Nora looked at Yvain weirdly, “Take care of them how?”
Yvain lifted his hands, closing and opening them as if squishing something soft. “I’ll massage them of course.” He had no actual knowledge of how to massage someone, but it was the only thing he could think of. That and he wanted to touch her ass.
Nora gave him an eye roll, entirely aware of his more lecherous reasons. Nonetheless, she turned and laid herself down on the floor. Yvain watched enraptured as her chest spilled out of her sides.
“I can feel you staring at my breasts,” Nora said and quietly looked at Yvain’s lower half out of the corner of her eye, “Haven’t you had enough?”
Yvain was hard again. Caught, he bashfully smiled and shifted his focus to Nora’s bottom.
Moving her gaze to the front, she spoke, “How about this? If you treat my ‘poor’ behind kindly then I’ll let you play with my breasts to your heart’s content.”
While Nora set a condition, he could tell it was just her own way of setting up their game of seduction. He had already told her that he would use her globes to his heart’s content, and she’d happily let him. Just as she could play with his own body and he’d happily let her. This didn’t mean that he would take said liberties at the moment. He was beginning to learn that he liked this sort of thing, the slowly increasing tension. And he planned to pamper her first anyways.
“It’s a deal,” he said and got up to grab the soap and turn off the shower.
Sitting down next to Nora’s prone body, Yvain put the soap aside for the time being and explored the mountains of flesh in detail for the first time. Compared to the women he had seen in the past, he could confidently say that Nora was on the meatier spectrum. With her naked legs sprawled out, her butt-cheeks nicely tucked themselves into high buns that seemed softer than pillows. And thanks to thighs thick and muscular enough to allow her a wide range of gravity-defying movements, the lower body in front of him transformed into hedonistic temptation.
That same impossible to resist cuisine was beet red thanks to him. It stood out from the rest of her pale skin like giant angry apples. Yvain lightly set a hand on each one and gently sank his fingers in.
“Hnng!” Nora’s body tensed up a bit before relaxing.
“Does it hurt that much?” Yvain asked.
Nora nodded. “I’m frankly getting tired of my weakened state. As with my leg, if my strength was at its peak I could have taken the beating you gave me.”
Yvain ran his hands across the scarlet surface softly. “Don’t say it like that; it sounds as if I mistreated you.” He leaned in and ran his tongue over Nora’s bottom, kissing her meaty cheeks.
Nora mirthlessly laughed, “I guess I should use a better word for it.” Yvain waited for her to continue but she remained silent. Did he take it too far after all? He kept caressing her behind, a small voice in him urging an apology but it felt like it would be wrong to do so. To drown it out, he ramped up his ministration of Nora’s behind, trying to convey through his touch the overflowing emotions growing in him. Before long she was giving appreciative moans, which assuaged some of his troubles.
After getting his fill, Yvain lathered his hands. With everything still wet from the shower it didn’t take long for the soap to take hold, and he tried not to laugh like a child as his hands easily slid all over her behind. Once everything was covered in foam, he moved his hands in between.
“Slowly!” Nora panted as her waist flinched away from his touch, “slowly.” Yvain followed her request and with almost no pressure washed her sphincter, her moans getting a shred more pronounced. When he reached her pussy he washed around it at first, but Nora stopped him when he was about to insert his fingers.
“You don’t need to do that, just the outside is fine,” she said.
Yvain quietly stuck to cleaning the surroundings, making an effort to dodge the part that made her cum instantly.
Finished, he moved to Nora’s legs. Here he didn’t hold back at all and used his full strength to wash them, wanting to feel their power. As his fingers dug deep into muscle, Nora’s moans turned more sultry than painful, no matter how much pressure he used. The way her muscles contorted and flexed under his touch reminded him of his master.
While Elly was an attractive woman, Yvain had never seen her as anything other than his teacher and friend. Releasing all his strength against her in a fight felt good, but what he was doing with Nora now had a more animalistic and fulfilling side to it. In a way it was therapeutic.
And her legs truly stirred up his loins to no end. They made him wonder just how strong she was. If the destruction in the dungeon was any indication, it was a fact that she vastly outclassed him. But he hadn’t been there to see by how much. Would fighting her feel the same as when he fought that dragon? If that was the case, he wanted to surpass her.
Yvain had always been competitive; Elly could attest to that. And now the target of his new obsession was stronger than him. All of Nora called to him to conquer in more ways than one. He couldn’t imagine not having her in his life at all. It should feel constricting, even frustrating considering his nature, but seeing how she was lying down naked and defenseless for him, everything was as it should be.
Content with his work on Nora’s legs, Yvain switched to her feet. He sat in front of them and grabbed both in his hands, her toes moving back and forth as if to greet him. Curious, he played around with the digits to feel how they moved. Nora laughed and went along with his curiosity, pushing toes against fingers playfully. It was when he ran his hand across the sole that he got a more acute reaction.
Nora suddenly tried to pull her feet away laughing, “S-stop!”
Yvain did the exact opposite of her request and held both feet to his chest with one arm, mercilessly tickling them while grinning. Nora trashed around trying to get herself free to no avail; her giggling so infectious that soon he was laughing too.
“I’m going to pee myself if you don’t stop!” Nora said, trying to sound serious but failing thanks to his attacks.
“That’s alright, you already peed yourself once,” Yvain said.
Nora blushed, “Please don’t mention that.”
Yvain knew he would go mad if he didn’t tease her even more in face of her reddening expression, and thinking on how to do so got an idea. He gave a few tentative licks and bites to Nora’s soles, surmising that using a combination of something softer and harder than his fingers might make her more sensitive, and her laughter immediately turned into a weird combination of laughing moans. Her feet became tense, and he latched on completely, wanting to hear more of her. Before he knew it the laughing had stopped, and Nora was pushing her feet more into his mouth instead of running away.
“It can’t be, it can’t be,” she moaned and moved her head from side to side, trying to deny something. Yvain just focused on his task with fervor.
Nora’s voice reached a higher pitch and, as her moans oscillated, her body shook.
Yvain was surprised when he saw her squirt. It was nowhere near as strong as before, but it was clear that she just had an orgasm. He decided to let her rest and moved to her toes, playing with them in his mouth while waiting. When Nora came down from her impromptu ejaculation she began to move them around his mouth on her own.
“I can’t believe you made me come from my feet,” Nora said in wonder. She released her feet from his mouth and slowly slid them down his chest until they were holding onto his dick. Wet with spit they slid over his length easily as she began to jerk him. She turned her head and looked at him with hunger.
“We can’t take too long,” Yvain said with shaky breath. He still needed to wash himself and find clothes for his voluptuous woman.
Nora looked pensive for a moment. “I did promise I’d let you play with my breasts,” she said.
“I told you I’d play with them, you mean,” Yvain said. Nora lightly flicked his chin with her foot as she pouted, making him laugh.
“Let me finish washing you,” he said.
Yvain grabbed the soap and lathered up Nora’s feet, careful not to tickle her this time. Setting them aside, he went to turn the shower on. The scalding water poured out once more and he turned to find Nora sitting with her legs pulled back in an ‘M’ shape, her fingers furiously pumping in and out of her pussy as she ate him up with her gaze.
“I get to-hmm! Wash you next time,” she said in-between a moan.
“Does that mean you’ll stay?” Yvain said with no hidden amount of hope.
Nora’s fingers slowed down as her focus suddenly shifted and she looked away from his expectant stare.
“If your friends will have me I don’t see why not,” she said.
Yvain couldn’t stop the smile that stretched from ear to ear. Riding on his current high he turned off the shower once the soap had been rinsed off and motioned for Nora to lay down. She was about to move her hands away from her pussy but Yvain stopped her.
“Leave them there,” he said.
With Nora’s arms pushing her breasts out of the way in order to reach down, the two globes were blown up even more. She seemed to be unaware of just how rousing a view she was creating and he didn’t want the arousing scene in front of him to disappear. Oblivious or not, she did as told and got on her back, hands still on her mound.
