed her forehead. ¡°It¡¯s not ¡­ you can, it¡¯s just ¡­ I, personally, wouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°This is, hands down, the most bizarre team offer I¡¯ve ever been given,¡± Delta said. ¡°But I¡¯m starting to believe you. Maker. Zoey, you don¡¯t need to show me your anima. How intimate are we talking?¡± Zoey blinked. What had convinced her? She supposed the shape of her and Rosalie¡¯s conversation didn¡¯t make sense as some kind of ¡®ruse to a threesome¡¯. ¡°Uh,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Just a handjob, I guess.¡± ¡°Sorry. Handjob?¡± Zoey paused. She guessed the equipment down there wasn¡¯t immediately noticeable, not if someone wasn¡¯t looking for it. ¡°Yeah. Handjob.¡± Delta absorbed the announcement. Her eyes flicked to Zoey¡¯s lower half, probably making out the protrusion in her pants. She must have passed over it on her first up-and-down. ¡°What the fuck,¡± she eloquently said. ¡°You have a cock?¡± Rosalie was pinching the bridge of her nose. ¡°How else did I expect this to go?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Zoey said. ¡°I get it if that¡¯s a deal breaker.¡± ¡°But ¡­ why?¡± ¡°Why do I have a cock?¡± ¡°Are you a man?¡± ¡°It was given to me as part of my ss,¡± Zoey said. She prevented her nose from wrinkling at the question. She assumed fantasy-world wasn¡¯t quite up to date on modern-day perception of gender identities. ¡°Maker,¡± she said for the third time. Zoey assumed it was more or less the equivalent of a ¡®Jesus¡¯ exmation. A grin fell onto her lips. ¡°Lucky bastard. You have your other equipment, too?¡± Zoey snorted. Some of the tension broke. ¡°Both, yeah. And lucky. I guess. It hasn¡¯t been all bad. Weird, but not bad.¡± ¡°Blondie¡¯s right. Strange circumstances¡ªthe hell¡¯s going on with you?¡± ¡°I wish I knew.¡± ¡°Memory problems?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t remember much. Rosalie¡¯s been helping me along.¡± ¡°How¡¯d you two meet?¡± ¡°I woke up in a shard. First advancement in everything. No memories.¡± ¡°Shit,¡± Delta said. ¡°You two made it out, though.¡± ¡°Rosalie¡¯s efforts.¡± ¡°No joke. I can tell old blood when I see it. Could¡¯ve carved through it herself, I bet.¡± Rosalie crossed her arms, though Zoey didn¡¯t know what the phrase ¡®old blood¡¯ meant. She could infer. ¡°Okay,¡± Delta said. ¡°Okay. Whatever. But you¡¯re taking me on a date, first.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You expect me to just bust out a handy, right here? Treat me with some respect. Sun¡¯s not down¡ªa girl deserves a date before she pays out, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°I¡ªI¡ª¡± She nced at Rosalie, for some reason, who threw her hands in the air. ¡°Clearly you¡¯ve taken the lead on this situation,¡± she said scathingly. ¡°So figure it out.¡± ¡°Sure?¡± Zoey said. ¡°A date? That sounds fun. Uh. Where?¡± ¡°Where does a girl like me deserve, in exchange for a handy?¡± Well, that was a trap question if she¡¯d ever heard one, and by Delta¡¯s grin, it had been intentionally so. Damn. She was actually starting to like this girl. ¡°I¡¯m broke,¡± Zoey said, ¡°and I don¡¯t think Rosalie will spot me. But wherever you want, if I can afford it.¡± ¡°Right answer,¡± Deltaughed. ¡°Dinner¡¯s fine. We can get to know each other.¡± She mmed down thest of her drink, then stood, slinging her bow over her shoulder. ¡°Assuming I met your requirements, old blood?¡± ¡°Barely,¡± Rosalie said tightly. ¡°But yes.¡± Deltaughed. She patted Zoey¡¯s shoulder as she passed. ¡°Come on, cock-girl. Let¡¯s go get something to eat.¡± 2.09 First Date in a Fantasy World 2.09 First Date in a Fantasy World Delta ate like a woman who didn¡¯t care an iota about what people thought of her, and while Zoey respected the impervious assuredness, her table manners were really something. And not in a good way. Her napkin was more red-sauce than napkin. She hadn¡¯t even cleaned it all from her mouth. Zoey would say she ¡®missed a spot¡¯, but that didn¡¯t quite do things justice. ¡°So,¡± Delta said. ¡°How am I supposed to get to know you, when you¡¯ve forgotten everything?¡± ¡°Good question.¡± ¡°Tell you what. Let¡¯s do some roleying. Make up answers that you think would fit.¡± ¡°Uh,¡± Zoey said. Zoey had always been a person who handled herself well¡ªit would be arrogant to say confident and charismatic, but a little bit, yeah, was how she viewed herself¡ªbut Delta¡¯s total irreverence surpassed even Zoey¡¯s; here was a woman who could walk into a royal banquet, toss her shoes off, copse into the front seat, and whine about the food not being ready. Even if she hadn¡¯t been invited. Especially if she hadn¡¯t. If Zoey condensed it down into a line¡ªshe didn¡¯t give a shit. About anything. Social-rted, at least. She cared about her career. Driven, in the same way as Rosalie, but ¡­ different. If that made sense. There was a reason Rosalie had taken interest in her; a reason Delta had cleared the very high hurdles Rosalie had set. ¡°Okay, sure,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Ask away?¡± The date was, at least, not awkward. Zoey didn¡¯t think any event could be awkward for Delta. That implied caring enough about whether things were a disaster, and she definitely did not. ¡°What do you do in your free time?¡± Zoey blinked. ¡°Uh,¡± she said, buying herself a second. She could make up answers here, but this one was actually straightforward, and not foggied by Ephy¡¯s carving-out of her memories. She didn¡¯t have to lie. ¡°I guess, hang out. Shoot the shit. I was kind of useless growing up. Always failing sses, getting in trouble. I like being around people. Sometimes I wish I had real hobbies. Something impressive, like an instrument, or an art. Instead, I¡¯m just good at talking to people. And is that a skill? Or hobby? Not really.¡± Delta nodded along. ¡°Yeah, that fits. Cute.¡± ¡®Fits¡¯. She thought Zoey was making things up. Probably better that way. ¡°You?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°Explore,¡± Delta said. ¡°Experience new things. I don¡¯t have hobbies. That implies doing the same thing, and that¡¯s the opposite of what I want. Anything fresh, that gets my heart pumping.¡± ¡°Is that why you became a Wayfarer? For the experiences?¡± ¡°More or less,¡± Delta said. ¡°But also ¡®cuz it pays the bills. My dad broke his spine working his construction job, and medical bills aren¡¯t covering it. So it¡¯s up to me.¡± The nonchnt, sudden insertion of such a serious topic had Zoey scrambling for an answer. ¡°Oh. That¡¯s¡ªyou¡¯re very¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be weird about it,¡± Delta said. ¡°It¡¯s a sob story. Everyone has one. I don¡¯t like tip-toeing. We¡¯re getting to know each other.¡± And Zoey was. ¡°Hopefully we can make a difference for him. Rosalie sets a fast pace.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the goal.¡± Delta shrugged. ¡°Already nned to be a Wayfarer, but that set a fire under my ass.¡± ¡°I bet.¡± It felt like an inappropriate response. Too small. ¡°How¡¯d you end up like this?¡± Delta asked. ¡°Your situation, I mean.¡± For a second, Zoey forgot she was supposed to be inventing answers. ¡®Roleying¡¯. So she almost said, ¡®No clue¡¯. Instead, after a second¡¯s hesitation, she said, ¡°A perverted goddess tore me between dimensions and tasked me to save the world.¡± A grin split Delta¡¯s face, and she leaned forward, orange and white fox ears perking up interest. ¡°Now that¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about. How perverted we talking?¡± ¡°I mean, she gave me a cock. So. Pretty.¡± Deltaughed. ¡°And what¡¯s your grand goal? Why does the world need saving?¡± ¡°Waiting to find out, I guess.¡± ¡°Maybe the Fractures are decaying. Splitting at the seams, like the Doomsayers are always whining about, and when it¡¯s gone, Haven¡¯ll starve to death.¡± A chill ran down Zoey¡¯s spine. ¡°Doomsayers?¡± ¡°You know? Those cultists.¡± She frowned. ¡°I guess Treyhull doesn¡¯t have many out in the open. Guards stamp ¡®em down. But it¡¯s all hot air, anyway.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Then again, who knows? Maybe the world is ending.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± Zoey only said. ¡°Decaying, you said?¡± ¡°Yeah, you know.¡± Delta paused. ¡°I guess you don¡¯t. The Rot?¡± ¡°The Rot?¡± ¡°The shards that don¡¯t act like they should,¡± Delta said. It was incredible how fast Zoey¡¯s stomach was sinking to the ground. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Shit, I dunno. It¡¯s all horseshit. Not real.¡± Delta waved her hand, as if she didn¡¯t want to talk about it. Zoey didn¡¯t either. This was supposed to be a light-hearted outing, and Zoey had the feeling she¡¯d stumbled on why Ephy had shunted her between worlds. ¡°Next question. What¡¯s up with blondie?¡± ¡°Rosalie?¡± ¡°No, your other stick-up-her-ass teammate.¡± Zoey tensed. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about her like that.¡± Delta blinked at her reaction, then a grin split her face. ¡°Shit, you have the hots for her, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Zoey said. ¡°I do.¡± She blinked again at Zoey¡¯s honesty. Her smile quickly reasserted itself. ¡°Totally see why. Don¡¯t think I¡¯d ever be able to put up with all that, but I get it.¡± ¡°Mmm,¡± Zoey said. ¡°I¡¯m stepping on toes,¡± Delta said. ¡°Perfect. We¡¯re hitting the good stuff. So, what¡¯s up with her?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll need to be more specific.¡± ¡°Who is she? She radiates old blood.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what that means.¡± ¡°Right. She¡¯s¡ªwell, I¡¯m guessing, at least¡ªshe¡¯s got family high-up. Real high up. That kind of passive authority doesn¡¯te from nowhere. Officers in a highguild? Maybe that¡¯s too much. But her roots run deep, that much is obvious. Bet she¡¯s got family members sixth, seventh advancement, maybe higher. Grandmas and grandpas who were the same. Great-great grandmas. You know ¡­ old blood.¡± Zoey hesitated, but Delta didn¡¯t sound like she was guessing. ¡°I was thinking that, too. Not that I know what ¡®officers¡¯ means, or how rare sixth and seventh advancement are.¡± ¡°Pretty rare,¡± Delta said. ¡°Guess you¡¯re not someone to talk to about this. Man, what¡¯s that like? Having nothing bouncing around, in there?¡± She rapped on her own skull. Zoeyughed. Maybe she should be offended, but Delta¡¯spleteck of filter was enjoyable. ¡°Upsetting. I remember my first girlfriend, but her face is scrubbed away. I don¡¯t know her name. My parents, too. I can¡¯t remember if I had sisters or brothers.¡± Delta sobered. Zoey hadn¡¯t meant to drag the mood down. She¡¯d just been joining in on the no-filter thing. ¡°Must be tough.¡± ¡°A sob story,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Everyone¡¯s got one.¡± The grin split back. ¡°Hell yeah. No reason to cry over it. Keep moving forward.¡± ### ¡°What advancement do you think?¡± Delta asked. ¡°To not die?¡± The two of them leaned over the ledge of a thousand-foot drop. The forest floor was difficult to make out from this height. Treyhull¡¯s branching bridges, arching between the gargantuan trees that served as pirs to the sprawling city, were surprisingly unsafe for children; if Zoey leaned a bit further, she¡¯d easily topple over. It¡¯d be a long, contemtive fall before she hit the ground. ¡°How would I know? Could any?¡± Delta snorted. ¡°Eighth and above are practically gods. I don¡¯t think gods die from a long fall.¡± ¡°They are?¡± ¡°Close enough. Least to us mortals. There¡¯s a reason so many people throw their lives away chasing advancement.¡± ¡°How many are there?¡± ¡°Advancements?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Ten,¡± Delta said. ¡°Allegedly.¡± ¡°Allegedly?¡± ¡°Who fucking knows? How things work at that level? Even Enzo d¡¯Celestin is only ninth. And that man could carve up a city by himself.¡± She tucked the name away. Zoey was learning the lore of this world piece-meal. ¡°How¡¯s advancement work?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°If we have three runes, then¡ª¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Zoey blinked. Delta was staring at her. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Three?¡± ¡°Or five, I guess?¡± Zoey asked, confused. ¡°Does ¡®generalist¡¯ and a crafting rune count?¡± Zoey could tell she¡¯d said something wrong. Delta wasn¡¯t an easy woman to turn speechless. ¡°You have threebat runes,¡± Delta said. ¡°And a crafting, too?¡± ¡°Uh,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Maker. You really were chosen by a goddess and sent to save us. Three?¡± ¡°That¡¯s rare?¡± ¡°Two is rare,¡± Delta said. ¡°Three is heaven-blessed. And a crafting rune. I¡¯ve never heard of it. I see why blondie didn¡¯t want you sharing your anima.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Zoey said. ¡°I¡¯d ask what they are, but you¡¯re too clueless to realize that¡¯s not the kind of thing you should share.¡± She shook her head. ¡°You should listen to stick-up-her-ass more. You¡¯llnd yourself in hot water, bbing like you are.¡± ¡°Good thing I can trust you.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Delta said. ¡°Good thing. Stop being an idiot. Not everyone¡¯s me.¡± Delta¡¯s frankness was, like usual, a breath of fresh air. And she meant it; Zoey had grown to trust this woman with bizarre speed. ¡°Like I was saying, though. If you have several, what determines your advancement?¡± ¡°The average between them, I guess? Most people have one, so it¡¯s notplicated.¡± ¡°Just one?¡± ¡°Just one,¡± Delta scoffed. ¡°Fuck you.¡± Zoey blinked. Delta rolled her eyes. ¡°One is normal. ¡®Just one¡¯. Gods. You¡¯re insufferable.¡± ¡°Have you tried being born lucky?¡± Deltaughed. Zoey smiled, too. The fox-girl¡¯sugh was growing quickly entrancing. There was a short silence. ¡°We¡¯re alone up here,¡± Delta said. ¡°People don¡¯t use this bridge.¡± Zoey looked around. ¡°Yeah, I guess they don¡¯t.¡± She couldn¡¯t see anyone in either direction, though a few had passed while they¡¯d been standing, talking, and overlooking the spanning forest floor. Why had she brought it up? Delta slid sideways, then rested her head against Zoey¡¯s shoulder, her long fox ears brushing against the side of her neck. Zoey¡¯s heart skipped a beat at the easy affection. Then, without warning, her hand snaked down Zoey¡¯s pants, invading her personal space in a way that had Zoey squeaking in surprise, her hips jerking back, before she quickly righted herself. ¡°Holy shit,¡± Delta said, squeezing, and sending a lightning bolt through Zoey¡¯s body. Her tail swished in Zoey¡¯s peripheral, agitated, which seemed to be a surprised response. ¡°How the hell did you hide this thing?¡± Zoey¡¯s head pivoted left and right, even as her lower body reacted to Delta¡¯s cold hands. ¡°We¡¯re in public,¡± she said, heartbeat having quickly started mming in her chest. The words were a bit ironic, seeing how Zoey had very publicly had fun with that clothing store attendant, but they¡¯d been behind a closed door, and only the noise had leaked through; here, on the bridge, it was open air in every direction. Even if nobody was nearby. ¡°Fuck,¡± Delta said. ¡°It¡¯s still growing. What the hell is this thing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s, uh, bigger than most.¡± That was an understatement. ¡°It¡¯s still going!¡± Zoey¡¯s cock filled out, Delta¡¯s fingers exploring as it did. She couldn¡¯t reach all the way down Zoey¡¯s pants to feel the tip, anymore. Zoey leaned against the wooden railing of the bridge and tried to ignore Delta¡¯s questing hand. ¡°Are you, uh, sure this a good idea?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the worst that could happen?¡± Delta asked. ¡°Public indecency charge? Who cares?¡± ¡°It¡¯s, uh,¡± Zoey¡¯s breath caught as Delta¡¯s hand squeezed around her shaft. ¡°Rude, don¡¯t you think? To be in public?¡± ¡°A bit,¡± Delta said. ¡°But it¡¯s hot.¡± Zoey gasped as Delta¡¯s fingers dipped beneath her cock to stroke at Zoey¡¯s other sensitive area. Her hand finally shot up and gripped Delta¡¯s arm to stop her. Delta blinked in surprise. ¡°Don¡¯t like that?¡± ¡°I, um,¡± Zoey didn¡¯t know how to put it into words. She¡¯d been wondering it herself, recently. ¡°I prefer the new part.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Her hand returned to Zoey¡¯s cock. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Wanna talk about it?¡± It was such a casual, friendly, unjudging offer that Zoey¡¯s first instinct¡ªto say no¡ªwent ignored. ¡°I¡ªI¡ª¡± She failed to put it into words. ¡°Must be a lot. Hard to adjust to, having something new there.¡± The ease Delta held conversation while stroking Zoey¡¯s cock was a bitical. ¡°A lot. Yeah. It¡¯s a lot.¡± ¡°Easier to pretend it¡¯s all you got, now?¡± ¡°I guess?¡± Zoey winced at how Delta leaned forward and got her arm all the way down, ying with her cock tip. ¡°Um. I always preferred girls. So I¡¯m hardly not used to ¡­ the normal ¡­ way.¡± Zoey didn¡¯t like how she¡¯d phrased it. ¡°But both at once is ufortable.¡± ¡°Seems like it¡¯d be fun.¡± ¡°It probably would be.¡± Delta bobbed her head. ¡°Take it at your own pace. Fuck what anyone else says.¡± Zoeyughed. Such a beautiful, simple world-view. ¡°It¡¯s new. Makes it more exciting, I guess? The other part has had plenty of fun. She¡¯s just ¡­ taking a break.¡± Delta smiled. ¡°More exciting. I bet. Man, what I¡¯d give for a cock.¡± ¡°You would?¡± ¡°Hell yeah. Haven¡¯t you been listening to me? I love new shit. Give me alien parts. What do flowers have? Pistil and stamen? Think those feel good?¡± Sheughed, obviously not serious¡ªbut also, in some small sense,pletely serious. ¡°What¡¯s it like? Do you mind?¡± ¡°The, uh.¡± ¡°Cock. Yeah.¡± ¡°It¡¯s. Um. Fun.¡± Her thoughts were bing harder to form. Delta was working away eagerly. ¡°It was weird to start off. And ¡­ intense.¡± ¡°I¡¯m assuming blondie was your first?¡± Was it rude to answer that question? ¡°I don¡¯t kiss and tell.¡± Deltaughed. ¡°What a gentleman. But sure. Fine. How far have you gotten?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t kiss and tell.¡± Delta pouted. ¡°I¡¯m just making conversation. What¡¯s it like, being inside a girl?¡± Zoey leaned her forehead against her arms, the feeling in her lower-body quickly building. ¡°Don¡¯t, um, kiss and tell.¡± ¡°Fine. Be a prude. It¡¯s really obvious you and blondie have been getting freaky.¡± Zoey hadn¡¯t actually been inside Rosalie, though. Not besides her throat. It was funny Delta thought that was a given. Delta worked away, Zoey¡¯s panting and moaning the only thing filling the air. Suddenly, she stopped, hand jerking out from inside Zoey¡¯s pants. She leaned over the railing. Zoey blinked, the haze of lust making it hard to think. ¡°What¡ª?¡± ¡°Heads up. Right side.¡± Zoey nced right. A man and a woman were walking down the bridge, slowlying into view. Delta had been paying attention. Zoey groaned, leaning forward. ¡°Fuck. That¡¯s really mean.¡± ¡°Wait a few minutes, you crybaby.¡± ¡°What happened to ¡®fuck it¡¯?¡± Delta raised her eyebrows at Zoey. ¡°Challenge me, and I will do it. I stopped for your sake.¡± Zoey¡¯s needy lower-half almost made the decision for her, but she bit her lip and said, ¡°No, you¡¯re right. Thanks. That¡¯d be super embarrassing.¡± The three minutes it took for the two to pass were some of the most excruciating of Zoey¡¯s life. Delta had left her right on the edge of orgasm, and her cock pulsed angrily in neglect. Delta¡¯s hand slid back down her pants in blessed relief. The stroking continued. ¡°This¡¯ll do, right?¡± Delta asked. ¡°Do?¡± ¡°For your skill.¡± ¡°Oh. Um. Yes?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t sound certain.¡± ¡°The exact phrasing is, ¡®release seed onto or inside target and activate to form bond¡¯.¡± ¡°Bond?¡± Zoey guessed they hadn¡¯t talked about her skillset. ¡°I have to be bonded to you to use my skills.¡± Or skill, for now. She assumed future ones would only work on bonded targets, too. ¡°What kind of skills?¡± ¡°Bolster, which gives you a short, powerful boost in strength.¡± Zoey¡¯s hips wiggled as the pressure in her core built. She was getting close. ¡°And, uh, ¡®crity¡¯. Which makes bonded targets advance runes faster.¡± The jerking motion inside Zoey¡¯s pants ceased. ¡°You¡¯re shitting me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stop, asshole.¡± Delta¡¯s lips quirked at Zoey¡¯s inly-stated outrage. The movement resumed. ¡°You make other people advance their runes faster?¡± ¡°So it says.¡± It was a hard ability to quantify, obviously. ¡°Shit. I think that¡¯s what blondie was trying to keep me from finding out.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because it puts a target on your head, you fucking idiot. Gods, she¡¯s right. You¡¯re way too clueless.¡± ¡°It¡¯s that big of a deal?¡± ¡°Hm, let me think. Yes? I could absolutely see a high-rank Wayfarer enving you to take advantage of it.¡± ¡°Enve?¡± ¡°Shit¡¯s not all sunshine and meadows out there, Zoey. Are you kidding me? I know you¡¯ve got memory problems, but you lostmon sense, too?¡± ¡°This¡ªthis is a conversation, uh, better held when I can think straight.¡± She was trying to digest Delta¡¯s scolding, but failing. All she could think about was the building white-hot pleasure. Delta was quiet for a second, thenughed. ¡°Yeah, fair enough. How close are you?¡± ¡°Pretty close.¡± ¡°Bridge is clear. Assuming you don¡¯t wanna make a mess, toss those pants down.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let you know if we have visitors.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Or drench your pants in cum. That¡¯s totally the better option.¡± Zoey considered it for a few seconds, before undoing her belt, buttons, and dropping her pants. She finagled her cock above her underwear. Delta¡¯s hand didn¡¯t stop stroking the whole way through. ¡°Fuck me,¡± Delta said. ¡°How big is it?¡± ¡°Fourteen inches?¡± ¡°Maker. Why do some people have all the luck?¡± ¡°Beats me,¡± Zoey gasped. She pressed her forehead back into her arms, leaning against the bridge railing, as her crescendo finally arrived. Eight or nine body-twitching pulsester, Zoey had emptied herself out into the open air, and, more relevantly to the mission, across Delta¡¯s hand. She activated her skill, Bonding her. ¡°Where the hell did you keep all that?¡± Deltaughed, wiping her hand on Zoey¡¯s underwear. ¡°You could¡¯ve filled a bucket.¡± She pped her ass, making Zoey jump in surprise. ¡°We should head back. There¡¯s an irritable blonde waiting for us.¡± ### ¡°Is it done?¡± Rosalie asked. ¡°Is it done,¡± Delta mockingly repeated. ¡°No, I agreed to this so I could scam her from an eight copper meal. Second-advancement life is hard, we gotta take what we can get.¡± Rosalie¡¯s lips tightened. She turned to Zoey. ¡°It¡¯s done, yeah.¡± Rosalie and Delta didn¡¯t like each other. That was, without a doubt, going to cause headaches. Which was a shame. Both were amazing. She¡¯d only had a few hours to get to know Delta, but everything she had learned had formed a glowing appraisal of the girl. ¡°Good,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°We leave in the morning. Room 515?¡± ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± Delta said. ¡°We¡¯ll be there. Third bell. Don¡¯t answer, and we¡¯ll leave without you.¡± ¡°No, you won¡¯t,¡± Delta said. ¡°But I like the gusto.¡± Rosalie stalked away. Zoey stood frozen, grimacing at Delta, who grinned in return, before chasing after Rosalie. ¡°I like her,¡± Zoey said. ¡°You should be nicer.¡± ¡°You like anyone willing to jerk you off,¡± Rosalie spat. ¡°So forgive me if I take the opinion with a grain of salt.¡± Zoey froze. Rosalie realized a secondter,ing to a stop herself, and turning to look at Zoey. ¡°If there¡¯s a problem,¡± Zoey said. ¡°You should express it.¡± She had to maintain her voice to mask the hurt. A genuine expression of distress passed Rosalie¡¯s face, before being wiped away. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that. I don¡¯t care what you do for fun. I¡¯m just ¡­ why her?¡± ¡°Delta is sweet. She¡¯s abrasive, but genuine.¡± Not that dissimr from you. In that way, at least. Rosalie and Delta couldn¡¯t be less alike. ¡°She¡¯s more than abrasive.¡± ¡°Yeah, maybe. But you¡¯ll like her if you give her a chance.¡± ¡°I doubt that.¡± ¡°Sounds like we¡¯ll be sticking together for a bit. So hostility might not be for the best. For team dynamics.¡± Rosalie sighed, then wiped her hand across her face. ¡°I know.¡± It was more of a show of weakness than she was used to seeing. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Rosalie¡¯s blue eyes bored into Zoey. Her cheeks colored, and she nced away. Zoey stepped forward and took Rosalie¡¯s hands in hers. ¡°What? Tell me?¡± ¡°She got the first date,¡± Rosalie mumbled. Zoey blinked in surprise. Rosalie wrenched her hands away and stalked forward. ¡°Wait. Wait!¡± ¡°I¡¯m being a child.¡± ¡°First date?¡± Rosalie threw hands in the air. ¡°Why would I want to go on a date? I¡¯ve got so much more important things to be handling. Don¡¯t even offer.¡± Zoey grabbed Rosalie¡¯s hand and forced her to stop. ¡°Rosie.¡± She met blue eyes with deadly seriousness. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I want more. Go on a date with me? Please? It¡¯s a waste of time, but it would make me the happiest girl in the world.¡± Rosaliested a few seconds under Zoey¡¯s intense gaze. She stepped forward and pressed her head into Zoey¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I guess I can make time. It¡¯ll have to be after the next shard.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Zoey said. ¡°I¡¯ll try toe up with something fun.¡± ¡°You better,¡± Rosalie mumbled. ¡°If I had a girlfriend, she has to be someone who tries her hardest.¡± 2.10 Second Morning, Good as the First 2.10 Second Morning, Good as the First Zoey¡¯s second night of sleep in an alien world was as strange as the first. Her dreams were nonsensical, twisting. She dreamed of birthday parties attended by shadow-people. Of picking her way down the creak, hand-in-hand with a girl with a void where her face should be, stomach fluttering with butterflies as she stared into bright (Blue? Green? Brown? Gray?) eyes. The dreams shifted. To something slightly less upsetting. A relieved exhtion escaped Zoey¡¯s lips as her eyes fluttered open. She looked down at her body, where a blonde girl had Zoey¡¯s cock in her mouth. ¡°Fuck,¡± Zoey said. Things really aren¡¯t so bad. Zoey¡¯s cock separated from Rosalie¡¯s mouth with a pop. ¡°I figured you needed to be taken care of,¡± Rosalie said, all business. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the phrase ¡®pitching a tent¡¯, but you took it to the literal.¡± She tutted and shook her head. ¡°A gross woman like you would have morning wood. It was stabbing into me.¡± ¡°Stop talking,¡± Zoey murmured, leaning forward and wrapping her fingers into Rosalie¡¯s hair. ¡°Get back to it.¡± Rosalie¡¯s lips twisted up, and she did as told, following the guidance of Zoey¡¯s hands pushing her down. Her lips spread open as Zoey¡¯s cock prated into her wet mouth. Things really aren¡¯t so bad. Couldn¡¯t be much better, honestly. Bright blue eyes locked with hers as Zoey¡¯s lower half was pleasured by an eager tongue, and a wet, bobbing mouth. For a while, Zoey just indulged in the sight, and the sensation. But when something started to build, she reluctantly pulled Rosalie¡¯s head up, who blinked in confusion. Her, first. Zoey couldn¡¯t help but feel she¡¯d been selfish recently. She wanted to get Rosalie off first, especially with how gassed she could be after she¡¯d been gotten off. Zoey had been putting something off for too long. From that pocket-space tucked into the back of her mind, Zoey pulled out that silver stud they¡¯d earned. ¡°You said I should use a numbing agent. Do you have any?¡± Rosalie blinked, her face flushed, anding to terms with why Zoey had pulled her head from her cock. ¡°I don¡¯t think now¡¯s the time for¡ª¡± ¡°Do you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one that needs to be taken care of, right¡ª¡± ¡°Rosalie.¡± ¡°I do,¡± she said, huffing. ¡°Give it to me.¡± Rosalie withdrew a small medical vial from her inventory and passed it over. ¡°How do I use it?¡± ¡°Pour it on your tongue.¡± She tutted and held her hand out. ¡°Here. Give me the ring. I¡¯ll do it for you. My hands are steadier.¡± With a numbed tongue, the piercing took little effort, and didn¡¯t hurt at all. A small application of healing potion had the ordeal over in less than a minute, the quick pinprick of blood fading away. The healing potion also wiped away the numbing agent; sensation returned to her tongue, if it admittedly felt a little odd after the ordeal. Zoey stuck her tongue out and waggled it for Rosalie¡¯s sake. ¡°ow¡¯s it ¡®ook?¡± The crimson on Rosalie¡¯s cheeks was all the approval she needed. ¡°It¡¯s unseemly.¡± ¡°Perfect. Ready to feel it inside you?¡± ¡°I already told you, you¡¯re the one who¡ª¡± ¡°Lay down.¡± At Zoey¡¯smanding tone, Rosalie obeyed. Like usual, the deference in such a proud girl brought a burning, dominating feeling to the forefront of her chest. ¡°Other way.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°On your stomach.¡± Rosalie obeyed, though she seemed confused. Zoey sidled up to her. She admired Rosalie¡¯s ass. For having such a toned, muscled body, how the hell did she have so much filling it out? Zoey squeezed them with her hands, then pped Rosalie¡¯s right cheek, causing Rosalie to produce a surprised inhtion of breath. She watched the flesh ripple, then pped again, harder. Fuck me. She¡¯s so perfect. ¡°Tell me if you want me to stop,¡± Zoey said softly. What she was about to do wasn¡¯t everyone¡¯s cup of tea, but she¡¯d been wanting to try it out. ¡°Zoey?¡± She pulled out an item she¡¯d acquired earlier, and had been looking forward to using. [Cleansing Liquid]: Common. To aid a person in adventures down less-beaten paths. Cleans thoroughly and leaves a fruity aftertaste. She twisted off the cap, then poured a small amount on her fore- and ring-finger. She set it aside. The bottle needed to go in eventually, to squeeze the material in, but Zoey was hardly just going to shove it into Rosalie without preparation. ¡°Zoey, what are you¡ª?¡± She spread apart Rosalie¡¯s ass and pressed cold liquid into her back entrance, coaxing circles around the ring of soft, sensitive flesh. Rosalie gasped, but she didn¡¯t tell her to stop. Having worked in the liquid¡ªwhich served effectively as a lubricant¡ªZoey gently pressed her ring finger down, slipping it into Rosalie¡¯s unsuspecting hole. Rosalie¡¯s entire body froze as she was prated in a way she had never been before. A whine escaped her lips at the foreign sensation. Zoey¡¯s cock throbbed in excitement. She wiggled her middle finger around, getting Rosalie¡¯s hole prepared for the bottle, sinking first a knuckle deep, then all the way she could. She extracted her finger, and Rosalie gasped again. Zoey brought the bottle up and rested it between Rosalie¡¯s cheeks, to let her know what was about to happen. Still, no objections. Rosalie¡¯s breathing was loud in the otherwise quiet room. She slipped the tapered end of the bottle¡¯s spout into Rosalie¡¯s hole, then squeezed. Liquid spurted in, and Rosalie stuffed her face into the pillows and moaned at the strange sensation. Zoey wasn¡¯t sure how much to use, but she assumed not much. Magic was magic. It should clean her up with just a bit. She popped the bottle out, vanished it, and leaned forward, heart rate picking up. Finally ready. ¡°That was, mm, odd,¡± Rosalie breathed. ¡°I can feel it ¡­ tingling around ¡­¡± Zoey pulled apart Rosalie¡¯s cheeks, then traced a tongue around her cute, pink second-entrance. ¡°You aren¡¯t going to¡ª?¡± Zoey sunk her tongue into Rosalie¡¯s cute, weing hole. ¡°Oh ¡­¡± Rosalie exhaled. ¡°You are.¡± Like the item had promised, the cleansing agent had left behind a fruity aftertaste. Zoey explored a wiggling tongue around Rosalie¡¯s now-clean insides, bumping the silver-studded jewelry against Rosalie¡¯s warm walls. Zoey buried her face in deeper, lost in a haze of lust, her face pressed in between soft cheeks. Rosalie¡¯s ass; that was what she had her face snuggled into. And those whining, pleasurable noises wereing from her¡ªfrom Rosalie. Zoey¡¯s tongue was the thing coaxing them out, Zoey¡¯s tongue, exploring her cute asshole. ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s, um, working,¡± Rosalie gasped. Zoey slid her tongue out. ¡°The ring?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°d I kept it?¡± ¡°It was a prudent decision,¡± Rosalie breathed. Zoey¡¯s lips quirked at the phrasing. Rosalie¡¯s formality was still in ce; she wasn¡¯t working hard enough. So she sank her face back in and got to it. Soon enough Rosalie wasn¡¯t making quips, only burying her face into pillows and whining. Zoey readjusted positions, sitting up, but bringing Rosalie¡¯s lower body up to her face, so she was raised up, but with her face still pressed into pillows. It was an awkward position, but it allowed her to rub her thumb across Rosalie¡¯s pussy¡ªwhich was drenched¡ªand also sink her tongue into Rosalie¡¯s back-door at the same time, exploring in long, circr strokes. Her cock dribbled precum, having been half-way pleasured then forgotten, still wet from Rosalie¡¯s mouth, but the enjoyment of extracting Rosalie¡¯s pitiful noises overshadowed her own need. Thebined assault of Zoey¡¯s fingers rubbing into her folds and clit, and Zoey¡¯s tongue circling her backdoor, had Rosalie quickly devolving into incoherency. Rosalie¡¯s second entrance squeezed around her tongue, mping down, as her body shuddered in orgasm. Zoey picked up her efforts, forcing her tongue to wiggle around a now-tense, barely pliable hole. Rosalie¡¯s muffled noises, face buried in the pillow, were something Zoey locked into her memories. God, she¡¯s so perfect. Once she¡¯d been appropriately rode down, Zoey copsed next to Rosalie and pulled her into her arms. Rosalie¡¯s body was still twitching with the remnants of orgasm¡ªpelvis jumping randomly, every five or six seconds as the aftershocks hit. Zoey continued to gently y with her. Zoey buried her face in Rosalie¡¯s long hair and savored the bliss of knowing this¡ªthis beautiful, determined girl¡ªwas hers. Hers to enjoy. Hers to spoil. Zoey¡¯s joking words from theirst encounter¡ªI think I might be in love¡ªechoed in her head. ¡°Did you like that?¡± Zoey murmured. Rosalie¡¯s body twitched, again, orgasm not fully settled. ¡°It was ¡­ adequate.¡± Zoey¡¯s lips quirked. ¡°This is what you get for waking me up like you did. I always repay the favor.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ¡­ make sure to remember that ¡­¡± Theyid for a bit, Zoey basking in Rosalie¡¯s warmth. Finally, Rosalie rolled over. ¡°Can we try something?¡± That had never once been a bad thing to hear,ing from a naked partner in bed, so Zoey¡¯s immediate answer was, ¡°Sure.¡± Zoey wasying back, facing the ceiling, and Rosalie climbed on top of her. Her hand went between her legs to grip at Zoey¡¯s cock, guiding it. For a brief second, Zoey¡¯s mind went white in anticipation¡ªbut that wasn¡¯t what Rosalie was doing. She guided it to between her legs, so it was pressing between her thighs, but not actually guiding it into her entrance. She leaned forward, and their tits pressed into each other¡¯s. Their faces were a few inches apart. Zoey wanted so desperately to catch Rosalie¡¯s mouth with hers, but something stopped her. Like it always did. A kiss¡ªa real one¡ªwould cross some invisible boundary that Zoey knew was there. And ¡­ she was afraid to see how Rosalie would react. This¡ªsex¡ªwas fine. Romance might not be. Even a first date had been a precarious thing to obtain. So instead she pressed her lips into Rosalie¡¯s neck, kissing up and down, settling for second-best. Rosalie¡¯s hips jerked up and down, and Zoey¡¯s cock slid between smooth thighs, against Rosalie¡¯s pussy. A thigh job. ¡®Try something new¡¯. Like always, the phrase had ended with something amazing. Zoey gripped her hands into Rosalie¡¯s ass and started pumping. Her cock slid between slick thighs, which Rosalie kept clenched together to provide pressure, and were lubricated by Rosalie¡¯s wetness. Their bodies jostled against each other. Rosalie breathed hot air onto Zoey¡¯s face, somehow more intoxicating than the feeling of her cock sliding between her thighs. Rosalie kissed Zoey¡¯s own neck, and that was the first time that had happened. Zoey closed her eyes, craning her chin up to open the space for Rosalie¡¯s ess. She floated in a sea of pleasure. Rosalie¡¯s soft lips peppered Zoey¡¯s neck, and her eager lower half worked diligently against Zoey, rolling her hips in pace with Zoey as she built to a climax. How did I get so lucky? ¡°In my mouth?¡± Rosalie murmured into her neck. Zoey shook her head. ¡°Keep going.¡± She wouldn¡¯t stop her thrusting for anything. Rosalie¡¯s slick thighs were so amazing her thoughts were being erased. Zoey was quickly melting into a puddle of pleasure. Her lower half impacted Rosalie¡¯s with lewd smacks as Rosalie continued to kiss Zoey¡¯s neck. Her cock started to twitch, and Zoey didn¡¯t bother trying to hold the pleasure at bay. She let go. It got everywhere. Like usual. Mostly over Rosalie¡¯s back, and on the bedsheets. Zoey¡¯s cock sticking straight into the air meant there was some serious coverage. We really should start being more considerate. But Zoey couldn¡¯t be med. Rosalie¡¯s thighs had been way too soft, slippery, and determined. Rosalieid atop Zoey for a while. Zoey refused to be the one to break contact. Everything was right in the world, with her warmth pressing down on Zoey¡¯s body. ¡°We need to get started,¡± Rosalie sighed, and she sounded as disappointed about it as Zoey felt. ¡°I guess we do.¡± Theyid that way for several more minutes, regardless, Zoey¡¯s arms wrapped around Rosalie¡¯s body, and Rosalie¡¯s head buried into the crook of Zoey¡¯s neck. Zoey guessed she wasn¡¯t the only weak one. Rosalie was, of course, the one to finally slide off. ¡°This mess is going to make uste. You¡¯re so troublesome.¡± ¡°I say we go again.¡± Rosalie crossed her arms. It propped her tits up, which Zoey had to suspect was intentional. There was no way Rosalie didn¡¯t know what she had. ¡°Up,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Time to start our day.¡± ¡°Our day could be this. Let¡¯s not leave. What¡¯s one day off?¡± Rosalie hesitated, which was honestly a bit shocking, before shaking her head to clear it. ¡°Off the bed, you insatiable creature. We¡¯ve a lot to do.¡± ¡°You could be the ¡®a lot¡¯ we have to do.¡± ¡°That was horrible.¡± ¡°I just had a subus using her thighs to turn my brain to mush. Sue me.¡± Rosalie blushed, which Zoey grinned at. She turned away. ¡°I¡¯m showering. If you don¡¯t want to join me, stay in bed.¡± Well. There was a quick way to get Zoey to finally stand. She trailed after Rosalie with a grin. Maybe I¡¯ll have more luck in the shower. 2.11 Setting Off, Philosophical Disagreements 2.11 Setting Off, Philosophical Disagreements They visited Anja One-Eye to handle their mundane portion of items first. They showed upte, Zoey having found sess in her soapy teasing of Rosalie¡¯s body during their shared shower. Not exceptionallyte, though, but Rosalie seemed irritated at herself that she hadn¡¯t made it to the old woman¡¯s shop immediately on opening. Zoey had been called a few variations of the word ¡®troublesome¡¯. Zoey spectated in silence as she watched her partner go about the haggling process. Of the ten or fifteen rather unimpressive pieces of dungeon loot they¡¯d left with Anja, Rosalie only kept three. The rest they bartered to Anja, which, from Zoey¡¯s understanding, would be shortly sold off to another party. Anja was simply an intermediary. Rosalie could make much greater profits if she took her time and shopped around, but Rosalie had said it herself: money didn¡¯t matter. Beyond being able to supply themselves, they didn¡¯t need the best equipment they could obtain for their advancement. In fact, Zoey got the sense Rosalie had no intentions of staying at advancement two for long enough for collecting second-advancement armor to matter. Fe, the plush, curvy sheep-girl was up next. And Zoey was much more interested in the results of those items. ¡°It¡¯s incredible,¡± Fe said. ¡°The results of all three analyses were just, just fascinating! A first advancement shard, you said?¡± Zoey grinned at the promising start. ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s hear it.¡± ¡°Where should I start?¡± Fe had the three items they¡¯d taken in to be identifiedid out on the counter. ¡°Nipple rings, first?¡± Fe nodded. ¡°You were right to be suspicious. The name was standard enough¡ª¡®of crity¡¯ is a routine modifier¡ªbut they serve more function than just a Wayfarer would take interest in.¡± ¡°They do, do they?¡± Zoey¡¯s smile was growing. Fe seemed equal parts excited and awkward to talk about it. ¡°They¡¯re still adventuring equipment, but yes¡ªthey serve a few uses. You¡¯ll definitely want to keep them. Or sell them¡ªI¡¯m sure they¡¯d go for a great price.¡± ¡°Get to it, please,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Right! So. It has two sigils, as the description said. They¡¯re synergistic with each other.¡± She coughed. ¡°Forgive the frank phrasing: the first sigil elerates a user¡¯s arrival to orgasm.¡± Zoey blinked rapidly. ¡°That¡¯s a good thing?¡± She guessed if you were looking for a quickie ¡­ but the build-up was the best part, usually. ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s practical equipment! The second sigil, you see, produces a lingering attack-speed buff for fourteen to eighteen minutes after orgasm. So reaching orgasm fast is a good thing because of the synergy. It¡¯s fairly potent, too. Twenty-two percent.¡± ¡°Percent!¡± Rosalie wasn¡¯t a woman prone to outbursts; it drew a surprised look from Zoey. ¡°An amplifier like that? As a first advancement artifact?¡± ¡°I know! Incredible, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s, that¡¯s¡ª¡± Rosalie paused. She wiped a hand down her face. ¡°That makes this damned item the best I¡¯ve found since I¡¯vee down here.¡± ¡°And it gets better!¡± Fe enthused. ¡°This shard, you two really don¡¯t know how lucky you got. The others are just as impressive.¡± ¡°Sounds like we¡¯ll have to put them to good use,¡± Zoey said, grinning at Rosalie. ¡°You know. For practicality¡¯s sake.¡± Fe¡¯s face went red at the implication. Zoey had half forgotten they¡¯d hadpany. ¡°We¡¯ll discuss thatter,¡± Rosalie said, also flushing, and shooting Zoey an annoyed look. ¡°Please continue.¡± ¡°The second item. The, um, cock ring.¡± The lewd item name stumbled from the sheep-girl, even if she was much less awkward than Anja had been. ¡°This one¡¯s the least practical of the bunch, but also the,¡± she coughed, ¡°erm, most fun-focused, to be direct. And quite bizarre. It does exactly as the description says¡ªprevents orgasm, until the binder releases the item¡ªbut also more, something not specifically stated in the description. As expected of a rare-quality item. My analysis indicates the longer it¡¯s attached, or perhaps rather, the longer and more intense an orgasm has been staved off, therger the weapon grows.¡± ¡°Weapon?¡± Rosalie asked. ¡°W-Well, I didn¡¯t want to be crude about things.¡± ¡°The cock,¡± Rosalie said tly, looking at Zoey. ¡°I don¡¯t think bigger is what we need.¡± Again¡ªFe flushed. ¡°Oh. G-Good for you two.¡± ¡°Bigger¡¯s always better,¡± Zoey returned, grinning at Rosalie. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be an experience, if nothing else.¡± Rosalie scoffed. ¡°And thest?¡± Zoey asked Fe. ¡°Right. The crown jewel, in my honest opinion.¡± Fe cracked open the wooden case, revealing the set of six increasing-in-size pairs of silver buttplugs. ¡°Now, these are really something. I could see them going for fifteen, twenty gold, even.¡± Rosalie¡¯s eyebrows raised; Zoey assumed that was a lot. ¡°And what do they do?¡± ¡°Empower the user! In a variety of ways. I¡¯m going to have to invent some verbiage here, if you¡¯ll forgive me, but basically, therger the pair that the two users wear, the more ¡®storage¡¯ space for orgasmic energy.¡± ¡°Orgasmic energy,¡± Rosalie said disbelievingly. ¡°What kind of empowerment? And why in pairs?¡± ¡°Beats me. For the pair requirement, I mean. Shard loot, am I right?¡± Fe coughed at Rosalie¡¯s unimpressed expression. Zoey could tell Rosalie was keeping her reactions strictly under control, because she was intensely embarrassed by all this. ¡°But they¡¯ll only work when used together, and of the same size. The empowerment seems to affect a few things: vitality, perceptions, focus, and strength. Real useful mixture of stats. But the process is a bit specific.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Once inserted, they¡¯ll store energy with every sessive orgasm, up until they¡¯re removed¡ªwhich will release the energy. So you¡¯ll need to n ordingly.¡± ¡°And it¡¯s a powerful effect,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Not multiplicative, but stronger for a lower advancement than the nipple rings. Assuming average first-advancement capabilities, probably close to a forty percent boost? For a second-advancement, probably around twenty-five.¡± ¡°In all categories you mentioned?¡± Fe nodded along. ¡°Like I said. Fifteen, twenty gold¡ªfor a first-advancement item. It¡¯s one of the best I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± ¡°We really got lucky.¡± Zoey was the only one grinning here, but she couldn¡¯t help herself. ¡°You really did.¡± ¡°How¡¯d you figure all this out, anyway?¡± Zoey asked. Fe tutted. ¡°That¡¯s a trade secret, ma¡¯am. You¡¯d need to join the Artificer¡¯s Guild and finish an apprenticeship for me to tell you.¡± ¡°Did you clean them, at least?¡± Fe paused, then flushed. She crossed her arms. ¡°Hey! What are you implying?¡± ### ¡°Good news?¡± Zoey asked, walking into Sabina¡¯s alchemy store. Sabina had remembered to flick her ¡®open¡¯ sign to the correct position, today. Not that the shop had any customers. ¡°Perhaps,¡± Sabina said, peeling off her goggles and separating herself from the simmering vat; the same way Zoey had found her yesterday. ¡°It depends on your perspective of sess.¡± ¡°The blossom blight.¡± That was the more important potion by an order of magnitude. Having aphrodisiacs on hand to spice things up was for sure something Zoey looked forward to, but not identally knocking girls up (again, assuming she could; her cock hadn¡¯te with a manual) was on the ¡®must-have¡¯ list rather than the ¡®would be fun¡¯ list. And sure, Zoey could start using condoms, but that was her back up n. She¡¯d rather not. ¡°How¡¯d that turn out?¡± ¡°Determine for yourself,¡± Sabina said. ¡°One moment.¡± She disappeared into the backroom, then returned with four red vials in her hand. Sheid them on the front counter. Zoey inspected them. [Potion of Impotency]: Render consumer infertile for four hours. Zoey blinked. ¡°Uh, yeah. That¡¯s a sess. Doesn¡¯t even sound like a partial sess.¡± Like she had thought Sabina had implied. ¡°I failed the reverse,¡± Sabina said. ¡°I couldn¡¯t synthesize the ¡®blossom¡¯. Without a doubt, the ingredient should yield something that increases fertility, too.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Zoey said. ¡°That¡¯s, uh. Not necessary. For my use, at least. How much of the reagent did it take?¡± ¡°Perhaps a tenth.¡± ¡°And the meroot?¡± ¡°Trickier. I believe when you return¡ªand we have our first lesson¡ªI¡¯ll have something to show. But nothing yet.¡± Zoey was a bit disappointed she wouldn¡¯t have some to take along for their next adventure, because who knew when some aphrodisiac woulde in handy, but the most crucial potion had been sessful; she took satisfaction in that. ¡°Works with me. Not to be curt or anything, but we should get a move on. We¡¯re behind schedule. Do you need anything from me, or?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Sabina said. She pulled from underneath the counter a kit about chest-width and a foot deep. ¡°Keep an eye out for anything odd. Not all reagentse from chests. I would have loved a sample of those vines you mentioned¡ªtheir secretions, or the nts themselves. I suspect they would have served as a fascinating ingredient. This is a collection kit¡ªbring it with you.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Sure. Anything in specific to look for?¡± ¡°Use your best judgment,¡± she said. ¡°It depends on whether you get an aberrant shard again.¡± She tilted her head. ¡°You do seem unusually confident you will.¡± Zoey coughed. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m optimistic.¡± She vanished the collection-kit into her inventory. ¡°Okay. Well. Be back tomorrow.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be here,¡± Sabina said idly, walking back to her potion-preparation station. ¡°Any time of the day, or night. I sleep in the back room. Feel free to visit, if you find something worth my time.¡± You sleep in your backroom, and you¡¯re still broke? This woman desperately needed someone handling the business portion of her, well, business. ### A bleary-eyed Delta answered the door. ¡°Man, you weren¡¯t kidding,¡± she said. ¡°Third bell?¡± ¡°Please tell me you didn¡¯t just wake up,¡± Rosalie said. Zoey repressed a sigh. She¡¯d been hoping Rosalie and Delta would work off their distasteful first impressions of each other, but Delta not being ready on their agreed-upon time wasn¡¯t going to help with that. ¡°I thought you were joking,¡± Delta said. ¡°Third bell. Really?¡± ¡°Why would I be joking about¡ª¡± ¡°Kidding. Lighten up, blondie. Sheesh. Give me like, three minutes.¡± Delta mmed the door shut. ¡°I¡¯ll like her,¡± Rosalie said tightly as they stared at the wooden door, ¡°if I give her a chance, will I?¡± ¡°She¡¯s, uh. An acquired taste?¡± ### Zoey, Rosalie, and Delta descended the titanic trunk of one of Treyhull¡¯s many supports. Their destination, the Crystal Ravines, a second advancement realm three shifts away¡ªand where Zoey¡¯s party would be seeking their second, more powerful this time, shard. To think this one¡¯s going to be voluntary. The first tried to molest them. What would the second do? ### A surprising amount of adventuring was just ¡­ walking. The trip to Rosalie¡¯s chosen realm¡ªthe Crystal Ravines¡ªwhere they¡¯d be seeking their second shard was no small venture by itself; and even once there, they¡¯d need to scour the zone, looking for the enigmatic markers that indicated the entrance to a shard. In the meantime, they talked. ¡°You¡¯re really that inexperienced?¡± Delta asked. ¡°First time I ever casted a spell was yesterday,¡± Zoey said. ¡°First time I ever got in a fight in general, really.¡± ¡°Damn. Seriously?¡± Delta turned to Rosalie. ¡°You sure this is a good idea?¡± ¡°It¡¯s why I asked if you were self-sufficient,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Take care of yourself, and I¡¯ll be able to focus on her.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Delta said, ¡°but I dunno, still. Shards are shards. She¡¯s the only first advancement going into this, and she¡¯s got no clue what¡¯s going on. She¡¯s over her head big-time.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll protect her.¡± ¡°You better.¡± Delta shook her head. ¡°I know she makes our runes evolve faster, but I¡¯m not trying to get someone killed just ¡®cuz she¡¯s useful to us.¡± Rosalie stiffened. She turned a withering re to Zoey. ¡°You told her that?¡± ¡°She¡¯s got a big fucking mouth,¡± Delta said. ¡°You have to have learned that. Haven¡¯t you two been together for a bit?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see why I shouldn¡¯t,¡± Zoey said defensively. She was really being assaulted here; the allegations of being useless were entirely true, but the second vector of disapproval, she felt unjustified. She didn¡¯t think having a trusting nature was a bad thing. It opened her up to vulnerability, but Zoey also didn¡¯t want to be a person who never opened up to others on the off chance she was stung. Which wasn''t to say she''d be outright idiotic about it, bbing her secrets to anyone willing to listen, but Delta was¡ª Well, shit. She didn''t know. She trusted Delta. Zoey thought she was pretty good at reading people, and Delta was easier to read than most; and she didn''t think the fox-girl wore her heart on her sleeve as some kind of ruse. "You didn''t see why not," Rosalie said tly. ¡°Really.¡± Zoey sighed. "I''m happy you''re looking out for me, but it''s my choice, not yours, who I tell what to." Which Rosalie couldn''t argue. She turned back to Delta. "I''m not ''putting her in danger'' because she''s useful to me¡ªnot any more than I would any teammate. I do the same for you, and you to me, or her, as well. It''s the nature of our profession." "She''s practically a civilian," Delta said. "Not to mention she has her memories wiped, doesn''t have the first clue how most things work. So no, it''s not the same. Most teammates, I can assume know the risks." "I''ll be guarding her," Rosalie said. "So unless you''d like to level simr usations of ipetence toward me, she¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not yourpetence I¡¯m worried about, old blood. It¡¯s that if there¡¯s anything your type is famous for, it¡¯s stepping on throats on the long way up thedder.¡± ¡°Such is the game,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°But she needs to be protected to be useful, doesn¡¯t she? So I¡¯ll protect her, if nothing but for that. So your point is moot. You fling insults simply to fling them.¡± Zoey¡¯s stomach was sinking at the brutal analysis Rosalie provided. Especially the ¡®stepping on throats is necessary¡¯ part. ¡°You don¡¯t actually think that, do you?¡± Rosalie blinked as she turned to Zoey¡ªthen something in her posture closed off, face going nk. ¡°I would love to stand here and wax lyrical, babble like an idealist, extol the virtues of cooperation and raising each other up, but the reality,¡± the word dripped from her mouth with distaste, ¡°is that not much can be aplished without someone getting hurt. Advancement may not be a zero-sum game, but it¡¯s something close.¡± Zoey had known Rosalie had harsh view points¡ªthat this world in general would, considering its brutal axioms of existence¡ªbut hearing hery them out pained her. She doesn¡¯t mean it. Except, it sounded like she did. ¡°And that¡¯s all that matters,¡± Delta said. ¡°Higher, higher, higher. Everything else is noise.¡± ¡°Essentially,¡± Rosalie said harshly, ¡°But satisfy yourself with mediocrity. Why would I care?¡± Delta snorted, then caught Zoey¡¯s eyes, who had watched the exchange with growing unease. ¡°Old blood,¡± Delta said simply. ¡°I told you.¡± ¡°Old blood is old for a reason,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°And it will continue to be. But bask in your moral superiority.¡± They walked in silence. They both thought they¡¯d won the argument. Zoey guessed they both had. 2.12 Backdoor Fun 2.12 Backdoor Fun The tense mood settled, eventually. They couldn¡¯t stew in silence for long. They had plenty to talk about, and Zoey meant that in a practical sense; Rosalie¡¯s interview of Delta had been brief, and their discussions too, because they¡¯d intended on talking strategy on the long trip to the shard entrance. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Delta said. ¡°Topped off? What do you mean she¡¯ll need to be topped off?¡± Rosalie nced at Zoey. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell her?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯te up.¡± Rosalie made a ¡®go-ahead¡¯ gesture. Zoey and Delta met eyes. Delta seemed amused, fox ears twitching even as the edges of her lips curled up. Zoey couldn¡¯t fully prevent the coloring of her cheeks, even if Delta knew the strangeness of Zoey¡¯s ss, by this point. ¡°I don¡¯t use mana,¡± Zoey said. ¡°I use, uh. Lust. It¡¯s like mana, but doesn¡¯t recharge passively, and is only refilled with intimacy.¡± ¡°And is more potent,¡± Rosalie added. ¡°It is?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°Your one-circle ice spike is unnaturally powerful.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Rosalie hadn¡¯t mentioned any such thing to her. ¡°About twice as strong as apetent first-advancement caster¡¯s would be,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°The downside is that you exhaust yourself much faster. Enough you could run out in a single fight.¡± ¡°Hence the top-offs,¡± Delta said, nodding. ¡°Sheesh. So, what. Between every fight? That¡¯s a lot of sex.¡± ¡°Every fight would be unnecessary,¡± Rosalie said. Like usual, when she became embarrassed, her voice took a controlled, clipped tone. ¡°But with some frequency, yes. We don¡¯t want her reserving her abilities; she needs to train her runes as much as us.¡± ¡°So every few.¡± ¡°Five or six, I would guess.¡± ¡°Still a lot of sex. We taking turns?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t need to be sex,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Intimacy of any form, with one of her bonded targets.¡± ¡°Yeah, but handys¡¯ll get old. What do you usually do? Mouth, or all the way?¡± Rosalie started sputtering. A thought having hit Zoey, and also to save Rosalie, she interjected, ¡°Will having both of you mean a faster recharge?¡± Delta and Rosalie looked at her. Zoey blushed. ¡°Not because¡ªI¡¯m not trying to¡ª¡± ¡°Horndog,¡± Delta grinned. ¡°One isn¡¯t enough? Gotta have us both at the same time?¡± ¡°It just seems usible! Not trying to be weird. Either of you is more than anyone could hope for.¡± Delta paused, then blushed. ¡°You can¡¯t say shit like that with such a straight face. What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Rosalie, on her part, had crossed her arms. If Zoey had to guess, it was because Delta had been lumped in under the descriptor of ¡®amazing¡¯ along with her. ¡°I¡¯m just saying, it makes sense,¡± Zoey said. Delta considered it for a second, thenughed. ¡°Eh, guess it does. The Maker knows it could fit four hands, so that won¡¯t be a problem. Or two mouths, for fuck¡¯s sake. Five or six of them, really. Guess it¡¯s worth a shot.¡± Zoey tried not to linger on the imagery of five or six mouths working up her shaft. Getting hard while hiking through the rugged terrain of the Fractures would be a bit inconvenient. ¡°As if I would ever engage in¡ªin such activities¡ªwith this woman,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Then one is fine,¡± Zoey said instantly. ¡°The thought just struck me. Everyone¡¯sfort matters more.¡± ¡°Aw,¡± Delta said. ¡°That¡¯s sweet, and really gross. Seriously, stop saying shit like that.¡± She wrinkled her nose at Rosalie. ¡°And what happened to professionalism? As if I¡¯m twitching to jump into bed with you. But she¡¯s got a ss, and reality needs to be faced. Weren¡¯t you the one whining about that?¡± ¡°If it bes necessary, then I¡¯ll consider it. Her resources are hardly difficult toe by. One of us is plenty. It¡¯ll simply mean more stops¡ªif that¡¯s even how it works.¡± Delta shrugged. ¡°Whatever. Prude.¡± The conversation devolved into bickering, as it had a few times before. How are we only an hour in? Would they even make it to the shard in one piece, before Rosalie and Delta started engaging in honor duels? Forecast ¡­ not promising. ### ¡°Loot distribution,¡± Delta said. ¡°How¡¯s that working?¡± ¡°Discretionary. Dump it and split, if there¡¯s issues.¡± Delta bobbed her head, as if the words that had escaped Rosalie¡¯s mouth were more than a collection of nonsensical sounds. ¡°Sure. Even?¡± ¡°Is always the goal.¡± Rosalie shrugged. ¡°You¡¯ll find we¡¯re not picky. It¡¯s low-advancement equipment. Who cares?¡± ¡°Fill me in?¡± Zoey asked. Rosalie nced her way. ¡°Oh. We¡¯ll use our best discretion,e to an agreement on how items will be split, once the shard isplete. If we can¡¯t¡ªif we refuse to find some terms we all agree on¡ªthen we¡¯ll sell everything we¡¯ve collected to a third party and split the coin three ways. Which is less than ideal, but the only fair option whenpromise can¡¯t be made.¡± Made sense, Zoey guessed. It wasn¡¯t the first time Rosalie and Delta had used lingo Zoey needed to be caught up on. Before, when it¡¯d just been the two of them, Rosalie had been careful in which phrases she used, knowing Zoey had no clue what was going on. Now, having another experienced Wayfarer by her side, the two fell into nearly nonsensical discussions. It was useful for picking up on how things worked, at least. Zoey was getting the barest hang of Wayfarer terminology. ¡°Speaking of items,¡± Zoey said. ¡°We using ours, this shard?¡± ¡°The ¡­ ?¡± ¡°New ones, yeah.¡± Rosalie¡¯s lips pursed. ¡°With such significant benefits, it would be foolish not to.¡± ¡°My turn to be filled in, lovebirds. What new items?¡± Rosalie¡¯s nose wrinkled at the ¡®lovebirds¡¯ statement, but she answered Delta. They two might dislike each other, but they were professionals; enjoying each other¡¯spany was far from a prerequisite to them working as a team. That included these preliminary discussions on how they¡¯d be tackling the shard. ¡°Last shard was unusual, as we¡¯ve mentioned to you.¡± ¡°And you think this one¡¯ll be too.¡± Delta nodded her head; Zoey and Rosalie had hardly dragged her along without informing her of that risk. ¡°So, what, pervy items? How so?¡± She¡¯d picked up on the subtext, so at least they didn¡¯t have to break the general idea to her. Rosalie deferred to Zoey, ncing her way; like usual, Zoey picked up the ck on the more embarrassing parts of their circumstances. Might as well hurl off the deep end; no reason to tiptoe. Hadn¡¯t Delta been the one to say exactly that: that she hated tiptoeing? Made things easier. ¡°The important ones are a pair of nipple rings, and a set of buttplugs.¡± Delta burst outughing. ¡°No shit.¡± The reaction tugged a smile to Zoey¡¯s lips; she¡¯d found the situation hrious when it had emerged, too. ¡°What do they do?¡± ¡°Both empower,¡± Zoey said. ¡°But only on orgasm.¡± She¡¯d spare the exact details. Only needed to get the general idea across, for now. Rosalie was shaking her head and pointedly ignoring the conversation. ¡°You told me this shard might be perverted,¡± Delta said, ¡°but you didn¡¯t tell me you¡¯d be shoving shit up my ass.¡± ¡°Definitely not a requirement. Again, only do what you¡¯refortable with.¡± ¡°What kind of buffs we talking?¡± ¡°Significant,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°It¡¯s the only reason I remotely considered it.¡± ¡°¡®Significant¡¯ to her means something serious, I¡¯m taking it,¡± Delta said, looking at Zoey. ¡°The artificer we worked with suggested a forty percent boost to ¡­¡± Zoey had forgotten. ¡°Vitality, perception, focus, and strength,¡± Rosalie said. Delta stumbled a step. ¡°No joke?¡± ¡°Considering their oddity,¡± Rosalie said tightly, ¡°it better produce a worthwhile effect.¡± ¡°They have to be worn in tandem, too,¡± Zoey said. ¡°They¡¯re in matching pairs. Same size. Bigger ones mean better effect.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got multiple sizes?¡± ¡°A whole set.¡± ¡°Shit, bust those bad boys out. Lemme take a look.¡± Zoey did so. They continued to walk and she cracked open the case and showed off the bizarre items to Delta. Delta withdrew thergest of the plugs¡ªone which redrger than Zoey¡¯s fist, noticeably Both of them?¡± That kind of implied Delta¡¯d been stuffing things ¡®back there¡¯ at all, which sent a little thrill through Zoey. ¡°If I had to guess, that¡¯s why it¡¯s so strong. The smaller ones aren¡¯t as good. It¡¯ll take time to work up to the biggest.¡± ¡°You¡¯re trying to work up to this?!¡± Delta waggled the plug in disbelief. Zoey blushed. ¡°I mean¡ªum, no, not particrly? But don¡¯t you like, get used to it, over time?¡± ¡°Sure, if you¡¯re stretching yourself out daily.¡± Delta paused. ¡°Do you?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t done much, uh.¡± ¡°Backdoor stuff.¡± ¡°Backdoor stuff,¡± Zoey repeated. ¡°But I¡¯m not against it.¡± ¡°So you¡¯ll be starting off small.¡± ¡°Probably?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Delta said. ¡°You can make a lot of progress using health potions, if you¡¯re willing to be ufortable. Want to start? Like, noticeable progress. Enough to matter before we reach the shard.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Zoey said. Shit, right now? ¡°Um.¡± She nced at Rosalie. ¡°There¡¯s only two,¡± Rosalie said, ¡°and if I absolutely must be forced into this degeneracy, it¡¯ll be with the rings.¡± ¡°Rings?¡± Delta asked. ¡°Nipple rings that improve attack speed on orgasm,¡± Zoey said. ¡°What the hell?¡± Delta sounded delighted. ¡°This shit is awesome.¡± ¡°Yes, well, they¡¯re mine. You two handle the¡ª¡± Rosalie waved in disgust toward their even less-savory item. ¡°Huh,¡± Zoey said, stilling to terms with the swerve toward perversion. ¡°Okay. But right now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit weird walking with one, but it¡¯ll help stretch you out. Maybe you can be at the third smallest, by the time we¡¯re there.¡± Fuck me. She was going to hike all the way to the shard with these things shoved up her butt? Why was her dick getting hard? ¡°There she is,¡± Deltaughed. ¡°I wondered when she¡¯d being out to y.¡± Zoey flushed and adjusted the stiffening length in her pants. ¡°Sorry. Could only hold out so long.¡± Delta shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m hardly a prude. And I¡¯ve got the feeling blondie¡¯s well and used to it, by now.¡± Rosalie, like usual, ignored her. ¡°Alright, break time,¡± Delta said, pping, as the three of them stalled. ¡°Me n¡¯ your girlfriend are about to get freaky, blondie, so you might want to cover your eyes.¡± ¡°Girlfriend!¡± Rosalie sputtered a second, then stalked away. ¡°Man,¡± Delta said. ¡°She¡¯s got it bad. It¡¯s way too easy.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather you didn¡¯t tease,¡± Zoey said quietly, low enough Rosalie couldn¡¯t hear. ¡°We¡¯re uh. Well. Me, I mean. I¡¯m working on things.¡± Delta actually seemed a bit sympathetic to the request; she nodded. ¡°Honestly, some dick¡¯ll do her good. So sure. I¡¯ll try to keep that teasing to a minimum. Not the rest, though. Now get those pants down, Missy.¡± Fuck. It¡¯s actually happening. She hadn¡¯t never had something up her ass¡ªthat one girlfriend who¡¯d loved receiving had convinced Zoey into some fun of her own¡ªbut she was far from experienced. Zoey pulled out a towel andid it across the rugged forest floor. She tugged down her pants, then underwear, springing out her now-hard cock. Her clothes rested in a bunch atop her boots. Delta smirked at her, clearly taking amusement at this whole situation. Which, Zoey guessed, was good, all things considered. If Zoey had a perverted ss, it was beneficial they¡¯d wandered on a third party-member who wasn¡¯t too fussed by the ordeal. Less fussed than Rosalie, even, who¡¯d stalked away. ¡°This might be useful,¡± Zoey said, pulling out the bottle of cleaning agent and handing it to her. Delta blinked at the item, presumably Inspecting it. ¡°Man, that simplifies things. Or, not simplifies, but¡ª¡± sheughed. ¡°Well, you get the idea.¡± Delta got down between Zoey¡¯s spread-out legs, setting the buttplug box to the right. She shuffled forward. ¡°Alright, time to do the scorpion.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± Zoey squeaked as Delta man-handled her, grabbing Zoey¡¯s legs and toppling her so her back was curved, and Zoey¡¯s lower half was pressed into Delta¡¯s fully-clothed chest. She was bent in a ¡®C¡¯, her cock now pointed directly at her face. Zoey saw pre-cum had gathered at its tip¡ªnot that it¡¯d be seeing any relief. She looked ridiculous, without a doubt, curled over like this, upside down and with her pants and underwear at her ankles. Zoey got the feeling Delta had chosen this position for a reason. Delta didn¡¯t waste any time, or ask permission. Zoey guessed ''implied'' was more than enough for her. She squirted the cold liquid onto Zoey¡¯s asshole, the sensation making her shiver, then started rubbing her fingers in circles, which made her gasp. ¡°You¡¯re not totally new, right?¡± Delta asked. ¡°No.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Squeeze, uh, the bottle in. So it¡¯s clean.¡± Delta did so. It popped into Zoey¡¯s hole, spreading her open in a bizarre¡ªbut pleasurable¡ªway. ¡°Fuck,¡± she panted, even as Delta squeezed, sending a burst of liquid in, which Zoey could actively feel working away on her insides. When Rosalie had said it ¡®tingled¡¯, she¡¯d understated things. Again, without asking, or even giving her forewarning, Delta¡¯s middle finger popped into Zoey¡¯s second entrance. Zoey gasped as a wiggling finger invaded her. She forced herself to rx; to not tense up. There¡¯d be muchrger invadersing, shortly. ¡°Let¡¯s go for broke,¡± Delta said. ¡°I¡¯m starting with second smallest.¡± There was half a question in Delta¡¯s voice, so she was at least somewhat considerate. Zoey didn¡¯t contradict her. A cold piece of metal started making circles around her backdoor. The cleaning liquid had left behind a lubricated residue; it slid easily, the temperature of the object making her shiver. A drop of precum dripped onto Zoey¡¯s shirt, absorbing in a dark stain. Why am I dripping so much? She was more excited than she thought she¡¯d be. The object pressed in, slowly, under Delta¡¯s steady efforts, and spread Zoey¡¯s rarely-used entrance apart. She sucked in air; it was nothing like Delta¡¯s fingers. Those had been a surprise¡ªforeign¡ªbut far from . Even the second smallest of the collection spread her many times more. A pained whine slipped from Zoey¡¯s lips. It hurt, the smallest amount¡ªbut in a good way. Delta stilled at the noise. ¡°Too ambitious?¡± ¡°Just, uh, slower,¡± she panted. Delta pulled the object out, then started ying circles around her entrance. She dipped it in¡ªdrawing a gasp¡ªthen dipped it out, slowly working Zoey up to taking its full width. Itsted a few minutes, Delta carefully working it deeper and deeper with every repetition. Finally¡ª Zoey gasped as the pressure disappeared all at once, the red metal finally sinking into Zoey¡¯s insides, and her tight hole wrapping around the skinny portion just before the base. Even the thin rod exerted no small amount of pressure, though, seeing how Zoey¡¯s asshole was¡ªwell, ustomed to being closed, not spread open more than a finger wide. ¡°There she is,¡± Deltaughed. ¡°Man, you¡¯re making a mess. Stop dripping everywhere.¡± She was referring to Zoey¡¯s excited cock. ¡°Can¡¯t really help it,¡± Zoey said, face zing. The ¡®C¡¯ position Delta had curled her into was extremely embarrassing; she wished Delta had the smallest amount more shame. Zoey had liked it better when she¡¯d been the unruffled one in the dynamic. Delta wiggled the circr base of the toy, stirring it around in Zoey¡¯s insides. Zoey gasped. ¡°Stop ying!¡± ¡°When you make noises like that, how can I help myself?¡± Zoey awkwardly shuffled back so that her ass was no longer in the air, and her cock no longer pointed at her face. ¡°Your turn.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need the practice. I can already fit¡ªwell, whatever you can.¡± Zoey stared at her in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re going to make me suffer through this alone?¡± Even just adjusting herself back to a sitting position had jostled the object around, her clenching asshole highly displeased with its invader. And her cock not highly displeased. Shit. It really feels great. I kinda wanna go bigger. But even this one had barely fit; better to not. At least, for now. By the sounds of it, she¡¯d be working her way up as they walked. Delta hadn¡¯t mentioned health potions for no reason; Zoey assumed they¡¯d be getting ambitious about things. ¡°You¡¯re a sweetheart,¡± Delta said, ¡°But I¡¯m not walking six hours with a plug up my ass if I don¡¯t need to.¡± She jabbed a finger at Zoey. ¡°Only you need the prep.¡± Delta paused. ¡°But if you want me to take care of you, so you¡¯re not hard the whole way, I can do that.¡± Zoey¡¯s cock pulsed in anticipation. Deltaughed. ¡°That¡¯s a ¡®yes¡¯, in my book.¡± She crawled forward and wrapped a hand around Zoey¡¯s cock. ¡°I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s even better when something¡¯s shoved up there. But I guess you¡¯re not a dude, so it¡¯s hard to say. They¡¯ve got some butt stuff we don¡¯t.¡± ¡°You really have a way with words,¡± Zoey said dryly. She wondered¡ªdid she have one of those, with her transformation? Probably not. The insertion of the plug had felt more or less the same as when she¡¯d had her few risque interactions with her old girlfriend. No magical soft-spot up there. Still. The constant pressure of having that rarely-explored hole spread open by cold steel ¡­ it was definitely making Delta¡¯s coaxing hands a more effective extractor. Zoeyid back and covered her face with an arm, letting herself be milked by two diligent, powerful hands, lower hole clenching against tough metal, red bulb filling up her insides. For the tenth or hundredth time, Zoey thought, It¡¯s really not all bad, is it? Stolen away between dimensions, memories carved away¡ªbut damn. Two eager, cute teammates, always willing to help. Her stomach clenched. A burning anticipation built in her cock. Her hips jerked forward, her back arching as she let go. ¡°There she is,¡± Deltaughed delightedly as Zoey sprayed into the air, wrists twisting up and down. ¡°And all over your face. You really don¡¯t care, do you, you naughty girl?¡± 2.13 Self Reflections, More Literal 2.13 Self Reflections, More Literal Hiking for multiple hours with a plug of metal inserted up her ass wasn¡¯t the mostfortable of predicaments, and more than that, Delta¡¯s relief onlysted twenty minutes before the jostling stimtion had her dick filling her pants out again. Under Delta¡¯s suggestion, Zoey tucked her unwieldy member into her waistband to better amodate walking with an erection, because they didn¡¯t have time for Zoey to be relieved every twenty minutes. And while the strategy had her cock stuffing all the way up her shirt, at least they weren¡¯t rubbing against Zoey¡¯s pants, caressing her sensitive tip against the tough material. Her thoughts were sex-hazed as they walked. Delta made constant fun of her for it, and Zoey tried to be her normal self, but mostly failed. Rosalie seemed irritated by Delta¡¯s teasing¡ªand flushed at Zoey¡¯s own constant red cheeks, the way Zoey¡¯s eyes weretching to their hips, chest, and thighs, her constant stimtion driving her thoughts wild. It at least spiced the mundane trip up, had the clock ticking faster than it would have otherwise. She and Delta stopped twice to work her up to more ambitious plug sizes; she did better than expected, going up two more, and having Zoey feeling painfully (and delightedly) full. Their destination realm, the Crystal Ravines, they arrived to an hour after noon¡ªnot that there was any sun to be making such a determination by, but rather, some artifact Rosalie carried around, which she checked with almost anxiety-inducing consistency. Zoey had jokingly called her a taskmaster, but she really was one. She worked with demanding efficiency and adhered to a schedule, and expected she and Delta do the same. Tracking down a shard entrance was trickier, but only took a few hours. By Delta¡¯s raised eyebrows, it was an impressive speed, and one facilitated entirely by Rosalie. Old blood, Delta¡¯s phrase bounced around in Zoey¡¯s head. It had the same ring as royalty, even if context didn¡¯t fully equate the two. They stared into the murky ck void of a portal. Zoey had grown fair enough used to the things, existing as doorways between realms, between shards, and even inside loot chests, so the magical sight didn¡¯t amaze her as much as the first times. Still interesting, though. ¡°Remember,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°If we¡¯re separated, stay still. You¡¯re not fit for solo wayfaring.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Zoey said. Again, her pride prickled at the way she was given so little credit; and again, her more rational mind fought that reaction down, because Christ, she didn¡¯t deserve credit. She was the fragile newbie that needed to be cared for¡ªescorted and doted on. ¡°I¡¯ll sit tight until you find me.¡± If it came to that. There was no guarantee entry would separate them. ¡°We ready, then?¡± Rosalie asked. ¡°As ever,¡± Delta said. They stepped in. ### Zoey groaned as she struggled to consciousness. She couldn¡¯t remember why, but she couldn¡¯t allow herself to give in to the desire to fall back asleep. Hadn¡¯t she been doing something? She shouldn¡¯t be resting. She had just ¡­ just ¡­ Just entered a shard. Her eyes shot open. She iled up in bed, throwing a warm, plush bedsheet from her body, cold air filling the vacuum and chilling her skin. ¡°Mmm,¡± a voice to her left breathed. ¡°What? What is it?¡± Zoey¡¯s head pivoted. It didn¡¯t sound like Rosalie or Delta. It didn¡¯t sound like anyone she knew. Her brain stalled. She took in the face of the woman asleep next to her. Zoey¡¯s eyes widened. Both of theirs did. Both of Zoey¡¯s did. Not-Zoey¡ªthe woman asleep next to her¡ªshot up in bed after her, bursting to awareness, and clutching bedsheets to her chest. She gasped, ¡°What¡ªWhat¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯re me,¡± Zoey said incredulously. ¡°What the fuck.¡± ¡°You¡¯re me?! No, I¡¯m, I¡¯m¡ª¡± ¡°Me?¡± Zoey suggested. Not-Zoey shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re¡ª¡± ¡°Calm down,¡± Zoey said. ¡°It¡¯s shard bullshit. We were ready for this. Don¡¯t panic.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t panic,¡± Not-Zoey eximed. ¡°I¡¯m not. But how am I supposed to¡ª?¡± Not-Zoey froze, then stared down at herself. She tossed the sheets off. Zoey stared. So did Not-Zoey. ¡°Where the fuck is my cock?!¡± she shrilled. Okay. Okay. This was weird. What else had she expected? Not-Zoey¡¯s hand scrambled between her crotch, as if to confirm her cock had really vanished. And it had. Not-Zoey had a cleanly shaved pussy, and while she was post-Ephy transformation, the most noticeable of her changes hadprehensively vanished; no enormous foreign genitalia took up residence between her legs. Zoey¡¯s hand patted absently at her own crotch, making sure a simr fate hadn¡¯t befallen her. It hadn¡¯t. ¡°So,¡± Zoey said, ¡°do you think I¡¯m the fake one, or you?¡± Not-Zoey gaped at her, at the question, before shaking her head and groaning. ¡°Me, obviously.¡± At least she came to terms with it fast. Zoey paused. At least I came to terms with it fast? Or was Zoey being too prospective she wasn¡¯t the fake one? She didn¡¯t feel fake. She assumed Not-Zoey didn¡¯t feel that way either; it was simply the changes between her legs which suggested it. Whatever ¡®fake¡¯ meant¡ªNot-Zoey seemed real enough to her. ¡°Where are we?¡± Not-Zoey asked. Zoey looked around at the finely adorned room¡ªresembling a manor¡¯s master bedroom¡ªbut found she had more important questions. Namely: she was naked again, sans the equipment Rosalie had carefully helped dress her with. Don¡¯t tell me the shard stole our inventories again. Or for the first time, in Zoey¡¯s case. She wondered if Rosalie¡ªand Delta¡ªwere in simr circumstances. She checked that ephemeral, internal pocket-space. Good news: Not empty. Bad news: Zoey burst outughing. ¡°What?¡± Not-Zoey asked with wide eyes. ¡°It left the sex toys,¡± Zoey said simply. ¡°And took everything else.¡± In fact, she¡¯d been so taken off guard¡ªand ustomed to its presence from the long walk¡ªshe hadn¡¯t even noticed that the plug was still in her ass. So at least we¡¯re not starting from scratch. A long pause. Not-Zoey grinned. ¡°Fuck me, that¡¯s funny.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± The two of them copsed back, the strangeness of the situation serving as a catalyst to hrity. Theyughed themselves out, wheezing toward the canopy of the fancy bed. ¡°Perverted,¡± Zoey corrected. ¡°Not funny, perverted. Railroad us more, right?¡± ¡°As if you¡¯re mad about it. We get to see Rosalie¡¯s butt again, all day long.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the worst thing that could happen,¡± Zoey amended. ¡°And Delta''s,¡± Not-Zoey said. A pause. ¡°Shit,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Preaching to the choir, sister.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re uh,¡± Zoey said. ¡°You¡¯re good?¡± ¡°About being a clone?¡± Not-Zoey shrugged. ¡°Feels normal. And we¡¯re pretty good at pushing off the existential dread, aren¡¯t we? Fuck it.¡± They silenced, Not-Zoey¡¯s casual words hitting a little too hard for either of their likings. ¡°Anyway,¡± Not-Zoey said. ¡°Guess the question is, why? Don¡¯t tell me¡ª?¡± Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s a sex thing. Zoey and Not-Zoey stared at each other, a blush building on their faces. ¡°I am not being fucked by myself,¡± Not-Zoey dered loudly. ¡°I¡¯m not¡ªstop getting hard!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help it! You¡¯re naked!¡± ¡°I¡¯m you! You, you¡ªyou narcissist!¡± Zoey sat up in bed¡ªat least her ¡®pitching of a tent¡¯ was slightly less noticeable that way¡ªand raised her hands, palms out, in a cating gesture. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s talk.¡± Not-Zoey huffed, also sitting up. ¡°You¡¯re not fucking me, I don¡¯t care what this shard has nned. That¡¯s weird. That thing isn¡¯t going inside me.¡± ¡°No intentions.¡± Zoey wouldn¡¯t have wanted that either, if she had been in Not-Zoey¡¯s position. Which, uh, made sense. They were the same person. ¡°Seriously, chill. You¡¯re me. We can talk this out.¡± ¡°Okay. Yeah. We can.¡± They stared at each other. ¡°Let¡¯s uh, start with figuring out what the hell¡¯s going on.¡± Zoey started shuffling from the bed, intending to explore the room. ¡°Rosie told us to sit still,¡± Not-Zoey said. Zoey froze, one foot already touching the floor. ¡°You think that means ¡­ even the room we spawn in?¡± ¡°Dunno. Guess we should¡¯ve rified.¡± Zoey hesitated, before finishing climbing out of bed. Not-Zoey tutted, then followed after. Oddly, she dragged the bed sheet along with her, wrapping them around her to preserve her modesty. Was that what I would do, in her situation? It had to be, right? Or was Not-Zoey not Zoey? Stupid question. But the point was clear. She guessed in this situation¡ªZoey being the one with the cock¡ªNot-Zoey had taken a meeker role; or at least wanted modesty more. I guess that makes sense. Not-Zoey was the one under threat of being ravaged. Her cock pulsed at the idea. Zoey tried not to think about what it¡¯d be like to fuck herself. To feel her own pussy squeezing around her. I¡¯m actually a pervert, aren¡¯t I? Ephy had leveled the usation as soon as she had summoned Zoey. And why else would Zoey have been chosen as a goddess of eroticism¡¯s champion? I¡¯m not fucking myself. She already said no. I already said no. ¡°Would it count as masturbation?¡± Not-Zoey asked. Augh was torn from Zoey¡¯s lips, before she quickly cut it off. She distracted herself. The room she and herself had found themselves (herselves?) in was ornate, dripping with wealth. As Zoey had first appraised, a noblewoman¡¯s bedroom. Getting dressed, at least, wouldn¡¯t be a problem, or so she thought until Not-Zoey started pulling open wardrobe drawers and finding nothing. Tease. Not-Zoey huffed. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be surprised.¡± ¡°Being naked¡¯s part of the job, I guess.¡± Not-Zoey tossed the nket she¡¯d been covering herself with back onto the bed. Zoey tried not to pay attention to her naked curves. Fuck. My naked curves. What the hell is wrong with me? ¡°I¡¯m not doing it,¡± Not-Zoey said tly. ¡°Stop staring at me.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± She hadn¡¯t meant to. ¡°I mean¡ªyou know I won¡¯t. If you don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°And I don¡¯t!¡± ¡°I know!¡± Not-Zoey wiped a hand down her face. ¡°Go jerk yourself off or something, if you¡¯re going to be weird.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just a cock.¡± Then, pointedly, ¡°Your cock.¡± Two could y Not-Zoey¡¯s game. ¡°Who cares if it¡¯s hard? You know it¡¯s just a ¡­ biological reaction.¡± ¡°Stop pretending wanting to fuck yourself is normal.¡± ¡°It¡¯s you wanting to do it,¡± Zoey sneered. ¡°If you were in my position, you would too. We¡¯re each other, remember?¡± Not-Zoey paused. ¡°Can we please focus?¡± ¡°Nice deflection.¡± ¡°Asshole.¡± Zoeyughed, which had Not-Zoey doing so, too. At least the brief confrontation, and tension, had broken. ¡°Well,¡± Not-Zoey said. ¡°Not much in here. And we can¡¯t leave.¡± They looked around the room, then sat on the bed. ¡°Guess we¡¯re waiting,¡± Zoey said. 2.14 Rosalie, Rising Up to the Challenge 2.14 Rosalie, Rising Up to the Challenge Rosalie drowsily drifted to consciousness, and the first thing she was met with on opening her eyes was her own face. For a moment, the sight didn¡¯t register. Her brain nked out. Had a mirror been ced into bed with her, leaned over so that when she blinked awake, it was the first thing she¡¯d see? But no, that didn¡¯t make sense. The position Rosalie wasying down with didn¡¯t match the mirror. She jerked up in bed, and the mirror-image didn¡¯t follow. ¡°Mmm?¡± Not-Rosalie said, before scrambling up. ¡°What? Shit. What happened?¡± Rosalie had been trained for the bizarre situations that a shard could thrust on a person since birth. Her brain faltered only for that brief, confusing moment of just-waking-up haze before it had grinded back to full capacity. She analyzed her situation with a Wayfarer¡¯s critical eye¡ªand calm. ¡®What? Shit. What happened?¡¯ Those weren¡¯t the instinctive words that would burst from Rosalie. Too crude. Too uposed. Rosalie looked down at herself, and the sight clicked thest piece of the puzzle. ¡°It seems,¡± Rosalie said to Delta-Rosalie. ¡°That the shard has swapped our bodies.¡± Rosalie watched herself blink in surprise, then look down at herself. ¡°Huh,¡± Delta-Rosalie said. A few moments passed. ¡°Huh,¡± she repeated. ¡°That¡¯s, uh. Huh.¡± Rosalie climbed out of bed. She had a room to explore. The extra height was disorienting. Rosalie was ustomed to perfect control of her body, and the different ratios of her limbs threw her sense of proprioception into disarray. But she adapted. It wasn¡¯t something she¡¯d trained for, obviously, but Rosalie was a fast learner. And their bodies weren¡¯t shockingly dissimr. They were both lean, muscled, and Delta only a few inches taller. Mostly, it was Delta¡¯s chest that threw Rosalie for a loop. She wasn¡¯t used to having so much up top. Where did she hide these things? In her leather armor, Delta had seemed only moderately busty. Naked, she might have more up top than even Zoey. And Zoey¡ªthat was why Rosalie was moving straight to business. As Rosalie had had a sinking suspicion would happen, Zoey hadn¡¯t spawned in with them. Figures I¡¯d be stuck with this infuriating girl. Zoey could tolerate Delta, for some reason, but Rosalie most certainly could not; why had Rosalie ended up with her, and not the other way around? She better be fine. A squirming, anxious feeling in her stomach contradicted her. Rosalie had dragged Zoey along into a second-advancement dungeon, and Zoey wasn¡¯t even suited for first-advancement. But Rosalie needed to progress her runes¡ªto be working diligently toward her destiny¡ªand so she¡¯d forgone catching Zoey up; it would take too long. She knew the risks. I made them clear. Rosalie¡¯s earlier talk with Delta rang in her ears; she¡¯s practically a civilian. She¡¯s fine. ¡°Why are you still lying there?¡± Rosalie snapped. ¡°Getting used to being in a different body,¡± Delta saidzily. ¡°Maker, girl. You¡¯re like, zero percent fat. So why is your ass so big?¡± Delta was craned around, looking at her¡ªRosalie''s?¡ªass. Rosalie couldn¡¯t even begin to start on how to deal with that. So she chose not to. ¡°Zoey¡¯s not here. Get up and help me.¡± Delta blinked at Rosalie. ¡°Eh, she¡¯s probably eaten by monsters already. Looks like it¡¯s me and you.¡± Oddly, the absurd stating of Rosalie¡¯s fear alleviated it. Shards are brutal, but not unfair. If Zoey stayed still and waited for them to arrive, then she¡¯d be fine. But it¡¯s Zoey. Can I really trust that? She¡¯d promised it, and showed general good sense to the practical dangers of a shard, but knowing Zoey, all the shard would have to do is waggle a slime-girl¡¯s ass her way and Zoey would go sprinting off after it. She¡¯s such a fucking pervert, Rosalie seethed,pletely irrationally; Zoey had hardly done anything wrong. Not that she cared what Zoey did with her cock; it was how sex-obsessed she was that irritated her. Even against her own better judgment. Her mind flicked to that dressing-room girl. Gods, Rosalie had been so mortified. Her, a d¡¯Celestin, kicked out of a clothing store because her partner had been caught fucking the store attendant. I¡¯m going to kill her. Rosalie didn¡¯t even know why she was getting mad. Again, Zoey hadn¡¯t done anything. It wasn¡¯t her concern over Zoey¡¯s well-being fueling her irritation. Why would she be concerned? ¡°Stop ogling my body and get moving.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re so chill with us both being naked,¡± Delta said. ¡°This was the entirety of our first shard. I¡¯ve moved past it.¡± Plus, Rosalie was only looking at her own naked body. Which was weird, but less embarrassing than Delta¡¯s, or Zoey¡¯s. Hence, why Rosalie wasn¡¯t looking down at herself. Or rather, Delta¡¯s body. There was a lot to ogle down there, and she caught glimpses of it in her peripheral, but she didn¡¯t have to pay attention to it if she didn¡¯t want to. ¡°Alright,¡± Delta said, finally shuffling out of bed. ¡°Our inventories are gone, too. Besides this.¡± She pulled out and waggled the metal buttplug she¡¯d been supposed to wear, to match Zoey¡¯s, then vanished it back into her inventory. ¡°That happenedst time?¡± ¡°Seems like shards Zoey delves follow a trend,¡± Rosalie said. That is, utterly perverted, and an endless headache. ¡°The good news is the difficulty is adjusted.¡± They might not have armor or weapons, but the monsters would be weaker in exchange. ¡°You still have your rings on,¡± Deltamented, ying with Rosalie¡¯s body¡¯s nipple rings. ¡°Or, I guess, I do.¡± ¡°Stop touching me.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Delta gave her an incredulous look, but stopped fiddling. Rosalie turned back forward. ¡°Wee to shards of perversion. The traps will try to molest you, so be on the watch out.¡± ¡°Molest me? Shit, can¡¯t wait.¡± Rosalie gave her an irritated look, but Delta only grinned. It was an unseemly expression to see on Rosalie¡¯s own face. Everything about the girl moving around in Rosalie''s body was unseemly. Perhaps that said something about Delta herself. Rosalie, ever the diplomat, said nothing about her observation. ¡°What?¡± Delta asked. ¡°I kinda wanna try it out. Get caught, on purpose. Sounds like it¡¯d be fun.¡± ¡°You and Zoey are a good fit,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°It¡¯s a shame you don¡¯t seem to care about her wellbeing.¡± ¡°She¡¯s fine, old blood.¡± Delta rolled her eyes. ¡°If she sits still, we¡¯ll go find her. If she doesn¡¯t, she deserves to die for being a moron.¡± Rosalie didn¡¯t disagree, but she did bristle. Delta waved her hand dismissively. ¡°Alright, alright. Let¡¯s get a move on.¡± ### ¡°Shit,¡± Delta said. ¡°You weren¡¯t kidding.¡± Rosalie stared at the contraption in front of her. ¡°This is more ¡­ on the nose ¡­ than thest one.¡± ¡°Last was first-advancement you said. Makes sense it¡¯d be, uh, more direct.¡± Still. The vines had been an understated trap; a subtle addition to the environment which wanted to have its way with their bodies¡ªand even when captured, had only groped at Rosalie¡¯s chest and stuffed her mouth full of aphrodisiac. No ¡®real¡¯ pration had been involved. This? She and Delta stared down at the stone dildo protruding from the floor. Itid in front of a thick door. Spanning off to the right was an alternate path; Rosalie could infer what the shard was implying. In the same manner as the slime boss, they were offered two options. Either advance the perverted way¡ªwhich would be significantly easier¡ªor face the perils of the shard in its full wrath, but in the way Rosalie knew better. The first would be easier. Zoey had been able to defeat the boss herself, ying by the shard¡¯s preferred methods. Had Rosalie ¡­ assisted her ¡­ in the lewd method of fighting that perverted slime, then it¡¯d have been a given they¡¯d won. Rosalie needed toe to terms with this. She¡¯d chosen to partner with Zoey, and so¡ªin order to face the perverted obstacles they were sure to see many of¡ªRosalie had to engage on proper terms. And sure, she might be a d¡¯Celestin, and riding herself on a stone dildo to advance faster could be seen as degrading ¡­ unbefitting of someone her status ¡­ but she could spin the logic around. A d¡¯Celestin did whatever she needed to. All that mattered was advancement. ¡°It wants us to fuck it, right?¡± Delta asked. ¡°That much is obvious,¡± Rosalie snapped. Delta paused. ¡°Sounds like you need it more than me,¡± she said dryly. ¡°Maybe an orgasm will do something for your nerves.¡± ¡°I¡ªexcuse me?¡± ¡°Just saying,¡± Delta said. ¡°I get you¡¯re worried about your girlfriend, but chill the fuck out. Stress is how you make mistakes. Clear your head. Aren¡¯t you supposed to be old blood?¡± Thest question was more effective than Delta probably intended it to be. It dunked ice water across Rosalie¡¯s body. Old blood. Rosalie wasn¡¯t acting like it. She was acting like a fresh beginner, a greenhorn Wayfarer, worried sick over her teammate¡¯s wellbeing. She breathed in, forcing herself to calm. Zoey would be fine. And if she wasn¡¯t¡ªsuch was life in the Fractures. ¡°You, or me?¡± Rosalie asked. Delta¡¯s eyebrows rose. Or Rosalie¡¯s did. She was wearing her body, after all; Rosalie¡¯s disorientation over that hadn¡¯t faded much. It was surprisingly¡ªor perhaps not surprisingly¡ªdifiting seeing her own face react in ways that weren¡¯t her own. ¡°We¡¯re taking the shortcut? Kinda figured you¡¯d go for the long way.¡± ¡°That would be an inefficient choice. This is the nature of the dungeon. We need to adjust to it.¡± A quirked eyebrow. ¡°Sounds like you¡¯re telling yourself, not me, blondie.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me that.¡± Her attempted calm was failing to weather the annoying girl¡¯s demeanor. ¡°You or me? The other will handle the next.¡± Delta shrugged. ¡°This one looks kinda boring. So have fun.¡± Kinda boring. As if Delta had been hoping for a raunchier shortcut. Perhaps something like those vines¡ªthe perverted girl wanted to be filled up by slimy, writhing ntlife. She and Zoey really are a good fit. She eyed the protruding stone dildo, hesitating despite her words. ¡°We don¡¯t have to do this,¡± Delta said. ¡°What¡¯s a detour, right?¡± Rosalie shook her head. ¡°It¡¯ll be inordinately difficult.¡± ¡°Will it?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t fight the final boss how it was intended to be, and I lost.¡± ¡°A first advancement?¡± Delta¡¯s surprise was in. ¡°Yes,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°I lost against a first advancement boss when I didn¡¯t face it how the shard preferred. It was a close thing. I would have won, if I hadn¡¯t gone in cocky, expecting the fight to be simple. But even so. It¡¯s better to y things as preferred.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± Delta said. ¡°Okay. Still. We can do things the hard way. Up to you.¡± Rosalie huffed and spurred her feet forward. She approached the stone protrusion. It was shaped smoothly, and with a slight curve. It didn¡¯t resemble a cock in an urate sense; and it was many times smaller than Zoey¡¯s absurd length. But no skill to help me along. It was still arge object; she¡¯d have to lower herself gently. And Zoey has the lubricant. ¡°Use your spit,¡± Delta suggested. ¡°It¡¯s something. It¡¯ll start you off, until¡ªyou know.¡± Until Rosalie¡¯s own excitement slickened the stone. ¡°I don¡¯t need your advice, thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re kind of an asshole, you know that?¡± Rosalie ignored her. ¡°Don¡¯t watch me.¡± ¡°Seriously? You just said we need to get used to this. And it¡¯s my body. Hardly something I¡¯m not used to seeing.¡± She had two good points. Rosalie needed to move past her embarrassment over sex. She almost pushed the point ¡­ but swallowed her protests. Whatever. Who cares if she watches? This is the life I¡¯ve chosen. Perverted shards and constant erotic stimtion. If it meant faster advancement, Rosalie would do it. And a smaller, hidden part of her epted this situation for a different reason. Maybe I want her to watch, to have her eyes crawling over me as I pleasure myself. Even if she¡¯s annoying. Rosalie knelt down in front of the curved stone in front of the door, eying it. It¡¯s barely going to fit. It¡¯d stretch her apart. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time she¡¯d have something inside her, but Rosalie hadn¡¯t been a person who had pleasured herself often. Obviously. She¡¯d been rather focused on other matters, growing up. She spat into her palm and worked the impromptu lubricant into the rounded top of the obscene phallic relic. She couldn''t believe she was doing this. Fucking a stone protrusion so they could make their way through the shard faster. Why was she so excited at the thought? Not that she showed it on her face. She had a spectator. She needed to maintain theposed air she''d always cultivated; a d''Celestin would never be titited at having to fill herself up with a stone toy. She''d treat it like the reluctant, necessary task it was. ¡°Oh,¡± Delta said. ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°What?¡± Rosalie demanded. Her cheeks were zing. ¡°You should put your plug in.¡± The steel adornment appeared in her hand. ¡°Since I¡¯ve got the rings, now.¡± She tweaked her nipples. ¡°And my body¡¯s the one that can take it. You¡¯ll want to start ¡®building up energy¡¯ for the boss.¡± Rosalie looked at the item with dismay. ¡°Need some help?¡± Delta asked. ¡°I can handle it myself, thank you,¡± she shot at her. Delta handed her the item. ¡°Use your fingers first. Then the dildo, it¡¯s smaller. Work your way up.¡± Rosalie stared at the thick plug in her hand. Just do what needs to be done. She used her saliva to lubricate her backdoor, then, with a vague thought of, I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m doing this in front of her, slid a finger in. She bit down on a lewd noise. At least this wasn¡¯t the first time she¡¯d had something down there. Zoey¡¯s tongue and fingers had very thoroughly explored her, already. She worked her way up to two fingers, then three. Once she¡¯d properly rxed to the idea, Rosalie shuffled overtop the dildo. The plug wasrger, so, as Delta had suggested, she¡¯d use the dildo to stretch herself in preparation. Her knees scuffed against the rough stone floor. She gripped the thick object and aligned her lower half to it. Somewhere in front of her¡ªin her peripheral¡ªshe sensed Delta watching. Why am I facing her? Instead of the door? It seems like I''m trying to put on a show. Obviously, it had been a thoughtless coincidence. Because that was what Rosalie was. Thoughtless. A person prone to not considering every implication of her actions. Who am I kidding? the exasperated, disregarded part of her brain said. Rosalie lowered her only slightly-rxed second hole onto the object, feeling it bump against her and rub against that sensitive opening. ¡°Take it easy,¡± Delta said. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt yourself.¡± The words weren¡¯t concerned¡ªthey were taunting. ¡°Shut up. Let me concentrate.¡± Delta just grinned. Rosalie gasped as the bulbous tip finally slipped in; it spread her tight hole open. So ¡­ so tight. She worked through the pain¡ªand pleasure¡ªof being widened. Rosalie knew her body wouldn¡¯t have been able to handle it, but Delta¡¯s was used to this; her tight backdoor spread to amodate therge invader, and finally, with a pleasurable pressure, it popped all the way in. ¡°There you go,¡± Delta smirked. ¡°Well done. Work yourself a bit, then try the plug.¡± ¡°I said stop talking.¡± Rosalie gently lifted herself, then lowered, her squeezing hole sliding up and down the stone length. She did it a few times, letting her hole rx to the painful girth. It was easier than she¡¯d thought it¡¯d be. Finally, after a minute of lewd thrusting, she let it pop out of her. Time for the plug. Even having prepared herself, the re of the enormous toy felt like she was being torn apart. She whined as she pushed it through, forcing herself to keep going even when it hurt, and finally the pressure disappeared all at once, the rounded object bursting into her. Her hole wrapped around the skinny base. ¡°That didn¡¯t seem so bad,¡± Delta said. Rosalie could seriously do without thementary. Or maybe I like it. She lined herself up to the stone dildo, but her pussy, this time. This was just in my asshole. She hesitated; she hadn¡¯t even considered that. Toote now, though. It still needed to be pleasured. She cleaned it off best she could with her hands, not that it had been dirty. The idea shouldn¡¯t excite her. So ¡­ lewd. It was a close fit. Rosalie had to wiggle her hips and work in her natural lubricant to make it fit. But eventually, with a delightfully satisfying stretch, the stone dildo entered her fully; she buried herself all the way into its impressive length and girth, her ass hitting the ground. Her other filled-up hole squeezed against the plug. Like with the plug, her pussy had taken the dildo easier than she¡¯d thought she would. Because this wasn''t her body. Delta''s pussy was more used to entry than Rosalie''s. Not that she meant that in a disparaging way; it was simply a fact. Rosalie didn''t consider promiscuity a bad thing. Only pervertedness. Which were two distinctly separate traits. Despite her best efforts, a moan was wrenched from Rosalie''s lips at having her insides stuffed full of stone and metal. "That¡¯s an embarrassing noise,¡± Delta said. ¡°Unbing for an old blood, don''t you think?" Rosalie opened her eyes to a smirking Delta. Or smirking Rosalie. Seeing her own lips curled in amusement felt vaguely ironic; like it really was Rosalie looking down on herself. "S-Shut up,¡± Rosalie gasped. "Nice stutter. It feels good, then? Maybe I should¡¯ve gone first. I wonder if you would¡¯ve been able to take it." Her body, Delta meant. Because it was Delta¡¯s body¡ªworn by Rosalie¡ªwhose hips pumped up and down, taking in the stone''s length and filling her up. More than the physical feeling of having her pussy spread open by a girthy object, it was Delta''s belittling smile that had her insides squirming with pleasure. "Feels good?¡± Rosalie gasped out. ¡°Hardly. I''m only doing what''s necessary." "I wonder, do you believe that, or is it for my sake?" Was Rosalie that obvious? Delta was the second person to see through her with shameful ease. Maybe the truth of the matter was that Rosalie just wasn¡¯t hard to see through. "I''m not going to judge you for helping yourself along," Delta said. "Rub yourself, idiot. Or I''lle over and do it myself. You''re making it take longer. Aren''t we trying to be fast about things?" Delta had provided enough of a usible excuse for Rosalie''s hand to go between her legs and start rubbing at her clit. She bounced up and down the thick object, feeling herself be spread open over and over. Imagine it''s Zoey''s cock. That''s what you want, isn''t it? To have it pressing all the way up your stomach? Further? Maker, that thing goes almost to my breasts, when it¡¯sid across me. Rosalie''s breathing elerated as she gyrated and thrusted against the shard''s makeshift toy. In her other hole, a plug of metal jostled around. The sensation was incredible. Hurry it up. We''re trying to get a move on. And Delta''s watching. You shouldn''t be providing any more show than is necessary. Fast is good. Fast is good. Fast is good. Rosalie''s hand rubbed rapidly, a radiating heat building in her stomach. Her lips opened as she panted out air. Why is this so exciting? It surely wasn''t because Delta was watching her. The other girl was unendingly annoying; Rosalie was turned off for how little she wanted to be watched by such an insufferable teammate. And the indignity. Delta had some idea of what Rosalie was, if not exactly. She knew her pedigree, in part. For someone like Rosalie to be bouncing up and down, pleasuring herself on the thick cock of a shard. The shame was indescribable. Rosalie was drowning in it. And drowning in something else. The lewd, whining noises escaping Rosalie¡¯s lips became louder. She stopped paying attention to Delta. She copsed forward into the floor, elbows supporting her, as she thrusted desperately against the stone phallus. She imagined it was Zoey¡¯s cock thrusting into her. It felt big enough, honestly. To think her dark-hairedpanion was more than twice asrge ¡­ Her lower body spasmed, and she agonizingly kept thrusting, the pleasure building, building, building. The idea that Delta was watching only helped to bring her mind-melting euphoria higher. It wracked through her body, and shey whining on the floor, her pussy convulsing against its invader. Behind her, the grinding noise of a door opening filled the air. Rosalie was only half aware of it. Waves of pleasure washed through her. She couldn¡¯t think. It took a moment toe back to her senses. ¡°Nice job, old blood,¡± Delta said, a smirk in her voice. ¡°Your kind really does work fast.¡± 2.15 Self-Care … Sort Of 2.15 Self-Care ¡­ Sort Of ¡°Come on,¡± Zoey said. ¡°You¡¯re saying you¡¯re not even curious?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re lying. You¡¯re me.¡± ¡°Clearly not.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same thing as masturbating.¡± ¡°Hardly.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Pretty sure masturbating doesn¡¯t include cock going into a pussy,¡± Not-Zoey sneered. ¡°Honestly, with how much you¡¯ve got down there, do it to yourself!¡± Zoey paused. ¡°Oh my god,¡± Not-Zoey said. ¡°Not actually. What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not! I was just.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Never thought about it.¡± She¡¯d considered her ability to suck on herself, but never ¡­ putting it into herself in the more traditional sense. ¡°Would it even work?¡± Not-Zoey asked. Zoey blinked. She considered it. ¡°It¡¯s still a bit flexible when it¡¯s hard,¡± Zoey said. ¡°So, uh, maybe? I think it¡¯d be easier to get it when it¡¯s only half-hard. And then, um, when it filled up, it¡¯d ¡­¡± A long silence. ¡°That¡¯s kind of hot,¡± Not-Zoey said. ¡°Try it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not trying it! What the hell? You¡¯re supposed to be the not-perverted one.¡± ¡°We¡¯re the same person, dumbass.¡± ¡°So you want to see me fuck myself, but not¡ª¡± ¡°You fuck yourself?¡± Not-Zoey sneered. ¡°This is getting old.¡± Okay, maybe they were the same person; she was taunting Zoey in the same way Zoey would¡¯ve taunted Not-Zoey. ¡°I¡¯m not putting my own cock into my own pussy,¡± Zoey said tly. ¡°I¡¯m not that perverted.¡± ¡°Irony? Hello?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°Also¡ªyet,¡± Not-Zoey said. ¡°Huh? What do you mean, yet?¡± ¡°Please. We know where all this,¡± she waved around, as if to indicate their lives in general, ¡°is leading. You¡¯re trying to fuck a clone of yourself¡ªyou think you won¡¯t y around, at some point? I know for a fact you¡¯ve thought of sucking yourself off.¡± ¡°That¡ªthat was just a thought. I never actually nned to.¡± She didn¡¯t know why she was defending herself to herself; the only reason Not-Zoey knew that tidbit was because it had happened before their consciousness-splitting. And hell, it was normal to wonder what her cock would feel like in her own mouth. To most people, it just wasn¡¯t possible; they didn¡¯t have fourteen inches. Lost in the haze of lust, anyone would try it. And Zoey hadn¡¯t even, yet. That made her less perverted than average. So, there. Proof. ¡°You¡¯re not fucking me,¡± Not-Zoey said, as if coralling them back to topic. Zoey copsed into the bed and huffed. ¡°Well, what else are we doing until our saviors arrive?¡± Not-Zoey was quiet for a bit. It had been a rhetorical question, so the eventual answer surprised Zoey. ¡°I guess ¡­ I don¡¯t want you inside me ¡­ but we could still have some fun.¡± Zoey blinked and sat up. Not-Zoey blushed under her questioning gaze. ¡°I¡¯m just saying, it¡¯s practically masturbation, isn¡¯t it?¡± Not-Zoey said, contradicting her own stance from a minute earlier. ¡°And ¡­ since we brought it up ¡­ I¡¯ve been wondering what it tastes like. Sucking my cock isn¡¯t as embarrassing as sucking ¡­ yours.¡± Zoey almost pointed out how that made no sense, before realizing Not-Zoey had offered to give her a blowjob. Her cock started to swell with blood, quickly growing to full mast. ¡°Not remotely as embarrassing,¡± Zoey lied in agreement. ¡°And it gives us something to do.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Not-Zoey said. ¡°Gotta pass the time somehow.¡± They stared at each other, blushing. It¡¯s me, for fuck¡¯s sake. Why is there so much tension? Zoey shuffled against the bed until she was leaned against the backboard, pillows supporting her. ¡°Set your own pace.¡± Not-Zoey hesitantly crawled over to her; she¡¯d been seated on the opposite end. My own tits shouldn¡¯t be turning me on. But they were so perfectly shaped, and all Zoey¡¯s monkey-brain registered was a cute girl¡ªnot herself, even if it was¡ªshuffling across the bed toward her, naked body fully on disy, with her eyes locked to Zoey¡¯s cock. Not-Zoey lined up to Zoey, situating her legs across Zoey¡¯s own. Zoey had an excellent view of her own pussy. Her cock pulsed. I really want to know what it feels like. I¡¯m such a pervert. Not-Zoey¡¯s hands quested out, wrapping around Zoey¡¯s member. It twitched in happiness. Not-Zoeyughed, suddenly. ¡°You know,¡± she said, ¡°I think this is maybe a moment for self-reflection. We should talk about us.¡± ¡°Us?¡± ¡°Delta brought it up. Why don¡¯t you use your other part? You know. What God gave you.¡± Zoey couldn¡¯t help but hunch forward in defensiveness, even if the person asking the question was herself. ¡°Dunno. Just haven¡¯t.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s be honest with ourselves,¡± Not-Zoey said. Her hands wrapped around Zoey¡¯s cock were highly distracting. ¡°Is it because you like topping? And it feels more natural to top with this?¡± She squeezed Zoey as if to emphasize what she meant. ¡°Where¡¯d all this confidencee from?¡± Zoey asked, breath growingbored at Not-Zoey¡¯s hands. A second ago, Not-Zoey had barely been able to look at her straight. Now, she was stroking up and down and interrogating her. ¡°Dunno. Ask yourself. We¡¯re the same person, remember?¡± She grinned. Zoey was silent for a while. It was a heavy question; and the pleasuring of her lower half¡ªby her own long, slim hands¡ªmade it hard to think. ¡°I ¡­ that might be it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it is.¡± Zoey sighed. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s part of the reason.¡± ¡°Is it because it¡¯s overwhelming?¡± Not-Zoey suggested. ¡°And ¡­ using both at once would make you feel weird. Different?¡± The words were as much admissions as anything else. Not-Zoey was speaking Zoey¡¯s mind for her. ¡°But we should get used to it. It could be a lot of fun.¡± Another silence. ¡°It probably would,¡± Zoey sighed. ¡°You¡¯re not weird because you have a cock now. Embrace it. You¡¯re more than you were before, not less.¡± ¡°This is a little too ¡­ self-motivational for my liking.¡± ¡°Some corniness is in line. I¡¯m helping us work past this.¡± A pause. ¡°And speaking from the person who lost it ¡­ having a cock is awesome. I already miss it. You¡¯re lucky you have both¡ªthe question is, why don¡¯t you take advantage of it?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve never shown interest with ¡­ ¡± Zoey didn¡¯t need to finish the statement. Not-Zoey gave her an unimpressed look. ¡°Delta did, and you shot her down. Rosalie hasn¡¯t, and that¡¯s because she¡¯s insightful. She probably noticed we¡¯re weird about it.¡± Not-Zoey shrugged. ¡°Or maybe she¡¯s timid. She¡¯s not the sort to initiate.¡± Which was ironic, considering Rosalie¡¯s demeanor otherwise. For being so confident and assertive, she really was such a bottom. ¡°Tell you what,¡± Not-Zoey said. ¡°We can make a deal.¡± ¡°Deal?¡± ¡°If you let me do what I want to you ¡­ I¡¯ll let you do what you want to me.¡± Zoey digested the words, and her heart started mming. ¡°Meaning?¡± ¡°Let me y with both parts of you ¡­ and ¡­¡± ¡°¡¯I¡¯ll get to ¡­?¡± ¡°Fuck me,¡± Not-Zoey said, rolling her eyes. ¡°Yes. This is a moment for personal growth. Pretty sure I¡¯m dissolving into the ether after this is done, so what¡¯s it matter how embarrassing it would be?¡± They both paused. Like usual, Not-Zoey¡¯s casual disregard of her situation was off putting. ¡°What do you say?¡± Not-Zoey asked. Zoey bit her lip. ¡°I ¡­¡± A teasing grin. ¡°Come on. Don¡¯t want to know what it¡¯s like? Your own tight little pussy wrapped around your cock? The noises you make when you bully yourself to climax?¡± Zoeyughed. ¡°Fuck. I see why Rosalie likes it.¡± The dirty talk was pretty nice. And it did a good job at working Zoey¡¯s nerve up. ¡°Well?¡± ¡°Okay. I ¡­ yeah. Deal. Fine.¡± Not-Zoey scooted an inch closer. One of the hands she¡¯d been using to jerk Zoey went lower; the other, higher up, to her cock tip, where she rubbed up and down, jerking off only the head. Not-Zoey¡¯s digits stroked at her in a way Zoey hadn¡¯t experienced in a long time¡ªor what felt like a long time. Her hips squirmed at the sensation of having both sensitive spots pleasured at once. And the fucking buttplug is still in. So three sensitive spots at once. It was ¡­ a lot. Not necessarily in a bad way. Having this done to her by herself¡ªa clone, but still¡ªmade it easier. And having talked it out, too. Not-Zoey¡¯s fingers yed between Zoey¡¯s lower lips even as her cock pulsed in pleasure from her other hand¡¯s jerking motions. ¡°Ready?¡± Not-Zoey asked. ¡°Guess so.¡± Not-Zoey pressed her middle two fingers forward, and she sank into Zoey¡¯s slick insides. Zoey sucked a breath in. It was hardly an alien sensation, like the first time Zoey had yed with her cock. But both at once ¡­ was definitely new. ¡°Wow,¡± Zoey said. ¡°That¡¯s, um.¡± ¡°Seems fun,¡± Not-Zoey said, grinning up at her. Both hands worked diligently, one curling and thrusting, the other gripping hard and jerking up and down. ¡°Once you get used to it, seems like you¡¯re in for some serious fun. Do you think they cum at the same time? Or separate?¡± ¡°Feels, um, feels like separate.¡± The two coaxing of her erogenous zones were happening at different speeds. Her cock was reaching climax faster. ¡°Slow down up top, if we¡¯re trying to sync them.¡± Not-Zoey listened, working more diligently at her bottom than on Zoey¡¯s length. Zoey closed her eyes and let herself be pleasured, throwing her head back into the pillows. Unsurprisingly, the idea it was herself thrusting her fingers and curling them around inside Zoey¡¯s insides aided her in the growing heat. The more-familiar¡ªor less?¡ªclimax started to build. Fuck. It feels so good. Why was I afraid of this? ¡°Make sure we get it right,¡± Not-Zoey murmured. ¡°I want to see you melt. What¡¯s your status?¡± ¡°Y-You can start going up top, again.¡± Not-Zoey worked away. Zoey was briefly appreciative of her¡ªher own?¡ªskills. She¡¯d really picked up a thing or two with how to work fingers. No wonder she¡¯d had Rosalie in a blushing, incoherent mess. The things Not-Zoey¡¯s fingers were doing inside Zoey¡¯s pussy was totally unfair. ¡°Here ites,¡± Zoey breathed. ¡°Oh, fuck.¡± Her lower body was wiggling side-to-side of its own ord. ¡°Lower, first. Then¡ªthen top is ready.¡± Not-Zoey listened. Only when Zoey¡¯s pussy started to spasm did she finally finish off Zoey¡¯s cock. Two simultaneous orgasms crashed through her, melting Zoey¡¯s brain. She lost herself to the sensation. She whined and gasped as her body shook, then, with a thrusting-up of her hips, she emptied herself into the air. Not-Zoey¡¯s stroking hands worked out thick ropes of Zoey¡¯s baby batter. Her lower body spasmed too, clenching against still-curling fingers. Not-Zoey held eye contact with Zoey through the whole twitching, shaking mess. Why are we such a whore for that? Eye contact made things so much better. Zoey copsed in a sweaty mess against the pillows. She twitched with the aftershocks of such an intense double-crescendo. Not-Zoey¡¯s fingers slid from inside her. She raised them to her mouth and tasted the juice clinging to her digits, then sighed in pleasure. Zoey¡¯s cock twitched as the disy. ¡°See? Fun.¡± ¡°Little ¡­ more than fun ¡­¡± Zoey breathed. Not-Zoey cuddled into Zoey. Zoey wrapped her arms around her, snuggling in too. They basked in each other for a few minutes. ¡°This feels oddly metaphorical,¡± Zoeyughed. By the snort Not-Zoey released, she assumed she¡¯d had the same thought. ¡°Damn,¡± Not-Zoey said. ¡°Now it¡¯s your turn.¡± ¡°Now it¡¯s my turn,¡± Zoey mumbled happily. ¡°Just give me a second. Let her recharge. I want to enjoy this.¡± 2.16 Into the Dungeon 2.16 Into the Dungeon Zoey was lining her cock up to Not-Zoey¡¯s entrance when the bedroom door burst open. Both her and Not-Zoey¡¯s head pivoted to their arrivals¡ªDelta and Rosalie¡ªand Zoey stayed frozen for a long, suspended moment. Rosalie and Delta stared, speechless. ¡°I, uh, can exin,¡± Zoey said. Delta looked at Zoey, cockid out across Zoey¡¯s clone, just about to thrust in, and said, horrified, ¡°Oh my gods. You can¡¯t be serious.¡± Rosalie, on her part, burst outughing. It was two highly uncharacteristic reactions. Zoey¡¯s face flushed even as Not-Zoey scrambled from underneath her, pulling the nkets up to cover herself. Zoey sat back down, cock still hard, and more mortified than she might have ever been in her life. Why did they have to walk in now? Before she¡¯d even got to feel what Not-Zoey¡¯s¡ªher own¡ªinsides were like ¡­ all the shame of being caught, but none of the payoff. The worst possible time. Fate conspired against her. ¡°Honestly, you go, dude,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°I¡¯d have done the same.¡± ¡°The shard swapped our bodies,¡± Delta said tly. ¡°I¡¯m Rosalie. She¡¯s Delta.¡± Zoey absorbed the announcement. It exined their reactions. And seeing how body-y (a term Zoey invented on the spot) was clearly the theme of this shard, it made sense. ¡°The shard cloned me,¡± Zoey said. ¡°We¡¯ve noticed,¡± Rosalie in Delta¡¯s body hissed. ¡°Now stop trying to fuck yourself and stand up. It¡¯s time to get moving.¡± ¡°It was her idea,¡± Not-Zoey said. Rosalie¡¯s re pivoted. ¡°And you! What do we even do with you? One was enough.¡± ¡°Think she¡¯s a trap?¡± Delta in Rosalie¡¯s body asked. ¡°Good thing we got here in time. Bet you slip inside, she eats you with her pussy, or some shit.¡± Zoey paused, ncing at Not-Zoey, both their eyebrows raised. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Well, why else?¡± ¡°Who knows anything about this shard,¡± Rosalie growled. ¡°Stand up! We¡¯re moving.¡± She seemed exceedingly flustered for having caught Zoey. Which made sense. Also, it was super weird seeing Rosalie¡¯s embarrassed reactions on Delta, who had previously been so unruffled when it came to sex. And the other way around, Delta¡¯s irreverent reactions on Rosalie¡¯s normally controlled face. Zoey¡ªdespite all the shenanigans¡ªbriefly appreciated Delta¡¯s naked body. Like she had expected, Zoey wasn¡¯t the only one who had her inventory confiscated; both Rosalie and Delta had too. Delta¡¯s curves were even more generous than she¡¯d expected, and she¡¯d expected a lot¡ªshe¡¯d noted how tightly her leather armor had clung, and leather armor had a tendency to conceal. Fuck me. Delta¡¯s tits were ¡­ Well, she had a nice pair, without being crude about things. ¡°Ogle me more, will you?¡± Rosalie seethed. Shit. That¡¯s Rosalie in there. Don¡¯t forget. ¡°Justing to terms with the, uh, situation,¡± Zoey lied. ¡°Meant nothing by it,¡± Not-Zoey added. They nced at each other, thenughed. Of course she was staring, too. She¡¯s me. Zoey and Not-Zoey shuffled out of bed. Not-Zoey reluctantly released the bed sheets covering her. Zoey took note of Rosalie staring at Not-Zoey distinctly cockcking crotch (which, what a phrase), before tearing her eyes away. Just as surprised as I was. She wondered which way Rosalie preferred her. She definitely seemed to like Zoey¡¯s extra equipment, but would she have liked Zoey more, without? Stop being insecure, she scolded herself. Even if Rosalie¡¯s eyes did seem to be gravitating to Not-Zoey. It¡¯s just the novelty. ¡°To think we were rushing here, and ¡­ and you were doing this,¡± Rosalie fumed. ¡°I was ¡­ I was ¡­¡± ¡°She was worried sick,¡± Delta finished, smirking. ¡°It was kind of cute.¡± Rosalie red at Delta, then Zoey, then stalked from the room. Zoey felt like an asshole, even if she hadn¡¯t done anything wrong. She¡¯d stayed in the spawn-room exactly as instructed. What did the fact she¡¯d been about to have fun with her clone have to do with anything? ¡°Man, I wish I was in your position,¡± Delta said. ¡°I¡¯d be so balls-deep inside myself, right now. Sure you two don¡¯t want to finish what you started? And can I watch?¡± ¡°No,¡± Not-Zoey said. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t¡ªI can¡¯t¡ªthe moment¡¯s passed.¡± She blushed as she jogged forward to catch up with Rosalie. Delta watched with raised eyebrows. Zoey took note of how her eyestched on Not-Zoey¡¯s ass. ¡°She¡¯s kind of a prude,¡± Zoey sighed. ¡°It took a lot of convincing to even get to that point.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re only perverted when you have a cock?¡± Delta asked amusedly. ¡°What¡¯s up with that?¡± ¡°No, just¡ª¡± Zoey raised her hands in a ¡®I don¡¯t know¡¯ gesture. ¡°Dunno. Guess I wouldn¡¯t want to take this thing inside me, either.¡± ¡°She seemed pretty ready for it.¡± ¡°It¡¯splicated.¡± Delta rolled her eyes. ¡°C¡¯mon. Better catch up.¡± They followed after. ### ¡°So we¡¯ve got a party of four, now,¡± Delta said. ¡°How¡¯s that change things? Zoey-Two, are you bonded to us, like Zoey is? Can you Bolster?¡± ¡°Should I try?¡± ¡°Yeah. Knowing is worth wasting a bit of mana.¡± A secondter, after Not-Zoey had done as instructed, Delta said, ¡°Oh, yeah. You¡¯re definitely linked up.¡± She flexed her hands back and forth. ¡°Wow. That¡¯s intense. Not a small boost, is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite significant,¡± Rosalie said shortly. Her mood hadn¡¯t improved, and Zoey wasn¡¯t entirely sure how to fix it¡ªwhat to say or do¡ªor what she¡¯d even done wrong in the first ce. ¡°So we¡¯ve got one each,¡± Delta said to Rosalie. ¡°Which Zoey do you want?¡± Rosalie¡¯s eyes flicked between them. Rather than answering, she said, ¡°I¡¯m still not sure what to make of this.¡± ¡°Join the club,¡± Not-Zoey said. Both Zoey and Delta nodded; it was obviously a strange situation to be in. ¡°Can we even trust you?¡± Rosalie asked Not-Zoey. ¡°Am I infiltrating the group?¡± Not-Zoey asked sarcastically. ¡°Shit, does it matter how I answer?¡± ¡°We can trust her,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Your opinion doesn¡¯t count for anything,¡± Not-Zoey snapped, making Zoey blink. ¡°Or should I say, our opinion? We trust people too easily.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± Delta said. ¡°So she¡¯s the smart Zoey.¡± ¡°Hey,¡± Zoey protested. Rosalie rubbed her temples. ¡°We¡¯ll trust her until given reason otherwise. Them. Keep an eye on both, we don¡¯t know who is who. How can we know for certain the dungeon isn¡¯t trying to trick us¡ªperhaps Zoey Two is Zoey Prime.¡± ¡°Zoey Prime is so much cooler of a name,¡± Not-Zoeyined. ¡°Yet I get ¡®Zoey-Two¡¯? So not fair.¡± ¡°My head hurts enough,¡± Delta said. ¡°No more name shit. Who¡¯s pairing with which Zoey? We have two noobies to protect, now, not one.¡± Rosalie frowned. Zoey could guess why. Her initial threat appraisal of the dungeon had been with a single useless member to guard. Now, there were two, and the dynamics had changed. And though Zoey¡ªherself, Zoey-Prime¡ªwas probably the ¡®real¡¯ Zoey, she suspected Rosalie didn¡¯t want to take the risk. It could be either of them; from her and Delta¡¯s perspective, as she had said, the shard could be trying to fool them. Hell, it could be neither of them. Or Delta and Rosalie could be fake. Seriously, who knew? ¡°You need to stay focused on dealing damage,¡± Rosalie said,ing to a decision. ¡°I¡¯ll guard both. The n hasn¡¯t changed.¡± ¡°You sure?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not objectively a downside. Her reactions are slow, but her spells,¡± she paused, ¡°spell is potent enough, and versatile.¡± Spell. Zoey hadn¡¯t ever learned a second. With how fast Rosalie had set out, their day had been packed. Having some time between the shard to be better acquainted with her spell casting abilities would have been nice. But Rosalie had goals, self-set quotas to meet. There were so many things Zoey wanted to do¡ªalchemy, spellcasting, and even explore the city and meet people, explore the culture of an alien world. Zoey was definitely dedicated to sticking by Rosalie¡¯s side, but she wished they had more room to breathe. ¡°An extra party member¡¯s always useful,¡± Delta agreed. ¡°Not like the shard will adjust its difficulty because of her.¡± d to know I¡¯m not literally a negative, then, Zoey thought dryly. ### As Zoey had learned to expect from the first shard she and Rosalie had cleared, progression wasn¡¯t all lewdness. She, Not-Zoey, Rosalie, and Delta trekked through the shard¡ªthis one had much more of a ¡®dungeon¡¯ feel than the old cathedral¡¯s hallways¡ªfighting off monsters. They were faster, and more dangerous, than the first shard¡¯s monsters. As expected. The first shard had been first advancement, and this one, second. The gaps between advancements were supposedly prettyrge, and grew steeper with every iteration. After all, to go from merely empowered¡ªbut all things considered, not far from mundane¡ªto a person who, borrowing that evocative phrase Delta had used, could ¡®carve through a city¡¯ at ninth advancement like Enzo d¡¯Celestin, meant that each gap came with a hefty increase in power. Getting meaningful use out of her ice spikes turned out to be a fruitless endeavor. She¡¯d struggled to weave them through in a first advancement shard, and now, having moved to a second advancement without practice, Zoeynded maybe one in six¡ªand flung less of the spells to begin with, because she only shot them when she saw a reasonable opening ¡­ which happened far less frequently, with how fast the things were moving. She had Pressure Point, at least, which allowed her to identify the weak areas of the various monsters they ran into, and call them out to her teammates. So she provided passive benefits, even if she couldn¡¯t contribute to the fight as much as she wanted. The monsters were strange, much odder than the first shard¡¯s. Fitting with the theme¡ªsuspected theme, rather¡ªthe creatures were vaguely designed after ¡®reflections¡¯. They crawled from mirrors, gangly, shadow-like creatures who¡ªthough the opportunity to study faces was rare¡ªhad features just close enough to their own that Zoey could recognize Rosalie, or Delta, or herself in their unsettling visages as they wed forward to attack them. Also like the first shard, Zoey liked the perverted parts much better than cutting through shadow-images of themselves part. The fights were quick, violent, and, truthfully, not overly threatening. Delta¡¯s addition¡ªand having two Zoeys to Bolster her party members¡ªmeant they made short work of most encounters. Zoey took the opportunity to improve her reactions,bat skills, and intuition for how shards worked. She would prefer to be a meaningful contributor to her party as soon as possible. She might have to bring the topic up to Rosalie, truth told. A break between the next shard, an opportunity to practice, would go a long way. She was in a bit of a conundrum when it came to that. She knew Rosalie wouldn¡¯t want to. But especially if they advanced to even more difficult shards, Zoey wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything¡ªreduced from ¡®very little¡¯, like she was now. Eventually, they worked through the hallways and to the next ¡®point of interest¡¯. The next obstacle. ¡°Holy shit,¡± Delta said, summing up everyone¡¯s thoughts. ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡± 2.17 Delta’s Biggest Day Yet 2.17 Delta¡¯s Biggest Day Yet A/N: Please be advised, this chapter contains fetish content. For those not interested in reading certain material, here''s the tags: Spoiler [Extreme Insertions/Distension] [copse] ¡°Now that¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about,¡± Delta said. ¡°There¡¯s¡ªI can¡¯t¡ªis this a joke?¡± Rosalie all but shrilled. Or ¡®I all but shrilled¡¯? Delta thought. She nced Rosalie¡¯s way, and woah, it was, like usual, weird, seeing her own nose wrinkled in disgust, her own cheeks zing at the sightid in front of them. Even Delta would admit her cheeks were coloring a bit. Thest trap¡ªthe one Rosalie had so enthusiastically thrown herself on, despite her flimsy pretenses¡ªhad been downright vani. A dildo iid into the floor? She couldn¡¯t imagine something less risqu¨¦. And while this trap wasn¡¯t wholly different¡ªit was still a dildo, and the intent of ¡®pleasure me to progress¡¯ was still obvious enough¡ªit was a particr adjective that changed everything. ¡®Big¡¯. Nah, that didn¡¯t do it justice. ¡®Giant¡¯. Let¡¯s try one more time. ¡®Gargantuan¡¯. The protrusion¡ªnot stone, this time, but some kind of white, slimy, translucent gel material¡ªwas at least two feet tall. No, that wasn¡¯t a joke. It would literally reach up to her chest if it went inside her. And sitting on a pedestal to the right, a vial of blue liquid. [Potion of Stretchy Insides]: Allows impossible insertions. Don¡¯t think too hard about anatomy. ¡°Good god,¡± Zoey said. ¡°It can¡¯t¡ªreally? It expects us to ¡­?¡± It said something that even Delta¡¯s perverted, amnesia-ridden teammate was at a loss for words for this challenge. ¡°I know I said that when it was my turn, I wanted something a little more daring,¡± Delta grinned, ¡°but I didn¡¯t think the shard would take the request so seriously.¡± ¡°Your turn?¡± Zoey-Two asked. Delta nced her way. Right, she thought, a smile sneaking across her lips. They don¡¯t know, yet. ¡°Rosalie took the first obstacle,¡± she said casually. Two Zoey¡¯s heads pivoted to Rosalie, who blushed, then desperately pretended she¡¯d had no such reaction. ¡°She did, did she?¡± Zoey asked, grinning at her. ¡°I engaged with the shard how it intended,¡± she said, sticking her chin up in the air. ¡°It¡¯s called being a professional.¡± Gods, she¡¯s so funny. Delta might not be friends with the stick-up-her-ass old blood, but being around her was hrious. Delta bet she knew why she acted like she did. Old blood like her, she¡¯d been crammed up in training ranges her entire life¡ªand protecting her reputation. Especially this one. She had the air of royalty about her. And royalty for Wayfarers meant one thing¡ªhigh-advancement parents. Real high. Prominent officers in a Highguild. And I got to see her bouncing up and down a dildo, just twenty minutes ago. Delta knew how to hide her arousal¡ªfunny enough, having a high sex drive meant she could mask it, had learned how to¡ªand the sight of Rosalie pleasuring herself had definitely done something for her. For a brief moment, Delta had appreciated the annoying blonde. She really knows how to make some cute noises. Her thoughts were wandering. She had a rather ¡®big¡¯ task toe to terms with. Delta walked up to theically sized dick. She ran a hand against the rubbery, see-through white material. It hade pre-lubricated, and it glistened in the light, the wall torches flickering in the background. She withdrew her hand and rubbed her fingers together, watching the sticky material cling between her digits. Maker. The size of it. It would literally go into my chest. ¡®Don¡¯t think too hard about anatomy¡¯. The Scribe must¡¯ve thought Herself hrious, drafting up the potion¡¯s item description. Who knew the gods had a sense of humor? Delta¡¯s heart rate picked up, staring at the object and imagining it filling her up. ¡®Filling her up¡¯. Literally, this time, not just a loose application of the phrase. It would stuff her soically silly her stomach would be bulging. She¡¯d be wrapped around it like ¡­ She paused. Like a giant condom-person. The idea almost had Deltaughing. Well, that¡¯s a gross piece of imagery, if I¡¯ve ever imagined one. And kind of hot, even if it¡¯s weird. Nobody¡¯d ever used Delta of being squeamish. Or vani. Though this ¡­ it was a bit outside of even her preferences, orfort-level, she¡¯d admit. Not that it¡¯d stop her. Delta lived for new experiences. She couldn¡¯t be happier with this arrangement, however much she might be the tiniest bit hesitant. Because how couldn¡¯t she be hesitant? Look at the damn thing. ¡°You don¡¯t have to¡ª¡± Zoey started. ¡°Oh, fuck off,¡± Delta said instantly. ¡°If I didn¡¯t want to, I¡¯d tell you. Don¡¯t baby me. I¡¯m not yours to protect.¡± Zoeyughed, which brought a quirk to Delta¡¯s lips. ¡°Right,¡± Zoey said. ¡°My bad.¡± Not everyone liked her blunt nature; Delta knew that a hundred times over. That Zoey not only didn¡¯t mind, but seemed to enjoy it, was kind of nice. Because she couldn¡¯t help herself. Words had always barreled from her mouth without stopping by a checkpoint station, no matter how hard she tried. It had gotten her in a lot of trouble over the years. And lost her friends, a few times. She hoped Zoey wasn¡¯t added to that list. Delta walked forward, scooped up the potion, and downed it, letting her impulsive nature guide her. Don¡¯t think too hard. I¡¯ll just psyche myself out. ¡°I¡¯m jealous,¡± Delta said amusedly. ¡°You three are about to get such a show.¡± She didn¡¯t think too hard about what she was doing as she sat down behind the giant dildo and scooted up to it. The thing pressed around her thighs, almost hard to fit between her legs. Its girth was as absurd as its height. She tried wrapping both hands around and failed. The attempt wasn¡¯t even close. It was thicker than her hands were tall, even. ¡°A show,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s, uh, urate.¡± Delta briefly noted how Zoey¡¯s cock was at attention¡ªbecause obviously, considering the circumstances. Funny enough, she noted that inparison to this monster, Zoey¡¯s own giant cock suddenly seemed a lot more ptable. Allows impossible insertions, Delta thought, looking at the thing that would be stirring up her insides in the short future. No joke. ¡°Even with the potion, this thing might kill me.¡± Her apprehension was growing, now that she had scooted up to the dildo. Its cold bulk pressed into her, and exactly as she¡¯d predicted, the tip of it reached all the way up between her breasts, above her sternum. It¡¯ll be bumping my heart around. Seriously, what the hell? Where would all her organs go? Don¡¯t worry about the anatomy. Delta¡¯s mouth opened as she began to pant. Fuck me, why is that so hot? Maybe she was more into this idea than she¡¯d thought. Apprehensive as hell, sure. But she was excited to find out what it felt like. She stood. She had only sat down and scooted forward to get a sense of what she was in for. Maybe she shouldn¡¯t have. ¡°Okay. Well. This ought to be fun.¡± She lined herself up. She barely had to bend her knees before the dildo¡¯s enormous cock head was rubbing against her pussy. The object barely managed to squeeze between her thighs. She was struck for the tenth time about the insanity of this. If it barely fit between her legs, how would it fit inside? Magic. A potion. But still. Before she started to lower herself¡ªand begin her should-be impossible task¡ªshe nced up at her spectators. Her lips curled in amusement. All three of them, even Rosalie, had wide eyes, and were leaned forward in anticipation. Rosalie¡¯s cheeks were flushed, and she seemed incredulous as much as she was aroused. Zoey¡ªboth of them¡ªon the other hand, had a look of fascination, and something predatory. She¡¯s as excited as me. She wants to see me wrapped around this thing. Well. Delta guessed she¡¯d indulge that wish. She breathed in, bracing herself, then lowered down. The enormous toy pressed into her pussy, and for a brief moment, she thought this really would be impossible, despite the potion¡¯s imed effect. Because she couldn¡¯t even get in a position to start spreading herself open; the side of the object, scaled up to such enormous size, meant she was practically pressing into a t object. But after some finagling, some wiggling of her hips, she found the position that finally let it sink in. The first tiny portion, at least. The thinner, tapering part of the cock head. Even that much was ¡­ a lot. The sensation was indescribable. The potion masked the pain¡ªand allowed the insertion in the first ce¡ªbut it did nothing to mask the feeling of being spread apart by an object the girth of her head. Delta¡¯s pussy opened up, epting its invader. Delta was leaning forward a bit¡ªshe was standing, because of its size¡ªso she could look down and watch it happen. The sight was ¡­ incredibly erotic, and especially because it was Rosalie¡¯s tight pussy this vition was happening to, not Delta¡¯s. A moan wrenched from her lips as she was torn in two¡ªor that was it felt like¡ªbut Delta kept lowering herself. Her insides were stuffedpletely full, more than full, by the enormous cock. It filled her up, inch by incredible inch, and just kept going, kept invading her insides as she sank lower. She ced a hand on her lower stomach and felt the skin bulge and expand¡ªfelt the cock head fill her out¡ªas she went lower. Her hand followed the toy up her stomach as it squeezed into her insides. It¡¯s in my stomach. Her normally t, toned tummy was distended in a clear outline of an enormous cock. Her belly button was pushed out by it. Delta paused, only halfway down, and rubbed her hand against the massive protrusion. I can feel the bumps of the cock head. She traced it in fascination. ¡°How¡¯s it feel?¡± Zoey asked. Delta blinked and looked up; she¡¯d almost forgotten she was being watched. The feeling of her entire body wrapping around a giant dildo was ¡­ pretty attention-consuming. ¡°Amazing,¡± Delta murmured. ¡°I can¡¯t even put it into words. Come feel.¡± Zoey didn¡¯t need to be convinced, as Delta hadn¡¯t expected she would. She approached and got down on her knees, and her hand reced Delta¡¯s own. She rubbed around on Delta¡¯s distended stomach, feeling the outlines of the toy. The friction of Zoey¡¯s hand rubbing it around inside her was incredible. Delta felt like she was melting with ecstasy. Her pussy squeezed and squirmed against the toy. ¡°Keep going.¡± Zoey¡¯s eyes were dark with lust. Delta could see pre-cum had started dripping from her cock. She¡¯s really enjoying the show. Delta obliged. Zoey¡¯s hand followed the bulge up her stomach ¡­ up her rib cage ¡­ then between Delta¡¯s breasts as she engulfed the toy in its entirety, her ass hitting the base of the red toy. She looked down at her body, where a cylindrical pir had invaded her all the way through. I can¡¯t believe this. This is insane. And she¡¯d never felt anything like it. She wanted more, somehow. For it to go literally all the way through, so it bulged into her throat and out her mouth. Not possible, she hazily thought. But this shouldn¡¯t be, so imagine if it was. Zoey¡¯s hand rubbed circles around the toy, massaging the protrusion in Delta¡¯s chest. ¡°I ¡­ literally can¡¯t describe how hot this is. Do you like it?¡± ¡°M-More than like it.¡± Delta couldn¡¯t think. Her mind was hot sludge. Her entire body pulsed with desire¡ªthe need to have this thing moving around inside her. ¡°Let¡¯s see how riding this bad boy works.¡± The trip up was a long one, and the feeling of the giant invader vacating her insides was almost as pleasurable as it was going in. A lewd noise tore from her lips, one she didn¡¯t think she¡¯d ever made before. Then back down¡ªand watched again as her body wrapped around the toy a second time. ¡°That¡¯s ¡­ that¡¯s nice,¡± she panted. ¡°Fuck, that¡¯s nice.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so jealous, right now,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Gotta be faster, next time.¡± Zoey smirked. ¡°Give me a show,¡± Delta said. ¡°It¡¯s only fair, considering the one you have.¡± Her eyes flicked to Rosalie. ¡°Come take care of Zoey. Both of them. They need a top-off, anyway.¡± Then, knowing Rosalie¡ªknowing she¡¯d need a prompt, ¡°Let¡¯s be efficient about this ¡­ break, yeah?¡± Rosalie wavered, then uncrossed her arms. Her eyes were zed over, and her chest was heaving up and down in excitement. Zoey was the one showing tant interest, but Rosalie ¡­ Rosalie was turned on by this too. Who wouldn¡¯t be? ¡°I suppose that¡¯s a reasonable request,¡± she murmured. 2.18 Team Bonding 2.18 Team Bonding A/N: As before, fetish content! Spoiler: Spoiler [Extreme insertions, distension. Cum intion.] [copse] Zoey couldn¡¯t believe how turned on she was. Her cock was practically twitching with need, dripping precum in a steady stream. She watched Delta lift herself up off the ground, her stomach¡ªRosalie¡¯s stomach¡ªttening out to the hard, toned surface it usually was, then back down, distending her body out as the giant toy stuffed into her. Seeing such a lewd, panting expression on Rosalie¡¯s face was driving Zoey wild. Even in the throes of passion Rosalie tried to keep some form of lock on her expressions, but Delta, not at all, and it was Delta wearing her body. She panted heavily, eyes fluttering with pleasure, not masking how much fun she was having in the slightest. ¡°I¡¯m assuming you want to join in?¡± Zoey asked Not-Zoey. She¡¯d been hovering to the side, clearly feeling like an outsider. Zoey sympathized with that; it was obvious Rosalie and Delta were doubtful of her, even if they had verbally acknowledged either of them, or neither, could be the ¡®impostor¡¯. ¡°Is that fine?¡± Zoey looked to Rosalie, who hesitated. Zoey could read what it meant; like usual, not wanting to admit to anything. ¡°She¡¯s fine with it,¡± Zoey smirked. ¡°Two of us taking care of her? It¡¯s a fantasy.¡± ¡°Hmph,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Get over here.¡± Zoey was still sitting on her knees, next to Delta as she continued to fill herself up. The whines and moans were highly distracting. Zoey scooted away, setting up further away from Delta, and in in view. Delta had asked them to put on a show, and as much fun as ying with Rosalie was, ying with Rosalie while getting to watch Delta¡¯s stomach bulge in and out as she impaled herself would be ¡­ even better. Rosalie wandered over and crouched down next to Zoey. Zoey pulled her onto herp¡ªshe squeaked in surprise, somehow never prepared for how Zoey became less gentle when things got going¡ªand Zoey forcefully guided her into sitting in herp, turned around and facing Delta. ¡°What¡¯s it like, seeing your body do that?¡± Zoey murmured into her ear. Her cock throbbed against Rosalie¡¯s thighs¡ªit was sticking out, between her legs, and Rosalie¡¯s wetness had already started to coat it. She was, unsurprisingly, dripping. ¡°It¡¯s obscene,¡± Rosalie said, panting. ¡°I can¡¯t believe ¡­ I can¡¯t ¡­¡± ¡°Is it getting you off?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Rosalie¡¯s hips worked back and forth against Zoey¡¯s shaft, and it seemed an idle action, something she didn¡¯t realize she was doing. ¡°I would never be ¡­ turned on ¡­ by something like this.¡± ¡°Now, now,¡± Zoey tutted. ¡°What have I told you about being honest with yourself?¡± Not-Zoey knelt down in front Rosalie. ¡°I have a suggestion, if you want it. Where we can all have fun.¡± Well. Zoey knew herself. Any idea of hers would be ¡­ nice. ¡°Go for it.¡± ¡°Here. Move for a second, Rosie.¡± Rosalie nodded mutely and did so, even if she seemed disappointed to not be sitting on Zoey¡¯sp¡ªor more urately, on her cock¡ªanymore. Not-Zoey shimmied up, then, moving Zoey¡¯s cock down, she sat on Zoey¡¯sp so she was facing sideways. ¡°Now join me,¡± she told Rosalie. ¡°One leg under mine, the other over. Like a pretzel.¡± Zoey watched as the two girls set themselves up. Soon enough, they were both halfway seated on Zoey¡¯sp, pressing their pussies into her cock. Like they were scissoring, but with Zoey between them. ¡°Now up,¡± Not-Zoey prompted, and Rosalie listened. Two wet pussies slid up Zoey¡¯s shaft, a bit awkwardly, but with Not-Zoey guiding Rosalie along, soon enough they were thrusting their hips up and down, sliding themselves against her shaft with wiggling gyrations of their pelvises. Zoey sighed, leaned back, and tried to decide which sight was more erotic. Rosalie and Not-Zoey¡ªherself¡ªjerking her cock off with their pressed-in pussies, or Delta, watching it happen as she herself was engaged in the most obscene act Zoey had ever seen, her firm body stretched to its maximum as a pir-sized dildo stuffed her insides. ¡°Nice suggestion,¡± Zoey said in a massive understatement. Not-Zoey was biting her lip as she and Rosalie thrusted up and down. ¡°You know, I¡¯m really jealous you¡¯re the one who got to keep it. I bet this feels amazing.¡± ¡°Two cute girls rubbing up and down me? Safe guess.¡± ¡°Rosie looks like she can¡¯t even think.¡± She and Zoey watched Rosalie. Despite her eager thrustings of her pelvis, she wasn¡¯t paying attention to Zoey, or Not-Zoey; her eyes were locked on Delta, her own body being vited, as Delta rode up and down. ¡°She can¡¯t even hear us,¡± Not-Zoey said amusedly. ¡°And she calls us the pervert.¡± ¡°Eh. She¡¯s right. It¡¯s just ¡­ all of us are.¡± Zoeyughed. For a bit, only squelching, panting, and moaning suffused the air, all four of their party being pleasured in different ways. ¡°Enjoying the sight, princess?¡± Delta panted out. ¡°Stare at me more, why don¡¯t you?¡± It broke her trance. Rosalie¡¯s eyes went up from Delta¡¯s bulging tummy to meet her gaze. She wet her lips before responding. ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°Do you want to be the one here? In my ce?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to have your insides all stirred up, like this?¡± Delta ran a hand up and down the protruding shaft in her stomach as she rode herself desperately against the giant cock. ¡°I ¡­ I ¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to say it. It¡¯s cuter when you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Stop ¡­ stop inventing things.¡± Rosalie¡¯s protests were feeble. If it had just been Zoey here, she thought that explosive honesty of hers would¡¯vee out by now; she was inly horny enough for it. But against Delta, her defenses were holding¡ªflimsy and obviously false as they were. Zoey had been trying to prevent herself from moving¡ªto let Not-Zoey and Rosalie set the pace with the sliding of their lower halves¡ªbut for no discernible reason the next eager slide of their pussies had Zoey¡¯s hips bucking. She jostled the two women who were providing their slippery services, and it was like the dam had broken. ¡°F-Fuck. You two¡ªyou feel, you feel¡ª¡± Zoey jerked spastically up and down, mming between the tight pressure of their thighs and pussies. ¡°I need to, god, please, I have to. You feel so good. I want to cum.¡± Zoey wasn¡¯t sure if her own break inposure caused it, but in front of her, Delta¡¯s entire body started to shake as she spasmed against the enormous dildo stuffed in her. Seeing her cum only whited out Zoey¡¯s mind further. She jerked herself up and down with as much force as she could, pping her hips into Rosalie¡¯s and Not-Zoey¡¯s asses as their pussies coaxed her cock up and down, theirbias spreading and dragging across its length. Their own efforts picked up, too, hips jerking as they awkwardly tried to lower themselves up and down¡ªit wasn¡¯t the easiest position to maintain, especially with Zoey¡¯s violent writhing and thrusting beneath them. ¡°Fuck, fuck, please, please.¡± Zoey spat obscenities as her stomach clenched, and the words turned to whimpering. Her thrusting continued, and the first white-hot jet of cum erupted from her cock. The diligent sliding of pussies didn¡¯t stop. If anything, her helpful friends¡¯ movements became frenzied as they tried to extract as much of the sticky fluid as they could. Each ejection of girlcum seared from her cock. It covered all three of their bodies, the asynchronous sliding of their lower halves jerking Zoey¡¯s cock this way and that. They didn¡¯t stop pleasuring Zoey until she was begging them to, their lubricated sliding almost painful against her spent cock. Zoey, out of the game for at least a minute while she recovered, was vaguely aware of Not-Zoey separating from their position and pushing Rosalie over. Honestly, go get her. Good for Not-Zoey. Rosalie cried out as Not-Zoey stuck her head between her thighs and buried her tongue in. It was what Zoey would have done; Rosalie had been shaking, and nearly there¡ªand she didn¡¯t me Not-Zoey at all for helping finish her off. Zoey wouldn¡¯t have been able to help herself either. ¡°It¡¯s twitching,¡± Delta said, cutting through Zoey¡¯s haze¡ªand the whines of Rosalieing to orgasm. ¡°It¡¯s, um, I feel it twitching. And, and, the door hasn¡¯t opened. I think I need to get it off?¡± Delta¡¯s body was shaking from her orgasm, which hadn¡¯t ended yet. Her words shook almost as much as her body. ¡°Get it off?¡± Zoey elbowed herself up. She was vaguely aware of Rosalie writhing against Not-Zoey¡¯s tongue. ¡°I can¡ªI can feel it. It¡¯s about to¡ª¡± With how vacuum-sealed Delta¡¯s tummy was against the enormous toy, Zoey could see the object shudder inside her. Then the expected happened. The oversized toy¡¯s ejaction was as prodigious as its size. Buckets of semen burst up its length and into Delta¡¯s stomach, inting it outward in a sudden jerk. Delta cried out as she was filled with hot, sticky seed. Her stomach expanded, first erasing the outline of the toy on her stomach, then outward further, so there was a slight bulge. It kept going. Her stomach rounded out as hot liquid ejected into her. It came in spurts, her stomach growing in sharp increases. Delta shook and moaned as a second orgasm followed on the coattails of the first. Her belly started to droop with the weight of so much hot seed stuffing her. She looked eight months pregnant¡ªmore. Still, it sprayed into her, until she bulged with the volume. Delta shook with pleasure, and her inted stomach sloshed with cum. Finally, it stopped. Delta sat on the floor, slumped and exhausted, the toy fully inserted. She trembled as she came down from her second orgasm. ¡°Holy shit,¡± she said. ¡°Holy shit,¡± Zoey agreed in an erotic sort of fascination. ¡°That ¡­ doesn¡¯t hurt?¡± She stared at Delta¡¯s stomach, bulging with gallons and gallons of semen. ¡°No. The ¡­ the potion. But it feels seriously weird.¡± A pause, then ¡°And hot.¡± She groaned. ¡°Fuck me. That was amazing.¡± Delta gasped as she raised herself up and the toy slid from her. Her legs shook. The toy popped from her insides, and the enormous volume of white liquid spilled from her, the stopper no longer in ce. Semen gushed out in waves, coating the floor beneath her. Her belly shrank bit by bit and more and more liquid left her. Delta¡¯s hand followed it down, pushing on herself to help it out. Eventually, she was left looking like she had started, with Rosalie¡¯s tight abs and t stomach. ¡°Wow,¡± Delta said. ¡°That was ¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t quite find the right word. Zoey couldn¡¯t, either. 2.19 Loot III 2.19 Loot III The aftermath was, to be honest, a bit awkward. The degeneracy all four of them had indulged in had been more than they had mentally prepared for, even if no protests seemed forting. Once Delta had ¡®gotten the toy off¡¯, the door had slid open with a grinding of stone. Unfortunately¡ªor perhaps fortunately?¡ªrather than being an alternate path of advancement, this particr obstacle had been a ¡®rewards¡¯ challenge. Which perhaps exined why it had been so much more degenerate than the one Rosalie had needed to undergo. It hadn¡¯t even been required to progress through the dungeon. But how were they supposed to know that? Going forward, Zoey supposed, by when the obstacle is so lewd ¡­ Live and learn, she guessed. And Delta hadn¡¯tined. Fuck, Zoey wasn¡¯tining either. Even Rosalie¡ªthe most likely to have been upset at the development¡ªhad seemed into it. Not that Zoey thought Rosalie would have engaged in such degeneracy herself, without prompting, but spectating? Yeah, she¡¯d made it clear she liked it. A single green-banded chesty in front of them. ¡°I thought you said these were rare.¡± Rosalie gave Zoey an annoyed look. ¡°They are. Either these past two delves with you have been astoundingly lucky, or your ss¡ªyour presence¡ªcontinues to give ¡­ perplexing results. Have you even seen amon chest? A copper band?¡± She sighed. ¡°Though I shouldn¡¯t be surprised. Nothing about,¡± she waved her hand around in a distinctly irritated manner, ¡°all this is normal.¡± Well. A goddess did send me to save the world. Zoey supposed better loot than average was par for the course. Not that Zoey supplied that exnation. ¡°You sound upset that we¡¯re getting lucky,¡± Zoey said teasingly. ¡°And maybe it¡¯s not even luck. We worked hard for it, didn¡¯t we?¡± ¡°We?¡± Delta asked. ¡°Try again.¡± ¡°Delta worked hard for it,¡± Zoey corrected. ¡°Using my body,¡± Rosalie muttered. ¡°That better not cause ¡­sting damage.¡± ¡°Having your entire body wrapped around a giant sex toy? Nah, can¡¯t see how that could be bad for your anatomy.¡± ¡°There was a potion,¡± Zoey said pointedly. ¡°Obviously she¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Want Zoey toe check?¡± Delta sneered. ¡°Make sure you¡¯re as tight as always?¡± Zoey paused at the implication, then cleared her throat. Rosalie did the same. ¡°The chest,¡± they said at the same time. They nced at each other, and Zoey smirked. Rosalie¡¯s lips¡ªDelta¡¯s? This whole, body-swap thing was getting annoying¡ªtwisted in amusement too. They opened the chest. The first item out¡ª [Cat Ears]: Umon. Highly sensitive. Amplifies senses and improves reactions. ¡°Excuse me?¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Sensitive. Like, in that way?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°Mine certainly are,¡± Delta said. ¡°So it¡¯d make sense. But ¡­ why?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Rosalie sneered. ¡°There¡¯s no point asking that question, in these shards.¡± ¡°Your ears are sensitive?¡± Not-Zoey asked Delta. ¡°Not as much as my tail, but yeah.¡± ¡°They are?¡± Zoey asked. Almost without thinking, she stepped forward and rubbed Rosalie¡¯s fox-ears between her thumb and fore-finger. They ttened out, and Rosalie shuddered and took a step back. Her orange-and-white tail flicked in annoyance. ¡°Hey! At least ask. What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Rosalie¡¯s glower had stopped being intimidating a while ago. Added to the twitching ears and tail, and the blush growing on her cheeks, Zoey couldn¡¯t help the grin that split her face. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t know that,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so making good use of it.¡± ¡°With her, sure,¡± Delta said. ¡°If it¡¯s me in my body, don¡¯t you dare. I don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too sensitive. Dunno. Too personal.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Zoey said. She shot a hesitant look at Rosalie, in case she felt the same way¡ªbut rather than asking the unanswered question, she sniffed and turned back to the chest. She totally wants me to y with them. Zoey made note of the revealing reaction, the grin returning. ¡°We equipping them?¡± Delta asked. ¡°I mean, one of you two can. Hardly need a second set of ears. Dunno if they¡¯d even fit.¡± She paused. ¡°So, uh, I guess I¡¯d get them, since I¡¯m in Rosalie¡¯s body, right now. Rosalie¡¯s the one who doesn¡¯t need more ears.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Rosalie passed the cat ears to Delta, who took them. ¡°Like I said, we hardly care about second-advancement loot. Amplified reactions are better suited on you, anyway.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t care about the loot?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°Speak for yourself. If it¡¯s perverted, I definitely care about it.¡± Delta snorted, and Rosalie huffed. ¡°You can have first dibs on the gross items,¡± Delta said. ¡°I appreciate themitment to perversion, but I¡¯m trying to advance, yeah? So I want the practical stuff.¡± Zoey paused, feeling briefly guilty, because she ought to be trying to advance, too, for, y¡¯know, the sake of saving the world. But she perked up quickly, seeing how her ss was based on perverted stuff. If anything, she was filling her role. Nice mental gymnastics, Zoey. The next item out: [Cat Tail]: Umon. Highly sensitive. Improves bnce and acrobatics. ¡°You¡¯re kidding me,¡± Rosalie said tly, holding it up. ¡°It ¡­ it ¡­¡± It had a butt-plug at the end. Not quite asrge as the biggest of the silver toys they¡¯d earned in their first delve, but almost as big as the one Zoey currently had inserted into herself. Her hole clenched against the thing¡ªshe¡¯d almost forgotten about it. I¡¯m really getting used to it being in there. For how big it was, she really shouldn¡¯t be. Deltaughed, and she took the item as Rosalie passed it over. ¡°That¡¯s mine too, I guess. Pass me some lube, Zoey?¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to¡ª¡± Rosalie¡¯s high-pitch response started, then she shook her head and said, ¡°Of course you are.¡± Zoey passed over one of the several lube-bottles she had stored in her inventory. Rosalie continued to dig. Zoey was briefly torn between watching Delta coax a giant cat-tail buttplug into herself and the next item Rosalie pulled out. The winner was fairly obvious. Delta winced as the toy spread her apart, sliding into her tight hole with a quick inhtion. Zoey drank in the reaction, which Delta noticed, and rolled her eyes at. ¡°Damn, blondie,¡± she said to Rosalie. ¡°You¡¯re tight down there. That actually kind of hurt.¡± ¡°I¡¯m ignoring you,¡± Rosalie said. Zoey¡¯s attention was brought back to the item she¡¯d drawn out. It looked like ¡­ well, a wiggling mass of nt-life? [Writhing Armor]: Rare. Enjoy amplified protection at the cost, or benefit, of constant stimtion. ¡°Oh, shit,¡± Delta said. ¡°Armor. Nice.¡± Rosalie looked disdainfully at the squirming vines. ¡°Armor?¡± ¡°Well. Of a sort.¡± ¡°This reminds me of ¡­¡± The first shard. ¡°It¡¯s a rare quality.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Rosalie said, nose wrinkled. ¡°It probably provides significant defense, too, considering the downside, and the effectiveness of other items so far.¡± ¡°Downside?¡± Delta asked. ¡°Constant stimtion? I think you mean upside.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a distraction.¡± ¡°Eh, you get used to it,¡± Zoey said. Rosalie nced her way. Zoey turned, and, looking over her shoulder with a cheeky grin, pulled her cheeks apart, showcasing the plug still in her ass. ¡°It fades to the background,¡± sheughed, turning back around as Rosalie made some kind of choking noise. ¡°It¡¯s still in there,¡± Delta said, nodding. ¡°That¡¯s good. Rosalie¡¯s is in too, so you¡¯ve been building up energy. Almost forgot.¡± What? ¡°Rosalie¡¯s?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°You have one in?¡± Rosalie¡¯s face turned beet-red. She stuck her chin in the air. ¡°Delta¡¯s the one with the nipples rings now. And her body¡¯s the one used to ¡­ the size you¡¯re using. So I put it in earlier.¡± Zoey¡¯s head spun, even if it made sense. ¡°Turn around. Show me.¡± She couldn¡¯t believe she hadn¡¯t noticed. ¡°Zoey.¡± Rosalie nced sideways at Delta. ¡°Do it. I wanna see.¡± Rosalie wavered, but listened. She turned and pulled her cheeks apart. Sure enough, the smooth, glinting steel of a plug showed through, nestled in. ¡°She¡¯s a practical girl, remember?¡± Delta teased. ¡°Which is the same reason she¡¯s gonna put on the armor. She¡¯s the tank, so she has to.¡± Delta seemed almost as delighted at this development as Zoey. Though, her enjoyment seemed to be more of the ¡®I like seeing Rosalie squirm¡¯ kind, and Zoey¡¯s ¡­ well, Zoey¡¯s enjoyment was obvious. Rosalie cleared her throat. Though annoyed at Delta¡¯s teasing, she didn¡¯t contradict her words; she agreed with the point she¡¯d made. She steeled her nerves, then lifted up the mass of vines and wiggled her head in between the opening at the bottom, sliding it down her body. The response by the twisting ntlife was instantaneous. They squeezed in and writhed down, equipping itself without need for Rosalie to adjust them. Two vines encircled Rosalie¡¯s tits and squeezed them tightly, shaping and pushing them out with the strength of their grip. Another two wrapped between her thighs. Her body was quickly engulfed by green ropes¡ªbut covering nothing of interest. If anything, they entuated Rosalie¡¯s curves, drawing attention to her nipples and pussy with their looping, clinging designs. Then, a prospecting vine crawled between her legs and wiggled itself into Rosalie with no forewarning. A gasp escaped her lips and she pped a hand to her crotch as she bent forward in surprise¡ªbut the invader was already well and in, exploring Rosalie¡¯s insides. Zoey thought Rosalie would pull it out, but she didn¡¯t. She only shivered and let the armor finish settling against¡ªand into¡ªherself. Eventually, the writhing stopped, all of the vines having situated themselves. Rosalie stood there, donning a looping mesh of nt life. Even having ¡®settled¡¯, they moved here and there, shifting¡ªa living organism that had taken residence across Rosalie¡¯s body. ¡°It¡¯s moving around inside me,¡± she groaned, her hips wiggling side to side. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to just ¡­ deal with that?¡± ¡°I believe in you,¡± Delta grinned. ¡°Come on now, next item. Chop chop.¡± The vine wiggled, and another gasp. But Rosalie seemed determined to handle her perverted task with stalwartness; she ignored it, and bent down to keep withdrawing objects from the green-banded chest, even as her insides squirmed around with living vines. [Ink of Empowering Degradation]: Rare. Scrawl onto skin. Effects amplify with size, location, and content of markings. ¡°Oh,¡± Delta said. ¡°That¡¯s a funny one.¡± ¡°It wants us to write ¡­ degrading stuff?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°Is it permanent?¡± Rosalie frowned at the ink-bottle and quill. ¡°Surely not.¡± ¡°Doubt it,¡± Delta said. ¡°But longsting, at a guess. Let¡¯s test it out.¡± ¡°Without identification?¡± Rosalie said disapprovingly. ¡°Sure. Live a little.¡± ¡°That¡¯s risky. What if it is permanent? Better to have it identified.¡± ¡°Delving life is risky,¡± Delta said, rolling her eyes. ¡°Besides. Only person seeing your body is me and Zoey, isn¡¯t it? So even if it is ¡­ it¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll get it fixed at town. No way it¡¯s permanent, permanent¡ªsomething a mage couldn¡¯t fix.¡± Rosalie cleared her throat. ¡°We don¡¯t need it, though. We¡¯re handling the shard fine.¡± ¡°Makes it easier. And, dunno, blondie, this shard hasn¡¯t been a cakewalk. Not the hardest I¡¯ve been through, but you should know all it takes is a single slip-up. Should be using every advantage we have.¡± A secondter, ¡°Plus, I¡¯m betting any shard with Zoey in it is only going to let perverted armor and items be used. Like your vine armor. And this ink. So we need to get used to it.¡± Rosalie frowned down at the item. It was clear she agreed with Delta¡¯s appraisal. ¡°But ¡­ what should we write?¡± ¡°We should be mean about it,¡± Delta said, a grin splitting her lips. ¡°Says the content makes it a stronger effect. So I write yours, you write mine, and the Zoey¡¯s will write each other¡¯s.¡± ¡°Feel like you¡¯re implying we¡¯ll be rude to each other,¡± Not-Zoey said. It¡¯d been a while since she¡¯d chimed in; she¡¯d been quiet through most of the trip. Zoey, again, felt bad about her undoubtedly feeling like an outsider. She knew herself well enough to know that was what was happening. ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s the n,¡± Delta said. ¡°You two can dig into your insecurities, can¡¯t you? Knowing each other, and everything. Means a stronger effect.¡± ¡°I get to write yours?¡± Rosalie asked. She was clearly pleased with the idea. Then she paused, realizing the second half. ¡°You get to write mine.¡± ¡°Deal?¡± Rosalie hesitated, then said, ¡°Deal.¡± Delta didn¡¯t seem dissuaded in the slightest at Rosalie¡¯s quick eptance; in fact, she seemed excited that Rosalie had a particrly rude, or degrading, concept of what she wanted to write. ¡°Remember. Size, location, and content. Pretty sure it should go above our pussy, on our face, or across our tits.¡± She paused. ¡°Or ass. Those are obviously the best choices.¡± ¡°And make themrge,¡± Zoey said. Rosalie crossed her arms. ¡°Oh, I will.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s going first?¡± Delta asked. ¡°Me,¡± Rosalie said immediately. She uncapped the bottle and dipped the pen into the ink. [ A/N: I realize I¡¯ve had some problems with actually letting these items see use ¡­ but I promise that¡¯s not permanent. Next story arc (after this shard) will be slower paced, and we¡¯ll get to explore the concepts already introduced¡ªitems, rtionships (dates!), and stuff like spellcasting & alchemy. There just feels like so much to write about that the smaller things got pushed further and further down the line. This will be fixed. The cock-ring will see its day! ] 2.20 Body Writing 2.20 Body Writing ¡°Wow,¡± Delta said. ¡°You were so excited, I thought you had something good.¡± Across Delta¡¯s chest, in thick, bolded letters, ¡®SHAMELESS WHORE¡¯. Despite Delta¡¯s unimpressed words, Rosalie seemed highly satisfied with the insult she¡¯d written. She admired it smugly, and, when Delta held her hand out, didn¡¯t seem particrly put-out that it was her turn to be drawn on. Zoey, for her part, agreed with Delta. Rosalie had been so excited to write the words that Zoey thought she had something creative. Then again, Rosalie was clearly pretty sheltered ¡­ by the smugness of her satisfaction, she thought she¡¯d had a stroke of genius. It was pretty cute. Delta knelt down in front of Rosalie and dipped the quill in ink. Rosalie shivered as the cold pentip pressed into the space below her belly button. In the same way Rosalie had, Delta spelled her chosen tattoo out in massive letters, covering most of the space on her pelvis. She had to pull aside the writhing vines to get the pen to her skin. ¡®HUGE GIRL COCKS ONLY <3¡¯, the phrase read, with an arrow pointing down at her pussy. Rosalie paled as she read the words upside-down and finally deciphered them. By the widening of her eyes, Delta was the winner. ¡°You¡ªyou can¡¯t be serious.¡± ¡°It looks good on you,¡± Delta grinned. ¡°Let¡¯s hope it¡¯s not permanent.¡± She licked her finger and rubbed at the ink, but it had dried instantly, and didn¡¯t smudge at Delta¡¯s efforts. ¡°If it is, it¡¯s your body.¡± Rosalie¡¯s eyes flicked to the ¡®SHAMELESS WHORE¡¯ on her own body¡¯s chest. She grimaced. ¡°Then I¡¯ll wear it proudly, when we finally swap back,¡± Deltaughed. She got back up and handed the ink and quill to Not-Zoey. ¡°Have something good?¡± Zoey asked her. ¡°It didn¡¯t say we had to be mean. Just degrading.¡± Not-Zoey crouched in front of Zoey. Her cock stiffened instinctively at having a face so close, but Not-Zoey ignored it, rolling her eyes and flicking it. ¡°And that content, size, and positioning mattered. So ¡­¡± She worked away at etching ink into Zoey¡¯s pelvis, the same as Delta had done to Rosalie¡¯s. ¡®DELTA & ROSIE¡¯S FAVORITE TOY¡¯. Deltaughed, and Rosalie wrinkled her nose. Zoey, on her part, grinned. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I even mind it.¡± ¡°Hmm. I have a feeling you¡¯re not going to be so nice to me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m definitely taking a cruder approach,¡± Zoey agreed. Not-Zoey huffed. She finished scribbling ink into the outline of the bolded letters, filling them out, then stood and handed the materials to Zoey. ¡°Turn around.¡± ¡°On my butt?¡± Not-Zoey asked, rolling her eyes. ¡°How did I know?¡± Zoey dipped the pen in, then worked away at scrawling out the words ¡®FREE USE CUM DUMPSTER¡¯ across Not-Zoey¡¯s ass. ¡°Crude,¡± Delta said amusedly. ¡°You weren¡¯t kidding.¡± ¡°What¡¯s it say?¡± Not-Zoey was trying to look over her shoulder, but obviously the angle wasn¡¯t right. She couldn¡¯t see. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Zoey said, pping her on the ass and vanishing the ink into her inventory. Not-Zoey rubbed at where she¡¯d been hit, scrunching her nose at Zoey. ¡°You¡¯re not going to tell me? That¡¯s so mean.¡± ¡°Nothing beats imagination, anyway.¡± Not-Zoey huffed, crossing her arms. ¡°To think I was nice to you.¡± ¡°Do any of you feel anything?¡± Zoey asked. She herself hadn¡¯t felt any magical effects settle in after the lewd phrase had been written, but she doubted the artifact was lying. Rosalie clenched and unclenched her hands in front of her, as if testing if it felt different. ¡°Maybe. Some stats boosts can be hard to notice. Which is why identifying the item is best, first.¡± She eyed Delta to emphasize the point. ¡°Eh, doesn¡¯t hurt anyone,¡± Delta said. ¡°Even if the effect¡¯s small, it¡¯s helpful. Plus, Zoey¡¯s enjoying the sight.¡± Her eyes might have been caught on the ¡®HUGE GIRL COCKS ONLY <3¡¯ above Rosalie¡¯s pussy. Delta had outdone herself. She cleared her throat. ¡°There¡¯s still more, right?¡± She gestured at the chest. Rosalie returned to it. [Pink Fairy Dust]: A shimmering pink powder. Can be used to prepare potions that intensify, and link, dreams. Zoey paused. ¡°How much do you want to bet ¡®intensify¡¯ means ¡­¡± ¡°Sex dreams?¡± Delta said sarcastically. ¡°I think that¡¯s a given.¡± ¡°And links,¡± Zoey said. ¡°So whoever takes it together, somehow shares the dream?¡± Or just one guess at what the reagent could create. There was some variance, typically, in what could be coaxed out of any given ingredient. ¡°Sounds fun,¡± Delta said. ¡°There¡¯s all kinds of freaky stuff I¡¯d do in a dream, but not in real life.¡± Zoey paused. ¡°And no, I¡¯m not specifying,¡± Delta said. The looting of an alchemy reagent sparked an idea. ¡°Hey. Sabina asked me to be on the look-out for reagents, and that there¡¯s plenty more to gather from a shard than whates out of a chest.¡± ¡°Okay?¡± ¡°You know that trap? The,¡± she cleared her throat, ¡°excessive fluid?¡± ¡°That filled me up?¡± Delta¡¯s eyebrows raised. ¡°You think it¡¯ll make a potion ingredient?¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯ll replicate the stretchiness?¡± Delta paused. ¡°Hell, worth bringing back just on the off chance.¡± She frowned. ¡°We don¡¯t have any containers, though.¡± ¡°We can improvise. We¡¯ll probably get some useless potions.¡± Most chests provided their fair share of junk. Or not junk, but generic items, health potions, stamina potions, and the like. Zoey suspected that for the average adventurer, they¡¯d be useful. But seeing how she¡¯d wandered into a party of two extremelypetent partners ¡­ and lessbat-focused shards ¡­ the ¡®typical items¡¯ were less useful than they should be. They continued to empty out items. The ¡®regr¡¯ pieces of armor that came out were distinctly unenticing, now that the shards had proven themselves as having a habit of erasing ¡®normal¡¯ equipment and loot from their inventory. Before, Zoey had equipped some of it¡ªthe stuff that seemed useless to her ss, like the spell-casting gloves. Now, though¡ªseeing how items bound themselves to the user¡ªshe didn¡¯t, since it would be better to sell and buy items useful to their efforts in the future. Only the lewd items held persistent value. The rest was either temporary use only, or money-making equipment. Or, in this particr case, ss vials to store portions of the buckets of fake-cum that had burst from the toy Delta had pleasured herself on. Zoey emptied out several vials of the green, yellow, and red liquids, then scooped up the sticky white substance from the thick pools that still sat on the ground, outside the loot room. ¡°It was so much,¡± Zoeyughed, again, looking down at the mess that had been left behind. She¡¯d almost forgotten the sheer quantity that had been inside Delta. If Zoey had thought she had an impressive output ¡­ the toy had set a new standard. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s the potion effect it¡¯ll make,¡± Delta said. ¡°Not stretchiness, but something that¡¯ll let you,¡± she gestured around at theke of cum. Zoey paused, then shrugged. ¡°Honestly, both sound fun.¡± ¡°Pervert.¡± ¡°Guilty as charged.¡± Zoey felt less need to defend herself with every instance the insult was leveraged at her. Maybe that was a bad thing. Then again, she wasing to terms with the fact it was entirely true. ¡°Shall we continue?¡± Rosalie asked dryly. ¡°Or do you need to gather more lewd potion ingredients?¡± Zoey looked around at the room, then said, ¡°Actually, I should take some chunks of the toy itself. You never know.¡± The gel-like material was tickling at her alchemist¡¯s intuition¡ªit might make some sort of potion, too. ### Progression through the shard ambled on. Rosalie had dispatched the first shard¡¯s monsters with ease. This second shard¡ªstill with ease, but the effort required was more visible, even to Zoey¡¯s untrained eyes. Like before, she enjoyed the sight of the two naked¡ªor mostly naked, considering Rosalie¡¯s new writhing armor set¡ªwomen dip, weave, and strike with fluid violence. Delta especially was interesting; she moved even faster than Rosalie, with even greater harshness. She¡¯d described herself as a striker, a purely DPS-focused role, and while Rosalie had slightly moreposure¡ªsome hard-to-describe quality that showcased her unequaled aptitude¡ªDelta¡¯s movements were still the more rapid, and violent. Rosalie, as discussed, spent most of her attention focused on Zoey. The monsters no longer came in ones, as they had the first shard. Neither did they focus mindlessly on whoever engaged it first. Rosalie needed to allocate significant effort in ensuring Zoey went uncontested in their brief, brutal brawls with the shard¡¯s spawned enemies. But they managed. More than managed. They progressed forward steadily and without problem. Delta did catch a few stray attacks¡ªwhich she downed some of the health potions they¡¯d collected to wipe away¡ªand the sight of blood, especially on a friend, did remove some of theckadaisical attitude Zoey had previously been feeling. But they never came close to real danger. Scrapes, bruises, minor injuries. Things easily wiped away by the health potions they¡¯d earned¡ªand continued to earn¡ªas they cleared each room and hallway. Almost before she knew it, they had arrived at an elegant stone arch doorway that had the distinct feeling of ¡®boss fight¡¯. Several lewd trials had blocked their advancement, but none remotely as degenerate as the one Delta had undergone. It was a smaller shard than typical, ording to Rosalie, and about as long the one she and Rosalie hadpleted earlier. Zoey wasn¡¯t sure whether that was indicative of their future, or coincidence. Two was a small sample size. And while the fact both were lewd seemed safe to draw assumptions from, the other aspects, maybe not as much. Either way, they¡¯d arrived to the boss chamber. ¡°What do you think¡¯s in there?¡± Not-Zoey asked. Unlike with Mel, there were no indicators; no signs warning ¡®beware the slime¡¯ and hinting at what the final encounter would be. The tall brown doors and arched stone weren¡¯t especially revealing either. ¡°Guess we¡¯re about to find out,¡± Zoey replied. The theme of the dungeon did seem to be body-y of some sort; both Delta and Rosalie¡¯s swapped appearances and the presence of Not-Zoey suggested such. So the boss would likely be the same? As a party, they stared at the doorway. ¡°It better not be too gross,¡± Rosalie muttered. ¡°Let¡¯s activate our items, then get going.¡± And I should drink one of those anti-virility potions. Zoey didn¡¯t have a clue what would be happening for this boss, but it didn¡¯t take a leap of deduction to assume ¡­ well. That the potion would be needed. 2.21 The Not-So-Shocking Reveal 2.21 The Not-So-Shocking Reveal Zoey, Not-Zoey, Rosalie, and Delta walked into the boss room. A breathtaking chamber spread out before them. Arched pirs with carved marble decorated a circr arena surrounded by columns that reached high into the domed ceiling. At the center was a bed,plete with silk sheets and a thick mattress. Arge mirror hung on one wall, reflecting the scene. "Any guesses what the bed''s for?" Delta asked dryly. At each corner of the walls sat massive statues depicting ... them? The statues were nude women, with her, Delta''s, and Rosalie''s visages inly etched into the stone. They stood in various sensual poses. Rosalie''s statue cupped her breasts, while Delta''s held her hands behind her back, leaned forward with a smirk. Zoey''s statue, on the other hand, had her hands on her hips, chest thrust out, and looking almost arrogantly confident. The stone had an otherworldly luster to it, almost glowing under the lights inside the domed chamber. It made Zoey shiver¡ªthe otherworldliness, the elegance, and the fact it was their own faces on the statues. "Well," Not-Zoey sighed, "I guess it''s time for the big reveal." "You''re the boss," Rosalie said. "I''m shocked." "Absolutely floored," Delta said. ¡°Huh?¡± Zoey said. ¡°Wait, what?¡± "I guess fooling one of you¡¯s not so bad," Not-Zoey said. "Doesn''t count," Delta said. "She''s new to this." "Wait¡ªwait," Zoey said. "No, that can''t be right." "Don''t be upset," Not-Zoey said, turning to her, and she seemed genuinely distressed. "Our talk wasn''t fake. Everything I said, I meant, and I am you¡ªjust ... not entirely." "Your talk?" Delta asked. "We did some self-reflecting together," Not-Zoey said. Concerned green eyes flicked to Zoey, and she insisted, "and it was every bit real. I''m d we could have it." "You''re¡ªyou¡¯re the boss?¡± Zoey¡¯s head spun. ¡°What are you?¡± "A reflection," Not-Zoey said. "For ack of a better term.¡± She waved a hand in front of her face, and in a chilling disy of what she meant, Not-Zoey''s face morphed into ... Not-Rosalie. Her body shrunk, appropriating Rosalie''s diminutive but powerful frame, Zoey''s generous curves melting into Rosalie''s smaller, just-as-enticing ones. "I''m hollow. I take in other people. There¡¯s really not much of me," she admitted. "Whoever I¡¯m wearing, takes up most of who I am. So I was you. It wasn¡¯t a lie." The words came in Rosalie''s crisply enunciated voice, now, not Zoey''s. "But ... you knew ..." "Our circumstances?" Not-Rosalie asked. Her lips quirked. "I did. The memoriese with the face." She turned to Rosalie. "Which, let me tell you, is always interesting. Everyone¡¯s secrets, poured out for me to see." Rosalie stiffened at the implication, eyes widening. Not-Rosalieughed. "The best part is,¡± she said tauntingly, ¡°I bet you think you''re the one with bigger things to hide.¡± Which was a statement that drew two pairs of eyes¡ªRosalie''s and Delta''s¡ªto Zoey. Zoey didn''t have a response. For multiple reasons. The first being the obvious¡ªhow to respond to an usation like that. ''Yeah, I''m from another world, guys.'' The second reason, that she was still reeling from how Not-Zoey (Not-Rosalie?) was the shard''s boss monster. Her interactions with Not-Zoey had been so ... genuine. Regardless that both Rosalie and Delta had alluded to not trusting Not-Zoey¡ªand Zoey herself for that matter¡ªimmediately upon seeing the two of them. Still. She felt ... betrayed. Silly as she felt to admit it. Of course something weird was going on with Not-Zoey. Not-Zoey''s personality, perhaps expectedly considering who¡ªor what¡ªshe was, had shifted as soon as she changed skins. Rosalie''s confident demeanor now draped across her shoulders, and she smirked antagonistically at her fox-eared counterpart: Rosalie, in Delta''s body. "Some honesty would go a long way, you know. Why hide? At least Zoey has good reasons for it. Better than yours, at least." "I don''t know what you''re talking about." Purple eyes¡ªDelta''s, but Rosalie''s¡ªflicked between Zoey and Not-Rosalie. Zoey crossed her arms. "She doesn''t have to share anything she doesn''t want to." "And our gant hero rises up," Not-Rosalie said, rolling her eyes and turning back to Zoey. "You two are lucky I''m keeping your confidence. There''s a lot of really interesting conversations I could force out, knowing what I know." She turned to Delta. "I wonder, is it three for three?" Delta stiffened as Not-Rosalie''s features shifted. An orange tail sprouted from her tailbone, and Rosalie''s blonde hair shifted to orange, a pair of ears popping out from her head. Not-Delta''s head tilted. Her nose wrinkled. "Wow," Not-Delta said. "How boring.¡± ¡°Yeah, fuck you too,¡± Delta said dryly. ¡°Not all of us can be secret royalty.¡± Not-Deltaughed. ¡°Fair enough.¡± Dismissively, she turned away, facing Zoey, long orange tail swishing in amusement. "How''s your particr style of ''fighting'' going to work?" Zoey asked. She asked as much out of genuine curiosity as to steer them away from the sensitive topics Not-Delta had chosen to y with¡ªRosalie¡¯s and Zoey¡¯s secrets. "Hm," Not-Delta said, tapping her lip as if considering the question. With her adoption of Delta¡¯s body, she¡¯d taken a yful, irreverent demeanor. "Let''s start with some good old fashioned fun first. It can''t all be fucking and frolicking, can it?" Her lips tugged down, her eyes locking with Zoey¡¯s. "Though, I''m sorry about this next part¡ªbut your team¡¯s weak point is pretty obvious." Ah, Zoey thought. Rosalie had said the bosses would be smarter. ### The reflection¡ªthe body-shifter¡ªfought with all three of their styles, abilities, and tendencies. Her body morphed between Delta''s, Rosalie''s, and least frequently Zoey''s, as appropriate to the situation. She fought with just as much deadliness¡ªand intensity¡ªas any of them. Rosalie was hard-pressed to keep Zoey protected from her onught. Rosalie was, after all, defending Zoey from herself. The reflection''s brutal elegance inbat matched perfectly with Rosalie''s own, and worse, exceeded it; the reflection-monster was faster, stronger, and just as skilled as whoever''s body she inhabited. With her teammate''s natural prowess, it was a distinctly more threatening situation than most tier two shards would present. A counter, so to say, specifically to them: whose unusual talents should have meant they were safe in such a low-rank shard. Only the fact it was a three-on-one meant Zoey stayed protected. And even then, not perfectly. It was the first time Zoey had taken actual hits during either shards; the reflection''s dagger¡ªsummoned from nowhere, a sliver of te-ss that morphed with as much fluid ease as the creature did¡ªcaught Zoey in several ces, her thighs, arm, stomach, scratching red lines that dripped rivulets of blood down her body. Zoey''s heart mmed in her chest as her party squared off against the shard''s final encounter, desperately trying to keep her attention and failing, the reflection''s attention focused only on Zoey¡ªthe ''weak link''. However many times she''d acknowledged that these shards could be dangerous ... the sting of ss opening up her skin had hammered the fact in with fatal rity no amount of mental acknowledgment could have managed. If things go wrong ... this could be the end. But things didn''t go wrong. The reflection''s assault was vicious and focused, but her teammates¡ªthough, admittedly, not Zoey, a quarter as much¡ªrose up to the challenge. Again, these two girls weren¡¯t beginners in the slightest; they responded to the threat almost as if they''d been expecting it. Rosalie and Delta moved as a unit, as if they''d prepared specifically for the body-shifter. Even through Zoey''s panic, she was impressed; their coordination was seamless, despite having known each other less than a day. The reflection was driven off by their efforts. Unlike Mel¡ªthe first boss¡ªher so-called ''healthiness'' was harder to discern, but by her gging stamina and the injuries ruing across her body, persisting even after body-shifts, Zoey could tell she was being worn down. "Okay, okay," Not-Rosalie finallyughed, peeling back from the brawl and swaying unsteadily on her feet. "Like I said, some old-fashioned fun to start. But let''s not finish too quickly. To the main course." She swiped her hand to the left, and Zoey was suddenly falling. ### Shended hard onto the giant, plush bed that sat at the center of the room, bouncing with the impact before steadying herself on her hands and knees. What? They''d been fighting on the outskirts of the chamber-arena, dancing around the perimeter as they¡ªor more urately, Rosalie and Delta¡ªfought against the creature. How had Zoey been teleported to the center of the room? And where were her teammates? "Go ahead," Not-Zoey said, making Zoey jump. "Heal up." She grinned. "Good thing you didn''t empty out all the health potions to scoop up dungeon-trap cum." Zoey stared warily at Not-Zoey, but she didn''t seem about to attack. And whatever had happened, it seemed the first¡ªthe only?¡ªattack phase of the fight had ended. She checked herself over, running her hands and eyes across her body. The fall hadn''t hurt, not seriously, however longsting and rapidly elerating it had felt. The plush bed had cushioned the impact. And while she was still bleeding from the wounds she''d gathered during the fight¡ªblood dripping down from several ncing blows, the most Rosalie had allowed past her guard¡ªshe was, all things considered, not in bad shape. Not pristine ... but not in any dire state, either. She did as told and downed a health potion, summoned from her inventory, eying Not-Zoey as she did. Though not her first time drinking a potion¡ªshe''d relied on the stamina ones heavily during their long travels¡ªit was Zoey''s first time drinking a health one. The liquid burned as it went down, but it did its job, healing her minor injuries, the ncing blows inflicted by the reflection''s morphing ss weapons. Her insides tingled as the potion worked its magic. Not-Zoey watched her drink, grinning. "Cool," she said. "Now, there''s something we were so rudely interrupted from finishing, isn¡¯t there? I just hope you don''t mind the spectators." "Spectators?" Zoey''s eyes followed the direction of Not-Zoey''s smirk. There, up in the rafters of the enormous boss-room arena, paced her two teammates. Rosalie banged her fist on an invisible barrier. She was a bit too far for Zoey to make out an expression, but her bodynguage radiated displeasure. "Ah." Then, the first part of what Not-Zoey said sunk in. "Rudely interrupted?" The smirk grew. Not-Zoey fell back into the bed, then rolled over, showcasing her exposed ass. With the flurry of violence, the fact everyone was nude had been erased from Zoey''s awareness¡ªfar from the most important thing to be thinking about. But with Not-Zoey¡¯s shapely ass so on disy, she was, suddenly, aware again. Not-Zoey tapped her ass, which jiggled. Thick ck letters, ''FREE USE CUM DUMPSTER'', stood starkly out against her pale flesh from their body-writing escapades earlier. "You know, I still don''t know what you wrote there," Not-Zoey said, "but I have the feeling it''s about to be a true statement.¡± Despite this creature''s thorough efforts at killing¡ªor at least hurting¡ªher a second ago, Zoey''s cock stiffened, engorging itself. The sight of Not-Zoey''s ass presented so eagerly in front of her was too much to fight against. Not that she wanted to fight against this. This phase of the bossfight was the part Zoey might actually be able to help, like against Mel. The part of the encounter she wouldn¡¯t be wholly useless. And Zoey had made a promise to herself that she''d be getting into her own insides before the shard was over. It looked like the opportunity had finally arrived. 2.22 Go F* Yourself 2.22 Go F* Yourself "You know," Zoey said, "it¡¯s weird being propositioned to by someone trying to kill me two minutes ago." "Then take your anger out on me." Not-Zoey waggled her ass, still turned over on her stomach and looking back at Zoey with a smirk. "I might not be as durable as Mel when ites to this, but I think I can put up a good fight." "Aren''t you a second-advancement boss? Shouldn''t you be more durable?" "If fucking was all I did, maybe. Not trying to spoil the surprise too much ... but you might want to wear me down for phase three." "Phase three." By the sounds of it, more of phase one. Combat. More of her trying to kill Zoey. Which was quite the thing to hang over Zoey¡¯s head while wiggling her ass around invitingly. Fuck it. "You know what? Sure. Wear you down. I can go for some of that.¡± Not-Zoey grinned, and a glint appeared in her eyes. "Ready to find out what your own pussy feels like?" Which seeded in making Zoey¡¯s heart skip a beat, despite the circumstances. Where had Not-Zoey¡¯s timidity gone? Zoey crawled across the bedsheets, the plush material indenting as she moved. She perched herself overtop Not-Zoey. Despite having shifted bodies several times, the thick ck ink from their body-writing event was as visible as ever. ¡®FREE USE CUM DUMPSTER¡¯, Not-Zoey¡¯s ass read. Fuck. Her cock twitched in excitement. Zoey guided it between two soft cheeks, rubbing it up and down Not-Zoey¡¯s ass, between bolded letters. Soon to be true. She guided it down, rubbing her cockhead against slick folds, lubricating herself in preparation. My folds, Zoey hazily corrected herself. Rubbing my cockhead against my folds. This was her pussy she¡¯d be thrusting into. Even if it was guided by a consciousness that wasn¡¯t hers, it was still her own body. Every biological detail, perfectly duplicated. And maybe not her mind exactly, but something close¡ªjust, merged with another¡¯s consciousness. For most meaningful uses of the word, Not-Zoey was her. Her memories, her personality. However intense the fight had been a few minutes prior, Zoey''s brain quickly grew addled by lust. She slid her cock up and down, rubbing against agonizingly soft flesh¡ªher own flesh¡ªmentally bracing herself for what she was about to do. ¡°Hurry up, won¡¯t you?¡± Not-Zoey breathed. She sounded as tantalized by the idea as Zoey. She lined her cockhead up to Not-Zoey''s opening. Even just sliding, the feeling was incredible. Warm, inviting, wet. Not-Zoey rubbed back, arching her back, and encouraging Zoey to thrust in. "Ready?" Zoey asked, her voice grown husky. "For that thing? Probably never." Zoey pushed forward, pressing the head of her cock into Not-Zoey''s entrance. She breathed in as she pushed past tight resistance, sinking inside Not-Zoey''s sex. I¡¯m inside myself. Zoey¡¯s entire body burned with the idea. Not-Zoey¡¯s warm, tight pressure enveloped her member, spreading through her shaft, making her whole body tingle with pleasure. The feeling was electric, amplified a hundred times over by the mental stimtion of knowing it was her own pussy she¡¯d just pushed into. Zoey''s breath caught as she thrusted again. Then again, and again, picking up speed. A needy, foreign force took over Zoey¡¯s hips. She pped in, harder, faster, deeper with every passing second. "Oh god," Not-Zoey groaned, pressing her face into the bedsheets as Zoey filled her up. Zoey''s hips finally hit Not-Zoey''s ass, her back-and-forth efforts finally driving all the way into Not-Zoey''s pussy. Like usual, she¡¯d needed to ease in. But now she held still for a moment, savoring the sensation of having another woman''s pussy¡ªthat was also her own¡ªwrapped around her cock. It was a feeling, Zoey realized, she would never tire of. Being inside another girl made her feel ... powerful. She''d always been a person not afraid to take control in bed, but this, the tight pressure of wet, squirming pussy-walls around her cock ... it gave her an almost primal sense of control, something heady and intoxicating. The fact it was her own pussy she''d entered? Her own tight walls pleasuring her cock? It took the sensation to eleven. Zoey growled, leaning forward and breathing hot air into Not-Zoey''s ear. She lifted her hips then mmed them back forward. Flesh pped against flesh, and waves of pleasure ran up and down her spine, shooting bolts of lightning through her nerves. She needed more. "Faster," Not-Zoey groaned, apparently agreeing. "You call this ... a fucking?" Zoey picked up speed. Her hips mmed back and forth as she pistoned in and out of the girl beneath her. ps echoed around the room from the vigor of Zoey''s thrusts. The sheets thumped and fluttered under their bodies, tossed about by the forceful impact, each more powerful than thest, sinking their bodies into the material then back up. The bedframe creaked as they bounced. Her cock slid in and out of tight, coaxing walls. Zoey hooked her two middle fingers into Not-Zoey''s mouth and pulled her back. Not-Zoey licked at Zoey''s fingers even as she whined incoherent, lewd noises. Fuck. This is so good. A second ago, Not-Zoey had been trying to kill her. Now, Zoey was giving it everything she had to m her cock into her. Talk about a swap-up. Either way, Zoey took out some of her frustration on her partner. Not-Zoey¡¯d been the one to suggest it in the first ce. Not-Zoey''s back arched as Zoey rammed her cock with growing intensity. Not-Zoey¡¯s moans and gasps turned to loud, desperate pleas for more. She was starting to shake. Zoey''s efforts were working. Her fourteen inch girlcock had turned the woman into a puddle of begging and growing ecstasy with a speed even Zoey hadn¡¯t expected. Zoey grabbed a handful of Not-Zoey''s ck hair and forced her head back. "Do you like it? My thick cock filling you up? Tell me you like it." Not-Zoey moaned in response, and Zoey roughly yanked her head side-to-side. She felt she could be forgiven the roughness, seeing how Not-Zoey had been trying to kill her. And she¡¯d suspected Not-Zoey would like it. The pained moan wasn¡¯t all pain, and Not-Zoey panted with fluttering eyes, basking in the sharpening-of-sensations her yanked-on hair had brought. She was Zoey. Zoey didn¡¯t mind when things got rough, either. "Answer me,¡± Zoey growled into her ear. "I ¡­ I love it. I want your cum inside me," Not-Zoey groaned. "Make me yours. Fill me up with your seed. Please.¡± Her body, and pussy, spasmed beneath her as the first of many-toe orgasms wracked her body. Zoey picked up speed, the pping of flesh intensifying, and her own orgasm building with equally unexpected speed. "Say it again," Zoey snarled, shoving Not-Zoey''s face into the sheets and rubbing it into the fabric. Not-Zoey cried and shuddered as her climax coursed through her. ¡°Tell me what you want." "I said,¡± the muffled, gasping response came. ¡°I want¡ªI want to be full of your, your¡ª" She couldn¡¯t get the words out, her orgasms erasing her ability to speak. But it was enough for Zoey. Zoey mmed onest time into Not-Zoey and let go. She erupted, shooting load after load of sticky cum deep into her copy-cat. A torrential flood poured from her cock. She felt every muscle in her body tense, helping squeeze every drop out. The heat grew in her core until it overwhelmed her with its ecstasy. It coursed and coursed, matching each shudder and clench of her cock buried into Not-Zoey''s insides. Not-Zoey¡¯s spasming pussy helped milk Zoey. Zoey¡¯s mind drifted away, ovee by a sea of intense bliss. When she finally came down, Zoey copsed forward onto Not-Zoey''s back. Zoey''s sweaty body pressed into hers. They panted as they withdrew from their respective orgasms. Zoey''s exhausted muscles rxed, softening as the explosive high left her. Maybe she was getting used to the exhausting effect of this new sort of climax, but Zoey barely needed to rally. She hadn''t done a quarter of what she wanted to Not-Zoey¡ªthis face-shifting creature who''d a few minutes ago been trying to hurt her. She didn''t hold any real grudges, she guessed¡ªsomewhat of a lie¡ªbut she took satisfaction in dominating a person who''d moment before been so thoroughly trouncing her. And it was Zoey¡¯s job to ¡®wear her down¡¯. This, at least, she could contribute to the fight. Zoey pushed herself back up, pulling her cock from Not-Zoey''s insides. Cum poured out and ran into the sheets, gushing from a hole that had been stuffed to bursting with Zoey¡¯s cock a second before. She moved her cock up, higher, nudging into Not-Zoey''s other entrance. Zoey didn''t know if she''d ever have a chance to fuck herself again, so she intended to make good use of the opportunity. "Wait, you¡¯re¡ª?" Not-Zoey started, pushing herself up and trying to turn to face her. But Zoey shoved herself in before she could. Not-Zoey''s tight asshole wrapped around her shaft as she sank into it. Warm, inviting flesh coaxed every inch of her thick length. Zoey groaned in pleasure. "Fuck," Not-Zoey cried, copsing back into the bed. "Fuck! Too big!" Her tight hole squeezed in surprise at her sudden vition, only aiding in the gratifying sensation. Zoey pumped in and out of Not-Zoey''s ass, not letting her adjust, and reveling in the feeling of stretching Not-Zoey¡¯s asshole out. Not-Zoey''s ass bucked against Zoey''s thrusts, her protests gone in an instant, needing desperately to force more meat inside herself. Every jerk had Zoey burying all the way in. Zoey shuffled up so she was sitting mostly upright, and she gripped Not-Zoey''s ass cheeks as she gyrated her hips, pulling back then mming forward. Then, because of what Zoey intended to do after this, she pulled out the dark-red bottle of cleaning agent. She squeezed the liquid out onto her cock and worked it into Not-Zoey¡¯s hole, squishing it in with her cock, delighting in the squelching sounds. It tingled around her member as it performed its magical effect. "Yes, please. Fuck my ass. Fuck me." Not-Zoey wed at the bedsheets with desperate, frenzied efforts as Zoey pounded away, pumping her less-used hole full of cock. It had loosened with surprising speed, not that it had much choice, wrapped around such a thick girlcock. "It''s so good. Your cock is so, mmm, deep in me!" "You love getting fucked by it, don''t you?" "Yes," Not-Zoey cried. "Your monster cock is so fucking good. Keep going. Please. Fuck your fat girlcock in my ass. Make me yours." Zoey had always loved the over-the-top dirty talk that came from a properly-fucked partner, and the haze of lust. Her face¡ªher body¡ªwas on fire. Not-Zoey kept spewing the obscenities, the lewd words amplifying the pleasurable burning in her cock, her core, her entire being. "You feel so good around me," Zoey growled as she picked up speed, working herself faster and faster. "I¡¯m close. I¡¯m going to blow another load inside your slutty little ass. You want that?" "Yes! I do! My ass needs your cum! Shoot it into me!" "Then take it, you little slut. You fucking ¡­ cum dumpster." She grabbed a handful of Not-Zoey''s hair and shoved her head into the sheets. Her cries grew muffled, and Zoey''s climax arrived. A geyser of thick white seed poured from her cock as her body spasmed. Not-Zoey''s insides clenched around the gushing shaft, milking everyst drop from Zoey as their orgasms synchronized. The burning euphoria was even higher than the first time. Her vision shed white. Every nerve ending was on fire¡ªit was overwhelming, pleasurable agony. Her thighs quivered as if electrified. She moaned obscenely, body shaking as she emptied into Not-Zoey¡¯s ass. Beneath her, Not-Zoey underwent the same crucible. She bucked against Zoey''s thrusts, unable to resist the overload of pleasure provided by Zoey''s cock deep in her tight asshole. She gripped the sheets, squirming underneath Zoey''s weight, hips bucking back and forth in a desperate effort to get more cock inside her, to keep Zoey''s cock squirming around. Finally, after what seemed like forever, both women fell into the sheets, panting. Zoey slumped forward atop Not-Zoey, chest heaving up and down with exertion. Sweat trickled between their bodies. Not-Zoey''s ass, and Zoey''s thighs and crotch, werepletely coated by theirbined juices. More Zoey''s than Not-Zoey''s. The viscous white liquid dripped down onto the sheets, pooling beneath them, dampening the fabric which had grown squishy with so much seed. Their breathing came heavy and ragged for a solid minute. "One more hole left," Zoey finally said, sitting and flipping Not-Zoey over. She pulled Not-Zoey up and guided her mouth to her cock. "You just had that thing in my¡ª" Zoey''s cum-covered cock, a minute prior viting Not-Zoey''s asshole, sank into the soft wet flesh of her mouth. Zoey had, at least, worked the cleaning agent in while fucking her. Despite the protest, Not-Zoey''s tongue explored eagerly, cleaning up the cum off Zoey''s sticky member and caressing her cock with the powerful, exploring muscle. She sucked hungrily at it¡ªlike it was herst chance to taste it. Which, Zoey supposed, it was. She drooled, dribbling saliva all across her breasts and stomach as she slurped away at Zoey''s cock. "Eager, aren''t you?" Zoey groaned. Not-Zoey moaned around her cock. The words were hard to make out with so much blockage, but it might''ve been ''it tastes so good''. She wiggled her head further down, swallowing more of the girlcock with sloppy effort. Zoey was quickly enveloped by the tight walls of Not-Zoey''s throat. Not-Zoey choked on her impressive size, but wasn¡¯t discouraged. Zoey hips worked with Not-Zoey, forcing cock deeper into her throat with every second. ¡°Swallow it, bitch,¡± Zoey groaned, hands sinking into Not-Zoey¡¯s hair. My own hair. It was silky and soft. For a brief, impossible second she¡¯d forgotten who this was. Or, whose body. Bright green eyes stared up at Zoey, and she stared as a mirror image of herself sucked desperately at her cock, wiggling her head to get down further. She pounded against Not-Zoey''s face, the realization reinvigorating her efforts, her lust, and she drove herself into Not-Zoey''s open throat. Not-Zoey''s eyes rolled back as her neck distended, taking the cock that had so recently fucked her ass. "Every inch. Swallow every inch of my giant cock, you slut. You want me to cum? Then swallow every fucking inch of my cock!¡± Not-Zoey choked under Zoey''s onught, but tried desperately toply. She gagged on her thick meat while Zoey mmed into her. "Yes," Zoey hissed through gritted teeth, "you love being choked by dick, don¡¯t you? Fuck, it''s stretching you out. Feel yourself." Not-Zoey listened, hand going to her throat, feeling Zoey''s shaft vite the tight hole with every thrust. She made some kind of gurgling noise as she tried to reply, but mostly all she seeded in doing was having saliva drip from her lips, which already coated her chin and dripped down to her thighs. "Here ites. Here''s what you need. Ready for another load?" Zoey couldn''t make sense out of the choked reply, but she understood the sentiment by how desperately Not-Zoey met her thrusts. Her stomach clenched, the pressure building. "Take it all. Take it. Take it!" Thest syble was punctuated by a spasm of ecstasy that ripped through Zoey''s body like a thunderbolt. She buried Not-Zoey''s nose into her crotch and let go. The warm bliss coursing through her cock exploded into a series of intense pulses, and she shot thick strings into Not-Zoey''s stomach. Her cock clenched and squirted, sending bursts of girlcum spraying deep into Not-Zoey''s throat. More and more, until the entirety of Zoey''s length had emptied itself within her, coating every inch of the girl''s stomach and throat with the thick white substance. Finally, when there was no more left, Zoey fell backward, dizzy. Not-Zoey''s mouth separated with a pop, and she coughed and gagged, sucking in air. She spat it out, trying to get rid of the excess saliva and girlcum from her invaded airways. "Ugh." She copsed onto the bed next to Zoey. "So good." She panted as her breathing slowed back to normal. "Mm," Zoey murmured nonsensically. Three orgasms back-to-back-to-back had taken its toll. Her stamina had improved massively, but it was still limited. Every nerve ending burned, her head felt fuzzy, her muscles weak. She didn''t think she''d ever cum this much, not even with Mel. Not-Zoey patted Zoey''s shoulder. She was exhausted, too. Zoey''s efforts hadn''t gone to waste. "I''m taking a breather. Have some fun with your girlfriends." A wave of her hand, and Not-Zoey vanished, the pressure on the bed next to her snapping up to adjust for the disappearance. A half-secondter, Zoey¡¯s vision went ck¡ªlike it had twenty minutes prior¡ªand she was falling, again. 2.23 Swapping Around 2.23 Swapping Around Zoey crashed down onto the bed¡ªexactly where she''d been before¡ªapanied by two other girls. Again, Zoey scrambled to orient herself, to push away the nausea that had appeared with her sudden teleportation. For a brief moment, she thought the two girls who''d bounced onto the bed were Not-Zoey and Delta. But the enormous package tucked between the dark-haired figure''s legs had Zoey''s brain running circles in confusion. Not-Zoey didn''t have a cock. Shouldn''t, at least. Did that mean¡ª? But no, more likely that ... She paused. Something felt odd about her own body. Zoey looked down and saw toned muscles, a generous chest. Not unusual¡ªbut not hers. A tress of orange hair rested on her shoulder, which she scooped up and rubbed between her fingers. Silky. And not hers. Delta''s. She became aware of a tail tucked beneath her, and she leaned forward and took it in her hands, stroking the fluffy body part. She winced. Huh. It is sensitive, like she said. "Okay," Zoey-Delta said, still ying with her tail. "So, who''s who, this time?" She was exhausted, but practicalities needed to be addressed. The burst of adrenaline that hade with being teleported, at least, wiped some of it away. Someone-Zoey stared incredulously down at her cock. By the opening and closing mouth¡ªthe floundering¡ªZoey could take a guess who''dnded in her own body. But the words confirmed it. "You have got to be kidding me," Rosalie-Zoey hissed. "I have¡ªI have¡ª" Her hand hovered at her crotch as if she intended to grab the impressive member, but she stopped. "Man," Delta-Rosalie said. "You two changed, and I didn''t? Why do I keep getting the short stick? I''m the one who wanted a cock." Rosalie-Zoey shot a disgusted look at Delta, then turned to Zoey. The expression somehow, and unfairly, screamed, ''this is your fault''. "Unbelievable," she said. "And did you have to be so ... enthusiastic about all that?" "Who can me her?" Delta said. "If I had a body like that, I''d want to fuck it, too." "And you got your ... fluid ... everywhere," Rosalie said, nose wrinkling as she pressed a finger into cum-soaked sheets. She rubbed her pointer finger and thumb together, and when she separated them, white goo bridged her digits. "The bed is drenched. You''re disgusting." "Where did she go?" Zoey asked. Despite having changed bodies, she was still fatigued. Rosalie, on the other hand, didn''t seem exhausted at all; their statuses had followed over between their body-changes. "Take a stamina potion," Delta said. "Gods, I''m tired just looking at you." Right. Zoey didn''t know how many times she would forget about the magical conveniences afforded her before it became instinct to fall back on things like stamina potions. The contents of the murky-yellow vial emptied into her throat, tingling as it went down. The effects were immediate. The soreness and fatigue from such a thorough fucking session faded away, and soon she was wide awake and ready for more. Reinvigorated. I know I''ve thought it a hundred times before, but magic. Pretty cool stuff. "Where''d she go?" Zoey repeated. "Why is it just us three, now?" "And why the body-swap?" Delta asked. A voice came from high in the rafters¡ªthree heads pivoted to their spectator. She was wearing Delta''s body, this time, not Zoey''s. "Like I said, taking a breather, sweetheart. This is your chance to swap back before we duke it out. The fight for all the marbles." "Swap back?" Rosalie-Zoey asked. "What does that mean?" Zoey paused. The exnation came intuitively¡ªor at least, she had strong suspicions. "She''s implying if we fuck each other, we''ll swap bodies each time." "Winner winner," Not-Delta''s voice came from the distance. "She''s a quick one." Rosalie-Zoey looked vaguely horrified at the revtion. "But that means¡ª" "This so isn''t fair," Delta whined. "You have a cock and you get to use it?" "But¡ªbut¡ª" Rosalie failed toe to terms with the situation. Wide eyes stared at her cock, then at Zoey-Delta and Delta-Rosalie. "What''s the ordering, then?" Zoey asked. "Assuming we''re trying to get back to our normal bodies." "Well," Delta said. "Depends if Princess is okay with fucking me or not, I suppose." "Absolutely not." "Then Zoey has to put in some work," Delta said, not offended at Rosalie''s effusive denial. "Has to be an intermediary." She frowned. Her finger moved around between the three of them as she ran some calctions¡ªRosalie was doing the same, her eyebrows furrowed. How did they get back to their bodies in the quickest way possible, but without Rosalie and Delta fucking each other? "Two moves," Rosalie said. "You and Zoey, then me and Zoey." "Yeah," Delta said, "but we can also do it in four moves." "Why would¡ª" "Because I want a turn with the cock, okay? It''s not fair!" Rosalie stared at Delta with open incredulity. Delta turned to Zoey, and with pleading eyes, said, "Come on. Let''s take the long way. I want a turn in your body." Zoeyughed, amused at the request, and Delta''s straightforwardness. "What would the ordering be?" Zoey''s head hurt trying to figure out what order they needed to fuck in to amodate everyone. "It''d be you and blondie, then you and me, then you and blondie, and me and you, again." Rosalie nodded slowly as she ran swaps in her head. Zoey, honestly, lost the thread. "It would work," Rosalie said, "but it''s twice as much effort. We''re in a boss fight, if you''ve forgotten." "It''s up to Zoey." Delta pleaded with wide, hopeful eyes, which was devastatingly effective, considering she was in Rosalie''s body and wearing a pair of cat ears. They even tted down, like they were real and not an armor attachment. "If she wants my cock, she can have it," Zoeyughed. "That''s my general policy, isn''t it?" "Yes!" "You just want this tost longer," Rosalie said to Zoey with vague disdain. "You''re letting the boss recover, you realize?" "Then we better get a move on," Zoey said, a smile creeping across her lips. She shuffled over on all fours, the cum-sticky bed dirtying her hands and knees, and Rosalie''s eyes widened, nching as she realized what was about to happen. "N-Now," Rosalie-Zoey started, shuffling back at Zoey''s advance, then tipping over as Zoey pushed her by her shoulders. Rosalie''s cock stiffed, quickly engorging, as Zoey climbed atop her. It pressed against Zoey''s stomach as she straddled herp. "Wait. Wait. Zoey, give me a second." Something about the tone of voice gave Zoey pause¡ªhalted her in her tracks, regardless of how excited she was. "You okay?" "It feels ... weird," Rosalie said, staring down between their bodies, at the gigantic cock that was swelling up against Zoey''s stomach. Her hips wiggled. "So, um, intense." Zoey smirked. "Maybe you can sympathize with me, finally. Hard to keep a straight head with that thing, isn''t it?" Rosalie panted as she watched her cock finish filling out. A lusty haze had fallen over her eyes. Was that how Zoey looked, when things got going? Her cock was¡ªas Ephy had alluded to¡ªa lot needier than most. More sensitive, too. Zoey''s hand went to Rosalie''s cock, and Rosalie made one of the cutest noises she''d ever heard. A squeak, or something close. Zoey squeezed, and the noise repeated itself, Rosalie''s hips bucking forward and jostling Zoey atop her. Zoey briefly took a moment to be disoriented at her own situation¡ªthe fox ears on her head, the tail sprouting from just above her ass, and most importantly, the fact she had a cock in her hands, which distinctly wasn''t something Zoey''d ever done before¡ªbut the excitement and lust in Rosalie''s eyes overruled her hesitancy. "Just let me know if its too much," Zoey murmured, stroking up and down Rosalie''s huge girlcock. It pulsed in her hand, radiating heat. "How, how''s it work?" Rosalie panted. "Do I have to ... inside?" Zoey paused. She wasn''t sure. Not-Delta''s voice came down from the rafters, "Synchronized! That''s all that matters. So you better hold off, blondie!" That wouldn''t be the easiest thing in the world for Rosalie. If Zoey wanted to be nice, she''d get herself close to orgasm before they started, and let Rosalie take control. That way, Rosalie wouldn¡¯t have to resist the pleasure too much. But Zoey wasn''t feeling particrly nice. The opposite. She wanted to make Rosalie squirm. To understand just how ... inconvenient, and overwhelming, this member of Zoey¡¯s¡ªthat was now hers¡ªwas. "It''s so weird, with you in her body," Rosalie murmured. Her eyes scoured Zoey''s¡ªDelta''s?¡ªtits, stomach, and neatly shaved pussy, which she had a great view of as Zoey jerked her off with both hands. "Is it doing something for you?" Zoey grinned. "Do Delta''s hands feel good, going up and down your giant cock? How about that we''re being watched by her? Is that why you''re making so many cute noises?" Like usual, the heat of the situation had put a boldness into Zoey that didn¡¯t normally exist. "O-Of course not." "Maybe her mouth can extract a confession." Zoey squeezed the base of Rosalie''s cock. Without thinking better of what she was doing, she leaned forward and took Rosalie in her mouth. My own cock, she realized. This musky taste was her own, the pulsing-hot warmth and the salty taste of pre-cum. It hadn¡¯t crossed her mind¡ªshe¡¯d wanted to tease Rosalie by using Delta¡¯s mouth to extract honesty from her. But she¡¯d just taken her own cock into her mouth. Zoey stroked her tongue at the slit on top of her shaft, and pushed down onto that warm girth. Rosalie made more adorable squeaks¡ªthe same kind she''d been making¡ªand almost as much as the idea Zoey had her own cock in her mouth¡ªnot literally, but close enough¡ªit was Rosalie''s noises that had Zoey''s mind melting. She''s so cute, I want to die. Zoey would do whatever she could to have Rosalie bucking and whining beneath her. However degenerate this shard was, Zoey found herself thankful she''d been put in this situation: with Rosalie''s cock stuffing her mouth. Time to make her squirm. 2.24 Rosalie’s Turn 2.24 Rosalie¡¯s Turn Zoey worked her mouth along the hot tip of Rosalie''s cock head, running her tongue across its edges and caressing the pulsing member. Both her hands wrapped around its base, stabilizing it for her sloppy efforts. Fourteen inches had seemed much smaller when between Zoey¡¯s legs instead of someone else¡¯s. One of the reasons Zoey had eagerly gotten to work on Rosalie¡ªbesides the obvious of wanting to make her feel good¡ªwas to garner some sympathy for how overwhelming having a cock could be. Especially Zoey¡¯s. But it seemed Zoey was gaining perspective too. Because this thing was so fucking big. How the hell did Rosalie make it seem easy? Getting it down? Zoey¡¯s skills should still work, so it wouldn''t be an impossible task ¡­ but not an easy one. It didn¡¯t need to be easy. With Rosalie¡¯s whines and moans as a reward for every movement of Zoey¡¯s tongue and bob of her head, Zoey was highly incentivized to get this unwieldy object deeper into her mouth. Rosalie¡¯s hands wrapped into Zoey¡¯s hair. "You like it, don''t you?" Rosalie said. "My cock in your mouth?" She stuttered over the words. Zoey paused her coaxing tongue-stroking, then pulled back, saliva bridging from her mouth to Rosalie''s cock. A grin split Zoey¡¯s lips. "Was that ... are you trying to ... dirty talk? Take charge?" Rosalie''s face colored with amusing speed. She cleared her throat. "I just¡ªI thought that¡ªsince, you know, I have it now ... ?" Zoey''s smile grew. She shuffled forward until she''d pressed herself a few inches from Rosalie''s burning face. She pushed back an errant lock of ck hair. "Cute. You''re cute. But let me clear something up." Zoey squeezed Rosalie¡¯s cock, extracting a moan and a wiggle of Rosalie''s hips. "You''re my ything, not the other way around. Doesn¡¯t matter what you have between your legs. Understand?" Rosalie panted hot air into her face. Zoey squeezed again, harder, this time. "Understand?" "Y-Yes." "Good. Now sit back and enjoy Delta¡¯s mouth." Zoey paused before her lips wrapped around Rosalie''s cock again. "But dirty talk is nice,¡± she rified. ¡°Just remember your ce." Her head, and mouth, sank back down. She stroked with her tongue and sucked, teasing Rosalie''s cockhead. The two girls eased back into Zoey¡¯s yful coaxing of her sensitive part. "Deeper?" Rosalie asked. "Please?" Zoey smiled around Rosalie¡¯s cock. Well, since she asked so nicely. Bracing herself, she opened her throat and pushed herself down. She choked at first. Because ¡­ of course. Her gag reflex protested, but she persevered¡ªshe had a mission, and she would see it through. Four or five inches down, the thick meat cramming into her throat was too much; she wasn¡¯t experienced at this, even if she had a skill helping her along. Her throat spasmed, and she gagged, pulling back and coughing. "Help me out, won¡¯t you?" Zoey said, once she¡¯d stabilized. "Get me down." Rosalie didn''t need to be told twice. Zoey''s lips wrapped back around her cock, and when Zoey got her throat opened up again, Rosalie took her request deadly serious. She shoved, and not gently. With Rosalie¡¯s empowered strength, all fourteen inches of cock slipped past Zoey''s constricting esophagus with a surprised gasp-sh-choke-sh-moan. Girlmeat slid further and further, easily down past her sternum, approaching her stomach. The sensation was insane¡ªincredible¡ªand the noises Rosalie made at the tight pleasuring of her cock, even more so. Zoey nted a kiss on Rosalie''s crotch, her nose pressed fully into her pelvis. Huh. When it¡¯s fast, it¡¯s not so bad. She¡¯d been shoved down with so much speed her gag reflex hadn¡¯t had time to protest. "Aren''t we supposed to ... synchronize?" Rosalie whined. Zoey couldn¡¯t respond, obviously. Delta did in her ce. "I don''t think Zoey''s letting you off with just one,¡± she said amusedly. ¡°This one¡¯s a freebie, I¡¯m taking it.¡± Zoey had almost forgotten about Delta. She was so focused on Rosalie and her reactions she¡¯d forgot the circumstances they were in. Forgot the entire world, honestly¡ªand that this was her own cock in her mouth. Zoey spared a nce at Delta. She was leaned back into the pillows, enjoying the show. She stroked slowly, yfully, at her lower lips, not embarrassed in the slightest for doing so. She worked at a pace that said she was having fun, but not allowing herself to get too worked up. Saving herself for her turn. Zoey refocused on her goal. She pulled her head back, feeling fourteen inches squirm and slide around in her tight, gripping throat. Her oxygen supply was quickly depleting, but she didn''t care. She could hold off for a while longer. Rosalie¡¯s pleasure mattered more. Rosalie started bucking, and Zoey grabbed onto her hips to steady herself. A giant rod of girlmeat vited her throat in a way Zoey had never experienced. It approached painful, but her lust overruled any real difort. It was the best thing ever. "Your throat feels so good," Rosalie groaned. "I¡ªI can feel something ... something building. ¡®Already?¡¯ Zoey would have teased. ¡°Already?¡± Delta asked. The bucking picked up speed. Harder, faster, Rosalie sank her fourteen inches into Zoey¡¯s constrictive throat, pleasuring herself. ¡°I can¡¯t ¡­ I can¡¯t stop myself." Faster still. Her hips moved with abandon, and her eyes zed over. "Fuck! Fuck me! Zoey!" Rosalie mmed Zoey¡¯s head back down into her pelvis with onest, rough, desperate push. Zoey watched her stomach spasm, and felt¡ªinside her tight throat¡ªRosalie¡¯s cock twitch and swell. Fuck. Here ites. Rosalie groaned, then squeezed out thick jets of hot white girlcum. It burst into Zoey¡¯s throat, or more urately, directly into her stomach, spraying hot material fourteen inches down her esophagus. Rosalie had mentioned how she could ''feel it sloshing around'', and as Zoey''s stomach quickly filled up with Rosalie''s semen, Zoey understood exactly what she meant. Rosalie was borrowing Zoey¡¯s body, after all, and so her output was as impressive as Zoey¡¯s. S-So much. Rosalie filled Zoey up with hot, sticky girl batter. Fuck. It¡¯s still going. Finally, she extracted herself from Rosalie''s dick, savoring the way her throat closed as the giant invader slipped up and out. Her vision ckened at the edges, and the first breath of air as she surfaced was orgasmic. She sucked in oxygen as she hacked out cum. Rosalie''s seed shot out of her nose in the violent fit, which she wiped away. The salty, musky taste was overpowering ... especially knowing it was her own¡ªher body''s¡ªas much as it was Rosalie''s. That¡¯s my own cum I¡¯m tasting. Zoey was dizzy, and not entirely from theck of air. Rosalie, for her part, had copsed into the bed, the intensity of her orgasm having exhausted herpletely. Her cock hadn¡¯t started to soften, and Zoey didn¡¯t n to let it. She re-seized it and started stroking. "Sorry, Rosie. No breaks. We''re on a schedule, remember?" "You''re¡ªyou''re a wicked woman," Rosalie whined. "That was ¡­ I can''t even describe it ..." "That was just the appetizer," Zoey teased. "Are you ready for the main course?" Rosalie¡¯s eyes widened as she understood what Zoey was implying. Zoey shuffled overtop Rosalie, not giving her time to digest the news. She rubbed her pussy into the thick shaft¡ªmy own shaft¡ªas she straddled Rosalie. The sensation was ... intense. Having her throat so violently used had worked her up ¡­ and even more so, the noises Rosalie had been making. Zoey stared down, briefly hesitant, at the tool she was rubbing herself against. That¡¯s going in me? She had used strap-ons before, and they were fun enough. But fourteen inches of actual cock inside her? Under normal circumstances it wouldn''t be appealing, but seeing how it was Rosalie''s cock ... well, Zoey''s insides squirmed with excitement as much as they did apprehension. She lifted up her hips, settling Rosalie''s cockhead to her entrance. She gave it a few rubs, shivering as the sensation of the pulsing heat rubbing into her, splitting her lower lips apart. There''s no way it''ll fit. But her skill should take care of that. It''s going to feel so weird. ¡°Are you ready?¡± Zoey murmured. To think Rosalie would be fucking Zoey¡¯s pussy before Zoey had gotten to do so to Rosalie¡¯s ¡­ Zoey would call it unfair, but she wasn¡¯t remotely displeased with the arrangement. Plus, Zoey wasn¡¯t a virgin, like she suspected Rosalie was. Zoey hadn¡¯t ever had a real cock inside her, but she¡¯d had plenty of straps. ¡°R-Ready,¡± Rosalie said, wide-eyed, staring down at her cock, lined up to Zoey¡¯s entrance. "Remember," Zoey said. "No cumming until I do. I even let you finish once, so it''d be embarrassing if you can''t oust me." The throat-job had been fun, but she hadn¡¯t been able to talk. This position, she could. Being able to tease Rosalie ¡­ Zoey suspected she was going to enjoy this method of pleasuring Rosalie much, much more. Zoey''s heart pounded in anticipation. She was so happy she was the one who got to provide this to Rosalie¡ªher first time stuffing her thick cock into a warm, inviting pussy. "It¡¯s so ¡­ so intense," Rosalie gasped. Her head visibly swam as Zoey continued to stroke her cockhead against her pussy. Delta¡¯s pussy? Delta¡¯s pussy. She wondered what that was doing to Rosalie. Sure, it was Zoey in Delta¡¯s body, but having her cock lined to to Delta¡¯s entrance ¡­ about to thrust in and lose her cock-virginity to the fox-eared girl she had an obviously rivalry with. That was sure to cause some ¡­ confusing thoughts in the future. Maybe it¡¯ll open them up to each other. By the way Rosalie¡¯s eyes crawled across Zoey¡¯s body, she certainly appreciate Delta¡¯s curves. Zoey grinned, then lowered herself. Rosalie¡¯s cock prated her. She¡¯s in. Oh my god, she¡¯s in me. Zoey groaned as her tight hole was filled up. The pressure was overwhelming, immediately; it stretched her open in such an incredible way. Zoey¡¯s head fell back and her eyes closed, a moan wrenching from her lips¡ªmirrored by Rosalie. She sank down and down, her insides filling up with Rosalie''s deliciously hot girlcock. It was all too much. She felt like there wasn''t enough room for everything, but ... "You''re so ... so big," Zoey groaned. "Fuck me." "Now¡ªnow you know how I feel," Rosalie panted. Zoey''s hips moved of their own ord. She bounced up and down, working further onto the enormous pir with every lewd thrust. Rosalie''s cock worked its way up and up, cramming every inch of her gripping walls with pulsing girlcock, quickly stuffing into her stomach. She couldn''t have been halfway down before she felt Rosalie bottom out¡ªfelt a hot cockhead bumping into her cervix¡ªbut rather than hurting, like with her old girlfriends'' straps, it felt incredible, even better than the euphoric pleasure from before. Guess that exins why no one minds. And Rosalie''s cock kept going, anyway; her insides stretched out to amodate her, and the stretch¡ªthe feeling of being split in two, the pressure against her cervix¡ªerased Zoey''s thoughts. Zoey''s ass hit Rosalie''s thighs. Rosalie cried out, hands going to Zoey''s hips and starting to buck. She shivered in delight as Rosalie''s cock slid in and out of her, aided by Zoey''s own bouncing. "Do you like it?" Zoey panted. "Do you like Delta¡¯s pussy? Being squeezed and pleasured by such an annoying girl? ¡°Hey,¡± Delta said, amused, in the background. Zoey couldn¡¯t help but y into the body-swap. It made this so much hotter ¡­ as if having Rosalie inside her hadn¡¯t already been mind-melting, the bizarre dynamics of everyone being in different bodies added a second steamingyer of eroticism to situation. Rosalie never would have responded with a ¡®yes¡¯ under normal circumstances, but Zoey¡¯s pussy wrapped around her cock coaxed out that beautiful honesty of hers. "G-Gods ¡­ yes, Delta¡¯s pussy is so¡ªso¡ª" "So what?" "Tight," Rosalie groaned. Her hips picked up speed, mming into Zoey with desperate fervency. "She¡¯s so fucking tight! It''s squeezing me so hard! Delta feels so good around my cock!" Loud ps of flesh echoed in the room, punctuating each of their moans. Delta didn¡¯t respond, and Zoey was too lost in the heat for her to look over, see what her reaction at ¡­ this particr thing they¡¯d focused on ¡­ was. Rosalie and Zoey drifted in a haze of hot ecstasy, moans growing louder and the pping of their lower bodies quickened. Zoey cared for nothing but the sensation of having Rosalie¡¯s dick mming into her, and the noises Rosalie was making, the sensationsing with it. Hot girlcock pumped into her, stretching her open and rubbing against her most sensitive spots. "You better not be close," Zoey panted. "Youe when I tell you to. Understand?" Rosalie was lost, shoving herself into and out of Zoey, so Zoey forced her hips to still, denying Rosalie''s building pleasure. "I said, do you understand?" "Z-Zoey, please¡ªI need to¡ª" "Not until I''m closer." Rosalie groaned. "O-Okay. But how do I¡ª" "Figure it out." Zoey started grinding her hips again, using Rosalie''s cock to stir her insides. "But no cumming until I say." Their pace picked back up. For all Zoey''smanding of Rosalie, she wasn¡¯t faring much better herself. She held off the inevitable desperately, the burning climax growing as Rosalie pounded into her tight depths. It was hard. Rosalie''s cock was the most amazing thing she¡¯d ever felt. Zoey''s breath quickened as their efforts intensified, ps of flesh getting faster and faster. The orgasm boiled just beneath her skin. The pressure built higher and higher. "Z-Zoey, I can''t, I can''t¡ª" Zoey copsed forward, pressing her chest into Rosalie''s. She wanted to tease Rosalie longer ¡­ but she couldn¡¯t hold off, either. She panted into her ear, "Okay. Go ahead. Fill me up." Rosalie''s hands went to Zoey''s ass, and her hips bucked with wild abandon. Hot girlmeat slid through her pussy with unmatched vigor. Rosalie made whining, incoherent noises directly into Zoey''s ear. Zoey listened to them, floating away into a hot ether of ecstasy, even as she started to shake, the pressure reaching a climax. Rosalie''s whole body tensed and shuddered, and she cried out, her pumpinging to a sudden stop. A brief moment of burning anticipation, then the first spurt of hot batter burst into Zoey''s insides with enough force she could feel the increase in pressure, the stter of hot liquid into her womb. Rosalie¡¯s cumming inside me. "Don¡¯t stop," Zoey groaned. "Keep going." Rosalie forced her hips to keep pistoning, for her dick to keep pleasuring Zoey''s insides, despite the instinct to freeze as she emptied herself. Her spasming dick shot thick ropes of girlcum deep inside Zoey, filling her full, coating her as they grinded their lower halves against each other. "Z-Zoey!" "Keep going, keep going," Zoey''s gasps filled the air as euphoria wracked her. "You''re doing so good¡ªso¡ªgood¡ªmore, please, more." Rosalie continued squirting into her. Zoey''s vision turned white. Her mind was consumed by heat, pleasure. The pping sound became less rhythmic and started sounding like squelching; Rosalie''s cum coated between them, forced out of her pussy with the sheer quantity she was expelling. Every nerve ending in Zoey''s body was electrified. Her body spasmed and twitched. The climax washed over them, and finally Rosalie''s pumping stopped. Zoey rolled off Rosalie, exhausted, and her vision went white. When the brief unconsciousness had passed, she was back in her own body, and a thoroughly cum-filled Rosalie-Deltaid next to her. 2.25 Delta, The Shameless 2.25 Delta, The Shameless A/N: Fetish content tags: Spoiler Autofetio [copse] "Wow." Zoey felt tingly all over from how intense her orgasm had been. Her insides were still sorely satisfied from being stuffed full of cock¡ªregardless that she was back in her own body. Like the previous swap, her internal sensations and status had carried over. "Wow, indeed," Delta said amusedly. "You two had fun, didn¡¯t you?¡± Zoey cleared her throat, remembering the things she¡¯d said to Rosalie¡ªying off the fact it was Delta¡¯s body she¡¯d been using to fuck Rosalie. Delta didn¡¯t seem to mind. She continued without even mentioning it. ¡°I almost feel bad. You''ve got like three more left, minimum. Will that thing even still work?" It''s a gift from the goddess of eroticism. So yeah, probably. Every day that passed, Zoey was finding herself able to go longer and harder than before; Mel''s thorough, many-orgasm session had done especially well to condition her. And the stamina potion had helped, too. "Gimme like, a minute," Zoey said. "Fuck, that was good, Rosie." She patted Rosalie¡¯s stomach¡ªwhich was Delta¡¯s stomach, now¡ªto emphasize the statement. Rosalie made some incoherent mumbling next to her that, presumably, meant she agreed. Zoey''s first orgasm with a cock had been pretty intense, too, so she sympathized with Rosalie''s brief inability to function. Delta crawled over on all fours onto Zoey''sp. She straddled up to Zoey, rubbing Zoey¡¯s only half-softened cock against her dripping wet sex. "Hold on," Zoey said, elbowing up. ¡°Starting already? I said give me a second.¡± "I''m not going, don''t worry," Delta said. "Just acquainting myself." Her hand rubbed up and down Zoey''s length, quickly bringing the insatiable thing back to life. "We should¡ªum. Let''s only use our hands and mouths?" Delta paused her stroking. "Huh?" Zoey nced sideways, at a still half-way disabled Rosalie. Then back to Delta. "I, um." Her voice dropped to a low whisper, trying to let only Delta hear her. "Me and Rosalie haven''t ... and I kind of want to ..." Delta picked up what she was saying without Zoey spelling it out. Again, for all she was reckless and spoke without thinking, she had a good intuition for people. Her eyebrows did go up, though. Delta had made several allusions to the fact she thought the two of them were sleeping together ... and while they were, they hadn''t actually gone all the way, yet. Hence Zoey¡¯s request. Even if it was Delta in Rosalie''s body, Zoey wanted her first time being inside Rosalie¡ªinside in the most traditional sense¡ªto be ¡­ y¡¯know, with Rosalie actually in her own body. "Sure," Delta said. "But when I''m in your body, I want to go inside. I only get a cock once. That''s fine?" Zoey paused. ¡°I¡¯ll just have to go with Rosalie again, then me and you can do it with our own bodies, but swapped.¡± "You''re gonna make me fuck myself?" Delta asked amusedly. "Actually¡ªyou know, that sounds pretty awesome. So that works with me." Rosalie tuned in, having recovered from her brief post-orgasm fugue. "Pardon? What¡¯s happening?" "Zoey wants your virginity," Delta replied breezily. "She doesn''t want me in her body, fucking your pussy, or fucking yours, right now¡ªeven if everything''s swapped up. So we¡¯re working out the logistics." Can¡¯t she be the smallest bit tactful? Zoey sputtered, not having a clue how to exin the situation¡ªand so did Rosalie, blushing. But, Zoey noted, Rosalie didn''t protest the reasoning. She was spared from needing to address it, at least, by Delta moving things along, apparently bing impatient. Or maybe purposefully sparing them. Delta shuffled around, spinning a hundred eighty degrees, so her back was faced to Zoey. She shuffled down her body, and Delta''s pussy (Rosalie¡¯s) was suddenly in her face. A secondter, a warm mouth wrapped around her cock. Huh. Pretty easy way to sync things up. Good choice. Zoey pulled Delta''s lower body in and sank her tongue into Delta''s depths. A moan ripped across Zoey''s cock, extracted from Delta by Zoey''s skilled tongue. Delta''s efforts were skilled, too. Wet, sucking sounds bounced around the room as she swallowed Zoey''s length and worked her mouth up and down. Delta¡¯s efforts weren''t to her own satisfaction, though, because Delta grabbed hold of both of Zoey''s thighs, using them for leverage to push herself further down. It was Zoey''s turn to moan into Delta¡ªwhich she apparently liked, based on how her hips squirmed back and forth, dragging her wet heat across Zoey''s mouth. Several wet, desperate minutester, and some brief coordination, Zoey''s hips were bucking in and out of Delta''s throat as she vigntly curled her tongue into Delta''s pussy. They shook against each other as they came at the same time. While not as explosive as her encounter with Rosalie, it still had Zoey''s vision whiting out¡ªthen, a few momentster, she woke up with her own cock crammed in her throat. *** Delta watched Zoey¡ªRosalie? Gods, keeping things straight was getting kind of hrious¡ªroll off her body, choking as more than a foot of girlmeat slid from her throat. The sensation¡ªa tight throat sliding up and off Delta''s cock¡ªwas a pretty auspicious start to her first experience with a cock. My cock. Shit, that thing¡¯s mine, now. I''m seriously going to have to make it up to her. Zoey hadn''t needed to fit in Delta''s request, especially considering they were ostensibly in the middle of a boss fight, but she had, even against her girlfriend''s protests. And sure, Delta had all but begged, because she really wanted to know what this thing was like, but it was still a favor. And Delta preferred to see favors repaid¡ªto see the bnce book settled. While Zoey went about coughing¡ªamon theme Delta was finding out to taking this absurd monster into one''s throat¡ªshe inspected the impressive addition to her biology. There was plenty to ogle on Zoey''s body¡ªmore to ogle than to not¡ªbut Delta had eyes for one thing. The thick, veiny, towering b of meat alight with nerve endings. It throbbed at full mast, not remotely put-out by its previous five or six emptyings. Then again, maybe that was because of Delta''s own arousal. Even looking down at the thing attached between her legs had Delta''s heart galloping.Of course it wasn¡¯t softening. She reached down and wrapped her hand around it. It twitched at the attention, and she gasped as it pulsed in her hands. Her head swam. This is so awesome. How the hell had Zoey gotten so lucky to have this thing permanently? Delta only got it briefly ... for this shard, and probably never again. That so wasn''t fair. She gave the thing a good pumping, and her hips bucked into her hand¡ªthe animal reaction hade entirely from how pleasurable the stroke had been. "Damn," Delta said, wincing. "This thing''s sensitive." Some of Zoey''s behavior was starting to make sense. Delta was pretty used to keeping her libido in check¡ªor at least working around it¡ªbut this thing was driving her thoughts wild. Though, some of that certainly had to do with how excited she was to use it. To feel Zoey''s tight pussy mped down on¡ª She cleared her throat. Down, girl. Zoey still had to swap with Rosalie¡ªto get Delta''s body¡ªbefore Delta got to have any real fun. She shouldn¡¯t let herself get too worked up before then. ''Fun''. The fun being, of course, Delta fucking herself. That was going to be ... pretty awesome. Maybe some people would be put off by the oddness, but Delta, certainly not. It was a double-win: she both got to experience the sensation of having a cock, and she got to feel out what her own insides felt, wrapped around it. A triple-win, actually. She got to fuck Zoey, too. Delta had a pretty casual rtionship with sex, but that didn¡¯t mean the idea of a first-time with a girl as hot as Zoey didn¡¯t do anything for her. They can''t get this done with fast enough. "Get it going, lovebirds," Delta said, gesturing at Rosalie¡ªtelling Zoey to hurry up. "Daylight''s burning." Zoey and Rosalie shared a look, then a blush, which Delta found kind of hrious. The earlier reveal¡ªthat Zoey hadn''t actually been inside Rosalie¡ªhad caught her off guard. Sure, Zoey had imed such, but Delta honestly hadn¡¯t believed her. But by the request¡ªZoey wanting to save Rosalie¡¯s first time for herself¡ªDelta did, now. By how the two acted, she''d have figured they''d been all over each other. And they definitely had to some degree, just not in that way, apparently. And now that she thought about it, they hadn''t even kissed, not with Delta around. For all their attraction to each other was obvious to her, it seemed like they were still in the fumbling-about stages. It was pretty cute, if Delta were being honest. Delta propped herself up against the headboard of the bed and watched Zoey get to work on the haughty old blood. Like usual, watching the stiff woman melt under intimacy was enjoyable to watch. Though, how couldn¡¯t Rosaliee apart under Zoey¡¯s efforts? As Delta had just experienced, Zoey knew what she was doing. That tongue had done wicked things to her. She could hardly me Rosalie. While she enjoyed the show, Delta acquainted herself to the thing between her legs. Okay, girl. Let''s see what you''re made of. She''d given it a few strokes already, but she hadn''t explored it remotely to the lengths she wanted to. First, she tried to get a sense of how big it was. Massive was the obvious descriptor¡ªbut exactly how big? She lined a hand up, cing the base of her palm into her crotch. Her middle finger reached almost exactly the halfway point. Moving her hand up again, she confirmed: about two Zoey hand lengths. And Zoey was pretty tall, so¡ªMaker, a huge fucking cock. I could totally reach it with my mouth. And seeing how she only had this one opportunity... Delta nced sideways at Rosalie and Zoey. The two were rather upied, with both their faces stuffed between each other''s legs, in a simr position Delta and Zoey had been in a second ago. And what would Delta care if they watched this horribly degenerate thing she was about to do, anyway? She shrugged. Fuck it. I''m sure Zoey''s done it, too. She shuffled herself into a better position, then, gripping her own thighs, helped push her lower half closer to her face. A giant cock pressed into her lips. Pre-cum leaked from it, coating her with the slippery stuff. Delta''s heart mmed in her chest, and her face zed. I''m really going to do this? Despite her previous quick decision, she hesitated. Fuck it. Delta let her lips part, and she pushed her head forward. Her mouth wrapped around a radiating heat, filling up with throbbing cock¡ªher own cock. I have my own cock in my mouth. She sucked and ran a tongue around it, pleasuring herself with wet, sloppy kisses. She groaned at the sensation, and the groan¡ªthe vibrating noise pressed against her sensitive head¡ªthrilled through her. I have my own fucking cock in my mouth. Best day ever. The vestiges of her hesitation fell away. Delta gripped her own ass and pressed herself down, getting her cock deeper into her mouth, until it was pressing against the back of her throat. She sucked and bobbed, shooting electricity along the shaft as she worked it over. It felt too good. Delta couldn''t help herself; she needed more. She opened wide and shoved herself down, taking it inside her throat. She choked as it stretched her neck muscles out of ce, distending her open. This is ... so fucking awesome, she internally moaned. My throat feels so good. Her throat. Her own throat. She bobbed and thrusted with the aid of her hands shoving her lower body into her face. It was an awkward position, and undoubtedly degenerate if someone were to look at her, but she didn''t care. The slippery pleasuring of her throat was erasing her thoughts. She drowned in pleasure. Fuck. I''m going to cum into my own mouth. The realization only had Delta bucking her hips faster and faster, the need coursing through her so intensely she thought she might melt. Her climax surged through her, arriving all at once. She groaned, but continued to thrust her cock into and out of her throat, bringing herself to a burning crescendo. Her cock clenched, and a hot spurt of girl jizz ejected into her. She felt the heat streak down her throat, and she swallowed it down, the taste of her own essence filling her mouth. Her orgasm wracked through her violently. Her stomach and cock clenched and unclenched as she filled herself with her own cum, stuffing her tummy with hot seed. More ... fuck, give me more. She only wished she could get further down. Delta was flexible, but she couldn''t bury herself all the way. Still, it was enough. Delta''s eager tongue and throat pleasured her own cock until she''d emptied herself. Her cock slid from her throat, and she copsed back into the pillows, panting. 2.26 Delta’s Turn 2.26 Delta¡¯s Turn Hriously, Zoey and Rosalie hadn¡¯t noticed what Delta had just done. When Delta returned from cloud-nine from having stuffed about a bucket of her own cum down her throat, Zoey and Rosalie were just finishing up. They came to climax together, and, a short momentter, she saw the two girls copse¡ªthen stir to consciousness, the body-swap taking ce. They have no idea I just face-fucked myself. It was amusing for a reason she couldn''t fully ce. And the smallest bit relieving. Delta wasn''t a shameful person, but something like that ... well, she''d own it if she had to, but the teasing from Zoey would¡¯ve been brutal. "Took you long enough," Delta said. "Hnnn," Zoeyined. "I can''t believe I have to go two more times." "You''reining about too many orgasms?" Delta put a hand to her chest in mock-offense. "We''re only good for a few, are we?" Zoey eyed her. "I''m tired, okay?" "Hm. Then sit back and enjoy yourself. I''ll do all the work." Delta didn''t want Zoey taking charge, anyway. If she had a cock, she wanted to be the active participant. While having someone ride her sounded amazing, the idea of pinning Zoey down and fucking her into oblivion sounded a hundred times better. Zoey considered the offer. "You know ... that doesn''t sound half bad." Delta crawled toward her, grinning. Zoey nched. "Hey. Give me a second, won''t you?" "Nope," Delta said. "Been waiting long enough." She pushed the other girl down. Zoey''s orange hair syed out, and she adjusted the tail trapped underneath her. The movement was awkward enough it made it clear she hadn''t ustomed herself to her biological changes. For that matter, Delta hadn''t either, even if she''d been wearing Rosalie''s human body before she had Zoey''s. Human ears were weird. And not having a tail. Keeping her bnce had been ten times harder than normal. Delta split Zoey''s legs open with her hands, baring Zoey''s pussy¡ªmy pussy?¡ªto the air. Zoey blushed, her knees closing instinctively, before slowly opening up again at Delta''s insistence. Earlier, Zoey had said Not-Zoey¡ªback when she''d still been wearing their personalities urately¡ªhad be far more timid when she''d lost her cock, and the change of the dynamic. It seemed the same was true here. She¡¯s a switch, Delta thought amusedly. Zoey could¡ªand indeed, apparently liked¡ªfilling both roles, submissive or dominant. When it came to the blonde girl, Zoey naturally filled the role of a top. But now that Delta was taking charge, she meekly fell into the other role. And it didn¡¯t even seem like an act, but her natural reactions. Delta was a bit the same way. She could fill either role. Definitely preferred topping, though. She lined her cock up and tapped it against Zoey''s sensitive area, her entire body thrilling with the idea it was her own pussy that Delta was pping her cock into. It made loud, lewd ps with every impact¡ªZoey''s cock had a lot of weight to it. "Fuck, this is going to be so amazing," Delta murmured. Tell her two days ago that she''d be fucking herself, in someone else''s body, with a giant cock, and she''d understandably haveughed. Shards could be weird, but this went beyond weird. To her benefit. She lined her cockhead up to Zoey''s entrance. Zoey panted in anticipation, and the needy, excited look had Delta''s next words springing to her lips. "Now, now, naughty girl. Don''t look so excited that you¡¯re about to be fucked by your own cock.¡± "Says the girl about to fuck her own pussy," Zoey shot back. "Hurry up. Put it in." Delta didn''t need to be told twice. She pressed forward, letting her cock spread Zoey''s pussy lips apart. Zoey moaned as she was filled up, stretching to amodate Delta''s size. "Fuck." Delta was burying herself into her own pussy. That tight, mping feeling, the wet heat she was enveloped by. Her own. She couldn''t help herself; her better sense erased at the pleasure. She leaned forward, then mmed her hips into Zoey, burying herself in one smooth, harsh movement. "F-Fuck," Zoey cried out, her insides crammed full by fourteen inches in less than a second. She writhed under Delta, groaning. "A-Asshole!" Delta pinned Zoey''s arms down. She briefly considered apologizing, but she was lost to the sensation, the heat of the moment. And Zoey, despite herining, didn''t seem actually upset. Sure, it might''ve hurt a bit ... but Zoey''s panting and squirming didn''t suggest she wanted Delta to stop. Delta pulled back and mmed her entire length inside of her own tight pussy a second time, then a third, and a fourth. Her hips smashed into the other girl over and over in a brutal rhythm. Delta wasn''t taking it slow and easy. Not gentle. The bed creaked with Delta''s powerful thrusts. "I said I wanted to fuck you," Delta said, and it was half a growl. She didn''t know what wasing over her, but it was powerful and intoxicating. This thing between her legs hadn''t changed her, but it''d drawn something out she hadn''t known was there. She wanted to punish the cute girl beneath her¡ªhave her crying out and begging for more. "I only get this thing once, so I''m making good use of it." Her hips pumped back and forth to emphasize her point, pping her lower half into Zoey with violent, harsh impacts. Zoey''s tits bounced with the motion, and Delta admired the sight¡ªeven if it was her own body jiggling underneath the lewd thrusts, Delta¡¯s own tits bouncing. I have a nice pair, she thought amusedly, somewhere behind the haze of lust. Is that narcissistic? Zoey''s whining amplified as Delta worked up speed, pounding away. The feeling of having a tight pussy squeezing around her cock ... she loved it so much. She despaired, briefly, that she could only experience this sensation once. "Fuck," Zoey panted. "You feel¡ªyou feel so good inside me." Her eyes were zing over with pleasure. Delta wasn''t the only one losing herself to the perversion of the moment. Delta fucking herself¡ªand Zoey fucking herself too, in a way. And receiving, not giving, like she had with Not-Zoey. This girl really had gotten to explore every variation of this shard. If only Delta could''ve been so lucky. But those thoughts were in the back of her head. The primal part was focused on the squirming, busty orange-haired girl she was pumping her cock into. Delta''s chest swelled with a dominating satisfaction at seeing it. Her cock¡ªher cock had this girl squirming, addled with lust. "That''s right," she grunted out through clenched teeth. She was close to getting off, but she fought against the feeling. She wanted to drag this out, and she absolutely refused for it to be over so fast. She''d punish Zoey much, much more thoroughly than this before she allowed herself to cum. "My little slut is going to milk my cock dry, isn''t she?" Zoey had made it clear how much she liked dirty talk, and Delta was happy to provide. She''d be a liar if she said she didn''t like it, too. "Yes," Zoey groaned. "She will. She''ll milk you as best she can. Use her pussy however you want." Delta growled and gripped Zoey¡¯s hips, hammering forward with renewed vigor. As her lewd words suggested, Zoey''s pussy milked and squeezed against her length with almost disorienting strength; like Zoey had some magical force aiding the coaxing motions her lower half was able to provide. Or were pussies just this tight? And massaging? Delta¡¯s first time, and everything. Fuck. Why does she feel so good? How am I supposed tost? Zoey cried out and grabbed onto the bed sheets as Delta pped herself into her. It took all of her self-control not to lose herself in the sensations of her cock¡ªher cock¡ªin the other girl''s tight pussy. She was only a half-step away from cumming. "C-Close," Zoey cried. "I''m close. I''m, I''m¡ª" Delta pumped harder, faster, shaking the entire bed with her violent motions. Zoey finally started to writhe beneath her, and Delta, unfortunately, couldn''t help herself. She let go too. So fast ¡­ it¡¯s not fair ¡­ The sudden release sent a flood of pleasure coursing through her body, triggering an explosion of orgasmic energy that wracked through her. The force of it made her bite down on her lip, and she almost drew blood as whines escaped her clenched jaw. It felt almost too good to believe. Like a sensation that couldn''t, or shouldn''t, exist. Zoey trembled beneath her as Delta pumped torrents of hot seed inside her. Inside Zoey. Inside herself, Delta''s own body. I''m breeding myself, she realized with burning-hot rity. Myself, and Zoey, at the same time. Delta''s mind washed with bliss, and as much as the ecstasy was from the sensation of being milked by Zoey''s tight pussy, it was the knowledge she was cumming into her own body that had her consciousness erasing, drifting off into an ether of hot, erasing pleasure. Impregnating herself. Filling her own womb with hot white seed. Every drop¡ªshe wanted every drop in there. Her cock convulsed with her desire. She pumped so much into Zoey Delta almost couldn''t believe it. The euphoria faded slowly. With onest pulse, and a finishing p of lower body against lower body, Delta finished, having emptied every drop out. She fell sideways, into the sheets, abruptly dizzy. Like had happened before, her vision went white¡ª And she woke up in her own body, her pussy crammed full of Zoey''s seed. It flowed out of her, Zoey having fallen back into the bedsheets too. Delta came to her senses slowly. She pushed herself up. Zoey¡¯s cum pooled in the bed beneath her. Zoey''s cock, used by all three of them at this point, had seriously drenched the thing. Truth told, it was getting a bit gross how covered the bed, sheets, and everything else was. The sheets were squishy. "Well," Zoey said, staring up at the ceiling. "Did it meet expectations?" "I''m so fucking jealous," she answered, stilling down from her euphoria. "It''s so, so not fair." Delta wanted a cock ... she wanted one so badly she actually felt like throwing a tantrum. Instead, she settled for pouting. Why couldn¡¯t Ist longer? Delta had thought she had good control over herself. It¡¯d just been way too sensitive. "We''re all back in our bodies," Rosalie said. Her cheeks were red; she''d spectated plenty of that ... event. "Get up. I have a feeling we''re not going to be given a grace period." She was looking up into the rafters of the arena-like room, where Delta realized their spectator¡ªNot-Zoey, Not-Delta, whatever that creature was¡ªhad vanished. She''s probably right. Delta groaned as she forced her head to stop swimming. She''d been fucked so thoroughly it was hard to think, and her muscles were sore ... something not easy to aplish as a second-advancement Wayfarer. Cum still pumped out of her pussy. Why did Zoey have to cum so much? Though Delta supposed that was her fault, as much as Zoey''s. My own cum, pumping out of me. That had been the thrilling thought that had Delta emptying herself so thoroughly. "It would be highly rude," Delta announced to the air, "to attack us right now. Have some sympathy, won''t you?" A chuckle appeared from nowhere, echoing through the room, and setting the hairs on Delta''s neck prickling. I''m guessing that''s a no. "Time for the final phase," Rosalie muttered. 2.27 Loot IV 2.27 Loot IV Even if Not-Zoey (the reflection? Zoey needed a better name for the creature, seeing how she shifted forms constantly) gave it her best effort to kill the three of them, and Zoey in specific, with her being the weak link, Zoey was d they didn¡¯t need to do the same¡ªonly defeat her. The fight was a blur. Even more so than the first phase, the second¡ªor third, depending on perspective¡ªshowcased just how thoroughly Zoey was outssed by her two teammates. And by the shard boss herself. But Rosalie and Delta pulled through. It happened in a way that didn¡¯t makeplete sense to Zoey, to be honest. One moment the reflection was looking worn down but otherwise as fluid and violent as ever, and the next she copsed forward, te-ss daggers skittering across the ground. ¡°Ah, shit,¡± Not-Delta said. ¡°Okay, okay. You got me.¡± Zoey¡¯s heart pounded in her chest, the abrupt stop disorienting her. Her teammates didn¡¯t need a second to gather themselves. They weren¡¯t ¡­ well, amateurs, like Zoey. A tough fight might get their blood pumping, but it didn¡¯t leave them shaking and disoriented. Then again, to the smallest possible defense on Zoey¡¯s part, they hadn¡¯t been the boss¡¯s chosen target. Not-Deltay on the ground, chest heaving up and down as she stared at the ceiling. Zoey supposed it could be a ruse¡ªthat she wasn¡¯t actually out for the count¡ªbut she doubted it. Not so much on her own intuition, but by the way Delta and Rosalie approached, taking the surrender at face value. If they thought the defeat real, enough to approach while holding their weapons aside, then it must be. Rosalie frowned down at the creature, leaning against her spear. ¡°I know it¡¯s your job,¡± Delta said, ¡°but going only for Zoey was kind of a bitch move.¡± Not-Delta huffed. ¡°I knew what I was in for, with you two. Had to try to win, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°The loot,¡± Rosalie said, apparently not caring to follow that conversation down its obvious path. ¡°Where¡¯s it hidden?¡± ¡°Underneath the bed.¡± With one more disdainful look, she turned and headed that way. ¡°Should we kill her to be safe?¡± Delta called. Zoey¡¯s skin prickled, even if she had learned from Mel that boss monsters respawned when killed¡ªreformed from whatever enigmatic energy fueled shards, formed their magical loot, and all its other perplexing functions. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary,¡± Zoey said. Delta nced at her, then to Rosalie¡ªwho shrugged, an apparent ¡®no¡¯. Delta¡¯s daggers vanished into her inventory. She¡¯d used a bow for the start of the fight¡ªher natural choice of weapon¡ªbut with how tightly the reflection was keeping to Zoey, she had figured a melee weapon smarter. ¡°I can barely lift my head up.¡± The reflection chuckled, then shrugged. ¡°Not that I can prove it. Just go loot and head out¡ªthe exit¡¯s down there, too.¡± Delta hesitated, then did so. Zoey followed after. ¡°And sorry for tricking you, Zoey,¡± the reflection called out. ¡°Part of the game, you know?¡± Zoey paused, ncing over her shoulder. To say she had mixed feelings on the creature was understating it. She said nothing, continuing forward. Rosalie had shifted the bed out of the way, revealing a trapdoor. She leaned forward and gripped the handle, then, with a heave, and flexing of her muscles, ripped the huge metal b up and tossed it to the side. It impacted the ground with a heavy ng¡ªthe kind of noise an anvil would make when being tossed aside. Sometimes Zoey forgot just how strong Rosalie was. Her ss was half attack oriented, and half defense¡ªa brawler, so to say. So while she wasn¡¯t the strongest a person could be for her advancement, she still had some serious oomph in her movements when she needed to bring it to bear. Rosalie spared a look for them,something hard to read, then shuffled down thedder. ¡°She¡¯s on edge,¡± Delta said. ¡°I was thinking the same thing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s ¡®cause of you.¡± Zoey grimaced. ¡°I know.¡± Delta patted her on the back sympathetically, then mbered down the trapdoor after Rosalie. Delta meant, of course, the danger Zoey had been in. Rosalie had been hard-pressed to fend off the reflection¡¯s assault, and the cuts and bruises Zoey had rued proved it. Any of those, she knew, could have been much worse than ncing blows. Zoey didn¡¯t have the supernatural strength Rosalie did; if she took a direct hit from the reflection, it would¡¯ve been ¡­ well, as fatal as a knife into the gut of any normal person. Maybe slightly less, considering they had health potions. But not easily brushed. Zoey knew rationally she shouldn¡¯t be ashamed at her ipetence, but she was. Hardly her fault. She was some girl from twenty-first century Earth. Swordsmanship, footwork, and spellcasting hadn¡¯t been in her highschool curriculum. So of course she was ipetent. And Rosalie wasn¡¯t on edge because Zoey was proving herself a poor teammate¡ªthough true, despite the powerful advantages she offered¡ªbut because she¡¯d been shown that setting a brutal pace might get Zoey killed. And for all Rosalie had made allusions to ¡®doing whatever needed to be done¡¯, Zoey ¡­ didn¡¯t think that would extend to repeatedly cing Zoey into life-threatening situations. Because that would end one way. And however determined for sess Rosalie was, she wouldn¡¯t get Zoey killed. Had her time delving with Rosaliee to an end, because of this shard? And what it had proven? Or at least what it had highlighted? She was sure Rosalie had recognized the threat in some rational sense. In the same way Zoey had. She followed her two teammates down the trap door. At least she had something to distract herself with. Zoey¡¯s troubled thoughts faded, focusing instead on the chestsid across the room. The descent down the trapdoor had led into a tight warehouse-like room, with none of the majesty and breath-taking design of the arena up above. Like usual, a swirling ck portal was tucked away at the back, between the four chests. Four chests¡ªall with a blue band around them. Zoey¡¯s eyebrows briefly shot up, before remembering what three of them were. ¡°Holy shit,¡± Delta said. ¡°It¡¯s our inventories,¡± Zoey rified. This was Delta¡¯s first time down in a shard, so her surprise was justified. ¡°Though, only three of them.¡± One of the ¡®superior¡¯ rated chests, with a band of sapphire wrapping the dpidated wood, would have actual loot. Presumably, some of the best they¡¯d found yet. And considering what loot looked like for her party, Zoey was intensely interested. Enough to wipe away her earlier concerns over what her future with Rosalie looked like¡ªand Delta, for that matter¡ªnow that Zoey had showcased her ineptitude, and the risk of pushing through dangerous shards. That, and because there wasn¡¯t much point worrying. She continued to be an expert at ignoring the looming future. ¡°A superior chest,¡± Rosalie said. She sounded almost affronted, rather than pleased. ¡°For such a short shard. This is all so ¡­ ridiculous.¡± ¡°That¡¯s one way to put it,¡± Delta said, clicking open the first of the chests. She pulled out a pair of white spellcasting gloves, paused, then waggled it at Zoey. ¡°This one¡¯s yours.¡± With a short effort, the three of them found their respective chests and went about emptying the contents into their inventories. Thest chest woulde after, once they¡¯d taken care of the prerequisite chore. That done, they turned their attention to the real loot. [Linking te]: Rare. Allows spatial transmission between self and linked entity. Huh? Zoey wasn¡¯t the only one to not understand, immediately. ¡°What¡¯s a ¡®linked entity¡¯?¡± Delta asked. ¡°I¡¯m assuming it¡¯s referencing an item that¡¯lle after.¡± Rosalie, like usual, had the best idea of what was going on, even more so than Delta. She frowned down at the smooth, hand-sized white circle. It was utterly nondescript. Rosalie¡¯s guess demonstrated itself as correct when she pulled out the second item. [Panties of Spatial Shifting]: Rare. When worn, genitals are spatially transmitted to the attuned Linking te. Zoey didn¡¯t know how many bizarre items it would take before she started being able to take their descriptions in stride, but not this one. ¡°Spatially transmitted?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°Like ¡­ ?¡± ¡°Panties that teleport cocks?¡± Delta asked, equally bemused. ¡°Genitals,¡± Rosalie corrected. ¡°I presume it would work with ours, too.¡± She paused, then wrinkled her nose, shaking her head. ¡°And also ¡­ of course we get something like this. But I can¡¯t imagine what in the world it would be used for.¡± ¡°I can imagine a dozen things,¡± Delta said, grinning. ¡°And I bet Zoey can, too.¡± Zoey coughed. She could. More than a dozen, honestly, and each one more exciting than thest. It didn¡¯t matter that she¡¯d just been through a literal crucible of sex with her teammates ¡­ the kind of degeneracy that could be aplished withthis item had Zoey¡¯s heart rate picking up. ¡°Try them on,¡±Delta said. ¡°I wanna see.¡± ¡°Without identifying the item?¡± Rosalie asked. ¡°Oh,e on. We¡¯ve been through this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good practice. And now that the shard¡¯s over, you don¡¯t have an excuse.¡± ¡°Sure. But, counter point: I want to see it now, notter.¡± Zoey stifled augh, which Rosalie red at. Rosalie passed over the pink fabric. ¡°Whatever. Do what you want. If there¡¯s unforeseen side effects, it¡¯s on you two.¡± Well, Zoey didn¡¯t think Rosalie would have handed them over if she thought there was a threat of serious harm, so Zoey was willing to take a small risk to sate her curiosity. She leaned closer to Delta¡¯s view on this than she did Rosalie¡¯s. She inspected the item first. They were small, soft, and pale pink. Inside was a shimmering ck portal, much the same as found in chests, or doorways into and out of shards. She hadn¡¯t worn panties in a while. Or ¡­ actually only a few days, but a few days which had felt like an eternity. Zoey¡¯d gotten mostly used to cramming her junk into loose-fitting boxers and pants out of sheer necessity. ¡°You know, this solves that problem,¡± Zoey said in realization. ¡°That¡¯s convenient.¡± ¡°Problem?¡± Er, she¡¯d skipped a step. ¡°Having to wear boxers and loose-fitting pants. To avoid¡ªyou know. Being seen.¡± ¡°Shit,¡± Delta said,ughing. ¡°We found you a panties of holding, didn¡¯t we? You can just store it in a backpack, or at home. That¡¯s awesome.¡± Her eyebrows raised. ¡°Or with one of us. Who gets to be the Keeper of the Dick, Zoey?¡± That was ¡­ colorful phrasing. Zoey shook her head in amusement, and Rosalie, predictably, flushed. ¡°Princess will, I know,¡± Delta sighed dramatically. ¡°She¡¯d fight me if I tried to be.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t I be the keeper of my own dick?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°Uh, hello? Boring?¡± She waved for Zoey to hurry up. ¡°Put them on.¡± Zoey slipped her legs into the fabric, then tugged them up. She guided her cock¡ªwith a brief hesitance¡ªinto the murky ck portal. They popped out of the white te-ss Rosalie was holding.Rosalie startled the smallest amount, despite having expected it. Zoey situated the panties so they werefortable, then patted her crotch, as amazed by the suddenck of protrusion as she was the spatial teleportation. ¡°Holy fuck,¡± Delta said. ¡°That¡¯s so awesome.¡± Rosalie was holding the te-ss away from her body, as if disgusted¡ªthough Zoey knew it was more incredulity than anything. Her cock drooped over the side, soft from their thorough adventures earlier. Delta stepped forward and flicked it. Gently¡ªbut enough to surprise her. Zoey¡¯s hands shot to her crotch and she stepped back. ¡°Ow.¡± It hadn¡¯t hurt, but it was a default response. ¡°Woah. That¡¯s weird.¡± Her hands had shot between her legs, but where she should¡¯ve felt the press of her hands guarding her cock from further flicks, she only felt pressure on her thighs, where her hands brushed. Because¡ªwell, her cock wasn¡¯t between her legs, anymore. Rosalie held Zoey¡¯s cock away from Delta, at least. ¡°See,¡± Zoey said. ¡°This is why she¡¯s the Keeper of the Dick. She¡¯s taking good care of it.¡± ¡°Oh, I bet she will be,¡± Delta sneered. ¡°You two are ridiculous.¡± Rosalie huffed, then held the object out to Zoey. ¡°Take it. It¡¯s yours.¡± Zoey epted her cock. She turned the object in her hands, inspecting her member from angles normally impossible for her. Seriously ¡­ so weird. ¡°You could use it as a dildo,¡± Delta said. Zoey¡¯d been trying not to think of that, to little sess. ¡°What happens if I put it in my inventory?¡± Both Rosalie and Delta paused. Delta tilted her head. ¡°Huh, I wonder.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try it,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°No intentions.¡± When it came to experimenting with strange magical artifacts, she would stick with the option that didn¡¯t have the potential of suddenly vaporizing her cock. As, you know. Most people would. ¡°Aw, but now I¡¯m curious,¡± Delta said. ¡°We can have an artificer inspect it,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°If they say it¡¯s safe, then she can.¡± Zoey agreed with that appraisal. She¡¯d been willing to take the small risk of testing the item in the way it was intended, but questionable behavior, like putting it into her inventory while active, she would hold off on. She paid attention back to the object in her hand. She wiggled it side to side, seeing¡ªand feeling¡ªher cock flop around. It felt weird. Her cock shouldn¡¯t be flopping, and bumping against ss-like material, when Zoey was standing still. ¡°Here, let me see it,¡± Delta said, holding her hand out. Zoey hesitated. What was the worst that could happen? 2.28 Exit 2.28 Exit ¡°Imagine this,¡± Delta said, cing the linking te to her pelvis. She wiggled her hips side to side, making Zoey¡¯s cock flop around. ¡°I¡¯ll wear it, and fuck you. It¡¯ll be like good old times.¡± ¡°Good old times?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°That happened fifteen minutes ago.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Delta pouted. ¡°I miss having it already. Seriously, it¡¯s so unfair. Bute on.¡± She gave another wiggle of her hips. ¡°This isn¡¯t doing anything for you?¡± By the fact it was starting to swell, Zoey¡¯s body answered for her. ¡°You pervert,¡± Delta said approvingly. ¡°It totally does. Hey, how about¡ªcan I borrow it for a night out? Take it around town, on lease?¡± That was ¡­ an idea and a half. Zoey could just be out and about, taking care of errands, while Delta was using her cock to fuck other girls? Something about the idea had Zoey going wild.She¡¯d never had an exhibitionist kink, but Delta¡¯s suggestion ¡­ did some things for her. As the now fully erect member indicated. ¡°Give that thing to me,¡± Rosalie huffed. She snatched Zoey¡¯s cock away from Delta¡¯s pelvis. ¡°Stop ying with it.¡± Zoey gasped at the tugging of her sensitive skin. Rosalie had grabbed it by the shaft, and just because it was weirdly disembodied didn¡¯t mean the sensation had gone anywhere. The two girls spared a nce for Zoey, noting her reaction, and the way she¡¯d tensed up, but quickly returned to their annoyance with each other. Rosalie jabbed at Delta¡¯s direction with it. ¡°It¡¯s not a toy.¡± ¡°Uh, hello?¡± Delta pointed at Zoey¡¯s crotch. ¡°Yes, it is.¡± Zoey looked down. Right. She¡¯d almost forgotten. In thick, bolded ink, the words ¡®DELTA & ROSIE¡¯S FAVORITE TOY¡¯ were written on her pelvis. For that matter, everyone¡¯s body-writing remained. Except since Delta and Rosalie were back in their respective bodies, it was Rosalie with the ¡®SHAMELESS WHORE¡¯ across her tits, and Delta with the ¡®HUGE GIRL COCKS ONLY <3¡¯ above her pussy. Rosalie colored, looking at the words on Zoey¡¯s pelvis that amusingly contradicted her im of, ¡®it¡¯s not a toy¡¯. She turned back to Delta and huffed. ¡°Treat it with respect.¡± Says you? Zoey thought amusedly. Rosalie was the one waving it around. ¡°Can you, um, hold it by the te, at least?¡± Rosalie¡¯s tight grip around her already-stimted cock wasn¡¯t doing great things for Zoey¡¯sposure. Another spared nce, then a flush, and Rosalie adjusted the cock in her hands, so she was gripping the ss instead of Zoey¡¯s shaft. ¡°Can we please focus?¡± Rosalie demanded. She eyed Zoey¡¯s cock. ¡°What am I ¡­ what am I even supposed to do with this? It¡¯s more convenient to have it between your legs.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just trying to get her out of her panties, again,¡± Delta mocked. ¡°You miss your eye candy.¡± ¡°You can keep working through the chest,¡± Zoey told Rosalie, not knowing whether to be exasperated or amused by this whole debacle. ¡°And give it back, please?¡± ¡°Will you two stop ying with it?¡± Rosalie asked. ¡°It¡¯s my cock.¡± Zoey held her hand out. Rosalie eyed her, but returned the item.She could hardly refuse. ¡®The item¡¯? Zoey thought. Her cock. Rosalie was right that it was more convenient, though. Having it between her legs was easier. In this form, it was an item she had to carry around, and which she couldn¡¯t put into her inventory. Not until they confirmed doing so was safe. Still. It was pretty neat. And the possibilities ¡­ so many of them her head spun. Though, that would need to wait forter. How was Zoey excited for more fun, after the absolute crucible she¡¯d been through? The thing between her legs really was insatiable. She slipped the panties off, then vanished it into her inventory. Her cock returned to being between her legs. Which, let Zoey note, wasn¡¯t a sentence she¡¯d ever thought she¡¯d make inside her head. She intended to use the artifact daily, but for right this moment, it was better set aside. ¡°Boo,¡± Delta said. ¡°I would¡¯ve carried it around for you. It¡¯s so cool.¡± Yeah, I¡¯m sure that would¡¯ve ended well. Further discussion was cut off by Rosalie¡¯s withdrawal of the next item. [Mirror of Deep Echoes]: Rare. Once a day, swap physical form with the target on the opposite side of the mirror. ¡°Oh my gods, yes.¡± A smile had split across Delta¡¯s face so fast it wasical, and she bounced on the heels of her feet, doing some things to her chest which Zoey tried not to focus on. ¡°That means I can have a cock again!¡± She paused, ncing at Zoey. ¡°Right?¡± A step forward. ¡°You¡¯ll let me, won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°You can borrow my body,¡± Zoey said, putting her hands up appeasingly. ¡°I don¡¯t know how often, but sure.¡± Delta scooped Zoey up in a hug, which, again, they were all still naked. Zoey¡¯s briefly softening cock sprung back up, which Delta ignored. ¡°You¡¯re the best,¡± Deltaughed. ¡°Seriously. I can¡¯t believe there¡¯s a way I can have fun with it again. Best shard ever.¡± Zoey returned the hug, patting her on the back. Man. She¡¯s really happy about this. Delta must have had a lot of fun using her cock. Which, uh, had been pretty obvious. And Zoey had had a lot of fun with her using it, too. ¡°Target,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t specify what kind. Would it work with stranger entities, too?¡± ¡°What, like a dungeon monster?¡± Delta asked, letting Zoey go. ¡°I know you¡¯re a freak under that hoity-toity princess shit, but isn¡¯t getting railed by a shard monster going a little far? Even if it¡¯s Zoey in there?¡± Rosalie¡¯s eyes widened in incredulity. She couldn¡¯t even get the statement out, simply sputtering. ¡°You¡ªI don¡¯t¡ªare you implying I would¡ªyou disgusting woman.¡± ¡°I mean, I¡¯d try it,¡± Delta said, shing a grin at Zoey. Zoey cleared her throat. She guessed she wasn¡¯t wholly against the idea, but it would depend on the so-called monster. Some would be ptable, she guessed. Like ¡­ shit, she didn¡¯t know. A tentacle monster? Definitely a slime, like Mel. That¡¯d be a fun body to pilot for a bit. But some, or even most monsters, she guessed, not so much her thing. ¡°Let¡¯s shelve that topic,¡± Zoey suggested. ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± ¡°And where¡¯s all the practical stuff, anyway?¡± Delta asked. ¡°Comes after.¡± Usually, at least. For some reason, the lewd items tended to be frontloaded in the chest, before tapering off into the more ¡®normal¡¯ items. The next thing out was oddly familiar. [Stud of Oral Ecstasy]: Umon. Transforms the user''s mouth into an erogenous zone. ¡°Huh?¡± Delta said. ¡°What¡¯s that mean?¡± Rosalie disdainfully dropped the silver jewelry into Zoey¡¯s hand. Zoey turned it over, inspecting the item. It wasn¡¯t too different from the tongue stud Zoey had put to great use on Rosalie¡ªthe one that let her give magically enhanced head. ¡°Erogenous zone,¡± Zoey said. ¡°So, like, sensitive? In that way?¡± ¡°A mouth-pussy?¡± Delta said amusedly. ¡°Literally? But why?¡± Zoey shrugged. ¡°Maybe it gives a buff when you get off with it? Not all of the lewd items have practical side effects.¡± Like the cock-ring that had gone unfortunately unused in their short stay at Treyhull. Though, now that she thought about it, a cock-ring that denied orgasms could have been useful in today¡¯s events, seeing how syncing climaxes up had been part of the game. Not crucial, but useful. She wished she had a chance to try it out just for fun, though. Or rather, Rosalie try it out on her. Their schedule really was too packed. There were a lot of things she¡¯d like to get to, but which Rosalie¡¯s quick pace had meant they couldn¡¯t. Like usual, the chest included a potential brewing ingredient. [Twinrose]: An unidentified alchemy reagent. Two red flowers entwine into each other, preserved but delicate. Zoey paused. It was the first time she¡¯d ran into a reagent that didn¡¯t offer even a hint of what it might create. ¡°What¡¯s it say?¡± ¡°Unidentified,¡± Zoey said with a shrug. ¡°Probably¡¯ll have to ask Sabina about it.¡± ¡°Sabina?¡± Delta asked. ¡°Our alchemy contact,¡± Zoey said. ¡°She¡¯ll be giving me lessons once we get back.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± They worked through the chest, item by item. Like normal, the best items had been first. She received a few more alchemy reagents, which were sure to be fun to tease out their uses with Sabina. And while they didn¡¯t receive any more fascinating pieces of equipment like the Panties of Spatial Shifting, or the mirror that let them swap bodies, they received a smattering of loot that could, presumably, be wielded on future delves. Which Rosalie didn¡¯t seem pleased by, and Delta highly amused. As seemed to be the recurring reaction. Namely: a pair of ck thigh-highs, another pair of panties that were more air thance, and an intricately designed metal bra that distinctly didn¡¯t cover up the most important parts of what it should. Rosalie had her vine armor¡ªwhich she had unequipped as soon as it had be unnecessary¡ªbut most of the armor could fit underneath it, if she deemed it worthwhile. But they would be having the pieces identified, especially now that the shard had beenpleted. No reason to bind them now, when they might not even be worth keeping. Though difficult, finding buyers for equipment as odd as what they had wouldn¡¯t be impossible. ¡°We¡¯ll handle the divvying out when we get back to Treyhull and have it appraised,¡± Rosalie said. Delta nodded in agreement. The chest emptied, they were ostensibly done with the shard. The three of them walked to the swirling ck portal and stared at it. There was an understated air of ¡­ not tension, but ¡­ uncertaintying from Rosalie. Zoey knew what it was from¡ªexactly what Zoey had been worrying herself over. Zoey¡¯s position in the party, especially if these two wanted to keep working to higher and higher shards. She could imagine the questions running in Rosalie¡¯s head: was Zoey¡¯s ss, the ability she provided to evolve their runes faster, worth putting her in danger? Was it valuable enough to team up with her? Zoey would like to believe she and Rosalie had something, and that Rosalie¡¯s decisions wouldn¡¯t be made purely out of practicality. But that might be the exact reason she would decide this adventure of theirs would be theirst. Zoey¡¯s safety mighte higher, even if she decided Zoey¡¯s ss was worth the liability from a selfish standpoint. Delta caught the mood, side-eying them both. Though she¡¯d joined the dynamic in no small way, whatever Zoey and Rosalie had, Delta hadn¡¯t quite developed the same with either of them. Zoey had a fondness for the fox-girl¡ªmaybe even more than a fondness¡ªbut Zoey¡¯s crush on Rosalie was much more pronounced. And by Rosalie¡¯s reactions¡ªif not her words¡ªmaybe that was returned. The departure from their first shard had been hopeful, with Zoey entering the ck portal with a bounce to her step. The second shard¡¯s exit was muted, and the smallest bit heavy. 3.01 – Trekking Back 3.01 ¨C Trekking Back ¡°Snow,¡± Deltained. ¡°Fucking snow. Can¡¯t ever have an easy exit realm, can I?¡± Progress to the nearest outpost was crawling along, thanks to what Delta hadined about¡ªand had beenining about for the past hour. Unlike a forest, or even a rocky, hilly terrain, traversing across a snow-covered tundra meant sluggish, impeded advancement. Even worse, visibility was awful. Though far from a blizzard, a snow storm¡ªsnow drizzle?¡ªluded their sight for more than a few dozen feet in any direction. That would be annoying in the best of cases, trying to reach a destination a person knew by heart. But here? Lost in a foreign pocket-dimension, seeking signs of life to find an outpost? Even worse. They might be walking for a while. At least Delta¡¯sining broke the monotony. Not. ¡°Like, I don¡¯t even care it¡¯s hard to walk in. But it gets fucking everywhere. My eyebrows are frozen. This is so stupid.¡± Now, Zoey considered herself a tolerant person. She didn¡¯t mind when peopleined. She did a lot ofining herself in ¡®bullshit circumstances¡¯. But Delta had really been going at it. Herck of filter didn¡¯t, apparently, only apply to saying crass things or making inappropriate observations. When she was ufortable, or displeased, she had no problems voicing it. To anyone in ear shot. Honestly, Zoey was surprised Rosalie hadn¡¯t said anything. That might¡¯ve been the most damning indicator to how lost in thought she was. Had Delta been this loud and persistentlyining on their trip to the shard, rather than away from it, then Rosalie would¡¯ve been all over her. It would¡¯ve been twice as noisy¡ªthree times, even, as they bickered. Instead, Rosalie trudged along through the snow, setting a pace Zoey found difficult to match. She hadn¡¯t spoken more than a few times, and only practicals: confirming Delta¡¯s questions on what supplies she had avable, should they need to stop for the night without fighting a path to an outpost. At least they were well supplied. Though freezing in this pocket-realm, all three of them were dressed for the weather. Inventories really were an amazing thing. Zoey had her own boots from her shopping earlier. She¡¯d needed to borrow a coat from Rosalie, though¡ªtheir preparations for Zoey hadn¡¯t beenpletely thorough. Next shard, Zoey would need to finish gathering supplies. If there was a next shard. Which was the reason for the silent trek in the first ce. ¡°Okay,¡± Delta said. ¡°I¡¯m fed up with it.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t notice,¡± Zoey said dryly. ¡°Not the snow. Though don¡¯t even get me started on that.¡± Started? Zoey thought. Delta had a little more than ¡®started¡¯ on the topic. ¡°Then what?¡± ¡°You two.¡± ¡°Us two?¡± ¡°I bit my tongue long enough. You¡¯re both being insufferable.¡± Zoey¡¯s irritation spiked¡ª¡®insufferable¡¯? ¡°Says you?¡± she shot back. ¡°You haven¡¯t stopped whining once.¡± ¡°Look,¡± Delta said. ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself, if you won¡¯t.¡± Zoey didn¡¯t like where this was going. ¡°Zoey,¡± Delta started with faux-ceremony. ¡°I¡¯m not sure wayfaring with you is a smart idea. You suck ass at fighting, and you¡¯re way too inexperienced. Either we only tackle lower advancement shards, or we spend some time getting you caught up before we go on our next. I¡¯m not going to get you killed.¡± ¡°Now isn¡¯t the time for this,¡± Rosalie said. There was no bite in her voice, which was honestly concerning. ¡°Sure it is,¡± Delta said. ¡°What the fuck else are we doing? We¡¯ve got hours more of kicking our feet through snow, so let¡¯s air this out.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything to say,¡± Zoey muttered. Zoey couldn¡¯t see it past Delta¡¯s pulled-up snow coat, but she imagined her rolling her eyes. The way she threw her hands into the air and shook her head, too, didn¡¯t leave much for interpretation. ¡°What, is chilling out for two weeks the end of the world? You have a rune that makes ours evolve faster¡ªI could even argue it¡¯s the logical choice to take it easy. Smart in the long term. Get youfortable with the basics, then you won¡¯t croak it by ident. Does Princess really need to rush through the ranks that badly?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Rosalie said shortly. A pause. ¡°And why?¡± Delta asked. ¡°Because Daddy¡¯s got big expectations? Who the fuck are you, anyway?¡± No response. Not that Zoey had expected one. ¡°Like she said, it¡¯s not the time for this,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Kay. Well. That shard was closer than I wanted. I¡¯m not¡ª¡± ¡°It was aberrant,¡± Rosalie interrupted. ¡°It cloned us, so it was unusually strong. Because we are unusually strong, rtive to who would delve a second advancement. It was a fluke.¡± It sounded well-rehearsed, like Rosalie had been going over the point in her head. ¡°And what, you think there won¡¯t be more ¡®aberrant¡¯ shards? When ites to her?¡± Delta jabbed a thumb at Zoey. Rosalie¡¯s non-response answered for her. ¡°So,¡± Delta said. ¡°I¡¯m not getting her killed. We stick with first-advancement shards, or we train her up. Not even to beingpetent, just to the point ¡­¡± Delta waved her hand, not spelling it out. To the point she¡¯s not dead weight, Zoey finished for her. ¡°Some defensive spells is the obvious one,¡± Delta said. ¡°Something passive, so if an attack slips you, she¡¯s not toast. That¡¯s the bare, bare minimum.¡± ¡°She has no idea how spellcasting works,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°And only has an ice aspect. A passive armor skill would take weeks to learn.¡± ¡°I learned the ice spike pretty fast,¡± Zoey said. ¡°It¡¯s that much harder?¡± Rosalie shot Zoey an irritated look. ¡°Yes. Significantly. Or I would¡¯ve had you learn it.¡± That was fair. It sucked not having a clue what anyone was talking about. Zoey couldn¡¯t even contribute to the discussion, because she didn¡¯t know what the alternatives were. She couldn¡¯t weigh their options, because she hadn¡¯t a clue what each was. How long would ¡®barepetency¡¯ take in spellcasting? In learning basic awareness, footwork, melee skills¡ªother adventuring cornerstones? So she went quiet again, letting Rosalie and Delta bicker. ¡°I don¡¯t see why ¡®weeks¡¯ is such a big deal,¡± Delta said. ¡°I know you¡¯re trying to be the next big thing, but that shit takes years, even for the best. So what¡¯s a few weeks to let Zoey figure things out?¡± Zoey had an idea of Rosalie¡¯s reasoning, at least. Zoey didn¡¯t know much about Rosalie¡ªher past, she meant; Zoey knew plenty about her in the ways that mattered¡ªbut Rosalie had given a few hints into her circumstances. Namely, that she was supposed to be returning to her family, and that her ¡®solo adventures¡¯ through the Fractures were something they would frown upon. At a guess, worse than ¡®frown upon¡¯. And Rosalie¡¯s only excuse for denying that directive¡ªnot heading to them immediately¡ªwould be if she returned from her bout of rogue behavior with significant progress made. Rosalie had said she shouldn¡¯t be dying more than a few weeks at the worst, so if they burned up that whole time with Zoey learning how to cast a few defensive spells, and how to handle herself, then Rosalie would have no excuse to offer her family. Speed mattered. ¡°My reasoning is none of your business, is it?¡± Rosalie said. And she wasn¡¯t particrly interested in exining any of that to Delta. Zoey didn¡¯t me her. And she didn¡¯t me Delta¡¯s irritated reaction, either. ¡°Look,¡± Delta said, turning to Zoey. Their trekking through the snow came to a stop. Her orange eyebrows were, as she¡¯dined about, frosted down. She wore a ck cloth over her mouth to stave off the biting wind. ¡°Don¡¯t get yourself killed trying to keep up with her. Worst case, let her fuck off on her own. If it doesn¡¯t work out, it doesn¡¯t work out, but you¡¯re not ready for a third-advancement shard. Or even another second, in my opinion. Not worth the risk.¡± Delta wasn¡¯t saying anything Zoey hadn¡¯t gloomily puzzled over during the walk. Though, Zoey did appreciate Delta¡¯s concern. Rosalie was undergoing a war of whether Zoey¡¯s wellbeing or her life-long ambitions mattered more, and Zoey didn¡¯t fault that, not really, but Delta¡ªDelta¡¯s priorities were clear. She was a dedicated wayfarer, but the health of her teammate mattered more. ¡°Like I said,¡± Zoey sighed. ¡°I think we¡¯re better off talking about thister. We¡¯re all in a bad mood. I think some sleep will do us well. Let¡¯s focus on getting to an outpost.¡± She half expected a snippish response from Rosalie, agreeing with Zoey and antagonizing Delta, but she stayed quiet. She¡¯d been tight-lipped the whole way through, which had been why Zoey¡¯s stomach had been squirming so much. Zoey was much happier to see Rosalie in a snippish mood than a silent one¡ªthetter was the clearly more troubled. Delta looked like she was going to push the point¡ªbut she shook her head and turned back forward. They continued trudging through the snow. Zoey pulled her coat tighter. ### The wind and snow settled, eventually, opening visibility up and removing the worst of the harsh weather¡ªthe biting cold that cut through even her thick jacket, and the kes of ice collecting in her eyebrows and zipping into her eyes. It was several hours more before they found a beacon, and subsequently started down the infrequently used road. An outpost came into view not long after, heralded by a plume of smoke curling up into the winter sky, stark against the backdrop of white. They didn¡¯t talk much. Even Delta¡¯sining cut off. Zoey was grateful for that, and also not. Because neither of her teammates were the silent type, and seeing them ¡­ well, not be them, was unsettling. How¡¯d it go bad so fast? And it wasn¡¯t anyone¡¯s fault. That was the worst part, somehow. She couldn¡¯t find any me to dole out, which had Zoey¡¯s bad mood settling in the pit of her stomach and spoiling. It¡¯d have been easier with something to direct her annoyance at. But even when she tried to face it inward ¡­ again, she could hardly me herself for being a novice spellcaster, a poor adventurer. Though some didtch, there; rationality rarely won out in this kind of situation. They shook off the snow at the doorway, then wiped their boots down under a frowning innkeeper¡¯s gaze. Once done, he nodded for them toe in, and they checked out rooms for the night. It¡¯d been a long day, and each of them were ready to sleep. It had been Zoey¡¯s suggestion to let their thoughts settle in the first ce. Rosalie epted Zoey¡¯s offer to share a room. That was something. Rosalie was conflicted, and for good reasons, but Zoey knew she didn¡¯t want to split up¡ªthat rather, it might be a necessity, both for purpose of her advancement, and Zoey¡¯s safety. They went about their nightly routines. Seeing Rosalie ready up for the night stung, somehow, like Zoey was being teased with the domesticity of what she might¡¯ve been able to have, but which had good chances of being lost. Things didn¡¯t take a heated turn,ying together in bed, for obvious reasons. Zoey supposed they¡¯d had plenty of that in the shard, anyway. It took a while to fall asleep, but she did. Zoey had exhaustion on her side. 3.02 – Future Plans 3.02 ¨C Future ns Zoey woke first. She drifted to consciousness, morning sunlight trickling in through the window, pressed in by a soft body. Her eyes opened to a sleeping Rosalie. Zoey sighed. They¡¯d gone to sleep on separate halves of the bed, but had, of course, intertwined while asleep. She and Rosalie had be easily acquainted with each other¡¯s bodies, so night-time cuddling was an inevitability. Zoey basked in the moment. Sleep-addled and her brain not fully roused, the arguments¡ªdilemmas¡ªof yesterday didn¡¯t breach the warm glow of Rosalie tucked into her. It was crazy how different she looked, asleep. Even more than most people, Rosalie walked around wearing an expression carved from steel. ¡®Gentle and serene¡¯ was a description ill-fitting her. And while Zoey wanted to draw out a more easy-going side of Rosalie, she knew that wasn¡¯t Rosalie at her core. Zoey needed to ept that if she ever wanted ¡­ something with her. Rosalie was married to her work, to use aparison Zoey could understand. Maybe romance was possible, but trying to im first priority in Rosalie¡¯s life would be selfish. She¡¯d trained her entire life for wayfaring, and had responsibilities to her family, besides. Zoey sighed a second time, and maybe it was louder than she meant, because the blonde woman in her arms stirred. Pale, ice-blue eyes blinked up at her. Zoey simply studied her back, watching the crease-lines return, the sleeping serenity melt from her face. Rosalie sighed, then snuggled in closer. Zoey squeezed back. ¡°Morning.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t remind me.¡± Zoey chuckled, pressing her forehead into Rosalie¡¯s. She closed her eyes. They mutually enjoyed each other¡¯s warmth, ignoring the problem hanging over their heads. ¡°One of my runes evolved,¡± Zoey murmured. ¡°Mine as well. Which?¡± ¡°How would I know?¡± A pause, then a soft snort. ¡°Right. Another thing you need to learn.¡± A short silence at the reminder of Zoey¡¯s deficiencies. ¡°You can check,¡± Zoey offered. She didn¡¯t bother asking what Rosalie¡¯s evolved rune had provided. She was, unsurprisingly, tight-lipped about her skills, even to Zoey. ¡®Even to Zoey¡¯. Zoey had only known Rosalie for a handful of days. Even if they¡¯d be fast ¡­ friends? ¡­ she was overestimating what, exactly, they had together. Why would Rosalie share her runes and skills in detail? In her culture, it was apparently a deeply intimate secret. Like had happened a few times before, Rosalie¡¯s finger went to Zoey¡¯s forehead. There was a brief pause as she scanned Zoey¡¯s tab anima. She stiffened. Then shot up in bed, throwing the covers off. ¡°What is it?¡± Zoey asked, sitting up herself. Rosalie¡¯s shocked reaction¡ªthough her face stayed calm, but in a frozen-disbelief kind of way¡ªhad worked to get Zoey¡¯s heart pumping. The tenderness of their intimacy faded away, and the cold air of the inn room seeped in. Rosalie opened her mouth, then closed it. ¡°What?¡± Zoey repeated. ¡°It¡¯s that weird?¡± She¡¯d grown used to expecting strange things from her ss and circumstances, but so should Rosalie have. ¡°Not weird,¡± Rosalie said. Her brow furrowed. ¡° ¡­ convenient.¡± Convenient? ¡°Clue me in?¡± ¡°Your Rune of Bonding evolved,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°The newest skill is called Growth.¡± She rattled off the next as if she were reading from a page: ¡°Shards provide additional experience for each day spent between entry. Applies to both rune-holder and bonded targets.¡± Zoey absorbed the announcement, stunned. The implications were obvious. ¡®Convenient¡¯, Rosalie had said. A solution, dropped into theirp, just like that? After all that agonizing over Rosalie¡¯s need to be quickly progressing through shards, an explicit incentive to take things easy had been provided through her ss? It was as if a meddling goddess was trying to keep her and Rosalie from splitting up. Was it even that, though? Or a coincidence? Zoey¡¯s Rune of Bonding had already indicated its purpose was to aid her and her bonded targets. crity, her first-advancement skill, specifically evolved bonded target¡¯s runes faster. So this newest one fit with that. The skill had hardlye out of nowhere. Zoey could even make the argument it was a natural extension. But the how didn¡¯t matter, did it? A grin crept across Zoey¡¯s lips. ¡°That¡¯s good news, right?¡± Rosalie surely had to have understood the implications behind Zoey¡¯s skill¡ªthat it solved their dilemma. Or ¡­ maybe not solved. But alleviated? It might not make up the entire difference¡ªconstant, vignt wayfaring might provide more experience than the skill¡¯s ¡®between-shard¡¯ bonus offered¡ªbut at least it was something. It was a reason to stay together. ¡°Good news,¡± Rosalie echoed. She chewed her lip, as if hesitant to let herself be happy at the development. ¡°It depends on how significant the bonus is.¡± ¡°Knowing my ss?¡± Rosalie had made it clear that Zoey¡¯s skills were powerful, both by nature¡ªthe ability to amplify experience gained¡ªand by potency, like how her Lust resource made her spells much stronger than a regr caster¡¯s ought to be. ¡°It can¡¯t be weak, that much feels safe.¡± Zoey could tell Rosalie agreed, but she still seemed hesitant. Zoey got the feeling after so much deliberation, having a neat solution like this had triggered some dubious part of her nature: a slowness to let herself be hopeful. ¡°It ¡­ likely wouldn¡¯t be,¡± Rosalie said, almost begrudgingly. ¡°But how strong?¡± She shook her head, as if contradicting herself. ¡°Like you said, considering your other skills ¡­ your first-advancement skill already had my own rune advancing, which is absurd.¡± Zoey, at least, wasn¡¯t as slow to celebrate. The smile finished creeping across her face, and Rosalie frowned at her, as if annoyed Zoey wasn¡¯t having the same doubts. ¡°It¡¯s worth testing,¡± Zoey said, rolling her eyes. ¡°It means we can ¡­ put this decision off, in the worst case. Let the bonus build up, then, say, a week or two from now, go on our next. If the extra experience isn¡¯t worth it ¡­¡± she shrugged. Problems forter. After mulling over a seemingly impossible problem to solve¡ªat least for Zoey, since the dilemma was entirely with Rosalie¡¯s internal motivations¡ªhaving even a half-solution ted her. Zoey practically vibrated with excitement. She shuffled forward and grabbed Rosalie¡¯s hands. Her demeanor was finally breaking, a hesitant smile touching her lips. ¡°I suppose ¡­ what you¡¯re saying does make sense.¡± She wavered, some of her growing optimism disappearing. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t bother you?¡± ¡°Bother me?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you mind? That I ¡­ might have chosen to leave.¡± Zoey paused. ¡°I mean, I understand your reasoning. You made it clear what your priorities are from the moment I met you. And ¡­¡± Zoey hesitated on saying the next part. ¡°And we aren¡¯t girlfriends, are we? So we don¡¯t have any obligations to each other.¡± ¡°I suppose we don¡¯t.¡± Rosalie didn¡¯t hide the disappointment in her response. Or maybe, Zoey thought, she didn¡¯t realize there was disappointment to be hiding. Zoey grinned, the briefly serious moment passing, and Rosalie¡¯s reaction highly encouraging. ¡°Not until we go on our date, anyway,¡± she teased. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about titles then.¡± Rosalie¡¯s cheeks colored. She nced away and cleared her throat. ¡°I suppose we will.¡± Which was a more direct response than Zoey had expected. Her smile continued to widen. If that irritating goddess did meddle, maybe I have thanks to say. Not that it made up for the whole memory-editing stuff ¡­ but those were separate issues. ¡°When do you have to be back, anyway?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°Back?¡± ¡°To your parents. Family.¡± ¡°Oh. I don¡¯t know. Like I told you, I¡¯m not supposed to be dying at all.¡± ¡°But the more you progress, the more your time away can be excused?¡± ¡°Up to a point. Past four or five weeks, they¡¯d start to worry.¡± Her brow furrowed. ¡°I suppose I ought to get in contact. Exin my situation in ¡­ roundabout verbiage. But I¡¯m just not sure how I would, while maintaining discretion.¡± Zoey nodded along. She, obviously, couldn¡¯t provide insight there. ¡°Okay. So, assuming this skill does give us reason to stick together. What¡¯s our future long-term?¡± For once, Zoey was willing to rock the boat. The agonizing of the past sixteen hours had shown just how big this crush of hers had gotten¡ªan admittance she¡¯d been shying away for her own sake, in case things hadn¡¯t worked out. Now, though, with a potential path forward, Zoey wanted concrete details. To know if a long-term was something that could happen, considering Rosalie¡¯s family. Pushing too hard probably wasn¡¯t smart, but Zoey needed to know there was a shot. Because why put herself through that crucible, otherwise? If even Rosalie herself admitted it couldn¡¯t work out? ¡°Long-term,¡± Rosalie said. The words came out as if she hadn¡¯t even considered it, which wouldn¡¯t be a very Rosalie-thing-to-do. Then again, since it was a matter of the heart ¡­ ignoring it would be very Rosalie, wouldn¡¯t it? Or maybe total ignorance¡ªnot ignoring it so much as being unaware. ¡°I suppose ¡­ we would all need to head back to my family, together.¡± Zoey grinned at the ¡®all¡¯. She¡¯d included Delta. The two of them might not get along, but Rosalie at least saw her as a teammate, and not someone to ditch as soon as it became convenient. ¡°It would be wise to do so, anyway,¡± Rosalie continued, though not with any enthusiasm. She seemed, to say the least, doubtful of the situation. ¡°My family¡¯s resources would go a long way to improving our advancement speed. Plus, I can¡¯t¡ª¡° she hesitated. Zoey waited patiently. ¡°I can¡¯t rely on not being recognized forever,¡± Rosalie finished. ¡°So I should return because of that, too.¡± Zoey nodded. That made sense. Rosalie obviously didn¡¯t think it likely, but it was a ticking time-bomb: something that could happen at any moment, should they get extraordinarily unlucky. She could be recognized. ¡°You said we¡¯re in enemy territory. The ¡­ Striders Highguild? And your family is aligned with the Deepshunters?¡± Rosalie nodded once, slowly. She was eying Zoey for a reason Zoey couldn¡¯t ce. Fortunately, Rosalie formalized the odd look into words: ¡°You aren¡¯t curious?¡± ¡°Curious?¡± Oh. ¡°Who you are, you mean?¡±¡ªRosalie nodded¡ª¡°Sure. But you don¡¯t want to tell. So.¡± ¡°And it¡¯s that simple?¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t pestering me for my secrets, are you?¡± Zoey pointed out. Because their encounter with Not-Zoey had been revealing. She¡¯d alluded to Zoey¡¯s secrets, and how they were ¡®bigger than Rosalie¡¯s¡¯. Zoey could plug her ears, close her eyes, and hum to block out the noise of the world better than most people could, but in that particr event, even Zoey had no hope that Rosalie had simply forgotten. Maybe Zoey could hope that Rosalie simply thought the reflection was lying, sowing dissent so the fight went better, but that was far-fetched, considering how bizarre Zoey¡¯s circumstances were. And while Rosalie had been surprised by Not-Zoey¡¯s im, she hadn¡¯t seemed that surprised¡ªmore like something had been confirmed for her. ¡°I suppose I haven¡¯t,¡± Rosalie said. A silence. Zoey squeezed Rosalie¡¯s hands¡ªshe was still holding them from earlier. ¡°But our future. If it works out.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Rosalie collected her thoughts. They brushed past their respective secrets. Though, Rosalie¡¯s would presumably be revealing themselves sooner orter, simply by the fact they¡¯d be meeting her family. Zoey should probablye clean before then, too. Obviously she could trust Rosalie, by this point. The reason Zoey hadn¡¯t, yet, was for a few reasons. One, the absurdity¡ªtheck of reasonableness, and that Rosalie might outright not believe her. Though that might¡¯ve been smoothed over with recent events. Second, though: Ephy¡¯smandment not to share her past with anyone. She hadn¡¯t emphasized it particrly hard ¡­ but disobeying a goddess¡¯s instructions might not be the wisest course of action. Then again, fuck her, right? It wasn¡¯t like Zoey had any great fondness for the woman who¡¯d lobotomized her. And she needed Zoey¡ªpresumably. Zoey had been chosen her champion, and that made her not disposable. Still, Zoey didn¡¯t know what kind of power or influence she had. Could she make Zoey¡¯s life harder if Zoey upset her? Was she even watching Zoey? Would sharing her history with Rosalie upset her in the first ce? Or had the secrecy request simply been intended for the general poption¡ªthat Zoey shouldn¡¯t go bbing her circumstances to anyone who wanted to hear? Something to mull overter. ¡°I suppose,¡± Rosalie said, ¡°assuming this skill does what we hope, then our future ns would be ¡­ get you trained up, explore perhaps one, two more shards, then head back to Deepshunters territory.¡± Her nose wrinkled. ¡°Deal with the whole ¡­ family situation, and exin why I¡¯ve chosen you two as my teammates ¡­¡± Right. Her family would be picky about who she teams with, wouldn¡¯t they? Zoey might have to focus on making a good impression. That would be ¡­ an ordeal, she suspected. Christ. And even more for Delta. First impressions to someone like Rosalie¡¯s family? Not easy to pull off, at a guess, and Delta wasn¡¯t particrly tactful. To put it lightly. ¡°¡­ then continue more of the same. Further training, further advancement.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Wayfaring,¡± she said, as if summing things up. A grimace. ¡°With some politics mixed in. Though you two shouldn¡¯t have to deal with much of that.¡± Zoey suspected they¡¯d be caught along by that whirlwind whether Rosalie intended them to or not. Still, though. A potential future with Rosalie¡ªthat was all Zoey had needed to hear. 3.03 – Breakfast Together 3.03 ¨C Breakfast Together It wasn¡¯t until she and Rosalie met up with Delta that Zoey realized the two of them were holding hands. The fox-eared girl¡¯s lips curled in amusement, giving a pointed flick of her eyes at their entwined hands. ¡°I¡¯m taking it you two worked something out, then.¡± Rosalie blinked down at her and Zoey¡¯s hands, which apparently had gone forgotten for her, too. She withdrew, flushing, but otherwise pretending nothing had happened, in ssic Rosalie fashion. ¡°Zoey will exin,¡± Rosalie said, sniffing. ¡°But yes, we have. Let¡¯s get breakfast. I¡¯m starving.¡± Down in the lobby, served three steaming tes of ham, eggs, and hashbrowns by the innkeeper, Zoey, Rosalie, and Delta convened at a table tucked in the corner of the tiny inn¡¯s lobby. The innkeeper had barely left before Delta leaned forward and said, ¡°Okay, spill it. Wasn¡¯t expecting you two to be all bright and happy. What changed?¡± ¡°Zoey¡¯s rune advanced,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°It provided ¡­ a neat solution.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fortunate,¡± Delta said, eying Zoey. ¡°But I can¡¯t imagine how.¡± ¡°It¡¯s odd,¡± Rosalie said. Then, apparently not wanting to hold this conversation herself, or maybe honest in how hungry she was, she picked up her fork and pointedly tuned them out. ¡°Odd,¡± Delta repeated, turning to Zoey. She snorted. ¡°Yeah, what isn¡¯t odd with you?¡± Should Zoey take offense at that? Probably not. It was a fair enough usation. ¡°It¡¯s, uh, a skill that gives bonus experience the longer we go between shards.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That¡¯s ¡­ more or less it. Isn¡¯t very specific.¡± To Zoey¡¯s knowledge, runes rarely were. The details had to be discovered through experimentation. ¡°So it might not even be a perfect solution. But,¡± she shrugged. She didn¡¯t need to finish the statement. Even a potential solution was better than the dilemma they¡¯d been in before. ¡°Huh,¡± Delta said. ¡°Okay. So?¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°We¡¯re sticking together?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the n?¡± ¡°Are we getting more?¡± ¡°More, uh, team members?¡± Zoey nced at Rosalie. ¡°That¡¯s a group decision, I guess. Do we need more?¡± Rosalie shrugged. She was shoveling down food with an abandon that was, honestly, a break in her normalposure¡ªenough to give Zoey pause. Zoey wasn¡¯t sure what to make of it. Maybe the solution, the relief, had been even greater for Rosalie than Zoey had thought. She did seem to have an ease in her shoulders, a slouched, rxed posture, that Zoey hadn¡¯t seen ¡­ maybe ever. Zoey fought away a grin. Rosalie might have recognized the dilemma, and been genuinely considering leaving, but it had been something causing her deep conflict. She didn¡¯t want to leave¡ªenough that even if it had beenmon sense to do so, she still might not have. ¡°Only if we can find someone worth our time,¡± Rosalie grunted. She made a noise of appreciation. ¡°This is good.¡± She skewered another slice of ham and shoveled it into her mouth. ¡°Easy there, Princess,¡± Delta said, eyebrows raised. She¡¯d noticed Rosalie¡¯s odd mood too, the break in her typicalposure. ¡°Don¡¯t you need to breathe?¡± ¡°Or less,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°I could go with less teammates, too.¡± Unlike her usual scathingments, this one almost seemed yful. Delta¡¯s eyebrows continued to creep up, and she grinned, turning to Zoey. ¡°So. She got lucky this morning, did she?¡± Rosalie choked on her food. Though God knows why, Zoey thought. How could Rosalie have reactions like that, still? Rosalie had literally had fourteen inches of her cock inside Zoey yesterday, and Delta had watched the whole thing. The implication they¡¯d slept together shouldn¡¯t be something that had Rosalie sputtering. And they hadn¡¯t even slept together this morning, even. It was an incorrect assumption. The past twelve hours had been perfectly chaste. Maybe the first twelve hours of theirs that had been so. ¡°Let me correct myself. Less teammates would definitely be better,¡± Rosalie shot at Delta, when she¡¯d controlled her choking. ¡°Very much so.¡± Delta rolled her eyes and turned back to Zoey. ¡°I know a few people, if we do want more. And you need a tutor. Could kill two birds with one stone¡ªwe need a primary spellcaster. DPS focused.¡± Zoey blinked at the casual use of ¡®DPS¡¯. Why were gaming terms so baked into this world? She didn¡¯t think ¡®damage per second¡¯ was an acronym that should arise naturally, even ounting for the game-like mechanisms this world operated on. Even LFG had stretched Zoey¡¯s disbelief, but it made some sort of natural sense. DPS, not as much. ¡°Aren¡¯t I the spellcaster?¡± Zoey asked, obviously not bringing it up. ¡°It¡¯s normal to have two?¡± ¡°I¡¯m assuming you¡¯re gonna end up support focused,¡± Delta said. ¡°Can¡¯t say for sure, with you still on first advancement, but it seems safe. Princess makes an adequate tank, too, though we might want a dedicated one. Two damage, off-tank, tank, support.¡± She nced at Rosalie, who shrugged in agreement. ¡°Uninspired. But adequate.¡± ¡°And since we¡¯ll be hanging around town for a while ¡­¡± Delta trailed off. ¡°How long, anyway? It gives bonus experience, up to how big of a break?¡± Well. Rosalie needed to be heading back to her family eventually. ¡°A few weeks? Two, to be safe?¡± Again, Rosalie shrugged. ¡°Two weeks is fine.¡± Which brought up another point. More important, even, than how they¡¯d be upying and training Zoey in the short term. ¡°You don¡¯t have any attachments to Treyhull, do you?¡± she asked Delta. Delta blinked. ¡°I mean. Few friends, contacts, know the area. Nothing anchoring me. Why? Trying to set up somewhere else?¡± ¡°Eventually, yes,¡± Rosalie replied in Zoey¡¯s stead. ¡°After the next shard, I¡¯ll be heading to family.¡± ¡°And taking us with?¡± The seventh shrug of the conversation. ¡°Zoey would want you toe. And you¡¯re ¡­ eptable, in the strictest sense of the word.¡± ¡°Aw. Stop it, princess. You¡¯ll make me blush.¡± It seemed in face of the biggest problem being solved, Rosalie had taken an unusually hands-off approach to their nning. That the ¡®real problems¡¯ had been solved and the rest was, more or less, simply details. And while details were something Rosalie normally loved to manage, Zoey suspected Rosalie would only be opinionated on them down the line. Right now, she was basking in the convenience¡ªand relief¡ªof the seemingly unsolvable suddenly solved. ¡°Though,¡± Delta said, leaning back in her chair. ¡°Meeting the family. That¡¯ll be fun.¡± A short pause, then, ¡°I¡¯m great with parents.¡± ¡°Uh huh,¡± Zoey said. Delta shed a grin at her. ¡°What?¡± she said. ¡°Does something about me imply ¡®bad with politepany¡¯?¡± ¡°Everything?¡± she suggested. ¡°Well ¡­ yeah,¡± Delta said. ¡°Guilty as charged, I guess.¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to be a disaster,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°I don¡¯t even want to think about it. Next topic.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t told us who you are, yet,¡± Delta said. ¡°No, I haven¡¯t.¡± A pause. Delta waited. Zoey veered them off the dangerous topic. Rosalie seemed to intend to tell them eventually, but not yet. ¡°You know someone,¡± Zoey prompted. ¡°A mage. That can train me? And join the party?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Delta said, frowning, but giving up on pushing Rosalie. Purple eyes turned back to her. ¡°She¡¯s a bit of ¡­ a personality. But I like her.¡± ¡°What¡¯s she like?¡± Delta frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t like making people¡¯s minds up for them. So you¡¯ll meet her and decide yourself.¡± A smirk crept onto her lips. ¡°Or, if you meant in a different way¡ªwell, you appreciate all shapes and sizes, don¡¯t you? She¡¯s a bit t, but let me tell you¡ªyou¡¯ll like what you see.¡± ¡°Not what I meant,¡± Zoey said, amused. Though, inappropriately, and shallowly, she did appreciate the fact Delta seemed to think she was attractive. Considering the sort of dynamic Zoey¡¯s ss filled, that would make things easier. ¡°But you think she¡¯ll ¡­ be fine with everything?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be the one to tell her,¡± Delta said. ¡°I¡¯ve known her for a bit. Done some wayfaring together. It¡¯ll go down easiering from me.¡± ¡°Go easy on the details,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Zoey¡¯s ss needs to stay a secret.¡± Delta rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not a bber-mouth like your girlfriend, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Rosalie snorted. Delta¡ªand Zoey¡ªwaited. Rosalie stiffened. ¡°She¡¯s not my girlfriend.¡± ¡°She isn¡¯t?¡± Delta asked. Rosalie gave her a disdainful look, and spared some of it for Zoey, too. Like usual, it was up to Zoey to drag things back. ¡°What ss is she?¡± ¡°Maddy? Illusionist. Not the heaviest DPS, but seems like you¡¯re capable of some yourself, so I think it bnces out.¡± ¡°Illusionist. Huh.¡± Inappropriately, Zoey¡¯s mind wandered to what kinds of things an illusionist could do in the ¡­ less appropriate sense of fighting. Then¡ªfuck it, right? Sex was clearly a part of their profession, so long as Zoey apanied her team into shards. So she voiced it out loud. ¡°Something like that might be useful in boss fights. Dunno how, but versatility never hurts.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Delta said. She leaned forward conspiratorially. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who¡¯s thought it. I have it on good authority she doesn¡¯t wear clothes¡ªjust wears an illusion around.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± Delta shrugged. ¡°Maybe I just made it up. What do you think?¡± Zoey narrowed her eyes and tried to read Delta ¡­ but she couldn¡¯t. ¡°But yeah,¡± Delta said,ughing. ¡°I bet she could do all kinds of freaky things. Illusions are useful. She¡¯s in high demand, so she might be hard to snag.¡± ¡°Have you two ¡­ ?¡± ¡°Fucked?¡± she asked, quirking an eyebrow. ¡°Nah. We¡¯re just friends.¡± A pause. ¡°Not that I wouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Is there anyone you wouldn¡¯t?¡± Rosalie muttered. ¡°This is where I say you,¡± Delta shot back. Then, a sideways grin. ¡°But some lies are too tant, even for me.¡± Delta¡¯s response had Rosalie¡¯s face turning red withical speed. As usual, she pointedly didn¡¯t reply, focusing instead on her te of food. Which reminded Zoey of yesterday¡¯s escapades. Zoey wondered how thoroughly the body-swaps had affected Rosalie. Rosalie definitely had appreciated using Delta¡¯s body. In a way, she¡¯d lost her virginity¡ªcock-virginity, at least, for an awkward way to put it¡ªto the fox-girl as much as she had to Zoey. It¡¯d been Zoey piloting Delta¡¯s body, but it had to be hard for Rosalie to ignore the fact it had been Delta¡¯s body she¡¯d been thrusting into. And she was blushing a little too brightly at Delta¡¯s teasing for Zoey not to think Rosalie might return the sentiment¡ªthat Delta wasn¡¯t a ¡®hard no¡¯, either. Their personalities might not mesh, but attraction? It was there. Maybe it had always been, but it¡¯d be more pronounced since the events of thest shard. Zoey would have to keep working that angle. It¡¯d already been established that polyamory was moremon in this world than Zoey¡¯s, and Zoey would be ecstatic if these two girls could work out their issues¡ªgrow closer to each other. In ¡­ a few senses of the word. Because a threesome with Rosalie and Delta? Where everyone was enjoying each other, rather than just Zoey and one of them at a time? Er ¡­ probably best Zoey didn¡¯t think about it. She might have received those ¡®Panties of Holding¡¯, but she didn¡¯t have them equipped. Hardening would be as insanely obvious as always. ¡°Back to Maddy,¡± Zoey said, maybe a bit too loudly to not be suspicious. ¡°If she¡¯s an illusionist, she¡¯ll still be able to train me?¡± ¡°Mages are mages,¡± Delta said. ¡°Sure. Not perfectly, but yeah. The bigger question is, how are you going to keep topped off?¡± It took a second for Zoey to understand. Right ¡­ because I need to collect lust to keep casting spells. Presumably, during a training session, she¡¯d be pelting off spells faster than normal. So even more recharges would be necessary. ¡°Better put the moves on her,¡± Delta smirked, ¡°because I¡¯m pretty sure me and blondie are gonna have our own stuff going on.¡± Rosalie nodded in agreement. ¡°And what will you be doing?¡± Zoey asked, curious. ¡°Training. Research,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Vetting for a fifth member, our tank¡ªif Delta doesn¡¯t have one.¡± ¡°None good enough for your standards,¡± Delta admitted. ¡°Tanks are hard to find.¡± ¡°And other things,¡± Rosalie continued. ¡°I might have an excuse to not rush shards as fast as possible, but that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t be advancing through alternate methods.¡± Zoey¡¯s own ns would include alchemy, spell casting, and generalbat training, so she¡¯d have a packed schedule too. Plus, hopefully, that date with Rosalie¡ªshe assumed that was still on the table. Which, speaking of, she needed to work something out. And hopefully some outings with Delta. She wanted to get to know her teammates better. In a more casual scenario, not this hectic life-and-death frenzy that had been the standard. Something calm. Easy-going. She didn¡¯t think this fantasy world had movies, but something of the sorts. A y? That¡¯d been the standard in old-times, hadn¡¯t it? Or a pic? A pic sounded nice. Anything with Rosalie or Delta sounded nice. They were just ¡­ enjoyable to be around. That crush might be expanding to two girls, from one. ¡°And you?¡± Zoey asked Delta. ¡°Get wicked drunk?¡± she said, shrugging. ¡°You¡¯re free to join me. Besides that, the usual. Some of what blondie said. I¡¯m not wholly a cker.¡± Zoeyughed. Getting wickedly drunk ¡­ honestly, didn¡¯t sound like the worst thing in the world. Maybe she¡¯d spare a night to take the offer. Rosalie wouldn¡¯t approve of theck of studiousness ¡­ but on the flip side of that coin, Zoey also nned to be chipping away at that aspect of Rosalie. She needed to learn to cut loose. It might take some effort, but either way, she was excited to try. 3.04 – Intermission, Introspection 3.04 ¨C Intermission, Introspection It was pretty inconvenient being spat out in a random pocket-realm after finishing a shard. As far as ¡®enjoyable game mechanics¡¯, Zoey would give that one a zero out of ten. The good news was, the exit-realm was usually in the vicinity of the entrance-realm, for a loose sense of ¡®vicinity¡¯. As in, it wasn¡¯t likely they¡¯d be spat out halfway across the world¡ªthough apparently possible¡ªbut rather a short distance, perhaps a half-day travel from where they¡¯d started, on average. Fitting to that norm, the trip back to Treyhull took about seven hours. They set off early, just after eating breakfast, apanied by a golem-woman who wasn¡¯t a tenth as talkative as Zoey and Rosalie¡¯s first guide. Which was fine. They made conversations themselves, the tall, bulky woman setting a quick pace, with the three of them trailing behind at enough of a distance to have privacy in what they were saying. Zoey appreciated theck of mindless chatter, honestly. The trip was less exhausting than the first. Zoey still needed to lean on stamina potions to some extent, but not half as much. Her feet got sore slower, as did her muscles. Her progression through advancements¡ªto second, now, technically¡ªhade with benefits. Though her ss wasn¡¯t focused on physical durability or speed, she¡¯d grown stronger passively. To a lesser degree than a ss like Rosalie¡¯s or Delta¡¯s would¡¯ve provided, but noticeable nheless. Plus, a mundane sort of growth. She¡¯d been on her feet constantly since arriving in this world, and partaking in all sorts of ¡­ physical activities. She¡¯d grown passively more durable, and acquired better mental endurance, too¡ªshe could push her aching muscles to the back of her mind. In the meantime¡ªduring the walk¡ªRosalie and Delta haggled how the loot split would work. While final decisions couldn¡¯t be made until they¡¯d had the items appraised¡ªboth for price, and effects¡ªthey could still work out plenty of the details in advance. Wasn¡¯t that hard, even, since Rosalie kept her stance from earlier: she didn¡¯t care about low-level loot, beyond selling it for supplies. By the sounds of it, she had enough coin on her person that wasn¡¯t particrly concerning, either. And, knowing Rosalie¡¯s social status¡ªeven if not specifically¡ªmoney wouldn¡¯t be a problem for her once she returned to her family. So the whole thing, Rosalie didn¡¯t care much for. She still bickered and haggled, but Zoey got the sense she did it to annoy Delta, and out of an ingrained need to ¡®stay even¡¯¡ªto get what she felt she was deserved. Zoey¡¯s and Delta¡¯s splitting of loot was the trickier one. Initially, Delta had imed she cared about practical loot, and that Zoey could have all the lewd items. Unfortunately, she seemed to be reversing that opinion. Which was good news and bad news. Good news because Delta taking a higher interest in sex items was ¡­ well, Zoey wasn¡¯t going toin. Bad news, because Zoey wanted all of the lewd items; pretty much all of them seemed fun in some way or another. It was implied she and Delta would share them as avable, but ¡®ownership¡¯ status needed to be doled out. Zoey hoped Delta stuck with the team for ¡­ well, ever? Until the world was saved, whatever that meant? ¡­ but Delta was more practical than to take her continued presence in the party for granted. So, well-defined bounds of who owned what, should the party split. It looked like they¡¯d be sticking together for the short term¡ªmaybe even medium and long term¡ªbut anything could happen. Zoey got all the alchemy reagents. She also got the panties of holding. Delta had wanted them too, because they worked for a pussy as much as a cock, but Zoey actually needed them; they were convenient for when Zoey had to keep her secret ¡­ well, a secret. And sure, she¡¯d made the previous determination to keep her secret ¡®on disy¡¯ on the off-chance someone saw and took interest, but for situations where Zoey legitimately did want to keep her equipment down-low on the down-low ¡­ say, for example, when Zoey finally met with Rosalie¡¯s family ¡­ the panties became less convenient and more a necessity. So Delta parted with them reluctantly. She did, however, extract a promise that Delta got to ¡®have Zoey¡¯s cock¡¯ when they¡¯d been identified and dered safe by Fe. She was ¡­ surprisingly tight-lipped on what, exactly, she nned to do with it. Knowing Delta, Zoey was about as scared as she was excited. Zoey suspected ¡®taking it around town¡¯ to use as a living strap-on might be the smallest of ns Delta had. Rosalie hadn¡¯t been pleased about that¡ªabout not getting to be the ¡®Keeper of the Cock¡¯¡ªbut Delta had sneered that Rosalie ¡®would get her turn, too, blondie, so chill out¡¯. Rosalie seemed satisfied by that, which, uh, also concerned Zoey, honestly. Not as much as Delta ¡­ but still concerned her. Not that Zoey was per se. Just, a bit conflicted about what ¡®free use¡¯ of Zoey¡¯s cock meant, without her being present. Or a two mile radius, even. Much as Zoey hadn¡¯t wanted to, she¡¯d needed to share. Delta got some of the loot. Namely, the Ink of Empowering Degradation, and the Mirror of Deep Echoes. Thest, of course, being the crown-jewel. Delta had been willing to trade almost everything else for it. Her reasoning had been pretty simple. It¡¯d been something she¡¯d already exined, the moment she¡¯d seen the item. It was a way for Delta to have a cock. Zoey was a bit amused at how much Delta had enjoyed being in Zoey¡¯s body. Maybe even more than Zoey, who had been a bit slow to warm up to the idea, Delta liked having something extra between her legs. The Mirror, which let her take someone¡¯s body, meant she¡¯d have a way to do that, through Zoey. Or turn into a guy, Zoey guessed. Would Delta do that? Zoey was pretty sure she¡¯d rather just take Zoey¡¯s body. She had ¡­ a lot more down there than most did, anyway. And both parts, not just one¡ªwhich she suspected Delta would prefer. Zoey¡¯s disorientation in having both parts was lessening, but hadn¡¯t fully gone away. After the discussions on loot¡ªbecause that could onlyst so long, considering a seven hour trek through multiple pocket-dimensions¡ªtheir talks turned more practical. They hammered out the details behind their schedules, how they would handle their return, and theing ¡®break¡¯. Exact details depended on whether Delta had an easy contact through her friend¡ªMadeline¡ªto train Zoey. Rosalie had questioned Delta whether Maddy was a ¡®sufficient tutor¡¯, and Delta had assured Rosalie she was skilled, but more importantly, ¡®a sweet girl, and trustworthy¡¯. Rosalie had seemed briefly hesitant, but while she didn¡¯t get along with Delta, she respected her professional opinion¡ªhence why she¡¯d teamed with Delta in the first ce. Speaking of Rosalie and Delta¡¯s ¡®getting along¡¯, the friction seemed to be easing up. Zoey doubted they¡¯d ever be all smiles and bright-and-gooey with each other, but they were falling into a type of friendly bickering, rather than hostile. Like siblings, almost, though that was definitely not a good way to define the dynamic, now that Zoey put more than a second of thought into it. Definitely not sisters. Because, Zoey noted, Rosalie¡¯s eyes were catching on Delta¡¯s hips, ass, and bust with far greater frequency than before. Rosalie¡¯s fucking of the fox-eared girl¡¯s body, through Zoey, had done a great job at warming her up to Delta¡ªor at least her body. Which Zoey counted as a big win for team dynamics. And more selfishly, a big win for herself. Zoey couldn¡¯t wait for the first time they all decided to be together, and not in a ¡®watch each other while the other two go at it¡¯ way. During the lulls¡ªthe long breaks in which they simply trudged forward, not speaking¡ªZoey did some mental nning for her date with Rosalie. It was a big event. A world-ending event. Something that had Zoey¡¯s stomach clenching whenever she thought about it. How in the world was Zoey supposed toe up with something that could impress Rosalie? Zoey wasn¡¯t an anxious person by nature, but the idea of taking Rosalie out on a date had her sweating. Rosalie was ¡­ well, possibly this world¡¯s version of royalty. Or, probably not that intense. Delta¡¯d simply said she suspected high-ranking guild officers, so, shit, Zoey didn¡¯t know¡ªa senator¡¯s daughter, to use an Earth equivalent she could understand? Zoey was just some girl. Or, she guessed not really, anymore. She was the chosen pdin of the goddess of sex. Not ¡®some girl¡¯. But she still felt that way. Rosalie was just¡ªso amazing. It would be impossible toe up with a date that could show what Zoey felt. Slowly, Zoey came to the conclusion trying too hard was exactly how things would go wrong. And trying too hard, trying to take Rosalie somewhere fancy, ssy, and live up to her status¡ªZoey shouldn¡¯t. Couldn¡¯t, even. Rosalie had grown up with old money, status, and under excruciating standards. What Zoey should give to her was a normal date. A pic at the park. Feed the ducks, bask in the sun and the fresh air¡ªsomething low-key, rxing, without expectations. Maybe Zoey would bring along a poetry book and read sappy stanzas to her, see how long Rosalie could keep a straight face, thinking Zoey was serious. Hell, knowing Rosalie ¡­ it might work. Either way, the blush it would draw out would be amazing. But something organic. Something neither of them had to pretend for. She thought Rosalie would appreciate that. And they had something, didn¡¯t they? Just being around each other, naturally? Forcing things would be how it went wrong. Rosalie had said ¡®a girlfriend of hers would need to try her hardest¡¯, and Zoey would. But not in a way that was contrived¡ªthat wasn¡¯t Zoey. Zoey would put the work in, have a nice day nned, but it¡¯d be something Rosalie¡¯d never experienced: something calming, low-key, where she could breathe. And that decided, Zoey was suddenly not that stressed. 3.05 – An Accident? 3.05 ¨C An ident? The long trip up Treyhull¡¯s titanic stairway, carved into the center of one of the jungle-realm¡¯s enormous trees, sucked as much as the first time, but at least it heralded their return, and a rxing¡ªhopefully¡ªtwo week break. Apparently, there were elevators, or magical equivalents, but however rich Zoey suspected Rosalie to be, she was surprisingly miserly; they took the stairs rather than the easier, more expensive, way up. They said their good-byes to the guide at the Last of the Forest¡¯s guildhall. Rosalie paid the woman¡¯s fee, then some extra as a standard-expectation tip, and she parted without fanfare. Zoey briefly wondered whether she¡¯d be resting in the city for the night before heading back out, or whether the golem woman would returning to her snowy outpost without break. She did seem unruffled despite their trip, and her stoic nature gave Zoey the impression she¡¯d chosen her career because she liked the long hours of silent trudging. From there, they split up, to Zoey¡¯s slight disappointment. Rosalie headed off with their mundane equipment, intending to drop it off with Anja. Zoey and Delta, on the other hand, were tasked to handle the other half: the identification of lewd items through their other contact, Fe. The store was unusually empty. There were neither patrons, nor Fe herself standing behind the counter. Slow day, Zoey guessed, since it was definitely open. She and Delta peered down the various aisles, and around the store, seeking the owner out. They found Fe bent over¡ªin a highlypromising position¡ªin the corner of the shop, apparently trying to get to a hard-to-reach spot at the back of a shelf. Cleaning? She seemed to be wiping it down, but it was hard to tell for sure. Items were piled on the ground, to be re-stocked shortly. At a guess, Fe had taken advantage of the slow day to get some freshening up done. Compromising. Zoey might¡¯ve understated it. Fe was wearing a short skirt today, and¡ªdon¡¯t ask her how¡ªit seemed to have flipped up and bunched at the top of her lower back as she vigorously cleaned away the deep recesses of the shelf. Her enthusiastic motions ¡­ made the sight even more difficult to ignore. Her assid on in disy, pale blue panties squeezing and shaping her cheeks in an agonizingly amazing way, and her plush curves bounced with the rough back-and-forth scrubbing movements. Delta, of course, was delighted¡ªshe shot Zoey a grin with raised eyebrows. She opened her mouth to say something¡ªand Zoey could imagine a dozen taunts, or lewdments she might give¡ªbut she paused, then thought better of it. Delta might have some issues with keeping her mouth under control, but she wouldn¡¯t outright harass a stranger. However ¡­ amazing ¡­ the sight they¡¯d stumbled on, Fe wasn¡¯t part of their group, and unasked-forments about her body wasn¡¯t something socially permissible, even to Delta¡¯s filtercking tendencies. Zoey took one relief in the situation, at least. After so much degeneracy and lewdness, a bent-over girl with her panties showing wasn¡¯t quite such an appealing site that Zoey couldn¡¯t keep herself settled. With the Panties of Holding still not identified and tested¡ªthe reason they were here¡ªshe still had to keep her reactions under control, unless she wanted a fourteen-inch pir in her pants bing even more noticeable than it was normally. And seeing how Fe was a professional contact of theirs, Zoey needed to keep things friendly. Though, still a close thing. Not an easy task to keep calm. Fe really did ¡­ have a lot going on. And she was seriously working away at the tough stain she¡¯d run into. Zoey cleared her throat. ¡°Uh, Fe?¡± The plush sheep-girl startled, then banged her head against the upper shelf¡ªshe¡¯d been deep between them, hence herpromised, bent-over position¡ªin surprise. ¡°Ow!¡± ¡°Are you¡ª!¡± Fe staggered out from between the shelves, rubbing her head. Her skirt corrected itself, partially, flipping back down. Fe finished settling it, tugging and smoothing it out, though passively, an idle correction, as if she hadn¡¯t realized what had happened, or that she¡¯d fixed it. That was for the best, Zoey guessed. Though how she¡¯d ¡®identally¡¯ had her entire ass on disy was ¡­ a bit suspicious, if Zoey were honest. Not really something that ¡®just happened¡¯, she felt like. Even if Fe seemed more ditzy than most. But what was Zoey implying? That Fe¡¯d been hoping for someone to walk in on her like that? Her banged head¡ªstill being rubbed in pain¡ªcontradicted that. ¡°Zoey,¡± Fe said, blinking. ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± The bright smile that appeared on her face didn¡¯t seem like a customer-service reaction. It had Zoey¡¯s own smile appearing. ¡°Andpany.¡± Fe turned to Delta. Delta quirked an eyebrow at Zoey, a quick aside, before addressing Fe. It could¡¯ve meant anything, but by the teasing smile threatening to break out on her lips, Zoey suspected it was something not entirely appropriate. Something along the lines of, ¡®wow, you didn¡¯t tell me your identifier was hot¡¯, or, ¡®that¡¯s a big smile you got there, Zoey. Should I be worried for blondie?¡¯ ¡°Hey,¡± Delta said. ¡°Delta, Zoey¡¯s teammate. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Fe. And you as well.¡± Fe¡¯s attention turned back to Zoey; she seemed eager to get to the meat of the conversation. ¡°Sessful adventure? That means you two have artifacts for me?¡± Her interest, Zoey noted by the gleam in her eye, definitely wasn¡¯t all business. While she¡¯d be getting paid to identify their items, Fe was clearly interested for ¡­ more personal reasons. Zoey, briefly, and as she had a few times before, wondered what exactly ¡®testing¡¯ entailed. Fe had seemed genuinely shocked at Zoey¡¯s half-joke that it would require ¡®cleaning¡¯ afterward ¡­ but how else were items like theirs identified? ¡°Several more,¡± Zoey confirmed. There¡¯d actually been a few pieces of equipment, this time, that had straddled the line between ¡®mundane¡¯ and ¡®not¡¯, which the three of them had puzzled over who¡ªFe or Anja¡ªwould be better suited to inspecting. Though some armor was inly lewd¡ªRosalie¡¯s vine armor to name the most obvious, which literally wiggled around in her during the middle of a fight¡ªthey¡¯d receive a smattering of less inappropriate armor, too. Thigh highs, bras¡ªmetal and not¡ªwith their centers missing, and other lingerie-like items. While not as bad as literal butt plugs, erotic piercings, and such, and so Anja probably wouldn¡¯t have too flustered of a reaction, they¡¯d still decided to drag anything questionable to Fe. Fe was slightly more pricey¡ªas a specialist in the strange¡ªbut they weren¡¯t struggling with funds, so they¡¯d agreed to take it to the person better suited for it. Fe put up her ¡®busy; please wait¡¯ sign on her counter, then brought Zoey and Delta along to the back room, where, like once before, Zoey and Delta emptied their inventories of the appropriate items andid them out in two separate piles, belonging to their respective members. Fe¡¯s eyebrows crept up as she inspected each. She didn¡¯t touch anything, only leaned forward and turned her head side to side as she appraised the items. She didn¡¯t blush, which Zoey gave her credit for, considering how bizarre the items were. Like usual, a consummate professional. ¡°And I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s too much trouble,¡± Zoey said, ¡°but is there any chance we can get these in specific handled? Early?¡± She held up the linking te and the panties. ¡°They¡¯re, um, convenient. How long would one item take, if we pay extra? Could you have it done in the next few hours?¡± Fe scanned the two objects, presumably inspecting them, then her eyes flicked to Zoey¡¯s crotch before hastily correcting back up. ¡°Oh,¡± Fe said. ¡°Convenient. Um. Because. Yeah.¡± She cleared her throat. ¡°I don¡¯t normally do rush orders like that. Next-day is the best I do, usually.¡± ¡°But you¡¯ll make an exception?¡± Delta interjected, leaning forward with a hint of a smirk on her lips. ¡°Because you sympathize? With Zoey¡¯s big inconvenience?¡± There was a little too much emphasis on the word ¡®big¡¯¡ªit drew another flick of Fe¡¯s eyes to Zoey¡¯s crotch, and the first hints of a blush. Zoey wasn¡¯t sure what Delta was doing. Teasing Fe, obviously. But why? Delta had seemed previously determined to keep things professional¡ªif there was a chance to tease Fe, it would¡¯ve been catching her bent-over by the shelves. ¡°And,¡± Delta said casually, ¡°she can show you how it works, if it helps speed things up. Helps you understand the item.¡± The pink spread, and a third flick of Fe¡¯s eyes. Zoey said, confused, ¡°I can?¡± ¡°I suppose I do sympathize with her predicament,¡± Fe said. ¡°And for a repeat customer, it would be a show of good faith to make an exception. And you¡¯re right, demonstrating would ¡­ would help me understand the item¡¯s use more clearly. Expedite the process.¡± Oh. Zoey understood what was happening. Apparently, Delta had a better read on Fe than Zoey did. Up to this point, Zoey had thought Fe¡¯s slight awkwardness simply a result of their circumstances¡ªbecause they were strange. But Delta¡¯s prompting¡ªand Fe¡¯s response¡ªhad made things clear. ¡°Perfect,¡± Delta said, the grin bing more obvious. ¡°We¡¯re all professionals here. Go ahead and show it off, Zoey. She needs to understand what she¡¯s in for.¡± But, uh. Show it off? Just like that? So abrupt? Zoey was supposed to pull down down her pants and demonstrate the item¡¯s use, while Fe was staring at her with big eyes, and a quickly growing redness in her face? Delta had produced the most flimsy possible excuse to set this up. And it had worked? Then again, a chance to show off for Fe? Her heart rate picked up, and by no conscious decision¡ªobviously¡ªher cock started to swell inside her pants. Delta grinned at her, standing next to Fe. She was delighting in the situation she¡¯d instigated. Happier about it than Zoey, even. ¡°Right,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Demonstrate.