《Guilty x Creatures》


 Guilty x Creatures : Dark Elf Arc : Chapter 1

    Guilty x Creatures : Dark Elf Arc :


    Chapter 1 : Evening


    Anton twisted the small dial on the side of his quartz watch to adjust it to the correct local time. Still nearly an hour away from his meeting and feeling peckish he had entered the hotels dining area and had taken a seat near the far end of the bar.


    This particular area was on the sixth floor of the hotel and was more akin to a lounge rather than an actual restaurant. Subdued lighting, soft music and the view of the nighttime cityscape that could be appreciated through the large windows that made up the majority of the exterior wall, all worked to give it an ambiance of class as opposed to the more casual true restaurant on the ground floor. A long balcony ran along the length of the lounge and had been set up as an outdoor sitting area that catered primarily to beings that were capable of flight. Although this lounge was found in an out of the way area of the hotel it was still technically open to the public, least to those that knew it existed.


    Anton ordered a toasted sandwich and a coffee. He spent the next several hours alternating between people watching and his phone. Although he had no reason to suspect otherwise he had the sinking suspicion that his contact ¡°Issac¡± was not going to show.


    To pass the time he busied himself by following the conversations of the few other patrons that came and went throughout the evening. Generally it was merely casual banter between coworkers traveling together for business with the occasional couple thrown into the mix.


    As the hour grew later his irritation began to set in deeper. This wouldn''t be the first time or the last that he would have to deal with this flighty phantom and already his mind was running through scenarios of how to make him pay for the lost time. Glancing at his watch he grimaced at the late hour and decided that he''d give it a few more minutes before calling it a night.


    He ordered a cola from the barkeep and scanned the lounge by way of the long mirror behind and above the bar. There were only a few other patrons left at this hour. A male minotaur sat at the opposite end of the bar from himself, a pair of youthful looking female dark elves were at a far off corner table, while a couple, both human looking, were at their own table near the entrance. And finally what Anton assumed to be a male drake, it could be difficult to tell with his kind, sat at a cushioned sectional that was set up around a flat-screened television that had been mounted up on the wall behind a decorative frame. These few were all that remained.


    On his cursory glance Anton noted that the two dark elves were both looking his way. Having had more than enough interaction with their kind in his past, he certainly wasn''t feeling flattered by their attention tonight. Were he to be alone with them he might have been a bit more cautious but as it was and in the mood he was in, he could hardly bring himself to be concerned with the likes of these dark elves.


    That being said, he still couldn''t help but to grin to himself as he noticed that the other patrons, as well as the barkeep, were all independently keeping a pointed, watchful eye on the two dark elves. Their concern was more than justified considering what these slave-mongering beings were potentially capable of. The human couple in particular were having a difficult time keeping their anxious glaces discreet. While the drake, his face mostly obscured by the newspaper he was reading, made no effort to hide his distaste.


    With features that were reminiscent of a theropod dinosaur it was easy enough to understand why the drakes would often be referred to as the ¡°Dragonkin¡± though that name was technically misleading as even while the drakes were a reptilian race and had an appearance that was similar to a small wing-less dragon, they were still not directly related to any of the true draconian species and did not have the ability to fly, or to transform into massive beast forms in the way that the more powerful true draconian races could.


    This particular drake looked like he would stand around six feet tall, and like all of his kind had a body that was covered completely in scales. His short iguana-like snout and the two rows of small, sharply pointed horns running from where his eyebrows would be to the back of his skull gave a very dragon-like look to his face. Off white colored, quill-like feathers grew out from between these horns and flowed down to the back of his head, in the same manner that the hair would on a human.


    Several rows of broad, crocodilian-like plated scales ran from the base of his skull down his neck, spine and to the tip of his long tail. These rugged looking scales were what led Anton to believe this individual was a male, as the females of the species tended to have scales that were smoother in appearance as well as a much more slender, lithe body type. Especially when compared to their more ¡°Armored¡± looking male counterparts.


    This drakes pupils were solid black vertical slits that moved about in the olive green sclera of his eyes. His body scales were colored a dark metallic-like gunmetal gray and were mottled with an iridescent green that gave him a two-toned appearance whenever he moved about in the light. The scales on this individuals belly, from his chest downwards, were a dark beige in color. Though Anton couldn''t see this at the moment, due to the navy blue collared tee-shirt and khaki shorts that the drake was currently wearing.


    The drakes legs were digitigrade in design and he wore no shoes on his feet, which each consisted of four clawed toes and a fifth dewclaw. The dewclaws were located on the insides of his legs just below his raised ankles. Since these claws were held up off the ground they were not nearly as worn down as the ones that were on the actual toes. And there were many drakes who could skillfully use these dewclaws as an effective weapon in a manner that was reminiscent of the dinosaurian raptors.


    Anton had always found it interesting to see how well the reptilian races could still convey their emotions on their faces, at least when they choose to, and this drake was no different. With his eyes tightened in annoyance and the corners of his mouth curled downwards into an obvious frown. His apprehension was clear on his face as he blatantly monitored the dark elves over the newspaper he held in his clawed hands.


    Confident in his own abilities and having no fear of the dark elves himself. Anton left the drake to his self-appointed task of keeping an eye on the potential troublemakers.


