《Basement box filled with Archives》


 Project Maid

    Night.


    The two moons in the sky start illuminating the world. Red and green, with constellations painted on the dark canvas above.


    Many adventurers prefer to sleep under them, even with the discomforting coldness of the night and the high chance of being attacked by a monster.


    Like the current situation of a certain someone.


    Blood stains the dirt path beneath the beast''s paws, and its three heads scan the surroundings of the dark forest.


    Sniffing the foggy air, the creature growls and howls to intimidate the hidden prey it searches for.


    Steps grow louder, saliva dripping to the dirt and turning to mud. The person who was hiding takes their chance and sprints further into the forest, towards the unknown.


    But the beast is clever and a lot faster, quickly catching up to the wounded prey and hitting its massive body against them, making both roll and fall in the process.


    Heavy paws¡ªthe size of the person''s full body¡ªquickly keep them against the sharp grass blades, their face meeting the cold it provides, stealing the warmth of their body.


    Mouths open from the three heads of the creature, revealing proudly to the world its sharp rows of teeth that look more like thousands of blades, capable of destroying a body without a problem.


    The person''s fate was obvious¡ªthat was before I showed up.


    My sword easily sliced the creature''s head in half, managing to even reach further by cutting its torso in half. The blade stopped inches from reaching the person below.


    Blood and guts are escaping from the creature''s now-deformed form; its halfs falling to the sides and revealing my face to the person below.


    The serious expression on my face turns into a frown as blood gushes and stains my maid uniform.


    Nevertheless, looking at the person''s face, they look to be around my age and deeply scared, but I see a fire behind those clear, deep emerald-green irises. It''s so beautiful to see the strength of one in dire situations.


    A dark smile climbs my face, my eyes glowing red with the reflecting light of the red moon.


    "**Found you**."


    ...


    Several hours earlier


    An old mansion stands tall in the middle of a forest, forever fighting time.


    The closer human settlement rests some good hours away on foot, and the creatures wandering around the tall bushes manage to scare away all humans who dare try to explore this far.


    Since I was a child, I always stayed by this same window all night, watching the forest for the chance that our promised master would arrive, but that day never came.


    And as I''m tired of waiting, I''ll go after what''s mine.


    Cleaning the big entrance hallway, an unnoticed, dark, and unsettling smile claims my face and a low laugh escapes my throat.


    With this thought in mind, I start working faster. Cleaning and scraping the wooden floor of any type of dust or mold.


    The water bucket by my side is already losing its clear color, instead turning into a dark gray mess.


    "Hehehe." My mind puts me in a state of daydreaming about what type of master I can find.


    Maybe they will be kind-hearted, maybe they will be cool and composed, or maybe they''ll be someone important.


    Droll starts descending the side of my mouth as I start imagining; it''s been too long. All my mothers are already gone; only some rest in the forest.


    That''s the strange part of being raised by spirits; some mothers were kind, and some I never even saw. But the ones who cared for me told me stories of the promised master.


    We were all supposed to wait here till they arrived or till the last days of our lives would finally come to an end, and now I''m the only one left.


    That''s why I won''t waste my time anymore; as a human, my lifespan is not as long as all my mothers, meaning I have about forty to sixty years left as I just turned eighteen.


    Looking at the floor, I see that I finally finished cleaning it. Some parts still need more of my attention, but I''ll see to it when I''m back from my little hunt.


    I grab my equipment that rests near the big exit door, still wearing my maid uniform but now carrying a handmade leather backpack I made last winter and the sword one of my mothers left for me.


    The sword is nothing out of the ordinary to untrained eyes, but I was told it can easily cut anything that tries to hurt me.


    "Thank you, Mother Fl¨­rem," I say, closing my eyes and hugging the sword closer, feeling the everlasting remnants of her soul in the blade.


    And as I''m finishing putting on my equipment, I walk outside, meeting the impeccably beautiful garden around the mansion. Flowers of all colors and types bloom and thrive alongside trees as tall as the eyes can see.


    I remember climbing those trees, only to get to the top and watch the birds fly.


    On the floor, some stones marked with little faces rest¡ªall with different expressions¡ªwaiting for the magic to activate them. Using my fingertip, I close my eyes and summon the little golems, waking them up from their deep slumber.


    The little golems start to wake up, cutely looking around and finally meeting my face.


    "I called once again for your protection." With a small smile, I tap the top of their heads gently. "Please keep the mansion safe from any intruders while I''m gone."


    The creatures nod their heads and, without losing any time, start running to their positions to watch over the place.


    With that taken care of, I start walking towards the human settlement far away.


    After three hours of walking, I finally emerge from the forest, finding in front of me a dirt trail leading to the settlement.


    As I walk to the city, a group of adventurers pass by me, smiling and sharing jokes. Two men with short hair and heavy swords and a woman with a crossbow.


    Lowering my head, I pass by them and end up hearing the group''s conversation.


    "No, no, Anderson''s group already took that hunt." One of the men talks, heavily sighing and putting a hand to his chest.


    The crossbow woman puts a hand on their shoulder and pets it. "A good thing we weren''t chosen to do it; you know how Anderson tends to have many ''accidental'' deaths in his party."


    Silence stretches over the group. The last man who kept quiet through the conversation met my gaze as he noticed me slowing down and hearing their conversation.


    Ignoring him, I resume my pace and enter the city, hearing only the end of their conversation.


    "You okay, Veena?" The woman asks, and the man, Veena, nods silently before resuming his walk.


    Those eyes¡ªthis is something to be careful about.


    But their talk made me think that if I''m going to find someone to be the master of the mansion, they need to be reliable and have a great sense of justice. What better place to find a person like that than the adventure''s guild?


    My calm stroll quickly turns into a quick-paced walk.


    This city is really astonishing. From the stories I heard, this place was a small village composed of less than twenty humans about two hundred years ago.


    But now, the building and people all seem to be filled with life and bright colors. The smell of sweets and cooked meat on the streets seems to have the effect of making me hungry, even as my lunchtime is yet to arrive.


    The walk ends as I stop by a building whose scent is of beer, blood, and sweat, and looking at the sign hanging on top of it, I see that I got to the right place: ''Twin Horns Guild''


    Pushing open the door, the chattering of people eating their meals and drinking in the middle of the day fills my ears. Some of the adventurers look at me but quickly ignore my existence.


    As I approach the main table, my eyes fall on a young man wearing glasses. He grabs some papers and starts putting them on the table one by one, checking their contents before doing so.


    And looking at the papers, it seems to be a variety of some kind of hunting quests, offering coins for those brave enough to explore the dark forest of the north. In other words, try their luck hunting near the manor.


    "Welcome to the guild, ma''am," The young man''s voice grabs my attention; the smile on his face is innocent, and the tone of his voice is exhausted. "If you''re here in search of a job, then you came to the right place."


    "Could you please show me the available hunts you have in your possession?" I ask politely, and as the search will be at best some good time, I''ll entertain myself with a hunt. It also gives me a good opportunity to explore and connect with the city.


    Watching the boy''s face, it''s clear he wasn''t expecting my tone to carry any type of gentleness, probably because of how the other adventures act. His eyes quickly blink to regain some of his posture. "Yes, ma''am, let me guide you to the mission board."


    He adjusts his posture and walks around the table, stopping by my side, and, with a smile, he starts walking me to the board.


    Some steps later, we reach the far back of the room, where a staircase leads to what I assume to be the place where the owner''s office resides.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.In front of me, nailed to the wall, a bog board stands proudly, with marks of cuts and dry blood on the sides as well as a good number of quests painted on the board.


    "If any of the hunts grab your interest, just memorize the number atop the paper and come to me." The boy smiles and looks back at his table, seeing that someone else needs his attention.


    Nodding my head, I grab the low parts of my dress and bow to the young man. "Thank you; I shall come to you if any more questions arise."


    With a wave of his hand, the boy rushes back to his spot, leaving me to study all the board has to offer.


    The quest board has not much to offer, it appears. Some quests entail grabbing some herbs and other items found in the forest, with one star on top of the page to mark their difficulty.


    Others offer hunts, varying between bandits and low-strength monsters like slimes and wolves, with a mark of two stars.


    As my eyes shift to the last paper pinned to the edge of the board, I notice a group of people approaching me from the edge of my vision.


    Five in total, and looking better at their clothes and equipment, it seems they are not like the other adventurers I saw when I entered the place.


    Instead of old swords, ragged leather armor pieces, and tired eyes, this group carries perfectly polished weapons and different types of metal armor, as well as cleaner faces.


    "What''s a maid doing here?" The woman far at the back of the group asks, and I notice a well-built longbow on her back. "I''m pretty sure there are no nobles in this countryside."


    A man, wearing a big apologetic smile and an exaggerated sword on his hip, looks at his companion and shakes his head. "Let''s not be rude to the lady, please."


    "I''m sorry for my friend here." The man turns to me and offers a smile. "But it surprises me as well to find one in this city, so it''s a pleasure to meet you, miss."


    He offers me his hand for a handshake, and with a neutral expression, I accept. After a few seconds, he lets go of my hand and focuses his eyes on the quest board, passing by me and grabbing the paper I was about to look at.


    "Oh, a three-star commission." It seems the group lost interest in me, meaning I have a chance now to avoid this conversation.


    Memorizing the numbers of the herb collection mission, I walk to the counter. After a brief conversation, I signed a paper and officially accepted the mission.


    The boy, whose name he tells me is Fran, informs me that to grab other missions, I''ll need to register myself in the guild, and I promise that I''ll do it once I''m finished with the current quest.


    Afternoon comes quickly as I lose myself in my objective, and looking at the basket I got in the city from the old man running a pharmacy¡ªthe same old man that requested the herbs from the guild¡ªI see it''s full and almost overflowing.


    The two moons start to rise high up in the sky, casting their light upon the silent forest. As I take a deep breath to appreciate the nature around me and connect myself with my surroundings, the faint scent of a familiar smell catches my nostrils by surprise: blood.


    Lots of blood, it seems. In the distance, I hear almost as if it were the forest whispers, screams of agony slowly being replaced by silence.


    Quickly securing the basket on my hip with one of my thigh belts, I start walking towards the sound, and on my path are the marks of several footsteps telling me a big group passed by here not so long ago. The walk ends as I find some swords, broken arrows, and half of a man''s body in the mud below.


    Parts of his insides were thrown around, some even hanging on a tree branch somehow. Keeping on going, I ignore the corpses and start to try to find anything alive.


    Not much later, I hear a loud growl to my right¡ªmaking my ears twitch in response¡ªaccompanied by the sound of someone falling and being stepped on. My hands instinctively find the hilt of the sword, and I start arching my back to unshead it as my feet guide me toward the sound.


    I don''t even look at the creature until my blade has already cut one of its three heads in half, along with its torso. Blood gushing and tinting the grass and a little bit of my cheek. The sensation is not unfamiliar.


    As the creature falls to both sides, the prey the creature was after is revealed. Long blond hair, deep emerald eyes, and a fire burning deep inside their eyes. It''s like seeing an angel.


    My heart stops and comes back stronger than before, beating faster and faster, and my breath becomes ragged. ''So that''s the sensation mother Hilda described to me; this is the master we were wanting for, **my master**.'' is the only thought I have as the realization leaves me in a deplorable state of euphoria.


    My breath starts to leave small clouds as they exit my lungs, and my smile comes without notice. I open my mouth, and the only words that manage to escape me do so in a breathless, dark tone.


    **Found you**.


    Early Morning


    Waking up, I started my routine as usual. Cleaning the halls, checking on the golems in the garden, getting rid of the dry leaves of fall, and preparing breakfast.


    The only difference is that this morning I have to cook something for Master too. They must be hungry after yesterday''s incident.


    I must admit, I''m a little hungry myself, probably because of the task I completed yesterday and the fact I had to carry Master on my back to the mansion.


    While cooking, I start to hum, losing myself in the various dishes I prepare for them, just in case they don''t like pancakes. In the end, in front of me stands proudly a table full of various types of breakfasts.


    Pancakes, waffles, eggs, deserts, etc.


    And in case they don''t like water, I made some different juices. And looking at it, I smile, patting my own back for my good work.


    While on it, the little rock golems I ordered to warn me if Master wakes up appear from the hall. Cutely, they approach me and wait patiently for me to pick them up.


    And doing so, the three golems jump and point toward the room. "Good job, little ones; now you can rest a little."