¡± Well. Might as well get to it. She fumbled with her belt, then unlooped it, setting it on the long desk with the unidentified artifacts. Her boots came next, kicking them off, and her pants and boxers after that, both in one smooth motion. And so she was naked from her waist below, besides her socks. Somehow, wearing a shirt and socks made her feel ten times more exposed than if she¡¯d been stripped naked. Her cock stood at full attention, and Fe¡¯s eyes were glued to it. The flush now suffused her entire face, and she seem enraptured. Delta also gave it an appreciate look, but mostly she seemed to be enjoying Fe¡¯s reaction. Zoey wasn¡¯t quite sure whether this was more awkward or hot¡ªor maybe, it was the first making the second so much more intense. Their exnations for this had been contrived, and Fe epted them so quickly; she¡¯d wanted to see Zoey expose herself. Which ¡­ still didn¡¯t make being the only one half-naked in this room any less awkward, but Zoey¡¯s perverted side was enjoying things. Exposing herself to someone like Fe, who was entranced by the member sticking out, fourteen inches of throbbing excitement. Not to mention the thick ck writing on her pelvis. ¡®DELTA AND ROSIE¡¯S FAVORITE TOY¡¯. It was an impossible thing to miss, and Fe definitely hadn¡¯t. Zoey wasn¡¯t sure how to address that, so instead she ignored it, grabbing the panties off the table, then stepping into each of the leg-holes and tugging the pink fabric up. She guided her cock into the ck portal, and, like the item¡¯s description promised, fourteen inches of cock sprouted from the white linking te, right in front of Fe. 3.06 – Item Testing 3.06 ¨C Item Testing Despite knowing through the item description what would happen, the arrival of Zoey¡¯s cock¡ªtransported through space¡ªonto the white te next to Fe had her eyes widening to aical size. She stared, stunned, at the thing jutting in front of her. Zoey¡¯s skin tingled with the idea she was exposing herself to the curvy sheep-girl. Honestly, she was surprised by how turned on she was. After being in so many more perverted situations in the past several days, something as simple as whipping her equipment out shouldn¡¯t have had her heart hammering. But it did. Maybe it was that it didn¡¯t rte to any ¡®shard shenanigans¡¯. There were no excuses to hide behind, not really. Delta¡¯s segue of ¡®item testing¡¯ was tantly a cover, something Delta had offered teasingly to Fe to give a feeble reasoning for Fe to not seem overly eager. By the expression on Fe¡¯s face, she knew it as well as the two of them. Delta grinned and cozied up to Fe, slipping an arm around her waist. The action produced a squeak, but only from surprise. Fe didn¡¯t protest; she let Delta invade her personal space. ¡°Looks bigger, somehow, when it¡¯s separated like that,¡± Delta said. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It, um, certainly does.¡± Fe swallowed. ¡°I can see what you mean by this artifact being a convenient find. It would help ¡­ hide things.¡± She shot a wide-eyed look at Zoey, and said, half-apologetically, ¡°honestly, I thought you were doing something to make it more obvious, but you weren¡¯t, were you? It¡¯s just that big. How does it even fit in your pants?¡± Fe¡¯s eyes turned back to Zoey¡¯s cock. Her brow scrunched down, her flustered demeanor draining to something more serious. ¡°But such a strange effect. And powerful. Spatial dislocation, from a second advancement shard? Restricted to ¡­ genitalia ¡­ but nheless, unusual. Perplexing.¡± She spoke with a nearly clinical tone, like Fe had fallen back into professionalism to save herself from embarrassment. She did seem overwhelmed. As much by Zoey¡¯s partial nudity¡ªand fourteen inch cock sticking into the air¡ªas, it seemed, by Delta, and her closeness, the way she¡¯d wrapped an arm around her waist and cozied up to her. Fe definitely didn¡¯t seem unhappy about Delta¡¯s quick advances. Just ¡­ overwhelmed. ¡°Go ahead,¡± Delta said, teasing Fe. ¡°Work your magic. Experiment with it.¡± Fe squeaked again, for no discernible reason. If Zoey had to guess, Delta¡¯s hand had snuck down and done something Zoey hadn¡¯t seen. Fe shot a bashful look at Zoey, then stepped forward and peered down at the base of the linking te. Sheughed once, as if at herself. ¡°I realize we¡¯re ying under a farce here,¡± she said. ¡°But this really is so fascinating. Do you mind if I do test some things? It¡¯s such a curious item.¡± ¡°Now, Fe,¡± Delta scolded. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t go around calling someone¡¯s cock a ¡®curious item¡¯. People are sensitive about these things.¡± Zoey gave Delta an amused look, then said to Fe, ¡°Uh, yeah. Sure.¡± She was surprised Fe hade out and addressed the so-called ¡®farce¡¯ outright. Leave it to a scientist¡ªbecause that was what Fe was, more or less¡ªto let the erotic scenario she was flustered by to be sidelined by her inquisitive nature. ¡°The obvious first question,¡± Fe said, ¡°is what would happen if we looped it back. As in, I took the ¡­ the ¡­¡± ¡°Her cock,¡± Delta suggested. The flush returned. ¡°If I took your cock,¡± Fe said, tripping over the word, ¡°and fed it back into the panties¡¯ original portal. The opening seemedrger, there, so it would fit. But what would happen? There wouldn¡¯t be space on the exit for a second transportation.¡± Zoey considered it. Her brain started to hurt. ¡°Nothing that risks cock-vaporization, please.¡± ¡°Cock vaporization?¡± Delta asked, quirking an eyebrow. ¡°I mean. Yeah. Who knows what would happen?¡± ¡°My intuition says it would refuse ess,¡± Fe said. ¡°Act as a physical wall, perhaps, or a repulsive field that grows in strength. But I suppose it¡¯s not worth field-testing. I can run analyses to find answers without risking ¡­ risking ¡­¡± ¡°Her cock,¡± Delta suggested. Fe didn¡¯t blush, this time, only side-eyed Delta, lips turning up in. ¡°Her cock,¡± she emphasized, not stuttering like the previous time, ¡°suffering any undue damage.¡± She refocused on Zoey¡¯s member. ¡°But more than that, I wonder¡ªis the transport two-way?¡± Zoey blinked. ¡°There¡¯s no portal on the linking te, so I¡¯d figure not.¡± Fe nodded. ¡°I suspect so, but still try?¡± Some awkward repositioning, and Zoey bumping her cock into smooth te ss to little sess, which had her feeling more than a bit silly, and they confirmed a ¡®no¡¯. ¡°Then my next question is, while active, can attached items transport back?¡± Fe cleared her throat. ¡°Do you, um, mind?¡± She gestured at Zoey¡¯s cock. Zoey didn¡¯t know exactly what she was asking, but she trusted Fe to not do anything crazy. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Tentatively¡ªand with some of the blush that had settled returning¡ªFe reached out and wrapped cold, tentative fingers around Zoey¡¯s cock. ¡°Now, um, withdraw?¡± ¡°Pull out?¡± ¡°I want to see if my handes through. Perhaps skin-to-skin contact would allow it?¡± ¡°This is,¡± Delta said, ¡°a lot less sexy than I was hoping.¡± ¡°Oh, we¡¯ll get to that. I¡¯m just curious about¡ª¡° Fe froze. Lost in her analytical mindset, the first part of what she¡¯d said had slipped out without thought. She tripped over her words as she continued, pretending she hadn¡¯t said anything. Zoey¡¯s heart-rate picked up, again, at the implication ¡®more¡¯ would being. Doublypromising, seeing how Fe¡¯s hand was on her cock. Delta was right; for their circumstances, things hadn¡¯t taken as lewd of a turn as Zoey would have expected. ¡°¡ªabout how it functions. Like I said, it¡¯s a fascinating piece of equipment.¡± ¡°A fascinating piece of equipment? It¡¯s definitely that,¡± Delta said. ¡°Oh, and the portal panties are pretty cool, too.¡± Zoey shook her head at Delta, then, doing as told by Fe, she leaned back while pulling her panties down, awkwardly trying to get her cock out of the portal. It was a long, unwieldy thing to finagle out. She only withdrew a few inches before her efforts were blocked. ¡°Mm,¡± Fe said. ¡°I suppose I shouldn¡¯t be surprised.¡± Her hand had jammed at the linking te. ¡°Though ¡­¡± She let go of Zoey¡¯s cock, then spat in her palm. She rubbed the slippery liquid into Zoey¡¯s sensitive member, and Zoey gasped, softly, in surprise as much as at the sensation. ¡°Try now?¡± Zoey pulled out. Sure enough, Fe¡¯s spit hade along for the trip. A small patch of her cock glistened in the light. ¡°So bodily fluids work,¡± Fe said, brow furrowing. ¡°Arbitrary. So arbitrary. But I suppose artifacts are, as a whole. It¡¯s why they¡¯re so fascinating.¡± Her head tilted. ¡°I wonder, is there a range distance? And would ink work¡ªis any unobtrusive substance permitted? Does the effect function between realms? Shards? It could be used as an incredible long-distancemunication tool, if so. If ¡­ an absurd one.¡± ¡°Way less sexier than I thought this¡¯d be,¡± Delta repeated. ¡°But honestly, kinda living for it. Nerd out. It is pretty cool.¡± She grinned at Fe. ¡°Plus ¡­ and this is just my experience ¡­ but the nerdy girls are always the freakiest. So this is promising.¡± Fe blushed, obviously not standing a chance under Delta¡¯s proximity, and her teasing smirk. Zoey was honestly a bit jealous at Delta¡¯s confidence, how quickly she¡¯d spotted that Fe would be okay with this, then how easily she¡¯d acted on it. While Delta had obviously intended to drag things back to the lewder starting point she¡¯d set up, Zoey could wait a few more minutes. Though she definitely appreciated Delta¡¯s ¡­ what, wing-manning? She was trying awfully hard to get Zoey¡¯s cock wet, for her ¡­ Zoey was also as intrigued by this item as Fe. She¡¯d gotten ustomed to magic in a small way after the time she¡¯d spent in this world, but the novelty was hardly gone entirely. ¡°The question we really want answered,¡± Zoey said, ¡°is whether I can put the linking te in my inventory while active.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Fe said. ¡°Huh. I wonder. You haven¡¯t tested it?¡± Zoey raised her eyebrows. ¡°Safely,¡± Fe amended. ¡°Not with your entire ¡­¡± ¡°Cock,¡± Delta supplied for the third time. ¡°Not with your entire cock,¡± Fe said, shooting an exasperated look at the fox-girl whose arm was still around her waist. Delta gave her a sideways grin, which had even Zoey¡¯s heart skipping a beat, and she wasn¡¯t the one it¡¯d been leveled at. ¡°I don¡¯t think she wants to lose any part of it,¡± Delta said, for Zoey. ¡°I realize she¡¯s got plenty to spare, but still.¡± Fe rolled her eyes. ¡°I mean, less dangerous than that, even. Worst case could still be ufortable, and hurt, but you two are adventurers, aren¡¯t you? Bunch up a bit of your foreskin and stick the tiniest bit through¡ªthen deposit the linking te. Worst case, you take a health potion to clean up some minor tissue damage. Hardly anything at all¡ªbit of blood, sure, but.¡± She shrugged. But as adventurers, Zoey finished, she and Delta had obviously seen worse. And Fe was right: it was a safe worst-case. Obviously the idea of having a tiny portion of her foreskin ¡­ severed ¡­ wasn¡¯t the most thrilling of ideas, but with magical items like health potions, it was hardly something Zoey couldn¡¯t get over. It would heal right back. And she might not be a real adventurer, but she¡¯d seen more gore even yesterday, fighting through the shard, and against Not-Zoey. ¡°Huh,¡± Delta said. ¡°Yeah, that makes sense. I guess we should¡¯ve thought of that.¡± ¡°Trying to be clever about testing artifacts is usually a poor idea,¡± Fe said, ¡°and bringing it to a specialist is a good standard to operate by. It¡¯s easy to get yourself hurt, or have unforeseenplications cropping up. But in this case, I don¡¯t think so. It¡¯s a simple, straightforward test.¡± ¡°Should I do it?¡± ¡°I could run standard analysis,¡± Fe said. ¡°I will be, anyway, I presume, since you¡¯re hiring me. So there¡¯s no need. But it would¡¯ve been an effective field test, should you have needed to know.¡± ¡°Here¡¯s a scientific question,¡± Delta announced loudly. ¡°There¡¯s a fourteen inch cock¡ªthat belongs to a girl¡ªon your table, and you don¡¯t have your mouth around it. What¡¯s up with that?¡± Fe paused. Her eyes turned to Delta, then Zoey, and she reddened until she was the color of a tomato. ¡°You know,¡± Fe said. ¡°That is a rather salient question, isn¡¯t it?¡± 3.07 Friendly Fire 3.07 Friendly Fire This took way longer than it should have, Delta thought. Delta had had her suspicions on Fe¡¯s attraction to Zoey the second the two of them hard arrived to her store, and Fe¡¯s face had lit up. Before that, even. The debacle with her flipped-up skirt was highly suspicious. Fe couldn¡¯t have known the two of them were going to be the next in her shop, sure, but she¡¯d been in a little toopromising of a situation for Delta to think it had happened naturally. A certain wide-hipped artificer, Delta suspected, had a thing for exhibitionism. Which, Delta thought ¡­ good choice. The nail in the coffin, though, had been when Zoey had brought up the ¡®convenience¡¯ of the item they¡¯d found. How the ability to store Zoey¡¯s ¡®big problem¡¯ away was something she wanted sooner rather thanter. Fe had taken too much interest, there, and her eyes had wandered down to Zoey¡¯s crotch, and stayed, for a little too long. So, how had it taken ten minutes of item-testing musings to get here? Especially when things had started so auspiciously. Delta had thought they were going to get to the good stuff right away. Because Zoey had been determined to cockblock herself. She¡¯d had her equipmentid out in front of Fe, and she¡¯d chosen to ¡­ chat about item theoreticals? For several minutes? What was wrong with her? At least Delta had gotten them back on track. Fe wrapped a hand around Zoey¡¯s cock, and she stared down hesitantly at the veiny, impressive member. Delta¡¯s heart skipped a beat, sympathetically. Honestly, she wasn¡¯t sure why she was so into this. Why did the idea of getting Zoey¡¯s dick wet turn her on? She¡¯d love to take credit for ¡®being a good friend¡¯, but that was only half the truth. Delta liked helping Zoey out, but Fe¡¯s hand around Zoey¡¯s cock did about as much for her as it did Zoey, if she had to guess. ¡°C¡¯mon,¡± Delta murmured into Fe¡¯s ear. ¡°Don¡¯t be shy. Get down there.¡± She was still pressed into the shorter girl, and had been since all this had started. Delta was a bit offended her proximity had gone ignored, Fe¡¯s curiosity over the item taking higher priority. Having her body pressed into Fe¡¯s should¡¯ve gotten her all heated up. And it had ¡­ just not enough, apparently, to overrule her curiosity. And no, Delta wasn¡¯t pouting about it. ¡°It really ¡­ is so big,¡± Fe mumbled back, amazed. Now that her analytical brain had shut off, reced by her much more primitive, animal one, Delta¡¯s briefly subdued arousal stirred back up. Zoey¡¯s too. A bead of precum had sprung up at the tip of her gigantic cock, and it twitched in excitement at the imminent activities. Delta ran her pointer finger across it, collecting the liquid. ¡°Here,¡± Delta said. ¡°Try.¡± Fe didn¡¯t hesitant. She opened her mouth. Delta rubbed the thick droplet of pre-cum around on her tongue, and Fe sucked, her powerful, slippery appendage rubbing circles around her finger. Delta¡¯s heart skipped a beat at the eagerness. It really is always the nerdy ones, Delta thought. ¡°That¡¯s a good girl,¡± Delta said, rubbing her finger around Fe¡¯s mouth, letting it be sucked on. ¡°You like how it tastes?¡± Fe nodded mutely, face burning. ¡°You can have more, you¡¯ll just have to work for it. Now get down there.¡± Fe didn¡¯t need further prompting. Fe leaned forward, hand still wrapped around Zoey¡¯s base, and she pressed her lips to Zoey¡¯s cockhead, giving it a gentle kiss. Delta was torn between which of the two girls¡¯ reactions to watch¡ªZoey¡¯s, or Fe¡¯s. She settled on Zoey. Zoey¡¯s eyes widened as Fe¡¯s lips split open, taking Zoey into her mouth. She breathed in, back arching in pleasure. She was dressed from the waist up, and was wearing panties, so not much was showing. Honestly, that did even more for Delta, though. Seeing her groan in pleasure while mostly clothed, and, seemingly, though obviously not actually, having nothing done to her. ¡°There you go,¡± Delta murmured, wrapping a hand into Fe¡¯s fluffy white hair, between two curled horns. She pressed down, urging Fe deeper onto Zoey¡¯s cock. ¡°A good businesswoman would go all the way, wouldn¡¯t she? All about keeping customers satisfied, right?¡± With a gag, Delta¡¯s insistence¡ªboth verbal and physical¡ªseeded: Zoey¡¯s cock slid into Fe¡¯s throat. Delta watched her throat distend out with the size of the object invading it. As amazing as Zoey¡¯s size was for pleasure, the sights it provided was just as fun. The way Delta could see Zoey¡¯s cock go deeper, inch by inch, forcing Fe¡¯s throat out to amodate. Delta rubbed her other hand against Fe¡¯s throat, massaging Zoey¡¯s cock through Fe¡¯s skin. Zoey groaned in the background, and it wasn¡¯t only Zoey the feeling was too much for; Fe gagged, and not softly, but enough to have her head jerking up, needing Zoey¡¯s cock out. Delta was a bit disappointed, of course, but while she was happy to help push someone outside theirfort zone, she wasn¡¯t going to literally force Fe to choke on Zoey¡¯s cock. You know. Unless she wanted to. Fe had a brief coughing fit, saliva dripping from her lips into her hands as she hacked away. Zoey¡¯s cock glistened with her spit to about the halfway point¡ªwhich would¡¯ve been ¡®all the way in¡¯ for a regr cock. Fe had her work cut out, if she wanted all the way down. Delta ought to help her out. ¡°Here,¡± Delta said. ¡°Get down on the table.¡± Fe obeyed, again, instantly. As Delta had picked up on, she liked being bossed around. Delta grabbed Zoey¡¯s cock, then cleared space for Fe as she situated herself. ¡°Turn around.¡± Fe did, so she wasying on her back. A few more instructions, and Delta had Fe situated in the position she wanted. Feid across the table, stomach facing up, and her head leaning over the ledge. Delta grabbed Zoey¡¯s cock by the te-ss base, then lined its tip up to Fe¡¯s mouth. Fe opened eagerly, neck pointing to the ceiling, and Delta pressed Zoey¡¯s cock forward. She pushed the object in, slowly but insistently, watching it cram open Fe¡¯s throat. Delta was fucking Fe¡¯s throat ¡­ with Zoey¡¯s cock. For a second, she admired the surreality of the situation, that the dildo in her hands wasn¡¯t a dildo, but Zoey¡¯s actual cock. And she was getting to pleasure Zoey by stuffing open the sheep-girl¡¯s throat with it. Seriously. So awesome. Delta could get used to the items these lewd shards spat out. Delta bottomed Zoey out, letting the ss touch Fe¡¯s lips. She admired the way her throat bulged out, and the way Fe tried to fight against her gag reflex. Then she pulled out, and thrusted back in. Fe gagged at the sudden motion, but her hands didn¡¯t shoot up to ask Delta to stop. Delta thought she had a good read on people. She liked taking charge, and urging her partners to go further than they would on their own, but she wouldn¡¯t ever force something. She watched Fe¡¯s reactions carefully¡ªas she did all of her partners¡ªfor indications that her roughness wasn¡¯t something Fe wanted. But the way Fe squirmed didn¡¯t leave much up to interpretation. Delta worked into a rhythm, face-fucking Fe with eager thrusts of her arm, sliding Zoey¡¯s cock in and out with quick squelches, and a background chorus of Zoey, groaning in pleasure, which Delta couldn¡¯t see, upied with the sheep girl. The world¡¯s best, and weirdest, sex toy. Delta nced over. Zoey had leaned against the table with both hands, face pointed down as she panted. Her hips wiggled side to side in pace with Delta¡¯s thrusting. The weirdness of all this thrilled through her. This wasn¡¯t a toy she was thrusting down Fe¡¯s throat, but Zoey¡¯s actual cock. Delta picked up speed. The squelching noises of Fe¡¯s vited throat became louder. So did Zoey¡¯s moans. Fuck, Delta was so turned on. Why was this so hot? Fe¡¯s hands went up, grabbing Delta¡¯s wrists, and Delta pulled Zoey¡¯s cock out of her throat. She sputtered, like before, as she sucked in oxygen. Fe was eager, but eagerness didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t need oxygen. Zoey panted in the background, taking her brief reprieve. Delta didn¡¯t give her long. With Fe having recovered, she pressed Zoey¡¯s cock back against her lips, then back into her throat. She was even rougher, this time. She worked Zoey¡¯s cock into Fe¡¯s tight hole with loud squelches, saliva flying from her lips with the jerking forcefulness of Delta¡¯s movements. Fe didn¡¯t protest. She took Zoey¡¯s cock in and out of her throat like she did it for a living. Delta was legitimately impressed. Fe was, as making itself amazing clear, no amateur to face-fucking. Delta¡¯s assumptions from earlier had confirmed themselves. Nerdy girls ¡­ what did the world do to deserve them? Delta slid Zoey¡¯s cock out, letting Fe catch her breath. She set the object to the side, then walked to the opposite end of the long table, to where Fe¡¯s feet were hanging off. She uced Fe¡¯s shoes and tossed them to the side. Fe, after catching her breath from her throat-fucking, got to work eagerly, helping undress herself. She knew where Delta was going with this. Fun as a blowjob was, all three of them wanted to get to the good stuff. Fe¡¯s lower half exposed, Delta grabbed Zoey¡¯s cock, then pped it down on Fe¡¯s stomach. The hot, veiny member stuck up to the base of her breasts. Zoey¡¯s cock was impressive evenid out against Delta, but on a shorter girl¡ªFe was even smaller than Rosalie¡ªits size seemed downright absurd. A normal girl would¡¯vemented how it wouldn¡¯t fit, seeing it stick up so far up her body. Fe just started panting, then looked at Delta with begging eyes. Delta slid Zoey¡¯s cock down her stomach, until its shaft was pressed into Fe¡¯s pussy. Delta rubbed the object up and down, delighting in the way Fe wiggled side to side, looking for better friction. Man. She really wants this. Delta didn¡¯t me her. ¡°Lean up,¡± Delta said. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to see her reactions?¡± Zoey was standing to Delta¡¯s side, now, so Delta couldn¡¯t see what Zoey was doing, or what faces she was making. But if Fe leaned up, she could. Fe did so. She got up on one elbow, propping herself up just enough to see Zoey. Their eyes locked, and Fe¡¯s blush deepened. Delta dipped Zoey¡¯s cock down even further, pressing the tip against Fe¡¯s lower lips. Delta shook it side to side, gently, digging her cock head between soft folds, and just barely starting to spread them¡ªhalf prating Fe, but not. Fe groaned. Behind Delta, Zoey was making simr noises. But Delta was mostly interested in Fe, at this point. Getting Zoey off was just a bonus. ¡°Ready?¡± Delta murmured. ¡°P-Please.¡± Delta pushed forward, sinking Zoey¡¯s cock into Fe. Her experience in the shard, with the oversized toy, might have instated a new fascination in Delta¡ªin watchingrge objects bulge skin outward. Zoey¡¯s cock wasn¡¯t as absurd as the one Delta had ridden, but it was still huge; as Delta pushed forward, sliding Zoey¡¯s cock into Fe¡¯s warm, tight walls, her stomach pushed up in pace with it, Zoey¡¯s member providing a visible indicator of where, exactly, it was venturing. Inch by inch. Delta ced her hand on Fe¡¯s stomach, following the bulge upward as it traveled. She rubbed in circles against Fe, massaging Zoey¡¯s cock through the skin in the same way she had when it¡¯d been in Fe¡¯s throat. Fe shivered, cing her free hand over her mouth as she squeezed her eyes shut. Taking Zoey¡¯s cock wasn¡¯t an easy thing, even ounting for Zoey¡¯s skill. It had to hurt, at least in some small way. Hence Delta¡¯s slow advance. The white te hit Fe¡¯s lower lips, Zoey¡¯s cock fully inserted. Fe released a breath, the growing pressure finally ceasing. Her shoulders slumped down. Delta got to work. She pulled out, then pushed back forward, sinking fourteen inches back into Fe. Fe cried out and copsed back onto the table, no longer propping herself up to see Zoey. Hips could only work so fast. Delta¡¯s pumping arm, using Zoey¡¯s cock as a toy, could move much faster. Delta jerked Zoey¡¯s cock in and out of Fe, fascinated in the way it crawled up her stomach then down with each rapid thrust. The lewd noises of the two girls picked up at the same speed as Delta¡¯s vigor: the room went from breathless moans, gasps, and groans to outright cries of pleasure. Zoey¡¯s cock squelched with Delta¡¯s rapid, urgent thrusting. While the womanid out onto the table was a rapturous enough sight, Delta turned, ncing to her side. Zoey was fully hunched over, now, forehead pressed into the table as she gripped the ledge with white knuckles. Her hips jerked back and forth as if she were the one providing the motion that was giving her pleasure, not Delta. And instinctive reaction¡ªshe couldn¡¯t help herself from making her hips move, not with her cock sliding in and out of Fe. And fuck, it was hot. For all Delta hadn¡¯t even so much as touched herself, she felt awfully close toing undone herself. If these two girls were finding this a tenth as scorching as Delta, then¡ª Fe cried out, hands scrambling at the table. ¡°Fuck! Yes! Please!¡± Then that. Fe fell apart under Delta¡¯s thrusting, her back arching as she started to spasm. Zoey¡¯s breath was growing ragged, too, so she was close herself¡ªbut not there, yet. Delta continued to pump. She massaged Fe¡¯s stomach as she did, jerking Zoey off with her hand even as her cock pumped into Fe¡¯s insides. Finally, by the raggedness of Zoey¡¯s breathing, Delta could tell she was a second froming. She pulled Zoey¡¯s cock out. They hadn¡¯t explicitly discussed where to finish, and Delta had realized toote, so the pulling out was the obvious course of action ¡­ much as she¡¯d like to pump Fe full. Delta pressed the linking te into her own stomach, stabilizing it, and got to work milking out Zoey¡¯s finish. Fe¡¯s climax had already wracked through her, and she¡¯d clearly started to grow sensitive, so she didn¡¯tin about Delta pulling Zoey out. She seemed vaguely not-there, anyway; her finish had crashed through her, leaving her seemingly half-conscious. Zoey¡¯s cock swelled, and something crashed to the floor as Zoey¡¯s scrambling knocked some piece of equipment off the crowded table. Here ites. Delta watched with fascination as the first hot string burst from Zoey¡¯s cock and sprayed onto Fe¡¯s stomach. White liquid coated the sheep-girl¡¯s body in long, sticky strands. Stomach, tits, face, hair¡ªit got everywhere. Intentionally. Delta sprayed her down. And since this was Zoey¡¯s cock, it just kepting. Plenty of ammunition to drench Fe with. Delta savored in the sight. Then, halfway through using Zoey¡¯s cock as a spray-gun ¡­ the intrusive thoughts won. An idea popped into Delta¡¯s head, and she¡¯d always been horrible at controlling herself. Still pumping her hand to work more of Zoey¡¯s payload out, Delta pivoted, lips curling in amusement, and she pointed Zoey¡¯s cock at Zoey herself. Deltaughed delightedly as she hosed Zoey down. The first string caught her on the shoulder, and Zoey, realizing what was happening, staggered up from her keeled-over position. ¡°D-Delta,¡± she groaned, legs shaking, and holding her hands up as if she could fend Delta off. ¡°What the fuck are you¡ª¡° The next string sprayed across her shirt, drenching her, and to her credit, her hands did block some of it. ¡°Come on. You like it.¡± Zoey¡¯s legs were shaking with the strength of her orgasm ¡­ and the way her cock was pushing out hot strings in such powerful spurts gave it away, too. ¡°Open your mouth.¡± Zoey tried to defend herself for one or two more spurts. Delta¡¯s hand milked expertly away, working as much as she could. She wanted more ammunition. Whether intentional or not¡ªwhether it¡¯d been the pleasure Delta¡¯s hands provided that opened Zoey¡¯s mouth as she whined out her satisfaction¡ªDelta¡¯s next shot was perfect: Zoey¡¯s cock ejected her own hot seed across her face, and into her partially opened lips. Zoey¡¯sints fell away. She let Delta milk her cock out onto her face, giving in, closing her eyes as Delta coated her. Her mouth fell open, and plenty of her own cum sprayed into her mouth, which she let happen. Her legs¡ªand body¡ªwere shaking so hard Delta was amazed she was even staying upright. Finally, Zoey¡¯s twitching finish left her. Zoey leaned heavily onto the table. Her eyes were glued shut by the seed covering her face, which she shakily worked at cleaning away. Delta spared a nce for Fe. She was seated up, having likewise cleared her eyes so she could open them¡ªhaving been as coated as Zoey. Her face burned red. She¡¯d liked what she¡¯d seen: Zoey¡¯s reactions at Delta emptying Zoey across her own face. ¡°Man,¡± Delta said, admiring the glistening cock in her hands. ¡°I really, really love this item.¡± 3.08 Alchemy Tutelage 3.08 Alchemy Tutge ¡°That cheap?¡± Rosalie asked. ¡°Huh. I expected her to charge more. Our yield wasrger, this time, and higherplexity.¡± Zoey and Delta shared a look. Delta grinned, then turned back to Rosalie and said, ¡°Guess she was feeling generous. Maybe something put her in a good mood.¡± Rosalie narrowed her eyes, sensing something in Delta¡¯s words, but she didn¡¯t care enough to pursue. She brushed past it. It wasn¡¯t like Zoey was trying to hide what had happened at Fe¡¯s workshop¡ªRosalie didn¡¯t care if Zoey got around, only the manner in which she did, as with the dressing room attendant¡ªbut exining their encounter with Fe wasn¡¯t something Zoey could just blurt out. ¡®Hey, she probably gave us a discount because Delta fucked her brains out. Using my cock.¡¯ Yeah, that would go over well. And what an odd sort of an encounter it had been, too. Zoey had just stood there; she hadn¡¯t interacted with Fe at all, besides some blushing, steamy looks. Delta had been the one to use her cock to fuck the sheep girl. And what a sight it¡¯d been, especially when paired with how she felt every jerking plunge of Delta¡¯s arm. Portals. Pretty neat stuff. Zoey was reallying around on the stranger set of sex items they were receiving. Variety was the spice of life, and all that. Delta¡¯s adventurous spirit was rubbing off on her; Zoey thought she¡¯d like to try out some weirder items, if they received them. ¡°So,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°You¡¯re headed to Sabina, next?¡± Zoey nodded, and Rosalie turned to Delta. ¡°And you, to Maddy?¡± ¡°That¡¯s gonna be a fun talk,¡± Delta said, and somehow, she sounded like she meant it. Zoey had found it seriously awkward to exin her ss to Delta, but Delta didn¡¯t seem to hold the same reservations. Though, Zoey supposed, it wasn¡¯t her embarrassing situation to be in; it wasn¡¯t her ss. But even if it was, Zoey thought Delta might find it hrious to exin. Clearly, ¡®shameless¡¯ was a term well-applied to her orange-haired team member. ¡°I wonder how she¡¯ll take it,¡± Delta said. ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s a prude, but she doesn¡¯t get around, either. A sex ss might be a bit much for her.¡± Rosalie didn¡¯t seem concerned. ¡°There¡¯s always other options. And she only needs to train Zoey¡ªjoining the team is peripheral.¡± Though, Zoey thought, she still needed to work out how to ¡®recharge¡¯ during practice. It only worked with bonded targets, and asking Maddy to take care of it¡ªa stranger¡ªwould be going way too far. Zoey figured she might as well bring it up. Because there was a solution. Zoey cleared her throat, though, hesitant at having to broach the topic. Delta was the shameless one, not her. ¡°Uh. Recharging, during lessons. I think there might be a way to handle that? Without locking one of you down.¡± Having to apany her, Zoey meant. ¡°The portal.¡± ¡°Escort it around, and any time it gets hard, take care of it?¡± Delta asked, grinning. ¡°Yeah, I was thinking that, too. Probably our best option, so you don¡¯t run out of juice. But who? Me, or Princess?¡± Rosalie sniffed. ¡°It depends when. That¡¯s hardly something that can be handled out in public. But I suppose if I must, I could work the event into my schedule. Perhaps during training.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t sound too excited,¡± Delta grinned. She saw through Rosalie¡¯s colored cheeks as easily as Zoey; the idea of needing to remotely ¡®take care¡¯ of Zoey titited her. ¡°But yeah. Comes down to scheduling,¡± Delta agreed. ¡°Can be either of us. We¡¯ll figure it out when I talk to Maddy, get a time she¡¯s avable.¡± Zoey nodded, and a brief silence settled across the trio. ¡°Okay,¡± Delta said. ¡°Sounds like we have our ns. Meet up at the Guild, whenever, we¡¯ll figure out our next steps.¡± ### It was a bit odd being on her own. Zoey had been apanied nonstop since her arrival to this fantasy world. Either Rosalie, or Delta, or Not-Zoey¡ªbut besides small moments here and there, picking out clothes or shopping, Zoey hadn¡¯t struck out on her own in any meaningful way. Now, winding through the crowded streets and bridges of Treyhull, Zoey was alone. Unapanied. It felt weird, honestly. And she must be growing stupidly co-dependent, because not a few minutes after parting, she already missed Rosalie and Delta. To her credit, how couldn¡¯t she? Navigating on her lonesome was the smallest amount intimidating, too. There were maps and navigation boards scattered throughout the expansive city, but Rosalie had been the one to handle it, before. Not that it was overlyplicated¡ªthe city was designed with visitors in mind, considering the nature of the Fractures¡ªbut still, Zoey had gotten used to relying on Rosalie for ¡­ well, everything. Zoey hadn¡¯t needed to be independent in about any way. She found her way to the artificing district, only making a few wrong turns. She¡¯d never been someone with a great sense of direction. If nothing else, seeing more of the city was exciting; though after a few days the majority of the novelty had worn off, exploring a fantasy world was far from something she¡¯d ustomed herself to. And Treyhull¡ªThe City in the Trees¡ªhad plenty to admire. Sabina''s store was in much the same state as she remembered. While Sabina had a reputation forpetency¡ªhence Fe''s rmendation of her¡ªthat reputation, Zoey had learned, extended only to the alchemy portion of her career. The shopkeeper portion, she couldn''t be much worse at. The storefront was in poor condition. The windows had visibly not been cleaned in ages, and while not in outright disrepair, the wooden nks were in need of freshening up, too. Nestled between several stores in much better shape, Sabina''s neglect was all the more apparent. Zoey wondered why she spent so little effort in maintaining her store and performing her peripheral duties as an alchemist. Even if she found them tedious or ill fitting of her, a prospering business would allow her to continue her research and advance her runes. That, at least, she should care about. Maybe it wasn''t intentional so much as outright ignorance? That seemed unlikely, but then again, Sabina had an air about her of ¡­ well, Zoey wasn''t sure she was putting this the right way, but from the few interactions she''d had with the tall antlered woman, she didn''t seem to think or behave like most people. Her hyper-fixation for experimentation seemed even more prominent than could be excused for a scientist, as Fe. She''d remembered to flip over the ''OPEN'' sign, at least. The bell fixed to the top of the doorway rang as she stepped in. Zoey scanned the interior of the messy alchemy store, looking for Sabina, but she was nowhere to be found. Approaching the cashier''s desk, Zoey called out, "Sabina?" "One minute," the dyed reaction came. While Zoey waited for Sabina, she perused the shop. Her two visits to Sabina¡¯s store had been short, and she hadn¡¯t looked around much. Seeing how Sabina was to be her tutor, she would be bing acquainted with this space. Zoey didn¡¯t know how in-depth she would be going with her crafting rune, but she wanted to give it a fair shot. Maybe Ephy had given it to her for a reason. Assuming Ephy was, in fact, behind the runes she¡¯d received. The store was a mess, in the same way as the outside. Shelves lined the walls, stuffed with potions, ingredients, and contraptions of various shapes and sizes. Utensils for alchemy, undoubtedly, and other strange miscenea, but Zoey hadn''t a clue what each was for. Therge cauldron she kept in the corner of the store boiled at a steady, controlled rhythm. Like usual, Sabina had an active brew going, though she''d left it unattended. That part, Zoey didn¡¯t worry over. Sabina might have demonstrated ack of care in many things, but her ability to brew¡ªthat much, she had a pristine record. Eventually, Sabina appeared, emerging from the back room. What struck Zoey first, like usual, was her height. Zoey had already been tall for a girl before her transformation, and Ephy¡¯s reworking of her body had added a few inches on top of that, from what she could tell. Sabina, however, towered over her, even still. Towered over everyone, just about. Six three? Maybe taller. And her antlers, which branched out another foot or more, added to her frame. Even so, Zoey wouldn¡¯t call her ¡®imposing¡¯, necessarily. She was too stick-thin and elegant-looking to be intimidating. But ¡­ maybe for a sense of the phrase. She certainly drew attention wherever she went, Zoey felt safe in saying. She was wearing her usualb gear, which was curiously simr to what Zoey might have seen back home: a whiteb coat, goggles, gloves, and practical-looking closed-toe shoes. Ready for working with dangerous substances, which, though Zoey was no experienced alchemist, she assumed there would be plenty of. If nothing else, working with cauldrons of boiling liquid justified the dress. Her goggles were pulled up and ced on her forehead. Cold gray eyes appraised Zoey, and while Zoey wouldn¡¯t call the woman¡¯s figure intimidating, her eyes undoubtedly were. She had the sternness of an orphanage matron, or a school principal¡ªor those were the images that jumped into Zoey¡¯s head, at least. She brooked no ipetence, one could appraise on first sight, and while the woman¡¯s impassive scrutiny of Zoey wasn¡¯t disapproving, it was certainly ¡­ well, scrutinizing. To sum it up, she was as hot as Zoey remembered. Zoey¡¯s heart rate inappropriately picked up, and her response came a second slower than it ought to have. ¡°Uh, hey,¡± Zoey said. ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± ¡°I can see that.¡± Sabina¡¯s gaze flicked to the slow-boiling cauldron in the corner of the room, then returned to her. ¡°What did you bring?¡± No niceties, or polite statements that Sabina was happy to see she hadn¡¯t turned into monster food, but Zoey had expected as much. ¡°Lots,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Got a good haul, this time. Some interesting stuff. I was wondering, too, if you weren¡¯t busy¡ªmaybe we could have our first lesson?¡± Zoey realized now might not be the most convenient time. It was daylight hours, and, ostensibly, the time Sabina would be making her living by selling potions. At a minimum, she was working on a brew, as shown by the cauldron in the corner of the room. Then again, Sabina¡¯s shop really didn¡¯t see much traffic, and her active brew could maybe be made the lesson. ¡°Hm,¡± Sabina said, giving it a second¡¯s thought. ¡°Now is as good as ever, I suppose.¡± And yeah, it looked like it was fine. Convenient. And also concerning¡ªseriously, why was this woman so bad at business? Sabina definitely should stay open; wasn¡¯t she barely making ends meet, as it was? It was a hefty serving of ¡®she simply didn¡¯t care¡¯, Zoey thought, but she also felt confident it was ignorance, too. As if the idea she needed to stay open and look for customers to make money didn¡¯t even pass through her head. It wasn¡¯t really Zoey¡¯s ce, seeing how she barely knew Sabina, but she might try to broach the subject at some point. Maybe give her a few pointers, though that would be awkward¡ªagain, she didn¡¯t exactly have the right, or her own experience managing a business. But obvious suggestions. Like cleaning things up. And ¡­ opening and closing at consistent times. Honestly, a partnership might be useful, here. Zoey had some odd ingredients, and with Sabina¡¯s talent with alchemy, they could coax out their uses. Lewd potions of all sorts ¡­ if Sabina straightened up her store, there might be money to be made, together. Money didn¡¯t seem like a bottleneck, something Zoey needed to put significant effort into earning, but Rosalie didn¡¯t have ess to her family¡¯s funds as it stood, and Zoey wouldn¡¯t want to mooch off her anyway, when the time came that she did. Maybe Zoey could make her own small fortune. Sex potions ought to sell well, wouldn¡¯t they? It depended on just how rare these reagents were, she supposed, and whether there were equivalents to be found. ¡°Your yield,¡± Sabina said, walking to the counter, and dragging Zoey back from her brief contemtion. ¡°Let¡¯s see it.¡± 3.09 Second Yield 3.09 Second Yield ¡°The collection kit you gave me wasn¡¯t much use,¡± Zoey said, setting it on the counter. ¡°The shard, uh, took our inventories. That might be a recurring trend.¡± Zoey hadn¡¯t told Sabina what her ss was, but she was aware that Zoey¡¯s first shard had involved lewdness ¡­ if not the exact specifics. Zoey had also implied, before leaving, that she suspected the second shard would too. Knowing that Sabina was an intelligent woman, and that shards morphed themselves ording to the people entering them, she had to suspect it was Zoey, or her teammates, influencing it to be so. Zoey wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she¡¯d deduced the general shape of Zoey¡¯s ss, even. She seemed perceptive enough to. At the same time, she visibly didn¡¯t care; she hadn¡¯t questioned Zoey at all, or even seemed interested, beyond how the shards Zoey was venturing into provided unique ingredients. So maybe she didn¡¯t. ¡°You found a simr shard, then?¡± Sabina asked. ¡°More or less.¡± ¡°So reagents simr to the first batch.¡± Zoey nodded. ¡°Perfect.¡± Sabina seemed pleased. Sabina¡¯s satisfaction wasn¡¯t from perversion¡ªin wanting to experiment with what effects lewd ingredients could provide. Or ¡­ in a way, it was. But for the rarity, and novelty, more than the sexual aspects. Zoey didn¡¯t know Sabina well, but that she enjoyed experimenting with rare and unique alchemy reagents was a given. She¡¯d outright said so. It was one of the conditions of her teaching Zoey; Zoey had to provide her with a steady stream of interesting reagents for her to see the arrangement as ¡®suitable¡¯. Zoey scooted the kit to the side. She probably ought to bring it along on future expeditions, even if she might never get a chance to use it. No reason to not. Inventories weren¡¯t infinite, but they were pretty big. Plenty of room for the kit. ¡°So,¡± Zoey said. ¡°I¡¯ll get to it, then.¡± She hesitated, briefly, on what to drag out of her inventory and showcase first. She should work her way up. Start with the most normal reagents, then get to the ¡­ more disorienting ones. Like the gigantic toy¡¯s cum, which Delta had extracted, and Zoey had scooped up in emptied-out potion vials. That would be interesting to exin to Sabina, who would undoubtedly want a full recounting of its origin, simply for practical matters. Fortunately, Zoey didn¡¯t get the sense Sabina would be awkward about any of this. She¡¯d been stalwartly impassive when it came to discussions over the lewd potions and ingredients they¡¯d worked with, in a simr way to Fe, but even more so. Zoey didn¡¯t know whether that was because Sabina was unaffected, or if she was a hard woman to read. A bit of both, if Zoey had to guess. So. Start with the normal stuff, work up to the weirder. Zoey pulled out the small ck bag, tied with a tan ribbon at the top, filled with [Pink Fairy Dusty]. She set it on the counter, and Sabina didn¡¯t waste a moment to inspect the item¡ªboth, at a guess, the mundane sort of ¡®inspect¡¯, and the ability afforded to denizens of this world. [Pink Fairy Dust]: A shimmering pink powder. Can be used to prepare potions that intensify, and crystallize, dreams. ¡°This one¡¯s not explicitly, uh, lewd, but considering everything else we got, I think it¡¯s safe to assume the effects won¡¯t be ¡­ entirely normal.¡± Sabina pursed her lips as she peered into the bag. She set it down, picked up long, t metal utensil, then scooped up a tiny portion of the fine powder, inspecting the dust with a steady hand and a keen eye. ¡°Fairy dust,¡± Sabina finally said. ¡°Amon reagent, all things considered. But pink. I¡¯ve never seen pink fairy dust. How intriguing.¡± She poured the powder back into the bag and tied it off, pushing it to the side. ¡°I¡¯ll trust your intuition. Though, what precisely do you mean?¡± Sabina¡¯s clinical nature helped Zoey not feel awkward about her exnations. And, sheesh, she had a lot worse to get through, so she better get used to saying embarrassing things without stuttering over herself. ¡°Sex dreams? Maybe makes them more realistic? Can¡¯t say for sure, but something like that.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll prepare our bases with that assumption in mind, then.¡± ¡°Prepare our bases?¡± Sabina paused. ¡°Hm. Before brewing, a potion base needs to be primed with ingredients appropriate to the desired, or suspected, effect. And the proper liquid, as well. It influences what sorts of results can be coaxed from the catalyzing ingredient.¡± Sabina gestured at the fairy dust. ¡°The ¡®main ingredient¡¯, inyman¡¯s terms¡ªthe ingredients normally found in shard loot, rather than out and about in the Fracture¡¯s natural terrain, or imported from Haven. We¡¯ll discuss all this during our lessons. Not now. Please, continue.¡± Zoey had to refrain from further questions. It made sense, of course, that potion brewing wasn¡¯t just throwing a random assortment of items into a pot of water and hoping for the best, but the casual exnation implied brewing might be moreplex than Zoey had thought. Honestly, she was excited for it. The same as how she was excited to learn how spell-casting worked, in depth. Rosalie¡¯s expeditious pace had meant Zoey hadn¡¯t had time to learn her runes in any meaningful capacity. Zoey pulled the next item out. [Twinrose]: An unidentified alchemy reagent. Two red flowers entwine into each other, preserved but delicate. ¡°Honestly,¡± Zoey said, cing down the two long, healthy flowers. ¡°I¡¯ve no clue what this one does. The description doesn¡¯t give a hint, either.¡± Like with the fairy dust, Sabina appraised the flowers with a critical eye. She treated the items as if they would crumble in her hands, though they were, as the description implied, healthy¡ªpreserved, two roses entwined, and while severed from their nt, perfectly lush. Certainly not at risk of disintegrating while being handled. Sabina¡¯s tendency to treat items like they were delicate was, presumably, a habit. Zoey ought to do the same. Imitating the masters¡ªor at least, the highly proficient¡ªwas, as a general rule, a safe way to improve. And Zoey wanted to acquire barepetence in alchemy as soon as possible. Which was ironic. She¡¯d told Delta a while ago, during that date of theirs, that Zoey had been a bit useless, growing up. She¡¯d been too distractible, not motivated enough, and she hadn¡¯t made much of herself ¡­ or been on a path to do so. But now, transported into a fantasy world, she was interested in applying herself? To be fair, alchemy was a lot more interesting than professions back home. One of the benefits of being, y¡¯know, transmigrated to a fantasy world, was that what everyone else saw as mundane ¡­ wasn¡¯t to her. ¡°Curious,¡± Sabina said. ¡°I suspect it needs to be prepared before the reagent will provide a hint in its description.¡± ¡°Prepared?¡± ¡°Diced, ground, burnt¡ªso on.¡± She frowned. ¡°Though, we have limited supply. Only two flowers. We¡¯ll need to be moderated how we go about testing.¡± Sabina waved her hand impatiently, as if that wouldeter, and she didn¡¯t want to discuss it, now. ¡°Next, please.¡± Zoey didn¡¯t take offense at the brusqueness of the request. ¡°This is where we get to the weirder stuff,¡± she said. ¡°Our inventories were emptied, but I still kept an eye out for things that might make useful reagents.¡± Zoey coughed. ¡°And, uh, this is what I collected.¡± She pulled out four vials of white liquid. [Imbuing Ejacte]: A thick white substance extracted from an oversized pleasure appendage. Like the first time she¡¯d read the description, ¡®oversized pleasure appendage¡¯ was equally amusing as it was absurd. It was ¡­ certainly a creative way to describe that gigantic toy Delta had rode. Sabina eyebrows went up, which was, all things considered, a more moderated reaction than Zoey could have hoped for. It wasn¡¯t something easy to take in. ¡°Exin?¡± Sabina asked. ¡°Oh, boy,¡± Zoeyughed. She definitely felt awkward about doing so, but she might as well be a professional. ¡°There was, uh, a giant ¡­ dildo. Made of white gel. One of my teammates ¡­ pleasured it, and it produced that.¡± Sabina spared a nce for her, seeming amused for the first time since Zoey had met her, then turned her attention back to the ss vial, which she¡¯d picked up to inspect. ¡°I see. Did you collect the gel, as well?¡± ¡°I did, actually.¡± Another spared nce, this one appreciative. Zoey felt inordinately proud at that. She¡¯d done something right, it looked like, since if that was where Sabina¡¯s mind had gone, there must be high odds the gel would actually be useful¡ªor have the potential for being so. ¡°Do you have, uh, paper or something? To set it on? I collected it ¡­ raw. With a knife.¡± Sabina reached down beneath the counter andid out a slice of brown paper. Zoey withdrew a hefty chunk of the material and set it down; it dampened the paper where it touched. It was the slightest bit sticky. Or lubricated. Probably, some of it was ¡­ Delta. And the toy¡¯s cum. Zoey ought to warn Sabina about that. She cleared her throat. ¡°It¡¯s, uh, not clean. Fresh from the vine.¡± Her cheeks colored, unable to help herself. ¡°Mmm.¡± Sabina wasn¡¯t put off, though a pause, and a sideways nce, showed that she¡¯d picked up what Zoey had implied. Zoey was grateful for her enduring nonchnce. ¡°That¡¯s what gloves are for, are they not?¡± She picked up the material and turned it around. Zoey wondered what she was looking for, whether her appraisal had some practical purpose to it. Zoey supposed she could ask. ¡°What are you looking for?¡± ¡°Anything unusual,¡± Sabina answered. ¡°Quality and consistency of the material. Irregrities.¡± She shrugged, setting the material back onto the paper. ¡°Nothing in specific, if that¡¯s what you mean.¡± Zoey nodded. ¡°So you think it might ¡­ yield an effect?¡± Was that the way she should phrase it? Sabina didn¡¯t correct her. ¡°Perhaps. Certainly a possibility. Is there anything else?¡± ¡°Just those four.¡± Sabina nodded, not disappointed. ¡°Four ingredients I¡¯ve never seen before¡ªor heard of. ¡®Just¡¯ isn¡¯t the proper word to use. An exceptional yield.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± That was good. ¡°Should I put it back?¡± She gestured at the gel. The material was kept supernaturally fresh inside her inventory, but it might dry up, left out. ¡°May I?¡± Sabina asked, instead. Zoey paused. ¡°Sure.¡± She didn¡¯t have a problem with that. It was effectively her payment for having Sabina teach her. And their agreement from earlier still held; Sabina only wanted the ingredients to experiment with, but whatever she created would go to Zoey. Which, honestly, Zoey was excited for. The infertility potion had been useful, but not exciting. What would these ingredients do? What kind of lewd shenanigans was she in for? Potent sex dreams, from the sound of the pink fairy dust. Then again, was she not being creative enough? The effect might be even more interesting. And there could be a few different results of what they end up with. Speaking of the infertility potion, though, there¡¯d been another ingredient Zoey had dropped off with Sabina. ¡°Hey, uh,¡± Zoey said. ¡°The coruscant meroot. Did you get that figured out, while I was gone?¡± Sabina hadn¡¯t managed to finish the potion with that ingredient, only the blossom blight, which had produced the infertility potion. ¡°Indeed,¡± Sabina said. ¡°Here.¡± She deposited the rest of the items Zoey had presented into her inventory, then turned and headed for the backroom. She beckoned for Zoey to follow her. ¡°Come see.¡± 3.10 Back Room 3.10 Back Room The backroom was, unsurprisingly, Sabina¡¯sboratory and storeroom. Most eye-catching was the quantity of ingredients. Shelves packed almost the entirety of the wallspace, see-through andbeled, of varying sizes. Most were no taller and wider than her fist, but plenty varied, some up to a full dresser drawer. Inside, powders or pouches or other misceneous ingredients were tucked. There were too many to pay attention to, following Sabina into herboratory, but Zoey¡¯s eyes snagged on a few of thebels, and the objects within. Aetherium Geodes, onebel read. Nestled behind the see-through stic-like material that acted as a window to each ingredient, cracked-open rocks with jutting white-blue crystals sparkled. One drawer down and to the left, ¡®Solis Regulus¡¯, a bright gold powder filling the container to the half-way point. Even more intriguingly, a few drawers away from that, objectsbeled ¡®Moonlight Drops¡¯, which were knuckle-sized ss orbs with crescent-moons glowing in their depths. Zoey was briefly perplexed, because how did the shape show so clearly on each orb? Regardless of their orientation? Some of them ought to be slivers, or not showing because of the angle, but instead, the crescent-moon stood out on each, the same size and shape. Like an optical illusion. ¡°Mm,¡± Sabina said. ¡°Here they are.¡± Zoey shook off her intrigue and tore her eyes away. There were a hundred more reagents she¡¯d be fascinated to look over, and a dozen more things in Sabina¡¯sb besides that, but she¡¯de here with a purpose: the potions Sabina had made while she¡¯d been gone. Presumably, Zoey would learn what some¡ªprobably not all¡ªof these reagents did during her tutge. Sabina was standing in front of a wide vial shelf. The wooden structure was as tall as Sabina, with slots for hundreds¡ªmaybe even a thousand or more¡ªss vials. To the left and right of the vial shelf, there were shelves forrger potions: sks, beakers, and a variety of oddly-shaped ss containers. Some were full of different colored liquids, and some were empty. Zoey took the four vials Sabina had held her way. [Potion of Vulnerability]: Apply to increase sensitivity of target area. [Potion of Inmmation]: Consume to inme sexual desires. ¡°Two mutations,¡± Sabina said. ¡°Two of each. As you can see. It seems coruscant meroot is a versatile reagent, and better yet, it takes very little powder to catalyze ¡­ I¡¯m quite pleased. Perhaps I can tease out more effects over the following days. Certainly, I can improve the efficacy of each.¡± ¡°Wow,¡± Zoey said. She hardly had a baseline to go by, but she was impressed. She didn¡¯t think most alchemists would have gotten so much done, so fast. ¡°Uh, awesome.¡± Zoey would make good uses of these potions. ¡°Can you make more?¡± ¡°The process has been documented. So yes. Easily.¡± ¡°Perfect.¡± Because Zoey wanted to use these for ¡­ less than practical purposes. Obviously, if Zoey had had a limited supply, she would have had to save them for shards. Against Not-Zoey, or Mel, for example, potions that increased sensitivity or lust would have been useful. But since Sabina could apparently make as many as she needed¡ªor at least not a stifling restrictive quantity¡ªthen Zoey could use them just to have fun, and not feel overly guilty for being wasteful. Aphrodisiacs. And sensitivity. Zoey wondered how potent each would be ¡­ and what kinds of noises she could extract from Rosalie with them. Or Delta. She would, at a guess, be just as enthusiastic to experiment as Zoey. Or Fe. After the events of earlier, Zoey assumed she¡¯d be up for more. So many possibilities. Really, how did she get so lucky? ¡°But, how does it work?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°The sensitivity potion? It says apply. How much?¡± Sabina tilted her head. At a guess, Zoey had asked a question that wasmon knowledge. Sabina knew Zoey had ¡®memory problems¡¯, so she didn¡¯tment. ¡°As with all potions, the effect will amplify, up to a maximum. In the same way a minor health potion¡¯s dose is a single vial, and a second vial wouldn¡¯t help further¡ªyou would need a more potent potion¡ªa salve will absorb to a certain quantity ¡­ then provide no additional effect.¡± ¡°How much would it take? The whole vial?¡± Zoey had asked in the first ce because that seemed absurd. If she was only applying it to, say, her nipples, then a full vial would obviously be too much to put in such a small area. ¡°It scales with surface area?¡± A quirked eyebrow. ¡°Indeed. I couldn¡¯t give specifics. Salves tend to go quite far. I suspect you won¡¯t run out nearly as fast as the potions of inmmation.¡± Zoey paused, briefly recognizing that Sabina was entirely aware that Zoey would be ¡®making use¡¯ of these potions, and undoubtedly knew what that entailed. She coughed, then brushed past the topic. ¡°And do you have more of the infertility potions?¡± Sabina nodded. ¡°As the previous, it requires little of the blossom blight to catalyze, and I¡¯ve been refining the process. With what you¡¯ve provided,¡± Sabina paused, eyes flicking to the left, as if referencing her memory, ¡°I could make perhaps four dozen more.¡± Four dozen? That was a lot¡ªcertainly enough to sort Zoey out in the short term. But not an infinite supply. Would Zoey find more of the ingredient, eventually? She hoped so. The potions were critical, assuming she didn¡¯t want to be knocking girls up left and right. And, while the idea did excite her, in reality, it would be highly inconvenient to deal with. Delta, or Rosalie, wouldn¡¯t be pleased if that happened ¡­ to say the least. There were other ways to handle such an event¡ªCallie, that dressing room attendant, had mentioned a ¡®n-B¡¯ potion of sorts¡ªbut Zoey would rather have the assurance of her own solution. ¡°Assuming you only want the infertility,¡± Sabina amended. ¡°Less, if you want the opposite.¡± Right. Because the ingredient could be catalyzed either way: both ack of fertility, and a boost in it. ¡°Uh, just the first,¡± Zoey said. ¡°I assumed so. I have more, if you want to store them. Some weaker, some stronger. I made several batches.¡± As she went about refining it, Sabina meant. It made sense some would be better and worse, depending on how well the experiments went. ¡°Yes, please.¡± Might as well carry them around. Eventually Zoey would run out of inventory space, but that day wasn¡¯t today. Sabina rummaged around in the storage shelf, withdrawing vial after vial, which Zoey tucked away into that convenient pocket dimension. ¡°I really don¡¯t have to pay?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°You paid through the opportunity to work with rare ingredients,¡± Sabina said dismissively. Zoey knew that, but she still felt like she was making off too well. She felt like she should pay Sabina ¡­ especially considering Zoey would be receiving lessons from her. The deal felt too one-sided. Even if Sabina didn¡¯t think so, Zoey felt a bit guilty. Was she taking advantage of Sabina¡¯sck of interest¡ªorck of business acumen? Then again, Zoey was hoping for a long-term arrangement with Sabina ¡­ one where they both made a hefty profit from the lewd ingredients Zoey was collecting. Zoey wouldn¡¯t broach that topic for a bit, but if Sabina agreed, then with luck, they¡¯d both make a pretty penny. That would be how Zoey paid her back. ¡°That¡¯s it, for now,¡± Sabina said. ¡°I will, of course, continue to brew. But my focus will be with the new reagents. That was enough?¡± Sabina had handed off more than enough to keep Zoey supplied for the short term. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Then, lessons?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re free.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll work as we talk. At your skill level, a lecture is what will serve you best. You know too little to perform even basic experiments.¡± That was fair. Again, Zoey didn¡¯t take offense at the directness. In a way, Sabina was like Delta ¡­ though in apletely different way of ¡®overly honest¡¯. Sabina was clinical and, rudely though urately, insensitive. Delta, on the other hand, was simply blunt and opinionated. At least from the appraisals Zoey had made. It was a bit crazy to think about how she¡¯d only known Delta for two days. It felt like much longer. Zoey followed Sabina out of herboratory. It seemed she wouldn¡¯t be closing shop for the lesson, as Zoey had first assumed. Zoey supposed that since she was going to only be lectured at, that was fair. She had a lot to learn before she could dive into the nitty-gritty. Before she could dive into the ¡®practical¡¯ experiments, even. Zoey¡¯d never liked sitting and listening to lectures, but in this instance, she thought she¡¯d handle it fine. She was excited to learn. ¡°The basics, first,¡± Sabina said. ¡°The general process. Realize I¡¯m skipping over nuance, here. Generalizing.¡± ¡°An overview,¡± Zoey said with a nod. She pulled out a notebook and pen¡ªone of the many items she¡¯d bought during her and Rosalie¡¯s first ¡®preparation¡¯ shopping trip¡ªand cracked it open to the first page. Zoey had a fine enough memory, she guessed, but she didn¡¯t want to be pestering Sabina all the time, if she forgot something she¡¯d told her; notes would help with that. Plus, it would endear Sabina to her, hopefully. Make her seem like an attentive student. Sabina had already stated directly that she was no teacher, so Zoey would need to put in effort to get as much as she could from her. It would be a two-person effort, to get Zoey caught up. ¡°First,¡± Sabina said, ¡°of course, is the pre-preparation step. Gathering ingredients. Perhaps an obvious statement, but in our profession, nothing should be taken for granted. Thoroughness is key. Meticulousness, attention to detail. In your education, we will start from the beginning, and end at the end.¡± As she talked, she adjusted dials on the front of the cauldron, eying the surface of the liquid as it boiled in a steady rhythm. Fat red bubbles poppedzily, here and there, and specks of ck floated around. The cauldron wasn¡¯t just a big iron pot; it was visibly an advanced piece of technology, for what passed as ¡®technology¡¯ in this world. If Zoey had to guess, eventually they would go over what the cauldron was capable of. Temperature adjustment, to name the obvious. Clearly, it was the cornerstone utility for potion brewing. For bulk batches, at least. There had been smaller apparatuses inside Sabina¡¯sboratory, some with what appeared to be active brews inside. ¡°But,¡± Sabina conceded, ¡°the part where our profession defines itself begins on step two. Base preparation.¡± She nodded at Zoey¡¯s notebook. ¡°You¡¯ll want to detail each. There¡¯s a lot to go over, even summarizing.¡± 3.11 Alchemy 101 3.11 Alchemy 101 ¡°Base preparation,¡± Sabina said. ¡°Let¡¯s start with liquid type. You truly remember nothing?¡± Zoey paused. Her ¡®amnesia¡¯, Sabina meant. The easy answer would be ¡®yes¡¯, but Zoey felt a more honest disclosure was in order. ¡°I remember some things. But there¡¯s huge ck spots. You can assume I¡¯m a nk te.¡± Sabina pursed her lips. ¡°That may be difficult. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll assume some sort of prerequisite knowledge ¡­ but I¡¯ll try not to. Inform me if I take something for granted.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Sabina turned back to her cauldron. She¡¯d withdrawn a giant metal spoon¡ªthe utensil looked a bit amusing, to be honest¡ªand was stirring the thick red sludge with it. Zoey wanted to ask what potion she was working on, but she needed to stay focused. She¡¯d always had a problem with being distractible. ¡°Liquid types, then,¡± Sabina said. ¡°The standard is, of course, mana-imbued distilled water. Moderately reactive, pure and consistent, but most of all, cheap and simple to obtain in bulk.¡± Zoey scribbled down notes, listening attentively. ¡°And ptable,¡± Sabina added, ¡°though that¡¯s far from highest consideration. But blood potions do tend to put some customers off, as well as other bases. It¡¯s not an irrelevant consideration, in our field.¡± ¡°Blood?¡± ¡°Highly reactive,¡± Sabina exined, misinterpreting Zoey¡¯s question. ¡°Typically useful for experimentation ¡­ except for financial restraints. Ethically sourced sapient blood is difficult to acquire. Livestock ¡­ easier, but far less effective. Might as well use various liquors, at that point.¡± Zoey was starting to understand. ¡°Every liquid has different properties, and is useful in different situations?¡± ¡°Mm. Not exactly. Some are strictly superior to others. in distilled water is strictly worse than mana-imbued. Some materials aren¡¯t strictly superior ¡­ but in nearly no situations would you use the inferior type. For example, honey and fruit juice.¡± ¡°Fruit juice?¡± Zoey¡¯s eyebrows went up. That didn¡¯t sound like a particrly ¡­ potion-y liquid. ¡°I guess it¡¯d taste good, at least.¡± ¡°Sweet-tasting potions are particrly popr with low-rank adventurers,¡± Sabina said, nodding. ¡°They haven¡¯t found the stomach for upper-level potions yet.¡± Sabina paused, then tacked on as an exnation, ¡°The most effective bases aren¡¯t the ones that sit well, as a general rule.¡± ¡°Yours didn¡¯t taste too bad.¡± Er, was ¡®not too bad¡¯ an insult? They certainly hadn¡¯t been tasty, though. ¡°What were they, anyway? The infertility potions.¡± Sabina¡¯s lips curled. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t like the first iterations. Blood and liquors are reactive ¡­ and don¡¯t cook well. They¡¯re used for finding an effective recipe, then when discovered, stabilization using more ¡­ normal ¡­ bases are sought out. The general invention process. I gave you the first ptable batch. Water, with some post-brew taste additives.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± That made sense. Zoey was kind of curious what the ¡®first batch¡¯ tasted like. By the way Sabina was making it sound ¡­ seriously hard to stomach. Though, cooked blood ¡­ yeah. Reasonable. ¡°You¡¯re side-tracking us,¡± Sabina said. ¡°Let me start over. The mostmon bases. Mana-imbued distilled water for bulk,mon potions¡ªhealth, mana, stamina, so on. The bread and butter of alchemy; perhaps fifty percent of any given alchemist¡¯s sales. Beyond that, other bases are used for experimentation and specialized potions. Blood and liquors for their reactivity, and easy mutation ¡­ but worse final quality, detriments to efficacy and duration. High level, unique effects often require blood or liquor, though not always¡ªand depending on the advancement and skill of the brewer. Honey is the standard for potency, but with significant downsides in longevity. Useful for short-term, powerful effects. The opposite end of the spectrum, various milks. Long duration, moderate decrease in potency.¡± The inappropriate question that shed into Zoey¡¯s head was entirely her fault ¡­ she coughed, and pointedly didn¡¯t voice it. Sabina nced her way. ¡°What? Ask.¡± Zoey wished she hadn¡¯t caught the reaction. ¡°Um. Nothing. Just had ¡­ a thought.¡± ¡°Ask.¡± Zoey really shouldn¡¯t. But she found herself inordinately curious. ¡°It¡¯s inappropriate.¡± ¡°Ask.¡± There was a hint of exasperation, now. Okay. Zoey guessed plenty of other things had been inappropriate, considering their arrangement. ¡°What about semen?¡± Sabina¡¯s stirring stilled. Zoey coughed. ¡°As a base. What¡¯s it do? Just, you know, out of curiosity.¡± Sabina turned slowly, and gave Zoey an amused look. It had Zoey flushing, because Sabina wasn¡¯t an easy woman to amuse. ¡°Well,¡± Sabina said. ¡°I appreciate the curiosity. So as I said, ask. I¡¯m hardly offended. And fringe cases are the most interesting ¡­ I understand the intrigue.¡± She turned back to her cauldron. ¡°Semen. It¡¯s been done before. I read a paper during my years at the Institute. I¡¯m not sure I could remember the results. The obvious difficulty is, of course, difficulty of procurement. The paper emphasized that. Average ejacte for most sapient races is quite small. Collecting enough even for a single brew is ¡­ impractical.¡± Zoey paused. She¡¯d been candid enough to ask the question of Sabina, but her follow up thought ¡­ that Zoey¡¯s ¡®average output¡¯ would make that particr hurdle much easier ¡­ she didn¡¯t voice. Sabina was easygoing when it came to inappropriate topics, but Zoey exining how she produced about a hundred times what was normal was ¡­ probably too much information. ¡°But you don¡¯t remember?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. Which means it was nothing inspiring. Likely an inferior result of some other standard base, as is the case for most odd liquids. Spit, and,¡± Sabina paused, ¡°other bodily functions, to avoid being obscene, don¡¯t make good bases, either. Only milk and blood.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°You side tracked us again. We have a lot to go over.¡± Sabina didn¡¯t sound annoyed, just like she was corralling Zoey back. Zoey flushed anyway ¡­ she¡¯d told herself she¡¯d be a good student. ¡°Sorry. Keep going.¡± She hesitated. ¡°Though, I have a practical question. What about mixing? Say, diluting blood with water? Or whatever else.¡± Sabina was already shaking her head. ¡°Purity. Purity is king. Mixtures rarely benefit any aspect of alchemy. Certain ingredients blend well ¡­ but those are exceptions.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Zoey went quiet, letting Sabina continue her lecture. She jotted down the revtions into her notebook. ¡°We¡¯re sticking to bases for too long. It¡¯s only the first stage. Truthfully, this is information found in any reference book. I would suggest you pick one up. Even experienced alchemists can¡¯t remember every reagent, every base, and their interactions.¡± ¡°Which do you use?¡± Sabina paused. ¡°Hm. At the Institute, the assigned reference was ¡®The Alchemical Laboratory: Tools, Techniques, and Experimentation¡¯. Third edition. Authored by ¡­¡± Sabina thought for a second. ¡°Magistra Eliza Gold, if I recall. It¡¯s been some years. Perhaps you could find a copy floating around. But any reference would do.¡± So, most experienced alchemists needed to use a reference ¡­ but Sabina¡¯s answer had made it clear she didn¡¯t. She must have an offensively good memory, if her easy recollection of a textbook from years ago hadn¡¯t shown that. Definitely not something Zoey was blessed to have. Though, she didn¡¯t think she¡¯d ever be as good as Sabina. Obviously not. This woman had been training for the subject for a long time. She¡¯d attended some ¡®institute¡¯ ¡­ likely a university equivalent. ¡°I tend to use my own notes,¡± Sabina added. ¡°I¡¯ve found ¡­ certain inconsistencies in generally well-regarded texts. Reinventing the wheel is a poor idea ¡­ but I would rather discover first-hand the axioms we operate by.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll find something today, then. After I leave.¡± Sabina nodded. ¡°Detailing every potion base to you would be a waste of time. Learn them on your own. Know that in day-to-day, water, honey, milk, blood, and liquor are the staples. Hm. But liquid type isn¡¯t the only aspect of preparing a base, only the most influential. I won¡¯t go into detail, but certain imbuing methods can prime liquids to be more effective in certain regards ¡­ duration, potency, and reactivity, the three recurring cornerstones. Additionally, they ready the base for epting certain sorts of effects. An even more varied topic ¡­ best left for self-research.¡± Zoey nodded along. ¡°Moving on. Brewing. Where alchemy is otherwise a profession of knowledge, brewing is the ¡­ skill-reliant stage. There¡¯s a surprising amount of intricacy that tutge can¡¯t provide.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Sabina hummed. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t seem so, watching an alchemist go about production. But it¡¯s true. Alchemy is not simply memorizing recipes and performing predetermined actions. Come look.¡± Zoey took a step closer, peering in at the bubbling cauldron Sabina had indicated. ¡°What?¡± ¡°This portion is overheating,¡± Sabina said, stirring the liquid. ¡°At two o¡¯clock. The bubbles give it away. I couldn¡¯t begin to tell you how to determine such a thing; it¡¯s simply obvious to me. An intuition which is afforded to us by our rune ¡­ or so is the consensus in the artificingmunity. But regardless¡ªbrews are temperamental. They don¡¯t want to stabilize. They struggle for entropy, to revert to a disordered state, in clever and interesting ways. There¡¯s a certain instinct needed to identify problems as they emerge. It¡¯s the least teachable part of alchemy, and what separates the wheat from the chaff. The good from the mediocre.¡± ¡°And ites with practice?¡± Sabina nodded. ¡°Or, excellency is discovered with practice, at least. Whether it exists in everyone, innately, is a matter of philosophy.¡± Zoey had always wondered that. Whether everyone could be exceptional at something, assuming they worked hard enough. At a very minimum, not everyone could be world-ss. There seemed to be some enigmatic quality in certain people that allowed it. But Zoey wasn¡¯t trying to be a world-ss alchemist ¡­ just pretty good. She did think anyone could reach that point¡ªthough admittedly some faster than others. ¡°But as to the point,¡± Sabina said. ¡°Brewing. As with bases, the three main qualities¡ªpotency, duration, reactivity¡ªare affected during the active brewing process. Primarily, by two things: temperature, and duration of the cook itself. Long simmers result in long durations, and weaker potency. High temperature raises reactivity, producing more colorful effects. On the other hand, low temperatures¡ªsome brews are chilled, rather than heated¡ªproduce stable, consistent results. Which is useful, asionally. All things are useful, asionally. Standard brewing is done with heat.¡± ¡°And a quick brew means higher potency?¡± Zoey asked, just to be sure. ¡°With less duration?¡± ¡°Indeed. Hm. Beyond that, there are requirements of the process that only prevent a brew from degrading, rather than being adjustable to your goal, as temperature or cook length. For example, consistency. Maintaining even distribution of ingredients, and of the temperature across the liquid, is a necessity. Failure to do so will result only in inferior product, or failure to catalyze at all.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± Zoey said. ¡°And that book you rmended goes more in depth?¡± Sabina nodded. ¡°I¡¯m giving you an overview, but you¡¯ll want to dive deeper on your own. Where I¡¯lle in most use for you is hands-on oversight, or questions you might have that self-study couldn¡¯t provide answers to.¡± ¡°Makes sense.¡± It seemed Zoey had some work cut out for her, poring over a textbook. That wasn¡¯t Zoey¡¯s style, but again ¡­ when it came to magical potion-making, which would eventually result in lewd potions to y with ¡­ she thought she¡¯d be able to make herself sit still. ¡°After brewing is the final step,¡± Sabina said. ¡°Bottling. Outsiders might assume this step is irrelevant. It is not. The physical properties of what you pour apleted brew into affects the final result.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Zoey said. ¡°You¡¯re right. I wouldn¡¯t have expected that. What kind of properties? Material?¡± ¡°In much the same way imbued water is the standard, so is ss,¡± Sabina said. ¡°But I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed some deviation.¡± Zoey had. Sabina¡¯s shelves were predominantly filled with thin ss vials, but there were plenty of exceptions. ¡°And shape,¡± Sabina added. ¡°Not just material. Again, I¡¯ll give a bird¡¯s-eye view. As with everything else, financese into y. ss is cheap, and vials are easily manafactured¡ªor collected and repurposed from expended shard loot. As for the properties ¡­ ss is inert. It doesn¡¯t affect potions in any particr way. Something like wood, however, is preserving. Even under extreme temperatures, or long storage times, the potion won¡¯t spoil.¡± ¡°Potions spoil?¡± Sabina quirked an eyebrow. ¡°I just said they did.¡± Zoey nodded. ¡°Yeah. Just surprised, I meant.¡± Sabina¡¯s blunt reply had showed, again, she wasn¡¯t the best at interpreting Zoey¡¯s non-direct responses. She really was a bit odd. It was kind of cute. Maybe it¡¯d be abrasive if Sabina had sounded annoyed, but she said everything so matter-of-fact, not irritated. ¡°And metal?¡± That had been the third potion-holder she¡¯d seen in Sabina¡¯s shop. ¡°Iron,¡± Sabina corrected. ¡°Iron is an interesting one. It¡¯s good for a ¡­ sort of fermentation. Letting a potion sit inside an iron container can result in curious final products.¡± Her lips quirked. ¡°And, more mundanely, it¡¯s a material not prone to shattering. Which has certain use-cases during a hectic mission, so I¡¯ve been told.¡± Zoey usually took potions preemptively, so she¡¯d never needed to take one out in the middle of a fight ¡­ but yeah, she saw Sabina¡¯s point. ¡°And all the funky shapes,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Shaping is an odd thing,¡± Sabina said. ¡°And unreliable. But yes. Each has noticeable effects. Vials, as I said, aremon because of their inertness; many alchemists prefer not to deal with temperamental bottling. Even I keep it to a minimum. The results are usual more detrimental than helpful. I prefer to refine a process than experiment with bottling.¡± ¡°That makes sense.¡± ¡°Round containers¡ªtruly round, not oblong like a vial¡ªtend toward improved duration. Blocky, toward potency. And finally, odd shapes, reactivity ¡­ what the final result might be, after settling inside the container.¡± ¡°Odd shapes?¡± ¡°Odd shapes. Non conventional. Do I need to specify?¡± ¡°No, I get it.¡± Anything that didn¡¯t fall into conventionally ¡®round¡¯, ¡®blocky¡¯, or a ¡®vial¡¯, she guessed. Wacky designs, like Zoey could imagine being in a mad scientist¡¯sboratory. ¡°This is pretty cool. There¡¯s some things I had no idea about.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve barely scratched the surface.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got a question, though,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Not rted to what we¡¯ve talked about, if that¡¯s fine?¡± Sabina waved her hand, indicating to go ahead. ¡°You mentioned a while ago there were ¡®adventuring alchemists¡¯. That some people¡¯s alchemy rune advanced in different ways.¡± Sabina bobbed her head. ¡°Since you seem intent on wayfaring, I presume that¡¯s the shape yours will take.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that entail?¡± ¡°What does any advancement entail? I couldn¡¯t begin to answer.¡± Sabina hesitated. ¡°But generally? Skills that aid in field-brewing. Likely, you¡¯ll never create potions as powerful as mine, or ¡­ inferior in every way, truthfully, but you¡¯ll be able to do so in difficult environments, with minimal equipment and resources. It¡¯s quite useful, I¡¯ve heard, tailoring a potion¡ªeven if it may be weaker than average¡ªto whatever situation you find yourself in.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Zoey could see how it would be. That her potions wouldn¡¯t be quite as strong did suck a little bit, but of course there were trade offs. The b worker¡¯ alchemists could produce better product, but Zoey would¡ªeventually¡ªbe able to throw something together in the middle of a shard. ¡°Now,¡± Sabina said. ¡°This batch is done, so let me handle it before we continue. You can watch me pour.¡± 3.12 Oasis 3.12 Oasis Tracking down Maddy took some effort, but not too much. Delta found her in the training hall, the third ce she checked, the first two being her room, then the guild¡¯smon area. Fortunately, Maddy wasn¡¯t out running errands, or, what would have been even more unfortunate, on a wayfaring expedition. Wayfarers were transient by nature, so there had been a good chance Maddy would¡¯ve been gone. Delta didn¡¯t know any other mages that had a chance of fitting into their team¡¯s dynamic, so Delta considered it a blessing the illusionist hadn¡¯t set off. Besides amodations, and serving as a ce to throw together wayfaring parties, the training hall was the most useful¡ªand widely used¡ªfacility in the sprawling guild structure. Testing one¡¯s skills out in the wild was ¡­ a poor idea, to put it lightly, unless someone was seeking a fast path to a shallow grave. Delta had spent long hours here, honing her abilities. She knew her way around, even through the sections she used less frequently. The mages had their own section of the training hall. ¡®The Oasis¡¯, people called it, and for understandable reasons¡ªit was a ce to rest, and a more crucial one for mages than anyone else. A physical fighter, like Delta, might be able to train herself into the ground, needing a stamina potion or two if she was pushing herself, but a mage? A mage could deplete their mana in a matter of minutes. So, a solution: the Oasis. Or, rather, the obelisk at the center of the Oasis, the tall ck pir that pulsed out waves of energy, even to Delta¡¯s poorly-tuned magical senses. The waves provided a mana regeneration effect, she knew, not that it affected her, considering herck of mana. Most sses didn¡¯t have mana. Mage-type or mage-aligned sses weren¡¯t so rare they were a surprise to find, but still notmon. One in ten? Maybe less. Delta didn¡¯t want to guess how expensive the artifact was. Sixteen feet tall¡ªreaching up almost to the top of the vaulted, circr Oasis¡ªand every square inch covered with intricate sigils, designed and hand-carved through a coborative effort of mages and artificers, the object had to be the guild¡¯s single most valuable investment. Not all guilds had them. Only the biggest, or wealthiest, as found in a pseudo-capital city like Treyhull ¡­ not that the Fractures were organized enough to have ¡®capitals¡¯. Sure, there were clear territory lines, carving the known pocket-dimensions into Deepshunter or Strider territory, and less frequently Sovereign or other polities, but ¡®countries¡¯, or ¡®provinces¡¯? Not exactly. But not cheap. That was the point. The tall ck pir cost more than Delta would make her entire life, even assuming a sessful career. Enough to fix all Delta¡¯s problems up in Haven, if she could pawn it, however silly a thought like that was. Like usual, she didn¡¯t let her thoughts linger on that topic ¡­ on Dad¡¯s condition. Delta was doing what she could to scrape together funds, and stewing just put her in a bad mood. Rushing would get her killed, and then Dad would have no solution. The Oasis¡¯s obelisk had a centralized effect, not radiating much further than the circr room¡¯s walls. Because of that, the training rooms¡ªpublic or private¡ªbranched off the Oasis, making the mage¡¯s section of the training facility easy to search. Not that Delta searched it. The receptionist for the Oasis pointed Delta Maddy¡¯s way. The mage section of the guild¡¯s training facility required payment and sign-ins, costing a lot more to run than the fighter¡¯s section by orders of magnitude. Being a mage in general was more inconvenient than being a fighter. More expensive, harder to find equipment, harder to find sparring partners and teachers. Things that were a difficulty for any wayfarer, but much more so for mages. Delta didn¡¯t interrupt Maddy, not right away. Most of the training rooms had ss windows, so before Delta walked in or grabbed her attention, she crossed her arms and observed the girl she¡¯d shortly be offering to join their team ¡­ or barring that, at least paying to catch Zoey up to speed. Mages were always fun to watch. Well, besides total amateurs ¡­ like Zoey, who had barely figured spellcasting out. Sure, Zoey¡¯s ss by itself made her a valuable teammate¡ªmost noticeably her rune-advancing skill¡ªbut her actualbat abilities, both physical and magical, werecking. She could throw an ice-spike, but that was it. Not much ir to enjoy. Maddy, though. Maddy was a mage through-and-through. She and Delta weren¡¯t close friends, but they¡¯d shared more than a few conversations, so they knew each other to some degree. Maddy came from a long, sprawling line of mages. Magework was in her blood. sses weren¡¯t hereditary¡ªor not strictly. It was possible for a mage toe from a long line of fighters, or the reverse. But lineage undoubtedly influenced a person¡¯s ss. Or maybe their upbringing, and not so much their bloodline. Being groomed by a family of mages simply made it more likely to get a simr ss yourself. But Maddy¡¯s pedigree showed. She was fascinating to spectate. She might not be as shy as, say, an elementalist, or another purelybat-oriented mage, but her skills were on in disy. She wielded a long staff of white wood, bulbous and knotted at the top. Arge, circr glyph floated in front of its outstretched length, thick white lines imprinted onto the air, humming with energy. Three rings. Delta was hardly an expert with magic, but she knew the number of rings indicated the potency of a spell. Shorthand was, ¡®a third-circle spell¡¯, where ¡®circle¡¯ was a close equivalent for spell strength. It lined up fairly close to advancements. A third-advancement mage could usually only cast up to a third-circle spell. From the glyph, a stream of white darts flew in a steady hailstorm, mming into the far wall, being eaten by the magic-absorbing apparatus iid there ¡­ another reason the mage hall was so much more expensive to maintain. It took a lot of specialized equipment to keep the structure from crumbling, or magic going stray. The darts weren¡¯t physically damaging, as Zoey¡¯s ice shards were. Rather, something ten times more annoying ¡­ they were mentally damaging. They inflicted confusion, growing more intense by each sessive impact. Maddy had some control over the types of delusions that would spring up, but only if she wanted to. Most of the time, Maddy had told her, letting the spell ¡®figure itself out¡¯ was the best course of action. Why waste the mental overhead? By Maddy¡¯s furrowed brow, and focused expression, getting a steady stream of the confusion-bolts required enough of her attention. And this was a controlled environment, somewhere Maddy didn¡¯t need to worry over an opponent¡¯s attacks, and defending herself ¡­ much less a real fight, where the threat of death or injury loomed. Delta had sparred with Maddy a few times. She was hands down one of the most aggravatingbatants Delta had fought. Fighting Maddy¡ªor anypetent illusionist, she assumed¡ªwasn¡¯t a matter of keen reflexes and effective strategy, or even dodging and deflecting their spells. It was ¡­ Delta didn¡¯t even know. Not letting her brain get scooped out by Maddy¡¯s mind-warping powerset. Fighting against Maddy was, to bepletely honest, a bit unnerving. Her whole ss revolved around warping perceptions and destabilizing the minds of her opponent ¡­ however sweet and bubbly she was personality-wise, her skills were kind of fucked up. Delta would rather fight anyone else. A person¡¯s mind was supposed to be a sanctum. Invible. Having it turned to mush¡ªeven temporarily¡ªwas unsettling. As for Maddy. She was dressed in long, flowing gray robes, which clung surprisingly tight to her curves¡ªsome equipment drop she¡¯d found in a recent delve. Before the gray robes, it¡¯d been white ones. Delta thought the previous had looked better ¡­ though she appreciated the gray ones for the snug fit. But aesthetics hardly mattered when it came to equipment. Maddy, as mostpetent delvers, cared more about function than ir. Maddy¡¯s most distinguishing trait was her bright blue hair, though it was covered by her wide, droopy hat, with only bits of the neon showing. Dyed hair wasn¡¯t umon down in the Fractures, but it wasn¡¯t especially normal, either. Enough to stick out in a crowd, if only briefly. Apparently the bright hair was something her entire family did, even the older members in her family. The idea of a withered grandma with bright pink hair amused Delta. She¡¯d like to meet Maddy¡¯s family, someday. Maddy looked younger than she was. She had soft cheeks and bright eyes, and her exuberant attitude didn¡¯t lend itself toward an image of maturity, either. Maddy had been down in the Fractures for more than a year, now¡ªso, neen¡ªand was third advancement, approaching fourth. Which was a great pace, though not as incredible as Blondie¡¯s. Probably the same pace Delta could¡¯ve expected. Thing was, ¡®pace¡¯ in sheer time since entering the Fractures was a weird metric to go by. If you threw yourself at shards twenty-four-seven, then yeah, you¡¯d advance pretty quick. But that¡¯d get most people killed. It took training¡ªmore and more¡ªas you advanced your runes, learning the intricacies to your ss ¡­ or finding useful teammates, or whatever else. Throwing yourself into the fray with no breaks had an obvious result, most of the time. That was what these training halls were for. Learning your ss¡¯s perplexing abilities in a safe environment, rather than in the middle of a hostile shard that was doing its best to kill you. Plus, besides the most eager wayfarers, people wanted to take a load off between shards, or at least every few shards. Delta was more motivated than most, but even she didn¡¯t set a pace like Rosalie. Her blonde teammate had a certain madness reserved for families who did this for a living ¡­ who lived and breathed advancement. Old bloods. Generational wayfarers. Delta would like to ¡­ you know, live life, here and there. Thest bit of Delta¡¯s appraisal was the least appropriate. After the events of the past two days, how couldn¡¯t Delta¡¯s mind be wandering more perverted than usual? Not that Delta hadn¡¯t checked out Maddy before. Just, she did so with a little more interest, this time. Despite wearing long robes, they were tight-clinging, showing off Maddy¡¯s body. She didn¡¯t have much up top. Or, anything at all, really. She didn¡¯t have a boyish figure besides that, with wide hips and a butt that, while hidden by the robes, Delta had appreciated on several asions. She had a cute face, too, though pinched in concentration, and sting out dangerous magic in a flurry, the aura of ¡®wide-eyed and innocent¡¯ was lost, somewhat. Still, cute. Delta hadn¡¯t hooked up with her, but that¡¯d been more out of professional preservation than ack of interest. Better to not roll around in bed with potential teammates. Could lead to unfortunateplications. Which was ironic, she was entirely aware. But Zoey¡¯s ss obviously prevented Delta from holding to that precautionary measure. And, the shards they delved. Sex was part-and-parcel for wayfaring with Zoey. Which Delta still was somewhat concerned by¡ªsex could lead to messy emotions, and messy emotions broke teams apart all the time. Delta¡¯d mostly determined not to fall for Zoey. Unfortunately, she was finding out she liked the tall, dark-haired girl with such a bizarre ss and background. And ¡­ from what she¡¯d seen, she really knew how to handle that equipment between her legs. Delta¡¯d only been with Zoey while in Zoey¡¯s body, but either way, she could get used to rolling around with her. What would it be like, without the body-swap shenanigans? With Zoey wielding her own equipment? She chased those thoughts away. Eventually, the energy sagged out of Maddy¡¯s shoulders, and her staff drooped. The spell broke. Then, as if Maddy had felt Delta¡¯s attention crawling over her, she turned and faced the window, frowning. Maddy blinked, then a grin split her face. It was impossible for Delta not to return it. Maddy¡¯s bubbly attitude was infectious. ¡°Delta!¡± The response was muffled through the ss, but Delta waved. She walked to the training room¡¯s door and opened it; Maddy met her there. ¡°You¡¯re back!¡± Maddy said. ¡°How¡¯d it go?¡± There was a sheen of sweat on Maddy¡¯s forehead. She¡¯d really been going at it, pushing herself to her limit. Spells weren¡¯t exhausting in the same way as physical effort, but it worked up a sweat, for whatever reason. And whether physical or not, intense spellcasting took a lot out of a person. Something a mana-potion only half-fixed. ¡°Got all my arms and legs, still,¡± Delta said. ¡°So, pretty good, all things considered.¡± ¡°Find anything useful?¡± Delta paused. Loot was always on the forefront of a wayfarer¡¯s mind, at least in terms of a ¡®good delve¡¯. Maybe someone like Blondie disrespected what a good set of gear could aplish, or sufficient funds for supplies, but most people weren¡¯t snobbish elitists ¡­ and blinded by their ego. Maybe that was too harsh of a way to put it. But Blondie¡¯s insistence that armor and weapons didn¡¯t matter was a bit bizarre to Delta. Of course they did. Rosalie just had a chip on her shoulder, and needed toe off as better than everyone else. Maybe reasonable, considering her upbringing ¡­ not that Delta knew the specifics. But she could guess. And, reasonable or not, it was annoying. Even if not for the stat boosts, and defense and offense potential, a good haul was useful for money. Not something everyone in the world could be totally unconcerned with. But Maddy¡¯s question. Good haul? Uh, yeah, kind of. Not in the traditional sense. Did a mirror that let her swap bodies count as a ¡®good haul¡¯? Delta was ecstatic about it, because getting to pilot Zoey¡¯s body a second time was something she was looking forward to, but she didn¡¯t think it was the most usefulbat equipment. Not a ¡®good haul¡¯ like Maddy meant. ¡°Eh, a few things,¡± Delta said, which was honest; some of the items they¡¯d earned hadbat uses. ¡°Pretty good, for a half-day delve. Nothing crazy.¡± Some shards could take full days or¡ªrarely¡ªweeks to work through. The one from yesterday had been short. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you haven¡¯t set off. Was half expecting you to be gone.¡± ¡°Maybe soon,¡± Maybe said cheerfully. ¡°Have something in the works.¡± She leaned against her staff and smiled up at Delta. ¡°I¡¯m not beingzy, it¡¯s just hard to find a good team.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got something in the works?¡± Maddy hesitated, confused by Delta¡¯s reaction. She¡¯d expected Delta to be happy for her, but instead, Delta had replied with a frown. Because it messed with Delta¡¯s ns, if Maddy had a potential team setting up. ¡°Yeah?¡± Maddy said. ¡°Why? That¡¯s bad?¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Delta said. ¡°Yeah, maybe. I was hoping we could talk business.¡± ¡°Business! I thought you didn¡¯t want to team up?¡± Delta preferred smaller teams in general; groups of two or three. She and Maddy hadn¡¯t teamed, despite being casual friends, because their roles ovepped¡ªat least when it came to small parties. The standard trio was tank, damage, healer, or some closely-rted variation of such. So the cards had never fallen in a way she and Maddy could adventure together. They¡¯d been sparring¡ªand sometimes drinking¡ªpartners. ¡°Well,¡± Delta said. ¡°It¡¯splicated. You got a moment?¡± ¡°Sure. Have to recharge, anyway. To the Oasis!¡± 3.13 Procuring a Tutor 3.13 Procuring a Tutor ¡°So,¡± Delta said. ¡°I¡¯ve got a business proposal for you.¡± Maddy had leaned her staff against the wall and sat at on one of the Oasis¡¯s benches, next to Delta. She basked in the mana regeneration effect, looking less fatigued by the second. Her hat was also off, now, with her bright blue hair on full disy. It was short, straight, and well-maintained, unruffled by the hat she¡¯d been wearing. It went down to her shoulders. She had warm gray eyes. Paired with her hair, and build, she¡¯d always been a distinctive-looking girl. ¡°Business proposal?¡± Maddy asked, amused. ¡°You¡¯re trying to put a team together. No need to phrase it like that.¡± ¡°Well. Kind of. Like I said, it¡¯splicated. The team part is only a maybe.¡± Delta shook her head. ¡°We¡¯ll get there. First, an actual business proposal, not a team invite. That squad I joined¡ªone of them is a mage.¡± Maddy blinked. ¡°Okay. What role?¡± ¡°Aegis?¡± Delta wrinkled her nose. ¡°Actually, as the dynamic stands, she¡¯s more of a booster. But she has the potential to be an aegis. Her support skills are innate, so she has no problem getting those out, but her spellcasting abilities, the ones linked to her arcana rune, are ¡­cking.¡± ¡°Okay ¡­ ?¡± Maddy said. She didn¡¯t see where Delta was going with this. ¡°We¡¯re looking for a teacher. Someone we can trust. Who has a bit of discretion. Er, a whole heaping of discretion.¡± ¡°A whole heaping?¡± ¡°It¡¯s weird. A bit of an exnation.¡± Delta chewed her lip, looking around the Oasis. There were plenty of other mages seated on nearby benches, recovering from their mana expenditures. ¡°Hey, can you do that thing with the sound bubble?¡± ¡°Uh. Sure?¡± She traced her finger in the air, imprinting a fist-sized arcane diagram ofplex white lines in the air. A secondter, it fizzled, and all outside noises disappeared. Nobody could hear what they were saying, now. ¡°Man. That¡¯s seriously so useful.¡± ¡°It better be! Took me weeks to learn. It¡¯s a tricky one.¡± Maddy tilted her head, waiting expectantly. Delta wasn¡¯t embarrassed about exining Zoey¡¯s ss to Maddy, but she did think it deserved a segue of sorts. Though,unching straight into it would be pretty funny ¡­ Delta fought away the impulse to do so. Much as Maddy¡¯s reaction would be more amusing that way, Delta needed to be a professional. Which she could do, when the situation called for it. If, admittedly, only through great effort. ¡°What¡¯s the weirdest ss you¡¯ve ever heard of?¡± Delta asked. Maddy blinked, adjusting to the swerve in topic. ¡°Huh. That¡¯s a good question.¡± Her brow furrowed down as she puzzled over it. ¡°Oh! Mom told me about a guy who called himself a ¡®devourer¡¯.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Got stronger the more he ate! Was like, four hundred pounds, Mom said. Ate monsters, even, from the various shards he worked through. That¡¯s a pretty weird ss.¡± No kidding. He ate monsters? ¡°That¡¯s real?¡± ¡°I mean ¡­ I think so? Mom met him, apparently, back when she still wayfared. But she could¡¯ve just been making it up.¡± Maddy shrugged. ¡°But you asked for weird sses. Most of those are made up, I¡¯d figure. Heck, most of everything feels made up, sometimes.¡± ¡°Most of everything?¡± Delta was letting herself get distracted, but talking to Maddy was always interesting; she was constantly saying stuff that had Delta¡¯s head tilting. Probably what growing up with in a reclusive family of mages did. ¡°What¡¯d¡¯you mean?¡± ¡°Oh, I dunno. Like, there¡¯s so many rumors floating around. People like to tell stories. Part of the human spirit.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Makes the truth hard to find.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t argue that, I guess.¡± Maybe normally Delta would continue down this conversation, but she tracked herself back to the matter at hand. ¡°I¡¯m sure you can guess why I asked.¡± ¡°She has a weird ss,¡± Maddy said. ¡°Exactly. Uh, even weirder than what you said.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Delta supposed Maddy¡¯s curiosity might be a useful thing, here. Plus, she was a bit odd herself ¡­ that might help in a roundabout way. Odd things meshed, right? ¡°Now,¡± Delta said, ¡°she just needs a teacher. So you wouldn¡¯t have to do anything you didn¡¯t want to, of course. This is just a disimer. But, uh. Her ss is sex-rted. She recharges mana through ¡­ having sex with other people.¡± Maddy stared at her. Deltaughed. ¡°It makes resting between fights more interesting, I¡¯ll tell you that. If a little less ¡­ restful.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Maddy stuttered. ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡± ¡°Me? I¡¯m always serious.¡± Maddy raised her eyebrows at that. Delta smirked. ¡°Okay, but this time, I am. And like I said, it¡¯s a disimer. Doesn¡¯t affect you.¡± If Maddy didn¡¯t want it to, at least. But Maddy had nevere off as particrly open to sex. She got awkward when Delta talked about girls. An impression that Maddy¡¯s blushing and stuttering, now, was reinforcing. ¡°She needs a teacher, and we¡¯re willing to pay well.¡± ¡°Uh,¡± Maddy said. ¡°Teacher ¡­ shelve that for a second. You wanted to invite me to the team, too? With her?¡± Delta paused. ¡°I mean, we¡¯re figuring that out. If you¡¯d fit. Not to be rude. The other teammate ¡­ she¡¯s got standards. And it¡¯d need to be a unanimous agreement.¡± Maddy leaned back, looking affronted. ¡°You don¡¯t think I¡¯m good enough?¡± ¡°She might not,¡± Delta rified. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I barely squeaked by. Maybe, I only made the cut because she was in a rush to get going.¡± ¡°You?¡± Maddy seemed shocked. Delta had a reputation at Treyhull; for a second-advancement, she was pretty good. ¡°She¡¯s old blood,¡± Delta said. ¡°Maker, you¡¯ll see what I mean. But yeah. I mean, I think she¡¯d ept you. But it¡¯s a maybe.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± Maddy said. Zoey¡¯s odd ss seemed to have taken a brief back seat; Maddy, like any wayfarer, was interested in the opportunity to put together a promising party. ¡°And she¡¯s good, as well?¡± Delta paused, remembering the way her annoying blonde teammate had carved through theirtest adventure, first with her bare hands, thenter, when armed with a shortspear, with even more breathtaking fluidity. All while protecting Zoey, not letting a single scratch onto her until they¡¯d reached the boss ¡­ which had been a particrly difficult fight, for a second-advancement shard. Delta thought Rosalie was arrogant, but to say it was unfounded would be a lie. It couldn¡¯t be more founded. Which forgave it in some part ¡­ but not entirely. She had a lot of mixed feelings when it came to Rosalie. She shook the thoughts off. ¡°She¡¯s good,¡± Delta said. ¡°More than good. Pound for pound, probably the best third-advancementncer in Treyhull.¡± Because she was no longer second advancement¡ªshe¡¯d progressed this morning. Delta hadn¡¯t been so lucky. To think Rosalie had been in the Fractures less than half the time Delta had, and already had hit third advancement. Zoey¡¯s rune had helped her along, having delved two shards with herpared to Delta¡¯s one ¡­ but even so. Astonishing. Maddy leaned forward, incredulous. ¡°Best? In Treyhull?¡± It was a lofty im for a city as big as Treyhull. But Delta believed it. ¡°You¡¯ll see what I mean.¡± ¡°Coming from you, I can trust it ¡­ but still. Really?¡± Delta didn¡¯t like talking up Rosalie, so she wrinkled her nose. ¡°Yeah, really.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± Maddy¡¯s brow scrunched down. ¡°Sounds like you¡¯ve brought a real opportunity to me.¡± ¡°Comes with unusual circumstances,¡± Delta reminded her. Maddy paused, remembering the reveal from earlier. Zoey¡¯s ¡®sex ss¡¯. She colored, then coughed into a fist. ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Again, you wouldn¡¯t have to do anything you didn¡¯t want to,¡± Delta said. ¡°Well, sort of. She has a ¡®linking skill¡¯, so you¡¯d need to ¡­ do something. But just once. Or, maybe more than once, to refresh it. But we could take care of recharging her.¡± Maddy¡¯s cheeks continued to color. ¡°Wow. That really is ¡­ quite the ss.¡± ¡°Think on it.¡± There were still other qualifiers to make¡ªthe lewd nature of the shards they would venture into¡ªbut Delta wanted to let Maddy digest the first half before getting into the sticky details. Plus, her joining the team was up in the air. Delta was talking to her for something else, first and foremost. ¡°But teaching Zoey. That¡¯s separate from everything. She needs training, big time, and you¡¯re one of the best mages I know.¡± Maddy blushed and looked away. She¡¯d always been easy to fluster withpliments. She fiddled with her hat. ¡°I¡¯m not that good. And teaching someone ¡­ that¡¯s not something I know how to do.¡± ¡°We care more about being able to trust you,¡± Delta said. ¡°We don¡¯t want the details to her ss leaking.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°She¡¯s strong. And easy to exploit. It¡¯s the reason the old blood paired up with her. Er ¡­ the first part, I mean. Her being strong.¡± Though, being easy to exploit ¡­ Rosalie knew that, too, and maybe it was one of the reasons she was sticking with Zoey. Just, not to exploit her, but to protect her. It didn¡¯t sit wholly right with Delta how cold and logical Rosalie¡¯s decision-making process was, but Delta could tell she was conflicted ¡­ that Zoey¡¯s wellbeing wasn¡¯t wholly a non-factor. Just that Rosalie wished it could be. That she could be heartless. That girl was a mess. ¡°Huh,¡± Maddy said. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll keep it a secret, then. Of course.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Delta wholeheartedly believed she would. First, because she hadn¡¯t a clue just how powerful Zoey¡¯s runes were¡ªthat they elerated bonded target¡¯s own advancements¡ªand because that was just who Maddy was. Or, seemed to be. Appearances could be deceiving. Maybe an amusing thought to have, when applied to an illusionist. But they needed a teacher, and Maddy was their best shot. ¡°So you¡¯ll do it?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Maddy said. ¡°Let¡¯s talk details. Pay. Life as a mage isn¡¯t cheap, you know.¡± *** A few hourster, after running errands, Delta found Zoey in the guild¡¯s central hall, as they¡¯d agreed to previously. Blondie hadn¡¯t returned; she was still out and about, doing ¡­ whatever she was doing. She hadn¡¯t specified. To be fair, she had no obligation to. Her business was her own; their discussions had been over team tasks, only. Besides Zoey. Zoey¡¯d spelled out her personal ns pretty in depth. But she was a more open book than Rosalie. Even if Delta knew there were some suspicious things going on with her. She believed Zoey had memory problems. But something was off, despite that. The way she spoke. Her ignorance in certain ces. Her reactions to certain things. The reflection¡¯smentary on Zoey¡¯s ¡®secrets¡¯, the most ring red g. Same for Rosalie ¡­ but of course the old blood had secrets. Zoey¡¯s were the ones that were more intriguing. As she said, though. Everyone¡¯s business was their own. ¡°Hey,¡± Delta said, slipping into a chair opposite Zoey. ¡°What¡¯cha reading?¡± Zoey blinked and looked up; she¡¯d been lost in the thick tome, poring over it while chewing her lip. She plucked a bookmark out of her inventory and tucked it between the pages, then closed the book and showed Delta the title. ¡®The Alchemical Laboratory: Tools, Techniques, and Experimentation,¡¯ by Magistra Eliza Gold. ¡°Sheesh,¡± Delta said. ¡°You¡¯re really going for it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the goal,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Sabina seems confident that field-alchemy is useful in wayfaring. And I think when ites to our shards ¡­ maybe it¡¯ll be even more so.¡± Delta paused as she thought about that. ¡°Huh,¡± she said. ¡°Yeah, probably. Potions are convenient.¡± If only specialized ones weren¡¯t so expensive. Sure, mana, health, and stamina were easy toe by, but anything moreplicated than that could start breaking the bank. ¡°You find Maddy?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°Good news?¡± ¡°Good news,¡± Delta said. ¡°She¡¯ll do it. Though, her time¡¯s valuable, and she knows it ¡­ so it won¡¯t be cheap.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be. You said she was good. Plus, dealing with the ¡­ odder aspects of my ss. I get it.¡± ¡°Well. It¡¯s not like she¡¯ll be dealing with them. We¡¯re the ones that¡¯ll keep you topped off.¡± ¡°Yeah, but even knowing it¡¯s happening has to be awkward. Halfway through our lesson, I¡¯ll need to go ¡®take a break¡¯. It¡¯s weird.¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty weird,¡± Delta agreed. ¡°And ¡­ Maddy¡¯s not ¡­¡± How did she put it? ¡°Well, she¡¯s going to blush a lot. She¡¯s not me.¡± ¡°Thank god. I don¡¯t think I could handle a second you.¡± There it was again. ¡®Thank god¡¯. Singr. So weird. Delta rolled her eyes. ¡°Wow. Should I be offended?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Zoey said,ughing. ¡°One¡¯s great. Just ¡­ two. Sheesh.¡± Delta gave her an amused look, masking the way her heart skipped. ¡®One¡¯s great¡¯. It was barely even flirting. Why did it make her stomach flutter? Ugh. Delta wasn¡¯t falling for her teammate. It would make things way tooplicated. Especially with Blondie in the mix, who was nauseatingly head-over-heels ¡­ and in her own mess of confusion, seeing how romance was supposed to be thest thing on her te, considering her stated priorities. ¡°Anyway, she¡¯ll be ready for you tomorrow morning,¡± Delta said. ¡°Second bell. You¡¯re paying for the private training room, too.¡± ¡°I can afford it?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Delta said. ¡°Just, it¡¯s gonna be a big chunk of change. Might have to beg your girlfriend for a loan.¡± ¡°What if I beg you, instead?¡± ¡°You plow some good dick, Zoey, but not that good.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Delta shrugged. ¡°Also, not that good?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°I¡¯m offended.¡± ¡°Maybe seeing¡¯s different from feeling,¡± Delta smirked. She¡¯d been with Zoey, but hadn¡¯t had Zoey inside her, yet. The opposite, actually¡ªshe¡¯d been in Zoey, with Zoey¡¯s own cock. Which had been pretty mind-blowing. ¡°But I¡¯m a hard girl to impress.¡± It was just taunting, and Zoey knew it. Delta wasn¡¯t so rude as to insult her ability in bed and mean it. Just, teasing was fun. And she liked to keep her partners on their toes. When time came the two of them were together in a more traditional matter¡ªwithout being in opposite bodies¡ªshe wanted Zoey to work for it. To impress Delta. Or, next time Delta was in Zoey¡¯s body, for Zoey to work for it, too. A good fucking came with effort. Honestly, that was a big part of the appeal, for Delta. Seeing her partner trying their best to make her squirm. Er, her thoughts were straying. ¡°Also,¡± Delta said. ¡°I want you to pay up, tonight. Check this out.¡± Reaching into her inventory, she pulled out the fruit of today¡¯s errand-running. She pped down a harness made from ck leather. Zoey blinked at it, not recognizing the object. ¡°For mounting the linking te,¡± Delta grinned. ¡°Had it rush-ordered. She made it on the spot. Not for cheap, too ¡­ but I couldn¡¯t wait.¡± Zoey paused, understanding hitting her. ¡°Ah. Tonight? Already?¡± ¡°I¡¯m taking her out for a ride,¡± Delta confirmed, smirking. ¡°Hope you and Blondie didn¡¯t have ns.¡± ¡°Why so quick?¡± Zoey asked. She was growing flustered. Delta¡¯s grin widened at that. The idea of Delta using Zoey¡¯s cock to fuck other girls wasn¡¯t just something that appealed to Delta, however much Zoey was pretending to y it cool. ¡°Because it sounds fucking hot,¡± Delta said. ¡°That¡¯s why.¡± Zoey rolled her eyes. Still trying to y it cool. ¡°Well. A deal¡¯s a deal, I guess.¡± ¡°It sure is.¡± The question was, what exactly did Delta want to do with it? 3.14 Out On The Town 3.14 Out On The Town ¡°Holy crap,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°You weren¡¯t kidding. It does look real.¡± Delta, Adrienne, and Suzi admired Zoey¡¯s cock, a second ago set down onto the booth¡¯s table. It was drooped over, soft, with Zoey¡¯s cock head pressed into the cool wood. Zoey had been getting sporadically hard throughout the past few hours, ever since Delta had left her in the guild¡¯s central hall to study her alchemy textbook, but less frequently as time passed and Delta didn¡¯t y with her. By the way her cock had been jostling around in her purse (something hrious to Delta, for a reason she couldn¡¯t fully articte), she knew Delta was out and about ¡­ but she couldn¡¯t know when the action would start. And she couldn¡¯t know that it finally had; that in this moment, her cock was being admired by three girls in the dark corner of a bar. So, she stayed soft. Probably not for long. ¡°Feels real, too,¡± Delta said. ¡°And reacts. Go ahead. Poke it. Watch what happens.¡± Delta and her two partners were seated in the corner of the bar, in a booth. A mix of chatter andughter filled the air, growing slowly more raucous as the night stumbled along. Music yed in the background, providing an energetic but not chaotic atmosphere. Adrienne, the girl whose shoulder Delta had her arm draped across, had cozied up to her with surprising speed. Delta didn¡¯t normally have problems finding a hook-up, but by how fast after sitting next to Delta she¡¯d had her body pressed into hers, Adrienne was even more eager than most. Adrienne was a gorgeous, petite girl¡ªshe¡¯d caught Delta¡¯s eye immediately, and fortunately, the same in reverse. She had an hourss figure with an impressive bust, wider hips, and an ass that barely fit in her jeans. The cut of her shirt dipped low, and on more than a few instances, Delta¡¯d caught sight of acy ck bra as Adrienne leaned forward to talk,ughing loudly and undoubtedly knowing what she was showing off. She had a heart-shaped face with a small nose and pouty lips, and her hair was a deep mahogany that curled into ringlets and framed her face. She¡¯d dressed up for the night, intending to get lucky. Which was par for the course, considering where Delta had ventured to. The Royal Court had a reputation. There were plenty of gay bars where socialization and meeting new people (in the more chaste sense) was the goal, but The Royal Court had an ingrained image ¡­ it was a ce someone went to when they were looking for fun, first and foremost. Delta¡¯d nevere here and left empty handed. Most girls didn¡¯t, she assumed. And, in Delta¡¯s case especially, wayfarers didn¡¯t have their work cut out for them when it came to picking up girls. While in some ces in the Fractures, wayfarers were a decent portion of the poption, and thus nothing special, in the ¡®big cities¡¯, wayfarers were the minority. Civilians flocked from Haven to ces like Treyhull, looking to cater to the wealthier, adventure-seeking segment of society, in a ce that was still fairly safe. Not that the Fractures were everpletely safe¡ªeven Treyhull had monster incursions, asionally¡ªbutpared to being out in the wild or less guarded pocket dimensions, much more so. But Delta¡¯s point: wayfarers were popr with the girls, especially in big cities. How couldn¡¯t they be? Delta had stories to tell, money, muscles, and scars. Hardly the things that mattered for a long-term rtionship ¡­ and certainly weren¡¯t universally popr ¡­ but at The Royal Court, they were things that made Delta popr. Adrienne and Suzi weren¡¯t looking for meaningful life partners. They were here the same reason Delta was. To scratch an itch. Or, not exactly the same, Delta internally smirked. She didn¡¯t think Adrienne and Suzi had ventured off with their friend¡¯s disembodied cock, intending to plow strangers with it. Suzi, on the other hand, didn¡¯t have quite as bombastic a figure, but she had elegance: high cheekbones, and a sharp, angr face. She had intense, intelligent blue eyes, and her ck dress had a somehow deeper cut than Adrienne¡¯s, dipping to her stomach. Her tits were smaller, but still perky¡ªin no way worse than Adrienne¡¯s. She wasn¡¯t wearing a bra, and hadn¡¯t taped her dress down, either; Delta had caught a few sneak peaks, undoubtedly intentional on Suzi¡¯s part. Her legs, too, Delta appreciated. Seated, Delta couldn¡¯t see them anymore, but Suzi had long, toned legs that went on forever¡ªwhich she knew, because her dress had drawn attention to them, same as her tits. Suzi knew how to show herself off. In short, two girls Delta was very much looking forward to exploring. As Delta had prompted her to, Adrienne tentatively reached out and poked Zoey¡¯s cock. It twitched, and Adrienne jumped. Delta supposed it was strange to see, however much Delta had warned her. Because odd shard loot wasn¡¯t the rarest thing in the world, but these two were civilians, and likely hadn¡¯t seen much in the way of ¡®odd¡¯. And Delta¡¯s item in particr ¡­ not something even Delta saw everyday. ¡°Wow,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°Does it ¡­ does it get hard?¡± ¡°Find out,¡± Delta suggested. ¡°And why is it so big?¡± Suzi asked amusedly. ¡°Gods. Look at it.¡± Of the two girls who Delta had found herself seated with, Adrienne was definitely the more eager. The Royal Court might be a ce girls went to find hook-ups, but that didn¡¯t mean everyone was looking to throw themselves at the first willing girl. Suzi had joined them, and was flirting and returning their advances, but she was still feeling things out. She seemed more amused than anything, as it stood. She was one or two drinks deep¡ªthe same as all of them¡ªand was swirling her whiskey around in a ss as she watched Delta and Adrienne from across the table. Adrienne didn¡¯t have any reservations about the ¡®weird shard loot¡¯ Delta hadid on the table, but Suzi, on the other hand, didn¡¯t seem quite as fascinated ¡­ at least in the lustful sense. She was definitely interested, intellectually-wise. Who wouldn¡¯t be when it came to a disembodied, living cock? But unsurprisingly to a hook-up location intended for women who preferred women, cocks weren¡¯t guaranteed to be popr. Delta didn¡¯t have any problems with cocks¡ªjust, men in general she wasn¡¯t interested in, sexually. Some girls, though, Delta knew, didn¡¯t like phallic things in general, much less something as true to life as the oneid on the table ¡­ which was literally real, rather than a startlingly urate toy, as Delta had implied. She wasn¡¯t sure if Suzi fell into that camp. Her bodynguage, at least, wasn¡¯t protesting the development¡ªat Delta having pped down a living and breathing cock onto the table. She just didn¡¯t have a glint of lust in her eye, like Adrienne did. ¡°It¡¯s still soft, and it¡¯s, what? Eight inches?¡± Suzi continued amusedly. ¡°Like, what the hell.¡± Adrienne, taking up Delta¡¯s suggestion, rubbed two of her fingers into Zoey¡¯s shaft, trying to wake it up. ¡°Seriously,¡± she agreed. ¡°It¡¯ll be bigger than my forearm, won¡¯t it?¡± Adrienne was a short, petite woman, so honestly? ¡°Yeah, probably,¡± Deltaughed. ¡°It¡¯s kind of a monster.¡± ¡°And you just found this?¡± Suzi asked. ¡°On one of your delves?¡± ¡°At the end of the shard.¡± The line of questioning briefly cut off, Adrienne¡¯s efforts yielding results. Zoey¡¯s cock¡ªfinally being paid attention¡ªstarted to swell. Delta pressed down on the linking te to stabilize it, so it didn¡¯t tip over as Zoey grew. Adrienne and Suzi¡ªand, honestly, Delta too, despite having seen it several times before¡ªwatched in fascination as Zoey¡¯s unreasonable length filled out. Her already impressive size swelled into the fourteen-inch monster Delta had learned to admire ¡­ and once wielded herself. ¡°Shit,¡± Suzi said, her eyebrows raised. ¡°It really might be. Hold your forearm up to it, Addy.¡± Adrienne did so. ¡°Fuck me,¡± Suzi said, lips curled in amusement. She shook her head, then took a drink. ¡°Ridiculous.¡± Adrienne¡¯s reaction to the sight was a little less amused. Her cheeks burned red. ¡°Wow ¡­¡± she said. ¡°Wow.¡± ¡°It¡¯s kind of a shame,¡± Suzi said. ¡°It¡¯s too big to fit. Makes it useless.¡± ¡°Nah,¡± Delta said. ¡°One of the perks to the item¡ªsqueezes into ces it shouldn¡¯t.¡± Suzi and Adrienne paused, taking that in. ¡°Really?¡± Adrienne asked. ¡°How would you know?¡± Suzi asked. Delta smirked at the ck-haired girl across from her. ¡°You think I haven¡¯t yed with it? Come on.¡± Then, to Adrienne, ¡°Yeah, really. It¡¯s a tight fit, but it goes in. All the way.¡± ¡°All the way?¡± Suzi scoffed. ¡°That thing¡¯s more than a foot. How?¡± ¡°Magic?¡± Then, she shot Suzi a lopsided grin. ¡°I could prove it to you, if you want.¡± Suzi rolled her eyes. ¡°That¡¯d be rude. Addy wants to go first. Look at her squirm.¡± It wasn¡¯t a no, but Delta still had some work to do on Suzi, warming her up. Adrienne didn¡¯t deny what Suzi had said. Her blushing, fascinated attention was obvious as day. ¡°So, like, anywhere?¡± she asked breathlessly. ¡°Even my mouth?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the easiest thing,¡± Delta said. ¡°But yeah. Really shouldn¡¯t fit, but it does.¡± Delta scooted Zoey¡¯s cock from the center of the table to in front of Adrienne. ¡°Be my guest,¡± Delta said. ¡°Just be careful. Don¡¯t get her too worked up. She¡¯s a bit sloppy when she finishes.¡± ¡°She?¡± Suzi asked amusedly. ¡°It¡¯s a girl cock,¡± Delta said. ¡°What, you can¡¯t tell?¡± ¡°You know, that¡¯s ridiculous, but I kind of agree.¡± She appraised Zoey¡¯s cock for a second. ¡°She¡¯s a cutie. Definitely a girl dick.¡± ¡®Cutie¡¯. Delta didn¡¯t know if she agreed ¡­ Zoey¡¯s cock had to be one of the angrier, veinier cocks that existed, not that Delta had surveyed any real ones to know for sure. But ¡­ maybe, kind of, it could be called cute. It was hard to say why, but there was a femininity to its throbbing length, if she looked for it. Adrienne fingers wrapped around the base of Zoey¡¯s cock, which made Delta¡¯s heart jump in sympathy. Like before, when fucking Fe, seeing Zoey¡¯s cock yed with had Delta¡¯s heart hammering in excitement. Delta was into a lot of things, but voyeurism¡ªseeing her friends get pleasured¡ªhadn¡¯t been especially high on the list. For some reason, with Zoey, it was. Adrienne eyed the cock apprehensively. ¡°I just don¡¯t see how.¡± ¡°Magic,¡± Suzi repeated. ¡°Does it matter? Test it.¡± Delta grinned at her. Suzi was visibly anticipating the show Adrienne was about to put on. She was leaned back in the booth, one arm thrown over the low-backed edge, and as seemingly rxed as ever, but there was a glint in her eyes that gave her away. She saw Delta grinning knowingly at her, paused, then rolled her eyes, adjusting in the seat and forcing her nonchnce back. Yeah, Delta thought. Suzi wasn¡¯t as ready-to-go as Adrienne, but she would definitely being back with Delta, tonight. Or maybe not even ing back¡¯. Delta might not want to wait that long. Fucking in the bathrooms was against bar policy, and might have them thrown out, but Delta¡¯d never been much of a rule follower. And it beat doing it out in the alleyway ¡­ that was definitely the worse of the two. She¡¯d rather start problems with The Royal Court¡¯s staff than Treyhull¡¯s guards¡ªand maybe catch a charge for public indecency. The bar¡¯s policies were pretty lose, anyway. As demonstrated by how Delta had a giant dildoid out on her table, and nobody was saying anything. Honestly, there was worse happening in some of the other booths. Policy was, just don¡¯t make it too loud or obvious. Like fucking in the bathroom. In the very loud, very obvious way Delta intended. But, ah, well, it was unavoidable. ¡°Okay, then,¡± Adrienne murmured, eying Zoey¡¯s cock. ¡°Fits anywhere, even my mouth. Let¡¯s find out.¡± 3.15 Out On The Town II 3.15 Out On The Town II Adrienne ced a soft kiss on Zoey¡¯s dick, and it twitched in excitement. She made a noise of surprise then nced sideways at Delta, grinning, as if proud of what she¡¯d made happen. ¡°It¡¯s so real,¡± she repeated. ¡°It liked that.¡± She turned back forward, then licked just beneath the cock head¡¯s edge, tracing up the ridge, then to the tip, cleaning the bead of precum that had sprung up. She ran her tongue around inside her mouth, tasting the slick substance, then said, ¡°And tastes real, too.¡± ¡°You¡¯re taking your time with this, aren¡¯t you?¡± Suzi asked dryly. ¡°We¡¯re gonna be here all night.¡± Again, Delta was amused at Suzi¡¯s impatience, however poorly she was pretending to not be interested. The reality¡ªthat she wanted to see Adrienne choking on Zoey¡¯s cock¡ªwas in as day. To be fair, Delta wanted that too; and she was impatient, too. It was time to encourage the auburn-haired girl. The hand Delta had had wrapped around Adrienne¡¯s shoulders pulled away, and ventured up, to the back of Adrienne¡¯s head. She pushed gently, but insistently, forward. Adrienne smirked and rolled her eyes, but let herself be guided forward. Her pouty lips enveloped Zoey¡¯s cock head. A pink tongue stuck out as she tried to make room. Zoey¡¯s nearly fist-sized girth barely fit in her mouth. Adrienne got Zoey¡¯s tip, and a few inches, into her mouth, then she pulled back andughed. A string of saliva trailed between her lips and Zoey¡¯s cock, before quickly breaking. Adrienne licked her lips clean then said, ¡°There¡¯s no way. It¡¯s too big.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quitter talk,¡± Delta said. ¡°And you haven¡¯t even tried.¡± She continued to urge Adrienne¡¯s head down. ¡°You¡¯ve done it before?¡± Adrienne asked. Delta paused, remembering exactly how she¡¯d had Zoey¡¯s cock in her mouth, before. It hadn¡¯t been Zoey. It¡¯d been Delta sucking her own cock, when she¡¯d been in Zoey¡¯s body. She coughed, cheeks coloring. ¡°Er, yeah. I have. Really, it¡¯s not that hard.¡± Suzi raised her eyebrows at Delta¡¯s reaction. ¡°Are you blushing?¡± It was an uncharacteristic reaction from how confident Delta had been throughout the night. Just, sucking her own cock ¡­ definitely one of the more degenerate things Delta had done. ¡°Yeah,¡± Delta said. ¡°Can you me me? That monster¡¯s enough to get anyone flustered.¡± She tossed Suzi a roguish grin. Suzi bought Delta¡¯s excuse. To be fair, she wasn¡¯t especially interested in Delta, at the moment. Adrienne had leaned forward for her second attempt at swallowing Zoey¡¯s cock. And, it wasn¡¯t an excuse. Delta was getting heated. In fact, she wanted to start heating Adrienne up, too. She knew how to get started on that. Before Adrienne¡¯s lips pressed back into Zoey¡¯s cock, Delta pulled Adrienne onto herp. Adrienne squeaked at the ease Delta handled her. There were benefits to being a wayfarer: namely, increased strength. It was a recurring trait her partners loved¡ªhow easily Delta could toss them around. Having a seat in the form of Delta¡¯sp helped Adrienne out in a more practical sense, too. Sticking fourteen inches up, Zoey¡¯s cock was actually a bit inconvenient to try to suck. Though, that hadn¡¯t been the reason Delta¡¯d pulled Adrienne onto herp. She¡¯d just wanted the other girl¡¯s ass pressed into her. And for better leverage to y with. Delta was a simple girl. Delta rubbed a hand inside Adrienne¡¯s thigh, and the auburn-haired girl shivered. ¡°If you do a good job,¡± Delta murmured into her ear. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to reward you.¡± Her hand ventured higher, brushing between her legs. ¡°Well,¡± Adrienne said breathlessly. ¡°Then I guess I better get to it.¡± Suzi¡¯s vaguely amused expression was still there, but her cheeks had reddened. She couldn¡¯t see beneath the table, at how Delta¡¯s hand was rubbing against Adrienne¡¯s thigh, and teasing between her legs, but she knew. Delta¡¯s intent wasn¡¯t exactly subdued. ¡°Spit on it,¡± Delta suggested. ¡°Lubricant. It¡¯s easier if you go down all at once, not bit by bit.¡± ¡°Speaking from experience?¡± Suzi smirked. ¡°Already said so, didn¡¯t I?¡± Delta was always amused when other girls thought they could fluster her by teasing. Delta wasn¡¯t easy to embarrass. ¡°And, yeah, it¡¯s big enough to bend my throat out ¡­ so there¡¯s no shame in doing some prep work, first.¡± Suzi cheek¡¯s colored, the loser of the verbal spar; Delta¡¯s shamelessness tended to have that effect. Adrienne spat into her palm and worked her spit into Zoey¡¯s cock. Delta did the same; there was a lot of surface area to cover. ¡°All at once,¡± Adrienne repeated, steeling herself. ¡°Here I go.¡± Her mouth wrapped around Zoey¡¯s cock, and Delta helped her along¡ªshe pushed the back of Adrienne¡¯s head down. She waited for it to slide into her throat before she got forceful. Adrienne made a choking noise as she was manhandled down, as fourteen inches of Zoey¡¯s girl dick stuffed her throat. Her lips pressed into the base of the linking te. ¡°Holy shit,¡± Suzi said. She leaned forward to get a better view of Adrienne. ¡°You weren¡¯t kidding. Look at her throat.¡± Like usual, the outline of Zoey¡¯s cock was clearly visible. How couldn¡¯t it be? It was a nearly fist-sized object stuffed down a tight hole. And Adrienne was pretty petite, so it was even more obvious. Adrienne made another choking noise, but Delta¡¯s hand stayed firmly on the back of her head. She wasn¡¯t trying to pull back; Delta wouldn¡¯t be that forceful. Just encouraging her ¡­ not that Adrienne even needed it. The girl had something to prove. Delta rubbed her free hand between Adrienne¡¯s legs as reward. ¡°Good girl,¡± she said. ¡°Told you it wasn¡¯t that bad.¡± Another choking noise, and Adrienne rubbed her ass on Delta¡¯sp, also squirming against her hand. ¡°What¡¯s it feel like?¡± Suzi asked, the subdued pink on her cheeks having deepened to a visible red. Adrienne pulled up and off Zoey¡¯s cock. Sheunched into a coughing fit. The noise pulled looks from other patrons. Delta grinned at them, which got a mixture of reactions¡ªrolled eyes, or vague annoyance. Delta had sat them in the corner of the bar, secluded, but it was still a public space. For that matter, The Royal Court¡¯s policy might bex, but Delta was pushing the boundaries on what was eptable. ¡°How about we take this somewhere private?¡± Delta asked. Adrienne was obviously a yes, but Suzi hadn¡¯t been as quick to warm up ¡­ though that was changing. To sweeten the pot¡ªand show what Delta¡¯s real ns for the night were¡ªshe pulled out and pped down the leather harness she hadmissioned. ¡°I had this made. I was thinking you two could help me test it out.¡± Delta didn¡¯t need to exin. The two girls looked at it, quickly piecing together the harness¡¯s use. ¡°You are, are you?¡± Suzi asked, quirking her eyebrow. ¡°Taking, or giving?¡± Delta paused. Giving, obviously, but honestly? She wouldn¡¯t mind taking. Having Zoey¡¯s cock stuffing her would be almost as amazing as getting to use it on others. But, that wasn¡¯t how her first time with Zoey was going to go. Delta wasn¡¯t some sappy romantic, but if Zoey¡¯s cock was going to be inside her, then it¡¯d happen when Zoey could pin her down and p her hips into Delta¡ªnot someone else doing so, through proxy. ¡°Giving,¡± Delta said. ¡°It¡¯ll be a good time.¡± A grin. ¡°Wayfaring¡¯s given me pretty good stamina ¡­ and I can prove it.¡± ¡°Where to?¡± Adrienne breathed. Delta was still rubbing tight circles between her legs, over her pants. Her hips were squirming back and forth, and she¡¯d started to pant. Delta¡¯s other hand quested up her shirt and starting ying with her tits. Suzi watched Delta y with the girl on herp, blush continuing to deepen¡ªthough theposure on her expression, and in her voice, remained steady. ¡°Mm,¡± she said. ¡°I suppose I wouldn¡¯t mind putting the im to the test. I¡¯ve got nothing else going on.¡± Delta grinned. ¡°We could head back to my ce ¡­ but I don¡¯t really wanna wait. Bathroom?¡± Suzi slid out of the booth, scooping up her purse. ¡°If you¡¯re gonna fuck a girl in a public bathroom, you better do a good job.¡± Her hips swayed as she sauntered away, headed for the clearly marked facilities. Delta scooted to the side, tugging Adrienne along with her. She scooped up Zoey¡¯s cock, her purse, and the harness, and the two of them set off after Suzi. Delta politely ignored the soundsing from the third stall down¡ªand the fact there were two pairs of feet beneath the gap, facing each other. They took the one at the far end, furthest from the entrance. It wasrger than most, but still a bit cramped. Fucking in the bathrooms ¡­ definitely not the most romantic, or clean, ce to do it, but the three of them were too impatient for anything else. And, hardly the first time, for Delta. Their purses went in various ces¡ªtwo on hooks, one on the shelf above the toilet. Delta pulled a towel out of her inventory andid it on the floor. She set the harness, and Zoey¡¯s cock, on it as she frantically started peeling off her clothing. ¡°Put your shit on the towel,¡± Delta said. She was frantic to get going, but some sort of cleanliness was in order. Suzi and Adrienne didn¡¯t hear her. Suzi had pinned Adrienne against a wall. They recognized Delta needed time to get the harness set-up together, so had upied themselves. Delta shrugged and got to work. She stole nces at them as she undressed, then went about the process of setting up the harness. Suzi was kissing Adrienne frantically, loudly, as the two struggled Adrienne out of her jeans. They¡¯d kicked off their shoes. They weren¡¯t being very efficient with things; their attentions were on each other¡¯s mouths, and Delta had gotten Zoey¡¯s cock attached to the harness, and the harness situated around her pelvis, before Suzi had even managed to get Adrienne fully naked¡ªonly her lower half. Delta looked down at the weighty cock between her legs, mounted by ck leather straps. It glistened in the light, wet from Adrienne¡¯s mouth. Then, she looked up at the two girls pressed into the corner of the stall, tongue-fucking each other. Yeah. Delta was going to enjoy this. 3.16 Out On The Town III 3.16 Out On The Town III Delta wrapped her arms around Suzi¡¯s waist, pressing their bodies close¡ªwhich had Zoey¡¯s cock pressing against Suzi¡¯s butt and lower back through her dress, and against Delta¡¯s own stomach. Delta cupped Suzi¡¯s tits and squeezed, extracting a breath of surprise. Suzi had been so engaged with Adrienne that she hadn¡¯t seen Deltaing. Suzi pulled back and turned, panting. Delta stepped away and disyed the fruit of hermission. Adrienne and Suzi drank in the sight of Delta, who¡¯d stripped herself naked¡ªAdrienne was only half so, from the waist down, because the two other girls had been distracted with each other, failing their efforts to undress. Rather than admiring that sight of a flushed, half-naked Adrienne, though, Delta basked in the lustful gazes of her partners. She¡¯d always loved how confident it made her feel, having other girls¡¯ eyes crawling across her tits, stomach, legs. Especially her chest; that was where she got the most attention. She had a lot up top. Was it arrogant to bask in their admiration? Probably. But Delta wasn¡¯t bashful. Plus, the cockiness did a lot for her partners, she knew. Delta smirked at them as they scoured her body with their eyes. She had her shoulders pulled back, her chest out, and she gripped her cock¡ªZoey¡¯s cock, but it was hers now¡ªand wiggled it up and down. Their eyes fell lower, to the impressive b of meat, attention drawn by the movement. ¡°Fuck me,¡± Suzi said. ¡°Why does it look even bigger?¡± Adrienne dropped down on her knees and shuffled up. Delta pped her cock down on top of her face, happy to meet Adrienne¡¯s enthusiasm. Adrienne reached up to grab it. Delta was torn between being disappointed Adrienne¡¯s shirt and bra wasn¡¯t off, and liking it¡ªbecause the half-dressed look did have a certain eroticism to it that nakedness didn¡¯t. But she also wanted to see Adrienne¡¯s tits. Either way, Adrienne had gotten to things, and Delta couldn¡¯t help herself. She pulled her hips back and forth, rubbing her cock against Adrienne¡¯s face. Adrienne stroked up and down, too. Fuck, the eagerness was seriously doing something for Delta. It wasn¡¯t her cock, not literally, but she could swear the motion was sending tingles up Delta¡¯s spine, that she could feel the press of her cock against Adrienne¡¯s face. ¡°Such a big fucking cock,¡± Adrienne said, staring up with pouting eyes at Delta. ¡°You¡¯re going to fuck me silly, right? Throw me around? p me and call me your whore?¡± Well, Adrienne certainly didn¡¯t have a problem making it clear what she wanted. Also, great news. Delta loved being rough. Problem was, not everyone liked it in return ¡­ and she sometimes assumed they did. Delta always felt like an ass when that happened¡ªas she should. Delta squeezed Adrienne¡¯s chin, roughly, bunching up her cheeks. She shook her head side to side, bouncing her auburn hair. ¡°That depends if my little cock ve makes me happy. Will she?¡± Delta continued to rub her cock up and down Adrienne¡¯s face. She nodded rapidly. She pulled back and opened her mouth, sticking her tongue out. ¡°Please. Your cock ve wants her throat fucked. Make her choke on it. She doesn¡¯t need air, she needs cock.¡± With a preface like that, Delta could hardly say no. She lined herself up, and Adrienne eagerly pushed her head forward onto Delta¡¯s cock. And ¡­ fuck ¡­ what the hell? She could swear she felt Adrienne¡¯s mouth close around Zoey¡¯s cock¡ªthe wet, hot, sucking pressure as she caressed Zoey¡¯s tip with her tongue. Delta groaned and threw her head back, burying fingers into Adrienne¡¯s hair and urging her forward. Delta¡¯s cock slid into Adrienne¡¯s throat, and suddenly, Delta was certain she wasn¡¯t imagining things. The pressure of the tight hole wrapped around Delta¡¯s cock was way, way too real¡ªand crystallizing in sensation by the moment. What the hell? Hadn¡¯t they had this item inspected? Shouldn¡¯t they know if there were ¡­ other, unstated side effects? It¡¯d been a rush order, so maybe that was why? Maybe she¡¯d missed something obscure in the rush, Fe only checking for dangerous effects? Whatever was happening, Delta didn¡¯t particrly give a fuck. Her cock was being swallowed by an eager girl, and Delta felt every wet sensation, every squeeze and contraction of her throat as she choked on Delta¡¯s impressive size. Delta shoved Adrienne the rest of the way, groaning, then started bucking her hips. ¡°Here¡¯s your fucking cock. Choke on it. You like having your fuck-hole stuffed? You like swallowing my fat girl dick?¡± Adrienne replied in the form of squelching, gagging noises. Spit dripped from her chin as Delta violently used her. Her eyes were darkened with lust. Delta picked up speed, bing even rougher. Suzi squatted behind Adrienne and wrapped her arms around her waist. One hand dipped between Adrienne¡¯s legs and started rubbing. Suzi only had eyes for Delta, though, despite how she was ying with the other girl. Now, Delta had two bright pairs of eyes staring up at her as she worked her cock in and out of Adrienne¡¯s throat. The sensation wasn¡¯t quite as intense as when she¡¯d been in Zoey¡¯s body. Whatever the linking te was doing, it was giving an echo¡ªnot the full image. But Delta had been excited just to use Zoey¡¯s cock ¡­ any sensation at all was a huge bonus. Also, was it the same as what Zoey was feeling? Could she tell how close Zoey was getting? Or would their orgasms be separate? Probably together, if she had to guess? Adrienne¡¯s eyes started to flutter, and Delta realized, in a sh of lust and concern, that she wouldn¡¯t ask Delta to stop. That she would, quite literally, choke on Delta¡¯s cock before patting Delta¡¯s thighs to tell her she needed air. Reluctantly, Delta pulled out of Adrienne¡¯s mouth. Adrienne gasped in oxygen. ¡°You¡¯re a good actor,¡± Suzi said to Delta. ¡°Those are some ¡­ impressive noises you¡¯re making.¡± Delta¡¯s grunts of pleasure, having her cock pleasured by Adrienne¡¯s throat. Did Delta exin the development? She chose not to. ¡°Your turn,¡± Delta said instead, guiding her cock to Suzi¡¯s mouth. Adrienne didn¡¯tin; she peeled away from Suzi¡¯s embrace and scooted forward. She buried her face underneath Delta¡¯s cock, gripping Delta¡¯s ass for leverage. Her tongue stroked at Delta¡¯s other part, and Delta shivered at the unexpected sensation. Suzi¡¯s mouth opened up, and she leaned forward, taking Delta in her mouth. And so, Delta had two tongues ying with her¡ªin two different sensitive areas. How was that fair? And how did she get so lucky? Delta rocked her hips back and forth, sliding her pussy against Adrienne¡¯s tongue, and her cock against the soft insides of Suzi¡¯s cheeks. Suzi hadn¡¯t jumped straight to taking Delta in her throat; she was still the more apprehensive of the two girls. And while Delta wanted to be rough with her, like she had Adrienne, Suzi had made no such request. So Delta curled her fingers into Suzi¡¯s hair and yed with the tresses, slowly urging her¡ªmore gently, but still urging¡ªto go deeper. Suzi pulled back, took a breath, and Delta read her intention: when her mouth rejoined, Delta helped get her down. She watched Suzi¡¯s throat bend outward, and savored in the choking noise she made. Delta reached down and pulled open Suzi¡¯s dress, taking a peak down the window. She wasn¡¯t wearing a bra, which Delta had already known. Two hard nipples stood at attention ¡­ and tits were always amazing, but somehow, the angle, looking down Suzi¡¯s dress, shaped them in an even more perfect way. Delta gasped, and her back arched. Adrienne¡¯s tongue had slipped inside, finally stopping its teasing strokes. Seriously, how was she supposed to hold off when attacked from two directions at once? Delta couldn¡¯te too fast. She had a reputation to maintain. Delta pulled out of Suzi¡¯s mouth, and away from Adrienne, too. Adrienne¡¯s satisfied smirk told Delta she knew exactly why Delta had retreated, and that she knew exactly how good her skills with her tongue were. Delta growled. If Adrienne wanted to y the brat ¡­ Delta was happy to put her in her ce. ¡°Up.¡± Adrienne stood. Delta spun her around and pushed her against the stall. She bumped into it roughly, with a delighted noise of surprise. Delta smacked her ass, hard. Flesh rippled, and the noise was obscenely loud. Adrienne¡¯s back arched, and she cried out. Delta paused, briefly, but Adrienne didn¡¯t let her hesitate: ¡°Is Master upset her naughty slut is too good with her tongue? Master is scared of cumming too fast?¡± She waggled her ass, which was already growing red from the impact of Delta¡¯s hand. ¡°I guess Master should put her fucktoy in her ce. I mean, look how she¡¯s talking back. Master isn¡¯t good at taking control, is she?¡± ¡®Master¡¯. Not entirely Delta¡¯s thing, but honestly, Delta¡¯s thing was whatever was getting her partner off. And, she was a bit offended. ¡®Not taking control¡¯? Delta was trying not to overstep her bounds ¡­ but maybe that wasn¡¯t possible with this girl. Delta pped the other cheek. Adrienne cried out. Then again, on the other side, which was already red. Adrienne¡¯s back arched in pain ¡­ and equal amounts of pleasure. Adrienne wiggled her ass. ¡°Master still isn¡¯t¡ª¡° Delta spun her around, then mmed her back into the wall. She gripped Adrienne¡¯s throat and pinned her there, then sank her middle two fingers into her pussy¡ªshe was dripping wet, and they slid in easily. Whatever taunting words Adrienne had prepared were cut off in a cry of satisfaction. After a few squelching thrusts of her fingers, Delta pulled out, then swatted Adrienne¡¯s tits. Adrienne cried out, again. Delta swatted a second time. Adrienne writhed in her grip, face growing red from Delta¡¯s hand on her throat. ¡°Fuck.¡± The word came out choked. ¡°Fuck me harder, Master.¡± Adrienne¡¯s face was beet-red. Delta¡¯s handplied with her request, and she sank her digits back into Adrienne¡¯s pussy and started thrusting. Adrienne bucked eagerly into them, squirming in her grip. ¡°Fuck your stupid whore. Fuck, she wants to cum. She¡¯s close. Your stupid whore barely needs to be touched to cum.¡± Suzi slid in from the side, taking Adrienne¡¯s mouth with her own. Delta¡¯s eased her grip on Adrienne¡¯s throat to let her return the kiss. Delta continued thrusting her fingers in and out of Adrienne as the two girls sloppily shared saliva. Delta had been leaving Suzi out, a bit, but threesomes could be tricky to manage. By the end, Delta would have Suzi wobbly-legged and satisfied. She just had to wait her turn. Under Delta and Suzi¡¯s joined efforts, Adrienne¡¯s climax washed over her. Her hips bucked into Delta¡¯s hand as she cried out and made choked noises, and Delta¡¯s grip on her neck increased as she reached her crescendo. The flimsy bathroom stall rattled as Adrienne thrashed. Adrienne spat obscenities, her words no longer making sense. She¡¯d really needed release. Delta was kind of jealous at how intensely she was falling apart. ¡°Enough, enough,¡± Adrienne choked out. Delta released her grip and stilled her pumping. Adrienne sucked in air and slid down the stall wall, her head visibly swimming. Delta would¡¯ve crouched down andforted her¡ªshe was shaking something violent from her explosive finish¡ªbut Suzi intercepted her. She grabbed Delta by the hand and guided her onto the toilet. ¡°Sit,¡± she said. ¡°My turn.¡± 3.17 Out On The Town IV 3.17 Out On The Town IV Suzi ground her hips against Delta, seated on herp. Her panties provided an agonizing friction that had Delta groaning and bucking in return. ¡°You can feel through it, can¡¯t you?¡± Suzi asked. She was leaned forward, her forehead pressed into Delta¡¯s as she rocked her hips, sliding her panties against Delta¡¯s cock. ¡°There¡¯s no way you¡¯re acting.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an ¡­ unexpected development,¡± Delta panted out. ¡°I had no idea.¡± ¡°Hm,¡± Suzi said, grinning down at her. ¡°Lucky you.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t ¡­ disagree.¡± ¡°You have a condom, right?¡± ¡°You want one?¡± Delta couldn¡¯t fully keep the disappointment out, though of course she¡¯d put on one, if asked. ¡°Enticing as it sounds, pregnancy from a magical shard item ¡­ I¡¯ll have to pass. And, it¡¯s just safe practice.¡± Delta couldn¡¯t argue that. Zoey had taken an infertility potion just in case, but Delta guessed there were other practical reasons to wear a condom. And, Suzi had asked, so Delta wouldply. ¡°In my purse.¡± Suzi dismounted her, which they both seemed equally upset by. She frantically dug through Delta¡¯s purse, finding the thin piece of stic, then remounted Delta. ¡°Where¡¯d you even find these?¡± Suzi asked, ripping open the stic. Delta¡¯s cock stuck up between their bodies, twitching with impatience. ¡°Didn¡¯t think they made them that big, either,¡± Delta said. ¡°But, guess they do.¡± Suzi slid the condom down Delta¡¯s cock, then lifted herself up and pushed her panties to the side. Suzi hadn¡¯t undressed, besides her shoes; she wore her dress, still, and her panties. It was just as hot as being naked. Delta lined her cock up to Suzi¡¯s entrance, past thecy fabric of her panties, and Suzi sank her lower body down, not wasting time, needing this as much as Delta. Suzi sucked in air as she took Delta¡¯s girth. Delta also sucked in air. While not as intense as when she¡¯d had a real cock, even an echo of having her length squeezed by another girl¡¯s tight walls was enough to have Delta¡¯s mind whiting out. Her hands dropped to Suzi¡¯s waist, and her hips pressed upward without conscious input. Suzi whined as Delta sank into her, but she didn¡¯t ask Delta to slow. Her ass hit Delta¡¯s legs, and Delta stared in amazement at how her stomach was pushed out, a bare hint of her cock¡¯s outline showing¡ªlike always, when it came to Zoey¡¯s cock. Fuck, Delta really wanted it to be bigger, somehow. She confirmed in her mind that the event with the oversized toy had unlocked something in her: she hadn¡¯t been a size queen, ever, but she definitely was now. She wanted to bulge a girl¡¯s tummy outward as she fucked them¡ªto see every thrust with a defined outline, like had happened with her. Not that fourteen inches wasn¡¯t fun, or enough. Delta started moving, gripping Suzi¡¯s waist as she pped herself into the other girl. ¡°It¡¯s not fair you got to go first,¡± Adrienne pouted, having apparently recovered. Delta wasn¡¯t able to pay her other partner much attention; she was lost in the sensation of fucking Suzi, and the noises she was making. Finally, Suzi¡¯s primposure had broken ¡­ but of course fourteen inches of girl cock had done that. Suzi rocked her hips back and forth, aiding Delta where she could. ¡°Fuck,¡± Suzi panted with each p. ¡°So much. You¡¯re so fucking big.¡± Adrienne, arriving behind Suzi, hiked her dress up, providing Delta an even better sight: her smooth, unblemished skin, a soft stomach. Adrienne kept bunching the dress up, so it was above Suzi¡¯s breasts¡ªshe wasn¡¯t wearing a bra, so there was nothing to pull down, there. Adrienne cupped and yed with Suzi¡¯s tits, tweaking her nipples as Delta and Suzi pped their lower halves against each other. Adrienne¡¯s chin was on Suzi¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You lucky girl. I shouldn¡¯t have been so impatient, and settled for fingers ¡­ maybe I would¡¯ve gotten it first. You better appreciate it. It feels so amazing, right? Being fucked by such a fat girlcock? How did you get so lucky?¡± Suzi could only groan in response. She couldn¡¯t even curse, anymore¡ªher movements were desperate, twitching, awkward as Delta pumped her full. She was starting toe apart. Something was building for Delta, too, but not quite there. Either the muted sensations, or Zoey¡¯s stamina. Zoey. The reminder jolted her. Zoey was feeling all of this¡ªeach pump of Delta¡¯s hips into her dark-haired partner. It was her cock, even more than Delta¡¯s, being milked by tight, wet walls. Delta¡¯s movements picked up, the idea thrilling through her. And, Suzi had started to shake. It was time to finish her off. With Delta¡¯s strength, Suzi barely had to lift herself up and down¡ªDelta did it for her. She moved Suzi¡¯s body like it weighed nothing, jerking her body up and down onto Delta¡¯s cock with her own efforts, handling her with a steady grip by the waist. ¡°Please, yes,¡± Suzi cried out. The words bounced off the bathroom walls; Delta wondered how many people heard them. She hadn¡¯t been paying attention to if anyone had entered ¡­ she was a bit distracted. ¡°Fuck me, please. Fuck.¡± Suzi writhed on Delta¡¯sp as she pumped her cock in and out of her pussy, bringing the girl to ecstasy. Adrienne had taken the liberty to rub at Suzi¡¯s clit. Her other hand yed with Suzi¡¯s nipple. Suzi was overwhelmed, being attacked from so many directions. Finally, Suzi copsed forward, her climax wracking through her. Delta kept pumping until Suzi groaned for her to slow ¡­ which she reluctantly did. Delta¡¯s cock twitched inside Suzi, upset. The first hints of orgasm had started to creep in, setting Delta¡¯s skin on fire. She basked in the reprieve ¡­ though, tucked into Suzi¡¯s pussy, it wasn¡¯t a full reprieve. But a short break, the friction finally stopping. ¡°C¡¯mon,¡± Adrienne said, tugging Suzi by the waist. ¡°Don¡¯t be greedy. You can resty down on the towel. I want her to fuck me while I¡¯m on top of you.¡± Suzi didn¡¯t hear Adrienne, still recovering, but she let herself be guided by Delta and Adrienne. Theyid Suzi out on the towel. Her dress was still hiked up ¡­ she looked a mess, red-faced and barely able to focus. Delta smirked at that; she¡¯d done a good job. Adrienne climbed atop her. She pushed Suzi¡¯s legs open, thenid across her, and also spread her legs open. Delta set up between them, taking a brief moment to admire the sight¡ªthe two pussiesid against each other, and Adrienne,id across Suzi with their tits pressed together, kissing the other girl. This position wasn¡¯t the most convenient on a bathroom floor; there was no plushness or sink to the bed to give Delta the angle she needed. So, she picked Suzi up by her butt, bringing Adrienne up along with her, their lower bodies now at the level Delta needed. Again, there was a reason wayfarers were popr ¡­ Delta could hold this position as long as she needed, despite supporting a decent portion of the two girl¡¯s weights. Before sinking into Adrienne, though, Delta took a moment to rub between them¡ªto enjoy having her cock slide between two stomachs, against two wet pussies. Suzi and Adrienne ground against her. ¡°Please,¡± Adrienne gasped. ¡°Stop teasing. I want you inside.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what my stupid fucktoy wants, does it?¡± Adrienne ground harder against Delta, groaning. ¡°No, but Master¡¯s cock wants relief. I know it does. So use her willing cocksleeve. Please.¡± Delta couldn¡¯t argue that reasoning. She lined her cock up, then pped her hips forward. She jostled the two girls, the impact of her hips rippling Adrienne¡¯s ass. Delta worked back into a rhythm. Adrienne¡¯s ass was red from her spankings earlier. Delta adjusted her grip on their lower halves, then used the free hand to add a few more smacks. Adrienne cried out. Delta had learned her lesson; she didn¡¯t go easy on Adrienne. Even as she pumped the auburn-haired girl full of fourteen inches of girl cock, Delta spanked her and degraded her, not holding back. ¡°Stupid fucking whore,¡± Delta grunted as she pumped Zoey¡¯s cock in and out of Adrienne. ¡°You needed a fucking that bad? Well, here it is. Take it.¡± ¡°Fuck,¡± Adrienne whined. ¡°I can feel you in my stomach. Deeper, please. Please. Fill me up. Cum inside your stupid fucktoy. She¡¯s yours to empty in. Y-Your cum dumpster.¡± Adrienne¡¯s hips jerked desperately back and forth, meeting Delta¡¯s rhythms. She was sliding up and down Suzi with each impact, whose eyes had refocused; she was watching from beneath Adrienne, panting at the disy. Her hand was between her legs, rubbing¡ªready for her own round two. Adrienne came only a few moments before Delta¡¯s own climax washed over her. Zoey¡¯s cock¡ªDelta¡¯s cock¡ªclenched, and Delta pped forward one more time, hunching over the two girls. She groaned, a long, drawn out thing, as her cock finally gave in to Adrienne¡¯s tight, milking walls. The sensation itself had been muted, but her orgasm wasn¡¯t. Delta cried out¡ªjoining the chorus of Adrienne¡¯s moans¡ªas she pumped a sticky load of girl cum into her partner. Her hips arched forward, and she held that way for a few seconds, savoring her pelvis buried into Adrienne¡¯s ass. Then she started rutting, working out every sticky, ejecting string she could, theck of friction no longer satisfying. As Delta had grown to expect, it went on and on¡ªher cock spasmed for way longer than it should, emptying itself in aical quantity into her partner. Or, into the condom, which Delta had almost forgot she¡¯d put on. Would it hold? Zoey came a lot; it had to be stuffing the stic near to bursting. Delta was too lost in pleasure to care. She fucked Adrienne¡¯s tight hole until her cock had spent itselfpletely. Delta groaned, then pulled out of Adrienne and fell back, dizzy. Vaguely, she looked down at herself¡ªat Zoey¡¯s cock sticking into the air, with a condom filled with aical amount of cum. It had held. Adrienne shuffled up to Delta, sitting on her thighs. ¡°Wow,¡± sheughed. Her second recovery had been quicker than the first. She pinched the condom, closing the top and sealing the cum-balloon, then worked the condom off Delta¡¯s cock. She turned it over and admired Delta¡¯s output. ¡°That thing cums like a monster, too. Doesn¡¯t just look it.¡± Delta had forced herself to lean up, even if she was dizzy. ¡°Yeah. It does.¡± To Delta¡¯s continued appreciation. Suzi had also sat up. She cozied up to the two of them. Adrienne, seeing it, grinned, then turned Delta¡¯s condom over and poured some of the white liquid into her mouth. She leaned forward and captured Suzi¡¯s lips, whose eyes widened, but quickly reciprocated. Delta¡¯s cock twitched in excitement¡ªwhich was weird, seeing how Delta¡¯s own visual stimtion shouldn¡¯t have done anything for Zoey¡¯s cock. Her emotions had linked to it, too ¡­ a two-way street? Delta admired her two partners as they sloppily shared Delta¡¯s cum, spilling down their chins and onto their tits¡ªand onto Suzi¡¯s dress, which she didn¡¯t seem to pay attention to. Suzi took the condom, then poured more onto Adrienne¡¯s face, rubbing the liquid roughly around, spreading it so it coated her face in sloppy quantities. ¡°Gods, you¡¯re so fucking gross,¡± Suzi said. ¡°You like this, don¡¯t you? Being covered in cum? Slut.¡± Like usual, Adrienne grinned at her partner, savoring in the degrading talk. She opened her mouth for more, and Suzi poured a second load in. They kissed. Finally, after expending all of the white liquid, Suzi stood and grabbed a second condom from Delta¡¯s purse. ¡°Hope you¡¯ve got a lot more in you,¡± she said. Zoey¡¯s cock¡ªDelta¡¯s cock¡ªhardened back to full mast. ¡°That answers that,¡± Suzi said, amused, rolling the next condom down. 3.18 Settling Down 3.18 Settling Down Zoey had mentally prepared herself for Delta using her ¡®night out¡¯ as thoroughly as possible, but she had underestimated Delta¡¯s stamina. Zoey spent the better portion of two and some hours squirming on her bed, humping air in a way that provided no friction¡ªor, no additional friction¡ªbut being unable to help herself. It was torture, in the best and worst interpretations of the word. She was, at least, spared from Rosalie watching the event. Even by the time Delta¡¯s enthusiastic night out ended, Rosalie hadn¡¯t returned to their shared bedroom. She had set out into Treyhull with aundry list of ns, apparently. A half-hour after Zoey stopped being magically pleasured across half a city, Zoey heard giggling and stumblinging from outside her door, and Delta¡¯s loud, unmistakable voice. They¡¯d gotten rooms next to each other, for convenience, when they¡¯d re-checked into the Guild¡¯s living quarters. Zoey cracked the door, peeked out, and sure enough, Delta was fumbling her key into the lock, apanied by two girls. One had ck hair, and the other, auburn. It didn¡¯t take a leap of deduction to know these were who Zoey¡¯s cock had been stuffing not an hour ago. Zoey wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about that. Delta shed her a grin. ¡°Hey, Zoey. Just stopping by to clean up.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± the dark-haired woman asked. She seemed embarrassed to havepany; she appraised Zoey hesitantly. Which was fair, considering the state she¡ªor all three of them¡ªwere in. Looking the way they were, Zoey wouldn¡¯t have wanted to be seen either. Zoey leaned against the doorframe, studying the three. They¡¯de to clean up? Was that the truth, or was Zoey in for even more torture? Had Delta lugged her hook-ups back to her room for rounds ten through fifteen? ¡°Zoey, my teammate,¡± Delta exined to her partners. The lock she was fumbling with finally clicked open. Delta said to Zoey, ¡°We won¡¯t be loud, don¡¯t worry. Seriously, just here to clean up. Apparently Suzi didn¡¯t want her roommates seeing her like this.¡± A grin. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine why.¡± ¡®Like this¡¯. Yeah. As Zoey had already noted, the ck haired girl was in a filthy statepletely unfit for public. She was coated in dried cum. Maybe someone who didn¡¯t know to expect it wouldn¡¯t have noticed, since they¡¯d at least half cleaned up, and the stains were indistinct ¡­ but they¡¯d missed plenty, and Zoey did know what to suspect. And, it was funny to Zoey that it was the ck-haired girl that didn¡¯t want to ¡®show up home in her current state¡¯, considering how Auburn-Hair was in much worse condition. ck-Hair, at least, could mostly have passed in the dark and nobody would have noticed the stains on her dress¡ªand face. But Auburn-Hair¡¯s shirt, jeans, face, and hair were so much worse. The cum was visible caked on. Zoey¡¯s cum. And she was grinning at Zoey, wearing the filth like a badge of pride, knowing that Zoey knew what it was. Christ. Delta really knew how to find them, apparently. They¡¯d walked through Treyhull looking like that? She guessed it was dark out, but still. Color Zoey impressed ¡­ talk about shameless. ¡°Uh huh,¡± Zoey said. ¡°You won¡¯t be loud.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t,¡± Delta said. ¡°For real.¡± ¡°Teammate?¡± Auburn-Hair interjected¡ªit seemed aimed at both Delta and Zoey. Delta¡¯s introduction had made Auburn-Hair look at Zoey in a new light ¡­ and she¡¯d already been looking appreciatively. Zoey was appreciative, too. Delta had found two gorgeous women to spend the night with. Which made sense. Delta was beautiful, confident, and, while a bit too quick to speak her mind sometimes, that same cockiness went a long way. At least in a casual sort of setting, like girls looking for one night stands. ¡°Yep,¡± Delta said. ¡°Teammate. C¡¯mon, let¡¯s get you two cleaned up.¡± She tugged her two girlfriends into the room, then popped out, briefly, to toss Zoey¡¯s cock at her, which Zoey fumbled in surprise. ¡°And thanks for the loan. But we¡¯re done with it.¡± Delta¡¯s door closed behind her. Zoey blinked. If she¡¯d relinquished Zoey¡¯s cock, then maybe they really were done for the night. They had certainly looked spent. Either way, her end of the bargain had been fulfilled. She¡¯d have some peace. She inspected her softened cock for a few moments, that usual disorientation washing over her¡ªthat she had her own disembodied cock in her hands. Not something she could get used to overnight, was it? She shook the feeling away, then vanished the linking te into her inventory. Which they had discovered she could do. Or rather, Fe had. Her rush-order inspection, paid for at a premium even with Fe¡¯s generous discounts, had resulted in exactly what Zoey wanted to hear: that the linking te could survive inventory-depositing without going haywire. And thank goodness for that, because it was an immensely needed convenience feature. Her decision to be ¡®on disy¡¯ was still a high motivation, but there would be times she would want it to not be so obvious, while also being able to wear normal clothing¡ªsomething that didn¡¯t need to hide her enormous bulge, like a billowing skirt, or loose robes, or whatever. For example, when she eventually met Rosalie¡¯s parents, and her sisters. She would rather not have her fourteen-inch problem so in-their-face when that day rolled around ¡­ or god forbid, for whatever reason she stiffened, creating an imprint all the way down to her knee. Zoey would die on the spot if that happened. So she greatly appreciated the item. Zoey¡¯s reservations over her cock were mostly gone, but that didn¡¯t mean every aspect of it, she loved. Its unwieldy size made it a headache to deal with when in politepany. And sure, she could store the linking te physically elsewhere, solving that problem, but being able to lug it around in her inventory meant she could also have it on hand whenever she needed it. A perfect solution, rather than a half-solution. Zoey walked back into her bedroom and copsed onto the bed. The Guild¡¯s walls were remarkably solid. Despite the density of the hotel-like rooms, she¡¯d yet to be bothered by outside noise. Maybe if Delta really got going, Zoey would hear something from through the wall, but maybe not, either. And, Delta had seemed genuine that she was only offering her room as a ce to get cleaned up, maybe sleep. After the two-hour marathon with sporadic breaks between sessions, Zoey would¡¯ve been impressed if Delta had kept going. That girl knew how to roll around, but even she had limits. A half hour ticked by, and Rosalie returned. Zoey had worked through a few more pages of Sabina¡¯s assigned reading. The more she learned about alchemy, the more she realized what she was in for: it would be a while before she could call herselfpetent. But maybe next time she saw Sabina, Zoey could perform a brew, rather than talk theory. She was looking forward to that. The door closed, and a few momentster, Rosalie walked around the corner. The hours she¡¯d spent separated from her adventuring partner had somehow resulted in Zoey forgetting how beautiful she was. Rosalie had been such a staple in Zoey¡¯s life she¡¯d somehow, absurdly, taken it for granted. Her hard features, small nose, chiseled jaw, and piercing ice-blue eyes hit Zoey like a punch to the gut. It literally took her breath away. Rosalie¡¯s eyes flicked to Zoey¡¯s crotch. Zoey wasn¡¯t wearing pants; she¡¯d stripped them off and tossed them aside, and was wearing only the pink fabric panties of holding. So, Zoey was smooth down there¡ªshe looked how she would before Ephy¡¯s transformation. Seeing it, Rosalie frowned, before quickly looking away and finishing walking in. Zoey tilted her head. Rosalie, like always when it came to these matters, had been easy to read. She¡¯d been disappointed that Zoey¡¯s bulge was hidden. Zoey felt a few emotion pass through her at that¡ªa sort of insecurity, to name the first. What, Zoey without a cock wasn¡¯t worth admiring? But she knew that wasn¡¯t fair. Or, sort of. It wasplicated. Rosalie liked her cock. If Zoey were honest, she liked Rosalie¡¯s ass, and would be disappointed if that disappeared, too. It wasn¡¯t remotely the most important part of Rosalie, but Zoey still appreciated it. If Rosalie decided to tten it out with a magical item, Zoey might¡¯ve frowned too. The whole topic was a mess, though, because the equivalence to her cock wasn¡¯t quite the same, seeing how Zoey had been magically granted the appendage. But, Zoey didn¡¯t want to linger on the incident. And it wasn¡¯t a wholly negative event, either. The insecurity hadn¡¯t been the only emotion; confidence had swelled up, too¡ªhow couldn¡¯t Zoey be proud that Rosalie had outright frowned at not getting to admire her package? A reaction like that was exactly why Zoey had grown to like her new addition so quickly. And Zoey would have to have a horrible opinion of Rosalie to think that if Zoey somehow lost it, then Rosalie would lose interest in her. She just liked seeing it, and without thinking, had let it show on her face. ¡°Hm,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°You¡¯re reading. Something alchemy rted, I¡¯m assuming?¡± She sat on the corner of the bed and started taking her shoes off. ¡°Yeah,¡± Zoey replied idly. The sh of insecurity was there then gone, Rosalie¡¯s words breaking the spell. Now, Zoey admired Rosalie, as she had at the start. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you dressed up so casually. It looks good on you. Though, I guess anything would.¡± She was wearing jeans and a light-red t-shirt; she¡¯d changed from her adventuring gear at some point¡ªZoey didn¡¯t know when. Her toned arms and long, milky legs were on disy. It was overall modest, but Zoey couldn¡¯t keep her eyes from crawling across Rosalie. Every part of her was perfect, and the brief time away¡ªjust a half-day, nothing at all, really, but which had felt so much longer¡ªZoey had forgotten how much so. And the way her cheeks colored at Zoey¡¯s easily givenpliment ¡­ that was the best part of everything. Rosalie huffed and turned away, then, shoes off, walked to the bathroom. Zoey watched the way her hips swayed, the way her ass changed shape as she crossed the room. Fuck, it really was so perfect. Zoey rolled out of bed and followed Rosalie. She leaned against the bathroom¡¯s door frame as Rosalie undid her hair, letting the bundled white-blonde tresses fall down her back. Zoey preferred Rosalie with her hair down¡ªthere was something casual about it. And that was what Zoey wanted. Casual. Partners, in a non-professional sense. Girlfriends. Maybe that title wouldn¡¯t just be a hopeful dream, soon. It was insane how the word heaved the ground beneath Zoey¡¯s feet. Turned her stomach into a pile of actual goo. Fuck, she had it so bad. How? She¡¯d known Rosalie half a week. ¡°I believe I told you in the first shard,¡± Rosalie said, focusing on the mirror and not Zoey, ¡°that thepliments are ridiculous. If you need to be taken care of, just tell me. No need to ¡­ butter me up.¡± Zoey grinned. She leaned off the door frame and approached Rosalie, wrapping her arms around her stomach and putting her chin on her shoulder. ¡°For a politician, you¡¯re really transparent.¡± Another huff. ¡°Transparent how?¡± ¡°You say ¡®take care of me¡¯, like you¡¯re not itching for it too.¡± ¡°A curious theory. You do tend to have those.¡± Zoey let her hands dip lower, then sneak under the hem of Rosalie¡¯s shirt and start fiddling with her jean¡¯s waistband. With a deft motion, the button popped open. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying you don¡¯t want to?¡± Rosalie quickly grew flustered, Zoey¡¯s toying with her pants setting her cheeks pink. Her voice was steady, though. ¡°The alternative is dealing with your lecherous looks and excessive ttery, isn¡¯t it? Might as well sate your appetite. It¡¯s for my own sanity.¡± ¡°Mmm,¡± Zoey said, grinning at Rosalie through the mirror. Her eyes shied from Zoey¡¯s. Zoey¡¯s fingers teased her underwear¡¯s waistband, now, not her jean¡¯s, and Rosalie¡¯s breath started came faster. She was excited¡ªanticipating what was about to happen. ¡°Well,¡± Zoey said, fingers abruptly stopping their adventuring. ¡°Either way, there won¡¯t be any of that tonight. We¡¯re keeping it strictly chaste.¡± ¡°What?¡± Rosalie¡¯s response was as surprised as it was affronted. Affronted¡ªRosalie actually sounded offended at Zoey¡¯s unexpected statement. She reined the reaction in, but it was toote; Zoey grinned at her, and Rosalie¡¯s pink cheeks red red at how obvious she¡¯d been. ¡°What do you mean?¡± she said, forcibly casual, wrestling for herposure back. She¡¯s so cute. ¡°Yeah,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Nothing¡¯s happening tonight, so don¡¯t even try it, you subus. Cuddles, and that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°But¡ªbut why?¡± Again, Rosalie flushed at her own response. ¡°Not that a night of uninterrupted rest sounds unpleasant ¡­ but it¡¯s uncharacteristic. So I¡¯m curious.¡± ¡°Well, you see,¡± Zoey started. Rosalie waited. ¡°Tomorrow¡¯s date night.¡± Rosalie blinked. ¡°So I¡¯m saving myself. I¡¯ve got this feeling I¡¯m gonna get lucky at the end ¡­ so I wanna be in top shape.¡± If Zoey had thought Rosalie¡¯s flustered state had been cute before, her clumsiness at the mention of a ¡®date¡¯ was twice that. Rosalie couldn¡¯t even seem to find a response. She finally settled on the wholly ineloquent, ¡°Ah. I see. That¡¯s¡ªthat¡¯s fair reasoning, I suppose.¡± ¡°Which means you¡¯re showering by yourself,¡± Zoey said, kissing the side of Rosalie¡¯s neck. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be able to help myself.¡± That said, she left Rosalie with a firm smack to the butt. Zoeyughed and tugged the bathroom door shut behind her, Rosalie¡¯s protestsing several seconds toote¡ªstill flustered from the announcement. 3.19 Meeting Maddy 3.19 Meeting Maddy Waking up next to Rosalie made it hard to keep her conviction, but Zoey somehow managed to. Asst night, Zoey took her shower alone. The thick ck ink below her stomach had mostly washed away. It turned out that while the magical item¡¯s markings were aggravatingly difficult to get off her skin, it wasn¡¯t impossible. Though Zoey wondered whether it was her scrubbing efforts or if time¡ªa cooldown¡ªhad softened the ink. It hadn¡¯t budged in the slightest the first night, so Zoey suspected the ink weakened each sessive day. Either way, thest dredges of the markings washed away, and Zoey was left with clean skin. She suspected Rosalie and Delta would likewise be able to get theirs off. Zoey knocked on Delta¡¯s door, but either she was a deep sleeper, or she¡¯d set off for the day ¡­ Zoey suspected the first. So Zoey and Rosalie shared a breakfast down at the Guild¡¯s restaurant sans their third party member. With some instructions from Rosalie, Zoey made her way to the Oasis, the casual title for the mage¡¯s training hall. She sat on a bench and leaned against the wall, cracking open her alchemy textbook. Surprisingly, the material had been riveting so far. Though written in a dry, academic way, the exact sort of reading that Zoey hadn¡¯t been able to suffer through in her past life¡ªwas that too dramatic? She hadn¡¯t died, only been teleported, so it wasn¡¯t a ¡®past life¡¯¡ªbut considering the sheer relevance of alchemy, and the intriguing dissimrity to anything back home, Zoey found herself working through the dense text much easier than she¡¯d expected. Next time she met up with Sabina, Zoey thought she¡¯d be ready for a brew. That¡¯d probably be tomorrow. She had a busy day today. After training with Maddy, Zoey intended to set out into Treyhull and formalize her date ns with Rosalie, as well as run a few errands. She¡¯d already decided she¡¯d be keeping things rxed and low key¡ªso hard-to-get reservations or whatever wouldn¡¯t be needed, and were impossible for Zoey to arrange anyway¡ªbut she still ought to have a clear itinerary. A visit to the park, and a pic, was the definite event she wanted, but she needed to pick out which park, and a nice ce to set up. Another event or two would be ideal, too. Did they have ice cream in this world? The thought demonstrated a problem¡ªZoey was at a disadvantage. How was she supposed to n a date in an alien world? She¡¯d need to talk to someone and get advice, ideas. Delta, maybe, if she was in her room when Zoey got back. Maybe Maddy? It would give the two of them something to talk about. As a potential fourth party member, Zoey didn¡¯t want to keep their training session today strictly professional. She wanted casual topics too, where she could get to know Maddy. Though Zoey wouldn¡¯t be neglecting her true purpose of this event, learning the basics of magic. But as teammates, she wanted to get a feel for Maddy. Er, not in that way. Though ¡­ that would happen too, if they did group up. But better to keep those thoughts reined in until Maddy decided to join them. If she decided to. Besides nning for the date, Zoey needed to go shopping. Nice clothes, a pair of shoes, make-up. The clothing Rosalie had helped her pick out was strictly utilitarian ¡­ not exactly what Zoey wanted to wear on their date. What would Rosalie want to see her in? A dress and heels? That would be too formal considering her ns. Tank top and jeans? A skirt? Button up and cks? Maybe she should¡¯ve talked to Rosalie in more explicit detail about this¡ªshe might expect the event to be formal. Which would be fine, but maybe too unwieldy for an evening at the park. Zoey would get a few outfits to cover her bases, to be safe. Somebody slid onto the bench next to her. ¡°Lost in thought?¡± a cheerful voice asked. ¡°Pretty sure you¡¯re supposed to look at the pages, not above them.¡± Zoey blinked as she turned to her visitor. Maddy had a round, innocent face, and she was smiling brightly at Zoey, her light gray eyes warm¡ªand genuine¡ªenough that Zoey¡¯s returning smile came by instinct. ¡°Maddy?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my name!¡± She was in a full mage¡¯s get-up: long gray robes (that clung surprisingly tight to her curves), a wide, droopy hat, and to her side, a long staff of twisted white wood, knotted at the top. Her blue hair was the most noticeable part of her, besides maybe her general cheerfulness. Her droopy wide-brimmed hat covered most of it, but the straight blue locks went down to her shoulders, so it was plenty on disy. She was cute. Not like Delta, whose curves Zoey sometimes couldn¡¯t draw her eyes away from, or the regal elegance of Rosalie. Wholesome. Though, Zoey knew not to ce too much emphasis on first impressions. This was a girl who fought monsters for a living ¡­ she might seem cheerful, but ¡®young and innocent¡¯ wasn¡¯t true. She was older than Delta and Rosalie, even¡ªneen, the same as Zoey. Zoey closed her book, vanished it, then held a hand out. ¡°Zoey.¡± ¡°Figured!¡± She shook Zoey¡¯s hand. She was still smiling. ¡°What were you reading?¡± ¡°Alchemy stuff?¡± The inflection implied Zoey wasn¡¯t the best person to talk about it with. ¡°Oh! You¡¯re a craftsman? Trained as one?¡± A person¡¯s runes weren¡¯t guaranteed, but most people who received craftsman runes came from craftsman families ¡­ or at least had prior training. Hereditary in some part. So it was a reasonable assumption. ¡°No, actually,¡± Zoey said. ¡°No clue why I got it. Don¡¯t know a thing about alchemy ¡­ so I¡¯m ying catch up.¡± Maddy didn¡¯t know about her ¡®amnesia¡¯, did she? Zoey didn¡¯t know what Delta had told her. But Zoey could skirt around the topic much better than when she¡¯d first arrived ¡­ she would undoubtedly say something soon enough that would have Maddy giving her a curious look, and it might be better to exin anyways, but Zoey could at least not be caught immediately. She could hold a halfway reasonable conversation, without giving away she was a foreigner from a different world. Instead of blinking in surprise, Maddy looked jealous at Zoey¡¯s exnation. ¡°Lucky you. I¡¯d have killed for a crafting rune. My auntie is an enchanter ¡­ it looks like a lot of fun.¡± She sighed. ¡°But it wasn¡¯t in the stars for me.¡± A brief pause, Zoey struggling to find something to say to that, but she didn¡¯t have to¡ªMaddy stood and pped her hands together. ¡°Kay! Did you check out a room for us?¡± ¡°Er, no,¡± Zoey said, rising. ¡°I don¡¯t know how it works. Sorry.¡± ¡°No problem. Let¡¯s go handle it.¡± The room wasn¡¯t excessively expensive¡ªrtive to her portion of earnings from the previous delve, at least, since Zoey didn¡¯t have a good idea of how the economy worked, here. Zoey knew these training sessions wouldn¡¯t be cheap, but that was on ount of Maddy¡¯s tutge, not the room costs. As one of the better lower-advancement mages in Treyhull, her time wasn¡¯t cheap. Which wasn¡¯t a big deal. Money wasn¡¯t too important for Zoey, as things stood. She had what she needed in the short term. And also had a few ns for future money making, through alchemy with Sabina. Though, that was still in the musing stages. Maybe she¡¯d broach the subject their next lesson. Maddy opened the door for Zoey, and she walked in. Unlike the other training rooms, this one had no windows. With a fourteen foot ceiling and an impressivelyrge area to move around in, though, it didn¡¯t feel ustrophobic, despite being a giant box. There were a few items of interest. First, the training dummies: mannequins of wood etched with arcane-looking diagrams. Zoey could only cast one ¡®free-form¡¯ spell¡ªthe sort not handled automatically by a rune¡ªher ice spike, but she recognized the simrities between the diagrams for the spell, and the ones scribed across the mannequin. The samenguage. The same ¡­ ¡®symbols of magic¡¯, whatever the formal term for it was. Zoey had seen simr markings elsewhere. Magic shared a consistentnguage. Most recently, the tall ck obelisk sitting at the center of the Oasis. In more mundane ces, too¡ªlike the showers back at the outposts, though the ones at the guild worked on regr plumbing. Or, at least, this society¡¯s magical solutions were mixed in with the counterparts Zoey knew better. She doubted the plumbing system Treyhull operated on didn¡¯t use magic at all. Why wouldn¡¯t it? Besides the mannequins, there were several other things that drew Zoey¡¯s eyes. There was arge ¡®target board¡¯ on the wall, floor to ceiling, about ten feet wide. Or, that was what it looked like. Most of the items of interest Zoey couldn¡¯t discern the purpose of. Undoubtedly, they were features of the training room intended to aid with practicing with magic. Maddy would probably exin as they went. ¡°Delta mentioned you were in some weird circumstances,¡± Maddy said. ¡°And that you might not know what¡¯s going on.¡± Zoey¡¯s curious looks around the hall must have been more obvious than she¡¯d thought. And, it was as good a prompt as any. She should let Maddy know what she was in for. ¡°I have memory problems. It¡¯s not just that I need help learning magic. Almost everything¡ªterminology, routines, best practices, whatever else. My head¡¯s mostly empty.¡± She waved around at the training room, at the various items. ¡°Don¡¯t have a clue what any of this does.¡± Maddy tilted her head at Zoey¡¯s announcement. Delta hadn¡¯t brought her into the loop on Zoey¡¯s amnesia, then, only vaguely referenced her ¡®odd circumstances¡¯. Not that it was a big deal; Maddy took Zoey¡¯s reveal in stride. ¡°Well, that¡¯s no problem,¡± Maddy said. ¡°We¡¯ll get you squared away. Honestly, people with bad habits are in worse shape than someone with no habits. You¡¯re fresh y! Soft and pliable.¡± She made a squeezing motion with her hands. ¡°I¡¯ll take great care of you.¡± Zoey paused. Maddy realized what she¡¯d said, and the gesture she¡¯d made. ¡°Uh,¡± she said, turning pink. ¡°Like, a nk canvas! That¡¯s a better metaphor. Much better. Forget what I said.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Zoey said, trying to fight away her amusement for Maddy¡¯s sake ¡­ however funny it was, the speed Maddy was turning red. ¡°You¡¯re an illusionist, right?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Maddy seized the change in topic a little too loudly; she flinched at her volume. ¡°Um, yeah. Same as my mom, so I got lucky there. Learned half my ss before I ever got it, it feels like. You have a generalized arcana rune, right?¡± ¡°Generalized?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t have a specialty tied to it. Just, ¡®rune of arcana¡¯? Probably around a third of mages have it.¡± A frequent rune type, then, like her rune of alchemy. ¡°Yeah. Does that mean you have a ¡®rune of illusions¡¯, then?¡± Zoey paused. ¡°Sorry¡ªwas that an inappropriate question? I do that sometimes. Still relearning everything.¡± Maddy shrugged, but didn¡¯t answer Zoey¡¯s question. People¡¯s runes were personal topics ¡­ except for extremelymon runes, like ¡®arcana¡¯ or ¡®alchemy¡¯. Zoey guessed Delta had taken the liberty to tell Maddy hers was one such. Zoey wasn¡¯t bothered; it was pertinent information, and really, the only thing that Rosalie had insisted needed to be hidden was her ¡®quicker-advancement¡¯ skill. The most ¡®overpowered¡¯ ability Zoey had by arge margin, and which made her someone people would want to exploit. ¡°I¡¯ll still be able to teach you,¡± Maddy said. ¡°I can¡¯t make elemental spells, but the process is the same. Plus, I have this.¡± Maddy raised her hand, and a heavy tome dropped into it from nowhere, pulled from her inventory. ¡°You¡¯ll need to learn how to read spell forms. That¡¯s gonna be a bit tricky, and take more than a day, but I¡¯ll trante for you¡ªwe¡¯ll have you trying out a few different spells before the day¡¯s over. Delta mentioned defensives, right?¡± ¡°Ice armor?¡± Zoey echoed, the spell name sticking out from their discussions. ¡°They¡¯re worried I¡¯ll get hurt ¡­ Delta and Rosie don¡¯t really need help on the offensive side of things.¡± ¡°Rosie,¡± Maddy repeated. ¡°Delta didn¡¯t talk about her much.¡± She hesitated before saying the next part. ¡°Sounds like they don¡¯t get along super well.¡± Maddy had picked that up already? ¡°Well,¡± Zoey said. ¡°They¡¯re not best friends. I think they¡¯re warming up to each other, though.¡± Maddy nodded, then returned to the topic at hand: ¡°Okay. Might as well get to it. Let¡¯s start with the basics.¡± 3.20 Arcana Lecture 3.20 Arcana Lecture ¡°So,¡± Maddy said. ¡°Like most disciplines, spellwork is a mixture of intuition and study. A proper academic foundation¡ªan understanding of principles and techniques¡ªhelps a newbie mage in advancement ¡­ though, truth told, a person could stumble their way intopetence just by listening to their heart. That¡¯s important to remember. What you¡¯re doing should feel right. Your rune gives you an invaluable set of instincts, and the worst mistake you could make is ignoring them over what some stuffy book says.¡± Zoey blinked. There were simrities in what Maddy had said to how Sabina had described alchemy, but Maddy was taking a much harder stance: that instincts superseded everything. Sabina had outright said instinct was needed in the ¡®brewing stage¡¯, but she¡¯d emphasized study and knowledge was just as important, if not more. Maybe that was because alchemy was a crafting rune? It would make sense a crafting rune took a more scientific approach. ¡°It does feel like I know how to do things I shouldn¡¯t,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Rosalie helped me learn the basics,¡± the bare, bare basics, ¡°but even then, she¡¯s not a mage. I had to fumble around ¡­ but I made it work.¡± In a very simple sense, at least. A single spell: ice-spike. ¡°Exactly,¡± Maddy said. ¡°That¡¯s lesson one¡ªuse what your rune gives you. Study is important, but not that important. Practical application, and learning to trust yourself, is by far the most crucial aspect. Though, advance studies¡ªbefore entering the Fractures¡ªis definitely useful. My mom made me work through a nauseating amount of books. I think some people take that to mean study is the most important part of casting, since most good casters have pored over a bunch of spellcastingpendiums ¡­ but it¡¯s more because there¡¯s nothing else to do until you get your rune. Inferior preparation is better than none.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Zoey said. It was an intriguing perspective. It made sense there would be misunderstandings about that sorts of thing ¡­ or, all sorts of things. These people didn¡¯t have the inte, obviously, and from her discussions with Rosalie, it seemed like valuable information on how to seed as a wayfarer was kept secret simply for the purpose ofpetition. Zoey was in a fortunate position to be talking with apetent mage, someone raised by a family of spellcasters. Just one of a hundred other ways she¡¯d been lucky, arriving to this world. ¡°Let¡¯s get some vocab hashed out,¡± Maddy said. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of words people use to mean all kinds of things, and I want us to be on the same page. So. Here we go.¡± Maddy¡¯s bubbly, somewhat timid nature had faded as she started her lesson. Zoey had always loved seeing someone be absorbed talking about things they were passionate about¡ªand Maddy was definitely passionate about spellcasting. Maddy traced a gloved finger through the air in a wide circle, and where her finger passed, a glowing white line was left behind. The quick movementpleted, a single, thick circle hung, supported by nothing. ¡°A circle,¡± Maddy said. ¡°It¡¯s how all spells begin. You know what it means?¡± ¡°The number of them represents the strength.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Maddy said. ¡°Or, mostly right. It¡¯s not wrong, but you¡¯re paying me so I can be specific. Circle strength isn¡¯t absolute¡ªit varies from caster to caster. Really, a circle describes the maximum strength of a spell ¡­ and few people, possibly none, can reach that potential. Not even The Muse, I¡¯d suspect.¡± ¡°The Muse?¡± Maddy gave her an odd look, before remembering Zoey¡¯s amnesia. ¡°The guildmaster of the Striders,¡± she said. ¡°Maybe the strongest mage in the world. Definitely up there, at a minimum.¡± Zoey absorbed that. She¡¯d heard the name of another near-legendary figure: Enzo d¡¯Celestin, the guildmaster of the Deepshunters, the highguild Rosalie was aligned with. It made sense the other dominant political force had an equally powerful leader. ¡°Why¡¯s she called ¡®The Muse¡¯?¡± Maddy shrugged. ¡°Her ss uses music. Her weapon is a flute. And a few other reasons ¡­ but you¡¯re distracting us.¡± Zoey flushed; she¡¯d done the same thing with Sabina. Zoey really did have a problem with being distractible. ¡°Sorry. Keep going. A circle isn¡¯t an absolute measure?¡± ¡°Or consistent, at least,¡± Maddy said. ¡°It¡¯s about how much mana it can hold. Properly constructing the form¡ª¡° In a few deft movements, Maddy sketched several looping glyphs into the circle, filling the interior of the suspended glowing light, ¡°¡ªmeans the spell can hold closer to its maximum. But nobody can be perfect. Close, maybe. But the worse you are,¡± as if to demonstrate, Maddy¡¯s wrist wobbled, and the next line she engraved into the air had a sloppy jerkiness to it, which made the whole diagram shake, as if a building with a support that had suddenly sagged, ¡°the less mana the spell holds, and the less effectively it uses it.¡± Maddy ced a palm onto the finished spell circle, and the light surged, briefly, before vanishing in a sh. A single crystalline dart zipped away, mming into the far wall and vanishing without a sound. ¡°And how does it scale?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°The circles? From first to second, second to third. What magnitude between each tier?¡± Maddy blinked. ¡°Well, that¡¯s hard to quantify. And isn¡¯t consistent, I¡¯d figure. Each sessive advancement is stronger than the previous.¡± ¡°Exponential,¡± Zoey said, nodding. ¡°Er, yeah. Exponential.¡± She gave Zoey a curious look. ¡°You¡¯re a schr?¡± Which had Zoey pausing in surprise. She supposed a ¡®regr¡¯ person wouldn¡¯t know terms like ¡®exponential¡¯¡ªthe education system, and technology, of this world wasn¡¯t in the stone age, but it wasn¡¯t quite to the point of Zoey¡¯s, or even close. ¡®Exponential¡¯ would be a mathematical term. Not a particrlyplex one, but why would amoner know what it meant? Zoey had used simr terminology with Sabina, scientific words she took for granted, but Sabina hadn¡¯tmented on it. Then again, Sabina didn¡¯tment on much, besides what was strictly relevant in the moment. She was an odd one, for sure. Zoey had probably done the same with Rosalie and Delta. She wondered what they thought of it. Maddy had been the first to bring it to her attention. How much was Zoey giving herself away, using words like that? And in what ways, beyond just demonstrating a more thorough education than most people of this world received? Zoey might have to pay closer attention to how she picked her words. ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Zoey said, ¡°but, uh,¡± she tapped her head with her knuckles, then shrugged. ¡°Maybe some background?¡± Maddy seemed briefly embarrassed; that was the consistent reaction when someone forgot about Zoey¡¯s ¡®condition¡¯. Zoey obviously didn¡¯t care, but it was less awkward to just brush past. So that was what she did, for Maddy¡¯s sake. ¡°So each circle describes a maximum strength,¡± Zoey prompted. ¡°Scaling exponentially.¡± Maddy nodded, refocusing. She sketched out, in a quick swish, a second spell, bringing a humming white circle to life. ¡°With a one-circle spell, there¡¯s only a single strata to fill: the center. This space, here.¡± Maddy started filling out the interior of the circle, but slower this time, letting Zoey¡¯s eyes track the way her fingers moved. Before, she¡¯d done it so quick Zoey had barely been able to keep track. Indeed, it wasn¡¯t a one-to-one process: each movement of Maddy¡¯s hand had multiple lines branching from it. The tracing was an aid, not strictly necessary¡ªshe was doing it with her mind, not her fingers. Zoey knew that from her own experience casting spells. ¡°Each of these sub-diagrams are called glyphs,¡± Maddy exined. ¡°The glyphs are what shape the spell¡ªthat determine the effect. Each has a meaning, and they change based on how youbine them. Like words, and sentences. You¡¯d be surprised how close theparison is. It¡¯s really just a foreignnguage ¡­ if a half-tranted one that we¡¯ve cobbled together a basic understanding of. Or, quarter-tranted. A tenth.¡± Maddy shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s anguage of the gods, so of course our understanding is shaky.¡± Maddy finished the spell, activated it, and quickly sketched the next. This one, though, had two circles: inside the first outer ring, she swished a second circle, about halfway from edge to center. ¡°The rings the circles make with each other are called strata,¡± Maddy said, indicating with a finger the ¡®slice¡¯ the second circle had created. ¡°The center is called the prime strata. It defines the spell ¡­ which makes sense, because all spells have a prime strata, but not all spells have a second or third, and so on.¡± ¡°If the ¡­ prime strata ¡­ defines the spell,¡± like usual, the fantasy terminology felt a bit clumsy on her lips, ¡°what¡¯s the other ones do?¡± ¡°Enhance it,¡± Maddy said. ¡°So, defines it, but in a different way.¡± Maddy chewed her lip. ¡°It¡¯s hard to exin. But the prime strata is the blueprint. Say, ¡®confusion bolt¡¯.¡± Maddy filled the interior of the two-circle spell, presumably shaping a ¡®confusion bolt¡¯. ¡°But now modifiers,¡± Maddy said. ¡°Say I want it to go faster¡ª¡° she added a few more glyphs, packing them into the second strata, ¡°and to split with a mental activation.¡± The added glyphs were even moreplex. The finished spell¡ªwhich Zoey only got to see briefly¡ªwas a diagram ofpact glyphs. They blended together, the internal ring masked by how glyphs flowed from the interior to the outer slice. However simple Maddy was making things sound, it was a lot moreplex than her words suggested. Not as partmentalized¡¯ as she¡¯d exined. But of course Maddy was starting with simplifications. She had to build from the ground up. The spell activated, and another shimmering, crystalline bolt flew from the center of the circle. It split into two at the halfway point, each half disappearing into the far wall. ¡°What¡¯s that do, anyway?¡± Zoey gestured at where Maddy was aiming her spells: the tall diagram of glyphs that glowed each time a spell impacted it. ¡°Keeps magic from going stray,¡± Maddy said. ¡°Plus, feeds the energy back to the obelisk. No point in wasting, right? Though, only a portion. Hard to convert active mana back to its usable state. Obviously.¡± ¡°It looked like some of the glyphs in that spell was in both stratas¡ªboth center and second. Why?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Maddy said. ¡°Can I be frank with you?¡± ¡°Please.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no point in getting into the nitty gritty, unless you want to invent your own spells ¡­ which would take a long, long time before you¡¯re capable of doing so. Best to pick up a spellbook aligned to your capabilities, and make tiny modifications. And even that would be a nightmare, starting from scratch.¡± ¡°Do you?¡± ¡°Make modifications? Here and there,¡± Maddy said. ¡°But I¡¯ve been learning this stuff since I could crawl. Mom and Dad are ¡­¡± she chewed her lip, thenughed. ¡°Well, they¡¯re academics. Enthusiastic ones. I never stood a chance.¡± Zoey nodded. ¡°Kay,¡± Maddy said. ¡°We¡¯ll go over glyphs and how theybine eventually, but let¡¯s work on functional stuff first, yeah? Let¡¯s see what you can do. Go ahead and demonstrate.¡± After seeing Maddy¡¯s quick, totally assured motions? Zoey fought back a flush ¡­ she had a suspicion she¡¯d be making an idiot of herself in theing minutes. 3.21 Topped Off 3.21 Topped Off Training with Maddy was a lot more hands-on than with Sabina. Maddy went over academic topics as they cropped up, and was happy to indulge Zoey¡¯s questions¡ªor gently shoot them down when they could be tooplex to answer in earnest¡ªbut Maddy focused on the applied side of spellcasting, overall. ¡°Don¡¯t take this the wrong way,¡± Zoey said. ¡°I know you¡¯re the expert here, but why am I still casting ice spikes? Shouldn¡¯t I be working on new spells?¡± They¡¯d been going at it for about an hour. Zoey¡¯s reservoir of mana was running low. Or, ¡®lust¡¯, more urately, since Zoey¡¯s spells didn¡¯t operate on the more mundane resource avable to mages. That would need to be taken care of, shortly. Some indeterminate distance away, Rosalie was carrying around the linking te ¡­ and when she saw Zoey harden, she would ¡®recharge¡¯ her. That alone had been quite the distraction. How couldn¡¯t it be? She¡¯d had to focus intensely on the lesson, because identally letting herself harden meant Rosalie would think it was time for a recharge. Which would lead to an awkward few moments, having to scurry away from Maddy while Rosalie worked away. Sheesh. What a situation. Fortunately, distractions were easy toe by. Spellcasting was hard work. Even after just an hour, Zoey was drained, and not just in the sense of mana, but a less-defined way, like having worked a set of muscles to their limit that she hadn¡¯t known existed. A sheen of sweat coated her skin from the effort. ¡°Oh, we will,¡± Maddy said. ¡°But it¡¯s important we catch you up to speed on the basics, first. Techniques and stuff. Easier to do when you¡¯re casting the same spell over and over. I can¡¯t believe you weren¡¯t using a flourish!¡± ¡®Flourish¡¯ seemed to be the term that Maddy used for the physical crutch¡ªthe tracing of her fingers, or sometimes staff, in the air¡ªfor summoning spell circles and filling them with glyphs. While not strictly necessary, Zoey had found imitating Maddy made constructing the spell quicker. When Rosalie had taught her, Zoey had simply built the spell inside her head. It wasn¡¯t immensely easier, using a flourish, but noticeably, for sure. And Maddy¡¯s argument made sense. Zoey was improving; her ice spike wasing to life more fluidly, and Maddy had even shown her how to make tiny modifications to the diagram to adjust the spell''s bulk or speed¡ªwhich were inversely proportional to each other, seeing how the mana needed to go to one or the other. It was odd, the modifications. Maddy demonstrated the changes, and Zoey could intuit what they would do, even before she implemented them. Like Maddy had said, her arcana rune gave her heaps of built-in knowledge. To be fair, that was the only way Zoey would¡¯ve ever been able to cast an ice spike in the first ce, seeing how Rosalie was no mage. Zoey was surprised she even knew some spells. Part of her tutge, undoubtedly¡ªher parents covering their bases, at least in a small way, in case Rosalie received a mage-type ss. Or, that was Zoey¡¯s best guess. ¡°But,¡± Maddy said, amused, ¡°if you want to move on, we can get started on some other spells. It¡¯s gonna be a lot of banging your head against the wall, though ¡­ and a lot of wasted mana. By sticking with your ice spike, we could make some actual progress. I thought it¡¯d help encourage you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Zoey said. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me getting frustrated.¡± She paused. ¡°Or, giving up, at least.¡± She might get frustrated. She was only human. ¡°An ice spike is one of the easiest spells to learn, right?¡± Maddy pursed her lips, then sheepishly said, ¡°Yeah, kind of.¡± ¡°So a defensive spell like ¡®ice armor¡¯ would take much longer. More than an hour or two.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be hunkering down for a while,¡± Maddy agreed. ¡°Er, it only took you an hour or two to learn ice spike?¡± ¡°Yeah? Why?¡± Was it a good pace? Rosalie hadn¡¯t seem particrly impressed, back in the first shard. Then again, Rosalie would be impossible to impress when it came topetency. Maddy thought about it. ¡°Well, objectively ¡­ I guess not really. But for a novice without any training? Faster than I¡¯d expect.¡± ¡°Mildly above average. That¡¯s me.¡± Maddyughed. ¡°More than mildly. But yeah, sure, we¡¯ll start on reading spell forms, then work away at a first-circle ice armor. How¡¯s your mana situation?¡± Right. That. ¡°I should probably top up.¡± A pause. Zoey knew Delta had briefed Maddy on what exactly that meant ¡­ if Maddy¡¯s quickly coloring cheeks didn¡¯t give it away. ¡°Right,¡± Maddy said, coughing into her hand. ¡°Reconvene in an hour?¡± Zoey had gotten so used to Delta and Rosalie¡¯s easy eptance of her ss that Maddy¡¯s awkward reaction¡ªthe reasonable, default one when confronted with Zoey¡¯s ss details¡ªwas twice as embarrassing ¡­ a flush picked up on Zoey¡¯s cheeks, too. ¡°Probably just a half-hour,¡± Zoey said. ¡°That fine?¡± ¡°S-Sure.¡± ¡°Okay. Uh. See you then.¡± Still blushing, Zoey left the training room, closing the door behind her. Did Maddy know exactly how Zoey would be ¡®taking care of it¡¯? Had Delta told her about the teleporting panties? If not, what did Maddy assume Zoey was heading off to do? Meet up with Delta or Rosalie in person? That would exin why she¡¯d suggested a full hour break, despite how, with the convenient item Zoey was wearing, it probably wouldn¡¯t even take the full half-hour. Maybe it was the awkwardness of Zoey¡¯s departure, all of Maddy¡¯s blushing, or just regr excitement at what would be happening, but to Zoey¡¯s horror, halfway down the hallway, she started to stir. Not yet, she chided herself. Zoey picked up her pace. Not here. Let me get to a restroom or something. The good news was that Rosalie was off doing her own things. She wouldn¡¯t be watching Zoey¡¯s cock like a hawk. It might take a moment for her to notice¡ª A pair of soft lips pressed into Zoey¡¯s cock head. Zoey stumbled and nearly fell. A woman passing down the hall gave her an odd look. What the hell? Was Rosalie waiting for her to get hard? She hadn¡¯t even fully sprung up, yet, and already she was peppering Zoey¡¯s tip with kisses? Shit. She had to get somewhere private. Maybe she should have stayed in the training room? But that was where Maddy was. Better than losing herposure in front of strangers, though, wasn¡¯t it? And, she realized, horrified¡ªshe didn¡¯t know where the restrooms were. Half a city away, Rosalie opened her mouth, taking Zoey¡¯s tip into her warm, wet mouth. She sucked away, tickling and stroking Zoey with her tongue. Zoey groaned. That drew another look from a passerby. The mage training halls weren¡¯t the most crowded things, but some people filtered past. Her face was burning. She was out in public, having her cock sucked. By Rosalie. Maybe they should¡¯ve organized a clearer signal than just, ¡®when I get hard¡¯. Zoey could pull out of the panties, she supposed ¡­ but only if she were in private. Could hardly do that here. Rosalie¡¯s stroking and bobbing picked up speed. Zoey desperately fought away a moan. Mortified, she approached the receptionist desk, having arrived back to the central hall¡ªwhere the tall ck mana regeneration obelisk sat. ¡°Hey,¡± Zoey said breathlessly, and frantically, ¡°where¡¯s, uh, the restroom?¡± The receptionist gave her an odd look¡ªthe fourth or fifth she¡¯d gotten as Zoey fled to the desk¡ªwhich was fair, considering the state Zoey was in. She was red-faced and panting. Half of it was arousal, half of it was pure, crystallized mortification. She was having her cock sucked as she spoke to this woman. Why did that set her skin on fire? Rosalie stopped teasing. She plunged down, taking Zoey¡¯s cock into her throat. Tight muscles squeezed around Zoey¡¯s length almost before she knew what was happening. Rosalie was getting better at that¡ªshe¡¯d swallowed Zoey¡¯s fourteen inches in one smooth motion. Zoey only barely didn¡¯t moan. She did let out a whimper. The receptionist blinked rapidly at her. She pointed. ¡°Down that hall. Second door on the right.¡± ¡°Thank¡ª¡° Zoey gasped as Rosalie bobbed on her cock. ¡°Thank you.¡± Zoey scampered away. She received two more questioning looks as she shakily fled down the hallway. The bathroom was blessedly empty; she shut herself into a stall and copsed onto the closed toilet seat. She¡¯d made it. Not without making an embarrassment of herself, but she¡¯d made it. Maybe the whimpers and breathless groans the others had heard escape her mouth could be exined away by ¡­ something. Because obviously they wouldn¡¯t assume the truth. Rosalie continued bobbing her head up and down, swallowing Zoey¡¯s cock. Zoey squirmed in pleasure, trying to be quiet, but unable to help the groans. Rosalie had worked into a rhythm. Zoey wanted more. A more active role. She hastily wiggled down her pants¡ªRosalie eagerly sucking her cock the whole away through¡ªthen her panties. Zoey¡¯s cock¡ªwet, recently pleasured¡ªpopped out of the portal; she felt it slide out of Rosalie¡¯s throat as she tugged them off. Zoey removed the panties entirely, then turned them inside out. She pinned the panties¡ªshimmering ck portal facing outward¡ªto the stall door, then waddled up to it. She poked her cock through, then started thrusting. This hadn¡¯t been the n, but Rosalie rejoined her lips to Zoey¡¯s cock eagerly, catching the humping appendage. Zoey¡¯s cock sank into her throat, and she started jerking even more frantically. The stall door rattled with the force of Zoey¡¯s hips smacking into it. The bathroom was empty, so she was fine. Half a city away, Zoey¡¯s pping hips plunged fourteen inches of girlcock up and down Rosalie¡¯s coaxing throat. Zoey had been building up stamina for the past several days, but the searing embarrassment of having been out in public had her falling apart faster than she should have. And, Rosalie was getting way too good at this, at using her throat to pleasure Zoey. How long had Zoey been thrusting, and Rosalie hadn¡¯t pulled back for air? Zoey groaned and let go, her climax washing over her. ¡°Fucking ¡­ take it ¡­¡± Zoey moaned, pping her hips forward onest time. Hot strings ejected from her length, stuffing Rosalie¡¯s stomach full. She felt, though didn¡¯t hear, Rosalie choking on her cock as it emptied into her. Her cock pumped and pumped, and Zoey imagined Rosalie¡¯s eyes fluttering as her prodigious load sloshed around in her stomach. She was taking the whole thing ¡­ every drop. That girl was a devil. Shuddering, emptied and satisfied, Zoey fell back, sitting with a thump. 3.22 Date Discussions 3.22 Date Discussions Fortunately, Maddy didn¡¯t know how much of an embarrassment Zoey had made of herself. Zoey returned to the training room mostlyposed, and after a brief bout of awkwardness¡ªboth of them knowing Zoey had been pleasured, but not addressing it¡ªthey resumed their studies. Maddy spent some time teaching Zoey how to read spell forms using the notations in her spellbook. It was straightforward, but not easy. She made decent progress. Or, so Maddy said. Zoey didn¡¯t get close to manifesting the spell. It always fizzled. But it ¡®fizzled less than at the start¡¯, ording to Maddy¡¯s semi-encouraging words. Working on a new spell meant more mana wasted ¡­ Zoey needed to be topped off a few more times. Fortunately, they weren¡¯t as much of a disaster as the first. Rosalie attended to her eagerly, whenever her cock sprung up¡ªwith suspicious speed, even, as if she were waiting around for it to happen¡ªbut Zoey made sure not to get hard until she reached the bathroom. As the practice day wrapped up, Zoey found herself broaching a subject she¡¯d been considering asking Maddy for advice with. ¡°So,¡± Zoey said. ¡°This is off topic, but can I ask you something?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°I¡¯m ¡­ going on a date. And since,¡± she waved vaguely at her head, indicating her amnesia, ¡°all of that, I need some advice.¡± Maddy blinked rapidly, then a grin split her face. ¡°A date!¡± She shuffled up to Zoey with bright eyes. ¡°With who? What¡¯d¡¯you have nned?¡± She leaned forward eagerly, hanging on Zoey¡¯s response. It was a more excited reaction than Zoey had expected. It was a good thing Maddy was that kind of girl, Zoey supposed, who loved talking romance. She¡¯d be able to help Zoey out. Plus, the enthusiasm was hard not to match; Maddy¡¯s outward excitement was exactly what Zoey felt whenever she thought about her uing date with Rosalie, even if Zoey wasn¡¯t the kind of person to be vibrating like Maddy was. ¡°Rosalie,¡± Zoey said. ¡°The other teammate. We mentioned her, right?¡± Maddy¡¯s eyes widened. There was a brief pause¡ªZoey couldn¡¯t guess why¡ªbut the enthusiasm surged back a secondter. ¡°That¡¯s so fun! You two are girlfriends?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Zoey said, cheeks coloring at the word, ¡°no, not yet. This¡¯ll be our first.¡± Maddy gasped. ¡°So you can see why it¡¯s important,¡± Zoey said, a bit amused at Maddy¡¯s theatrics. Except they seemed genuine reactions, not exaggerated in the slightest. Or, not intentionally exaggerated. ¡°And I have a few ns, but I¡¯m a bit lost. It¡¯s hard to n a date when I can barely remember how the world works.¡± ¡°Yeah, I bet.¡± A steely determination crossed Maddy¡¯s face, which had Zoey blinking with how fast it appeared. ¡°Then, I¡¯m at your disposal. Ask anything.¡± Zoey had thought it the moment she¡¯d seen Maddy¡¯s bright and innocent face, but the image had been cemented throughout the past few hours: Maddy was just a cheerful, enthusiastic person. She wanted to help, genuinely. It was disarming how free she was with her kindness, and it was enormously endearing. Zoey had had a side-mission with these training sessions to determine if Maddy would be a good fit on the team, personality wise, and her answer¡ªso far, at least¡ªwas a resounding yes. She supposed a few hours wasn¡¯t enough time to get to know someone for real, but how couldn¡¯t Zoey like Maddy? ¡°I¡¯ve got a few things nned out,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Rosie¡¯s a bit ¡­ uptight.¡± She loved that girl, but¡ª Er. Loved? Where had that worde from, so easily? Zoey liked that girl. Best to avoid ¡­ that other word ¡­ for now. Moving way too fast. She liked that girl, Zoey rephrased, but she wasn¡¯t blind to her ws; she was definitely uptight. ¡°So I want to do something rxing,¡± Zoey continued, the ¡®L word¡¯ only making her stutter for a moment. ¡°A pic at the park, I¡¯m thinking, for the main event.¡± ¡°So cute,¡± Maddy groaned, seeming almost mad when she said it. ¡°Which park?¡± ¡°That¡¯s one of the things I wanted to ask. Which¡¯s best, for a date?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t been in Treyhull for super long, but I guess I know better than you.¡± Maddy popped up; they¡¯d been seated as they practiced. ¡°C¡¯mon.¡± She held out a hand. ¡°Time to go scouting.¡± ¡°Scouting?¡± ¡°Better to find an answer in person. We¡¯ll look around.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Zoey said. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean¡ªI didn¡¯t want to take up your time like that.¡± Maddy seemed almost offended. ¡°There¡¯s nothing more important than a first date. I can spare a few hours.¡± She wiggled her hand, and Zoey took it, rising. The short, petite girl had a surprising amount of strength in her grip; she was third advancement. ¡°And I was nning on doing some clothes shopping,¡± Zoey admitted. ¡°Having a second opinion would be nice there, too.¡± ¡°Totally.¡± Maddy snorted. ¡°Not that you need to dress up, but sure.¡± A secondter, she blushed at what she¡¯d said¡ªas if the words had barreled out of her mouth without verifying with her brain, first. Maddy had done that a few times: said something without meaning to. It was never overly inappropriate; Zoey didn¡¯t think Maddy could be overly inappropriate. Which was, if Zoey were honest, maybe the one problem with her joining the team. Maddy was cute, and definitely attractive, but she was so wide-eyed and innocent that Zoey hesitated taking her into the kinds of shards they¡¯d been venturing to. Zoey was protective of her, even, despite knowing her only a few hours ¡­ even though it wasn¡¯t Zoey¡¯s ce to be protective of her. She was a grown adult, same as all of them. And as old, or older, than Zoey. ¡°Let me get changed,¡± Maddy said, brushing past her identally too-frankpliment. ¡°Meet up in the lobby, ¡®kay?¡± ¡°Sounds good. And thanks again.¡± ¡°Thanks? Nuh-uh. No thanking me. First dates are ss one emergencies. I¡¯m doing my civic duty.¡± *** Maddy had been wearing her adventuring gear when they¡¯d been practicing spellcasting, but when they met up again to head out into Treyhull, she was dressed up in an everyday outfit. The flowing gray robes had been reced with a frilly white blouse and a long skirt that went down to her shins. Zoey had to stop her lips from quirking; it made sense Maddy liked frills and pleats. She didn¡¯t wear her long, drooping hat, so her blue hair was on disy. It really was an oddbination with her warm gray eyes¡ªshe had a striking look about her. She still wore her gloves, the only piece of the outfit that hadn¡¯t changed from their training sessions. A sparkling amulet hung around her neck, the red gemstone, a ruby perhaps, nowid overtop her blouse, so that Zoey could see it¡ªshe had caught nces of the silver chain affixed to it, but it¡¯d been hidden beneath Maddy¡¯s robes. Zoey herself hadn¡¯t needed to change; she¡¯d been in casual clothes already. Or, the casual sort of clothes she¡¯d grown used to wearing, which meant sturdy adventuring gear. During her first shopping trip with Rosalie, Zoey had picked up a few articles that were more casual, meant for being out and about in a city, but not many. She¡¯d been more focused on practical preparations. ¡°I¡¯ll follow your lead?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°How long have you been here, anyway?¡± ¡°In Treyhull, you mean? A few months. Enough to get know my way around. We checking out the parks first? Or clothes?¡± ¡°Up to you,¡± Zoey said. ¡°There¡¯s still some things I want to talk about, too. Maybe brainstorm a few ideas besides the park? Another event or two.¡± ¡°Well,¡± Maddy said. ¡°What¡¯s she like to do?¡± The two of them had set out from the guild, into the streets of Treyhull. They talked as they walked. ¡°That¡¯s kind of the problem. Rosie is ¡­ hard to read, sometimes. Doesn¡¯t share as much as I¡¯d want. And she¡¯s dedicated to wayfaring. So much, she might not even have hobbies.¡± ¡°Delta mentioned something about that, I think.¡± ¡°Which is fine,¡± Zoey said. ¡°That¡¯s the life she¡¯s chosen.¡± Or, that wasn¡¯t quite right¡ªher parents, and station of birth, had chosen it for her. But Rosalie had epted the role, either way, and that was her choice ¡­ just one derived from responsibility and expectations. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to change who she is. She already thinks this date is a waste of time, so¡ª¡° ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Er,¡± Zoey said. That might paint this event in a poor light, like Zoey had begged to go on it and Rosalie was unenthusiastic. ¡°She wants to go on it,¡± she rified. Though, only because it was Zoey. And didn¡¯t that have her stomach doing funny things? ¡°But she also thinks she should be focusing on more practical stuff. That¡¯s just who she is. So, like I was saying, I¡¯m not trying to change that ¡­ I just want to show her what else is out there.¡± If Zoey showed her a rxed evening, or a few, and Rosalie ended up bing restless for the ¡®wasted time¡¯, then Zoey would stop taking her on them ¡­ or at least ease up. Zoey wouldn¡¯t mind dates in the training room, if that was what Rosalie wanted more. She knew this rtionship of theirs wouldn¡¯t be like the ones she knew before. The low-key moments would be rarer. And, honestly, Zoey had a world to be saving, whatever that meant. So it would be a good thing if Rosalie¡¯s workaholic tendencies rubbed off on her. ¡°I see,¡± Maddy said, contemtive. ¡°She sounds ¡­¡± Maddy hesitated, as if she couldn¡¯t find the right word. ¡°I¡¯d like to meet her.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯ll happen soon enough,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Unless you don¡¯t want to, obviously. Delta told you how we¡¯re looking to fill out the squad, right?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Maddy said. She coughed. ¡°But, erm. I¡¯m still thinking about all the ¡­ stuff.¡± Zoey¡¯s ss. ¡°That¡¯s fair.¡± A brief awkwardness. Maddy was blushing, now¡ªand pointedly walking faster. She definitely wasn¡¯t like Delta. Zoey¡¯s ss had Maddy off-foot, and might actually be something that had her not wanting to join. Like ¡­ well, most people, probably? Delta was special in that regard. Delta was special in most regards, really ¡­ and Zoey meant that mostly as apliment. ¡°So,¡± Zoey said, bringing things back to a topic that wouldn¡¯t have Maddy¡¯s cheeks burning red. Or hers, too. Maddy¡¯s embarrassment had heat rising on her own cheeks. ¡°Like I was saying, some ideas for low-key events.¡± Maddy wasically easy to distract, fortunately. Bringing the topic back to the date had her swerving in demeanor ¡­ like a dog spotting a squirrel. ¡°Oh!¡± she said. ¡°How about, hm, finger painting?¡± ¡°Finger painting?¡± That hade out of left field. ¡°Imagine it,¡± Maddy grinned. ¡°You¡¯re saying she¡¯s all prim and proper, hard to cut loose, and that you want to force her out of her shell ¡­ well, no one can be all refined-like while finger painting. It¡¯s perfect!¡± It was an unexpected suggestion ¡­ but honestly, Zoey was amazed at how good it was. Rosalie, finger painting? Something a bit childish, and sure to be messy? It would definitely work to do what Zoey needed. She could imagine it already. ¡°That¡¯s genius,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Like, actually. And you came up with it so fast.¡± Maddy grinned. ¡°Well, it¡¯s what I do.¡± She leaned in conspiratorially. ¡°Don¡¯t tell my sisters I said this, but I¡¯m definitely the reason at least four of them aren¡¯t single. They¡¯re all useless.¡± ¡°At least four?¡± ¡°Ophelia and Venus are lost causes,¡± Maddy said solemnly. ¡°But ¡­ how many do you have, then?¡± ¡°Seven,¡± Maddy said. ¡°And two brothers. Yes, it¡¯s a headache.¡± Nine siblings. Seven sisters. Zoey couldn¡¯t even imagine. ¡°Well,¡± Zoey said, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯ll want to do it during the pic, I think. So I¡¯ll have to get supplies.¡± Maybe there was a ce that hosted finger painting, but Rosalie wouldn¡¯t properly be able to cut loose in public. She¡¯d be too worried for her image. It was one of the reasons Zoey had picked a pic: for the privacy. Out alone, in a field. ¡°And I was thinking, maybe we¡¯d get desert, after? Somewhere cute?¡± ¡°Ooh,¡± Maddy said with a nod. ¡°Yeah, I know a few ces.¡± 3.23 The Date I 3.23 The Date I ¡°Stop fidgeting,¡± Delta said. ¡°It¡¯s cute, but stop. You look fine. You¡¯re making me nervous.¡± Zoey stood in Delta¡¯s bathroom, inspecting herself in the mirror, having finished preparing herself for her and Rosalie¡¯s uing date. Rosalie was probably ready too. In a few minutes, it¡¯d be time to set off from Delta¡¯s room, walk one door over, and knock. She¡¯d dressed, as she¡¯d told Rosalie to, casually. She¡¯d gone with a tried-and-true ssic: jeans and a ck tank top. She hoped it wasn¡¯t too casual. The intent wasn¡¯t to seem like she wasn¡¯t trying¡ªjust that she wasn¡¯t pretending to be someone she wasn¡¯t. Zoey wasn¡¯t really a ¡®get dressed up for a fancy date¡¯ kind of girl. She would, of course, when the situation called for it ¡­ but Zoey was trying to show her true self. Was Rosalie the ¡®preferred to get dressed up¡¯ kind of person? For all her poise and obvious pedigree, she also had a sort of razor focus that Zoey suspected meant frivolities annoyed her. That something lowkey¡ªthough a bit contradictory to Rosalie¡ªwould be her preference, too, over an event where she had to put on airs, like a fancy dinner. That was, Zoey supposed, the ultimate point to this date: to get to know Rosalie better. And the reverse. She¡¯d gone light on the make-up. Maddy had helped her with that, too¡ªthe shopping part. Ephy¡¯s blessing meant it was almost redundant. Zoey was still disoriented by how perfect her features were, now, with the changes to her body. She styled her hair, but it had looked fine messy; she applied make-up, but it only made her look different, not better. Still, she put on a mild pink lip gloss, and light touches of mascara and eyeliner, just to make it clear she was trying, that she hadn¡¯t shrugged on the first clothes she found and strolled over to Rosalie¡¯s door. Would Rosalie wear make-up? Obviously, she hadn¡¯t bothered while delving, or even in their short stay at Treyhull between shards. Her career was cutting through monsters and trekking through wilderness; cosmetics weren¡¯t high on Rosalie¡¯s priority list. But for a date? Zoey thought she might. She wouldn¡¯t care if she didn¡¯t¡ªher stalwart practicalness was one of the things Zoey admired¡ªbut she¡¯d also appreciate if she did. She¡¯d appreciate Rosalie in any form, obviously. Overall, though, Zoey hadn¡¯t gone excessive on preparations. Today was a big deal, but the events Zoey had nned weren¡¯t amodating to dresses and heels. No fine dining and an opera house ¡­ or whatever was the norm for this world. Rosalie had seen too much of that, Zoey had to assume. Though, probably not in date form. Maybe? Was this her first date? It wasn¡¯t the first time Zoey had wondered over the question. Certainly, Rosalie couldn¡¯t have had a shortage of admirers, but she didn¡¯t seem the type to have entertained any of them. Arranged dates, then? Of a political sort? Or had she always been razor-focused on wayfaring? From the sounds of it, she wasn¡¯t entirely free from politics, despite her ultimate purpose of advancement. But Zoey had a feeling it was Rosalie¡¯s first date. As in, ever. That was intimidating, to say the least. And a bit freeing? It meant she wouldn¡¯t beparing Zoey to anyone. But also, first dates were a big deal, and this event was already nerve-wracking enough without knowing it was Rosalie¡¯s first ever. Or, not nerve-wracking. That wasn¡¯t right. Or ¡­ yes it was. Zoey didn¡¯t know. She was both paralyzed and giddy, totally at ease and confidently nervous. Things would go well, obviously. But also, she was going to crash and burn and ruin everything. Delta sat on the sink, watching her with amusement. Zoey had appropriated her room so she could get ready separate from Rosalie. Delta had helped reassure her ¡­ though maybe not in a direct manner. Mostly, she¡¯d been teasing Zoey. ¡°The flowers aren¡¯t too much?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°It¡¯s grossly sweet,¡± Delta said. ¡°So yes, it is. She¡¯s going to have a melt down. Are you sure I can¡¯te watch?¡± ¡°I think that might kill the vibe, Delta.¡± ¡°I can be discreet. As long as you don¡¯t see me?¡± ¡°I¡¯d prefer if we didn¡¯t have a little voyeur peeking at us from the bushes.¡± ¡°Voyeur?¡± Delta quirked her eyebrow. ¡°It¡¯s going to be that kind of date?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m just¡ª¡° Zoey huffed. ¡°No following us around, okay?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Delta made a show of considering the request. ¡°I probably won¡¯t.¡± Zoey shook her head. She knew Delta wouldn¡¯t. She was, as Zoey knew she couldn¡¯t help herself from, just teasing. And Zoey did n to keep the date chaste ¡­ at least the date itself. There¡¯d be nothing to spy on. Though after, when they found their way back to their room at the night¡¯s end, who knew what would happen? She¡¯d y it by feel. But the events themselves, Zoey wanted to be a real date, not an excuse to have their hands all over each other. She and Rosalie had already started to explore that aspect of their rtionship. Much, much faster than the ¡®more appropriate¡¯ half. So, she wanted this to be taken slower. For it to be genuine. Not that a less-than-appropriate date couldn¡¯t be genuine, but Zoey was hoping to get to know Rosalie better. As a person, and for them to open up to each other. For sex not to be the focus. They would have plenty of time for those kinds of activities over the following months, assuming they stuck together as a team. ¡°Well,¡± Zoey said, finally tearing her eyes from the mirror. ¡°It¡¯s time, then. Thanks for your help.¡± ¡°I sat here and mocked you for twenty minutes. But, yeah, sure.¡± She snorted. ¡°It¡¯s what I do.¡± ¡°It was calming. So really. Thanks.¡± Delta had done a great deal for Zoey¡¯s nerves, which Zoey knew had been intentional. Delta¡¯s form of encouragement wasn¡¯t like, say, Maddy¡¯s, not bright-eyed and optimistic, but Delta had been supportive nheless. Taking a steadying breath, Zoey grabbed the bouquet of flowers from the entry table. Hand resting on the door handle, she nced over at Delta onest time. Delta raised an unimpressed eyebrow. ¡°Just don¡¯t break the bedframe when you get back. The guild¡¯s prickly about their property.¡± Zoey huffed and left. One door over, she knocked and waited. She wiped a sweaty palm on her pants and tried to rx her tense posture, so she wasn¡¯t looking stiff when Rosalie opened. She really shouldn¡¯t be this nervous. Should she? Yeah, she definitely should. It was Rosalie. The door opened, revealing her date for the night. Zoey hadn¡¯t known what to expect from Rosalie¡¯s outfit¡ªmaybe jeans and a t-shirt, like she¡¯d seen her in before¡ªbut the reality was better than any guess she could¡¯ve made: she wore a long, flowing sundress that dipped a few inches beneath her knees. It was pale blue, a color Rosalie seemed fond of, probably because of how it matched her piercing eyes. Her long tinum blonde hair was up in a ponytail, the first time Zoey had seen her wear it like that. She wore bright red lipstick, a striking color, contrasted with her paleplexion and dress: Zoey couldn¡¯t look away from her lips. ¡°Mm,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Roses, for Rosalie. Cute.¡± She seemed dryly amused. Zoey started, realizing she¡¯d frozen. She thrust the bouquet out. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help myself. Too cheesy?¡± Rosalie took the offered gift. ¡°It¡¯s very traditional,¡± she said, shooting Zoey another amused nce. She leaned forward and breathed in the floral scent. And, hey¡ªwhy was she the one acting unruffled? Wasn¡¯t it supposed to be the other way around? ¡°You probably drowned in flowers, growing up,¡± Zoey said. ¡°But I thought it was appropriate.¡± Rosalie snorted. ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°Not at all. Perhaps if everyone wasn¡¯t scared of my father, I might have. These are my first.¡± ¡°Wait. First?¡± Zoey couldn¡¯t keep the surprise out of her voice. She knew Rosalie¡¯s parents were probably hard-asses¡ªand important politically¡ªbut enough to scare away every suitor of Rosalie¡¯s? These were the first flowers she¡¯d ever gotten? Rosalie turned and walked into their room. A vase wasid on the dresser. Zoey saw it and huffed. She¡¯d never gotten flowers before, yet she had a vase prepared? ¡°I¡¯m that predictable?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°I gave it fifty-fifty odds,¡± Rosalie said. She smelled the flowers one more time, then ced them in the vase. She turned back to Zoey and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s a sweet gesture. Thank you.¡± Unfortunately, Zoey actually blushed. She had intended toe off suave and totally confident, today¡ªthat seemed to be what Rosalie liked¡ªbut she was failing totally. Not that Rosalie seemed to mind. That smile had been so heart-achingly genuine. God, Zoey was still blushing. ¡°Yeah, no problem,¡± Zoey said, shrugging, trying to feign an easiness she definitely didn¡¯t feel. She held a hand out. ¡°Let¡¯s head out?¡± Rosalie took it, and not for the first time, Zoey was surprised at how delicate her hand was. She¡¯d seen this woman rip a trapdoor from the ground, tearing hinges from wood in a scream of metal. Yet, dainty, thin fingers, with only a few light calluses. ¡°You¡¯re wearing heels,¡± Zoey said, nodding at her feet. ¡°Mm. You said to dress casually, I know.¡± ¡°So ¡­ ?¡± ¡°I needed to close the gap somehow, didn¡¯t I?¡± She eyed Zoey, annoyed. ¡°You¡¯re too tall.¡± ¡°It might be a headache to walk in, though. In the grass.¡± Rosalie paused at the announcement¡ªat the reveal of her n. She hadn¡¯t known they¡¯d be heading for somewhere with grass. She shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± An amused look. ¡°I can assure you I have the bnce for it, if you¡¯re concerned over that.¡± Which ¡­ yeah. Rosalie could dance through snarling monsters without taking a scratch. Heels at the park would be¡ªwell, a walk in the park. ¡°Won¡¯t it hurt, though?¡± Heels had always been a major pain in the ass for Zoey, leaving her feet aching for hours. She wore them when she wanted to dress up, but only when she was trying to impress. ¡°Or, I guess it wouldn¡¯t, for you.¡± The same deal as her bnce¡ªRosalie¡¯s empowered strength probably meant she wouldn¡¯t feel them at all. ¡°Your choice, obviously. Just want you to befortable.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± The two of them walked out into the hallway, making their way through the guild, headed for the city. ¡°Grass?¡± ¡°I thought we¡¯d start the day off at the park.¡± ¡°The park?¡± Rosalie sounded surprised. ¡°My mission tonight is to get you to cut loose. So, yeah. Ever feed the ducks?¡± ¡°Feed ¡­ the ducks?¡± The response was even more perplexed. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s fun.¡± It was more of a background activity. Something they could do while talking and learning about each other. But, it was also fun, assuming you could collect a swarm. Watching them jostle and shove each other for the crumbs was pretty funny. ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it.¡± To her side, Rosalie hesitated. Zoey prompted her, ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve fed ¡­ other animals, though,¡± she said, almost reluctantly¡ªas if she hadn¡¯t been sure if she wanted to share. ¡°Like?¡± ¡°Well.¡± She dragged the word out, working up the nerve. ¡°My father keeps a menagerie. He¡¯s fond ofrge predators. One of his many ¡­ entricities.¡± ¡°Large predators?¡± That hade out of left field. ¡°Like, what, tigers?¡± ¡°And such.¡± ¡°And such,¡± Zoey said, eyebrows raising. ¡°You¡¯ve fed tigers, but not ducks, at the park.¡± It was a hrious discovery, but somehow not unfitting. She and Rosalie really couldn¡¯t be more different people if they tried¡ªnot that it was a revtion, or discouraging. Just, funny. Her dad kept a menagerie. Not usually something Zoey would discover on a first date. ¡°So, what? You tossed them bs of meat?¡± She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid ducks won¡¯t be half as interesting. That¡¯s a hard act to follow.¡± ¡°Hopefully not as stressful, either,¡± Rosalie said wryly. ¡°The big cats weren¡¯t so bad. But the bears ¡­ or sharks ¡­¡± she wrinkled her nose. No joke. A full menagerie. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Why what?¡± ¡°Does he keep a menagerie?¡± Rosalie shrugged. ¡°Like I said, he¡¯s fond of them.¡± She almost seemed like she¡¯d say more on the subject, but didn¡¯t. ¡°Compared to some people I knew back at the Highreach Court, it¡¯s not that odd of a hobby. Rtively speaking.¡± Well, by Zoey¡¯s standards, ¡®owning a menagerie¡¯ was up there in strangeness. But, that was rich, fantasy-world people for you, she guessed. If Zoey had money pouring out of her ears, maybe she¡¯d have simrly odd hobbies. ¡°Highreach Court,¡± Zoey repeated. ¡°That¡¯s home?¡± Rosalie paused. Zoey had grown to recognize the reaction, though it was bing rapidly lessmon, and less pronounced, with each instance. It was Rosalie adjusting, again, to the fact that Zoey didn¡¯t knowmon-knowledge material. ¡°Highreach is the capital of Cypremor. So, home, yes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s where we¡¯ll be headed?¡± ¡°Cypremor is in Haven,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Not the Fractures. So no. We¡¯ll be headed for Mantle, the de-facto capital of Deepshunter territory, after all this is over.¡± Right. Zoey should¡¯ve been able to put that together. Rosalie¡¯s home would be in the safer realm that sat ¡®above¡¯ the Fractures, not the Fractures itself. She¡¯d arrived recently¡ªon turning eighteen, the standard practice for her society. Just, Zoey hadn¡¯t gotten around to her new environment being second-nature knowledge, so she made simple slip-ups like that. In a different setting, Zoey might have continued this conversation down the practical path, asking what Mantle was, and what it was like, but Zoey was more interested in learning about Rosalie, not geography and politics. ¡°That¡¯s where the rest of your family is, then?¡± ¡°Indeed. Or, where they meet. My sisters are often on their own expeditions, and my father on ¡­ political missions, or whatever else. Sometimes up in Haven, as well. They¡¯re busy people.¡± ¡°I bet. You said you had two sisters?¡± They walked through the streets. Rosalie stayed silent long enough for Zoey to prompt her, ¡°Rosie?¡± ¡°I¡¯m deciding on whether I want to discuss family,¡± she eventually said. ¡°Oh.¡± It was Zoey¡¯s turn to stay quiet. ¡°Obviously, you don¡¯t have to talk about anything you don¡¯t want to.¡± Though, Zoey had been hoping this would be their chance to move beyond secrecy, at least a step or two. Not full disclosure, but her family, upbringing, and so on, Zoey had hoped to talk about, in at least broad strokes. Zoey would too, in whatever manner she could, considering how a good portion of her personal experiences had been scooped from her brain. ¡°I suppose I should,¡± Rosalie finally sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not that they¡¯re a sensitive subject. Rather, it reminds me of responsibilities I¡¯m ¡­ distinctly pushing away, at the moment.¡± ¡°Like I said¡ª¡° Rosalie waved her concern away. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s see. My sisters.¡± She was silent a moment longer, then sighed. ¡°Charlotte and Elodie. I¡¯ll start with them.¡± 3.24 The Date II 3.24 The Date II ¡°I¡¯m the youngest,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Charlotte is two years older, and Elodie, four.¡± They had made their way from the guild and were well on their way toward Zoey¡¯s chosen park. It was a beautiful day out; Zoey couldn¡¯t have asked for better. She and Rosalie were crossing one of the many stretching bridges that connected the gargantuan trees that acted as structural supports for the city. Each enormous trunk had rings of scaffolding encircling it, where denizens took up residence or operated businesses. Zoey had memorized the way. It would be four bridges before they arrived to the park, one of the few structures built on a tree without a canopy: where the sun would shine down without being blocked by a mountain of branches and leaves. The shade was nice in normal circumstances, but it would obviously kill the vibe of a park. How one of the titanic trees had been stripped of its leaves, Zoey had no idea. Probably, it¡¯d died some years ago¡ªcenturies¡ªand simply remained standing. How could a tree of that size copse? ¡°You know,¡± Zoey said. ¡°You did strike me as a youngest child.¡± ¡°I did?¡± ¡°It¡¯s your blushing innocence, I think.¡± ¡°Blushing innocence?¡± ¡°Though, you¡¯ve started to change my mind on that front. With how often you¡¯re trying to seduce me, and everything.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one seducing you?¡± Rosalie shook her head, exasperated, realizing she was being teased. ¡°Stop goading me. As I was saying, Elodie is the oldest.¡± Rosalie considered her next words. ¡°She¡¯s always been ¡­ adventurous, and determined, but not in a good way. She¡¯s unreliable. She seeks thrill for the fun of it. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she wasn¡¯t in Mantle when we arrive, even. You might not get an opportunity to meet her. She might be out hunting.¡± ¡°Unreliable?¡± Zoey asked. It was an unexpected description for someone of Rosalie¡¯s family. ¡°You know, I kind of figured your sisters would be ¡­ older clones of you, I guess.¡± Rosalie raised her eyebrows at Zoey, and Zoeyughed. And also, Rosalie having turned toward her, Zoey was struck for the tenth or twentieth time in as many minutes by her appearance: her tinum blonde hair done up in a pony tail and her bright red lipstick. Rosalie was gorgeous when sweaty and covered in grime, having hacked her way through droves of monsters. When she tried to be pretty? She could stop Zoey¡¯s heart just by looking her way. ¡°Well,¡± Rosalie said, looking back forward, not noticing Zoey¡¯s brief crisis. ¡°It¡¯s a half correct assumption, I suppose, but not in the way you mean. The three of us look shockingly simr.¡± ¡°You do?¡± ¡°And you better not be thinking what I think you are, about that.¡± ¡°Just that your mom must have strong genes,¡± Zoey replied. But two Rosalie look-alikes ¡­ she wondered how simr. That would be, uh, quite the sight. Rosalie side-eyed Zoey. Zoey paused, knowing by Rosalie¡¯s expression that she¡¯d said something odd. But what? A secondter, Zoey realized. Or, had a guess. ¡®Genes¡¯. That wasn¡¯t a word regr folk knew, was it? Earlier today, Maddy had asked Zoey if she had a schrly background for using the word ¡®exponential¡¯. Zoey was too free with how she spoke, wasn¡¯t she? Though, with Rosalie, Zoey didn¡¯t care if she slipped up. She hadn¡¯t decided if she was going to tell her the full truth of her circumstances, but if she did, then slip-ups like these would make the eventual exnation more reasonable. ¡°I suppose she must have,¡± Rosalie agreed, brushing past it. The reaction confirmed in Zoey¡¯s head that this hadn¡¯t been the first time Rosalie had gleaned something from the way Zoey spoke. ¡°Anyway, Elodie is tallest by a full hand, and Charlotte keeps her hair short, these days. I doubt you¡¯ll be mistaking us.¡± She eyed Zoey again, emphasizing, you better not, at least. And yeah, Zoey would obviously be ying that whole situation very, very carefully. ¡°Elodie¡¯s adventurous, you said?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the reason she isn¡¯t the family heiress. She¡¯s outstandinglypetent, but distractible and prone to ¡­ unproductive pursuits.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°The arts. Adventure, for adventure¡¯s sake rather than advancement.¡± Rosalie¡¯s nose wrinkled. ¡°Men.¡± So, normal things for a young woman to be interested in. Hobbies and romance. Four years older than Rosalie, Elodie would be twenty-two. ¡°Sounds like she¡¯s just living life. That¡¯s so bad?¡± It seemed Zoey had stepped in it, because Rosalie frowned at her, then went quiet. Zoey itched to smooth the question over, but it was, ultimately, a goal of Zoey¡¯s: she didn¡¯t want to change Rosalie, but she did want to confront her in some small way¡­ to make sure she was happy with the breakneck pace she set for herself, and the mountains of responsibility apparently loaded onto her shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s not bad,¡± Rosalie finally said. ¡°Perhaps Elodie ¡­ and I, for that matter,¡± she emphasized, ¡°can take time off for less practical interests, but ultimately, we have responsibilities. Elodie takes it to excess.¡± Rosalie had, of course, seen through Zoey¡¯s question, had seen the real intent behind it. She reminded herself that Rosalie was a politician, or had, at a minimum, grown among them. She had called the ce she¡¯d been raised in the ¡®Highreach Court¡¯. Zoey¡¯s clumsy nudging would be seen through every time. Or, maybe not every time¡ªRosalie did seem to have blind spots¡ªbut this asion, at least, she had. ¡°They¡¯re wayfarers, right?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°And Charlotte? What¡¯s she like? Is she the ¡®heiress¡¯, being second oldest?¡± Rosalie¡¯s lips pursed. ¡°She was.¡± ¡°Was?¡± Rosalie¡¯s shoulders hunched forward, and there was a hint of bitterness when she replied. ¡°Charlotte had the dedication, but shecked the talent. That was my father¡¯s perspective, at least.¡± Ah. Zoey could tell in a nce this was a topic they shouldn¡¯t go down. Rosalie had ¡­ what, taken her older sister¡¯s ce as primary inheritor? She wanted to learn more about Rosalie, but not at the expense of souring the mood. But still. That meant Rosalie, despite being the youngest, was the family heiress? It made sense, honestly. The way Rosalie acted suggested it. Zoey wasn¡¯t surprised at all. ¡°I¡¯d talk about my family if I could,¡± Zoey said. ¡°But I can¡¯t, really. Some stuff is starting to trickle back, but not the specifics. Hazy pictures.¡± She chewed her lip, then offered, ¡°I think I had a brother?¡± Rosalie nced at her, concerned. Zoey shrugged to dismiss the worry. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tiptoe. The memory stuff is ¡­ unfortunate ¡­ but I guess I¡¯ming to terms with it.¡± She did, at least, have a guarantee from Ephy that once ¡®her purpose had been aplished¡¯, her memories would be returned. Or, Ephy hadn¡¯t specified exactly when, had she? Not ¡®when Zoey finished saving the world¡¯, just a vague ¡®eventually¡¯. Would her memories continue to solidify, passively, as they had been the past week? Until she remembered everything? Zoey wished she could get that troublesome goddess into a room. She could use some rification on her circumstances. For that matter, she didn¡¯t know what she was saving the world from. The only hint had been her date with Delta, that brief discussion of how the Fractures were ¡®decaying¡¯. But that could just be some rumor, a group of crazies perpetuating it. Zoey¡¯s world had had plenty of those. Why not this one, too? Probably not something to be musing over during a date. ¡°Well,¡± Rosalie said, taking Zoey¡¯s reassurance at face value. ¡°I suppose I am curious. Your random, unexinable appearance into the shard I distinctly entered alone has been ¡­ perplexing me. Have any details of that returned?¡± Zoey paused, grimacing. Rosalie had gone straight for a hard-hitting question. ¡°I know more about how it happened than I¡¯m admitting,¡± Zoey finally said, slowly. ¡°Not that it was intentional, or expected, or even ¡­ usible.¡± Maybe she shouldn¡¯t have used thest word, because it piqued Rosalie¡¯s interest. ¡°But I guess I haven¡¯t organized how I want to talk about it, yet. I was talking more ¡­ me, if you have questions.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Y¡¯know. Date stuff.¡± Rosalie flushed, as if she¡¯d been chided. Zoey hadn¡¯t meant it in that way. ¡°Right,¡± Rosalie said, turning forward. ¡°I suppose you wouldn¡¯t want to focus on ¡­ all that. This isn¡¯t the time.¡± She nced away. ¡°I¡¯m not ¡­ experienced at this.¡± ¡°You? Inexperienced at dating? I never would have guessed.¡± Rosalie tensed, briefly, at Zoey¡¯s teasing, then rxed. She met Zoey¡¯s gaze and rolled her eyes. ¡°Yes, well. You¡¯ve certainly chosen an interesting target of your affections. I¡¯ll admit I don¡¯t fully understand why.¡± That was a statement that had Zoey staggering. Rosalie didn¡¯t understand why Zoey would be interested in her? ¡°Yes,¡± Zoey said dryly. ¡°The gorgeous, caring, brilliant woman who saved my life. How did I ever¡ª¡° fall for you, Zoey barely managed to strangle off, ¡°take interest. An unsolvable mystery.¡± Rosalie flushed. She didn¡¯t reply, but her brief insecurity did seem to disappear. They walked together for a while, traversing the crisscrossing bridges of Treyhull. Zoey squeezed Rosalie¡¯s hand, and she squeezed back. Zoey looked out across the sprawlingndscape. Suspended thousands of feet into the air, she had a great vantage point. It was a good thing heights didn¡¯t make her dizzy. ¡°Almost there,¡± Zoey said. ¡°This should be thest bridge.¡± Rosalie hummed in acknowledgment. ¡°What else do we have nned?¡± ¡°Feeding the ducks, a pic, a surprise event, then dessert. I didn¡¯t want to pack the schedule too tight, so we could rx and chat.¡± She nced at Rosalie. ¡°I hope you weren¡¯t wanting something big and shy?¡± Rosalie shook her head, instantly. ¡°No, definitely not.¡± She paused. ¡°Expected it, perhaps, but not wanted. This sounds better.¡± Zoey rxed. She had been worried, however much she¡¯d been convinced it was the right idea. ¡°So,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°We got side tracked. You said some of your memories are trickling back? A brother? What else? Parents? Where you lived?¡± Zoey chewed her lip. How best to go about this? 3.25 The Date III 3.25 The Date III It was odd, visiting a park hanging thousands of feet into the air. Despite being wrapped around a gigantic, dead tree trunk, the park was more or less the same as the ones Zoey knew back home. Lush green grass, simple pathways crisscrossing here and there, sparse trees, and even a decently sized pond. The logistics behind all that¡ªhow they¡¯d built a park in the sky¡ªhurt Zoey¡¯s head, but so did the logistics behind the entire city. How had the designers and constructors managed to create Treyhull? How did they bring supplies up? How had they gotten the millions of gallons¡ªor whatever the quantity was¡ªof water needed to fill the pond, much less the material for the rest of the enormous tree city? With magic on their side. The exact applications, Zoey couldn¡¯t guess at, but magic in any capacity would simplify pesky things like logistics. As theypleted thest leg of the trip to the park, Zoey chatted with Rosalie about her slowly returning memories¡ªthe bits and pieces she could glean, foggy as they were. She tried to be honest without revealing too much about her status as an inter-dimensional traveler ¡­ or whatever Ephy had done to get her here. Zoey didn¡¯t know if this was a different, or universe entirely, or whatever. Those were questions above her pay grade. Easy to ignore, and not especially important. Mostly, she talked about her childhood memories and how she grew up. Rosalie seemed interested in trying to guess where she was from, using the tidbits Zoey described to her, but she mostly ended up perplexed¡ªan inevitable result, seeing how the suburban lifestyle of someone from modern-day Earth didn¡¯t match anywhere in this world. It was freeing to discuss her history, even if Zoey didn¡¯t¡ªand sometimes couldn¡¯t¡ªgo into real depth. Still, she painted a picture of her past, and what she¡¯d been like, growing up. She talked a bit about family, but those bits were always the foggiest¡ªthe parts that Zoey might have an attachment to. Because that had been Ephy¡¯s intent: to scrub her brain of distractions. And it had worked, unnerving as the experience was. She was unsettled by how she couldn¡¯t remember her parents¡¯ or potential brother¡¯s face, but it also meant Zoey wasn¡¯t agonizing over homesickness. In fact, bizarre as her time in this new world had been, she actually, unequivocally, liked it here. And that was only mostly of the fault of Rosalie and Delta. The world itself was fascinating. Zoey had scouted out the Eden¡¯s Retreat Park with Maddy earlier in the day, so she knew where to lead them. The park was busy¡ªit was a beautiful day out, and approaching evening, so of course it was¡ªbut not excessively so. ¡°It¡¯s crazy they managed to build all this,¡± Zoey said, nodding, specifically, at the pond. They were strolling its edge, hand in hand, at a rxed pace. The first order of business was feeding the ducks, but first they had to track the sneaky bastards down. Like Zoey had said, it was a big pond. ¡°The buildings I can kind of wrap my head around, but half ake? How?¡± Rosalie hummed. ¡°It must have been an undertaking,¡± she agreed. ¡°Though hardly impossible. Inventories andborer sses make projects like this rather less intimidating than you¡¯d think. Mostly, I can¡¯t help but think how wasteful it all is.¡± ¡°Wasteful?¡± Zoey asked, surprised. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°All this for a park?¡± Rosalie shrugged. ¡°Impractical, I suppose. A waste of resources.¡± ¡°Having somewhere nice to rx isn¡¯t wasteful,¡± Zoey said. Rosalie really did have such an overly utilitarian perspective. ¡°Look how pretty it is. It¡¯s good for the soul. Cities need recreational areas like this. Though ¡­ I get your point.¡± Even with magic aiding them, building a park in the sky¡ªsuch an extensive feat. And there were several in Treyhull. Crazy. ¡°Plus,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°It seems dangerous. This has to be one of the riskiest ces in the city.¡± Again, Zoey was taken off guard. ¡°Dangerous? Why?¡± A secondter, the answer came to her. ¡°Monsters?¡± Sometimes she forgot about those. ¡°All this open air.¡± She scanned the sky, and Zoey couldn¡¯t help but do the same. ¡°It must be a headache keeping people safe. That¡¯s why there¡¯s so many guards.¡± Zoey looked thoughtfully around the park. ¡°There are more than usual, aren¡¯t there?¡± She hadn¡¯t noticed it until Rosalie had pointed it out. The green and blue uniforms of the Treyhull City Guard had be background noise to Zoey. She was used to seeing plenty of patrols, but there were even more than normal¡ªby a significant amount. ¡°Howmon are attacks, anyway? We haven¡¯t seen one.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been in Treyhull two days. They¡¯remon, but not so much you¡¯ll see one every outing.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Not that I know for sure. I¡¯m hardly an expert on Treyhull¡¯s monster conditions. But the Fractures in general are a chaotic ce, so it can¡¯t be all that umon.¡± Zoey chewed on that for a few moments. ¡°I¡¯m surprised so many peoplee here, despite that.¡± Zoey knew why¡ªfor the profit that came with supporting wayfarers¡ªbut even so. Were things bad up in Haven? The people here didn¡¯t seem especially desperate, so surely not. ¡°Haven has its own issues,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°I suppose from arger perspective, risk of monster attack isn¡¯t such a deterrent. I¡¯m the wrong person to ask.¡± They walked for a few moments, Zoey considering her words. She hadn¡¯t really thought about the Fractures¡¯¡ªand Haven¡¯s¡ªbig picture. Considering her mission in this world, she really should start doing so more. But that wouldeter. She was on a date. She shook the thoughts away. Rosalie peered around. ¡°You know, I was promised ducks, but I¡¯m noticing a distinctck of them, Zoey.¡± ¡°Seriously. Where¡¯d they even go?¡± This was the only body of water, and they¡¯d been walking the edge for a while, scouting. The pond was, to be fair, enormous¡ªbig enough she couldn¡¯t make out the entire span. ¡°We¡¯ll bump into them sooner orter. I know they¡¯re here.¡± And there was hardly a rush. She was enjoying the casual conversation. That wasn¡¯t something she and Rosalie got enough of. ¡°How¡¯d your day go, by the way? What were you up to?¡± Rosalie nced at her, amused¡ªand it took a second for Zoey to ce why. ¡°Well,¡± she said, ¡°this morning, I was training at the guild facilities, locked in a private room. See, I couldn¡¯t do more, because I was tasked with attending to a very troublesome teammate of mine, and her excessive needs.¡± Zoey coughed. In the moment, she¡¯d forgotten how a good portion of Rosalie¡¯s day had been upied. Was sex bing such a staple that it had only taken a few hours to forget that Rosalie had been sucking her cock between each of Maddy¡¯s lessons? ¡°What kind of training?¡± Zoey asked, moving to topics that wouldn¡¯t have her walking awkwardly. She didn¡¯t have her portal panties equipped, so an erection would be as inconvenient, and obvious, as before. ¡°You advanced one of your runes, right? Practicing a new skill?¡± ¡°Among other things, yes.¡± The natural next question would have been what skill, but Rosalie had already shot Zoey down in that regard once before: when Zoey had asked her what ss she had. Rosalie wasn¡¯t open about her runes and abilities, something normal to people of this world. Zoey shouldn¡¯t take offense at it ¡­ but she did, secretly, and irrationally. She wanted Rosalie to trust her enough to give away that sort of information. Rosalie leaned against her as they walked down the pond¡¯s edge. Zoey¡¯s heart sped up. ¡°It¡¯s an interesting one,¡± Rosalie said softly. ¡°Practical forbat. It lets me ¡­ bend my spear.¡± She frowned. ¡°It¡¯s hard to exin. I can thrust at odd angles¡ªones that don¡¯t make sense. And much farther than I should. It¡¯s massively improved my reach.¡± She had chosen to share, and without Zoey even asking. It made Zoey glow¡ªprobably too much. Why had Rosalie, though? Because she¡¯d seen Zoey grow awkward, not asking ¡®what skill¡¯, which had been the obvious follow up? Either way, her stomach fluttered at the show of trust. ¡°You can warp space?¡± Zoey asked, trying to fight away the grin that threatened to break out. It hadn¡¯t been some huge gesture, so she really shouldn¡¯t be feeling giddy, but at the same time, Rosalie had made it clear that sharing any details to a person¡¯s ss was intimate¡ªprobably in a way Zoey couldn¡¯t fully appreciate. ¡°In a specific application, I suppose. Only with my spear.¡± ¡°Sounds tricky to use.¡± ¡°My most unwieldy one yet,¡± Rosalie agreed. ¡°It¡¯ll take time to master. Perhaps this two week break is less of an inconvenience than I thought. Or at least, I have relevant matters to fill it with.¡± Two weeks¡ªfourteen days, which they were already on day two of. It was going to pass in a blink, wasn¡¯t it? Zoey had so many activities to keep herself upied. Practical ones and less practical: if possible, she¡¯d like to get Rosalie out on another date, for this to not be a one-time thing. And maybe Delta? Maybe not so formal as a date, but Delta had invited her for a night out drinking. That could be fun. Maybe Rosalie would want toe, too? A team date. ¡°And you?¡± Rosalie asked. ¡°How¡¯d your training go?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell with Maddy,¡± Zoey answered honestly. ¡°She said I made good progress, but she¡¯s so sweet I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she¡¯s just trying to be encouraging.¡± ¡°She¡¯s like that?¡± Rosalie was still pressed into Zoey¡¯s side. They¡¯d slowed to a rather inefficient duck-hunting pace ¡­ it¡¯d be ages before they made it across the pond¡¯s stretching shoreline, ambling along like they were. That didn¡¯t bother Zoey. Having Rosalie tucked into her, head leaned against her shoulder, had a glow washing through Zoey. ¡°Yeah,¡± Zoey said. ¡°You¡¯ll see what I mean. I like her. She¡¯s ¡­ nice.¡± That was the easy nket word to use. ¡°Though, she¡¯s not entirely sold on my ss, I can tell.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t imagine why.¡± Sarcasm dripped from her words. Zoey gave her a pointed look. ¡°Well, some people don¡¯t seem to mind it.¡± She made it clear who the ¡®some¡¯ referred to. Rosalie¡¯s cheeks colored, but she ignored the usation. ¡°Anyway,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you¡¯re not some prodigy. You don¡¯t need to be an expert spellcaster in two weeks. You just need to learn a few defensive spells, so if something slips me, you¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the n.¡± The sun beat down with a gentle warmth. The air was starting to cool, but it was still bright and hot out, only a few scattered clouds providing shade. Pressed so close to her, Rosalie¡¯s scent was distracting. She¡¯d worn a floral perfume that made it hard to think. Though, Zoey would¡¯ve found it hard to think just having Rosalie pressed into her. ¡°Near the end, I think I was getting close to ice armor not fizzling,¡± Zoey said. ¡°So, if that¡¯s a good pace ¡­¡± she shrugged. ¡°Then yeah, it went well. But I wouldn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t, either,¡± Rosalie admitted. ¡°I¡¯m not a mage. But new spells take time to learn, and especially your first few. I know that much.¡± ¡°It gets easier with each one?¡± ¡°So I¡¯ve been told.¡± Zoey thought about that. ¡°Your family¡¯s all warriors, then?¡± Er, what was the role Rosalie sorted herself under? ¡°Lancers?¡± sses that had an equal mix of defense and offense. ¡°Elodie uses a sword. The rest of us, spears. So, yes¡ªall warriors, more or less. Not allncers.¡± ¡°More or less?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°sses can¡¯t be sorted so simply.¡± She shrugged, as if a full exnation would be too tangential to get into. ¡°I wonder if my arcana rune will advance as fast as my other two,¡± Zoey said. ¡°I figure it hasn¡¯t yet because I¡¯ve barely used it.¡± Mostly, it had been her two lewder runes that she¡¯d used to aid Delta and Rosalie. ¡°But now, maybe it will?¡± Now that she was training. Advancement didn¡¯te only through shards¡ªthough it was the fastest way. ¡°I¡¯d assume so.¡± Rosalie leaned off Zoey, abruptly, spotting something. She shaded her eyes and peered across the pond. ¡°Ah.¡± She pointed. ¡°There they are.¡± Zoey failed to see what she was pointing at. ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it.¡± A secondter, she realized why Rosalie had spotted them so easily. ¡°Advancements give you better eyesight, don¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Better everything,¡± Rosalie said idly. ¡°Haven¡¯t you noticed? You¡¯re technically second advancement, now. Each rune¡¯s advancement gives passive benefits.¡± ¡°Right.¡± She thought about it. Heavy objects had felt lighter, recently, and maybe she could see and hear more sharply than before. ¡°It¡¯s not super noticeable, but yeah. I think so.¡± ¡°It¡¯s mild at first. And more pronounced for me. I¡¯m a physical fighter. My senses are more integral to my ss, so I get more.¡± ¡°I¡¯m jealous. Super strength and reflexes.¡± ¡°And I,¡± Rosalie said amusedly, ¡°would like to conjure walls of ice from thin air. But we get what we get.¡± That was fair. Magic was nothing to sneeze at. But super strength would¡¯ve been pretty amazing. Specifically, for some less-than-appropriate reasons. Zoey would like to be able to toss Rosalie around like she weighed nothing. It would make certain activities ¡­ more fun. Theirckadaisical pace picked up, the two of them having identified their prey. The ducks came into view. 3.26 The Date IV 3.26 The Date IV Rosalie was as awkward about feeding the ducks as Zoey had hoped she would be. Rosalie didn¡¯t say it outright, but her furrowed brow as she tossed breadcrumbs into the water and watched the animals quack and swarm showed how she felt: mostly perplexed. It was a very Rosalie reaction. Zoey was just d she was humoring her, seeing how much of a ¡®waste of time¡¯ she must view all this. Though, her shoulders definitely seemed to have loosened from their usual ram-rod straightness. And there was a hint of a smile mixed in with her vague amusement and confusion. Zoey counted that as a win. The ravenous beasts glutted, Zoey and Rosalie strolled away from theke, headed for the spot she and Maddy had picked out for the pic. They took a casual pace, chatting. ¡°I can¡¯t believe how easy you¡¯re making that look,¡± Zoey said, nodding at Rosalie¡¯s shoes. Heels in grass¡ªZoey could barely manage heels on t tiles. Rosalie looked down then back up, as if not understanding what Zoey was referencing, at first. Which was kind of her point. ¡°Your heels. How do you do it? You¡¯re like a ¡­ a panther.¡± Well, not the bestparison, but it¡¯d been the one that popped into her head. Rosalie raised her eyebrows. ¡°You¡¯ve got this ¡­ fluid grace. When you move.¡± Zoey shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s impressive. But you¡¯re sure it¡¯s not a problem?¡± ¡°I already told you why I¡¯m wearing them.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not that much shorter than me.¡± Zoey paused. Well, that was a lie. ¡°You¡¯re just ¡­ fun sized,¡± she amended. Rosalie red at her. Zoeyughed. She really wasn¡¯t that short¡ªonly a bit shorter than the average girl. Zoey was just tall. Had been, even before Ephy¡¯s transformation, which had added another few inches. At least, from what she could tell. She hadn¡¯t exactly busted out the measuring tape. ¡°I¡¯m the shortest in my family,¡± Rosalie muttered. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to tease me over it. I get enough of it from my sisters.¡± Zoey nodded solemnly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll have me for the top shelf, now. You won¡¯t need to ask them anymore.¡± Another re, which Zoey smirked back at¡ªand which made Rosalie blush. Reaching their destination¡ªarge oak tree with a sprawling shadow¡ªZoey set out the checkered nket andid down the pic basket. ¡°Hope you¡¯re hungry,¡± Zoey said, sitting and stretching her arms wide, working out her muscles. They were aching from ¡­ well, all the chaos of the past few days. ¡°But save space for dessert. You like ice cream?¡± As it turned out, this world did have that, though it wasn¡¯t as popr as back home. Still, Maddy helped her track down a tiny restaurant near the park, which they¡¯d be heading to after the pic and finger-painting debacle. ¡°I¡¯ve had it,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Not often. I usually watch my diet, strictly. But it¡¯s,¡± she paused. ¡°Fine.¡± She shrugged. Zoey nodded in passive realization. Obviously, as part of her training growing up, Rosalie had kept an intense regiment, including food. That lean, fighting figure of hers hadn¡¯te about by ident. Or through a magical transformation, like Zoey¡¯s had. ¡°Well. Today¡¯s for cutting loose. We¡¯ll make up for it tomorrow.¡± Which brought up something Zoey hadn¡¯t considered. While Zoey hadn¡¯t been in horrible shape back home, Ephy¡¯s transformation had left her much better off. Did it need to be maintained? Or was it an ongoing blessing¡ªcould she pig out and keep her figure? That¡¯d be pretty awesome, but it was hard to test in any reasonable time frame. Unless she really indulged. Rosalie hummed at Zoey¡¯s response, continuing to humor her. She wasn¡¯t not having fun, Zoey thought, but dates in general weren¡¯t really ¡®Rosalie¡¯, much less ¡®day-at-the-park and cute pic¡¯ dates. Though, Rosalie had been the one to ask, so Zoey wasn¡¯t discouraged. Or, kind of, she¡¯d been the one to ask. Technically, Zoey had ¡­ but Rosalie had bludgeoned her over the head to get her to do so. Her lips quirked at the memory¡ªat Rosalie being upset Delta had ¡®gotten the first date¡¯. ¡°You ever been on a pic?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°Or is this your first?¡± Rosalie paused as she considered the question. ¡°Well,¡± she said. ¡°Do outdoor banquets count? Of a political sort?¡± ¡°Did you sit on a nket?¡± ¡°Certainly not.¡± ¡°In chairs?¡± ¡°That is the other option.¡± ¡°Well, I meant a pic bench.¡± Rosalie paused. ¡°No. A regr table.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯d say that doesn¡¯t count.¡± ¡°Is that what makes a pic? A bench or a nket?¡± ¡°I mean, kind of?¡± Not really, since a pic was really just an outdoor meal ¡­ so Rosalie was probably right. ¡°Or, I guess not. But yeah, pretty much.¡± ¡°At least you¡¯re consistent.¡± Zoeyughed and finished unpacking the food she¡¯d brought. It wasn¡¯t much: a freshly baked loaf of bread with apanying butter and jam, cheese, crackers, and fruit. Light foods, but plenty to snack on. ¡°And finally ¡­¡± Zoey said, withdrawing thest item and presenting it. ¡°Ta-da. I hope you¡¯re not a wine snob, because one, I don¡¯t know anything about wine, especially with amnesia, and two, I¡¯m poor, so it¡¯s cheap.¡± She grinned, waggling it. ¡°But I thought it fit the intended ambiance.¡± This world¡¯s alcohol policies were looser than the ones back home, which was fortunate. She¡¯d already guessed that from Delta¡¯s casual invitation to go have drinks ¡­ and she could¡¯ve guessed it even without that. Anyone down in the Fractures¡ªa ce swarming with monsters¡ªought to be able to buy alcohol, seeing how they were risking their lives on a daily basis. It¡¯d have been ridiculous if not. ¡°Wine snob?¡± Rosalie echoed. Zoey guessed Rosalie had probably never heard the phrase,mon as it might be back home. Probably not a phrase thrown around by social aristocrats ¡­ or whatever stuffy circles Rosalie had grown up in. ¡°A sophisticated pte,¡± Zoey amended. ¡°Or, that¡¯s how the wine snobs put it.¡± Amused, Rosalie took the bottle and inspected thebel. ¡°Well,¡± she said eventually. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of the brand. That¡¯s not necessarily a condemnation ¡­ I suppose you might have eclectic tastes. For my sensibility¡¯s sake, I¡¯ll pretend it¡¯s that.¡± ¡°So you are a snob.¡± ¡°Mm. My family was¡ªis¡ªexempted from many frivolities of court, but not entirely. We do need to keep up appearances.¡± Despite that Zoey had put two and two together, hearing Rosalie so casually mention things like ¡®court¡¯ and needing to ¡®keep up an image¡¯ had Zoey off foot ¡­ and honestly, had some insecurity creeping in. She was dating this girl? Her? Zoey? How in the world had that happened? Rosalie offered the bottle back, and Zoey put it aside. ¡°What was that like, anyway? Growing up in ¡­ court?¡± ¡°A sidenote,¡± Rosalie answered, leaning back and looking away from Zoey, out into the park. ¡°Irrelevant,pared to my training routine. Father had demanding expectations. We learned how to present ourselves in a befitting manner, but as I told you, we were exempt from much of their ¡­ games. Training took much greater focus. The court was more of an unfortunate chore.¡± ¡°We, being you and your sisters?¡± Rosalie nodded. She had adopted a contemtive look, which wasn¡¯t Zoey¡¯s goal for today. They¡¯d strayed into territory that could have the mood ¡­ maybe not souring, but turning away from what she wanted. This was supposed to be a cute, easygoing date. The point was to have Rosalie rxing. And Zoey wanted to learn more about Rosalie, but not at the expense of making things heavier than they needed to be. ¡°Who helped you n this?¡± Rosalie asked suddenly. ¡°What, I couldn¡¯t myself?¡± Rosalie rolled her eyes. ¡°No, you just seem the type to ask for help. To make it a social event. So, Delta?¡± Rosalie had a good read on her. That probably shouldn¡¯t make Zoey¡¯s stomach gooey, but it did. ¡°Maddy, actually.¡± ¡°You two made quick friends.¡± ¡°Nah, that¡¯s just who she is. She¡¯d help a stranger n a date. Happily, honestly. She¡¯s a sucker for romance. Apparently she ns all her sisters¡¯ dates, too.¡± Rosalie thought about that for a second, then grimaced. ¡°I couldn¡¯t even imagine ¡®talking romance¡¯ with my sisters.¡± ¡°You three aren¡¯t close?¡± Rosalie chewed over her response. At least she didn¡¯t seem put off by the heavier-than-intended question. ¡°It¡¯splicated. But even when we¡¯re on good footing, we don¡¯t ¡­ talk about things like that.¡± She shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re a very open person, Zoey. My family isn¡¯t. Even Elodie, who¡¯s the most of all of us.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fair.¡± Zoey passed off the slice of bread she¡¯d been preparing. Rosalie took it and bit in, savoring the butter and jam. Next, Zoey poured two sses of wine, then handed one to Rosalie. Hriously, Rosalie took the ss and held it up to the light, tilting her head side to side as she inspected it. She held the ss by the stem with pointer finger and thumb, then, visual appraisal finished, swirled the liquid and closed her eyes, smelling it. Finally, she took a sip. ¡°I think it¡¯s a hoax,¡± Zoey said. ¡°I bet if I gave you a blind taste test, you couldn¡¯t tell cheap wine from expensive.¡± She was pretty sure she¡¯d seen a video proving that ¡­ but exining the concept of ¡®videos¡¯ to Rosalie was obviously not on the table. Rosalie blinked at Zoey¡¯s words. She probably hadn¡¯t even realized the ordeal she¡¯d gone through before taking her first sip. She¡¯d simply been going through the motions. Rosalie hummed. ¡°Well, there is a difference. I suppose it¡¯s possible I couldn¡¯t, but some people I know could.¡± Zoey wasn¡¯t sold. Though, maybe the gap between ¡®cheap¡¯ and ¡®expensive¡¯ wine hadn¡¯t been closed in this world. Maybe that had happened from modern production standards. Or ¡­ who knew. Zoey took her own sip. She didn¡¯t go about the whole process like Rosalie had, instead pointedly going straight for the drink, holding eye contact with Rosalie, which Rosalie rolled her eyes at¡ªbut her lips quirked, which meant Zoey had seeded in amusing her. She let the rich taste linger on her tongue for a moment, pretending to consider itsplexity. ¡°Ah, yes,¡± Zoey said. ¡°It tastes like wine.¡± ¡°I already believe that you¡¯re unsophisticated. No need to y it up.¡± A smile yed on her lips, and Zoey grinned back. The two of them continued their meal. 3.27 The Date V 3.27 The Date V ¡°This is ridiculous,¡± Rosalie huffed. Zoey considered Rosalie¡¯s canvas. A lurid disy of blues, greens, and spots of reds and oranges¡ªthe flowers scattering the park¡ªsyed out on the white sheet, brought to life by Rosalie¡¯s fingers. Zoey made a show of inspecting the piece, turning head side to side and humming in deep consideration, like a critic appraising a fine painting for merit, deciding whether it deserved to be hung at a gallery. ¡°Well,¡± Zoey said, nodding firmly. ¡°I think a toddler might have done better. It¡¯s abysmal.¡± Rosalie red at her, but she didn¡¯t defend herself. Even prickly andpetitive as she was, she couldn¡¯t deny the catastrophe she¡¯d created. She did, however, settle for returning the insult. ¡°And yours is much better? Is that supposed to be a cloud?¡± Zoey looked at her own portrait, pursing her lips. It was a horrendous painting, even ounting for how she¡¯d drawn it with finger paint, and her totalck of artistic background. But worse than Rosalie¡¯s? Well ¡­ she wasn¡¯t sure. It was a stiffpetition. ¡°We¡¯ll call it a draw.¡± Rosalie huffed, again¡ªthe hundredth time of the past twenty minutes. She¡¯d been making the noise constantly while painting. They¡¯d been keeping their respective canvases hidden, but hearing Rosalie¡¯s frequent noises of displeasure, Zoey had known what to expect. Or, partially. Because could anyone be prepared for that? ¡°We might not have made art,¡± Zoey said sagely. ¡°But we aplished something much more important, and that¡¯s all that matters.¡± ¡°And that is?¡± Rosalie asked. She eyed Zoey. She knew something wasing. ¡°The impossible. We found a way to make you pout.¡± She tapped Rosalie¡¯s nose, leaving a smudge of green. ¡°You don¡¯t like being bad at things. It¡¯s cute.¡± Rosalie wrinkled her nose, going cross-eyed as she red down at the mark Zoey had left, then turning it back toward her. How she had managed a cross-eyed re ¡­ well, her pouting blonde teammate was capable of all kinds of incredible feats. Just not artistic ones. Rosalie nced away, blushing. Zoey realized she¡¯d been grinning a bit too dopily her way, and for too long. Zoey also cleared her throat and looked away. ¡°You¡¯re sure it¡¯ll wash out?¡± Rosalie asked. She picked at her apron¡ªZoey had provided them to protect their outfits¡ªand craned around to assess the damage. ¡°It helped, but I still got some on me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what they told us. Washes out. Should be fine.¡± It was a nice dress Rosalie was wearing. It¡¯d be a shame if the stray paint had stained it. Zoey took one more nce at Rosalie¡¯s painting,ughed¡ªwhich earned another re¡ªthen copsed backwards into the pic nket, stretching her arms wide. She closed her eyes. Her muscles really were so sore. Things had been nonstop go, go, go ever since she¡¯d been thrown between worlds. A momentter, she opened her eyes. The sky was turning dark, proper evening approaching. In her peripheral, she caught sight of the enormous tree trunk towering into the sky. It¡¯d been out of her vision for a bit, and she¡¯d almost forgotten she was in a flying park, thousands of feet in the air. Seriously, so weird. ¡°So,¡± Zoey said, turning to look at Rosalie, who quickly nced away, looking guilty. That made Zoey pause, then grin. She ignored the telling reaction ¡­ that Rosalie must have been studying Zoey while she was sprawled out. ¡°I was thinking ice cream, like I said. You saved space?¡± ¡°I could go for dessert.¡± ¡°Perfect.¡± Zoey stretched one more time, then rolled to a sitting position. ¡°Let¡¯s get cleaned up, then head there.¡± *** ¡°in vani?¡± Zoey asked, aghast. ¡°You never cheat on your diet, and you get in vani when you do?¡± ¡°What?¡± Rosalie asked defensively. ¡°It tastes good.¡± ¡°So do the other vors. And ¡­ you didn¡¯t even get toppings!¡± ¡°Toppings distract. Less is more. I wouldn¡¯t expect you to get that.¡± Zoey paused, then a mischievous smile slid across her face. The set-up had been way too perfect. ¡°Yeah, I wouldn¡¯t. I¡¯m more of a ¡®more is more¡¯ girl. I thought you liked that about me.¡± She wiggled her eyebrows. It took Rosalie a second to understand the innuendo. Her eyes dipped down, then back up, and she looked at Zoey like she was something unpleasant she¡¯d stepped in¡ªbefore shaking her head and settling into the small, elevated round table by the window. Using a spoon, she scooped out a bite of her ice cream and ate it. Zoey sat across from her and likewise took a bite. She, unlike her date for the night, had made the trip to the ice cream parlor worth her time. She hadden her three scoops of varying vors high with toppings and sugar-drizzles of various sorts¡ªcaramel, syrups, whatever they had on hand. Zoey wouldn¡¯t say she had a sweet tooth, per se, but when the opportunity arrived, she went for it. Anything worth indulging in, in her opinion, was worth over-indulging in. They ate for a few moments, before Rosalie said, a bit suddenly, ¡°I had fun.¡± She met Zoey¡¯s eyes, then cleared her throat and looked away. ¡°This was ¡­ nice. I enjoyed myself.¡± She hesitated before continuing. ¡°But ¡­ I¡¯m not sure how often I could do something like this. Dates. I hope that doesn¡¯t bother you.¡± Zoey blinked, surprised at the abrupt nervousness on Rosalie¡¯s face. ¡°Of course it doesn¡¯t bother me,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Or ¡­ it does. Kind of.¡± Rosalie nced up, concerned, but Zoey finished the thought: ¡°But not because I need to constantly be going on dates with you, but because I want you to take care of yourself. You deserve time off. In general, not just with me. I guess it¡¯s not my ce to say so, but I¡¯m worried you work too hard.¡± Rosalie went silent. She stared down at her ice cream, picking at it but not eating. Zoey worried that she¡¯d said the wrong thing. She had expected Rosalie wouldn¡¯t want people telling her how to manage her time, and so Zoey had tried to soften the statement. But maybe she shouldn¡¯t have brought it up at all. ¡°Isn¡¯t it, though?¡± Rosalie finally asked. ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Your ce. To tell me stuff like that. To worry.¡± She stared down at her ice cream and poked at it with her spoon. ¡°That¡¯s what ¡­ girlfriends do, right?¡± Zoey sat there, stunned. That hade out of no where. Zoey had thought for sure that she would be the one needing to bring up the ¡®g-word¡¯, not Rosalie. Rosalie looked up, worried. Zoey realized she¡¯d sat there, eyes wide, for a little too long. Seeing Rosalie¡¯s concerned expression, Zoey shook herself out of it. A smile grew on her face, stupidly fast. That reassured Rosalie, but had her eyes shooting back down to her ice cream, pointedly away from Zoey¡ªa searing blush recing the worry. ¡°So that¡¯s what we are?¡± Zoey asked. Even she could hear the grin in her voice. ¡°Well,¡± Rosalie mumbled. ¡°Are we?¡± ¡°I dunno. A title like that ¡­ we haven¡¯t even kissed yet.¡± Rosalie¡¯s eyes flicked up, meeting Zoey¡¯s. Seeing Zoey¡¯s grin¡ªnow teasing, not just dopey¡ªshe lifted her chin and sniffed. Challengingly, she said, ¡°Then maybe we should fix that.¡± Zoey¡¯s heart started mming in her chest. Permission. To kiss Rosalie. She¡¯d been waiting for that for¡ªshe didn¡¯t know how long. And she¡¯d just been given it. So ¡­ what. Now Zoey was supposed to kiss her? How was she supposed to just do that? They stared at each other for a second, with Rosalie¡¯s bravado¡ªand some of Zoey¡¯s own confidence¡ªfading for nervousness, blushes recing them. Fortunately, Zoey¡¯s body acted for her, working up her unconscious nerve even if she couldn¡¯t do so consciously. The table they were sitting at was tiny, so she barely had to lean out of her seat. Rosalie responded instinctively. She also leaned forward, closing her eyes. Zoey¡¯s pounding heart reached a crescendo that genuinely concerned her. A flood of excitement¡ªand intimidation¡ªwashed through her. She kissed Rosalie. It was barely anything. Chaste, so much less than anything they¡¯d done before¡ªbut also so much more. She held the kiss for a few moments, savoring in Rosalie¡¯s soft lips, before she pulled back. It felt appropriate to keep it short. Like something hot and heavy would¡¯ve meant less, somehow, considering their rtionship so far. Short as it was, it set Zoey on fire. That she¡¯d finally been allowed to do it¡ªto kiss Rosalie. Rosalie. It stunned her. ¡°Well. There we go,¡± Zoey said, face burning. ¡°It¡¯s official. Girlfriends.¡± ¡°Girlfriends,¡± Rosalie echoed. Her own face was betraying her, as much as Zoey¡¯s was. That only made Zoey¡¯s stomach start doing flips in even newer and more creative ways. The blushing awkwardness faded after a few minutes. They fell back into their casual conversations, though the thrill didn¡¯t fade. Zoey could barely keep still, fidgeting for the entire rest of dessert. She caught herself grinning and had to wipe it away several times. Rosalie had to fight the tugging at her own lips, too, which just fed into Zoey¡¯s reactions. They finished their ice cream and left. The first half of the trip back to the guild was normal enough¡ªthough Zoey was giddy the entire time, barely managing to not act an idiot. Or, too big of one. The second half, though, a realization fell over the two of them. It didn¡¯t take any explicit conversation. Their casual chit-chat fell away and they started to walk faster. To breathe faster in anticipation. The date had gone well¡ªamazingly, even¡ªand now they were headed back to their room. They both knew what that meant. Their kiss had been chaste ¡­ but their full celebration. That, both of them knew, wouldn¡¯t be. 3.28 Post Date I 3.28 Post Date I The trip back to their room was frantic. Zoey barelysted a second through the entry before she had Rosalie pinned against the wall. She kicked the door shut with her foot, her mouth on Rosalie¡¯s before it finished mming closed. The kiss was nothing like their chaste, heart-fluttering one back at the parlor. It was hungry and needy. She pried Rosalie¡¯s mouth open and explored, drinking her taste. There had always been something holding Zoey back from doing this, from taking Rosalie¡¯s lips directly, but the dam had been broken. She could enjoy Rosalie in full. Still kissing, Zoey lifted Rosalie up and put her on the entry hall¡¯s table, ttering something to the ground in the process, which she paid no attention to. Their mouths didn¡¯t break during the adjustment. Zoey hiked Rosalie¡¯s dress up and ran her hands up and down her legs, reveling in how smooth and warm they were under her fingers. Rosalie''s own hands buried into Zoey''s hair, pulling her head in closer, giving better purchase for their tongues as they tasted each other. Rosalie broke away first, panting heavily. The burning flush on her face, creeping down her neck, had to be mirrored by Zoey; she felt like she''d caught fire. "You have no idea how long I''ve been waiting to do that," Zoey said breathlessly. Rosalie returned the sentiment, but not with words. She pulled Zoey back into her mouth, returning to their frantic exploration. Her hands stopped ruffling through Zoey''s hair and ventured to less appropriate ces. Her smooth digits slipped into Zoey''s waist band, and Zoey groaned as Rosalie rubbed her cock through her boxers. The friction was agonizing, with their rush back to the room having been more effective forey than actual forey ever could have been. She''d been rock hard for minutes, anticipating this. And Rosalie''s slippery tongue against her own ... even with all of Zoey''s practice recently, she might find it difficult to keep this boiling underneath her skin from pouring over. Rosalie pulled back. She gasped out, "You can¡ªyou can go all the way, tonight. I want to feel you inside me." Zoey growled as she picked Rosalie up, and, staggering with the awkward, frantic grip she had while still kissing her, dragged her to bed. She tossed her down onto the sheets and crawled over her. For a minute longer, she hungrily explored Rosalie''s mouth, then, frustrated, pulled away. She fumbled off her shoes and tossed them to the side. Rosalie''s heels followed a secondter, likewise undressing herself. "Keep the dress on. I want to fuck you in it.¡± Zoey wiggled down her pants, then underwear, and finally tossed off her shirt and bra, too. It had barely been a handful of seconds to rip the clothing off, but each had been frustrating to no end. She turned back to Rosalie and crawled over her. She''d kept everything on, as Zoey had told her to. Seeing the blonde girlid out beneath her, flushed, in her pretty blue sundress was a sight that almost stunned Zoey¡ªexcept for how badly she needed to be inside her, spurring her forward with an even stronger desire. Zoey hiked Rosalie''s dress up at the same time Rosalie¡¯s hand found Zoey''s cock. She stroked eagerly up and down. Zoey wiggled a hand into Rosalie''s panties and rubbed two fingers against her lips, smiling at the wetness she found. She pushed Rosalie¡¯s panties to the side, leaning forward so their faces were only a few inches away. Zoey drank in the sight, then pushed her hips forward so that the tip of her cock brushed against Rosalie''s entrance. Rosalie, hand still gripping Zoey''s cock, ran her cock up and down, parting her lower lips. Rosalie panted up at her, savoring in the friction¡ªand suspense¡ªas much as Zoey was. Zoey could barely hold it together. That was Rosalie''s pussy she had her cock rubbing into. All Zoey had to do was push her hips forward, and she''d be in. Inside Rosalie. She wanted to feel the noises Rosalie made when it happened. She leaned forward and captured Rosalie''s mouth. Then pushed her hips forward. She slid into Rosalie''s pussy. Tight, wet walls wrapped around her cockhead. Zoey moaned into Rosalie''s mouth, and Rosalie did the same¡ªand at the same time, bucked upward with her hips, shoving Zoey deeper into her. Zoey only barely managed to keep herself from pping her own hips forward and burying herself as deep as she could. This was Rosalie¡¯s first time, she tried to remind herself. Rosalie had never had someone inside her, even if she had toys, and Zoey wasn''t an easy person to amodate. Those whines of pleasure were also noises of difort. She had to be steady. "Easy, easy," Zoey breathed, breaking their kiss. The words were as much for her as Rosalie. "How are you doing?" Rosalie bit Zoey''s lip and pulled it back, almost painful in her eagerness. "I asked you to fuck me," she growled. "I don''t care if it hurts." She bucked her hips, taking more of Zoey. "So fuck me." Well ¡­ with those words ¡­ so much for Zoey''s restraint. She sank thest several inches, burying herself in Rosalie''s tight pussy. Rosalie cried out and arched her back, fingers digging into the bedsheets. She stayed that way, frozen, for a second, then let out a low, breathless moan. They began to move together. Zoey rocked her hips slowly, thrusting in and pulling out, feeling the tightness of Rosalie''s pussy grip her cock. They built up speed as Rosalie adjusted to Zoey''s size. For all her desperate need, being stuffed by fourteen inches of girl cock took a moment toe to terms with. Each thrust had the noises escaping Rosalie''s throat shifting more and more toward pleasure, and Zoey worked eagerly to stuff the blonde full. "Did you¡ªdid you take the potion?" Zoey froze. Rosalie''s legs wrapped behind Zoey and shoved Zoey forward, pping her hips back in. "Good," Rosalie panted. "I was hoping you¡¯d forget." "Should I¡ª I should¡ª¡° Zoey''s hips didn''t stop moving, despite her words. Loud ps filled the air as she buried herself into Rosalie''s pussy, spurred on by Rosalie''s powerful thighs thrusting her forward. But she hadn''t taken the potion. She could get Rosalie pregnant, if she finished inside her. "You like it," Rosalie breathed. "The idea of¡ªmm¡ªbreeding me." "Do you, do you want me to¡ª" Zoey couldn''t think straight. The soundsing out of Rosalie''s mouth were driving her insane. Rosalie¡¯s milking pussy had removed all rational thought. And worse, every few seconds the idea it was Rosalie¡¯s pussy squeezing her cock thrilled through her, crushing any chance at reining herself in. "I''ll take¡ª I¡¯ll take the potion, if you want." She finally got the words out. Somehow. "Why?¡± Rosalie groaned. ¡°Don''t you want to im me? To fill me up? Stuff me with your cum and breed me?" Zoey groaned, agonized. Really? This was the situation Rosalie chose to dirty talk, unprompted, for the first time ever? Wasn¡¯t she supposed to be the one blushing, with Zoey forcing out her real thoughts? Instead, she was the one taunting Zoey. And it was doing things to her. "Rosie ¡­ I¡¯m going to ¡­" "You''re getting close. I know." Rosalie''s powerful legs started humping Zoey in with greater force, and her lower body jerked upward into Zoey¡¯s cock with each thrust too. Skin pped with each stroke. Despite Rosalie''s words, she wasn''t in control of herself. Her eyes had a wild look to them, and her entire body was flushed with pleasure. "So. I''ll make you a deal." Zoey could barely hear the words. That familiar pressure was building in her stomach, cock, radiating outward, suffusing her with warmth. Fuck. She was going to cum inside Rosalie. Fill her up with her seed and make her hers. She was going to breed Rosalie. She almost couldn''t hear Rosalie''s next words, the idea was so enrapturing. If she¡¯d had an ounce of sense left in her brain, she¡¯d realize that Rosalie could just take a potionter, and they¡¯d be fine. But lost in the fantasy of stuffing her girlfriend¡¯s womb with a hot load, Zoey¡¯s brain was telling her that what she was doing couldn¡¯t bee back from. That if she finished, she¡¯d get Rosalie pregnant. ¡°Deal?¡± Zoey gasped. "I''ll let you finish inside, but I want something from you." "Anything," Zoey groaned. She leaned her head into the bed next to Rosalie as she jerked faster and faster. She was reaching a point of no return. She really should drink the potion, even if Rosalie hadn''t asked her to. Rosalie wasn¡¯t thinking straight. But her hips weren''t stopping. She needed Rosalie''s pussy around her. She needed to empty herself in her pretty girlfriend. To im her by stuffing her womb full. "Anything?" Rosalie asked. "Yes. Yes, please, anything." "Okay. Then go ahead," Rosalie murmured into Zoey''s ear. ¡°Breed me.¡± She didn''t stand a chance. She pped forward, her orgasm crashing into her. She came hard, crying out. Heat rushed through her veins, and every muscle in her body tensed. Her toes curled, and finally the first spurt came. Zoey pumped thick strings of hot cum fourteen inches into Rosalie, into her womb, filling her with baby batter. Unprotected. Beneath her, Rosalie began to shake, the experience crashing through her with the same force. They kissed, frantically, even as Zoey''s mind was wiped clean with the explosion of pleasure. Her cock pulsed and pulsed, pumping out load after load into Rosalie. It stuffed her to overflowing, pouring the sticky material out onto the bed sheets. Zoey worked in and out despite her sensitivity, rubbing at Rosalie''s clit, helping her to an equally erasing high. When the orgasm left her, Zoey copsed on top of Rosalie, their sweaty skin pressed together. They panted, dizzy from the intensity of what they''d done. Zoey¡¯s cock stayed in Rosalie¡¯s pussy, still hard, despite how thoroughly it¡¯d been milked. ¡°Shit,¡± Zoey murmured. ¡°Is that¡ª I shouldn¡¯t have¡ª¡° ¡°Made me yours? Why not? I am.¡± Zoey pulled up¡ªsomehow, despite her exhaustion¡ªand studied Rosalie¡¯s pale blue eyes. Her cheeks were flushed, but her orgasm had washed past her and her lucidity was back, the same as Zoey. ¡°But,¡± she admitted, lips curling. ¡°It would be rather inconvenient. I¡¯ll need to take something.¡± She leaned forward and kissed Zoey. ¡°You were just so enthusiastic,¡± she murmured into Zoey¡¯s lips,ughter in her voice. ¡°You really have a thing for that, don¡¯t you?¡± Zoey flushed, choosing to kiss Rosalie back instead of answering. Yeah, she guessed she did. But doubly so when it came to Rosalie. She couldn¡¯t believe she¡¯d pumped her so full. Her cock pulsed, still inside Rosalie, at the reminder. Finally, Zoey broke the kiss. ¡°But the ¡®something you wanted from me¡¯. How much am I going to regret it?¡± Rosalie smiled. ¡°Well. The good news is, you won¡¯t have to wait long to find out. I¡¯m calling it in now.¡± 3.29 Post Date II 3.29 Post Date II Zoey looked down at her cock, where a thick metal ring was wrapped around her shaft¡¯s base. Rosalie¡¯s ¡®request¡¯. What she was cashing Zoey¡¯s open-ended promise for. The cock ring was finally seeing its day. ¡°It gets bigger with every prevented orgasm,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°I ¡­ I want to see what the limit is.¡± Whatever spell had washed over Rosalie and made her take charge had passed¡ªshe blushed and stuttered over the exnation. She even provided her usual justification. ¡°Out of curiosity, of course,¡± Rosalie huffed. ¡°I¡¯m interested because of how strange it is.¡± ¡°I get the feeling,¡± Zoey said dubiously, still looking down, and too concerned for her own well being to tease Rosalie¡¯s flimsy excuses, ¡°that ¡®suppressing¡¯ a bunch of orgasms is going to be ¡­ ufortable.¡± Torture, more urately. There was edging, and then there was magically induced edging. ¡°Well. You did promise me.¡± ¡°Because I had a pretty girl begging me to breed her. I was under duress.¡± ¡°I did not beg you. You begged me.¡± ¡°Is that how you remember it?¡± Rosalie huffed and looked away. ¡°And,¡± Zoey added, ¡°you¡¯re that much of a size queen, now? I know you like it, but fourteen inches isn¡¯t enough?¡± ¡°As if,¡± Rosalie said stubbornly. ¡°I¡¯m just curious.¡± ¡°Uh huh. It¡¯s Delta and the dungeon trap, isn¡¯t it?¡± Rosalie¡¯s attention snapped to Zoey. She gave Zoey a look so disgusted that Zoey might actually have been worried, if she couldn¡¯t see through the act so easily. ¡°You want to be stuffed silly,¡± Zoey grinned. ¡°I seriously doubt it¡¯ll get that big ¡­ but maybe enough you can get a taste. A precursor.¡± She crawled forward across the bed and pushed a strand of Rosalie¡¯s hair to the side. She¡¯d undone her ponytail, sying out her tinum tresses in the way Zoey liked best. ¡°I¡¯m thinking that gel we got from thest shard might be able to recreate the stretchiness potion ¡­ and maybe something that makes me bigger, too. But I guess this is a good hold-off until then. Hopefully my skill can make things work.¡± She kissed the cheek of a furiously blushing Rosalie who wasn¡¯t meeting her eyes, then said, ¡°but since you¡¯re torturing me, I get to pick our positions.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a fairpromise,¡± Rosalie mumbled. ¡°Good. Then, here you go.¡± Reaching into her inventory, Zoey pulled out a silver stud. Rosalie blinked at it. ¡°Oh. That?¡± [Stud of Oral Ecstasy]: Umon. Transforms the user''s mouth into an erogenous zone. ¡°That,¡± Zoey grinned. ¡°Do you need help?¡± Rosalie frowned as she took the item. ¡°No.¡± She undid the sp and, in a bout of nonchnce that had Zoey both impressed and horrified, stabbed her tongue through with the bit of metal. She downed a few swishes of a health potion to heal the puncture. ¡°You didn¡¯t even use the numbing agent!¡± Rosalie paused, then shrugged. ¡°Pain conditioning was part of my training. That was nothing.¡± Which was a statement that doubly horrified Zoey ¡­ though why should it? Was it that surprising? She didn¡¯t know the details of how Rosalie had been raised, but her family hunted monsters for a living. ¡®Pain tolerance training¡¯ was par for the course. Rosalie noticed Zoey¡¯s expression, and hesitated. She leaned forward and kissed Zoey, and despite knowing why she¡¯d done it¡ªto distract her¡ªit worked wlessly. Because Zoey couldn¡¯t believe she could just do that now. Kiss Rosalie. Rosalie shivered, then pulled back. Her hand went up to her mouth, eyes widening. ¡°Oh,¡± she said. ¡°Oh, wow.¡± Zoey grinned, remember. Thest of her concern washed past. ¡°What¡¯s it like? Your mouth pussy.¡± Rather than addressing the crude terminology¡ªwhich Delta had first used¡ªRosalie continued to blink, then ran a finger down her tongue. She shivered at the sensation. Zoey shuffled onto Rosalie¡¯sp. Her cock stuck up and pressed against Rosalie¡¯s stomach, but Zoey was more interested in something else, right now. ¡°Open up.¡± Rosalie blushed, but did as told. Zoey stuck a finger into her mouth, rubbing it around, between her lips and teeth, against her cheeks and tongue. Rosalie groaned in pleasure, Zoey¡¯s finger providing pleasure wherever it went. ¡°Fuck me,¡± Zoey said. ¡°It¡¯s that sensitive?¡± Rosalie¡¯s panting answered for her. Zoey put two fingers back into Rosalie¡¯s mouth. She tugged Rosalie¡¯s chin down, prompting her to open wider, then thrust her fingers down Rosalie¡¯s throat. She choked, briefly, and groaned at the same time¡ªa mess of a noise. Zoey let Rosalie recover, then started throat-fucking her with her fingers, making loud squelching noises. When Rosalie¡¯s gag reflex finally gave in again, she pulled out, dragging thick stands of saliva. Rosalie coughed into her hands, steadying her airways. Zoey sucked on her fingers, tasting Rosalie. It was hardly the most inappropriate thing Zoey had done, but for some reason, Rosalie flushed crimson, shocked, and looked away. ¡°Zoey!¡± she protested. ¡°What? It¡¯s just spit.¡± Zoey grinned at her. ¡°Pretty sure we¡¯ve shared plenty of that.¡± ¡°Just, still.¡± She floundered for a second, but had no good excuse. At a guess, it was because of the new sensation in her mouth. It had flustered and confused her. Zoey kind of wanted to try the oral stud herself¡ªbutter. Obviously, ying with Rosalie was a lot more fun. Zoey pulled out her own stud, put it in, then leaned forward to kiss Rosalie. Kissing Rosalie the normal way already flustered her ¡­ with her mouth turned into a second pussy, Zoey¡¯s exploring tongue had her shivering in moments. Rosalie pulled back, gasping. ¡°That¡¯s¡ªwow. That¡¯s intense.¡± She swallowed. ¡°It synergizes.¡± The stud Zoey was wearing made her give better head¡ªand the stud Rosalie was wearing made her mouth an erogenous zone. It was an unfairbination. She took Rosalie¡¯s mouth again. She tongue fucked her sloppily, and in less than a minute, Rosalie wasing apart. The novelty of the situation was probably why it happened so quick. First times were always intense. Zoey didn¡¯t let up when Rosalie started to shake and groan in ecstasy. She explored Rosalie¡¯s mouth, biting her lip, running her tongue around, until her spasming finish had left her. ¡°I¡¯m ¡­ I¡¯m supposed to be teasing you,¡± Rosalie used, still panting from her strangely induced orgasm. ¡°New rule. You have to use your¡ªyour cock.¡± She stuttered over the word. For having insisted that Zoey breed her a moment ago, Rosalie¡¯s confidence had evaporated amusingly fast. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s fair,¡± Zoey said. She bit Rosalie¡¯s lip, eliciting another groan. ¡°Just stop being so easy to y with. I get distracted.¡± She leaned back on bed, shuffling off Rosalie¡¯sp, andid down. Her cock stuck up into the air, and Zoey gestured at it. ¡°Now, get your pretty little mouth to work.¡± Rosalie flushed, but did as she was told. Zoey knew by now that Rosalie liked being teased¡ªand even insulted, to a point. She wasn¡¯t sure how much, and was worried over pushing that boundary. Certainly, that night at the hotsprings, one of their first encounters, Zoey had degraded her rather thoroughly, and she¡¯d loved it. But how far could she take it where Rosalie still was having fun? Choking and pping? It was probably something best talked over explicitly ¡­ but if Zoey handled it well, working into it, she could find out through Rosalie¡¯s reactions. The problem with asking directly was, Rosalie¡¯s words, intentions, and wants rarely lined up. She was definitely a tricky partner to manage in bed. Or in general, she guessed. But Zoey wouldn¡¯t have it any other way. Rosalie crawled across the bed,ying down so her face was a few inches from Zoey¡¯s cock. Zoey reached down and gripped herself, then pped Rosalie¡¯s face with it. Rosalie made a noise of protest, but Zoey only followed up with: ¡°I said get to work, cock slut.¡± Rosalie flushed, but leaned forward, obeying instantly. She paused right before wrapping her lips around Zoey, though, as if realizing something. Her eyes flicked up to meet Zoey¡¯s, and she smirked. Right ¡­ Zoey couldn¡¯t cum. Literally couldn¡¯t. Rosalie could very, very easily get her revenge, if she felt like Zoey was disrespecting her¡ªhowever much she obviously liked it. Still smirking, Rosalie sank down on Zoey¡¯s cock. Zoey guessed she¡¯d done this to herself. Zoey groaned at the sensation of wet pressure wrapping around her length, and so did Rosalie, having had a cock shoved into her mouth-pussy for the first time. The vibration of Rosalie¡¯s noises of pleasure washed through her. Rosalie¡¯s entire body shook as her mouth-pussy was crammed with girl cock. She pushed herself down eagerly, wanting more. ¡°Look at me,¡± Zoey murmured, stroking a hand through Rosalie¡¯s hair. Rosalie¡¯s eyes had fallen down to Zoey¡¯s stomach, focused on her task, and her own pleasure. Her blue gaze went back up, locking with Zoey¡¯s, and Zoey sighed. ¡°You¡¯re so gorgeous it hurts, Rosie. I hope you know that.¡± Rosalie paused, then pulled off Zoey¡¯s cock. ¡°First it¡¯s ¡®get to work, cock slut¡¯, then it¡¯s, ¡®you¡¯re so beautiful¡¯?¡± Despite Rosalie¡¯s attempts to sound in control, she was blushing furiously ¡­ even more so than the insults had caused. ¡°Both can be true.¡± Zoey raised an eyebrow. ¡°And I didn¡¯t say to stop, did I? Get down there, cock slut.¡± Rosalie huffed, exasperated, and returned to her efforts. A half-minute of suckingter, Rosalie pulled off again. ¡°I forgot something,¡± she said. She was breathing hard, and looked upset for having had to pull Zoey¡¯s cock from her throat. She gripped Zoey¡¯s cock and lined up her hand to its base. She marked the position with her thumb, then moved her hand up. Though she was perplexed at what Rosalie was doing, she was distracted by something else: the bright red lipstick marks that Rosalie¡¯s efforts had left on her cock. They were scattered in various ces, smudges of red against her skin. Shit, she could get used to seeing that. Just another perk of an already amazing date. ¡°Perfect,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°I have my measurements.¡± Without fanfare, she took Zoey in her throat again. Zoey put two and two together. So, Rosalie wanted to see how much Zoey grew with every ¡®repressed¡¯ orgasm. Would it even be a spurt, or would it happen slowly, the longer Rosalie kept Zoey hovering near a peak? She¡¯d be finding out soon. Rosalie¡¯s sloppy efforts and gagging noises were quickly drawing Zoey to that boiling edge. Her situation hadn¡¯t fully settled in. The uing torture. Everything felt normal so far ¡­ and the building orgasm felt familiar. Nothing amiss. What would happen, when she reached that peak? She¡¯d just be stuck there? Or would the feeling pass, the ring eating it, and returning her to a more reasonable level of pleasure? Zoey didn¡¯t think she was in for the more pleasant of those two options. And by the determination on Rosalie¡¯s face, she was hoping Zoey wasn¡¯t. She wanted to see Zoey squirm and whine. Which, fair. Zoey wished there was an item she could use on Rosalie with a simr effect. The things she¡¯d be able to get Rosalie to say ¡­ she might actually die from shame, when she came down. Though, the mirror, Zoey thought. There was a way to get a cock on Rosalie¡ªjust with Zoey¡¯s body. She might have to ask Delta to borrow it. Zoey stared down her body as Rosalie choked on her cock. She was in for some torture ¡­ but for now, she sighed and enjoyed the sight. 3.30 Post Date III 3.30 Post Date III Normally, Zoey would try to hold off on how quickly she let the euphoria pooling in her stomach grow, either for her partner¡¯s pleasure or for her own, but in this instance, as Rosalie bobbed up and down her cock, filling the air with loud squelching noises, she let Rosalie¡¯s hard work yield fruit. She basked in the sensation, not holding off at all, letting Rosalie¡¯s tight throat-muscles massage her length and coax that burning pool of heat closer to its apex. The oral-fixation stud worked away on Rosalie as much as her tongue and throat worked away on Zoey. Rosalie had always been enthusiastic¡ªif that word did it justice¡ªwhen it came to pleasuring Zoey with her mouth, but now, spurred on by the stud¡¯s effect, Rosalie was twice as eager. Her throat acted as a second pussy, and she bobbed up and down, pleasuring herself as much as she was Zoey. Zoey groaned as the pleasure built. She started to work with Rosalie, bucking her hips into Rosalie¡¯s mouth at the same time she bobbed. Since she wasn¡¯t fighting her climax away, it was arriving quickly¡ªalmost as quickly as Rosalie¡¯s own, by the looks of things, and the sounds she was making. Rosalie pulled herself off, gasping for air. Zoey realized she¡¯d been down there for a while. Still, she was disappointed at the suddenck of pleasure. Rosalie sat up, then repositioned herself on the bed. She hung her head off the edge, face upside down. ¡°Hurry up,¡± she panted, opening her mouth. Zoey did as instructed. She climbed off the bed and shuffled over to Rosalie, gripping her wet cock and lining it up to Rosalie¡¯s mouth, who swallowed her eagerly. She pushed forward, watching Rosalie¡¯s throat bend outward as her cock filled it. She also admired¡ªbriefly, before it was enveloped¡ªthe bright red lipstick smearing her length. Seriously, such a great sight. She was going to have to encourage Rosalie to wear it more often. Rosalie had already had her throat opened up from her efforts earlier, so Zoey didn¡¯t ease into things. She gripped the side of Rosalie¡¯s head for stabilization, then started jerking in and out. There was something euphoric about the sloppy squelching noises Rosalie¡¯s throat made as it was used. And, Rosalie was getting better. She choked less with Zoey¡¯s violent use, her rough thrusting not causing her gag reflex to fight back as much as it had, the first few times. For close to a minute, she watched Rosalie¡¯s throat bend outward, panting in pleasure as her cock filled it up. Rosalie¡¯s motions grew more frantic, her body squirming in ce as her mouth pussy took Zoey¡¯s cock. Zoey might¡¯ve been worried she needed air, but she knew Rosalie would tap her thigh to let her know. No, the frantic motions meant she was getting close. Rosalie¡¯s back arched, and Zoey picked up speed, growling in animalistic excitement. She gripped Rosalie¡¯s head even tighter and pumped with everything she had, pistoning with violent force¡ªwhich, by Rosalie¡¯s thrashing, she enjoyed. Her hands scrambled at the bedsheets, body twisting left and right as her orgasm washed over her. Like usual, seeing Rosalie thrown over the edge did the same to Zoey. Zoey groaned as¡ª As the heat reached¡ª Zoey whined, the promised climax not arriving. The pounding, curling heat in her stomach and caressing her cock coursed through her, pleasurable enough to be nearly painful, but distinctly not orgasm. Zoey¡¯s body tried to rectify the problem. She¡¯d already been mming into Rosalie¡¯s throat as quickly as she could, but she found a second bastion of strength. She needed relief. She needed that orgasmic peak to wash through her. The squelching noises became even louder as Zoey rutted like an animal, desperately trying to find relief. It was so close. It wasn¡¯t fair. Almost painful became actually painful. She knew what was happening, but it didn¡¯t matter. She just had to work a little harder. A little ¡­ harder ¡­ Rosalie¡¯s shaking orgasm passed, and she patted on Zoey¡¯s thighs to stop. She¡¯d already let Zoey go for a shockingly long time, but she did need to breathe. Zoey despaired. Stop using Rosalie¡¯s throat? She couldn¡¯t. She just needed a few more thrusts, and that burning euphoria would arrive. She pped her hips against Rosalie¡¯s face, stuffing her throat full as she tried to finish off. But it wasn¡¯t working. Her entire body burned. She was melting with a pleasure that was turning to agony. Her climax refused to arrive. Rosalie patted her thighs, more firmly. Somehow, Zoey groaned and pulled herself out. She managed that, but not to stop satisfying herself. Her two hands reced Rosalie¡¯s throat, and she jerked herself off, trying to coax out an orgasm that refused toe. Rosalie¡¯s saliva acted as lubricant, letting Zoey¡¯s powerful grip massage up and down her cock. She focused on the tip, trying to force herself to cum. It should¡¯ve worked. She tried so desperately. She fell back into the hardwood floor, arching her hips with a frantic need to climax. But no matter how quickly or expertly she milked herself, it didn¡¯te. Finally, after an agonizing several minutes¡ªwhat felt like years¡ªshe copsed, panting and dizzy, painfully unsatisfied. Shey that way for a while, exhausted in a way even her most thorough sessions didn¡¯t leave her. Her cock throbbed angrily, needing more¡ªbut she let it stay unsatisfied, refused to return her grip to its length, because the burning waves of pleasure (pleasure? Not so much by that point) were starting to recede. Eventually, soft lips pressed into Zoey¡¯s own, and even exhausted, her body responded. She kissed back, the idea it was Rosalie¡ªher girlfriend¡ªkissing her somehow washing away the exhaustion. For a few moments, she eagerly explored her tongue around Rosalie¡¯s mouth, savoring her taste. It managed to distract her, thest of the painful pleasure fading. ¡°With that kind of reaction,¡± Rosalie murmured, pulling back, her hot breath washing across Zoey¡¯s face. Zoey basked in it, not opening her eyes. ¡°I almost feel bad. That didn¡¯t look fun.¡± Zoey¡¯s breathing had calmed somewhat, but she was still panting. ¡°I should¡¯ve just stopped.¡± Trying to force it had only made things worse. ¡°Maybe. But look how well you did.¡± A hand wrapped around Zoey¡¯s cock, which she groaned at. It was still sensitive, but at least it didn¡¯t start the crashing, painful waves of half-orgasm again. Zoey cracked an eye open, looking to see what Rosalie meant. Sure enough, the item had worked. Zoey¡¯s desperate attempts to work herself to climax had activated the item. The cock-ring had absorbed the energy and redirected it. She¡¯d put on at least four inches. She wasn¡¯t sure how much thicker her cock had gotten, but enough Zoey could tell the difference. ¡°Shit,¡± Zoey breathed. ¡°That¡¯s, uh. That¡¯s something.¡± Eighteen inches of girl cock. Fourteen was ridiculous, and a tight fit even with her skill, so would Rosalie even be able to get it inside her, now? Would Zoey¡¯s skill let her any sized cock fit into her partner? Surely at some point, she¡¯d need to rely on an additional aid¡ªsomething like the stretchiness potion she had nned. ¡°If that was too much, we don¡¯t have to keep going,¡± Rosalie said. Zoey studied her girlfriend for a second, then snorted. ¡°You almost kept the disappoint out of your voice.¡± Rosalie blushed, then insisted: ¡°I¡¯m serious. Was that fine?¡± ¡°Near the end?¡± Zoey asked. She shivered. ¡°Well. It got worse and worse. Just stop me, next time. Pin me down, or something.¡± ¡°Okay. I should¡¯ve done that in the first ce. You weren¡¯t having fun at the end.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. And, I imagine it was ¡­ a show.¡± If she¡¯d seen Rosalie writhing on the ground, lost in overwhelming ecstasy and frantically trying to work herself to orgasm, she might have been toopromised to act rationally too. She rolled over, tumbling Rosalie into the ground. Her cock¡ªeven more oversized nowid t against her body. It pulsed with the contact. It hadn¡¯t fully calmed from earlier. ¡°I don¡¯t me you. But yeah. Definitely stop me.¡± She kissed Rosalie, partly to show there was no hard feelings, and partly because her flushed expression had forced her to. How could she ever resist the urge to kiss a blushing Rosalie? Rosalie groaned and writhed on the floor, which caught Zoey off guard. Right ¡­ Rosalie still had the mouth stud in. Kissing her was the same as eating her out. Zoey grinned, then pulled back. ¡°You¡¯re still picking the positions,¡± Rosalie murmured, panting. Prompting her to get back to things. She was ready for round two. Zoey took Rosalie¡¯s hand, guiding them off the floor and back onto the bed. Zoeyid down t, pulling Rosalie on top of her, breasts pressed into each other¡¯s, with her cock sticking between Rosalie¡¯s thighs and into the air. Almost by instinct, Rosalie crossed her heels and tensed her thighs, squeezing soft skin against Zoey¡¯s cock. Rosalie humped slowly up and down, caressing her length with powerful muscles. It was unfair how strong Rosalie¡¯s legs were¡ªfor obvious reasons, considering her career and training. But just as soft as powerful. ¡°I wanted to keep kissing,¡± Zoey murmured, exining her chosen position. With Rosalieid atop her, their faces were only inches away, and Rosalie¡¯s entire body pressed down on her own. Somehow, she wanted more skin contact. ¡°Take the stud out?¡± Rosalie did so. ¡°You¡¯re intoxicating to be around, you know,¡± Zoey said. ¡°You set me on fire.¡± She kissed Rosalie, then tugged on her bottom lip with her teeth. Rosalie didn¡¯t moan, with the stud no longer in, but that was fine. She wanted to talk, which was why she¡¯d asked Rosalie to take it out. ¡°Every part of you is perfect. Unfairly so.¡± ¡°Zoey,¡± Rosalie murmured back, almost chastising¡ªtelling her to stop with the over-the-top ttery. She was embarrassed ¡­ but also wanted more. Zoey could read it on her face. ¡°I¡¯m not using ttery to get what I want,¡± Zoey told her. ¡°You¡¯re already taking care of me, aren¡¯t you? So you can¡¯t use that excuse. You have to ept that I¡¯m telling the truth, just because I want to.¡± She kissed her again. Rosalie¡¯s taste would never stop being intoxicating. She resurfaced to breathe, and Zoey had to organize her thoughts again, Rosalie¡¯s kiss having scattered them. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe I¡¯m lucky enough to be around you. Much less call you my girlfriend.¡± ¡°Stop saying things like that ¡­¡± Another kiss. Rosalie¡¯s thighs caressed her in a slow, coaxing motion. Not frantically. They¡¯d taken a slower, sensual pace. Rosalie wanted her to keep going, to keepying thepliments on, so she didn¡¯t distract Zoey with herpetent, powerful thighs. Zoey grinned, then pulled back for breath after a long, eager minute of exploring each other¡¯s mouths. ¡°It¡¯s not just your body,¡± Zoey said, pressing her forehead into Rosalie¡¯s. ¡°You better not think that. It¡¯s you. Your drive. The kindness you can¡¯t quite stamp down. How you blush at everything ¡­ like now, when all I¡¯m doing is telling you the truth.¡± Rosalie kissed her, cutting her off. Apparently she¡¯d taken it too far, and Rosalie¡¯s embarrassment had won out. Zoey smiled into the kiss. Rosalie separated, then pressed her forehead into Zoey¡¯s shoulder. Her hips picked up speed, working her thighs up and down with more crity. ¡°I said, stop saying things like that,¡± she murmured into her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m going to be torturing you for the next hour, remember? You¡¯ll make me feel bad.¡± ¡°The next hour?¡± Rosalie kissed Zoey¡¯s neck. ¡°I won¡¯t let it go too far, like the first time. I¡¯ll take good care of you.¡± She leaned up, bringing her lips close to Zoey¡¯s ear. ¡°And in payment, at the end, you can finish inside.¡± Well. That sounded like a deal to Zoey. 3.31 Post Date IV 3.31 Post Date IV [ Content disimer: Distension, excessive cum, etc ] Rosalie held true to her promise. She made Zoey suffer. It was mostly made up by how Zoey got to do what she wanted. Rosalie attended to her needs carefully and with enthusiasm. For nearly an hour, Zoey thrust between or into her thighs, tits, hands, mouth, and pussy. Thest one¡ªfull indulgence¡ªshe avoided after the first time. Being inside Rosalie was too exciting, and exciting meant painful, considering how the band of metal on the base of her cock was stopping her from finishing. Fortunately, Rosalie could overpower her and still her frantic rutting. It wasn¡¯t fun, dangling over that edge and being unable to throw herself off, but unlike the first time, Zoey didn¡¯t torture herself for more than a full minute, desperately trying to reach a climax that wouldn¡¯te. It was painful¡ªas much as it was pleasurable¡ªbut it wasn¡¯t unbearable. Or, it kind of was. But in a good way? It was impossible to describe Rosalie giving her a titjob as a bad thing, even if climax never came. Her cock grew, bit by bit. Not all at once, or as fast as the first session. Zoey had grown a full four inches because she¡¯d jerked herself off until she felt like she was melting, unable to find relief. It had been awful, but she hadn¡¯t been able to stop herself. With Rosalie there to y guard, progress was slower, but steady¡ªand not as excruciating. The ring grew in pace with her, otherwise things would¡¯ve be rather untenable. But it took Zoey¡¯s growth in pace, increasing in size itself. Which led them to this moment. Zoey pped her cock down onto Rosalie¡¯s stomach. It had always been impressiveid out against her petite blonde teammate, but now, at somewhere around twenty two inches, it was an almostical size. It didn¡¯t only reach up well past her belly button, but it reached past her sternum, to her corbone, even. Zoey could keep the base where Rosalie¡¯s pussy was, and Rosalie could give her a titjob. Insane. The sight made her dizzy. ¡°It won¡¯t fit,¡± Zoey said tly. She needed to be the voice of reason here. The excitement in Rosalie¡¯s eye was making it obvious she wasn¡¯t thinking clearly. She never did, caught up in this sort of thing. And to think she was the one who had gotten off five or six times, and so ought to have a clearer mind. Zoey only had gotten off once, and was finding it hard to keep her thoughts straight. But even so, she had a clearer mind than Rosalie. ¡°It¡¯s too big, Rosie.¡± Despite her words, Zoey pushed her hips forward, then pulled backward, rubbing her cock along the length of Rosalie¡¯s body. She was, despite trying to be reasonable, as transfixed as her partner. Maybe the torture had been worth it, when this was the sight that rewarded her. And not even sight. She got to go in. And finish inside, too. Definitely worth it. ¡°It reaches your corbone,¡± Zoey said, and for all her tone of protest, her breath wasing faster. ¡°It won¡¯t fit. Literally. Delta had that potion, but we don¡¯t.¡± ¡°It¡¯s worth a try.¡± Rosalie had a crazy look in her eyes, growing by the second. ¡°You have that skill.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s not mentioning how thick it is. It¡¯s as big as my fist.¡± That wasn¡¯t even an exaggeration. Under normal circumstances, it would tear Rosalie in two. She had a skill that helped with this sort of thing, but there was no way it would be enough. Right? ¡°We¡¯ll have to make do,¡± Rosalie murmured. ¡°I¡¯ll just have to adjust.¡± ¡°Adjust.¡± Zoey lifted her cock up and pped it back down. The loud p emphasized her point, but she voiced it out loud. ¡°Adjust to this?¡± Rather than discouraging Rosalie, the impact of Zoey¡¯s cock only seemed to excite her. She seemed eager at the prospect she wouldn¡¯t adjust. That she might be torn in two. ¡°Fine,¡± Zoey said. ¡°But you¡¯re topping.¡± She was worried she wouldn¡¯t be able to control herself. An hour of teasing had left a burning sensation under her skin. Sure, Rosalie could pin her down, overpower her easily, but she¡¯d rather that not happen. Making herself ufortable was one thing, but Rosalie, another entirely. Rosalie didn¡¯t need to be told twice. She grabbed Zoey and rolled her over, sitting on top of her. For a second, she sat on Zoey¡¯s thighs and admired how Zoey¡¯s cock reached up to her corbone. Length wise, it was as impressive as the toy Delta had ridden. Not as wide, though. If it went in, it would still stuff Rosalie silly. There would definitely be a clear outline as it bulged her outward. Zoey¡¯s breath came faster at the idea. Rosalie kissed the tip, getting precum on her lips, which she cleaned off with a swipe of her tongue. She stood¡ªliterally stood, because that was the easiest way to handle things¡ªand lined Zoey up to her entrance. Zoey was struck by the absurd sight. Twenty something inches. Seriously, what the hell. And why did it turn her on so much? Pretty obvious why. But still. ¡°Ready?¡± Rosalie asked. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m supposed to ask you that.¡± Rosalie lowered herself down. Zoey¡¯s enormous cock head pressed into her pussy. Rosalie ground against her, spreading herself slowly. She sucked in a breath of air, a sound of pain and excitement. Zoey also groaned. She fought against the urge to buck upward and bury herself into Rosalie¡¯s tight, wet pussy. It wasn¡¯t the easiest task, with how long she¡¯d been yed with, teased, and denied. ¡°Fuck,¡± Rosalie muttered. ¡°It¡¯s so big.¡± She rubbed back and forth, digging Zoey¡¯s cockhead a millimeter further with each rocking movement. Zoey felt her member being enveloped, slowly. Rosalie whined as the tip finally popped in¡ªor at least the top half of it. She still had some stretching to deal with before Zoey would be all the way in. Gritting her teeth, and making a whining noise deep in her throat, Rosalie forced herself lower. A tight heat wrapped around Zoey, and Zoey groaned, arching her back. The need to p upward was overwhelming, but she forced herself to let Rosalie set the pace. Even more than normal, she couldn¡¯t just go at it. Her cock head finished going in. Rosalie gasped at the invasion, then sighed, the growing pressure finally ceasing¡ªthough the wince on her face said she definitely hadn¡¯t adjusted. That she¡¯d gotten Zoey in at all was shocking. Zoey¡¯s skill must be more willing to help things along than she thought. It must scale with her size, because even her previous thickness had been a tight fit, so its new girth really, really shouldn¡¯t have fit. Zoey watched as her oversized cock inched up Rosalie. Working eagerly, and panting with exertion and pleasure, she lowered herself down. A thick bulge pushed her stomach outward. It hit her belly button, then kept going. At the bottom of her rib cage, Rosalie had managed to get halfway down, or thereabout. ¡°Still so much,¡± Rosalie breathed. How did she sound excited about that? Instead of continuing her advance, Rosalie worked herself up and down the top half of Zoey¡¯s cock, pumping herself full in an effort to adjust to things, to give time for Zoey¡¯s skill to work. Zoey¡¯s cock bulged outward wherever it went, making a clear outline on Rosalie¡¯s stomach with the upward and downward motion. Rosalie ced a hand on the bulge, tracking it as it invaded her. Each bounce had a moan escaping her lips. Finally, Rosalie continued her descent. The bulge went past the bottom of her ribcage, invading up to the base of her breasts. Rosalie groaned as she pushed herself down a few more inches, and the bulge appeared between her breasts. ¡°Guess ¡­ guess we don¡¯t need the potion,¡± Rosalie panted. ¡°Fuck, I¡¯m so full.¡± Zoey¡¯s skill must be fudging the details of how anatomy worked, same as the potion, because the amount of cock Rosalie had inside her really shouldn¡¯t be possible. Not that Zoey was protesting. She leaned forward and rubbed Rosalie¡¯s stomach, feeling her own cock. Rosalie also rubbed, but higher up¡ªbetween her breasts, ying with Zoey¡¯s sensitive tip. It was almost too much. Zoey still had the cock ring on, so she didn¡¯t want to let herself reach climax. Or, almost-climax. That¡¯d mean they would have to stop, and Zoey didn¡¯t want to stop. So she fought the sensation away. ¡°Just a few more inches,¡± Zoey breathed. Rosalie took a breath, then plunged down, pping her ass into Zoey¡¯s thighs. Zoey¡¯s cock finished its invasion, the bulge pushing up to just beneath her corbone. Rosalie moaned, and so did Zoey. The two of them shook with pleasure, and Zoey desperately fought the burning climax threatening to arrive. She¡¯d been teased for too long. ¡°All the way,¡± Rosalie said, rubbing Zoey¡¯s cockhead. ¡°It wasn¡¯t that bad.¡± She panted heavily. It¡¯d been an ordeal for her, but her words wereced with pride. ¡°And look at this.¡± Rosalie squeezed her tits together, pushing them toward Zoey¡¯s cock. She rubbed up and down, giving her a titjob while Zoey was still inside her. Zoey grabbed Rosalie¡¯s hips and bucked into her, needing friction. The lewd disy¡ªand that Rosalie had finished her slow advance¡ªhad removed Zoey¡¯s self control. She wanted to pump into Rosalie. The bedframe creaked as Zoey¡¯s hips moved in pace with Rosalie¡¯s. Rosalie bounced atop her, using her tits to massage Zoey¡¯s cock even as Zoey was inside her. She had a wild look in her eyes, lost to lust. The same as Zoey. Seeing Rosalie stuffed with twenty inches of girl cock was too much to resist. Even more than the event back at the second shard, because this was her cock, not a toy. She felt every coaxing inch of it¡ªall the bumps and soft, wet pressure of Rosalie¡¯s pussy. And the noises Rosalie was making. Zoey¡¯s cock was almost too much for her, by the sound of things. She whined and groaned atop Zoey, bouncing and sending tinum hair fluttering. Zoey growled and rolled over, pushing Rosalie into the bed, so she could pump into her with better leverage. Zoey pressed her hands into the bulge of her cock, on Rosalie¡¯s stomach, massaging herself as she thrust in and out of the tight girl beneath her. Rosalie kept the titjob going, working desperately to milk the giant cock inside her. ¡°You said I could finish inside. That I could fill you up.¡± ¡°I can break the item¡¯s effect, whenever,¡± Rosalie panted. ¡°But hold off. Wait until you¡¯re already there, and it¡¯s stopping you. I¡¯ll get more that way. And I want as much as you can give.¡± Zoey pumped her hips, pping into Rosalie¡¯s lower half. Her stomach bulged with each stroke, nearly two feet of girl cock stuffing her. More than any time tonight, Zoey¡¯s motions grew fric. She pistoned into her girlfriend with everything she had. This was her chance to stuff Rosalie like that shard toy had Delta. To fill Rosalie up until her stomach bulged outward with her seed. Maybe even the precaution of a morning after potion wouldn¡¯t be able to stop her from getting pregnant, then. She just had to work hard enough. Had to give her every sticky spurt she could manage, until Rosalie¡¯s tummy pressed outward with the size of her load. Until she had so much cum inside her that pregnancy was inevitable. Zoey rammed up against that invisible wall, her climax refusing to arrive. Zoey growled and leaned forward, pumping faster. Rosalie cried out with the violence of her thrusting. Her hands scrambled against bedsheets, no longer pleasuring Zoey¡¯s cock with her tits. Her back arched as Zoey¡¯s cock brought her to climax¡ª And Rosalie let her arrive, too. The block disappeared, the iron band wrapped around the base of Zoey¡¯s cock no longer stopping her from cumming. Ecstasy arrived, and Zoey¡¯s cock clenched. She spurted hot waves of sticky string into Rosalie. She felt every ejection course through her cock. The first few spurts¡ªZoey still pumping¡ªdidn¡¯t have any noticeable effect. But as Zoey kept going and going, Rosalie¡¯s stomach filled up. The bulge of Zoey¡¯s cock across her body started to disappear as liquid pushed her stomach outward. Seeing it, Zoey worked harder. She pumped cum into her girlfriend until she looked months pregnant, then kept going, kept filling her with her seed. Rosalie shook on the bed,ing apart with her own euphoria. Finally, her muscles shaky from the heat that had washed over her, Zoey admired her handiwork. As she¡¯d wanted, she had filled Rosalie up until her stomach bulged. That roundness was from Zoey¡¯s cum. Zoey ran a hand across it, fascinated. Rosalie, hazy-looking, did the same. ¡°I almost don¡¯t want to pull out,¡± Zoey said, wonderingly. Then, the mind-erasing pleasure withdrawing from her, letting exhausted, rational thoughts start to return. ¡°Uh. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t. How are we going to clean that?¡± When Zoey pulled out, all that cum woulde spilling out onto the sheets. Then again, they¡¯d already made a mess of things. Rosalie kept running a hand across her stomach. ¡°You liked it, I¡¯m taking it.¡± ¡°You liked it,¡± Zoey said, amused. It was Rosalie¡¯s enthusiasm that had milked her so dry. ¡°Mm,¡± Rosalie said, absently. No direct answer¡ªher orgasm hade and gone, so the embarrassing things she could say so easily in the moment wouldn¡¯t show, now. ¡°Take me to the shower. That¡¯s our best option, I guess.¡± Laughing, Zoey picked Rosalie up. Her distended stomach pressed into Zoey¡¯s, and fuck, it made her cock stir again inside Rosalie. She was so hot, stuffed like this. Zoey kissed her, which Rosalie eagerly returned. Zoey did as told, waddling the two of them over to the bathroom. 4.01 INTERLUDE – GNAWING 4.01 INTERLUDE ¨C GNAWING Sol¡¯othuan, Fourth Herald to the Devourer¡ªor as Sol called her, Mother¡ªstrolled the vine-encrusted hallways of crumbling stone, intrigued at the novelty of the world her people had invaded. She had always been curious¡ªher people called it ¡®sentimental¡¯¡ªfor her kind. Even the lesser worlds they conquered were fascinating. This one? Unique even to that standard. Fractured, with such curious, artificial structure imposed onto it. Workings of a Prime, possibly several in tandem. Fascinating. It felt, to be honest, a transgression to be consuming such delicate designs. But food was food. And the structure thrummed with energy, so much she could eat until she was full a hundred times over. Enough energy that she was surprised her people kept themselves in check, gnawing at the edges rather than gorging themselvespletely. Even Sol was tempted, and she had more restraint than most. But Mother hadmanded them not to, so they didn¡¯t. For now, they gnawed. Mother preferred a subtle touch. A world this powerful¡ªinhabited by sapient races, and patroned by one or several Primes¡ªrequired weakening before the Famished could lift their inhibitions. Mother was more powerful than many of her peers¡ªthe Prime, those who had ascended to divinity¡ªbut her children were not. And her children, Sol among those numbers, though in a more literal sense of ¡®child¡¯, were the invaders, not Mother. Mother was simply ¡­ their overseer. She couldn¡¯t join in the feast directly. All Primes were bound. Near infinite in strength, but limited in scope. Sol hadn¡¯t explored much of this world. Mother had kept her secluded on their arrival, not allowing her to join the initial breach. She had wanted to ensure they had gone unnoticed, or at least, uncontested. Thus far, Sol had contained herself to the deepest reaches of the fractured dimension realms thatposed this strange world. She¡¯d yet to find people down here. Real ones, at least. She¡¯d found the simcrums. A few of them. These smaller realms¡ªlike she found herself in now¡ªalways had one. For that matter, one of the simcrums watched her now. The perplexing half-people that championed each of these ¡®shards¡¯ were bizarre. Were they creations of the Prime? They were people ¡­ but not. False in some way. An intuition hard to describe. They were powerful, though. Not strong enough to pose a threat to Sol¡ªor most of the Famished¡ªbut still shockingly dense with energy. Rulers of their respective domains. ¡®Bosses¡¯ of their ¡®shards¡¯, as the local terminology went. They shared that power with the shard itself. Which meant as Sol snacked away, she was eating the simcrum, too, piece by piece. That probably exined the horrified, curious gaze. ¡®Gaze¡¯. Not quite right. It could see her¡ªsense her¡ªbut not directly. The simcrum had an awareness of its shard, but Sol could elude it physically. They had yet to meet. She intended to keep it that way. Theck ofpany¡ªbesides the watching false-eyes of the simcrum¡ªdidn¡¯t bother her. Sol had always found more interest in things than people. And there was so much to marvel over, here. And so much to eat. Sol traced a finger down a length of wood, fascinated. The power humming in the material wasn¡¯t the only thing she marveled over. Hands ¡­ fingers ¡­ her new body. In the same way her people absorbed memories and concepts from the creations they ate, they appropriated forms. This one wasfortable, though she was still clumsy in it. Human, the species was called. One of the sapient races inhabiting this world. Had Mother ever eaten a human world? Odds seemed high. Mother was old, even for a Prime, and the Famished had worked through many, many worlds. Most they ate didn¡¯t have sapient life, as those were less likely to have a patron. Defending Primes. Thus, easier pickings. But this one had been too dense with essence to resist. And ¡­ ording to Mother ¡­ was seemingly abandoned. Or half-abandoned. Its patron Primes weren¡¯t watching over it as they should. Disinterest? Its state of decay¡ªhow it had been fractured into so many pieces¡ªeven before her people had arrived, indicated something of the sort. But why? Why had such aplex creation been abandoned, left to decay? Such intriguing questions. Sol loved questions. Frequently, more than the answers. Answers could be ¡­ disappointing. She studied the magic imbued into the wood. Structured magic was rare. Or, she¡¯d been told. She didn¡¯t know first-hand. Sol was young for her kind, having only lived through two Devourings. But she¡¯d been told stories, and had referenced the archives to confirm them. Sometimes it felt like Sol was the only of her people to do so. Sometimes, if she were brutally honest, it felt like their people were more savage than the ones they ate. They glutted themselves but cared for little else. Perhaps that was proof of how little ¡®sophistication¡¯ mattered. If savagery triumphed, wasn¡¯t that the trait worth celebrating? Survival¡ªthat which persisted¡ªwas holy, and little else. She brushed away her wandering thoughts, focusing on the curious object in front of her. Her hand rested on a wooden box, the item which she¡¯d been tracing a finger across, admiring, and inspecting. Its cover was discarded, tossed to the side, its securing nails ripped out. Some crusted substance pooled at the bottom, dried, which her nose¡ªalien senses were always intriguing¡ªprotested at being exposed to. Curious, she broke off a chunk of the coffin¡ª(Coffin. That was the word that had evaded her. It took time for an alien lexicon to digest)¡ªand inspected it. She was tempted, like usual, to bite into the object, to eat the delicate workings imbued into it. For some reason, this coffin was specialpared to the three others in the room. Imbued more heavily. Sol couldn¡¯t begin to guess why. Likely, it served some essential purpose to the shard. Hence, why she resisted the urge to eat it. She would feast on less important-looking workings, as to not break the system so carefully designed. She would rather not the shard break entirely. Others of her kind wouldn¡¯t have been so discretionary. But Sol didn¡¯t want to disturb theplex magic that kept this pocket dimension functioning. She wanted to study it. Some of the others cared little for that sort of thing. Apparently, even, their indiscreet gnawing had sent some shards haywire, enough to cause a buzz among the locals. They obviously didn¡¯t know the Famished were here¡ªor presumably what the Famished even were¡ªbut her sibling¡¯s brutish methodology meant their secret wouldn¡¯t be kept long. Unless Mother intervened and suggested a defter hand, at least. But she hadn¡¯t yet, so Sol didn¡¯t think she would. Again, despite being patroned¡ªand intricately created¡ªthis world was in a surprising state of decay. A defter touch likely wasn¡¯t necessary. It was a discarded belonging. The perfect food for scavengers. For a moment longer, Sol lingered there, poring over theplex magicprising the coffin. She let the piece of coffin tter to the floor, satisfied¡ªthough having gleaned little¡ªthen turned and left. She walked through the corridors of the stone structure. Vines shied from her. Bizarre creatures¡ªeven less ¡®real¡¯ than the simcrum¡ªscampered away. Sol observed all this with fascination. Were her siblings really not interested? They saw the feast and engorged, but such an odd feast, this one was. How were they so incurious? The back of Sol¡¯s neck itched, announcing the simcrum¡¯s arrival, and Sol loosened her physical form, melding into the Passage. A secondter, a creature, human looking, but made of green goo, padded into Sol¡¯s hallway. She stood there for a moment, looking around, brow furrowed in an emotion that took Sol several seconds to ce as confusion. Alien emotions, and recognizing them ¡­ also always a novelty. ¡°I know you¡¯re there,¡± the goo-girl called into the empty hallway. She looked straight through Sol, unable to see her, Sol having stepped almost entirely into the Passage. Though she possessed a passive awareness of her domain that meant she felt Sol, she couldn¡¯t see her, not when she¡¯d melded. ¡°What are you? And ¡­ and what are you doing to me?¡± Sol briefly considered reassuring the not-really-a-person. Sol didn¡¯t intend to eat her¡ªyet, at least¡ªand a conversation with a local would go a long way to understanding. But, direct interaction with sapients went against Mother¡¯s few mandates. Better to not disobey her. Sol could patchprehension together herself, eventually. She thought she was starting to glean the purposes of the various constructs. ¡°Please?¡± the goo-girl called into the empty hallway. ¡°You¡¯re ¡­ hurting me. I can¡¯t fix what you¡¯re doing.¡± The plea¡ªdelivered so earnestly¡ªstunned Sol, though it shouldn¡¯t have. Briefly, Sol was frustrated with herself. This was why her people called her sentimental. This was how her people survived. They ate. Sol needed food. It was the same cycle for all living beings. And this thing wasn¡¯t even a real person. Whatever that meant. Its existence still perplexed her. And in the end, their society would remain. A Devouring wasn¡¯t a destion. The Famished never ate to total destruction. They left an ember, which, most of the time, grew back into the ze it had once been. It was the way of the Cycle. When Sol still didn¡¯t reply, the simcrum looked around, then deted. She continued down the intersecting hallway, disappearing into the stretching darkness. Sol felt her go, then reformed, unmelding from the Passage. It was an odd game they were ying, both knowing of each other, but Sol refusing to meet. She had no choice. Mother mandated the Famished not to interact. Not until the world was properly weakened. At which point, the feast would begin. Though, Sol was a favored daughter ¡­ maybe she could get away with things others couldn¡¯t. Maybe she could have one discussion? The bizarre creature wasn¡¯t even a real person, so perhaps Mother¡¯s mandates didn¡¯t apply. Flimsy reasoning, but maybe she could argue it. Ah, but she shouldn¡¯t. Besides, discovery was half the fun. She didn¡¯t want the answers handed to her. She returned to her exploration. A/N: Because no harem isplete without an eldritch monster. 4.02 – The Prize, a Favor 4.02 ¨C The Prize, a Favor Zoey drifted to consciousness with a bing-familiar warmth pressed into her. Cracking her eyes open, the sight of Rosalie¡¯s tinum-blonde hair met her. Zoey was snuggled into her, ying the big spoon. She sighed in satisfaction and hugged Rosalie closer. For a while she luxuriated in Rosalie¡¯s warmth. In her girlfriend¡¯s warmth. The word made her heart skip a beat. It would do that for a while. Soon enough, Rosalie stirred too. ¡°Good morning, beautiful,¡± Zoey murmured. ¡°Mm,¡± Rosalie replied, stuffing her face into the pillow. ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t set an rm. So ¡­te?¡± Rosalie groaned, but kept her face buried into the pillow. She stayed that way for long enough Zoey thought she might actually go back to sleep, but then she groaned a second time and forced herself to sit. Zoey pouted, even if it was time to be getting up. They¡¯d basked in each other¡¯spany for the better part of a day¡ªall ofst evening and well into this morning¡ªbut at the same time, that wasn¡¯t nearly enough. She wanted more. Did they really have to start their day? Rosalie¡¯s scrunched-up face suggested she was having simr thoughts, but unlike Zoey, she had an iota of willpower. Rosalie sighed, then leaned down and kissed Zoey¡¯s forehead, before shuffling out of bed. Rosalie had no idea what the casual show of affectioning from her¡ªhad done to Zoey. For a long moment, shey there, stunned, turning into a pile of goo. Eventually, an ¡°are you joining me?¡± spurred her into action. She slipped out of bed and joined Rosalie in the bathroom. One brisk, shared showerter¡ªin which Zoey only teased Rosalie a little bit¡ªthey got dressed, then showed up in front of Delta¡¯s door. Zoey knocked. She wanted to make it a routine that the team ate breakfast together. Though, their morning had startedte, so there were good odds Delta had set off. Fortunately, though, she hadn¡¯t. After a few moments of shuffling, a loud thump, then a string of curses, a bleary-eyed Delta¡ªlong orange hair in disarray¡ªappeared at the door. She eyed Zoey, looking annoyed, but after her attention flicked to Rosalie, she seemed to remember whatst night had been. Her sour expression turned to a smirk. ¡°Good morning, lovebirds.¡± Rosalie eyed her. Even more than normal, Delta¡¯s smirk was so tant and taunting as to make even Zoey blush. Delta shared a wall with them, and with how loud she and Rosalie had been, Delta knew¡ªintimately¡ªwhat they¡¯d been up to. ¡°Morning,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Uh. We¡¯re heading down for breakfast. Wanna join us?¡± Delta ignored Zoey, having eyes only for Rosalie, who, hriously, was actually struggling to return her usual re. Her cheeks were pink. Delta did have a talent in making people squirm just with a look. ¡°Sure,¡± she finally said, turning to Zoey. ¡°Give me a second.¡± She left the door open, and Zoey and Rosalie trailed in. Rosalie didn¡¯t protest at having to wait for Delta. She hoped that wasn¡¯t just because Rosalie knew Zoey wanted her to join them, but because she was starting to see Delta as part of the group. Delta threw on a pair of fuzzy slippers, brushed her hair so it wasn¡¯t a total disaster, then grabbed her room keys. ¡°Kay. Let¡¯s go.¡± She¡¯d finish getting readyter, apparently. Down in the dining hall, they sat at a table for four. Despite Zoey being the one seated across from Delta, Delta kept her eyes on Rosalie. She didn¡¯t say anything outright¡ªdidn¡¯t tease or taunt verbally. Instead, she kept that same smirk stered on. And Rosalie, also like before, couldn¡¯t work up a returning re. She ignored Delta to the best of her ability, but was losing horrendously. She squirmed in her seat. Zoey almost felt like she should intervene in the silent war, especially since Rosalie was now officially her girlfriend, but she was enjoying the show. Seeing Rosalie squirm was cute. And by the res Rosalie sometimes shot Zoey, too, Zoey¡¯s grinning reaction was only escting the problem. ¡°Just say it, won¡¯t you?¡± Rosalie finally blurted out. She blushed, then stuck her chin in the air and straightened her back. ¡°Stop smirking and say what you want to.¡± Delta turned to Zoey. ¡°So. What do you have nned today?¡± The offended look that appeared on Rosalie¡¯s face was priceless. She¡¯d finally worked up the nerve to force the issue, and Delta had ignored her. Rosalie actually pouted, a reaction even Zoey had difficulty drawing. Zoey squeezed Rosalie¡¯s knee underneath the table, fighting away the humor of the situation. She didn¡¯t do a great job. ¡®Traitor¡¯, Rosalie¡¯s re said. ¡°Sabina first, then Maddy in the afternoon,¡± Zoey answered. ¡°I think that¡¯s going to be the usual. The evening¡¯s open, though.¡± ¡°Does that mean I get my date?¡± ¡°You already had yours,¡± Rosalie shot at her. ¡°So I¡¯m not allowed a second?¡± ¡°How about a team date?¡± Zoey asked, cutting things off before they got out of hand. ¡°Or, an outing. You invited me out for drinks, right? Maybe Maddy will want toe.¡± She nced at Rosalie, who pursed her lips. Zoey could read her expression; she wanted to be more productive. Maybe two nights out in a row was pushing things? ¡°I¡¯d be down,¡± Delta said. ¡°We need to meet her as a group. Should I invite her? Or you?¡± ¡°I can. During practice.¡± ¡°I should get a feel for her, I suppose,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°It sounds like she¡¯ll be joining the team, assuming she ¡­ digests Zoey¡¯s ss.¡± She nced at Zoey. ¡°But I can¡¯t be going out every night. I should be training. We should be training.¡± ¡°All day?¡± Delta asked, rolling her eyes. ¡°We can use the evenings for ourselves.¡± Rosalie gave her an unimpressed look, which showed what she thought of that. ¡°And where do you go, anyway?¡± Delta asked. ¡°To train. Why note with me? For spars. I know thepetition.¡± Rosalie eyed Delta. The offer to join her had been delivered with surprising earnestness, and she didn¡¯t trust that. Delta seemed to realize that too, because she paused, then smirked and fixed things: ¡°And how about we make it more interesting? Ever y a round of strip spars?¡± Zoey¡¯s interest was instantly piqued. Rosalie, though, only seemed confused. ¡°Strip spars?¡± she asked, as if genuinely not understanding what they were. It was adorably naive. It wasn¡¯t like the name left much to interpretation. And if anything, Delta¡¯s tone should have given it away. ¡°Loser of each round takes off a piece of equipment.¡± Delta leaned forward, grinning. ¡°And let¡¯s say, overall winner gets a favor. Anything they want.