    Taking his phone back out of his pocket, he took the moment to check his emails and social media platforms and before he realized it, time had slipped away and he was brought back to the present by the minotaur paying his bill and leaving from his seat.


    Standing nearly seven feet tall at his full height, and with a shoulder span of over four feet, the minotaur was an impressive sight to behold. His bovine-like head sat high atop a thick neck that rose out from the center of his broad shoulders. Two thick, bull-like horns sprouted out from either side of his massive skull, and these grew out sideways before curving sharply forward and tapering off to thin points. These horns were a dirty, brownish gray in color that darkened to a full black at their pointed tips. His eyes were large dark circles surrounded by a light blue sclera, and while positioned on the sides of his head, which gave him a wide range of vision, were still far enough forward for him to see clearly in front of himself. Like the creatures he so resembled, the minotaur''s ears, nose, lips and his long tail, which came complete with a tuft of fur at the end, were all reminiscent to those of a bovine.


    The majority of his face and body was covered in a short, thin coat of black colored hair, which thinned out around his eyes, nose, mouth and atop his wrists, just before reaching the fingers of his large, human-like hands. His skin, wherever it could be seen around his hair, was a very dark brown in color.


    His thick, column-like legs were digitigrade in design and ended in a pair of broad, dinner plate sized cloven hooves. He wore no actual shoes over his hoofed feet but instead had a thick, rubber pad planted beneath his hooves. This pad prevented his hooves from both causing any damage to indoor flooring as well as keeping them from making clopping noises as he walked across any hardwood or tiled floors. These pads were held in place by straps that crossed over and around the tops of his hooves. The belt-like straps were so thin that they disappeared beneath the longer hairs that grew around the tops of his hooves and were thus hidden from sight. His hooves, like his horns, were a dirty, brownish gray in color.


    Although still naturally brutish at first sight, from the simple virtue of being a minotaur, this individual was actually very well groomed in appearance. Both his horns and hooves had been given a deep polish that left them with a clean looking sheen, and his fingernails and coat, including the tuft of fur at the end of his tail, were both well kept and clearly manicured. And while he wasn''t quite as hulking in overall size as some members of his species could be, he still possessed a great deal of bulk to his body and it was more than easy enough to believe that a powerful set of well maintained musculature was hidden beneath the dark gray business suit that he currently wore.


    Anton watched the minotaur leave the lounge via the mirror and noted that both the drake and the human couple had already left as well. Thinking nothing of it, he glanced over at the dark elves and found that they were both still watching him intently. As they made eye contact through the mirror the dark elves each smiled at him and he immediately felt their intentions were more predatory than friendly. He sighed in annoyance as they both rose from their seats and made their way towards him.


    Superficially, the elves as a whole were nearly identical to humans in both size and overall appearance, though dark elves in particular were generally a bit taller than both humans and the other elven races, and the two species could be told apart by only a few key differences in their features.


    Both of these dark elves had similar enough looking facial structure and features that it would be difficult to believe that they weren''t related. Their rich, cocoa colored skin contrasted heavily against the brightness of their pure white hair, which they each had styled straight and cut at shoulder length.


    Their eyes were human-like in design but were slightly larger than what a humans would normally be, and their irises were a vividly bright, ruby red in color. They were both identical in height at a little over five and a half feet, which would make them somewhat shorter for dark elves.


    As it was with all the elven races, their most distinguishing features were easily their ears. At about seven inches in length their ears were long, thin and tapered to a sharp point at their tips. They were positioned on their heads in the same location that they would be if on a human. Unlike a human however, the elves possessed a set of musculature along the base of their ears that allowed them to move their ears in dynamic ways. Like many other species whose ears also possessed a range of motion, the elves would utilize their ears as a form of communication via body language. When at rest, the ears would sit with their tips pointed upwards and back at a forty-five degree angle. But by paying attention to the position and direction that the ears moved and were pointed in, it would be possible to determine the mood, emotions and even the state of mind of the elf in question. Although it was entirely possible for the elves to fully control the movements of their ears, it was often the case that their ears would respond and position themselves subconsciously. And this could easily lead to embarrassing situations wherein others would be alerted to the emotional state of an elf by the betrayal of it''s ears.


    ¡°Hey there stranger!¡± exclaimed the first dark elf as she took a seat at the bar next to Anton on his left.


    ¡°Mind if we join you?¡± asked the other as she took her place on the other side of him.


    ¡°Ladies¡± said Anton as he slipped his phone into his pocket ¡°I appreciate the attention but unfortunately I''m afraid I''ll have to be going¡±


    ¡°What! What''s the rush!?¡± asked the first dark elf.


    This ones hair was cut just a bit shorter than the other ones, and didn''t quite reach her shoulders. She leaned in towards Anton and gave him a good look at her ample cleavage as she flashed a dazzlingly white smile at him.


    True to their species hedonistic nature, both of the dark elves were dressed in a manner that could hardly be considered modest. They both wore black, low cut form-fitting evening gowns with conveniently placed diamond shaped cut-outs that showed off their midriffs, shoulders and lower backs. Cuff-like bracelets, neckbands and armlets all made of silken materials completed their look of casual dominance. Surprisingly, they wore no actual jewelry in their ears, around their necks or on their fingers which was odd for their kind. The closest either of them came to such ornaments were golden letter K''s linked to a golden chain around the second ones bracelet.


