Monster Girl Saga

(A/N: Time for a new chapter. And a long one, at that! Hope you like it. After last chapter's drama, I felt that fans deserved something less depressing, so... this chapter should make those who were waiting for the sexy parts very happy. As always, Toraneko from TFF has been editing. Enjoy!)

 

CHAPTER 5

 

The choices we make shape our lives.

 

“Ya-ha!”

 

A war shout echoed in the ruins’ courtyard as three figures clashed in battle, with a fourth one watching from the sidelines. Two of the figures fighting, female, were the Elf twins, wielding makeshift wooden weapons rather than their normal blades. The third one was Luka, and Thermidor was on the sidelines observing.

 

“Milia! Stop holding back!”, the Elf in studded leather called to the other in irritation as she swung around a large sword-shaped piece of wood, which Luka just barely managed to dodge. “The kid’s not gonna learn anything if we treat him with the velvet gloves!”

 

“We’re supposed to train him, Wriph, not kill him,” Milia, the Elf in green armor, replied in a tranquil tone, in stark contrast with her ongoing, vicious assault on Luka’s unprepared right side with the wooden swords she was holding. The boy yelped in pain as the Elf’s blows connected solidly on his leg and shoulder, and he fell back, sweating.

 

“Feh, he’s tough,” Wriph scoffed as she thrust her giant wooden sword forward, catching Luka on his other shoulder and causing him to reel and drop to one knee, losing his grip on his sword. “I doubt he'll break from this much.”

 

“All right, that’s enough,” Thermidor’s voice called out to them, stopping the match. Luka winced as he lay kneeling, his left shoulder numb and his right side burning with pain. He was fairly sure he’d have bruises for a while. Then again, this had proved to be good training; he’d been shown his weaknesses against attacks from many directions, and now he had an idea of what he had to work on to fix those openings.

 

As he tiredly struggled to stand, two hands were offered to him and he blinked at their owners. Then, with a grateful smile, he accepted the Elves’ friendly offer of help and allowed them to pull him back on his feet. Together, the strange group shuffled back into the ruins near Ilias Village, now partially restored to a habitable state.

 

Two years had passed since the fateful day of Liese’s death, and things had changed for all involved. The one who had gone through the most changes was, predictably enough, Luka himself. For a time, the young boy harbored a deep grudge towards humans for the events that led to Liese’s death, and the fact that the following epidemic had struck down nearly all of the culprits had been of little comfort to him. That development had been a cause of great concern for Thermidor, who realized Luka was heading rapidly down a very dark path.

 

The monster swordswoman thus dedicated a lot of time and effort towards talking to Luka, and after he’d calmed down somewhat, she had managed to get through the wall of his emotional response, leading him to realize that he was making the same mistake many others did - including his father - by generalizing blame on others. He was throwing away the whole basket because of a few bad apples.

 

She told Luka that he, himself, was proof that humans could be good and righteous people, and while that hadn’t been enough to convince the boy at first, it had been enough to make him stop and consider things with a clearer mind. In the end, her constant, patient lectures and Luka’s own fundamental goodness of heart bore fruit, and the boy had relented. While he still held some animosity towards the few survivors of the epidemic, he managed to establish more normal relationships with other humans, which brought great relief to the concerned Thermidor.

 

Luka had nevertheless developed an instinctive bias in favor of monsters. It was not simple ignorance; he knew and understood that monsters could be extremely dangerous, and even cruel or callous, just like humans. But his own personal experiences with monsters had been considerably happier than those with humans, which led him to be more comfortable around them. As a result, over the past two years, he’d somewhat bonded with the Elf twins, with whom he shared a common passion for the sword arts, and had grown even closer to Thermidor, whom he treated as if she’d always been part of the family. Some of this behavior had been caused by Thermidor’s decision to keep him living with her in the ruins for nearly a year, as the worst of the epidemic swept over the region, out of concern for his safety. That led to prolonged contact not only with the Elf twins, but with occasional monsters who would approach to seek Thermidor’s help, and would often be surprised by the presence of a human boy whose demeanor towards monsters was so open and friendly. However brief, those contacts helped Luka understand monsters a little bit more each time.

 

As the epidemic died down and the region once again became stable, settlers from other locations began to move in to repopulate the areas devastated by the plague. One of those areas was Ilias Village, and the final irony in its existence would be that the village that once hated and shunned outsiders would owe its continued existence to them.

 

The newcomers proved to be much more open-minded and kind-hearted than the old villagers, whose numbers were by now reduced to just a handful of shell-shocked survivors. In this, Thermidor saw an opportunity, and she talked Luka into moving back to his old house and living with his own kind, reasoning that he needed human contact, lest he grow estranged from his own race. While initially reluctant, Luka decided to give it a try and, to his surprise, found the newcomers very welcoming and friendly towards him, often dropping by to offer small gifts or simply chat about this or that.

 

The remaining survivors ended up either moving out, unwilling to remain in a place full of memories of loss, or dying off due to the harsh trials the epidemic put them through. The only remnant of the old guard was the gravedigger, who had miraculously survived the worst of times and had eventually approached Luka to make amends with him for the events in his past. Luka’s initial hostility towards the man slowly dissipated as he realized that the thin fellow had simply been forced to do as he was told, and had not been happy about being made to hastily bury Liese in an unmarked lot. After many explanations and many evenings of talking things out, he decided to make peace with the older man and let go of this final grudge.

 

With that, the last of the darkness that threatened to swallow him finally left him, and for the first time since losing his mother, he was able to look at the future with hope and optimism.

 

Thermidor herself went through changes as well. For a long time, she harbored a strong sense of guilt over Liese’s death, believing that had she not left, she could somehow have made a difference. Luka eventually caught wind of that, and decided that as she helped him get past his own emotional weight, so was it now his turn to help her in return. It took much longer than expected, as Thermidor proved incapable of handling losing loved ones well, but eventually, her resistance broke down, and she accepted that she had not been at fault for what happened. She did, however, begin to fret over Luka, worrying about possibly failing him through her own inaction. The boy, exasperated, ultimately confronted her again and urged her to stop trying to lump all the responsibility on herself; he had matured, he was taught well, and he was confident he’d be able to take care of himself. With that, Thermidor’s guilt was put to rest, and she returned to being more like the woman Luka had come to know and care for.

 

Even the twins were somewhat affected. Luka’s behavior around monsters was a refreshing change from the fear and distrust they were used to, and they found the boy growing on them, occasionally playfully teasing him. His progress in the martial arts also intrigued them. For his part, Luka wasn’t sure what to think of their teasing; most of it seemed good natured, but they were monsters, after all, and at times he got the distinct impression he was being evaluated based on an unknown scale that only the twins could comprehend. On top of that, their personalities couldn’t have been more different from Thermidor’s, and he often found himself unsure of how to act around them.

 

There was also a fundamental ideology clash: while Luka went out of his way to avoid using lethal force on others, the twins thought nothing in particular of mercilessly slaying their foes. To their credit, they did not draw any enjoyment from it either, and he understood - from a rational standpoint, if nothing else - that in their profession, “Kill or be killed” was a lot more than just a phrase, but the casual tone in which he occasionally caught them discussing their latest body count in a ‘seek and destroy’ mission unnerved him nonetheless. Even so, they were friendly, and sometimes even a bit affectionate towards him.

 

Undoubtedly, the past two years had deeply affected everyone, and whether it would be for good or bad in the long run was something that remained to be seen.

 

----

 

Luka dropped onto the nearest couch with a sigh, wincing as pain shot out from the numerous bruises all over his body. He had imagined that he’d be completely outmatched against both twins at once, but he never would have guessed they could be that dreadfully efficient when working together, and was beginning to see how they had gained their reputation as the ‘Twin Warmaidens’. There were no apparent weaknesses in their form; their attacks were timed just so that they would leave no room for counterattacking, constantly keeping the opponent on the defensive. Luka was fairly sure that when together, Milia and Wriph could fight at a much higher level than their individual strengths suggested. At the very least, being alone against the both of them was a major nightmare.

 

“Want some?” a voice called out, and he looked up to see Wriph offering him a cup of something. Blinking, he realized it had to be black coffee - Wriph's favorite - and considered refusing; that beverage’s taste had always felt too bitter and intense to him without cream to mellow it. On the other hand, it’d probably wake him up a bit, and he was close to keeling over exhausted. Nodding, he took the cup offered to him, and blew over the hot liquid while Wriph grabbed a chair and sat down as well.

 

“Well, I’d like to say today wasn’t half bad, but... you kind of sucked out there,” she said. Luka looked up and caught the hint of a smirk on the corner of her lip - she was provoking him again. Raising an eyebrow, he gave her a questioning glance.

 

“Oh? Weren’t you the one inciting Milia to ‘get serious’?” He retorted in a deadpan tone. “So you ‘joking around’ wasn’t enough to beat up some kid who sucks at fighting?”

 

“Haha! Good answer. To be honest, though, you really didn’t do too bad, for a kid who never fought two opponents at once before,” Wriph conceded with a lopsided smile. “Sure, you got beat up, but Milia and I have been doing this for longer than you’ve been alive. You did pretty well limiting the damage you received. You still have a ways to go, of course, but you’ve been doing good in the last two years. Who knows? You just might be cut out to be a warrior after all!”

 

“And you are a good judge of that because...?” he needled her further as he sipped his coffee. He somewhat enjoyed taking jabs at each other like this, and he didn’t have to hold back, as Wriph could take anything he said and return it tenfold if needed.

 

“Why, because I am Wriph! Conqueror of Souls! The enemy cringes in fear at the sound of my name, for once engaged in battle, I show no mercy to any who live!” she boasted, and Luka rolled his eyes theatrically. She gave him a mock-offended look. “Hey, don’t make that face! My praise is a rare thing to receive, indeed. You should be honored!”

 

“I don’t know... Is the praise of a maniac who swings a sword taller than I am with wanton abandon at anything that moves really such a good thing?” he snarked again. Wriph grinned at that, and Luka knew at this point he’d lost the verbal battle.

 

“I’m sorry, I had forgotten how self-conscious over your size you are, little boy,” she said in a sickeningly sweet tone, her eyes gleaming. “I should get a smaller sword, so as not to make you feel too inadequate.”

 

“Ouch,” he muttered. “That one stung.”

 

“Never challenge the master in a trash-talking contest, kid,” was Wriph’s gloating reply.

 

“I don’t know which of you two is more immature,” a third voice interjected, and both boy and Elf looked up to see Milia watching them with a resigned expression. “Don’t you have anything better to do after training than snipe at each other?”

 

“Well, I could think of something...” Wriph suggested as she made a show of licking her fingers. Milia gave her an unamused look.

 

“Something besides trying to make the boy’s pants several sizes too tight, I mean. Seriously, Wriph,” she chided her. “Teasing like that isn’t a very nice thing to do. Boys his age get frustrated easily.”

 

“I don’t see what the problem is. He has Thermidor to help pop his cork, doesn’t he?” Wriph replied innocently. Milia palmed her face, groaning.

 

“Has it occurred to you that if you are the one who gets him all bothered, it might be you he’d be after?” she pointed out. Wriph’s grin turned wolfish at this point.

 

“Yup, I know that. That’s why I do it, actually,” she confirmed with a cheerful smile as she leaned back, both hands behind her head. “I’m curious to see how long it’ll take before he starts foaming at the mouth, gives in to his baser instincts, and tries to force himself on poor little weak me, pinning me down and ravaging me like some wild beast as I helplessly writhe under him...”

 

“I’m still here, you know,” Luka muttered in annoyance at her obvious provocation, trying to ignore the rather vivid mental images her words invoked. “What the hell kind of logic is that, anyway? Who’s weak, for one? You could twist any grown man I know into a pretzel with one hand tied behind your back. And, what, you want me to assault you? Aren’t monsters the ones supposed to do the assaulting and ravaging? Not to mention I doubt you even know what being helpless means...”

 

“I just want you to be more aggressive,” Wriph replied, waving a finger admonishingly. “You tiptoe around way too much. You’ve got skill, but you keep holding back for some reason, and it’s really frustrating to see all this potential go to waste. If you can fight like a demon, then you should fight like a demon! And that rule can be applied to things other than fighting, too! Never give anything you do less than your absolute best!”

 

“Wriph, I don’t think he’s interested in becoming an overeager, instinct-driven berserker like you,” Milia patiently pointed out. The other Elf frowned.

 

“Why not? He’s got what it takes for it, if you ask me,” she retorted. “Well, he may need to work on his muscles, so he can lift an adequately large blade...”

 

“...you’re missing the point...” Milia sighed, giving up. When Wriph got something in her head, making her change her mind was a lost cause. “Anyway, stop teasing him like that.”

 

“Whatever. It’s not like I wouldn’t put out if he actually grew enough of a backbone to do something about my teasing, you know,” the brazen Elf replied, causing Luka to do a spit-take and almost drop his mug. At his bewildered glance, she gave an annoyed snort. “What? I’m the one who’s encouraging you to be more aggressive. It’d make no sense if I backed off once you actually did. You didn’t seriously think my teasing was nothing but joking, did you?”

 

“Wh-- Excuse me, I’m going to go get a breath of fresh air,” Luka muttered, setting his coffee down and wandering off with a slightly dazed expression. Milia shook her head as she sat down on the now unoccupied couch.

 

“Really, Wriph, don’t provoke him so much,” she rebuked her twin. The other shrugged.

 

“I’m not provoking him, I’m trying to make him be more honest with his own desires,” she retorted. “Or haven’t you noticed how much time he spends trying to sneak glances at us when he thinks we aren’t paying attention?”