¡± The amount of innuendo packed into ¡®favor¡¯ was impressive even by Delta¡¯s standards. Rosalie flushed. She looked at Zoey, incredulous. There was also a hint of a question. ¡®And you¡¯d be okay with that?¡¯ the look said. It reminded Zoey that she and Rosalie needed to have a sit-down about their rtionship. Zoey didn¡¯t mind Delta hitting on Rosalie¡ªactually hitting on her, even, not just teasing¡ªbut that was because Delta was part of the group, and Zoey was interested in Delta, which changed things. If it¡¯d been anyone else, Zoey wouldn¡¯t have been. Which was hypocritical, she knew, seeing how Rosalie was fine with Zoey doing whatever¡ªand whoever¡ªshe wanted. But it was how she felt. She couldn¡¯t help that. Zoey wasn¡¯t quite as open to the idea of ¡®sharing¡¯ as Rosalie apparently was. All dynamics were fine if everyone involved was happy with them, but they hadn¡¯t discussed their dynamics. It was the sort of thing best explicitly talked about, not inferred. She¡¯d have to sit with Rosalie and figure it out. Probably Delta too, at another point, just to make sure everyone was on the same page. ¡°A favor from Delta,¡± Zoey teased Rosalie, answering in a roundabout way. ¡°Sounds useful to have, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Thanks for the faith,¡± Delta said dryly. ¡°I mean,e on. She¡¯s good, but she¡¯s not that¡ª¡° she trailed off, then frowned. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t win every time. I¡¯m not a pushover. It wouldn¡¯t be free.¡± Rosalie didn¡¯t look smug about Delta¡¯s assessment. Rosalie was better in a fight, and by a significant margin. To her, it was a given. She was better than everyone in that regard, at least for her advancement. Bizarrely, she disyed that belief, and it didn¡¯te off as arrogant. It came with the same sort of attitude as, ¡®yes, I have blue eyes¡¯, or, ¡®yes, I have blonde hair¡¯. A given, a fact, and ultimately inconsequential. ¡°As if I would want a favor from her,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you?¡± Delta asked. ¡°I think I could change your mind, once you got a taste.¡± She shrugged. ¡°But that¡¯s assuming you win. I don¡¯t think you would. In a normal spar, you¡¯d have good odds. Strip spars? I have the feeling you¡¯d get ¡­ distracted.¡± Rosalie flushed, and suddenly couldn¡¯t meet Delta¡¯s eyes. Delta had struck the nail on the head. Still, Rosalie tried to retort. ¡°Distracted? I can¡¯t imagine by what. Your irritatingments?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Delta asked, leaning another few inches closer to Rosalie, who still couldn¡¯t meet her eyes. ¡°Stripping me half-naked won¡¯t cause any problems, will it? Won¡¯t distract you at all? Well, if you¡¯re confident about that, let¡¯s y. Like Zoey said, it¡¯ll be a free favor. I guess you don¡¯t even have to ask anything gross of me. I could be your errand girl for the day.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°Means you get to be even more productive.¡± Then, she openly leered at Rosalie. ¡°But to make it clear, if I win, I¡¯m making good use of my favor.¡± Rosalie¡¯s eyes widened, and she went an even deeper shade of red. She nced at Zoey, who continued to watch the exchange, amused. Zoey could see on Rosalie¡¯s face that she realized she¡¯d backed herself into a corner. After disying so much confidence that she¡¯d win, she had to ept. Rosalie turned back to Delta, and seeing her smug, taunting expression, bristled. She stuck her chin in the air. ¡°I suppose an errand girl does sound useful.¡± ¡°Perfect,¡± Delta said, leaning back. She looked pleased she¡¯d goaded Rosalie into it. She turned to Zoey. ¡°I¡¯ll save the favor for when you can watch. Or we can use it together.¡± She paused. ¡°Because you two are a thing now, I¡¯m taking it?¡± There was more to the question than just the surface. Delta wanted to know what the eptable dynamics were. She¡¯d seen from Zoey¡¯s reactions that flirting with Rosalie was fine, but more? Especially alone? Honestly, Zoey wasn¡¯t fully certain of that herself. For now, she¡¯d rather anything that happened between Delta and Rosalie¡ªserious, at least, like cashing in on the ¡®favor¡¯¡ªhappen with her there. But the question. ¡°Yeah,¡± Zoey said, putting her hand over Rosalie¡¯s. ¡°Girlfriends. Officially.¡± The word made her glow, and it probably showed on her face, by the way Deltaughed. To her side, Rosalie¡¯s cheeks went pink, and she sniffed, looking away, as if fighting away her own glowing reaction. ¡°Good for you two. I figured, but.¡± She shrugged. ¡°And, in the future, the Guild¡¯s soundproofing is good, but not that good. So ¡­ you two aren¡¯t allowed to make that much noise and not invite me over. It¡¯s mean.¡± Zoeyughed, but Rosalie, oddly, made a strangled noise. She looked horrified, as if she¡¯d just realized that Delta had heard much of what had gone onst night. She¡¯d known Delta was aware they¡¯d gone on a date, and had probably been together afterward, but that Delta knew for certain? Had heard each loud noise they¡¯d made? Rosalie¡¯s brain did seem to shut that sort of thing away, obvious as it should¡¯ve been. ¡°We¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± Zoey said, amused. A brief silence, then Zoey added: ¡°I wish I coulde watch the fight.¡± Strip spars between Delta and Rosalie. It made alchemy lessons almost sound unappealing, and today she and Sabina be getting to the more interesting stuff. Actual brewing. And, maybe this made Zoey a bad girlfriend, but she was kind of rooting for Delta. A favor. What, exactly, did Delta have nned, assuming she won? 4.03 – Sabina’s Special Room 4.03 ¨C Sabina¡¯s Special Room Sabina held the potion vial up to the air, inspecting the swirling red liquid with a critical eye. She frowned, and Zoey¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Had she messed up? ¡°It¡¯s poor,¡± Sabina said, shaking the vial. ¡°Clearly the work of an amateur.¡± Zoey stared at Sabina, distraught. That had been ¡­ more direct than Zoey had expected. Sabina tilted her head, pausing, as if confused at Zoey¡¯s reaction. ¡°You are an amateur,¡± Sabina pointed out. ¡°Perhaps not even that. A stark beginner. And in that regard, you¡¯ve done quite well. Much better than expected.¡± She paused. ¡°Ah. I should have led with that. I apologize.¡± Zoey stared at Sabina a second longer, thenughed and rxed. Well, she had known the tall, antlered woman for a bit now, so it wasn¡¯t like she was surprised. Sabina¡¯sck of grace in social situations was well established. Her pride stung, still, but as Sabina had said, she was a ¡®stark beginner¡¯. There wasn¡¯t anything to take offense at. Alchemy was the sort of skill that took ages to improve at. And she¡¯d said Zoey had done ¡®well¡¯ and even ¡®better than expected¡¯. The flip side to Sabina¡¯s brutal and sometimes clueless honesty was that she could trust the praise. So, she¡¯d done horribly, but all beginners were expected to be bad. And for a beginner, she¡¯d done quite well. ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m just d I got through it. I was getting worried near the middle. And then bottling, that it¡¯d actually catalyze.¡± It felt like she had been tackling catastrophe after catastrophe during the brewing stage. Her rune afforded her plenty of instincts in identifying what was wrong, but much less so how to solve those problems. But even so, with minimal guidance, she¡¯d managed a small pot of healing potions¡ªabout six vials¡¯ worth. And sure, health potions were one of the easiest recipes in existence, but progress came in small steps. Sabina hummed in understanding. ¡°The chaos of the brew is one of the most engaging aspects. One of the reasons I love it.¡± At Zoey¡¯s dubious look, having found the situation quite stressful, Sabina said, ¡°Once you get to upper-level brews, you¡¯ll understand.¡± ¡°If you say so.¡± She¡¯d grown an easy familiarity with Sabina over yesterday¡¯s, and now today¡¯s, lessons. Though Sabina remained as cool and clinical as ever, the two of them were starting to build a repertoire, afort around each other. ¡°Now,¡± Sabina said. ¡°Let¡¯s get cleaned up and try something moreplex. Go ahead and throw that out.¡± The health potions Zoey had made were effectively worthless, and so Zoey had known it would be thrown out rather than saved and sold as merchandise, but she winced anyway. Sabina¡¯s frankness was endearing most of the time, but not all the time. She couldn¡¯t have put it slightly more delicately? That was Zoey¡¯s first brew ever ¡­ and straight into the sink, disposed of? It made sense, but still. Oh well. She and Sabina started cleaning the many utensils and equipment they¡¯d dirtied while brewing. While scrubbing down the equipment and scrubbing out the vials, Zoey brought up a topic she¡¯d been chewing over. ¡°How much do alchemy runes vary, anyways?¡± Sink-water poured down as a backdrop noise. Zoey scraped and scrubbed while Sabina dried andid the tools out on racks. ¡°You¡¯ll need to be more specific.¡± ¡°You say that a lot.¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re vague a lot,¡± Sabina said pointedly. Zoeyughed, and while Sabina didn¡¯t do so¡ªor even smile¡ªZoey was learning to read the granite-expressioned woman. The quick retort was yful, by Sabina standards, even if itcked the usual indicators. ¡°Can a person¡¯s overall ss affect their alchemy rune?¡± Zoey tried again. ¡°Their ¡®path¡¯, or whatever.¡± Zoey had been more specific, like Sabina had asked, but Zoey also winced at doing so. Because Sabina was a brilliant woman, and so, when Zoey asked questions like these, she always read the intent behind them. Zoey had asked whether her ss affected her alchemy rune. And Sabina had surely deduced what Zoey¡¯s ss was, at least in roundabout terms. The lewd nature of it. She had dragged home several bizarrely sexual alchemy regents. And Zoey¡¯s bulge¡ªthe fourteen inch monster¡ªmeant her other not-so-typical circumstances were on disy, too. So, Sabina knew where Zoey was going with the question. Indeed, by the sideways nce Sabina shot her, she definitely had. Not much got past her, where deduction was required. Sabina sighed. She set the utensil she¡¯d been cleaning aside, then dried her hands. ¡°That¡¯s it. Follow me.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been asking simr questions constantly. Both today and this morning. So, let¡¯s sate your curiosity. Follow me.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± she repeated, cheeks coloring. Like she¡¯d figured, she¡¯d been seen through in an instant. How embarrassing. ¡°I was just¡ª¡° Sabina waved her hand, cutting Zoey off. ¡°Follow me,¡± she said for the third time. Perplexed, Zoey dried off her hands and followed Sabina. The rest of the uncleaned equipment went forgotten, a distinctly not Sabina action. While her store was nearly in disrepair, her equipment she kept meticulous care of¡ªas expected of a dedicated scientist. She followed Sabina out of herboratory, into the storefront, and through a different door, which led to a staircase. Sabina guided her up into her living quarters, which sat on top of the alchemy shop. Zoey hadn¡¯t ever been here. Obviously. She¡¯d only known Sabina a few days, and been apprenticed to her for two, so of course she¡¯d never been to Sabina¡¯s bedroom. But still. What was going on? What did this have to do with Zoey¡¯s question? Her bedroom wasn¡¯t in much better condition than her store. She didn¡¯t have a bedframe, even. A mattressid on the floor, nket tossed to the side. She had a single pillow. Piled next to the mattress was heaps of books, notebooks, and papers. A sloppy academic, the image of Sabina was reinforced for the hundredth time. Chalkboards were tucked to the side of the room, with hasty diagrams and cramped script she couldn¡¯t read, both because of how sloppy it was and by how quickly she was led through the room. Sabina guided her through in a few short seconds, ushering Zoey through a second doorway. Inside, Zoey gaped. The walls were painted a deep, sensual red, and the light inside the newest room was dim, with a pink hue. The lighting dimmed further, Sabina closing the door behind them. And the most shocking part: at the center, a metal table sat, adorned with straps at the feet, hands, and neck. A mirror hung from the ceiling, pointing down¡ªso someone could sit in the chair and look at what was happening to them. ¡°Sit,¡± Sabina said. Zoey gaped at her. ¡°I don¡¯t like repeating myself,¡± Sabina said. Numbly, she did as told. She sat, the cold bite of the metal piercing even through her clothing. She rested her arms on either of the armrests, and Sabina walked to her side, deftly strapping them down. She let it happen. She idly tested how strong they were. Tugging, she found her arms firmly locked in ce. What ¡­ the hell? What was happening? And why had she listened to Sabina¡¯smands so automatically? Let herself be strapped down, with maybe a little too much trust? Because she was, as a second test confirmed, very locked down. This room. It didn¡¯t leave much up to interpretation. She looked around, stunned, at the furniture. A shelf was filled with sex toys, many of which Zoey couldn¡¯t identify. A metal rack was tucked in the corner, the sort of contraption a person would be tied up and hung from. All sorts of restraints and leather straps scattered the room. Zoey looked up, and in the ceiling-mirror¡¯s reflection, she saw her wide-eyed expression¡ªand Sabina, snapping on a pair of clinical white gloves. ¡°You¡¯re distracted,¡± Sabina said matter-of-factly. ¡°I¡¯ve caught you staring at least a dozen times. This is a problem. I can¡¯t have a distracted student. So, I will rectify this issue, and in the process, perhaps we can answer some of your questions.¡± ¡°My ¡­ rune,¡± Zoey said dumbly. ¡°How it might differ from a normal alchemist¡¯s.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Having finished donning her gloves, Sabina tugged off herb coat, revealing her daily clothes. As her curvaceousness even in the unttering work wear had suggested, she had a lot going on. The sight of Sabina undressing, even in a tiny, irrelevant way, hammered in, finally, what was happening. Zoey¡¯s cock stirred, swelling in her pants. Sabina noted it, expression not changing. She approached, arriving to Zoey¡¯s side. ¡°Let me preface things,¡± she said. ¡°In most circumstances, I prefer to extract pleasure, not experience it myself. This will be one sided.¡± She moved down Zoey¡¯s body and tugged Zoey¡¯s legs into position, strapping those down, too. ¡°This is fine?¡± It took her several moments to find a response. ¡°Uh. Yeah. Okay.¡± She was reeling from the twist in events. Seriously. Where had thise from? Their morning lessons had progressed without a hint of anything sexual, Zoey had thought. Sure, she had identally admired the stern older woman¡¯s body a few times¡ªas she¡¯d just been used of¡ªbut Zoey hadn¡¯t made any advances, overt or otherwise. She hadn¡¯t even thought Sabina had noticed. Clearly, counting on Sabina¡¯s observational skills to becking had been idiotic. But how had today taken such a turn? Was it really as simple as Sabina wanting to help ¡®remove distractions¡¯? And discover the intricacies to Zoey¡¯s ss? The existence of a sex room attached to her bedroom suggested probably not. Zoey¡¯s appraisal of Sabina was, clearly, slightly off. She¡¯d halfway figured Sabina was ¡­ asexual or something. Maybe, still, she was. Or something close? She had said she preferred to extract pleasure, not experience it. ¡°You asked me, yesterday,¡± Sabina said, ¡°whether semen made an effective potion base. I replied it had been tested and found inadequate. But perhaps ¡­ hm. A person¡¯s ss¡ªtheposite quirks of their rune or runes¡ªdo affect the general alchemy process. Sometimes drastically. Considering your ss? Perhaps ¡­¡± Sabina¡¯s hands went to Zoey¡¯s waistband. Holding scalding eye contact, her fingers finagled the button free, popping her pants open. She gripped the sides of Zoey¡¯s pants and tugged down. Zoey, her head still fuzzy from shock, wiggled side to side to help her pull them down. Sabina left the article bundled at her shoes. Sabina tilted her head, taking in the size of Zoey¡¯s bulge. It was noticeable even through loose pants, but wearing only underwear to cover it, now, the truth of the situation made itself clear. Fourteen inches. A monster. It peeked out of her underwear, stretching toward her knee. ¡°I have, of course,¡± Sabina said, ¡°theorized what your ss is. You arrived to me with such perplexing ingredients, and with such umon biology. How this wouldbine with a rune of alchemy ¡­ your curiosity isn¡¯t yours alone. Semen. Perhaps for a libidinous ss like yours, an alchemy rune would make use of such a potion base.¡± Sabina tilted her head. ¡°As such, we need to collect.¡± Zoey¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Additionally,¡± Sabina continued, unruffled as ever. She wasn¡¯t even blushing. ¡°You¡¯ve been distracted. It is, admittedly, ttering how much you stare, but you need to be focused on your studies.¡± Sabina gave her a stern look. ¡°On my tutge. So. Relieving you serves multiple purposes.¡± Sabina rested a cool, gloved hand against the exposed tip of Zoey¡¯s cock head. Zoey groaned, having be almost agonizingly worked up. Mostly, it was the fault of how surprising the situation was. Zoey squirmed in ce, only to be reminded how firmly her arms and legs were strapped down. She¡¯d almost forgotten. The restrictiveness of her positioning, again, made her heart m faster. Pinned down. Unable to leave if she wanted to. Why was that so exciting? ¡°So,¡± Sabina said. ¡°Let¡¯s solve a problem, and answer a question. I do prefer being efficient.¡± 4.04 – Milking Session 4.04 ¨C Milking Session Sabina tugged Zoey¡¯s boxers down, springing fourteen inches of thick girl cock into the air. Zoey had be ustomed to a universal reaction for girls seeing her cock for the first time: shock. Sabina, though, appraised it with the same clinical disregard she gave everything. Was there anything that could surprise this woman? She gripped it, peering to its left and right, tilting it, as if looking to gain a scientific understanding of Zoey¡¯s cock. ¡°How big is it?¡± she eventually asked. ¡°Uh. Fourteen inches? Maybe?¡± Zoey hadn¡¯t actually measured, but that seemed right. Sabina made her own assessment. ¡°Fourteen. Yes, more or less. And proportionally thick.¡± Her eyes flicked down. ¡°You have both parts, too. I expected that. This was given with your ss?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± How she¡¯d deduced that, Zoey hadn¡¯t a clue. She didn¡¯t think about it. It was hard to focus with Sabina handling her cock with such passive disinterest. Fuck, why did Sabina seemingly not being aroused by their situation do so much for her? How could this cool, gray-eyed woman have her hand on Zoey¡¯s cock and be totally unruffled? ¡°How¡¯d you know?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem used to it.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I could be specific. Sometimes my realizations are ¡­ oblique. Even to me.¡± She stroked up and down, and Zoey wiggled in ce, arms and legs strapped solidly down. That, too¡ªthe restraints¡ªhad Zoey going wild, cock throbbing and precum dribbling from her tip. She¡¯d never done this sort of thing. Or, not this exactly, but what she inferred Sabina¡¯s preferences were, considering the room littered with sex toys and ¡­ well, BDSM equipment. She was more experienced than most girls her age, but that sort of stuff? She¡¯d never had a girlfriend into it, and had no natural preference for it, either. Some light choking and spanking was as adventurous as she¡¯d been in that regard. Definitely, she¡¯d never been in a room with shelves lined with sex toys, and been seated on a metal table, locked down with straps and restraints. And what was all the other stuff, anyway? The furniture, and some of the toys Sabina had? She was both intimidated at the prospect of finding out, and desperately wanted to. ¡°So,¡± Zoey gasped, squirming as Sabina¡¯s hand stroked up and down. The stic grip of her gloves, and the passive expression, was doing so much for Zoey it almost wasn¡¯t fair. ¡°You¡¯re, uh, into all this? I had no idea.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Sabina replied. ¡°I enjoy experimenting. That extends to the bedroom.¡± Her hand continued to travel Zoey¡¯s length, working away with a slow, agonizing pace. She performed the motion with an idle disregard. A professionalism. As if she were stirring her cauldron¡ªa routine task. ¡°But I realize my preferences aren¡¯t everyone¡¯s. I simply thought this an appropriate environment to do this in. We need not do more.¡± A secondter, she added, ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s best we don¡¯t, today. We¡¯re simply collecting substance to experiment with.¡± Zoey swallowed. Heat was curling in her stomach shockingly fast. She¡¯d been taken care of by Rosalie thoroughlyst night, so she wasn¡¯t pent up. She wouldn¡¯t being too fast. But Sabina¡¯s stroking was surprisingly adept, and the situation itself was intenselypromising. Looking to distract herself, Zoey said, ¡°You think it¡¯ll do something, then?¡± ¡°Your semen, as a base? Perhaps.¡± ¡°Just maybe?¡± ¡°I find it likely,¡± Sabina admitted. ¡°But the most fundamental problem is output. We¡¯ll have to do this frequently for even small batches, if it turns out true.¡± Zoeyughed, finding the statement amusing for obvious reasons, then groaned and arched her back, struggling against her restraints. Sabina had stopped stroking slowly, and instead started jerking off the tip, bunching foreskin around it. ¡°I almost,¡± Zoey panted, ¡°don¡¯t want to tell you, if it means you¡¯ll take care of me ¡®frequently¡¯. But, uh. Output. Isn¡¯t¡ª¡° she groaned at the deftness of Sabina¡¯s movements, ¡°a problem. I make more than I should. Once¡¯ll be enough for a full batch.¡± Sabina¡¯s eyebrows quirked. It was a muted reaction of surprise. She never¡ªor at least rarely¡ªemoted strongly. ¡°Well,¡± she said. ¡°Having a backlog of material will be useful, then. Let¡¯s settle for twice a day. Once at the start of our lessons, and in the middle. It¡¯ll keep you clear-minded.¡± Sabina leaned down and kissed the tip of Zoey¡¯s dick. The surprise¡ªand searing eroticism¡ªof the sudden movement overruled Zoey¡¯s good sense. Her hips took over. She bucked forward, her cock shoving into Sabina¡¯s mouth, but, since Sabina hadn¡¯t opened, the movement only had her cock sliding against closed teeth and deflecting, burying into Sabina¡¯s cheek. Sabina pulled back, blinking in surprise. ¡°Shit,¡± Zoey said, appalled at her reaction. ¡°I didn¡¯t¡ª¡° Sabina squeezed Zoey¡¯s cock, hard enough to make her gasp. ¡°No apologies. From either of us.¡± She tilted her head. ¡°If that¡¯s fine.¡± Zoey digested that request. Sabina was clearly implying she, with her adventurous preferences, might sometimes get carried away and do something Zoey hadn¡¯t expected¡ªor liked. Sabina would rather not either of them apologize when it happened. Simply state their boundaries and move on. Zoey nodded slowly. ¡°Good,¡± Sabina said. She withdrew her grip from Zoey¡¯s cock, which had Zoey wiggling her hips side to side, disappointed in the suddenck of pleasure. ¡°Let¡¯s try a more efficient extraction method,¡± Sabina said. ¡°This will take too long, otherwise.¡± Well, that was a lie. Zoey¡¯s orgasm had been building unfortunately fast. She¡¯d been fighting it away for her reputation¡¯s sake. Sabina stood¡ªshe had seated herself earlier on a stool set near the reclining metal chair-table¡ªand approached the toy shelf. She surveyed her options. Plucking one from the second shelf, she turned to Zoey. ¡°I did wonder if I¡¯d ever get to use this. I¡¯m not interested in men, but it was simply too fascinating a contraption.¡± In her hands, Sabina held a long, cylindrical device with a clear shell. Returning to Zoey¡¯s side, Sabina held it out for her to inspect further. Inside the shell was ¡­ a stic toy? With spindly metal tools attached to it? It looked like a pocket pussy. A mechanized one, that would thrust up and down, automatically. Zoey gasped as Sabina pressed the toy down, without warning, enveloping her cock. Bumpy, naturally lubricated ridges caressed her cock as the toy sank down. Swirling glyphs¡ªshe¡¯d grown to recognize thenguage of magic during her lessons with Maddy¡ªcovered the shell, faintly visible. Sabina tapped some switch, and the toy hummed to life. The metal arms started thrusting up and down, massaging Zoey¡¯s length with the bumpy gel interior. Her cock head stuck through the tip, into a ¡®collection¡¯ vat at the top. What in the world was this thing? A milking device? Literally? And Sabina was using it. Milking her. Her cock barely fit into the thing. ¡°I was worried it wouldn¡¯t activate,¡± Sabinamented. ¡°It¡¯s been sitting on my shelf for a while.¡± Zoey whined in response. The toy¡¯s firm grip, and gel ridges, were too well designed. The motions were mind-erasingly satisfying. Or maybe it was that it was Sabina gripping it, helping jerk the toy up and down. Sabina¡¯s vaguely amused expression, too, as she spectated Zoey¡¯s squirming, was ¡­ overwhelming. She couldn¡¯te too fast. Had to hold off. Sabina seemed to read that intent on her face, the way Zoey¡¯s hands clenched and she bit her lip to fight the sensation away. ¡°We¡¯re wasting time better spent on your education,¡± she scolded her. ¡°But if you must be stubborn, I suppose I¡¯m forced to elerate the process.¡± Letting the toy sit on Zoey¡¯s cock¡ªwhich continued thrusting¡ªshe stood up, then withdrew her shirt, revealing smooth, creamy skin beneath. Unsurprisingly, she was wearing a in bra: white, notcy, purely functional. Very Sabina. But, as intended, the sight thrilled through Zoey. She wiggled against her constraints, going dizzy with excitement. As much as the quick jerking of the bumpy-ridged toy, Sabina exposing her body for Zoey¡¯s viewing pleasure had her willpower fraying, the hot energy pooling in her core expanding rapidly. Sabina seemed satisfied at the reaction. She sat, then scooted forward, stool scraping against the floor. ¡°You like what you see. How ttering.¡± ¡°You¡¯re gorgeous,¡± Zoey groaned. The coaxing motions of the thrusting contraption erased any hesitation, any worries over what the words spewing from her mouth might do. How they might change her and Sabina¡¯s rtionship. ¡°You¡¯re so fucking hot. And you know it. Stop pretending you don¡¯t.¡± Her hips bucked desperately into the milking machine, and Zoey struggled against the straps and buckles. ¡°I want you to be on me. To be fucking you. Your pussy. Not this ¡­ stupid ¡­ toy.¡± She emphasized thest three words with jerks of her hips, bucking against her restraints. Sabina¡¯s lips quirked. ¡°Not today, dear student.¡± She reached behind and unsped her bra, then tugged it down, further revealing herself. ¡°But you can look.¡± Zoey admired Sabina¡¯s perky, pale nipples, the alluring curves of her teacher¡¯s body. Her head went dizzy. The milking machine thrust up and down, working across her length. Sabina re-gripped the thick stic toy. It was designed to pleasure Zoey by itself, so Sabina didn¡¯t need to stroke it up and down, but the sight of Sabina¡¯s hand wrapped around the toy¡ªwhich was wrapped around Zoey¡¯s cock¡ªdid plenty, either way. Zoey thrashed in ce, starting toe apart. The sensation of her cock being milked with such rapid, machine-enhanced expertness was too hard to resist. ¡°Go ahead,¡± Sabina said. ¡°Finish for me. Be a good girl, and fill my toy up.¡± She leaned forward and whispered, ¡°You can pretend it¡¯s me, if you want. Pretend its my pussy working your load out. Squeezing your cock. I won¡¯t mind.¡± Embarrassingly, the simple words erased Zoey¡¯s mind. She came. Her hips arched upward, arms and legs straining against the straps holding her down. Orgasm wracked her, thick strands of cum bursting from her over-pleasured cock. Sabina watched with an academic sort of interest¡ªand maybe something more. Zoey emptied herself into the stic toy. Her white substance filled the space at the top, milked away by the jerking gel-pussy. A long minuteter, still twitching from the aftershocks, Zoey sagged into the chair. Sabina flicked the toy off, finally ending the agonizing milking session. Her head spun from the experience. Really. How had morning alchemy lessons turned out like this? ¡°A good yield,¡± Sabinamented, inspecting the toy¡ªhow it¡¯d been filled up. Zoey was incredulous¡ªand aroused, despite her orgasm¡ªhow impassive she sounded. Even after all that, totally unruffled. ¡°Perfect. Now, let¡¯s test your theory. Semen, as a potion base. Perhaps it will provide desirable results.¡± Zoey stared down at the toy enveloping her dick, and the vat at the top, which had collected an impressive amount of her thick white cum. Definitely enough for a potion base. She groaned, then slumped, head lolling forward. That ¡­ event ¡­ had taken a lot out of her. Sabina really knew how to handle an extraction. Sabina patted her on the shoulder, then grabbed her discarded bra, slipping it back on. Her shirt, thenb coat, followed. ¡°Or maybe you need a second to breathe. That¡¯s fair. Hopefully you¡¯re better focused. We¡¯ll do this twice a day, as I said, to keep a clear head, and keep an adequate experimentation base. Perhaps once in the morning, a second midway through.¡± She nted a kiss on Zoey¡¯s cheek. ¡°And next time, I might let you be more involved. Not just a toy. It¡¯ll depend on your performance. Let¡¯s say, a quiz. Keep up your studies, and you¡¯ll be rewarded.¡± ¡°You¡¯re such a ¡­mitted teacher,¡± Zoey said, exhausted. ¡°Really care about your student¡¯s education. I¡¯m so lucky.¡± Sabina patted Zoey¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Indeed.¡± But really. If there¡¯d ever been a motivation to do well in ss. 4.05 – Strip Spars 4.05 ¨C Strip Spars Rosalie wasn¡¯t sure how she¡¯d been goaded into this. ¡®Strip spars¡¯. Heavens above. What would Father¡ªor her sisters¡ªthink? Even disregarding the inappropriate nature of the event, the duel itself was offensive. Or, rather, the stakes. Stakes implied she might lose. Her? The heiress to the Deepshunter Guild? She couldn¡¯t imagine the shame. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t something she needed to worry about. As if she would lose to this annoying woman. Delta was more thanpetent enough, but not only was the match-up unfavorable¡ªRosalie¡¯s ss was nearly ideal for dueling, and Delta¡¯s high-damage, low-survivability style was not¡ªbut petent¡¯ didn¡¯t mean she was on an even ying field with her. She didn¡¯t mean that in a disparaging way. Simply, Rosalie had been pushing herself to her limits¡ªor rather, Father had been, and then Rosalie herself, once old enough to realize the purpose of her training¡ªsince the moment she could walk. By Delta¡¯sckadaisical views on how they should be spending their time, clearly her upbringing was not remotely on the same level of Rosalie¡¯s. It wasn¡¯t her fault she was worse. Then why was she nervous? Because Delta¡¯s taunts held credence? How Rosalie might be ¡®distracted¡¯ as the event progressed? ¡°You ready?¡± Delta asked. The fox-eared girl stood across the dueling arena, bow drawn but held down and to the side, arrow nocked. Delta preferred rangedbat, but in this fight, she wouldn¡¯t get to use her bow much. That disadvantage wouldn¡¯t be too crippling. She was more thanpetent with her dual knives. But still a disadvantage. She excelled when she could stay back, not engage in a melee. Hence, closing the gap would be crucial. Though, as a spear wielder, that would have been a goal of Rosalie¡¯s regardless of Delta¡¯s talents. Even with her advantages detailed, this spar of theirs wouldn¡¯t bepletely free. For all of Rosalie¡¯sints about her hastily-acquired teammate, she wasn¡¯t a poor, or even mediocre,batant. Rosalie would have minor¡ªminor¡ªdifficulties fending her off. Just nothing to truly worry about. ¡°Begin whenever,¡± Rosalie said. Her grip tightened against her spear, which she had nted into the ground. Her muscles were tense despite her rxed, intentionally taunting words. She wished she had a better weapon. For most of her upbringing, she¡¯d trained with a spear of almost incalcble value, a prize of Father¡¯s own adventures. Dragon¡¯s Tongue. It was too powerful for Rosalie to inherit its passive benefits, but despite that, it had an enviably perfect bnce. Father had, perhaps, crippled her by giving her such an outstanding weapon to practice with. He did have blind spots, in that regard. Why not train her to bepetent in any situation? Though she supposed he had. Just, the inferior weaponry she¡¯d been faced with recently was irritating. Then again, Rosalie had been supposed to return immediately. Her lingering in Treyhull¡ªwith Zoey and Delta¡ªwas against his directive. She grimaced, then, like usual, pushed the thought away. She¡¯d made her decision. Father would understand. Maybe. After exnations. Zoey¡ªand even Delta, though less so¡ªwould be talent he appreciated. Or ¡­ probably. Also a maybe. Rosalie wasn¡¯t sure if she wanted to share the full details of Zoey¡¯s ss with Father, for numerous reasons, and so he might not see why Rosalie had paired with her. And paired in a different way. Girlfriends. What a disaster. Dating. Rosalie wasn¡¯t supposed to be dating anyone. Ever, probably, but certainly not until she¡¯d carved an appropriate name for herself. She didn¡¯t have time for that kind of frivolity. ¡°I¡¯ll start, then?¡± Delta asked. She¡¯d raised an eyebrow, as if noticing Rosalie¡¯s wandering thoughts. Shaking them away, and fighting off a flush¡ªdistracted already?¡ªRosalie replied, ¡°Whenever you wish.¡± Delta didn¡¯t linger. She seized the opportunity, bursting into motion. The first three arrows had zipped her way before Rosalie had spurred herself to move. A skill, undoubtedly. Delta was quick with her movements, and admittedly even faster than Rosalie, but not as lighting-quick as the initial barrage of arrows would imply. Weaving between them, Rosalie closed the gap in a blink. Delta pulled out her daggers, frowning that none of her initial attacks had found purchase. It¡¯d probably been her best shot, especially since she¡¯d relied on a skill. The fight began in earnest. She would give her teammate credit. A close-range duel like this wasn¡¯t her specialty, her two daggers far inferior to Rosalie¡¯s spear, and yet she put up a good fight. Most sparring partners, Rosalie would have dismantled in a few exchanges. Instead, Delta weaved between between spear thrusts and even managed to have her on the back foot for a few moments, Rosalie barely avoiding the quick, vicious shes of her twin daggers. But, ultimately, the first round wasn¡¯t close, either. Delta wasn¡¯t an irrelevant opponent, but she wasn¡¯t a highguild heiress apprenticed under one of the world¡¯s strongest wayfarers. She hadn¡¯t lived and breathedbat training for every waking moment of her existence. A series of precise footwork and thrustster, Rosalie¡¯s spear scraped along Delta¡¯s shoulder, drawing blood as it pierced her armor. Delta grunted and pulled back. Delta eyed Rosalie, a bit sourly. She did have apetitive streak, which Rosalie respected. However much Delta had set this debacle up with intent to tease Rosalie, she had also been trying her hardest to win. It was one of their few points of kinship. Here was a girl who cared about winning, desperately. Overall, Rosalie found Delta a bit unfocused, but Rosalie had sorted through the many candidates of the Treyhull guild andnded on Delta, despite annoying first impressions. That had been for a reason. Attending to her minor injury, Delta pulled out a health potion and took a drink. The scrape on her shoulder stitched itself over, returning her to her previous condition. Likewise, her armor repaired itself, mending the sh Rosalie¡¯s spear had cut open. An awfully convenient feature of equipment found in shards. Beyond being more durable and providing empowering effects, they were tied to a person¡¯s life force. Most damage could be healed, either over time or with a health potion, in the same manner injuries would. ¡°Almost had you,¡± Delta said. ¡°But whatever.¡± She sniffed, ego bruised. ¡°What do you want first?¡± Hm? Rosalie paused, remembering the nature of this spar. Right. Each of Rosalie¡¯s victories meant her opponent would be losing a piece of her equipment. Stripping, slowly, toward nudity. Which should mean it would be easier to win. Ack of armor in a normal spar ought to be a detriment. Would be a detriment. To Delta. Not her. She wouldn¡¯t get distracted. Because, first off, what was there to be distracted by? ¡°Your gloves,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Nice try, princess. Not one of the options.¡± ¡°And the options are?¡± ¡°Top, bottom, and for each of those, outer, inner. So four pieces total.¡± Traitorously, Rosalie¡¯s heart sped up, considering the choice. She shrugged, feigning nonchnce. ¡°Either. It hardly matters.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve gotta pick, princess.¡± ¡°Bottom.¡± Delta snorted, as if she¡¯d expected the response. ¡°Yeah. Of course you would. You¡¯re scared of these.¡± She cupped her breasts behind her leather armor, sneering at Rosalie. Done under restrictive armor, the bouncing motion wasn¡¯t especially ttering ¡­ but Rosalie, unfortunately, nced away, blushing. And, the usation. Staring? Her? ¡°I have most certainly not.¡± Rosalie could, maybe, perhaps admit that from a strictly factual stand point, Delta had a lot going on up top. A lot more than Rosalie, certainly. There was plenty to stare at. But was Rosalie doing so? No. Clearly, Delta had an ego problem along with her obnoxiousness one. The amusement in Delta¡¯s curled lips said everything it needed to. How she could dismantle Rosalie¡¯s protests with a simple look, she had no idea. Maybe Rosalie was dismantling her own protests by the way she blushed furiously. Either way, she rallied herself, then met Delta¡¯s eyes, ring. She wouldn¡¯t be cowed, however mortifying this sparring session was¡ªand would shortly be. Unfortunately, Delta seemed to bask in Rosalie¡¯s heated look, flourishing underneath the re. Delta¡¯s boots came off, then her pants. She held eye contact with Rosalie as she did so, making it an event. Once done, the boots didn¡¯t go back on. They came as a pair, apparently¡ªthe essories came with the major articles. Once done, Delta plucked her daggers off the bench she¡¯d set them on, then padded back to the opposite end of the room. Rosalie tried hard not to stare. Delta¡¯s long, toned legs were on full disy, and not the easiest thing to ignore. She¡¯d also worn a pair of bright orange underwear. Matching her hair. Something as attention-grabbing as possible, and undoubtedly intentional. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t working. Not in the slightest. ¡°Ready?¡± Rosalie asked. Delta only smirked. Why did she have to be so confident about all this? And even pleased? Like she wanted Rosalie to admire her? Not that she was. ¡°Mm,¡± Delta said. ¡°Nah, gimme a second. I¡¯m actually kind of tense. Lemme stretch out.¡± Delta turned around, then bent forward, keeping her legs straight. She pretended to go about a stretching routine, but all she was doing¡ªtantly so¡ªwas showing herself off for Rosalie: her recently exposed legs and ass, which her panties did an excellent job of cupping. From an objective standpoint. Not Rosalie¡¯s own opinion. Delta peeked down from beneath her legs, fists on the floor as she stretched out her hamstrings. Violet eyes met her own, and a fluffy orange tail swished in amusement. ¡°Don¡¯t enjoy the show too much, blondie. It¡¯s rude to stare.¡± Rosalie tore her eyes away. ¡°I wasn¡¯t,¡± she said immediately. Then, correcting the instinctive lie, because it would be torn in two, she sneered, ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be beneath you to use this as a distraction. I was making sure you didn¡¯t start.¡± ¡°So why look away, then, when I called you out?¡± Rosalie¡¯s lips pressed into a line. She ¡­ had her there. Finally, Delta straightened out and rolled her shoulders. That irritating smirk was still there, and even more pronounced than before. Rosalie had won the first actual spar, but Delta had done so¡ªand in much more spectacr fashion¡ªthe first spar of less literal interpretation. ¡°Alright. Ready for round two?¡± ¡°As ever,¡± Rosalie replied stiffly. The annoying fox-girl could try as hard as she wanted to fluster her, but she wouldn¡¯t let it carry over intobat. She had better training than that. Despite that determination, round two was sloppier. Not for any particr reason. She just made a few minor errors. Not because she was distracted by Delta¡¯s exposed legs and bright orange panties. Just ¡­ a coincidence. Fortunately, the irritated look on Delta¡¯s face, having lost twice in a row, made up for the ordeal Rosalie was suffering. ¡°How do you do that?¡± Delta asked, tail swishing in annoyance, holding her arm where Rosalie¡¯s had scored her next hit. ¡°It¡¯s like you can read my mind. You don¡¯t fall for anything.¡± She narrowed her eyes. ¡°And what¡¯s that you¡¯re doing with your spear? New skill?¡± Rosalie inclined her head in acknowledgment. She didn¡¯t generally think it wise to share skill details, and to most other people would have simply stayed silent, even if the skill was obvious. But Delta was looking to be a long-term teammate of hers, so she didn¡¯t outright snub her. Still, no details. Delta huffed. ¡°Okay. What¡¯s next off?¡± ¡°There¡¯s only one option, isn¡¯t there?¡± She tried to not focus on what they were talking about. Keeping her blushes under control was hard enough. ¡°Nah,¡± Delta said. ¡°Two. You could take my panties next, if you wanted. Doesn¡¯t have to be my top.¡± She ¡­ could ? ¡°Your top is fine,¡± Rosalie said firmly. ¡°You sure? Don¡¯t wanna get to the fun stuff?¡± ¡°Positive.¡± Delta grinned, then got to stripping. Before Rosalie knew it, Delta was lined up across from her, now in only her underwear. It had already been a gargantuan task to ignore the glimpses of smooth skin and shes of underwear, especially because a good warrior needed to watch her opponent¡¯s hips, being the fulcrum which most powerful moves pivoted on and the easiest ce to identify intent, but now Delta¡¯s ¡­. assets ¡­ were on full disy. The ones Rosalie had been¡ªquite falsely¡ªused of staring at. How was it fair? That she¡¯d gotten those things? Rosalie didn¡¯t have nothing up top, and likely more than she could hope for considering her lean build, butpared to this annoying fox-girl, it wasn¡¯t even close. If Rosalie had been staring, it was because she was annoyed. Outraged at the unfairness of it all. Rosalie tore her attention away, forcing it back to Delta¡¯s eyes. Delta¡¯s annoyance from losing had faded. Getting to see Rosalie squirm made up for the bruising to her pride. ¡°Have another stretching routine?¡± Rosalie asked. ¡°Or shall we begin?¡± It came out stiffer than intended. ¡°Only the first show is free. But ¡­ maybe if you ask nicely.¡± So she hadn¡¯t been stretching. Not that Rosalie had believed that. But still. So shameless. Rosalie red, then lowered her spear, making her intent clear. Time for round three. Just three more quick victories, for Delta¡¯s bra, panties, then the naked round, and Rosalie would be done with this. It would be over shortly. She wouldn¡¯t let herself get distracted. And the hand-to-hand final round ¡­ where she had to pin a naked Delta down and make her tap out ¡­ that wouldn¡¯t be a problem, either. Not a problem at all. 4.06 – Strip Spars II 4.06 ¨C Strip Spars II Rosalie managed to win round three as well, but it was by an even closer margin than the first two. Hair-thin. Then, left with the unfortunate choice of having Delta strip her bra or panties off, she picked the less distracting of the two: her bra. Round four went to Delta. Not because Rosalie was distracted. Rather, Rosalie would have to concede that Delta must be a better fighter than first appraised. Which was a hard admittance to make. But the alternative was to acknowledge she was bing distracted. And she wasn¡¯t. Maybe even it was luck. Rosalie couldn¡¯t always win. It wasn¡¯t that her eyes were sticking to inappropriate ces, making her miss obvious tells to what Delta¡¯s next move would be. As her first bounty for a win, Delta chose Rosalie¡¯s top. Exposing herself, even in a small way, to her aggravatingly confident teammate had almost as much of an effect as Delta¡¯s own stripping. Rosalie¡¯s performance for round five was even worse than round four, and Delta won again. So, Rosalie¡¯s pants came off, leaving Rosalie in panties and bra, and Delta in just panties. The worst part was the amusement in Delta¡¯s sparkling purple eyes. The constant smirk, the quips and taunting remarks. Most of them focused on Rosalie¡¯s blushing, not that she was blushing. Delta just interpreted it like that. The reality was that she had worked up a sweat. This was a spar. Of course her face and chest were flushed. Never mind that Rosalie¡¯s stamina was far greater than to be getting flushed in a few quick exchanges. This was ¡­ an exception. Somehow. Her irritation at Delta¡¯s teasing actually provided enough fire for Rosalie to focus for another round. She won match six, and Delta¡¯s panties came off, leaving her naked. The brief rallying effect dissipated. For two reasons: one, that Delta was naked, and sure, it wasn¡¯t the first time she¡¯d seen that, considering their adventures in the second shard, but this situation was different. They didn¡¯t need to be naked. The shard hadn¡¯t forced it. Secondly, Rosalie lost her weapon. The final rounds, asid out by Delta¡¯s rules, required the winner to pin down their naked opponent. It had sounded like a distinctly made up addition, but Rosalie couldn¡¯t call her on it. Obviously, she¡¯d never done something like this before. An expert on the rules of ¡®strip spars¡¯. So, round seven. Where Rosalie needed to grapple a naked Delta, who still had her daggers. It was too challenging of a task. She lost two additional rounds, being stripped of her own bras and panties. The defeats were only the result of the weapon disadvantage. Grappling an armed opponent without taking hits was too difficult, even for her. It wasn¡¯t that getting her hands on a sweaty, naked Delta caused problems for her focus. Not in the slightest. Which mortifyingly led them to this moment. ¡°Remember, princess,¡± Delta said, tail swishing behind her. Rosalie tried hard to maintain eye contact. Though that wasn¡¯t even what she was supposed to do; she should be watching her hips. They telegraphed movement most obviously. But ¡­ it might actually be worse for Rosalie to look there. Too much to see. ¡°Your girlfriend doesn¡¯t want us to do anything without her,¡± Delta said, almost startling Rosalie, who¡¯d, again, zoned out. ¡°So keep control of yourself.¡± ¡°Keep control of myself?¡± ¡°Nothing too fun,¡± Delta confirmed, as if it had been a real question, and not a growled protest. ¡°But it¡¯s winner gets, so y hard.¡± Nothing too fun. As if she was implying this final wrestling match could get out of hand. Maybe¡ªmaybe¡ªRosalie could admit Delta had a body that was mildly¡ªmildly¡ªdistracting, but that didn¡¯t mean Rosalie was remotely interested in Delta. That she¡¯d get ¡®carried away¡¯ during this wrestling. Really, the only possible way Rosalie would consider something like what Delta implied¡ªintimacy¡ªwas if Zoey asked. Because she herself wasn¡¯t interested. Not remotely. Not even slightly. She couldn¡¯t imagine something less appealing than sleeping with this monumentally irritating woman. But if Zoey asked, maybe Rosalie could be convinced. Because then Rosalie could make it clear she was just entertaining Zoey¡¯s wishes. Keeping her perverted girlfriend satisfied. She wouldn¡¯t have to admit anything. ¡°No reply?¡± Delta asked. Rosalie started, again. ¡°Lost in thought?¡± Delta teased. ¡°Distracted by something?¡± She raised her hands in the air and stretched, thrusting her chest out. Rosalie nced away, instinctively, and Delta tutted. ¡°I¡¯m just stretching, princess. You don¡¯t need to look away.¡± A grin. ¡°Plus, I could¡¯ve taken advantage of that, like you mentioned earlier. You¡¯re lucky I¡¯m not trying my hardest.¡± Infuriated, Rosalie looked back forward. She was right. That could have been an easy advantage. Why had she looked away? Delta¡¯s body wasn¡¯t flustering her. ¡°Can we begin, already?¡± She raised her eyebrows. ¡°If you want your hands over me that badly, I guess we can get going.¡± Instead of entertaining the banter for a second longer, she stepped forward. ¡°I¡¯m starting.¡± Delta settled into a fighting stance. ¡°Hand to hand isn¡¯t my strength, but not yours either, I¡¯m taking it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve trained in all styles.¡± It might not be her forte, but she was more than capable. ¡°Of course you have,¡± Delta said. ¡°Still. I¡¯m bringing this one home. Ready?¡± Rosalie began the fight, surging forward. The distance closed in an instant. Delta twisted out of the way, dodging her first attempt at a grapple. Despite Rosalie being the shorter, more agile-looking of the two, Delta was actually quicker than her, and by a noticeable amount. Her runes. As a bow-and-knife wielding damage-focused wayfarer, Rosalie would be hard pressed to find an opponent as slippery as her. Rosalie¡¯s own specialties were with offense mixed with defense. She steadied herself, but Delta¡¯s dodge had put her in a great position to follow up. Her hands wrapped around Rosalie¡¯s stomach, and¡ªapparently more than happy to take this to the floor¡ªyanked her up, then heaved and purposely fell, dropping the two of them. Rosalie hit hard enough to be stunned. Delta¡¯s teasing, apparently, had extended only to the pre-match. She wanted to win, and was fighting like it. She wanted a ¡®favor¡¯ from Rosalie. The two of them struggled against each other, Rosalie wiggling out of her grip and trying to secure her own hold. Naked, sweaty skin rubbed against naked, sweaty skin. Only the adrenaline of the fight kept Rosalie half-way focused. An intense, heated exchange took ce. Wrestling was very much not Rosalie¡¯s strength, but, as Delta had said, not hers, either. By the standards of the previous matches, it was sloppy. Still, Rosalie eventually found an opening. Her muscles strained as she secured a grip on her opponent, maneuvering into a pin. She¡¯d wrapped Delta with her legs, and locked her arms with her own. Despite the poor beginning, she¡¯de out on top. Delta thrashed, putting up a good fight to break free, but Rosalie held firm. If she kept her pinned down, then this match was over. Rosalie had won. She¡¯d won. But ¡­ did she want that? Given the brief half-reprieve of simply having to lock her muscles tight and hold Delta in ce, she was given a moment to think. If Rosalie held still, she¡¯d win. Which would mean she would get the ¡®favor¡¯. Which meant Delta wouldn¡¯t. Rosalie couldn¡¯t ask for anything inappropriate. Her pride wouldn¡¯t allow her. Delta was the shameless one, not her. So if Rosalie wanted anything toe of this event, then Delta had to win. Not that she wanted something toe of this event. But ¡­ Rosalie¡¯s grip slipped. Given even a small opening, Delta pried into it with vicious efficiency. In a flurry, she became the one pinned into the ground, locked into a pin by the naked girl she was wrestling with. Rosalie gave it her best effort toe back, but once an effective grip had been established, it was almost impossible to break free. That Rosalie¡¯s had? Well ¡­ that was a fluke. It hadn¡¯t been intentional. Eventually, Rosalie was forced to admit defeat. She did give it her best effort breaking free, her pride demanding it of her, but Delta gave no such openings like Rosalie had. She finally went still, realizing the futility of continuing. ¡°I¡¯m pinned,¡± Rosalie said tly. ¡°You win. Get off me.¡± She tried desperately to ignore the reality of the situation. Delta¡¯s breasts pressed into her, their heated, sweat-slicked skin touching in more ces than it wasn¡¯t. There was pressure¡ªlegs and arms and hands¡ªin ces distinctly difficult to ignore. ¡°You let me win,¡± Delta panted, loosening her grip slightly, but not releasing Rosalie. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± Delta tightened the pin, and Rosalie grunted. ¡°At least admit it.¡± Rosalie refused to. ¡°You¡¯re so annoying,¡± Delta growled. ¡°Says you?¡± ¡°You know what I think?¡± She leaned forward, breathing hot air into Rosalie¡¯s ear. ¡°You want me make good use of the favor. So you gave it to me.¡± Finally, Delta let go and rolled off. ¡°And, fine. You better believe I will.¡± Rosalie likewise rolled to the side, muscles aching, and stood. She stalked toward her clothing, pointedly facing away from Delta. Not because she was blushing, and not because all of that sweaty contact had put Rosalie in a verypromised mindset. Panties and bra slipped on, at least, Rosalie turned and faced Delta. The fox girl had rolled onto her side and propped her head up, not returning to her clothes as Rosalie had. She stayed happily naked, facing toward Rosalie. As shameless as always. Rosalie refused to be cowed; she didn¡¯t look away. ¡°So. What is it?¡± Rosalie asked. ¡°What is what?¡± She crossed her arms. ¡°The favor.¡± ¡°Dunno yet. I¡¯ll probably get Zoey¡¯s opinion. Help cook something up. She knows what you like, I¡¯m guessing.¡± Rosalie stared disdainfully down at her teammate. ¡°Of course you would, pervert.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the pervert?¡± she asked. ¡°You¡¯re the one who let me win so I could ask something freaky of you.¡± For a second, Rosalie almost denied the usation. But she hesitated, then, instead, huffed and turned back to the rest of her clothing. ¡°And you won¡¯t even deny it,¡± Delta said. ¡°Because your prudishness and ego are fighting. You don¡¯t want to admit wanting me, but you also won¡¯t admit you lost. You have to make it clear you threw the fight.¡± Sheughed, and Rosalie¡¯s face burned furiously as she continued to dress, ignoring her opponent¡¯s words. ¡°I really can¡¯t decide if you¡¯re cute or obnoxious, blondie.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no such struggle for me.¡± ¡°You think I¡¯m cute?¡± ¡°Obnoxious,¡± Rosalie emphasized, shooting a re over her shoulder, which turned out to be a mistake, because it gave her a generous view of Delta¡¯s naked body as she stretched on the sparring mat. ¡°You sure about that?¡± ¡°Exceedingly.¡± ¡°Not the slightest bit cute?¡± Rosalie ignored her. ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Delta said. ¡°I think me and Zoey can change your attitude, once things get going.¡± She sighed inconsbly. ¡°It¡¯s a shame we have to wait, though. Wanna go track her down and get started early?¡± In the addled state Rosalie was in, she actually paused. And, of course, Delta noticed. ¡°That¡¯s a yes,¡± she grinned. ¡°No.¡± Then, more firmly, ¡°No. We already have ns tonight. Daytime hours are for practice, at a very minimum.¡± It should¡¯ve been all day and night spent productively, but Zoey was having a bad influence on her. Rosalie was losing her willpower to keep to her routine. At least she could fall back onto the convoluted excuse that she was helping Zoey with her ss. Powerful as it was, there was even merit to the reasoning. ¡°You sure? I¡¯m all worked up, now.¡± The statement had Rosalie¡¯s heart skipping a beat. She ignored it. ¡°Get dressed. Your ¡­ contest ¡­¡± the word dripped with disgust, ¡°has been decided. Let¡¯s get a few real spars in. And you said you knew thepetition.¡± Delta pouted. ¡°But if we go spar other people, I can¡¯t stay naked. I like catching you staring.¡± Rosalie, for the tenth time, just gave her a disgusted look. Truly an insufferable woman. 4.07 – Business Plans 4.07 ¨C Business ns It was kind of hard to just go back to potion-making after being so thoroughly drained by Sabina¡¯s milking session, especially with how unexpected the encounter had been, but Sabina¡¯s efficient, unruffled nature helped Zoey get her thoughts in order. Zoey was genuinely astounded at how easily Sabina ignored what the two of them had done. Or what she had done to Zoey. It had been a pretty one-sided thing, not that Zoey wasining. Fortunately, Zoey¡¯s curiosity helped her brush past things, too. Sabina¡¯s milking of her lower half had been for a reason. Or, at least a practical one in addition to the less appropriate. There was merit to Zoey¡¯s reasoning: that her ss might bestow certain properties to her cum, making it a viable potion-base. ¡°If I had to guess,¡± Sabina said, prepping the small-form brewing station as Zoey studiously watched and took notes. ¡°It would be especially suited to potions that provide carnal effects. We¡¯ll first test it with the fairy dust. If it catalyzes, then that likely indicates our suspicions are true. Of course, we¡¯ll need topare it to other bases to be certain, but my previous attempts with your ingredients have been ¡­ stubborn. So an instant sess would effectively be a confirmation.¡± Sabina continued to meticulously arrange the ingredients and equipment, including the thick container of Zoey¡¯s cum. The sk had more than enough liquid for a small batch of potions, and itid to the side, along with the other reagents they¡¯d be adding. Zoey wouldn¡¯t be leading this brew. She was still a beginner, and they would be working with valuable ingredients, this batch, not worthless ones like for the health potions earlier. There was plenty to learn from spectating. Not every instance of her tutge needed to be hands on. Plus, Zoey was looking forward to Sabina coaxing out a potion from the pink fairy dust. The shimmering material said it would give effects rted to dreams. In what form? She couldn¡¯t wait to find out. Something fun, her gut told her. Maybe fun and practical. She attended to Sabina¡¯s requests as they went about the process. She helped here and there, in small ways, passing equipment or preparing reagents. Sabina did all the real work. Zoey took notes when she could, and Sabina did the same. Ones much more detailed than Zoey¡¯s own, identifying exactly the process she implemented. She was a scientist in the traditional sense, even if technology might not be as advanced here as back home. A surprisingly intense forty-five minutester, Sabina held up a vial of pink liquid, eying it. The cloudy liquid slowly resolved, turning a deeper and deeper pink by the second. Until finally, it settled. [Potion of Expanded Consciousness] - Open the consumer¡¯s mind to the dream world, allowing external influences to delve deep into one¡¯s psyche. ¡°Oh, wow,¡± Zoey said. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Sabina said, finishing her inspection and setting the vial into the prepared vial rack. She poured the rest of the batch into vials, talking as she did so. ¡°And it¡¯s less inappropriate than I expected.¡± ¡°Well. Maybe it doesn¡¯t say it, but I bet the dreams would be ¡­ less than appropriate. Just a hunch.¡± Sabina hummed in consideration. ¡°And it worked,¡± Zoey said, pointing out the obvious. ¡°Indeed. It seems your essence does, as predicted, make an ideal potion base. Curious. It¡¯ll simplify further experiments. Though, I do wonder if more mundane potions will find it a habitable solution.¡± ¡°I wonder,¡± Zoey agreed. ¡°As to the potion itself. ¡®External influences¡¯. That concerns me.¡± She¡¯d had the same thought. ¡°What sorts of influences? And who says they¡¯ll be friendly?¡± ¡°Perhaps it¡¯d be best to not take it.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± No, Zoey¡¯s concern didn¡¯t extend that far. ¡°I still think it¡¯s worth trying.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an unusually vague description.¡± Zoey shrugged. Maybe the carelessness wasn¡¯t wholly wise, but there was no shot she was just going to not take it. Who knew how amazing the experience could turn out? ¡°What happens, happens,¡± Zoey said. It was maybe a too-se attitude. ¡°Some of the other items I¡¯ve gotten are vague. Things haven¡¯t turned out poorly, yet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s yours to do with as you please,¡± Sabina said. ¡°I¡¯m simply who you hired to catalyze it. But do be careful.¡± Right. Zoey had almost forgotten about that. She¡¯d fallen into an easypanionship with Sabina that had almost made her forget their rtionship was professional in origin. Or ¡­ mostly professional, and likely shifting toward something else. Clearly, Sabina¡¯s milking session indicated some sort of morphing of their rtionship. But in this regard, still professional. It broached a topic Zoey had been chewing over. ¡°Hey,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Do you, uh, mind if we talk business, actually?¡± Sabina took the swerve in conversation in stride, as she did everything. ¡°As we clean.¡± She gestured at the dirty equipment. ¡°Right.¡± Zoey helped Sabina collect the various tools and dispose of expended regents to the appropriate receptacles. It was a monotonous process she was growing ustomed to. Even fantastic activities like alchemy came with plenty of mundane realities, cleaning and preparation being two obvious ones. ¡°So. Business.¡± ¡°Business.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t take this the wrong way ¡­¡± Zoey started, ¡°but can I ask how you¡¯re, well, making a living?¡± A quirked eyebrow. ¡°Well,¡± she said slowly. ¡°I¡¯m an alchemist by trade.¡± Sarcasm wasn¡¯t the mostmon thinging from Sabina, so Zoey was amused. But also, at the same time, she internally winced. She was going to have to spell out what she meant, explicitly? ¡°I mean, how are you¡ª¡° ¡°I know what you mean,¡± Sabina said. ¡°How I finance myself with so few customers.¡± ¡°Well ¡­ yeah.¡± Sabina had peoplee in to buy something here and there, but not nearly enough, it felt like, to maintain a store of this size. She didn¡¯t know the exact financial circumstances of business ownership in the city of Treyhull, but she couldn¡¯t imagine the scarce traffic Sabina got was normal. Or even tenable. ¡°I don¡¯t deal with public clientele,¡± Sabina said. ¡°I¡¯m open to the public, yes, but I realized early on that I¡¯m poorly suited to typical business ownership. It requires a certain level of ¡­¡± she grappled for the right word. Zoey bit down on the one that came to mind. ¡®Affability¡¯. She thought Sabina was wonderful, but she definitely wouldn¡¯t call her anything but ¡®aloof¡¯. Not a salesman in any regard, that was clear. ¡°Showmanship,¡± Sabina settled on. It wasn¡¯t what Zoey would have used, but she got the point. ¡°So I operate with outside business. The Guild, of course, being the primary. They have high demand for bulk orders, which they offer me, because I provide consistent, high quality product.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Zoey said. That made a ton of sense, actually. Because Sabina was staying afloat, and with how barren her actual storefront was, there had to have been a reason she hadn¡¯t gone broke, yet. The answer made as much sense as any. ¡°What do you make for them?¡± ¡°The typical. Health, stamina, mana. asionally specialty requests. They send me a list once a week. Beyond the Guild, I have other recurring obligations.¡± She paused, scrubbing away at a sk using a long, thin sponge attached to a firm metal wire. ¡°I will admit the money is poor. Individual clients are certainly the more lucrative option. But haggling with customers ¡­ I can¡¯t suffer it.¡± She nced at Zoey, then turned back forward, seeming almost hesitant. ¡°The whole process is irritating. And I¡¯m not good at it, either.¡± She turned back forward and returned to scrubbing, a frown quirking the edges of her lips. ¡°Yeah,¡± Zoey said. ¡°I get that. Dealing with people can be annoying.¡± ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Curious. And ¡­ other reasons, too.¡± Sabina waited, a silent prompt. ¡°I was wondering if you wanted to try something out.¡± ¡°Selling your lewd potions,¡± Sabina guessed. ¡°Going into business.¡± Zoey started, then looked at Sabina and huffed. ¡°Can you stop guessing everything I¡¯m going to ask and do? It¡¯s like you can read my mind.¡± It had been a recurring trend. ¡°But yeah. A sex potion business.¡± ¡°There¡¯s merit to the idea,¡± Sabina said. ¡°Especially since it seems your shards follow a trend. While you might not get the same reagents each time, we should have a steady supply. A rotating avability might even be good for business. Scarcity.¡± ¡°Yeah. Though, how rare is it, exactly? Lewd potions.¡± ¡°Unheard of,¡± Sabina said. ¡°To my knowledge. I¡¯ve been meaning to discuss the topic with you, actually. I want topose a paper to the Institute about my findings. We¡¯re repeatedly discovering effects that are, frankly,pletely novel. It would have my colleagues in a frenzy.¡± ¡°Oh. So it¡¯s rare.¡± ¡°Novel, as I said.¡± She hummed in satisfaction. The concept clearly excited her¡ªin Sabina¡¯s way, at least, which didn¡¯te with the usual tells. But for her, she was practically vibrating. ¡°You have a truly unique ss.¡± ¡°And you want to write a paper about it.¡± ¡°I see the difficulty behind the request,¡± Sabina said. ¡°It would draw an unfortunate amount of attention my¡ªand your¡ªway.¡± ¡°Which is a problem.¡± Rosalie, and Delta, had made it clear Zoey should be keeping her ss under wraps. ¡°I don¡¯t want to have too many eyes turned my way.¡± ¡°I figured. So, it¡¯s not an option?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Probably not. At least for now.¡± Sabina nodded, not put out. She¡¯d gotten the response she¡¯d expected. And Zoey wanted to let her do as she pleased¡ªwhich apparently meant writing a paper on the recipes she was discovering¡ªbut for safety¡¯s sake, she shouldn¡¯t. Even starting up a sex potion business would be less conspicuous that appropriate, maybe. But, it was several steps down from writing a paper to a research institute highlighting how amazing, and unique, Zoey¡¯s ss was. The typical consumer who¡¯d be buying a sex potion likely wouldn¡¯t realize how odd it was. Not as much as an alchemy organization, at least. ¡°Please, continue,¡± Sabina prompted. ¡°Your idea.¡± ¡°Er, yeah.¡± She¡¯d gone quiet as she chewed over the topics Sabina had brought up. ¡°Well, there¡¯s not much to say, it sounds like. If these potions are totally unique, and we have a surplus of reagents, why not mize them?¡± ¡°And I would have a cut?¡± ¡°Sure. I don¡¯t know the exact details, I guess, but we¡¯re bouncing ideas around.¡± ¡°Who would handle sales? You?¡± Probably not. Zoey didn¡¯t have the time¡ªnor desire¡ªto be the saleswoman, either. Then again, wouldn¡¯t such rare merchandise sell itself? ¡°Maybe we bring in a third party,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Hire someone?¡± ¡°And I brew.¡± ¡°Yeah. I collect the materials, you brew.¡± And hopefully Zoey herself could help with that, eventually, but she knew she wasn¡¯t at that stage in her career. ¡°And we find a third person to handle marketing and sales. There¡¯s money to be made.¡± ¡°I suspect there is, handled correctly.¡± Sabina consider the idea, scrubbing away at the dirtied alchemy equipment. ¡°Let¡¯s work out a few details.¡± 4.08 – Casual 4.08 ¨C Casual Zoey and Sabina hammered out the details for a potential business n. In broad strokes, true, but also in a way that suggested this mighte to pass and wasn¡¯t fanciful musing. The two important items that needed to be handled was finding a stall or small storefront in the redlight district¡ªthe scandalous nature of their merchandise wouldn¡¯t be allowed in the general marketces¡ªas well as finding an employee for selling the potions, since neither Zoey nor Sabina wanted to handle that task. Zoey, because she had other things to be doing, and Sabina, because she would be busy brewing and handling her other duties¡ªalong with her dislike for customer-facing responsibilities. Zoey was excited for the business to take off, and intended to move from ¡®nning¡¯ to ¡®reality¡¯ as quickly as she could. First, because the money would be nice. Finances hadn¡¯t been a problem, but she didn¡¯t have so much she could buy whatever she wanted, either. The same for Rosalie. Zoey could tell by the way she acted that her family was rich, likely filthy rich, but she didn¡¯t have ess to those funds, right now. And sure, that would change in a few short weeks, when they set off to Mantle, but even if Rosalie was willing to keep Zoey supplied, Zoey would prefer she had her own source of ie. Mooching of her now-girlfriend would feel weird. But besides the money, Zoey looked forward to the project for other reasons. A simple sense of excitement to name one, getting to watch and participate in a growing venture, and besides that, a way to keep Sabina better supplied. Sabina had quickly be a friend, and opening up a way for her to pursue her passions was something that interested Zoey on its own merit. Though, what would happen when they left? Set off to Mantle? All things considered, two weeks was no time at all, on the scale of ¡®setting up a business¡¯. She¡¯d blink, and it would be time to leave¡ªthus splitting apart the business if Sabina wasn¡¯t interested ining along. Zoey had felt the situation out. Sabina, apparently, didn¡¯t have any major ties holding her down. She¡¯d been renting her storefront for two years, and had grown ustomed to it¡ªand made business contacts, established a routine¡ªbut she didn¡¯t have family, or ¡­ well, even many friends, to put things bluntly. As long as Sabina had a ce to be conducting her research, and the supplies to do so, that was all that mattered. So in that regard, if their test-run with a lewd potion stall in the redlight district worked out, and they raked in money, then Sabina indicated she¡¯d be willing to relocate. It had been an awkward topic to broach, though, outright asking Sabina if she¡¯d be willing to move cities with her. They¡¯d only known each other a few days. Ultimately, it depended on how the business worked out. After her lessons and discussions with Sabina, Zoey headed back to the Guild for more of the same¡ªtutge¡ªexcept with Maddy. It was the routine she¡¯d be following for the rest of their break in Treyhull, probably. Mornings with Sabina,te morning and afternoon with Maddy, then her evenings free, to handle whatever else needed taken care of. Lessons with Maddy went well. They worked on the ice armor spell, which she managed to fully manifest, though not with any amazing efficiency. Certainly, not at a level appropriate to venturing out to second or third advancement shards. But she was making strides, ording to Maddy. It was hard to tell if that praise was genuine, or just Maddy being a sweetheart, but Zoey took pride in it anyway. She was trying her hardest, so she might as well take the encouragement for what it was. Not that she¡¯d sit back and be satisfied with herself, growingcent. If she wanted a career with Rosalie and Delta, then she had to be apetent adventurer. To push herself. Sure, her ss gave her overpowered skills, but that wasn¡¯t enough. Doubly so because of the danger. As they worked their way up the advancementdder, shards would be more and more of a deadly threat to her teammates. It would be Zoey¡¯s job, in some part, to keep them safe. And keeping Rosalie and Delta safe? Obviously high on the priority list. Higher than anything else. By the time the second magic lesson was wrapped up, Zoey had a shaky, if consistent, hold on the ice armor spell. While ice shards were massively easier to fling, they were also a crude ability. Which didn¡¯t mean it was a bad skill. Swinging a hammer could be ¡®crude¡¯pared to some finesse-based weapons, but still effective. Ice armor, on the other hand, was far more difficult to bring to life¡ªbut much more useful. As long as she kept her ice armor manifested, if an attack slipped past Rosalie, Zoey should be able to take the attack without her transmigration through worldsing to an abrupt end. She and Maddy also started on a few other manifestations of her ice-rted abilities. She made little progress there, but with luck¡ªand a lot of work¡ªZoey might have an ¡®ice wall¡¯ and a ¡®frost¡¯ spell ready for the next shard. The former for utility, thetter as a debuff¡ªto lock up enemies with a debilitating sheen of frost. Finally, in the cool-down period, she invited Maddy out for drinks with her, Rosalie, and Delta. She epted eagerly. It might just be her generally affable nature, but Zoey thought Maddy liked herpany as much as Zoey did hers. Besides being a friendly and encouraging tutor, Zoey just liked the bubbly girl. She was a bit ¡­ dorky and excitable, at times, tripping over her words in her eagerness to get them out, but it was endlessly endearing, not annoying. How could anyone be annoyed by Maddy? She was a ball of sunshine. Her training responsibilitiespleted for the day, and with only an hour or two before the sun would set, Zoey headed back to her room to get ready for their outing. Rosalie wasn¡¯t there, but would be shortly; they¡¯d discussed timing that morning. Before Zoey knew it, the four of them were cluttered into a booth, one or two drinks deep, a mild buzz having settled into her. Rosalie sat to her side, absently swirling a ss of dark liquor. She¡¯d had the least to drink tonight, and Delta the most ¡­ though Delta didn¡¯t seem affected in the slightest, despite that. The goal wasn¡¯t really to get wasted, despite how Delta had framed the initial invitation that way. Zoey didn¡¯t n on having more than a few drinks. A step past a buzz, maybe, but definitely not well and truly drunk. Because she had ns tonight. Ones she¡¯d prefer to be mostly sober for. Speaking of ¡­ ¡°Who won, anyway?¡± Zoey asked. She¡¯d been waiting to bring the topic up, because she figured there were good odds it would have Rosalie and Delta bickering. Since they¡¯d settled into easy conversation, having rxed around each other, it ought not to cause too much friction. Delta grinned, and Rosalie frowned. That was answer enough, but Delta obviously wouldn¡¯t leave it implied. ¡°Who do you think?¡± Delta asked. ¡°I called it as it happened. Turns out miss princess is real distractible. Big shocker.¡± Rosalie narrowed her eyes, and Zoey could see there was some real offense taken. She didn¡¯t like herbat abilities being called into question, being called ¡®distractible¡¯, even in such an absurd situation as ¡®strip spars¡¯. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so shameless about it,¡± Rosalie mumbled, cheeks turning red. She brought her drink to her lips, obviously buying an excuse to not borate. ¡°You didn¡¯t?¡± Delta asked. ¡°It¡¯s almost like you¡¯re not trying to get to know me.¡± A grin, the fox-eared girl leaning forward on her elbows. ¡°Eh?¡± Maddy asked, cutting in and blinking at the two of them. ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± Zoey paused. It wasn¡¯t that she¡¯d forgotten Maddy was seated at the booth with them, rather, that she¡¯d grownfortable with her. She¡¯d forgotten it might be inappropriate to bring up Rosalie and Delta¡¯s spar. Delta was the one who answered, and like usual, without missing a beat. She leaned close to the blue haired girl. ¡°Me and blondie yed a match of strip spars. Now she owes me a favor.¡± Maddy blushed, obviously not having expected the response. Her eyes flicked from Rosalie and back to Delta. ¡°Oh. I, uh. I see.¡± ¡°It came down to the wire,¡± Delta continued easily. Herck of shame seemed to help Maddy¡¯s awkwardness, but not smooth it away entirely. As Zoey already knew, Maddy wasn¡¯t the most casual person when it came to lewd topics. It was definitely the biggest hurdle for getting her to join the squad. ¡°I had to really work for the win,¡± Delta said. Then in a stage-whisper, leaning closer to Maddy, she said, ¡°And between me and you, she threw the fight. She wanted me to have the favor, because she likes being bossed around.¡± ¡°I do not,¡± Rosalie protested. She red at Delta, then, for no discernible reason, turned the look to Zoey. What had Zoey done? ¡°Next topic, please,¡± Rosalie said. Zoey squeezed her knee, amused¡ªand like usual, finding Rosalie¡¯s blushing adorable¡ªbut came to her rescue. Like she¡¯d already figured, talking about this, and what Delta¡¯s favor would be, should happen away from Maddy. Except, when Zoey opened her mouth to turn the conversation away from the topic, Maddy cut in. ¡°So, um,¡± she started hesitantly. ¡°What¡¯s it like, anyway? Your, uh. Shard? And ¡­ and Zoey¡¯s ss. And all that. I don¡¯t know that much about it, and I probably should, in case we team up.¡± Maddy was a fidgety girl by her nature, wearing her emotions on her sleeve. She was genuinely embarrassed when it came to this topic. But at the same time, something else was obvious: the interested tilt in her voice, and the way she leaned forward in her seat, curious, even as she blushed. ¡°Yeah, we should probably talk about it,¡± Delta said, giving Zoey a significant look. As Zoey had, Delta had picked up that Maddy¡¯s red cheeks weren¡¯t entirely from awkwardness. ¡°We¡¯ll let the woman herself handle it. Zoey?¡± It was on her, then? That was fair. She had to make sure she handled the exnation well. Getting Maddy into the party was a priority that grew with every passing lesson. Zoey liked her. And she waspetent¡ªthat was important, too. ¡°Well,¡± Zoey said. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll start with my ss.¡± 4.09 – Chats 4.09 ¨C Chats ¡°But first, how much did Delta tell you?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°Um. Just that your ss works with ¡­ less than appropriate stuff.¡± She seemed as embarrassed about her use of a euphemism as the topic itself. ¡°Andter, she mentioned the shards can be kind of ¡®that way¡¯, too.¡± Rosalie snorted. ¡°A little more than ¡®kind of¡¯.¡± Zoey patted her knee, gently chiding her. The point was to be working Maddy into the idea, testing the waters. Not to emphasize just how crazy things got. Full disclosure would happen, obviously, but tactfully. Ease into it. Rosalie cleared her throat, realizing her mistake. ¡°It¡¯s not tooplicated,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Really, that¡¯s the sum of it. My ss, and because of it, the shards we go into, aren¡¯t like most. Working through them requires some intimacy.¡± ¡°And I¡¯d have to link up with you,¡± Maddy said. She blushed an even deeper red, ncing at both Rosalie and Delta, as if worried she¡¯d said something wrong. Deltaughed and bumped shoulders with her. ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be much. Just a quick,¡± she made a jerking-off gesture. ¡°The only hard part is getting your damn hand around it.¡± Zoey would have thought Delta was addressing the topic a bit too directly, but Maddy onlyughed, if higher pitch than normal. She and Delta were friends, so it made sense Delta had a better read on her than Zoey. ¡°And we could handle the less appropriate aspects,¡± Rosalie added. ¡°For the short term. While you adjust. The challenge isn¡¯t in the aspects rted to Zoey¡¯s ss, and how she changes the shards. More, it¡¯s in regr wayfaring. Combat capabilities. Your value as a standard team mate.¡± ¡°Zoey basically fucked the boss into submission herself,¡± Delta agreed. ¡°Her magic¡¯s a little rusty, but she knows how to give a dicking down.¡± Leaning closer to Maddy, she said, ¡°Just ask blondie. They¡¯ve known each other less than a week, and already girlfriends?¡± Delta gave her a significant look, which Maddy blushed furiously under. ¡°We are trying,¡± Rosalie growled, ¡°to talk business.¡± Delta made a faux show of contrition, raising her hands in an apologetic gesture. The shit-eating grin unfortunately diminished the effect. ¡°Sorry. But, really, it is business. You¡¯re good with your spear, and Zoey¡¯s good with hers. Both relevant, isn¡¯t it?¡± Rosalie red at Delta. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have to do much,¡± Zoey said, bringing them back to the topic at hand. ¡°And we won¡¯t be leaving for at least another week, so you have time to think about it. Get to know us, if that helps.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit odd,¡± Maddy admitted. ¡°I ¡­ I definitely haven¡¯t made my mind up.¡± She bit her lip. ¡°How, um, intense are we talking? Does it all get?¡± Zoey hesitated. She¡¯d been wanting to not dive off the deep end so Maddy had time to digest, but if she asked outright, Zoey wouldn¡¯t lie. ¡°One of the challenge rooms was a dildo as thick as my thigh,¡± Delta offered. ¡°Came with a potion that, like, negated my anatomy. I felt that thing bumping my heart around. And it bulged my stomach out like,¡± Delta gestured, indicating several nearly a foot. ¡°Literally filled me up.¡± Maddy gaped at her. ¡°Unfortunately, they¡¯re not all that fun,¡± Delta sighed. ¡°And I¡¯m pretty sure princess has dibs on the next one.¡± ¡°Insufferable,¡± Rosalie said simply. ¡°I-I think it¡¯s fine if you take those,¡± Maddy said, stumbling over her words. ¡°I¡¯ll stick with the normal stuff.¡± ¡°You will?¡± Delta asked, quirking an eyebrow. Maddy realized what she¡¯d said. ¡°Y-You know, theoretically. If I did If you came? Not an if. I¡¯m guessing, six or seven times, on average.¡± ¡°Delta!¡± Maddy¡¯s face burned under the aggressive teasing. Zoey wasn¡¯t entirely sure if this was the best strategy to be taking, but Delta would know better. ¡°A-Anyway,¡± Maddy stuttered, turning away from the fox-eared girl still grinning at her. ¡°Different topic. Um.¡± She scrambled for something, but her brain was apparently nking out. Zoey came to the rescue. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of starting a business,¡± she said. Delta¡¯d done a great job of cracking open some hard-to-address topics, but Zoey also though it was best they let them simmer, now, not push the point. Fortunately, the swerve in topic was an interesting enough one to draw Delta¡¯s attention, who seemed like she wanted to keep teasing Maddy, even against her better judgment. ¡°Huh?¡± she said, turning to Zoey. ¡°You are? Those potions?¡± ¡°I talked with Sabina about it. She agrees. She thinks there¡¯s money to be made. But there¡¯s lots of details to figure out.¡± ¡°What potions?¡± Maddy asked, eager to help solidify the change in conversation. Unfortunately, it was only half a change. ¡°Zoey keeps getting lewd potion reagents,¡± Delta exined. ¡°She¡¯s working with an alchemist to have them refined.¡± She turned back to Zoey. ¡°And, yeah, no shit. There¡¯s serious money to be made, I bet. I thought your sugar mommy had you sorted, though?¡± Rosalie gaped at her. ¡°Please don¡¯t call me that.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t,¡± Zoey agreed. ¡°Though, she has a point,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Finances aren¡¯t something you should worry over.¡± ¡°Let me guess,¡± Delta said. ¡°That only goes for her, not me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re on your own,¡± Rosalie agreed. She turned to Zoey, waiting for a response. ¡°I want to try it out,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Because ¡­ it¡¯s ¡­ we can talk about itter. But I don¡¯t want to mooch off your family.¡± Rosalie frowned, but under the table, Zoey squeezed her knee, and Rosalie didn¡¯t push the point. A significant look from Rosalie did make it clear that they would be talking about it, though. ¡°What kinds of reagents?¡± Maddy asked. The blush was mostly gone. She didn¡¯t seem as intimidated talking about lewd potions as Zoey¡¯s ss or the shards they¡¯d be delving. That was fair. The former didn¡¯t require her participation. ¡°An infertility one,¡± Delta said. ¡°And the opposite,¡± Zoey added. ¡°Wait, really?¡± ¡°Not using it for obvious reasons,¡± she said dryly. ¡°But, it makes you more potent? That¡¯d sell well, I bet. Not just as a fun potion, but for practical uses.¡± ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s the n.¡± ¡°And what else?¡± Maddy asked. ¡°Some we¡¯re still messing with,¡± Zoey said. ¡°There¡¯s a sensitivity enhancer, though.¡± ¡°Try it out yet?¡± Delta asked. ¡°No. Been meaning to.¡± ¡°Too many choices?¡± Zoeyughed. That was exactly it. There were a lot of items and potions she wanted to y with, but she could only have so much sex. Unfortunately. ¡°What kinds of details?¡± Rosalie asked. ¡°That need to be figured out, I mean. You ought to be able to just rent a stall, somewhere. No?¡± ¡°It¡¯d have to be in the red light district. But yeah, it wouldn¡¯t be thatplicated. Mostly I meant long term stuff.¡± ¡°Long term?¡± ¡°Sabina might be willing to head to Mantle with us, but¡ª¡° A ripple went through the table, cutting Zoey off. ¡°What?¡± Zoey asked. Delta looked around, then wiped a hand down her face, looking exasperated. ¡°Good thing we got the private booth.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± What happened? Zoey was a bit lost. Even Rosalie had pressed her lips into a line. ¡°Mentioning our ns to travel to the capital of enemy territory, at full volume, in a public bar, is generally inadvisable,¡± Rosalie said. She eyed Maddy, gauging her reaction, but Maddy mostly seemed surprised, not ¡­ whatever else she would be. ¡°Regr people don¡¯t care much about guild rtions,¡± Delta said, ¡°but shouting out your alignment isn¡¯t a great idea, either.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t shout.¡± Though she hadn¡¯t been moderating her volume, and had a few drinks in her. Maybe she hadn¡¯t been quiet, either. But yeah. She remembered now. The city of Treyhull was in Striders territory, one of the highguild¡¯s more important cities, and fairly deep into their domain. Mantle would be the seat of the Deepshunters, the opposing highguild. ¡°We should¡¯ve made it more explicit,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°I just assumed¡ªwell, I shouldn¡¯t have.¡° Well, Zoey was feeling pretty stupid, right about now. She supposed it was obvious in retrospect. ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Maddy offered. Delta hadn¡¯t been eying her like Rosalie had, so it seemed Delta already knew she wouldn¡¯t be strongly aligned with the Striders. ¡°My mom¡¯s, uh, a minor member of the Sovereign, actually. So either way you three aligned, doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡± The announcement made Rosalie lean back in surprise. It took a second for Zoey to ce the term ¡®Sovereign¡¯. They were the third major political party in the fractures, a ¡®sort-of¡¯ highguild. They stood apart from regr politics. Wayfarers strictly interested in, well, their sovereignty, who had banded together to have the collective strength to be able to stay out of politics. ¡°I see,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°I figured Delta would have mentioned if you weren¡¯t amenable to the idea, but I forgot to ask. Sovereign, though. Who?¡± ¡°Is my mom?¡± Rosalie inclined her head. "Margaretta Quick,¡± Maddy replied. ¡°The illusionist.¡± ¡°The Moonlight Weaver.¡± ¡°You know her?¡± Maddy seemed surprised at that. ¡°Of course. It¡¯s important to know the enemy.¡± Rosalie paused. ¡°As a figure of speech.¡± Zoey could tell the correction might not be wholly the truth. Maybe Rosalie didn¡¯t consider the Sovereign enemies, but potential ones? Yes, certainly that. Just who was her girlfriend, anyway? There were still secrets¡ªon both sides¡ªthe two of them should talk about. Zoey intended to divulge hers. She¡¯d made a good start with their talks during their date. But full disclosure. The insane circumstances of her transmigration and Ephy¡¯s choosing of her to be her champion. Just, she was the slightest bit worried whether she should. Whether there¡¯d be consequences. Maybe Zoey needed to try to get in contact with Ephy. Was it even possible? Possibly not, but she should at least try. If she couldn¡¯t, then she¡¯d talk to Rosalie, exin the situation, consequences be damned. ¡°But back to the alchemy store,¡± Rosalie said, bumping shoulders with Zoey. ¡°We interrupted you.¡± Well, actually, Zoey had interrupted herself by being an idiot, but she¡¯d ept the euphemistic way to put it. ¡°So, Sabina might be willing toe with us when we leave, since she doesn¡¯t have much tying her down, and she¡¯s interested in the reagents we get. Plus, the money to be made. But she¡¯s not a saleswoman, and I don¡¯t have the time either, so we¡¯d need someone to handle the business side of things. Both customer facing, and ¡­ bncing the books. And whatever.¡± Zoey didn¡¯t actually know what went into running a business. ¡°So you¡¯re hiring,¡± Delta said. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine it¡¯d be hard to find someone, though.¡± ¡°Willing to travel?¡± ¡°Why not have one here, then get another at our destination?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not off the table,¡± Zoey admitted. ¡°We¡¯d just prefer someone consistent. Someone we could bring halfway into the loop, and we trust.¡± ¡°Hm,¡± Delta said. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know about ¡®trust¡¯, but do you remember Adrienne?¡± The name rang a bell. ¡°Wait ¡­ that girl from two nights ago?¡± That Delta had thoroughly plowed using Zoey¡¯s own cock. ¡°That¡¯s her,¡± Delta said, a smile quirking her lips that said she knew why Zoey had ced the name. ¡°Hard to forget, right?¡± She had been impressively shameless. She¡¯de back to Delta¡¯s room with Zoey¡¯s own cum caking her face, only half cleaned off. She¡¯d worn it like a badge of pride. The thought had something stirring in Zoey, which she tried to fight away. ¡°Yeah. Hard to forget. But what, she¡¯s looking for work?¡± ¡°Maybe not actively. But she¡¯s good with numbers¡ªshe works as an ountant already.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not exactly what we¡¯re looking for. The business part Sabina can mostly handle.¡± Delta raised her eyebrows. ¡°And you don¡¯t think that girl would make an enthusiastic saleswoman? She¡¯d probably be offering customers to demonstrate with her. She¡¯d have potions flying off the shelves.¡± Zoey coughed. Good points. Even based on the brief interactions Zoey had had with the auburn haired girl, Delta¡¯s im she¡¯d be willing to ¡®demonstrate¡¯ might be true. ¡°Okay. Maybe it would be a good fit.¡± ¡°Worth asking her?¡± ¡°If you can.¡± ¡°Plus,¡± Delta said. ¡°If we can convince her to leave Treyhull ande with us ¡­¡± She briefly lost her train of thought, then shook her head, grinning at Zoey. ¡°I wanna share her with you, sometime. You have got to see what she¡¯s like, when things get going.¡± Such a casual offer of a threesome had even Zoey¡¯s cheeks coloring. Seriously, if Delta called this girl shameless, she couldn¡¯t imagine what she must be like. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± Zoey replied. The answer was obviously ¡®yes¡¯, but for Rosalie and Maddy¡¯s sake, she kept the response neutral. Delta knew it was a yes, anyway. The shit-eating grin gave it away. Zoey sought out for a change in topic. 4.10 – Ménage à Trois I 4.10 ¨C M¨¦nage ¨¤ Trois I ¡°That went well, right?¡± Zoey asked, copsing back into the bed. ¡°Maddy seems pretty open to everything. Or, ising around on it.¡± The night had wrapped up, with the party of four only spending around an hour longer cradling drinks at their booth, chatting. Zoey had only had a few, but she felt the effects: the emboldening buzz that had taken up residence in her head, and the warm glow that had probably removed at least a few points of her better judgment. Maddy had headed back to her own room, of course. Delta, though, had ended up in Zoey¡¯s and Rosalie¡¯s. It had happened naturally. She¡¯d trailed in and reclined back in one of the cushioned chairs without asking, because obviously she¡¯d followed them into their room, and not back to hers. Zoey¡¯s heart skipped a beat, thinking about how this night would be turning out. They hadn¡¯t talked about it explicitly, but all three of them knew. Delta had a ¡®favor¡¯ she could cash in from Rosalie. And even without that excuse, Zoey felt the tension between the three of them. Even in Rosalie, however much she pretended unaffected by Delta¡¯s flirting. ¡°She¡¯lle around,¡± Delta agreed. ¡°I figured she would. She¡¯s a huge virgin, but I¡¯m telling you, there¡¯s a freak somewhere in there. As the resident expert, blondie can back me up.¡± Rosalie sputtered, the usation probably hitting close to home. Zoeyughed at the telling reaction, which received a re, but Zoey leaned up and peppered kisses into her neck, which had the irritation melting away. She was so easy to fluster. Rosalie fended Zoey¡¯s hands away, which had identally started to adventure, then she blushed, standing from the edge of the bed. ¡°I¡¯m using the restroom. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± She practically fled. Zoey pouted. Delta plopped down next to her. ¡°She¡¯s still nervous. What¡¯s the game n?¡± For warming her up to the uing event. ¡°She needs excuses. Reasons she¡¯s doing this besides how much she wants it.¡± ¡°And you think she does? Want it?¡± Zoey gave Delta a baffled look. Deltaughed, and said, ¡°Just making sure we¡¯re talking about it.¡± She nced toward the bathroom doorway, smirking. ¡°But yeah. Maybe some things are too obvious to be worth rifying.¡± ¡°But game n,¡± Zoey said. ¡°I think you just need to warm her up.¡± ¡°Meaning?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll use the restroom next. Give you two a few minutes to ¡­ get started. Maybe talk, if you need to.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡± Zoey knew how to ¡®give Rosalie her excuses¡¯. It wasn¡¯t going to be particrly hard to pull off. Rosalie wanted this as much as Zoey did, for all she¡¯d deny it up and down. ¡°What do you have nned, anyway? For the favor?¡± Delta chewed her lip. ¡°Well ¡­ it might be going too fast. But you¡¯ll find out. It¡¯s a surprise.¡± For all Delta¡¯s eagerness, and rivalry with Rosalie that wasn¡¯t just of a friendly sort, Zoey trusted that she¡¯d be considerate. And Zoey would be there, too, to see if Rosalie wasn¡¯tfortable with what Delta asked. A minuteter, Rosalie exited the bathroom, and Delta shot Zoey a grin and departed herself, leaving her and Rosalie alone. ¡°And what were you two talking about?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t listen in? Don¡¯t you have super hearing?¡± It was mostly a joke, but also, a possibility. As a third advancement wayfarer, her senses were supernaturally powerful. Zoey had been worried about that, to be honest. ¡°I¡¯m not an eavesdropper,¡± Rosalie said, mildly annoyed Zoey had implied it. And, Zoey believed her. If she had been listening in, she¡¯d be blushing. Rosalie had sat on the bed next to her. Zoey didn¡¯t know how long Delta nned to give them, but she should work efficiently. She scooted closer, turned, and pushed Rosalie down, crawling over her. Rosalie didn¡¯t seem surprised by Zoey going on the offensive. And without Delta there to watch, she didn¡¯t blush and flee, like a few minutes prior. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to tonight,¡± Zoey murmured, nting a chaste kiss on her lips. ¡°Are you?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve made it obvious you want this,¡± Rosalie murmured back. ¡°And I suppose I don¡¯t mind ying along.¡± Rosalie needed her excuses. Still, having it phrased like she was only humoring Zoey wasn¡¯t ideal. ¡°I need to know you want it at least a little.¡± She already did know that¡ªit was ringly obvious¡ªbut if Rosalie couldn¡¯t verbalize it, then Zoey didn¡¯t think she was ready, despite what she wanted. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re mostly humoring me, but that¡¯s not the only reason. Right?¡± She kissed up and down Rosalie¡¯s neck, running her hands along her waist and hips, then across her stomach, digging beneath her clothing. The feel of Rosalie was so intoxicating. It wasn¡¯t fair¡ªshe was losing her train of thought. ¡°If it is, then I don¡¯t want this,¡± Zoey continued. ¡°Yourfort is much more important.¡± It took Rosalie a second to work past her embarrassment, but she did. ¡°It won¡¯t be the worst thing in the world. She¡¯s ¡­ irritating ¡­ but maybe her mouth has other uses.¡± That was more than Zoey had been expecting. She beamed down at her girlfriend, then nted another quick kiss. ¡°Okay. Good. And I can confirm, her mouth does. Very ¡­ enjoyable ones.¡± Zoey and Delta hadn¡¯t had much action together, but they¡¯d had some fun during the second shard. ¡°And I don¡¯t want that stupid favor looming over me,¡± Rosalie added, needing the rifier after how blunt she¡¯d been. ¡°So. Better it¡¯s taken care of.¡± Zoey had the confirmations she wanted, so she got to work warming Rosalie up. Her hands became more adventurous, wandering across her body as Zoey kissed her, sharing saliva and struggling their tongues together. Rosalie panted and moaned into her, despite that Zoey wasn¡¯t doing much. The excitement was palpable. The events toe had set her blood boiling. In fact, the two of them got lost enough that when the bathroom door clicked open, they both jumped, having forgotten they weren¡¯t alone. Zoey looked up to see Delta emerge. Delta quirked an eyebrow. ¡°Please, don¡¯t stop on ount of me. Looks like you two were having fun.¡± Zoey looked back down. Rosalie had lost her shirt, exposing pale skin and acy light blue bra. When had that happened? Rosalie swallowed, as if looking for a retort, but Zoey saved her from having to make one. She got back to kissing. A brief hesitance, then Rosalie rxed. Which was a good first step. They had to work into things slowly. Having Rosaliefortable being kissed in front of Delta, step one. Step two ¡­ Rosalie¡¯s hand sneaking into Zoey¡¯s pants, gripping her cock? Zoey groaned at the unexpected pressure. Rosalie jumped, eyes shooting open, breaking their kiss. She looked down between their bodies, seeing where her hand had¡ªapparently unintentionally¡ªventured to. Then her gaze flicked to Delta, who was sitting off to the side, watching the event with a highly interested glint in her eyes. ¡°Not afraid to get to things, are you, princess?¡± Delta asked. ¡°You havepany, you realize?¡± Rosalie blushed, hand fleeing from Zoey¡¯s pants. Zoey was annoyed at Delta for that, but teasing was what she did¡ªand acting normal was good for easing Rosalie into things. Zoey was pretty sure Rosalie wasn¡¯t ready to be jerking her off in front of Delta. She¡¯d just got caught up in the moment. Zoey got back to it. Rosalie kept better control of her hands, seemingly more aware of Delta¡¯s presence. But when Zoey had delivered a proper sloppy kissing session, and her blonde girlfriend was moaning beneath her, when Zoey¡¯s fingers went to her bra sp, she only hesitated a second before nodding. Zoey slipped Rosalie¡¯s bra off, tossing it to the floor. She leaned up, sitting on Rosalie¡¯sp, and massaged away, gripping and squeezing, then tweaking her nipples, extracting moans and breathless noises. Unable to stand Delta¡¯s interested gaze, she put her arm over her eyes, letting herself be yed with in the safety of ignorance. But if she was going to cheat, then Zoey was going to ramp things up. She shuffled off Rosalie¡¯sp, off the bed and standing on the floor, then popped open Rosalie¡¯s pants button. Surprisingly, though, Rosalie swatted her hands away, removing the arm that had been covering her eyes. She red up at Zoey. ¡°No. You are not stripping me when you¡¯re still wearing everything.¡± She pulled Zoey onto the bed and climbed over her. Efficiently, she stripped off Zoey¡¯s shirt and bra, then, just as quickly, leaned down and took Zoey¡¯s nipples with her mouth. She flicked away with her tongue, sucking, running circles, and toying with Zoey. Zoey shivered, cing a hand on the back of Rosalie¡¯s head, pushing her in and basking in the sensation. A proactive Rosalie. Zoey could appreciate that. The bed indented as Delta sat at the foot. Rosalie paused, not looking back, then continued ying with Zoey. The fox-girl waited, biding her time. She shared an excited grin with Zoey, who couldn¡¯t help but return it. A minuteter, after she¡¯d let Rosalie toy with each of her nipples, Zoey tugged the blonde girl up, then turned her around, tucking her into a hug, with Rosalie¡¯s naked back pressing into Zoey¡¯s breasts. ¡°It¡¯s mean to leave her out,¡± Zoey murmured into Rosalie¡¯s ear. ¡°Let¡¯s let her undress you.¡± Rosalie¡¯s eyes flicked to Delta, then she turned back to Zoey, twisting so she could pull Zoey into a kiss. Still retreating, not facing things directly, but a clear ¡®yes¡¯. Zoey briefly shared a look with Delta, flicking her eyes down toward Rosalie as if to emphasize a point. ¡®Get to it.¡¯ Grinning, Delta shuffled forward, her fingers going to Rosalie¡¯s pants. 4.11 – Ménage à Trois II 4.11 ¨C M¨¦nage ¨¤ Trois II Zoey watched, with Rosalie still kissing her, as Delta slid Rosalie¡¯s pants down, exposing smooth, toned legs. Rosalie groaned quietly into Zoey¡¯s mouth, excited despite all pretenses she wasn¡¯t. Zoey broke the kiss, then murmured to Rosalie, ¡°No cheating. Watch.¡± Swallowing, Rosalie turned forward. Zoey leaned her chin on Rosalie¡¯s shoulder, and the two of them watched Delta nt a kiss halfway up Rosalie¡¯s inner thigh. Rosalie¡¯s panting was loud in the room¡ªeven more than Zoey¡¯s and Delta¡¯s. ¡°Yours too,¡± Delta said, patting Zoey¡¯s legs. Intuiting what she meant, Zoey squirmed her hands between her and Rosalie, then popped her pants button open. In a bit of an ordeal, she helped Delta tug them down, then off. Her underwear followed, leaving Zoey naked. With Rosalie on herp, Zoey¡¯s cock stuck down below Rosalie¡¯s butt, pointing toward Zoey¡¯s knee. ¡°Scoot up,¡± Delta told Rosalie. Zoey helped drag Rosalie higher up her body, so that Zoey¡¯s cock had more space. Delta gripped it, then pressed it upward, into Rosalie¡¯s pussy. She was wearing her light blue panties¡ªmatching her bra¡ªbut the pressure was amazing. By the way Rosalie¡¯s breath hitched, she agreed. ¡°Now close,¡± Delta instructed. Rosalie closed her legs, squeezing Zoey¡¯s cock between her thighs and pussy. It left Zoey¡¯s impressive member sticking up, sprouting from the tight space, as if it were Rosalie¡¯s own cock. Shuffling up closer, sitting on Zoey and Rosalie¡¯s legs, Delta gripped Zoey¡¯s cock at the base¡ªwhere it sprouted from Rosalie¡¯s pussy¡ªand said, ¡°That¡¯s a nice cock you have there, blondie. I didn¡¯t expect a stuck-up like you to be packing so much.¡± Delta ran a hand up and down Zoey¡¯s cock, then pressed it forward, into Rosalie¡¯s stomach. Even with her cock having to rise up between Rosalie¡¯s thighs, it reached to her belly button. ¡°Then again, I guess it makes sense,¡± Delta said. ¡°The ego has toe from somewhere. If I had something like this between my legs, I¡¯d walk around like I owned the world, too.¡± She was pretending Zoey¡¯s cock was Rosalie¡¯s, Zoey realized. It was ¡­ surprisingly hot, to both Zoey and, she could tell, Rosalie. Even without Delta¡¯s scalding eye contact being turned Zoey¡¯s way, and instead on Rosalie, Zoey¡¯s face burned at the intensity in those violet eyes. Rosalie, of course, melted under it. Delta leaned forward, bringing her lips close to Zoey¡¯s cock head. She breathed hot air onto it, making Zoey squirm. She tried to keep her reactions to a minimum, to y into the scenario. That was Rosalie¡¯s cock, not her own. She wrapped her arms around Rosalie¡¯s stomach, watching raptly, but otherwise staying silent. ¡°Is it okay if I suck your cock, princess?¡± Delta breathed, tapping Zoey¡¯s cock into her lips. ¡°I really want to.¡± Shakily, Rosalie replied, ¡°It¡¯s better than your endless taunting, I suppose.¡± Smiling, Delta took Zoey in her mouth. Rosalie shivered on top of Zoey, as if it was, truthfully, her cock with Delta¡¯s lips around it, and not Zoey¡¯s. Rosalie¡¯s hands went to Delta¡¯s head, fingers digging into orange hair, between two tall fox ears, and pushed Delta down deeper onto Zoey¡¯s cock. Onto her ¡®own¡¯ cock. ¡°A much better use of your mouth,¡± Rosalie said breathlessly. Her voice remained shaky, though just as much from arousal as¡ªwhatever else. Nervousness? Whatever concoction of emotions was swirling through her. Rosalie wasn¡¯t experienced. This event was a lot for her. Maybe that was why Delta had chosen to roley like this, pretending Zoey¡¯s cock was Rosalie¡¯s, instead of actually pleasuring her. Working Rosalie into it, bit by bit. And it was doing a great job, based on how Rosalie continued to shakily reply. ¡°With your throat wrapped around my cock,¡± she said, ¡°your presence is much more tolerable.¡± She pressed insistently down, and Zoey¡¯s cock slid down Delta¡¯s throat without even a gag. Rosalie pressed Delta¡¯s nose into her panties, having buried her to the root. Or, the root of ¡®Rosalie¡¯s¡¯ cock, sticking up between her thighs. Bright violet eyes¡ªseemingly a shade darker than normal¡ªlooked up at Rosalie, draped in lust. ¡°Maybe more than tolerate, even,¡± Rosalie said breathlessly. Delta bobbed up and down, stroking Zoey¡¯s length with her throat. Rosalie shook in Zoey¡¯sp, somehow more affected than Zoey herself. Each time Delta¡¯s nose bumped into her panties, having gone all the way down, a small gasp escaped Rosalie¡¯s lips. Delta pulled off, leaving Zoey¡¯s glistening cock sticking in the air, and a strand of saliva bridging her lips. ¡°Fuck, blondie, your cock tastes so good.¡± Her fingers trailed to Rosalie¡¯s panties. ¡°Let¡¯s get these off, yeah?¡± Rosalie hesitated, briefly, then lifted her hips up, letting Delta slide her panties off. That done, Delta pressed Zoey¡¯s cock firmly into Rosalie¡¯s pussy, spreading her lips across Zoey¡¯s length. She sank back down onto Zoey¡¯s cock in a smooth motion, burying her nose into Rosalie¡¯s now-bare pubic region. Then she wiggled her head side to side, brushing Rosalie''s stubbly pubic hair with her nose. Rosalie groaned, fingers digging deeper into Delta¡¯s hair. She helped bob Delta¡¯s head up and down Zoey¡¯s cock. Zoey was finding it immensely difficult to keep quiet and not break the illusion. Having Delta¡¯s throat wrapped around her cock, and feeling Rosalie shake on top of her from excitement, Zoey¡¯s arousal was hitting obscene levels. She fought away the pleasure. She had a lot of satisfying to do tonight, considering her two partners. Couldn¡¯t finish too fast. ¡°A-And it¡¯s not ego,¡± Rosalie said suddenly, breaking the lewd noises filling the air. ¡°I have an image to maintain. I can¡¯t act however I want. But it¡¯s not ego.¡± Delta pulled off Zoey¡¯s cock, studying Rosalie, who blushed furiously, as if not sure why she¡¯d said that¡ªwhy she¡¯d defended herself from Delta¡¯s earlier usations. Zoey squeezed her stomach reassuringly, her arms still wrapping Rosalie in a hug. Delta nted a gentle kiss onto Zoey¡¯s cock, then moved it to the side and did the same for just above Rosalie¡¯s pussy. ¡°I think I¡¯m starting to see that,¡± Delta murmured. ¡°But you¡¯re cute when you¡¯re mad, and I can¡¯t help myself.¡± Zoey felt Rosalie rx into her. She had wanted that reassurance. She didn¡¯t like thinking Delta thought she was arrogant. Zoey kissed the side of Rosalie¡¯s neck, and Rosalie leaned her head sideways, into Zoey¡¯s, sighing. ¡°But your mouth is better suited wrapped around my cock,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°So get back down there, cock slut.¡± Zoey snorted into Rosalie¡¯s neck. Borrowing her own dirty talk, was she? At Delta¡¯s quirked eyebrow, and a nce toward Zoey, she probably intuited that, too. But she grinned and did as told. She swallowed Zoey¡¯s member, returning to her bobbing. Rosalie¡¯s hips gyrated up and down, idly, unable to help herself. Thebined attack was seriously unfair¡ªbeing rubbed at by Rosalie¡¯s thighs and pussy, having her cock sucked by Delta, and just the general scalding heat of the situation. Zoey started panting, not able to keep quiet any longer. ¡°I-I realize I¡¯m part of the supporting cast, right now,¡± she groaned, ¡°but you¡¯re pretty good at that, Delta.¡± Delta smirked, mouth still wrapped around Zoey¡¯s cock. She pulled off with a pop. Instead of addressing Zoey, she held eye contact with Rosalie. ¡°Your cock¡¯s getting a lot of use tonight, so we better drain it. First shot¡¯s always the fastest, and I¡¯m gonna want a little more endurance from you for the next few.¡± ¡°Thene get your reward,¡± Rosalie said, guiding Delta back down. ¡°But you better not waste a drop.¡± Rosalie and Delta picked up speed. Beneath Rosalie, Zoey squirmed and panted. She held tight to Rosalie¡¯s stomach, her hips starting to buck, pping her pelvis into Rosalie¡¯s butt, bouncing the bed and feeling her tight thighs and pussy rub against her length¡ªand higher up, Delta¡¯s mouth, bobbing up and down. ¡°H-Here ites,¡± Rosalie said, voice shaking in excitement. ¡°Your fat load of girl cum. Swallow it.¡± Almost as much as the sensations, Rosalie¡¯s uncertain dirty talk threw Zoey over the edge. She groaned and buried her face into Rosalie¡¯s shoulder, her thrusting reaching a crescendo. Rosalie pressed Delta¡¯s face down, burying her, knowing that Zoey wasing by her reaction. She¡¯d had a lot of experience recognizing it. The heat pulsing in her cock and stomach reached a peak, and Zoey let go. A whine escaped her throat as the first thick white strings ejected down Delta¡¯s throat, who swallowed it happily. On top of her, Rosalie also started to shake, her hips rubbing up and down Zoey¡¯s cock desperately. She was cumming? Really? Her girlfriend had such a hair trigger. Zoey didn¡¯t me her. She¡¯d fallen into the roley. By the way she pushed down on Delta¡¯s head, her own hips bucking, the same as Zoey¡¯s, Rosalie really thought, in the moment, that it was her shooting thick strings down Delta¡¯s throat. Eventually, after the burning climax had coursed through Zoey then sagged away, Delta lifted herself up, coughing, her head swimming. It took a while for Zoey¡¯s cock to finish pumping, and Delta¡¯d stayed down the whole time. Her hand rested on her stomach even as she steadied herself, as if amazed at the sloshing feeling of so much cum inside her. ¡°You really liked that, huh?¡± Delta asked. It seemed addressed to both of them. ¡°But now it¡¯s my turn. You¡¯ve got me worked up.¡± 4.12 – Ménage à Trois III 4.12 ¨C M¨¦nage ¨¤ Trois III ¡°Now that¡¯s a sight,¡± Delta mumbled. Zoey stared with wide eyes. The lustful amazement in Delta¡¯s voice mirrored how she felt. She¡¯d known the fox girl would have a great idea for cashing in Rosalie¡¯s ¡®favor¡¯, but this? Well. Zoey could get behind the idea, without a doubt. The two of them sat on the bed, side by side, looking at Rosalie, who had donned the crucial equipment for Delta¡¯s nned activities. Which was to say ¡­ Zoey¡¯s equipment. Rosalie had put on the ck leather harness that affixed the linking te, and from her crotch, sprouted Zoey¡¯s own fourteen inch monster. It was ¡­ a confusing sight. One that had a variety of emotions swirling in Zoey. That was her cock, so she shouldn¡¯t be getting excited by it. But seeing Rosalie¡¯s enticing curves, the blush on her cheeks, while holding her¡ªand at the same time, Zoey¡¯s¡ªcock in her hand. It waspromising. Rosalie looked good with a cock. That was the simple way to put it. Especially with her smaller frame. Zoey was tall for a girl, so fourteen inches¡ªwhile still absurd¡ªdidn¡¯t fit quite as poorly on her as it did Rosalie. But on Rosalie, it was ridiculous. In a good way. In a way that had Zoey¡¯s heart mming, and a bit dizzy. She really needed to get Rosalie her own cock. She didn¡¯t know how, but it had to happen. For now, this was a good substitute. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re making me do this,¡± Rosalie mumbled, staring down at her cock. She wiggled it up and down, then winced. ¡°And I can¡¯t believe ¡­ I can feel through it.¡± Delta had mentioned that. The linking te had uses beyond the ones described by the item, or even that Fe had found. Not only capable of linking distances via teleportation, it linked sensations. As Rosalie tentatively bunched foreskin, exploring her new cock, Zoey felt it too. Zoey didn¡¯t gasp like Rosalie, though. They handled the sensation differently. Zoey was plenty experienced with her cock, so a hand stroking away wasn¡¯t enough to draw a gasp. Rosalie, having only experienced it once before¡ªback in the second shard, when she¡¯d been in Zoey¡¯s body¡ªhad no such defenses. It was sensitive to her. ¡°Should¡¯ve tried harder to win, then,¡± Delta said. ¡°This¡¯s your punishment.¡± Punishment. No one there thought this was remotely a punishment. Still, Rosalie had airs to put on. Zoey wouldn¡¯t have it any other way. ¡°And we¡¯ll take it slow,¡± Delta added. ¡°Ease you into it, even if you¡¯re supposed to be taking care of me. Me and Zoey will start with our mouths.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Our?¡± Delta turned, raising an eyebrow. ¡°You don¡¯t want to suck your girlfriend¡¯s cock?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my cock.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°What do you mean so?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that big of a deal. I¡¯ve done it.¡± The room paused. ¡°You ¡­ have?¡± ¡°Back when I had your body. You and blondie were too upied to notice.¡± Delta grinned shamelessly. ¡°Let me tell you. Blowing a load into my own stomach ¡­ that was fun.¡± Zoey stared at her. She¡¯d had no idea. And, even if Delta was able to do something like that with no reservations, Zoey wasn¡¯t half as sold. Suck her own cock? But it was Rosalie¡¯s, too. She really wanted to get a second chance to y with Rosalie in that way. Her memories of the first time, back in the second shard, had been great. Amazing. Getting to make her haughty blonde teammate¡ªgirlfriend, now¡ªsquirm in pleasure using her tongue and throat ¡­ she couldn¡¯t imagine anything better. And she¡¯d kind of done it once before. Just, Rosalie had been wearing her body¡ªit hadn¡¯t been Zoey¡¯s cock, then, not exactly. Now, though, the sensation was linkedpletely. That literally was her cock, in every interpretation of the word. Just transported through the teleporting panties onto Rosalie¡¯s crotch. If Rosalie fucked her throat with it, she¡¯d feel it. Both ends. She¡¯d ¡­ feel her own cock ¡­ sliding around her throat. ¡°You should do it,¡± Rosalie breathed. She, apparently, was just as enticed by the idea. ¡°You¡¯re not going to turn down your girlfriend, are you?¡± Delta teased. She leaned closer, whispering into a blushing Zoey¡¯s ear. ¡°Imagine it. Princess¡¯s fat cock cramming your throat. The way she¡¯d whine and moan and beg to finish inside and fill your stomach up. You don¡¯t want that? And sucking your own cock ¡­ I promise it feels as good as you think.¡± Zoey shivered. Delta grinned, knowing she¡¯d won. She waved Rosalie over, who listened. ¡°Sit. Just remember this is a warm up. You¡¯re supposed to be taking care of me.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I really am too nice.¡± Zoey¡¯s heart skipped at the words. Shortly, Rosalie would be ¡­ inside Delta. Her own cock, and her girlfriend¡¯s, at the same time. They¡¯d be sharing their first time with Delta, fucking her pussy together. But before that, Zoey was being guided forward by Delta, shuffling up to either side of Rosalie. Fourteen inches of girl cock, so muchrger on Rosalie¡¯s frame, stood at attention. Delta gripped it, and two breathless noises escaped from Rosalie and Zoey. ¡°C¡¯mon,¡± Delta said, wiggling it. ¡°Don¡¯t be shy.¡± To emphasize the point, she ced a soft kiss on the tip. Rosalie made a whining noise in the back of her throat. She was much more affected than Zoey. Not only because of her newness to having a cock, but because ¡­ that had been the first real sexual thing Delta had ever done to her. She¡¯d fake-sucked Rosalie¡¯s cock, but this time, Rosalie felt Delta¡¯s lips against her cock head. They¡¯d be doing a lot more, shortly. ¡°Here,¡± Delta said. ¡°Just a kiss, first.¡± Just a kiss. Zoey stared at Rosalie¡¯s¡ªher own¡ªcock. A kiss wasn¡¯t so bad. She grabbed the base of Rosalie¡¯s cock, feeling her own hand through the linking te. Leaning forward, heart mming, she pressed her lips to the tip in a gentle kiss. Down between her legs, she felt it. Her lips. On her own cock. And on Rosalie¡¯s cock. Fuck, this was all ¡­ so much. And ¡­ she needed more. Zoey opened her mouth and carried forward. She enveloped her and Rosalie¡¯s cock with a wet heat, taking the tip in her mouth, and stroking her tongue around the outline, caressing both herself and her girlfriend. ¡°There you go,¡± Delta mumbled. Zoey had closed her eyes, basking in the sensation, but she imagined the foxgirl¡¯s expression: rapt, lustful, excited. Fingers dug into Zoey¡¯s hair, pushing her deeper. Her own cock bumped around in the back of her throat. She opened her eyes, expecting to see Delta being the one guiding her forward ¡­ but it was Rosalie. ¡°Deeper?¡± Rosalie asked breathlessly. ¡°P-Please? You feel so good.¡± Zoey shivered. Obviously, she didn¡¯t stand a chance, given a request like that. Even through her hesitance¡ªshe had her own cock in her mouth¡ªshe let herself be pushed down. Zoey¡¯s throat muscles strained to amodate girl dick. Between her legs, her cock was squeezed with wet, tight pressure. Ahead, Rosalie moaned in her own satisfaction. So much. It was all so much. Then down lower on her shaft, she felt another mouth kissing and teasing. Delta, joining in. Licking along the length that Zoey had yet to work herself onto. Zoey was melting. Rosalie pushed. More of Zoey¡¯s own cock crammed her throat. Unfortunately, lust didn¡¯t dispel her gag reflex. Unlike Delta and Rosalie, Zoey had little experience taking fourteen inches of cock into her throat. She gagged, her throat protesting, and was forced to pull off. Thick strands of saliva made arcs from her lips. Delta took her ce. She leaned forward, pressing her lips into Rosalie¡¯s cock. Rosalie stared down at her, wide-eyed. Delta asked the silent question¡ª¡®my turn?¡¯ Rosalie nodded, shivering. Delta took Rosalie in her mouth. Delta had no such inexperience. She wiggled down, swallowing fourteen inches of girl cock in a smooth motion, her throat bending out to amodate Rosalie. Her tight muscles squeezed around the entirety of Zoey¡¯s cock. Of Rosalie¡¯s cock. Rosalie moaned and buried her fingers into Delta¡¯s hair, enjoying her new cock sleeve. Instinctively, she started thrusting her hips in a rocking movement, working her cock¡ªand Zoey¡¯s¡ªaround inside Delta¡¯s throat. Delta bobbed up and down, happily pleasuring her partner. To very obvious effectiveness. Zoey briefly pouted. Obviously Delta had better skills when it came to sucking cock than she did. And Zoey could feel first hand how amazing Delta¡¯s throat was. But she would have liked to draw out a reaction like that from Rosalie. Fine. She¡¯d have to use the mouth skills she was actually good at. Shuffling down, she got her head between Rosalie¡¯s legs. Delta adjusted, knowing immediately what Zoey nned, lifting Rosalie¡¯s cock up and making room for Zoey. Zoey attacked Rosalie from a second direction. Her tongue sank into her pussy, curling around in a way Zoey was much more confident in. Rosalie gasped. ¡°T-Too much,¡± she groaned. ¡°Too much!¡± Zoey might have paused, but the way her hips wiggled both side to side, and up and down, in uncontrolled squirming, gave away that she didn¡¯t want either of them to stop. Two mouths yed with Rosalie, quicklypromising her. ¡°Too much. Can¡¯t¡ª can¡¯t¡ª¡° Delta pulled off with a pop. ¡°Swap,¡± she coughed. ¡°Swap.¡± Maybe if she hadn¡¯t felt Rosalie¡¯s orgasm starting to squeeze her cock, Zoey would have thought twice about plunging down as it started toe. As it was, she followed Delta¡¯s instructions instantly, pulling back from Rosalie¡¯s pussy and trading ces. She swallowed Rosalie¡¯s cock, her own cock, feeling it fill her throat, even as Delta plunged her tongue into Rosalie¡¯s pussy. Rosalie cried out, the change in positions cementing the impending climax. She shoved Zoey down, then came. Zoey came. Sharing a cock, it happened together. Heat curled around in her stomach, cock seizing, and thick strings of cum burst from her cock. Down into her own throat. Zoey bobbed, hazily milking out a thick load of her own cum, straight into her stomach. Rosalie¡¯s cum, too. She watched Rosalie squirm and whine, the seizing pleasure as overwhelming for her as it was Zoey. Except, for Rosalie, even more so. She came apart entirely, Delta¡¯s tongue working out one orgasm, Zoey¡¯s throat another. Rosalie jerked violently, whining incoherently, filling up Zoey¡¯s stomach with spurt after spurt. Eventually, shaky, she withdrew, stomach full, and fell back into the sheets. She and Rosalie panted, overwhelmed with the pleasure that had coursed through them. Delta snuggled up to Zoey,ughing at her. Maybe both of them. When Zoey¡¯s thoughts halfway returned, Delta murmured into her ear, ¡°Okay, for real, now. My turn. Time for you and your girlfriend to fuck me.¡± 4.13 – Ménage à Trois IV 4.13 ¨C M¨¦nage ¨¤ Trois IV Rosalie was having a crazy night. Not in a bad way, necessarily. Just ¡­ it was a lot. For eighteen years, sex and romance had been nearly thest thing on her mind. She wasn¡¯t wholly inexperienced, at least in the mechanical sense. She¡¯d yed with herself, both fingers and toys, which was more than many did¡ªthose with more puritanical values, who viewed sexuality in a sinful light. Rosalie¡¯s family wasn¡¯t prudish in that way, though, and her upbringing certainly hadn¡¯t been, either. In fact, it had mortifyingly been Tanya herself, Rosalie¡¯s primary weaponmaster, who had suggested the idea as ¡®stress relief¡¯. So, not prudish, necessarily. But still inexperienced on a grander scale. She¡¯d had more important things to focus on. Namely, stepping into the role of heiress to, arguably, the most influential guild in the world. Going from that ¡­ to this ¡­ was a bit much. ¡®This¡¯. Fucking her girlfriend¡¯s throat with her own cock. Having a cock, in the first ce. Though in a roundabout way, shared with Zoey, who¡¯d taken a thick load¡ªRosalie¡¯s, but also her own¡ªstraight down her throat. It was a lot. In a good way. In an overwhelming way. She was having a crazy night, okay? One that just kept getting more intense. Better intense? Look. She didn¡¯t know. It was a mess inside her head. Not bad. She could say that much, at least. ¡°You¡¯re sure you want to do this?¡± Zoey murmured into her ear. Like usual, her girlfriend¡¯s voice¡ªgirlfriend¡ªwhispered so close to her, hot breath caressing her, snaked down her spine, making her shiver. Zoey¡¯s presence was intoxicating. It wasn¡¯t even her looks¡ªthough she was, by far, the most beautiful woman she¡¯d ever seen¡ªbut rather her. So ¡­ caring. So unlike anyone else she¡¯d met. Soft, sensitive, instantly understanding. That was something Rosalie was unexperienced in. In her line of work, sensitivity was ground away, if it ever existed in the first ce. It was a weakness best expelled. It had no ce in the brutalbyrinthsprising the deepest reaches of the Fractures. Which made Zoey¡¯s affections, likely, something also worth expelling. But Rosalie had given up trying. Zoey was impossible to push away. She didn¡¯t want to. And it shouldn¡¯t matter what Rosalie wanted, but she ¡­ was weak. Zoey made her weak. And she didn¡¯t want that to stop. ¡°I owe her a favor,¡± Rosalie finally replied. She whispered the response. Zoey had cozied up to her, checking in on Rosalie before the main event of the night. ¡°But you¡¯re fine with it,¡± Zoey insisted. Serious green eyes held her own. How were they so transfixing? The words annoyed Rosalie. The way Zoey was treating her. Both of them, for that matter. Like she were delicate. Double and triple verifying each of their advances, ensuring Rosalie was ¡®okay¡¯ with everything. Even Delta, that endlessly annoying woman, had made it redundantly clear that Rosalie didn¡¯t have to ¡®pay out¡¯ on the favor. Not explicitly, but with bodynguage, careful nces and concerned looks. When the two of them were being so obvious about this being Rosalie¡¯s choice, how was she supposed to pretend? That she didn¡¯t desperately want this? How was she supposed to save face? She guessed viewing it that way wasn¡¯t fair. It wasn¡¯t how this should work. She hardly had experience in rtionships, but she was pretty sure they shouldn¡¯t be founded on facades, like Rosalie so desperately wanted. Still. So embarrassing. ¡°It¡¯s my choice,¡± Rosalie said, finally. ¡°I know that.¡± She refused to outright say she wanted to fuck her irritating orange-haired teammate. It was what Zoey would prefer¡ªstating outright, explicit intent¡ªbut Rosalie would curl up and die if she had to. After so much rivalry? Rivalry that still existed. She and Delta were hardly lovers. She was just ¡­ interested. In Delta¡¯s body. Mostly because of Zoey¡¯s interest. She wanted to indulge Zoey¡¯s desires. That was what a girlfriend did. Her own ¡­ mild arousal ¡­ was incidental. Zoey held her eyes for a second longer, then smiled, satisfied. Rosalie blushed and looked away. She hated how easily Zoey read her. Zoey kissed her on the cheek, then gave her onest encouraging smile. That done, she shuffled across the bed, crawling over Delta, who¡¯d been lounging to the side, waiting for Zoey to ¡®work Rosalie up to the event¡¯. Not that Delta had framed it like that. Just, Rosalie knew what was happening. She wasn¡¯t clueless. Which left her sitting there, leaning against the headboards, watching her girlfriendy herself out across another woman. The woman she¡¯d be fucking shortly. With her girlfriend¡¯s cock. Which was also her own. What a night. *** ¡°She¡¯s ready,¡± Zoey murmured to Delta, perched atop her. The orange-haired girl had a flush to her cheeks¡ªan excited anticipation that was clear as day. ¡°Are you?¡± ¡°Am I ready to get plowed by fourteen inches of girl cock?¡± Delta asked. ¡°Hm. Let me think about it.¡± Zoeyughed. ¡°But you have to kiss me first,¡± Delta said. ¡°I¡¯m hardly a romantic, but it feels wrong to fuck before we kiss.¡± Zoey paused. They hadn¡¯t, had they? They¡¯d done all sorts of other things, but not kiss. ¡°Well, you never gave me that privilege,¡± Zoey said dryly. ¡°If I¡¯m remembering right, you fucked me with my own cock, no hesitations. No kissing.¡± ¡°I fucked myself with my own cock,¡± Delta said pointedly. ¡°You were just inside my body. A passenger. That was a me-and-me event.¡± Zoey raised her eyebrows. From Zoey¡¯s perspective, that event had been so exciting because it was Delta inside Zoey¡¯s body, fucking her. But she was learning that im¡ªthat Delta wasn¡¯t a romantic¡ªwas true. ¡°And I¡¯d known you less than a day,¡± Delta added. ¡°It was different. You were a fling.¡± ¡°And now?¡± ¡°Now ¡­ ¡° Delta trailed off, then blushed. ¡°It¡¯s just different.¡± Zoey could intuit theck of response. Now, it wasn¡¯t just sex. Maybe not romance, yet, but inching that way. Which was odd¡ªDelta didn¡¯t seem like the kind of person to shy from that. But she had. She¡¯d deflected. Why? ¡°It¡¯s not that big of a deal,¡± Delta said. ¡°Just¡ªwe should kiss, first.¡± Zoey didn¡¯t protest. She leaned forward and, gently, but not as chastely as her first kiss with Rosalie, took Delta¡¯s mouth. Delta melted into her, pulling Zoey¡¯s head closer, forcing Zoey¡¯s mouth open. Zoey smiled as they sloppily explored each other. Not a blushing first kiss like with Rosalie¡ªbut that made sense. Behind her, the bed indented, Rosalie having shuffled up behind them. *** Well. This was happening, then. Rosalie was ¡­ fucking Delta. With her girlfriendying on top, eagerly tongue-fucking her. Fourteen inches of cock throbbed between her legs. Delta and Zoey only half seemed to acknowledge her, caught up in their own activities. That was a good thing. It gave Rosalie a reprieve. If both their attention had been on her as she shuffled up, cock in hand, she might have quailed, lost her nerve. Because as much as she wanted this¡ªthe extent of which she refused to consciously acknowledge¡ªit was a lot. To deal with. Toe to terms to. Was it intentional, the way Zoey had ensnared Delta¡¯s attention? Knowing Rosalie needed the opportunity to shuffle up, without being the focus? Maybe. Or maybe she¡¯d just wanted to kiss Delta. That didn¡¯t bother Rosalie. She didn¡¯t believe hearts could only be shared one way. Zoey seemed more possessive in that regard, but her opinions weren¡¯t Rosalie¡¯s. And her possessiveness ¡­ that also wasn¡¯t something that bothered her. Rosalie didn¡¯t have time enough for one romance, much less several. It was good, even, that Zoey had others to keep her satisfied. As long as she didn¡¯t neglect her. She looked down at the two girls stacked on top of each other. Zoey was wearing the pink portal panties, so not much was exposed. Not much sensitive, at least. She was still naked, and her sensual form¡ªback, legs, the curve of her ass, cupped by the panties¡ªwas still plenty to admire. But Delta. Delta was truly naked, not a single article of clothing. Down lower, she was exposed and excited, glistening in anticipation. Waiting. Waiting for Rosalie¡¯s cock. To thrust in, stuff her full, and finally bring her much needed relief, which Delta had been denied, having doted on Zoey and Rosalie so thoroughly. She¡¯d made it her first priority to have this ¡­ event ¡­ be seamless. For everyone to befortable. For Rosalie to befortable. Why did she care? Weren¡¯t they ¡­ enemies? The thought dispelled as soon as she had it. Maybe they weren¡¯t lovers, and maybe even they didn¡¯t like each other¡ªnot in all ways¡ªbut that didn¡¯t mean enemies in the literal sense. Delta broke apart from Zoey, breathing heavily. ¡°Seriously, blondie. Hurry up and fuck me.¡± Rosalie realized she had frozen, heart pounding, a few inches from Delta. Stalling. Or, not stalling, simply working up the nerve. Zoey, equally breathless from her thorough make-out session, turned around, so her back was pressed into Delta. Delta¡¯s arms wrapped around Zoey¡¯s stomach, tucking her in. Zoey locked a stunning green-eyed gaze to Rosalie, smiling encouragingly, cheeks flushed in excitement. Delta nibbled at Zoey¡¯s ear, then, Rosalie still not having moved, said, ¡°Pretend it¡¯s your girlfriend¡¯s pussy if you want,¡± Delta said. ¡°I just need a fucking cock inside me, okay? I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s yours. So fuck me.¡± Rosalie had strong suspicions that she had picked those words carefully. Abstracting Rosalie, making her ¡®just a cock¡¯. She saw through them. Delta was flushed with the idea it was her. That she was the one that would be inside her, shortly. But it was an excuse. Given to her. Delta just ¡®wanted cock¡¯. To be fucked, well and thoroughly. That it was Rosalie was irrelevant. She was just the nearest warm body. Never mind Zoey was there and could have done so herself. Never mind Delta had orchestrated the ¡®strip spars¡¯ to arrange this. Rosalie gripped her cock, pressing the tip into Delta¡¯s pussy, spreading the fox-girl¡¯s lips. She wiggled it around, digging just barely inside, but not. Above, Zoey panted in excitement, feeling Rosalie¡¯s, and her own, cock rub against wet, weing heat. A pussy neither of them had ever fucked, and would be doing so, together. ¡°Stop ¡­ teasing,¡± Delta groaned, burying her head into Zoey¡¯s neck. ¡°Fuck me! I need your fucking cock, blondie. Hurry up and¡ª¡± Delta cut off with a gasp. 4.14 – Ménage à Trois V 4.14 ¨C M¨¦nage ¨¤ Trois V Delta¡¯s velvety pussy wrapped around Rosalie¡¯s cock, cutting off herints with a moan. Rosalie¡¯s mind went white. Inside. Her cock was inside Delta. Her infuriating teammate. And on top of her, Rosalie¡¯s girlfriend was moaning in her own pleasure, the sensations squeezing Rosalie¡¯s cock shared between them. Rosalie pushed her hips forward, sinking inch by inch deeper into the woman a few moments earlier begging for her cock. How did it feel so good? She¡¯d almost forgotten how amazing pussy felt. It¡¯d only been a few days, but it was hard to hold on to such intense memories, like that event with Zoey in the second shard, where she¡¯d extracted the first several of Rosalie¡¯s cock orgasms. And now it was Delta¡¯s turn to milk her cock dry. She sank further and further into the busty fox-girl, cock being squeezed and mped by a tight, slippery pleasure. She felt so good. And Zoey,ying on top of Delta, with Delta¡¯s arms wrapped around her stomach, was happy to make that clear. She panted, red-faced, hips wiggling as if upset she wasn¡¯t the one in control. ¡°Fuck, blondie,¡± Delta groaned. ¡°It feels even bigger than it looks. I¡¯m so full.¡± Leaning forward, her hands pressing into the bed on either side of the two stacked girls, Rosalie got to work. She pushed thest several inches in, burying herself until their bodies met. Zoey had to shuffle a few inches back. It was an awkward position, her girlfriend piled onto the girl Rosalie was fucking. But so much better, getting to see her reactions, getting to share the moment so intimately. Fucking Delta¡¯s pussy, together. She pulled back, velvet pressure caressing her cock on the way out, then pped back in, stuffing Delta with a loud p apanied by three moans. Zoey¡¯s hips did a little jerk, as if needing to mimic the motion. Slowly, Rosalie worked into a rocking cadence. Both Zoey and Delta kept red-faced, panting eye-contact with her, encouraging her with begging eyes. More. They wanted more. Did they have any idea how unfair that was? Howpromising? The dual attack of purple eyes and green ones? Rosalie picked up speed. Delta¡¯s pussy felt so good. She worked fourteen inches of cock in and out, impacting hard, jostling both girls, bouncing theirs tits with apanying moans or whines. She was unpracticed at the movement, especially with how far she had to move back, then forward, to have as much of her cock as possible caressing Delta¡¯s pussy. The pistoning movement was a bit jerky. Eager, made up for with enthusiasm, but still jerky. Each passing moment had Rosalie¡¯s better senses evaporating, the euphoria of fucking the subject of her unfortunate arousal erasing her mind. Because she could admit that, now, with Delta¡¯s pussy coaxing out a burning, clenching sensation in her stomach. With Delta¡¯s moans, Rosalie could admit she¡¯d wanted this. That her girlfriend wasn¡¯t the one who¡¯d been taking interest in by Delta¡¯s busty curves. And really, all the times she¡¯d aggravated Rosalie? That made this better. Getting to stuff her full and take her apart. Feeling her pussy wrapped so tightly around her and her girlfriend¡¯s dick. ¡°Where¡¯d the taunting go?¡± Rosalie asked, joining their lower halves with loud, forceful impacts. ¡°Is this all it takes to shut you up?¡± ¡°A-All?¡± Delta groaned. ¡°Is fourteen inches of cock supposed to be¡ªah! Easy? To take?¡± ¡°But after so much talk. The way you act about all this. You¡¯re just as vulnerable.¡± That revtion pleased Rosalie more than she¡¯d expected. Delta was as weak to pleasure¡ªto getting filled up by an enormous girl-dick¡ªas her, Zoey, or anyone else. She might act like she was experienced, and could brush anything off, but the noises she was making now, with Rosalie¡¯s hips pping into her? It showed the truth of the matter. ¡°If it¡¯s this easy to get you to show your true colors,¡± Rosalie murmured. ¡°Me and my girlfriend might have to fuck you silly more.¡± She picked up speed, the idea thrilling through her. Each reminder that this was Zoey¡¯s cock she was fucking Delta with had the heat burning across her body reaching a more scalding degree. ¡°It¡¯s good for team bonding,¡± Zoey gasp-agreed. ¡°More often, definitely. Faster, Rosie. Go faster.¡± Rosalie obeyed. She adjusted positions, briefly, to get better leverage¡ªthen really started working. On top of Delta, Zoey shuffled around, turning so she and Delta were facing each other. ¡°Wow,¡± Zoey murmured to her, bodies jostling as Rosalie diligently pistoned away. ¡°You¡¯re close, already? You¡¯re going to cum before my girlfriend?¡± The fox-girl¡¯s eyes had gone unfocused. ¡°It¡¯s only her second time with a dick, and you¡¯re going to lose?¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s a pretty good dick,¡± Delta struggled out. ¡°And she already finished. Twice. I haven¡¯t.¡± ¡°All our ying around worked you up?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°I guess that¡¯s fair. But still. Coming first. How embarrassing.¡± Behind the two girls, Rosalie just listened, melting as she pumped cock into a slippery, squeezing pussy. Seeing Zoey tease the girl she was actively fucking ¡­ on behalf of Rosalie ¡­ why was it so tititing? ¡°And don¡¯t be so sure,¡± Delta groaned. ¡°She¡¯s looking a little ¡­ into it. Can¡¯t be far herself.¡± Rosalie only half-heard the words. Delta¡¯s pussy was so amazing. And this feeling building in her core, radiating outward, burning away her sense of self. It was so intense. ¡°Can she finish inside you?¡± ¡°If she begs, maybe,¡± Delta groaned. It was a bluff. Delta wanted it. But Zoey turned, meeting lust-darkened green eyes with Rosalie¡¯s, silently prompting her. She wanted Rosalie to beg. She liked it when Rosalie embarrassed herself. And with such tight, slippery pleasure working around her cock, Rosalie hesitated only a second. ¡°Please, Delta. I want toe inside you. I want to empty my cock in your squeezing pussy. Please.¡± The words left her mouth, her face almost numb with how badly it was burning. And the shameful words¡ªthey only spurred that sensation in her cock on. She groaned at the burning euphoria, which continued to wipe away her hesitation. ¡°Let me stuff your womb full. Let me breed you with my girlfriend¡¯s cock. I¡¯ll do anything. Please.¡± Delta¡¯s eyes widened. She hadn¡¯t expected her to be so enthusiastic. Zoey, of course, wasn¡¯t surprised. She knew Rosalie tended to ¡­ lose her better judgment ¡­ when things got going. ¡°I guess I can¡ªah¡ªmake an exception, then,¡± Delta said. ¡°I can cum inside your pussy? Really? Because I¡¯m close. Together? Milk my cock? I want to feel you cum for me.¡± Like before, Rosalie was stealing lines from Zoey. Lines that had worked on her, and so, why not on Delta? It was a good n, apparently. The lewd words had Delta closing her eyes, her body starting to shake. ¡°Okay. Since you asked ¡­ so nicely.¡± Thest word was inflected up, Delta¡¯s back arching as she started toe. An already tight, coaxing pressure became twice as much so, Delta¡¯s orgasm mping down on Rosalie¡¯s cock. Already a hair¡¯s breadth away from her own climax, Rosalie groaned and pped her hips one final time, joining their lower halves. She buried her face into Zoey¡¯s back, who¡¯d started kissing Delta. Really. Kissing the girl she¡¯d brought to orgasm. The girl she was stuffing with cock. It was so ¡­ hot. The pleasure hit a crescendo, and Rosalie groaned as she came. The hot liquid seared up her cock as it left her, spilling into Delta¡¯s pussy. It felt so amazing. And knowing she was filling her foxgirl sort-of rival up, even more so. She rocked her hips back and forth, coaxing out thick string after thick string, filling Delta¡¯s womb up with her¡ªor Zoey¡¯s¡ªseed. Using her girlfriend¡¯s cock to stuff another girl¡¯s pussy. It wasn¡¯t unusual to be involved with multiple partners, but the extent to which the idea had Rosalie¡¯s cock seizing ¡­ was she some sort of deviant? Zoey¡¯s cock was an insatiable thing. It kept twitching and twitching, pumping hot baby batter into Delta with no signs of slowing. Rosalie kept her face buried into her girlfriend¡¯s back, her hips bucking with each new searing ejection. How long would itst? Forever? She hoped so. She never wanted to stop stuffing Delta full. Her cock belonged in that squeezing warmth permanently. Eventually, though, the writhing of the three girl¡¯s orgasms ended, and they copsed into each other, panting in a stack of sweaty limbs. Zoey, probably knowing Rosalie¡¯s post-finish shame would rear up, was the first to stir, shuffling around and forcing them to disentangle. She pushed Rosalie over and started kissing her, peppering her withpliments and assurances. It did a good job of wiping her shame away¡ªhad she really begged Delta to finish inside?¡ªbut only because it reced it with embarrassment of a different kind. Really, Delta was watching. Did Zoey have to kiss Rosalie so tenderly? Never mind that Rosalie had just fucked Delta and came inside her¡ªthis kissing was ten times more intimate. Something they should save for private. And afterward, they all cuddled up, Zoey forcing Rosalie in the middle. Being pressed in by Delta¡¯s warm body was odd. It stirred feelings in her that she was used to sharing only with Zoey. That seemed to be intentional on Zoey¡¯s part, the meddling woman. Still, pressed in by the generous, warm curves of her girlfriend, and ¡­ her other teammate? Hardly a horrible fate. Rosalie closed her eyes and basked in it. 4.15 Morning After 4.15 Morning After Waking up cuddled into one girl was pretty amazing. Waking up with two warm, naked bodies pressed into her? Zoey solidified her decision: her transmigration between worlds had some troubling aspects to it, but overall, she was definitely enjoying herself. And there was another bit of good news, Zoey realized, luxuriating in the heat and soft curves of her girlfriend and teammate. By the tingling on the back of her neck, she¡¯d leveled up. Unfortunately, Zoey remained incapable of discovering what that entailed. She needed to learn to read her ¡®tab anima¡¯, as Rosalie had called it. Then again, maybe not. She had Rosalie for that. Apparently, it wasn¡¯t a trivial process to learn, and so Zoey would rather spend her time elsewhere. Plus, Rosalie always blushed when she got to do it. It was apparently a deeply intimate act, and so, Zoey was happy to share that with her. Soon enough, Rosalie stirred. At the shifting bodies, Delta did too, but she simply groaned and rolled over, annoyed. Zoey had discovered the fox-girl was very much not a morning person. That came in handy, right now. She enjoyed Delta¡¯s presence, and would like her input on this uing conversation, but for now, she wanted to share it with Rosalie first. Once Rosalie had fully woken¡ªturning around to snuggle into Zoey while facing her¡ªshe broached the topic. Like usual, Rosalie was incredulous at the speed Zoey¡¯s advancement hade. Then, a momentter, having ced a finger to Zoey¡¯s forehead and sent that strange ¡®request¡¯, became even more so. ¡°All four,¡± she said, incredulous. ¡°You progressed in all four of your runes.¡± Obviously, Zoey wasn¡¯t half as stunned. She didn¡¯t have the appropriate context¡ªthe lifetime of experiences spent in this world¡ªto appreciate how bizarre it was. Though Rosalie¡¯s tone, her astonishment, clued her in. Still, rather than be awed, Zoey chose to be cheeky about it. ¡°I¡¯ve been working hard, haven¡¯t I?¡± Rosalie eyed her. ¡°Working hard. That¡¯s whatst night was?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what are my runes, again? How am I supposed to progress them?¡± An even more of an evil eye. ¡°Fair point.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Still. All four ¡­ that makes you third advancement. In less than a week.¡± ¡°Third advancement in name only,¡± Zoey pointed out. Most certainly, not in practice. Though, her arcana rune. Abat-practical rune of hers had advanced. Surely that¡¯d help inch Zoey along the path of being a ¡®real¡¯ wayfarer. ¡°And they¡¯re good?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°The new skills.¡± ¡°They¡¯re skills from you,¡± Rosalie said, exasperated. ¡°What do you think?¡± Zoey chuckled. Though, the skills were clearly not anything so mind-blowing that Rosalie was speechless. But Zoey expected Rosalie¡¯s expectations had been tempered from her previous skills, so it would take something truly astounding to draw a stunned reaction from her. ¡°Well?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°Don¡¯t keep me waiting. Start with the gross ones.¡± ¡°Surprisingly, there aren¡¯t any,¡± Rosalie said. She paused. ¡°Or, not like before. Your alchemy runees close.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Potent Additive,¡± Rosalie read off. ¡°Sexual fluids can be used to amplify potions in various ways.¡± Zoey was briefly confused. Hadn¡¯t she already been making potions that way? Then, she realized the difference. ¡°Oh. Additive. So something after it catalyzes.¡± Sheughed at the absurdity. ¡°I make cum-base potions, then add cum to make them even stronger.¡± Rosalie wrinkled her nose, pretending to be disgusted, but Zoey saw the curl to her lips hinting amusement. And Zoey, taking advantage of her newly found girlfriend status, chose to force it out. She grabbed Rosalie¡¯s waist and pulled her in, peppering her with kisses. ¡°And you think it¡¯s funny too. Stop pretending.¡± ¡°Zoey,¡± Rosalie protested. ¡°Stop being so serious. I will tickle you, if I have to.¡± ¡°You will not.¡± The effusiveness of the reply made Zoey pause. She raised her eyebrows. ¡°I am not someone who is tickled,¡± Rosalie said firmly. She seemed panicked by the concept. Zoey grinned. ¡°Zoey. Zoey! You better not¡ª¡° Zoey attacked. ¡®Squealing¡¯ hadn¡¯t been something Zoey had ever expected to draw out of her too-serious girlfriend, but it happened so easily. Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t press the advantage. Rosalie was out of the bed, standing there and huffing¡ªring¡ªalmost faster than Zoey could track. ¡°Do you mind?¡± Rosalie demanded. ¡°We are trying to talk business.¡± ¡°No, do you two mind?¡± Delta groaned, grabbing a pillow and stuffing it over her head, muffling her voice. ¡°I¡¯m trying to sleep. Go be cute somewhere else.¡± Really not a morning person. And, Zoey did feel a bit bad about how she¡¯d attacked despite Rosalie¡¯s protests. But she hadn¡¯t been able to help herself. And the reaction had been way too adorable. ¡°Okay, okay,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Now get back here.¡± She gestured for Rosalie to return to her embrace. She¡¯d starting missing her warmth in only the few seconds since she¡¯d been gone. At the suspicious look, Zoey promised: ¡°No more tickles. I didn¡¯t know you were so weak to them.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not weak to them.¡± ¡°Clearly not,¡± Zoey agreed. ¡°That was what that reaction was. A strong, stoic one. Practically immune.¡± Another re, but Rosalie got back in bed with Zoey. ¡°Runes,¡± Rosalie said pointedly. ¡°Runes,¡± Zoey agreed, tugging her girlfriend in close. ¡°Magic next?¡± ¡°Influence,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Cast spells that inme or mute internal statuses.¡± ¡°And what do you think that means?¡± ¡°All sorts of applications, I imagine. Almost an element.¡± One of Zoey¡¯s first skills had been ¡®Element: Ice¡¯. Here, she¡¯d gotten something that fell under an umbre of ¡®affect internal statuses¡¯, so almost an element, like Rosalie had said. ¡°Huh. But I¡¯ll probably have to practice and learn specific spells. It¡¯s not a freebie.¡± ¡°It would seem so.¡± ¡°Any suggestions?¡± ¡°Practical first forays?¡± Rosalie hummed, thinking about it. ¡°Enraging an opponent could be useful in certain circumstances. More importantly, the boss is generally the most dangerous part of a shard, and considering ¡­ the shape they take, with you ¡­¡± ¡°A spell-aphrodisiac,¡± Zoey guessed. ¡°Not useful against normal enemies, but great against the lewd phase of a boss.¡± ¡°Precisely my thinking.¡± The wording¡ªso prim and serious¡ªmade Zoey smile. Unable to stop herself, she leaned forward and pecked Rosalie on the lips. ¡°What was that for?¡± ¡°You¡¯re just so cute.¡± She stole another kiss. ¡°Do you really expect me to resist?¡± Blushing, but pretending to be exasperated, Rosalie pointedly continued, ¡°And which next?¡± ¡°Two more to go. Start with the less cool one. It¡¯s important to end on a high point.¡± Rosalie rolled her eyes at the dramatics, then considered Zoey¡¯s request. ¡°Burst,¡± she said a short momentter, not having to think hard which was the weaker. ¡°From your rune of sensuality. Lust can be consumed in greater quantities to amplify potency of certain other skills.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the obviously weaker one?¡± Zoey asked, impressed. ¡°Sounds strong.¡± ¡°Your rune of bonding is your mythic-tier one,¡± Rosalie said pointedly. ¡°I suspect it¡¯ll always have the most powerful skills.¡± Well, now she¡¯d gotten Zoey excited. But, she saved the best forst. And they ought to talk over this one first. ¡°So, lust is even more of a burst resource, now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s expensive to begin with, but can be drained at even higher speed, for even more potent skills,¡± Rosalie agreed. ¡°That might be troublesome. It depends how much faster.¡± ¡°Or we could just recharge after every fight,¡± Zoey joked. ¡°I realize you¡¯re insatiable,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°But surely there would reach a point where it¡¯s simply exhausting.¡± ¡°With you? Never.¡± Rosalie blushed. The cheesy lines did tend to work on her. Though, Rosalie had a point. Zoey could rationally recognize that, amazing as endless sex sounded in an abstract sense, there would with, but to the entire team. Unless it¡¯s obscenely low¡ªand this is a mythical rune, so I find that unlikely¡ªit¡¯s going to be incredible.¡± ¡°Cool,¡± Zoey said. Rosalie huffed. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Cool, she says. After receiving one of the most fantastic support skills I¡¯ve ever heard of.¡± She paused, then rified: ¡°For a third advancement.¡± ¡°What can I say? I¡¯m spoiled.¡± She ced a kiss into the side of Rosalie¡¯s jaw. ¡°I feel like that¡¯s obvious. I have you in my bed.¡± ¡°You¡¯re in an especially sappy mood, this morning,¡± Rosalie said, pretending to suffer Zoey¡¯s affection. She definitely was. Afterst night, and all the new abilities she¡¯d earned today, how couldn¡¯t she be? Though, definitely more the former than thetter. Magical skills were cool, but Rosalie and Delta? They obviously stole the spotlight. The magic stuff was just the cherry on top. 4.16 Obvious Reagent 4.16 Obvious Reagent ¡°As an additive, you said?¡± Sabina asked, intrigued. ¡°Just yours?¡± ¡°Just mine?¡± ¡°Just your semen? How was it worded?¡± Zoey paused. Naturally, she¡¯d broached the subject of her newest skill with her alchemy tutor, and this was the exact reason why. As the expert, she¡¯d easily be able to identify uses or quirks of her skills. And sure, Rosalie and Delta had made it clear keeping her ss a secret was the standard, but Zoey didn¡¯t care much for ¡®the standard¡¯, at this point. Though, Zoey felt a bit embarrassed about the obvious deduction Sabina had made. ¡°The exact wording was, sexual fluids can be used to amplify potions in various ways. So based on that, you think it works with anyones?¡± ¡°And various sexual fluids,¡± Sabina said. ¡°Not just semen. Though that would clearly be the easiest to collect.¡± Zoey nodded. Then, grimaced. ¡°I¡¯m not particrly keen on ¡­ collecting from a man.¡± ¡°Only interested in women. Yes, I inferred that. Fortunately, it isn¡¯t a problem.¡± ¡°It ¡­ isn¡¯t?¡± ¡°I apologize if you were looking forward to discovering this yourself,¡± Sabina said, ¡°or perhaps with me, but I was too curious to not do my own experiments. I discovered something,st night.¡± That had a promising sound to it. ¡°Okay?¡± ¡°Your semen is clearly a potent magical fluid,¡± Sabina said, smoothly, in that same evenness that Zoey found abination of amusing and impressive, considering the topic. ¡°Hence, not just as a base, I did some experiments with it as a reagent.¡± ¡°A reagent.¡± Zoey adjusted to that. She still didn¡¯t know where Sabina was going. ¡°And ¡­¡± If Sabina said it solved the problem of Zoey not wanting to collect sexual fluids from men ¡­ No way? ¡°I presume you¡¯ve guessed it,¡± Sabina said. ¡°Indeed. I suspected the same effect, and thus targeted, it was simple to coax out. When catalyzed, your semen produces a potion that temporarily grows genitalia. For example, a cock on a woman.¡± ¡°No shit,¡± Zoey breathed. She¡¯d been waiting for something like that to arrive, whether through a potion, skill, or item. And here it had arrived? She could give her partners a cock? She supposed it made sense. Zoey¡¯s cum¡ªa substance stemming from a cock grown on a woman¡ªwould catalyze into a simr effect. How hadn¡¯t she guessed that? To be fair, she had a lot on her te. Lots of distractions, and a packed schedule. ¡°Notably,¡± Sabina said, ¡°it gives a superb outlook to our budding business. Not only will the effect be highly desired, but the reagent itself is renewable and simple to procure.¡± Zoey coughed. Easy to procure. Yeah, when Sabina intended to milk her twice a day, it sure would be. Zoey¡¯d just arrived to Sabina¡¯s store, so they hadn¡¯t handled their first session, but it would being up shortly, if she had to guess. Especially now that she had additional need to keep a ¡®good stock¡¯. ¡°You tested it?¡± ¡°I did indeed,¡± Sabina replied, quirking an eyebrow. ¡°It was ¡­ an odd sensation.¡± Zoey¡¯s heart jumped. She¡¯d tested it. Sabina had grown herself a cock. That imagery was hard to resist. Something stirred in her pants, which Sabina politely ignored. ¡°Took me all sorts of getting used to,¡± Zoey said, feigning a nonchnce that was given away by her traitorous lower half. ¡°How big was it?¡± Sabina raised an eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s a question for politepany.¡± Zoey paused. Right. Even if they¡¯d grown more familiar with each other, that didn¡¯t mean Zoey should go asking whatever came to mind. She wondered whether she should apologize, but Sabina cut in. ¡°That was a joke,¡± she said. ¡°I see I continue to be not very good at those.¡± She waved her hand dismissively, brushing past the topic. ¡°I don¡¯t mind speaking of it. It was nine and a half inches with a six and one-third circumference. It curves seven degrees to the left. Repeated ingestions resulted in consistent biology, which I found intriguing.¡± Even described so clinically, in ssic Sabina fashion, the idea thrilled through Zoey. While not as outrageously over-sized as Zoey¡¯s own monster, nine and a half inches was still pretty absurd. That was more than enough to stuff someone silly. Wouldn¡¯t fit in most girls, even. Would the potion give the same natural amodation Zoey received? ¡°Nine inches,¡± Zoey grinned. ¡°Was that fun?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t experiment with it in the way you¡¯re assuming,¡± Sabina said. ¡°I found the sensations too ¡­ new ¡­ to enjoy. Perhaps with some adjustment.¡± Zoey worried for a moment that she¡¯d overstepped by implying otherwise, but Sabina was, of course, unruffled. Still, Zoey had known Sabina preferred ¡®giving¡¯ than ¡®receiving¡¯, so it made sense she hadn¡¯t gone crazy with her experiments. Probably should have assumed it. ¡°What happens if I drink it, though?¡± Zoey found herself asking. Sabina paused. She clearly hadn¡¯t considered it. While a thorough scientist, she was still human¡ªshe didn¡¯t always consider every possibility. Here and there, a possibility would slip her mind. ¡°Hm,¡± she said. ¡°I imagine nothing? I postte that for men, they¡¯d grow their missing part. But you? You already have both.¡± Zoey blinked at the first half of that statement, but brushed past it to the second. ¡°Maybe I get two?¡± ¡°I suppose it¡¯s not impossible,¡± Sabina said. ¡°I think it more likely it would simply fizzle.¡± It was hard to say which won out¡ªZoey¡¯s experience in her ss¡¯s lewd interactions, or Sabina¡¯s vast expertise. Probably the second, honestly. It would be way too lucky to get two amazing effects from one potion. ¡°But moving along,¡± Sabina said. ¡°We¡¯ll experiment with your new skill shortly, but we have a preliminary task to handle.¡± Zoey¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°I hope you studied the suggested material,¡± Sabina said coolly, ¡°because as I informed you, your reward depends on your performance.¡± ¡°I tried to.¡± She generally didn¡¯t like making excuses, but in her case, they were pretty relevant. ¡°I¡¯m busy. Andst night was, uh. I didn¡¯t have time to study.¡± Then, because she wasn¡¯t wholly a bad student, ¡°but I squeezed it in where I could. I really am trying my hardest. Just ¡­ lots of things pulling me in lots of directions.¡± ¡°That¡¯s reasonable,¡± Sabina said. ¡°And I suspected as much.¡± She approached Zoey, and Zoey¡¯s eyes widened. Sabina was one of the rare women taller than her, andbined with her antlers, she towered. More than her height, even, it was her personality, which while not dominant in the traditional sense, had an equal presence. Stalwart, collected, immutable. ¡°But just because I understand, doesn¡¯t mean I lower my standards. You¡¯ll find the quiz difficult.¡± She cupped Zoey¡¯s chin, tilting her head up. ¡°If you get all ten questions right, well ¡­¡± A hint of a smile. ¡°I¡¯m sure you can guess what the final reward is.¡± Letting go of Zoey and turning, headed for the main storefront, she continued, ¡°But the lesser rewards. You might enjoy those, too. Come. Our time is limited. Best to be quick about things.¡± Heart galloping, a stupid grin on her face, Zoey trailed after. 4.17 – Quiz I 4.17 ¨C Quiz I Zoey found herself, once again, strapped down on Sabina¡¯s reclining metal chair. Her instructor went about organizing her work table, ignoring Zoey as she shifted around. Letting the tension build. She could recognize the intent, but that didn¡¯t mean it didn¡¯t work. Fuck, just a few short moments from now, and Sabina would be taking care of her. Well. Assuming she did well on the quiz. A quiz. Really? Zoey was expected to focus? With so much anticipation flooding her veins? Not fair. She wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d be able to answer even the most basic of questions. Finally, Sabina finished her superficial tidying of her workbench. She turned to Zoey. ¡°Your first question,¡± she said, folding her hands in front of her, pointedly standing several feet away¡ªnot yet approaching. So, nothing at all would be happening, not unless Zoey got at least some questions right. No ¡®give-me''s. ¡°What,¡± Sabina said, ¡°is the purpose of the calcinator in the alchemical process?¡± That was one of the questions? Sabina must have recognized the surprise on her face, because she said, ¡°We¡¯ll work on a scale of progressing difficulty.¡± So the first would be painfully easy, like what one of the fundamental pieces of alchemy equipment did. That made sense. ¡°It¡¯s a furnace that helps prepare reagents,¡± Zoey said. ¡°A, uh, prep tool.¡± Sabina didn¡¯t mind theck of elegance in the response. Knowing Sabina, she could probably have recited a textbook definition, as well as the source she¡¯d memorized it from. Zoey didn¡¯t work like that. She was certain she would never be the genius Sabina was, and that didn¡¯t bother her. Her aspirations were to be ¡®pretty good¡¯, maybe even ¡®great¡¯, but Sabina was something else entirely. Zoey was utterly confident that herck of renown came from how early in her career Zoey had found her. Even then, she did have recognition¡ªFe had been the one to point Zoey Sabina¡¯s way, iming she was one of the ¡®best in the field when it came to the esoteric¡¯. ¡°An eptable answer,¡± Sabina said smoothly. Her fingers went to herb coat¡¯s buttons, and Zoey¡¯s heart jumped. Slowly, making sure to tease, her teacher stripped from her concealing white coat, leaving ¡­ Just a bra and panties, underneath. She¡¯de prepared. Zoey drank in the sight, the dark,cy fabric set against smooth skin. Really, it was unfair how amazing of a body Sabina had, when she always locked it behind herb coat. Sabina¡¯s eyes flicked down to Zoey¡¯s growing bulge, and, like usual, Zoey didn¡¯t see a hint of a reaction. Why did that passivity do so much for her? She really, really wanted to see what it took to make Sabina squirm. Could she manage it? Could she pin down Sabina and fuck her until she was moaning anding apart like any other girl? Or would that stone face persist through anything? Somehow, that sounded just as exciting. She desperately wanted to find out. It was a tragedy she wouldn¡¯t, today. Answering all ten questions correctly was an impossibility. She was certain Sabina had prepared it so that theter questions would be beyond Zoey¡¯s capabilities. It would encourage her to study harder. Shrugging off the thick white coat, then folding and setting it to the side, Sabina approached. She sat down on the stool next to the table Zoey was strapped down onto, then said, ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited. You need to focus.¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware,¡± Zoey said. Her eyes crawled across Sabina¡¯s body, basking in the exposed skin. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I can stop myself from looking.¡± Sabina¡¯s lips tilted, and she shook her head in exasperation. Zoey could tell¡ªbehind theyers of stone¡ªthat she enjoyed being admired. Obviously, Zoey was happy to indulge in that. ¡°Question two,¡± Sabina said firmly, making Zoey¡¯s heart skip¡ªbecause a correct answer meant more. Direct satisfaction? ¡°What is the purpose of quicklime?¡± ¡°As a primary or preparatory reagent?¡± Sabina seemed satisfied at the response. ¡°You have been studying.¡± ¡°It¡¯s interesting,¡± Zoey said. ¡°I think your passion rubs off on me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not called a passionate woman, often.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a different sort. Not in-your-face. But it¡¯s obviously there.¡± Sabina studied her. Finally, she said, ¡°The question was intended for quicklime¡¯s typical usage.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more often used for preparation. It helps the dissolving process.¡± ¡°Which means, from a functional sense?¡± ¡°Easier catalyzation with elements slow to dissolve.¡± Sabina stood. Then climbed on top of Zoey, sitting on her thighs. Seeing how Zoey had a monster in her pants, even not situated on herp, it meant her cock pressed against Sabina¡¯s ass as Sabina straddled a safe distance away. By the pause, then purse of her lips, Sabina realized that her attempts to space herself hadn¡¯t worked. Snorting, she scooted up, so she was seated on Zoey''sp. ¡°You can strip yourself, now.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Strip yourself.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a bit locked down,¡± Zoey said dryly, struggling against her confinements to emphasize the point. Sabina¡¯s eyebrows raised, and the realization hit a secondter. ¡°Ah ¡­ right.¡± Her inventory. Though she was growing ustomed to the strange set of powers afforded to her, they certainly hadn¡¯t be second nature. She could just ¡­ strip herself. Whenever. So weird. Focusing on her clothes, she sucked the various fabrics into that bizarre liminal space. In a moment, she was naked. Her cock, a second ago separated by fabrics, now pressed into Sabina¡¯s warm ass directly. She was wearingcy underwear, but it didn¡¯t cover much. Her ass was hanging out, to Zoey¡¯s cock¡¯s satisfaction. She closed her eyes and shivered at the direct contact. ¡°Third question,¡± Sabina said, calmly straddling Zoey, wiggling her hips side to side, teasing her. Zoey¡¯s instincts cried out to reach forward and grab the woman on top of her, press her close, but the straps on her wrists, ankles, stomach, and neck quickly reminded her of the situation. Locked down. Helpless to Sabina¡¯s desires. ¡°What is the purpose of a retort?¡± ¡°To sound clever?¡± Sabina looked unimpressed at Zoey¡¯s joke. To be fair, Zoey wasn¡¯t operating at full capacity, seeing how her teacher¡¯s ass was pressed into her cock. ¡°It¡¯s, um, an alchemical tool,¡± Zoey said. ¡°You heat something in it, and vtileponents vaporize and rise up through the neck. The vapor condenses back into a liquid. It creates reagents from other reagents.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Sabina said. ¡°I¡¯m wondering if I made this too easy.¡± ¡°I have a feeling I¡¯m going to run out of steam pretty quick,¡± Zoey admitted. ¡°I¡¯ve worked through the beginner sections, but once you get to the more specific stuff, I¡¯ll start floundering.¡± ¡°That was my intent,¡± Sabina said. She leaned into Zoey, pressing her chest into Zoey¡¯s, and whispered into her ear, ¡°Otherwise, what¡¯s there to look forward to?¡± ¡°I¡¯d always look forward to this,¡± Zoey breathed, eyes closed. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter how many times we do it.¡± Zoey opened her eyes to see Sabina studying her. ¡°I¡¯m not ustomed to handling romantics,¡± she said. ¡°The ttery is ¡­ excessive.¡± Zoey blinked. It was the first tell she¡¯d found. The way Sabina¡¯s eyes skirted away. Was that the key? Sabina was used to extracting pleasure, but wasn¡¯t used to beingplimented? Earnestly and whole-heartedly? To draw a hriousparison, she was like Rosalie, but in a different way. Maybe that was why Zoey had taken to her so quickly. Though, with Sabina, Zoey knew to tuck that information away forter. Blunt force wouldn¡¯t work with this woman. She¡¯d have to be much craftier employing that devastating piece of knowledge. Reaching behind her, Sabina unstrapped her bra, then tossed it casually aside. Zoey drank in the sight of stiff, hard nipples, wishing desperately she could reach out and y with them. Unfortunately, she remained locked down. However exciting theck of movement was, it came with downsides. Until Sabina leaned forward, at least, and her tits were in Zoey¡¯s face. She took the hard nub happily,tching to Sabina¡¯s breasts and swirling her tongue around. A soft nibble had Sabina inhaling sharply. She grabbed Zoey¡¯s head and pushed her forward, burying soft pillows into her face. Sabina had almost as much up top as Delta, and that was a hard measuring stick topare to. ¡°Fourth question,¡± Sabina said, the noises barely registering. Zoey protested, murmuring into Sabina¡¯s tits, continuing to y with the older woman. How was she supposed to answer like this? Not that she wasining. ¡°Fourth question,¡± she scolded, pressing Zoey¡¯s face in tighter. ¡°What is the proper way to prepare a kiffah root as a catalyzer for a rity enhancing potion?¡± With Sabina sitting on her cock, and her nipple in her mouth, it would be a vast understatement to say she was distracted. How in the world was she supposed to focus on answering alchemy questions? ¡°Remember, dear pupil,¡± Sabina murmured into her ear. ¡°Every answer means greater rewards.¡± Ah. Right. That was a good motivator. Zoey struggled through the haze of lust. Sabina pointedly didn¡¯t remove her tits from her face, though, and Zoey wouldn¡¯t have wanted her to. Kiffah root. She¡¯d heard the reagent name before. Sabina was going easy on her¡ªthough advancing in difficulty, they¡¯d yet to reach territory where Zoey was clueless. Scraping her brain, she barely managed to trudge up memories from her time spent poring over her assigned textbook. It might have happened faster if she wasn¡¯t toying with her teacher¡¯s nipples, swirling a tongue around and nibbling, but slow or fast, she did manage. She gave her response. Sabina considered Zoey¡¯s answer, then nodded. ¡°It¡¯s fundamentally correct, though perhaps summarized more than I¡¯d prefer. No matter.¡± Leaning away, Sabina slid off Zoey¡¯s body. She would¡¯ve pouted, but she knew the disentanglement meant more, and better, would being. ¡°And my reward?¡± Zoey asked. Smiling, Sabina walked to her table, plucking out two ss vials with cork stoppers. Zoey¡¯s eyebrows raised. Some chemical enhancements to the situation? She hadn¡¯t a clue what they were, but considering their environment¡ªthe room and table she was strapped to¡ªshe had a suspicion she was in for some fun. Popping open the vial, Sabina poured the liquid into her hand. Zoey¡¯s heart jumped at the implication. That she would be working in the material by hand. Her cock throbbed in excitement. ¡°Just remember to focus,¡± Sabina said, reaching toward Zoey¡¯s cock. ¡°We¡¯re not even halfway through.¡± 4.18 – Quiz II 4.18 ¨C Quiz II Zoey¡¯s teacher worked a slippery lubricant into her cock, long, slim digits caressing a needy member that had been agonizing for this moment. A drawn-out moan escaped her. Though Sabina had taken care of her once before, it had been with a toy. This was much more intimate. Her hand, directly on Zoey¡¯s cock, stroking up and down. And still with that perfectly poised, unruffled expression. Then the substance¡¯s effect took hold. ¡°Oh,¡± Zoey said, inhaling. ¡°That¡¯s¡ª¡° She had thought the heat throbbing her cock had been her natural arousal, but, she discovered quickly, that was only half right. While scalding, the sensations apanying her teacher¡¯s hand as she worked the slippery liquid up and down fourteen inches of girl dick was definitely not natural. Some kind of heating agent? ¡°¡ªthat¡¯s nice,¡± Zoey finished with a moan. The heat between her legs grew and grew, almost to an ufortable degree. Combined with her teacher¡¯s stroking grip, the heat felt ¡­ nice? Not painful, even if it was? Not entirely painful. It kept growing. Her cock felt like it was on fire. But in a good way? She groaned, hips wiggling side to side, the sensations impossible to sit through. Was it increasing her sensitivity? Had Sabina appropriated some of her lewd ingredients for her own experiments? ¡°Question five,¡± her cruel captor said. ¡°Detail the three mostmon indicators an active brew is destabilizing. Likewise, name three lessmon indicators.¡± Before Zoey could start gathering her thoughts, Sabina was pouring the second of the two liquids. Swallowing, Zoey pushed that out of her mind, as well as the burning pleasure caressing her painfully erect dick. The question. Each answer meant she got more from Sabina. She had to focus. ¡°Discoloring,¡± Zoey said, ¡°which is usually caused by irregr reagent distribution. Unequal bubbling, which is clearly the fault of ¡­ uneven temperature ¡­¡± Oh, god. She found out what the second substance did. Where the first had stroked her cock with an intense heat, the second was doing the opposite. Each pass of her teacher¡¯s hand, working the liquid around, had Zoey¡¯s cock turning colder and colder. Combined with what had to be a sensitivity-enhancing effect, Zoey¡¯s words trailed off, reced by a moan. She wouldn¡¯t have thought freezing her cock with a magical liquid would feel good, but it did¡ªexcruciatingly, painfully so. Then again, maybe it was Sabina¡¯s dexterous movements causing the euphoria wracking her lower half, making her hips jerk up and down against her restraints. ¡°Two of three,¡± Sabina prompted. ¡°Keep going.¡± Keep going. Like this. What a joke. Somehow, she focused. Even as her tutor yed with her cock, working in alternating bouts of hot-and-cold, seizing her dick with an assault of intense sensations, she shakily struggled out an answer. Sabina seemed impressed, though certainly not at the content of her answer, but that she¡¯d managed to respond at all. Pleased, Sabina stood, finally giving Zoey a reprieve. Zoey sagged into the metal chair-table, panting in exhaustion. Her cock throbbed, Sabina¡¯s most recent attack having been the burning-hot liquid. Precum leaked from her tip, and her entire length was a shade redder than normal, twitching from agitation. ¡°I¡¯m going too easy on you,¡± Sabina said. ¡°Let¡¯s take it further.¡± Too easy? It¡¯d taken everything Zoey had to make it through thest question. Still, horrified as she was to see what the next stage of her torture was, she didn¡¯t protest. For all that the burning and freezing substances hurt, she was enjoying them equally. Sabina loosened Zoey¡¯s straps, adjusted the reclining metal chair so it wasying t, then resecured Zoey. She tightened the ones around her neck, ankles, thighs, and arms, but removed the strap keeping her stomach to the table. Then she walked off to grab something. Zoey stared up at the ceiling, where Sabina¡¯s mirror disyed herid out on the metal table. It was a lewd sight, seeing herself in such apromised, locked-down position. Her face was bright red, and she looked dizzy even to herself. Returning, Sabina crawled up onto the table with her, a device in hand. Zoey couldn¡¯t crane up to get a great view with her neck strapped to the table, but she could still look down and mostly make things out. Except, not exactly. Sabina had ced the item down and was fiddling with it between Zoey¡¯s legs. ¡°What is it?¡± Sabina lifted the object, presenting it for her. A ¡­ dildo? With a box at the end? Flipping a switch, the device hummed to life, then started thrusting slowly back and forth. Ah. A mechanized dildo. Wonderful. Zoey¡¯s lips parted, and, in anticipation, her panting grew louder. Her other part hadn¡¯t gotten much action, recently¡ªit was unsurprising her fourteen-inch cock upied her partner¡¯s attention, most frequently. But Sabina. Sabina wanted to y with both parts of her. And, based on how she was working in the heating liquid into the slippery toy, she wasn¡¯t going to go easy. Sticking the toy to the table, then flipping the switch to bring it back to life, Sabina said, ¡°Question six.¡± The mechanized toy plunged into her. It slid in easily, spreading Zoey apart, lubricated by both her own excitement and the heating liquid. The dual assault of her burning cock, still being caressed by the magical substance Sabina had worked into it, and the sudden feeling of fullness as she was thrust into with a smooth, uncaring rhythm of Sabina¡¯s toy, Zoey¡¯s mind quickly came apart. Then Sabina¡¯s hands joined in, and she really couldn¡¯t think. She was vaguely aware of Sabina asking the sixth question, but all she could focus on was her teacher¡¯s strong grip, milking up and down her girl cock with both hands. From two directions, Zoey was taken care of, magically amplified by the burning heat of Sabina¡¯s concoction. She stared down her body, between her tits, unable to lean forward for a proper view. She basked in the sensations of her teacher¡¯s ministrations, and the sight of her long digits working up and down her cock. And Sabina¡¯s tits, which were still bared from earlier, and her nipples, wet from Zoey¡¯s mouth. Vaguely, Zoey was aware of Sabina quirking an eyebrow. A sharp two-handed squeeze of her cock dragged Zoey back, dispelling the melting haze she¡¯d fallen under. The toy continued to hum, thrusting inside Zoey, and Sabina¡¯s hands returned to their efforts when she saw she¡¯d gotten Zoey¡¯s attention. ¡°We¡¯re past the halfway point,¡± Sabina said. ¡°These are the real reward questions. Focus. Your next prize is my mouth.¡± Her mouth? Zoey¡¯s mind nked at the idea. Her teacher¡¯s lips wrapped around her cock? Getting to thrust inside that tight, slippery hole, with Sabina¡¯s indifferent gray eyes watching her from down between her legs? It had already been a herculean task to focus on the quiz, and with Sabina¡¯s hands, and the mechanized dildo, pleasuring her, it was even more so. Still, in face of such an enticing reward, Zoey dragged her melting brain back into coherence. She genuinely didn¡¯t know how she did it. Sabina¡¯s throat wrapped around her dick was that encouraging of an idea, she guessed. ¡°If you were tobine luminorium,¡± Sabina said, ¡°with a base metal such as orias steel and subject the mixture to a high-temperature calcination process, what would be the resulting product? And what processes would be needed for purification?¡± Ah. Sabina had been serious, then. The second half of the quiz, and the ¡®bigger rewards¡¯, hade with appropriately difficult questions. Zoey wrangled her thoughts long enough to parse the question. Discovering the difficulty of it, though, the total nk that it brought to her mind, she submitted to the reality of the situation. Question five was as far as she would progress, today. Maybe with more studying, she¡¯d go further, but she certainly couldn¡¯t answer this one. For that matter, she wasn¡¯tsting much longer in the carnal sense, much less the academic one. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Zoey said, slumping. ¡°Fuck, I¡¯m getting close. Can I finish on you? Please?¡± She strained against the straps locking her down, hips arching upward. Had that been why Sabina had removed the one around her stomach? So she could see Zoey¡¯s lower half struggle? The dildo-toy, strapped to the table, had to bend to match her raised hips, and it started pumping Zoey from a new angle. She copsed back down, dizzy, feeling the first hints of orgasm started to wash through her. From two directions, not one. Both her cock and pussy. Two climaxes at once. And amplified by Sabina¡¯s heating substance. It was going to be mind-erasing¡ªZoey could tell that even from the first hints of the uing euphoria. ¡°Finish on me?¡± Sabina asked. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to be collecting your load. Does my naughty student want to cum over her teacher¡¯s tits that badly? To waste all this hard work?¡± ¡°Please,¡± Zoey gasped. ¡°Please. Let me. I want to cover you.¡± Sabina hummed, considering the question. Finally, she said, ¡°I really am too amodating. Very well. Go ahead. Cum for me.¡± Looking down the length of her body, she saw Sabina point her cock toward her chest, then pick up speed, stroking Zoey¡¯s cock with a renewed vigor. The permission, of course, threw her over the edge. Sabina¡¯s tits. She got to cum over her teacher¡¯s tits. Her hips arched, and her pussy and cock seized in synchronized orgasm. Pleasure radiated through her, burning her nerves to a white-hot peak, and she came. Her hips jerked back and forth in rapid, spasming thrusts as the thrashed against her restraints, helping milk out her finish. Thick white strings flew onto Sabina¡¯s chest¡ªand with the violence of her movements, onto her face, too, into her hair, her stomach, everywhere, Zoey¡¯s panicked movements making her cock impossible to control. Zoey whined as her entire body was reduced to a hot sludge, her teacher diligently milking her cock up top, and her toy thrusting in and out, bumping into her deepest reaches down below. She watched, in something close to a fugue, as she coated Sabina with cum. Sabina allowed it to happen with that same long-suffering patience,pletely unaffected by the strings of Zoey¡¯s cum quickly coating more and more of her. That, of course, was one of the reasons Zoey¡¯s orgasm took so long to work out. God, she couldn¡¯t wait until she got the chance to see how much it took to make Sabina¡¯sposure break. Fourteen inches ought to do the trick. Maybe some alchemical help, like Sabina had employed against her, today. Finally, Zoey copsed into the metal table, head swimming. A long several momentster, after Sabina had let here to her senses, Sabina said, ¡°Well, then. Question seven.¡± Zoey couldn¡¯t help it¡ªshe startedughing. 4.19 – Interlude – Taste 4.19 ¨C Interlude ¨C Taste Frowning, Sol studied the strange container. Waist high and four feet wide, the wooden chest radiated more essence than nearly anything she¡¯d encountered thus far. She had suspicions what the box was. Though she¡¯d been releasedte by Mother to explore this realm, this wasn¡¯t the first shard Sol had ventured into. The third, to be specific. A loot chest. That was what the locals called them. The terminology took a few moments to ce, since sorting through alien lexicons and memories was no easy task, but the word did, eventually,e. But the energy was so much stronger than it should be. And ¡­ of a different vor. Sol had learned quickly that this shard was aberrant in some way, though she couldn¡¯t ce how, yet, or why. To be fair, she¡¯d been here a total of twenty minutes, if that. She was a studious worker, but even she couldn¡¯t crack the mystery that fast. Pursing her lips¡ªwhy did these alien reactionse so naturally?¡ªshe reached down and unsped the two securing switches, then flipped them open. The chest cracked, and she tugged the container open. A ck portal greeted her. The expected sight. But again ¡­ so much more potent of an energy radiated from it than the other shards she¡¯d ventured. And that smell. Husky. Intense. Almost ¡­ carnal, in a way? It made her head spin just taking it in. And she hadn¡¯t even tasted it yet. Yes, something odd was going on with this shard. Sol paused, looking up and to the left, idly, as she strained her senses. The simcrum¡ªthat slime girl¡ªwasn¡¯t nearby. She was safe to continue. She just had to make sure she didn¡¯t be too distracted. Though sneaking up on her should be next to impossible, and Sol could simply rejoin the Passage, even if caught, Mother¡¯s directive was to be subtle. Satisfied she had a moment to herself, she bent over and reached in. It took a few moments of grasping around in the cold liminal space before her fingers wrapped around an object. Soft. Flexible. Fabric? She pulled the item out. Immediately, she was hit by the smell. Not the human kind¡ªa different type of perception her appropriated mind¡¯s vocabry couldn¡¯t fully exin. It reeked of that same energy the chest had, but condensed. That same intense, heady smell. Magic of a kind unlike the other shards she¡¯d explored. Almost as if ¡­ influenced by another Prime? Most of this world smelled and tasted of¡ªat a guess¡ªsome sort of god of order. Maybe. It was hard to tell. This, though. An equally potent power pervaded it, but definitely not of order. Or a mix of two? Was it proof? That multiple gods watched over this realm? Well, no. Beyond the realm¡¯s clear abandonment, just because it smelled different didn¡¯t mean it originated from a separate god. Still. It was perplexing. Unlike the previous shards, and, she suspected, unlike most shards. She inspected it in a more mundane manner. It was, indeed, fabric. Clothing of some kind. She narrowed her eyes, stretching the flimsy,cy piece of clothing. Panties? The word finally came. Er. An undergarment? Really? Sol paused as she rifled through her memories, but only became more confused. How odd. Why was this being produced by the shard? She¡¯d thought these brutalbyrinths focused onbat-rted items. As with most of the items given through a loot chest, it was imbued with powerful workings. Some sort of magical effect, though Sol couldn¡¯t begin to decipher it. Or them. Maybe there were a few. Keep them to study, or a quick snack? She briefly tried to convince herself to keep them around, but failed. As an item separate from the rest of the shard, the panties were a source of food that wouldn¡¯t elerate the pocket dimension¡¯s decay, as with Sol¡¯s snacking on more direct mechanisms. Plus, she was curious what the carnal energy tasted like. Eating the physical object itself wasn¡¯t necessary, but she did so anyways. The real energy came from the magic she broke down, then digested. But simpler to consume it in its entirety. And ¡­ Oh. Oh, wow. What was that feeling? She blinked as the energy coursed through her, but so unlike anything else she¡¯d feasted on. Or, at least, more intense¡ªshe¡¯d felt hints, earlier, of this sensation. And so satiating. So much more filling than anything else she¡¯d eaten. She rubbed her knees together, a heat growing between her legs that thrilled in satisfaction. Her thoughts grew cloudy, head starting to spin. Her face burned. What was happening? What was that energy that she¡¯d eaten, soparatively sparse in the rest of the shard? Moreover, what were these sensations? ¡­ lust? A hand quested out, sneaking down her clothing, burying into her panties. She found wetness, there, and the pressure of her fingers rubbing against lower lips thrilled through her, making her heart m in her chest. Lust. She knew what lust was, of course, being a primitive emotion found in nearly all higher-order creatures, but in her? Her people in general? The forms they took influenced them, but only to a minor extent. Most emotions were muted things. Hunger, the only that truly stood out. But this. This was so intense. Bad intense? Good intense? She plunged two fingers into herself, hand operating of its own ord¡ªguided by a pulsing hot need somewhere below her stomach. She cried out, the sensation of being filled, even by two slim fingers, making her thoughts go white. Good intense. She fell, knees impacting hard stone, but the pain didn¡¯t register. She worked two fingers in and out of herself, bulging her panties outward as her hand delved desperately. Her entire body shook as she pleasured herself. The artifact she¡¯d eaten. Clearly, consuming its essence had done this to her. Even through the shaking waves of hot ecstasy that pulsed through her, Sol¡¯s rational brain could deduce this. So. Carnal energy indeed¡ªit wasn¡¯t just the smell. A god of lust? Or some variation? But she hadn¡¯t seen any real hints of that through this shard. Had she? Her thoughts were too fuzzy. She couldn¡¯t sort this out, not right now. She bent over, pressing her forehead into the stone floor, two fingers still exploring herself rapidly. Clumsy, unexperienced motions, but intense enough to have her shaking. Masturbating. She found the word. Even lost to pleasure, Sol¡¯s brain turned the idea over, fascinated. She was fucking herself. With her fingers. That was how the locals would put it. Her people weren¡¯t, fundamentally, sexual creatures, and so Sol had little experience with this. Much less pleasure so intense. Groaning, the amplifying heat climbed, reaching a scorching peak that shocked Sol. She rolled over, pressing her back into the stone floor. She thrust her hips upward, straining her ass off the ground, and continued to rub, thrust, and curl with her fingers. She didn¡¯t know what she was doing, but any motion, clumsy or not, was helping to work her higher and higher. She wanted more. Needed it. She squeezed her breasts, noting how her nipples had grown painfully erect from arousal, then cried out, closing her eyes. Her hips jerked up and down in little twitches, her body one taut muscle, as euphoria washed across her. Heat flooded her veins in a way she¡¯d never experienced. The magma wiped away everything, including Sol¡¯s always-churning curious mind. She basked in ecstasy, uncaring of the world around her, falling apart from the pleasure her fingers brought her. ¡°Ha!¡± The noise, so unexpected, pierced the haze. Eyes shooting open¡ªlower half still twitching as she pleasured herself¡ªSol¡¯s head snapped to the left, where she saw an invader standing the doorway, having snuck up on her. A green slime girl, pointing at her, other hand on her hip, seeming supremely proud of herself. ¡°I found you! I knew there was someone here.¡± Sol melded with the Passage, vanishing from the creature¡¯s sight. The horror of being caught¡ªfailing in Mother¡¯s primary, and near-singr requirement¡ªwashed away, in part, the arousal clouding her thoughts. Her body still twitched with aftershocks, but she pulled her hand, fingers wet from her excitement, out of herself, and went very, very still. Submerged so deeply in the Passage¡ªalmost to the point it began sucking her away, back home¡ªshe could barely make out her surroundings. The slime girl¡¯s surprised words were dulled, distorted, like sounds heard underwater. ¡°What? Where¡¯d you go?¡± Home tugged at her soul, seeking to draw her from this world back to that dark, formless void her people had built their empire in. She took a metaphorical step forward, pulling away, melding closer to the other dimension. In her panic, she had dove too intensely¡ªshe steadied herself and adjusted her submersion to a reasonable amount. Enough to be hidden, but not be drawn away by the current. The stone walls, wooden chest, and slime girl came better into focus. Her words were more clear when she spoke next. Sol had missed part of what she¡¯d been saying during the struggle to stabilize. ¡°¡ªcould join me? It¡¯s even more fun in pairs?¡± Hm? She tried to patch together the first half of the sentence, but failed. The slime girl waited, then at ack of response from Sol, pouted, shoulders slouching. She looked around the room one more time, realizing the futility of confronting Sol¡ªprobably not knowing whether she was even there, anymore¡ªthen left, defeated. As Sol had noted, even if she was caught by this creature, disappearing was simple. She couldn¡¯t move while submerged into the Passage, even only a few steps in, but the slime girl didn¡¯t know that. She had no clue she¡¯d had a captive audience. Fortunate for Sol. The first time, when the girl had pled with her and asked what Sol was doing to her domain, she¡¯d felt a squirming difort in her stomach. Shame. Absurd as it was. She didn¡¯t want more of that. Now alone in the room, Sol looked down to see her legs were shaking. Even having ¡­ climaxed? ¡­ arousal pulsed through her. The effects of eating that strange energy persisted. And so satiating. So much more than it should have been. What did it mean? There were still so many things to discover about this ce. Sol was convinced, by this point, that she¡¯d wandered into a highly aberrant shard. And the slime girl? Maybe Sol should study her. For that matter, the rest of the shard. The vines, especially, she was starting to think she¡¯d overlooked. They¡¯d shied form her previously, but Sol had a suspicion what their purpose was, now. And, of course, intended to confirm or deny it. What use was an untested hypothesis? 4.20 – Easing In 4.20 ¨C Easing In ¡°Inme or mute internal statuses,¡± Maddy said thoughtfully. ¡°I wonder how broad that is.¡± Like Zoey had with Sabina, she¡¯d revealed her newest skill with the tutor best suited to help her with it. Beyond the ability needing to be divulged, so that she could learn to use it, Zoey didn¡¯t see a point to the stringent secrecy that was the standard for this world. Maybe if she trusted Maddy less, but this bubbly, friendly girl? Even if Zoey¡¯s skill had been a lot more specific, and worth keeping the details hidden, she would¡¯ve shared it. ¡°I¡¯d figure anything in that domain,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Any emotion, either dulled or amplified. But my ss¡¯s rted ones, probably most effective.¡± Arousal, she politely didn¡¯t specify. Maddy nced at her and blushed, picking up the implication, but brushing past it. While she seemed to be growing slightly more at-ease with inappropriate topics, she still turned pink at mentions of Zoey¡¯s ss. ¡°Emotions are a safe bet,¡± Maddy said. ¡°How about sensations? Is ¡®pain¡¯ an internal status? Speaking from abat utility perspective, ring up a monster¡¯s wounds could be debilitating.¡± ¡°True,¡± Zoey said. ¡°I¡¯d test it on myself, but we¡¯d have to create a spell for each application, right?¡± ¡°Sure, but it shouldn¡¯t be that hard. Not simple ones. We can take existing spell designs and tweak them.¡± ¡°For you, it wouldn¡¯t be hard,¡± Zoey amusedly pointed out. ¡°I don¡¯t have the slightest idea how to do that.¡± While she¡¯d been making strides in the practical side of spellcasting, the theoretical side, she remained clueless about. Maddy had painted the process in broad strokes, but it was more or less the same as painting quantum physics, or some equally absurd topic, in broad strokes. Nuance fell to the wayside, and actually implementing the things Maddy so casually mentioned? Zoey obviously couldn¡¯t. Maybe with a dedicated upbring by a powerful mage, like Maddy had received, Zoey would be able to manage something, but she obviously didn¡¯t have that. And even if she had that sort of background, even still, she might not be able to. Maddy was clearly a brilliant woman, for all she stumbled over her words and was sometimes distractible. A prodigy in her own right, in the same way as Rosalie or Delta. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll put something together for you, then,¡± Maddy said. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t take long, and we can bill it under ¡®tutoring¡¯. Even if spell design would normally cost mountains.¡± It was said with a joking tone, but Zoey frowned. ¡°I probably can¡¯t afford it now, but I might be able to,ter. Keep track of it?¡± ¡°Oh, no, I don¡¯t care. It¡¯s no problem.¡± Maddy blushed. ¡°I¡¯m already starting to feel bad for charging you for even this.¡± She waved around to indicate ¡®lessons¡¯. ¡°Why? It sounds like your time is valuable.¡± ¡°Well, sure, but we¡¯re friends, now. Er ¡­ that is, if, you ¡­ you know, think so too.¡± ¡°Of course I do,¡± Zoey said. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean you should be wasting hours of your day training me for free, every day. And this spell design stuff, now. Keep track of how much you¡¯d charge someone else, and when I can, I¡¯ll pay you back. Please?¡± ¡°That¡¯s really not necessary.¡± ¡°Please?¡± Zoey repeated. She really would feel better about things. Her time spent in this new world had felt like a drain on other people¡¯s generosity. Rosalie¡¯s, primarily, but Delta¡¯s and Sabina¡¯s too, and now Maddy. ¡°Okay,¡± Maddy said hesitantly. ¡°But I¡¯ll be giving you the friend discount, and you can¡¯t convince me out of that.¡± Zoey would¡¯ve tried, but she could tell insisting further would be pointless. ¡°I can probably have a simple prototype drawn up pretty quick,¡± Maddy said. ¡°Go ahead and run through our drills, and I¡¯ll start sketching?¡± ¡°Sounds good to me.¡± Zoey went about her routine, practicing with the few ice spells she knew. To the side, Maddy sat on the bench, scribbling in her notebook while conferring with various textbooks. Zoey watched out of the corner of her eye, curious, but mostly kept focused on learning to wrangle her ice element. While this newest branch of magic would be useful, so was her original, especially in a more direct offensive sense. Though inming ¡®internal statuses¡¯ was sure to have plenty of uses, it couldn¡¯t kill a monster by itself. It was, from her assumptions, a support branch of magic. Casting spells in a steady string, Zoey found her reserves dwindling in no time. While her ss allowed more potent abilities because of her mana-recement resource, Lust, she also ran out much quicker than a normal mage would. Doubly true because of how unpracticed she was. Better mages could make more efficient use of their skills, but Zoey was, while not a stark beginner anymore, still very much a novice. A half-hourter, she plopped down, tired, next to Maddy, who spared a smile for her, then studiously returned to her notebook. Zoey leaned over with a ¡°can I see?¡±, which Maddy allowed, cing her notebook on herp for Zoey to peek, but continuing to focus on her sketching. A spell diagram was taking shape on the page. Zoey, obviously, couldn¡¯t read it, not in any meaningful capacity, but she appreciated the design for what it was: tight-packed, drawn with deft pencil strokes, and a clearpetence behind the forming spell. Not many mages could do this easily, Zoey intuited. Invent new spells nearly from scratch, on a whim. Zoey watched for a bit, staying quiet, not wanting to interrupt Maddy¡¯s efforts. She was clearly focused on the endeavor, having to flip between pages of textbooks¡ªwhich featured simr designs, which Maddy was stealing from, and adapting to Zoey¡¯s purpose¡ªand constantly erasing or making small adjustments. ¡°That ought to do it,¡± Maddy said, satisfied. She closed the books to her side, then held out her notebook, admiring the final result. Or, the initial draft¡ªMaddy seemed to have implied there¡¯d be some experimentation involved. ¡°Time to test it.¡± Zoey twitched in realization. ¡°Ah ¡­ I should¡¯ve gone and recharged while you were working. I¡¯m all out.¡± Maddy paused. However many times they¡¯d been through this, Zoey¡¯s reminders that Zoey needed to ¡®restock¡¯¡ªor rather, the reminder how¡ªdrew a blush from the blue-haired girl. And, this time even more than usual, Maddy starting fidgeting. Zoey stood to head for the bathroom¡ªunfortunately, the most private amodations she could manage¡ªbut Maddy cleared her throat, then said: ¡°You can, um. Do it here, if you want.¡± Zoey turned, slowly, to look at her. ¡°I-I¡¯m just saying,¡± Maddy squeaked, ncing away. ¡°All the ¡­ running back and forth, it¡¯s too much of a hassle. Wastes time. How about you just take care of it? This is a private room.¡± Zoey sorted through her reaction as quickly as she could. Maddy, more than Delta and even Rosalie had been, needed to be handled carefully when it came to the lewder aspects of her ss. Zoey couldn¡¯t afford to be awkward; she needed to handle things smoothly, as to not scare Maddy away. To set her at ease. And this was an invitation. Not of anything serious, but still an offer for Zoey to masturbate¡ªwell, not really masturbate, but kind of¡ªin front of her. Which wasn¡¯t a chaste thing by any measure. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind,¡± Zoey said carefully. Maddy shrugged. She wasn¡¯t good at feigning nonchnce, and her fidgeting gave her away, if the bright blush hadn¡¯t already. ¡°Only if you don¡¯t mind, either. Like I said, it¡¯s just a hassle, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°A bit,¡± Zoey admitted. She sat back down on the bench attached to the training room¡¯s wall. ¡°But yourfort matters a lot more, obviously.¡± ¡°Well,¡± Maddy tittered, ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that, but it¡¯s not that big of a deal.¡± Maddy chuckled, again, a bit forced. She was giving away pretty clearly that, to her, it was a big deal. She didn¡¯t go around offering just any girl to masturbate in front of her. ¡°And I¡¯m kind of curious, too,¡± she admitted. ¡°You clearly have a way to ¡­ recharge ¡­ but you mentioned it has to be with a bonded target. And you don¡¯t meet up with Rosalie or Delta, do you?¡± Zoey hadn¡¯t ever exined the teleporting panties to Maddy. And for all her blushing, she did seem genuinely curious about the how from an academic sense. Except, today¡¯s use of the panties was different from usual. It had been Delta¡¯s request, actually. ¡°I have an item,¡± Zoey said. ¡°That makes distance not so big of a deal. Want to see?¡± ¡°Sure?¡± Maddy¡¯s wide-eyes suggested she had an idea of what she was in for, if not the details. Zoey briefly wondered whether she should show the item off in its current state. She hadn¡¯t received permission to go parading it around. But it was Delta, and Zoey was close to certain she wouldn¡¯t mind. Would hit Zoey over the head for not taking the opportunity, even. Zoey withdrew the linking te from her inventory. Not the portal panties. She wasn¡¯t the one wearing them, today. She held the silver disc out for Maddy to see. There, sitting in Zoey¡¯s palm, was Delta¡¯s pussy. ¡°It simplifies the logistics,¡± Zoeyughed, scooting closer to Maddy, so their shoulders bumped together. ¡°Delta insisted. Usually I wear the other end, and when I get hard, it signals they need to take care of me.¡± Maddy gaped at the silver te, where Delta¡¯s cute pussy lips protruded. Her head had turned away, as if instinctively trying to look somewhere else¡ªto be polite¡ªbut her eyes had stayed locked to Delta. ¡°Delta? That¡¯s her?¡± Zoey pressed two fingers between soft lips, rubbing them around. Maddy¡¯s eyes widened further, and she actually did look away, this time¡ªthen forced her gaze back, as if embarrassed that she¡¯d done so. ¡°In the flesh,¡± Zoey teased. ¡°Can¡¯t you recognize her?¡± By the way Maddy¡¯s face had gone from pink to deep red, Zoey could tell she was pushing it. Slow and steady would be important with Maddy. She pulled the linking te away, then scooted a few inches to give Maddy a second to cool off. Steam practically radiated from her, even just from shoulder contact and the lewd disy of Delta¡¯s pussy. Zoey said, ¡°But you don¡¯t mind, then? You¡¯re sure? If I handle it here? It might get loud.¡± ¡°I said it was fine, didn¡¯t I?¡± Maddy¡¯s volume¡ªlouder than she¡¯d intended¡ªmade herself jump. She really was on edge. In a good way? The bright-red blushing and stammering wasn¡¯t indicating she wanted to leave, just that was was mortified. She yanked her notebook up to her face, blocking her face. ¡°I¡¯ll just keep working. Don¡¯t mind me.¡± Well, she¡¯d been given permission. And for all Maddy¡¯sck ofposure, Zoey would have to be blind not to see that she wanted Zoey to make a spectacle of this. A spectacle. Zoey intended to provide one. A good starting point for easing Maddy into the debacle of uing shards, should that day hopefullye. 4.21 – Spectacle 4.21 ¨C Spectacle Zoey set Delta¡¯s pussy to the side, between her and Maddy, then popped open her pants button. Her blood thrummed with excitement. Though she doubted much would be happening between her and Maddy, today, getting to expose herself¡ªand masturbate, using Delta¡¯s pussy¡ªin front of the blushing girl was, obviously, something that had Zoey¡¯s stomach squirming. She hadn¡¯t ever been an exhibitionist, but, as was bing a recurring trend, it seemed a new kink might be adding to a rapidly expanding list. Next, her boxers came down. Fourteen inches of erect girl dick stood proudly in the air, a bead of pre-cum dribbling at the tip, dering Zoey¡¯s growing excitement. To her side, Maddy sucked in a breath of air. Despite having hidden behind her notebook, and iming she¡¯d mind her own business, she¡¯d apparently taken a sneak peek¡ªand gotten more than she¡¯d been prepared for. Zoey nced over at her, smirking, but Maddy fervently pretended she¡¯d made no such noise. ¡°I w-wasn¡¯t looking! Sorry!¡± She buried her nose even closer to her notebook. ¡°I don¡¯t mind if you do,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Like you said, it¡¯s not that big of a deal. This¡¯s just how my ss works. Gotta get used to it, right?¡± Despite her attempts to y the event down, Zoey¡¯s mming heart belied the truth of the situation. Just because she¡¯d been getting a lot of action recently didn¡¯t make this encounter any less exciting. While not as degenerate as some things she¡¯d gotten up to, getting to expose herself to Maddy still had Zoey¡¯s body on fire. She just pretend it didn¡¯t, for Maddy¡¯s sake. ¡°Right,¡± Maddy said, lowering her notebook a few inches down, revealing gray eyes and the tops of her burning red cheeks. She stole a look at Zoey¡¯s cock, before flushing even deeper and returning the notebook. ¡°How does it even fit?¡± ¡°A convenient skill.¡± Zoey picked up Delta¡¯s pussy, then rubbed her tip against soft lips, a quiet gasp escaping her. Delta had, in the imminent arrival of this encounter¡ªfeeling herself exposed, then Zoey¡¯s fingers teasing her¡ªstarted to show her own excitement. Zoey worked Delta¡¯s natural lubricant around her cock¡¯s head, then down her shaft, spreading Delta¡¯s lips apart as she rubbed around. Having a pussy in convenient, hand-held form was really something. ¡°But even with a skill, it can be a bit much.¡± ¡°A bit much,¡± Maddy breathed. ¡°I get the feeling you¡¯re understating things.¡± The notebook finally lowered back onto herp, though Maddy pointedly focused on developing the spell diagram, trying to ignore Zoey. She stole quick nces, flickers, as if sneaking looks at the sun. ¡°Maybe a bit. Nobody reallyins, though. It¡¯s a challenge in a good way, I¡¯ve heard.¡± Maddy blushed, then flipped to a new page in her notebook. ¡°I¡¯ll start making some other variations for your inme skill. Take as long as you need.¡± Zoey intended to. Usually with these sessions, the goal was to finish as quick as possible, thus recharging her Lust resource. With this new development? She¡¯d take her time. Be loud. Be enthusiastic. This was, by far, the best opportunity for working Maddy up to Zoey¡¯s ss that she¡¯d gotten. Zoey desperately wanted her on the team, and while Zoey had a feeling the blue-haired girl wouldn¡¯t be jumping into bed with her anytime soon, Maddy needed to be somewhat at ease with everything, if she wanted to join the team. So. Breaking down her defenses. Giving her a show. Maybe if she worked Maddy up enough, even, this would progress from something more than a bout of exhibitionism and voyeurism. Maybe Maddy would involve herself more directly. Though, Zoey doubted that. At absolute most, a handjob, and even that, she didn¡¯t think would be happening. Maddy didn¡¯t seem the kind of girl to be jumping into those sorts of situations. But maybe something? Having used Delta¡¯s pussy to lubricate herself, Zoey teased her cockhead between Delta¡¯s lower lips. She pushed, spreading Delta apart, burying her tip just a half-inch in. She could imagine Delta groaning and cursing at the slow pace she was taking, wanting Zoey to thrust inside already. The wetness Zoey had avable to lubricate herself made it pretty clear. Unfortunately for her, that wasn¡¯t the n today. She gripped her shaft with one hand, steadying it, then continued to rub her tip half-in inside of Delta, not spreading her all the way open, but definitely spreading her. A noise escaped the back of her throat, one which wasn¡¯t intentionally part of the show. Maddy jumped at it, but, face burning red, pointedly kept her attention on her notebook. Zoey finally entered Delta, sliding her pussy down her cock. She groaned, loudly, and again, it was only half intentional. She wanted to put on a show, but she didn¡¯t have to y things up. Delta really did feel that good. ¡°Fuck, she¡¯s so tight,¡± Zoey murmured. A long, drawn-out breath left her as she slid Delta further and further down her shaft. She felt her cock bump into Delta¡¯s deepest reaches half-way down, but kept pushing. Her skill allowed the intrusion. She buried her cock into Delta until the linking te had pressed between her legs, and all fourteen inches of her dick was squeezed by tight, wet walls. An image shed into her mind, Delta having fallen to her knees, hands pressed into her panties, stuffed suddenly with such an enormous girldick. She¡¯d learnedst night that for all Delta¡¯s experience, Zoey¡¯s member wasn¡¯t something that could ¡®just be handled¡¯. She¡¯d been as easy to take apart as anyone else. Or, maybe not as easy, but experience didn¡¯t mean Delta was difficult to turn into a blushing, twitching mess. ¡°Fuck,¡± Zoey repeated. She pulled Delta up, then pped back down, stuffing her with cock in a smooth motion. Zoey¡¯s back arched in pleasure. ¡°I¡¯m d I don¡¯t have to stay quiet. She feels so good.¡± Maddy¡¯s pencil shook as she sketched, her typically steady hand losing itsposure, as the rest of her. The girl¡¯s crumbling defenses spurred Zoey on. She scooted closer, pressing a naked leg into Maddy¡¯s, continuing to use Delta¡¯s pussy to pleasure herself even while she cozied up to the other girl. ¡°What¡¯s this newest one you¡¯re working on?¡± Zoey asked, keeping her voice casual¡ªthough there was a breathlessness to it, even trying to ¡®y things down¡¯. ¡°Um,¡± Maddy said. ¡°Just a v-variation. Ought to have a few things to experiment with, once you¡¯re ready.¡± ¡°Yeah. Good idea.¡± Zoey pumped away, Delta¡¯s pussy caressing her cock in long strokes. ¡°Just tell me if you change your mind with all this, okay? Or if you don¡¯t want me so close, or anything. Like I said, yourfort matters most.¡± Zoey wanted to push boundaries, to ease Maddy into this, but it was also important to emphasize Maddy was in control, here. ¡°Not a problem,¡± Maddy said. ¡°We¡¯re both adults. I said it was fine. And it is. B-Besides, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m a total virgin, okay?¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t?¡± She¡¯d kind of figured she was. Maddy shot a re her way. A re from the bubbly girl was effectively a pout, and it was awfully cute. The nce also brought Zoey¡¯s masturbation to the forefront of Maddy¡¯s vision, and her gaze instantly skirted back to her notebook. ¡°No. Kind of,¡± Maddy said. ¡°Um. Once.¡± ¡°With who? A girl?¡± Maddy nodded. Zoey had figured. Maddy seemed to prefer girls¡ªprobably one of the reasons Delta had picked her as potential teammate. ¡°Would this bother you, then?¡± ¡°Your, um?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± It was a consistent worry of Zoey¡¯s. Cocks weren¡¯t everyone¡¯s thing, much less ¡­ well, fourteen inches of one. Maddy, though, continuing, the trend, didn¡¯t seem to mind. She blushed. ¡°No. It¡¯s not¡ªwell, it wouldn¡¯t, I mean¡ªyou know.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Just checking.¡± Zoey leaned back, the long up-and-down strokes of Delta¡¯s pussy starting to rouse that growing heat in her core. She wondered how Delta was faring. While having a pocket-pussy, literally, was nice, the best part of sex was the intimacy, and not getting to hear Delta moaning as she stuffed her full was a downside¡ªthough plenty of upsides were present in this event, too. ¡°Do you, um, need help?¡± Maddy asked suddenly. Zoey froze. ¡°I mean with an illusion, or something!¡± Maddy¡¯s wide eyes indicated she genuinely hadn¡¯t picked up on what her offer would¡¯ve sounded like. ¡°I can, you know, make something. For you. To speed it up. If you want. Visual stimuli.¡± Sheughed nervously, then hunched forward and scribbled in her notebook. This newest spell diagram was much sloppier than the first. ¡°Make something?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°A visual aid. If you want.¡± She shrugged nonchntly. Or, in an attempt to be nonchnt. The girl was a mess. One of the reasons Zoey¡¯d been enjoying this so much. ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°Whatever you want. Um. Within reason?¡± Maddy hunched even further into her notebook. ¡°The guild receptionist is really pretty, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°The brown-haired girl?¡± ¡°Lucy. Yeah.¡± A grin slid across Zoey¡¯s face. So, there was a pervert hiding underneath those lighting-quick blushes and that exuberant, innocent personality. ¡°You¡¯re gonna put on a show with a stranger, for me?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t¡ªit¡¯s just that¡ª¡° ¡°Please,¡± Zoey said. ¡°It¡¯d help.¡± Maddy¡¯s breath started toe faster, and she unslouched. Swallowing, she held her hand out, stroking burning lines of magic into the air with her fingers in deft, practiced motions. An illusion shimmered to life. The brown-haired receptionist, Lucy, stood there, dressed in only her underwear. Zoey¡¯s heart rate picked up, and, reinvigorated, she started stroking herself faster using Delta¡¯s pussy. The illusion was surprisingly tame, just a woman in moderately revealing underwear, considering what Maddy could do, her imagination being the limit. Still, it was a woman stripped down to her underwear, alluring curves on disy. Zoey would never be immune to that, however degenerate her adventures got. Plus, Delta¡¯s very real pussy stroking her. She groaned as her hand picked up pace, and Lucy put on a show for Zoey, guided by Maddy. Lucy¡¯s hands ran across her hips and thighs, tracing her figure, and she squeezed her tits together. ¡°You have practice with this, then?¡± Zoey asked, her mind starting to grow fuzzy with pleasure. Delta¡¯s pussy was seriously amazing, and this was only the second time she¡¯d ever gotten to use it. Well. Second by session. She and Rosalie had made good use of their foxgirl teammatest night, definitely more than just ¡®once¡¯. ¡°This doesn¡¯t look like a first try.¡± Maddy blushed. ¡°I mean ¡­ wouldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Fair,¡± Zoeyughed. ¡°Definitely would.¡± She moaned, squirming on the bench. ¡°F-Fuck. I¡¯m getting close. More?¡± Maddy obliged the request, her face turning deeper and deeper shades of red. Lucy stripped off her bra and panties, then took a few steps forward, providing an even more detailed show for Zoey. The rity of the image was shocking. Perfectly real to life. Expected from a trained illusionist. ¡°Delta said you don¡¯t wear clothes,¡± Zoey said, groaning as pleasure coursed through her. ¡°That you wear an illusion around. Is that true?¡± Maddy stared, wide-eyed, at Zoey. ¡°W-What? How did she¡ª? I mean, no! What?¡± Zoeyughed at how easy it had been. Maddy was an abysmal liar. The idea thrilled through Zoey. She doubted it was something Maddy did often, but she had stripped herself naked then wandered out into public, before. ¡°So you¡¯re an exhibitionist?¡± Zoey asked, even if the question was unnecessary, since she could read the truth in Maddy¡¯s blushing reaction. She stroked faster, up and down, Delta¡¯s pussy caressing out a building orgasm. Close. She was close to exploding. Maddy was watching her, now. She¡¯d stopped studying her notebook. Though, in wide-eyed fake outrage. ¡°Of course not! I¡¯m not s-some kind of pervert. Honestly, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Fuck,¡± Zoey said. ¡°I¡¯m close.¡± She wanted to tease Maddy more about her recent discovery, but her cock was starting to seize, to reach a burning heat that was impossible to resist. ¡°I¡¯m going to cum.¡± She said it out loud, of course, for Maddy¡¯s benefit. ¡°Delta¡¯s pussy is so tight. I can¡¯t stop.¡± She gripped the linking te with two hands, jerking desperately. ¡°I¡¯m cumming. Fuck.¡± She pped Delta¡¯s pussy down with onest desperate motion, then bent forward, toes curling as euphoria washed through her. She moaned, body shaking, as her cock seized, then spilled thick, sticky cream into Delta¡¯s pussy. She kept eye contact with Maddy through the whole twitching process, for each long string of girlcum she spilled into Delta¡¯s pussy. Maddy, likewise, was entranced, face burning red, drawing hand frozen, but not looking away. ¡°Fuck. So good. Delta¡¯s pussy is so good.¡± She spewed other lewd obscenities, mind fuzzy with the pleasure washing across her. Maddy watched diligently, which spurred things along. Finally, the event wrapped up. Her orgasm sagged away, leaving Zoey exhausted. Maddy had dispelled her illusion at some point. Panting, Zoey looked down at her stickyp, where her enormous load had, of course, not been able to be contained in just Delta¡¯s pussy. ¡°I, um, have a towel,¡± Zoey said, exhausted. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Then, ying into the absurdity of the situation, she asked, faux-casually, pulling Delta¡¯s pussy off her cock, leaving a cream-covered fourteen inches standing proudly, ¡°So. How¡¯s the new spelling along? Should be topped off to test them, now.¡± Maddy, briefly, stared at Zoey, mouth opened. Then she twitched into motion, hurrying to respond. ¡°Um. Pretty good?¡± 4.22 – Dreaming 4.22 ¨C Dreaming With Zoey¡¯s arousal having washed away, she would admit the aftermath was the the slightest bit awkward. Fortunately, Maddy also seemed intent on brushing past the horribly degenerate things the two of them had engaged in. Not that, literally speaking, they¡¯d done much degenerate, notpared to Zoey¡¯s new standards. Masturbating in front of another girl? Even with another girl¡¯s teleported pussy, it wasn¡¯t that strange, notpared to a twenty-inch cock bulging her girlfriend¡¯s stomach out, or Rosalie and Zoey sharing a cock to fuck Delta for the first time. But it still felt that way. Fortunately, they had meaningful distractions to concern themselves with. Maddy¡¯s new spells. Or, spell. The second one she¡¯d sketched during Zoey¡¯s ¡®recharging¡¯ hadn¡¯te out correctly. Apparently, Maddy had been too distracted to formteplex spell designs. Understandable. But, her first spell. The one she¡¯d made before the event. That was ready to go. ¡°It¡¯s the obvious one,¡± Maddy said. ¡°Arousal. Which, um, probably not something you want to deal with, now. Having just ¡­¡± she coughed. ¡°But it¡¯s the most fitting to your ss, and a novel enough application I gravitated to it. A spell that arouses? A tricky spell to invent, even piece-meal. It might not work. I¡¯ve never heard of such a thing. But I organized the glyphs in such a way that it should.¡± She frowned. ¡°It can sometimes be an art more than a science, spell design. I hope I got it right.¡± ¡°Should I use it on myself?¡± Zoey asked, studying the diagram, which Maddy had handed to her. ¡°Well, who else, silly?¡± Maddy asked. Maddy paused. ¡°Oh! Um! I mean¡ª!¡± ¡°Myself is fine,¡± Zoey rushed to assure her. Like usual, Maddy¡¯s innocence¡ªwhich was only half innocence, she¡¯d discovered¡ªwas endlessly endearing. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best. Getting something right the first try is going to be hard, though.¡± ¡°Try as much as you need,¡± Maddy said, cheeks pink. ¡°I¡¯ll critique, like usual. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here.¡± Zoey wasn¡¯t sure why she¡¯d suggested she¡¯d use an arousal spell on Maddy. Obviously casting such a strange spell on herself should have been her default instinct. Just, external influence seemed more natural. Or maybe it¡¯d been her pervertedness guiding her. Which, she would admit, existed. After all her recent adventures, she had to concede she was far from a vani, blushing dilettante. Her preferences were bing more refined as the days passed. Days. Only days? God, what would she look like a few weeks from now, if she¡¯d changed this much in less than a week? Or months, for that matter? Then again, had she really changed? Or just been introduced to a lifestyle she¡¯d easily epted? She focused. She had a spell to test. Using the diagram Maddy had quickly thrown together, Zoey used her newest arcana specialty and attempted to manifest an arousal spell. The design of the spell defined most of the behavior, but some mental guidance was required, too. In this case, picking a target. She chose herself. And was surprised to find the spell not fizzle. Though Zoey was improving, and learning to experiment with new spells rather than a single, she hadn¡¯t expected her first attempt to be a sess. Especially because it¡¯d been hastily assembled by Maddy. The blue-haired girl hadn¡¯t sounded confident she¡¯d gotten it right. A hot surge of arousal coursed through her, shocking in its speed and intensity. That, of course, meant Zoey''s rather-noticeable equipment, thus having been sated, stirred to life, stiffening and making even her loose pants suddenly very tight. Though Zoey half paid attention to that. After so many lewd adventures, both contrived and chosen, she''d grown ustomed to dealing with arousal. But produced through a spell? The forcefulness, andck of stimuli to arouse her naturally, somehow made the effect more intense, not less. A shaky breath escaped her lips as she fought down a sudden urge to pin down the wide-eyed, blushing girl in front of her. She wanted to do it so badly. To climb over Maddy and give her fourteen inches of stiff girl cock. To bump around in her deepest reaches, joining their lower halves desperately. Through great effort, she chased the urge away. Or down. Definitely not away. "It worked," Zoey said, voice shaky, ncing away from Maddy. Maddy stared at Zoey. Zoey got the impression some of her previous thoughts had shown through, and that Maddy had read them in as day. Zoey cleared her throat, still looking somewhere safer. Maddy''s robes really were unreasonably tight. Was that intentional? Obviously not. Equipment dropped from random shards. But fuck, it looked good on her. ¡°It worked,¡± Maddy stuttered. "That''s good! Um. It¡¯s pretty strong, I''m taking it? It is your third advancement rune, so, um. Makes sense." Maddy''s awkwardness only had Zoey¡¯s urge to pin her down spiking even higher. How was this girl so cute? Zoey knew a quick way to dispel that hesitancy. Once she gave the girl a proper taste of her cock, she wouldn''t blush every time the topic was brought up. Swallowing, and disoriented at how intense the arousal spell¡¯s influence was, Zoey said, "First try. I''m impressed. You said improvising spells is hard." That, at least, started to drag them back. The spell''s effect was dispersing, bit by bit. Not gone, but fading. Maddy was pointedly not looking at the bulge in Zoey¡¯s pants. "It''s not the easiest thing, but I''ve been training for it forever." The talk of spellcasting was, unsurprisingly, a topic genuinely effective at distracting Maddy. "I really didn''t think it would work, though. Haven''t ever heard of a spell that arouses someone, so I had to make some big assumptions." "And the others?" Zoey found it hard to focus. Half because of the spells effect, half because she couldn''t wait to test this out with Rosalie and Delta. What kinds of noises¨Cand begging¨Ccould she draw out of Rosalie whenbining this, some chemical enhancements, and growing Rosalie her own cock, as Sabina had recently invented? Could she gave her girlfriend climaxing without even touching her? That would be a fun event. Focus, Zoey chided herself. "Other applications?" Maddy asked. "Let''s try out anger, then pain? I have a feeling those won''te as naturally to you, though." Probably true. The arousal spell had been surprisingly easy to cast on the first try. It aligned to her ss. Further testing was best saved forter, though. Namely, when Maddy wasn''t in the crossfire. *** Magic lessons wrapped up, Zoey headed back to the guild. Up in her room, she discovered¡ªunsurprisingly¡ªRosalie hadn¡¯t returned. She wouldn¡¯t for an hour or two, maybe more. Normally, Zoey would fill this time with studying. Especially with Sabina¡¯s new rewards, she found herself both intrinsically and extrinsically motivated. But there¡¯d been something she¡¯d wanted to test. With how packed her schedule was, some exciting discoveries had needed to be put off. With a moment to herself, the opportunity to experiment had arrived. [Potion of Expanded Consciousness] - Open the consumer¡¯s mind to the dream world, allowing external influences to delve deep into one¡¯s psyche. It wasn¡¯t the only potion Sabina had catalyzed that Zoey intended to y with over the following days¡ªthe aphrodisiacs and sensitivity enhancers were tragically underused¡ªbut she¡¯d been slowly formting ns for each. Maybe it was best, even, that they¡¯d been left to the wayside. Zoey had a devious event nned for Rosalie¡¯s first time with her own cock. For now, the dream potion. Zoey didn¡¯t know what it would do, and, based on the description, maybe she was being reckless by not taking precautions. Then again, what precautions were there? And Sabina had warned her, but not seemed overly worried. Still, Zoey didn¡¯t simply take a swig and crash on the bed. She made minor preparations. Namely, an rm, as to hopefully only be out for a cat nap¡ªand possibly cutting off any unpleasant experience, if it turned out to be such¡ªthen wrote a note for Rosalie, leaving it on the nightstand, should this end up sinking Zoey into some fugue. That done, she popped open the dubious potion and downed the vial. It tasted like cinnamon. A more pleasant taste than many of the ones she¡¯d drunk. Almost immediately, she was hit with a wave of vertigo. She swayed on her feet, then stagged into the bed, only half controlling her copse. She blinked rapidly, vision already going fuzzy, and fumbled the empty vial onto the nightstand next to the note. Trepidation, of course, reared up at the sudden, intense disorientation, and how quickly her vision was fuzzing and turning ck, but she¡¯d expected it. She settled onto the bed, more of a controlled copse, then cozied up against the headboard, propping herself with pillows. Her eyes, impossibly heavy, finally sagged shut, and her head lolled to the side, unconsciousness iming her. 4.23 – Kali 4.23 ¨C Kali Zoey¡¯s consciousness expanded, one awareness traded for another. She floated from high above, formless, with pinpricks of light bursting into existence beneath her. Tens of thousands of them, varying colors, linked by spindly, trailing ribbons connecting the points in a spiderweb of dizzyingplexity. It took a second to organize her thoughts. Having a moment ago been chemically knocked unconscious, she had to fight off a fogginess in her brain. It lifted slowly. She found herself floating, without a body, above the sea of lights and interconnecting ribbons. She tried to make sense of it. ¡®Open the consumer¡¯s mind to the dream world¡¯ had been the potion¡¯s description. So this was that, then? The dream world? Were each of those colorful lights a dream? The mass floated too far away to make out in detail. Could she move, somehow? It came naturally. Her formless body drifted, guided by her intent, descending into the ocean. While from above it had looked like the lights were all at the same elevation, as she approached, she saw that wasn¡¯t true. There was a depth, with some orbs higher and lower, though not by much. The sky, and the space above the mass, however, was empty. The pinpricks expanded into orbs as she neared. Strangely, the ribbons stayed the same size, despite her descent, not growing with her shifting perspective as they should. It was a disorienting effect. She did her best to ignore it, growing vaguely nauseous. With the nearest orb nearly on her, she focused on that, instead. The ssy, misty sphere grew until she could make out details. A scene yed out inside the orb¡¯s depths. Fascinated, Zoey finished closing the gap. The image was discernible, though not clear. It seemed to be a stress dream, the unfortunate subject¡ªa middle-aged woman with short brown hair¡ªhaving an animated, heated conversation with someone important to her. She could almost hear what they were saying. Zoey pressed a little bit closer, and¡ª And bumped her head. Not that she had a head, being a formless, floating construct of thought, but that was what it felt like. She¡¯d been rejected from inspecting the orb¡ªthe dream?¡ªcloser. Or perhaps from entering it. She wondered why. The orb had a yellow tint to it. Did the colors mean something? Looking around, other lights¡ªsome near, some far¡ªhad different hues and of varying vibrancies. Zoey watched the woman¡¯s dream for a few moments, running her fingers¡ªher mind¡¯s fingers?¡ªacross the ssy-mist pane, questingly, testing for weaknesses or a way in. But Zoey was barred from this one. Surely not all? It would make this adventure rather anticlimactic. Considering her ss, Zoey had a suspicious how this would work. If there were a category of dreams she were allowed to slip into, what would it be? Zoey turned away from the yellow-tinted orb. She floated upward, leaving the previous behind, and scanned the ocean in front of her. Sex dreams. Obviously, those would be the ones Zoey could invade, or had some sort of affinity toward. How did she identify which those were? Were the colors identification? Describing the type of dream? And maybe the saturation described the intensity? What color would sex dreams be? Pink, Zoey settled on, eyes falling onto the nearest. She descended back into the sea of pinpricks and lines, approaching the orb. Her theory over color categorizations was proved in short order. Inside the vision¡ªfoggy, as the previous, but clear enough to see¡ªa blonde woman was being thoroughly handled by three men. Zoey paused, despite having expected something of the sorts, then politely withdrew. Beyond not wanting to join in on that scenario, for obvious reasons, she¡¯d rather find a dream that was more in the ¡®beginning¡¯ stages than the ¡®well into them¡¯. Plus, more even than the prospect of getting to y around in strangers¡¯ dreams, she found herself intrigued by thendscape in general. The dreamworld and how it worked. She wanted to explore more before diving in. The previous orb had been deeply tinted, which would line up with her suspicion that intensity of the hue meant intensity of the dream. Deep pink, to represent the woman¡¯s erotic dream that had been well underway. Ascending to get a better view, Zoey searched through the ocean of spheres, then, identifying a lighter pink one, pulled close. Her second guess was right. Or at least not proved wrong, since two points of data couldn¡¯t guarantee anything. But this dream, a softer hue of pink, featured two men trapped in a closet together. Zoey got the impression it was a memory being relived. The dream hadn¡¯t actually taken the turn toward what it was obviously leading to. Zoey assumed once it did, the hue tinting the misty sphere would darken considerably. Zoey departed quickly, feeling like she was intruding. And, obviously, as the previous, the dream wasn¡¯t territory she wanted to encroach on. Reasonably, the dreamworld didn¡¯t present only dreams suited to Zoey¡¯s preferences, but all dreams. She left the dark-haired man¡¯s burgeoning fantasy to himself. The intimacy of the previous two fantasies made Zoey ufortable. Her initial wonder and excitement was fading now that the novelty was wearing off¡ªif only in a tiny way¡ªand she started to doubt the ¡­ well, ethicality behind this. She was effectively spying on people¡¯s inner thoughts and desires. For that matter, diving into someone¡¯s dream andmandeering it¡ªespecially in an exciting manner¡ªwas questionable, too. The people she partnered with wouldn¡¯t know Zoey was real, that their intimate fantasy was, while a dream, still with another actual person. Her enthusiasm sagged, realizing that. Though ¡­ she wasn¡¯t so troubled with these realizations that she put off exploration entirely. Maybe peeking in on people¡¯s dreams wasn¡¯t strictly ethical, but Zoey wasn¡¯t some saint. At a minimum, she wanted to know more about how the strangendscape worked. The issue of inserting herself into the dreams, she would consider in a second, but as far as the lesser sin of peeking in¡ªwell, to assuage her guilt, she promised herself she¡¯d keep their secrets. Not that she¡¯d likely ever see any of these people again. She explored, learning more about the dream world. It didn¡¯t take long to confirm a few rules. First, the color of the orb was the dream¡¯s ssification, the primary emotion ruling it. The three mostmon were yellow, pink, and ck. Stress, lust, and nightmares. Plenty others were present, though in smaller quantities. For example, red for anger. Blue was trickier, but she eventually settled on mncholy. The deeper the shade, the more it moved toward ¡®grief¡¯. The ribbons connecting the dreams were the stranger part. No matter how close or far she drew to them, they didn¡¯t change in size. That said, some wererger than others. Some so faint as to barely be visible, a thin floating strand of spidersilk, and some almost a finger¡¯s width, a taut wire. Those were rarer. Closer inspection revealed nothing, but Zoey had a theory. It seemed the obvious one. With how the ribbons always led from one orb to another, the ribbons represented links. Rtionships. The thin ones, acquaintances, the thicker, family or lovers. She couldn¡¯t prove the theory, floating between some of the endpoints, but it seemed reasonable. Barring proof otherwise, she tentatively epted it as true. Then, because she couldn¡¯t hold back her curiosity any longer, she found a candidate dream. As she¡¯d expected, while she couldn¡¯t barge into dreams of different categorizations, the pink ones¡ªlust¡ªZoey was much closer attuned to. She picked one with a lighter hue, where the action was building, but hadn¡¯t begun. She didn¡¯t know if she feltfortable doing anything inside the dream¡ªanything exciting¡ªbut she still wanted to experiment with the capability. The dream she picked was a promising one. The young, ck-haired woman was out in public, seated on a park bench. With her hand on the orb, and focusing, Zoey found she could peer in and intuit the woman¡¯s thoughts and the developing scenario. Kali¡ªand that was her name¡ªfidgeted in ce, ncing nervously around at the other park-goers. Little by little, even, Zoey started to feel the woman¡¯s thoughts. She shouldn¡¯t be doing this. She had a book propped up on herp, half-way blocking the view, so she ought to be kind of safe. But then again ¡­ not really. It was a terribly flimsy defense, and that was the point. Her other hand, the one not holding the book, slid across her inner thigh, thumb brushing against herself. She shivered in excitement. In public. She shouldn¡¯t. She popped opened her pants button, breathing faster. She looked around frantically. No one was paying attention, but still. Out in public. At the park. Really? She was doing this? Her hand slid down her stomach, into her pants. She rubbed over her panties, massaging herself, heart mming faster and faster. She felt the pounding in her ears. How had she gotten so insanely wet, so fast? As long as she was careful, she¡¯d be fine. Right? Zoey pulled out of the woman¡¯s thoughts, then shook her head in disorientation. Could she enter the dream entirely? Slowly, Zoey¡¯s outstretched hand sank into the ss. A momentter, she was falling, diving into Kali¡¯s fantasy. 4.24 – Dream Delving 4.24 ¨C Dream Delving Kali felt the dream crystallize. One moment, she was blissfully enjoying a tantalizing fantasy at the park, hand slipped into her panties as she rubbed herself, and the next, the dream became both ten times more real, and also tantly false. Not only was she suddenly aware, but she could feel herself sleeping peacefully in her bed, both in the dream, and there. Two ces at once. She froze, hand stuffed into her pants. Her heart mmed from the tantalizing excitement of a moment earlier, and while it didn¡¯t fade, it shifted. She knew she was dreaming, now. But the difference in rity between the fantasy, and what she faced now, was night and day. Shame surged through her as her hand in retreated. Really. This fantasy, again? At least this time it wasn¡¯t up on stage, pleasuring herself in front of an audience. Her perverted mind had insisted some discretion. Why did she keep having these dreams? Well, she knew why. The real question was, why did the idea of exposure excite her so much? More importantly, what was going on? Why had everything be so startlingly real? With the crystallization of the dream, and the awareness that she was dreaming, Kali¡¯s thoughts slowed, then picked up. Well, if it was a dream ¡­ then no harm, right? Her heart started pumping faster than before. Her hand slipped back into her panties. She looked around. The park-goers seemed so much more like real people, now. She couldn¡¯t describe the effect, since when she¡¯d been dreaming, she¡¯d obviously thought the passersby had been perfectly real-looking, but something about this development had amplified everything. Even if it was a fantasy, somehow the change made things more exciting, not less. A personal yground, perfect to life. Kali tugged her book in closer, the shield feeling even more tantly flimsy than before. And, emboldened, rather than rubbing at herself over her underwear, she slipped her fingers past thestyer of fabric and yed with herself directly. Her arousal coated her fingers, and a shaky moan left her lips. She swallowed, astounded at how intense the dream had be. The pleasure, especially, had be incredibly vivid. Her eyes skirted around, cheeks flushed, searching for anyone who might have caught her or started to grow suspicious. Even if she knew the people weren¡¯t real, the idea excited and terrified her. But nobody had. Though someone would, eventually. That was the point. In fact, maybe she should speed the process up. Enjoy this dream to the fullest. She closed her book and set it to the side. She wanted eyes on her. For a crowd to collect and give her disgusted looks as she openly pleasured herself on a park bench. Just how real would this dream be? What would it be like? Before she could wiggle down her pants, though, and really garner the public¡¯s attention, somebody sat next to her, appearing from nowhere. Kali stiffened, hand still very obviously inside her pants. ¡°First off,¡± the tall, stunningly gorgeous woman said, ¡°let me say that you have great taste.¡± She waved around, as if indicating the park. ¡°I approve.¡± Kali stared at the ck-haired woman, mouth slightly open, frozen in shock. Her hand was still buried in her panties. And what did Kali look like, right now? How red was her face? Had this woman heard her panting? Because she¡¯d been caught. By someone real. She could recognize that in an instant, bizarrely, in the same way she recognized the dream¡¯s crystallization. She couldn¡¯t exin the intuition, but she knew without a doubt. Which meant, in a way, she really had just gotten caught masturbating in public. Kali swallowed, sliding her hands out of her pants. Shame washed through her, and unfortunately, the mortifying emotions only swirled with her arousal, bringing it higher. It really was such an unfortunate fetish of hers. ¡°Who are you?¡± Kali asked. She was proud to say her voice only wobbled slightly. The woman was painfully beautiful. Perfect skin, deep emerald eyes, glossy ck hair, and curves that stopped her heart. And ¡­ something less expected. A noticeable bulge in her pants. Kali¡¯s brain did a little somersault at that. For the obvious reason, but not only that, but the size of it. ¡°Zoey,¡± the woman replied, lips turning up in amusement. She¡¯d caught Kali looking, and Kali flushed. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Kali asked. ¡°What is this? Is it your fault?¡± Zoey paused. ¡°Sorry? Is what my fault?¡± ¡°This dream.¡± She looked even more surprised. ¡°You ¡­ know it¡¯s a dream?¡± ¡°And you. You¡¯re real. Who are you?¡± Kali¡¯s questions had taken the woman aback. But Kali knew she was right, and Zoey could read the confidence in her usations, too. It took Zoey a few moments to organize her thoughts before she replied, ¡°I stopped by out of curiosity.¡± Not really an answer. ¡°Are you a wayfarer?¡± That was the simplest exnation Kali coulde up with. But ¡­ how strange. ¡°That can enter other people¡¯s dreams?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Why me? Do I know you?¡± Kali wracked her brain, but she was pretty sure this wasn¡¯t a woman she¡¯d forget. ¡°No reason. Just coincidence.¡± Zoey¡¯s surprise was fading, reverting back to her easy confidence. She smirked. ¡°You caught my attention with all this, I suppose.¡± She waved around. ¡°It¡¯s all a little ¡­ perverted, don¡¯t you think?¡± Kali flushed. She got the impression Zoey was teasing her specifically because she knew the embarrassment excited her, not because she disapproved. ¡°And don¡¯t stop on my ount,¡± Zoey continued, the grin widening. ¡°Weren¡¯t you busy?¡± Kali¡¯s face burned. But ¡­ Zoey was real. In a dream, sure, and Kali didn¡¯t really know what was doing on, but she couldn¡¯t possibly be suggesting that Kali keep going in front of her? To put on a show? ¡°Or did you want some help?¡± Zoey asked. Kali¡¯s heart skipped several beats. Her eyes skirted around the park, checking for anyone who might be watching. She¡¯d picked a secluded spot so she wouldn¡¯t be caught too fast, but there were definitely people passing by. One walked past the bench now; if she¡¯d still been pleasuring herself, the woman would¡¯ve been plenty close enough to see her. Especially because she¡¯d almost stripped off her pants and thrown all subtlety to the wind, indulging in the bizarrely real dream in full, before Zoey had interrupted her. She wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about this. That apparently a wayfarer capable of entering dreams had stumbled in on hers. That this was a real person who had snuck into her mind. Maybe that ought to bother her more, but for the most part, it didn¡¯t. Because something else upied her mind. While she didn¡¯t know, fully, what was going on, she knew one thing. That she was insanely turned on. And second, that a beautiful woman had offered to fuck her in public. To fulfill a long-standing fantasy of hers. Kali considered herself a fairly reserved person, and under normal circumstances, would never ept such overt, fast-moving advances of a stranger. But this was a dream, however real she knew the mysterious wayfarer was, and this event would be consequence free. A way to indulge in a shameful fantasy in the realest manner she could without, well, serious legal problems. Kali, in a burst of surprising confidence, scooted across the bench, pressing herself into the strange woman. ¡°It¡¯s rude to barge into people¡¯s dreams,¡± she said, and it felt like someone else was speaking the words, ¡°but I guess you can make it up to me.¡± Zoey didn¡¯t need further prompting. Her hand reced where Kali¡¯s had been a few moments prior, sliding down her stomach. So confident. No hesitation. Kali sucked in a breath of air as Zoey¡¯s warm hand trailed down, then into her panties. Digits provided pressure against her slick, needy core. It felt so real. As if this was happening in person. The differences between this dream world and reality were nonexistent. Yes, she felt her body sleeping in her bed half a dimension away, but it didn¡¯t mute the sensations of Zoey¡¯s fingers ying with her. How her heart could be mming so loudly without her waking up was a bit of a mystery. Could she wake up, if she wanted to? Or was she trapped here? Trapped in the most wonderful sense of the word. ¡°Is that¡ªis that a dick?¡± Kali finally asked. Maybe in the real world she wouldn¡¯t have been so blunt. It felt rude, even here. Then again, Zoey had been rude by invading her thoughts, so fair was fair. And Zoey didn¡¯t seem bothered. She leaned close to Kali¡¯s ear, and hot breath tickled her, making her shiver. ¡°Why? Do you want to see it?¡± ¡°Now? But ¡­¡± Kali felt silly as soon as she said the words. They were in a dream. They weren¡¯t actually in public. It was why she¡¯d so brazenly allowed Zoey to start rubbing her pussy in the first ce. Zoey didn¡¯t tease her, though. In fact, she yed into the situation. ¡°If it means I get to show off, I¡¯m willing to risk getting caught. Are you?¡± Kali shivered for a different reason this time. Maybe this wasn¡¯t real exhibitionism, but she was still painfully turned on. ¡°And who knows?¡± Zoey continued, mouth close to Kali¡¯s ear, fingers rubbing away inside her panties. ¡°Maybe this dream is special, now that I¡¯m here. Maybe those people are real. Drawn here. Dreaming, like us, but still real. And they¡¯re about to catch me fingering you out in the open, on a park bench.¡± The idea thrilled through Kali, and a groan escaped the back of her throat. It was a non-zero chance. Clearly, something was strange was going on. If Zoey could be here, and be real, then maybe other conscious people hade along for the ride. For the sake of the fantasy, she believed it whole heartedly. Two of Zoey¡¯s fingers slid inside Kali, and embarrassingly, her back arched, and she almost fell apart right there. Her hand shot to Zoey¡¯s wrist, stilling her. Zoey stopped. ¡°Let¡¯s go somewhere else,¡± Kali said. She wanted to do this right. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Somewhere less private,¡± Kali breathed, pulling Zoey¡¯s hand out. ¡°We need a proper audience.¡± 4.25 – Audience 4.25 ¨C Audience Kali pulled the strange woman along by her hand, shaking with excitement. Other park-goers gave her odd looks, obviously wondering why she was so flustered. The people seemed so real. Emotive, distinct, with realistic reactions. Were they actually other people dreaming, dragged in by Zoey¡¯s arrival? Maybe if she hadn¡¯t been quivering with arousal, she would¡¯ve questioned her mysterious intruder. As it was, she pulled the woman to the central fountain of the park, which teemed with visitors¡ªit was the middle of the day, prime time to bask in the sun¡ªand sat on the stone ledge wrapping around the water¡¯s perimeter. The fountain trickled in a steady stream. Zoey sat next to her. Kali spared a nce for the impressive bulge in her pants. She¡¯d be acquainting herself to that shortly, but she needed to work up the courage. ¡°Okay,¡± Kali said. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Surprising her, Zoey tugged her onto herp. She handled her easily, with a strength that didn¡¯t seem to fit. Though, that made sense. A wayfarer. How strong of one? Those thoughts were chased away. A thick, hot rod pressed against her ass throughyers of fabric. And ¡­ it was growing. Already it felt bigger than anything she¡¯d seen or heard of, and it kept going. Just what kind of monster did this woman keep down there? Then Zoey¡¯s hands slipped into Kali¡¯s pants, and, forgoing further teasing¡ªthe heavens knew Kali didn¡¯t need more¡ªshe plunged two fingers inside her. She moaned, and this time, people looked. People looked. Curious eyes pivoted to Kali at the loud noise. Not many. The park was crowded, and there was a bustle of people, but Zoey and Kali were just two seated around the fountain. Not prominent or loud enough to draw everyone¡¯s attention. But definitely some. Zoey had, apparently, decided to get straight to things. A cute blonde woman not far away, lounging on the fountain¡¯s edge like they were, widened her eyes in surprise. An older gentleman as well. A couple, seated on a bench a dozen feet away. There were varied reactions to seeing Zoey¡¯s hand shoved down Kali¡¯s pants, and Kali¡¯s bright and flustered face. Some confused, as if not immediately understanding the sight that met them. They were watching her. Oh, gods. She was letting this happen. ¡°Pull up your shirt,¡± Zoey murmured into her ear. ¡°Give them a show.¡± ¡°Z-Zoey.¡± ¡°Do it.¡± The authority in her voice surprised Kali¡ªand made her stomach clench with need. Well ¡­ if she¡¯d been ordered to ¡­ Kali bundled up her shirt, setting her exposed skin on fire. More people looked, and their reactions resolved faster into shock. ¡°Bra too,¡± Zoey ordered. ¡°B-But¡ª¡° ¡°Now.¡± Kali tugged down her bra, revealing her tits. The activity around the park fountain stilled as more and more people looked over and saw what was happening. Some simply stared. Other faces twisted into disapproval or even disgust at their indecency. That was almost better, squirming her insides with shame and making Zoey¡¯s thrusting fingers send electricity through her body. Others watched with lust. ¡°Fuck me,¡± Kali moaned, shaking on top of Zoey¡¯sp, feeling her thick cock rub into her leg. She needed more. ¡°You¡¯re a little pervert, are you?¡± Zoeyugh-murmured into her ear. ¡°Look at them watch.¡± ¡°No,¡± Kali gasped. ¡°I mean fuck me. Please.¡± Zoey¡¯s fingers stilled. Maybe she¡¯d thought Kali would want to work into things slower, and that had been true a second ago. Not anymore. She wanted something thick and hard inside her. Toplete this indecent act and degrade herself as thoroughly as possible in front of the gathering crowd. Not that there was a crowd. The reactions were real to life. Mostly, people stared from their respective ces, shocked and unable to tear their eyes away. Some enjoyed Kali¡¯s exposure, some were disapproving. No one approached. A few people had frozen on the walkway. Zoey¡¯s hand slipped from Kali¡¯s pants, and Kali wiggled the fabric down her legs, revealing her panties to her audience. Entire body on fire, she pulled those down, next. Revealing herself. Her pussy. To everyone watching. Zoey followed, freeing her cock. Kali looked down between her legs, eyes widening. It reached to Zoey¡¯s knee, radiating heat into Kali. What in the world? How was it so big? Well. It was a dream. She must have made it for this purpose. Adjusted it, somehow. How much could Zoey control their environment? If she could enter dreams, could she manipte them? Not that Kali was able to focus on her curiosity. Zoey stood, pushing Kali onto her feet, and before she knew it, the tip of that enormous, thick rod was sliding against her pussy, warning her of imminent entry. She was ¡­ about to be fucked. In public. By a girl with a cock. A cock as long and thick as her forearm. While everyone was watching. Zoey pushed in. Kali moaned, hot cock filling her pussy, spreading her apart in a way she had never experienced. Stuffed full. She¡¯d never had so much cock crammed into her in her entire life. Her pussy strained to amodate Zoey¡¯s enormous, throbbing girldick. And it happened in front of a crowd that slowly grew bothrger, and even more shocked than before. They murmured to each other, looking side to side, as if not believing. Hazily, she basked in their admiration, disgust, and surprise, one hand diligently keeping her bra and shirt tugged up for their viewing pleasure. Then Zoey scooped her up, making Kali¡¯s pants vanish and freeing her confined legs. Then, suspended in the air by two powerful arms, she spread Kalie¡¯s legs wide open, disying her fourteen inch cock pushing into Kali¡¯s pussy for everyone to see. How was it fitting? She could feel Zoey in her stomach. It literally bulged her tummy outward by an inch or more. And that bulge kept crawling higher up her skin. She was torn between watching that, and her audience. Zoey bottomed out, then started pumping. She bounced Kali up and down her enormous girldick, handling her weight easily. The strength of a wayfarer. Kali suddenly understood why so many of her friends talked about them with so much admiration and envy. ¡°They like it,¡± Zoey whispered in her ear. ¡°They like watching your pussy get spread open. And you do too. You¡¯re such a shameless slut, aren¡¯t you?¡± Kali¡¯s head went fuzzy. Zoey pped into her, cramming cock into her deepest reaches. It probably ought to hurt, having fourteen inches of girldick pump into her cervix, but it didn¡¯t. It was the most amazing thing she¡¯d ever felt, triply amplified by how eyes crawled across her body. Strangers. A sea of strangers, watching another woman cram her full of cock. She could get addicted to this. Maybe she already was. Would she be able to resist keeping this to dreams, now that she knew how amazing it was? What would it be like in real life? ¡°That was a question,¡± Zoey growled into her ear. ¡°Say it for your audience.¡± ¡°I¡¯m ¡­ I¡¯m a shameless slut,¡± she gasped. ¡°A stupid ¡­ whore. Who likes being fucked for other people to watch.¡± Fire coursed through her, and she couldn¡¯t fight it. Not remotely. It was overwhelming in its pleasure. ¡°A stupid whore who¡¯s about to cum for me?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°Y-Yes.¡± ¡°Louder.¡± ¡°A stupid whore who¡¯s going toe for you,¡± Kali cried out, shaking. ¡°A-And her audience. She¡¯s cumming for her audience.¡± Kali¡¯s body arched as the first hints of orgasm started to clench her. She cried out, and¡ª *** ¡ª and somebody shook her shoulder, wrenching her out of the dream and back into the waking world. Her pussy pounded with echoes of Zoey¡¯s enormous cock. Her arousal remained, even if the cock bringing her ecstasy had disappeared. She shot up in bed, blinking at the darkness. ¡°Kali?¡± Amy asked, wide-eyed. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Kali panted, body slick with sweat, face burning. She stared at her roommate, brain struggling to piece together what had happened. And to sort past her outrage of being denied one of the most intense orgasms she¡¯d ever felt. ¡°You were being really loud,¡± Amy squeaked. Amy, too, was flushed. Almost as much as Kali. Kali could imagine what kinds of noises she¡¯d been making. They must have been intense for Amy to barge in and check on her. Kali ought to be mortified. And she was. But another emotion superseded it. A coursing heat¡ªthe first hints of orgasm that had been so rudely canceled by Amy shaking her shoulder. ¡°I was having the most amazing dream of my life,¡± Kali said tly, ¡°and you interrupted it.¡± Amy stared, wide-eyed and mouth open, at her. ¡°And now I need to finish,¡± Kali said, ¡°so you should probably leave.¡± She was too addled by lust to be horrified at her bluntness. She and Amy were roommates and close friends, but not nearly on that level of honesty. For Kali to admit that she desperately needed to finger-fuck herself to ease the burning neediness between her legs. Not that her fingers would match up to Zoey¡¯s cock, and the fantasy she¡¯d been in, but she needed relief. Which was why Amy¡¯s response shocked her so much. ¡°Do you ¡­ want help?¡± For a long moment, Kali stared, sorting through the meaning of the words. Then she grabbed Amy by the waist and pulled her into bed. *** Zoey was ejected from Kali¡¯s dream all at once, no warning or exnation why. One moment she¡¯d had the timid dark-haired exhibitionist¡¯s pussy squeezing her cock, the next she¡¯d popped back into the dream world, orbs of varied light sprawled in every direction, set on a backdrop of inky ck. She didn¡¯t have a cock, anymore, as a formless entity made of thought, but despite that fact, her spirit-dick throbbed in annoyance. She hadn¡¯t been close to finishing, but being interrupted like that was highly unsatisfying. Plus, she¡¯d felt Kali starting to mp down, and Zoey had been excited to feel her spasm in her grip. What had happened? She inspected Kali¡¯s dream orb, but it had faded. She couldn¡¯t make out the details anymore, obscured by imprable gray mist. Even the strands of light that connected her orb to others had disappeared to an almost invisible ck. The only reason she could identify them was because she¡¯d been spat out right in front of it. Was this what dream orbs looked like when their target was awake? Kali had been woken, then? It was the only exnation she coulde up with. She doubted Kali had forcefully ejected Zoey from her dream, if that was even possible. Not fair. Even if Zoey herself had been denied, she¡¯d have liked to felt Kali¡¯s orgasm wrack across her, squeezing her cock with her tight, spasming pussy walls. Such a rude interruption. Maybe she coulde backter? But how would she find this orb in the enormous sea of them? Could she mark it, somehow? Either way, in the short term, she¡¯d been thoroughly cockblocked. 4.26 – Visit 4.26 ¨C Visit For a short while longer, Zoey explored the sparkling expanse of the dreamworld. She was disappointed how her lustful indulgences with Kali had been abruptly cut off, but even interrupted, it had been fun. She wondered if she could find a way to meet up with the woman in real life. That park they¡¯d gone to¡ªwas it real? She didn¡¯t know the name, but there were only so many in Treyhull; she could probably track it down. Would Kali do the same? Though maybe it would be for the best if she didn¡¯t. While fun, Zoey was supposed to be minimizing her presence. Plus, she wouldn¡¯t be at Treyhull much longer. So she wouldn¡¯t seek out Kali, exciting as that event had been. For now, she sated herself with drifting through the inky expanse dotted with dream orbs, exploring. She thought she had a grasp on how the liminal space worked, but more could reveal itself on closer inspection. Mostly, Zoey was curious about the ¡®links¡¯. The dream orbs had shown themselves to be what she expected¡ªways to slip into dreams of the sleeping¡ªbut she¡¯d yet to fully identify the strands that entangled the structure. Rtionships, she felt fairly confident in saying, but hadn¡¯t confirmed it. The most concrete proof she could dig up was that, with some frequency, links from one orb to another included people who looked simr. Family, maybe. Obviously, that was far from hard proof. But something that edged her suspicion away from ¡®unsubstantiated theory¡¯ to ¡®slightly substantiated¡¯. Because what other ideas could shee up with for what the links were? Ten or fifteen minutes into Zoey¡¯s explorations, a suspicion hit her. Something obvious in retrospect. If each of the dream orbs¡ªwhich represented individuals¡ªhad rtionship links, did she? She explored her incorporeal self. On initial inspection, there didn¡¯t seem to be any of the strands that represented ¡®links¡¯, and certainly none that were obvious, floating in her peripheral. But on closer inspection, with a deliberate effort to seek them out, she found some. Strands of light trailing into the distance. Faded, though. Dark gray and barely noticeable, she only caught them after a scrutinizing inspection. And only a few. Since Zoey only had four meaningful rtionships in this world¡ªRosalie, Delta, Sabina, and Maddy¡ªand they were all solidly awake, with Zoey taking a midday nap to y with the dream potion, she assumed the links were inactive, the reason they were gray and faded. The same dulled state that Kali¡¯s dream orb had shifted into upon her waking. Curious, Zoey followed one of the strands. The endeavor didn¡¯t yield much. She found herself in front of a foggy orb, identical to Kali¡¯s. She didn¡¯t know who it belonged to. The target being awake, there was nothing to experiment with; she could neither invade the orb nor get a hint of whaty inside. Idly, Zoey sorted through the other strands radiating from her chest, disappointed there weren¡¯t any active ones. There were four prominent, but other smaller strings, too. At a guess, they represented inconsequential rtionships. Likely, Fe, the artificer, was one of therger ¡®smaller¡¯ strands, bordering between a real rtionship and not. Other thinner ones were truly brief interactions: the dressing room girl she¡¯d enjoyed, Delta¡¯s two dates, the guides that had led them through realms to Treyhull, if Zoey had to make some guesses. Then, Zoey found a stranger link. Spidersilk thin, it had been easy to miss. And beyond that, it was ¡­ different. Not gray and faded like the others. She¡¯d missed it because of its size. And because it pointed upwards, not sideways. Even odder, with Zoey¡¯s attention falling on it, the string grew. From hair-thin, it expanded in Zoey¡¯s awareness, from near invisible to pulsating and thicker than the rest. It vibrated in her vision, king off tiny crystalline shards. The space around it twisted with chromatic aberrations, flickering from one color to the next, disappearing when she looked at them. Otherworldly. That was the immediate word that came to mind, watching the bizarre effects. Otherworldly. As if whaty on the other end wasn¡¯t quite human. Zoey had a suspicion what she¡¯d stumbled onto. For a second, she hesitated. Then,tching to the strand, she followed the path it provided. Rather than horizontal, it led her upward into the sky, away from the sea of dream orbs. Away from the mortals. Venturing far above the floating mass of dream orbs, Zoey traced the strand into the heavens. Arriving, the ss ball that met her wasrger, thicker, and sparkling in hundreds of colors, the same otherworldly material the linking-strand was made of. Zoey studied the object. She didn¡¯t intend to fall in. Rather, she was pulled. Before she could even realize what was happening, she sank, against her will, into the consciousness of a goddess. *** Cool wind buffeted Zoey, blowing through her hair and across her skin, carrying the invigorating scent of salt water. Above, the sun beat down, washing grassy ins in bright light. A short distance away, a goddess stood on the edge of a cliff. Ephy¡¯s hands were sped behind her back as she leaned forward, peering across the sea churning hundreds of feet below. Her see-through white dress fluttered in the wind, hugging divine curves, and even a sight of the goddess almost stopped Zoey¡¯s heart. Her memories hadn¡¯t done the woman justice. The goddess of beauty, fertility, and lust. ¡°I wondered when you¡¯d get in contact,¡± Ephythithys said, not turning to face her. ¡°It¡¯s been almost a week. You¡¯ll make a girl feel neglected, you know?¡± Zoey floundered for a response¡ªor even to form coherent thoughts. She had intended to find a way to speak with Ephy, but not today, through the dream potion. It was an awfully convenient result, but at the same time, not. She hadn¡¯t organized what she wanted to say. And when it came to speaking with divine beings, she would rather have been prepared. ¡°I mean, not even trying?¡± Ephy continued. ¡°A few prayers? I¡¯m not worth that?¡± She faced Zoey, and, again, Zoey¡¯s heart almost stopped beating. Ephy pouted at her, exaggerating her disappointment. ¡°Gallivanting across the Fractures, stuffing nubile young bodies full with seed, is what I told you to do. But the world¡¯s ending, you know? You should probably worry about that more than you are.¡± Zoey continued to struggle to find words. It was hard to put into words how disarming Ephy¡¯s presence was. Much more so than the first time. Was she doing something? Ephy smirked, then advanced on Zoey. ¡°Cat got your tongue?¡± The paper-thin fabric of her dress blew in the wind as she approached. Thin as it was, it hid nothing. Ephy¡¯s body was on full disy, ented by the sunlight piercing the material and the way it hugged her curves. The false effort of concealment only made it more tantalizing. It was unfair how gorgeous this woman was. This being was. A goddess. In the literal sense. ¡°I suppose I¡¯m being mean, not dampening my presence,¡± Ephy said. ¡°But the admiration. I do appreciate it. I¡¯m a vain goddess, and I won¡¯t pretend otherwise.¡± She sighed despondently, then, with great reluctance, the overwhelming distraction disappeared. Or ¡­ lessened. Zoey¡¯s thoughts cleared, and she could suddenly think. Her mind wasn¡¯t consumed by the perfect being in front of her. ¡°Teasing mortals is too easy,¡± Ephy said. ¡°It¡¯s beneath me.¡± She stepped forward and whispered, close enough hot breath brushed Zoey¡¯s face, ¡°But at the same time, I do like being on top.¡± Zoey swallowed. Not overwhelming and mind-erasing anymore, but Ephy, even holding back her divine presence, was hard to deal with. ¡°Ephy,¡± Zoey finally said. ¡°It¡¯s, um, nice to see you.¡± She wasn¡¯t sure she meant the words, but being impolite to a goddess seemed unwise. ¡°Aw. It¡¯s nice to see you, too.¡± She traced a finger down Zoey¡¯s jaw. ¡°Though, I know you¡¯re mad. You¡¯re not good at hiding what you think, dearest disciple of mine.¡± She took another step forward, pressing her breasts into Zoey¡¯s, and she looked up with pleading blue eyes. ¡°Maybe there¡¯s something I can do to say sorry?¡± ¡°y fair,¡± Zoey said, turning her face away. Her heart had already been racing, but having Ephy¡¯s curves pressed into her was producing other unfortunate reactions. Ones which Ephy seemed delighted by. A hand seized Zoey¡¯s stiffening cock, and Zoey realized for the first time she¡¯d been brought into this ¡­ dream world? ¡­ naked. ¡°No, really,¡± Ephy breathed, pressing her body closer to Zoey¡¯s. ¡°Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?¡± Zoey retreated several steps, Ephy¡¯s grip slipping from her cock. Ephy pouted. ¡°We need to talk,¡± Zoey said firmly. The words came out with more conviction than she admittedly felt. ¡°We do,¡± Ephy said. ¡°But it can wait a few moments, can¡¯t it?¡± She advanced on Zoey, and unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t force herself to retreat a second time. Her grip returned to Zoey¡¯s cock, and a noise escaped the back of Zoey¡¯s throat at the touch. Even just holding her, the pleasure of Ephy¡¯s grip was indescribable. ¡°And it will only be a few moments. I don¡¯t think you¡¯dst very long against me.¡± Probably true. If there were anyone who could take Zoey apart in a few short moments, it would be the goddess of lust. ¡°Plus, I gave you this, didn¡¯t I?¡± Ephy asked, squeezing. ¡°I¡¯m entitled to enjoy it, aren¡¯t I?¡± Zoey¡¯s head spun. She didn¡¯t trust this woman. She wouldn¡¯t say she hated Ephy, but at the same time, she remembered their first interaction. The things she had said. A specific exchange stuck out. ¡®Sensuality cares little for consent. Don¡¯t mistake me for something I¡¯m not.¡¯ Possibly this woman was Zoey¡¯s ally, but more likely, Zoey was her pawn. Zoey doubted her well-being was Ephy¡¯s highest priority. And Ephy¡¯s methodology¡ªwhat she stood for¡ªZoey didn¡¯t condone, either. But with Ephy¡¯s hand stroking up and down her cock, it was hard keep those thoughts in mind. ¡°We need to talk,¡± Zoey gasped. ¡°Then tell me to stop,¡± Ephy said, smirking. Her hand traveled Zoey¡¯s length. Their nipples brushed together, sending electricity up and down Zoey¡¯s spine. The urge to grab Ephy¡¯s ass and tug her in¡ªor more, pin her down and indulge entirely¡ªwas almost overwhelming. How did it feel so good? Just her hand, her body pressed into Zoey¡¯s? She knew why. It was the white-hot aspect of a goddess. Still, knowing didn¡¯t make it easier to resist. For a moment, Zoey basked in Ephy¡¯s hand taking care of her, unable to help herself. She wasn¡¯t sure how she worked up the nerve, but she somehow did. ¡°Stop. We need to talk.¡± Ephy¡¯s movements stilled, her skilled digits ceasing their stroking. Zoey agonized that she¡¯d listened. She¡¯d said the words, but she didn¡¯t know if she¡¯d meant them. She wanted nothing more than for Ephy to continue. To be pleasured by the literal paragon of lust and fertility. If her hand felt that amazing, what would her pussy feel like? And all Zoey had to do to find out was nothing. Allow Ephy to continue. ¡°You are learning,¡± Ephy said, amused. ¡°That¡¯s a surprising amount of restraint, for a gigantic pervert.¡± She sighed, ¡°I knew I made a good choice, but how disappointing. I thought we were going to have some fun.¡± She pulled away from Zoey, hand separating from her cock, and leaving her swaying in ce. Her thoughts returned, bit by bit. ¡°I want answers,¡± Zoey said. ¡°I can give some,¡± Ephy said, with a hint of dismissiveness. She¡¯d expected it. Maybe she¡¯d expected all of this. Zoey¡¯s arrival in the first ce, despite her implications of surprise. She was a goddess. Not that Zoey knew, really, what that meant. ¡°But some, I cant. Ask away, dear disciple, and I¡¯ll tell you what I can.¡± 4.27 – Divine Meeting 4.27 ¨C Divine Meeting So, Zoey had finally managed an audience with her patron goddess. Unfortunately, she wasn¡¯t prepared for it. Could she ever be? Even holding eye contact with the divine being turned her thoughts sluggish. If she¡¯d had an airtight battle n for this meeting, even then she might have struggled through it. Had she really turned down an opportunity to be pleasured by a goddess of sex? Some of Zoey¡¯s questions were obvious, so she led with those. Hopefully as she talked, she¡¯d organize herself. ¡°When we first met, you told me I couldn¡¯t tell anyone about this. You and me, and ¡­ everything.¡± She didn¡¯t remember the exact wording, to be honest. ¡°But what if I wanted to? Tell someone?¡± Ephy gave her a t look. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be saving the world,¡± she said, ¡°and you finally luck into a meeting with me. But the first thing you ask is if you can tell your girlfriend the truth. You are gross, you know that?¡± Embarrassingly, Zoey blushed. She hadn¡¯t expected to be chided by Ephy. The goddess continued, ¡°Romantics. You all are the worst.¡± She waved her hand. ¡°You took that warning too literally. It was a friendly suggestion. You haven¡¯t had many problems down in the Fractures, but it¡¯s a brutalbyrinth filled with brutal people, let me assure you. Babbling on about being chosen by a goddess,ing from another world, and shouting out your incredible, so easy to exploit abilities ¡­ I didn¡¯t think you were an idiot, but it was a necessary warning.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°You can tell your girlfriend, if you want, even if I don¡¯t condone it, necessarily. I certainly wouldn¡¯t punish you. I wouldn¡¯t break the Compact for something so pointless. For that matter, there¡¯s little I can do, to either help or hurt.¡± That announcement came as a surprise. ¡°You can¡¯t? Does that mean it wasn¡¯t you who ¡­ ?¡± Ephy quirked an eyebrow. ¡°Well,¡± Zoey said. ¡°I figured you¡¯d been meddling. It feels like things have lined up too perfectly, too often.¡± ¡°Such as?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Zoey said. ¡°My skill, to name the biggest. Growth? Where we get bonus experience for waiting between shards.¡± It¡¯d been given shortly after the dilemma with Rosalie wanting to push harder for advancement, giving them an excuse to slow down. It had smoothed over a rather unsolvable problem with almost divine timing. Zoey had been highly suspicious of it. ¡°That sounds useful,¡± Ephy said. ¡°No. My actions in Ezariel¡¯s world are limited. I picked your runes, and organized your first meeting with that delightful little pervert, but that was it.¡± ¡°Delightful little pervert?¡± That was an interesting way to describe Rosalie, and Ephy smirked. Zoey supposed it was somewhat of an urate description. The reminder of their ¡®first meeting¡¯ also had Zoey¡¯s heart rate picking up. When she¡¯d been introduced to Rosalie, it had been crammed together, naked, in the coffin of the first shard. The forceful arrangement of that didn¡¯t sit perfectly with Zoey, but she had bigger things to concern herself with. ¡°Ezariel?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°Who¡¯s that? And you mentioned something about a Compact?¡± ¡°Heavenly politics,¡± Ephy said. ¡°I could speak of it, but it¡¯s mostly irrelevant. Ezariel in specific, with me having sent you to his world, is off limits. As I said, there¡¯s much I can¡¯t answer.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Can¡¯t.¡± Huh. Not wouldn¡¯t. ¡°But I can tell them, then?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°Whoever I want? About you? Earth, the danger they¡¯re in, whatever?¡± ¡°Do as you please,¡± Ephy said. ¡°Though I suggest discretion.¡± Zoey considered that. One of therger motivations behind her secrecy had been Ephy¡¯smand not to tell others her origin and task. But it hadn¡¯t been an order, apparently. With those restrictions lifted, who would she tell? Rosalie, certainly. Delta? Zoey trusted her, but telling her that the world was ending? And that she¡¯d been chosen by a goddess? It would be a hard sell. And Zoey still knew too little about all of it, anyway. ¡°Why Rosalie?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°Did I arrange your meeting?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°For convenience¡¯s sake. A head start.¡± ¡°How so?¡± Ephy quirked an eyebrow. ¡°Just because of her skill in wayfaring?¡± Zoey rified. ¡°Or other reasons?¡± ¡°Are you sure you want me to tell you?¡± Ephy asked. Zoey hesitated. No, actually. She didn¡¯t. To answer that, Ephy would have to exin who Rosalie was. Zoey had some suspicions¡ªas did Delta, just by Rosalie¡¯s behaviors¡ªbut she¡¯d rather get confirmations from Rosalie herself. ¡°No,¡± Zoey said. ¡°I¡¯ll ask myself. It wouldn¡¯t be right.¡± Ephy rolled her eyes, though, oddly, she didn¡¯t seem disapproving. Just exasperated. ¡°So. The threat to the world. What is it?¡± Ephy smiled. ¡°Finally, we get to the relevant material.¡± She took a deep breath, as if about to go on a monologue, then said: ¡°I can¡¯t tell you.¡± Another smile. ¡°Obviously.¡± Zoey had suspected as much. She couldn¡¯t imagine a reason for Ephy having kept her in the dark from the start except because she either had to, or because it furthered her goals, somehow. It seemed it was the former. ¡°Why do you care, anyway?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°About the peril of a world?¡± Ephy seemed amused. ¡°My, you do have a low opinion of me.¡± ¡°This one isn¡¯t yours, though,¡± Zoey said. ¡°It¡¯s Ezariel¡¯s world, you said.¡± Whoever that was. ¡°So why do you care?¡± Simple altruism? Or some other reason? Zoey didn¡¯t actually think Ephy was ¡­ what, genocidal, or something ¡­ but she suspected ulterior motivations. This woman seemed conniving, to say the least. ¡°You¡¯re mostly correct,¡± Ephy said, but didn¡¯t expand on what she meant. Zoey could intuit they¡¯d bumped up on the edges of what Ephy was willing, or could, tell her about. ¡°So I have to figure it out myself.¡± ¡°You¡¯re an enterprising young woman,¡± Ephy said. ¡°And with some enormous advantages in ce. So I have the utmost faith in you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve learned pretty much nothing,¡± Zoey said, embarrassed at admitting it. ¡°Barely further than where I started.¡± At least when it came to discovering ¡­ whatever. The threat. ¡°I would suggest a more diligent pace, when ites to your primary mission,¡± Ephy agreed. She tapped Zoey on the nose, then said, ¡°You¡¯ve been a bitckadaisical on the whole ¡®end of the world¡¯ business, I do admit. While I highly approve of your determination to cum inside every friend you make, remember this is only half a vacation. You have a purpose, here.¡± Zoey blushed at the crude phrasing, which Ephy of course delighted in. Then, a mortifying thought hit her. ¡°You haven¡¯t been watching, have you?¡± Ephy¡¯s lips curled, an amused glint appearing in her eye. ¡°Are you sure you want to know?¡± Did she? Ephy was a goddess. Maybe by her aspect alone, she was aware of any lewd interactions, between anyone, anywhere. Zoey didn¡¯t fullyprehend what divinity meant. Either way, she figured she¡¯d rather not know. ¡°You said you wanted me to ascend,¡± Zoey said. ¡°To join you, after all this.¡± ¡°A secondary goal,¡± Ephy said. ¡°You caught my eye as a candidate. Such things aren¡¯t so simple, though. Even this initial task will be difficult, much less ascension into lesser divinity¡ªas my true disciple.¡± Zoey eyed the woman, digesting the words. She wasn¡¯t entirely sure she wanted to be a subordinate to Ephy. Beyond her obvious maneuvering, Zoey was still hung up on the whole, ¡®sensuality cares little for consent¡¯ part of Ephy¡¯s divine aspect. Ephy watched her, quirking a knowing eyebrow. Could she read her thoughts? Zoey didn¡¯t think so, but again, the details behind godhood were not so much hazy as entirely opaque. ¡°Wondering if I¡¯d make a good boss,e the day you rise up to meet me?¡± Ephy asked. She stepped forward, pressing her chest back into Zoey¡¯s. ¡°I promise, working under me woulde with such wonderful benefits. I don¡¯t think you¡¯din. There¡¯d be some days with long, sweaty hours, though. I¡¯d really, really put you to work, underneath me.¡± Zoey cleared her throat, taking a step back. ¡°How does it work? Ascending.¡± Rather than be offended, Ephy continued to pleased at Zoey¡¯s restraint¡ªthat she¡¯d stepped away. ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll figure it out. Or you won¡¯t.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t being very helpful.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t act so directly,¡± Ephy said. ¡°I told you. That includes spelling out what, when, and how I need you to handle things in Ezariel¡¯s world.¡± She waved her hand. ¡°Besides, for all you¡¯ve been a bit too upied with entertaining yourself, you haven¡¯t done anything wrong. You need to get stronger. In that regard, you¡¯ve set an adequate pace.¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°But information is the key to oveing any meaningful problem,¡± Ephy said pointedly. ¡°So, yes. Enjoy using my blessing to its highest potential,¡± she gave a pointed look to Zoey¡¯s crotch, ¡°and by all means, fuck your girlfriends mindless until they worship at an altar of your cock. In fact, I insist you do.¡± Ephy really had a knack for colorful phrasing. ¡°But keep focused,¡± Ephy said. ¡°I¡¯ll remind you, this is a world you live in. Moreover, your friends. Letting this threat fester is a poor idea, if you care about their, and your, wellbeing.¡± Zoey¡¯s rm rose. It was an obvious point, but still, the dangerid out so inly induced some justified panic. If she failed, then what? Rosalie was doomed? Delta, Maddy, Sabina? Somehow the gravity of that situation hadn¡¯t set in. ¡°How long do I have?¡± Ephy couldn¡¯t answer that, obviously, but the concerned question slipped out by instinct. ¡°And there¡¯s nothing you can do to help? Not even give me a hint?¡± ¡°Perhaps I could do something,¡± Ephy said. ¡°I¡¯d have to be roundabout, though. Circumspect.¡± She tapped her lips with a slim pointer finger. ¡°There¡¯s some happenings going on right now that would make it easier to nudge you in the right direction. Hm. But circumspect. Let¡¯s say ¡­ an old acquaintance of yours needs help.¡± ¡°An old acquaintance?¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Ephy said. ¡°And the window to do so grows short, since she¡¯s not someone who sleeps often.¡± Ephy gave her an up-and-down. ¡°Before you go, though, let me warn you I won¡¯t allow this barging-in to my consciousness again. Goddesses have important things to be doing, you know, and don¡¯t appreciate intrusion. Even by favored champions.¡± Zoey raised an eyebrow at that. Ephy pouted. ¡°I do! Super important machinations. Plus, I prefer more typicalmunion. This was too easy. If you want to talk, reach me the normal way.¡± ¡°And the normal way is?¡± ¡°And show some team pride,¡± Ephy scolded. ¡°It¡¯s not often we pick champions. At least identify as a priestess of mine. Maybe we don¡¯t align on all our virtues, but some of them,¡± she poked Zoey¡¯s chest, ¡°we clearly do.¡± Zoey didn¡¯t have a response for that, and Ephy didn¡¯t give her time to find one. ¡°But as I said, the clock is ticking. So,¡° Ephy ced both hands on her stomach, ¡°go save the world.¡± Zoey staggered back as Ephy pushed her. Except, not physically, but in some stranger way. The world shattered like a pane of ss, and Zoey tipped, arms careening, and then she fell, sinking into darkness. The shards of bright colors¡ªthe shattered pieces of ss¡ªthat had seconds ago made up the world faded into the distance as she plummeted. Wind rushed through her hair, then she mmed to a stop¡ª ¡ªback into the dream world, just in time to see Ephy¡¯s dream orb flicker once, twice, then disappear. 4.28 – To The Rescue 4.28 ¨C To The Rescue For a moment, Zoey stayed there, staring at the nk void where Ephy¡¯s dream orb had been floating. Annoyance reared up. Again, their meeting had been cut off with Ephy gleefully shoving her through worlds and encouraging her to ¡®get to it¡¯. Zoey had plenty more questions she¡¯d have liked to ask her enigmatic, morally dubious sponsor, but now she wouldn¡¯t get that opportunity. Not until she muned the more traditional way¡¯, whatever that meant¡ªa question Ephy had deliberately dodged. Her ess to Ephy through the dreamworld had been a one-time thing. But, Zoey admitted after thinking her situation through, Ephy had more of a reason for the quick dismissal, this time. She was on a time limit, apparently. She¡¯d been given a vague, mysterious warning, and been told that the ¡®clock was ticking¡¯. She didn¡¯t feel any serious worry, because Ephy didn¡¯t mean Rosalie, Delta, Maddy, or Sabina. She had specifically said ¡®an old acquaintance¡¯ of Zoey¡¯s, and Zoey got the impression she¡¯d chosen her words carefully, since she ¡®had to be circumspect¡¯. So Zoey had everything she needed. She just had to decipher it. An old acquaintance. Someone sleeping. But who rarely slept, too. That was an odd tidbit to specify. Also intentional, Zoey suspected. But Zoey wasn¡¯t sure what to make of it. Floating there, far above the sea of orbs that made up the mortal realm, Zoey considered. Who were her ¡®old acquaintances¡¯? She didn¡¯t think Ephy meant from Earth, because not only were Zoey¡¯s memories still fuzzy¡ªif ciallying more and more into focus¡ªbut because she couldn¡¯t possibly see how it would rte. Still, she didn¡¯t discard the idea entirely, she simply set it aside. Others, then. It wasn¡¯t a long list. She could count the number of people she considered acquaintances on both hands. People she¡¯d interacted with in more than apletely superficial way, yet she didn¡¯t consider a friend. Honestly, maybe it¡¯d fit on a single hand. Who did it leave? She¡¯d spoken with both of the guides who had led her to Treyhull in a slightly more than superficial manner, considering the long, many-hour trip. The second one less than the first; the golem-woman hadn¡¯t been talkative. Then there was the dressing room girl, Callie. Fe, too, though she bordered on friend. Who else? Not-Zoey? The idea popped into her mind abruptly, being someone Zoey had definitely interacted with in a thorough matter, but someone she didn¡¯t consider a friend, exactly. Obviously, the other option followed shortly. Mel. An old acquaintance. Besides Rosalie, Mel was the first sapient being she¡¯d talked to. And Zoey didn¡¯t consider her a friend; acquaintance fit better. And rarely slept? That stranger tidbit suddenly made sense, applied to the slimegirl. Not that Zoey knew how boss monsters worked, but it would make sense if Mel slept less than humans, if at all. She needed Zoey¡¯s help? That rmed her, despite Zoey not particrly considering her a friend. She didn¡¯t wish harm on Mel, certainly. Her existence as a boss monster, a person who¡¯d probably killed adventurers before, did present some ethical oddities to sort through, but Zoey didn¡¯t want her hurt. Plus, Ephy wanted Zoey to go save her for the sake of whatever was wrong with the world. Zoey would have gone and helped regardless, but that doubly sealed the deal. Assuming she¡¯d gotten it right. The pieces did fit, though, and the list of potential options wasn¡¯t long. How would she help, though? Ephy wanted her to visit Mel in the dream world? That was why she¡¯d shoved Zoey out and spurred her on. Mel wouldn¡¯t be sleeping for long, so they had a short time window for this to work. Frowning, Zoey sorted through the various strands attached to her, representing rtionships. She descended back into the mortal sea of orbs while doing so. She couldn¡¯t tell which string belonged to who. The thickness gave hints, indicating the strength of the rtionship, but the more important factor was the string¡¯s ¡®activity¡¯. With the person on the other end of the string sleeping, the strand went gray and dull. But all of them were dull. Being the middle of the day, Zoey taking a nap after magic lessons, none of her few acquaintances and friends were also asleep. So, did that mean she didn¡¯t have a strand attaching to Mel? Or was it hidden in the same way as Ephy¡¯s? Ephy¡¯s, despite its prismatic and otherworldly origin, had been difficult to identify. It hadn¡¯t been a physical shuffling of the rtionship strands, done with her hands¡ªshe didn¡¯t have those, right now, simply a floating consciousness that moved in the direction she ferried it¡ªbut rather an odder, mental action. Existing in this ce in general was surreal, hard to describe. Zoey did so again, sorting through the links that bound her to other people. As a boss monster, surely it would look different from everyone else¡¯s, like Ephy¡¯s had. Slowly, Zoey¡¯s inspection yielded fruit. Two strands appeared: one dull blue, pointing straight down, in the same way Ephy¡¯s had up, and the other, also pointing down, but gray and inactive. Mel, and Not-Zoey? Sleeping and not sleeping? Since Zoey was on a time crunch, she didn¡¯t celebrate her victory. She seized the string and swam downward, following her pathway to the slimegirl she had so long ago¡ªthough really, only a week¡ªlost her second type of virginity to. It would be nice to see Mel again. She¡¯d been pleasant, and, though exhausting, satisfying her toplete the first shard was one of the memories Zoey looked more fondly on sinceing to this world. Though, by the sounds of it, Zoey was on a rescue mission. She didn¡¯t think she¡¯d be getting to have too much fun with Mel. Then again, considering the strange nature of Ephy¡¯s patronage, and how Zoey had needed to solve problems in the past, maybe rescuing Mel would involve some sticky business. Slowly, Mel¡¯s dreamorb came into view. She could make out a few details inside the dream, as Zoey could with other active orbs. The curvy green goo-girl ran through familiar stone hallways encrusted with vines. She shot looks over her shoulder, eyes wide with fear. Running from something? But this was a dream, right? This wasn¡¯t the danger Ephy had mentioned? For a moment, Zoey¡¯s self preservation tried to reason with her. Without a single idea of what this situation was, the dangers involved, she really ought to think carefully about what she should do. But those thoughts didn¡¯t make much headway. Zoey saw a running, terrified Mel, and immediately dove into the dreamorb to help. *** Like twice before, first with Kali then with Ephy, Zoey appeared, suddenly and fully-formed, into another person¡¯s mind. Ahead of her, Mel stumbled, then, considering her speed, tripped, shortly copsing into a pile of gooey limbs. She turned, scooting back on her butt, looking at Zoey with wide eyes. Zoey, for her part, spun in a circle, appraising her surroundings. Empty stone hallways met her¡ªnothing threatening. She eyed the corners, tense and ready to fight, but nothing appeared. Mel panted behind her, breathingbored from her run. Once she was sure nothing was actuallying for them, she turned to Mel. Kali had known instantly that Zoey was real, and that she¡¯d been in a dream¡ªa strange quirk of however the dream-world, or Zoey¡¯s presence in it, worked. Would Mel know she was dreaming, now, too? And that Zoey was real? Mel¡¯s panic did seem to be fading by the second, slowly being reced by incredulity. She gawked up at Zoey, green lips parted in shock. ¡°Zoey?!¡± ¡°Uh,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Hi, Mel?¡± Mel scrambled to her feet. She peeked over Zoey¡¯s shoulder, which caused Zoey to, with some rm, do the same, but again, she saw nothing. ¡°Huh,¡± Mel said. ¡°I was just dreaming.¡± She shivered in an exaggerated way. It made her green-goo body jiggle. Though she had the curves of a human, her body didn¡¯t react like it was made of skin. She ¡­ bounced a lot. Mel studied Zoey, then beamed and rushed forward. Five-foot something of goo-girl impacted Zoey, and Zoey, startled, caught the girl who had hurled herself forward. The momentum made Zoey take a few steps back to steady herself. Mel¡¯s sticky skin pressed into her, dampening her clothes¡ªwhich Zoey realized she¡¯d spawned in with, unlike with Ephy. ¡°It¡¯s so nice to see you!¡± Mel gushed. ¡°You¡¯re real! I can tell. That¡¯s so weird. How are you here?¡± Mel¡¯s joy at seeing her was ttering, and, less importantly, the press of her gooey curves were highly distracting. But Zoey hade here on a mission, and so, rather than returning the niceties, she addressed it. ¡°Are you safe?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°What happened? What were you running from?¡± ¡°Safe?¡± Mel pulled back, still supported in the air by Zoey¡¯s arms, and blinked up at her. A grave expression crossed her face, as if she¡¯d just been reminded. She let herself be put down, holding Zoey¡¯s eyes with a sudden bout of seriousness. ¡°No. Not at all. Someone¡¯s eating me, and not in the fun way.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± ¡°I have no idea what it is,¡± Mel said, ¡°but it¡¯s dangerous. Like nothing I¡¯ve ever seen, and I can¡¯t do anything to stop it.¡± Well. That confirmed Mel was the person Ephy want Zoey to go see. She doubted it was a coincidence. ¡°Back up,¡± Zoey said. She nced over her shoulder one more time. ¡°What is ¡®it¡¯? And is it here?¡± ¡°Here?¡± Mel said. ¡°This is my dream.¡± She poked Zoey on the arm. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, silly.¡± Zoey didn¡¯t think enemies invading dreams would be the weirdest thing she¡¯d heard of in this world, seeing how she could, but she didn¡¯t point that out. Mel seemed confident whatever she¡¯d be running from had been a dream, and Zoey took that at face value. ¡°But an exnation,¡± Zoey prompted. ¡°Start from the beginning.¡± Mel nodded, her dark green slime-hair bouncing. ¡°Okay. But first,¡± she said seriously, ¡°you need to get those pants off. Like, right now.¡± 4.29 – Gooey Explanations 4.29 ¨C Gooey Exnations ¡°My ¡­ pants? Why?¡± Mel dropped to her knees, fingers going to Zoey¡¯s belt. Deftly, she popped the buckle open, her button next, then forcibly tugged Zoey¡¯s pants down. Her underwear followed, revealing a long, still-soft girl cock, which Mel grabbed. ¡°Why?¡± Mel asked. ¡°Because I missed her, obviously.¡± She pped herself across the face with Zoey¡¯s member, thenughed. ¡°She¡¯s so perfect. And big! I¡¯m such a lucky slime. I thought I¡¯d seen thest of her. ¡°Don¡¯t we have more important things to be doing? Talking about?¡± Her cock quickly stiffened in Mel¡¯s grip, and at seeing the curvy slime girl on her knees, staring with admiration. ¡°First off,¡± Mel said. ¡°There¡¯s nothing more important than getting your fat cock inside me as soon as possible, so get that straight.¡± ¡°Uh,¡± Zoey said. ¡°But yeah,¡± Mel said. ¡°We have other things to talk about, too. But who says it can¡¯t happen while having fun?¡± ¡°I mean this politely,¡± Zoey said, watching gooey green fingers stroke up and down her cock, bringing it to full mast, ¡°but I think you have your priorities mixed up. You¡¯re in danger, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in danger,¡± Mel said, ¡°of cock withdrawal.¡± Mel kissed Zoey¡¯s dick, then said firmly, ¡°And since the perfect medicine arrived, I intend to take it.¡± Soft, wet lips enveloped Zoey¡¯s tip, and a sticky tongue stroked along ridges, sucking gently. ¡°The other stuff is way less important,¡± she mumbled past Zoey¡¯s cock. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Totally is.¡± ¡°And I don¡¯t think this is the best position to ¡®have fun and talk¡¯,¡± Zoey gasped, shivering under the pleasurable assault. ¡°Like you implied.¡± Mel paused, Zoey¡¯s cock still in her mouth. She pouted up at her. Zoey almost reached out and urged the slimegirl on, shoving her head down and really getting to it. Separating with a pop, Mel said, ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s fair. Hard to talk with my mouth full.¡± She stood, then grabbed the hem of Zoey¡¯s shirt. Zoey allowed her to tug it up and off. Sticky green breasts pressed into her own, and Mel expertly stripped Zoey¡¯s bra, next. She squeezed Zoey¡¯s tits, then pinched her nipples. ¡°Gods, you¡¯re so gorgeous. I¡¯m so d you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°I came to help you,¡± Zoey used¡ªthough Mel¡¯s eagerness was quickly fraying her willpower. She grabbed Mel by the shoulders and stared firmly at her. ¡°Danger first. Cock second.¡± It was a rather absurd sentence. So was the way Mel pouted at it. ¡°Like I said,¡± Mel said. ¡°There¡¯s something eating me. An invader. It looks human, but isn¡¯t.¡± Mel got down on the ground, then turned andid on her stomach. Turning to face Zoey, she pped her ass, making it jiggle. She jutted it up, arching her back, then she shook her lower half, waggling her ass toward Zoey. ¡°Get that cock in me, and I¡¯ll tell you more,¡± Mel said. Zoey stared at the expectant slimegirlying on the floor. Well. If this was the fastest way to get the information she needed, who was she to say no? Even if Mel wasn¡¯t acting in her own best interest by not taking this seriously. Zoey got down behind Mel, gripping her cock. With her other hand, she pulled Mel¡¯s left ass cheek, spreading the sticky goo-girl wide. Two holes presented themselves. She rubbed a thumb against Mel¡¯s backdoor, then wiggled it in. Her sticky body acted as natural lubricant. Mel gasped in pleasure, then shook her butt a second time. ¡°Your cock! Not your finger! It¡¯s seriously been too long. I want it inside now.¡± Zoey obliged. She lined her tip up to Mel¡¯s less-used entrance, then pressed forward, watching the gooey opening spread open and swallow her cock. Mel gasped as she was split apart by Zoey¡¯s rod. ¡°Fuck. So big. Almost forgot.¡± Inch by inch, Zoey stuffed Mel full, until her cock tip floated all the way up near the bottom of her breasts, suspended in green gtin. Sighing in satisfaction, Zoey bent over the slimegirl, pressing her pelvis in Mel¡¯s ass, andying atop her, breasts pressing into Mel¡¯s back. Murmuring into Mel¡¯s ear, Zoey said, ¡°I¡¯ll start moving when you start talking.¡± ¡°So mean,¡± Melined, wiggling her ass against Zoey, stirring her cock around. The sensation of tight, gooey walls caressing her cock almost wiped away her willpower, but Zoey mastered herself. Seeing her efforts fail, Mel huffed, straining as she turned her head to meet Zoey¡¯s eyes. ¡°Fine. So. I¡¯ve been watching her for about a day, now. Or it. I¡¯m really not sure what to call her.¡± ¡°You said she has a human form?¡± Fulfilling her promise, Zoey rested on her elbows, then lifted her hips up, sliding her cock out of Mel¡¯s gooey asshole, so only the tip was inside. She rested in that position, waiting for more¡ªpromising silently to p down when Mel gave a response. ¡°Looks human, but definitely isn¡¯t,¡± Mel said, hips wiggling side to side, massaging Zoey¡¯s tip. ¡°She feeds on magic. As in, structured magic. Of the shard. My essence.¡± Zoey pped down, hard, burying fourteen inches of girl dick in a powerful stroke. She hit with a loud impact, Mel¡¯s entire body jiggling, and Mel cried out, pressing her forehead into the stone floor. ¡°Your essence?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°The shards. Mine. It¡¯s all the same,¡± Mel gasped. ¡°Keep going. Fuck me. I¡¯m talking, aren¡¯t I? Stop being so mean!¡± Zoey worked into a slow rhythm. Mel would get more when Zoey was satisfied with her exnations. She suspected if she got too into it, productive discussions would stop. ¡°You and the shard are the same?¡± ¡°Mostly,¡± Mel said. ¡°It¡¯s my domain, and it is me. Or ¡­ I¡¯m its master. It¡¯s hard to describe. But the point is, something¡¯s invaded. Not a person¡ªor not one like us.¡± Us? Zoey hadn¡¯t been entirely sure what Mel was, but, she supposed, doubting whether she was a person was ridiculous¡ªeven demeaning. Maybe she had been ¡­ created? ¡­ but she clearly was intelligent and had a personality. Artificial or not, she was a person. ¡°What does that mean, exactly?¡± ¡°No clue.¡± Mel shivered as Zoey¡¯s cock slowly buried into her, then withdrew. She thrusted her ass upward into Zoey, urging her to go faster, but Zoey kept the gentle, teasing pace. ¡°But she¡¯s breaking down parts of the shard. Eating items, constructs, spells. The parts that keep me functioning.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re fine?¡± ¡°For now,¡± Mel said. ¡°It¡¯s almost like she¡¯s targeting less important parts. But it¡¯s still messing with my bnce. I¡¯m a delicate creation.¡± Mel groaned. ¡°A delicate creation that really wants you to go faster. Stop teasing!¡± She emphasized with another jerk of her hips, pping her ass into Zoey¡¯s pelvis and burying her cock deep. Zoey obliged, but not entirely. She picked up the pace, leaning up and grabbing Mel¡¯s ass with both hands as she thrust slowly in and out. ¡°What can I do? If Ie to you, is there any way I can help?¡± ¡°I think so,¡± Mel said. ¡°She¡¯s interested in the lewder parts of my shard. The parts where your influence lingers.¡± ¡°My influence?¡± ¡°The carnal energies you brought.¡± Zoey digested that. It was hard to think critically with Mel¡¯s slimy asshole squeezing her cock, and the eager girl squirming beneath her and moaning. She already knew her presence changed shards, but she¡¯d thought that was just how shards worked. It sounded like her essence¡ªalmost certainly Ephy¡¯s, to be more urate¡ªmodified them in ways not typical to how they functioned. Though maybe that was obvious in retrospect. Rosalie and Delta had never heard of anything like the shards they had entered. ¡°Why?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°Why what?¡± ¡°Is she interested in the lewder parts?¡± ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t be?¡± Mel moaned. ¡°But it¡¯s not just because it¡¯s fun. It¡¯s more potent.¡± ¡°Potent?¡± ¡°Your ss. The weight behind it. Hey, flip me around.¡± Mel twisted, and Zoey adjusted to help her. Shortly, the slimegirl wasid out, facing upward, with Zoey¡¯s cock still buried in her asshole. Mel rubbed at her pussy as Zoey gripped her thighs and pushed in and out in gentle thrusts. ¡°Gods,¡± Mel groaned. ¡°I love your cock so much. I¡¯ve been thinking about it since you left. I¡¯m so addicted.¡± Zoey blushed. Said with such a genuine tone, it was apromising statement. ¡°Watch this,¡± Mel said, leaning forward and gripping Zoey¡¯s shaft. ¡°Time to ¡­ swap.¡± She pulled upward, and Zoey groaned at the sudden pressure. She watched as her cock popped into Mel¡¯s pussy, taking a shortcut. Mel had pulled her from one hole to another, straight through her goo-like body. Now, Zoey¡¯s cock was pressed in by tight pussy walls. The pleasure, and eroticism of the sight, eroded her defenses. Zoey grunted as she pushed Mel down and readjusted¡ªthen started pumping earnestly. Mel tugged Zoey in and kissed her, and Zoey basked in her fresh, citrusy taste. Her body bounced as Zoey¡¯s hips mmed into her. Gasping, Zoey pulled back, but only after indulging in Mel¡¯s saliva for several long moments. ¡°You¡¯re distracting us,¡± Zoey forced out. She didn¡¯t stop pumping into Mel¡¯s pussy, but she did corral her thoughts back. ¡°We might not have much time. You need me toe help?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do alone,¡± Mel said. Begging goo-eyes met her own, and Zoey didn¡¯t think she was pleading for help, but Zoey¡¯s sticky load. This slime was aplete subus. ¡°I think you can bait her out, somehow. She¡¯s interested in your aspect, because of its potency. That was my point. So if youe in person, we can do something. Though I¡¯m not entirely sure what. I¡¯ll n. How long will it take?¡± ¡°At least a day,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Maybe more? I¡¯m not sure. Rosalie would know.¡± She¡¯d been the one to find Mel¡¯s shard naturally; Zoey had been transported there by Ephy. ¡°Will you be fine?¡± ¡°I can survive a day or two,¡± Mel said. ¡°But I might be on the fritz, by then. She¡¯s messing with delicate systems. Ones I don¡¯t fully understand.¡± ¡°I¡¯lle as fast as I can.¡± ¡°As thanks,¡± Mel gasped, ¡°I¡¯ll let you do that really gross thing you wanted, our first meeting.¡± ¡°Gross thing?¡± ¡°Having it inside my head is really weird,¡± Mel said, ¡°but for you, I¡¯ll make an exception.¡± ¡°I-I never asked for that.¡± ¡°You thought it,¡± Mel said. ¡°And, gods, when ites to this cock, I¡¯ll let you put it anywhere.¡± Her body started to shake. ¡°Fuck. I¡¯m close. Cum with me? Fill me up.¡± Zoey adjusted, getting into a kneeling position, lifting Mel¡¯s lower half with her, so that Mel¡¯s head was on the floor but her hips still met Zoey¡¯s in the air. Zoey pumped desperately, watching her cock slide in and out of her translucent gtin body. Mel felt so different from other girls. In an amazing way. Zoey shuddered. ¡°Here Ie.¡± Her partner was already shaking in her grip, squeezing her tits as orgasm wracked her. Zoey moaned and pped onest time into her, cock convulsing. Hot white strands spurted into Mel¡¯s stomach, filling up the green goo and floating there, suspended. The bizarre sight worked out Zoey¡¯s load, and by the time she was done, a nearlyical amount of white strings mixed around Mel¡¯s gooey interior. ¡°So amazing ¡­¡± Mel said, slumping down in exhaustion. ¡°Can¡¯t wait until you¡¯re here in person. We¡¯ll have so much fun.¡± The dream fuzzed, and Zoey¡ªeven through her post-orgasm exhaustion¡ªlooked around, rmed. She hadn¡¯t know the dream would end when she came. ¡°Maybe you can share me with that cute blonde of yours,¡± Mel said. ¡°I can¡¯t believe she wanted to fight the boring way, the first time. Make sure you convince her.¡± She sighed contentedly. ¡°Bye, now ¡­ and make sure you hurry. If I die, it means I can¡¯t have that amazing cock of yours again. I¡¯ll be so upset.¡± Zoey would have replied, but the dream darkened, then went ck. 4.30 – Working It Out 4.30 ¨C Working It Out Rosalie swung open their room¡¯s front door, rolling her shoulders as she walked in, working out sore muscles. Today had been a good day. She¡¯d made progress with her newest skill, and had driven herself into the ground¡ªher entire body ached in thatfortable, if painful, way of a training session properly seen through. She noted Zoey¡¯s shoes set aside at the doorway, then frowned, because she hadn¡¯t called out to greet Rosalie, as she usually would¡¯ve. ¡°Zoey? I¡¯m back.¡± She tossed her room key back into her inventory, eying how Zoey had left hers out on the hallway side table. It wasn¡¯t unusual to not use your inventory for everything, since in many public spaces, doing so was banned¡ªto prevent theft, primarily¡ªand habits built before receiving one¡¯s ss could be difficult to kick, but Zoey especially seemed to disregard her inventory to an unusual level. It was far from the oddest habit of hers, but Rosalie still noted it. Walking into the bedroom, frown deepening at the continuedck of response, Rosalie discovered the reason why. She froze at the sight awaiting her. Not that she should have. Considering her perverted girlfriend¡ªgirlfriend? When would that word stop making her flush?¡ªthe position she found Zoey in shouldn¡¯t have made her pause. It was downright expected, even. Laying across the bed, head propped up on a pillow, but fully dressed and on top of the covers, Zoey snoozed. That wasn¡¯t the surprising part. It was the outrageous bulge in her pants, and the way she squirmed side to side, mumbling in unmistakable noises of pleasure. Her face was red; whatever dream she was experiencing, she was having fun with it. Rosalie¡¯s own cheeks heated at the sight, and something in her stomach clenched, heart rate picking up. Something was odd about this, though. Taking a mid-day nap? That wasn¡¯t something Zoey usually did. And ¡­ that paper on the night stand. A note? Walking over, Rosalie picked up the paper and scanned it. Ah. Testing that dream potion she¡¯d made. Well, it was clearly working. Specifically, in the way Zoey had expected it to. An indulgent fantasy, not a mundane one. Rosalie huffed, flicking the paper back on the nightstand. She crossed her arms and red at the dark-haired womanid across their bed. How could a single person be so insatiable? If she¡¯d asked, Rosalie could have taken care of her. And that way, her own pesky urges could¡¯ve been solved. Pesky urges which were decidedly produced by Zoey. Rosalie hadn¡¯t had nearly as many problems managing her libido before Zoey had entered her life. ¡°Ridiculous,¡± Rosalie said firmly. At theck of response, Rosalie red harder. Then, shaking her head, she uncrossed her arms and sat on the edge of the bed. She observed Zoey closer. Her girlfriend was really having a fun time. Her breath came fast and shallow, and her hips squirmed side to side. Slowly, and only in muted motions, being firmly asleep, but still noticeable. The sight had Rosalie¡¯s face burning. Her girlfriend was having a wet dream. What, specifically, was she doing? Or who? And how asleep was she? Rosalie pursed her lips. She got the feeling that potion-induced unconsciousness wouldn¡¯t be as easy to stir her from as its natural counterpart. Rosalie poked Zoey¡¯s ankle. Seated on the end of the bed, it was the part closest to her. Zoey didn¡¯t react. She continued making breathless noises and wiggling. Rosalie eyed the bulge. It strained against her pants, lifting them a ridiculous distance. With its size, it couldn¡¯t even stick straight up; it poked down toward her knee, bending fabric upward in a tent. ¡°Disgusting,¡± Rosalie said. She scooted up the bed. A dark spot gathered near the tip, her girlfriend¡¯s precum dampening the fabric. Zoey¡¯s shaft made a clear outline in her pants, and so did the ridges of her cock tip. Everything about Zoey was so excessive. Her cock, her output ¡­ and the even grosser parts, too. The nauseatingpliments and how she doted over Rosalie, always putting her first. ¡°Obscene,¡± Rosalie dered, poking Zoey¡¯s tip through her pants. ¡°You realize if you finish, you¡¯re drenching our bed? Of course you don¡¯t.¡± She huffed. ¡°No foresight. You should¡¯ve put a towel down.¡± Rosalie¡¯s heart skipped at the idea. Zoey, finishing in her pants. Emptying that ridiculous sticky load of hers straight into her clothing. Why did that excite her? Why did Rosalie want to watch it happen? ¡°You are so gross,¡± Rosalie growled, and this time, she wasn¡¯t sure which of them she directed it at. For a while longer, she alternated between ring at Zoey¡¯s face and her cock. Then she sighed, and scooted closer. ¡°That can¡¯t befortable,¡± she mumbled. Blushing, she ced a hand on Zoey¡¯s shaft. It pulsed heat into her hand, even through the fabric. Zoey let out a little moan, and Rosalie jumped. But Zoey didn¡¯t wake. For all Rosalie knew, she¡¯d been reacting to whatever happened in her dream. She was well and truly out; even Rosalie¡¯s hand hadn¡¯t stirred her. ¡°Let¡¯s get you situated.¡± With some finagling, she had Zoey¡¯s cock not sticking so ufortably up, straining into her pants. Still hard, it kept struggling against its confines, but now pointed more down toward her knee, a less cramped position. ¡°Take this, too.¡± She pulled out a towel from her inventory, then situated it beneath Zoey¡¯s leg. Then, thinking about it for a second, she pulled out a second, folded it, and added it to the first. When that oversized thing finally erupted, it would make a horrendous mess. Rosalie knew that first hand. Even two folded towels and Zoey¡¯s pants might not soak it all up. For a while, she watched her girlfriend squirm, a new darkspot appearing near Zoey¡¯s knee as precum dribbled from the stimted member. ¡°I guess I should help you along, too,¡± Rosalie suddenly said. She blushed and looked around the room, but she was obviously alone. ¡°Because you need some physical help. It¡¯s my duty as your girlfriend.¡± And not because she wanted to see Zoey empty herself into her pants. That really shouldn¡¯t excite her. And it didn¡¯t. She was just fulfilling her role as this gross woman¡¯s girlfriend. So there. She ced a hand on Zoey¡¯s cock, savoring the pulsing heat against her hand, and the way it twitched. Rosalie moaned as her other hand rubbed a tight circle against her core. She froze, then red down at the invader in her pants. She¡¯d started rubbing herself without even meaning to. ¡°This is your fault,¡± Rosalie used. ¡°Two weeks ago, I wasn¡¯t half as needy.¡± Zoey squirmed, eyes closed, oblivious to Rosalie¡¯s chiding. Face burning, Rosalie climbed on top of her girlfriend¡¯s leg. Zoey¡¯s cock burned against her pussy, even through manyyers of clothing, and provided a wonderful pressure against her core. She wiggled Zoey¡¯s cock better into position, so itid t against her leg, then, with it in ce, perched on top of the edge of the shaft. Dry humping Zoey¡¯s cock while she was sleeping. Trying to make her cum in her pants. While getting herself off at the same time. Just ¡­ her duty as a girlfriend. Rosalie sighed, shivering, as she rubbed herself up and down Zoey¡¯s thick cock. She made long strokes. Obviously, with both of them fully clothed, it wasn¡¯t as physically stimting as some of their encounters, but it was still amazing. The pervertedness of the act made up the difference. Rosalie was panting and shaking in less than a minute. She watched the dark stain growing bit by bit near the tip of Zoey¡¯s cock, fascinated and anticipatory. She nced over her shoulder, back at Zoey, who still hadn¡¯t woken. Even humping her cock, she stayed firmly asleep. Almost impressive. And by how her moans had grown louder, she was getting close. ¡°Go ahead,¡± Rosalie murmured, her own hips picking up speed. ¡°Let go. Finish in your pants, you little pervert.¡± She scooted higher up, rubbing her pussy into Zoey¡¯s cock tip. ¡°I¡¯ll even help you,¡± she groaned. ¡°You can get my shorts all sticky and gross, too. Coat us. I want your hot cum rubbing into my pussy. Please?¡± As if obliging her, Zoey started panting in quick little gasps, hips wiggling, providing more pressure against her pussy. Rosalie felt Zoey¡¯s cock swell. She rubbed even more frantically, head dizzy with excitement. ¡°Come on. Do it.¡± Sticky warmth flooded Zoey¡¯s pants, and Rosalie looked down between their lower halves, watching Zoey¡¯s pants turn dark. With Rosalie¡¯s pussy coaxing her cock tip, right against the member she was milking out, the material shot straight into her own shorts and turned them dark, too. Rosalie came apart at the squishy sensation soaking into her panties. Zoey¡¯s cum. She was soaking her shorts and panties with her girlfriend¡¯s cum, rubbing against her to milk it out. She fell forward, humping desperately, moaning as her body shook and the sticky warmth spread. So much. Zoey¡¯s thick shaft rubbed into her pussy betweenyers of clothing, urging out the white-hot bliss of orgasm. Behind her, Zoey moaned her own pleasure¡ªstill muted, caught in a dream, but louder than before. When Rosalie¡¯s twitching finish left her, she leaned up, panting, and appraised the damage. As expected, Zoey¡¯s pants were a mess. From knee to lower thigh, the entire fabric was dark and sticky with her cum. Rosalie¡¯s own shorts were even worse; rubbing herself all over an actively cumming cock had left more of the material in her own shorts than Zoey¡¯s pants, probably. Beyond that, the towel was drenched, the impressive load dribbling down Zoey¡¯s knee. Some might have made it all the way to the sheets. Honestly, it wouldn¡¯t be the first time. It wasn¡¯t like they¡¯d avoided it in the past. And Zoey was still asleep. Probably for the best. Rosalie stared disbelievingly down at herself. What was wrong with her? Why had she done that? Face burning, she climbed off Zoey and scurried to get changed. That decidedly had never happened. She intended to never speak of it, and with Zoey asleep, the secret would never get out. Thank the heavens for that. Just, why had it been so exciting? 4.31 – The Truth 4.31 ¨C The Truth Zoey woke to an unfortunate mess. A blonde woman red at her, arms crossed, blue eyes like daggers. ¡°I put towels down for you,¡± Rosalie huffed, ¡°but you really like to pump it out, so it only did so much. Do you have any consideration? We¡¯ve ruined our bedsheets enough as is.¡± Zoey sat up in bed, blinking in disorientation. She looked down at herself. She¡¯d really made a mess of her pants. She wasn¡¯t embarrassed half as easily as Rosalie was, but having a wet dream¡ªand her girlfriend apparently watching it happen¡ªwas something that had her face burning. ¡°Sorry,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Yeah. I guess I didn¡¯t think that through.¡± She¡¯d expected what sorts of dreams she¡¯d be getting, so she should have made better preparations. ¡°Clearly.¡± ¡°Enjoy the show, at least?¡± Rosalie¡¯s face turned crimson, and she started sputtering. ¡°What show? You think I watched you?¡± She definitely had. That removed some of Zoey¡¯s embarrassment, though filling her pants up with cum was ¡­ still awkward. At least her deviant girlfriend had had fun with it. ¡°I¡¯ll, uh, get cleaned,¡± Zoey said. ¡°And then we need to talk.¡± ¡°Talk?¡± ¡°I learned some stuff during my expedition.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I think our vacation¡¯s gonna cut short.¡± That caught Rosalie¡¯s attention, for all her blushing and ring. She sensed the gravity behind Zoey¡¯s words. ¡°In your dream?¡± For the first time, Zoey paused. What had happened in the dream world had been real, right? Not actually a dream? She hadn¡¯t imagined all of that? Zoey supposed it was a non-zero chance she had. At the same time, the consequences of believing that, then the events being real, far outweighed the waste of rushing to Mel¡¯s shard and checking on her. Even if fake, Zoey wouldn¡¯t be able to rest until she confirmed it for certain. ¡°In my dream,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Yeah. But I¡¯m pretty sure it wasn¡¯t a dream in the usual sense.¡± She stood, awkwardly clutching the towel to her leg as she did. Cum dripped down her leg, and Zoey cursed as she tried to stop it from getting into the carpets. ¡°Why do I have to make so much of a mess?¡± she growled. ¡°Where does it evene from?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying,¡± Rosalie said simply, seeming, for some reason, vindicated by Zoey¡¯sints. She shuffled off to the bathroom, then sighed and dumped the towels. After stripping her pants, she turned on the shower and waited for it to warm. With a wrinkled nose, she looked down at the cum coating her leg. Her pants were probably ruined. ¡°If you saw I forgot to take my pants off,¡± Zoey said, ¡°couldn¡¯t you have done that for me, too? You put towels down.¡± ¡°So this is my fault?¡± Zoey rolled her eyes. ¡°Let me guess. You just wanted to see it happen. Who gets off on watching their girlfriend have a wet dream into her pants?¡± The sputtering said Zoey had hit the nail on the head¡ªdevastatingly so¡ªnot that she¡¯d had any doubt about it. ¡°Wanna join me?¡± Zoey asked, stepping into the shower. ¡°But we really do have to talk. So don¡¯t seduce me.¡± ¡°You seduce me,¡± Rosalie growled. ¡°Not that other way around.¡± ¡°Lies,¡± Zoey said. ¡°You don¡¯t get to walk around with a body like that and pretend it¡¯s my fault when I touch it. Stop being so fuckable, and I won¡¯t.¡± Rosalie made a noise of protest, but the blush and the way she nced away showed that she¡¯d enjoyed the crude words. Like usual. She stripped, and Zoey wrapped her arms around her stomach as she stepped into the shower with her. Hot water poured between them, washing away the mess Zoey had made, and her cock pressed against Rosalie¡¯s naked leg. It was, to say the least, tempting to ignore her previous words, but considering the dire circumstances, they really needed to get clean then get going. Zoey slid a hand down Rosalie¡¯s stomach, cupping her pussy and pressing firmly. ¡°Bet you¡¯re all worked up, aren¡¯t you?¡± she whispered into her ear. ¡°Maybe we can spare a quick one. Promise to cum fast?¡± Well. Zoey couldn¡¯t really be med. Blushing and protesting, Rosalie was, as she¡¯d said a second earlier, just way too fuckable. Zoey took her apart efficiently. Rosalie¡¯s hair trigger came in handy, sometimes. That unproductive event taken care of, Zoey dered, ¡°I said not to seduce me. You¡¯re such a distraction.¡± ¡°I-Insufferable,¡± the still-shaking blonde said. ¡°What happened in your dream? Tell me.¡± After getting herself cleaned¡ªand making sure to help rub soap into Rosalie in a liberal manner, pinching and ying with her nipples¡ªthey stepped from the shower, and Zoey finally exined. For her to really understand, Zoey had to start from the beginning. And given permission by Ephy, the discussion that had been a long timeing finally took ce. ¡°So,¡± Zoey said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure where to begin with all this. And it¡¯s going to be really oundish. As in, I want you to know I¡¯m beingpletely serious, but I expect you¡¯ll have a hard time believing me. I won¡¯t be offended.¡± Well, maybe she would be, a little bit. More likely than thinking that she was lying, though, Rosalie would just think Zoey had moderate to severe brain damage, and the delusions that came with it. And, Christ, she did have brain damage, for a sense of the phrase. Ephy had scooped out her memories. Didn¡¯t build the greatest case for believability, not remembering the names of your parents. ¡°That¡¯s quite the preface,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°But when ites to you, I¡¯m willing to believe just about anything.¡± Zoey looked at her, amused. ¡°And what does that mean?¡± ¡°That you are, by far, the strangest woman I¡¯ve ever met. And how you ended up in the shard with me? Your circumstances in general?¡± Zoey pursed her lips. She supposed all the oddities did provide support for what she was about to say. Still. How was a girl supposed to just exin she was from another? Or, god, another dimension, really. Or reality, whatever the term was. ¡°I¡¯m an alien,¡± Zoey said. Then,ughing, she said, ¡°Okay, no, I said I¡¯d be serious. But technically, I might be?¡± She sobered up. Now wasn¡¯t the time to be making jokes, however much the absurdity of the situation had brought it out. ¡°Sorry. Uh. Are ¡®other worlds¡¯ something normal, here?¡± Rosalie, understandably, stared at her. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you because my patron suggested that I shouldn¡¯t. And I wasn¡¯t sure whether it was a suggestion or an order. You¡¯ve called me reckless, but even I didn¡¯t think upsetting a divine being the smartest thing to do. But I recently got the go-ahead, so, now we¡¯re talking about it.¡± Er. Assuming Ephy hadn¡¯t been a fragment of Zoey¡¯s imagination, and the dream sequences had been real, not inventions of her mind. That would be a rather unfortunate series of events leading to a divine smiting. Rosalie continued to stare. ¡°Anyway,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Are they? Other worlds,mon? Something you know of?¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying you¡¯re from one?¡± Zoey shrugged. Not because she was ying coy about it, but because she was agreeing with Rosalie¡¯s incredulity. A shrug that meant, ¡®yeah, pretty insane, isn¡¯t it¡¯? ¡°I half-way figured since this entire ce is a bunch of linked pocket-worlds,¡± Zoey said, ¡°that maybe it¡¯d sound a little less crazy?¡± Plus all the magic. She didn¡¯t think this reveal would be easy to digest, but heapings of magic and already living in a universeprised of miniature worlds stitched together would make Zoey¡¯s ims go down easier than if she¡¯d tried to sell it to a resident of Earth. Or that was the hope, at least. ¡°Patron,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Who?¡± That she wasn¡¯t dismissing Zoey outright was a good sign. Though, by her expression, she was hardly epting it without question, either. ¡°Ephythithys,¡± Zoey said. ¡°She says Ephy is fine. But she said she¡¯s not your world¡¯s goddess, so I don¡¯t think you know her?¡± ¡°Ephythithys,¡± Rosalie repeated, expression turning from careful and incredulous to t. ¡°Your patron is the goddess of fertility and lust.¡± Zoey paused. So Rosalie¡¯s world did have a name for Ephy? The details behind how gods and goddesses worked across worlds were unclear. ¡°I mean,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Considering my ss and abilities ¡­ it makes sense, right?¡± Rosalie only seemed exasperated. ¡°It would, yes.¡± She rubbed her forehead. ¡°Your patron? Start from the beginning.¡± They¡¯d broached the hardest part¡ªZoey¡¯s origins and her entanglement with Ephy. She didn¡¯t know if Rosalie believed her, but getting started was the hard part. Now came detailed exnations, and hopefully, convincing her that she wasn¡¯t insane. And, after that, how they needed to go and rescue Mel. Zoey took a breath in, then hunkered down for a long, ridiculous conversation. 4.32 – Overdue Talks 4.32 ¨C Overdue Talks Zoey started from the beginning. There wasn''t much to go over. The difficulty of the conversation came from the sheer oundishness, not the quantity of content. Sheid it out in quick, practical terms. Her first meeting with Ephy, her transportation to the shard, then today, the new discoveries: more about the ''threat'', Mel, and briefly how Zoey had been purposefully arranged to meet Rosalie. Thatst part made Rosalie go quiet. It danced around her past, whatever it was, and made it clear Zoey knew something was going on. Though Ephy¡¯s intervention had hardly been what gave that away. Rather, Rosalie¡¯s behavior itself had. Even Delta had picked it up¡ªthough what ¡®it¡¯ meant specifically eluded them. Zoey didn¡¯t expect any exnation¡ªnot today, at least¡ªand Rosalie didn¡¯t provide one, though she seemed hesitant, as if warring briefly with herself over whether she should. But they had more pressings topics to go over, so they silently put it to the side. When Zoey was done, she sat back and waited, concerned, for how Rosalie would respond. For a few moments, she chewed over the topic. Finally, she said, "It does exin a lot." "You believe me, then?" Piercing blue eyes scrutinized her, a frown tugging the edges of her lips. "Of course I believe you. There''s too much supporting evidence. Your runes alone might have sold it." Zoey rxed. That this wouldn''t end up with her girlfriend thinking she was crazy came as a surprisinglyrge relief. She''d been prepared to navigate that result, but that she didn''t have to was obviously preferable. "Okay. Good. I''m d." "Another world, though," Rosalie said. "Not just a splinter, but separated entirely from the rest. It''s hard to take in." "At least I remember most of it," Zoey said. "The memory scrambling was mostly personal stuff, not general knowledge." Rosalie frowned. "And I''m not pleased about that, either. Or your involvement with a goddess. That''s troubling. Dangerous." "The world''s apparently ending, sopared to that ¡­" Zoey shrugged. "Plus, we should be happy we have an ally." "But why her?" "The goddess of sex? Good question." Why not any of the others? For that matter, did they all exist? Ephy apparently had a ce in this world¡¯s pantheon, but did that mean the entire pantheon was real? Zoey hesitated. Religion was, obviously, a touchy subject, and while Rosalie didn¡¯te off as a pious person, questioning her on whether her gods were real could be a thorny conversation. ¡°Is there one named Ezariel?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°In your pantheon?¡± That was the safe ce to start. ¡°No. There isn¡¯t. I wanted to bring that up, too.¡± During Zoey¡¯s exnation, she¡¯d simply gotten through all the reveals, rather than fielding questions. Now that the basics were in the open, they both had plenty of rifications they wanted. ¡°But Ephy called this world his,¡± Zoey said. ¡°More than hers. And she¡¯s an actual goddess of yours, but he isn¡¯t?¡± Rosalie¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°You¡¯re asking me if the others are real, since Ephythithys,¡± she pursed her lips, ¡°Ephy, is apparently the only one looking to help.¡± ¡°I guess.¡± ¡°There are instances of members of the pantheon descending and intervening in mortal affairs,¡± Rosalie said, ¡°but, admittedly, I don¡¯t know the validity of such stories. And not many are recent. My father, at least¡ª¡° She stiffened, then continued. Zoey pretended not to notice the slip, though what it meant, exactly, she couldn¡¯t decipher. ¡°¡ªhasn¡¯t interacted or heard of interactions with any divine beings. And he is,¡± she paused, looking for how to put it, ¡°rather informedpared to the typical person, so perhaps they really are stories. Or he never mentioned it to me. This simply isn¡¯t a topic I, or he, I suspect, spent significant time considering.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Well, I suppose it¡¯s all irrelevant. Real or not, it sounds like we can¡¯t count on them. Or whoever Ezariel is. Ephy is the only one with halfway interest in helping.¡± ¡°The question is why.¡± Zoey shrugged helplessly. ¡°We¡¯ve got bigger fish to fry. Fixing the problem in the first ce.¡± ¡°Moreover,¡± Rosalie said dryly, ¡°discovering what it even is.¡± ¡°Whatever¡¯s hurting Mel is clearly part of it. So we need to get there as soon as possible. What¡¯s the travel time?¡± ¡°Even at a quick pace, a full day.¡± Zoey grimaced at that, but Rosalie hesitated. ¡°Though ¡­ with our recent advancements, and how we share a small percentage of our stats, now ¡­¡± She considered. ¡°Less. I¡¯m not sure how much so. We could probably jog a good portion of the trip instead of walking it. Your stamina should be vastly improved from your advancement, and physical stats siphoned from us.¡± ¡°But we¡¯ll make it in time, for sure,¡± Zoey said, relieved at hearing it. Mel had said she couldst a day or two, so while not overflowing with time, they weren¡¯t at risk of not making it. ¡°Yes. We will. But we should get going immediately. Besides, further discussions can happen as we walk. There won¡¯t be much else to do.¡± Zoey wasn¡¯t looking forward to another full-day hike through varying pocket-realms, but she didn¡¯t have much choice. She¡¯d have liked their so-called vacation to have lived out properly, but the burgeoning end of the world had a tendency to throw wrenches in ns. ¡°That brings up an important point,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Delta. Maddy. What¡¯s the n?¡± ¡°You want to tell them?¡± ¡°Delta, at least,¡± Zoey said. ¡°She deserves to know what she¡¯s getting into.¡± ¡°She¡¯s getting into? I would figure there are others significantly more qualified to handle this. Whatever ¡®this¡¯ is.¡± Zoey paused. She supposed that was true. Why would she, Rosalie, and Delta be the ones tackling a world-ending threat? ¡°Assuming it can be handled through conventional means,¡± Zoey pointed out. ¡°Ephy might have chosen a champion deliberately.¡± Rosalie raised her eyebrows at her. ¡°Are you suggesting you¡¯ll be fucking the threat intopliance, Zoey?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m just saying,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Not necessarily that. Just that there might not be better qualified people. Or maybe they¡¯re in on it, or something.¡± Rosalie¡¯s eyebrows went higher. ¡°Not that I¡¯m saying they are,¡± Zoey rified. ¡°Again. Just that Ephy picked a third party for a reason.¡± She shrugged. ¡°We¡¯ll y that by ear.¡± ¡°Later,¡± Rosalie agreed. ¡°Delta.¡± She sighed. ¡°You can tell her. I believe she¡¯s trustworthy. And she¡¯s entangled with us, so yes, she deserves to know what¡¯s going on. I¡¯m wondering if she¡¯ll believe us.¡± ¡°If we find something at Mel¡¯s shard, that¡¯ll be proof, won¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I suppose it would.¡± She wavered. ¡°Of a sort, at least.¡± ¡°And one more thing, before we get going. I wanted to talk about us.¡± ¡°Us?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to for a bit, now,¡± Zoey said. ¡°We just keep getting sidetracked. But we¡¯re girlfriends now. And that means we should set down boundaries and expectations. Communication is important.¡± ¡°¡­ okay?¡± Rosalie asked. She seemed bewildered by the turn of events. And Zoey supposed it wasn¡¯t the most appropriate time to do this, following on the tail of all the craziness she¡¯d just revealed, but she¡¯d already been distracted from it more than once. This was something they needed to talk about. It had primarily entered Zoey¡¯s mind because of Mel¡¯s earlier offer. That she wanted Zoey and Rosalie to ¡®take care of her¡¯ together, unlike their first encounter. Which brought up an important point they needed to hammer out¡ªhow their rtionship worked in the concrete. ¡°The biggest thing,¡± Zoey said, ¡°is us actually defining us. What you¡¯re okay with, and what I¡¯m okay with. Specifically, me sleeping with other girls doesn¡¯t bother you, right?¡± The bewilderment grew. ¡°I assure you,¡± she said, ¡°I¡¯m more than capable of making what I want clear. I would have said something if it did.¡± Zoey believed that was true in some regards, but definitely not all. But when it came to Rosalie being fine with Zoey having multiple partners, she could tell Rosalie meant it. She¡¯d known that before asking¡ªbut again, the point was to get it out in the open, explicitly. ¡°And the reverse,¡± Zoey said. ¡°I realize it¡¯s unfair, but ¡­¡± Rosalie rolled her eyes. ¡°But you¡¯re possessive. Yes, I can tell.¡± Zoey winced at the phrasing, but she supposed it was a fair assessment. The typical dynamic leaned more toward polyamory in Rosalie¡¯s society, and so by their standards, Zoey was possessive. Even though plenty of people back home wouldn¡¯t have wanted to share to any degree, even in a threesome. ¡°To make it clear,¡± Zoey said, ¡°you can have fun with Delta, if you want. Or anyone in our group, I guess? Er. Not our adventuring group, but our romantic one, I mean. Which is only Delta, right now.¡± Sort of. What Delta was to Zoey and Rosalie was pretty undefined. They were in the burgeoning stages of that rtionship. ¡°Group?¡± Rosalie asked dryly. ¡°You mean your growing harem?¡± ¡°Well.¡± Harem might not be the perfect word. Rosalie and Delta certainly weren¡¯t in love, but they had something going on. But some sort of polycule centered on her specifically, Zoey guessed was close to true. Harem,cking the perfect terminology. Put into words, it was making Zoey blush. ¡°And is there a difference between our ¡®romantic¡¯ group and our ¡®wayfaring¡¯ one?¡± Rosalie asked. ¡°It seems to me there isn¡¯t. And won¡¯t be in the future, either.¡± A specific phrase of Ephy¡¯s bubbled up. ¡®While I highly approve of your determination to cum inside every friend you make ¡­¡¯ Zoey guessed there wasn¡¯t. And that probably wouldn¡¯t change as their party grew, either. Maddy seemed to be opening more and more to the idea. She coughed, embarrassed. ¡°Well,¡± Zoey said. ¡°I mean, when Maddy joins, I wouldn¡¯t really call her part of our group, yet. Romantically speaking.¡± Though she liked Maddy, the idea of Rosalie sleeping with her without Zoey being there was ¡­ not really something she would want. ¡°It¡¯s just the idea of strangers I don¡¯t like. I wanted to rify that.¡± Rosalie squeezed Zoey¡¯s hands. ¡°Yes, I know. And I¡¯m fine with that.¡± She huffed. ¡°Though it¡¯s a moot point. I have no interest in being with that irritating girl by myself, much less strangers. That encounterst night, mind you, was entirely for your entertainment.¡± Zoey raised an eyebrow, and Rosalie red. Then she softened, cheeks turning pink. ¡°Mostly,¡± she conceded. ¡°But while she was ¡­ enjoyable ¡­ she would simply be too much of a headache to deal with on my own.¡± Zoey doubted Rosalie meant that, but she let her poor, emotionally repressed girlfriend retain her dignity. ¡°And strangers are fine to enjoy together,¡± Zoey rified. ¡°Mel wasn¡¯t happy you didn¡¯t fight the fun way, the first time. You have a second shot to do it right, with me. Slimegirls are really something.¡± Contrary to what Zoey had expected, Rosalie seemed suddenly uncertain. She chewed her lip before replying, looking questioningly at her. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I want to, Zoey. I¡¯m fine with you doing as you please, but being with just anyone ¡­ I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s me.¡± Zoey blinked rapidly. ¡°Well, of course that¡¯s fine, too,¡± she said, feeling kind of stupid she hadn¡¯t expected the response. Rosalie was very much a pervert, but not in the same way as Zoey¡ªshe didn¡¯t seem like the kind of person looking for any opportunity to sleep around. She was more careful in who she wanted to be with. ¡°Not that it¡¯s a no, either,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°It¡¯s just ¡­ I don¡¯t know. Mel? Maybe.¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s always your choice. I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page.¡± ¡°Then we are,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°But the world is in danger part?¡± she added dryly. ¡°Delta and Maddy?¡± Yeah. Back to that. 4.33 – Back to the Beginning 4.33 ¨C Back to the Beginning They set out from Treyhull within the hour. Delta epted their urgency with little exnation. They¡¯d given her a promise that they¡¯d fill her in during the trek, and she¡¯d nodded, then hurried away to prepare. Maddy, they left behind. Beyond not even being an official part of the team, Zoey didn¡¯t think it smart to push for her recruitment yet. Especially not during a mission even stranger than usual, returning to an old, low level shard and rescuing a boss monster from some unknown threat. An unknown threat linked to a potentially world-ending danger. The sex stuff was enough. Better to let Maddy get use to that idea first, before broaching the apocalypse. Zoey sent a messenger to fill Sabina in on the change of ns. She didn¡¯t like how their lessons were being interrupted, and without even getting to say bye in person, but the less dy before heading for Mel, the better. The slimegirl had said she would survive for a day or two, but each passing hour was ¡®damaging¡¯ her. So even if they could linger, they shouldn¡¯t. And so, their group of three set off with as much expeditiousness as reasonable. They walked fast. As in, a pace Zoey would have struggled to make on t concrete, back before her transmigration. Now, the noticeable boons of her skills and advancement meant she made long, swift strides across rugged terrain, and even doing so for an extended time, she didn¡¯t find herself winded. She was still the slowest of the group, with Rosalie and Delta having physically-oriented sses, but they still made twice or better speed than their earlier trip. While they walked¡ªor walk-jogged, really¡ªthey filled Delta in. The second time exining such bizarre topics wasn¡¯t any easier. Delta had more difficulty epting them. Rosalie, at least, had been with Zoey since the beginning, and seemed generally more predisposed toward believing the incredible¡ªmaybe something to do with her past. Delta didn¡¯t have those influencing factors. Still, she didn¡¯t outright call Zoey a liar. But by the time she¡¯d gotten everything out, Zoey got the feeling she didn¡¯t wholly believe the craziness, either. Somewhere in the middle. Halfway believing, halfway not. With luck, proof would be provided during this expedition of theirs. As the hours ticked by andndscape shifted, fatigue creeped in, but stamina potions fended it off, as well as determination to make it to Mel with time to spare. Evening arrived, then twilight, then dusk, and they kept walking. A few monsters slowed them down, but only briefly. The violent creatures were weaker outside of shards, and their squad much stronger than a typical one. They set up camp deep into the night and woke before the sun rose. They would¡¯ve hiked straight through, but they didn¡¯t know what awaited them at Mel¡¯s shard, and being exhausted¡ªfromck of sleep more than physically so¡ªcould be unwise. A satiating eight-hours was obviously off the table, but four or five put them in good enough condition to feelfortable tackling the shard, which they arrived to after another several hours of trailzing. Without ceremony, because there wasn¡¯t much to say, they dove into the inky ck portal. *** Thankfully, that same entrance coffin she and Rosalie had first been trapped in had been cleaned out for their re-entry. Not so thankfully, it had been fully reconstructed, too. And instead of two girls being crammed in the space, there was three. Then again ¡­ being smooshed in by two naked girls¡ªyes, the shard had taken their armor again¡ªwas hardly some fate worthmenting. ¡°This again?¡± Rosalie growled. ¡°Of course. What did I expect?¡± ¡°The hell?¡± Delta asked, shuffling around, bumping all of them together. ¡°Where are we? And¡ªow! Watch the elbows, blondie!¡± ¡°You¡¯re on top,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Break us out. I can¡¯t get the proper leverage.¡± At the bottom of the stack, with her back pressed into the coffin floor, Zoey squirmed around. There wasn¡¯t much she could do to help. And, of course, having her girlfriend¡¯s naked body piled on top, rubbing her, Zoey¡¯s lower half responded in the way she¡¯d expect. ¡°Are you getting hard?¡± Rosalie hissed. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can be med for that,¡± Zoey said simply, her member swelling and squeezing between their stomachs¡ªa reminder to how this entire adventure had begun, and twice as exciting for that fact. ¡°Howe you get to be in the middle?¡± Deltained. ¡°I always get the short stick. And¡ªseriously, where the hell are we? How do I get us out?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a coffin,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Same thing happenedst time. Just brace against the floor and pop the lid off.¡± ¡°You started like this?¡± Delta asked. ¡°Damn. That had to have been an introduction and a half. Some girls get all the luck.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s what I¡¯d call it,¡± Rosalie ground out. Then she paused, looking at Zoey, something Zoey could only barely make out in the near pitch ckness. ¡°Not that¡ªyou were¡ªyou know what I mean.¡± Zoey justughed. This situation, as most of her life, was too ridiculous to form a real response to. Then she groaned, Delta¡¯s continued repositioning pushing Rosalie down, and rubbing her girlfriend¡¯s tight stomach against her cock. It slid against Rosalie¡¯s bumpy abs, and Zoey decided it had been too long since she¡¯d yed with those. ¡°Are you humping?¡± Zoey¡¯s hips had started moving without her input. She stilled. ¡°Uh. Sorry.¡± ¡°Think ¡­ I¡¯ve got it ¡­¡± Delta said. ¡°Help push, blondie.¡± With some grunts of exertion, and some more positioning of limbs and bracing¡ªwhich Zoey¡¯s cock enjoyed very much¡ªthe wooden lid tore upward, nails ripping out. Delta mbered out first, followed by Rosalie, then Zoeyst. Last time, it had taken Zoey¡¯s Bolster ability to break them out, but even the base strength of Rosalie and Delta could handle it, now. Probably Rosalie alone could have, if it¡¯d just been the two of them, and she hadn¡¯t been smooshed in the middle. The orange-haired foxgirl stretched, and Zoey tried not to stare at her muscles. While both Rosalie and Delta were much more lean than bulky, they still looked the role of adventurer. Even Zoey did, thanks to Ephy¡¯s blessing. It was an aesthetic she very much appreciated. Even more so than usual, worked up from how Rosalie¡¯s abs had been caressing her in a very indulgent way, not a moment ago. Delta turned around, looked at Zoey¡¯s cock¡ªstanding at full fourteen inch attention¡ªthen whistled. ¡°I forget every time,¡± Delta said. ¡°Honestly, only a goddess could have given you that thing. So that part checks out, at least.¡± Rosalie gave Zoey an unimpressed look, but only after her eyes lingered between her legs, too. The disapproval was more from being hard in the first ce. Though, seriously, Zoey didn¡¯t think she was at fault for that. She cleared her throat and shifted from foot to foot. As tititing as their brief capture had been, now wasn¡¯t the time to be doing¡ªwell, anything. Even if Rosalie¡¯s abs were twice as enticing as usual. ¡°Okay,¡± Delta said. ¡°Naked and weaponless, once again.¡± She paused, then smirked and gave Zoey¡¯s cock a pointed look. ¡°Well, two of us are. Howe the dungeon lets you keep your spear?¡± ¡°Ha-ha,¡± Zoey said. ¡°What¡¯re we doing? What¡¯s the n?¡± With a mental inspection of her inventory, she said, ¡°and it took our other stuff, too. Even our lewd equipment.¡± The second shard¡ªNot-Zoey¡¯s¡ªhad let them keep that. This time, they were starting the adventure truly bare. ¡°Two third advancements and a single second,¡± Delta said, ¡°against a tier one shard. Yeah. Don¡¯t think a ¡®n¡¯ is super important. Can cut straight through.¡± She wrinkled her nose, then turned and narrowed her eyes at Zoey. Her fluffy orange tail swished behind her. ¡°You know, speaking of advancements, I¡¯m still mad you passed me. How¡¯d that happen?¡± ¡°Divine intervention,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Literally.¡± By all meanings of fair, Zoey shouldn¡¯t be higher advancement than Delta. It was just wrong. With luck, she¡¯d get her own level-up shortly, putting them all on the same rank. ¡°Weakest in the group,¡± Delta muttered. ¡°Seriously. What¡¯s up with that?¡± ¡°I doubt you¡¯re the weakest. I¡¯d still lose against you.¡± The bonuses gained through progressions were significant, but Delta was a womanpetent enough to have met Rosalie¡¯s standards¡ªwhich, from what Zoey knew, meant she was one of the best wayfarers in the city of Treyhull. Delta considered that, then shrugged. ¡°Yeah. Probably. Having heavy weaponry helps, but knowing how to use it is more important.¡± She smirked and flicked her eyes down to Zoey¡¯s crotch, making the innuendo clear. Not that Zoey had missed it. ¡°So in this metaphor,¡± Zoey said, ¡°you¡¯re the one wielding tiny weapons, right?¡± Delta paused. ¡°Hey.¡± Rosalie shook her head, then stalked toward the entrance-room exit. ¡°Ridiculous. Let¡¯s get moving.¡± Delta followed after her, but only after sharing another smirk with Zoey. Zoey exitedst, settling her thoughts and bracing for whatever Mel¡¯s shard had to offer, this time. 4.34 – Vines, Properly 4.34 ¨C Vines, Properly The first sight that met them, venturing out into the stone brick hallways of Mel¡¯s shard, was vines. The entrance room had had a few, but not the bulky masses adorning the walls out in the shard proper. Delta took one look at them, then turned a devious expression Zoey¡¯s way. ¡°Let me guess,¡± she said. ¡°Those aren¡¯t just vines.¡± ¡°They are,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Just ¡­ ones happy to show a girl a good time.¡± ¡°I¡¯m jealous. If we weren¡¯t in a hurry, I¡¯d ask if I could have a round or two.¡± ¡°Honestly, we never got that chance, either,¡± Zoey said. The vines had gotten their hands¡ªgrips?