    Noticing that he had glanced at her accessory the dark elf raised her wrist to show it off.


    ¡°You like?¡± she mused ¡°The K stands for Kianna and this is my sister Fiona¡±


    ¡°Twin sister!¡± exclaimed Fiona with another smile.


    ¡°How exciting¡± mumbled Anton.


    ¡°Yes, it is...¡± said Fiona as she very lightly began to poke her fingertip on his forearm.


    Anton sighed through his nose and pulled out his wallet. Dropping nearly ten dollars more than he owned on the bar, he motioned for the barkeep to keep the change.


    Inclining his head in thanks the older human man took the money and quickly went back to drying glasses.


    Moving only her eyes, Fiona glanced at her sister and gave her a look as if to urge her on.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.¡°Uh! Now why are you in such a hurry!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as she quickly put her hand on Anton''s shoulder and tentatively pressed her bosom against his upper arm.


    ¡°I''m afraid I was meant to meet someone here¡± sighed Anton as he looked her in the eyes establishing his intentions with both his words and demeanor ¡°Since they haven''t showed, I intend to find out why¡±


    The dark elf frowned at him but remained where she was.


    Irritation getting the better of him, Anton let his aura expand out from his being and blanket the area around him. The air became thick and heavy as he filled it with his message of power. Both of the dark elves immediately shivered but neither of them moved from where they sat.


    ¡°Oh! Did you feel that?¡± asked Kianna as she tightened her shoulders ¡°That was weird...¡±


    Anton leaned his head back a bit as he gave her a perplexed look. The dark elf stared back at him for a moment before her brow pinched ever so slightly. Seemingly unnerved by the look he was giving her she lowered her ears a bit.


    ¡°What!?¡± she asked as she smiled sheepishly.


    Taken aback by the sight of a dark elf actually lowering her own ears, Anton went to speak but was interrupted by the barkeep clearing his throat.


    ¡°Sir, I apologize but if you wouldn''t mind. We do have guests that may be trying to sleep at this time¡± he said as professionally as he could.


    ¡°Oh, of course¡± said Anton as he released his aura ¡°I apologize, I didn''t intend to disturb anyone¡±


    ¡°Oh no, I understand¡± said the barkeep as he shook his head ¡°I just ask that you please maintain control, if at all possible¡±


    ¡°Hm, of course¡± said Anton with a nod.


    ¡°Thank you¡± said the barkeep as he inclined his head. Smiling to both of the dark elves he inclined his head again and made his way back to the other end of the bar.


    ¡°Okay...?¡± questioned Fiona as she continued to repeatedly poke her fingertip on Anton''s arm ¡°What was that about?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know?¡± mumbled Kianna as she watched the barkeep begin to cut a lime into wedges ¡°That guys kinda weird!¡±


    Anton arched an eyebrow as he looked from one dark elf to another. Intrigued he rested his elbows on the bar in front of him.


    ¡°So you ladies are Dark Elves, right?¡± he asked as he smiled at one then the other.


    ¡°Mm hm, through and through!¡± hummed Fiona as she smiled back at him ¡°And we''re as dark as they come!¡±


    ¡°Hm, is that right!¡± smiled Anton as he looked from her to Kianna.


    The dark elf was still hanging off of him and was now staring at her own hand as she continued to leave it resting on his shoulder. When she noticed he had turned to her she quickly gave him a toothless smile as her eyes darted to his. Her ears had returned to a relaxed position at his first glance but had now pointed themselves straight upwards, which gave her a sort of ¡°Happy¡± or ¡°Excited¡± look.


    ¡°So, I hear your kind can be pretty mean?¡± Anton asked playfully as he tilted his head to the side.


    ¡°Sometimes, I guess¡± answered Kianna as she mimicked him by tilting her head in the same way.


    Anton narrowed his eyes a bit as he let a tiny wave of his aura wash into the dark elf as she leaned against him. Watching intently he was quickly surprised by what he saw.


    Kianna blinked and seemed to become confused by the sudden sensation. Failing to register the assault for what it was or where it came from, she pressed herself in closer and shivered as her ears again lowered themselves.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± asked Anton as he grinned at her.


    The dark elf gave him a look that was laced with both nervousness and embarrassment as she leaned away from him.


    ¡°Ah, yeah! Sorry!¡± she answered as she shivered again ¡°I think another one of those weird feelings just hit me...¡±


    ¡°Probably just the A/C kicking on!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she gave her sister a pointed look ¡°Not really something you should be overreacting about!¡±


    Kianna looked over at her and tightened her eyes in annoyance.


    Grinning to himself Anton turned to Fiona and began to run his own finger down her arm as he locked eyes with her.


    ¡°Now, now, be nice!¡± he teased as he let his aura spread out around her ¡°It was Fiona, right?¡±


    The dark elf blinked as her whole body seemed to tighten up. Keeping her smile in place, she worked to brush off the effects of his aura as she nodded and leaned in closer.


    ¡°That''s right!¡± she cooed as her eyes darted to his ring-less fingers ¡°And what was your name again, uh, handsome!?¡±


    ¡°Well, I think ¡°Handsome¡± works as well as anything¡± mocked Anton as he gave the dark elf a playful smile ¡°So why don''t we just go with that for now!¡±


    ¡°Oh, well aren''t you a funny one! Mr. Handsome!¡± quipped Fiona as she raised her other arm and rested her chin against the back of her palm ¡°So, since your ¡°Meeting¡± didn''t work out. Why don''t you share a drink with us?¡±


    ¡°I might just do that...¡± mused Anton as he let another wave of power roll into Kianna.