    I put them on my shoulder, and quickly they start to climb on top of one another till they become a small pile, quietly returning to their deep slumber until they are needed again.


    Rushing upstairs I stop myself before reaching for the door, adjusting my uniform for any wrinkles, and breathing to get rid of my deplorable smile.


    Now calm, I turn the knob of the door, pushing it open slowly. The vision inside takes me by surprise.


    The open window provides a tender comfort as the morning wind enters it. On the big bed in the middle of the room, I see my master sitting up and looking outside.


    Her emerald green eyes shine as the morning sunlight hits her irises, her golden hair flowing and gently being caressed by the wind.


    A marvelous vision, and I feel grateful for having the opportunity to witness this very moment. My body moves on its own, making me fully enter the room.


    My master turns her eyes towards me and frowns, moving slightly away from me. "You''re that woman from last night, the one who slain the beast."


    "You would be correct, Master." I say with a nod, a smile staying on my lips as happiness sets in, ''Master remembered me!'' My mind screams in victory.


    The answer I gave seems to make Master relax and see me less as a threat. It is cute how her eyes stay on me while studying me to see if she should trust me.


    "Then I thank you for saving me." Master rises from the bed and attempts to bow, but with her weakening state, she ends up tripping and begins her descent onto the hardwood floor.


    Without hesitating, I rush forward and catch her in my embrace, wrapping my arms around her back and helping her stand. "You shouldn''t move so suddenly; you''re still not fully rested, Master."


    I see a master''s face get red from embarrassment at the almost incident; she finds her balance again using my arms and stands up.


    "I thank you again, Miss," Master says, clearing her throat and taking a step back, escaping my embrace. "But if you don''t mind, can I ask you something?"


    With a smile, I nod. "Of course, please don''t refrain yourself from asking anything, Master."


    "I see, then..." Master sighs, and finally¡ªfor the first time since yesterday¡ªmeets my eyes, and I''m able to see that fire again. "Why do you keep calling me Master?"


    .


    ..


    ...


    A laugh escapes my chest, and my master looks at me, surprised by my reaction to the question.


    "What a foolish question, Master." With a big smile, I take a step closer and grab Master''s soft hands into my calloused palms. "It''s because you were chosen to be."


    "Choose? But why me?" Master avoids my eyes cutely but doesn''t stop me from holding her hands.


    Letting go of her hand, I grab her chin and make her look into my eyes. "The reason is that you have a gentle aura around you, hidden deep in your eyes."


    To my surprise, Master slaps my hand away and looks at me with that same burning stare, like a campfire illuminating a dark forest. "I am many things, but gentle isn''t one of them."


    At the words, I take a step back and bow in apology. "I''m sorry if I upset you, Master."


    She opens her mouth to talk but stops herself before she can, so I smile and continue. "But let us forget this talk and eat breakfast; what do you say?"


    Master stops, and for some seconds, she just looks into my eyes before nodding her head. "Sure, I''m hungry anyway."


    "But after I''m done eating, I''m gone." She says this while walking past me and going to the end of the hall in search of the stairs.


    I end up having to chase her and guide her to the breakfast nook.


    (No more ideas on how to proceed due to a lack of world-building.)

 Food for thought

    If we are a reflection of our imagination, and people are only real when we see them, what is consciousness? How does it feel to exist?


    What does it mean to not be if we only know of being? What is life if we do know not death?


    "Good questions," the reflection on the mirror answers as if reading my mind, the circles under their eyes matching mine, a copycat of what I am, or what I believe I am. The only difference is that I don''t have that eerie smile... anymore. "Maybe you''re getting crazy."


    "Shut up."


    "You do realize that talking with your reflection in a mirror just proves my point, right?" The figure smirks and disgust takes over my face, bringing back a familiar frown to my expression.


    I feel the deep cuts on my arms bleed again, corrupting the fine white porcelain of the sink, the blood crawling from the sides of the sink as if it were alive, feeding the thing in the mirror, a dark and cruel smile taking over their face.


    The cuts burn, my skin being torn apart over and over again, perfectly aligned lines on my arms, a steady grip on the knife as the tip of the blade yet again caresses my body, beckoning me ever closer to destruction itself.


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation."Good," a gentle and yet foul laugh escapes their lips, threatening to push me over the edge of insanity. "I haven''t had a feast like this in years."


    This is not the first time I had to feed her this week; she screamed a lot this time about how I ''didn''t care about her'' and how I ''wanted her to die''.


    Funny, a parasite screaming at its host about compassion when she''s the one that will kill me if I''m not careful, but for now I need her; she''s the only thing I have left.


    "Satisfied, Lila?" I ask, with not small amount of tiredness in my voice.


    "Very, thank you for the feast, my love." Lila''s voice comes as a gentle whisper, reminding me yet again to not let my guard down or else she will completely take over my mind.


    "Don''t call me that again." My voice comes out a little rougher than I intended, but who cares really.


    "Okie dokie, can I call you darling then?" Even with my eyes closed, I can see her amused smile.


    Ignoring her words, I get out of the bathroom, and reality seemingly starts going back to normal again. Good, I don''t like the side effects of the LLTH blockers.

 Nameless Projects To Revisit Later.

    ///////Project #1///////


    (Original Inspiration: There''s potential, maybe make some lore and come back later?)


    The road isn''t kind to its dwellers, not showing mercy to the ambitious traveler who dances from city to city like a prostitute, inevitably disappearing in the morning. Not allowing shadows or rain for the sun-scorched farmers who only seek rest from the unforgiving conditions they find themselves in. Not taking it easy on the merchants and their horses as they carry heavy cargo across seas. And absolutely, it is never easy for those who choose the blade as their way of life.


    That''s how I find myself now, riding a tired, worn-by-time horse belonging to a dead samurai I encountered on the country roads of some unnamed road south to the capital. His chest had a gaping hole, big enough to fit a hand, and have it appear on the other side, missing his eyes and heart. What a bad way to die. The creepy who took them, I just hope to not find myself near their blade or subjected to the unmerciful hands they must possess.


    "Come on, behave a little, would you?" I ask of the uncooperative horse, watching it snort as a response, just like a person would. "It''s not exactly easy for me too."


    With no more complaints from my four-leg friend, I rest my hand on its expensive-looking saddle and let it walk aimlessly, just like I was doing before finding it. I find my gaze lost in the extensive forest that surrounds us, always alert for any water sources, as bathhouses are expensive enough to be only accessible to nobility and up.


    The snow coating my hair is like a warning for the incoming blizzard night, only some hours away from me now. Tapping the side of the horse''s body, it neighs and, like the wind, rushes forward towards the unknown, leaving me to fight for my balance atop it.


    ///////Project #2///////


    (Ancient magus bride inspiration: Fail)


    This is the kind of day no one expects to be subjected to. I was just about to jump off my school rooftop, expecting to meet my end embraced by the tender-hearted yellow roses that I helped grow in the school garden, the same roses that were put through so much pain by the uncaring hands of people who act like they care. The love is in the beauty, and the hate is in the ugly reality. Before I could, though, a well-dressed man, accompanied by a short, blonde woman, made me an offer.


    "If your life is not worth keeping, would you perhaps be interested in sealing yourself, miss?"


    Harsh words of a businessman; for a normal person, they would be offended instantly and lash out, but my tiredness wouldn''t allow me to do that, so I accepted. Only the reason escapes me, even now that I''m signing myself off as an item in their auction house. To be bought by people and supernaturals alike, sold to the highest bid like a soulless doll. Maybe being owned and serving a purpose could bring me the happiness I once had. This bet is one I have no other choice but to make, and in the worst-case scenario, I can always find a nice river to drown in.


    The room and sofa I sit on are comfortable; four white walls with flower designs on the wood on the bottom part compose this serious and clean ambiance. The blonde woman from before sips on her coffee and watches me closely with unexpressive eyes.


    My steady, weak hand holds the ink pen in between my index and middle fingers, filling the questionnaire with my information, such as age, height, and other things I mindlessly do on autopilot as my tired eyes unfocus from the world.


    The snap of fingers belonging to the businessman before me brings me back to reality. "Thank you. Now just sign this paper so we can have your consent for the transaction.


    "Two things we need to address before you do, Miss," He checks the papers and scratches his scalp. "Miss Talyn, first thing, you understand fully that once bought, no responsibilities for what may happen will fall upon this organization or the person that acquires you, as you accepted the terms of your own volition, meaning you understand and consent to all of this transaction; nod if you do." With a nod of my head, the man continues. "Second thing, it''s my obligation to inform you of your high value as an item of today''s action because of your rare density of mana and your unique ability to see past the barrier between humans and supernaturals. What I mean by my words is, be prepared; many will bid on you, so please don''t be overwhelmed by the many eyes turned to you."


    Ironically, one of the reasons I wanted to off myself is now what makes me of ''high value''. Can you imagine being the only kid who was able to see things where there was supposed to be nothing? To be touched and pursued by creatures you don''t understand, only to be told that it is ''all in your head''? All the kids talked about the crazy girl, the schizophrenic who talked to the walls, the poor soul tormented by such illness. In truth, the things I see are real. Today was the day I was assured of that. For the first time in my whole life, I understood that I was never crazy but, in reality, cursed by the world.


    "Miss Talyn? I need you to nod your head if you understand." Doing as asked, the man smiles and hands me the last paper I need to sign, once done, he takes it from me and puts it in his suitcase before rising to his feet. "Please come with me. For your safety, wear this over your head." The man snaps his finger, and the blonde woman hands me a simple cloak. Both watch me as I put on the hood over my head and keep my gaze down.


    The woman bows to the man before leaving for the opposite door the man guides me to.


    We pass by some cages containing creatures, small ones with wings, big ones with fur, and some stored in big cylinders with water, only visible by the glass in the middle of the container, swimming around peacefully with their mermaid-like appearance, just taking off the human look we expect from the little mermaid. All things one would be mesmerized about, but I''ve seen so much of this world before that this hardly strikes me as a surprise, and too, not all creatures are pretty; most are hideous, cosmic horror-like.


    Once we reach a path that seems to lead to a room filled with people by the unbearable amount of whispers, the businessman takes from his suitcase a metal collar and puts it on my neck, even giving me enough time to understand what he''s doing before snapping it close, linking to it with chains, and he restricts my hands as well.


    "You can go now; climb the staircase to your left, and once you reach the main stage, you can take off the cloak." He tells me with a serious face that switches to a polite smile. "I wish you good luck, Miss Talyn."


    Leaving me alone, I watch the man walk down the path we took, reaching the same room we were in before. closing the door behind him. The only thing left for me to do now is comply.


    I take the stairs I was told to, anxiously moving my feet up and forward until I can see the top. Blinding stage lights shine down on me, forcing me to raise my arms to block the assaulting lights trying to burn my retina.


    Once my eyes adjust to the light, I am met with a sight almost impossible to be calm about. Rows of people with masquerade masks, varying in height, clothes, and even form. All of the people that were whispering before, now cease their voices and fix their eyes on me, making me feel like all the steps I take now need to be without error.


    My feet guide me towards the place I was told to stand, and once there, I spot an old gentleman behind a wooden podium, holding a small hammer in his hand. He gives me a look that can only be described as empty before turning back to the waiting bidders.


    "Tonight we have an exceptional item for those who seek true rarity; we have a one-in-a-trillion occurrence, a human with unique attributes that haven''t been seen since the great era of the witch Morgan le Fay, a blessed child of the night, a Sleigh Beggy."


    The meaning of any of the old man''s words is lost to me, but the audible gasps coming from the bidders are enough to make sure of the importance my curse seems to have for them.


    "We will start the bids at half a million euros." The bids start to roll; from half a million, the price escalates to two million. My focus on the situation is lost as I keep my eyes down on the floor, hoping for this to end soon. At this point, I do care not who buys me; I just want this to be over.


    My attention is brought back as the doors of the auction house are kicked open. All the voices die down as a figure walks forward, coming directly to the main stage with a confident stride.


    "What is she doing here?" "This monster, why did she decide to come here?" "Probably to end tonight''s fun, knowing her bad reputation." All mutters blend into one piercing sound, so it''s hard to make up the words they say; only the hate and disgust in their voices are easily perceived.


    The figure reveals herself to be a woman, wearing on her body a dress that seems to be made of black smoke, with innumerous pink eyes opening and closing on it; her gloves and witch hat are made of the same ''organic'' creature. Her black hair sways from side to side as her heels are loud enough to compete against the whispers.