¡ªon her and Rosalie, but they hadn¡¯t really, well, vited them. ¡°You didn¡¯t?¡± ¡°They got us, but they didn¡¯t do much.¡± Zoey cleared her throat. ¡°Though they could¡¯ve. Maybe because this is only a first advancement shard?¡± So it had been less perverted than it could be. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong,¡± Rosalie said. Which, of course, was a phrase that cut through her and Delta¡¯s exchange. They faced Rosalie. ¡°Look at them,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°They¡¯re not like before.¡± Frowning, Zoey looked closer. And she was right. The mass of vines drooping down the stonebrick wall were behaving oddly. Erratically. Before, in their previous delve, they¡¯d been practically sedate, at least up until the point they¡¯d scooped her and Rosalie up. But now? They twitched in ce. Not thrashing about, but visibly restless. ¡°What¡¯d¡¯you mean?¡± Delta asked. ¡°Looks about what I¡¯d expect from a bunch of perverted vines.¡± She snickered. ¡°Maybe they¡¯ve been neglected too long.¡± ¡°Mel said she might go ¡®haywire¡¯,¡± Zoey said. ¡°That the damage might do stuff to her.¡± She hadn¡¯t been clear on what that meant. ¡°Think this is rted? Or something else?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like the look of it,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Maybe we can test it?¡± Delta suggested. ¡°Quickest way to find out is hands-on, right?¡± At two pairs of raised eyebrows, the fox-girl pouted. ¡°Please?¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll be quick. Rubbing up against blondie got me all worked up. And vines sound fun.¡± Rosalie started sputtering, and Zoey just shook her head, exasperated. Delta sighed, then waved Rosalie forward. They made a wide arc around the mass of vines. It wasn¡¯t a particr subtle trap; they would have to disregard it entirely to be caught. Either out of ignorance, or intention, as Delta had wanted. ¡°So not fair,¡± the foxgirl muttered, eying the vines as they passed. They hugged the wall, as far as possible from the trap. Doing so, it shouldn¡¯t have attacked them, not by the previous standards of the shard. But as Rosalie cleared the constricted portion of hallway, with Delta not past, and Zoey not quite entered into their range yet, the vines writhed,ing to life, then whipped out. Zoey stumbled a step backward, but they only had eyes for their nearest target. Despite how Delta had been volunteering for this a second ago, she struggled as vines burst forward and wrapped around her ankles. She stumbled and fell, cursing, as more of the green ropes attacked, gripping her around her calves and thighs. Zoey and Rosalie readied themselves to break their friend out, but Delta shouted, ¡°Wait. Let¡¯s see what happens.¡± Zoey hesitated, a spell half-formed, and looked to Rosalie. rm was on her face, but if Delta was requesting it, then maybe seeing what happened was fine. It let them know what to expect for the rest of the shard. Plus, even with the advancement difference, breaking her out of a triggered trap could exacerbate the problem. And maybe the two of them had more selfish reasons. Seeing their orange-hairedpanion¡¯s thighs squeezed, and her breasts, wrapped with powerful vines, was far from something Zoey didn¡¯t want to see. In only a few short moments¡ªthe time she and Rosalie spent hesitating¡ªDelta had been fully secured by ntlife and lifted into the air. She had struggled at the start, purely from surprise, but quickly rxed into the encounter. Zoey shared a look with Rosalie, uncertain. Rosalie considered, her lips pursing, then sighed and shrugged. Delta could have her fun, then. Purposefully indulging would¡¯ve been too indiscretionary, seeing how they were on a time limit, but the vines behaving oddly andshing out¡ªdespite being outside their range¡ªwas something worth observing. Maybe it would reveal something to do with the ¡®breakdown¡¯ of the shard? Because traps shouldn¡¯t be unavoidable, right? Especially for the low advancement environment they found themselves in. Last time, they¡¯d only needed to pick carefully around the vines. Those were excuses, though. The real reason Zoey let it happen was more obvious. Zoey scooted past the mass of vines, trying to make it to Rosalie without getting scooped up herself. Fortunately, the nt¡¯s attention was on Delta, now, as thick appendages wrapped around the foxgirl and squeezed. Rosalie watched, concerned, eyes flicking between her and Delta, but Zoey made it across the edge unmolested. ¡°She¡¯s a pervert,¡± Rosalie said simply. ¡°She should at least pretend she doesn¡¯t want it this much.¡± Zoey politely didn¡¯t mention that, for all Delta¡¯s enthusiasm, it was actually Rosalie who Zoey had seen demonstrate more ¡­ zealousness. Just, only when things got going, unlike Delta, whose demeanor matched both in the thick of things, and leading up to them. Again, she allowed her poor, repressed girlfriend her delusions. She snuck an arm around her waist, too, leaning into her as they watched their teammate be yed with by thick green ropes. Nothing had happened yet¡ªno pration¡ªbut Zoey doubted that wouldst for long. ¡°You know, she¡¯s right,¡± Zoey said. ¡°We never did get to y with the vines much. That¡¯s kind of a shame.¡± Rosalie shot her an incredulous look. ¡°Though I suppose in the following months, we¡¯ll have plenty of opportunity. Future shards are sure to be ¡­ exciting. We¡¯ll get a chance at some point.¡± ¡°No, thank you,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look fun? Not even a bit?¡± Rosalie just huffed. The hand Zoey had wrapped around Rosalie¡¯s waist dipped lower, pressing between her girlfriend¡¯s legs¡ªwhich extracted a little gasp of surprise. ¡°You know,¡± Zoey said, ¡°you make fun of me for my body betraying me, but you¡¯re just as bad. Look. You¡¯re practically drenched.¡± She rubbed, spreading the slickness around. ¡°Not that you¡¯re hard to read, without it. I hope you know that. That you¡¯re easy to see through.¡± She leaned close to Rosalie¡¯s ear. ¡°Watching your teammate get fucked by vines shouldn¡¯t excite you this much, Rosie.¡± Not that Zoey was spared from a simr reaction. But teasing Rosalie was something even a saint couldn¡¯t manage. Rosalie couldn¡¯t even muster a ¡®hmph¡¯, this time. She shivered in ce as Zoey rubbed and yed with her. Rosalie leaned into Zoey¡¯s side, and the two of them watched Delta squirm in a mass of wriggling vines. ¡°Go in, won¡¯t you?¡± Delta gasped. ¡°I¡¯m ready. Stop the teasing.¡± Her hips bucked up and down, offering herself. ¡°So shameless,¡± Rosalie muttered. The vines adjusted Delta, spreading her legs apart and exposing her pussy¡ªvery deliberately, it seemed, toward the foxgirl¡¯s two spectators. A thick green ropeid itself across her core, rubbing up and down, spreading Delta apart along its shaft. Delta moaned, shivering in ce, but the noise was cut off with a surprised choking sound as another vine intruded. She gagged as her throat distended outward, the invasion swift and violent. Rosalie¡¯s hand wrapped around Zoey¡¯s cock, and the two of them stroked each other as they watched the show. The vine rubbing against Delta¡¯s pussy stopped teasing. It pulled back, cing its head against between her pussy lips, then pushed forward, spreading them apart. She groaned¡ªa choking noise, suffocated by the rope cramming her throat¡ªand the sound grew louder and more strangled when the vines gentle advance turned into a forceful one. A thick, slimy vine shoved into Delta¡¯s pussy, filling her up. They weren¡¯t small, either. Though the invasion didn¡¯t make Delta bulge as Zoey¡¯s cock might have, each thrust was still fully on disy. Flipping the foxgirl over¡ªstill keeping her indulgently framed for Rosalie and Zoey¡¯s viewing pleasure¡ªthe vines approached thest of Delta¡¯s holes to im. Two smaller ones grabbed her cheeks and spread her ass apart, opening the way for a thicker,rger than the rest, one to line itself up. Zoey¡¯s eyes widened at the sheer girth. The perverted nt wasn¡¯t going easy on Delta. Maybe that was because of how visibly Delta was enjoying it. Indeed, the enormous vine pressing against Delta¡¯s asshole didn¡¯t discourage the woman in the slightest. She squirmed and whined, throat and pussy being vited, and shoved her ass up, encouraging her attacker toplete the three-pronged invasion. The vine pushed in, spreading Delta¡¯s backdoor apart. It went slow, struggling to fit, and even the experienced woman¡¯s moan became slightly pained¡ªand louder and more excited for the fact. Then it popped in, and their teammate had three vines thrusting in and out of her. ¡°She¡¯s way too good at this,¡± Rosalie muttered. ¡°All three? At once?¡± Zoey was also impressed. They enjoyed the show¡ªand Delta, her circumstances¡ªfor several long minutes, the vines making sure to satiate their willing captive. Like usual, Rosalie came first, Zoey¡¯s skilled fingers taking her apart quickly and efficiently. Rosalie¡¯s own stroking went forgotten, but Zoey didn¡¯t mind; she was having much more fun toying with Rosalie, and enjoying Delta¡¯s show. The vines, and their captive, came next. Delta twitched and moaned, hips jerking, as she fell apart from a three-pronged attack. The vines swelled and pumped their own sticky payload out. Pink liquid dribbled from Delta¡¯s mouth, out her nose, and from her pussy and ass, too. The sight rmed Zoey. Aphrodisiac? And so much of it, poured into all three of Delta¡¯s holes. She should have expected that. It changed things. Maybe this hadn¡¯t been smart. But the damage was already done. When the vines set their thoroughly-fucked foxgirl teammate to the ground, she groaned and rolled over, facing Zoey as she heaved in breaths. Her violet eyes locked to Zoey¡¯s¡ªexcept instead of violet, they had gone a startlingly bright pink. And rather than looking satisfied by having sampled the vines, Delta looked at the two of them, hungry for more. Zoey really should have expected this. 4.35 – Post Vines 4.35 ¨C Post Vines Honestly, Zoey wasn¡¯t fully against the idea of just letting Delta do what she wanted. Satiating that burning hunger in her eyes in a very intimate manner. As Delta stood, eyes bright pink from the bucket of aphrodisiac poured into her, Zoey considered whether their mission was really that critical. Mel could wait another hour, right? Rosalie, unfortunately, had a more practical outlook. ¡°Use your skill,¡± she said. ¡°The new one. Counteract it.¡± It took a second for Zoey to understand. Influence. Her skill that let her ¡®inme or mute internal statuses¡¯. Delta had been influenced one way by the vines¡¯s potent payload, but Zoey could influence her the other, bringing her back to equilibrium. The realization disappointed her. But, Zoey assuaged herself, she doubted she¡¯d becking opportunities to have fun with Delta during this trip. Just, right now, with Delta heavily under the influence, and without having discussed it beforehand, she shouldn¡¯t dive into aphrodisiac-muddled encounters without at least discussing it beforehand. Delta had risen and began stalking toward Zoey, eyes locked on one thing in particr¡ªand with such a hungry look that her cock throbbed in anticipation. ¡°I¡¯ll hold her down,¡± Rosalie sighed. ¡°See what you can do.¡± A scuffle ensued, Delta highly displeased with Rosalie¡¯s responsible nature toward this event. She was so altered by the vines¡¯ pink liquid payload that she didn¡¯t even seem capable of speech, just grunts and whines. Two naked, sweaty girls struggled against each other as Rosalie tried to pin Delta down, and the sight didn¡¯t do much to help Zoey¡¯s alreadypromised state. Rosalie had been jerking Zoey off during the earlier event, but Zoey hadn¡¯t finished. She was worked up. But the best course of action was to calm Delta. Zoey doubted the foxgirl would care much if Zoey let her pleasure her while under the influence of an aphrodisiac, but that was still best talked about in advance. Right after this, in fact, seeing how it might happen again. Plus, testing to see if she could actually cast a ¡®muting¡¯ spell was important. Considering their environment, it was the type of ability that mighte in handy in more serious situations. She and Maddy had only practiced with her newest branch of magic for a single session. Maddy had drawn up a few designs, but to say that Zoey was unpracticed with them would be putting it lightly. And she didn¡¯t have the innate, prodigal talent, or breadth of experience, that Maddy did to help her along, either. On the other hand, it was an ability that resonated with her ss. And she had Burst to further amplify it, though at the expense of her lust resource. Though that wasn¡¯t something that would be in short supply. In a quick exchange, Rosalie had locked Delta in ce. Not only was Rosalie the more skilled fighter, she was stronger and better suited to wrestling, and had an advancement on Delta, too. How she¡¯d ever lost to Delta during their ¡®strip spars¡¯ was a mystery¡ªthough not much of one. Zoey had a few guesses as to what had happened, and Delta had all but imed it. Rosalie had wanted to lose. With her pink-eyed, naked, sweaty teammate pinned in ce, Zoey gathered her wits and did as Rosalie had told her. She pulled together an arousal muting spell, focusing it toward Delta. Then, to be safe, she amplified it with Burst. Delta stiffened, and her struggling slowed, then stopped. After a few moments panting on the ground, Rosalie asked, ¡°Did it work?¡± ¡°Not that I¡¯mining about being pinned down by a pretty girl,¡± Delta grunted, ¡°but this kinda hurts, blondie.¡± Rosalie disentangled from Delta, though eyed Delta warily. Delta stayed on the floor, panting. Rosalie stood and returned to Zoey¡¯s side. ¡°Your eyes are still pink,¡± Zoey said. ¡°They are?¡± ¡°You feel better?¡± ¡°Horny as fuck,¡± Delta said, ¡°but I can think again.¡± She shivered. ¡°Honestly, being fucked up like that ¡­ was kind of fun. We need to collect some of that stuff.¡± Zoey paused. That was a good idea. Not just for personal use, but as an alchemy ingredient. Though she already had some aphrodisiacs, and an ability for it, too. But more never hurt. ¡°Though, how to get it will be a bit tricky,¡± Delta said. She finally stood, swaying on her feet. Pink liquid dripped down her thighs; the vines had really pumped it out. ¡°Getting a condom onto a vine would do the job, but sheesh. That¡¯d take some work.¡± She rubbed her knees together and groaned. ¡°Can you hit me with another dose? This is still ¡­ pretty overwhelming.¡± Her hand went between her legs and started rubbing, before pulling away¡ªas if she hadn¡¯t meant to. ¡°Or fuck me. That works, too. Any relief would be nice.¡± She squirmed in ce. Zoey shared a look with Rosalie. Her girlfriend hesitated, then huffed and gestured toward Delta. She¡¯d considered the idea of relieving Delta the more involved way, but hadn¡¯t sumbed to it. Zoeyyered another arousal dampening effect onto Delta. Delta frowned. ¡°Didn¡¯t do anything. Seems like it caps out.¡± She groaned. ¡°Fuck, this is awful. And amazing. At least when I couldn¡¯t think, I didn¡¯t have to resist.¡± ¡°We need to keep moving,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°You can handle being a little excited.¡± ¡°Easy for you to say.¡± ¡°Next time, don¡¯t get caught.¡± ¡°Get caught! You were leading. I¡¯m just the unlucky one. Like always.¡± She paused. ¡°Well, not that unlucky, this time. But it¡¯s not my fault.¡± ¡°We could have cut you out, but you told us not to.¡± Delta red, then turned to Zoey. ¡°Just a quickie?¡± She nodded at between Zoey¡¯s legs. ¡°Can see you¡¯re ready for it.¡± ¡°We¡¯re moving on,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°You¡¯re fine.¡± That said, she strode forward. ¡°It¡¯ll wear off.¡± Delta¡¯s eyes followed Rosalie¡¯s ass as she walked forward. She shook her head, then paused as she realized Zoey had caught her. She smirked, rather than seeming sheepish. Zoey rolled her eyes. She hardly faulted Delta for staring. Rosalie¡¯s ass was unfair. As Delta fell into ce, second in the formation, Zoey admitted Delta¡¯s own ass wasn¡¯t much easier to ignore, either. Maybe Zoey ought to level her own de-arousal spell inward. Her teammates were a serious detriment to keeping focused, which wasn¡¯t ideal, considering they were venturing into dangerous territory. Rosalie slowed, then stopped. ¡°Actually,¡± she said. ¡°Maybe this is a good chance for you to get some practice, Zoey.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°This is a first advancement shard. You¡¯ve been practicing with your spells. I think you should try your hand at going solo. See what you can do.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Aren¡¯t we in a rush?¡± ¡°Just a few fights,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Taking a few minutes longer won¡¯t change anything.¡± Zoey agreed with that, and after having allowed a diversion to watch Delta get fucked by vines, she couldn¡¯t insist on the principal of the matter, either. ¡°And I don¡¯t think letting this woman out of my sight is smart, right now,¡± Rosalie said, eying Delta. ¡°She¡¯s better, but still influenced. The eyes prove it. Better to watch her until she¡¯s fine.¡± Delta sounded vaguely miffed in her response. ¡°What do you think I¡¯m going to do? Pounce one of you?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Rosalie said tly. ¡°If you haven¡¯t realized it, you¡¯re staring at Zoey¡¯s cock.¡± Delta blinked. She paused, then, still not looking away, said, ¡°Huh. Okay, you might have a point. In my defense, it¡¯s a nice cock.¡± ¡°And you,¡± Rosalie said, turning the t look Zoey¡¯s way. ¡°Get that thing under control.¡± ¡°Oh, sure,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Let me just do that.¡± Rosalie gestured for Zoey to lead. ¡°Perverts.¡± She waved her hand insistently. ¡°I¡¯ll be ready to help. The shard¡¯s behaving oddly, but that might not extend to the monsters, only the ¡­ your stuff. See what you can do. In the meantime, I¡¯ll watch the troublemaker.¡± ¡°Troublemaker?¡± Delta asked. ¡°You could just let your girlfriend fuck me, you know. I¡¯m pretty sure that would fix this.¡± Zoey wasn¡¯t wholly against the idea, since Delta was clearly herself again, but at the same time, letting the aphrodisiac settle, thenying out boundaries, would be much morefortable. And with Rosalie impatiently waving her along, Zoey had other tasks to attend to. Practicing her solo adventuring capabilities. She¡¯d spent less than a week in Treyhull, honing her abilities, but she ought to have learned some stuff. Her spellcasting skills hade a long way, even if she hadn¡¯t mastered them. Oddly, as she turned forward and walked, the sudden vanguard of the group, she found herself excited by the prospect. Maybe her adventures were mostly lewd, thanks to her ss, but a significant portion of her near future would still be the more typical events found in a delve. And she¡¯d never been a girl who lusted for a fight, but the idea of regr adventures appealed somewhat. Fighting, progressing, earning magical items. Especially joined by Rosalie and Delta¡ªand Maddy, possibly, in the future. So, steadying herself, she set off. 4.36 – Solo Fighting 4.36 ¨C Solo Fighting Her first preparation was the spell that had prompted their so-called vacation in the first ce¡ªIce Armor. Zoey had needed, above improving herbat abilities, a way to defend herself without relying strictly on Rosalie¡¯s protection. The spell forming in her mind, then activating, a sheen of ice coated her body, starting from her stomach and spreading outward, growing in thickness as her mana turned energy into physical material. Second by second, tes of see-through ice interlocked around her body, covering her in protective armor. The material, as tested thoroughly with Maddy, could take a blow as well as metal could. Though, it would¡¯ve been more effectiveyered on top of existing armor. Being spawned in naked wasn¡¯t ideal. Then again, Rosalie had said the shard made the encounters weaker to make up for it, so it bnced out in the end. Behind her, Delta burst outughing. It was unexpected enough Zoey¡¯s growing focus¡ªher intense concentration on whatever uing fight she¡¯d get into¡ªdispelled. She blinked and looked backward. ¡°Nice,¡± Delta said. ¡°I mean, I guess I should¡¯ve expected it from you, but still. Caught me off guard.¡± Rosalie, likewise, was looking at her with two raised eyebrows and a highly disapproving expression. ¡°What?¡± Zoey didn¡¯t know what was going on. What had prompted the reaction? Her armor? She looked down at herself, then gaped. ¡°What,¡± Zoey said. In her practice sessions with Maddy, her ice armor spell had covered her in a typical knightly fashion¡ªan aesthetic simr to a full suit of te armor. Now, she wore a jagged ice-bikini. ¡°I didn¡¯t do that,¡± Zoey protested, turning and inspecting herself. She ran a hand across her exposed stomach, and the ice was there; it had simply taken a perfectly crystalline, see-throughposition. ¡°Seriously, what?¡± The only parts made of the familiar dark-blue ice that she¡¯d practiced with Maddy were her sensitive spots: a fierce looking ice-metal bra, and of course, the bikini bottom. ¡°We know you¡¯ve got a great ass, Zoey,¡± Delta said. ¡°But you don¡¯t need to show it off.¡± Rosalie, the more focused of them, asked, ¡°This isn¡¯t how it usually looks?¡± ¡°No,¡± Zoey said. ¡°It¡¯s just normal te armor.¡± And while Zoey would admit the ice bikini didn¡¯t look bad on her, it was still embarrassing to be caught off guard. She hadn¡¯t specifically designed her defense to be perverted. ¡°The shard¡¯s influence, like usual,¡± Rosalie said dismissively. ¡°Though that it affected a spell is odd. That¡¯s not something I¡¯ve heard of.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a big fan,¡± Delta said,ughing having quieted, traded for a grin she couldn¡¯t, or didn¡¯t try to, wipe off. The way her eyes ran up and down Zoey¡¯s body heated her skin up. Being naked was one thing, but adorned in a tight, very revealing bikini, one Zoey hadn¡¯t even mean to put on, was another. ¡°Though I don¡¯t know about the effectiveness of just letting your ass hang out.¡± Zoey looked back at herself, and saw that, indeed, it was all just hanging out. The front wasn¡¯t very chaste, but the back ¡­ even less so. ¡°It¡¯s still there,¡± Zoey said. ¡°The armor. It¡¯s just clear.¡± To confirm, she tapped her ass, fingers meeting the hard material. It plinked off, despite seeming like nothing was there. ¡°Just how it looks.¡± Clearing her throat, Zoey said, ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s a surprise. I¡¯m gonna keep going, now.¡± Amused, Delta waved her on. Rosalie also seemed amused, though in a more subdued manner. Her eyes had also cataloged Zoey¡¯s new outfit, and not in an entirely practical appraisal. Zoey could tell she approved, even if she wouldn¡¯t say it. While aesthetically impractical, the armor should work as it had before. It drew on her mana¡ªher Lust¡ªto reinforce itself, and despite being invisible in ces, would still protect her. She forced her mindset back to practicalbat matters. The bikini had been a surprise, but ultimately, irrelevant. Her skin heated up, feeling somehow more exposed than when she¡¯d been naked, but around Rosalie and Delta, Zoey was hardly self-conscious. Combat. She had to focus on that. Her ice armor summoned, even an ambush shouldn¡¯t pose immediate danger. The protective material covered her head, likewise see-through. Against a first-advancement shard, Zoey shouldn¡¯t have many problems. Though, while she was technically third advancement, her strongest runes, and her highest leveled ones, were her support abilities. Her suite of solobat abilities came from her rune of arcana, which was only second advancement, and far less practiced than a typical wayfarer. Add that to her general inexperience with fighting¡ªbeing just some girl yanked from twenty-first-century Earth¡ªand she had her work cut out for her, even fighting below her weight ss. Strangely, she looked forward to it. She wasn¡¯t an adrenaline junkie, but this was to be her life for the foreseeable months, and she wanted to be good at it. Though the idea ofbat itself didn¡¯t excite her, she itched for the chance to prove herself. She ventured down the hallway, tense, with her senses strained. Rosalie and Delta followed. They would intervene if Zoey failed, so she was in no real danger. Still, Zoey¡¯s heart pounded in her ears. The scraping, scurrying noises alerted her to the first enemy. Zoey remembered the alien creatures¡ªsimr to Earth¡¯s animals, but also not something she actually recognized¡ªfrom her and Rosalie¡¯s first delve, so she didn¡¯t flinch as the six-legged furry monster swung around a corner, scratching stonebrick as ws propelled it forward. Beady red eyes locked onto Zoey, and it screeched as it scrambled toward her. She¡¯d prepared her first spell in advance, holding onto the form inside her head. Her Ice Armor and Ice Spike spells were by far her most practiced, but she and Maddy had worked on others. Ice was an element suited to disabling, Maddy had told her, and so they¡¯d had Zoey practice with a rooting spell. The bulk of their efforts had been solidifying Ice Armor, so that Zoey could keep herself safe, and so she was much less effective with the root¡ªbut Zoey could bridge that gap by using her newest ability, Burst. Ice exploded from the stonebrick floor, engulfing the monster¡¯s six legs, bringing its charge to an abrupt halt. The brittle material flowered around it, up to chest level. Normally, it wouldn¡¯t be half as effective, but by using Burst, she¡¯d expended much more Lust than it would have cost otherwise¡ªand empowered and stabilized it an appropriate amount. She was just d she¡¯d gotten the spell off at all. About a third of the time, she botched it. Spellcasting wasn¡¯t easy, especially in the middle of a fight. Given that temporary reprieve, Zoey readied her next spell. Ice Spike. Now that her opponent was locked down and immobile, she could do some damage. And she better, because the ice cracked rapidly, the monster shattering its confines as it thrashed in its grasp. She only had a handful of seconds. A handful of seconds in a fight, though, was a huge window. Her next spell formed with ease, being the ability Zoey had the most practice with: the skill she¡¯d used all throughout the first and second shards, and also simple and straightforward. A chunk of ice, propelled at great speed. And, of course, empowered with Burst. At least for her first fight, she¡¯d use her full kit without worrying about spacing out resources for the full delve. Rosalie and Delta could always recharge her. Lastly, she tapped into her othermonly usedbat ability. Pressure Point. She¡¯d been using the ability not just in the second shard, but during ¡­ other encounters, too, passively. It helped Zoey identify weaknesses, and she had grown ustomed to using it pretty much constantly. Here and now, it suggested Zoey aim for the monster¡¯s leg. That made her pause, since she¡¯d have figured mming the ice spike straight into its skull would be best, but she trusted her ability: if it said to aim for its leg, she would do so. The spell activated, and a thick, jagged spear of icerger than usual, empowered by Burst¡ªmaterialized from thin air, throwing up puffs of frost, then shot forward. Itnded true. The weapon cut straight through the front leg she had aimed for. Locked down by ice, it had been a safer target than its head, which thrashed violently as the monster struggled against its icy prison. Zoey was already readying her next spell. The root she¡¯d conjured weakened by the moment, and she doubted whether she¡¯d even get a second ice spike off in time. Indeed, by the time she¡¯d cobbled the spell together, the monster had burst forward, breaking free, and continued its mad scramble for her. She didn¡¯t aim her next ice spike as delicately¡ªshe aimed simply for center of mass. Considering the speed it was rushing toward her, that was smartest. Immobilized, aiming for a specific weak point had been ideal, but Zoey simply wasn¡¯t skilled enough to hit a moving target exactly where she wanted. The ice spike buried into the monster¡¯s shoulder. It screeched, but was far from discouraged. Instead, it scurried even faster, set into a frenzy by the injuries it had taken. And then it was on her. The melee began. Zoey grunted as a surprisingly dense six-legged¡ªwell, five-legged¡ªmonster mmed into her. She spun with it, heaving with all her strength to get it off her. It was more of an instinctive reaction than a trained one. While Delta and Rosalie had, on a few asions, given her pointers for how to fight physically, it was an unemphasized portion of her training. As the support mage of the group, Zoey really shouldn¡¯t be getting into brawls. To her surprise, her attempt to fling the heavy creature off her worked handedly. As in, shockingly well. It had tried to bury its ws into her ice armor, and even had seeded to some extent, but Zoey broke its grip easily. She flung the monster, and it went sailing away, smacking hard into the wall. She wasted the advantage, unfortunately, in her surprise. The realization came quickly: of course she was stronger than she¡¯d expected. Her advancements, to name one reason, which came with passive benefits, even to mages. Secondly, her stat-sharing skill, which gave her a portion of both Rosalie¡¯s and Delta¡¯s strength. While she wasn¡¯t remotely on their level¡ªit was only a small portion of it¡ªit still boosted her to a non-negligible degree. Certainly enough to handle a first-advancement shard, seeing how her teammates had second- and third-advancement stats. The monstery there, stunned by the impact, which Zoey used to pull together another spell. She would have gone for a pain-amplification ability, now that she¡¯d put a few injuries into the thing, but she didn¡¯t trust her capabilities, there. She¡¯d only been practicing with that set of spells for a single session. So, another ice spike. The monster had recovered by the time she manifested it, but she¡¯d loosed it before it reached her a second time. The spike mmed into the monster¡¯s face, biting deep. Even that didn¡¯t kill it, though. Monsters were, unsurprisingly, durable to a supernatural degree. It did effectively secure Zoey the fight, though. A short brawlter¡ªhaving to peel the monster off her in another quick melee¡ªand two more ice spikes, the monster¡¯s speed and viciousness gging from her previous attacks, and she¡¯d sessfully killed her first monster. Panting, Zoey stood over her fallen opponent, feeling inordinately proud of herself. All that for a single first-advancement enemy, but still¡ªher first solo kill. She¡¯d be a real wayfarer in no time. 4.37 – Broken Loot 4.37 ¨C Broken Loot A bit bashful, Zoey turned to her teammates¡ªa silent, ¡®how did I do?¡¯ on her face. ¡°A bit sloppy,¡± Delta said. ¡°But you¡¯ll get the hang of it, for sure. There¡¯s a fighter in there, I can tell.¡± Rosalie nodded in agreement. Zoey blushed. The earnest encouragement affected her more than she¡¯d have thought. It wasn¡¯t effusive praise, but Delta had sounded genuine. ¡°Thanks. But yeah, sloppy.¡± The melee parts especially. Her spellcasting wouldn¡¯t wow anyone, but her physical fighting skills especially wouldn¡¯t. Zoey also got the impression Rosalie and Delta weren¡¯t easy to impress, so the fact she hadn¡¯t gotten a wrinkled nose and a grimace before a conciliatory response probably meant she¡¯d actually done well. Having prodigies for teammates dide with some downsides¡ªthe difficulty of matching up to them being the primary one. She walked forward, deeper into the shard. She¡¯d finished her first fight, but Rosalie and Delta clearly wanted to see more of what Zoey could do. And, preferably, without relying so heavily on Burst¡ªthat was a skill supposed to be used for emergencies, or at least the harder fights and key opportunities, since it drained her Lust resource so rapidly. She¡¯d empowered almost every one of her spellsst fight, and it had taken a toll. The next brawl was a little more hard-fought, with Zoey leaning less heavily on her Boost ability. She still came outfortably the victor, but it took a few more exchanges than the first. Even that was probably an indicator Zoey was still, all things considered, under-prepared as a wayfarer. A third-advancement adventurer should probably steamroll her way through a first-advancement shard. Though a support-ss, the least so¡ªat least she had that excuse. But definitely better than where she had started. That was in even to Zoey. Rosalie and Delta gave her suggestions, critique, andmentary after each bout. The shift from all the inappropriate activities prior into brutalbat and tutoring was amusing, though not as disorienting as some of the times in the past. Zoey was getting used to how shards flip-flopped between the raw adrenaline of a fight and the stickier, other sort of heart-pounding adventures she got into. As Zoey struggled through fight after fight, Delta¡¯s eyes faded from bright pink into a murkier purple-pink, and finally back to her typical violet. With her better senses returned, Zoey organized a quick discussion about the questionable situations they could get into¡ªnamely, aphrodisiacs. Unsurprisingly, Delta just seemed amused that Zoey wanted explicit rification. Zoey thought it smart to be mindful about that sort of thing, however obvious it might seem. A nket agreement that if the shard put any of them inpromising situations, where their judgment might be impaired, that each of them had consent from each other in advance, made her much morefortable with the situation. With Zoey¡¯s brief training session¡ªor maybe even evaluation sessionpleted, Rosalie and Delta rejoined the fray, and their progress through the shard turned from a crawl into a ze. It gave Zoey a newfound appreciation for the skill of her teammates, not that she had ever not been impressed. The ease they dispatched the low-level enemies made Zoey jealous. Again, having a couple ofbat prodigies as teammates came with obvious upsides, but it did make Zoey the slightest bit self conscious. Soon enough, they¡¯d cut their way to their first loot room. Zoey briefly wondered whether they should skip it and forge forward to Mel, but again, they¡¯d already wasted around an hour ying with the vines, then letting Zoey train, so if she objected a few-minute stop to pick up free items, then she¡¯d be a hypocrite. Though their dallying started to concern her; Mel was well within the ¡®safe¡¯ time frame she¡¯d given, but Zoey felt they probably ought to be rushing to her as quickly as possible, simply for the principle of the matter. Still, telling a wayfarer not to collect their earned loot probably wouldn¡¯t go over well. Even lower-level stuff, like what this shard would offer, could sell for decent money, or be useful. Especially since Zoey and her team were needing to build up an arsenal of weapons and armor that interacted with ¡­ well, her particr sort of shards. Rosalie cracked open the hefty wooden chest, then reached into the inky ck portal and rummaged around. Zoey and Delta, like always, watched with anticipation. Maybe they were on a time-crunch, and this event in general was concerning¡ªbeing rted to the end of the world and all¡ªbut she¡¯d never get tired of new items. The first object out came in two parts: a small rectangr te that could fit in her hand, and ¡­ something recognizable. Curved and phallic-shaped, it couldn¡¯t be mistaken for much else. Except ¡­ with the small remote-looking rectangle ¡­ Zoeyughed, shaking her head. She had an idea of what this thing was. Better to make sure, though. [?an? of R??t? Pl??s??e]: ???e. Eq??p, then a?ti??te from a dis???? lo??io? to ???vi?e a t??il??ng e???rie???. Zoey went still. Her amusement at what she suspected the item to be disappeared. The block of information that normally inserted into her mind on using [Inspect] was ¡­ mangled. Almost coherent, but warped and twisted. Haywire. Zoey had almost forgotten about that. Mel had warned them that whatever the thing was that was ¡®eating her¡¯ would leave her shard unstable. ¡°What the fuck,¡± Delta said. Rosalie held the item, staring at it with an aghast expression. Delta seemed likewise unnerved. Even more so than Zoey would have expected. But she supposed the reactions were fair. This was a world Zoey had simply arrived to, so its basic ¡®rules of nature¡¯ were all strange to her, and seeing them behave oddly was bizarre, and ufortable, but not terrifying. To Rosalie and Delta, natives of this realm, experience such a tant break-down of how items should work was twice as upsetting. ¡°That¡¯s confirmation, then,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Something really is going on with Mel.¡± Because they hadn¡¯t had proof, yet. The vines had behaved oddly, but that hadn¡¯t confirmed that Zoey¡¯s dream hadn¡¯t been a normal one. Mel¡¯s request for Zoey toe help was legitimate. Zoey had already known that in her heart, but concrete proof was nice. It also redoubled her conviction that they should get a move on. ¡°What is it?¡± Delta asked. ¡°Or, supposed to be. Can you make out the description?¡± ¡°Kind of,¡± Zoey said. Since she already knew what the item was, or had suspicions, she could make guesses what the warped and mangled information was supposed to mean. [Wand of Remote Pleasure]: Rare. Equip, then activate from a distant location to provide a thrilling experience. Which was a shame. It was an item she¡¯d have very much liked to use. But while Zoey might sometimes be reckless in her eagerness to test strange items¡ªSabina¡¯s rmendation not to just take the dream potion came to mind, with how unknown its effect was¡ªbut of this variety? Something visibly broken, disconnected from whatever system made all this ¡®work¡¯, so to say? Yeah, Zoey wasn¡¯t that unheeding of consequences. She¡¯d rather not be sucked into a ck hole, or whatever might happen using a magical artifact that had gone haywire. She repeated the item¡¯s effect¡ªher guess, at least¡ªto Rosalie and Delta. Normally, Rosalie would wrinkle her nose and seem exasperated, and Delta would leer and make a joke about how it¡¯d be put to good use, but instead, the two girls continued to seem uneasy. The situation had unnerved them. And to be fair, Zoey wasn¡¯t wholly at ease, either. ¡°I don¡¯t think we should keep digging around,¡± Delta said, eying the loot chest. ¡°If the items are messed up, sticking your hand in a portal that might be the same could be ¡­ bad.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°What do I do with this?¡± ¡°Just carry it around,¡± Zoey said. ¡°And is that safe?¡± Rosalie asked. ¡°Not in our inventory,¡± Zoey said. Putting a broken item into their inventory, which worked on the same system, could be dangerous. ¡°I mean manually. I¡¯ll do it.¡± She needed to keep her hands free the least¡ªand also didn¡¯t contribute much to fights. ¡°I don¡¯t think we should leave it behind. Maybe it can ¡­ I don¡¯t know. Give insight to whatever¡¯s going on.¡± Rosalie considered that, then nodded. She handed the item off to Zoey. Zoey looked down at the remote vibrator. It was seriously a shame that it was broken¡ªif ¡®broken¡¯ was the right word. She¡¯d have liked to use it. ¡°We should get to Mel,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Pick up the pace.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather not be here when things really start to break,¡± Delta agreed. Rosalie gave her own assent in the form of turning and striding forward, leaving the open, half-empty chest behind. Delta and Zoey followed after. 4.38 – Reunion 4.38 ¨C Reunion With everyone having found a new resolve to make it to Mel as quickly as possible, they set a much faster pace. In less than half an hour, they¡¯d cut their way out of the stone-brick hallways and into the second stage of the shard, the night-time forest. They trekked down twisting dirt paths, bits of slime and goo clinging to nearby rocks and tree faces. A familiar ¡®BEWARE THE SLIME¡¯ warned them of the imminent encounter. Anticipatory of what they¡¯d find, the squad strode forward without slowing. Though the dungeon had morphed itsyout in some ways, the clearing that opened up with ake of green slime was the same as Zoey remembered. Last time, Mel hadn¡¯t emerged until they¡¯d gotten close. Zoey assumed it would be the same, now. Though she needed help, she was still bound by the rules of the shard¡ªhence why she hadn¡¯te running for them the moment they¡¯d arrived. That theory proved true. A few dozen feet away from theke, the slimy green substance rippled, and a curvy see-through figure poured upward, materializing into a humanoid shape. Like their previous meeting, a bright smile split the goo-girl¡¯s face, and she threw her arms wide as she ran toward Zoey. For the second time, Zoey caught a slimegirl-turned-projectile. She had to drop the defective remote vibrator to free her hands. Mel¡¯s sticky body impacted Zoey¡¯s, and she stepped backward to stabilize. To her side, Rosalie and Delta had tensed, but they could intuit that Mel hadn¡¯t run at her with hostile intentions. Indeed, a look their way showed they were looking at Zoey with amusingly simr expressions: pairs of quirked eyebrows. They probably hadn¡¯t expected her and Mel to be on such friendly terms. To be fair, Zoey was a bit surprised by that, too. ¡°You came,¡± Mel said. ¡°I mean, I knew you would, but still!¡± She pulled away, grinning, and the infectious enthusiasm was hard not to match; Zoey smiled back. Still in Zoey¡¯s arms, with her legs wrapped around Zoey¡¯s waist¡ªwhich put her tits at an unfortunately tantalizing height, shoved straight into her face¡ªthe goo-girl turned and looked at Delta and Rosalie. ¡°And you brought friends,¡± she said. ¡°Hi. I¡¯m Mel, short for Emerald Melt. I¡¯ll be your sticky ything, tonight.¡± Zoey remembered her saying something simr the first time they¡¯d met. A boss catchphrase? The thought amused Zoey. Rosalie seemed unimpressed, and Delta the opposite¡ªextremely impressed. The fox girl was, unsurprisingly, interested in a ¡®sticky ything¡¯. ¡°Delta,¡± she said, returning the smile and not-so-subtly running her eyes across Mel¡¯s curves¡ªwhich were entangled with Zoey¡¯s, seeing how the slime girl had catapulted onto her. ¡°Man. Zoey told me about you, but actually seeing it is something else. Made of slime. Crazy.¡± ¡°Ites in handy,¡± Mel said brightly. A devious smile crossed her lips. ¡°Mostly, it means I can really take a pounding. Not to mention all the other fun stuff.¡± She turned back to Zoey. ¡°Speaking of! Why aren¡¯t you hard yet?¡± She wiggled, rubbing her lower half into Zoey and trying to fix that problem. Only through great effort¡ªand concern¡ªdid Zoey stay focused. She set Mel onto the floor, which she pouted at. ¡°Are you healthy?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°We ran into some weird stuff on the way here. But you look fine?¡± Mel rolled her eyes. ¡°Like I said, our guest is focusing on parts of me that aren¡¯t as critical. Eating me outward-in, I guess. Though I have no idea why. But yeah, me, myself, I¡¯m mostly fine. Maybe she¡¯s saving the tastiest parts forst?¡± Mel chewed her lip. ¡°Though I don¡¯t think so. It¡¯s like she¡¯s trying not to hurt me. Or at least as little as possible.¡± ¡°That¡¯s some sort of good news?¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Mel said, sounding unsure. ¡°Anyway, which of you are fucking me first? Or are we going all at once?¡± A short pause, taking in the sudden veer of conversation. Delta chimed in, ¡°Dibs?¡± Zoey shot her a reprimanding look, but Delta didn¡¯t seem affected by it; she just smirked back. Zoey turned it toward Mel, next, and found as little shame in the slimegirl as the foxgirl. Zoey shook her head, exasperated. ¡°We¡¯re trying to save your life, Mel.¡± ¡°Not having your cock inside me is pretty much as bad as death,¡± Mel said. ¡°So let¡¯s fix that, first.¡± Delta startedughing, and Mel turned to her. ¡°Or tongue and fingers!¡± the slimegirl said eagerly. ¡°I¡¯m not picky.¡± She bounced over to Delta, sensing easier prey. Delta blinked rapidly, having not expected it, then fumbled a step backward as a gooey body impacted her. Mel captured Delta¡¯s lips, and, to Zoey¡¯s exasperation, the foxgirl closed her eyes and melted into the embrace. She cupped Mel¡¯s ass and tugged her in closer, sharing saliva happily. Zoey shared a look with Rosalie, who rolled her eyes. ¡°Now isn¡¯t the time,¡± Rosalie said dryly. ¡°Control yourself, won¡¯t you?¡± Delta ignored her. Zoey couldn¡¯t say she wholly med her, but if they wanted a productive conversation, the subus had to be resisted. Rosalie and Zoey peeled the two kissing girls away from each other. Mel pouted immensely at that, and Delta finally gave a flushed and sheepish look, for the first time abashed at her actions. ¡°Sorry,¡± Delta said. ¡°Saving her life, first. Yeah, yeah.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the n?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°We need more information. How do we help? You said you¡¯de up with something.¡± ¡°I need your cum,¡± Mel said. ¡°Mel.¡± ¡°No,¡± Mel said. ¡°That¡¯s the n. We need to draw it¡ªher?¡ªout, and the best way to do that, I think, is your cum.¡± As if demonstrating something, Mel held her hands out and rolled them together. From the goo of her own body, Mel fashioned an object right in front of them. In a quick moment, she¡¯d finished. She held it out, and it took Zoey a second to realize what it was. A condom. Made from green goo. ¡°What?¡± Zoey asked, baffled. ¡°This is how we¡¯ll collect,¡± Mel said. She closed the gap to Zoey, then leaned closer and whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t want to say too much. She¡¯s already watching us, I¡¯m pretty sure. Maybe she can hear us, maybe she can¡¯t. But just roll with it, okay?¡± ¡°And you aren¡¯t just trying to getid,¡± Zoey said dubiously. ¡°A slime can have two goals at once, can¡¯t she?¡± ¡°You promise?¡± Mel rolled her eyes. ¡°I promise I¡¯m not actually trying to get myself killed because I love your cock so much. Though it would be worth it. Now stop being so responsible. It¡¯s cute, but I want you three to fuck me.¡± Zoey shared a look with Rosalie and Delta. By the expression on the former¡¯s face, she could tell Rosalie wasn¡¯t fully sold on the idea. It went back to their earlier discussion¡ªRosalie wasn¡¯t as excited to jump into bed with just anybody. And that was perfectly fine. ¡°I¡¯ll keep a watch out,¡± Rosalie said. Delta raised her eyebrows at that, but didn¡¯t seem surprised. She had a good read on Rosalie, too. Rosalie was willing to engage with the lewder parts of the dungeon on asion, and with Zoey and Delta, but random strangers, much less so. ¡°More for us,¡± Delta said, turning to Mel, who seemed disappointed at Rosalie¡¯s rejection, but who perked up at seeing Delta¡¯s hungry eyes. ¡°So. That body of yours, Miss Emerald Melt. What¡¯s it good for?¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Mel said with a devious grin. ¡°All kinds of things. Come find out, why don¡¯t you?¡± 4.39 – Collecting the Bait 4.39 ¨C Collecting the Bait Delta advanced on Mel, and the slimegirl basically wiggled in ce from excitement. She tossed the green-goo condom she¡¯d formed toward Zoey, who fumbled it in surprise. The two girls embraced, returning to the kiss Zoey and Rosalie had torn them apart from. Zoey shared a look with Rosalie. Her cheeks had colored¡ªthese events were bingmon, but not the point she could take them in stride¡ªbut mostly she seemed exasperated. ¡°You sure?¡± Zoey asked. Not because she wanted to pressure Rosalie into it, but because Rosalie sometimes took some pressing to get an honest response. But she only replied, ¡°I¡¯m sure. And I do think somebody should be keeping watch.¡± Zoey couldn¡¯t argue that. What she, Mel, and Delta were about to get into would be pretty distracting, considering there was a magic-eating monster out there, somewhere. Probably watching them, Mel had even said. Which was weird, if true. That a voyeur was sitting in the shadows somewhere. She looked around and, of course, saw nothing. Zoey inspected the condom Mel had tossed her. It wasn¡¯t neatly bundled up, so putting it on would be a bit awkward, unable to just roll it down. Fortunately, it seemed she had a moment to herself¡ªDelta and Mel were engaged with each other. After getting herself situated, she had a longyer of thin, slightly green-tinted material wrapping her cock. Why Mel needed to ¡®collect¡¯ from her, Zoey still wasn¡¯t sure. To draw the mysterious entity out? Why would Zoey¡¯s cum be effective at that? At a guess, something to do with Ephy¡¯s blessing¡ªand why the being was interested in Mel¡¯s shard at all. In the moment, she couldn¡¯t find it in herself to care that much. If Zoey needed to be milked to help Mel, then she guessed she could suffer that fate. Delta pulled back, breaking Mel¡¯s kiss, and gasping for air. Zoey sympathized. The slimegirl probably didn¡¯t need to breathe, and liked to use that to her advantage. ¡°This is great and all,¡± Delta said, ¡°but your body. You said you¡¯d show off, and I¡¯m kinda curious what you meant.¡± Mel stepped back. ¡°Well,¡± she said, ¡°let¡¯s start with the obvious. I¡¯m malleable.¡± Her body rippled, and in front of the two of them, the slimegirl¡¯s body reshaped itself. ¡°Have a type?¡± Mel asked, breasts growing, and adding several inches to her height¡ªmaking Delta have to look up, though Mel stayed an inch or two shorter than Zoey. ¡°Skinny? Plush? Tall? Short?¡± ¡°Now that,¡± Delta said, amazed, as Mel adjusted her body a few times for her spectator¡¯s pleasure, ¡°is awesome.¡± She stepped forward and cupped Mel¡¯s tits and bounced them, experimenting with their new weight. ¡°Shorter, though,¡± she said. ¡°But keep the tits.¡± Melughed and obliged. Shortly, the top of her head only came up Delta¡¯s chin¡ªa few inches shorter than where she¡¯d started. ¡°Turn around,¡± Delta instructed her. Mel did so, happy to obey. Delta squeezed her ass and rolled the gooey substance around. Zoey was equally entranced, watching the material shape itself around Delta¡¯s hands. ¡°Can¡¯t imagine this could get much better,¡± Delta murmured, feeling her up. ¡°It¡¯s a neat trick, but the problem is, you¡¯re already perfect.¡± ¡°Aw,¡± Mel said. ¡°You¡¯re sweet. But clearly not that tempting, because I still don¡¯t have you inside me, do I?¡± Delta paused, then stopped squeezing her ass and tugged the slime girl in. A hand dipped between Mel¡¯s legs, and she started stroking around, teasing. ¡°You¡¯re that impatient, huh?¡± ¡°More than impatient,¡± Mel said instantly and shamelessly, wiggling around in Delta¡¯s grip, rubbing her lower half into the other girl¡¯s fingers. ¡°This version of myself was literally made to be fucked. So that you¡¯re teasing is really, really mean.¡± ¡°This version of yourself?¡± Delta asked. Mel threw a look Zoey¡¯s way, ignoring Delta¡¯s question. ¡°And when are you joining in? Just gonna watch us?¡± Zoey shrugged. ¡°Enjoying the show. Letting you two make introductions.¡± ¡°I think we¡¯re done with that,¡± Delta said. She looked to Mel. ¡°Hey, does it hurt to go inside you? Like this, I mean?¡± She poked at Mel¡¯s stomach, wiggling her pointer finger around her belly button. It sank a half-inch or so into her gooey substance. ¡°Hurt?¡± Mel asked, shuddering. She grabbed Delta¡¯s hand and urged the digit deeper into her stomach. ¡°No. Go further.¡± ¡°It feels good?¡± Delta asked. She happily obliged, wiggling her finger in, then joined it with a second. Mel let another lewd noise escape. Unsurprisingly, Delta wasn¡¯t put off by the oddness of the situation. ¡°Even your stomach?¡± ¡°My whole body is an erogenous zone,¡± Mel said shakily, moaning as Delta¡¯s fingers explored around her stomach. ¡°Like I said, I¡¯m literally made for this. And very pent up.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea,¡± Delta said, facing Zoey. ¡°Get down on the ground.¡± Zoey could tell by the glint in Delta¡¯s eye that she¡¯d imagined something fun, discovering how Mel¡¯s body worked. So, obviously, she obeyed. She got down on the grassy floor, cock sticking upward and still wrapped in Mel¡¯s goo-created sheath. Her two partners approached. Zoey spared a quick look for Rosalie, who, despite ims to be ¡®staying watchful¡¯, seemed awfully absorbed in what was going on. She flushed and looked away as soon as Zoey¡¯s eyes pointed her way, and Zoey smirked. She didn¡¯t know if seeing them have fun would change Rosalie¡¯s mind in wanting to join in, but either result was good. Whatever Rosalie wanted. Those thoughts were dispelled pretty quickly. ¡°Get on her,¡± Delta told Mel. ¡°I want to try something.¡± ¡°Happily,¡± Mel breathed, joining Zoey on the ground, sitting on herp. Zoey¡¯s cock stuck up between them, and Mel marveled it, running her hands along her length. A few shuddering noises escaped Zoey at the talented fingers ying with her. ¡°Down t,¡± Delta instructed. Zoey did so,ying out so her back pressed into the grass. ¡°Now take her,¡± Delta ordered Mel. ¡°And go slow. I want to see it happen.¡± She sat next to Zoey, on her knees, facing Mel. ¡°A see-through body ¡­ that¡¯s seriously amazing.¡± Zoey couldn¡¯t help herself from reaching out and squeezing Delta¡¯s ass, seeing it presented. Delta looked over her shoulder with a smirk, fox-tail swishing, then back forward. Her brief distraction went forgotten as Mel lifted her hips up and lined herself up to Zoey. Delta¡¯s ass was amazing, but Mel¡¯s see-through body was also a pretty great¡ªhard to resist. Delta leaned close, as enraptured, maybe even more so, than Zoey. Gooey pussy lips teased Zoey¡¯s cock tip as Mel rubbed back and forth, spreading herself open. ¡°Go slow,¡± Delta repeated, sounding breathless. She leaned even closer. Mel lowered down, letting out a whine as Zoey prated her. ¡°So fucking big,¡± she whined. ¡°Spreading me so ¡­ so wide. A-Ah!¡± Zoey¡¯s cock slid in, leaving her tip suspended in a see-through body. Mel wiggled on top of her, body shaking in pleasure. ¡°Good girl,¡± Delta murmured. ¡°Keep it going. Take that fat cock. You¡¯re doing great.¡± Inch by inch, Mel worked her way down, taking her time, putting on a show for a captivated Delta. Even entranced, Delta kept herself to the side, making sure Zoey could enjoy the show too. And the sight was one of the better parts¡ªas amazing as Mel felt, getting to see her cock crawl up her stomach, floating inside her, was one of the more erotic parts of the experience. And the noises she made, the little twitches of her hips as she was filled up, struggling to take Zoey¡¯s size. ¡°Almost there,¡± Delta murmured. ¡°Keep it going. Such a good girl.¡± ¡°So ¡­ much ¡­¡± Mel finally hit Zoey¡¯s thighs, and all fourteen inches stood proudly inside the goo girl. Delta leaned up on her knees, then kissed Mel. ¡°Good job,¡± she said between pecks, teasing and pulling at Mel¡¯s lower lip. ¡°I knew you could do it. Now, tell me if this is ufortable, okay?¡± ¡°Okay?¡± Mel murmured back, obviously not knowing what Delta had nned, but more than eager for it. Zoey didn¡¯t either, but she had high hopes. Delta ced a hand on Mel¡¯s stomach¡ªstill shifted to the side so Zoey could see¡ªthen pressed gently forward. Slowly, her hand sank into the gooey material of Mel¡¯s body. Zoey shivered, realizing suddenly what Delta¡¯s idea was. She wasn¡¯t sure if the logistics would work, but the idea¡ªthe idea was enticing. With her hand submerged, Delta gripped Zoey¡¯s cock inside Mel¡¯s body. ¡°How¡¯s that feel?¡± Delta asked. She rubbed up and down, sliding her grip along Zoey¡¯s shaft. ¡°Good?¡± It seemed targeted at both of them. ¡°More than good,¡± Mel moaned. ¡°Can I start moving, now?¡± Without waiting for a response, she lifted herself up, then pped back down. Zoey¡¯s cock slid around inside her gooey pussy, and Delta¡¯s hand caressed her along the way. Delta moved her wrist slowly up and down, in tempo, jerking her off even while Zoey was buried into Mel¡¯s pussy. Getting jerked off while fucking a girl at the same time. As amazing as it was strange. Really, what had Zoey¡¯s life be? ¡°So good,¡± Mel repeated. ¡°Fuck, I-I¡¯m already close. I can feel it. Your cock is so unfair.¡± The next bounce of Mel¡¯s hips came faster, less exploratory. Then the next, and the next, and Mel worked into a rhythm, the slow and caressing pace turning into a bouncing and frantic one. Two tight grips milked Zoey¡¯s cock at once¡ªa slimegirl¡¯s pussy, and Delta, fingers teasing and caressing at her tip. Loud ps of gooey slime on skin filled the air. Zoey held onto Mel¡¯s thighs and joined in the effort, craning her hips up to hit just a bit harder, bury her cock into Mel with just a bit more fervor. Atop her, Mel cried out as pleasure started to wrack her body, grabbing her tits and squeezing. She wiggled and shook, hips pping up and down as fast as she could manage, and finally she fell forward, pressing her tits into Zoey¡¯s. Delta continued to pump even through the awkward positioning. Mel cradled Zoey¡¯s face with both hands and kissed her. Zoey drank in Mel¡¯s taste¡ªand especially the noises of her orgasm, the breathless and excited sounds going straight into Zoey¡¯s mouth. Even that became too much for Mel to consciously contribute to, though, and she pulled back and buried her forehead into Zoey¡¯s shoulder as white-hot pleasure crashed through her, shaking her entire body. Zoey diligently fucked her through the process, pumping fourteen inches of girl cock with loud ps of flesh. As Mel¡¯s climax started toe down, Zoey slowed¡ªbut the slimegirl, only half recovered, pulled back and tutted disapprovingly at her. ¡°Nuh-uh. Keep going. Faster. Enjoy me. We need your cum.¡± She shuddered. ¡°And I don¡¯t need a break. M-Made for fucking, remember?¡± In a short moment, Mel was bouncing on top of Zoey with as much excitement as before. Delta¡¯s hand inside her stomach also kept working. Zoey groaned as the sensation built and built. She didn¡¯t try to hold off; it wasn¡¯t even the goal, so she indulged. Not that she could have resisted, with her cock attacked by two girls at once¡ªand in such a strange way. ¡°C-Close,¡± Zoey said. As if sharing thoughts, Delta pulled her hand out out of Mel¡¯s stomach, and Mel lifted herself off. The two girls posted to either side of Zoey, four hands suddenly attacking her length. While not as incredibly overwhelming as getting jerked off while inside Mel, being attended to by four skilled hands was still a lot of sensation to handle. Then Delta leaned down and started teasing Zoey with her mouth, wrapping her lips around her cock head, and Zoey really didn¡¯t stand a chance. She arched her hips upward, burying deeper into Delta¡¯s mouth, which the girl took in stride, and then she finally came, the building pressure bing too much. Thick white ropes burst from Zoey¡¯s cock, searing up her length with electrifying ecstasy. Delta worked the strings out with her mouth and tongue, teasing away, and four hands aided in the effort, stroking her impressive length as her climax arrived. As she pumped string after string into Mel¡¯s condom, Delta was forced to pull her mouth off. ¡°Keep it going,¡± Delta murmured to Zoey, locking violet eyes with hers as she stroked away. ¡°Be a good girl and give us everything. Empty that fat cock of yours. Do it for us.¡± Mel kissed Zoey, working her through her climax, and Delta kept teasing Zoey with lewd words. She really, really appreciated that. Finally, her entire load worked out of her, Zoey sagged into the ground, feeling dizzy. 4.40 – Lured Out 4.40 ¨C Lured Out The end result was the slightest bitical. Zoey knew she came a lot; she¡¯d be intimately acquainted with the fact in a whole slew of ways. But seeing her payload bulging at the tip of a condom contextualized just how much. ¡°Seriously,¡± Delta said admiringly, hefting the collection up and down with two hands. It was still attached to Zoey¡¯s cock, so, despite the absurdity, it was also somewhat arousing seeing another girl worship it. ¡°How do you do this? Has to be magic.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you had fun,¡± Melughed, poking the balloon of liquid. ¡°Yeah. This¡¯ll definitely be enough.¡± ¡°Enough for what?¡± ¡°My devious n, obviously,¡± Mel said. ¡°This was to save my life, remember?¡± She pecked Zoey on the cheek. ¡°Which I¡¯m super grateful for. And like I said, I¡¯ll let you do that gross thing in reward. Just have to handle this, first.¡± ¡°Gross thing?¡± Delta asked, her ying with the condom freezing, the statement intriguing her. ¡°I said,¡± Zoey protested, ¡°that I¡¯ve never asked for anything of the sort.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re turning me down, then?¡± Mel asked. A part of Zoey insisted that she did, if simply because it was so weird. But she hesitated. ¡°Gross thing?¡± Delta insisted. ¡°What gross thing?¡± ¡°She wants to fuck me in the head,¡± Mel said. ¡°To stir my brains around with her cock.¡± Delta blinked several times, then turned to Zoey with raised eyebrows. ¡°She does, does she?¡± ¡°I never asked for that,¡± Zoey said firmly. ¡°Seriously. She just assumed it.¡± ¡°Well,¡± Mel said. ¡°I know you thought it. You just didn¡¯t actually ask.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± Delta said. ¡°Yeah, that makes sense. No way she would. Zoey doesn¡¯t have nearly that good of taste.¡± Zoey paused. ¡°Kidding,¡± Deltaughed. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s pretty weird, even by my standards. That said, you better take her up on it. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll be disappointed.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like it¡¯s a fantasy you can live out with anyone else. So yeah. I¡¯ll be mad if you don¡¯t.¡± Zoey rolled her eyes. Though with Delta¡¯s approval, she suddenly felt a lot less hesitant with the idea. It was weird ¡­ but maybe she wouldn¡¯t insist on refusing, if Mel offered again. ¡°And let¡¯s get this thing off you,¡± Mel said, rolling the condom up. ¡°Like I said, time to enact my brilliant n.¡± *** Mel¡¯s n wasn¡¯t actually that brilliant. But hey, she had limited resources, and seriously limited information. Around a day¡¯s worth of study of some kind of ¡­ bizarre, alien magic-eater wasn¡¯t nearly enough to form a real n of attack. The only thing Mel had really deduced was that Mystery Woman liked the lewder stuff that Zoey¡¯s presence had brought to her shard. She¡¯d made that pretty clear in hour one. Mel was still upset that she¡¯d caught the woman¡ªin a human body, strangely¡ªmasturbating at full frenzy, then had cut off when Mel had found her, and vanished. Even if the woman was eating her essence and slowly killing her, that she didn¡¯t want to have some fun first was way more inconsiderate. Okay, not really. Mel wasn¡¯t suicidal. She¡¯d rather not die. She probably didn¡¯t have the same attachment to consciousness as some mortal creatures, but even so, she had some attachment. She¡¯d never considered the topic too closely. This iteration¡ªthis version of her created to handle Zoey¡¯s arrival¡ªwas more lucid than any other form she¡¯d taken. More ¡­ autonomous. Her thoughts were less clouded. If still rather focused on one thing. The proof was in how she was ignoring her proper instincts, right now, to handle this situation for her continued survival. The instructions embedded into Mel¡¯s creation urged her toplete the fight with Zoey and Delta¡ªto fuck the two of them mindlessly until someone came out a victor. That was how shards worked. Well, usually in a more violent way, but the general idea¡ªfight to victory¡ªwas how they worked. Instead, she lugged an overinted balloon of Zoey¡¯s cum out to the edge of the clearing. Where the woman was watching from. Not that Mel was certain of that. The creature was astoundingly stealthy. Mel should have a nearly omniscient awareness of her shard¡ªseeing how the shard was her, in a sense¡ªbut wherever the creature went, a fuzziness followed. Though, in a way, that meant Mel was always vaguely aware of the creature, too. Her general location, though narrowing it down could be difficult. But her opponent¡¯s control had been slipping. The creature¡¯s position had beening sharper and sharper into focus. She¡¯d been distracted by the disy Zoey, Mel, and Delta had put on. Had quite enjoyed it, at a guess. Mel knew she had. Zoey was really so much fun to y with. But to the point¡ªher n. Her n was simple. What better way to bait out a perverted creature infatuated with magical essence than the rawest, most powerful form of that magical essence? The energy found in Zoey¡¯s cum was fascinatinglyplex¡ªdivine in origin, Mel was pretty sure¡ªbut it was a rather inert sort of power, too. Not much could be done with it, despite its strength. Not to Mel¡¯s knowledge. A creature that ate such material, though? And digested it? The perfect bait. But she was averse to contact; Mel had talked herself hoarse trying to convince the woman toe speak with her. No amount of pleading or questioning had worked. So, she had to be trickier. Not that tricky, though. Sometimes blunt force was the best way to handle things. Mel hefted up the condom stuffed with Zoey¡¯s cum, which drooped several inches from sheer weight. She held it out in the direction she was fairly certain the creature hid. Mel imagined a rapturously intent gaze leveled her way¡ªonly raw self-control managing to keep the creature from pouncing on her and iming the substance. ¡°Well,¡± Mel said. ¡°It would sure be a shame if someone were to waste all this precious, raw magical essence, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± She poured some of Zoey¡¯s cum on her chest, then rubbed it around, slickening her already sticky body with the lewd material. She shivered in excitement at the act; though she was focused on this mission, right now, she still had a lot of fulfilling to take care of, afterward. Rubbing Zoey¡¯s cum across her tits, brushing her nipples with her fingers, made her core clench with need. She wanted the dark-haired human to coat her the more exciting way¡ªto paint her straight-on. But this was a fun alternative. Mel poured a hefty load into her mouth, then rolled her tongue around, tasting Zoey¡¯s thick musk. It was, of course, incredible. The best thing she¡¯d ever tasted. Or maybe second best¡ªZoey¡¯s cock itself had the lead. In front of her, the vague impression of a shadow roiled and twisted, as if furious. That made Mel pause, but it also meant it was working. Irritating the creature was her intent. ¡°It tastes really good,¡± Mel said, pouring another load out and swallowing. With how much Zoey produced, she¡¯d barely made a dent on the material. ¡°And I¡¯d be more than happy to share if someone wants toe talk with me. Or even show themselves.¡± She waited, but nothing happened. Well, beyond the vibrating shadow-mass in the nearby distance. Which wasn¡¯t really a shadow¡ªjust Mel¡¯s supernatural understanding of her shard manifesting into something her eyes couldprehend. She pouted when she got no response. She tilted the condom, then slowly started letting Zoey¡¯s cum spill into the grass. Slowly¡ªonly a trickle. The shadows grew more agitated. She increased the flow. It poured out in a slow stream. They bubbled and turned. Finally, she tilted it all the way, and a torrent of white cream poured out, pattering into the ground. A woman materialized from thin air in front of Mel. She lunged forward, then sped two hands into where Mel held the condom¡¯s tip. The flow cut off, the divine liquid saved by her interloper¡¯s intervention. ¡°What are you doing?¡± the creature hissed¡ªa mixture of aghast and infuriated. ¡°Do you have any idea what that is?¡± Ruby-red eyes red at her, and Mel found herself briefly at a loss for words. She¡¯d caught a quick nce of the woman, but up-close, she was even more beautiful. Mel leaned forward and kissed her. Red eyes widened in surprise, and then¡ªthank the heavens¡ªshe rxed, leaning back and letting Mel assault her. Mel knew how to handle this. After swirling her tongue around and mixing the lingering amounts of Zoey¡¯s cum between their mouths, she pulled back and poured a second fresh load. She rejoined the kiss, pushing Zoey¡¯s cum in, swirling it around and sharing it. The thick, musky material traded mouths, before the woman drank greedily, swallowing the saliva-cum mixture they¡¯d created. Mel poured another load. It was a good thing Zoey had provided so much¡ªafter pouring it out, then sharing, she was running low. Her opponent was so overwhelmed by her attack it was almost amusing. Not just Mel¡¯s skilled tongue and mouth, her tits pressed into the other woman¡¯s, and her knee providing a firm ce to rub against lower down, but the more magical sort of assault that Zoey¡¯s cum provided. She drowned in raw, potent essence, and she started to sway in ce, standing only with the support of Mel¡¯s free hand on her waist, tucking her in. ¡°Wow,¡± Mel said. ¡°You like it even more than me.¡± ¡°So ¡­ much energy ¡­¡± Mel tipped the condom over, pouring it straight into the woman¡¯s mouth. She drank happily, closing her eyes as she basked in the taste¡ªboth the literal, at a guess, and the magical. By her squirming lower half, she was hardly immune to lust. ¡°An infinite supply of it, too,¡± Mel murmured¡ªwhich had two brilliant red eyes clearing, then locking to her, hungry. ¡°Bet my shard looks kind of boring inparison, huh?¡± She leaned closer and bit the woman¡¯s lower lip, tugging on it. ¡°If you stay here and keep feeding on me, then there¡¯s no more where that came from. But her?¡± Mel gestured in Zoey¡¯s direction, who watched them with wide eyes. ¡°There¡¯s as much as you want, if you ask for it from the source.¡± The woman stared at Zoey¡¯s group. Unfortunately, contrary to what Mel had expected, she paled, expression morphing to raw panic. ¡°They see me,¡± she whispered. ¡°I can¡¯t¡ªMother¡¯s directive¡ª¡° She vanished. Mel fumbled at the suddenck of a warm body to lean against. Stabilizing herself, she crossed her arms and pouted at the empty air where her invader had been. What the words meant¡ª¡®Mother¡¯s directive¡¯¡ªshe hadn¡¯t a clue, but Mel was almost certain she¡¯d aplished her objective, even if not in as direct of a method as she¡¯d hoped. When Zoey left the shard, a certain cum-fascinated vampire would almost certainly be apanying her in the shadows. Why stay here, after all, when there was so much more potent material to be feeding on? It was all Mel had. The creature could avoid them¡ªand probably overpower them, even¡ªif it wished. Her only option was baiting her with Zoey, so that she left Mel alone. And Zoey would be fine. If the creature really did want frequent feedings, then Zoey¡¯s blessing¡ªa mantle of heavenly energy¡ªwould be more than enough to keep her satisfied. Whatever that creature was, she could drink forever of a goddess¡¯s essence and never make a dent in the reservoir. Zoey was in no harm, and neither would Mel be, assuming she left. It was as neat of a solution as she could invent. Mel turned and beamed at Zoey and her group, feeling immensely relieved¡ªand excited for what was toe. ¡°Okay! Pretty sure that¡¯s handled. Now, it¡¯s time to say thank you.¡± 4.41 – Goo-Girl Says Thanks 4.41 ¨C Goo-Girl Says Thanks Though more than happy to receive Mel¡¯s so-called ¡®thank-you¡¯s, Zoey needed exnations first. Primarily, about how she¡¯d pawned the ¡­ woman? creature? ¡­ off on them. Mel provided her reasoning without deceit. From her perspective, she¡¯d simply assumed Zoey knew that she would be doing so. Which was fair. Zoey had kind of expected it, and hade to Mel knowing that her problems would be her own, but she hadn¡¯t expected that to be the actual basis of Mel¡¯s n¡ªfor the goal to be literally using Zoey as bait. To the slimegirl¡¯s credit, she seemed embarrassed: she had truly thought Zoey had expected it. That said, Zoey wasn¡¯t too upset about the situation. Though collecting a shadowy, impossible to detect voyeur¡ªwho, apparently, was wearing a gorgeous human form with red eyes and flowing ck hair¡ªwas the slightest bit disorienting, it was better that she focused on her than Mel. Apparently, by Mel¡¯s appraisal, Zoey wasn¡¯t in actual threat from the creature; she¡¯d simply taken an interest. Mel, however, very much was in danger. So, an inconvenience to Zoey, versus a lethal threat to Mel. Obviously the former was preferable. Having a voyeur watching her would be weird, but Zoey had also dealt with worse. And she apparently wanted Zoey¡¯s cum, which meant in the following days, she¡¯d be seeking a way to make that happen. What form that encounter would take, Zoey had no idea, but her secret admirer situation shouldn¡¯tst for too long. She hoped. Besides, being watched was kind of ¡­ fun? A beautiful woman spying on her from the shadows was kind of exciting. Part of Zoey rejected that idea, but her heart rate picked up nheless. It was weird, yes, and whether she was in real danger did concern her, despite Mel¡¯s assurance, but all things considered, some kind of pseudo-alien wearing a busty human body being obsessed with her cock wasn¡¯t the worst thing in the world. Objectively speaking. Though, maybe her partners wouldn¡¯t be so excited about being spied on. Rosalie or Delta. Well, more Rosalie than Delta, obviously. Delta probably found the idea as tititing as Zoey. Regardless, they were in the loop, so if they objected, they could always say so. Either way, those thoughts went relegated to second priority. Because Mel was eager to get started. Her safety secured, the slimegirl wasn¡¯t so much insisting on giving her thanks as demanding it. ¡°So,¡± Mel said. ¡°Anything you two want. I¡¯m yours.¡± She grinned deviously at Zoey, and to Zoey¡¯s embarrassment, Delta turned a simr look her way. ¡°Even in that way.¡± ¡°Honestly,¡± Zoey said, ¡°you sound more excited for this than me.¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s kind of ufortable,¡± Mel said, ¡°but when it¡¯s your cock, I think I¡¯m okay with it. It¡¯ll be fun.¡± ¡°If I had a dick, and a girl telling me to stick it in her ear, I¡¯d already be inside,¡± Delta said loudly. ¡°Maybe I should be the perverted goddess¡¯s champion.¡± Zoey gave her an amused look. ¡°What? Tell me I¡¯m wrong.¡± Zoey wasn¡¯t sure she could. Delta seemed smug at that, then, after a second, pouted. ¡°It¡¯s so unfair the shard didn¡¯t let me keep the mirror. I want your cock,¡± Deltained. She paused, then turned to Mel. ¡°Wait. You¡¯re the boss, and this shard is yours, you said. So don¡¯t you decide all that?¡± Mel tilted her head as if she hadn¡¯t considered it. ¡°Huh,¡± she said. ¡°You know, most of that stuff happens automatically. But maybe I can do something.¡± Mel frowned, then held her hands out in front of her. With an expression of deep focus, she channeled some unknowable ability. A momentter, an ornate mirror popped into her hands. ¡°Hah! It does work.¡± Mel shivered. ¡°Though, that felt seriously weird, going against my instincts.¡± Delta took the mirror, turning an excited look to Zoey, but at the revtion, Zoey¡¯s focus had gone elsewhere. ¡°Do it one more time?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°I have something better than the mirror. My potions?¡± Mel frowned, studying her. Her eyes widened as she supernaturally put the pieces together, apparently shuffling through Zoey¡¯s belongings. ¡°Oh. Oh!¡± She vibrated with excitement. ¡°Yes, please.¡± One furrowed browter, a potion popped into her hands. Mel squealed in excitement. ¡°I do get two cocks inside me,¡± Mel said, wiggling in ce. She thrust the potion out toward Delta. ¡°Drink this. Now!¡± Delta gaped at the potion. ¡°I was saving it forter,¡± Zoey said. ¡°But then all this stuff popped up. Sabina catalyzed it.¡± ¡°Holy shit,¡± Delta said, reverently taking the item from Mel¡¯s hand. ¡°It grows a cock?¡± ¡°All that time spent in theb wasn¡¯t for nothing,¡± Zoey joked. ¡°Fuck me,¡± Delta said. ¡°So we both get to fuck her.¡± She paused. ¡°In the ear?¡± Er¡ªZoey had imagined a more traditional double-teaming. ¡°Or we can ease into that,¡± Delta conceded. ¡°Normal way first.¡± She rolled her eyes at Zoey. ¡°Seriously. Who¡¯s the priestess of sex, again? You should be the one convincing me.¡± She locked ravenous eyes to the potion. ¡°This is going to be awesome.¡± Zoey agreed, even if she found a blush creeping up on her cheeks at the raw excitement in Delta¡¯s voice. Zoey understood why, though. Getting to share Mel with Delta was ¡­ enticing. Honestly, seeing a cock on Delta was an event in its own right. She¡¯d been looking forward to it since Sabina¡¯s discovery. Truthfully, her initial idea had been to share Delta with Rosalie, but at the same time, getting to toy with Rosalie¡¯s cock by herself would be fun. And Mel was here, eager to be double stuffed, and Zoey would hardly deny her that. So. Sharing with Delta. A great back-up, even if not what she¡¯d nned originally. Without hesitation, Delta tipped the vial back and drank. She shook the ss to get thest few drops onto her tongue, then swallowed and wiped her mouth. She tossed the empty vial into her inventory, then waited. The first indicator came through Delta¡¯s shoulders hunching forward, and a violent shiver wracking her body. Her hand sprang down between her legs, cupping herself, and a strange noise escaped her¡ªa definite moan, but whether from pleasure, disorientation, or even pain, Zoey couldn¡¯t tell. Likely a mix of the three. Delta¡¯s knees squeezed together, and a second hand joined the first as she pressed down on her crotch. ¡°Woah. This is crazy. I-Intense.¡± She moaned, loudly, then forcibly pulled her hands away and looked down at herself. Zoey¡¯s eyes widened. Delta¡¯s cock had already started to fill in, and fully at attention from moment one. The three girls watched, amazed, as a proud, feminine dick sprouted between Delta¡¯s legs. It had a curve to it, pointing slightly skyward. A single thick vein ran down its length. Delta shivered through the whole process, squirming in ce, sending the thick shaft bouncing as she did. When the transformation had ran its course, eight to nine inches of girlcock throbbed in rhythmic pulses, already leaking a bead of precum. Worked up. Excited to be used. Waiting to be drained. Which Mel¡ªand Zoey¡ªwere more than happy to get started on. 4.42 – Two Girls, One Slime 4.42 ¨C Two Girls, One Slime Content disimer: some futa/futa mixed in with this DP scene. Just FYI. Zoey approached Delta, a smirk teasing at her lips. By the foxgirl¡¯s wide eyes, and her slightly parted mouth, she was disoriented by the change to her body, even for all she¡¯d been enthusiastic about it. And Zoey intended to take advantage of that. First, though, she wanted to tease. Arriving in front of the girl, she gripped her own cock and lined it up next to Delta¡¯s, pressing the tip into Delta¡¯s pelvis to the side of where her own member sprouted. The size difference was nearlyical when held side to side. Around eight or nine inches long, and proportional to that¡ªmaybe even thick for her size¡ªDelta didn¡¯t remotely have a ¡®small¡¯ weapon. Butpared to Zoey? ¡°It¡¯s cute,¡± Zoey conceded. Delta¡¯s cock radiated heat into Zoey¡¯s own, the two members pressed into each other. Delta¡¯s twitched at the contact, and the foxgirl panted quietly as she stared down between their bodies, taking in the sight. ¡°But it¡¯s pretty obvious who¡¯s the winner.¡± Cheeks flushed, and apparently not having managed to find her words yet, Delta pressed her hands onto either sides of their cocks, squeezing them in tighter. A shiver went up Zoey¡¯s spine at the contact. With a shaky exhtion, Delta worked her hips back and forth, sliding her cock alongside Zoey¡¯s, their foreskins bunching in Delta¡¯s grip. Zoey was hardly immune to the sensation, and the excitement of the situation, but she definitely wasn¡¯t as affected as Delta. She¡¯d dealt with this equipment for a while, by this point. Delta finally getting her own was something that had her heart mming in her chest, but she didn¡¯t also have to contend with the new barrage of sensations that came with it. ¡°Fuck,¡± Delta murmured, stroking up and down the two of them, her hips seeming to move on their own. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re the winner. It¡¯s really not fair.¡± Mel, thus politely letting Zoey and Delta have their moment, finally protested. She¡¯d waited as long as she could physically help herself. ¡°These are mine, now,¡± the slimegirl said, getting onto her knees and grabbing each of their cocks. ¡°You two can do this whenever. It¡¯s my turn.¡± Zoey turned and cozied into Delta, pressing her shoulder into the other girl¡¯s, who likewise melted into Zoey. The two of them watched their eager third stroke along each of their lengths. With her arm wrapped around Delta, she felt every shiver and twitch of the other girl as cascades of hot pleasure coursed through her cock, caressed by Mel¡¯s skilled hand. More than basking in Mel¡¯s grip on her own cock, Zoey marveled at seeing Delta yed with. She was the owner, as Zoey had expected her to be, of an amazing cock. The thick shaft sprouting from her feminine build was twice as enticing, framed by plush thighs and beneath firm abs. In fact, Zoey couldn¡¯t help it. She had to toy with Delta before they got to the main event. She joined Mel on her knees, so that the foxgirl had two attendants staring up at her, faces level with her cock. ¡°Shit,¡± Delta murmured, a hand digging into Zoey¡¯s hair, and the other into Mel¡¯s green locks. She pulled them gently forward, pressing each of their cheeks into her member. ¡°I mean, if you insist.¡± Zoey breathed deeply, taking in Delta¡¯s musk. She was sweaty from their adventures earlier, and that scent lingered thickly on her cock. Zoey turned and pressed a kiss into her shaft, and Mel did the same. They ran their tongue and lips up and down the foxgirl¡¯s cock, getting it slick and wet together, kissing each other across Delta''s shaft, their tongues bumping into one another as they sloppily lubricated the other girl. "Come on. Don¡¯t tease,¡± she said breathlessly. ¡°Get to work, yeah?¡± The shaky, almost disbelieving tone in her words had Zoey''s own cock throbbing in excitement. But she was much more interested in Delta than taking care of herself. "Go ahead," Zoey told Mel. "You can have the honor." Zoey shuffled behind Mel, pressing her tits into the slimegirl''s back, then leaned her chin onto her shoulder as she watched Mel''s lips¡ªguided by Zoey¡¯s hand on the back of her head, and her chest pressing the slimegirl forward as she leaned in¡ªenvelop Delta''s cock tip. Zoey was torn between watching the twitching member get swallowed and watching Delta herself, who shook in ce, as twitchy as her needy member. "Don''t be shy," Zoey said. "We have to make an impression." Not gently, but not violently either, she pushed the back of Mel''s head forward, forcing the goo-girl to swallow Delta''s cock. Delta moaned and bucked her hips, pping herself in the rest of the way, and her head fell backward as the pleasure of a tight, wet throat assaulted her. "There you go," Zoey murmured into the slime''s ear. "Open that throat up. It''s what you¡¯re made for, right?¡± Mel moaned her agreement, a wet, gargling noise, changing in tone and rhythm with each thrust of Delta''s hips¡ªbecause thrusting the foxgirl was, already, the excitement too much for her to resist. In only moments, Delta was throat-fucking her partner. Zoey aided in the effort, one hand nted onto the back of Mel''s head, forcing her forward, shoving the slimegirl onto Delta''s cock with almost as much force as Delta pped forward. Lewd noises filled the air, squelches and ps of flesh on slime. Seeing how much both her partners were enjoying it, Zoey urged Mel on with harder and harder movements of her hand, watching eight inches curve downward into Mel''s gooey, see-through throat, then crawl back up, only to be shoved violently down again. Mel struggled to handle the vition, choking and gargling, but she didn''t resist in the slightest. "That''s it,¡± Zoey murmured. ¡°Take that fucking cock. Show us how much you love it." "So much," a distorted, choking response came¡ªor so Zoey intuited, seeing how mangled it was. Mel¡¯s bodynguage, at least, made it clear. "I love her cock so much." Delta gripped either side of Mel''s head, then widened her stance, hunching forward slightly. Her thrusts became wild, knuckles turning white as pleasure took control of her body. The thrusts came violently, each p of her hips into Mel''s face ringing through the air. The humping was animalistic, raw lust guiding her motions. She grunted with each impact, pistoning in a desperate, nearly clumsy motion¡ªclearly needing more pleasure, more of Mel''s tight throat. The goo-girl matched the enthusiasm. She sucked and stroked, holding onto Delta''s hips to stay down. "I can''t¡ª I can¡¯t¡ª It''s so much," Delta whined. Zoey could tell a climax when it wasing, and so could Mel. Catching Zoey off guard, though, Mel pulled off Delta''s cock and urgently said, "Share. Share it with me." Together, Zoey and Mel stroked lips and tongues across Delta''s sensitive member, who continued to thrust between the provided slick surface of their joined open mouths. Mel jerked her off to help her along, and a secondter, the first sticky string ejected. Mel pulled back and closed her eyes, opening her mouth, and she coaxed the payload across her face and tongue, moaning in her own delight. Zoey joined in, pointing the twitching member her own way, and Delta sshed hot ropes across her face, coating her. She caught a few into her mouth, and Zoey basked in thick, heady taste of Delta''s first payload. Through the whole event, Delta shook violently, groaning and spasming, her hips shoving back and forth in little twitches. Zoey suspected normally she''d be spewing obscenities or dirty talk, but she was far too overwhelmed for that. With their hands and mouths, Zoey and Mel left the foxgirl speechless, her mind turning white from the ecstasy of having her load extracted. Behind her, a long orange fox tail jerked side to side, matching the way the rest of her body trembled. Comically¡ªand making Zoey feel quite proud of herself and Mel¡ªwhen Delta¡¯s toes finally stopped curling, she fell backward, thumping hard into the grass, looking dizzy. Mel took Zoey¡¯s mouth, and¡ªhaving apparently hoarded Delta¡¯s reward¡ªthey basked in their mutual triumph, rubbing their tongues together and sharing a kiss lubricated by Delta¡¯s warm cum. The foxgirl watched that, too, seeming to grow even more dizzy. ¡°Okay,¡± Delta conceded. ¡°Fine. Maybe you are the priestess of lust, you devil.¡± Mel pushed Delta¡¯s load into Zoey¡¯s mouth onest time, then pulled away. Zoey turned to Delta, opened her mouth to disy the full load of spunk, then pointedly swallowed the thick material with a smirk. Delta shivered. ¡°Alright,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Warm-up over. Mel¡¯s been waiting patiently.¡± ¡°Very patiently,¡± Mel agreed. ¡°Now, which of you want my pussy, and which my ass?¡± 4.43 – Double Stuffing 4.43 ¨C Double Stuffing Zoey and Delta shared a look. Who got which hole? It was a question deserving of a moment¡¯s consideration. ¡°You get her pussy,¡± Zoey dered. ¡°This is your event, not mine.¡± Delta rolled her eyes, but despite the mock exasperation, also blushed. ¡°My hero,¡± she said dryly. Further discussion was cut off by Mel, who, as she¡¯d imed, was out of patience. She pressed sticky green tits into Zoey, hugging her and resting her chin on Zoey¡¯s corbone, looking up with eager¡ªbut almost annoyed¡ªgreen eyes. ¡°I swear, if you waste one more second, I¡¯m going to lose my mind.¡± Zoey responded the proper way. She grabbed the slimegirl by the shoulders¡ªwho was still kneeling, as Zoey was¡ªthen forcefully rolled her over onto her stomach. Shuffling over top the goo-girl, Zoey lined up her cock. Sticking her ass up in the air, and whining with impatience, Mel demanded satisfaction. Zoey obliged. She pressed her cock tip between round cheeks, wiggling it into Mel¡¯s second hole. Using Mel¡¯s sticky body as natural lubricant, Zoey slid in easily¡ªthough with plenty of squeezing resistance to wrap her. She shivered as her cock was pressed in all directions by tight gtin, and she moved her hips forward, sinking deeper and deeper into the slimegirl¡¯s gooey asshole. With a quick jerk, she pped her hips in thest several inches, marveling in the intoxicating sensation of Mel¡¯s firm hole caressing her. Grabbing Mel by the stomach, she rolled the two of them over, so Zoey¡¯s own back was pressed into the grass, and Melid atop her. Fourteen inches of cock pulsed inside her, but Zoey stilled the desperate need to pump and jerk. This was Delta¡¯s event, however much Zoey was having fun herself. ¡°Your turn,¡± Zoey said, her eyes locked to violet ones, beckoning Delta to join. Delta didn¡¯t need to be convinced. She crouched over the two of them, lining her own cock up between Mel¡¯s spread legs. Zoey grabbed the slimegirl by the crease of her knees and pulled her legs in tight, locking them close to her head, so Mel¡¯s feet dangled in the air in a lewd,promised position. Mel groaned and writhed atop Zoey, too excited to control herself, needing Zoey¡¯s cock to stir around her insides. Delta gripped her cock and guided herself in. She prated the slimegirl, and Zoey felt a thick cock slide against her own, separated only by a thin membrane¡ªone she couldn¡¯t even see through Mel¡¯s body. Their cocks floated there, inside Mel, together. Delta sighed, and her eyes closed as she pushed inch by inch deeper into Mel, her cock rubbing against Zoey¡¯s as it ventured forward. Deltaid herself across the slimegirl, sandwiching Mel between the two of them, creating a pile of sweaty skin. At the added pressure, Zoey couldn¡¯t help herself. Her hips took a life of their own. She humped up and down, a slow, luxurious pace, relishing the feel of Mel¡¯s asshole wrapping her cock. Andbined with the pressure of Delta¡¯s member pressing into hers? In getting to share a partner, as Delta had suggested so many times, but which was finally happening? And in such an exciting way? Zoey nuzzled her chin in Mel¡¯s shoulder and picked up speed. Atop the slimegirl, Delta also gave into her urges. Supporting herself by her hands and knees nted into grass, the foxgirl pistoned in and out of Mel¡¯s pussy. Each stroke had a thick shaft of girl cock rubbing against Zoey¡¯s own, and the sensation whited her mind out. With so much crammed inside Mel, she was even tighter than usual¡ªand the slimegirl already had an incredible grip. ¡°So ¡­ good ¡­¡± Delta groaned. ¡°Fuck, Zoey. Your cock feels so good against mine.¡± She buried her forehead against Zoey¡¯s, to the side of Mel¡¯s own head, and the three girls panted and whined as all of them humped and thrusted against each other. ¡°This is even better ¡­ than when I had yours. How does it feel so good?¡± Their speeds increased together, pleasure intensifying. It didn¡¯t take any time at all for Zoey to feel Delta¡¯s cock starting to twitch. Squeezed together inside Mel, she could feel each motion, each jerk of Delta¡¯s cock as she rapidly approached orgasm. Zoey sympathized. Delta had a tiny amount of experience wielding a cock, but not nearly enough to resist this event. "Cant help it," Delta moaned. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m¡ªI¡¯m cumming.¡± "So quick,¡± Zoey tutted. ¡°But go ahead." Crammed inside Mel, and squeezed so tightly against Zoey''s own cock, she felt Delta''s member swell in imminent orgasm. The foxgirl pped herself as deep as she could, her ass straining and she arced her hips forward. Zoey kept pumping, massaging Delta''s cock with long strokes, her thick shaft running along Delta''s with each shove into Mel''s too-full insides. Delta came. Her body quaked and twitched as she emptied herself, spurting thick strings of seed into Mel''s womb. Zoey felt the heat of her payload as it spilled into Mel. Through her green, see-through body, she watched Delta coat Mel''s pussy with her white cream. The sensation, and imagery, made Zoey moan, her own climax spurred on. Her hips moved faster and harder, pushing Delta''s cock against hers in a way that sent sparks dancing through her body. Mel fell apart next. Her body tensed and trembled as she cried out in pleasure. Her asshole clenched down on Zoey''s cock, squeezing tightly as orgasm pulsed through her. Delta groaned, being likewise caressed, the renewed pressure milking out even more of her own finish. It was finally too much. Zoey''s climax rushed up to meet Mel''s, and with onest thrust, she pped her hips hard against Mel''s ass and released her payload. Wave after wave of pleasure crashed through her as she filled Mel''s asshole with her seed. The sensation was overwhelming, every muscle in her body tensing so hard she couldn''t move. The pleasure drained away, leaving Zoey spent. Shey beneath Mel, going limp. Deltay likewise exhausted, skin glistening¡ªhalf from sweat, half from Mel''s sticky body. She didn''t make to pull out. She and Zoey kept their cocks firmly inside the slimegirl, stuffing her full. The amount of white strings floating inside her bordered onical. "At this rate," Delta said, "we¡¯ll turn you into a white slime, not a green one." Zoeyughed, pressing her forehead into Mel¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Really?¡± "Sounds like heaven," Mel mumbled. She wiggled her hips side to side, stirring Zoey and Delta''s cocks around, and extracting two sudden moans. "You two aren''t done already, are you? Get back to work. This is a boss fight, remember?" "Oh?" Zoey asked. "It is? Then I''m supposed to take this seriously?" "That sounds foreboding," Mel said. "Learn some new tricks?" "You could say that. Here, tell me how this feels." Focusing on the slimegirl¡ªand admittedly still tired from her finish, but more than willing to push through¡ªZoey put her newest branch of magic to work. Not much more than an hour ago, she''d muted the aphrodisiac effect the vines had forced onto Delta. But the more intended use was surely the reverse: to inme a target''s arousal and sensation. The spell gripped Mel, and the slimegirl shook between her and Delta, groaning loudly. "W-Wait. What is that?" she whined. "What did you do to me?" Her hips gyrated up and down, sliding Zoey and Delta¡¯s cocks around inside her. "G-Gods, what the heck? That¡¯s so¡ªso much! Not fair." ¡°Fair? It''s a boss fight, remember?" Zoey teased. She turned her eyes to Delta. "Here, help get her up." Delta did so. They slid out of their partner in unison, freeing their thick payloads to pour out, which Zoey briefly admired. In short order, Zoey had picked the slimegirl up and spun her around, so her gooey tits pressed into Zoey''s own. She lined her cock up to Mel''s pussy, who desperately aided her¡ªneeding more than ever to have cock inside her, inmed by Zoey''s spell. Zoey shivered as Delta''s cum acted as lubricant, helping her slide into Mel''s tight pussy. Delta didn''t hesitate to join Zoey, iming Mel''s ass, likewise covering her cock in the fruits of Zoey''s previous finish. With them both inside, Zoey and Delta began to move. They thrust together, in and out of Mel''s tight body. Her pussy mped down on Zoey''s cock, milking her with every movement, and her ass clenched around Delta''s shaft, likewise pleasuring her partner. The slimegirl aided them, humping back and forth, caressing each of their cocks in both directions with each thrust of her hips. The sensation, amplified by Zoey''s spell, was too much for the poor first-advancement boss; barely moments passed before they had started, Mel was shaking violently in their grip, her third orgasm of the night crashing through her. Zoey seized Mel''s mouth with her own and shared saliva as the girl spasmed. She and Delta pumped cock into Mel at a quick, satisfying pace, working her through it. And to be fair to Mel, she and Delta didn''tst much longer either. The feeling of their cocks sliding together while crammed inside Mel''s tight holes was almost aspromising as an aphrodisiac spell. Mel''s fourth finish rose up to meet theirs, barely a minute after her third, and the three girls groaned and shook together as they painted the slimegirl''s insides with a fresh batch of baby batter. Zoey and Delta pulled out with wet squelches, and cum poured from Mel''s holes. Her normal imperviousness had taken a hit; she seemed almost dizzy from her previous two climaxes. Zoey''s spell had taken it up a notch¡ªto a degree Mel might never have experienced. But after a secondying in the grass, panting, Mel elbowed up and locked eyes with Zoey. "Before you win," Mel said, "don''t forget. Gross stuff. I promised you that." Zoey paused. Right. That. Well, since she insisted, Zoey supposed she would take her up on the offer. 4.44 – How To Give Head, The Other Way 4.44 ¨C How To Give Head, The Other Way Content Warning: Unusual prations. Zoey wasn¡¯t sure why the idea was so enticing. Purely because of the strangeness? That was the only reason she could imagine. And maybe some curiosity. Because what would it feel like? It wasn¡¯t every girl that Zoey could stick her dick wherever she wanted. And from the sounds of it, into Mel¡¯s ear was going to be a special experience. Mel posted up on her knees, kneeling with her back straight. The slimegirl deliberately positioned them pointing toward Rosalie. Zoey had definitely not forgotten about her girlfriend¡ªknowing those blue eyes had been watching her and Delta double-stuff the slimegirl had been one of the many exciting parts to the event. Though, this. Zoey paused. ¡°You¡¯re not going to ¡­ I don¡¯t know, see me weirdly if I do this, are you?¡± Rosalie crossed her arms and leveled something close to a disdainful look at Zoey¡ªin that typically way of hers that was way more adorable than intimidating. Her blush gave the masquerade away. ¡°Believe me,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°When ites to your perversion, there are no more bars to be lowered. Have your fun.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°Besides, this is still technically a boss fight. Do what you need to win.¡± Zoey grinned. ¡°Cool.¡± She focused back on Mel, who was diligently keeping her head forward, her own excited smile on her lips. She seemed to be trying to goad Rosalie into eye contact, but the flustered girl couldn¡¯t manage it. ¡°Don¡¯t worry if I start acting funny,¡± Mel said. ¡°Getting my brains scrambled means I might not be able to talk, or whatever.¡± That made Zoey pause, but Mel tilted her head and pointed at her ear, and if she wasn¡¯t perturbed, there was no reason for Zoey to be. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s see what you can do. If I can still form words, it means you¡¯re not trying hard enough.¡± Flushing, Zoey shuffled up, trying to ignore¡ªor maybe delighting¡ªin the way violet eyes and blue eyes watched her. Really. This was embarrassing enough without an audience. Especially one that seemed so interested. She had to widen her stance, and Mel angle her head, to get herself to the proper level. Slowly, she guided her cock tip into the green gtin of Mel¡¯s ear, pushing away long, thick locks of slime-hair to make ess. She stared at the sight for a moment, her cock nudging up against a tiny earhole, and wondered if she was really going to do this. Gripping Mel¡¯s forehead and the back of her head with either hand, Zoey pushed her hips forward. She guessed she was. She met resistance. Even malleable as Mel¡¯s body was, this hole simply wasn¡¯t meant for entry. Zoey pushed harder. Mel whined as the pressure, and as the restrictive entry started to spread. Zoey sucked in a breath of air as tightness wrapped around her cock tip, Mel¡¯s ear slowly opening up. She urged her hips forward and helped push Mel¡¯s head into her cock. Gasping, Zoey¡¯s tip popped in. It was so tight. Mel¡¯s ear squeezed her cock on all sides, so many times more cramped of a space than her pussy or ass. A shiver wracked her as she stared down at her cocktip floating an inch inside Mel¡¯s head. She was inside. Inside Mel¡¯s ear. So weird. But also so good? ¡°Woah,¡± Mel said. ¡°If you weren¡¯t so big, this would be so much ¡­ much ¡­¡± Mel¡¯s muscles went limp as Zoey pressed forward, her words abruptly cutting off. ¡°Much ¡­¡± Mel slurred. Zoey slid several inches deeper, getting her cock deep into Mel¡¯s head. She was vaguely rmed at Mel¡¯s sudden loss of speech, but she¡¯d been warned of that, and the texture of Mel¡¯s ear was almost overwhelmingly pleasurable. She couldn¡¯t stop if she wanted to. Panting, Zoey¡¯s hips worked back and forth, sliding her member around Mel¡¯s brains. There wasn¡¯t any blockage¡ªMel¡¯s anatomy was realistic in some ways, but not her head, apparently¡ªbut the feeling was still vastly different from anything else Zoey had experienced. ¡°So,¡± Delta asked. ¡°How¡¯s it feel?¡± Zoey nced up at her, and, face red from excitement, couldn¡¯t even find it in herself to be ashamed. ¡°Pretty amazing. Kinda ¡­ bumpier than usual. And way tighter.¡± She moaned as she worked into a faster pace. ¡°Hard to describe it, exactly.¡± ¡°Gonna try going all the way through?¡± Zoey paused. She hadn¡¯t even considered that, for some reason. She was more than willing to try it out, though. She pushed her hips forward, sinking her cock toward Mel¡¯s other earhole. Pressure once again assaulted her cock tip as she shoved her way through that restrictive opening, and Zoey¡¯s cock popped through, back into air. For a moment, Zoey relished the sight. Prating Mel¡¯s head all the way through, her cock suspended in green gtin. Strange, but erotic. Her life in general, these days. ¡°Now that¡¯s something,¡± Delta said admiringly. ¡°Get going. Let¡¯s see you stir her up.¡± Zoey didn¡¯t need to be told twice. She worked into a rhythm. In long strokes, she prated inside and out of Mel¡¯s head, squelching her way through her tight earhole with each thrust. Gooey insides caressed her cock, and Zoey grunted and panted as she got into it. She adjusted position, gripping Mel even more firmly, who went further and further limp with each stroke stirring around her brains. Zoey was admittedly a bit worried about how she seemed to be fucking the slimegirl into near unconsciousness, but Mel had warned her, and she couldn¡¯t stop if she wanted. ¡°Come share with me,¡± Zoey grunted. ¡°Let¡¯s fill her up together.¡± Delta, apparently, had been waiting for the request. She shuffled up eagerly, lining her cocktip up. Zoey took a brief second to admire the pale member jutting from between her foxgirl teammate¡¯s legs. That sight wouldn¡¯t ever get old¡ªbut for now, it was even more exciting for its newness. Zoey watched Delta¡¯s face as she pushed into Mel¡¯s ear. Her eyebrows pressed down and her eyes squeezed shut in pleasure, a shiver wracking her. An orange foxtail whipped left and right, showcasing how overwhelming the sensation was. Zoey sympathized. Delta¡¯s cock slid into Mel¡¯s head, brushing against her own. The two of them got to work. Their cocks rubbed against each other as they violently stirred Mel¡¯s brains around. Grunts, ps, squelches, and panting filled the air. A limp slimegirl let her head be pumped into from two directions, still conscious, but only barely, and unable to form words or even keep her head up unsupported¡ªZoey and Delta had to hold it still as they pped forcefully inside and out. ¡°C-Close,¡± Delta said. ¡°Same time?¡± ¡°Yeah. R-Ready too. Go ahead.¡± With Delta¡¯s cock rubbing against her own, she felt the moment the foxgirl¡¯s orgasm hit. Zoey gave in at the same time. The first thick white strings spilled into Mel¡¯s head from Delta¡¯s orgasm, and Zoey followed a momentter. The two girls worked their hips slowly back and forth, caressing out two thicks payloads into the slimegirl¡¯s ears. Their cum mixed around, tinting the green girl white, strands floating around¡ªand more and more ejecting by the second, the coaxing sensation of Mel¡¯s ears working out an even more potent payload than usual. Finally expended, they pulled out and admired their handiwork. No longer supported, Mel copsed into the grass, seeming dazed¡ªeven vacant-eyed. Honestly, Zoey felt close to how Mel looked; that had taken a lot out of her, too. She¡¯d been squeezed dry. She knelt down and inspected her, though. The total vacancy in her eyes was concerning, regardless of how she¡¯d been warned. She shook Mel¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Mel? All good?¡± Fortunately, she received a response quick enough to prevent a panic, because after a violent twitch of her limbs, Mel¡¯s eyes started to clear. ¡°Oh ¡­ oh. Oh!¡± Mel shook the haze off slowly¡ªor at least part of the haze. She pushed up and rubbed both sides of her head. ¡°Oh, wow. You two really didn¡¯t go easy on me, huh?¡± Zoey blushed at seeing all the sticky strings floating around inside Mel¡¯s head. ¡°Um. Yeah. Couldn¡¯t help ourselves. Sorry?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± Mel almost seemed offended at the word. ¡°It was amazing.¡± She paused. ¡°Even if I can¡¯t remember most of it.¡± She shakily stood. ¡°Okay. That favor¡¯s payed for. But we¡¯re not remotely done.¡± Zoey hadn¡¯t thought they were. Mel wasn¡¯t nearly that satiable. This boss fight was far from over. ¡°You know,¡± Delta said suddenly. ¡°You¡¯re always acting like you have cum for brains, but now you really do.¡± Mel and Zoey paused. Mel burst outughing. Zoey shook her head in exasperation. ¡°Guess I have an excuse, now,¡± Mel said. She stood, then threw herself at Delta, knocking the foxgirl over. Without even time for Delta to respond, the slimegirl had her lips wrapped around Delta¡¯s cock. With her ass sticking up in the air and waggling Zoey¡¯s way, Zoey could intuit what her job was. And this event wouldn¡¯t be done then, either. Based on thest time Zoey had fought Mel, they still had five or six climaxes to work out. This slimegirl subus was a definite handful. 4.45 – Return 4.45 ¨C Return It took a few more rounds, but Zoey and Delta fucked the slimegirl into submission. The solid, dark-green orb in her chest quickly turned red, then shattered, leaving her a half-formed mess. As thest time Zoey had defeated Mel, her mind was turned into as much of a sludge as her body. Getting fucked to the point of so-called defeat left her unable to move, and only half able to form words. But in a good way. Mel looked like she¡¯d been left out on a hot day, her sticky body melting into a puddle, but a very satisfied, well-fucked puddle. Honestly, Zoey felt a bit the same. ¡°Before you go,¡± Mel mumbled. ¡°Take this ¡­ wanted to give it to you¡­¡± Holding out a hand, liquid green goo poured from Mel¡¯s hand, separating from the rest of her body. At a gesture from Mel, Zoey crouched down and took the glob of slime, thought was confused by the event. ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± Mel said. ¡°I can¡¯t leave my shard, but maybe a part of me can? Don¡¯t know,¡± she mumbled, half to herself, her eyes fluttering. ¡°Talking¡¯s ¡­ hard. Keep her well fed, okay?¡± Zoey blinked as she took the words in. The puddle of goo was Mel? Right now, it was mostly formless, just green liquid. But that would change if she kept it well fed? And change how? As in, turn into a mini-Mel? ¡°Fed with what?¡± Zoey asked. Mel gave her a look that suggested she was stupid. ¡°Right. Dumb question.¡± ¡°Ande visit in your dreams, here and there,¡± Mel said. ¡°Though I don¡¯t sleep much. Might be tricky. Okay ¡­ that¡¯s it ¡­¡± she sighed contentedly. ¡°Thank you again. Now, taking a nap.¡± With ast mumble of satisfaction, the goo-girl lost consciousness, her humanoid form almost fully dissolving into slime. ¡°Huh,¡± Delta said. She crouched down next to Zoey and inspected the puddle of goo in Zoey¡¯s hands. ¡°So it¡¯ll grow into a second Mel?¡± ¡°I guess?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask her, once she¡¯s less ¡­¡± ¡°Fucked to mindlessness?¡± ¡°That.¡± Rosalie joined Zoey to the left, also crouching down. ¡°Well,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m d we¡¯ve apparently saved this friend of yours, but we didn¡¯t get many answers. And have something watching us, now? Something that eats shards? I feel like we¡¯ve glossed over that.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not glossing over anything, blondie,¡± Delta said dryly. ¡°We were just a little busy.¡± Rosalie huffed. ¡°Regardless. What are we doing?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get moving, first,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Get our gear back. We need something to hold mini-Mel, too.¡± She tilted her cupped hands and shook them back and forth, watching the thick liquid jiggle. It was highly viscous; it refused to separate or spill between her fingers. ¡°I assume the chests are still under theke,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Is that going to be a problem?¡± Zoey frowned, understanding the real question. Would the slime rejoin to theke, if she brought it in? She doubted it.¡°Think we¡¯re fine. Swimming¡¯s gonna be hard, though, with my hands full.¡± ¡°Put it in your inventory?¡± ¡°Already tried,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Can¡¯t. It¡¯s a person, I guess? She¡¯s a person?¡± It was an unexpected event, and Zoey wasn¡¯t entirely sure how to talk or feel about it. Delta said, ¡°Kay, well, I¡¯ll tug you along, then. I can swim for two of us.¡± Rosalie stood. Instinctively, she offered a hand to help Delta up, who, after quirking an eyebrow, epted it. Hriously, Rosalie blushed at her casual show of camaraderie, then red at Delta to make up for it. Zoey found the interaction cuter than she probably ought to. ¡°To our loot, then,¡± Zoey said. She couldn¡¯t help but ncing to the tree line, searching it, as if expecting to find their mysterious voyeur. Obviously, she didn¡¯t. A short trip through the thick goo of the slimeke, and the squad of three emerged into a familiar loot-chamber, a shimmering ck portal situated on the far wall¡ªtheir exit back out into the Fractures. After the devastating event of Rosalie and Delta getting dressed, and Zoey no longer getting to steal nces at them whenever she wanted, the three of them restocked their inventories with their gear. Shortly, they were ready to get going. Zoey ced mini-Mel¡ªwhich was just a pile of formless green goo¡ªinto an alchemy-reagent collection jar, then tucked it into a satchel, since it couldn¡¯t go into her inventory. She was stuck carrying it around the normal way. ¡°None of our items are broken, like that remote vibrator is,¡± Zoeymented. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Rosalie made a noise of agreement. She¡¯d had the same worry. Who knew what would happen to their items when stored inside a shard that was on the fritz? ¡°And Mel¡¯s gonna be fine, now?¡± Delta asked. She sounded genuinely concerned for the woman. Though she¡¯d only just met Mel, the slimegirl had, apparently, made an impression. Which was fair, considering how many ces she¡¯d let Delta stick that tool of hers¡ªwhich had disappeared by now¡ªand how enthusiastically. ¡°As long as our guest follows,¡± Zoey said. Or, hopefully. She was still confused on the details, there. Mel had only given her theories, and exactly what the shard-eater wanted, or what she even was, was up in the air. ¡°And do we have any guarantees of that?¡± Delta asked. ¡°I guess Mel will let me know. I¡¯ll check in with her in a dream, like she said.¡± ¡°Right. You can do that. Pretty useful.¡± Delta paused. ¡°You know, we need to experiment. Wouldn¡¯t mind having you visit my dreams. What can we do with it?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a limit to how much you can change,¡± Zoey said. ¡°The fantasy has to stay mostly to what the target was already in.¡± ¡°So if we want to do anything crazy, I have to get good at forcing myself to dream whatever I want,¡± Delta said. Zoeyughed. Of course that was the conclusion she made. ¡°Yeah, I guess.¡± ¡°Focus, please?¡± Rosalie asked. With everyone having gathered their gear, and gotten dressed, she gestured for them to step through the portal. ¡°This guest of ours. We need to discuss her.¡± Zoey briefly considered returning to the surface of the shard and gathering some alchemy reagents, or otherwise exploring, but she thought it was best to get going. Mel needed to recover, and staying in a damaged shard just seemed unwise. Plus, they wanted to bait the shadow-creature out as soon as possible. They exited the shard without ceremony, and after a briefly disorienting experience, the three girls were dropped into the middle of an aridndscape, sun beating down brightly from above. ¡°Good, it¡¯s not snow,¡± Delta said, squinting at the sudden assault of light¡ªas all of them were. She stretched widely, basking under the sun with a content look, and even after all of the events prior, Zoey couldn¡¯t help but sneak an admiring look at the way her shirt lifted up and revealed a hint of abs. Rosalie caught her, but as always, hardly seemed upset, just exasperated. ¡°But yeah,¡± Delta said. ¡°The guest. Let¡¯s see.¡± She cupped her hands to her mouth, then shouted, ¡°Hey! Cum vampire! You hungry yet?¡± Rosalie pinched the bridge of her nose, and Zoey justughed. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be that easy,¡± Zoey said. ¡°That¡¯s a no?¡± Delta shouted into the empty air, ignoring Zoey. She shrugged. ¡°More for me and blondie, I guess.¡± ¡°Will you please take this seriously?¡± Rosalie asked. ¡°The world is ending.¡± ¡°Allegedly,¡± Delta said. ¡°The world is allegedly ending.¡± ¡°You saw the broken item. And the warnings of Ephythithys? There¡¯s surely more of them.¡± ¡°More cum vampires?¡± Delta said. ¡°Zoey¡¯s really going to have her hands full.¡± She ced a hand above her forehead to make shade, then peered around. ¡°I say we go this way.¡± She pointed at a seemingly random direction. Or, maybe not random, because Rosalie nodded in agreement and set off. Zoey followed, mentally bracing herself for another long trip through the wilderness. ¡°Okay, but taking it seriously,¡± Delta said. ¡°We¡¯recking information big time. Only real way forward, the way I see it, is baiting the vampire out. Having a talk.¡± ¡°Mel couldn¡¯t find a way to talk with her, so how could we?¡± Rosalie asked. ¡°She had to use Zoey¡¯s ¡­ substance ¡­ just to get her to show herself.¡± ¡°And we have an infinite supply of Zoey-cum,¡± Delta said, not half as hesitant to be crude as Rosalie. ¡°Goddess-certified fresh, always on tap.¡± Rosalie growled at the ridiculous phrasing, and Delta smirked in return, pleased she¡¯d gotten a rise out of the blonde¡ªnot that she ever had problems with that. ¡°Still don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be that easy,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Clearly she doesn¡¯t want to be seen.¡± She remembered the horrified expression on the woman¡¯s face, seeing Zoey and them watching her¡ªat Mel¡¯s trick having worked. Then the way she¡¯d vanished into nothingness. ¡°Don¡¯t think it¡¯ll work the second time around.¡± ¡°And we¡¯re assuming she did follow us,¡± Rosalie pointed out. ¡°That¡¯s not guaranteed.¡± As one, the three of them peered around, seeking out a mysterious follower. Of course, they saw nothing but aridndscape. ¡°Well,¡± Delta said. ¡°We¡¯ll do our best to make her talk. If we can¡¯t, we¡¯ll look for information some other way.¡± She tilted her head. ¡°You know, maybe those cultists were right. The ones going on about how the Fractures are decaying? Maybe it¡¯s this.¡± Rosalie didn¡¯t immediately dismiss the idea, though she seemed doubtful. ¡°Cultists and doom-sayers are as old as time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s some kind of start,¡± Delta said. ¡°Are you suggesting we volunteer? Join them? A cult?¡± ¡°Not necessarily. But check it out. It¡¯s the only starting point I can think of.¡± Rosalie couldn¡¯t argue that, though it seemed like she wanted to, merely because Delta had suggested it. Eventually, she nodded. ¡°It¡¯d be a start,¡± she said. 4.46 – Interlude – Exploration 4.46 ¨C Interlude ¨C Exploration Sol knew she was being yed by that slimegirl, but that did nothing to change the reality of the situation. She couldn¡¯t let that walking producer of literally divine energy¡ªthe most incredibly potent essence she¡¯d ever tasted¡ªsimply walk away and be lost to her. She had no choice but to follow the woman out of the shard and into the Fractures. And it was for more reasons than just personal interest. The dark-haired woman was proof that her suspicions were correct: that there was, indeed, a second deity interested in this world. More importantly, one that didn¡¯t seem interested in abandoning the decaying realm to its fate. The exact details of who and why, she hadn¡¯t a clue. But for the good of her people, she needed to investigate. It truly wasn¡¯t just her fascination in the party of three; this was as much a practical and selfless mission as anything. The problem would be meeting Mother¡¯s directives. She couldn¡¯t reveal herself. Her people¡¯s strategy was fairly consistent: gnaw on the edges of a world, weakening it over years or even decades, before swooping in and finishing things off when the world¡¯s energy had been greatly dampened. It wasn¡¯t only a tactic to mitigate how many losses they would take in the resulting violence, but sometimes a downright necessity. While Sol¡¯s people were far stronger than the average resident of this world, not only were there many times more of them than they, but the strongest of these individuals also seemed to be enormously powerful. These pocket-dimension shards were exceptional at impartingtent energy onto their delvers: the residents of this world could grow strong enough to cause even the elites among the Famished problems. Not Mother, of course, but Mother was bound by the rules of all divinities. So revealing her people¡¯s presence was something that couldn¡¯t happen. It was Mother¡¯s highest directive. That said, clearly there were extenuating circumstances. And Sol could keep an eye on these three women without revealing herself¡ªor at least revealing herself in truth. As much as secrecy was needed, so was discovering what was going on with another Prime¡¯s involvement. She would infiltrate their society and report backter. It was, even she could admit, something of an excuse. She¡¯d wanted to explore more of this society since arriving to this world¡ªa desire she had for any world her people invaded, but especially this one, being so much more interesting than the others. She¡¯d always been more curious than her brothers and sisters. They were too upied with their hunger¡ªand so was Sol, to a degree, though by the standards of a Famished, she supposed she had far better control of herself. The excessive curiosity made hunger somewhat easier to stave off. Plus, her thoughts were cleared after having been so thoroughly fed. That delightful load the slimegirl had poured into her mouth wouldst her days. She¡¯d have to figure out how to extract more in the future, but for now, she was satiated. Divine essence went a long way. The question was, how would she pull it off? Keeping her true nature hidden while infiltrating their society? There was a reason it wasn¡¯t something her people usually attempted. She imagined she¡¯d have to masquerade as a human, and in a more direct manner than usual. While her people excelled at stealth, lurking in the shadows might not be the most tenable option. She was more than capable of evading the notice of these rtively low-powered individuals¡ªthough the blonde woman concerned her somewhat, especially as she would continue to grow and feed off the shards and environment like all residents of this world did¡ªbut Sol didn¡¯t have total confidence in remaining invisible to other more powerful individuals. And since they were presumably headed back to their proper society, there would surely be those she couldn¡¯t deal with so easily. Hence, a more traditional sort of stealth. Masquerading as a human and integrating rather than relying on her abilities to stay hidden. It wasn¡¯t something the Famished normally did, and especially not Sol, being the Fourth Daughter and prone to more restrictions, but again, there were extenuating circumstances going on¡ªand Sol thought she could manage it. Though young, she thought she did have a better grasp on alien minds than most of her brothers and sisters. It would still be tricky, though. Her n formted as she followed the three women across the Fractures. Watching them was endlessly intriguing. Sol had cognitively absorbed a crude, if notable, portion of human culture upon taking their form, but it was unrefined and riddled with holes, so observation would do wonders for further learning. That statement became doubly true as they reached the first outpost. Sol couldn¡¯t help the sinking feeling in her stomach as she ignored Mother¡¯s instructions by so freely exploring the tiny settlement, but exhration outweighed it. She snooped around and observed the various people in their day-to-day life. Most were settling down for the night, with the trek to the outpost having taken several hours and the sun setting in the meantime. As for the party of three she was stalking¡ªZoey, Rosalie, and Delta¡ªSol watched them with just as much interest, if not more. Their nighttime activities weren¡¯t so rxing. Sol watched that event with great interest. It seemed mostly focused on the blonde woman, with Zoey and Delta teasing her about having been ¡®pent up¡¯ from not joining in with the slimegirl. Sol watched from the shadows, and, to her embarrassment and small dismay, arge portion of the event seemed to be Zoey and Delta goading Rosalie about how she was probably being watched, and wasn¡¯t that exciting? The blonde woman seemed to have mixed feelings, but it didn¡¯t stop her from begging to have the taller woman¡¯s cock stuffing inside her, or spreading her legs for what Sol could assume was her own viewing pleasure, especially as the event got more and more heated. Sol would admit the teasing and taunting from Zoey and Delta on how their ¡®spectator shoulde join in¡¯ was quite nearly effective on her end, consequences and Mother¡¯s directives or not. But she somehow forced herself to stay hidden and instead satisfied herself with watching. Though seeing so much divine essence pouring into the blonde woman¡¯s pussy, who wastefully just let it fill her up rather than consuming it, was a source of no small amount of incredulity from Sol. She knew humans couldn¡¯t digest the essence in the way she could, but it still seemed like some sort of sacrilege to waste it in that way. The blonde woman had at least enjoyed it in a more carnal manner. Still, Sol¡¯s heart hurt seeing it drip out, then shortly be cleaned up by towels. Satiated or not, she wouldn¡¯t have minded another snack¡ªshe would have made so much better use of Zoey¡¯s finish than the blonde woman had. More than being fed, too, she had wanted to join in for other reasons. She was unusually attuned to this body¡¯s emotions; lust was shockingly stronger inside her than most other forms she¡¯d adopted. And that was only growing more true as she spent time around the champion of the lust goddess. Sol was vaguely concerned about what that meant, but she couldn¡¯t find it in herself to see it as a bad thing. The next day, Zoey and her team continued the trek forward with the help of a guide they enlisted. Hours of quick travelter, they¡¯d arrived to a stunning city suspended in the canopies and branches of gargantuan trees. Sol¡¯s exploration of their society began in earnest, and she also settled on what her future ns would be. While revealing herself to the goddess¡¯s champion was off the table for now¡ªthough she doubted she¡¯d keep to that conviction forever¡ªshe needed to get a better handle on this world and its various races. How else would she properly masquerade herself or lie to Zoey and her team, when she eventually decided on how to handle that situation? Subterfuge could only be learned through experience. To help with her future missions, she rummaged around inside the three girl¡¯s inventories. It was a rather tricky feat, sliding into that dimensional working, but she had experimented with it while they were sleeping, and none of the three seemed to be aware she was doing it. She didn¡¯t have as great of hopes managing that against more powerful people, but these three were, while not outrageously low-powered, far from the strongest this world had to offer, and so she could get away with some things she couldn¡¯t elsewhere. She borrowed a few items from Zoey. Namely, some of those potions she¡¯d given to Delta to grow that appendage between her legs. If Sol was going to explore this ¡®city of Treyhull¡¯, then she might as well have a few tools to make the event more interesting. She was a curious girl. And in the same manner they had teased Rosalie about, Sol was also quite ¡®worked up¡¯, after all the events of the past two days. She¡¯d already decided to ignore Mother¡¯s instructions, so she might as well enjoy herself. A new weapon to aid her in her exploration of Treyhull would be quite wee, in that regard. 5.01 – Welcome Back 5.01 ¨C Wee Back With everything they¡¯d learned, a long discussion on future ns was in order. Fortunately, the many-hour trek back to Treyhull afforded them plenty of time to do so. Zoey, Rosalie, and Delta trailed far behind their guide, who stalwartly forged ahead, in order to buy some privacy for what were obviously rather sensitive discussions. Yelling about the end of the world to some random Fractures guide would hardly result in anything truly bad happening, if Zoey had to guess, simply because they¡¯d be thought insane, but still, by principle it was the sort of thing they ought to keep close to their chests. ¡°First order of business,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Are we staying in Treyhull, or heading straight to Mantle?¡± They¡¯d initially nned on staying in the treehouse city for a while longer, but with looming threats like the ¡®cum vampire¡¯¡ªDelta¡¯s term had unfortunately stuck¡ªthey¡¯d picked up in their shadows, and her and her people¡¯s¡ªif there were indeed many, rather than just the one¡ªinscrutable goals in this world, it might be time to ept their vacation had cut off early, and that heading for Mantle straight away was the better n. ¡°It¡¯splicated,¡± Rosalie sighed. ¡°There¡¯s obvious reasons to do so. This isn¡¯t something that can be treated lightly. Shards decaying? Items unlinking from whatever system they operate on? A fundamental breakdown of how our world works is horrifying. News of that does need to be brought to those who can best handle it.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s also selfish reasons not to rush to Mantle,¡± Zoey finished for her. ¡°There¡¯s Maddy, Sabina, and you¡ªyou still want to get to fourth advancement before returning home.¡± Delta snorted. ¡°Gotta show off. Return home the hero.¡± Rosalie flushed, and Zoey was amused to see that there might have been more truth in that than statement than even Zoey had expected. ¡°It¡¯s not that simple,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°It¡¯d be a demonstration of Zoey¡¯s usefulness. My family is ¡­ difficult. Having proof of significant progress will smooth over anypunctions they have with my choice of teammates.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s only a bit about the ego,¡± Delta grinned. ¡°Well, that¡¯ll help with Zoey, then. What about me?¡± ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. Don¡¯t need anything special. I¡¯m great with parents. They¡¯ll love me.¡± By Rosalie¡¯s expression, her raised eyebrows and vague amusement, Zoey could tell that probably wasn¡¯t going to be true. Delta had a certain charm to her, but one that would mesh in whatever high society Rosalie came from? That was yet to be seen. ¡°Ites down to how urgent all this is, I guess,¡± Delta said. ¡°Can we afford to put it off for another week?¡± ¡°No way of knowing,¡± Zoey said. That was the big problem. ¡°But from the sounds of it, this isn¡¯t something brand new. It¡¯s not a horrendous rush.¡± ¡°Hopefully,¡± Rosalie said, still chewing over the real answer to the question¡ªwhat their ns would be. ¡°Wish our friend woulde and fill us in,¡± Delta said loudly into the air, pointedly ring at random ces in the distance. ¡°We¡¯d pay handsomely for the information. Well, Zoey would.¡± Her fox-tail swished in amusement as she smirked at Zoey. Unfortunately, their attempts to bait their visitor out had been fruitless. She wasn¡¯t even a hundred percent positive that the vampire was following them at all. Only an itching paranoia that they were being watched suggested Mel¡¯s bait had worked. She¡¯d check using a dream potionter. Still, Delta seemed more than happy to tease the invisible spectator with bribes of Zoey¡¯s cum. Though the foxgirl actually seemed somewhat miffed she wasn¡¯t taking them up on their offer. Not just because they did need the information on what was going on, but because Delta wanted to, at a guess, have some fun with her. To be fair, so did Zoey¡ªthe quick glimpse she¡¯d caught when Mel had baited her out had set a good impression. Plus, a woman who seemed to literally get drunk on cum? That sounded like a good time. Like usual, though, the bait failed, and so the conversation continued with only a short lull. They¡¯d have toe up with something smarter to draw her out¡ªor maybe they just needed to wait for her to get hungry enough. ¡°I guess that maybe it¡¯s not treating this with due urgency,¡± Rosalie said, ¡°but another week to properly convince Maddy, for you to work on yourbat readiness, and to charge your experience boost so I can hopefully hit fourth advancement on thest shard before leaving for Mantle.¡± ¡°That thing¡¯s really so amazing,¡± Delta sighed suddenly. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I hit third advancement from a first level shard. Barely did anything down there. You¡¯ve convinced me about the goddess stuff¡ªno way a normal ss could be that strong.¡± ¡°And we can maybe have Fe look into the broken item?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°Or is that a bad idea?¡± Rosalie frowned. ¡°I think it¡¯s better we have my family¡¯s connections handle that.¡± ¡°Fe¡¯s trustworthy,¡± Delta disagreed. ¡°And it¡¯s a week of wasted time otherwise. Maybe it¡¯ll break entirely if we wait.¡± Rosalie pursed her lips, but clearly couldn¡¯t disagree with the second half¡ªthough Zoey sensed she disagreed at least partially with the first. ¡°We¡¯ll let her look at it,¡± Rosalie conceded, ¡°but spare her the full details.¡± ¡°That the world¡¯s ending? Yeah, didn¡¯t n on it.¡± ¡°So we¡¯ll spend one more week sorting our business out,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Not rush to Mantle.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s better if we draw the vampire out, anyway,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°If a week passes and she¡¯s still staying hidden, then we¡¯ll have no choice. But dealing with that mess here, rather than at Mantle, is vastly preferable.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the n, then.¡± Check out the item, deal with the vampire, and handle other mundane business¡ªMaddy, Sabina, and continuing to train. *** They arrived early the next morning to Treyhull. After getting rooms at the Guild, they went straight to Fe. Beyond the broken item being one of their only clues into what might be happening to this world, and thus the most urgent, it was also time-restricted¡ªeven a brilliant woman like Fe would need some days to carefully experiment with such a bizarre piece of equipment. The sheepgirl was, naturally, aghast. The mangled insertion of information that came with [Inspect] was effectively an eldritch horror to locals of this world, Zoey could infer from Rosalie and Delta¡¯s reactions, and the effect seemed twice as pronounced on Fe, who studied artifacts for a living. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t just horror, but an equal amount of fascination. Fe practically begged to study it, all fees waived. Zoey made sure to emphasize that it was dangerous, and that they really didn¡¯t know what was going on with it, but it was a pointless warning¡ªFe seemed practically offended to be told that, with how ringly obvious the item¡¯s instability was. In terms of filling Fe in, they only told her they suspected something strange was going on with the item¡¯s energy¡ªthat it might have been drained or distorted by some powerful force. Fe questioned them on that, but after some deflection, could tell they were hiding things, and while curious, didn¡¯t press. She promised to keep the item a secret and to study it carefully. She inquired over any regr items they might have found, but unfortunately, this hadn¡¯t been that kind of trip. They hadn¡¯t wanted to spend more time in the broken shard than necessary¡ªit was clearly unstable, and any items that came from there would be suspect. Zoey hadn¡¯t even followed through on gathering alchemy ingredients, like the vines¡¯ aphrodisiac, because of her worry. Though maybe further research specimens for Fe and Sabina to pour over would have been useful. Regardless, they¡¯d been eager to get out of there. Mel needed to start repairing herself, and they¡¯d had a vampire they¡¯d wanted to bait out of the shard as soon as possible. After handling the item, the squad of three broke up to handle their own respective businesses. Despite the craziness of the past day, it seemed they would be reverting to their previous schedule. Zoey was admittedly concerned about theck of urgency, but they were certainly nning on handling the issues that had cropped up, and weren¡¯t just ignoring it. On Zoey¡¯s docket, Sabina was up next. She found the alchemist in her workshop, unsurprisingly toiling over a work bench with her usual intense focus. The woman hadpletely forgone the pretense of running an outward facing shop by this point; the sign was turned closed and the curtains drawn, seeming nearly abandoned. The door was unlocked, at least, and Sabina clearly heard hering, because she was looking Zoey¡¯s way when she swung around the corner into herboratory proper. She¡¯d also, of course, announced herself with a tentative call. ¡°Good,¡± the stern gray-eyed woman said on seeing her, not sounding surprised in the slightest. ¡°I was wondering when you¡¯d be back.¡± Rummaging into ab pocket, she pulled out a vial and tossed it to Zoey. ¡°Drink this.¡± ¡°Good to see you too,¡± Zoey said with some amusement. Sabina¡¯s no-frills behavior was as endearing as always, and the way she paused, then inclined her head in proper greeting after a second, realizing she¡¯d skipped a step of social nicety, was agonizingly cute. She inspected the potion. [Potion of Duality]: Two weapons are better than one. Zoey paused. ¡°Wait. Does this mean what I think it does?¡± ¡°Catalyzed from the twinrose reagent you brought me earlier,¡± Sabina said. ¡°And yes. It grows a second cock.¡± Wow. That was, uh, a lot to take in. Then, Sabina¡¯s words hit her. ¡°Wait, you want me to drink it? Now?¡± ¡°I need to gather further ingredients,¡± Sabina said. ¡°You¡¯ve been gone. I¡¯m running low. Constant experimentation burns through supplies.¡± The older woman nced at her, something approaching a smirk on her lips. ¡°It¡¯s my understanding most people would be delighted at such a wee-back.¡± Zoey paused, then grinned. She vanished her pants and her portal-panties¡ªof which Rosalie was the current owner of the linking te¡ªto reveal her bare lower half. Sabina nced at her exposed member with vague interest, though she kept her usual passivity. Zoey downed the potion and threw the vial into her inventory. ¡°Delighted,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s one way to put it.¡± 5.02 – Doubled Up 5.02 ¨C Doubled Up The transformation only took a few moments, but the sensation was a bit disorienting. As when Delta had grown her own equipment, several loud, rather inappropriate noises escaped Zoey as she wiggled in ce, having to rest against a nearby counter to stay standing. Zoey thought the experience might be even more intense for her, since creating a second weapon of her particr size took some additional effort. Before she knew it, not only was she the wielder of a single fourteen-inch girl cock, but a second had joined it. ¡°Well?¡± Sabina said. ¡°Come here. Let me see.¡± She stayed at her workstation, carefully measuring and distributing ingredients, but an interested nce toward her told Zoey she was invested in what was going on, for all her stoicism might suggest otherwise. Happy to show off, Zoey approached, her two members stiff and at attention. They were stacked on top of each other, which was how Zoey had hoped it would be. The ideas were already spinning around in her head. What would this be like, with Rosalie and Deltaying on top of each other? Even thinking about it made her dizzy. Both cocks had a bead of precum leaking from their tips in anticipation. Though she supposed thinking about other girls when Sabina was here was a bit rude. She pushed those thoughts away. Instead, other ideas intruded. Two cocks for two holes. If her partners had thought they¡¯d been stuffed full already, how would they fare against two of these monsters? Would there be enough space? Just how much of a bulge would it create? Zoey was intensely interested in finding out. ¡°They¡¯re not identical,¡± Sabina noted. ¡°Come here.¡± Zoey did as she was told. Sabina stripped off her gloves, ignoring her previous work, then bent forward and inspected each of Zoey¡¯s cocks with a keen eye. The clinical nature was, like usual, as exciting as if Sabina had been drooling over them, though Zoey wasn¡¯t sure why. She was given the impression of a pretty doctor giving her a less than appropriate inspection. She gripped each of Zoey¡¯s cocks and turned them side to side, cataloging the result of the potion. ¡°Not identical,¡± she confirmed. ¡°Veins in different ces. Marginal curve variance. Nearly identical volume, though, from initial appraisal.¡± She leveled a serious look Zoey¡¯s way. ¡°More importantly, I¡¯m hoping for double output. We have collections to make up for.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been studying,¡± Zoey said with a grin. ¡°So hopefully I can get pretty far in the quiz.¡± She hesitated. ¡°Well, couldn¡¯t study that much, but definitely here and there.¡± There¡¯d been downtime during the trip. She¡¯d managed to do some reading while plodding along back to Treyhull, though it wasn¡¯t the easiest task. She would quiz herself while walking and reference the alchemy book to verify. ¡°A diligent student,¡± Sabina said approvingly. ¡°Come. I¡¯ve got something else for you.¡± Zoey was instantly intrigued by that statement, considering the previous ¡®something¡¯ had been a potion that doubled her up on cocks, and she followed Sabina out of herboratory and up to her living quarters¡ªand finally to her special room. The usual racks and shelves of lewd equipment had her heart mming in her chest, her two cocks throbbing in anticipation. But more importantly, where the adjustable metal chair usually sat, a different device had been arranged. Sabina¡¯s n today wasn¡¯t, apparently, to strap her down and deviously milk her, but rather, something else. The structure came up to her hips and had arge cylindricalponent resting on four bolted-down legs. A pink, bumpy opening was at the mouth of the device, and it had two handled bars for grabbing onto. It didn¡¯t take a genius to tell what it was meant for. An extraction device that Zoey could stand and hump herself into, emptying herself into the stic-looking bulge at the other end. ¡°Wow,¡± Zoey said. Sabina tsked, sounding amused. ¡°That¡¯s for if you do well,¡± she scolded. ¡°Don¡¯t forget. Progressive rewards. Keep you focused on your studies.¡± ¡°The rewards are supposed to be you,¡± Zoey said. She coughed. ¡°Not that it doesn¡¯t seem fun,¡± she said, ncing at the toy. ¡°But it¡¯s definitely you I¡¯m interested in.¡± Sabina¡¯s cheeks colored at Zoey¡¯s bluntness, and that had been exactly the point. She¡¯d bludgeoned one reserved girl withpliments, and it had worked wonderfully¡ªso why not two? Sabina was certainly not Rosalie, but that particr strategy, she felt would be effective here. ¡°Well,¡± Sabina said. ¡°We can work me into the event somehow, then. Perhaps I¡¯lly on top of it and you can use your imagination.¡± Herposure had recovered quickly, ignoring Zoey¡¯s bluntness, and she turned an immacte, quirked ck eyebrow Zoey¡¯s way. ¡°Worry about getting that far in the quiz, first, ambitious student of mine. Here, take a seat.¡± She gestured at a chair tucked against the wall. Zoey obeyed and sat. To her delight, Sabina followed, straddling herp, and sandwiching Zoey¡¯s two cocks against her ass. She was still fully dressed and in herb coat, but Zoey knew the first quiz questions would quickly rectify that. ¡°Waiting and ready,¡± Zoey said, grinning up at her. ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡± Without her hands strapped down, she couldn¡¯t help but resting them on Sabina¡¯s hips. The urge to adventure further was pretty intense¡ªespecially with her stern teacher straddling her bare cocks¡ªbut she kept herself in check. The forey of the quiz was, honestly, nearly as much fun as the rewards. Like usual, the first question Sabina asked her was as simple as they came: something Zoey should have known simply from Sabina¡¯s first introductory lesson. Her reward was a strippedb coat and Sabina¡¯s body on disy. Hercy ck bra and underwear were something that made Zoey miss the second question, which Sabina scolded her for but secretly seemed pleased by. Zoey ran her hands across Sabina¡¯s stomach, thighs, and hips as she followed up with the second question, and surprisingly, Sabina didn¡¯t stop her. Zoey suspected that for all Sabina seemed to be less affected by lust than most girls, she¡¯d also been looking forward to this. Maybe some experiments with lewd ingredients had gotten her worked up at some point, even. Surely ying with aphrodisiacs and sex potions all day had to have some idental results. Still, Zoey didn¡¯t let her hands wander too freely: Sabina was letting her enjoy her body more than usual, but she knew she was bound by the usual rules. Answer questions, get rewards. The fourth question was where the real fun began. Rather than Zoey¡¯s hands doing the exploring, Sabina herself became adventurous. Lifting her hips up to free the two impressive members trapped and throbbing beneath her ass, she wiggled Zoey¡¯s cocks up between their bodies and started stroking away. In a rare disy, Sabina was even the one to be distracted¡ªshe stroked and rubbed Zoey¡¯s two cocks, sandwiching them together and two-handing it, and otherwise enjoying herself as she explored, and only two minutester did Sabina blink, then look up at a smirking Zoey and realize she¡¯d forgotten to ask the next question. She took it in her usual unruffled manner, though did seem somewhat surprised at herself. Sabina wasn¡¯t the kind of woman to lose focus often. Two fourteen-inch girl cocks, though, was apparently enough of a fascination to break that trend. She asked the fourth question, teasing and stroking the ridges of both of Zoey¡¯s cock heads with her fingers, and Zoey couldn¡¯t help but think that was outrageously unfair. Having two members pleasured was, in fact, twice as difficult to resist, and her only saving grace seemed to be that how much pleasure she could tolerate also seemed to have doubled. She briefly wondered whether a climax meant they¡¯d both go off, or just the one that¡¯d been taken care of. As expected, question four indicated things were ramping up, and Zoey needed to chew over her answer before giving it. Of course, if she hadn¡¯t had Sabina on herp, twisting her wrists and doing her best to chase away Zoey¡¯s higher-cognitive abilities, then she could probably have answered in a much smoother manner. Not that she wasining, but she did feel like this arrangement made her seem slightly less versed on the topic of alchemy than she actually was. She was no expert, she knew, but she had been putting good effort in. Satisfied with Zoey¡¯s response, Sabina stood. ¡°Okay, then. You can y with the big toy. You¡¯ve earned it. Come here.¡± She stood and swayed her hips over to the center of the room, and Zoey eagerly followed. And she definitely wasn¡¯t imagining it¡ªshe could tell Sabina was looking forward to Zoey pping her hips into that thing as much as she herself was. Her stoic teacher was a bit worked up and wanted to watch Zoey have fun. Great news. She wondered, briefly, what the next rewards would be. How was Sabina going to ¡®work herself into the event¡¯, assuming she kept getting questions right? 5.03 – Reward, Thighs 5.03 ¨C Reward, Thighs ¡°Let me get you properly ready,¡± Sabina said, squirting lubricant into her hands. She worked the liquid around in her palms, then gripped both of Zoey¡¯s cocks and spread it in with long strokes. She squeezed and rubbed each of Zoey¡¯s members against one another, helping further work it in. The sensation was pretty foreign, having her own cock rubbing against her own cock, and she shivered under the assault. That it was Sabina who was stroking her was, of course, also a source of thepromising waves of pleasure. Thankfully, Zoey was bing somewhat of an expert in resisting her building climax. Her days as a quickshot were fortunately over¡ªexcept in the most extreme cases. Which, admittedly, this might qualify as, having both a second appendage and being yed with by Sabina. ¡°There,¡± Sabina said, satisfied at having lubricated Zoey up. She stepped aside, and with a hand on Zoey¡¯s ass, pushed her forward toward the contraption. ¡°Where¡¯d you get this thing, anyway?¡± Zoey asked with some amusement and some anticipation. ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like the usual sex store fare.¡± ¡°Custom built. Rush order.¡± ¡°Just for me?¡± Zoeyughed. ¡°You¡¯re too caring.¡± Sabina¡¯s lips quirked, then she gripped each of Zoey¡¯s cocks and pointed them toward the waist-high contraption¡¯s entrance. Sabina guided her in, pressing her ass with her other hand to urge Zoey to take a step forward. Zoey shivered as her two cock tips rubbed against the soft, bumpy material that adorned the inside of the metal device. She grabbed each of the handlebars and spread her stance, getting herself better situated. Sabina was just as eager. More so, possibly, because she moved behind Zoey, then pressed her pelvis into Zoey¡¯s ass and forcibly pushed Zoey all the way in. Zoey gasped as her cocks were squeezed in by pleasurable material, all fourteen inches surrounded in less than a moment. ¡°It was meant for one,¡± Sabina said. ¡°That potion was a recent development. But I assume the tight fit is a good thing?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah,¡± Zoey stuttered out, shuddering at the extremely cramped hole Sabina had pushed her into. One thick girl dick pulsed against the other, heads rubbing against both each other and bumpy material, and Zoey realized that her earlier musings about having be a pro at sting¡¯ might have been a lie. It was especially unfair how Sabina wrapped her arms around Zoey¡¯s stomach, then started pulling her out of the contraption¡ªthen pushed back forward with her own hips, guiding Zoey in. ¡°I set the pace,¡± Sabina said. ¡°If you start thrusting by yourself, you fail.¡± ¡°I take it back,¡± Zoey gasped. ¡°Not a caring teacher. A wicked one.¡± ¡°Question five,¡± Sabina said, sounding pleased at Zoey¡¯s response. ¡°And make sure to think it over. Don¡¯t get distracted, now.¡± Sabina set a slow, luxurious pace, gently tugging on Zoey¡¯s stomach to unsheathe her, with her tits pressed into Zoey¡¯s back, then a firm pressure of her pelvis on Zoey¡¯s ass to bury her all the way back in. Each long, slow stroke in the cramped space, and guided by Sabina, had white-hot sparks of pleasure dancing across her body. Behind her, Sabina tutted. Two firm taps against Zoey¡¯s bare stomach brought her back to reality. ¡°I said focus,¡± her teacher scolded. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to go faster?¡± ¡°One more time?¡± Zoey groaned out, realizing she¡¯d, again, missed whatever the question had been. This time, she managed to hear and understand the words that came out of Sabina¡¯s mouth. Through great effort she found a reply. As expected of the progressing difficulty of the quiz, it wasn¡¯t just distraction that posed a threat, but that Sabina was working into questions that brushed against the edges of her knowledge. Zoey got the sense both of them were equally pleased she¡¯d got it right. ¡°Adequate,¡± she said, which might not be praise from many others, buting from Sabina, Zoey knew it was, ¡°so here. Your reward.¡± Sabina unwrapped her arms from Zoey¡¯s waist, then swung a leg over the contraption and climbed on top of it, straddling the metal while facing Zoey. She scooted forward, then leaned back and rested her heels on Zoey¡¯s hips. Zoey went dizzy at the sight¡ªat Sabina¡¯s spread legs. And especially at Sabina¡¯s next words. ¡°And you can remove these.¡± She tugged on her panties¡¯ waistband. Zoey didn¡¯t need to be told twice. She tugged Sabina¡¯s panties down, baring her teacher¡¯s pussy. For a long moment, she simply admired it. Freshly shaven, the desire to reach out and y with Sabina was indescribably intense. Her cocks throbbed in longing. She wanted so desperately to bury herself in her teacher and rut like an animal. ¡°My, that¡¯s a nearly predatory expression on your face,¡± Sabina said, sounding amused. ¡°You aren¡¯t imagining anything too uncouth, I hope?¡± The instinct was too potent to ignore¡ªshe needed to channel her arousal in some way, else she¡¯d lose control. Something close to a growl escaped her throat, and she grabbed Sabina¡¯s hips and tugged the woman closer to her, so her bared pussy pressed against Zoey¡¯s stomach. In a desperate, animalistic motion, she pulled back fourteen inches, then mmed forward back into the machine. The assembly rattled at the impact, and already Zoey had pulled back for another vicious p. It wasn¡¯t Sabina¡¯s pussy, but with both her cocks wrapped in a too-tight space, sliding around and against each other, it was enough to satiate her in some small way. She admired the way Sabina¡¯s tits bounced with each impact, and the surprise in her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s a sturdy device,¡± Sabina said, ¡°but I¡¯m not sure it can hold up to a wayfarer, Zoey.¡± Zoey gripped Sabina¡¯s waist harder and picked up speed. The metal legs holding the machine groaned andined at her rapid movements, the abuse she delivered as she humped desperately into its tight depths. Getting to grab Sabina¡¯s hips and watch her body bounce with each p of her hips was almost intoxicating. The older woman slid across the metal cylinder, being pushed with each impact, only to be pulled back forward by Zoey¡¯s firm grip. ¡°Next question,¡± Zoey growled. ¡°And I want your thighs if I get it right.¡± She couldn¡¯t settle just for using her imagination. She wanted to feel Sabina in some way. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s how this works,¡± Sabina said, raising an eyebrow. Zoey replied only in the form of picking up speed, her hips shoving back and forth with primal need. ¡°But I suppose I can make an exception,¡± Sabina eventually said, shivering in an uncharacteristically telling disy. Zoey losing control was having an effect on her. The question that followed nearly made Zoeyugh. It had no businessing thiste into one of Sabina¡¯s quizzes. ¡°Going easy on me?¡± Zoey said. ¡°Maybe you want to feel me, too.¡± Spurred on, Zoey slowed down her frantic humping and ran both her hands across Sabina¡¯s thighs, then across her pelvis creases, her thumbs brushing dangerously close to her exposed pussy. It was by far the most daring she¡¯d been, and Sabina shivered a second time. ¡°You want to feel me between your thighs. My hips pping into you.¡± ¡°Answer the question,¡± Sabina said simply. Zoey did. It was easier than the previous one, barely a struggle even in her addled state. Sabina nodded in satisfaction before she¡¯d turned around so her stomach was on the metal of the device, then started shuffling down. Zoey helped situate her, and soon, her teacher¡¯s soft thighs were dangling off the edge, perfectly lined up to the machine. Zoey grabbed each of them, then pressed them together, sandwiching her two cocks between them. The agonizing softness, and having Sabina¡¯s ass pressing into her stomach,id out across a machine and ready to be thigh-fucked, was too much for Zoey. She grunted and got to work, the arousal taking control of her entirely. If her movements had been eager before, now they were frantic. Zoey¡¯s two cocks slid between her teacher¡¯s thighs and inside the tight pressure of the contraption, and itpletely erased her thoughts. Grunts, moans, and ps filled the air, along with the creaking of metal, as Zoey pistoned her hips with total desperation. Her climax built moment by moment, and she was vaguely aware of Sabina trying to ask the next question in the series, but even her teacher seemed to realize the futility in continuing. Sheid atop the machine and let Zoey use her. The desire to pull out of the toy and im Sabina¡¯s exposed ass and pussy was almost overwhelming, but she of course fought it away¡ªhowever difficult. She couldn¡¯tpletely restrain herself, though, and her hands wandered off the handlebars and started exploring Sabina¡¯s body. Her teacher didn¡¯t protest that, and Zoey fondled her underneath her bra, tweaking and ying with her nipples as Zoey panted and moaned, climax quickly building. Her cocks twitched inside their confines, and she could tell she didn¡¯t have much longer. ¡°Here ites,¡± Zoey murmured, bent over and humping desperately. ¡°Here¡¯s your load. You ready?¡± Sabina turned and looked at her. Even the stoic woman had found a blush, by this point; her thighs being rutted into so frantically, and Zoey¡¯s lower stomach pping into her raised ass, was something even she couldn¡¯t keep a straight demeanor through. ¡°More than ready,¡± Sabina murmured back, gray eyes locked to hers, happy, like usual, to indulge Zoey¡ªto y into the fantasy. ¡°Go ahead and fill your teacher¡¯s tight pussy up. Stuff her womb with your hot cream. It¡¯s your reward for being such a good student.¡± It really was criminal how eager the woman was to say such phrases¡ªespecially with her usual coolposure. Itpletely took Zoey apart. She groaned, then, cocks spasming, pped viciously forward onest time, choosing to believe wholeheartedly it was Sabina¡¯s pussy her cocks were buried into, and not just the collection device. Her two members seized, and magma rolled through her veins as her climax crashed through her. String after string burst into the stic-like tip at the far end of the machine, and slow, long strokes helped work out the payload. She squeezed down on Sabina¡¯s thighs and worked her cocks between them, using her teacher¡¯s legs to extract as much pleasure as she could. Sabina suffered through it with a blush and a faint sense of exasperation¡ªtolerating her student, as always. Why did that do so much for Zoey? Finally, her muscles turned to jello, Zoey pulled out of both the device and Sabina¡¯s thighs. ¡°Alright,¡± Zoey said after a few long moments of recovery, still lightheaded, and struggling to stay standing. ¡°What was the question, again?¡± 5.04 – Adrienne 5.04 ¨C Adrienne The quiz took a sharp spike in difficulty upward, Sabina apparently wanting her thighs to have been today¡¯s ultimate prize. Zoey obviously didn¡¯t have a problem with that, especially when she got to use them one more time before the event was over. The milkingpleted, Sabina inspected her payload, seeming pleased. ¡°It does provide double output,¡± she mused. ¡°Keeping well supplied won¡¯t be much of a problem, it seems.¡± ¡°Hope that doesn¡¯t mean less sessions,¡± Zoey joked. ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as too much of a valuable reagent,¡± Sabina said. ¡°Especially when you might be disappearing for days or weeks as a wayfarer. Besides, the quizzes are as much to keep you working diligently as collecting a resource.¡± Zoey snorted. ¡°It¡¯s doing the job, then.¡± She was half tempted to stick her nose in an alchemy book and simply study until her brain was mush, if it meant she¡¯d finally get to go inside Sabina. Her thighs had been amazing, but the slow ramping-up that Sabina was teasing her with had Zoey almost aching whenever she thought of doing more. Even if she couldn¡¯t use her pussy, she wanted to at least try Sabina¡¯s throat. Her thoughts were wandering, so she coughed and chased them away. Hadn¡¯t she just been milked dry twice? Or even four times, technically, with the double-weapon she¡¯d previously been wielding? ¡°I assume you came for lessons?¡± Sabina asked. ¡°Or do you have business to take care of? You did just return from an expedition.¡± The two of them had cleaned up and returned downstairs to Sabina¡¯sboratory. She had resumed whatever reagent-preparation task she¡¯d been working on prior to Zoey¡¯s arrival. ¡°I¡¯ve got nothing super pressing,¡± Zoey said. ¡°So yeah. Lessons. And I also wanted to talk more about the business.¡± Sabina bobbed her head. ¡°I¡¯ve handled that while you were gone. I assumed you wouldn¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Oh? Handled how?¡± ¡°The tedious administrative tasks, mostly,¡± Sabina said. ¡°I¡¯ve found and rented a location in the red light district. The fees were moderately high, but I¡¯m certain that won¡¯t matter, considering the profit we expect to turn.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been busy.¡± Zoey was impressed¡ªthough she supposed she should have expected Sabina to work quick. She took her professional life seriously. In fact, Zoey wasn¡¯t sure how much of a ¡®personal¡¯ life Sabina really had. Certainly some, as the room filled with sex toys suggested, but at the same time, she was almost always working, as far as Zoey knew. ¡°I also got in contact with that friend of yours,¡± Sabina added. ¡°Adrienne.¡± That part caught Zoey even more by surprise. ¡°You did?¡± ¡°Indeed. She¡¯ll be here in an hour or two to discuss details. It¡¯s fortuitous you returned from your trip when you did¡ªI think you¡¯d handle the hiring process better than I.¡± Zoey wouldn¡¯t exactly call Adrienne a friend. They¡¯d had a single brief interaction. Still, Delta had suggested her, and Zoey would rather hire someone who she was at least peripherally aware of, rather than going through the ordeal of finding a stranger. Plus, considering the details to the business, Adrienne might be a perfect fit. A saleswoman for the lewd merchandise they wanted to peddle would need to befortable with sexual matters, and Adrienne ¡­ well, that single interaction of Zoey¡¯s had been seeing Adrienne¡¯s dress, face, and hair covered in Delta¡¯s cum, only half cleaned off, and being worn as a badge of pride. Or, Zoey¡¯s cum, seeing how Delta had been borrowing her cock for the night. So, yeah. Adrienne wouldn¡¯t have much issues with their business. As Delta suggested, it would probably be the opposite; she might be more than eager to jump into it, simply because it excited her. Zoey wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she made an enthusiastic saleswoman, going above and beyond what was expected of her to get potions off the shelves. Her background as an ountant was the cherry on top. Sabina could handle the paperwork and administrative tasks, having run her own business for years, but the increased volume from Zoey¡¯s eventual contributions¡ªbecause she didn¡¯t intend to be a novice student forever¡ªwould be eased with Adrienne¡¯s help. The biggest issue would of course be relocation, since Adrienne might not want to pack up and head off to Mantle, but as far as Zoey knew, people who lived in the Fractures weren¡¯t usually strictly beholden to whatever city. Civilians came down to the Fractures for the increased profit, and rarely intended to live their lives here. Even the safest cities like Treyhull weren¡¯t really safe, not by surface standards. Plus maybe Adrienne had an adventurous spirit, and would want to trek out to Mantle simple for the experience. Relocating might even be a bonus to her. They¡¯d find all that out during the interview. ¡°I¡¯ve never really hired someone before,¡± Zoey said, ¡°but yeah, between the two of us, I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t be a problem. An hour or two, you said?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°Plenty of time to get a few lessons in?¡± ¡°As soon as I finish this up,¡± Sabina agreed. ¡°Did you find any new reagents while you were gone?¡± Zoey wrinkled her nose. ¡°Unfortunately, no. This expedition was ¡­¡± She struggled for how to put it. ¡°I didn¡¯t find any new reagents,¡± she settled on. She hardly mistrusted Sabina, but exining her bizarre circumstances obviously wasn¡¯t on the table either. Sabina didn¡¯t seem bothered. She nodded and continued with her work. The following hour and a half passed in the typical manner. Zoey studiously attended Sabina as an assistant, asionally being questioned or put on the spot to attempt some part of the alchemical process. She was already capable of making basic potions, and as the days passed, she was growing more and morefortable making more advanced ones, too. She thought she might even be able to start creating her own lewd potions, rather than relying on Sabina. She had mixed feelings on that, of course. Having Sabina make everything valuable meant they would make the most of their resources, but at the same time, Zoey wanted to bepetent in her own right, and that would never happen if she gave any valuable reagents to Sabina and refused to try her own hand with them¡ªand probably waste decent amounts of the resource in the process. She¡¯d probably settle for a middle ground. Let Sabina handle the bulk of the effort, but keep a portion, perhaps a quarter, for herself to mess around with, under Sabina¡¯s guidance. Her rune of alchemy wouldn¡¯t progress without challenging herself. She wondered when her next upgrade with that woulde, and what it would be. Most people had to waits weeks, months, or even years for progression, but Zoey¡¯s ss was broken. She¡¯d probably get one before the week was up, and they headed for Mantle. Soon, the chiming of a bell announced that someone had entered Sabina¡¯s storefront. Seeing how the sign was flipped close, Sabina having disregarded her previous public-facing efforts with the potential of their new business, it was almost certainly Adrienne. Setting aside the alchemical tools and reagents they¡¯d been using, each of them stripped off their gloves and goggles and walked out into the shelf-lined store proper. Adrienne was, obviously, cleaned up and far better put together than their first meeting. Considering the disheveled, filthy, grinning state of the girl when they¡¯d first been introduced, the difference was actually fairly stark; she looked like a different person. A young, cheerful professional, not the ¡­ well, unfortunately, the word that came to mind was ¡®cum slut¡¯, and Zoey didn¡¯t mean it in a degrading way, just¡ªAdrienne had been a little too pleased to be caught with cum on her face to think of her in any other way. Still, here and now, she obviously looked like any other young woman dressed up for an interview. She was taking the offer seriously, it seemed. She¡¯de in a short skirt¡ªthough not scandalously short¡ªand a white blouse, which she¡¯d left the first several buttons open on. Professional looking, if admittedly a little more eager to show off her body than some. Mahogany ringlets framed her heart-shaped face, and she beamed at Zoey and Sabina as they walked out into the store. She¡¯d been idly holding a briefcase with two hands, but now she shifted it to her left, then took a few steps forward and held out a hand. She exchanged handshakes with Sabina and Zoey, greeting them with a, ¡°It¡¯s so nice to meet you, Sabina! I¡¯ll admit, this offer came as a surprise, but from what you included in your note, I have to say I¡¯m super interested.¡± Her eyes flicked to Zoey, and her smile took a slight turn toward ¡®sly¡¯, rather than simply friendly. ¡°You find business contacts in the strangest ces, sometimes. It¡¯s Zoey, right? I didn¡¯t forget?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Zoey,¡± Zoey confirmed, amused at the brte¡¯s words. Indeed, this ¡®business contact¡¯ hade from a rather unexpected encounter. That was probably doubly true from Adrienne¡¯s perspective. She¡¯d just been on a shameless one-night fling, and now had a potential for getting into a bizarre, once-in-a-lifetime business¡ªone that would pay outrageously well. Sex potions. Er, had Sabina spelled that out explicitly, in whatever the ¡®note¡¯ was? Zoey realized she didn¡¯t exactly know how Sabina had gotten Adrienne here, and what specifically she had told her. ¡°This isn¡¯t super formal,¡± Zoey said. ¡°I don¡¯t think either of us really know how to run a job interview. So we¡¯re just gonna talk.¡± ¡°Sounds fun,¡± Adrienne said, shing another smile. Zoey would admit she was charmed¡ªand that the woman was far less flirty than she¡¯d been expecting. Though of course her ¡®wild nights out¡¯ weren¡¯t how she carried herself in day to day situations. ¡°I have chairs in the back,¡± Sabina said. ¡°Please, follow me.¡± 5.05 – The Tent 5.05 ¨C The Tent Sabina led them into herboratory, where she dragged out and set up a few foldable metal chairs. It wasn¡¯t the most professional environment, but Adrienne didn¡¯t seem bothered. Her attention seemed mostly focused on the organized clutter of Sabina¡¯sboratory. She peered around at the alchemy reagents, potions, and other paraphernalia with in interest. Zoey wondered how intriguing the magical craftsman professions were to normal civilians. She knew they wouldn¡¯t find it as amazing as Zoey, who had grown up in a world without magic, but Zoey also got the impression stuff like alchemy was a field that only wayfarers were significantly upied with, and that magical fields didn¡¯t have huge prevalence in everyday life. Maybe more in a big Fractures city like Treyhull, but still not totally mundane. Settling down into the chairs, the interview began in earnest. ¡°Before we get started,¡± Sabina said, ¡°we should rify exactly what this opportunity is. There was only so much I was willing to share through a messenger.¡± ¡°Setting up a potion stand in the red light district,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°I can sort of infer what that means. But I¡¯ll admit, I¡¯m curious about the details.¡± So Adrienne hadn¡¯t received the full picture, as Zoey had been wondering about. Though, the woman had put two and two together. It would have been hard not to, she supposed. ¡°It¡¯s what you¡¯d guess,¡± Zoey said. ¡°We don¡¯t have a huge selection, but that doesn¡¯t really matter. We¡¯re pretty sure it¡¯s not avable anywhere else,¡± in fact, from what Sabina had said, Zoey¡¯s specialty might be unique to the entire world, ¡°and so we don¡¯t think there¡¯ll be a problem in turning a profit.¡± ¡°Can I ask what, specifically?¡± Zoey shared a look with Sabina, who shrugged. She turned back forward. ¡°Well,¡± Zoey said. ¡°We¡¯ve got aphrodisiacs, sensitivity enhancers, infertility potions, and the opposite, fertility increasers. To name a few. There¡¯s lots of others.¡± Adrienne¡¯s eyes widened with each sessive word, and she was leaning forward in her chair, eyebrows raised by the time Zoey finished listing off her even shortened ount of their stock. ¡°Wow,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°And how strong are they?¡± ¡°Pretty strong,¡± Zoey said. ¡°They¡¯ll be popr. Sabina¡¯s working on improving the recipe, and also breaking them down into tiers of varying intensity. Because the strongest are already pretty crazy.¡± At least, from what Sabina said. Zoey had unfortunately not had much time to experiment herself. ¡°Wow,¡± Adrienne repeated. ¡°And there¡¯s stranger potions, too,¡± Zoey said. ¡°There¡¯s one in particr we think is going to sell out in record time.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Adrienne was visibly hanging on Zoey¡¯s words, not having to fake interest in the subject. Zoey¡¯s suspicion that the brte would be interested in this business had quickly been confirmed. Not that she¡¯d had many doubts. As for the potion she mentioned ¡­ she coughed. ¡°It grows a cock. On a woman. Fully functional, works like it ought to, pretty much indistinguishable from the real thing.¡± Adrienne paused, then blinked. She returned to her normal sitting position, seeming almost taken aback. Zoey was pretty sure that was from sheer strangeness, not disinterest. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Definitely one of our more exciting potions.¡± Slowly, Adrienne¡¯s expression morphed into a sort of delighted incredulity. ¡°And it works on anyone?¡± ¡°It does. Or, at least, we think so.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ¡­ incredible? Oh my gods.¡± Adrienne shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of anything like that. You two are going to be carting money around in wheelbarrows. How?¡± ¡°How we made it?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Business secret?¡± Adrienne wasn¡¯t put off by that response. ¡°That¡¯s fair. But, wow. That¡¯s seriously crazy.¡± ¡°Yeah. It is. Anyway, we just wanted to make sure you had the full picture. It¡¯d be a bit awkward if you weren¡¯tfortable with it. Because we¡¯re looking for someone to handle most of the stand, not just the finances portion. We know you work in ounting, but we¡¯re looking for someone to handle the business in general, sales included.¡± Adrienne nodded eagerly, auburn ringlets bouncing. ¡°I can do that. I can definitely do that. Honestly, I was thinking of quitting even before this. Finding something more exciting.¡± Sheughed. ¡°And this is definitely more exciting.¡± ¡°There¡¯s one more caveat. We¡¯re probably not staying in Treyhull for long.¡± ¡°Moving somewhere else? Back up to Haven?¡± ¡°Mantle, actually.¡± It was a somewhat sensitive topic, discussing a move from Striders territory to Deepshunters, so Zoey watched for any kind of worrying reaction. But Adrienne wasn¡¯t perturbed in the slightest; she just nodded. Rosalie had said that highguild rtions didn¡¯t mean too much to civilians. ¡°I see,¡± Adrienne said. ¡°For the better market? And you¡¯re asking if I¡¯d be willing to relocate, too, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the n,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Well, considering the opportunity, I could certainly be convinced. It depends on the details, of course. Hours, responsibilities, pay. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m very interested, but my family relies on what I send back, so I can¡¯t go around doing whatever I want.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a strange job, needs you to move, and we¡¯re also hoping for some discretion when ites to the details of the business,¡± Zoey said. ¡°More than that, we¡¯re expecting to make decent returns. So we¡¯d be happy to offer you what you¡¯re worth.¡± She looked at Sabina; they had discussed this before hand. Sabina nodded, then faced Adrienne and said a number which meant little to Zoey. By the way Adrienne¡¯s eyes shot open, and almost full-on gaped at the alchemist, Zoey could tell it was a lot¡ªmore than Zoey had thought. She still didn¡¯t have a great handle on this world¡¯s economy. Rosalie had been handling most of their shopping, and likewise, Sabina the business details for this venture. Adrienne recovered, though she blushed slightly at her reaction. ¡°Well,¡± she said, ¡°yes, that would befortably in my range. That more than works.¡± As far as Zoey was concerned, that more or less concluded the discussion. Sabina, however, had a little moremon sense, and she pressed Adrienne on her work experience and qualifications. Sabina came away from the exchange seeming satisfied, and after sharing a quick look with Zoey, Zoey could tell they were in ord. Adrienne had the job. ¡°The tent is set up,¡± Sabina said. ¡°And I¡¯m finishingbeling the first wave of merchandise and packing it. We should be ready as soon as tomorrow. Will you?¡± That was, of course, another problem. It would probably be bad form for Adrienne to just abandon her previous job on so little notice. Adrienne hesitated, then shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t think my boss will be happy, but it¡¯s not like I¡¯m turning this down. He¡¯s kind of an asshole, anyway.¡± Zoey snorted at that, and Adrienne shed a smile in return. ¡°We should show you around,¡± Sabina said. ¡°The security measures, how to keep records, transactions. It¡¯s notplicated, and I¡¯ve organized the process into notes should you need them, but it¡¯s still best we show you.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Adrienne said. A short trip through the cityter, they arrived to Treyhull¡¯s red light district. There wasn¡¯t much activity, not even being noon yet. Most businesses were closed; such a district came alive in the evening at a minimum. That said, there were a few people wandering the streets, and not everything was closed; there was always patronage for brothels and such businesses, even if prime hours wereter. The marketce Sabina led them to was somewhat busier, though still sparse. Tents and stalls crowded the street, lined in impromptu rows that Zoey suspected were frequently shifting. Not just the wares she¡¯d expect to find in the red light district, there were tamer items on disy: beauty products, perfumes, alcohol, clothing, and other such products. Soon, Sabina had located their tent. ¡°We¡¯ll need to set up the marketing material, as well,¡± Sabinamented. ¡°Signage and such. Though word of mouth, I suspect, will get us far.¡± ¡°When you¡¯re selling sex potions, I don¡¯t think finding customers will be a problem,¡± Adrienne said wryly. ¡°I¡¯m kind of worried you¡¯ll run out before the day is half over.¡± She shifted awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯ll still be paid a sry, if that¡¯s the case?¡± Zoey reassured her that she would. Adrienne would have a consistent ie regardless of how fast their limited stock disappeared. They didn¡¯t have cartloads of the potions, but Sabina was an effective alchemist, and she¡¯d been working diligently at creating afortable stock. And the potions were expensive, anyway; they wouldn¡¯t disappear if simply by the fact only wealthier clientele would be able to afford them. Regr folk could probably buy one or two as a special event, but Sabina knew the value of the rare items they intended to peddle and had priced them appropriately. The inside of the tent was in. There was a counter where Adrienne would handle transactions and a single rack for where potions would be stored, situated behind the counter. No frills. ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving in a week, so it¡¯s a minimalist set up,¡± Sabina said. ¡°A test run, so to say.¡± ¡°More than enough,¡± Adrienne said, scanning the small interior of the tent. She didn¡¯t seem put off by the somewhat cramped surroundings. She was just excited to be part of this, Zoey could tell¡ªand only half for the impressive pay increase. Sabina showed her around. Though in-looking, running even a small store came with some overhead and administrative headaches. Sabina also demonstrated the security features¡ªthere was a magical glyph that set off an rm on contact, which would alert guards toe running to the tent. A standard operating procedure for this world, Zoey could intuit. Adrienne would store the majority of their stock in her inventory, pulling it out to refill the shelves when necessary. That took some trust on their part, since the brte was carrying around a veritable pile of gold in the form of those potions, but she only had a portion of their total stock, so if she ran off with it, it wouldn¡¯t be devastating. Still, Zoey acknowledged she didn¡¯t really know this woman in any meaningful capacity, and supposed being robbed was more than on the table. Zoey suspected Adrienne recognized a longer-term benefit to sticking around and joining the business in earnest, though, so she wasn¡¯t too worried. Once Adrienne had been shown around and briefed, Sabina passed off some documentation for her to read through, the details to how Sabina wanted her to run the tent. That done, they said their goodbyes and Adrienne departed. Since it wasn¡¯t quite time to head off and find Maddy, ording to Zoey¡¯s typical schedule, they headed back to Sabina¡¯s shop. She could still get a few more lessons in. No point in beingzy. How else would she ever pass Sabina¡¯s quizzes? 5.06 – Poise 5.06 ¨C Poise Rosalie had one majorint about her girlfriend, amazing as she was: she was just so distracting. On arriving to Treyhull, Rosalie had, naturally, set out to the Guild¡¯s training rooms to continue working on ¡®Reach¡¯, her newest third-advancement skill. She¡¯d carried along Zoey¡¯s linking te. She wouldn¡¯t need to use it until Zoey¡¯s training session with Maddy, assuming the mage was even avable today, but Rosalie had kept it on hand just in case. Zoey¡¯s ss needed recharging, and it was up to her and Delta to handle that. Just, how was she supposed to carry around her girlfriend¡¯s fourteen inch cock and not be distracted? As far as Rosalie was concerned, distractions were the death of a wayfaring career. How could anyone expect to reach the pinnacle of any field when it wasn¡¯t their highest priority? When their mind wasn¡¯t focused one-hundred percent on striving for the peak? In Rosalie¡¯s case, it seemed the answer was by that same distraction providing ridiculous benefits. Zoey¡¯s ss¡ªwell, Zoey in general¡ªmight upy her mind to an outrageous degree these days, but it was hard to argue the results earned from teaming up with her. But those distractions followed her everywhere. It simply wasn¡¯t fair. She was doing her best to stay focused and train with Reach, learning how to bend and twist space as she thrust, jabbed, and even threw her spear, but her mind kept, invariably, wandering back to that item she had sitting on the bench. She was in a private training room, more than able to afford them, and so Zoey¡¯s cock was at no risk of someone passing by and seeing it. And yes, she could simply store the linking te in her inventory¡ªthey had discovered early on that was safe¡ªand thus halfway solve the distraction, but Rosalie had the item in the first ce so that if it got hard, she would take care of it. That was Rosalie¡¯s signal that Zoey needed recharging. Zoey¡¯s cock had disappeared earlier, which Rosalie could only assume meant she¡¯d been using it on Sabina, that rather stiff alchemist she¡¯d only met once or twice. But it was back, now. Sitting there. On the bench. Fourteen inches of her girlfriend¡¯s cock. Rosalie shook her head clear, realizing she had, once again, gotten lost in her thoughts. She returned to training. Another half-hourter, she admitted defeat. With a huff, she sat down on the bench next to her girlfriend¡¯s cock, somewhat sweaty from the effort of using Reach¡ªit was an ability that took no small physical toll, as expected of a third-advancement skill. Zoey¡¯s cock sat there, soft, but still outrageouslyrge, and equally as tempting. Rosalie red at it. When Zoey¡¯s cock didn¡¯t response to the scathing look, that only made her angrier. Since when had herposure been so frail? That she couldn¡¯t evenplete a training session without wanting to y around with a toy that¡¯d been left near her? It was genuinely infuriating. She was mad at herself, of course, not Zoey, for all the piercing re she leveled at Zoey¡¯s member would suggest otherwise. She needed to start working on her willpower andposure. It was something she had already thought she¡¯d mastered, but recent events had proved that was incorrect. Rosalie fidgeted in ce, some of the anger melting as an idea hit her. Composure practice. Keeping control of herself in a difficult situation. Well ¡­ Rosalie could imagine one such event that would challenge her. And it solved another problem of hers, too. Shivering at the absurd idea, she immediately scolded herself. She couldn¡¯t seriously be considering doing that? She reached a finger out and traced a digit across Zoey¡¯s length. It twitched in response, and Rosalie jumped almost as much as it did. Infuriatingly, Zoey didn¡¯t spare a moment to respond to Rosalie¡¯s touch. In less than a few seconds, fourteen inches of veiny, thick girl cock stood straight up in the air, and Rosalie had to hold down the linking te so it didn¡¯t topple over. ¡°Really?¡± Rosalie demanded. ¡°I just have to touch you for you to be ready?¡± She sounded angry, but inwardly, she was flushing. Just tracing a finger down Zoey¡¯s cock had made her instantly hard? She was that excited by the idea Rosalie wanted to y with her? It would be rude to ignore Zoey after getting her hard, Rosalie felt. Plus, she supposed, her idea for posure training¡¯ wasn¡¯t that ridiculous. Maybe a bit strange, but certainly effective. Rosalie reached out and grabbed her girlfriend¡¯s cock. The warm heat of it pulsed into her hand, and it throbbed in her grip. She stroked up and down, bunching Zoey¡¯s foreskin around her cock tip, then running her hand down, fascinated by the sight of how it shifted in her hand. Something about Zoey¡¯s cock was almost literally entrancing. Because it had been bestowed by a deity? Rosalie didn¡¯t think anything supernatural was going on with her attraction to it. Unfortunately, she might just be a slut for her girlfriend¡¯s fourteen-inch girl cock. Who wouldn¡¯t be? Unable to help herself, having already gotten worked up from the wildly inappropriate idea fermenting in her head, Rosalie stripped off her boots and pants. Sheid herself out lengthwise on the bench, then pped Zoey¡¯s cock down on her panties, satisfied with the heavy p of flesh. There was something maddening about how hefty this monster was. It radiated heat into her core, even through her panties. A droplet of precum dripped down, staining the blue fabric dark. Composure training. And a bit of teasing. It might be a bit mean, but Rosalie somewhat delighted in how the timing might be unfortunate for Zoey¡ªthat she might be caught in this situation, with Rosalie ying with her, when she was otherwise trying to focus. Was she practicing potion making while having to ignore Rosalie? Would she have to excuse herself? Rosalie¡¯s lips quirked at the idea. Shifting her panties to the side, she wiggled her girlfriend¡¯s cock tip against her entrance. She was embarrassingly drenched already, and she didn¡¯t need to pull out lubricant from her inventory; she more than coated Zoey with her own juices, taking care of that problem herself. Rosalie gasped as she prated herself. Her back arched as she pushed firmly, sliding more and more of her girlfriend¡¯s fat cock into her. Her tummy bulged as the monster filled her up to a degree that shouldn¡¯t be possible. It was hard to exin what having Zoey inside her felt like. Only half-way in, her cock tip was kissing her cervix, and her pussy was stuffed imaginably full¡ªand that was only half-way. The sensation kept intensifying as more and more of her was crammed in. Not just full, but supernaturally so. Like her entire body was a sheathe for Zoey¡¯s cock. Pressing the linking te to her pussy, she had all fourteen inches in. If she bent in the right way, she could watch her stomach bulge as the unwieldy member failed to fit properly inside her and distended her stomach out. It was a rather intoxicating sight, for a reason Rosalie couldn¡¯t exin. Her thoughts flickered, of course, to that cock-ring event, where she¡¯d actually been a sheathe for Zoey¡¯s cock. They might have to have another go with that. Maybe Zoey was even working on an easier way to get bigger, using potions? The cock ring was unfortunately ufortable for Zoey, so she hadn¡¯t insisted on going a second round. She¡¯d have to ask about alchemical solutions. Though, bigger? Was fourteen inches really not enough for Rosalie? Well, that wasn¡¯t it¡ªit was more than enough. But she wouldn¡¯t turn down a few more rounds of more extreme y, either. The urge to start thrusting Zoey¡¯s cock in and out of her, using it as a dildo, was enticing, but that wasn¡¯t Rosalie¡¯s goal. Composure training. Rosalie clearly needed some of that. And what better way than this? She pressed Zoey¡¯s cock firmly into her, situating it so it was as deep as possible. She messed with the te to angle it so that it would sit asfortably against her pussy as she could manage. Finished, she rummaged through her inventory and found a skirt, since pants wouldn¡¯t work well with this. Skirts weren¡¯t really her style, nor the best forbat¡ªif suitable with the correct fit¡ªbut Rosalie made it a habit to be well-supplied, and this was exactly why. You never knew when you¡¯d need something. She stood. She walked over to the mirror and looked at herself. She looked, of course, normal¡ªbesides the flush on her face, which could be exined by a vigorous training session. The linking te couldn¡¯t be seen through the skirt, obviously, though the object was slightly ufortable, even angled properly. But some difort hardly bothered Rosalie. Besides, the real difort was the fact that she had fourteen inches of her girlfriend¡¯s cock crammed into her. She turned sideways then leaned backward, watching a bulge appear, running up her stomach and nearly to the base of her breasts. She shivered as she straightened back out, and Zoey¡¯s cock throbbed inside her. Undoubtedly, Zoey was frustrated that Rosalie wasn¡¯t properly pumping it in and out of her, but she could use the training as much as Rosalie. Who knew what they¡¯d face in future shards? Endurance training simply seemed smart. Rosalie had a few errands to run. If this crucible she had nned couldn¡¯t teach her how to keep control of herself¡ªbeing out in public with Zoey¡¯s cock crammed into her¡ªthen nothing would. And no, she wasn¡¯t doing this because it excited her. It was strictlyposure training. She was working on her poise. Lacing her boots back up, tossing her discarded pants into her inventory, then grabbing her spear, Rosalie set out into the training facility, and into public¡ªwith her face burning, and her pussy clenching and squirming against a cock that barely fit inside her. 5.07 – Unexpected Guest 5.07 ¨C Unexpected Guest Rosalie¡¯s skin was on fire the moment she exited the training room. She couldn¡¯t really be doing this. Her, the heiress to an entire highguild? She was hardly an instantly recognizable public figure, hence why she didn¡¯t go through extensive efforts to disguise herself, but that said, it wasn¡¯t entirely out of hand that someone recognized her. And she was walking around with fourteen inches of her girlfriend¡¯s cock stuffed inside her? Almost idly, she tightened her stomach, then rubbed a hand there. She could feel Zoey¡¯s cock through her shirt, or the bulge of it, at least. Poise training, she reminded herself. She was simply building up a resistance to her arousal. Clearly, that needed to be done, with how distracted she was recently. And it made total sense that this was an effective way to handle that problem. A part of her rolled her eyes at the hoops she was jumping through to justify this event, but she stalwartly squashed it down. Poise training, she scowled at that mutinous voice. Walking was a bit troublesome. Not just because she had a twitching, pulsing rod the side of her forearm¡ªbigger, even¡ªinside her, but because the smooth metal linking te between her legs also made it awkward. That said, her real problem was having her organs mixed around with each step. It took nearly everything she had not to moan, or even whimper, as she strode down the hallway. The ss windows peeking into the non-private training rooms at least acted as mirrors, and Rosalie could tell she was keeping control of herself. She moved naturally, despite the difficulty of doing so, with long regal steps, and her face was impassive, her usual stoic mask. Her years of genuine poise training had had to be upset that Rosalie was just keeping it there, letting it sit inside her. Though each step stirred it around, so it was hardly fully neglected. Which was the second problem; Rosalie was having fun with this¡ªer, she meant, this was proving itself as effective training¡ªbut she couldn¡¯t risk having Zoey finish inside her while she was literally out in the streets. That was too much even for her. Instead, she would stay in the training facility. She knew her way around and had practical goals here besides: she wanted to observe the various wayfarers at the public sparring pads. She¡¯d had plenty of experience studying differentbat styles, but improvement was an ongoing process; there was always something to learn from others, and that held true even when Rosalie could probably handle three or more opponents of equivalent progression by herself. While not remotely meeting her standards, that didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t glean insights from others. Beyond that, she¡¯d been keeping a passive eye out for talent. She didn¡¯t think they¡¯d be finding a fifth party member before leaving for Mantle, but she didn¡¯t close herself off to the idea. Especially with Zoey¡¯s receiving of the ¡®stat sharing¡¯ skill, it was clear that arger party was better than a smaller one. The number of extremelypetent, low-advancement wayfarers who were interested in being railed by fourteen inches of girl cock was, though, not extremely high¡ªand hard to suss out. But she still kept an eye out. If nothing else, she¡¯d familiarize herself with morebat styles. Walking through the facility toward the dueling pads was an ordeal. Rosalie kept outwardly in control of herself, besides perhaps a flush that wouldn¡¯t go away, but inwardly was another matter altogether. Heat pulsed and crashed through her with every small movement. By the time she arrived to her destination, which was only a short two-minute walk, Rosalie had started twitching, an impending climax having built up that she fought against with everything she had. She¡¯d been right about one thing, she supposed. This was excellent training for keeping control of herself. It was one of the hardest things she¡¯d ever done, not giving in and letting the pleasure course through her. The terror of that event also kept it at bay¡ªand also, paradoxically, worked her even higher. She was surrounded by people. While maybe she wasn¡¯t giving herself away right now, if she finished, she obviously wouldn¡¯t be able to hide what was happening. Everyone nearby would watch her climax on her girlfriend¡¯s cock. In public. She basked in the salvation of finally getting to stop and watch the nearest dueling pad, with Zoey¡¯s cock no longer stirring her around. She posted up far away from any other clumps of people. She obviously wasn¡¯t interested in discussing the ongoing fights. Even standing there wasn¡¯t the easiest task, but it was easier than having Zoey¡¯s cock move around with each step. Slowly, the climax that had been hanging a fingernail¡¯s distance away subsided. Her lower half still clenched and squirmed against the cock inside her, but she wasn¡¯t at immediate risk of orgasming in the middle of dozens of wayfarers¡ªsome of whom she even knew by this point, having spent several days training in this exact facility. For a while, she hazily watched the ongoing fight. The fugue of arousal made it a rather unproductive effort, but she tried her best to analyze their styles. It even made the distracting, pulsing presence inside her easier to push out of her mind. Though not easy¡ªjust easier. ¡°Rosalie?¡± a cheerful voice rang out. Rosalie froze. Oh, no. She turned to the familiar voice. ¡°Funny meeting you here,¡± the bright, friendly blue-haired mage joked, practically skipping over to Rosalie. ¡°You¡¯re back already? Quicker than I thought.¡± This was ¡­ not ideal. Then again, this had been what she wanted, right? Poise training? A test of herposure? She¡¯d gotten what she¡¯d asked for. ¡°It was a short mission,¡± Rosalie said, somewhat stiffly. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, Maddy.¡± 5.08 – Failure 5.08 ¨C Failure Fourteen inches of her girlfriend¡¯s cock throbbed inside Rosalie, and it took more willpower than she was willing to admit not to moan. Oh, gods. She couldn¡¯t imagine the shame of that. Losingposure, and not just in public, but right in front of their potential fourth party member. Maddy cheerfully barreled through the conversation, oblivious to Rosalie¡¯s plight. Maybe that meant she was doing something right? She felt like aplete mess, inches from falling apart, but Maddy at least greeted her like usual. ¡°So Delta and Zoey are back too, yeah?¡± she asked. ¡°Are lessons on for this afternoon? Haven¡¯t had a chance to talk with her.¡± ¡°Zoey intended toe find you and ask. So I imagine so.¡± ¡°Cool. Sounds fun. Didn¡¯t have any ns, and honestly, wasn¡¯t sure what I would¡¯ve done with myself. Think I¡¯ve been in Treyhull too long. Needa get out again.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not one for idleness, either.¡± Her voice quavered on thest word, even casual smalltalk too much for Rosalie to work through, and Maddy paused, clearly noticing. She had to know. Didn¡¯t she? Rosalie¡¯s face had to give it away all by its own. ¡°Wow, you look beat,¡± Maddy said. ¡°Went hard on your training session? Or just got done with a spar?¡± Her pussy mped down on Zoey¡¯s cock, squirming against it, and it pulsed back, radiating heat into her. Even after ten minutes stuffed inside her, it stayed rock hard, throbbing with excitement. ¡°The former,¡± Rosalie said. She let out a shaky breath, then strangled a moan before it could escape. Gods, she wasn¡¯t more excited because Maddy was here, was she? That an associate of hers was watching her? Watching her stand there, her girlfriend¡¯s gigantic cock pulsing inside her pussy? Maddy paused a second time, and Rosalie wondered whether she was actually pulling anything off. The blue-haired girl continued with only a slight hesitation. ¡°Wanna have a round with me?¡± Maddy asked. ¡°Finding good sparring partners can be a real challenge.¡± ¡°I¡¯m resting,¡± Rosalie said stiffly. ¡°Just watching thepetition, for now. Maybeter.¡± ¡°Fair enough.¡± A short lull in the conversation. They watched the twobatants go at it for a minute or two. Maddy shifted in ce, then nced at Rosalie. ¡°So. Um. It¡¯s good that I caught you. There¡¯s something I¡¯ve been wanting to talk to you about.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Rosalie said, somewhat faintly. The radiating heat was starting to suffuse her in entirety, and she wondered whether she would have to cut this conversation short and flee for a safe space. She fought down the growing pleasure, refusing to give in. At a minimum, she would finish this conversation. She hadn¡¯tsted a quarter as long as she intended, so that was the smallest goalpost she would reach. ¡°Yeah. Um. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a good way to ease into this,¡± Maddy said. ¡°But ¡­ I think I know who you are. Like. Who you are.¡± That statement, at least, managed to shock Rosalie out of her tenuous circumstances. She stiffened, then turned a sharp look to Maddy, whoughed nervously. Maddy fidgeted as she looked back forward to the ongoing duel. ¡°Yeah. I mean, you know who my parents are, so you know I¡¯m at least kind of informed. And Rosalie¡¯s amon name, since, you know, the leader of the Deepshunter guild has a daughter named Rosalie. Made it pretty popr.¡± She gave her a significant look. Oh, gods. She could not be having this conversation right now. It was the worst possible time. Rosalie simply didn¡¯t have the faculties avable to navigate it. She¡¯d known Maddy might figure her identity out, since she hadn¡¯t taken any grand measures to hide herself, having only intended to be in Treyhull briefly. If she¡¯d known it would be an extended stay, she would have dyed her hair and given a false name. For this exact situation. Normal civilians might not be that aware of what she looked like, though some would, but of course the daughter of a Sovereign¡ªeven one that wasn¡¯t especially prominent¡ªcould possibly recognize her, the daughter of Enzo d¡¯Celestin. Maddy¡¯s voice lowered. ¡°You¡¯re just, you know. Too good. Freakishly. I¡¯ve never seen anyone move like you do. It¡¯s incredible. I could put aside the hair, eyes, and name. I¡¯m sure the world¡¯s not crawling with blonde girls named Rosalie, but I also doubt it¡¯s that rare. Even wayfarers who use a spear ¡­ though we¡¯re reaching odd coincidence territory, there. But I can imagine there¡¯s only one person as good as you. Only Enzo¡¯s daughter could tear apart Delta like that. You know she was undefeated before you? And you made that first spar look like a joke.¡± ¡°I ¡­ I ¡­¡± This wasn¡¯t fair. This couldn¡¯t be happening right now. Rosalie had been somewhat braced for the possibility, but not when she had Zoey¡¯s cock pulsing inside her, and her pussy mping down in response, the threat of orgasm imminent. The shame of her situation doubled. Maddy knew who she was. Rosalie wasn¡¯t just standing here as some pervert who wanted to y with her girlfriend¡¯s cock in public, but as the heiress to the Deepshunters guild. And that only made things so much worse. So much better. White-hot pleasure coursed through her. She, the esteemed daughter of one of the most prominent families in the world, was about to orgasm in the middle of a popted training hall. In front of her potential teammate. Who knew who she was. The shame roiled in her stomach, and her entire body twitched with an imminent climax. Why? Why did shame and embarrassment make her body so hot? It wasn¡¯t fair. ¡°I ¡­ I have to ¡­ I can¡¯t ¡­¡± She stumbled as she turned and started to flee. That was a mistake as much as it was necessary. Zoey¡¯s cock stirred around inside her as she strode away as quickly as she could, trying to hide the panic, and a low groan escaped her lips, unable to be stopped like the previous. Someone looked over; Rosalie couldn¡¯t meet the woman¡¯s eyes, simply shuffling forward. She made it out into the hallway, then gasped as one of her most intense climaxes she¡¯d ever experienced refused to be ignored. Worse, Zoey must have felt her spasming. Because Rosalie felt her girlfriend start to swell inside her. No. This couldn¡¯t be happening. Rosalie groaned as she copsed to her knees. There were two people in front of her, in the hallway, though neither were looking at her; they chatted with themselves. How had they not noticed? It wouldn¡¯t be long. How had she gotten here? How did she feel so good? A loud moan escaped her, and she rolled onto her back, hips arching upward. She pressed down with both hands on the linking te, wanting Zoey even a centimeter deeper. The horrifying situation she was in didn¡¯t matter anymore. She just wanted pleasure. For Zoey to finish inside her. To bask in her own ecstasy. Hot liquid sprayed into her, and Rosalie moaned and whined, toes curling as her hips jerked up and down in little spasms as her climax rushed through her. She wasn¡¯t aware of anyone or anything around her. The world ceased to exist. Shame and burning pleasure vied inside her, then joined,bining into something intoxicating. She didn¡¯t know how long shey there, on cool tile floor, hips arched and entire body shaking. Round after round of pleasure crashed through her, Zoey¡¯s sticky finish filling her womb unbelievably full, then spilling out of her, covering her panties, then dripping down her thighs and onto the floor. Some indeterminable timeter, she swam back to something resembling consciousness, Zoey¡¯s cock finally having grown soft inside of her, the amazing pressure relenting. She opened her eyes. A wide-eyed Maddy stared at her. Rosalie¡¯s stomach sank. She looked around. The two chatting wayfarers ¡­ weren¡¯t also looking at her? Nor was another passerby, recently arrived? Shey there, a pool of Zoey¡¯s cum on the floor. But nobody was looking? Besides Maddy. Addled andpletely disassembled from her orgasm, it took Rosalie a second to understand. Maddy had saved her. An illusion. Obvious in retrospect. Well. Rosalie was saved from the shame of being seen by strangers. From being banned from Treyhull¡¯s guild for obscene behavior. Which would be a phrase that understated this event. But saved from her teammate, and someone who knew who Rosalie really was? No, she hadn¡¯t been spared from that in the slightest. For a second, they just stared at each other. ¡°That ¡­ seemed fun,¡± Maddy finally said, face burling scarlet. ¡°Zoey mentioned the portal panties, but, uh. They¡¯re really getting some good use, huh?¡± 5.09 – Aftermath 5.09 ¨C Aftermath For a long time, Rosalie didn¡¯t know how to respond. ¡°I guess they are,¡± she finally settled on. Maddy tittered nervously. Her face, beet red, was surely the same shade as Rosalie¡¯s own. Rosalie looked down at herself, then back up at Maddy. The damage had already been done, so she withdrew Zoey¡¯s cock from inside her, since she could hardly leave it in. She stifled an unfortunate moan on the way out, which she pretended didn¡¯t happen, then put the linking te¡ªand Zoey¡¯s wet cock¡ªinto her inventory. The situation she¡¯d ended up in through her uncontained lust felt somewhat surreal, but she pushed past it. She needed to handle this, and didn¡¯t want to rely on Maddy¡¯s illusion forever. All it took was a high advancement mageing by, who her illusions couldn¡¯t fool, for Rosalie¡¯s true state to be revealed. And her true state really shouldn¡¯t be revealed. Moment by moment, the insanity of what she¡¯d done came closer into focus. She¡¯d really done that? Had she gone insane? Well, for a certain manner of speaking, she had. With arousal. It had been so overwhelming it had erased any other judgment of hers. She grabbed a towel out of her inventory and got to work cleaning herself up. ¡°I, um. Get it?¡± Maddy said, breaking the silence. ¡°I¡¯ve gotten caught up in some stuff I should¡¯ve have, too. You¡¯re not alone there. The safety of illusions make it pretty tempting to get a little adventurous. So I get the appeal?¡± She blushed even deeper at the admission, and Rosalie appreciated that Maddy was making efforts to reassure her, even at the cost of her own embarrassment. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I did that,¡± Rosalie muttered. ¡°Gods. What is wrong with me?¡± Maddyughed again. ¡°Like I said, sometimes we get caught up. Um, do you need help?¡± ¡°No. Thank you.¡± Mortified, Rosalie finished the frantic clean up. She wiped her thighs down then pulled the towel into her inventory. She stood, but couldn¡¯t quite meet Maddy¡¯s eyes. ¡°We should talk,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Yeah. Okay. Sure.¡± A short, mortifying walkter, with Rosalie only feeling half-conscious from the cascades of pure, distilled shame coursing through her, they arrived to a private training room. Rosalie closed the door. There was absolutely nothing she could say to defend herself. ¡°Thank you,¡± Rosalie settled on. ¡°That would have been even more disastrous had you not been there.¡± Though, if Maddy hadn¡¯t shown up, she might never have lost control in the first ce. Or in the worst case, Rosalie would have had the rity of mind to seek out a restroom. Maddy¡¯s presence, along with her reveal of knowing who Rosalie was, had been the catalyst that had hurled her over the edge. Rosalie was still grappling with what that meant. The implications behind how deeply aroused by shame and embarrassment she was. ¡°Well, you know,¡± Maddy said. ¡°Happy to help where I can.¡± She smiled, and it seemed genuine, though the blue-haired girl was still blushing deeply from the event. Rosalie was too, for that matter. Since she had no defense that could remotely excuse her behavior, Rosalie simply moved on. The best case scenario was that neither of them spoke of the event ever again. And there was a more important topic to address, besides. One she hadn¡¯t been able to before. ¡°You know who I am,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Does anyone else?¡± Maddy was also eager to move past the awkwardness¡ªnot that they could actually move past it. It hung in the air, and certainly wouldn¡¯t be going away. But they still tried to ignore what had happened. Maddy considered Rosalie¡¯s question. ¡°Nobody that I know for sure. People generally mind their own business, and you haven¡¯t been here all that long. I have to figure someone¡¯ll put two and two together, though.¡± Rosalie had assumed the same. ¡°We won¡¯t be staying much longer. Another week at most, then we¡¯ll be setting off.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll probably be fine, then,¡± Maddy said. ¡°It was just easy for me because, you know, I¡¯m more informed than most. And we¡¯re thinking of teaming up, so it was on my mind.¡± Rosalie nodded. ¡°Do the others know? I assume they don¡¯t,¡± Maddy said. ¡°They don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Not even Zoey?¡± Rosalie winced. ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to. I just don¡¯t know how. And we¡¯ve been busy. There hasn¡¯t been much chance.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fair.¡± Rosalie didn¡¯t hear any judgment in Maddy¡¯s voice, which she appreciated. She really did need to figure out how to tell Zoey about her family. And Delta, she supposed. If nothing else, they¡¯d be finding out when they arrived to Mantle; she would hardly be able to hide it then. Just, she didn¡¯t look forward to the conversation. She couldn¡¯t help but feel like something would change. And, oddly, she enjoyed their group dynamic as it stood. She didn¡¯t want much to change. ¡°And speaking of teaming up,¡± Maddy said. ¡°That¡¯s another thing I wanted to talk about.¡± ¡°You¡¯vee to a decision?¡± ¡°Maybe?¡± Maddy asked. ¡°Um. I was also nning on talking with Zoey about it. But I wanted to talk with you first.¡± ¡°Oh? Why is that?¡± She and Maddy hadn¡¯t interacted much. They¡¯d spent an afternoon or two together as a group, but of everyone, Rosalie knew the blue-haired mage the least. Delta had been Maddy¡¯s friend prior to everything, and Zoey had daily lessons with her. ¡°Because, um. We¡¯d need to Bond? Me and Zoey. You know. Bond.¡± Sheughed nervously, not quite meeting Rosalie¡¯s eyes. ¡°For her ss. And you two are girlfriends, yeah?¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Rosalie said, understanding what Maddy was getting at. ¡°Zoey can do as she pleases.¡± She paused. ¡°Whoever she pleases,¡± she added dryly. ¡°Our rtionship isn¡¯t restricted in that way.¡± ¡°I kind of figured, but wanted to ask.¡± ¡°Well, thank you.¡± Rosalie studied the girl. ¡°I figured you two had already done something, to be honest.¡± Maddy¡¯s pink cheeks tinted back to the previous red. ¡°Well, not, um, exactly. She hasn¡¯t used her skill on me.¡± Rosalie quirked an eyebrow. But they had definitely gotten up to something. From the sounds of it, nothing too intimate, but still something. Though it sounded like Maddy nned to go farther during their next training session? Zoey was getting especially lucky today. ¡°So are you joining?¡± Rosalie asked. ¡°Not to press. But the window is growing short. We won¡¯t be in Treyhull much longer, and if you are, I¡¯d like to do some team training in the days we have left.¡± Maddy¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Team training? What, uh, kind do you mean?¡± Rosalie paused. Maddy¡¯s tone implied something. But she didn¡¯t¡ª? ¡°Combat training,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°In preparation for the shard. There¡¯s still monsters there, as we¡¯ve mentioned. It¡¯s not all¡ªthat.¡± ¡°Oh. Oh! Yeah, of course,¡± Maddy said. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean¡ª Just¡ª Anyway,bat training. Sure. Sounds fun.¡± ¡°Those sorts of events are reserved for the shards,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Or, at least, we don¡¯t need to train for them.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Rosalie shook her head, cheeks colored. ¡°Regardless, I¡¯m d you¡¯re joining. I like what I¡¯ve seen, and was looking forward to you saying yes.¡± Realizing how that sounded, Rosalie rified, ¡°Yourbat proficiency, I mean. That¡¯s what I appreciate. Not your, um.¡± She winced a second time. ¡°Not that I don¡¯t like what I see in that way. It¡¯s relevant too, I suppose, considering everything. Just. I don¡¯t¡ª¡° Rosalie wiped a hand down her face. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to working with you, Maddy,¡± she said tly. How was she handling this so poorly? Didn¡¯t she have a lifetime of social training? Well, less than most high nobles, having always been focused on wayfaring, but still plenty. And yet she continued to make an embarrassment of herself. She could at least me theck of grace on her flustered state from the earlier event. Her heart squeezed and her stomach sank, remembering that. Gods, she really couldn¡¯t believe how carried away she¡¯d gotten. ¡°You too,¡± Maddy said. ¡°I get what you¡¯re saying. And yeah, same here. I think we¡¯ll have a lot of fun.¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°As in, the normal kind! We¡¯ll make a good team.¡± At least Rosalie wasn¡¯t the only disaster. ¡°I need to take a shower,¡± Rosalie said. Her efforts with the towel had only been a half-solution. ¡°Talkter?¡± ¡°Talkter,¡± Maddy agreed, clearly relieved. Both of them had been stumbling through the conversation and were eager to get out of it. Rosalie generally enjoyed Maddy¡¯spany from what little she¡¯d had of it, but their particr circumstances made things too awkward. Rosalie needed a moment to herself. Namely, toy on the ground and dissolve into a puddle of shame. Gods, what had she been thinking? 5.10 – Cultists 5.10 ¨C Cultists After a fruitful morning of alchemy lessons, interrupted briefly by Rosalie, Zoey set out to the training facility to see if she could track down Maddy. Cellphones were unfortunately not an invention in this world, so coordination could sometimes be tricky. Before finding her mage tutor, though, Zoey was interrupted by someone else. ¡°There you are,¡± Delta said, appearing to Zoey¡¯s side in a sh of orange hair, then looping an arm around hers and tugging. ¡°Come on, we¡¯ve gotta go.¡± Zoey stumbled a step as her trajectory was forcibly diverted, and soon, she was being dragged away at a brisk pace. ¡°Wait, what?¡± Zoey asked, orienting herself to her change in circumstances. ¡°Delta? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Found an in with the cultists. We¡¯re gonna go check it out.¡± ¡°The cultists?¡± ¡°That was the n, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I¡ªI guess? But already?¡± ¡°Somebody¡¯s been productive with their morning, notying pipe with five different girls.¡± Delta leaned close to Zoey and sniffed. ¡°You need a shower, by the way.¡± ¡°Two girls,¡± Zoey defended. ¡°One of them with a portal, so it doesn¡¯t count.¡± ¡°Portal?¡± Deltaughed. ¡°Well, good for Blondie. But doesn¡¯t count? I don¡¯t know about that, Zoey.¡± ¡°Well. Doesn¡¯t count for the smellment. It¡¯s not that bad, is it? I cleaned up.¡± ¡°You smell like sex.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°You always do. Maybe stop having so much of it?¡± Deltaughed. ¡°But no, it¡¯s not that bad. I¡¯m teasing. Mostly.¡± ¡°Okay, back it up.¡± The orange-haired foxgirl had already dragged Zoey out of the training facility and under the open sky; they were setting a quick pace, in a rush. ¡°Where are you taking me? And what about the cultists?¡± ¡°I¡¯d grab Blondie, too, but we don¡¯t have time. Couldn¡¯t find her. And I¡¯m not so sure she¡¯s fit for this mission, anyway.¡± ¡°Mission?¡± ¡°With luck, we¡¯re being inducted into the doomsday cult. I feel like that isn¡¯t a scene she¡¯d handle well.¡± ¡°What? Inducted? Be serious for a second.¡± ¡°When am I not?¡± Zoey gave her an exasperated look, and Delta only rolled her eyes in response. ¡°They have refreshments, stop whining. It¡¯ll be fun.¡± Zoey shook her head. She still wasn¡¯t sure what Delta was going on about¡ªwhether she could take her ims at face value. ¡°I was nning on finding Maddy for more lessons. This is more important?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah. You can do that whenever. We need to figure out more about our cum vampire. And the world ending. Definitely seems higher on our priority list.¡± Zoey winced at the words ¡®the world ending¡¯, then looked around, but obviously no one was eavesdropping. ¡°Maybe a little discretion would be smart?¡± ¡°Not my specialty.¡± ¡°Yeah. I guess it isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°Real exnation, please?¡± Delta groaned. ¡°Okay, fine. I was out in town and saw one of those weirdos. Decided to check out what he was saying. After some chatting, he invited me to one of their events.¡± ¡°That easy?¡± ¡°What can I say? I¡¯m a people person.¡± ¡°Uh-huh. They have ¡®events¡¯?¡± ¡°Course they do. How do you think recruitment works? Just happens?¡± ¡°Still,¡± Zoey said, finding this whole situation bizarre. ¡°It¡¯s not illegal or something? Those kinds of meet-ups? With cultists?¡± ¡°We just call them cultists. Don¡¯t think they actually are. And even if they were, illegal? Here? In the Fractures? Even up top things are a little loose when ites to ¡®religious organizations¡¯¡ª¡° she air-quoted the words, ¡°so down in the Fractures, nobody gives a shit. Not enough policing force, so you really have to cause trouble to draw attention. But that¡¯s not really these guys¡¯s deal, anyway, I think. They¡¯re not troublemakers. Necessarily.¡± ¡°And what is their deal?¡± ¡°Dunno, but sounds pretty damn relevant to ours,¡± Delta said. ¡°Like we already knew, they¡¯re talking about decaying shards. That it¡¯ll spread to the Fractures, then Haven. End of the world, all that business. Don¡¯t know how they came to that conclusion, but there might be a seed of truth. I¡¯m thinking we¡¯ll need to talk to someone higher up than the street peddlers, though, to find out. Hence, socialization.¡± ¡°An event,¡± Zoey repeated. ¡°What is it, anyway?¡± ¡°A soir¨¦e, I suppose?¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Well, soir¨¦es are in the evening, and this is for the afternoon. But yeah. Pretty much. Refreshments and some talking. A presentation, maybe? Robert¡ªthat was the guy I was talking with¡ªkept hinting there was some kind of big reveal at the end. ¡®Proof¡¯ of it all.¡± ¡°Proof?¡± Delta shrugged. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s all bullshit, maybe it isn¡¯t. But I would¡¯ve called your story bullshit too, so I guess I¡¯m more open minded these days. And whytch to the concept of ¡®decaying shards¡¯? Seems too coincidental to not matter.¡± ¡°It¡¯s worth checking out,¡± Zoey agreed. She wrinkled her nose. ¡°But it¡¯s inconvenient timing.¡± She¡¯d been looking forward to lessons with Maddy¡ªthough it hadn¡¯t been guaranteed in the first ce. She didn¡¯t even know if Maddy was in the training facility. ¡°Sorry the doomsday cult isn¡¯t scheduling around your avability,¡± Delta said dryly. ¡°Besides, there¡¯ll be plenty of time to stuff petite blue-haired mages silly atter dates. You can miss one creampie session, you insatiable woman.¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t even done anything,¡± Zoey protested. ¡°And what¡¯s with the colorfulnguage?¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t? What¡¯s taking so long?¡± The twinkling in Delta¡¯s eye gave away that she was trying to get a rise out of Zoey, and Zoey just shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re in rare form today.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± The foxgirl bounced along energetically, still dragging Zoey with her arm wrapped around Zoey¡¯s. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m kind of excited at what we¡¯ll find. Never expected to get pulled into a ¡®save the world¡¯ quest. But I can get behind it. Sounds fun.¡± ¡°Fun.¡± ¡°With so much fucking involved? Yeah, totally.¡± ¡°Delta.¡± Sheughed. ¡°Though even a normal quest would¡¯ve been fun,¡± she said. ¡°All the massive girlcock is just a plus.¡± Her orange tail flicked, and she perked up, as if she¡¯d been reminded of something. ¡°Hey, when are we going on our second date?¡± Had the phrase ¡®massive girlcock¡¯ really just prompted Delta to ask that? Caught somewhat off guard, Zoey just replied with, ¡°Our second date?¡± ¡°Blondie got the girlfriend treatment, didn¡¯t she? When do I?¡± The question came out of left field, so Zoey floundered for a second. ¡°Uh. Whenever you want?¡± ¡°After this?¡± ¡°Sure?¡± ¡°Cool,¡± Delta said. ¡°Group stuff is fun, but I want some time with you alone.¡± ¡°I¡¯d love that,¡± Zoey replied instantly, even if she was somewhat disoriented by the turn in conversation. She would like to spend more time with Delta. The chaos and busyness of everything just usually precluded casual hang outs. Though this might not be so casual. Delta had specifically referred to it as the girlfriend treatment. Was that what Delta was aiming for? Girlfriends? Zoey certainly wanted that¡ªbut she hadn¡¯t known where Delta stood. She was both far easier and far harder to read than Rosalie. ¡°I¡¯ve got something nned, but I¡¯ll tell you what after we invade the cult,¡± Delta said. Right. Cult invasion. The topic had briefly been wiped from Zoey¡¯s mind, important or not. ¡°This isn¡¯t dangerous, is it?¡± Delta gave her a funny look. ¡°To two third-advancement wayfarers? We¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a real third-advancement. My only personalbat rune is second tier, and I¡¯m unbelievably untrained.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not that bad.¡± She paused. ¡°Anymore. Before, you were. But I¡¯d call you solidly second-advancement now. Your showing at Mel¡¯s shard proved that.¡± ¡°Well, regardless.¡± ¡°Regardless,¡± Delta repeated, ¡°we¡¯re wayfarers. And yeah, I¡¯m sure some of them will be too¡ªwe¡¯re in the Fractures after all¡ªbut I¡¯d be damn surprised if there¡¯s any above fourth at the most, so we can get out of dodge if we need to.¡± Delta considered. ¡°Then again, maybe they will have a heavy hitter there. Who knows what¡¯s going on with those people? So yeah, maybe a little dangerous. That¡¯s life, though. Especially in our career.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we tell Rosalie?¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t find her. Left her a message, though, just in case.¡± ¡°You did?¡± ¡°I have some foresight, thank you. Make a career in wayfaring, remember? Wouldn¡¯t make it far if I didn¡¯t have somemon sense.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Really doubt this¡¯ll be taking a turn for the dangerous, though.¡± A mischievous grin crept onto Delta¡¯s lips. ¡°You know, unless we get a little too ambitious.¡± Zoey looked warily at Delta. ¡°Doubt we¡¯ll find out much by ying things safe,¡± Delta said. ¡°If there¡¯s something credible going on with these people, we¡¯ll need to do a little digging.¡± Materializing from thin air, a pane of ss rimmed by ornate designs appeared in Delta¡¯s hand. ¡°Bet this¡¯lle into real handy, if we decide to do some snooping.¡± Zoey stared at the object with raised eyebrows. The Mirror of Deep Echoes. The artifact they¡¯d earned in the second shard that allowed someone to swap bodies with whoever they pointed it at. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡± ¡°Seems useful for espionage, don¡¯t you think? Not that we¡¯re guaranteed to do any of that. But it¡¯s a damn useful tool in our toolkit.¡± ¡°What, exactly, do you have nned?¡± ¡°Right now? Nothing. I¡¯m just saying, if we head to this and only chat, let them give their spiel, I doubt we¡¯ll figure out much. But with some quick thinking and leveraging of our assets? Well, maybe we¡¯ll find out more than they intend to give out to lowly potential recruits.¡± ¡°Sounds dangerous,¡± Zoey repeated. Delta seemed to be glossing over that point. ¡°Wayfaring is dangerous,¡± Delta said. ¡°I figure saving the world is ten times so. Besides, you didn¡¯t seem so concerned about ¡®danger¡¯ when you had an otherworldly vampire set on you. That was definitely the riskier event.¡± ¡°Mel needed help.¡± ¡°Or is it that you just wanted a fifteenth girl sucking your cock on the daily?¡± ¡°Fifteenth? And, really, stop being so crude.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Delta smirked. ¡°Having trouble with the imagery? If you get hard, you might have a blonde girl all over you? Be awkward while walking down the street, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re doing it on purpose,¡± Zoey used, finally understanding. ¡°Everything I do is on purpose.¡± ¡°Okay, that¡¯s a lie.¡± Delta snorted. ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± she said. ¡°Here, take this.¡± An item popped into her hand, drawn from her inventory. Zoey took it, brow furrowed. It was a mask of the sort she¡¯d find at a masquerade. Colorful feathers adorned the edges, sying out in a show of color. ¡°These are yours?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°Nope, given to me,¡± Delta said. ¡°Our badge in, I suppose. Not that I think security¡¯s super strict. Not too loose either, though.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± Zoey said. Delta put hers on, so Zoey followed suit. The crowded streets of Treyhull had thinned as the foxgirl wound them through the city. Ahead, a man with a simr bright-feather masquerade mask was given entry through double-doors by two burly-looking security guards. It was a more organized event than she¡¯d expected¡ªthough she hadn¡¯t expected so-called ¡®doomsday cultists¡¯ to be organized in any matter. ¡°Honestly,¡± Zoey said. ¡°This will be kind of interesting.¡± ¡°Course it will. Cults always are.¡± ¡°Speaking from experience?¡± ¡°Nah. Bute on, it¡¯smon sense. It¡¯s a cult.¡± Zoeyughed. ¡°Fair enough.¡± 5.11 – Jacquelyn 5.11 ¨C Jacquelyn With masquerade masks donned, Zoey and Delta passed through the two bouncers and were admitted entry into The Church of the Shattered Sphere¡ªthe official name for whatever organization they were getting mixed up in. From the way Delta had described these people, Zoey had imagined raving lunatics posted up on street corners, ranting about nonsense. But seeing this so-called recruitment event, Zoey could tell that idea was wildly incorrect¡ªat least at the higher, more coherent level. Then again, cults had to seem somewhat reasonable to get recruits in the first ce. Zoey had just never thought much about it. Inside, Zoey looked around with interest. The hall hosting the event featured a tall ceiling supported by lofty wood beams. Like most of Treyhull, the architecture was vaguely rustic, though only passingly. Long buffet tables served the dozens¡ªpossibly even hundreds¡ªof people who had shown up. Recruitment must have been a sess, at least insofar as drawing initial attention. Surely not everyone intended to join this ¡®Church¡¯, and were instead taking a look out of vague interest? Though Zoey still didn¡¯t even know what joining meant or entailed. Did these people do anything more than rave about the world ending? What were their goals? The decor and furnishings, though nice, weren¡¯t rich. Most people walked around in their daily clothes, not dressed up for the event¡ªpulled from the streets possibly in the same way Delta had been. Zoey got the vague impression of a g, but the clientele weren¡¯t of the typical pedigree. Lots of chatting, finger food, and an uing speech, but it was more of a casual event than a formal one. ¡°Sweet,¡± Delta said. ¡°I¡¯m starving. Let¡¯s go fuck up that cheese table.¡± Amused, Zoey let Delta drag her along by the hand. She¡¯d already had lunch, but she sampled a few of the itemsid out on the tables, mostly with Delta¡¯s insistence. Purple eyes scanned the various people across the hall, the foxgirl keeping track of her surroundings even while indulging in the free food. Zoey also looked around, though feeling more out of ce than anything. ¡°So what¡¯s the n again?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°Find a victim. That¡¯s always step one.¡± ¡°No, really.¡± ¡°Those people in the ck masks have to be the official members, I¡¯d figure. So we¡¯re waiting on them.¡± ¡°Should we go talk?¡± ¡°Approach them? Ourselves? No way. It¡¯ll seem desperate.¡± ¡°Desperate,¡± Zoey said. ¡°We¡¯re not out looking for a date, Delta. Making the first move won¡¯t seem ¡®desperate¡¯.¡± ¡°Nah, it totally will. Wait for them toe to us. They¡¯ll be more eager to impress, and so they might let something slip that they wouldn¡¯t have otherwise. I wanna know what this ¡®big reveal¡¯ is before we actually get to it.¡± She poked Zoey on the shoulder. ¡°And stop looking at them. You¡¯ll give us away. y cool and aloof. Channel your inner Rosalie.¡± ¡°You¡¯re ridiculous,¡± Zoey said. Though she did as she was told. She guessed there was a certain logic to Delta¡¯s reasoning, silly as it sounded. ¡°You¡¯ve got a pretty girl forpany, anyway. Focus on that.¡± ¡°I do?¡± Delta huffed. ¡°Keep talking like that, and you won¡¯t get lucky on our date.¡± Zoey somehow doubted that, seeing how the topic of a date had been brought up in the first ce by Delta using the words ¡®massive girlcock¡¯, then introducing the idea. ¡°Speaking of, what¡¯d¡¯you have nned?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°Oh, you know. All sorts of illegal activities. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Illegal activities? ¡°Coming from you, I can¡¯t tell if that¡¯s a joke.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be a square. Besides, you¡¯re a third-advancement wayfarer now. You can get away with all sorts of stuff. Laws only half apply to us.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Well, to an extent, yeah. Kind of. Don¡¯t think you understand our social position, even if we¡¯re far from the strongest. Third advancement¡¯s not too bad. Only one out of, I don¡¯t know, fifty people make it here? Less? And that¡¯s of wayfarers, not the general poption. So we have a certain default influence, nobodies or not.¡± Delta hummed. ¡°I guess your cluelessness makes sense, considering your whole backstory.¡± ¡°You believe me about that, now?¡± Zoey set aside all the other stuff to think aboutter. She hadn¡¯t considered her growing ¡®influence¡¯ from the power she was earning day-by-day. And that it would only grow. ¡°I do,¡± Delta said. ¡°It¡¯s batshit insane, but I do. Think there¡¯s been plenty of evidence. What¡¯s that like, anyway?¡± ¡°What¡¯s what like?¡± ¡°You know. Your previous home.¡± So Delta did have some discretion¡ªshe didn¡¯t go shouting out ¡®your home world¡¯. ¡°Uh,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Definitely different. Hard to talk about, you know, here.¡± She didn¡¯t know if someone was eavesdropping, but considering the possibility of enhanced hearing from even a middling wayfarer, she¡¯d rather not go chatting casually about the topic without some guarantee of privacy. ¡°Yeah, fair,¡± Delta said. ¡°Guess that¡¯s date material, anyways.¡± ¡°Our date,¡± Zoey repeated. ¡°Which will be packed with illegal activities?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± She see-sawed a hand. ¡°Again, I haven¡¯t decided. I like to go with the flow. We¡¯re staying flexible.¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± A figure edged into their conversation, and both of them turned. A woman, face obscured by a feathered mask with a base of ck metal, had arrived next to them. One of the members of the Church. She stood tall, shoulders pulled back, hands held primly behind her. A polite smile yed at her lips and green eyes. ¡°Good afternoon,¡± the woman said. ¡°I apologize for interrupting. Do you have a moment?¡± ¡°Sales pitch time?¡± Delta asked. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s only fair. Free food¡¯s never actually free.¡± The woman paused, taken off step. ¡°Jacquelyn,¡± she offered after a moment. ¡°Zara,¡± Zoey replied. ¡°And this is Dalia.¡± Naturally, they were using false names. Probably it was safer to use ones that didn¡¯t even resemble their originals, but this was easier to keep track of. Delta grunted, focused on the buffet table. ying ¡®cool and aloof¡¯, Zoey guessed. Personally, she thought the theatrics a little much, but Delta would know better than her. ¡°A pleasure,¡± Jacquelyn replied. ¡°You know, it¡¯s not often we find wayfarers interested in the Church.¡± That grabbed Delta¡¯s attention. She turned a curious look Jacquelyn¡¯s way. ¡°What makes you think we¡¯re wayfarers?¡± Zoey was also curious. Had she been eavesdropping? They hadn¡¯t been that loud, and hadn¡¯t noticed Jacquelyn hovering nearby. ¡°Dear, it¡¯s rather obvious,¡± Jacquelyn said with a smile. ¡°You¡¯ve been keeping tabs on the entire hall since you stepped foot inside. And not as a matter of paranoia, I can tell. Mere awareness.¡± She shrugged. ¡°More than that, it¡¯s the way you move and hold yourself. Wayfarers always stand out.¡± ¡°The way I move?¡± Delta asked, an eyebrow quirking. ¡°Been watching us that closely, have you?¡± ¡°How couldn¡¯t I?¡± Jacquelyn countered unabashedly. She turned the smile Zoey¡¯s way. ¡°My eyes were drawn the moment you two entered.¡± At the tant flirting, Delta paused. She turned and gave Zoey a significant look, at the same stepping closer and leaning into her side. Zoey wrapped an arm around her waist by a matter of instinct. Jacquelyn didn¡¯t seem surprised by the action. Deltamunicated silently with her for a moment. She smirked at the reply she found in Zoey¡¯s eyes¡ªan obvious ¡®yes¡¯. She turned back to Jacquelyn. ¡°If you¡¯re hitting on us,¡± Delta said, ¡°we¡¯re interested. But aren¡¯t you supposed to be recruiting, not trying to get into our pants?¡± This time, Delta¡¯s frankness didn¡¯t put the woman off-step. Jacquelyn could apparently adjust quickly to disarming personalities. ¡°Can¡¯t I do both?¡± ¡°I suppose you can.¡± Delta plucked another toothpick-skewered piece of cheese off the buffet table. ¡°But sales pitch first?¡± she offered. ¡°I¡¯ll admit we¡¯re kind of skeptical, but we had the day free, and¡ªwho was it?¡ªRobert seemed pretty convinced. There¡¯s proof at the end of this, he said.¡± ¡°Indeed. There¡¯ll be little doubt in your mind by the time you leave.¡± ¡°That sounds nearly ominous.¡± Jacquelynughed. ¡°There¡¯s proof,¡± she assured Delta. ¡°This isn¡¯t a waste of your time, I can promise you that.¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have been a waste in the first ce,¡± Delta said. ¡°I mean, we met you, didn¡¯t we? But, really, you¡¯ve got my curiosity. Can I ask what it is? The proof?¡± ¡°That¡¯d be spoiling the surprise, dear.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not like we won¡¯t know an hour from now. So please? I¡¯m dying here.¡± ¡°I really shouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°As a favor?¡± Jacquelyn didn¡¯t actually seem all that torn on divulging the ¡®big secret¡¯. She gave another moment¡¯s feigned indecision, then took a step forward and leaned conspiratorially in toward Delta and Zoey. ¡°It¡¯s an artifact.¡± ¡°An artifact?¡± ¡°Of the wayfaring sort, yes. The kind I¡¯m sure you two are familiar with ¡­ but not of this sort.¡± ¡°What¡¯s it do?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about what it does.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about what it doesn¡¯t do. Or, rather, what¡¯s wrong with it.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Delta said, sounding for the first time¡ªat least to Zoey, who knew her well¡ªactually surprised. She shared a look with Zoey, whose eyes had also widened. The implication was clear. Maybe Jacquelyn had been too vague for nearly anyone else to understand what she was saying, but Delta and Zoey put it together in an instant. They had, after all, also found a broken item just the day prior. So these people were linked to the corrupted shards. Or someone in their organization had at least been to one before, and brought back a damaged piece of loot. Delta yed her surprise off as the politely interested sort. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong with it?¡± she said. ¡°But what¡¯s that mean, exactly?¡± Jacquelyn leaned back away, giving a knowing smile. ¡°I won¡¯t spoil everything. But you¡¯ll see. The Church of the Shattered Sphere isn¡¯t founded on nonsense, I assure you. Our sins are catching up to us. The Fractures are decaying, and we will be found in judgment of our misuse of gods-granted power.¡± Oh. And there was the cult-ish bent. Zoey had been distracted by the woman¡¯s good looks and friendly demeanor and had somehow forgotten that she was, ultimately, talking to a cultist. A cultist with a stunning figure who was interested in flirting and possibly hooking up with her and Delta, but still a cultist. Delta also took a second to orient to the swerve in tone. She yed it off well. It was a good thing she was the one taking charge of this conversation; Zoey wasn¡¯t a terrible actor, but she wasn¡¯t an amazing one, either. ¡°Judgment?¡± Delta asked. ¡°And misuse of power? What do you mean?¡± Jacquelyn was more than eager to reply, as if she¡¯d been waiting for the opportunity. She leaned forward, a gleam appearing in her eyes. Again, Zoey was taken aback by the torrent of zealotry that shortly poured from her mouth. It had only barely been held back. ¡°Well, it¡¯s clear, isn¡¯t it?¡± Jacquelyn said. ¡°The gods grant us strength to survive in a harsh world, but we abuse it. With strength meant to defend, instead we war and destroy. It¡¯s why our world was Fractured in the first ce, and why it continues to break. Our sins. The sins of those granted divine strength, turned to selfish purposes.¡± She smiled apologetically. ¡°I of course don¡¯t speak of you two in particr. There are just and moral wayfarers, and I would even say more of them than not. No, I speak specifically of the monsters. The d¡¯Celestins and the Harrowgates. Those who abuse power given to us for survival to instead carve out kingdoms and empires. The demons in human flesh.¡± Delta shifted. She didn¡¯t seem to know how to respond, adept at improvisation or not. She shared a hesitant look with Zoey. Jacquelyn seemed to realize she was pushing too hard and too fast with her Church¡¯s doctrine. She reined herself in. The smile she stered on seemed fake, some of her earlier enthusiasm and charm waning. Zoey wasn¡¯t sure whether the woman was disappointed at Delta¡¯s response or at letting herself get carried away. Thetter, Zoey suspected. Or both. ¡°But all that will be discussed shortly,¡± Jacquelyn said pleasantly. ¡°For now, lighter topics? Can I say, your outfit is just lovely?¡± 5.12 – Borrow 5.12 ¨C Borrow The conversation from there went to lighter topics¡ªwith both Jacquelyn and Delta seeming more eager to flirt than discuss the Church and its principles. Zoey trusted that Delta knew what she was doing, so she yed along. It wasn¡¯t like it was unpleasant. Though the sh of zealotry had been off-putting, Jacquelyn was a great conversationalist, and Zoey had always been weak to pretty women. Unfortunately, Jacquelyn needed to extract herself from the conversation; she had other guests to entertain, or rather, recruit. She suggested Zoey and Deltae find her after the event. Zoey was tempted to take her up on the offer, regardless that she and Delta had other goals today, and regardless of the rather disconcerting bit of fervency she¡¯d disyed. By the way Delta¡¯s eyes tracked Jacquelyn¡¯s sashaying hips as she left, then how she quirked an eyebrow at Zoey, Zoey could tell Delta agreed. They silently agreed they¡¯d figure out where that was goingter, though; they really did have more pressing goals. Not longer after Jacquelyn¡¯s departure, the main speaker arrived and got everyone¡¯s attention. The guests, who¡¯d been scattered through the hall either eating or socializing, gathered around the raised tform. There was a decent amount of people, so a crowd formed. The man¡¯s voice was amplified through magical means, carrying far, which meant they didn¡¯t have to pack too tightly together to hear. The following minutesprised Zoey¡¯s first-ever introductory cult pitch. It was a lot more moderated than Jacquelyn¡¯s diving-in of the topics, but held the same general idea¡ªthat misbehavior among those granted powerful sses, bothbat-oriented and not, was causing the literal erosion and destruction of the world. Dressed up in a calm, reasonable tone, Zoey could how people would buy into it. People believed far crazier things, even from Zoey¡¯s world, where magic wasn¡¯t real. And by cult standards, even, she would call it downright tame. They weren¡¯t trying to summon demons or end the world or such. Though, to be honest, the exact goals of the group eluded her. They hardly divulged their full ns. Zoey assumed that was intentional. Deeper integration into the Church undoubtedly led to unpleasant realizations, but initial recruits weren¡¯t privy to them just yet. Following the speech, what everyone had been waiting for arrived. They made a great show of carrying out the mysterious ¡®proof¡¯ wrapped in ck cloth, as if transporting some delicate, arcane artifact. Which was close to the truth, Zoey knew, having been told in advance by Jacquelyn. If they¡¯d really found a ¡®broken item¡¯, so to say, then they were in possession of something incredibly rare. Because had the decaying shards been somethingmon, or the resulting ¡®broken items¡¯, then this small-time cult wouldn¡¯t be thought of as insane people¡ªthe secret would be out in the open, and likely, the world in a frenzy as they came to terms with their fundamentalws breaking down. ¡°Please be advised,¡± the speaker said, ¡°that this will be unpleasant, but perfectly safe. One of our members recently found this in an expedition of hers. It is proof of our ims. That the world ising apart at the seams.¡± Without further ceremony, he unveiled the artifact. Interested, Zoey inspected the item, a clear, unblemished crystal ball. So did most of the crowd. She, as many others, winced, a wave going through the group as a jumbled cacophony of information entered their heads. It was simr to the item they¡¯d found down in their own shard, but far worse. Her team hade upon a ¡®chewed on¡¯ shard, for ack of perfect terminology. The invader had destabilized Mel¡¯s home but had ultimately left it functional and in-tact in the ways that mattered. This item, however, was far more dpidated. Chewed up and spat out, nearlypletely broken. Zoey couldn¡¯t even intuit an impression of what the description should have been, as she had with the remote vibrator. Only aplete, jarring mess. The crowd broke out into worried whispers and even some loud exmations. Zoey, for her part, shared a concerned look with Delta. It was thest confirmation they¡¯d needed. Whether these people had information on the shard-eaters or not, they at a minimum had a member who had been to a broken shard. Lacking any other lead, finding and speaking to that person was the best path toward information they had. The problem, of course, would be arranging a meeting. The woman¡¯s name who¡¯d found it hadn¡¯t even been mentioned. Following the big reveal¡ªwhich was honestly fascinating even to Zoey and Delta, who¡¯d been prepared for it¡ªthe members of the Church obscured the item and carried it away. Zoey tracked it as it went, wondering how in the world they were going to find the proper person to talk to. With the event winding down, everyone was left once again to eat and socialize¡ªundoubtedly to stir up intrigue and increase recruitment chances. Delta tugged Zoey along, headed for the nearest ck-masked member. She was eager to get straight to tracking down their target. Unfortunately, Delta¡¯s attempts at finding a name much less setting up a meeting was met with nothing but rebuffs. Only members could learn more, they exined patiently, which Zoey supposed was reasonable. Delta tried two more members¡ªthough not Jacquelyn¡ªbefore growling and stalking off. All she ended up receiving was a vague allusion that whatever wayfarer responsible for finding the orb was present today, but they would need to be properly inducted to meet her. ¡°Okay,¡± Delta said. ¡°I think I know what we need to do.¡± In a hushed tone, Delta exined her n. Zoey shifted ufortably throughout it. In her time spent in this new world, she hadn¡¯t actually done much that would be considered truly questionable, beyond maybe the dream delving and some public shenanigans. Delta¡¯s ns for forcing a meeting with the mysterious wayfarer, however, crossed more than a few lines. At the same time, Zoey understood her logic. Saving the world would require some less than perfectly-polite measures, and the alternative solution, joining the cult in earnest, was hardly something they wanted to do, or even had the time for. Sabotaging their rtionship with the Church was also not a problem, since they would be leaving Treyhull in less than a week. Still, taking advantage of Jacquelyn didn¡¯t feel great. A moderated approach might ruin their chance at the more extreme n, though. So, reluctantly, Zoey agreed. The first part wasn¡¯t particrly difficult to pull off. Jacquelyn had made it more than clear that she was interested in Zoey and Delta, so when the two of them suggested that they sneak off to a secluded space, Jacquelyn had several ideas for them. In less than a minute, they¡¯d slunk away from the main hall, down a hallway, and invaded a somewhat cramped utility closet. ¡°Perfect,¡± Delta said. ¡°Now, go ahead and tie me up.¡± The foxgirl withdrew a sturdy rope from her inventory¡ªsomething she undoubtedly kept around as a matter of being a prepared wayfarer¡ªand handed it to Zoey. Jacquelyn, naturally, paused at the instruction Delta had given. Delta pressed her back to a sturdy utility shelf¡ªbolted to the wall, fortunately¡ªand Zoey got straight to tying her wrists, torso, and legs down, making sure she was well and secured. ¡°Gag too,¡± Delta said. Soon, Zoey had secured cloth around Delta¡¯s mouth, and some test yells showed she was well and muffled. This far away from the main hall, nobody would be able to hear her¡ªit would be difficult even out in the empty hallway. ¡°Is this ¡­ how you prefer doing this?¡± Jacquelyn asked, confused. The previously excited glint in her eyes had traded for confusion¡ªthough she didn¡¯t seem entirely put off. Zoey paused, then quirked an eyebrow at Delta, wondering the answer to the question. Her gag meant Zoey couldn¡¯t get her exact response, but she intuited the spirit behind her shrug and wiggled eyebrows: Delta wouldn¡¯t be wholly against it. With Delta secured and gagged, Zoey faced Jacquelyn. She grimaced. ¡°I really am sorry about this,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s ¡­ necessary.¡± To save the world, in fact, which outweighed most minor issues over morality. Still, Zoey had certainly never abducted a woman¡¯s body to use it to invade a cult¡¯s leadership before. ¡°Sorry?¡± Jacquelyn asked, still totally oblivious. She didn¡¯t distrust the two of them in the slightest. That almost made it worse. Zoey held up the Mirror of Deep Echoes in front of Delta¡¯s face and pointed toward Jacquelyn. Both of them stiffened. Jacquelyn¡ªDelta, now¡ªlooked down at her hands. She rolled her shoulders. ¡°Huh. I forgot how weird this feels.¡± Delta turned her attention to the tied-up Delta¡ªJacquelyn, now¡ªwho watched with baffled wide eyes, frozen in shock¡ªthen quickly started to struggle. ¡°Yeah, we really are sorry,¡± Delta said. ¡°This is kind of an asshole move, we know. But I swear you¡¯ll be fine. We need your body to do some sneaking around. It¡¯ll be yours again in less than an hour.¡± Panicked muffled noises were all the two of them received. Jacquelyn-Delta struggled against her bindings, but all she achieved was rattling some items on the shelf. She didn¡¯t have Delta¡¯s improved strength; her body was as strong as a normal human¡¯s, and Zoey had tied her down with several loops of thick rope. She wasn¡¯t going anywhere. Delta watched Jacquelyn struggle for a moment, then grimaced a second time. She turned to Zoey, then said, ¡°Well. Let¡¯s not waste any time. We have a cult to invade.¡± 5.13 – Helena 5.13 ¨C Helena ¡°You know, we haven¡¯t been putting this thing to good enough use,¡± Delta said. ¡°Sure, we¡¯ve been busy, but body swapping? There¡¯s some fun we could have.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s focus on the mission,¡± Zoey said¡ªthough she didn¡¯t disagree. ¡°What do you n on saying to them?¡± ¡°No clue. Just gonna bullshit my way through.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°And get ready to run if things go poorly,¡± Delta added with amusement. ¡°I give us fifty-fifty odds. We¡¯re going in a little blind.¡± Zoey shook her head in exasperation. It wasn¡¯t like she had a better n, though. They knew far too little about, well, anything rted to this cult. Maybe formally joining with the organization would have been a safer path, but that would have taken too much time¡ªand who knew what initiation would have included? And Delta at least seemed to know what she was doing, in the sense she wasfortable ¡®bullshitting¡¯. She strode forward with perfect confidence, Zoey apanying her at her shoulder, and she looked every part the image of Jacquelyn. She even seemed to have adopted her posture and mannerisms. Had Delta been studying the woman in preparation for that? ¡°Small boob girls have all the luck, don¡¯t they?¡± Delta said suddenly. ¡°These are so much more manageable. I kinda forgot about it since I wasst inside Rosalie.¡± ¡°Inside her? Don¡¯t phrase it like that.¡± Having rejoined the main hall where the soir¨¦e was taking ce, Delta beelined for one of the ck-masked individuals who were full members of the Church. They had picked the person out beforehand; he seemed rtively important by the way he held himself, and they hadn¡¯t already pestered him in an attempt to get into contact with the mysterious wayfarer. He shouldn¡¯t have a reason to suspect them. Some tactical eavesdropping had also gotten them a name. His eyestched to Delta and Zoey¡ªor to his perspective, Jacquelyn and Zoey¡ªwell before they arrived. Delta¡¯s serious face and quick stride had drawn his attention. ¡°Issac,¡± Delta said. ¡°We have a situation.¡± ¡°We do?¡± He didn¡¯t sound perturbed at the announcement, though he did tense slightly. ¡°Who is this?¡± ¡°Zara. She¡¯s brought me some troubling news.¡± ¡°Of what sort?¡± ¡°The kind best discussed with the higher ups.¡± Delta hesitated, then said, ¡°She¡¯s a first advancement wayfarer. She¡¯s run into something simr as that artifact of ours.¡± Surprise registered on Issac¡¯s face. ¡°She has?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t want to share the exact details. Not except with anyone but ¡­¡± Delta hesitated, as if she¡¯d almost identally revealed the mysterious wayfarer¡¯s name. She falsely corrected herself, preserving the stranger¡¯s identity¡ªthough Delta obviously didn¡¯t know it. ¡°You know. Our friend who found the original.¡± Issac considered the two of them. ¡°Someone should ry the message to her,¡± Delta said. ¡°See if she¡¯s interested in meeting.¡± Zoey wouldn¡¯t say Issac looked suspicious, but he did seem dubious. He couldn¡¯t know that Delta had stolen Jacquelyn¡¯s body, but rather, he probably suspected that Zoey was simply lying. Delta¡¯s tone of voice, though, implied that whatever Zoey had told her had been convincing, which lent Zoey credibility. She didn¡¯t know where Jacquelyn stood in this Church, but she had enough influence¡ªor the story wasn¡¯t suspicious enough¡ªthat Issac only studied them for another few moments before nodding. ¡°Follow me.¡± Nervous, Zoey did so. She hadn¡¯t even gotten a word in. Delta was doing all the heavy lifting in this encounter, and Zoey was more along for the ride than anything. There was the option of actually fetching the broken artifact from Fe, which would obviously give them an audience with the Church¡ªbut that would have taken more time, and Delta and Zoey had been doubtful how much of a run-around they would be given. By stealing Jacquelyn¡¯s body, they were fast-tracking the whole situation, though with much higher risk. With luck, they¡¯d be able to speak directly to the mysterious wayfarer and have a frank conversation. Whether they¡¯d be able to get anything out of her was up in the air, but it seemed like their best bet. Issac led them to a small meeting room deeper into the building¡¯s interior. She wasn¡¯t sure whether this structure was rented for the event alone or the Church¡¯s property. Issac, at least, seemed familiar with the ce, which indicated thetter. ¡°Take a seat,¡± he told Zoey. ¡°We¡¯ll ry what you had to say.¡± Zoey paused. She shared a nce with Delta, who seemed utterly unconcerned with the development¡ªthat she would have to apany Issac to go talk with ¡®the higher ups¡¯. Zoey could hardly imagine a reason to insist that she stayed with Delta, or Delta with her while Issac handled it alone, so she nodded and settled into a chair. Issac and Delta exited, closing the door behind them, and Zoey was left alone with her thoughts. Minutes ticked by, and she realized how poorly this could go. They had a significant safety nket in the form of being third-advancement wayfarers, and were many times stronger than a typical person, but Delta had acknowledged that there might be stronger fighters than them in this organization. And if they did, then Delta had probably just gone to see them¡ªwhile wearing the body of one of their recruits. Delta seemed to be generally good at ¡®bullshitting¡¯, but would it take her that far? Was Zoey going to have to mount a desperate rescue attempt? What a disaster. She was supposed to be practicing spellcraft with Maddy right about now. Instead, she was seated, alone, in the bowels of a cultist¡¯s potential headquarters, waiting for her teammate to infiltrate their leadership and convince a mysterious wayfarer¡ªwho had apparently survived through a corrupted shard¡ªtoe and talk with her. There were so many ways for this to go wrong it was nearlyical. Ten minutester, the door opened, and two people walked in. Delta¡ªin Jacquelyn¡¯s body¡ªand a new woman. Issac didn¡¯t join them; Delta trailed in second and closed the door behind them. Delta shared a quick look with Zoey, who had risen from her chair, and her lips quirked in self-satisfaction. She gave a short, nearly smug nod, to let her know that everything had gone well. Or at least non-disastrously. Zoey was as impressed as she was relieved. The neer was a tall woman, though a few inches shorter than Zoey herself. She had short, wavy blonde hair. Her brown eyes were calm and collected, and she surveyed the room as soon as she entered, noting the upant¡ªZoey¡ªand checking for anything suspicious, a habit nearly all wayfarers shared. When every delve meant possible deadly traps around any corner, it became ingrained instinct to check out one¡¯s surroundings, even in the safety of the city. Delta did it too. Even Zoey was starting to. Based on that, Zoey suspected Delta had somehow managed to convince the mysterious wayfarer toe talk to Zoey. Whether that had been simple or difficult, she didn¡¯t know. The Church hadn¡¯t seemed eager to let Delta and Zoey simply meet the woman without any kind of vouch¡ªand without a reason why¡ªbut maybe now that Jacquelyn had been the one to request the meeting, joined with the im that Zoey had found something simr to their own artifact, they were apparently more than willing. It was fortunate that the wayfarer hade alone. Getting to talk to her without having to deal with other members of the Church simplified things. Unfortunately, Delta¡¯s role in the masquerade had ended. When it came to the discovery herself, and working out any potential information, it was Zoey¡¯s time to shine. ¡°Uh,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Hi there.¡± ¡°Zara?¡± the woman asked. The fake name she¡¯d given. Delta¡¯s had been ¡®Dalia¡¯. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. I¡¯m Helena. What happened to that friend of yours?¡± Zoey nced Delta¡¯s way, but fortunately, that wasn¡¯t suspicious¡ªJacquelyn had been the woman to bring Zoey in. But they¡¯d been paying attention. They knew Zoey hade with Delta. Had Helena heard about how the two of them had been trying to get her attention earlier? ¡°She left,¡± Zoey said. ¡°I stayed.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I wanted to talk about this with someone. She didn¡¯t think it was smart.¡± ¡°So you confronted us alone?¡± ¡°Confronted?¡± Helena smiled. ¡°That¡¯s a hostile way to put it, I apologize. But if you have information on what you say you do¡ªwell, it¡¯s a sensitive topic, isn¡¯t it? Coming alone might not have been smart. Of course, I¡¯m implying nothing. You¡¯re safe here. The Church would never see you harmed. Just, wayfarers tend to be more careful than that.¡± ¡°Maybe the wayfarers you know.¡± Zoey shrugged. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m not worried. I just wanted someone to talk to.¡± Helena pulled out a chair and sat. Zoey, who had stood when they entered, did the same. Delta stayed by the wall, behind Helena. Helena didn¡¯t ask her to join them. This was a conversation between her and Zoey; Jacquelyn was a background character in Helena¡¯s mind. ¡°Let¡¯s get to it, then,¡± Helena said. ¡°Jacquelyn says you¡¯ve been to one of the corrupted shards. She said you were convincing, but only wanted to speak to me. So I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who found it, then?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°Just to verify.¡± Helena raised an eyebrow, but humored her. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And what was the shard like?¡± She wanted some sort of confirmation beyond Helena¡¯s word. ¡°What was yours like?¡± Helena countered, probably wanting the same. Zoey considered how to answer. It was fair she¡¯d have to prove herself first. ¡°Unstable. But I don¡¯t think it was as bad as yours. The item we found was only damaged, not ¡­ whatever yours was.¡± Helena considered her. ¡°I suppose that makes sense. A first advancement would never have made it out, had it been like mine.¡± ¡°And what was yours like?¡± Helena scrutinized her for a moment, debating whether she wanted to answer. She didn¡¯t seem overly reluctant to broach this topic, and if anything, seemed interested in Zoey and her story, but Zoey got the impression this wasn¡¯t something she simply chatted about to anyone. ¡°Imbnced,¡± Helena settled on. ¡°Certain parts of the shard were easier than they should¡¯ve been. Other parts harder. Some aspects of the shard didn¡¯t work correctly. The portals were especially unreliable. I feared I wouldn¡¯t be able to leave.¡± ¡°Ours wasn¡¯t nearly as bad,¡± Zoey said honestly. ¡°The shard mostly worked. There were just strange behaviors.¡± ¡°Like the item you found? And was it just one?¡± ¡°Just the one,¡± Zoey confirmed. ¡°We could¡¯ve found more, but seeing how it was¡ªbroken,cking a better word, we stopped interacting with the shard. We didn¡¯t think it safe. We rushed for the boss and exited as soon as we could.¡± It was more or less the truth, if obscuring relevant details. ¡°And the item itself?¡± ¡°A sword,¡± Zoey said. ¡°We can sort of make out what the description is, but it was distorted. It wasn¡¯t like yours, where it¡¯s total nonsense.¡± ¡°Where is it? And what was the description? Does it behave oddly?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather not say.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Zoey shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t trust me?¡± Helena asked. She sounded amused, not offended. ¡°You came looking to talk to me, not the other way around, I¡¯ll remind you.¡± ¡°But I still don¡¯t know you,¡± Zoey said. ¡°I just wanted to talk with someone about it all. It¡¯s been kind of freaking me out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s reasonable,¡± Helena said. ¡°If the breaking-down of our world doesn¡¯t unnerve you, what would?¡± ¡°Do you know what it is? How it¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°The corruption?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°It¡¯s our sins made manifest,¡± Helena replied coolly¡ªfor the second time jolting Zoey with the transition from reasonable-sounding talk into cultish talk. ¡°We¡¯ve made that clear, haven¡¯t we?¡± The response took some of the wind out of Zoey¡¯s sails. It shouldn¡¯t be surprising that a member of this Church would believe in her own doctrine, but Zoey had been hoping for some new insight with this meeting. Maybe she and Delta had found someone who had been to a corrupted shard, but whether the Church knew anything about the shard-eaters themselves? That had been far from a guarantee, and so far, this conversation wasn¡¯t promising that they¡¯d dig up more. They might havee here for no reason. ¡°And is that what you really think?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°That¡¯s all you have?¡± ¡°All I have?¡± ¡°No other theories? Or specifics how it¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°It almost sounds like you have one.¡± ¡°No,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Not really.¡± ¡°A skeptic. I understand. But what else would exin it? For that matter, how could we possibly know how it¡¯s happening? It¡¯s a working of the gods. Something far beyond us.¡± ¡°I suppose that makes sense,¡± Zoey said, disappointed. ¡°I just thought you¡¯d seen something more, maybe. That this wasn¡¯t all.¡± Helena considered Zoey. Her eyes narrowed the slightest amount. She leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms. ¡°Noticed something else,¡± Helena quoted. ¡°Maybe I have. But have you? In your travels?¡± Zoey blinked. The shift in conversation was promising, though for some reason didn¡¯t seem to be rted to the topic at hand. Zoey asked for rification. ¡°How so?¡± ¡°Not a corrupted shard. Or, in the way we¡¯ve both seen. A different type of corruption.¡± ¡°A different type?¡± ¡°One that acts aberrantly? I thought that was what you were implying.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen ¡­ some odd stuff, yes. From other shards.¡± Zoey was mostly fishing for information¡ªthough she wasn¡¯t lying that she¡¯d seen some bizarre stuff during her short time in this world. Helena considered whether to answer. ¡°Non standard shards.¡± She shifted in ce. The woman had been mostly stoic thus far, so the sudden change in demeanor was immediately noticeable. ¡°Not broken, perhaps, but unlike any other. One that behaves strangely. That¡¯s what you¡¯re talking about?¡± Zoey paused. An idea popped into her head, seeing Helena¡¯s shift in demeanor¡ªalmost as if she¡¯d grown suddenly embarrassed. Combined with the talk of ¡®strange shards¡¯, Zoey¡¯s mind went one ce in particr. ¡°Behaves strangely,¡± Zoey said slowly. ¡°As in ¡­ inappropriately?¡± It was the easiest word to use that hinted at what she suspected, but didn¡¯t outright give her away. Helena¡¯s eyes widened, and Zoey¡¯s did in return¡ªbecause she knew she¡¯d gotten it right. Helena hadn¡¯t just been to a corrupted shard, but she¡¯d been to one of Zoey¡¯s shards? A perverted one? 5.14 – Persistent 5.14 ¨C Persistent The realization was stunning, mostly because Zoey thought her shards were, well, her own. She hadn¡¯t known that other wayfarers could enter them¡ªor rather, she had thought the shard would reshape itself to be normal again. But maybe it didn¡¯t work like that. Maybe Zoey¡¯s presence permanently altered them. Maybe once Mel had gotten a taste of the ¡®more fun¡¯ way to fight, she would start integrating those challenges as a permanent feature. Zoey really needed to talk to that slimegirl as soon as possible. ¡°So you have been to one,¡± Helena asked, leaning forward, somehow even more interested in this topic than the corrupted ones. For that matter, Helena probably thought the two shards were rted¡ªcorrupted in different ways, but from the same root cause. The so-called ¡®punishment from the gods¡¯. Zoey obviously knew better. ¡°What was yours like? Did it include a clone?¡± For the second time, Zoey was sent reeling. A clone? Not-Zoey? That was the shard Helena was talking about? ¡°It did!¡± Helena said, reading Zoey¡¯s reaction. To be fair, Zoey was so caught off guard she¡¯d had no hope of masking it. She was still stumbling to orient to the swerve in conversation. She¡¯de here hoping to find someone who knew more about the corrupted shards, and while that goal seemed to have failed, she¡¯d found someone who¡¯d been to a lewd shard¡ªwhich was its own stunning piece of information. ¡°And did it take your own shape?¡± ¡°I¡ªI can¡¯t believe you¡¯ve also been. Sorry. Give me a second.¡± Zoey took a moment to organize her thoughts. Should she talk with Helena about this? There didn¡¯t seem to be any major reason not to. Maybe Helena could shed some light on something¡ªthough Zoey couldn¡¯t imagine what. But even if Zoey couldn¡¯t get any practical information, she was curious what Helena¡¯s trip through a lewd shard had been like. ¡°Yes, it did,¡± Zoey finally settled on. ¡°It mirrored my own body. The reflection.¡± ¡°Yes! A reflection. That¡¯s what she called herself. You really were there. And did she¡ª¡± Helena paused, then blushed. ¡°Well, you know.¡± She gestured down at her crotch. ¡°Have that for you, too?¡± Zoey stared at her. She could pick up the implication. In Zoey¡¯s situation, Not-Zoey had actually lost her bonus equipment. It seemed when she¡¯d formed an encounter with Helena, she¡¯d gained it instead. ¡°Yes,¡± Zoey answered¡ªskipping the technical correction. ¡°This is crazy. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯ve been there.¡± It also provided some good news¡ªit meant Helena was either second or third advancement, but probably not higher, since Not-Zoey¡¯s shard had been second. It seemed unlikely a fourth-advancement would be delving something so low. Though, could shards reshape their difficulty? The exact mechanisms of shards were hardly a well-understood topic, much less to Zoey, a foreigner. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you have,¡± Helena said. She was the most excited she¡¯d been since the start of this conversation¡ªshe had mostly seemed to be tolerating Zoey¡¯s talk of the corrupted shard. Helena nced at Jacquelyn¡ªDelta¡ªas if remembering they hadpany, then paused. ¡°Give us privacy, please, Jacquelyn.¡± Delta hesitated, sharing a look with Zoey. Delta had obviously also been shocked at the development, though standing behind Helena, hadn¡¯t been seen. Zoey had needed to stalwartly avoid looking at her to avoid giving anything away. At Delta¡¯s concerned look, Zoey imperceptibly nodded at her partner, and Delta said, ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll be right outside.¡± When the door closed, an animated Helena turned back to Zoey. ¡°So. Did you?¡± ¡°Did I ¡­?¡± ¡°Well, you know. Take up her offer.¡± ¡°Her offer?¡± ¡°Surely it was the same. An easier boss fight in return for¡ªyou know?¡± Zoey¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Did you?¡± Helenaughed. The stoic woman¡¯s walls were quickly breaking down. She¡¯d been somewhat stiff during the previous talk, but this one had animated her. ¡°I couldn¡¯t talk about this with anyone, obviously,¡± Helena said. ¡°Even the Church elders. I gave them my report, but¡ªsomeone who¡¯s actually been, it¡¯s different. Liberating, I suppose?¡± She grinned at Zoey. ¡°And you did take her up on the offer, I can tell by that reaction. Good for you. How was it?¡± ¡°How was it? Um, fun?¡± ¡°Fun? Having your own body-double pping her hips into you? Yes, ¡®fun¡¯ is one way to put it,¡± Helena said, eyes sparkling with amusement. ¡°Definitely more of a final event than most shards. Bosses in the future simply won¡¯t hold up.¡± Actually, it had been Zoey doing the hip-pping, but again, she didn¡¯t correct Helena on the technicals. She was still adjusting to the rapid change in demeanor. ¡°You were alone for it, then?¡± Zoey asked. Helena blinked. Her eyes widened. ¡°Right. You weren¡¯t. Wait, how did that work, then?¡± ¡°My teammates swapped bodies. I received the clone. So there was four of us total, including the reflection.¡± Helenaughed. ¡°Incredible.¡± She paused, then sobered slightly. ¡°I mean, yes, I realize this is a product of our world breaking down, a punishment sent by the gods, but¡ª but really, what an experience, wasn¡¯t it?¡± She seemed slightly guilty, as if she knew she shouldn¡¯t be excited¡ªor have had fun¡ªwith the shard. ¡°Have you tried finding it again?¡± ¡°No. Have you?¡± Helena blushed. ¡°I mean¡ª no, of course not. I was just wondering.¡± She definitely had. But by the sounds of it, to little sess. ¡°And the items?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°Did you get anything?¡± ¡°Anything?¡± ¡°You know. Shard rted.¡± ¡°Wait. You got something like that?¡± Helena practically leaned over the table in a tant, excited disy of interest. It gave Zoey a good view of her cleavage, her shirt drooping down. Zoey could even see all the way to her stomach; it was a loose piece of clothing. ¡°What was it?¡± It seemed like the shard Helena had been to wasn¡¯tpletely the same as Zoey¡¯s. Or maybe the items were just rarer. Zoey suspected her ss might modify the rewards. Since she had a lust-based ss, items of that type were far moremon¡ªor possible even unique to her. ¡°It¡¯s really inappropriate,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Are you sure you want to know?¡± ¡°Please.¡± Zoey considered whether she should, then, not seeing any major reason to not¡ªand wanting to further gain Helena¡¯s trust¡ªshe pulled out a reward from the first shard she hadn¡¯t used in a while. She cracked open the wooden lid, revealing six matching pairs of growing-in-size buttplugs, made from a clean, polished silver. Helena gaped, her cheeks tinting pink as she stared at the sex toys¡ªand especially at thergest pair, which were apletely unreasonable size. She didn¡¯t seem put off in the slightest. Embarrassed, but still fascinated and even excited at everything she was discovering. This hadn¡¯t been the direction Zoey had intended for this conversation to go, but at this point, she suspected there wasn¡¯t anything more to learn from Helena. Unless she¡¯d been purposefully hiding knowledge on the shardeaters, she¡¯d simply been to one of the corrupted shards and survived to tell the tale. And in the case she was hiding deeper knowledge, then Zoey could do little to nothing to draw it out; they were strangers, and Zoey had no intention of joining her cult. And learning that the sex-shardscking a better term¡ªwere actually sticking around after Zoey adventured them was a valuable piece of information. Something that made this miniature cult invasion worth it. Lewd shard persistence meant her presence made permanent, possibly irreversible changes to her surroundings. That made some sense, seeing how Zoey was apparently imbued with the essence of a goddess. Which reminded her of another task she needed to handle in the near future. Ephy had told Zoey that she ought to mune the regr way¡¯ if she wanted to speak again, and Zoey obviously did. Ephy was her best source of information, even enigmatic and limited in what she could or would say. ¡°May I?¡± Helena asked. ¡°Go ahead? But, uh. They¡¯re clean now, but they¡¯ve been, you know. Used.¡± Helena only smirked at the warning. ¡°Can¡¯t say I me you. I bet the effect is quite potent. That shard in general seemed generous.¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely one of the better items we¡¯ve found.¡± The sex items as a whole had non-stop astounded Rosalie, and Zoey knew Rosalie was a hard woman to impress in wayfaring topics. Helena took out one of therger buttplugs, then inspected it. She shook her head, equally incredulous and amused, turning it back and forth as she looked it over. Eventually, she set it back in. She gave Zoey an interested look. Considering Helena¡¯s eagerness to talk about this¡ªand excitement when mentioning what she¡¯d been through¡ªZoey wasn¡¯t surprised to see interest of that sort creeping in. She opened her mouth to say something, a teasing smirk starting to curl her lips, but before she could get out whatever she had nned to say, the door mmed open, and Delta rushed back in. As in, Delta. Orange-haired fox girl. Who should very much be tied up in the utility room. ¡°Change of ns,¡± she said breathlessly. ¡°We gotta get the hell out of here.¡± And she¡¯d swapped back to her original body? So Jacquelyn was back in her own too? Zoey and Helena had both bolted to their feet on Delta¡¯s sudden arrival. Helena waspletely caught off guard, and Delta didn¡¯t waste the opportunity. Neither did Zoey¡ªher wayfaring instincts were bing at least somewhat honed, and she snatched the butt plug collection off the table and deposited it into her inventory. ¡°Follow me,¡± Delta said, before taking an inspired path out of the building. Which was to say, she leapt through the window. ss shattered, and the orange-haired foxgirl disappeared over the ledge. Zoey understood why in the next moment¡ªseveral ck-masked Church members rushed through the door, only seconds behind Delta. One was Jacquelyn, looking furious. What the hell had happened? Zoey didn¡¯t bother worrying about that; their masquerade was clearly up. She followed Delta through the broken window and out into the alleyway. She¡¯d never jumped through a window before, and was worried about broken ss¡ªbut that was a mundane sort of worry, Zoey realized, not something a third-advancement wayfarer had to concern themselves with, even without a physically focused ss. She managed to stick thending, then followed a sprinting Delta down the alleyway, headed for the streets proper. They were lucky the meeting room had been situated as it was; if it¡¯d been deeper in the building, not on the edge, then escape would have been moreplicated. Though there were stillplications; Helena, a wayfarer of some aplishment herself, was also out the window in the next moment. Zoey thought she was also a third-advancement, so out running her was going to be tricky. It might even turn into a fight. ¡°Stop! Where are you going?¡± Zoey almost paused, and not because of the authority in Helena¡¯s shout, but the confusion and even panicked disappointment. She¡¯d found someone who knew about the lewd shards and had wanted to talk with Zoey more¡ªand possibly do a few things other than talk, from how quickly the mood inside that room had been shifting. Either way, Zoey couldn¡¯t exin. She didn¡¯t think Helena would be understanding about Delta having borrowed Jacquelyn¡¯s body to earn an easy audience with her. It hadn¡¯t been some horrible crime¡ªand Zoey hadn¡¯t even learned anything important from Helena, besides the idental reveal of lewd shards working for other wayfarers¡ªso she doubted there would be a massive Church grudge against them, though probably a small one. Still, best not to find out; she and Delta needed to disappear. Legs pumping as she sprinted wildly down the alleyway, Zoey fled The Church of the Shattered Sphere, a confused Helena pursuing. 5.15 – Arcade I 5.15 ¨C Arcade I Losing Helena was fortunately easier than Zoey had feared. Bursting into the busy streets of Treyhull, Zoey and Delta quickly disappeared into the crowds. Helena apparently wasn¡¯t willing to leverage any skills or abilities to pursue them, or to start a fight between wayfarers in the middle of the city, and Zoey and Delta had a head-start¡ªand also the advantage of being the ones to flee rather than chase. Even Zoey had some difficulty keeping up with Delta, though the foxgirl made sure not to lose her. Several streetster, and a good five minutes of winding down random busy pathways, Delta came to a stop, eyes scanning her surroundings. Breathing heavily¡ªand only half from the exertion of sprinting away¡ªZoey did the same. Delta took off her mask, which prompted Zoey to do the same. ¡°Well, that was interesting,¡± the foxgirl said. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Got out, somehow.¡± Delta shrugged. ¡°Should¡¯ve put more effort into the bindings. Or maybe the gag. Not sure. If I had to guess, someone heard her.¡± ¡°Then how¡¯d you get your body back?¡± ¡°Swapped over, then snatched the mirror back from Jacquelyn. Would¡¯ve been trickier if she didn¡¯te straight to me. They¡¯re not great nners, these cultists.¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s hypocriticaling from us,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Considering our own disaster of a mission.¡± ¡°We¡¯re all equally bad at it,¡± Delta amended. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯re home free, pretty sure. Lost Helena.¡± She wrinkled her nose. ¡°Probably have to watch out for anyone poking around for us, though. Treyhull¡¯s a huge ce, and the local guild too, but there¡¯s not too many people fitting our descriptions.¡± An orange-haired foxgirl? Friends with a six-foot woman with short ck hair? No, even considering Treyhull¡¯s size, tracking down two wayfarers with that information wouldn¡¯t be exceptionally difficult, though they at least kept somewhat to themselves, so maybe not insanely fast, either. She and Delta had felt okay invading the cult because they wouldn¡¯t be in Treyhull more than a week, but it had certainly opened up a vector of danger. ¡°We¡¯ll keep an eye out,¡± Zoey said. ¡°You at least learn anything?¡± ¡°Not what we wanted, but some important stuff other than that, yeah.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°You heard the start of it. She¡¯s been to a lewd shards.¡± ¡°Confirmed?¡± ¡°Without a doubt. Specifically the one with the reflection.¡± ¡°So it means when you enter a shard, the change is permanent.¡± ¡°I guess it is.¡± ¡°That¡¯s insane. Can you imagine the implications?¡± ¡°Not in the slightest,¡± Zoey said honestly. ¡°I guess I¡¯m spawning a whole new genre of shards. What the hell does that mean?¡± ¡°Not sure, but I expect it¡¯ll be popr with some people,¡± Delta said amusedly. ¡°Gods, I can¡¯t wait to hear what people have to say about it. Wonder if anyone back at the guild has been to one.¡± ¡°Dunno if you should just go asking around.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. I won¡¯t. Just curious.¡± Delta paused, then smirked. ¡°But long term, assuming we hang out near Mantle for a while? It¡¯ll be more than just two shards corrupted by you. You¡¯ll have a whole fleet of them as the months tick by. No chance it stays a secret.¡± Zoey considered that, then shook her head. ¡°It¡¯ll be interesting, for sure.¡± She wasn¡¯t sure how else to describe how she felt about the revtion. ¡°But nothing about our vampire friend?¡± ¡°Not even a hint. I don¡¯t think Helena knows much.¡± ¡°Guess it was a stretch, anyway. A goddess had to clue you in, so why would Helena know much?¡± ¡°At least it wasn¡¯t a total waste.¡± ¡°And a fun adventure,¡± Delta agreed. ¡°Any day we cause property damage is a good day.¡± Zoey gave her an unimpressed look, which Delta seemed pleased by, her orange tail swishing happily. ¡°Anyway,¡± Delta said. ¡°Our date. It¡¯s time for that, then.¡± ¡°Now? Not even gonna regroup?¡± ¡°Regroup? Why? We got away. We¡¯re fine. Time to be on with our day.¡± Zoey was still a bit flustered from the whole debacle, but she guessed Delta had a point. Still, she was impressed how quickly Delta could brush it all off. That could have gone much worse. And to be honest, Zoey wasn¡¯t sure they¡¯d seen thest of Helena. Helena had been exceedingly interested in Zoey and how she¡¯d been to the lewd shard. There might be a blonde third-advancement wayfarer poking around the guild looking for the two of them in the near future. Zoey wasn¡¯t sure that would bepletely a bad thing. She¡¯d have liked to finish their conversation. She just hoped Helena didn¡¯t show up with any major grudges over how she and Delta had recklessly arranged the meeting. She¡¯d keep her eyes and ears open, but there wasn¡¯t much she could do either way about it. She did, for the third or fourth time, wonder why they¡¯d been so reckless. Sure, they¡¯d arranged a meeting with Helena much faster than normal, but there were many things they could¡¯ve done to be safer. And even have stayed in the Church¡¯s good graces. Zoey couldn¡¯t help but feel Delta had been actively looking for trouble¡ªor maybe more urately, excitement¡ªand Zoey¡¯d let herself be dragged along by the whirlwind in fox-girl form. ¡°Okay,¡± Zoey said. ¡°So, our date. Where we headed?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking an arcade.¡± That caught Zoey somewhat off guard. ¡°Arcade?¡± They had those? ¡°Also, I thought we were getting into, what was it, ¡®legal trouble¡¯?¡± How would that happen at an arcade? ¡°You know, noiseints, public indecency, murder.¡± ¡°Murder?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what this is gonna be,¡± Delta said, nodding to herself. ¡°Me versus you, higher points win¡ªit¡¯ll be a murder. A gory one.¡± Ah, that was what she meant. Then the first part of the statement hit her. ¡°Wait, public indecency? You can¡¯t be serious.¡± Delta smirked but didn¡¯t reply. Zoey shook her head in amusement. She gave it fifty-fifty on whether Delta was teasing her or whether something of that sort would actually be happening. Their first date had included Delta jerking her off on one of the long-spanning bridges that went between Treyhull¡¯s gigantic trees, so it was more than possible. Still, a public arcade would be a whole different situation. The bridge had been empty with great sight lines to spot anyone approaching. That wouldn¡¯t remotely be true at a venue like an arcade. But back to the first thing that had surprised her¡ª¡°I didn¡¯t know you even had arcades,¡± Zoey said. ¡°What¡¯s in there?¡± Delta tilted her head, her brow furrowing. ¡°Arcade stuff. Minigames. Balls, darts, so on.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Zoey said. The lower-tech equivalent of what it would have been back home. Plus, if she had to guess, some magic worked in. ¡°Sounds fun.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to head downtown to find one, though,¡± Delta said. ¡°Didn¡¯t scout any in advance. Maybe we¡¯ll see something else we want to do, too. Let¡¯s just take a look around.¡± Delta looped an arm around Zoey¡¯s and leaned her head into her arm, starting them forward down the path. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter too much. I just wanna have you to myself for an evening.¡± *** Delta had been in Treyhull for longer than Zoey, so she knew her way around the spanning bridges linking the trees that made up the city. They found their way to the popted ¡®downtown¡¯mercial district in short order, walking leisurely along arm-in-arm, the chaos of the previous event quickly fading. Checking with a map, they found an arcade without difficulty, and not twenty minutester they walked inside. While the arcade wasn¡¯t the same as ones Zoey would find back home, the simrities were surprisinglymon¡ªand the ambiance nearly identical. Zoey scanned the assorted games with interest as Delta bought tokens. She recognized the goal of most of them, but some were less clear. There were only so many possible variants of arcade-style games, but an alien world had at least a few that Zoey couldn¡¯t identify right away. ¡°You¡¯re about to get totally destroyed,¡± Delta announced. ¡°Just a reminder. Try your hardest, and you might take a single point off me. Though, big maybe.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you, like, cheating? You¡¯re literally superpowered.¡± Zoey was curious how that worked. How did the casual introduction of supernaturally empowered people affect ces like arcades? Because surely Delta was twenty or thirty times morepetent at skill-based games like dart-throwing than the average person. ¡°Cheating?¡± Delta asked. ¡°Yeah, kinda. But we can¡¯t redeem prizes, so it doesn¡¯t matter. Just ying for fun.¡± ¡°Sounds like you¡¯re ying to win, to me,¡± Zoey said dryly. ¡°Wrong,¡± Delta said. ¡°I¡¯m ying to embarrass you with how badly I destroy you, not just ¡®to win¡¯.¡± ¡°You¡¯re in apetitive spirit, I see.¡± ¡°Yeah. And also, shit talking is just kinda fun,¡± she said with a satisfied swish of her tail. ¡°Tell me if I¡¯m being annoying, though.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s cute.¡± Delta perked up at that, though it seemed like she tried not to let it show. Zoey got the impression she¡¯d actually been worried about Zoey taking it the wrong way. She didn¡¯t¡ªand wouldn¡¯t. While Zoey could getpetitive in her own right, she knew she wouldn¡¯t mind ¡®getting destroyed¡¯ if it was Delta. ¡°Alright,¡± Delta said. ¡°What first?¡± ¡°You lead.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t wanna pick the first game? Get an advantage?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got the feeling I¡¯m losing either way.¡± ¡°Yeah, probably. Maybe I¡¯ll take pity and let you win one, though.¡± ¡°How nice of you. ¡°I¡¯m a generous person, I know.¡± She smirked. ¡°And, maybe the bigger reason I¡¯ll go easy on you is I¡¯m hoping to get lucky. Can¡¯t beat you too bad and risk that.¡± yful violet eyes sparkled. ¡°Then again, maybe getting beat over and over will get you nice and frustrated, and you¡¯ll want to take it out on me. That could be fun too.¡± The first game Delta took them to was nearly identical to amon one back home¡ªminiature basketball. A hoop sat fifteen feet away, with a slope down to return the thrown balls; there were other versions with shorter gaps to the hoop, but Delta had chosen the hardest of the variant. Zoey went first. She¡¯d never been athletic, per se, but probably more so than the typical girl. The thing was, she didn¡¯t just do okay over the following minute, but rather, she astounded herself with how well she performed. Miniature ball after ball flew into the hoop, less than one in six missing, even after Zoey started picking up serious speed, sending them in a stream¡ªhaving to let them roll back down, limited by how many she had rather than her sheer aiming and shooting. She¡¯d known she¡¯d grown stronger, faster, and more agile with her passive boosts that came with her advancements¡ªand especially her new skill, which shared stats among all party members¡ªbut this was an impressive enough disy to amaze her even knowing that. Not by what she was aplishing, since her adventures down in the shard had been more impressive and fantastic in the literal sense, but rather the casualness of how well she performed. In a normal setting like an arcade, her newfound powers were oddly more fascinating to her than anything before. A simple stop-watch device announced when her time was up. This world didn¡¯t have electricity and technology figured out, but they¡¯d closed many of the gaps through magic¡ªthe conveniences found in Treyhull didn¡¯t extend just to plumbing and such. Zoey turned to Delta, flushed with excitement. The disy of coordination and speed was far more exhrating than she¡¯d been expecting. She could see why Delta had wanted toe¡ªskill games had be twice as much fun, and they¡¯d been enjoyable enough even as a regr human. ¡°Nah, don¡¯t do that,¡± Deltaughed. ¡°Look so happy about that score, I¡¯ll actually feel bad about destroying you.¡± She chewed her lip, then firmly shook her head. ¡°No, I won¡¯t let a pretty face sway me. I¡¯ve gotta put you in your ce.¡± ¡°By all means,¡± Zoey said, lips quirking. ¡°I wanna see what you can do too, if I¡¯m this good now.¡± ¡°You call that good?¡± Zoey pouted, and Delta reluctantly admitted, ¡°Fine, it was pretty impressive. For a support mage, at least.¡± ¡°Alright, Miss Rogue,¡± Zoey said with a roll of her eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s see how the dexterity ss does it.¡± Delta stepped up eagerly to the edge of the arcade game, then got to work. All the bragging and teasing, Zoey discovered, was absolutely not unfounded. If Zoey had been impressed at herself, she was doubly so by Delta. Not only was Delta¡¯s ss more geared towards feats of precision and skill like this, but Zoey knew this woman was also just a prodigy in her own right¡ªhence why Rosalie had approved of her. Not a single ball missed the basket, despite flying by in a blur. When she¡¯d finished, she turned a smirk Zoey¡¯s way. Zoey only had one honest response: ¡°I already knew it, but you really are incredible.¡± To Zoey¡¯s amusement and nearly incredulity, Delta blushed and looked away. ¡°I mean, yeah, whatever. Not really. But thanks.¡± With some effort, the foxgirl stered back on her teasing bravado. After seeing her blush so easily, it was twice as endearing as before. ¡°You¡¯re just impressed because of how bad you did. I mean, sheesh. What was the score difference? Two hundred to one?¡± ¡°Somewhere around there,¡± Zoey said. 5.16 – Arcade II 5.16 ¨C Arcade II They continued around the arcade, destroying various skill games, Delta much more so than Zoey, but Zoey putting up her own supernatural performance too. As much as Zoey had fun testing her new limits, she enjoyed Delta strutting about and teasing her. Maybe some people would find the bravado annoying, but Zoey found it endlessly cute¡ªespecially because whenever Zoey didn¡¯t rise up to the bait, and insteadplimented Delta, the poor foxgirl would blush and look away. She even pouted about how Zoey ought to be at least acting a little frustrated. Some of the games were difficult enough even they couldn¡¯t get perfect scores. For examples, empowered or not,nding a pinpoint bullseye with darts twenty feet away on every single shot was beyond even Delta¡ªthough her uracy was shocking nheless. As they yed, they of course chatted. The entertainment was background noise, especially to Zoey. She¡¯d gotten a chance to learn more about Delta, and in the frenzy of the past two weeks, that was a rare opportunity. One she¡¯d been looking forward to. "So what¡¯s it like up there?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°I haven¡¯t actually learned much about Haven.¡± ¡°Depends,¡± Delta said. ¡°My answer would be different from Rosalie¡¯s.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fair. You, specifically, though.¡± Delta shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t have it as bad as some. Maybe worse than a lot. I guess in the end it¡¯s not that different from the Fractures. Those who have, have. And those who don¡¯t, don¡¯t.¡± It was more of a serious response than Zoey had been expecting, but she was happy to engage with it. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of imbnce?¡± ¡°That¡¯d be putting it lightly.¡± In a world where people could acquire nearly godlike powers, that made sense. It still made Zoey¡¯s heart pang, hearing that Delta had been in that less-fortunate half. Or probably less-fortunate nine-tenths. She could only imagine the difference between the ¡®elite¡¯ and the ¡®not¡¯ was more prevalent than in her own world¡ªand things hadn¡¯t been pretty there, either. ¡°Fractures might even have it better,¡± Deltamented. ¡°Way more likely to die down here, I guess, but the day to day is better for the average citizen. On purpose. Wayfarers need support personnel, so they gives reasons for people to flock to such a dangerous ce.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Zoey said. ¡°What about you, though? Family? You said you had a dad you were trying to help?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I came down initially. Same as most people. Money. A chance at something more. Didn¡¯t expect to do so well.¡± No kidding. From the sounds of it, Delta wasn¡¯t anyone special¡ªin the sense of status or birth¡ªyet had proven herself an impressive wayfarer in a matter of months, enough even Maddy and Rosalie thought highly of her. Lacking the elite training those two had received, that was really saying something. ¡°Working towards that goal faster than I¡¯d expected,¡± Delta continued. ¡°Expected it to take at least a year to start pulling in the money I¡¯d need to help my dad out, but I¡¯m already third advancement. It¡¯s kind of crazy to think about. I know you don¡¯t have a great idea of what that means, but my time as just¡ªI don¡¯t know, a regr person, is over. Way over. Third advancement up in Haven would live like royalty.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Maybe that¡¯s exaggerating,¡± Delta said. ¡°Actually, it definitely is. But to me? Or rather, us? My family? Not that far. It¡¯d be like royalty, considering where we started.¡± ¡°How hard is it to climb advancements? Normally, I mean.¡± ¡°Most people die in their first few shards,¡± Delta said. ¡°Most people don¡¯t get an insane prodigy for a surprise teammate and an unbelievable ss to help them along. Or make two advancements in a matter of weeks. Or have five runes.¡± ¡°I get it,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Still, reaching third and heading back to Haven makes you practically nobility?¡± ¡°Again, I was exaggerating¡ªwe just really weren¡¯t well off.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°But yes, it¡¯s hard. Hence the payout if you reach the higher ranks. Even if you¡¯re great at this, all it takes is a single bad shard. Say you¡¯ve got a one-in-twenty odds of dying on any given adventure. Go through fifty of them¡ªwell, do the math, right? Even if you¡¯re rtively safe, by doing what we do, over and over, things¡¯ll eventually catch up.¡± ¡°I guess I didn¡¯t think about it too hard.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t me you. I mean, considering your whole situation¡ªand what¡¯s going on now, too.¡± ¡°Not much chance to sit around and just think about stuff like that,¡± Zoey said in agreement. She sobered up. ¡°But back to your dad¡ªyou¡¯re trying to make enough to pay for his treatment, right?¡± Delta had mentioned a while ago he¡¯d been in an ident, resulting in a crippling injury. That event had been the catalyst to shove Delta down into the Fractures, seeking some kind of solution. ¡°That¡¯s the goal.¡± ¡°We could help,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Me and Rosalie.¡± Delta slowed, her next shot freezing. She frowned at Zoey. ¡°Yeah. I knew you¡¯d eventually offer something like that.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Look,¡± Delta said. ¡°I¡¯d be the world¡¯s biggest asshole to put my ego before getting my dad the money he needs.¡± She ended the statement there. ¡°But you wanted to do it yourself,¡± Zoey finished. Delta¡¯s expression soured. ¡°Like I said, that doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°How close are you?¡± ¡°Not close. Third advancement means I¡¯ll start pulling in impressive amounts with each trip, but I just reached it. And wayfaring is expensive in its own right.¡± Zoey sympathized with Delta¡¯s dilemma. Delta recognized that wanting to be her dad¡¯s exclusive savior was selfish, but at the same time, it was selfish in the best kind of way¡ªwanting to be responsible for risking her life to earn the money her family needed. And while she wanted that, she also wouldn¡¯t refuse help¡ªshe just had conflicting feelings about it. ¡°How about a loan from us?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°That way it¡¯s still all your work. But he gets what he needs now.¡± Delta considered. ¡°I kinda figured you¡¯d insist I just take your help,¡± Delta said. ¡°To stop being stupid and selfish.¡± She chewed her lip for a moment, then said, ¡°Wow, you¡¯re really gonna make it a loan? Aren¡¯t we friends? It¡¯s my poor, disabled father.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be an ass,¡± Zoeyughed. ¡°I guess it¡¯s the best I can do,¡± Delta said, growing serious. ¡°A part of me wants to be the sole savior, like I said, but I¡¯ll get over it. Dades first, obviously. You think blondie would do that for me, though? I get the feeling her family¡¯s rich as sin, but loaning me?¡± ¡°She would,¡± Zoey said without hesitation. ¡°But even if she couldn¡¯t, I probably could, soon enough. Sabina seems positive that potion business is gonna blow up at Mantle.¡± ¡°Right. Almost forgot about that. There¡¯s gotta be all kinds of wealthy clientele who¡¯d drop ridiculous money for a ¡®special event¡¯ potion, especially in a capital like Mantle.¡± ¡°And even if it flops,¡± Zoey said, ¡°you can have whatever I make from each of our trips, until you have what you need.¡± Delta gave her an odd look. ¡°Just like that?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± The topic tapered off there, without forming any concrete ns. They¡¯d have to wait till Mantle anyways¡ªZoey assumed they¡¯d follow up then. ¡°So,¡± Delta said. ¡°Can I ask about your past, now?¡± ¡°You mean before the Fractures?¡± ¡°Obviously.¡± ¡°Sure. Though you know a lot of it is still fuzzy.¡± ¡°You said it¡¯s all clearing up, though?¡± ¡°Bit by bit. But, again, fuzzy.¡± ¡°Fair enough.¡± Delta considered her first question. ¡°Shit, where do I even begin with that? Give me the rundown.¡± ¡°On an entire world?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Where am I supposed to start?¡± ¡°Dunno. How about what¡¯s most different?¡± Zoey considered that. "I guess how far along we are?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that mean?¡± ¡°Technology wise. We don¡¯t have magic, but we more than made due.¡± ¡°No magic? Really?¡± ¡°Honestly, I guess it¡¯s all the same. From your perspective, it probably sounds like magic.¡± ¡°How about you stop being cryptic?¡± ¡°Okay. Here: we shoved electricity into rocks and made them think.¡± Delta responded with a baffled look, and Zoeyughed. ¡°I can¡¯t even exin it well,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Couldn¡¯t tell you how it all works at the, like, fundamental level. But one thing led to another, we¡¯ve got a bunch of stuff that you wouldn¡¯t believe. Ways to move across the world at the speed of sound, weapons that can blow up cities, devices that can talk all the way across the world in less than a second. Sounds kind of dramatic, but yeah. Pretty crazy stuff, objectively speaking. Basically magic, but not magic.¡± ¡°No shit,¡± Delta said. ¡°That¡¯s hard to believe. Then again, so was youing from another world, so I can¡¯t say I¡¯m that surprised.¡± ¡°But we¡¯re also less advanced, in some ways,¡± Zoey said. ¡°We definitely don¡¯t have people who can ¡®cut apart a city¡¯ using just, what, themselves. Just will it to happen. Like you say eighth advancement wayfarers can. For that matter, everyone¡¯s the same¡ªthere are no wayfarers. Everyone¡¯s just ¡­ I don¡¯t know, people.¡± She paused, then added, ¡°There¡¯s also only humans.¡± ¡°Only humans? Weird. How¡¯s that work?¡± Zoey shrugged. ¡°Honestly, things aren¡¯t that different, at least from what I¡¯ve seen. Seems to me that everywhere, people are people.¡± ¡°I guess that makes sense. Still, hard to imagine.¡± ¡°All this would have been hard to imagine, too.¡± Zoey waved around, not indicating the arcade in specific, but her life¡ªDelta¡¯s world¡ªin general. ¡°Fair,¡± Delta said. ¡°Okay, but what about you?¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Family? Friends? Remember any of it, yet?¡± Zoey grimaced. ¡°Some. More. I¡¯ve honestly been trying not to. You know, Ephy said she did all that so that I didn¡¯t have anything ¡®weighing me down¡¯. And I kind of want to keep it that way.¡± ¡°Not get homesick.¡± ¡°Worldsick.¡± ¡°Yeah. Sheesh.¡± Zoey shrugged. ¡°So what¡¯s she like?¡± Delta asked, sensing that Zoey wanted to change the topic. ¡°Ephy?¡± ¡°Not everyone gets to meet a goddess, you know. Much less the goddess of sex.¡± ¡°Sensuality, eroticism, and fertility,¡± Zoey said. ¡°I think those are the aspects she imed explicitly.¡± ¡°Just proving my point,¡± Delta said with some amusement. ¡°You fuck her yet?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Is that sphemous?¡± Delta mused. ¡°Even I felt kind of weird saying it. Ephythithys isn¡¯t some small god. But you¡¯ve actually seen her. I guess that means I¡¯ve got a goddess as a friend, through proxy?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t call us friends,¡± Zoey said instantly. She had a ton of mixed feeling about that deity. Arrogant, assumptive, meddling¡ªthose were only the starting adjectives she¡¯d use. At the same time, she¡¯d given Zoey the opportunity to meet Rosalie, Delta, Maddy, Sabina, and so on. And she seemed to be ostensibly on Zoey¡¯s side, even if she was using her as a pawn¡ªthough using her as a pawn to save the world. As for how altruistic that goal was? Who knew. But maybe she didn¡¯t outright hate Ephy either. And if anyone were to be arrogant, assumptive, and meddling, who else but a literal deity? ¡°But, yeah, I guess I¡¯m her ¡®disciple¡¯. That¡¯s what she calls me.¡± Zoey wrinkled her nose. ¡°I need to get in contact with her again.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°She told me to mune the typical way¡¯, or something. Used a dream potionst time. Not gonna work again, she said.¡± ¡°Commune? With a goddess of sex, I can only guess what that means.¡± ¡°Yeah. Haven¡¯t figured it out yet. Needa stop by ¡­ what, your church district? I don¡¯t really know how your religion works yet.¡± She recognized how tactless the sentence was, but also didn¡¯t know how to phrase it better. Delta shook her head, amused at the clumsiness. ¡°You¡¯re lucky me and blondie aren¡¯t all that pious.¡± ¡°Should probably be more sensitive,¡± Zoey agreed. ¡°Then again, I¡¯ve got the whole, different-world excuse.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got your own pantheon, then?¡± Zoey didn¡¯t even want to get started on that topic. ¡°Kind of. Not really.¡± ¡°Illuminating response,¡± Delta said dryly. Zoey purposefully pivoted. ¡°Think you can help me with that, though? Communing, or whatever? Like I said, don¡¯t know where to start. Maybe you can show me around.¡± A grin split Delta¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re asking me to help youmune with the goddess of sex? Yeah, sure. We can hunt down an innocent priestess who¡¯s willing to help. Sounds like a fun evening.¡± Zoey nearly blushed. ¡°You think it¡¯ll be like that? And with a priestess?¡± ¡°Probably,¡± Delta said. ¡°I mean, dunno for sure, but yeah, probably. But there¡¯s gotta be a least one repressed priestess who¡¯ll jump at the chance. And honestly, I¡¯m also a little antsy to get my second chance with one of those potions of yours, so it¡¯s taking care of two problems at once.¡± The growth potion? Zoey was eager for Delta to team up with her using one of those again too. Filling up Mel from both sides with Delta had definitely been a highlight of theirst adventure. Getting to do so with some priestess also sounded like a great time. ¡°You should focus up, though,¡± Delta dered, gesturing at the game ahead of them. ¡°I won¡¯t let you have any excuses about ¡®distractions¡¯ for how thoroughly I destroyed you.¡± Zoey rolled her eyes, but humored Delta. She focused on the game. 5.17 – Revenge 5.17 ¨C Revenge Zoey had always been kind of fond of air hockey, and funny enough, this world had a game that was nearly identical. The bad news was that Delta¡¯s unbelievablepetence meant Zoey was hard-pressed to survive for more than a few seconds on each volley. At the puck mming into her goal for the sixth time in rapid session, Zoey couldn¡¯t help but let out a growl of frustration. She fumbled the disc from the receptacle and pped it back onto the table, determined to win the next exchange. ¡°Oh,¡± Delta said. ¡°I¡¯m getting to you, aren¡¯t I? It¡¯s about time.¡± Another rapidfire bout, and Zoey¡¯s zero-to-seven defeat was confirmed. Delta approached,ughing, and wrapped her hands around Zoey¡¯s waist. ¡°Aw,e on. It¡¯s not your fault you¡¯re bad. Well, I mean, it kind of is, but that¡¯s okay.¡± Huffing, Zoey said, ¡°What happened to letting me win a few? I thought you were trying to get lucky?¡± ¡°Eh, I¡¯ve got the feeling I¡¯ll be getting some no matter what, tonight. See, that¡¯s why you have to be less obvious¡ªkeep me on my toes.¡± Zoey gave her a sour expression, which only prompted anotherugh from Delta. The foxgirl really did seem to enjoy trash talking, and Zoey wasn¡¯t mad at her, exactly, but admittedly she was getting a bit frustrated at her repeated losses. ¡°You know, you¡¯d have more of a challenge with Rosalie,¡± Zoey said. ¡°I¡¯m the wrong person to face off in skill games.¡± ¡°I¡¯d have too much of a challenge,¡± Delta said. ¡°That girl¡¯s a freak.¡± She smirked. ¡°In more ways than one, as we¡¯ve both learned.¡± Continuing to chuckle, Delta stered kisses up and down Zoey¡¯s neck and corbone. ¡°Aw, c¡¯mon. Don¡¯t be mad. You¡¯re just really, really bad at this game. It¡¯s not that big of a deal, I promise.¡± It was hard to stay mad at Delta while having her face held and kisses peppered up and down her, even when Delta¡¯s yfulness was bordering on aggressive. ¡°I think I¡¯ve figured it out,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Why you do this.¡± ¡°This?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve beat me about fifty times in a row, but you¡¯re as excited each time. Why?¡± ¡°Because winning is fun?¡± ¡°Because,¡± Zoey said, ¡°you like being on top.¡± Delta paused. ¡°I mean, yeah. You¡¯re not wrong. Who doesn¡¯t?¡± Zoey grabbed the foxgirl¡¯s hips, then spun her sideways, pinning her into the air hockey table and forcing her to lean back as Zoey loomed over her. ¡°And I don¡¯t mind that,¡± Zoey said. ¡°But I think I should clear something up about tonight.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Delta¡¯s response came, but in a totally different tone from before. ¡°I¡¯m on top, this time,¡± Zoey murmured, leaning close to her. ¡°When I take you back and fuck you, you¡¯re the bottom. You can have all of this,¡± Zoey waved around at the arcade, ¡°but when we get back, you¡¯re my subby little slut for the night. Understand?¡± For a moment, Delta only looked up at Zoey with wide eyes. ¡°Wow,¡± she said. ¡°I really did get to you. Where did all thise from? You¡¯re that defensive about air hockey, are you?¡± Zoeyughed. She kissed Delta. ¡°I just want my own turn.¡± Zoey¡¯s hands wandered up Delta¡¯s hips and onto the sides of her chest¡ªthen inward, cupping her tits over her clothing and squeezing. ¡°I haven¡¯t had a chance to pin you down. To have you begging. And that¡¯s what I want tonight.¡± Zoey bit gently, tugging back on Delta¡¯s lower lip. ¡°Let me rephrase, actually. It¡¯s not what I want, but what I¡¯ll have. You don¡¯t have a choice in the matter.¡± Delta released a shaky breath, her eyes closing as she let Zoey¡¯s hands wander. ¡°I mean, if you insist.¡± ¡°Good.¡± She kissed Delta onest time, a quick peck, then stepped back. ¡°Like I said, just a warning.¡± ¡°Well, why wait?¡± Delta asked breathlessly. ¡°If you¡¯re trying to show your dominance and all that, why don¡¯t you take me right here? You scared or something?¡± The words had the usual teasing edge to them, like Delta was treating her warning as a joke. Zoey frowned, then, with a surge of annoyance appearing out of nowhere, she grabbed Delta¡¯s waist and spun the girl around. She pushed her face down into the table and bent over the other girl, her pelvis pressed into Delta¡¯s ass. ¡°What? You think I won¡¯t? If you¡¯re not careful, you¡¯ll get what you¡¯re asking for.¡± ¡°Nah,¡± Delta gasped back, squirming her butt against Zoey. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t. Anyone could see us here. You¡¯re too much a goodie-two-shoes to fuck me in the open.¡± She rubbed up and down with her butt, teasing Zoey¡¯s crotch even as Zoey had her pinned down. ¡°If you wanna be the top so badly, then maybe you should grow a spine.¡± Zoey growled, her better judgment erasing from some mixture of annoyance, arousal, and pride. She pushed Delta¡¯s face into the table, then grasped around the other girl¡¯s front, finding her pants button and popping it open. She made to yank the fabric down, but gasping, Delta caught her hands before she could. ¡°S-Shit,¡± Delta said, sounding genuinely shocked. ¡°Okay, okay, never mind. Fuck.¡± Sheughed, actively fending off Zoey¡¯s hands. ¡°No, seriously, we shouldn¡¯t actually do that. We¡¯re way too in public.¡± Reluctantly, Zoey let Delta guide her hands away. She stepped back and let the foxgirl turn around and lean up off the edge of the table. She was breathing hard. ¡°But you¡¯re real worked up, huh?¡± Delta asked. Her face was an uncharacteristic red¡ªand her pupils were blown out in excitement. ¡°There¡¯s a perfectly usable restroom like twenty feet away, though. If you don¡¯t wanna wait, maybe we can use that?¡± ¡°What if I want you here?¡± Zoey asked. She stepped close to her for a second time, fingers going to her pants button, popping it open. She slipped a hand down, but Delta,ughing and flushed, grabbed her wrist before she could get too far. ¡°I get it, I get it,¡± Delta said. ¡°You called my bluff. Okay.¡± Rather than sounding at all ufortable about Zoey¡¯s advances, Delta sounded amused¡ªand eager. ¡°Come on. You can punish me for mouthing off in the bathroom.¡± Zoey considered the offer, her arousal and desire warring with her sense of practicality. A part of her really did want to bend Delta over and im her right in the middle of the busy arcade. The air hockey tables were out of the way, and they were alone right now, but people still filtered by here and there. Even what they¡¯d done so far had been risky. Zoey, annoyed at the dy, grabbed Delta¡¯s hand and pulled her, headed for the restroom at a brisk pace. She wanted to be inside Delta now; even a minute sounded like way too long to wait. ¡°Shit,¡± Delta said. ¡°It really did work. I made you mad.¡± Zoey could practically hear the mischief in her voice. ¡°You better punish your naughty girl for how annoying she¡¯s been. Promise?¡± Delta was joking now, but she wouldn¡¯t be for long. She would be punishing Delta for the constant teasing. As soon as they made it to the bathroom, Zoey cleared the space, checking for upants. Not finding any, she pinned a trash can to the door handle to budge it. ¡°Paranoid, are you?¡± ¡°Just don¡¯t want any interruptions.¡± Zoey advanced on the fox girl, and she seemed equally parts intimidated, impressed, and looking forward to what Zoey was going to do to her. ¡°This is new,¡± Delta said as Zoey grabbed her hips and mmed her into a stall wall. ¡°Spirited. Even ounting for my teasing. Something up?¡± ¡°Not really,¡± Zoey murmured, taking Delta¡¯s lips with her own. She kissed the other girl passionately for a moment before pulling back. ¡°You just tend to roll over people, so I haven¡¯t had my own chance to, you know, ravish you.¡± ¡°Yeah. That sounds like me.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s not happening this time.¡± ¡°I¡¯m picking that up. And I think I¡¯m totally fine with it.¡± Zoey ran her hands up and down Delta¡¯s body, exploring her curves. She hiked up her shirt and cupped her breasts. Then she yanked her bra down, freeing the foxgirl¡¯s tits, and Zoey tweaked and yed with her while the two of them kissed. Delta moaned into her mouth, and Zoey savored the noise. ¡°So,¡± Delta said. ¡°What punishment do you have nned? After getting destroyed all night, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re frustrated.¡± ¡°I really couldn¡¯t care less about who won,¡± Zoeyughed, shaking her head. ¡°You really are ridiculouslypetitive, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Maybe a little bit,¡± Delta admitted. ¡°It¡¯s a w of mine.¡± They kissed again, and when Delta pulled back, she said, ¡°You know, for being the ¡®top¡¯ today, I¡¯ve gotta wonder why I¡¯m not stuffed silly yet.¡± ¡°Do you ever stop taunting?¡± ¡°It¡¯s what I do best.¡± Zoey spun Delta around, then pushed her forward, squishing her cheek into the wall. ¡°No,¡± Zoey murmured into her ear. ¡°What you do best is take my cock. I¡¯ll demonstrate.¡± ¡°I bet it¡¯ll be a good second talent of mine,¡± Delta agreed. Zoey wasn¡¯t sure whether Delta¡¯s persistent nonchnce was more arousing or infuriating¡ªthough infuriating in a good way. It made her want to prove something. She reached around Delta¡¯s front and fumbled at her pants button. Popping it open, Zoey grabbed the waist of the fabric and pulled it down, exposing Delta¡¯s ass. She brought her jeans down to her knees, then did the same for her panties. Tugging Delta¡¯s lower half back, so she was bent over and leaning cheek first into the stall door, she¡¯d prepared her conquest for the day. ¡°I¡¯m gonna have some fun with you,¡± Zoey said. ¡°I haven¡¯t actually tried this, yet, you know. You¡¯ll be my first.¡± Summoning the cleaning lubricant from her inventory, Zoey squeezed some of the clear, slippery liquid onto her two fingers, then rubbed it between Delta¡¯s cheeks¡ªteasing the rim of Delta¡¯s asshole. The foxgirl spread her legs instinctively, giving Zoey better ess. ¡°Oh?¡± Delta said. ¡°You know, I¡¯m not against it, but something so big, I¡¯m not so sure.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be fine.¡± Zoey slipped a finger in, and Delta sucked in a breath of air. She spread around the magical cleaning lubricant, wiggling her finger around to work it in¡ªand to loosen Delta up. Zoey¡¯s cock pulsed with the need to be stuffing inside the foxgirl, but she could wait a moment. As much as for warming Delta up, Zoey was having fun just ying with Delta. No need to rush¡ªas much as her instincts begged her to. With her slightly warmed up, Zoey brought the head of the lubricant bottle to Delta¡¯s ass. Teasing the tip at her entrance, Delta sucked in a breath in anticipation¡ªthen Zoey pushed. The head popped in, and Delta¡¯s back arched at the invasion of therger object¡ªthough still not remotely the size of Zoey¡¯s cock. Zoey squeezed in a few spurts of the cleaning liquid, then popped the bottle out¡ªquickly recing it with one finger, then two, and a third. Delta moaned as Zoey wiggled around inside her, slowly stretching her out. With her other hand, Zoey added two more fingers, then gently tugged on either side of her asshole, putting a pressure on the restrictive hole which Delta clearly enjoyed, if her twitching tail and noises of pleasure were any indicator. Finally, Zoey couldn¡¯t wait any longer. She pulled out, fingers slippery, and grabbed her cock. Delta was still bent over, panting with her cheek pushed into the stall wall, and when Zoey pushed her cocktip against her tight entrance, Delta let out a preemptive moan¡ªthen said, ¡°S-Shit. I¡¯m not sure I can take it. Seriously. That thing¡¯s a monster.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll find out,¡± Zoey grunted. Grabbing her shaft, Zoey ran her cock tip around Delta¡¯s asshole, lubricating herself. She pushed her hips forward, teasing entry, and drawing out the loudest groan yet as Delta¡¯s asshole struggled to spread around her. ¡°I¡¯ve got a surprise for you, too,¡± Zoey said. ¡°But since I¡¯m nice, I¡¯ll wait until you¡¯re warmed up.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ¡­ kind of intimidating,¡± Delta gasped. ¡°Ready?¡± ¡°No,¡± Delta said. ¡°But I¡¯m your toy for the night, aren¡¯t I? So, you gonna fuck me or what?¡± Zoey pushed Delta¡¯s face into the wall, then, with her other hand, gripped her cock and guided herself in. 5.18 – Revenge II 5.18 ¨C Revenge II Content Advisory: Distension, cum intion, double cock Delta¡¯s hot asshole spread around her cock, and the foxgirl whined and wiggled in ce as her backdoor opened up. Zoey reached the point of no return, then gave onest little push with her hips to get all the way in. Her cock pushed into the foxgirl, and Zoey didn¡¯t waste time. She started pumping immediately. With one long, powerful stroke, she pped her hips all the way into Delta¡¯s ass, filling her up with fourteen inches of thick, throbbing girlcock. She grabbed Delta¡¯s waist and started pistoning, each impact of Zoey¡¯s hips into Delta¡¯s ass rattling the stall. ¡°Fuck. R-Really not going easy, are you?¡± Delta gasped. ¡°Shit. It¡¯s so much. You¡¯re way too fucking big.¡± Like usual, Zoey was pleased to find that for all Delta¡¯s confidence, being stuffed with that much cock was too much for even her. Her tight asshole squeezed around Zoey¡¯s cock, milking out waves of pleasure with each stroke. More than that, it was Delta¡¯s bent-over position, the moans and whines, that drove Zoey wild. She hadn¡¯t had a chance to truly dominate the foxgirl by herself, with no gimmicks or shard shenanigans. Getting to cram her full and p her hips into her ass was something she¡¯d been looking forward to for a long time. The experience met her expectations. ¡°Do you like it?¡± Zoey asked, bending over to bring her lips close to Delta¡¯s ear. She kept pumping, loud ps echoing through the room, apanied by Delta¡¯s moaning. ¡°My cock? In your asshole? It¡¯s pretty tight. You weren¡¯t kidding when you said you weren¡¯t ready for it.¡± Delta groaned out in response, which was a reply that pleased Zoey; she chuckled into her ear, pping her hips into Delta¡¯s ass harder and faster. The impacts, harsh as they were, started to turn Delta¡¯s ass red. Her asshole squeezed up and down Zoey¡¯s cock, the tight pressure providing an almost mind-erasing pleasure. Zoey hadn¡¯t been holding back, but she lost what little self-control she had. She pounded into the foxgirl as hard and fast as she could manage. The stall rattled with the force of her impacts. Delta¡¯s moans were interrupted with each hit, cutting off to be reced with gasps. ¡°Fuck. Give it to me. Fill my asshole,¡± Delta whined. ¡°It¡¯s so good.¡± Zoey was happy to oblige the request. She pounded mercilessly into the foxgirl¡¯s ass, the sound of their skin pping together loud and lewd in the confined space of the bathroom. Delta¡¯s tight asshole squeezed around her cock with each thrust, massaging up and down fourteen inches of her cock. Wet, warm heat wrapped her, coaxing her higher and higher. It was intoxicating, getting to pin Delta against the wall and fuck her so violently in the ass. More than just the sensation and having her whine and cry out, having control over such an unwieldy, unyielding personality drove her wild. As much as because of the pleasure of being inside Delta, Zoey pumped desperately into the other girl, growling with her energetic effort. She wanted to take her apart, to p into her with enough violence to turn her mind to mush. She wanted Delta a whimpering mess by the time she finished fucking her. Delta seemed to be enjoying having her ass abused and used as much as Zoey enjoyed delivering the pounding. She pushed her hips back into Zoey, matching her tempo. ¡°Fill me up?¡± Delta asked, feeling Zoey¡¯s twitching cock inside her, rapidly approaching her climax. ¡°Cum in my ass? Your naughty girl wants it. Please.¡± Zoey dragged the fox girl up, and Delta twisted around to bring her lips to Zoey¡¯s. Zoey kept pumping, loud ps of flesh bouncing around the restroom. It had to be audible even from outside, but she didn¡¯t care. One hand gripped Delta¡¯s neck, and the other rubbed at the foxgirl¡¯s pussy as she continued to pump the foxgirl full of girlcock. ¡°Please, please,¡± Delta gasped, pulling away. ¡°Fill up my tight asshole with your cum. Your hot, sticky load. I want it.¡± The earnestness in the begging had Zoey¡¯s cock twitching and growing hotter inside her partner. She wouldn¡¯tst much longer. ¡°My little cum dumpster wants her first load?¡± Zoey growled. ¡°Then keep begging, and maybe I¡¯ll give it to her.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Delta whined, thrusting herself onto Zoey¡¯s cock desperately. ¡°Your filthy little cum slut wants you to finish in her ass. Give it to me.¡± Zoey grabbed Delta¡¯s legs, then forcefully picked her up. She pinned her knees back, then started bouncing the girl up and down on her cock, lifting her up with each loud p of her pelvis into Delta¡¯s ass. Her newfound strength really came with some benefits; she handled Delta¡¯s weight easily. ¡°Here ites, then,¡± Zoey groaned. ¡°You ready?¡± ¡°Please. I need it.¡± pping her hips forward onest time, and her entire body tensing, Zoey buried herself into Delta¡¯s asshole and let go. Her orgasm washed over her in an explosion of pleasure. Her girl cock throbbed, swollen with the liquid fire that rushed up and through her cock. Every inch pulsed inside Delta as hot, thick ropes spurted into the foxgirl resting on Zoey¡¯s hips, legs pinned back in her grip. Delta whimpered with each spurt, Zoey¡¯s sticky cum filling her up bit by bit. More and more of her insides was coated with the hot liquid, before finally it started dripping out, nowhere else to go. Zoey¡¯s entire body ached with pleasure, and she kept pumping, slowly working her hips back and forth, milking out as much as she could. Finally, expended, Zoey pulled out and set the unsteady Delta back onto her feet. Though nearly dizzy from her explosive finish, Zoey had a lot more in stow for the foxgirl¡ªand purple eyes widened when she recognized that. ¡°So,¡± Delta said, nearly timid at seeing Zoey¡¯s expression. ¡°Let me guess. That surprise you were talking about?¡± Zoey grabbed Delta¡¯s waist, then carried her over to the sink and ced her there. Delta leaned back as Zoey pped down her cum-slick cock onto her stomach. Zoey¡¯s load coated Delta¡¯s thighs¡ªthough she seemed to have kept most of her cum inside her. She had to be unbelievably full, considering the bucket loads Zoey spewed out. Zoey nned on filling her up even further. She wondered whether she could even make the foxgirl bulge with her cum, especially with the help she¡¯d have for this next round. The idea drove her wild. Delta stared down at Zoey¡¯s fourteen inch cock draped across her body, reaching up to her breasts. Withdrawing today¡¯s surprise from her inventory, Zoey downed the magical liquid. Purple eyes widened¡ªthen widened further as she watched Zoey¡¯s transformation take ce. Soon, not just one fourteen inch monster pulsed against her stomach, but two. ¡°You¡¯re kidding me,¡± Delta said. ¡°Not in the slightest.¡± Before Delta could even really protest, Zoey pulled back her hips and lined up her first tip. The foxgirl moaned as her lower cock prated her asshole, ending the tight hole¡¯s brief reprieve. Zoey¡¯s drew her hips back and pped forward, and her second cockid out against her pussy¡ªrubbed against Delta¡¯s lower lips as she thrust back and forth inside Delta¡¯s asshole. ¡°No, seriously,¡± Delta groaned. ¡°Two? I can¡¯t handle one.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll do your best.¡± Zoey pulled out of Delta¡¯s asshole, then lined up both her cocks at the same time. Her heart mmed in her chest as she looked down. Getting to im both of Delta¡¯s holes at once. She couldn¡¯t imagine how pleasurable it would be. She¡¯d find out in a only a second. Sucking in a little breath of air, Zoey pushed her hips forward. Two cocks slid into two holes. Delta¡¯s back arched and her entire body clenched as she whined at the insane pressure. Zoey could barely believe how tight the fit was. She had to push hard to get herself to slip in. Not only could Delta barely amodate her girth, but Zoey felt her cocks struggling against each other, rubbing between a thinyer of skin inside the foxgirl as she pushed deeper and deeper. With her asshole already stuffed fulled, the bulge of Zoey¡¯s cock on Delta¡¯s stomach was far more noticeable than usual. Zoey pushed her hips forward, sliding into Delta inch by inch, and the mound of her cock tip advanced up her stomach. She grabbed Delta¡¯s waist and slid the girl down onto her, getting as deep as she could¡ªuntil two fourteen inch cocks were sheathedpletely inside her. ¡°There it is,¡± Zoey said, marveling at the sight almost as much as the sensation. ¡°My cock sheathe. Good girl. How is it?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t¡ªcan¡¯t even describe it,¡± Delta gasped. ¡°Good. Now tell me how this is.¡± Gripping Delta¡¯s waist for leverage, Zoey got to work. She pounded into the foxgirl, returning to the quick, powerful pace from before¡ªbut now with Delta taking twice the cock. Both of her tight holes squeezed around Zoey, and the cocktail of pleasure was unbelievable. By the writhing and moaning of the orange-haired girlid out across the sink, Zoey could intuit the same could be said for her partner. Each thrust had Delta¡¯s stomach bulging wherever her cock traveled. Even one of Zoey¡¯s cocks could have that effect, but stacked on top of each other, Delta¡¯s body simply couldn¡¯t amodate the massive amounts of girlcock, and her thrusts were were inly visible, her distended stomach tracking the movement of Zoey¡¯s cock through her body. Delta had been right that she wouldn¡¯t be able to ¡®handle it¡¯. She fell apart under Zoey¡¯s thrusting. She went nearly ck in Zoey¡¯s grip as she held Delta¡¯s waist and pped her lower half into the foxgirl, mming two thick fourteen inch girlcocks as deep into her as she could. Her stomach bulged with each impact, loud ps of flesh ovepping with Zoey¡¯s grunts. Zoey would have been concerned by Delta¡¯s ckening posture if not for the moans and whines the foxgirl was making¡ªeven if she was losing control of her body, her mind overwhelmed by taking so much girlcock. She¡¯d wanted to teach this girl a lesson, and she was aplishing it. The realization had Zoey¡¯s lips curling and her hips picking up speed. With new vigor, she pounded into Delta, savoring the foxgirl¡¯s two tight holes sheathing her cock, the insane tightness that doubling up provided both of them. ¡°Fuck,¡± Delta said. ¡°Fuck. Fuck. It¡¯s too much.¡± ¡°You¡¯re doing great,¡± Zoeyughed. ¡°This is what you were made for. Taking cock. My cock. Isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°D-Definitely.¡± ¡°You like being my cock sheathe? My toy to y with?¡± ¡°So much.¡± For a while, Zoey pounded into Delta, bouncing her up and down on the sink she wasid across. Unfortunately, the sensation of being squeezed so tightly, and being massaged by two holes at once, was impossible to resist. Especially when it was Delta. The hot pleasure of her impending climax grew faster and faster, impossible to ignore. ¡°You ready for your second load?¡± Zoey grunted. Delta nodded, her eyes having turned somewhat hazy. She stared down at her stomach, where Zoey¡¯s cocks bulged it upward with each thrust. She ced both hands there, feeling herself being used. She seemed entranced by the sight. Zoey was too. ¡°Fill me up,¡± Delta breathed. ¡°Every drop. Make me bulge.¡± Grunting, Zoey entered the home stretch, gripping Delta¡¯s waist and pping into her with desperate fervency. Heat radiated from both her cocks, quickly building. Her climax rushed up, Delta¡¯s pussy and asshole milking her out as the foxgirl came to her own climax. Zoey came at the same time. With a final, powerful thrust, she buried into Delta and let go. Waves of explosive hot pleasure crashed through her, electrifying her muscles. She twitched with ecstasy, bent over Delta as hot ropes of cum shot into the foxgirl. Zoey¡¯s hips bucked in small twitches as she worked out string after string, emptying herself into her partner, filling Delta up until she was bulging. The outline of her cock erased, stomach pushing outward as two sticky bucketloads of Zoey¡¯s cum ejected into her asshole and pussy. The spurts came even faster and thicker than usual, her desire to see Delta bulging milking out even more of an explosive finish. And Delta had already been halfway filled up by her first assfucking. Delta whimpered and whined as her stomach filled out. Zoey worked in and out of her, slowly, coaxing out as much hot cum inside her as she could summon. Finally, Zoey stepped back, pulling two cocks out and admiring her handiwork. Deltay there, slouched against the bathroom sink, exhausted and sweaty. Cum dripped from both her stretched-out holes, and her normally t stomach was rounded several inches high, her hands ced there, cradling one of Zoey¡¯s most thorough finishes yet¡ªfrom two weapons instead of one. The sight almost stirred her two cocks back to full mast, despite just having literally just finished. She stepped forward and kissed Delta,ughing into her lips. ¡°Good job. There you go. You did it. But, do you think you could take another round?¡± 5.19 – Mini-Goo I 5.19 ¨C Mini-Goo I Content Advisory: Miniature slimegirls (and the stuff you¡¯d expect with that) Zoey and Delta exited the arcade restroom with some awkwardness, having obviously gotten carried enough to be heard by anyone passing by. Loud, semi-public hijinks dide with an unfortunate reality¡ªand in this case, it was the ufortable, blushing young employee who told them they had to leave. The two of them had at least cleaned up after themselves. That was the bare minimum of consideration they could give. Delta walked a bit funny on their way back to the guild. She¡¯d handled bigger problems than what Zoey had just given her¡ªnamely down in the second shard, with that special encounter¡ªbut that had been with the help of a stretchiness potion. Two fourteen inch cocks had pushed the poor foxgirl to her limit, even ounting for Zoey¡¯s passive amodation skill. ¡°You don¡¯t have to look so smug about it,¡± Delta said, elbowing her. ¡°Yes, I can¡¯t walk straight. Of course I can¡¯t. It still hurts.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t go too hard, did I?¡± ¡°Back to sweet and caring, now?¡± Delta snorted. ¡°Yes, two of those monsters was too much. And I can¡¯t wait for it to happen again.¡± That was something, at least. She did feel a bit bad about how roughly she had used Delta, even if it seemed she was happy about the situation. They made it back to the guild with Delta hanging on Zoey¡¯s arm the whole way through¡ªand this time, probably because she halfway needed the help to walk. Even with a wayfarer¡¯s massively improved constitution, being stretched in the way Zoey had punished her, Delta might need a night¡¯s rest before she was fully recovered. She tried not to feel smug about that, but failed. They split off to their own rooms to get cleaned off. Zoey would have joined Delta in the shower if she didn¡¯t fear being unable to help herself from ravishing the foxgirl another round¡ªand she really thought Delta needed the break. Walking in, something sitting on the nightstand caught her eye¡ªan item that Zoey had halfway forgotten about until just now. The jar of green goo that Mel had given her had changed. Before, it had just been a green puddle sitting at the bottom of the ss container, seemingly inert. Mel had said it was ¡®her¡¯, in a way, so Zoey hadn¡¯t stored it in her inventory; she carried it along the manual way. But rather than being a jar with some green gtin at the bottom, it was a jar with a person inside, now. Or rather, a miniature slimegirl. Not more than seven or so inches tall, not even reaching the top of the jar itself¡ªwhich was arge, thick piece of ss meant for alchemy reagent collection. Shocked, Zoey came closer. Having also seen Zoey, the green goo-girl inside patted the ss jar in excitement, then waved rapidly at her. ¡°Mel?¡± Zoey asked. The goo-girl continued to cheerfully go wild, ecstatic at Zoey¡¯s arrival. Her bouncy curves were as generous as Mel¡¯s¡ªand as on disy. She was more or less an exact replica, just scaled down. ¡°Mel? That¡¯s you? Really?¡± Zoey grabbed the jar and lifted it up to get a better look. Inside, the goo-girl hesitated, then shrugged. She nodded, then shook her head. ¡°You can understand me?¡± A nod. ¡°But ¡­ can¡¯t talk?¡± Another nod. ¡°Huh,¡± Zoey said. What did she mean by the confusion in her response to ¡®are you Mel¡¯, then? She had both nodded and shook her head. Then, she both was and was not Mel? She guessed for a separate entity spawned from Mel¡¯s body, that made some kind of sense. Maybe they hade from the same temte and she had Mel¡¯s memories, but technically wasn¡¯t Mel? ¡°Here, let me get you out of there.¡± She uncapped the jar, then held a few fingers down into the space, which the goo-girl eagerly grabbed onto. She was, like Mel, warm and sticky to the touch. Zoey lifted her out, then set her on her palm. She held her, the experience feeling somewhat surreal¡ªhaving a sapient mini-Mel sitting there in her palm, beaming at her. Then, something that Zoey probably should have expected happened. Mel pointed at Zoey¡¯s crotch, then pointed at her own mouth. ¡°Uh,¡± Zoey said. Mel repeated the action, then stomped her foot and crossed her arms. ¡°Mel said you¡¯d need to be fed,¡± Zoey said. ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re asking?¡± Gooey green hair bounced as mini-Mel nodded rapidly. She gave two thumbs up and a bright smile. ¡°How¡¯s that supposed to work?¡± Zoey asked, a bit incredulously. The goo-girl was like, seven inches tall. She pointed insistently at Zoey¡¯s crotch, then mimed dragging her pants down. Then she mimed some cruder actions, and Zoey¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You want to handle it yourself?¡± Mel looked at her incredulously. Which, yeah. Obviously Mel would want to handle the extraction herself. But with a seven-inch version of her body? Seriously, how would that even work? Zoey¡¯s cock was literally bigger than her. Zoey kind of wanted to find out¡ªeven if the idea was pretty weird. But weird wasn¡¯t bad. Plenty of things she¡¯d gotten up to recently were weird. Still, a seven inch slimegirl? Pleasuring her? Mel stomped her foot impatiently, demanding to know why Zoey was hesitating. She was, it seemed, eager to get started. Well. Might as well, then. The poor goo-girl did need to be fed. Zoey ced Mel onto the bed, then sat herself, tossing off her shoes and wiggling down her pants. Despite having just emptied herself into Delta several times, her cock had already grown to full mast. Ephy¡¯s blessing really came with a versatile, always-ready tool. She took off the portal panties next, revealing the fourteen inches of twitching girlcock¡ªa sight that Mel, to her side, audibly cheered at. She couldn¡¯t talk, apparently, but could still make noises. The miniature slime girl threw herself onto Zoey¡¯sp, arms wrapping around the giant member she would soon be extracting her meal from. After wiggling her body against Zoey¡¯s cock for a moment, the slime girl seemed toe to terms with the reality of the situation. She stepped back and frowned. She shared a nce with Zoey. ¡°Yeah,¡± Zoey said dryly. ¡°That¡¯s what I was saying.¡± Mel¡ªor mini-Mel, she supposed, but sharing the name was easier¡ªgave a firm, determined nod, indicating she wouldn¡¯t be dissuaded from her task. She wanted to handle extraction herself, so she would figure out the inconvenience of the size difference. Her body rippled, and after a shapeshifting attempt¡ªa skill even miniature slimes apparently had¡ªshe managed to put on about two more inches. Which left her at nine, five short of Zoey¡¯s own cock. Still, it closed the gap somewhat. Maybe Mel would be able to grow more in the future, but she didn¡¯t have enough mass to manage it right now. Presumably she¡¯d one day grow back to a normal sized slimegirl, though that was guessing on Zoey¡¯s part. This was obviously unexplored territory. Now a bit taller, Mel hugged Zoey¡¯s cock a second time, and Zoey let out a soft sigh, cock twitching in pleasure as the sticky, hot slime of Mel¡¯s body massaged her. Her tits pressed into the pir of Zoey¡¯s cock, and she rubbed her body up and down. Zoey would give the slimegirl credit; the tight squeeze of her body, and the warm, sticky slime sliding against her cock, felt pretty good. It might take longer than usual, but if she worked hard at it, Mel could aplish her goal. Zoey leaned back on her elbows and enjoyed the show. Mel worked away, massaging her shaft, for about a minute before she stepped back and considered a better approach. She looked around the room, then pointed at a pillow, then at the base of Zoey¡¯s cock. She intuited what the slimegirl wanted: a tform. Zoey grabbed two pillows and stacked them on her thighs. The slimegirl climbed up, now in reach of Zoey¡¯s cock tip¡ªsomething she took advantage of. She hugged around the ridge of Zoey¡¯s tip, sliding her arms up and down, making her cock twitch in pleasure. A bead of precum leaked out, and Mel happily cleaned it up. She ran her tongue and mouth across the head of Zoey¡¯s cock, still rubbing her tits and arms around the ridge, and her stomach and lower body across her shaft. Zoey exhaled, the pleasure building. Mel knew her way around a cock, and her hot and sticky body provided an amazing sensation, especially when her assault was focused on the more sensitive tip. She pleasured Zoey that way for a while. Eventually, though, Mel wanted more. With some effort, she grappled up Zoey¡¯s cock until she she was perched on top of it. She straddled Zoey¡¯s cock head, rubbing her lower half into Zoey¡ªas if she were trying to prate herself. The idea made her heart jump, but Zoey couldn¡¯t help but let out a short, incredulousugh. ¡°That¡¯s not gonna work, Mel,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Seriously? Come on.¡± Mel pouted. She continued to rub her lower half against Zoey, desperately trying to work herself down. She gave a pointed look to Zoey, as if saying, ¡®Come on. At least try. Help me.¡¯ Zoey hesitated. Would it be possible? Mel was a slime girl; she could expand about as much as she needed to. And Zoey had a skill to help too. But really? She was nine inches tall. Seeing the curvy miniature goo-girl desperately rub herself against her cock tip, Zoey made up her mind. There was no harm in trying. She reached out and grabbed Mel by the torso, enveloping the girl with her hand. Mel was asking for it. She gripped Mel tight around her stomach, her hand engulfing the miniature slime entirely, then pressed down, lowering the sticky slime girl down onto her cock. Mel¡¯s thighs brushed around her cock head as Zoey pressed, and Mel wiggled back and forth, helping where she could, too. Zoey grunted as she pushed harder, and to both of their surprises, Mel¡¯s tight entrance finally started to open up. At the enticing sensation, Zoey couldn¡¯t help herself. She shoved down, forcing Mel onto her. Her cock slid into Mel¡¯s tiny body. Squishy hot slime squeezed around her from all sides, and Zoey let out a gasp at the insanely constricting sensation. Mel wiggled and whined atop her, crying out in pain and pleasure as Zoey¡¯s cockhead pushed forward to be suspended in her see-through stomach, bulging it outward. ¡°Fuck,¡± Zoey moaned. ¡°It worked.¡± She stared, enraptured at the sight¡ªand the sensation. ¡°I¡ªI want more.¡± She didn¡¯t give the slimegirl a chance to reply, pushing down harder to slide herself deeper into Mel¡¯s body. Her cock slid up several more inches, Mel¡¯s sticky, flexible form barely able to fit her. Zoey grunted, then lifted Mel up, then pped her back down, sliding the top four inches of her cock all the way up to the top of her torso, using the tiny slimegirl as a personal cocksleeve. Mel moaned as Zoey slowly started pounding into her miniature body. Her slime wobbled and jiggled with each hard p, Zoey using her like a pocket-pussy. She stroked herself, Mel¡¯s pussy providing an unbelievable pressure, and feeling the grip of her hand, too. She worked Mel up and down her cock, hard and fast, her goo pping and squelching as Zoey¡¯s cock filled her up over and over. ¡°You¡¯re so fucking tight,¡± Zoey groaned. ¡°God, Mel, I can¡¯t believe it. Can I¡ªCan I finish in you?¡± Mel nodded rapidly. She hugged her own stomach, bouncing up and down as Zoey¡¯s cock filled then unfilled her. Her eyes had zed over, the extreme pressure almost too much for even the insatiable goo-girl. With each thrust, Mel''s flexible body was pushed to its limits, her skin stretching and bulging outward as Zoey''s massive cock slid deep inside her. But still, Mel moaned and gasped in pleasure,pletely lost in the sensation of being stretched and filled by Zoey''s cock. Zoey jerked her hips in small thrust and used the miniature woman as a stroker, her pleasure slowly building. The sensation of Mel''s tight, stretched body enveloping her cock turned her thoughts hazy. She wanted to explode inside the goo-girl, to stuff her tiny body with wave after wave of hot cum. ¡°Okay,¡± Zoey grunted. ¡°You ready?¡± At another bout of rapid nodding, Zoey gripped Mel with both hands and pumped desperately, Mel¡¯s stomach and body distending outward. Mel shook atop her, her entire body contracting as she came to her own climax, and the somehow-tighter pressure of her orgasm milked out Zoey¡¯s own finish. She came hard, filling Mel up with warm seed. Zoey trembled and shook, toes curling as she spurted deep inside Mel, the goo girl taking everything she had to give. Mel let out a low, groaning moan as she was filled up with ejection after ejection, stomach stretching wider with each pulse of hot, thick, sticky girl cum. Zoey held her toy there for a moment, savoring the sight of her bulging stomach as she came down from her high. Cum poured from Mel and down Zoey¡¯s cock, even Mel¡¯s stic body unable to handle the entire load. Mely slumped in her grip, twitching as she likewise came down from her explosive high. Both of her hands rested on her rounded stomach, cradling her hard-earned load. Finally, Zoey pulled Mel off of her, her dick leaving with a squelch. Mel mped down with her hands between her legs, stopping her meal from escaping. She gave Zoey a hazy-eyed look, then forced a smile, satisfied despite her exhaustion. Zoey shook her head, incredulous at what had happened, and a bit embarrassed, thenughed. She stood and carried the goo-girl back to her jar and put her inside. Well. That had been an unexpected detour. 5.20 – Catching Up 5.20 ¨C Catching Up Following mini-Mel¡¯s feeding, Zoey returned to her original goal: getting cleaned. A quick showerter, Zoey stepped out, feeling fresh¡ªall the sweat and other sticky substances cleaned off her skin. A quick nce showed mini-Mel luxuriating in her jar, happily stuffed full. The sight was a bit odd, and Zoey blushed before looking away. That had definitely been one of her stranger misadventures. Zoey had barely settled on the bed and cracked open her alchemy textbook¡ªher standard free-time filler¡ªbefore the rummaging-around of a key in a lock announced Rosalie¡¯s return. The blonde strode in, a distracted look on her face. ¡°Wee back.¡± ¡°Thanks. How was ¡­¡± Rosalie trailed off, eyestching to Mel¡¯s jar. Ever attentive, it hadn¡¯t taken long for Rosalie to see it. Inside, aatose, stomach-bulging mini-slime rested, wearing the easily identifiable expression of someone well-fucked to near unconsciousness. Rosalie stared at the jar for a moment, then turned two raised eyebrows at Zoey. ¡°Uh. I can exin?¡± ¡°Is that Mel?¡± ¡°Sort of.¡± ¡°And is that cum?¡± ¡°Well, yeah.¡± ¡°You came inside a seven-inch version of Mel.¡± ¡°She asked politely?¡± Rosalie stared incredulously at her, then shook her head. ¡°After today, who am I to talk? I suppose we¡¯re both degenerates.¡± "Both of us? What happened?¡± Zoey¡¯s mind of course went to that interruption back during Sabina¡¯s alchemy lessons¡ªwhen Rosalie had decided to store Zoey¡¯s cock inside her for an extended period. It had made paying attention to what Sabina was saying rather hard. Rosalie¡¯s cheeks tinted. ¡°You haven¡¯t heard? Did you see Maddy today?¡± ¡°No?¡± ¡°Well, never mind, then. What happened with Mel?