Yvain sat down on her arms and stomach with increasing fever, then set his length between her colossal breasts. His thighs pressed together, pinning down all of her upper body and at the same time making her chest bulge out even more.
“Keep playing with yourself, I’ll handle these beasts,” he said.
“Are you sure you were a virgin before this?” Nora asked in a halting voice.
Yvain nodded, still smiling, “It all just comes by instinct.”
“You’re a natural pervert then,” Nora said, tittering.
“Who wouldn’t be when presented with such a perverted body?” Yvain said and pinched both her nipples.
Nora bit her lips as she flinched and her torso rose, taking him up just a few inches in the air. The squelching sounds restarted as she looked at him with doe eyes.
In the back of his head Yvain was impressed at how Nora retained some capacity to move even when being held down by him. But he simply redoubled his efforts and pinned her down against the floor again; the crushing force clearly painting pleasure on her and her stiffening nipples. He then reached out for the soap and lathered her chest. Once he was happy with their slipperiness he crushed them together around his dick and slowly moved his hips.
Nora’s tits were the most pliable thing he had ever touched. They kept a nice round shape when left to gravity, but once his hands grabbed them they easily gave way. It didn’t feel as good as her mouth or pussy, but the way he held her down in place and the way she allowed him to use her breasts as he pleased was intoxicating.
“Press them harder,” Nora moaned, this time using her head as a base to raise her chest higher.
Yvain didn’t bother to pin her down again and simply increased the pressure of his hands, dividing the fleshy spheres in a fat upper and lower section. The squelching sounds came faster and Nora’s abs shook constantly underneath. Her nipples were as stiff as they could get, both pointing directly at him.
By now Yvain could tell that they were extremely sensitive. The sensation coming from her breasts was nice, but it wouldn’t be enough to help him reach an orgasm. Pleasuring her would be reward enough.
He stopped his movements and brought both of Nora’s nipples to his mouth, biting down hard on the hardened appendages.
Nora silently trashed as her juices were released with an audible spray. Yvain pressed his thighs harder and held on as if riding a wild horse while still biting her breasts. She tried to pull her arms free but her body’s wild movements made him have to hold on harder which in turn stopped them from coming out. And lost as he was in the image of her struggle inside her own lust, he kept his teeth latched on, unaware of his surroundings. Thus a sort of loop was created where neither of them could stop the other or themselves.
“M-mercy,” Nora’s voice came out almost a wheeze when she begged after an unknown amount of time had passed.
Yvain quickly released Nora’s nipples and relaxed his thighs as she fell flat on the floor panting; after-shocks still assaulting her. He watched enraptured as her nipples quivered as if alive but soon forced his head to clear up. Berating himself for once more hurting her, he was about to apologize but stopped himself when Nora opened her mouth wide and stuck out her tongue—the appendage long enough that it reached her chin. In one smooth sensual motion the organ licked up the air in invitation.
The short-lived lucidity Yvain had managed to snatch went up in smoke, and with a particularly fierce thrust to Nora’s breasts he sent his dick into her waiting orifice. Her tongue quickly got to work, trying to wrap itself around his shaft and lick his sensitive head. Spit covered part of his length with more dribbling down her chin and a pressure in his lower abdomen began to grow. He wanted to start moving, and his penis was long enough that he could enjoy both her breasts and mouth without having to pull out, but he needed more. He needed to be inside of her.
Yvain moved up Nora’s breast and half-sat on the soft cushions, forcefully shoving his hard dick all the way in. The sudden intrusion made her gag for a bit but soon she was looking up at him with complete devotion. With only her nose and eyes visible to him, Yvain felt Nora’s mouth and throat constrict around him as she licked and swallowed; ragged breath coming out of her nose and hitting his skin.
“You call me a pervert, but look how happy you are,” Yvain said with a strained voice and pressed her head harder against his crotch, “with my dick all the way down your throat.” Nora moaned, sending vibrations through his length, and her eyes rolled back for a fragment of a second before settling on his own again.
“You have peculiar eyes,” Yvain said and pushed away some of Nora’s fiery hair obstructing the view.
This was the first time he took a good look at them without being distracted by all of her at once. His hips almost came to a full stop as he inspected them. They were the traditional dark colors of those in Empryon, but these were interlaced with specks of electric yellow one wouldn’t be able to detect without closer inspection. Nora shut her eyes before he could drink more of them and tried to move her head away with a startled cry, but it was impossible with his dick holding her in place.
“Open them,” Yvain said, but Nora shook her head and gave a high-pitched whine of defiance not so different from a young girl refusing her father’s order. He didn’t want to force her but it also didn’t feel right to let her get away with denying his simple request. So his hand, as if with a mind of its own, rose before powerfully falling on one of her massive breasts creating a pleasing meaty smack.
Nora grunted and her eyes flew open in surprise which quickly turned into indignation.
“They’re beautiful,” Yvain said, but Nora didn’t acknowledge the compliment. She stared straight at him with her mouth becoming still. Yvain wasn’t bothered by her inaction though. He happily slid himself in and out of her in what was now a confrontational staring contest. He had seen the same gaze several times whenever he sparred with his master. By now he knew that Nora was just as competitive as he and Elly, but unlike master and pupil she sometimes relished being in a state of defeat. It was a conundrum, same as the pleasure he took in bringing her to that position.
Nora’s hands ran up and down Yvain’s muscular thighs and back, making sure to thoroughly feel everything they touched, as they stared at each other in silence. Soon she shifted focus to his bottom and she pushed push him deeper into her. Thinking that she was past her temporary anger, he allowed himself to be moved when a crisp smack rang out throughout the bathroom as Nora slapped his ass with all her strength.
Yvain grunted in pain and pushed his hips forward into her welcoming mouth by reflex. He tried to process what just happened as Nora’s hands got their fill of his behind and caressed his now stinging cheek. Her eyes were smiling in glee while she sucked especially hard.
A type of growl Yvain had never used before vibrated out of his chest. Nora’s eyes widened and he gripped a handful of her hair, forcing her head deeper with his own hands instead of moving his hips. Using one arm for balance he set his body in a prone position and used the other to pump her head. Crotch meeting head in a violent clash, he earnestly fucked her mouth.
Even under the circumstances Nora moaned while holding on to Yvain’s thighs, sometimes actually pushing him down harder. The angle was different but it felt just as good as the first blowjob she gave him. And like the first time, she did her best to coax out his cum; her tongue trying to lick whatever it could and her cheeks constricting as his dick went in and out of her. It was as if their small silent dispute never happened, all she wanted was to drink him, and it pushed him to being even rougher.
When Nora’s sucking got more insistent Yvain neared the edge of his orgasm. He wanted to look at her as he filled her, and so he pushed her face all the way in and righted his posture. Eyes meeting, all the pent up cum shot into her throat and, not wanting a repeat of their time in bed, pinched her nose close. When the first spurt burst out her eyes rolled back.
“Drink all of it,” Yvain ground out.
Nora moaned in assent and swallowed eagerly, her body shaking as she orgasmed. But as always the amount of cum he could push out was seemingly endless. Soon she needed to breathe and tried to pull him off or at least make him release her nose, but Yvain held on. With each discharge of cum, she was forced toward a new orgasm, a mouthful of more cum, and loss precious breath. No matter how much she pushed back, Yvain held on with no intention of releasing her. Her hands scratched and pulled in desperation, yet it only served to increase his sinful pleasure. And why wouldn’t it? Even when he saw the fear building in her eyes as she couldn’t breathe, a sort of sick ecstasy was in there too which appeared every time she drank his essence. It was when she puked out his seed around his cock and stomach in an eruption of semen that he came out of his hazed state and released her.
“Fuck, fuck.” Yvain helped Nora sit up quickly as she coughed and wheezed, spunk shooting out of her mouth. He couldn’t do anything other than watch worriedly as cum came out in waves. The amount shooting out of her mouth was such that he was finally starting to mull over the impossibility of his releases. He couldn’t possibly hold such an amount in him.