 

“And I assume that your teasing has nothing to do with you having gone a couple years without men?” Milia commented wryly. Wriph snorted.

 

“You know as well as I do that’s not the case. If that were the issue, I’d just have thrown him down and had my way with him,” she replied. “It’s what I always do, Milia.”

 

“True. Subtlety was never your strong point,” the other Elf agreed. “And it’s also true that an assertive man is more desirable than a passive one. I’ll never understand our kind’s fondness for breaking their men’s minds with pleasure. What’s the point of having a mindless slave with no will left?”

 

“Speaking of which, what do you think of him?” Wriph said, suddenly growing serious. Milia looked at her and nodded somberly.

 

“He shows promise, that much is undeniable,” she murmured, a speculative look on her face. “He doesn’t mind that we are monsters, recognizes our right to do as we see fit in light of our profession even if he disapproves of how easily we take lives, and is certainly growing strong as time goes on. I doubt there’s any monsters on this island besides us and Thermidor who can take him down in direct combat... provided that he actually fights to the full extent of his abilities. Which he doesn’t.” The Elf frowned. “I can appreciate his desire to not unnecessarily harm anyone when possible, but he tends to take it to a dangerous extreme. Why is he so set on not using his full strength to defend himself, anyway?”

 

“I don’t know. He said something about not wanting to be like someone else,” Wriph shrugged. “He looked real sour while saying it too, so I didn’t pry. Some things are too personal to talk about, and he didn’t butt in on my own past, so I’m returning the favor.”

 

“Mmmm... you think he might be the one?” Milia asked. The other Elf gave her an odd look before turning away, and remained silent for a few seconds before replying.

 

“Again, I don’t know... and to be honest, I might not care,” was her answer. “I know what we decided - that we’d only leave this life if we found a man mighty enough to best us both at once in combat and open-minded enough to not care about us being monsters, and would dedicate ourselves to him. But... whether or not Luka can beat us in a physical fight doesn’t really matter, does it? We keep talking about him every day, so... From a certain point of view, doesn’t that mean he’s already defeated us?”

 

Milia couldn’t help but smile as she nodded. For all that she acted barbaric and instinctive, Wriph’s insight often exceeded even her own, and in this case, she could find no fault in her logic. The boy had been in their minds quite a bit lately. Sighing, she leaned back on the couch in quiet speculation.

 

Perhaps they would have to reconsider their decision.

 

----

 

A few days later found Luka walking around Ilias Village, shopping for groceries. It had become an usual activity for him: while he had plenty of food stored away for himself, he always bought extra for the twins back in the ruins, as they had an inordinate fondness for certain human foods and beverages, such as Wriph’s taste for black coffee and Milia’s love of strongly spicy food. A side effect of buying that much was that he’d acquired a reputation as a big eater, something that surprised most people since he was not especially meaty. Truthfully, he did eat more than most people, due to the amount of strenuous activity Thermidor’s training put him through and the increased caloric intake it demanded, so it wasn’t a wholly unjustified rumor.

 

As he walked around, several of the shopkeepers greeted him warmly, and he happily waved back. Days like these, he wished his mother could see how much Ilias Village had changed: it was now a place worth living in, with people worth talking to. Sighing, he set the wistful thoughts aside. He was given a new chance at living in this now-friendly village, and dwelling on the past would just waste it.

 

Stopping at the bakery, he greeted Betty, the baker’s wife, and bought a few loaves of fresh bread. As he left, Hans the lumberjack waved at him as he passed, and he nodded back with a smile. Those two in particular had been among the nicest people in the village when they had found out about his painful past, and treated him a little like a son, possibly because neither of them had children of their own. Their helpfulness and friendly demeanor had been among the biggest factors in making Luka reevaluate his view on humans, though the rest of the newcomers had also helped. If he could find one fault in either of them, or most of the village for that matter, it was their faith in Ilias. While outwardly he politely smiled whenever the topic was brought up, that was one point he was still adamant on, never truly having regained his lost faith. To this day, his eyes tended to go cold whenever he saw a uniform or raiment from the Temple of Ilias.

 

Having almost finished his shopping, Luka stopped at the last shop in his list - the butcher. He’d ordered spiced roast-beef for Milia, something she had a predilection for. It was an unusual taste for an Elf, as while they were omnivorous, they usually preferred vegetables to meat. As he waited in line for his turn, he felt a pat on his shoulder and turned around to see Hans again. He smiled at the lumberjack, who waved a tanned hand in greeting.

 

“Hi there, boy!” he said in a cheerful tone. “I see you’re stocking up on food again. Where does it all go, I wonder? It’s like you have a gaping void where your stomach should be! Harharhar!”

 

“Ahahaha... I’m still growing, aren’t I?” Luka replied, scratching his head in embarrassment. It was true - just not all of the truth. “And I train every day in the forest, you know, so I need lots and lots of food.”

 

“That’s right, you’re training to be a Hero, aren’t you? Come to think of it, the baptism ceremony is next month...” the big man commented. At that, Luka’s good mood evaporated nearly instantly. He’d been aware of the coming ceremony for a while now, and it greatly irritated him to see this many people looking forward to it. For his part, he wanted nothing to do with it, and intended to steer clear of the whole thing.

 

“Yeah, it’s next month,” he said in a neutral tone. “A lot of people are in town for it, apparently. Must be good for business.”

 

“Aren’t you excited?” the man asked, a little puzzled. Luka shrugged.

 

“Not really. I know I’m good enough to be a Hero. Why should I be concerned?” he answered, carefully squashing the biting answer that threatened to erupt from his lips. It wouldn’t do to be seen as a heretic all over again, and it was always difficult to keep his temper in check when the argument of Ilias was brought up. He made a mental note to thank Thermidor: her lessons on self-control were proving very useful now.

 

“Hahaha, confident and unconcerned! Both good qualities for a Hero, indeed!” Hans laughed, slapping Luka on the back. “I’ll be looking forward to hearing about your exploits!”

 

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves now, shall we?” Luka replied, some of his good mood returning. Even with the topic being somewhat unpleasant, it was hard to remain annoyed in the face of Hans’s overly cheerful attitude. The lumberjack nodded.

 

“Sure, I’ll wait for stories of your victories before toasting to you, kid,” he reassured him. “I have no doubt that you'll defeat any evildoer - be they human or monster! It’s what you've trained for, isn’t it?”

 

“Heh... yes, it is,” Luka nodded. Just then, the butcher called him out, and he shot an apologetic look at Hans. Understanding, the older man nodded and motioned for him to go ahead. With a final wave of his hand, he left to finish his own shopping, leaving a moody Luka behind.

 

The boy quickly paid for the spiced meat and put it away, then hurried home, mumbling to himself as he made a mental note of what to bring along for a ‘camping trip’ in the forest. He honestly was in no mood to be in town when the Baptism would take place, and perhaps staying with Thermidor for its duration and then pretending he got lost was the best idea.

 

Then again, checking the temple to see what the nonsense was all about might also be worth it. He had no intention of being baptized, of course... but information was never a bad thing to have. He’d have to discuss this with Thermidor, he decided as he got ready to bring the fresh supplies to the Elves.

 

As he looked out of the window, the temple’s bells rang. He sighed as he saw many people on the street bow in the temple’s direction. He really had a hard time understanding such blind faith anymore.

 

It didn’t take him long at all to prepare for the trip in the forest. The villagers were used to seeing him wander off on his own, and merely waved at him from a distance. He waved back as he hurried away and disappeared into the trees.

 

A short while of quick walking later brought him to the ruins, and he waved at the Elves, who’d already spotted him and had come out to meet him. He quickly distributed the food and supplies around, earning a grateful smile from Milia when he handed over the spiced roast beef he’d gotten for her, and then wandered off to find Thermidor as the Elves set about putting the new supplies into storage.

 

He found the swordswoman training out back, and for a while he simply stood there watching her movements as she twirled around, her sword barely a flash in the sunlight. He’d tried imitating Thermidor’s fighting style, but it was much more difficult than he expected, and he’d ultimately given up, realizing that her moves couldn’t be replicated without a rock-solid grasp of both basic and intermediate swordplay - something he still lacked. Her ability to seamlessly flow from one move to the other was the fruit of patient analysis of every move in her repertoire, and came about as a result of her having modified those moves so that they became more fluid. Without experience, he had little hope of replicating that feat.

 

As Thermidor wound down from her sword dance, she spotted him and cracked a smile. Quickly sheathing her sword, she approached him. As expected, she wasn’t even the slightest bit sweaty; after all, her body wasn’t built for these things.

 

“Hello, Luka,” she greeted him with a warm smile. “I was just finishing up here. Have you been waiting for long? I always lose track of my surroundings when I'm practicing.”

 

“Not at all, and besides, I like watching you practice,” Luka replied, smiling back. He then grew more serious. “I wanted to talk to you about something...”

 

“Let me guess - the Baptism ceremony at Ilias’ temple next month?” she asked. At Luka’s surprised glance, she gave him a knowing look. “I know you, Luka. Even if it may not involve you directly, it was going to annoy you. After all, such a huge gathering of fools is bound to make even the most patient man start losing his temper.”

 

“Yeah, I suppose that’s true. Still, I was wondering,” Luka said, a pondering look on his face. “Should I at least go see what it is all about? It may be worth knowing something about it...”

 

Thermidor gave him an odd look, then sat down on a nearby log and sighed. Leveling a neutral stare at him, she remained silent a few seconds before she resumed speaking.

 

“You should do what you think is best for you,” she said. “If you think it’s worth seeing what it’s all about, then do it. If you think it’s just a giant waste of time, then don’t go. Just be consistent with who you truly are, that’s all that matters. Although, if you want my opinion... going to see it will just put you in a foul mood and risk making you lose your temper.”

 

“Yeah, I think so too,” Luka nodded. “I had to rein my irritation in today, too, and it was just a casual mention of it. If I went, I’d probably learn nothing because I blew up in frustration at the whole travesty... I’ll just pass on it.”

 

“It’s your choice, really,” Thermidor nodded. “But I’ll be honest: I’d feel better if you went nowhere near that wretched place. Lately, I get a bad feeling from it.”

 

“I have no trouble imagining why,” was Luka’s muttered reply. “It’s like nobody cares that place is brainwashing everyone... anyway, thanks. I just needed a second opinion, and my head’s clearer now. So then... tomorrow as usual for training?”

 

“As usual,” the fencer nodded. “Wriph said she’ll be sparring with you, so be prepared.”

 

Luka groaned as he left. Training with the wild Elf always had a nasty habit of leaving him black and blue in the most interesting places.

 

----

 

Two weeks later, a chance encounter allowed Luka to lay yet another piece of his troubled past to rest.

 

It happened as he walked down the familiar dirt road to the ruins, having decided to pay a visit to Thermidor even though it was technically a day of rest for him. The area was so familiar to him by now, he could have found his way through it even while blindfolded, simply through the smells and the noises of the forest. That was why, when the forest grew quiet, he noticed immediately. Looking around, he realized he’d felt the same atmosphere once before, and drew his sword. When the forest grew that quiet, it meant something dangerous was nearby.

 

As he waited, rooted to the spot with his guard up, he heard a squishing sound, and suddenly, he began to have a distinct sensation of being in the middle of reliving the past. Surely, it couldn’t be...?

 

As if on cue, a translucent figure emerged from the surrounding foliage, looking around. As Luka met the Slime Girl’s eyes, he couldn’t help but shake his head in disbelief. “This is all awfully familiar...” he muttered as the monster’s face brightened up on seeing him.

 

“Haha, a delicious looking boy showed up!” the Slime giggled happily. Luka froze upon hearing her voice. It sounded incredibly familiar, too... but surely, that would be too much of a coincidence? He took a step back, observing the monster as her body jiggled around. The Slime observed his movements with a puzzled expression.

 

“Aaah...? This is odd... haven’t I seen you somewhere before?” she commented, a tinge of confusion creeping in her eyes. At that, Luka’s remaining doubts dissipated. He was now absolutely, positively certain this was the same Slime he’d met years ago. And he didn’t think meeting her again after so long was a coincidence. Straightening up and dropping out of his guarded stance, he sheathed his sword.

 

“You’re right. We have met before,” he answered her with a nod. “Two and a half years ago... I think it was around here, in fact.”

 

“Ah...? Aaaahhh!” The Slime shouted, her eyes widening as she pointed an accusing finger at him. “You’re that boy who was stolen from right under my nose by that other monster!”

 

“Mmmm... I hope you didn’t have to suffer from hunger too much because of it back then?” Luka replied in a friendly tone. The Slime glared at him.

 

“Of course I suffered! I went to sleep hungry and tired after you led me around!” she said in an annoyed tone, before crouching low in an aggressive pose. “This time, I’m not letting you get away...”

 

“I have no intention of getting away,” was Luka’s tranquil reply. The Slime gave him a confused, suspicious look as her aggressive stance faltered before the unexpected reply. Luka sighed as he leaned against a tree.

 

“Listen, I am really sorry about that incident years ago, and I’ve felt guilty about you going home hungry because of it,” he explained. “But I just couldn’t let you attack Ilias Village - although, in retrospect, back then they’d have deserved it. And, I still can’t let you attack it this time, because there are good people there now, and I’d rather you left them alone.”

 

“But I’m hungry!” the gooey monster whined, frowning cutely. Luka smiled back at her with a reassuring nod.

 

“I imagined you were. So I want to make a deal with you,” he proposed to her. “If you leave the village alone, you’re welcome to taking however much semen you want from me right now... provided you let me go afterwards and not kill me, of course. That way, I’ll also make it up to you for making you go hungry back then. So... what will it be?”