¡± Zoey considered pushing, since her curiosity had been piqued¡ªespecially with how Maddy was apparently rted¡ªbut decided against it. For now. She would presster. ¡°I came back, and she was like that,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Or, well, back in her human shape. Not ¡­¡± ¡°Cream filled?¡± Rosalie asked dryly. ¡°Since when are you crude?¡± ¡°Since a certain girlfriend of mine corrupted me.¡± ¡°Guilty as charged, I guess.¡± Rosalie rolled her eyes. ¡°So, what does feeding her do? Mel said you would need to, but what¡¯s it for?¡± ¡°I kinda assumed she¡¯d get bigger. Maybe we¡¯ll have our own pet slimegirl after some time.¡± Rosalie couldn¡¯t entirely hide her interest at that. She was more reserved than Delta, and hadn¡¯t wanted to sleep with Mel in either of the opportunities that had arisen¡ªbut Zoey suspected she would warm up to the idea over time. Especially if she got to know Mel better; that was the prerequisite, Zoey knew. Her girlfriend wasn¡¯t quite as willing to sleep with strangers and she and Delta were. ¡°I¡¯m curious how that¡¯ll develop,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°She doesn¡¯t have Mel¡¯s current memories, right? Not linked to her mind? Actively so?¡± ¡°No? Or, I wouldn¡¯t figure? I guess I can¡¯t say for sure. Why?¡± ¡°Can she tell us if the vampire is still there?¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Good point. Well, she can¡¯t talk, but she does understand us.¡± She nced Mel¡¯s way. ¡°But she¡¯s a little ¡­ unavable, at the moment.¡± Rosalie nced at the cum-stuffed miniature slime, then blushed. ¡°We¡¯ll askter. I don¡¯t have high hopes, but it¡¯s still worth checking.¡± She sat on the bed next to Zoey and kicked her shoes off, then leaned into her side. ¡°So. What trouble did you get into, today?¡± ¡°Who says I got into trouble?¡± Rosalie leveled an unimpressed look at Zoey, and Zoey conceded, ¡°Okay, I do have a penchant for it.¡± She scratched her cheek. ¡°And we definitely got into some trouble. It was more Delta¡¯s fault than mine, though.¡± ¡°I can believe that,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°But not that you were innocent. You enable her.¡± Yeah, that was fair. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about the important stuff when Delta¡¯s here,¡± Zoey said, ¡°But besides that event, I also went on a date with her. At an arcade. That was fun.¡± ¡°An arcade?¡± Rosalie scoffed. ¡°A dexterity ss against a mage. She wanted to show off.¡± ¡°She has some crazy coordination.¡± Zoey was relieved to find that Rosalie didn¡¯t mind the date¡ªnot that she had expected her to. Rosalie had made it abundantly clear that she didn¡¯t mind Zoey dating or being with other girls; still, Zoey wanted to keep checking in on that. It was definitely her own society¡¯s standards making her overly concerned¡ªpolyamory seemed far moremon in this world. Before Rosalie could reply, several loud knocks arrived at the door. ¡°You two better not be fucking without me!¡± Rosalie immediately starting sputtering, then rushed to the door. She swung it open and red at the foxgirl. ¡°Are you insane?¡± she growled, pulling her into the room and closing the door. ¡°Why are you shouting that in the middle of the hallway? People will hear.¡± ¡°Cool. Maybe we¡¯ll get a surprise fourth,¡± Delta grinned. She strode in, unaffected by Rosalie¡¯s outrage, then plopped down onto the bed next to Zoey. ¡°When¡¯s it an orgy, officially? Four? Or five?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be disgusting,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°So,¡± Delta said. ¡°What were you two up to? Surprised to see you still had your clothes on.¡± She tutted disapprovingly. ¡°I expected¡ª¡± She trailed off, finally noticing Mel. ¡°What the hell is that?¡± Another incredulous and amused exnation took ce, catching Delta up to speed on the Mel situation. She was, in contrast to Rosalie, practically ecstatic at the development¡ªboth in amusement for seeing the stuffed slimegirl, and the potential that Mel would continue to growrger, until they had a full slimegirl as apanion. Though that was just a theory. ¡°Okay,¡± Delta said. ¡°So. Back to the point. What were you two doing?¡± ¡°Talking business,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Or, kind of. I was actually gonna go get you. We should catch Rosie up on the whole cult business.¡± ¡°Cult?¡± Rosalie asked. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Ah, right,¡± Delta said. ¡°Yeah, probably should.¡± She faced Rosalie. ¡°So, we might have made enemies out of The Church of the Shattered Sphere. They may or may not be looking for us.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Not that it¡¯s that big of a deal. Doubt they¡¯ll start trouble with three third-advancement wayfarers. But just a heads up.¡± ¡°We started the trouble,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Not them.¡± ¡°Still.¡± ¡°Exin,¡± Rosalie said. Zoey and Delta did so. The Church shenanigans were easy enough to summarize. Rosalie of course disapproved of their recklessness, but to Zoey¡¯s surprise, didn¡¯t seem at all bothered by how they¡¯d stolen Jacquelyn¡¯s body; that barely phased her. It seemed neither of her teammates were overly concerned about legality and morality when it came topleting a mission¡ªinstead, Rosalie was annoyed at how poorly they¡¯d gone about it. The part of relevance, though, was first that they might have some Church members seeking them out, and secondly, the discovery they¡¯d made. ¡°Your shards persist,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°For other wayfarers. You¡¯re going to wreak havoc on Mantle¡¯s local shards. What do we do about that?¡± ¡°Could just keep going to the same ones,¡± Delta said, ¡°but that¡¯s boring. Why not corrupt them?¡± ¡°Not everyone would want to engage with ¡­ that,¡± Zoey said. In fact, Rosalie had been one such person to stalwartly avoid it, back in the first shard. ¡°We¡¯ll mark the entrances to warn people, then,¡± Delta said. ¡°They¡¯re adults. They can make an informed decision. Besides, I think more people would be okay with it than not.¡± Rosalie shook her head, seemingly annoyed with the situation. ¡°You¡¯re not wrong. Still, why is it alwaysplications with you two?¡± ¡°Hey, this one is Zoey¡¯s fault. Don¡¯t look at me.¡± ¡°Ephy¡¯s,¡± Zoey corrected. ¡°It¡¯s Ephy¡¯s fault. I won¡¯t be med for her meddling.¡± Both girls paused at that, the reminder that Zoey was some kind of priestess for a lust goddess still something that could catch them off guard. It was a rather strange situation. ¡°What about the vampire?¡± Rosalie said. ¡°You didn¡¯t find anything out?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± ¡°And you haven¡¯t noticed anything?¡± ¡°Besides the general feeling of being watched, sometimes, no. And that might be in my head.¡± ¡°So what are we doing about her?¡± ¡°What is there to do?¡± ¡°Think we just have to wait,¡± Delta said. ¡°Starve her out. Once she¡¯s hungry, we can barter.¡± ¡°Think that really is our best chance.¡± ¡°You know,¡± Rosalie said dryly to Zoey, ¡°I can¡¯t believe there¡¯s two separate entities that need cum feedings from you. That seems like it should be a one-time thing.¡± ¡°Two?¡± Delta asked. ¡°There¡¯s three. Don¡¯t forget to include yourself, blondie.¡± Rosalie sputtered, and Deltaughed. Delta sprawled out against the bed, shaking her head. ¡°Honestly, maybe four. But really¡ªyou make it too easy.¡± Cheeks red, Rosalie turned to Zoey, stalwartly ignoring the foxgirl. ¡°Anyway, I checked in with Fe. The item¡¯s not remotely done being researched. It¡¯ll take time. It¡¯s dangerous, unknown, and progress is slow with the precautions she¡¯s taking.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. Before the week is up?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not sure.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± Zoey said, then shrugged. ¡°We can only hope.¡± ¡°And make sure you make your meeting with Maddy tomorrow.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°She mentioned she has some things she wants to talk to you about.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°It¡¯s her business. But, well, she¡¯s probablye to a decision.¡± Both Zoey and Delta digested that, and Delta cheered. ¡°Our threesome¡¯s turning into a foursome?¡± she asked. ¡°It¡¯s about time.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t phrase it like that,¡± Rosalie growled. ¡°It¡¯s not a foursome.¡± ¡°It literally is,¡± Delta said. ¡°Ugh. Insufferable.¡± Silence lingered for a moment, and at the lull, Delta decided to pivot topic. ¡°But anyways,¡± she said loudly. ¡°Blondie¡¯s all caught up now, right? So can we get to the fucking, already?¡± Zoey and Rosalie looked at her, respectively amused and unimpressed. ¡°Nice segue,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m just saying what¡¯s on everyone¡¯s mind.¡± ¡°Speak for yourself,¡± Rosalie said. ¡°I wanna see how she handles that new potion of yours,¡± Delta said. ¡°Like, really badly. I bet she can¡¯t even get them inside.¡± ¡°Get them ¡­ inside? New potion? What are you talking about?¡± Rosalie looked to Zoey for an exnation. Delta didn¡¯t let Zoey answer; she exined it herself. ¡°Zoey has a potion that lets her grow a second cock. If you thought one of those bad boys was a handful, get ready for one in each hole.¡± Rosalie stared at her. ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡± ¡°I¡¯d never joke about something so important.¡± An amused quirk appeared on her lips. ¡°I mean, her cocks are literally divine. It¡¯d be sphemy, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Contrary to the sputtering Zoey had expected, Rosalie turned to Zoey with wide eyes¡ªlooking for confirmation. ¡°Well, yeah,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Sabina made it, of course. Have a bunch of them.¡± ¡°Oh, hurry up, I¡¯m impatient,¡± Delta said. ¡°I wanna see blondie stuffed, then I want you inside both of us.¡± Delta stood, walked around Zoey, then plopped back down next to Rosalie. She wrapped a hand around the blonde¡¯s waist and leaned in to murmur. ¡°How¡¯s that sound? Me on top of you, both of us taking your girlfriend¡¯s cock at the same time? Doesn¡¯t that sound fun?¡± Rosalie, face burning furiously as this point, turned expectant blue eyes at Zoey. Delta, seeming smug at how easy Rosalie had been to turn to her side, also raised her eyebrows¡ªher expression saying, ¡®Well? She approves. So why are you still not naked?¡¯ Which was a good question. Zoey got to work fixing it. 5.21 – Double Trouble I 5.21 ¨C Double Trouble I Zoey stood, drank one of the double-up potions, then tugged her pants down. Her shirt came off next, then her bra, and finally, fingers fiddling at the edge of her portal panties, she paused and took in Rosalie and Delta''s reactions. Both watched with excitement, though Rosalie more blushing and subdued in her eagerness than the foxgirl. Delta cozied up next to the blonde, tugging the other girl in tight by the waist. Delta¡¯s body still flustered Rosalie, and the foxgirl liked to use that against her. "Don''t make us wait, now," Delta chided. "Get those puppies out. Let¡¯s see ¡®em." Zoey was happy to oblige, and she slid down her panties, freeing her two cocks from the portal space they''d been trapped in. Two thick girlcocks flopped out, long and erect, bouncing heavily before they settled. A rush of arousal hade over her as soon as she''d taken the potion, the anticipation of the uing event making her cocks twitch with eagerness. She shook her hips side to side, letting her two cocks swing around, pping into her thighs and each other as they swayed left and right. Her two partners watched the disy, wide-eyed and enraptured. "Fuck," Delta breathed. "That¡¯s really something.¡± She shook her head clear, then turned to Rosalie, a mischievous grin on her lips. ¡°Come on, then. Let''s see how much she stretches you out, blondie. Get those clothes off." Delta tugged Rosalie''s shirt up, and Rosalie didn¡¯t protest; she helped Delta, the two of them working together. Soon, the blonde had lost her clothing, and Delta''s joined Rosalie¡¯s on the floor not long after, leaving all three of them naked. Rosalie had ns other than what Delta wanted to get straight to, though. She stood, dragging Delta by her hand to Zoey, then knelt. Delta allowed it, joining the blonde on her knees in front of Zoey¡¯s cocks. Rosalie grabbed Zoey''s left dick and Delta grabbed her right. They started to stroke, moving their hands up and down both of Zoey¡¯s considerable lengths, their touch sending shivers up her spine. Zoey bit her lip as she fought a groan. The hot strokes of their hands sent sparks twitching through her, and the pleasure was twice as effective as usual: two weapons being serviced, not one. Her knees threatened to wobble. Zoey would have thought herself more resistant to something as simple as a handjob by now, but two of them at once, with purple and blue eyes meeting hers as they stared up from their knees? It was hard to resist. Rosalie leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to Zoey''s tip, then opened her mouth, wrapping her lips around Zoey''s cock. Delta, not one to be outdone, did the same, joining her lips to Zoey¡¯s other cock, then dipping down and starting to bob. They stroked her, moving faster as they pleasured her cock heads with their mouths. The two different sensations¡ªRosalie''s slow, teasing movements and Delta''s eager and hungry onesbined to send jolts of pleasure through her body, heat radiating through her cocks as the velvet heat of their mouths yed with her. Zoey reached out and buried her fingers in the two girls'' hair as they worked further down her cock. Rosalie¡¯s movements became more eager, and soon, Zoey had her cocks halfway down both of their throats. Tight muscles massaged away, the wet warmth extracting a moan. Zoey¡¯s hips bucked forward, instinctive, needing to be deeper in their throats. "Fuck," Zoey muttered. Her hips worked into a rhythm as she started to thrust. She pushed into their tight throats, bulging them outward with cock, then pulled back, unsheathing herself, trailing saliva. A particrly violent thrust had Rosalie gagging, and Zoey pulled back, worried, but Rosalie''s grip on her thighs denied the attempt; Rosalie kept her close, her cock properly sheathed. Rosalie looked up at Zoey, blue eyes bright and begging. It was all the encouragement she needed. Zoey thrust harder, squelchesing from both girls¡¯ mouths, wet slurps and choking sounds filling the air as Zoey vited their airways. Rosalie and Delta, almost in synchrony, gripped her thighs and wiggled their lips down as far as they could, wanting to go deeper as much as Zoey, but their cheeks squished together as they blocked each other. Rosalie sent a blue-eyed re at Delta, annoyed she couldn''t bury her nose into Zoey''s pelvis. Delta looked equally as miffed. The two girls settled for bobbing up and down the upper two-thirds of their respective cocks. At fourteen inches, Zoey had plenty to go around. Zoey¡¯s pleasure built bit by bit, coaxed out by the diligent efforts of her two partners. Her cocks twitched in anticipation, Rosalie and Delta working eagerly away, assisted by Zoey¡¯s thrusts and the firm grip she had on the back of their heads. Her orgasm mounted, and Zoey watched hazily as Rosalie and Delta pleasured her. An urge came over her. She wanted to mark these two girls as hers. For once, she didn¡¯t want to fill their stomachs up; instead, she wanted to coat their faces and tits with her cum, to make them wear it for the rest of the night as she fucked them senseless. She had plenty of other loads to go around. Why not use her enviable virility to the fullest? ¡°Close,¡± Zoey murmured, the idea spurring the building heat on almost as much as the sensation of their tight throats wrapped around her. ¡°On your face. I want it on your face.¡± Zoey pulled them off her, letting her cocks pop out of their mouths, and, Rosalie and Delta recognizing what her swelling and twitching cocks meant, eagerly stroked away, pointing their respective cocks at their faces. They worked their hands up and down her, and Zoey felt her peak arrive. She groaned. Thick ropes shot from her, sttering across Rosalie and Delta, into their faces and hair, dripping down onto their tits and staining their skin white. Zoey watched, entranced, the sight of her two girls being marked by thick ropes heightening the burning pleasure of her orgasm. Rosalie and Delta worked hard to milk her dry, to get as much cum painted across them as possible. They kept their eyes shut, faces being covered in the thick strings of her release. Zoey¡¯s knees started to wobble as she emptied herself. She drenched the two girls, covering their faces and titspletely, before finally, with a few final jerks of her hips, the orgasm subsided. Rosalie and Delta, cum dripping from their faces and down onto their body, wiped their eyes clear and stared up at Zoey. "I''d be mad at you for wasting it," Delta said, her lips quirked, "but I know better, by now. You''ve got a few more in you, right, stud?" Deltaughed, then turned to Rosalie. She leaned over to the other girl, and Rosalie¡¯s eyes widened as Delta licked a long, thick string of Zoey''s cum off her cheek. She opened her mouth for Zoey to see, then swallowed. Zoey¡¯s cocks twitched at the disy. Delta smirked at that, then faced back to Rosalie. "Now, onto the bed, blondie. Fun detour, but it¡¯s time for the main course." Standing, the foxgirl dragged Rosalie to the bed and tossed her onto it. Rosalie made a noise of protest at being handled so forcefully, but it quieted as Delta climbed overtop her. She mounted the blonde, straddling her, then, leaning forward, grabbed Rosalie''s tits and started massaging. Rosalie let out a shaky moan, her hips bucking slightly upward in instinct, jostling Delta atop her. Delta grinned down at her. "So, I wanna see if blondie can take both of those monsters, first," Delta said, speaking to Zoey, but having eyes only for Rosalie. "But then you can do both of us at once. That¡¯s fine?¡± "Sounds like a n," Zoey said. She climbed onto the bed. Delta slid off Rosalie, thenid t on her back. She pulled Rosalie on top of her, wrapping her arms around Rosalie''s stomach so they were stacked¡ªwith Rosalie''s ass pressing into Delta''s pelvis. Blonde and orange hair spilled across the sheets, and Zoey watched her partners situate themselves, her cocks aching in anticipation. Despite coating the two girls with a heavy load of her cum just moments before, her cocks were hard and rigid, ready for the next round. Zoey really did appreciate how much stamina she had. Getting to finish only once wasn¡¯t remotely enough. "Well?" Delta asked, hugging Rosalie on top of her. "Come get her." She patted between Rosalie''s legs, drawing a little gasp from the other girl. "She''s ready, so don''t worry about that,¡± Delta said, amused, as she looked at her wet fingers. ¡°Who would''ve guessed it?" "Sh-Shut up," Rosalie said. Delta grabbed either of Rosalie''s thighs and helped spread her legs. Rosalie, cheeks burning, looked away and let it happen, exposing her pussy for Zoey. Zoey crawled up and knelt between Rosalie¡¯s legs, then grabbed her cocks. She lined one up, rubbing the tip at Rosalie''s entrance. Rosalie bit her lip, stifling a moan. "Two of them?" Rosalie asked dubiously, panting as she looked down her body to see Zoey¡¯s cock there, teasing entry. "Is that even possible?" "I managed it," Delta said. Sheughed. "Well, sort of. For a definition of ¡®managed.¡¯ Get ready to be stretched out." She met eyes with Zoey. "Should get her other hole ready first, though." Zoey reluctantly pulled back her cock from Rosalie''s pussy, then grabbed the blonde girl and spun her around. Again, she protested at being handled so forcefully, but quieted¡ªthe noise reced with a moan as Zoey grabbed her hips and hiked up her butt, getting it to face level. Rosalie''s face pressed into Delta''s tits. Delta stroked her hair and smirked at the blonde¡ªeven as Zoey grabbed Rosalie''s ass and spread her cheeks open, revealing her target. Summoning that ever-useful item, Zoey squeezed out several thick gooey strands of cleaning lubricant onto Rosalie''s backdoor. She spread it around with her fingers, then buried one in, spreading and stretching the hole. Rosalie moaned into Delta''s chest, her hips jerking in surprise. "You''re doing great,¡± Delta murmured. ¡°Just rx, princess.¡± Zoey added a second finger, and a third. Rosalie''s moans got louder, her body jerking in surprise at the invasion. Zoey felt around her, her fingers probing and stretching, widening and loosening Rosalie up. A third joined, then a fourth, working the blonde into the stretch. Then, unable to help herself, she pulled out and buried her face between Rosalie¡¯s cheeks, getting her tongue deep inside, wanting a taste. She spent a minute indulgently eating her girlfriend¡¯s ass out, her tongue sliding and pushing inside her. She delighted in how Rosalie''s hips twitched, her body shuddered, and her moans grew louder and more urgent. "Pretty jealous, right now,¡± Delta murmured, still stroking Rosalie¡¯s hair. Finally, Zoey pulled out and returned to stretching Rosalie out. With either hand, she buried two fingers in, then tugged, spreading her hole open, slowly urging Rosalie¡¯s tight backdoor wider. Rosalie''s breaths came shaky and ragged, her hips twitching as Zoey dutifully opened her up. She had a massive cock to take, and preparation was necessary for the inexperienced girl, a skill to help or not. Finally, satisfied that Rosalie''s ass would be able to take her, Zoey pulled back and grabbed her length. Rosalie flipped herself over this time, returning to their first position,ying across Delta with her back down. Zoey lined up both tips, one to Rosalie''s wet, waiting pussy, the other to her prepared asshole. "Fuck, blondie," Delta said. "You have no idea what you''re in for." Zoey pushed forward without further warning, and Rosalie gasped, her body tensing in surprise. Both holes, even slick with arousal and lubricant, resisted as Zoey''s cock heads tried to push in. She pressed harder, pushing her hips forward while grabbing Rosalie''s thighs for leverage. Delta helped hold the blonde''s legs open, visibly delighting in how Rosalie squirmed atop her. Slowly, Zoey¡¯s cocks pushed into Rosalie¡¯s two holes, inch by inch. The pressure was intense, the two different types of squeezing incredible. Her girlfriend was warm and tight. Wet and needy. Soon, both were in, her cocks firmly inside her girlfriend''s depths. Her stomach bulged with the size of them, the outline of her cock clearly visible against her skin. Rosalie''s eyes squeezed shut, and her lips parted as she panted loudly into the air. She rested a hand on the bulge, feeling the cock inside her. With another hard thrust, Zoey shoved the second half of both cocks inside. Rosalie''s back arched, her hips jerking as Zoey''s pelvis pressed into hers. Her body held that way for a moment, taut, and a long, ragged moan escaped her. "So?" Delta murmured into her ear. "How''s it feel? Both at the same time?" "It''s¡ªmm¡ªgood," Rosalie gasped, barely managing to get the words out. Her eyes stayed closed, and her body taut. "Gods, s-so good." Zoey leaned forward and kissed her girlfriend, sliding deeper in the process. Rosalie moaned into her lips, and Zoey didn¡¯t take pity on the woman; she thrust again, burying her cocks all the way in, and Rosalie''s muffled cry shot electricity through her. Her arms went up to hug Zoey tight to her. Zoey¡¯s hips moved, slowly, then faster. Zoey started fucking her girlfriend''s holes, thrusting into both pussy and ass, filling her up in a way she had never been before. The blonde cried out with every loud p of flesh. "How does she feel?" Delta asked, watching Zoey with lust-filled eyes as Rosalie¡¯s body jostled on top of her. "I can''t imagine how tight she is. When do I get to try those potions out?" "Eventually." "Yeah, yeah,¡± Delta said, sounding amused. ¡°Your turn, right now." Zoey pped into Rosalie, her girlfriend crying out and shaking beneath her. She fucked her hard and fast, and soon, her girlfriend''s voice went quiet, her breathing in shaky gasps and moans, breaking down as Delta had. Two fourteen-inch throbbing girl cocks was simply too much for her. But delightful, even if overwhelming. Her pussy and ass squirmed against Zoey¡¯s cocks, mping down, Rosalie rapidly approaching her climax. She¡¯d always been quick to finish. The sounds she was making, the heavy ps as Zoey¡¯s pelvis met hers, were taking Zoey apart equally as fast. She felt her own orgasm arriving, and, feeling it, started fucking faster and faster. Her hips pistoned with desperate urgency, the bed shaking and groaning under the intensity of her movements. Rosalie''s head rolled to the side, eyes going hazy, but her hips bucked into Zoey, meeting her with each thrust. The blonde''s back arched as her climax rushed over her, her body tensing and both holes clenching, squeezing down, mping and milking, urging Zoey on. Zoey obliged her girlfriend''s begging lower half, knowing Rosalie wanted to be filled up while her pleasure rushed across her¡ªit would make it better for the both of them. Zoey pumped cock into her as hard as she could, her cocks twitching and her own orgasm mounting, working herself closer as fast as possible, until, with one final, hard thrust, her cocks swelled and she buried herself in. Rosalie''s whined, squirming side to side as cum flooded into her holes, her pussy and ass, her stomach swelling as the massive load dumped into her. Her climax redoubled at the sensation of Zoey''s sticky load filling her, and her entire body shook, toes and fingers curling, her hips writhing and jerking into Zoey as she squirmed atop a foxgirl who held her tight and murmured something into her ear. Zoey rode out her climax, pumping load after load of cum into Rosalie''s holes. Rosalie¡¯s stomach curved upward as her insides were stuffed with string after string of thick seed, the excess spilling out and around Zoey''s cock, leaking onto the bed and soaking into the sheets. Rosalie moaned weakly, her body going ck and her head rolling back in exhaustion as she finally came down¡ªeven as Zoey kept pumping her full. Finally, Zoey''s own orgasm ended. Rosalie was left a sweaty, panting mess, her body trembling. Zoey watched her twitching, cum-covered, hazy-eyed girlfriend, feeling hot with pride as much as arousal. She leaned forward and kissed her girlfriend, thenughed at the tiredness in her attempts to return it. The blonde was simply too melted-down to reciprocate. Zoey didn''t mind. "We''ll give you a minute," Zoey said, kissing her neck. "You need it. But don''t think we''re done. Not even close." 5.22 – Double Trouble II 5.22 ¨C Double Trouble II Delta extricated herself from underneath the panting, exhausted blonde, then crawled on top of her, perching over Rosalie so orange hair cascaded down and framed Rosalie¡¯s head. Delta lined up her lower half so that her pelvis was pressing into Rosalie''s¡ªso that the two girls were stacked and ready to take Zoey, one pussy atop the other. "I''ve been waiting for this," Delta murmured. ¡°Getting fucked by your girlfriend with you. Didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be so literal, though. Both of us at once.¡± She sat up on Rosalie, then ran her hands across Rosalie''s stomach, which still bulged slightly from Zoey''s load. Her hands ventured up, and she cupped Rosalie''s tits, squeezing. Rosalie groaned weakly, still exhausted from her double-fucking. Zoey, kneeling between their legs, grabbed her cocks and got into position. She took a moment to enjoy the sight; Rosalie and Delta''s asses stacked together, Rosalie on bottom, Delta on top, both ready for her. A dreame true. "Get a move on," Delta said, looking back over her shoulder at her. Her foxtail swished in the air, showcasing her impatience. "Seeing you fill her up like that, I can¡¯t wait much longer." "Just admiring the view." "How about you admire it with those cocks instead of your eyes?" Zoey shook her head in amusement, then lined herself up, one to Rosalie''s pussy and the other to Delta''s. The foxgirl shuddered, her ears twitching as Zoey teased at both of the girls'' entrances. "Come on, already. Don''t leave me hanging." "She''s right," Rosalie said from beneath Delta, finally finding her words. "Hurry up." With both of them begging, Zoey could hardly say no. Taking it slow, she pressed in. Her cock heads slipped into two hot sheathes of velvet. Delta copsed forward onto Rosalie, then let out a long, low moan. Rosalie did the same, her armsing up around Delta''s waist as she hugged the foxgirl close. Her partners'' pussies clenched and squeezed down on her cock as she pushed her hips forward. Their hot, tight walls hugged and coaxed her. She kept going, pressing more and more of her length in, her girlfriends'' moans growing louder as she stuffed them full. Soon, she had hilted herself, their asses pressed into her. They shuddered, squirming at having taken Zoeypletely. "Fuck," Delta groaned. "Seriously, I forget every time. You''re so big." "It''s not that bad," Rosalie said, though she was breathing heavily, her voice unsteady. "Bad? Who said anything about bad?¡± Zoey couldn''t wait any longer. She grabbed Delta''s waist and started thrusting, burying her cocks in the two girls'' depths, fucking both at the same time. Each stroke was a thrill, a rush, her cocks pushing deep into her partners. Their pussies milked her, begging for her cum. She pulled back her hips and impacted hard, mming deep into them, shoving fourteen inches of cock into their eager pussies. Rosalie and Delta gasped, clutching each other as Zoey stretched them out. Moans fell from their lips, and Zoey''s hips moved faster, their lewd whining urging her on, urging Zoey to fuck them harder. "This is ... even better ... than I hoped for," Delta gasped, voice trembling as Zoey pped her hips into her ass, fourteen-inch girl cock stretching her out with each stroke. "Fuck, I think I can feel yours through your stomach, blondie." She propped herself up on her hands so that she could look down between their bodies. Rosalie also stared, pale blue eyes going wide. Zoey couldn''t see what they saw, but she could infer. Her two cocks thrusting up and down their stomachs, rubbing against each other through skin. Delta plopped back down, her stomach hitting Rosalie''s, and she started grinding against Rosalie, humping up and down. Zoey grunted and picked up her pace. By Rosalie and Delta''s renewed moaning, and the way they were grinding back against her, they were turned on by what they¡¯d seen. And, of course, the sensation itself was taking them apart. Zoey''s fourteen-inch, thick, pulsing girl dicks fucking them. Two massive cocks stretching both girls out as they squirmed and held each other. It had to feel incredible. But as incredible as this? Their pussies squeezing, milking, and mping down on each of her cocks? The wet heat, the way their walls hugged and massaged her with each stroke, their bodies sweating and quivering beneath her? She wasn''t sure if there could be anything better. Each passing second, Zoey moved faster, pping her hips into two asses harder, the lewd impacts of flesh on flesh filling the room. She gripped Delta''s hips for leverage and pounded, the bed frame shaking and the bedsprings squeaking as she rutted, a chorus of heavy flesh pping and her own grunts joining her partners¡¯ moans. Rosalie and Delta''s hips worked, bucking and grinding into her, matching her movements. Their voices grew louder, the sounds of sex filling the room, echoing off the walls, and Zoey, lost to the sensations and her own pleasure, felt her climax rushing up. It was too much. Her cocks pulsed. Rosalie and Delta whined, both of their hips bucking and jerking into her, and, unable to hold back, Zoey gave them herst, hard, desperate thrust. Her cocks hilted and she pressed her hips into them, grinding her pelvis into their asses. They gasped at the sudden pressure, then cried out as, once again, her cocks swelled, and Zoey''s climax broke. A rush of ecstasy swept through her, the incredible, unbelievable pressure of her cocks twitching as they pumped seed into the wombs of both girls. Rosalie and Delta, sandwiched beneath her, their pussies wrapped tightly around her cocks, followed with their own climaxes right as Zoey''s seed started to fill them. The pressure and sudden flooding of hot, sticky cum had tipped them over the edge. They cried out, clutching each other as their hips bucked into Zoey. Delta buried her face into Rosalie''s shoulder, her foxtail thrashing, her pussy mping down on Zoey''s cock and milking out seemingly endless spurts of cum. Rosalie moaned weakly, holding Delta. Cum flooded into her womb, her pussy clenching and unclenching around Zoey''s throbbing dick, her body shaking as pleasure rushed across her. Her stomach had never fully emptied from Zoey''s earlier release, and began to push out even further. Delta''s did too, filling as Zoey''s heavy, thick loads pumped into them. Until, finally, they were full, and Zoey was finished. Her orgasm ended, leaving the three of them a sweaty, gasping mess. Zoey stayed inside them, her cocks twitching, hard and ready, even as Rosalie and Deltay limp beneath her. She pulled out, and they whimpered as her cock heads slid from them. Zoey admired the sight of their stretched, cum-dripping pussies, then copsed into the bed next to them, panting. Sheid that way for a second, then, seeing her wet, cum-covered cocks sticking into the air, said, "Come on, then. Clean me up." Neither had to be convinced, though both groaned as they steadied themselves to a kneeling position. They crawled over to Zoey. Each girl grabbed a cock, and not the ones that had been inside them, but Delta taking Rosalie''s, and Rosalie Delta''s. She wondered if that was intentional. They were both addled after being fucked, and it was possible the girls had forgotten, but she imagined that, maybe, they wanted a taste of each other. Rosalie''s lips wrapped around her tip, sucking on it and cleaning off theyer of cum that coated it, while Delta''s mouth descended, swallowing inch after inch of Zoey''s shaft, getting all the way down at once¡ªher throat bulging from the thickness of her cock, and cleaning the whole member in one smooth motion. Annoyed at the showmanship, Rosalie pulled Delta''s head up to clear space for her to do the same. Rosalie pressed her nose into Zoey''s pelvis, wiggling her head around, using her throat to clean Delta''s pussy juices and Zoey''s cum. After thoroughly massaging her with that slippery passage, she popped off, gasping for air. A trail of saliva hung between her lips and the tip of Zoey''s cock, before breaking and falling onto her breasts. The two girls were filthy from Zoey''s previous loads, and she basked in the sight. Apparently no more done with her than Zoey was with them, Rosalie climbed on top of Zoey, facing away so that her back was pointed toward her. She lifted her hips up and lined herself to Zoey''s cock tip as Delta did the same¡ªthough facing forward. Both girls sank down, moaning, and Zoey''s tips slipped inside them. The fervent heat and pace from a moment before returned, their hips moving up and down, bouncing as they slid along the thick fourteen inches of Zoey''s cocks. Zoey grabbed Rosalie''s hips, marveling at her toned, muscr back, the curve of her hips, her long, pale blonde hair and the way it bounced with each movement. Zoey copsed back and closed her eyes, basking in the incredible sensations. Delta''s hips mmed down in pace with Rosalie''s, both girls bouncing atop her. It didn''t take long to reach their next precipice. Delta and Rosalie rode Zoey desperately, their moans loud and ragged, and Zoey felt the inevitable approach of her third climax. Loud ps filled the room, and the two girls'' bodies jerked up and down, their breasts bouncing with the fervency of their need to climb to that next hot peak. Zoey''s hips arched upward, lifting the two girls even as they bounced. Her cocks twitched. With curling toes, Zoey''s orgasm took her. Her cum fired, thick and hot and heavy, shooting deep into her lovers'' pussies. Rosalie and Delta cried out, their moans joining Zoey''s, and their own climaxes followed. Both girls shuddered and moaned on top of her, shivering and hips jerking as Zoey''s seed filled their wombs. The sensation of theirbined, rhythmic milking worked out string after string, and Zoey''s cum flooded their tight, slick depths. As before, Delta fell forward and clutched as Rosalie, and the same in return, as they rode their orgasms down. Finally exhausted, both girls climbed off Zoey, then copsed to either side of her. Rosalie and Delta''s stomachs, like before, were round, stuffed full of Zoey''s seed, and the white liquid trickled out of their pussies as both snuggled up to her. Zoey wrapped an arm around each of them, tucking them in. They rested their heads on her chest. "Fuck," Delta murmured. "Remind me to say thank you to Sabina." 5.23 – Circles 5.23 ¨C Circles Early next morning, like usual, Zoey showed up to Sabina¡¯s eager for her next quiz¡ªand also simply excited to continue learning alchemy. Before that, though, there were two other topics they needed to discuss. ¡°You¡¯ve progressed to third advancement in your alchemy rune?¡± Sabina said in surprise. ¡°Already?¡± Sabina knew something strange was going on with Zoey and her ss, and had seen her move to second advancement in her alchemy rune in a matter of days, but hitting third in just as short of a period was enough to make even the stoic woman incredulous. ¡°What can I say? I¡¯m a hard worker.¡± ¡°I would think you were lying,¡± Sabina said, ¡°simply for the absurdity, but I know you¡¯re not. And your speed of advancement is hardly the first unprecedented aspect of your ss. Still, third advancement.¡± She shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s nearly unbelievable.¡± Zoey shrugged. It was unfair, she knew, and definitely undeserved. Then again, she¡¯d been given a ridiculous tasking to this world, and her speedy advancement was all but a necessity. ¡°What is it?¡± Sabina asked. ¡°Your new skill. I assume that¡¯s why you brought it up.¡± ¡°It¡¯s something you told me I would get, actually.¡± That was all the hint Sabina needed. She was a sharp woman. ¡°Something that helps with potion creation in less-than-ideal conditions?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Since Zoey had spent so much time wayfaring, her alchemy skillset was morphing to amodate that. ¡°It¡¯s called Resourceful. Potions made inside a shard from ingredients found within that same shard are more likely to catalyze.¡± Sable hummed appreciatively. ¡°Useful, of course, but it sounds like there¡¯s no bonus to potency. So they¡¯ll be weaker than what you could make in a properb.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°An excellent trade-off nheless,¡± Sabina said. ¡°Improvisation is important fpr a wayfarer. Or so I¡¯ve heard. I assume future skills will further close the gap, until perhaps you¡¯re aspetent without a fullb as with one.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the hope. Though, I was surprised the skill didn¡¯t have any kind of¡ªwell, inappropriate bent.¡± Sabina raised an eyebrow. ¡°Even when a ss has a theme, not every skill will follow it strictly. And you should be d for that. Having practical abilities is important.¡± ¡°True enough.¡± Not everything should be sex-rted. Having something that helped with potion creation inside of a shard would be useful. It would likely open avenues to solving all kinds of problems. Zoey could stockpile as many potions as she wanted, but having the ability to create something inside the shard, tailored to what she needed, could be a lifesaver. Literally. Especially since it seemed shards cleared out her inventory, or parts of her inventory, with fair regrity. Bringing in a stockpile of useful potions wasn¡¯t something her brand of shards allowed. So being able to improvise new ones from items found inside the shard was useful twice over. ¡°Also,¡± Zoey said, ¡°Adrienne¡¯s running the tent today?¡± ¡°She is.¡± ¡°I wonder how that¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll handle herself. I¡¯ll stop by to check on her. Make sure nothing disastrous is happening. Though I can¡¯t imagine what.¡± Zoey could. But she didn¡¯t say so. The lessons carried on from there. She lost herself in the usual business of assisting Sabina and being constantly quizzed and put on the spot. The two of them indulged in some ¡­ less-than-professional activities, restocking Sabina¡¯s reagent supply. Before she knew it, their time was up, and Zoey bid her goodbye. After a quick lunch, Zoey tracked down Maddy. She¡¯d been looking forward to seeing the blue-haired mage and was disappointed she had missed yesterday¡¯s lessons. Which wasn¡¯t to say she regretted her misadventures with Delta. At the Oasis, the mana-regeneration room housing the obelisk artifact, Zoey found her prey. Maddy¡¯s face lit up on seeing her, as Zoey¡¯s did in return. Maddy¡¯s easy enthusiasm was infectious. ¡°Zoey!¡± Maddy said, bouncing to her feet. She jogged over, then came to a stop and beamed up at her. ¡°What happened yesterday? I thought you were back, but you didn¡¯t show.¡± ¡°Sorry. Something came up, and the rest of the day was kind of crazy.¡± ¡°I figured.¡± Maddy coughed. ¡°I actually stopped by your room to say hi, but you and Rosalie ¡­ and Delta, I think ¡­ sounded pretty busy. So I left.¡± Zoey paused. ¡°Uh. Yeah. We were busy. Like I said, hectic day.¡± Maddyughed, her cheeks red. Zoey hadn¡¯t known the mage had stopped by, then had been fended off by what Zoey could only assume were some very loud, enthusiastic noisesing from their bedroom. ¡°Anyway,¡± Maddy said. ¡°More of the same, today?¡± ¡°Still have a long way to go,¡± Zoey agreed. She wouldn¡¯t be outgrowing Maddy¡¯s lessons for a long time, as she wouldn¡¯t Sabina¡¯s. ¡°Oh, and I was wondering if we could head out, afterward,¡± Maddy said. ¡°Hang out for a bit and talk. If you¡¯re free?¡± ¡°Like a date?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°W-Well, not a date,¡± Maddy said. ¡°There¡¯s just some stuff we should talk about.¡± ¡°Sure. But can it be a date, too?¡± Gray eyes blinked several times at her, before Maddy finally stuttered out, ¡°I mean¡ªif you want it to be?¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°Then, um, awesome. Great. Perfect. It¡¯s a date.¡± Zoey smiled, amused at how flustered Maddy had be. She really was way too cute. ¡°So, what room are we in today?¡± Maddy shook her head clear, then looked around the Oasis. ¡°This way.¡± For the most part, the next several hours were focused on professional business. Zoey was, ultimately, an aspiring wayfarer, and while some of these sessions could go to inappropriate ces¡ªespecially since Zoey needed to refill her Lust with the help of Rosalie¡ªshe really did want to improve herpetence in spellcraft. Maddy was an eager teacher. Especially because she intended to join up with them, now, and Maddy wantedpetent teammates. There was time for work and y, even if with Zoey, the lines blurred. Plus, with an uing date, they would have plenty of time to chat about both less serious and more serious matters. So the actual training session was reserved for just that. Mainly, she focused on her second-advancement skill associated with her rune of arcana: ¡®Influence¡¯. While ¡®Element: Ice¡¯ was her most direct could in the first ce, because mages thatpetent aren¡¯tmon.¡± Maddyughed. ¡°But that¡¯s not a problem for you. I¡¯m sure Rosalie¡¯s family could arrange it, no problem.¡± ¡°Rosalie¡¯s family?¡± Maddy paused, then paled. ¡°Um.¡± ¡°You know who she is?¡± ¡°Uh,¡± Maddy said, dragging it out. ¡°Do ¡­ you?¡± ¡°No. She¡¯s been kind of cagey about it. I haven¡¯t pressed.¡± She was pretty sure Rosalie would tell her if she asked outright, but Zoey wanted to let her open up at her own pace. ¡°She told you, though?¡± ¡°No,¡± Maddy said, obviously trying to figure out how to navigate the conversation. She still looked a bit panicked. ¡°So you guessed?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°She¡¯s important, then. I mean, I knew that, pretty much anyone can tell by how she acts.¡± Zoey chewed her lip. ¡°But for you to ¡®figure it out¡¯, to recognize her, that means her family¡¯s really important.¡± Maddy just stared with wide eyes. Zoey shook her head, amused at the deer-in-headlight look. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll drop it. I think it¡¯s sweet that you¡¯re trying to keep her secret.¡± Plus, Zoey wanted to hear it from Rosalie, not Maddy. Though her estimation of how important Rosalie¡¯s family was went up a notch or two. She¡¯d figured Rosalie was important from the start, but maybe even more so than she¡¯d assumed. She was a woman that a goddess had explicitly arranged for her to meet. ¡°Anyway,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Back to the lesson?¡± Maddy grasped the opportunity eagerly. Sheunched back into her demonstrations, maybe a bit louder than appropriate, still flustered from her slip-up. 5.24 – Mage Date 5.24 ¨C Mage Date They were both pretty hungry, so after lessons concluded, Zoey and Maddy got changed into daily wear, then headed into the city to find something to eat. Maddy had been in Treyhull for a bit now, so she knew her way around and had a few suggestions. The restaurant Maddy brought her to was a cozy enough ce, upbeat and well-lit with afortable atmosphere. It was fairlyrge, about three dozen tables and a smattering of booths, and most were filled. They were seated at the edge of the room. ¡°Should I put up a sound barrier?¡± Maddy asked after they had ordered. ¡°I mean, just so we can have some privacy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s probably smart.¡± Zoey didn¡¯t intend to jump straight into heavy topics, and wanted to just chat with Maddy and learn a bit more about the girl¡ªher likely fourth teammate¡ªbut she also knew sensitive subjects would arrive. Plus, sound barriers were just in convenient. Why not make one? Perks of having an illusionist as a friend. In a few swift movements, Maddy traced a magical diagram in the air, then activated the spell. The sound of the restaurant dimmed, though didn¡¯t disappear. Outgoing noise would be blocked, but iing only partially. ¡°There we go,¡± Maddy said. ¡°How hard is that to learn, anyway?¡± ¡°The sound barrier? Easy. Just a single Circle. But you don¡¯t have the specialty for it, obviously. Illusions.¡± It was a bit unfortunate that Zoey was restrained to learning spells within what her ss offered. But if mages could learn anything, then the world would be a bit chaotic, she figured. ¡°What are your specialties, anyways?¡± Zoey asked. ¡°If you want to tell me. Since I guess that stuff is pretty personal.¡± ¡°In my case, it¡¯s obvious, so no problem. Illusions, and Mentality. Mental effects. I don¡¯t have that much of an arsenal for doing damage.¡± ¡°When you can leave monsters spinning in circles, that doesn¡¯t matter much.¡± ¡°Or turning on each other,¡± Maddy said with a grin. ¡°I¡¯m a bit of an unconventional mage, but still plenty use in a party.¡± ¡°We¡¯re damage-heavy already. So it would especially work out with us.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°You¡¯re thinking about that, then? Joining?¡± Rosalie had already given away that Maddy probably would, but Zoey didn¡¯t know if it came with any conditions. Rosalie had said Maddy needed to ¡®talk¡¯. Though, that might be about the whole ¡®Bonding¡¯ thing. ¡°I have,¡± Maddy said. ¡°And, um, yeah. Teaming up with you three would definitelye with some ¡­ atypical wayfaring duties ¡­ but if you¡¯re willing to have me, I think I¡¯d like to give it a shot.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Zoey said. ¡°But the other stuff? You¡¯ve decided you¡¯re fine with it all?¡± Maddy blushed. ¡°I told you I was, didn¡¯t I?¡± She shook her head. ¡°But, hey. You told me this is a date. How about we talk about date stuff before we get to the weirder items.¡± Zoey had intended to, but the conversation had naturally turned to the direction of Maddy joining. She shelved the topic. Besides, it was maybe something best discussed not in a busy restaurant, considering all the lewd aspects that were inextricably tied to her brand of wayfaring. ¡°Okay, date stuff. You said you had seven sisters?¡± Maddy groaned. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Family questions just get messy fast.¡± She paused, then corrected herself: ¡°Not because I dislike talking about them, though. My family is just ginormous. Seven sisters, two brothers. Eight aunts and uncles. Wanna guess how many cousins?¡± ¡°A lot?¡± ¡°A lot.¡± ¡°You¡¯re on good terms with them?¡± ¡°Most.¡± ¡°Most?¡± ¡°I mean, I¡¯m not like, emunicated with any of them,¡± Maddy said. ¡°But I guess I¡¯m in a few ongoing spats. With a family that big, it¡¯s inevitable.¡± She frowned. ¡°Plus, I guess my family is really opinionated to begin with. We¡¯ve got a lot of strong personalities.¡± That was surprising, considering Maddy¡¯s natural friendliness. ¡°You broke the mold?¡± Maddy crossed her arms. ¡°Are you calling me timid?¡± She pouted. ¡°My sisters are always getting on me about that, you know. And my mom, too.¡± ¡°Not timid,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Just friendly. Easy to get along with. I guess I¡¯ve heard ¡®strong personality¡¯ to mean ¡­ aggressive, I guess.¡± She thought of Rosalie. ¡°If in a good way.¡± It was a phrase that could be both apliment and insult, depending on how it was used. ¡°Yeah, aggressive. Forceful. That¡¯s a lot of my family.¡± ¡°So you did break the mold.¡± ¡°A little bit.¡± ¡°Are they all mages?¡± ¡°All of who?¡± ¡°Direct family, I suppose. Siblings and parents.¡± Zoey paused, then shook her head. ¡°Seven sisters, but only two brothers. How did that happen?¡± Maddy shrugged. ¡°Could be natural. Could also be not. I don¡¯t think my parents wanted mostly girls, but if they did¡ªwell, the magic would hardly be impossible. Though I actually haven¡¯t heard of anything like that. But no, they¡¯re not all mages. Do you have any idea how insane that would be?¡± ¡°Not really?¡± Maddy paused, then sheepishly said, ¡°Your amnesia ruined my joke. You were supposed to say yes, then I would say only most of them are mages. Which is really crazy, just not as insane as all of us being mages. Mages are rare, much less so many in a single family. Bloodline and training affect sses, sure, but only to an extent.¡± Sheughed. ¡°Another bout of insane luck. Like how we got eight girls out of ten.¡± Amused, Zoey said, ¡°So who ended up not a mage? What¡¯d they get instead? And does it mean anything in your family, not getting one?¡± ¡°Are they shunned, you mean?¡± Maddy asked, amused by the question. ¡°No. Though there¡¯s some teasing, I suppose. But even those of us who didn¡¯t get a magic ss, still got a magic ss.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Like Ophelia. She¡¯s an anti-mage.¡± ¡°Anti-mage?¡± ¡°A fighter who¡¯s nearly immune to spells. Her ss is fascinating to experiment with. Spells slip right off her. Even my mom has to put in effort to make them stick.¡± ¡°Interesting.¡± As much for the ss itself as because Zoey enjoyed learning more about Maddy. ¡°Are you close with her? And your other sisters?¡± Maddy wrinkled her nose. ¡°The problem with a family that big is that it¡¯s hard to be close to all of them. Like, actually close. I feel bad saying that, but it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°I get it. Well, I don¡¯t, my family is small, but I understand.¡± ¡°But yeah,¡± Maddy said. ¡°Ophelia¡¯s much older than me, so me and her never spent much time together. She was out wayfaring. I¡¯m closer to my sisters who¡¯re around my age.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯ve only mentioned ¡­ Ophelia and Venus?¡± ¡°I did? When?¡± ¡°You said they¡¯re both single, and hopeless. When we were talking about my date with Rosalie.¡± Maddyughed at the reminder. ¡°Oh. Well, yeah, it¡¯s true. They¡¯re definitely hopeless when ites to romance. Though, Venus might just not be interested. But Ophelia is, I think. But she¡¯s way too serious. And tied to her work.¡± Maddy shook her head. ¡°ssic wayfarer. But, uh. Back to the question. My older sisters I only saw on big asions¡ªthey were usually out and about in the fractures. But Nixie and Juniper, I spent almost all my time with. Training, studying, or, you know, whatever.¡± ¡°I hope I can meet them someday. Where¡¯s home, anyway?¡± ¡°We live in the Fractures, not Haven. I actually haven¡¯t ever been up. And, um, as for home, I shouldn¡¯t really talk about Sovereign-held territory. Not that I don¡¯t trust you, it¡¯s just¡ªwell, you know. Treason?¡± Sheughed. ¡°Against guild rules.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Zoey¡¯s interest had been piqued, though. She knew the Fractures were divvied up by the various factions, with the Sovereign holding the smallest amount¡ªbut having on average the highest advancement wayfarers. Small but powerful. Like Maddy herself, Zoey thought with amusement. ¡°But you might get the chance to meet them,¡± Maddy said. ¡°They¡¯re always out and about. It¡¯d be a bit of a chance event, but I wouldn¡¯t be too surprised to bump into someone at Mantle. It¡¯s a big city. If not that, we meet up every once in a while for a family reunion.¡± Maddy shrugged. ¡°Maybe you cane with, though that¡¯s way down the line.¡± ¡°You miss home?¡± ¡°Of course. But I¡¯m not homesick or anything. It¡¯s kind of refreshing getting to be out and about, being my own person.¡± ¡°Your own person?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯m defined by my name, not like¡ªlike some people,¡± Maddy stuttered, as if she¡¯d been nning on saying something else, ¡°but it definitely follows me around.¡± ¡°Pretty much everyone in the Sovereign is important,¡± Zoey said, stating the obvious. ¡°More urately, is tied to someone important,¡± Maddy said. ¡°I¡¯m nobody, by myself.¡± ¡°But your mom isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± She didn¡¯t expand. Not that eager to talk about her family, just like Rosalie. ¡°A bit off-topic, but how¡¯s all that work?¡± Zoey asked ¡°The Sovereign and the different factions. Especially in Haven.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°It sounds like the highguilds run everything down in the Fractures. Is it the same up top?¡± ¡°No. Yes. Kind of.¡± Zoey waited. ¡°Like you said, the highguilds are the dominant forces in the Fractures. And they are up top, too, but they¡¯re paired with royal families.¡± ¡°Paired?¡± ¡°The highguilds have their own business to run in the Fractures, and oftentimes rarely go up to Haven to begin with. But when, for example, the Harrowgates do venture up top, they¡¯re kings and queens. But there¡¯s also literal kings and queens, distinct from the wayfaring family. Either appointed or allied by them. It¡¯s a weird ecosystem. Royal families paired to wayfaring ones.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Just curious. Where do the Sovereign fit in?¡± ¡°Not many of us go to Haven. And we don¡¯t have territory there. The Sovereign generally just ¡­ like being left alone. And progressing. That¡¯s the whole point. All the wars and politicking is for the highguilds. I guess you could call us wayfaring purists.¡± Wars and politicking. Zoey assumed there was a lot of that, however much she hadn¡¯t faced it directly. Pushing deeper into that topic felt a little heavy for a date, though, so she pivoted to something else. 5.25 – Suggestions 5.25 ¨C Suggestions The food arrived, and Zoey enjoyed a conversation and a meal with Maddy, keeping topics light while learning more about her. She gave what she could about her own past, as she had with Delta and Rosalie, but there wasn¡¯t much¡ªmostly because Zoey purposefully steered her thoughts away from those topics. Even without knowing who her family was, she could feel homesickness creeping up. If she tried and seeded to unearth her past, she was scared of how it might affect her. Besides, she ought to be focused on her task in this world. Eventually, with their tes cleaned and dinnering to an end, the conversation returned to where it had gone at the start. Maddy joining the team. The most relevant subject of tonight, from a bigger-picture perspective. ¡°So,¡± Zoey said. ¡°The barrier¡¯s still up, right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°About you joining, then. Us bonding. We should talk about that.¡± ¡°Yeah. We should." Maddy coughed. ¡°Just, um, I guess it¡¯s a bit weird, out in public.¡± Zoey raised an eyebrow. "Is it? I was under the impression you¡¯ve gotten up to much worse while out and about." ¡°What?¡± Maddy asked, eyes widening. ¡°Rosalie told you?¡± Zoey paused. ¡°Rosalie? What?¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t?¡± ¡°You told me,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Or I teased you about it, and you were really obvious.¡± Back when Maddy had insisted that Zoey didn¡¯t leave the training room to ¡®recharge¡¯. ¡°What happened with Rosalie?¡± ¡°N-Never mind. It doesn''t matter.¡± ¡°Actually, she mentioned something about it,st night,¡± Zoey said. ¡°You two got up to something?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t get up to anything,¡± Maddy said. ¡°Just¡ªI ran into her. Um. It¡¯s¡ªit¡¯s really something I shouldn¡¯t talk about. Ask her.¡± ¡°Okay?¡± ¡°We weren¡¯t involved. I came to her rescue.¡± ¡°Her rescue?¡± Maddy shook her head rapidly, blushing as she did. ¡°Really. Not my story to tell.¡± Zoey was doubly interested, now. What did it mean that Maddy had e to Rosalie¡¯s rescue¡¯? ¡°Okay,¡± Zoey said slowly, ¡°Anyway, you joining us. You¡¯ve made your mind up?¡± ¡°If you¡¯ll have me, then yes.¡± ¡°Then we need to work out the details.¡± Maddy wrinkled her nose. ¡°Yeah. The details,¡± she said reluctantly. Zoey paused. The response was more reserved than she¡¯d expected. ¡°Not looking forward to it? Us bonding, or ¡­?¡± Maddy¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Oh, no, I mean more, the shard. That¡¯s the part I¡¯m worried about. Us two is¡ªum. Fine. How is that working, anyway?¡± Zoey leaned back in her chair, studying the blushing petite girl. At the scrutiny, Maddy''s face went even redder, and Zoey smiled. She looked around the busy restaurant, an idea forming. ¡°Those illusions of yours,¡± Zoey said. ¡°How do they work?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Do you make an image that oveys what¡¯s actually happening? Or does it work some other way?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the simplest method. Not what I typically use.¡± ¡°What¡¯s theplicated one?¡± ¡°More of a mind-influencing effect than an illusion. I can make an ¡®image¡¯ or ¡®default¡¯ that people will try to fill in. It¡¯s safer, because it holds up better.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°So, like, imagine I was naked¡ª¡° Zoey¡¯s eyebrows shot up. ¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t know why I went there,¡± Maddy stammered out. ¡°You brought it up. My mind¡¯s on the topic. But, whatever, just imagine that situation.¡± ¡°I have been all day.¡± Maddy went even redder. "Stop teasing me when I¡¯m trying to exin. Anyway, imagine I was naked, but put a raw illusion¡ªthe simplest kind¡ªof clothing over myself. In that case, people could see through small details, like the wind not affecting it right, or not contouring to objects when I sit, and so on. I¡¯d have to manage all of that manually. For the most part. Even raw illusions can be handled with some instinct. But the point is¡ªa ¡®suggestion¡¯ is better.¡± ¡°Suggestion?¡± ¡°Theplicated kind, where it¡¯s half illusion, half mental effect. Put one of those overtop me, that simply says ¡®I¡¯m clothed¡¯, and people will look at me¡ªand the spell will fill in the details however they please. If something strange happens, like, water is thrown at me, then the situation is handled automatically¡ªeither they¡¯ll see my ¡®dress¡¯ get wet, or they¡¯ll imagine the water missed, or whatever. The downside is that what each person imagines can change by the person, so they could, technically, coborate and discover that details don¡¯t line up.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Zoey considered that. ¡°The messing with your head stuff is kind of weird.¡± "Most people don''t like mental effects, I know. I don¡¯t have the most controversial ss in the world, but it¡¯s up there. People don¡¯t like their thoughts being yed with.¡± Maddy seemed to havee to terms with how her ss was perceived, since she didn¡¯t seem bothered. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Zoey looked around the restaurant. ¡°I was putting together a n.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Gauging what we could get away with.¡± ¡°Get ¡­ away with?¡± ¡°I mean, we need to Bond, right? And you have a thing for being out in public.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a thing for it,¡± Maddy said. ¡°Just, what kind of illusionist wouldn¡¯t think about what it''s like? Or try it out. It¡¯s a perfectly natural curiosity. If you could do something like that, I bet you would.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I would. And I can, right now, since I have an illusionist with me. How convenient.¡± Maddy hesitated. She looked around. Almost all the tables were full. They were tucked off the the side, but they still had several parties near them. ¡°R-Really?¡± Maddy whispered. ¡°You¡ªyou want to? Here? Now?¡± Zoey¡¯s smile widened. She¡¯d been testing the water with the suggestion, but by how Maddy¡¯s gray eyes had widened, and how she had started breathing faster, she could tell that for all Maddy¡¯s protests she was excited by the idea. Her im that she didn¡¯t have a thing for it was inly a lie. Though Zoey had already guessed that. ¡°You should probably put up as strong of an illusion as you have,¡± Zoey said. ¡°Because I have a feeling I''ll get carried away.¡± Maddy swallowed, then, again, looked around the restaurant, scoping out their surroundings. No one was paying attention to them, but regardless, Maddy looked nearly panicked¡ªin an excited way. Zoey¡¯s own heart mmed in her chest. She¡¯d done this in a dream before, with Kali, but that had been a dream. She was really nning on pleasuring Maddy out in the open? In the middle of a busy restaurant? She would be worried about how Maddy¡¯s eyes skittered around the room in concern, but the anxiety of being caught was what made the event so exciting. And, despite Maddy¡¯s obvious tenseness, she started tracing a glowing spell into the table¡ªmore than happy to fulfill Zoey¡¯s request. ¡°I¡¯ll make it so they think we¡¯re just having dinner and chatting,¡± Maddy said. ¡°That¡¯s the suggestion. If we deviate too much, they¡¯ll get suspicious. Can''t leave the table. And if there¡¯s any other wayfarers, they''ll have more of a chance to see through things.¡± ¡°Better hope there isn¡¯t, I guess,¡± Zoey said, subtly scanning the room and especially the tables nearest them. Her heart had already been mming, but it picked up further. Blood flowed downward, and her pants stiffened, no longer able to contain her excitement. She hadn¡¯t brought her portal panties to this date, so her pants quickly filled out, her fourteen-inch member straining against fabric. Zoey shifted awkwardly in ce. Maddy blushed, eyes flicking down, though the table blocked her sight. She knew what was happening. Hardly difficult to figure out. The spell activated, and the circle disappeared. ¡°There,¡± Maddy said. ¡°It¡¯s active. So. What did you ¡­ have nned?¡± Zoey locked eyes with her. A smile crept onto her lips. Stress testing. That was what she had nned. How far could Zoey stress Maddy''s ''suggestion'' without getting caught? 5.26 – Exhibitionism 5.26 ¨C Exhibitionism Her skin tingling in excitement, Zoey looked around the busy restaurant. Not only did Maddy have a sound barrier in ce, but she had a powerful, third-advancement illusion actively suggesting they were only having dinner. So Zoey could get away with a lot. But how much? Biting her lip, she quelled her nervousness, then brought her hands to her shirt''s hem. In a quick movement, she removed and set it to the side, leaving her in just her bra. Maddy, wide-eyed, watched it happen. She looked around the restaurant, as did Zoey, to see if anyone had noticed. "This is fine?" Zoey asked, her body flushed with excitement. "They''ll think I''m clothed?" "Should," Maddy said. "Since most people don''t, um, eat dinner topless. Anything unusual happens, the suggestion takes hold, and they''ll revert to seeing what they think is normal." "Perfect." She unclipped her bra and set that aside, too. She enjoyed Maddy''s flustered expression, the way she stared at her exposed tits, before Zoey teased her, "So? Gonna join me?" Maddy jumped. Her eyes flicked back up to meet Zoey''s. "Uh. S-Sure." Tentatively, while anxiously looking around at their neighbors, Maddy stripped off her top, then her bra. As Maddy had done to her a second earlier, Zoey drank in Maddy''s exposed body. Maddy was a small, petite woman, as t as a board. She was achingly cute, with pink, perky nipples, and Zoey''s cock throbbed in excitement. The threat of Maddy''s spell failing, or just generally being around so many people, turned the event from hot to scorching. Maddyughed nervously, sounding breathless. Her arm went to cover herself up almost by instinct. Despite apparently having a ''thing'' for being out in public, she was even more nervous than Zoey herself. Or more easily embarrassed. "Usually I''m a little more circumspect when I do this." "Sounds boring." Zoey stretched wide, making sure to show herself off. She leaned back and rested an elbow on the head of the booth seat. "And it''s kind of freeing," Zoey said. "Feels weird that nobody knows." Indeed, nobody had turned their way, despite how both she and Maddy were naked from the waist up. "It''s, um, definitely something." "Bottoms too, now?" "Really?" "Sure," Zoey smirked. "I will if you will." Maddy swallowed. She scooted to the edge of the booth, then started undoing her shoes. Her eyes furtively scanned the room, despite knowing that her illusion should be more than enough to keep everyone unaware. She shuffled out of her skirt, leaving her in just her socks and panties. "T-There," Maddy said. "Your turn." Zoey obliged. She shuffled out of her pants and set them on the seat. Then, going a step further, she pulled down her boxers. Her cock sprung free. Maddy stared at it with wide eyes. It wasn''t her first time seeing Zoey''s weapon, but the memory must not have done it justice, because Maddy seemed enraptured. It couldn''t exactly fit underneath the table, not all fourteen inches, so Zoey tucked it up toward her stomach, letting it rest against the lip of the table. "Don''t mind her," Zoey said. "She''s a bit unwieldy." She looked around the room. Sitting therepletely naked, she couldn''t help but be concerned whether Maddy''s spell was as strong as she said it was. Would a fourteen-inch girlcock be an unusual enough sight to break the illusion? By chance, a woman from a different table in the center of the restaurant happened to nce Zoey''s way. Their gaze locked for a half-second, then her eyes dipped down. Zoey was mostly obscured by the table and the other furniture of the room, but she could still see Zoey''s cock sticking up over the table lip. The woman''s brow furrowed, as if confused, and adrenaline washed through Zoey. Maybe this had been a terrible idea. What were thews of public indecency, anyway? Would this cause them problems? Real ones, with the guards? Maybe¡ª The woman looked away, returning to her meal, seeming clueless to what she''d seen. Zoey released a breath she hadn''t known she''d been holding. Maddy also rxed. "For regr people, it should hold up against almost anything," Maddy said, though her voice was a little shaky with adrenaline. Knowing how secure the illusion was didn''t diminish the thrill of the situation. "Almost anything? Sounds like I should try harder." She started scooting silverware and tableware to the right, clearing space. Maddy tentatively joined her, seeming confused. "What are you doing?" "Making room." "For what?" "For you." "For ¡­ me?" Zoey stood. Her skin burned at standing naked in front of the entire restaurant, but still, nobody paid much mind to her. She held a hand out for Maddy. The blue-haired mage took it, and Zoey pulled her up. Then, grabbing her waist, she lifted the light girl up, setting her on the edge of the table. Maddy settled back onto her elbows. "W-Wait. Really?" Zoey grabbed the edges of Maddy''s panties, then tugged them down. Maddy instinctively reached down to stop her, then, at Zoey''s insistence, blushingly let go. Zoey finished tugging them off and added the garment to Maddy''s pile. She admired Maddy''s exposed pussy, then the rest of her naked body, before looking around the room. "What do they see, right now?" Zoey asked. A few people had nced over, with her standing and Maddyid out on the table, and most seemed confused¡ªbut quickly put it out of their mind, returning to their own business. "Who knows?" Maddy asked. "Some might see us sitting. Some, standing and talking. They probably don''t think I''m on the table. That would be too much of a deviation from the suggestion." Her words came out shaky. Her entire chest was blushing along with her face; she looked a few seconds from bursting into me. Zoey probably looked simr. Even this was a lot for her. "Can you drop the sound barrier?" Zoey asked. "Drop it? Why?" "So you have to be careful with the noises you make," Zoey said. She ced both hands on either of Maddy''s inner thighs, then ran them up and down, teasing her. "The danger is the fun part." "But ¡­" "Do it." At the authority in Zoey''s voice, Maddy relented. The sound barrier dropped. The muted sounds of the restaurant came back in full force. The rity of casual conversation all around them, the bustle of dishes, and other restaurant noises, reinvigorated the squirming in her stomach. She was really doing this? This wasn''t a dream. She was really standing there, naked, with Maddyid out on the table, also naked, and was about to start pleasuring her¡ªright in front of a crowd of people. Was she insane? Illusion or not, this was risky. Zoey was pushing the ability''s limit. More than that, if anyone was a wayfarer, then their chances of being caught were more than doubled. Especially if she started making Maddy moan. "You better be quiet," Zoey murmured, getting down onto her knees, tugging Maddy''s lower half closer to her. "We''re already in risky territory. Be too loud, and we could get caught." Zoey pressed a gentle kiss onto Maddy''s inner thigh. The petite girl trembled on the table, her hand questing up to bury into Zoey''s hair. She seemed stunned that they had ended up this way, with Zoey on her knees, her mouth only a few inches away from her pussy. The shaking of the smaller girl had Zoey''s cock throbbing. The obviousness of her excitement stoked her own. "When I asked you out to dinner," Zoey murmured, "I had a suspicion you''d be the dessert." Maddy stared at her, then let loose a short, incredulousugh. "Really?" "Couldn''t help myself," Zoey said. With her face so close, Maddy shivered at the hot air that brushed between her legs with each of her breaths. "Well, fine," Maddy murmured. "Dig in, then?" Happily. Zoey pressed a series of kisses around Maddy''s pussy, then leaned forward and hovered a half-inch away. Maddy shivered, holding transfixed eye contact. Then she pressed Zoey forward by the back of her head. It didn''t seem intentional; a sign of her need. Zoey''s mouth pressed into Maddy''s soft lower lips. Zoey opened her mouth and licked. Maddy''s taste flooded her. Both of them shivered in excitement. The thrill of the restaurant and the danger made everything so much hotter. She teased the girl, licking along her entrance, not pressing inside. When Maddy whined and tugged Zoey''s head forward, she relented. She pushed her tongue inside. A moan escaped Maddy¡ªa loud one, wrenched from her by her desire. Maddy mped a hand over her mouth. Gray eyes surveyed the room in a panic,tching to several people who had looked over. She''d drawn their attention with the noise, even if the illusion held. Zoey''s own heart hammered. If she could take Maddy apart enough, have her a moaning, crying-out mess, then surely they''d be caught. The illusion did have limits. The idea made her cock throb. She wanted that. To have Maddy crying out in pleasure, to have their cover blown. It was the game they were ying. Who would win? Zoey buried her face into Maddy''s pussy, her tongue exploring deep. She sucked and nibbled at Maddy, her nose tickling the blue-haired girl''s soft tufts of pubic hair. Maddy''s hips bucked in response, muffled moan slipping out past her fingers, muted but still audible. She didn''t have great self-control. Or the situation was too intense for her. Bit by bit, Zoey worked her partner higher, using her skilled tongue to great effect. Honestly, being skilled probably didn''t matter. It was the heat of the restaurant, the threat of exposure, that had Maddy falling apart so easily. It was also why Zoey''s cock was twitching and leaking pre-cum, even without stimtion. Before Zoey could force Maddy to that scalding-hot peak, a voice interrupted them. "How are you two doing, dears?" Both of them jumped. Zoey turned, head still between Maddy''s legs, to see their waitress. The brte''s brow was furrowed as she met eyes with Maddy, then Zoey, but she carried forward with the conversation as if nothing was amiss. Never mind that Zoey had, a second ago, been using her tongue to explore Maddy''s insides, and that the blue-haired girl wasid out on the table, her legs spread to give Zoey ess. "Were you two thinking of dessert?" their waitress asked cheerfully, notebook and pencil held in hand. "I have some rmendations, if you''d like them. Oh, and I can get those dishes for you." 5.27 – Exhibitionism II 5.27 ¨C Exhibitionism II Both Maddy and Zoey stared at the waitress. Zoey, from down beneath Maddy''s legs, and Maddy,id out across the table, panting heavily, red-faced, hips squirming from her proximity to orgasm. The waitress looked at them in return, growing ufortable. Not, hriously, at their positioning and nakedness, or that Zoey had just been eating Maddy out, but at theirck of responses. Just how strong was this illusion? The waitress really didn''t have a clue. Incredible. Zoey forced herself to reply. "Uh. Actually, dessert sounds nice. Maddy, can you grab that menu?" Maddy jolted, Zoey''s response breaking her from her own frozen state. She turned and shuffled around the pushed-aside tableware, digging for the dessert menu. She found it, then handed it to Zoey. Zoey pushed it away. "No, that''s fine. You can pick. We''ll share." "R-Really?" Amusingly, the blue-haired mage hadn''t picked up on what Zoey''s game was, yet. "Yeah. You order. Go ahead." Then, Zoey grabbed Maddy''s thighs, pushed her head back between her thighs, and sank her tongue into her. Maddy gasped, her hand shooting to grab the back of Zoey''s head. "M-Miss?" the waitress asked, startled at the loud noise. "Sorry. Sorry," Maddy gasped. "O-Oh my gods. Seriously, Zoey?" She wiggled her hips, rattling the table. "Um." Another whine. "I can''t do this, Zoey." Zoey pulled out, briefly, to exin to the waitress. "She''s a bit under the weather. She might need a second." The waitress''s confusion melted into a sympathetic look. Being given an excuse, shetched to it, even if it didn''t make sense. More proof of how strong Maddy''s illusion was. "Sorry to hear that. Take your time, miss." Maddy squirmed on the table as Zoey returned to pleasuring her. The flimsy excuse was all the aid Zoey would give her. It was Maddy''s job to weather the storm, and Zoey''s job to create it. Zoey worked away twice as eagerly as before. Maddy seemed barely capable of scanning the dessert menu. Her hand, and the menu, shook as she tried to read from it. The other hand was ced firmly on Zoey''s head, pushing her down between her legs. "I think¡ªI think we''ll have the¡ª" Another groan escaped Maddy, despite her best efforts to stayposed. She tried to read the menu a third time, then gave up. "The cake!" she gasped, the first hopeful item that probably existed on it. "We''ll have the cake." "Sure. Chocte or vani?" Maddy tried to pull Zoey''s head from between her thighs, but Zoey held on and explored even more aggressively. Maddy whined, hips jerking and twitching, and she gave up on trying to get Zoey to stop. She''d already been close to finishing, and the waitress''s arrival had put her on the precipice. "Z-Zoey," Maddy gasped. "Seriously. I can''t¡ªI''m going to¡ª" "Order," Zoey said firmly, pulling out only long enough to give themand. "She''s waiting." She went back in. Maddy''s legs squeezed around her head, and her body started to shake. She forced a response out. "T-The chocte," she told the waitress, somehow making eye contact despite her ming face and shaking body. "Please. Chocte is fine." "And that''ll be it?" "That''s it," Maddy cried. She slid the menu aside, then shoved Zoey''s head down with both hands. Zoey rubbed her nose into Maddy''s pubic hair as she eagerly rode Maddy to her peak. "Thank you s-so much," Maddy groaned. Her hips arched upward, and she finally started toe¡ªwhining and sputtering, toes curling, right in front of the waitress. "It''ll be right out," the waitress said cheerily¡ªthough also sounding confused. Zoey couldn''t imagine what she thought of the situation. The illusion had to be close to breaking, regardless of how strong it was, and that the waitress was a civilian. Hesitating a second longer, the waitress finally left. Maddy sagged in relief, even as her hips kept jerking and shuddering with pleasure. "That was s-so m-m-mean," she whined. Her climax built higher and higher, each word a challenge for her to get out. "But, gods, this is¡ªso good." Zoey was too upied to respond. She held onto Maddy''s thighs, exploring with her tongue. Maddy covered her eyes with one arm, her other hand pushing Zoey''s head down as she basked in wracking waves of pleasure. For a good minute, Zoey worked her through a twitching, prolonged climax. Finally, Zoey pulled out, leaving a panting, sweating Maddy on top of the table. She looked around the restaurant. Unbelievably, the illusion hadn''t broken. She did see several people staring at them, but their eyes politely averted when they were caught. They seemed befuddled, not shocked. Showcasing just how close they were riding the line. If Maddy hadn''t been a third-advancement wayfarer, and purposefully reinforced the illusion, then it surely would have broken. And it might still break. Zoey wasn''t done. She stood, gripped her cock, then pped it down onto Maddy''s stomach. Even more than Rosalie''s frame, Zoey''s cock was a monster whenid across the small girl. Maddy seemed stunned at the hot beast draped onto her stomach. Zoey tugged Maddy by her thighs, sliding the girl closer to her. Her cock slid up between t breasts, even when her base was only at Maddy''s entrance. Maddy, in a haze, rested a hand on Zoey''s cock and pressed down, marveling at the sight. "It''s so hot," she murmured. Zoey''s cock twitched, and Maddy jumped with it. Zoey grabbed and lifted Maddy''s legs so they pointed up. She closed them around her cock. Soft thighs massaged her length, and Zoey sighed in pleasure. Maddy''s wetness acted as a lubricant as she pulled her hips back, then slid forward, working Maddy''s wetness in, using her thighs as a toy. "How long before dessert is here, do you think?" Zoey murmured. "Think she''ll finally see through us, when shees back and sees you covered in cum?" She snorted. "We''ll just say you''re clumsy. That you spilled something. Maybe it''ll work." Sheughed at the ridiculousness. And for some reason, the idea was also strangely hot. "I can''t believe you made me do that," Maddy said, still recovering from her orgasm, her voice quavering as she stared down at Zoey''s cock sliding between her thighs. "You''re taking this too far. We''re definitely gonna be caught." "Not if you keep quiet. Just stop making so much noise." "You''re a bully," Maddy groaned, her lower lips rubbing against Zoey''s cock with each slow thrust into her thighs. "A giant¡ªah¡ªbully." "Maybe if you didn''t make it so easy. You''re just so easy to y with." Zoey picked up speed, pping her hips into Maddy''s thighs, noises growing louder. ps of flesh started to fill the restaurant, drawing more eyes. Still, only confused looks. But they drove Zoey wild anyway. She was really standing there, fucking Maddy''s thighs in front of an audience. Most didn''t know what they were looking at, magicpletely rewriting what they saw, but still. Zoey winked at a dark-haired woman watching them, who blushed and averted her eyes back to her meal. "Fuck," Zoey groaned. "You feel amazing. I''m not gonnast." "That''s probably a good thing," Maddy groaned. "And it''s ¡­ it''s crazy how big it is." A second hand joined the first, pressing Zoey''s cock down into her body, giving pressure as Zoey slid between her thighs, on her stomach, and between her t breasts. "I think I could even ¡­ almost ¡­" Maddy leaned forward, then wrapped her lips around Zoey''s cock. Zoey groaned in unexpected pleasure. She slowed, thrusting in smaller bursts, letting Maddy keep her mouthtched to her. It was an awkward position, with Maddy curling forward to reach, but seeing the petite blue-haired girl have her lips around her cock even while Zoey used her thighs was shockingly erotic. Maddy''s tongue teased and yed with her cock tip while Zoey rocked her hips back and forth. Whenever Zoey got too excited and pulled back too far, she popped out of Maddy''s mouth, but the magetched back eagerly as soon as she returned. Zoey couldn''t take it for long. She sped up, returning to her fast, long strokes from before, pulling out of Maddy''s mouth and sliding her cock along Maddy''s stomach and between her breasts. Maddy whimpered, her legs and thighs squeezing around Zoey''s girth as best she could, providing a tight pressure, pleasuring the slippery member pumping up and down her. A familiar heat started to wash across Zoey. She groaned. Her hips moved faster, loud grunts and ps of flesh filling the air. She was vaguely aware that the looks from the restaurant patrons had turned into outright stares, but she couldn''t care. All that mattered was the beautiful blue-haired girlying beneath her, and the way her soft thighs felt against her cock. How Maddy''s hands pressed her shaft down and into her stomach and breasts, further amplifying the pleasure. The begging look in Maddy''s gray eyes, urging her on. "Do it," Maddy murmured. "Cover me. Let go. It''s fine." It was the only encouragement Zoey needed. She pped forward, burying herself into Maddy''s thighs, then whined as she came, cock seizing. Thick ropes spurted onto Maddy''s face, stomach, and chest. Each sticky strand draped itself across her body in a wild mess. With the force of each spurt, plenty flew past Maddy, onto the table too, trailing up and down her body. Zoey coated Maddy as she pumped between her thighs, a sticky mess of whitepletely covering the girl''s pale, slender body. Slowly, the world around her seeped back in. Zoey panted as she took in the sight before her. Maddyying on the table, nearly drenched, eyes half-closed, fending away the thick strings glued across her eyelids. Her entire upper body, face, and hair was sttered with it. For a moment, the two girls just panted at each other. Zoey slipped out from Maddy''s thighs, and Maddy let her legs fall down. Zoey looked around the restaurant. Half the restaurant was leveling confused looks their way, but still¡ªincredibly¡ªnobody stared with shock. Who knew what they thought was going on, but it wasn''t the truth. The illusion had held. Then, as if by divine timing, the waitress returned, a single te with chocte cake in her hands. She paused, seeing Maddyid out across the table, her entire upper half coated in cum. It looked like she''d taken fifty loads, not one. The waitress nced at Zoey, and her eyes flicked down to her softening cock. Her brow furrowed, and she stared for three full seconds. Finally, she shook her head. "Well, darlings," she said brightly. "Here you go. Enjoy. And don''t worry about that mess¡ªI''ll go grab something." 5.28 – Dessert 5.28 ¨C Dessert Stillid out on the table, Maddy looked at the slice of chocte cake with an expression Zoey couldn''t quite decipher. The poor girl probably had a lot running through her head. Zoey did too. Zoey picked up the te, then held it to the side as she helped Maddy off the table. Maddy, with a burning-red face, looked around the restaurant. She slid back into her booth and slumped down, hastily retreating to what privacy she could. A towel appeared from her hand, summoned from her inventory. "Nope," Zoey said. "Put that back." "What?" "You''re finishing dinner with me like this." Maddy leveled an incredulous expression her way. "W-What? Zoey, I''m covered." She touched herself with three fingers on her cheek, and when she pulled back, cum dripped from them. To emphasize the point, another thick string fell from her chin and onto herp. The poor girl was drenched. Was Zoey''s output bing even more ridiculous, or had the thrill of being in public¡ªand this being her first real event with Maddy¡ªdrawn it out? Either way, she was proud of what she''d done. "That''s the point," Zoey said. "I think it''s cute." "Cute. You think me beingpletely covered in your cum is ''cute''." "Yeah. So put the towel away." Maddy gaped at her, but at Zoey''s raised eyebrows¡ªdaring her to protest¡ªMaddy finally blushed and did as she was told. The poor girl was as easy to bully as Rosalie. Maybe more so. "F-Fine," Maddy said. "But I''m not going out into the streets like this." "Actually, you are," Zoey said. "But we''ll worry about that after dessert." She slid the te back onto the table. She scrounged up a fork from the stuffed-aside tableware, then stabbed in and grabbed a bite. She held it out for Maddy. Maddy epted the offering, though her wide eyes stayed locked to Zoey. She chewed, swallowed, then said, "You can''t be serious. We''re safe in here, kind of, ''cuz nobody''s a wayfarer. But out on the streets, there''ll be at least a few." "I''ll let you put on clothes, then," Zoey amended. "But you''re wearing that around," she used the fork to wave at the cum coating her face, "for the rest of the date. I like how it looks." Maddy seemed like she was going to protest, but instead, she blushed, looked away, and pouted. "F-Fine. Whatever." Huh. That had been easy. Too easy. Zoey scooped up another bite and held it out to her. Maddy epted it. "What are we doing about the mess, though?" Maddy asked. "I mean, look at what we did to the table." To emphasize the point, she poked an errant strand of Zoey''s cum, which had ejected all the way to the wall, covering table, dishes, and wall alike. "How did you even do that?" "It was mostly your thighs'' fault." Maddy rolled her eyes¡ªbut the smile she hid with a hand said she appreciated thement. And a blushing, exasperated Maddy was twice as cute when covered in cum. A second string of white dripped off her chin. Yes, Zoey could definitely get used to having Maddy walk around like that. How lucky had she gotten that she''d found a fourth teammate who was a total exhibitionist? "You Bonded with me, right?" Maddy asked. "You didn''t forget?" "If I said I did, could we go again?" "S-Shut up." Zoeyughed. "I didn''t forget. But it was close. You''re a bit distracting." She took a bite of cake. "This is really good. Good choice." "I picked this restaurant for a reason." "You''ve been?" "Only twice. I didn''t want to go anywhere I''m a regr." "Why? Because you had a suspicion on how the date would end up?" Maddy quirked her eyebrow in a silent answer. Zoey snorted. "So, what are your ns for the rest of the day?" "Back to small talk?" Maddy asked dryly. "While I''m naked, covered in cum, and half the restaurant was just staring at us?" "I mean, we''ve got dessert to finish, and it''s still a date. So yeah." Maddy shook her head, exasperated. "I can''t believe you''re making me sit here, covered in this stuff." Zoey knew the protests were superficial; Maddy liked it as much as she did. She hadn''t even tried to convince Zoey otherwise. Not really. The two girls worked through their dessert for a moment, a lull in the conversation appearing. "This is a bit of a strange question," Zoey said, "but I''ve got a question on magic." "Sure?" "Can two mages mix spells?" "Mix? What do you mean?" "Combine to make something else. You know. Joint spellcasting." "Oh," Maddy said. "Sure. It''s possible. It''s just not done very often." "Because it''s difficult?" "Because it''s impractical, mostly. From abat perspective. You get diminishing returns. Two individual spells are stronger than abined one. You''re talking about us doing that in a shard?" "No." "Oh. Then what?" Zoey rubbed her chin. The idea was still forming in her head. "I''ll exin my goal, and you can tell me if it''s possible." "Okay." "So, all of this," Zoey gestured around, indicating the restaurant, and she and Maddy''s state of undress. "Got me thinking. It''s fun, but getting actually caught could cause some problems. At least by people who aren''t, you know, fond of the idea. Or don''t want to see all this." Maddy''s eyebrows stayed scrunched. She didn''t know where Zoey was going. "So, can we make a filtering illusion?" Zoey asked. "Maybe bybining our two specialties, make a spell where only people who want to see us naked, or doing whatever, actually see us." Maddy''s eyes widened. "Oh. Um. Good question. Definitely a ¡­ novel ¡­ idea for a spell." She paused, then blushed. "But you mean, you want other people to catch us? Like actually?" "Isn''t that the fun of it?" Zoey asked. "Means we could be out in public, and get some real reactions from people. But only people who want to see us, would." A considerate form of exhibitionism. They were in a world with magic, so why not use it? And Maddy''s specialty had to do with mental effects¡ªso she ought to be able to make something that sensed if they would want to see through the illusion, whenbined with Zoey''s lewd specialty. Or, that was the idea. "Huh," Maddy said. "So? Think it''s possible?" "Honestly? I''m not sure. It''d be tricky to design." "Maybe my ss would help cheat?" Zoey asked. "It seems to be pretty friendly to the idea of ¡­ you know, all of that stuff. So it might smooth the edges of the problem. Make it easier." "It could," Maddy agreed, seeming thoughtful. It was a somewhat humorous expression while cum still dripped from her chin. "Just an idea," Zoey said. "Seems like it would make our second date even more fun." "Yeah," Maddy said, cheeks coloring. "It would, um, definitely be something. I''ll look into it." "Cool." Zoey looked forward to testing it out. *** The date continued. Though it drew some strange looks, they cleaned up the table, tes, and surroundings that Zoey had ruined using supplies from their inventories. They were at least somewhat considerate in their inappropriate misadventures. From there, she headed back to the Guild with Maddy. As promised, Maddy wore her thick coating of Zoey''s seed as a badge of honor throughout the walk. It hadn''t been hard to convince her, and Zoey doubted that was entirely because Maddy was aplete bottom, quick to ept Zoey''s orders, but rather, because she wanted to. All it had taken was Zoey to insist, and the poor girl''s token protests had folded. Maddy squirmed and blushed the entire walk over, and Zoey wasn''t sure if anyone saw through the illusion, but she enjoyed herself nheless. Getting to walk with a cum-covered Maddy with an arm looped around hers, blushing whenever someone looked their way, was a definite highlight of her day. Nearly back to the Guild, Zoey allowed Maddy to clean herself up. Inside the congregating point for wayfarers, there would be someone who could see through Maddy''s illusion. There was a difference between the thrill of a low-percent chance of getting caught, and a guarantee. Plus, lots of adventurers knew Maddy. Zoey wouldn''t be that mean, to force her to parade around with a coating of cum on her face around friends and acquaintances. Though, maybe if Maddy showed interest in the idea, she would convince her to be more brazen in the future. To show off even when they both knew she would be seen¡ªand by people she knew. Zoey looked forward to pushing the mage''s limits. Afterward, Zoey said her goodbyes, then headed for Delta''s room. She had an evening left, and there were always practical matters that needed attending. Especially with the Church of the Shattered Sphere being a dead end, and the vampire having not emerged, Zoey thought it was better she got into contact with theirst hope earlier sooner thanter. She knocked, and after a few moments, the door swung open, and Delta leaned against the doorframe with a raised eyebrow. "What''s up?" "Hey. You busy?" "Not especially." "Still wanna ravage an innocent priestess with me?" Her tall fox ears twitched in excitement, and a grin split her lips. "Uh, hello? Do you even need to ask?" 5.29 – The Temple 5.29 ¨C The Temple "So, that was faster than I thought," Delta said. "Figured we''d be getting up to this in a few days, not right away." "Hit a dead end with the Church, so it''s not like we have much choice," Zoey said. "Ephy might be ourst chance to get another hint on what''s going on." Though she wasn''t sure how fruitful another conversation with the goddess would be. She had made it clear there were limits on what she would, or could, tell Zoey. "And even if she''s not helpful, it''s smart to establish a way tomunicate with her." "And she said muning'' was best for that?" "Whatever that means." "Think I''ll get to see her? Or will it be just you?" Zoey paused. That was a good question. "I assumed just me. Depends on how all this works, I guess. And whether she wants to see you." "Huh," Delta said. "Chatting with an actual goddess. Not something I thought I''d ever get up to." "Any ideas for how it will work?" "Communing? Nope. But I bet we''ll need a lot of lube." Zoey shook her head. Colorful phrasing, like always. "And what''s the n for finding someone to help?" "A nubile, virgin priestess to ravish, you mean?" "Don''t be crude." "We''re looking for a priestess to double team, and you''reining about me being ''crude''?" Touch¨¦. "Still, our goal''s only to talk to Ephy. We don''t know if we''ll need a priestess to help. Or whether one will want to." "I don''t think that second part will be much of a problem. Have you seen yourself?" Deltaughed. "Have you seen me?" She made a lewd gesture as she traced her hands down her body. "I''m sure we''ll have a few takers. Just look for a repressed blonde with big blue eyes. You have a good record with those." "Oh, be quiet," Zoey said. "Though, you should probably give me the rundown on how all this works. So I know what''s going on." "All this?" "The temple district. And all that." "Our world''s religion?" Delta asked dryly. "Yeah." "I''m probably not the best person to ask. I''m not exactly what you could call pious." "You aren''t?" Delta rolled her eyes. "Besides," Zoey said, "that might make you a better person to exin. You''re less biased." "Maybe." Delta was quiet for a moment as she thought. "I''ll do my best to give a rundown. So, in most cities, there''s three major temples people worship in. The Temple of Natural Order, the Temple of the Arcane, and the Temple of Ascension." "Oh?" "Inside each, there''s different shrines to worship different gods or goddesses. You can probably guess who belongs where. Aelorithia, the Goddess of Blossom, and Lunestrya, the Goddess of Nights and Beasts, would be worshipped in the Temple of Natural Order. So would Ephythithys, representing fertility and sex¡ªa natural process." "And the Arcane Temple?" "Mistralthys for enchantment. Voltaryn for elemental magics. Elendriya for healing and protection." Delta shrugged. "There''s a lot of gods. One for everything. Some are more popr than others. Their names change, too, depending on where you are. I find it hard to remember them all." Delta nced skyward, pausing as if waiting for something. After a second, she nodded. "Cool. Didn''t get smited for that." "What about the Temple of Ascension?" "That one''s different," Delta said. "And is mostly worshipped by wayfarers and wayfaring families. Depending on where you go, the Temple is dedicated to one god, Cod''elix, or several aspects of the same god, given different representations. But the Temple is for everything rted to ascension. Questaryn, the God of Adventure, Lev''Alora, for Progression, and Egarion, Mastery." "So everything rted to sses, shards, and advancements." "Yep." It made sense that there would be a major Temple dedicated to such a thing. Wayfarers were the eminent force across the world, and for good reason: individuals could wield power that threatened entire cities. Zoey wondered how many of these gods were real. Only Ephy and the enigmatic ''Ezariel'' she had mentioned had any substantial proof. Otherwise, the rest had¡ªif they weren''t invented as a matter of these people''s culture¡ªshirked their duties and abandoned the world, ording to Ephy. Though, could Zoey trust that? She didn''t think Ephy had a reason to lie, but maybe taking everything that woman said at face value wouldn''t be smart. "That''s interesting," Zoey said, "but we only care about the Temple of Natural Order, right?" "Since we''re going to say hi to your patron, yeah. Shouldn''t be a problem finding a shrine for her. She''s a middle-sized deity." Delta paused, then nced skyward a second time. "No, uh, offense." She stage-whispered to Zoey, "Is she a vain one?" "Only middle-sized?" She would have figured the one guaranteed-real deity would be prominent in Delta''s culture. Massively so¡ªnot simply ''middle-sized''. Delta shrugged. "Fertility, sensuality, sex, and lust are popr aspects. But not as much as Life, Healing, Growth, Magic, and so on. So yeah, everyone knows her name, but she''s not one of the ''big ones'', so to say." "Huh." Zoey wondered what Ephy thought of that. Soon enough, Delta had led the two of them to the temple district. It was a busy ce, though not so much as, say, the market. Maybe because they''de at an unusual time. Did these people have an equivalent of a Sunday being their typical worship day? Regardless, it was probably better for her and Delta''s mission that the temples wouldn''t be too crowded. "I thought you said there were three temples?" Zoey asked, peering around at the various buildings. She was pretty sure she could tell which were ''the'' three temples, the main ones, but there were other obvious ces of worship. "It''s more of a categorization," Delta said. "There''s the main Temples, which the city funds, but people can build their own, too. The smaller ones all align under one of the three major categories. There''s plenty of churches not in the temple district itself, too." A short walk, and they arrived to the Temple of Natural Order. Tall white marble pirs lined the front entrance, reaching up to support a triangr b that was decorated with a mural of lush forests, rolling hills, and all other sorts of natural imagery. Wide double doors were swung open, and a member of the temple in white robes weed worshippers inside. She followed Delta in. A cavernous circr chamber opened up, capped with a domed ceiling decorated by stained ss depictions of various natural iconography. Dozens of alcoves surrounded the grand chamber, each holding a statue honoring a god or goddess. Zoey''s eyes snagged on a tall, dark woman with violet amethysts for eyes, wearing a wolf''s cloak pulled up over her head. A deer stood to her side, seeming alert and staring at something in the distance. Lunestrya, that Delta had mentioned? The Goddess of Night and Beasts? Zoey looked through the enormous hall, fascinated at the architecture and more than that, the meaning behind it all. Treyhull was a sprawling, wealthy city, and so, the city''s primary Temple of Natural Order had all thevishness Zoey would expect. Her eyes fell on the alcove dedicated to Ephythithys, and more specifically, the statue inside. Unsurprisingly, the plush image of the goddess of fertility wasn''t the same as Zoey remembered from her meetings¡ªthese people had obviously never met the goddess in person. But the proportions were close enough: wide hips,rge breasts, and a figure that dripped sensuality. Finally, Zoey looked at the people inside the Temple. The Temple was well upied, with people of all sorts visiting altars, burning incense, praying, or speaking with priests and priestesses. Thetter were easy to tell apart from regr temple-goers; the clergy wore white robes and silver nes, standing out from the crowd, where everyday folk hade in all sorts of attire, both formal and casual. The quiet reverence of the Temple''s design brought a sense of solemnity to Zoey, and she wasn''t exactly a religious woman. She looked around and marveled at it all; she couldn''t imagine how much work had gone into creating this ce. It was also impressively quiet for how many people bustled about. Everyone spoke in whispers. The quiet reverence brought from the ce of worship was quickly ruined by Delta, though. "Alright," she whispered to Zoey. "Which of these priestesses are craving girl cock the most, do you think?" 5.30 – Priestess I 5.30 ¨C Priestess I Most people didn''t realize how busy daily life at the Temple could be. Aria had a wholeundry list of tasks. Beyond caring for the grounds and maintaining the temple premises, she also needed to help with the temple library, wee and provide guidance to visitors, organize the financial and legal paperwork that came with the Temple''s daily operations, her daily worship duties, and so much more¡ªthe list went on and on. Admittedly, most priestesses wouldn''t have such a busy schedule, but Aria was the daughter of the Head Priest, and while that didn''te with any special title herself, it sure came with a whole lot more expectations and duties. Not that Aria wasining. She loved her work. Life as a priestess was, with no doubt in her mind, her calling in life. Today was a slow day, though, and she would admit those were her favorite. She had room to breathe. And more to the point, she had time to mingle with visitors while she went about cleaning the Temple''s various altars¡ªthough while pretending to look busy, since a priestess could hardly seem like she was loitering around. She kept an eye out for people who might need help, or otherwise just someone to talk to. Her favorite part of the day was getting to enlighten thoseing to the Temple seeking spiritual guidance, to aid them with making offerings to a patron god or otherwise enlighten them on what little she knew of the pantheon''s enigmatic nature. Right now, she worked studiously away at dusting down the statue of Ephythithys. Since she had been caring for the Temple since she could walk, this was hardly her first time doing so. But despite that familiarity, she had always¡ªand still did¡ªfound the task of cleaning Ephythithys''s statue a bit ¡­ well, flustering. Because whichever artisan had painstakingly chiseled the effigy had taken great effort to highlight the goddess''s, erm, holy assets. Which was fair. Most people knew Ephythithys as the goddess of fertility and sex, but primarily in the biological sense¡ªthe nting of seed to grow new life. Aria, however, having spent her life studying religious texts and immersed in topics of the divine, knew she represented more than that. Sex in all of its aspects. Ephythithys''s domain included lustful indulgences, carnal desires, the sensuality of touch, and the heat of ecstasy. Not just the process of creating life from a sacred standpoint, but all the sweaty, sticky details in between. And the statue-maker knew this too, apparently. Blushing, she dusted down Ephythithys''s bust, struggling not to let her eyes shy away from her very, very generous proportions¡ªand more importantly, the lifelike realism of the stone. The clearly visible nipples through thin clothing, which Aria politely dusted. Unfortunately, Aria was hardly the only person in the Temple to have noticed the impressive uracy of the statue. Many visitors had as well. And because of that¡ªand the perverted, irreverent nature of some¡ªEphythithys''s stone breasts were starting to discolor from being touched so often. Most people brought proper reverence into the Temple, but not all of them. People would be people, even in a holy ce. Aria herself had caught a handful of visitors rubbing the stone. One such vitor had told her that he had done so because, apparently, rubbing Ephythithys''s breasts brought good luck¡ªand he was trying for child. Aria was torn on whether she believed him. He had seemed earnest. It made some sort of sense, but she was pretty sure the constant touching stemmed from immaturity, not the desire to ''receive luck with fertility''. Regardless, it was bing clear that the statue might need to be renewed. The discoloration became more noticeable by the year. Aria wondered whether it counted as sphemy to fondle a Goddess''s breasts, even just an effigy. Or the Goddess''s rear, which was likewise changing shades from so many touches¡ªand was also likewise perfectly, and nearly lewdly, sculpted, with the long, thin folds of her dress very neatly tucked into her curves so that she might as well have been naked. Certainly, the mistreatment of any other holy statue would have produced an outrage in the Temple, but Ephythithys was obviously a special case. She was also the only one with clearly visible nipples poking through her clothing, to name the obvious, so really, they were as at fault for disying her as the visitors who couldn''t help but touch. And wasn''t that Ephythithys''s aspect to begin with? Even if the lewd touches weren''t for ''good luck'', Ephythithys would celebrate anything rted to carnal desires. Though, maybe not so much the groping of her own holy image. Aria was undecided. Funny enough, it was a topic of quiet debate in the Temple¡ªthough obviously not in any official capacity. Except, as years ticked by, it might need to be discussed at the next council, officially speaking. They could hardly allow the discoloring to be too obvious. Deliberately keeping her eyes from wandering across the goddess''s figure, Aria studiously dusted away, keeping her altar and image as pristine as a goddess deserved. Eight candles flickered across the altar and in various ces on the alcove, providing a dim light in the recess which the tall overhead dome windows couldn''t reach. Then, as her thoughts wandered as she dusted away, something odd happened: the candles flickered pink. Aria froze, her eyes snapping in the direction of the nearest, to find that, yes¡ªit burned a bright, lustrous pink. A half-secondter, long enough she knew she hadn''t imagined it, the lights returned to their soft yellow glow. A shiver went down her spine. Not from fear, but incredulity. Anticipation, perhaps. She stared at the calm candle light for a moment longer. She''d gotten a good look, so she knew she hadn''t imagined it¡ªunless she was going crazy and seeing things. She swallowed. What would make Ephythithys''s candles burn pink? Was it a sign? If so, of what? She turned from Ephythithys''s alcove and scanned the Temple proper. The usual light crowd bustled about. Nobody was looking her way¡ªshe''d been the only one to see the pink candles. Still wide-eyed, she looked back at the lights, then to the goddess''s figure, as if she could glean some meaning from her serene, motherly expression. But she found nothing useful there. Finally, she looked back out into the Temple, still disoriented. She considered scurrying over to one of her colleagues and telling them what had happened, but wouldn''t she just sound crazy? Attention-seeking, even, trying to imply a goddess had given her a sign? And a sign of what? If, indeed, that was the interpretation she should be making at all. Before she could worry too much over the idea, her wandering eyes snagged onto something other than a colleague. To a figure near the entrance of the temple, apanied by another woman¡ªboth of whom had clearly just walked in. Even with how perplexing the flickering of Ephythithys''s candles had been, Aria''s thoughts werepletely diverted by the two women, her attention instantly captured. Especially by the taller one. She was a goddess. Even from the distance Aria was standing, she froze in astonishment. Every part of the woman was perfection. And not in the way of a piece of art, but in a more carnal way. Aria wouldn''t consider herself a lusty woman, but she drank in the hard edges of the neer''s jaw, her green eyes, then down to her curves, the way her clothing hugged her breasts, her hips, her thighs, and her legs. Heat thrilled across Aria just looking at her, her stomach clenching with need. It was a reaction she didn''t think she''d ever had before, not for a stranger¡ªbut this exception came with an easy exnation. Because she''d never seen a woman who was such a walking figure of sensuality. The other woman, her obvious partner, who was leaning into her side with intimate familiarity, was only slightly less stunning¡ªwhich Aria needed to emphasize only made her the second most beautiful woman she''d seen. The orange-haired foxgirl was shorter, with violet eyes and a softer face, with curves no less eye-catching than her partner. Who was she? Her girlfriend? Wife? The way they chatted and smiled told Aria they weren''t just friends. Then violet eyes flicked to Aria, catching her staring even all the way across the Temple. Aria should have expected that¡ªboth carried themselves like wayfarers, and wayfarers had excellent awareness. Preternaturally so, in many cases. Aria jolted and, in a panic, looked away. She blushed furiously, chiding herself. With great effort, she chased away the scandalous thoughts that had invaded her mind. The Temple hardly confined their clergy to chastity, but that didn''t mean it was eptable to go around lusting after visitors. And while chastity wasn''t required, members of the Temple were expected to behave in moral and upstanding ways¡ªwhich, again, lusting after twoplete strangers obviously wasn''t. Not that Aria was lusting. She''d just noted how beautiful they were. And stunning their figures. In a strictly abstract sense? Well, no, Aria couldn''t delude herself like that. The tall woman with ck hair had especially dripped sensuality, despite being dressed in a way that didn''t particrly show her body off. The moment she''did eyes on the woman, her stomach had clenched with need. Sex¡ªnobody could look at that woman and not think about it. Aria redoubled her efforts to clear her mind. What had gotten into her? The lewd detour in her thought process must havee from cleaning Ephythithys''s shrine. Influence from the goddess''s own lewd imagery. Or maybe, Aria admitted, that woman was just that attractive. And it had been a while since Aria had found any sort of relief. Temple life was busy. Then, in a jolt, she remembered the candles. They''d flickered pink. Shortly after, Aria had looked around and caught sight of a literal goddess entering the Temple. With a body like that, Aria wouldn''t be surprised if that woman was some sort of disciple to the goddess of sensuality. Though, Aria shook her head. She was really letting her thoughts run wild. She obviously didn''t believe that. Then again, the pink candles meant something. Before Aria could finish organizing her thoughts, ore to a decision on what in the world was going on¡ªif anything¡ªshe was interrupted from her cleaning a second time. "Hey," a feminine voice said behind her, making Aria jump. "We''re a bit new here. Think you could help us out?" Aria turned. She knew who it would be before sheid eyes on them. The two stunning women hade to speak with her, and¡ªoh, heavens¡ªthey were even more intimidating up close. "Of course," Aria said faintly. "I would¡ªI would love to. What is it you need?" 5.31 – Priestess II 5.31 ¨C Priestess II The couple introduced themselves as Delta and Zoey. Aria knew immediately that she''d been caught looking¡ªor more urately, admiring. The two were probably used to being stared at, so the way she''d panicked and turned away had all but tattled on her. The good news was that it didn''t seem like her ogling had made them ufortable. In fact, they had used it as an excuse toe over and chat. To feel her out. They probably thought Aria''s staring meant she was interested. The way they asked her about the Temple and Ephythithys''s altar, subdued smirks and teasing present throughout the whole conversation, made it clear that they hade over for her more than to learn about the Temple. Was that bad, though? That Aria was suddenly being hit on by two goddesses? And Aria knew it was sphemous to be calling other women ''goddesses'' in a temple of all ces, in a space meant for worshiping actual divinities, but there wasn''t another word she could use. They were perfect. More than perfect. Aria''s cheeks had started burning the moment they hade over. Which, unfortunately, they were delighted by¡ªa reaction that only made Aria''s face burn even hotter, and her stomach squirm around even more excitedly. The two girls kept the conversation polite, keeping away from their obvious real intentions as if explicitly to tease Aria. They asked about the Temple of Natural Order and the surrounding churches, about the various gods, goddesses, altars, and amenities. Finally, they asked about her duties, and what she''d been doing¡ªcleaning, she exined, waving her duster to emphasize¡ªand the topic somehownded on Ephythithys''s statue. Namely, the same subject of Aria''s previous musings: how obvious it was that visitors were groping the goddess''s figure for ''good luck''. Delta seemed to find that hrious, even stepping forward to also touch¡ªwhich Aria protested, and Zoey also scolded her for. The conversation was actually somewhat difficult to navigate, not because it was awkward, but because their presence simply made Aria hot and tongue-tied. Especially with all the subtle teasing, and the way their eyes flicked down to her figure, not bothering to be covert about checking her out. After Aria had done the same, she supposed that was only fair. Though she''d done so from across the hall, not right next to them, while they were talking. They were interested in her, which Aria honestly found a bit confusing. It wasn''t like her priestess''s get-up was ttering, andpared to them, she was nothing. Aria hardly thought she was ugly, but Zoey and Delta made her heart stop just by looking at them. Thanks to how flustered she was, Aria nearly forgot about the incident with the pink candles. A reminder came shortly, as soon the two girls revealed their true reason foring to the temple. "It''s funny you were here, actually," Zoey said. "By Ephy''s statue. She was who we came for. Lucky coincidence." "Divine intervention, maybe?" Delta tacked on, a hint of mischief in her voice. Aria paused, though not at the flirting. ''Ephy''? That was a bizarrely familiar nickname to use for a goddess. And said with such casualness, as if the woman was ustomed to using it. How odd. Aria''s thoughts returned to the flickering pink candles. If she wasn''t so distracted by two beautiful women flirting shamelessly with her, she would have been much more focused on that. So, these two goddesses hade for Ephythithys? After the goddess had maybe given Aria a sign? Just what was going on? "You came to say a prayer?" Aria asked in rification, wanting to know more about their intentions. Zoey and Delta shared a look. "More than a prayer," Zoey said. "More direct. Which is why we need advice. If I wanted tomune with her¡ªto try to speak with her directly, or be given a message¡ªwhat would be the best way to go about that?" Aria stared nkly at the woman. It was hardly the first time a visitor hade to the temple to receive wisdom from a patron deity directly, butbined with the pink candles? The coincidences kept piling up. Though, she guessed there weren''t that many. Just three: the candles, the fact that Zoey had a body sculpted as if by Ephythithys herself, and now, that these two hade explicitly tomune with her. Then, Aria digested the question itself. Commune with Ephythithys. Her blushing had been subdued up to this point, with Aria fighting it away desperately, but the question finally broke through. Her face turned red. "Yeah, I told you," Delta said, nudging Zoey with her elbow. "It''s totally what we thought." "We''re not trying to make you ufortable," Zoey said apologetically. "We just need an expert''s advice." Aria fought to control her blushing. Just, the imagery that had been created by the question was a bit flustering. "Communion with Ephythithys," Aria said. "You could try, but, of course, a response from the divine might note as directly as you would hope." It sounded like the two of them thought they''d receive an actual message, or something of the sort. That didn''t happen often. Certainly never to Aria or anyone she knew. The two shared a look, though Aria didn''t know what it meant. "We know," Delta reassured her. "We''re just wondering what the best way to get her attention is." She smiled, and there was a bit of a predator''s excitement in it¡ªwhich had Aria''s heart beating faster. "We have a few guesses, but, again, you''re the expert." Aria cleared her throat, her eyes shying away from Delta''s teasing purple ones. "Beyond the usual offerings of incense and prayer, a more directmunion would typically happen through a ritual focused on the goddess''s aspect. Since Ephythithys''s most prevalent aspect is sensuality and fertility, I could only assume¡ª" Aria cleared her throat a second time, fidgeting in ce. She really shouldn''t be awkward about this. She was simply exining the domain of a divinity. It was entirely within her duties as a priestess. "I could only assume that an intimate encounter culminating with impregnation would be the highest form of offering¡ªthe action most likely to draw her attention." Zoey and Delta paused. Delta turned to Zoey and raised her eyebrows. "Huh," the foxgirl said. "We were just thinking sex." "Any act of sensuality, given to draw her attention, would suffice as an offering," Aria agreed. "But impregnation would be the highest. The most aligned to as many of her aspects as possible. That''s my interpretation at least. I wouldn''t im to know everything." "That''s fair," Delta said. "So. Do you think you could help us with that?" "With what?" "The ritual." Delta grinned. "You know. Directly. Join us, maybe?" She leaned forward and whispered. "Let us fill you up?" Aria froze. The words took a few moments to beprehensible. Had the foxgirl just asked to impregnate her? But they were both women? As if reading Aria''s thoughts, Delta''s hand slipped down between Zoey''s legs, surprising both Zoey and Aria. With Aria''s eyes forcibly drawn that way¡ªand with the touch eliciting a reaction in Zoey''s body¡ªanother incredible revtion urred. Zoey''s pants started to press forward, and a thick outline appeared, growing wider and firmer by the moment. Aria gaped. Zoey had a cock? One so big Aria couldn''t even understand what she was looking at. And it kept getting bigger. "The filling-you-up part would be optional, I guess," Delta said. "Or any of it, obviously. Mostly we just want help with setting up the ritual. We could do it ourselves, but having a priestess help would make things easier. Plus, three sounds better than two. Threesomes are in Ephy''s domain, right?" Aria could barely register the words. Her eyes were locked to the bulge inside Zoey''s pants that was, incredibly, still growing. More than a foot long? As thick as her forearm? On a woman? "Some depictions of Ephythithys have her with hermaphroditic biology," Aria mumbled, the wordsing out more from incredulity than actual intent. "And usually quite generously bestowed, too." She was trying to exin today''s coincidences to herself. The candles. Zoey''s unbelievable physical beauty, as if created by Ephythithys herself. And her cock. Her giant cock. The nickname ''Ephy'', too. Was this woman some favored disciple of Ephythithys, as Aria had originally wondered¡ªthough in incredulity at her beauty rather than genuine suspicion? "They do?" Zoey asked, sounding surprised, and way too casually interested for how her partner was stroking her cock, helping it grow to full mast. She was clearly showing off for Aria''s sake. "I didn''t know that. Makes sense, though." "She represents sexuality. Of all kinds." Even the less ptable, the less moral urges and actions, Aria knew, though she didn''t bring that up. Her eyes finally tore away from the monster inside Zoey''s pants, back up to green eyes. "Who are you?" Zoey paused, taken aback by the question. "No one. We just need help withmuning." Aria didn''t buy that. There were too many strange coincidences. And signs. Finally, Aria''s incredulity at seeing Zoey''s cock faded, and, her mind digested the lewd offer she''d been given. She froze. These two women had asked to¡­ Breed her? Aria''s eyes widened. She stammered out, "And I¡ªI don''t know about partaking in a ritual with you two, but¡ª" And this next part came out as a surprise to Aria, her mouth barreling along without permission from her brain, "But I can help you organize it, at least. Oversee it." She rationalized her eptance: clearly, this wasn''t a typical request to worship andmune with a deity. Something more was going on, and the divine might have sent her a real calling. So it was her duty to help these two women. The pink candles alone made her certain in that fact. And even though she''d politely turned them down, should she help in a more direct manner? It wouldn''t hurt anyone, would it? And it had been a while since Aria had had some fun. She chewed her lip as she looked around the wide hall of the main temple. "Okay," Aria said. "Come with me. We can take one of the private prayer rooms. And I''ll need to collect some supplies." This was a ritual after all, and there were some steps Aria needed to take if they wanted to increase their odds of drawing Ephythithys''s attention. "We''ve got the condoms already," Delta said. "So no worry." "I mean incense," Aria protested. "Herbs. Candles. A book of prayers to read from. Not those kinds of supplies." Though, it was good news they already had condoms on hand. Aria wasn''t sure she''d even be able to find any that fit something of that size. Not that she would be joining in. She would just be aiding and overseeing. Helping the two aplish their mission. Right? Well, maybe. She would decide when the moment came. 5.32 – Priestess III 5.32 ¨C Priestess III A ritual to helpmune with the goddess of sex. When Aria had woken up this morning, she hadn''t expected that to be on her list of daily duties. She dropped the two temple neers off in a prayer room, then scurried away to gather the necessary materials. Though the flirtatious looks and rather tant innuendos made it clear they would rather get started sooner thanter, there were preparations to be made. Aria wasn''t sure what was going on¡ªwhether the pink candles were a sign from Ephythithys herself¡ªbut she would do her best to lead amunion ritual that was proper of a goddess. If there''d ever been a time to see to her duties studiously, it was now. That there were two beautiful women waiting to pounce her was irrelevant. Unfortunately, her body didn''t agree with her on thatst part. Both need and embarrassment squirmed around inside her. She had to fend away several questions from her concerned colleagues as she scurried between rooms, gathering supplies¡ªbecause her flustered state was quite obvious, especially to anyone who knew her. Finally, though, Aria had collected everything she needed, and she fled back to the prayer room with incense, herbs, and a rather indecent piece of literature from the temple library. Ephythithys didn''t have many holy books, but as a significant member of the pantheon, plenty of prayers and verses had been written for her, and this wouldn''t be the first attempt at a closermunion. As such, she had some guidance to go by. She wouldn''t be entirely making things up as they went. Just mostly. While fleeing back into the prayer room meant safety from other members of the temple, it unfortunately put her back in the presence of her two visitors. "I, um, brought some prayers to read," Aria said, waving the book nervously. "And herbs and incense to set the mood." She shrugged her other arm, which cradled said supplies. "Cool," Delta said. "Sounds like you know what you''re doing." "Not really," Aria admitted, letting the two women help her set the various items onto the shrine. "Butmunion shouldn''t be some rigid process. Growing closer to the divine is an intimate, personalized process. It shouldn''t be the same for any two people." "So we''ll be improvising?" Zoey asked. "Mostly," Aria said. "To start us off, I''ll, um, get the shrine ready, then lead us in prayer." "Prayer?" Zoey asked. "That''s not it, though, right? What else?" Aria''s cheeks colored. "With luck, prayer will draw Ephythithys''s attention our way. It''s what I can contribute. But you two, of course, will¡ªum, worship her however you please. You''ve already heard my advice on the matter." "However we please?" "A carnal goddess like Ephythithys is probably best drawn with bold disys," Aria said, her blush growing deeper. "So this is a situation where less wouldn''t be more, I figure. So, yes, however you please." "And you''ll be helping?" "I''m a priestess of the temple," Aria said. "I''m happy to lead thismunion for you, but I can''t go around and¡ªand¡ªjoin directly." "Why not?" "Because it''s ¡­" Aria floundered briefly. "Lewd. Improper. We don''t even know each other." "So? It''s showing your appreciation for a goddess. A perfectly fitting duty for a priestess." A part of Aria agreed. Another balked at the indecency of joining in a carnal ritual with two strangers¡ªwhether a potential sign hade from Ephythithys or not. Even her eagerness to oversee the ritual might be improper for someone of her position. Especially since she wasn''t just any priestess, but the daughter of the Head Priest himself. What would he think about Aria doing this? "I''ll lead," Aria repeated loudly, turning away from the two women and starting to organize the shrine. She spaced the incense out and lit it. A thick, heady aroma filled the air¡ªpowerful and intense, as fitting of Ephythithys. Again, she was a goddess where more was more, not less. With the shrine situated, Aria cracked open the tome filled with prayers dedicated to Ephythithys. She scanned for appropriate verses, fighting away the heat on her cheeks¡ªand across her entire body. In the corner of her eye, she saw Delta share a look with Zoey. It was rather obvious the two of them intended to drag Aria into the sticky details of theirmunion and considered her rejection to be exactly the tentative hesitancy it was. Aria herself wasn''t sure whether she would hold her¡ªvery weak¡ªresolve to be an outside leader only. But, she couldn''t just say yes to such an indecent act with no reservation. She owed it to herself to at least put up some resistance. Scanning the lines of prayers didn''t help her resolve. As expected of a holy book dedicated to the goddess of sex, even the most chaste verses used some colorfulnguage. If nothing else, the prayers would, indeed, serve as a useful backdrop to Zoey and Delta''s ritual. "So, how should this work?" Zoey asked. "It''s simple. Open your hearts and minds to Ephythithys''s influence. To start, just listen or join me in prayer. Once you feel you''re in the proper mindset, you can start working to more direct forms of worship. You should focus on her aspects. Sensuality, touch, arousal, fertility." "So, no condoms?" Delta asked. Aria blushed. "It would go against one of her venerated aspects, but¡ªwell, I don''t think it would ruin the ritual. There''s practical concerns to worry about, after all." "No condoms is fine," Delta said. "What happens, happens." Aria''s face burned at the foxgirl''s easy eptance of the situation, but she didn''tment. She cleared her throat. "So. There''s not much more to it than that. Let your bodies guide you. Align to Ephythithys''s aspect. Worship her in the way that feels most natural, and with luck, you''ll feel her presence." "Feel? That''s it?" "What do you mean?" "What aboutmunication? A vision or something?" Aria blinked. "Well, that''s¡ªunlikely. But anything is possible." Especially with the promising omen of the pink candles, Aria wondered whether the ritual would result in something astonishing. Normally, the gods didn''tmunicate so directly, but this didn''t seem like it would be a ''normal''munion. "Okay," Zoey said. "We''ll y it by feel. You can start." "Should we lose the clothes now orter?" Delta asked. "D-During the ritual is fine," Aria said. "Work into it. The idea is to get progressively closer to her." Seeing the two girls nod, Aria cleared her throat, then put a finger on the start of the first verse. She hesitated before beginning, then looked up. "And, um, the walls to the prayer room aren''t the thickest," Aria said. "The goal is to lose yourself to the ecstasy of Ephythithys''s aspect, but maybe¡ªtry not to be too loud?" She blushed. "The doors don''t even lock." Delta seemed amused by this, but Zoey was the one to respond. "We''ll do our best." By Delta''s smirk, Aria didn''t have high hopes that the two would keep that promise. That Aria was leading a carnal ritual in a prayer room might not stay a secret among her colleagues. But as long as Aria herself wasn''t heard crying out through the walls, she could probably live with the shame. There was an easy argument to make that this was her duty as a priestess, after all. Clearing her throat a second time, Aria looked down at the prayer book and started to read. 5.33 – Priestess IV 5.33 ¨C Priestess IV Aria read, her eyes flicking between neat lines of script and the two women in front of her¡ªwhere a show was beginning to develop. Despite how flustered she was, the words flowed from her, her voice gentle but authoritative. She stood behind the altar, Zoey and Delta on the other side, with her thin book of verses in her hand. The first sentence of her chosen verse¡ªwhich she picked at random, too distracted to make a careful choice¡ªhad barely left her mouth before Zoey stepped forward to grab Delta''s hips and pull her in. They kissed, Aria''s prayer serving as a backdrop for their passionate embrace. Aria had told them to slowly work into venerating the sensuality of touch, to join her in prayer for at least a few moments as they aligned to Ephythithys''s aspects, but they had disregarded that advice. And maybe that was fine. When it came tomunion, listening to one''s heart was best. Connection to the divine came from instinct, not some rigid process. "O, resplendent goddess," Aria said, her attention not on the words of the randomly chosen prayer, though stilling out smooth as she watched the two women kiss. "I stand before your altar, my heart naked and my soul bare, and in this sacred moment, I call upon your presence¡ªembrace our bodies and enlighten our spirits with the burning heat of desire." The words were chastepared to some of what she''d seen as she flipped through the pages. She tried to focus on the verse and not Zoey and Delta. But how couldn''t she steal nces? Ahead of her, two of the most beautiful women she''d ever seen were kissing with little to no reserve¡ªif anything, maybe with more excitement than normal, either for the sake of the ritual or to put on a show for Aria. Zoey''s hands started on her partner''s hips, but within moments began to stray, sliding up and onto Delta''s back, then down and onto her thighs. Aria hadn''t made it a full verse before Zoey grabbed the hem of Delta''s shirt and, with a practiced motion, peeled it off, discarding the article of clothing. Aria was impressed that she didn''t stutter over her words, despite Delta having had her shirt torn off. She''d grown up in the temple and had plenty of practice leading prayers and public speaking, but maintaining a smooth cadence while one of the most beautiful women she''d ever seen was being undressed right in front of her was more of a distraction than normal. It tookposure, even by her standards. "Thou who art the golden chalice of unquenchable desire," Aria continued to read, the flowery and venerable words of prayer familiar to her, though if she could barely pay attention to them, "O Ephythithys, let my voice rise as resolute incense before your divine throne, that you may revel in the passion of our soul''s fervor, and find enchantment in the naked vulnerability of our longing." Unsurprisingly, the words were bing more passionate as the prayer went on. The tone matched the scene unfolding in front of her. The kissing wasn''t passionate in a subdued, sensual way, but desperate and eager, the two girls exploring each other with an eagerness that had Aria''s cheeks burning. It felt twenty degrees hotter inside the small prayer room, and, though Aria didn''t stutter as verses flowed from her lips, her priestess''s robes felt suddenly stuffy and constrictive. Her breathing came harder, the noise joining with the sloppy kisses, panting, and even groaning of the other two women. A moan escaped the foxgirl as Zoey''s hands slipped underneath her bra, and in response, Delta''s hands left Zoey''s ass to start tugging at the hem of the other woman''s shirt, who was eager to disrobe and chuck it aside. Zoey''s bra followed, then Delta''s, leaving both women standing naked from the waist up. They recaptured each other''s mouths as soon as they were able, frustrated to have been parted even for a moment. Delta started rubbing at Zoey''s cock through her pants, and at the quickly advancing intimacy, Aria stuttered over a word for the first time. A part of her had almost forgotten about that surprise¡ªZoey''s cock. Her enormous cock. Even in the dimly lit room, and spectating from behind the shrine, Aria could make out the thick outline of the girl''s weapon. How was it so big? There was well-endowed, and then there was this. It was as if Zoey had been blessed by Ephythithys herself. Delta pulled away, gasping, needing air. Zoey likewise panted, red-faced from excitement. The two women breathed heavily as they drank in each other''s proximity. Delta dropped to her knees and tugged down on Zoey''s waistband. Aria''s prayers turned to mumbles as Zoey''s massive cock sprang free, the distraction finally too much to ignore. Zoey''s cock had to be more than a foot long, and proportionally thick. As much as Aria tried to keep her focus on the prayer, her voice trailed off. She''d never seen a girl''s cock before, much less one like this, and the sight stunned her. The stiff member, framed by Zoey''s curvy thighs and standing proudly beneath hard abs andrge breasts. Veiny, twitching, and with pre-cum beaded at the tip, Aria''s stomach clenched with desire. She''d never felt such an intense, sudden need, a lust so strong that it made her whole body tingle. Gods, but Zoey''s cock was perfect. Never mind how impossible it would be to fit inside¡ªAria would be thrilled just to try. "I know it''s distracting," Delta said, side-eying Aria with a smirk, then gently flicking Zoey''s cock and making it bob side to side, "but aren''t you supposed to be praying?" Aria jolted as she realized that she''d trailed off. Her cheeks burning, she tore her eyes away and forced them back to the prayer book. In her peripheral, though, Aria saw Delta share a look with Zoey,municating something she wasn''t privy to¡ªbut had a few suspicions about. And sure enough, Delta stood, stripped off her pants¡ªleaving both women naked¡ªthen sashayed around the shrine with exaggerated swagger. Zoey joined her, with both womening to either of Aria''s sides. She had expected them to try more with her, though she had expected her defenses would be stronger when they did. Her heart mmed in her chest, thumping in her ears, as she continued to read lines of prayer. "We offer ourselves to you," Aria said, her words quavering, "oh great goddess. Let our bodies be your vessels, conduits for your divine power." The words felt unfortunately specific at the moment, with both Zoey and Delta having approached her. Like she was speaking to them, rather than reading verses from a prayer book. "Let us be the embodiment of your sensuality, beacons of fertility and lust. May our every movement be a tribute to you, celebrations of your greatness. Let our moans and cries echo, proiming the glory of your name." Delta leaned into Aria, pressing her breasts into her shoulder, peeking at the book she was reading from. A hand slipped around her waist, making Aria stutter for a second time. She couldn''t work up the nerve to meet Delta''s eyes¡ªor Zoey''s, as she also leaned in against her, pressing naked curves in. Her cock stuck out, the shaft touching her leg, pulsing with heat. Looking down to read from verses, it was directly in her sight. Her thoughts turned fuzzier by the moment. "I don''t think these robes are fitting with the ritual," Delta murmured into her ear. "And we''re both naked, so it only seems fair if you are, too." Aria swallowed. It was a good point, wasn''t it? She didn''t have to join in, but helping set the stage was important. Plus, it had grown unbearably hot inside her stuffy priestess robes. The room seemed to vibrate with electric energy, and Aria wasn''t sure whether it was the arousal of the situation or an indicator that their worship of Ephythithys was finding results¡ªdrawing the goddess''s attention their way. It certainly felt like thetter. Aria didn''t think her heart had ever mmed this hard. "I guess that''s a good point," Aria mumbled. She set the book of prayers on the shrine, then, hesitantly, started to disrobe, though she kept her eyes on the book and continued to read. As much because she needed to keep the prayers going, as so that she didn''t have to reply to Delta''s teasing looks. She wasn''t sure whether intimidated was the exact word she would use, but Delta and Zoey''s presence was certainly overwhelming. They didn''t let Aria disrobe herself; both joined in, helping peel the article of clothing from her. The verses pouring from Aria''s mouth came less smoothly than before, her voice quavering nearly every sentence, and especially when Delta''s fingers hooked around her panties, then slowly started to slide them down. She took her time, inching them bit by bit, making sure to give Aria time to protest. But Aria just kept reading¡ªand kept blushing. She lifted a foot up, then the other, to help free the article of clothing, and Delta tossed her panties into the growing pile of discarded clothes. Aria tried to ignore the fact she was now standing bare in front of two effective strangers. Her skin burned hot enough that she was surprised steam wasn''t rising from it. Zoey handled her bra, next. Despite having just lost all of her clothing, the air didn''t feel at all cooler¡ªthe opposite, if anything. Then both women pressed themselves back into her and started kissing her neck, their hands exploring her body, and Aria really felt like she was melting. They shied away from between her legs, only brushing against her thighs, stomach, or at most wandering dangerously low. They cupped her breasts and tweaked at her nipples, drawing gasps from Aria as she studiously continued to read. They were only doing what Aria had told them to. Venerating the pleasures of sensuality. And Aria had instructed them to keep it to themselves, but she obviously hadn''t expected them to. Her reservations had crumbled the moment they''d walked up to her. "So. How far can we go?" Delta murmured into Aria''s neck. Aria didn''t want to answer that question. Her modesty warred with her desire. Instead, she simply read her verses louder. Delta got down on her knees in front of Aria, between her and the altar. The foxgirl didn''t hesitate to ce a kiss directly above her pubic region, lips brushing against bristly hairs. Aria sent off a silent prayer that she''d recently shaved. Why was the room so hot? It seemed to pulse with arousal, to the point Aria doubted whether it was entirely the scorching situation itself. She could feel something more. A divine presence? If so, it was an approving one, smirking down at Aria as Delta''s mouth worked gentle kisses lower and lower. The foxgirl nted one directly onto her pussy, sending a shiver across Aria''s entire body. This was really happening. Zoey moved behind her, then guided her cock between Aria''s thighs. The enormous shaft pressed into her pussy as it sprouted from between her thighs, and Aria gasped in surprise¡ªand arousal¡ªat how suddenly it had happened. Delta grabbed the massive member, then started teasing Zoey''s cock tip with her mouth, running her tongue across it. Aria''s words trailed off for a second time, looking down her body, where one woman was using her mouth to pleasure another woman''s cock right between her legs. "Don''t forget the prayers," Zoey murmured into her ear, the hot air of her amusement tickling Aria and making her shudder. Zoey wrapped her arms around Aria''s stomach, then slowly started pushing her hips back and forth, sliding her cock between Aria''s thighs even as Delta worked her way down Zoey''s cock, taking the well-endowed woman in her mouth. "It''s your job to lead, remember?" Head swimming, Aria kept reading. Zoey was teasing her, but she was also right. This ultimate goal was the ritual¡ªand that was the only way she could excuse the immodesty of the event she was indulging in, right now. And, Aria suspected as Zoey''s pelvis impacted her ass with a gentle thrust, things would be getting a lot more immodest. How far would she let them take it? 5.34 – Priestess V 5.34 ¨C Priestess V Aria wondered why she hadn''t protested more. She probably ought to, right? Not because she didn''t want these two beautiful women ying with her, but because things were moving rather fast. They were strangers. She''d first set eyes on them not half an hour ago, and now she had a throbbing fourteen-inch girl cock sticking between her legs¡ªand down the throat of another woman. How had that happened? Aria wasn''t exactly promiscuous, or even all that experienced, so this was a first. Not just the giant girl cock, but the lewdness of watching another woman bob up and down, grabbing Aria''s thighs for leverage as she buried her nose into Aria''s pelvis¡ªrepeatedly taking the biggest cock Aria had ever seen, deep-throating Zoey''s cock as if it were Aria''s own. How was it even possible? How was the foxgirl even getting that thing inside her? Her throat bulged as she took Zoey, and while the disy set Aria on fire, a part of her was also amazed and incredulous. Did that mean Aria could take Zoey''s cock, if she tried? In her mouth? Or anywhere else, for that matter? Less decent ces? It seemed impossible, because even squeezed between her thighs, Zoey''s cock felt too big. Inside her seemed out of the question. Obscene noises filled the air as Zoey vited Delta''s throat¡ªor maybe Delta vited her own throat. Zoey was gently thrusting between Aria''s legs, but Delta was much more eager. Saliva¡ªand Aria''s arousal¡ªquickly coated the taller woman''s dick as she thrust in and out from between Aria''s thighs. A lewd mess of sticky juices coated her, and squelching noises filled the air as Delta let her throat be used. Aria''s eyes flicked down from the prayer book to briefly catch Delta''s locked to her own, dark and husky with excitement. Aria couldn''t imagine how deeply she was already flushing, but the temperature on her face rose a few degrees. Was Delta pretending it was her cock she was sucking? And what would that be like? For Aria to have one? The imagery, at least, of Delta bobbing up and down between her legs, was something Aria could get used it. "The prayers," Zoey murmured into Aria''s ear, amusement still bubbling in her voice. "Come on, now." Again, Aria refocused. She couldn''t help but think having to focus on reading was entirely unfair. At the same time, Ephythithys''s prayer book felt like a lifeline to cling to. If she didn''t have its distraction, she might melt into a puddle right then and there. Somehow, Aria returned to praying. The reverent if lustful words were made even more obscene oveyed onto the sex filling the air. The gentle ps of flesh as Zoey''s hips impacted Aria''s ass, the sloppy squelches of Delta working fourteen inches of cock down her throat, and Aria''s loud panting, somehow breathing hardest out of all of them, despite being the least engaged. Aria wouldn''t im the carnal behavior of her two partners wasn''t effective. They were, indeed, worshiping Ephythithys in the way Aria had instructed them to. And Aria might be imagining it, but the room¡ªand her skin¡ªreally felt too hot to be entirely natural. The smell of incense, the sweat of her partners, the erotic noises, and Aria''s words seemed to be mixing into something greater. Maybe Aria was imagining what she wanted to, but it truly did feel like their efforts were drawing the attention of a lustful deity. And if that were true, should Aria stop praying? Join Zoey and Delta in a more directmunion? Would that help? Or was she trying to find an excuse to join in? As a priestess of the temple, she really shouldn''t indulge in such behaviors. Especially as a daughter of the Head Priest. Her reputation was important. As if sensing Aria''s wavering, Delta pulled off of Zoey''s cock, saliva bridging from its tip to her lips. She stood, and Aria''s eyes widened as Delta invaded her space, pressing her body close to Aria''s¡ªtheir breasts, stomach, and pelvises touching. "Want a taste?" the foxgirl murmured. Her lips hovered a half-inch away, the hot air of the words brushing Aria''s own mouth. Aria''s reaction was instinctive. She shuddered, closed her eyes, and tilted her head back. Delta didn''t wait. She pressed her mouth to Aria''s, and Aria couldn''t suppress the moan that escaped her. Delta''s tongue slipped into her mouth, and the sensation felt too good, too hot, and far too lewd for just a kiss¡ªeven if it meant Aria was now sharing the taste of Zoey''s cock, and even her own arousal. The heat of Delta''s mouth was enough to make her knees tremble. The soft impacts of Zoey''s hips against her backside continued unabated, the tall woman now sharing both her and Delta''s thighs. Aria surrendered to Delta''s hungry kissing. When Delta finally pulled away, Aria found herself gasping for air. Her chest heaved up and down, and she panted as if she''d been running for hours. How long had that gone on for? Aria had drifted away in a lustful fugue. "How about," Delta murmured, her mouth drifting from Aria''s to her jaw, then her neck. She trailed kisses along Aria''s corbone. "We get to the fun stuff? We have a goddess to summon, don''t we?" Despite everything, Aria hesitated. Deltaughed, seeing through her. "Can I show you something?" she asked. A vial appeared between the foxgirl''s fingers, which she waggled at Aria. Sparing a quick smirk, Delta tossed the liquid back, drinking it in one motion. She shivered as it went down, and the ss vial disappeared as she took it into her inventory. With Delta still hugging Aria, Aria was close enough to feel the change begin. Something hot and thick started to sprout between their pressed-together pelvises, radiating heat and quickly growing. With wide eyes, Aria watched as a second girl-cock sprouted from between Delta''s legs, wiggling up between their stomachs. When it finished, Aria stared down at an impressive eight- or nine-inch cock twitching against her. Delta stepped back to give Aria a better view¡ªwhile Zoey continued to use Aria''s thighs. Somehow, Zoey thrusting into her felt lewder than when Delta had been there. Aria had been able to pretend Zoey had been fucking Delta more than her, but now, with the taller woman using only her, she could cling to no such delusion. But Aria couldn''t really focus on that, not when Delta was shaking her hips side to side, showing off her new cock. It swayed and bounced side to side, and Aria, for the tenth time that day, felt suddenly faint¡ªbecause she realized these two women''s intentions. They hade here expecting to use Aria from two sides at once. Had that been their n from the start? Delta stepped close to Aria, her cock sliding back up between their stomachs. It felt like a brand where it touched, her girl-cock scorching heat into her. Aria''s stomach clenched with need. "You told us that fertility is one of Ephy''s primary aspects," Delta murmured into her ear. "And a good priestess would do everything she could to help us, wouldn''t she?" "I suppose she would," Aria mumbled. Maybe earlier, she had wanted to put up more token resistance for the sake of her modesty, but those walls were crumbling. And the idea of being filled up was sounding more and more exciting¡ªthe risks less worrisome by the moment. Delta''s original offer returned to her, what she had asked from the start. Being bred by another woman. Why did that make Aria''s mind sh white? "Good," Delta murmured. "And I''ve got a better idea for that mouth of yours. It''s more suited to cock-sucking than praying, I think." Delta and Zoey apparently had the same idea of what they wanted, because not more than a moment after Delta stepped away, Zoey had pushed Aria forward, roughly bending her over the altar. Delta came around the other side, her cock held in one hand. Almost before Aria could register what was happening, she had a twitching-hot girl cock pressed into her lips. Delta wiggled it back and forth, working her precum around, making Aria''s lips slippery. Thest of Aria''s reservations disappeared. She obediently opened up. Even as Delta''s thick cock pushed into her mouth, filling Aria with the foxgirl''s taste, an evenrger invader teased behind Aria, brushing against her pussy¡ªwarning her of entry. Aria''s eyes widened, but, shamefully, her body made her response clear: she pushed her hips backward, encouraging Zoey to enter her. The cock head that had been just teasing pushed in¡ªand at the same time, Delta imed more of her mouth. Delta''s cock slid into Aria''s throat from the front, and Zoey slid in from behind, her monstrous cock stretching Aria out. She whined, and gagged, the flood of sensations too much to handle. Delta and Zoey didn''t care; the foxgirl sheathed herself in a relentless motion, pping her pelvis into Aria''s face, roughly getting her cock all the way into Aria''s throat, while Zoey did the same from behind¡ªgentler, but just as overwhelming because of its size. Aria''s thoughts went fuzzy as both girls finished plunging into her, filling her up from either end. A nine-inch cock down her throat, and a fourteen-inch one bulging her stomach outward. Hazily, she tried to take control of her melting thoughts, but the effort came with little sess¡ªbecause the few-second reprieve of Zoey and Delta enjoying their sheathes came to an end, and both started moving. Thrusting. Working into a rhythm. She was being fucked. In both her mouth and pussy¡ªand thetter was the more important to focus on. She was being fucked, in the pussy, by another woman, without a condom. Their intention was to breed her. A fourteen-inch girl cock was stirring around her insides, and Zoey would soon be coating her womb white, impregnating her with a flood of sticky girl cum. Aria moaned. The idea was as arousing as the intense pressure of being so stretched out. She was being imed, roughly, both women taking what they wanted, and she drowned in the heat that came with the idea. The entire room burned. She couldn''t believe how good it felt, being taken from two ends. Was theirmunion with Ephythithys making this encounter even more potent? Aria found that she couldn''t care. She couldn''t focus on anything besides the feeling of Zoey''s cock stretching her pussy out, the way her cock tip kissed her cervix with each hard p, and the lewd noises that left her throat as Delta gripped either side of her head and pistoned in and out, using her throat as a cock sheathe. Aria was these two women''s toy, and that was all she was. Holes to be filled for their pleasure. Zoey and Delta''s grunting grew louder, and their movements more frenzied, as Aria''s tight holes coaxed out their orgasm. Aria tried to thrust her hips in return, and to bob her head, but her two partners didn''t need help. They used her violently, eagerly, with a hunger that set Aria on fire. She could onlyy there and take it. An impending climax approached. The way the two girls bent over her, toes curling as their cocks swelled, gave it away. Synchronized. Aria would get to experience the ecstasy of being filled from both ends. And of Zoey painting her womb, breeding her with a thick load of her cum. Aria closed her eyes, moaning as her partners¡ªand she¡ªstarted to rise to that scalding peak. She almost forgot her circumstances entirely, that this had initially been amunion with Ephythithys. But when those relieving, unbelievably hot waves of pleasure finally started to spread through her, something unexpected happened. The building sensation froze, and the pressure of Zoey and Delta''s cocks disappeared. The transition was instant and shocking. Aria''s eyes shot open, and she gasped for air, throat suddenly clear. She was still bent over the altar, sweaty and twitching from her denied orgasm, but her two partners were gone. Even more shockingly, someone stood in front of Aria. Someone new. A goddess. Ephythithys, with an amused¡ªand approving¡ªsmile on her lips. 5.35 – Priestess VI 5.35 ¨C Priestess VI Aria would have been outraged at her orgasm¡ªand imminent breeding¡ªbeing so suddenly interrupted, but the pulsing waves of pleasure hadn''t been erased. Rather, they''d been ¡­ frozen? Repressed. Sustained. It wasn''t quite the mind-erasing peak of what had beening, but the initial waves of ecstasy lingered, pulsing and washing through her. Mutedpared to the imminent peak, but still orgasmic, wracking Aria in pleasure that made it hard to think. But not impossible to think. She basked in the waves of bliss, but could still¡ªif barely¡ªpull her thoughts together. Seeing how a goddess was smiling down at her, literally, with Aria still messily bent over an altar, it was a pressing enough situation to force Aria into coherence. Or something resembling it. She staggered to her feet, knees wobbling both from being fucked so thoroughly and the active pulses of magically-sustained mini-orgasm. Aria''s eyes widened as she took in the holy visage of a goddess. Aria didn''t doubt the veracity of what she was seeing. Not just because they''d been explicitly seeking out Ephythithys, but because of the woman''s presence itself. Both physical form and aura. Aria had thought Zoey was perfection, but Zoey was human perfection. Here was true divinity: inhuman perfection, a woman with a form that Aria''s mind struggled toprehend. A beauty that nearly stopped her heart. Ephythithys wore a flimsy translucent gown, and snow-white wings were tucked behind her back. The details of her body were exposed beneath the nearly invisible clothing, and with a subdued orgasm pulsing consistently through her¡ªno doubt Ephythithys''s doing¡ªAria found herself distracted despite her circumstances. Her eyes lingered on divine curves, lurid fantasies invading her mind, impossible to fight away. "Aria, is it?" Aria jerked in surprise, and her eyes reluctantly tore away from the goddess''s perfect body. For a moment, she stared dumbly at the woman. Then she finally digested who was speaking to her, and she spurred herself into action. She got down onto both knees and pressed her forehead into the floor. "My Goddess," Aria stammered. "Ephythithys. Holy one. I''m¡ªI''m not worthy to be blessed by your presence." "Oh, please, none of that," Ephythithys said instantly, and with a dismissiveness that startled Aria. "Don''t get me wrong, I love groveling and scraping, but only when whips and cors are involved. Not this. Please, get up." It took a second for her to evenprehend Ephy''s words¡ªespecially with a sustained half-orgasm pulsing through her, whose distraction really couldn''t be ignored or understated¡ªbut when she did, Aria quickly stumbled to her feet. She would hardly disobey amand given by a literal goddess, her thoughts on propriety notwithstanding. "Oh, and just Ephy is fine," the goddess tacked on. "Y-Yes, Goddess." That exined Delta and Zoey''s casual use of the nickname. Heavens, but they''d spoken to her, then? All of this was real. Maybe were speaking to her, separate from Aria. Had they been pulled into their own vision? And was that what this even was? A vision? Seeing Ephy gaze at her with an amused expression, Aria scrambled to offer her services¡ªshe probably should have done that immediately. "What can I do for you, My Goddess?" "Truthfully, you''ve done plenty, dear," Ephy said. "You helped that annoying disciple of minemune with me." There was confirmation, then. Zoey truly was a disciple of a goddess. Somehow, Aria wasn''t surprised that her ridiculous theory had turned out correct. "But," Ephy admitted. "I didn''t bring you here just to say thank you. I do, in fact, have another mission for you." Thank-you? She was being thanked by a goddess? Or, she supposed Ephy hadn''t actually done that, but even the implication made Aria''s head spun. And she wanted more from Aria? "I''m yours to use, Goddess," Aria said instantly. "Your divine instrument. My body is yours." Aria paused, then blushed, realizing the lewd way that could be interpreted. It wasn''t all that odd of a thing to say to a divinity, but to the goddess of sex? The context changed things. Ephy didn''t miss Aria''s blushing¡ªand seemed happy to act on how flustered she was, because the ethereal woman stepped forward and grabbed Aria by the hips. Aria was still naked, sweaty, sticky, and literally in the middle of a magically-sustained orgasm, so having a divinity of sex suddenly press her tits into her own was a bit¡ªwell, Aria didn''t know the word to use. She felt like Ephythithys''s blue eyes were melting her down into some base sludge of carnal energy. "I''m d to hear that," the goddess murmured. "Because I do love using people." Sheughed, then abruptly stepped back and tapped Aria on the nose, a more friendly reaction than she''d been expecting, seeing how quickly Ephy had advanced on her. "But I''m afraid this meeting isn''t going in that direction. A goddess can''t fuck just anyone, you know. Tempting as it is." Aria didn''t have a great response for that. "You have a task for me?" she eventually struggled out. "I do. And I think you''ll like it." "I will?" "It involves two things you love," Ephy said. She held up her pointer finger. "First, divinity. You''re a devoted one, and I have an honest-to-goddess mission for you. Something with real impact in the world. That''s a passion of yours, isn''t it?" Aria nodded slowly. It was a given. She''d spent her life in a temple, and not just because she''d been born and grown up there, but because she loved it. "And secondly," Ephy said, joining her first finger with a second, "it involves girl cock. From how I interrupted you, I can tell that''s a big new passion of yours." "Um." "And yes, it''s rted to that disciple of mine," Ephy said. "But I''m sure you''ve interpreted that." Aria''s thoughts flickered to the tall, dark-haired woman. She bit her lip as a question sprung up. But she couldn''t help it¡ªshe wanted answers. "Who is she, exactly?" Aria blurted out. "Zoey? And why did youe to me?" Ephy tilted her head. "Are you questioning me? A goddess? I said there was no need for groveling, but that''s a little familiar, don''t you think?" Aria''s eyes widened. Had she overstepped? Before she could scramble to apologize, though, Ephy shook her head andughed. "I''m joking. Teasing. It''s really too easy. Believe me¡ªI''ve let cuties like you be much, much ruder to me." Her smirk made the innuendo clear. Aria could help wonder what, exactly, the goddess of sex would consider degrading. She swallowed. This whole situation was difficult to handle. Not just because of how distracting Ephy was, or that she was meeting a goddess, but the constant squirming heat pulsing through her body. That she could form words at all while orgasming¡ªif not at full power¡ªwas a feat in itself. Did Ephy really have to do that to her? Amazing as it felt, she would really like her full mental faculties, right now. And all the teasing wasn''t making things easier. "So," Ephy said. "Your task. Since my disciple has found herself distracted with putting that cock of hers anywhere she can stick it, and also with some other ¡­ bigger-picture tasks ¡­ she''s been neglecting other goals. In lieu of insisting she handle it herself, I''ve decided to outsource to another promising helper. You." Bigger-picture tasks? What bigger-picture tasks had a goddess given Zoey? "Outsource what?" Aria asked carefully. "A nascent goddess needs worshippers," Ephy said. "Now, that one-track woman is a long way off from ascending, butying the roots for a thriving following is important. Which is where youe in. I need you to find her worshipers. Build a Church in her image." Aria stared at the goddess. She didn''t know what she''d expected, but helping establish a following for¡ªapparently¡ªa nascent deity? How did that even work? There were rumors that progressing path ninth advancement meant ascension into the pantheon, but was this confirmation? And that was the trajectory Zoey was on? "H-How would I even begin?" "It''ll be easier than you think. I mean, look how fast you fell in love with that cock of hers. It''s one of my finer creations. Finding other followers won''t be hard." "You gave that to her?" "She''s my disciple, isn''t she? It''s her holy weapon." Ephyughed. "And a true crusader''s one at that. Don''t you agree?" Aria coughed. Frankly, she did. "And Delta?" "She''s not mine. Apanion of my disciple. And that potion alsoes from Zoey''s ss." "I see." Aria shook her head. "But creating a following for her? How?" Ephy shrugged. "It''ll grow easier as her influence spreads. In the meantime, finding a collection of priestesses as eager to be stuffed by girl cock as you were shouldn''t be too difficult. I''ll leave it up to your discretion." "I ¡­ don''t even know what to say." Ephy patted her on the cheek. "You''ll figure it out." She leaned close to Aria. "And if you do a good job, maybe I''ll show you my gratitude. I can''t go around fucking anyone, like I said, but a dedicated High Priestess of my disciple''s ¡­ I could make a few exceptions." She ran her gaze down Aria''s body, setting her on fire¡ªthen shook her head. "Well, that''s all I had to say. I''ll stop fending off that delightful orgasm of yours and send you back. Enjoy having your womb filled up for the first time. It''s really such an experience. Think of me, won''t you?" She kissed Aria on the cheek, stepped back, and waved her fingers good-bye¡ªand the world shed ck. 5.36 – High Priestess 5.36 ¨C High Priestess pping her hips into Aria''s ass, the priestess''s tight pussy walls caressing her¡ªwhile ahead of Zoey, Delta vited her throat¡ªZoey had more or less forgotten the whole point of this ritual. A part of her did recognize that something was happening, though. The room felt too hot, writhing with carnal energy, and some sixth sense of Zoey''s tingled, whispering that their lustful ritual wasing to fruition. But, again, with a cute priestess sheathing Zoey''s cock, and her orgasm rapidly approaching, Zoey couldn''t particrly care. Her original goals didn''t matter. Only tight priestess pussy. Ephy was thest thing on her mind. Groaning, Zoey gripped Aria''s hips and shoved forward with onest hard smack, kissing the girl''s womb with her cock tip. Hot waves of pleasure wracked through her, working her higher and higher, bliss electrifying every nerve ending as her climax¡ª ¡ªstopped. The oing rush refused to hit the peak she was promised. Zoey''s eyes squeezed shut, and she strained deeper into Aria, whining with her need to finish, to paint the priestess''s womb white and give her the hot load she''d been begging for. But her body refused. She was vaguely aware of Delta groaning in a simr manner, smacking her hips forward and pping into Aria''s face as she tried, and failed, toe to her own peak. "It''s a delightfully agonizing experience, isn''t it?" an amused voice came from Zoey''s side. "Being right on that cusp, but unable to fall over? It''s one of my favorites." Zoey''s head snapped in the direction of the voice. Even mid-orgasm¡ªor mid-denied orgasm¡ªthe shock of hearing Ephy''s familiar tone snapped her out of her carnal, animalistic need. "Yes, it''s me," Ephy said amusedly. "The goddess you were begging to meet, since you seem to have forgotten all about that." Zoey gaped at her. Coming back to her senses wasn''t an easy task for a whole list of reasons, most of them obvious. Though this was Zoey''s third time seeing the goddess in person, her form was no less difficult to take in. The presence of a divine creature¡ªmuch less one of sensuality and lust¡ªcould be overwhelming in the best of situations, much less when Zoey was tugging on a priestess''s hips, her legs shaking, trying to get her cock as deep as possible so she could breed the priestess like she''d been begging for. Delta, likewise, stared at Ephy with shock. She had frozen with Aria''s mouth shoved down as forcefully as possible, so the blonde''s nose was squished into her pubic region. Then, Zoey became aware of something else. Aria''sck of reaction. That took immediate precedence¡ªZoey''s brow furrowed with concern. "Aria?" Zoey asked. "It''s just us, right now," Ephy said. "I had a one-on-one with her earlier. I wanted this to be between us." "What? What happened to her?" "She''s under stasis. And¡ªplease, don''t pull out," Ephy said, interrupting Zoey as she tried to step back to check on the blonde. And also because Aria''s squeezing heat was rather distracting; she couldn''t exactly think while buried into her. "I like the setting as it is," Ephy continued. "It''s a delightful sight, a young priestess filled up from both ends." Ephy sighed in approval. "You really know how to get my attention. I''m impressed." The goddess turned to Delta with sparkling eyes. "Especially you. What better way to meet a new follower?" Delta, understandably, was more caught off guard with this situation than Zoey. With Aria''s face still pushed down into her pelvis, she visibly gaped at the goddess¡ªfloundering as she tried toe up with something to say. What was she supposed to, when meeting a goddess for the first time? While she had her cock nine inches down a priestess''s throat? Maybe Delta hadn''t even fully believed Zoey, despite everything; it was rather fantastical, having a goddess for a patron. Zoey shouldn''t have been surprised by what the foxgirl eventually settled on. "Why don''t you have a cock?" Delta blurted out, her fox ears twitching in confusion. "I thought you''d have a cock." Zoey sighed in exasperation. Ephy turned to her with raised eyebrows. "Don''t look at me," Zoey said. "She''s always like this." Ignoring Ephy''s earlier request, Zoey stepped backward, trying to pull out of Aria. But Zoey''s attempt to remove the distraction turned out to be futile. The goddess waved her hand, and Zoey''s hips pped back into the priestess''s ass without her input¡ªhard, with a meaty smack. Zoey groaned at the sensation of suddenly re-sheathing herself, and orgasm tickled at her entire body, waves of heat that refused to advance to their promised peak. "This is," Zoey gasped, "really mean. How am I supposed to talk like this?" "Figure it out," Ephy said, lips curling in amusement. "But both of you are staying as you are. Like I said, it''s a nice setting for this discussion." She turned back to Delta, finally addressing her. "I was just scolding this one," she said, waving at Aria, "for being too reverent. But now, here you are, with your first words out asking a goddess why she doesn''t have a cock. That''s not exactly a question for a first-meeting, you know?" Delta, hriously, actually blushed. "I just figured you would. It surprised me. Since, well, Zoey does, so ¡­" "Like disciple, like mistress?" "Yeah." Delta coughed, seeming more than a little off-foot. Her eyes flicked down to Aria, who remained silent. Not that she could have talked with foxgirl cock cramming her throat, but still. What did ''put in stasis'' even mean? "And, uh, I don''t mean any disrespect," Delta said. "My ¡­ Goddess?" Ephyughed. "Ephy is fine. Or Mistress. I''m fond of that too." She turned to Zoey. "So. You took my advice. I expected you to gallivant around for a few weeks, truthfully. I''m ttered you didn''t waste time for once." "We''re really going to talk like this?" Zoey asked, looking down at the woman she and Delta were stuffing with their cocks. "Really? With all three of us frozen?" "Frozen? Don''t feel like you have to stop on my ount. By all means, keep using her." Zoey gave Ephy a t look, but a squelching noise interrupted hering retort. She looked over to see Delta shivering as she slid out of Aria''s throat, then back in. The priestess gagged, her first reaction since the whole ordeal. At Zoey turning the incredulous look her way, Delta shrugged sheepishly. "I wanted to know if she''d react to it." Then looking down at Aria, Delta asked Ephy, "She is fine though, right? What''s ''stasis'' mean?" "Don''t worry about it," Ephy said. "I just bought us some privacy, and didn''t want to deprive you two of your holes. Now, let''s stop dancing around the subject. You''ve called an audience with me." She faced Zoey. "With more reason than to just introduce me to your girlfriend, I assume. I''m a busy goddess, so get to the point." The word ''girlfriend'' made Zoey''s heart flutter, and she shared a quick look with Delta, who blushed in return. The two of them really should talk about that¡ªmake sure they knew where they stood on the topic. And what they wanted from each other. "You told me to contact you," Zoey pointed out. Though, she internally conceded that she had sought Ephy with specific questions in mind, so the goddess had a point. Plus, maybe being too casual with a divinity was a bad idea. Ephy needed Zoey, but she was also a being of unknown, but certainly considerable, power. She deserved some respect. And being on her good side was smart, considering her task in this world. "But, uh, yeah. We haven''t heard anything about the vampire, and the Church was a dead end too." She paused. "Have you been watching us?" Did Ephy even know what Zoey was talking about? Zoey assumed the goddess wasn''t omniscient, but surely she was keeping tabs on her assigned champion. "Are you asking if I''m a voyeur?" Ephy asked. "Peeking in on you and your filthy dalliances? I''m offended. Of course I am." That was good to know. "You''ve been watching us fuck?" Delta asked. "Really?" "I''m the goddess of sex, dear," Ephy said. "I''m aware of nearly any intimate rtion, in an abstract sense. But my champion, I pay more attention to than most." "How does that work?" "Godhood isplicated, and not the topic at hand." "Fair." Zoey, personally, was a bit more perturbed by the announcement than Delta seemed to be. She tried to ignore the fact that Ephy had apparently been watching her, Rosalie, and Delta get up to all sorts of inappropriate activities. She wasn''t surprised, of course, but voyeuristic perverted goddesses peeking in on their intimate sessions was something Zoey wasn''t necessarily thrilled about. Though, maybe Ephy didn''t mean it literally? With it being some aspect of her divinity? Godhood was, again, probably something not easy to understand. Ephy''s irvoyance could only extend so far, and ''watching'' might not mean ''watching'' in the way Zoey thought of it. Or maybe the goddess was just teasing her. There were high odds that was what was happening, too. "The vampire," Zoey said firmly, reining the conversation in. "How do we find her? Or more about the threat?" Ephy rolled her eyes. "Do you really think I could answer that? I don''t mind touching base with you, but you already know I can''t intervene directly¡ªand certainly not hold your hand the whole way through." "Then what are we supposed to do? How do we find an invisible woman who refuses to be drawn out? We don''t even know if she''s following us." Ephy shrugged, unconcerned. "That''s for you to figure out. And if you can''t in the short term¡ªthen keep getting stronger." Her eyes flicked to Delta, then smirked. "And keep growing your loyal harem. That''ll help, too." "I prefer to think of it as my harem," Delta said. "But whatever." Ephyughed, which Delta seemed pleased by. It wasn''t every day someone got to make an actual goddessugh. "And what''s up with the shards?" Zoey asked. "They''re changing, permanently. And the bosses, too, it seems like. What''s going on with Mel?" Again, Ephy shrugged. "What''s the point inmuning if you''re not going to answer anything?" At the frustrated edge in Zoey''s voice, Ephy pouted. "What, is saying hi to your benevolent patron not enough? Maybe I just wanted a social visit. Besides, I found this meeting useful, even if I can''t help you directly. Mostly because of her." She gestured at Aria. "I was going to chide you on not properly venerating me, but I''ve solved that problem¡ªand set you up for future sess. This young woman is much more eager to serve. I like her." Zoey looked down at Aria, and at the reminder of her situation, her cock pulsed inside the woman. She fought a groan at the renewed sensation, the conversation having somehow distracted her. The young priestess''s pussy really was so tight. "She was helpful? How? What did you talk about?" "I''ve instated a new High Priestess to worship under you," Ephy said simply. "Since you''re clearly too distracted to start a following." The goddess walked up to Zoey, then poked her on the chest. "That said, I do want you to dere yourself my priestess, like I told you earlier. Make your allegiance known." "Why would you even care?" "Maybe I''m a vain goddess. Maybe I have other motives. It doesn''t matter. Just do as I say." A part of Zoey wanted to reject the goddess purely by instinct, since she didn''t really trust the woman, but of all hills to die on, this wasn''t the one. "Okay," Zoey said. "Good." She squeezed Zoey''s shoulder. "That''s all I have for you. Like I said, I''m not here to solve each and every of your problems." "You haven''t solved any of them," Zoey said dryly. "Yes, well, there''s rules on intervention, as I''ve said a million times. How about you stop whining and do your job. I gave you a new life and a fourteen-inch cock¡ªand I never even got a thank you for it. Considering that, youin a lot." She faced Delta. "But it was lovely meeting you, at least. Take care of this one," she said, gesturing at Zoey. "She''s annoying, but it would be even more annoying if she died. And she''s the best candidate for the job." "Uh," Delta said. "Don''t talk about my girlfriend like that?" Zoey''s heart did a few jumps at the word, and Ephy justughed. "Bye-bye, then," the goddess said. "And enjoy your climax. Give your High Priestess a little something extra¡ªconsider it a gift from me. She''s earned it." With a wave of her fingers, Ephy disappeared, and reality re-asserted itself. 5.37 – Caught 5.37 ¨C Caught Delta''s orgasm, magically repressed for an agonizing length of time, finally crashed into her, the goddess''s presence releasing its supernatural grip. Her toes curled, and she whined with the sudden st of heat that rushed through her body. She shoved Aria''s face down, burying the priestess''s nose into her abdomen. Blissful streaks of pleasure rushed up her cock, then, no longer denied, burst from her. She spilled thick, hot ropes down Aria''s constrictive tunnel, sshing ropes of cum straight into her stomach. Aria, having returned from her temporary stasis, choked and gagged, gripping at Delta''s thighs, struggling to take Delta''s load¡ªbut no less eager for the fact. Her spasming, clenching muscles massaged Delta''s cock as she released thick strings of girlcum nine inches down the priestess''s throat. Ahead of Delta, Zoey curled forward, bending over the priestess as she pumped her own heavy load into the girl''s womb. Almost as much as Delta was enjoying Aria, that was what electrified her: watching Zoey empty herself into Aria. Neither of them had taken an infertility potion. Zoey was breeding the priestess. sting potent waves of seed into her unprotected, fertile pussy. Delta shivered, her hips arching forward just a bit harder, lewdly sharing the girl with Zoey. The two of them pumped a pair of hot loads into their prey for the night, filling the priestess from either end. Ephy had said to give the priestess ''something extra'', because she deserved it. Delta discovered that hadn''t been a suggestion¡ªor even an encouragement. Imbued by the goddess of fertility, never-ending waves of white-hot bliss crashed across her, igniting every nerve ending as her cock spasmed. She pumped her load into Aria for nearly a minute straight, and by the time her hips stopped jerking forward to get onest string out, Delta was nearly incapable of standing. Trembling, she took a step back to let the poor girl breathe, her cock slipping out with a squelch. Long strands of saliva bridged her cock to Aria''s lips. Aria gasped for air. She''d been down for a while. Zoey stayed hunched over the priestess, panting heavily from her equally as blissful finish, enjoying her warm pussy sheathe¡ªher recently bred priestess¡ªas a fewst spurts visibly squeezed out of her, body jerking with each ejection. Making certain she''d been properly stuffed. For a while, the three of them simply caught their breaths,ing down from their mind-boggling high. Delta leaned against the altar with a spinning head, finding it difficult to think, much less talk. "I''ve ¡­ never been so full," Aria finally groaned. "What did you two do to me? I feel like an ¨¦ir." At thatical imagery¡ªa cream-filled pastry¡ªDelta, despite her exhaustion,ughed. She patted Aria on the shoulder, but moving brought another wave of dizziness, and she sagged back onto the altar. Zoey, somehow looking even more squeezed out than Delta, also chuckled, if less enthusiastically. Then, something they probably should have expected happened. Their loud, sweaty exercise in a thin-walled prayer room had drawn attention: the door to the outside hallway opened. Someone walked in with all of the confidence of a person who wasn''t expecting to find a cream-filled priestess, Zoey still firmly embedded inside her, and Delta sweating and panting as she regained full consciousness. "Aria? Abigail said she heard somethinging from here. What¡ª" All four of them froze. The tall, serious-looking priest went especially still. Then, to Delta''s horror, the situation became even worse. "Dad?!" Aria screeched, scrambling to cover herself. That wasn''t an easy task when Zoey still had her bent over the altar, fourteen inches of enormous cock buried in her. "What¡ªwhat are you doing? Get out. Get out!" The man gaped at the messy scene defiling the prayer altar. Delta''s stomach sank. Aria''s dad, of all people, had walked in? Talk about bad luck. "Ari? What is the meaning of this?!" The poor man sounded like he genuinely didn''t understand what he was looking at. He stared at the three naked girls with bulging eyes, and Delta covered herself up. She wasn''t exactly bashful, but having been caught fucking a priest''s daughter over an altar was¡ªwell, not especially pious or not, Delta''s cheeks were burning. Had she justmitted legal sphemy? Probably not, right? Aria had led the whole thing. This was an official ceremony. "Get out!" Aria screeched. She finally staggered backward and to her feet, un-impaling herself from Zoey. Cum poured from down between her thighs, Zoey''s massive cock no longer keeping the ridiculous load in. The image of cum pouring from Aria probably didn''t help the situation¡ªnot that being caught with another woman inside her was really redeemable. The older man finally reacted. He stumbled back, then fled the room with all haste. For a while, the three of them stood there, disbelieving of the unfortunate turn of events. Delta broke the silence. "Probably not the best way to meet the parents," she said. "But surprisingly, not the worst, either." Aria spun on her. Delta raised her hands immediately, trying to cate the furious expression on the priestess. She had a habit of letting her mouth run when it really shouldn''t, and this was no exception. "Sorry, sorry," Delta said. "Uh. Maybe we should''ve blocked the door, or something. We could''ve seen thising." Aria red at her, but, rather than letting loose whatever torrent of anger was brewing, her shoulders sagged, the heat going out of her. Then, sheughed. "Oh, heavens. What just happened?" She groaned. "And why did it have to be my dad?" She looked down at herself. "And, really, what did you two do to me? My stomach is bulging. Literally." Emphasizing that point, she rubbed a hand against herself. In the best of cases, Zoey could already put out enough of a load to make a girl''s stomach feel heavy¡ªDelta would know, being on the receiving end more than once¡ªand with the magical blessing of Ephy to help them, and Delta''s assistance too, the priestess had literally been stuffed silly. Delta admired the sight of Aria''s once-t stomach turned round, her cock twitching in excitement. "I would ask for a round two," Delta said, eyes crawling up and down Aria''s figure, her cock stiffening as it found new excitement. "But I''ve got the feeling we''re going to be kicked out, soon." "I think that''s likely," Zoey said dryly. She turned to Aria. "We need to talk." "Talk?" Aria asked incredulously. "We need to do more than just talk. But it''ll have to happen somewhere else. I''ve got some things to deal with, apparently." She nced at the door, going a bit pale at the prospect. "If we told him you were just being a gracious host, would that help?" Delta asked. Aria narrowed her eyes at her. "You don''t think he''ll fall for the ''it was just part of the job'' spiel?" "Ignore her," Zoey said. "Do you need help cleaning up? Or what can we do for you?" "We could double down," Delta said. "Rounds two, three, and four sound nice. Doubling down''s never failed me." To Delta''s surprise, Aria actually hesitated, as if, despite everything, a part of her genuinely considered the ridiculous suggestion. Zoey, like usual, gave Delta a scolding look that vetoed the idea. Really, for the literal disciple of the goddess of sex, she was way too responsible. Plus, Delta hadn''t been the one who''d just pumped a bucket of hyper-fertile goddess-imbued cum into the priestess''s vulnerable womb, so who was really the responsible one, here? "What do you need from us?" Zoey repeated to Aria. "How can we help?" She looked around the messy room¡ªthe sticky mess left all over the altar. "Um," Aria said. "Honestly, nothing. You two should leave. Get out of here before ¡­ whatever happens. My dades back. But we really do need to talk, so where can I find you?" Zoey gave her their room number at the guild. "Then I''lle for youter," Aria said, still ncing around at the ruined altar and surroundings with a daunted look. Their frantic rutting hadn''t left the tidy prayer room in great shape¡ªand that wasn''t even mentioning the cum everywhere. "But, just to confirm, you did see her, right?" Zoey asked. "Ephy?" Aria nodded. "I''ll give the detailster. I have so many questions. But, seriously, before my dades back, you need to leave." "Are you sure? If we stayed and exined, would that be better?" Delta rolled her eyes. Zoey didn''t sound thrilled by the idea, but she offered anyway. Always so thoughtful. How Zoey could go from domineering and downright mean to soft-spoken and worried was just ¡­ disgusting. It made Delta want to gag. And it also made her heart do weird things¡ªlittle flips and squeezes that she didn''t fully understand. Or, was choosing not to understand. Zoey was annoying like that. "No, that''s not a good idea," Aria said, sounding certain. She walked over to their pile of clothes and started tossing them to Zoey and Delta. Delta pulled a towel out of her inventory and handed it to Aria¡ªshe needed it. "Tonight, then. Or tomorrow at thetest." "If you''re sure." "I am." Aria hesitated, then leaned up on her tip-toes and kissed Zoey on the cheek. "This is a lot to take in. Maybe it''s good I have some time to think, anyways." She looked at the doorway with a nervous expression. "But the fallout isn''t going to be fun." She bit her lip, then groaned. "Didn''t I tell you two to keep the noise down? What happened to that?" "You were too good at dick-sucking," Delta said. "And your pussy is too tight, apparently." "Delta," Zoey scolded. "What? Is it not true?" Zoey hesitated. "We should get going," she said firmly. "Yeah, yeah," Delta said, rolling her eyes. "But just for the record, my vote''s still on doubling down." She turned a sly, predatory look to Aria, and the priestess''s eyes widened. "But if I have to, I can wait till tomorrow. Don''t bete." 5.38 – Eager Saleswoman 5.38 ¨C Eager Saleswoman Adrienne really, really loved her new job. Her previous employment hadn''t been especially bad, but ounting was hardly morous work¡ªespecially in a ce as chaotic as Treyhull. Even importantws were rather loosey-goosey down in the Fractures, much less regtions for something as rtively unimportant as bookkeeping. Which was both a good thing and a bad thing, from the perspective of an ountant. But mostly bad. Or, at least, it added headaches to her job. Still, Adrienne had enjoyed her work well enough; it had paid much better than employment in Haven, and she actually liked the monotony of ounting¡ªwhich wasn''t a trait most people would assume of her, if they knew her casually. That said, her new work didn''t just pay much better, it was far more enjoyable. First, there was the novelty of running a potion tent selling truly unique merchandise, and then there were the more ¡­ intimate benefits. Ones Adrienne really shouldn''t have caved to so quickly. Then again, her indulgences were making sales. The tent had only been open for two days, so they weren''t flooded with customers yet, but Adrienne knew that would change. As it stood, there were six people inside the tent. Three of them were browsing the wares, reading descriptions behind each potion encased in ss, and two were standing in front of the counter, chatting with Adrienne. Thest¡ªthe sixth¡ªwas currently making good use of Adrienne''s discretionary ''free samples'' policy. Quiet gagging filled the air as the delightful woman¡ªIvy, Adrienne thought her name was¡ªtested out the most popr of their potions from the receiving end. Adrienne pretended nothing was amiss as she chatted with the two others at her counter, though the toe-curling waves of heat that coursed through her with each up-and-down bob of the girl''s head was rather hard to ignore. "I know the prices are high," Adrienne exined to the woman in front of her, "but they''re in seriously high demand, and our supply is limited. And you can''t find them anywhere else. Considering that, we''re practically giving them away." Normally, a sales pitch like that would be hot air, but in this case, it was one hundred percent true¡ªand most of the clientele knew it. Since it had only been two days, Zoey and Sabina''s business was still rtively unknown. That wouldn''tst. While foot traffic had been their only source of buyers yesterday, the word had spread a shocking amount in only twenty four hours: several of the customers today had said they''de based on rmendations. "I just don''t know," the woman said. "A price tag like that is hard to justify, no matter how much fun it would be." What was her name, again? Marigold? She''d introduced herself, but Adrienne was distracted. She sucked in a gasp of air as Ivy did something with her tongue that Adrienne, well, appreciated, and then she plunged back down, swallowing her cock in one smooth stroke. Her thick member pulsed against tight throat walls, and Adrienne let out a slow breath, forcing herposure back. The two customers obviously knew what was happening. They were in the redlight district, so such an indecent disy¡ªeven hidden behind a counter¡ªwasn''t something that sparked outrage, but rather interest. Marigold especially seemed intrigued, and Adrienne couldn''t say she was surprised by her next words. "But maybe ¡­ there''s a way I can earn a discount?" she asked, fluttering her eyshes. She was an older woman, but pretty, her graying hair entuating her features¡ªandbined with her sly smile, suggested experience. Her eyes flicked down, implying that she wanted to be the next girl under Adrienne''s counter. Except, that wasn''t how it worked. Adrienne might have catastrophically failed in her duties to be a professional shop owner for Zoey and Sabina, but she wasn''t shing prices just so she could have pretty women''s mouths wrapped around her cock. She''d paid for the in-use potion out of her own pocket, and was employing it to give away ''free samples''. Which did seem to be driving sales¡ªand attracting customers. So in a way, Adrienne could delude herself into thinking she was doing it for the good of the business. Not that she honestly believed that. She''d tried her hardest to stay professional the first day, but her will had broken on the second¡ªthere''d been this delightful brte with these pouty lips that had utterly broken Adrienne''s will. She''d been the first Adrienne had given a sample to. And by sample, she meant ten inches of cock bulging out her throat. That same woman had left with three different potions, so it had been a sessful sale. "Sorry," Adrienne said. "We don''t do discounts, only samples. But if you want¡ª" she sucked in a breath, her back arching as Ivy plunged her lips to the base of her pelvis and wiggled her head. "But if you want, you can be next in line. Get a taste. I wouldn''t mind if¡ª" Adrienne trailed off, and this time not because of the distraction under her counter, but something else. Someone had thrown open the p to the tent and strode in. Adrienne paled. Zoey had, apparently,e to check in on her business. Adrienne didn''t even have a chance topose herself before Zoey had locked eyes with her¡ªand unleashed that gorgeous smile of hers. Gods, how was the woman so breathtakingly beautiful? Adrienne might have been able to salvage her situation¡ªto have the sense of mind to use her brief two seconds before Zoey arrived to get Ivy off of her¡ªbut instead, she smiled back at Zoey, briefly lost in green eyes. Then Zoey arrived at the counter, and Adrienne remembered her circumstances. In a panic, a hand shot down onto Ivy''s head, pushing gently to tell her to stop bobbing. Ivy either didn''t understand the request or was too lost in the taste of girlcock, because she ignored Adrienne, gripping her thighs for leverage and continuing to suck. Then again, she did so quieter than before, so maybe she knew perfectly well what was going on. "Um," Adrienne said. She turned her attention to Marigold, and then the other customer. "This is my boss," she told them. "Can you give us a moment, please?" She announced it louder than necessary, because it was directed more to the woman between her legs than the customers hanging around the counter. Adrienne had very much appreciated the girl''s eagerness earlier, but by how Ivy had only paused, then continued to keep throat-fucking Adrienne, Ivy apparently found the situation amusing. Or was more concerned with having girl-cock in her throat than something silly like Adrienne''s employment status. In short, Ivy was a woman after her own heart. Girlcock took precedence over everything else¡ªa sentiment Adrienne gleefully agreed with. If only it didn''t conflict with her current dire circumstances: that her boss had just shown up. At least she was being quieter. Ivy wasn''t mming herself down hard enough to choke and gag, and instead, working her tongue, throat, and lips around Adrienne''s shaft and tip with a teasing, sensual pace. Adrienne''s skin had already been hot and tingling from having her cock sucked while chatting with customers, but now that her boss had arrived¡ªand that it was Zoey, a woman drop-dead gorgeous enough to stop her heart¡ªramped the situation up to eleven. She was so fucked. And she really couldn''t afford to get caught. Zoey seemed like a woman who appreciated sex, but that didn''t mean she wanted an employee who went around fucking customers. And this was way too amazing of a job to give up¡ªin the practical sense, not just the ''extra benefits''. Why had Adrienne given in to her base desires? It was a dumb question. With so many curious, fascinated, and flirty young women wanting to ''know more'' about their merchandise, she hadn''t stood a chance. "Hey, Adrienne," Zoey said leaning against the counter. "Just thought I''d stop by and see how things are going." She looked around. "Pretty good, it seems like. Shelves are pretty empty. You''re burning through our stock." "Um. Yeah." Adrienne scrambled desperately topose herself. But how could she? She was hardly used to the bliss of having her cock sucked by another girl¡ªor having a cock in the first ce. And Ivy was quite eager to take advantage of that. She swallowed, then stalwartly cobbled herposure together. She would not lose the world''s most amazing job. All she had to do was make it through a conversation with her boss while having her cock sucked. How hard could it really be? 5.39 – Eager Saleswoman II 5.39 ¨C Eager Saleswoman II Adrienne''s attention flicked down to Ivy''s brown eyes looking up at her. The girl ran her tongue in teasing circles around Adrienne''s cock tip, and Adrienne eyed her in silent warning¡ªthough she also had a begrudging admiration for the girl''s antics. Ivy smirked in reply, then, in a smooth motion, plunged down, bulging her throat outward as she impaled herself on Adrienne''s girlcock. She didn''t even gag as she went down. Adrienne leaned forward onto the counter, her legs going wobbly. She swallowed a moan. She might be able to survive the encounter if she could fend her climax off, but if she slid over that edge, then there was obviously no keeping things under wraps. With luck, Zoey was only here to say hello. A minute or two of brief pleasantries, then Adrienne could stop resisting. More than that, and things weren''t looking good. Ivy knew what she was doing, which Adrienne had been appreciating earlier, but wasn''t anymore. Or, at least, she hadplicated feelings about the girl''s talent, now. "Yep. Things are going good," Adrienne said cheerfully, stering a smile onto her face¡ªone that wasn''t entirely feigned, since it was hard not to smile at a woman as pretty as Zoey. "Noints on my end. What can I do for you, boss?" Thest word had a bit of a flirtatious inflection, with Adrienne unable to help herself. And she hoped Zoey had missed the hitch in her voice halfway through the sentence when Ivy''s throat had squeezed down on her. "Just stopping by," Zoey replied. "Meant to yesterday, but I got, uh, busy." "You do seem like a woman with a lot going on," Adrienne teased. Again, she wasn''t trying to flirt, not fully. In fact, if Zoey hadn''t been her very generous employer, she might have flicked her eyes down and really driven home the innuendo with her typical brand of bluntness. But that was the original dilemma: Zoey was her boss, Adrienne liked her job, and while they were in a business that was sexual by nature, that didn''t mean Zoey wanted Adrienne misbehaving in such tant ways. Even if not just because it could run afoul of exhibitionismws, but because¡ªwell, a store owner probably shouldn''t be using their merchandise to throat-fuck as many girls as she could get her hands on. Zoey rolled her eyes at Adrienne''s implication, and, adorably, her cheeks even colored. Adrienne didn''t get the feeling Zoey was inexperienced, so the fact she blushed so easily was pretty endearing. Seeing the woman''s colored cheeks, Adrienne fought, again, the urge to start flirting with her even more tantly¡ªbut she cut the desire off. It took some effort. She was finding it harder to be professional than usual. Probably since she was having her cock pleasured under the counter. Hard to keep her thoughts chaste in a situation like that. "Everything''s running smoothly, then?" Zoey asked. "Really? You can tell me if there''s issues." "Potions are flying off the shelves. Don''t think there''s been someone who came in and didn''t buy something. Even expensive as it all is." At a pleasurable bobbing of Ivy''s head, a carnal urge hit her: her hips jerked forward, just a few inches. It was, tragically, too much for the poor girl to maintain her stealth: she gagged as Adrienne''s cock unexpectedly shoved deeper into her. The muted noise came from under the counter, faint, but stillpromising. Zoey paused and tilted her head, as if trying to ce the noise. "Have you thought about raising prices?" Adrienne asked hastily, knowing that her only possible salvation was a distraction. "You could seriously get away with charging a lot more." "You think so?" "The growth potion for sure. We''re almost out. Who would''ve guessed that¡ª" she stifled a gasp as Ivy''s tongue swirled around her cock head. "That girls really like having cocks?" Zoeyughed. "Yeah, it''s not that much of a surprise." She smirked at Adrienne. "And speaking of, who''s down there, anyway?" Adrienne froze. Zoey peeked over the counter, and Adrienne hastily leaned forward, trying to block the view. "Oh, please," Zoey said, rolling her eyes. "You''re not fooling anyone. Let me see." For a moment, Adrienne''s thoughts sprinted in every direction, trying desperately to find a way out of this. But eventually, she came to terms with her situation. She''d been caught. And, obviously she had. Zoey was a wayfarer. didn''t they have crazy enhanced senses? The act had been up as soon as Ivy had gagged. Which had ultimately been Adrienne''s fault, because she hadn''t been able to stop herself from thrusting. Not that it was really her fault she couldn''t resist moving her hips when a girl''s throat was wrapped around her cock. She was only human. Sighing, Adrienne stepped back from the counter, unblocking the view of Ivy. Zoey, peeking over the edge,ughed as brown eyes came into view. Ivy used that opportunity to drop herst paltry attempts at stealth: she grabbed Adrienne''s hips and started choking herself on cock. If anything, she was even more excited than before, having another spectator. Seriously. Bless that woman. If only that eagerness hadn''te with such awful timing. Then, shockingly, Zoey leaned back off the counter, only seeming amused at the reveal. "We might raise pricester," she told Adrienne. "But this first week is just a test. Earning some starting capital for our real opening. So if we sell out, we sell out¡ªit''s not a big deal." Adrienne floundered for a response. Zoey was going back to their earlier conversation? She was brushing past all of this? That Adrienne had a girl under the counter? Did she not care? She didn''t seem bothered. But while there werex bosses, surely there weren''t bosses that were fine with their employees throat-fucking customers on thepany''s time. Right? Adrienne didn''t get a chance to reply¡ªIvy filled the conversation in for her. She pulled off Adrienne''s cock with a squelch, not even having the shame to gag, then asked Zoey from down between Adrienne''s legs¡ªa huge strand of spit dropping onto her tits¡ª"Wait, you aren''t staying in Treyhull?" Annoyed, Adrienne grabbed Ivy''s head and shoved her back down. That, at least, made the girl gag. Adrienne roughly manhandled the woman back into her proper position. This was a conversation between her and her boss; the nuisance of a woman had already threatened her job. In a delightfully spine-tingling way, yes, but she had still kept sucking despite Adrienne''s warnings. If she wanted to be a cock-sleeve, then she could be. But Adrienne wasn''t going to be nice about it, at that point. And Ivy didn''t seem like she wanted Adrienne to be. She contentedly returned to pleasuring her. "Not more than a few more days, probably," Zoey confirmed to Ivy, finding the whole interaction not worth a moment''s pause. The woman must have seen some stuff, to not be fazed by her employee using a customer''s throat as a cock sleeve. And yet¡ªAdrienne''s thoughts went back to how easily she had blushed earlier. Experienced yet still fast to embarrass? And apparently an easy-going boss. Adrienne might be in love. Though, she didn''t know if she was actually in the clear. Maybe Zoey was just ying it cool. "Speaking of that," Zoey added, "you''ll be fine to move, soon? Do you need help with anything there, either?" That question boded well. If Zoey was asking her about long-term ns, then Adrienne really might not be in trouble. "Um. Think so. Still getting all my ducks in a row." "You don''t need help with anything?" Zoey pressed. "I''d be happy to help." "I''ll let you know," Adrienne promised. "But, um, can I actually¡ª" she sucked in a breath of air. "Finish this chat in a second?" She winced at the audacity of even asking, but the pleasure was bing too much to ignore. Shamefully, Adrienne couldn''t wait for Zoey''s permission. She shuddered, then grabbed Ivy''s head and started working her hips back and forth. She lost control of her movements. Raw, animal need had her humping back and forth, plunging her cock down Ivy''s tight, slippery throat. "It feels so good," Adrienne groaned. "Sorry, Zoey. I can''t stop. J-Just let me finish, real quick." Zoey''s lips curled up in amusement, and she hopped onto the counter, sliding over so she could get a better view. Adrienne''s skin tingled, knowing that Zoey was going to watch her finish down another woman''s throat. Apparently, she didn''t just have no problem with it, but she was more than happy to watch. Seriously¡ªbest boss ever. Adrienne''s breathing picked up as her pleasure grew. Ivy struggled and gagged as Adrienne used her roughly, but the other girl kept her hands sped around Adrienne''s hips and tugged her in with each jerk, helping Adrienne despite how thoroughly she was being vited. Such an angel. And after working so diligently, Adrienne could finally give her her reward. "Can''t hold it," Adrienne gasped, the wordsing out ragged. Her whole body trembled with pleasure, and her cock swelled in imminent release. She mmed Ivy''s face down to her hilt, then groaned in bliss as her orgasm hit. "Fuck, yes," she moaned. "Take it, you fucking slut." Her mind went fuzzy, only the hot, tight squeeze of Ivy''s throat remaining. The other girl bobbed up and down, milking Adrienne as she spilled seed into the eager girl''s stomach in long, shuddering spurts. "Holy shit," Adrienne finally breathed, sagging into the counter. She came down from her high, then hazily nced sideways to see Zoey biting her lower lip, admiring Adrienne and Ivy¡ªwho was still pressed into her crotch. Despite having the confidence to jump up onto the counter and watch, Zoey''s cheeks were ming at the show Adrienne had just put on. Then at being caught admiring them, the woman blushed and looked away, clearly flustered. So cute. Adrienne pulled out of Ivy''s throat. Ivy coughed, then leaned her forehead against Adrienne''s thigh. She rested a hand on her stomach as if feeling the hot load deposited there. "So," Ivy eventually asked. "One sample only? Or can I get a second?" "Sample?" Zoey asked. Adrienne''s cheeks burned. "I, um, thought it would be a good strategy to help move merchandise. I paid for the potion myself, just so you know." She might be acting totally inappropriately as a shopkeeper, but she wasn''t stealing¡ªand in a way, she was selling potions. She doubted Ivy would be leaving without one to try herself. "And yeah," she said to Ivy. "Only the first is free." Ivy shakily got to her feet, and Adrienne shooed her away: "Now, seriously, let me talk with my boss." Ivy quirked an eyebrow at her, but gave them some space. Adrienne wiped her cock off, pulled up her shorts, then gave Zoey her full attention. "Sorry about that," she said sheepishly. "But I can focus now. What were you saying?" 5.40 – Interlude – Free 5.40 ¨C Interlude ¨C Free Sol stood in front of the mirror, scrutinizing herself. She drifted fingertips over her lips, nose, cheekbones, and eyelids. Felt her silky ck hair hanging down to her mid-back. Cupped her breasts and weighed them, watching how their naked form changed shape in the mirror. Pushed them together. Squeezed. Turned to view them from the side, then from the front. Humans. An interesting species. One Sol felt unusually attuned with. The Famished had no true physical form, no default to return to. They were beings made of magic. To interact with the world, they needed corporeality, but they weren''t strictly beholden to it. There was always the Passage to flee to, a realm physical creatures couldn''t enter. Sol turned around and looked at herself over her shoulder. Her bare, feminine back, the curve of her ass and thighs, her milky and unblemished skin. There was something so appealing about these creatures. Graceful wasn''t exactly the word she would use, though in some ways, they were. But more prevalently: Alluring. Sensual. Humans were hardly the only sexual creatures Sol and her people had appropriated the forms of, but she had never felt such a strong urge to explore those desires. She faced back forward. Running her fingers through her hair, she focused on morphing her form. ck locks melted to brown, then to blonde, to red, and less typical colors: blue, green, orange. She lengthened and shortened the silky material, turning it curly, then straight, then short enough she couldn''t get a grip on it. Her eyes were her next target, shifting through colors, testing to see how each felt. She grew a few inches, then shrunk. She made her breastsrger, and her butt, exploring different shapes. In the end, she reverted herself back to how she''d been. Long ck hair, red eyes, medium height, and a lithe but still curvy form. It had been the form she''d initially chosen, and it felt right. An echo of whatever initial memories had imprinted upon her with her arrival to this world. Perhaps in time, she would explore the full variety of shapes a human body allowed, but Sol hadn''t even begun to learn what this shape was like. Experimentation with deviancy came after understanding the base. Sol withdrew a vial from her pants¡ªwhich wasid on the sink¡ªand peered at the liquid inside. The cock-growing potion, which she had stolen from Zoey''s inventory. While Sol could morph her body, the potion was special: an item of divine origin. The physical addition it created wasn''t any different from a mundane one¡ªbesides beingrger and prone to heavier emissions, from what she''d seen¡ªbut to Sol, particrly, it was special. The magical liquid vibrated to her senses, and she itched to drink it. To consume the energy held within not for the effect it provided, but for sustenance. It wasn''t the overwhelming, intoxicating power that radiated from Zoey, but it had her mark on it, and even an echo was enticing. Zoey. It was a shame Sol needed to avoid the woman. It was too risky to interact with someone blessed by the divine, ignorant as she was. But it was a hard conviction to keep. Every time she thought of that throbbing, fourteen-inch monster between her legs, Sol''s heart started mming. Like it did now. She ced a hand on her chest and felt the wild beats. A hunger grew in her stomach, thinking of Zoey. A hot clenching. And not Hunger as her people knew it, but a different kind. Lust. Desire. Familiar, but not. Sol shook her head to clear it. There would be time enough to indulge in Zoeyter. Once she knew more about the world and felt more confident in her understanding, Sol could afford to be bold. To seek out that ultimate prize. Until then, she needed to learn. She downed the potion. The dense magic slid down her throat, and Sol shuddered in delight. She repressed the urge to dismantle the magic and Consume it, since doing so would ruin the effect. Her crotch heated in a bing-familiar way¡ªthis wasn''t her first experiment¡ªand her legs trembled as her cock surged and grew. She watched in the mirror as her member formed, ten inches long, and two wide, a thick, hefty beast. Smaller than Zoey''s, but still a cock that would make most women go pale. Sol reached down and grasped it. She didn''t mean to, but her hand started sliding up and down the thick shaft, squeezing the warm, throbbing rod. The desire hade out of nowhere, shockingly intense. She bit her lip, pleasure washing through her as she yed with herself. Women didn''t normally have cocks, Sol knew¡ªeven just from her passive memories, not something she had needed to learn. Maybe that was what made the sight so alluring. So special. The lewd, angry weapon, framed by all the plush curves and softness of a woman. It was really something. The door to the bathroom swung open. Sol paused, then nced over to see a short blonde woman step inside. She was wearing a tight ck tank top and a pair of shorts that clung to her curves¡ªtypical for the venue. Her face was framed by a pair of sses with thick ck frames. Their eyes met. The woman froze. She looked at Sol¡ªat her naked body¡ªand her eyes went wider and wider. "W-What the hell?" the woman squeaked. "What are you doing?!" Sol tilted her head, confused. She looked into the mirror, then back to the woman. "Experimenting," she answered honestly. The woman gaped at her. "With myself." Sol gestured at her cock, which jutted from her as angrily as ever. The woman continued to gape. She seemed to have frozen in surprise. Which Sol didn''t understand. Why was she shocked? Sol had every right to be here. This was amunal space. "Bathrooms are for handling private business," Sol told her, confident in the fact, but hesitant because of the woman''s strange reaction. "Where else would I do this?" "This is a public restroom," the woman shrilled. "Exactly." Which meant everyone was wee in it. "What''s your point?" she asked, genuinely wanting to understand. For another long moment, the woman stared at her, mouth hanging open. Finally, she unfroze and scurried away. The door swung shut behind her, and Sol puzzled over what human social norm she had misinterpreted. She looked down at her ten-inch cock standing proudly from her crotch, frowning as she tried to figure it out. It had felt like a logical conclusion that this was an appropriate ce to handle what she was doing, but she knew she had a lot to learn. Her memories were wed. A flimsy outline detailing only the most basic of concepts. She had no context, no experiences to fall back on. Hence her desire to explore¡ªand why she was avoiding Zoey. She wanted to be morefortable in how this world worked before confronting a being blessed by a Prime. Ultimately, Sol shrugged to herself, then returned to inspecting herself. She had the sense that a restroom was a ce where humans went to do their private business, but beyond that, the logic of the situation was lost on her. Obviously, nakedness was taboo to varying extents, but where else would it be eptable if not a restroom? Deciphering the woman''s reaction would take time. And more knowledge of the world. She didn''t get to keep checking herself out¡ªboth visually and by touch¡ªbefore whispering outside the bathroom door interrupted her. "You can''t be serious," the same woman from before hissed, the noise muted by the door. "I know what I saw, Olivia." "Yeah. That''s why I''m interested," a second, lower voiceughed, dismissing her friend''s concern. "Come on. Let''s go check it out." The door swung open. Two women walked in. A new one led the pair, taller and striding in with confidence. Timidly following behind her was the wide-eyed blonde woman from earlier. The taller¡ªOlivia, apparently¡ªwas as gorgeous as her partner, if in a different way. Tall, lean, with defined arms and a mix of sharp and soft features, she had a boyish roguishness that drew Sol''s eye. Her short brown hair was ruffled, her cheeks dusted with freckles. She was wearing a simple jacket, a white shirt, and a pair of faded jeans. "Oh, shit," Olivia said, freezing a few steps in as she caught sight of Sol. "You weren''t kidding." "I said I wasn''t!" "Hello," Sol greeted them hesitantly, but earnestly, wondering what was going on. "That''s a cock," Olivia said, nearly gawking as she stared. "That''s a huge fucking cock." Sol looked down at herself. Why was this woman stating the obvious? "Yes," Sol said. "It''s muchrger than average, as far as I know." She tilted her head. "But isn''t it rude to stare? This is a restroom." She had forgiven the initial looks because she knew it was an unusual sight. But prolonged staring? Sol''s knowledge of propriety and social conduct was threadbare at the absolute best, but she was pretty sure staring at a nude person in the restroom was simply poor manners. Not that she minded, necessarily. It made her skin tingle in a delightful way. But these two were acting very indiscreetly, ording to everything she knew of humans. "Holy crap," Olivia just repeated, still ignoring Sol. "That thing''s ¡­ a fucking monster. How do you not faint when it goes up?" She nudged her friend with an elbow. "You undersold it, Hailey. And shit, can we even me her? I would be showing that thing off too." "Showing off?" Sol asked. She hadn''t been showing anything off. This was a restroom. Where a person could handle private business. Seriously, what was going on here? Oh. The realization hit. These two were just perverts. They''de into a private area, saw Sol politely minding her business, and decided they wanted to ogle her. How indiscreet. Her skin prickled at the idea, a reaction borne from her newfound human instincts. The emotions were all still so very novel, and thus more intense. Even if her understanding of the situation was tenuous, her body heated up. She was being osted by two perverts. How lucky of her. Sol grabbed her cock, leaned against the sink ledge, and wiggled herself up and down, the thick member bobbing in her grip. Both of the perverted voyeurs'' eyes widened, and Hailey squeaked in surprise. "I didn''t n on having anyone watch," Sol said. "But I suppose I don''t mind, either." "W-We should leave," Hailey said, frantically tugging on her friend''s jacket¡ªbut Olivia swatted her hand away. "Leave? You''re kidding. Look at that thing. Seriously, is it even real?" "Real?" "Or some kind of toy?" Sol tilted her head. "It''s real." "You''re joking." "You coulde verify, if you want," Sol offered. Olivia''s eyes went even wider, and like usual, Sol didn''t understand why. Her face split into a grin. "Oh, shit. Okay. Yeah. Sure. I mean, if you''re offering." "Really, Liv?" Hailey asked. "Oh,e on," Olivia said dismissively. "We both know we came here to getid, and look at her. Hello?" She gestured at Sol, who observed the interaction with interest. Humans were really so interesting. "She''s basically throwing herself at us." Sol paused. That wasn''t her interpretation of this event. But humans deluded themselves all the time; Sol knew this. She had seen it constantly observing that blonde woman in Zoey''spany. From everyone, in varying capacities. Hailey bit her lip, hesitant, so Olivia grabbed her hand and pulled her forward. Her protests were apparently flimsy¡ªalso unsurprising to Sol, from other observations¡ªand let herself be guided forward. The two women approached, and Sol''s cock twitched in anticipation. All she had been nning on was inspecting herself in the mirror before moving on to explore more of the city. This was an unexpected turn of events. Though not an unwee one. It seemed she''d be getting a chance to learn more about anatomy and the human sexual experience. First-hand, this time. How very exciting. 5.41 – Interlude – First 5.41 ¨C Interlude ¨C First Hailey and Olivia got down on their knees. It stirred something inside Sol with an unexpected intensity. A human reaction she delighted in, heat tingling across her skin, her heart picking up speed. The two women looked up at her with contrasting expressions: Hailey, hesitant, almost apprehensive at the thick, pulsing length hanging in front of her face, and Olivia, admiring¡ªnot half as nervous as her friend. In fact, Olivia seemed to be as focused on Hailey as Sol herself. Solcked experience reading people, but she could tell what was happening. Olivia was excited to push her friend into this. To chip away at her hesitance. To share Sol with her. She wasn''t sure what Olivia was looking forward to more: ying with Sol, or watching Hailey do so. Or maybe even having an excuse to get her own hands on her friend. "We''re really doing this?" Hailey asked, sending a nervous nce to Olivia. "Really? In the restroom? With a stranger?" "Rx," Olivia said. "Just enjoy yourself, for once. I mean, look at this fucking thing." She reached up and gripped Sol''s cock. Sol shivered at the sudden pleasurable pressure. She had done her own experiments, but having someone else gripping it was apletely different experience. So much more intense. She leaned against the sink, basking in Olivia''s grip as the girl stroked up and down her considerable length. Hailey bit her lower lip, watching her friend jerk Sol off. Slowly, she nodded. Olivia grinned at the victory, then reached out and grabbed Hailey''s wrist, guiding her friend''s hand to the base of Sol''s shaft. Hailey let it happen. Her fingers wrapped around Sol''s throbbing member, and she timidly squeezed, to which Sol''s cock twitched in pleasure. Hailey jumped, which Oliviaughed at, delighting in her friend''s reactions. Sol stayed leaning against the sink, observing the two girl''s dynamic rather than taking an active role. She even preferred it. She was, above most things, excited to study Hailey and Olivia. Though pushing the two women over and having her way with them would be its own fun, she was fine with this, too. It was a great opportunity to learn. "Wow," Hailey breathed slowly, looking at Sol''s cock with wide eyes. "It''s ¡­ hot. And ¡­ seriously, so big." "You can say that again," Olivia murmured. "Seriously. It''s a fucking monster." She bit her lip, then nced at her friend. "Try giving it a kiss." Hailey''s eyes widened at the suggestion, but Olivia, as before, encouraged her to act: with a hand on the back of her head, Olivia guided her friend''s face forward, and Hailey resisted¡ªbut only for a second. She gave up, letting her face get pushed into Sol''s cock. Sol''s throbbing member pulsed heat into the shy woman''s cheek, draped across her face and eyelid, and Hailey closed her eyes and let out a soft moan. "Open up," Olivia instructed softly. "Find out what it tastes like." Again, Hailey hesitated, but only briefly. Her lips parted. She pulled back, getting Sol''s tip to her lips. She kissed Sol''s cock tip. Then Olivia encouraged Hailey further down, and Sol''s cock slipped between her lips. The wet warmth of Hailey''s mouth covered Sol''s cockhead. Again, the sensation was even more incredible than Sol had imagined. Her personal experiments had undersold just how enticing this was¡ªthe sensations that came with another woman ying with her. Olivia urged Hailey forward, and the shy girl took Sol''s cock deeper and deeper into her mouth, until it bulged her cheek out. Sol moaned at how good the insides of Hailey''s hot, slippery cheeks felt. It was nearly mind-erasing. She had to fight the urge to grab Hailey''s head and start using her¡ªand the intensity of that desire surprised Sol. "That''s it," Olivia murmured to her friend. "How''s your first taste of girl cock?" Hailey gave a muffled reply back¡ªher mouth was full. Olivia pulled Hailey off Sol''s cock, clearly enjoying handling her best friend. Then she joined her lips to Hailey''s at Sol''s cock tip¡ªwhich Hailey''s eyes widened at. The two girls kissed each other around Sol''s cock. They stayed that way for a few moments, lewdly kissing each other at Sol''s tip, then Olivia started moving her lips down Sol''s length. Hailey followed her lead. Both girls stroked Sol''s cock with their lips, teasing with their tongues as they went up and down. The heat and wetness, the pressure of their mouths,bined with the erotic sight of them down on their knees, servicing her, made Sol''s toes curl. She felt dizzy with arousal. Her hips started moving back and forward, pushing her cockhead between the seal their kisses made, a delicious, slippery friction that made her breathing go ragged. Olivia pulled away, then urged Hailey back onto Sol. As the shyer girl worked at getting Sol deeper, Olivia sidled up behind her and started undressing the woman. Her tank top came off, revealing a pair ofcy red bra cups, and then Olivia reached around, cupping her friend''s chest through her bra, massaging and groping her. Hailey moaned into Sol''s cock at the touch, her eyes fluttering as Olivia yed with her from behind. "You''re even hotter when you''re sucking cock," Olivia murmured. "I didn''t think that was possible." Hailey''s face reddened. She pulled off Sol, then bashfully murmured, "Don''t say stuff like that, Liv. It''s embarrassing." Olivia turned Hailey''s chin toward her, then kissed the other girl¡ªthis time without the excuse of sharing Sol''s cock. Hailey melted into it. Sol went briefly forgotten as Olivia started stripping her friend while they kissed, and Hailey did the same in return. In a frantic, heated disy, the two friends worked each other out of their clothes. Soon, they were naked and flushed, groping each other as they kissed. Sol even wondered if she''d been forgotten. She was getting the feeling she was an excuse for these two women to have their way with each other¡ªa member of the supporting cast. Not that she was upset. Again, she was happy to watch. Finally, Olivia broke away, panting. She locked eyes with Sol. She hadn''t been forgotten, then. Or, only temporarily. "So, what?" Olivia asked. "You gonna fuck her? She''s ready, if you can''t tell." Hailey, much lessposed, just gulped down air as she also met eyes with Sol, recovering from her friend''s kisses. Oliviaid on the ground and pulled Hailey on top of her, so the other girl was mounted on herp. She tugged her forward, pressing their breasts together, leaving them lying together, their lower halves stacked. Sol intuited her role: she got down between them, lining her cock up to Hailey''s wet entrance. "How lucky are you?" Olivia murmured to Hailey. "Getting that fat cock first. I''m too good to you. But seeing you ruined by that thing ¡­ maybe that''ll be just as much fun as having it myself." She kissed Hailey. "I wonder if you can even take it. Should she go easy on you?" Hailey hesitated, then mutely shook her head. Oliviaughed. "I didn''t think so. I never really bought into that blushing innocence of yours." Sol rubbed her cock between Hailey''s pussy lips, extracting a moan from the smaller girl. Her cock pulsed and twitched with heat, the anticipation making her nearly shake. Her first chance to feel a pussy wrapped around her. What would it be like? She was transfixed by the sensation of just rubbing herself between wet lips. "Do it," Olivia murmured in encouragement. "Fill her up. And you heard her¡ªdon''t go easy." Sol grabbed Hailey''s hips, then slid inside. Not harshly, but not gently, either. The tightness that met her was unbelievable. Sol groaned as she pushed deeper and deeper into Hailey''s squeezing pussy. The woman''s entrance stretched wide around Sol, mping down on her as she sheathed herself. Hailey whined as Sol''s hips met her ass, and Olivia pulled her in, kissing her friend to muffle the moans. The gripping sensation was nearly overwhelming. Sol dug her nails into the woman''s hips as she gripped hard and started thrusting. Pleasure blossomed with each loud impact of skin on skin. Lewd pping noises filled the air. She moved harder, faster, by the moment, needing more of the ecstasy that came with rutting into another woman. Her experiments hadn''t remotely prepared her for how good this would feel. "F-Fuck," Hailey whined, her ass rippling as Sol pounded into her. "Oh, f-fuck. It''s¡ªit''s too¡ªtoo much¡ª" "You''re doing great," Olivia assured her, hugging Hailey tight as her body bounced with each impact. "You can take it. Just rx. Enjoy yourself. Doesn''t it feel good? Getting fucked by a fat girl cock?" Hailey moaned into Olivia, eyes squeezing shut, and her features scrunching up as she buried her face into Olivia''s neck. Olivia stroked her hair, soothing her as Sol roughly imed her, spreading her pussy wide with each hard thrust. Sol''s mind was filled with a single thought, as she fervently moved her hips like they were a piston: that she understood, now. Why humans pursued this so single-mindedly. Using her own hands had felt good enough, but this? This was something else entirely. Tight pussy. The pressure and heat of it. It was perfect. Overwhelming. Her cock felt like it was on fire with ecstasy, every nerve lighting up as Hailey''s pussy squeezed and clenched. Milking her. It was an experience she couldn''t put into words. She lost herself in it. "She''s getting close," Olivia murmured into her friend''s ear. "You really must be tight. She can''t keep it together." Sol only grunted as she kept working. The words barely filtered into her. All she cared about was the wet heat wrapping her cock. How Hailey''s ass felt, hitting her hips. She felt like an animal. "Do you want her to finish inside?" Olivia asked, still stroking her moaning friend''s hair. "Do you want to be filled up by another girl? I bet that isn''t what you expected,ing out with me tonight. You can ask her to pull out ¡­ but you better hurry. It doesn''t look like she has long." Hailey squirmed, her pussy clenching around Sol, and she let out a wordless, needy noise. "No?" Olivia asked. "You don''t want her to? That''s dangerous, Hailey. You''re okay with that? Another girl finishing inside you?" Hailey moaned, and that seemed to be all the answer Olivia needed. Her eyes locked to Sol''s, a smirk on her lips. "Well, you heard her. Fill her up, stud." Sol grabbed Hailey''s hips and shoved herself in, a final loud p of flesh echoing through the room as she sheathed herself. Her cock throbbed as a rush of pleasure, her release, hit. Ecstasy rushed up along her member and spurted into Hailey''s waiting womb, the girl''s pussy clenching and milking her to get more and more out. Bliss flooded through Sol''s veins, urging her to keep pumping. A long minute passed as Sol emptied herself into Hailey. Finally, regretfully, the rush subsided. Sol''s senses slowly returned. She found herself panting atop the other woman, who had gone limp in her friend''s arms. Sol withdrew, letting her softening member slip free. "There you go," Olivia murmured to her friend. "Nice and full. Good girl." Her eyes flicked up to Sol. "But you saved some for me, right?" 5.42 – Interlude – Power 5.42 ¨C Interlude ¨C Power Sol left the restroom feeling much more intimately familiar with the process of sex, with two cum-filled, cum-covered, barely conscious friends dizzily holding each other. It had been a productive detour, and she departed with a bounce in her step. She returned to her exploration. Not all of her adventures were centered around lewdness; she did plenty of mundane research. For most of the day, she snooped around town and observed people in their daily lives, trying to be less clueless on how people interacted, and what certain items, ces, actions, and behaviors meant in specific contexts. How society worked. Sol wanted to know more. Not just because she wanted to solve the mystery of Zoey''s link to a Prime¡ªthough that was the excuse she kept at the forefront of her mind, considering the transgression of ignoring Mother''s directive to stay hidden¡ªbut because she was also simply curious. She had always been. And humans were, objectively, much more interesting than most lifeforms her people invaded. More dangerous, too. Hence why they had onlye to this world since it should have been abandoned. Over the following days, Sol lingered mostly in public ces, since they were the easiest to find many varied reactions in. She lurked in more private ways too, though: in homes, in private conversations, and other intimate encounters. She understood the concept of privacy, by this point, so she did feel a little guilty at the invasion, but she did so in the way of an academic: with curiosity at the forefront of her mind. Even when she peeked in on lewd encounters, Sol did so as an impartial observer. Or, to the best of her ability. Her human body reacted in ways she didn''t always want it to. She at least kept her indiscretions invisible. The majority of people were far, far too weak to detect her presence. Sol wasn''t the strongest of her kind, but she was the Fourth Daughter. A favored of Mother. Young, inexperienced, but definitely not weak. But some of the humans were strong, so she wasn''tpletely safe in her sneaking-around. It could be difficult to tell a person''s strength at a nce, since most kept their power under wraps. Sol found it easiest to detect dangerous wayfarers through anciry methods, rather than a direct appraisal. The size of their inventory¡ªthat odd spacial pocket they stored items in¡ªwas one such useful give-away, but also other passive abilities that weren''t masked as easily as their raw strength: their ''skills''. Sol had the capability of seeing magic in its raw form, which none of these humans could¡ªfrom what she had seen¡ªand that afforded her many abilities and conveniences that were simply alien to these people. That they couldn''t guard or defend against. Though she made sure to be careful; it was risky to take anything for granted in a foreign world. Days passed as Sol slowly grew morefortable in this fascinating society. Eventually, something caught her eye. Or rather, someone. Sol found the woman in an inn called The Wyrm''s Respite. Inns had be a favorite ce for her to spy on people¡ªto politely observe, she meant¡ªsince they offered a wide selection of personalities, and the crowds were easy to blend in with. She would even try her hand at casual interaction, asionally, which usually didn''t go well, but was an exciting experience nheless. Even the wayfarers¡ªthe name given to those dedicated to advancing in fields ofbat magic¡ªdidn''t draw Sol''s attention much; most people passing through were simply ¡­ uninteresting. Mundane. Sol still studied them, but they weren''t important. Not like Zoey. But this woman. The neer she bumped into a few days into her observations. Sol knew immediately she was different. The woman stalked in and sat at the bar, mostly unheeded by other patrons, but only because she was clearly making an effort to not stand out. Sol saw through it. She had spent the past few days scrutinizing everything that moved, so it was clear as day. She got the woman''s name from her curt conversation with the barkeep. Lucinda. Further observation only grew Sol''s fascination. There was something about the way the woman carried herself. A bored disdain in brown eyes as they passed over the rowdy inn. She was an older woman, with dark hair streaked with silver done up in a tight bun. She had a severe facial structure, hard and arrogant like a predator, and what glimpses of skin Sol could catch beneath her cloak were covered with scars. Her aura was subdued, repressed to Sol''s magical senses, not giving away her strength in a concrete manner¡ªbut Sol had other methods of detecting strength. Not that she needed them. She could tell just by looking at the woman what she was. A fighter. A killer. Not a wayfarer of the caliber she had spotted throughout the city thus far, but someone who had climbed much, much higher through those ranks. Of the thousands of people Sol had observed sinceing to human territory, she knew immediately that this woman¡ªLucinda¡ªwas the strongest. And it wasn''t particrly close. Brown eyes slid over to Sol, catching her staring from across the inn. It felt like cold water doused her entire body, and she hastily looked away. How had she even noticed? Who was she? What was her advancement? Sol had known this society hosted individuals of staggering strength¡ªit was why the Famished weren''t eager to rush headlong into confrontation, and instead had chosen to gnaw at the edges of their society, weakening them until the time was right. Had she run into one such juggernaut? Or was Sol reading too much into the encounter? Getting overexcited and imagining things? She could read raw magic in a way no human could¡ªand while certain passive effects swirled around the woman of aplexity she hadn''t ever seen, it was all muted. Hidden from her, so that Sol couldn''t decipher what she was looking at. The wayfarer''s abilities were better masked than everyone else she had met, including her inventory, which was its own giveaway, but it also meant Sol couldn''t pinpoint just how much of a threat she was. Sol wasn''t the only one whose attention gravitated to Lucinda, even when she was trying to blend in. Curious individuals approached her, and Sol eagerly¡ªif trying to be discreet, since she''d been caught once¡ªwatched. But they were met only with res and brusque, dismissivemands: for them to leave. Then, when people tried to insist, the woman summoned a giant weapon¡ªa spear made of shiny ck obsidian¡ªand rested it to her side. That sent the proper signal. People stopped approaching her. After finishing her meal, Lucinda scooped up her weapon, deposited it into her inventory, and strode for the exit. She really hadn''te to dawdle, then. Only for a meal. And thus, with the woman leaving¡ªthe most fascinating individual Sol had bumped into, besides Zoey¡ªSol was faced with an important decision. Did she follow? It was dangerous. The mysterious wayfarer was perhaps the only person Sol had met thus far who could actually harm her¡ªwho could kill her, even. The Passage served as a difficult-to-thwart escape, but if Sol had the right impression of this woman, escape only mattered if she had the time to flee. A wayfarer of truly high advancement could strike her dead before she knew what was happening. And there were ways of blocking the Passage, too. It wasn''t a perfect defense. Especially in a world as diverse and uncharted as this one: the Famished, and Sol in particr, only had vague understandings of what this society was capable of. So. If she did choose to follow the woman, she couldn''t use abilities that gave her origin away. That was too risky for her people¡ªto their mission. For that matter, following at all was risky, bordering on idiotic. But Sol was curious. Slinking out of her booth, Sol''s feet carried her forward. Her heart pounded. This was really such a terrible idea, but she almost didn''t have a choice in the matter. She''d grown too ustomed to indulging her curiosity in the past several days. She''d lost all self-control. If she presented herself as simply a citizen, surely the woman wouldn''t retaliate meaningfully if she were caught. Right? While strictly hierarchical, society from what she''d seen wasn''t excessively violent. The weak weren''t ughtered by the strong¡ªeven if the strong clearly stood above them. Though that might not be true with high-advancement wayfarers. Again, that was the problem: Sol knew so little that she had no way of weighing the risks. A rational judgment was impossible. Regardless, she followed. A thrill ran through her as she snuck onto the streets, trailing the woman. Mother had always kept her out of the frontlines; Sol had been in very few positions of danger. And this was definitely dangerous. It was a different kind of excitement than what she was used to. Fear. The sensation was strangely tititing. She wondered what kinds of artifacts were stored in the woman''s inventory. Even what she''d seen rifling through Zoey''s had been fascinating, and Zoey was much, much weaker¡ªthough admittedly divinely imbued¡ªthan the woman she now followed. As far as Sol could tell, these people were oblivious to her ability to untie spatial constructs and sneak items out, so should she try? The potential for reward was immense, assuming she was correct about the woman''s status. She had to be in possession of items of incredible magical potency. Those were hard to find¡ªand Sol had been struggling to keep her Hunger quenched. She could go for a snack. Enticing as it was, she discarded the idea. She was terrified to even follow. Stealing was entirely out of the question. Lucinda took her through several turns of major streets, then into less-frequented parts of town. She didn''t seem to notice Sol¡ªand to be fair, Sol had be very good at hiding herself. Stealth was her people''s natural state; they were scavengers who hid in the woodwork. Between states of being, even, though Sol didn''t employ that kind of stealth: she was avoiding using the Famished''s abilities, in case the worst happened. Then Lucinda veered down an alleyway, and Sol hesitated. She''d been hoping the mysterious woman would go somewhere public so she could keep eavesdropping and observing. But into an alleyway? Sol bit her lip, then, sidling up to the edge, peeked around. A hand grabbed her by the cor of her shirt, and Sol was mmed into the side of the building. Stars filled her vision. A hand pressed into her neck, choking her, and Sol scrambled against an iron grip, fingernails digging into skin but failing to free herself¡ªto make the hand budge in the slightest. She repressed her panicked instinct to fade into the Passage. She had been ready for the possibility of being caught, and her best defense was pretending to be a regr human. Veering from that could go very badly. Both for herself, and her people. Sol would not be the one to give away the Famished''s invasion. "You''ve been following me," Lucinda said calmly. Cool brown eyes gazed into Sol''s, and Lucinda seemed nearly bored with the situation¡ªor perhaps a muted sort of exasperation that her busy schedule was being interrupted by this interrogation. It was rather intimidating, especially with Sol iling and choking in her grip. "C-Can''t¡ªbreathe¡ª" Sol gasped. "Please." The grip loosened, and Sol sucked in a breath of air. She forcibly stopped herself from struggling. Her head spun from being mmed into the wall. And yet, Sol knew the woman was being delicate with her. She could feel the strength in the woman''s muscles, now, rather than just interpret it. Sol was much, much stronger than a human, and she doubted she could thrash free even if she tried. And with Lucinda this close, she couldn''t even escape into the Passage. She was entirely at her mercy. "Now," the woman said, sounding vaguely annoyed, but not worried that she''d been followed. "Let''s get this over with. I''m busy. Which faction sent you, and why?" 5.43 – Interlude – Beneath 5.43 ¨C Interlude ¨C Beneath "Faction?" Sol blurted out. "I don''t know what you''re talking about. I was just¡ªcurious." Honesty, at least in some regards, might be Sol''s best way out of this. She didn''t have ulterior motivations behind trailing after Lucinda; it had been purely a desire to learn more about someone she perceived as interesting. Unfortunately, Lucinda had her own ideas why Sol had followed. In retrospect, Sol couldn''t say she was surprised. Of course a woman of this strength¡ªthough exactly what her strength was, she didn''t know¡ªwould have enemies, people working against her. The difficulty of Sol''s situation, then, would be convincing the woman she really was some unentangled stranger. Not her enemy. "You were curious," Lucinda said. "Am I supposed to believe that?" Bored brown eyes flicked up and down Sol''s body as she squirmed in ce. The violence had passed just as abruptly as it hade: now, Lucinda simply kept her pinned. Not gently, since it was still very much with a firm hold around her neck, but considering the enormous strength thatid behind Lucinda''s grip, ''gentle'' by some frame of reference. She was clearly tying not to break her. Then, with Sol''s heart still mming, adrenaline coursing through her, and pinned into the wall by a woman who oozed danger, her face close enough that Sol could make out the specks in her irises, something inside her stirred. An emotion. One that waspletely inappropriate, considering the circumstances. Maybe it was her brain confusing signals. The intensity of the situation, her mming heartbeat mistakenly being interpreted as excitement of some other kind. An excitement that Sol had been exploring constantly in her recent adventures. Maybe it wasn''t even that odd. Lucinda was a beautiful woman¡ªif unconventionally, as an older adventurer, scarred, and with features hard as steel. Likely, it was both of those excitements at once, working in tandem: Lucinda''s intense eyes locked to her own, her body pressing into her, and also the danger Sol was in¡ªthe threat of being held by the neck by a woman who could probably tear metal with her bare hands. Whatever it was, heat rushed through her. Her body reacted, and she paled as she realized what was happening, pants quickly growing strained as her terrified excitement confused itself for arousal. Maybe it had been a bad idea to enjoy Zoey''s growth potion in casual use. If she hadn''t taken it earlier, then at least there wouldn''t have been any physical clues to give Sol''s thoughts away. Sol knew that with how tightly Lucinda was pressing into her¡ªtrying to intimidate her, which was working, but also having another effect¡ªthat the stiffening between her legs wouldn''t go unnoticed. So she needed to distract her. Or distract herself, maybe. "I-I saw you in the inn," Sol said, the words tumbling out of her¡ªnow from embarrassment as much as adrenaline. "You''re obviously someone important. So I followed you. I''m sorry¡ªI really shouldn''t have. But it was just curiosity. Genuinely. I don''t know who you are. Or what you mean by ''factions''." Lucinda observed her. Sol could tell the excuse hadn''t done much to convince her. She opened her mouth to reply¡ª Then paused. Oh, no. She''d noticed. How couldn''t she, considering Sol''s size, and how close the two of them were? The woman''s brow furrowed. She looked down between their bodies, confused at the stiffness poking into her. Sol panicked. What was she even supposed to say? To excuse this? She barely knew humans well enough to have a regr conversation, much less talk her way out of this one. Unfortunately, she did understand society enough that she could recognize just how ridiculous¡ªand mortifying¡ªher situation was. The awful middle ground. "Is that¡ª" Lucinda started incredulously. "Are you¡ªare you hard?" She reached down between Sol''s legs and cupped her, disbelievingly verifying that the stiff mass poking into her was, indeed, girl cock. Lucinda groped around, and not in any sensual manner, but to make sure she had it right¡ªinplete disbelief. Shamefully, Sol''s body reacted: her back arched, and she pushed her hips forward, basking in the firm pressure Lucinda''s hand provided. A groan escaped her. The adrenaline and terror that hade with being caught was mixing in a potent way, and she''d never been good at resisting human emotions. Lucinda snapped her hand back, eyes going wider and wider¡ªthe boredom in her expression finally breaking. Shock wasn''t an expression the experienced wayfarer wore often, Sol could intuit: and that made this twice as embarrassing, really emphasizing the shame of Sol''s situation. Lucinda released Sol and took a step back, eyes locked on the bulge in her pants¡ªeven now failing to understand what she was looking at. The woman seemed at a loss for words. Sol was, too. She stayed pressed back-first against the wall, chest heaving as her heart pounded, face burning red and her cock angrily twitching her pants. "You have a cock?" Lucinda asked. "And why is it hard?" Sol scrambled for a way to exin herself. "You had your body pressed into me," she said, "and¡ªwell, this is a very exciting situation. Not like that, but¡ªnheless. I think it got confused?" Lucinda gaped at her. The woman organized her thoughts in short order, finding herposure despite the oddity of the situation. Her expression settled into that unperturbed boredom from earlier, though it seemed feigned, now. "Well," Lucinda said dryly. "You have, at least, convinced me you''re not one of theirs. They''re a little more ¡­ professional." Her eyes flicked down to Sol''s straining bulge, and Lucinda shook her head. "Why did you follow me?" "Um. Like I said, I was just interested. I don''t know. I shouldn''t have. Sorry." Lucinda studied her. Her eyes ran up and down Sol''s body, and her expression shifted¡ªas ifing to some conclusion. "Interested," she said slowly. She closed the gap she''d only just created, pressing her body back into Sol''s, and notably, pushing her lower half indulgently into Sol''s, drawing out another groan. "Interested in what way?" ''Teasing'' wasn''t the word Sol would use, because it didn''t seem to fit the serious woman. But Lucinda seemed well aware of what Sol had meant: that Sol hadn''t meant sexually interested. "Y-You just caught my eye," Sol gasped, the pressure between her legs making it hard to think. Lucinda''s lips quirked up. She ground her lower half into Sol''s, pressing Sol into the wall by the waist, now, instead of the neck. "It''s been an aggravating past two weeks, you know," Lucinda said. "Looking for that damn girl. Tedious. I suppose I wouldn''t mind some stress relief." "Stress ¡­ relief?" "I''m not sure what to do with you yet, either," Lucinda continued, her face only an inch from Sol''s, lips curled up in an amused smirk¡ªenjoying how flustered she was making Sol. Sol couldn''t say she was surprised that the woman liked to take charge, to keep her partner off-foot. And with her lower half grinding into Sol, rubbing against her cock in a way that had Sol''s breath catching, Sol was definitely off-foot. Her brain felt like it was melting at record speed. "I believe you''re not one of theirs," Lucinda said,ughing at the idea, though Sol obviously had no clue the context why, "but you were following me. And I don''t trust that." She leaned forward and grabbed Sol''s lower lip with her teeth, tugging back gently. "I''d like to get a better feel for you before I let you go. Make sure it''s safe. It''s the smart thing to do, don''t you agree?" "That ¡­ makes sense," Sol gasped. Her thoughts were a little too fuzzy to digest this strange turn of events, but she wasn''t necessarily upset by them. Though, the idea of being scrutinized by this woman before ''being let go'' was definitely nerve-wracking, considering her origins. She had the Famished''s secrets to keep. And she got the sense that simply being around this woman was dangerous. Maybe that was the reason her cock was throbbing so violently. The danger. What an inconvenient mix-up of emotional signals. She cursed her stolen biology. "So, how''d this happen?" Lucinda asked, cupping Sol and squeezing. "I''ve been around, over the years. But I''ve never seen this." Her brow furrowed as she explored between Sol''s legs, gripping and massaging her through her pants. "Especially ¡­ so big?" Herposure started to disappear a second time, eyebrows rising. "So big," she said disbelievingly. "Am I feeling this right?" Apparently willing to find out the answer herself, Lucinda reached down and popped Sol''s pants button open¡ªthen tugged her pants and panties down in one smooth motion, exposing Sol. The cool air tickling her member felt intensely lewd, seeing how they were out in public, even if tucked privately in an alleyway. Lucinda stared at Sol twitching eleven-inch girl cock, then swore in incredulity. "What is that thing? It''s the size of my fucking forearm." That was a slight exaggeration, but not much of one. Lucinda got down on her knees, gripping Sol''s beast with two hands. Sol really wasn''t sure how to take the development. Even if Lucinda''s hands on her cock hadn''t beenpromising her, her head would have been spinning just from having been caught. As it was, Sol leaned against the wall and gasped as Lucinda stroked her. Her adrenaline wasing down, too, leaving her shaky¡ªthough maybe that came mostly from Lucinda''s long up-and-down motions, exploring Sol''s size with an amazed expression. "How?" Lucinda asked. "Is it natural? Magic? What?" "T-There''s a shop in the red light district," Sol said. "That sells potions that grow them. On girls." It was mostly the truth, though Sol had stolen them from Zoey''s inventory, not bought them from her burgeoning storefront. But the alchemy shop provided a much easier exnation, one that made Sol less interesting. She didn''t want to be interesting to this woman. "There is? You''ll have to show me it." Lucinda bit her lip, staring at Sol''s cock as she massaged its hot length¡ªthen, with some reluctance, sighed and abruptly let go. She stood. "I''m not doing this in an alley. I''m a little more refined than that, at least." She waved impatiently. "Follow me. I''ve got a few errands to take care of, then we''ll¡ª" Lucinda paused, and her lips curled up. "Well, we''ll figure out what we''re doing,ter. For now, follow." She turned and started to walk. "If you''re telling the truth, you don''t have anything to worry about. I won''t hurt you. Being nosy is against your credit, but you did bring me that thing to y with, so it evens out. It really has been a boring two weeks. A break will be nice." Sol, baffled, yanked her pants up, buttoned them, then hurried after Lucinda. She didn''t know what in the world she''d gotten herself into, but her goal had been aplished: she got to follow the mysterious woman for a while longer. Maybe learn more about her. And it seemed Lucinda had an exciting evening nned with her. Sol wasn''t entirely sure how to feel about that¡ªbut her feet carried her forward regardless. The idea of fleeing didn''t even cross her mind, though maybe it really should have. 5.44 – Interlude – Snooping 5.44 ¨C Interlude ¨C Snooping Sol trailed Lucinda around town, though her hopes to learn more about the woman were quickly dashed: any conversations Lucinda held with various parties were masked by some magical device of hers. She might have discarded Sol as a threat¡ªand even taken an interest¡ªbut that didn''t mean she was going to let Sol eavesdrop. Or anyone, for that matter. The secretiveness only stoked Sol''s burning curiosity. As for what her mission was, Sol had a few clues. Lucinda had mentioned looking for ''that damn girl''. Based on where they stopped throughout the city¡ªa variety of guilds and othermon locations for wayfarers¡ªSol could make the informed guess that she was seeking out another wayfarer. That wasn''t too surprising, and also didn''t help much. Maybe a friend of hers? A guildmate? Enemy? Some manner of artificer? Another professional connection? Sol hadn''t the slightest idea, only that it was a young woman. Since Lucinda purposefully kept her conversations private, she couldn''t narrow her ideas down. She did, however, note who Lucinda spoke to; she mighte back and pester themter. Though that was risky. Sol might already be lucky that Lucinda had deemed her a non-threat and wouldn''t be killing her. Messing with powerful beings could easily be deadly, or even involving with them, Sol knew, and while she had made a guess based on what she''d seen of this world that simply snooping into Lucinda''s life probably wouldn''t have resulted in a quick execution, it had been just that: a guess. She was lucky that Lucinda seemed even-tempered, that Sol still got to walk around, and even with a promise of being let go after her interest was sated. But if Sol came back to pester these men and women for what Lucinda had been asking them? And Lucinda found out? That might make her mercy evaporate¡ªand Sol could be in serious trouble. So she was torn. With luck, she could learn more about Lucinda from the woman herself, without need for external investigation. Though why did Sol care? She should only be focused on Zoey. However intriguing this new wayfarer was, she showed no indicators of being blessed by a divine¡ªand thus, while possibly important to this world, and therefore relevant to the Famished''s invasion, not remotely on the scale of Zoey, who remained a baffling wildcard. Sol could also slip past the sound-dampening device, probably, but that was even riskier than mundane snooping, since Lucinda might detect it. And her original goal of pretending to be a civilian was probably forfeit. Her instinctive struggling when Lucinda had grabbed her and mmed her into that alley wall had likely given that away, since she had struggled with much greater strength than a regr human. It wasn''t a guarantee that Lucinda had noticed, especially when the power difference was so significant, but it was a possibility. Seeing how she didn''t want to be caught lying, she should therefore pretend to be a weak or unimportant wayfarer, not a civilian. To Lucinda, there might not even be much of a difference. Lucinda''s search didn''t seem to be fruitful. After several hours of poking around town¡ªin which Sol noted Lucinda frequently consulting some strange tablet-like item that glowed with magic¡ªLucinda gave up her efforts for the day. Or maybe her tolerance ran out, and she wanted to get to that so-called ''stress relief'' she''d mentioned earlier. She seemed to be telling the truth that the past two weeks had been irritating her; she didn''t look happy about having to scour the city for whoever her enigmatic mark was. "That''s enough for today," Lucinda grunted. "I''ll deal with itter. You said there was a potion store?" Sol guided her there. She was concerned about bumping into Zoey, since it was her business, but thank Mother, that didn''t happen. Lucinda perused the wares with entertainment mixed with bafflement, purchased some from Adrienne, then departed. Sol breathed a sigh of relief that no disastrous coincidence happened. She had nearly expected it to. "I think I''ll forgive you for sticking your nose where it doesn''t belong," Lucinda mused as she ambled casually down the street, Sol at her side. "I''m not usually a merciful woman, but something fun came from it." Her eyes flicked down to Sol''s crotch to emphasize the point. "And there''s these potions, which I doubt I would''ve found otherwise. Seeing how I''ve always seen myself as a results-oriented woman, you''ve been forgiven." "I''m ¡­ d to hear that?" Sol said tentatively. Lucinda turned the vials over one more time, her expression still confusedly amused, then pocketed it. "Anyway, I''m heading back to my room," she said. "You can leave, or join me." Sol blinked. She had thought she hadn''t had much of a choice in the matter¡ªLucinda had made her interest clear. That she was looking for ''stress relief'' and a diversion from her mission. Sol rifled through her understanding of human society and realized that being forced into an encounter like that, though, was highly unsavory: Lucinda was making it clear she had a choice in the matter. Lucinda wasn''t the kind of woman to just take what she wanted. Not in this way, at least. In others, Sol suspected she very much was. But Sol was obviously interested. Even if a part of her¡ªthe non-suicidal, practical part¡ªacknowledged she should run as fast as she could and not look back. Involvement with this woman was not just ignoring Mother''s directive, but spurning it. Sol had been excusing her exploration of society by mostly keeping her distance. Entangling herself with a clearly high-ranked wayfarer was certainly not ''covert observation''. But she hadn''t learned anything. And her curiosity still burned. And more shamefully, there were carnal pleasures to indulge in. Which was another thing Sol had been growing increasingly vulnerable to. "I''ll join you," Sol said. Lucinda snorted. She didn''t sound surprised by Sol''s answer. "You really can leave, though. I should say that, considering¡ª" she waved vaguely, and Sol was surprised that she understood humans well enough to interpret what she meant even before she rified: how she had mmed her into a wall and interrogated her. "How we met," Lucinda finished. "I shouldn''t have followed you. That was rude. So it''s my fault." Lucinda hummed in agreement. "So. What advancement are you? Third? Fourth?" Ah. So the woman had assumed that, like Sol had feared. She''d much rather be assumed a civilian, but it wasn''t world-ending that Lucinda had figured out otherwise. Not that Sol was a wayfarer. But it was a human equivalent she could hide her strength and abilities behind. "Third." Lower felt better. From her understanding, third was already somewhat notable, even for a city of this size. The amount of wayfarers at each advancement diminished just as rapidly as power increased. "And why exactly did you follow?" Lucinda said. She cut Sol''s response off before it came: "Yeah, yeah, you were curious. But I meant, what gave it away? I''ve never been good at pretending to be normal." Sol noted the phrasing. She desperately wanted to know just how ''not-normal'' this woman was. "I don''t know if it was anything specific," Sol half-lied. A big portion had definitely been her ability to read the woman''stent magic: theplex aura that surrounded her, muted, but still of aplexity that Sol hadn''t seen on anyone else. "Just how you carried yourself." That was the truth¡ªthough Sol admitted she might not have been as interested without more concrete giveaways. She hesitated before her follow-up. "And what about you?" Sol asked carefully. "What advancement are you?" She winced at how direct the question was. And seeing how Lucinda turned an amused look at her, she could tell she wouldn''t be getting an answer. "Let''s say fourth," the woman said dryly. So, not that. At least fifth. But Sol had already expected that. Higher, then? Sixth? Seventh? Those were the ranks of people whose names were known across the Fractures. Especially seventh and above; there were only a few dozen in the world, from what Sol had learned. Though she had hardly done deep research into that topic. She''d been more interested in mundane aspects of society. And if she was someone that important, then just who was Lucinda wasting her time looking for? Especially since it seemed like she didn''t want to be¡ªas if she''d been ordered to. But who had the authority to order a woman like her around? Or maybe Sol was making too many assumptions. She really might be fourth advancement, someone of not much importance, globally speaking. Sol at least had further opportunity to study the woman. Even make conversation. Perhaps she could learn more. Get concrete answers. Humans were vulnerable during intimate encounters; maybe she could sneak questions in. Hide them behind an admiring or innocently curious nature? Risky. But maybe worth it? Though, with what Lucinda had nned for her when they got back to her room, there might not be much time for talking. And if there wasn''t, Sol didn''t think she''d be too upset by that. 5.45/5.46 – Interlude – Dangerous Ride 5.45/5.46 ¨C Interlude ¨C Dangerous Ride Content Advisory: Spoiler Rougher than most scenes I write. Probably a bit ''problematic''. FYI. [copse] There were a number of smaller guild outposts scattered throughout the city, not just thergest and best-equipped ''main guild'' that Zoey and her team stayed at. Lucinda had a room at one such establishment. Sol would have asked why she''d chosen to stay at a smaller one rather than the main hall, since any tidbits would help her puzzle out just who this woman was, but the moment Sol trailed into her room, Lucinda kicked the door closed behind them, and Sol found herself shoved against the wall with Lucinda''s mouth on hers. It was, while an expected advance, shocking in how fast it happened. Lucinda''s body was flush against her, the older woman''s hands gripping her waist, and her breasts pushing into her own before Sol even realized what was happening¡ªlike in the alleyway, though that assault had been under a vastly different context. The kiss was hungry and dominating, no gentleness to be found in the way the older woman pried her mouth open and forced her tongue in. Hungry, exploring, drinking her. Sol moaned into the kiss, an automatic reaction more than anything, her brain still catching up. Her eyes closed as Lucinda pushed her harder into the wall. She rubbed into Sol''s crotch with a free hand, groping her bulge, and the hard pressure made her groan with excitement. Her hips bucked into the woman''s hand, and she grabbed Lucinda''s waist and tugged her in tighter, wanting soft curves crushing her own. Her cock swelled rapidly, pulsing with hot blood and stiffening to full, aching hardness within seconds. Lucinda pulled back, leaving Sol gasping. Her brown eyes stared intensely into Sol''s¡ªstudying her, a reprieve from the frantic assault. Checking for something. But it didn''tst long. Lucinda''s lips curled up, having found whatever she''d been looking for. She grabbed the front of Sol''s shirt, then tore it off¡ªliterally tore it. The fabric ripped as the woman yanked it from her chest, jerking Sol forward with the violent motion. Buttons popped, stitches came apart, and Lucinda tossed the garment aside. Before Sol could even protest her ruined clothing¡ªor, like was bing a recurring trend, before she had a chance to even fully understand what was happening¡ªher bra came next. The flimsy cloth, again, ripped from her body, tugging Sol forward with the force. Her breasts bounced free, roughly exposed. Sol couldn''t exin why, but excitement thrilled through her at the violent way Lucinda had undressed her. Brown eyes bore into her, predatory. She felt like prey. Small. Helpless to this woman''s desires. Why did she like that? Lucinda cupped her with both hands, groping Sol and massaging her sensitive breasts, sending shudders across her. Lucinda kissed her again, just as hungrily as before, using her knee to force Sol''s legs apart and grind against her bulge. She was ¡­ overwhelmed. The woman''s assault was as fierce as it was sudden, and it was all she could do to keep up. Her cock ached in the tight confines of her jeans, throbbing desperately as Lucinda ground her knee against it. Lucinda pulled back, leaving her gasping. The older woman''s eyes roamed Sol''s body, staring at her exposed chest, her breasts and stiff nipples, then down to her pants, where her bulge was painfully obvious. "A pretty little ything, all to myself," she mused. Her voice had a hardness to it. A predator''s excitement. "I wonder how much you can take before I break you." She grabbed Sol''s wrists and pressed them into the wall above her head, pinning her there. Lucinda''s body pushed into her own, and she ground herself up and down, brushing Sol''s nipples against the stiff fabric of her shirt. "I like to take what I want," Lucinda said, her voice, for the first time, growing softer¡ªsome of the edge fading. But only some of it. "I get carried away. If it''s too much, tell me. Okay?" Sol''s chest heaved up and down. Her head spun. She was honestly still ying catch-up. Lucinda squeezed her wrists, waiting for an answer. It jolted Sol into action. "Y-Yeah." The response was breathless. "Okay." The gentleness vanished, Lucinda''s face again growing excited¡ªpredatory. She grabbed Sol by the waist and threw her onto the bed. Sol hit roughly, bouncing as she tried to orient herself, but the older woman was crawling overtop her before she settled. Sol could tell the woman liked showing her strength off. Making a point of it. Making it clear who was in control. And it wasn''t an act. She did hold all the power¡ªher earlier assurances notwithstanding. What she wanted, she could take. It was obvious just from how easily she handled Sol. Lucinda straddled her, her knees on either side of Sol''s hips, her ass settling onto Sol''s bulge. Her eyes gleamed down at her. The older woman rubbed her ass along Sol''s lower half in indulgent strokes, making her groan. "Gods, you''re going to ruin me with that thing, aren''t you?" Lucinda murmured. "Why is it so fucking big?" She slid down Sol''s body until her ass was on her lower thighs. Her fingers worked deftly as she undid the button of Sol''s jeans, then she grabbed the top of her pants and pulled them down. Her panties came with them. Lucinda didn''t bother with fully taking them off, only bunching the fabric down to her knees¡ªenough for her cock to flop out, bouncing into the air at it settled. The thick, heavy rod throbbed with need, and Lucinda''s eyes tracked it hungrily. "You''re definitely going to ruin me," Lucinda said. She sounded excited by the idea. She wrapped her fingers around Sol''s shaft and pumped slowly, her attention rapt, watching her skin bunch as her hand traveled up and down her length. That fascinationsted only for a few moments before Lucinda paused, as if remembering something. "You can take my clothes off, now," Lucinda said. Sol, still trapped beneath the woman, hesitated. "That''s an order, dear. I don''t give suggestions." Lucinda rolled over, and Sol obeyed: she finished kicking off her lower garments, getting herself naked, then climbed atop the older woman, now the one doing the straddling. She tentatively reached out and started unbuttoning Lucinda''s shirt, exposing skin with each pop. Despite now being the one on top, Sol had no doubt which of them was in control. Lucinda watched her with a smirk, eyes roaming her face and naked body, waiting patiently as Sol revealed her one button at a time. She seemed amused at Sol''s tentativeness. Pleased by it. Like she appreciated the ¡­ not fear Sol acted with, but something close to it. Sol finished unbuttoning her shirt, and Lucinda helped tug it off. Sol took in the view. The older woman wore a simple, utilitarian bra meant forbat, and she had a modest chest, much smaller than Sol''s. Her abs were t and toned, covered in scars of all sorts: thin, straight, curving, jagged. There was wiry muscle everywhere, in her arms, shoulders, and stomach. The physique of a fighter. A killer. Someone who had spent their life in a deadly profession. A thrill went through Sol, seeing it. Just one more reminder of who this woman was. She ran her hands across Lucinda''s abs, marveling at the older woman''s body. Her skin was soft, even if her muscles were firm. She could feel the strength in Lucinda''s body, even when she was rxed, at ease beneath Sol. It was strangely intoxicating¡ªand deeply arousing¡ªto feel the woman up. "Not everyone likes the scars," Lucindamented, not with insecurity, just an observation. This wasn''t a woman who worried what others thought of her. She''d seen Sol''s reaction, the way her eyes lingered and admired. "They''re beautiful," Sol murmured, tracing a finger across thergest, a jagged one that crossed her belly diagonally, starting near her hip and ending below her ribs. It seemed like a wound that should have killed her. "Ice wraith," Lucinda said, unbothered. "Third advancement. A while ago. Most of them are from around then. When I was younger. And dumber." "How long ago?" "A while." Lucinda didn''t specify. Sol''s attempt at information gathering had, like usual, been thwarted. She considered pressing, but unfortunately, she was distracted by other interests. Sol''s fingers slid under the stic band of Lucinda''s bra, a silent question as she prepped to peel it off¡ªshe didn''t want to take anything for granted, not with this woman. But Lucinda lifted her chest in answer, so Sol pulled the garment off and tossed it aside. The woman''s breasts were small, perky, with a stiff, pink nipple on each. Sol''s stomach fluttered, seeing the dangerous woman exposed. The woman''s nakedness was more exciting than Sol''s other encounters, for some reason. Not because she was the most attractive woman Sol had seen¡ªbut something else. Her reputation, maybe? Though, again, Sol had no clue who she really was. Lucinda guided Sol''s hands to either of her breasts, and Sol cupped her, groping the soft, smooth mounds, feeling their shape, their size, her fingers sinking into the pliable flesh. She was struck, suddenly, with the urge to suck on them¡ªand this time, she didn''t mp down on her desire. She leaned down, wrapping her lips around a stiff nipple, taking it into her mouth. Lucinda''s fingers buried into her hair, holding her in ce, encouraging her to continue. With her other hand, she reached down between their bodies and gripped her cock, stroking even as Sol flicked her tongue across a stiff nipple, sucking gently and teasing the woman. She switched between breasts,vishing attention on each of them. "You haven''t finished undressing me," Lucindamented. Sol, with some reluctance, obeyed, moving downward, sliding along Lucinda''s body and kissing her way down her abs, her belly button, and stopping between her legs. She unbuckled Lucinda''s belt and tugged her pants off, pulling them, and her panties, away. She didn''t get to admire the woman''s exposed pussy for long. Now that Sol had undressed her, Lucinda wanted to be back on top: she flipped the two of them, re-mounting Sol. The older woman straddled Sol''s thighs, then grabbed and pressed Sol''s cock into her firm, scarred stomach, appraising its length inparison to herself. It stuck up well past her belly button¡ªand Lucinda''s breath visibly quickened, seeing it. Not interested in further forey, she lifted her hips, gripping Sol''s member to guide it. Sol''s heart started to m. It was happening, then. Lucinda lined her entrance to the tip of Sol''s cock, angling her, and she rubbed Sol''s thick head against her pussy. Sol let out a moan filled with need, her cock aching, twitching in Lucinda''s hand, the anticipation killing her. Her hips begged her to thrust, but she didn''t dare. Even when they were engaged in such an intimate act, Sol was still very much intimidated by the older woman. She wouldn''t do anything she wasn''t certain she was allowed to. Lucinda held her gaze, lips curling as if she knew what Sol was thinking. Then, finally, she sank down, slowly, blessedly, letting Sol''s cock push into her¡ªsating Sol''s mounting need. She gripped the bedsheets and moaned as the ecstasy of sliding into the woman washed through her: the pleasure that came from sliding inside a tight pussy, Lucinda''s walls clenching around her, squeezing and adjusting to her girth. Lucinda lowered herself inch after inch, face contorting only slightly as Sol''s impressive member filled her. Until finally, their hips met, all thick, hot, eleven-inches of girl cock crammed inside her. "Ah," Lucinda sighed, her eyelids fluttering, but otherwise having taken Sol with barely a grimace. Though her voice was breathy. It hadn''t been easy. "That''s ¡­ nice. You''ve got a real bitch-breaker." Sheughed. "I just hope you know how to use it." Sol was already panting with pleasure, dizzy with the need to start thrusting. Lucinda didn''t move, fully seated on top of her, stuffed full of cock. Savoring the sensation. She ground her hips around, stirring Sol''s length inside her, and Sol moaned, lower half wiggling with the need for Lucinda to start bouncing. Lucinda leaned forward, and her fingers, to Sol''s surprise, wrapped around her neck. She squeezed, gently, and Sol''s throat tightened in her grip, making it just a bit harder to breathe. There was a tentative question in the grip¡ªbut Sol didn''t ask her to pull away. "I see that look in your eyes," Lucinda murmured. "Don''t get too excited. Remember, you''re mine. My ything. Not the other way around." She rocked her hips forward, then backward, stirring Sol''s cock around inside her. "You do what I say. When I say." She leaned forward, her grip tightening around Sol''s neck, enough to make it hard to breathe. "And, just so you know, you''re not allowed to finish inside. If you do, I''ll be upset. You don''t want to upset me, do you?" She waited for a response, so Sol shook her head. It was a genuine answer. Sol didn''t want to upset this woman¡ªin more ways than just as an attentive partner. Lucinda smirked. Finally, blessedly, she lifted her hips, then pped back down into Sol''sp. Sol whined, her thoughts shing white at the sensation. There was power behind Lucinda''s movements. Sol knew instantly that she wasn''t going tost long as Lucinda''s ''ything''. And the woman recognized that. A grin slipped onto her lips. "Let me rephrase that," she murmured. "You''re not stupid enough to empty that hot, sticky load of yours into my pussy, are you? Without my permission? Against my will?" A wild look appeared in her eyes as she continued, the words obviously exciting her. "You''re not going to give in to your naughty desires and do something reckless, will you? You''ll hold off until I''m done?" Sol''s hips jerked up, bucking into Lucinda''s ass,pletely without conscious input¡ªand a silent, condemning answer. Lucinda mmed back down, happy to meet her. She started riding Sol. Each bounce sent shocks of ecstasy through Sol''s body. Her hands found Lucinda''s hips, gripping tight, fingers sinking into her toned waist, feeling the taut, smooth muscle underneath. The movements came faster by the moment, the woman eagerly bouncing into Sol with loud ps. In the part of her brain that remained rational¡ªa very small part¡ªshe panicked over what the woman was saying. The warning. But her body reacted without her input. Not trying to hold off in the slightest. "Because if you did ignore me," Lucinda continued, voice growing breathy, her arousal showing as she fucked herself onto Sol. "If you do finish inside me, then I''ll have to punish you. For being disobedient. For viting me." Her fingers tightened around Sol''s neck, nearlypletely cutting off her air. She moaned, the sound strangled, and her cock swelled inside the older woman. Theck of oxygen was, strangely, making this even more intense. Her vision swam. And the words. The threat. Oh, Mother. Maybeing back to Lucinda''s room had been a terrible idea. Because Sol didn''t get the feeling Lucinda would be giving her much of a choice in the matter¡ªshe was set up to fail. She was going to ride Sol until she unwillingly finished inside her. Was Sol even supposed to resist? Was she actually not supposed to finish inside? Did she think Sol stood a chance? Or was it a game? Because Lucinda seemed to be trying her hardest to milk her dry¡ªand as quickly as possible, riding her with wild abandon. Fierce, dominant, and so, so skilled at what she was doing. The older woman had learned a thing or two, over the years, Sol was finding out. "I mean it," Lucinda murmured, her eyes shing as she watched Sole apart by the moment. "You better not defile me with your filthy seed. You''ll regret it." She squeezed again, and Sol''s vision shed ck¡ªand her cock pulsed and twitched in excitement. She moaned, wiggling in ce and struggling for air, her hips jerking upward, her cock squeezed on all sides by Lucinda''s pussy. The pleasure was overwhelming, and her body rutted into Lucinda''s without her input, driven by animal instinct. And, despite gasping for air, Lucinda''s hands only intermittently easing to let Sol suck in oxygen, and the pleasure radiating across her, Sol was definitely listening to what the woman was saying. She was, in fact, in a panic over it. Because she was close, already. Lucinda was too good at this. And too tight. The way she moved her hips was making that burning in her stomach build at record speed. "C-Close," Sol groaned, the words strangled. "Can''t¡ªstop myself¡ª" "Not yet. I''m having fun. You can finish when I''m done." Lucinda leaned forward, her tits pressing into Sol''s, their bodies flush together, and she kissed her, still bouncing lewdly on Sol''sp. "Once I''m finished, you can let go. But only then." Sol was too distracted to return the kiss, but it didn''t seem to bother the older woman. In fact, she seemed to enjoy kissing Sol while she was too far gone to respond, her hips rutting desperately. Sol tried to slow that quickly mounting heat, but Lucinda wasn''t letting up. She rode Sol relentlessly, taking every inch of her, over and over, her tight pussy milking her in long strokes. The thought of letting go, of spilling her load inside Lucinda despite the warnings, shed through her mind, and the idea equally terrified her and excited her. Was that the point? Was Lucinda doing this to taunt her? Sol genuinely didn''t know. "Can''t," Sol gasped desperately, the pleasure reaching a dangerous edge. "I can''t¡ªI can''t hold it¡ª" "I said no." In a desperate effort, she tried to roll over, to pull out so she didn''t finish inside, but the woman denied even that. She kept Sol pinned down. She repeatedly pped herself onto Sol''s cock, riding her with an excited, dangerous glint in her eyes. "Bad girls who ignore orders get punished," she murmured. She wiggled her hips side to side, stirring Sol''s cock around. "Remember that. You''ll wait your turn like you''re told." Sol whimpered, the inescapable heat rising. "Ah, ah," Lucinda warned. "I''m serious. If you fill me with that filth, then we''ll have problems." Sol''s veins burned with ecstasy. Every part of her tried to hold off, to not give in, but all the effort in the world didn''t matter, not with Lucinda dominating her like this, her tight pussy driving her to the brink, and the thrill, the terror¡ªnot knowing whether this was a game¡ªof what would happen if she actually finished inside. She really shouldn''t. But she couldn''t stop. Her hips arced upward, hard, burying herself deep into the woman atop her, her cock tip kissing into Lucinda''s cervix, ready to pump into her womb and fill her up. She froze that way, fighting away the heat. Lucinda''s eyebrows rose, daring her. She didn''t have a choice. Sol''s orgasm crashed into her. She cried out, the noise strangled by the grip around her neck. The first hot, sticky string seared up her cock, then straight into Lucinda''s womb. Lucinda''s reaction was swift. She mmed down into Sol''sp, forcing her cock deep, wiggling her hips to really grind her cock around¡ªthen she released Sol''s throat and fell forward into Sol. "You little brat," she murmured into her ear. "You''re actually doing it. Didn''t I say to wait your turn?" She kissed the side of Sol''s neck, shuddering as Sol emptied herself. "Defiling me. How dare you?" The words, the threats, the displeasure¡ªthough none of it was real, right?¡ªjust made her climax that much more intense. Ecstasy wracked her, and she twitched as her hips stayed arced upward, buried into Lucinda. She was horrified at how little control over herself she had. "Feels too good," Sol whined out, still squirming, trying to escape, to pull out of Lucinda, per her demands¡ªas if it even mattered now, with more and more strings bursting from her, painting her womb white. "No stopping it now," Lucinda said. "Just let it out. Give it to me." She worked her hips slowly, helping fuck Sol through her orgasm. "Enjoy it while you can. The punishmentes after." Her cock kept throbbing, pumping her load into Lucinda, thick, hot strings coaxed out by the older woman''s squeezing pussy. The pleasure of the release washed through her, surge after surge. Finally, her climax waned, leaving her panting and shuddering beneath Lucinda. Lucinda sat up, then looked down at their joined lower halves. She ced a hand on her stomach as if feeling the load there. "That felt like a lot," she tutted. "You''ve got a lot of making up to do, now." Her lips curled. "Ready for your punishment?" *** Nearly two hourster, Soly in a sweaty puddle next to Lucinda, the older woman with a casual arm wrapped around her, the bedsheets pulled up to their chests. The threats had, at least, indeed been some confusing human custom: or perhaps a quirk to this woman alone. It had certainly been an ... intense ... retribution the woman extracted, but only of a sexual nature. Since Sol was seriously underinformed on humanity, that hadn''t been a guarantee. The threats might have been real. That had, embarrassingly, been part of the reason Sol had climaxed so hard. Lucinda hadn''t been gentle with her. She had, at the beginning of everything, assured Sol that she could ask her to stop¡ªbut Sol never did. It was a strange mixture of emotions swirling inside her as Lucinda mercilessly fucked her while hitting, pping, choking, and degrading her, but Sol was more than willing to experiment¡ªthat was her whole purpose in life. To learn. Experience. Lucinda had seemed pleased by how receptive Sol was. That might be good for Sol''s ultimate goal. Because Sol hade here to question the woman. To learn more about her. Not to be fucked until she was a twitching, brainless mess. That had just been a ... side benefit. A necessary detour. "That was amazing," Sol murmured, still light-headed, cuddled into the older woman¡ªwho held her in a more reserved, gruff way. She squeezed Sol''s shoulder and grunted in agreement. "You''re a quick learner." Theyy in silence for a few moments. Sol couldn''t keep the question in any longer. "Who are you?" she blurted out. "And who was it you were looking for, earlier?" Lucinda turned and raised an eyebrow at her. Sol flushed. Obviously, it hadn''t been a particrly tactful interrogation technique, but that was half intentional. If she got caught trying to manipte this woman through subtle prodding¡ªand Sol felt fairly certain she would be caught, considering her inexperience¡ªthen any goodwill she''d earned would evaporate. So directness might be best. "I just really want to know," Sol admitted. "I promise I''m not some, I don''t know, spy." "I puzzled that out pretty quickly, dear." She looked up at the ceiling, considering. Finally, she shrugged. "But it''s private business. Even if you''re a stranger, and I''ll probably be gone by tomorrow. In our profession, you learn that risks aren''t worth taking, however small they are. They start to add up." Lucinda idly traced a scar on her cheek, and Sol wondered if the woman had meant to emphasize the point in that way, or if it''d been an idle action. "That said, you followed me because you thought I was a high-ranker, didn''t you? You wanted some advice from a veteran, maybe? To talk about it all?" Sol slowly nodded. It was true enough. Though she wasn''t really looking to siphon wisdom off someone who was clearly experienced. Sol''s interest was of a much more academic sort. But it was a good entry into a possibly illuminating conversation, so she would hardly turn the offer down. "Well, I can do that," Lucinda said. "Heavens know you earned it, you little devil." 5.47 – A Third I 5.47 ¨C A Third I Rosalie still wasn''t ustomed to waking up in another woman''s arms. She drifted to consciousness, face buried into Zoey''s shoulder, a sweet, familiar scent filling her. Instinctively, she snuggled closer, basking in the moment. This hadn''t been afort she had ever expected to indulge in. A not-small part of her felt guilty for doing so. Her life wasn''t supposed to be filled with soft touches,zy mornings, and waking up cradled in another woman''s arms. She had been raised as a weapon. A heiress to an empire. The pinnacle of a generation. Rosalie sighed into Zoey''s shoulder, enjoying the closeness of the other woman. For a while, she luxuriated in the warmth of her skin. The rays of light filtering through the window announced it was well past time to wake, though, and while Rosalie might have given up on resisting Zoey, she would at least not forsake her responsibilities. With reluctance, she peeled her eyes open. Rosalie paused at what she saw. Of course. The nket around Zoey''s waist was sticking up like a tent. Rosalie rolled her eyes, half in disapproval, half in amusement. Insatiable didn''t begin to describe this woman. How many times yesterday had she been satisfied, and still she had the nerve to want more? Rosalie''s heart fluttered, seeing Zoey''s impressive weapon, even obscured by the nkets. Despite how many times she had seen the monster, there was still a part of her that hadn''te to terms with it. How could anyone, considering the thing? Well, regardless. How should Rosalie take care of this problem? The thought came to her, embarrassing in how automatic it was. She didn''t need to pleasure Zoey every time she saw her erection. Still, Rosalie reasoned with herself, it was what a diligent girlfriend would do. There was a problem, though. An inconvenient roadblock. She and Zoey weren''t alone. Another woman was sleeping in their bed. Delta, her long orange hair draped around her in a wild mess, was also snuggled into Zoey, on the other side of her. Rosalie had mixed feelings about that. On a third woman being added to their bed. First, the practical: the Guild amodations simply weren''t that expansive, and three women¡ªor more, if that was what the future held, and Rosalie suspected it did¡ªmeant the space would quickly grow crowded. That wouldn''t be a problem for long. Her bed back at the pce would be more than up to the task. Her stomach wrung at the idea. The prospect of returning home. The event wasn''t even far away. She needed to talk to Zoey about it. Clear the air. Why hadn''t she, already? It would be much worse if Zoey found out on her own. She would think that Rosalie didn''t trust her. And that wasn''t remotely why Rosalie shied away from the conversation. Rather, it was ... what? That she was scared things would change? That Zoey would see her differently? Did she believe that? The logical part of her didn''t. Zoey didn''t even have the full context to appreciate what being a d''Celestin meant. If anything, it was Delta who would receive the news like a punch to the gut. Zoey hadn''t grown up in this world, and knowing her, she would just shrug her shoulders at the reveal. Be surprised, maybe, but it wouldn''t change anything. Her introduction to this world had been via sponsorship of a deity¡ªbeing torn through dimensions and her memories suppressed. What was dating hidden royalty,pared to that? Yet, Rosalie was still afraid to tell her. Irrational or not. Rosalie had a few days left, or perhaps even longer, since the trip to Mantle wouldn''t be quick. She could afford to push the event off for a while longer. But Delta sharing a bed with the two of them didn''t just annoy Rosalie because it was growing crowded. Rosalie had mixed feelings on the girl herself, much less being her¡ªher what? What did she call her girlfriend''s girlfriend? Certainly, she wasn''t Rosalie''s girlfriend. A teammate, yes, and a partner in some sense. Not a girlfriend, though. She shook those thoughts away; they were too confusing. Regardless, that Zoey had formed an attachment to the aggravating woman was something that produced various emotions inside Rosalie. Not jealousy; Rosalie couldn''t care less who Zoey slept around with. More like ... it made Rosalie question Zoey''s judgment. Because really, why in the world was she pursuing a romance with the orange-haired irritant? Rosalie would reluctantly admit that she was gorgeous, and, frustratingly, quite good in bed, but still. Rosalie couldn''t see the appeal. Never mind that Rosalie''s own stomach was starting to flutter whenever those yful violet eyes turned her way. She was annoying; that was the summation of Rosalie''s feelings toward the woman. Any other feelings Rosalie stalwartly stamped down on with even more crity than normal, and she was already quite versed in denial. But, to the original point: her dilemma. Zoey''s morning wood. And Delta, cuddled in with them, serving as an enormous roadblock. While Rosalie might have been willing to take care of Zoey''s needs if it had just been the two of them, Rosalie couldn''t pleasure her girlfriend and have Delta wake up to see the show. The foxgirl would make far too many assumptions about Rosalie''s character. That she was the deviant, desperately throwing herself at Zoey whenever she could, rather than simply being an attentive girlfriend. The heavens knew Rosalie had already identally provided enough ammunition for the foxgirl to think her some sort of wanton pervert. She had an image to maintain. Then again, that she was giving so much credence to what the woman thought in the first ce annoyed Rosalie. Why should her presence change anything? She found herself irritated at how easily her thoughts were getting mixed up. Delta could, apparently, annoy Rosalie just by existing. Even being asleep didn''t save her. No, she wouldn''t have the foxgirl getting into her head. Zoey was Rosalie''s girlfriend, and she had needs that had to be attended to. She wouldn''t let Delta''s presence change that. She could make whatever assumptions she wanted. Why would Rosalie care? She slipped out of Zoey''s embrace, shuffling the nket down. Zoey was a heavy sleeper, but Delta less so, Rosalie knew. Still, she managed to get the nket out of the way without waking either. Leaving Zoey''s cock sticking into the air, no longer impeded by pajama pants or nket. Heavens. Rosalie couldn''t help but be shocked every time she saw the thing. It was ¡­ a lot. In a good way. It made her stomach clench just looking at it. Sitting to Zoey''s side, she wrapped two hands around the enormous member. Neither of her hands could fully close around the thing. She really would never grow ustomed to pleasuring it. Her insides clenched in anticipation¡ªbegging Rosalie to dispense with the build-up and simply mount Zoey. Why use her hands and mouth? Why pretend she was doing this for Zoey''s sake¡ªattending to her libido¡ªrather than for her own lustful desires? Rosalie, of course, ignored those traitorous thoughts. They were unbefitting of a Heiress to a Highguild. She stroked up and down Zoey, marveling at the distance she had to travel. Zoey''s body reacted: she stirred, her hips shifting and her breathing changing pace, but she didn''t wake. Rosalie knew firsthand it took a lot to wake the woman. It was a trait that Rosalie secretly appreciated. She leaned forward and licked at the ridge of Zoey''s cockhead. A shiver ran through her as her tongue lewdly slid around, lubricating the edge. She moved up, pressing the t of her tongue against the tip. A salty, thick taste filled her. Her lips closed over the top, and she sucked lightly, drawing pre-cum from the source, swirling her tongue around. Her thoughts started to go fuzzy, like they always did when she got her hands on this thing. A voice made her jump. "Now that''s a fun way to say good morning," Delta murmured. "Some girls get all the luck." Rosalie''s eyes shot open, and her attention snapped to the woman¡ªwhose purple eyes sparkled with amusement, her head still resting on Zoey''s rising-and-falling chest. Unsurprisingly, she had woken before Zoey. And it seemed she was trying to keep it that way; she had spoken quietly, in a whisper, even to Rosalie''s enhanced senses. Rosalie had almost forgotten about Delta, somehow. Zoey''s assets could be a potent distraction, scrubbing away less important thoughts. "Though, you should spread the love around," Delta continued, her eyes teasing. "I wouldn''t mind my own good morning. As my girlfriend''s girlfriend, it''s the friendly thing to do, isn''t it?" Rosalie eyed the woman distastefully. She contemted how to respond, before settling on ignoring her. That was usually the best choice when it came to the instigating foxgirl. Rosalie already found herself baited into conversation far more often than she was pleased by; she needed to learn to brush her off. She returned to working her hands up and down Zoey''s cock, her lips and tongue teasing at the tip. "Wow. Just gonna ignore me? That''s hurtful." She paused. "Actually, that''s fair. You''d have to get her cock out of your mouth. We both know that''s not happening. You''ve got your priorities straight." The implication of Rosalie''s character was clear. Delta, once again, insinuating she was a pervert. Rosalie pulled off Zoey, eying the annoying woman. "I''m making sure she won''t be distracted for her lessons today," she sniffed. "Your usations are unfounded, as always." Delta snorted. Rosalie got the feeling her excuse¡ªthe truth, she meant¡ªhadn''t been convincing. Delta extracted herself from Zoey''s arm, sat up, rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, then shuffled over and joined Rosalie on the other side of Zoey. Zoey mumbled in response, shifting around at another girl leaving her side, but still didn''t wake. "Don''t be stingy. We can share, can''t we?" She leaned forward and kissed the other side of Zoey''s tip. Rosalie, after thinking the proposition over for a moment, reluctantly agreed: Delta was obviously within her rights to also help solve this problem. Rosalie returned to her own post. Together, they pleasured Zoey with two pairs of lips. It was a rather lewd experience. Her tongue, slipping around a hot cock tip, sliding against Delta''s as they sloppily shared their girlfriend''s cock. Kissing, in a way, though with Zoey''s member in the way. And Rosalie got the feeling Delta was deliberately trying to get her tongue and lips bumping into Rosalie as often as possible. Rosalie tolerated it. She didn''t pull away or scold the woman. It was inevitable that they bumped into each other while handling the sloppy task of pleasuring Zoey. Rosalie certainly wasn''t set on fire by the contact, or, heaven forbid, something even more ridiculous, like having a thrill run through her with the idea that it was Delta she was kissing, and across her girlfriend''s cock, no less. She couldn''t imagine someone who she wanted to be kissed by less. Her fluttering stomach was purely a reaction stemming from the fact she had Zoey''s cock in her mouth. Or perhaps the lewd nature of sharing it with another woman. Nothing more. Then Zoey''s cock jerked to the side, and, with nothing blocking the two of them, Delta''s lips pressed into hers. The woman slipped her tongue into Rosalie''s mouth. Rosalie, shamefully, responded, but only because she was caught off guard: she kissed back. Even more embarrassingly, Rosalie wasn''t the one who pulled away first. Delta did. "Oops," the foxgirl said. "Sorry. It slipped." She tugged Zoey''s cock back between their mouths, grinning at Rosalie. It had clearly not been an ident. Rosalie, her face burning andcking any redeeming response, returned to their sloppy sharing of their girlfriend. She ignored the sparkling purple eyes watching her¡ªand even more so, she ignored the way her stomach squirmed at the sneak attack. Seriously. What an annoying woman. 5.48 – A Third II 5.48 ¨C A Third II Lewd noises filled the air as she and Delta quietly took care of Zoey''s morning erection. Their tonguespped around the edges, licking and kissing and teasing their girlfriend''s tip. Saliva slicked the shaft, spread around by their efforts, both their hands and lips working away. Zoey, her face screwed up, was clearly enjoying herself, though she stayed firmly asleep. She shifted around, hips wiggling, moaning softly as her cock was taken care of. Dreaming, undoubtedly. Rosalie wondered about what. "It''s almost impressive," Delta whispered. "I''d say she''s faking it, but I don''t think she is." A sly look slid onto her lips as she faced Rosalie, which Rosalie didn''t trust. "How far do you think we could go? Before she wakes up?" It was a good question. Rosalie had gotten away with, well, a lot. On more than one asion she''d gotten her nose firmly pressed into Zoey''s pubic bone without the woman stirring to consciousness. Her ability to sleep through anything was genuinely impressive. Delta came to a decision herself. She pulled away and shuffled up the bed to lean against the headboard. She crossed her arms, the mischievous look concerning Rosalie more by the moment. What did she have nned? Whatever it was, Rosalie didn''t trust it. "Think you could ride her?" Delta asked. "Until she finishes? Could you go that far?" Rosalie looked down at the cock in her hands. She considered. It was doubtful. Then again, Rosalie really had gotten away with a lot, and Zoey seemed even more firmly asleep than usual. "Try it," Delta said. "I mean, if you''re just ''taking care of your girlfriend''s needs'', then you should do it right. Work efficiently. Isn''t that your whole thing?" Rosalie eyed the woman. She saw through her machinations. She was trying to goad Rosalie into putting on a show. The perverted woman just wanted to watch Rosalie impale herself on Zoey. The disgusting voyeur. Except, her body was responding to the suggestion. A heat built in her stomach at the idea of riding Zoey while Delta sat there and watched. The idea, oddly, felt lewder than actually sharing Zoey. Her breathing quickened. "You have a point," Rosalie conceded. "But I''m not doing it for your sake. I''m not putting on a show." "Sure. Totally." Grinning, a potion appeared between the foxgirl''s fingers, which she waggled at Rosalie. "Don''t mind me. I''ll be cheering from the sidelines." She downed the potion in a quick motion, then discarded the emptied vial into her inventory. Rosalie watched as Delta''s ck panties bulged outward. The fabric, pulled tight, revealed the thick outline of the woman''s cock, growing more pronounced by the second. She shivered, trying to act casual as the transformation took ce. "What do you think you''re doing?" Rosalie demanded. "I''m making due. You know, seeing how you get her cock to yourself." She gripped herself through her panties. "Why? This isn''t embarrassing you, is it?" She groped herself, ying with the mass crammed into her panties, and Rosalie couldn''t tear her eyes away. "You''re not lusting after your girlfriend''s girlfriend, are you? That''d be obscene, princess. I will tattle on you." Unbelievable. Rosalie, with effort, tore her eyes away and deliberately put the instigator out of her mind. If the disgusting woman wanted to touch herself while Rosalie took care of her girlfriend, then that was something she would need to tolerate. Rosalie straddled Zoey''s thighs, then appraised the beast in front of her. She pressed it into herself, marveling at how it stuck up nearly between her breasts. Instinctively, she rubbed her lower half into the thick length, letting the heat of Zoey''s cock wash through her. It was slippery from her and Delta''s liberal coating of saliva. She tingled at the lewd disy she was making of herself¡ªbecause despite her efforts to ''put Delta out of her mind,'' she couldn''t focus on anything besides how the fox girl was watching her. Delta took out something else from her inventory, and Rosalie looked over, blinking at what she saw. A toy. Cylindrical, gooey, and hollow in the center, it took a second for Rosalie to understand. A pocket pussy. Delta had taken out a sex toy to pleasure herself with. "Are you ¡­ serious?" "Better than using my hand," Delta replied with a shrug. She waggled the disgusting toy at her, and it jiggled lewdly. Rosalie tore her eyes away. She lifted her hips, once again determined to ignore the foxgirl, though she knew that resolve neversted long. She lined herself up to Zoey, apprehensive despite how many times she had already taken the beast. It was just ... so big. It didn''t matter how many times she saw it or even felt it inside her: it tooking-to-terms-with every time. Nervousness washed through her, feeling Zoey brush at her entrance. She was about to be stretched out, her stomach bulging obscenely outward. Right in front of Delta. Gripping Zoey, she rubbed the monster into her, shuddering as its hot mass slid between her lower lips. In her peripheral, she saw Delta rub her own newly-grown weapon into the toy''s entrance. Rosalie paused, the timing of the motion tickling some suspicion of hers. She looked over at the foxgirl. Then she wiggled Zoey''s cock again, teasing entry into herself. Delta mimicked the motion, wiggling her cock into the entrance of the toy. Mirroring her. Rosalie''s eyes widened in realization. "You''re not pretending that''s me, are you?" "Of course not," Delta said. "I would never lust after my girlfriend''s girlfriend, unlike some people." The smirk rather gave it away. Delta wasn''t trying to be convincing. Rosalie lowered herself just a half inch, slowly spreading herself open, and only barely managed to repress the moan that came with it. She was still trying not to wake Zoey. She stared at Delta, transfixed by the toy hovering at her tip, waiting to see what she would do. Delta lowered the toy onto herself, slipping her cock just a half-inch in. Again, mirroring Rosalie''s movement. She let out a shuddering breath, her eyes locked to Rosalie''s. She was. She was pretending that the disgusting toy was her. That her gross, fat cock was viting her pussy. Stretching her out. Its hot, twitching length cramming her sensitive walls, making her whimper and moan. She couldn''t believe the audacity. That the woman had the gall to fantasize right in front of her. As if she would ever let Delta stick that disgusting, thick, hot, veiny, throbbing, twitching¡ª Rosalie''s hips fell. She moaned as Zoey''s enormous cock filled her up, stretching her, rubbing against her deepest spots in that way only Zoey could. She was stuffed so full, in an instant, enough to turn her thoughts white. Delta mimicked the motion: she plunged down into her toy, groaning¡ªunable to keep quiet¡ªas she imed her toy. As she imed Rosalie''s pussy. That was what she was imagining. Their eyes stayed locked, Rosalie unable to turn away. Delta was the one clearly fantasizing over the situation, but somehow, Rosalie couldn''t help but feel like she was the one whose thoughts were running wild. Not that she would ever let Delta stick that thing inside her. The idea was ludicrous. Well, maybe if Zoey asked. But only because she was a good girlfriend. If Zoey wanted to share her with this annoying woman, she guessed she would tolerate the experience. For Zoey''s sake. She started bouncing. She couldn''t really help it. Delta''s original challenge had been for her to bring Zoey to climax without waking her, but Rosalie''s needs forcibly took priority. She rode the other girl, eyes flicking between Zoey and Delta. Her girlfriend who was actually fucking her, and the woman who was pretending. Pretending, as she thrust into the toy, that she was the one making Rosalie bounce on herp. Disgusting. Zoey was a deep sleeper, but only so much of one. Groaning as her cock was squeezed on all sides by Rosalie''s pussy, bulging her stomach out with each hard impact of Rosalie''s ass into herp, Zoey finally stirred. Her eyes fluttered open, hazy with sleep¡ªbeing interrupted from whatever lewd dream she''d been in¡ªbut quickly clearing up. Green eyes looked at Rosalie, softening as she realized what was happening. Rosalie flushed at the telling reaction, the honesty in her face. That was one of the things that never failed topromise Rosalie. How easily Zoey showed affection, and how genuine it was. She liked Rosalie. Not for her name, her strength, or any other reason. Just her. The concept still felt so strange. "Good morning, Rosie," Zoey murmured, her hands settling onto Rosalie''s hips. "What did I do to deserve this?" It took a second for Rosalie to gather her thoughts. She sniffed, trying to cobble someposure back. "Once again, I woke to see that thing of yours sticking up. You really are a handful." Zoey spared an amused look for her, then turned to look at Delta. She blinked, seeing the foxgirl jerk herself off with the pocket pussy. Delta, as unashamed as always, shrugged. "What? If there''s a show going on, I''ll enjoy it. Is that a crime?" Zoeyughed, unsurprisingly unbothered by the situation. "Though, now that you''re awake," Delta said, slipping the toy off herself. "Think I could borrow your mouth? Blondie stole all the cock." 5.49 – A Third III 5.49 ¨C A Third III Delta honestly wasn''t sure which benefit of moving in with Zoey and Rosalie she liked more: that she got to wake up snuggled in with her girlfriend each morning, or that, now, she could poke the haughty Princess''s buttons from within the safety of her own home. Both were pretty great. Her ''girlfriend'', though. That still felt weird. It''d been a while since Delta had made a rtionship official. Recently, she''d almost exclusively been in a series of casual flings. And not just because the transitory nature of wayfaring life demanded it. While several of her hook-ups had been¡ªwell, impressive¡ªthere hadn''t ever been a real connection. That was different with Zoey. And no, she wasn''t saying that just because the woman was unbelievably attractive and always ready to join in on her antics. Or even that she was also a wayfarer with immense potential and, therefore,patible with her future. Those were upsides, but not what made her stomach flutter whenever soft green eyes caught her own. Plus, Rosalie came bundled in. Delta hadn''t decided to go official with Zoey just because the haughty, easy-to-tease old-blood came as a package deal, but if she were dating a woman with multiple partners, then it would be for the best that Delta liked them. And Rosalie? She very much liked her. Or, rather, she liked making the girl blush and squirm. And annoying her. Rosalie was just way too easy to get a reaction from in basically all ways. How could she help herself? That both women were freaks was also pretty great. Delta had always had a high libido, and yet, if anything, she might be less horny than Zoey. And certainly less than Rosalie, that poor repressed virgin. Not that Rosalie was literally a virgin¡ªshe was bouncing on Zoey''sp at this very moment¡ªbut rather, she had that energy. And not just because she was so easy to make cum. Though that was a big reason. Standing at the edge of the bed, Delta lined her cock up to Zoey''s mouth. The woman had obliged her request as soon as she''d made it. Zoey was usually the woman giving, but she didn''t hesitate to give back. Delta appreciated that¡ªespecially since she''d be rather infatuated with this new tool of hers. Zoey kissed soft lips around her sensitive tip, then slid a tongue around the ridge, sending a shiver up Delta''s spine. The new sensations really were so intense. She wouldn''t say she liked the new equipment more than her original¡ªtaking a good pounding was as amazing as always, especially by her ridiculously well-endowed girlfriend¡ªbut it was definitely newer. Newness came with an enjoyment factor of its own. Experimentation, exploration, going ces and doing things she never had: that was one of the reasons Delta loved wayfaring. That mindset carried over everywhere, even, and especially, to sex. Not that she needed to justify why having her cock sucked felt so great. Pretty self-evident. Delta moaned as she slid deeper into Zoey''s mouth, iming that hot, wet, tight tunnel inch by inch. The flesh of Zoey''s throat bulged outward as Delta''s hips carried forward, and she marveled at the sight. Sheathing herself¡ªwith Zoey''s lips pressing into her pubic area¡ªDelta came to a stop, little jolts of electricity dancing through her as the woman''s throat muscles massaged her. Delta rubbed at the thick protrusion bending Zoey''s throat out, and the woman gagged, her tunnel convulsing across Delta''s cock, drawing another low groan from her. Seriously. What a way to wake up. Ahead, still mounted on Zoey''sp¡ªtaking Zoey''s lower half, where Delta got her top¡ªRosalie watched Delta with a mix of reactions, each that Delta could read in as day. There was the obvious: the blush on her cheeks, flustered as she watched Delta sink her cock into her girlfriend''s mouth. But also her typical Princess haughtiness, something close to annoyance as she saw Delta vite Zoey''s airway. Delta would have called it jealousy, that she wanted Zoey to herself, but she could tell that wasn''t it. Instead, she just didn''t like it was her doing the viting. And especially so confidently. Using Zoey, and not-so-gently. Rosalie obviously thought Delta didn''t deserve Zoey, or something along those lines. Certainly, Rosalie thought she was better than her. Her arrogance had been obvious since day one. It was, oddly, one of therger reasons Delta found taunting the woman so irresistible. How could she think so highly of herself, then be begging to cum five minutester? After barely being touched? Then revert right back to her I''m-better-than-you attitude? She couldn''t tell if Rosalie was insufferable, or cute. Maybe insufferably cute. Slowly starting to thrust, plunging herself into Zoey''s throat with gentle smacks of her hips into her face, Delta leaned forward, bending over Zoey''s body and getting closer to Rosalie¡ªto rest a hand on her stomach, feeling the bulge there, thrusting in her with each bounce. "You''re getting pretty good at taking that thing," Delta murmured, holding eye contact. There was really something about her piercing blue gaze that made it impossible to look away. "I''m impressed, Princess." Rosalie looked down at the hand on her stomach. For a second, she almost seemed like she was going to sniff and ask Delta what she thought she was doing, touching her like that. Maybe a minute earlier, she would have. But, in typical fashion, she was melting down, her inhibitions disappearing. Not saying anything, Delta slid her hand down the woman''s stomach, feeling her toned stomach as she continued to bounce. Reaching the bottom, she turned her hand, resting her two middle fingers on the woman''s clit. She gave a teasing little rub, and, exactly as expected, her hips arched forward into Delta''s hand, groaning. She was soically easy to get reactions from. Delta couldn''t get enough of it. Delta leaned down further, drawing her face close to where Rosalie and Zoey were joined. She enjoyed that sight for a moment¡ªZoey iming Rosalie¡ªthen turned her gaze up. Holding eye contact with Rosalie from down between her legs was even more scalding, and by Rosalie''s quickly darkening cheeks, she agreed. The blonde slowed her bouncing, taking a more sensual pace. Delta epted the silent permission: she kissed Rosalie''s lower stomach, then trailed down, nting herst kiss directly onto Rosalie''s clit. She flicked the sensitive spot with her tongue. Zoey kept working her hips, making the girl bounce, so eating her out was a bit awkward¡ªnot that Delta wasining. The two-pronged attack was taking her apart: Rosalie shuddered, a hand digging into Delta''s hair, brushing against a fox-ear and making it twitch. She grinned. By how Rosalie''s hips were jerking into her face, Delta could tell she was close already. With both Delta''s tongue flicking across her clit, and Zoey''s cock stirring her insides around, Rosalie wouldn''tst long. Delta, obviously, would take any opportunity to humiliate the woman with a shamefully fast finish, so she redoubled her efforts. She grabbed Rosalie''s hips and put her years of experience to work. Gasping, Rosalie''s other hand joined the first, pushing Delta''s face in. Delta eagerly took her apart. Soon, Rosalie was bucking and convulsing, grinding her hips into Delta''s face as much as Zoey''s cock. Delta worked the girl through her orgasm. When she finally pulled away¡ªa bit dizzy for air¡ªDelta said, "So much for you taking care of her. How are you gonna let yourself cum that fast?" Rosalie, also dizzy-looking, managed to cobble together a disdainful look, though the effect was rather muted, considering her current state. "So?" she asked. She lifted her hips, then pped back down. "I don''t have to stop just because I''m¡ªah¡ªsensitive. I can keep going." The hitch in her voice gave away her attempt at a stoic demeanor. Deltaughed at her, which only deepened the blonde''s blush. Delta considered how best to keep teasing, but frantic patting on her thighs alerted her to a problem. Zoey was running out of air. Delta had been using her throat the whole time; in fact, she was kind of impressed Zoey''dsted so long without breathing. Reluctantly, she pulled her hips up, slipping out and giving her a brief reprieve. Zoey gulped in air, face bright red. Delta only let her catch her breath for a short few seconds before sliding back. Zoey didn''t protest; Delta sheathed herself, then started pping her hips into the woman''s face, re-filling the air with loud squelches. Ahead, Rosalie had leaned back, hands on either of Zoey''s shins as she bounced up and down at an angle. The position made the bulge on her stomach even more pronounced. And, honestly, despite Delta''s mentalment about the girl giving off virgin energy¡ªshe really knew how to work her hips. She watched, transfixed. The girl was a fast learner. A groan vibrated through Delta''s cock, telling her that Zoey was getting close to her own climax. She usuallysted longer; either Blondie''s technique was taking her apart, or choking on cock had riled her up. Speaking from experience, probably both¡ªthere was a reason Delta hadn''t let her fully catch her breath. Something about literally drowning on cock could be pretty intoxicating. The roughness wasn''t just because Delta liked taking control, here and there. Zoey couldst a little longer, though. She had faith. Delta hadn''t finished having her fun with Rosalie. "Let me," she ordered the blonde, grabbing the base of Zoey''s cock and interrupting the girl''s bouncing. "She''s almost there. But I want to do it." The blonde hesitated, confused at what Delta meant, but she obeyed without question¡ªRosalie had a tendency to do that, whatever her haughty expressions and words would suggest otherwise. "Lift up. Until you''re almost off." Rosalie shimmied down Zoey''sp, slipping Zoey''s cock out of her as she did. "There. Stop." Only the top half of Zoey''s cocktip stayed in Rosalie¡ªthe tip of her tip, barely prating. Delta started pumping, sliding her fist up and down, milking Zoey''s twitching cock. She was close; it wouldn''t take much. Delta wasn''t sure where this hade from¡ªdeciding to finish Zoey off like this. The urge had overtaken her. She wanted to be the one responsible for this. "Ready for me to fill you up, Princess?" she murmured. Her eyes stayed locked to Rosalie''s as she kept jerking Zoey off, waiting for a response. The red-faced woman hesitated, then slowly nodded. Zoey came apart, whining her pleasure into Delta''s cock, which was still cramming her throat. Delta pumped both her fist and her hips fervently, excitedly bringing Zoey to climax¡ªmilking the woman''s twitching rod straight into Rosalie''s pussy. She felt each heavy jerk of Zoey''s cock as she pulsed sticky strings into the woman on herp. It felt, strangely, so much hotter than Delta expected. Getting to fill Rosalie up, for a sense of the phrase. Milking Zoey into her. With that fantasy filling her, Delta slid over the edge herself. She groaned and pped forward, sheathing herself. Zoey grabbed her ass with both hands and kept her buried as Delta strained forward, squirting out thick strings into her girlfriend''s stomach. In a haze, Delta kept pumping her hand, getting more and more of the lewd batter into Rosalie''s womb. Basking in their mutual climax. Then, when the two of them finally came down, Rosalie was, hriously, nearly there herself for a second time, despite her recent finish. Delta pulled out of Zoey, pushed Rosalie over, then buried her face between the girl''s legs. Rosalie responded like the needy woman she was: her powerful thighs squeezed either side of Delta''s head as she pushed Delta''s face in. The taste of Zoey''s fresh load mixed with Rosalie''s juices, and the musky taste dizzied Delta as she ate away. She happily brought the blonde to her second bucking climax. Finally, when Delta was done riding the girl through her whining orgasm, she pulled out and copsed into the sheets. So did the other two girls; they panted as they came down from their respective highs. "I dere this, officially, a good morning," Delta announced. "Why didn''t I move in sooner, again?" Rosalie made a noise that conveyed mixed feelings, though Delta sensed a definite note of agreement, however much she wouldn''t formally verbalize it. "Oh, and by the way," Zoey said. "I think I leveled again." Delta''s eyes¡ªpreviously shut as she caught her breath¡ªshot back open. "Again?!" 5.50 – Solidify 5.50 ¨C Solidify "Unbelievable," Delta said. "Another advancement, already." She huffed. "You know, I''m kind of pissed. You advance your runes by fucking girls, meanwhile we have to risk our lives and wade around in monster guts to progress." She paused. "Though," she conceded, "I guess you''re doing your own fair amount of wading around in guts¡ªbut not like we had to." Zoeyughed at the turn of phrase, while Rosalie eyed her with distaste. "Must you always be so crude? Have some decorum." "Yeah, that''s not happening," Delta said. "But really¡ªdon''t you agree?" Rosalie, who had instantly reached over to ce her hand on Zoey''s cheek, reading her tab anima, pursed her lips. Zoey didn''t need an explicit answer to see that Rosalie did agree. Zoey couldn''t fault Delta''s outrage, either. Compared to most people, her form of leveling was definitely far more enjoyable. Unfairly so. "Well, anyway. What''s it looking like?" Delta asked. "Which rune was it?" "Runes, actually." "Two of them?!" "All four," Rosalie said, her tone dry. Delta''s mouth fell open, and she full-on gaped at Zoey. Even Zoey''s eyebrows went up. This was the first time all four had incremented over the same night. The foxgirl recovered, then red at her. Zoey raised her hands defensively. "Look, I know I''m lucky. I''m hardly denying that. I have both of you in my bed, don''t I?" "ttery won''t save you," Delta said, poking her in the shoulder. "All four runes? You haven''t even been in a shard. We''re been running around the city and fucking like rabbits, and you''ve advancing all four runes?" "I''ve been taking my lessons seriously, too" Zoey said defensively. "And? Most wayfarers do. But they don''t advance four runes in less than a week whilezing about." Zoey certainly wasn''tzing about, at least in the full meaning of the phrase. But she didn''t defend herself; she understood Delta''s sentiment. "I''ll remind you that you''re benefiting too," Rosalie pointed out. "Her Growth skill means our next shard will probably boost both of us to our next advancement¡ªor at least close." "Still," Delta grumbled. "It''s insane." Zoey knew Delta wasn''t actually upset. She was just incredulous, and teasing in her usual over-the-top way. Zoeypletely understood how her easy progress could feel kind of invalidating to her months of hard work. Most people spent their lives nearly dying to reach the higher advancements, and here Zoey was, doing it while¡ªwell, as Delta said, frolicking about, fucking like rabbits. Even if Zoey was also attending her alchemy and magic lessons as a diligent student. "So, what''s she got?" Delta asked. Rosalie withdrew her hand, having sorted through Zoey''s newly gained abilities. "And we should probably teach her how to do that herself," Delta added. "It''s not that hard to learn, even if she''s an alien." "She''s not an alien," Rosalie said. "Just a ¡­" she failed to find the proper word, so sniffed and moved on. "And yes, I''ve been meaning to get around to it." Zoey knew the real reason Rosalie hadn''t prioritized teaching her: she found the act of reading her skills intimate. And while Zoey would like to be able to read her tab anima herself, so she could sort through her abilities in her own mind without Rosalie''s help, she didn''t mind indulging her girlfriend. It wasn''t that high of a priority. "So?" Zoey prompted. "Hit us with it." Rosalie didn''t seem bbergasted by anything she had seen, like some of the earlier reveals, but that was more likely because she understood Zoey''s position better¡ªand a person could only be surprised by her ss so many times. Her lips were pursed, anyway, so whatever skills she''d read, they had prompted some sort of reaction. "Which first?" Rosalie asked. "Whatever one''s got you frowning like that," Delta said, poking at her cheek¡ªwhich Rosalie leaned away from and eyed her for. "Cuz that''s gonna be the fun one." Rosalie looked at Zoey, pointedly ignoring the third woman. "Uh¡ªhow about arcana, first? Honestly, that''s what I''m most excited for." Her lewd abilities were fun, and she was excited to see what she''d gotten, but the reality of her transmigration through worlds had been hanging over her head more and more. She didn''t think ''saving the world'', whatever that meant, would include a traditional set ofbat skills, but her Rune of Arcana was her most standard wayfaring Rune¡ªher most practical means of fighting. Plus, it gave her ess to free-form magical abilities. Who wouldn''t be excited to see how that developed? "Arcana. There''s two skills that came with it," Rosalie started, though she was quickly cut off by Delta. "Two?!" "One of them is a filler," Rosalie said. "A Circle upgrade." "Huh?" Zoey said. "Second Circle: Cast spells up to two Circles inplexity." Rosalie shrugged. "I''m not a caster, but as far as I know, it''s standard to receive on second or third advancement." In that case, that would make this rune the only one growing at a normal pace. As she''d already noted, her Rune of Arcana was her ''typical wayfaring rune''. "And the other?" "Arcane Link," Rosalie said. "Join with target and control their mana, allowing for greater casting. I''ll be honest¡ªI don''t think I''ve heard of that. The ability to seize another person''s mana. It''s quite interesting." "Maddy''s gonna have a field day with it," Delta said thoughtfully. "Get ready for her to be all over you. She''ll probably want you for a full day of experimentation." She paused, then waggled her eyebrows¡ªturning it into an innuendo after the fact. Zoey rolled her eyes, still digesting the news. Unlocking her second spellcasting circle meant she could create notably more detailed spells. Though unfortunately, she was restricted to designs provided to her; she didn''t have the experience to make her own. Maddy was a huge resource in that regard. And linking to her? Controlling her mana? She could imagine the potency of that. It was worth a dedicated day of experimentation. It was a shame Zoey would be the one in control; if it had been Maddy, who knew what the experienced mage could do? "Does that mean I''ll have ess to her specialties?" Zoey asked. "Like, her illusions and such? Since I''ll be controlling her mana?" "Maybe," Delta said. "I would assume so. At the very least, you''ll be able to mix your runes." She shrugged. "Or, that''s what I figure. Wouldn''t think it''s just a way to boost your mana pool." "Her Lust," Rosalie corrected. "She doesn''t even have mana." "Right. Well, even more reason to think you''ll get her specialties." Delta leaned forward. "And that''s all interesting, bute on¡ªget to the good stuff." Rosalie spared a disapproving look for the foxgirl. "That is the ''good stuff''. Both upgrades are highly practical." "Yeah, yeah. But gimme the sex spells." "How about bonding next?" Zoey suggested. "Bonding. Fourth advancement. It''s called ''Solidify Bond''," Rosalie said. "Amplifies and cements bond, turning them permanent." Zoey and Delta paused. "What does that mean?" Delta asked. "It wasn''t already permanent?" "Her Share skill defines a maximum amount of bonds. Five," Rosalie said. "And no, it''s not permanent. She can change who the bonds go on. As for what amplifying the bond itself means¡ªI''m guessing it strengthens all skills rted to bonding. Like how many stats we share, and how much Growth, Bolster, and crity affect us." "Seriously? But it''s already so strong." Rosalie grunted in agreement. "Should I use it now?" Zoey asked. Both girls paused, looking at her. "Kind of a big decision," Delta said slowly. "Permanent is permanent, you know." "And?" Again, both girls paused. Delta turned to Rosalie. "She''s just saying that because we woke her up with morning sex. Give her some time to think on it." Rosalie spared an annoyed look for Delta, but she faced Zoey. She clearly agreed. "She''s right. It''s not something you should decide on the spot." "What?" Zoey asked, confused by their reaction. "Obviously I''ll be using it on you two. As long as you agree?" Rosalie''s cheeks turned pink, but she didn''t look away, like she usually might when growing flustered. She grabbed Zoey''s hand and squeezed. "I do. But it''s a big decision. Forever is a long time, Zoey." Which ¡­ yeah. She guessed. She understood where they wereing from, but at the same time, obviously she would use the new skill on Rosalie and Delta. "I''m well aware," Zoey said, only hesitating for a second. She grabbed Delta''s hand, too. "I''m not sure if you two have noticed, but I have zero intentions of going anywhere you don''t. We''re in this for the long haul, aren''t we? I mean, saving the world and everything is probably something we should y all of our cards for." Zoey had maybe given away a bit too much with the words, or how easily she made the decision. Her two girlfriends reacted in varying ways. Rosalie, face rapidly turning scarlet, and Delta, who went suddenly still. The second was obviously more concerning¡ªbut the reaction didn''tst long. Delta shrugged, then leaned back into the headboard and stretched wide, obviously forcing herself to be casual. "You''ve only known us for a few weeks. You suremit fast, don''t you?" "I guess I do." Delta bit her lip. "Well, it''s your skill. So, if you''re certain, then it''s your choice." "I am certain. Completely." At Zoey''s bluntness, the foxgirl''s face finally started to turn red. The reaction eased Zoey''s nerves. Purple eyes nced away. "Okay. Then, yeah, whatever. But you should still think on it, at least for a day. That''s justmon sense." Rosalie nodded in agreement. "There''s no rush." "What are the other two?" Delta asked Rosalie, not letting Zoey push the point any further. "They better be sex rted." Rosalie sighed. "They are, actually." Delta leaned back forward, grinning¡ªbrushing past the bout of intimate honesty the earlier skill had forced out. "Lay it on me," she said, ears twitching in excitement. "What''s her gross new way to buff us?" 5.51 – Injest 5.51 ¨C Injest "It''s not all that gross, actually¡ª" Rosalie started. "What? Where''s the fun in that?" "Afterglow," Rosalie said, ignoring her. "From her Rune of Sensuality. Any bonded target''s orgasm provides a longsting health and mana regeneration effect." "Oh. Kinda vani," Delta said, "but still nice to have. Does the effect stack?" "I would assume not." "And what does longsting mean?" "In the range of hours?" Delta grunted in agreement. "Could be anything, though, knowing her ss." "It''s boosted by Solidify, too?" "I presume all her skills requiring Bonding will." "Neat," Delta said. "So, a nearly permanent health regen effect, as long as stud keeps us satisfied." She paused. "And mana regen. Maddy''s gonna love that." Her ears twitched as she faced Zoey. "Speaking of, have you fucked her yet?" "Uh. Kind of?" "How do you kind of fuck a girl?" "I used her thighs," Zoey said. "To, you know, bond her. But I haven''t¡ª" She gestured vaguely into the air. "Turned her into a proper cock sheathe?" "Don''t be gross," Rosalie said. "You two are friends, aren''t you? Why are you talking about her like that?" "It''s because we''re friends that I''m looking forward to her enlightenment. Her bing Zoey''s newest cock ve." Rosalie wrinkled her nose at Delta, expression dripping with disdain. "But it just says make them cum," Zoey said, getting them back on track. "Not how. So it''s pretty flexible. You''re right, I think Maddy will appreciate it." To most mages, mana was a tricky resource to manage, so a longsting regeneration effect would be more than useful. "Free orgasms and mana? It''s a mage''s wet dream." Delta''s lips curled up. "Plus, she doesn''t have as big a stick up her ass as Blondie does, but she''s a little shy. Having excuses will do wonders for helping move things along." "Excuse me? I don''t ''need excuses''." This time, they both ignored her. Even Rosalie deted, after a moment. "She''s my girlfriend," Rosalie protested limply. "I''m just taking care of her." "And you''re doing a great job," Zoey said, patting her on the leg. "Her alchemy rune is all that''s left, then?" Delta asked. "It''s lewd, too, right?" Rosalie exined: [4]: Alternate Ingestion. Consuming a potion through lessmon holes provides bonus effects. Both Zoey and Delta paused at the announcement. "Can we really be surprised?" Rosalie asked. "How else would a Rune of Alchemy be influenced by her ss? Her previous skill made cum into a reagent." "Lessmon holes?" Delta asked. "You''re telling me we get to butt chug potions for stronger effects?" Rosalie sniffed with distaste, but didn''t disagree with Delta''s interpretation. Delta fell back into the bed,ughing. "No way. That''s so weird. Just, why?" She cackled for a bit longer, then quieted. "And, you know, I guess it is kind of hot." "How?" Rosalie demanded. "It just is. Well, kinda." Delta shrugged, as if she hadn''t made her mind up. "I do wonder what potions feel like from the other end. They''re already pretty tingly." Delta paused, then her eyes widened¡ªand she sat up, focusing on Rosalie as if she''de up with an idea. "What do you think ''bonus effects'' mean?" "I assume they''re stronger. Orst long, or whatever, depending." "What about something like the cock potion?" Rosalie paused. Delta grinned. "Can''t find out the answer to myself. Still in use." She patted between her legs. "Zoey can''t either." Her eyes locked on Zoey, and Zoey''s heart picked up, seeing the excited, scheming look on her face. It only took a second for Zoey to decipher her intentions, and obviously, Zoey was happy to join in. "Sounds like you''ll have to be our test subject," Zoey agreed. She squeezed Rosalie''s thigh, then urged her to sit up. "So, get that butt in the air. Time to experiment." "What?" Rosalie asked, eyes widening as she looked between the two of them. "Wait. You can''t be serious." "I''ve been wanting to see what my girlfriend looks like with a cock," Zoey said. "And now''s a great time. We can kill two birds with one stone." Rosalie continued to sputter, but she didn''t stop Zoey from pushing her over and tugging her waist up in the air. She curved her back and positioned herself, face in the sheets, ass up and ready. Obeying, despite all her protests, like she always did. "I''m sure there are better ways to test it," Rosalie insisted. "Can''t think of one," Delta said. "Health potions? Stamina? Anything else?" "Eh," Delta said. "Nah. That''s boring." She summoned a vial from her inventory and handed it off to Zoey. Zoey took it. "This is definitely the best way," Zoey agreed. She pulled out her bottle of lubricant and squeezed some onto Rosalie''s exposed hole. With the rounded end of the ss potion, she rubbed around in circles. "Rx. Let gravity do the work. There''s a decent amount of liquid in these things." Zoey wouldn''t have said that squirting a potion full of magical fluid into her girlfriend had ever been something she''d explicitly wanted to do, but now that the idea was in her head, she found herself oddly turned on. Though maybe that was just because Rosalie had her face pressed into the sheets, squirming around as she was about to prated. When it came to ying with Rosalie, Zoey''s fetishes might be ¡­ well, everything. "This is really embarrassing," Rosalie muttered. "Why like this? She can see everything." "Already seen a lot more, blondie," Delta said, patting her ass. "So don''t worry. No need to y bashful." Rosalie replied with a sideways re, her face still squished into the sheets. Seeing Rosalie rx, Zoey pushed the vial in. The rounded ss end slid in easily. Rosalie had taken a lot bigger. Still, the blonde shuddered as the foreign object invaded her, hips wiggling as she adjusted to the sensation. After teasing around a bit, loosening her up, Zoey popped the vial out and took the cork off. "Ready?" Rosalie turned so her face was hiddenpletely in the bed. Zoey supposed giving explicit permission was too mortifying. "I''ll hold her open," Delta said, starting to grin. She leaned into the side of Rosalie''s leg, then slipped a pointer finger in, wiggling around. Her other finger joined it shortly, and Delta tugged Rosalie''s hole apart¡ªextracting a moan from the woman whose face stayed firmly buried in the sheets. After teasing a bit, Delta got her middle fingers in to join her pointer fingers, then tugged harder, opening Rosalie further. "Remember," Delta said. "Rx. It''ll go down easier. Probably gonna feel crazy weird, too, so get ready for that." Rosalie didn''t reply, but her muscles forcibly rxed. Her tight hole stopped resisting Delta''s grip, going even wider. "Look at that," Delta murmured, enjoying the sight. Zoey did as well, for a moment, before she lined the vial up to Rosalie''s entrance. "Here we go, then." She poured. The liquid trickled from the vial, disappearing into Rosalie. The blonde''s back arched, though she forcibly tried to keep still. A groan escaped her. Zoey kept it at a trickle¡ªshe didn''t want the event to be over too quickly. And maybe going slow was for the best. Rosalie moaned a second time, and it was one of the lewder noises she''d heard from the woman, which was saying something. Zoey had taken plenty of potions herself, so she knew how strange they could feel going down. And that was the normal way. "Don''t wiggle too much," Delta chided. "You''ll mess it up." Rosalie forced herself to still. Somehow, despite the noisesing from her, she stayed rxed for the whole event, more and more of the liquid filling her, with Zoey leaning the vial higher and higher as Delta kept her spread open. When Rosalie had swallowed thest drop, Delta let her go. The transformation started to take ce. Zoey had seen it happen several times by this point, but she was particrly transfixed because this was Rosalie''s cock. And for the first time. Soon, they discovered what the ''bonus effect'' for the potion was. Already, it tended to growrger-than-typical equipment, but empowered by Zoey''s new skill, what sprouted between Rosalie''s legs was ¡­ impressive. Second only to Zoey''s own weapon. Definitely bigger than Delta''s. In moments, a rod of hot, twitching flesh was sandwiched between Rosalie''s thighs, reaching all the way down to her knees¡ªtouching the nkets, despite having her ass as up in the air. "Fuck me," Delta said. That summed up Zoey''s thoughts, too. She''d seen something kind of simr, back when Rosalie had worn the mounted linking te to wield Zoey''s cock for the night, but this was different. It actually fit her. Her skin tone, no straps and borate set-up needed to hold it on. Rosalie''s cock. Rosalie''s huge, throbbing girl dick. It was twitching already. Precum beaded the tip. Rosalie still had her face buried in the sheets, though, and no longer needing to keep still, she let her hips wiggle side to side, working out some of the pent-up energy. She squeezed her legs shut, and her cock popped out behind her thighs. Rosalie groaned at the sensation of her own skin massaging her thick length. The disy nearly made Zoey''s head spin. "She looks worked up," Delta murmured. "Look at that poor thing. It''s all twitchy." Delta wasn''t saying that just to tease: Rosalie did look worked up, despite having just grown the thing. A thick droplet of pre fell down into the sheets, and Rosalie''s twelve-inch monster throbbed hard. Visibly. With impressive force. "Think the hair-trigger works for it, too?" Delta asked, meeting her eyes. The question, for some reason, shot fire through Zoey. Rosalie''s hair-trigger. She was always cumming embarrassingly fast¡ªand that was without having to contend with growing a cock for the first time. Which, and Zoey would know, was quicker to finish, even with practice. Rosalie''s first time with a cock. Zoey had initially nned to treat her. To indulge the woman in the most explosive way possible. But Zoey suddenly had a better idea. Instead, what Zoey wanted to deviously do to her girlfriend was ¡­ Nothing. How fitting would that be? Making Rosalie cum without even touching her? Her first-ever orgasm being shamefully extracted by just words and teasing? Rosalie would be mortified by it in a way she maybe never had before. Especially with Delta sitting there, watching it happen. It''d give the foxgirl ammunition for years. And Zoey knew how much embarrassment turned her girlfriend on; she''d have to be blind to not. Some of Rosalie''s most intense orgasms had been when Zoey really dug in with the insults. So. Hands-free. Even for Rosalie, that might be hard to pull off. But Zoey was up to the challenge. 