When Nora finally puked everything out, a substantial part of her body was covered in his white liquid. Her mouth was more or less covered in a milky coat and her hair was in disarray. Somehow Yvain found her incredibly alluring even in her current state, but he had better sense than to voice such thoughts at the moment.
“I’m sorry,” Yvain said in a small voice.
Nora blankly looked at him and then at herself. Before Yvain could react she jumped on him and linked mouths. He felt his own cum be pushed down his throat as Nora’s tongue swirled and spat it in. She rubbed her body against his, effectively covering it in his own spunk.
When they separated a mischievous smile was on Nora’s lips.
“Apology accepted,” she said.
Yvain quickly pushed her arms away and stood, reaching for the lever to the shower. He rinsed his mouth, constantly gagging and spatting as Nora giggled in the background. When he finally felt his mouth was adequately clean he sat back down with a defeated sigh, leaving the water running so it could wash off the mess they made.
“I guess I deserved that,” he said, more relieved than bothered thanks to Nora’s continuous laugh. Her wild hair had become limp with water once more and she pushed it out of her eyes, fidgeting in place.
“You’re not bothered?” she asked.
“About what?” Yvain said.
“Well…” Nora seemed taken aback by his answer, “I made you swallow your own cum. I thought you’d be angry.”
Yvain thought about her words. Should he be angry? All of this was new to him. He guessed that some people wouldn’t find it pleasing, but it was the spunk he forced down Nora’s throat. Even if he was worried for her well-being, making her choke on it felt like a medal of honor, in a way. He wouldn’t seek out the act Nora just did, but if he was caught by surprise the way he just had, he’d mark it up as his lover being unruly, nothing more nothing less. Regardless, he had done much worse to her.
“It’s just you’re own way of expressing yourself, it doesn’t break any boundaries,” he said with a shrug.
A worried Nora smiled, going back to her joyous self in the blink of an eye. Yvain could almost feel the sense of sheer relief coming out of her. But the smile took a somber note as fast as it arrived just a few seconds later, tears flowing around it. It was as if a dam had abruptly broken apart, releasing a catastrophe.
Nora raised her hand to her mouth and tried to contain choked sobs that forced their way out.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she said.
Yvain anxiously moved to her side and hugged her.
“What are you crying for? I said I wasn’t angry,” he said.
Nora just shook her head, trying to calm herself down. Yvain embraced her in quiet agony as her shoulders trembled, not wanting to accidentally make her more upset. He didn’t understand what was going on, but he didn’t like seeing her like this at all. It felt like whatever was causing her pain was doing the same to him. Only that he didn’t know who or what the perpetrator was and could only wait in despondency as she suffered.
“It’s not that,” Nora finally managed to say. She looked at him and spoke with a tearful voice, “We need to talk.”
——————————-
Yvain was going to lead Nora to bed after they both quickly cleaned themselves up in uneasy silence, but she preferred for them to stay under the hot running water. Seeing as it had a positive effect on her, he agreed to her request. Now they were both sitting on the floor with Nora resting against his chest.
“I’m… not sure where to begin,” Nora said, sounding unsure of herself.
Yvain considered her for a moment. “Just start from the beginning and move forward steadily,” he said, “no need to rush, we can be a bit late.”
“The beginning huh,” Nora said.
Seemingly making up her mind she spoke, “I wasn’t born into this world the way you would expect. It would be accurate to say that I fell into it as I am now.” She laid her head back against Yvain’s shoulder and continued, “I never had a mother or father, brothers or sisters, grandparents, cousins, uncles, aunts.”
“In other words you’re–”
“Yes, I’m a goddess. The goddess of dragons to be exact.”
“I was going to say an orphan, but…” Yvain tried to make Nora laugh but all that came out was a lame joke. He couldn’t see her reaction, but the silence that followed his words was all he needed to hear. Trying to ignore his embarrassment he focused on looking for her extra body parts which he already knew weren’t there.
“You look human,” he said.
“It’s a change I had to go through out of necessity, but it’s not permanent,” Nora said quietly.
Yvain was reminded of Roesia and her form changing incidents. Was it something similar? If it was then Nora’s attempt had been much more successful. Nonetheless, her being part of the dragon race didn’t really bother him. Her being a goddess on the other hand filled him with dread.
The group’s knowledge on gods and goddesses was even less than that of the beast races before they made a guild. It was part of what he and his companions learned about when they created Draconian’s Tavern, but they were only told of their existence. It was thanks to Nelimir’s obsession that they managed to piece together some semblance of understanding. And out of all the information they acquired, there was one glaring fact.
Yvain wrapped his arms tighter around Nora and buried his face in her neck.
“Are you immortal?” he asked.
Her answer didn’t come immediately, and when it did, it was barely audible.
“Yes,” she said.
There it was. There would come a day when they would have to separate regardless of how good or bad their relationship was. Would she live on to find another man? Would she forget him with enough time? Would her attraction to him die as wrinkles grew on leathery skin? A myriad of questions and worries formed in Yvain’s mind. But one thought stood out from the rest, and that was his unwillingness to accept any of it.
“Can I become immortal?” he asked, forcing his voice to remain steady. No matter what he didn’t want Nora to know of his fears. He waited for her to speak but no answer came.
Nora’s silence began to create a sense of impending doom until she hugged his hands into herself and spoke with a soft voice, “No. It’s one of the things all Starchildren have to learn to live with, as well as those close to them.” As if knowing what he would ask next, she explained, “It’s what our race is called, Starchildren. It’s the name all gods and goddesses are given inside their memories when we come into this world.”
Yvain made sure to commit the name to memory but something else took precedence. Had she truly learned to live with it? It didn’t feel right to ask her such a thing. She certainly sounded calm under the knowledge that their time together was limited. Would she mourn his death?
“Was your ex-husband mortal?” Yvain asked, trying to find a roundabout way to learn of her thoughts on the death of a loved one.
Nora nodded. “We come to this world because we can’t feel any type of emotion in ours. Our interests lie in those who have had them since birth. In other words, mortals.”
Her answer only gave Yvain more questions. He tried to imagine how such an existence would be like, but it was impossible to do so. It would be like trying to imagine how a man, blind since birth, perceived their surroundings after gaining sight. He wanted to know more about her experiences. He wanted to assuage his own fears and ascertain her emotions for him. But there was no time.
“Then, what’s bothering you?” he asked. Did she miss her ex-husband? No matter how much she said that Starchildren had to learn to live with their immortality, he had to be realistic, the death of loved ones couldn’t be something one grows used to. And while he was far from experienced in romantic relationships, he at least knew people often said what they themselves wanted to believe. Did she still have lingering feelings for her dead lover? As much as it’d annoy him it was a very real possibility.
So far scalding water had been constantly falling on them. The steam was enough that Yvain had some trouble seeing anything and his skin was already a vivid red, but his full concentration was on Nora. She took a deep breath and exhaled.
“A dragon’s desire is unparalleled,” she said. “While humans might be considered greedy, it doesn’t compare to the avarice of a dragon. It can range from power to social status, ability in a craft, ideals they wish to fulfill,” Nora’s voice weirdly turned more hostile as she spoke, “anything they desire, they desire it with an almost maniacal fixation. It serves as a double edge sword that can both destroy and create.”
This was the type of information Yvain and Nelimir had been after their whole lives. It was unfortunate that at the moment he was far from interested in it. But he still paid full attention, trying to figure out where Nora was taking the conversation.
“Being the goddess of dragons, I was coveted by almost every male and female of my race,” she said.
“Wait, I thought your race were the Starchildren?” he asked.
“Correct, but I’m also a dragon,” Nora said, but Yvain still couldn’t understand. Her brows furrowed in concentration. “You could say that I’m a Starchild in spirit, but a mortal in body. While I’m a goddess, I am also a dragon.”
Yvain was about to ask what it meant to be mortal in body―considering she said she was immortal― and what it meant to be a Starchid in spirit, but decided to just give a sign of understanding for now and allow her to continue.