    The dark elf tightened her grip on his shoulder as she made a small sound.


    ¡°Uh! Hey, I think I''m gonna maybe find a different spot!¡± she exclaimed as she let go of Anton and dropped down off the bar stool ¡°This place is kinda giving me the creeps!¡±


    Fiona turned and stared at her as Kianna moved away from the bar and stood behind Anton.


    ¡°What are you talking about!¡± she asked through her smiling teeth ¡°We''re doing fine right here!¡±


    Kianna crossed her arms and held herself at the elbows as she glared at her sister. Fiona opened her eyes as wide as she could as she gave her sister a ¡°What are you doing!¡± type of look.


    Anton had a small smirk on his face as he watched the quarreling dark elves through the mirror over the bar. He was familiar enough with dark elves to immediately recognize that these two were not typical and try as he might he couldn''t help but to become interested in playing with them. Deciding to push things a little further he let a thicker wave of his aura reach out and engulf the standing dark elf.


    Kianna stiffed and widened her eyes as she tucked her arms in closer around her torso. She clearly had no idea what was happening. It was both amusing and yet very surprising that she would somehow fail to recognize such a basic act of sorcery.


    Catching motion out of the corner of his eye. Anton glanced down to the other end of the bar and found that the old man was also staring at the standing dark elf. The look on his face made it obvious that he too was as equally confused by her apparent lack of resistance.


    Emboldened by having an audience, Anton smiled and laced his aura with a bit more power in an effort to further influence the unsuspecting dark elf.


    Both of the sisters were still glaring at each other as Fiona indicated with slight head nods that Kianna should return to her seat, and the standing dark elf was shaking her head ever so slightly as she set her jaw in defiance.


    As the new wave of power flowed through the aura surrounding her, Kianna gasped softly as her breath caught in her throat. Fiona''s glare shifted to a look of concern as she watched her sisters eyes become laced with unease and her ears point themselves straight upwards.


    ¡°Kianna¡± said Anton as he watched her through the mirror.


    The startled dark elf turned and looked at him immediately but said nothing as she stared at the back of his head.


    ¡°I understand that you''re feeling a little uneasy but I really don''t think it''s anything you need to worry about¡± said Anton in a calm but stern tone ¡°So would you come and sit back down with us, please?¡±


    The dark elf''s brow creased as she pointed her ears straight back in obvious annoyance. She opened her mouth to speak but stopped short as Anton doubled the amount of power surrounding her.


    ¡°I really think it would be a shame if you decided to leave right now¡± continued Anton as a thin smile spread across his face ¡°It''s not everyday that I get a chance to talk to such a lovely, lady Dark Elf after all, and I''d like to get to know you a little better, if you don''t mind...¡±


    Standing motionless, Kianna stared at him for a moment longer before slowly closing her mouth.


    ¡°...You do?¡± she questioned quietly as she narrowed her eyes at him ¡°You want to, know me?¡±


    ¡°...Yes?¡± answered Anton with a broader smile ¡°If that''s alright with you?¡±


    Moving only her eyes, Kianna looked from Anton to the empty bar stool and back before blinking in uncertainty and lowering her ears. Clearly unsure of her own actions, she slowly moved towards the bar stool and silently took her seat.


    ¡°Well hey there¡± said Anton cheerfully as he released his aura ¡°Welcome back¡±


    Kianna didn''t respond as she stared back at him. Her bright, ruby colored eyes had taken on a new level of intensity as she seemed to be giving him a deeper assessment.


    Anton couldn''t help but to find the dark elf endearingly cute in her seemingly confused state, and despite his better judgment, he began to let himself relax his guard a bit as he gave her another broad smile.


    Apparently sensing Anton''s lack of fear on some subliminal level, Kianna''s ears pointed themselves straight upwards as she eased herself back and blinked up at him. Her large eyes widened even further as a light bashful looking blush suddenly spread across her cheeks. Turning away to collect herself, she shook her head before going still and staring off at nothing.


    Anton watched her for a moment before glancing to the side and finding the old man staring at the dark elf as well. Locking eyes for a second the older barkeep quickly looked away and shook his head at the odd sight.


    ¡°Hey! Kianna!¡± called Fiona as she leaned forward to look around Anton at her sister ¡°...Are you okay over there!?¡±


    ¡°Huh!?¡± cried Kianna as she blinked and looked back at her sister ¡°I''m sorry... What, what were we talking about?¡±


    Kianna''s ears had settled back to their relaxed state and she no longer had a look of unease on her face.


    ¡°You... kinda spaced out there for a second?¡± said Fiona as she narrowed her eyes at her sister ¡°You good now?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right! Sorry!¡± exclaimed Kianna as her ears twitched up and down ¡°Yeah, I''m fine! I''m, not sure what that was...¡±


    ¡°Maybe you just need a drink?¡± suggested Anton as he grinned down at her.


    Kianna looked up at him for a moment before tilting her head to the side and looking from him to her sister and back.


    ¡°Do you like strawberries?¡± he asked as his grin grew into a smile.