 

“...you’d really let me have your semen?” the Slime Girl asked curiously, looking at him with genuine surprise. “Most men I meet yell some stuff about laws and something called Ill-ass and it being forbidden...”

 

“What, that old crock again?” Luka snorted. “Never mind that nonsense. If that prohibition didn’t exist, things would be so much easier. I don’t follow it, anyway. So then, is this all right with you?”

 

“Sure!” the Slime chirped happily, approaching him. “Besides, I was always curious how you’d taste. If you let me have your semen, I won’t bother your villagers, promise!”

 

“All right then...” Luka nodded as he looked around, then he pointed to a ways off the dirt road. “People don’t normally come down here, besides me of course, but there’s no sense in risking getting interrupted by someone. Shall we go over there?”

 

“Yeah! Lead on~!” the monster nodded, now clearly in a good mood. She could hardly believe the luck she was having - not only had she run into the boy she’d lost years before, but he was being all friendly and even willing to feed her. It was a nice change from all the humans chasing her off all the time, and she intended to enjoy both her meal and the company to their fullest.

 

The two moved off the main path a bit, then stopped in a tiny clearing. Luka was quick in removing his clothes, remembering how the Slime had melted them off in a flash last time they met. They were among the few clothes he had remaining from when Liese was still alive, and had a bit of a sentimental value. Folding them neatly, he placed them aside so they wouldn’t get caught up in the coming events, then turned around.

 

The Slime promptly tackled him with a happy shout, causing him to yelp and get swept off his feet. He blinked, unprepared for the strength behind the tackle. He hadn’t really been hit by the Slime last time, and he only now realized she was a lot stronger than she looked. Shrugging, he relaxed. It wasn't like he planned to break free or escape, so it didn’t matter in the end.

 

The Slime wasted no time in quickly wrapping all around the boy’s body, causing him to briefly tense up in alarm before relaxing: there didn’t seem to be malice or ill intent in her, and she didn’t seem interested in eating him, at least not in a fatal sense. In fact, he found the way her slimy body was flowing over his own rather pleasant.

 

The Slime giggled as she enveloped him, rubbing herself all over him wherever she could reach and causing a gentle massaging motion all over his body. Luka couldn’t help but moan slightly as she flowed over his rapidly hardening member, and that prompted another giggle from the monster.

 

“Haha... You like this, don’t you?” she teased. “There’s another monster’s taste all over you, but I’m a lot better, just you wait and see. I’ll please you more than she can!”

 

Luka’s answer was cut off as the Slime suddenly shifted, solidifying again in a humanoid form as she straddled him, enveloping his hard cock in her fluid body. He gasped as she suddenly began flowing intensely around his groin, the cold substance strongly stimulating his genitals with the action. The sensation was unexpected, and completely different from how Thermidor felt, he realized; where the swordswoman was hot, firm and tight, the Slime Girl felt cool, soft and ever-changing, her body seemingly adapting to his own form with each movement. Briefly, he realized he’d made a fundamental error in evaluation: he’d assumed all monsters would feel the same as Thermidor. That was clearly not the case.

 

Shrugging again, he filed away that information for later, and decided to just concentrate on the task at hand. He might as well enjoy feeding this Slime, rather than be distracted through it all.

 

The monster seemed to notice his attention returning to her, as her ministrations picked up at that point. Shifting again, she enveloped his whole body within her gelatinous form once more, covering him from shoulder to thigh.

 

“Hehe, let’s play now~!” the Slime giggled again, looking down at Luka. Then she started vibrating again, drawing a startled gasp from the boy’s lips as the slight tremors gently massaged every covered inch of his body.

 

“Ah... that feels good,” he breathed out, causing the Slime to grin in satisfaction as she watched his pleased expression.

 

“See, I told you! It’s amazing inside of me, isn’t it? Don’t worry, I’ll tease you even more~!” she cooed as she kept shifting around him. Her vibrations increased further, causing a feeling much like many tongues nibbling and licking at his enveloped body. Luka gritted his teeth: he wasn’t used to this kind of stimulation, and wasn’t sure how long he could hold on. Another gasp escaped him as the slime enveloping his penis started shifting in every direction, intensely stimulating him. He had to admit, as much as he enjoyed his intimate moments with Thermidor, this was a totally different, equally enjoyable experience.

 

As he savored the unfamiliar feelings caused by the Slime’s actions, Luka’s eyes were instinctively drawn to her swaying, translucent breasts. He’d always had something of a weakness for shapely breasts, and would always find himself attracted to them. The Slime’s were no different, and Luka instinctively reached for them. To his surprise, however, his hands sank right into the Slime’s chest when he tried to grasp the jiggling globes. The monster laughed in delighted amusement at his confused and slightly frustrated expression.

 

“Silly, I’m a Slime,” she reminded him. “I’m not solid like human women, remember?” Then her expression softened a bit and she grabbed his wrists, pulling his hands out of her chest. “But if you want to grab something this badly... just give me a second...” she added as her eyes narrowed an instant. Luka blinked as he saw something shift in her, and got the distinct impression she’d become denser all over. The Slime then whistled and stuck her tongue out as she brought the boy’s hands back to her chest - and this time, rather than sink, they met resistance as he felt a sensation not unlike a soft but firm pudding under his fingers.

 

“Hehehe, there you go~!” the Slime Girl smiled as she watched him explore around her now firmer form. “I wonder why all human boys seem so obsessed with that part? But if you like it, go ahead!”

 

Luka nodded as he began twisting and kneading at her condensed body. The sensation he felt from his fingers was very pleasant; the Slime’s body was soft and gave way easily under his hands, but it was also firm enough to have substance and texture, and the way it would shift under his ministrations only to return to its original shape was almost entrancing. As he played around with the Slime’s breasts, she began to make an odd ‘purupurupuru’ noise, appearing pleased with his efforts. He honestly wasn’t sure how much, if at all, she was enjoying it, but if that felt nice to her, he would keep doing it.

 

He then noticed that while his hands had been wandering, the Slime’s massaging and twisting motions all over him had increased, particularly around his penis, and guessed she was getting impatient. Truthfully, he was somewhat surprised that he was lasting this long. Then again, the Slime seemed to be playing around.

 

“Hahaha, there’s no need to hold back, you know,” the Slime grinned at him as she massaged him all over. “You can come anytime you like.”

 

“I know, but - ah!” he grunted. “This feels really good...”

 

“Hehe, just a little longer? Then enjoy yourself,” she giggled again. “Just be sure to give me a lo~t when you come, okay?”

 

“Y-yeah,” Luka nodded, a bit dazed by the intense feeling all over his body. Closing his eyes, he relaxed further and decided he might as well let the Slime do as she pleased. What she did, however, was suddenly increase her density, as she apparently had decided she really was too hungry to wait anymore. Luka was caught by surprise by the sudden tightness developing in her body as a result of the increased firmness, and found himself experiencing the familiar feel of a building orgasm at that point. The sudden increase in stimulation was too much to bear, and at last, he decided to just let go. Quickly, the Slime’s rubbing motion brought him to his limit, and as he felt himself go over the edge, he sighed deeply, savoring the strange sensations.

 

The Slime giggled a bit as she felt him come, and shifted around as his hard dick began emptying his seed in her translucent body. Vibrating slightly all over, she began to milk Luka’s cock for all it was worth, making sure to draw as much as she could from it. Through halfway-shut eyes, Luka saw his semen slowly spread in a white cloud inside her body, before disappearing, being quickly absorbed for nourishment. The Slime Girl looked down at him with a grin as he relaxed, his hands finally letting go of her breasts, then nudged him.

 

“Hehehe, your sperm is really delicious,” she purred. “Hey, hey, you aren’t tired already, are you? Let me have some more~! I’m still hungry~!”

 

“Fine, fine... sheesh,” a slightly worn out Luka agreed. “I did promise, didn’t I? Do whatever you want.”

 

“Yay! Purupurupurupurupuru~” was the Slime’s happy reply as she began flowing and tightening around his penis again. Luka grunted, his dick still extremely sensitive to the point the stimulation was almost painful, and just laid back as the Slime began coaxing him again with pleasure, watching as her transparent shifting body rubbed gently against his member. Idly, he decided that using sex to avoid fights with monsters wasn’t such a terrible thing, and as long as they didn’t prove unreasonable, he saw no reason to refuse. Then he again pushed rational thoughts away and abandoned himself to the Slime Girl’s strange pleasure.

 

For a long while afterwards, Luka and the Slime Girl continued their intimate dance, her body’s flowing tightness coaxing more and more sperm out of him, until he was finally left exhausted and she decided she was full. Afterwards, he lay unmoving on the forest floor, breathing hard, while the Slime Girl sat quietly, seemingly dozing off. At length, she spoke.

 

“Mmmm... you’re a nice human,” she said, looking happy and satisfied. “I’m full now. I’ll forgive you for making me go hungry that other time, okay?”

 

“Heh...” Luka managed to breathe out, too worn out to say more. He hadn’t expected the Slime to be so demanding, given her size, and was honestly surprised he was still conscious. He’d lost count of his orgasms around the sixth, and his body ached all over - not an unpleasant pain, but pain nonetheless.

 

“Still, everybody else is so mean around here,” she continued. “All yelling ‘fiend!’ and ‘run!’ whenever I go somewhere humans are. Why can’t everyone be nice like you and help out a hungry monster?”

 

“Hahaha... you’re asking for too much,” Luka said tiredly as he propped himself up to look at her. “People around here don’t much like monsters.”

 

“I know, right?” she huffed, annoyed. “I think I’ll go back to my birthplace... this place stinks.”

 

“Birthplace? You aren’t from around here?” Luka asked, his curiosity piqued. The Slime Girl shook her head.

 

“Nope, I’m from Undine’s Spring, on the big continent,” she replied. At Luka’s puzzled expression, she continued in surprise. “You’ve really never heard of it? It’s the nicest, most beautiful spring in the world, with pure water and plants and flowers all over! You really should come visit sometime!” Then she seemed to remember something, and added, “Ah, but be careful not to throw trash around. Undine is very angry at humans for dirtying the water. If you make her mad, she might kill you, you know~!”

 

“Uh... I’ll keep that in mind,” Luka said as he pulled himself up. “But, how are you going to get to the mainland? There’s nothing but sea inbetween...”

 

“We monsters have ways of getting around, you know,” was the Slime’s mysterious answer as she smiled impishly. “But they're super secret and all, so I can’t tell you. Sorry!”

 

“Heh, fair enough. Well, then, I guess this is goodbye?” Luka said, looking at her with a smile. The Slime nodded, grinning back.

 

“I’m going to wait for you at Undine’s Spring, so you better come visit sometime!” she cheerfully answered. “I’ll be sure to tell everyone how nice you were, so don’t worry!”

 

With that, she gave Luka a quick peck on the cheek. Then she turned around and wandered off, waving at him before disappearing.

 

Luka sighed, stretching his aching body as he did so. Looking over himself, he was surprised to notice that there was no trace of slime left on him this time, unlike during their last encounter. Then he realized: back then he’d been forcefully ripped out of her, while this time she’d been in control the whole time, so she had left no residues behind. In fact, his skin almost felt softer and cleaner than before, and he wondered if she hadn’t washed him as well in the process. Shrugging, he got dressed and gathered his weapon. Then he began walking the rest of the way to the forest ruins, humming a tune. He felt like he’d done a good deed, and it was a great feeling.

 

As he walked, he suddenly got the distinct impression of being watched. Stopping, he looked around, wondering if there were animals in the area, but saw nothing. As he turned around again, an upside-down face suddenly swung from a tree’s low branch right in front of him, causing him to shout in fright and fall back, startled.

 

As he looked up, the owner of the face let go of the branch she was hanging from, twisted in midair and landed on her feet, dusting herself. Blinking, Luka realized it was Wriph, and a sudden sense of dread filled him as he watched her with horror.

 

“How... how long have you been here?” he asked in a strangled voice. Wriph looked up, then crossed her arms behind her head and whistled innocently.

 

“Hmm...? Lemme see... I think it was somewhere around ‘I have no intention of getting away’,” she stated as if she was talking about the weather. Then she grinned wolfishly. “So, the great Hero does his first good deed by feeding a poor, hungry, lonely Slime. How was it? I’m told Slimes are... different, what with not having a definite shape and all.”

 

“Wh-- you were here the whole time?!” Luka managed to choke out, incredulous. “Do you even know what privacy is?”

 

“Come now, Luka,” Milia’s voice was heard as the second Elf stepped out from behind a tree. “If you end up having sex in the middle of a forest, you really have no room to complain about people stumbling upon you and watching.”

 

“Y-you too?!” Luka spluttered. “I’d expect this from Wriph, but you?”

 

“What can I say? I was somewhat impressed,” Milia replied with a tranquil smile. “I really can’t think of any other human who’d be willing to indulge a monster’s needs to make up for an incident that occurred years before. You’re special... this world could do with more humans like you.” Her smile became a little twisted. “And besides, you aren’t all that unpleasant to look at. You have a nice body, you know.”

 

“Uh... thanks?” the boy answered hesitatingly. Wriph grinned.

 

“Hey, you did good out there,” she chimed in. “As I said, Slimes are very unusual... due to their bodies’ odd properties, the kind of pleasure they can give is unlike any other in the monster world. Some monsters may be more intense, but Slimes are unique in what they can do. You did well lasting that long with her. Perhaps I should give you a spin myself? Heh heh.”

 

“Please don’t,” Luka pleaded. “You’d break my pelvis to pieces.”