“Many tried to court me over the passage of time. But the one who finally managed to win my favor was our emperor.” Hearing Nora talk about another man she had felt something for filled Yvain with anger and jealousy, but it was quickly overtaken by a more serious matter. If the emperor was Nora’s ex-husband then his death should not have been a small matter. Further still, this meant that she was the empress of the dragon race. What was an empress doing in Empryon by herself?
“He was a leader loved by all. Everything he did was for the sake of his people. As such it didn’t take long for me to fall for him.” A bubbling discomfort crawled around Nora so Yvain rubbed her back in rapport. She sighed and pushed back into his touch.
“The problem was that I only saw that aspect of him. Yes, he was a man kind to his subjects, but he was also someone that coveted to be above all. Yet, his wife was the goddess of dragons. No matter how much he tried he would never be above me. Even if I didn’t care or want power, who I was inherently took control away from him. In his eyes I was a source of endless turmoil. And so he did everything he could to make me seem smaller than I actually was in public and in private. His closest subjects allowed to treat me as any other commoner.”
“Why didn’t you stop him?” Yvain asked. Nora wrapped her hand around his forearm and squeezed, indicating that he was pressing too hard. He eased the pressure in slight panic, making her chuckle and turn to give him a quick kiss.
“Remember what I said about the nature of dragons? I’m pretty greedy myself. And as the goddess of dragons one of the things I strive for is the prosperity of my people. No matter what he did to me, he still saw to it that the race prospered. And my own position was a source of strength for everyone. But…” Nora paused. Yvain waited for a moment but the silence stretched on.
“But?” he asked, making Nora’s shoulders jump.
She silently turned around and straddled Yvain, her breasts pressing themselves against his chest.
“But I’m also a mother,” Nora said and bore a stare into his eyes, most likely attempting to catch every detail of his reaction.
Keeping an impassive expression proved impossible. Nora was a mother. She had a child with another man. Not just any man, but the emperor of the dragon race. How old was it? Did it become the new emperor or empress? Would he be able to accept it as his own? Would he even have to? Did he want to? What kind of person was it? Would this affect his place in the guild? If he knew one thing for sure is that he couldn’t abandon Nora, not since they stood face to face in that dungeon.
“Where’s the child?” he asked doubtfully.
Nora pursed her lips and shook her head, her brow scrunching up with ache , “I don’t know.”
The simple words contained a deeper story. Yvain took her face in his hand, “What happened?”
Nora closed her eyes and held on to his caress, trying to gather herself.
“The one good thing to come out of my marriage was the birth of my daughter. In that moment I wasn’t just after the well-being of my race, but of hers. It gave new meaning to my existence. Unfortunately it wasn’t the same for her father. She just became the new tool by which he could torment and keep me in place.”
Besides anger, Yvain was becoming more and more disappointed by what he was hearing. Was this what the beast races were like? The perpetual evil advertised in Empryon? He wasn’t expecting a paradise, but he also wasn’t expecting this. They didn’t sound much different from humans.
“That became his mistake and allowing it to happen became mine. Inside my own inner conflict I allowed him to treat her as he see fit.” Nora’s voice broke, tears rushing down and mixing with the water. “I would try to comfort her as much I could but mostly turned a blind eye to her plights. The betrayal I saw every day in her little face robbed me of sleep and appetite.”
Every doubt and question toward Nora’s child was wiped away with the agony Yvain’s woman was in. He hugged her, patiently waiting for her to calm down.
Nora eventually pushed back weakly and wiped her eyes with a sniff, “It was the first time he laid a hand on her that I finally took action,” she set baleful eyes on a scene Yvain could not see, “I beat him to an inch of his life. I didn’t kill him only because of my daughter and my duty to the race. In retrospect I should have done so, damn the consequences.”
“She was there right? Killing her father in front of her wouldn’t have been the right choice regardless of the circumstances.”
Despite her tears Nora smiled and kissed Yvain softly. “You’re right. But I should have at least tried to bring her away sooner. I just… I didn’t understand the lengths at which that bastard would go.”
Yvain looked at her confusedly.
“What I did to him completely crushed his ambitions. It showed him just how powerless he was if I wished it. So I became an enemy.” Nora was looking past Yvain, maybe thinking of all the ways the situation could have gone differently. “He couldn’t keep me in control anymore so he once again went for my weak point, this time selling my daughter. The scumbag sold her to a damn slaver from Empryon.”
“What!?” Yvain said. He could see that Nora thought he was shocked at the fact that her daughter was sold to slavers, which he was. But what really threw him off was the mention of a slaver from Empryon dealing in those of the beast race. It should be impossible. This was something he and Nelimir had investigated a while back. The only conclusion they came to is that everyone hated the ‘monsters’ to such a degree that even merely having them as slaves would be impossible.
Nora nodded, not realizing what he was thinking. “He personally told me what he had done and like a fool I rushed to her rescue, not giving a second thought as to why he would tell me what he did and where she was heading.”
“So you being in the dungeon…”
“Yes, he only sold our daughter so that he could remove me from our home and eliminate me far away from prying eyes,” she said, “that dungeon was supposed to be my grave.”
Her presence on Great Divider now made sense. But the weight of her words finally struck Yvain.
The image of a man wearing broken pieces of exquisite armor, choking on his own blood with fury etched on his face, appeared in his mind.
“I killed the emperor,” Yvain’s eyes were threatening to roll off their sockets. This could very well spell disaster for Empryon.
Nora grabbed the hand that was still holding her and lovingly looked at Yvain, “We killed him.” The pride and joy coming from her at that moment was almost enough to make him forget just how much trouble they were in, but just almost.
“This is a lot to take in,” Yvain lowered his head. Nora’s breasts were in front of him, but he was seeing nothing. His view of her and their current circumstances had completely changed. Remembering the power displayed by both her and the emperor, even while weakened… he now knew for certain that they couldn’t leave Empryon. Especially considering that they killed the beloved leader of a race he and the rest knew nothing of.
“How long do we have until they know what happened?” Yvain asked.
Nora made a troubled expression, “They already do.”
“Stars help us,” hands on face, Yvain tried to rub away the current anxiousness threatening to swallow him.
Nora hugged him close to her and spoke in a soothing tone. “They know that the emperor has died and the last location he was in, but they don’t know who did it. As long as we leave here before anyone arrives we should be fine. And regardless, retribution of any kind won’t come easily, so even if they found out about us we should be alright as long as we don’t venture outside the walls.”
Nora sounded confident in her deduction, but there was something Yvain was curious about.
“How do they know anyway?” They were the only witnesses to the emperor’s death. And while he didn’t know how far the dragon race was from Empryon, even if someone did see them they couldn’t have made the journey back so fast.
“Remember the ability he used when you wounded him?”
Yvain nodded, echoes of the emperor’s roar still bouncing off his mind. “It’s called ‘Imperial Hunger’. Only the emperor can use it and it informs all his close subjects that he has died at the hands of another.”
“What a convenient ability,” Yvain said with some frustration.
“He’s the emperor; it’s not that surprising for him to have a safeguard like that.” Not surprising? Yvain couldn’t think of anyone in Empryon being able to do that. But then again Nora wasn’t from Empryon.
A splitting knock on the door to the bedroom resonated all the way into the ears of the couple inside the bathroom. Just by its booming trait Yvain knew it was Elly, probably frustrated at being made to wait. Yvain motioned for Nora to stand up.
“We have to tell them,” he said. He didn’t know how the members of Draconian’s Tavern would react to the information that they could become the target of an empire, but he couldn’t keep them in the dark.
“That’s fine, but please don’t tell them about… what my ex-husband did,” Nora said nervously.
Remembering how Nora was humiliated and abused in her own home filled Yvain with rage once more. He wanted to ask her about the details but was afraid of making her relieve those memories. Some solace could be found in that he made her ex-husband choke on his own blood.