5.52 – Hands-Free 5.52 ¨C Hands-Free At the predatory looks that appeared on Zoey and Delta''s faces, Rosalie became suddenly fidgety. She righted herself¡ªhaving still had her face pressed into the sheets¡ªand scooted away. "Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked, covering her breasts up, an instinctive response to try to guard herself. The reaction of prey. It only stoked that urge of Zoey''s higher. "And why is this so intense?" Rosalie groaned, her hips wiggling side to side, sending her cock bouncing. "It didn''t feel like this when I was using yours. With the portal." "You only got some of the sensation," Delta answered. "Or maybe, yours is just more sensitive than most." She looked at Zoey. "And speaking of portal panties, you should put them on. Also, do you have any nullification potions?" Zoey blinked at both parts of the request. Her eyes flicked to Rosalie, and she had to stamp down on the urge to pounce the girl. She assumed Delta was asking for a reason. "I do, yeah. They''re expensive, though. Why?" "This is an emergency. There''s too many sausages floating around." The amusing phrasing was¡ªwell, very Delta¡ªbut Zoey understood her point. This event was for worshiping Rosalie''s cock; it should be the only one getting any attention. Not hers or Delta''s. Hence, two different solutions. Zoey tossed Delta the potion she''d asked for. Sabina had given her some; she wasn''t skilled enough to make them herself. Nullification potions were decently expensive and kept in stock just by alchemists, since they only removed positive or neutral effects, not negative ones¡ªand so weren''t all that useful for most wayfarers, especially for the cost. Normally it would be better to just let the effect expire. But in this case, Delta was right: this was an emergency. Delta downed the potion while Zoey shuffled on her portal panties, tucking away her unwieldy monster. It would only be a distraction, anyway, considering what Zoey had nned. Having Rosalie squirm on herp might remove her better judgment, even without her ass rubbing into her cock. Preparationsplete, Zoey didn''t waste time. And not just because she was being efficient, but because Zoey couldn''t keep her hands off her girlfriend for a second longer. The poor blonde''s eyes widened as Zoey approached, and she stammered out a second, "H-Hey. Really. What do you think you''re doing?" She grabbed Rosalie, dragged her onto herp, and shuffled up the bed until they were leaning against the headboard. Resting her chin on Rosalie''s shoulder, she admired the girl''s throbbing cock from a new angle. The sight made her head swim. "You''ve got a cute little girl cock, Rosie," Zoey murmured into her ear. "It''s already twitching. Are you that excited for us to y with it?" There was some contention in calling it a little girl cock, but the diminutive felt appropriate. Plus, it was still smaller than Zoey''s¡ªthough admittedly, that was a tall bar to clear. Regardless, the words washed through the panting blonde on herp, making her shiver in ce. Her cock throbbed once, hard, making it sway, and a thick droplet of pre-cum dribbled down her shaft. Zoey had to forcibly stifle the urge to reach out and scoop it up with a finger. To wrap her hands around that thick, meaty length. But, no touching. Zoey didn''t want to give Rosalie the slightest excuse. She would blow her first sticky load without either of them so much asying a finger on her. And that humiliating event would be with her forever¡ªas Zoey was going to remind the girl before and while it happened. Delta scooted up, putting her legs over Zoey''s and Rosalie''s, settling in to enjoy the show. She was happy to let Zoey take the lead, but Zoey knew she''d be working in her own teasing remarks¡ªor maybe more than that. Putting on a show wasn''t off the table. The only rule was no touching. However much Zoey wanted to get her hands on Rosalie''s twitching girldick. Staring at it, Zoey briefly second-guessed herself. She could have that thing pping into her throat right now. Or even better ces. But she shook her head clear. There would always be time for thatter. "Seriously," Rosalie stammered. "What are you two doing? Exin yourselves. What''s going on?" Zoey nibbled on Rosalie''s ear and wrapped her arms around her stomach, snuggling in. "Well, Rosie," she murmured. "Are you sure you want to know? What we''re going to do to that cute little cock of yours? How we''re gonna make a big mess of it?" The blonde panted, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Her hips gave a little thrust up, making her cock sway, and she moaned. She didn''t manage to get a real response out. "You see," Delta started, scooting forward with a devious grin on her lips. "Me and Zoey, we''re going to milk you. Empty that twitching cock of yours. And how we''re going to do it is really, really embarrassing. So are you sure you want to know?" Rosalie bit her lip, trying to muffle her moans and whimpers. She trembled on Zoey''sp. "Well, I''ll tell you, then," Zoey murmured into her ear. "Me and my girlfriend here, we''re going to ..." She let the silence hang, savoring the anticipation. "... we''re going to ..." Rosalie wiggled on herp. "Do nothing," Zoey said,ughing once at her. She kissed Rosalie on the neck. "What?" Rosalie asked, looking over her shoulder. "What does that mean?" "That we''re not going to touch that gross, fat cock of yours. Because," Delta said pointedly, "we don''t need to. You''re a pathetic, needy girl who can''t help but shoot a mess over herself the second someone gives her some attention. So we''re going to have you make a huge embarrassment of yourself. Have you cum withoutying a single finger on you. That''s our n." Rosalie''s eyes went wider and wider as her jaw worked, trying toe up with an objection. "That''s ridiculous," she finally said, weakly. "I''m not¡ª I wouldn''t¡ª do you really think¡ª" "Oh, you will," Zoeyughed into her ear. "You''ll make such a mess all over yourself. I mean, look at it. Your pathetic little dick. How it''s leaking. Are you close, already? Do you have that little self-control? If I gave just a few pumps, would you blow all over yourself? The moment I touched you?" Rosalie looked down at herself, staring at her throbbing erection. Even she could see that Zoey and Delta might have a point. Still, she protested for the sake of her dignity. "N-No. I¡ªI wouldn''t," she mumbled. "You two are¡ªdon''t be ridiculous." Contradicting her limp rejections, her cock twitched, and another fat drop of pre-cum slid down the shaft. It really was leaking at an incredible rate. "It''s so excited just from being looked at," Deltaughed tauntingly. "I think I would die of shame if mine looked like that before someone even started touching it. Don''t you have any shame?" Rosalie panted loudly, her eyes locked to her cock. A part of her did seem to be trying to rein herself in. She swallowed hard, trying to steady her obviously swimming thoughts. But she wasn''t having much luck. "Seriously, you''re so embarrassing," Delta said. She grinned wolfishly at the blonde. "In fact, I''m so sure that you don''t stand a chance, that if you don''t cum in the next few minutes, you can do anything you want to me." She leaned forward. "Anything. At all. Like that earlier bet of ours. And I''ll apologize for all the times I''ve called you a hungry little cockwhore. I''ll grovel and say my sorries however you want. That''s how confident I am that you''re already about to cum." "I won''t," Rosalie muttered. Her voicecked conviction. Her eyes were locked on her own cock, watching it with a dizzy expression. Zoey couldn''t me her; Zoey was also looking at it dizzily. It was difficult to keep her eyes away from. "I¡ª I won''t," Rosalie insisted, a little stronger. "You sure about that?" Zoey asked. She wrapped a hand gently around Rosalie''s neck, gave a light squeeze, then moved upward, fingers onto her chin, gripping her. She dug a thumb into her lips, then tugged her mouth open and slipped in. Rosalie groaned. "But imagine how good it would feel. To blow a hot, sticky load for us," Zoey murmured, dragging her thumb from side to side, feeling Rosalie''s tongue move underneath. "Your first ever load, from your new little girl dick. All over yourself. There''d be noing back from it, you know. Your first is your first. Something that only happens once. And that would be the most pathetic first a girl''s ever had. Squirting your gross cock juice all over yourself, when all you had to do was wait? And we''d help you ourselves?" Deltay onto her back, spreading her legs for Rosalie. Her hand wandered down, past her stomach, then between her thighs. She rubbed slowly back and forth, teasing at her slit. She sighed in pleasure, wiggling her hips for Rosalie''s sake. "I''d let her stick it here, Zoey, if she holds out. She''d get all the relief she wants, if she has he slightest bit of dignity. Imagine that. Her big, fat, juicy cock sliding into me. Stretching me out. Pumping a big, sticky load of cum right into my slutty little pussy. She just has to wait two more minutes. That''s nothing, right? She can hold off for two minutes. Even she isn''t that pathetic." "You aren''t, are you?" Zoey murmured into her ear. Rosalie moaned in response. "I can''t imagine being such a slut that I couldn''t hold it for two minutes, Rosie. I mean,e on, you aren''t even being touched. God, it would be so embarrassing if you failed." "So embarrassing," Delta agreed, dragging her fingers along her entrance. She spread herself wide for Rosalie, then arched her hips forward to give her a better look¡ªwhich the blonde couldn''t tear her eyes away from. Her cock twitched and another fat droplet of pre slid down her shaft. "But I''m sure you''re better than that. Even I don''t think you''re that pathetic." Rosalie said nothing. The only noisesing from her were breathy, needy moans, muffled by the finger Zoey teased around inside her mouth. Her breathing came rapidly. Her entire body was flushed. Her cock drooled pre-cum. The liquid oozed down her length in long strands. The thick member was twitching nearly violently at this point. Zoey could tell Rosalie was right on the edge. A part of Zoey was amazed by that. It was really going to happen? Without even being touched? "Need a little more help?" Delta asked. A dildo appeared in her hands, and she pped it down on herself. Her hips jumped forward in reaction, and it didn''t seem an intentional part of the act. Delta was worked up, too. How couldn''t she be? Something about teasing Rosalie drove Zoey wild, and Delta clearly felt the same. Really, it was Rosalie''s own fault. She shouldn''t be so cute when getting bullied. "Watch," Delta said. "I can even pick when it happens. You''re so easy, I can decide when you lose. Because right now, you''re imagining this is your cock sliding against me." She rubbed the long, see-through dildo against her entrance, parting her lower lips and slicking it with her juices. "And as soon as you stick that thing inside, you''re going to cum. Just like that. I''ll be so embarrassed for you." She lined the toy up. "Ready, Blondie?" Zoey sat up with Rosalie, getting them both on her knees. She pushed Rosalie forward until the two of them were between Delta''s legs¡ªand Rosalie''s cock was hanging over Delta''s body, right over her crotch. Rosalie whined, and she started wiggling in Zoey''s grip. Losing her demeanor. Starting to slip. Zoey tugged on Rosalie''s hips, pulling her back¡ªlining her cock up so the tip hovered at Delta''s entrance, up in the air. Even just imitating Rosalie''s imminent entry into Delta, Zoey knew it would be enough. Rosalie might fall apart just kneeling there, at this point. Her cock twitched and throbbed wildly, leaking drops of precum onto Delta. It was impressive she hadn''t cum already. She looked ready to go insane, she was trying so hard to hold off. "Here we go," Delta murmured. "Princess loses her dignity forever. Ready?" "N-No," Rosalie groaned. "Three ..." "I¡ªI won''t," Rosalie moaned, struggling in Zoey''s arms. "Two ..." "No!" Zoey gripped her chin and forced her to watch Delta''s pussy. The dildo lined up at her entrance, mimicking Rosalie''s cock. "One ..." Delta said teasingly, dragging the word out. Then, Delta slid the dildo in, her back arching as she sheathed the toy. At the same time, Zoey pushed her own hips forward, jerking Rosalie''s lower half in a thrust¡ªimitating the blonde plunging into Delta. The fantasy was enough. Rosalie''s hips arched even farther forward, and she cried out. Her cock twitched violently, and after a long, frozen moment, finally, amazingly, Rosalie sprayed her first long, sticky strand of cum. The liquid flew out, painting Delta''s stomach in a thick, ropey line. Rosalie moaned, and her hips started to work like a piston. Zoey held onto her, hugging her waist, marveling at the way the girl''s lower half convulsed in awkward, desperate motions. She shot again, and then again, each spurt as long and forceful as thest. Spilling over Delta, sttering her stomach, breasts, face, hair, the liquid going wild as her cock swung around with her frantic motions. Rosalie whined as she fell apart, her fantasies milking her dry. It went on for a while, and Zoey hugged her through it, pinning her arms to her side, refusing to let her have even an ounce of real, physical stimtion. Finally, panting, Rosalie slumped in Zoey''s arms. Zoey let her fall forward, easing her into Delta, who caught her happily. She cradled the blonde in a hug, grinning up at Zoey. Rosalie''s hips jerked forward one more time, sliding her cock against Delta''s stomach, enjoying, for the first time, the hot flesh¡ªthe actual sensation of something touching her sensitive member. But she didn''t continue; thest of her energy went out, and after a weak groan, she went still, sagging into Delta. Delta blinked. She patted Rosalie''s cheek. "Oh, shit. She actually passed out." Deltaughed with delight. "That''s crazy. Poor girl tried so hard, and just couldn''t." She sighed. "Gods, she is just way, way too cute." 5.53 – Found 5.53 ¨C Found Rosalie wasn''t sure what was more embarrassing: the horrifying way Zoey and Delta had extracted her orgasm, or the excessive assurances they had showered onto her afterward. Even Delta, the ever-persisting irritant, had gone out of her way to tell Rosalie that she hadn''t meant what she''d said. That there wasn''t anything wrong with Rosalie having lost control, especially so easily. And while, admittedly, a small part of Rosalie had genuinely been ashamed at how easily they''d taken control of her, and even worried what Zoey and Delta thought of her ¡­ higher than typical sensitivity ¡­ Rosalie had absolutely, certainly not needed to be pampered afterward in the manner she had. She was hardly made of ss. Afterward, the day carried on like most before it. Rosalie spent her morning and afternoon training until her muscles were screaming, begging for relief. Rosalie found the intensity refreshing: a great way to clear her mind. Familiar, and thusfortable. She felt less guilty after a day of hard work, too, over how impractical certain portions of her life had be. The excuse that Zoey''s ss boosted their opportunities for progression far beyond what would normally be possible was only half an excuse. Because she could have that benefit while still structuring her life in an efficient way. Which she wasn''t. Point in case: this afternoon. Where Rosalie headed, after training. To a ¡­ A ¡­ Well. There was no way to put it that would lessen the impropriety. A sex store. She, Rosalie d''Celestin, heiress to one of the three most influential wayfaring organizations in the world, was walking around, blushing, as she took in all manners of wildly inappropriate ''leisure items''. Rosalie was ¡­ impressed. The variety boggled her mind. She''d had no idea how many ways artisans¡ªif they could be called that¡ªhad fashioned fake toy-cocks. Only a portion of their catalog even resembled real genitalia. Some of the toys were bigger than Zoey''s, which was absurd, because her girlfriend needed a literal magical ability to stuff herself inside Rosalie. What purpose was a toy these sizes? Though, Rosalie would admit¡ªactually, she would never admit it¡ªthat she did appreciatively eye some of the bigger, stranger-looking ones. Some that would stick nearly up into her throat, if she tried to ride them, which was justplete nonsense. Still, it would definitely be ¡­ an interesting experience, ying around with them. Rosalie had found an appreciation for the insane stretch that came with tacklingrger sizes. She shook her head clear. She hade here with a vague, highly embarrassing goal in mind, but a goal nheless. As much as Zoey and Delta had poured their adoration into her after her thorough humiliation, Rosalie hade to terms with a truth: she had a shoring. She was, simply put, way too easy to make cum. Embarrassingly so. Rosalie, ever the practical forward-minded wayfarer, was more than capable of admitting when there were areas she needed to improve in. While admitting to a shoring out loud was indecorous behavior¡ªthe leader of an empire should always appear unassable, and while Rosalie was far from the leader of the Deepshunters Guild, she was poised to be that, however many decades it might take¡ªadmitting her faults to herself was crucial for growth. So. Rosalie was embarrassingly fast to cum, and she needed to fix that. Doubly so when Zoey''s potion was affecting her. When she had ¡­ a cock. A shiver went up her spine, remembering the whole event. She didn''t have the same obsession that Delta did with growing that thing between her legs, but Rosalie might not be wholly against trying it a second time. Though, admittedly, having Zoey bulge her stomach outward would simply never be beat; that was definitely her favorite way to ''engage'', intimately speaking. "You need any help, miss?" a voice to her side asked. "And, uh, that''s for our more experienced clientele, by the way. Not sure if it''s great for beginners." Rosalie didn''t jump in surprise; that would indicate a terribleck of awareness uneptable even in the most casual of circumstances. Rather, she very slightly, imperceptibly really, twitched in not shock, but the mildest sort of surprise. Her eyes had, perhaps, started to ze over as she imagined some of the uses of the many items on disy, but she had kept perfect situational awareness the whole time. She faced the woman. The sex toy clerk was a woman in her mid-thirties, with nose and ear piercings and vibrantly colored neon-green hair. "Experienced?" Rosalie asked. Had she just called Rosalie a ''beginner''? She found herself mildly offended, even if she really shouldn''t be. "I''m plenty experienced." The sex toy shop clerk paused. Her lips tugged up into a smirk, before she quickly wiped it away, as if she hadn''t meant to let the reaction show. Rosalie could tell what the involuntary response meant: she didn''t believe Rosalie. Which, again, wasn''t a bad thing. Why had Rosalie even defended herself? But, Rosalie was experienced. Sure, all of it might havee from the past few weeks, but in that time, she''d had enough sex to correct all her years of¡ªwell, seclusion wasn''t the right word, but Rosalie had definitely been singrly-minded during that time. Romance and sex, very, very much not something she''d spared more than passing thoughts for. But her point: she wasn''t inexperienced, and certainly not a ''beginner'', and frankly, thanks to the strange encounters from the shard, she had likely seen¡ªand done!¡ªsome things even this woman never had. So. There. She wasn''t inexperienced. A simple fact. "Right," the clerk said. "I''m Ash, by the way. Are you looking for anything specific?" Rosalie considered pushing the point, but recognized that wouldn''t help her case. If anything, it would be odd¡ªrevealing, even¡ªif she continued to insist. So she internally grumbled, but didn''t voice herints further. But really, why would a stranger just automatically assume she was inexperienced? Maybe because her face had been burning before she''d even stepped inside. But still. "I, um," Rosalie said, forcing herself to orient her thoughts. To answer the question. "Actually, I''m looking for ¡­" she looked around at the lewd assortment of dildos, ranging from normal to¡ªwell, the opposite of normal. Her blush grew, as much as she tried to fight it. "N-Not any of this, actually." She internally winced at the stutter. Seriously? She''d been through a nauseating amount of decorum lessons, and still, she stammered as soon as she grew embarrassed? And it wasn''t helping her previous im of ''being experienced''. "I''m looking for the¡ª the¡ª" What were they even called? "Not these types of toys. The ones for ¡­ penises." The phrasing came out much more awkward than Rosalie intended. "Oh," Ash said, not pausing at the request¡ªeither the phrasing or the content. Then again, of course a sex-toy clerk could take something like that in stride. But the contrast between how at-ease she was, and Rosalie herself, doubled her frustration. "Sure. No problem. Follow me?" As they walked, Ash continued: "So, surprising a special someone?" The question was friendly enough, with no teasing or innuendo behind it. Which was slightlyical, seeing how literally speaking, it was one of the lewder questions she''d been asked: whether she was buying a sex toy to surprise her partner with. Was this really Rosalie''s life, now? "No," Rosalie said. "It''s not for, um, anyone. Or rather, just me." That made Ash pause. Her eyes flicked down to Rosalie''s crotch, which, while indiscreet, Rosalie forgave, considering the circumstances. The pausested a second more as Ash''s confusion showed inly, before her eyebrows shot up in realization. "Oh! That potion store?" The woman seemed suddenly excited, rather than just politely friendly. "You got your hands on one of those? I''ve heard of them. Sold out immediately, though, didn''t they?" Had Zoey sold out, already? Rosalie couldn''t say she was surprised; news of rare items like that did tend to spread fast. Still, that even random civilians knew of Zoey''s potion store days after opening was of mild concern. There was news spreading fast, then there was that. It must have taken Treyhull like wildfire. Rosalie wasn''t too concerned, though, about whether anything concerning woulde from the rapid publicity: they would be leaving Treyhull in a matter of days. Plus, a sex toy store owner would be someone to first learn about something like Zoey''s potions entering the market. "I did," Rosalie said, forgoing a more detailed exnation. "But no one to share it with?" Ash asked sympathetically. "That''s surprising. Toys are great, but I''m sure a woman like you wouldn''t have too many issues finding the real thing." Rosalie paused. Had that ¡­ been a proposition? Was she being hit on? Ash''s amused tone, and the quirk to her lips, meant Rosalie could see it going either way. "I, um, have a girlfriend. By the way." Ash blinked. Sheughed, then raised a hand and pointed at her ring finger, where she was wearing a silver band. "Not propositioning you. Just saying." "Oh." "If you have a girlfriend, why isn''t she getting the privilege? Why a toy?" She stopped in front of a shelf with various ¡­ well, what Rosalie had asked for. Pocket pussies. And of many different forms. Rosalie blushed furiously, only half because of the lewd disy. Rather, mostly because of Ash''s question. "I ¡­" Her voice slowly sank into an embarrassed mumble. "I should train a bit before we go again. That''s why I need one." Ash paused. A sympathetic look crossed her face. "Ah, well, no shame in that, sweetie. Coochies feel good. That''s the whole point." Rosalie briefly considered running away. Only her standing as a d''Celestin¡ªsecret or not¡ªkept her from doing so. "So. I only want it for training," Rosalie said, having no other response to Ash''s mortifying assurance. "That''s why I''m here." Certainly, Rosalie wasn''t so degenerate as to be out seeking toys to pleasure herself with for entertainment purposes only. This was a functional shopping trip. She wasn''t as shameless as Delta, to be carrying things like that around just for her own sake. "Ah, right," Ashughed. "Training. You''re not looking for a ''pocket pussy'', you''re looking for a ''stamina enhancing unit''." She air-quoted the words, grinning at Rosalie as she did, like she was sharing a joke with her. Except, Rosalie meant it. It was for training! The clerk''s nonchnce did, at least, set her slightly more at ease. It was obvious that this sort of salesmanship was her job: Rosalie was hardly the first blushing girl toe in, looking for a toy. "So, what about this?" Ash asked. "I''ve heard good things. It''ll have your eyes rolling up in no time. And when ites to ''training'', practice hard, right?" Rosalie took the offered item. Flushing, she awkwardly turned the item around, inspecting the lewd toy as if she had the slightest idea what to look for. There was, at least, one obvious problem to point out. "I think it''s too small," Rosalie said. "I doubt that, dear." "Um, no. It is. Do you have anything bigger?" Ash paused, and her amusement slowly morphed into incredulity. "Wait. You''re serious?" Rosalie cleared her throat, looking away. "Yes," she said. "I definitely need a bigger one." "Wow," Ash said. After a moment, she repeated herself. "Wow. I really need to get my hands on one of those potions, don''t I?" Rosalie was saved from floundering around for a response. The conversation abruptly cut off, interrupted by a third party. A hand settled on Rosalie''s shoulder, making her stiffen and turn in surprise. Standing there was a familiar face. A face so familiar, and yet so shocking, that Rosalie''s world came abruptly crashing down. The floor dropped from beneath her feet. "Found you, brat," said no one but Lucinda Everhart. "It''s about fucking time." 5.54 – Found II 5.54 ¨C Found II Rosalie couldn''t believe her eyes. There, standing casually in front of her, unperturbed as always, hand resting on Rosalie''s shoulder, was no one but Lucinda Everhart. The Sentinel of the Sable Spear. A seventh-advancement wayfarer, a woman with a reputation nearly as towering as Rosalie''s own father, who could likely wipe half this city from existence should she feel slightly inclined to try. But more importantly¡ªRosalie''s mentor. A High Officer of the Deepshunters Guild. And undoubtedly, sent here on a mission by Enzo d''Celestin himself to retrieve Rosalie and return her to safety. "Good to see you''re in one piece," Lucinda continued, not bothering with any polite frivolities. Lucinda had never been that kind of woman. "Never a guarantee in our profession, regardless who you are. So good job, making it through your first few shards." She nodded approvingly. "I''ll admit, though. This isn''t especially where I expected to find you, Rosalie." Her eyes flicked around the store, then paused at what was in Rosalie''s hands, before going back up to meet Rosalie''s wide eyes. Wait. In her hands? What was in her hands, again? The ¡­ sex toy. The ''stamina enhancing unit''. Oh, no. Oh no, no, no. Lucinda Everhart, her father''s right-hand enforcer, Rosalie''s own weapon master, had tracked her down to a sex shop. And undoubtedly heard the conversation she''d had with the clerk. Not only had her ns beenpletely demolished with Lucinda''s arrival, and her future thrown into disarray, but the woman Rosalie held, perhaps, in highest regard in the entire world, the woman who had taught her the spear as much as her father or sisters had, was right there, looking at Rosalie hold a pocket pussy. A lewd toy meant for pleasuring herself. Her brain broke. "I¡ª I¡ª no, no, no, you don''t¡ª this is a misunderstanding, Lucinda," Rosalie said, the words tumbling from her in a disjointed mess. "You don''t¡ªIt''s not¡ªI can exin!" She thrust the toy at the clerk, who took it, watching the interaction with confusion. "This isn''t what it looks like! And, and, I have reasons for dying my return." Thest part came out desperately, trying to turn the conversation to, somehow, the less awful part of this interaction. Rosalie''s absence. "Reasons?" Lucinda asked, pointedly looking around the room. "Yeah. I can tell. You got distracted." "Real reasons!" Rosalie squeaked¡ªwhich only made Lucinda''s eyebrows raise further. Even Rosalie didn''t think she''d ever squeaked something before, much less to Lucinda. Rosalie took a deep, calming breath. It didn''t help. "What are you doing here? How did you find me?" "I''ll leave you two alone, then," Ash said slowly. "Come and let me know if you have any other questions, dear." She squeezed Rosalie''s elbow, eyes searching Rosalie for signs of distress¡ªin the sense that she was in danger. Rosalie shook her head, since that wasn''t the source of her panic, then stuttered out in response, "T-Thank you. I''ll do that." Ash nodded, then, studying her a second longer, left. "How did I find you?" Lucinda asked. "Come, Rosalie. Your father has his means. You can''t be that surprised. Tracking a new arrival around the Fractures is difficult, but not impossible¡ªespecially when it''s his own daughter." That was fair. Rosalie was more shocked by the speed in which it had happened¡ªand that her father had felt it necessary. Rosalie had been operating under the assumption that a few week''s dy after entry into the Fractures wasn''t something that would cause much concern. Both her sisters hadn''t rushed to Mantle either. Though admittedly, Rosalie was dying longer than both of them, by this point. Even Elodie, the wild spirit of their family, had made a somewhat hasty return, for sheer practicality; it was dangerous for a d''Celestin to wander around the Fractures, even when taking steps to maintain their anonymity. For Lucinda to have found her already, the search had to have started at least a week ago, maybe more, because Lucinda would have needed to employ subtlety. Even Lucinda Everhart wouldn''t flout her name and strength this deep into enemy territory. Guild rtions might be tolerable to the lower advancements thanks to the disorganized nature of the Fractures, but a High Officer of the Deepshunters being present in Treyhull, a capital of Striders territory? That could be disastrous. Even more so, perhaps, than Rosalie herself being caught. "But why?" Rosalie asked. "Whye and find me at all?" "Your father gave me an order, and I followed it," Lucinda said, though she sounded more annoyed than the words would suggest. "I don''t question my Guildmaster." That wasn''t true. Lucinda was her father''s old wayfaring teammate. Their rtionship went far beyond Guildmaster and High Officer. Rosalie wasn''t sure a man like Enzo d''Celestin had friends, exactly, but certainly, Lucinda was as close as it got. "Besides," Lucinda said. "You are excessively," Rosalie disagreed, though she doubted it changed anything. Lucinda had already tracked her down; protests were pointless. Reality was reality. "I only intended to stay a few more days, then I would be returning. And, as I said, I do have excellent reasons for¡ªall of this." Lucinda''s amusement¡ªmixed with an undertone of incredulity¡ªsuggested she didn''t fully believe Rosalie. Undoubtedly because of the, well, sex shop she''d found Rosalie in. Rosalie''s face burned even hotter, remembering that. Lucinda''s arrival was already a worst-case scenario, and yet, it had happened like this? The gods had it out for her. There was no other exnation. "Rx," Lucinda said, rolling her eyes and squeezing Rosalie''s shoulder. "You don''t have to exin. It''s probably for the best that you''re getting it out of your system. Always did find it strange how little of a rebellious streak you had, for one of Enzo''s kids." "Rebellious streak?" Rosalie stammered out. "That''s¡ªthat''s what you think this is? Don''t be ridiculous. I told you, I have good reasons for what I''m doing here;" "That you had a few itches to scratch?" "M-Master Lucinda!" The older woman snorted. "Seriously, I get it. Everyone gets carried away with their first taste of freedom. You''re twice as justified for it, too. I''d have gone insane from the training regiments Enzo and I put you under." Rosalie tried to protest several parts of that, but Lucinda justughed at her. "Seriously, kid, doesn''t matter. I say good for you¡ªhonest. But, Enzo asked me to bring you back, so that''s what''s happening. Vacation''s over. Have anything you need to take care of, first?" She smirked and looked around. "Anyst second purchases you wanna make?" She gestured at something on the shelf, which Rosalie didn''t have the mental capacity to acknowledge. "That one looks fun. Hell, maybe I''ll get it." "Lucinda. Please. Be serious." If she wasn''t, Rosalie might actually die from overheating. Lucinda justughed at Rosalie for a second time. "Okay. Then, sure." She sobered up. "I''ve already taken longer than he''d prefer. So we''ve got to get moving. Now. You know how Enzo is." Oh, gods. Now? Rosalie wasn''t prepared for this. There were so many loose ends. Not just collecting her teammates¡ªand exining her teammates to Lucinda¡ªbut also Sabina, Fe, and Adrienne. While Zoey and Delta might be ready to leave right away, those three were trickier. And Maddy. Rosalie ced a hand on her forehead, feeling faint. "There''s ¡­plications." "I''ll uplicate them for you." "Not the kind you can," Rosalie said. "I have¡ªteammates. At a very minimum, we''ll need to collect them. They''ll be apanying me back to Mantle. And I also have ¡­ other business." At that, Lucinda''s amusement dried up. The ridiculousness of having found Rosalie in a sex store, handling a pocket pussy, had already colored the interaction with a strange, absurd hue, but Rosalie''s ims to having found teammates was ¡­ well, a monumental matter. "Really," Lucinda said tly. "You found teammates. Ones you mean to keep? Who? How? Why?" The concept was immediately ludicrous because Rosalie''s father obviously intended to arrange her wayfaring team¡ªfrom a collection of the best the world had to offer. "Just ¡­ two women I met," Rosalie said. She winced. "Three, actually. We''ve almost a full squad." Lucinda stared at her. Eventually, though, she shrugged. "Okay. Then it sounds like you better track them down. Because we are leaving by tonight." Rosalie was d she''d taken the announcement in stride, but there were more problems. "Tonight? That''s¡ª well, you see, I think we might have to¡ª" "Your father sent me for a reason," Lucinda said. "I don''t know what that reason is, but he wants you back. We''re not dallying." Rosalie took a breath. A part of her considered trying to assert her authority, to take control of the situation, but the idea wasughable even after brief consideration. Not only did Lucinda Everhart outrank her in every figurative sense¡ªeven if Rosalie was the future heiress to the guild¡ªshe might literally have more authority than Rosalie, too. Plus, it was her father himself giving Lucinda the order to bring her back. She had no argument, there. So, she had to reason with Lucinda. And how in the world was she supposed to do that? Rosalie hadn''t even fully organized her exnations to herself, yet. She was wildly unprepared to exin Zoey''s importance¡ªand whether she wanted to at all. Much less to Lucinda. Her father might have to know, considering the bigger-picture implications of a goddess''s champion being her teammate, but only him. Zoey''s ss was too delicate¡ªand admittedly, embarrassing¡ªfor Rosalie to tell anyone who didn''t strictly need to know. Even Lucinda, whom Rosalie trusted to all reasonable extents. She steeled herself. She couldn''t overrule Lucinda, especially with Father''s vague, unspecified ''reason'' for insisting she be brought back hanging over both of their heads, but that didn''t mean Rosalie couldn''t make an argument for why a dy was necessary. But, first, this was probably not the best ce to have such a conversation. "We''ll talk elsewhere," Rosalie said, finally getting some control over herself. "I assure you, you don''t have the smallest context as to what''s happened to me these past few weeks. Father has his reasons, yes, but so do I. And if he believes me capable of one day taking his mantle, then he''ll have to ept my judgment, won''t he?" Lucinda raised her eyebrows. "And besides," Rosalie continued. "You''re here. So I''m clearly safe, if he for some reason is concerned about that." The only exnation Rosalie could imagine for her father''s insistence to fetch her was that he had reason to believe an enemy faction was seeking her out. But with Lucinda there to guard her ¡­ well, there was a very, very small number of wayfarers who could even dream of touching the Sentinel of the Sable Spear. Lucinda considered her for a moment, then grunted. "Alright, we''ll talk about it. But I''ll need more than that, to go against Enzo''s explicit wishes." She headed for the exit, waving over her shoulder for Rosalie to follow. Rosalie did so. Lucinda was one of the few people in the entire world who could¡ªor would dare to¡ªso easily order her around. "Start with the teammates. What''s the story?" 5.55 – Escalation 5.55 ¨C Esction Trekking back to the Guild with Lucinda at her side, Rosalie''s head was spinning. She couldn''t even make concrete ns on how to handle the rest of the day: either Zoey or Delta could be back in their room by now, or neither, or both. Of course, Rosalie hoped for Zoey alone: that would be easiest. Work her way into exnations one by one, starting with the person she was mostfortable with. But she doubted she''d be so lucky. While walking, Rosalie was forced to give Lucinda some details on what had happened the past few weeks. Of course, she couldn''t exin Zoey''s situation in full, but if she wanted Lucinda to permit even the smallest dy, then she had to give her something. After much insistence, Lucinda conceded she would have to trust Rosalie''s judgment. Especially because Rosalie emphasized that she had news¡ªsignificant news¡ªabout Zoey, and other developing situations, that she intended to give only to her father. Though, the idea of having that discussion nearly paralyzed Rosalie every time she thought about it. Even Lucinda finding her in a sex toy store might notpare to having to exin to Father just what Zoey''s ss was, and what it meant for Rosalie. Enzo was a practical man, but even he might balk at the cost. Not that, to Rosalie, there was any real ''cost''. But exining to her father that she had a girlfriend who, as a means of progressing in advancement, had to fuck her into a brainless mess at least once a day¡ªoh, gods, Rosalie didn''t even know where to begin with it. How she would exin it to him without dying on the spot? Maybe she wouldn''t. Could she concoct some story that got the relevant details across, while hiding the mortifying ones? Lucinda insisted on learning more about her team, even if Rosalie wouldn''t give the exact details on the ''big secret'' of Zoey''s ss. Because that Rosalie had found allies¡ªpermanent ones¡ªthat she intended to keep against her father''s wishes was a staggering announcement, especially because Rosalie wasn''t someone known for resisting her father''s will. To excuse Zoey''s position on the team, Rosalie merely mentioned an unusual but powerful ss, given that Zoey was untrained and would be, on first nce¡ªespecially to a woman like Lucinda¡ªno hardened wayfarer of a caliber deserving to be called a colleague of Rosalie''s. Delta''s cement was a trickier exnation, but not unjustifiable. The foxgirl was no prodigy of a generation, as Rosalie''s father might have arranged as her teammate normally, but that she was sopetent with zero formal training suggested an immense talent to be cultivated. Rosalie was willing to admit that much about the woman, despite her misgivings. Delta was simply an excellent offensive addition to a party, perhaps eptable even at the highest tier ofpetition. And, again, she came from no notable family; she was entirely self-taught. In a way, that spoke more to her potential than her actual skill and quick progression did. Maddy was the easiest to exin. Rosalie had quickly sussed out, in one of their first conversations at a bar, that Maddy was a daughter of the Moonlight Weaver, a prominent officer, if not especially prominent, of the Sovereign. Even at a base level, Maddy wouldn''t be out of ce on Rosalie''s team. Doubly so if the two of them worked well together, which, admittedly, was yet to be discovered. Of course, the secretive and more important factor of Maddy''s ce on the team was that she seemed amenable to the requirements of Zoey''s ss. But Rosalie could hardly exin that to Lucinda. Finally, thest topic of conversation they broached during their short trip to the Guild was that Rosalie hadn''t told her teammates who she was, yet. Her surname. And that she intended to do so during the trip to Mantle. So, she asked Lucinda to not let anything slip. Arriving at their destination, the sprawling hollowed-out tree that served as Treyhull''srgest Guild, Rosalie led her long-time mentor and weapons trainer up the towering staircase, headed for their team''s shared room. So lost in thought, and busy with detailing her exnations to Lucinda, Rosalie had forgotten to n for the obvious. Both Zoey and Delta had returned for the day. And, from the noises emanating from the room she and Lucinda were approaching, they were both ''rxing'' from a hard day''s work. Through very intimate means of stress relief. Why? Couldn''t a single thing not go wrong? Stiffly, she kept walking. It wasn''t like Lucinda, of all people, had missed the moans, grunts, and psing from the room. She''d likely heard before Rosalie had. Her enhanced senses were far superior¡ªand, likely, the older woman was simply more experienced at staying aware of what was happening around her. Not that Rosalie was some unaware durd, but Lucinda? A living legend and one of the highest-ranked wayfarers in the world? Rosalie might be a prodigy, but Lucinda was a prodigy who had long ago filled out her boots. A once-in-a-generation talent who had earned her stripes, and proven that her potential wasn''t just potential. There were mountains between the two of them. Rosalie kept her gaze firmly ahead, ignoring Lucinda''s reaction as she headed, horrifyingly, to the door emanating lewd pping noises. Despite that, she could feel the woman''s amusement growing with each step. She waited for whateverment was brewing, but it never came. Rosalie didn''t know if that was better or worse than just having the snarkyment out in the air. Arriving, Rosalie knocked. She didn''t get a response. If anything, the pping and moans grew louder, the two women oblivious to anything besides their tryst. Rosalie knocked again, louder this time. "Yeah, I don''t think they''re gonna answer," Lucinda said dryly, her twitching lips betraying her amusement. "Must be really focused on their ¡­ sparring match in there. Sounds like an intense bout." A particrly loud squeal came from the door. "Wouldn''t want to stop them before they¡¯ve decided a winner." Rosalie wiped her hand down her face. "Just give me a second, please. I''ll take care of it." She fumbled out her key. She would rather Zoey and Delta get the message before she barged in, so they could bring themselves into something resembling modesty before meeting Lucinda, but it seemed she didn''t have a choice. From the noises filling the air, they were, indeed, more than a bit distracted with each other. If Rosalie''s cheeks hadn''t already been tinted a permanent red from Lucinda''s mortifying arrival, the ridiculous pping and grunting sounds would have done the job. Unlocking the door, Rosalie shouldered her way in. Lucinda leaned against the doorframe, keeping the door open with her foot while Rosalie kept walking. Theyout of the room meant the bed¡ªand Zoey and Delta¡ªwere obscured from Lucinda, which was some kind of blessing. Not that it really mattered. There were zero doubts as to what was happening. If anything, the filthy, over-the-top sounds might be worse than outright seeing what was going on. Seriously. This was how Lucinda met her teammates? Had her mentor''s arrival not been disastrous enough? Rosalie turned the corner, and despite having braced herself, seeing Delta pinned into the bed face-down, lying prone as Zoey''s hips impacted her ass with loud, hard smacks, was enough to briefly wipe Rosalie''s brain clear. Synchronized, two pairs of eyes turned to Rosalie. Zoey''s frantic rutting stilled, and Delta''s lust slowly cleared from her face, blinking as she saw Rosalie. "Ah," Delta said. "It''s about time, Princess. You wanna¡ª?" "We have a visitor," Rosalie hissed loudly, interrupting whatever horrifying statement had been about to leave the woman''s mouth. "Get dressed. Please." Something in her tone cut through even Delta''s tendency for teasing. She paused, then looked over her shoulder at Zoey. "Visitor?" Zoey asked. "Everything''s fine. But seriously¡ªmake yourselves presentable." Zoey looked down at the foxgirl she had pinned into the bed. Her hips were flush against her ass, all fourteen-inches of her ridiculous girlcock bulging Delta''s insides out. Her hand was on the back of Delta''s head, helping grind her face into the sheets. It was, in summary, an especially lewd pose. In most other situations, Rosalie might have hesitated at the disy. But here, now, she hastily waved her hand. "Now, please." "Give us a few more¡ª" Delta started. "Now!" Zoey, at least, recognized the panic in Rosalie''s voice. She pulled out of Delta, making the foxgirl suck in a little gasp of air, then shuffled to the side of the bed and scooped up their clothes from the floor. She tossed Delta''s to her, then started to get dressed. Delta seemed ready to keep protesting the interruption, but at Rosalie''s expression, decided against it. She also started pulling her clothes on. Rosalie nced over to the doorway; she could see Lucinda, even if her teammates couldn''t. The older woman was leaning against the doorframe, her amusement growing by the minute, however much she tried to mask it. She quirked an eyebrow at Rosalie, and Rosalie hastily looked away. Seriously. What kind of assumptions was she making about Rosalie, her teammates, and especially, what Rosalie had been doing these past two weeks as she dyed setting off to Mantle? Certainly nothing ttering. And the worst part was, she was probably correct about most of it. Though, Rosalie was not some kind of degenerate. There were extenuating circumstances behind all of her indulgences. She just couldn''t exin them to Lucinda. "What visitor?" Zoey asked, slipping on her panties and her bra. "What''s going on?" "An ally of mine. Nothing bad." Sort of. "It''splicated. I''ll exin. Our schedule might have been elerated." "Rosalie?" Lucinda''s voice came suddenly from the doorway. "Who are these people?" Rosalie''s head turned. There, in a semi-circle, surrounding a no-longer-amused, suddenly-serious-looking Lucinda, were four individuals in carved animal masks. Like they''de fresh from a masquerade. "We are the Church of the Shattered Sphere," the lead figure hissed, answering Lucinda''s question on behalf of Rosalie. "And we''vee seeking reparations. Stand aside, woman, if you have any sense. We''ve onlye for them." A long, wicked-looking finger outstretched itself menacingly toward Rosalie. 5.56 – Escalation II 5.56 ¨C Esction II No. It wasn''t fair. This had to be some kind of cosmic joke. A feverish dream in which everyplication in her life assaulted her at once. Rosalie only knew of the Church from what Zoey and Delta had detailed to her of their foolish escapades. From what they''d said, Rosalie hadn''t been overly concerned with retaliation on their part. Especially since the three of them were¡ªwhile hardly the strongest wayfarers in the citypetent mid-rankers which the Church probably couldn''t, or at least wouldn''t, muster a force to contest. Zoey and Delta had seemed to think Helena was one of their strongest members, and she was only around their own progression. But they had tracked them down. Either they were idiotic, then, or they had something nned. Or backup of some kind. Rosalie didn''t have great hopes their actions could be ascribed purely to stupidity. Cultists were generally insane, obviously, but¡ªespecially ones who had such arge and growing presence¡ªscheming and clever in their own right. Lucinda being here alleviated the majority of the anxiety Rosalie felt at the development. Having a walking one-woman army between her and the enemy made most threats feel inconsequential. Nheless, Rosalie really, really didn''t need anotherplication in her life. There were four of the masked figures outside their door. They were dressed in inconspicuous daily clothing; they probably hadn''t wanted to draw attention while sneaking into the Guild''s quarters. The man in the front wore a goat mask. The woman to his left, a dog''s, and to his right, a woman wearing the guise of some exotic bird. Finally, thest¡ªa golem with bright white stone for skin, and donning a gori mask. The threat offered by Goat-Mask, the apparent leader, hung in the air for a long second. Lucinda looked unamused. Rosalie suspected the woman was briefly considering simply breaking his legs and closing the door. But any sudden violence¡ªon either party''s side¡ªwas interrupted by Delta peeking her head around the corner. She hadn''t even finished dressing yet; she had her breasts covered with a hand. "Oh, shit," she said, ears twitching. "It''s you guys, already? Uh, give us a second, we''ll be right there." Rosalie pinched the bridge of her nose. Delta, like usual, failed to recognize the severity of the situation. Especially considering that she had no idea they had a seventh-advancement wayfarer on standby. It should be an obvious assumption that the Church knew Zoey and Delta''s general strength, having already encountered them, and so that they hade here meant they had a n¡ªor sufficient firepower to threaten them. The foxgirl shouldn''t sound amused by their appearance. Lucinda stayed in the doorway, blocking the four cultists'' path. Goat-Mask and his associates red at her, with Goat-Mask even towering over her¡ªhe was quite tall¡ªbut Lucinda remained unperturbed. "I think you shoulde in," Rosalie told her mentor carefully. "We shouldn''t do anything rash." The worry in her voice was, funny enough, mostly from the possibility of Lucinda making the situation spiral even further out of control. While relieving to have her here, it was a bit like having the world''s most dangerous, and slightly unpredictable, guard dog. One that could rip up buildings by the roots. Lucinda added anotheryer ofplexity to the encounter. At least the request bolstered the cultists'' confidence. That was a good thing, since Rosalie wanted them to enter. She recognized an opportunity to learn more about them, and possibly the ultimate threat: the world ending, which the organization was at least tangentially founded around. Since they were in zero real danger so long as Lucinda was present, Rosalie didn''t mind inviting the invaders inside and letting them ''intimidate'' her and her party. Lucinda, as perceptive as any woman of her status, looked over her shoulder at Rosalie. She deciphered her intent: the silent request to let them pass. She didn''t seem pleased by the idea, but nheless, she turned¡ªputting her back to them, emphasizing her extensiveck of concern¡ªand walked through the hallway and into the room. Zoey and Delta were just finishing throwing their clothes on, and Lucinda spared a quick scan of the two women¡ªwho blinked at her in return. Lucinda simply gestured at the doorway, indicating a sort of exasperated, ''well, get this over with, so we can talk,'' then plopped herself onto the chair in the corner of the room and sprawled out. Taking a seat, readying herself to enjoy the show. The cultists stalked in next. Soon enough, the room was entirely too full. Eight people in total. Presumably, all of them were wayfarers of appreciable advancement¡ªhence why they felt confident to force this confrontation. "Alright," Delta said, looking at Rosalie. "Just let me do the talking." "Absolutely not," Rosalie said instantly. "I will." She faced Zoey. "Please, control her." "Be silent," Goat-Mask interrupted, sounding irritated. "You four are here only to listen and obey. That is it." "Kinky," Delta said, continuing to not take the situation seriously. "So, which one of you is Helena?" She peered around, studying the various animal masks as if she could decipher the answer herself. "Oh, and, how''s Jacky doing? Can you tell her we''re sorry she got dragged into this? She was nice." Zoey ced a hand on Delta''s shoulder. Delta looked at it, then raised an eyebrow at Zoey. Rosalie inferred the majority of their earlier rashness¡ªtheir involvement with the Church¡ªcame from the foxgirl, not Zoey. Rosalie had noticed, by now, how willing she was to go along with Delta''s misadventures, despite her own better judgment. "Let''s see what they have to say, yeah?" Zoey suggested. Rosalie snorted. It was her conciliatory way to tell the woman to be quiet for once in her life¡ªnot willing to let her spiral this even further out of control. Delta also seemed vaguely amused, rolling her eyes. While troublesome, she did seem mostly self-aware. Blessedly, she faced forward and didn''t continue taunting the cultists. "Helena''s membership is under review," Goat-Mask replied with derision in his voice. "We''ve found her judgment questionable in recent weeks. But that is beside the point. We''re here to im reparations for the grievances leveled toward our organization. The attack on our Church." "It was hardly an attack," Delta countered. "You invaded our recruitment ceremony. Stole the body of one of our members. Then interrogated a prominent officer under false pretenses." "Half false pretenses," Delta corrected. "And we were mostly invited." "Delta," Zoey said a little more firmly, squeezing her shoulder. "I''m just saying." "What do you want from us?" Rosalie asked, apparently the only one of them who wanted to get to the meat of the matter. "Why are you here?" "Want?" Goat-Mask repeated. The carved white mask made it difficult to read his expression. His eyes looked angry, though. And a bit crazy. "As I said, reparations. You have something we want. We''ll be taking it off your hands." "We do?" "An artifact. Of simr nature to our own. Your discussion with Helena made it clear you possess one. So, we''ll be taking it, and with that, consider the matter settled." "Yeah," Delta said. "About that. Definitely not for sale." The man''s eyes narrowed inside his goat mask. "I think you''ll find us persuasive," he sneered. Delta shared a look with Zoey, then Rosalie, and finally with Lucinda. The older woman had remained quiet as she lounged in her chair, cheek on her fist. Rosalie wished she would try to look worried, and therefore less intimidating, but that might be impossible for a woman like her. The more the cultists believed they had the upper hand, the more likely they were to speak freely. Though she supposed Lucinda could simply squeeze any information out of them, if Rosalie requested it. That was a possibility. Zoey spread her hands to the side in a cating way, and Rosalie knew her girlfriend well enough to predict what she was about to do. Mediate. Try to calm them down. It came inical contrast to Delta, who was at the other end of the spectrum, who was trying to aggravate them. Though perhaps not intentionally; she might genuinely be unable to help herself. "We really are sorry about all of that," Zoey said, managing to sound earnest. "Things got out of hand. But we had our own reasons for doing it. You recognize the importance of¡ª" she nced at Lucinda, hesitating. "All of what''s going on with those shards. And so did we. So we took some liberties, trying to find out more. Liberties we shouldn''t have. But let''s not rush into anything. We''re not enemies. We could work together, even? Share what we know?" Rosalie appreciated the attempt, but it wasn''t particrly convincing. Especially since, by their very presence, the cultists thought they could bully and intimidate them into doing what they wanted. An offer of an alliance had next to zero chance of working. With a sneer in his voice, he replied¡ªnot at all to Rosalie''s surprise¡ª"We''re not interested in cooperation. Or discussions with you people at all. You will give us your artifact, then you will leave the city. Consider yourselves lucky our Church isn''t a violent organization. This is a merciful oue, considering your transgressions." "Okay, first off," Delta piped in, "Stop being so dramatic. Transgressions? Come on. We barely even did anything. And secondly, really, how are you gonna do that? You didn''t even bring Helena." "Do you think she''s our strongest member?" Goat-Mask threw his head back andughed. "Perhaps at one point. But the impending end of the world¡ªapparent to all, growing more obvious by the week¡ªhas bolstered our recruitment. And we have connections, regardless. We didn''t bring Helena because she''s a liability we didn''t need to entertain." Delta digested that im. Her eyes flicked between the four masked cultists, and the first hint of apprehension appeared on her face¡ªsomething Rosalie detected only because of her familiarity with the woman. She didn''t wear it on her sleeve. Finally, Delta understood the situation they were in. Or, the situation as it appeared. Rosalie, of course, remained unconcerned. In fact, she was relieved that their threat seemed to be entirely of a violent nature. They nned to strong-arm them. But with Lucinda there, they had nothing to worry about. On the other hand, if the cultists had, for example, learned that Fe had possession of their corrupted artifact and gone after her, things could be much worse. But that didn''t seem to be the case. And speaking of Lucinda¡ªat the cultist''s words, the referenced ''end of the world'', she had leaned forward, seeming suddenly less rxed, and far more interested in the conversation. The phrase had caught her attention? Resonated, for some reason? What did that mean? Did Lucinda herself know something of the approaching cataclysm? Or was the im simply fantastic enough to interest her? Rosalie didn''t think so; it seemed a very poignant reaction. Did Father know something about it too, then? Was that, even, why Lucinda had been sent to find her? If anyone would know of a world-ending peril, it would be her father. The Guildmaster of a Highguild. And it would be important enough to send Lucinda to fetch Rosalie as quickly as possible. While conjecture formed entirely from Lucinda''s reaction, several things did make sense under the exnation. But Rosalie didn''t get to digest the possible realization for long. Her thoughts were interrupted. "But," Goat-Mask said dismissively, lips curling up. "If you find our mercy unsatisfactory, we won''t offer it at all. I can tell further persuasion will be necessary with you three." He slipped an item from his coat: a small hourss with a dark wood frame. Rosalie instinctively inspected it. Ho??g???s of Ha??i?g: Lo?k b??h th? u??r and t?e t??get in f?o?en t??e. Rosalie''s stomach dropped. A corrupted artifact? One that he nned to use on them? Tension thickened the air, and almost in slow motion, the cultist''s attention turned to Lucinda. Rosalie understood immediately: Lucinda had been, appropriately, identified as the biggest threat. He was going to use it on her. But what would it even do? Rosalie couldn''t read the description. It was a jumbled, distorted mess, like the artifact they had found in Mel''s shard. Before anyone could react¡ªeven Lucinda, so caught by surprise, and reasonably unconcerned by the threat the cultists represented¡ªthe man tipped the hourss sideways. And so, chaos erupted. 5.57 – PvP 5.57 ¨C PvP To Rosalie''splete disbelief, the hourss worked. Lucinda was on her feet, spear in hand and armor donned¡ªmaterialized instantly from her inventory¡ªand halfway toward the man before the corrupted hourss finished its rotation. But she froze there, enormous obsidian-ck spear outstretched for the man''s face, halted in her progress. The man would''ve died instantly if he''d been even a fraction of a second slower. Lucinda didn''t y games. Rosalie was so shocked that a seventh-advancement wayfarer had just been disabled that she herself froze for an invaluable, infinitely stretching second. It shouldn''t be possible for an item to disable someone so powerful, regardless of its rarity. At least, not an item wielded by a man who Rosalie assumed was fifth advancement at most, likely lower. It had to be because the item had been corrupted, broken in some way by those shard-eaters. Had its corruption actually not been a detriment, but a boon? Made it more powerful rather than weaker, removing its limitations in some way? Lucinda had probably never seen anything like it, hence her slow reactions. Possibly even her arrogance in how little regard she''d shown the developing situation. Rosalie didn''t me her. She herself had felt the sameck of concern. Her mentor wasn''t the type of person to disregard a potentially dangerous situation, but this shouldn''t have been a dangerous situation. Who could fault Lucinda for not recognizing an impossibility? And just how reckless was these cultists'' use of the hourss? It was a broken item. Fundamentally corrupted. She, Zoey, and Delta hadn''t dared experiment with their own, because who knew what would happen? It seemed these people were less cautious. Was the item even stable, broken only in that it bypassed its natural limits in some way? Wereplications possible? Was Lucinda in genuine danger from it? It was certainly within the realm of possibility, since they were already discussing¡ªand experiencing¡ªthe impossible. All of that shed through Rosalie''s mind in the shocking one-second that followed the outbreak of the fight. Then, her instincts kicked in. Her mentor¡ªher failsafe¡ªhad been disabled, and the how behind the matter wasn''t relevant. Now, they were engaged inbat with three unknowns. Goat-Mask had been frozen solid upon activation of the relic, so they only had to worry about the rest of his party. Three-on-three. There was, quite literally, nothing in the world Rosalie had been so thoroughly trained for as how to analyze, break down, then act upon any givenbat scenario. The Church had sent four wayfarers after them. Presumably, they''d nned for the hourss to disable one of them, turning it into a three-versus-two. Instead, it was a three-on-three, thanks to Lucinda. So Lucinda''s presence did help them, if not as massively as it should''ve. Rosalie could only assume each of theirbatants was, at a minimum, third advancement. Likely fourth, since they hade here expecting to intimidate and bully them, not to kill, which would be difficult if they were peers. So Rosalie and her team were at a stark disadvantage. That was especially true considering Zoey''s inexperience. Yes, she had powerful skills, but many weren''t directlybat-focused, and Rosalie didn''t have high hopes for Zoey''s performance in a sudden, unexpected duel. Especially one against sapient, thinking opponents. People. That was the bigger factor. They''d mostly fought shard monsters, which, while vicious and clever in an animal way, were a different encounter entirely than what awaited them now. Plus, there was the reality of fighting other people. In hurting them. That also seemed something Zoey would hesitate at. Rosalie didn''t know how reliable Delta would be, either. The foxgirl sparred plenty inside the training arena, often with Rosalie herself, but would she hesitate in a life-or-death situation? In real demanded she act first. Rune of Trailzing (Superior) [3]: Lead the Charge. Engaging with the first strike ofbat deals massive additional damage. Rune of the Spearmaster (Rare) [2]: Impale: Lunge with an empowered strike. Armor-piercing. Where Lucinda''s lunge attack had been unceremoniously halted, Rosalie''s was not. In the small Guild amodations, there was very little space to cover. She dipped underneath her mentor''s frozen-in-time spear, rocketing out underneath it and toward the woman in the back-right of the cramped formation of opponents. Rosalie had been watching each of them, and, though it was a guess, Rosalie suspected her to be the mage or support of the group: the most valuable, and easiest, target to immediately remove from consideration. Seeing how Rosalie and her team were at an enormous disadvantage thanks to differences in advancement, they needed a powerful opening. Their opponents weren''t so disgraceful as to fail to react entirely, not with such an obvious announcement of the fight in the form of the hourss and Lucinda''s subsequent lunge. Three sets of gear appeared on their bodies only slightly after Rosalie''s own. But still, not as fast as Rosalie: she was on trajectory by the time they acted. To Rosalie''s surprise, an enormous surge of strength crashed into her before her spear met her opponent¡ªa sensation that had grown familiar. One of Zoey''s primary contributions to any given fight: her absurdly potent skill, Bolster. Not only that, but amplified by Burst, which expended more of her resource pool for an even greater effect. She was impressed Zoey had reacted so quickly. She really was improving. Bolster. Burst. Lead the Charge. Impale. Four potent skills stacked on top of each other. Potentially an advancement beyond them or not, Rosalie knew the result before it happened. Even better, Rosalie had been correct in her analysis. Only simple mage''s robes appeared on her target''s body. The woman didn''t even have armor to defend against Rosalie''s strike with. So, Rosalie''s weapon punched through the woman''s stomach, its long wooden shaft sliding in, then through, soft flesh. At the same instant, a heavy kick rocketed toward Rosalie''s nk. She twisted, narrowly dodging, having expected retaliation from the nearest opponent. She yanked her spear back, blood spattering her armor and face, and the woman stumbled forward with the intense force behind the pull. Rosalie, never one to waste an opening, smashed her forehead into the woman''s own skull, a parting gift. Again, the woman''s likely higher advancement didn''t matter. Rosalie was a physical ss, and empowered by Zoey¡ªboth through Bolster, and their stat sharing¡ªand so, the impact barely made Rosalie''s vision swim. Her opponent, however, copsed on the spot, immediately rendered unconscious. A hole in her stomach, and likely a fractured skull. Her teammates had failed catastrophically in defending her. Then again, they were clearly in over their heads. They''de here assuming they had the upper hand, thanks to numbers and assumed strength. How could they know they''d chosen to fight a disciple of a goddess, and the heiress of a highguild? Their day was going as disastrously as Rosalie''s own. A small part of her spared a sh of concern for the woman she''d skewered, but she would almost certainly live. High-advancement wayfarers were absurdly durable. There was a reason Rosalie hadn''t aimed for the heart, which would have killed her. These people had imed they hadn''te here nning on killing them, but rather to rob and intimidate them, so Rosalie spared them the smallest courtesy in return: to not immediately go for lethality. Her father would disapprove of her gentleness, Rosalie knew. From his perspective, they''d forfeited their lives the moment they raised weapons against a d''Celestin. With a health potion and medical attention, though¡ªeasily avable in the Guild¡ªthe woman would have a scar to remember this by, and a few weeks of recovery, but she would live. Only the smallest part of her attention was focused on that. The fight had only just begun, enormously advantageous as her opening strike was or not. The bulkier golem man¡ªnow wearing a set of mismatching te armor¡ªbore down on her. Perhaps initially, their n had been to bully their team. Now, though, seeing Rosalie contemptuously skewer their teammate, the golem didn''t hold back: his sword cleaved through the air for Rosalie''s neck, hoping to use her over-extension¡ªand the lunge for the backline mage had put Rosalie in a poor position¡ªto im his own devastating, and far more lethal, tempo-turning attack. He hadn''t returned her the same courtesy: he was going straight for the kill. Rosalie ducked beneath it, and the de whistled above her head, barely missing. The strike had been awfully predictable, with Rosalie moving almost before it came, but was nheless a narrow dodge. Her suspicions were thusly confirmed: these were fourth-advancement wayfarers, minimum. He moved too fast to be anything but. Her spear wasn''t the ideal weapon to be fighting in such close quarters, with walls nearby on every side, but unfortunately, Rosalie didn''t have much choice. [1]: Spear Mastery: Deal bonus damage and better intuit enemy movements when wielding a spear. Skills often came with detriments. Rosalie couldn''t drop her spear and pull a weapon from her inventory better suited to the task of close-quartersbat, not without sacrificing enormous ss benefits. Rosalie spared a crucial nce sideways to confirm that Delta had engaged thest of the three opponents and was defending Zoey. Indeed, Rosalie saw with relief, she was. Zoey and Delta had chosen wisely to focus theirbined effort two-on-one against thest woman, trusting that Rosalie could handle her own target. She approved; it was the only reasonable course of action. Rosalie disengaged, giving herself space to work with. The golem didn''t intend to simply cede it to her: he pressed forward, and they exchanged blows. Rosalie snuck in a brutal kick to the stomach, but his te armor and significantly higher stats meant it didn''t do much. Her first attack of the fight had only been so potent thanks to the stacking of four skills aimed at a non-durable mage. As the vicious brawl progressed, it became quickly apparent that while Rosalie might be the more skilled between them, skill stopped mattering when so thoroughly outmatched by raw stats and advancement. Their enemies had, indeed,e here with excessive firepower; she didn''t have a fair opponent on her hands. It took everything Rosalie had to simply match him. He was no weak, untrained wayfarer either. At fourth advancement, those stopped existing. It took significant wayfaring experience¡ªand thus bloodshed¡ªto reach that point. So the difference in skill wasn''t enormous, either. Rosalie earned a sh on her forearm. She punctured his shoulder armor in return. A long exchange of parries and dodges followed, culminating in a harsh spearbutt to his kneecap¡ªand a ringing blow to the side of Rosalie''s own head. Eyes watering, she wasn''t quite stunned, but she was put briefly on the backfoot, which he pressed his advantage on. Rosalie refused to sumb; she fought back fervently. The fight was so intense that Rosalie couldn''t even spare a moment to see how Zoey and Delta''s engagement was going. She had to focus entirely on her own. A part of her was exhrated at the intensity: it had been weeks since she had been so thoroughly challenged. Nothing the shards she had delved since entering the Fractures came close. And Rosalie did, truly, find thrill in the rush of adrenaline. Fighting was, and had been for most of her life, one of her highest purposes. The frantic tempo ofbat was interrupted, suddenly, by a piercing shout. "Stop!" a woman screamed. "STOP! Stand down!" After a few more rapid exchanges, Rosalie disengaged, and, as much to her relief as her disappointment, her opponent did too. He staggered backward, bleeding in several ces¡ªas Rosalie herself was. Nothing critical, unfortunately. She kept her eyes locked to him, and the woman he retreated next to, ready for some form of trickery. But it didn''t seem to be that. Panting and bleeding, the two groups considered each other, their weapons raised, but not moving to reengage. The call for a ceasefire had been genuine. A long, tense moment followed. "Look," the woman in the dog mask said. "This isn''t how this was supposed to go." Rosalie watched them intensely, not replying. "Let us take them," Dog-Mask said, gesturing curtly with her daggers at Goat-Mask, who was still frozen in time, and Bird-Mask, who was bleeding out on the floor, "and leave. We''ll call it a draw. Sound fair?" 5.58 – Post-PvP 5.58 ¨C Post-PvP Rosalie considered the offer. "Like fucking shit we will," Delta growled. She took a menacing step forward, making both parties flinch. But, thank the heavens, the fight didn''t break out again. Rosalie, the woman with a functioning brain, recognized the offer was more than eptable. They had far too little to gain from victory, and victory wasn''t even guaranteed. The fight was much closer than Rosalie preferred. Which was also why Dog-Mask had pulled back and called a ceasefire in the first ce; this should have been easy for them. Perhaps a victory meant Rosalie and her party could take prisoners, but for what purpose? Zoey and Delta already said they didn''t think the Church had significantly valuable information, much less these four individuals in particr. Only the hourss had any relevance¡ªboth the item itself, and their knowledge of it, and corrupted items in general, since the cultists had apparently experimented. "Give us the hourss," Rosalie said. "And you have a deal." "Like hell we''re going to¡ª" Delta started hotly. "Shut UP!" Rosalie nearly screamed, spinning on the woman. "Don''t you realize the situation we''re in?" The heat in Rosalie''s voice actually managed to make the woman''s teeth click shut. While Delta''s rashness was annoying at the best of times, it could easily be lethal, here. Reasonably, Rosalie was infuriated at herck ofmon sense¡ªor control, or whatever it was that made the woman so incapable of acting rationally. After keeping the re locked on Delta for a long moment, and the woman remaining silent, seeming like she''d been pped, Rosalie faced back to Dog-Mask to continue negotiations. "Can''t," Dog-Mask said, not sparing ament for the interaction; she was as concerned over the tension in the room as Rosalie herself was. "It''s locked in his hand." She gestured with her dagger. "Even the Headhunter himself couldn''t rip it out. You can try, if you want." Rosalie wasn''t a woman to take people on their word. She cautiously approached, keeping her spear at the ready and eying both of their standing opponents. She nudged the hourss with the tip of her spear. Oddly, the entirety of Goat-Mask tilted, like they''d been fused into a statue. It seemed, at least on quick appraisal, that Dog-Mask was telling the truth: the status effect had rendered the hourss as effectively ''part'' of him. "How do you undo it?" Rosalie asked. She was worried, of course, about Lucinda. "Just happens. Length varies. No more than half an hour. Can''t do anything about it till then." "And how can I believe you?" "Look," Dog-Mask said. "I really don''t care about all of this¡ªwhoever you four are. Came in as a hired mercenary. Him too." She jabbed a dagger toward the golem. She sounded pissed off, perhaps because she''d been given incorrect information on what she''d been hired for. The ostensibly genuine reaction gave Rosalie some confidence she was telling the truth, but again, she wasn''t a woman to take people, much less enemies, at their word. But it also didn''t seem like Rosalie had much choice not to. Obviously, the woman wouldn''t let the hourss''s effect expire. They recognized Lucinda was the strongest wayfarer here, even if they had no idea who she was. If she unfroze, the encounter was over¡ªRosalie''s team would win. So insisting that they simply wait at a standstill until the effect wore off, proving her im, wasn''t an option. And neither could Rosalie take the hourss; it was fused with the lead cultist. "Leave him here," Rosalie said, gesturing at the man. Dog-Mask considered that. It took a second for her to respond, but when she did, she seemed reluctant, but firm. "Nah, that''s not happening either. We have standards. He''s on our team." The two of them stared at each other. The fight was too close for the woman to be too intimidated by Rosalie, so she didn''t have much negotiating power. Rosalie hadn''t much expected her to agree to the request¡ªeither of them, for that matter¡ªbut it''d been worth trying. "I''m not lying," Dog-Mask said. "We''ll take him, and our friend," she eyed the downed woman, bleeding profusely, "and leave. She''ll unfreeze at the same time he does. It''s how the artifact works. I swear it." Her eyes lingered on the copsed woman. "And thanks for not killing her. Stomach shot. You could''ve done worse. But she needs a healer as soon as possible." Rosalie grunted. The exnation was more than usible. She had no reason to believe the hourss''s effect was permanent; that would make no sense for a shard item. She met eyes with Zoey and Delta. Delta, visibly fuming, eventually nodded, showing she did have at least some then you could be worried. This is nothing." It was, once again, a reminder that they came from different worlds. Both literally and metaphorically. Why was Zoey worried for her when all she had was a few scrapes? Rosalie had had training incidents ten times closer to being lethal. Rosalie pulled out a health potion and downed it. Delta did the same, and Zoey too, though after a small dy. Rosalie wiped her mouth, body tingling as the magic did its work. "We shouldn''t stay here," Rosalie said. "Time to relocate." She rubbed her forehead, eyes flicking again to Lucinda. "And I have a lot to exin." What a mess. *** They got themselves cleaned up and dressed while waiting for Lucinda''s stasis effect to wear off. Rosalie would rather vacate the room earlier thanter¡ªas to not be easy for the Church to approach a second time¡ªbut she found immediate retaliation highly unlikely, and so, there was no enormous rush. Also, Rosalie didn''t want to lug around a frozen statue of the Sentinel of the Sable Spear. While her armor and weapon didn''t immediately identify her¡ªand indeed, neither Delta nor the mercenaries had recognized Lucinda¡ªshe was still a distinguished figure. Rosalie would rather y things safe. She also had exnations to give Zoey and Delta. In broad strokes, she caught the two women up. That Lucinda was a prominent officer of the Deepshunters guild¡ªaical understatement¡ªand that she hade to Treyhull with the intent to drag Rosalie back. Rosalie exined she didn''t have much choice in the matter: with her arrival, their timeline had been forcibly elerated. "So, what?" Zoey said. "We have to track everyone down?" "As quickly as possible," Rosalie confirmed. "At the verytest, Lucinda won''t dy past midday tomorrow." And even that was optimistic. "I''m not sure Sabina is even ready to leave." "We''ll have to figure something out." Sabina, as well as Adrienne, could, of course, make the trip to Mantle at someter date, but it would be easier and safer if they came with Rosalie and her party. That''d been the n since the start. "Besides, the cultists have made it clear they''re willing to move against us. They tracked you down. They know your names and faces, possibly habits. Is it unreasonable they''d go for your acquaintances, now that a direct confrontation failed?" Zoey paled at the idea, and Rosalie wondered if she genuinely hadn''t considered it. To be fair, she was rattled from the fight: not everyone had the upbringing Rosalie had. She was more worried for Lucinda than anything¡ªwho''d had a corrupted artifact used on her. "Yeah," Zoey said slowly. "I guess not." "So we want to get moving quickly because of that, too." Lucinda''s instruction to get Rosalie to Mantle as fast as possible was honestly of second concern. Rosalie wanted out of Treyhull herself so that they didn''t have to worry about the Church, who, especially after this encounter, they had made stalwart enemies of. "We need to get in touch with Fe, too," Zoey said. "To get back the item we gave her." Rosalie grunted. "Seems like they''re usable. Some of them, at least." Though their stability concerned Rosalie. Did the cultists really know what they were doing, using a corrupted item? Rosalie doubted it. She nced at Lucinda, still frozen in time. "You think they lied about how it works?" Delta asked, also looking. She''d been uncharacteristically quiet throughout the discussion. "No." Rosalie felt confident in that. But obviously not withplete, utter certainty. "How long has it been?" "Fifteen minutes?" "They said the duration varies." Almost by divine timing, the stasis effect chose that exact moment to break. Lucinda, who had been frozen mid-lunge, instantly regained her forward momentum. Rosalie had recognized the possibility; they were standing well out of the woman''s warpath. In a ck streak, Lucinda''s spear carried forward, her weapon punching through the wall with less than zero effort. Rosalie could tell she''d pulled the strike; it would''ve obliterated the whole side of the room at full strength. Or a decent portion of the Guild quarters. Lucinda yanked her spear out, turned, and vanished her weaponry and gear in as smooth a process as she''d donned it, returning to her more casual outfit. Rosalie blinked at the fluidity Lucinda reoriented herself; she didn''t even seem disturbed. "I could still see and hear," Lucinda exined, seeming irritated. "I was just frozen." "Oh?" Rosalie said. That exined that. "Good fighting," Lucinda continued gruffly. "That could''ve gone worse. You handled yourself well. You two as well." She nodded at Zoey and Delta. Despite seeming in control of the situation, mostly unbothered by the unexpected¡ªimpossible¡ªway she''d been disabled, Rosalie knew her mentor well enough that she very much was disoriented. Her eyes were furious, even if her words were only mildly irritated. Perhaps she''d even been shaken to some extent. Part of the benefit of reaching the prestigious heights of seventh advancement was that she shouldn''t have to worry about lower-level opponents. Lucinda should''ve been all but immortal and unstoppable against the caliber of wayfarers Rosalie and her party had just fought. The corrupted hourss had thrown that assumption on its head. "Thanks?" Delta said. "But let''s skip the chit-chat," Lucinda said. "I''m Lucinda, yes. Good to meet you, Delta, Zoey. Now, let''s find those friends of yours, handle whatever bullshit you have left in this city, and leave." Her eyes flicked to the doorway. "It''s not safe, anymore." 5.59 – Last Minute Preparations 5.59 ¨C Last Minute Preparations Soon after, Zoey left for Sabina''s shop. There were a number of tasks that needed to be dealt with before their elerated departure. Of them, Sabina was Zoey''s responsibility. Fe, in the same crafting district, would be her next stop, and Adrienne herst. Delta would be handling Maddy and Aria. Rosalie, arranging new guides for the trip. She hoped everyone would be able to leave early, since she would much rather they made the long trip through the Fractures as a group. Such expeditions were dangerous, and having a squad of four wayfarers meant everyone would be much safer. Besides, the many hours of hiking would be more tolerable if she had Sabina there to continue her alchemy tutge. Several days of hiking could quickly be a chore, but thepany would make it less so. As she hurried through the streets¡ªit was deep in the evening, though night hadn''t quite fallen¡ªZoey''s thoughts couldn''t help but stray to the events of the past hour. So much had happened, and so quickly, that her head was still spinning. First, there was Lucinda. Who was she, really? Zoey hardly thought Rosalie was lying about the woman being her mentor, but it felt like an iplete exnation. The older woman had a presence. In the way a mountain ''had a presence.'' And the armor she''d equipped, that thick ck te mail, and her stretching obsidian spear. It''d been the most intricate, menacing set of equipment Zoey had ever seen. Zoey knew she couldn''t equate the appearance of gear to its strength or rarity in every case, but considering this was Rosalie''s mentor, she suspected it was safe to do so. How strong was Lucinda? What advancement? How important of a figure was she, in the Deepshunters Guild? For that matter, who was Rosalie? It was a question Zoey had been not ignoring, exactly, but had definitely set to the side, happy to let Rosalie give Zoey the answer in her own time. It didn''t matter to Zoey, not really, but considering recent developments, she found herself more curious than ever. There was also the fight. Zoey''s firstbat against other people. And what an explosive first. The image of Rosalie''s spear punching through the woman''s stomach was constantly intruding her thoughts. That strike had been aided by Zoey''s empowering spell; the stter of blood was on her hands as much as Rosalie¡¯s. Zoey had seen plenty of gore while fighting monsters, but this had been a person''s blood. An injury created by Rosalie''s¡ªand Zoey''s¡ªexplicit efforts. That was a different matter. She still felt woozy, remembering the encounter. And she was frustrated with herself for that. She''d known this adventure between worlds was going toe with violence, and not just violence restricted to mindless creatures. Of course, she would minimize it where possible, but conflict was in her future¡ªwith real people. She hade to terms with that; she was hardly stupid enough to have ignored the possibility. Still, that didn''t mean she could brush past how she and Rosalie had nearly killed a woman. Even if wayfarers were durable, that shot had been devastating. It¡¯d left a literal hole in her stomach. Almost more than that, it''d been Rosalie''s reaction to everything. Not just theck of hesitation she had acted with, but how little regard she showed for the wound she''d inflicted. Then afterward, the incredulity in her voice when Zoey had shown concern over her injuries. Rosalie was right; all things considered, it''d been a few scrapes, easily healed by a potion. But still. Altogether, it served as a stark reminder of thepany Zoey had fallen into. Who her girlfriend was. A warrior. Not in some fantasy romanticized sense: Rosalie killed things for a living. She had trained forbat her entire life. Bloodshed and violence didn''t give her a second''s pause. Not even when her opponents were living, breathing people. Perhaps Rosalie had purposefully avoided killing that woman when she easily could have, but she might not have been overly bothered if it had been necessary. Had Rosalie killed someone already, even? Would that not have been her first? What had her training been like, growing up? What trials had she faced to earn the talent she so effortlessly disyed? For all Zoey had considered the topic in an abstract way, the questions seemed far more real, after theirst fight. Zoey should have put more effort into learning about Rosalie''s past, however much the woman purposefully guided conversations away from the topic. On the trip over to the crafting district, Zoey didn''t quite manage to steady her swimming thoughts. But her concerns were reced with immediate matters. Finding Sabina''s storefront, she tested the front door, only to find that it was locked. Fortunately, she had a key; she pulled it out and let herself in. Sabina was in her workshop. Zoey hadn''t expected to find the woman anywhere else, evente into the evening. Sabina''s work was her entire life. The tall, antlered woman nced over at Zoey as she appeared at the workshop doorway, having heard the bell jingle on her way in. "Zoey," Sabina said in polite greeting, keeping her attention on her boiling cauldron. "What brings you here, at this hour?" "We''ve got problems." The hand stirring the cauldron went still. "An ominous opening," Sabinamented. "Exin?" Zoey did so. In broad strokes, sheid it out. That their three-day set-off time had been reduced to tonight¡ªor otherwise as fast as feasibly possible, since they were in danger. Zoey didn''t go into the exact details, and neither did Sabina press for them. By the end, Sabina didn''t seem perturbed. Her lips pursed as she stirred her cauldron, considering the situation. "I''ve packed everything truly important into my inventory," Sabina eventually said. "Much of therger equipment is yet to be packaged. As you can see." She gestured around at her only half-disassembled alchemical workshop. "However, most of it could be reced at Mantle. We don''t necessarily need to bring it ourselves. Re-outfitting from scratch would simply be more expensive." "But you could leave?" "Not immediately," Sabina said. "I''d need at least a few hours. And likely, to borrow some of your inventory space. How much do you have in reserve?" "A lot, I think." Wayfaring-type sses hadrger inventories than most other ss types. A craftswoman like Sabina could only store so much, but Zoey, a wayfarer with runes between third and fourth advancement, had a muchrger storage space¡ªenough to carry back the impressive hauls that came with long expeditions. "Then if it''s necessary, it''s necessary," Sabina said. "I can leave by tonight." Zoey breathed a sigh of relief. She didn''t want to create extra hassle for Sabina by forcing her to leave much of her stuff behind, but in the grand scheme of things, it was the better option. So long as she packed what she couldn''t do without¡ªher custom equipment and rare, crucial reagents¡ªthen she was right: they could simply re-outfit Sabina when they arrived. With their business''s recently booming sess, they would have plenty of funds to do so. Especially when they went into full business. "Okay. Great. Perfect. Do you have Adrienne''s address?" "I do." "Can I have it?" "Of course." Sabina supplied directions, and Zoey jotted them down. "I''ll be back after I talk with Fe," Zoey said. "I''ve got some item stuff I need to take care of with her. Then I''ll see if Adrienne''s good. After that, I''ll be back to help you." "I''ll need an hour or two to arrange everything. Take your time." Zoey nodded to herself. "Okay, I''ll see you then." Sabina hummed her agreement, stirring her potion batch, her attention only half on Zoey. Like typical for the stoic woman, she was taking the frantic developmentpletely in stride. Not having time to waste, Zoey departed. Fe''s shop wasn''t much of a walk; the two stores were in the same district. But to her dismay, browsing hours had passed; the door rattled when Zoey tugged on it. And obviously, she had no key like she did with Sabina''s shop. She tried knocking, but got no response, even when she all but pounded on the door. "Damn." Biting her lip, Zoey considered her options. She couldn''t wait until tomorrow¡ªnot unless it was a hundred percent necessary, and even then, who knew what Lucinda would allow¡ªand the corrupted artifact was too important to give up on. After nearly killing someone, what was breaking and entering? Zoey just hoped Fe was a workaholic like Sabina, and upied inside her workshop, not out and about. Otherwise, Zoey had major problems. Peering around¡ªand the streets were unfortunately not empty; it wasn''t that why, but I''m leaving early, probably tonight. I need that item we gave you. And a rundown on whatever you learned about it." Fe blinked rapidly, still clutching the framed piece of ss. She looked at Zoey, then back to the enormous tablet with dozens of highlighted runes. "Right. Uh ¡­ okay? I can do that." She looked back at Zoey. "But my door? Really?" "It was loud. I don''t know how you didn''t hear. Someone probably called the guards on me. How much do you think it''ll cost to fix?" Zoey pulled out a purse of coins from her inventory and started counting out an estimate. Well, a generous overestimate, but seeing how she''d broken the woman''s door down, Zoey thought that was fair. "It''s fine, I suppose ¡­" Fe said, confusedly taking the coins she passed over. "I just hope you''re alright? Nothing too bad has happened, right?" "I''m fine. But staying in Treyhull isn''t an option. We''ve been meaning to head out soon, anyway." Zoey winced. "And, I''m sorry, but we''re really on a time crunch. So the item, please?" Fe shook off her disorientation. "Of course. Let me go grab it." A momentter, Fe returned with the corrupted item in tow. Zoey was unable to stop herself from being briefly amused by its appearance. [Wand of Remote Pleasure]: Rare. Equip, then activate from a distant location to provide a thrilling experience. The words were horrendously jumbled inside her head, difficult to read, but she''d pieced together the description back at Mel''s shard. A remote vibrator. Hardly anything that surprising, considering the shard''s usual fare, but it was still funny to refer to the item in a serious manner¡ªespecially as something important. "Thanks," Zoey said, taking it. "What''d you learn?" Fe''s eyes lit up with excitement. "Oh, so much," she started gushing. "There''s a lot I have to tell you. I''m not sure how to condense it, either. How much of a rush are we in?" "A lot. But if it''s important, that''s fine." She couldn''t waste time chatting, but anything Fe had learned of a corrupted item was of the highest priority: it rted to Zoey''s ultimate mission, the literal decline of the world''s stability. So she could spare a few minutes for that. "Okay, then, first, I''ll exin the item''s effects," Fe said. "What it does at a base level." "You figured that out?" Zoey asked, surprised. She''d been resigned to the corrupted item being entirely stubborn in its ability to be deciphered, and Fe not discovering much through standard artificing methods. But maybe that wasn''t the case? "Basically, it empowers abilities. You equip it, and, um," Fe trailed off for a second, then blushed. "And, you know, use it like it''s meant to be used. You know how that works¡ª?" "I do," Zoey said. The concept of a remote vibrator was hardly foreign to her, if, admittedly, it wasn''t something she''d gotten up to, back home. "Right. Well, you use it, and on the, erm, final event, it bestows a powerful temporary boost to a random skill. How that boost manifests changes depending on the skill it attaches itself to." "Wow." That sounded strong. "How''d you figure that out?" "It''s strangely stable," Fe said, confirming Zoey''s suspicion. "I expected it to be a lot more difficult to work with, but even several of my traditional methods," she gestured idly behind her, to the enormous tablet with runes inscribed on it, "illuminated quite a bit about the item. The oddest thing is, all things considered, maybe it was broken in a good way. As if there were ¡­ limitations installed into the item that restricted it to the utility of a first-advancement piece of shard loot, but that, thanks to whatever happened to it, those restrictions disappeared. Or lessened. But the core functionality seems to be just that: the core functionality, unaffected by how it''d been damaged. It operates entirely as intended. Well ¡­ sort of." "Sort of?" That was a concerning rification. "There''s some instability," Fe said. "But not in a dangerous way, from what I''ve seen. The effects it grants, the strength and type of those effects, how long it should take to recharge¡ªthere seems to be significant variance, more than I would expect from an item like it. Not that I really have a guideline to go on for magical sex loot, but, you know." She shrugged. "I''ve done this most my life, so I can make educated guesses. I think a lot of standardized factors are in flux, thanks to its current state." Zoey considered the appraisal. The exnation made sense, especially after Zoey had been on the receiving end of the hourss, which was a broken item that had also been too strong while remaining functional. "So, in summary, I''d call it mostly safe to use," Fe concluded. "Especially since it''s so strong you almost can''t afford to not. Still, I''d be wary of unintended or unusual effects. I think it can be used like a regr item, but I can''t give any kind of guarantee. It is a broken item." Zoey supposed this was the best-case scenario for the item. She''d expected it to be a total wash. Still, she was worried about even a chance of it malfunctioning. "So final call, you would use it, if you were in our ce?" As an artificer, a woman who worked with magical items for a living, her professional opinion held more weight than Zoey''s. Fe hesitated. Her cheeks colored. "Well ¡­ full honesty ¡­ I already have. So yes, I would." Zoey''s eyebrows went up. "S-Sorry," Fe said. "It''s the only way I''d feelfortable telling you that it''s safe to use. I should''ve asked before taking that liberty, but I got carried away. It was such a fascinating assignment!" She hesitated, tucking a strand of her white hair behind her ear. "And it actually happened pretty early on," Fe said sheepishly. "It''s part of the reason I made so much progress on inspecting it. The item''s activation boosted one of my passive artificing skills. An intuition-type ability. You wouldn''t believe how much I''ve learned these past few days, thanks to that. About everything, honestly. I''ve made huge strides in my ss. I''ve slept a few hours this entire week, I''ve been so absorbed in my work." Huh. That was a lot to take in. Zoey was d to hear the item worked, then, and it wasn''t just a guess: Fe had literally used it, and confirmed its stability first-hand. Zoey disapproved, not because she hadn''t asked first, but because of the recklessness¡ªthe danger she''d put herself in. But Fe was the best person to judge the risks associated with such a thing, so Zoey supposed she couldn''t make too many judgments. And everything had worked out in the end. Though, the idea of her using it produced some imagery that gave Zoey pause. "That''s good, I suppose," Zoey said. "It sounds strong. And ¡­ valuable." "Valuable?" Fe asked with a snort. "That''s an understatement. It''s better than anything else you''ve brought in, and those were already amazing items." She nodded to herself. "Seriously, you''ve got to be the luckiest wayfarer I''ve ever heard of. That thing''s worth a king''s ransom. It boosts skills, for heaven''s sake!" Zoey considered the item in her hands. ''A king''s ransom''? Fe sounded like she was only half exaggerating. Combined with the enormously useful effect, and being an item that was corrupted, and thus immensely valuable from a research standpoint, it was worth a a pile of gold. Literally. "And you just handed it back to us?" Zoey asked, her brow furrowing. Fe blinked. "Sorry," Zoey said quickly. "I didn''t mean it like that. Just, you know¡ª" She shrugged. "You''ve been nothing but great to us, but if this is worth as much as you say ¡­" she trailed off. "I''m just impressed at your integrity, I guess?" She winced. "I''m not trying to be insulting." "I''m a professional," Fe said after a moment, fortunately not taking Zoey''s words badly. "Besides, I care more about learning than anything. In advancing my ss. Money is nice, but it''s not the be-all end-all. And getting on the bad side of powerful wayfarers," she gave Zoey a pointed look, "is just an awful idea. I like sleeping at night." She frowned. "But mostly," she insisted, with a hint of offense, "it''s because I''m not a thief." "Sorry," Zoey repeated. "I know you aren''t." That hadn''t been what she was implying. In fact, the opposite. "I''m lucky to have hired someone with such high standards." That was why Fe''s trustworthiness hade up at all. Initially, inviting Fe back to Mantle hadn''t been part of the n; she was just the woman who inspected their items. But maybe they should. Collecting trustworthy andpetent allies felt smart, especially ones already ustomed to Zoey''s ss, and happy to keep the secret. The sheepgirl had more than proven both parts of that. Biting her lip, Zoey made the executive decision. Fe deserved an offer. Maybe she wouldn''t be able to¡ªmaybe her life was tied down in Treyhull¡ªbut Zoey would at least give her the option. So, Zoey exined the situation. In both good and bad news, the sheepgirl seemed amenable to the idea, but not prepared to leave in as quick a timeframe as Sabina. Or evenpletely sure whether she wanted to. Fe told Zoey she would consider the offer, especially since it meant further ess to the strange brand of items Zoey''s team earned from shards. Odds seemed high Fe would make the trip to Mantle, but only after she tied up loose ends and properly got herself packed. She wouldn''t being with them tonight. Or maybe even within a week. Zoey could hardly fault her for that. Shortly after, Zoey had to leave. She said her goodbyes, gave the sheepgirl a quick hug¡ªwhich seemed to fluster the woman¡ªand then set out back into the city. Of the tasks Zoey had been assigned, she had one more stop. Adrienne. 5.61 – Setting Out 5.61 ¨C Setting Out After Fe, Zoey rushed off to Adrienne''s address, using the directions Sabina had given her. She arrived to a nondescript apartment building in one of Treyhull''s many residential districts. She knocked several times on the door, hoping Adrienne wouldn''t be out and about. And there were good odds she would be, knowing the woman. She was no Sabina, always locked in her workshop. But, continuing the good luck for the night¡ªin the sense of getting in contact with everyone¡ªAdrienne opened the door after the second barrage of knocks. "Hey," Zoey said. "You have a minute?" "Zoey! What are you doing here?" A beaming smile spread across Adrienne''s face, which, of course, tugged a returning smile to Zoey''s own. "Talk? Of course. Just, um, give me a second, won''t you?" "Uh," Zoey said, but she didn''t get a real chance to reply¡ªto tell Adrienne that it was urgent. Adrienne closed the door. Since Sabina and Fe had gone swimmingly, Zoey wasn''t in as much of a rush. Adrienne was herst stop for the night, and Sabina had even explicitly asked for an hour or two to organize her workshop before Zoey returned to help her pack. So she was on schedule. That said, Zoey didn''t want to be idling around, either. If she finished early with Adrienne, then she''d head back to check on Rosalie and Delta and see what developments were happening there. Hopefully, Maddy and Aria hadn''t been difficult to track down. Zoey shifted her weight from foot to foot as she waited outside Adrienne''s apartment. A minute or two passed before she returned. The door swung open, and for a second, Zoey failed to understand what she was seeing. Because she''de back in lingerie. The sheer bra cups barely concealed her full, round breasts. Her cleavage spilled over the top enticingly. Zoey could see through hercy panties. Zoey''s eyes, without input from her brain, drifted across the expanse of Adrienne''s scarcely d form, taking in the curve of her waist and her smooth skin. Her brain briefly short-circuited. Adrienne had asked for a moment, so that she could ¡­ change out of pajamas and into lingerie? "Sorry about that," Adrienne said with a cheeky smile. "Just wanted to throw something morefortable on. You know, to get properly ready for this surprise visit." Zoey reined in her wandering eyes, snapping her attention upward. "Uh," Zoey managed. "It''s no problem?" Adrienneughed, then grabbed Zoey''s hand. "Please,e in." Zoey let herself be guided into Adrienne''s apartment, trying¡ªand failing¡ªnot to stare at Adrienne''s swaying hips and the way her panties clung to her ass. "Please, sit," Adrienne offered, and, with Zoey''s thoughts as derailed as they were, she simply did as she''d been told. "You want tea? Or anything? Coffee, since it''s going to be ate night?" "Um," Zoey said. The innuendo was obvious, and her thoughts derailed a second time. It took a moment for her to reply. "No, no thanks. That''s fine." Adrienne grinned. "Is it maybe another treat that you want?" "Uh." Maybe at Zoey''sck of eloquence, or more likely because the woman simply didn''t mind taking the initiative, Adrienne stopped wasting time. She sashayed over to Zoey and climbed onto herp. Zoey''s hands went to her waist without conscious input. "We can skip the forey if I''ve already got you tongue-tied," Adrienne grinned. "It''s ttering, having this effect on a woman like you." She cradled Zoey''s face in two hands. "I''ve been wondering forever when you would stop by. To think I almost went out tonight, and missed this." The sensation of Adrienne''s weight pressing down on herp sent an undeniable signal to Zoey''s body. Her lower half responded, arousal swelling up and into Adrienne¡ªwho adjusted herself, wiggling her hips around to rub her ass into Zoey''s swelling cock, obviously wanting it to get harder, faster. "Oh, my," Adrienne breathed out, the hot wash of air going directly on Zoey''s face. "That''s ¡­ a lot." Her eyes widened as she felt the full extent of Zoey''s size, swelling to full mast rapidly. "Wow." Zoey swallowed, her heart thumping as she tried to regain control of the situation. Or to recollect her thoughts at all. The sheer physical response was unexpected and intense¡ªbecause she was especially vulnerable, right now. Before Rosalie and all of the night''s chaos had barged in, she''d been fourteen inches inside Delta, pping into the woman''s ass and only a few moments away from explosive release. A release that had been unceremoniously cut off, denied, and reced with urgent matters of life and death. Zoey had never gotten to vent that frustration, and here was the aftermath: the way the thoughts of Zoey''s lower half took overpletely. Adrienne shifted around in Zoey''sp, grinding her ass in. As she explored¡ªgetting a feel for what she was in for¡ªher eyes continued to widen. "I mean, I knew you were packing, but this is seriously impressive, Zoey. How big is it?" Her words dripped with appreciation. And despite her attempts to regain herposure, Adrienne''s lingerie-d breasts were right in Zoey''s face. How could she possibly think straight, like that? "I''m d you like it," Zoey managed to get out, finally saying something, if not what she should. The rush of heat flooding through her was way too intoxicating. "Approve? I''m a little more than approving. How do you even walk around with this thing?" Her hand explored between their lower halves, tracing the outline that strained against the fabric of Zoey''s pants. She leaned forward and murmured into Zoey''s ear, "And let me just say. I''m so d my boss is willing to take a hands-on management approach. It''s a little naughty, though, don''t you think?" Boss? Because ¡­ Adrienne was her employee. Sort of. And that was why Zoey hade here. To tell her about their elerated departure. The word finally sparked Zoey''s brain back into a semi-working state. She grabbed Adrienne''s wrist, stopping the distracting stroking happening between their bodies. "Adrienne. This isn''t actually why I came here." Adrienne paused. She didn''t seem toprehend the words. She looked at Zoey with a nk face. "What?" Her hips wiggled forward and back, grinding into Zoey''sp, undeterred. "What do you mean?" Her face burning, Zoey said, "I''m here on business." "Business?" "Sorry if I gave you the wrong impression." Though, Zoey didn''t see how she could have. She''d said all of a few words before the woman had rushed off to get changed into lingerie¡ªand impressively fast, at that. Not that Zoey was remotely, in the slightest, even a tiny bitining. Just, now unfortunately wasn''t the time. Plus, Zoey didn''t know how to feel about the fact she was technically Adrienne''s boss. There was a power dynamic there Zoey didn''tpletely like. That said, Adrienne had been more than willing to y into it. And Zoey was only her boss in a roundabout manner. Finally, Adrienne seemed to digest Zoey''s words. Or that she was serious. Her face started to burn red, and, mortified, she climbed off Zoey''sp, who also stood, adjusting her pants. "Oh," Adrienne said. "Oh, I''m so sorry. I just assumed, because, well¡ª" "It''s fine," Zoey assured her just as quickly. "It''s not¡ª" "Usually I can read this sort of thing. I thought for sure. Because you looked kind of¡ªwell, um¡ªpent up?¡ªnot that¡ª" "It''s fine!" Zoey said. "Maybe another time?" Zoey cringed; she hadn''t meant to say that. She didn''t know if she even should be with Adrienne, considering their professional rtionship. "I came here on business," Zoey repeated, brushing past it. "And I have to get back to Sabina soon." Not too soon, but being here, in Adrienne''s apartment, her tight, curvy body being hugged by lingerie, Zoey didn''t trust her judgment. She could easily get lost for a few hours, if Adrienne yed her cards right. It''d only been through a miracle that Zoey had remembered why she''de here. "Some stuff has happened. We need to leave Treyhull tonight. I came here to tell you that." "Tonight?!" "And I''m sorry for just dropping that on you, but does it work? Is it possible?" Adrienne reeled as she took in the news. And, probably, from the mimunication. "I mean, my stuff isn''t finished being packed, but¡ª" "Could you grab the important stuff?" Zoey asked. "It''s an emergency. I''ll pay you back for everything you can''t." "I¡ªI guess that''s fine? It''s that urgent?" "It is." "What happened?" she asked incredulously. "Did you kill someone?" Zoey winced, since the confrontation with the cultists nearly had been that, and Adrienne''s eyes widened, thinking she''d gotten it right. "No," Zoey said quickly. "No. Just, made a few enemies. It''s a whole thing. And we need to get going because of it." She didn''t distrust Adrienne, but she didn''t trust her either, not with the full story. "Anyway, I came here to deliver the message. My party and I will have some extra inventory space, so put your important boxes aside, and we can scoop them up. You shouldn''t have to leave too much behind. We''ll be back in a few hours." "O-Okay¡­?" Zoey cleared her throat. "Well, that''s all I had." Then, in the world''s awkwardest move, Zoey held her hand out. Adrienne shook it, seeming confused. She would hug her, but that felt¡ªa little inappropriate, right now. "We''ll see you then," Zoey said, face burning. "Two hours, give or take." "Bye?" Adrienne said, still seeming like she didn''t know what was going on. With nothing more to say, Zoey fled the apartment. That conversation ¡­ probably could''ve gone better. Then again, it could''ve gone worse. Adrienne could have kept her trapped there all night. *** When Zoey returned to her teammates, the rest of the wrap-up errands had been handled. Maddy was there, collected by Delta. The blue-haired girl was the easiest person to bring in, since, as a wayfarer, she was always ready to uproot her life and trek off somewhere new. The only thing holding her down, maybe, would be identifying artifacts from a previous shard, but Maddy had been hanging out in Treyhull for a while; she''d taken care of all that a while ago. Aria, the priestess, had also been collected by Delta. She seemed disoriented to be there. Zoey breathed a sigh of relief that she''d been sorted out without difficulty. Zoey owed the woman a long talk¡ªshe was obviously bursting with questions about Ephy, and the goddess''smand to act as Zoey''s ''High Priestess''. That would have to wait a bit longer, though. Rosalie and Lucinda had handled hiring new guides. Unfortunately, the ones they''d gotten into contact with beforehand were going to have to be left out to dry. There were no means that Zoey could think of to get into contact with them, or at least, none that would be hassle-free and quick. So their previous arrangements would have to go unhonored. From there, as a group, they trekked out to Sabina''s and scooped up everything she''did out as important. Following that was Adrienne¡ªwho was no longer in lingerie, and who had found a sudden nervousness for meeting Zoey''s eyes. At least she was embarrassed too; they were mutually flustered by the mimunication. And so, their squad made the long trip down one of Treyhull''s many enormous tree-trunk spiral staircases, then, shortly, they left the city behind for good. Their destination: Mantle, the capital of the Deepshunters Guild, and more importantly, Rosalie''s family. 6.01 – One More Detour 6.01 ¨C One More Detour The estimated travel time that the guides provided was five days, and that would be at an expeditious pace aided by downing stamina potions every few hours. The trip could be made shorter if they didn''t have civilians along for the trip¡ªSabina, Adrienne, Aria¡ªbut Lucinda''s goal was to get Rosalie to safety, which meant out of Treyhull and under her protection. A dy in travel time wasn''t something she would refuse them, though neither did she seem happy by it. A full squad of wayfarers would have cut the trip length dramatically. Still, her goal was Rosalie''s safety, and that had been achieved. There were, unfortunately, no shortcuts through the Fractures¡ªnot to Zoey''s knowledge, though maybe there were some¡ªand so, the party simply needed to trek through the constantly shiftingndscape of pocket dimensions, following their guides. After the chaos of yesterday, Zoey appreciated the reprieve. Just trekking along. Low-stress and action-free. As was a risk with the Fractures, monsters popped up, but with four wayfarers¡ªmuch less Lucinda¡ªthe creatures were dispatched with little effort. Their guides kept them in the safer areas anyway. While mapping the Fractures was an impossible task, with zones constantly linking and unlinking, the whole purpose of having guides was they were up to date on the local pocket realms. They kept everyone moving in the right direction and avoided the troublesome zones. Though with Lucinda''s request, they didn''t hesitate to head through some of the more dangerous ces, if it meant speeding their trip up¡ªsince ''some danger'' meant ''no danger'' when apanied by the higher-advancement wayfarer. Zoey still didn''t know what progression she was, but it had to be pretty high. The trek was made more pleasant since Zoey had something productive to keep her upied. Sabina. Of course, her quizzes weren''t quite as fun as the ones she normally held for Zoey in the privacy of her workshop, but being questioned and instructed on various parts of alchemy was better than being left alone with her thoughts for the many hours of trudging along through rough terrain¡ªas came with finding and leaving shards. Delta liked to hover in on the lessons, too, though Zoey doubted it was because she''d taken an interest in potion-making. Instead, Delta had seemed immediately taken in by the tall, stern antlered woman. Zoey didn''t me her; she''d been drawn by those serious gray eyes too. Sabina, on the other hand, much disapproved of the distraction Delta provided to Zoey during her tutge¡ªor, at least outwardly, Sabina did. Her first stern scolding of the fox-girl had anything but the desired effect, though. Delta seemed to freeze up entirely when Sabina leveled that serious gaze at her and told her to stop ''sidetracking her pupil'' in a firm, but chiding manner. After nodding mutely, Delta shared a wide-eyed look with Zoey, which Zoey could interpret easily: it seemed Zoey wasn''t the only one who was weak to the ''serious older teacher'' thing that Sabina had going on. So despite trying to fend off Delta as a distraction, Sabina only roped Delta into even more of her lessons¡ªand the foxgirl constantly tried to get herself scolded by Sabina with silly remarks and ridiculous questions. Zoey honestly couldn''t tell whether Sabina was ying into the dynamic by chiding the foxgirl whenever she spoke up, or whether her disapproval was genuine. Maybe it was a bit of both. Either way, the two took to each other in an amusing way. On the third night of their travels, as they were setting up camp and more than halfway to Mantle¡ªand in Deepshunter territory rather than Striders, for the first time¡ªRosalie snuck Zoey a message in her notebook. It read: ''We need to talk. The whole team, without Lucinda overhearing. Can you do that with a dream potion?'' Zoey, of course, was instantly perplexed by the request¡ªsince Lucinda seemed a very genuine ally of Rosalie''s, so what did she have to hide?¡ªbut that night, when she settled down, she did as Rosalie had requested. As with many aspects of her ss and the items they''d earned, Zoey hadn''t put the dream potions to great use: the downside of limited time and a frantic schedule. But, from what she knew, she suspected she could drag multiple people into the same dream, even if it hadn''t been part of her experiments. When she was sure everyone had drifted off, she took a dose of the strange-tasting concoction, then tucked the vial away and closed her eyes, letting the effect seize her consciousness. Soon, she was floating high above in that murky ckness. Except this time, there wasn''t an ocean of colorful orbs¡ªeach a person''s dream¡ªbeneath her, but rather, just a handful. Her traveling party. There were others sparsely spread in the distance, representing others making trips through the Fractures. Zoey itched to take a peek at everyone''s respective dreams, but she wasn''t going to vite her allies'' privacy in that way. While she''d taken some liberties to do so with strangers back at Treyhull, she didn''t know Maddy, Sabina, Adrienne, or Lucinda well enough to invade on them, as she might Rosalie or Delta¡ªif their orbs were pink. Though, her curiosity was piqued seeing the varying hues, the images in the swirling mist inside the dream orbs. Instead, she experimented with how to merge dreams. Floating around in her shapeless body, she dragged Rosalie''s and Delta''s orbs together, using the binding ''strings'' that emanated from her to them. Their rtionship links. As she''d hoped, it was as easy as that. The two orbs squeezed against each other, then popped into a singlerger one. Zoey grabbed Maddyst, then dove into the dreamscape. She popped into existence in a cramped, run-down, dingy apartment. Her three teammates were there, all of them looking disoriented at having had their dreamsmandeered. And also at the boost of lucidity that came with the dream turning ''real''. "Where are we?" Rosalie asked, her brow scrunched as she scanned the room. With peeling paint, stained carpets, and broken light fixtures, it was one of the more dpidated living spaces Zoey had seen. There were several mattressesid out on the living room floor, as if the room was serving as a living space for far too many people. "My family''s old apartment," Delta said, sounding somewhat irritated at answering. She faced Zoey. "Why''d you pick my dream?" Huh? This was where Delta''s family had lived? It was small for a one-person apartment. "I didn''t," Zoey said. She obviously hadn''t meant to steal the scenery from Delta''s dream, or anyone''s. It had picked it at random. Delta was clearly not pleased it had happened. "I just merged them. I think I can probably¡ª" With slight difficulty, the surroundings fuzzed. She already knew she could manipte the dream space around her, but changing entire scenery was harder than tweaking one or two things. It would take practice if she wanted better control. One of many things Zoey intended to, but hadn''t had a chance to, improve on. Since her target was their old shared room at the Treyhull''s guild, the morphing wasn''t too difficult: the familiar sight appeared around them. "There," Zoey said. "You kept the blood?" Rosalie asked dryly, looking down at the stained carpet and rubbing her foot into it. "Didn''t mean to." With another brief moment of concentration, she cleaned up the damage from their fight against the cultists. "Uhh," Maddy said slowly. "So¡­what''s going on? Is this real? It feels real. How''d I get here?" Zoey blinked at their fourth party member. Right. Maddy had never been given an exnation of how the dream potions worked. There were a lot of things their newest addition hadn''t been told about, including the most important: the end of the world and such. That was something they were saving for when they''d been through at least a single shard together. But the dream potion wasn''t that big of a deal, so Zoey egave her the run-down. Maddy seemed fascinated, as predictable. She''d consistently been interested in the strange aspects of Zoey''s ss. Rosalie reigned them in, having called the group together for a reason. "So," she said. "It was our n before Lucinda''s intervention that we would finish one more shard before heading to Mantle. Do we still want to do that?" The three of them blinked. "You think she''ll let us?" Delta asked. "No. Hence this." Rosalie gestured around at the secretive dream meeting. "She won''t see it as necessary and is already dying more than she wants. But Zoey has that skill that amplifies experience the longer we go between shards. Seeing how we might be stuck in Mantle as we handle¡ªwell, everything, we should activate it to let it build up again." Her eyes turned to Maddy. "And, of course, we should get a feel for our new teammate." "Yeah," Delta said, "but how are we gonna sneak away? I''m pretty sure that woman has eyes in the back of her head." "It''ll be easier than you think. Lucinda won''t be expecting it." "She won''t?" Rosalie pursed her lips. "I don''t have a reputation for ¡­ being disobedient. She won''t expect me to act against her. So, we just have to be quiet and leave while she''s asleep. I''m certain it''ll work." Delta seemed to find the im of Rosalie''s obedience delightful, which Rosalie had obviously expected, based on how she''d hesitated before saying it. But Zoey cut in before Delta could start teasing. "What about Sabina, Adrienne, and Aria?" "Lucinda will escort them to Mantle. I''ll leave her a note telling her I''m headed for home directly after the shard. No more than a day behind. She might try to pursue us, but I doubt that. She''ll recognize it as futile. I n to be in a shard before morninges." "You''re sure that''s a good idea? Leaving them with her?" "They won''t be in any danger. She''ll be upset, but on my request¡ªand exnation, in the note¡ªshe''ll ensure their safe trip to the city." Zoey hesitated, but epted the reasoning, even if she wasn''t thrilled about the idea of leaving everyone in the hands of a stranger¡ªeven one Rosalie trusted. She felt responsible for them. As she should be; she was the entire reason they''d uprooted their lives to head to Mantle. "I don''t have any problems with a quick delve," Maddy offered. "But, we can just go to Mantle, too. I''ll do whatever the team wants." "Hm," Delta said, thinking a little harder on it. "Honestly, it has been a bit. I vote shard. It was our n anyways. And I could use another rank-up." Sheughed. "Can you imagine? I just got one. No way the skill is that crazy, even for Zoey." Rosalie''s expression suggested she disagreed¡ªor at least wasn''t so certain. Maybe Rosalie and Delta would reach fourth advancement, this very shard. Possibly Maddy too, but Zoey didn''t know how close she was. Probably closer than Delta, who had recently ranked up. Seeing first-hand the benefits of Zoey''s ss would be a strong incentive for Maddy to stick with the team. She was looking at Delta as if the foxgirl were joking about the possibility of another boost in advancement after just one shard. The poor girl only knew the basics of Zoey''s ss; she''d yet to be thrown off the deep end. Zoey suspected that whatever they found would be a quick way to rectify that. Maddy would be acquainted, rather rapidly, with the absurdity that made up Zoey''s life. "Then it''s a n," Zoey said. "A shard, first." 6.02 – The Third Shard 6.02 ¨C The Third Shard As Rosalie had predicted, the n went off without a hitch. They put as much distance between themselves and Lucinda as they could. Leaving early in the night, even the higher-advancement wayfarer shouldn''t be able to catch them. Though, Rosalie didn''t seem to take muchfort in that. She pressed hard, having the team run for hours straight. Zoey was fortunately well beyond her embarrassing starting point: hours of running posed little difficulty, as much thanks to her own improved stats as the ones she had gained from the team. Rosalie wanted to find a shard and enter it before Lucinda woke. She seemed oddly confident they would be able to do so. Zoey had found that confidence somewhat odd, since, as far as she knew, shards weren''t easy to track down. Oftentimes, travel was only half the problem: crawling over one of the pocket dimensions of the Fractures and actually locating a shard entrance could be an effort that took days, or even weeks if a person were particrly unlucky. If Zoey found it odd with only her superficial knowledge of shards and the Fractures, then of course Delta, the native to this world, also found it strange. She was the one to outright question Rosalie on the topic. "Is it thatpass thing you''re always carrying around?" she asked. "It helps find shards, somehow? I didn''t know artifacts like that existed. Has to be rare. Where''d you get it?" Rosalie hesitated for a few moments before responding. She frowned and tucked away thepass. "Actually, it''s a skill," she said. "Thepass is a decoy." Delta whistled in appreciation. While not directlybat-relevant, being able to swiftly track down shards exined Rosalie''s rapid progress to second advancement. Of course, no one med Rosalie for not exining her skill earlier, or using thepass artifact¡ªthe fake artifact¡ªas a decoy to obfuscate the ability. If anything, that Rosalie was willing to share the details of her ss showed that she was growing more trusting of the party. Zoey might rattle off her skills to just about anyone without thinking twice about it, but in reality, doing so was a big deal. Zoey didn''t know a single of Delta''s or Maddy''s abilities, beyond the obvious ones she could piece together from seeing them fight. Over the course of several hours, they traversed across four pocket dimensions before Rosalie guided them to a shard entrance. Each of the strange portals manifested in different ways. This shimmering ck magical doorway was situated underneath an enormous fallen tree. The portal was two feet tall and twelve or so wide, filling up the hollow space between the felled tree and the ground. They had to enter sideways, shuffling awkwardly in the dirt to fit. Without ceremony¡ªthey were in a rush¡ªthey entered the shard one by one, with Rosalie leading, and Zoeyst. *** As with every time before, entry into the shard came with a moment of disorientation. Zoey elbowed off the stone floor,ing back to awareness with¡ªnot grogginess, but something close. The disorientation cleared as she blinked and took in her surroundings. Having been through this process a few times, Zoey ran through her checklist. Was she safe? Yes, in an immediate sense. Her eyes darted across the cavernous room she''d arrived in, taking it in as fast as she reasonably could. Several of the shards before had been of a man-made aesthetic, but this one was a sprawling underground cave system. Red veins of some glowing material spiderwebbed across the ceiling, snaking between stctites of various sizes, and pulsing in a slow rhythm. As if the red veins were inhaling, then exhaling. The air was hot, not stifling, but ufortable, making sweat bead on her forehead. And the reason for the heat was obvious: more even than the veins of red material covering the rocky ceiling and walls, which glowed red-hot to her senses, there was, on the far end of the spacious natural room, ake of magma. Literally. An orange, cid pond, superheating and warping the air above it. Zoey''s eyebrows rose, seeing the strange sight, but she moved on. She was scanning for danger, and the pool ofva didn''t indicate anything like that¡ªthough she was concerned about some monster crawling from it. Soon, she had finished her appraisal. The cavernous room seemed empty of hostiles. They were safe. She hadn''t been thrown immediately intobat, which Rosalie had mentioned was rare, but more than possible. Next, Zoey concerned herself with her teammates. Once again, the team had been split up, though at least Zoey hadn''t arrived alone this time. Or with a clone of herself, as had happened with the second shard. Instead, Maddyy on the floor next to her, still unconscious. Zoey had woken¡ªif that was the correct word¡ªfirst between the two of them. Zoey looked inward, inspecting thest important item on her checklist. Did she have ess to her inventory? The answer was, as the previous shards, sort of. Many of her practical preparations¡ªher ''normal''bat gear and weapons¡ªhad been stolen. At the same time, she hadn''t been emptied out. Of particr note: her primary weapon, a third-advancement wand which Rosalie had insisted she buy in case a situation like this cropped up, remained, as did her alchemical collection kits. She said a silent thank-you for thest part. It meant she''d be able to make plenty of collections for Sabina to toy around with when she returned. Zoey cataloged all those crucial details in the first few seconds of waking. The stranger, more specific details, she had forced herself to ignore. But now that she had confirmed she was safe, she allowed herself to take in her circumstances in their entirety, rather than just the most important factors. She hadn''t arrived naked. She''d noticed it immediately upon gaining consciousness, of course, but had temporarily ignored it. Now, she looked down at herself. She was wearing ¡­ a bodysuit. cktex hugged her body from the neck down, conforming to her curves without an inch of space anywhere. Except, not really, but some magical fantasy world equivalent? Because the glossy ck material didn''t make the noises she would expect when she swung her arm around, testing the outfit''s flexibility. It had far more give. Nearly identical in appearance totex, butfortable,bat-ready, and honestly¡ªsomehow even more tightly conforming to her curves. Weird. And, just, why? Zoey brushed past that question; she had learned better than to ask why, by now. Shards would do what they wanted, especially when it came to how they interacted with Zoey''s ss. The constrictive material was oddly breathable. Or heat-resistant? Her body felt cooler than her face, which was at odds with what she would expect when wearingtex into an ufortably hot room. Being heat-proof was hardly the strangest factor at y, but Zoey did take note of it. Then, her eyes fell on Maddy. Like Zoey, she was wearing a form-fitting, glossy ck bodysuit, and the sight of her friend lying there, unconscious, was enough to make her pause. Her eyes lingered. The suit clung to Maddy''s body in a ttering way. Very ttering. Even nakedness seemed less revealing. It hugged her slim, tight waist and her t chest, her hips and thighs, the glossy reflection of the light highlighting every bend and dip of her body: her navel, her corbone, every possible angle. Zoey''s heart beat a little faster, seeing her wrapped in the tight outfit. With the realization that she was staring, she shook her head clear. She turned her attention briefly to the nearest cavern exit, the tunnel that stretched and curved deeper into theplex. Verifying one more time that they were safe, she knelt down next to Maddy and jostled her shoulder. "Time to get going, sleepy. Up and at ''em." Maddy''s eyes snapped open, nearly making Zoey jump. Say anything about the bubbly, cheerful girl, she was a professional. Confused gray eyestched to Zoey for only half a second before she rocketed to her feet, gaze flicking left and right as she took in their surroundings in much the same way Zoey had. Finding their situation eptable, her tense posture rxed, and she faced back to Zoey. And paused. She made a sort of squeaking noise, seeing the skin-tight bodysuit clinging to Zoey. Her face changed color at an impressive speed, going bright red in a few seconds t. Then her eyes flicked down to her own bodysuit, and her hands scrambled across herself. "W-What?! What is this!?" she cried, feeling herself up in an almostical fashion. She tugged at the neckline of the glossy suit, attempting to peel it from her skin. Nothing happened; it didn''t give in the slightest. Zoey tried the same, reflexively. She also couldn''t get her finger under the neckline, or get it to budge in any other way: it was practically a second skin glued or painted onto them. It seemed their attire had been chosen, this shard. They had no choice in the matter. "Dunno," Zoey said. "Some kind of body suit. Not sure." "Body suit?" Maddy asked incredulously. "But why?" "There''s not much point in asking that," Zoey answered with amusement. "We did warn you shards would be weird if you came with us." "I know," Maddy said. "But, I mean, l-look at these things." Her eyes flicked to Zoey''s body, crawling up and down her curves seemingly without intending to. She flushed an even deeper shade of red. At Maddy so tantly checking her out, Zoey''s body unfortunately reacted. She''d been trying to fight it away, but finally, she lost that battle. Blood rushed downward, her nipples tightening and her heart rate speeding up. The glossy, smooth material of the bodysuit did nothing to hide her growing erection. Worse, it hugged her body,pressing her cock as it swelled inch by inch. Maddy¡ªand Zoey too¡ªwatched it happen, transfixed for different reasons. Maddy''s lips parted, her eyes staying fixed on the growing bulge in Zoey''s pants. The material was, as maybe expected of a magicaltex body suit, unnaturally stic, and her dick expanded outward, not a single detail hidden by the material. Her erection curved slightly upwards, fourteen inches throbbing inside the confines of the skintight material, a visible, angry vein snaking its way up the side of her shaft. It was perfectly conformed: thetex adjusted to perfectly wrap around Zoey, no detail spared. "Sorry," Zoey said, clearing her throat. "Can''t really help that." Maddy tore her eyes away. "It''s fine," she said a bit too loudly. "I get it. Um. Where''s everyone else?" Zoey was happy to focus on the practical half of the expedition, too. The bodysuit added a strangeyer of eroticism she hadn''t expected. An erection shouldn''t have been so flustering. Especially since Maddy had been warned of the nature of the shards. And it wasn''t like Zoey hadn''t already gotten to know the girl rather intimately; the exhibitionist thigh-fucking in a crowded restaurant had definitely been much lewder than simply wearingtex around each other. "No clue. Could be anywhere. Shard split us up¡ªwe''ll join back eventually, though." "But for now, it''s just us two," Maddy said, her nose wrinkling at the idea. "Dang. That''s not great." Zoey paused, then teased, "I''m not that bad ofpany, I promise." Maddy''s eyes widened, and she hastily assured Zoey: "No, I just meant¡ª" She paused as she realized Zoey was joking. She pouted at her. "I meant, because we''re both mages. We''re the worst duo on the team, probably, since we''ll have no front line." "Yeah. It''s not ideal." However, there was a silver lining: Zoey could explore the first part of the shard with Maddy alone and get to know her a bit better. From a professional standpoint, she shouldn''t care about that, but why not look on the bright side? Maddy''s eyes flicked down to Zoey''s vacuum-sealed erection one more time¡ªwhich Zoey was trying to fight off for both their sakes, but with Maddy repeatedly ncing at it and blushing, she wasn''t having much sess¡ªbefore she faced toward one of the exit tunnels. A frown appeared on her lips, and Zoey could see her wayfaring brain kick into gear. "But it''s not like we change that," Maddy said. "So, let''s figure out our battle n." 6.03 – Battle Plan 6.03 ¨C Battle n *** Rune of Bonding (Mythic) [1]: Bond. Release seed onto or inside target and activate to Bond. [1]: crity. Bonded targets evolve runes with greater speed. [1]: Bolster. Provides a powerful, temporary boost in strength to Bonded target. [2]: Growth. Shards provide additional experience for each day spent between entry. Applies to both rune-holder and bonded targets. [3]: Share. All bonded targets receive a small percentage of each other¡¯s stats. Maximum bonds: {5}. [4]: Solidify Bond. Amplifies and cements bond, turning it permanent. Rune of Arcana (High) [1]: First Circle. Cast spells up to one Circle inplexity. [1]: Element: Ice. [2]: Influence. Cast spells that inme or mute internal statuses. [3]: Arcane Link. Join with target and control their mana, allowing for greater castings. [3]: Second Circle. Cast spells up to two Circles inplexity. Rune of Sensuality (Superior) [1]: Lust. Mana reced with resource system Lust. Symbols are activated by expending Lust. [1]: Harvest. Perform erotic acts onto self or others to harvest Lust. Bonded targets provide greater yield. [2]: Pressure Point. Identify sensitive areas. [2]: Amodate. Tight spaces are more obliging. [3]: Burst. Lust can be consumed in greater quantities to amplify potency of certain other skills. [4]: Afterglow. Any bonded target''s orgasm provides a longsting health and mana regeneration effect. Rune of the Alchemist (Common) [1]: Identify. Ascertain name and use of basic alchemy reagents when using Inspect. [2]: Potent Additive. Sexual fluids can be used to amplify potions in various ways. [3]: Resourceful. Potions created inside a shard from ingredients found within that shard are much more likely to catalyze. [4]: Alternate Ingestion. Consuming a potion through lessmon holes provides bonus effects. Generalist Skills [1]: Inspect. Discern basic information about equipment linked to the System. [1]: Inventory. Store items in personal inventory-space. *** "Okay, so," Maddy said. "Two squishy mages. Not ideal, but that''s wayfaring. We hardly ever get ''ideal''." "I make the better frontline between us, right?" Zoey asked. "Because of my ice armor?" Back in Mel''s shard, when they''d beening to the slime girl''s rescue, Zoey had done some solo delving for practice''s sake. Her ice armor had kept her fairly well-defended. But that wasn''t a great benchmark to go by, since that''d been a first-advancement shard when she''d been third. Now, they were in a third advancement shard, with Zoey hovering between third and fourth¡ªmost runes at four, but her primarybat one, arcana, still at three. "Neither of us are good front-liners," Maddy said. "I mean, yes, technically, you would be better. But we want to engage physically as little as possible." "How? Seems unavoidable." "I''m an illusionist, silly. That''s my whole thing." She scratched her cheek. "Well, no, we''ll still have to be hands-on at least a little bit, but if I focus entirely on illusions and disorientation, then I can keep most monsters at bay. Maybe enough you can kill them before the effect breaks, and they get up close and personal with us." Zoey pursed her lips. She could be honest with herself: she was hardly her team''s star yer. Leaving most of the damage-dealing in her hands was going to be rough. "I''ll do my best, but it might take a while for me to put them down, if it''s just me." "That''s okay. I know you''re a bit new, still. As long as we don''t get hurt, we''re good. And it won''t be that bad¡ªyou have been getting better." "If you say so." "You have! I promise. I think you''ll surprise yourself." Maddy''s optimism was endearing as always. Zoey would find out when the time arrived whether it was deserved, though. "Should we link up?" "Hm," Maddy said, considering that. During their travels, she and Maddy had gotten some practice in with Arcane Link. But only some. Most of their effort had gone to Zoey adapting her current ice and influence spells to function with a second Circle, significantly empowering them. "No, I don''t think so," Maddy finally said. "Thebined spells are stronger, but we each have specific roles to y. When Rosalie and Delta are back, we can make use of that skill more. Besides, it turns me into a battery¡ªyou control the spells. While there are some situations that''ll be amazing, I think it won''t be a staple in a typical fight." "That''s fair." She and Maddy got down to the nitty-gritty details of how they wanted to engage, considering their unexpected two-personposition. Powerful single-target monsters, a few weaker ones, or swarms¡ªhow they would handle each. They discussed possible encounter typesing up based on the rocky, magma-infused surroundings. And other wayfaring particrs. Maddy guided the conversation, with Zoey mostly listening. "And be ready for weird stuff," Zoey added, after they''d hashed out the ''real'' half of shard exploration. "We''ve only been through two shards, but both had some ¡­ uh, interesting encounters. You know what I mean. Could be anything. So keep an eye out, especially for traps." "Right," Maddy said, obviously flustered by the idea. "Don''t think I could forget about that." She idly tugged at her unyielding neckline, and Zoey''s eyes flicked down her lithe, hugged-tight body. Maddy''s nipples stood out against her t, glossy chest. It really was a ttering look. "Then we should get to it?" Zoey asked. "We don''t want to keep them waiting," Maddy agreed. "So yeah. Let''s do it." The two of them set out, picking across rocky terrain. The glowing red veins guided their way, illuminating the space and radiating heat. Zoey intended to collect some of the material, but seeing how abundant it was, the task could wait. She wanted to get a feel for the monsters they were up against first. Especially since she didn''t have Rosalie and Delta there to guard her. The training wheels hade off. Though admittedly, Maddy''s presence meant she still had some safety. Just, if a monster came rampaging toward them and Maddy''s confusion and illusion spells didn''t stop it, there wasn''t much the mage could do. She was powerful, but in indirect ways, in contrast to Rosalie''s phenomenal strength and physical prowess. They took a cautious pace down the tunnel, going slow and searching for traps. It didn''t take long for the shard''s dangerous nature to reveal itself. The rocky golem peeled itself out of the wall with the noise of tumbling rocks, having camouged itself by embedding itself into the natural terrain. Pebbles pattered into the ground as the rocky surface splintered to let the creature detach. The beast turned, and rather than just rock, glowing orange crystal made up its front: like a geode split open. It had a spiky, alien face with four onyx eyes. Maddy didn''t hesitate, and to Zoey''s credit, neither did she. Both had their weapons drawn and arcane lines being etched in the air before the monster let out its first deafening roar¡ªwhich bounced down the hall, loud enough to make Zoey wince. Zoey might not be able to match the smaller girl''s crity in casting¡ªMaddy had a second-circleplexity spell fully formed before Zoey was halfway done with her own¡ªbut she could at least take pride that her instincts were getting there; she had responded mostly at the same time as the more experienced wayfarer. Maddy''s spell activated first. A shimmering copy of the golem materialized from thin air, ten feet away from it. The illusion rushed forward, arms outstretched, snarling its own hostility. Not more than a heartbeat passed before Maddy''s staff was leveled downward, and her next spell circle had beenpleted: this one simpler, a stream of confusion bolts rocketing toward the golem. Zoey, for her part, hadn''t gone straight for damage. Rather than initiating an ice spell, she called on her Influence branch of magic¡ªwhich allowed the inmmation or muting of internal statuses. In this case, she targeted the golem''s rage, frustration, and bloodlust: something she and Maddy had found highly effective against even people, much less lower-sapience creatures like shard monsters. The spell seized the golem, and its rock-and-orange-crystal form shuddered in induced outrage. It let out another shriek, even more infuriated than the first, just before Maddy''s charging golem illusion impacted it. Confused, enraged, and with a snarling illusion of a hostile monster rocketing toward the golem, the monster reacted as expected of a half-intelligent beast. It ignored its actual enemies¡ªher and Maddy¡ªand instead scrambled forward to meet Maddy''s illusion. Its charge passed straight through, and it stumbled, but¡ªin its twice-over addled state, both from Zoey and Maddy''s contribution¡ªit spun and screamed again, not dissuaded by its opponent''s apparent incorporeality. The disabling status effects would onlyst so long. Zoey needed to work efficiently. If this turned into a physical fight, things could go off the rails fast. Neither she nor Maddy could take more than a few hits each. Especially without armor. Her second spell came to life, glyphs etching onto the perimeter of the first circle, then the second circle¡ªher Lust noticeably dipping in the back of her mind. As soon as she finished, she activated the magical working, and her newly designed ice spear flew forward. Longer, thicker, and faster, it streaked toward her enemy, aimed by her outstretched wand. A second Circle allowed both greaterplexity and infusion of mana, making it an all-around improved ability. Before, Zoey''s first-Circle ice spear had been a simple javelin of ice. Now, the shard of ice flew forward and met the golem''s tough rocky back¡ªit was turned around, thanks to its scrambling fight against Maddy''s illusion¡ªand the two-foot projectile exploded. Freezing crystal sprung up all across its shoulder, seizing one of the monster''s arms in ce. The second Circle had allowed her to work in a disabling effect. The beast reacted reflexively, scrambling at the thick material with its other hand, trying to unlock its frozen joints. It was only half sessful. Zoey had also applied Burst to the spell. While the improvement came at a steep resource cost, the ability had been greatly empowered¡ªstrong enough to temporarily disable even a third-advancement monster with a single st. From there, Maddy kept up a steady stream of illusions, confusion, and other disorienting spells to keep the golem as distracted as possible while Zoey chained together ice spears. There was something to be said for diversity in attacks, but at the same time, a high-damage easy-to-cast projectile was simply her best option. Zoey had other spells in her kit, but they were better used in other circumstances. Bolt after bolt of exploding ice crashed into the creature¡ªthough subsequent ones were weaker than the first, not using Burst on all of them. Chunks of rock and orange crystal flew from its body with each impact, and before long, it was struggling more against the ice coating its body than the illusory double that Maddy kept dancing around it, taunting and snarling to keep its attention. By the time Zoey''s inme and Maddy''s confusion effects were wearing off, it was toote. The beast struggled toward Maddy and Zoey, but they kited the creature back, the ice coating its legs too thick for it to pursue in any meaningful manner. One final well-ced ice spear shattered the monster''s skull, ending its life. The amalgamated collection of orange crystal and dull brown rock shuddered, then fell still¡ªhaving shed most of its body across the floor, chipped off by fast-moving elemental spears. Zoey panted in exertion, as did Maddy. They weren''t truly tired, not physically at least, but magic drained the mind and body in a way hard to describe. Plus, it was sweltering inside the magma cave system. Initially, she''d thought it merely ufortable, but it turned out that fighting for their life added a few degrees. She wiped her forehead of sweat, then faced Maddy, who was also flushed and red-faced from both heat and supernatural exertion. Seeing Zoey look over, though, she gave a beaming smile and stuck two thumbs up into the air. "Great job! I told you it''d be easy." Zoey couldn''t help but shake her head in amusement at the over-the-top encouragement. Maddy was seriously way too sweet. How did this girl fight monsters for a living? Rosalie and Delta could be cute too, but they showed a certain intensity at times where their professions made perfect sense. This girl, on the other hand, was a cinnamon roll through and through. Or was Zoey only looking at her superficially? "Went better than I thought," Zoey agreed. She scratched her cheek. "Though, I burnt through a lot of Lust. My mana pool is much smaller than most mages. With me having to do all the damage, we''re going to have to recharge a lot." It took a second for Maddy to understand what that meant. Her beaming encouragement faded, reced by a deep flush. "R-Right. Well. Just a part of the job, so let me know!" Maddy cleared her throat, straightened her back, and strode forward. "Let''s work efficiently until then. You''re good to go for a few more?" "Yeah," Zoey said. Though her lips quirked up at how¡ªdespite everything¡ªMaddy was still flustered by the idea of ''recharging'' her. She didn''t tease the girl about it, though. That wouldeter. At this pace, in only a few more fights. 6.04 – Recharging I 6.04 ¨C Recharging I The fights continued. Their next set of opponents was a group of small fire elementals hopping around on three legs, trailing molten goo and flinging globs of magma. Zoey found them aggravatingly difficult to hit, and so, embarrassingly, she quickly ended up using her area-of-effect spells rather than her more precise projectiles. To be fair, Maddy also had some problemsnding her confusion darts. If their mobility gave a wayfarer like her problems, then Zoey could be somewhat forgiven. The group encounter was more of a struggle than the first bulkier opponent since she and Maddy were less suited to handling them, but they eventually won, if with some scrapes and burns. The shard hadn''t allowed them to keep their health potions, but small injuries were easy to ignore. They faded within an hour, a product of their growing stats. Zoey was still getting used to that. The changes to what made up ''normal''. Most people had far more time to adjust to their newfound strengths, but Zoey''s unusual growth meant she was progressing without a proper period of limation. As Zoey had predicted, her Lust burned away quickly, especially with her liberal usage of Burst. The upside was that recharging wasn''t all thatplicated. Easier than mana, in many ways. If, admittedly, it introduced dys to their expedition through the magma caverns. Plus, broaching the subject felt the slightest bit awkward, however much Maddy had been informed of the situation beforehand. "So ..." Zoey started casually. "I''m about tapped out, I think. Probably time for a recharge." Maddy nced her way, then, after a second, flushed as she realized what Zoey meant. "Oh. Right. I almost forgot about that." "Yeah." They had been on a pretty steadybat rhythm. Easy for other stuff to fade in importance while fighting for their life. Maddy''s eyes flicked down to Zoey''s crotch, then quickly skittered back up. "About that. I was thinking. Isn''t the suit going to make things, um, kinda difficult?" Zoey had also been considering that whole situation. "Honestly, it''s surprisingly stretchy. And it doesn''t stop much sensation. I think it was designed to¡ªnot be much of an issue, when ites to all of that." She idly ran a finger down her arm. The feeling was only barely muted, still noticeable that there was something in the way, but surprisingly tactile. Not far off from bare skin. Less even than a thin condom¡ªthough Zoey had worn surprisingly few of those, considering how much she''d been getting around, so she wouldn''tpletely know. "There''s that," Maddy said. "But I actually meant more, um. You know." She made a crude jerking-off gesture. Zoey''s amusement rose at the awkwardness of the motion¡ªand at how Maddy blushed at herself. "When you finish. Where''s it gonna go?" Zoey paused. "That''s ¡­ a good point." For some reason, she hadn''t thought of it. She pursed her lips. What would happen? Would she be stuck with a bulging load of cum in hertex bodysuit for the rest of the delve? That didn''t sound awesome, for obvious reasons. But surely a sex-themed shard had a solution for such an inevitability¡ªsince there seemed to be no way to remove the bodysuit. Would it absorb her cum, then? Or was the theme of the shard actually that cruel to her, that Zoey wasn''t allowed to cum without making a permanent mess of herself? "I suppose I don''t actually have to finish, to recharge," Zoey said slowly. "You don''t?" "The phrasing is, Harvest: Perform erotic acts onto self or others to harvest Lust. Bonded targets provide greater yield. So no, we just have to do stuff, together. Finishing is extra." If admittedly, not getting to reach climax wouldn''t be ideal. She''d quickly get flustered over the course of a full shard. "Oh," Maddy said. "But," Zoey said, a grin starting to spread across her lips. "Maybe I''ll just be taking care of you, for now, then." She walked forward, approaching the smaller girl¡ªwho backed up in retreat, her eyes widening, a delightfully timid instinctive response. "N-Now?" "Now," Zoey confirmed. "No point in waiting." She reached the other girl, then grabbed her by the hips and hoisted her into the air. Again, Zoey was shocked at how easy it was. Maddy was a small woman, but even so, she weighed almost nothing in the face of Zoey''s improved strength. More than the practical uses, being able to pick up and throw around cute girls was definitely Zoey''s favorite part of leveling up. Pulling Maddy in, the other girl wrapped her legs around Zoey''s waist, bncing herself as her eyes continued to widen at Zoey''s quick advance. Not letting up, Zoey leaned in and kissed her, keeping on the offensive, her tongue slipping into the girl''s mouth. After a quick squeak of surprise, Maddy rxed and reciprocated, her tongue pressing into Zoey''s mouth, melting into her. Surprised or not by what was happening, she was quick to respond. Zoey''s hands slid down Maddy''s thighs, running over the glossy, tight-fittingtex bodysuit. The texture was smooth and slippery¡ªas fun to explore as bare flesh, in a way. She ran her fingers across Maddy''s body, feeling her up as they kissed, enjoying the taste and feel of the smaller girl. Zoey''s body responded to the heated situation, her cock filling with blood and swelling outward against her tight-fitting suit. It pressed into Maddy from below, and Maddy moaned, feeling it. She broke the kiss, pulling back and adjusting how she was clinging to Zoey''s waist with her legs. Having better ess to her body, Zoey moved her hands up from Maddy''s legs and across her chest, exploring the contours of her slim, t body, toying with her small breasts¡ªher cute, hard nipples. She tweaked gently, and Maddy shivered in pleasure, her face flushed. Zoey dipped her head down, kissing Maddy''s neck as she continued to grope her. She was the perfect size to y with, small and lithe. And so easy to draw noises from. After she''d gotten her fill of groping the other girl, Zoey set her on the floor. Tugging Maddy''s legs open, she admired the sight of hertex-hugged pussy, the curves of her thighs and the creases of her legs and pelvis, ented by the shiny material. She ran her fingers teasingly up Maddy''s inner thighs and across her crotch. Her fingers pressed in against thetex, and Maddy moaned as she felt Zoey''s fingers through the thin barrier of material. Zoey traced along the outline of Maddy''s pussy lips, before pressing her fingers in harder. She rubbed at Maddy''s clit, enjoying the way she squirmed under her touch. "Z-Zoey," she gasped. "That feels ¡­ really good." "Kinda the point," Zoey teased. "Do you want more?" The girl nodded, biting her lip as she looked up at Zoey with wide gray eyes. Pressing two fingers into Maddy, she stroked the girl. Maddy whimpered, rocking her hips into Zoey''s hand. Then Zoey pressed in, increasing the pressure on Maddy''s sex, and Maddy moaned as Zoey began to rub in earnest, stimting her through the thin, barely-there material of the suit. She could feel the warmth and wetness of the girl''s pussy even through the protectiveyer. Interestingly, the material seemed to be growing damp around her fingers. Maybe the suit wasn''t as waterproof as she thought. Or, knowing the shard''s nature, maybe only in specific ways. "I wonder how much it stretches," Zoey murmured. Gently, she wiggled between Maddy''s pussy lips, diving into her with her fingers. The ck material, as Zoey had expected, yielded easily, supernaturally stic. Maddy gasped as Zoey''s fingers filled her, enveloped by the slicktex, which clung to her as she reached deeper and deeper, sliding into Maddy. Zoey marveled at how readily the material conformed to her fingers. She started pumping, in and out, and even then, the material easily amodated her, stretching and un-stretching to keep pace. "W-Wow," Maddy moaned. "That feels ... nice. B-But kind of weird, too." "Weird is fun," Zoey murmured. If her bizarre adventures over the past several weeks had taught her anything, it was that. Maddy wriggled her hips, pushing against Zoey''s thrusting fingers. "Yeah," she breathed. "Maybe it is." Zoey increased her pace, thrusting into Maddy harder and faster, her fingers pumping in and out with increasing vigor. Maddy moaned, grabbing her breasts and squeezing them as Zoey fingered her. Zoey''s cock throbbed as she watched the girl squirm, quickly taking her apart with her experienced fingers. "Can you¡ª?" Maddy gasped. "Can I what?" "Use ¡­ your mouth? Please?" Zoey''s thrusting slowed. Her smile widened. There wastex in the way, but it had easily stretched for her fingers, so why not for her tongue? "Well, since you asked so nicely." She slipped her fingers free of the girl''s pussy, then¡ªholding Maddy''s eyes as she did so¡ªlicked the glistening digits clean. Maddy watched her intently, face flushed. "You taste amazing," Zoey told her. "T-Thank you?" Grabbing Maddy''s thighs and shuffling backward, Zoey positioned her face between the girl''s legs. Maddy flushed, her eagerness clear in the way she watched with wide eyes, chest heaving up and down. Zoey leaned in, and Maddy''s scent filled her as she breathed in deep. Thetex didn''t mute her smell at all. Zoey took her time, savoring the moment, before lowering herself and cing her lips on Maddy''s pussy. She kissed her, then ran a slow lick up her slit, wiggling her tongue in from the base to the tip of Maddy''s opening, feeling her lips part around her. Maddy groaned at the sensation of Zoey''s warm tongue sliding across her sensitive flesh. Zoeypped at her eagerly, licking her from bottom to top with broad strokes of her tongue. She could taste Maddy''s arousal soaking through the suit. Zoey moved her attention upward, flicking her tongue over Maddy''s clit and sucking on it gently. The girl arched her back, moaning as she writhed beneath her. Zoey teased her, swirling her tongue around the sensitive spot before moving back down top at her entrance. Her cock strained against thetex, aching to be released, but Zoey was intoxicated on Maddy. Maddy''s hands found their way to Zoey''s head, tugging her in closer. Zoey obliged, burying her face in Maddy''stex-covered pussy and devouring her hungrily. She probed at her opening with her tongue, tasting her delicious juices before, finally, plunging inside,tex stretching to conform. Maddy threw her head back, back arching. Zoey fucked her, thrusting in and out of her with her tongue, enjoying the way the material stretched and contracted with each movement. Maddy''s taste filled her, thetex not dampening the experience in the slightest. If anything, amplifying it, somehow, if simply from the strangeness of how the rubber-like material stretched for the two of them. It was definitely one of the stranger ways Zoey had eaten a girl out, but she couldn''t get enough. "Z-Zoey, please," Maddy begged. "I''m¡ªI''m close." Zoey obliged, sucking and licking at the girl with renewed vigor. Maddy''s cries grew louder as she approached her climax. Then, finally, the smaller girl stiffened. Her whole body tensed as she cried out, her voice echoing off the cavern walls as she came on Zoey''s tongue. Zoey held onto her thighs, not slowing as she rode through the girl''s intense release. Maddy''s muscles contracted around her tongue, squeezing as she came. After what seemed like forever, Maddy sagged into the ground, her body going limp. "Gods," she groaned after a long moment, heavy panting filling the air. "That was¡ªthat was amazing. How do you do that?" Zoey sat up and wiped her mouth. "Practice?" she said. "It''s easy when you''re squirming so much. You did more work than I did, almost." Maddy blushed. "You''re too good at it. You embarrassed me." "I did?" "How long was that? Like two minutes?" She pouted at Zoey. "I''m not usually that fast." Zoey justughed. "A-Anyway, are you¡ªum, recharged, then? Not fully, right? You need a little more?" Zoey paused, and Maddy blushed at how obvious she''d been. She clearly didn''t want their recovery break to be over. Grinning, Zoey said, "I''m not filled up, yet, no." "Then, do you think I could try something?" Her eyes flicked down to Zoey''s crotch, then quickly back up. "I''m kinda curious." 6.05 – Recharging II 6.05 ¨C Recharging II Besides the strangeness of the bodysuits, and how their inventories had been snatched from them, the first bit of exploration had been pretty normal. Maddy had nearly forgotten that this very much wasn''t a typical shard. And that her teammate wasn''t a regr teammate. Not in regards to her ss, at least. Maddy would admit to having been slightly apprehensive about whatpleting a shard with Zoey would be like. She had more than made her mind up to be here, but still, it was just¡ªa little much. Because, really. Sex-themed shards? It was very bizarre, to say the least. Now, after having been thoroughly taken care of by Zoey during their first rest break, Maddy was wondering why in the world she''d been hesitant. Because ... wow. That was definitely a nice way to ''recharge'' every few hours. Definitely better than the normal sitting-around or potion breaks that came with typical mana-hungry mages. And their first rest wasn''t even over. There was still plenty more fun to be had. Maddy took in the sight in front of her. Zoey, leaning back on her hands, legs spread, her ridiculous fourteen-inch member jutting out proudly against the glossy bodysuit. It looked even bigger, somehow, when clothed in the tight-fitting material. She almost couldn''t tear her eyes away from the thing. Something about that image, the contrast of Zoey''s curvy body, her soft feminine features and gentle green eyes, and the angry, twitching, fourteen-inch monster of fat girl dick, really did ¡­ a lot ¡­ to Maddy. It just wasn''t fair how her insides squirmed whenever sheid eyes on it. Plus, the confident almost-smirk that Zoey wore as she watched Maddy. Maddy swallowed; that was almost the more flustering part. The way she stared so openly, as if she knew exactly what Maddy was thinking. Basically, everything about Zoey made Maddy''s heart race. Hesitantly, Maddy crawled forward. She had been the one to ask to ''try something out'', though Maddy wasn''t sure what that was. Just that she very much wasn''t done with this ''recharging'' rest break. Zoey had brought her to a twitching climax, but Maddy wasn''t finished. When it came to Zoey, one orgasm was most definitely not enough. And, admittedly, because Maddy hadn''t actually gotten to y with her cock. Her finger and tongue skills were ¡­ admirable, to say the very least ¡­ but Maddy still wanted to get her hands on the real show-stopper. Tentatively, she reached out and stroked a finger down the length of Zoey''s shaft. Her fingertip grazed the glossy material of the bodysuit, feeling its smoothness, as well as Zoey''s throbbing heat, the material nearly non-existent to the touch. Was it her imagination, or did it really burn this much? It felt like Zoey''s cock set her on fire wherever it touched. "I won''t make you, um, finish," Maddy stammered out. "Since we don''t know what''ll happen. But I want to ¡­ y with it a bit, if that''s fine?" "I think I can suffer through a cute girl ying my cock," Zoey teased. Maddy blushed, and her eyes skirted away from the amusement in Zoey''s. There was never any ill meaning in how she teased Maddy, but Zoey definitely did enjoy poking fun¡ªas much with her words as her expressions. And it was unfortunately effective. Maddy simply wasn''t all that experienced, when it came to these matters, and this woman? She clearly was. Biting her lip, Maddy continued running her fingers across Zoey''s cock, feeling its curves and bumps. She traced the ridge, then down thick veins, head going fuzzy as she felt the life pulsing through it. Her hands couldn''t even wrap around the thing, it was so big. Bigger than her forearm. Literally. An ache grew between her legs at that thought. What would it feel like, to have this thing inside her? Maddy climbed onto Zoey''sp, and the other woman shifted in position, sitting up so Maddy could properly straddle her. But Maddy was fixated on Zoey''s cock, and the way it bobbed and twitched as she moved. She couldn''t take her eyes off of it. "I wonder ... how stretchy this stuff is," Maddy murmured. She pressed Zoey''s cock into her stomach. It reached high on her abdomen, up and between her breasts. She squeezed it with both hands into her, feeling the heat emanating from it, then ran her palms down its length, from the head to the base, and back again. It was so thick, so hot, so heavy, so ... so ... "We could find out?" Zoey suggested. Maddy locked eyes with her. They were both panting, she realized. Not just her, now. Her heart hammered in her chest as she took in the lustful gaze of the other woman. "M-Maybe. If you want to?" Her brain felt slow, foggy. When Maddy had asked to y around, she hadn''t intended on things going that far. It felt too fast, to already have Zoey inside her in that way. She''d just wanted to get her hands on Zoey''s cock¡ªto y with it a bit. But now that she had, she found she couldn''t stop. Her hands explored every inch of its swollen length, her fingers tracing along the veins and ridges and the bulbous, round head as she stared into Zoey''s eyes. She rubbed her lower half into Zoey''sp, grinding her pussy into the base of the monster pushing against her body. At the hot contact of Zoey''s erection, her core clenched, hard. A moan escaped her, one she couldn''t have stopped if she wanted to. Zoey''s hands roamed over her body, sliding up and down her back and sides, her hips and legs. Zoey''s breathing wasbored as she felt her up. She wanted a taste as bad as Maddy did, apparently. And why not, right? It was just ¡­ part of the job. Maddy lifted her hips up. She maneuvered Zoey''s shaft down, until the tip of it brushed against her covered pussy. She rocked back and forth, rubbing her entrance into the enormous head. Each motion sent shivers of pleasure rippling through her body. If she''d had any lingering restraint, it crumbled in that instant, feeling Zoey tease entry. "B-Besides," Maddy mumbled. "If we''re both covered up, we''re not really doing anything." She wasn''t rushing their first time. Neither of their parts would even be touching. It wasn''t even like wearing a condom, since Maddy would be covered, too. In a way, it was barely sex. Sure, Zoey''s cock would be inside her pussy, but technically ... Her thoughts were too fuzzy toplete the thought. Shuddering, Maddy grasped Zoey''s dick in one hand and lined it up with her entrance. She pressed the tip against her opening, feeling the pressure of the head against her sensitive area. She rubbed the tip against herself, feeling the hard, hot flesh of Zoey''s cock against her lower lips. Then, slowly, ever so slowly, Maddy lowered herself down. She stretched. Zoey''s monster pushed into her, and she spread, and spread, and spread. A groan escaped her as she stretched to amodate the massive girl dick. She couldn''t describe it. It was so much. Maddy gasped as the head finally slipped inside, sending sparks of pleasure shooting through her body. Inside. Zoey was inside her. Prating her. T-Though, not technically sex. Maddy hadn''t meant to go there, that fast. And she hadn''t. She had some self-control. "So big," Maddy whispered, her eyes fluttering closed as the sensation washed over her. Zoey felt even bigger than she looked. Maddy could barely fit her. She let out a long, low groan as she slid down Zoey''s shaft. The sensation of Zoey''s dick stretching her open was unlike anything she''d ever felt. Her first cock. And not just her first cock, but her first massive, throbbing girl dick. It was overwhelming. She could feel every inch of Zoey as it sunk into her, deeper and deeper. She could feel Zoey''s heartbeat, pounding through the shaft, achingly hard and twitching against her clinging walls. Zoey''s face was flushed as she watched Maddy take her. Her hands rested on Maddy''s hips, guiding her down as she impaled herself. Every little movement caused fresh waves of pleasure to course through Maddy''s body. Maddy watched in something close to amazement as her stomach bent outward: watching, rather than just feeling, Zoey''s monstrous cock prate her, sinking into her tiny little frame. Up and up it went. Maddy was certain she was about to burst as the indent of her skin grew further and further, encroaching up her stomach and between her breasts, until finally, she was sitting in Zoey''sp, her entire cock buried inside her. Cocktip bulge resting between her nipples. Fourteen inches went a long, long way, on a woman as small as Maddy. "F-Fuck," Maddy moaned, the harsh, uncharacteristic word all but forced from her, considering the thing that was inside her. "Oh gods. Zoey, I¡ª" "You''re so tight," Zoey murmured, rubbing a hand against her stomach, feeling her cock through Maddy''s skin. "God, Maddy. You feel so good wrapped around me. Start moving?" Maddy struggled to form words. Instead, she did as she''d been told. She lifted herself up, then back down, riding Zoey''s dick with long, slow strokes. The feeling of her tight, wet walls clinging to Zoey''s cock was almost too much to bear. Maddy could feel every ridge and vein as it rubbed around inside her. "Zoey," Maddy moaned. "It''s so much. You''re so much. I can''t believe it''s inside me." Zoey ced both hands on Maddy''s ass, gripping her. Maddy''s legs shook with each downward motion, her hips rolling into Zoey''sp. She could feel the other woman''s dick reaching deep inside, prating ces she didn''t think possible. "Fuck," Zoey gasped. "Faster." Maddy picked up speed, bouncing on Zoey''s cock, riding it hard, almost disbelieving at how insanely she stretched around it. It felt too good to slow. To do anything but move faster and faster. Her walls stretched and clenched around Zoey''s shaft, weing it, milking it. She wasn''t supposed to make Zoey finish, a part of Maddy remembered. They didn''t know how the suit would handle that. Where it would all go. But feeling Zoey''s hips jerk up to meet her ass as Maddy rode her, Maddy''s better judgment disappeared. She ground down into Zoey''sp, squeezing her cock with her pussy as she took her to the hilt with hard ps. She couldn''t help herself. She wanted to milk Zoey for everything she was worth. "Cum in me," Maddy moaned, her eyes wide with lust, leaning forward as she bounced hard into Zoey''sp. "I-Inside. Please. Zoey, fill me up." "I don''t¡ªI don''t think I have a choice," Zoey groaned. "You''re so tight." Zoey''s hands gripped Maddy''s waist as she bucked her hips wildly, losing control. Her cock twitched and jerked inside Maddy''s tight tunnel. Maddy saw the end before it came: the way Zoey''s face screwed up. pping onest time into her tight pussy, Zoey exploded. Maddy gasped, her own orgasm seizing her as she felt Zoey''s seed erupt into her. Thick, sticky ropes of cum filled her pussy, her womb, her belly. More and more. Maddy came hard at the sensation of being bred, her willing womb begging for Zoey''s seed. She cried out as she came on Zoey''s cock, her body shaking violently, pussy clenching down and squeezing Zoey, milking more and more out. Zoey''s arms wrapped around Maddy, holding her tightly as they came together, their bodies trembling with pleasure. Finally, they came down. "O-Oh wow," Maddy murmured, her face buried into Zoey''s neck, the two of them panting. "Holy crap. Wow." The afterglow of her orgasm left her body buzzing. She could feel Zoey''s seed sloshing around inside her, coating her insides. Her walls were still fluttering with the aftershocks of her intense release. Except ¡­ no. That couldn''t be right. Zoey had finished inside her, yes, but not inside her. Rather, her bodysuit. What ¡­ had happened there? Both of them panting and heaving, she could see Zoey also realize their situation. "Um," Maddy said. "Shit," Zoey said, eyes widening as she looked at Maddy''s slightly bulging stomach¡ªand not just from her cock, but the enormous load she had just poured into her. The idea, for some reason, felt incredibly obscene. More than if Zoey had just filled her up the normal way. Was there a huge balloon of stretchy ck material inside her, now? Flushing, Maddy scooted down Zoey''sp, a groan escaping her at thest-second shimmying of the girlcock still embedded inside her, until she''d freed herself. Zoey''s shiny cktex-covered cock slid out inch by inch, then, reaching the tip, Maddy moaned a second time as the hot liquid bulge of her load also slid out. It was ... a very strange sensation. So much encased liquid slipping from her pussy. But, not a sensation Maddy would say she disliked. Amazed, Maddy took in the final sight. Zoey''s cock, still hard and standing proud, with an enormous drooping balloon of cum gathered at the tip. Like a condom way, way overfilled. The two of them stared at it. Maddy scooted back forward. She cupped the balloon in both hands, heat radiating into her palms, and hefted it up and down. Zoey''s cum. "Wow," Maddy said. "That ... might be a problem." "Might be," Maddy agreed, though she couldn''t particrly focus on the words. Leaning underneath Zoey''s cock, Maddy rested the pocket of cum onto her face. Heat washed through her, and she shivered, feeling it rest there, drooping and fitting to her face. Then, unable to help it¡ªit was such a strange situation¡ªsheughed and pulled back. She prodded at and hefted the balloon of cum, feeling it in her hands. "It''s kind of fun to y with," Maddy said, amused. When Zoey didn''t respond right away, Maddy''s eyes flicked back up. Zoey was flushing furiously. Maddy paused, then her own face scorched scarlet in response. Maybe ... that had been a rather lewd image she''d just given Zoey. Her over-full glossy condom stuffed with cum, resting on Maddy''s face. Why had she done that? Maddy cleared her throat, then stood. Zoey did the same. "All recharged, right?" she squeaked out. 6.06 – Loot V 6.06 ¨C Loot V Fortunately, Zoey wasn''t stuck with her sticky mishap crammed inside her bodysuit for the rest of the shard. She already knew from earlier that the material was selectively permeable, as noticed when she''d gotten a good taste of Maddy''s juices through the suit. Further experimentation showed that Zoey could make that work with cum, too. It just took her focusing her intent, willing the fluid to soak through¡ªlike how most items and her ss worked. So bit by bit, Zoey emptied the balloon from her suit, clearing the sticky liquid out. Which was weird, having that sort of mental control over her clothing, butpared to everything else she''d been through, she barely blinked twice at it. She was just happy that she wouldn''t be walking around with a huge cum balloon wobbling between her legs all day. Out of curiosity, she also experimented with other fluids. Specifically, her spit, to see if it was possible. It was. And from the other direction, too. She could allow the sticky material to soak into her palm with a simple mentalmand. So she had a surprising amount of control over the bodysuit. Zoey wasn''t sure if that meant anything useful, or whether the feature was just for her convenience. Because, again, walking around all day with an increasingly growing cum bubble would have been a little much, even by Zoey''s rapidly adjusting sensibilities. From there, she and Maddy set back off. In the previous shards, Zoey had frankly been an inconsequential member of the team¡ªcontributing, but also unnecessary in the grand scheme of things, with Rosalie and Delta making short work of their opponents. That wasn''t the case for Zoey''s current predicament. Responsible for the majority of their damage, Zoey''s performance absolutely did matter. In the instances where she struggled to chain enough damaging spells or even missed crucial ones, the fights became suddenly much harder. Not to any lethal degree¡ªthey took things slow and were well-prepared for a third-shard environment¡ªbut riskier than any of Zoey''s other experiences. Which she found ¡­ exciting? Strangely? Certainly, it was exhrating, fighting for her life, if maybe ''fighting for her life'' was putting it dramatically. At a minimum, getting to put her hard work to use felt deeply rewarding. Seeing the fruits of her dedication these past few weeks. While there''d been plenty of diversions while at Treyhull, Zoey had spent a good portion of that time working on bettering herself as a wayfarer. She had hardly closed the gap between her and her trained-from-birth prodigious teammates, but she wasn''t embarrassed by her abilities anymore, either. As they progressed through the shard, the two of them made another odd discovery rted to their bodysuits. Specifically, that they were slowly changing color. "I could''ve sworn I noticed something earlier," Maddy said, frowning down at her outstretched hand¡ªat the shiny material. "But now I''m positive. They''re definitely grayer. Weren''t they shiny ck when we started?" "Definitely." Zoey didn''t have a doubt in her mind about that, because she''d been more than a little absorbed in how great the suit''s glossy ck midnight had looked on Maddy. Now, the material was several shades lighter. "They''re turning gray." "Every time we kill something, I think," Maddy said. "And ¡­ I''m pretty sure during our recharge sessions, too? That''s when I first noticed. It changed a lot then." "What do you think it means?" "I could only guess." "It''d be better than mine." Maddy hesitated, then shrugged. "Maybe we''re upgrading them?" "Upgrading them? How?" "No clue. But I assume it''ll be relevantter on." "Huh." Zoey thought that over. "Think it could be a bad thing?" Maybe not an upgrade, but something they needed to worry about, instead. Maddy shrugged. She didn''t seem overly concerned with the possibility. "It''s not like we can avoid killing monsters. Or recharging you. So if it is bad, we''re just gonna have to deal with the side effects. You haven''t noticed anything?" "No," Zoey said. "Not really." She frowned. "Besides that they''refortable. This thing is heat-resistant for you, too, right?" Zoey made to tug at thetex-like material, but, of course, it didn''t budge. Glued to her skin like always. "Oh, yeah. It is," Maddy agreed. "And it''s bing more noticeable the deeper we go¡ªbecause it''s getting hotter. My body feels fine, but my face is getting pretty hot." She wiped her forehead of sweat, flicking it away, to emphasize the point. Then she frowned, realizing what Zoey was getting at. "You think that has something to do with it. Heat resistance?" It was Zoey''s turn to shrug. "No clue. Justmenting." With their situation unilluminated¡ªbut at least noticed, now¡ªthey continued through the magma caverns. Paying closer attention, they confirmed that killing monsters was slowly morphing their once-ck bodysuits into lighter shades of gray. Very slowly, but definitely doing it. What happened when it did reach white? What would happen then? Anything? Was it cosmetic only? She doubted that. As they progressed deeper, Zoey took samples from any material that seemed like it could be useful as an alchemical reagent. Rocks, moss, parts of monsters, some of the glowing red ore in the walls and ceiling, and so on. Much of it would be useless, as mundane as any other old nt or stone, but Zoey had the inventory space, and means to collect, so why wouldn''t she? Sabina would help her figure out what was worth keeping once she returned to Mantle. Possibly, Zoey would find some uses for the materials to make her own potions, should she need to. She didn''t particrly feel like settling down now and making a few test brews, with she and Maddy being pressed on time and wanting to find Rosalie and Delta, but she would do so at least once before the shard''spletion. One of her skills allowed easier catalyzation when making potions from reagents found inside the shard, so it would be horribly wasteful to not even see what could happen, there. Their first loot encounter came in the form of a heavy chest hanging inside a spiderweb¡ªthe domicile''s resident which she and Maddy had actually had fair difficulty killing. The giant rock-spider had been both unpleasant to look at, and more resistant to their inming and confusion spells. And generally tougher. Practically a mini-boss. But they managed. And had been rewarded for the effort. The two of them hefted the container down to the floor, then straightened out and appraised the object. They peered at it from every angle. It didn''t seem to be trapped, so Zoey clicked the twotches and swung it open. As typical for shard loot, an inky ck portal met her. She reached in¡ªsuppressing a shiver at the cool, otherworldly sensation of the miniature portal¡ªand groped around. Her hand closed around a wooden shaft. She pulled. A staff emerged, a ck, gnarled, charred piece of wood nearly as tall as Zoey herself. At its tip, the warped wood was wrapped around a perfectly circr red gem. Before Zoey inspected it, she couldn''t help but internally wince in expectation, bracing herself for the distorted, unpleasant sensation that came with peeking at corrupted artifacts. But relief came quickly: the description read normally, dispelling any worries of Zoey''s that they might havended in such a shard. There would be no shenanigans like what had happened at Mel''s. [Staff of Crawling mes]: Umon. A weapon suitable for pyromaniacs. "Oh," Maddy said. "That''s ¡­ normal." "Yeah." Zoey was also surprised by that; she''d been ready for ¡­ the typical shard fare. "Seems like it''s for fire mages, though, not us." Which was ironic, seeing how Zoey was the opposite, having a specialty in ice. "Makes sense, considering where we are." Maddy gestured around at one of the red veins of ore, which radiated heat. "Shards are more likely to create loot suitable to the delvers inside of it, but they won''t always be nice. So it''s fair that we get a fire staff, in a ce like this." She paused. "Though, I really did expect something ¡­ less appropriate. Even when I saw it was a staff." Sheughed. "Honestly, this shard in general hasn''t been that weird, besides the bodysuits. I think I let your warnings get in my head." It was true. So far, this adventure hadn''t been as bad as the earlier two she''d gone on with Rosalie and Delta. They hadn''t even bumped into a lewd trap, yet, like vines trying desperately to grope them. Though there were good odds that was because they were carefully avoiding traps. They''d navigated around several suspicious-looking bits of terrain. Zoey didn''t particrly want to take the risk of whether they would be normal traps or lewd ones. While thetter would be troublesome at best, the former could result in grievous bodily harm, especially as they were working into higher shard levels. Even if Zoey were feeling adventurous, simply jumping into a trap and hoping it would grope her rather than¡ªwell, much worse¡ªwas a terrible idea. "It varies," Zoey agreed, reaching down into the chest to feel around for more items. "Seems like this one isn''t too bad." Her hand closed around something squishy, and, brow furrowing, she pulled the object out. Zoey held up a see-through, white gel cylinder with bumpy insides. Both girls stared at it. "Maybe we spoke too soon, though," Zoey said, her amusement rapidly rising. "What is that?" Zoey looked down into the hollow cylinder. She wiggled a finger in and felt around the bumpy insides. "I think," Zoey said matter-of-factly, "It''s a pocket pussy." "What?!" [Brewing Chamber]: Rare. Fill with seed and give time to concoct. Provides random, potent bonus effects. Additional substances grant stronger results. Zoey startedughing. "S-Seed?" Maddy stammered out. "Like¡ª?" "Cum? Yeah, probably. And it''s called a brewing chamber? I wonder if it dropped this because of my alchemy rune." A lewder way to concoct potions than normal alchemical methods. Though, it didn''t seem like it was an actual alchemy tool: just an item that mimicked the process, as fitting for Zoey''s ss. "And ''additional substances grant stronger results''?" Maddy asked, eyes wide. "So, it wants¡ª? It wants us both to¡ª?" Zoey''s grin widened. "Two is better than one." At the imagery produced by that idea, blood rushed downward. Tight dark-graytex squeezed around her erection as she swelled with excitement. "We have to recharge soon, anyway. Wanna give her a test run?" She wiggled the pocket-pussy enticingly at Maddy. "Like¡ª? With¡ª?" "The dungeon was nice enough to leave most of my lewd potions in my inventory," Zoey said. "And it''ll be a tight fit, but we could both squeeze in at once. Work efficiently on filling it up." Her heart starting to m in anticipation¡ªat the look on Maddy''s face, the shock and rapidly reddening cheeks¡ªZoey teased, "What, don''t you wanna see what having a cock is like? It''ll be fun." 6.07 – Sharing a Toy 6.07 ¨C Sharing a Toy "O-Oh," Maddy stammered. "I just¡ªyou want me to¡ªgrow something?" "Something?" Zoey asked, amused. "A cock. Not ''something''. But only if you want to," she said, stating the obvious. "But we can solve two problems at once. Testing our new loot out, and recharging." "That''s a good point, I suppose," Maddy said. She sounded hesitant about the idea. Though not because she didn''t want to, Zoey felt pretty certain, but because growing a cock was¡ªwell, a daunting idea. Especially with what Zoey was suggesting they do. Squeeze into a shared pocket-pussy and milk each other out. "They can be a bit much to start with," Zoey said, grabbing her own shaft and shaking it in front of Maddy¡ªwhose gray eyes locked to it, cheeks ming. "But they feel good. And I think you''d look cute with one." She took a step forward, poking her cock into Maddy''s stomach. She rubbed up and down the warmtex-covered skin there, slowly, Mady''s breathing faster and faster. Maddy shivered, the idea clearly exciting her. "I guess it wouldn''t be so bad to just try it out," she murmured. Zoey grinned. Mentally rummaging around inside her inventory, she pulled out one of the potions. "You''ll need some help drinking it, though." "I will?" "It doesn''t go in your mouth. Not for the best results." "Huh?" "In the other end." "The ¡­ other end?" Zoey grinned, and Maddy''s eyes slowly widened as she realized what Zoey was saying. "W-What? Why?" "One of my newer skills," Zoey said,ughing. "And we learned earlier that we can pass liquids through the bodysuits,"¡ªthough Zoey hadn''t considered this use of that convenience factor, earlier¡ª"so it should still work." For that matter, the suit''s permeability would be necessary for filling up the toy, too. Probably why it was a feature. Zoey''s ss and too many items simply required the suit not to be watertight. "Lucky us." "Wow," Maddy said. "That''s ¡­ um. The potion really needs to go up there?" "Yep," Zoey said. "So, on your knees, cutie. Spread those legs." Maddy flushed and hesitated, but only for a moment, before doing as she was told. Like Rosalie, she was fast to obey when things got heated. Zoey got down on her knees as well, briefly admiring the smaller girl''s ass, which Maddy presented for her. The shiny dark-graytex did wonders for highlighting her curves¡ªand in a slightly different way from the midnight ck. Pressing a thumb on Maddy''s backdoor, she wiggled her digit around, testing the girl through theyer of slippery material. Maddy shuddered under the contact. Zoey slowly pressed in. Normally, she would lubricate Maddy up, but the magical bodysuit seemed to take care of that: the material came pre-lubricated or was otherwise just that slippery. The suit bent inward, sliding into Maddy along with Zoey''s thumb. A little groan escaped the girl, her hips wiggling at the intrusion. "Feels good?" "Y-Yeah," Maddy gasped. "I haven''t, um, done much of¡ª" she sucked in a breath of air as Zoey delved deeper, wiggling her thumb down¡ª"this. Before." "We''ll have to fix that. Fingers are only half the fun. I''ve got something bigger you might like." Idly, she grabbed her erection and tapped it gently on Maddy''s ass¡ªwho jumped at the impact, even a light tap having more of a hefty p than Zoey had intended. "But not yet," Zoey said. "Another time. You ready?" "R-Ready." Uncorking the potion, Zoey tipped it over and plunged it inside Maddy''s hole, wiggling the smooth ss in. The girl''s back arched as the cold liquid started to enter her. She gasped as the magical fluid poured in, filling her up through the suit¡ªmentally allowing it to pass, as they''d experimented with earlier¡ªand tickling her insides, the potent fluid setting her on fire. Maddy squirmed and groaned on the ground, adjusting to the bizarre sensation, and when Zoey saw the vial was empty, she pulled it out. Thetex pulled back as well, and no liquid glistened the material: the potion had fully entered her. "Good girl," Zoey said, patting Maddy''s ass. "Just rx. Let it do its thing." Maddy, reasonably, didn''t rx. Instead, she was tensed up, gasping and squirming as her body started to transform. Her cock grew, thickening and lengthening, expanding from nothing into a twitching rod dangling from between her spread legs, hugged by the dark-gray bodysuit. Zoey watched, transfixed, as Maddy''s cock swelled, drinking in the sight. Though ¡­ Zoey''s eyes went wider and wider as it kept going. For some reason, she had assumed the small, petite, cute Maddy would be matched by an equally small, petite, and cute cock¡ªwhich Zoey would have been delighted to y with. But that assumption turned out to be ... incorrect. Maybe because of Zoey''s chosen consumption method, the alternate ingestion, which provided a stronger effect. It had worked that way for Rosalie, too. Even so, Zoey hadn''t expected this. "This is so weird," Maddy groaned, hips wiggling left and right, sending her increasinglyrge cock waggling from side to side, pping against her thighs. Zoey couldn''t reply, only keep staring as twelve fat inches of girlcock sprouted between the girl''s legs. A girthy beast that looked evenrger because of her small frame. The biggest she''d seen, bigger even than Rosalie''s, and not just because of Maddy''s proportions. It was second only to Zoey''s. Maddy groaned onest time, the transformation finishing. She rolled over onto her butt and spread her legs to see what had appeared, lifting her cock up and pressing it against her stomach and chest¡ªreaching nearly to her chin, with how she''d positioned herself, slightly bent forward to take the sight in. "Z-Zoey?" Maddy asked, sounding incredulous. "Is it supposed to be¡ª?" "That big?" Zoey asked, a bit faintly. "I mean, everyone''s different. You got lucky, I guess." Maddy pressed her palm into her shaft, squishing the twitching, veiny length harder into her body. She groaned at the sensation. "It feels¡ªweird. Hot. It''s really hot." Zoey agreed, if in a different way than Maddy had meant. The sight of Maddy''s enormous cock draped out against her small body was ¡­ doing some things to her. The size difference was insanely erotic, as it was when sheid her own cock out against Maddy. Zoey''s cock throbbed in her bodysuit, pressing painfully against the clingy, form-fitting material. Zoey cleared her throat, managing to tear her attention away from Maddy''s monstrous member and up to lock eyes with her. Maddy was biting her lip, staring down at herself as she breathed heavily. She probably hadn''t expected to ¡­ well, get as much cock as she had. "Well," Zoey eventually said. "You wanna give her a test run?" She held up the pocket pussy, and Maddy''s gaze tore away, focusing on the object. Maddy''s cock jumped once in anticipation. "Don''t worry," Zoey said. "I''ll go easy on you." Maddy nodded slowly, not taking her eyes off the toy. Her sensitive new member was clearly doing some thinking for her¡ªthe sensation of even just briefly touching herself was almost visibly making Maddy''s head spin. She stared at the toy, attention rapt like she couldn''t think of anything else. Zoey was happy to help her get her first taste. Moving forward, she grabbed Maddy''s cock, wrapping her fingers around it and standing it up in the air. Maddy settled on her elbows, legs spread, letting Zoey sit between them and admire the monster she''d grown, red-faced and breathing hard. "Wow," Zoey said breathlessly, wrapping a second hand around the thing. She stroked it, feeling the warmth of Maddy''s cock radiating through the bodysuit. "I can''t believe it''s so big." She looked at Maddy, equal parts amused and aroused. "Such a fat cock on such a tiny girl. Don''t you have any shame?" "It''s not like I picked it," Maddy protested. Zoeyughed. She lined the pocket pussy up to the tip of Maddy''s massive member. "Here we go, then." She wiggled it around, feeling the girl''s cock throb in her hand as the rubbery insides of the toy rubbed against her sensitive head. "Deep breaths. Just enjoy yourself." Slowly, she pushed Maddy''s cock into the toy, feeding inch after inch into the tight hole. Maddy moaned, falling back on her elbows as her dick was swallowed up by the pocket pussy. "It''s so ¡­ tight," she groaned, her eyes rolling back as the toy swallowed more and more of her cock. "O-Oh wow." "You like it?" Zoey murmured, pushing Maddy''s fat dick into the toy, feeling the gel expand to amodate her. Maddy''s body trembled as her cock was squeezed on all sides by the tight chamber. "I thought you would. They''re especially sensitive when you''re new to them." Maddy squirmed in ce as Zoey forced more of her dick into the toy, stretching the silky-soft insides to their limit. It was a tight fit, but Zoey didn''t relent. Going agonizingly slow to tease the girl, Zoey finally finished the trip down, the toy pressing to the base of Maddy''s cock. The smaller girl was a mess by then, moaning and writhing as her dick was squeezed in by the tight sleeve, despite Zoey not actually stroking her. At around six inches tall, the toy only covered the bottom half of her dick, the top half jutting out proudly, leaking a bead of precum inside the dark-gray bodysuit. Zoey could recognize a girl who wouldn''tst long. She could read on Maddy''s face that she was already close to finishing. Zoey couldn''t say she was surprised; in the best of cases, handling those new sensations would''ve been difficult. This was a lot, for a first time. "How''s it feel to have your cock inside a pussy?" Zoey murmured, scooting in closer as she began running the toy up and down Maddy''s shaft. The smaller girl gasped and bucked her hips up in little twitches, involuntary, her body shaking with pleasure. "G-Good," Maddy moaned. "It''s so tight. It feels like ... I''m going to lose my mind." "Ah, ah," Zoey said. "Hold off a little longer." She kept the toy working slowly up and down her cock, not going too fast. "I want to enjoy this." She slid the toy across Maddy''s shaft, the silky material rubbing against her sensitive cock, making it twitch in Zoey''s hands. Maddy writhed and moaned, trying to hold off like Zoey had asked, her body trembling as the toy stimted her. In less than a minute, her eyes were ssy with pleasure, hips bucking with every stroke. "W-Wait," Maddy gasped, only a minute into the torture. Zoey stopped stroking, meeting her eyes curiously. "Can you join me?" she asked, panting. "I want¡ªI want to finish with you inside it. With me." The lewd request sent a jolt through Zoey. That had been the original n, but having Maddy ask her outright while visibly trembling in pleasure was ... well. Zoey''s cock strained inside her suit, eager to join Maddy''s inside the toy. "Get up," Zoey instructed, pulling Maddy along by the cock into a sitting position, and settling on her knees herself. Getting their lower halves level, Zoey ced her cock to the side of Maddy''s, with the pocket pussy blocking them from touching. Comparing each other. Two giant, twitching girl dicks, about to slide and rub against each other inside a tight pussy. The idea made Zoey''s head fuzzy. She had to know what Maddy would feel like against her. Their cocks, squeezed together, squirming and humping. She was panting just thinking about it. Maddy might not be the only girl who didn''tst long under that experience. She guessed she''d find out. 6.08 – Sharing a Toy II 6.08 ¨C Sharing a Toy II For a moment, Zoey stayed that way, her cock lined up to the entrance of the six-inch pocket pussy. Her heart mmed as she stared down at the two of them. Their big, hard girlcocks lined up end-to-end. Ready to be rubbed together inside the tight, soft confines of the toy. Anticipation swept through her, imagining it. Entrancing as the sight was, she couldn''t wait a moment longer. She bit her lip and her hips started to push forward, more by instinct than anything. The soft material of the pocket pussy spread for her as she started to sink into the tight canal. Zoey pressed forward, shivering as her cockhead bumped up against Maddy''s. She groaned at the first touch. The head of Maddy''s cock. Hot. Slippery. Firm. And yet yielding against her own. She kept going, her growing arousal urging her hips forward. The toy was almost too small for one; two pushed it to its limit. With some pressure, her cock slid past Maddy''s and against the bumpy insides of the toy. Zoey''s head spun at the pressure, how tightly they were suddenly squeezed in together. It was even better than she''d expected. Inch by inch, she pushed deeper, Maddy''s hot, hard cock sliding against her own, their slick shafts rubbing together in the tight confines of the pocket pussy. With theirbined girth, they bulged out the material obscenely, making it strain to contain the two of them. Maddy whimpered, her knees shaking, the stimtion clearly overwhelming. Zoey knew she couldn''t take much more. She''d been close to finishing even before Zoey had stuffed her cock alongside hers. With every second that passed, Zoey felt the girl growing tenser, her legs starting to quiver. Her breathing came rapidly. If Maddy wasn''t going tost much longer, then Zoey would make sure she had a good time before the inevitable finish. With both hands, Zoey grabbed the toy, then started humping. Maddy joined in instantly, like Zoey, probably notpletely by intention. Their hips took control. Two thick cocks pumped in and out of the pocket pussy, grinding their lengths together, squeezing against the bumpy walls. The touch of Maddy''s cock against her own sent pulsating waves of pleasure crashing through Zoey''s body, making her head spin in only seconds. She moaned loudly, her hips bucking wildly, needing more. The pleasure was overwhelming, the friction incredible, indescribable. "Fuck," Zoey groaned, mming her dick deep inside the toy. Gripping it even tighter with both hands, she could feel the bulge of her and Maddy''s shafts as they slid through it. She started to jerk the two of them off even as they pistoned into the toy. "Fuck, Maddy. You feel so good against me." Maddy''s legs trembled. She looked like she was barely keeping herself upright. Her eyes were zed over, and her breath came in short, sharp gasps. It was clearly too much for the smaller girl. "I think¡ª" Maddy gasped, hips bucking, motions taking a fevered pitch, rubbing her cock against Zoey''s as she desperately sought release. "I think¡ªZoey, I can''t¡ª" "Do it," Zoey moaned in encouragement. "Cum over my cock, Maddy." She kept thrusting, her entire body rocking with the motion, pleasuring Maddy as fast and hard as she could, feeling the smaller girl''s fat cock twitch and swell against her own. She was close. And Zoey wanted it. To feel that hot, slippery liquid against her cock. Providing them lubricant so they could thrust even faster. Another long, keening cry came from Maddy, then, finally, her body went rigid. Her back arched and she cried out, her entire body tensing as she came. Her cock spasmed against Zoey''s own, then started spraying hot jets of cum into the pocket pussy, sttering the inside of the toy with her sticky seed. Filling the tight space. Providing a lewd friction to grind against. Zoey didn''t slow. She pumped her cock in and out, sending waves of pleasure coursing through her body. She milked out her partner''s first cock orgasm using her own dick. "There you go," Zoey moaned. "Good girl. Keep iting. Give me a nice, big, fat load." With every pump, the sticky mess inside grew, coating Zoey''s and Maddy''s cocks with a thick mess of cum, making it easier for them to slide. Maddy obliged Zoey''s request, though not intentionally: she gave everything she had. Her eyes were zed over and unfocused, body trembling but her hips humping nheless. Being forcibly milked out. Zoey took advantage of the girl''s state, fucking the toy with wild abandon, chasing her own release as their cocks were coated in Maddy''s sticky seed. She felt her own release building, the tension mounting shockingly fast, the pressure inside her stomach growing and her head turning fuzzy as she couldn''t think about anything besides the way Maddy''s cock felt on her. The bumpy walls of the toy. "It feels so good," Zoey groaned, thrusting harder and harder, her entire body shaking with pleasure, joining Maddy in her inability to control herself. The slippery hot mess Maddy had created for her, dripping out of both ends of the pussy as she humped, coating their two slippery cocks, was too much. "Do you want my cum, Maddy? Do you want to feel it on your cock?" Maddy nodded, her head bobbing up and down weakly, her entire body having gone limp as she came down from her orgasm. Zoey wasn''t far behind. She grunted and fucked the toy furiously, sending cum dribbling out of the toy, sttering the floor. "P-Please. Cum for me, Zoey," Maddy murmured. "I want to feel it." The words, the request, sent a shiver down Zoey''s spine. Obviously, at that, she didn''t stand a chance. She came. Zoey whined, her vision blurring and her body shaking as she blessedly reached her peak. She rammed her cock as deep inside the toy as she could, grinding up against Maddy''s dick, their two shafts sliding against each other, the slippery, sloppy mess squelching lewdly as she plunged into it. Zoey held the toy with both hands, gripping hard as she finally shot her massive load inside. She pumped string after string, adding to the mess Maddy had created. The climax was so intense Zoey''s vision darkened at the edges. Pleasure crashed through her like a tidal wave. She felt like she was going to pass out from the sheer intensity of her orgasm. And it seemed tost forever, each spurt of her cock dimming her sight further. Maddy''s cock against her own just felt that good. Finally, Zoey came down. Her cock still pulsed, adding a few more spurts into the toy. Her entire body felt numb from the force of her release. She panted, her cock still twitching, and dizzily, she let go of the toy and copsed onto her back. She felt light-headed. Maddy joined her on the floor, pressed her shoulder into Zoey''s, and her huge cock stuck up in the air, dripping with cum. She held the overstuffed toy to her chest, leaking their loads down onto hertex-covered body. Theyy there for several minutes, recovering from their respective orgasms. Zoey''s chest rose and fell, her body flushed with pleasure. It took a while for her head to stop swimming "Wow," Zoey said, breaking the panting silence. "Yeah," Maddy said. "Wow." A few more moments passed, their breathing slowly regting. "Do we need to do anything with that?" Zoey asked, flopping her head to the side to look at Maddy. Gray eyes met her own with confusion. They cleared up after a second. "Oh. The toy?" "It''s gonna make a potion, right? With our cum? But it''s leaking." "Oh. Um. Right. That is why we did that." Zoeyughed. The words tickled her, or rather, how obvious Maddy had been. She''d clearly forgotten the ''reason'' they had shared the toy. Zoey didn''t me her. It was kind of mean to have given Maddy a cock, then jumped straight into that. Zoey had at least had time to limate to the sensitive member, and even then, she''d nearly lost her mind, getting to rub up against Maddy''s while buried inside a shared pussy. Maddy had jumped straight off the deep end. "Hopefully it can just go in our inventory," Maddy said, looking down at the toy dribbling onto her chest. "Shouldn''t leak if it''s stored in there. Do you want it?" Zoey, feeling a bit weak still, sat up and took the toy from Maddy. It was ... a mess. Two girls'' worth of cum, mixed in together, both inside the toy and all over the outside, from how fervently they''d been fucking into it. "It''ll still work in our inventory?" "Probably. How else?" That was fair. It wasn''t like she could carry it around the whole shard. Plus it was the only easy way to make it not leak¡ªso it was probably how the item was designed. With a mentalmand, the pocket pussy vanished. She would check in to see what potion was brewing inside thereter. Zoey took stock of their situation. Both of them were sweaty and heaving, cum smeared all over their lower halves. Maddy''s cock stood up proudly still, even her overwhelming orgasm not enough to make the monster soften. Zoey''s eyes lingered on it for a moment, and she nearly couldn''t stop herself from insisting on a round two. But Rosalie and Delta were out there, somewhere, potentially fighting for their lives, so now wasn''t the time to indulge without reason. Without some kind of excuse, like recharging or testing a new item. It was time to set out again. Zoey stood and held a hand out. Maddy took it, wavering a bit on her feet as she got to her feet. "How long is this going tost, anyway?" Maddy asked, looking down at herself. "Varies," Zoey said. "Not really sure how it works, to be honest. Think it has to do with whether you''re done with it. Whether you want it gone. Or something. Delta''s goes away faster or slower, depending." The cock-growing potion definitely didn''t work with any perfect consistency. "Huh," Maddy said. "Well, hopefully it doesn''t stick around too long. It''d be kind of awkward for a reunion to happen with me like this. " Zoey fought away a smile. Personally, she thought the opposite¡ªthat would be a great way to join back up. Delta especially would appreciate the sight. She didn''t voice the sentiment out loud. She hoped it happened, though. If for no reason besides how that thing deserved to be shown off. Seriously, for such a small girl, it was a monster. 6.09 – Chasm 6.09 ¨C Chasm In the sprawling underground magma cavernbyrinth, there were plenty of splits, loops, and dead-ends. Zoey and Maddy worked by no particr methodology picking which way to go¡ªthough they marked where they had already explored. A variety of stone and fire-type monsters assaulted them, but having found a rhythm, they worked efficiently to clear a path. Soon enough, they wandered into the next notable event. Taking a step through a small arched cavern entrance¡ªthe tunnel having narrowed and narrowed as they walked down it¡ªZoey blinked as she took in their new environment. With a ceiling so high up she couldn''t see where it ended, and walls at least fifty feet to either side of her, she and Maddy had emerged into a massive space. A doorway was on the opposite side, with glowing orange bricks drawing her eyes there. The problem? The hundred-foot chasm that sank into the darkness, its bottom, like the ceiling, nowhere in sight. "Huh," Zoey said. "That''s ¡­ a big hole," Maddymented, stepping up to peek over the edge¡ªapparently not afraid of heights. Zoey nearly reached out and pulled her away just from instinct. Even for a wayfarer of her advancement, that had to be a long drop. A fatal one. "How are we supposed to get across?" Zoey asked. Maddy frowned. She leaned back from peering perilously over, setting Zoey''s nerves at ease. Her eyes flicked around the room as if trying to scour out an answer to Zoey''s question. Some incriminating piece of terrain that indicated a puzzle to solve. A way to manifest a hidden bridge or something like that. But she saw nothing. Neither did Zoey. Despite the huge chasm and the faraway exit, the room was rather nondescript. "Huh," Maddy said. "Not really." "And I can''t use my ice, somehow?" Maddy tilted her head. "You don''t have nearly the control needed to make structures. Just summoning one shape is difficult, much less a free-form manifestation technique." "Right," Zoey said. "Just wondering." Though she probably should know better by now that just conjuring up new spells was far from a simple process. It had been the first thing to pop in mind, though. "Not that you aren''t good," Maddy hastily said, worried Zoey had taken the dismissal the wrong way. "That''s just high-tier stuff. The mental control needed for free-form manifestation is crazy. Otherwise, everyone would use it." "Gotcha." She wasn''t offended. If anything, she found Maddy''s quick assurances cute. She pursed her lips as she looked out across the stretching ck chasm. "What about a potion?" "A potion?" "I have a skill that makes alchemy in shards easier. Potions are even stronger when made using ingredients gathered from inside the same shard. Might be useful here." "But what would you make?" "Dunno. Are there potions of flying?" Maddy''s eyebrows rose. She politely didn''t deride the idea as ridiculous, though Zoey knew the girl well enough to recognize that was what she was thinking. "Not that I know of." "Doesn''t seem that strange," Zoey defended herself. "It''s gotta exist. At least as a high-advancement potion." "Maybe," Maddy replied nomittally. "There''s no saying what does and doesn''t when ites to magic. But I doubt it''s an option avable to us." "Fair." Zoey could have guessed that herself. Flying potions did seem high on the list when it came to advancement. If they existed at all. "There''s potions of slow falling, though," Maddy suggested. "We''d have to climb up real high and throw ourselves forward. Might not even reach if we did that, though. Risky." She frowned at the smooth walls. "Not sure how we''d even climb up, anyways." "Embed ice spears into the wall?" Maddy hummed. "That could work. Assuming you can even catalyze feather fall somehow," she said. "For that matter, if you can get your spears into the wall, we could just bridge ourselves across. Try?" A short experimentter showed that Zoey could not. Not even if she empowered the ability. Her ice javelins shattered against the stone¡ªdefinitely not embedding deep enough to act as hand- or footholds to climb across the chasm. "Hm," Zoey said. "Might have to consider this a dead end." Zoey didn''t like the idea of that. "That''s definitely a special doorway." Whether a useful reward or possibly even the path leading to Rosalie and Delta, Zoey doubted they should just ignore the chasm. Maddy nodded in agreement. "Yeah, but nothing''sing to mind." Zoey frowned in silence, puzzling over their options. "Think you can give me a moment to try some stuff out?" Zoey asked. "There''s gotta be something I can catalyze that''ll help." That was the whole point of having an alchemy rune specialized in shard exploration¡ªbeing able to solve unexpected situations like this one. And making impromptu buff and healing potions too, so Zoey ought to cook up a few of those as well, if she could. It depended on the different reagents she''d collected. "Go for it," Maddy said. "We''re not in any rush. Might not even have to make progress ourselves. Maybe Rosalie and Delta find us, rather than the other way around. I''ll watch for threats." Given permission, Zoey settled down cross-legged and pulled out her alchemy tools. Once she had the various instruments required for a simple batch of potions, she cataloged the regents she''d collected from the shard. As she went about tidying her space and prepping for potion-making, her mind was preupied with potential solutions. A way to float, jump, or throw themself across an enormous gap. And preferably something reliable, because Zoey got the feeling that if something went wrong and they fell into that pit, it wasn''t something they could walk off. Not all shard puzzles, traps, or encounters were solvable with just what wayfarers brought in. That was why they were encouraged to be prepared, to be ready to tackle as many situations as they could¡ªand reap the rewards from it. However, seeing how Zoey''s shards often robbed her and her team''s inventory, it was likely that there was a way past this obstacle with resources found inside the shard. Probably several ways. It wasn''t all that difficult of a problem, having to cross an enormous chasm. Hence why Zoey figured her alchemy could crack the problem open with a little experimentation. Sorting through her reagents, Zoey paused, eyestching to one in particr. She frowned at a small jar of orange moss¡ªit was prettymon inside these caverns, clinging to the shores near the magmakes. Sticking a finger into the container and pulling a clump out, sticky vibrant-orange gel attached itself to her finger. Not hot, but sticky. Her eyes flicked to the wall. Pinching her fingers back with a bit of effort needed, she noted: really sticky. Maybe not jump or float. Why not just walk? With Maddy standing guard, Zoey lost herself in the process of putting her idea to the test. As Sabina had suggested, intuition was invaluable, and hunches could often¡ªthough not always¡ªbe trusted when it came to one''s ss. Squeezing the sticky orange gel out from the clumps of moss, Zoey went about catalyzing an experimental potion. The first batch failed to manifest into anything, but she didn''t lose heart because of that. Even with skills to help, her current set-up was far from the pristine industrial equipment Sabina had trained her with. And she was an amateur besides. On the third batch, she finally seeded. Shaking the thin ss vial, she watched the murky liquid settle into a vibrant orange color. Focusing her attention on it, she requested a description¡ªand finally got one. [Potion of Stickiness]: Modifies theposition of one''s self to be stickier. Can be as troublesome as it is useful. "Huh," Zoey said. She studied the potion a moment longer, then faced Maddy, her eyebrows raised. "Check this out." Maddy, having been watching guard at the cave entrance, looked over. Her eyebrows scrunched as she read the description. "As troublesome as it is useful? What does that mean?" "Guess we''ll find out." Because the first half of the potion seemed to be exactly the effect Zoey had been seeking¡ªher easier catalyzation skill had worked wlessly. Though, would the potion be strong enough for her to actually somehow stick to the wall as she traversed the chasm? And that it ''modified her body''sposition'' was also pretty weird¡ªshe''d been hoping just for her hands or feet, or something of that nature. Some potions could be applied rather than drunk. This hadn''t turned out to be one, though. Regardless, Zoey wanted to see what the potion did. She uncorked the vial, then tipped it back. 6.10 – Sticky 6.10 ¨C Sticky All potions tasted weird at best¡ªnot necessarily vile, but certainly ¡­ potent¡ªand going down this one was even more of an experience than usual. Hot and sticky, the viscous liquid clung to the sides of Zoey''s throat as she swallowed several times, only barely stopping herself from choking. She felt the hot liquid creep all the way down into her stomach before settling. Then, finally, the effect started to tingle through her. A wave of vertigo washed across Zoey, making her vision swim. Something weird happened. Not unexpected, seeing how the potion''s description explicitly stated what it would do, but nheless disorienting. No warnings could have prepared her for the sensations that came with the transformation. Her body ¡­ softened. Ayer of sticky liquid secreted across her body, covering her in a thick sheen of goo-like substance. Zoey held up her hand and looked at it in fascination. And a degree of horror. Because bit by bit, she melted, losing her normal consistency, turning into¡ªsomething like Mel, maybe. Except not so pronounced. Not as thorough. She poked her palm, and her pointer finger sank a tenth of an inch into her squishy palm, but stopped there. When she tried to pull back, dark-gray gel¡ªmatching the bodysuit''s color¡ªclung to her finger, only yielding with a loud squelch after she all but ripped it away to separate. Looking down at her feet, she tried to raise one, only to discover she was likewise glued to the floor. As in, glued. The effect was absurdly strong. Only after an intense struggle could she yank her foot up¡ªand it came with an even louder, more pronounced squelch. ''Equally as troublesome as it was helpful,'' the description had said. Yeah, Zoey could see why. The effect was so strong as to be difficult to work with. "Oh, wow," Maddy said, her gray eyes widening as she watched the event unfold. "Zoey, you''re ¡­ turning into ¡­" "Goo?" Zoey asked. "Yeah. I guess that was my goal." "It was?" "Kind of." The general n had been to make her hands or feet sticky enough that she could cling to walls. It had been a rather inspired goal¡ªprobably not where most people''s minds would have gone¡ªbut it seemed to have worked. At least, the getting-sticky part. The actual usefulness of the effect was yet to be seen. "What do I even look like?" Zoey asked. She could look down at herself to get a general idea, but she doubted she was getting the full picture. She wished she had a mirror. "Um. Gooey?" Maddy was practically marveling at her, so Zoey assumed it was a bit of a spectacle. "I''ve never seen a potion like that. I can''t believe you made it so easily." Maddy hesitated. "But is it actually gonna help us cross?" Good question. "Let''s find out." Zoey spent one more moment taking in her strange new form. The color of goo secreting from every pore depended on whether her skin was exposed to the air or her bodysuit: it seemed to have taken ''her'' to have included her clothing, making her entire figure, clothes and everything, melt. Even poking at her hair resulted in her fingering back covered in ck goo. She wondered if that was going to cause any problems when she changed back to her normal form. The fact she was leaving behind residue of¡ªwhat, herself? Dragging her foot up from the ground left a glistening patch of goo as well. Was she shedding her actual body with every step? She doubted it, but it was an unnerving thought to have. Her thoughts went again to Mel. Zoey definitely hadn''t transformed into something truly like the goo-girl, even if Mel had been an inspiration for the idea. Only the outermostyer of Zoey''s skin and clothing had softened into the sticky, clinging material. Still, there was a definite resemnce. Realizing that, the transformation inspired some ¡­ other ideas ¡­ for the future. Maybe with some additional effort, she could create something that changed her into something that truly was like Mel. A full goo-girl. Now that she thought about it, using some of mini-Mel''s body as a reagent might help create that effect. Or at least something interesting. And what would that be like, having a squishy, easy-to-prate body like Mel''s? Or better¡ªif Rosalie and Delta did? Zoey shook away the distracting idea and focused on the obstacle in front of her. The chasm. Would this sticky form help her cross it? With great effort, Zoey squelched her way over to the nearest wall. Each step required yanking her foot up with gusto. The stickiness effect was way too strong to be convenient in any urgent situation. She was nearly exhausted in just the short trip to the wall. "Here goes nothing," Zoey muttered. She pushed her other foot firmly onto the vertical surface, leaving the other nted on the ground. Another grunt freed herpletely from the floor, and she quickly stomped that foot next to the first. She swayed unsteadily for a moment as she stabilized herself in midair. Then settled. It had worked. She was standing on a wall. "Neat," Zoey said with amusement. "And ¡­ it''s kind of trippy." Maybe a few weeks ago, having the core strength needed to bnce herself while horizontal would have been difficult, but for her new body and stats, it wasn''t a problem. Stats didn''te with a supernatural resistance to disorientation, though. Staring up at the ceiling while standing on a wall, feeling gravity pull the wrong way, was still strange to experience. "Can you walk?" Maddy asked. "Probably," Zoey said. "It''s just a pain in the ass." Demonstrating the point, she yanked her foot up¡ªor, maybe more urately, sideways?¡ªand aically loud squelch echoed through the air. She took several steps upward. While the absurd levels of stickiness did make movement annoying, she at least took sce in the fact she wasn''t going to slip and fall. "This''ll work," Zoey said after a minute of testing. "We just need to find out how long the effectsts. Wouldn''t want it to disappear halfway through." Because it was a fair distance to the other side of the cavern; it would take a while to traverse the gap. Even if the potion didn''tst long, though, they could simply book it across. But she''d rather get an idea for the potion''s duration to be safe. Sure enough, after a minute or two longer, the potion faded. It wasn''t all that longsting. Reverting to her normal state didn''t happen all at once. Bit by bit, she lost the viscosity of her body, growing firmer and less sticky by the moment. She dismounted from the wall with maybe not grace, but coordination enough for her unusual circumstances. She wobbled a few times as she got her bearings again, havingnded on both feet after jumping from ten or so feet up the wall. Her body slowly finished regaining its rigidity. And thankfully, without missing pieces. The residue left behind¡ªwhich persisted even now, clinging to the wall and floor¡ªwas created from nothingness, not her body. Hardly weird by magical standards. "I feel like there''s probably an easier way across," Zoeyughed, "but this is definitely the stylish one." "Bonus points for creativity," Maddy agreed, also amused at the show Zoey had put on, stickily clomping her way up and down a vertical wall. "We''ll need to go fast since it doesn''tst long. Should I get a feel for it? Practice? How many can you make?" "The moss is prettymon," Zoey said. "So yeah, no problem." Her first batch had created several vials worth of liquid; she handed one to Maddy. "You really have to pull to separate yourself, so get ready for that." Maddy downed the potion, shivering as the liquid entered her. Like Zoey, she cleared her throat several times, the potion unpleasant even by potion standards. Within seconds, her body started melting¡ªwhich was a rather surreal sight for Zoey, seeing her friend turn suddenly gooey. Maddy had already watched Zoey and understood the effect, so she wasn''t nearly as disoriented. She got straight to testing her new body out, clumsily swaying side to side as she had to forcefully rip her foot from the ground. She took a different approach to moving across the wall than Zoey, using both her hands and feet rather than just her feet. It turned out to be an ineffective experiment, since separating her hands from the stone was much harder than her legs. Thetter were able to produce much more force to yank with. "Never mind," Maddy groaned, awkwardly stuck to the wall on all four limbs. "This was a terrible idea. Just using your feet is way better." When the potion expired, they reconvened, assessing the significant gap between them and the exit door. "We can make it in time, right?" Zoey asked. "Totally." "What if a monster crawls out from the pit? While we''re trying to cross?" That seemed like the kind of annoying obstacle the shard would throw at them. Maddy blinked. It was probably the first time Zoey had acknowledged a threat the experienced wayfarer hadn''t considered herself. "Then that would suck?" Maddy suggested tentatively. "I guess it''s possible. Maybe make a few spare potions for each of us, in case we get somehow tied up." She peered over the ledge into the inky darkness, again setting Zoey''s nerves itching¡ªshe really was way too casual about heights. "Honestly, I kind of want to walk down and see what''s in there. Maybe there''s special loot." "It''s a really deep pit." While Zoey had been putting together a few test brews, Maddy had chucked a few rocks over the ledge. They hadn''t even heard them hit the bottom. "True," Maddy said. "I guess it''s not important, I''m just curious." To be safe, Zoey made another batch of the potions so that she and Maddy had spares. Without further ceremony, they downed the potions and started the trip over. Their fears turned out to be unfounded: no monsters crawled out to eat them. The difficulty of the trek came entirely from having to traverse the gap. Though Zoey had improved strength thanks to her stats, it still took a lot of effort to run across a wall with superpowered glue sealing her feet to the stone. Maddy had even more of a struggle. Though she benefited from Zoey''s bonded shared stats as well, she wasn''t strong, naturally speaking. Less so even than Zoey. By the time Zoey made it to the other ledge, she was gasping for breath. Maddy was a bit behind her. In a way, the potion''s short duration helped, since the stickiness effect lessened as it started to fade, and so Maddy''s speed picked up considerably as the effect wavered, no longer having to yank her feet up with as much effort. Zoey''s heart jumped a few times, seeing the mage not quaff another potion to be safe, but she made it across before the effect expired: shended next to Zoey without worry. Again, for all her bubbly demeanor, she was made of firmer stuff than probably Zoey herself. Maddy had grown up studyingbative magic and learning how to explore deadly dungeons. ying it a bit close with a potion''s duration was nothing to her. "Woah," Maddy said, doubled over, hands on her knees and panting for breath. "That was exhausting. And weird. I feel dizzy." Zoey agreed. Walking on vertical surfaces would take more than a few times to get used to. Though she doubted they''d need to do a whole lot more of that. After catching their breath, Zoey straightened out and looked at the arched exit leading into a hallway. "Time to see if it was worth it," Maddy said, also peeking that way. "What''d''you think is through there?" 6.11 – Cage 6.11 ¨C Cage Their reward for finding a way past the obstacle was a bit perplexing: a small silver key lying on a pedestal. An inch long, the ornate bit of metal came with no exnation nor even a description to exin its use. Zoey and Maddy shared confused looks before shrugging and moving on, Maddy pocketing the key into her inventory. Zoey assumed the key would be relevantter. The obstacle had hardly been that tricky to solve, so Zoey hadn''t been expecting anything amazing. Though maybe more than an unexined silver key. Upon exiting the small cavern, the ground rumbled beneath their feet, and a cascade of boulders crashed down behind them, blocking them from returning to the chasm room. Again, Zoey and Maddy shared a look, then shrugged and continued forward. Typical shard shenanigans. It was good they hadn''t left anything behind. Not more than a minute of walkingter, they entered a new cave room¡ªand Zoey''s mood soared since, finally, it had happened. Two other figures were in the cavern: a tinum blonde and an orange-haired foxgirl. Even if the key was unexined, solving that obstacle had provided a quick path back to her teammates. That was reward enough, as far as Zoey was concerned. From a nce, Zoey could see there were several passages in and out of the cavern, and though Rosalie and Delta had been initially facing away, they turned the moment they heard Zoey and Maddy''s footfalls¡ªseeming tense at first, but rxing when they saw who it was. Zoey waved in greeting, and Rosalie nodded back at her. Of course, Zoey couldn''t help but rake her eyes across Rosalie and Delta''s bodies, hugged in tight by clingingtex bodysuits, the same as she and Maddy. It was everything she''d been hoping for. While Maddy''s t, petite figure was delightful intex, so, obviously, were Rosalie''s and Delta''s curvier ones. Delta especially, who, of the three of her teammates, definitely had thergest assets; the material really strained to contain her chest. But Zoey couldn''t fully admire the two of them, because something else immediately caught her attention. A glint of silver between Delta''s legs. Zoey blinked as she finished casually closing the gap between them, the two teams officially rejoining. Delta huffed at her. "Hello? It''s rude to stare, you know." "What is that?" Zoey asked, peering at the metal contraption between Delta''s legs. Her brain didn''t make sense of it right away. Delta crossed her arms. Her eyes skirted away from Zoey''s, clearly embarrassed¡ªwhich was way out of character for her, so Zoey was instantly interested. "It''s a chastity cage," Delta said, sounding annoyed. "What? It is?" Finally, the shape of the object clicked in Zoey''s head. A cage of metal, just the right size to fit Delta''s soft cock, keeping her trapped. And on top oftex, no less. "Oh," Zoey said, caught off guard¡ªif nheless intrigued by the development. She faced Rosalie, raising her eyebrows. "Sounds like you two have been having fun, then?" Rosalie seemed unamused. "You two?" she quoted back at Zoey. "No. Some of us can control ourselves. Some of us have standards." "Oh, please," Delta shot back. "As if Zoey wouldn''t have gone for it either. And she''s your girlfriend. So what''s that say about ''standards''?" Rosalie red at the foxgirl before facing back to Zoey. She crossed her arms, then usatorily said: "Delta fucked a wall." Which was ¡­ quite a statement to drop on her. "Uh," Zoey said. "A wall-pussy," Delta defended herself. "Not just a wall. And, I mean, obviously, it wanted to be fucked. Why else would it be there? It unlocked a doorway for us." "You fucked a wall?" Zoey asked. "You had no idea it would unlock something," Rosalie sniffed. "You''re justpletely incapable of controlling yourself. And worse, now you''ve made yourself useless." "Useless?" Zoey asked, unsure whether to be concerned or amused by all of this. She settled for being both. Her eyes flicked down to between Delta''s legs. It really was an odd little contraption to see there. Zoey didn''t know much about them, for obvious reasons. So what¡ªDelta couldn''t get hard, now? She was trapped inside it? That seemed like an unfortunate fate, to be honest. Zoey didn''t envy her. Did it hurt? Zoey also asked the obvious question: "And how''s a wall-fucking lead to a chastity cage?" Rosalie shrugged. "She fucked the wall, it unlocked a doorway, but also put that on her. Because she doesn''t understand what the word trap means." "How was I supposed to know it was a trap?" Delta insisted. "Sometimes, they just give rewards. Or unlock doors." Rosalie shook her head, exasperated. Zoey sympathized with Delta''s point. Sometimes, the lewd encounters really weren''t traps, just ways to progress through the dungeon faster. Even Rosalie had engaged with one of those, back in the second shard. And that Delta had jumped into a situation like that hardly surprised Zoey. She was obviously more than willing to interact with lewd encounters¡ªtraps or not. She''d seen that when the foxgirl had gleefully been groped by the vines back at Mel''s shard. And as for her usation that Zoey also would have engaged¡ªshe had a point there too. Though, they really should be more careful when ites to traps. At least from what they''d seen, the tantly lewd ones weren''t violent. Just aphrodisiacs and potentially other concerning things like, well, the chastity cage, apparently. But they didn''t cause direct bodily harm. Even when they did turn out to be traps, they were a different type of trap. "Why is she useless?" Zoey asked. That part had stuck out; it didn''t seem like Rosalie simply chiding the woman. "It reduces her stats by half," Rosalie said. "So long as she''s wearing it. I''ve had to escort her around, since then." She flicked an annoyed look toward the woman. "She''s lucky I can handle myself alone in this environment. Most people at our rank couldn''t." "Yeah, yeah, you''re hot shit, we get it, blondie." Despite putting on her usual act, Zoey could see Delta really was embarrassed by the whole situation. She couldn''t quite meet either Rosalie''s or Zoey''s eyes. To be fair, getting trapped inside a chastity cage and subsequently turning into dead weight was fairly humiliating. And maybe the second part far more than the first, since sexual matters didn''t typically fluster Delta. Rather, Zoey intuited, Delta was annoyed that her actions had put her and Rosalie in danger. Maybe she was shameless when it came to sex, but she also prided herself as apetent wayfarer. "How do we get it off?" Zoey asked. "Dunno. There''s a slot for a key, I think," Delta grumbled. "We''re looking for it." "A ¡­ key?" Maddy chimed in abruptly, her first addition to the conversation. She was, understandably, a bit flustered by the discussion, and ¡­ well, everything. She hadn''t grown used to the absurd situations Zoey''s shards could create. To be fair, this was a funnier one than usual. "A key like this?" Materializing the object from her inventory, Maddy held the silver object up. Zoey''s eyes flicked between the cage and the key. They were, at least, the same bright silver, and she supposed they fit together in design. So. It seemed the mystery of their reward was rather short-lived. The chasm had provided a fast path to her teammates, and a solution for Delta''s ¡­ perhaps hasty ¡­ urges. Her urges to ¡­ fuck a wall. Even by their standards, that was a bit much. Though, Zoey really couldn''t talk. Delta peered at the item, then sighed a huge breath of relief. "Oh, thank the heavens." She held a hand out. "I need out of this thing like, right now. You have no idea what it''s been like, seeing blondie swing that ass while being stuck in a cage. Thought I was gonna break through the metal a few times. She''s quite the little acrobat." "Excuse me?" Rosalie sputtered. Maddy ced the key in Delta''s hand, flushing at the woman''s words. Rosalie looked at the foxgirl incredulously, though how she could still be surprised at the woman''s crudeness, Zoey had no idea. After getting no response from Delta, who simply busied herself with the lock, Rosalie faced Zoey instead, looking for support from her. "Well, she''s right," Zoey said. "That had to have been torture." Zoey paused. "Speaking of, can you turn around, real quick?" She hadn''t gotten a chance to see the full picture of Rosalie''stex bodysuit, yet. Specifically, from behind. Rosalie crossed her arms, seeming unamused. Zoeyughed and raised her hands catingly. "Okay, sorry, you don''t have an amazing ass. Is that better?" Rosalie''s eyes narrowed further. "Delta is a gross pervert?" Zoey suggested. "Hey!" "Yes," Rosalie said. "Yes, she is." "You two are fine, though?" Zoey asked. "Nothing serious came up, besides that?" Rosalie rolled her eyes, obviously not offended at the teasing¡ªjust defending her honor like she usually did. Meanwhile, Delta was still fidgeting with the key down at her crotch. "Yes, we''re fine," Rosalie said. The metal finally clicked. Delta peeled her metal confinement off of herself, sighing loudly in relief. "That feels so much better," the foxgirl said. She cupped herself through her bodysuit and gave herself a few firm squeezes, as if massaging the thing between her legs. And not for pleasure, for once, but simply because it''d been trapped for way too long and had grown ufortable. Though it had the same effect: blood swelled downward, and the foxgirl''s cock quickly stiffened inside her bodysuit. "Seriously?" Rosalie asked. Delta, for the third time, sighed contentedly. Her cock grew to full mast. It was a bit amusing. It really didn''t seem like sexual pleasure in the slightest. Purely relief. "There she is," she said, giving herself a few wiggles as her erection finished filling out. "Wee back, troublemaker. You''re causing me a lot of problems recently, you know." "You cause yourself problems," Rosalie said. "Don''t me it on that thing. You were the exact same before it." She huffed in exasperation and faced back to Zoey and Maddy. "Anyway," she said. "You two are fine as well? Nothing came up while we were separated?" 6.12 – Heritage 6.12 ¨C Heritage The four of them caught each other up on their circumstances. It seemed Delta''s predicament had been the only serious problem they''d run into, and that had been solved in short order, thanks to the key Zoey and Maddy had found. The chastity cage itself they stored away in their inventory. An artifact that reduced a wayfarer''s stats by half was definitely an interesting item¡ªthough, admittedly, considering how it had to be equipped, probably more of a novelty than anything. Zoey imagined Fe would love to get her hands on it for study. Sadly, she wouldn''t be headed to Mantle immediately; it might be some time before Zoey saw her again. If ever. Like Zoey and Maddy, Rosalie and Delta''s bodysuits had been changing color as they progressed through the shard. They had discovered thatbat fed the material, but not that lewd activities did the same. Which was fair, since without Zoey there, Rosalie and Delta had hardly needed to take ''rest-stops'' every handful of encounters. Their suits were roughly the same shade of gray as her and Maddy''s. As a party of two, Rosalie and Delta had been far more effective inbat, likely progressing far faster than Zoey and Maddy to begin with. But Delta''s mishap with the wall-pussy had slowed their progress down considerably, putting the bulk of the responsibility on Rosalie. Thus, the two teams were in roughly the same position when it came to suit progression. Like them, Rosalie and Delta didn''t have many ideas about what the changing color of the suits meant. As Zoey and Maddy had concluded, they would simply figure it out when the time arrived. After the team caught each other up, Rosalie requested a moment to speak to Zoey alone. That, of course, piqued her interest, since Zoey had no idea what they might need to talk about. Delta and Maddy were also obviously interested, but neither were nosy enough to press for details. So Rosalie pulled Zoey to the side, out of earshot of their two teammates. For a moment, the tinum blonde studied Zoey, chewing her lip with indecision, as if she couldn''t quite force herself to get started. That doubled Zoey''s curiosity. And, admittedly, her concern. "So?" Zoey prompted. "What is it?" "I wanted to talk to you about this earlier," Rosalie said, with a hint of reluctance. "Much earlier, in fact. And I''ve put it off too long. I would''ve told you when Lucinda found us, but I wanted a moment of privacy, which we haven''t had much of, considering everything that''s been happening the past few days." "Okay ¡­ ?" Zoey asked, her concern growing proportionally with Rosalie''s reluctance. She could read it on Rosalie''s face: she was worried about how Zoey would react to whatever her announcement was. "I haven''t beenpletely honest with you." "You haven''t?" "Or rather, I''ve been omitting some important details. About ¡­" Rosalie hesitated. "About who I am." "Who you are?" Rosalie shifted from foot to foot, seeming ufortable. Her eyes didn''t quite meet Zoey''s. Whatever this was, Zoey could tell it was a big deal to her¡ªwhich was probably why it had been so dyed in its arrival. Seeing Rosalie squirm, Zoey couldn''t help herself: she took a step forward and grabbed both of Rosalie''s hands. She got her face in Rosalie''s vision, forcing their eyes to meet. "Rosie," Zoey said firmly. "There shouldn''t be anything you''re scared to tell me. It doesn''t matter what it is. We''ll face it together. I''m your girlfriend. That''s how it works." She squeezed gently on her hands. "And nothing you can say will make me think less of you, if that''s what you''re worried about. You know that, right?" For a moment, Rosalie met Zoey''s eyes. Then her cheeks colored and she nced away. The reassurance didn''t seem topletely do the job. "You shouldn''t say something like that so confidently," Rosalie murmured. "You don''t even know what it is." "It doesn''t matter." "Yes, it does," Rosalie insisted, meeting her eyes again. "What if I was about to tell you¡ªoh, I don''t know. That I was a member of the Tnak n? That my father was its leader?" She delivered the question like it was some devastating rebuttal. Instead, Zoey asked, "What''s the Tnak n?" "The¡ª" Abruptly, the wind went out of her sails. Rosalie huffed loudly, annoyed that the point she''d been trying to make had been invalidated by Zoey''sck ofmon knowledge. "They''re an infamous tribe of wandering cannibals. They prey on wayfarers between cities." "Oh," Zoey said. "That''s, uh, interesting. Your family is a n of cannibals?" "I''m not really¡ª" Rosalie started, then shook her head. "Ugh." Zoey, for her part, was just amused at the hypothetical. And pleased that she was breaking Rosalie out of her reluctant demeanor. Better to have her agitated than cagey and worried. "The point is," Rosalie emphasized, "you shouldn''t blindly make promises like that. That nothing I could say would change things between us." "I can if I mean them." "But it could," Rosalie insisted. "It couldn''t." "It doesn''t matter in the slightest what I''m about to tell you?" "Only in that you think it matters," Zoey said. "I won''t invalidate that. But can you say something that''ll make me think of you differently? Not a chance." Of course, in reality, there were plenty of things Rosalie could say that would be pretty concerning, and Zoey wasying it on a little thick, but Rosalie needed assurance right now, not pointlessly strict honesty. Rosalie just huffed again. She studied Zoey, as if trying to think of a good argument against what she was saying¡ªbut then, instead, she deted. "You promise?" she asked quietly. "I swear it." Rosalie sighed. "Do you remember when we registered at Treyhull''s Guild? I used a fake name." "Yeah." Zoey did remember that. She''d noted it immediately. "It was for a good reason." "I figured." "Because people might be looking for me. Or rather, my name would cause me ¡­ us ¡­ problems." "I see." Rosalie squirmed for a bit longer. "You''ve heard the name d''Celestin by now, haven''t you?" "A ¡­ few times," Zoey said. In the grand scheme of things, Zoey hadn''t been in this world all that long. But there were two names that came up more than any other: the d''Celestin family, and the Harrowgate family. The respective leaders of the Deepshunters and the Striders Highguilds. The two super-polities of this world, led by monstrously powerful wayfarers at their head. Zoey couldn''t even really contextualize their importance. They were the dominant rulers of basically the entire world¡ªmore important than any single country, like back on modern Earth. Maybe something like Julius Ceasar would be an apt analogy, a monarch presiding over a powerful empire that stretched nations. Though the scale of Haven and the Fractures in general, Zoey was a bit fuzzy about. Probably not the same as Earth. Regardless, on a global scale, those names were unbelievably important. Of course, at Rosalie''s introductory words, Zoey immediately started to suspect her next. Why else bring it up? "My father is Enzo d''Celestin, Zoey," Rosalie sighed. "And when he deems me a worthy recement, I''ll be inheriting the guild from him." Zoey stared at Rosalie, despite having been ready for whatever she was about to say. "Oh," Zoey said. She had, of course, expected Rosalie toe from a powerful family. That''d been a given from how she carried herself, and the way Delta scoffed at her behaviors: the term ''oldblood'' which she delivered almost as an insult, at times. That said, Zoey hadn''t expected her family to be that important. Enzo d''Celestin. Her father was a name even Zoey, a stranger to the world, had heard a number of times. One of the most talked-about figures currently alive. The quasi-leader of nearly half the world, even if he mostly concerned himself with the Fractures and not Haven, where most civilians lived. Delta liked to tease Rosalie by calling her ''princess'' at times¡ªbut Zoey realized, suddenly, that she''d been dead urate in using the term. Princess. The word might not even fully do Rosalie''s position justice. Enzo was essentially an emperor, even if he didn''t go by that title. So, Zoey was dating an actual princess? Rosalie studied her silently, Zoey still holding her hands in her own. She waited with an inscrutable expression for Zoey''s reaction. Despite her shock, Zoey forced herself to calm her suddenly racing brain. The implications behind the reveal were staggering in so many ways¡ªpersonal and political. Obviously, this had serious implications on Zoey''s dreams of¡ªwell. Future romance with Rosalie. And in the bigger picture, Zoey''s mission for saving the world, which, inappropriately, felt less important. Dating one of the world''s most eminent figuresplicated so many things. How was that going to work? How was Zoey supposed to introduce herself to her dad, the Emperor? Not that that was his actual title, but by all rights, that was what Enzo was. But that didn''t matter, right now. Not with Rosalie having frozen up in front of her, waiting to see how Zoey would react. Zoey forced herself to rx. She squeezed her girlfriend''s hands reassuringly, then leaned forward to kiss her on the cheek. Rosalie stiffened. "Thank you for telling me," Zoey said. "That''s, uh, a big deal¡ªI can tell. We''ll need to talk about what it means." "You aren''t mad?" "Why would I be mad?" "It''s a rather significant thing to hide from a teammate," Rosalie protested. "Much less the woman I''m dating." "Maybe," Zoey said. "And, if I''m honest, I can''t fully sympathize with the situation you were in. Why you were so nervous to tell me. I''ve never been hidden royalty. But you did. And I''m definitely not mad at you." Rosalie watched her with a strange expression. Zoey could see the way relief slowly washed through her, the way her tension drained away bit by bit. She took a short, instinctive step closer to Zoey. "Honestly, I didn''t think you would be," Rosalie said softly. "You''ve always been ridiculously understanding. Almost too much so. Still, I was worried." "You shouldn''t have been. But that''s okay." Rosalie ced her head on Zoey''s chest, and Zoey pulled her in for a hug. Rosalie sighed into her. "You''re right. There''s a lot to talk about, when ites to my family. But maybe it''s better saved for the trip to Mantle. There''ll be time to talk, then." She groaned into Zoey. "I need to tell Delta, too. I don''t think I should until we leave the shard, in case she reacts poorly." "Reacts poorly?" Zoey asked in surprise. Rosalie pulled away, looking up at her curiously. "Zoey, she despises entrenched, influential wayfaring families. That''s why she disliked me. And the d''Celestins are the entrenched, influential family." "That''s ¡­" Zoey was going to say ''not true'', but the borderline hatred Delta showed when talking about ''oldbloods'' was definitely clear to see. And even Zoey had heard some ¡­ not so good things about the d''Celestin family. "Delta doesn''t seem like the kind of woman to judge a person based entirely on their name," Zoey said instead¡ªbelieving that wholeheartedly. "She''s met you and already formed her opinion. It mighte as ¡­ a bit of a shock ¡­ but it won''t change how she treats you." She paused. "She won''t suddenly start to hate you," she corrected. "You think?" "Swear it," Zoey said. Rosalie rolled her eyes. "I told you, you shouldn''t make promises like that. How can you possibly guarantee that? But thank you." She didn''t seem entirely convinced, and admittedly, Zoey wasn''t certain how Delta would react. For that matter, even Zoey hadn''t fully processed Rosalie''s announcement. "Anyway, I just wanted to tell you, since I''d put it off for too long. And you deserved to know, of course." She paused. "Also, Maddy knows too." "She does?" "She''s from an influential family as well," Rosalie said. "Nothing like mine, but¡ª" she shrugged. "She put it together." She nced over at Delta and Maddy, who were waiting on the other side of the cavern. "Let''s go rejoin them. You''re fine with finishing this talkter?" Honestly, Zoey wanted to organize her own thoughts on the matter before tackling all of the long-term implications¡ªand maybe Rosalie recognized that. "Yeah. Still have a shard to clear." "Yes, we do." She smiled at Zoey, and like always, it made her heart jump. The soft looks were definitely rarer from her than most girls¡ªshe was a literal warrior, as much as she was, apparently, a princess. A princess. Wow. That revtion was going to take some adjusting to. "The sooner we''re headed for Mantle," Rosalie said, "the better." 6.13 – Foursome 6.13 ¨C Foursome With their party rejoined, progress through the shard was faster than ever. Although their opponents had also taken a swerve upward in difficulty, with bothrger encounters and stronger monsters, the increased synergy of having a proper wayfaringposition meant the fights were easier rather than harder. Especially for Zoey. Adventuring in a two-mage party had meant she''d needed to do the majority of heavy lifting when it came to damage. With Delta and Rosalie back on the squad, Zoey just had to stand there and look pretty. Okay, that was a bit of an exaggeration, but her teammates were something incredible. They more than carried their weight. A part of Zoey started to miss the tougher fights from earlier. Or at least her rtive levels of contribution. Progress was also faster because they needed to stop for ''rest breaks'' less often. When it''d been up to Zoey to deal damage, she''d been burning through her Lust by liberally using Burst to keep her and Maddy safe. Now, she only had to use non-empowered abilities¡ªplus she needed to cast less in general, with Rosalie and Delta cutting their way through monsters with a grace and viciousness Zoey didn''t think she''d ever get used to seeing. Soon enough, though, after more than a dozen encounters, the time did not to seem too excited, for the sake of her image¡ªreminded Zoey just how lucky she had be. Seriously, how had she ended up here? What had she done in a past life to deserve this? "So," Delta said to Maddy, leaning into her with a grin. "You had this thing all to yourself for a few hours. What was that like?" "Oh," Maddy replied. "W-Well, I did my best. What do you mean?" "That''s our teammate you were taking advantage of. We deserve to know how you vited her, don''t you think?" "Taking advantage of?" Maddy stammered. "Vited?" "Have you gotten your mouth around it yet, at least?" Delta asked. She leaned harder into the smaller girl, her breasts pressing into her shoulder. She also reached out to grip Zoey''s cock and wiggle it. "It''s a religious experience, honestly. It literally reaches down into your stomach." At the crude imagery, Maddy blushed furiously. Her gray eyes followed Zoey''s cock as it waved side to side, swaying in Delta''s grip. Zoey let out a sigh and rxed on her elbows, happy to enjoy the show. Happy to let Delta take the lead, as she often did. And, it was only fair that Delta had her turn to get to know Maddy better. Zoey had already had a few wonderful hours of the petite girl to herself. Maddy had been Delta''s friend for a while before Zoey had even met her, too. The foxgirl was probably excited to finally get her hands on Maddy in an intimate way. To share Zoey with her. And Zoey, in turn, was excited to watch it happen. "My mouth?" Maddy mumbled. "I haven''t, actually. It seems like ... a lot." Her eyes ran up and down Zoey''s cock. "I don''t know how I''d even get it in." "I think you''d surprise yourself with what you can do, when you put your mind to it," Delta said, grinning. "And we can go slow." She leaned into Maddy''s ear and murmured, "We need to get that cute throat of yours broken in sooner orter. Why not now?" A hand gently went up to rub at Maddy''s slender neck. "Just imagine how much it''s gonna bulge out." She squeezed gently, and an unintentional groan escaped Maddy''s mouth at the contact. Squirming in ce, Maddy''s eyes flicked between Zoey''s towering cock, gripped by Delta, and Delta''s predatory purple eyes, locked on her. Her face progressed deeper and deeper shades of red. "Oh,e on," Delta said, guiding Maddy to lean forward by pushing on her upper back with one hand. "There''s no time like the present. Let''s get you acquainted." Well, actually, Maddy had already gotten herself acquainted. Delta had taken Maddy''s admittance that she hadn''t used her mouth yet to mean that Maddy had only gone so far with Zoey¡ªbut in reality, Maddy had been quite happy to explore. Faster even than Zoey had expected. Maddy, though, didn''t correct Delta. Instead, she obeyed, being guided forward, her gray eyes locked on Zoey''s cock as Delta brought her closer, seeming entranced. They flicked up briefly to meet Zoey''s own. She smiled at the girl, encouraging her. That only seemed to fluster her more, gray eyes skittering away. Then, arriving, she opened her mouth obediently as Delta guided her head to the tip of Zoey''s dick. For the first time, Maddy''s soft lips wrapped around Zoey''s cockhead, and Zoey shivered in pleasure. It felt, of course, amazing, even just the simple contact. Maddy''s warm breath washed over the sensitive skin, the tight graytex of her bodysuit not blocking sensations in the slightest, and sending tingles up Zoey''s spine. "Good girl," Delta murmured, stroking Maddy''s hair as she slowly pushed her down onto Zoey. "Just rx. It''s a lot of cock, I know, but you can do it." Delta urged her down, not letting Maddy take it at her own pace. In fact, not taking it slow at all. The girl''s eyes widened as Delta pushed until Zoey''s cock had filled her mouthpletely, then kept going, bumping it up against the back of her throat. "There we go," Delta said. "Really fills your mouth up, doesn''t it? But now the fun part." She rubbed Maddy''s throat. "You ready?" Maddy''s eyes widened as she understood Delta''s intentions. Rather than pulling back, though, her eyes fluttered, and she rxed¡ªinstinctively submitting to the idea of Delta taking control of her. The girl was such a bottom. Letting Delta takepletemand over the process, not taking an active role in the slightest. Delta pushed, forcing Maddy''s throat to slide around Zoey''s cock. The smaller girl choked as Delta urged her deeper, stretching out her throat around Zoey''s thick shaft. Delta kept her hand on Maddy''s throat, feeling it bulge obscenely as she forced more and more of Zoey into it. It was an incredible sight, watching Maddy''s slender neck deform around the massive intrusion¡ªand all the sensations that came with it. Maddy''s neck muscles squirmed in protest as Delta shoved Maddy down onto her, but even with the resistance, the man handling, Maddy still didn''t try to resist. Just let herself be used as a cocksleeve, guided by the foxgirl. "You''re pretty tight," Delta murmured. "Putting up a good fight. I might have to be a little rough, to get you all the way in. Is that fine?" Maddy groaned in reply, her eyes watering from the strain of swallowing Zoey''s cock for the first time. But she still didn''t try to pull away. Delta grinned, taking that as affirmation. She grabbed Maddy''s head with both hands, and Zoey could tell Delta had meant what she''d said. She was going to be ''a little rough'' to ensure she got Maddy down. The foxgirl pulled Maddy up off her Zoey''s until only the tip was inside her mouth, then pushed back down, hard, forcing Maddy''s throat to bulge out around Zoey''s massive member in a quick, relentless motion. Maddy choked, the sudden huge intrusion too much, but the loud, keening groan that escaped her told Zoey that as much as the violence might have shocked her, she was enjoying it just as much. Delta got to work. She started fucking Maddy''s face on Zoey''s cock with abandon, holding the smaller girl''s head to m it down over and over again, lubricating Zoey''s cock with saliva. Each hard thrust had Maddy''s throat working another inch down Zoey''s shaft, getting her farther and farther, until finally, with onest hard push, Delta shoved Maddy''s nose firmly into Zoey''s crotch. Maddy gagged and choked around Zoey, her entire body trembling as she took every inch down her throat. "Wow," Delta said, stroking Maddy''s neck gently. "Not so bad, right? Like I said, you just needed some help." Maddy gurgled something around Zoey''s cock, but the words were impossible to make out. Saliva bubbled around the base of her cock¡ªDelta''s eager thrusting had been messy. Maddy''s eyes watered as Delta held her there, forcing her to choke on Zoey''s dick. The seconds ticked by as oxygen was deprived from her, Delta keeping a firm grip. "Can you feel it in your stomach, like I said?" Delta murmured into her ear. "I bet you can." She rubbed Maddy''s stomach in a lewd motion. "I''m pretty sure I can feel it. It reaches so deep, doesn''t it?" Another gurgling noise. "You look good with your lips around Zoey''s cock, you know that? I could get used to seeing it. Kinda wanna try it out myself, too." Maddy groaned. "Getting hard to breathe?" Delta asked, smirking at her. "You''re starting to look a little dizzy." Maddy nodded weakly. But still, she didn''t try to pull away. "Too bad. You''re staying until I say so." She leaned into Maddy''s ear and whispered loud enough for Zoey to hear, "And it''s not gonna be soon. Zoey''s enjoying herself. She likes her cock sleeve. So getfy. We''re going to make sure she gets a nice, big load out of this cute little face of yours." Zoey moaned as Delta pulled Maddy up a few inches, then began to move her head again, sliding her throat along Zoey''s length¡ªbut firmly not letting her up for air. The smaller girl choked as she was forced to deepthroat Zoey, straining under theck of oxygen. Delta didn''t let up as the second ticked by, keeping Maddy firmly submerged on Zoey''s cock. "That''s it," Delta murmured. "Just keep taking it. Be a good little cocksleeve." Maddy whined, her eyes starting to flutter as she struggled to keep conscious. Only when her body began to slump, the energy going out of her¡ªand yet, somehow, still not resisting or struggling¡ªdid Delta finally relent, pulling Maddy off Zoey''s cock with a wet pop. Maddy gasped for air, drool dripping down her face and onto her chest as she coughed and sputtered. Delta watched it happen with a hungry look. When she''d recovered, she kissed the girl''s cheek. "Good job," she said. "But, you know, it''s rude to take it all to yourself. Me and blondie want a taste. You shouldn''t hog it." "S-Sorry," Maddy said, amusingly apologizing, despite how it had been Delta forcefully keeping her there. Deltaughed, and Maddy realized her mistake a secondter. She flushed. "So," Delta asked. "Which of us do you think can take it better? Me or Princess?" Maddy blinked, then looked between Delta and Rosalie. Rosalie, of course, had watched the whole thing with a ming face, waiting her turn. "Um¡ª?" Maddy said. "Who can take it better?" "Yeah." "You''re seriously turning this into apetition?" Rosalie asked Delta. "Why not? You''re the mostpetitive person I know. I bet you''d get off on it." Delta smirked at her. "Or are you scared you''ll lose?" Rosalie''s eyes narrowed. She crossed her arms. "Not in the slightest." 6.14 – A Show 6.14 ¨C A Show "Whoever gets it all the way down, fastest, with the least choking," Delta said. "Those are the rules." "Agreed," Rosalie said instantly. "But you go first." Delta narrowed her eyes. "You just want me to get it wet for you. It''ll be easier." Rosalie looked at Zoey''s cock. It glistened with saliva from Maddy''s thorough throat-fucking¡ªwhich Delta had forcefully performed for the smaller girl. "I think Maddy handled that herself," Rosalie said dryly. Delta looked at Zoey''s cock, thenughed. "Yeah, fair enough. She was pretty sloppy, wasn''t she? Fine, I''ll go first." She scooted over, nudging Maddy away, taking her position sitting in front of Zoey''s cock. For a second, Delta appraised the fourteen-inch monster in front of her. "Fuck," she muttered. "Literally every time, I forget what it''s like, up close." Her hand went to the base of Zoey''s cock to hold it steady. A determined look crossed her face as she braced herself. Getting her lips right above Zoey''s cock, she dove down. Zoey groaned at Delta''s throat slid across her dick, the foxgirl eagerly shaking her head as she opened her airway up, making space in the tight tunnel for Zoey''s girth. Gripping Zoey''s thighs, she worked her way down, only making a single quiet choking noise¡ªand struggling the slightest bit before she managed to press her nose all the way into Zoey''s lower stomach. Experienced or not, Zoey''s skill helping things along or not, fourteen inches was a lot to take. For the second time in the past five minutes, Zoey admired a girl''s cute nose scrunched into her lower stomach, purple eyes meeting her own. They stared at each other for a moment, then the foxgirl winked at her and swirled her tongue around. Zoey''s heart jumped¡ªand, embarrassingly, her hips did too, bucking up an inch to p deeper into Delta''s throat. Delta pulled off with a pop, and, understandably, had a brief coughing fit. She smirked at Rosalie. "Alright. Your turn." Rosalie eyed her, then sniffed and scooted over, recing Delta. Like Delta, she spent a brief momenting to terms with the fourteen-inch towering girl dick in front of her, then, grabbing Zoey''s thighs for leverage, brought her lips to Zoey''s cocktip. She stroked her tongue around her cockhead for a few teasing moments, killing Zoey with the anticipation, then, like Delta, dove down. Gripping hard, Rosalie didn''t hesitate for a second¡ªshe forced herself lower, tight throat bulging to amodate Zoey, her movements fluid as much from raw determination as practice. And so, a secondter, Zoey had her third girl in as many minutes poking her nose into her stomach. Rosalie looked smugly up at Zoey¡ªwhich made her heart jump, like that lewd image of bright blue eyes looking up from between her legs always did¡ªthen, shuffling around a bit, turned to meet Delta''s eyes too, while still buried on Zoey. Annoyance flicked across Delta''s face, since she''d certainly been outdone. Rosalie hadn''t choked even slightly¡ªand been faster too. The expression was reced quickly with amusement. Delta leaned into Maddy and whispered, "You think she realizes what she''s proud about? Being the winner of the cock-suckingpetition?" Still down between Zoey''s legs, Rosalie paused. Zoey could see the realization hit. The truth of Delta''s words. The embarrassment of being so proud of such an obscene aplishment. She flushed, then quickly pulled off of Zoey. Like the two girls before her, she had to clear her throat and let strained muscles settle. "You started it," Rosalie huffed as soon as she could. "And you lost. Don''t try to deflect." "Maybe," Deltaughed. "Doesn''t make what I said wrong, though. You''re proud of being the best cocksleeve." "S-Shut up. I am not." "You aren''t?" Delta asked innocently. "But you were looking awfully smug, a second ago. Definitely proud of being Zoey''s best hole." Rosalie crossed her arms, ring. Deltaughed at her. "We shouldn''t hog, though," Delta said, facing back to Maddy¡ªwho, adorably, again squeaked at the foxgirl''s hungry attention being turned her way. "We''re trying to get to know our newest teammate. She''s the star, today." "Get to know me?" Maddy asked timidly. "This is your big debut on our team," Delta said. "You''ve had Zoey to yourself, but now we''re all here." The foxgirl scooted closer to the other woman. "We need to make sure you''re going to fit in with all of us, not just Zoey." Maddy swallowed nervously, her eyes flicking between Zoey''s cock and Delta''s hungry gaze. "But I thought we were recharging her." Delta grinned. "It works based on how much we turn her on. At least, that''s the working theory." She leaned closer to Maddy, her hands going to the other girl''s hips. "And you wanna know what turns that pervert on, I bet?" she asked, face hovering close to Maddy''s. "Her teammates going at it. So that''ll work, too." "Oh," Maddy squeaked out. "T-That makes sense." Delta leaned forward and kissed Maddy. The blue-haired mage fell back as Delta climbed overtop her. The kiss progressed from gentle to passionate in seconds, with Delta dominating the smaller girl. Her tongue slid into Maddy''s mouth as they made out, their lips pressing against each other forcefully, the foxgirl grinding her body against the mage''s, groping her breasts through her bodysuit. Maddy moaned into Delta''s mouth, submitting to the foxgirl''s aggressive advances. She had turned, like always, into malleable putty in seconds. To Zoey''s side, Rosalie shared a look with her. Her expression was slightly exasperated¡ªand, of course, flushed at the disy Delta was putting on. "I don''t think just watching is actually how recharging works, for you," she said. "Maybe it is." Zoeyughed. "Either way, I''m notining. And she''s right. Everyone ought to get to know each other." Maddy groaned as Delta pressed a knee between her legs and started rubbing, the kiss heating up. Zoey leaned back on both hands and enjoyed the show, cock standing in the air and throbbing hard. Zoey might haveined about being pleasured and then ignored, but seeing Delta take control of Maddy was a little too exciting to actually be upset by. "Isn''t this a bit fast for her?" Rosalie asked. "I thought we were going to work into it." Zoey snorted. She had thought that too, but in their first recharge session, Maddy had all but mounted Zoey and demanded she put her cock inside. "I think she''s a little more eager than she puts on," Zoey said dryly. She gave Rosalie an amused look. "Like someone else I know, maybe." Blue eyes narrowed at her. "What are you saying?" "Nothing, nothing," Zoey snorted. "You''re a perfectdy, only taking care of my insatiable needs¡ªnothing else." Rosalie was spared from having to provide more false outrage by Delta surfacing for air. "Well, blondie?" she asked. "Gonna say hi to our new teammate, or what?" Delta forcibly manhandled Maddy onto herp, turning the girl around and pulling her in. She pried the smaller girl''s legs open with her own and patted her pussy hard enough to make her yelp. "I''ve got her nice and ready. I mean, she''s even leaking through the suit. I didn''t know it worked like that." Rosalie stared at the lewd disy for a moment, then, blue eyes wide, looked at Zoey. Zoey leaned back and grabbed her cock. "I think I can handle this one myself," she said, wiggling her meaty member. "Go say hi. Put on a show for me." Rosalie''s mouth opened and closed for a second, face turning redder and redder. Eventually, her gaze wrenched away from Zoey''s, and she murmured, "Is this really the best way to handle this?" "Definitely is," Zoey said. Blushing, Rosalie finally obeyed¡ªor rather, finally had enough excuse. She shuffled over to Maddy. The two girls'' eyes met, and she wasn''t sure who blushed more furiously. Zoey wished she could know what was going on inside their heads. Earlier, Rosalie had mentioned that Maddy already knew who she was¡ªher family name. Zoey knew her girlfriend well enough that that fact was probably setting her on fire. The world-famous heiress of the d''Celestin family, about to pleasure a prominent member of the Sovereign. Zoey could see Rosalie melting down at the idea. "Is¡ªis that fine?" Rosalie asked Maddy, not quite meeting her eyes. The mage nodded silently, cheeks burning. Rosalie bit her lip. Then she reached out and hesitantly ced her hands on Maddy''s thighs¡ªand paused again. She looked over at Zoey, as if for reassurance. Zoey stroked her cock slowly, watching with amusement as Rosalie squirmed under the attention. At putting on a show for Zoey to stroke herself to. Her eyes lingered on Zoey''s hand as it slid up and down her length, before she forced them back to Maddy''s face, then down to her pussy, exposed by Delta''s legs prying her own open. Rosalie took a deep breath, then shuffled back andy down on her stomach. Her hands slid up and down Maddy''s inner thighs, getting a feel for her soft skin through the bodysuit. "Hurry up and eat some pussy already," Deltaughed. "I said, she''s ready." She patted between Maddy''s legs again, who gasped and squirmed at the gentle impacts¡ªobviously sensitive. Rosalie flushed, then did as she was told. She leaned down to gently kiss between Maddy''s legs. The mage moaned softly, spreading open wider. Rosalie kissed again, then let her tongue slide out, dragging along the fabric of the suit. Zoey already knew the magical material provided basically no blockage when it came to sensation. Or taste. Rosalie got the full experience of the smaller girl as she dragged her tongue along Maddy''s slit. Maddy whined as Rosalie began top at her pussy with growing confidence. Delta''s hand reached around to dig into blonde''s hair and stuff her face in. Rosalie groaned, obliging to the silentmand as Maddy ground her hips against her face. Zoey stroked herself as she watched the three girls y with each other. As many times before, Delta had taken control of the situation in an amazing way. Zoey melted down just as fast as Maddy, seeing Rosalie and Delta toy with their newest teammate. After having been inside the three girls'' throats in such an erotic disy, she wasn''t that far from climax¡ªbut she held off as stalwartly as she could, since the show was too good to miss. Rosalie gripped Maddy''s thighs and buried her face in. She licked and kissed, tongue dragging along her slit through the suit, asionally sliding into her hole to curl and explore around more intimately. Maddy moaned and ground her hips against Rosalie''s face, submitting to the blonde''s touches, her timidity crumbling in an instant. The same was true for Rosalie. However hesitant she had been to start off, she''d clearly gotten over that hurdle. She couldn''t tell who was more into it: the writhing Maddy, or the diligently working Rosalie. "That''s it," Delta said, kissing Maddy''s neck and toying with the smaller girl''s nipples as she watched Rosalie work away, peeking over Maddy''s shoulder. "Keep it going, blondie. You''re making our new teammate feel real wee." The smaller girl groaned as Delta yed with her body, and Rosalie with her pussy. The disy became more and more heated. Rosalie ate Maddy out with growing eagerness, burying her face in deep as she used her tongue to bring her teammate to ecstasy. Maddy moaned and squirmed in Delta''sp, grinding her hips against Rosalie''s face and into Delta''sp. "Fuck," Delta murmured into Maddy''s ear, cing a hand over her chest. "Your hearts really mming. You getting close?" Maddy whimpered, nodding rapidly. "Good." Delta kissed her neck, then met eyes with Rosalie. "Just a little more. Make this good girl cum all over your tongue. We can call her one of us, after that." Rosalie moaned her own arousal into Maddy''s pussy and redoubled her efforts. Maddy gasped, hips bucking as she ground her crotch against the blonde''s face, almost doing more than Rosalie herself. In her passion, Maddy finally reached out and gripped Rosalie''s hair herself, holding tightly as she rode her lower half into the blonde''s tongue, moaning louder and louder. Until, finally, she cried out. Zoey groaned, watching Maddye apart. Like usual, the sight pushed her over the edge. She whined as gave in to her building pleasure, shooting thick ropes of cum into her bodysuit, making the flexible material stretch and stretch as it tried to hold in all the seed in. Delta''s eyes flicked between the two writhing girls, torn between watching Zoey milk herself and Maddy twitch as she came apart in herp. Rosalie, meanwhile, worked diligently, making certain that the mage got everyst drop of pleasure from her crashing orgasm. Zoey brought herself to her peak as she basked in the sight of the squirming, moaning girl. Then, finally, Maddy slumped against Delta as she came down from her high, panting. Zoey also rxed back onto her hands, breathing hard, her cock slowly softening. A huge balloon of cum poked out from her cock tip, straining the flexible material of her bodysuit. After a moment of everyone catching their breaths, Delta chuckled into Maddy''s ear and squeezed her stomach in a hug. "Well. There we go. Wee to the team, Maddy." 6.15 – Antechamber 6.15 ¨C Antechamber When Zoey and Maddy recovered, Rosalie stood and offered them each a hand. Seeing how flustered the blonde looked after bringing Maddy to climax¡ªand Zoey in proxy¡ªZoey was highly tempted to return the favor, but, perhaps unsurprisingly, Rosalie huffed and insisted they continue forward. That they had a shard to clear. She''d promised Lucinda that they wouldn''t dally. Zoey supposed that was a fair enough point, but knowing Rosalie, it wouldn''t have taken much more ''dallying.'' Maybe a minute or two. Regardless, upon Rosalie''s insistence, they set back off into the dungeon. With every monster the team of four put down, their suits crept toward lighter and lighter shades of gray. With the color bing more pronounced, they discovered with certainty what effect was manifesting. Zoey had noticed early on that the suits provided a buffer against the heat of the sweltering magma cavern, and as her magical clothing fed on the energy produced from killing monsters and¡ªuh, other encounters¡ªshe slowly became aware that, despite delving deeper and deeper into the cavern, with obvious signs of the environment bing hotter, she actually felt cooler than before. The suits were providing heat resistance the more they were fed. Not just in a casual way that made them morefortable with the ambient temperature, but against the monsters they were fighting too. With a variety ofva and fire-type creatures assaulting them, mes and globs of superheated magma were being tossed at them constantly. But they seemed to be growing less effective, less harmful when they connected, than the first fights. Their bodysuits were absorbing more and more of the heat-based attacks. While a wee upgrade in any capacity, they discovered the ultimate purpose of the feature when they arrived at the antechamber of the boss room, the space preceding the climactic battle. Unlike the previous areas which led to the final encounter that Zoey had seen in earlier shards, this one came with an obstacle. A thematic one. Avake. The small cavern was empty except for the pool of orange bubbling liquid. It was situated on the opposite side of where they''de in. Above, on the wall, an arrow pointed down into theva, apanied by a diagram of, presumably, what sort of monster they would find should they traverse the obstacle. And that was how they knew it was a boss awaiting them. The giant, bulky, four-armedva elemental was by far the most menacing creature they''d seen thus far; it couldn''t be anything but a boss encounter. Though an image a few feet tall, the picture gave a sense of scale suggesting that in reality, it would be at least fifteen or twenty¡ªa hulking, muscled beast, a terrible creature suited to a final battle. It wielded a different weapon in each of its hands: a sword, ax, spear, and hammer. "We''re supposed to swim through my standards, again?" "I''m just saying!" Zoey protested. "I had to fuck the other two bosses, so, you know, it''s fair that ites to mind." "The shard in general has been more normal than the rest," Rosaliemented, ignoring the exchange, speaking only on the practicality of the situation. "Maybe that''s because Maddy is here. Or rather, that arger party dilutes your influence. You only ount for one-fourth of the team, now. The first boss it was just us two, and it was a full sex fight. The second, three of us, with a partial sex fight. Perhaps this one won''t have any. Or even a lesser element than before." Maddy tilted her head. "That would make sense. Maybe it''s just random, too. Like any shard." "Don''t be too disappointed," Delta said mirthfully to Zoey. "There''ll still be something for you to stick your dick in, I''m sure. You just might have to get creative." "S-Shut up. I don''t want to fuck the boss, I was just saying. The other two were girls." That hulking fire elemental was¡ªwell, no defined gender, but the wide shoulders, blunt face, and enormous muscles did give the general impression of being male. "Anyway, we''re really supposed to swim throughva?" She asked the question only half because she was curious¡ªthe other half, to get Delta''s attention somewhere else than her previous question. Zoey didn''t need to fuck shard bosses every adventure: she had just been caught by surprise that this one didn''t seem to be shaping up like that. "I can only assume that''s the shard''s intention," Rosalie said. "Not much left for interpretation, considering the image." She gestured at the arrow pointing down into theva, and the picture of the boss. "How''s that gonna work, though?" "The bodysuit gives elemental protection," Maddy said, eying thevake, though sounded doubtful. "So maybe swimming through is possible." Rosalie grunted in agreement¡ªor tentative agreement, since she didn''t sound wholly convinced either. Zoey wasn''t as well, since the bodysuit hardly granted them absolute resistance. Submerging intova was surely beyond the protection it provided. Rosalie walked up to the shore of thevake to put the theory to the test. Kneeling down, she appraised the scorchingly hot liquid. She reached a hand out to hover above the surface of theke. She didn''t flinch away, which suggested the resistance was growing pretty powerful. Then, taking it a step further, she confidently dipped her fingers in, scooping up a glob. Rosalie cursed, retreating and shaking her hand side to side to detach the molten goo. "It''s hot," Rosalie spat. "Really hot." "Wait. It is?" Delta asked. "Theva is hot?" Rosalie red at her. She blew on her fingers, then shook her hand again, trying to cool them down. "It''s not tolerable, I mean. Certainly not to submerge ourselves in." "The suits aren''t done upgrading yet," Maddy suggested. "So maybe this is an external gate on our progress. It''s not about finding the boss chamber. It''s about farming enough monsters to reach a high enough temperature resistance." Rosalie grunted. "That seems like a logical conclusion." She wrinkled her nose. "I was hoping we could rush through the shard, though. To collect Zoey''s bonus experience and move on, return to Mantle. Of course this is how the shard manifests." "Shards don''t like being convenient," Delta said. Rosalie sighed in agreement. "Might not take too much more grinding, though," Maddy said. "They''re getting pretty close to white. I assume that''s the end. The max. But yeah, that sucks." "Could I make heat resistance potions to help?" Zoey asked. They looked at her. Rosalie tilted her head. "That would close the gap more," she said. "Perhaps save us some time from having to progress the suits fully." She frowned. "Or maybe both will be needed." "Lava is pretty freaking hot," Delta agreed with amusement. "Don''t really wanna go diving down there without some serious protection." She poked at her own cheek. "Especially since our faces aren''t as protected as our bodies." The suit''s resistance did extend to their exposed skin, but only partially, at a lesser rate. If Rosalie had been burned touching theva with her covered fingers, then their faces would be much worse off. "Yeah," Zoey agreed. "We''ll probably need both." The two protections applied in tandem. "There could also be an alternative entrance somewhere, too. Who knows?" Maddy said. "Either way," Rosalie grunted. "We can''t enter, yet. So we have more hunting to do." "And some alchemy." Zoey had wanted to experiment regardless. If at all possible¡ªand it might not be¡ªshe wanted to create some health and stamina potions, as well as whatever other beneficial effects she could catalyze before they headed into the climactic fight. She had an alchemy rune after all. Why not put it to use? Especially since they were heading into a third-shard boss fight. This wasn''t like the first-advancement shard or even the second: Rosalie and Delta were being pressed far harder, their talents being challenged. Though they were still handling themselves without any cracks showing. Much harder, but far from crushingly difficult. Still, any advantage they could find should be taken when it was their lives on the line. All it took was one unfortunate slip-up. Zoey''s teammates were amazing, but not perfect. No one was. "And that," Rosalie agreed. But for now, they had body suits to finish upgrading. 6.16 – Potions 6.16 ¨C Potions The team worked efficiently at leveling up their bodysuits. Bit by bit, the material crept from gray toward white, bing a shiny, bright, glossy color the shade of freshly fallen snow. Every so often, the team would return to the boss antechamber room and test their new level of heat resistance. That indeed seemed to be the functional purpose of the bodysuit: slowly, even dipping their hands intova became tolerable. But only ''tolerable'' in the vaguest sense of the word. And only for short periods of time. None of them particrly wanted to submerge themselvespletely and risk traversing the goop, especially considering the difficulty of moving around inside it. Getting cooked alive had to be one of the more gruesome ways to go, much less getting slow-cooked if they got lost or stuck. So they wanted plenty of protection. But further killing of monsters seemed to have diminishing returns. Already glossy white, the bodysuit didn''t seem to have much more resistance to offer. It had capped out. Further safeguards would have toe from other means. Seeing how Zoey had alchemy skills to y with, and a collection of reagents she''d been gathering, it was time to see what she could make to help her team with the climactic battle of the third-tier shard. As she had once before, Zoey set up an impromptu alchemy station,id out her collected reagents, and got to work. The most important discovery came rather quickly. Throughout the magma caverns, there had been glowing red ore nearly everywhere¡ªsomething an inspection informed her was called ''cinderstone ore''. Considering its prevalence and the way it radiated warmth even sitting in her palm, Zoey suspected it would catalyze into a number of heat-rted potions. Perhaps even the exact one their team needed for easier passage through thevake. And sure enough, a few test brewster, Zoey found something that did exactly that. Igneous Salvation: Consume to improve resistance to environmental heat. Effectiveness rises proportionally to temperature. Even better, it sounded like it was especially suited to what they needed. The potion might not do too much for staying cool in a sauna, for example, but it became proportionally stronger when dealing with extreme temperatures. Like submerging intova. It was a shame it wouldn''t help much against me-based attacks, though. Environmental heat only, the description said. She handed the first batch off to her team to experiment with. While they tested its duration and effectiveness, she continued working. While they weren''t in any dire rush, Zoey knew Rosalie didn''t want her to sit around and y with potions all day; she had to work quickly. Next up, she created something suitable forbat, also catalyzed through cinderstone ore. Potion of Infernal Shielding: Absorb a small amount of heat-based damage. A simple, straightforward potion that would undoubtedly be useful in the uing fight. The team would appreciate having a few to quaff at appropriate times throughout the engagement. A more ssical ''useful'' potion, as would normally be expected from an alchemist. After making extra batches of both those discoveries, Zoey focused her efforts on other promising reagents. She unsealed a bottle of sulfurous spring water, which the team had found less than an hour ago. The effect she ended up catalyzing she didn''t even intend to make¡ªit happened nearly by ident. Sometimes, alchemy worked like that. Potion of Lavasight: Improves visibility when submerged inva. The team had been prepared to fumble their way around, perhaps following a wall to make it to the other side, and it would have been unpleasant, having so little ability to navigate. Zoey hadn''t been looking forward to it. So, while not a strict necessity, this potion would also be a wee utility. Next, she pulled out a collection of scaldblossoms, red and orange flowers that the team had found infrequently gathered aroundvake shores. Peeling the petals off and crushing them into a fine dust¡ªgoing slow, else they would burst into mes¡ªshe prepared the reagent. Potion of Relieve Burn: Restores a moderate amount of health inflicted by heat-based attacks. In a way, it was another variation of the me shield potions. These just worked after the fact. Since individual potions became less effective when taken in immediate session, the variance in technical effect was important. It meant both could be used at full strength without cannibalizing each other. Thest of Zoey''s sesses came from ''molten pearls'', which were shiny ck orbs found inside roughly one in five of the scaldblossoms, which were already a rare resource. She only had four of them, and the first batch failed to catalyze. The second, though, seeded. Potion of Consume ze: When potion is broken, explode and extinguish nearby mes. A portable fire extinguisher. Rather than a consumable, this one could be thrown as a weapon, presumably highly effective against enemiesprised of molten material, as the boss would be. At the very least, it could be useful to extinguish fires created by their attacks. Zoey didn''t know exactly how they would utilize it in the uing fight, but she was sure they would find some use. There were other reagents Zoey had stored away in their hours-long adventure through the shard, but it was time to get moving. The reagents weren''t going anywhere. She would have them after she left the shard, just, her Resourceful skill wouldn''t trigger. But at the same time, she would have Sabina to aid her, and a much better workshop. After gathering her things and standing, Zoey opened her mouth to say they should get going¡ªbut paused. "Oh, right," she said, remembering. "There''s one more potion we have to check on." Her three teammates looked at her curiously, including Maddy, who should have known better. She''d forgotten as well, it seemed. Or maybe she was too embarrassed to bring it up. So, Zoey pulled out her and Maddy''s loot reward. The hollow two-sided pocket pussy appeared in her hands, still dripping with her and Maddy''s loads¡ªhaving been supernaturally preserved inside her inventory. The smell hit her immediately: thick and musky. Zoey pulled the two hollow ends up, keeping it in a ''U'' shape, to prevent the sticky material from drooling out. Potion of Spellcasting crity: Provides a moderate boost to how fast spells can be cast, and how efficiently. Will expire upon shard exit. It had finished brewing, then. And even better, it sounded like a pretty decent potion. "Wha¡ª What the hell?" Delta said. "Is that a pocket pussy? And why is it called a ''potion''? Why is it dripping cum?" Zoeyughed. "It was called a ''Brewing Chamber,'' earlier. The name got reced, I guess. The way it works is, uh, by filling it up with, well, you know, and letting it brew for a while, it makes a potion." A secondter, she added, "Oh, and it''s stronger the more people who cum in it. So I had some help." Rosalie and Delta turned to Maddy, whose face was, of course, rapidly turning scarlet. "W-We would hardly let it go to waste," Maddy stammered out. "We''re professionals." "You fucked that with her?" Delta asked, shocked. "Which means, you grew a cock? I didn''t know that happened. Did you like it?" "She liked it," Zoey said, grinning at the girl, whose face continued to redden. "Lucky you," Delta said enviously. "I can''t believe I got stuck with blondie when all of that was happening." "T-The potion is really good," Maddy choked out, trying to change the topic. "Spellcasting crity is a pretty high-tier potion. It effectively boosts your mana pool and makes you a faster caster." "And it''ll expire soon," Zoey said. "So there''s no saving it forter." A grin spread across Zoey''s lips at the implication. "You''re obviously the better mage, so it goes to you." Maddy stared at the cum-stuffed pocket pussy. "Um." "What''s wrong?" "But it''s full of¡­ our¡­" "That was the goal." Zoey took a step forward, grinning. "Open up, cutie." "S-Seriously?" "Better to take it now, in case the fight starts before we have a chance. We''re all ready to head in, yeah?" Turning to Rosalie, it took the blonde a second to respond. She jolted and nodded in confirmation to Zoey''s question. She was watching the show with heated cheeks. "Oh," Maddy said. "Okay. Um. I-If that''s what''s best." Zoey''s heart started to m as she drew the lewd mess of a pocket pussy closer to Maddy''s lips. The smaller girl shivered, then closed her eyes and opened her mouth. Arousal raced through Zoey as she slowly pressed the edge of the toy into Maddy''s lips. It was still warm and slippery from their shared use. She began to feed the lewd potion to the other girl, tipping the toy forward and watching the sticky shared mess ooze from it, dribbling and spilling into Maddy''s mouth. Maddy groaned, swallowing the thick mess as more and more of it poured out. Their musky load coated her tongue, lips, and chin, dripping down onto her breasts as Zoey tipped it further and further, Maddy trying to keep up. The three of them watched, the air growing hotter¡ªeven Delta watching silently, wide-eyed. When finally Zoey had spilled thest drop into Maddy''s mouth, she pulled the toy away, and Maddy shivered. She opened her eyes, a dazed look in them as she drank thest of the sticky substance. Her eyes flitted away from Zoey, to Rosalie and Delta. She looked nearly faint at being so tantly the center of attention. And for doing something so lewd in front of them. "T-There we go," Maddy squeaked out. "Um. Time to go fight a boss, now. Let''s get going, yeah?" 6.17 – Boss Three 6.17 ¨C Boss Three As much as Zoey would have liked to pin Maddy down after the arousing disy, the potions had limited timers on them, and they really did have a boss to attend to. All four of them quaffed their heat-resistance andva-sight potions, then stepped up hesitantly to the shore. Even Delta, the risk-taker and reckless of the group, eyed the superheated material with a doubtful look. Seeing Rosalie dip a foot in, though, then step more firmly into the pool, the foxgirl quickly followed, not wanting to be outdone. Zoey, for her part, came to terms with her task. It was fairly difficult to force her body to obey. Kind of like hurling herself from a cliff. The lizard part of her brain was demanding that she in absolutely, under no circumstances, walk into a pool ofva. But she overrode those survival instincts. They didn''t know how long the trek through theva pool was, and Zoey didn''t want to get caught halfway through when the potions expired. Her foot sank into the thick, viscous material, and Zoey thoughtva should probably be more solid, nearly impossible to move around in, but that wasn''t the case. It was far from being as loose as water, instead only somewhat thick¡ªmaybe like honey. Though, Zoey supposed, for all she knew, this was some magical material that only seemed likeva. Slowly, she submerged herself. Thebined defenses of her bodysuit and potions meant theva didn''t scald to the touch. That said, it was an intense heat, like stepping inside a sauna turned up way too high. Bit by bit, the mild burning sensation crawled up her legs, then her stomach, and finally her neck. With onest steeling of her nerves¡ªsince she was already falling behind her teammates¡ªZoey took a deep breath and plunged under the surface. As expected, the heat was even more unpleasant on her face, the part of her body the suit''s protection didn''t fully extend to. But it was tolerable. Painful, but only mildly. Prying her eyes open took another great over-ruling of her instincts. When she did, though, the underground space revealed itself to her¡ªher eyes burning as she looked around. Theva-sight potion did exactly as it described. She could see up to thirty feet in every direction, the environment covered in something simr to thick orange fog. The pain on those sensitive organs were too much to bear constantly, though: she identified the direction her teammates were moving, then closed her eyes and started swimming. ''Swimming.'' Maybe not the most urate word; it felt more like struggling through thick mud. She also wasn''t sinking properly; she had to angle her body down and propel herself to get deeper, under the lip of the cavern wall holding the boss mural. Oxygen was as much a limiting factor as potion durations. Progressing through advancements came with a whole host of physiological advantages, and the ability to hold her breath was one of many things that had been greatly amplified as Zoey moved through the ranks. But that didn''t mean she had an infinite supply, nor even a massively improved one, and it was slow progress, swimming through such thick material. Cracking her eyes open every dozen seconds or so to re-orient herself, Zoey and her team swam through theva, progressing as quickly as they could. Rosalie and Delta, whose physical stats were far higher than her and Maddy''s, moved much faster¡ªwhich meant they led the way, exploring the underground tunnel system and identifying the proper direction to head in. They disappeared into the thick orange fog once, which incited a brief panic in Zoey, but Rosalie quickly returned, pointing upward, indicating it was time to emerge. Soon enough, Zoey burst from thevake and gasped in air. She wiped her eyes of magma and blinked as she looked around. They had, indeed, emerged into a massive boss chamber. Rosalie and Delta were already climbing onto the shore, and Zoey and Maddy rushed to join them. Her teammates'' weapons appeared in their hands, each of the girls peering around with concern. Stumbling up onto the rocky ground, Zoey wiped off the clinging globs of magma and drew her own weapon. The arena was a spectacle. Ava moat, ovr in shape, encircled the massive space. Like the rest of the magma caverns, stctites and stgmites sprouted in various ces. Red veins of cinderstone covered the walls and ceiling, and instead of branching natural patterns as before, they were now organized and geometric, forming straight lines and swirling diagrams as ifying out some arcane ritual. And in the center, of course,y the boss monster. Asleep or otherwise inert, the massive pile of rocks was sealed together with glowing orangeva. It heaved up and down in a slow rhythm¡ªbreathing, while asleep. The team had a moment to talk, then. And quaff another round of potions and brace for the battle. Undoubtedly, the fight would begin when they approached, or perhaps struck the first blow. Without needing to explicitly state it, the team did just that, drinking the appropriate potions. "Alright," Rosalie said, wiping her mouth and looking at the three of them. "Just be ready for anything. This might be regrbat, but I doubt there won''t be something strange. Zoey''s aspects were lessmon in this shard, but very much present." "So it''ll be on me to handle it, then? If there is?" Zoey asked. Like against the second shard, it had been Zoey''s job to fuck the reflection senseless; Rosalie and Delta had sat on the sidelines. "If it''s something a single person can handle, yes," Rosalie said. "And if you need backup," Delta grinned, "I''ll be there." Zoey nodded. It all depended on how that encounter shaped up. And if anything lewd appeared in the first ce. But as Rosalie had said, the odds seemed high. It might not be a pure fuck-fest like against Mel, but Zoey was certain there would be something. "Here we go, then," Rosalie said. Without further ado, Rosalie gripped her spear and strode forward. Delta hung a dozen feet to her right, ready to nk or sneak around, depending on how the fight started. Zoey and Maddy hung back, both ranged casters needing to stay out of the fray. The typical formation. As they approached, the huge pile of magma-sealed rocks started to rumble. Slowly, the boss emerged from its slumber. Glowing orangeva poured upward, quickly forming legs, a torso, arms, and a head. Rocks flowed across its body, creating armor and weapons¡ªfour weapons for four hands, as the image from earlier had depicted. Sword, ax, spear, and hammer. When its transformation hadpleted, a hulking fire elemental standing twenty feet tall towered over them, easily thergest monster Zoey had fought yet. Throughout her deadly adventures in previous shards, she''d been learning to push away the terror that came with engaging literal monsters. She''d admit that a pang of horror shot through her, though, seeing this particr beast. Smoldering onyx eyes sat on its square and brutish skull, and a mouth made entirely ofva ripped open to release a roar that shook the entire cavern. Bits of molten goo flew from its body as it shook in rage, steaming the ground where the globs hit. Rosalie responded to the very intimidating disy without a single ounce of concern. She snorted, then charged forward, spear held at the ready. "Don''t be so dramatic," Zoey heard the blonde mutter. 6.18 – Elementals 6.18 ¨C Elementals As Rosalie rushed forward to score the initial strike¡ªand seize hold of the beast''s attention as best she could¡ªZoey and her two other teammates also acted. Delta nked to the right of the elemental, Maddy raised her weapon and started to cast her first spell, and Zoey, of course, did the same. Aided by the specially brewed potion of spell crity, Maddy brought to life her first illusion quicker than ever. In many encounters, she would create copies of their opponent to goad or distract their target, but this time, she summoned something smaller: one of the rock-encased orange crystal beasts from early in their adventures. Either creating a copy of the boss would be too difficult, perhaps because it was toorge, or Maddy didn''t think it ideal in this instance for some other reason. Zoey wasn''t sure. While casting, Zoey also focused on activating Pressure Point. Even more than the average encounter, identifying the weaknesses of a boss coulde as an enormous advantage. But as she scanned the four-armed hulking elemental, nothing jumped out at her. She received a number of natural intuitions, but all of them were obvious: that the elemental''s rocky armor was highly durable and that its gooey orange interior was what she should target. Its ''weak point''. But there seemed to be no secret critical hit zone. At least none that Pressure Point identified. Arriving at her target, Rosalie thrust forward. Her spear dove into a gap in the elemental''s rock armor, and when she pulled back, globs of molten goo erupted from the wound, dragged along by her spear. The goo sttered both Rosalie''s surroundings and the girl herself, who couldn''t dance away in time. The blonde cursed and retreated, wiping the material off as she went. Her attack had done the job though: the beast roared in pain, then retaliated. It mmed both hammer and axe down in rapid session, shaking the ground with the strength of their heavy metallic impacts. Rosalie dodged both, still scrapingva from her body, seemingly unperturbed despite the fric action. As expected from her. Delta, in the meantime, edged in with her two daggers. She looked tiny inparison to the hulking beast, but Zoey knew that didn''t mean she wouldn''t be effective. The moment Delta lunged forward to score her own attack, though, the arm with the spear in hand jabbed toward her in response. Not only did the boss have four arms, then, it had the coordination and awareness to fend off multiple targets at once. Delta at least wasn''t caught off guard: expecting retaliation, she aborted the attack and dodged away. Finally, Zoey''s first ice spear finished forming, amplified by Burst. Since she had a full mana pool to work with for thisst climactic fight, she would use everything she had. The sizable projectile burst forward and, to her delight, mmed true, burying at least a foot into theva creature''s neck. In one fluid motion, the hand holding the axe dropped its weapon, ripped the ice spear out, and tossed it aside¡ªbefore reiming its de, which promptly streaked down toward Rosalie like a meteor. Worse, ripping the projectile out meantva went sttering down in a wide arc, impossible for Rosalie to dodge. Once again, their team''s frontline was briefly doused in the material¡ªand unlike theva they had waded through to get to the boss chamber, it was much more potent, leaving ck smoke curling off the rock wherever it touched. But Rosalie had several major resistances in both her bodysuit and the potions Zoey had made. By how Rosalie hastily cleaned herself and danced away, retreating, the substance hurt, but was nothing debilitating. And so the fight continued. Rosalie and Maddy''s illusion took turns upying various arms wielding enormous weapons. Delta snuck in where she could, asionally pulling out her bow¡ªwhich was her less-effective weapon, but which she was certainly proficient in. Since she was having a hard time finding openings, she was forced to use it a fair amount. Zoey and Maddy stood back, benefiting from Rosalie''spetence as a frontline. Though perhaps thatfort worked against them. When the elemental suddenly faced them and, with no prior warning,unched its spear straight at Zoey, along with a gout ofva to apany, the two of them were nearly too caught off guard to respond. They only barely managed to escape the spear itself, and definitely not the wide-spreadva gouts that came with it. Zoey discovered firsthand how unpleasant the attack was, especially since she didn''t have Rosalie''s natural fortitude. At least she didn''t have to worry about dodging follow-up attacks: Rosalie and Delta dug into the brief opening, forcing its attention back while Zoey cursed and cleaned herself off. Bit by bit, they whittled the boss down with theirbined efforts. Strangely, it was both harder and easier than their fight against the second shard boss. Easier, because Zoey had significantly improved over her time training at Treyhull. Harder, for obvious reasons: shards became exponentially more difficult with each tier up. By all objective standards, this one was miles ahead of the previous. But Zoey''s hard-earned experience helped her feel not so out of ce. Then, it finally happened. The pivot in the fight. Staggering backward after a particrly vicious jab from Rosalie, the elemental released a vicious roar that dwarfed any of its screams prior. Its body started to vibrate with the noise,va rippling and coursing across its massive form, undting in an ominous way. Rosalie retreated, sensing danger, and Delta naturally followed. Its lower left and lower right hands dropped their weapons, the giant metal hammer and axe ttering loudly into the ground. Then, even more to Zoey''s shock, the arms themselves detached and hit the ground with a hefty thud. The appendages lost their shape, softening into an amorphous pile of glowing orange liquid with rock mixed inside. Then, like the boss fight had begun, those mounds themselves began to take shape. Slowly, they rose into two humanoid forms. Add-ons? It seemed phase two was going to include three opponents rather than one. Except, as the humanoid forms finished taking shape, with each of them lifting their respective dropped weapons¡ªwhich seemed unwieldy on them, since the two smaller elementals were dwarfed by the original elemental¡ªZoey suddenly understood the purpose of their arrival. Because, unlike their master''s bulky, masculine, monstrous appearance, the two smallerva creatures were ¡­ well, the opposite of that. They were about as tall as Zoey, with thin waists, wide hips, busty figures, and deep onyx eyes set on feminine faces. The immediate impression Zoey received was that they were creatures like Me. Slimes. But rather than actual slime, they were made of opaque, swirlingva. Not see-through in the slightest. And probably not half as gooey. More relevantly to Zoey''s previous revtion: they were nude. Both their chests were bare, with clearly visible nipples. Between one of their legs was a pussy, and the other, a thick girlcock dangling down to mid-thigh. "Looks like you''ll be getting what you wanted," Delta said wryly¡ªwho had, along with Rosalie, retreated back to Zoey and Maddy while the boss writhed and reshaped, entering the next phase. "And two of them at once. Lucky you." As a matter of instinct, Zoey activated Pressure Point as the elementals finished forming, gauging the weaknesses of the twova creatures. This time, the skill all but screamed it at her: it pointed her attention between their legs. Zoey doubted that meant they were vulnerable there in the traditional sense of phrase. Rather, her ss''s influence had reared its head. Like with Mel, they had two options. Fight, or ''fight''. And probably, the first option would be far more difficult. Beyond that three opponents would be much harder to deal with than one, since Rosalie could only hold so much attention as a front line, but denying the lewder parts of shard challenges always meant spikes in difficulty. Even Rosalie had been defeated by Mel when she''d refused to engage in the slimegirl''s preferredbat form. Though Rosalie imed that had happened because she''d underestimated the slimegirl. And that she''d tried to solo a shard meant for two. Her ego had gotten the better of her. Regardless, Zoey had no ns to turn down the alternativebat. Like against the reflection in the second shard, this was where she could more than carry her weight. Be as useful as Rosalie was, even, by taking on the two busty elementals. Though, what was that going to be like? Especially, Zoey wondered, eyes going to the hammer-wielding one, whose thick cock swung between her legs, still soft, then the other girl, whocked her partner''s girthy member. With the two different shapes. "Kay," Delta said. "So what''s the n?" "I take those two, you three take the boss?" Zoey asked. "It''s obviously a Mel situation." "Need help?" Delta asked. "We need you in the actual fight," Zoey said. Though, the idea of teaming up against the two curvy girls with Delta as backup had obvious appeal. Soloing them did as well, to be fair. "I have skills that actually help with it. You don''t." ''Influence,'' in particr, though ''Pressure Point'' was no ck when it came to lewd fights, more so than even regr ones. Mel had been significantly easier to take apart in their most recent encounter thanks to those abilities,pared to when Zoey''d been first advancement. "You only havebat abilities, so you should be in the real fight." Even if Delta was obviously pretty good at taking girls apart without magic, Zoey had the distinct advantage, supernaturally speaking. "No need to brag," Delta pouted. "If I could have sex skills, I would. We''re just not all so lucky." "So it''s decided?" Rosalie said tersely¡ªlike always, more serious than the foxgirl when it came to the reality of the shard. "It''s about to start," she said, ncing at Zoey. "Just call for help if you need it." Zoey nodded. With both the two human-sized elementals and the bulkier one finishing forming, and gaining rity in their eyes, Zoey''s first step was obvious. She needed to draw their attention and lead them away. And why not be direct about it? Putting her weapon away, Zoey grabbed her alternative one. She stroked up and down, eyes on the elementals, and, joined with the anticipation, her thick member started to swell out, filling the tight whitetex until it strained to hold her in. Mel had been eager to ''fight Zoey'' right away¡ªbut these twova elementals'' serious expressions, and the way they''d imed their master''s previous weapons, had indicated they had been willing to fight the regr way. But seeing Zoey waggle her fourteen inches of girlcock at them, they froze in their tracks. Their expressions morphed, nearly visibly transforming into horny, excitedva elementals rather thanbative ones. Both hammer and axe hit the ground with a loud tter, their priorities suddenly adjusting. The one on the left started to harden herself¡ªsprouting a massive twelve-inchva cock. Their eyestched on Zoey''s member, then went up to her face. The girl with the extra equipment looked excited, wide-eyed. The one without looked hungry, and, strangely, even irritated. Seeing the two girls focus their attention on her, Zoey''s heart skipped a beat. Not only was it a two-against-one, but she wasn''t the only one wielding heavy weaponry. This was going to be an interesting fight. 6.19 – Two Versus One I 6.19 ¨C Two Versus One I The twova elementals stalked toward her, leaving their weapons discarded behind them. Zoey retreated sideways, leading them away from the rest of her party. With the main boss beginning to re-animate, Maddy and the others couldn''t spare Zoey and her situation much attention; they focused on their own task. "So, uh," Zoey said, backpedaling, keeping a wary eye on them. "You two have names?" "Not ones that matter to you, human," the right elemental, the one without the extra equipment, said. The one who had already seemed irritated, which the curt response confirmed. Hearing her speak didn''t exactly surprise Zoey, since she''d been ready for the possibility, but talking monsters would always give her some pause. "She''s Ignis, I''m ze," the other elemental offered in far friendlier manner, which drew an annoyed nce from her partner. ze blinked innocently back at her in reply, as if confused at her friend''s hostility. "What''s yours?" she asked Zoey, tilting her head. "Zoey. It''s nice to meet you?" "You as well," ze said cheerfully. "But, this is a very strange way to fight, Zoey," she said. "And why are you running? You aren''t gonna make us chase you, are you?" She didn''t sound like she''d be too upset if that were the case. "No, no. Just putting some space between us and them. Finding our own private arena." Zoey''s eyes flicked over her shoulder, to her teammates and therger elemental. "Hmph," Ignis said. "This won''tst long, regardless. So stop running and ept your fate." "I don''t know," ze said dubiously, eyes flicking to Zoey''s cock. Her own meaty member jumped in excitement at what she saw. "She looks pretty strong, Ignis." "Against two of us?" Ignis snorted in derision. "You''re mistaken." Having backpedaled nearly to the edge of the surroundingva moat, Zoey had ventured far enough away. Over ze''s shoulder, she could see Rosalie and Delta engaging the boss once again. Even if Zoey would be carrying her weight by distracting these two add-ons, she had to treat this situation seriously. To be a good teammate and not dally when her teammates were fighting for their lives. Though Zoey might be fighting for her life as well, honestly. She still didn''t know how ''defeat'' worked when it came to lewd encounters. And she didn''t intend to find out. That was a mystery best left unsolved. Havinge to a stop, the gap between her and her opponents rapidly shrank, ze and Ignis not slowing in turn. "Any special rules?" Zoey asked in thest few seconds before the fight began. "Anything that doesn''t go?" "Doesn''t go?" ze asked curiously. "No," Ignis said, eyes narrowing derisively, more easily picking up on Zoey''s question than her innocent partner. "No limits. Win by any means." "Alright," Zoey said. "Not a problem with me, either. A good, fair fight." Ignis snorted. Zoey chose her target. Of the two, ze seemed the more vulnerable, and not just because of her more open personality¡ªtheck of intensity andpetitiveness Zoey could see in Ignis. But also because of a certain twelve-inch, twitching sensitive spot that was giving away just how interested ze was in this ''new type of fighting''. Now, this encounter might be a two-on-one, but Zoey had her own significant advantages. Specifically, Influence. Magic that could inme senses. The goal of the fight was, presumably, to bring her opponents to orgasm, probably several times¡ªor maybe a single explosively insane one would be enough¡ªwhile holding away her lust herself. That meant whatever pleasure she could inflict while receiving as little in turn was the ultimate goal. With that in mind, there was an obvious starting point. Getting her mouth around someva-cock. The problem was that ze might resist the position. To insist on mutual pleasure in some way. But perhaps Zoey could erase those practical thoughts. Make ze forget about trying to win. To do that, Zoey just had to make her too horny to care. And she had just the means to do so. Tracing a well-practiced magical diagram into the air, Zoey quickly manifested a spell. ze froze in her tracks as it took hold, her body locking up as her senses went wild, arousal spiking through magical means. Her eyes widened to a nearlyical degree, and Zoey would even swear her cock swelled another half-inch, throbbing violently and bouncing between her legs. Just as quickly, Zoey moved. She dropped down onto her knees in front of the frozen ze and wasted no time in wrapping her hands around the stiffvacock in front of her. The heat seared through her palms immediately, though strangely, in a pleasant way. Not unbearable, thanks to the various resistances protecting her. She began to pump, bunching gooeyva as she stroked up and down, twisting her wrists as she went. The elemental moaned aloud, hips bucking involuntarily as Zoey''s Influence-enhanced desire shed with her goal toe out victorious. "W-Wow," ze gasped. "Woah. That''s¡ªthat''s, uh¡ª" Zoey''s hands traveled up and down. The girl''s huge magma cock had a strangeposition to it: not quite as squishy as Mel, but not as firm as a regr body. Lava bunched up and down, goopy and free-moving as Zoey jerked her opponent off. Zoey nearly marveled at the sight, the non-human biology on disy. Against her own will, she couldn''t help but wonder what it would feel like inside her. Though, she wouldn''t have to wonder for long. It was certainly going to happen before this encounter ended. Ignis, of course, wasn''t going to let Zoey attack her partner without retaliation. Only a second after Zoey had dropped down to her knees, Ignis followed, shuffling between the two of them¡ªgetting between ze''s legs and earning ess to Zoey''s own aching cock, which stood fully at attention. "Hmph," the more aloofva girl said. "I can''t believe it''s even bigger than ze''s. But, I bet that means it''s more sensitive." Two hands wrapped around Zoey''s cock, gripping firmly. Zoey sucked in a breath of air at the sudden heat, the intensity of Ignis''s soft but zing hands. Her digits seared their way down her cock, leaving a trail of tingling heat where they passed. Again, it wasn''t painful, just intense in a way that made Zoey''s toes curl, her stomach clench and squirm in delight. This might be harder than she''d first assumed. The radiating warmth from the two monsters was an unexpected threat, especially when applied to her sensitive cock. "Fuck," Zoey sighed, stroking ze faster but, unfortunately, also basking in her own servicing. Zoey''s inmmation spell at least seemed to be working as potently as she''d hoped for. Even just gripping ze''s cock had her squirming in ce, clutching her breasts as her hips wiggled side to side. "M-More," ze gasped. "I want more. I want to feel it inside you, human." Maybe, even, it was more potent than Zoey had expected. Because ze didn''t even let Zoey reply before she grabbed Zoey''s head and pushed her hips forward, thrusting her long twelve-inchva cock up and along her face, gooey magma sliding lewdly along her features. Her face was even less protected than her body, so that radiant heat nearly scorched Zoey where it slid, and when ze pulled her hips back to line her tip up to Zoey''s mouth, a trail of residue was left behind, burning her skin where it touched. ze wiggled her cocktip around Zoey''s lips, threatening entry, but failing to get past Zoey''s closed teeth. The girl whined in annoyance. "Lemme in!" she pleaded, thrusting back and forth, but only ncing along Zoey''s teeth. "I want a hole! Give it to me!" "ze," Ignis said, aghast, staring up at her partner. "Have some control. We''re supposed to be¡ª" But her words cut off, because Zoey finally yielded, opening her mouth. ze desperately plunged in. Zoey had gotten the impression that this girl was the politer, more considerate of the elementals, but Zoey''s powerful inmmation skill hadpletely erased her ability to moderate herself. Holding Zoey''s head, her hips mmed forward, iming Zoey''s throat with a nearly animalistic urge. Twelve inches of thick and gooeyva crammed its way down Zoey''s throat, stretching the slim passage out. ze''s cockhead buried farther and farther in one smooth, hard motion, burning Zoey''s sensitive tunnel as it went, until ze''s lower stomach pped loudly into Zoey''s face. Zoey''s hands shot up to her neck in shock¡ªas much from the heat as the suddenness¡ªand she could feel the thick bulge there, bending out tight muscles and emanating a heat she could feel even through theyer of skin. The heat was so intense that she wouldn''t be surprised to see her throat glowing. ze held Zoey''s face hard to her pelvis, bent over in pleasure, quivering, and for a few seconds, Zoey just choked on magma-girl cock¡ªbut then the girl began to thrust, desperate to use Zoey. "S-Sorry, Ignis," ze cried out. "I t-thought I''d do better. But it''s too good! Human holes feel too good!" Ignis stayed frozen down between Zoey''s legs, forgetting even to take advantage of Zoey''spromised position in her shock at seeing ze''spromised state. But finally, she spurred herself back to motion. "It seems like I have to make up the difference," she growled, shuffling herself down onto her stomach. "Maybe you''re good at that," she said, eying Zoey''s bulging throat, "but I bet I''m better." Zoey was a little incapable of responding with ze''s cock pounding into her, bulging out her neck in obscene ways with each thrust. She choked, struggling to keep her throat open for the invading cock¡ªand her thoughts admittedly going fuzzy at the rough treatment, the burning goo squelching in and out of her tight tunnel. Then, her situation became even more untenable, because Ignis started to service her back. Her hot tongue slid along Zoey''s cock, coating it in a heavy film ofva drool. Zoey''s eyes went wide at the sudden, extreme heat, and on her most sensitive of parts. Her toes curled, and the brief precursor wasn''t nearly enough time to brace for what wasing. Ignis dove down. Zoey''s cock slid into a tight, sticky, burning tunnel. If she''d thought receivingva-cock had been intense, it was nothingpared to being surrounded by that substance. In having her dick wrapped by Ignis''sva throat. Even as ze thrust into her, Zoey''s own cock sank deeper and deeper down Ignis''s mouth, the elemental struggling to fit Zoey. She forced herself down until her own face was squished into Zoey''s pelvis, and her entire fourteen-inch member was being squeezed in an unbelievably pleasurable heat. Then, shamefully, Zoey''s hips pulled back and thrust forward. Theva girl gagged, and the lewd noise joined with the sensation, meant Zoey couldn''t help herself. She worked into her own rhythm, quickly growing as desperate as the inmed girl using Zoey''s own throat. And how couldn''t she? ze had said human holes felt too good, butva-girl throat-pussy was three times as unfair. 6.20 – Two Versus One II 6.20 ¨C Two Versus One II Though Zoey was quickly growing unable to resist her growing desires, she took sce in one fact: if nothing else, every moment she plunged her cock into Ignis''s tight, hot throat was another moment the elemental wasn''t assisting with the real fight happening just behind them. In the worst case scenario, Zoey was at least contributing by serving as a distraction. Buying Rosalie, Delta, and Maddy time to win the encounter the old-fashioned way. Maybe her teammates could juste save Zoey after she''d had her fun, even. Zoey sank deeper and deeper into that lustful fugue. Her determination started to slip as she let herself be consumed by the intense pleasure that Ignis and ze were giving her. The twova elementals were merciless in their assault. Each thrust from ze''s thickva cock filled Zoey''s throat, setting it on fire with each pass, and lower down, Zoey''s cock was being squeezed by a burning hot vice, Ignis''s throat-pussy milking her with each eager bobbing motion she made. Zoey''s hips responded in kind, smacking back into Ignis''s face, desperate for the sensation and texture of the tight hole. Despite the overwhelming pleasure building by the second, Zoey fought back, trying to think clearly¡ªto remember her mission. She couldn''t allow herself to get too lost in the moment. Technically, this was a fight, and the fate of not only Zoey but also her team might rest on the result. Zoey forced herself to pull back from slipping over that edge. She had means of fighting the ecstasy that the two elementals didn''t. Inme worked both ways: to amplify and mute. She just had to take advantage of it. Even as ze''s hips pped hard into Zoey''s face,va dribbling down her chin with the sloppy throat-fucking, Zoey forced herself to cobble together a new spell. This one targeted at herself rather than her opponent. The magic washed through her body, and¡ªas regrettable as it was relieving¡ªebbed the building heat that threatened to wash her away. Zoey regained some level of rity, no longer feeling as overwhelmed. In contrast, Zoey could sense ze starting to fall victim to the pleasure that Zoey nearly had herself. Her thrusts grew more and more erratic, hips turning into a piston as she approached her orgasm. Zoey could feel her cock swelling and throbbing in her throat, seeming to grow hotter as ze ran up to the edge of that cliff. She felt every inch of ze''s length thrusting inside her, the molten liquid filling her throatpletely, making it bulge outward¡ªthen stretching even more as ze''s cock swelled in imminent release. "I''m ¡­ almost there," ze cried out, voice hoarse with pleasure. "I can''t help it! I''m¡ªI''m gonna cum!" She gripped Zoey''s head, pulling her forward as she bucked her hips wildly to p just that much harder down Zoey''s throat. "Here ites! Take it! Take it, human! Everyst drop!" Zoey''s vision went watery as ze''s assault reached a peak, gooeyva mming desperately into her face. Then, finally, ze''s climax arrived. Her cock erupted in Zoey''s throat,va-cum overflowing as it surged out in thick bursts. Despite being buried so deep, Zoey struggled to swallow the thick, hot liquid, feeling it fill her up and spread throughout her stomach, her throat, pouring out from her mouth and nose with the force of her release¡ªand the sheer quantity. ze''s orgasm seemed tost forever, her body shaking as she rode wave after wave of pleasure. Eventually, her thrusting slowed and she pulled her cock out of Zoey''s throat with a pop. Zoey gasped for air, the heat of ze''sva-cum radiating in her stomach. Zoey felt unbelievably full, and in such a potent, unique way. Her hand fell on her stomach, cradling the hot load she knew was pooled there. Theva elemental copsed on her ass, panting heavily. Angrily, Ignis popped off of Zoey''s cock¡ªsomething Zoey had somehow even managed to ignore, in the intensity of ze exploding inside her, stuffing her stomach with burning-hotva cum. "Really?" Ignis growled, sending an annoyed look to her partner. "Get up. We''re not done." "That was ¡­" ze panted. "I can''t believe ¡­" "Get up," Ignis insisted. Hazily, the other elemental stood, her knees shaking. Her vision cleared slowly as she refocused on Zoey. Determination crossed her face. As convenient as it would have been, then, Zoey''s opponents weren''t one-and-done. Mel hadn''t been either, so she couldn''t say she was surprised. "You''re cheating somehow," Ignis said, eyes narrowing at Zoey. "Those spells, obviously. But that''s fine. If my throat wasn''t enough, then we''ll just have to be more direct." She dragged Zoey up by a hand, who, almost as hazy-headed as ze from being used so thoroughly, simply allowed it to happen. Ignis spun Zoey around so that her back was to ze. Not a secondter, a giant twelve-inchva-cock had slipped between Zoey''s thighs. It throbbed heat into Zoey''s pussy, and onto the underside of her cock, making her suck in a gasp of surprise. ze''s chin rested on Zoey''s shoulder. "If your mouth was that good," she murmured, sending shivers down Zoey''s spine at the proximity. "I can''t even imagine how amazing this will feel." Theva elemental gripped her cock and lined the tip up to Zoey''s pussy, wiggling it there to make her intent clear. Even worse, Ignis had grabbed Zoey''s cock and pressed the head into her own pussy, teasing entry between slippery, unbelievably hot lowerva-lips. "Even with your magic, you won''t be able to resist this," Ignis said smugly. "Not from both ends." Entranced by the sight of Ignis teasing her cock into her pussy, and feeling ze do the same from behind her, Zoey even wondered, for a second, whether the elemental would be right. One way or another, it was going to be a hard-fought battle. Ignis, still facing Zoey, lifted herself up on her tip-toes to get better leverage as she pushed her lower half into Zoey''s, guiding fourteen inches of girlcock into her. Zoey''s sensitive member was squeezed in by bumpyva pussy. The sensation overwhelmed Zoey immediately¡ªand she didn''t have time toe to terms with it, because from behind, ze also imed her prize. Inch by inch, a thick, throbbingva-cock slid into Zoey, splitting her open. ze trembled as she urged her hips forward, sinking into Zoey, and Zoey at least appreciated the fact she was finding the sensation overpowering too. ze pushed forward, with none of the urgency she''d disyed before. Slowly, deliberately, breath hot against Zoey''s ear, she slid her spear between Zoey''s legs, angling upward. The sensation of dual pration¡ªboth giving and receiving¡ªwas nearly too much. ze''s cock felt too huge, almost too big to take. Zoey''s entire body burned as ze imed her, her muscles twitching in sync with the obscenelyrge cock stretching her beyond what she''d thought possible. "Mmm," ze moaned against Zoey''s ear, rocking her hips back and forth to ease her way in. "You''re ... so ... tight ..." Zoey couldn''t reply, gasping at the physical sensations. The pressure. The strangeness. The way ze''s cock scorched nerves with every inch she sank deeper, setting them alight. She was vaguely aware of her fingernails digging into her palms, of her own cock throbbing hard, going wild inside Ignis''s pussy, which was iming inch after inch of Zoey''s cock. "I ... can feel ... every ... bump," ze whined, and with a sudden thrust, she seated herself as deep as she could, Zoey''s back arching with the intrusion. She gasped as ze''s cock shoved all the way in, hips meeting her ass. She burned and throbbed from the intrusion. The molten heat of ze''sva cock radiated against her insides, setting her on fire. Nearly painful. Yet maybe better because of that fact. In front, Ignis groaned as she got a better grip on Zoey''s hips, then began to pound her hips into Zoey''s, mming her pussy onto Zoey''s dick at an unwieldy angle, with the two of them standing face-to-face. Every thrust clutched Zoey''s cock, enveloping her in sticky, molten pleasure. ze''s cock nestled against her cervix, hot and heavy, as she panted into Zoey''s ear, resting there from having speared in. Enjoying her sheathe before the real action began. "Fuck, that''s ... unbelievable," ze groaned. Zoey agreed. She bit her lip, trying to control her rapidly devolving thoughts¡ªher determination to resist fading. Her legs shook as she stood there, being engulfed by twova girls. Zoey''s attention drifted down to her stomach. Considering ze''s sheer girth, she shouldn''t have been surprised to see what she did. Her stomach, bulging outward, distended by her partner''s ridiculous cock. Zoey had already felt full from the obscene amount ofva-cum dumped into her stomach. There simply hadn''t much space left, and then ze had gone and imed her in another way. Two against one,va-on-flesh, theva girls began to move in earnest. Each of them rocking their hips in counterpoint, matched by the rhythm of Zoey''s own hips being used as an anchor. ze pulled back, sliding twelve inches of cock along Zoey''s sensitive inner walls, then pped back forward, Zoey''s ass rippling with the impact¡ªand that violent motion also jerked Zoey forward, her hips meeting Ignis''s again, sheathing her cock in clenchingva-pussy. Zoey''s world spun as the dual sensations, the pleasure amplified by magical heat, overtook her. She couldn''t think straight. Her brain registered only the heat enveloping her, both inside and out, as the twova elementals relentlessly pounded into and onto her. The heat of their bodies pressing into her filled her senses. She felt genuinely as if she''d been set aze. Her own cock, trapped between Ignis''s burning hot pussy, throbbed in time with the relentless pounding from behind, desperate to add its own offering to the molten mix. Zoey ¡­ wanted to let go. To fill Ignis up. To give the elemental her hard-earned reward. The part of her mind that clung to reality protested, but the chorus of moans drowned it out. For the second time, Zoey desperately forced herself to edge away from that dangerous brink. More than anything, she had a fight to win. With great effort, she dragged to life another muting spell, pointing it toward herself and blessedly dampening the sensations that threatened to overwhelm her. But that was only a temporary solution. A shortsting reprieve when assaulted from both ends in such a potent way. Maybe, instead of only trying to survive, she had to fight back. Gritting her teeth, Zoey grabbed Ignis''s hips and did just that. With newfound determination, Zoey started to move against the relentless onught of pleasure and heat. Ignis gasped in surprise as Zoey''s cock slid in and out of her slick tunnel, setting a pace of her own making. ze moaned into her ear, Zoey''s frantic rutting serving also to buck onto theva-girl''s cock: setting the tempo on both sides, not just one. Ignis''s pussy clenched tighter around Zoey''s cock, proof that the strategy was immediately effective. ze''s thrusts became more desperate, her grip on Zoey''s hips tightening to an almost painful degree. Zoey endured it, even as her cock, buried in Ignis, began to throb in response. They were close. All three of them, Zoey could tell. ze''s movements were bing erratic, her moans desperate. Even Ignis was falling apart. And Zoey, for all her spells were helping resist, wouldn''t be that far behind them. With a final grunt, Zoey imed victory on one side. ze came for a second time. Lava erupted from her, scalding hot, filling Zoey''s pussy. Fat globs ofva cum drooled out from between her legs even as ze continued thrusting, serving as lubricant. Zoey focused on Ignis. The holdout. Unlike ze, Zoey had never targeted her with an inmmation spell, choosing to focus on one opponent over the other. Zoey took that advantage away from her. Onyx eyes widened as, already close to orgasm, an empowered sensitivity spell washed through her. "W-What?" Ignis gasped. "What was that?" Zoeyughed as she felt the difference the empowered Inme spell had made¡ªIgnis''s already tight pussy clenched down on her cock with unbearable intensity, squeezing every inch of her hard dick in a vice-like grip. The elemental''s onyx eyes widened even further as Zoey hilted herself all the way inside with a hard smack. The amplified sensation was too much for her, even in the single motion. She let out an incoherent groan. Zoey, of course, took advantage of her weakened state. Seeing the girl start to shake, eyes fluttering, Zoey pushed herself further into Ignis''s slick heat, thrusting deep enough that her hips met with theva elemental''s with loud ps, sinking as deep as she could into her gooey body¡ªbumping into her cervix with each motion. Ignis whined and moaned as she felt her insides being stroked by every inch of Zoey from within, amplified by magical means. Her eyes rolled back as she neared the edge of orgasm. "So good ..." Ignis whined. "Can''t take ... much more ..." Neither could Zoey. She vied for control as she fucked herself into Ignis''s molten depths, trying desperately to throw Ignis over that edge before Zoey herself fell over. Moans spewed from both of their mouths, unbidden, as their mutual fire built higher and higher. ze''s frantic rutting from behind was slowing, having spent herself, but Zoey''s only grew faster. "Just give it to me," Zoey grunted into Ignis''s ear. "You know you want to. Cum on my cock. Milk me with it." That was all the encouragement she needed. With a punctuated groan, Ignis gave in. Her scaldingva pussy squeezed Zoey''s cock in an ecstatic vice grip. Zoey cried out in kind, unable to stop herself from alsoing undone. She coated the insides of Ignis''s molten womb with her own hot flood. Ignis''s orgasm went on forever, even longer than Zoey''s, theva walls of her pussy convulsing around Zoey''s cock and¡ªas she''d requested¡ªmilking her dry. Except however mind-erasing Zoey''s climax was, Ignis''s seemed to be twice that. She''d already been close to losing before Zoey had applied an empowered inmmation on her. Maybe it was the timing, but either way, the strength of Ignis''s climax almost visibly made her lose her sense of self. She all but copsed in Zoey''s grip, Zoey holding her up as she kept thrusting, riding her through an orgasm that left her nearly catatonic. Until, finally, the three of them copsed onto the floor. 6.21 – Implosion 6.21 ¨C Implosion Like thest time Zoey had fucked a goo-monster into submission, her opponentsy on the ground, their bodies seeming to dissolve. zey copsed on her back, her hand on her forehead as she panted, and Ignis on her stomach, groaning softly, the two of them turning intova pancakes as their bodies lost solidity. Though Zoey was also exhausted and would very much like toy back and catch her breath, she forced herself to sit up after only a moment. Because the fight wasn''t over. She knew without an explicit announcement that she had won against Ignis and ze, but that didn''t mean the bigger problem had been solved¡ªthe rampaging twenty-foot elemental who was the real boss. Rosalie, Delta, and Maddy had been fighting the thing tooth-and-nail the whole time. Zoey''s encounter against the two smaller elementals had hardlysted forever¡ªor even all that long, considering how good their bodies had felt¡ªbut even a handful of minutes was a long time when fighting for one''s life. "So, I won?" Zoey asked, just to confirm. "Don''t be ¡­ too proud of that fact, human ¡­" Ignis groaned, the words muffled by how she was lying stomach-down, face pressed into the floor. Or rather, her own gooey body, since she was melting. "I don''t know, Ignis," ze panted, her words clearer because of how she was lying on her back. "I think she can be proud. That was amazing." Ignis huffed, shooting her ally an irritable look. Then she looked at Zoey. "So, what is it you wish of us, then?" "What I wish of you?" "You''ve asserted your dominance," Ignis said, sounding not entirely pleased by the fact. "We''re yours for the rest of the fight." "You ¡­ are?" Zoey asked. Mel hadn''t worked like that, but then again, Mel had been a solo encounter. Would all fights with ''add-ons'' work simrly, or was it just this one? Getting to her feet¡ªand swaying a bit as she did¡ªZoey appraised the fight. She considered the best way to join back in. And also the best way to utilize her two hard-earned allies. Though, considering their gooey exhaustion, Zoey had maybe done too good a job of fucking them to their breaking point. Zoey was two things, when it came tobat: a mage, but also an alchemist. And there was one category of potion she''d yet to put to good use. The extinguishing potions. "Could you rejoin him, you think?" Zoey asked, an idea forming in her head. "Rejoin him?" ze asked. "Why would you want us to? Shouldn''t we fight?" Zoey pulled a potion out from her inventory and presented it to ze, waggling it between two fingers. "I''ve got a feeling," Zoey said, "that if I can get this thing to go off from inside an elemental, it''ll do some serious work." ze tilted her head, presumably reading the item''s description. If monsters could even do that. "Hm," she said after a moment. "I suppose it''s worth trying." "It won''t hurt you though, right?" "Of course it will," ze snorted. "It''ll be going off on us, too. But we''re all the same boss. And it''s not like you can kill us." "It''s our duty as the defeated party," Ignis grumbled. Zoey didn''t like the idea of her two partners getting caught in the crossfire, but as ze had said, boss monsters couldn''t actually be killed. They were the shard itself, if anything Mel had said was to go by. Their defeats would always be temporary. "Okay, well, not to rush you or anything," Zoey said, pulling out the second potion, this one for Ignis. "But yeah, join back into his body, and get as deep as you can. Then break those potions. Head or chest, I guess, wherever you think will do the most damage." With visible effort, the two meltingva-girls tugged themselves back into coherency. They staggered to their feet. Zoey sympathized with their exhausted motions. They''d wrung her out as much as she had them, after all. She ced the two me-extinguishing potions in either of their outstretched palms. "You fought ¡­ adequately," Ignis said, eying Zoey. "I shouldn''t have underestimated you. If we went again, the oue would be different." Zoeyughed. "I liked fucking you too, Ignis." Bothva girls blushed. Then, they faced the hulking body of the main boss monsters. Gripping their respective potions, they shoved the items into their chests, bodies parting to suck the ss vials in. A momentter, they melted down, turning into a pile of goo, losing their bodies entirely. Rolling forward as sentient balls of liquid, they rushed toward their master, carrying the deadly payload with them. Rosalie and Delta, aware of their surroundings like they always were, saw what was happening. They disengaged. The boss didn''t pursue, seeing his two elementalsing to rejoin his main body. Zoey wondered whether he knew the betrayal wasing. To some degree, he had to; again, the entire shard was one organic entity, wasn''t it? Were their minds even split? Were Ignis and ze the same person? Who knew? In the best of cases, Zoey suspected shard biology was weird. That said, the roar the boss released sounded pleased. He was ecstatic he would be regaining his two arms, which Ignis and ze had formed from. But, of course, that wasn''t what happened. ze and Ignis rejoined his body, slithering up his legs, then, out of sight, presumably deep into his chest. Zoey didn''t hear the cracks of ss, but she knew the moment the potions went off. Behind thick tes of stone armor, thevaposing his body shuddered, then imploded all at once, sucking inward and then bursting outward, globs ofva sttering the ground in all directions. But more importantly¡ªspots ofva cooled rapidly across his entire chest, darkening as it solidified into hard obsidian. One went off inside his skull, too, as Zoey had requested, and his gruesome features froze over and turned ck. It didn''t seem to kill him outright, but the roar that ripped from his half-solidified mouth wasn''t so much a roar as a whimper. He staggered side to side, dropping his weapons and his hands wing at his chest and face. Rosalie and Delta, like the predators they were, surged forward, sensing weakness. Zoey started to pull together her own spells to help finish the thing off, but it wasn''t necessary. Rosalie, Delta, and Maddy had already been fighting this thing at full tilt since Zoey''s encounter against Ignis and ze had begun; they''d whittled it down in that time. The massive heat implosion issued by Zoey''s potions had put it on itsst leg. Not more than a minuteter, the boss copsed to its knees under theirbined assault, providing even easier ess for Rosalie to execute it with a spear through the face, the de sneaking between chunks of frozen obsidian to m deep. And so, the third-shard boss was defeated. Approaching its corpse, Zoey hoped to see the two bustyva elementals reemerge, but no such thing happened. Despite that she should have expected it, her heart twinged. She''d have liked to give them a proper goodbye. Even if all they''d done was try to fuck each other senseless. In a possibly life-or-death situation. As a squad of four, they gathered around and looked down at the copsed beast, now a lumpy collection ofva, rock, and obsidian. "How''d that happen?" Delta asked, ncing at Zoey with a curious look. "Had them drag the extinguishing potions inside," Zoey said. "They became my allies when I won, I guess." "Huh," Delta said. After a moment of digesting that exnation, she followed up: "You have fun, then?" Zoey considered the question. "Lava girls are something else," she answered sinctly. 