    ¡°Um, yeah...¡± she said as her ears twitched a bit more ¡°They''re good¡±


    Anton turned to Fiona with the same question in his eyes.


    ¡°Sure¡± said Fiona with a shrug.


    ¡°Sir!¡± called Anton as he raised two fingers ¡°Two strawberry daiquiris and a rum and cola please!¡±


    The barkeep nodded and immediately began to mix the drinks.


    ¡°Well thank you Mr. Handsome!¡± exclaimed Fiona.


    ¡°Of course¡± said Anton as he looked back and forth between them ¡°So, what brings you two through here tonight?¡±


    ¡°Oh, we were just lonely and thought that maybe we could find some company...¡± said Fiona as she leaned away and smiled ¡°Isn''t that right!? Kianna!?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, uh, yeah!¡± stammered Kianna as she quickly moved closer to Anton and lightly pressed herself against him ¡°We were really lonely!¡±


    ¡°Is that right...¡± mused Anton as he looked down at Kianna ¡°You poor little things...¡±


    Moving swiftly, the barkeep set the three drinks down in front of them and inclined his head as Anton handed him two twenty dollar bills. Without a word he made his way back to the other end of the bar.


    Anton gave his drink a light swirl before taking a small sip and setting it back on the bar in front of himself. Both of the dark elves had taken quick sips of their own drinks as well.


    ¡°Mm!¡± hummed Kianna as she licked her upper lip and gave her drink a quick swirl with the little straw that came with it.


    ¡°Taste good?¡± asked Anton as he turned to her.


    ¡°It does!¡± declared the dark elf ¡°I like this! Thank you!¡±


    Anton grinned as he watched her take another long sip.


    A slight movement in the mirror above the bar suddenly caught his eye. Turning just enough to see clearly he frowned as he watched Fiona reach over to his drink. She had a small white bottle in her hand and as he watched she squirted a short stream of clear liquid into his drink before quickly pulling her arm back to herself.


    Anton slowly turned his head and again locked eyes with the barkeeper. The old man was on his way towards them but he stopped in his tracks as Anton smiled and shook his head. Cocking an eyebrow the old man watched as Anton lifted his glass and gave his drink another light swirl.


    ¡°Well now, this is interesting...¡± mused Anton to himself as he watched the remnants of the drug dissolve into the rest of his drink ¡°Silly little poachers...¡±


    Looking from one dark elf and then back to the other, he found them both staring at him intently. Smiling again he raised his glass in salute to the barkeep before taking a long gulp. Shaking his head the old man smirked and walked away.


    ¡°Oh... This is a cheap one!¡± declared Anton as he grimaced in disgust at the tinfoil-like taste ¡°You''ll want to move things along pretty quick! I don''t think this one is going to last very long at all!¡±


    Both of the dark elves were dumbfounded as they watched him take another swallow of his tainted drink.


    ¡°You know... the thing I love most about scenarios like this...¡± muttered Anton as he gave his glass a light shake to swirl his drink ¡°Is that I have no reason to feel bad about whatever happens...¡±


    The sisters looked at each other before focusing back on Anton as he took another drink.


    ¡°Hm... Mm, mm, mm¡± mumbled Anton as he ran his tongue across his teeth in an effort to dilute the taste in his mouth ¡°I''m going to really enjoy myself with this...¡±


    ¡°Hm, oh yeah!¡± hummed Fiona as a wicked looking smile spread across her face ¡°We''re going to have a great time together!¡±


    Anton gave her a tired look and shook his head before taking another drink.


    ¡°That''s always been the problem with you Dark Elves...¡± he said as he ran his tongue through his mouth again ¡°You can never bring yourselves to listen to anything you''re told...¡±


    Tilting his head back he gulped down the last of his drink before setting the glass down on the bar in front of himself.


    Fiona leaned away from him as he turned and gave her a cold smile.


    ¡°I said that ¡°I¡± was going to really enjoy this...¡± declared Anton as his vision began to go black along the edges ¡°I never said that you would...¡±

 Chapter 2 : After Midnight

    Chapter 2 : After Midnight


    Anton kept his eyes shut as he tested his ability to move, he didn''t quite have full motion just yet but what he did have would be enough to work with. He moaned through his nose as he feigned coming to, and one of the dark elves immediately started to laugh close by.


    ¡°Well, well, well! Looks like ¡°Mr. Handsome¡± has finally rejoined the living!¡± she cried.


    Anton opened his eyes to a, thankfully, dimly lit area. He was currently laying on his back atop a king sized bed. Without giving away his range of motion he quickly scanned what he could of this new and very large room.


    The two dark elves were leering down at him as they stood on either side of the bed. He ignored them both for the moment as he glanced around. There was little chance they were still in the hotel considering the intensity of the decor that now surrounded him.


    Sadism was clearly the theme. Dark maroon colored walls were decorated with silhouette portraits of beings in different forms of torture and bondage. Many of the implements featured in the portraits had true life examples acting as furniture in this very room and Anton could only assume that they were just as capable of use as those in the portraits above them. This was clearly a ¡°Dungeon¡± of sorts though in many ways he found the aesthetics a bit over the top, if not down right cliche.


    The room was too large for him to discern if there were any windows and or where the entrance was located from his current vantage so he turned his attention back to his ¡°Captors¡±.