 

“Maybe, but it’d be fun, wouldn’t it?” the wild Elf laughed. Luka shook his head, then stumbled as she jovially whacked him across his back and then draped an arm over his shoulders. “Come on, let’s go home. I’m sure Thermidor will want to know all~ the details of today’s events, and we wouldn’t want to make her wait, would we?”

 

Shaking his head again with a smile, Luka walked off with the Elves, chatting animatedly all the way to the ruins. Life was good, and he was happy.

 

----

 

Time passed, and the eve of the day Luka dreaded finally came - the day of the Baptism Ceremony. Luka’s mood, which had darkened as the date drew closer, hit an all-time low in the days prior to the ceremony, and his patience was sorely tried by the influx of pilgrims singing songs to Ilias and extolling the Goddess’ virtues. All of that only contributed to increase his irritation, and so he shut himself in his house as the eve came to an end and darkness fell.

 

On that evening, he sat in his house’s kitchen and unenthusiastically munched on a mixed salad and some beef, his appetite having largely fled with his good mood. In all fairness, it was not so much that he didn’t believe in God, but he most certainly didn’t believe in Ilias as being the God whose praises should be sung, and seeing so many people turn a blind eye to the deep injustice rooted within the Church’s basic laws out of either convenience, laziness, or ignorance violently clashed with his ideals of justice and goodness. He was sure that Ilias’ laws had made the situation between monsters and humans exponentially worse, since they forced most monsters to resort to extreme measures, which in turn inevitably increased the animosity towards them in a vicious downward spiral.

 

He’d seen enough proof that if approached and treated in a civil fashion, monsters could at least be reasoned with. He held no illusion that all monsters would prove so reasonable, but it irked him that no attempts were even made to solve problems in a peaceful way. Of course, he also had to admit that monsters made the same mistake, but from where he looked at the situation, it seemed to him as if the party that started the whole mess was the Church of Ilias, rather than the Monster Lord.

 

Luka paused at that. The Monster Lord... he’d always wondered what kind of monster - and person - she was. Truthfully, she may well have something to do with the situation herself. He doubted it, but making assumptions was very dangerous in situations such as these. Quietly, he mulled over an idea that had been forming in his head for a while now.

 

Supposedly, the Monster Lord hated all humans and wanted them all exterminated, but that was how the Church depicted her. As such, Luka trusted that view of the Monster Lord about as far as he could throw an ox - which was to say, not at all. However, even the most outlandish propaganda and lies sometimes turned out to have a grain of truth to them. So then, in order to ascertain the truth... should not a true Hero set out to meet the Monster Lord and see for himself whether she was truly an evil being or not? He had a suspicion that she could also be reasoned with, but Ilias’ Heroes weren’t known for being reasonable, so he doubted anyone had even tried.

 

...in which case, it would be his duty to approach the Monster Lord and find out the truth, if he was serious about pursuing the road of true heroism.

 

Luka frowned to himself. Being a wandering Hero without the backing from Ilias’ church wouldn’t be easy, that was for sure. Ilias’ Heroes enjoyed many advantages over common folks and even regular warriors, having a long list of rights they could make use of, including but not limited to discount rates at shops and inns and the right to demand audiences with any nation’s ruler. On the other hand, many Heroes abused those privileges to lead a comfortable life, only to flee at the first sign of actual danger. His frown deepened at that. He truly despised those individuals who sullied the reputation of true Heroes by assuming that role without taking its responsibilities seriously. Such people weren’t Heroes - they were just scum.

 

Luka sighed. It seemed as if he’d have to make a decision soon enough, and seeing how he’d come of age the next day himself, what better time to talk about it with Thermidor than right then? He’d trained hard, and while he doubted he was nearly as strong as the monster swordswoman, he was sure he was at least ready to start the long journey towards the truth. Maturity would come to him as he experienced the world; it was something both Thermidor and the Elf twins told him more than once in the past.

 

Nodding to himself, he resolved to talk with Thermidor about his decision the next day. Hopefully, she would show him support as always. With that, he got up from his seat, and prepared to turn in for the night.

 

----

 

“...ka. Brave Luka! Can you hear my words?”

 

Luka shifted uneasily in his sleep. He could have sworn he’d heard a voice call out to him. That was odd: he was sure he hadn’t eaten nearly enough to get indigestion-induced nightmares. Shifting and huddling, he tried to ignore the ‘voice’.

 

“...If you ignore me, I’ll pass judgment on you,” the voice said in a warning tone. Something about it caused Luka’s instincts to flare up, and he shuffled awake, rubbing his eyes.

 

“Mmmmn... wha...?” he muttered as he tiredly looked around. He blinked as he saw he wasn’t in his bed, but rather somewhere very bright and full of clouds. “Great, so I am dreaming,” he muttered, looking around.

 

“It is no dream, brave Luka. I am truly speaking to you,” the voice corrected him, as a figure coalesced before his eyes. It was a shapely blonde woman wearing a sleeveless robe, with a pair of angelic wings sprouting from her back. Large azure eyes adorned her brightly shining face, looking at him. “It is I, brave Luka... your Goddess, Ilias.”

 

Luka’s left eye twitched at that, and he found himself staring dumbfounded at the supposed Goddess before him. His Goddess? This definitely couldn’t be a product of his mind, as he doubted even at its most addled his brain would cook up such a ludicrous scenario. So this had to be the real Goddess Ilias. Which meant the Holy Goddess apparently wasn’t even able to tell that not only was his faith in her nonexistent, but she wasn’t welcome to intrude in his mind either. Could the Goddess truly be this clueless?

 

Luka’s silence and incredulous stare were apparently misunderstood by Ilias, as she nodded to him with a smile and kept talking, apparently believing she had his attention.

 

“Heed my words, brave Luka. Many, many years ago, in a time man cannot comprehend, I created this world,” she said. “First was the earth, sky and sea. Then the animals, birds and insects. Finally, I created Humanity.”

 

Ilias’s expression grew displeased at that point, and she continued. “However, I am not perfect. While creating Humanity, I had many failures. Those failures are monsters... a truly detestable existence.”

 

Luka inwardly snorted at that. Detestable existence, indeed, he thought. I can see how you aren’t perfect. Your own mindset is the farthest thing from perfect I’ve ever seen! He was, however, careful not to voice his disbelief. His instincts were all on high alert: he was fairly sure that were she to grow angry at him, Ilias could and would kill him, dream or not, and out of caution, he restrained his tongue.

 

“Monsters are nothing but evil. They will seduce humans to commit forbidden acts, sometimes even committing great acts of violence,” Ilias continued, seemingly oblivious to Luka’s thoughts. A theory began to form in Luka’s mind as she talked, but he filed it away for the time being. For all that he wasn’t too interested in what she wanted, he should listen to her: important information may be awaiting in her words. He returned his attention to her as she kept addressing him. She seemed to genuinely believe she had his interest, and for the time being, it was best not to make her think otherwise.

 

“Even though humans are weak, I still love them...” Ilias continued. Another grunt of disbelief was squashed by Luka. “So I hate these monsters that bring them only harm.”

 

Luka silently waited for the Goddess to get to the point. He was sure she had approached him for a reason, not just for chit-chatting.

 

“You, Luka, will finally come of age tomorrow, won’t you?” the Goddess said after a brief pause. Luka’s ears perked up. He was starting to see why she had come to him.

 

“Up until now, I have given my blessing and protection to many men... however, the monsters still have not been exterminated. Not since Heinrich, five hundred years ago, has a Hero been able to defeat the Monster Lord,” she said quietly. Then she looked straight at Luka. “However! You too have the potential to defeat a Monster Lord, Luka!”

 

“Is that so...?” Luka spoke for the first time, adopting a cautiously neutral tone. He wasn’t sure exactly how much Ilias knew, and until then, he’d rather keep his cards close to his chest. She seemed, however, unaware of the amount of ‘sinning’ and ‘forbidden acts’ he’d been performing. All she seemed to be aware of was his strength, and little to nothing else.

 

“You do, indeed,” the Goddess confirmed. “The strength within you burns clear as day. I can feel it radiating off you. With your skill, there’s no doubt in my mind you will succeed where many others failed. Now go, Luka! I will always be watching over you, and praying for your victory. Go forth, and slay the Monster Lord!”

 

With that, the Goddess’ vision vanished, and all went dark.

 

Luka awoke with a start, covered in sweat. He’d never felt more on edge than he had just now. For all that he didn’t consider Ilias to be a legitimate Goddess, he had been able to feel her power clearly, and there was no doubt in his mind that, regardless of his opinion of her, she was tremendously powerful. He was also fairly sure that, had he let anything about his actual past slip, she would have killed him, or at the very least done something terrible to him. But, for some reason, she’d been unable to read his mind, or even know much about him.

 

He had no idea what caused Ilias to visit him now, of all times. He could only hazard guesses: perhaps the fact he’d been focused on her made him more receptive to a message from her. Or perhaps her power increased during this period. If that was the case, then he should take care to keep his thoughts far away from Ilias in the future, as another visit from her at the wrong time could be catastrophic for him. He hoped Thermidor would have a more concrete idea as to why the Goddess visited him, and how to prevent it from happening again. He didn’t relish the idea of Ilias butting in on his private life whenever she pleased.

 

As he wiped the sweat off his face, he grew thoughtful. Somehow, Ilias had given him the impression that she wasn’t being truthful about monsters and creation. While he was hardly surprised, the thought unnerved him. Something felt very wrong with the whole situation, and he hated it when he got that feeling.

 

Shaking his head, he got up from his bed. He doubted he’d be able to go to sleep again after this, and he had some thinking to do. Come the morning, he’d head to Thermidor’s place first thing and relate the events of the night to her.

 

----

 

The next morning saw Luka quickly pack up and leave for the forest ruins before dawn. He’d been unnerved by Ilias’ visit to the point he could not go back to sleep, and had decided that the early bird catches the worm, so to speak. Thus, he’d set out as soon as possible, aiming to reach the ruins as quickly as he could.

 

As he walked through the dirt road, he frowned. His instinct was warning him of something, but as far as he could tell, nothing was out of the ordinary in the forest. He wondered if perhaps he wasn’t being spied on by Ilias, but decided that couldn’t be the case; had she gained an inkling of what he was up to, he’d likely have been struck by lightning or something equally unpleasant already.

 

As he hurried along, a whistling sound began to make itself known to his ears. Slowing down, he looked around in confusion. It almost sounded like... something falling from very high up, very fast--

 

A loud crashing interrupted his thoughts as something impacted into the ground not many steps ahead of him. A wave of pressure knocked him back several paces, ruining his footing and causing him to roll ass-over-teakettle a few paces more. When he was able to shake off the dizziness and disorientation of the powerful blow, he found himself on hands and knees, staring at a shallow crater in the forest floor.

 

As he got back on his feet and cautiously moved around the site of the crash, looking for whatever had impacted the ground, he became aware of a peculiar pressure coming from slightly ahead of him. He blinked; he was fairly sure what he was feeling was a monster’s power, but what he was feeling was far stronger than anything he’d ever felt before. He became even more cautious, drawing his sword as he circled the ruined area, trying to see through the devastation and dust cloud.

 

Finally, he spotted what seemed to be the source of the power, and likely of the impact as well. As he suspected, it was a monster, but unlike any other monster he’d ever seen before. She appeared to be a lamia, but her skin was blue, with red scales decorating her tail. A flower adorned her white hair, and a stylized tattoo could be seen on the left side of her body. A pair of horns curved outward from the back of her head, and there appeared to be a drawing of a third eye on the hair draped over her forehead, as well. She was unconscious, and wore very little aside from jewelry and just enough fabric to cover her chest, but being half naked was not unusual for monsters, from what he gathered, so he paid it no mind. He did, however, notice she was generously endowed.

 

Luka sheathed his sword as he regarded the unconscious monster. Having fallen from the sky with such force, it was likely she was hurt. He pondered what to do. On one hand, he could try to carry her himself all the way to the ruins, and that was likely the most sensible course of action, since the noise and impact were sure to draw attention from the village and temple, and if they found her, he had no doubt what’d happen. On the other hand, she was at least six meters long, and he wasn’t sure he could lift and carry her on his own. But leaving her there to seek help didn’t sit well with him. He decided the best thing to do was try and see if she would wake up. Monsters were sturdier than humans, and this one looked even tougher than the average. There was a good chance she’d at least be able to move.

 

Approaching the fallen monster, he placed a hand on her shoulder and gently shook her. “Hey... can you hear me?” he said, keeping his voice high enough to be heard, but not too high. His efforts were rewarded with a groan as the serpentine monster’s eyelashes fluttered, and her eyes slowly opened, looking at him in confusion. Luka noted she had golden pupils - a rather striking color.

 

As the monster slowly pushed herself to an upright position, she groaned, and Luka again placed a hand on her shoulder, gently but firmly. At her questioning stare, he shook his head.

 

“You had a hell of a landing, just about now,” he explained. “You may want to take it easy for a while. There aren’t any other humans approaching at the moment, so take your time to catch your breath.”

 

The monster eyed him curiously, then looked around herself with an alert expression on her face. After a while, she relaxed and returned her gaze on the human boy before her.

 

“Who... are you?” she asked slowly. Luka smiled at her.

 

“I’m Luka,” he answered helpfully. “You’re near Ilias Village, on the southern island, in case you're wondering. You, uh, sort of fell from the sky right in front of me, and...” he trailed off as he motioned at the destruction around him. The monster looked around, then back at him again.

 

“Why are you helping me?” she asked bluntly. “I'm a monster. You’re a human. Shouldn’t you be fleeing in terror, or maybe trying to kill me?”

 

“Not this again,” Luka frowned. “Why should being a monster and a human automatically put us at odds? You fell down in front of me, you looked like you might be hurt, and I helped. That’s all, really.”