    "Miss Quelaag," The old man stands in front of the woman, shielding me from her locked gaze and stopping her movement altogether. "I''m sorry, but if you wish to be this close to the item, you''ll need to buy it."


    The woman stays silent for a moment as the other participants in this audition compose themselves. "Is that so? Then, what is this item''s current bid on?"


    "Two million euros."


    "Thirty."


    "...I''m sorry, thirty what, Miss Quelaag?"


    "Thirty million euros, that''s my bid." The way she talks, like the amount of money she just mentioned is nothing, is both scary and fascinating. All the other bidders of the auction, as soon as her words are down on them, rise from their chairs to oppose her bid.


    "Sold!" The old man hits his hammer against the podium, and the bidders start to talk and talk, their words not entering my ears as it''s hard to focus on anything as something like this woman looks at you, and to the eyes on her dress.


    The woman, with her piercing gaze, approaches me fully now and grabs my chains, pulling me to her side. "Come, I wish not to waste any more time on this place."


    Without a chance to oppose her, she pulls me along with her like a dog on a leash toward somewhere unknown to me.


    Her hands are firm yet soft somehow; she doesn''t pull them hard enough to get me to trip, but not so lightly to allow me to stop either. The eyes on her clothes, even without mouths, make me feel like they are somehow laughing. Everything happens so quickly that I''m left to wonder what will happen.


    The woman, Quelaag, as soon as we enter the room I was in before, pays that same businessman from earlier the money without missing a heartbeat.


    "The amount I promised, now excuse me; I have places to be."


    The man nods his head, but before she can fully drag me out of there, he speaks. "It''s a rarity to see you out of your hideout; is there any reason why you''re so interested in this item?"


    "My reasons are my own; don''t stick your nose up my business."


    "Yes, ma''am, I apologize if my words caused you any discomfort."


    The woman, not even hearing the man''s words, pulls me close to her until I''m wrapped in one of her long arms. "Stay close; you might feel nauseous after the teleport."


    All I can do is nod my head, and so the woman snaps her finger. For a second is like nothing, and then the light reaches my eyes, giving me the feeling that I moved, but at the same time it didn''t hit me full in, grabbing the contents of my stomach as its own and threatening to make me throw up. With some deep breaths, I avoid the bad taste I would have to deal with after.


    To my eyes, a tall house is revealed past the blinding midday sun, surrounded by nothing but forest and flowers. On its old walls, the forest coexists with it, growing up the roof to reach more sunlight easily. At first glance, it feels abandoned, but upon truly observing it, I can notice how the flowers don''t take the windows, blocking its vision from the inside out.


    "Second floor, you''ll find a bathtub; bathe yourself; there will be clothes outside as soon as you''re done." The woman talks as if she will just leave me here, so curiously, I can''t help but ask.


    "You have somewhere to go?"


    "I do, but first, let me get you out of these old things." With her pale, slender fingers, she touches the chains and collar, making them turn into dust instantly, being swiped up by an unexpectedly strong wind. "Now go rest; I believe we will have things to discuss upon my return."


    She waves me goodbye and vanishes, swallowed by a shadow¡ªa magical shadow? I don''t think I would understand either way, so yeah. How did I get myself into this situation again? I didn''t need to accept anything; I could have made it stop in a second... but I didn''t. Why?


    The question plagues me, and the tiredness beneath my eyes starts to grow before I can control it, so I start moving thinklessly toward the house for the bathtub, which right now seems too good to be true.


    Entering the house, it''s easy to take a deep breath and relax as I allow the quietness and nice floral aroma to invade my nostrils freely. A long corridor to my right with one open door and a living room at the end, and to my left a staircase leading up. While walking up, I let my touch linger on the wooden railing. I expected to grab some dust along with it, but no, not even a single peck of it dirtied my fingertip. That lady must take cleaning very seriously.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.Once on the second floor, more doors lead to more unknown places, but I focus my eyes on the only one open, and what waits for me in it is visible at first glance. The bathroom feels and looks so pretty. White cream walls become blue ceramic tiles as the bathroom is split into two parts by a tall screen divider, one with a white marble sink and toilet, while the other keeps the bathtub along with a laundry basket. It''s a surprise to find the bathtub filled with steamy hot water and some flowers.


    I rid myself of my clothes quickly, putting them next to the bathtub as I gaze at myself in the mirror atop the sink. My fading blue eyes stare at me, so lifeless, even more so by the two circles underneath them that seem to make them look deeper than they are. My face, as always, holds an expression of trouble, or at least many have said so to me. My black, unkept hair reaches my jaw candidly, hiding most of my face¡ªsomething that happened to help me not be recognized by the others after some time, just like a ghost phasing around.


    Looking down is the worst part for me; my body is just... nothing special. A chest with nothing to offer, a waist with little to no curve, and slender long legs that make my form harder to perceive as a female by most, and worst yet when I use a hoodie.


    Effortlessly, I move my gaze somewhere else, finding a towel to use after my bath, and so I clean my mind and allow myself some space of mind. With my feet, I sink into the water little by little, granting my body a moment to adjust to the water temperature before I am fully engulfed by it.


    Warm and soothing, the water caresses my body like an old lover, knowing of all the places to make me squirm and let go of my tension, strained muscles softening; some dirt in my body from climbing the school fence is washed away. The only thing missing is my phone, one of the things I discarded before attempting the jump. Who would have thought I would miss putting it by my side as I bathe myself? Hearing songs has always helped me space out. Still, times fly by without worry, my mind wanders in circles, asking meaningless questions until I''m done caring about them.


    Out of the bathtub, the now room-temperature water slides down my body and finds a new space to rest on the floor. My hands meet with the comfortable, fluffy material of the towel, which, without mercy, I use to dry my hair while I sit at the edge of the tub, earning myself a mark on my buttocks.


    My body is next; all parts are dried up until no more water is visible, only felt. "Clothes, where were they again?" I try to remember the woman''s words, ''outside'', if I remember correctly. Opening the door leading outside the bathroom, I find neatly hanging by the knob what I was seeking. Oversized purple flannel shirt, a pair of jeans, black-grayish shoes, and a white plain shirt¡ªnot exactly a look I would try to pull off, but, for now, it will be good enough.


    I grab my dirty clothes and use the rest of the bathtub water to clean them before putting them to dry out in the window, something you get used to doing when living alone. Feeling the comfort of some new clothes, I pass by the mirror and leave the bathroom to find myself with a great question: what to do now? Quelaag is probably going to be out for some more time, so I could go to the other rooms or explore around the house. The outside it is, as I believe I''ll have the chance to explore the inside later. If I''m not skinned alive or anything by my buyer and all, I just hope she isn''t into BDSM.


    Damn, this place is beautiful. Outside of the house, I delve deeper into the forest that surrounds the house, and I have to say, I''m pretty sure I''m not in the States anymore. I don''t know exactly how to explain; it''s just that the green here is more... green? Nature seems cleaner, the air more breathable, and the animals are more varied than an occasional deer luring around someone''s backyard or a raccoon eating out of a trashcan with their whole generations alongside.


    Another thing that makes me question even more if this is another state is the temperature before the magic that brought me here. It was hot, like, twenty-something Celsius; here it feels more like the house of fifteen. I hug the flannel shirt closer to my body, grasping at every comfort it can provide.


    Every step I take toward the unknown is rewarded with more scenery. This time, I can actually feel myself relaxing, as I don''t need to be looking over my shoulder to see if I''m being watched or followed by some distorted creature. Past the trees and bushes, my eyes spot a definitively interesting view. A whole city, a small city, spread over the undulating mountains like a glove, fitting every curve it can, panting the surface around the beautiful flowers of the extending open field that stops near a dirt road protected by a stone fence that goes all the way from the city to near the house I came from.


    It''s so tempting to just present myself to this new world, to try again, to have a new chance to be normal, but at the same time, it scares me to do so. Easy on paper, hard on reality¡ªmy feet lock to the dirt before I can even take my first step towards the small city. What if they see I''m different? Is my hair okay? My clothes are too strange for my body, right? A flood of questions that make me just repeat the same thing over and over: "I want to go home."


    I''m so stupid; why can''t I do this? It''s so simple; I just have to get to the village city, say hi to some people, maybe make a friend, or I don''t know, but no, I can''t even do that now. These thoughts steal all my attention, making me lose myself in the forest. The place I was supposed to end up is back at the house, but I''m standing one step from falling into a pound.


    "Wow!" I blink my eyes and mindlessly back away from my imminent fall. "That was close."


    Even if my plan was not to end up here, I don''t know the way back, so maybe I should rest a bit in hopes of remembering some of the path back in a few minutes.


    Midday was when I arrived; more or less, the bath and walk made me lose two hours, so right now it should be three to five p.m.; the inconvenience of not having a phone to consult. My jeans become dirty as I sit on the pond''s edge, my shoes stay near the water but never in them, and I keep my legs open as I play with a stick, drawing on the mud the city I saw.


    First I make the mountains, trying to add the exact curvatures in the right places, then the details of the small houses, their little tilted rooftops, and to top it all off I- "That''s very pretty; your skills with a simple stick are to be envied."


    (Point the stick at the creature like a sword/later explain supernatural type[Ohaysu])


    ///////Project #3///////


    (Isekais are not that interesting after all, huh? Who would have thought.)


    What would you do if you were about to die? Scream? Cry? Think about the things you never did? Reminisce about loved ones?


    For me It''s none of the above; right now I have a blade stuck to my stomach, going all the way in and almost exiting through my back. It feels hot¡ªburning hot, to be exact¡ªand the pressure is unbearable like I''ll explode at any moment. My sweat feels cold, and this feeling rushes down to my feet and back to the top of my head¡ªa warning, an ultimatum.


    The masked teens stare me down like I''m the dumbest person on earth, and maybe I am. Everyone says that if you''re being robbed, you should comply with the robber''s orders and, just like that, pray that you''ll be safe and sound after. Me? Well, I''m not on to follow orders, especially from people who don''t even know what rent or taxes are.


    I didn''t expect the kid to stab my gut, though; his hands shake with adrenaline as he processes what he had just done. The one beside him kneels, not even checking my face before pulling the knife out of me, earning a grunt of agony from me. The coldness of the blade before is traded off for the acid escaping the hole in my stomach, as well as the red, dark blood that leaves my body. Juice of life so carelessly being spilled over the uncaring concrete, what a joke.


    "Come on, we are out." The one with the knife cleans the blade in my new shirt and backs away.


    "Do we just leave her like this?" The other asks, shaking off his hand to get rid of the adrenaline.


    "You want to end her suffering?" A scoff so clear that it makes my already fucked stomach turn.


    "I... No one deserves this pain, man."


    "Fine, let me take care of that then."


    *Thump*


    With a kick well placed, my wound becomes gaping open as I feel the feet rip my stomach open, my vision blackens for a few seconds before I find myself losing all of my capabilities to feel pain. Dammit, I know I''ve been good for nothing all my life, to the point I left school in the last year to shut myself in, but I deserve at least some respect. In a way, I''m just like these teens, a stupid young adult woman who doesn''t fit anywhere, works in a gas station for minimum wage late at night, and the last contact with their family was a declined invitation to Christmas so they could stay home and watch some yuri anime on Crunchyroll. A little specific, but yeah.


    So this will be my last thought before death? Not badass at all. My mind starts shutting down as it accepts this twisted fate: eyes not capable of seeing anymore, loss of all senses, then darkness and cold. The feeling is that things should just end, but forcefully, I''m pulled back, so hard that it hurts, but not my body as I still don''t feel it, more like my... being?


    It''s like waking up from a dream to an open window with the sun trying its best to blind you. Loud sounds of people walking and talking startle my ears and threaten to overwhelm my senses. Forcing my eyes open, I try to locate where I am. There''s a cobblestone street going around in a circle, the sound of a water fountain directly behind me, and a lot of people walking around.


    I find myself sitting down on the fountain''s edge, with my clothes all intact, no hole in my stomach, no blood on my hands or mouth¡ªjust peachy. Rising to my feet, I pet my pockets, finding my cell phone and wallet in the place they should be, which is strange; they just got robbed from me. Inside my wallet is some money that I was keeping to buy some tea and next month''s volume of a book I got interested in, about supernatural girls and a detective from a small city. It is really bad, but hey, the romance is nice at least.


    My phone, as usual, is hanging by a thread of battery life, so I put it back in my pocket to preserve it. As I wander my eyes around, the buildings here are very... old, like the vibe you would get from a medieval fantasy scene. No wait, that''s the least problematic thing. Why are some people using fake tails and animal ears? Are they covered in fur?