“We only need to let them know what we’re up against, and that you’re looking for your daughter,” Yvain said. “Nelimir might be able to pull some connections to see if we can find any information.”
Nora brightened and stole his lips in a deep kiss. Separating, she rested her forehead against his and closed her eyes.
“I hate myself for feeling this happy when my daughter is suffering somewhere unknown to me,” she said.
Yvain thought of the child he had tried and failed to protect back at the dungeon. He couldn’t say he completely understood what Nora was going through, but he could feel vestiges of the despondency that came from the failure.
“You’re not alone anymore. Even if Nelimir and the rest decided not to help, I’ll still join you in your search,” he said.
Nora smilingly nodded and Yvain’s bedroom entrance was pounded even harder. He turned the shower off, “Let’s get out of here before Elly breaks my door down.”
As they were leaving the bathroom hand in hand, Yvain noticed the ring Nora had discarded. Picking it up, he was about to hand it over but she pushed his hand back.
“Keep it. Or better yet,” Nora pulled out the ring’s contents, “throw it away. I don’t want to wear it anymore.” Yvain nodded and took the wedding band with him. He usually considered himself a practical man. A ring like Nora’s could be useful to them, but not this one. He’d chuck this one out of the carriage first chance.
While Nora sat naked on the bed, Yvain went to answer the door. An irritated Elly was holding onto the frame overhead with one arm, the other on her waist. Instead of her skimpy armor she was wearing proper clothes. Of course, they were tailor-made for her and accentuated all her curves while still keeping everything covered. Everyone else was already at the table having breakfast.
Elly was unfazed when she saw Yvain’s state of nakedness, but her expression darkened when she looked into the room.
“Hurry up,” was all she said before turning around.
“Wait, can you lend Nora some of your clothes?” Yvain said. “Hers are torn and she doesn’t have any spares.”
Elly was about to protest but Nelimir interjected, “We’re already late as it is, just do as he asks.”
“It’s his fault we’re late in the first place,” came Elly’s dissatisfied mumble, but she nonetheless went to her room. Yvain threw his friend an apologetic look and Nelimir nodded in understanding.
———————-
With Elly’s height, Nora’s new attire was slightly baggy on her. Yet Yvain found it amusing how it seemed to perfectly fit her chest area. When Elly handed her the clothes she noticed the difference too but didn’t address it.
They were all now sitting at the table with Nora right next to him on an extra chair. Selt was making a point of ignoring her presence completely, focusing instead on his food with a weary look.
Nelimir was his usual phlegmatic self, seemingly ready to take action at a moment’s notice while exhibiting an unkempt appearance.
And finally, Roesia had reverted to her normal form; or at least somewhat normal. Yvain tried to suppress a chuckle when the young woman’s tongue shot out and latched onto a sausage, quickly bringing it to her mouth. His magical companion remained with head bowed as she chewed her food, embarrassment and frustration dueling with the remaining side effects of her transformation.
Roesia Reinhart, considered the strongest magic user to ever have graced their old academy. She had cerulean hair soft enough that slight movements made it seem as if she had flowing water coming out of her scalp and a refined look worthy of the most narcissistic noblewoman back home.
Standing taller than Selt but smaller than the rest, she offered indispensable services to everyone in the guild. The men tried to stay on her good side, Selt being the exception; though he didn’t tease her as badly as he did Elly or Yvain.
“One of these days you’re going to turn yourself into something you won’t be able to come back from,” Yvain said with a grin.
Roesia looked at him with her customary deadpan expression. “As long as the transformation serves to provide proof for my hypothesis then I wouldn’t mind,” she said while chewing, “I just hope it’ll be something with opposable thumbs.” She moved her fingers as if afraid they’d pop off and run away at any moment.
“Finish chewing your food before you speak,” Elly said. With a murmur of acquiescence, Roesia straightened up a bit and began to eat more delicately. Yvain didn’t miss the look of dissatisfaction the sorceress gave Selt, who was currently stuffing his face yet earned no reprimands.
Selt was the only one who had managed to get Elly to stop nagging at him at every perceived mistake. In her own words, the kid was a lost case. She never took it easy on the rest though, it could even be said that her efforts redoubled thanks the kid. Yvain just chalked it up to an ingrained mentality gained after countless years of teaching.
Yvain’s plate was filled with scrambled eggs along with different types of meats and bread; a glass of water on the side. It was obvious that Elly had been the one to cook this time around, though if he remembered correctly it was supposed to be his turn.
Nora was already digging in with a propriety that matched Elly’s. Seeing as everyone was also about to finish their meals Yvain ate as quickly as possible. The hunger he had been holding off hit like a cannonball when he took the first bite and had to consciously stop himself from eating like Selt.
In the middle of his meal, a hand tapped on Yvain’s shoulder. Nora appeared holding up eggs on her fork.
“Ahn,” she opened her mouth and happily intoned a coquettish sound not unlike that of a mother feeding her child. Though in this case it’d be a woman feeding her lover.
A soft impact clinked out in the living room and Yvain’s attention was pulled to Elly, whose fork had slipped from her hand. She didn’t acknowledge the act though and just picked up the utensil as if nothing had happened.
Roesia, not knowing where to look, repeatedly darted her eyes from the couple to some other target with an out of norm awkwardness. She was already an awkward individual, thus making the act stand out even more.
Yvain did his best to ignore them and looked back at Nora.
Not wanting to let her down, and feeling scalding warmth in his chest, he happily opened his mouth and ate the offered food. A bit embarrassed, he refocused on his plate as Nora rested her head on an open palm and stared at him with affection while he chewed. Selt scoffed and an uneasy silence descended on the group.
“I guess the holy monk has finally abandoned his ways.” Roesia was the first to speak after finishing her plate, though she was looking away from the couple.
“You and the rest were the ones that decided on that name, not me,” Yvain quickly said. He didn’t want that nickname to come up with Nora present, but it was futile.
“Why do they call you a holy monk?” Nora asked.
Without missing a beat Roesia spoke, “Your boyfriend has mercilessly trampled many hearts in the course of his life. It’s one thing to reject someone, but he went as far as to insult any woman, or man that approached him. He would tell them off as if they were dirt under his boots.” She made what Yvain could only guess was a mock sorrowful expression, but when combined with her already default emotionless demeanor, it felt like the situation was a tragedy. “I think some even committed suic-”
“Let me stop you right there,” Yvain cut in and looked to Nora. “I simply didn’t find myself attracted to them, so the gossiping idiots you can find anywhere started calling me the holy monk,” he said.
“Set on his path of enlightenment with greatsword in bed,” Nelimir finished with an unconstrained chuckle. He immediately raised his hands in concession when Yvain scowled at him and went back to finishing his meal.
Nora laughed. She grabbed Yvain’s hand under the table and rested her head against his shoulder happily. “We’ll need to dispel that rumor as soon as possible,” she said in a hushed tone.
Any current embarrassment left with her husky voice and words. Yvain wanted to lose himself in bliss along with Nora but with so many eyes on him, and his master practically glowering, it was difficult. So he simply squeezed her hand and rested his head on hers.
Everyone was mostly finished eating at this point so the leader of Draconian’s Tavern, setting down his eating utensils, gathered their attention.
“I’d like to thank everyone for gathering here today.”
“Is that really necessary?” Roesia said but went quiet when Elly gave her an admonishing look.
“I’m sure that, including me, we all thought our next meeting would take place outside of Empryon. For two years we have turmoiled to make such a dream a reality and I’m proud of what we have accomplished so far. That being said, it will do us no good to rush ahead and end up failing, which is why we decided to send scouts in the first place. It now seems that we must stave off said plans for a bit longer in the name of caution thanks to this choice. An unfortunate development, but nothing we can’t overcome with simple time and effort.” So far no one at the table was against his words. They were merely a formality, as everyone in the guild was more or less of the same mind toward the goals of the group.
“We’ll start this meeting with the report from our scouts. Yvain, if you’d please,” Nelimir motioned for Yvain to start.