 

“But why?” she insisted. “You don’t know me. For all you know, I might go ahead and kill you any time now.”

 

“Why would I need a reason to help people who are in trouble?” Luka retorted, beginning to feel annoyed. “If I can help, it doesn’t matter if it’s a monster or a human. I’ll help regardless. As for the possibility that you might kill me... I’m going to hope you’re a decent person and won’t kill someone who did good by you. Of course, I may be wrong...”

 

“Huh...” the monster muttered, looking at him with a strange expression. “You’re... interesting. I didn’t think humans like you existed.”

 

“Yes, well...” Luka began, then fell silent as he felt presences approaching. His alarm quickly became relief as he saw Thermidor’s armored figure pop out of the nearby undergrowth, followed shortly by the Elf twins. They stopped as they saw Luka and the newcomer, and the Elves seemed to be surprised as they hastily whispered something to Thermidor. The fencer’s answer was to hold her hand up and quiet them down, then approach the boy and the new monster.

 

“Luka, are you all right?” she addressed him as she got closer. “We heard the crash and saw smoke, so we came to investigate. We didn’t expect to find you here with an unknown monster in tow,” she added as she cast a speculative glance at the snake-woman. For her part, the newcomer maintained a neutral expression.

 

“We should leave, Thermidor,” Milia spoke up before Luka could answer. “I think human soldiers are approaching from the village, and the quicker we make ourselves scarce, the better.”

 

“True. We should lay low at the ruins for a while,” Thermidor nodded. “Fortunately, they're far enough from here that no one should look for us, but make certain not to leave any tracks just to be sure. Milia, Wriph, if you would...”

 

The Elf twins nodded, and set about covering their tracks as the other three hurried away from the crash site. Moving quickly and quietly, they returned to the ruins and, after the twins caught up, decided to hide in the cellar for the time being.

 

As Thermidor shut the door to the cellar and barred it, Luka sat tiredly on a nearby bench. The day seemed to be getting more and more exciting with each passing minute. First a dream visit from a Goddess, now a monster falling from the sky. What was next?

 

“We should be safe here for the time being,” Thermidor spoke up. “If need be, we can move to the crypt. No one will find us in there; the entrance is concealed.”

 

“I’d rather not disturb mother’s rest by invading her crypt to hide from soldiers, if at all possible,” Luka muttered in displeasure. “Even better, I’d rather they forget about the ruins.”

 

“You don’t need to worry,” the newcomer monster spoke up for the first time. “I took the liberty of casting a misdirection charm on the area I landed in before we left. The soldiers will go anywhere except the direction we went in.”

 

“That’s good to know. Thank you,” the fencer nodded at her. “If you don’t mind me asking your name...?”

 

“Before anything, why are you and this human boy on such good terms?” she asked with a puzzled expression. “You seem to be very familiar with each other.”

 

“We are,” Thermidor confirmed. “Luka and I have been practically family since his mother died... actually, no, since before then. Since he saved my life when I was about to die. If not for him, I wouldn’t be here now.”

 

“‘Saved your life’? Surely you don’t mean what I think you mean?” the other monster replied, incredulous. “I am aware of your kind’s nature. If he, as you imply, provided you with his lifeforce, he should have died from the energy drain.”

 

“What can I say? It worked out differently from what I myself expected,” the fencer shrugged. “I’m not complaining, though. I was saved, and I gained a precious little brother out of that misfortune. I am content this way.”

 

“Mmmm...” the monster pondered as she looked at Luka. “Interesting. And very unexpected. How long ago was that?”

 

“Two and a half years ago, give or take a few days,” Thermidor answered. The snake-woman blinked at her.

 

“That long...? Is your vitality unlimited or something?” she muttered, surprised, as she looked at the boy. Luka shrugged at her questioning look.

 

“I just seem to handle her demands better than most,” he said matter-of-factly. “And I don’t mind, anyway. She may not be my sister by blood, but I love Thermidor as one all the same. I like to think that helps me provide her with what she needs. Whether it’s true or not, now...”

 

“...I see,” the monster murmured. Then she turned to Thermidor and nodded. “I am Alicefeeze Fateburn, the sixteenth. You may call me Alice if you wish. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Your name is Thermidor, then? A curious name.”

 

“Hmm? Probably. I don’t really remember anything of my past besides my name, to be honest,” Thermidor replied. “But I won’t bore you with my amnesia-induced woes. Surely you have better things to do than listen to an uninteresting story from two dozen years ago.”

 

“All the same, I would like to hear it someday, as would I like to hear how you and this boy came to meet,” she said. “He’s... interesting. I wish more humans were like him. It’d make things simpler.”

 

“Unfortunately, there were no spares in storage,” Luka said in mock irony. “I guess I didn’t turn out to be enough of a mindless drone for Ilias’ tastes.”

 

That statement drew a sharp look from Alice, whose interest flared up again. “You don’t believe in Ilias, then?” she asked, watching the boy carefully. Luka remained silent for a bit, then shrugged.

 

“If you mean ‘believe in her existence’, then yeah, I do,” he said. “It’d be hard not to, seeing how she came to bother me last night in a dream. If, on the other hand, you mean ‘believe in her’ as in ‘believe she’s the one true Goddess’...”

 

“Wait,” Thermidor interrupted him, alarmed. “Ilias visited you? In your sleep?”

 

“Yeah,” Luka nodded. “That’s why I came here so early in the morning. She came to me talking about how she created the world, monsters were her mistakes, they were evil incarnate, and so on, and so forth... then she asked me to basically become her personal Hero and kill the Monster Lord out of nowhere. Through it all, she seemed to not quite pick up on my lack of faith in her nonsense, or anything. She even talked about how monsters tempt men into sin, while seemingly being obvious to the, you know, tremendously huge number of times I was 'tempted' and ‘sinned’ in the last two and a half years. Is she really a Goddess? You’d think she’d pick up on something like that--”

 

Luka’s rant was interrupted by sudden laughter, and he looked around to see Alice bent over, holding her stomach as tears flowed from her eyes. Her snake-tail was beating on the ground, too. He sighed, shaking his head. At least someone found this whole mess funny.

 

“Ha~hahahahahahahaha!!” Alice laughed uncontrollably. “Ilias looking for a Hero, and picking the one kid in this corner of the world who is a friend of monsters and thinks she’s a sham! Oh, ow, my sides are killing me!”

 

“...well, I guess it would be amusing if one looked at it that way,” was Thermidor’s comment as she waited for the blue-skinned monster to calm down. Luka snorted.

 

“I didn’t find it the least bit fun,” he pointed out. “I really was afraid she’d read my mind and discover I was what she branded as ‘heretic’ the whole time. Goddess or not, she’s powerful. She could probably have killed me in a flash if she had the inclination to. I need to find a way to keep this from happening again--”

 

“Hahaha... don’t worry, I think I know why it happened,” Alice interrupted him inbetween fits of laughter. “Tell me, were you thinking intensely about her or her religion for some reason lately?”

 

“Huh? Yeah, I was mulling over the whole Baptism nonsense a lot,” Luka nodded, confused. “What does that have to do with...”

 

“Ilias can pick up on humans who think about her intensely enough, regardless of whether the thoughts are positive or negative,” Alice explained. “With all the thinking you did, you probably attracted her attention. I admit I have no idea why she failed to read your mind and find out what a horrible, ghastly heretic you are,” she added, her voice dripping with sarcasm, “but apparently something about you keeps her from poking around your memories - otherwise, believe me, she would have brought the wrath of heaven down on you.”

 

“You’re awfully knowledgeable about Ilias,” Luka noted suspiciously. “How is that?”

 

“I had a good teacher,” Alice replied as she finally calmed down. “She taught me a great many things about both humans and Ilias. But she never told me anything about humans like you. To be honest, you’re a little like a fairy tale to me.”

 

“Fairytale Hero, huh? Has a nice ring to it,” Luka commented with a wry smile. Alice blinked at that.

 

“Hero? You want to be a Hero? Didn’t you say you don’t believe in Ilias just now?” she asked in a suspicious tone. Luka nodded.

 

“I don’t. But that doesn’t mean I can’t be a Hero,” he explained. “I want to be a real Hero, though. Someone who wanders the land righting wrongs and bringing peace to all, be they humans or monsters.” His gaze became distant as he sighed. “My dream is to one day be able to bring peace to the whole world... make it a place where monsters and humans can live in harmony, side by side. I know it can be done. It won’t be simple, but I have to at least try and pursue this dream.”

 

“Do you really think that’s possible?” Alice asked, curious. Luka nodded decisively.

 

“Possible, yes. Easy, no,” he replied. “I honestly doubt I can do it all by myself, but at least I can begin the process. In fact, I was planning on going on a journey... I want to meet the Monster Lord and talk with her.”

 

“You... what?” Thermidor asked, surprised. “Where does this come from, Luka?”

 

“I’ve been thinking, sis,” Luka said, leaning back on the bench he was sitting on. “I doubt the nonsense the Church shovels down its believers’ throats about the Monster Lord being pure evil and all that is true, but there’s always the chance that, for once, the Church’s propaganda has a bit of truth to it. I’d like to make sure of this myself. So... I want to travel to Hellgondo, where the Monster Lord is supposed to dwell, and speak with her myself. I want to see with my own eyes what kind of person she is. And while I am at it, I want to investigate the rumors that the Four Heavenly Knights serving the Monster Lord have been running wild lately. It may be that there is more to all this than meets the eye.”

 

Silence followed after Luka’s declaration, the four monsters’ eyes all on the boy. After a few seconds, a slow clapping was heard in the cellar, and Luka’s eyes shifted towards Alice, the source of the noise.

 

“Impressive,” she said as she brought her hands together. She seemed genuinely impressed, too. “So, you intend to embark on a journey from which few have returned, at your young age... purely for the sake of peace between humans and monsters? You are dedicated, I will grant you that much.”

 

Alice quietly regarded him, pondering something, then folded her arms under her breasts and nodded. “In that case, let me come with you,” she declared. Luka blinked, surprised.

 

“I beg your pardon?” he asked, unsure what to make of her sudden declaration. The serpentine monster held a finger up.

 

“Don’t misunderstand. I will strictly watch,” she specified. “I am not your ally, just an observer tagging along out of curiosity. I won’t help you fight your enemies, and should you be defeated, I will abandon you without a second thought. Mostly, I want to see how far you can get in your pursuit of this dream.”

 

“Mmmm... I suppose if that’s what you want to do I can’t really stop you,” Luka replied. “I get the feeling you’re very strong, anyway, so trying to force you away would probably end poorly.”

 

“A good call,” Alice nodded, pleased. “You are an excellent judge of strength.”

 

“Yes, well... suit yourself, then,” Luka sighed. “I was thinking of leaving at week’s end. If Thermidor doesn’t mind, you’re welcome to stay here in the ruins until then. There’s food and water, and they are safe, as people never visit them.”

 

“I have no objection to that,” Thermidor answered in a neutral tone. Luka shrugged.

 

“Okay then. I guess I'll see you this weekend, Alice,” the boy concluded as he got up and made to leave. As he walked towards the cellar’s exit, Thermidor spoke up.

 

“I will be coming with you, as well,” she said, causing Luka to stop and look at her in surprise. “I wish to make sure you are ready to adventure alone. I will escort you for the time being, until I feel I can safely let you strike out on your own. I would be a very poor teacher if I didn’t make sure my student has the necessary qualifications for undertaking such a quest, wouldn’t I?”

 

“But... what about mother’s grave?” Luka questioned her, casting an anxious glance at the magic wall further down the cellar which hid Liese’s crypt. At that, the Elf twins, who had remained silent up until then, stepped up.

 

“We will remain here however long it takes you to return from your journey and watch over the ruins,” Milia reassured him, drawing a surprised glance from the boy.

 

“Right, we’ll make sure nobody pokes their noses in,” Wriph confirmed. “We’re doing this just for you, you know, so you better be grateful!”

 

“Are you sure? What about your mercenary job?” he asked them in an uncertain tone. The Elf twins looked at each other, then waved away his concerns.

 

“We will just treat this as an extended mission, so don’t worry about it,” Milia said. “We’ll be fine anyway. If we need supplies, we can just trek the extra way to Enrika Village to the south. There’s an Elf settlement in its vicinity.”

 

“And you better be ready to pay up for our work!” Wriph added in a mock-threatening tone. “We don’t work for free, remember!”

 

“Thank you, you both,” Luka said, visibly moved. “I’ll leave everything here in your care, then. I really appreciate this.”

 

“Yeah, yeah, just get going already,” Wriph shooed him away. “You have a lot of preparing to do, and you also gotta come up with an explanation why you missed the Baptism, since half the village knows you wanted to be a Hero.”

 

“That’s true,” Luka nodded. “I’ll make something up. Thanks for everything! See you later!”

 

With that, Luka departed, leaving the four monsters behind looking at each other. For a while, silence reigned in the cellar, until Thermidor sighed and seated herself on the bench Luka had occupied until moments before. She then looked straight at Alice.

 

“You’re the Monster Lord, aren’t you?” she unceremoniously asked. Alice raised an eyebrow, then nodded.

 

“I am,” she confirmed. “If you knew, why didn’t you speak up while the boy was here?”

 

“I assumed you had reason to not reveal yourself just yet,” Thermidor replied, observing her. “I have to ask, though: what is the Monster Lord doing so far from Hellgondo?”

 

Alice went quiet at that, regarding the monster fencer before her with an unreadable gaze. Finally, she answered.