    Without thinking twice, I look away towards the fountain and grab some water in my hand, cleaning my face to see if my mind gets back to normal, but upon looking back at some people who stare at me like I''m a crazy woman, I see the same fur people.


    Okay, this is funny and all, but I have to wake up soon or die soon, hopefully the first one. Rising to my feet, I grab my jacket''s hoodie and put it over my head before walking away hastily, with nowhere in mind but far away from here.


    ///////Nameless Project #4///////


    (A middle-of-the-night thought that I had when I started writing. Bad quality.)


    If we are a reflection of our imagination, and people are only real when we see them, what is consciousness? How does it feel to exist?


    What does it mean to not be if we only know of being? What is life if we do know not death?


    "Good questions," the reflection on the mirror answers as if reading my mind, the circles under their eyes matching mine, a copycat of what I am, or what I believe I am. The only difference is that I don''t have that eerie smile... anymore. "Maybe you''re getting crazy."


    "Shut up."


    "You do realize that talking with your reflection in a mirror just proves my point, right?" The figure smirks and disgust takes over my face, bringing back a familiar frown to my expression.


    I feel the deep cuts on my arms bleed again, corrupting the fine white porcelain of the sink, the blood crawling from the sides of the sink as if it were alive, feeding the thing in the mirror, a dark and cruel smile taking over their face.


    The cuts burn, my skin being torn apart over and over again, perfectly aligned lines on my arms, a steady grip on the knife as the tip of the blade yet again caresses my body, beckoning me ever closer to destruction itself.


    "Good," a gentle and yet foul laugh escapes their lips, threatening to push me over the edge of insanity. "I haven''t had a feast like this in years."


    This is not the first time I had to feed her this week; she screamed a lot this time about how I ''didn''t care about her'' and how I ''wanted her to die''.


    Funny, a parasite screaming at its host about compassion when she''s the one that will kill me if I''m not careful, but for now I need her; she''s the only thing I have left.


    "Satisfied, Lila?" I ask, with not small amount of tiredness in my voice.


    "Very, thank you for the feast, my love." Lila''s voice comes as a gentle whisper, reminding me yet again to not let my guard down or else she will completely take over my mind.


    "Don''t call me that again." My voice comes out a little rougher than I intended, but who cares really?


    "Okie dokie, can I call you darling then?" Even with my eyes closed, I can see her amused smile.


    Ignoring her words, I get out of the bathroom, and reality seemingly starts going back to normal again. Good, I don''t like the side effects of the LLTH blockers.

 Project Black Bridge

    ¡°They are from another world, another way of life that somehow has merged with our own. These worlds are kept separate for the safety of everyone." "And yet, I connect them." "You do.¡±


    ¨DMeredith T. Taylor, Churning Waters.


    The story goes like this: a woman was conducting an investigation with her team in a mountain deep into an occultist lair. It''s said that something happened that day¡ªa shift in the balance of the world¡ªan action so vile that it almost managed to connect the human world and the supernatural together by ripping the membrane that kept it away on the ''other side''. That''s why an organization was formed to deal with it; The Agency, not the most creative name I know, but that was the point, keeping it uninteresting to anyone who tried to discover the reason behind its existence.


    Mother never told me much about anything related to this world; she tried her best to keep me away from this life, to allow me to be a normal college girl, destined to get a decent job and a good husband to share the rest of my uninteresting life with, but some things just can''t be stopped. Some call it fate, others call it lack of luck, as I just think of it as the best thing that could have happened to me, really.


    I guess even if you founded an organization, you still need to think about the greater good. That''s why she didn''t have a choice but to assign me to a unit formed of fresh agents like myself. It saved me from going to a university far away and studying things I don''t care about, like math or chemistry, so without hesitation, I accepted the invitation. The only thing in my mind is the pressure from the higher-ups, and their expectations for me to be just like my mother, the best agent they had.


    As I inspect the badge they sent alongside the invitation letter, it finally dawns on me that this is real. My face on display behind the plastic cover, not one of my best photos, but when I asked to take another one, they refused to do it. The government agent title right below it makes me feel important, and alongside it lies my name: Erina Ariss Volkomenn.


    My phone warns me of a message; I don''t even pick it up, knowing already what it means: my colleagues have arrived. Almost on cue, a green motorhome appears from the main road, creaking and producing a sound that already tells me when it was last that someone made a checkup on it. The vehicle is parked near the fire truck. It''s now or never; I''m a twenty-year-old adult now, not a kid anymore.


    With slow and composed steps, I get to the back of the motorhome, adjusting my messenger bag filled with some important stuff over my flight jacket, and placing the badge on the front pocket of my jeans to be in full view. I then proceed to knock on the vehicle door.


    "Uhm, hello? It''s Erina." The silence makes me impatient, dragging out of me the will to knock again, but as I raise my hand to do so, the door opens. From inside, I see a woman with black hair and a face as pale as the snow, expressing no emotion in particular. I notice, in between her fingers, a cigarette waiting to be lit. Something tells me to just step out of her way, and without losing time, I obey my instinct. The woman passes by me and only gazes upon me once with her tired eyes before pulling out a lighter and taking some distance to start smoking it. Well, at least she seems polite enough to not smoke in my face; that''s a good sign. The gray sweater and lab coat she pulls is a combo that not most can appreciate fully, so I do the job for those in the world with no taste.


    "Hello Erina," Another woman appears from inside the motorhome, stepping out and placing her hands in the pockets of her coat, letting out a shiver upon entering in direct contact with the cold autumn air. Deep caramel eyes and freckles paint her face, hands, and chest masterfully, visible through the opening of her v-shaped shirt. I also notice a military dog tag hanging from her neck. "I''m Birdie, the one you talked to on the phone yesterday. It''s a pleasure to have you join us."


    Birdie extends her hand to me, offering a peaceful handshake that I take with a smile. "Allow me to get you up to speed. The one that just passed you by is Ada; she''s our forensic specialist and medic, so if you find anything that can be evidence or get yourself a nasty cut, call her up.


    "I''m a combat specialist, and I''ve taken some lessons in explosives, so if you need any grenades, breaching charges, or anything like that, just hit me up. The last one is Naomi, our intel specialist and full-time van girl."


    She points to inside the motorhome, and sitting on a chair typing on a computer is a young girl, probably my age, typing on a computer while listening to music on her headphones. The most noticeable thing about her besides her black, blueish hair styled up in a pineapple ponytail is the katana resting in between her legs.


    "She doesn''t talk," Birdie adds. "Now that this is out of the way, come inside; let me show you what we are dealing with."


    There''s no need for an affirmation; we both enter the motorhome together. Birdie gratefully meets the small warmth the vehicle provides. A nice carpet on the floor provides the two office conference chairs with freedom of movement, but also enough hold so that when driving, they don''t straight up fly away. The wall opposite the seats resides a detective wallboard, with some photos of teenagers wearing school uniforms¡ªfive to be exact¡ªall marked as missing. There''s even a kitchen, two sets of


    "What-"


    "We will get there in a minute. First, the agency asked me to give this to you." Birdie hands me a black box, very familiar in shape¡ªthe type of weapon case you find everywhere. I lay it on the table and open the case, seeing a letter on top of a pistol. Taking the letter, I see the brief and undisclosed signature of my mother¡ªnothing more. The letter goes straight to my bag, so I can focus on the weapon. Upon inspecting it in my hand, it feels heavy¡ªa 1911 model, two extra magazines, seven bullets each¡ªleaving me with twenty-one bullets¡ªa little overkill but sure. Tilting the gun, I make sure that everything is fine, checking the chamber for safety and slapping the magazine for good measure before storing it on my belt.


    "For this first mission, the agency has asked us to talk to the local authorities only; then we turn in the information and wait for new orders."


    "Okay, now, can you explain to me what we know?"


    "Oh, sorry, I almost forgot." She laughs awkwardly. "Last night there was a fire in this school, Oakwater High. The cause is still unknown, but our handler received the information from a trustworthy source about occultists lurking near the building some nights ago. It isn''t a far stretch to assume the teens were taken by them."


    "Do we have clearance to talk with the teachers?"


    "Not at this moment; we are tasked with recon only, but maybe later our handler can arrange that."


    "Seems easy enough, then." Gazing upon the board, I see the work ahead of us¡ªno information at all, just a secret ''source''. Starting from scratch is never easy; this will be a tiresome day. "Who''s our handler? I didn''t have the chance to meet them."


    "You will when we return to base, so for now, don''t worry about it."


    "Yes ma''am." I move towards leaving the motorhome, but a curious hand stops me before I am able to.


    "Just one question: what type are you? Your file didn''t state it."


    "Uhm, mostly sure I''m B negative."


    "No, that''s not what I-" Her words are cut short by a slap of a file on top of her head. Naomi, who was until this point sitting down, quietly does something. "What is it?"


    Naomi opens the file and points to something in it, angling it on purpose to not allow me to see what they are checking. For a split second, Birdie''s eyes widen. She looks at me curiously before returning her gaze to the file, only stopping to silently communicate with Naomi. It gets awkward really fast.


    Noticing the way I awkwardly shift my feet, Birdie forces a smile. "Sorry, it''s nothing."


    "If you say so." Even if she says that, something she read made both of them gaze at me differently, almost like I''m a wild animal. Before this can get any worse for me, I step out of the motorhome to get some fresh air.


    The return to the cold air is nice, and the sound of cars in the street, even if not many, serves to soothe my nerves slightly. This city is so young that it is strange no one stops to think about it, but this place is as old as me. Many places were rebuilt after the esoterrorism accident that my mother fought against, but not everything happened perfectly. According to her words, "This is a product of war; even when we win, we lose somehow." At least the general public thinks it was all the work of tectonic plates and hurricanes, a lie so easy to keep when there were no survivors to say otherwise. That''s how Black Bridge was born, as well as other cities like Wayhaven and Casterville here in Oregon.


    "Hey, you!" A voice rings in my ear, forcing me out of my daydream. "This is a crime scene; the media is not allowed in here."


    Black hair kept short and professional, a sharp face that can cause fear in anyone who sees her, and a commanding voice¡ªthat''s all the components that make Yuri Hisa an all-time cop and part-time best friend.


    "Three months, is that all it takes for you to forget how I look?" With a smug, I turn to her. It''s always cute to see the serious side of her break for a moment, allowing the truth to slip out in the form of a grin. That''s all she needed to lower my guard.


    An expected punch right in my gut, making me happy I didn''t eat any breakfast. "You forgot how to use a phone?"


    How do I say to her that my phone was taken away while training at the agency? The answer: I don''t. "My bad, I just didn''t have time to call," With a trembling hand, I raise my badge, showing her my new title proudly, even if the agency is not exactly connected to the government, and what I''m doing right now is impersonating a federal agent.


    "No way," Yuri gets impressed for over a second before grinning teasingly. "Miss Volkomenn gave you the job out of pity, huh?"


    "Not exactly; she didn''t want me to work in the same area as her, but I can be rather convincing when I need to," I say grandly. "But now, talking seriously, I''m happy we will see more of each other now that I have this job."


    "Me too." Not exactly unexpected, but rather out of nowhere. Yuri wraps her arms around me and pulls me into a hug, which I return happily. As soon as it starts, the hug ends, and Yuri allows her seriousness to return. "I assume that you being here has something to do with the missing teens, then."


    "Yeah, if there''s anything you can share with me, it would be of great help."


    "At the moment, unfortunately, there isn''t anything; we are still in the investigation phase; the scene was just discovered an hour ago after all. The forensic team will get some samples of whatever they find, and we will get the teachers into questioning later when my request gets approved."


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it."Your request? Isn''t it Detective Rowe''s job to get it with the captain?"


    "True, you didn''t get the news yet. To make it simple, Captain Cooper is retiring, so Rowe was elected the new captain, and try to guess who was promoted to detective." This explains why she''s trying to act more composed than usual; she got the promotion she always dreamed of.


    I move to hug her once again, and halfway through, a voice calls for her. "Detective Hisa, we need you to see something."


    "Duty calls," Yuri adjusts her uniform and turns to me with an apologetic expression. "Come later by the station; I''ll make it official with the captain so we can share information."


    "One thing before you go, a real important thing," I force a serious expression on my face, making Yuri tense in anticipation of bad news. "You, Yuri Hisa, look good in that uniform."