Yvain nodded and addressed everyone at the table. “As we suspected, no guilds seem to have passed through this part of the wall in a long time,” he said. “Not only that, but the stairs leading out were destroyed. I had to climb by hand with Selt on my back.”
“We noticed the stairs as we were coming for you and Selt,” Nelimir said. “Have you seen something like this before, Elly?”
“The time I spent in my past guild was short, and we never tried to venture out of Empryon,” she said.
“There has to at least be a reason for guild management to abandon this section,” Nelimir said. Usually all exists points in Empryon were heavily guarded by Cosmos.
“It might have to do with what Selt and I discovered,” Yvain said. Nelimir nodded and motioned for him to continue his report.
“When we arrived at the top of Great Divider a castle that was already in a state of decay was there. We didn’t know it was a dungeon of course, and made the mistake of going in before investigating further, immediately getting stuck inside.”
“There was so much gold!” Selt opened his arms wide and said. “We could have done anything we wanted if we had only taken it all out.” The conversation seemed to have brought out his usual self, not acting as guarded as he had been so far with Nora present.
“We got stuck inside exactly because you grabbed said gold,” Yvain said with exasperation.
“Sorry,” Selt said with a sheepish grin.
“How about you try some self-control for once?” Elly said in a cold tone, “That way you won’t have to apologize anymore.” Selt stuck his tongue out before looking away to play with the leftovers on his plate. Nelimir quietly waited for the rest of the story while Roesia lazily spun strands of her hair.
“To be honest, we only managed to go inside the castle because of me,” Yvain said. “The doors were locked, but something I can only describe as a spell activated by itself and attacked my mind. When I managed to endure the magical onslaught, whatever was holding them closed disappeared.” At the mention of a spell Roesia finally seemed to perk up.
“Tell me what happened in detail,” she said.
Yvain did as told and explained how he felt during the mental battle.
“Were there any symbols etched on the doors?” she asked.
“No, just the eyes and flames that were engraved on them.”
Roesia went silent and everyone waited for her to share her thoughts on the matter as she usually did with no prompt.
“If what you confronted was a dungeon, and the doors were sealed from the start, you may have met the requirements to go in when you surmounted its challenge,” Roesia said. “What I can’t understand is why it would suddenly weaken in the middle of its activation.”
Roesia’s idea felt like it made sense for the most part. Yvain didn’t have the slightest idea on how spells worked so he took her words at face value. “Then what about the doors closing after Selt grabbed the gold?” he asked.
With a shrug, Roesia replied indifferently, “I don’t know. Maybe since you were the one to suffer and endure the magical attack, only you were allowed to enter. Selt going in could have activated a defense mechanism.”
Yvain tried to remember if anything had been out of the norm when Selt grabbed the gold but nothing came to mind. Nora might know more about what was going on in the dungeon considering she had arrived there way before them`, but before asking any questions he had to finish his report.
“Regardless, since we were stuck, we had no choice but to try and do the trial. Selt stayed behind in case the door opened up again or you guys arrived, and I went deeper inside.” Yvain went quiet for a moment, trying to find the best way to explain what he went through without sounding insane.
“Skipping to the conclusion, I failed the trial spectacularly,” he said. “Or that’s what I thought at first. I went up against something Nora called a dragon that ended up killing me.” Yvain decided to leave out most of his small adventure, both to hide his shame and get to the point.
“You died?” Elly asked in confusion.
Yvain shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “It was too powerful. I felt like an ant going up against a mountain. It burned me alive with its fire before I awoke in another room for unknown reasons.” Looking at Elly he continued, “I lost the sword you gave me during that fight.”
Elly gave the slightest nod, showing none of the anger Yvain expected. “Do you think I could have survived?” she asked.
“None of us could have put a scratch on it. Which brings me to the most important point of the report.” Yvain looked at Nelimir with a somber expression.
“We can’t venture out of Empryon yet?” Nelimir guessed. Yvain simply nodded and waited for his friend’s decision.
Nelimir began to tap the table in exasperation, mulling over the current information handed to him. Despite his speech, he was the most eager out of everyone currently there to leave Empryon. “You know we can’t keep running around forever. Not only have we all reached a bottleneck in our training, but I’ll never find more allies as long as we remain here.”
Yvain of course sympathized with their leader’s worry. While they had enough resources to live comfortably for a long time, nothing that mattered would be achieved if they didn’t venture outside. But doing so would see all of them facing mortal danger. He knew that now more than ever.
“I might have a way for us to at least resolve the first issue,” Yvain said.
“We’ll discuss it once you finish the report,” Nelimir said.
Yvain nodded and continued, “After the fight, Selt and I met up and entered another set of doors which gave way into a forest.”
“Don’t skip!” Selt suddenly yelled. He stood up full of spirit, as if he had been waiting for the right moment all along. “He failed to mention that before he went deeper into the dungeon there were two doors to choose from. He asked me which way to go, but in an act of gross disrespect went the opposite way from my choice.”
“You’re being awfully diligent for something so stupid,” Yvain said with irritation.
Selt completely ignored him and continued his tale with a bit more flourish, “Little did the muscle brained fool know, the advice offered to him by his faithful companion was the correct choice all along. And when he finally finished his impossible journey, he learned that betrayal never goes unpunished.” He started to stab the air with fork in hand. “That same companion he mocked was already at the doors to the ravaged forest, waiting to pass judgment on-” A stream of water splashed Selt’s face. The kid spluttered as some of it shot into his mouth.
“You really love to waste our time, don’t you?” Roesia’s fingers were covered in a soft blue light that was already fading away.
“Behave,” Nelimir said.
Selt, who was about to throw his fork at the girl, stopped his arm mid-swing.
“Sorry,” Roesia said with no sincerity behind the word.
The boy sat down once more with a grumble but didn’t continue his story.
“What did he mean by ravaged forest?” Nelimir looked at Yvain and asked.
“Behind the new doors was a forest that was almost fully destroyed. It held signs of battle on a scale I’ve never seen before.”
“Was it an illusion or an artificially created space?” Roesia asked. Yvain didn’t know the answer to that and was about to say as much when Nora joined the conversation for the first time since he began the report.
“It was an artificially created space, but what Yvain faced in his trial was an illusion,” she said. The sudden revelation came as a shock and relief to Yvain. He had his suspicions but knowing for a fact that none of what he experienced was real was somewhat comforting.
Roesia started and looked at Nora as if she hadn’t known the woman had been there this whole time. She quickly regained her composure though and asked her next question, “Was the illusion inside an artificially created space?”
“Yes. It would be impossible to do so with spaces like this one, but a dungeon is created in part by nature, so it has a much stronger base to work from,” Nora said.
Roesia’s eyes changed. The light she usually got when magic and its theories were involved brightened her demeanor. “Yvain, explain to me in detail what happened in that battle of yours.”
“Is that necessary?” Yvain asked, caught off guard by the request. Roesia fixed him with an unusual hard stare, demanding an answer. It would have been easy enough to give it if it wasn’t for the child. He didn’t want them to know of his failure. His out of the norm resistance was already making the others look at him weirdly though.
I guess I just need to focus on fulfilling my duty, he thought. Seeing no way around the recounting, Yvain reported to Roesia what he experienced while trying to keep the topic of the baby out of the telling. Unsurprisingly, he could see the questioning looks on his companions.
“What are you hiding from us,” Elly said, more an accusation than a question.
“What do you mean?” Yvain asked, trying to keep his voice and expression steady.
“The way you fought those skeletons and dragon makes no sense unless you were trying to protect something,” she said.
Yvain looked at Nelimir but his friend was curious about the answer too. Next to him, even Nora had the same expression. It wasn’t something he felt he had to hide now that he knew it was an illusion, but the idea of letting them know still didn’t feel good.
“At the start of the trial I found a child that was about to be killed by the skeletons,” Yvain finally relented, “so I saved it. I had to face them and the dragon while shielding it with my body.” Focusing on his plate he tried to say what he had to as fast as possible, “I couldn’t protect it and we both perished.”