 

“I had a divergence of opinions with someone, and ended up crash-landing here afterwards,” she offered cryptically. Thermidor frowned at the vagueness of the answer, but did not push the issue. She was in no position to demand anything of the Monster Lord, and at any rate, it didn’t seem like Alice had hostile intentions.

 

“So why did you offer to go with Luka?” she changed the subject. Alice gave her a look that made it clear she thought the question was stupid.

 

“Isn’t it obvious?” she replied. “That boy has... interesting ideas. I was not lying when I said I wanted to see how far he could go. Don’t worry, I don’t intend to hurt him. But, as I said, I won’t help him either.”

 

“I wouldn’t want you to, anyway,” Thermidor agreed. “There’d be no meaning to this journey if he couldn’t make it on his own. Still, I want to be sure he’s ready for it, so I will tag along for a bit, as mentioned.”

 

“And if he’s not ready?” Alice asked. Thermidor regarded her coolly.

 

“In that case, I will take him back with me and not let him out of my sight again,” she stated flatly. “I doubt he’d agree with that, but I honestly don’t care overmuch. I’d rather he resent me for cutting his journey short than see him defeated and enslaved by a random monster on the road.”

 

“Hm. You care for him a great deal, don’t you,” Alice mused. “I somewhat envy you. Having someone this important to you must feel nice, difficulties notwithstanding.”

 

“It’s worth the effort,” Thermidor agreed. “I’m happy this way.”

 

“But, what will you do while the boy is away?” Alice asked her. At her questioning glance, she continued. “I think he is focusing too much on his own journey, and is forgetting an important detail - namely, your wellbeing. He’s probably grown used to seeing you in good health, and it simply hasn’t occurred to him just yet that he’s your only source of sustenance. Without him, where will you get your food?”

 

“That’s not going to be a problem,” Thermidor replied with a small smile. “It would have been back then, but over these years we spent together, I noticed my energy drain effect became steadily weaker and easier to control the more I fed off Luka. As it is now, I’d have to try very hard to kill or seriously debilitate someone... so I can safely get my nourishment from other men if need be.” She then frowned. “I only hope Luka doesn’t object to that. He can be somewhat anxious about me at times, and it’s only going to be a matter of days before he stops being preoccupied enough to realize this himself.”

 

“That’s... strange. I never heard of something like that happening,” Alice muttered, confused. “Is he by any chance part monster, or a magician, or something like that?”

 

“Something like that,” was Thermidor’s only reply. Alice’s questioning look only met with silence as the fencer refused to say any more, and after a while, the Monster Lord realized she wouldn’t get any further information out of her even under torture. Sighing, she dropped the subject. She could recognize loyalty when she saw it, and she had no trouble seeing that, in spite of being a monster, Thermidor’s loyalty was primarily to the boy and only secondarily to her.

 

“So, then, you’re just going to find other humans and take what you need from them?” Alice resumed talking. “I got the impression that you weren’t the type of monster to just assault humans out of the blue for food...”

 

“I’m not,” Thermidor replied in an irked tone. “I was actually thinking of going back to Sabasa for the duration of Luka’s journey after parting with him - whenever that may be. I came from there, and I know people who are aware of my monster nature and wouldn’t mind offering me some nourishment, since I served the kingdom well before I left.”

 

“Ah, yes, the desert kingdom,” Alice nodded. “It makes sense they’d accept you without much fuss. Their royal line is descended from monsters, after all. So long as they behave, I am sure monsters would be welcome within their city.”

 

“I was actually still human when I first settled in Sabasa,” Thermidor specified. “The people there knew me from before my rebirth as a monster. When I was killed in the line of duty, saving kidnapped children from bandits, I found myself tethered to this world into this form by my desire to continue bringing justice to those who wished for it and defend the weak from the wicked. When I wandered back into Sabasa, the locals were admittedly afraid at first, but the King, great man that he is, met me personally, and after looking into my eyes but once, vouched for me as someone worthy of trust. Even after that incident, his trust in me never wavered, and the townsfolk followed suit, trusting His Majesty’s judgment.”

 

“Incident...?” Alice inquired at that point. Thermidor’s expression darkened at that.

 

“...I accidentally drained a human to death at a time when I was especially famished,” she explained curtly. “The King believed me without hesitation when I explained it was not intentional, but I never really got over it, and stopped feeding afterwards. That was why I was nearly dead back when I met Luka - I was starving.” She smiled fondly as she mentioned the boy. “You could say Luka saved me twice. From death, and from the ghosts of my past. I feel much more comfortable about myself now.”

 

“Heh... I can’t tell if you’re talking about him as a brother or as a lover,” Alice commented dryly. Thermidor grew thoughtful at that, then shrugged.

 

“A little bit of both, I think,” she said. “Ours isn’t what anyone would consider a normal relationship between siblings. But then again, there are no blood relations between us. I suppose you could call us ‘siblings with benefits’?”

 

“That actually does describe the feeling I get from you two well,” the Monster Lord nodded. She then turned her attention to the Elf twins. “And what about you? You are all kinds of unusual for Elves. I’ve never met an Elf who does mercenary work, for one, although I hear there are some in Yamatai. And your demeanor is very different from other Elves. What is it that ties you to that boy and this place that you’d be willing to set your lives aside as a favor to him?”

 

“We find him interesting,” the twins replied in unison. Alice’s eyebrows rose.

 

“Something about the way you say it makes me think you’re finding him interesting more as a possible mate than simply an eccentric boy,” she commented. The Elves shrugged.

 

“He would make for a good husband,” they vaguely agreed. “He’s also friendly and has good skills with the sword.”

 

“Aren’t you the least bit worried that he’s going to be stolen away by someone else?” the snake-woman asked, puzzled by their apparent lack of concern over Luka leaving. The Elves’ only answer was a mysterious smile.

 

“We don’t think there’s anything to be worried about on that front,” Wriph replied. Milia followed up immediately. “If there’s something we’re sure of about Luka, it’s that he’s got a heart with enough space for everyone.”

 

“...you may be right,” Thermidor chuckled. “Still, I am surprised. I didn’t take you two for women looking to settle down. How long have you been thinking about it?”

 

“Long enough. Before we even met Luka, in fact,” was their chorused reply. Milia further added: “However, our goals have... shifted a bit since then.” They offered no more insight, and Thermidor decided to drop the subject. Alice, however, didn’t.

 

“So then, have you kept him company, as well?” she inquired. At the twins’ negative headshake, genuine surprise crossed her face. “No? Why not? You obviously like him well enough.”

 

“We thought it was not time yet,” they replied, somewhat dejected. At that, the Monster Lord shot them a questioning glance.

 

“Then why not now? It may be true that absence makes the heart grow fonder, but you may want to leave him a more... tangible memory of yourselves,” she suggested. “It’s what a proper monster would do, at any rate.”

 

“It’s not like I haven’t tried to get him to act on his impulses, but the kid’s got an iron will,” Wriph muttered, annoyed. Milia shook her head at that.

 

“He’s got too much self control to listen to his urges under normal circumstances,” she confirmed. “Thermidor did train him very well, that much we can confirm. Unfortunately for us, that made things very difficult.”

 

“Then be more blatant,” Alice scoffed. “If he won’t react to more or less overt teasing, just sneak into his house, strip down and see if he can keep his cool in that situation, too.”

 

“I considered that, but...” Wriph trailed off, looking at Thermidor. The fencer shrugged.

 

“So long as you don’t try to force yourselves on him or make him your slave, I don’t mind you trying to seduce him,” she clarified. “I thought that much was abundantly clear from the start. He’s not my property. If he seeks you out of his own volition, that’s his business. And, after all,” she added with a smile, “I am confident in his affection for me.”

 

“If that’s the case...” Milia replied, an uncharacteristically eager expression appearing on her face.

 

“...then we may have some planning to do,” Wriph finished her twin’s phrase with a rather predatory grin as she rubbed her hands together. “Oh, this time I’m going to make sure he loses it...”

 

On the road back to Ilias Village, Luka shivered. For some reason, he’d briefly felt like a lost sheep in the middle of a hungry pack of wolves.

 

----

 

Luka spent the next few days quietly preparing for his journey. Explaining away his absence from the Baptism had been easier than he expected; he’d simply claimed that the mysterious explosion in the forest had alarmed him and caused him to be delayed, thus missing the ceremony. Several villagers expressed their sympathy for the missed opportunity, and were surprised when he stated he intended to still become a Hero, blessing or not.

 

Arrangements were made so that after his departure, his house would be kept tidy by Betty, who would clean it up every now and then. Additionally, he offered any leftover food he might leave behind to anyone who needed it.

 

As Thermidor had predicted, Luka realized the issue with being separated from her once he calmed down a bit, and he anxiously rushed to her to discuss the problem. He was surprised at her reassurance that she would be fine, and while he felt a brief pang of displeasure at the thought of her seeking nourishment from others, he trusted her implicitly. After all, he reasoned, he would be a rather pitiful being if he doubted her affection over something like that. What mattered the most, he believed, was not one’s body, but one’s heart.

 

Satisfied with having tied up all loose ends in Ilias Village, he awaited the moment of departure with growing excitement. And so, the day before the journey came.

 

That evening, Luka found himself brimming with energy, elated at the thought of the adventure awaiting for him. He knew that what he was embarking on was a dangerous journey, one from which many brave warriors had failed to return... but all the same, he was full of anticipation. All his training would finally pay off. In the coming days, he would know for sure whether he was a Hero or just a dreamer.

 

Whistling a tune, he decided to take a bath before turning in early. He wanted to be in top shape for the next day. Stopping by the master bedroom, which he now slept in, he disrobed, gathered a towel and spare underwear, and made for the bathroom, anticipating the soothing warmth of the hot water.

 

As he entered, however, he stopped and blinked. The bathtub was already filled with water, and there was quite a bit of steam filling the room. His eyes narrowed. Had an intruder slipped in his house while he wasn’t looking? He was fairly certain he hadn’t detected anything suspicious, though. Perhaps Thermidor had paid him a surprise visit. He was so used to her presence he rarely even paid attention to it lately...

 

As he attempted to see through the vapor, he perceived a movement behind him. Before he could turn around, however, a kick caught him squarely in his naked backside, knocking him off his feet and sending him flying straight in the bathtub. Luka landed in the hot water with a splash, and spluttered as he re-emerged, shaking his head and furiously blinking his eyes as he tried to catch a glimpse of his assailant.

 

What he saw once his eyes adjusted, however, left him speechless. Standing before him, one hand on her hip and wearing absolutely nothing at all, was Wriph, a smirk adorning her lips as she watched his drenched form struggle in the water. The only thing she held in her hand at the moment was a small red towel, which she lazily let hang from her shoulder.

 

“W-what the hell?!” Luka managed to splutter after more than a few seconds of staring at the Elf’s naked body. “What was that for?! Why are you in my house, naked, and why did you kick me in the bathtub?”

 

“Stop asking stupid questions and make room in there,” Wriph answered, her smirk becoming a grin as she struck a pose. “Or, do you want to stare some more? Either’s fine with me.”

 

Luka blushed at that, realizing his eyes were still roaming all over her body even as he protested, and turned around, muttering.

 

“That’s- wait, you’re changing the subject!” he said. “You still haven’t told me why you’re in my house!”

 

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m taking a bath with you,” she said as she approached the tub Luka was in. The boy’s eyes couldn’t help but hover over her groin, which was now level with his head. He idly noted that unlike Thermidor, Wriph did have a neatly trimmed bush down there, whose color matched the hair on her head. Realizing what he was doing, he turned away again, only for Wriph to shove him forward and slip into the bathtub. Right behind him, in fact, which caused her entire front to press against Luka’s back, much to his discomfort and - he noted with horror - arousal.

 

Wriph gave an uncharacteristic giggle as she felt his body go rigid. She was pretty sure she was having a notable effect on him; the way he was shifting uneasily was an unmistakable sign. She was, however, annoyed at how he was still restraining himself. That wouldn’t do; she intended to make him go wild, and she wasn’t backing off this time.

 

“Uh... I don’t think this is a good position to be in,” Luka said awkwardly, trying as hard as he could to hide his arousal. The Elf twins intimidated him, and he felt unsure of himself around them, in spite of having grown comfortable about his sexuality. He couldn’t explain it himself. It wasn’t so much that he didn’t appreciate their beauty - he’d lost count of the number of times he’d been daydreaming about them - but rather, that they always had an unreachable air of sorts, as if they were beyond his grasp. For that reason, having one of them so close to him made him feel very nervous.

 

“Really? I think it’s perfect,” Wriph replied with a chuckle as her arms snaked around his neck. The action made him go even more rigid - in more ways than one. Wriph seemingly took notice, because as he tried to calm himself down, she brushed his ear with her lips and nibbled lightly at his earlobe, causing him to shiver.

 

“W-wait! What are you- ahhh!” Luka’s protest was cut off by a gasp as he felt something cold and slimy spread over his back. He had just enough time to realize it was soap before he once again found his thoughts thrown in disarray as Wriph began rubbing her soft, warm chest against his back, slathering it in bubbles and foam.

 

“Why, I’m washing you,” the Elf replied matter-of-factly, although her unseen lewd expression hardly matched her neutral tone. She began whistling a happy tune as she slowly but steadily spread the foam all over Luka’s upper body, squeezing, massaging and teasing every exposed inch of his tender skin. The increasing frequency of his gasps brought her immense satisfaction. At this rate, she was sure he’d break down and stop holding back very soon. Licking her lips, she leaned in and breathed lightly into his ear, eliciting a moan and a delicious shiver from the boy.

 

“Be honest now, you’re horny, aren’t you?” she goaded him as her hands roamed over his slim yet toned chest. “If it feels good, there’s no reason to hold back, y’know. It’s alright to go crazy every now and then.”