    "You dork," Her expression breaks into a blushful smile. I''m glad I still have the ability to do this to her. "Just so you know, that jacket looks good on you too. Now bye; expect a phone call later."


    As Yuri walks away to tend to her responsibilities, I feel the weight of someone''s gaze on my back that forces me to look around, resulting in me finding nothing... strange. I drop the feeling to the side and walk back to the motorhome to inform the unit of my amazing work. I catch a conversation in the middle between Birdie and Ada.


    "In my view, that is not an issue; if you have anything to complain about, talk to our handler," Ada states, nestling her hands in the pockets of her lab coat. "Now, talking about more urgent matters, the local forces did not allow me to search the scene. What do you suggest we do?"


    Birdie lets out a long, exaggerated sigh as she presses her back to the motorhome, crossing her arms and losing herself in thoughts for some good seconds. That''s when I enter the conversation abruptly with a victorious grin.


    "Fear not, ''cause I just dealt with the problem." Both turn to me expecting more context, something I gladly provide. "The detective in this case is a friend of mine, and I might have happened to talk to her and get us a meeting later with the station''s captain to officialize our cooperation."


    Their gazes meet before they turn their attention back to me. Birdie is the first to talk. "Great job; this saves us some precious time." Ada nods her head to me in a small gesture of gratitude before excusing herself back into the motorhome.


    My stomach growls, the first sign of demand for some breakfast. "There isn''t much left to do here; the cops will gather everything they can and process the stuff, so we just need to pass the time before my friend calls me. So, can we get some food?"


    "Sure, I guess this solves two of our problems." She talks to herself and gestures for me to enter the RV passenger seat. I open the door and get myself comfortable, allowing myself to look around while Birdie grabs her keys. The insides are very comfortable; even the exterior is somewhat unexpected. A full black Luton van is normally the standard police choice, as in the night you can park it somewhere and go unnoticed, but the cream-green color and size make it stand out more as a family vehicle, something that strikes me as intentional. Hanging above the rearview mirror is a small wool duck charm with cool sunglasses and a cowboy hat. Leading to the back, where the equipment is, the only thing that separates us from them is a sliding curtain.


    Opening it a bit, I spy a kitchen with some free space to move around, a bunk bed and a sofa, as well as the bench to a dining table that should allow one to sleep on if needed. Birdie revs the engine and grants the sound to take over the dangling keychain noise as the van vibrates.


    "You know a good place around? I know nothing of this place." Birdie comments with an awkward smile while scratching the back of her neck.


    "I know one; just follow the road and turn to the first right you see, and then you''ll spot a cafe at the end of the street. Just pray that it is empty at this time; otherwise, it will be hard to park this big girl."


    Taking her time, Birdie manages to get us out of the school parking lot and back to the street, where she follows my instructions carefully until we both spot the place I was talking about: Lily''s Haven, coffee, and pastries. Lucky for us, parking this junk turns out to be easy. We leave it on the other side of the street and get out of it, and of course, we look both ways before crossing.


    Coffee and fresh baked goods, entering someone''s house and smelling that should mean only one thing, ''marry them'', if I could wake up in the morning and, every day, eat that instead of dry scrambled eggs, I would be set for life. Inside the cafe, to my surprise, it''s empty today. Something that makes sense considering the main street leading here is blocked by the police. The shop bell rings as we enter, immediately causing Lily, the owner, to scream from the kitchen.


    "I''ll be there in a minute," The sound of a heavy box being put down accompanies her tired voice.


    "Let''s take that corner." Birdie orders, and so we move towards the corner table. Upon reaching the seats, Lily, cleaning her forehead with a kitchen cloth, looks over to us and adjusts her uniform, trying to look as friendly as she can, a trait she has always had since we were kids.


    "Welcome to Lily''s haven," She bows, making her iconic green hair tie ribbon bounce; her smile is polite and brings attention to her glossy lipstick; she notices me soon after starting to distribute the menus to those on the table. "Here''s the menu," Moving near me, Lily lets the menu grab the attention of the others, allowing her to shoot me a smile, one I gladly reciprocate.


    Not even looking at the menu, Ada looks sure of what she wants. "Coffee, black, please."


    "I''ll take one croissant, and what type of tea do you recommend?" Birdie asks, putting the menu aside.


    "We do seasonal herbs, so this season apple tea and pumpkin have been very popular," Lily answers with the big, enthusiastic smile of a tea lover herself.


    "Then I''ll take the apple tea, please."


    Lily''s eyes fall on Naomi, bringing her attention off the menu. I watch as she does a strange thing: sign language, not directed to the waiter but to me of all people. It feels like a sort of test to see if I can understand her, or maybe she knows somehow. Gladly for me, my mother made me study the basics of some languages when her plan was to still send me out of the country to a prestige college far, far away from here.


    "She wants a latte and some biscuits." I translate to Lily, getting a curious look out of Birdie in the process.


    "All righty, and you''ll want the usual, right, Rin?"


    "Yes please."


    "I''ll come back with y''all''s food in a minute then." Taking the menus back, Birdie stops her.


    "Can you leave one with us? We are expecting one more."


    "Sure thing, ma''am."


    With that, Lily leaves in the direction of the kitchen. That allows me to ask. "How did you know I knew sign language?"


    It is almost a turn-off when she signs me the word ''file''. "Well, that makes sense."


    After checking her phone, Birdie puts it away after reading a message. "Our handler is near; just a fair warning to you." Her expression turns into an awkward smile that has a hint of pity for me. "She can be a little ''exotic'' sometimes; just don''t mind if she says something strange, and you''ll be fine."


    Before the chance to question those words is granted to me, the shop bell rings. White hair as the snow, with roots darker than the universe, a tuxedo fitting all of the curves of her body like the black gloves she arms her hands with. Black and white all over, with only a hint of red, both on her bow tie and on her lips, now looking closely, it''s almost like her eyes carry that same blood color, but as soon as she finds my curious and appreciative gaze on hers, that color reveals itself to be a tone so gray that any light that reflects on it turns predominant, like all of her know-my-worth vibe. She is beautiful and knows that. The knowledge that she has all my attention for herself just like that seems to entice her to show me a seductive smile.


    Tall, gratefully thin, elegant¡ªhow to better describe her, I don''t know, only feel. One thing becomes clear: the three people sitting across me seemed to have chosen their spot on purpose, as now in this situation, being sat on the long sofa-like bench takes away her power of choice, so the only place to be is beside me. If this was really a decision they made to be away from her, I might start regretting giving her my head on a silver tray. Now that I''ve already messed up, it''s best to stick with this approach.


    The woman places herself beside me like royalty. She crosses her legs and pulls the red cloth out of her tuxedo, placing it on the table before all of her curious eyes befall right on my face.


    "Erina Ariss Volkomenn, your file was a delight to read. The best shot at your class in the agency course. Exceptional understanding of occultist rituals, even if your supernatural creature''s knowledge left lots to be desired. Fluent in English, French, and sign language. Having you in my unit is a true pleasure."


    "Hey, keep that up, and you''ll make me blush." The smug I give her is not even a bit professional, but to hell with etiquette anyway.


    "Besides all that I just said, different from these other girls, you speak your mind freely, having even enough backbone to flirt with your boss. This will be, indeed, interesting.


    "Now, to more pressing matters," Her tone and face shift suddenly; the flirty and dominating demeanor disappears and is exchanged for a professional and graceful one. "The local authorities, your message leads me to believe that the situation didn''t go as smoothly as we expected." These words are directed at Birdie.


    "Yes, that was before Erina told us her friend works for the police. We are currently waiting for a phone call so we can drop by the police station and ask to be part of the case." Birdie informs, trying to maintain her composure under the cold gray eyes glued to her.


    "If that''s the current situation, then proceed with your plan. The only thing I order is to not investigate anything without informing me first." She grabs her cloth and rises from the seat. "I''ll go back to headquarters so I can prepare the paperwork; if they ask to talk to your supervisor, then call me on the secondary number."


    That was quick; she just arrived and already needs to leave; paperwork really is hell. One last thing she does before disappearing out of the door is looking at me from the distance¡ªnot flirting, not serious¡ªmore to make sure of something before I lose sight of her out of the shop''s window.


    "Now I get the ''exotic'' part."


    Lily brings our order to the table, and everyone takes their moment to dig in. It''s strange to be here, sitting opposite the people I''m supposed to trust while keeping a deafening silence. I''ve imagined that, at least, there would be more. I don''t know.

 IV

    As a child born in the nameless lower city, I always knew that you need to have either a working mind so you can try to climb your way to Lineover, the upper city, or have a good swing. Hated by those in the heavens, they claim themselves as a city full of angels and that we, poor people born in an unjust city, are devils. Well, not exactly that, but it''s better than saying those richer than us just like to look at us as pigs in the mud.


    Another thing that was always clear to me was not to trust anyone, but harsh times create weakness, and that weakness is the exploration field for bad guys; that''s how I got betrayed and thrown at the high-security prison: North Waters. The place has this name because it resides on a small rock in the ocean, a few miles away from civilization, meaning that to come here, you would need a boat and a lot of ability to manage the aggressive waves created by the constant tempests. So there was never any hope of escaping this place, not when I was ten and first got here, and not now that I''ve reached twenty-three.


    All nights before going to be in my lonely cell, I train my fists against the solid concrete wall as books became scarce since some dumb fuck decided to ask their girl to try and sneak in a knife hidden between pages, one good reminder of how dumb people in love can be. There aren''t many girls around here; there was supposed to be a female-only block cell, but I don''t blame them for mistaking me for a boy back then. A small girl would never have two bloody knuckles in a sea of corpses; that would be just absurd to imagine, I assume, and the female block rests on another rock in the ocean.


    When my first period got me, some inmates thought I had been stabbed in the nuts; that''s when the truth was revealed to the whole block. Some kind guys adopted and protected me from the many inmates that prayed at the early Christmas present. Of course, I too never gave them any chance to get near me; their broken teeth are a constant reminder to others not to mess up around me. All the others had names and lives, but I never did. That''s precisely why they decided to call me IV, or Four, based on my cell number.


    Now, with enough reminiscing out of the way, I start to wash my face in the sink of my cell, cleaning the coat of charcoal on my left cheek from mining on the lower floors. It doesn''t satisfy them to leave us to rot in small and uncleaned cells, but they also try to make as much money out of our misery as they can, one more point to the ''legal'' system.


    The thin layer of dry blood in my knuckles pools around the half-clogged sink as it tries to engulf all the filth. I catch the sound of talking from the end of the corridor, where that fat fuck who calls himself a guard sits all day, eating sweets and talking about how his daughters are the cutest angels that exist and how we, scum, are the reason he can''t spend more time with them. From time to time, the guards gather and talk with him; sometimes it is his wife that comes to unload her bottled-down disgust in his face, so the lack of laughter or rage screams are sure something new.


    That is something I lose interest in fast, deciding instead to focus on going to bed early to make sure tomorrow I''m up first thing to get the less cold food from the cafeteria. As usual, I slap away the rat trying to eat my pillow every night, and so it flies away almost out of my cell, just not reaching the outside because it hits the metal bar first. Thinking I was free from headaches seemed to be my mistake, as footsteps approaching stop for a second before resuming with the sound of approaching conversation.


    "I forgot to mention: be careful, or there''s a very high possibility that a rat will try to bite your leg." Guard... I believe his name was Thominic or something. He talks in his usual relaxed and uncaring tone. The person accompanying him just doesn''t say anything back, or at least not anything I can hear.


    I keep an open eye to when they would pass up my cell, but as the seconds go by, I find myself surprised by the fact they decided to stop right in front of it. Actually, scratch that, Thominic was not the one who stopped; he just forced himself to as the person he''s walking with decided to check my cell seemingly out of nowhere.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation."You can keep on your work; I''ll find you once I deal with what I came here to do." The mysterious person says to brush off the guard, and as expected, it easily works on the lazy young guard.


    "Sure, just don''t approach the bars too much; the last person who did was stabbed in the nose with a toothpick. I''m sure you can imagine the scene." With that unnecessary but fun reminder of the memory when Brutus stabbed the soon-to-be husband of her daughter in the nose right in front of her because he spoke out of line, I''m still sad that the man turned out to be a cop. That for sure pinned the grave for Brutus, because only a day after that he had an ''accident'' in the washroom.