    The dark elves had clearly given in to their deviant nature in full force. Donning intricate black leather corsets, thigh length boots, long finger less opera gloves and leather garter belts, they had become the quintessential dominates that their kind were stereotypically known for. One of them was even wearing a black masquerade style mask over her eyes.


    Anton gave a quick look over their choices in attire and did a double take as he noticed their garter belts. The garter belts that the two dark elves were wearing were fitted up around their waists. Not only were they being worn higher than they should normally be but they had also been put on above their corsets. They served no practical purpose as ¡°Garter Belts¡± as they were not being used to hold up a pair of leggings as they should be, and the clips used to attach them to said leggings were hanging listlessly from their sides. Instead the dark elves had clipped an assortment of torture items to their belts. These items included a few sets of clamps connected by thin chains, several pairs of handcuffs, small cat-o-nine tails whips, small broad faced paddles and each of them carried a long coiled bullwhip attached just above their hips.


    Anton raised an eyebrow at the sight of the whips, as he couldn''t understand why these dark elves would choose to use actual physical whips, rather than their own magically generated versions. Both of the dark elves were clearly proud of their little tool belts and brandished them brazenly.


    Neither one of them were currently wearing any type of underwear, which left their hairless nether regions open and ready for their play.


    Anton sighed at the shear lack of imagination. Obvious youth not withstanding, these dark elves were both clearly very inexperienced. The feigned confident smiles and predator-esque poses that they took on as they ¡°Loomed¡± over him were heartrendingly ineffective in their attempt at being intimidating, and sadly came off as more annoying than anything else. Without the influence of their auras generating an actual effect, there was no sense of dread to the situation and the dark elves came off as nothing more than two women in costume.


    It was certainly clear at this point that these two had pulled this entire room out of some poorly written erotic novel and had never truly dominated anyone. Kidnapped and bullied? Possibly. But enacted true dominance? No, he just couldn''t see it.


    Anton looked back and forth between the smiling dark elves and sighed as he waited for them to make a move.


    ¡°...Well!?¡± he mumbled as the silence dragged for another moment ¡°Are you going to get started!?¡±


    Faltering at his attitude the dark elves recomposed themselves and both harrumphed at each other.


    ¡°Looks like somebodies ready to play!¡± said the one in the mask. She was the one with the somewhat shorter hair named Fiona. It seemed that she was the one to take the lead while Kianna acted in the assistant role. Whether this was how they naturally acted or if this was done at a case by case scenario couldn''t be discerned. It''s was possible that whoever wore the mask was the one who acted as the ¡°Leader¡± but at the moment there was no way to be sure of this.


    ¡°I''m going to enjoy melting away that smugness!¡± boasted Fiona as she took hold of his shirt collar and pulled it apart, sending buttons flying everywhere in the process.


    Anton grimaced at his damaged shirt while the grinning dark elf ran her fingertip down the center of his chest.


    ¡°Aw! Did you like that shirt?¡± she cooed teasingly ¡°Well too bad!¡±


    Anton gave her a tired look before turning to Kianna.


    ¡°Well?¡± he asked as he raised his eyebrows at her ¡°What are you waiting for?¡±


    ¡°...Um!¡± stumbled Kianna as her sudden confusion became obvious ¡°...I''m, um!?¡±


    ¡°Hey! I''m the one in charge here!¡± cried Fiona as she poked her finger in his face ¡°I think you need to start taking this a little more seriously!¡±


    ¡°I could say the same to you¡± quipped Anton as he gave her a condescending grin.


    Fuming, Fiona stood back up and pointed her ears straight back behind her head as she glared down at him.


    ¡°Fine!¡± she muttered before looking over at Kianna ¡°Help me lock this bastard up!¡±


    The sisters both huffed quietly as they each took hold of one of Anton''s arms and hoisted him up to a sitting position.


    Grinning as he stayed limp, Anton let them do all the work as they roughly dragged him to the head of the bed and leaned him against the wooden headboard.


    Fiona eagerly crawled up onto the bed and straddled his legs. Biting her lower lip she reached into her cleavage and pulled out the small white bottle of drugs she had used on him at the bar.


    Anton couldn''t help but shake his head as he stared at it. The bottle was a cheap white plastic thing that was clearly a used bottle of contact-lens solution with the label peeled off of it.


    The dark elf held the bottle up in front of him as she leaned in close to the side of his head.


    ¡°With this I could make it so you can''t move again!¡± she whispered as she leaned in even closer to his ear ¡°But if I did that you wouldn''t feel what''s coming next!¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡± mumbled Anton as he looked past her and locked eyes with Kianna.


    Kianna''s eyes never left his as she lifted his right wrist up to the corner post of the bed. Taking a pair of metal hand cuffs from her garter belt she made a show of clasping one end to an eyelet in the wooden post using only her left hand.


    Anton grinned at the little show and the dark elf smiled back as she went to clasp the other cuff to his wrist by bringing it downward and locking it in a single motion. Her smile suddenly disappeared as the cuff was locked around her own wrist instead.


    Anton''s grin grew into a full smile as the dark elf''s eyes went wide in surprise.


    Breaking away from their eye contact, Kianna looked down in complete confusion at her trapped wrist.


    Moving to quick for her to fully register in time, Anton had both shifted his arm out of the way and brought her wrist upwards and into the path of the cuff at the last second. With one motion he had trapped the dark elf while leaving his own arm free and still up against the bedpost.