 

“S-stop,” Luka said, his voice wavering as the Elf’s hands expertly caressed his skin. “Why are you doing this?”

 

“Mmmm... because I can, I suppose,” she replied nonchalantly as her dancing fingers wandered a bit farther down. “It’s as good an excuse as any.”

 

“W-why now, then?” Luka asked, trying to ignore the part of his mind that was needling him to grab her hands and move them even lower. The Elf smirked again, aware of the tension in his voice. Just a little more pushing, and she would succeed, she was sure of it. She made a mental note of thanking the Monster Lord for paving the road.

 

“Why not? It seems like a fine time to me,” she answered, pressing herself a bit more firmly against him. Her roaming hands still caressed his chest and stomach, but she was careful not to stray any further. The whole point of this, after all, was to get him to act on his desires; if he wished for more, he would have to either ask for it, or take charge and take what he wanted. Either outcome was fine as far as Wriph was concerned.

 

“...is it because I'm leaving tomorrow?” Luka asked. Wriph couldn’t help but be impressed. She couldn’t think of many men who’d remain lucid enough to make the connection while in Luka’s situation.

 

“Mmmm... as I said, it seemed like a fine time for this to me,” she said. “The Hero leaves on his journey to save the world... aren’t the Hero’s friends supposed to give him a parting gift?”

 

“I don’t think this is... aaahh... the kind of gift that’s usually given to departing Heroes,” Luka managed to say, finding himself increasingly distracted by Wriph’s caresses. The Elf sighed at that, and her ministrations suddenly ceased. Startled by the sudden change, Luka couldn’t suppress a disappointed groan.

 

“Well, if that’s what you think, then I guess I should leave,” Wriph stated in a carefully studied neutral tone as she got up and began to exit the tub. At that, the boy’s head whipped around, an incredulous expression on his face. Looking at him, she artfully raised an eyebrow. “What? You just said this isn’t the right parting gift for a Hero, didn’t you? So then, I should think of something else.”

 

“Wh- but-!” Luka spluttered in a mix of outrage and disappointment. “You just- you can’t-!”

 

“I can’t what?” Wriph replied, a smirk reappearing on her lips. “You will have to speak up. I can’t read your mind, you know... if there’s something you want,” and she emphasized the word, “then all you have to do is be honest and say so. Or I can leave... it’s your choice.”

 

At those words, Luka tensed up, then lowered his head and slightly deflated as he mumbled something. Wriph cupped her ear with one hand, grinning.

 

“Sorry? You’ll have to speak louder. I can’t hear you from here, you know,” she needled him on. Luka’s answer was to bolt upright from his seated position, grab her free wrist with one hand and snake his other arm around her waist, pulling her closer. Looking up, he stared at her with a strange fire in his eyes. Wriph sighed in delight. Now that was what she liked to see!

 

“I said, I want you,” the boy replied in a low tone. There was no doubt that it was intended to be a statement, rather than a request. Refusing was not an option anymore - not that the Elf would even have considered it after all the effort it took to get this far. She smiled as she snaked her free arm around the boy’s neck, looking down at him with approval as she felt his rock-hard erection push insistently against her leg.

 

“There, was that so hard?” she said approvingly. “If you ever want anything, just ask. It’s almost always worth a try. There’s something to be said for being direct, Luka. Now c'mon, let’s go to your bedroom. With all this steam, you’ll pass out from the heat if we do it here.”

 

Luka complied, getting out of the tub without a word. Grabbing his towel, which had so far been forgotten on the floor since Wriph’s sudden assault, he briefly dried himself up a bit, not bothering to do an accurate job, and waited by the door, still staring at her with blazing eyes. There was a peculiar tension around him now, and the Elf could appreciate it; it was the tension of someone who was just barely restraining himself from simply throwing the person before him to the ground and having his way right there and then. She had no doubt this would be a night to remember. Moreso for Luka, though, she thought, smirking as she anticipated his reaction upon reaching his room.

 

She didn’t have to wait long. As they reached the door to the master bedroom, Luka quickly opened it and walked inside... freezing not even three steps in. Wriph grinned as the boy stared at the bed, which was currently occupied by a very bored, and very naked, Milia. The other Elf looked up at the sound of the intrusion, and smiled upon seeing the two of them.

 

“Ah, I see you persuaded him, Wriph,” she said in a low, sensual tone as she licked her lips. “I am glad. It would have been... very frustrating if you failed. Now then, shall you keep us company, Hero?”

 

“Uh, I...” Luka muttered as he struggled to keep up with his racing thoughts. He knew he wanted Wriph really bad at the moment, and he knew he’d go insane with frustration if he did nothing about his current arousal. But, both Elves at once? He’d be lying if he said he didn’t fantasize about it, but he really was not certain he could even begin to satisfy them both...

 

Conflicting thoughts kept going back and forth in his head, until he felt Wriph’s arms snake around his neck from behind and her breasts softly press against his back. That was enough to completely derail his train of thought and send it crashing uncontrollably into a figurative wall. Mentally throwing his hands up, he stopped caring, deciding that what would happen, would happen. At the moment, his desire was too overwhelmingly powerful for anything else to matter. With that decided, he offered no resistance when Wriph gently pushed him towards the bed. Milia’s expression grew pleased at that, and she moved aside to make room for him as he laid down beside her.

 

“Good, good,” she murmured happily as she draped an arm over his chest, softly pressing her breasts against him as she snaked a slender leg inbetween his own. On Luka’s opposite side, Wriph also climbed on the bed and pushed herself against him as well. “It is so kind of you to indulge us, Luka. Now, allow us to help you unwind. You look very... tense,” she breathed seductively as her gaze wandered to Luka’s erection. She made a show of licking her lips again. “Then... is there any particular request you wish to make to us? For tonight only, we will indulge your every whim...”

 

“Ah, well...” Luka trailed off, entranced, as he watched the Elf’s tongue run over her full lips. Milia chuckled at that. She could plainly see where the boy’s focus was, and it wasn’t hard to guess what he wanted. Still, Wriph went to a lot of effort to make him act on his desires, and it wouldn’t do if he found himself unable to ask for what he wanted. Milia, too, wished for him to be more active.

 

“Hmm? Do speak up. I’m listening,” she cooed in his ear, causing him to shiver. On the opposite side, Wriph chuckled softly as she let her hand wander down slightly to his stomach and began caressing him in much the same way she had in the bathtub. Luka gritted his teeth at that. The Elves clearly weren’t going to make this easy for him. Then again, Wriph did say there was merit in being direct. Sighing and squashing his embarrassment underfoot, he looked at Milia and, gathering all his courage, made his request.

 

“Your mouths... they look really soft. If you would use them on me...? Anywhere you like will be fine with me,” he managed to ask. He could feel his ears burn hotly, and he was fairly sure he’d turned an interesting shade of red from sheer embarrassment. Sex was one thing, but making such blatant, shameless requests was another whole level of awkward. Even so, there was something pleasant about being able to be so forward with his desires.

 

The Elves smiled broadly at his request, almost purring in appreciation. “Why, if that’s what you want...” Wriph began coyly, immediately followed by Milia who continued without missing a beat, “...then we will be more than happy to lavish you with the attention you desire.”

 

With that said, the twins wasted no more time and, lowering themselves to Luka’s chest, began running their hot lips and tongues all over his exposed flesh. Nibbling, sucking and teasing, they slowly, methodically savored the taste of his skin, leaving thin trails of saliva wherever their mouths passed. The sensation was unbearably pleasant, and Luka found himself squirming. He was not used to so much attention; Thermidor was very affectionate, and would often please him with her mouth, but the Elf twins’ ministrations were much more intense, as if they were trying to devour him one lick at a time. Not an inch of his upper body was left untasted; Milia would gently nibble on his nipples, which proved to be a sensitive spot even for Luka, to his surprise - he’d thought that was a sensitive part only for women - while Wriph would suck on his hand’s fingers and roll her tongue around them, as if they were lollipops - or a penis. The latter’s actions made Luka anticipate the moment when they would move to his intimate spot even more.

 

The twins appeared to pick up on his rising desire, as they finally ceased focusing their attentions on his upper body and began slowly moving downward. Stopping at his bellybutton, they briefly teased it with the tips of their tongues, causing him to groan from a mix of pleasure and frustration. Giggling, they moved on, and finally came to his groin.

 

Pausing, the twins inhaled Luka’s musky scent, which the brief bath hadn’t quite washed away, causing him to squirm in embarrassment. Finding his fragrance to be appealing to them, they drew closer, breathing teasingly on the boy’s hard cock. Luka gritted his teeth: this teasing was equal parts maddening and delicious, and he wasn’t sure if he wanted it to stop or go even further. All he knew for sure at the moment was that he wanted pleasure.

 

Milia was the first to close in, giving his dick a long, luscious lick from base to tip. Wriph followed suit, running her soft lips on the other side of his cock as her tongue darted out to poke at the hard organ. Luka’s reaction was to savagely bite down on his lower lip as he grasped the bedsheets tightly in his balled fists. The sudden assault had almost been enough to make him come on the spot after all the teasing he had to endure.

 

The Elves had picked up on that, as well, and not wanting their fun to end so soon, they backed off a bit, nibbling and sucking at the flesh all around his genitals. Milia eventually moved on to his balls, gently cupping them with one hand in a slow massaging motion, while Wriph stroked his shaft in slow, methodical movements so as not to stimulate him too much. Luka could tell the Elves knew exactly what they were doing: they were keeping him right on the brink, allowing the pleasure and anticipation to slowly build up. He was, however, somewhat dissatisfied with the situation, and decided to make that known.

 

“That’s... not fair,” he gasped out, his breathing shallow. “You aren’t... using your mouths anymore.”

 

The Elves paused at that, surprised. They hadn’t expected him to actually protest in such a bold fashion after it had taken so long for them to break down his resistances, and it was a pleasantly unexpected development for him to be so assertive. Smiling, they decided such boldness deserved a reward, and complied with Luka’s implicit request.

 

Luka sighed as the Elf twins’ mouths returned to his penis, feeling the orgasm that he’d been denied so far rapidly build up again as Milia and Wriph’s hot tongues and soft lips gently licked and teased his balls and shaft. His breath caught sharply in his throat and he squeezed his eyes shut when Wriph took the head of his cock in her mouth, the heat within feeling deliciously unbearable to his aching organ.

 

“Ah...! Co... coming!” he shouted as he tensed up, finally driven over the edge. Thrusting his hips up, he came, his semen violently erupting from his aching prick. Wriph made a pleased noise as Luka’s seed filled her waiting mouth, and she quickly gulped down several mouthfuls of the precious fluid. She then pulled back, as Luka still came, and Milia deftly took her place in a smooth, experienced motion, closing her lips around his throbbing glans and coaxing the rest of his come out with her tongue’s serpentine movements.

 

The intensity of the orgasm was enough for Luka to start seeing black spots in his vision as he struggled to breathe through it all, and for a few moments he felt as if he was going to lose consciousness from the sheer pleasure. As he wound down from his climax, a pleasant weakness spread through his body and he relaxed in the afterglow. Even then, however, he had the distinct feeling that he wasn’t quite satisfied yet, and he was certain that the Elves weren’t, either - not after so little. At best, this was just a brief respite to let him catch his breath, but he didn’t mind that. The twins had brought his wilder side to life, and now he intended to fully enjoy the pleasure their bodies could offer, even if that left him worn out and unable to stand in the morning.

 

Looking down, he saw the Elves smile at him as they licked every leftover drop of his semen off their lips, and his suspicions were confirmed: the hunger in their eyes was unmistakable. He sighed as Wriph returned to his softened, sensitive dick and began to lick and suck all over it. She was being gentle, but firm; it was her way of telling him "I’ll let you catch your breath, but don’t even think this is enough." He closed his eyes and relaxed, letting the wild Elf do as she pleased. He was confident that she knew what she was doing there, as well.

 

He was right. Under Wriph’s expert care, his dick quickly regained its vitality. Admittedly, he’d found early on that his recovery time was quite low to begin with, and that between that and his unusually high resistance to fatigue, he was quite capable of strenuous sexual activity for extended period. Even with that consideration, however, the speed at which Wriph made him hard was remarkable; he barely had enough time to catch his breath.

 

Pleased with the result of her efforts, the Elf took charge at that point, and pushed him down, pinning him to the bed as she straddled him. Her breathing accelerated, she began grinding her pussy against his hardened cock, and Luka noticed she’d gotten very, very wet. She was also very warm, and he noticed for the first time her body temperature seemed to be slightly higher than his own, though whether from arousal or simply because she was an Elf he could not tell.

 

Licking her lips, Wriph decided to stop playing around. Reaching between her legs, she firmly grasped his penis in her hand, rising slightly to line its head up with her entrance. Then, she dropped down all of a sudden, and grunted lustfully as she forced him in all the way to his base.

 

The sudden action caused Luka to let out a strangled scream as her wet tightness suddenly enveloped him. The Elf’s pussy felt amazing, soft, and very warm, and Luka’s dick snugly fit inside it, its walls firmly closing down on him. Wriph looked down at him, pleased with his reaction.

 

“Heh, how does it feel inside me?” she said. “It’s amazing, isn’t it? But I can make it better. Let’s see... the tip is your weak point, isn’t it?”