    I stay in the shadows of my cell, watching quietly from afar as the person steps forward into the light outside, stopping only to check their feet and make sure they are barely an inch out of the yellow line painted on the floor, a warning to not enter the danger zone, giving them enough room to speak clearly to me and have one cell to my side not hear anything. Not that Wrench would hear anything; he''s said he''s half deaf, but I''m sure he is not just half.


    "I had to dig in a lot to get your records, and the strangest part is that there is neither mention of a specific crime nor a name." Clearly, the voice belongs to a girl, and looking at her, she looks to be one. Young and dumb to come here. "Why exactly are you here for?"


    "Take your pick. It may be because of my sunny personality or my good looks. Just a hint: the answer is both."


    She takes a file in her hands and starts to read it. "Your record in the prison, on the other hand, is not so clear; you attacked some inmates more than once, but the most recent one was one called Denny, a witness in an ongoing investigation."


    "Bummer."


    The girl closes the file in her hand angrily and takes a step forward, closer to the bars. "I don''t have time to be playing games with you; I came here to get answers, and I''m not leaving without one." From the file, she grabs a diary and shows it to me¡ªa symbol of a row of blades, three in total, circled around by black ink in an imperfect circle. "Is this familiar to you in any way?"


    "Nope."


    "Great, so I really did come here for nothing. What a waste of time." She takes a step back, and before she can go away completely, I decide to throw my bait.


    "But I may know someone who does," Upon hearing my words, the woman stops her feet and looks straight back at me, interest picked up and desperation clear in her eyes, as demonstrated by the fact she, at this point, forgot the danger line. "I can even find them for you if you wish."


    It seems I step too close to the gold pot, as my words make her stop and change her expression to one of distrust. "You think I''m trusting someone like you this easily?"


    "Someone like me? Yeah, the same old lower city scum card, huh?" I lean against the bars and present my pissed-off expression to her. "You and your intoners are always the same¡ªjust criminals with fancy clothes and superiority complexes¡ªnot at all different from those in here. In truth, the difference is that most here did what they had to survive, as your people just enslaved and killed people lower than you for fun, using the law to get cleared of any wrongdoing.


    "Do me a favor; go find the people connected to that symbol yourself; try your luck in the lower city; and try not to be bitten or chewed up while there. One last thing, please do send my kindest fuck you to Bunny if he is still alive; that motherfucker should be here to get his nose angulated."


    The silence coming from the woman is one I ignore, deciding to instead lay comfortably in bed and prepare myself to sleep. Soon enough, she leaves me alone in the quiet peace, only interrupted by the sound of waves breaking against the island.


    Some minutes later, the sound of my cell opening makes me wake up quicker than a rat after smelling cheese. I close my hands into fists and wait for whoever wants to try their luck assassinating me this month. When no one steps inside the cell, I decide to come and beat them up myself.


    I get to my feet and crack my neck only to find Miss Justice standing right there once again, now with a jacket in her hands and a handcuff on top; there is no need for words as the understanding of her decision is clear. So without thinking, I grab both items as she tosses them to me and gear myself, putting the jacket on and handcuffing myself.

 Project Corruption (NSFW)

    This project only exists for the laugh.


    I have no plans to continue this in any form.


    I advise anyone who ends up here not to read this, yet, the choice is yours.


    <hr>


    If there is something that defines your character to people is your name, let''s use the example of a middle-aged man named Ralph. You see, Ralph is a certified asshole who knows how to wave a knife better than the next guy, but he talks too much and his drinking problem makes it so he can''t go one night without hitting his wife with a bottle of cheap piss and jumping the fence to threaten and rape the neighbor''s daughter, who, let me tell you, to his ill-fate, was promised to marry a very rich guy from another city, one close to the royal capital, someone who was very unhappy to hear his soon-to-be bride lost her purity to someone else.


    Now, in my mind, every time from now on that I come by someone and hear that their name is Ralph, I''ll remember the guy I''m talking about, the same guy I was paid to kill by the soon-to-be husband and who I did kill a moment ago in a dirty, smelly alley where he was trying to screw a prostitute without paying; poor fucker, it is a real shame when an arrow strikes you right in the back of your head and comes out your eye, and then you agonize for a whole minute, screaming like a child as a woman steps on your head with her dirt boots and tries to pry it out of you, then the motherfucker has the balls to dirt her clothes with splashed of his blood.


    Seriously, blood and leather are a shit combination.


    In any way, the guy died, I got the money, and then, for reasons unknown to me, probably magic, I was drawn to the city''s tavern and was forced by god''s hand to drink three beers, maybe four, whatever; okay, maybe no magical or divine force made me do shit, but who cares? I sure know I don''t; neither do the happy adventures all around the place, who drink in commemoration of surviving another day after venturing the old forest, the ones who don''t commemorate drink nonetheless, but with the hope that if they do enough, they''ll be able to vomit out of their stomachs nasty amount of cum from an orc, or centaur, or demon, or, well, the list goes on for a while, and I don''t think it matters much to go through it all.


    Chugging the horrible beer in one go, I burp loud enough so I can laugh at it, even managing to get an "Amen!" from some patrons around me who happily start a burping contest; the bartender moves from side to side as he serves everyone who pays a drink, giving me a view of myself on the mirror behind him when he isn''t standing right in front of it.


    I gaze at it and see exactly what I do from time to time¡ªthe same face of a young human woman with white, real white hair¡ªnot those magic cosmetics stuff that some rich bitches can get on the capital, long and wild as a beast, that hides parts of her face when she moves, reaching easily her lower back. The dark circles under her blue eyes tell a story of heavy lack of sleep; even if I do sleep well, four hours, sometimes two¡ªthe normal amount. Gorgeous lips she has, one of the things I can''t seem to forget because of how many beasts and drunk fools talk about, and hidden behind it is the only thing I take pride in¡ªmy unusually long tongue that sure isn''t a genetic mutation caused by coming in contact with so much corruption that will kill me in some years¡ªat least that makes me popular around the brothels.


    Like he wants to piss me off, the bartender, a shy cat man whose ears stand up and twitch at any sound related to someone asking for a drink, stands in front of me with an embarrassed smile and points to my empty jug.


    "Ma''am, would you be interested in another round? If not beer, there are some other beverages we can serve you. For example, we have a new drink from the capital, whisky, very tasty and suitable for mature palates; we too can arrange wine, but it will cost you because of the recent problem with imps on the roads of the old forest, and please don''t ask for Minotaur cum; we are out of it thanks to a very...well...enthusiastic customer."


    "I''ll be fine, thanks."


    I gaze at the boy, seeing that he must be just a bit younger than me¡ªwell, anyone looks younger than me considering how the forest treats my skin, but whatever; the important stuff is that I can see his tail sawing slowly from side to side, almost if expecting something. A grin comes to my face when I take full notice of another thing, the clear outline of an erection on his thigh work clothes. I see now, he sure must be very popular with the people around here¡ªmen, women, and hermaphrodite alike¡ªsomething easy to notice the moment I gaze at the more feminine traits he has, like the great curves and full lips; hell, even his erection seems to be cute size¡ªI imagine he must not use it much considering his fine backside.


    "Actually, now that you offered me, I think I need a room to stay in tonight; you wouldn''t have one free for me, would you, kitty?" I purr because, you know, because he is a cat; fuck you, it at least seems to work.


    The cat boy''s eyes shine as I slide a gold coin across the wooden surface of the bar stealthy so I don''t get unnecessary attention from a creep; not only does his eyes shine, but clearly a transparent liquid coats his pants in excitement.


    "The rooms upstairs are all taken, I''m afraid." It is cute to see him fake disappointment, even when his tail gets more insistent on showing what he is really feeling; I misjudged him; he knows how to tease, it seems. "But there is a room on the back, one where you can get a bed big enough for two, and with very thick walls; would that interest you?"


    "Oh, you know exactly what I like, boy; good for you." A teasing smile grows on my lips as I bring a hand to my chest and untie the first section of my leather armor chest piece¡ªnot very sexy, armor never is, yet I believe showing a little skin does a good enough job of dragging an interesting reaction out of him by how his eyes turn feral and lock on my pale chest hungrily. "Well, yes, if there isn''t any other option, then I think I might as well take the room you''re offering."


    "Purrfect, I''ll just need a name to write down; tavern rules and all," he says while he bends down to grab a paper and ink from underneath the bar, making sure to give me a show of his nice piece of ass; once he returns, with the paper on one hand and a magical feather in the other, he looks at me waitingly. An easy detail to notice is how the coin I placed on the counter is now gone; quick hands, good to know.


    "The name is Z¡ª"


    **Slam**


    Suddenly, rudely interrupting me, the tavern''s wooden door is pushed open by a figure that hides its features underneath a long, black cloak; the door hits the wall, creating a loud sound and making every neck on the place crack and turn towards it. Well, technically not everyone, as I pay it no mind seeing I don''t want to involve myself in trouble. The problem? The figure strides towards the bar, holding in one hand a sack of coins that drives the gazes lustfully to follow the clinking sound; when the figure is close enough, I see that they stop right beside my ass, managing to drag a sigh out of me.


    "You''re the mercenary contracted by Marques Lyctor the Third, Zero, aren''t you? If yes, I would like to have a few words with you."


    "Maybe I am, maybe I''m not; does it really matter?" Shrugging, I wave the figure off as I keep my gaze on the mirror in front of me, giving me a good view of a pair of pointy ears hidden beneath the cloak and two emerald green eyes, very angry by the way they squint at my words. "This place is full of mercenaries, adventures, and killers; why do you want to bother my quiet ass specifically, huh? Can''t a woman enjoy a drink in peace, elf?"


    What a cute reaction to watch; the elf stumbles backward slightly as their gaze searches around for an answer and meets mine in the mirror. I guess that seeing that their cover is blown, the need to hide is no more, and so they take off the cloak angrily, revealing a beautiful gem of nature.


    A dark elf with a great body outlined by her button white shirt, tight trousers, and an underbust corset, all serving to drive my attention away from her shiny metal arm, not managing, of course.


    "Contrary to what you might think, I am not here to play games, Miss Zero; I come here in a serious and professional request per recognition of your capabilities to solve unusual problems. Now, if we can hurry this conversation, would you be interested in¡ª"


    "Sure, I''m in," I interject before she can continue; I was in the moment I got a look at her D cups.


    "What? You''ll accept just like that? Won''t you be interested in knowing what I need of you before taking such rash decision?" How interesting! She blushes with embarrassment, probably because this girl rehearsed what she would say for a while before entering; common folk she isn''t; those eyes tell me that. Royalty seeking lowly monsters like me isn''t a day-to-day thing; after all, they have armies and assassins for that.


    All more reason to accept.


    "Answer me this, Elf, does it matter if I do know? I believe not, especially if you want me to kill someone, and if it is to escort you somewhere, then it matters even less for the same reasons. You entered this tavern with the clear intentions to make this fast, and I''m helping you out here; even more because I have something to do later." I say, winking at the cat boy who smiles shyly in return; my hands push the counter, and in a moment I''m up on my feet. "So, we going or what?"


    "Yes, please just follow me and keep your eyes open; what we are going to do is highly illegal and death is very likely."


    "Sure, sure, whatever Cutie Pie." I wave her words away as I walk towards the exit door, shooting only a gaze of ''I''m coming back for that ass'' to the bartender before pushing the doors open and leaving; my contractor runs right behind to not get separated.


    We both walk the road outside the One Horned Devil Tavern, the two-story bar that is the tallest building around here, beside the temple that is, of course, the dead gods sure deserve the view more than the living; the place is the very own heart and soul of Darkwall, the village surrounded by tall walls to keep the corruption, and those affected by it far, far away from its residents.


    Only three paths leading to an exit really exist in this village, one passing by the stores that prey on the newcomers to sell their equipment and supplies, the passage to the Old Forest; the one contrary to it, leading to the Great Desert, where most of the supplies come from, giving that those creatures from the sand are easier to deal with than the horny beasts in the forest; and there is the path we follow, the same one who leads to the worst of the three, the winter hills, more known as the path to the capital and to the winter city, house to the most influential elf family.


    Luckily, the elf beside me seems to not want to go there, and instead, we go in the temple''s direction near it.


    "Okay, I know what I said back in the tavern, but the temple? Really? You want me to kill a goddess or something?"


    "Would you be able to do such a feat? If so, you would become the champion. You believe that there''s a single chance for that to happen?" She asks with a mocking laugh escaping her lips.


    "Bitch, I''m asking exactly because of that; but fine, point taken; still, I want to know what my job is now, and to my understanding, you need me, and not the other way around." I show my point by stopping my walk, which in turn forces her to stop hers.