    ¡°Uh, uh!¡± stammered Kianna as she tried to make sense of what had just happened to her ¡°...Wait, how!?¡±


    ¡°What the Hell did you do!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as she looked over at her sister.


    Kianna looked panicked as she pulled on the cuff and turned to her sister with her mouth hanging open.


    Neither one of them had time to respond as Anton shot forward with his arm near the bedpost and grabbed Kianna by the face. Raising his other ¡°Limp¡± hand he grabbed Fiona by the back of the head and pushed her forward. With one mighty attack he cracked their heads together by bashing Fiona''s forehead into the back of Kianna''s skull, dazing them both instantly.


    Losing her mask in the process, Fiona collapsed onto the bed with a groan while Kianna, with her right arm still chained to the bedpost, fell into a sitting position on the bedside before collapsing sideways against the headboard.


    Anton rolled his head along his shoulders to crack his neck before running his tongue over his teeth. The tinfoil taste was still there but he''d manage around it. He pulled his legs out from under Fiona and kicked her away as he slid to the edge of the bed. He twisted back and forth at the waist as he stretched out the stiffness in his body. He noted that his shoes were missing but other than that he was still fully clothed. Pressing his feet against the floor to test his legs yielded good results so he risked standing up completely and wobbled only slightly as he found his balance. Whatever cheap drug these dark elves had decided to use apparently didn''t last very long at all. A fact which had now turned out to be very unfortunate for them.


    Anton gave his ruined shirt another hard look before turning back to the downed dark elves. Neither one of them had moved but both were still breathing. He made his way around the bed and knelt down in front of Kianna. Her eyes were half closed and a trail of drool ran down her chin but otherwise she would be fine. Fiona was in about the same condition as she laid in a heap on the bed.


    Anton picked up the bottle Fiona had so graciously informed him about and tucked it into his pocket. His empty pocket. Apparently he''d have to convince these dark elves to tell him where his phone and wallet were. Grinning at the idea of an interrogation, he took all the toys from the dark elves belts, lest they get the very bad idea to try and use them as weapons, and set them in a pile on a small table next to a pair of high-backed chairs.


    A wooden pillory had been mounted to the floor in front of these chairs and was clearly intended for entertainment purposes. With only one though it was useless to him, unless he attempted to cram both of the dark elves into the same pillory. Which was an idea that could be fun to at least try at some point.


    Looking around, Anton got the impression by the lack of windows that this room might be underground. The large heavy door, that couldn''t be more obvious as the entrance, was set in an alcove directly across from the bed. He had taken one look at how it was set up before chuckling and going off to check the rest of the room.


    Along with the different forms of torture ¡°Furniture¡± that dotted the rooms floor-plan were a selection of metal cages that came in a variety of sizes and shapes. These ranged from standing dome topped forms that were just wide enough inside for a person to stand in but left little to no room for any other movement, to hanging bird-cage styles that could just barely fit a person inside, to finally a whole row of large kennel type cages that lined an entire wall of the dungeon.


    These cages were actually set up to house occupants, though they were clearly not meant to be too comfortable as they were all only three feet by three feet in size. Laid out across the bottoms of these cages were large pillow style dog-beds and stacked along the edges of these were piles of smaller pillows that gave the cages an almost nest-like look.


    After looking over the selection of cages, Anton spent the next few minutes rummaging through the chests, wardrobes, and cabinet hutches that dotted the dungeon. These were mostly filled with random bondage gear. Which included whole collections and styles of gags, cuffs, armbinders, legbinders, yokes, spreader-bars, harnesses, gimp hoods and masks. Most of these items were fortunately unisex in their designs and so could be sized down to fit his current captives. Some of them though such as a few of the harnesses were tailored with the male body in mind and so were useless to him.


    One rather large china cabinet, complete with glass doors, was filled as a display for dozens of whips, some of which looked quite vicious. Next to this along the same wall were other displays of plugs and dildos, clamps and chains, and rather ominously, one with knives, daggers and what looked like medical instruments. Anton stared at this one for a bit and chuckled as he shook his head.


    Next he tried an inconspicuous looking door that led to a very large walk-in closet.


    ¡°Now we''re talking!¡± he mused to himself as he flicked on the overhead lights.


    The closet was filled with the dark elves ¡°Costumes¡± and was obviously were they got ready for their play times. A thin doorway on the left wall led to a half-bathroom that was set up with a double sink and vanity. Although the dominatrix garb took up the majority of the hanging space, the closet was also home to more bondage gear that was actually meant for female bodies. Harnesses, masks and hoods as well as corsets, chastity belts, and torture bras not only did exist but were in a surprisingly high supply, albeit seemingly hidden away. There was also a row of sybian machines and a whole collection of strap-on belts taking up one wall.


    Making a mental list of what he would need in the future, Anton perused the whole closet before flicking the lights back off and pulling the door shut as he went to check in on the dark elves.


    ¡°Well hello there!¡± he said in greeting as he made his way back to the bed.


    Fiona had apparently regained consciousness and was semi-sitting up on the bed by holding herself up with her arms. She had been staring at her sister when Anton had first seen her but had quickly turned to him when he spoke. She blinked as she tried to place who he was and what was happening, her confusion was still obvious in her eyes.