Yvain closed his fist in frustration and embarrassment as he remembered the defenseless baby that had depended on him. He realized that knowing it was all fake didn’t save him from the guilt after all.
Before he went too deep into his self-blame Nora’s hand enclosed his own. She slowly pushed it open until they were both intertwined, her warmth quickly lifting some of his somber mood.
“It’s not your fault,” Elly said with sympathy.
“I know,” Yvain said with a weak smile, “It wasn’t even real. It’s just that the feeling of powerlessness and failure can be a bit overwhe-”
“If what you just told me is true, then this is something way beyond the scope of what we know about illusions,” Roesia spoke with excitement. “To create a spell that can best you so easily, create such destruction, and at the same time leave you mentally unscathed? It’s not just imprinting an image into the mind, but the heat, the smell, the sounds, the way it affected every small part of your body. It was enough to even affect reality.” The girl’s eyes had lost focus, seeing something only privy to her. “I’d like to be excused,” she said, already standing up to go to her room. She was in her own world now.
“I guess we don’t have much of a choice at this point,” Nelimir said with some amusement.
Yvain’s mouth hung open, still holding half of the words that were interrupted.
Nora looked at Roesia with irritation and was about to speak out but a laugh creeped out of Yvain’s stomach that soon turned into an all-out howl with tears, stopping her from doing so.
She really didn’t have any tact, did she? For all the teasing Roesia threw at Yvain, she wasn’t that much different from him when it came to their passions and single mindedness. They just happened to have different line of work. Did she realize that? If she did, she didn’t show it. Thanks to her none of the grime that had covered his mood remained.
The woman in question didn’t pay attention to Nelmir, Yvain or anyone else as she walked to her room, but before she went inside she looked to Nora. “Whenever you’re free, I’d like for us to talk more in-depth,” the sorceress said and gave a rare smile before leaving her companions to the rest of their meeting.
“I guess your wish is coming true after all,” Yvain said to Nora, halfway into controlling his laughter.
“She’s a lovely girl, and her greed for knowledge rivals that of a dragon,” she said, appearing genuinely happy to have the opportunity to be able to talk to Roesia.
“Miss Nora-” Nelimir started.
“Please, Nora will suffice,” Nora said in a light tone.
The Draconian’s Tavern’s leader nodded. “Then Nora, I have a few questions of my own. The first one being what your role in all of this is.” Nora was about to answer but Yvain beat her to it.
“That goes hand in hand with what Selt and I found inside the forest,” he said.
“Is that where you both met?” Nelimir asked.
“It is. After investigating the forest, we found a dazed and wounded Nora.”
“We shouldn’t have helped her,” Selt cut in with some hostility.
Yvain was about to reprimand him but Nora stopped him with a silent shake of her head.
Nelimir didn’t miss this of course.
“Did something happen?” he asked.
Nora smiled apologetically, “I was in the middle of a battle when they found me. Unfortunately, the only one that met me when I regained consciousness was Yvain. Selt met with my opponent.”
“He was going to kill her, so I chose to kill him instead,” Yvain said with no attempt to give more details on the matter.
“Do you even know who you killed!” Selt slammed the table and glared at Yvain.
“I’m getting tired of your tantrums,” Yvain said, and for the first time since the founding of the guild showed hostility toward one of its members. In combination of knowledge that Selt couldn’t be killed and Yvain’s protectiveness over Nora, he let himself fully feel the want to kill the kid.
“Yvain!” Elly shouted loud enough that the tableware slightly rattled, and Yvain snapped out of his current state. He immediately realized his mistake, but it was too late. The kid was glaring back at him the same as before, but Yvain could now see the hurt he was trying to hide.
“Fine,” Selt said. Everyone remained quiet as the kid stood, stomped up the exit and slammed closed the door that led to the carriage.
Several angry pounds came from Roesia’s room in muffled protest. “Keep it down!”
Shamefaced and still angry, Yvain did his best to stare a fire into the crumbs on his plate.
Nora didn’t say anything, opting to just do her best to comfort him with a hidden hand on his lower back.
Elly looked like she wanted to ask him something but couldn’t quite put it to words. It was Nelimir who broke the silence.
“So who did you kill?” he asked.
The question should have been a respite from the current awkwardness. But now that the time had come to reveal what they had done, Yvain found it hard to speak. Facing his friends, he knew what they would say, that he shouldn’t have been so rash. And they would be right to say it.
“The man we killed was the emperor of the dragon race,” Nora had decided to take matters into her own hands, allowing Yvain to compose himself. “He also happens to be my ex-husband. Due to some personal reasons, we entered a battle to the death from which I came out victorious thanks to Yvain and Selt,” she said.
“And may I ask how such a battle took place inside a dungeon on top of Great Divider?” Nelimir asked.
Yvain noticed that Elly had crossed her arms and was now looking at Nora in consternation. He didn’t know the answer to his friend’s question. He knew her ex-husband wanted to kill her, and why she was trying to enter Empryon, but what were the circumstances that brought them specifically inside a dungeon? He could only wait for his lover to answer herself, but no reply came. She was hesitating. Her eyes darted from Nelimir to Yvain with worry.
“Before I tell you, I’d like to know something,” she said. Nelimir gave her the go-ahead and Nora asked, “How do you feel about the monster races?”
Nelimir, as if expecting the question, answered smoothly, “What you want to ask me is if I’ll use the fact that you’re from the dragon race to harm you, am I correct?”
Yvain’s breath caught in his throat and began to cough. His friend’s conclusion was an easy one to reach, but he wasn’t expecting him to be so direct.
Nora calmly nodded, becoming tense while waiting for the answer.
Why does she think we’ll harm her? Yvain thought. But then he realized that she didn’t know what their guild stood for, or Nelimir’s goals. In that same vein, what were her ideals? The humans loathed the beast races, but what did those of the beast race think of humans? Nora at least didn’t show any hostility.
“I won’t, none of us will,” Nelimir said, “I don’t know how much Yvain has told you, but I intend to break the isolation Empryon has set upon itself. And the first crucial step to achieve that is to slowly integrate the beast races into our society.”
“That…is unexpected,” Nora managed to say. “Excuse my rudeness. I trust you all for the most part, but Empryon’s hatred for anyone other than themselves is renowned.”
“Understandable. Now, about the location of the battle,” Nelimir said.
“Yes, well, to understand the reason why we were in a dungeon you need to know who I am first and what that entails.”
Yvain knew she would soon reveal her godhood and was hoping Nelmir could control himself.
“That would be the empress, correct?” Nelimir asked.
“That, and the goddess of dragons,” Nora said.
The leader of Draconian’s Tavern took a moment to fully comprehend what he just heard.
“Excuse me?” Nelimir’s mask of austere leadership quickly began to crumble. “Yvain did you know of this?”
Yvain shook his head. “She only told me right before we joined you guys for breakfast.”
“Nora, would you like to join our guild?” Nelimir asked with no warning.
“What!?” Elly said in disbelief .
“Please don’t make a repeat of last time,” Yvain said. He found it ironic that he was trying to stop his friend from making rash decisions now of all times, when this is exactly what he wanted from the start. None of the sloppiness his friend had shown in front of the goddess of villages was present at least.
“She’s not only a goddess, but a high-ranking member of the beast races we desperately need to make contact with,” Nelimir said seriously. “She must join us.”
Before answering the leader’s request, Nora looked to Yvain. “Are you referring to the goddess of villages?” He
Yvain nodded and Nora smiled at Nelimir, “I’ve been told that you have an interest in our kind.”
“I’ve been stuck in a xenophobic society that believes itself to be the center of all creation,” Nelimir said. “Knowing that there are beings around us that undoubtedly break those beliefs is refreshing.”