    "Would you be able to promise me you won''t back down the moment I tell you what the job is? Could I believe in you? Because I don''t want to regret placing my faith in your being if we can''t be companions."


    "Fuck, I guess." My response seems to leave her very angry by the way she closes her fists and frowns, so I decide to answer more seriously. "I mean, yeah, sure thing, babe; I''m not one to back down from a contract, and I''m sure not going to start now."


    "I''ll trust you then, Zero." My answer seems to get the woman to smile for a moment before it dies down and becomes a thin, serious line; she crosses her arms under her chest, making her breasts firm even further, stealing part of my attention. "I heard from my sist¡ªI mean, a princess from the winter city¡ª"


    "Good dodge there," I interject with a smug.


    The elf woman sighs the moment I assure her I know already. "Continuing what I was saying, seeing that there isn''t a need to lie about this; I mean, my face tells you all you need to know about me. My sister told me our mother, the queen, received intel of a group, a cult that worships corruption, that wishes to use the book of shadows, an artifact lost to time by the first champion to walk earth, the same that was allegedly found about a full moon ago, to summon the daughter of corruption, the one destined to become one with the champion and birth a being of light and darkness, one that sure will be used to corrupt all kingdoms, making everyone horny all the time so imps can take over this plane."


    "Okay, too much lore there; the only part I got is that someone will summon a monster to make everyone horny because of the corruption. Care to explain to me why would that be a bad thing?"


    "That is a question I can''t answer; only the individual morals can, and I didn''t pay you to voice your corrupted morals, only to act upon mine. We need to stop their ritual tonight, or else we will all suffer at the hands of the demoness."


    "All right, fair point; I''ll give you one as a courtesy: You didn''t pay me shit yet, but as you said, I''m not paid to voice my opinions. You want to kill a cult, then we kill a fucking cult."


    "Good, I knew you were a reasonable woman when I first saw you, Miss Zero."


    "Stop calling me Miss, Darling, or I''ll punch you real hard on the mouth, and not the fun punch with my lips."


    With my question answered and standing in the same mindset, our stroll on the road that leads to the temple continues onward.


    The cold air of the night passes us by hurriedly the more we approach the temple''s entrance, eerie and enticing, like a calling to duty or a death''s warning. If there is something I''ve learned from all the times I took jobs to leave the city, it is that nature is a very bad liar, and this slip-up is enough to put me on high guard.


    My contractor stops dead in her tracks as she feels the sudden shift in my body''s language that has gone from lazy and comfortable to tense and sharp; her hands fall onto her side where I can see a dagger cleverly surging from the hidden compartment in her metal arm.


    "Why did you stop? Did you see something?" She asks in a low tone, a whisper that almost is lost to the night, only not losing its chance to reach my ears as she cuts the distance between us.


    Not out of fuckery, I ignore the woman''s question and focus my ears on the sound all around us: a blow of wind, the dance of leaves, stones crackling on the path; an owl takes flight from a house''s top; a branch snaps nearby; and, out of exactly nowhere, the wind is pressured, a heavy object is wielded down, and its target is the elf. Instinctively, I raise one of my feet and kick the elf out of the enemy''s range, using the reaction of the action to do the same to me.


    Hum, maybe someone should make a law about it.


    A war hammer head cut the darkness of the path¡ªilluminated singly by a magical crystal on its body¡ªand it reaches the ground with a thunderous sound, cracking the stones adorning the path and making the ground shake so strongly by the impact that even if I had dodged it, I''m sure I would not be able to stay on my feet against the almost earthquake.


    My back hits the ground painfully as I decide to use my momentum to roll backward and draw my only weapon, an improvised bow, with most of my arrows that were tied to its body splattering on the ground because of my slip-up.


    The elf, on the other hand, does a nice show of acrobatics and uses her hand to flip back and fall on her feet, dagger in hand.


    "You gotta be shitting me!" A groan escapes me as I use the time the attacker takes to dislodge their weapon from the ground to focus on seeing what race they are, as I know not many who are strong enough to create a small earthquake because they feel like it. One thing that I can say is that the attacker doesn''t disappoint one bit, neither in race nor body. "Half earth giant; you know, I was pretty sure you guys were instinctive or something. Like, nature rules about not needing a shittyer version of a real earth giant and all."


    "Ugh! Hahaha, human; you got to have balls to say that to someone who almost turned your friend into a pancake." The female half-giant kicks the war hammer out of the ground and swings it back to rest it on her shoulder in a cool pose; gotta hand it to her; bitch''s cool as shit. "For many years I struck down every man, woman, or beast who tried to end my existence or wanted to capture me for my strength; most died with a single attack, and the rest would run away to avoid the same fate as their comrades¡ªyou, on the other hand, want to be funny?"


    "I follow a saying about making people laugh so they close their eyes while I hope they forget how ugly I am."


    "Ha! You see yourself as ugly, human? I think we both see different things when looking at your face; a fine piece of fuckable meat is what I am looking at, one that I plan on taking for myself. Smile and cry; your fate was decided; you will be mine after this battle has died."


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    The woman grins so widely¡ªexposing her sharp chainsaw-like teeth¡ªthat it threatens to break her plump, delicious-looking lips, one of an unusual tangerine color, like her skin that glisters in the moonlight, with tribal markings all over her body, especially in the parts I can see, like her more square face and super muscular arms.


    This half-giant is a war machine of nature, made for breaking normal whores and making them beg for more, or breaking the strongest of the strongest in sheer strength; a shame for her¡ªI''m no normal whore, not a whore really, even if my actions say otherwise¡ªI have standards.


    There are no more words to be exchanged as the dark elf jumps to my side and looks at me in panic before noticing how I grin maniacally back to our attacker; seeing that, the elf calms down, finally understanding that there are two monsters on this arena.


    The half-giant woman strides closer; her firm DD breasts don''t even bounce from how much muscle holds them in place; hell, maybe they are muscles themselves; her clothes are from a warrior, all ragged and cut in the joints, exposing some scars from those same cuts, scars that don''t seem too deep, as I imagine her skin is super hard to pierce, like stone.


    The closer she gets, the more she shows she isn''t just stronger and wider than us; in fact, she is tall as a mountain, standing proudly at two meters and thirty-something; that sure makes some people run or want to lay her down on a big bed, but for me, it entices my fire to make her bleed.


    "You do have a plan for this fight, right?" My contractor asks me with a worried face, to which I respond with a laugh that almost kills the whole fight vibe. "Why do I feel you''re about to say something stupid that will make me regret choosing you to help me out?"


    "Oh, nice instincts; yeah, pretty much that. I''ll attack the woman; you''ll do something to help me from here, at a safe distance, and when I''m done with her, we see what we do. Maybe we can both show her something interesting."


    The elf thinks of replying, yet the chance is stolen away as the half-giant swings her war hammer down in my direction, missing only by half an inch. Still, the pressured air of the attack created a cut on the side of my face; it burns a little, but luckily, it didn''t cut deep enough to be a big problem for me.


    In response to her attack, slide back and shoot one of my only two arrows in her face. Cutting the air with a sharp sound, the arrow hits the woman''s face, bouncing away like it hit a solid wall, breaking the body of the projectile to never be of use again.


    "It is so stupidly human of you to think you can take down something like me with your simple weapon¡ªno magic, no brain; what good are you for if you have none of that at your side?" The earth giant, as expected from a prideful, ego-filled species, strides without a single regard for me since I didn''t present her with anything to be scared of; good. "Your chance to submit to me hasn''t been erased; do a favor to yourself and I''ll use you well; better than whatever that elf can do, this is a promise."


    "Yeah, that elf, huh?" A laugh escapes me the moment my eyes fall on my contractor, who since laid eyes on our enemy, has started to cook something on her mind; I''m really just a pawn to her at this moment, and if that is what I need to be, I''m fine with that. Cutely, the elf signals with her head for me to do something; what I think is the message is: stop the half-giant. "You talk big for a woman who only missed her attacks now, so bark to your own contentment; I''m not done yet."


    Coming unprepared to any battle is not something I am used to; that is exactly why I carry one very special bottle of a super cool liquid; now that she is close enough, playing will be very fun.


    I wait until the very step where I can see her raising the war hammer over her head in anger before I jump to her unguarded, gorgeous chest, locking myself with her like a spider, my legs wrapping around her waist, before pulling out a vial from my chest armor piece and popping it open; a smell of musk, acidic green stuff hits my nose very hard. Some recognition hits the half-giant as she tries to wiggle me away, even grabbing my hair and trying to pull me out; unfortunately for her, this isn''t my first rodeo.


    I bring the vial to my mouth and fill it with the wyvern venom before raising my head to her own. Eye to eye, her anxious breath mingles with mine; actually, she isn''t anxious; instead, she is excited about this.


    How interesting.


    Bringing my head down, I headbutt her as hard as I can manage, to the point she inevitably groans and opens her mouth, giving me the perfect window to do my thing; mouth to mouth, I lock my lips with hers and use my long tongue to throat fuck my way in, prying it open little by little, something that feels like trying to get that piece of meat from between teeth that you can feel very well, but even so can''t manage to just get it out.


    This is the moment I notice she isn''t even trying too much to fight back; in truth, I don''t think she ever did want to fight seriously; fucking hell, I see now: we''ve just been played.


    Nevertheless, I let the venom slide down her throat as she happily accepts the intrusion, making sure to slide a funny hand into my back, trapping me on her for sure; well, if anything, now that I''m trapped, I might as well let some steam off. The fight, or the trap, more and more becomes a make-out session as the half-giant walks forward until my back is smashed against the nearest wall and her hands are all over my body.


    I return the favor by retreating my now clean tongue and headbutting her once more, to the point both our lips are cut and bleeding, mine more than hers, of course. Then, to surprise her, I go straight back to the kissing part, intertwining my tongue with hers in an intense battle as our blood mixes and feeds this frenzy of ours.


    Unfortunately, the woman decides to show she is the one in control and shoves my face away from hers, apparently wanting to say something by how she grins widely and nods her head in approval.


    "That tongue of yours¡ªI should have known you''re the one that girl talked about¡ªthe corrupted human. It is really a lucky night for her; first, the planets align for the ritual, and now the last piece shows herself; maybe this is fate. No matter, I''ll bring you with me, and then, when you transform, I''ll happily be the first of your harem."


    "Yeah, yeah, whatever this is, I should tell you something; your people are very dumb, and that isn''t to offend you or anything; the problem is that you guys are so used to swiping people with one attack that your attention span is shit. You talked about the elf girl, yet you only looked at me; dumb move."


    Using the moment her hold on me has died down, I kick her chest and jump backward just in time for a ball of thunder to hit the half-giant on the center of her chest; I can see the moment her heart gives up and her body falls awkwardly on the street.


    "Royal magic; I knew it was not to be messed with, but damn, you guys are fucking strong. Taking a half-giant, even if half, is no simple shit." I comment, clearly impressed by what just happened; the elf loses no time in running to my side and helping me get back up to my feet. That is the problem with the royal family''s new generation, too kind to their own good; if I had a dagger with me, coated in corrupted blood, she would be totally gone in seconds. "Thanks, by the way, if it wasn''t for you, I think something bad would have happened to me; this thing, you hire me, we going to the temple; by the not-so-giant woman''s words, this is what they wanted. Why do I have the feeling you did too?"


    "I knew that already; sorry to break that to you now, but because she said it already, I think lying will just make me sound suspicious."


    "Yeah, you can start to tell the story now; else I go back to the tavern and you keep the coins."


    "Okay, so don''t ask me how because I won''t tell, but I could sense your corruption from afar; you didn''t get corrupted because you had too much sex or drank bad blood; you deliberately chose to be corrupted and were chosen back. Your reasons are your own, and that''s okay, but by doing it, you got yourself into some deep problems."


    "So you were planning to get me to the temple to complete this ritual you talked about, huh?"


    "No! Of course not. I need you to really end it, that I didn''t lie about; there we will have to kill a woman, the leader of this cult I talked about, and then we part ways."


    "You know what, fine; I said it before, but I don''t back down from a contract anyway." Kicking the dust on the ground, I look at the fallen woman and grin. "Do me a solid and use your magic again on her."


    "Are you sure of that is a¡ª"


    "Just do it; pretty please?"


    The elf nods her head and loses no time in doing as requested; she holds her hands together and from her flesh arm energy forms, the same energy that flows from the metal one, creating a cycle that feeds itself until a ball of energy is created; as soon as there is a ball, she concentrates that in her fingertips and snaps it away towards the fallen giant.