6.22 – Loot VI 6.22 ¨C Loot VI A brief bit of exploration revealed the loot room. Unsurprisingly, it took some underva swimming to find the crevice leading into the small cavern. They had plenty ofva resistance potions to go around, and also a hefty supply of ingredients to make more, so they were at no risk of running out. The chest was fancier than many Zoey had seen. Maybe that was because they were working into higher advancements. Third was already considered impressive, above the ''average'' wayfarer''s rank. It sat on the far edge of the room, resting against the edge of a shallow moat ofva. Tendrils of smoke rosezily from its surface, giving the air a sulfurous tang, stronger even than the previous rooms. The container itself was arge, ornately carved stone sarcophagus, eight feet long and four wide. Diagrams adorned its sides, images of the many monsters they''d fought to reach this point. The lid held a mural of the boss monster, his looming figure made all the more intimidating by the intricate craftsmanship. Without ceremony, Rosalie gripped the heavy stone top and pushed it sideways, cracking open the box and revealing a familiar ck portal. She reached in, groping around for their first reward. Out came a small white container about the size of Rosalie''s hand. Zoey''s initial impression was a jewelry box. Which inspired some excitement, considering all the fun ''jewelry'' they had earned in prior adventures. But it didn''t seem to be that. Rosalie cracked open the white container to reveal four silver objects nestled within the soft fabric. The team crowded around, each of them trying to get a look. Zoey''s brow furrowed, not able to identify what the items were right away. At least, not using her eyes. So she relied, of course, on the supernatural method. The description popped into her head. Zipper: A zipper. Zoey blinked. "That''s helpful," Delta said dryly. "I don''t think I''ve ever seen an item description so vague," Maddy said. She gently took one of the four silver zippers from the box and held it up to look at it more closely. Zoey did the same, as did Delta and Rosalie. Four, so one for each of them. But there wasn''t much to say. They were just ¡­ small silver zippers. With no official item description to give them an exnation, Zoey had no idea what they were supposed to be used for. "Oh," Delta said suddenly. "Ha. I bet I get it." "You do?" Zoey asked. "Maybe." Reaching forward, Delta ced the zipper she had taken onto the neckline of Rosalie''s bodysuit. Zoey understood Delta''s theory just as the foxgirl put it to the test. With a yank, she jerked the silver zipper downward. The zipper magically spread Rosalie''s bodysuit open, splitting the suit down the middle. Her breasts spilled free, no longer crammed in by the magical suit, jiggling as they were suddenly exposed. Zoey''s heart jumped, the suddenness of the reveal making the sight that much lewder. "H-Hey," Rosalie protested in shock, eyes shooting open. Her hands flew up to cover her bare chest. "What do you think you''re doing?!" she demanded of the foxgirl. Deltaughed delightedly, either at Rosalie''s reaction or that her theory had turned out correct. "What does it look like? Setting those prisoners free." She batted Rosalie''s hands away and cupped Rosalie''s freed breasts, giving them an appreciative squeeze, then bouncing them up and down. She shot a grin at Zoey, as much putting on a show as she was enjoying herself. "I''ve missed these puppies. They needed to breathe. I could hear themining." "Do you mind?" Rosalie protested, fleeing from Delta''s excited hands. Delta, unsurprisingly, wasn''t deterred. She stepped forward, hand darting out again, to, in another smooth motion, finish yanking the zipper all the way down to Rosalie''s crotch. The suit split wide, exposing Rosalie''s toned stomach and her pussypleting Delta''s mission of baring the girl. Rosalie danced away, getting a safe distance from her assant, covering herself with both hands. "Delta! Seriously!" "What? It''s a neat item," Deltaughed. "I''m just testing it out." Rosalie huffed loudly, eying the foxgirl as she kept her distance. With a struggle, she pulled on the zipper, trying to seal herself back inside the skintight material. It took some effort¡ªand provided quite the show¡ªas she tugged and wriggled, her curves bouncing as she crammed herself into the unforgiving, restrictive embrace of thetex bodysuit. The zipper strained to travel upward, but eventually, with some force, she managed. Reaching the top of her neckline, her bodysuit once again in proper order, Rosalie pulled the zipper away, magically separating from the material entirely, leaving it as seamless and smooth as it had begun. Delta wore a shit-eating grin, tail swishing side to side excitedly. "Couldn''t you have tested that on yourself?" Rosalie huffed, eying her. "Yeah, but that was way more fun." Delta snorted. "Besides, it''s not like we can''t already see everything, princess. I mean, seriously." She cupped her own breasts and bounced them. "These suits don''t hide anything. Having them on is almost lewder than not." Zoey was inclined to agree. The magicaltex left nothing to the imagination. Every dip and curve of their bodies was on full disy¡ªand even highlighted thanks to the glossy designs. It was especially bad in Zoey''s case. "And your girlfriend liked the show," Delta said, smirking as she gestured with a pointed thumb at Zoey''s crotch. "She gave me implied permission." Rosalie turned her re to Zoey, then her swelling cock, instead. Zoey coughed. She definitely had not condoned Delta''s actions, but neither was sheining. A flustered Rosalie was¡ªand would always be¡ªsomething she couldn''t get enough of. She and Delta had that inmon. "Anyway," Zoey said, deflecting. "The zippers are how we take the suits off, then?" Because they had beenpletely glued to their skin up to this point. Which was a problem Zoey had forgotten would need solving, up until the solution had been dropped into theirp. "You think that means we get to keep them?'' Rosalie eyed Zoey for a second longer, then shook her head in exasperation. "As loot, you mean?" she said. "Probably." Maddy made an appreciative noise. Delta''s shenanigans had reddened her cheeks, but she made noment on what had happened. "They''re pretty good, too," she said. "The heat resistance effect is really strong. I''m sure we''ll use it in some future shard." "Not just in the shard," Delta said. "They''ll be fun in the bedroom, too." The three of them looked at her. The foxgirl rolled her eyes. "What? Zoey might have gotten to y with all the features, but I haven''t. I want to test that stretchiness, too." Zoey wouldn''t mind ''stress-testing'' the suits a few more times, either. So she sympathized with the fox girl''s point. "Perverts," Rosalie muttered. "Can I loot in peace, please?" "Oh, fine," Delta said. "But only because I''m curious what else we got." Rosalie huffed, then walked back over to the sarcophagus, though she kept an eye on Delta as she did. But Delta''s attention had moved elsewhere. "Lemme see yours," Delta said, nudging Zoey and holding her hand out. "Blondie stole mine." "And you''re not getting it back," Rosalie huffed. Zoey briefly considered whether she should hand over her zipper, but Delta pouted at her, which Zoey instantly caved to. She handed the item over. Delta didn''t waste time using it. Rosalie''s hand was just reaching into the sarcophagus when a loud zipping noise drew Zoey''s attention back¡ªhaving looked away just for a second, curious to see what their next piece of loot would be. The foxgirl had ced the magical zipper at her crotch and was slipping it up and down. Apparently, they could be ced anywhere, not just the neckline. The fabric between her legs parted, exposing her pussy, then zipped back up, covering it again. Zoey''s heart jumped at the lewd sight, just as it had when Rosalie''s body had been unexpectedly put on disy. Delta grinned, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Look," she said, continuing to pull the zipper up and down, her pussy appearing and disappearing from view. "Easy ess. Now isn''t that convenient?" Rosalie, hand frozen as she groped around inside the chest, stared at Delta in flustered shock¡ªthen she let out an exasperated sigh. "Please stay focused." Her blue eyes flicked to Zoey. "Stop trying to seduce her. We''re in a hurry." "But she hasn''t fucked me once this shard!" Deltained. "When you guys recruited me, you promised me I''d get her cock at least once per trip. And the mouth doesn''t count." "We did no such thing," Rosalie stammered, attention flicking to Maddy¡ªas if she thought Maddy would actually believe Delta''s ridiculous im. "Come on," Delta pouted, purple eyes only for Zoey. She slipped the zipper up and down. "Easy ess? No takers? Seriously?" Rosalie huffed, stepped forward, and yanked the zipper up, sealing Delta''s pussy away. She pulled the silver item from her crotch and vanished it into her inventory. "There''ll be plenty of time for that when we get to Mantle, if you''re so insatiable," she growled at the foxgirl. "You can wait one day." "Plenty of it?" Delta asked, her demeanor shifting in an instant¡ªas if she''d caught Rosalie in her trap. She smiled wickedly at the blonde. "No take-backs, now." Rosalie''s mouth opened and closed, then she shook her head and faced away. "Irritating woman." Finally, Rosalie managed to pull out the next item without another interruption¡ªprobably only because she''d reimed both Zoey and Delta''s zippers. Maddy still had hers, though, so Delta''s attention turned her way, making the mage blink. Before Delta could cozy up to her and beg for the item, though, they were distracted. From the inky ck space, a strange artifact appeared. A hollow frame of metal shaped like a cube, with only the edges filled out. Shard Stabilizer: Fill with energy to reduce divine influence upon shard formation. Delta''s teasing dried up, simply because of interest. "Huh?" she asked, leaning forward in fascination. "Stabilizer? What does that mean?" 6.23 – Loot VII 6.23 ¨C Loot VII Rosalie furrowed her brow as she looked down at the hollow cube item. Zoey found herself simrly perplexed. "Reduce divine influence? Does that mean it''d make our shards ¡­ normal?" Because there was only a single divine influence changing how these dungeons worked, to Zoey''s knowledge. Ephy''s. Her patron''s. "That seems to be the reasonable assumption," Rosalie said. "But how does one ''fill it with energy''?" "And why would we want to make shards more normal?" Delta asked. "It''s a good thing that they''re this way." Rosalie gave an exasperated look to the foxgirl. "No, seriously," Delta said. "I''m not just saying that. If we ''stabilized the shard'', then we won''t get any of the crazy loot, either. And Zoey''s ss wouldn''t work with it. Right?" "Most of it would," Zoey disagreed. There''s nothing making any of my skills ineffective inside a normal shard." She shrugged. "It''s just that I can help more with add-ons like, uh, the ones in this fight, than a typical boss." As it stood, Zoey was better at fucking than fighting, at least for now. "I guess that''s true," Delta said. "But still. The loot wouldn''t be as good." "We don''t know that for certain. Just that it wouldn''t be as weird," Rosalie said. "And only probably. Besides, I wouldn''t mind some functional loot. Real weapons and armor." "We get those sometimes." "Sometimes." Rosalie frowned. "Then again, at a minimum, Zoey''s runes won''t progress as fast without those types of encounters." "I don''t think it''d be a bad thing to do some regr shards, here and there," Zoey said, taking a stance that surprised Rosalie and Delta. "This one was more normal than most, but I''d still like to try a real shard. One where we could bring in a full set of armor, a weapon, and potions." Since the shard usually stripped them naked. "You know, try toplete it the old-fashioned way." With no body-suits, fuckable add-ons, wall-pussies, molesting vines, or other shenanigans going on. Not that Zoey had any major problems with any of that, necessarily. "Just, I don''t think it''s a bad idea to focus more on actualbat skills, here and there." Especially with the looming threat of ''the end of the world''. Zoey wanted to be as well-rounded of a wayfarer as possible. She didn''t have the greatest idea of what those threats entailed, but seeing how the ss Ephy had granted her had plenty ofbat functionality, Zoey could infer she would need a diverse skill set. "It''s never a bad thing to have options," Maddy chimed in. "We get to pick when we use it." "True," Delta said. "Still. I''m surprised we got something like that." She frowned. "And I figured Zoey''s influence is mostly a good thing, not bad." "We''ll look more into how it works," Rosalie said. "Something this strange, we''ll want thoroughly investigated by an inspector, anyway. It might have hidden effects." "I''d bet my ass it does," Delta said, snorting. "Maybe it can act as a de-stabilizer too," Zoey suggested. "If we wanted things to get even less normal." Delta blinked, then perked up, her ears twitching in excitement. "Now that would be something." "Hm," was all Rosalie had to say on the subject. She tucked the item away into her inventory, then reached into the sarcophagus to draw their next reward out. Emerging from the inky ck portal came ¡­ A pot? A small ck cauldron with two sturdy handles on either side. It was surprisingly mundane-looking. Zoey knew not to trust that impression outright. With interest, she inspected the item. Item Smelter: Melt magical items down into their most fundamental form, producing a potent reagent for permanent stat boosting potions. "Permanent?" Zoey said, her attentiontching to that word instantly. "As in,sts forever?" "That is what permanent means," Delta said, though she studied the small cauldron with a curious look, obviously understanding Zoey''s point¡ªshe was surprised by the immense potential. "I bet there''s a trick to it. Or some downside. Because that''s way too strong for a third-advancement item." "Plenty of Zoey''s ss is ''way too strong''," Rosalie pointed out. "Mostly the sex items. Not something like this. As in, normal." Rosalie grunted in agreement. "Though, if if it is one of her items," Delta said, "maybe only lewd artifacts will have a strong effect, when melted? The ones thate from her ss? Because there''s no way we can go buy a bunch of junk and turn it into infinite stats." Rosalie considered that theory. "It''s a usible interpretation." "And we are collecting a bit too many of those to make use of," Delta said. "All the rings, piercings, body-writing ink, cat ears, buttplugs¡ªit''d be ridiculous to try to use it all, even if the shard didn''t pick and choose what we can bring in." "So we can melt down everything but our best," Zoey said in realization. "And still benefit from them." "It specifically says it turns items into a ''potion reagent'', too," Rosalie said. "Who wants to bet catalyzing a permanent stat potion will be absurdly difficult?" Zoey wouldn''t be surprised if it was. "Good thing we have a genius alchemist on our team." Delta faced her, eyebrows raising in amusement. "Okay, Hotshot. d you''re finding your confidence." Zoey blushed. "I don''t mean me," she protested. "Sabina." "She''s part of the team?" Delta asked. "Well, I mean¡ªyeah. Not the wayfaring team, but she''s on our side." Rosalie frowned at Zoey. She hesitated, her mouth opening, then she seemed to change her mind, teeth clicking shut. "What is it?" Zoey asked. Rosalie bit her lip. "We''re headed to Mantle. And, with my family there ¡­ well, we might have contact with ¡­" Again, she hesitated, picking her words carefully. "More qualified alchemists," she finished bluntly. "In case it turns out to be too much of a challenge for Sabina." Zoey blinked several times, for some reason caught off guard by the obvious im. Of course Rosalie''s family¡ªthe d''Celestins¡ªwould have ess to some of the best alchemists, possibly in the entire world. That went for every kind of profession, no matter howmon or umon. Delta crossed her arms, growing suddenly agitated, her fox tail flicking back and forth. "We''re not telling Sabina to fuck off just because Mommy and Daddy have deep pockets," she said to Rosalie. "Maybe that''s how oldbloods work, but normal people care about things like loyalty. She''s our friend." "That''s not what I was saying," Rosalie said defensively¡ªand warily, as if she''d expected a reaction like Delta''s. "Just, it''ll be an option of ours. And considering our ¡­ situation," Rosalie said, hesitating on the word, "we should use any resource we have." Their situation. The whole end of the world thing, which Rosalie couldn''t say outright, since Maddy hadn''t been caught up on that development. When Rosalie framed it like that, she was obviously correct. Could they afford to be sentimental and not employ the best artificers in every career? Just because Sabina had been the woman they''d first got in contact with at Treyhull? Zoey had enormous respect for the woman; she was clearly phenomenal at what she did. But best in the world? That was a lofty title. Certainly, Sabina wasn''t the highest advancement alchemist. That went without saying. But dropping her for another alchemist made Zoey feel kind of gross. She''d assumed they would keep Sabina¡ªand Fe¡ªas their primary contacts for their respective sses. But was that stupid? Too sentimental, considering the magnitude of their mission? Rosalie had always been more of a pragmatist than her. And for good reason; she was the heiress to what was practically a nation, or even a coalition of nations. She''d been raised to make effective decisions, not ones that ''made her feel good''. Hence why she''d been the one to bring it up. And she''d even predicted their reactions, by her hesitation. "It''s not a terrible point," Zoey said, cing a hand on Delta''s shoulder. The foxgirl had quickly taken to Sabina during their half-trip between Treyhull and Mantle. Though her quick irritation probably stemmed more from a deep-seated dislike of ''oldbloods'' than anything, from how quickly she''d sneered the word out. Rosalie was right; for all that Zoey knew Delta wouldn''t suddenly change her mind on Rosalie as a person upon revealing her heritage, it might cause some issues. "But," Zoey said. "We can trust Sabina. That matters more than anything. And she''s good at what she does, even if she isn''t the best." "Mm," Rosalie said. "We can talk about itter." Zoey had been saying that a lot, recently, when it came to big-picture decisions, but it simply wasn''t the time, not down in a loot chamber of a third-advancement shard. "Do you think we''d get to choose the stat?" Maddy asked, seeming nervous by the brief rising of tensions, her gray eyes flicking between each of them. "And Zoey has special potion skills too, doesn''t she?" Delta paused. It was enough to distract her; the foxgirl startedughing. "We''re gonna be butt-chugging stat boost potions, aren''t we?" she cackled. "I didn''t even think about that." "Perhaps the alchemist decides what exact stat it catalyzes into, as well," Rosalie suggested, also happy to move on. "Or maybe it''s random. We''ll need to find out." The blonde took a step forward and held the small ck cauldron out for Zoey, who took it and deposited it into her inventory. Reaching into the sarcophagus onest time, Rosalie groped around, then nodded. "That was it." "No sex toys?" Delta protested. "Really?" "Thankfully," Rosalie sighed. "We did get the brewing chamber," Zoey said, nudging Delta. "The shard wasn''t a total wash, don''t worry." Delta perked up. "The more who finish in it, the stronger the effect, right? That''s what you said?" She grinned up at Zoey. "We''re gonna have to start next shard off with a bang. Imagine all four of us cramming into that thing." Zoey''s heart skipped a beat. Rosalie and Maddy''s faces rapidly turned scarlet. "Anyway," Rosalie coughed. "The exit is over there. And I assume those four chests hold our stolen inventories. Shall we?" 6.24 – An Unhappy Mentor 6.24 ¨C An Unhappy Mentor Zoey walked through the inky ck portal, feeling the cool, otherworldly material engulf her skin. She closed her eyes as her face hit the surface, taking one long stride to pass through. Her foot met the ground in a totally different dimension. She squinted as she opened her eyes, the dim, hot environment of the magma caverns all at once reced with a bright, cool meadow. After so many hours spent in the swelteringplex, the breeze was nearly blissful. "Oh, man," Delta said, stretching her arms above her head. "That''s nice." She closed her eyes and faced the sun, basking in the glow. "I almost forgot what it was like not being in a sauna." Zoey likewise took a moment to absorb the pleasant new environment. "Guess that means we don''t need the suits anymore," Delta said. "Can I get my zipper back?" "Are you going to control yourself?" Rosalie asked. "Does that sound like me?" Rosalie eyed her. "I will wear it into town, if you force me to," Delta said. "So it''s not like you have much choice." Rosalie huffed, but, knowing it was true, withdrew the zipper from her inventory and tossed it to Delta. The foxgirl snatched the item out of the air, stuck the bit of her metal to her neckline, and pulled down. Rather than teasingly, as before, she simply peeled herself out of her suit, getting changed for the long trip ahead. Zoey and the rest of the team did the same. She tried depositing the bodysuit into her inventory before removing it, but the piece of gear was unique in that aspect: it had to be manually taken off before it could be stored. And probably manually equipped, too. "Oh," Zoey said, looking down at the glossy white material in her hands. "It has a description now." Bodysuit of Malleable Protection: Grants enormous elemental resistance. Must be the only major piece of gear equipped. "It does?" Maddy asked, ncing down at the white bundle oftex in her own hands. "Oh. Yeah, it does." Earlier, the bodysuits had given no information when they''d tried to peer at them in that supernatural way. Uponpleting the shard, they must have converted into regr items and received a description in turn. Enormous elemental resistance, too? That sounded pretty good. "Could be useful, depending on the situation," Rosaliemented. "Not being able to equip other gear is a pretty significant downside, though." "Lets us swim throughva," Delta said. "So fair enough." She hummed. "Besides, half the time we''re not allowed to have regr gear, so it might not even be a problem." Rosalie grunted in agreement. The four of them continued getting changed. Soon, they were dressed in regr traveling gear, with sturdy boots and loose,fortable, durable clothing. Delta frowned at Rosalie. "What?" the blonde asked, catching the look. Delta sighed. "Nothing. Just gonna miss the view." Rosalie red at her, before turning to Zoey, expecting support. But Rosalie had to know what Zoey''s response would be, by now. "It is kind of a tragedy," Zoey agreed. "Especially standing in the backline. It''s a great view." Getting to watch Rosalie dart around in that vacuum-sealed suit had been a treat. Almost better than the naked shards, in some ways. She said another silent thank-you to the item gods that they got to keep the suits. Delta was right; they would definitely be finding a way to y with them some more. Rosalie huffed, but she hadn''t really expected anything else from Zoey. "We''re well within Deepshunters territory," she said, ignoring the lewdments with a roll of her eyes, "so finding a guide back to Mantle shouldn''t be difficult. I assume we''re less than a two-day trip away. Though it depends on how far the shard has thrown us." She looked around at the stretching green ins. "Maybe only a day. Or less. Who knows." "At least we''re not dealing with the snow bullshit, likest time," Delta said. Those traveling conditions had been unpleasant. While the tall meadow grass surrounding them was hardly a t hiking trail, it beat wading through waist-high snow, through a blizzard, in the freezing cold. "We''re on the home stretch," Zoey said. "Hopefully Sabina and everyone made it back fine, by now." Rosalie grimaced at the reminder. "Lucinda''s not going to be happy about our detour," she said. "I''m not looking forward to that." "She''ll understand, once you exin," Zoey said. Rosalie hummed nomittally. Zoey could intuit she didn''t agree. And Rosalie knew the woman better than Zoey. "Let''s keep it moving," Rosalie said. "I promised her we wouldn''t dy." *** They were only two hours into their return trip when it happened. It seemed that their reunion with Lucinda was happening far sooner than in the capital city of Mantle. Zoey wasn''t even sure what drew her attention upward, to the clear blue sky, rather than keeping her gaze on her feet, watching for obstacles as she trudged across the terrain at a quick jog. Some unexinable sixth sense, perhaps, making the hair on the back of her neck raise, alerting her to danger. There, up in the sky, a ck dot was rocketing forward, headed straight toward them. "What is that?" Zoey asked. She barely got the sentence out before the dot streaked down. Before Zoey could evene to a stop, the unknown assant arrived. Lucinda hit the ground like a meteor. The earth trembled, a shockwave of earth and debris flying out from the epicenter of the impact. Zoey stumbled backward, throwing up her arms to shield her face as a cloud of dust and loose grass sted over her. She squinted through the settling dust cloud to make out the figure standing in the center of the fresh crater. Lucinda cut an intimidating figure, d head-to-toe in sleek, elegant ck armor. Full te mail covered every inch of her frame, a set of gear that was nearly ominous-looking, with wicked points and edges making up the obsidian metal. Lucinda gripped an enormous ck spear in her hand¡ªthe only way Zoey recognized the woman, having seen it back at the guild, during their encounter with the cultists¡ªand the length of the deadly weapon cleared eight feet long. The smoldering red eyes of her helmet fixed on them with an intensity that made Zoey''s stomach twist. She found herself paralyzed, rooted to the spot as Lucinda stalked towards them, climbing out of the miniature crater of her own creation. Had she been flying? Or just hurling herself through the air, somehow? An item? Something else? Her boots left gouges in the earth as she strode forward, her armor''s harsh angles catching the sunlight, glinting menacingly. "Lucinda?" Rosalie stammered, the first to find her voice. The figure in ck armor ripped off her helmet, which at least reduced the intimidation factor by revealing her face. If, admittedly, Lucinda''s expression was nearly as unfriendly as the smoldering red eyes of her helmet. "I went out of my way to amodate you, brat," Lucinda growled. "ying escort to a whole entourage, on your request. Despite my direct orders to return as quickly as possible. Then you run off for ''one more shard?''" "How did you find us?" Rosalie asked, bewildered. "And so fast?" The woman didn''t reply, simply continued stalking toward them. "There''s extenuating circumstances," Rosalie said. "I can exin." "I''m sure you can," Lucinda snorted derisively. "But I''ve decided that I''ll be fulfilling my orders. Expeditiously, as requested." Lucinda raised her gauntlet toward Rosalie, who stiffened. "Lucinda, I¡ª" The woman swiped her hand down, and a ck void engulfed Rosalie. She simply ¡­ vanished. Delta found her voice next. "What the fuck did you do to her?" The foxgirl took a threatening step forward. "Where did she¡ª" Another swipe and Delta disappeared next, swallowed by a ragged sh in the air. The meadow was briefly quiet. The tall grass rustled gently in the wind. Lucinda turned her gaze toward Zoey and Maddy. "I really should have done this to begin with," she said dryly. "Much simpler. Since when did the youth be so unruly?" After a brief pause, Maddy tittered nervously. "Spatial storage artifacts are really rare," she said. "Much less ones that work on people. But if anyone had them, I suppose it would be the d''Celestins." Lucinda quirked an eyebrow. "Capturing the daughter of the Moonlight Weaver could cause some ¡­ unpleasantness between factions." She stared hard at Maddy. "I don''t believe Enzo would want that." Maddy, again, tittered. "No, I don''t think any of us do." "So you''ll cooperate?" "I have a feeling I don''t have much choice." Lucinda stared at her. Maddy stared back. "Oh, fine," Maddy sighed. "It''s not worth the trouble." Another gesture and the mage disappeared too, sucked into whatever artifact the high-advancement wayfarer was using against them. And so, it was just Lucinda and Zoey. "Whose idea was it, anyway?" Lucinda asked. "That idiocy? To run off like that, when I was already going out of my way to amodate you?" Zoey hesitated. "Mine," she said. Lucinda''s eyes narrowed. Zoey tried not to squirm under the woman''s hard gaze. "Liar," the older woman snorted. "You''re trying to protect her. How cute." Before she could reply, Lucinda waved her gauntlet onest time, and the world went ck. 6.25 – A Disoriented Fox I 6.25 ¨C A Disoriented Fox I Delta stirred to wakefulness. Plush pillows and cool, soft bedsheets caressed her body. She didn''t think she''d ever been sofortable in her life. It was like she was sleeping in a bundle of clouds pulled from the heavens themselves. It was ¡­ unfamiliar. Her slow, gentle emergence into wakefulness abruptly shifted. Her muscles stiffened, brain jolting into awareness, and she shot up in bed, instantly on edge, purple eyes scanning the space she found herself in. The sight that met her didn''t make sense. She was in ¡­ a pce bedroom. She didn''t know how else to describe it. Opulence dripped from every wall and corner. She blinked in disbelief as she took in her surroundings. The room was massive, easily the size of a small house. Sunlight streamed through towering ss windows, lighting up the space with a warm, golden glow. Her bed sat atop a raised dais, the mattress soft and plush, with silken sheets and a plethora of pillows. The frame was made of some kind of polished wood, carved with delicate floral patterns. A sheer canopy hung overhead, the gossamer fabric swaying in the breeze. To her left, a set of double doors stood open, leading to what appeared to be an opulent bathing chamber. Through the doorway, she could see a sunken marble tub big enough for four people. The floors were tiled in a mosaic pattern. At the foot of her bed, a plush chaise lounge sat before an unlit firece, the mantle carved from the same polished wood as the bed frame. Delta swung her legs over the side of the bed, her feet sinking into the thick, plush rug that covered the floor. She ran her hands over the soft fabric of the bedsheets, marveling at their quality. "What the fuck?" She''d never in her life seen such a luxurious space. And some of the guildhalls she''d stayed at had been pretty fancy. There was a lot of money in wayfaring. But this was on a whole other level. The kind of ce royalty would live. Slowly, her brain started to catch up. Thest thing she remembered, Lucinda had crashed into the ground in front of them like a falling meteor. Heavens. What advancement was that woman? She''d known Rosalie''s mentor was strong, but Delta had assumed fifth, maybe sixth at most. But even those ranks couldn''t sail through the air like they were flying. Could they? She didn''t know much about higher advancements. No one did. Besides from stories, in which the hero''s aplishments could easily be overtold for ir. The upper echelons of society were a mystery to people like Delta. To anyone not deeply embedded in high-rank wayfaring circles. Had it been a skill? That let her move like that? An item? Delta supposed it didn''t matter. Then Lucinda had waved her gauntleted fist at her, and the world had gone dark. Delta was vaguely aware of time having passed since then¡ªlike sleep, but not really. What kind of artifact could do that? Delta was a third advancement wayfarer; an item shouldn''t be able to just disable her without getting to put up a fight. Except for broken ones, like that hourss, she supposed. But to scoop her uppletely against her will? Forget what rank Lucinda was¡ªwhat advancement was that item? Wait. Third advancement? Delta''s skin tingled. No, she wasn''t third advancement, not anymore. Rather, fourth. For the second time that morning, Delta went silent, stunned at the realization. Holy crap. One shard to move through progressions? Rosalie had joked about that happening, but Delta had thought it impossible. Even for Zoey. Seriously. One shard to move up. Blessed by a goddess or not, that was absurd. What kind of skills did Zoey have? Though Delta itched to look inward, to analyze her tab anima and see what skills she had earned, she, unfortunately, had to concern herself with her immediate reality. The pce room. And how she''d arrived here. It didn''t take a genius to put two and two together. Lucinda, annoyed at how they''d snuck away, had scooped up her irritating wards and brought them to Mantle herself, no further dys allowed. And split them up afterward, apparently. She wondered why the woman hadn''t utilized the storage artifact to begin with. Maximum capacity, perhaps, so Sabina, Adrienne, and Aria wouldn''t have fit? Costly to activate? It could be any number of things. Perhaps she hadn''t had the item in the first ce and had made a return trip to Mantle to pick it up. So this was Lucinda''s home. Or Rosalie''s. Or otherwise just some living space they had ess to. And wasn''t that crazy? This was a guest room, apparently. Not even the master bedroom. It was a house in itself. She bet the cost of the furniture and adornments inside surpassed an experienced wayfarer''s sry for their entire lifetime. Opulence dripped from every inch of the space. It was equally gorgeous and disgusting. Delta curled her lip, seeing the obscene, wasteful luxury on disy. Meanwhile, up in Haven, families like her own were failing to put food on the table and keep roofs over their heads. Well. Not like her own family anymore. The payments she''d been sending to the surface had taken care of Mom and Dad. But still. The disdain held. Padding across the plush carpet to one of the towering ss windows, Delta''s eyes went wider and wider at the sight that syed out in front of her. Delta stared out the window. Stretched out before her was the city of Mantle in all its glory. It spilled down the side of an impossiblyrge mountain in a dazzling array of colorful buildings, towers, and winding streets. At the peak sat the pce she was currently in, an opulent manor of white stone and blue-tiled roofs, the crown jewel atop the metropolis. From her vantage point, Delta could make out row after row of structures descending the mountainside, each levelposing its own district. The uppermost half-ring consisted of elegant mansions and tree-lined boulevards, the homes of the wealthy elite. Below that were more densely packed neighborhoods of apartment buildings, shops, and public squares. She could see market districts with winding alleys, aqueducts carrying water between levels, and lush parks tucked into any avable space. The lower she looked, the more ramshackle the architecture became, rickety tenements crammed together,undry lines stretching across narrownes. Even in a ce as wealthy as Mantle, slums existed. Society as a whole had more resources to go around in the Fractures, but poverty would always find a way¡ªthanks no doubt to the rich assholes in this very pce. At the base of the mountain, an enormous shimmering blue ocean reflected the cityscape above it. Oceans were rare in the Fractures. Shards tended to split and morph and stitch together in strange ways in their unfriendly depths. Nheless, there were merchant galleys and fishing boats cutting across its surface towards a bustling port district. The oceans, while near impossible to navigate, held plenty of riches, like the rest of the Fractures¡ªand were some of the fastest ways across the collection of pocket dimensions, to the knowledgeable seafarers who sailed them. The stretching city of Mantle, viewed perfectly from the top of its mountain, was one of the most breathtaking sights Delta had ever seen, and her standards had been raised considerably since venturing down into the Fractures. This was the heart of a Highguild. The ancestral home of the oldest, arguably most powerful collection of wayfarers in existence. "Fuck me," Delta muttered, her long fox tail swishing with agitation as she came to the obvious conclusion. What her presence in this pce, at the very peak of Mantle, meant. The home of the Highguild''s leader. "Rosalie knows the d''Celestins?" 6.26 – A Disoriented Fox II 6.26 ¨C A Disoriented Fox II Rubbing her forehead, Delta walked back to the bed and plopped down, sinking a good half-foot into the overly plush mattress. She couldn''t say she was stunned by the realization. Rosalie was obviously part of wayfaring high society; Delta had intuited that the moment they''d met. Those stupid sharp cheekbones and arrogant blue eyes alone would have given it away, much less the enunciated words and her total disdain for any wayfarer not meeting her ridiculously exacting standards. But apparently she was so cozy with the upper ss that Delta had been dragged into the actual d''Celestin Pce. As a visitor. Or rather, temporary prisoner, presumably. Her attention flicked over toward the enormous closed double-doors leading out into the pce hallways. Delta hadn''t tried to open them yet, but she had a sneaking suspicion she didn''t have free-reign of the estate. Well. Whatever. Prison break couldn''t be that hard. It''d be interesting to see what the security of the d''Celestin pce was like. First, Delta needed¡ªand wanted¡ªto see her new abilities. She''d appraised her direct surroundings and didn''t feel immediately threatened. If admittedly she was dying with curiosity and a bit intimidated by what her future looked like. But she''d progressed in advancement, and, as any wayfarer, was itching to see what skill or skills she''d gotten. Unlike Zoey, that ridiculous woman, Delta had only a single rune to check up on. Closing her eyes, she quested out for that block of information embedded onto her soul. Reading one''s tab anima was a skill that took some, if not much, practice. She couldn''t believe Zoey still didn''t know how. Though that was almost certainly to oblige her girlfriend''s nosy nature. Delta snorted, remembering how eager Rosalie had been to peek in on Zoey''s skills. Zoey probably didn''t even realize how intimate that act was. Or maybe she did. They were gross like that. Rune of Dual Strikes [1]: Dual-wield: Bonus damage when wielding two daggers and scoring alternating strikes. [2]: Twin Fangs: Left hand dagger applies bleed; right hand applies poison. When both effects are applied through [Backstab], amplify each debilitation. [2]: Backstab: Attacking from the nk does bonus damage. [3]: Fade Away: Drop aggression of all current targets and enter stealth. Emerge with an amplified attack. [3:] Quick Step: Travel short distances quickly. If an immediate [Backstab] follows, deal bonus damage. [4]: Shadow: Create a controlled illusion of yourself that can attack at half power. Delta''s eyebrows shot up. A controlled illusion of herself? That attacked at half power? It fit with the ''dual'' nature of her ss. And while she''d only gotten a single skill this advancement, she wasn''t disappointed. The skill seemed incredible. Not just the effective fifty-percent increase in raw power, but the increase in versatility too. Her shadow-version would be able to take far riskier gambits, ones that Delta herself would have shied away from. Though that assumed the death of her clone didn''t cause significant harm to herself, and that she could sacrifice it in such a way. Like any skill, experimentation would be needed to discover its quirks. The downside, of course, was that the illusion was controlled. Which was also an upside. But the mental overhead necessary to control a second version of herself midbat was going to take enormous amounts of practice, if she had to guess. It might be impossible to use it to its full potential. Her brain would be the limiter. But she was pleased by that. Skills with high requirements for mastery were generally stronger than easier-to-use ones, at least if the user was sufficiently skilled. She expected future abilities would build on her shadow clone. It seemed like a foundational skill, simr to how Backstab synergized with many other of her ss abilities. Her mind started running wild with the possibilities. One such future skill could be the ability to swap ces with her clone. That was something she would fall in love with. Quick Step hade in handy plenty of times, but Delta wished she had better mobility. Repositioning was crucial to an assassin. How else would she find and exploit vulnerabilities? She already had tons of damage potential, but not as many ways to sneak in and utilize it. At least in her opinion. Briefly, Delta took a second to mourn that she hadn''t received any sex skills. Zoey''s presence¡ªa sponsored disciple of a goddess¡ªaltering her own ss had seemed within the realm of possibility. A part of her had even hoped that her ss would mutate into something closer to Zoey''s. How amazing would that have been? At the same time, Delta appreciated having a normal ss. She only had one rune to go around; if she started developing sex skills, herbat prowess would suffer. And she guessed Zoey had plenty to go around by herself. Plus all the items they got from shards. No need for further redundancy. Delta nced at the tall doors leading out into the pce. Before she made a break for it, she ought to practice with her shadow, in case she needed it. Furrowing her brow, she mentally fumbled around, trying to grasp onto that strange ''activator'' that triggered ss abilities. Of course, she found it easily: the actual using of skills wasn''t the hard part. Rather, utilizing them effectively. Seated on the bed, Delta watched a fuzzy ck image appear in front of her. It solidified over the course of a second and a half. She took note of that. Rtively short summon time, but not instant. Definitely one of the ''quirks'' that Delta had mentioned she would need to learn to have a strong grasp over controlling the skill. The shadow stood before Delta, a perfect copy of her. Her athletic build, the same soft curves. Tight-fitting leather armor hugged her body in the same way. Delta wondered whether admiring her busty figure was egotistical, but she hadn''t ever been able to help herself from checking out a curvy girl¡ªeven when that girl was a copy of herself, she guessed. Two ethereal ck daggers were sheathed at her waist, which Delta took note of, since she didn''t have her own weapons drawn from her inventory. The shadow''s long ck hair syed out behind her in the same manner as her own. Her tail swished from side to side, idly. Her expression was nk, though her eyes met Delta''s own, and when she tilted from side to side on the bed, its gaze followed. A little shiver went down Delta''s spine. A shadow clone of herself. Staring at her impassively. It was a little creepy. Now the hard part. Controlling her. She couldn''t exin exactly how she did it. With the summoning of the clone, a second set of instincts had imnted into Delta''s brain. Mentally reaching out, she seized control of the clone''s arm and told it to rise. In front of her, the shadow outstretched her arm, palm facing up, held horizontally. Delta gave her fingers a few wiggles. "Weird." Reaching out¡ªphysically this time¡ªDelta grabbed her own hand. She was both shocked and not shocked to find that the shadow had physical substance. She gave a squeeze, feeling soft skin press against her own. Fully tangible. The shadow didn''t react to her experiments. She moved into moreplicated motions. Drawing her dagger. shing the air. Prowling forward, low to the ground, making as little noise as possible. Then she tried joining the shadow''s movements with her own, moving both their bodies at the same time. That was many times more difficult. The mentalmands took fairly significant amounts of concentration, so she would need lots of practice before she could control it in a real scenario while acting in her own body as well. Maybe at some point it would be subconscious. But in time, she was confident she would achieve a level of control that would make the shadow a lethal asset inbat. Attacks from unexpected angles, nking maneuvers, distraction, and misdirection¡ªthe tactical options were endless. Nodding in satisfaction, Delta ceased her brief experiments. The shadow was an incredible addition to her skill set. She couldn''t have asked for a better upgrade. Then, perhaps inevitably, Delta''s thoughts wandered somewhere else. A clone of herself. A physical one. Which she could control. Oh, shit. Forget thebat possibilities. Delta had a million other ideas. 6.27 – A Disoriented Fox III 6.27 ¨C A Disoriented Fox III Delta''s heart started to beat faster. She didn''t know why it had taken her so long toe up with the idea. To realize what she could do with a self-controlled, tangible shadow of herself. Probably because she had more important things worry about. Trapped in a foreign room inside the d''Celestin pce, separated from her teammates, and in a current limbo of a situation, with no idea how things were going to progress, how to use her newest ability in a lewd way should be thest thing on her mind. But at the same time, Delta was pent up from the day prior. Rosalie had been such a taskmaster thest shard that Delta had only gotten off once. And that''d been with the wall-pussy. Since even during the recharging sessions, Maddy had been the primary focus. While Delta had been plenty involved, she hadn''t actually gotten much ''taking care of'' herself. She''d been perfectly fine with that: it''d been partly her choice. Teasing herself and dying gratification was plenty of fun. But, like she''d said, it had left her pent up. That fire reared its head again, abruptly, the rush of arousal nearly making her dizzy. She raked her eyes up and down her clone''s body in a whole new way. She had admired her curves once already, but this time, she admired them far, far less chastely. She took in her clone''s body. Her clone''s busty, fuckable body. Again, briefly, she wondered whether lusting over herself was some form of egoism. She shrugged and didn''t think about it too hard. Though ¡­ she really did have more important things to be focusing on. Despite her excitement by the wonderful idea that had popped into her head, she was in an unknown scenario, separated from her teammates. Experimenting with her shadow should wait forter. But impulse control had always been at the bottom of her list of virtues. Maybe she would be fast about it? Tackling problems with a clear head was for the best, anyway, right? Look at that: she could even justify her inability to control herself. Her breath started toe faster. Delta''s eyes flicked up and down her clone. The shadow stared back at her impassively. No emotion. Gently, Delta stood and ced her hands on the woman''s hips. On her own hips. She crept upward slowly, sliding across her curves, before cupping two handfuls of the foxgirl''s breasts. Overtop firm leather armor, there wasn''t much give, but she gave a squeeze nheless. The shadow shivered in response. Delta grinned at that. The shadow''s eyes had tracked her movements, earlier¡ªit was autonomous to some degree. It reacted to stimuli. Stimuli like having her tits yed with. Probably, she would react in all sorts of manners. Delta could control it manually, but also had some life of its own. Which, of course, made her current idea even better. "Let''s get this off you, yeah?" Delta murmured. "See how realistic you are underneath your clothes." Delta stepped back and plopped down onto the bed. If she were going to allow herself to get distracted, then she might as well practice controlling the ability, right? As she''d already noted, she might need it during her escape. Seizing control of the woman''s limbs, she went through the motions of stripping her armor off. It required a surprising amount of dexterity when performing the actions through a remote body. But slowly, loops, buckles, and straps came undone, one by one, until Delta had stripped her clone down to her inclothes. Grabbing the hem of her shirt¡ªwith her shadow''s hands, the real Delta simply leaning back and enjoying the show¡ªshe edged the fabric up. A tight, muscled stomach was revealed inch by inch. Delta leaned forward and ced her real hand against it, feeling the soft skin of her own abs there. The shadow flesh felt identical to the real thing, which boded well for other aspects of the clone''s body. She shivered in excitement. She peeled the shadow''s shirt off the rest of the way, impatiently using her actual hands, then unhooked the girl''s bra and tossed that aside, too. Delta drank in the sight of her clone''s naked breasts, full and round with perky nipples. She palmed them, giving a squeeze, watching the shadow''s chest rise and fall as her breathing grew faster with arousal. "Fuck, I''m hot," Delta halfughed, half-breathed, leaning in to im one stiff peak with her lips, not caring how narcissistic the words sounded. Besides, it was a thought she''d had once before, back when she''d been piloting Zoey''s body¡ªand thoroughly fucking herself. This wasn''t the first time something like this had happened. In response to Delta''s touch, the shadow shuddered in pleasure. Delta pushed outward with her mind, controlling the woman''s motions, having her run fingers through Delta''s own hair in encouragement. She swirled her tongue around the rigid bud as she continued groping with her other hand. It was surreal, being on both the giving and receiving end. She could feel the ghostly sensations of her touch against the shadow''s skin run through her own body as shevished attention onto her. She released the clone''s nipple to duck lower and trail open-mouthed kisses down her t belly. Hooking her fingers around shadowy underwear, she tugged, revealing a smooth mound. Unsurprisingly, her pussy was a perfect mirror image too. She rubbed two fingers between the clone''s legs. Delta sucked in a small gasp of air as the touch electrified her own aching core. As with the rest of the clone''s body, she could feel through her. Maybe Zoey''s ss was influencing her own. Would the shadow have worked like this had she never met the girl? Maybe, maybe not. She wasn''t sure. And didn''t care, at the current moment. She couldn''t help herself any longer. She ordered the shadow to climb onto the bed andy down, spreading her legs for easier ess. Shuffling up and grabbing either of her own thighs for leverage, she brought her face close to that shadowy duplicate of her own pussy, her lips hovering a few inches away. Her own pussy. She was really going to eat herself out? Yes. Yes she was. She buried her face between the shadow clone''s legs, swirling her tongue in firm circles around the girl''s entrance before spearing inside, groaning as she both tasted her essence and felt a shadowy tongue plunge into her own core. Concentrating, Delta managed to coax the duplicate into pressing her thighs inward, trapping Delta''s head in a lewd embrace¡ªfor better immersion. She could feel the ghost of that pressure on her own thighs as she eagerly pleasured her mirror image. This isn''t weird at all, she thought, feeling slightly tipsy by the experience, dragging her tongue up to toy with the shadow''s clit. Really, it''s just masturbating with extra steps. The mixing of sensations, simultaneously giving and receiving, existing in two bodies at once, flooded Delta''s mind with dizzying gratification. Heat blossomed out from between her legs as she worked faster. She ground her hips against her free hand, aching for release, as her tongue danced over her shadow''s slick folds. She wondered what it looked like from the outside. To an observer. Delta writhing in the throes of ecstasy, head buried between the legs of her exact shadowy copy while greedily licking and sucking at her sex. Their bodies grinding against each other in a hypnotic rhythm. Really solidifying the usations of narcissism, Delta groaned in excitement, the image sending a shudder through her. She emerged for air with a gasp. She quickly rolled onto her back and scooted up the bed. The clone, upon hermand, reced her, situating herself between Delta''s thighs. She was so impatient that she struggled to givemands properly¡ªand instead just grabbed her own face and shoved it down against her aching pussy, pushing her hips up and squirming to get some friction against her shadow''s soft mouth. Dizzily, Delta closed her eyes and focused on taking control of her clone, needing that tongue inside her this very instant. She gasped as her duplicate obliged, swirling her tongue around her clit. This time, not a shadow of a sensation, but the real thing¡ªshadow flesh against her own core. The shadow''s silky ck hair tickled her inner thighs. It was all so realistic. Exactly like the real thing. "Ah, fuck," she groaned, curling her hips upward. Controlling the shadow''s movements was almost impossible, her mind too clouded with building ecstasy. If nothing else, she supposed this was great practice for maintaining control of the shadow even in a heated situation. Fucking and fighting did have a lot of simrities. Unable to keep her full concentration, though, she just gripped the back of the copy''s head, guiding it where she needed. The sensations quickly consumed her. Feeling the softness of her own sensitive flesh through the clone''s lips and tongue, the heady scent and taste of her own arousal, the blissful pleasure radiating from between her legs where the tongueshing continued. It blurred into a euphoric feedback loop, making her toes curl. Her breaths came in stato pants, hips grinding in tandem with the shadow''s licking, swirling, and thrusting. Sweat covered her body. As pent up as she''d been, she grew closer by the second, approaching climax in record speed, every muscle in her body drawing taut. The clonepped and sucked at her, clumsily controlled but, in Delta''s state, more than enough. "I''m¡­ I''m almost¡­" It hit even faster than she thought it would. She gasped as the impending wave of rapture crashed over her. Back arching off the bed, she cried out, inner walls clenching around her clone''s tongue. Her thighs squeezed the woman''s skull hard, Delta pressing down to bury her an inch deeper, to feel her tongue exploring that much further inside her sensitive pussy. The orgasm seemed tost forever, aftershocks jolting through her frame. Finally, Delta copsed into the rumpled sheets, chest heaving. She pushed the shadow''s face away, too sensitive for any more stimtion. It looked up at her with dark, impassive eyes, Delta''s juices gleaming on its chin. Weird. Yet hot. Such amonbination, these days. With a satisfied sigh, she let herself melt into the luxurious mattress. "Damn," she breathed. "That''s seriously unreal." She had a feeling Zoey and Rosalie were going to like this skill, too. 6.28 – A Disoriented Fox IV 6.28 ¨C A Disoriented Fox IV Slowlying out of her post-orgasmic daze, Delta rubbed her forehead. Her thoughts clearing, she guiltily looked down at her naked lower half, her clone watching impassively from between her legs. Delta blushed in embarrassment. It took a lot to make that happen. She coughed. Okay. Time to get serious. She rolled off the bed and dispelled the shadow with a flick of her mind. It faded away into curling ck wisps. That had just been ¡­ a brief mental reset before tackling therger crisis. She did feel more clear-headed. So there. Just being a practical girl. She scooped her discarded armor from the ground and re-equipped it. Soon enough, she was geared up and ready once again. Her flushed skin cooled, breathing settling into an even rhythm. Purple eyes flicked to the towering double doors leading out of the ptial bedroom. Delta had been operating under the assumption that she was, to some extent, trapped inside this opulent bedroom. She supposed that might not be true. She hadn''t even tried to leave through the front door yet. Seeing how Lucinda had scooped them up in a magical artifact and dropped them into separate rooms, Delta didn''t think escape would be as easy as strolling out whenever she pleased¡ªthat instead, she''d been left here to be picked upter. A prisoner. But it was worth a shot. If nothing else but to see what security was like. Approaching the giant, ornate double doors, Delta appraised the thick bs of wood. Primarily because she was wondering how good they were at keeping out noise. Considering their heft, and the construction of the room in general, she assumed pretty good. Which was relevant because while Delta hadn''t made that much noise during her ¡­ indiscreet activities ¡­ she hadn''t been dead silent, either. Gripping the handle, she tugged. The door didn''t budge. She pulled a little harder to make sure. The door groaned under the force, and Delta was reminded that she had once again gone up a level in advancement. Though she was a dexterity-based ss, she was still a physical fighter: each progression came with a decent boost in strength. She rattled the door, marveling at how it whined and creaked under the firm tugs she gave the handle. Then, abruptly, some mechanism clicked, and the door unlocked¡ªswinging open on Delta''s next pull. It was unexpected enough she nearly smacked herself in the face. There, on the other side of the doorway, stood a guard. It was a man in his early thirties with a serious, blunt face. He was dressed in full silver te armor,cking a helmet. A long halberd rested at his side, gripped in a gauntleted hand. His brown eyes met Delta''s, and Delta was briefly flustered, realizing there''d been someone standing outside her door while she''d been thoroughly tongue-fucking herself. Except she didn''t catch any hint of embarrassment in his expression, so the doors had indeed been thick enough to hide her moans. She had gotten away with it. Probably. Still, his presence confirmed that she was a prisoner¡ªeven if a temporary, unthreatened one ced into a gilded cell. "Honored guest," the guard said. "You''ll be sent for shortly, but until then, you must remain in your room." "Sent for?" Delta asked. "By who?" The guard shifted ufortably. "I''ve been instructed not to engage with you. Please, return to your chambers." "What? You''re not allowed to talk to me? Why?" She peeked up and down the revealed hallway. "Where''s Rosalie and Zoey?" "I''ve been instructed not to engage with you," he repeated¡ªso apparently he was taking that instruction seriously. "Your summons should be within the hour." "Summons? Nobody summons me," Delta said, finding herself inordinately annoyed by that phrasing. The guard stared nkly at her. Delta made a n. Sure, scouring her bedroom and finding a way out from there¡ªthe windows being the obvious vector, though she assumed they were guarded in their own right¡ªcould yield fruit, but seeing how the door to her room was open and she had a clear path to make a break for it, why not utilize the easiest method? Because she was fourth advancement now. It wasn''t like some guard could stop her from doing what she wanted. Not that she''d fight him¡ªshe wasn''t trying to create that much trouble with the master of the estate, by attacking someone. Especially seeing how this was the d''Celestin pce. But harmlessly giving him the slip? That was a level of disrespect she was willing to risk. Delta flicked her eyes over the man''s shoulder. An expression of pure horror crossed her face. "What the hell is that?" she stammered, taking a frantic step back and unsheathing her daggers as if to defend herself. The guard stiffened, then spun around, lowering his halberd as he braced himself for whatever had startled Delta. There was, of course, nothing there. Delta made a break for it. She slipped past the guard and ran. The hallway blurred as she sprinted as fast as she could, legs and arms pumping. It was the first test of her new strength and speed, the boosts that hade with her advancement. It was even more impressive than she''d expected. Maybe because Zoey, Rosalie, or Maddy had also moved up in advancement, and they shared a portion of their stats amongst each other? Either way, she found herselfughing as her hair fluttered in a self-created wind as she blurred down the hallway. She was fast now. It was crazy to think this was only fourth advancement. What would the higher ones be like? And they weren''t all that far away, seeing how quickly Zoey''s ss was allowing them to progress. Not even making it all the way down the ornate passageway, though, something heavy mmed into Delta from behind. Hitting the floor, Delta wiggled and thrashed against whatever had secured her in a bear-hug tackle, but she failed to free herself. When her thrashing stilled, she was lying on her back, pinned down by an extremely ufortable-looking guardsman. He seemed to be making great efforts to be gentle with her¡ªpinning her as politely as he could. "Honored guest," the flustered man insisted, seeming like he would rather be doing anything else but manhandling his unruly prisoner. "I must insist that you return to your room." "What the hell?" Delta said, so shocked by the turn of events she couldn''t even be outraged. "Why is someone like you watching guard over me?" He''d caught up with her when she had a lead¡ªand she was fourth advancement. A dexterity ss. What did that make him? Fifth? Higher? Who in the world used fifth advancement wayfarers as temporary guards? Well. The d''Celestins. But still. "And this is how you treat ''honored guests''?" Delta demanded, flicking her eyes down their bodies, where the man was firmly all but lying atop her. Not that there was a polite way to tackle an escaped prisoner. "Not normally," the guardsman said. "But most don''t try to run." After a second, he added, "Ma''am." Delta red at him, but a part of her thought: Fair enough. The guard helped her up, though kept a firm grip around her wrist. She tried to shake him off, but it didn''t work. He was strong. And fast, too. Surely he wasn''t sixth advancement? Damn. Maybe just sprinting down the hallway hadn''t been the best of ns. Because now going out through the window or some other way would be even less sessful; they''d be waiting for her. Expecting another escape. "Let me go," Delta growled, shaking her arm again. "You can obviously catch up." He did so. Delta rubbed her wrist. She briefly considered running again. This time, with some evasive maneuvering, rather than relying on pure speed. It could work. He looked more like a strength ss than a dexterity one; she would just have to be smarter about things. "Please don''t," the man said warily, Delta''s thoughts apparently easy to read. Delta eyed him, then huffed and allowed herself to be escorted back into her room. She pestered him with more questions but received only the same sentence as before: "I''ve been instructed not to engage with you, honored guest." She couldn''t even get his name, much less where Rosalie and Zoey were, and why she was in the d''Celestin pce. And thus, the giant ornate double doors closed in her face, locking her back in her room. Delta''s tail swished once in obvious agitation. Hmph. There was no harm in trying the windows, she supposed. 6.29 – A Disoriented Fox V 6.29 ¨C A Disoriented Fox V Delta guessed she shouldn''t be surprised. It turned out that the room in the d''Celestin pce meant to hold unruly guests was well defended. There wasn''t a single way out she could find. Even the windows were reinforced to the point that she, a fourth advancement wayfarer, couldn''t break through them. And the only real escape¡ªthe front door¡ªwas watched over by an absurdly strong guard. So. Delta had to sit there, annoyed, until she was sent for. She didn''t have to wait long. Not more than twenty minutes after the incident with the guard, a polite knock came at the door. Delta briefly considered being petnt and not responding but decided that would be too childish. She didn''t want to seem like aplicit, happy prisoner, but there was an extent to how annoying she would be. Especially in the d''Celestin pce. Delta couldn''t help herself from stepping on toes and testing limits, but she had some level of self-moderation. Just less than most people''s. Swinging the door open, the same guard from before greeted her. "Honored guest. Pleasee with me." "To where?" "I''ve been instructed not to engage with you." "Seriously? Why the hell do you need to be so secretive about everything?" "I''m simply following orders." "Does Rosalie''s daddy want to talk with me?" All at once, the man seemed immensely ufortable. Delta assumed she''d gotten it right. Because that was the reasonable assumption. Lucinda had dragged the four of them back to Mantle upon Rosalie''s father''s instruction. Considering the brief imprisonment and how they''d been separated, Delta figured he wanted to speak to them. Perhaps he didn''t approve of Rosalie''s choice of teammates, or if nothing else, simply wanted to meet them. And who was her father, anyway? Delta already knew that he was a high-ranking officer of the Deepshunters guild¡ªor had assumed it¡ªbut he might be even further up thedder than she thought. Maybe to the point she would recognize his name. Though she didn''t know much about the top-ranking Deepshunters, besides the ones everyone knew. "Please follow me, ma''am," the guard just repeated. Delta eyed him with annoyance. She obviously wasn''t going to get anything out of him. Eventually, she sighed and did as she was told. Winding through the hallways of the opulent pce, Delta had yet another opportunity to half admire, half be disgusted by the wealth on disy. The ancestral home of one of the world''s most prominent wayfaring families. It was really something. Seriously, why was she here? In the d''Celestin pce? Surely Rosalie''s family had their own estate. Perhaps not one in Mantle, and so instead, they were temporary guests of the d''Celestins? Or any of a hundred other reasons? Still, Delta found herself disquieted. The d''Celestins. She''d known she''d be mingling with high society thanks to having grouped with Rosalie, but this was something else. The guard led her through the halls to an enormous set of double doors, even more massive and ornate than everything prior. He took a deep breath and straightened himself out, as if bracing himself, before opening the doors. He ushered Delta in along with him. She walked in. Into ¡­ The throne room. Zoey was already there, having presumably just arrived herself¡ªthe two of them being sent for at the same time. She met Delta''s eyes, and instantly, a distressed expression crossed her face, which set Delta even further on edge. But her attention was only briefly on Zoey. Because there, on the tall white and blue throne, sat a man. He was in histe forties, wearing a short, neatly trimmed beard with speckles of gray. Pale ice-blue eyes watched Delta with a cool, regal impassivity. A crown sat atop his head: white and silver, in except for an engraving of a splintered circle. He lounged in a way that suggested long familiarity with the seat, and despite how rxed he seemed, he felt no less regal for hisck of posture. His cheek rested on one hand, idly, as he watched Delta walk in, escorted by her guard. A man sitting on the d''Celestin throne. Wearing one of the most legendary items known across the world: the Crown of Shattered Starlight. Holy shit. Delta guessed she''d been wrong. Rosalie''s dad hadn''t sent for her. The godsdamned Guildmaster of the Deepshunters, ruler of Mantle and nearly half the Fractures, had. Enzo d''Celestin himself wanted to speak to them. What the fuck? Why? Delta''s confidence went out the window. She''d been braced for a lot,ing to Mantle, but sure as hell not this. Bizarrely, it was even more overwhelming than meeting Ephy, an actual goddess. Because she knew this man. Knew the stories at least. She was meeting the most famous figure in the world. A living legend. Enzo d''Celestin could blow a hole through this entire pce with a single thrust of his spear. How did shee to terms with meeting that kind of person? A single thrust ¡­ of his ¡­ spear. Why were those blue eyes so familiar? Suddenly, Delta felt nauseous for a reason she couldn''t ce. Arriving at the foot of the throne to join Zoey, the guard escorting Delta bowed deeply at his waist. A dismissive flick of Enzo''s wrist had the man scurrying away. Delta now understood the guard''s difort. Who wouldn''t be nervous when dealing with orders from Enzo d''Celestin? An idiot. That was who. And seriously. Why was Zoey looking so distraught? It was putting Delta even further on edge. "She was going to tell you," Zoey murmured to her, reaching out to squeeze her arm. "But then Lucinda happened. Sorry." Tell her? Who? Rosalie? Rosalie was going to tell her what? The tall doors closed as the guard exited, leaving the three of them alone. "Good," Enzo said. "You''re both here. My daughter''s ¡­ teammates." His voice was everything Delta would have expected. Aloof. Enunciated. Somehow arrogant despite anything that should make it so. And slightly amused by what he had said¡ªespecially thest word, which hade slowly, as if he''d picked it with care. Teammates. As if the concept was ludicrous. His daughter''s teammates? Delta couldn''t give a shit about high society wayfaring. But she obviously knew some stuff about the d''Celestin family. Couldn''t avoid it, not with them being one of the eminent forces in the Fractures. What the hell did Enzo''s daughters have to do with them? What were their names? Charlotte? Elodie? And, obviously, the funny one. Rosalie, who her Rosalie was probably named after, since any royal''s name would explode in poprity in the years following their birth. Wait. Delta looked at Zoey, whose expression remained distressed. She squeezed Delta''s arm again. "She only told me yesterday," Zoey said. Delta looked back at the Guildmaster of the Deepshunters. His cool blue eyes¡ªso familiar, cold and icy in a way she just couldn''t put a finger on¡ªwatched the interaction with slight bemusement. He obviously wasn''t someone used to being ignored, even briefly. Idly, a part of Delta wondered whether she should have bowed to this man when she''d entered. This man. This man with blue eyes who wielded a spear, who''d just called her and Zoey ''teammates of his daughter''. His daughter. Who was named Rosalie. It finally clicked. "Your daughter?" Delta asked numbly. She was vaguely aware of her tail swishing wildly behind her. She''d always been annoyed by how easily it could give away her thoughts. Enzo tilted his head. He straightened on his throne, amusement growing, seemingly suddenly more interested in their meeting. "She didn''t tell you? Ah. She has some sense left, then. I understand she found you three in Striders territory. You never know who holds their allegiances with ¡­ hm, grave consideration." "Fuck off," Delta found herself saying. It didn''t really feel like herself speaking. "You''re fucking with me." She looked at Zoey. "Is this a joke?" Zoey''s distraught expression at least made sense now. She shook her head, then squeezed her hand again. "She was going to tell you on the trip over." Delta''s nausea doubled. She''d never understood how some people could faint when hearing shocking news, but the ground felt abruptly unstable beneath her feet. It just wasn''t possible. Rosalie? The girl she knew? Was the heiress to half the goddamn Fractures? The daughter of the most powerful man in the world? And ¡­ Somehow worse than all that ¡­ She hadn''t even bothered to tell her? 6.30 – A Disoriented Fox VI 6.30 ¨C A Disoriented Fox VI Delta''s head spun. She looked between Zoey and the Guildmaster, unable to find her voice. Eventually, she settled on something simple. "Oh." She didn''t have anything else to add. Enzo, at least, was quick to fill the silence. "It was a surprise to me as well. It was certainly ¡­ uncharacteristic of my daughter to have formed a party of her own. She knows I had ns for her. Either she believes you three are more deserving of herpany than who I would choose, somehow better equipped to protect her, or, alternatively, she was stricken by a sudden bout of sentimentality. And decided to make her temporary allies her permanent ones. I haven''t decided which I believe is more usible, yet." He tilted his head. "Though your reaction is providing ¡­ insight. You consider her a friend more than an ally, don''t you?" He tsked. "Dangerous, in a career like this." Neither Delta nor Zoey replied to him. Enzo didn''t seem bothered. He continued, undeterred. "Now," he said, shifting his weight on his throne. "I realize the first weeks upon entering the Fractures is a formative period of a person''s life. For Rosalie, that would be no exception. Earning her ss. Testing her mettle in a way she''s trained for her entire life. And, of course, her first taste of autonomy. Away from my supervision. I am not so ignorant to think these things would not change her in some way. She''s young. Recently an adult of her own." His lips curled up in amusement. "But, unless I greatly misunderstand my own daughter, sentimentality wouldn''t have guided her entirely. She does, to some extent, believe you three worthy of being her teammates." He appraised them with a calm gaze. "I hope you realize how much political trouble that causes me. I had arranged what would have been the wayfaring party of a generation. The best and brightest youths from across the world. From respectable families. Solidifying troublesome political ties. And my daughter knows this. Yet, still, she chose you three, despite that it would force me to break my promises." This time, Enzo didn''t fill the silence. He waited patiently for a reply. Zoey was the one to speak up. "I don''t mean any disrespect," she said. "But isn''t this something you should discuss with her?" "I intend to. But I wished to meet with you two first. And the Moonlight Weaver''s daughter as well, of course." His eyes fell on Delta. "There''s so much to learn from first impressions. Especially when there hasn''t been proper time to prepare." Delta''s tail swished agitatedly behind her, but her head was still spinning. She only half heard Enzo''s words. She stood there, numb, and just listened. Getting no response from Delta, his gaze turned back to Zoey. "I suspect my daughter would have vastly preferred to have formed a n of attack for this meeting." He seemed amused by the concept. "And to have taken the lead on your part. To speak for you. But I won''t allow that to happen." He chuckled. "What father wouldn''t wish to learn more about his daughter''s teammates in an honest environment?" "Where is she, anyway?" Zoey asked. "Rosalie? In stasis. I''ll be speaking with herst." "And Maddy?" "The daughter of the Moonlight Weaver is, of sorts, a dignitary of the Sovereign. That means she deserves a cordial wee." "And we don''t?" Delta snapped, breaking her silence. Both Zoey and Enzo paused, then looked at her. "No," Enzo said. "As I understand it, you two are nobody. No ties, no connections, much less ones of relevance. So I need make no particr concessions." Delta''s annoyance was stifled by the sheer audacity of the words. Though, she supposed if anyone in the world was allowed audacity, it would be this man. "I don''t mean that in a disparaging way," Enzo continued wryly. "Rather, it is fact. All great families, or wayfarers, were at some point ''nobody''. It means nothing for a person''s future value. Nheless, it is relevant. You are not the Moonlight Weaver''s daughter. You don''t receive special considerations. I need not hold polite audience with you." His lips quirked up, again, as he met Delta''s eyes. "Which I take it you prefer. Lucinda told me you, especially, would not show proper respect. So a less formal meeting benefits both of us." Delta considered the words. "You know," she said. "You''re even more an asshole than I thought you would be." Enzo''s eyebrows shot up. Heughed. "I''ll forgive it, this once," he said. "You''re upset by my daughter''s decision to withhold her heritage. You consider it a betrayal of a friend. That''s easy to read. Embarrassingly so, if I''m honest." He rubbed his chin. "Nheless, it''s been some time since I''ve interacted with someone so incapable of holding her tongue. You realize what you just said, and to whom?" Calm blue eyes appraised Delta. "Have I recently earned a reputation for patience, amongmoners? I wonder how that happened." A chill went down Delta''s spine. Zoey reached out and gently squeezed her arm. Not so much encouragement, this time, as warning. Even Zoey seemed on edge. Delta stifled a disrespectful follow-up. However flustered she was, she was talking to Enzo d''Celestin. She couldn''t spit out her insults as she would in any other situation. She had some modicum of self-preservation. Sort of. She bit her tongue hard enough it hurt. Zoey, maybe recognizing Delta''s state of mind, hastily spoke to fill the silence herself. "I don''t think Rosalie would want you taunting her teammates. You said yourself that choosing us meant something, right?" He made a noise of amusement. "Want? Why would I care what Rosalie wants?" Zoey looked like she''d been pped. "I care what''s good for her," Enzo said. "And what''s good for our Guild. This meeting," he waved between the two of them, "against her will, is good for her, I believe." "How can you say that?" Zoey asked. "Of course it matters what Rosalie wants. You''re her father, aren''t you?" Delta had tried to piss this man off, but had failed. Zoey managed it handily, entirely without intention. Enzo''s eyes chilled by several degrees, losing his demeanor of idle amusement. He leaned up on his throne, no longer lounging. Being called an asshole, apparently, wasn''t a tenth as irritating to him as what Zoey had just said. "Yes," he said coldly. "I am her father. And she is my heir as much as my daughter. What she wants is secondary to what she needs. What our Guild needs. What her people do. You don''t understand what it means to rule, so don''t speak on subjects you''re ignorant of." Zoey was smart enough not to reply. Delta wasn''t. "No wonder she always sounds scared when she talks about you," she said. Enzo stiffened. Delta took satisfaction that she''d scored a blow. Then immediately afterward, she went cold in realization of what she''d just said, and to whom. Really. If there was ever a time in her life she needed to collect herself, it was now. This man was dangerous. Like the ocean was wet. Enzo took a breath, calming himself. "As I said, ignorant," he said dismissively. "You wouldn''t understand. I love my daughter. As I love my Guild. But frivolous things like wants are irrelevant to those in our position. s, I didn''t summon you here to bicker like children." He leaned back in his throne, visibly rxing. "So tell me. Why did my daughter choose you as her teammates?" Delta clenched her jaw shut, forcing herself to remain quiet. Zoey needed to lead this conversation. Delta was enormously lucky Enzo had decided to hold audience with both of them rather than one at a time. If it had been her alone with him, things would not have ended well. As it stood, she didn''t trust herself to say anything to this man without digging her own grave. The Guildmaster of the Deepshunters wasn''t known for his mercy or kindness. Whether they were his daughter''s allies or not, she needed to be careful around him. "That''s aplicated topic," Zoey said slowly. "And ¡­ it''s something we''d rather discuss as a team." "Obviously. As I''ve acknowledged, and hence this meeting without my daughter''s presence. Continue." Zoey grimaced, sharing a look with Delta. But, standing there, fuming, her head a mess for a number of reasons, she unfortunately wasn''t in a good condition to help Zoey navigate this. "I''m ¡­ sorry," Zoey said. "If this is really about you understanding her teammates, then you can ask us questions. About us. But I know Rosalie wants to exin her choices to you. And the bigger picture. I won''t do it for her. I don''t mean any disrespect by that." "You''re not in a position to deny a request from me," Enzo said. "You realize this?" "Yes. But, again, respectfully, I care more about what Rosalie wants than what you do. She wants to exin herself to you. She''s been stressed about it for days. She respects what you think. So I won''t speak on her behalf." Enzo tapped the armrest to his throne, annoyed, looking down on Zoey. Eventually, he sighed. "The loyalty ismendable. I could continue making threats, but I can read it on your face¡ªyou know they hold no weight." He grew increasingly irritated. "Because I won''t harm Rosalie''s guests, no matter how disrespectful they are. At least, not until I speak to her myself." His eyes flicked to Delta, holding them for a second, then back to Zoey. "Fine. I''ll receive her reasoning from her. Nheless, I wish to understand you through my own lens. You can, at least, present yourself to me, no? So answer me. Who are you, to think you''re worthy of being my daughter''s allies?" 6.31 – The Heiress I 6.31 ¨C The Heiress I Rosalie popped into existence inside a training yard. She stumbled a step, then corrected herself, finding her footing. Lucinda stood in front of her,cking her armor. In regr clothes again. Time had passed, she was vaguely aware. "I¡ª I¡ª" Rosalie said, her head spinning as she oriented herself. "How long has it been?" "We''ll talkter, brat," Lucinda said, though she sounded far less annoyed than when she''d first captured her. Time had definitely passed, enough for her temper to cool. "Go say hello to your father." Her father? Rosalie stiffened and turned. In time to see a spear hurtling toward her. Rosalie stepped sideways and snatched it out of the air, fingers sliding around the smooth shaft and bringing it to a halt. She spun, lowering the weapon toward her assant. It was, of course, him. Father. "I''m d your gallivanting hasn''t dulled your reactions, at least," he said. "You have a lot of exining to do, daughter of mine." He looked much the same as she remembered. Why wouldn''t he? It hadn''t been a full month since she''d entered the Fractures. That realization hit her with a little jolt. With everything that happened¡ªmeeting Zoey, Delta, Maddy, and all the revtions of Goddesses and impending doom¡ªit felt like so much longer. She''d experienced more in a few weeks than she had in several years prior. Looking down at the spear in her hand, she realized what it was, though a part of her already had, simply from gripping it. Dragon''s Tongue. The spear she''d trained with since she was a child. One of Father''s own relics, dragged up from a seventh advancement shard. A weapon of incalcble value, something even a High Officer of the Guild would proudly disy. Of course, as a third advancement wayfarer, the item''s stats and effects were greatly diminished when she used it, but nheless¡ª Rosalie paused. Third advancement? A tingling on the back of her neck announced that she certainly was not third advancement, any longer. And that''d been the point, hadn''t it? For abandoning Lucinda and pursuing a shard before arriving to Mantle? Zoey''s skill provided additional experience the longer they took between shards. Seeing how she already boosted their progression massively simply through their bond, a rank-up in a single shard after their long break in Treyhull wasn''t at all surprising. Well. Logically surprising. Rosalie couldn''t help but be a little stunned that it had actually happened, however much she had anticipated it. What a ludicrous pace for progression. Had Zoey, Delta, and Maddy likewise leveled? Delta. Oh, no. Delta. Rosalie hadn''t had the opportunity to warn her about her family, thanks to Lucinda''s intervention. But ¡­ that was fine. She still had a chance to. Right? Unless Delta had learned, already. Rosalie had no clue what had gone on in the time she''d been sucked into Lucinda''s artifact. "Rosalie?" Father''s amused voice came. She looked up at him, blinking, as she realized that she''d briefly zoned out. "I was thinking," Rosalie said. "I was just kidnapped by my mentor. It''s a disorienting situation. Forgive me." "About your allies?" he asked. Rosalie winced. So Lucinda and Father had, at least, spoken about them. Perhaps not at length though. And Delta might not have learned, yet. "Yes. Where are they?" "Safe andfortable, of course." He leaned on his spear. "They had some very interesting things to say to me, Rosalie." Rosalie''s stomach fell to the floor. "You''ve already spoken to them," she said numbly. "Of course I have." "I''d have thought you would meet with me first." "And let you y damage control? Why would I do that?" Rosalie stewed in dismay for several long moments, before finally sighing. Had she expected Father to act in any other way? Of course not. She wondered how Delta had taken the news. Unfortunately, that was a problem to stress aboutter. Father''s presence was distinctly more pressing. Namely, exining herself. She wished she''d spent more time organizing this encounter in her head. Then, the other implication of Zoey, Delta, and Maddy having already spoken with Father hit her. In some regards, Delta''s situation should be the least of her worries. The bigger picture implications were so much more important. Logically speaking, at least. "What did they tell you?" Rosalie asked slowly. Would she be delivering any of her secrets herself? Fatherughed. He appeared in front of her almost faster than her eyes could track. He thrust forward, his spear aimed at her stomach. Rosalie sidestepped it. "Ah," Father said. "You''re quicker than you used to be. Though of course you are." He stabbed out several more times, and Rosalie dodged each. He was simply testing her. Father could puncture a hole through this entire training yard with a single lunge if he wished, much less outpace her in a duel. He was just seeing how much she''d improved in her short stint in the ''real world''. She didn''t return any blows. As soon as the flurry receded, she repeated herself. "What did they tell you?" "Everything, of course," Father said. "Everything?" Father raised an eyebrow at her. Rosalie started to panic. But despite the briefly instilled terror, she realized quickly she was being lied to. "No, they didn''t," she said. "Oh?" "You wouldn''t be acting like this." "What do you mean?" "If you knew everything, or half of it, you''d be having far more of a reaction." "I''m quite ustomed to the strangeness of this world, Rosalie," Enzo said, sounding amused¡ªand his confidence made Rosalie''s certainty falter for a second. But no. That was just Father. Perfectly confident in any situation. Bing the strongest man in the world tended to provide that sort of arrogance. But Zoey hadn''t told him everything, or half of it, or even the basics, maybe. Because Father wouldn''t be so ¡­ unconcerned by it all. Especially their rtionship. That might cause more of a reaction than news of the world ending did. Father had always been particr about who was even allowed to show interest in his daughters, much less pursue them. And among her sisters, Rosalie had always been the least intrigued by romance. "They didn''t tell you anything, did they?" Rosalie asked. "No, they definitely haven''t." She frowned, realizing something. "You didn''t press too hard, did you? During your interrogation?" Because it had certainly been an interrogation. She knew Father. "She''s our guest." "She''s your guest," Father replied. "And that is, indeed, the only reason I remained cordial. Despite their obstinance. And rudeness." He raised two unimpressed eyebrows. "Especially the fox." Rosalie winced. Delta was irreverent in the best of scenarios. Caught off guard by a sudden meeting with Enzo d''Celestin, finding out he was Rosalie''s father, she couldn''t have reacted well. Rosalie took a breath. Before she could speak again, though, Father burst back into motion. A series of strikes and blows rained onto her. Rosalie started fighting back, if by nothing but instinct. By the end of the exchange, she was being pressed to an inch of her limits, barely able to deflect or dodge each attack. When Father retreated, he seemed mildly confused. Not impressed. Confused. "What advancement are you, Rosalie?" Rosalie''s heart jumped "Fourth," she replied. "Fourth?" It took a lot to shock a Guildmaster of a Highguild. It was the reason she''d insisted uponpleting one more shard. For the opportunity to reach fourth advancement in such a short amount of time, an achievement even Father would be stunned by. And she''d gotten the reaction she''d wanted. For such an enormous sess in only a few weeks of wayfaring, he might forgive some of her ¡­ dallying. That was why she''d risked Lucinda''s ire. And ¡­ maybe the less-acknowledged part of her would admit ¡­ she had simply wanted to impress Father. "How is that possible?" he asked. "Which runes did you receive? I assume not one. Two? Three?" Father had received three, and that was a mind-boggling blessing. Even two was considered an omen of favor from the Gods. Both Charlotte and Elodie had gotten two. Zoey having four was, of course, simply unheard of. An absurd situation. Like everything about that woman. But the rarity of one''s runes mattered more than the quantity, frankly. In which Rosalie had gotten exceptionally lucky. Or been especially blessed¡ªhowever receiving one''s runes worked. Even Father only had a single superior, like Rosalie. Neither of her sisters had gotten one. Zoey, again, was the only person she''d ever heard of receiving a ''mythic''. Since runes and items followed the same rarity scheme, they knew mythics existed: her Father owned many items of such quality. But a ''rare'' and ''superior'' rune was much lessmon than an item of that rating. "Two. A superior and a rare," she said, answering what would have been his follow-up question. "And I don''t know which have been upgraded," she continued dryly. "Because I haven''t had an opportunity to check." "Ah. From yourtest shard?" "Yes." "Go ahead, then. Tell me." Father leaned against his spear, making it clear he wouldn''t continue to test her. Though it was only a brief reprieve. She had a suspicion that when he returned to the topic of Zoey, Delta, and Maddy, she would be facing a vicious onught. He had always liked to spar when interrogating her. Certainly, it was an effective strategy. It was exceptionally difficult to organize her thoughts when having her defenses prodded by one of the most skilled duelists in the world. Rosalie closed her eyes and checked on her abilities. Rune of Trailzing (Superior) [1]: Seek. Locate nearby shards of specified advancement. [2]: Forge Ahead: Deal bonus damage and gain resistances while moving and while facing targets head-on. [3]: Lead the Charge. Engaging with the first strike ofbat deals massive additional damage. [4]: Titanyer. Deal bonus damage to enemies of simr or higher advancement, scaling proportionally. Rune of the Spearmaster (Rare) [1]: Spear Mastery: Deal bonus damage and better intuit enemy movements when wielding a spear. [2]: Impale: Lunge with an empowered strike. Armor-piercing. [3]: Reach: Bend and distort spear strikes, amplifying their length, or turning corners. [4]: Phnx: While fighting to the side of a shield-bearer, gain additional damage and a portion of their resistances for yourself. She paused, taking in the implications of both her new skills. Titanyer was interesting. Perhaps especially as it rted to her future. While they were only tackling equivalent and lesser-advancement shards thanks to Zoey''s newness and theirck of a full team, that wouldn''tst forever. In fact, considering the woman''s absurd strength¡ªand how she spread that benefit to them¡ªit was quite likely they would begin tackling shard above their own advancement, soon. She didn''t know when, but definitely down the line. Phnx demanded they select their fifth team member, and specifically, a shield-bearer. Seeing how they needed a proper dedicated Guardian¡ªa front-line damage-absorber and attention-holder¡ªto round them off, it was as if the skill had been delivered by the heavens. Considering her girlfriend''s rtion to a literal Goddess, that might even be true. But Rosalie hesitated to ascribe everything to that. In fact, Ephy seemed reticent to interfere in anything too directly. She acted mostly through Zoey, besides the initial intervention, when Ephy had thrust Zoey upon her. Literally thrust Zoey upon her. A little shiver went through Rosalie, remembering that incident with the coffin. Crammed in, naked, together, barely a few inches to move amongst the two of them. She banished the thought from her mind. Not the time or ce to be reminiscing over that. There was a lot to go over. Father would want to know all of her skills, perhaps as much as he wanted to know what she''d been up to, and who Zoey, Delta, and Maddy were. Or more so, who they were to her. So she began exining, beginning with her runes, skills, and advancement. Those practical topics at least bought her time to, in the back of her mind, finish formting her n for how she was going to navigate the other, stickier topics. And there was no more dying, no more deflecting. Father was here, and he would want to know everything. Heavens, though. Where to begin? 6.32 – The Heiress II 6.32 ¨C The Heiress II Father analyzed her runes and skills with a critical eye. Her Rune of the Spearmaster was entirely expected. Their entire family used, and had always used, spears as their primary weapon of choice. Rosalie didn''t know what runes Father had, but she wouldn''t be surprised if Spearmaster was among them. Though that didn''t mean they shared the same abilities. Her Rune of Trailzing was the more interesting one, though. Not only was it her superior-rated rune, but Rosalie also hadn''t heard of such a rune before. They held brief discussions on her abilities, their uses, and their implications. Culminating in perhaps the most relevant to her future¡ªat least insofar as immediate nning went. "A skill that encourages you to fight at the side of a shieldbearer," Father hummed. "I dislike conditionals as stringent as that. But increased damage and you share a portion of their resistances? It''s strong, certainly. And I understand you''ve been the one acting as your team''s guardian." "That''s correct." "Then you''ll need to pick up a real front line. That''s not your proper role." Father shook his head in amusement. "Not only have you limited me to selecting only a single of your allies, but they must be a shield-bearing Guardian." He sighed. "You do realize how much trouble this decision of yours causes me? I have half a mind to veto it, despite knowing you must have your reasoning." Rosalie stopped herself from wincing. So. Father still intended to pick thest of her teammates. Was that even all that unreasonable? She''d have been fine with that if not for the fact that Zoey''s brand of wayfaring came with unorthodox requirements. Their team needed someone willing to bond with her else they were leaving massive amounts of power on the table. Their fifth teammate hardly had to be Zoey''s girlfriend, but some level ofpatibility was required. That, she would figure outter. She had other things to worry about. Immediately spurning Father by telling him she wouldn''t ept even one of his choices would be detrimental to the conversation as a whole. And who knew? Maybe who he selected would work out naturally. She doubted that, but again, a problem forter. "Yes," Rosalie said. "I do recognize the political headache it causes. But it can''t be helped. As you said, I have good reasons." She gave Father a firm look. "And it''s not your decision to veto, even if you disagree with those reasons." Her attempt at standing firm only seemed to amuse Father. He outrightughed at her. "Your ascension is a long time froming, Rosalie, and until then, you''re just my heir. And I, your Guildmaster and father. I can veto whatever I please." Not a great start. "You''re young," Father continued. "Yes, I need to have trust in who I one day expect to wear my mantle, but youths need to be guided. Sometimes against their will." He leaned on his spear and appraised her. "That said, I recognize the sess you''ve found in the past weeks. My ears are open." He tilted his head in interest. "Let''s begin there. Your sess. Exin how you''ve progressed through three advancements in as many weeks. Frankly, it''s a stupid pace. If you weren''t my own flesh and blood, and I hadn''t tested you myself, I simply would not have believed you." Rosalie took a breath. It was time, then, to begin theplicated exnations. Rather than opening with what she intended, something else came out. "What do you think of Zoey?" Father considered. "Sentimental. Timid. Naive. More a civilian than a wayfarer, much less one of your caliber. Even without sparring her, I could tell she wasn''tbat-trained. She''s wholly unsuited to standing by your side." Rosalie fought away flinching with every word. Not that she necessarily disagreed¡­though maybe not as harshly as Father presented it. "And that," Father said. "Is why she must be the key to all of this insanity. Because she''s the odd one out. The puzzle piece staring me in the face. I''m interested in having you slot it for me. Because I can''t imagine how you see her as an adequate party member, barring some incredible hidden factor." He shrugged. "She seems loyal to you, at least. Loyal to all her allies. Good-hearted. Which I approve of in some¡­" heughed. "Objective sense, I suppose. But not as a wayfarer, and it ultimately changes nothing about what I said." "She is the key," Rosalie agreed. She hesitated before continuing. "Why did you send Lucinda for me?" "You''re jumping around, Rosalie. Stay focused." "With intent. Please answer." "Because it''s dangerous for a d''Celestin to gallivant around the Fractures, unguarded? I''m surprised that needs rification. You dallied too long; I expected you to be back as quickly as you could." Father snorted. "Or, at least, to not take as long, if not longer, than your sisters." "But there''s a specific reason you sent your right hand scrambling across the Fractures to find me. A greater urgency than everyday danger." He didn''t answer for a second. "Yes, there is," he eventually said. Rosalie waited, but Father simply stared back at her. She sighed. Of course he wouldn''t share. "Is it the shard eaters?" she asked bluntly. Father twitched. Incredulity spread across his face, something Rosalie had only seen a handful of times in her entire life, before it was quickly wiped away. He studied her. "Well. You''re just filled with surprises today, aren''t you?" "So that is the reason." "How could you possibly have learned of them? I didn''t tell Lucinda. As far as I''m aware, a handful of individuals across the entire world know of that threat. At least with enough specificity to call them shard eaters." Rosalie nodded. While entities like the Church of the Shattered Sphere had some idea of the problem, they hadn''t a clue about the source. Her and Zoey''s encounter with Mel and entanglement with Ephy had revealed the reality of the situation¡ªor at least the first hints of it. Rosalie didn''t answer his question and instead asked another of her own. "Are the gods real, Father?" Again, Father''s eyebrows shot up. Heughed. "This is an even more interesting conversation than I was expecting," he said wryly. He took a few seconds to formte his reply. "What do you mean by real?" "Are they tangible? Can they be interacted with? Or are they simply targets of veneration without impact upon the world? Do they have conscious minds and goals of their own?" "What prompted this bit of theological discourse?" My girlfriend met and is sponsored by one, Rosalie didn''t say. "It''s relevant," Rosalie said. "It''s a parent''s role, and a Guildmaster''s, to be cryptic, Rosalie," Father chided. "You''re making me look bad." She pursed her lips. "I believe most are not real," she said. "But I have reasons to believe that one in particr is." Father considered this. "Our society is religious," he finally said. "What I believe is the truth doesn''t matter so much as keeping the peace with the general popce. As leaders, we''re expected to uphold the least controversial beliefs¡ªat least in matters that are ultimately irrelevant. Let people believe what they wish and don''t challenge it frivolously, especially issues as ¡­ contentious ¡­ as religion." He hummed. "That said, from father to daughter, I believe¡ªbelieved¡ªthe gods were not real. That they were simply icons, as you said. I''ve never found something to sway me otherwise, and my explorations have been thorough across the world." He tilted his head. "So, which god is it?" he asked. Then he grinned. "Could I fight him?" It was ttering he epted Rosalie''s absurd im at face value. And, of course, amusing that his first action upon learning about a god''s definite existence was to voice his desire to engage them inbat. Rosalie braced herself. This was where the conversation was really going to go off the rails. A part of her wondered whether she should even keep Ephy a secret from Father. But Rosalie trusted him¡ªeven if his controlling nature could be a problem from a personal perspective. However, she couldn''t withhold such important information from her father and equally as importantly, her Guildmaster. If there was anyone in the world poised to tackle a problem like the shard eaters, it was him. Rosalie had an obligation to her people and to her family to keep Father informed. Regardless of the personalplications that would arise. At least of that most crucial aspect. The shard eaters, Ephy, and Zoey''s entanglement with both. The specifics, along with other certain aspects of her situation ¡­ Rosalie was honestly still debating within her own head. But the broad strokes, she had no choice but to divulge. "Ephythithys," she finally said. "Zoey was chosen as her conduit and champion, of sorts, and tasked with eliminating the shard-eaters. That''s how I know about that threat." 6.33 – The Heiress III 6.33 ¨C The Heiress III Father stared at her. "I see," he said. "The goddess of sensuality. Fertility. Sex. Her conduit and champion. What makes you believe this?" Rosalie''s face reddened. "She has skills rted to ¡­ Ephythithys''s aspects." Father stared at her. Rosalie chickened out. She''d been braced to exin things in direct terms. At least, more direct. To at least hint at the truth. And possibly even exin her rtionship to Zoey. But, unfortunately, Rosalie was more of a coward than she''d thought. "As in, bonding," Rosalie said, clearing her throat and ncing away. "As you''ve already noticed, she''s very ¡­ loyal. One of Ephythithys''s aspects is bonds. So that''s the manifestation Zoey''s ss took." "Intimate bonds, I believe." Rosalie shrugged. "Friendship counts, I suppose. Trust and being an ally in general. And it''s whoever she chooses. Doesn''t have to be an established rtionship." "It?" Father repeated. "What do you mean, it?" "She can select allies to boost. Enormously. Not just in the manner of a typical support ss, but also in progression. She can elerate experience gain. That''s how I''ve reached fourth advancement in such a short amount of time." She felt mildly embarrassed to admit that. Because it meant her prodigious pace¡ªor at least her absurdly prodigious pace, since she''d already been doing quite well before Zoey¡ªwas thanks more to a powerful ally than by her own merit. But Father had never been one to care about that. He valued results. Luck and circumstances were irrelevant. Confirming that, he didn''t seem bothered by the reveal. Though that might be more because of his greater interest in the current topic. Of gods and their champions. "How do you know she''s not misrepresenting her ss?" Father asked. "There''s plenty of absurdly powerful individuals¡ªsome even granted their strength as if from nowhere. Hm. Perhaps not plenty. But enough." Rosalie blinked. For some reason, she hadn''t even considered having to exin that to him. Fortunately, she could. "Besides being on the receiving end of it, I read her tab anima myself. She''s not misrepresenting anything." "You did?" At the surprise in his voice, Rosalie fought her cheeks from coloring. It was an intimate act, peering into another person''s soul. She wondered if she was giving away her rtionship to Zoey without meaning to. "When she first arrived, she didn''t know how to read her skills. So I had to." "When she first arrived," Father repeated. "To where? How did you two meet?" A brief image of being crammed inside a coffin, every inch of their skin touching, hot, sweaty, Zoey humping awkwardly, sliding that thing across Rosalie''s stomach, between their bodies, faster and faster until¡ª Rosalie cleared her throat. "She spawned in the same shard as me. Hence why I was forced into reading her tab anima, else she remain dead weight. Neither of us had a choice in the matter." "I see," Father said. "How do you know Ephythithys specifically is involved?" "Beyond being a usible exnation for a mythic rune of bonding?" "Mythic?" Father asked incredulously. "Along with three other runes?" "She has four total?" "And that I trust her, when she confided that in me?" Rosalie asked. "Among all those things, Zoey also led us to a corrupted shard upon the instruction of her patron." Rosalie hadn''t doubted her before that, but it was the concrete piece of evidence she could point to. Delta had seen Ephythithys, but Rosalie hadn''t. "You went into one of those ces? Dangerous, Rosalie." "There, we found a shard eater," Rosalie continued, ignoring him. She winced. "And ¡­ I suppose I should mention it might be following us." "Following you?" "Though we''re not entirely certain what''s happening, there. We haven''t caught sight of it since then." For a while, Father stared at her. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Elodie gives me enough headaches. You''re supposed to be the measured one." Rosalie cleared her throat. "It was dangerous, yes, entering that shard. But it was a task granted by a goddess. I don''t believe those are the sorts of things one should ignore." Father eyed her but didn''t disagree. "You sound entirely too unconcerned that something that eats shards is trailing you." Rosalie shrugged. "Lucinda couldn''t spot it if it indeed was following us to Mantle, so it''s out of our hands." She hesitated. "The creature is interested in Zoey, anyway." Specifically in divinely imbued cum, but that was something she would politely avoid mentioning to her father. "So if it resurfaces, its obsession is with her, not me." Father only seemed half assuaged by that exnation. "Where do the other two fit in?" "The other two?" "The fox and the Sovereign." "Oh." Rosalie shifted in ce. Funny enough, despite both of them being far morepetent than Zoey from a wayfaring standpoint, their positions on Rosalie''s squad were much more tenuous. "They aren''t sponsored by goddesses, if that''s what you mean. They''re simply our teammates." Father raised two unimpressed eyebrows. "And the bonding process is permanent," Rosalie half-lied. Because technically, bonds could be reshuffled, until they were made permanent. "And Zoey has chosen them. Alongside me. Which means¡ª" "You chose her," Father corrected. "Not the other way around." Rosalie paused. She continued. "Which means we''re entwined, all four of us. But I find them adequate teammates, regardless of that fact. I would prefer if you stopped making allusions toward recing them." Father grunted. It sounded like assent, if unenthusiastic ¡­ and possibly temporary. Rosalie would take that. "Who is she?" Father asked. "Zoey?" "Yes. Where is she from?" Rosalie pursed her lips. "That''splicated. She''scking certain memories. A byproduct of being chosen by Ephythithys." "Yes, she mentioned something of the sort, if omitting her patron''s involvement. Hence why I asked." He made a noise of displeasure. "It was an entirely frustrating conversation, her and the fox. Dodging every question, refusing to speak for you. Or even themselves, to any adequate degree." Well, Rosalie greatly appreciated that they''d done that¡ªespecially under enormous pressure. She owed a huge thank-you to both of them. She couldn''t imagine trying to have this conversation with Father if he had the informational upper hand. Zoey clearly hadn''t even mentioned their rtionship, which was alsoing as a massive relief. Though Rosalie shouldn''t hide that from Father. Their rtionship. Maybe she could leave out all the ¡­ lewder details of Zoey''s ss, since it wasn''t strictly necessary to nning for the future and tackling the shard eaters, but the two of them were girlfriends. Just. She''d deal with that revealter. She was already delivering enough shocking news. "They''re together, right?" Father asked. Rosalie twitched. "What?" "Those two. Romantically." "Zoey and Delta? Um. Y-Yes. I believe so." Though she didn''t think they had actually made it official, yet. The ''girlfriend'' talk. Even if it was all but obvious, unofficially. She didn''t know why the question caught her so off guard, enough to stutter in front of Father. Probably because she was hiding her own entanglement with them. "I assumed." Father didn''t seem to care one way or another; it had just been ament. "And the Sovereign? You just happened to meet?" "She was simply someone we found," Rosalie confirmed. "In Treyhull. Apetent ally." "Why didn''t you return to Mantle immediately with that woman in tow? Why permanently ''bond'' these others? I could have selected better choices." Rosalie winced. That was a good point. "I think you''re underestimating them," she said. "Besides, the decision is more Zoey''s than mine. It''s her ss." Father, again, seemed unimpressed. Before he could open his mouth, though, Rosalie said: "She isn''t yours to use, Father." His eyebrows went up. Rosalie felt herself grow suddenly hot. "She isn''t yours to use, Father. I understand the asset she represents. That a Guildmaster has an obligation to his people to do what needs to be done. But I tell you all of this sensitive information so that you''re informed¡ªnot so you can dig your ws into her and use her as your weapon. It''s an extension of my trust. I prefer you don''t vite it." She''d been warning Zoey against sharing information on her ss because she knew a great many people would do exactly that¡ªtake advantage of her. Including her father, if not for Rosalie''s involvement. Then, having grown heated at even the possibility of Father using Zoey in that way, Rosalie finished her speech in a way she hadn''t entirely intended to. "It won''t happen. She''s mine, not yours, Father." Father paused. His lips tugged up. "As long as she''s one of ours, you''ll hear nothing from me." Flustered, Rosalie calmed herself. Father had definitely misinterpreted what that ''mine'' had meant. "I think it''s time you start from the beginning," Father said. He blinked, then looked at his spear¡ªas if he''d forgotten something. "Oh," he said, gripping it and lowering it toward her. "And I''d like to see what you learned in the meantime." Ah. She supposed she was lucky for catching his attention so thoroughly that he''d forgotten to spar with her during his interrogation. That might have been her saving grace. But keeping her story straight while dueling? Eluding all the sticky details of Ephy''s involvement, or the shards they''d ventured through? That was going to be a challenge. 6.34 – Keep The Story Straight 6.34 ¨C Keep The Story Straight It took nearly two full hours of Zoey idling inside her bed chamber, waiting for Rosalie while unsessfully trying to fill her time with alchemy study, for her girlfriend to finally arrive. After a polite knock and a e in!", the blonde walked inside, her slumped posture looking nearly harried¡ªan uncharacteristic sight that instantly worried Zoey. Meeting her eyes, Rosalie let out a deep sigh. "You would not believe how exhausting that was." Setting aside her alchemy book and rising from the bed she''d been stressfully lounging on, Zoey walked over and scooped her girlfriend into a hug. Rosalie melted into her. "I bet," Zoey said. "Your dad seems like a pretty intense dude." "That''s one word that could be used to describe him," she huffed. "If insufficient. But I meant more, keeping everything straight was the hard part." "Oh?" Zoey asked, pulling back to look at Rosalie. "You didn''t just tell him the truth?" "I told him ¡­ some of the truth," Rosalie settled on after a moment. "Where''s Delta?" "Ah," Zoey replied. "She, uh, got antsy. Not here right now. Headed out into the city, I think. Said she wouldn''t be gone for long, since she wants to talk to you, but she had to clear her head first. You know her, doesn''t handle sitting around well." Rosalie grimaced. "I should''ve just told her when I had the chance." "Hardly your fault Lucinda fell out of the sky to stop you." "I had plenty of opportunity to earlier." "You didn''t want to mess up the delve. And after that, we were hiking through the wilderness. You were obviously waiting for a private moment." "Stop making excuses for me." "Nope. That''s my job. Girlfriends, remember?" Rosalie pressed her forehead into Zoey''s chest. Zoey hugged her for a few moments. "Is she mad at me?" Rosalie mumbled. Zoey chewed over how to reply. "I think you two just need to talk," she settled on. "She''s more confused and disoriented than mad, though. It was a lot to take in. And sudden." Rosalie sighed. After a few more moments of staying in Zoey''s embrace, she finally pulled away, withdrawing from her brief show of weakness. Her shoulders pulled back into their proper posture, and she wiped away the exhaustion. "So. We have a few things to discuss." "Since you apparently didn''t tell your dad everything?" "Yes. Which means we need to keep our story straight." "Let me guess. You didn''t go in-depth on how my skills work?" "No, I didn''t," Rosalie said, seeming a mixture of amused and unamused by the concept. "But I did tell him about Ephy. Your rtion to her. The shard eaters. And," she said carefully, "I told him that your bonds are permanent and irrevocable, since he wasn''t thrilled about me ¡­ forgoing his other choices of teammates. But that ties his hands on the matter." "I think he dropped the phrase ''worthy of my daughter'' enough for me to get the message," Zoey said wryly. "Also," Rosalie said, hesitating. "I didn''t tell him the two of us are dating." Zoey went quiet. For her own part, she had avoided revealing that tidbit because she suspected Rosalie would want to deliver the news herself. Or possibly even hide it. But that didn''t mean she was pleased by Rosalie''s decision. "Ah," Zoey said. "You''re not happy with me." Zoey hesitated. "I want your dad to know who I am to you. Besides, keeping things from people we care about isn''t usually a good idea." She gave Rosalie a significant look. Rosalie grimaced, picking up the obvious allusion to Delta. "You''re right," she said, looking away. "But at the same time, if Father knows we''re together in that way, then he might assume my judgment is impaired. Simply being your teammate, he''ll view me as capable of being rational." Zoey frowned. "And that''s important," Rosalie said. "Because he views you as an asset. As a world-changing asset, which you are. If he doesn''t think I have you under my thumb, he''ll put you under his. One is better than the other, I promise." Rosalie''s presentation of her father didn''t sound all that generous. "Should we have told him anything, then? If he''s a tyrant like that?" Rosalie winced, but she didn''t try to refute the pejorative. "There''s no helping it. We can''t just keep the world''s endangerment a secret. The appropriate authorities need to know. It just happens one of those is my father." Rosalie grimaced. "And I do trust him. He''s not unpredictable, in who he is. Nor a bad person. I''m confident we can navigate his involvement." After a second, Rosalie added, "Also, if I hadn''t given him some information about who you were and why we''re together, he''d have simply revoked your right to be my teammate." "Seriously?" "He has expectations, Zoey. Of me. I''m his heiress. The inheritor of a Highguild. You knew that wouldplicate things, surely? Even if my Father were a ¡­xer person than he is, I couldn''t just associate with anyone." "He still shouldn''t pick who you spend time with." "Whose hands I put my life into?" Rosalie asked pointedly. "Who assists with my development as a wayfarer¡ªsince I''m also an asset to the guild, and my people? I believe he does have some im to that." Zoey sighed. She disagreed, but she saw Rosalie''s point. Who would''ve thought dating a literal princess woulde with political and familial hurdles? She had been expecting it, but that wasn''t to say she was happy about the situation. "Regardless," Rosalie said. "As much as his involvement might be a headache to our autonomy, it creates opportunities." "I''d rather be your girlfriend than ''have opportunities''." Rosalie blushed. "I''ll tell him. I promise. Just not right now. Give us time to settle in." Dying a secret hadn''t worked out wellst time with Delta, but Zoey had already made that point. Rosalie did have valid reasoning for keeping their rtionship hidden; it wasn''t just that she was afraid of the fallout. "Alright," Zoey said. "You''re not wrong about what you''re saying. I just ¡­" she frowned. Then, she stepped forward, grabbed Rosalie''s hips, and leaned in for a kiss. Rosalie met her instinctively. "Just, I seriously like you," Zoey murmured into her lips. "If that means I have to deal with your family, that''s perfectly fine. Or if itplicates things. But I don''t like the idea of having to pretend we''re only friends." "It won''tst forever," Rosalie mumbled back. "Just until we find our footing." Zoey hummed, unhappy but understanding. "Fine. But there''s one thing I absolutely won''t allow." "Hm?" "You''re gonna have to figure out how to sneak into my bed every night. I''m not sleeping without you." Rosalie''s face turned a shade redder. "I''ll find a way to make that happen, then." "Good." Zoey pecked her one more time on the lips. "Any other things I have to keep straight?" "No. I caught him up on just about everything, as it happened chronologically. Minus any references of ¡­" Rosalie hesitated as she looked for a way to phrase it, so Zoey did so for her. "Sex dungeons and team orgies?" "S-Shut up. But yes." Rosalie shook her head. "Also, there''s plenty of other announcements. I kind of wanted to go over them as a team, but maybe with you first is fine, too." "Oh?" "The most important is our fifth team member. Father wants a say in who it is." Rosalie scrunched her nose. "Or more bluntly, he will be choosing them. I can''t deny him that." "You can''t?" "It wouldn''t be worth the friction. He''s already being ¡­ open-minded. About everything. Letting me have all but free reign." "That''s what you call this?" Zoey asked dryly. "As much as a man like him can allow," Rosalie conceded. "To refuse him even a say in ourst teammate would cause more problems than it''s worth, I believe." "Okay¡­" Zoey said slowly. "But what if we don''t like her? What if she''s not cool with my ss?" She paused. "What if she''s not a her at all? That''d be a problem for me, you know." The requirements of Zoey''s ss were rather particr. "I''m hoping things will just work out," Rosalie said. "But if the worst happens, then I can discuss alternatives with him." She chewed her lip. "Or possibly, we don''t even go on those types of shard explorations with them." "Huh?" "Assuming the shard stabilizer works how it sounds." "Oh." Zoey blinked. "So we''d just do normal shards with them." "You mentioned wanting to, didn''t you?" "Yeah. I did." "Though having the option to do both with our fifth is ideal," Rosalie said. "But I can''t imagine a rational reason to tell Father our fifth has to be a woman, much less one sexuallypatible with you," she added dryly. "So I think we''re going to have to see how things go." "And only risk upsetting him if we have to." "Yeah." Zoey shrugged. Like the other aspects of this situation Zoey didn''t like, Rosalie''s reasoning unfortunately made sense. "Wish we could have picked them out ourselves, though." "Life ispromise. Much less for people in positions like ours." "Ours?" "You''re the champion of a goddess, Zoey. I dare say my own status is no heavier than your own." She frowned. "You need toe to terms with that." Yeah. Again, Rosalie was right. In a continuing trend, Zoey just wasn''t thrilled about it. "Besides," Rosalie said. "Whoever Father picks, they''re going to be good at what they do. And it''ll open up further political connections." "More connections than the d''Celestins already have?" "We''re one of the eminent families, Zoey, but no single individual, or group of individuals, holds all power. And our goal is preventing the destruction of the world. We need as much as we can get." "Fair enough." Rosalie sighed. "I need a moment to sit down." She eyed the bed. "I''m not just mentally exhausted. Do you have any idea what sparring with an eighth advancement wayfarer is like? Especially one trying to throw you off? Not pleasant, I can assure you." 6.35 – The Heiress and the Fox 6.35 ¨C The Heiress and the Fox Rosalie only had a half-hour to metaphorically catch her breath before the next major event was upon her. Somehow, one that felt even more important than her meeting with her father. "Aww," Delta''s voice came from the window. "Look at the two lovebirds all cuddled up. It''s so cute I might just vomit." Rosalie and Zoey straightened out on the bed, their attentions snapping toward Delta''s voice. Sure enough, she was poised there, sitting on the low windowsill of one of the many towering windows adorning the ptial bedroom. "Delta? Where''d youe from?" Zoey asked. "Security''sx in the d''Celestin estate," Delta snorted. "Surprisingly so. As long as you aren''t in one of their prison rooms, at least." She slid off the window sill and stretched. "Sneaking into bedrooms is a useful skill to have, anyway, no matter where you are, so I was getting my practice in." She grinned. "Useful for a few reasons," she leered, making the innuendo clear. "Not just burry." Delta definitely seemed like she was mostly back to normal, Rosalie thought. Not sulking or ring. That was good, right? Then again, she was deliberately avoiding meeting her eyes. "Uh," Zoey said, ncing toward Rosalie. "Yeah, I guess so." A brief, awkward pause hung in the air. "Ugh," Delta said. "You two are gonna be weird about it, then. Of course you are. Zoey, can me and Blondie have a moment?" Zoey blinked rapidly. "Yeah, sure. I''ll just go ¡­ do something," she saidmely. She squeezed Rosalie''s knee and gave her an encouraging smile before making her exit¡ªheading out into the hall to do who knew what. Rosalie had likewise slipped out of bed and stood by then. Another awkward silence. "So," Delta said, uncharacteristically shifting in ce, as if looking for something to say. She shoved her hands in her pockets. "You grew up here?" She looked around, obviously meaning the pce. "Um. No," Rosalie said. "This is the Fractures. I grew up on our estate in Haven." "Right. Obviously. Duh." More silence. There''d been a number of tense situations between her and Delta, but this particr one felt so much worse than the others. Delta sighed. "It wasn''t cool you didn''t tell me," she said, being blunt about it. Rosalie supposed she shouldn''t have expected anything else. "I meant to," Rosalie said. "I really did." "That''s what Zoey told me." "But then Lucinda showed up." "Yup." The foxgirl had clearly already been caught up on the situation. There wasn''t much to exin. Rosalie''s hands clenched and unclenched at her side. Eventually, she said, "I''m sorry?" "Why?" Delta asked. The words caught Rosalie off guard. "Why?" she echoed. "It''s not like I''m your girlfriend. Half of what we do is bicker with each other. I''m the one being ridiculous for being upset you kept a secret a secret. It''s a pretty fucking big one, so I get it." "You''re not being ridiculous," Rosalie instantly said. Delta tilted her head. "Aren''t I?" Rosalie''s words came mostly by instinct. And her actions¡ªlike how she walked forward to close the gap between them. Delta seemed almost wary as Rosalie arrived in front of her. She had to look up slightly to meet Delta''s eyes. She bit her lip. "Even if we were only friends, I shouldn''t have taken so long. As soon as I knew I trusted you, I should''ve. And I knew that a while ago." After another hesitation, she added more quietly, "And we''re not just friends. So you deserved more." Those words hung in the air for a few moments. "I don''t usually fuck my friends quite as much as I do you," Delta eventually joked, but it seemed strained. "So. Yeah." Taking a page from Zoey''s book, Rosalie reached out and grabbed Delta''s hands¡ªthe foxgirl blinking several times at the action. Rosalie guessed ''earnestness'' wasn''t really her dominant trait, so Delta was more than a bit caught off guard. Rosalie took a breath in, steadying her nerves. "So. Like I said. I''m really sorry. I hope you can forgive me. I was just ¡­ scared of how you would react." "Scared?" Delta repeated incredulously. "Scared of what?" Rosalie hesitated. "I know you have opinions. On established wayfaring families. Much less ones like mine." Delta''s face stayed surprisingly passive at that statement. Her swishing fox tail gave away her agitation, though. "And? You aren''t those assholes. It''s just your name." For a second, Rosalie wondered whether she should ept that dismissal. Because it wasn''t just her name. Her heritage was a fundamental part of her, and she didn''t reject it¡ªshe stood behind her father''s decisions. Not that she condoned all of them. But ruling, much less over a violent world like the Fractures, was ¡­plicated. She didn''t think her father was a bad man. But continuing that half of the conversation maybe wasn''t appropriate right now. Not tacked onto the end of her apology. "And I care what you think," Rosalie finished softly. "So I took longer telling you than I should''ve. Until it was toote. So again. I''m sorry." Delta searched her face. Several seconds passed, Rosalie''s anxiety growing, Delta standing there stiffly, but then, finally, it happened. Delta''s expression slowly softened, and so did her tense posture. The relief that washed through Rosalie was nearly palpable. Then Delta took a half-step forward, and Rosalie was suddenly aware of just how little space there was between them. Her heart started to beat faster as Delta''s face grew closer to hers, purple eyes studying Rosalie with a quizzical look¡ªas if she herself wasn''t even sure what she was doing. Then her attention flicked down to Rosalie''s lips, and Rosalie''s pulse spiked. Delta almost seemed like she was going to lean forward, but then she hesitated. "Stay here," shemanded Rosalie¡ªbreaking the brief spell her proximity had put her under. The foxgirl hurried out of the room. Rosalie was left standing there, flustered. She stared, bbergasted, at the door Delta had left through. She returned only momentster. "What?" Rosalie asked. "What was that?" Delta sniffed. "I was asking Zoey if she''s okay with her girlfriends kissing when she''s not in the room." She returned to standing in front of Rosalie. "Already knew the answer, but I guess that''s the kind of thing you should ask." She rolled her eyes. "You know how protective Zoey is." The words punched through Rosalie. Her heart started really mming. "Oh," Rosalie replied. Delta put her hands on Rosalie''s hips. "What''d she say?" Rosalie breathed. Delta rolled her eyes. Then she kissed her. Rosalie melted into it, her lingering nerves¡ªthe worst of them, at least¡ªevaporating as Delta''s soft lips moved against her own. Her heart thundered as Delta''s hands gripped her waist and pulled their bodies flush together. Rosalie also settled her hands onto Delta''s hips, pulling her closer as the kiss deepened, their tongues intertwining. When they parted for air, Delta was looking down at her with lidded eyes, seeming distinctly pleased with herself. "Apology epted," she said wryly. "But you''re on thin ice." "You said girlfriends," Rosalie murmured. "You two made it official?" Delta paused. She tilted her head. "Huh. I guess we did. Didn''t even think about that." Of course that was how Delta and Zoey established their rtionship. Certainly more casual than how it had happened with Rosalie. "Also," Delta said, leaning back to obnoxiously tap Rosalie on the nose. "I still find you annoying. And arrogant. Don''t get that mixed up. I''m just saying I forgive you for this whole mess." "Of course," Rosalie said, a smile tugging at her lips, which she tried to wipe away. "The same goes for you." Delta sniffed. "But, you know what they say. The girlfriend of your girlfriend is your enemy, or something like that." She grinned, then pulled Rosalie in for another kiss. Her thoughts were briefly scrambled for a second time. Pulling away, Delta sighed, "And we''ve still got a whole lot more to talk about. What the hell. You''re a d''Celestin." She shook her head and let go of Rosalie''s waist. "Whatever. Let''s go find Zoey and Maddy and get out of here. I hate being in this pce. And there''s a whole city to explore." Purple eyes flicked to the window, where Mantle spilled down the mountainside. "Always liked checking out new ces." "Sure," Rosalie said, her heart still pounding. Half from being kissed, half from relief. Things had really worked out, then? She''d almost braced herself that they wouldn''t. Though she supposed the heavier conversations were still toe. Zoey had been right that Delta saw Rosalie as more than her name, but that far from meant she was pleased with her new circumstances¡ªbeing involved with the d''Celestin family. As her wanting to flee the pce as soon as possible indicated. Holding Rosalie''s hand, Delta pulled her along, headed for the door. Outside, Zoey immediately perked up and pushed off the wall. Seeing Delta dragging Rosalie, she started beaming at the two of them. "Yeah, yeah," Delta said, rolling her eyes. "Your girlfriends kissed. It''s hot. Don''t be a pervert about it." Zoeyughed. "That''s not it. I''m just d you two made up." Rosalie, for her part, winced at the exchange, looking up and down the hall. "Right ¡­" she said to Delta. "Just so you know, we''re keeping all of our personal involvement to ourselves." "Her dad knowing might cause issues," Zoey exined. Delta raised an eyebrow. "You mean Enzo d''Celestin, Guildmaster of the Deepshunters, tyrant of half the Fractures, is a bit controlling when ites to his daughter''s maiden honor?" "That''s the allegation. But actually, it''s more about ¡­ other things." "Though also that," Rosalie grimaced. Delta shook her head. "Okay. Whatever. Come on, I want to stop thinking about all that garbage for a second. Where''s Maddy? We''re heading into town." "We are?" Zoey asked, facing Rosalie. "Is that fine?" "I still have to greet my sisters. But Elodie is missing, like she always is, so that''s happening on her own schedule. And Charlotte is out doing a shard." "So we''re all good to leave?" Rosalie nodded. It wasn''t like they were confined to the pce. She squeezed Delta''s hand once, then pulled away. She couldn''t go holding hands with either of them out in public, as displeased as she was about that. "So sneaking into bedrooms is gonna be even more useful than I thought," Delta mused. "I was just joking." Sheughed. "At least sneaky sex is hotter than boring-old allowed sex. We should try doing it somewhere public. Maybe the dining hall? Or his bedroom?" Rosalie made a choking noise, which was probably Delta''s intent. Even Delta wasn''t so crazy as to try to do that inside the d''Celestin pce''s public rooms, right? Much less her father''s bedroom. That one was just disgusting. Surely she didn''t mean it. Right? Delta met her horrified expression with apletely serious one of her own. Zoey spared an amused look for Delta. "Maddy''s in this room," she said, gesturing. "Oh, and by the way, haven''t had a chance to ask. You two also move up in advancement?" Delta grinned at her. "Yup. Bet we all did. But that''s on the docket. Let''s get out of here first." 6.36 – Around the Table 6.36 ¨C Around the Table Mantle was a big ce. Like, a huge city¡ªthe capital of the Deepshunters. Larger even than Treyhull. The city spilled down the gigantic mountainside in a flurry of colors, growing denser the farther they went. The city did, after all, have the protection of Enzo d''Celestin himself, and the rest of the High Officers of the Guild, making it one of the safest ces to live inside the dangerous, shifting realms that were the Fractures. Thus, ''regr folk'' flocked to it for a number of reasons. Getting lost in the crowd wasn''t difficult. Zoey was somewhat worried Rosalie, famous figure as she was, would struggle to maintain her anonymity, but this wasn''t the modern-day reality she was used to. People knew of ''Rosalie d''Celestin,'' the blonde-haired, blue-eyed, spear-wielding daughter of Enzo, but essentially no one¡ªin terms of civilians¡ªhad seen her in person. As such, the four of them were just faces in the crowd. They explored the city briefly before finding a tavern to grab food at. Like usual, they took a booth in the corner of the establishment, and Maddy threw up a sound-dampening illusion. That was a smart idea in almost any circumstance, considering how their conversations tended to veer, both professionally and, uh, less professionally. Today''s talk would include a number of sensitive topics. It was their first chance for a big team discussion since Lucinda''s intervention. "Alright," Delta said, pushing her cleaned-off te forward with a satisfied sigh. She had piled the food down; she must have been hungry. "No more chit chat. Time to get to the real stuff. All four of us got new skills. Seeing how we''re involved with a literal deity, and dealing with the end of the world, I think we''re a little past being stingy with what they do. So let''s hear ''em." "Um," Maddy said. "End of the world?" The three of them froze. "Uh," Delta said slowly, clearly trying toe up with an excuse for her slip-up. "I meant that ¡­ metaphorically?" Zoey rolled her eyes at the clumsy attempt at a recovery. "She needs to know, anyway. Was just waiting till we finished a shard with her. I guess now is as good a time as any." If admittedly, she wished they could have handled it more tactfully than Delta identally blurting it out. "Especially now that we''re in Mantle." She faced Maddy, bracing herself for the long exnation. This wasn''t the first time Zoey had been through this conversation, so she had a better grasp on how to handle it. Sheid the situation out for Maddy. The shard eaters. Ephy. And so on. She trusted Maddy by this point, and wanted her to stay on the team¡ªso honesty was required, at least as far as Zoey was concerned. "But none of that is all that relevant, right now," Zoey concluded with. "Realistically, our immediate future is just getting stronger, exploring shards. Like a normal team. There''s some other stuff that only I have to worry about." Like Aria and Ephy''s demand to grow a following. "But I wanted to tell you, if you were gonna stick with us. Since it''s a big deal." "No kidding," Maddy said, rubbing her forehead with a baffled look. "I guess it does answer a lot of my questions." The mage stewed over the announcement for a few seconds, then, finally, shrugged nonchntly, picked up her fork, and took another bite of her food. "So, skills?" Maddy asked after swallowing. "All four of us moved up in advancement, right?" Zoey blinked at her. Well. Maddy was from the Sovereign. Hardly some random wayfarer pulled off the street. Zoey guessed she was better braced to take astounding news than most people. Despite her apparentck of concern, though, she knew Maddy would be chewing over the announcement for a while. epting things at face value and truly digesting them were different matters altogether. Delta also snorted at Maddy''s reaction. "The skill I got is the coolest out of everyone''s," she said, moving past the heavier topic, "so I can go first." "You don''t even know what ours are," Rosalie pointed out. "Doesn''t matter. Mine is still the coolest. Yes, even better than Zoey''s." The foxgirl twitched. "Though, I am curious what you got, like always." Zoey paused. "One of them is pretty ¡­ interesting." Her brow furrowed. "But not in the usual way. It''s different from anything we''ve seen so far." And because of that, she had been looking forward to a moment where she could discuss it with her team. "The other is pretty cool in a more normal way, though." That one, she was excited to work with Maddy on. Delta, as the rest of the team, was obviously interested by the foreshadowing. Rosalie already knew Zoey''s abilities¡ªshe had been the one to read them, obviously¡ªbut the others didn''t. Zoey insisted, "You go first though." Delta had sounded genuinely excited to share. The grin slipped back on. "Alright," she said. "You ready?" Rosalie looked around. "As long as you aren''t about to cause a bunch of property damage, or something. We have a reputation to maintain in Mantle. It''s not like Treyhull, where we''ll be leaving soon. We''re here for the foreseeable future." "Nah, it''s fine. Check it out." She scooted to the right, pressing her shoulder into Rosalie''s and making space on the seat to her left. Her face screwed up briefly in concentration, and a shadowy figured started toe fuzzily into existence. In less than a second, it finished manifesting. "Say hello to shadow-me," Delta grinned. The dark figure to her left gave a polite wave. With wide eyes, Zoey took the image in. "Woah," she said. "She looks just like you. Identical." Except ck throughout: orange hair reced with semi-translucent shadow, and the same for her skin and clothes, with varying degrees of opacity and thickness to give the form a clear shape and depth. "Is she¡ªcontrolled? Or how does it work?" "Yep. Controlled," Delta said, beaming at her shadow clone. She was obviously proud of the skill''s development. "Can do anything I can, except at half power. Have to order her around myself, though, or she''ll just sit there." "Fascinating," Rosalie said, her tone, for once,pletely earnest. She peered past Delta to take in the shadow clone. "Mentalmands? How difficult is that?" Delta wrinkled her nose. "Very. You know those dexterity tests where you have to move one hand in one pattern, and the other in a different? Imagine that, but with two whole bodies." She frowned as she watched her shadow clone start counting upward on her fingers, raising each digit in turn. "It''s easier when I''m just sitting here. Making her do stuff when I''m upied is ¡­ hard." "Sounds like you''ll need to practice," Rosalie said. "What an incredible ability, though. The tactical uses are ¡­" she trailed off, an almost wondering expression appearing on her face. "Insane." Zoey hid a smile. Sometimes she forgot how obsessed Rosalie was with wayfaring life¡ªit wasn''t just something forced onto her. Rosalie had adopted an almost dreamy look, imagining how useful two bodies would be inbat. Or even all aspects of a shard. The utility purposes were incredible as well. "Can you see through her?" Maddy asked curiously. "Yeah. And her other senses. Have to ''tune into them'', though. Kinda necessary if I want her nking and taking other angles than me, where she''s not in my line of sight. It''s super nauseating, though. Getting used to it is gonna be as much a problem as learning to control her." "Are you making her look at me?" Rosalie asked. "Her eyes are tracking mine." "Oh. Yeah," Delta said, turning to look at her clone. "It works like that for some reason. She reacts in basic ways. Don''t fully get it yet." Delta lifted her hand up and, holding a flick, brought it close to the shadow''s forehead. She went cross-eyed at Delta''s proximity, then Delta released, her finger thumping into the girl. The shadow reared back and blinked rapidly. She didn''t rub at her forehead though, which Zoey would have expected. "See? Pretty interesting." "Huh," Zoey said. "Are we gonna need to equip her?" "She gets copies of my own daggers." Emphasizing Delta''s point, the shadow¡ªof coursemanded by its owner¡ªlifted a dagger and set it on the table. The shadowy form of the weapon persisted there. "But maybe having real ones would be stronger? No clue." Zoey picked the dagger off the table, surprising herself when her fingers wrapped around the hilt without problem; it was physical, just like the clone herself. She turned the weapon from side to side, inspecting it. Indeed, she recognized the item as Delta''s equipped dagger, except ck and the slightly transparent, like the shadow''s body. "Weird," Zoey murmured. "You''re right. That''s an amazing skill." "Is there a penalty for her being hurt? Or killed?'' Rosalie asked, as curious as always about the limitations and implications of the skill. "Does damage reflect onto you?" "Tested that earlier," Delta said. "I can feel her getting hurt, but it''s not debilitating. It''s not reflecting the damage, just a heads-up. When she goes down, though, she disappears. Can''t call her out for a good chunk of time after that." "How long?" "About twenty minutes." Rosalie made a noise. "So if it happens in a fight, she''s out for the rest of the encounter. Possibly several, if we''re taking a fast pace through a shard." "Yep. She''s expendable, but not to the extent I can get her killed whenever I want. Or rather, that''d be a waste, in most situations." "Even so," Rosalie murmured, her eyes locked on the shadow. "What an amazing ability. That has to be one of the strongest fourth advancement skills I''ve heard of." She paused, then turned a dry look at Zoey. "Besides a certain someone, who we shouldn''tpare ourselves to." Back to Delta. "Even operating at half your strength, the implications of being able to be in two ces at once, at targeting multiple nks by yourself, greatly outstrips just a ''fifty percent boost.'' It wouldn''t surprise me if, once you learn how to use her, you''ll be twice as effective as you were. Not to mention the stat boosts from your rank up. Just incredible¡­" Delta seemed smug at the blonde''s words of praise. Seeing her expression, Rosalie realized how much she''d been gushing over the skill, then blushed and tore her eyes from the shadow. She cleared her throat and said, "I''m just interested to see how she develops." "Same," Delta said, for once not teasing Rosalie. "I''ll probably need help getting used to her. I''m not kidding when I say she''s really hard to control. Especially when I''m fighting in my own body as well." "Of course. We''ll have plenty of time to train, now that we''re in Mantle." Delta turned to Zoey, a mischievous grin instantly pulling on her lips. "Now, Zoey, you can go ahead and ask. Don''t think I didn''t see it on your face. Tell me, what kind of idea did you have, seeing my new skill?" 6.37 – Under the Table I 6.37 ¨C Under the Table I Zoey''s face had indeed been reddening as Rosalie pressed Delta for details on her shadow skill. By the devious twinkle in her purple eyes, Delta knew exactly what had inappropriately invaded her thoughts. "N-Nothing," Zoey stammered. "What do you mean?" She squirmed in ce, not wanting to out her rather inappropriate thoughts. Delta grinned, seeing through her, until she eventually took pity and rolled her eyes. "Here," she said. "I''ll let you find out yourself." The shadow put her elbows onto the table, leaning forward so that her face closed the distance to Zoey. Impassive ck eyes looked at her, not unnerving exactly, though certainlycking the normal warmth found in Delta''s. "Go ahead," Delta said. "Touch her." Growing more flustered by the second, Zoey nced at Maddy and Rosalie. Embarrassingly, they were just looking at her, confused; they didn''t understand what was going on. Yes, Zoey was definitely the most perverted of them. They were just fascinated by how incredible the skill was for its intended purpose. They didn''t understand what she and Delta were talking about, or why the shadow had leaned forward across the table. At least one other person was guilty. Zoey doubted it had taken Delta long to be curious in that way, either. Unable to help herself, Zoey reached out and gently poked at the shadow''s forehead. Like before, she went cross-eyed as her gaze focused on the digit pressing into her. Zoey found herself amazed, though not surprised, that the shadow felt fully realistic, just like the shadow-dagger had. She moved her finger down, tracing the bridge of her nose, then poked at her cheeks. Soft skin met her touch, as sensually urate as a real person. Quickly losing herself in fascination, Zoey''s thumb found its way to the shadow''s lower lip, and she tugged, exposing the soft, slick underside as it curled down. Again, all urate, including her teeth, and the slippery feel of her lip''s inside. The shadow let her jaw fall slowly open, revealing the full interior of her mouth. Zoey couldn''t help herself: she kept exploring. She ran her thumb in a full sweep along the inside of her lower lip, then swapped fingers and delved deeper with her pointer finger, poking at the girl''s tongue. Abruptly, the shadow closed her mouth around the invading digit and, with a pouting expression and her eyes locked firmly to Zoey''s, started sucking. Zoey froze there for several long seconds, feeling Delta''s shadow-tongue slip and slide against her finger, sucking in a very intimate way. To her side, a squeaking noise interrupted the reverie Delta''s clone had put her under. Zoey''s attention turned to Maddy, to see her staring at the disy with a brilliantly red face. Rosalie''s cheeks had likewise darkened, understanding finally dawning¡ªthanks to the tant show Delta was putting on. Embarrassed, Zoey pulled her hand back, the motion producing a popping noise as she escaped the shadow''s sucking mouth. "So the answer is yes," Delta said, her grin having grown devilish. "It works like you think. She''s urate all the way through. And I mean all the way through." She waggled her eyebrows. "Wow," Zoey said. She tried to find her words, something more eloquent than that, but just ending up repeating herself. "Wow." She swallowed. "That''s, uh, pretty cool." "In fact," Delta continued. "I kind of want to test a few things myself. Need to start training my control with her, right?" Delta didn''t let them wonder what that meant for long. She got straight to demonstrating. Seizing control of the shadow, she made the figure slouch down the back of the booth¡ªwhich then kept sliding, until she had slipped out of view, leaving her seat empty, hiding herself underneath the table. "Oh," Zoey said, heart abruptly mming. "Are you, uh, sure we should¡ª?" Her words cut off abruptly as hands started ying at her waistband. The button to her pants popped open. "Ah," Delta said, seeming satisfied. "I''m getting better with the dexterity of her fingers. It''s harder than you think, undoing buttons. That kind of fine control." A loud zipping noise filled the air. "Zippers are a little easier, at least," she said. Zoey sat up ramrod-straight in her section of the booth, suddenly very alert as she scanned their surroundings. They were in the corner of the inn, as secluded of a location as they could find, but that hardly meant they were alone in the building. The two nearest booths were empty, giving them some privacy, but people were still walking around, drinking, eating, and speaking loudly, the typical environment for an evening spent inside a tavern. Especially with how Zoey was sitting on the edge of the booth rather than the inside portion, the shadow figure of Delta''s clone couldn''t be all that inconspicuous. Dim-lit atmosphere or not. Despite her mming heart, she had the good sense to voice those concerns. "Is this, uh, a good idea?" she struggled out as a hand started rubbing at her crotch, making fourteen inches of cock swell up and slide down her pant leg, hardening under the attention Delta''s shadowvished onto her. "Rosalie just said we''re here for the long haul. In Mantle. So maybe, um, we¡ª" She cut off as she felt the figure under the table nt a kiss straight onto her cock head. Overtop her clothing or not, it made Zoey''s back arch slightly, and her next wordse shakily. "Maybe we shouldn''t?" "Just swap ces with Maddy," Delta said, not dissuaded in the slightest. "I''m keeping an eye out. We''ll be fine." Zoey turned her attention to Rosalie to get her input on the matter, but the blonde was just staring wide-eyed with a zing face, maybe more flustered than Zoey, thanks to what she knew, but couldn''t see, was happening underneath the wooden b of the tabletop. "Y-Yeah," Maddy stammered. "We should swap ces. It''ll be less obvious." No voiced protests from Maddy, either. Zoey was on her own. Maddy didn''t give Zoey much chance to respond before she had already scooted over, then up and onto Zoey''sp, deciding to take the more direct approach to changing who was sitting on the outside of the booth. Zoey sucked in a gasp of air as the mage''s ass rubbed against her cock as she slid across, restricted by the table''s lip with both of them stacked, then down onto the bench as Zoey also shifted over to help finish the seating change. "Probably would''ve been easier to just let her stand up," Delta smirked at Maddy. "But I won''t me you for stealing a feel." "T-That''s not it," Maddy protested. "It was just faster that way." "Uh-huh. And I''m about to suck Zoey off underneath the table because it''s a good dexterity exercise. We''re on the same page." Delta gave a serious nod, which had Maddy''s face ming even redder. Zoey might have retorted if the shadow didn''t finally start tugging on her pants. She hesitated for a second before lifting herself an inch up and letting the persistent motion go through. Both her pants and boxers slid down to her knees in one swift tug, exposing fourteen hard inches of girl cock to the air, which Delta swiftly wrapped her fingers around to hold steady. Zoey sat back down, the cool booth on her ass feeling extremely scandalous. Which was fair. Since she was now sitting half naked in a public ce, with her teammate''s shadow clone holding her cock. Having Maddy to block the view, alongside the dim lightning and semi-secluded location, assuaged her burning nerves somewhat¡ªbut definitely not all the way. "So," Delta said. "Go ahead, Zoey. Tell us about your skills. I''m dying of curiosity." A loud, meaty p filled the air as Zoey''s cock was pped straight onto, presumably, the clone''s face. A shudder went through Delta too, having felt the sensation, if filtered through the ability. Her purple eyes took on a hazy expression, a shiver going through her¡ªa familiar look, even if it wasn''t actually Delta down there, between Zoey''s legs. "Don''t get too distracted, now," she murmured, resting her chin on her hand, holding Zoey''s eyes, even as, underneath the table, soft lips ced a gentle kiss onto Zoey''s cock tip. "We all want to know." 6.38 – Under the Table II 6.38 ¨C Under the Table II Zoey leaned back into the booth seat, taking a rxed posture to try to calm herself. Which had maybe the counter-intended effect, since the new vantage gave her a peek underneath the table, where her fourteen-inch cock was draped heavily across the shadow''s face. She rubbed gently up and down, one hand pressing into the side to further smoosh Zoey against her face. Her eyes were closed, mouth slightly parted as the heavy b of girlcock ran across her delicate features. Zoey throbbed once, hard, her cock jumping in the shadow''s hand. Zoey tore her eyes away before the sight overwhelmed her. Except the image above wasn''t much safer. Delta, Rosalie, and Maddy stared at her with varying levels of blushes and wide eyes. Delta grinned with a hazy look, chin on her hand as she looked at Zoey, feeling everything her shadow did. "Well?" Delta said. "We''re waiting." Right. Her skills. That could be her saving grace. The distraction she could seize ahold of. Though, being watched by all three of her teammates while she was obviously being pleasured underneath the table ¡­ that was a difficult task to keep a level head through. "You said there were two of them?" Delta prompted, clearly finding Zoey''s flustered state amusing. "Two of your runes advanced? Which?" "Yeah," Zoey said, grateful for the helping hand. "Bonding and Arcana." That captured Delta''s attention. Her eyes widened, and she leaned forward, more interested. "Those are the two best. Your mythic, and yourbat rune. What ridiculous shit did you get this time?" "I''ll start with arcana," Zoey struggled out. "The bonding one is gonna be a discussion and a half." Rosalie snorted. "It''s a mythic rune''s fifth-advancement ability. Of course it is." She already knew what Zoey''s two abilities were, having been the one to read them from her tab anima back in the bedroom. Though they hadn''t had much of a chance to discuss it. Zoey faced Maddy since this ability was most relevant to her. The mage was responsible for helping Zoey develop and utilize her magical abilities to their fullest extent. But Maddy''s eyes didn''t meet hers. The petite girl was leaning back against the booth seat, seated at an angle that allowed her to see under the table. Her attention was locked on Zoey''s cock and the shadow rubbing her face into her meaty member in long, slow strokes. Delta''s lips curled up, seeing the mage''s distracted state. She seized control of the shadow, having the figure face Maddy. Grabbing Zoey''s cock, she pulled back and nted a wet kiss on Zoey''s tip, winking at Maddy as she did¡ªthe action obviously more for her than Zoey. Then the shadow gestured up Zoey''s body, trying to draw Maddy''s attention back to reality. Gray eyes flicked up to Zoey, then around the table, to see that all three of them were staring at her. The mage squeaked. "S-Sorry! Did you ask me something?" "Just waiting for you to pay attention," Delta said. "Zoey has a skill to share. It''s impolite to ignore her, even if there''s something more fun going on." A loud p of cock-on-face filled the air as if to emphasize her point, making both Zoey and Maddy nce back down. Deltaughed. "Seriously, stop distracting her," she scolded Maddy. "I wanna know what skills she got." "You''re the one underneath the table," Maddy protested. "How am I distracting her?" "What? I''m not. My shadow is. I can''t be med for her actions." Zoey shook her head in exasperation and faced Maddy again, determined to push through. Even when Delta ran a wet tongue up the length of her cock, ending at her tip and licking around the ridge, she focused on her goal. "It''s another element," she said with some difficulty, holding eye contact with Maddy, ignoring the blushes on both their faces. "Lightning. So I''ll need help figuring it out, like with ice." The words took longer than they should for Maddy to digest, which was fair, since they had taken longer than they should have for Zoey to struggle out. Eventually, understanding dawned, and Maddy blinked, her flustered expression clearing slightly. "Oh? Another element? Lightning?" She tilted her head as she considered. "That''s amazing. Lightning has incredible destructive potential. Less utilitypared to ice, but seriously powerful." "That''s what I figured." "I wonder why ice and lightning were what you were given," Maddy mused, her blush lessening by the second as she genuinely mulled over the situation¡ªlike Rosalie, easily distracted when it came to matters of her wayfaring domain. "Seems a bit disconnected from your ss as a whole. But I guess there aren''t many elements that connect to ¡­" she paused as she obviously didn''t know how to phrase it. "A sex goddess ss?" Delta suggested. "Bonder," Zoey said firmly. That had been the name Ephy had used way back when. "I like mine better." "R-Regardless," Maddy said. "Lightning. Especially with all of your boosting abilities ¡­ and Arcane Link, too, which we haven''t used that much ¡­ you''ll be able to create some devastating attacks." "I knew a lightning mage," Rosaliemented. "I think of any individual element, it''s the most individually destructive." "No," Maddy disagreed instantly. "Something chaos or void aligned would definitely be more dangerous overall. Far fewer means of resisting, both for monsters and people." She paused as she realized that she''d rather bluntly dismissed Rosalie, which wasn''t like Maddy''s normally polite nature. Another sign of the girl getting caught up in her field of interest. "T-Though those elements don''t show up in lower advancements, and lightning is probably the strongest offensive mid-tier element, which is probably what you meant." Rosalie nodded. "I would offer to sketch up a few spells for you," Maddy told Zoey. "But considering just where we are ¡­" she nced at Rosalie. "I think we''ll be able to find better resources than my scribblings. I''m not a lightning mage or even an ice mage. You''ll want to get your hands on higher quality resources now that we''re no longer limited in such a way." "There''ll be something in my family''s library, yes," Rosalie said. "Even if not, I''d be able to make arrangements." "You''ll still teach me, though?" Zoey asked Maddy. "Hm? I bet the d''Celestins could find a real lightning mage to tutor you. Why me?" Zoey frowned. "Because I want you to? If that''s fine? I like spending time with you, and we''re already so busy as things stand." The blush that had slowly faded from Maddy''s face reared back up, and for a different reason this time. "If that''s what you want, I don''t mind," the girl said, looking away. "I ¡­ also like teaching you." Zoey smiled, opening her mouth to reply¡ª Then sucked in a gasp of air as wet heat surrounded her cock. Delta had briefly eased up on her teasing to let Zoey talk, but hade back with a vengeance. Zoey''s cock tip prated a tight ring, sliding down a wet hot tunnel with no forewarning as Delta''s shadow clone took Zoey into her throat. Her back arching, Zoey sat there, frozen for a second. A loud choking noise came from underneath the table as Delta''s clone struggled to hold Zoey in her airway. "Oops," Delta said. "Didn''t ruin the cute moment, did I?" Zoey forced herself to rx, trying to ignore the foxgirl choking on her cock. Which was obviously not an easy task. "I mean it," she said earnestly to Maddy, whose eyes were flicking between Zoey and the girl underneath the table, wiggling a bit further down Zoey''s cock with each second. "Maybe considering the gravity of everything, I should be focused more on efficiency, but I would much rather have you teach me than some random person. Even if you aren''t a lightning or ice mage, you''re obviously great at what you do." "T-Thanks," Maddy said. "And, um, yeah, I''d be happy to. But you''ll want to pick up a book of spells, at least. I can help you learn them, but designing spells from the ground up is probably too much work, only for an iffy result." Zoey nodded. She looked down to herp, where the shadow had her lips wrapped around her cock a few inches above the base. Taking pity, she grabbed the back of the girl''s head and pushed down violently. She finished sheathing herself, Delta''s shadowy lips kissing into the base of her crotch. "Thanks," Delta said, shivering in ce as the ghostly sensations echoed onto her. "Thest few inches are killer. Why the hell are you so big?" The clone choked loudly under the table as if in agreement, the vibrations massaging Zoey''s cock. "And your other skill?" Rosalie prompted, clearly trying to ignore the lewd happenings underneath the table. "What''d you get for your bonding rune? That''s the one we really need to talk about." 6.39 – Under the Table III 6.39 ¨C Under the Table III Delta''s clone sat there obediently, buried onto Zoey''s cock, providing a hot, wet sheathe for Zoey''s member to twitch and throb against. She didn''t continue moving, simply rested on her knees, eyes fluttering as the seconds ticked by, not pulling off. "Doesn''t she need to breathe?" Zoey asked. Delta''s head¡ªher real one¡ªalso seemed to be swimming from theck of air. Even resting her chin on her hand, she seemed kind of wobbly, eyes fluttering not as violently as her clone, but definitely fluttering. Almost idly, she reached up with her other hand and rubbed at her throat, as ifing to terms with the false echo-sensationsing from her clone, who had fourteen inches bulging the tunnel violently outward. "That''s what I''m testing," Delta murmured. "Also, hurry up and tell us already. What''s your bonding skill?" Zoey couldn''t help but think this was supremely unfair, having to organize her thoughts while a girl''s throat was squirming against her cock¡ªespecially since Patron was going to be an ability requiring loads of discussion. Then again, maybe it was unfair in the opposite way of how she meant it. How had she ever gotten so lucky to constantly end up in situations like this? With three blushing girls watching another pleasure her underneath a table? Once again, Zoey forced herself to calm. She had a discussion to get through. "It''s called Patron," she said. "The description verbatim is, with a High Priestess, ritualistically select a non-Bonded target to be a Patron of. Funnel Holy Energy into the target to progress them through advancements." The words hung in the air for several long moments. "What?" Delta eximed. "The hell? You can just level people up, now?" "I have no clue," Zoey said. "It''s obviously something to do with Aria. And Ephy encouraging me to start a ¡­ following, I guess." That whole mess was still hard toe to terms with. "I can make a few guesses. I bet that ''holy energy'' is something that I''ll earn from having a following." "Damn," Delta said. "What a crazy skill." She rubbed her forehead and leaned back, digesting the news. "If you were normal, I''d assume you wouldn''t be able to do much besides give a small bump in experience. But knowing all of your other skills, I bet you''ll give big boosts. Maybe even skip lower-advancement people through entire progressions." "Wow," Maddy said, eyes wide. "Yeah. It''s a crazy one. Was wondering what you three thought of it. Or more like ¡­ what should I do with it? Who should I use it on?" They paused. "Only works on non-Bonded targets," Delta said. "So good question. Means nothing to us." She tilted her head. "You bonded with Sabina?" "No," Zoey said. "Limited slots. Figured I''d save them for actual shard teammates." Though she admittedly had considered bonding Sabina a number of times, to give her the slew of benefits that came with that ability. Maybe it was a good thing she hadn''t. "She was my first thought too." Rosalie pursed her lips. It was obvious she had opinions on the matter, yet she didn''t open her mouth to voice them. Zoey knew what they were. It went back to one of their earlier discussions. Zoey leaned back with a sigh. "Which takes us back to that same point from before," she said. "Efficiency versus sticking with our friends. Why move Sabina through progressions when the d''Celestins have even better alchemists on retainer, already?" Rosalie rxed, visibly pleased that she didn''t have to be the one to broach the subject. Delta frowned. "I mean," she said. "Seeing how we''re apparently hiding all of the stickier business from Rosalie''s dad, we gotta stick with Sabina for potion stuff. All the high-advancement alchemists in this city probably have loyalty to the d''Celestins." She nced at Rosalie. "Or more specifically, Enzo and the highguild." She shrugged. "And the ones who don''t, we have no reason to trust. I think trust trumps everything at this point." Rosalie considered this, then nodded almost to herself. She clearly agreed. She hadn''t wanted to bring the topic up herself because she didn''t want to rock the boat¡ªdespite Delta forgiving her about the whole d''Celestin mess, Rosalie was still a little on edge. She didn''t want to start a heated discussion so soon after. But it seemed there was a rational reason to not have to worry about it. "Good point," Zoey said. "So you think Sabina''s who we should try it on first?" Delta shrugged. "Nobody I can think of is crucial to our future ns. So I guess it''s dealer''s choice. Use it however you want." She considered. "You think Aria got a ss, as some kind of High Priestess? She''d probably be a good target to use it on." Zoey nodded; she had also considered this. "Still need to talk to her. Probably my number one priority, once I have time to myself. I was thinking Fe too, since we''ll want an artificer we can trust, but we don''t know if she''ll even be showing up to Mantle." She grimaced. "Having a different artificer identify the weird items we find would make it hard to keep our situation under wraps, though. So hopefully she does." Deltaughed. "At the same time, I would pay money to see Rosalie''s dad react to that. Someone reporting to him that we found a dildo in one of our shards. Gods. Can you imagine?" Rosalie made a kind of choking noise at the possibility. "We need to keep our situation a secret," she said firmly. "My father can''t find out." Delta snickered. She opened her mouth to continue teasing, then trailed off. Her hand moved up to rest on her own throat¡ªthe movement apanied by a choking sound underneath the table. "Oh. She''s, uh ¡­ almost out of air. Can feel it in my head. Weird." She shook her head, then locked eyes with Zoey. "You know ¡­" she started slowly. "I''ve always wondered what it''d be like to literally choke on cock. Until I pass out." She shivered at her own words¡ªor maybe from the echo sensations of her clone running out of oxygen. "Also, I need to know whether she disappears on knock-out, instead of something fatal. Wanna find out together?" Her voice took on a husky tint. "Go ahead. Use her up before she''s gone. Cause I''m not letting her breathe, so she might not be here for much longer." Zoey looked down at the shadow buried fourteen inches onto her cock. Her throat was spasming, choking and coughing noises escaping past the thick blockage crammed into the tight tunnel¡ªthose passive reactions that Delta couldn''t explicitly control. She definitely didn''t have much air left. A strange thrill went through Zoey at Delta''s request. Use her until she literally passed out? Throat-fuck her into unconsciousness? Even if the clone was more a physical illusion than anything, the idea was oddly tititing. Zoey''s hand, almost without intending to, dug into silky ck shadow-hair. She pulled roughly, sliding the girl eight inches up, but not high enough she could breathe again, then mmed back down, thrusting her hips up to properly shove into the girl''s throat. The shadow gurgled around the intrusion, only further pleasuring Zoey''s member with the spasming. "Fuck," Zoey murmured, spreading her legs and hunching forward over the table as her second hand joining the first, so that she had the girl''s head firmly in her grip. "She feels so good," she panted. She quickly lost herself in the growing ecstasy. She''d held off as long as she could, but now, especially with Delta''s lewd request, she couldn''t help herself¡ªcouldn''t resist. Her hips started to slide back and forth along the seat, awkwardly thrusting into the wet tunnel holding her huge girth. Rosalie and Maddy watched in silence, faces flushed at the sloppy noisesing from beneath the table, growing in intensity with each passing second. Zoey panted loudly into the air, savoring the throat stretched around her cock. The choking noises became desperate, then, as Zoey relentlessly abused her toy, started to fade. Delta''s own breathing came faster and faster, the foxgirl having leaned back, starting to shudder in ce. Her arm moved back and forth, out of view of Zoey, but Zoey knew she was rubbing herself over her clothing, unable to help from pleasuring herself in her excitement over the moment. Zoey''s eyes flicked around the tavern, seeing the dozens of unaware people in the short distance. She couldn''t believe she was doing this in all but in view¡ªand that they weren''t being caught. The gurgling dimmed, then stopped entirely. The shadow went limp, muscles losing strength. Delta let out a keening noise at it finally happening, her back arching as her rubbing reached a crescendo. At seeing her partner cum at being, in a roundabout way, literally throat-fucked into unconsciousness, having felt everything through the shadow''s link, Zoey''s own climax rushed through her. She mmed the limp girl''s head forward, all the way down her throat, then, toes curling, lost her battle against the raging heat. Her climax coursed through her veins, fire exploding up her cock as her member twitched wildly, spilling its load into the limp shadow''s stomach. Hips moving in tandem with her grip on the girl''s head, Zoey emptied herself into an unresisting throat-pussy, the shadow simply taking it, not choking or gurgling in the slightest¡ªno longer present, just a toy to be used. Delta slumped down, eyes closed, leaning her shoulder into a flustered Rosalie''s as she rode through her climax. Zoey likewise shook in ce, hunched over the table lip for a good ten, fifteen thick spurts before she had finally emptied herself. Wrung out, Zoey pulled the shadow off of her cock, and the girl copsed into the ground, no longer supported. A few secondster, both Zoey and Delta panting loudly in the interim, the shadow jerked,ing back to consciousness¡ªcoughing and gasping for air. "O-Oh," Delta said. "Looks like that doesn''t make her go away. Good ¡­ good to know," she said hazily. "Wasn''t that a great skill-testing session?" 6.40 – Other Skills 6.40 ¨C Other Skills "So," Rosalie said to Delta, once her and Zoey''sbored breathing had calmed. "You just had her finish straight into your shadow''s stomach. What happens when you dispel it, now?" The table stared at her. "What? I''m asking relevant questions. I feel like we''ve been disrespectful enough to this establishment, haven''t we? Even if we somehow didn''t get caught." "That''s ¡­ a good point," Delta said slowly. She peeked under the table, where a semi-catatonic shadow rested, slouched against Delta''s side of the booth. "It''d be kind of a mess if it just dropped onto the floor. Especially when it''s Zoey." She gave a pointed look at Zoey. "Couldn''t you have cum a normal amount, for once?" "I don''t think that''s something I can help," Zoey said dryly. Delta''s lip quirked up. "No, I suppose you couldn''t. I did do a pretty good job." Sheughed. "Okay, what''s the n? Just hope it vanishes? Or escort her to the bathroom? Sneak mission time?" "Zoey''s skills are generally considerate," Rosalie said. "So it might disappear. But is it worth the risk?" "Probably not." Delta bit her lip. "Pretty sure a shadow person is gonna draw looks, though. People''ll know we''re wayfarers after that. No more privacy. So, how about we deal with it when it''s time to leave? She can chill until then. She''s out of view." Nobody had any counterpoints for that suggestion; Delta received a collection of shrugged agreements. Delta faced Rosalie. "So? Your turn. What''d you get?" "Two skills," she said. "To be honest, nothing as interesting as yours." Delta seemed a mix of smug and satisfied at her response. "Of course not. Like I said, I got the best one." Rosalie rolled her eyes. "The first is Phnx. When I''m fighting next to a shield-bearer, I gain additional damage and a portion of their resistances." "Oh? That''s good." Not more than a second passed before Delta perked up, an idea hitting her. "Wait, if you get a portion of their defensive stats, and Zoey shares everyone''s stats with everyone else, then¡­" she trailed off and blinked. "Then it sounds like I''ll be double-dipping," Rosalie agreed. "And it''ll be even more effective than it initially sounds." She nodded. "My ss definitely seems to be pushing me toward a fighter off-tank role. I expected to be more of a duelist, like my father." She shrugged. "Not that I''m upset. I''ll serve whatever role I need to." Delta paused, then smirked at her. "Yeah, I''m sure you would." It took a second for Rosalie to even understand the innuendo. When she did, her eyes narrowed into that familiar re, cheeks tinting pink. "Can we have one discussion without some manner of double entendre?" "Probably not," Delta said. "You make it too easy." She snickered. "Probably because you''re too easy." "And your second?" Zoey asked, throwing her girlfriend a line. "Titanyer." "Titanyer?" Delta asked, her teasing evaporating, reced with obvious interest. She leaned in closer to Rosalie. The blonde grew flustered for a different reason¡ªDelta''s closeness. "That sounds dramatic." "Yes, I suppose it is," Rosalie said. "I deal bonus damage when fighting enemies of simr and higher advancement. Of course, it scales with the difference." She paused. "It was an interesting skill to have received, immediately before I was forced to duel my father." "Oh, shit," Delta said. "I didn''t even think of that. There isn''t a bigger gap you could find than against¡ª" She paused and nced around the room. "Well, you know. Him. What''d it do?" "In the duel? Next to nothing," Rosalie said. "It gives me extra damage, not speed. Do you think I could even touch him?" "Fair." "We did test it, though. He let mend a direct blow, unimpeded. It ¡­ surprised him, how strong it was." She snorted. "Obviously, it didn''t hurt him in any real capacity. But he did take a step back." Delta''s eyebrows shot up. Maddy made a noise of surprise as well. "When we''re talking about a four advancement gap, that''s still unbelievable," Delta said. "You should''ve been like a mosquito biting him. Not even biting. Just bumping into." Rosalie nodded. "It scales with the gap. To a ridiculously enormous degree, apparently. Nheless, it''s only usable up to a point; it hardly allows me to fight that far outside of my range." She allowed herself a small smile. "But it''s definitely effective." "No joke." They each considered Rosalie''s two skills for a bit. As teammates, everyone''s abilities affected everyone else. They would probably identify the best synergies during shard exploration itself, or sparring practices, but it was still good to theorize as a group. Eventually, Delta faced Maddy, her contemtive look clearing up. "And you?" she asked. "What''d you get?" Maddy immediately put on an exaggerated pout, her shoulders slouching. "I mean,pared to all of you, nothing! Just a normal skill." Deltaughed. "That''s because you''ve only been on one shard with us. Keep adventuring with the goddess''s chosen, and you''ll start getting busted skills too." "Really? It works like that?" "Eh, no. Probably not. But it does seem like a little more than a coincidence, for us to be consistently getting such great skills." She shrugged. "Then again, I''m pretty awesome, so maybe the Heavens are just finally recognizing it." Zoey snorted. Delta raised an eyebrow at her. She cleared her throat and, to save herself, asked Maddy, "But what is it?" The illusionist hesitated for a moment, reminding Zoey that this was a personal question, and Maddy was the newest to their team and thus less-settled-in, but her internal debate didn''tst long. "Like I said, something normal. Hallucinatory Terrain. Illusions that I shape as part of the battlefield, or, you know, terrain in general, are much more effective at deceiving enemies. I think even bosses would be guaranteed to fall for it." "Oh," Rosalie said. "That has interesting tactical uses." "Tell me about it. Used right, I could lead them around on wild chases. Possibly straight off a cliff. Let us catch a breather, split enemies up, or¡ªwell, you know. Tons of options!" "The utility is enormous," Rosalie agreed. Her attention tilted slightly up and away, eyes unfocusing as she considered how best to use the skill. Eventually, they turned back down to Maddy. "I expected something nder with how you were phrasing it. That''s good, for your skillset. And unique." Maddy blushed. "But it''s not a sex clone, a funnel-holy-energy-to-level-people-up skill, or something that lets you hurt people four advancements higher, is it?" "Sex clone?" Delta protested. "That''s not all she is. You''re gonna hurt her feelings." She nced down between her legs. "Yeah, look. She''s pouting now." Zoey stole a nce under the table to see that, indeed, Delta had stered a pout on the shadow''s face. Zoey rolled her eyes. Maddy obviously hadn''t intended to phrase it like she had; her face had turned a deep red. "R-Right," she said. "I just meant a clone. A normal one. Not a sex clone. Why did I say that?" "Obviously, you''ve got something on your mind." Delta''s grin widened. "Methinks someone is jealous Zoey got all the attention." "D-Definitely not!" "Oh? So you don''t want your own turn? She''s still under there, you know." Maddy''s mouth worked soundlessly. "Anyway!" she finally choked out. "Let''s talk about other ways I can use my skill!" She faced Zoey with a pleading look, trying to find help. Zoeyughed and obliged. 6.41 – Holy Energy I 6.41 ¨C Holy Energy I After exploring Mantle for a bit and rxing from the high tensions of the unexpected¡ªor unexpectedly quick¡ªmeeting with Enzo, Zoey and her team returned to the estate at the top of the mountain. Of the necessary meetings she had to attend to, there was one she shouldn''t put off more than the others. After tracking down the portion of the d''Celestin guest rooms where Aria, Adrienne, and Sabina had been luxuriously stashed away, Zoey visited the most immediately important of her three peripheral allies. Aria. She''d promised her a thorough talk on what their future would look like, and seeing how the young priestess had uprooted her life at a moment''s notice upon a deity''s calling, she definitely deserved that talk as soon as possible. Aria opened the door only seconds after Zoey knocked. The priestess had one thing to loudly proim, the second she saw Zoey. "You didn''t tell me you were bringing me to the d''Celestins." Zoey paused, then asked, "Would you believe me if I said I didn''t know either?" Sheughed, stepping into the priestess''s room. Aria closed the door behind her. "Recent development. Rosalie was keeping it on the down-low." "For good reason! A d''Celestin, rxing inside one of the capital cities of the Striders. Insanity. That had to be so dangerous for her." She shook her head. "Anyway, that was a shock. I knew a literal call to action by a goddess was going toe with some surprising turns, but wow. A girl could''ve used a warning." "It was a surprise to all of us." Aria shook her head again. She walked over to one of the plush chairs in the corner of the room. She was wearing a nightgown, having settled down for the night. Zoey couldn''t help but steal a nce at her ass, which was rather generously hugged in by the silk outfit. "At least the amodations are nice. To put it very lightly. I don''t think I''ve ever seen a room this ¡­ ornate." Aria gestured at the other chair. "Join me? We''ve got some stuff to talk about, right?" "We do." Zoey walked over and sat. The two of them were quiet for a second, Aria considering her with a curious look. "So, answers?" she eventually prompted, lips quirking. "I''ve got some news of my own, you know." "You do?" "I moved up in advancement, rather randomly,st night. Advancement two. And the skill I got from my Rune of Worship is ¡­ interesting." Oh? Rune of Worship? And it had advanced? Zoey''s assumptions might turn out to be correct, from how this conversation was starting. A Rune of Worship was interesting by its own merit, too. She wondered what Aria''s first ability had been. She''d just been a simple temple priestess, so Zoey assumed nothing crazy. "Can I take a guess what is?" Zoey asked. "Sure?" "Does it have something to do with ''Holy Energy''?" Aria jolted. "Hey! How could you know that?" "I also got something rted to it." "You did?" She paused. "I guess that makes sense, considering what mine is. And that I''m supposed to be your high priestess." She pouted, crossing her arms. "You still could''ve let me surprise you, though. I was excited." "Right, sorry," Zoeyughed. "I should''ve." She tilted her head. "But my skill is just a way to use that energy, though. Yours?" "A way to gather it." Suspicious confirmed, then. "I figured I was gonna have to discover its usage, or something," Aria continued. "That there were hidden extra abilities, something I would be able to do with that energy." Her pout deepened. "But I guess I''m just toiling away for my Goddess''s benefit." She let out a dramatic sigh. "It''s hard being High Priestess to a nascent deity." Aria''s ¡­ Goddess? As in, her? Zoey shifted ufortably at that. Sheesh. That really was what was going on, wasn''t it? At least, those lofty heights were Ephy''s end goal. Aria noticed her reaction. "Ah," she said. "I guess you still haven''t adjusted to all of that, have you? That''s fair. I haven''t been able to stop thinking about it either. Honestly, even being High Priestess, or involved at all, is blowing my mind." "It''s not where I expected my life to go," Zoey agreed. She shrugged. "But I''m adapting. You''re just the first person to ¡­ call me Goddess." A weird feeling went through her at that. And a shiver. Not bad, necessarily? A very strange mix of emotions, which would take a while to unpack. "Anyway," she said. "You''ve been treated well, right? While we were gone? Sorry to run off. We had ¡­ business to take care of." Aria''s nose wrinkled. "I mean, Lucinda was really mad. Kinda scary so. But she didn''t take it out on us. I was mostly worried for you four the whole time. Then she dropped us off in the d''Celestin Estate, and we''ve been rxing in luxury since. Unable to leave, yeah, prisoners, which was a little bit concerning, but prisoners in luxury." Zoey rxed. She didn''t think any of them would have been abused while in Lucinda and then the d''Celestin''s care, but still, Aria was Zoey''s responsibility. And they had just abandoned her to go hunt down another shard. Aria pped her hands. "But you can''t tease me like that! Back to the skill stuff. What''d you get?" She blushed. "If you don''t mind telling." "You''re my High Priestess. I''ll share everything." That flustered Aria more than Zoey expected it to. "R-Really?" "Of course. I trust you. And we''re on the same team now." "Oh. Um. W-Well, thank you." The girl''s face had changed colors at an impressive speed, and now she couldn''t meet Zoey''s eyes. "I''ll do my best to ensure that trust is deserved." A short pause. "My ¡­ Goddess?" Zoey winced. "Yeah, none of that, please. Just Zoey." Aria nodded, then pursed her lips as she considered the request more deeply. "Maybe in private, we can be casual," she said. "But we do need to start fostering a certain image of you, among your followers. We''ll need honorifics." Zoey rubbed her forehead. Yeah, she supposed they would. As weird as all of this felt, she had to ept the path given to her. Especially since her skills were developing in a way where they utilized Holy Energy, now, not just Lust. "I suppose we do." She wondered what all of that would look like. Zoey had never been in any remote role of authority, leadership, or significance¡ªeven for the standards of regr, modern life, much less the kinds of people she was dealing with now. Rulers of factions and literal goddesses. "So, my skill is called Patron," she said, moving on from the disorienting other topic. "It lets me use Holy Energy to move people up in advancements." Aria stared at her. Her mouth fell slightly open. Several seconds passed with her wearing that dumbfounded look, before she shook her head to clear it. Her teeth clicked gently back closed. "I guess I shouldn''t be surprised," she said. "What else would the abilities of a growing goddess be? But still. Wow." "I''m assuming it''s so I can grow my following. Pick people that I want to be my allies and ensure they''re a simr advancement." Aria nodded, agreeing with her assessment. "Oh. And it says, ''with a High Priestess, ritualistically select.'' So it isn''t a targeted ability. You''re involved somehow." That didn''t surprise Aria either. "Rituals. Of course." Her head tilted. "What shape would those take for you, though?" "Sorry?" "Ephy''s are rather clear." Her cheeks colored, as did Zoey''s, remembering the thorough ''ritual'' she had engaged in with Aria, that had kicked off all of this. "But you''re not Ephythithys. Your aspect is ¡­" she didn''t finish, waiting for Zoey to answer with a curious expression. "Bonding." Zoey paused, then blushed. "Though not just that, I don''t think. I''m pretty sure Ephy had an influence on me." "So sexual intimacy is implied, somewhere. Just a softer, less hungry kind than Ephythithys''s." "I guess." "Hm," Aria said. "Since it includes bonding, I wouldn''t be surprised if the ritual should involve someone you have a deep connection to." "Oh?" She didn''t immediately understand what Aria meant by that. "You know," Aria coughed. "Like how you had help with me." The confusion cleared up. "Ah." She would need to enlist Delta''s help again, for future rituals. Zoey knew Rosalie wasn''t nearly as eager to sleep around with others, and she doubted Maddy would be either. The foxgirl would definitely not mind, though. And, huh. If she wanted to move Sabina or Aria up in advancement, she and Delta would have to ¡­ show them a good time. Together. Definitely not the worst requirement in the world. "I suppose I should tell you how my skill works, too," Aria said. "How we''re supposed to get the Holy Energy you need. There''s a few ways, actually." Oh. Yeah. They''d skipped that part. "Let''s hear it," Zoey said, bracing herself. 6.42 – Holy Energy II 6.42 ¨C Holy Energy II "The first way is the most obvious," Aria said. "How else would you expect a deity to gain Holy Energy? Through the worship of their followers." Zoey nodded; that announcement hardly caught her by surprise. "I''d figured it''d be something along those lines," she said. "Even wondered whether it would just happen, without needing a skill for it. " Though it turned out it would be through Aria. Zoey paused. "Speaking of, your skill description is telling you all of this, right?" Or was it just Aria''s intuition? "Its description, yes," Aria confirmed. "It''s a longer one than most. Multiple paragraphs." "What else does it say? Does it define what a follower is? Or what worship means? And how much we''ll get?" "No. It''s more organic than that, I think." That also didn''t surprise Zoey, since all skills tended to be sparse on the exact details behind how they worked. They had to be experimented with or observed to be understood. Like with Delta''s shadow. "The daily amount increases based not just on how many followers you have, but also how fervently they worship you," Aria continued. "How strongly they view you as a growing deity. That will probably be the biggest factor behind how much Holy Energy we''re gaining." "Huh," Zoey said. "But what does worship mean, specifically?" "Oh." Aria seemed surprised by the question. "The usual, I assume?" "What is the usual?" "How often they visit your temple, light incense or say prayers¡ª" "Prayers? For what?" Aria shrugged. "Blessings in your aspect. So romantic pursuits." Her cheeks colored. "And with how closely rted you are to Ephythithys, I assume certain other woes, like fertility issues or, you know ¡­ whatever else." Her deepening blush made it clear what ''else'' she was referencing. After a second of being flustered, sheughed suddenly. "I really need to be less awkward about this stuff," she said, "since I''m supposed to be your high priestess." "You''re in goodpany, at least." Zoey had hardly gotten over being flustered herself. She might never, honestly. Her ss was just too ridiculous. Much less all of this uing ''goddess'' nonsense. "It''s a lot to take in." "But yes," Aria said. "So long as they''re thinking of you, praying, visiting the temple, or simr activities of worship and acknowledgment, then you''ll be earning passive amounts of Holy Energy. Especially when your following isrge, I assume it''ll make up the bulk, if not nearly all, of your gains." Worshiping her. That idea was almost too weird for Zoey. Especially because she''d always been rather irreligious¡ªand the idea of starting any temple, much less one to herself, felt far more ''cult-y'' because of that fact. Then again, Zoey''s previous beliefs didn''t matter. Because gods and goddesses did exist. That wasn''t something that could be disputed. She had literally been sent to a new world by one. What she had believed back on Earth was irrelevant; she had physical proof. Worship meant something different, here. Something tangible. And besides, when it came to letting people worship who they wanted, adding in another goddess of intimacy was hardly going to change their lives much. She never nned to exploit or abuse her growing status, so there weren''t many moral quandaries created by her new situation, either. It was just a bit disorienting. As setting one''s self up as a goddess would naturally be. She briefly wondered why Ephy was okay with attention being siphoned away from her. Because fostering a new goddess¡ªZoey¡ªin such a simr domain, then encouraging her to gather followers, would definitely draw people''s attention away from Ephy and to her instead. Right? Undoubtedly, the sensuality goddess knew that, so she was okay with the eventuality. Perhaps because her influence was far wider than just this one world? Zoey was pretty sure the woman had mentioned that. So a few lost followers here wouldn''t matter much? Or perhaps Zoey would siphon less attention away than she thought. Ephy had explicitly told her to ''wear her colors'' more. For Zoey to make it clear that she was a champion of her. A rising tide lifted all boats, and all that. If Zoey, as a nascent goddess, aligned under Ephy, and were to grow in poprity, then so too would Ephy as a result. Another troublesome idea hit her. How was she supposed to spread her status as an icon of lust, a growing minor deity sponsored by Ephythithys, without alerting Rosalie''s father? He already knew who Zoey''s patron was, but starting a temple and encouraging worship of herself would surely cause problems. Or draw unwanted attention to just how lewd her skillset was, which Rosalie had vastly underyed. She would probably need to meet with Enzo to get permission to even do such things inside his city¡ªlikely, there would be bureaucratic loops to jump through for starting a temple of any kind, much less one so ¡­ nonstandard. Her headache continued to grow. "So followers will be the best way to get energy when my name is out there," Zoey said. "But there are other ways before that? That''s what you''re making it sound like." Aria nodded. "Followers are the slowest way, speaking at an immediate and individual level. There''s just the possibility of ruing a veryrge consistent base over time. But as a shorter-term, quicker means of gathering it, your priestesses can also help." "Priestesses?" Zoey asked. "Plural?" "Of course, I''m the only one you have now, but that isn''t going tost," Aria said. "Starting a temple is a lot of work. And what about future cities? Expansion to Haven, as well? We''re going to have to construct a whole hierarchy." She wrinkled her nose. "Nobody''s favorite part of anything¡ªbureaucracy and management." "Right." Zoey shook her head in incredulity. "It''s a good thing I have you to help. I can''t imagine where I''d start with all of that." "I can''t say I do either," Aria said, ncing away. "So it might be a bit bumpy at first. I''ll do my best, though." "Of course. I''ll be super grateful for whatever you can work out." "Anyway, as for how priestesses can gather energy," Aria paused, then coughed into a fist. "Well, there''s the standard stuff. I assume performing our own shows of worship would have a simr effect as normal followers, but amplified. And I bet actions like caring for your temple and spreading the word would also count. Beyond that, I think you can guess a few more direct ways we can harvest." Aria fidgeted in her seat. She looked up at Zoey, meeting her eyes¡ªthen seemed to make some decision, putting on an expression of determination. Abruptly standing, she walked over to Zoey with an exaggerated sway to her hips. Zoey straightened out in her chair, eyes widening as she watched the priestesse. The woman''s nightgown hugged her figure, the delicate fabric swishing as she moved. Before she knew it¡ªtheir chairs weren''t far apart¡ªAria had arrived and climbed onto herp. Unsurprisingly, Zoey''s body took no time to respond. Feeling the pretty girl''s ass against her cock, blood rushed down, swelling and thickening. Aria''s eyes widened as, seated on top of Zoey, she clearly felt the huge member filling with blood. Zoey would''ve sworn Aria was even raised up an inch. "We could, um, do some harvesting now," Aria mumbled, her temporarily gained confidence having onlysted the trip over¡ªdisappearing now that she was on Zoey''sp. "There''s likely a cooldown associated, so we might as well take the opportunity, right?" The girl was obviously not used to ying the seductress. Her blue eyes were wide and nervous as she awkwardly shifted her weight around on Zoey, her hands not seeming to know what to do¡ªeventually sping together in front of her, not even settling on Zoey''s shoulders or hips. Unfortunately, the timidity very much did something for Zoey. Her heart started mming inside her chest, provoked by the priestess''s proximity. Her cock throbbed at full mast inside her pants¡ªwhich the blonde priestess was shifting her hips back and forth to rub against. "And just so you know," Aria murmured. "There''s one thing that''s mentioned specifically in the skill. That gives a lot of energy." She leaned forward, lips drawing close to Zoey''s ear. "Breeding." A shaky breath escaped Zoey''s lips. "And I know you already took care of that earlier," Aria continued with a short, breathyugh, "but how about we make sure it took?" She rubbed herself back and forward more noticeably, stroking Zoey''s cock through twoyers of clothing. As attention-grabbing as the words were, Zoey''s thoughts briefly cleared up. She blinked at Aria. Because she had just remembered something she definitely should have told the girl earlier. "Oh, shoot," Zoey said. "I didn''t actually¡ªyou aren''t¡ª" She organized her thoughts. "Before me and Delta, um, performed that ritual with you, we took a potion." They might have been ying into the fantasy, as much for their own fun as for the ritual''s sake, but Zoey wouldn''t actually go around knocking up random priestesses. However wildly enthusiastic they were about it. Afterward, they''d been interrupted by Aria''s father, and Zoey had forgotten to tell her. "As in, one that makes us infertile. So you''re fine." Aria blinked. Her hips stopped moving atop Zoey''sp. "Huh?" "There''s no way you can be pregnant," Zoey told her. "The potion makes it impossible. I would''ve told you earlier, but I forgot. That''s my bad." She stared at Zoey. "Um," she eventually said. "Zoey, I don''t think that matters." "Excuse me?" "You performed a ritual to the goddess of fertility. One explicitly blessed by her¡ªone she showed up in person for. What would a potion matter?" Zoey stared at her. "What?" she asked dumbly. 6.43 – Holy Energy III 6.43 ¨C Holy Energy III "Ephy''s presence definitely overruled your potion," Aria said. She seemed amused that Zoey had thought otherwise. A smile tugged on her lips as she leaned forward to press her forehead against Zoey''s. Murmuring in a low, seductive tone, she said, "But, like I said, we can try again. Make sure it took. I don''t see any harm in that." Aria started grinding back and forth again, stroking her ass along Zoey''s throbbing-hard cock. But instead of enjoying herself, Zoey reached down and grabbed the priestess''s waist, forcing her to still. "Hey. Hold up a second. Are you saying¡ªyou think you''re pregnant?" "Well, obviously it''s too early to know for sure, but you finished inside me during a ritual directly overseen by the goddess of fertility." Sheughed. "You really think your seed wouldn''t take hold, there?" "I¡ª But¡ª Really?" Aria blinked, obviously sensing something off in her reaction. "Um. Yes. Does that bother you?" "Does it bother you?" "Of course not. Carrying the child of a goddess''s chosen, who might one day ascend into the pantheon herself, would be an honor I couldn''t dream of." She seemed bewildered by Zoey''s question. "But we aren''t¡ªyou know? Girlfriends? Much less wives." Zoey was highly at a loss by this revtion, and Aria''s reaction to it. In fact, Aria didn''t seem to understand her point. "Wouldn''t you want your partner to help raise your child?" Zoey asked. "Oh." Aria blinked. "Perhaps in a traditional arrangement. But motherhood is a blessing no matter what form it takes. And seeing how you''re aligned under the goddess of fertility, I had expected you would be ¡­" she struggled for a way to phrase it. "Well. Busy. Depositing your seed far and wide, as your aspect would demand of you. As I said, my skill even mentions breeding by name¡ªit''s likely one of the most effective ways for you to gain Holy Energy. I had assumed you''d be making a great many babies. Obviously, you wouldn''t be able to care for them all." Zoey gaped at her. "In fact, I had assumed you would be impregnating all of your priestesses," she continued. "Or at least the ones who wanted it. And I assume many would. I certainly wouldn''t be the only one to think this way. I bet plenty of your followers would ept a blessing like that too." "R-Really?" "Oh, sure. For all kinds of reasons. Some women can''t conceive naturally, or their partner is infertile, or perhaps even there will be single women who want a child. They''d naturallye to the woman directly imbued by the goddess of fertility if it was an option." Aria bit her lip. "Of course, it wouldn''t be a matter of ''starting a family'' with any of them. Rather, it would be ¡­ a divine blessing. And a choice for them to make, anyway. It''s not like they''d be uninformed." She leaned forward and kissed Zoey on the cheek. "It''s not like I didn''t know what would happen when I went into a ritual to draw Ephythithy''s attention." She bit her lip. "You''ve actually got me kind of worried it didn''t take, now. I was looking forward to it." She started grinding into Zoey''sp even faster, as if the possibility of not being pregnant had upset her, and now she wanted to make up for lost time. Zoey groaned at the sensation, her back arching in pleasure. "So," Aria said, flustered. "A second attempt won''t hurt anyone, just to be safe. We need the Holy Energy, anyway." Having a priestess¡ªone all but begging to be bred¡ªrubbing her ass into her cock made it a little hard to think. Her head spun as arousal coursed through her. But even as Aria continued to rock back and forth, breathing growingbored and panting hot air into Zoey''s face, she couldn''t help but have her thoughts run wild in different directions. Was that fine? To just go around knocking up random girls? Her eventual priestesses? Her followers? Aria? She guessed Aria was right: it was their decision to make. If they simply wanted a child from her, no strings attached, for whatever reasons they might have, then Zoey could hardly condemn that. And if they wanted it, then there wasn''t really a problem? Right? Plus she was saving the world while doing it. They needed that Holy Energy. As long as Zoey wanted it, and her partner did too, there were no problems. And, obviously, she did want it. She very much wished to lift Aria up, throw her onto the bed, and climb over her and breed the desperate priestess. The girl seemed equally excited by the idea, grinding against Zoey as she panted hotly with the idea of their uing session. The thought of pumping seed deep into her willing womb, unprotected, made Zoey''s head nearly swim. But. It was just ¡­ a bit much. Unannounced. Not thought over properly. In fact, it was because of how aroused she was, knowing she could pin the priestess down and paint her insides white and breed her¡ªproperly, this time, not a fantasy¡ªthat had Zoey wrestling with her spiking excitement. "H-Hold on," Zoey stammered. "I just, I need to think about it, first. At least." Even as eager to get going as Aria was, she slowed, then stopped. She put on a concerned expression. "Oh. You ¡­ don''t want to?" She did. Too much so. But that was the problem. "I''ve always been careful about using those potions," Zoey struggled out. "And I guess if everyone''s consenting, then there''s no issue, like you said. Just, I would rather make that decision with ¡­ a little clearer of a head." She looked down between them, where Aria was sitting on her thick, twitching cock, which was obscenely visible inside her pants. Aria blushed. "Y-You''re right, of course." She slid off Zoey''sp, hastily returning to her own chair. "Sorry, I just thought¡ªthat you already knew." She flushed. "It''s your decision as much as anyone''s, of course." "Not that I''m not interested," Zoey said. "But¡ªyeah." Aria nodded eagerly, trying to brush past the awkwardness. "I suppose we weren''t even done talking," Aria said, her face going deeper shades of red by the second. "I just got a little excited." She cleared her throat. "A-Anyway, when the timees, just know there''s an easy way for you and your priestesses to make Holy Energy." She visibly organized her thoughts. "There''s another thing we need to figure out. Two, actually." "Oh?" Zoey shifted in her seat, trying to calm her racing heart. She adjusted her pants. A part of her considered taking Aria up on her offer, even after all of that. Or to at least drink a potion and go at it in a lesser way¡ªit sounded like that would make Holy Energy too. But she didn''t trust herself right now. "What are they?" "Your name, for one," Aria said. "I mean, Zoey is a pretty name, but is that what you want to use officially? It''s fine if you do," she added quickly, "just, it would be a bit out of ce, among the rest of the pantheon." Zoey blinked. It took a second to digest Aria''s point; her head was still stuck somewhere else. But with some effort, she managed to focus. A name? A proper goddess''s one? "I''ll have to think that over, too," she said. "I guess something more dramatic would be expected." Like Ephythithys. It''d be kind of weird to worship a goddess named Zoey. Another bizarre thing to consider among many. "I''ll let you know?" Aria nodded. "Also," she said. "We should talk about Sabina." "Sabina?" That one came out of left field. What did the potion-maker have to do with all of this? "It seems to me an easy way to gain traction early, especially as a growing goddess of sensuality, is to tie in your potions to your temple. Maybe have your shop physically connected to our temple?" "Oh." Zoey thought about it. "Oh, yeah. That''s a great idea." She had been wondering how in the world Aria would spread the word of Zoey''s existence. Stand at a street corner and call out into the crowds? They could use their connections with the d''Celestin family, though that came with issues. "We already know how popr those potions are," she said, tracing Aria''s line of thought easily, without the priestess needing to fully exin herself. "And that was our first iteration, our initial efforts. We''ll do even better this go around. It''d draw flocks of people." "And when they buy some, they''ll associate it with your temple. Especially since it''s rted directly to your aspects." "It works perfectly." "I thought so too. But I didn''t broach the topic with Sabina, since I wanted to talk to you first." Sheepishly, she added, "Though mentally, I''ve been making ns with that being the case. It simplifies things greatly. At least, the gaining followers part." "It can also fund the temple," Zoey said. "I''m sure Rosalie would help us if needed, but I''d much rather be self-sufficient." Mooching off her girlfriend would feel weird, even if their ultimate goal was saving the world¡ªand hence could be justified. "Funding from outside sources alwayses with troublesome implications," Aria agreed. She perked up. "What''s even better is that when we sell those potions, and they use them, it might count as ''acts of worship,'' if they''re merchandise of the temple. I''m not wholly sure that''d work¡ªthey might have to purposefully be performing those, um, actions as an intentional devotion, but I could see us getting a trickle of Holy Energy." "That''s the n, then," Zoey said. "Next time I see Sabina and Adrienne, I''ll bring it up." She tilted her head. "How''s acquiring a temple even gonna work, though?" "Ugh," Aria said. "I''m sure it''ll be a headache and a half. But don''t worry, that''s something for me to worry about, not you." She shook her head. "Heavens know you have enough on your te." 6.44 – Doorways 6.44 ¨C Doorways When Zoey returned to her room, Delta was waiting inside, sprawled out on her bed, shirt riding up to reveal a hint of her stomach. At the sound of Zoey''s arrival, she sat up, fox ears pointing upward and twitching in a disy Zoey had learned meant excitement¡ªthough she could have read that on her face without the help. She waved a slip of paper at her even as she finished closing the door. "You better appreciate how much restraint it took." "Huh?" "You got a gift from our favorite princess." Blinking, Zoey walked forward and took the note from Delta. It read, in Rosalie''s handwriting, Closet, underneath the nket. You''ll see it. "What''s this?" "That''s what I''ve been dying to find out. But it''s a gift for you, or something like that, so I wasn''t gonna barge in and find out myself." She wrinkled her nose and jabbed a finger at her. "But only because I like you. It took a lot of restraint." "I like you too," Zoey said, amused. "And thanks. But, a gift? From Rosalie?" Zoey was already walking toward the closet, and Delta jumped up to join her. When Zoey opened one of therge double doors to the walk-in room, Delta slipped in first. She bee-lined for the obvious stand-out: the nket-covered object¡ªpiece of furniture?¡ªtucked out of the way, which had definitely not been there earlier. It was tall, thin, and rectangr, at least by how the fabric was draped across it. Definitely not a typical ''gift'', but then again, Zoey hadn''t expected it to be. Honestly, she didn''t know what to expect, with Rosalie having, with no exnation, deposited some piece of furniture into her closet. "Can I?" Delta asked, her hand already gripping the cover nket. "Go ahead." Without fanfare, the palpably curious foxgirl yanked the covering away, revealing the object underneath. It was ¡­ a door? A wooden door that could be found just about anywhere, distinctly not ornate or grand like the ones in the d''Celestin manor. It was fixed inside a doorframe, not standalone, which made it an even odder sight. "Huh?" Delta said. "The heck is this?" "Open it." She didn''t need to be told twice. She gripped the knob, turned, and pulled the door open. Zoey had already had a suspicion of what it would be, so she was only half surprised to see a shimmering ck portal appear, as they would find at a shard entrance. "Woah," Delta said. "I''m going in." "We should¡ª" But she''d already stepped through. Zoey sighed, more exasperated than annoyed, and followed after. She sank into the cool liquid. Within a single step, she had arrived somewherepletely different. Well. Notpletely. They were still inside the d''Celestin manor, it looked like, just in a new bedroom. One with far less frippery than the one Zoey, Delta, and the others had been staying in. Though still nice, still spacious, clean, and clearly of wealthy construction¡ªonlycking the ostentatiousness. Sitting in the corner of the room was Rosalie. She stood as Zoey and Delta arrived, obviously having been waiting for them. "Wait," Delta said. "Our rooms are nicer than yours?" "Of course," Rosalie said. "You''re in the guest quarters, which is where we host influential parties when they have business in Mantle. We have a reputation to maintain when ites to the presentation of those rooms. But that doesn''t mean we prefer such gaudiness." "I ¡­ guess that makes sense," Delta said, though she sounded surprised. She looked around Rosalie''s bedroom¡ªas Zoey did¡ªthough there weren''t any indicators of it being her room. But that was because she hadn''t grown up here; she was as new to this manor as they themselves were. The implication, though, was that their Haven estate was designed under simr principles. unt their wealth to the dignitaries, but simpler living for themselves. Well. ''Simpler.'' It was still a rich person''s room. "What''s up with the portal?" Zoey asked. She looked back; behind her, an identical copy of the door stood, a ck void shimmering inside. "I didn''t know you could make portals between ces." "A very expensive set of artifacts from one of my father''s shard explorations." She paused. "Or, I assume it came from my father. I took it from the family vault, since I was informed by a certain someone," she gave a dry look to Zoey, "that I would, under no circumstances, be allowed to spend my nights away from her." Zoey smiled. Rosalie had worked quickly on that problem. There had been a logistical concern about keeping their secrecy while continuing their rtionship, but portals helped take a few steps toward solving that. "Family vault?" Delta asked. "What else is in there?" "How''s the door work?" Zoey asked at the same time. "And how expensive is expensive?" "Priceless," Rosalie said. "Or rather, rare enough that naming a price would be pure conjecture, or vary wildly on the buyer. It only works for short distances, so it has limited real use." She winced. "Normally I would need to sign out such items, but I smuggled it. Let''s hope he doesn''t notice. I''m not sure if inventories are done on the vault, either. Not that there''s any reason he would be suspicious." She didn''t seem entirely sure of that, but mostly confident. How had she smuggled out two entire doors, along with their frames anyway? The answer came quickly: her inventory. Even after so much time in this world, her thoughts didn''t always go to those convenient magical abilities. Hard to shake a lifetime of living in¡ªwell, a non-magical world. "Vault?" Delta repeated. "With lots of cool artifacts?" Rosalie spared an amused look for her. "Yes, Delta. You''ll get to see it eventually, since we''ll be equipping ourselves there before our next shard. Though the usefulness of doing so is dubious, with how often our inventories are robbed. And, to bepletely frank, even the normal items we''re receiving are of extremely high quality, so we might not even need to." "Would still be cool to look through." Rosalie shrugged. "There''ll be time." She gestured at the portal door. "Close that, please." Zoey did so. "There''s a cloaking function as well," she said. "Not built in, but I had it arranged. You might have seen it. A small slip of paper attached on the bottom right. You can activate it to make the door go invisible." "Really?" Zoey leaned down to see, indeed, that there was a paper with someplex magical form on it. She tentatively reached out and tapped on it¡ªher only intuition¡ªand the door vanished. "I didn''t deliver it to you already invisible so you could actually find the thing," Rosalie said. "But you''ll want to keep it hidden, in case someone searches your room." She pursed her lips. "But to be honest, if my father is following us or otherwise spying, then he''ll find out sooner rather thanter¡ªand probably not through us having linked doorways. There''s not much we can do to stop a man of his means." "And you don''t think that''ll be a problem?" Delta asked. "Whatever reservations you have about him, we trust each other," she said. "I''m poised to inherit his empire, so it would be rather strange if he didn''t. So no. I don''t think he''s spying on me, as it would be a vition of that trust. Or even any of my allies, though I''m ¡­ less sure about that. If still mostly sure." She nced at the now invisible door. "None of that is to say we shouldn''t take obvious precautions. Being identally discovered is more than possible." "Huh," Zoey said. Delta had started walking around Rosalie''s room, peering at the living space. "Anyway," she said, turning around. "It''s kinda funny how quickly you figured out how to smuggle us in. Do I get a door too?" "You can use Zoey''s." "But then I''ll be seen sneaking away into her room every night. There''ll be rumors." Rosalie arched an eyebrow. "He''s aware you two have a rtionship, just not ¡­" she paused. "Us three." "Us four," Delta corrected. "Or are we ignoring how happily you had your face between Maddy''s legs, yesterday? Is that something you do with all your friends?" Rosalie''s cheeks colored. "That was a matter of shard exploration and team dynamics." Delta gave her an impressed look, and Zoeyughed. "The walls are soundproofed as well," Rosalie said, choosing to keep talking to move past the rather ridiculous thing she had said. "So we should be ¡­ fine. For, you know, whatever." That was the wrong thing to follow up with, because Delta only grinned wider. "Worried we might be getting loud, huh?" She fluttered her eyshes. "Doing what, pray tell? I thought you just wanted some nighttime cuddles. You aren''t expecting more, are you?" Rosalie ignored her. She faced Zoey. "So yes, everything should be sorted. How was your talk with Aria?" "Ah," Zoey said. She''d been casually checking out the room, but now she went and sat on Rosalie''s bed. The blonde joined her; Delta plopped down next, to the other side of Zoey. "Interesting," Zoey said after a few moments. Something in Zoey''s tone gave away that they''d discussed more than just her holy energy skill and the temple business, because Rosalie tilted her head. "Is there something you want to talk about?" Honestly, yes. Not just because the whole ''breeding'' thing had been on her mind for personal reasons, but because it was something that her girlfriends ought to have some input on too. The question was, how did she segue into that conversation? 6.45 – Approval 6.45 ¨C Approval "So," Zoey said. "How cool are you two with me knocking up other girls?" If there was no good way to broach a subject, why not at least make a joke in how bluntly she did so? Delta blinked, as did Rosalie. Unsurprisingly, the foxgirl answered first, barely fazed. "Well, first off, it''s hot," sheughed. "And second, you should''ve asked us that before you had amunion with the goddess of fertility." "Wait. You knew that would happen?" "I considered it," she said. "Aria thinks she''s pregnant? That''s what this is about?" "Well," Zoey said. "Nobody knows for sure, yet. But she thinks it''s likely." She coughed. "I was actually talking more generally, though. Apparently, um, impregnating women is a good way to earn holy energy. Especially priestesses, I guess. And Aria said most of them would take me up on that offer, if I made it." She rubbed the back of her neck. "I, uh, had mixed feelings on that, I guess?" "Mixed feelings," Delta said slowly, "as in, should you do them all at once, or in groups of twos or threes?" Zoey snorted, then outrightughed when she saw Delta was only halfway making a joke¡ªher incredulity was somewhat genuine. "Mixed feelings as in, is it ethical to be doing that." "If they''re agreeing, why not?" Delta asked. "Though if you feel weird about it, that''s fine too." She stared at her. "But I think there''s a lot of people who would hate you, if they heard you right now." She put on a mocking voice. "Oh, but should I knock up all these beautiful women throwing themselves at me? Or is that irresponsible?" "But isn''t it?" Zoey asked. "Irresponsible? And also, I wanted to know how you two felt about it. As my girlfriends." Rosalie shrugged, entering the conversation. "I''ve made my stance on your dalliances clear. It''s not like the possibility didn''t broach my mind, even with your potions. You could forget to take one. Or they could be fallible in some other scenario. So no, I''m obviously not caught off guard, and certainly not bothered." "Wouldn''t mind being there for some of them, if that''s an option," Delta grinned. "Team effort? Where I take the mouth, and you do the deed? Aria seemed to like it." Zoey coughed. "Okay, well, that''s good then." It solved one of her two majorpunctions. "But the whole irresponsible thing?" Sensing that Zoey was actually having a minor dilemma, Delta didn''t make another joke. She gave the question some thought. "Obviously, if you didn''t talk to your partner before a casual fling, and knocked them up, it''s a little questionable. Maybe more than a little, even if that''s the kind of thing that''s always a risk when you''re hooking up with strangers, so they should know better. But this isn''t that. Assuming it''ll be done as some, what, temple rite, then they''ll be going in with plenty of understanding of what the situation is. If they want it, and you want it, what''s the problem? You can make sure they''re taken care of, financially speaking, if that''s what you''re worried about." "That would create certainplications," Rosalie disagreed. "Like some people doing it just for the money." Delta wrinkled her nose. "Yeah, true." She shrugged. "Well, this isn''t going to be some supermon thing, I assume. So you¡ªor the temple I guess¡ªwould be able to vet who''s signing up." Zoey thought about that for a few moments. "Aria mentioned there''d be plenty of people who would want to try because they''re infertile, and it''d be their only chance at conception." Delta blinked. "Oh. Yeah, I suppose. Nascent goddess of sex and everything. Could maybe make that happen." She shrugged. "So that''d be the really obvious situation it''s fine. But it''s up to you. Do what you feel''s right." Hm. That settled her thoughts on the matter somewhat, even if no new information had been added, besides that Delta and Rosalie had no problems with it at a personal level. Not that Zoey had expected them to, but that was the sort of thing to ask rather than assume. "But speaking of breeding," Delta said, her grin slipping back on. "When are you putting a baby in princess, over there? Everyone''s thinking it." "H-Hey," Rosalie said, the question catching her off guard. "Not for some time, I would hope. We have goals, and not short-term ones. That would be a ratherrge inconvenience." "Oh? But you n on it happening eventually?" Delta grinned, exceedingly happy she''d gotten a response that allowed that interpretation. "Well¡ª That''s¡ª I¡ª" Rosalie said. "How many?" Delta continued nonchntly. "Two? Three? More? Or just one? You seem like a one-kid kinda girl, honestly." She patted Zoey''s lower stomach. "But she''s got plenty of firing power, so don''t worry if not." Rosalie made a flustered noise, and to be fair, the topic of putting babies in Rosalie was one even Zoey grew embarrassed by, even if she could normally join in on Delta''s teasing. Delta seemed immensely pleased by their reactions, a smirk on her lips, but she didn''t push the topic, pivoting instead. "Anyway, talking wasn''t what I had nned tonight." She stood and walked around Zoey, before pushing Rosalie over and climbing onto her. The blonde scooted up the bed for better positioning as Delta immediately started kissing her on the neck, continuing to speak as she did. "And since me and Zoey made it official, that makes me and you, blondie, girlfriends-inw. That deserves some celebration." "I think just girlfriends is fine," Zoey said, alsoying down, propping her head up with one hand as she watched the two with a grin. "It''d get confusing, otherwise, don''t you think?" "Hm. I guess I could go for girlfriends," Delta said. "Even if we''re still working some things out. You?" "I s-suppose that''s fine," Rosalie stammered, even as Delta worked her kisses down her chest and then to her stomach. She was wearing pants, which Delta popped open, and tugged down. The blonde lifted her hips to let Delta slide them off, and she returned to nting kisses around her lower stomach and on the creases of where her thighs met her pelvis¡ªbut carefully away from anywhere too exciting. Seeing how Rosalie''s mouth was free, Zoey scooted over and took advantage of that. She cupped the blonde''s cheek in one hand, and their lips met, softly at first, a tender pressing of their mouths. Rosalie made a quiet noise in the back of her throat, eyes fluttering closed. Zoey''s tongue traced Rosalie''s lower lip, asking for entrance, and the blonde parted her lips. Their tongues met, and the kiss deepened, Zoey tasting the sweetness of Rosalie''s mouth and feeling her girlfriend rx, their previous conversations forgotten. Zoey angled her head for better ess, her hands sliding back to tangle in Rosalie''s silky hair. The kiss grew more heated, open-mouthed and wet, asional soft moans escaping one of them. It was easy to get lost in moments like these, drinking in Rosalie''s intoxicating taste and scent, basking in the softness of her lips, the way she yielded like putty. Idly, Zoey''s hands began to roam, caressing the curves of Rosalie''s body through her clothing as their kiss continued. She was vaguely aware of Delta doing something nearby, probably the cause of a few of Rosalie''s hitched breaths, but her focus was solely on Rosalie. The kiss broke, leaving them both flushed and catching their breath. Zoey looked down Rosalie''s body to see Delta stillvishing her with attention, peppering kisses all across her lower half, hands stroking up and down her legs, getting her own fill of the girl. Purple eyes flicked up to meet Zoey''s, and the foxgirl paused, briefly, to grin at her. "You know," Delta murmured. "It''s kind of nice she''s keeping us a dirty secret. There''s something a lot naughtier about ravishing the princess when nobody''s supposed to know." Zoey snorted, and Rosalie came to her own defense with a stammer. "I''m not keeping you two a ''dirty secret''," she said, a bit breathless from being kissed. "It''s a matter of practicality. I''ve exined my reasoning." "Mm," Delta said. "It still feels naughtier. So noints on my side." She nted a kiss straight onto Rosalie''s pussy, through her panties, something she''d obviously been avoiding¡ªand it got the desired reaction. Rosalie''s hips arched upward just a bit, a needy noise escaping the back of her throat. "And don''t lie. You agree." "I, mm, don''t¡ª" Rosalie said, even as Zoey slid a hand under her shirt, then deftly pulled aside one of her bra''s cups to find her nipple. "Know what you''re talking about." "Sure you don''t." Delta hooked her fingers into the edges of Rosalie''s panties and pulled. "Lift." Rosalie did so, and Delta pulled her panties down, exposing her. Zoey leaned in to capture Rosalie''s mouth just as Delta pressed a kiss, again, onto her pussy, but without fabric in the way, this time. Rosalie moaned into Zoey''s mouth, and Zoey delighted in swallowing the lewd noise created by one girlfriend pleasuring her other. That concept was still a bit heady, a bit intoxicating, to be honest. Delta had made it official without much fanfare, but that didn''t mean Zoey was immune to the butterflies of getting to use the official title. Girlfriend. Two of them, now. "I hope you did a good job soundproofing this ce," Zoey murmured into Rosalie''s lips, even as Rosalie started to squirm, with Delta slipping her tongue inside her. "Because I think we''re gonna be testing its limits, tonight." 6.46 – Princess I 6.46 ¨C Princess I Seeing Rosalieid out on the bed, naked from her waist down but still wearing her shirt and bra, breathing hard as Delta ran a tongue up her slit, Zoey couldn''t help but think that everything was right in the world. Zoey had been waiting for a chance to get her hands on Rosalie again. It hadn''t been half a week since they''d gotten some extended personal time, but when this was what Zoey got to look forward to, of course she had been getting antsy. Even a few days was too long a gap between making the blonde squirm. Zoey tugged her shirt off and tossed it to the side. Her pants and boxers followed next, freeing a fourteen-inch girlcock that was, of course, standing firmly at attention. Kissing Rosalie alone would have had Zoey ready to go, much less the show Delta was putting on down between Rosalie''s legs. It really was a shockingly arousing sight, seeing one girlfriend of hers wiggle her tongue around inside another. Both Rosalie and Delta''s eyes fell on Zoey as she disrobed, lingering on the thick rod Zoey had grabbed in one hand. It did wonders for a girl''s ego, really, seeing how instantly and raptly their attentions turned to her. She gave herself a wiggle, showing herself off for her audience of two, and she admired the way their eyes followed the movement, unable to help themselves¡ªmaybe not even realizing how enraptured they were. Yeah, the tant appreciation in their gazes definitely did a few things to boost a girl''s confidence. Zoey shuffled across the bed on her knees, sitting back on her heels when she arrived at Rosalie. She rested her cock across the girl''s face, covering her eyes with the thick pir. She smirked at the indignant noise Rosalie made, then rocked her hips back and forth, sliding her shaft over her girlfriend''s soft features. The friction felt amazing, or maybe it was more the visual: her huge cockid out across the blonde. A bead of pre dribbled out to slide down her tip, starting to coat Rosalie''s closed eyes with each thrust. "Do you mind?" Rosalie murmured. "No. Do you?" Zoeyughed and rolled her hips forward again, sliding her length across Rosalie''s skin. "What? Don''t you like having your face covered with dick? I think you look pretty like this." "No disagreements here," Delta said from her ce down between Rosalie''s thighs. She drew her tongue across her pussy, a long, slow, tantalizing lick. "Princesses always look prettier with cocks on their faces." Rosalie''s face went a shade redder at that. Her lips parted, breathsing out faster despite that Delta''s attention down low had slowed, not elerated. Delta was mostly enjoying the show happening up above. Zoey slid her cock down from Rosalie''s eyes, cing her cocktip on the girl''s lips. "Open up, princess," Zoey said, and, contrary to Rosalie''s embarrassment and noises of protests¡ªwhich Zoey didn''t think Rosalie would ever be able to stop herself from making¡ªshe parted her lips, epting Zoey''s tip. Zoey''s breath hitched as Rosalie licked delicately at the underside of her cock, flicking her tongue and swirling around. "Ah," Zoey murmured, grinding forward, sliding into Rosalie''s mouth from the side and pushing her cheek out. "There you go. That''s a good girl." Delta watched, her pupils dted with excitement, as Rosalie turned her head and leaned forward, getting a better angle to take Zoey deeper and properly suckle on her cock. Zoey ran her fingers through Rosalie''s hair, cupping the back of her head with one hand and keeping her steady as she pressed in deeper. The positioning was too awkward, though, sitting to the side of her, so Zoey reluctantly pulled herself from the girl''s mouth to reposition. She climbed over top, so that her knees were to either side of Rosalie''s head. She grabbed her shaft, which dangled down vertically to hover above Rosalie''s lips. The blonde craned upward, her mouth opening to ept the treat presented to her, and Zoey pushed in again, this time with a better angle. Her hips pushed downward, and she slid into Rosalie''s throat, stretching it wide as she popped into that tight passageway. Rosalie''s throat clenched around Zoey, straining around the invasion, but Zoey continued, forcing the girl to swallow her length until her hips¡ªalmost without her control¡ªpped down thest several inches with excitement, her pelvis hitting Rosalie''s face with a light p. Zoey shuddered, taking a steadying gasp of air. "Hah," she said, her chest heaving, as she rocked her hips back and forth. Rosalie couldn''t move her head much with Zoey over her like this, on all fours and perched in a rutting position, but it wasn''t needed¡ªZoey was the one controlling everything, angling her hips for the best way to dive into Rosalie''s throat. "Now that," Delta murmured. "Is what I call a good view." Forgetting the fun she''d been having between Rosalie''s thighs, Delta crawled up the girl, lying on top of her so their stomachs were flush, with Delta''s admiration now focused on the girl''s bulging throat. Zoey could only see the two of them by looking over her shoulder¡ªand, when pulling up so that her cock was once again dangling vertically, poised at Rosalie''s lips, between the gap in her cock and thighs, given a small window to see her two girlfriends lying on top of each other. "Down you go," Delta encouraged. "Let''s see her bulge again." Zoey did just that, savoring the way Rosalie''s throat stretched wide for her. The velvet smoothness of her insides was a divine sensation, hugging her cock and applying pressure along her entire length. It felt like a drug, every time she used Rosalie like this, and she was slowly¡ªnot even slowly¡ªgetting addicted to the feeling. "Yeah, this is never gonna get old," Delta said wonderingly as Zoey slid in for a second time, distending Rosalie''s throat. "It''s so ¡­ pronounced. How much can you feel this, anyway?" she asked Zoey, resting a hand on Rosalie''s throat and rubbing, feeling the outline of her member. Zoey shuddered as she did, and Rosalie choked, gagging around Zoey''s cock, the sensation of having her throat rubbed while already distended too much for her to handle. "I can feel it," Zoey said. "Is it good?" Delta rubbed a bit more firmly, and Zoey groaned. "Oh yeah, I can tell you like it." She added a second hand, now sitting on Rosalie''s stomach as she caressed up and down Rosalie''s neck, massaging Zoey''s cock through the soft flesh. "This is pretty hot, actually." "Mm," Zoey agreed, her thoughts growing hazy. The sensation itself wasn''t all that great¡ªwith Rosalie''s throat muting the sensation of Delta''s stroking¡ªbut rather, it was the act itself that excited her. And, admittedly, the way Rosalie was choking, not just running out of air, but finding Delta''s firm massaging of her bulging skin hard to keep herposure through. "Stop moving," Delta ordered Zoey. "Just keep steady, and let me." With some willpower, Zoey forced herself to stop thrusting in and out, instead keeping her cock lodged firmly in Rosalie''s throat. She couldn''t help a small bit of squirming, but otherwise did her best to hold still as Delta worked at her cock through Rosalie. "Fuck," Delta murmured. "You''re already kinda close, aren''t you?" Her hands worked faster, pressing more firmly, trying to guide Zoey to her peak. "Yeah, you are. I can feel you twitching. You like this that much? Getting jerked off through your girlfriend''s throat?" Zoey bit back a moan. Her muscles tightened, her chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. Keeping her hips still was almost an impossible feat. "Come on," Delta said. "Blondie''s running out of air. If you want this to happen, you''re gonna have to finish before she passes out. So give in." The thought of Rosalie losing consciousness while her throat was stretched around Zoey''s cock didn''t help the heat coiling inside her stomach. Or, rather, definitely helped, because she wanted the quick finish¡ªas badly as Delta did. The idea of not even thrusting into Rosalie''s throat, and instead being jerked off by Delta''s hands through it had her knees trembling, even after only a minute of the treatment. "C''mon," Delta murmured. "Cum inside her." Her hands rubbed away, sending pulses of heat up Zoey''s cock. Her thoughts were quickly going fuzzy. "Let go." "Fuck," Zoey groaned, pressing her head into the bedsheets. "H-Here ites." Rosalie gurgled on her cock, spluttering weakly, her throat muscles convulsing¡ªwhich, in turn, caused her throat to squeeze around Zoey''s cock even more tightly. Delta picked up her massaging pace one more time, sliding up and down Rosalie''s throat, and, with Zoey already hovering on the edge, that was all it took to shove her over. She whined into the bedsheets as fire overtook her, washing across her body, her muscles going taut as her cock swelled in an imminent warning. "Do it," Delta encouraged, sounding entranced. "Blow your load. Fill our cute princess''s stomach up." The heat consumed her, and her mind nked out, vision whiting as pleasure hit her like a truck. It took a second toe back to herself as thick pulse after thick pulse poured down Rosalie''s throat. She gasped in breaths, feeling Delta rubbing Rosalie''s throat roughly, the muscles clenching and unclenching in spasms as Zoey''s length pumped warm liquid directly down her esophagus, filling her stomach. Zoey started thrusting, milking her shaft within Rosalie''s throat, no longer able to control herself. Then she copsed, exhausted, staying firmly lodged inside Rosalie. Her cock grew soft inside her girlfriend''s throat, second by second, Zoey enjoying her sheathe as she came down from her high. Eventually, even Rosalie reached her limit, and she desperately patted her thighs. Zoey pulled out and rolled to the side, still breathing heavily. Rosalie gasped for air, coughing as she finally got her much-needed oxygen. Her eyes watered from the abuse. "Nngh," she said. She took in a couple of deep breaths, slowly settling, though her cheeks stayed flushed. "You two ¡­ are terrible," she gasped. "Do you have any idea what that felt like, for me?" "Pretty intense, I bet," Delta said, smirking. "But stop pretending you didn''t like it. You didn''t even try to push her off. Or my hands away, for that matter." "Hmph." Delta leaned over to give Rosalie a quick kiss. "Now that we''re done getting carried away, though," she murmured. "It''s time you get your turn. That was the original n, until someone got distracted." She leaned up, sitting on Rosalie''s hips, to look at Zoey. She pulled out a potion from her inventory and waggled it at her. "So. What''re you thinking? Who gets which hole?" 6.47 – Princess II 6.47 ¨C Princess II Even before she''d fully digested the question, Zoey''s heart had started mming in her chest. Which of them got which hole? That was Delta''s n, today? Zoey couldn''t pretend like she hadn''t been dreaming of taking Rosalie with Delta''s help, ever since the growth potion had shown up. Zoey had thought Delta had been saving it for a special celebration ¡­ which, she guessed, this qualified as. Even as her thoughts started running wild, Delta kept talking. "Also, these things work better when we use your skill, right?" Delta asked, shaking the vial at her. "So wanna help me out?" She held the potion out to Zoey. "I want to do this right." Zoey didn''t need to be convinced. She took the item and fulfilled Delta''s request. The foxgirl got down on her knees and lifted her ass into the air, face down, the easiest position for this, and Zoey applied a bit of lubricant, then uncorked the potion and wiggled it into Delta''s ass, tipping it over to pour. She shivered violently as the effects took hold, and Zoey withdrew the vial, discarded it, and turned Delta over so she was lying on her stomach, wanting to watch the effect take hold. The foxgirl''s clit was already growing by then, swelling outward and growing thicker and longer by the second. Where Delta normally grew an impressive eight or nine inches, though, with Zoey''s Alternate Ingestion skill aiding her, she didn''t stop there. Like Maddy, the foxgirl''s cock engorged until a solid twelve inches of thick, throbbing girth had sprouted between her curvy thighs. "Fuck," Delta murmured, looking down at herself¡ªmirroring what Zoey herself thought. "That was ¡­ more intense than normal." She grabbed herself in one hand, giving a squeeze and shuddering, the sensation strong enough to make a shiver go through her body. "Wow. Yeah, I''m gonna have fun with this." It was a rather entrancing sight, as always, seeing her girlfriend lying on her back, cock sticking proudly into the air. Zoey stared for a second longer, before a quirked eyebrow and a "So? What''s the n?" reminded her of Delta''s earlier question. Which of them got which hole. "Well," Zoey said, her attention turning to Rosalie. "Why don''t we let the princess decide?" Rosalie''s attention was, unsurprisingly, also locked on Delta''s new addition, having been just as entranced as Zoey. She had only just begun to recover from the throat-fucking, with her chest still red from a full-body blush. The question digested, and Rosalie looked at Zoey with widening eyes. "You¡ªyou don''t expect me to take both of those things, do you?" she asked, attention flicking between Delta''s and Zoey''s cocks. Fourteen inches and twelve: two monsters. "You managed it with Zoey, didn''t you?" Delta asked with a smirk. "When she doubled up, yeah? In fact," she pouted, "Mine''s smaller than hers, so I guess it''ll technically be easier. Less total cock." Zoey snorted at the ridiculous phrasing. "What''s up with that, anyway?" Delta asked, sitting up and shuffling over to Zoey. Gripping herself, she brought her member close to Zoey''s, arranging them side to side. "Even with the extra help, you''ve got like two whole inches on me. That''s so not fair." Zoey''s eyes lingered on the veiny member of Delta''s member pressed against her own. She admired the contrast between them, getting lost in the sight of her girlfriend''s cock. She briefly forgot she''d been asked a question, instead grabbing Delta''s cock to hold her steady. She pushed her hips forward. With Rosalie''s sloppy throat-fucking having coated her in saliva, the movement was easy. Bit by bit, slow thrust after slow thrust, she lubricated her girlfriend''s cock with her other girlfriend''s saliva, by sliding their two thick rods together. "Hey," Delta stammered. "You already got carried away once. Stay focused." Zoey tore her attention away. Delta''s mouth was parted, eyes half-lidded as she watched the two of them slide against each other. Despite her protest, she was obviously enjoying herself and made no move to stop her. Zoey let out a huff and sped up her pace, stroking both their cocks with quicker movements, moaning at the feeling of Delta''s stiff member against her own. But after that quick indulgence, forced herself to stop. Because Delta was right. The real focus of tonight was Rosalie. Their princess. The half-naked blonde nearly nched at seeing their attentions turn toward her. It must have been rather intense, predatory expressions on their faces. Without needing tomunicate, both of them shuffled across the bed on their knees, gripping their respective cocks in hand. Rosalie scooted backward as if by instinct, mouth opening to say something, but whatever it would have been, the words died as both Zoey and Delta arrived in front of her and pped their meaty members onto her face. Rosalie groaned and tilted her head back. "Hm," Delta said. "I know I keep talking about amazing views, but ¡­ wow. Two is even better than one, don''t you think?" "I almost can''t see her behind them," Zoeymented with amusement. She dragged her hips backward, her cock leaving a slick trail of precum and spit across Rosalie''s cheek. Delta did the same, and their motions quickly left Rosalie''s face a mess, saliva coating her. Her breathing came hot and heavy. "So, princess?" Zoey asked. "Which one do you want where? Tonight''s your night." Rosalie blinked slowly, as if dazed. She rubbed her cheek along Zoey''s cock, then Delta''s. Her other hand snaked down her stomach, to between her legs. Zoey expected her to start rubbing herself, but instead, she just let her hand hover there, a half-finished action. "You¡ªyou really don''t expect me to take both of them?" Rosalie repeated weakly as her eyes flicked between the two cocks on her face. "I''m not ¡­ they''re so big." Zoey''s lips curled upward. "If you''re not gonna pick, we''ll have to ourselves." She adjusted her grip on her cock, pushing the tip downward until it pressed into Rosalie''s lower lip. Blue eyes looked up at her, pupils dted with lust. "Hm," Delta said. "I think princess has spent her life getting what she wants." Delta joined her cocktip next to Zoey''s, on Rosalie''s half-parted lips, vying for limited space. "So maybe she wants to be ordered around. She doesn''t want to pick." She wiggled her cock back and forth, briefly growing distracted with the sensation. "Open up, blondie," she murmured. "Get your first taste of my cock." Rosalie obeyed, and Delta pushed her hips forward, cocktip sliding past Rosalie''s lips and into her mouth. Delta released a groan as it entered, and Rosalie swirled her tongue around the tip. Zoey waited her turn, watching Rosalie take Delta''s cock deeper, eyes fluttering closed as the foxgirl''s girth slid along her tongue. By her own volition, Rosalie leaned forward, her lips sliding down the length of Delta''s cock until the foxgirl wasfortably inside, no longer just the tip. "Oh, fuck," Delta murmured. "Not wasting time, huh?" Zoey ced a hand on the back of Rosalie''s head. She helped move the girl''s head in gentle bobs, encouraging her motions up and down Delta, bulging her throat out with each stroke. The blonde barely seemed to notice as she sped up, eyes closed, groaning in pleasure. Her hand down between her thighs finally got to work, rubbing herself, but at seeing that, Zoey swatted it away. "You''ll wait until we handle that ourselves," she scolded her. "And get down there. She wants more." With a forceful push, Zoey sent Rosalie down Delta''s length, forcing her forward until the foxgirl was buried entirely in her throat, all twelve inches. Delta hissed, hips straining forward as Rosalie buried her nose into the foxgirl''s skin. "Your throat feels so fucking good, princess." Panting, she looked down at Rosalie. "You ever think you would end up like this?" she asked, voice taking on a husky tint. "The royal heiress of half the world, turned into a personal cock-sleeve?" Her lips quirked up. "Servicing themoners?" Sheughed, then groaned again, her hips thrusting back and forth a few times, making Rosalie gag. "Well, you better get used to it. This is your life now. This is all you''ll ever be. Not heiress. Not heroine. Just cockslut." Rosalie moaned around Delta''s cock, nodding frantically. Zoey''s own heart jumped, seeing the reaction. Rosalie liked the degrading roley? The ''servicing themoners''ment? Not necessarily surprising, but good to know. "You''re giving in that fast?" Zoey teased, pulling on Rosalie''s hair to drag her off Delta''s length. The foxgirl shuddered as she was denied her toy, and Zoey took her own turn, iming Rosalie''s mouth. The blonde''s hand went up to grab Delta''s cock in the meantime, rubbing along the saliva-soaked length to keep her satisfied while Zoey used her. "What would everyone think of you, if they knew? The perfect, regal, untouchable heiress,ing back after just a few weeks to have been turned into a fucktoy? Isn''t that beneath you? Aren''t you worth more?" Rosalie groaned loudly in response, gurgling on Zoey''s cock. "I''m thinking we shouldn''t keep you a secret," Zoey continued. "Parade you around so everyone knows. You can''t really stop us, since you''ve signed yourself away. Isn''t that right? You''re ours, to do with what we want?" Rosalie stared up at her, eyes fluttering, and whimpered pathetically. Zoey pushed Rosalie down, getting her cock even further into her throat. "S-Switch," Delta said. "I need it again." Zoey yanked Rosalie''s head back, dislodging the princess from her cock, and shoved her toward Delta. The foxgirl eagerly lined herself up, and shoved her hips forward in one hard motion, burying herself in Rosalie''s waiting throat. Unlike before, this time Delta couldn''t help herself with a slower pace. She grabbed Rosalie and used her face as a toy, grunting as she pumped her length in and out. Zoey waited patiently, letting her girlfriend enjoy herself, watching Delta make a mess of Rosalie''s pretty features, the sloppy throat-fucking dragging spit down Rosalie''s chin and dripping onto her blouse. Delta''s fox tail swished back and forth in wild motions, losing herself in the excitement. Her toes curled behind her, thighs trembling as she repeatedly pped herself into Rosalie''s face. "S-Shit," Delta gasped, pulling herself free, finally showing restraint. "Gotta ... gotta pace myself." Hungry eyes raked up and down Rosalie''s body. "Because your throat isn''t where I wanna finish, princess." She locked those intense purple eyes on Zoey next. "Alright, seriously. It''s time to put the royal slut in her ce. Which hole do you want?" 6.48 – Princess III 6.48 ¨C Princess III Zoey swallowed thickly. It was a hard decision. Obviously, Zoey was happy with either. Getting to use Rosalie in any way was the highlight of any given day. More important than what she wanted, though, was what Delta wanted, even if she was deferring the decision to Zoey. Delta and Rosalie had obviously taken a step forward in their rtionship, and Delta wanted to celebrate that in a more intimate way. "I''ll take the back," Zoey said. "You take the front." Delta''s eyes lit up, and Zoey smiled, finding it amusing how obvious her reaction was. That''d obviously been the response she''d been hoping for. Grabbing Rosalie by the wrist, Zoey guided the blonde to crawl across the bed, then, standing up off the bed herself, she picked Rosalie up. Zoey marveled at how easy it was to do so. With recent advancements, Rosalie weighed nothing at all. "How does that sound, princess?" she breathed into Rosalie''s ear as she held the girl by her ass, her back pressed into Zoey''s breasts. Delta slipped off the bed and stood in front of Zoey, grabbing Rosalie''s thighs so the girl''s weight was supported by both their efforts. "Well?" she repeated to a panting Rosalie. "I get your ass, she gets your pussy. Sounds good to you?" Rosalie nodded wordlessly, head tilting back as a shiver went through her. She barely seemed to be able to stay upright, hanging limp between them, trusting them with her body. A thrill went through her at that. Rosalie giving in. The submission on disy. The fact that they could have anything they wanted from her, and she''d allow it, in the current needy state she was in. Zoey pulled out the cleaning lubricant and liberally applied it to herself, also rubbing it into Rosalie''s backdoor. She lined her tip up, and, ahead, Delta did the same for her assigned hole. She seemed wholly enraptured by even just resting her cocktip on Rosalie''s lower lips. The foxgirl was throbbing with need, barely holding back from plunging in. Zoey hoped Rosalie was ready; she didn''t think either of them would be able to be gentle, excited as they were. "I want you to say it," Zoey murmured into Rosalie''s ear. "We''re not starting until you do." Rosalie squirmed in their grips, feeling both of them nudge against her holes but not enter. "Say what?" she managed to struggle out. Zoey smirked. She took a second to invent something crude. The content didn''t matter; it just had to fluster Rosalie. Leaning down to put her lips near Rosalie''s ear, she said, "Look your girlfriend in the eye and say, ''Delta, please put your big, fat, throbbing cock in my stupid pussy. I want you inside me so badly I might die.'' And then we''ll start." "W-What?" Delta was as affected by the words as Rosalie; she shuddered, her grip tightening on Rosalie''s thighs, seemingly fighting every instinct to shove herself in. "That''s too much," Rosalie breathed, her pantinging hot and heavy. There was no outrage in the words though. Her eyes were locked on Delta''s, and the same in return. With Zoey''s chin still resting on Rosalie''s shoulder, she got to watch Delta stroking her cock up and down Rosalie''s glistening pussy. The way both of them were quivering with need. "Then you don''t get what you want," Zoey purred. "I''ll get you started, if you need. Delta, please put your big, fat, throbbing cock ¡­" For several long seconds, Rosalie and Delta just stared at each other. Zoey tried not to move too much, keeping her tip prodding Rosalie''s well-lubricated hole. "D-Delta," Rosalie finally stammered. Her face turned a shade redder at just saying her name. "Please put your¡­" She faltered. "Big, fat, throbbing cock," Zoey prompted. "Big, fat, throbbing cock ¡­" "Into my stupid, needy pussy. I need you inside me so badly I might die." Rosalie panted loudly. "Into ¡­ my stupid, needy pussy. I need you inside me so badly I might die." And then, with Zoey''s two girlfriends still holding red-faced, panting eye contact with each other, Delta slowly pushed herself forward, sliding her cock inch by inch into Rosalie''s slick heat. Rosalie shuddered and groaned, biting down on her lip as Delta filled her up. The foxgirl took her time, slow and steady, ensuring Rosalie could handle it all. And when Delta bottomed out, the both of them groaned¡ªbefore leaning forward to kiss. Slow and intimate, one of Delta''s hands slipped from Rosalie''s thigh to cup her cheeks, pulling her in close. Rosalie made breathless noises as their lips connected, Zoey watching, staying still with her cock throbbing at the entrance of Rosalie''s ass. "Your turn," Delta finally said, breaking the kiss with a hazy look in her eyes, forcing herself to focus on Zoey¡ªnot wanting to leave her out, however caught up she might be in Rosalie. "Now say it to me," Zoey breathed into Rosalie''s ear. "And no help this time." Rosalie swallowed. "Zoey, please put your¡ª" "Ah ah. Not the same thing. Be creative." She shuddered and took a second. "P-Please, Zoey. Fuck my ass with your big, fat cock. I ¡­ I need it inside me. I need both of my girlfriends to ¡­" She trailed off, groaning as Delta slowly began to move her hips back and forth, apparently unable to help herself. "To own me. To use me like I''m a toy. Fuck, Zoey. Please, fuck me. I need it right now." Zoey exhaled augh, the air tickling Rosalie''s ear and making her shiver. Finally, she pushed her hips forward, bit by bit, the tip of her cock splitting the girl''s backdoor open and forcing her way inside. The princess groaned as Zoey invaded her ass, hands sliding down to hold onto Delta''s shoulders. Her knuckles went white, holding onto Delta for dear life, back arching. As Zoey slid in, she could feel Delta''s cock through the thin membrane separating Rosalie''s pussy and ass. It was one of the most amazing things she had ever felt, her length sliding up against her girlfriend''s cock, while buried into her other girlfriend''s tight, hot pussy. And that was the craziest part. It was Rosalie she was feeling Delta through. Their girlfriend. Their princess. Their royal cocksleeve. The thought was too much for Zoey to bear, and when she bottomed out, her pelvis pressing into Rosalie''s soft ass, she lost the restraint she''d been carefully holding onto. "Fuck," she growled, pulling her hips back, nearly slipping out, and then immediately driving back in. She set a rapid pace, pounding away at Rosalie''s ass. Delta met her tempo without question, spurred on by it, and the two of them went to work on the blonde, grunting and panting as they filled her holes up. Rosalie fell forward, hanging onto Delta, utterly powerless to do anything but moan as she hung between them, being pumped full of dick, body trembling. She thrust her own hips back and forth, grinding against their thrusting lengths, filling herself with Delta when she went forward, and Zoey when she stroked back. It wasn''t going tost long. The sensation was overwhelming, the best Zoey had ever felt, her length mercilessly pounding Rosalie''s asshole, grinding against Delta. The way Rosalie trembled and quivered between them, forehead pressed into Delta''s shoulder, losing herself in bliss. The foxgirl locked eyes with Zoey, sharing a hazy, overwhelmed look with her. They gave in to their desires, a couple of mindless cocks shoving themselves in and out of their toy. Zoey needed release. Needed it more than she''d ever needed anything. Her heart raced, her hips moved without control, and she groaned low in her throat, yanking Rosalie''s head backward, leaning forward to press their lips together. The princess panted and gasped into her mouth, breathless, body shaking as her orgasm approached. And when Rosalie''s climax came, she seemed unable to even voice it, her moans going silent as her entire body shuddered between them. Delta groaned and tightened her grip on Rosalie''s hips, driving as deep as she could, and after a quiver second of anticipation, whined out her own release. Zoey joined a secondter. Zoey shivered as her cock pulsed and throbbed, the relief so intense it nearly hurt, seed spurting out in huge, heavy sts. Her length convulsed over and over, releasing every bit of pent-up tension, painting Rosalie''s insides white with her cum. She didn''t know how long itsted. Time didn''t matter. When she came back to herself, her forehead was pressed on Rosalie''s shoulder, and she was still weakly humping the blonde, using her hips in tiny thrusts to push herself back and forth inside her tight, hot ass. Delta seemed in a simr position, also pumping, slow andzy. "Fuck me," Zoey finally managed to say. "That was ¡­" "Yeah," Delta agreed. Rosalie made a half-hearted noise of agreement, barely holding onto consciousness, hanging between them. She sunk into the mattress as Zoey set her on the bed, two cocks sliding out of her at the same time. The princessid on her back, cum dribbling out of her ass and pussy, shivering and seeming like she couldn''t sit up if she wanted to. Delta sat on the bed next to her, lifting Rosalie''s head to rest on herp. She brushed her fingers through blonde hair. "Good girl," Delta murmured, leaning over to kiss Rosalie''s forehead. "You took us so well." She mumbled something incoherent in response. "But I hope you don''t think we''re finished with you," Deltaughed quietly. "Not even a little bit." 6.49 – Princess IV 6.49 ¨C Princess IV Rosaliey on her back, one arm resting across her forehead, breathing heavily as Zoey and Delta''s loads dripped out of her two used holes. It was hard toe to terms with how explosive her orgasm had been, how good it had felt to have her girlfriends use her like that. She felt empty now that they weren''t inside. Even as she came down from her climax, her body ached for more. A part of her balked at that. How could she not be satisfied, not finished, after how thoroughly they had used her? "So, Zoey," Delta said nonchntly¡ªand Rosalie''s eyes shot open as she felt Delta stand. The foxgirl pulled Rosalie by her legs so that her lower half was lying at the edge of the bed. "I''ve been wondering something." "Hm?" Zoey asked, propping herself up on an elbow. "C''mere." Zoey stood and joined Delta by her side, and as she did, the foxgirl grabbed her cock and gentlyid it across Rosalie''s stomach. She pulled Rosalie closer, so that her lower half wasn''t sitting on the edge of the bed, but instead suspended in the air, lifted so that her ass was flush against Delta''s thighs. Rosalie''s breath came faster as she looked down herself, where Delta''s cocky across her pussy and stomach. Again? Already? Delta''s rod was slick and glistening with juices and cum, the result of her thorough fucking just a few minutes prior. "Yeah?" Zoey asked. "Here." Delta scooted to the side, pushing Rosalie''s left leg a bit as she did, spreading her wider. She passed Rosalie''s right leg over to Zoey, who took it and stepped between Rosalie''s thighs, her hip pressing into Delta''s. Zoey draped her own cock across Rosalie''s stomach, next to Delta''s. Rosalie''s head started to spin as she took that new sight in. Not one, but two, of those monsters lying across her. Pulsing heat into her already hot skin. "It really is amazing, that expression she gets," Delta said wryly. "The way she zones out. Like her brain stops working." Rosalie dragged her attention up. She forced herself to put on an indignant expression. "I can hear you." Deltaughed. "That''s kind of the point." She faced Zoey. "So," she said. "I was wondering how effective that skill of yours is. Amodate." "Oh?" Zoey didn''t sound entirely sure what Delta meant, and Rosalie wasn''t sure either. Delta pulled her hips back, sliding her cock down Rosalie''s stomach, stopping when her tip was pressing against Rosalie''s lower lips. "Think we can share?" she breathed, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. "What''d''you think her limits are?" It took a second for Zoey to understand, and as soon as she did, her pupils dted in excitement¡ªher own hips drawing back to poise her cocktip at Rosalie''s pussy. "Might be a bit of a stretch," she murmured. Her eyes locked on Rosalie. "But what do you say, Princess? Up for a challenge?" Rosalie stared, wide-eyed, down at the two huge cocks kissing her pussy, vying for the limited space between her thighs. "W-What?" she asked. "You can''t be serious. Both of you? In my¡ª?" Delta pushed forward, sinking into Rosalie with her first two inches. Rosalie shuddered at the sensation, words cut off, hips quivering as she was invaded again, her walls parting around Delta''s cocktip. The foxgirl pushed more and more of herself inside. Before bottoming out, she pulled back, slipping from Rosalie. It left her feeling empty. "I''ve got her warmed up, at least," Delta said with a smirk. "But still, yeah, it''ll be a challenge." Zoey took her own turn, pushing in to rece Delta. Rosalie sucked in a breath as Zoey split her open, groaning as inch after inch invaded her. As thick as Delta was, she still couldn''tpare to Zoey, who stretched Rosalie like no one else could. When Zoey reached her limit, buried to the hilt inside Rosalie, she released a satisfied sigh, staying there for a few seconds before forcing herself to withdraw. Then both girls were wiggling their cocktips against Rosalie, neither pushing in, just teasing. "There''s no way you can both fit," Rosalie breathed, her attention raptly locked on their fat heads kissing her entrance. "You sure about that?" Delta asked. She slid in, and Rosalie''s back arched as she felt the foxgirl spread her open. She only went an inch in, just the tip, before pausing. And then Zoey was pushing in next, her cock sliding underneath Delta''s to work at spreading Rosalie wide. Rosalie gasped, gripping the bedsheets as Zoey worked herself forward, going slow, opening up a space for herself. A low, intense keen escaped her lips as an insane stretching sensation overtook her, Zoey''s thick cock forcing her apart inbination with Delta''s. It seemed tost ages as Zoey tried to wiggle her tip in, and each movement disassembled Rosalie as she whined at the imminent intrusion, her pussy on fire with pleasure and pain and overwhelming fullness. Zoey hadn''t even gone in yet, and already she felt stretched to her limits. There was no way she could handle both. But then, Zoey seeded. She popped in. Zoey shivered, a groan escaping her, and Delta too. Rosalie gasped, back arching, legs quivering in either of their grips. The sensation of fullness was indescribable. "There we go," Delta said softly, cing a hand on Rosalie''s pubic area. "That wasn''t so bad, was it?" "M-Move." "Oh?" Rosalie strained her hips upward, pushing herself into the two women, since they refused to themselves. Two fat girlcocks spread her pussy open, and she could feel every detail of them, sliding against each other in that hot space. Rosalie whined. She couldn''t imagine what they were feeling, so crammed in there, not just indulging in Rosalie''s tightness, but also hot and slippery against each other. "Please," Rosalie whimpered. "Move. I need it." "So desperate," Zoey murmured, but she obliged. She slid in, sinking deeper, her thick cock rubbing against Delta''s, spreading her wider than ever. She went slow, savoring every moment. When Zoey bottomed out¡ªor at least got as far as she could, having to share the space between her thighs with Delta¡ªRosalie whined even louder. And then Delta was moving as well. The foxgirl jerked her hips in little thrusts, too tight for much else, though every movement was like a lightning bolt to Rosalie, sending jolts of pleasure through her body. Each thrust from either woman nearly shut her brain off. Their movements weren''t synchronized, they couldn''t be, not with the limited space for them to thrust, and so instead one slid out, then the other in. Two cocks plunged in and out of her pussy, stuffing her to the brim. She was beyond full, pushed to her limit, and the sensation drove her insane. She had never imagined such a feeling. It was even better than being taken from both ends. The connection she felt to Delta and Zoey in that moment, as they shared a singr hole, taking pleasure in both each other and her, was enough to send her careening toward a rapid orgasm. "F-Faster," Rosalie moaned. "I think she likes it," Delta said breathlessly to Zoey. "She should speak up, then," Zoey grunted. "I wanna hear how much she likes it." Rosalie could hardly breathe, her head having fallen back into the sheets as her two girlfriends worked into her. They started going faster, hips jerking back and forth more desperately. "Wasn''t a request, Blondie," Delta said. "You heard her." "Hahh¡ª" Rosalie whined, happy to oblige her girlfriends'' lewd request. "It''s¡ª It''s so good. I''m so full. Y-You''re both so big, I feel like I''m gonna split open. You''re splitting me apart." "Yeah?" The words spilled out of her, unfiltered, voice wobbling as she was mercilessly pounded. "It''s so hot, t-the way you both fit in me. And the way you''re moving. Nnn¡ªoh fuck, don''t stop! Don''t stop, it''s so good, oh gods. I''m gonnae, you''re gonna make mee." "Look at me," Zoey said, her voice thick. Rosalie tilted her head up, meeting Zoey''s eyes. At that piercing green gaze, she found herself speaking again, unbidden, spurred on by the husky look. "You''re filling me up so much," she moaned. "Your cocks are so big. I can feel you throbbing inside me. Rubbing against each other." A hand delved down to rub at her clit even as they thrust into her. "Does it feel good? Does my pussy feel good for you? Both of you?" She held Zoey''s eyes, panting, before meeting Delta''s. "Am I a good girl? A good little fucktoy to use? To fuck and stretch out and cum inside?" She almost couldn''t believe the wordsing out of her mouth, like always, when she was dangling so close to that precipice. Her upbringing of poise and respectability hadpletely vanished. The words seemed to affect Delta almost more than the physical sensations. Her jaw tightened, and she groaned, her entire body shivering. "Beg," she gasped. "Beg for us to cum in you. I''m almost there." "Please," Rosalie said immediately. She turned back to Zoey, gripping at the bedsheets for support as they pounded her harder, faster. "Cum inside me. I want it, I need it, please. Make me yours." She faced Delta, trembling. "Please, finish in me. Shoot your load into my pussy. I''m close. But I''ll wait. Like a good girl. Please. Please!" They both shuffled a step closer, tightening their grip on Rosalie''s legs¡ªusing them to anchor themselves as they really started fucking her. Both women were panting, holding on by a thread. It took only a few more thrusts before they started to sumb. At least Rosalie wasn''t the only one to so quickly fall apart, this time. Rosalie whined louder, thrusting her hips, meeting them, getting as much cock inside her as she could. "Here it is, Princess," Delta groaned. "I''m cumming," Zoey gasped. "Yes! Please!" Both girls moaned as their cocks swelled inside her. They thrust in as deep as they could, hips blocking each other as they strained forward. They shuddered as they released their pent-up seed into that already cramped space. Rosalie felt every twitch of their huge cocks, releasing pump after pump, bathing her insides in hot cum, overfilling her. As she reached that apex again, Rosalie threw her head back, gasping and squirming. Her eyes fluttered as she stared up at the ceiling, mouth agape, barely breathing as pleasure overwhelmed her. "Coming!" she cried. "Cumming¡ª I''m cumming! I''ming¡ªwith you¡ªI''ming with you!" She grit her teeth and whimpered as she clenched around them. Zoey and Delta groaned, and they thrust forward again, pumping, spraying their loads into Rosalie, stuffing her full of so much hot, sticky seed. Rosalie writhed as her climax consumed her. It went on forever, each tiny movement from Delta and Zoey threatening to set her off again. Her whole body buzzed with pleasure, eyes rolling back into her head before, finally, she copsed into the sheets, unable to keep herself upright. Her mind nked, drifting, body going ck as her pleasure finally tapered down. "Godsdamn," Delta swore, copsing next to Rosalie when it was finally over. "You really know how to wring a girl out, blondie." 6.50 – Manor Workshop 6.50 ¨C Manor Workshop The next morning, Zoey sought Sabina out. After a series of increasingly louder knocks, she came to the conclusion that the woman wasn''t inside her assigned room. The door wasn''t locked either. Letting herself in, Zoey called out to announce herself, but no reply came. Sabina had already left. She frowned. That put a dent in her morning ns. Fortunately, a note on Sabina''s neatly made bed caught her eye. Zoey, it read. You can find me at the crafting wing. Our gracious hosts have been kind enough to grant me ess to their workstations until I set up my own. Zoey raised an eyebrow, thenughed. She couldn''t say she was surprised Sabina had hurried off to an alchemy station the moment she could. It wasn''t like much else was happening. Was she supposed to sit in her room all day? The d''Celestin manor was a gargantuan ce¡ªas having an entire wing dedicated to their personal crafters suggested¡ªso Zoey had to ask directions from one of the servants, who had been passing by with a cart filled with linens. The young woman was dressed in a traditional frilly ck and white maid''s uniform, which Zoey couldn''t help but admire. She wondered how Rosalie would look in one. Not that Zoey made her interest obvious. The woman was going about her job, and she wouldn''t interrupt that. Even addressing the worker, though, seemed to fluster the woman, which Zoey found amusing, but she couldn''t let herself get distracted by a girl in a cute maid''s outfit. She got her directions and shortly made her way to the crafting wing. Unsurprisingly, the professional space for the d''Celestin''s personal alchemist¡ªor alchemists, plural?¡ªwas magnitudes grander than Sabina''s own workshop. There were rows ofbeled ingredient cabs, cauldrons and pots of all sizes, and ssware and other paraphernalia organized on shelves. All of it polished, the whole space so clean as to be impressive. That was what dedicated staff and endless funds could do, Zoey thought with appreciation. Sabina kept her workspace in good condition, but she certainly didn''t have servants going around polishing cauldrons to a reflective sheen. She found the tall, antlered woman there, hurrying between counters and boiling pots, making two small batches of some unknown potion. She spotted Zoey as she walked in. They were alone inside the workshop. Perhaps because it was early, or perhaps because the official alchemists didn''t work every day. Actually, there was one more person who, upon Zoey seeing her, made her do a double-take. Mini-Mel was standing on a counter, hands on her hips as she watched Sabina work. Her face lit up on Zoey''s arrival, and she waved brightly in greeting. Zoey returned it, blinking in surprise. The slime girl''s ss jar was set to the side. Sabina had taken over caring for her, apparently. "Ah. Zoey. I was expecting you," Sabina said. "Come give me a hand?" After so many hours acting as Sabina''s assistant, she didn''t hesitate; she hurried over to help. She joined Sabina in the familiar scramble of tending to the temperamental, vtile craft, setting aside her questions to focus on the task at hand. When they finished pouring the bubbling stews into rows of vials and sks, Sabina nodded in satisfaction, removed her gloves, and faced Zoey. "This ce will spoil me," she told her. "There''s something to be said for working with familiar equipment, but nearly everything here is enchanted and of the highest quality. The cost has to be astronomical." She looked wistfully around at the rows of rune-engraved cauldrons. "It simplifies certain tedious processes, to say the very least." "I''m sure, circumstances allowing, Rosalie wouldn''t mind you using her family''s workshop whenever you want." Sabina waved a dismissive hand. "That''s not necessary. As nice as it is, I''ll want to set up my own workshop again. I prefer an independent venture. Involvement with families such as the d''Celestins ¡­" she trailed off. "Regardless," she said, deciding better of finishing the thought. "I understand we''re still operating with some level of secrecy. Best to have our own space to work in." "Yeah," she said. "For the most part. It''splicated. That''s why I came to speak with you, there''s a lot to catch you up on." "Let''s hear it. Or should we find somece private?" Again, Zoey looked around. The workshop was an enclosed space; there weren''t any corners or hallways to hide around to eavesdrop. They ought to be safe. And besides¡ª "Rosalie said if her family wanted to spy on us, there''s nothing we could do about it," Zoey shrugged. "So we have to assume they''re not. Here''s as good as any anywhere." Sabina nodded. "So," Zoey said. "First off, I should apologize." "For?" "For abandoning you to Lucinda. And also, all of this had toe as a surprise." She gestured around them. "You know. The d''Celestins." Sabina''s lips quirked up. "Yes, I''ll admit it was unexpected." Whether she''d been caught t-footed at the time or not, now that a day had passed, Sabina seemed totally at ease with being in the manor of the most powerful man in the world. She''d appropriated his alchemy workshop without hesitation, that was certain. "I''m sure you had your reasons. And we were in no danger." "You weren''t," Zoey confirmed. She wouldn''t have left them with Lucinda if she''d thought otherwise. Though that assurance hade from Rosalie rather than her own knowledge of the woman. "Also, I''ve gotta ask, what''s mini-Mel doing here?" Sabina nced in the slimegirl''s direction. She stood on the counter, politely observing what was happening around her. With their attentions turning her way, she waved brightly a second time. Still unable to talk, apparently. Zoey wondered whether that was permanent or a byproduct of her early stages of development. She''d grown several inches since she''dst seen her. She stood, at a guess, around a foot and a half tall: a fair bitrger than only two days ago. Herst meal had done good work. Zoey''s cheeks briefly colored, remembering Mel was due for another ''feeding'' when she got a chance. It was obvious Mini-Mel wanted to growrger to get closer to her original form ¡­ or maybe she just enjoyed the process of harvesting her meals. That would have to be handledter. Zoey was busy today. "Hm?" Sabina asked. "The slimegirl? I''ve been experimenting with her." "Experimenting?" Zoey asked with sudden rm. "Using her body as a reagent, yes," Sabina said. "Voluntarily given, of course. She regrows easily. And I''ve been feeding her in exchange." She shrugged as she finished: "Also, she makes friendlypany." "Feeding her what?" "Your semen. What else?" Zoey faltered. She wondered how Sabina could say something like that without a second''s hesitation. "Ah," she said. "Right, you have a supply of that. Stored away." "A dwindling one," Sabina said. "I''ll need to handle another extraction sooner rather thanter. It''s a prominent ingredient in my experiments." "Uh, yeah. We''ll figure that out when I have a chance." "But we have business discussions to handle first, I''m aware," Sabina said. "Go ahead." Zoey wrangled her thoughts back into order. "There''s been some movement on our future ns. The exact details are in the works, but Aria made a good point. Combining our uing temple¡ªwait, you know about that, right?" "Your status as an ascending deity? Indeed." Sabina might as well have been talking about the weather with the ease with which she deadpanned the words. This woman was really something. "Well, we''re going to integrate the potion business with it. Like, set up a stall inside? Maybe. Or give some away to followers for free. As a perk. It''s all to be decided. But they synergize well. People interested in those sorts of potions are also the most likely to want to worship under, um, my aspect, I guess you''d say." "Logical. Will I be attaching my workshop as well? Or just the business front?" "That depends on the temple. If a room suits your needs, would you want it?" "I see no reason I wouldn''t." "Then sure. But we don''t know what''s avable yet. That''s what I meant by, in the works." She rubbed the back of her neck. "Still gotta talk to Enzo about starting a temple in his city in the first ce. He might care. And there''s probably all kinds of administrative work to be done. I''m hoping having friends in high ces will speed the process up, so you''re not without a proper workce for long." And so they could get started on Zoey''s following. "This is more than a proper workce," Sabina said, gesturing around. "I just hesitate to brew anything too sensitive using the d''Celestin family''s equipment" "Exactly. I''ll be getting with Aria to speak with Enzo today. Get that sorted out. Assuming he''s even avable to speak." Who knew what the schedule of a Highguild Guildmaster was like? Probably busy, to say the least. "I''ll keep you updated. More importantly, I need to talk with you about my newest skill." "Oh?" "It''s called Patron," Zoey said. "And I want to use it on you. But it has certain ¡­ requirements." 6.51 – Patron 6.51 ¨C Patron "Certain requirements?" Sabina prompted. Heat rose on Zoey''s cheeks. "The skill uses up Holy Energy, which I collect through¡ªall of the stuff involving Aria and the temple." She didn''t need to specify. Seeing how Sabina was a bright woman, she could read between the lines. "And in doing so, it can move a person through advancements." Sabina stared at her. As far as reactions went, that was her equivalent of gaping. "Move a person through advancements," Sabina repeated tly. "Yeah. It''s ridiculous, I know." She hesitated. "What advancement are you, anyway? That''s a personal question, I know, but it''s bing relevant. Like I said, I want to use it on you, and it''s gonna be more expensive the higher you are. At least, that''s the assumption." Sabina studied Zoey, obviously digesting the shocking announcement, before she answered as smoothly as ever. "Fourth." "Fourth?" She wasn''t so rude as to say, that''s it? But her tone probably gave it away. Fortunately, Sabina only seemed amused, not offended. "Craftsmen-type sses advance slower thanbat ones," she said. "Or rather, there''s fewer means to advance¡ªand the best of them, obscenely expensive. I''ve been working with limited resources. I''m no scion of a noble family." An eyebrow went up. "Nor sponsored by a goddess. Fourth advancement is respectable for my circumstances." "Sorry, yes, of course. I didn''t mean to imply it wasn''t." Sheughed abruptly. "My expectations are just way out of whack. I mean, I''m also fourth in my alchemy rune." As Sabina already knew. "And you''re like a thousand times the alchemist I am." "Mm," Sabina said. "You''re developingpetency quite quickly." Which was a nicepliment but not a rejection of what Zoey had said. Sabina was the expert here; she was intelligent, passionate, and had years of experience. The two of them weren''t evenparable in the field of alchemy. Just, as Sabina had said, she had no goddess''s patronage to cheat her way through ranks in mere weeks of dabbling. "And I suppose I''m indirectly about to be sponsored," Sabina mused. "Simply by an uing goddess rather than an established one." She waved her hand. "You mentioned requirements?" "Right." Her cheeks colored, and she wondered how best to broach the subject. "Sex?" Zoey briefly choked on her reply. "Well ¡­ yes." Of course Sabina had made that deduction. "It''d be a ritual. Aria would have to help, I think." "A religious rite," Sabina said, considering. "Yes, of course." "I don''t even have holy energy to use right now, but I figured I should make you aware of the situation sooner rather thanter." Not the type of announcement she should drop in Sabina''sp the day of. She hesitated. "Is that something you''d want?" "Would I want to be magically pushed through advancements?" Sabina asked, an elegant eyebrow arching. "No, I wouldn''t turn that opportunity down." Zoey considered how to express her actual concern. "You mentioned preferring giving rather than receiving, once." Hence why most of her interactions with Sabina ended up with her strapped to a table or rutting into a ''milking machine.'' "So, you know. Aria seemed to think the ritual would be pretty involved." Sabina shrugged, more nonchnt than Zoey would have expected. "It''s not that I have an aversion to, hm, more traditional methods. It''s not that I dislike it. I just find it more interesting to have tools on hand. To extract reactions." Her lips twitched in amusement as she looked Zoey up and down. "But as I said, it''s no problem. Besides the fact that my student will be cheating her way to her final reward." "O-Oh?" she asked in surprise. "That was supposed to be your prize for an exceptional performance on a quiz," Sabina tutted. "How am I supposed to motivate my student to stay focused without that?" With heat rising on her face, Zoey managed to fight back on Sabina''s straight-faced teasing. "You''ll have toe up with something equally enticing, I suppose." "Hm. Yes, I suppose I will." Zoey tried to hold eye contact without growing too flustered, but those calm gray eyes and that utterck of emotion won out easily; she coughed and looked away. "Though, I''m not actually sure what the ritual would require," Zoey said. "We''ll need to speak with Aria about it. I wouldn''t want to, um, cheat my way to my reward, either. Maybe something else will work. Just a normal¡ª" She coughed. "Handjob, or something, not to be crude." "Ah, ever diligent and hard-working. Refusing to take the easy path. It''s why you''re my favorite student." Her cheeks grew hotter. "That about catches you up," she said. "I''d stay and help you with all of this," she gestured around, "but there''s a lot I have to do today. Have to catch Adrienne up, among all the headaches I''ve already mentioned." Plus whatever would be developing with Enzo and Rosalie''s sisters. Zoey still had to meet Elodie and Charlotte, which could happen at any moment, with one missing and the other on a shard expedition. There was also the matter of her lightning rune, which she wanted to practice. Alchemy was taking a brief back seat. "Of course," Sabina said. "Lessons will resume once you''re settled in. Though as I said, we will need to perform another extraction. My experiments need supplies." Over Sabina''s shoulder, Mini-Mel nodded in effusive agreement. Seeing Zoey look over, the slime girl pointed down between her own legs, waggled her hips, then sped her hands together in a begging gesture, making puppy-dog eyes. By the barely repressed smirk, though, it was more taunting than a genuine request. "I''ll figure something out for that too," Zoey said, managing to keep her voice level. "Also, I have a few announcements of my own," Sabina said. "Then I''ll let you run along." "Oh?" "Namely, recent forms I''ve stabilized, which I think will interest you. Still refining the recipes, but they''re in a functional state." Zoey''s heart rate picked up. When it came to new potions delivered by Sabina, there had been few misses. Each one, Zoey had much appreciated using. And even if she didn''t personally, having varied merchandise for their future store would be an obvious plus. "Particrly the one I catalyzed using Mel," Sabina continued. Raising her hand and pulling filled ssware from her inventory, she disyed three vibrant green potion vials. "Duration can be improved, but as I said, I think you''ll appreciate them as is." Zoey took the potions from Sabina, inspecting them as she did. [Potion of Gooey Transmutation]: Temporarily transmutes a living being''s body into a gel-like substance. "Ah," Zoey said. "I was wondering whether something like this would be possible." She had intended to ask Sabina to try to make one. "But you beat me to the punch. Great minds think alike?" "Seems like it might have various utility orbat applications," Sabinamented. Her lips twitched. "Though I think you''re interested in it for other reasons." The ability to turn Rosalie, Delta, Maddy, or anyone else into a gooey creature like Mel? Yes, Zoey''s thoughts had definitely not gone to the utility or uses of the potion. "I''ll take note of its effects and get back to you," Zoey coughed. "Additionally, I''ve cracked those two stubborn reagents from so long ago," she said. She withdrew six more potions, three each, and handed them to her. They were both a murky white color, though different shades. "Thetter will make collection sessions easier." [Potion of Internal Stretchiness]: Allows internal organs to sustain significant stretch without damage. [Potion of Virile Output]: Greatly increases the virile output of the consumer. "Ah," Zoey said, trying to fight down the fantasies that came with both of those descriptions. The two reagents Sabina had referenced were the ones that hade from that oversized dildo they''d collected parts of so long ago. The one Delta had enthusiastically ''conquered.'' Zoey already had natural affinities for ¡­ amodation and output, but these potions would take those aspects to the extreme. "You''ve been busy." Sabina shrugged. "All there''s been to do is work. It''s what I prefer, anyway." "Well, thanks. I''ll put them to good use." Somehow she managed not to blush when she said that. "I hope you do," Sabina said. "An alchemist wants her work to be appreciated. That''s all I had for you. Don''t let me hold you up." She could tell Sabina also wanted to return to her experiments; she wasn''t just letting Zoey go. She really was someone who preferred working more than almost anything. So. Now, she owed Adrienne a short visit to catch her up, then it was back to Rosalie¡ªand nning the rest of what was sure to be a chaotic day. 6.52 – Standby 6.52 ¨C Standby As they had discussed beforehand, Zoey returned to Delta''s room after her chats with Sabina and Adrienne had concluded. A e in" ushered her through the door. Inside, she was met with a bizarre sight: the foxgirl facing her shadow-clone, the two of them going through poses, some slow andnguid, some quick, with the shadow doing her best to mimic Delta. Or rather, Delta doing her best to make it mimic her, since it was remotely piloted. "Just practicing," Delta told her, not ncing over. "Don''t mind me." Keeping her attention on the clone, she crouched, and so did the shadow. Both jumped, the shadow offset from the original. The movements were just close enough to be disorienting. "I can''t imagine having to fight in two bodies at once," Zoey mused as she walked over and plopped onto Delta''s bed. "Can barely deal with one. Don''t envy having to deal with that as a skill." "Better than magical bullshit, honestly," Delta said, her focus unbroken as she went through her motions. "This is mostly intuitive, at least. Just gotta drill it in." "Magic''s mostly the same, I think," Zoey said. "At least, it''s not a pure science. It''s as much about practice as how to design spells and whatnot." Delta grunted in what might have been agreement. "Guess it''s easier when you can afford the necessary spellbooks." She straightened out, turned, and faced Zoey, putting her hands on her hips. Her shadow-clone did the same, mirroring her. "So," she said. "Blondie''s gonna be back soon. She sent a servant toe and tell me." "What''s she doing?" "Talking with her dad." "About?" "Didn''t ask." "Are her sisters back yet?" "Not that I heard." Delta paused. Her lips quirked up. "Her sisters," she said. "What do you think they''ll be like, anyway?" Zoey tilted her head, trying to remember what Rosalie had said about each of them. "Elodie''s a bit of a wild card, I think. And Charlotte is more like her?" "Like her?" "You know. Serious. Intense. Driven. A proper royal. But Rosie never talked about either of them much, so who knows?" Rosalie''s hesitance to discuss her family made more sense now that Zoey knew who she was. She wondered whether she would been more open now that the secret had been revealed. "You think they''re off limits?" "Off limits?" "Don''t y dumb." "Huh?" "Off limits. To you, or us. You know. In that way." Zoey continued to stare nkly with confusion. Delta huffed. She made a circle with one hand and stuck a finger through it repeatedly. "Are you gonna fuck ''em, Zoey?" "W-What?" That question caught her more than a little off guard. "No! Of course not. Where did thate from?" "Just curious, honestly," Delta said, sounding genuine. "They''re supposed to look alike, right? The idea of two more Rosalies running around doesn''t give you any ideas?" Zoey sputtered. Delta was trying to get a reaction out of her¡ªthe smirk gave that away¡ªbut there was some genuine curiosity on her face too. "I''m not doing anything with her sisters, Delta." Zoey shook her head effusively. "She''s okay with me sleeping around, but there''s limits to that." "Is there?" "I would figure." She shook her head again. "Even if there weren''t, no, no chance. That would be a nightmare." "One Rosalie is already a handful," Delta agreed with augh. "And there''s enough family drama without throwing in more. Not to mention theplications of having sisters in the same harem." Zoey shivered. Yes, that summed up her thoughts as well. "No, but really, where did that questione from?" Delta studied her for a second, more seriously than normal. "Honestly?" she said slowly. "You have a habit of screwing anything that flutters its eyes at you. So I wanted to know where you stood." Zoey sputtered in offense, even if she didn''t have a leg to stand on, considering her track record. "Less awkward to talk about with me than with blondie, too," Delta continued. "I''ll feed it back to her, so she knows. So she doesn''t have to bring it up herself¡ªsince I bet she''s at least thought about it." Zoey gaped. "You? You''re being responsible and tactful? Since when was that possible?" "Oh, shut up," Delta huffed. "I can be tactful." She nced at her shadow clone. "Anyway, you wanna see her tits?" That made Zoey do a double-take. "That''s a hell of a transition." And had definitely been intentional. "Yes or no?" She grinned. "We are alone until blondie gets back. Any opportunity to practice a new skill, right?" She didn''t wait for Zoey to answer. She plopped onto the bed beside her and wrapped an arm around her waist, snuggling in. Ahead, her shadow clone''s hips started to rock in a mesmerizing fashion, settling into a slow and sensual dance. Despite being a shadowy construct, it possessed a surprising level of detail,yers and volumes easily distinguishable through various shades of ck. The lightest ces¡ªher skin, mostly¡ªwere translucent enough to make out vague shapes behind her. Zoey watched, attention instantly captured. The clone''s movements became more sensual, hands trailing down her sides before sliding back up to cup her breasts. With a swift motion, she lifted her shirt¡ªteasing briefly before tossing it off entirely. "You know," Delta said. "I''ve been wondering, is it weird that this turns me on?" "Weird? Since when do you care about weird?" Deltaughed. "I don''t. I just mean, it is weird, right? Not that I care, I''m just wondering. Because it''s not like looking into a mirror gets me going. But this?" Zoey nced sideways to see that Delta''s eyes were locked onto her clone''s breasts as raptly as Zoey''s had been. When the clone bent over to slide her pants down, her breath caught. "This does something for me." "Maybe it''s because it only mostly looks like you?" Zoey suggested. "It''s a shadow. It''s got your shape and features, but your brain doesn''t filter it out as you. So you''re attracted to it?" "Maybe," Delta murmured, distracted as the show progressed. Her pants came off, then her panties, which dangled in her grip as she bounced them up and down. She threw the fabric forward. The shadowy undergarment hit Zoey''s face, and she blinked as she grabbed them off¡ªcheeks ming, her arousal surging, but also intrigued by the magic on disy. She tugged at the fabric; the ck shadowy panties feltpletely real. Zoey opened her mouth to ask a question, but that was when Rosalie barged in. "Delta?" she was saying even before she''d walked past the doorway. "Is Zoey¡ªyes, she is, that''s perfect¡ª" She froze at the sight: Delta cuddled up into her side, with a shadow clone starkly naked, having also frozen in surprise, arms up, chest thrust forward, stuck in herst sensual pose. Maddy also walked in, eyes widening at what she saw. "No," Rosalie growled, only faltering for a second. "Get rid of that thing. You can have your weird self-threesometer. We have things to do." "Weird?" Delta asked, cing a hand on her chest in mock offense. "There''s nothing unhealthy about masturbation." "Sex with a physical copy of yourself isn''t masturbation," Rosalie said tly. "Don''t delude yourself. Pervert. Let me guess, you''ve already fucked her?" She blinked. "Wait. You have? Already? I was joking! When did you even have the opportunity? We were together allst night." Even Delta seemed abashed, heat crawling onto her cheeks. She coughed into a hand. "I don''t know what you''re talking about. Of course I haven''t." Zoey raised her eyebrows at Delta. That was ¡­ a lie? About sex? From her? And, really, when had she had the opportunity? It wasn''t like they''d been lounging about yesterday. "I don''t care," Rosalie said, raising a hand to interrupt the conversation before it spiraled out of control. "I really don''t. Put that thing away. Unsummon it. Or at least get it dressed." She faced Zoey. "And you. Get rid of that erection. We have ces to be." "Well," Zoey said. "Easier said than done." She looked over at Maddy. The blue-haired mage stood at Rosalie''s side, almost hiding behind her as her face turned redder by the second. "Hi, Maddy," she said, acknowledging the girl. "H-Hi," she squeaked. "Sorry, we should''ve knocked. Not just barged in." "I thought Delta could control herself for ten minutes," Rosalie growled. "That we wouldn''t be barging into anything. Though only the heavens know why I deluded myself into believing that. Up. Up! We have ces to be. You two are ready to leave? No more business inside the manor?" Zoey stood, awkwardly stuffing down her erection. Fortunately, things hadn''t gotten too heated; it was already settling. "Sure," she said. "Took care of everything with Sabina and Adrienne. Where to? What''s the rush?" "No rush. Not really. But there''s no point in dawdling. We''re going to the training facility." She sighed. "Seeing how that ce is crawling with nobility and some of the best wayfarers in the world, and will be my first public introduction to Mantle, much less yours, there''s some things I need to fill you two in on." She red at the nude shadow. "Like how to behave. No shenanigans, you hear me? I''m serious. Control yourselves. I have a reputation to maintain, as do my allies, which you two are now considered." She turned and waved for them to catch up. "Come. We can walk and talk." 6.53 – Expectations 6.53 ¨C Expectations "Can''t we practice somewhere else?" Delta asked. "If our ''public introduction'' is gonna be a whole thing we needa prepare for." "My father encouraged me to do this," Rosalie sighed. "And I mean encouraged in the euphemistic sense. We don''t have a choice in the matter. We''ll need to acquaint ourselves with the training facility anyway. It''s one of the best ces in the world to hone our skills." "Does seem like it would be easy to find good sparring partners there," Delta mused. "Still. You seem tense." Rosalie considered her before sighing. "Yes," she said. "Tense. Half for me, half for ¡­ you three." Her expression turned dry. "You two," she corrected. "Madeline is more than capable of carrying herself in a dignified manner. I can trust her, at least." Maddy seemed flustered by that deration. "W-Well. Sort of. I don''t hang around nobility often. The Sovereign are ¡­ pretty separated from high society. That''s kind of the point." "You can control yourself, though. These two can''t." Delta made a show of being offended. "Excuse me? These two? Don''t insult Zoey like that." She came to no defense of her own, mock or otherwise. Rosalie sighed. "Your unexpected alliance with me will be of significant intrigue," she said. "I hope you realize that. You do, right?" "I don''t give a shit what a bunch of snotty nobles think of me," Delta snorted. "Honestly, I''m excited to kick their asses. Bet they think they''re hot shit. They''re about to find out they''re not." Oddly, Rosalie seemed pleased by that answer. Or at least, half-pleased, half some other mix of emotions. She nced at Zoey next. "I''m way out of my depth," Zoey admitted. "You know that. I''ll do whatever you tell me. I don''t want to make you or your family look bad." She reached out and squeezed Rosalie''s hand. "We''re on your side." Rosalie blushed. "Oh, don''t take it that seriously," she said, huffing. "The d''Celestins are far, far out of reach of petty politicking." She grimaced. "Just, you need to be aware that there will be politicking. We''re going to run into ¡­ hangers-on. Sycophants. Enemies and allies." "Enemies?" She waved her hand. "Of the smiling while scheming sort." Her expression darkened. "We have private rooms reserved, but my father suggested we don''t use those. He wants us to show our faces. To use the public arenas." "Ah," Zoey said. She mulled over that for a second. "We''ll be on our best behavior," she said, bumping her shoulder into Rosalie. "Promise." Rosalie only sighed again. "I wish I didn''t have to subject everyone to this," she muttered darkly. "I know you three think you''vee to terms with my family name, but you haven''t." "Wrong," Delta announced. "I haven''t remotely For fun. You and Maddy do what you need to, just be subtle about it." "Um," Maddy squeaked. "Use the restrooms, if you must, one of the ones out of the way." "We''ll be careful," Zoey promised. "What else?" "From a more mundane perspective," Rosalie said. "Being in the official wayfaring party of a d''Celestines with a certain status. Expectations. And my father had candidates in mind, so now there are a bunch of spurned families out there, those who expected to be on my team or had the potential, but who were unceremoniously reced. They''re not going to be pleased. And we will bump into some of them, probably sooner thanter." "Huh," Delta said. "Like dealing with a bunch of jealous exes." Rosalie gave her a highly unamused look, then paused and reconsidered. "Honestly? Yes. That analogy isn''t far from the truth." "You do seem like a girl with a lot of baggage," Delta said. "It''s okay, blondie. I''ll make it clear that you''re ours and no one else''s." Rosalie sputtered at the dramatic phrasing. "Please don''t. I''m requesting tact from you two. These families, they aren''t enemies, not necessarily. We want to maintain amicable rtionships with as many of them as possible." She grimaced. "Even if they''re unpleasant, I don''t want to burn bridges. My father doesn''t want us to. And some of them were ¡­" She struggled on the next word. "Friends," she said. "Not really, but the closest I had, growing up." That sobered Delta. "Friends?" "Sparring partners," Rosalie said dismissively. "A d''Celestin doesn''t have friends." That breezy statement struck Zoey as profoundly upsetting, and she was d when Delta announced her displeasure without a second thought, with far less filter than Zoey would have. "Fuck that," she said. "You can have friends. I don''t care who you are. Don''t say some dumb shit like that." Rosalie blinked, then blushed a deep red usually reserved for the bedroom. "Well," she said, clearing her throat "Anyway, I wanted to warn everyone. If everything goes swimmingly, the worst will be us making introductions and exining our situation, the story of which I''m confident we''ve straightened out by now." Serious looks at each of them, followed by a nod, confirming that assumption for her. "Then, eventually, we''ll have our own practice rooms, and we''ll be able to go about our business in peace. But I doubt the best case will happen." "Never does," Zoey said. The rest of the trip over was filled with less important discussions. Before long, they had arrived at the Mantle Training Facility. The sprawlingpound of buildings¡ªbasically a campus¡ªwas situated high up the mountainside, beneath the smattering of high-noble residences, though above the low-nobles. The positioning wasn''t superficial; the height of a building up Mantle''s mountainside represented its importance, and this was the premier arena for wayfarers across half the world. The facility itself was all gleaming white stone, pirs, and ss. While not as ostentatious as Rosalie''s home, its wealthy construction and pristine upkeep was obvious at first nce. Exiting from the carriage that had carried them across the city, the team of four admired the gleaming building, though undoubtedly for different reasons. Inside was a simrly luxurious interior: polished tiles and marble, wide-open spaces and an expansive atrium. A few people were scattered throughout the spacious area, dressed in armor of various sorts, either te or leather or cloth, often mismatched, as tended to be the case with shard loot. Fortunately, none of them looked over at their arrival. Zoey knew they wouldn''t go unnoticed for long. Rosalie checked in with the receptionist, who, despite surely working with high nobility daily, did a double-take when she told them who they were: not just shocked at Rosalie''s own family name, but also her strange ''teammates''¡ªwho she should''ve recognized, but didn''t. And then they were heading off down one of the hallways, into the maw of the beast. 6.54 – Training Facility I 6.54 ¨C Training Facility I The Mantle Training Facility was split into three major sections: one for the low rankers, consisting of the first and second advancements, one for the mid-rankers, consisting of the third to fifth advancement, and one for the high rankers, sixth and higher. Of course, the number of sixth advancement wayfarers was vanishingly rare, but of any ce in the world, Mantle was where they would congregate. Zoey''s team of four walked down polished tile hallways, headed for the mid-ranker public arenas. Even during the short trip, Zoey caught people outright staring at Rosalie¡ªand the rest of them¡ªas they passed, conversations cutting off mid-word. Rosalie might not be recognized on the streets of Mantle, but here, she was. Her reputation preceded her. Likely, some knew her personally. Rosalie always walked with squared shoulders and her chin up, but today, it was with an even more imperious grace than usual. She was treating her first public outing seriously. For all she''d said that the d''Celestins were out of reach of other noble families, she intended to set a good first impression. How much of that was her father''s insistence, and how much was it Rosalie wanting to foster such an image herself? It was a short walk before they exited the main building and entered a sprawling courtyard. Elevated tforms were arranged in a spacious grid, some small, meant for one-on-one fights, and somerge, presumably for teambat. Interestingly, thergest of the arena tforms was centered in the courtyard, and it was changing shape. Where the tform had been covered with a dense thicket of trees, Zoey watched as the environment shifted: trees shuddering and disappearing like an illusion going out, before dirt was reced with rolling dunes of sand and trees with cacti and other desert foliage. An arena that could emte natural terrain? Considering the sheer variance in shards, that would be a useful tool to train with. Such a thing had to be an amazing undertaking of magic, but if any training facility would have such a feature, it would be Mantle''s. Even for a ce as rich as this, though, there only appeared to be one of those¡ªterrain morphing wasn''t a feature of every arena, only thergest and centermost. The rest were standard stone tforms surrounded with magical energy shields, which became visible only when stray attacks or an unlucky flung body mmed into them. The mid-ranker public courtyard teemed with activity. Engagements surrounded them. Most, though not all, of the sparring tforms were upied with fric fights. And fric they were. These weren''t first- or second-advancement wayfarers, but third at the minimum, up to fifth. Men or women flitted around with daggers, disappearing and reappearing in untrackable bursts of speed; huge explosions of arcane energy exploded toward hunkered-down warriors in full te armor; skills of a huge variety went off. She watched as a bare-chested, tattooed man mmed his foot into the floor, and the entire arena rippled with force, the energy only not leaking into the courtyard thanks to the magical shield encasing him. Back in Treyhull, advancements three to five were rare. Globally speaking, even third advancement was a fair aplishment¡ªthe end-point for many people in a years-long wayfaring career, and wayfaring wasn''t a run-of-the-mill upation to begin with. Fourth was where status began, and fifth, the beginning of local or regional prestige. So these weren''t typical, everyday fights. Zoey watched the flurry of activity with amazement. The magical fields dampened the racket being created. The courtyard was filled only with the chatter of its inhabitants, oddly calm for all the visual disy. There was quite a bit of chatter, too, not a small amount. More even thanbatants, wayfarers stood in clusters, talking amongst each other. Some weren''t dressed inbat gear, but the finery expected of high nobility: suits and dresses of various styles. As if they''de here with no intention to spar and simply to speak instead. Though, Zoey realized, they could throw on armor at a moment''s notice via their inventories. So maybe they just preferred staying formal until they stepped into the arena. Regardless, Zoey intuited this courtyard was for political mingling as much asbat practice. Hence why Rosalie''s father had encouraged them to show their faces, for Rosalie to make her introduction not at a g, but at a training facility. For a society structured around strength and advancement, where direct power determined a pecking order, that made sense. They attracted attention mere moments after walking in. Zoey wasn''t the first to notice their approachers; Rosalie did. When Zoey saw her posture stiffen slightly, she turned her own eyes. Sure enough, a group of three¡ªtwo women, one man¡ªwere headed for them. Several others were looking, but they made no move toe and speak. Zoey could only assume that while Rosalie might be a major point of interest to everyone present, that didn''t mean she was approachable to everyone. She was this world''s version of a princess: and not just a princess, but the heiress-apparent. "Here we go," Rosalie murmured. To Zoey, she said: "They''re friends. Mostly." That was as much context as Zoey got before the group had arrived. She took them in. Leading the pack was a tall woman with short brown hair and chocte eyes. She wore a white chest te and had a sword sheathed at her hip. Her expression was acutely interested as it swept across Zoey, Maddy, and Delta, though that attention was brief; her eyesnded solidly on Rosalie. There was recognition there, though friendly might be too generous a description. But not unfriendly either. Rosalie had made it clear that she had known some people approaching ''friends'' back before entering the Fractures, but Zoey suspected her rtionships wereplicated. Too manyyers of political entanglements and duties. The man standing to her left was a few inches shorter than the tall woman, which made him about average height for a man. He was dressed in a fancy ck-and-gold robe. A heavy leather-bound tome was hooked to his belt like a sheathed weapon. And that was probably the case: a weapon. A mage''sbat tool he''d gotten from a shard. Which made him a caster of some variation? He was pretty. That was the simplest way to describe his features. Though not necessarily feminine. His haircut, at least, was masculine, short and glossy ck hair swept to the side. His green eyes were calm and analytical. He didn''t seem to have as much recognition for Rosalie as the leading woman did¡ªin fact, he seemed wary as he walked over. Like he didn''t want to approach the d''Celestin heir but had forced himself to anyway. The third was another woman. She had a tomboyish look, with red hair shaved short on one side and leather armor showing off her defined biceps. A huge two-handed axe was strapped to her back. She wore a frown as she walked over, her attention so solidly locked to Rosalie¡ªignoring the rest of them¡ªthat Zoey wondered if they''d even been noticed. Like the first woman, there was recognition in those orange eyes. She knew Rosalie in a personal manner, not just by reputation. Strangely, Zoey thought the woman looked ¡­ upset? Was this one of Rosalie''s potential teammates? Perhaps offended that her opportunity to be ced onto the wayfaring squad of their generation had been unceremoniously discarded? Except the offense seemed more personal than that. A friend spurned? Or was Zoey reading too much into a frown? Those quick appraisals were all Zoey had time to make. "Rosalie," the brown-haired woman said, spreading her arms with a wide smile. "You''re here! People were starting to worry." "Worry?" Rosalie asked with an arched eyebrow. "About me?" The woman smirked. "Not for your health, of course. Just that you''d run off like Elodie, too tempted by shards to bother returning to the humdrum of regr life." That same eyebrow arched further, which seemed to be the totality of Rosalie''s response. The womanughed again. "And who are these three?" she asked, turning her gaze at Maddy, Delta, and Zoey. "The prodigious teammates mentioned earlier?" The woman''s gaze lingered on Zoey, unable to help herself. Zoey was used to that reaction. She had been given a body reforged by a sex goddess. It was rare for someone''s eyes not to linger, however briefly. Even men and women not naturally inclined toward the feminine. Rosalie introduced each of them not curtly, but efficiently. "Zoey, Delta, Maddy," she said. "And this is Cordelia." She gestured at the tall woman. "We were frequent sparring partners when we were younger. The same for Honor." She gestured at the red-haired girl. Her eyes turned next to the man. "Andstly ¡­ Quinn, I believe?" Quinn nodded. "It''s a pleasure to meet you, Lady d''Celestin." "I heard you''d found some strays," Honor said, cutting in before any more pleasantries could be exchanged. "Almost didn''t believe it." Unlike Cordelia, there was no politeness in her voice. Her tone matched her expression: upset, even aggressive. "Strays?" Delta repeated, sounding highly unimpressed¡ªbristling to meet Honor''s attitude. "Excuse me?" "How did that happen?" Honor asked, addressing Rosalie, but keeping her smoldering gaze on Delta¡ªas if emphasizing, yes, strays. "Now, Honor," Cordelia tutted, resting a hand on the girl''s shoulder, which Honor red at next. "Let''s not get ahead of ourselves. I''m sure Rosalie has a fascinating story." Honor shrugged the woman''s hand away. Her gaze returned to Rosalie. "What advancement are you?" she asked bluntly. "Lord d''Celestin didn''t say. That had to be intentional." Rosalie pursed her lips. She didn''t look surprised by the question, or indeed the hostility in Honor''s voice. She even seemed ¡­ sad? Despite Honor''s aggressiveness, Zoey was nearly certain she wasn''t one of the enemies Rosalie had mentioned. The opposite. An ally spurned, then? That was what Zoey would assume until proven otherwise. "Fourth," Rosalie answered. "As are each of my teammates." 6.55 – Training Facility II 6.55 ¨C Training Facility II "Fourth?" Honor asked, rearing back in surprise. "Fourth? How? It hasn''t been a month!" There didn''t seem to be any doubt in her exmation; Rosalie wouldn''t lie about her advancement. She was too important to be spouting frivolous untruths like that. Instead, Honor''s face showed pure disbelief. Ack of understanding of how Rosalie''s im was even possible. "There are ¡­ extenuating circumstances surrounding the how," Rosalie said. "I was fortunate in several regards. In ways others couldn''t hope to be." She nced at Zoey as she said that. "Well¡ª" Honor said, trying to maintain the heat in her voice, but she''d been caught off guard. "Regardless. I''m third. That''s respectable." She narrowed her eyes at Rosalie. "And I could still take you. Advancement isn''t everything." "I doubt you could,dy," Delta said. Orange eyes pivoted to her. "Did I ask your opinion?" Purple eyes narrowed in turn. "You think I give a shit what you¡ª?" A hand on Delta''s shoulder stopped the retort. Delta blinked at Rosalie, who also seemed surprised that she''d reached out to calm her; that wasn''t a typical Rosalie reaction. Rosalie cleared her throat and retracted the hand. It had at least worked to cut Delta off. "Would you like to have a round?" Rosalie asked Honor. "I would appreciate it, actually. It''ll stop the vultures from swarming while we catch up. Give us some privacy." Zoey suspected the second part was Rosalie''s real goal. But by the way Honor crossed her arms and immediately answered, "Sure. Let''s," Zoey thought the red-haired girl had different aims. She didn''t want to enter the arena to catch up with Rosalie. She had something to prove. Zoey doubted she''d find much sess there. Rosalie had an advancement on Honor, and Rosalie was ¡­ well, Rosalie. She didn''t think there was anyone of a simr advancement, much less lower, who could beat her in a one-on-one. And that wasn''t mentioning the passive, permanent buffs she received through Zoey''s skills. She wondered what the story was behind these two. "Of course you''re already dragging her away," Cordelia said in exasperation. "We didn''t even finish introductions, Honor." Honor didn''t seem remotely abashed by the chiding tone. She spun on a heel and stalked toward the nearest empty arena. "I apologize," Rosalie offered Cordelia. "But it''s ¡­ Honor. This has to be dealt with. We can speak after?" "Yes, yes," Cordelia said, seeming amused. "I would love to catch up, but I''ll say my hellos to your teammates in the meantime." Rosalie''s face was impassive as her attention flicked between Cordelia and them. Zoey couldn''t guess what she was thinking. She wouldn''t say a mask had slid over Rosalie''s face, but she was more reserved than Zoey had seen her in a long time. Eventually, Rosalie nodded, then turned and pursued Honor. "What was that about?" Zoey asked. "And, hi, it''s nice to meet you. Sorry, I guess?" "Oh, no problem, dear. Hardly your fault. Zoey, right?" "And Delta, Maddy," Zoey said, gesturing at each of them. Delta inclined her head, still annoyed by Honor''s attitude, and Maddy waved brightly. "What''s got a stick up redhead''s ass?" Delta asked. Cordelia quirked an eyebrow¡ªsuch crude and direct phrasing probably wasn''t seen often in high society circles¡ªbut she didn''tment. "You," Cordelia said inly. "Me? I didn''t say shit. She started it." "Or all of you, rather. You took her spot on Rosalie''s team," Cordelia said, confirming Zoey''s suspicions. "That ''started it''. It''s reasonable she''s upset¡ªthough her behavior isn''t. She, like half the guild her age, has been aspiring for that position since she was a child. And was a forerunner for attaining it. Honor is very good at what she does. She was all but guaranteed a spot until you three came along." Delta blinked. She gave a begrudging look toward the arena; for Honor to have been ''guaranteed a spot,'' she must be an incredible fighter, which Zoey knew Delta respected. By now, Rosalie and Honor had climbed onto the arena tform and stood at opposite sides. They were speaking, but the words were swallowed by whatever magic shielded the tform''s invisible borders. "It''s safe to say anyone Rosalie regrly sparred with was a prodigy of their generation," Cordelia said. "But yes, Honor at the forefront among them." "You too, then?" Delta asked. "You''re also hot shit?" Again, she raised an eyebrow, but didn''tment on Delta''s word choice. "I''m a year older," she said with a wave. "I entered the Fractures too early to be considered part of her vanguard crew." She shrugged. "Though future opportunities were more than possible. Nothing says her initial team would be her forever team." She gave the three of them a curious look. "Though, it seems all our assumptions have been turned on their heads. I''ve heard some interesting rumors about you three." "We got here yesterday," Delta said. "How are there already rumors? You people stand in circles talking all day?" Cordeliaughed. "Frankly, on asion, yes," she said. "But the return of the heiress is a little more important of an event than usual. Of course news spread fast. Not to mention the Guildmaster''s official announcements." Delta grunted. She faced Quinn. "And you? What''s your deal?" "I''m uninvolved." He shrugged. "I''m here with my fianc¨¦." He nodded at Cordelia. "And to say my hellos to the returning d''Celestin heir, of course." "Oh. You two are a thing?" Delta asked. Zoey hadn''t made that guess either, not that she was surprised, necessarily. "Quite happily," Cordelia said, smiling at Quinn. Their conversation was temporarily forgotten as the fight began. The five of them had walked to stand out of the way while they watched Rosalie and Honor''s fight. While Zoey was aware of a prickling on the back of her neck that told her they were being watched from several angles, no one else had approached. That was likely why Rosalie had been relieved Cordelia had bee-lined for her: their presence was fending away, however briefly, other interlopers. She wondered how long that wouldst. On one side of the arena stood Rosalie. She was donned in unfamiliar metal armor, lightweight and gleaming. Zoey had grown used to seeing her in either casual wear or their form of armor¡ªwhich was to say, naked, or if not that, then wearing inappropriate essories with some highly revealing ''armor pieces'' in the best case. Seeing Rosalie in aplete warrior''s get-up was an interesting image. She struck an imposing figure, especially with her spear. Gone was the one she''d used through previous shards. Now, she wielded a piece of her inheritance. Rosalie had mentioned the spear once or twice. From what Zoey understood, the weapon was worth a minor noble family''s entire fortune. Dragon''s Tongue was eight feet of sleek ck and orange metal. The top was forged into an approximation of a dragon''s face, and the orange de, the tip, extended forward like a stylized tongue. Rosalie hadn''t mentioned what level shard the spear had been dug up from, but Zoey presumed at least seventh. Her father had been the one to find it, and it had previously been his mainhand. Of course, the weapon''s incredible potential was muted on a fourth-advancement wayfarer, but it was still a far better tool than most anything they could find. Then again, maybe not. Their shards tended to drop extremely powerful items, just with bizarre requirements. Perhaps they would find a spear as strong as Rosalie''s heirloom, though likely not from an objective sense¡ªonly because Dragon''s Tongue was scaled down to suit its lower-advancement wielder. On the other side of the arena stood Honor. Frankly, she was no less intimidating than Rosalie. Every ounce her equal, in her red leather armor. Her axe was nearly as long as Rosalie''s spear, its de half her size. A monstrous weapon that had seemed smaller when strapped to her back. She leveled it toward Rosalie, feet shifting as she prepared to charge forward. It seemed Rosalie''s goal of talking to the woman had failed¡ªor perhaps they would talk as they fought. Zoey didn''t know what was going on between the two of them. It seemed like a ''spurned friend'' was the easiest, and probably most urate, exnation. Zoey had never thought she would feel bad for teaming up with Rosalie, but she''d underestimated how big of a deal it would be, and to how many people. Not just from a political sense, but also a personal one. Honor''s spot on Rosalie''s team had been something she''d looked forward to her entire life. Honor burst forward. She closed the gap to Rosalie with absurd speed. Zoey could track the girl''s movements, but she had an advancement advantage to thank for that, being fourthpared to Honor''s third, along with shared physical stats from Rosalie and Delta. Rosalie moved much, much faster, too quickly for Zoey to keep up with. She sidestepped Honor''s lunge, and Honor''s giant ded axe cut into the ground, missing. The following five seconds were brutal. And that was all the fightsted¡ªfive seconds. Maybe Rosalie was proving a point, or maybe she was showing respect by not ''taking it easy'' on her opponent, who was clearly outmatched. She drew blood in six different spots across Honor, but avoided hurting her too badly. There were surely all manners of easy healing avable at this arena, and perhaps the arenas themselves were enchanted with defensive magic to prevent idents, but clearly, by Rosalie''s care,batants were expected to try not to kill their opponent. One final blow¡ªa gauntleted punch straight to the face¡ªknocked Honor back. The woman careened and fell, losing consciousness from the force of the attack. Zoey looked around at the stunned expressions of the spectators who hade to watch. She could intuit that Honor wasn''t some run-of-the-mill fighter often bullied around the arena. And Rosalie had only ventured into the Fracture less than a month ago. It all but confirmed Rosalie''s im she was fourth advancement. And not weak for it, either; herck of experience wasn''t hampering her. "Well," Cordelia said after a second. "I suppose that''s to be expected. It is Lady d''Celestin we''re talking about. Still, I forgot just how good that girl is." She shook her head. "I must admit, I''m itching to test her myself, now. I have a year''s headstart, but I find myself doubtful." She nced at Quinn, hesitance on her face. "Of course you would win, beloved," he said easily. "It would barely be a fight." Cordelia rolled her eyes, though she couldn''t fight away the smile. Apparently, she was one for that sort of earnestness. "But really," Cordelia said. "That''s shocking. Itsted all of a few seconds." Ahead, Rosalie was helping Honor up; she''d regained consciousness quickly. Hardy, as expected of a wayfarer. Or maybe thanks to the arena''s enchantments. Once standing, she brushed Rosalie away, then¡ªthough the words were still obscured by the magical walls¡ªpresumably began arguing for a rematch, already stalking over to her half of the arena. "Ah," Cordelia said, making a face. "She really is so¡­" She chose not to finish the statement. "It might take a few tries before she''s willing to just talk to her." She sighed, then faced the three of them. "Perhaps this is a bit gauche to ask, but I''m suddenly thinking I need a warm-up. It''d be embarrassing to be flounced by my junior quite as thoroughly as Honor was." She cocked her head, eyes flicking between Zoey, Delta, and Maddy. "So, would you mind? Any of you up for a friendly bout?" 6.56 – Training Facility III 6.56 ¨C Training Facility III "And you''re fourth advancement?" Delta asked. "Dunno how good of a match we''ll be, then. Both of us," she waved between Zoey and herself, "got skills that need practice before they''re usable, for our fourth advancement. And that happened yesterday, so." "Ah," Cordelia said. "I see. Nevertheless. You need not worry this is a power y. The request is earnest. I would like a sparring partner to warm up with, simple as that. And, admittedly, I wish to get a feel for Rosalie''s teammates. But my goal isn''t to establish myself, or simr. A friendly bout, on my word." Delta considered her. "Wanna do a two-on-three, then? Maybe it''ll be even that way." Her eyes flicked to Quinn. "What''re you, anyway?" "Fourth as well," Quinn replied calmly. For the most part, the dark-haired boy had been observing Rosalie''s fights with Honor and their conversations with an air of impassivity. The initial wariness Zoey had seen seemed to have faded. Either they, or Rosalie, weren''t as threatening as he''d worried. "An arena would buy us privacy," Cordelia added. "Away from prying ears. Rosalie had the right of it, to step into one with Honor so quickly." Delta turned an inquiring look at Zoey. Zoey shrugged. "We expected fights,ing here. It''s why Enzo sent us, I''m sure. For the best if our first one is with someone friendly, right?" Cordelia raised her eyebrows, and it took Zoey a second to realize it was probably because of how she''d used Enzo''s name. Cordelia had called him Lord d''Celestin, and otherwise, he was simply ''the Guildmaster.'' Casually addressing him by his first name was probably improper. Then again, he was her girlfriend''s dad. Even if Rosalie was hiding that from the general world, Zoey thought she was allowed some casualness with her family. "In fact," Zoey said to Delta. "I bet that''s part of why she''s offering." She nodded at Cordelia. "The longer you keep us upied, the longer we stave off the vultures, as Rosalie put it." Cordeliaughed. "Perhaps," she said. "But even if I were being so altruistic, I''m not lying about wanting to test you three. I''m dying of curiosity. Nobody knows anything about you. Even dear Madeline, for all we know who her mother is." "My family''s kinda private," Maddy agreed. "As Sovereign tend to be. So? You''re interested?" They shared another look. Zoey shrugged and faced Cordelia. "Sure. Should we leave Rosie alone, though?" Even as she asked that, Honor was once again thrown across the arena, mming into a shimmering magical shield that, for all intents and purposes, was a solid brick wall. "She''lle find us. It seems Honor is being even more stubborn than usual." Cordelia sighed. "She''ll have her good sense beaten into her eventually." The five of them set off for the nearest arena. Unfortunately, none were adjacent to Rosalie''s; they had to walk across half the courtyard. They stepped into their respective halves of the tform. Her skin tingled as she passed through the magical boundary. The sounds of the courtyard fell away, all the idle chatter disappearing. "Much better," Cordelia said, voice clear in the newfound quiet. She unsheathed her sword in a fluid motion, baring six feet of shining metal with an ease that spoke to years of practice. A movement that was instinctive, ingrained, second-nature. "Now, tell me if I''m wrong, but a rogue-type and two mages, correct?" "That''s right," Zoey said. "I''m afraid we have the upper hand onposition, then," Cordelia said. "You have no proper frontline." The implication, of course, was that Cordelia handily served as a frontline on whatever team she joined. The armor and enormous sword had given that away. And yes, Zoey could see her point: she doubted a dagger-wielding rogue plus two mages were an ideal group to fight in. They had a numbers advantage, at least. She wasn''t sure which way this fight would go, considering that. "Gotta make do with what you have," Delta said. She unsheathed her daggers and spun them. "And don''t get cocky. You think I can''t hold your attention?" Cordelia made a noise of appreciation. "I hope you can, dear. Warm ups shouldn''t be too easy." She settled into a battle stance. "I''m afraid you have my blood itching. May we start? We can speak after." Zoey had expected more conversation, perhaps Cordelia and Quinn trading some general descriptions of their sses and styles, but it seemed that wouldn''t be happening. Maybe it was for the best it didn''t. Adaptability was a skill that needed to be trained as much as any other. Most fights¡ªthe ones that mattered¡ªwouldn''t be sanitized duels in which she thoroughly knew her opponent. Most would be blind. "Sure thing, beanpole," Delta said. "Try to keep up." Without a countdown or any other indicator, the foxgirl burst forward in a streak of orange hair. Zoey had gained a lot of experience during the past month. Especially in thest magma shard, she and Maddy had been in a number of tough scraps; she was growing morefortable with analyzingbat scenarios and acting than ever. That said, was she a woman who had been trained as a warrior since birth? Did she have remotely the same level of experience as the average wayfarer who hit fourth advancement, who would have run through dozens of shards, not a small handful like her? For that matter, was she even all that talented atbat¡ªbecause as much as practice, there were certain innate requirements to be ''one of the best,'' as Cordelia, Rosalie''s previous sparring partner, surely was. The answer to the first two questions was resoundingly no. The third was probably a no, but how would she know if she had talent? She hadn''t spent long enough trying to cultivate it. She did, at least, not horribly embarrass herself. When the chaos of the two-on-three fight broke out, she maintained her bearing. For Delta, she activated Burst on Bolster, consuming a hefty chunk of Lust. The foxgirl descended on her Cordelia with a massive surge of strength and speed. Those two were the most effective abilities in Zoey''s kit by far, as far as directbat contributions went. Zoey would have taken satisfaction in the way Cordelia''s eyes widened in shock, but she stayed focused on their other opponent, trusting Delta could handle Cordelia¡ªor at least keep her off her and Maddy. Thus, it was two mages against one. As Zoey quickly discovered, Quinn was a directbat mage, not support and utility, like she and Maddy. With one hand resting on the leather-bound tome hanging on his belt, Quinn called forth enormous gouts of fire, drowning them in offensive magic. The fight began in earnest. To their credit, they gave Quinn and Cordelia a run for their money. They had some advantages, their extra woman the most obvious of them, but also Zoey''s absurdly strong runes. That said, theycked a coherentposition, theycked decades of training, and perhaps most importantly, she and Deltacked practice with their keybat runes they''d earned the day prior. They weren''t true fourth-advancement wayfarers until they could make use of those pivotal abilities. Delta didn''t even bother calling her shadow. She probably thought the distraction would outweigh the benefits. They lost. But it was close. When the fight came to a stop, Cordelia was breathing hard¡ªthough not a hair out of ce. Zoey could read in her eyes that she was impressed. But also a bit ¡­ not disappointed, but curious; maybe she had expected more from Rosalie''s teammates. Had expected something totally absurd, seeing how Enzo had allowed Rosalie to dismiss all other potential applicants in favor of them. But Zoey''s abilities, at least so far, weren''t overpowered in that way. She was a support mage, first and primarily. Though her lightning rune might change that. Zoey discovered the arena did, in fact, have healing effects built in; they activated whenbat ended. Fighting a fire mage was no fun at all. Burns were unpleasant. Thankfully, only seconds passed before she''d recovered. "Well!" Cordelia said. "Good fight." She walked over and offered a hand to Delta, whoy back-first on the ground. The foxgirl forced a dazed gaze up and toward the hand. Frowning, she epted it, though Zoey could see her ego was bruised. Rosalie and Honor had finished their fights as well. They stood off to the side, having caught at least the tail-end of their bout. Rosalie didn''t have any particr expression on her face. Honor was frowning. Or maybe pouting. She had been flounced a number of times in a row. She didn''t seem like she''d been paying too much attention to Zoey''s fight, instead stewing in her thoughts. Zoey would have stayed on the tform and continued speaking with Cordelia¡ªthe swordswoman had pulled off a number of moves that Zoey was curious about¡ªbut with her eyes having flicked over to Rosalie, she spotted two people, a man and a woman, approaching. Maybe it was the sour expressions on their faces, or something else, that alerted Zoey. Had it finally happened? Their first unfriendly visitors, rather than someone like Cordelia? Either way, Zoey stood and stepped off the arena, the noise of the courtyard returning as she passed through its defensive membrane. She arrived at Rosalie''s side just as the blonde was beginning to speak. "Evander, Zinnia," she said icily. "How nice to see you two." "You as well, Lady d''Celestin," the boy all but sneered. "I was wondering when you would grace us with your presence." 6.57 – Training Facility IV 6.57 ¨C Training Facility IV "I was wondering when you would grace us with your presence." Evander was a fair-skinned boy with ck hair. He was average height for a man, which meant he stood half a foot taller than Rosalie. Despite that, it seemed like Rosalie was looking down on him as she leveled a cold expression toward the neer. Zinnia, presumably the woman to his right, also had a head of ck hair. There was a simrity in their faces that told Zoey with total certainty they were siblings. The resemnce was striking. "Mm. I found myself in no hurry to return," Rosalie said calmly, icy blue eyes surveying her two visitors. "I was busy progressing. You two understand, I''m sure. To some extent," she added with a doubtful look. Zoey''s eyebrows went up even as Evander and Zinnia''s expressions soured further. What was going on here? They obviously weren''t friends, not even the conditional ones Rosalie had mentioned. "And these are the mysterious teammates?" Evander asked. His attention settled on each of them in turn, but only briefly. There was nothing but disdain on his face. "Interesting ¡­ choices." "The fuck does that mean?" Delta asked. Where Honor had been hostile, she hadn''te off as¡ªwell, an enemy of Rosalie''s. Zoey was pretty sure Honor had just been venting frustration. Not all that dissimr from how Delta might have acted in her situation, honestly. These two? It didn''t take a genius to recognize the dynamic between Evander and Rosalie. "Merely that I''m surprised by Lady d''Celestin''s selection of teammates," Evander said calmly. "I mean, pray tell, what are your credentials? No one has heard of you." "Credentials?" Delta threw a thumb over her shoulder. "Wanna step in with me? I can shove my foot up your ass. How would that be, for credentials?" Evander blinked. He clearly wasn''t used to retorts like that. His and Rosalie''s exchanges had been tantly unfriendly, but there was a veneer of politeness and usible deniability in how their words could be interpreted. She got the impression that such words were as overtly rude as high nobility would get with each other. Barring extreme circumstances, a conversation would never devolve slinging outright insults. That would be beneath them. Or too risky, especially in a conversation with someone who had the surname d''Celestin. Rosalie sighed. She gave a briefly pleading look to Zoey. Control that woman, please, it said. Zoey settled a hand on Delta''s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "Could you, now?" Evander asked, finding his bearings. "I find myself doubtful." "Stop antagonizing my teammates, Evander," Rosalie said. "Antagonizing? I was merely inquiring about her. After all, to suddenly insert herself into the prodigious Rosalie d''Celestin''s team? She must be very impressive." Rosalie spoke before Delta had a chance to. Thankfully, Delta was also holding her tongue, prompted by Zoey''s hand on her shoulder, though she didn''t seem happy about it. "I''m more than capable of selectingpetent teammates. "Or are you casting aspersions on my judgment? Perhaps questioning what caliber wayfarer I find eptable?" Before he could snarkily reply to that, either, Rosalie continued. "You know, Evander, I would adore a match with you. Like old times. Hm. But perhaps Zinnia should join you as well? I''m afraid you might not offer as much a challenge as you once did." By the expressions on both Evander and Zinnia''s faces, like they''d swallowed lemons, Rosalie had done the equivalent of pping them in their faces. "Both of us?" Zinnia asked. "Against just you?" "We have three months advantage on you, Rosalie," Evander said. "And you think you can beat both of us? Isn''t that arrogant?" It seemed even the veneer of politeness was slipping. "It would be, if I lost," Rosalie said mildly. "But it''s a simple offer for a duel, no need to be so upset." She inclined her head. "I understand if you decline. You have a reputation to maintain." His face went red. "I ept," he all but spat. "As does Zinnia." The girl seemed more apprehensive, but just as angry. That meant she at least had some sense in her. Surely they recognized if Rosalie was so confident, that something was up? That she thought she would win. Maybe they thought that an impossibility, considering it would be a two-on-one and that they were at least third or fourth advancement. With no further barbed words, the three departed for the arena¡ªthe one Zoey andpany had just been using. Zoey found it amusing yet another fight had started. She supposed in this kind of strength-focused society, most disputes would be solved with duels. "What was that about?" Delta asked, frowning as thebatants set up on their respective sides. "More people bitchy they didn''t get to be on blondie''s team?" Honor eyed Delta, but saw that Delta''s question hadn''t been snidely directed at her. Delta didn''t even notice the look. "Oh," Cordelia said. "In this instance, no, actually. The Talbot siblings were never interested in joining Rosalie''s party." She paused. "Or, knew from the outset they would never be offered one. Their family''s rivalry goes back more than a single generation. From before Rosalie''s time." "They''re enemies?" "Lord d''Celestin doesn''t have enemies within his own ranks," Cordelia said, eyebrows raising. "But," she said. "He has allies who are more or less friendly than others." "You''re turning words around," Delta said with a snort. "They''re enemies. Say it in." Cordelia''s lips pursed. "Unfriendly," she insisted. "They align under the same banner and pledge loyalty to the same guild¡ªto Lord d''Celestin. They are not enemies, except in the most trivial of senses." They weren''t actively trying to kill each other, Zoey tranted. Disliked each other, maybe even hated each other''s guts¡ªgoing back generations¡ªbut there was no coup in sight, nor assassination attempts. She supposed that was a fair enough distinction. Their real enemies were the Striders, the opposing highguild. And possibly the Sovereign? Or at least, those were a potential enemy. Rosalie hadn''t been too concerned when she found out Maddy was a daughter of one. Zoey still didn''t understand the dynamics between those three major polities, not to any in-depth degree. Seeing how her girlfriend would eventually be the leader of one such guild, Zoey really ought to sit down and have a more thorough talk about it. Delta grunted. "Still, kinda surprised he doesn''t just squash them, if they''re ''unfriendly''," she quoted the word with her fingers. "Isn''t that something Enzo d''Celestin would do?" "A Guildmaster can hardly go killing every officer who offers him the smallest slight. Even ones who are outright rude. Lord d''Celestin represents a significant portion of the Deepshunters'' power, but holding and controlling territory requires the efforts of more than a single man. Never mind that even he can be overwhelmed by a strong enough coalition. He''s not wholly immune to the Guild''s machinations." She seemed amused at Delta''s question. Zoey intuited it had been an uninformed thing to ask. Oddly, Zoey took some sce in the fact she wasn''t the only one out of her depth. Delta didn''t know the first thing about noble politicking either. Maddy was in a better position, but she''d also made it clear the Sovereign worked in apletely different manner than the other two highguilds. Ahead, Rosalie''s fight began. A part of her had been expecting Rosalie to wipe the floor with her two opponents. That didn''t happen. Without a doubt, both Zinnia and Evander were fourth advancement, the same rank as Rosalie. Unlike when she''d gone against Honor, she had no enormous power advantage. Well. She still had the power advantage. Zoey''s skills had empowered Rosalie by a significant amount, and she shared a portion of stats with each of her teammates. But it wasn''t a ridiculous gap like against Honor. She was on a more even ying field. And Evander and Zinnia weren''t unskilled opponents. Zoey reminded herself that there were no unskilled fighters in this facility. Only elites. Frankly, Zoey might be one of the worst in the building. If not the worst. She''d gotten better in the past month, but a month of vigorous training didn''tpare to a lifetime. That said, even among elites, there were enormous gaps in skill¡ªand Rosalie demonstrated that handily. Zoey took no small amount of pride and second-hand vindication as her girlfriend battered, two-on-one, the rude pair of nobles around the arena. Half the training facility hade to watch. Dozens of armored or well-dressed wayfarers stood around the tform, watching the d''Celestin heiress dominate two opponents she had no business dominating, not a single month after entering the Fractures. Looks of pure disbelief covered the faces of the crowd. This, Zoey knew, had been Enzo''s intent sending Rosalie to the public arenas. Not to catch up with old friends. To prove a point. Establish herself. Establish the d''Celestin name. The intensity on Rosalie''s face made Zoey certain of that. As she weaved between attacks, thrusting with her spear and dashing around the arena, she wore a look of pure concentration and resolve. She wouldn''t let herself lose this fight, no matter what. And she didn''t. Rosalie came out of the encounter limping and with her armor dented, but when the smoke settled, she was thest one standing. "As I said," Rosalie announced, looking down at Evander. "Always a pleasure to get some practice in. Thank you for the spar." She hopped out of the arena. "We can leave now," Rosalie murmured to Zoey. "I''ve done what my father wanted. You and Delta need to practice your new skills in privacy." Nobody stopped them as they left. Rosalie raised an apologetic hand at Cordelia, Honor, and Quinn for their abrupt departure. Zoey knew they''d be seeing more of those three. Out in the hallway, Rosalie released a sigh of relief, and her shoulders lost a little of their rigidity. "d that''s over with," she muttered. 