“We are just like any other mortal race. Though we have some peculiarities,” Nora said and set clasped hands on the table. “One of them is why our battle took place in a dungeon sitting in the middle of such a powerful barrier.” Taking on a bitter smile she continued, “You see, my late ex-husband intended to kill me and steal my powers. It’s common knowledge that if you want to gain something from a god or goddess, you must offer an official challenge to the stars called ‘Godless trials’ which the god is then forced to accept no matter the circumstances. Once the ritual is completed a dungeon will be created with the participants inside.”
Yvain’s mind was sent on a short tumble as Nora’s words didn’t coincide with what she told him the reason for her husband’s hostility was, but he then remembered that the real reason was something she didn’t want revealed. Still, were her words now a fabrication? Or where they still the truth?
Nora’s love-filled gaze landed on Yvain, quickly making his concerns move to the back of his mind, “What he didn’t know was that the form of challenge and its requirements to pass aren’t chosen by us. We only chose what the challenger will earn if they come out victorious.”
“So I gained your powers?” Yvain asked with curiosity. She said it was common knowledge but none of the members of Draconian’s Tavern knew, though they didn’t even know about gods and goddesses until a little while ago so it wasn’t surprising.
Nora shook her head. “The goal of the dungeon was to find my mate. I didn’t know how you would be tested, but the child you protected was most likely a recreation of my daughter,” she said sweetly.
Yvain’s eyes widened as Nora grinned. She closed the short distance between them slowly and licked his lips before Yvain pulled her closer and they kissed. Her slimy tongue immediately entered his mouth, and the couple tried their best to eat each other.
He was already set on helping Nora find her daughter but knowing that the child in the dungeon and her kid were the same now created an undeniable need to do so.
Losing their sense of time, the couple only broke off when Nelimir cleared his throat. Both were panting while a string of saliva hung between them.
“What’s her name?” Yvain asked between breaths.
“Charlotte,” Nora said. She licked her lips, and it took all of Yvain’s willpower to hold back from kissing her again.
“I won’t fail her this time,” Yvain said. His own voice sounded weird to him. It carried a conviction that didn’t match the emotional connection he felt toward Charlotte. He had never met her, neither was she his child. Yet without a doubt he would die for her. The thought felt normal, but it still creeped him out a bit.
None of his minor hesitations could be found on Nora though. One look was enough to tell him that she had no doubts in his words.
Is this normal of finding a mate? Yvain thought.
“Is this normal of finding a mate?” The couple looked to Nelimir at the same time. For a second Yvain thought his friend could read his mind, but he simply meant their display of affection.
“That’s something I’ve been trying to figure out,” Nora said. “The dungeon only served as a filter meant to hold back my late ex-husband from reaching me. I didn’t put much thought into it as the idea of finding a mate is something that holds more value culturally, and maybe physiologically, in other races. I’ll admit, some groups can be a bit more passionate than others when it comes to inter-personal relationships but…” Nora paused for a moment and took Yvain’s hand. He didn’t make a move as she rubbed her face all over his palm and took deep breathes. “This feels different; the dungeon couldn’t have done it.”
Yvain’s eyes darted around the room nervously, not knowing where to look. He was unabashed about most things, but Nora’s act felt too intimate to have an audience. His eyes suddenly stopped on Elly who was whiter than usual.
“Are you alright?” he asked. She had been uncharacteristically quiet after her short outburst.
Elly shook herself and looked at him. “Just something in the food,” she said unconvincingly.
“And how about you Yvain? Do you feel any different?” Nelimir cut in.
“Besides the feeling of unconditional trust I have in her and… uh, physical needs, not really,” he said with a shrug. Nora settled her hand in his own once more and was giggling at his attempt to brush over their bodily encounters.
“I guess whatever is making you both act like this will have to be set aside for now.” Nelimir inclined forward a bit, setting his elbows on the table. “I understand the why of husband and wife fighting inside a dungeon on Great Divider, but now I’d like to know why you two were here in the first place.”
“It has to do with the daughter I mentioned,” Nora said. “My ex-husband sold her off to someone in Empryon, so I’m here to get her back.”
Yvain carefully watched his friend’s reaction to this new piece of information, but Nelimir didn’t look surprised at all.
“Do you know something about this?” Yvain asked.
Nelimir shook his head. “Not at all, but we’ve been forced to live blind throughout our lives. It isn’t unusual for something like this to be going on.”
“That’s a bit of a bleak perspective,” Yvain said, though he agreed with his friend. “Well, besides our current strength, I can’t leave until I help Nora find Charlotte,” Yvain said, wanting for his friend to understand the weight of his commitment to Nora.
“I already said she would become a member of our guild. As a member she will have our full support, same as the rest,” Nelimir said, ignoring the fact that Nora hadn’t yet agreed to join. “But there is a glaring problem we have been ignoring all this time. You both killed the ruler of an empire,” he looked at Nora, “Do you know how your people will retaliate? Should we be worried about war breaking out?”
This was the biggest issue they were all now facing. To make matters worse, Nora knew more about them than they knew of her thanks to the mere fact that she came from the outside. So did her ex-husband. In other words, it was possible that the dragon race already had an advantage over information.
“It will certainly cause problems, but they will be shouldered for the most part by those of your race that live outside of Empryon,” Nora said calmly. “But we can’t stay here waiting to be found. It’s best if we leave as soon as possible.”
“Be found?” Nelimir asked.
“Before the Dragon Emperor died, he used a skill called ‘Imperial Hunger’. It lets his subjects know he was murdered and the location of his death,” Yvain said.
“So that’s the roar we heard from the village,” Nelimir said absentmindedly.
“Now that you mention it, I’m surprised that you did.” Yvain said. He didn’t know how the ability worked specifically, but they were inside a dungeon and far away from their companions. It was both impressive and alarming that such a roar could reach so far. Then again, how else would his subjects hear it if they weren’t nearby?
“It made all of us lose our footing for a bit,” Nelimir said.
“You’re saying that roar can reach all the way to your land?” Elly suddenly asked Nora.
“Yes,” Nora said.
“This isn’t good,” Elly looked at Nelimir, alarm suffusing her voice.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
“If that roar has such a wide range, it’s possible that others in Empryon heard it too, and if they did-”
“This place will be crawling with a lot of interested parties,” Nelimir said, the gravity of the situation dawning on him. “If we’re caught here it could create an infinite number of unforeseen troubles.”
Elly nodded. “And considering that an emperor from the beast races is dealing with humans from Empryon, I fear there might be powers involved which we can’t deal with.”
“I… didn’t actually think that far,” Nora said apologetically.
“You don’t need to, that’s what these meetings are for,” Nelimir said. “We’ll be leaving as soon as we finish here then,” he said, then looked at Yvain. “What did you have in mind for helping us become stronger?”
“Nora could train us,” Yvain said immediately.
“Me?”
“Her?!”
Nora and Elly’s voices overlapped, both seemingly against the idea.
“You are impossibly stronger than us,” he told Nora. Then he looked at Elly, “And you know that we’ve both been stuck in place for months now. Roesia seems to have made a small amount of progress, but Nelimir hasn’t been able to even make starlight appear.”
“As much as it shames me to admit, I don’t have the genius-like ability you all seem to ooze out by simply breathing,” Nelimir said ruefully.
“And we killed an emperor. Regardless of what we hope for, the consequences of that action will catch up to us and we need to be ready,” Yvain finished.
Nora mulled over his words seriously while Elly looked endlessly frustrated, but his master understood he was right.
“My strength isn’t even one third of what it used to be,” Nora said, “I don’t think it’ll easily come back.” She studied her hands with a sad expression.
“Why not?” Yvain asked.
“They decayed while fighting my ex-husband. Today when I woke up an extremely small amount had returned but it has stopped since. That has never happened before,” Nora said. “But if you’re fine with me, I’ll do my best to guide you all.”
Yvain wondered what could have caused such a thing, but if even Nora didn’t know then he had no chance of figuring it out.
“Then it’s settled,” Nelimir said. “We’ll leave this area immediately and we can be trained by Nora as we go to our next destination.” The Draconian’s Tavern leader then looked to Yvain, “Go get Selt.”