    (End)


    <hr>


    (Extra Chapter)


    From all the fights I had in my life, I can say for sure that this one managed to get the first fucking place in the amazing-ness score¡ªsomething I''m definitively going to brag about the next tavern I go to; who would have thought that, to defeat a half-earth giant, I would need to simply draw her into a shrine, put fire on it with a lit arrow, strike her leg with my knife, and then let the whole thing come down onto her back, fucking up her enough to make her almost pass out¡ªluckily for us both, this won''t be the only fucking she will be getting out of this.


    A big smug takes over my lips as I kneel down near the big woman''s body¡ªdamn, she must be at least two meters and twenty-something¡ªher tangerine skin, painted by reddish-orange tribal marking on her face and arms, the same hard skin that shines with sweat from the heat the fire created in the shrine and how I made her chase me around like a wolf after a rabbit; it all is so enticing that I find myself hungering to touch all I can, yet that will have to wait.


    The woman, with some difficulty, less than expected from someone who had a whole ass building fall on her, raises her face and finds my smug, shadowed by my kittenish gaze; confusion takes over her mind, clear as day, lasting no longer than a span of thirty seconds before a rough laugh escapes her plump, bruised lips; the blood on it, almost like lipstick, has me imaging her taste.


    "For many years I struck down every human who tried to end my existence or wanted to capture me for my strength; most died with a single attack, and the rest would run away to avoid the same fate as their comrades¡ªyou, on the other hand, stood toe to toe with me, despite the difference in our powers." Mirroring my smug, the woman''s amber eyes lock on mine without fear; in actuality, the fire in her tells me she stands in the same mindset as I. Oh boy, this is going to be fun for sure. "Human, you who dared to ask me to join your side if you defeated me, I will offer you another challenge, the only one that really matters; the only question that remains is, where do you wish to do it?"


    "I have a place where we can have privacy; don''t worry about it, Hun. You can be the first one I''m recruiting; nonetheless, I came prepared."


    I see how the woman tries standing up, pushing the debris off her back as she uses her pure strength to force her way out of the rock and wood prison; to her luck, I''m not monster enough to see her struggling and not do anything. The look on her face of surprise, when I help her free herself, is one I savor; one by one, the debris joins a pile on the ground, and then, freed, the woman stands on her two feet once I offer her my hand and pull her up, not showing any struggle even when it truly is a task to pull her¡ªshe is pure muscle.


    "Your confidence amuses me, human, as a way to show you I plan to honor my words; you may be the first to know my name; call me Aerfen."


    "Thanks, even if I don''t play to call you by name anything soon; I''m more of a nickname type of girl. Name''s Zero; feel free to call me anything you want, even if, thinking now, hearing you moan my name when I''m done with you might be interesting."


    "Don''t make promises you can''t keep, Zero, or you might find yourself on the other end of it." Her words entice me more to ''defeat'' her, enough to make me pull the magical crystal out of my pocket and to full view; this seems to grab a reaction out of her¡ªone that screams recognition. "An artifact like that can bring you many threats, yet you don''t seem afraid of prying eyes¡ªinteresting."


    She says without waiting for me to say something, and so I just don''t; my focus, instead, lies on activating the crystal and getting us out of here. A faint light surges from within the item as I close my eyes and whisper the words to activate it, and once I''m done, the world has already shifted, and Aerfen and I find ourselves in the realm inside of the magical crystal.


    Around us, the bedroom I''ve been using for a while now comes to life as our presence is recognized by the small realm; what lies outside the old, wooden room matters not at this time; the important thing really is the firm bed that awaits us.


    Outside the crystal, out of this realm, it was the middle of a cold, chaotic night, but inside, the artificial sun shines its gentle light upon the close blinds on the window, illuminating the ambient like a late afternoon sunset, calm and perfect for what comes¡ªI''m grateful I''m not the only one who thinks it.


    Once I turn around, Aerfen, the half-earth giant, shows she isn''t one to play on service; the sleeveless bodysuit comes apart easily in a practiced move, and soon her trousers and footwear create a pile on the bed''s feet. She shows me why she has so much confidence; her body looks like it was blessed by a war goddess, bathed in the tears of a beauty deity, and then warped in scars, a present from humanity; her thick, beige-white hair flows, and complements her face well, giving her the look of a true warrior.


    Physique-wise, she doesn''t let down in any part of her; she has the archetype of a strong woman who got to hell and back, having muscles that seem as hard as steel¡ªif they really aren''t¡ªI guess I''ll find out soon enough. Her firm DD-cup breasts look at me with hard, diamond-like nipples that stand ready for action.


    She walks in the bed''s direction, granting me a nice view of her nice piece of ass, curvy and strong enough to get my teeth excited to get a bite out of that¡ªall about this woman is worshipable. Aerfen lays on the bed, resting her arms behind her head, a clear message to me: ''Come and get it''.


    "I hope for your sake that you didn''t get me all hot and bothered for nothing, human." She parts her muscly thighs¡ªtwo pieces of meat that sure as fuck can explode my head if she so finds it on her mind¡ªthe view of her unshaved pussy, the sharp teeth grin she holds¡ªit all shifts me from playful to serious; my eyes shiny as I stare at her, my lips become a straight line, my face loses all emotions; that seems to get the woman more into the whole thing by the reflection of light in the liquid leaving her winking hole. "That is the look I was hoping for; a real challenge for once."


    My hands reach on my back and start untying the leather armor pieces that fall to the ground, and out of mind, soon, the simple clothes that adorn my body underneath get the same fate.


    When it comes to body and curves, someone like me, who hunts to survive and fights all kinds of monsters for fun, may not have much in some departments: B-cup breasts, a soft butt, neither filled enough to be curvy nor lacking enough to be a plank. The aspect we fight on is the scars. The woman in front of me holds many sword cuts, as I have on my shoulder a lightning scar, a huge burn scar on my back, and many slashes and bullet holes. This revelation creates a certain type of sympathy in her eyes.


    I stride close to the bed and sit on the soft mattress, feeling it comfortably hold both of us atop it¡ªgood, I''m sure to give this bed a test on how much it can sustain. Aerfen''s hand floats close to my body, but when she gets close enough to touch me, I slap it away and frown.


    "Keep your hands to yourself, for now; when I''m done with you, if you still have some more fire in you, I might consider letting you have a taste." It is interesting to see how fast the woman is to comply; clearly, she has experience in this intimate matter; her expression, otherwise, tells me she isn''t used to being in this position. "You take the enemies you defeat and play with them; just don''t forget that you lost to me; don''t get any funny ideas."


    My words are laced with a menacing tone, coated in venom; as for my hands, they are entwined in the opposite, braided in tranquility and tenderness; my thoughts from before, on her skin looking hard as steel, I come to learn it is a half-truth.  There is a hardness to it, one that serves to make sure a stab wound, like the one I gave her thigh, doesn''t manage to go far enough to debilitate her for a fight.


    Still, there is a softness hidden beneath it, on the way she trembles as my fingertips dance down her neck, where her instinct to push anyone away from her jaw activates, and how she is frustrated by having to fight so she doesn''t act on it. The middle of her chest is a pathway between mountains, two that have their tops stiffened but never touched, as I make sure to not stimulate her more than necessary¡ªafter all¡ªI don''t want to finish her so soon, no, I want this to last, maddening so.


    I can see how the woman bites her lips to hold onto a moan as my hands stop on her thighs, more even when I start moving my head down her body, placing kisses all around her sides until stopping on her crotch, which at this points, it is wet like a flowing river; her clit hardens, and how cute it does; normally, a clitoris should be small, but hers is half my pinky¡ªalmost two centimeters as it swells¡ªalmost like it is asking to be sucked; unfortunately for her, I want to tease her a bit more before the show starts.


    Gathering some air in my lungs, I wait a moment before blowing some air on it, watching how her body instantly trembles and how a shiny wetness springs out of her pussy as it tries to find something to cling to, only to end up with nothing. The pressure seems to boil out of the woman as she growls loudly and tries moving her clit closer to my face.


    "Damn you, woman; have you no heart? This play of yours will make me mad¡ªAgh!" Her words are stolen from her the moment I decide suddenly to comply with her body, rapidly wrapping my tongue on her clit and locking my lips around it so she has no time to get used to the feeling, meaning she has no time to hold the most amusing moan I ever heard. ¡°Haah... Uugh.. Aaah...¡±


    The smile that grows on me is pushed down so I don''t break the seal my lips create on her clit, instead, I hollow my cheeks and rotate my tongue around the sensitive area relentlessly, shifting from barely stimulating to creating one so strong that there''s no way she can get out of here without an appreciation for my being.


    My fingers grow closer to her waiting hole, touching her labia gently and pushing it away to reveal her entrance to my hungry fingertips; seeing it shift and move desperately to milk something tells me exactly what to do, so without further ado, my middle and ring finger stretch the hole enough before it manages to suck them in¡ªone thing I have to hand out to this woman, there isn''t a single spot of her that is shy on their desire.


    "Ahh! O...Oh!... Aghh! AAAH!¡± The mountain of a woman moans louder and louder as she gets what she came here for; she fights her instinct to hold my head and push me to her pleasure, so I go faster, trusting that I''ll give her what she wants soon if she is patient. "Ohhh, you''ve got a way with that mouth, woman. Mmmmf. If I had known that before, I would have fought you sooner."


    To her compliments, to show that her sweet mouth and admiring words will get her anywhere she wants, I curl my fingers inside of her until I can feel a shift in her system, one that is strong enough to tell me that I found the spot she likes; once found, I start an assault against it every time she goes to breath, not letting her calm down for nothing. Under my ministration, it doesn''t take long before she reaches her limits.


    "Oh! Here it comes, woman; I''ll wet all of your pretty face."


    She says that but in reality, she is just begging for me to let her do it, but as I said before, she isn''t in control here; I lose my fingers from inside her pussy and have them work her clit as my mouth gets occupied prying her open. As a human, I take pride in my unusual-sized tongue; it isn''t abnormal, but it is enough to make me special when it comes to using it.


    One inch after the other, my tongue delves deep into her tight passage, quickly being coated by her juices as the sudden difference in depth hits her hard, sending a strong wave to her brain, and no after, a wave inside my mouth of salty, musky juices that don''t stay there much longer; instead, as the quantity is absurd compared to a normal human girl, it goes instinctively down my throat so I don''t drown on it.


    Throughout the whole process that her walls try to milk my tongue strongly, I make sure to keep pleasuring her all the way as she orgasms before it subsides completely, giving her a long and relaxing finish, even if a little overwhelming.


    "Haha...Aaah...Uff! You weren''t kidding when you posed yourself as a challenge; you lived to my expectations." Even after this assault on her senses, the woman tries to play it off and starts to sit up on the bed. "I think it''s time that I return the¡ª"


    I push the woman back into the bed, finding almost no resistance. "You''ll have your chance another time; now you rest; tomorrow we have a new monstrosity like us to find and tame."


    "A soft lover? That I didn''t paint you for." The woman asks surprised as she sees my face softening. I sure may be an arrogant asshole most of the time that only wants to fight, but I''m sure no bitch to my companions, and that is what she is now, even if I will give her the chance for us to be more than that if she wants. "You can''t quit surprising me, can you? Fine, I''ll do as you asked; just don''t expect me not to claim you back soon."


    Finally, Aerfen lays back down, taking most of the bed space, both in height and width; she is so strong in fact that just her arms are almost a pillow; this alone gives me an idea. It is clear the woman doesn''t expect me to go to another room, and why would I when I have such a big pillow like her all for myself? Mimicking her lack of shyness, I lay down beside her and hug her arm, earning a soft groan from the half-giant as she bathes in the warmth of my body, and, by the way she twitches her muscles when I press it against my chest, I can tell my nipples do a good job of keeping her warmth alive as well.


    As if wanting to surprise me back, the woman turns to her side and pulls me into her, involving me completely in a tight hug, one that I can only react with a moan myself, the first one she gets from me; that makes her grin sleepily. I didn''t paint her for a fuck and cuddle woman; even so, I''m not opposing either; instead, I lock my legs around one of her muscly legs and burry my face on the space between her big breasts, not fighting the sleepiness growing behind my eyes, and by the way she yawns, she doesn''t as well.


    Just like that, sleep comes, and we both doze off to a place far away, comfortably together in an unexpected union.


    <hr>