6.58 – Lightning I 6.58 ¨C Lightning I The d''Celestins unsurprisingly had ess to whatever rooms within the Mantle Training Facility they wished, and that privilege extended to their guests. As such, they had little difficulty finding two sparring rooms to practice their abilities in private. Rosalie escorted Zoey and Maddy to theirs first. "We''ll be taking the one next door," Rosalie said. "So we don''t interrupt each other." "Right." Zoey looked around. The room was immacte and furnished with a number of target dummies and fighting implements, among many objects Zoey didn''t immediately recognize¡ªa constant for life in a new world. She faced back to Rosalie. "So. When you say private, how private? That fight with Cordelia took a lot out of me, so ¡­ you know." Rosalie rolled her eyes. "It''s private," she said. "Up to my family''s specifications. There is no possibility of other wayfarers or facultying in unannounced. However," she said as Zoey started to rx. "There are a small number of people who could, should they decide to. My father, to name the obvious, but my sisters as well. Maybe a few others." "You think that''s likely?" "Not at all," Rosalie said. "But Charlotte is due to return soon, if she hasn''t already, and Elodie¡ªwell, Elodie can''t be predicted. So while it''s not likely, it''s possible. Do what you must, but be covert. You have a portal on hand, surely it can''t be that difficult. I would suggest the restrooms, but those aren''t guarded like the practice rooms are, even if someone is less likely to barge in." She shrugged. "So again, just ¡­ be covert." Which was how, five minutester, Zoey was sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with Maddy on the bench at the back wall. The illusionist had a thin book on herp. She was in her usual tight-fitting gray mage''s robes. A cylindrical bulge crawled up her stomach to between her breasts¡ªfourteen inches long, and as thick as Maddy''s forearm. It stretched the already tight material to a straining point. The linking te was set down between her legs, inside her robes, allowing Zoey''s cock to be both cradled by warm thighs and squeezed in against her stomach by her robes. It was a snug, enjoyable fit¡ªand by the blush on Maddy''s cheeks, not just for Zoey. All at once, the bulge disappeared. Maddy''s robes ttened as the linking te was sucked into her inventory. With another mentalmand, it appeared back where it was, exiting the spatial storage and stretching Maddy''s robes tight. The linking te, and Zoey''s cock, had remembered where it had been. "Huh," Maddy said. Sheid a hand on the bulge, gently pushing Zoey''s cock into her stomach. "It works. Wasn''t sure it would." The test was, of course, to tell if they could quickly conceal what they were doing as soon as an unexpected guest arrived. If someone barged in, all they would see, if they were paying attention in the first ce, was a bulge in Maddy''s robes, and even that wouldst only a second before Maddy sucked the linking te into her inventory and removed all evidence. The n for Zoey''s ''covert recharging'' could have been handled in a number of ways, but Maddy had seemed particrly enticed by this idea: keeping Zoey''s cock cradled between her thighs, hidden in her robes, as they sat on a bench and discussed her newest lightning affinity. Any lewd activity, even just arousal itself, provided a trickle of Lust to refuel Zoey''s reservoirs, but this way they would be killing two birds with one stone, running through preliminary discussions while refilling Zoey at the same time. Though she was certain the real reason Maddy had picked this method was simply because she wanted to tease. She squirmed on the seat, and Zoey felt her pussy brush against her cock, rubbing wetness onto her. She wasn''t wearing panties. Zoey couldn''t say she was surprised by the revtion. "So," Maddy announced, keeping an instructional tone, as if she didn''t have fourteen inches of girlcock bulging her robe outward, sticking up between her breasts. "You''ve unlocked the element of lightning. Rosalie was nice enough to get her hands on this," she tapped the opened pages of the book, "for us from her family''s archives, which''ll simplify things. There''s spells all the way up to fifth circle." Even Maddy seemed amazed by that, flipping to the end of the book to study the nightmarishlyplex designs. "You, of course, only have the second circle unlocked, but there''s a lot of options avable. Lightning isn''t an element with a huge amount ofplexity, anyway." "Every spell takes time to learn," Zoey said, "so we need to pick which ones fit best into my arsenal?" "Yep," Maddy said. "Though if you want something custom, I''m sure the d''Celestins would¡ª" she paused. "Well, they don''t have a spell designer on standby, since they''re all warriors, but they could employ one for you, I''m sure." "Would it be worth it?" Zoey asked. "Won''t the book be enough?" "Definitely will be. Just bringing the idea up, if you cared." Maddy flipped through the pages. Her thighs squeezed around Zoey''s cock, and she arched her back slightly, rubbing her stomach against Zoey''s length. A little shiver went through her, but she didn''t say a word¡ªpretending nothing was happening was part of the fun. The casualness of having Zoey''s erect dickid across her petite body while acting like they were in apletely normal situation. Just two mages discussing magic. "Lightning is a destructive element," Maddy said. "And a potent one. Definitely in the top tier. That said, there''s still pros and cons to it." "Fast?" Zoey guessed. "Yep," Maddy said. "That''s the big one. Most spells have travel time, my confusion bolts included. Lightning can still miss, of course, but it''s far less likely, even when manually aimed." "Manually?" "As in, the spell doesn''t include some manner of auto targeting," Maddy said. "Those can be gimmicky. Manual aiming is better." "There''s ways to make spells automatically pick the nearest enemy?" "The nearest warm body, maybe," Maddy said. "For example. But there''s not an easy way to define ''enemy'' in aprehensive manner. That''s what I mean by them being gimmicky. Though,bined with a lightning spell''s instant transmission, it would guarantee a hit, basically every time. Still not worth it though." Zoey didn''t want to sidetrack Maddy, and conversations on the peculiarities of magic could easily be long-winded, so she didn''t press further. "But there''s also downsides to lightning," Maddy continued. "There''s little physicality to it. Something like ice, you create projectiles with weight. That weight can cause its own damage, or break through barriers. But lightning is pure energy. That''s what makes it so effective sometimes, but ineffective in others. Some monsters might have near-immunity to it ¡­ others might fry inside-out even at low charges. It''s a more pr element than ice." She paused, thenughed. "Excuse the pun." "Good thing I have something to fall back on, then." Maddy nodded. "Lightning is a phenomenal weapon to have in the arsenal, but it''s a little specialized¡ªso you want back ups. Speaking of your affinity for ice, it''s worth considering integrating the two." "What do you mean?" "There''s not explicit benefits to mixing elements¡ªit doesn''t make the spell stronger innately, somehow¡ªbut it does let you effectively cast two at once, if you need the specialties of both anyway. Finding pre-built spells for abination of elements is much less likely, so this is more theoretical advice. But I''ve been thinking about it." Maddy hummed. "Maybe an ice-and-lightning storm, an area-of-effect that persists on an aimed location. Ice''s specialty is movement inhibition, so that particr half of the spell could be focused on that while the lightning bolts raining down do the real damage. Seems like an intuitive implementation, and could be contained with a two-circle definition. Probably." "That does sound good," Zoey agreed. She tried to focus on the mage''s words and not how Maddy''s thighs were squeezing into her cock, and how the girl was rocking her whole body in small motions. One hand went up to rub briefly at Zoey''s cocktip, before darting back down to the book to start flipping pages again. Yeah, Maddy was definitely in a mood to tease. "But let''s start with simple ones first," Maddy said. "A two-element spell would have to be custom designed, and would be harder to consistently cast anyway. Let''s get you started with something in the book, for now." She pursed her lips and nced at Zoey. "What would you want, if you could pick anything? What do you feel like you''re missing in your kit?" 6.59 – ? Lightning II 6.59 ¨C ? Lightning II "If I could have anything?" Zoey asked. "Within reason," Maddy said. "But yeah. There''s a lot to pick from inside this book." "Firepower," Zoey answered. "Anything hard-hitting, even if it takes longer to cast." "You''d prefer that, over faster bolts? Weaker ones you could stream out inrger numbers?" Zoey lost her conviction. She shrugged. "I dunno, you''re the expert, I just feel like I''m kinda useless, when ites to fights? Or at least, that I don''t have anything big that influences the fight, personally speaking." Maddy raised an eyebrow. "And you think you need firepower to be ''useful in a fight'', huh?" Her point was obvious. Maddy herself had extremely little when it came to offensive power. She could, however, utterly disable opponents, up to and including bosses for short amounts of times. She provided enormous benefit to any given fight, probably influencing encounters more than if she did have a damage arsenal. "Well," Zoey said. "No, you''re right, of course. I have other uses through my other runes. I just ¡­ want to be able to do a lot of damage?" She shrugged. "You asked what I wanted. But I''ll learn whatever you think would be best on me, or for the team." Maddy hid a smile. "I guess it does make sense you''d want something big and shy." She patted Zoey''s cock underneath her robes to emphasize her point. "But no, don''t get me wrong, a heavy-hitting lightning bolt isn''t a bad idea. Since it''s easier tond than most spells, you can beef up a lightning bolt a lot more without worrying about wasting the spell. Don''t have to worry about it shattering on a wall, like an ice spear." She flipped through a few pages and tapped a finger on the book when she found what she wanted. "This is what I would start off with. It''s basically what you asked for. A big bolt of lightning that originates from you, with a lot of energy poured into it. There''s a smaller version you could learn once you have a handle on it, or vice-versa. Gives you versatility." Zoey inspected the diagram on the page. She''d grown used to dealing with thenguage of magic, but the looping designs were still interesting, and would probably never stop being so. There were a few sentences of description at the bottom of the page, discussing the spell and how it manifested. Some of the other pages had included paragraphs and paragraphs of description, though those had been the higher-circle spells, and were by nature moreplex than a two-circle. Zoey''s brief study was interrupted by a hand rubbing up and down her cock. Her eyes flicked to Maddy, but despite firmly massaging Zoey through her robe, and her thighs flexing to provide a satisfying pressure down near her base, Maddy kept her attention on the book with an innocent expression¡ªthough her cheeks were red, the easy-to-blush girl unable to stoically perform such a lewd action with a straight face. Simply having the spell design, unfortunately, was only the first step. A major one, yes, that was barred torge swathes of the world, who had to scrounge together whatever designs they could find. But still only a first step. Actually learning to wield the spell was another matter altogether, one that would take significant practice, and increasingly so for moreplex spells. There was a reason Zoey only had a few key ice spells in her kit, rather than a whole book''s worth. The creation of spells wasrgely an academic pursuit, but using them, a practical one. Maybe not that dissimr fromposing music to ying what she saw on a sheet, though that analogy had its ws, as most analogies did. "There''s two others I think are good," Maddy said. "One''s a second circle spell, a ball of lightning that sits there and zaps anything that gets close. Would work well for both single targets and multiple. Another is an arcing chain lightning effect. Those would be a good all-around starting point, and after you have a handle on them, you could pick up more creative ones you take an interest in." Zoey made a noise of agreement. Those did sound strong. To be fair, there weren''t many spells she wouldn''t want to learn. It was magic. She didn''t think it mattered how long she was in this world; she wouldn''t forget she was learning literal magic. She studied the heavy-bolt spell for a few minutes longer, trying to hold the design in her head. Eventually, with Maddy''s encouragement, she stood and got to practicing. It was harder to focus than usual, because Maddy stayed seated and, without a book and conversation to upy her attention, had her focus diverted elsewhere: Zoey''s cock. Maddy stroked up and down with both hands, clenching and unclenching her thighs and rubbing her body along her length, the motion awkward inside her crammed robes, but very much pleasing. Any attempts at staying concentrated were lost when, a few minutes into Zoey''s practice, Maddy discovered if she pulled the linking te up just slightly, and bent forward the right way, she could lean forward and run her tongue along the tip of Zoey''s cock while keeping it concealed inside her robes. Zoey managed a few shoddy invocations of the heavy lightning-bolt spell before the pleasure grew too much to ignore. She had been teased for long enough even before she''d started practicing. She walked over with wobbly legs and sat next to Maddy. "Getting close," she said breathlessly. "Just by the way." Instead of slowing down, the illusionist sped up, happily stroking her tongue along the ridge of Zoey''s cockhead. She pressed her elbows in to squeeze her petite, nearly t breasts against Zoey in what way she could. Sitting next to her, panting as she ran up to that cliff, Zoey joined in on the efforts, pushing a hand against the top of her own cock, through Maddy''s robes, and providing a sweet friction for herself. An intense throb signaled Zoey''s crumbling walls, and Maddy pressed a kiss to the tip of Zoey''s cock, not able to take her properly into her mouth crammed into her robes like she was¡ªbut nheless providing a ce to empty herself, so Zoey wouldn''t end up ruining the girl''s robes. Maddy''s talented tongue pushed Zoey over the edge. She moaned, jerking her hips forward as she came, though the motion did nothing thanks to the portal panties'' physics. Thick ropes of cum flooded Maddy''s mouth, and the girl remained firm, taking it all, every heavy ejection into her rapidly filling mouth. She swallowed a thick load to make room as Zoey''s climax rolled over her in pulses, muscles clenching with each st. When Maddy had finished extracting her reward, she licked around to clean Zoey up and nted onest kiss on her tip. Then she vanished the linking te, and Zoey''s cock disappeared, leaving Maddy''s robes draped around her body normally, not over-full and straining with its hefty visitor. "There we go," Maddy said, cheeks red. "Nice and recharged?" "Nice and recharged," Zoey murmured, the back of her head pressed against the wall as she came down from the hot waves of pleasure. Eventually, Maddy dragged Zoey to her feet with an encouraging hand, and they got to practicing in earnest, without the distraction of ''recharging.'' She made decent progress over the next hour, with Maddy breaking away to train her own abilities as Zoey grappled with the Heavy Bolt, as she wasing to call it. There was only so much Maddy could do to help, after all. Much of her progress woulde down to sessions of repeating the same spell over and over until it felt like second nature. Some timeter, Maddy asked, "Hey, you mind if I try something on you?" "Uh. Sure. What is it?" "You remember what I got for my fourth advancement? I drew something up, and wanna see if it''s functional." Maddy hesitated. "But I know some people don''t like illusions, so it''s okay if you don''t want to." Zoey blinked. She''d seen plenty of Maddy''s illusions, but she didn''t use them on her. Her newest skill made it so that illusions fashioned as terrain were more potent, to the extent monsters would be nearly guaranteed to believe they were real. Since Maddy wanted to test it on her, Zoey wouldn''t be ssified as an ally: she wouldn''t ''see through the illusion'' like she normally would. They would have the same mind-altering effects as they did on monsters. "Sure," Zoey said. "Honestly, I''ve been kind of curious what that''s like. Probably smart to get a feel for it anyway, in case we run into someone else who can make illusions." Maddy nodded cautiously. "It might be unpleasant." "That''s fine," Zoey said. The following experience was extremely disorienting. The illusion was simple, merely a collection of walls brought to life in front of Zoey, but the effect was mind-bending. As soon as the b of metal appeared in front of her, she knew with total certainty that it was real. Not an illusion. Sure, they had just been discussing experimenting with illusions, but ¡­ something else must have happened. Because that was a real wall. A real b of metal had sprung up in front of her, and if she were to try to run into it, she would smack into it and bounce off. So obviously she wouldn''t try. It took no small amount of internal struggle to work past those thoughts. As she walked up to the wall, every instinct in her body told her that her hand would meet solid metal. It was nearly shocking when her fingers passed through¡ªand even when she''d proved its non-corporeality, her brain kept telling her: that is a real wall. Never mind how she had her hand inside it. "Whoa," Zoey said. "Trippy." She shook her head to clear it. "And it''s this strong when I already knew it was an illusion," she mumbled. "Has to be way more convincing if I didn''t." A shiver went down her spine as she examined her thought processes, the contradictions she almost hadn''t been able to contend with. No wonder people disliked illusionists, or at least their skill set. Having her head messed with was ¡­ unpleasant. As Maddy had warned. She faced Maddy. "Yeah, that''s gonna be nice down in a shard," she said, rather than voicing her previous thoughts. "All kinds of creative things you''ll be able to do with it, I''m sure." 6.60 – Arrangements 6.60 ¨C Arrangements After two hours of practice, a messenger arrived to let Zoey know that Enzo wanted to meet with her. She had few delusions that such a summons meant ''whenever was best for her.'' She was expected to make herself avable immediately. That was fine, since she needed to speak with Enzo as well. Back at the d''Celestin estate, she picked up Aria, and the two of them followed the messenger through the ptial hallways. Enzo didn''t host the meeting inside his throne room, thankfully, but rather an outdoor patio overlooking the city of Mantle. Pale blue eyes took in his two visitors, settling longer on Aria, who, maybe understandably, froze at having his attention on her. He waved the messenger away, as well as the servant who had been standing to the side. When the ss doors closed behind the man, the three of them were alone on the patio. "Sit," Enzo said, gesturing at the empty seats across the short wooden table. There was a tray of what Zoey assumed to be tea already poured for them. "We have things to discuss." "Y-Yes, my Lord," Aria said, curtsying and doing what had been asked of her with far more haste than Zoey. Not that Zoey dyed, but she realized, in that short disy, that Aria was much more nervous to be in Enzo''s presence than Zoey herself. Which wasn''t to say Zoey wasn''t nervous; she just had less respect for Enzo''s title than the average citizen of this world. She hadn''t grown up hearing legends of the ''Guildmaster of the Deepshunters.'' After a moment of silence, his eyes lingering again on Aria¡ªwho squirmed in ce¡ªhe turned to Zoey and asked, "How did my daughter''s debut go?" He took a sip from his drink, and Zoey slid her own cup closer and sniffed: it smelled herbal. Definitely a tea of some kind, though only the heavens knew what specifically. "Good, I guess?" Zoey said. "Depends on what your goals were. She fought the Talbot siblings and embarrassed them, which I assume is what you wanted." She raised an eyebrow at Enzo. "I''m sure you had someone watching, to give you an unbiased report, though. Why ask me?" Enzo''s lips twitched, and he inclined his head to confirm her assumption. He leaned back in his chair and draped an arm over the top. "You speak too casually to me," he said. Zoey blinked. "I''m not trying to be rude, if that''s what you''re implying," she said. "I just don''t know how to act around you. I''m not from high society." "It''s more than that." She shrugged. "You expect me to grovel?" "Not necessarily," Enzo said, his amusement growing at Zoey''s bluntness. "But most would consider it appropriate, perhaps." "I''m not your subordinate." His eyebrows shot up at that, and Zoey wondered if this was the approach she should be taking. But it did need to be made clear. "I''m your daughter''s teammate," Zoey continued. "And I''m loyal to her. That''s without question. But I''m not part of your guild, much less a servant of yours. I don''t mean this in any confrontational or disrespectful way, I''m just exining myself." Enzo studied her, and Zoey didn''t shy away from his intensity¡ªand yes, he was a very intense man. Finally, heughed and gestured at Aria. "You''re making your partner ufortable," he said wryly. "Speaking that way to me." Zoey nced at her. Sure enough, Aria had all but broken out into a sweat. Zoey reached under the table to pat her knee reassuringly. "This is Aria, by the way," Zoey said. "She''s part of the reason I needed to speak with you." "Yes, the priestess. Rosalie broached the topic in passing," Enzo said. "Something about needing a temple." "To spare you the full details, my ss needs me to start a following. I was hoping you could help with the logistics of acquiring a temple. Since I assume it wouldn''t be the easiest thing to make happen, going through traditional channels." "No," Enzo said, amused. "No, it would not be." He hummed. "What an interesting ss, that requires you to ''start a following.'' Your sponsorship is the topic I wished to speak with you about as well. My daughter has been rather tight lipped about it¡ªwhile trying to seem like she isn''t being." "Ah," Zoey said. It looked like the conversation today would have trickier footing than she''d assumed. She couldn''t say she was surprised. They were intentionally keeping the most powerful man in the world¡ªand more importantly, Rosalie''s father¡ªin the dark on a number of topics. Any conversation with him would beplicated. "Well, I''m happy to answer." "If that were true, you or Rosalie would have provided a full and unobscured exnation to me already. So no, don''t lie to my face." He waved his hand as if to dismiss the matter. "I can arrange a temple. However, I would like to know what, exactly, I''ll be condoning within my city. Your patron deity is Ephythithys, and as much as my daughter has been attempting to convince me of how Her godly domain includes bonds of less carnal inclination as well, I find myself dubious." Zoey squirmed in her seat. While Rosalie had brought herself temporary relief using that excuse, it couldn''tst. Not with Zoey starting a temple that would definitely be involving Ephy''s stickier nature. "Bonds are a major part of my ss, yes," Zoey said. "And my domain only has partial ovep with Ephy''s. So Rosalie isn''t lying. But yes, this newest ability focuses on ¡­ more intimate aspects." "And that means?" Zoey nced at Aria, who seemed to be more than happy to let her do the talking. "Well," Zoey said. "Do I really need to get into the specifics? I have a sponsorship from the goddess of sex." Enzo quirked an eyebrow. Zoey would have been embarrassed to have this conversation if Enzo was a stranger, and him being Rosalie''s father made the event twice as mortifying. She managed to keep a straight face, at least. She let the unstated stay unstated; Enzo was an intelligent man, so he knew what she was implying. "Then you understand why publicly condoning your venture might cause problems," he said. "I don''t consider myself prudish, nor my people. But there''s a difference between being prudish and sponsoring a temple where ¡­" he paused. "Whatever you have nned, will be happening." That was a fair point. "You don''t need to publicly condone it or anything that strong-handed. I just need help getting a temple, that''s it. And I wanted to get your unofficial approval, of course. Considering we''re in your city. And, uh. Will be doing those sorts of things." "Hm," Enzo said. He took a sip from his tea, studying Zoey. His pale blue eyes turned to Aria. "And where do youe into this?" Aria nearly nched at having his attention on her. "Um," she said, shifting in her seat, looking around as if for an escape. "I would be Zoey''s high priestess, m-my lord. In charge of the temple in an official sense, with Zoey being its figurehead and target of worship." "Target of worship?" he echoed, facing Zoey. "This isn''t a temple to Ephythithys, but rather you?" Zoey grimaced. "Unfortunately." He seemed interested by the reaction. "Unfortunately?" he prompted. "It''s by direct order from Ephy. I''d rather not set myself up as some kind of ¡­ nascent deity. But that''s what she wants, and my ss is demanding it too." "Could I speak to her, somehow?" he asked abruptly. Zoey froze at the change in topic. "Uh," she said. "I think that''s unlikely. She''s not someone I can just ''get in contact with.''" Which wasn''t entirely true, since she had called Ephy using a ritual. Replicating that with Enzo was ¡­ not happening for obvious reasons. "Is there something you need to ask her?" "There would be strategic benefits gained from a conversation with her, yes. But more than that, who wouldn''t wish to speak with a deity in the flesh?" "That''s ¡­ fair? Still, I''m not sure how usible it is." "Look into it," he said. "Favors are meant to be repaid, no?" "Right. Yes. Of course, I''ll ask her, if I get the chance. Though even I might not see her any time soon. She''s elusive. As goddesses tend to be, I would figure." Enzo was doing them a favor, helping with the temple, and more importantly, allowing it in the first ce. Zoey didn''t know how much of a scandal unofficially condoning a sex temple would cause in the city of Mantle. Society atrge seemed less prudish than back home, but they still had decencyws. It had to be a headache for Enzo, if only a minor one rather than major. "This will benefit my daughter as well, I''m to take it?" Enzo asked. "Besides just by me being on her team? Yes. It seems extremely likely my future abilities will interface in various ways with holy energy¡ªand I''m mostly a support ss." "Holy energy?" "The resource I''ll be earning for running a temple," Zoey said. "It''s a strange ability, I don''t fully know how it works yet." Not a lie, but also not the full truth. She didn''t want to exin Patron to Enzo, because he might force her to advance certain individuals under hismand. "Hm," Enzo said. "Last question, then." His eyes grew sharp. "What will Rosalie''s involvement be, with all this?" "Her ¡­ involvement?" "With you. With this sex temple you intend to create." Oh. Oh, dear. "Thetter, nothing," Zoey said, and even let out a short, incredulousugh at the idea, which hopefully sold the truth of the matter. "All of that is something I seriously doubt Rosalie will be interested in, even in the slightest." Delta might be willing to join in on the rituals, but Rosalie? Rosalie had made it abundantly clear she didn''t like being with strangers. Not to mention how it would affect her reputation. A tenseness in Enzo''s shoulders rxed, one Zoey hadn''t even noticed until just then. "And with you, specifically?" Enzo asked in follow-up. Zoey hadn''t wanted to lie straight to this man''s face. "She''s my friend and teammate. I care about her. She helped me when I found myself lost and confused in a world I didn''t understand, missing most of my memories. If you''re questioning my loyalty to her¡ª" Zoey didn''t actually think that was what Enzo was getting at, but this was a safer way to veer the conversation, "¡ªthen you don''t need to. I trust her, and will be doing my best to repay her." Enzo scrutinized her, though in an impassive manner, head slightly tilted. Eventually, he shrugged. "I''ll arrange this request of yours," he said. "And send a coordinator to your room," he looked at Aria to indicate who he meant, "to work out the details. Is there anything else you need?" "That was it. Thank you." "Remember my request," he told Zoey. "See if She''s interested." He meant the meeting with Ephy. Zoey nodded. "You are dismissed," he said. "If you see Rosalie, tell her she did well. Ah," he said in sudden remembrance. "And that Charlotte is back, so she should be expecting her soon." 6.61 – Misunderstanding 6.61 ¨C Misunderstanding That went better than expected, Zoey thought as she walked down the hallways of the d''Celestin estate, headed for Rosalie''s room in the royal wing. She hadn''t necessarily expected disaster toe from a meeting with Enzo, but any conversation risked him finding out things she would rather he didn''t¡ªmost notably her rtionship to Rosalie. She wasn''t sure whether he knew more than he was letting on. For a man that controlled half the Fractures, she assumed he had to be perceptive. Then again, everyone had blind spots, and Rosalie seemed confident he was being kept in the dark ¡­ but that just might mean he was Rosalie''s blind spot, rather than the other way around. Regardless, it didn''t seem like Enzo knew the two of them were dating, much less up to all of the inappropriate things Zoey''s ss demanded. But maybe he suspected some sort of romantic entanglement, nascent or burgeoning. She really couldn''t tell. He was a man skilled at keeping his thoughts his own. Aria had returned to her room; she''d mentioned she would be perusing the temple district today, and while Zoey would like to join her for that, she had other more pressing goals. Sabina and Mel needed ''new stock,'' to name one, and beyond that, Zoey needed practice honing her lightning affinity before they went out on their next shard. She wasn''t sure when that would happen, but knowing Rosalie, sooner rather thanter. Her desire for progress had gone nowhere. Among these thoughts, Zoey''s attention also wandered to bigger picture worries, prompted by Enzo''s request to speak with Ephy. It had been some time since she''d learned anything new about the shard-eaters, and more specifically, about the one who had taken an interest in Zoey. Surely she would be reemerging soon? Had she ever followed them in the first ce? She''d received not a shred of evidence toward either theory, which was concerning. In short, when Zoey arrived to Rosalie''s room, she was distracted by a number of topics spinning around inside her head. Therge double doors were, strangely, already open, which gave her pause, but the sight of Rosalie standing on the far side of the room, staring out the window down the slope of Mantle dispelled any other thoughts. A smile quirked up her lips, seeing her. Interestingly, she was wearing her hair in a bun. Rosalie normally swapped between a practical ponytail or keeping her long, straight tinum-blonde hair down, so Zoey wondered whether she was about to attend some special event¡ªor if she was just trying something new. Despite surely hearing Zoey''s footsteps¡ªit was Rosalie, after all, the perfectly-aware warrior¡ªthe girl didn''t turn to greet her. Maybe if Zoey had been less distracted by the day''s events and more importantly, the future''s, or if it hadn''t been Rosalie''s room she''d walked into to see a tinum-haired girl standing there, she would have noticed that there was something just slightly off. The woman''s build was the same, muscled yet lithe with curves in the same ces, but if she''d been paying close attention, she''d have seen that she was an inch taller, with a little less curve in the hips and a little more in the chest. But she didn''t notice any of that, besides the obvious change in hairstyle¡ªwhich she chalked up to Rosalie trying something new, or perhaps that was her preferred style for an uing formal event. So Zoey walked up, ced her hands on Rosalie''s hips, and leaned forward to rest her chin on the shorter girl''s shoulder. "Penny for your thoughts?" Zoey murmured, lips tugging up into a smile. "Staring out at your city, all pensive," she said. "It''s cute, Princess." Instantly, Zoey knew that something was wrong by the way Rosalie tensed, going rigid as a board. Confused, her head turned just slightly to meet Rosalie''s eyes, rather than looking out the window alongside the other girl. It¡­ Was not Rosalie. Far more than the slight height and build difference, or even the change in hairstyle, the face gave it away in an instant. Sure, there were stark simrities¡ªthe regal structure of her nose and chin, the eyes of pale ice, even her choice of attire. But Zoey had spent many mornings drinking in every detail of Rosalie''s features, the curve of her chin and the patterns of her irises. "Remove your hands from me," came a voice so freezing-cold it could have stoppedva from rolling down a hill, "before I remove them from you." Zoey''s hands snapped back like she''d touched a hot stove. She backpedaled even as the woman turned on her. A weapon coalesced in her right hand¡ªunsurprisingly, a six-foot spear of white metal. She didn''t look pleased that Zoey had walked up and grabbed her, in the way a cat might ''not look pleased'' about being thrown into a bathtub. Zoey''s thoughts simultaneously shuttered off and were also running at a thousand miles per minute. Mostly, she med herself. She should have been able to tell. If not by the subtle differences in build, then simply by putting two and two together. Enzo had told her that Charlotte had returned to the estate, back from her wayfaring expedition, and had even told Rosalie to be expecting her. Yet Zoey had waltzed into Rosalie''s room wholly unaware that it wasn''t Rosalie standing by the window, but her sister. Yes, she''d been distracted, and yes, the two sisters were startlingly simr, but Zoey should have been able to tell. Of course, since fate loved conspiring against her, it was just then, with a fuming Charlotte having drawn her weapon¡ªthough at least not having pointed it toward Zoey¡ªand ring with all the balefulness she could muster, that Rosalie appeared in front of the open doorway. Seeing the two women in her should-have-been-empty room, Rosalie froze. Icy-cold, angry blue eyes left Zoey''s to nce toward their newest visitor. "Rosalie," Charlotte said in terse greeting. "Charlotte," Rosalie returned, as if instinctively¡ªher own thoughts sprinting in circles, seeing her sister standing in her room, weapon drawn, posture hostile and having been staring down Zoey. "Pray tell, sister," Charlotte said. "Why this woman walked into your room and groped me?" Zoey choked. "That''s¡ªan exaggeration." "You had your hands all over me!" "Just your hips! That''s it!" she said as much to Charlotte as she did Rosalie. Also¡ªZoey was more grateful for her restraint, in that moment, than she''d been grateful for anything in her entire life. Because her greetings weren''t always so chaste when she caught Rosalie in private. Rather than exaggerated, the usations Charlotte was leveling at her could very much be true. And thus, after grabbing a nice squeeze of a d''Celestin who wasn''t her girlfriend, Zoey might have ended up with a missing hand. Prickly seemed to be the starting point of Charlotte''s attitude when being touched. "And why would you think even that''s eptable?" Charlotte asked. Despite the question ostensibly being directed toward Zoey, her eyes fell on Rosalie¡ªwho had, reasonably, frozen at the confrontation. Zoeymented how she''d brought this on Rosalie. Itplicated everything a great deal. No amount of misdirection or lying could excuse the casual familiarity Zoey had just shown, and only an idiot wouldn''t realize that Zoey had assumed it was Rosalie she''d walked up to and all but cuddled. Some sort of rtionship had been revealed, and only the precise details could be obfuscated through verbal gymnastics. Would Charlotte run and tell her father, then? The impression Zoey had gotten was that Rosalie wasn''t on the best terms with her sisters¡ªand Charlotte worse than Elodie. Zoey didn''t know whether that meant they were genuinely hostile toward each other, but at a minimum, they weren''t hiding under bed covers and confiding all their secrets. Rosalie''s mouth worked soundlessly for a few moments. Charlotte''s eyebrows raised at that, perhaps unustomed to seeing Rosalie flounder. All at once, she pulled herself together. She raised her chin, walked into the room, and closed the door. With perfectly squared shoulders, she walked up to the duo, folded her hands in front of her, and looked Charlotte in the eye. "This is an unfortunate way for the two of you to meet, but let me apologize on Zoey''s behalf¡ªI am absolutely certain what happened was a misunderstanding. Charlotte, this is Zoey, my wayfaring partner, and more importantly, my girlfriend." While Zoey''s eyes widened in surprise, Charlotte looked like she''d literally been pped. She reared back, going so far as to take a step backward. "Your what?" Charlotte hissed. "My girlfriend," Rosalie said calmly. "And my wayfaring partner." This time, it was Charlotte that floundered. Her mouth open and closed, but no words came out. Pale blue eyes flicked between a perfectly serene Rosalie, and Zoey, who was blinking in her own bout of, if less dramatic, surprise. Rosalie had confided in Zoey once that growing up, she hadn''t had any particr interest in romance. Perhaps that was why Enzo himself didn''t seem to be pressing the topic¡ªpossibly even unaware of their rtionship, or at least the extent of it. Because the idea of Rosalieing back after a short one-month venture with a girlfriend was genuinely ludicrous. That was what the expression on her sister''s face suggested, at least, and surely her sister knew her better than most others. After Zoey''s initial surprise faded, a new emotion came: a warm fuzziness that washed through her with an unexpected strength, nearly making her blush. Rosalie hiding their rtionship was, while reasonable, also the source of a small, hidden well of insecurity. Because she was dating an actual princess¡ªhow couldn''t she be a bit insecure? And, as totally ridiculous as Zoey knew it was, a part of her wondered whether maybe Rosalie wanted to hide their rtionship not purely because of practical concerns, or anxiety over dealing with her father''s reaction, but maybe because of Zoey herself. But that insecurity was wiped away, seeing Rosalie make the confession to her sister¡ªholding her chin up, seeming proud of her announcement. Zoey knew Rosalie would rather have kept things hidden from Charlotte, as with Enzo, but since her hand had been forced: Rosalie had made it clear she was more than happy to call Zoey her girlfriend. As these thoughts were running through Zoey''s head, Charlotte had gone pale. She ced a hand on her forehead. "We," she said, pointing her spear not aggressively toward Rosalie, but merely for emphasis, "need to have a talk, sister. Alone." 6.62 – Charlotte 6.62 ¨C Charlotte This was a disaster, but a containable one. Charlotte knowing of her and Zoey''s rtionship was many times less dangerous than their father knowing. The question was, of course, whether she could convince Charlotte to be discreet. ''We need to talk,'' Charlotte had said. ''Alone.'' Rosalie nced at Zoey, who read the request on her face. "I''ll, uh, give you two some privacy, then," she said. "Sorry about ¡­ the misunderstanding." Charlotte eyed her, and Zoey raised her hands in a second silent apology¡ªthen tactically retreated from the room, pulling the doors closed as she left. "Your girlfriend?" Charlotte all but shrilled the moment she was gone. "I''m not sure why you sound so surprised," Rosalie said calmly. "A rtionship is hardly such a strange thing. Elodie had a string of them before ever entering the Fractures, and brought back another in near identical circumstances, didn''t she?" "I''m hardly saying the concept of a girlfriend is shocking," Charlotte growled. "It''s you having one." That might have sounded insulting in another context, but Rosalie knew what Charlotte meant. She wasn''t implying Rosalie was somehow incapable of attracting someone''s attention, just that her returning it was ¡­ out of character. "I wouldn''t have expected it either," Rosalie admitted. "But the past several weeks have been filled with all sorts of surprises." She shrugged. "I wasn''t interested in romance, but Zoey made herself an exception." She couldn''t quite stifle the smile that admittance put on her lips. "You actually like her," Charlotte said incredulously. "I would have thought the word girlfriend made that clear." "You know what I mean." She did. Rosalie''s interest in Zoey wasn''t mild or passing. She couldn''t even exchange a few short sentences with Charlotte without making that obvious. Rosalie''s cheeks colored, but she didn''t back down. "Yes. I do like her." Charlotte stared. "Oh, gods," she groaned, rubbing her forehead. "How did Father react?" A snort made it clear she suspected a debacle at best. "Well," Rosalie said. "That''s the thing." Charlotte gave her a curious look. "He doesn''t know," Rosalie said inly. And so, Charlotte locked an incredulous gaze on her for the second reason that day. "Excuse me?" "I may have deliberately downyed the extent of my rtionship with her," Rosalie said. "And by downy, I mean neglected to mention entirely. But," she said quickly, "for more reasons than just not wanting to deal with his ¡­ reaction. There are extenuating circumstances." "Extenuating circumstances," Charlotte tly repeated. "Zoey is ¡­ someone who will be important in the following months and years. And I didn''t want him to think my judgment waspromised when it came to her." "And is it?" Charlotte asked. Rosalie hesitated. "Yes and no." "That''s not the sort of question that can be answered with ''yes and no,'' Charlotte said. "That means the answer is yes." Rosalie wasn''t sure she could argue against that. It wasn''t worth attempting. "Regardless," she said. "I was hoping he wouldn''t find out." She met Charlotte''s gaze evenly, the request implicit. Charlotte narrowed her eyes, and Rosalie held her breath. Her rtionship with Charlotte had always beenplicated. She was two years Rosalie''s elder, and yet Rosalie held the title of heiress, and not by Charlotte''s own relinquishment of the title like with Elodie. Charlotte had wanted to lead the guild one day. Had been heiress herself, until Rosalie started to surpass her. Their eldest sister, Elodie, could have kept the title had she wanted, but while Elodie was every bit the prodigy Rosalie was, she had dismissed all responsibility. That she''d so bullheadedly resisted Father''s displeasure even at that young of an age was somewhat incredible; Father hadn''t been pleased about a d''Celestin shirking her duty. But Elodie had been even less pleased to be forced into something she didn''t want to do. So far as Rosalie understood it, Father had only relented because he was at risk of losing Elodie''s faithfulness entirely. And while he would have preferred an heiress of such skill, losing a wayfarer who would one day perhaps be his match would be catastrophic to the guild. Eventually, he had gotten Rosalie as a third daughter, solving his dilemma, and his and Elodie''s rtionship had settled; they were even on good terms these days, at leastpared to the rockiness Rosalie had seen growing up. Charlotte, however, was not the free spirit of their eldest sister, and much closer to Rosalie in temperament. But Father was a pragmatist, and when he had seen Rosalie handling a spear better at twelve than Charlotte at fourteen, she had been cast aside. It had led to a bitter rivalry between them, one that had cooled in recent years but which Rosalie knew was not fully gone; Charlotte saw her aspetition. Which was the source of her concern. Had it been Elodie that Zoey had so tragically mistaken for her¡ªnot that Elodie could be, being half a foot taller and with a much lither build¡ªthen Rosalie would feel fairly confident that Elodie would indulge her plea for secrecy. She might have agreed by simple merit of keeping something from their father. She was on better terms with him, but she had a habit of butting heads by nature. Charlotte, though? Rosalie wasn''t sure what she would do. The moment stretched on forever, and Rosalie waited tensely for her sister to respond. "Okay," Charlotte finally said. "It''s between the two of us. As sisters." Rosalie released the breath she''d been holding. She wasn''t sure she one hundred percent trusted the promise, but she also doubted Charlotte would lie to her face. "But I want an exnation," Charlotte said. "How did you meet this woman, anyway?" Rosalie carefully fought the blush that threatened to rise up. It was unfortunate that any time someone asked her that question, an image of being smashed into a tiny coffin with a naked Zoey was thrust into her mind. "Inside a shard, strangely enough," Rosalie said, impressed at the evenness of her tone. Charlotte tilted her head. "Inside a shard? Not before?" "I entered alone, and yet there she was," Rosalie confirmed. "It''s the least of strange circumstances surrounding her." "A person of importance, in the years toe," Charlotte echoed. "I''ll exin all of that, but another time," Rosalie said. "Father could as well. The short of it is that Zoey has an unusual and extremely powerful ss. Even her inexplicable arrival into that shard was likely not a coincidence." "Sounds ¡­ interesting." Her eyes narrowed. "And suspicious." "It''s not like that. I promise." Rosalie sighed. "Full exnationter, as I said. Just not right now." Charlotte hummed, epting that. She nced toward the doorway Zoey had left through, then turned back and raised an eyebrow. "So," she said, too casually. "That''s your type, then?" Rosalie''s cheeks instantly started to darken, which she recognized as a mistake. Never show weakness. Her and Charlotte''s rtionship might have grown milder over the years, but they were long rivals. Less bitterly, these days, but stillpetitive. Charlotte saw an opening and pounced the way any predator would. A grin curled on her lips. "Tall and curvy?" Charlotte continued. "Honestly, I didn''t imagine you had a type, but I guess that makes sense. That woman would be anyone''s type. Have you two kissed?" The question was obviously meant to tease, expecting an answer of ''of course not!'', but Rosalie''s reddening blush gave her answer away sure as words could. Charlotte''s eyes widened. "Well, you are calling each other girlfriends," she said. "I would''ve thought you''d take things slower, though." The circumstances of that first shard had moved things along faster than any natural method could. And Rosalie didn''t mean that in a negative sense. That she''d had her walls broken down so thoroughly and abruptly had been a blessing in disguise. Had opened up some ¡­ very enjoyable outlets for her, which she might not have enjoyed for months or even years, otherwise. "But you haven''t, you know?" Charlotte asked, curious. Her eyes went ever wider at what she saw on Rosalie''s face. "You two¡ª? Already?" "How''d your shard go?" Rosalie blurted out. "It was a long one, wasn''t it? Must''ve been an expedition." Charlotte gaped, having gotten much more information from her teasing than she had expected. Rosalie was unfortunately unprepared to handle being prodded at over her first rtionship by her sister. The heat on her face simply wouldn''t go down, despite her best efforts topose herself. "Well," Charlotte said, also flustered now. She hadn''t intended to actually pry into Rosalie''s sex life, because she hadn''t thought there was a sex life. "You work fast." She nced again toward the door Zoey had left through, then faced back and raised an eyebrow. "I guess I can''t me you. She''s ¡­ pretty." If they hadn''t been sisters, and Zoey her girlfriend, Rosalie knew pretty wasn''t the word Charlotte would have used. Rosalie cleared her throat. "She''s kind," she said. "And thoughtful. She''s not like us at all." "Us?" "Wayfarers, or nobility, or anything like that, I mean," Rosalie said. "She''s amoner?" "Yes." Rosalie tensed as she waited for Charlotte''s reaction. Thankfully, she only seemed thoughtful¡ªand a bit surprised, but that was only expected. "That also makes sense, I suppose," Charlotte said. "In a strange sort of way. You''ve always been ¡­ dedicated." Obsessed was the word she meant. "Someone outside of that sphere would have its appeal, if simply for the novelty." She shrugged. "Would''ve expected it to go the other way though. For you to find someone as obsessed with wayfaring as you are. You''re full of surprises, today." Rosalie wasn''t sure whether that was apliment or not¡ªprobably just an observation. "Forget my shard, though," Charlotte said. "Let''s hear about what yours were like." The interest in her eyes shifted, growing a little sharper. "Spent enough time away, didn''t you? Bet you made some serious progress." Rosalie stopped herself from grimacing. To all others, she had been proud to announce her absurd aplishment of already having hit fourth advancement. To Charlotte, though, especially after she had shown such grace in agreeing to keep Rosalie''s secret, an almost visceral urge to lie bubbled up, as nonsensical and untenable as a lie would be. Charlotte herself was only fifth advancement, an extremely respectable aplishment for two years in the Fractures, and even what most would consider prodigious¡ªbut nothing like what Rosalie had done. Internally, she sighed. She just hoped Charlotte didn''t take this too badly. 6.63 – Extraction I 6.63 ¨C Extraction I Zoey didn''t have to stand outside Rosalie''s room for long as the two sisters had their private conversation, but even a few minutes felt torturous when she didn''t know what was happening inside. When Rosalie emerged and invited her back in, she was immensely relieved to find Rosalie seeming calm and Charlotte, while still eying her, not as aggressively as before. "So, uh," Zoey said. "Everything cleared up?" Rosalie nodded, and Charlotte pursed her lips. "I won''t fault you for mistaking us," she said. "It''s reasonable, all things considered." Dryly, she said, "It''s happened enough by people other than you, who should''ve known better. We do look rather simr." "It''s still my bad," Zoey said. "Sorry if I made you ufortable." Charlotte sniffed. From there, they made less hostile introductions. Charlotte didn''t stay long; she''d only stopped by to say hello to her sister, and, having recently returned from a shard, wished to retire to her room and rest. Afterward, Rosalie exined that their private conversation had gone well enough, and that Charlotte wouldn''t be giving them away to Enzo. Zoey breathed a sigh of relief. "Just be more observant, next time," Rosalie said dryly. "That could''ve gone badly." She poked her on the shoulder. "Since when have I worn my hair in a bun?" "Thought you were trying something new," Zoey said with a blush. "And I will be, promise." Zoey had only visited Rosalie''s room to catch her up on her meeting with Enzo, so after that, she departed with a goodbye. Her next stop was Sabina''s workshop. Or rather, the d''Celestin''s workshop, which Sabina was using until she could set up her own again. Arriving, Zoey found the space empty except for her tall, antlered alchemy teacher, who nced up upon her entering. She didn''t seem to be busy, instead having been holding a clipboard and studying what she had written there. "Zoey," she greeted. "How can I help you?" "Nothing urgent. Have news on the temple, spoke with Enzo. Also, I finally have a free moment, so ¡­" she shrugged. "You know." Sabina''s lips quirked up. "I''ve been blessed with the privilege of making my extraction, have I?" She nodded, pleased, before Zoey could be embarrassed and protest that it wasn''t like that. "Good," she said. "How long of a free moment? As I''ve mentioned, giving away rewards is not how one inspires a student. You have time for a quiz?" "I''m in no rush," Zoey said, trying and failing to stop the grin. Sabina nodded and began collecting her things. Zoey was confused briefly until she remembered that while her quizzes with Sabina were sometimes held in the workshop, this wasn''t their workshop, and there was more than a possibility of one of the other alchemists wandering in. Amusedly, Zoey thought, getting caught with her alchemy teacher undressed and ''making extractions'' might actually have been preferable to the disaster with Charlotte. While it''d have been a minor scandal, what Zoey really needed to worry about was Rosalie''s reputation¡ªand the extent of their rtionship. But especially as news of her temple came out, it would almost be expected for Zoey and her allies, barring Rosalie, to get into certain indiscreet scenarios. Or maybe she was already making excuses for future-Zoey. After Sabina had collected her supplies and cleaned what she''d used¡ªwhich Zoey of course helped with, as the studious disciple she was¡ªshe walked them back to her room. She continued studying the clipboard as they went, surprisingly unaffected by theck of visual coordination, walking in a straight line and at a decent pace despite being distracted. Zoey didn''t interrupt her; she could tell when the other woman had taken an interest in something. Undoubtedly, she was studying the results of her most recent batches of potions and running that internal calculus on what changes she would make next. Or perhaps theorizing new recipes. There was something deeply attractive, Zoey thought, about seeing a woman in her element. In much the same way as she couldn''t help but admire Rosalie and Delta when they were treating a fight seriously, seeing Sabina study her clipboard with a calm, thoughtful expression had Zoey discreetly stealing nces with equally as much interest. Sure, there were less twisting, lithe bodies involved than when one of her teammates was dueling an opponent, but Zoey honestly wouldn''t say it was any less eye-grabbing watching the dedicated alchemist purse her lips as she studied her notes. Arriving at Sabina''s room, she lowered the clipboard. "I''ve been seeing good results, recently," she said. "The idea that an alchemist is only as good as her tools is, frankly, a sphemous im, but I must admit it has been a treat using the d''Celestins'' personal facility." She hummed. "I''m excited for us to open this business of yours in earnest. There are new toys I would like to add to my collection, after seeing what the d''Celestins have." She paused, and her lips twitched. "And other toys too," she said calmly. "Once money is no longer a factor, I imagine my mentorship over you can be expanded in all sorts of interesting ways." Say one thing for Sabina, she knew how to fluster her in a few short, mildly spoken sentences. She tried not to let her mind run too wild at what sorts of expensive ''toys'' Sabina might buy once they were pulling in profits from their joint alchemy venture. "I look forward to it," Zoey managed to say with a straight face. "I''m sure you are." Now inside Sabina''s room, and thus with privacy, the antlered woman gestured for Zoey to sit. Zoey did so. "You''ve been keeping up with your studies?" she asked. "Best I can," Zoey said. "And I mean that. But, well, you know how things are." "Mm. You have other responsibilities. And with the particr persuasion your alchemy rune is taking, study is less necessary than for some alchemists." She leveled a stern look on Zoey, which, uh, probably shouldn''t make her stomach flip quite as strongly as it did. "But I still expect my student to be giving it her best. So I won''t hear any excuses." "Right. Yep. And I have been reading, when I can," Zoey said. "Cross my heart." "Our quiz results will verify the validity of those ims." Sabina sat on the corner of her bed, a few feet away. Already, Zoey could feel herself stirring in anticipation, thanks to the repeated conditioning. Even without a hint of sexual innuendo in Sabina''s voice or even flirtation in her eyes, Zoey''s heart rate was picking up, her body responding. Because she knew how these quizzes went. Sabina would open with a few freebie questions¡ªthough they''d been growing less free, over time, with her expectations rising¡ªand soon enough, she would start granting ''rewards.'' Did she have anything specific nned for this extraction? Even if she didn''t, even if this quiz was an identical repeat ofst time, Zoey was more than looking forward to it. But Zoey doubted it would be a repeat. Sabina, again, was a generous teacher. "First question," Sabina said. "Infusion versus decoction. Exin the differences." Zoey raised an eyebrow. "Reminders of the fundamentals are important," Sabina tutted. "Repetition is the basis of learning. It''s not disrespectful to prompt you for a description of simple terminology." She was right, of course. "In reagent making," Zoey said. "Infusion is creating a reagent by boiling something in water, to make it fuse and create a solution, usually consuming the original ingredient. Decoction, however, is the process of extracting via the process of boiling, specifically some sub-part or element of what is being boiled¡ªthe reagent is what is extracted. Simr, but not the same." Sabina nodded. She followed up with the second question without pause. "Why is silvermonly used in purification potions?" "Because silver is associated with purity," Zoey said. This time, Sabina raised an eyebrow. "It''s true," Zoey said defensively. "It''s recursive, I know, but that''s the full andplete answer. Are you asking why silver is associated with purity? Does the origination behind a sympathetic connection matter?" "Not from a practical standpoint," Sabina admitted. "Still, understanding one sympathy might give insight into another. So the ''why'' certainly has a purpose. Nevertheless, you are correct. I would ept such an answer, if that''s all you have to say." Zoey would hardly back down from the implicit challenge. She considered. "Well, it doesn''t tarnish or corrode easilypared to other metals, and since it''s valuable, the connection to the concept of purity is even stronger. Plus, weapons made from silver have known properties for being effective against undead or abomination-type monsters, and killing undead implies purity¡ªthough that might just be feeding back in on itself again, and not an intrinsic characteristic." It was hard to tell what was ''magic'' and what was ''natural,'' in these discussions. She frowned. "So I guess the first part is thergest factor." "A sufficient answer. I would also have mentioned silver''s association with the moon, a celestial body linked to cycles of purification and renewal." She inclined her head. "Which is also recursive. Most descriptions of sympathy tend to be. I simply wanted to hear what insight you had to offer." Sabina stood. "As a reward," she said easily. "Would you prefer me to remove my top, or my bottom?" Ah. So it was starting. Zoey shifted in her seat, a grin rising to her lips. "Top," Zoey said. "Definitely the top." 6.64 – Extraction II 6.64 ¨C Extraction II "Definitely the top?" Sabina echoed. "Is the other choice of such little appeal to you?" Zoey knew Sabina was just teasing, but a part of her wanted to hurry to rify, to say everything about her was amazing, obviously. Which was probably the source of the teasing in the first ce, based on the amused glint in Sabina''s eyes. "No," Zoey said. "Just stating a preference." "A strong one, it sounds like." "Not necessarily." She flicked her eyes up and down Sabina. "If you gave me a good look at both, I could reevaluate, though." The retort amused Sabina more than she''d expected¡ªshe almost outrightughed. "Good scientists are thorough and data-driven," she said. "And ambitious in their pursuits. Very well, I will remove both." Zoey blinked. She hadn''t expected to get a freebie, she''d just been bantering. Normally Sabina worked slower into her rewards. But with only ten questions, maybe she was wanting to elerate the process, to get to more exciting things faster. For all Sabina wore a mask of perfect control, Zoey knew the interest was mutual. Sabina had been wearing a whitebcoat along with ck pants and a white button-up blouse¡ªall of which she shed now, slowly, for Zoey''s viewing pleasure. Part of the appeal, she mused, was how conservatively dressed the woman was on a typical basis, covering every inch of skin out of practicality for the dangerous substances she worked with. So it was twice the joy to see her curves disyed, to see just how much was hidden underneath those practical alchemy garments. "Bra and panties too?" Zoey suggested. "Ambition is a virtue, but simrly a vice, when taken too far," Sabina said, amusementcing her words. "Only one of the two, then," Zoey conceded. Sabinaughed. "Which?" she asked. Lucky her; Zoey was surprised that had actually worked. She''d talked her way into Sabina removing not just a blouse, but instead almost everything. She was in a pliable mood today. "Bra." "Ah, so the preference continues." "I''m just moderating myself," Zoey said, her attention lingering on the curves of Sabina''s thighs, then pointedly at her panties, and what might have been exposed if she''d chosen differently. "Is that what you call it?" Sabina asked, eyes also flicking down to her partner''s crotch¡ªseeing pants which were, upon the tall and shapely deer-girl''s body being exposed, straining in silent approval. Sabina didn''t allow the exchange to go further, though. She was, after all, genuinely interested in testing Zoey''s alchemical knowledge, as much as what this quiz was leading to. "Third question," her now-mostly naked teacher said as she sat back down on the corner of the bed and crossed her legs. Which did nothing to hide her exposed breasts. "Since we''re on the topic of the moon, describe how its phases might affect alchemical processes." Zoey tilted her head. For only a third question, that was more of a niche topic than she''d expected¡ªthough maybe the normal difficulty curve had been upset because of the natural segue of the moon. She took a few seconds to mull over the topic, trying to remember what she''d read. It was especially niche because in the Fractures, the appearance of a moon wasn''t even guaranteed, depending on the pocket dimension they''d wandered into. For the most part, a given fracture would follow normal day-night cycles and even moon cycles, but that wasn''t guaranteed¡ªfractures could manifest in all sorts of ways, including permanent day or permanent night, or even having multiple or no moons. Among stranger manifestations. Which was all fascinating from a physical and astronomical standpoint, but the Fractures in general were doused in magic and not bounded by physicalws. Safer, more stable, and less variant than shards, sure, but the average citizen wasn''t heading down into the Fractures for a reason. "Doesn''t it affect potions in tons of ways?" Zoey asked tentatively. "Like, too many to name?" Sabina inclined her head, obviously prompting for her to give any insight she had. "The effect is stronger when exposed to the moonlight itself¡ªthe phases of the moon are almost negligible when brewing inside an enclosed space." And dragging out alchemy equipment into the moonlight was tedious for obvious reasons. "But ¡­" she racked her brain for what she''d read. "Full moon has attenuation for rity, illumination, healing and regeneration, along with a whole bunch other effects. The new moon helps transformation and concealment potions. And the half-moon, uh, effects based on the concept of bnce?" That was a guess on her part, but seeing how most sympathies weremon sense, probably a safe one. "And waxing and waning benefits growth and reduction, respectively." "You have been keeping to your studies," Sabina said, sounding pleased. "Mostly thanks to my brilliant teacher, and her passionate methods of teaching," Zoey said with a grin, which was only partial ttery¡ªit definitely was a big source of encouragement. And while Sabina wasn''t a woman easily ttered, the words actually brought a smile to her face, which Zoey saw her try to hide. "Stand up," she ordered. Zoey did so eagerly. She knew enough from previous quizzes to expect what her next reward would be. First, Sabina had stripped herself. Now, she would strip Zoey. And that was indeed what happened. With excited, shivering delight¡ªwhich she tried to keep a mp on, to y it cool¡ªSabina pulled off Zoey''s shirt, shoes, pants, socks, bra, and boxers, taking her time with each. And never breaking her perfectly aloof demeanor in the process, not even when fourteen inches of throbbing girlcock sprung free to greet her. She barely paid it second notice. A girl being obviously uninterested in her cock shouldn''t turn her on, Zoey mused, but here she was. Testing her luck, she hooked her thumb into Sabina''s panties and tugged down, bringing one side low enough to almost¡ªbut not quite¡ªexpose her. Sabina raised an eyebrow, though didn''t stop her, a silent dare, and Zoey guessed she felt especially adventurous today, because she finished pulling down her teacher''s panties, baring her pussy. Without saying a word about it, Sabina finished pulling her panties off, stepping back and tossing them onto Zoey''s face. She sat back down. Zoey tucked them away into her inventory forter. Finders keepers. "Fourth question," Sabina said with infuriating calm. "Name the best ingredient for stabilizing vtile mixtures with gemstone reagents." Ah. So this one was easier, making up for the difficulty of the third. They were, after all, supposed to scale inplexity, to keep to the pattern, and the moon question had been unusually hard. "Define best." Sabina seemed pleased by the response. "Most effective for the difficulty of acquiring. Cost is, of course, an ever-looming factor for even the most fortunate alchemists. What would the average working alchemist use?" "Powdered quartz." Sabina inclined her head in agreement. "Why?" "Because quartz is cheap andmon while still being a type of gemstone. It''s considered ''in''¡ªhence stable and in turn stabilizing." Yes, Zoey was definitely winning a few points with her teacher today. The studying had been worth it. "I was speaking with Delta, earlier," Sabina started. "Oh, dear," Zoey found herself saying. "She regaled me with tales of the shard you explored." "Ah?" Honestly, Zoey was d that the two girls had taken to each other during their travel for Mantle, before running off for the next shard. She wouldn''t have expected it. Then again, maybe she should have. Delta''s mischievous nature had her constantly being scolded by Sabina, which at a certain point, had obviously be intentional, because Delta liked being scolded by the stern alchemist. "And what caught my attention," Sabina said, "was your reward." Zoey blinked. Their reward? There''d been three. The Item Smelter, which turned unused items into stats¡ªsomething their team had yet to experiment with, though it hadn''t been that long since they''d been whisked away by Lucinda in the first ce. Secondly, the Shard Stabilizer, which was also a groundbreaking item they needed to study. It ''reduced divine influence'' upon a shard''s manifestation, which likely meant it could adjust how lewd shards were. Which might be a bad thing, considering the advantages such shards gave. Lastly, though, were the Zippers they''d gotten, which had allowed those elemental-resistant bodysuits to be turned into actual items they could carry away. Somehow, Zoey intuited, that was what Sabina had taken an interest in. "The bodysuits?" "Indeed," Sabina said. "I presume you have yours on hand?" "You want me to wear it?" "I am instructing you to wear it," Sabina corrected. Zoey grinned. She stood from her seat, and while Sabina tried to keep the act up, her eyes couldn''t quite help but flick down to the fourteen inches of girlcock that bobbed with the motion. Calling on the requested item from her inventory, all at once she was donned in skintighttex. Not that it was actual . Rather, something even better. Glossy and hugging her curves, the material was magical in origin: it reduced sensations not in the slightest, with any touch made, or given, nearly the same as if she was naked. Not to mention just how tightly it clung. Even having to distend outward to shape Zoey''s cock, the material naturally conformed to her without difficulty. It was capable of morphing to whatever shape was needed. Interestingly, it had reverted to ck. Throughout the shard, it had slowly shifted toward white, indicating progress made via monsters killed, granting higher resistances. Leaving the shard had modified it to its original state, though Zoey was fairly certain it was an aesthetic change only. Sabina''s interest was obvious. She drank in the sight. And that made sense, honestly. Most of the time, these quizzes involved Zoey being locked down on a metal chair or table, tied up and firmly restricted. More than anyone on her team, it made sense Sabina would be interested in atex bodysuit. Zoey briefly wondered whether she could get Sabina one. Maybe borrow one of her teammate''s? She knew Sabina would appreciate that. She would have offered her own up, but she got the sense Sabina wanted her wearing it, right now. The breach in her usual reservations made that clear: the way her eyes were roaming up and down, drinking in the glossy details of her body. "What an interesting item," Sabina said eventually. "Anyway. Fifth question." 6.65 – ? Extraction III 6.65 ¨C ? Extraction III "Describe counter- and inter-sympathy," Sabina said. "And some interesting examples." As expected, difficulty was ramping up. This was still amon conceptual question, though moving beyond the basics, especially since she''d asked for interesting examples. Zoey mulled it over, finding it increasingly difficult to keep her thoughts in order with her teacher standing naked in front of her. And with how Zoey herself was currently wearing a tight-fitting cktex bodysuit that was surprisingly pleasant in its own right, conformed to fourteen inches of aching girlcock. "Counter sympathy describes the unwanted, negative, or muting effects of certain reagents," Zoey said. "It''s essentially the same as normal reagent sympathy toward a concept, though counter-sympathies are rarer and less potent, and thusly less studied. Still have to be aware of them, though, since they could affect a brew¡ªespecially if there''s some counter sympathy harming the primary desired effect. Hm. Inter-sympathy is more interesting. Some reagents will affect potions in specific ways only when used together or in certain groupings or ratios." She hummed. "Interesting examples," she said. "For counter-sympathy, willow bark. It''s associated with pain relief and fever reduction, a natural healing reagent, but it has a counter-sympathy to blood flow. So in a healing potions where that''s important ¡­ well. You know. Careful using it. An example of inter-sympathy would be," she mulled it over for a second, vender, rosemary, and sage. Used together in equal parts, they produce rity effects beneficial to mages beyond what would be expected from the sum of their parts." She hesitated. "There''s probably more interesting examples, but thosee to mind." Thankfully, Sabina didn''t seem disappointed in the standard examples she''d chosen. Zoey assumed that was because she was only a student of less than a month; she could hardly be expected to be an expert in alchemy. There were probably all sorts of counter- and inter-sympathies that were truly fascinating, and Zoey obviously wouldn''t be able to name any that impressed her teacher, who was, Zoey figured, even more capable of an alchemist than her advancement would suggest. "A satisfactory answer," Sabina said, and Zoey knew she meant it, even if she hadn''t impressed her. There was nothing a student could say to impress the master. "Drink this." A potion had appeared in Sabina''s hand, a thin vial of ss which she held toward Zoey. Zoey grabbed it while peering at it curiously. It looked familiar. [Potion of Virile Output]: Greatly increases the virile output of the consumer. Ah. Right. That was Sabina''s ultimate goal, after all. After a lingering attention on the murky orange liquid, she uncapped the vial and downed it. It was thick and sweet¡ªa more pleasant taste than most potions. She shivered as it went down, a reaction that apanied basically any potion. It was, after all, magical fluid she''d ingested. Her cock twitched heavily, which Zoey gave equal odds to simple excitement at what consuming the potion meant for Sabina''s eventual goals, and an actual imbuement of virility. She already tended to spurt out some impressive finishing payloads, so what would a potion like this¡ªhand-crafted by Sabina¡ªmake her uing climax like? The demand for Zoey to put on hertex bodysuit made sudden sense. Assuming Sabina was going to get ¡­ more involved ¡­ than usual, the suit would mean valuable ''reagents'' would be preserved. Trapped inside the suit like with a condom. It would even work if Zoey finished inside Sabina, rather than milked out into some device. Was that Sabina''s goal? For her to finish inside? Even if it wasn''t, Zoey''s heart started mming at just the possibility. "Sixth question," Sabina said, and Zoey couldn''t find it in herself to be disappointed the potion had been her only reward for the fifth. Not with the realizations that hade. "Hermetic sealing." Zoey blinked. A part of her almost wryly pointed out that she hadn''t actually asked a question, but that would be pedantic; it was implied. Hermetic sealing. She dug through her memories, the hours spent poring over Sabina''s suggested alchemy texts. "Not just physically sealing a potion away in a container," Zoey said, "which is necessary for a potion to settle properly. But a total istion enforced with magical wards¡ªa supernatural level of istion. It allows for higher potency as the potions sit and distill." "Quite correct," Sabina said approvingly. "Do the d''Celestins have a vault for that? Hermetic sealing?" "They do," Sabina said. "There''s little they don''t have. Though frankly the benefits of the process are minimal." "Small benefits add up," Zoey pointed out. "Indeed. Yet it''s nheless cost prohibitive for the average alchemist." "But if cost isn''t an issue ¡­" Zoey led with a shrug. Which might be the case if their business really took off. And it surely would, seeing how they were offering a suite of products unique to this world. Sabina inclined her head in agreement. "My," she said in segue. "Such a lucky teacher I am, to have a student so brilliant." Zoey flushed. There was a hint of genuine appreciation there, but honestly, Zoey wouldn''t call herself brilliant. If she allowed herself some benefit of the doubt, her middling grades throughout high school had been thanks to disinterest, not ack of intelligence ¡­ but she felt like that was making excuses. Regardless, Sabina sounded like she meant thepliment, however much she''d delivered it halfway as a tease. Maybe there was something to say for the modern academic processes she''d grown up with. Zoey had been taught how to learn, something most medieval societies¡ªthough medieval surely wasn''t the correct word, not really, to describe the Fractures¡ªwouldn''t give to the average citizen. By the standards of this world, Zoey was a schr of sorts, if simply because of how much focus the modern world,parative to previous time periods, gave to education. To apany her words, Sabina had once again stood from the corner of the bed she sat on. She walked over with a deliberate sway to her hips which Zoey appreciated, because any sort of deliberate sexuality sent a thrill through her when it came to Sabina. She sat on the armrest of the plush chair and reached down to grab Zoey''s cock. Even that had Zoey sucking a breath in, because Sabina generally left pleasure to toys. Even feeling her teacher''s cool digits around her zing-hot cock was enough to make her member twitch wildly in excitement. While Sabina''s employment of toys or devices was plenty of fun in its own right, there was something to be said for a personal touch. "This won''t be a distraction for future questions, correct?" Sabina asked. "Of course not," Zoey lied. Sabina smirked. She squeezed tightly and pulled up along Zoey''s length, sending a delightful shock of electricity across her body. "I''m sure it won''t," Sabina said. "Ready for the seventh question, pupil of mine?" "The armrest has to be ufortable," Zoey said. "Sit on myp, instead?" Her continued pressing of her luck paid off: Sabina''s lips twitched in amusement, and she shifted off the plush arm rest to instead settle her weight onto Zoey''s thighs. Even better, one hand turned into two, her teacher grabbing two solid handfuls of girlcock. With an expression that would suggest they were doing nothing more than discussing the intriguing aspects of alchemy, Sabina provided her next question even as she ran delicate fingers up and down the twitching and pre-cum leaking rod of her student. "Describe to me," she said, "the difference between the alchemical process of calcination and mundane burning." "You''re going easy on me," Zoey said. All at once, Sabina''s stroking grew in fervency. With a tight grip, she jerked Zoey off, making her toes curl and her hips arch and her muscles tense, as she began pumping with none of thenguid reservation of before. Only when Zoey released a groaning exultation of her pleasure did Sabina reply. "Am I?" she asked. "Going easy on you?" "Maybe not," Zoey gasped. "Then answer." While this question was easier than the previous, Zoey struggled to bring her thoughts together. To recall the details she''d read in her textbooks. "It''s a controlled process, calcination," Zoey said, with a bit of a groan to her voice. "Takes special, magical fuel, burns at specific temperatures, for controlled times. Helps purify and transform reagents, and because of that, reveal hidden properties. Or otherwise prepares a reagent for further alchemical processes." Sabina, in response to her answer, stopped stroking¡ªwhich produced a brief bout of dismay, not just because of the cut-off of pleasure, but because she wondered whether she''d answered wrong. Then Sabina shifted off herp and got down on her knees. Her hand returned to gripping Zoey''s cock and brought it closer to her face¡ªnot quite pressing against her features, but even seeing the intimidating sight of fourteen inches oftex-d cock creating a shadow on her instructor''s face was enough to seize Zoey''s attention and make her go still. "Excellent as always," Sabina murmured. "Such a lucky mentor, I am, to receive a student such as you." She pped Zoey''s cock onto her face, a meaty p filling the air, silently suggesting her luck wasn''t just from Zoey''s studiousness. "Such an adroit mind," she said calmly, as if she didn''t have Zoey''s cock pulsing heavily against her cheek, the bridge of her nose, covering the entirety of one eye. "Eager and willing." She sighed, and like before, it sounded entirely genuine. "Truly lucky." Slowly, she slid her face up and along Zoey''s cock, bringing her lips to hover at the tip of her cock. They pressed in, soft plushness collecting a bead of pre-cum for their proximity. But while she teased that agonizing pleasure, of cracking her mouth a sliver open to take Zoey inside that heat that would surely erase all thoughts, she closed it just as quickly, then began¡ªas a constion prize¡ªpeppering kisses down the length of her shaft. Even that was enough to have Zoey shaking, regardless of what had been implied a second before. "I do so enjoy customizing my lessons," Sabina murmured, running a lick up from the base of her cock all the way to the tip. "I hope I''m serving as a sufficiently engaging instructor?" "The absolute best," Zoey said between deep heaves of her chest. Sabina smiled. "Eighth question," she announced. And what would her reward be, Zoey wondered? The potential seized almost enough of her attention to overshadow the actual question that came shortly. Greater pleasures awaited, Zoey reminded herself; they weren''t yet to the most difficult of Sabina''s questions, a fact that served as its own sort of paralyzing intoxication, but also encouragement. Hold out a bit longer, keep a clear mind, and she might yet be rewarded. So she stayed focused with all her might. 6.66 – ? Extraction IV 6.66 ¨C ? Extraction IV "What," her teacher prompted, even as she nuzzled her face against her cock. "Is the process of alchemical fermentation, and what particr ingredients are susceptible to it?" Seeing how they were in the end-game, the eighth question¡ªand the one which would probably have Sabina sliding Zoey''s cock down her throat¡ªit made sense that they were well beyond the easy ones, the prompts for basic information that even a total apprentice could answer. Alchemical fermentation. The name itself, as most names, gave away the general concept. But Sabina wasn''t looking for the general concept. She wanted proof her student was diligent. And if she was diligent, then she would slide those cute lips up to the tip of her cock, then plunge down and¡ª Stay focused, Zoey reminded herself. Alchemical fermentation. "The process of breaking downplex substances¡ªpre-reagents¡ªthrough controlled decay, usually using magical fungi or simr," Zoey repeated from some buried part of her memories. She tried to ignore how Sabina brought those plush lips of hers up and across her cock, ending so that she had ced a kiss at the very tip. Promising, if she could finish her answer to her satisfaction, that her eighth question''s reward would be bliss. "For ingredients susceptible to alchemical fermentation," Zoey continued, attention locked down between her legs, "the mostmon are nt matter rich in sugars or starches, like grains and fruits. But more arcane substances too. Dragon''s blood, for example, when properly fermented¡ª" ignoring how absurdly expensive such a reagent was, "¡ªyields potent reagents when broken down. Certain arcane-attuned crystals like moonstone can also be fermented, enhancing their magical properties while keeping their fundamental makeup. Fermentation at that point is more of a metaphysical concept, not a true natural process." She paused briefly, then added, "The key is choosing ingredients withtent energies. Pre-reagents that can be unlocked or transformed through controlled decay. There''s a lot susceptible to that, though the ones I named are typical examples." Sabina smiled, even as she kept her lips posed at the top of Zoey''s cock, gray eyes locked to her own. And then, telling her she''d done well, she plunged down. Zoey honestly hadn''t expected how mind-erasingly good it would feel. She''d been waiting for Sabina''s direct touch for a great deal longer than most of her partners. The older, aloof woman generally preferred interacting with Zoey strapped to a table and with a pocket-pussy¡ªor moreprehensive equipment¡ªin hand. So to have her finally engulfing her cock in her throat? Wiggling down with surprising adeptness, that hot, slick tunnel squeezing on all sides as she sheathed herself, cing a self-satisfied kiss all the way down with fourteen inches of cock bulging her throat out? Well. It felt better than usual, to say the least. Zoey groaned, hips lifting slightly, feeling a bit dizzy as she met gray eyes down between her legs. Though overwhelmed with pleasure, Zoey wondered whether Sabina was making a point tonight. She had stated her preference for giving versus receiving, yet with Zoey''s skill of Patron arriving, the topic of more direct interaction had been broached as possibly necessary¡ªand so Sabina was establishing that her preference didn''t mean dislike for the opposite. She was more than ready to use her body to pleasure Zoey directly, even happy to do so, for all she preferred to have toys and restraints on hand. Her teacher stayed there, buried fourteen inches down on her cock, for a few long moments¡ªchoking once, the convulsion distinctly pleasurable¡ªbefore sliding up along her length and popping off with a series of coughs. Even theposed woman couldn''t quite handle her without a reaction. "Very good," she said. She gripped Zoey''s cock and pped it onto her face, a strand of saliva bridging from the thick, pulsing member to her nose. "You continue to prove yourself a capable student. Better than someone in my position could have expected, to be honest." She emphasized the statement by sucking on Zoey''s tip, swirling her tongue around. She withdrew with a second pop. "I think," she said, "that if you can get this next question right, I''ll let you take control." Another meaty p of girlcock-against-face. "Does that sound like something you''d want? Using your teacher''s throat to your heart''s content?" Getting to grab Sabina''s head and shove down into that tight hole, using her throat as a fuck-toy? Yes, her potential reward was as amazing as she could have hoped for. Zoey''s breath grew heavy in excitement, and she had to remind herself to answer. She said, "Yeah. Let''s¡ªlet''s hear it, then." Sabina seemed to enjoy the flushed, agitated state she''d put Zoey in. She didn''t give the next question right away, instead plunging back down to swallow fourteen inches. She held pulsing girlcock in her throat for as long as she could, lifting up and down a few times to stroke along her length, before finally pulling off. She needed less recovery, this time, the resulting coughing fitsting only a handful of moments. "Question nine," she said, professional as could be¡ªas if she hadn''t just been choking on her student''s dick. "Exin the process of distilling basilisk venom for use in a petrification reversal elixir." Like before, Zoey wasn''t given even a moment to digest the question before Sabina''s hot mouth was back around her cock, melting her thoughts away. She couldn''t help but think how unfair that was, but she was hardly going to ask her to stop. Even as Sabina stroked her way up and down, head bobbing in herp, she rallied her thoughts. "Petrification reversal elixir," Zoey struggled out. "I''m ¡­ pretty sure I''ve read about that. Somewhere." It sounded familiar, at least. Sabina popped off Zoey''s cock, cing a kiss at the tip. "It was mentioned in your assigned readings," she agreed. "I do, after all, try to keep this fair." That was awfully ironic of her to say, seeing how she dove right back down, swirling her tongue around her shaft as she gagged herself on her cock. This level of distraction was most definitely not ''fair''. Zoey fought the desire to lift her hips up and start smacking into her teacher''s face, fucking the throat so willingly offered to her, taking control¡ªand thus iming her prize before it had technically been earned. She fought the arousal boiling through her veins. The tenth question, she reasoned, was going to be impossible: Zoey knew her teacher''s throat was the farthest she would be going today. So this was thest real question, thest bit of focus she needed to keep. "It''s a niche process," Zoey said, "since Basilisk venom is hard to get a hold of¡ªit''s a rare monster to begin with. And it''s vtile, finicky. You''re supposed to ¡­" she briefly lost her train of thought as Sabina lifted up to suck at her cockhead, slipping her tongue around the tip. She quirked an eyebrow at Zoey as she did so, asking, ''why did you stop?'' "Supposed to heat it in a cauldron of silver," Zoey continued, voice hoarse. "And collect the vapors, to cool rapidly using a frost charm. The heat, and the silver of the cauldron, purifies the negative effects of the poison, and the resulting primary reagent can be used to make potions of petrification reversal." She shuddered as thest word of the answer came out, cock throbbing in Sabina''s mouth. "Is that right?" she asked with a bit of a gasp. Sabinanguidly pulled up and off. She rested Zoey''s member across her face, letting the spit-slickenedtex-covered rody there and pulse heat across her cheek and eye¡ªas amazing of a sight as it had been earlier. "Is it?" Sabina countered. "You''re the one being asked." Zoey locked her answer in. "It is. That''s what I remember reading." Sabina smiled. "Indeed," she said mildly. "Now, then, you may¡ª" Zoey had already picked the older woman up by the waist and thrown her onto the bed. She needed this badly, after so much teasing: Sabina had her feeling almost mindless with excitement, the stimtion before this point building into a painful need. Sabina took a sharp breath in surprise at the forceful handling, though didn''t tense up as Zoey settled onto her knees and dragged the woman''s head up to her tip. "How rough can I be?" Zoey murmured. "I said you''d be in control, didn''t I?" Sabina asked, amused¡ªand the slightest bit challenging. Well, then. Zoey intended to take her up on that offer. 6.67 – ?? Extraction V 6.67 ¨C ?? Extraction V Content Disimer: Some distension and extreme loads and stuff, as to be expected from the set-up of this scene. Zoey spared a moment to admire the wonderful sight, kneeling on Sabina''s bed and looking down at her naked alchemy instructor. Fourteen inches oftex-d cock were poised at her lips, lips that were slightly cracked open¡ªcool gray eyes meeting Zoey''s, serene and unworried at the open offer of her ''taking control.'' It was hard to describe how intensely the urge bubbled up: the desire to break that cool mask of Sabina''s. Almost as much as getting to use her throat as a cock-sleeve for the pleasure of it, she wanted to crack that mask. Wanted to make Sabina lose her carefullyposed exterior. She wrapped her grip around the bases of the two thick antlersing out of the older woman''s head. "You know," Zoey murmured, pushing her hips the slightest bit forward so her cocktip pressed into Sabina''s lips¡ªforcing a kiss, but not pushing inside. "From the moment I saw you, I couldn''t help but think what great cock-sucking handles these would make." With that preface made, she used Sabina''s cock-sucking handles to harshly pull the woman forward. At the same time, she thrust her hips, pping hard into her face. Fourteen inches of slipperytex-d cock sheathed into that tight throat. It felt so much better without the need to hold back or take it easy¡ªgetting to set the pace herself, rather than be teased. She slid in, then out, of that delicious throat, feeling Sabina convulse and choke around her. Sabina had already opened herself up earlier, so there was no need to ease her into it. In mere moments, Zoey was pping hard into her face, hammering away like the older woman''s throat was an object to use for her pleasure. She set her own pace, finding a tempo that curled her toes, Sabina''s antlers locked firmly in her hands, using them to drag the woman''s face up, then back down. "So good," Zoey groaned, thrusting hard into that wet hole, savoring the slickness of her teacher''s throat. "I''ve been waiting for this for way too long." Sabina responded, reasonably, with a choking noise. It vibrated through Zoey''s cock, adding to the stimtion as her mouth and throat formed to her throbbing shaft. Zoey moaned in response, tightening her grip on those lovely antlers, and continued thrusting into Sabina''s throat, sloppy and fast. "I think it''s cute how easy you went on me today," Zoey grunted out, pace not slowing. Her thighs and legs were well-conditioned by this point, the relentless pace she set to ravage Sabina not hard to maintain. "It was probably easier than thest quiz, honestly." Loud ps filled the air as Zoey''s hips met her face. The woman gagged and groaned and sputtered, holding onto Zoey''s thighs for stability. Her gray eyes were wide, theposure breaking slightly. She might not have expected Zoey to take her up so thoroughly on the offer¡ªto fuck her throat with quite so much enthusiasm. Her mistake. Of course Zoey was going to fuck her face like it was a cocksleeve when she was finally given the chance, especially when Sabina had all but challenged her to. "Not that I''mining," Zoey said in a breathlessugh. "Just, you made it a little obvious how badly you wanted to be used." She wondered if Sabina could even hear her, considering how harshly she was being used. Gagging and sputtering and spitting, saliva dribbling out of her lips and down her chin, throat bulging obscenely as Zoey fucked her cock down into her throat with long, quick strokes. The ps of her lower stomach onto Sabina''s face were also rather loud, rather distracting. So yeah. She really might not be able to hear. Or at least pay attention. Abruptly, Zoey dragged Sabina up and off her cock. Saliva trailed from her mouth to the tip of Zoey''s dick, the strand breaking as the woman choked, gasped, and coughed. Her cheeks were flushed, the normally serene gray eyes clouded with dizzied lust. Yes, Zoey had gotten that part right: the harsh treatment was doing something for the older woman. She wasn''t surprised. Sabina had nevere off as someone who wanted the soft and gentle approach. Had a little too much fun strapping Zoey to metal tables for that. Zoey, of course, didn''t let her fully recover, only gave her a few moments to catch her breath. Then she was lying down on her back, turning Sabina around so that they were facing opposite directions: Sabina''s knees to either side of Zoey''s face and her bare pussy hanging above her. Sabina, like the good girl she was, knew what was being ordered of her. She wrapped her lips back around Zoey''s cock, and Zoey arched upward in a hard p, sheathing herself from a new angle. Sabina, with difficulty, held on as Zoey worked into a rhythm, bouncing her hips up and down off the bed as she repeatedly buried fourteen inches of cock into Sabina''s throat. The sight from the new angle was especially amazing, having Sabina''s pussy hover right above her face. Though she ached to hug the woman''s lower half down into her and return the oral favor, even in as lust-addled a state as she was, she didn''t. She wouldn''t im anything from Sabina she hadn''t offered, especially when she''d made it clear that she preferred giving and not receiving. Still, getting to see her teacher''s pussy hovering a few inches above her, and also getting to look down her own body to see Sabina''s bouncing breasts as she violently fucked into her mouth, was rather amazing. She jackhammered into her teacher for nearly a minute, simply enjoying herself, but also wanting to see how long it would take before Sabina would start to squirm. And squirm she did, eventually; she still needed oxygen. Right as Sabina started to try to pull off, Zoey rejected the attempt and instead pulled her down and smooshed her face into her crotch, wrapping powerful thighs around her, locking her in ce. Sabina struggled, briefly, an instinctual response, while choking on Zoey''s cock, well out of oxygen by now. The squirming of those strained muscles were delightful against her throbbing member. She held the pose for a few seconds, then let Sabina go. Her teacher pulled off her cock, choking and gasping much more violently than before. Zoey gave her a little longer to recover, since she''d been a little mean for thatst part¡ªthough the panting, hazy-eyed look she turned to Zoey said she very much approved. "My," Sabina said, voice a little hoarse. "Give a student an inch, they take a mile." "If you can talk, you can be dick-sucking, I think," Zoey said. Sabina''s lips quirked up. "True enough," she conceded. "I haven''t gotten to ask you the tenth question, though." Zoey was beyond caring about that, because she knew the tenth would be purposefully impossible; she knew how these quizzes worked by now. And she didn''t want to spare Sabina''s mouth for even a moment. Zoey rolled off the bed and stood. "To the edge," she ordered. "I''m getting close. I can finish inside?" "Yes," Sabina said. "Though I''m interested in how the suit will handle that." Zoey''s desires overrode any sort of curiosity; she needed no further permission. With her teacherid out, back slightly arched as Sabina offered up her throat, she watched with amazement as her thick, cktex-d cock slid into her sheathe for what would be thest time tonight¡ªshe wouldn''t be removing it until she''d finished, which wouldn''t be long, hot and tingling as her skin was. Inch by inch, she fed fourteen inches of dick down Sabina''s throat, the sensation like plunging into hot, tight silk. Skin bulged as she forced her cock into the snug space. She could feel her teacher''s throat trying to amodate the intrusion, bulging out around her massive member. With a groan, Zoey squeezed her hands around those two strong antlers and pulled, forcing Sabina down all the way to the root. Her lips kissed against the base of her shaft, Zoey''s lower stomach against her nose. "You''re ¡­ surprisingly good at this," Zoey grunted as she began to fuck into Sabina''s face with short, hard thrusts. In and out, quick movements that had her feeling that tight, slick silk hugging on her every time she pulled back. "Practice a lot? How naughty." Sabina, of course, couldn''t respond. She picked up her pace. Quick ps as she bottomed out in her teacher, then quick slides back out, before plunging back in. Face-fucking the woman hard and fast. Her legs tensed and then started to shake as the pleasure built and built. She felt the dam about to burst, a long timeing. Her hips bucked harder, harder, each impact smacking her pelvis against Sabina''s face and squishing that cute, poor nose into her lower stomach. Her head started to swim, but she kept her eyes locked on Sabina''s stomach. The final event had arrived, and Zoey admitted to some curiosity. What would Sabina''s virile output potion do? She could all but feel the load threatening to spill out, the release begging to be let free. So much tension inside her. And that pressure was only half because she was finally getting to fill her teacher up¡ªthe other half, magically produced, and aching to be expelled. "Here ites," Zoey grunted. "Fuck, here ites." She plowed down hard, sheathing in Sabina''s throat, hips ground into her face. Fourteen inches down into Sabina''s body, practically into her stomach, the dam finally broke. Zoey whined in ecstasy and a stream of hot cum shot down her shaft, sted from the end of her cock and sprayed deep into her teacher''s body. She pulled hard on those antlers as her release burst out of her, keeping Sabina locked tightly onto her cock. Zoey already knew what it was like to cum hard, and cum a lot, but this was different. Her cock convulsed in orgasm, but with each twitch, each heavy jump of ecstasy, thick bursts of liquid shot out from her. White streams spurted into Sabina''s stomach, something she couldn''t see, but could more than feel. Virile pulse after pulse, spilling with strength and intensity she''d never felt. And then she could see it, too. The way Sabina''s stomach began to expand outward, like she was taking a deep breath in, abdomen growing bigger and rounder. That lewd sight spurred Zoey on further, and her dimming orgasm renewed itself: her toes curled as she willed herself to empty more and more of her teacher''s hard-earned reward into her stomach. To make her ''extraction session'' worth it. "Fuck," she groaned. "Take it. Take it. Nngh ¡­" She thrust into Sabina''s throat a few more times as thest of her load spilled out. Panting, head swimming, she was left in a happy daze as the pleasure finally subsided. Finished, Sabina''s stomach was distended outward like she was pregnant, so much cum inside her it made Zoey feel drunk to see. It took Zoey a few moments to calm down enough to stop shaking. She shakily let go of Sabina''s antlers and began to pull out. A part of her had grown worried, considering just how much cum was trapped inside atex condom inside her teacher''s stomach, but either Amodate, that wonderful skill, or the magical nature of thetex suit itself allowed Zoey to slip outward with admittedly some difficulty, but not too much. She pulled backward, the gigantic load of condom-enclosed cum slowlying out with her. Sabina''s stomach deted as she extracted the load, and, while a very strange sight, and experience, it was also shockingly lewd, sending a jolt of renewed arousal through Zoey''s body. She finally slipped outpletely and staggered backward, before dropping down to sit on the edge of the bed. A huge balloon of cum drooped between her legs, encased in shiny ck. A nce sideways showed Sabina still recovering, breathing hard and seeming dizzy. Zoey took a moment to catch her breath. A few minutes passed before she had recovered from the overload of stimtion. Eventually, she shakily stood back up, gripping her cock to help hold the ridiculous load held within. With some amusement, and some arousal, sheid the balloon across Sabina''s face. It conformed to her features, radiating virile heat "Well, there we go," Zoey murmured. "Extraction handled." 6.68 – Shield-Bearer 6.68 ¨C Shield-Bearer Late morning the next day, Rosalie arrived at Zoey and Maddy''s training room with Delta in tow, interrupting their magic practice. "My father wishes to speak with us," she informed the two of them. "I''m fairly certain he''s made a decision on our fifth teammate." "Oh?" Zoey asked, instantly interested. That particr topic had been hanging over their heads since they''d arrived. Rosalie had alluded that she would be trying to sway Enzo toward specific possibilities, a woman at a minimum, though he hadn''t seemed especially interested in sharing the decision. Rosalie said when she did broach the topic, Enzo usually disregarded her, sometimes more subtly and others not so much. And Rosalie had seemed grateful enough for him not making a big deal out of their current four that she wasn''t willing to press too hard. Zoey had all sorts of thoughts on that, of course, like that Enzo shouldn''t have a say in who they chose as their final teammate to begin with, but she also recognized that making concessions with the most powerful man in the world was going to be a necessity. A part of her heeded the fact that if Enzo decided to take them by the reins and force them to do what he wanted, there was nothing they could do. "Like usual, it would be best to not keep him waiting," Rosalie said. "You two aren''t busy?" It was a rhetorical question, because even if they were, they''d be setting off immediately. Zoey and Maddy shook their heads, and so they were, a momentter, headed for the exit of the training facility, where they could catch a carriage to the d''Celestin manor. Once inside the ride''s cabin, Maddy chimed, "Any idea who it is?" Rosalie''s lips pursed. "There''s a number of possibilities. Obviously, Father will want someone who is loyal to the d''Celestins ¡­ or rather, not disloyal. There''s a good chance he''d use this opportunity to forge a connection with a new ally as much as solidify a current one." She sighed. "Really, the only thing that''s certain is that they''ll be strong. No matter how valuable the political connection, he wouldn''t cripple, or even , the overall quality of the team. That''s all I can say withplete confidence." After a second, she added, "And that they''ll be a shield-bearer, of course. We need a defensive party member, and moreover, my newest skill demands one." "So a really strong shield-bearer, around fourth advancement," Maddy said. "Or fifth." "Or fifth," Maddy said, though she raised an eyebrow, perhaps finding the possibility of their new teammate being the strongest of them surprising. "Is the list of candidates long?" "Well, no," Rosalie admitted. "But neither is it all that short. Especially if I expand the possibilities beyond our guild." "You think it won''t be someone from the Deepshunters?" "I didn''t say that. Just that," she paused, "I can''t read my father''s mind," she finished. "I know him better than all but a handful, perhaps, but not perfectly. If anything, I believe he hadn''t made the decision himself until just this morning. Which could mean he took a while to deliberate ande to the obvious choice, or the opposite: his long musing might have led him to something unexpected." She shrugged. "It could be anyone. Truly." "The obvious choice?" Maddy echoed. "Is there one of those?" "Well. The obvious safe choice," she amended. "Who''s that?" Rosalie seemed reluctant to reply, which was strange until she did; the obvious choice was an unfortunate one. "Cyprus, the heir to one of my father''s less solidified allies, and a ssical guardian of considerable talent. Shield-bearer, defense specialization, fourth advancement. From a strictlybative sense, he would be an incredible addition to the team. A perfectly slotted piece." He, though. Thereiny the problem. "I did, at least, voice some vague allusions to my father that I would prefer it were not him," Rosalie said. "And was even strong-handed enough to suggest that the team would prefer a woman. Though making it clear why such a thing is all but necessary is ¡­ tricky. So I didn''t emphasize the point." The only reason that gender was so important a factor was because they might need to, well, get intimate with their newest team member, and Zoey''s preferences ran in one way, as far as that went. "Think he''ll listen?" Maddy asked. Rosalie shrugged. "Perhaps he took it into ount. But certainly it would not stop him, should he decide Cyprus the best choice from a practical standpoint." "Huh," Maddy said. "All there is to do is find out," Rosalie said. "In any case, the wait is over. We''ll know shortly." Arriving at the d''Celestin manor, they were guided to Enzo with the help of a servant. He was, perhaps unsurprisingly, at the personal training courtyard of the d''Celestins. Zoey suspected a ''teammate induction'' would include some showing off of abilities, perhaps even spars, so it was a natural ce for the meeting to happen. There were only two people there, Enzo and his guest. The second of whom Zoey''s attentionnded on first. It was a woman, and thus clearly not the aforementioned Cyprus. That alone brought no small amount of relief, though as far aspatibility with her ss, ''was a woman'' cleared only the lowest bar. Much was to be seen there, and possibly not to be resolved for some time, since ''would you like to fuck?'' was a question that took at least some working into, even in the best of scenarios. More specifically, it was a woman with braided red hair, tall¡ªnoticeable even seated, perhaps as tall as Zoey¡ªand wearing leather armor adorned with furs reminiscent of, frankly, a cold-weather barbarian''s get-up. The odd attire was only the second most surprising part, because she also wore ck face paint, hammering in that wilderness-warrior image. A shieldy to her side, propped up against her chair, and even the item was odd. The shield wasn''t made of metal, instead looking like one giant ¡­ scale? Zoey was pretty sure it was a scale peeled off an enormous lizard. Bright red, it caught the sunlight and glinted. It was sharp at the top, surprisingly so, enough that Zoey suspected it could be used as a weapon if need be. The woman''s green eyes took Zoey and her group in with obvious interest, though her expression was schooled to be calm. Her bodynguage suggested that she wasn''t all that concerned with this meeting: she was lounging on her chair, as at-ease as Enzo, which Zoey thought was fairly umon for most people from this world; Enzo had an enormous reputation, and Aria had been all but squirming when meeting him. The older man didn''t seem to be taking offense by the woman''s easy posture, though Zoey had no clue what sort of social dynamics were at y. As curious by the neer¡ªtheir fifth teammate¡ªas she was, Zoey was also interested in how Rosalie had reacted. She stole a surreptitious nce sideways. Only to be surprised anew. Because Rosalie was nearly shocked at what she saw. She clearly recognized this woman and, presumably, hadn''t put her on the list of ''who her father might choose.'' What did that mean? Clearly that she wasn''t one of the obvious choices, for whatever reason. Unfortunately, Zoey wouldn''t get to find out more until after this meeting was over ¡­ unless the answer came by itself. Enzo, for his part, was his usual self. Leaning back in his chair, arm draped over the back, seeming like a sophisticated, well-groomed gentleman¡ªhonestly a bit of a silver fox, Zoey would admit, even if she held no attraction toward men. But Rosalie had gotten her good looks from somewhere, and not just her mysterious unmentioned mother. Zoey took a moment to acknowledge that whatever Enzo looked like¡ªa gentleman ofte middle age, sharp in his own way but not necessarily screaming danger¡ªthat the impression given to her from what she''d seen of him so far was decidedly incorrect. She''d only had polite talks with him, had never even seen him with a weapon in hand. In reality, Zoey reminded herself, this man was one of the mostpetent warriors in the world, and a man with no small reputation of violence. Not necessarily unneeded violence, or cruelty, but as any man of eighth advancement¡ªof which there was only one, though there was a woman too, the leader of the Striders¡ªhe had spent years and decades wading through blood with, presumably, gleeful persistence to reach the heights he had. So while he might seem like a well-groomed gentleman, almost friendly as he rxed on a chair underneath a training yard overhang, he was also much more, and Zoey reminded herself to stay aware of that fact. "Rosalie," Enzo greeted warmly. "I''m d you made haste. You recognize our guest, I presume?" Rosalie nodded, somewhat tensely. Not out of dislike, Zoey thought, but simply disorientation. "Astrid Asorak of the Harkvalen, I take it?" Rosalie asked, the question directed toward the red-haired woman herself. "Though we haven''t actually met, your reputation precedes you." 6.69 – Bloodlust 6.69 ¨C Bloodlust Astrid grunted in acknowledgment. "Yes," she said. "That is me." She spoke with an ent that, despite its heaviness, was surprisingly pleasant to the ear¡ªeven pretty. Matching her expression, she sounded interested but reserved. Confident as a matter of personality yet uncertain how this encounter might go. Zoey tried to ce the name Rosalie had used, the ''Harkvalen'', but came up with nothing. That wasn''t surprising, since her knowledge of geography and sociology when it came to this new world was fairly weak. She hadn''t been here long, all things considered, and the limited time she had for training and learning went mostly to aspects directly rted to her ss. Many mundane subjects like the nations and peoplesposing this world had been, while not outright ignored, certainly set as a far priority. "Well," Rosalie said, her surprise still visible in her posture, and the way she took a few seconds to gather her words. "It''s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I must admit, I hadn''t expected one of the Harkvalen to be interested in teaming. Much less the Chieftain''s daughter." "Unexpected opportunity," Astrid grunted. "You four are rising stars of a generation, allegedly. Worth considering breaking tradition." The ent was even thicker in the longer sentence, and Zoey briefly wondered how ents even worked with the trantion magic given to her. There had been others with regional dialects and such, but with Astrid, it almost seemed as if she wasn''t speaking her firstnguage. Her green eyes swept across the four of them. There was some dubiousness in the look as she took them in, undoubtedly focused less on Rosalie and more on the less ¡­ well, world-famous wayfarers. Rosalie had not just her father''s reputation and that of her family name, but her own as well. Maddy less so, Delta even more, and Zoey not at all. "It is worth a trial, I think," Astrid finished. "Even if I have my doubts." Rosalie pursed her lips at that, and Enzo smiled. "That''s my heir you''re speaking so doubtfully of," he told her. Astrid nced at him. "Daughter of Guildmaster. Yes." Her eyes flicked to Zoey, Delta, and Maddy. "Means expectations are high. So, I am doubtful." Enzoughed. "I do love the bluntness," he said. "You take after Valgard." "I hope not," Astrid said. "Too much air between the old man''s ears." The words had no bite, despite the insult. Was Valgard her father? Enzo and he knew each other in somewhat of a personal manner, Zoey assumed, by the fondness in his words. Enzo simplyughed again, finding the statement amusing. He didn''tment, though, and so Astrid''s attention fell back on Rosalie. "You need a shield-bearer, specifically," she said inly. "I am one. Of simr advancement, and in circumstance where I can ept. Perhaps it is fated we are to team." "Perhaps," Rosalie said. "Did my father make an offer to the Harkvalen''s Chieftain?" she asked curiously, and a bit cautiously. "I''ve never heard of one of you teaming outside of your n." Astrid shrugged. "I''m certain there were discussions, yes," she said. "Maybe bargains made. But is irrelevant to me. I care only if you are suitable warrior." "In that, at least, I believe I can meet your expectations," Rosalie said after a moment. "You know the rest of us?" "The Guildmaster spoke of them briefly." Astrid''s eyes lingered on Zoey. Maybe for obvious reasons, if she''d been given an overview of each of their sses. She was a heavens-blessed priestess, a disciple-of-sorts to a literal goddess. "Unusual circumstances, some of you." "That''s putting it lightly," Rosalie said. "Madeline, Zoey, Delta." Astrid pointed them out in turn. "Yes?" Maddy waved, Zoey nodded, and Delta gave a "Yep," telling Astrid she''d gotten them right. "The Guildmaster told me some," Astrid said, "but I wish to hear fighting styles and sses from your own mouths." She nodded to herself. "I will go first." She grabbed her shield, stood, and hefted it up. "This is dragon''s scale," Astrid said. "Very strong, unbreakable. And sharp. It is both weapon and shield. Heirloom of my father''s, of entire Harkvalen n, given to me because of my ss, because I am strong warrior." She spoke the words with pride. As Zoey thought she should be. She might not know who Astrid was, but she had drawn Enzo''s attention, which was enormous praise in its own right. "I am not typical guardian," Astrid continued. "But still capable protector. Also healer." "Healer?" Rosalie asked, eyebrows going up. "Works through link. Can change easily. When I hurt opponent, ally is healed." Astrid hummed. "Not very strong effect," she admitted. "But no healers among you, I have been told?" "There isn''t," Rosalie agreed. "So even a weak healer would be nice." Especially packaged into a guardian, which their team also needed¡ªeven more so than a healer. Unsurprisingly, Enzo''s choice was well suited to their party, even without hearing the rest of her ss. "Most important skill is the Harkvalen bloodline," Astrid said. She seemed to be speaking mostly to Rosalie, though her eyes flicked to the rest of them on asion. "You know of it, yes?" "Bloodlust," Rosalie said. "You grow stronger the longer you''re in a fight." She hesitated. "And grow less ¡­ cognizant of your actions." Astrid grunted, not denying the second part. So she was a berserker-type ss, Zoey concluded. A berserker-tank-healer? Interesting. Also, Zoey spared a moment to be amused that she herself had a secondary resource of ''Lust'', and it sounded like Astrid had ''Bloodlust.'' Maybe her spot on the team really was fated. "There are variations in our bloodline," Astrid said. "Mine builds slower andsts longer. Some fade and grow within a single fight, but mine willst across an entire shard." Rosalie hesitated at that, as if unsure whether to say something, and Astrid was instantly annoyed. "Speak, if you think something should be said," she said. "Don''t honey words. Ugly, soft trait of you people. I will return the favor." Zoey blinked. That was almost rudely blunt; she suspected based on that response alone there was a cultural preference toward honesty among the Harkvalen. "I would''ve thought the Harkvalen bloodlust an unwieldy power already," Rosalie said. "But that at least it fades quickly. But yourssts hours, if not days?" "It is de with no handle," Astrid acknowledged. "But one I have spent my entire life learning to wield. I can empty the bloodlust¡ªuse it to make myself more durable, for example. Armor and skin both. Can also control how much I give into it, how much it grows in a fight." She nodded. "Am fourth advancement. Not unblooded. Is not something you need worry about." "I see," Rosalie said. "But you can still be unstable, rtively speaking, in the middle of a fight, especially a difficult one. When you need to draw on that power deeply." Astrid seemed both pleased and annoyed, which was an interesting expression. Pleased that Rosalie was being blunt and questioning her despite the assurances, undoubtedly¡ªbut also annoyed for it. "It is a controlledck of control. I do not expect you to understand. Will prove myself." "I believe you," Rosalie said, and sounded like she meant it. Though there was some wariness. "A berserker, especially one serving as our primary vanguard, has heavy tactical implications, though. It''s worth discussing, perhaps in further depth." She inclined her head. "Later though. The rest of your ss?" "Bloodlust and shield are the foundations," Astrid said. "Other abilities revolve around them. I have active skill, Shield Bash. Can use often, stuns even durable opponents. Reinforcement, already mentioned, makes me difficult to kill, but spends bloodlust and leaves me offensively weaker. Should not be a problem, in offense-heavy team." Her eyes flicked to Delta at that, inclining her head in acknowledgment. "Also have Crimson Barrier. Spend bloodlust to create shield of protection. Works against magical attacks as well as physical. Can be used on self, or weaker version on ally. Only one at a time." "Useful," Rosalie said. "And versatile. An excellent arrangement of skills." "The heavens have blessed me," Astrid agreed solemnly¡ªand this time, her eyes flicked to Zoey. Undoubtedly because she was the chosen priestess of a goddess from the heavens she''d just praised. Astrid didn''tment on that though. "Of course," Astrid said, "most of usefulnesses from training. Body, mind, and shield, as much as skills." "Of course," Rosalie agreed. Zoey knew firsthand that it wasn''t Rosalie''s skills that made her so prodigious, but her phenomenalbat ability. And the mind that had been keenly trained by the foremost wayfarer in the world. "That is me, in summary," Astrid said. "Talking only does so much. Will need to see me in action, as I you." She paused. "Would still like to hear exnation from your own mouths, before that happens," she said. "The Priestess first, if she does not mind?" Strangely, Astrid sounded more cautious addressing her than she had Rosalie, or even Enzo. In a way, that made sense, because where Enzo and Rosalie were peerless talents, they were still normal, in a sense of the word. Zoey was the chosen of a goddess. "Uh, yeah," Zoey said, with none of the grace Rosalie had been disying, even in her surprise at seeing one of the Harkvalen, who were clearly a known quantity in the Fractures, for all that the context of what that meant evaded her for now. "Sure. My ss." It was a shame Enzo was watching them, because Zoey would have to censor the details even more than she might have otherwise, had it just been Astrid. She could always fill in the specificster, though. Breathing in, Zoeyunched into an exnation. 6.70 – Harkvalen 6.70 ¨C Harkvalen As Zoey went through her exnation, Astrid eyed her with an interesting mix of emotions. That ''cultural bluntness'' seemed to extend into being easy to read: Zoey had little difficulty deciphering what she was thinking by her expression despite having just met the woman. First up was curiosity and possibly even apprehension, undoubtedly thanks to Zoey''s divine cement onto Rosalie''s team. Zoey had been wrapping her head around what her circumstances meant these past few days, socially speaking, especially with the uing birth of her temple, but she doubted she''d ever fully adjust to the fact that Ephy''s blessing made her in a real way something more than ''just'' human. As was reinforced by the look Astrid was giving her. Not awe or worship or anything that ridiculous, but ¡­ still something. She hoped it would go away as they got to know each other. It was an awkward first impression, in Zoey''s opinion, being seen as a goddess''s chosen. There was also more mundane interest in her eyes as Zoey exined her ss. That interest morphed to disapproval as she followed up with herck of extensivebat training. Perhaps Enzo had already mentioned that, because she didn''t seem surprised, only disapproving. Clearly, Astrid saw no excuse for Zoey''sck of lifelong vignce toward bing a warrior, and perhaps even she had silently lost some respect because of it. Zoey supposed she could empathize with the viewpoint. Astrid didn''t understand what modern life had been like for Zoey, that even self-defense skills hadn''t been all that necessary to learn, much less the sort ofprehensive training she''d undergone. And Astrid seemed to be from a warrior society even more intense than the average wayfarer, which was saying something. There was also, finally, an appreciative look Zoey caught once or twice, idle nces that didn''t seem intentional. A subtle signal that maybe her ss''s requirements might bepatible with Astrid. Though the looks were subtle, maybe even imagined, only there because Zoey was hoping to see them. In either case, Astrid wasn''t overtly interested; it was a barely perceptible thing. And even admiration for her curves and a preference toward the softer sex wouldn''t necessarily mean they werepatible, on an individual level. Still, Zoey found it promising. Delta and Maddy gave overviews of their sses and skills next. Sharing abilities wasn''t all thatmon upon first acquaintance, but this was no regr wayfaring team-up: they were owed a basic level of privacy, but arranging one of the prominent teams of their generation meant typical customs went ignored. They went further in-depth about their sses than most candidate teammates would. Afterward, practical demonstrations took ce. As was natural, Astrid and Rosalie were the first to step into the training area with their weapons bared. They would, after all, have a particrly close dynamic, with Rosalie''s newest skill granting notable boosts when she fought alongside Astrid. And each of them was eager to get the other''s measure simply as a matter of their natures. With the two girls being the center of attention, Zoey had an opportunity to ask questions. "So," she said to Maddy, who, as a Sovereign''s daughter, was as close to as well-informed as Rosalie herself, perhaps. "The Harkvalen?" Maddy stole a nce at Zoey, attention mostly upied on the fight in front of them, in which the red-haired berserker was wielding her enormous dragon''s scale as both defensive implement and weapon. The fight had broken out without hesitation. "Oh," she said. "Right, you wouldn''t know of them, would you? Hm." She pursed her lips. "The Fractures are filled with more than just the two Highguilds and the Sovereign. Those three are the three major yers, I guess you could call it, but there are smaller entities like the Harkvalen n. Their territory is only a single fracture, but it''s one of the biggest known¡ªtens of dozens times the size of Mantle''s." "Oh, wow," Zoey said. Mantle was already arge fracture, a decently sized realm in and of itself. "It''s mostly ice and snow there," Maddy said. "And crawling with dangerous monsters. Nearly as dangerous as a shard, depending where you go, or so I''ve heard. I''ve never been." She hummed thoughtfully, eyes tracking the rapid movements of the two fighters ahead of them. It was quite the show; Zoey nearly lost focus on the conversation too, jolting back only when Maddy continued after her long pause. "The Harkvalen themselves are known for their bloodline, mostly. It''s a really, really strong ability that almost all of their warriors get to varying degrees. It''s not a surprise their culture shaped the way it did when berserking is foundational to their n." She stirred as if realizing something. "I''m sorry, were you asking something in specific, or did you just want an overview?" "Just an overview," Zoey said. "Or anything you think I might need to know. It''s obvious she''s ¡­" she paused as she considered how to phrase it. "That we have cultural differences," she finished. For the most part, the people she''d met had been fairly sensible, at least when moderating her expectations to a semi-medieval fantasy world. The homogeneity was likely thanks to sticking to ''civilized'' parts of the Fractures; the Deepshunters Guild was, in a way, a single particr empire in which she''d met both Delta and Maddy. The Harkvalen n seemed like something different, based on Astrid''s bluntness, ent, and form of dress. "Hm," Maddy said. "I think you''ve gotten the picture from how she introduced herself. And I don''t know the particrs either. The Harkvalen aren''t super important, after all. And mostly they''re warriors, they haven''t put out a single notable mage. So my family wasn''t interested in them, and thus I didn''t learn much." She chewed on her lip, sending a nce her way. "We can talk more about itter, I''m sure." A slight intonation of her voice told Zoey that there were things she wanted to mention but couldn''t, not with Enzo standing nearby, also watching the fight. The man had separated himself from her, Maddy, and Delta, but was well within hearing distance even for a regr man. And Enzo could probably hear across the city, right? Maybe not, but senses did improve the higher advancement a person climbed, and Enzo was eighth. So trying to sneak a whispered exnation next to him would be a bit stupid. An attempt to use an illusion to covertly mute their conversation would be equally ridiculous. Enzo was no mage, but Zoey doubted he couldn''t sense magic or see through it if he wanted to. She wondered what exactly Maddy was omitting, but she''d find out shortly. Likely, it had to do with her ss. Or maybe the Harkvalen''s perception of sex? Were they more prudish than other cultures? It could be a number of things, so there wasn''t much point making a thousand guesses. She might have mused over the topic more anyway out of curiosity, but her attention was grabbed by the escting fight. It had started slow and exploratory, the two participants testing each other''s guard and movements, but now the spar had worked into a full heat. Perhaps fittingly, Rosalie yed the aggressor and Astrid the defender, and however furious and precise her spearwork, her expert maneuvering always resulted in the ornate d''Celestin heirloom being caught face-first or pped away by the dragon scale. On rare asions, Astrid would sneak in her own attack, shifting the weight of her shield minutely beforeshing out like a viper with the sharp tip aimed at her opponent. Rosalie, of course, dodged those attacks easily, but the two girls actually seemed evenly matched, something Zoey hadn''t seen until this point. "Damn," Delta muttered. "She''s good." The statement sounded begrudgingly admiring. And of course she was good. That had been a given for the person Enzo chose to apany his daughter¡ªparticrly the one given the position of guardian, who would be responsible for keeping her safe. But seeing a world-ss talent demonstrate their hard-earned skill was always a breathtaking sight, and two of them at once was another matter altogether. Another sense of surreality struck Zoey. How had she ended up with women like these on her team? She''d been getting that sense of insecurity less often, but it still arrived on asion. She had a long way to go before she could stand shoulder to shoulder with Rosalie¡ªor any of her teammates. Finally, skills started to join the mix. Astrid''s eyes darkened from their emerald green, gaining a tinge of what Zoey assumed was red, even if the minor calling of her bloodline only resulted in a dark green. A misty red bubble appeared around her which physically repelled Rosalie''s attacks, allowing Astrid to go on the offensive. Rosalie started to rely on Reach, her spear bending and distorting in odd ways, attacking from angles that didn''t quite make sense. A use of Impale shattered Astrid''s Crimson Barrier, but the berserker was wise enough to not have relied on it: Rosalie''s spear soared through the defense, but Astrid had positioned herself to deflect the blow, and not just that, follow up with an attack of her own. The fight carried on for nearly a full minute, before finally, both of them tiring, Rosalie scored the first decisive blow. Her spear streaked out for Astrid''s throat, the woman barely failing to deflect or dodge for once. And then Enzo was there, Zoey not even having seen him move, holding both spear and shield in either of his hands, stopping the spar as both girls mmed to a halt, weapons frozen in time by the grip of the strongest man in the world. "First blood to Rosalie," Enzo said, sounding pleased by the result. He let go of their weapons, and they pulled back. Astrid seemed furious, eyes dark green, but despite that anger, she said in a calm voice: "Excellent. You''re as good as I''ve heard." Rosalie inclined her head cautiously. "You as well." Astrid took a deep, stabilizing breath, and Zoey wondered how potent the mind-influencing grasp of a berserking skill was. How altered was her mental state, right now? And what did a lifetime of training even look like, when it came to such a thing? She was, despite the fury on her face, speaking with easy calm. It was a strange sight. "Now," Astrid said, attention turning to the three spectators. "Demonstrations from the rest of you?" 6.71 – The Fifth 6.71 ¨C The Fifth Astrid had been initially doubtful of the team¡ªaside from Rosalie of course¡ªbut demonstrations of each of their sses seemed to raise her confidence, so far as Zoey could tell. While she remained a bit disapproving of Zoey''s generalck of training, her skills were strong enough, and she''d made enough progress in a short amount of time, that even she got a stamp of approval in the form of an appreciative grunt. The eventsted around two hours. Afterward, Enzo pulled Astrid aside to speak with, dismissing the rest of them. That left them alone to discuss, and there was a lot to go over. "Well," Maddy said. "I like her, I think." "I''m just d we won''t have to deal with another snooty noblewoman," Delta said. "One is enough." She elbowed Rosalie. "No offense, Princess." Rosalie raised an unimpressed eyebrow and, like usual, ignored the jab. "Astrid Asorak of the Harkvalen might as well be nobility," she told the group. "She''s the daughter of the Chieftain of an extremely well known and moderately powerful wayfaring faction." "It''s the attitude, I mean," Delta said. "She''s straightforward. A bit rude, honestly, but I''ll take that over your kind of nobility ten times out of ten." She coughed. "Again, no offense." "None taken," Rosalie said dryly. She turned to Zoey. "And you? What do you think of her?" Zoey considered. "We can only get to know someone so well in two hours, especially with your dad watching over us. But sure, I like her. Seeing how he could''ve picked just about anyone, that''s a win in and of itself, I would think." "True," Rosalie said. "I didn''t expect him to go to the Harkvalen. In retrospect, maybe I should have. It almost seems obvious, now that I think about it. But I really expected him to pick someone ¡­ closer to home." "She''s nasty with that shield of hers," Delta said. "Is it really a dragon''s scale?" "I doubt she''d lie about that." "Had to have been a giant fucking dragon, for a single scale to be that size. One hell of a fight, I bet." She paused, then shivered. "Seeing how fast we''re progressing, I guess it won''t be long before we''re going up against stuff like that. Crazy to think about." Zoey agreed. She said to Maddy, "There was something you wanted to say earlier but didn''t. What was it?" "Ah," Maddy said. "Right, well, you were asking about the Harkvalen, specifically cultural stuff that might be relevant to our situation. Rosalie knows more, so stop me if I''m wrong, but I think progression and clearing shards is basically a religious rite to them? They''re very intense warriors, it''s basically their whole lifestyle." Rosalie didn''t contradict her, and honestly, Zoey hadn''t expected her to. "Picked up on that myself, I think." "My point is," Maddy said, "if the Harkvalen are all about fighting and clearing shards, it''s possible that she might not want them to be, um¡ªmodified? Turned ¡­ lewd?" Rosalie paused. "I didn''t consider that," she said thoughtfully. "Yes, that could be a problem. Not necessarily, though. Even shards under the full influence of Zoey''s ss have plenty ofbat. And I think the faster progression would outweigh the cultural love for fighting." "It depends on how she sees it," Maddy agreed. "But I wouldn''t think it''s a non-zero chance she dislikes ''lewd shards'' on some cultural basis. Like I said, clearing them is basically a religious rite to the Harkvalen. Right?" "Mm," Rosalie said. "Not in a literal sense. They''re just ¡­ very enthusiastic fighters." She pursed her lips. "On the topic ofpatibility," she said mildly, ncing at Zoey. "Thoughts?" "With tits like those?" Delta snorted. "I don''t think anyone would mind bonding with her, much less our dear pervert here." Rosalie gave her an unimpressed look, but Zoey could tell that privately she agreed; she was pretty sure she''d caught even Rosalie stealing an appreciative nce or two. At the topic of Astrid''s assets, Maddy visibly pouted, scuffing the floor with her foot in mock-dejection. "They''re so big," she said forlornly. "Howe all four of you got lucky, and I''m stuck with these?" She red down at her own distinctck of curvature. "Hey, you''re hot as hell too," Delta said. "t can be just as attractive. It depends on the girl." She snickered. "Plus, since you''re the only one, it makes you a novelty. That''s worth something." "A novelty?" Maddy asked in protest. "In a good way?" Delta said. "And you''re insanely cute." "Cute!" Maddy pouted even more dramatically, which only emphasized Delta''s point. Rosalie, as she usually did, brought them back on topic. "Astrid," she reminded Zoey. "Thoughts?" "I think we''ll need to worry more about her preferences than mine," she said diplomatically. "Just say you wanna rail the barbarian girl," Deltaughed. "It''s easy, I''ll do it too: I''d fuck Astrid''s brains out, if she let me." She snorted. "Or she could mine, she seems like a girl who wouldn''t mind being on top. Never know though." After a pause, she asked curiously, "You think that warpaint is just for her face, or her whole body?" Rosalie and Maddy''s cheeks colored at the bluntness of the question, or maybe at the imagery produced by it, and Zoey was also briefly distracted wondering whether the paint covered other parts of her. The idea of stripping off that leather and fur armor to see swirling ck paint across her entire body produced a rather appealing picture in her head. "Well," Rosalie coughed. "In any case, these are the sorts of things best felt out slowly." "Oh, we''ll be doing some ''feeling out'' of her, for sure," Delta said. "The biggest problem," Rosalie continued, making it clear she was ignoring the fox-eared nuisance, "is that arge portion of Zoey''s abilities benefit from Bonding her, at a minimum¡ªand others much more than that. And even Bonding requires ¡­ well, we all know." "Think she''d take a facial for the greater good?" Delta asked. Then, more seriously, she said, "Only has to be a one time thing, all I did was a handy, remember? Just has to, what was it, ''spill seed on a target and activate''? Something like that. Doesn''t have to be too serious." Rosalie eyed her. "I think it''s best if weplete a regr shard first," she said. "Before even broaching that subject with her. This is a much more delicate situation than picking up a stranger through a looking-for-group board." "I thought the forwardness was charming," Delta grinned, fox ears twitching in amusement. "It''s not every day a girl asks to cum on me forbat efficiency." "Especially because Astrid''s father knows my own," Rosalie continued. "Her loyalties are deeper to her n, her father, and even my father than any of us. So we need to be careful revealing sensitive information." Zoey''s nose wrinkled. She didn''t like the idea of treating a teammate as anything less than trusted, but she also acknowledged that certain realities had to be faced. "One normal shard first to get to know her better," Zoey conceded. "But I don''t want to leave her out of the loop for longer than that. Trust requires trust." Rosalie studied her for a second with a frown, but inclined her head. "I don''t disagree," she sighed. "But it does worry me. We''ll also need to n for the possibility she goes to my father afterward." Zoey winced. That prospect wasn''t appealing. "We''re assuming rather heavily that the shard stabilizer will just work the way we hope it does," Maddy said. "Description seemed straightforward," Delta said. "But yeah, haven''t had it inspected yet. Speaking of that, has there been any news on Fe?" "Not yet," Zoey said. "But it hasn''t been long. She made it seem like there were good odds, but also that it wasn''t a guarantee. Picking up an entire life somewhere and moving is an ordeal, I wouldn''t me her if she decided against it." "Fair," Delta said. "Might have to consider making another contact for item identification." Rosalie grimaced. "There''s simply no one I would trust to not report to my father. The d''Celestins are too famous here, in the heart of Deepshunters territory. And you three will be soon enough too, don''t misunderstand that. So it can''t just be one of you either." "Masks? Fake identity?" "Comes with their own problems," Rosalie said. "But yes. That would be a half solution, if ites to it." She sighed. "I would prefer to give it a bit longer and simply hope Fe decides it''s worth her time." "She was fascinated by our style of artifacts," Zoey started ¡ª"And your dick," Delta snickered¡ª "So I think the odds are higher than they are low. Just gonna be a bit of a wait. I''ll ask Sabina? The two of them were," she paused. "Colleagues, at least, I don''t know about friends." Fe had been the one to refer Zoey to Sabina in the first ce, something which Zoey would be eternally grateful for. "I think we can trust the artifact will serve its most basic function," Rosalie said. "It''ll stabilize the shard and remove the influence of Zoey''s ss so we can delve regrly with Astrid. There just might be other unexpected effects, or perhaps interactions." She shrugged. "As with any item dug out of a shard." "What about the Item Smelter?" Maddy chimed in. "We figure out what we''re doing with that?" "I''d prefer to have it properly inspected," Rosalie said. "But it also has a straightforward description, so maybe we can use it as-is." She hummed. "That''ll be for Zoey and Sabina to figure out." "We''ll need to sort through what we want to melt down and keep," Maddy said. "I can''t believe we''ll be able to turn items into permanent stats." "I have no doubts there will be limitations, and specific interactions," Rosalie said. "Hence why maybe it''s smarter to wait for a full inspection." "True, true," Maddy said. "I''m curious though." "As am I," Rosalie said. "It would be a waste to melt our stronger earnings only to find out we''d done something wrong and wasted them. If we take it to a team vote, I would hold off on using it." Maddy wavered, but then sighed. "No need for a vote," she said. "You''re right, of course." "When''s the next shard happening, anyway?" Delta asked, which Zoey found amusing, since it was rare for her to corral them back on topic. "Sooner rather thanter, I assume?" "Depends on Astrid," Rosalie said. "And my father, to some extent. But I''m sure we''ll know before the day is up." 7.01 – The Temple 7.01 ¨C The Temple Enzo d''Celestin was a man of efficiency. Zoey didn''t know what magic he had worked to secure them a building in Mantle''s temple district in less than a full day, but magic it must have been. Then again, the red tape of bureaucracy must be far less daunting to the effective dictator of half the Fractures. Of course it hadn''t been difficult to arrange something for them. Enzo was a feared if well-liked leader¡ªnot as strange a dichotomy as a person would think, considering the nature of this world¡ªand his word wasw. Not that Enzo himself had been the one to pull strings, rather assigning the task to a ''fixer'' of some sort, but he''d had his weight behind it, and that was what mattered. Having allies in high ces was no small advantage. Four of them had set off from the d''Celestin estate to visit the temple: she, Aria, Sabina, and Adrienne. Everyone who had a role to y in Zoey''s strange burgeoning business-cum-religion. Aria, of course, as her high priestess; Sabina as the brewer of what would be the temple''s most popr wares; Adrienne as their business manager, and who would be handling many of the more mundane aspects of both the temple and the alchemy business¡ªsince the two would be closely intertwined. What an odd situation she''d found herself in, Zoey mused. Then again,pared to ear-fucking slime girls and dungeons filled withva elementals wanting to pour magma-cum into her stomach ¡­ well, the word ''unusual'' was starting to lose meaning. Mantle''s temple district was gorgeous and well maintained. It was situated high up the mountain, slightly beneath the homes of the lower nobility. Zoey couldn''t help but find that amusing. It wasn''t a codified thing, the way a location''s prominence up the mountainside indicated its importance, but it was obvious nheless: and the nobility had happily situated their homes above their ces of worship. Did that count as sphemy? Part of it was simple practicality, of course, with the entire city,moners and nobles alike, wanting to attend various temples. Thus proximity to the moremon districts was a necessity, but there was still humor to be found in its location. In a ce like Treyhull, despite the size and prominence of the city, many gods, even some major ones, hadcked dedicated temples. But where Treyhull wasrge, Mantle was a capital: the seat of power for one of the highguilds. So there was much greater variety here. Walking down the neatly paved and well-kept road, Zoey took in the sight of dozens of buildings, each dedicated to either a specific god or goddess or a collection of them. Many, she assumed, especially therger buildings, were general ces of worship for the sprawling popce to attend. Zoey didn''t think this world had a ''Sunday Service'', so to say, though there were sermons and congregations of a sort on a regr schedule: it just wasn''t concentrated on a single day. People attended as they felt they ought to, which personally Zoey saw as a more intimate way tomune. But she didn''t hold that opinion strongly. She wasn''t very religious to begin with, so she didn''t have any strong opinions on the subject of religion, really. Her secrity was maybe ridiculous, these days, seeing how she knew gods and goddesses were without a doubt real. Some of them at least. Then again, even Ephy, for all her grand power, had alsoe off very human in their interactions, not as some inscrutable entity. Was that because of her aspect? Lust was, after all, a trait of base nature. Carnality was closer to humanity than divinity, she assumed. Reasonably, her temple¡ªtheir temple?¡ªwasn''t located in the center of the temple district. Zoey wasn''t sure she''d want it to be even if it had been possible. If she had visitors, she''d prefer them to be people who knew what they were in for. People who sought out the temple intentionally, not wandering in because the building was plopped down in the busiest part of the district. Plus, Enzo could only pull so many strings. Therger, more prominent temples were all upied. Finding an empty one that was still in serviceable shape couldn''t have been the easiest task even with loose requirements. It wasn''t like buildings in a prime part of the city were going frivolously unused. From what Aria exined, even theirs had needed fixing up under rush orders. Fortunately, problems could be solved fast when an appropriately ridiculous amount of money was thrown at the issue, and when the world''s strongest man was leaning on the organizers to get things done, so something had been arranged in time. The temple was about sixty feet wide and a time and a half that deep: arge building, but not enormous. It was a simple yet attractive structure made of white stone, with tworge ss windows nking the heavy wooden double doors, which Zoey pulled open to invite her party inside. The interior was likewise clean and well constructed, if nothing gaudy. Like other temples she had seen, there weren''t any pews for sitting, but rather an open space with various alcoves avable, meant for private prayer. At the front was an altar, currently bare; everything was to be retrofitted for their needs in theing days. Enzo might be a miracle worker, but there had hardly been time to outfit the temple for their particr use. And Enzo hadn''t even been told what that use case was. She expected he didn''t want to know. Might keep informed out of necessity, but he hadn''t pressed Zoey when she''d alluded to its lewd nature, and maybe he would keep his ignorance out of preference. "I like it," Zoey said, eyes roaming across the stained ss windows, the altar, the arched ceiling. It was cleaner than she expected. After living in Enzo''s manor, though, it admittedly felt in. Not that in was bad. "There''s a basement too, right?" "Over here," Aria said. She led them to a cubby to the back-and-right of the altar, where a door swung open to reveal a staircase down. The basement was lit with magicalnterns putting off a soft glow. It was barren down there, and smaller than the temple itself, but still plenty spacious. Larger than Sabina''s previous workshop had been. "This will do," Sabina said with an approving nod, looking around. Some might have preferred a ce to work that had windows or natural sunlight, but Sabina was of course not bothered with such frivolities. "There''s also an office space through a door to the back left of the altar," Aria said. "We can section off this basement as needed, if storage or whatever is necessary. Um, you don''t need all this space, right?" she asked Sabina. "No," Sabina said, though she didn''t borate. Not out of unfriendliness, but simply because she was distracted: those cool gray eyes were scanning the space and cataloging where she would be putting her equipment. Zoey could tell she was pleased she''d be getting her own dedicated workspace back. "We''ll figure out the detailster," Aria said. "But yes, so much space! And all clean and ready to be moved into. Isn''t it nice?" "Very," Adrienne agreed. She was also peering around, if a bit less distractedly. They walked back upstairs and did another once-over around the rest of the Temple. "I can''t believe you found a ce that fits all our needs, in the middle of the temple district, and all in one day," Adrienne said, shaking her head in incredulity. "I don''t think you three appreciate how insane that is. I don''t think I appreciate how insane that is, and I''m an ountant, I at least have some idea of the bureaucratic nightmare. There were some serious strings pulled, to make this happen." "Perks to dating a Guildmaster''s daughter," Zoey said. "I''m not sure dating is the eminent word I would use to describe your rtionship with Miss Rosalie, as of current," Sabina said, straight-faced. "Not from the impression I''ve received, at least." All three of them paused and turned to Sabina, who quirked an eyebrow as if to say, yes, I made a joke, what about it? "Perks of making a Guildmaster''s daughter squeal every night, then?" Aria corrected jokingly. Then, she blushed furiously, going red in an instant. "W-Wait, sorry. I don''t know why I said that. That was so crude. Why did I say that?" "Influenced by the spirit of the temple, I see," Adrienne said after an amused pause in which Aria squirmed under their attention. "You are the High Priestess to a Sex Goddess." "Well, Sex Goddess isn''t technically¡­" Zoey trailed off. Who was she kidding? She didn''t champion Ephy''s ''carnality at any cost'' paradigm, but the aspect she represented was most certainly sex, or at least sex so intertwined with other aspects that it hardly mattered. She coughed. "Anyway." "S-Speaking of," Aria said, trying to move past her crude joke¡ªwhich Zoey had been amused by, but more because it had been made by Aria than the content itself. "Did you decide on a name? We''re going to try to open up as soon as possible, and that''s one of the starter requirements." "Name?" Adrienne asked. "That she''ll be using as a nascent goddess," Aria exined. "The name people will worship. Zoey would be fine, if that''s what she decides, but¡­" she trailed off, looking for Zoey''s input. "You know," Zoey said. "I''m kind of torn. A part of me just wants to stick with my actual name, because not doing that feels like I''m putting on airs or something. But I am, literally: I''m setting myself up as a concept, I suppose, an icon people would pray to for good luck in like ¡­ rtionships or sex or fertility or whatever. So I should put on airs, and pick an appropriate name." She chewed her lip. "But what''s good? I was thinking to just steal part of Ephy''s name, I honestly think she''d like if I did that, and go with Zoe''thithys or something." She shrugged. All deity names sounded long andplicated to her, so while Zoey''thithys felt like an odd name, it was no less so than the others that were standard in this world. "I''m also considering picking a name in a totally different style," she said. Honestly, she''d wondered whether she should steal names from simr goddesses on Earth; she would find that kind of funny. Aphrodite, Venus, Eros, or some other. "Or maybe like one word, Bliss or Harmony or Euphoria or something like that." Another shrug. "In the end, I think I would be fine with anything. What do you three think?" Aria, Sabina, and Adrienne each considered. "Paying respect to your patron goddess by taking a name simr to hers is what I would do," Aria said, which was maybe not surprising from a woman who had worked as a priestess before falling in with Zoey. "She did mention she wanted me to ''dere myself as one of hers,''" Zoey mused. "And mimicking her name would do that loudly and visibly. Maybe that''s the best, then." Being on the good side of her patron was a smart idea. "Has a ring to it," Adrienne said thoughtfully. "Zoe''thithys. And hey, you can cheat that way: people can shorten it to Zoey, if you or they want. Best of both worlds." "Does seem like a logical choice," Sabina said. "I would hesitate to pick a name outside of standard conventions. Names hold power, and on this particr stage, belief is your primary currency. Would a name not inherently interpreted as divine in the eyes of themon people harm your progress?" "I didn''t even think of that," Zoey said. Like usual, Sabina saw things from angles other people didn''t. "Would it?" she asked Aria. Aria blinked. "We''re a little off the well-trodden path, here," the priestess said tentatively. "I couldn''t begin to guess. I suppose it''s possible though? Ideas and names do have power. She''s not wrong about that." "Then Zoe''thithys?" Zoey said. Thankfully, she didn''t get apathetic shrugs: everyone nodded, seeming to think it fitting. So she guessed that was it, then. "And so a goddess is born," Sabina mused. 7.02 – Commemorate 7.02 ¨C Commemorate They admired the temple a little longer, just walking around and inspecting everything. Eventually, Zoey ended up at the altar, as did the rest of the three, their wandering paths converging by fate. The altar wasrge with a t rectangr top, a few feet tall. It was made of white stone and had thick decorative pirs on each corner to support the t top, with a slightly inset middle. It was one of the more ornate parts of the temple, as was fitting for an altar. Still not nearly as gaudy as some of the things she''d seen in the d''Celestin estate, though that was a high bar to clear. "The temple is ours, then?" Sabina asked, breaking the brief silence that had fallen over them as they admired the space one more time. "Officially, I mean." "As far as I know, yes," Aria answered. "Perhaps a celebration is in order then," Sabina said. "The altar does, in my opinion, need breaking in." "Breaking ¡­ in?" Aria blinked cluelessly at the older woman, though Zoey, knowing Sabina better, stared at her with wide eyes. The interpretation of what she''d said, considering the woman''s personality, seemed obvious, but surely she hadn''t just suggested¡ª? "That is the purpose of this venture, no?" Sabina asked, unruffled. "It would be a special act of worship andmemoration." "What would?" Aria asked innocently. Sabina raised an unimpressed eyebrow. Her gray gaze shifted to Zoey. "You have a priestess to be marking as yours, I do believe. Your patron would appreciate it, no?" The bluntness finally made Aria understand. "M-Mark me as her own? You mean here? Now? On the altar?" "With your two allies standing witness," Sabina agreed, voice as cool as always. "Assuming Miss Adrienne is interested in such a show, of course. I wouldn''t presume." Adrienne, understandably, had also gone wide-eyed. As maybe she should. Sabina was hardly some chaste woman¡ªquite the opposite really¡ªbut Zoey wouldn''t have expected her to be the one to suggest something so lewd while they were all together. Then again, Zoey had been inside all three of these women, so it wasn''t like the ice wasn''t broken in that aspect. Still, Zoey was a little surprised. "I''m merely looking out for the temple''s continued sess, of course," Sabina said mildly. No, Zoey didn''t believe that. The alchemist definitely just wanted to see Zoey fill up a priestess on top of an altar, for whatever reason. For whatever reason? Zoey supposed it wasn''t like that was a strange thing to want to watch happen. She hadn''t taken Sabina as a voyeur, but she also wasn''t surprised in the slightest. "With you two watching?" Aria stammered. "Indeed. Are such events not what this temple would be hosting, in the future?" Sabina asked. "And you are its high priestess." "That''s ¡­ true," Aria said, squirming. Her face was reddening at an impressive pace, and not just that, but her breathing had bebored: more so than just embarrassment could exin. "But really? You think we should ¡­memorate the event? I-I suppose it does make sense. It would be a very potent act of worship, especially with everyone here who''s been involved in its conception. Yes," she said, her voice growing breathless and her pacing a bit rambling as she went on, "yes, I think Sabina''s right, Zoey, this is a good idea. N-Not that I want to, it''s just a moment of power, conceptually speaking, and worship is all about ideas, don''t you think?" For all that Sabina was a woman obsessed with work, she really knew how to read a woman: her suggestion had turned Aria into a blushing mess in mere moments. Even Zoey hadn''t known Aria would respond so eagerly. Of course, if it had just been the three of them there, Zoey would''ve already been picking Aria up and carrying her over. She nced at the fourth, their brte ountant. "You know, I''m kind of mad you even hesitated," Adrienne said, lips quirking up. "Why doesn''t this poor High Priestess have a cock inside her yet?" Yeah, Zoey guessed ''checking in'' on Adrienne hadn''t been necessary. Quite frankly, she might be the biggest of perverts here, from what Delta had described of their first meeting¡ªwhen she''d used Zoey''s own cock to plow the woman silly. "Good question," Zoey said sagely. And thus, she turned to Aria, picked up the High Priestess of their new temple, and carried her over to the altar, setting her down gently. Aria was wearing temple garb, meaning a chaste white robe that would''ve left near everything to the imagination, if not for how busty the young woman was: there was little hiding the attractive swell to her chest. Running her hands down Aria''s sides, settling on her hips, Zoey leaned over her¡ªstill standing, with the priestess sitting on the altar¡ªand murmured, "By the way, add this to the list: our priestesses should have special robes when they''re on duty. And you, a particrly unique one." Zoey leaned forward and grabbed Aria''s lower lip with her teeth, gently pulling back¡ªteasing, before letting go and securing the woman''s mouth in a kiss. "Don''t get me wrong, fuckable is always a word that''s on my mind, no matter what you''re wearing," she emphasized her words with a squeeze of Aria''s waist, her fingers digging into soft flesh, "but your current clothes are a little too unrevealing, I think, for my High Priestess." "You want me to wear something ¡­ more revealing?" Aria breathed. "While working?" "I''m ordering you to," Zoey said, voice growing husky. "You can pick. If I carry you off and leave you a sweaty mess the first time I see you in it, that means it has my approval." She brought her kisses lower, nuzzling into her neck. "Something tight, I think," she said. "Something that shows off these tits of yours." She squeezed the mentioned breasts, the flesh soft and plush underneath her robes. "You don''t mind, do you? Tending a temple with your tits practically hanging out?" "If that''s what my Goddess desires of me," Aria gasped, overwhelmed as Zoey kissed and sucked at her neck. And Zoey had thought she''d been the one teasing, but the way the word Goddess fell from Aria''s lips, the genuine worship there, was twice as effective as whatever lewd images she''d been painting in Aria''s head. Because Zoey''s stomach squeezed, and she was suddenly tearing Aria out of her robes. Literally tearing. Wayfaring strength was such a convenient thing, and besides: Aria wouldn''t be needing her old robes anymore. She''d have a new uniform soon enough. With a powerful rip in the middle of Aria''s chest, the fabric split open, spilling Aria''s breasts out. They bounced from the sudden freedom, tantalizingly, and the high priestess gasped at the abrupt nudity, or maybe the violence of the action. Zoey continued tearing, removing all of Aria''s robes in the most direct, primal manner possible. Aria lifted and turned to help her along as Zoey worked her way down, eager for it to be gone and her body bared. Zoey took especial joy in ripping through Aria''s bra and panties, ensuring no piece of her clothing remained intact when the priestess was finally nude. She felt a twinge of satisfaction in doing it, in destroying her clothes to expose the woman. A cavewoman''s sort of glee. Soon enough, Aria wasid out on top of the altar, breathing hard, looking up at Zoey with husky excitement. When those blue eyes turned slightly sideways to their two spectators, Zoey''s attention followed. Sabina was murmuring words into Adrienne''s ear, the shorter brte blushing but grinning and returning her ownmentary. Seeing them look over, Adrienne gave two approving thumbs up. "Still no cock in the priestess, I can''t help but notice," she said. "Quite," Sabina agreed. Zoey turned back to Aria and began stripping herself next, skin tingling at the knowledge they had spectators. A part of her was aware she could, if she wanted, remove her clothing simply by throwing it all into her inventory, baring herself in a heartbeat. But where was the fun in that? She wanted to see her partner''s reaction to exposing herself. Zoey pulled off her blouse first, tossing it to the side of the altar. Aria bit her lip as Zoey revealed her tits next, braing off, and the heat in her eyes only grew as Zoey removed her pants afterward. Her boxers¡ªstraining to contain her¡ªwerest, and Zoey pulled them down with exaggerated slowness, making sure to give Aria a good look of her aching tool springing free. With all the worship befitting a High Priestess, Aria let out a shuddering breath as she watched Zoey''s cock bounce and settle, worship on her face. She pressed her legs together, squeezing them tightly. "Goddess," she repeated, softer and even more awed¡ªher eyes only for the twitching fourteen inches in front of her. Zoey crawled up and onto the altar, fully naked, to join Aria. There was just barely enough space to hold them. Perfectly sized. "High Priestess," Zoey murmured in return, with just as much adoration in her voice. "Ready to break in our altar?" 7.03 – ? Ensuring 7.03 ¨C ? Ensuring Zoey had honestly expected this trip with Aria, Adrienne, and Sabina to be a professional outing, simply taking in the sight of their new temple, making ns for its interior and discussing what needed to be done. Yet here she was, her busty blonde High Priestessid naked on the altar, with Zoey having crawled overtop her, and her alchemy teacher and her ountant-sh-manager watching them. Heat pulsed through her as she gazed down at Aria, their faces less than a foot apart, Zoey''s fourteen inches throbbing against Aria''s stomach in slow rhythmic pulses. She was more aroused than she thought she would be. She''d had spectators before, but something about Sabina and Adrienne standing fully-clothed, smirking and whispering on the sidelines, watching the show with no intention of joining in, made this event feel many times lewder. She could tell Aria felt the same by the way she was squirming underneath Zoey, panting hard and her knees squeezed together. Zoey pushed her own knee between the girl''s thighs, forcing the priestess''s legs apart and making her shudder with the contact. Zoey grabbed her breasts and began kneading them gently, leaning forward to kiss her as she did. She didn''t want to start off too rough or overeager: this was a sacred ritual, and it deserved to be treated with reverence. At least to begin with. Later, with much less reverence, though that would be its own form of worship, considering what this temple represented. So Zoey kissed Aria gently and yed with her breasts, and Aria reciprocated by kissing back and running her hands up and down Zoey''s sides, their bodies pressed together and the room quickly heating up. Her kisses were soft and lingering. They were in no rush, as much as they might be eager. Zoey worked her kisses down the girl''s body, moving to her cheek and then her neck, her shoulder and corbone next, and finally her breasts. She lingered there, treating her High Priestess with the utmost gentleness. Her tongue flicked out, brushing over a hardened nipple, and she sucked the nub into her mouth, toying with her with her tongue and enjoying the sound of Aria''s soft moans. She switched between breasts, paying each of them equal attention, Aria''s ragged breathing making her cock twitch in excitement. When she''d had her fill, she went lower still, until her mouth was at Aria''s navel, and then lower, ending with her mouth hovering above the prize. She would have dove in, but Zoey remembered their spectators. Why not give them a better view? As much for their sake, as for the excitement it brought Zoey¡ªand Aria too. Picking the blonde priestess up by the waist, Zoey handled her into a new position: one where Zoey was kneeling on the altar, hugging Aria''s lower half, the girl facing Sabina and Adrienne. Upside down, her blonde hair syed out and down the side of the altar, and her knees drooped toward her face, legs spread and dangling. More importantly: it was a perfect position both to enjoy her meal, and for the two others to watch as she did so. "Z-Zoey," Aria gasped, squirming in ce. "They can ¡­ they can see everything, like this." That was the point. And Aria''s legs stayed firmly spread open, not squeezing her knees together to hide herself. In fact, they almost seemed to kick out a bit wider, in a way Aria probably meant to be subtle. Zoey''s lips turned up in amusement. She wasn''t sure whether Aria''s red face was more from being upside down and the blood flooding to her face, or from her rising embarrassment and excitement. Zoey slipped inside and tasted her High Priestess. "They can¡­ they can see your tongue inside me," Aria gasped. "Mm," Zoey agreed, pulling back. Again, that was the point. "Does that excite you, you naughty girl? Putting on a show for your friends? Having your pussy licked right in front of them?" She kissed Aria''s clit, making the girl''s hips jump, and continued teasing. "No need to answer, your body is for you. I can see exactly how turned on you are, and so can they." She kissed her pussy again. "It''s fine. They''ll be seeing a lot more, before we''re done. I''ll be using every part of you, my horny little high priestess." And then, as much fun as teasing Aria was, Zoey put her mouth back into use: she dove in and started properly eating the girl out. Her tonguepped from top to bottom, exploring her, and then pushing inside, tasting her inner walls. The vor was sweet and addictive, and she found herself moaning into the young woman''s pussy, her own arousal growing. Aria''s breath hitched over and over, with every twist of her tongue, and she started squirming in Zoey''s grip, her plush figure jiggling in the upside-down position as pleasure made her wiggle. One hand held her steady around the waist, and the other circled around her thigh to start teasing her clit. Aria''s moans grew louder and louder. Zoey couldn''t see her face from this position, but she knew from the sounds that her High Priestess was making that she must be wearing a wonderfully erotic expression. She ate the young priestess out with relish, plunging in and exploring every part of her. She kissed and sucked and made out with her pussy, until the noises Aria was making became too much, and Zoey couldn''t stand it anymore, needing her own relief. She rearranged the two of them so Aria was lying t on her back, and Zoey perched over her¡ªsliding her cock between the two plush breasts which the girl eagerly pressed together, forming a tunnel. The relief was immediate. Her cock had been aching, and now that she had some stimtion, she couldn''t help but let out a long moan. It was too much. She needed to fuck. Her hips started to move, and she couldn''t have stopped herself if she wanted to, thrusting back and forth between those soft tits, the warm and inviting flesh. Her cock tip popped in and out, and Aria leaned forward to kiss and lick the head when it did, her eyes locked on Zoey''s, wide and full of lust. She panted hard as her breasts were used, her tonguepping at the tip of Zoey''s cock, worshiping it like a supplicant, kisses growing hungrier by the moment. Zoey reached down to grope the woman''s breasts and squeeze them harder around her cock, her hands joining Aria''s own. She might have lost herself in the haze of pleasure there, might have used her High Priestess''s chest until she came and painted the girl''s face, but that would have been a waste. Grunting in temporary dissatisfaction, she forced herself to pull out and sat on her ass, grabbing Aria and encouraging her into herp. When they were done situating, she was holding Aria, her tits pressing into the priestess''s back, and her cock sticking up between her legs¡ªthe girl firmly held toward Sabina and Adrienne, the two of them poised to get to the main event. "Ready?" Zoey murmured into Aria''s ear, using one hand to press her cock t against Aria''s entrance, the shaft slick and glistening with the blonde''s juices from their earlier y. Soft lips molded around the thick rod, Zoey''s tip up near the bottom of her breasts, reminding her just how deep it would soon be. She could feel the priestess''s breath hitch in anticipation. "Y-Yes," Aria breathed. "Please ... give it to me." Her hips gyrated forward and back, running her slick heat along Zoey''s length in whatever small way she could, considering their positioning. "Fill me with your cock, Goddess. Please." And it would be a disservice to deny her worshipper, wouldn''t it? Zoey lifted the woman, holding her cock to guide it. Aria''s heat brushed against her tip, and Aria pressed downward, Zoey''s cock slowly pushing its way into her entrance. Zoey''s breath caught as her cock was enveloped in that soft tightness, the feeling of sinking into heaven, a velvet grip that was slick and warm and fit her oh so tightly. "G-Goddess," Aria moaned, her head falling backwards. "You''re splitting me open." Head dizzy, Zoey''s attention wandered to Sabina''s and Adrienne''s faces as she slid inch by inch into the priestess, the young woman''s pussy stretching around her. Sabina was watching them impassively, though with a hint of red to her cheeks, her eyes following every inch of the cock disappearing into Aria. Adrienne was leaning into Sabina, breathing hard, much more visibly affected. Shuddering, Zoey arched her hips and finished her descent into her priestess, pushing all the way in with one smooth movement. The woman''s legs twitched at the sudden intrusion, toes curling, and her voice rose into a keening moan as she was filled. Then, with her two other partners watching, Zoey started to fuck her high priestess in earnest. She might have taken it slower in another circumstance, but the heat of the scenario was too much for her. Her instincts screamed at her to breed the priestess, and Zoey didn''t have the fortitude to deny them. Not when Aria''s own moaning cries were so excited, so eager, as she bounced in herp, the woman''s plush tits jiggling with her vigorous motions. "Goddess, Goddess," she repeated, the words broken up with each impact of Zoey''s hips into her ass. "Thank you. Thank you. This is what she was made for." Zoey gripped her hips tight, lifting Aria and pulling her back down to meet her upward thrusts. Their bodies mmed together, the sounds of pping flesh and squelching filling the temple. "If thest one didn''t work, this one will," Aria moaned. "I''m certain of it. Put a baby in me, Goddess! Please! Breed your High Priestess!" The words were like magic. Zoey had no choice but to obey. Fire washed through her, a burning heat that made her cock throb and her head clear of any less important thoughts. She needed to. She needed to cum inside the blonde, needed to fill her, needed to breed her. Needed to put a baby in her. Needed it. Needed it. Needed¡ª Zoey''s hips snapped upward onest time, and she buried herself as deep into the priestess as she could. Her cum poured out in hot spurts, and Aria whined in pleasure as it flooded her, her insides squeezing around Zoey''s length in orgasm, milking the cum from her and begging it deeper into her womb. They came together, and Zoey held her close, clutching her to her chest, her hips mming up and down, filling her priestess to the brim. Her cock twitched and throbbed, pumping deep, and soon it was overflowing, cum gushing from her hole. Zoey kept inside, clutching her tightly and making sure her load had as much time to soak into the priestess''s womb as possible. Her orgasm was a rush of fire that burned through her for eternity, and when it finally tapered off, she slumped backwards, lying against the altar, body shuddering, her cock still inside her High Priestess. The two of themy there, panting, cum leaking from between Aria''s legs and dripping down onto the smooth stone of the altar. Aria was right, Zoey knew. If the ritual to Ephy hadn''t done the job, this one had. The High Priestess lying on her, moaning her satisfaction, had definitely, without a doubt, been bred atop their holy altar. 7.04 – Shadow Progress 7.04 ¨C Shadow Progress "Date''s been decided," Delta announced, striding into Zoey''s room without knocking. "It''s happening tomorrow." Not knocking was a bit rude, Delta knew, but she''d been hoping to catch Zoey doing something inappropriate. Unfortunately, she was just sitting there, nose in an alchemy book like was her default state when given downtime. How boring. Though she supposed when Sabina was rewarding her for being studious, she couldn''t me her too much. The taller girl blinked as Delta strode in, then immediately smiled seeing who it was. That made Delta''s stomach do some embarrassing warm-and-fuzzy things, which she ignored as she plopped down on Zoey''s bed and started kicking her feet back and forth, waiting expectantly for a response. "The date for what?" she asked. "Next shard. With barbarian girl. What else?" "It''s been arranged that fast?" "You can''t actually be surprised. It''s Rosalie we''re talking about. And this new girl might be as much of a shard addict as her." "Fair," Zoey said. "Still, I expected to be waiting at least a few days. Thought we''d practice more together first." "Shards are the best practice," Delta said, half joking but half serious. Maybe it would be smarter to take things slower, but she doubted it was necessary. It was one hell of a party that she''d been thrown into, and not just because of Zoey, but the sheer talent of every member. It was weird knowing she might be the worst on the team: she was used to being the best. "Practice only matters so much when there''s no real stakes, I suppose," Zoey said. She tilted her head, closing her book and setting it aside. "It''s not just team training we needed, though. You think you''ll have your shadow under control by tomorrow?" "Eh," Delta said. "It''ll be a while before she''s second nature. But she''s basically all I''ve been working on since we got here, so yeah, I''ve made good progress." "Enough you can use her in a fight?" "Not as perfectly as I''d want, but yes. She''ll be more asset than not. And in situations where I need her as a scout or can otherwise use her solo, I can control her nearly as well as myself." "No kidding?" Delta nodded, pleased with herself. "That''s a lot of progress in just a few days." "It''s all I''ve been doing, like I said." She shrugged. "Plus, it was one of those things that was hard to get started with, but is getting easier the more I learn. Once I wrapped my head around the simple movements, with managing two bodies at once, picking up speed and learning moreplex motions became less and less of an issue. Not that I''ve perfected anything, though. It''ll take some time for that." "Still. I''m impressed. Wanna demonstrate?" Delta paused, then grinned wickedly. "I didn''t even mean it like that," Zoey protested. She paused. "Not that I''din, if that''s how you want to show off," she amended. "My girlfriend has such appetites," Deltamented loudly. "Every conversation turns to such lewd matters." "You turned it into that, this time," Zoey pointed out. "Thankfully, I am a kind and amenable girlfriend¡ª" she continued, ignoring Zoey. "You sure about that?" "¡ªand I''m willing to indulge her insatiable hungers, caring and doting woman that I am." Zoey rolled her eyes, which Delta snickered at. "This is random," Zoey said, "but you reminded me of something. You blushed that one time, when Rosie brought up you ''ying'' with your clone, shortly after we got here. But when would you have had the time for that? I''ve been wondering." Ah. This topic again. Despite her usual unabashedness, her cheeks colored. "Doesn''t matter. Don''t you wanna see all the cool tricks I learned?" "I think I''d rather you answer the question." "Than be blown by two copies of me?" Delta asked, somewhat offended. "Really?" Thankfully, Zoey at least paused. "I can have both," she said eventually. "Can you?" "Yes," Zoey said, raising an eyebrow. Oh? In a more confident and assertive attitude than usual? Zoey did tend to take the lead, though it also depended on her mood. Basically anything this girl did could fluster her, though. And the self-assured way she''d just ignored Delta''s attempt at a deflection was ... well. Heat kindled in her stomach. Dominant Zoey was fun. But then the embarrassment returned. Ah, hell, what was there even to be embarrassed by, though? Delta was a girl who liked to own up to what she did. "Right after I woke up, basically," Delta said with a casual shrug. "I mean, I found I could make a clone of myself. Who wouldn''t experiment?" Zoey''s eyebrows crawled up to her hairline. "But this was right after being kidnapped." "I knew I was safe," Delta defended herself, shifting on the bed. Trying to insert some of her own confidence back into her voice, she lifted her chin and joked: "Besides, have you seen me? Of course I wanted to fuck her." Zoey said amusedly, "Yourself. Not ''her''." "Of course I wanted to fuck myself," Delta corrected shamelessly. With a look, she dared Zoey to reply, but the girl justughed. "How far have you gone, then?" "What do you mean?" "You''ve already fucked her, but how?" "Ah. Well." Heat rose on her cheeks, though she forced herself to hold Zoey''s gaze. Nothing to be ashamed about, she reminded herself. "I used her mouth, pretty thoroughly. That''s it." "You had good enough control, even then?" "Like I said, when I''m only worrying about one of us at a time, it''s magnitudes easier." "Mm." A devious look started pulling on Zoey''s lips, which made Delta''s heart beat faster. "Just had her eat you out? But you haven''t done much more experimenting since then?" "Not really," Delta said. She''d been busy with other stuff, and admittedly ... well. She had a beautiful girlfriend. Two of them, in fact. While she might have gotten carried away upon discovery of the skill, she''d also been saving more exciting experiments for group activities. Masturbation was great, don''t get her wrong, and especially this sort of masturbation, but throwing in one or two of her girlfriends would make it an even more tititing event. Which Zoey was clearly reading on her face, right now. She could be clueless at times, but also quite perceptive at others. Which was true for any person, Delta figured, but this girl especially. "Well," Zoey said. "I think I know how I want you to prove your skills to me then." "Really? You''re gonna make your girlfriend and her clone fuck each other?" "Yes," Zoey said. And welp, there wasn''t much arguing with that. The obvious interest on Zoey''s face made her own stomach squeeze, too. As if the idea of ying with her clone in that lewd way wasn''t potent enough on its own. Sheesh. How embarrassing. She was probably the least reserved person on the team when it came to sex, but even she had her limits. Eating herself out had been a mortifying thing, both in the moment and admitting it to Zoey, so doing it in front of her? And worse, Delta was doubting just some oral was all she had nned. But surely she wouldn''t make her ¡­ do that much more? Zoey pped her hands. "Up," she ordered. "Summon her, and strip yourself." "You''re in a feisty mood," Delta said, though she found herself standing because of the sheer authority in her voice. "Something happen at that little temple outing you wanna tell me about?" Zoey hesitated at the question, confirming her suspicion. Dryly, she said, "Long story short, if my high priestess wasn''t pregnant before, she definitely is now." Oh? It had been that sort of outing, had it? Now she was kinda mad she hadn''t been invited. "Out in public? Under the eyes of the gods? You naughty girl," Delta teased. "Right on top of the altar, with Sabina and Adrienne watching," Zoey said, a stir of arousal clearly going through her just remembering. "Sabina and Aria thought it was important as a memorative ritual,'' to celebrate the temple''s founding." "Sounds like an excuse," Deltaughed. "It definitely was," Zoey said, lips twitching. "It did work, though. Aria apparently got a ton of Holy Energy, not that we have many uses for it, yet." "Gonna power Sabina up, right?" "I think we''ll set a date when we get back," she said. "Dunno, I wanna talk more with Sabina about it. Make sure she''s totallyfortable, since there''s outside incentives encouraging her right now, and I want her to be sure." "Ugh. You''re such a sweetheart," Delta said, rolling her eyes. "And howe you''re worried about making herfortable, but you wanna embarrass me by making me fuck myself? Double standards, much?" "Because you''re getting off on it," Zoey answered, with an amused look. "Pervert." Delta flushed. She had her there. "Whatever," Delta said. "Calling me a pervert is kind of rich, considering the goddess of perverts literally chose you as her champion." "Touch¨¦," Zoey said. Raising her voice, she ordered Delta, "Now strip." And, well, when a hot girl used that sort of tone on her, obviously she didn''t have much choice in the matter. 7.05 – ? Self-Care I 7.05 ¨C ? Self-Care I Delta summoned her Shadow. ck light materialized, fading in from nothingness until a figure stood in front of her, their eyes locked. Despite having seen it many times, the sight still sent a shiver down her spine. Her own face staring nkly back at her. A mirror copy, down to the exact detail, but formed of various shades of translucent ck. Their outfits were identical too. Delta was wearing a loose purple tank top and jeans, casual wear that she''d thrown on upon returning to the d''Celestin estate. Her clone wore equivalent ck copies. She took a second to admire the way her tits were pressed together by the shirt''s tight fabric, and the way the jeans hugged her hips. She med the clenching in her stomach on how Zoey had riled her up; she wouldn''t ogle herself so tantly in a normal circumstance. Or maybe she would''ve. She nced at Zoey. Her girlfriend was sprawled in the chair, one arm over the armrest, head resting on the palm of her other hand. An amused smirk was on her lips. Already enjoying the show, even if it hadn''t started. "Taking your time, aren''t you?" Zoey asked. "Hurry up and get yourselves naked." Delta''s cheeks heated. "Bossy much? I''m working on it." "And do it at the same time," Zoey said. "Let''s see how good your control is." As an afterthought, "Put some passion into it." Well¡­ since she''d been ordered to, she guessed she''d oblige. Her heart rate picked up as she took two steps forward and pressed herself into the other girl¡ªinto the shadowy ck mirror image of herself. Her hands found the girl''s waist, and, leaning in, their breasts pressing together, her lips found her own mouth. They kissed. Delta''s heart jumped in excitement. The softness of her own lips, the warmth of her body, the taste of herself, and not just that, but how they were mirrored twice over: two sets of sensations coursing through her head. The clone responded, kissing back, but of course it was Delta herself controlling it. Both halves were entirely in her own control. Adapting the mindset to pilot two bodies at once hadn''t been easy, but she was picking it up. There needed to be a separation of sorts, a partition in her brain where she could focus on one of herself while not thinking about the other, and vice versa. Yet at the same time, thinking about both and coordinating both sets of limbs. It was a very strange mental exercise, and probably one that had only be possible thanks to the skill itself: a new set of instincts that, while they had to be trained, had been magically inserted into her head. She ''put passion'' into slowly tearing off her clone''s clothes, and her clone did the same in return. She kissed herself, tongues ying in her own mouth twice over, briefly breaking apart to pull the clone''s shirt up over her head and throw it aside. She yanked the girl''s bra off next, and then her own came too, her shadow tossing it to the side. Delta found herself pushing the other girl into the wall in her eagerness, groping her tits as she pulled on her lower lip with her teeth, the sensation of the soft flesh making her moan. Her jeans came undone by fumbling shadow hands, and together she kicked the clothing off, returning the favor shortly¡ªleaving the two of them in just their panties. Delta dropped to her knees, biting the edge of the girl''s shadowy ck panties to pull them down with her teeth. Her clone yanked her up by the hair afterward, and, oh, she kind of liked that. Sometimes the other half of her brain could catch her off guard, nonsensical as it was. The shadow shoved her forward, making Delta stumble and fall onto the bed. Grabbing Delta''s panties, the shadow yanked off thest bit of her clothing, leaving both of them naked. She was well and thoroughly wet by then. It was weird, so incredibly weird, to be aroused by herself, to be doing all these things and feeling them from both sides¡ªknowing it was her doing it, and yet somehow not fully cognizant of the fact. Lying on the bed, legs slightly spread, she panted up at the clone standing near the edge of the mattress looking down at her. Her attention lingered on the shadowy-ck, slightly transparent naked body of herself for a moment, the curve of her breasts and her nipples, her t stomach, her wide hips, before they both looked over to Zoey. "Well?" Delta said. "That was coordinated, wasn''t it? Told you I''ve gotten better." She was slightly breathless. Controlling her clone was easier when absorbed into a task, when she didn''t have time or headspace to worry about getting it wrong. "Very impressive," Zoey agreed, her gaze roaming across the two naked girls. Her pants were straining upward, expectedly, though she''d made no move to undress herself: she was simply enjoying the show. Would she be joining in? Surely she wouldn''t just watch the whole time. Would she? Zoey raised a hand, and a potion appeared in it. "Catch." Thankfully Delta didn''t embarrass herself: the clone caught the thrown object as easily as she herself would have, perhaps the more appropriate demonstration that she was bingbat-ready with the skill. The shadow looked down at the vial and inspected it, with Delta being able to read it through her eyes. "You''re kidding." "You two already went at it the normal way, didn''t you?" Zoey asked, amused. "This''ll be even more fun." Delta''s face progressively turned deeper shades of red. A cock-growing potion. Zoey had thrown a cock-growing potion to her shadow. She wanted her to not just fuck herself, but in that way? Somehow it was so, so much more embarrassing of an idea. Fingering herself and eating herself out was one thing. Just regr masturbation, really, with some extra steps. But growing a cock and¡ª and¡ª Her pussy throbbed with arousal. She was a little mad Zoey knew how much the idea would turn her on. She hesitated for a long moment, but with Zoey watching expectantly, she forced herself to act. Tipping the ss back, she poured the vial of liquid down her clone''s throat and swallowed. She hadn''t even been sure if it would work, since the clone was supposed to mirror her body, but it did. In a handful of seconds, a throbbing nine-inch shadow cock had sprouted between the girl''s legs. The shadow''s cock was identical to her own if she herself had taken the potion, right down to the vein. It bobbed and twitched with her arousal, Delta''s own arousal, and her eyes followed every movement of it. The clone''s fingers traced its length, and a shudder of pleasure went through her, making her bite her lip. She could feel her hand on her cock: the hand that wasn''t actually hers, and the cock that wasn''t actually hers. What would it feel like? Being inside herself? Filling and being filled and having the sensations of both? "Don''t go too fast," Zoey murmured. "Work into it." Ugh. And then there was that. The fact she was being watched. Her face might have melted even with the knowledge she was alone, with privacy for the degenerate things she was fantasizing about. But her girlfriend was sitting right there, not just watching, but the one ordering her to act. Her stomach squeezed. She called her clone forward, sitting up as the shadow came to the edge of the bed, and suddenly nine inches of shadowy cock were right in front of her. Her own cock. Shadowy, twitching, pulsing, with those tantalizing thick veins. Begging for her lips to wrap around it, to be worshipped with her mouth. She bit her lip, hesitating for an even longer moment, before reaching out. Slow and steady, she told herself. Just get a feel for it first. Work into things. And don''t get carried away. Easy to think. Not so easy to do. It was a lurid image, the idea of splitting herself open, her pussy wrapping around her own cock to milk herself dry. Her fingers wrapped around the girl''s shaft, and a shiver went through her. Her clone''s cock twitched in her fingers. A second hand joined it. Then a third, and fourth, and suddenly they were ying with her cock as a duo. At nine inches, it wasn''t Zoey''s monster, but nine inches was still a lot of fucking cock: there was enough space for two girls to y with. She stroked up and down with one hand, squeezed, traced the head, trading ces with the other set of hands as they worked together. Delta squeezed her knees together, aware of how wet she was. Wet for her own cock, she realized with a burst of embarrassment. Her own cock. She was ying with herself, and her pussy was throbbing, aching with the need to get fucked. She needed to be fucked by her own cock. It was such a filthy thought, but one that had a moan slipping from her lips. The sound came from both her and the clone, blending together. She leaned forward, her lips kissing the head, and she gently took her first taste of her own cock. 7.06 – Self-Care II 7.06 ¨C Self-Care II Delta had her own cock in her mouth. The idea burned through her. Shepped up the pre-cum that had leaked from the shadow''s tip. Her own pre-cum. It tasted salty and it filled her head with its scent and taste. She took her cock more firmly into her mouth, and before she could stop herself, she was sucking herself off, her tongue working lower down her shaft as she bobbed further and further. Only half aware that she was the one guiding the shadow to do so, operating by that set of instincts she''d slowly been training, her clone dug her fingers into Delta''s long orange hair and took control. She was pushed down, cock forced deeper, and Delta moaned in pleasure as the girl''s shaft slid down her throat. She was fucking her own throat. Officially. That hot, slippery intrusion bent the tunnel outward with its size. She choked on it. Even better, she could feel the sensations in reverse: a tight velvet tunnel caressing the sensitive nerves of her shaft, the sensation of sliding her cock in deeper, the way her throat squeezed around her. Both sets of sensations. She wasn''t sure if it was the clone''s desire, or her own¡ªprobably the same¡ªbut the pace picked up all at once. No more slow and steady. She needed more. Her head bobbed up and down at a furious pace, gripping her partner''s waist hard. Her shadow''s fingers likewise dug into her hair as she mmed cock down her throat. Delta''s nose bumped the shadow''s stomach as she gagged on her own length. Skin pped against her face with rutting eagerness, spit flying and dribbling down her chin as she throat-fucked herself. She moaned around her cock, and the moan was in her ears and in her head, the vibrations going through her and erasing her thoughts. And even as she sloppily vited her own throat, she was burningly aware of the most important fact: Zoey was watching. Her girlfriend was watching her lose control, lusting over her own dick, that beautiful pulsing hot mass cramming her throat and making her lose her mind. Delta didn''t stop on her own effort. Both she and her clone''s eyes were closed, quickly having lost themselves in ecstasy. But suddenly Zoey was gently pulling Delta by the hair to extract her off her own dick. "Nuh uh," her girlfriend said. "It''s not your throat you''ll be finishing inside. You''re getting carried away. Lay down," she ordered, pushing her by the chest and Delta obeying naturally. "Spread those legs," and Delta scooted up the bed and did just that. Zoey leaned forward and murmured into her ear onestmand, the words making her entire body pulse with heat, "and let me watch this cute foxgirl breed herself, yeah?" At the words, her body caught on fire, as if it hadn''t already been. Her shadow stepped forward and held Delta''s spread legs by the underside of her knees. She was bared to her clone, her pussy exposed to her, a strangely lewd realization. Tapping into her shadow''s senses¡ªnot that she wasn''t always, but she could choose which to focus on¡ªshe took in the sight from the opposite angle. Seeing herselfid out, legs spread, pussy wet. Waiting to be fucked. Zoey watched with those husky green eyes, her attention also locked on the positioning of Delta and her clone¡ªDelta and herself. She was lying next to her, still fully clothed, happy to let the two foxgirls take care of themselves. It was a little humiliating, in a way, to have someone watch her do something so debauched. Humiliating in the best way possible. "Go slow," Zoey said, her voice almost a purr. The clone stepped forward, and suddenly there was a cockid out across Delta''s entrance. A nine-inch cock, that was her own, that she was feeling against her pussy. Slick warmth emanated against both her parts: her wet pussy against her cock, and also the throbbing virile heat of her own dick rubbing between her lower lips. Delta''s hands clenched and unclenched in the sheets. Her mouth hung open, breathing out in quick pants. The clone¡ªher, she reminded herself, there was no shifting me of who was really doing this¡ªpulled her hips back, sliding those nine inches down across her entrance until the head was pressed to her hole, the tip digging into her. "Slow," Zoey repeated, her attention as raptly locked to the sight as Delta. Then she pushed her hips forward, with aching care. But just as Delta''s cock was about to start spreading her apart, frozen on that cusp of pration, she froze, losing her nerve. Was she really going to do this? Feel her own cock inside herself? Even by the standards of the perverted things she''d already done, this was ¡­ a step beyond. Wasn''t it? She hovered there for a few agonizing moments, her cock tip already slid a tenth of an inch in, almost but not quite prating. The barest twitch would vite her. The image was so potent, turning her head hot and fuzzy: the ck shadowy curvy foxgirl poised between her legs, hands under her knees and body trembling with the urge to push forward, despite their mutual hesitation. Delta didn''t get to make an active decision. Her desires took control, and the shadow, as if by itself¡ªthough it was most certainly Delta making her act¡ªpushed forward. She passed the point of no return. Delta slid her cock into her own pussy. The realization, as much as being filled up, was what nearly made her climax right then and there. She was being fucked by herself. Both of her bodies moaned, long, hot, gasping noises, as the shadow slid forward to the hilt suddenly, falling on top of her in eagerness to im herpletely. The other girl''s nipples brushed her own, and she panted hot air into her face¡ªinto both of their faces. Nine inches of her own cock buried in her own pussy, their hips meeting, and Delta''s legs wrapped around her own shadowy waist, squeezing down hard to have that wonderful sensation of fullness just a little bit deeper. Cock tip kissing her cervix, and with her own weight pressing down on her, Delta was suddenly only able to think about one thing: Zoey''s words from earlier. The demand she''d made. Breed herself. It was all Delta could think about. And from two sets of instincts. The primal need to be filled up, to be stuffed by the cock shoving inside her in long frantic strokes, but the same desire in her other body: the need to rut and thrust and pump her load into the cute girl underneath her. The thought of spilling her seed into the needy womb of her own body, while Zoey was sitting right there watching, made Delta''s entire body clench and throb with heat. Their motions were frantic. Delta thrust up into her shadow, legs tied between her lower back to help hump her hips forward, her pussy squeezing down to milk her shadow with desperate need. Her clone, on top of her, matched her pace and doubled it, rutting into her with primal urgency. The sound of pping skin filled the room as they fucked themselves silly, Delta''s mind well and truly gone. There was only one thought in her head. Breed. Breed. Breed. She was a stupid, perverted girl, and she was going to breed herself. The idea sent her over the edge. She couldn''tst long, not with that thought. Delta let out a high cry and arched her back, her body spasming as her pussy mped down on the cock inside her. Her clone''s own body shook, the thrusts growing more frantic. And then Delta''s orgasm washed over her, and her mind went white. She came on her cock; and her cock came in her. Her clone''s movements stopped and she thrust forward hard, cramming every inch of cock deep into her and, moaning, pumped into her partner''s womb¡ªher own womb¡ªwith thick spurts of cum. The knowledge turned Delta into a hot sludge, and she was left writhing in ce, her eyes rolling back and her mouth opening in silent ecstasy. The depravity of what she was doing. Cumming into herself. It pumped deep into her, painting her walls, stuffing her. Even worse¡ªeven better¡ªshe felt the filthy pleasure through her clone too, the primal glee in breeding another girl, and that other girl was herself. And so she kept cumming, her cock throbbing inside, her pussy milking her own cock for more, a feedback loop of orgasm that left her whimpering and shaking. More and more spilled out of her and into her, guaranteeing that if it were indeed possible, there wouldn''t be a doubt whether she''d seeded. And then, with a final shudder, the pleasure came crashing to an end, leaving her limp and spent. Her clone copsed on top of her, and the twoy there, panting, for a long while,ing down from a catastrophic high. "That was ¡­ enthusiastic," Zoey murmured into her ear, and Delta groaned and turned her head, meeting those green eyes¡ªit took a surprising amount of effort to make her body do anything. She was wrung out in a way she had rarely been. "Holy shit," Delta whispered. "I didn''t ... even take a potion. Did I really just¡ª?" "I seriously doubt your clone can knock you up," Zoey said amusedly. She kissed Delta on the lips. "The cum itself is made of shadow," she said dryly. "Look." Delta did. Sure enough, like everything else about the clone, it was a see-through substance leaking down between her legs and staining the bedsheets. She unsummoned the ability and gasped at the way there was suddenly no longer cock inside her, or another woman lying on top of her. The cum also disappeared. Relief washed through her, and ... another feeling. "Disappointed?" Zoey teased. "You seemed really into the idea." "S-Shut up." But it was true. She was definitely more relieved than disappointed, but ¡­ well. "There is a way we could make it happen," her girlfriend kept musing. "The potion and the portal panties would do the trick." She leaned in and murmured, "what do you say? Wanna breed yourself for real?" An intense shiver went through Delta. "Shut up," she repeated breathlessly. "Of¡ªof course not. Why did you even make me do that?" "Oh, yes," Zoey said sarcastically. "That was definitely me forcing you into anything." Delta huffed and finally sat up. The world swirled around her. Sheesh. That had been ¡­ an experience. Feeling it from both ends was no joke. She looked down between her legs to confirm the cum had magically vanished. Safe. She hadn''t actually ¡­ impregnated herself. Thank the gods for that. Stuck in that sort of situation, she really hadn''t been able to stop herself. She breathed in deeply, then let it out again. "Pervert," she used Zoey. "I can''t believe you just watched me do that." 7.07 – Trial Run I 7.07 ¨C Trial Run I The morning of the trial shard arrived. The group of five wayfarers ventured forward, trudging through wild terrain as Rosalie''s skill guided them to a nearby shard of the fourth tier. A group of five. A full squad by most wayfaring standards. And well-bnced. A mage, a support, a tank, a warrior, and a rogue. Rosalie''s world had specific terminology and a slew of ''eptable'' configurations for wayfaring teams, but theirs had fallen into a traditional arrangement, one even Zoey recognized as familiar. The night before, they had raided the d''Celestin vaults, that vast collection of artifacts that the all-but-royal family had gathered over the years. Enzo had offered them each a single valuable boon, which Rosalie had helped them choose out. Rosalie, of course, had received more than one: she''d been granted her spear, her new set of armor which consisted of several powerful artifacts, and a number of trinkets as well. Enzo''s generosity toward Zoey, Maddy, and Delta was less thorough, though. But even one d''Celestin artifact was no small gift. The family added only the best of the best to their collection. Zoey had gotten new robes. Real robes, without a strange appearance or a bizarre sexual requirement attached. They were powerful and support-oriented. Magical gear had to be identified by artificers, and didn''t have effects that could be exined with something as simple as a numerical system, but the robes were estimated to boost the efficacy of support-type spells by thirty-percent for a fourth-advancement wayfarer. They also sped up casting speed by around twenty percent, along with giving significant magical shielding and a decent physical resistance as well. As expected of a priceless d''Celestin artifact. Frankly, some of the crazy gear they''d earned earlier matched it, but again, these didn''t have weird requirements. Zoey didn''t have to pierce her nipples or stick a metal plug up her ass. It just worked. Passively and consistently. And seeing how it had been acquired from a non-divine shard, its strength was astounding. It was probably worth a small fortune. Delta and Maddy had received simr gifts from Rosalie''s family vaults: bracers and a sapphire ring respectively, each with effects suited to their sses. Astrid had gotten nothing. She was still a ''trial member,'' Rosalie had awkwardly and unhappily exined to her. The decision was clearly her father''s. The wealth of the d''Celestin family was his, after all, not Rosalie''s, for all she was heiress. They weren''t going in with any of their lewd items equipped. They''d acquired a decent collection in the previous shards: nipple rings, metal butt plugs, magical ink to inscribe crude words on their skin, cat ears and tail plugs, and more. Much of it, however, was growing outdated with their advancement. Even thetex suits hade from a third-advancement shard, the highest they''d been in so far, and those suits had a niche use. Whether the items hade from a divine-influenced shard or not, low-advancement items were low-advancement items. They had grown outdated. Weak. The ones from the first shard were basically useless by now. They nned to melt down most of them using the [Item Smelter] as soon as they could have that item discreetly and reliably inspected. Plus, there was the matter of Astrid. The more relevant reason they were ignoring their lewd gear. They were treating this shard as a normal shard, if at all possible, and that meant not sticking plugs up their asses in preparation, or painting derogatory, lewd insults on each other''s skin. A temporary affair. There was no denying Zoey''s nature permanently. Just for now, to get a feel for Astrid. "There it is," Rosalie said, putting her hands on her hips. She looked down at a shimmering ck portal. It was set into the sand of a beach; the oceanpped gently at the shore. The fracture they had found it in was two jumps away from Mantle''s. "Out in the open?" Astrid said. She grunted. "Must be new, if no one found it yet." "Likely," Rosalie agreed. "Fortunate for us, we got to it in time." As Zoey understood, higher-advancement shards became rarer and rarer, corrting inmonness to the danger of the fracture they were found in. To locate, for example, an eight-advancement shard¡­ well. It would take some searching, even for someone like Rosalie, who had a skill to identify shard entrances thanks to her Rune of Trailzing. The inky ckness emanated danger. It was possible previous wayfarers had found this portal, but while a shard''s danger level couldn''t be identified exactly, there was a palpable auraing from its depths that suggested this one wasn''t to be trifled with as a beginner. If not for such a warning, low-rank teams would be jumping into suicide all the time. Which, to be fair, happened regardless. Wayfaring wasn''t a career with a low mortality rate. "Is everyone ready?" Rosalie asked. They nodded. All preparations and discussions had happened beforehand. Rosalie looked at Zoey, prompting her. As talked about, she pulled out the Shard Stabilizer. It was a device frame made of silver metal, a cube of only edges. The thin metal felt, in a strange contradiction, frail but unbreakable. Items needed to be identified to understand their effects, which was an expensive but necessary process. However, items with active abilities were usually instinctual. To activate, at least. Knowing what would happen when activated was ¡­ less obvious, if the description didn''t specify. But the Shard Stabilizer imed to ''reduce divine influence upon shard formation'' after it had been ''filled with energy.'' Energy. That turned out to be, unsurprisingly, Lust. Zoey had filled it the night before. Where before the metal frame had been empty, inside pulsed a mote of pink light. It had been filled to the brim, even if the mere ember of pink didn''t make it seem so. "What''s that?" Astrid asked. "We got it from ourst shard," Zoey answered. Again, what she should say had been discussed with her team. Half-truths. Lies by omission. But not straight dishonesty, which they wanted to avoid. Zoey preferred the absolute truth, but she recognized the necessity with Astrid. For now. "It makes shards safer, less discordant, at the cost of some mana. I filled it up beforehand." "Really?" Astrid seemed overtly interested in her brief description, which wasn''t good. "Strange artifact. Never heard of one like it." Zoey shrugged. "Not sure how strong the effect''ll be, but it''s worth trying out." Astrid nodded. Thankfully, she didn''t try to Inspect the item. She would have needed to shoot the request down, which would have been awkward. For the same reason a wayfarer couldn''t inspect their enemy''s armor and weapon, Zoey, who ''owned'' the stabilizer, had control over who could read its description. "Disciple of a goddess," Astrid said with a shrug. "Would expect strange items from your team." She looked down at the inky ck portal. "We begin?" "Let''s," Rosalie agreed. After a brief coordination, and with Zoey still gripping the Stabilizer and activating it¡ªthe pink light glowing more brightly in response¡ªthey stepped in, descending into cold ckness. *** It was a miracle. All five party members came into existence together. Not separated magically by the shard, which was, to the general wayfaring popce, a rare urrence. Together. And awake. And wearing all their gear. Not stripped naked, or thrown into a lewdtex suit, or anything equally bizarre. And perfectly aware too, no gap in their consciousness. They''d jumped in, and then were just there, standing inside the stone-brick room in a party of five. Fully geared. No items missing from her inventory. No giant nt-monster grasping out to grope them. Not that thatst part had happened before, but, well, it wouldn''t have been out of character. They spun around, identifying their surroundings. Seeing nothing of threat, they turned, blinking, to look at each other. "Huh," Maddy said. "It worked." "What worked?" Astrid asked. To her, this was how most shards began. Zoey had described the Shard Stabilizer as something that simply made shards less discordant, which was true, in a sense, but Astrid had no idea that normally they appeared into shards with their tits hanging out and without a single piece of gear on them¡ªbesides maybe buttplugs and other lewd items that the shard had given its stamp of approval for. "A-Ah, nothing," Maddy said. "I just mean, uh, we''re all here in one piece. That''s good!" It wasn''t the best of recoveries, or much of a recovery at all, but Astrid gave her an odd look and moved past it. She nced at the staircase leading up. The room was empty besides it; a safe starting room, simply made of stone brick and not much else. There would be more fantastical sights up above. And danger. Real danger. Not that lewd shards didn''t have that, but this was a fourth advancement shard as a regr wayfarer knew it. The Shard Stabilizer had worked. They would be tested as any other group. How strange. And disappointing? But also exciting? In equal measure. A strange mix of emotions. Zoey liked the influenced shards; the experiences she''d had in them had been overall ¡­ fun. Not least because of how it threw her, Rosalie, Delta, and Maddy into all sorts of perverted situations. But she did also want to test her team against a regr shard. And she finally had the opportunity. 7.08 – Trial Run II 7.08 ¨C Trial Run II As expected, they found danger on the floor above. Like the previous room, the environment was well-kept stone brick, mostly in but with a few features: a number of empty bookshelves, lit torches affixed to the walls, and ss windows that peeked out into a starry night sky. Zoey''s interest was kindled by thatst part, since it suggested they were in some sort of building rather than underground, but she set it aside. Because, again, there was danger. A suit of armor. Green light emanated from the neck-hole where a helmet should have been. An animated golem of some sort? It was less intimidating than the monsters of the magma cavern, but she''d be an idiot to assume that physical presence indicated strength. This was a fourth-advancement shard. And one not affected by Ephy''s blessing, or whatever power Zoey herself had rued. They were a team of fourth-advancement wayfarers, and this was a fourth-advancement shard; any monster they found would roughly be a match for them. Well. In theory. Theirs was a team of prodigies. Dragging its sword up and leveling the giant de toward them, the suit of magically animated armor readied itself for a fight. Combat began. Zoey had a rtively straightforward role. Much of her utility came from her support abilities. Frankly, Bond, crity, Growth, and Share¡ªthe passive skills that came from her Rune of Bonding¡ªprovided the bulk of her value. Sharing stats and boosting a teammate''s advancement speed was no small thing, and it required no action on Zoey''s part. Afterglow too was active, but that had been handled before setting out. Itsted for a while. Even Bolster was as simple as willing the ability to take effect, and while she wouldn''t use it every fight¡ªit required Lust, which they wanted to ration, since refilling might be tricky with Astrid here¡ªshe used it now, since this was the firstbat, and they wanted to take the initial fight carefully, to understand what they were in for. And so Rosalie shot forward, Bolstered by Zoey''s ss, and with her own key skill¡ªLead the Charge¡ªgranting enormous power to the first strike ofbat. Dragon''s Tongue punched through the armor with contemptuous ease before the suit of armor could react, Rosalie''s lunge vicious and graceful. The blonde drew back to Astrid, seemingly in the same motion. The armor staggered backward, but the giant hole in its armor didn''t kill it outright; it had no heart to puncture. A fourth-advancement encounter wouldn''t be so trivial, even considering the strength of their abilities. So the dance began. Astrid rushed forward, shield bared. Rosalie followed to her side. Confusion Bolts streamed from Maddy''s staff. Delta and her shadow snuck from opposing nks, daggers held at the ready. All of which Zoey was aware of in a nominal sense, but couldn''t focus on with any precision. She had her own magic spells to wrangle with and aim. A suit of magical armor. Would such a creature be vulnerable to lightning? She wasn''t sure. But it was the element of magic she''d been training thesest several days and her newest Rune besides, so of course she wanted to try. Spells weren''t skills, so they didn''t have proper, defined names, but mages tended to give their trained abilities identifiers nheless: and this straightforward spell she called, reasonably, Lightning Bolt. Even as her teammates danced around the monster as it swung its enormous great sword, Zoey snuck in a bolt of white energy that shed bright, a zzzt filling the air before fading. It connected with the breastte of the animated monster, and the entire creature seized. She didn''t know if such a creature could feel pain, but at a minimum, it had created an opening. Her teammates tore into the monster. Spear, daggers, pointed dragon scale, and bolts of energy from Maddy that had no immediate discernible effect, but which provided further openings as it stumbled around in spell-created confusion. The creature died in short order. Yes, this was a fourth-advancement shard. But this was a regr monster, not a boss, and moreover, Zoey''s team was no ordinary fourth-advancement wayfaring team. Across the entire Fractures there might be a handful of squads of simr caliber. Few had a Guildmaster''s Heiresses or a Sovereign''s daughter or a n''s prodigious warrior. Much less a chosen of a goddess. So it died. With some fanfare. It wasn''t easy. But neither did any of them take a scratch. Astrid kept close and battered viciously into the creature with that giant red scale, not giving it a moment to pay attention to anyone else¡ªeven if she didn''t seem to be causing any serious damage to it herself. A defensive specialist. Breathing hard, Astrid and Rosalie made sure to pierce and bash the armor into pieces, even after the green light had flickered out. Always better safe than sorry in a career like wayfaring. "Mm," Astrid said. "Not impressed." Rosalie made a noise in the back of her throat, sounding like she agreed. Neither of the elite warriors in the group had found the fight interesting, apparently, and were, amusingly, disapproving because of that. Maddy snickered to her side, receiving a curious look from Rosalie. Zoey assumed the illusionist had thought the same thing. Astrid was breathing hard, her green eyes having darkened. Zoey knew by now that they did indeed turn red when the grip of her Bloodlust had fully consumed her, but Astrid''s was slow to grow and slow to fade. Something that required careful bncing on her part. Seeing her, and having just considered her ownbat abilities during the fight against the suit of armor, a thought struck Zoey. "Wait," Zoey said, preempting any post-fight discussions. "How does your Bloodlust work, Astrid?" Astrid tilted her head. There was an anger boiling underneath her skin which was reflected on her face, but which revealed itself not at all in her voice. Angry, but calm, in that strange contradiction she''d seen a number of times during training. "Exin." "Is it linked to your emotional state? Directly?" Zoey organized her thoughts. "I have a skill that can inme or mute sensations." It wasn''t one she''d told Astrid about, because she hadn''t exined many of her skills. It would be too easy to put the theme together, to hint at her ss''s purpose in a more general sense¡ªand frankly Influence wasn''t all that important of a skill. Except for the somewhat obvious synergy she''d missed. "I can inme your emotions," Zoey said. "Or calm them down, too. What would happen?" Rosalie''s lips tightened, telling Zoey she, at least, had wondered about the interaction. She hadn''t told Zoey not to bring it up, though, and the blonde watched with interest how Astrid would respond. Maybe it had been a passing thought she''d forgotten to talk with Zoey about. All four of them were busy, after all, and it hadn''t been two full days since meeting Astrid. It had slipped through the cracks. Maddy and Delta, at least, didn''t seem to have made the connection, seeming intrigued. Though why would they deeply consider how Zoey''s skills would interact with Astrid? They had their own business to worry over. And Influence, the skill, was one of Zoey''s least-used abilities. It cost Lust and took time to cast like any other, and mostly she preferred her more direct Elements, ice and lightning. Astrid looked curiously at her. "You can do that?" "I don''t use the skill much," Zoey admitted. "It''s second advancement, and takes focus¡ªhas to be a good reason to use it over an ice or lightning spell. So, you know. Not used much. But yes. How does the interaction work? Do you know? Could I wipe your anger away and you keep the bonus?" Astrid didn''t even hesitate. She was already shaking her head. "Notmon ability," she snorted. "But calming effect? Hardly unique. Much of Harkvalen n has Bloodlust. We would know if there was such an easy way to ¡­ cheat." "So it''s linked, directly," Zoey surmised. "Calming you down would break the stat boost. But still. I could work you up or calm you down as necessary? Since it''s a slow-build thing, that you normally raise throughbat?" Astrid nodded. "You should have mentioned earlier." She sounded reproachful, and Zoey blushed. It had been an obvious synergy, but to be fair, she''d had a High Priestess, a rogue with a shadow clone, and an enthusiastic alchemist teacher upying her thoughts ¡­ along with all of her practical training. Her life had been chaotic recently. She was afforded few moments to think about such things. Plus she would make no ims to being the world''s best wayfarer. "My bad," Zoey said. "But, uh¡ªhow should that work then? Do you want me to make you angry before each fight? Then clear it away at the end?" Astrid considered. "How easy is it?" "It''d take a second or two to cast,"¡ªit wasn''t all but instant like Bolster, it was a spell that required concentration¡ª"but either up or down, it''s simple. Not too expensive either. But not free." Astrid grunted. "Means rage will be easier to manage. Good. Yes." She waved a hand. "But not that important. Worth discussingter. I will ask, if needed? Be ready." Zoey nodded. Astrid would call out if she thought it necessary. She wouldn''t want the responsibility of deciding when to ramp up Astrid''s rage, anyway. The idea made her feel ¡­ weird. Influencing a person''s emotions felt strangely vitive to her, so she only did it when there was obvious consent, and even then not often. So yes, it was better if Astrid took control of that interaction, and Zoey simply cast the spell when asked. Though they''d talk more about itter, like whether she had permission to do so in an emergency situation. Astrid nudged the set of armor with a foot. It hadn''t reanimated, not that it could''ve, with so many holes and gashes. It had been cut into a number of pieces. The berserker girl nced to the next staircase. "Up?" she asked. "Up," Rosalie agreed. 7.09 – Trial Run III 7.09 ¨C Trial Run III Since there was little reason to not bring Astrid up to afortable level of rage¡ªor Bloodlust as the Harkvalen girl called it¡ªZoey cast the spell before they ascended the staircase to the next room. In small increments, she inmed the emotions of the shield-bearer. Astrid grunted "more" several times before an eventual "enough" cut her off. By then, she was well and fuming. At least, that was what the set of her jaw and the fiery look in her eyes suggested. She was shuddering with her anger, shoulders quaking and her knuckles white on the grip of her shield. That was the level of anger that this woman considered ''routine''? What was her emergency level? White-out rage where she couldn''t even think? Frankly, she already seemed to be there. Trembling in anger was a point Zoey had reached only a handful of times in her life. Delta tilted her head, tall fox ears twitching in interest as she studied the warrior. "What''s that like, anyway?" Red eyes turned to Delta. "rify," she said calmly. Though, unlike before, with an edge to her voice, not fully able to mask her emotional state. "You look ready to rip someone''s throat out." "I am." "So what''s that like? You can fight like that, and not¡ªyou know? Lose control?" "Control," Astrid repeated. She grinned, and it was all teeth. Zoey''s heart rate picked up. Not out of fear, but¡­ uh, well, a bit of fear, but also other emotions. "Control is a matter of perspective." "Huh," Delta said. She paused briefly. "You ever fuck someone like that?" "D-Delta!" Rosalie protested in shock, even as Astrid blinked. "Sorry, is that too personal?" Deltaughed. "It''s just where my head went. Everyone knows there''s nothing quite like a hate fuck, and," she waved up and down at Astrid, "that''s gotta be the closest you can get, artificially." Rosalie looked horrified Delta had asked such a crude question, especially with no lead-up, but Astrid surprised both of them when sheughed. "Is a good question," she mused. "But would be dangerous, no? Get distracted, lose your head, and ¡­" She let the obvious go unsaid. "But you have tried it?" Astrid smirked. She hefted her shield up and turned to the stairs. "Perhaps." Delta shared a grin with Zoey, wiggling her eyebrows, to which Zoey gave a roll of her eyes. Though, good to know. Delta had performed a useful bit of reconnaissance. Astrid''s response suggested she wasn''t too flustered to talk about such topics, though the euphemism she''d also said that she was hardly as free in attitude as, say, Delta. Rosalie still looked appalled at Delta''s question. Zoey knew it was because, where she might have grown slightly more liberal to the idea of sex, Astrid was one of her father''s allies¡ªa member of ''wayfaring society.'' So impropriety flustered her much more than when they were in private. Even if feeling out Astrid was the point of today''s mission. Astrid led them up the stairs. They ascended into a new room. This one was much more densely furnishedpared to the previous. It seemed to be a study of some kind, with many stocked bookshelves of multi-colored tomes. The stone brick wall was curved, and Zoey suspected they were in a tower of some sort. A wizard''s tower, forck of further context? That seemed like something a dungeon might take shape as. In the following fight against two more sets of armor¡ªthese ones with orange lights emanating from their neck-holes rather than green¡ªAstrid demonstrated how valuable her raised Bloodlust was. She was faster, stronger, and tougher, and not by a small amount. The only downside was that a certain wildness had crept into her actions. Yet, nheless, she did move with precise, practiced motions. Fully in control. Or ¡­ mostly. Zoey would have known just from watching that the woman''s rage had been kindled. The monsters died without fanfare, though Zoey would never call it routine, because she was fighting monsters. Something natives of this world might shrug their shoulders at, but Zoey was from Earth, and while her perspective and norms might have adjusted, she would always stay aware of how insane her new life was. Her theory of ''wizard''s tower'' was confirmed as they cleared room after room. The next encounter was a collection of elemental golems inside a workshop; the one after that was arge empty ritual chamber; and then some sort of storage room lined with shelves of ingredients. Interested in thatst one, Zoey shoveled potential reagents into her inventory. Sabina would appreciate her for it. Collecting items from shards could make decent money on its own. The only reason their team didn''t pick through shards more thoroughly was because Rosalie''s family was rich as sin, and Zoey had other, more effective means of money-making. No need to uproot the entire shard and go through theborious process of trying to sell every odd and end. Regardless, reagent-collection for artificers of various disciplines was lucrative. Sabina would be d Zoey was collecting them. Especially now that they were entering truly dangerous shards, of the fourth tier. Maybe she''d be appreciative enough to go easy on the next quiz? That idea briefly distracted her. The fights weren''t too difficult. Even Astrid seemed impressed by the ease they were clearing a fourth advancement shard with. She was especially eying Rosalie, and not in that way¡ªthough Zoey wouldn''t have med her¡ªbut because she was fighting with such speed and strength that she almost seemed fifth advancement rather than fourth. A prodigy boosted by a goddess-sponsored support was something to behold. As they progressed, Zoey asionally needed to calm Astrid down. That wouldn''t normally be a problem, but she''d ramped Astrid right to the edge of what she wasfortable with maintaining, which would normally take the course of a shard to achieve¡ªat least when acting in moderation, since Astrid could choose how deeply to give into her own emotions. Regardless, since Zoey had ''cheated'' her into a simmering rage, she subsequently needed to be calmed down with her spells, too. A small expenditure of mana, but well worth turning their front line member into a vicious bulwark right off the bat. Having cleared many rooms by now, Zoey realized the shard really was normal. She guessed that could still change, but by all ounts, the Shard Stabilizer seemed to have worked. Only the boss room might be affected. And maybe not even then? Hopefully not. They wanted to get to know Astrid with this trip, and not throw her into the deep end. A set of bustyva elementals trying to fuck Zoey was thest thing they needed. Though she might appreciate the encounter nheless, tragic as it would be to their mission. After an hour and a half of studious monster-clearing, they ran into their first loot room: a vault guarded by a thick metal door that was already ajar. After inspecting for traps, they peeked in and saw their first loot chests. Zoey was always excited for loot, because of course she was. For the first time, though, she ended up disappointed. All they received were¡­ normal items. A dagger, a pair of boots, and a decently potent healing potion. Zoey might have appreciated the mundane items if they''d been incredible, but they weren''t even that. Normal, with seemingly average effects. Much worse than they could expect to equip themselves via Rosalie''s family vault. Even not that great for what could be found on the market. Just average. And there was the grand w in locking down divine influence on a shard. Zoey had expected it, but still. No nymphomaniac slimegirls demanded to be fucked to death¡ªor at least into a catatonic state¡ªmeant no sex items of amazing strength-boosting power. "Well, that''s boring," Delta said, hands on her hips as she frowned at their haul. Astrid turned a quizzical look her way. "Decent, I would think? For first loot room." Delta paused, then shrugged. "Yeah, I guess," she said wryly. She met Zoey''s eyes, and Zoey could read her thoughts: just, my standards have changed. Average loot? Howme. Ah, well. Again, this shard was about Astrid. And to sate Zoey''s curiosity on what a normal pocket-world might be like. Certainly, she wasn''t bored. Lethal fights against other-worldly monsters were hardly uninteresting. Plus Zoey was getting a chance to stretch her metaphorical magical muscles in real fights, rather than against sparring partners. Finally, the time arrived. Even going easy on her spellcasting, and rationing her abilities, Zoey''s Lust ran out quickly, the biggest downside to her alternative-style mana pool. So it was time to recharge. And how were they going to manage that, with Astrid here? 7.10 – Trial Run IV 7.10 ¨C Trial Run IV The n was simple. After all, they had not just artifacts that broke spatial continuity, though only in the context of genitalia¡ªand whew, wasn''t that a sentence?¡ªbut also an extremely skilled illusionist on standby. So recharging without Astrid noticing? More than doable. If still tricky. All teams needed short breaks to regather energy and drink water, maybe have a snack, and so it was on that typical lull in the adventure that Zoey was expected to recharge. They used their most recent room to do so. The positioning they ended up in wasn''t ideal: Zoey, Maddy, and Delta took a seat on the brick outcropping of arge firece. Rosalie and Astrid chose to stay standing, facing the other three, not sitting because they wanted to ''keep their blood flowing.'' They were cut from a different cloth than Maddy and Zoey. Magic could be physically tiring in an indirect way, and the two mages weren''t in nearly equivalent condition to the warriors, so sitting was¡ªwell, nice, to recover. Delta probably would''ve stayed standing too, but she''d sat on the other side of Maddy with a knowing grin, wanting to cozy up with her because she knew what wasing. Maddy had been chosen as the ''keeper of the cock,'' as Delta had once whimsically titled the owner of the linking te. As the illusionist of the group, she was best suited to discreetly pleasuring Zoey without the rest of the group knowing. And ideally speaking, even Rosalie and Delta wouldn''t know which ''rest-stops'' Zoey and Maddy used. The two of them met each other''s eyes, and Zoey inclined her head in acknowledgment. I need a recharge, the look said. Maddy understood, because her cheeks dusted pink. Astrid was a warrior, and of simr advancement to Maddy. It wasn''t impossible for non-magic sses to be able to sense magic, or even see through illusions if they were skilled enough, but since Maddy was on equal footing with Astrid and she was an incredibly talented spellcaster, she was capable of fooling the berserker. Which wasn''t something they were taking on faith. Subtle experiments had definitively proved the fact. Astrid had yet to notice any of Maddy''s illusions, something the blue-haired girl had been probing to various extents. Even Rosalie couldn''t see through Maddy''s illusions, though if she knew to look for one and focused, she could sense that there was energy in the air that shouldn''t be there. But so long as Astrid didn''t have a good reason to look, she wouldn''t know. And certainly wouldn''t be able to see through it. Thankfully, Rosalie and Astrid were speaking with each other, buying Maddy a moment toy the foundations of her illusion. Zoey didn''t see what the spell did, but likely Maddy had conjured an image of them behaving normally. The problem with this encounter was that Maddy couldn''t adjust their faces in real-time. She could hide their bodies and hands, but not their faces. Because if one of them needed to talk to Astrid, Maddy couldn''t conjure an illusion of Zoey''s lips in real-time to match what Zoey was saying. So. They had to keep control of their expressions. Not necessarily an easy task with what they would be doing. Zoey sensed the illusion settle over them as Maddypleted her magical working. Another smaller, much subtler spell pinged, and Maddy leaned over to ask in a whisper, "Just to rify, we are doing it, right?" Zoey knew without being told Maddy had masked the words. The skilled illusionist could speak privately whenever she wanted, using a sound-barrier. Such a useful skillset for exhibitionism, Zoey mused. Which was no coincidence, because she''d learned a while ago Maddy quite enjoyed public exposure. This encounter might be more exciting to her than even Zoey. "Yeah," Zoey said, leaning back and catching snippets of Rosalie and Astrid''s conversation. They were talking about previous fights, and how they''d engaged together. Theirs was the most intertwined dynamic within the team, with Rosalie even having a skill dedicated to their synergy. "I''m near empty, so be thorough." "Like, um, what? Do you have something nned?" Zoey turned a smirk toward her. "You pick. Whatever you can get away with." She waggled her eyebrows. "We only have a few minutes, though, so be fast." "Hey," Delta murmured into Maddy''s ear, so quiet even Zoey barely heard. "Cut me in. Lemme see and hear." The n had only been for Zoey and Maddy to interact, with everyone else being subjected to Maddy''s illusions, but of course Delta had decided to upend that n. Not that it was a problem. If Delta joined in, even as a spectator, that meant more Lust. Probably. The details behind how Lust recharged was opaque. There seemed to be a trend toward more partners, more lewdness meaning a bigger recharge. But they hadn''t researched the mechanic, only made general observations. Zoey felt the spell tweak, shimmering slightly to her sixth sense. "I''ll pat your thigh when I want a sound barrier, so I can speak privately," Delta murmured into Maddy''s ear. "Sound good?" Maddy nodded, her cheeks already coloring, which wasn''t a great omen. Since again, their faces were the only thing they had to control, because it would be tooplex to manage an ovey when speaking to Astrid, should the berserker address them. Their expressions would show. Thankfully, Rosalie was doing her part and keeping Astrid''s attention. It wasn''t even forced. The twobat-addicts were more than happy to chatter about how the fights had gone, and how to improve. Maddy finally pulled the linking te from her inventory¡ªand so, she was suddenly holding the sizable mass of Zoey''s fourteen-inches. She hadn''t gone fully hard yet, so it drooped over the edge of the metal. Maddy''s wide eyes¡ªand Delta''s¡ªwere locked to the linking te. Unable to help themselves, they both nced toward Rosalie and Astrid, tense in posture despite how they should be safe. But no, though Maddy held Zoey''s cock in front of her, neither Astrid nor Rosalie noticed. Rosalie''s eyes were flicking to the three of them, though. She hadn''t been ''cut in'' on Maddy''s illusion, so she had no idea that they were doing anything. All she saw was an image of them sitting there¡ªand maybe Maddy trying too hard to keep a straight face. Rosalie likely suspected, based on that alone. Holding the metal te in one hand, Maddy reached out and poked. Her finger sank into the soft skin of Zoey''s cock, and Zoey''s heart jumped. She forced her muscles to rx, to affect a casual pose and expression. Astrid seemed absorbed with her talk, but she could look over whenever. Thest thing their team needed was Astrid discovering they were pleasuring each other under the veil of an illusion. That would be awkward. Maddy''s finger slid down, tracing the length of Zoey''s half-hard cock. It jumped at her touch, and Maddy sucked in a breath at the reaction. Blood swelled into Zoey''s dick, fattening up with each passing second. Maddy secured a hand around the base and gave it a squeeze. Zoey breathed out as her length hardened, and she watched along with Maddy and Delta as the flesh engorged and stiffened to an erection. To its full, glorious fourteen inches, which, held in Maddy''s palm around stomach level, was a sight to behold. It jutted up from the petite girl''sp, and both Delta and Maddy''s eyes traced its length before moving to Zoey''s face. Delta grinned. Maddy looked her usual mix of nervous and excited. She was biting her lip. "She said go fast," Delta murmured. "Stop poking and prodding at it, you virgin. Do something." Maddy squeaked in protest at that, but the sound barrier of her illusion swallowed the noise. Rather than stammering out a reply, she hesitated, then nodded. "Right," she whispered. "Then ¡­ how about this?" Normally, Zoey thought magically disappearing her clothes by sucking them into her inventory was kind of boring¡ªseeing her partner disrobe was half the fun. In that moment, though, seeing Maddy just be naked in the blink of an eye as she pulled her bra, underwear, and mage''s robes out of existence ¡­ revised her opinion. There was something erotic about going from fully clothed to stark naked in a snap of her fingers. Especially when that girl then set Zoey''s cock between her thighs and squeezed, pressing the heavy mass against her stomach¡ªand between her tits, with how short she was. "Gotta ¡­ gotta work into it a bit, though," Maddy murmured, running two hands up and down Zoey''s cock. "Going straight into things is a little boring, no?" She let out a shuddering breath and addressed the cock between her legs more than Zoey herself. "But don''t worry. I''ll take great care of you." 7.11 – ? Trial Run V 7.11 ¨C ? Trial Run V "I should''ve known that the armor with the blue fire would have an affinity toward ice magic," Rosalie mused to Astrid. "If I paid closer attention, I could''ve noticed that its aura was radiating cold. Hm. And the monsters here are cleverer than I thought. They''ve been seeing straight through most of my feints. Predictive skills? Maybe just errors on my part. This is my first fourth advancement shard. Do you have any input on what I could improve?" Astrid grunted. "You aim for the chest too much. Against animated monsters, better to take out limbs. Spear through heart might do nothing, but cutting off limbs? Less dangerous for rest of fight. Guaranteed value." Rosalie considered that, then inclined her head. "Perhaps. Even constructs tend to take more damage when struck in traditionally vital areas, though. But I see your point." Casual wayfaring analysis. It was a hell of a backdrop for this. Zoey sat there and pretended to politely listen to Rosalie and Astrid''s conversation even as the illusionist to her side¡ªclose enough their shoulders were pressed together¡ªgyrated her body around her cock. Hunched over and rubbing eagerly, the small woman was more than able to give her a thigh job and tit job at the same time. For all Zoey could appreciate a curvy figure like Delta''s, there was something to be said for a short and petite girl''s figure. "I must say, your shield has surprising striking potential," Rosalie said. "I''ve seen swords fail to cut through opponents so easily. It''s certainly no mundane piece of metal. A dragon scale? May I inquire how your n earned it?" Rosalie hadpsed into her proper-and-prim speech. Zoey personally found the regal, refined words adorable and would have fixated on it more if not for the way a tongue was wiggling against the tip of her cock and iming the pre-cum there, making Zoey''s toes curl in pleasure. Rosalie and Astrid were oblivious to the way the illusionist sat, stark naked, on the firece''s brick outcropping, her bare skin hugging Zoey''s sizable weapon as she stroked with her whole body to pleasure her. Or at least Astrid was oblivious. Rosalie only partly, since she had to suspect what they were using this break for, even if the illusion hid the details. Delta patted Maddy''s thigh, indicating she wanted to speak under a sound barrier, and Zoey felt the flicker of magic as Maddy called it up. "Stop being a tease. If you don''t stick that thing inside you, I''ll do it for you." "It''s¡ªit''s called forey," Maddy protested. "We have a few minutes tops." She leaned closer to Maddy. "Skip the forey." A grin curled onto her lips. "And do something fun. Something new? It''ll give more Lust, probably. Bet you haven''t had it in your ass yet, have you? Do that. I wanna watch." Zoey already knew Delta could swap between dominant and submissive, but it still sent a shudder through her to see her order around Maddy so casually yet firmly. Even Zoey felt a little thrill, hearing the murmuredmande from Delta''s lips. She wouldn''t mind if Delta used that voice on her, more often. Pinning down the foxgirl and making her whine was wonderful, but¡ªvariety was the spice of life, wasn''t it? And she guessed Delta''s dominant mood was to be expected, when Maddy was their target. Like with Rosalie. Bottoms like those two girls demanded it. If there was an ounce of dominance in a person''s soul, seeing a girl like Maddy would draw it out. "My ass?" Maddy asked, gray eyes wide. "Now? But ¡­" "That''s an order, cutie. Not a request." A little shiver of pleasure went through Maddy as she closed her eyes. She set the linking te down on the brick and stood. Astrid and Rosalie didn''t nce over. She really was an exceptional illusionist, to be able to fool her peers so easily. Delta met Zoey''s eyes, smirking as she did. ''Look what I did for you. Pay me back, sometime?'' the look said. Zoey inclined her head in acknowledgment¡ªthen, to help out, poured some lubricant out and rubbed it in. Maddy hesitated, biting her lip again as she poised herself over Zoey''s cock, reaching behind her to grip the shaft. A hand guided the tip into position. Zoey felt the shudder of pleasure as Maddy''s backdoor brushed against her. Her toes curled in anticipation. There was one more moment of hesitation, and then¡ªZoey had to fight the groan, not knowing if it would be muffled by Maddy''s illusion. Maddy began to lower herself. The tight hole resisted, and Zoey stifled a noise as her cockhead struggled to push in, Maddy stretching and stretching. Maddy bit her lip, holding down her own groan at the back of her throat as she lowered herself, trying to force herself onto the very sizable¡ª And then she slid in. Zoey whined in bliss, unable to stop herself, but thankfully Maddy had had the foresight to throw up a sound barrier. Probably, she''d leave it on by default from here on out, unless Zoey had to talk to Astrid. "Oh w-wow. That''s¡ª so big!" Maddy gasped. "So much tighter than, than the other way!" Despite her gasp of surprise, Maddy kept lowering herself. Bit by bit, taking Zoey into her, her stomach starting to bulge as she got deeper in. Until Maddy settled down onto the brick fully, sitting with her back arched and her eyes wide, the entire length buried inside her. She squirmed in ce, adjusting to the intruder. Zoey couldn''t believe how amazing it felt. The squeezing heat around her cock was almost too much to bear. And almost more than that, the image of Maddy''s stomach protruding. That was her cock, there, making the soft skin of Maddy''s stomach push outward, giving the illusionist''s normally t stomach a nice roundness. Delta reached out and stroked the bulge. "Look at you," she murmured. "Nice and pregnant with my girlfriend''s cock. Now that''s something." She shuddered. "Well, go ahead. Fuck yourself. What''re you waiting for?" Maddy spared a wide-eyed look, but her body obeyed without hesitation. She lifted up, and the bulge disappeared¡ªonly to reappear as she pushed herself back down. Up and down. Up and down. Slowly at first, letting herself get used to the immense size spreading her, but picking up pace, a flush filling her cheeks as she bounced on and off Zoey''s cock faster and faster. Ahead, Astrid and Rosalie chatted, upied with each other. Except ¡­ Wait. No. They were both looking at Maddy. Something their sub-party of three all recognized at once. Maddy froze with a sudden p downward, ass on brick, an imprint of Zoey''s cock visible through her stomach. Her eyes widened in shock. "S-Sorry, what was the question?" Maddy asked. "Did you ask me something? I drifted off." Impressively, Maddy managed to not sound like she had fourteen inches of cock up her ass. Zoey wasn''t sure what it looked like from Astrid''s perspective. The berserker''s brow was only slightly furrowed, suggesting nothing was too odd. But she sensed something, based on her expression. "You have an environment-based skill," Astrid said, repeating herself. "Your fourth advancement one, no?" "O-Oh. Yes. I do?" Zoey tried to imagine what this was like for Maddy. Sitting there with a cock crammed into her, one big enough that her stomach was bulging slightly outward. Trying to have a practical tactics-based conversation with her teammate. Delta was visibly trying to keep a straight face, too, but for a different reason. Amusement. Zoey knew her well enough that she was seconds from bursting intoughter. She guessed it was somewhat funny ¡­ if also mortifying. They couldn''t be found out, for a number of reasons. "Is it a long cooldown?" Astrid asked, a hint of impatience creeping in. Zoey didn''t me her. The woman''s eyes were still red, deeply in the hold of her fundamental skill¡ªher bloodlust. It was reasonable other emotions would leak in easier, even if she was trying to keep control of herself. Even the mildest of annoyances would be amplified when nearly frothing in rage¡ªwhich she was, however much Astrid managed to not seem that way. "Or else, why haven''t you used yet?" "Oh! Um! J-Just, there''s been no reason to?" Maddy said. "Illusionary terrain, even if you all can see through it,plicates the battlefield. And the fights have been straightforward. Don''t fix what doesn''t need fixing? Maybe if we were in a higher advancement shard, or at the boss. But I''ve seen no reason to, yet?" Astrid considered this, then nodded. "Fair. This shard too easy. Hasn''t been pushing us. No clever tactics needed." Rosalie, more than Astrid, noticed the slight tremor in Maddy''s voice, since she had known to expect it¡ªand knew what it meant. For the first time, Rosalie herself tripped over her words as she tried to uphold her half of the n: keeping Astrid''s attention as Zoey and Maddy went about their ''business''. "A-And you''ve been finding your bloodlust easy enough to handle?" she asked Astrid, clumsily trying to draw her attention back. It was a somewhat awkward transition, twice as noticeable because Rosalie had stuttered, something the well-bred royal essentially never did except in matters of¡ªimpropriety. A link Astrid didn''t know to make, since obviously she barely knew Rosalie. Again, the berserker paused, sensing that something was off. Maybe Rosalie had been a poor choice to distract Astrid, even if she was the best suited to natural conversation with her. Delta might have been better by sheer dint of being able to ignore a lewd situation, even if it was an invisible one. Astrid replied to Rosalie, but Zoey was too distracted to pay attention to what she said, since Maddy had risen back up and plopped down with a satisfying smack of her ass onto bricks¡ªand an even more delightful squeeze of her tight hole around her cock. Even morepromising to their cause, Delta''s hand snaked around to start rubbing between the illusionist''s legs, helping her along. As Maddy bounced away, Delta also became more engaged. Two fingers sank into the girl to draw out a gasp of pleasure, fingering her while the girl used her ass to pleasure Zoey. Astrid''s red eyes wandered over to meet Zoey''s, and they narrowed the slightest amount. Yes, she was definitely suspicious¡ªbut not too much so, because she nced away quickly, resuming her talk with Rosalie. Zoey wondered whether they would make it through this encounter. Certainly, the blue-haired girl bouncing up and down, stomach distending outward as her ass was well and thoroughly filled, had no intention of slowing for the sake ofposure. Zoey tried to keep an innocent and neutral expression, but she wondered whether it would be enough. At least Rosalie kept chattering, and the conversation demanded Astrid''s focus to be elsewhere. "Alright, fuck it," Delta announced abruptly. "Gimme that thing." A familiar harness appeared in her hands, a collection of ck leather straps that would mount the linking te. "I''m taking this into my own hands." Maddy froze at the top of her next bounce¡ªthen, again obeying without hesitation, slid herself off and handed the linking te over to Delta. 7.12 – Trial Run VI 7.12 ¨C Trial Run VI There were surely limits to what they could get away with. Maddy had projected an illusion onto Astrid and Rosalie that suggested the rest of the team was sitting there and listening to their discussion, yes. But the most fundamental issue was that of speech¡ªthat Maddy couldn''t fabricate the movement of their lips. Thus, they needed to keep control of their expressions. Perhaps against a mundane or even weaker wayfarer, she could have used her illusory might to gloss over even the most outrageous of situations¡ªlike she had at the restaurant with Zoey. But against Astrid? A fourth advancement wayfarer? Again, there were limits to Maddy''s capabilities. Minor ones, but some nheless. And the foxgirl strapping on Zoey''s cock to undoubtedly begin to plow the illusionist with her full might? That might ¡­ stretch those limits. "As long as we keep our faces straight, we''ll be fine," Maddy panted. Delta situated behind her, knees on the brick of the firece''s outcropping. "Just, no lewd faces. I can even take care of the blushing. But not our expressions while we''re talking to Astrid. Hard to fake speech. That''s the one thing we need to keep control of." She was clearly reiterating the terms of the engagement more to herself than Zoey or Delta. Zoey, for her part, was handling things best out of all of them. Sort of. Leaning back and barely keeping her face straight, she didn''t have much of a part to y. Besides how it was her cock about to plunge into Maddy. And that her girlfriend had strapped it onto her, about to rail into the illusionist. But actively speaking, she didn''t have much of a role. She just had to sit there and not make any lewd faces. Like Maddy had reminded them. And Zoey was reminding herself, again. Because, ah. It wasn''t going to be easy. If there was one shining beacon of hope in this situation, it was Rosalie''s fetish for wayfaring. Despite the circumstances, she was chattering on about strategy, the monsters they''d encountered, skill usage, and so on, thoroughly holding Astrid''s attention by sheer dint of never letting the conversation dwindle. "It might be worthwhile to move together," she was saying. "I feel my Phnx skill weakening whenever I separate to nk. But perhaps if you lunge forward at the same time, the benefit will persist by proximity? We can coordinate our attacks better." "Possible. Sometimes, can be worthwhile to ignore skill for tactical benefit." Astrid nodded in acknowledgment of the obvious counter-argument. "Sometimes. Worth trying your suggestion." Zoey, of course, was barely paying attention. Because to her side, her girlfriend was poised behind Maddy, who was on all fours, bracing as Zoey''s cock was lined up to her entrance. The only other time Zoey had fucked Maddy¡ªwith pration¡ªit had been with two rubbery bodysuits in the way. Thin as they had been, there''d still been some sensation-removal. This time, it would be Zoey''s bare cock prating Maddy''s exposed pussy. Not that condoms made sex not sex, but ¡­ it was at least slightly more intimate without anything in the way. And it would be with Delta manning the guns. Zoey didn''t have an ounce of autonomy in this situation. It would be her girlfriend choosing what pace they set. And even whether she finished inside their shared partner. Delta sighed softly as she gripped her cock¡ªZoey''s cock?¡ªand pressed into Maddy''s waiting hole. Soft lips parted as she leaned her hips forward, though only enough to split Maddy halfway. Just starting to start to spread wide. Maddy sucked a breath in at the imminent pration. "This is definitely my favorite piece of loot," Delta murmured, gripping Maddy''s waist tightly and admiring the girl from behind. "Have I said that already?" Delta herself could partially feel through Zoey''s cock, thanks to the linking te. So they were sharing the small blue-haired girl, directly as much as indirectly. "Here we go, then. Time to recharge." Without further preamble, Delta sheathed herself. Not gently. A hard jerk forward plunged the entirety of Zoey''s fourteen inches into Maddy. The petite illusionist arched her back with a cry of surprise. A loud impact of flesh on flesh echoed as her ass pped against Delta''s hips, and that was just the first thrust. Delta didn''t stop, withdrawing nearly all the way and mming back in, making Maddy copse forward as she adjusted to the onught, her cheek smooshing against brick as her eyes rolled up. So much for keeping their expressions under control. "Have to... look normal..." Maddy moaned. "Go easy! You''re gonna ... get us caught!" Delta smirked, obviously pleased she''d forced the request out of her. But she did what she was asked. The foxgirl''s rutting became slightly less hectic, though the girl still pulled out her entire length before mming back inside repeatedly. Gentler¡ªbut not going ''easy.'' Maddy climbed back onto all fours, shakily, and wrestled her face into a neutral expression. Or something close to one. The best she could manage. "It''s crazy that neither of them can tell," Delta said, purple eyes drifting up to the two unaware parties. A loud p echoed through the air as she pped Maddy''s ass, drawing a gasp of surprise. "We''re fucking right in front of them, and they have no idea. Gods Above, I love illusionists." "And I love your cock," Maddy moaned, head dipping down as if she could barely keep it up. "It''s so big. I can feel it in my stomach." Delta raised an eyebrow, then shared a delighted grin with Zoey. "Oh yeah?" Delta purred, punctuating her next thrust with a squeeze of the girl''s ass. "You love my girlfriend''s cock that much? Her big, fat monster dick? You love getting fucked right in front of your friends? Bet you want us to get caught, you gross pervert." Delta''s pace picked up again, back to that frantic rutting she''d started with. "Better not make too lewd of a face, or they''ll catch on." She reached forward and yanked Maddy''s hair back, pulling her body into an arch as the foxgirl took her from behind. "Wouldn''t want topromise our team, right? Just because you can''t keep your mouth shut when my girlfriend''s cock is stirring up your insides?" Maddy tried to respond, but was incapable. Mouth hanging open and her eyes rolled up in her head, her moans became more frantic as Delta shoved Zoey''s cock into her harder and harder. Despite her own raging arousal, Zoey grew increasingly worried for their stealth mission. If Astrid looked over right now ... As much as she didn''t want to be the responsible one, Zoey leaned over and flicked Delta''s thigh. Delta shared a nce with her, then rolled her eyes and slowed down. "Fine. I think it''d be kinda hot if we gave ourselves away, though." The thrusting continued but at a more sedate pace. Still enough to send Maddy''s small tits jiggling back and forth, and her ass rippling, but after a few seconds, Maddyposed herself. And it was a good thing she did, because Astrid nced in their direction, and all three of them froze. But despite Maddy being fully naked, and Delta from her lower half down, and currently sheathed inside the illusionist, Astrid''s eyes didn''t flicker in surprise. Like usual, she saw nothing. There was a slight hint of confusion though, her lips tugging down. She sniffed. "Does anyone smell that?" "Smell what?" Delta asked easily, tilting her head. Strangely, the berserker met her gaze and didn''t seem to think anything of how she needed to look above and behind Maddy to do so¡ªtheir positioning having changed as Delta took Maddy doggy-style. Illusion shenanigans. Zoey was impressed Delta could speak so evenly, and lie without a second''s hesitation. She wasn''t even sure if she herself could have answered so smoothly, and Delta was the one actively railing Maddy from behind. As in¡ªactively. Right now. Even before Astrid had looked away, she''d started moving again. Picking up speed, light ps of flesh filled the air, which Maddy presumably filtered out separately from their voices. "I don''t either," Zoey said. "Or I," Rosalie added. "What are you talking about?" Maddy, perhaps wisely, stayed silent, doubting she could keep a steady voice while Delta was thrusting into her. And not wanting to draw attention to herself, since her face was¡ªah, only halfposed. Zoey again subtly flicked Delta''s thigh, but this time the foxgirl didn''t slow down. Such a troublesome girl. Fucking even while Astrid''s attention was on them. "Hm," Astrid said. "Never mind, then." Delta patted Maddy, signaling she wanted to speak privately¡ªfor her next words to only be for them. Maddy tweaked the ongoing illusion to allow it. "She can smell us fucking," Delta said. "Does your illusion not ount for that?" "The olfactory part is hardest. It''s not like illusionists have to practice smells a lot! It''s rare a monster smells better than it sees. Not super rare¡ªbut I''m better with visuals." Delta shrugged. "Either way. Should probably hurry up and finish, then get out of here, before she gets too suspicious. Blondie''s starting to blow our cover, too." Indeed, a blush was growing on Rosalie''s cheeks. Maddy saw it, her eyes widening, and she quickly tweaked Rosalie with an illusion herself¡ªbut while she could adjust skin color, she couldn''t fix the flustered tone to the princess''s voice, nor the way her usuallyposed speech was starting to falter. Rosalie must have also noticed the smell in the air, and almost being caught by Astrid had broken her control. "Time to finish up, then," Delta grunted. She pulled out of Maddy and grabbed the smaller girl''s waist, manhandling her as she threw her onto Zoey''sp, surprising both of them. Delta climbed overtop her, missionary-style, sliding her cock in with one hand¡ªthen immediately starting to pummel into her. "We''re close," she murmured to Maddy as she rutted into the girl, loud ps filling the air. "Time to give in, cutie. Ready to be filled up by my girlfriend''s cock?" Those words had almost as much an effect on Zoey as the intended target. It was a hell of a situation to be in, watching her girlfriend fuck another woman right on top of herp¡ªwith her own cock no less. Leaning back on her hands, Zoey''s body shook as the two women thrust into each other, Maddy''s own hips starting to buck up to meet Delta''s. "Let''s hope Zoey remembered to take one of those potions," Delta grunted. "Because there''s no fucking way I''m pulling out." Her fox tail started wagging frantically as her climax rushed up to her. And her climax was Zoey''s too, since they were supernaturally sharing a cock. Her eyes flicked to Astrid and Rosalie, but thank the heavens, the distraction was holding. Maddy gave permission in the most obvious of ways: her feet tied behind the small of Delta''s back and yanked forward, forcing the foxgirl as deep in as possible. The two moaned as they ran up against that cliff together, and Delta leaned down to kiss the smaller girl and stifle their noises. Zoey''s own back arched as she felt Maddy convulse around her, as she felt and saw the two girls reaching climax, and with a wave of sensation that washed over her, she¡ªalong with Delta¡ªbegan emptying themselves into their shared partner. Eyes zed and staring at the ceiling, Zoey experienced that mind-erasing ecstasy as she came into Maddy in long, clenching spurts. Watching her girlfriend''s ass lift up and down in front of her, milking both of them out. For a brief moment, all three of them werepromised, unable to pay even slight attention to Astrid and Rosalie¡ªtoo busy filling up an illusionist''s womb. When the bliss faded, Zoey was immensely relieved to find that, by the grace of fate, Astrid wasn''t facing them and waiting for a reply. Still chatting with Rosalie. Spared, for once. Only by force of will didn''t she copse. With a moan, Delta extracted herself from between Maddy''s legs, and cum poured out from the illusionist''s pussy. Zoey admired the way it flowed, thick, white globs sttering onto the brick of the firece. The sight made her shiver. Delta also spared a second to admire the sight, but then shook her head. "Right," Delta said. "Time to get moving, before Astrid sniffs us out." She straightened out, undoing the straps of the harness. "Good recharge sesh, girls. But I call next go." She disappeared the linking te and harness, addressing Maddy. "Use the cleaning lube, maybe? It gets rid of cum, right? Or just wipe it up. But chop chop. We''re on a timer. She''s already onto us." 7.13 – Conclusions 7.13 ¨C Conclusions They hadn''t escaped without suspicion. Zoey could tell that much. But neither had they been found out. Astrid had clearly caught on that something had been strange about that whole encounter, if not by how little they''d contributed to the conversation then by the smell she''dmented on. Had she made the jump to, my teammates are fucking right in front of me using illusions? Probably not. The oundishness of the reality provided its own sort of obfuscation. Maybe a suspicious and logical mind could have drawn the right conclusion, but Zoey was nearly certain Astrid hadn''t. Mostly because Astrid was busy focusing on other things. When they''d stood and suggested they keep progressing through the shard, the berserker had been happy to lead them forward without a moment''s pause. She was itching for a fight, half from her rage and half from the wayfaring fetish that gave even Rosalie''s a run for its money. So maybe Astrid had noticed something odd about their rest break, but she had monsters to kill and loot to find. Especially in the emotionally influenced state she was in, she simply didn''t care enough to mull over the pieces of evidence. The trial run carried on. More fights. More loot. A few traps, identified and disarmed. Their fourth shard went swimmingly. No nt monster erupted from the floor to grope and milk them. No slime girl oozed out of the walls to challenge their sexual stamina. Just¡ªa normal shard. The only link to Zoey''s ss came from her inherent need to recharge. Which, uh. Did pose problems as the hours flew by, admittedly. But despite Delta''s sometimes over-enthusiastic behavior, there were no massive breaches of discretion. Astrid never noticed. Zoey thought. Eventually, their ascent up the stone tower came to a conclusion, ending in a long staircase that opened into thergest room yet¡ªa floor that epassed the entire circumference of the massive tower they''d been climbing. Herst concern was put to rest. The boss wasn''t lewd either. Fully charging the Shard Stabilizer had¡ªperhaps reasonably¡ªfully stabilized the shard. Even the boss wasn''t influenced by Ephy''s aspect. It tried to kill them and nothing else. It was a skeleton-mage, a Lich, and presumably the grand owner of the tower. Dressed in dark robes and wielding a long ivory staff, it was far and away the most intense fight Zoey had been through. As expected from the next tier of shard, and one that didn''te with a lewdponent to dampen the other, traditional aspects. But they were over-prepared and well qualified as a group. And since they were at the end of the run, Zoey got to use Burst to its full capacity, evaporating her Lust reserves to massively empower every ability she used. She even snuck in a few devastating lightning-bolts to her massive satisfaction. Even Astrid gave her an appraising look after seeing a divinity-imbued piece of lightning magic. It blew the Lich across the room with such a bright light and explosive noise that everyone froze for a moment. It was a fight that pressed them, but not overmuch. The monster died shortly. Even the loot from the boss wasn''t especially interesting. Because again, she''d walked through the d''Celestin''s personal vaults. A routine fourth-advancement shard wasn''t going to produce anything that would blow her mind. It gave her a new appreciation for the sticky adventures that came with Ephy''s influence. She was spoiled, in a word. She hoped this was theirst ''normal'' shard, as necessary as it had been to get a feel for Astrid. Which she had. Mostly. Along with their practice sessions back at Mantle, the many-hour expedition through the shard had included plenty of breaks, and even if Astrid had been inmed for a good portion of it, that was fundamental to her ss and personality. She''d seen a good range of their fifth member, and they''d also demonstrated that they werepetent teammates in a practical sense. Now there was just the issue of making the jump of trust. Nevertheless, Zoey had stated her stance to her team. She would finish a run with Astrid as an ice-breaker before telling her the truth, but she firmly didn''t believe in keeping her in the dark for long if they wanted a genuine foundation to build on. So, once they got back to Mantle and rested, it would be time. *** Astrid was impressed. This wasn''t her first fourth advancement shard, so she had a benchmark on how difficult they ought to be. And this shard had been shockingly easy. Not because the enemies themselves had been weaker than normal. It had been around average difficulty for fourth advancement, viewed objectively. But because of her team. She''d known they were skilled, and that they had unusually powerful abilities. But witnessing that in training and seeing the team tear through a fourth advancement shard as if it were a full tier lower was another matter altogether. What kind of monstrously talented wayfaring group had shended in? By pure chance too. A week ago she''d only known the d''Celestins in an abstract manner. The far-off reigning family of a Highguild. She''d known her father knew Enzo, yes. That they had some sort of rtionship from decades ago. But it hade as far more of a surprise when she found out that Enzo knew her, even if just by name. In her n, she stood head and shoulders over her peers. The Harkvalen n only had a few thousand individuals spread out over a handful of settlements, and while the average Harkvalen was significantly more prepared than the softer folk she''d run into outside of her homend, a total poption of a few thousand was a small pool to select from. So while she knew she was a prodigypared to those she''d grown up with, she hadn''t thought she was good enough to draw Enzo''s attention. That he had thought her a suitable teammate for his heiress was ¡­ ttering. And made her nervous. A feeling that had grown throughout the shard. Astrid had been on a number of teams, mostly with other Harkvalen, but there''d also been a few promising parties she''d joined simply for the experience. And never had shepleted a shard this wlessly. Was this what it was like havingpetent teammates? Or even¡ªteammates better than her? Well. That feeling extended only to the Lady d''Celestin. Rosalie was the only person to make her feel true insecurity when it came to herbat abilities. Yes, Astrid''s father and Enzo and a handful of others were so far beyond her that she sometimes wondered how she would catch up, even ounting for raising in advancement, but Rosalie¡ªRosalie was supposed to be a peer. She was the same rank as her. And newer to the Fractures. And yet ¡­ Madeline and Delta fell in a different bracket. Talented colleagues, but nothing Astrid hadn''t seen before. She would say they were slightly better than her previous teammates, which was impressive in its own right; her previous teammates had been the best she could find. But they were nothing like Rosalie. Then again, Deltacked formal training¡ªthat intrigued Astrid. In a strange sense, it put Madeline behind Delta in Astrid''s mental appraisal. For all that the spellcaster was definitely the better of the two, Madeline had been given all the opportunities and training that would be expected of a daughter of a Sovereign. Delta had wed her way up by sheer talent. Then there was the enigma. Zoey. The odd one out. The nonbatant. Astrid knew how to recognize those, for all she''d spent her life in the Fractures and never ascended to Haven where it was normal to live semi-peaceful lives. Generally, even city folk in the Fractures knew basicbat skills. It was a dangerous realm to live in. But yes, a nonbatant. Zoey had admitted to as much herself. Her training had started astonishinglyte. Astrid would''ve been able to tell regardless. The girl still wrinkled her nose when fights got messy¡ªwhen blood and gore started spraying everywhere. She clearly wasn''t used to it. Or rather, was only recently growing used to it. Nevertheless, she was Chosen. The potency of her spells boggled the mind. And for the scant training time she''d had¡ªwell. Astrid wouldn''t im she was some prodigious mage. But eptable. More than eptable, considering her past. And that was fair praise from a woman like her. After collecting their loot, they stepped out into the Fractures proper, teleporting into some realm near or far from the one they''d started in. It was an arid and tndscape, ideal for travel, which Astrid said a thankful prayer for. She wasn''t particrly fond of the travel that came with wayfaring. Why not just drop them into the original Fracture? Would it be too convenient? Zoey had magically calmed her down after the boss fight. That branch of magic was an unexpectedly convenient synergy. Convenient, but not necessarily powerful. Having shortcuts to gaining and draining Bloodlust took a burden off her shoulders, but only mildly improved theirbat capabilities in an absolute sense. A nice-to-have, not a must-have. Going from fully in the sway of her primary skill topletely released was an experience and a half, as it would always be. She''d spent the better portion of a day with her Bloodlust throbbing in her skull, and having it disappear instantly was¡ªdisorienting. But she appreciated the quick fix. Calming down was harder than ramping up, especially with her manifestation, where it was slow-to-build and slow-to-release. Now that her thoughts were cleared, and they had begun the trip back to Mantle, she had time to mull over the entirety of the shard with a non-fogged mind. Her contemtions gravitated toward those ''rest breaks''. Something was off about them. And the more she thought about it, the more she came to a conclusion. A disciple of the goddess of Ephythithys. An illusionist on the team. Strange expressions and blushing. A few details¡ªlike particr smells. Surely not, though. The more she mulled it over, the more certain she became. She wasn''t an idiot. She could put two and two together. Some foreigners assumed her slow of mind since she didn''t speak themon tongue as well as them. They were ignorant in their own right. So, when they''d trekked back to Mantle''s Fracture after a tedious six-hour trip¡ªshorter than most¡ªAstrid confronted Zoey. "We need to talk." 7.14 – Confrontation 7.14 ¨C Confrontation Astrid pulled Zoey aside the moment they were safely back in Mantle, specifically in the d''Celestin estate. The polite thing to do would''ve been to let them get cleaned up and rx a bit; they were exhausted from the shard and travel. As fourth advancement wayfarers, they were much better at staving off the need for sleep, though, and could go for days before exhaustion demanded them to rest. Though it was still unpleasant. Regardless, her theories had been sitting on her mind and she wanted answers sooner rather thanter. ''We need to talk,'' Astrid had said to Zoey as she pulled her aside. "Ah?" Zoey said, looking surprised. "We do?" "You haven''t been honest, I think." Though if her theories were right, it wasn''t hard to see why she''d kept the truth obfuscated. Astrid wasn''t sure how she felt about confronting a goddess''s champion. More even than Rosalie, Zoey ¡­ made her nervous. Nervous? Was that the right word? Astrid didn''t know how to view Zoey. She was the strangest of her teammates. She had a lot of opinions on the tall, busty girl. As mentioned: how she waspetent despite her rtive newness to wayfaring. Her incredibly powerful skills. And as far as her personality went¡ªeasygoing, thoughtful, kind? Not the mostmon set of traits when it came to wayfarers. And attractive. That wasn''t something Astrid tried to pay attention to with teammates. That sort of interpersonal interaction within a wayfaring party was treading on slippery ice to put it lightly. More often than not such rtionships ended in disaster. Itpromised decision making at a minimum. Yet¡ª Attractive. Very, very attractive. She couldn''t help but notice. Zoey was one of the most gorgeous women she''d ever met. Her figure was unbelievable. Tall. Busty. An amazing ass. Toned in the right ces, soft in the same. She had the sort of body that was found more often on sculptures than reality. And the part that truly made her incredulous was that the same went for the rest of the party. "I haven''t been honest?" Zoey asked, seeming rmed. "What do you mean?" And here was the problem. Astrid didn''t want to spell out her suspicions. Because how insane would she look if she was wrong? After many hours of ruminating, she was fairly certain there was merit to what she''d concluded. But in the one percent chance she was wrong, the consequences would be mortifying. So she hedged her bets. Any rational person would. "I''m not stupid. The rest breaks. Did you think I wouldn''t notice?" The way Zoey froze gave some credence to Astrid''s assumption. And relieved her in no small part. But she kept her face straight and waited for a reply. "A-Ah? The rest breaks? What do you mean?" The way she stammered boded well. Astrid gave the woman her most disapproving look. "You won''t make me say it, will you? I''m not stupid," she repeated. Despite the facade she was putting on, Astrid was worried she was making oundish assumptions. For all the evidence, she doubted herself. Zoey continued to seem like a deer caught in front of a hunter''s bow. She took several seconds to reply. "Well, what did you see?" Not the most subtle of replies. It confirmed at a minimum that there was something odd about their rest breaks. Which Astrid had already deduced, but it was a relief to have verified. "Enough." It was a vague response on her own part. And Zoey noticed it. She hesitated, sensing that maybe Astrid didn''t know for sure. Or that she wasn''t confident. Zoey rxed slightly. Damn. Astrid didn''t know word-games. Politics. She would''ve spat at the concept if not for who her presentpany would be for the foreseeable future. As far as she was concerned, politics was the one major failing of Rosalie''s. The girl might use that spear like nothing Astrid had ever seen, but she was also too refined¡ªtoo perfect with her words. Well, most of the time. She''d begun stammering and blushing halfway through several of their ''rest breaks.'' One of Astrid''s major supporting pieces of evidence. "Enough¡­?" Zoey asked. "I''m not sure what you mean?" Maybe attacking straight-on was the correct maneuver. Astrid had provided an opening by not being direct enough. Damn it. She hated words. What to say? Maybe nothing? Astrid met Zoey''s expression straight-on with her most disapproving look. It worked. Zoey broke first. "I meant to talk to you about it," the chosen-of-a-goddess said. "It''s just¡ªthere are certain things about ¡­ all of this ¡­ that I have to be careful about." Astrid raised an eyebrow. Definitely, when it came to wordy, less was better. At least with her set of talents. So she stayed silent and waited. Zoey squirmed in ce. "Look," she said. "I wanted to be honest from the start. But there''s lots of reasons to be cautious. You get that, right?" That, at least, Astrid could agree with. She slowly inclined her head. She wasn''t sure where this was headed. For all that she had suspicions and had purposefully pressed for an admission. Zoey worried at her lip, then sighed again. "Can I speak inly?" "It annoys me when you don''t." Zoey paused, thenughed. "Fair enough. Then¡ªyou don''t expect me to trust you implicitly, right? With every secret of mine? Considering ¡­ everything?" "No," Astrid said slowly. "But we are teammates. Or soon to be." Maybe she was assuming too much. She''d thought she''d performed well, but¡ªexpectations were high. Higher than maybe any other team in the world. Zoey grimaced. "Yes, but still. We''ve only known each other a few days. And consider the situation I''m in." "Yes ¡­ ?" "I''ll be blunt. Can I tell you things and not have them get back to Enzo? Or even your father?" Astrid considered the request seriously. Some people might have answered instantly¡ªmight have said yes without hesitation to gain Zoey''s trust. Perhaps her slowness vouched for her in its own right, because Zoey rxed slightly as Astrid mulled it over. "My loyalty is first to my n. Second to my team. Third to other allies." Zoey didn''t seem fully reassured by that, as she shouldn''t be. She had been ced second on the list. "So you''d keep a secret from Enzo. But not your father and n." "Yes." Zoey blinked at how directly Astrid stated it. Astrid had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. Outsiders and politics. Never saying what they meant. "Well, I want to bepletely honest with you, but if everything I say gets back to your father ¡­" she trailed off, the question obvious. Astrid mulled the problem over. "I will tell him only if fate of Harkvalen is at stake. Is your secret ¡­ sorge?" She felt like they were getting off-topic, considering what her suspicions were. "Maybe?" Zoey hedged. Astrid stirred at that. But what else had she expected from a chosen of a goddess? She supposed in some sense, anything to do with Zoey reflected on the world atrge¡ªand thus the Harkvalen n. "Directly," Astrid rified. "If secret affects Harkvalen directly. And I would tell you if I needed to talk to the Chieftain, before I do. Is that ¡­ eptable?" After a moment, Zoey nodded carefully. "That''s the best I can expect, I suppose. And I''m willing to go out on a limb. I''ve been wanting to tell you anyway. I don''t like keeping secrets from a teammate. We just didn''t know you. Enzo was the one who chose you for the team." She grimaced. "Even now, you might be his ¡­ informant." Astrid bristled, and Zoey hurried to raise her hands. "I don''t think that''s the case! Just, it''s something we have to worry about. It''s a delicate situation. Sorry." She supposed it was reasonable, so she stopped herself from getting too annoyed. "We''re dancing around it," Zoey said. "Can you just tell me what you assumed? What you''re trying to get me to admit to?" Astrid paused. The demand for honesty, thrown back in her face. Fitting, wasn''t it? No more allusions to ''she knew what they were doing''. Zoey wanted her inferences stated inly. And she''d be a hypocrite if she didn''t. Hoisted by her own petard, truly. "Disciple of goddess of sex," Astrid said. "Illusionist. Blushing every rest break. Smells like sweat and¡ªsex." Her gaze sharpened on Zoey. "You three were fucking." Astrid might have died on the spot if she was wrong. But thankfully: Zoey''s face turned red. She cleared her throat. "Uh, yeah. I thought we were being subtle. Or subtle enough. Apparently not. Sorry." Astrid briefly floundered. She was right? She knew she was right. The evidence was clear. The logical conclusions easy to make. But still? They''d been fucking?! Why?! Had shended in a party filled with¡ªperverts? Degenerates? Sex addicts, such that they couldn''t go more than a single shard without keeping their hands off each other? Astrid''s own cheeks rapidly turned red. She didn''t fill the silence, staring wide-eyed. Zoey squirmed in ce. "It wasn''t just because we wanted to," Zoey blurted out. "My skills¡ªwell, it was necessary. I guess I should fill you in on all that, first. The parts of my ss I didn''t mention. There''s several important skills, and one more important than the rest." Astrid kept a straight face. It put her slightly more at ease that there was a reason. And she''d considered the possibility, since again, disciple of the goddess of sex. Therefore: skills rted to sex. Crazy as it seemed. "Okay?" Zoey took a breath. "Ephy''s influence over my ss is more¡ªsexual, than I''ve let on. To you. And to Enzo. And to anyone else. And can you guess ¡­ why I''ve been careful announcing that?" Astrid pursed her lips. She thought she knew. "Chieftain¡ªGuildleader," she corrected, "doesn''t know his daughter has been imed by you." "That''s¡ªuh, one way to put it. But yeah. Rosalie doesn''t want her father to know. That me and her are, ah, you know. You''ll keep that a secret?" "I already said I would," Astrid said, annoyed. "Hardly critical to Harkvalen n, that two women are screwing. Even if one is daughter of a Guildleader." "Right." Though her cheeks were red, Zoey seemed to be growing increasingly amused by this confrontation. "Sorry. What you say, you''ll do. I''m just worried, and Rosalie told me to be tactful¡ªand careful." "Your skills?" Astrid asked, slightly impatient. She wanted answers. "They''re stronger than they should be. The ones I know about." That was an observation Astrid had made early on¡ªbefore the shard. For that matter, all three of Zoey''s teammates also had unusually powerful skills. And general physicality too. As if their stats were well above what a fourth-advancement wayfarer''s should be. "You give strong buffs. More than a normal, or even great, support should give. Yet not to me?" "My most fundamental skill is Bond," Zoey said. "Or maybe it''s Lust, actually." Astrid''s eyebrows went up. Zoey plunged into the exnation. "I don''t use mana. I use a resource, Lust, for all my spells and skills. And the only way I can get more of it is¡ªwell, you can put it together." "Fucking." It made sense. Why it was ''necessary.'' Though still¡ªthat they had been having sex right in front of her was rather flustering. At least there was some practical reason for it. "Or anything in that general domain, not just sex," Zoey coughed. "Then there''s Bond. Which is more directly relevant to you. I share stats with everyone, and they do with me. And each other. All the way around, the whole party. But it requires a Bond to activate. Lots of my skills do." "Like Bolster. You haven''t used on me. Even when you should." She had noticed that. She''d assumed it was just because Rosalie was the safer pick, with the two of them having pre-existing synergy. "Right." "How does ¡­ that work? We need to fuck first? To Bond?" Zoey''s eyes widened, as if surprised she''d figured it out. She rolled her eyes. "It''s obvious. Two plus two. I''m not stupid." She''d said that three times now. She found herself mildly aggravated that the woman seemed so surprised. It wasn''t a hard conclusion to make. As for the revtion¡ªwell. Astrid had no idea what to think of it. She''d heard all sorts of stories about wild and incredible skills. This, though? Her expectations had been primed by the patronage of Ephythithys, but still. "We don''t need to, ah, have sex, though. It''s a smaller requirement than that. I have to, um." She was obviously reluctant to say it outright. "¡­ cum on you. Or in you." Astrid paused. And stared at her. "Ah," she said faintly. "Right. Just that." 7.15 – Filling Them In 7.15 ¨C Filling Them In Astrid excused herself shortly afterward under the guise of ''letting Zoey get some rest.'' In reality, Zoey knew she just needed time to think about what had been revealed. She wondered if she could have handled the talk better. There''d been no time to n since Astrid had been the one to confront her, rather than the intended other way around. Her cheeks burned from how, apparently, it''d been easy to see through their attempts at subtlety. She''d been awake for close to twenty-four hours straight, so she went to her room, washed up, and put on her sleeping clothes. A quick teleportation trip through the portal-door and she arrived to Rosalie''s room across the d''Celestin estate. Delta was there alongside the blonde, both girls already in their casual nightwear. Delta was sprawled out on the bed taking up as much space as possible, and Rosalie was seated on the edge flipping through a small notebook with a frown. They both nced up as Zoey arrived. "So? What was that about?" Delta asked. "Why''d Astrid drag you off?" "She knew." "She ¡­ knew? As in¡ª?" "Yep." "Oh, boy." Rosalie groaned and buried her face in her hands. "I told you you weren''t being careful enough." "It''s fine," Zoey said. "We talked. I ended up telling her everything." Delta''s eyebrows shot up. Rosalie also seemed rmed. More than the foxgirl, even. "Everything?" Delta asked. "About my ss, I mean. Why we were¡ªdoing it in the first ce." There was still the matter of the world ending and what little they knew about the shard eaters. She hadn''t gone over the skills not relevant to her either, like those rted to her burgeoning temple. "How''d she take it?" "Good? I mean, she wasn''t grossed out or horrified or anything. Mostly, she blushed a lot and then excused herself." Delta considered. "Yeah, that''s as good as we could hope. She seems like a bit of a prude, I think." "You and I have vastly different definitions of prude," Rosalie said dryly. Zoey agreed; she wouldn''t call Astrid a prude. Just not as open as Delta had been their first meeting. Perhaps she was more open than Rosalie, for that matter. But Zoey didn''t have the advantage of an incredible ice-breaker like the first shard had been. "Either way, she needs to think on it. I believed her when she said that she''ll keep our secrets. She said she''ll only tell her father if it affects her n directly. And she''d talk with us beforehand if she feels like she has to." Rosalie nodded slowly. "Reasonable. If she doesn''t seek you out first thinge morning, I''ll see if I can talk with her first." "She didn''t seem upset," Zoey offered. "Just surprised, and flustered. I don''t think it''ll be a problem. Though¡ªI''m not entirely sure if that means she''ll want to, you know." Delta wiggled her eyebrows and made a lewd gesture. Zoey ignored her, but yes, that was the implication. "In any case, it''s a problem for tomorrow." Rosalie tucked away the notebook she''d been reading and shuffled into bed. "I''m tired. Save any insatiable desires until morning, please. I want sleep first." Delta snickered. "She''s such a romantic, isn''t she?" Zoeyughed, but she was wrung out too, and she knew Delta was as well. She flipped off the light and climbed into bed with her two girlfriends. They snuggled in on either side of her. After the exhausting day they''d had, sleep found them quickly. *** Zoey woke upst among the three of them. Rosalie and Delta had already extricated themselves from her side, sadly, and were sitting up in bed, murmuring about something. "I mean, neither of us? That''s a first. There''s always been some advancement." "Maybe Zoey did? We don''t know for sure yet." "Maybe I did what?" Zoey asked. The two girls nced at her. "Ah, sorry, didn''t mean to wake you," Delta said, raising her voice from its whisper. "Were we too loud?" "''S Fine." Zoey yawned and stretched out, muscles sore from the vigorous activities yesterday. Burning through so many spells had left a lingering not-really-but-sort-of exhaustion. Something close to mental strain, but not that either. The invisible magical muscle, whatever it was, had been worked thoroughly. "What are you two talking about?" "Advancements. Neither of us got one, on any of our runes. Did you?" Zoey paused, then checked. Even if she couldn''t read her tab anima herself, she knew when she leveled by a tingling on the back of her neck. A supernatural sense. "Nope," Zoey said, blinking in surprise. "Huh. You''re right, that''s the first time. It''s always at least one of us." And recently, usually multiple. She did have powerful skills geared specifically toward fast advancement. "Could be because we''re reaching the higher ranks," Rosalie said. "We can hardly expect to advance once per shard at fourth advancement." Delta frowned. "That''s logical, blondie, but counterpoint¡ªwe have a goddess on our side. It''s totally because of the shard stabilizer that we didn''t." "I think she''s right," Zoey said. "The loot was terrible too." "The loot was above average, for a fourth-advancement shard," Rosalie said dryly. "It was below our average, though," Delta countered. "And you know it. Don''t be pedantic." Rosalie inclined her head. "Nevertheless. We are reaching higher advancements. It would make sense if we''re slowing down in progression." "Sure, but also no," Delta said. "It''s totally because we stabilized the shard. We''re not doing that again, right? Boo. No more. I demand perverted shards!" "So long as Astrid isfortable with it, I see no reason not to." "And if she isn''t?" Rosalie grimaced. "Let''s feel the situation out first before we make ns. As I''ve been saying." "Even if she isn''t thrilled about the sex part," Delta said, "I doubt she''ll turn down insanely amplified experience gain. And unbelievably good loot. Even if it has weird requirements attached. Besides, she doesn''t have to join in herself. We can handle the lewd parts. Hell, most of the time it''s Zoey dealing with it anyway. Thatst shard, I didn''t even get scooped up and groped by vines. When I did try to have some fun, I got stuffed into a chastity cage." Rosalie raised an unimpressed eyebrow, and chose to address Zoey instead of the gremlin. "There''s still a chance she''s thrown into something if she enters a shard with us. So she needs to befortable with the possibility. But, again, let''s feel out the situation before we make concrete ns. I think odds are high she''ll be¡ª" She pursed her lips. "Amenable." "Pretty sure she''s checked all of us out at least once," Delta said,ughing. "And it became way more obvious once she had her Bloodlust ramped up. Lowered her inhibitions I bet. I think she especially likes blondie''s ass." The foxgirl poked Rosalie''s leg with a delighted grin. "And methinks the attraction is mutual. Blondie''s been stealing looks too. Right? Right? Our two front liners are hot and flustered for each other? We''ll get some steamy tank-on-fighter action soon?" Rosalie swatted away Delta''s poking finger, trying to re at her¡ªbut it was mitigated by the blush that rose brightly on her cheeks. "Control yourself. And no. I merely respect her work ethic." "Oh? So you''re not waspatible with her tastes. Rosalie huffed and crossed her arms. The refined princess would never pout, but she came close to it. Zoeyughed and pushed her over, delivering a series of quick kisses to cheer her up. It worked. She was protesting and smiling a few seconds into the assault. It more than worked, actually. Having crawled overtop the blonde, their positioning did more than wipe the pout off her face. She was blushing hard and breathing fast in only moments. Oh? Zoey remembered that all of her recharging during yesterday''s shard had been with Delta and Maddy. Rosalie had needed to y interference. Thus¡ªshe was flustered and worked up after a full day of not having her own fun. A grin split Zoey''s lips, and she sat up, straddling Rosalie. Her fingers yed with the hem of Rosalie''s shirt. "What''s this? You''re breathing a little hard, princess. Did something happen?" Rosalie huffed. The smile had changed into a wide-eyed, flustered look. "I do need to recharge," Zoey mused. "Haven''t filled up since before the boss fight, so I''m basically empty." She leaned forward and murmured into Rosalie''s lips. "Mind helping me out?" "I could¡ªI could be persuaded." "Good answer." And Zoey knew what she wanted to do. There was a potion from Sabina''s most recent batch of experimentations that she hadn''t made use of yet, which she had been highly anticipating. She pulled it out now. [Potion of Gooey Transmutation]: Temporarily transmutes a living being''s body into a gel-like substance. 7.16 – Gooey Transmutation I 7.16 ¨C Gooey Transmutation I "What?" Delta demanded. "Why didn''t you tell me you had something like this?" The foxgirl stared at the vial of Gooey Transmutation potion, mouth open and eyes wide. She gave a nearly offended look to Zoey, as if she''d sinned gravely by not revealing the item to her. "I was keeping it a surprise," Zoey said, rolling her eyes. "Stop looking like I kicked a puppy." "You''ve been keeping that in your back pocket? You''re telling me I could''ve had a slimegirl princess," she jabbed a finger at Rosalie, "earlier than today, and I haven''t? Don''t talk to me. We''re over." "If you forgive me, we can share her?" "Well, I''m not that mad," Delta said, changing her tune. "Maybe throw in a little extra? Not that I''m easy to buy, mind you." She narrowed her eyes at Zoey as if daring to contradict her. Zoey summoned two more vials of Gooey Transmutation. Delta gasped. She snatched one away and admired the thick green liquid. "This is the best day ever." "I''m d you think so. But it''s untested. Er¡ªsort of. Sabina made sure it works, but it''s not thoroughly researched." "It could kill me afterward and I wouldn''t care." She held the vial reverently, like she might mean the words. She paused. "When you say untested, though, it will put us back together afterward, yeah?" "I''m sure it''s safe. Sabina wouldn''t have given me some if it wasn''t. But I haven''t used it yet¡ªI don''t know what it''s like." "Huh." "And Rosalie first," Zoey chided. "We''ll take ourster." "Princess first," Delta agreed solemnly, tucking the vial into her inventory. Rosalie''s face, meanwhile, had been turning increasingly deeper shades of red at how excited both of them were to have her take the potion. No doubt imagining why they were eager, and what they wanted to do to her when her body would be made of see-through goo. Zoey scooted off Rosalie''sp and handed her the potion. The girl, who had been lying on her back, elbowed up and took the vial, eyeing it apprehensively. "How long does itst?" "Varies, ording to Sabina," Zoey said. "If it''s anything like the cock potions, it''llst however long it needs to." "This has practical uses too, I bet," Rosalie said. "A slime body might have all sorts of functional benefits, like¡ª" "Shut up and take the potion so we can rail you, please," Delta said. "Tactical benefits Rosalie shared a look. "What?" Delta asked. "Nothing. Just very well articted," Zoeyughed. She squeezed Rosalie''s thigh. "But I agree. Drink the potion." Rosalie grumbled, putting up the requisite amount of protest, then uncorked the vial and tipped the viscous green liquid back. It took two swallows to get down, and her nose wrinkled. Potions rarely tasted pleasant. Considering what sorts of crazy things went into them, that wasn''t surprising. A violent shiver went through Rosalie, and she dropped the empty vial on the bed. "Oh. Oh, dear," she murmured. Among all the less appropriate reasons to be interested in this transformation, Zoey was curious academically too. Like¡ªwhat would an ongoing slimegirl transformation look like? She could imagine a few gruesome ways it might go. Such as, if the transitory state between the two phases made her skin halfway see-through while giving a peek into simrly halfway translucent organs. That was a rather not-very-erotic image, but to her relief, the transformation was more ptable. When Rosalie''s skin started to change color and be translucent, she was immediately see-through all of the way: just moving from opaque to less opaque with every second. She was turning blue. Not green, like Mel. And not bright or dark blue, but the pale, icy color of her eyes. Hair, skin, everything shifting toward that same hue¡ªthough with slight variations to give volume and definition. It happened fast, all things considered. After about ten seconds, a gooey slime-Rosalie was sitting in bed. Wearing her pajama shorts and t-shirt. Which had, reasonably in retrospect, not transformed alongside her. The look was rather funny, actually¡ªa slimegirl in clothing. "This is amazing," Delta breathed. "Someone pinch me." Rosalie stared at her hands. She clenched and unclenched them in fascination, then picked at her shirt. "Ew. I''m soaking into them." Indeed, Rosalie''s clothes were growing damp. Her gooey body left a small amount of residue behind¡ªmuch like Mel did¡ªand so the light fabric clinging to her body was drinking the fluid in. Rosalie hastily peeled herself out of her shirt, shorts, and panties in a few quick wiggles, throwing them aside. Which struck both Zoey and Delta temporarily mute, because now they were being treated to the sight of a naked Rosalie-Slimegirl. Truly, they''d ascended to heaven. "You''ve both seen me naked dozens of times," Rosalie grumbled, covering her chest with one arm. "Stop looking at me like that, you ¡­ you lechers." Hesitantly, Delta reached out and poked Rosalie. Her finger squished into the other girl, and she slid her finger down, feeling the texture of Rosalie''s body. Then she pressed more firmly in, and her finger popped through. "O-Oh," Rosalie said, her back arching slightly. "That''s¡ªan interesting sensation." Zoey remembered something Mel had said, once. "It feels good, doesn''t it?" Zoey said with a spreading grin. She shuffled forward and also poked Rosalie in the shoulder¡ªthe arm opposite from Delta. She sank in gently, and Rosalie sucked in another little breath of surprise. "Potion was made from Mel''s body. Makes sense there''d be carry-on effects. And she liked being prated any which way." Zoey slowly picked up pace, squelching her finger in and out of Rosalie''s shoulder, before adding a second one that extracted another noise from her. "It''s¡ªit''s not the same as, um, the usual way," Rosalie said, shivering as Zoey pumped her finger in and out. "Not the same at all. But ¡­ it does feel sort of ¡­ I don''t know?" Zoey added a third finger, and the breathless noise became a little groan. She pulled her fingers out, and Delta did the same. As interesting as that was¡ªand how many possibilities it opened up¡ªthere was no way that was the method they''d use to draw out Rosalie''s first climax in slimegirl form. Though it would be kind of funny, she supposed. But ''funny'' wasn''t the first thing on her mind. She had more pressing goals. Leaning back, she shuffled off her pajama pants and boxers and threw them onto the pile Rosalie had begun creating. Just in time for her to finish hardening: a few more pulses of blood into the thick member had it standing at full attention. "You get her mouth," Delta announced. "But I wanna taste-test first. I wonder if slimegirl pussy is better than the real thing?" The foxgirl leaned in to kiss Rosalie''s neck¡ªand sucked there. "Ooh. You''re fruity. Wait, is this cannibalism?" Zoey rolled her eyes. "Please shut up, Delta." "Gimme a pussy to eat, and I will." She made a good argument. Zoey scooted back until she was leaning against the headboard, pulling Rosalie along by the hand to drag her up. The girl knew her role, by now: she crawled over and got on her knees, face hovering near Zoey''s cock as she admired the tool she''d be servicing. Delta also seized the opportunity, tugging apart Rosalie''s knees to provide better ess, then rolling onto her back and shuffling into position so she was looking straight up into the slimegirl''s pussy. "Best day ever," Delta announced¡ªbefore cupping Rosalie''s ass with both hands and leaning up to get her first taste of slimegirl pussy. 7.17 – ? Gooey Transmutation II 7.17 ¨C ? Gooey Transmutation II While Delta was busy getting her first taste of¡ªapparently fruity¡ªslimegirl pussy, Zoey leaned against the headboard and admired Rosalie''s reaction to having her pussy licked. Several little noises issued from her as she squirmed and enjoyed the foxgirl''s attention. The sounds morphed into long, breathy moans as Delta''s tongue worked deeper in. However enthusiastic Rosalie usually was to get her mouth around Zoey''s cock, she seemed to temporarily forget her own task at hand. "A-Ah." Rosalie¡¯s head dipped forward to bounce against Zoey''s cock. "It feels¡ªweird. The same, but different?" "Tastes the same but different, too," Delta¡¯s muffled voice said¡ªor that was Zoey¡¯s best guess, since she was somewhat iprehensible with her face buried between Rosalie¡¯s legs. A bit hazily, Rosalie rallied herself, grabbing Zoey''s cock and focusing on her own mission. The first long swipe of her tongue up and along Zoey''s length drew a shiver from her, and left a string of glistening light blue slime-saliva behind. The substance was gooier than regr saliva, noticeably so, and the sensation was incredible. The texture of Rosalie''s tongue as it clung to her cock as it ran up and across her sensitive rod was something to remember. Every part of Rosalie''s new body seemed to cling and hug her more than normal. Swirling her tongue around the top, Rosalie dipped down and took her into her mouth. Zoey''s cock sank into her semi-transparent cheek, goo-skin bulging out as it rubbed against her teeth. Amazed, Zoey watched her cock be pleasured while she could still see it. Changing angle, Rosalie worked her tongue against the underside and sucked and bobbed, working up and down Zoey''s length. Bit by bit, with increasing enthusiasm, Zoey''s cock disappeared into the slimegirl''s throat. Her arousal spiked as the tight tunnel of her throat epted Zoey''s tip, and, wiggling her head, Rosalie dived down. Zoey''s cock slid and slid¡ªessentially into her chest. In only a few moments, Rosalie had her nose firmly buried in Zoey''s crotch, having taken her all the way. Her throat bulged with the shape of the thick cock inside her. And more than just the imprint, Zoey could actually see her cock bulging her skin out. Zoey always enjoyed the sight of Rosalie buried onto her, but it was much more erotic when the girl''s body was see-through, her full length on disy through the light-blue material of her partner¡¯s body. Rosalie looked up with her cute nose smooshed against her crotch, eyes proud, and she gagged once. Zoey nearly came right there. Adding to the experience was how, through Rosalie¡¯s body, she could see the foxgirl eating her out. Rosalie was groaning and trembling no small amount from her own pleasuring down below, and really, that just provided a better experience for Zoey. Basically, it was the best of all worlds. Slimegirls were seriously the best. The two sets of oral pleasuring continued for a bit, before eventually Delta pulled away, gasping, and shuffled out underneath from Rosalie. Rosalie protested theck of stimtion with a whine that vibrated through Zoey''s cock, but she didn''t stop lifting up and down, determined to continue massaging Zoey with her throat. Recovering from her extended period submerged, Delta elbowed up and appreciated the show for a moment. She caught her breath as she watched, Zoey''s cock disappearing down the other girl''s throat, plunging nearly to her stomach with each eager dive of Rosalie''s head, before the foxgirl announced: "Alright. I''ve gotta see what that¡¯s like." The foxgirl pulled her own potion out of her inventory, the ss vial appearing magically between her fingers. Without input from Rosalie or Zoey, she uncorked it and tipped it back, swallowing the liquid in one smooth motion. She shivered as the transformation took hold, her tail flicking wildly behind her in agitation, suggesting how strange it must feel. Like with Rosalie, the processsted less than ten seconds. Incrementally, the foxgirl transmuted into her slimegirl form. The end result wasn''t that different from her shadow clone skill, honestly, except instead of ck, she turned purple. A much more transparent purple, too. And gooier, rather than the clean ck lines of her Shadow. Purple. Same color as her eyes, Zoey noted. Was that how it worked? Did that mean she herself would be an emerald slime when she took her potion? She and Mel would be sisters, she thought amusedly. Like Rosalie, Delta took a second to orient to her new body. She flipped her hands around, then looked down at herself and craned her neck side to side to inspect herself from every angle. "Whoa. Weird." She patted her stomach, and the impacts made a slight squelching noise as it suctioned to the goo. She cupped and bounced her breasts, and they jiggled even more delightfully than they normally would. Delta was visibly fascinated by that, keeping the act up for a good twenty seconds¡ªto Zoey''s viewing pleasure. Rosalie, in the meantime, had half sat up, licking and using her hand to pleasure Zoey rather than her throat, wanting to also watch Delta''s transformation. Kissing Zoey''s tip and swirling her tongue around, Rosalie''s blue eyes tracked the foxgirl''s breasts, and Zoey had to admit the bouncing was hypnotizing; she didn''t me Rosalie for getting distracted. Delta ying with herself would''ve been hard to ignore even if she hadn''t been made of slime, and the extra jiggle made it all but impossible. When Delta finished her initial exploration of her new body, she looked up and grinned at them. Zoey instantly knew she had an idea. Or maybe she''d had it since the beginning. "Remember how Mel could change shape however she wanted?" she asked. Zoey paused, taking only a second to put together the implication. "Think you can, too?" "Would save us a potion, wouldn¡¯t it?" Sheughed. "Let''s find out." Focusing, the purple slimegirl looked down at her crotch, and her gooey eyebrows pulled together in concentration. Slowly, her lower half started to ripple, material gathering above her pussy before swelling outward. A cylindrical shape extended, bulging and stretching, until a purple goo-cock had taken form between her legs. "I''m going to kiss Sabina the next time I see her," Delta breathed. "And look, I don''t have to be second ce anymore. I get to pick how big I am." Indeed, since her body was as fluid as she desired, she had the final say on howrge she wanted to be. Her cock swelled until its length and girth matched Zoey''s, and she gripped the purple gel appendage and shook it. "Wow. This thing is kinda unreasonable. How do you even deal with it?" "Carefully," Zoey said dryly, ying with Rosalie''s hair as the girl continued to lick and toy with her¡ªtemporarily keeping out of the conversation, since she had a cock to service. A diligent princess, for certain. "But I''ll leave this forter," Delta said, morphing her body again, returning to her original form¡ªsans the extra equipment. "Was just wondering if I could." Getting back onto her knees, she crawled over to the other side of Zoey''s cock, joining Rosalie. "Gotta reward the lovely alchemist who made it possible, first," she murmured. "We can team up on princess after." With Delta kissing one side of Zoey''s cock, Rosalie intuited the n: she joined the other girl. And so, shortly, Zoey had a seal of lips to caress her length as the two girls slid their slippery, gooey lips and tongues up and down her. The slimy, clingy texture was wholly unique. Having two girls'' mouths around her would''ve been dizzying enough, but the fact it was a pair of slimegirls'' mouths was in overwhelming. Her hips joined in the rhythm without Zoey actively intending them to. Leaning back on her hands, she pumped herself up between the pair of slimegirl lips. The sticky texture clung to her, leaving trails of green and blue residue behind. "Fuck." The word hissed out from between her closed teeth. "That''s nice." Her head fell back, hips thrusting rhythmically as the two girls held on and continued pleasuring her. "Honestly, I have too many ideas to even start, when ites to you two." Delta snorted. "Same. I¡¯ll pick for you," she said, pulling away. "Blondie¡ª" The foxgirl paused. "Bluey?" she amended, confused. "Princess," she settled on, since that first nickname didn''t work at the moment. "Go take a seat." She gestured at Zoey''s face, and Zoey had noints with that part of the n. She was curious what an apparently ''fruity'' slimegirl''s pussy tasted like, especially since Delta had seemed to enjoy it. Zoeyy down, and Rosalie took her seat as ordered, putting her knees on either side of Zoey''s face and settling in. It was a hell of an experience, being able to see through Rosalie''s body as her gooey lower half squished into her face. Taking her first exploratory taste, she discovered that Rosalie did, in fact, taste fruity. Sweet with a tinge of citrus. Slightly different from what she remembered of Mel. Did each color of slimegirl have a different vor? Like candies? The amusement of that thought pierced even her mounting arousal, though not enough so to stop her from digging her tongue in, drawing a gasp from Rosalie. Zoey''s image of Delta was slightly blurry with Rosalie suffocating her between her thighs, but she could make out enough of what her other partner was doing. Delta, strangely, had stood. She positioned the heel of her foot at Zoey''s cock tip, poised so that when she rested her weight downward, Zoey would pierce¡ªher foot? And be engulfed all the way up through her calf, probably, considering her length. Huh. Weird. When a girl asked to be stepped on, this probably wasn''t what they meant. 7.18 – Gooey Transmutation III 7.18 ¨C Gooey Transmutation III Zoey didn''t have time to properly brace herself for the idea¡ªtoe to terms with the fact that Delta was going to fuck her with her foot. Eager as ever, the foxgirl wiggled her heel into Zoey''s cocktip, then stomped down. Zoey''s cock buried into the gooey purple substance in one long, clean thrust. The texture of Delta''s gooey body squeezing her cock as she plunged all fourteen inches inside was close to divine. It felt, as Zoey had experienced before, way better than it should. As if Zoey were prating an actual bumpy hole, not dissimr from that toy she''d shared with Maddy. The pressure of Delta''s goo mping around her, hugging and releasing, warm and clingy, was simply unmatched. "Fuck," Zoey groaned into Rosalie''s pussy, the word muffled but her intent obvious. Her hips bucked in automatic reflex. Delta nearly fell over¡ªbecause, right, she was bncing on one leg to make this happen, the other being used as a hole. "Easy, girl," Deltaughed. "You like that, I take it?" Her foot traveled back up, the insides of her leg tightly gripping Zoey as it went, before she stomped down again, taking Zoey to the base¡ªher toes pping into her lower stomach with enough force to make a wet smacking noise. Zoey groaned again, louder, in answer. "That''s a yes. You know, I did kinda figure you''d be a girl that likes getting stepped on." With Rosalie''s pussy smothering her, she couldn''t much have argued the point. That this wasn''t really being stepped on, by any typical meaning of the phrase. But maybe she wouldn''t have argued anyway. Not while Delta was giving her such a wonderful experience. It was novel, lewd, and definitely a bit strange, the way she watched her cock disappear into her girlfriend''s leg, all the way up her calf¡ªbut more importantly, it felt incredible. Working into a rhythm, Delta fucked her in one of the oddest ways yet, her toes and foot pping down into her lower half with loud squelches. Zoey thrust up to meet her, her bucking hips destabilizing the other girl and making it hard for her to keep her bnce. In the meantime, Rosalie was starting to shudder with Zoey''s efforts¡ªand, since Zoey was running a little low on oxygen, having note up for air once yet¡ªshe redoubled her efforts. She gripped Rosalie''s hips, holding her in ce as she devoured the girl, tongue working in and out as enthusiastically as she ever had before. With that kind of focus, Rosalie didn''t stand a chance. Her thighs mped down on either side of Zoey''s head, and, back arching, she came with a loud cry. She shuddered and trembled atop Zoey''s face, and Zoey didn''t let up, licking her through her orgasm, until the girl''s thighs finally stopped squeezing her skull and she slumped over. With Rosalie having copsed in recovery, Zoey was given an unobstructed view of the foxgirl pleasuring her again, no longer blocked by Rosalie''s semi-transparent body. Purple goo lifted and stomped back down, taking her all the way to the base at a rapid, squelching pace¡ªtwice a second at least. Zoey fell back on the bed and matched the motions, hips bucking, rapidly reaching a climax of her own. The apanying sight made it hard to resist the sensations: Delta''s body jiggling enthusiastically with her actions. Not just her breasts, but every curve; every part of her that was plump, hips and ass and tits, was shaking and quivering with the vigorous motions of repeatedly stomping on her. Slimegirls were really something. How many times had she said that? It was worth saying once more. They were seriously the best. Heat built in her abdomen, rapidly bing untenable. Zoey began panting as the pleasure ramped up past the point she could hope to contain it. Finally, she gave in; her orgasm washed over her. Her cock twitched inside the foxgirl''s foot, and, arching upward so eagerly that Delta really did almost fall over this time, she erupted. The first shot sted up into Delta''s leg, leaving a long white string floating in the purple slime up near her thigh. Another followed, and another, the girl''s footjob¡ªcould it even be called that?¡ªdriving her through the sensations, milking as thorough of a load as Zoey had ever pumped out. When it was over, Zoey slumped down, chest heaving and her head feeling foggy. Delta, her work done, pulled off with onest gooey squelch, and, grinning, leaned over at the waist to inspect her thigh. To admire her handiwork. The floating strands of cum inside her leg. "What would happen if I transformed back, I wonder?" she asked,ughing at the absurd idea. "Would I be part cum? Would it just disappear? Fucking magic." Zoey hazily admired the impressive amount of white strings suspended in her girlfriend''s gooey body, wondering how strange of a person she was to be so aroused at the sight. Delta spared one more amused¡ªand slightly proud¡ªlook for Zoey¡¯s wrung-out expression, then sat down in front of Rosalie, who was only halfway recovered herself. "She''s gonna need a sec," the foxgirl told her. "So, on to my next experiment." "¡­ which is?" Rosalie asked warily, knowing what the word experiment implied when it came to this deviant. "If I''m a regr person, I can stick my hand inside you," Delta said. "But what happens when we''re both slime? Can I still do it?" Delta ced a hand on the bottom of Rosalie''s pelvis, just above her pussy, and pushed. Zoey, intrigued, elbowed up and watched despite her exhaustion. With some effort¡ªand a sudden yielding of goo¡ªDelta sank her hand inside of Rosalie. The motion extracted a delightfully lewd groaning noise from the other woman, who wiggled in ce at the sensation. "Neat," Delta said, wrist-deep inside Rosalie in a totally different meaning of the phrase. "But can we get even weirder, I wonder?" Extracting her hand with a loud plop, she climbed on top of Rosalie, sitting on her waist. "Pull me down," Delta ordered, leaning over to lie on Rosalie, so their breasts were pressed together. She slid her own hands underneath Rosalie to cup her ass. "And I''ll pull you up." "What?" She seemed confused. "What are you trying to do?" "To get inside you, like always. Just in a better way, this time." Rosalie looked nkly at her for a moment, then raised her eyebrows. "To get¡ªyour lower half inside mine? To merge?" "Ever wonder what fucking two pussies at once is like?" Delta asked, shooting a grin over her shoulder at Zoey. She paused. "I guess you''ve already done that, with that double-up potion. But I mean twice at once, literally." Obviously, Zoey was more than interested, and her sudden predatory expression definitely conveyed that. "Is it even possible?" "Dunno. That''s what we''re trying to find out. Our bodies are made out of goo, so why not? Pull harder, princess." In the most amazing development of the century¡ªand probably the strangest too¡ªthey seeded. Delta''s hips sank into Rosalie''s, and with some squirming and additional maneuvering, she sank her lower half fully inside the other girl. Both of them groaned, loudly, at once. "That''s¡ª! That''s a hell of a sensation! Holy shit." Delta looked down between their bodies, still lying stomach-to-stomach with Rosalie, partway submerged in her. "I can''t believe that worked." Zoey couldn''t either. And she needed no verbal encouragement. Whatever refractory period she might have been experiencing vanished in an instant. She hurriedly shuffled off the bed and grabbed Rosalie''s waist, pulling the twobined slimegirls to the edge. She admired the odd, yet extremely erotic sight of the two slimegirls'' lower halves blended into each other. Probably by whatever lewd magic had allowed this potion''s existence in the first ce, they had slotted perfectly together so that their pussies were in the same spot. They would be sharing sensations, without a doubt. She was going to fuck her girlfriends. Both of them. At once. Her heart hammered in anticipation, and her cock throbbed as she gripped her cock and lined up. She brushed her tip against the slimegirls'' pussies, up and down, and the pair shivered at the imminent pration. Delta fell forward, pressing her head into Rosalie''s neck. "Oh, fuck," she murmured into the girl she was lying on top of. "Ready, princess? This is gonna be fun." Rosalie nodded frantically, eyes wide open and breathing hard¡ªtalking was apparently beyond her. She didn''t seem to know who to look at, either. Delta, who was intimately close to the other girl, nipples brushing each other''s and also literally inside her, or Zoey¡ªwho would soon also be inside, in the more traditional way. Zoey wasted no more time. She thrust in. Holding Rosalie''s waist, she pped forward at the same time she pulled the other girl in. Her cock speared through thebined slimegirls'' pussies. She sank deep, burying to the hilt in the pair, and maybe it was just the eroticism of the scenario, but she swore the sensations were doubled too¡ªlike it was two pussies worth of ecstasy that massaged her cock. Rosalie cried out at the sudden, rough invasion, and Delta immediately caught the moan with a kiss. As her two girlfriends made out, Zoey fucked them, diving in and out of the most divine hole she''d ever felt. The pair of slimegirls squirmed as Zoey worked into a full, rutting heat in a handful of seconds, unable to moderate herself. Their hands roved each other''s body, groping wherever they could reach. "I can''t¡ª believe¡ª how good that feels," Delta gasped into Rosalie''s mouth, in between loud ps of Zoey''s hips into her ass. "Fuck!" Rosalie said nothing, lost in the pleasure, head lolled back and her lips parted as she moaned wildly¡ªvolume growing as Zoey''s thrusts hastened. Leaning up slightly, Delta''s hands found Rosalie''s breasts, and she began tweaking her nipples, squeezing, even flicking one of the sensitive nubs to draw out a particrly loud gasp. Meanwhile, Zoey hammered into the two girls, mind growing fuzzy in record time. Rosalie caught Delta''s lips in another sloppy kiss, pulling her in by the back of her head and keeping her there. Zoey''s second orgasm arrived fast. The sensation was simply too much to handle, especially with her girlfriends kissing each other right in front of her. The heat grew too much to bear, and she hilted inside with onest m and held on, gripping Delta¡¯s waist as she started to cum. They joined seconds afterward, sent over the edge by the hot spurts of seed sting into them. They shuddered and shook against each other, hands continuing to rove each other''s bodies as Zoey emptied herself into the pair of kissing slimegirls. Dizzy, Zoey drew back, cock pulling free with a wet noise. The girls followed suit, extracting their joined lower halves with a messy, squelching noise to surpass any of the squelches prior. Delta rolled off and copsed on her back, breathing hard. Zoey vaguely paid attention to the fact her cum had been split evenly between them when they''d pulled apart¡ªboth their wombs were full of sticky white stuff. An amazing sight. Zoey joined Delta, lying on her back to recover from an even more mind-erasing orgasm than the previous. But, however wrung out she felt, she was definitely just getting started. *** They made good use of the potions, though Zoey couldn''t get half of what she wanted done. She was making good progress on that long list, though. An hourter, deeply involved in her task as she and Delta squelched their respective goo-cocks in and out the light-blue slime held between them, something unexpected happened¡ªsomething terrible. Zoey had even been vaguely aware of the knocking noisesing from the door¡ªbut, not far from orgasm, and currently sharing her girlfriend with her other girlfriend, she had been effectively on a different, immune to any stimuli besides Rosalie''s sticky inner walls and the taste of her gooey tongue as they made out, lower halves thrusting into each other''s. The much louder noise did get her attention though. The three of them froze, heads snapping in the direction of splintering wood. Someone had kicked open the door? "I''m back~!" a voice called. "Now, where''s my favorite little¡ª?" The words cut off. Standing there, gaping at them, was a woman who looked a lot like Rosalie. Taller. Shoulder-length tinum blonde hair, dressed in a mix of leather and metal armor. With a slight tan and a certain wild, carefree look to her. She, too, had frozen solid as she strolled inside, clearly not having expected¡ª Well, anything like this. Rosalie''s eldest sister, Elodie, had made an appearance. She stared, gaping¡ªbecause no matter who she was, the sight that met her was one even the most stoic person couldn''t take in stride¡ªbut then, only a secondter, she burst outughing. She was nearly howling as she scrambled away, covering her eyes. "Burning hells! My eyes! Guess that''s why the door was locked, wasn''t it?" Her cackling followed her out as she fled, nearly tripping over herself in her haste. Before she was gone, though, her fading words reached them. "Transmutation potions, though? Really? When did my little sister learn how to have fun?!" 7.19 – The Eldest Sister I 7.19 ¨C The Eldest Sister I Unsurprisingly, it was Delta who broke the shocked silence. "That''s one way to meet the family," she mused. "She seems nice, though? Doesn''t have a stick up her ass like the other one, at least." Rosalie jerked out of her horrified statue-like state. The girl made a sort of screaming noise in the back of her throat. Zoey learned that, just like how slimegirls could blush, they could also go pale. The light blue goo making up Rosalie''s face went several shades whiter. "I¡ªI need to catch up to her. Before she says something." She scrambled from where she was hanging between Zoey and Delta, and both girls shuddered at their cocks leaving the tight holes that had been squeezing them. Zoey might have been disappointed if not for her own concern at Elodie''s abrupt introduction. And that she''d already been satisfied multiple times. Another would''ve been nice, yes, but she wouldn''t die if she was denied herst climax. Rosalie was so flustered she almost rushed out the door as she was: naked, and still a slimegirl. She spun in a one-eighty and rushed for the clothes discarded on the floor. Picking up her bra, she froze a second time. "Don''t think you should go out like that," Delta said, leaning back on both elbows and grinning¡ªenjoying the unfolding disaster, clearly less concerned with the possible consequences than her two partners. "Unless you wanna exin to everyone why you''re made out of slime, at least. And the white globs floating inside your stomach," she snickered, pointing at Rosalie''s midriff. "We''ve done a number on you, princess." Rosalie''s mouth opened and closed, her brain obviously running at maximum speed as she tried to figure out what to do. Zoey, at least, came to her rescue, unlike the purple slime kicking her feet on the bed as she cackled in amusement. She pulled out a potion and tossed it to Rosalie. "Effect cleanser. Should turn you back." They were expensive, but ''expensive'' didn''t mean much to the heiress of the d''Celestin family, and this was an emergency. "She''s not gonna go and tell anyone, will she?" "Probably not?" Rosalie said, downing the potion in one frantic gulp. She shivered as her gooey form did, indeed, slowly revert back to her more human self¡ªwhich Zoey appreciated in its own right. "Not my father at least. Elodie ¡­ wouldn¡¯t. But then again, it''s Elodie. There''s no saying what she''ll do. She''s worse than Delta, in some ways." "Hey. What¡¯s that supposed to mean?" Worse than Delta? If it was Rosalie saying that, her older sister really must be chaotic. Then again, she had kicked down their bedroom door on a whim. "I''ll be back," Rosalie said, yanking her clothes on and disappearing into the bathroom to spray perfume and freshen up in whatever quick way she could. She hurried out thirty secondster. "I can''t believe she just kicked her way in. The door was locked for a reason. Elodie! I can¡¯t believe her." Growling, the second of the d''Celestin sisters disappeared into the hallway. "That was hrious," Delta said. "Should we go after her?" "Probably best she handles her sister alone." They, obviously, wouldn''t know how to deal with her. They hadn''t even met yet. Officially. "Hm. In that case, wanna keep going?" Zoey paused. Well, she had already done what she could, and it was in Rosalie¡¯s hands now. No reason to waste the potions, she supposed. *** Rosalie rushed out into the hallway, head pivoting left and right while she tried to catch sight of that annoying, no-respect-for-privacy, troublesome woman she called a sister. But there wasn''t a trace. Running to the room in the royal wing reserved for Elodie, she skidded to a stop, about to fling the door open¡ªbut there was a note stered to the wood, ck ink scrawled hastily to form a few sentences. Dear perverted sister of mine, We have so much to talk about. Meet me in the garden? p.s. Two at once?! You work fast. I''m so proud of you <3 Rosalie nched, then yanked the paper off the door and vanished it into her inventory. She silently fumed. What if she hadn''te to check on Elodie''s room first? That note would have been hanging there for anyone to see. And it wasn''t subtle; the meaning would have been deduced by anyone. "I''m going to kill her," Rosalie announced. "She can never mind her own damn business, can she?" She was sprinting down the hall before the words finished leaving her mouth. Taking the corner at the full speed of a fourth advancement wayfarer, she nearly rocketed into a servant with enough momentum to cause real, permanent damage. She veered away, nearly tripping, but thankfully avoided the young woman¡ªwho squeaked in surprise, holding a bundle of linens. "L-Lady d''Celestin?" Rosalie, unfortunately, only had time to call out a ''my apologies'' as she continued sprinting. Every second Elodie was on the loose represented potential massive consequences. There really was no saying what she would do until Rosalie had extracted assurances. Elodie did, thankfully, keep her word¡ªshe could trust that. But she had no promises yet, no word to hold Elodie to. In what was probably the fastest she¡¯d ever moved, she sprinted through winding hallways, seeking the gardens which were, unfortunately, on the opposite side of their expansive estate. Dashing madly through the halls would create some rumors among the staff by itself, and perhaps even get back to her father, but that was a problem forter. Bursting out into the lush green gardens¡ª Rosalie went sprawling as something solid caught her legs. Instantly, she recovered, turning the uncontrolled fall into a roll, popping back up and spinning to face whatever had tripped her. Reflexively, she even drew her spear. Pure instinct to an ambush. She skidded across the grass as she came to a stop, eyes locking onto the target. It was, of course, her. "Aw," Elodie said, pping delightedly, a huge grin on her face. "Look at those reflexes¡ªshe really is all grown up. I thought for sure you''d be flustered enough you''d go sprawling. Would''ve been hrious." "Elodie." The fact her sister had tried to trip her didn''t faze her in the slightest. Ambushing each other was all but ritual greeting in this household. Her spear vanished as she straightened out, losing her battle stance. "We¡ªwe need to talk. You haven''t told anyone, have you?" "Told anyone?" Her amusement visibly grew. "It''s been, what, two whole minutes? And you shouldn''t have stopped on my ount, I didn''t mean to interrupt." The grin took on a devious hint, and her eyes sparkled. "So it''s a secret, is it? My little sister is screwing not one, but two¡ª" "Elodie!" Rosalie hissed. "Do you mind?" She rolled her eyes. "What? We''re in private." She tapped a ring. "I put up a sound bubble, obviously. I wouldn''t go announcing to the entire world my sister is fucking her teammates¡ª" she cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled the words into the sky, making Rosalie go pale. Elodie looked back down with a grin. "Without protection, would I?" Rosalie stilled her galloping heart. For as much as Elodie was viciously teasing her, she was pretty sure she would keep the secret if she asked. Elodie was antagonistic in a friendly way. Really, she had more to worry about when it came to Charlotte, so long as Rosalie made her intentions clear: that she did want this kept a secret. Rosalie took a deep breath. It didn''t work to calm her. "I can''t believe you kicked my door down," she growled. "Seriously, Elodie? At least knock first." "I did. Lots. Was basically pounding it down, but you were distracted." She smirked. "I know why, now. So I made my own way in. To be fair, I didn''t think you''d be doing that." "If my door is locked, it''s for a reason." "Yeah, as in, there''s something interesting happening inside. I thought you''d be scheming, or, I dunno what, really. Training a new skill, that you wanted to keep private? You never lock your door." Rosalie red at her. "But either way, I did want privacy, and you knew it." "Oh, stop with the glowering," Elodie said, rolling her eyes. "It''s just me. Your gross perversions are safe, I promise. And yes, I''m sorry, I acted on impulse." She threw her arms open. "Enough of that! Come give your sister a hug. It''s been, what, two months? I missed you!" Elodie was probably the only person in the family who could say something like that so earnestly, with genuine warmth in her voice. However mad she might be¡ªand she was definitely genuinely upset, to some degree¡ªshe wavered at seeing Elodie standing there, arms spread wide, beaming smile on her face, earnestly waiting for her wee-home hug. She really wasn''t a d''Celestin at all. Rosalie groaned, sighed, then stepped forward into her sister''s embrace. The taller girl squeezed her tightly, lifting her off the ground and shaking her side to side as sheughed in delight. As expected, Rosalie had gotten more than she''d bargained for. "Stop that! Put me down! Do you mind?" Elodie did, and Rosalie huffed and straightened out her blouse. She eyed her sister. "It''s good to see you too, Elodie. However much of a headache you can be." "That''s no way to talk to family," she tutted, crossing her arms and giving her a scolding look. Itsted less than a second before the grin was back. "Okay, but seriously, spill it. How did that happen? And were you made out of slime?" Elodie''s smile morphed abruptly into a distraught expression. "Please tell me I''m not the second most adventurous d''Celestin now. I have a reputation to maintain, Rosalie! It''s all I have!" Rosalie rubbed her forehead. Elodie was a cyclone in the best of cases¡ªshe meant that halfway endearingly, and only halfway¡ªand she really did want answers, she could tell. This talk wasn''t going to be easy, was it? 7.20 – The Eldest Sister II 7.20 ¨C The Eldest Sister II Elodie calmed from her over-excited state, fortunately, as the conversation began in earnest. It had been a while since they had talked, so they had a lot to catch up on. Both practical¡ªlike the shard-eaters, her new team, and Zoey''s sponsorship¡ªalong with the personal. Which Elodie had gotten a vivid preface to. Idly walking through the estate''s expansive garden, the two sisters talked about all sorts of sensitive topics under the protection of her sound-barrier artifact. Unlike with her father, Rosalie gave the full story, since hiding her rtionship with Zoey was out the window. She omitted the exact details, of course, because her sister didn''t need to know what they were getting up to in each shard, but with some awkwardness¡ªand delight and insistence on Elodie''s part¡ªshe exined how she had fallen into Zoey''s orbit, and the strange nature of her ss and the shards they ventured into. Even Elodie, carefree as she could be, sharpened her attention when the shard eaters were brought up, and what Ephythithys choosing a champion implied for the world atrge. But she had talked with Father already, and so she wasn''t shocked by anything she said; she''d gotten the overview earlier. Elodie was much more interested in the personal side of things. To Rosalie''s chagrin. "I really can''t believe it," shemented. "I''ve been gone two months, and when Ie back, my prudish little sister has not one, or two, but two and a half girlfriends. And I didn''t even get to vet them." "I''m more than capable of selecting my own romantic partners, Elodie. Your personal approval is wholly unnecessary." Elodie clutched at her chest like she''d been struck by an arrow. Grumbling, Rosalie amended, "Though your concern is appreciated." The beaming smile returned, easy as that. "Tell me about them." "Haven''t I already?" "You recited a list of events. Pared down to the most crucial details, amander giving a battle report. No, Rosalie. Tell me about them. How did they melt that cold, frozen heart of yours?" Rosalie eyed her. "Actually, that''s not true. You don''t have a cold, frozen heart. You just pretend¡ª" Rosalie made a sound of protest. "¡ªBut how''d they get past the mask to find the gross and gooey insides?" "Evocative as always, Elodie." Rosalie sighed, well ustomed to her eldest sibling''s antics. "Must I really? It''s embarrassing to just ¡­ talk about such things." "Really? It''s embarrassing to tell your sister about the girls you''re in love with? See, that''s where Enzo messed you up. All of us up," she corrected. "We''re family. Who else would you talk about this with?" Rosalie grimaced, and Elodie rolled her eyes. "I don''t need you to write poetry about them. I just wanna know why you like them." She narrowed her eyes. "So I can decide which ones I have to kill." She delivered the sentence so deadpan that Rosalie paused, however much she knew it was a joke. "I would prefer if you don''t kill any of them," she said anyway, "regardless of what conclusions youe to." "I''ll take that under advisement." This time, Rosalie was the one to roll her eyes. "Seriously, gimme the juicy details!" Rosalie wrinkled her nose but reluctantly obliged. She hardly had to think deeply about the answer; she knew why she liked Zoey, and¡ªreluctantly¡ªwhy she liked Delta too. Her affection for Maddy was less deep, but it was burgeoning, and Astrid, well, she''d only known Astrid a few days, so she wouldn''t throw her into the mix yet. When Elodie had said ''two and a half girlfriends'', Maddy had been the one who half counted. "Zoey is ¡­ a breath of fresh air," Rosalie said, choosing the words carefully. "Someonepletely removed from our lifestyle. It''s surprising how much I appreciate that. Even now that she''s adjusting to being a wayfarer, her personality hasn''t changed in the slightest. She''s kind, considerate, insightful. A gentle soul, for all that she''s handling herself well inbat. Empathetic, too. Brash and impulsive in her own way, but not thoughtless. I feel like she always knows what I''m thinking. She ¡­ has always assumed the best out of me, too." "And she''s got great tits," Elodie said. Rosalie looked at her reproachfully. "Didn''t mean to ruin the moment." By the shit-eating grin, she clearly had. Though it had also been intentional; breaking the tension, since she knew Rosalie struggled with talks like these. Elodie, too, was empathetic, strangely so for their upbringing. "Or are you annoyed because I shouldn''t talk about your girlfriend like that?" "I would rather you didn''t remark on my girlfriend''s breasts in any manner, yes." "Well, I''m just calling the sky blue. Those things are incredible. Seriously, they''re¡ª" "Elodie!" "Right, right. Go ahead." She mimed zippering her mouth. "Delta, on the other hand, is a lot like you," Rosalie said tly. Both sisters paused at that, and Rosalie grimaced at what she''d identally implied. "There''s simrities in your personalities, I mean. Generalizing. She''s straightforward and impulsive, and acts ording to her beliefs¡ªwhich are principled. For all that she causes trouble, she''s a good person at heart, and she''s very ¡­ affectionate. Like Zoey, I always get the feeling that she ¡­ sees me. That''s the biggest thing, with both of them. That I don''t need to¡ª" She struggled for how to put it. "Put on an act?" "No. Rather, that even if I try, they see through it. I don''t know." Rosalie shrugged. "I haven''t had to put it into words." Elodie nodded, making Rosalie think she was actually taking this seriously for a moment, then she added, "And she''s also got great tits. Two for two, in that department. You outdid yourself." Rosalie swatted at her, but Elodie ducked out of the way with ease. Sheughed as she fluidly returned to Rosalie''s side. "Nah, but really. It''s bad to only care about the attraction factor, but that''s an important part of a rtionship. Sexual appeal. And, I mean, I only saw them when they were made out of goo, but still. Two big thumbs up." Sheughed, clearly not finding the topic remotely as awkward as Rosalie¡ªor more likely, purposefully venturing into this territory because it flustered Rosalie. And it was working. Rosalie''s cheeks burned. "I''m not sure if this is appropriate to talk about with you of all people, Elodie." Elodie''s eyes nearly disappeared into her skull. "How," sheined, "are you turning into a slime-girl and fucking two women at once, but you''re still too prudish to talk about your girlfriends with your sister?" "Because you''re my sister," she hissed. "And? It''s just girl talk. It''s not like I''m into them, these are just observations. You''re the carpet muncher of the family." "Elodie!" Elodieughed. "Though, they had extra equipment down there, too. Don''t think I missed that. What''s up with that? Part of the potion? Lets you change your body? I mean, I heard rumors about the tall one already, but¡ª" "We are not talking about this," Rosalie said. Sensing that Rosalie meant it this time, Elodie eased off. "Fine, fine. But I do want to know how you did it. For, um, personal reasons?" For the first time, Elodie''s own cheeks colored. "Potion? Other magic? An item? I''ve really gotta know." "It was a potion." "Sweet. Hook me up with your supplier." She coughed. "And no, I''m not kidding. I''d appreciate it." Rosalie filed the request away and absolutely did not think about the implications of it. "And thest one?" Elodie prompted. "Maddy? Hm. We''re not officially girlfriends yet." "I know. But it''s a maybe, I can tell." "It''s a maybe, yes." "She''s more of your girlfriend''s girlfriend, right now?" "Yes. And the two of them aren''t official yet either. It could change, there''s a lot I respect about Maddy. Just, I''ve interacted the least with her." Though those interactions had been pleasant. She fought a flush as she remembered having her head stuck between the girl''s thighs. Elodie bobbed her head in agreement. "Makes sense. Hmm. Oh. Enzo told me to ask about your advancement, he wouldn''t tell me himself. What''s up with that?" Ah. This topic again. With Charlotte, it had been a much more ufortable reveal because of their rivalry. But there was no such antagonism between her and Elodie. Why would there be? Charlotte felt spurned for being passed over for heiress despite being Rosalie''s elder; the one who should have been given the title. But Elodie had deliberately ceded that responsibility. Even her lesser responsibilities, for that matter. Elodie was sixth advancement. At four years older than Rosalie¡ªtwenty-two years old¡ªthat made her an unprecedented prodigy. Again, her not being the family heiress was entirely for factors outside of herbat ability. It was possible she was more of a prodigy than Rosalie herself. Unfortunately, a concrete answer to that would be difficult to find, because while Rosalie was making a better pace through the ranks than Elodie, it was obviously thanks to Zoey''s skills as much as personal talent. "Probably because he wanted to keep it a surprise," Rosalie said. "It shocked him too. I arrived as fourth advancement." Elodie tripped and face-nted into the grass. Rosalie looked down at her disdainfully. Elodie had never once ''tripped over something''. She was a monster among monsters, a wayfaring prodigy not seen in generations¡ªand was sixth advancement at twenty two years old. Nothing in the world was capable of making her lose her basic coordination. So she was just doing it to be dramatic. She''d always been the odd one of the family. "Get up, Elodie," Rosalie said patiently. "Before someone sees you." Elodie gaped up at her from the ground, still sprawled out. "Fourth? In a few weeks? How is that possible?" "I''ve already mentioned Zoey''s skills." Well, in generalities, not specifics. She guessed she hadn''t exined the experience-boosting skill. "They make you advance faster? That much faster?" "Get up, Elodie. I realize you don''t respect the family name, but you should still act with decorum in public." At least the garden was semi-private. Only staff would see them. Elodie climbed to her feet and dusted herself off. "Agree to disagree. You take yourself too seriously." They smoothed past it easily; it was an old piece of friction between them, and not worth getting into here and now. "But seriously, the baby goddess makes you advance faster? That''s insane." "Indeed. It''s a highly conditional skill, though, and involuntary on her part. She needs to bond with someone." Even to Elodie, she wouldn''t leak the true nature of how Zoey''s Bonds worked. Because already, a skill that massively improved advancement speed put the world''srgest target on Zoey''s back. Few were poised as well to defend her as the d''Celestin family, but¡ªit was best that only the bare, bare minimum number of people knew that secret, even in vague terms. "Wow," Elodie said. "You''re gonna catch up to me in no time, then, aren''t you?" There was a brief moment in which Rosalie worried wariness would creep into Elodie''s voice, or jealousy, but rather than that¡ªor even vague frustration¡ªthe taller girl lit up with a beaming smile. "That means we''ll be able to run a shard sooner than I thought! That''s so cool!" Elodie paused, then coughed. "Er, a duo shard, the two of us, I mean. For funsies. I think I''ll stay out of your¡ªuh, orgy shards. Those are all yours." "Please don''t call them that." "Do you, or do you not, have orgies inside them?" "A threesome is not an orgy," Rosalie hissed, disbelieving she even had to say those words. "Or a foursome for that matter." "And when there''s five? Six?" Elodie arched an eyebrow, and Rosalie hated that there was some kernel of logic there. "S-Shut up." She hastily picked up her stroll through the garden, forcing aughing Elodie to jog after her¡ªgiving her a second to think about how to deflect from this awful topic. "Enough about me. What have you been up to?" The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!