 

With that, she shifted slightly. The movement caused her deepest part to suddenly tighten around his glans like a soft vice, and the unexpected assault caused Luka’s breath to get caught in his throat. Laughing merrily at the expression of pure pleasure on the boy’s face, Wriph began to slowly rock back and forth, still tightly squeezing his penis within her depths. As she moved, her insides began to ripple slightly, as if attempting to milk his cock. Luka couldn’t help but let out a moan at that. The sensations Wriph was giving him were incredible, very different from what he felt with Thermidor, though not necessarily better. Where the swordswoman felt like she was slowly sucking his very essence out, which was in fact what she did, Wriph felt more like she was strongly massaging and squeezing him, forcing pleasure on him that way.

 

As Wriph picked up the pace of her grinding, Luka realized there was no way he’d last very long, even considering he’d just come. The Elf’s passion was just as overwhelming as her wild personality, and she was very obviously enjoying herself with not a care for anything else. At the moment, all she had in mind was pleasure. Still, that suited him just fine, as her thoughts mirrored his own. Reaching up, he grabbed her waist and began thrusting up himself, drawing an approving moan from the Elf straddling him.

 

The two continued their wild dance for a while longer, and Luka managed to hold on for a bit, savoring the strong feelings from Wriph’s tight pussy as she squeezed and twisted around him, but eventually, he reached his limit, and with a grunt of pleasure, he thrusted up, driving himself deep in the Elf as he came again.

 

Wriph almost purred as she felt Luka reach his climax and fill her with his semen. Expertly shifting her inner muscles, she began to mercilessly milk him, drawing gasps and moans from the boy as she stimulated his sensitive dick in the middle of orgasm. It was all Luka could do to hold on to his consciousness as every drop of come was forcefully sucked out of him by the Elf’s hungry pussy. Finally, the last drop was wrung out and she sighed in satisfaction, slumping a bit as his member softened inside her. Looking down at him, she smiled.

 

“Mmm, that was good,” she murmured in a content tone. “I've been needing that for a while now. Thank you.”

 

With that, she got off him, his now-soft penis slipping out of her with a lewd sound, and dropped herself down to his side. Casting a glance at Milia, she nodded wearily at her.

 

“Your turn. Uh... go easy on him, will you?” she muttered. Milia, who had up until then been content with watching the other two and slowly playing with herself, chuckled.

 

“I will try,” she replied with a small smile, “but I can’t promise anything.” Turning to Luka, her smile became oddly eager as she crawled over him on all fours. “Now, Hero, it is my turn. Do try to please me...”

 

Something in the way she said it alarmed Luka. He got the feeling that of the two, Milia was by far the hungrier, more demanding one, and suddenly he was fairly certain his endurance would be tested very harshly in the coming minutes. With a mix of anticipation and dread, he nodded at the Elf.

 

Milia smiled appreciatively, pleased at that, and moved her head to his tired dick. Cupping his balls with one hand, she gently began to massage them, while at the same time lapping at his softened organ in a manner not unlike a cat. She quickly cleaned his member of the mixed fluids from him and Wriph, then gently took his tip in her mouth. She toyed with his sensitive head for a while, rolling and twisting her tongue around it for a while, then slowly sank down his length, taking him fully in. Luka felt her heat surround him, and his penis twitched in response, beginning to grow hard once more. Milia moaned in satisfaction at the response, and the vibrations from the sound further stimulated the boy’s dick.

 

Slowly and patiently, the Elf licked and sucked Luka’s hardening member, never letting go of it for even an instant as she coaxed it with more and more pleasure. Even after it reached full size, she didn’t back down, keeping its entire length firmly in her mouth. She seemed to not feel any discomfort at having its tip in her throat, and instead kept stimulating it in an effort to make it grow even harder and thicker. Luka gritted his teeth as she swallowed around his glans; at the moment, he was still extremely sensitive, and the sensation was almost overwhelming. He felt his legs go weak as Milia’s mouth assaulted his shaft, and began to understand why Wriph had urged her to ‘go easy’ on him. He also wasn’t sure if she actually was going easy on him... and if she was, he was glad, as he was fairly sure he wouldn’t survive her attentions if she really got going.

 

Finally, after what seemed an eternity of merciless teasing and licking by her mouth, Milia let go of his dick, letting it pop out of her lips, and moved back a little to admire her handiwork, wet and slick with her saliva. Luka was certain he’d never been this hard before, which was amazing considering he’d come twice already, was worn out with fatigue from the intensity of the sex he’d had up until now, and Milia had used nothing but her mouth. The Elf’s sexual prowess proved to be nothing short of masterful. He briefly wondered if she wasn’t actually a succubus in disguise; Wriph had been amazing, too, but Milia’s expertise was on a completely different level which exceeded anything else he’d experienced so far. He was fairly sure he wouldn’t forget her anytime soon.

 

Luka’s lustful thoughts were interrupted by a murmur coming from Milia, and he looked down to see she laid a hand on his chest and was glowing faintly. As she chanted, a rush of vitality swept through him, and he felt energized. He looked up at the Elf questioningly, and she smiled before straddling him.

 

“I’d rather not accidentally kill you,” she explained in a friendly tone that slightly creeped him out. “That healing spell should give you enough energy to ensure you’ll be fine. Now...”

 

With that, she reached down, took hold of his member and lined it up to her pussy. At that point Wriph, who’d been watching from the side up until then, crawled over and began nibbling on Luka’s chest lightly, eliciting a moan from him.

 

“You’d better get ready,” she murmured inbetween licks and light bites. “Milia’s pussy is one of the finest you’ll ever experience, and she can make it do whatever she wants.”

 

Luka’s reply to that was cut off and lost in a cry of ecstasy as Milia lowered herself on him, taking his full length inside her in a single, slow, smooth motion. He’d assumed the two Elves would feel similar, being identical twins and all, but he was wrong. Wriph had been a snug fit, but Milia was crushingly tight, almost strangling his penis as it sank into her hot depths. It felt much like the same tightness he’d experienced when Wriph had tightened up deep inside - only, it was all over his length, and the pressure was almost unbearable. From the base to the tip, it felt as if his cock was being tightly held in a clenched fist, and Luka would later swear he'd felt the blood shifting from one part of his dick to another under the force of her squeezing.

 

Licking her lips, Milia looked down at him as she slowly began a sensual swaying, further tightening different parts of her vagina with each movement she made. To Luka, it felt as if several small hands rhythmically squeezed different parts of his cock every time, and the continuous change in pressure and massage-like motions of her hot flesh rapidly caused him to build up to the familiar sensation of an orgasm. Within seconds, Milia brought him to his limit, and he felt himself beginning to tense up.

 

“I-I’m coming again!” he warned, unable to hold on. As soon as the words left his lips, however, Milia squeezed her pussy, clamping down at the base of his member with crushing force. Luka was only able to let out a strangled, high-pitched sound as his ejaculation was stopped in its tracks by the incredible tightness around his shaft, and he realized that as things were, he couldn’t come even if he wanted to. Looking up at Milia, he saw a lustful, slightly sadistic light in her eyes, and realized that was fully intentional; she did not intend to allow him release until she chose. It was then that he fully realized what Wriph meant; it was not so much physical damage she’d been worried about, but psychological. Milia had to be the type who loved driving men to near-insanity by denying them the release they craved again and again. And right now, he was her current plaything.

 

As his previous orgasm subsided, stopped cold by Milia’s sudden tightening, she resumed her rocking motions, once again squeezing him rhythmically. Through it all, he looked at her with a pleading expression and she simply gazed back at him, smiling faintly. Wriph, for her part, was still teasing him, licking and kissing every exposed part of his chest with lustful abandon.

 

Again and again Milia repeated the same actions, driving him wilder and wilder with the continuous denials, until he finally couldn’t take it anymore, and begged her to let him come. At that, she again smiled, a different light shining in her eyes.

 

“If you want to come that badly, there is a solution,” she murmured in a deep, throaty voice. “Take charge and make me submit. Throw me off, pin me down, assert your authority and ravish me until you reach your release. You are a man... why are you letting me pin you down? Where is your pride as a male?”

 

At those words, Luka finally snapped. With a primal growl of frustrated lust, he reached for reserves of strength he didn’t know he had, surged forward and fiercely pushed the taunting Elf off him. Taking cue from her provocation, he shoved her down, positioned himself between her legs, and violently thrust himself into her tightness in a single motion, reaching all the way inside her.

 

It was all Milia could do to choke out her scream of pleasure by biting down on her hand, or someone in the village would surely have been awakened and come to investigate the sudden noise. Luka, however, couldn’t have cared less. Worked up into a frenzy by the Elf’s continued, torturous teasing, he began to pound away at her, his teeth gritted from the effort. In spite of the violence he put behind each thrust, Milia seemed to draw nothing but pleasure from the savage mating and allowed him to ravage her as he pleased with abandon, her breasts swaying every time Luka pushed himself into her. Whenever he drove himself into her, she relaxed, allowing him to reach her deepest parts, and whenever he withdrew she tightened again, squeezing the retreating shaft until it almost popped out.

 

Having been denied continuously, Luka needed little incentive to reach his limit. Soon enough, he felt his long-awaited orgasm surging, and rammed himself as deep in the Elf’s tightness as he could as she locked her legs around his waist. With a cry of relief and satisfaction, he emptied himself into her receptive flesh. His climax seemed to go on forever, and later on, thinking back on it, he was sure he’d released more sperm in Milia’s tight pussy than he’d produced through the rest of the encounter combined. The force of his release was too much for his tired mind and body, and as the last of his seed spilled out and into the Elf’s waiting hole, his vision went black, and his worn-out, sweat-covered frame slumped onto her soft body, sinking into blissful unconsciousness.

 

----

 

The next morning greeted Luka with pain and soreness all over his body, his aching muscles protesting for the exertion they were subjected to the previous night. Groaning, he rolled over, unwilling to leave the comfort of his pillow. Feeling around, he was not surprised to find he was alone on the bed. The Elves probably had left already, just in case someone came looking for him. It wouldn’t have done at all for monsters to be caught in his house, after all - especially not in his house as it was now, with his room still reeking of sweaty bodies and bodily fluids. He muttered something unintelligible under his breath, knowing he’d have to air the room.

 

As he tried to get off the bed, his muscles suddenly stopped obeying him, and instead of sitting upright, he found himself rolling right off the edge and landing on the hard floor with a dull thud and a yelp of pain. Struggling, he found that he was having trouble even just moving; his legs felt like jelly, his hips ached, and even his arms felt numb. On top of that, he had all the vitality of a hibernating gerbil - which was to say, he was barely able to stay awake. He sighed, shaking his head. All things considered, he should probably have counted himself lucky he was still able to move his limbs. He’d been completely overwhelmed last night, and he was fairly sure that without Milia’s healing spell, he’d be in much worse shape right about now.

 

He winced as the memory of the previous night caused his abused penis to stir and send waves of dull pain across his groin. He was positive that using it would be out of the question for at least a couple days, and he was honestly surprised it wasn’t covered in bruises. In spite of himself, he couldn’t help but feel a little proud. The treatment he’d gone through would probably have put a grown man’s dick out of commission for a couple weeks at a bare minimum, if not inflict permanent damage, but he’d come out of it more or less in one piece, albeit very tired and sore all over.

 

Groaning, he pulled himself up using the bed as support, and managed to get into a sitting position. He sighed as he leaned against the bed, waiting for his legs to stop doing whatever they felt like and start obeying him again. Hopefully it wouldn’t take too long, but either way, he was positive his journey had just been delayed for one, possibly two days. He was in no shape to go anywhere farther than his front door at the moment.

 

His thoughts were interrupted by a giggle, and he tiredly turned his head to look at the source of the noise. What he saw was the serpentine monster he’d met the day before - Alice - watching him with an amused light in her eyes. He twitched.

 

“Why, good morning, Fairytale Hero,” she said in a mockingly sweet tone. “You seem to be a bit... under the weather, shall we say? Perhaps you had to entertain guests last night? A bit too active for your own good, maybe?”

 

“...Somehow, I know you have something to do with this,” he muttered, shooting her a dirty look, then blinked. “Wait, what the hell are you doing in my house? Does no one know what ‘private property’ means anymore?”

 

Alice’s only answer was a laugh as she left, slithering down the corridor and into the kitchen. Moments later, a familiar head popped in the dooorframe, and Wriph peeked in, smiling as she saw he was awake. Luka raised an eyebrow; he hadn’t expected either of the Elves to stay behind and check on him, but apparently they were a bit concerned for his health. Somehow, that improved his mood considerably.

 

“Oh, hey!” the wild Elf greeted him as she walked in and closed the door. “I see you’re awake and fine! Well, mostly fine...” she amended, taking in his general look. “...okay, you look like death warmed up. Sorry about that. I should’ve warned you about Milia...”

 

“Damn right you should have,” Luka grumbled. “I thought I was going to lose my sanity there for a while. I swear she’s a succubus in disguise or something... hm? Why are you making that face?” he asked suspiciously, seeing Wriph shift her eyes away with a guilty expression.

 

“Uh, well...” she began reluctantly. “You’re... sort of right, there. We do have succubus ancestry, from our father’s side, and the succubus blood is apparently unusually strong in us. That’s why we haven’t become ‘degenerate’ and turned into Dark Elves even though we love sex, which is what would have happened if we were normal Elves. And it’s also why we’re kinda demanding in bed...”

 

“And you thought it’d be a good idea to wait until now to warn me?” Luka said incredulously. Wriph stuck out her tongue and chuckled as she scratched her head.

 

“Ahahahahah... yeah, it’s a little late, isn’t it?” she laughed awkwardly. “But hey, you got a good night of sex out of it, so it’s okay, right? And you’re still alive and healthy! Or, somewhat healthy...”

 

Luka groaned in frustration as he cupped his face with his palm. His journey wasn’t beginning in the best of ways.

 

----