    Smiling, Anton took the bottle of drugs from his pocket as he approached her.


    Seeing the bottle in his hand, Fiona''s eyes went wide in recognition as she seemed to come to her senses.


    ¡°You!¡± she cried and wobbling with each move, she quickly scrambled her way off the bed and started frantically shaking her sister.


    As Anton came closer she turned to him and screaming furiously, lunged at his throat.


    Dodging her outstretched arms, Anton caught her by the neck and turning pulled her into a headlock.


    Fiona kicked and struggled ferociously as Anton lifted and dragged her back towards the bed while walking backwards. With one hand he untwisted the cap on the little bottle.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.¡°No!¡± croaked Fiona as she noticed what he was doing ¡°Stop!¡±


    Anton tossed her down against the side of the bed and pressed his knee against her back, effectively pinning her in place. As the enraged dark elf struggled and screamed he squirted a small puddle of the drug into his hand. Taking his drug free hand he grabbed Fiona by the hair and lifted her up to her feet. She screamed again as he did this and taking the opportunity, Anton clamped his drug filled hand over her open mouth and pulled her in against his body. He held her against him as she frantically tried to claw his hand off her face, and within only a few seconds he could already feel her strength giving way.


    ¡°Get off her!¡± screamed Kianna as she came back to life behind Anton and started to pull on his shirt with her unchained hand.


    Anton sighed in frustration and moving backwards while pulling Fiona along with him, he pinned Kianna to the wall with his own body.


    Kianna kicked and struggled and in her desperation she even bit into the meaty part of Anton''s shoulder which caused him to wince at the unexpected level of pain but not let either of them go.


    Fiona had finally gone limp enough in his arms that Anton knew she was harmless now so he tossed her haphazardly onto the bed.


    ¡°Fiona!¡± cried Kianna as she pushed against Anton ¡°Get up!¡±


    Fiona hoisted herself up on her hands and turned to her sister. Tears were streaming down her face as she wobbled and fell over on her side.


    ¡°No!¡± she cried as she gripped the bed sheets and went still ¡°I, can''t!¡±


    Seeing her sister fall, Kianna screamed and redoubled her attack against Anton''s back. Snarling in anger she started biting him again while trying to claw at his face.


    ¡°Mmmm!¡± breathed Anton as he resisted the urge to headbutt her as she gnawed on his shoulder ¡°...You little, Dark Elf!¡±


    Puddling another squirt of the drugs into his hand, he smiled viciously as he decided to try another route with it.


    Kianna went completely still and let go of Anton''s shoulder as she suddenly felt a hand clamp down over her slit. She chirped out a surprised squeak and tried to clamp her thighs together as she felt several fingers roughly slip up inside her.


    ¡°W-aha-what are you doing!¡± she cried as she tried to pull her hips up and away from the intruder.


    Anton turned his head to the side and looked back at her.


    ¡°Not every poison has to go in orally!¡± he explained as he gave her a broad playful smile ¡°Let''s find out if this one does!¡±


    Kianna''s face twisted in horror as she felt the fingers inside her begin to wiggle. She pointed her ears straight back and pressed her forehead against his back as she desperately tried to push him away.


    After a few moments, Anton could feel the strength in her legs failing and so he slowly moved away from the wall.


    Still pushing against his back, Kianna followed him forward until her legs buckled out from beneath her. She kept her head down as Anton did a quick turnaround and caught her from falling. Her ears had gone from pointed back to now hanging limp and angry tears were dripping from her face as Anton picked her up by the arms and plopped her down on the bed. Twisting away from him in frustration, Kianna stretched her arm out towards her sister but couldn''t quite reach her since her wrist was still chained to the bedpost.


    ¡°You two are not very good at this whole kidnapping thing...¡± muttered Anton as he rubbed at the bite wounds on his shoulder ¡°At all!¡±


    Kianna turned to him with raw hatred in her tear filled but still bright, ruby colored eyes.


    ¡°You!¡± she hissed as she glared at him and pointed her ears straight back in anger ¡°I wouldn''t be so smug right now if I were you!¡±


    ¡°...Okay¡± mumbled Anton as he twisted the cap back onto the bottle of drugs ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Why not indeed!¡± said Kianna as she smiled devilishly ¡°Why are you assuming you''ve won this already!?¡±


    Anton cocked an eyebrow and waved his hand as if he were presenting them.


    Kianna shrugged and gave him a coy, sideways smile.


    ¡°Encase you haven''t noticed there''s only one way out of here!¡± she cooed ¡°So unless you decide to be a good boy! You aren''t going anywhere big guy!¡±


    Anton threw his head back and laughed.


    ¡°Is that really what your calling an ace!¡± he laughed as he wiped a tear away from his eye ¡°Oh, you poor little thing!¡±


    The dark elf blinked in surprise and began to literally pout as she glared at him.


    ¡°You can''t open that door without the code!¡± she declared as she looked from him to the door and back ¡°You''re trapped in here without it!¡±


    ¡°Okay, you have two major issues with this idea of me being ¡°Trapped¡± in here!¡± said Anton as he folded his arms across his chest ¡°The first and most obvious issue is that I could easily just beat whatever information I may need out of you... out of you!¡±


    Kianna''s eyes widened as she leaned back against the headboard.


    ¡°And the second, embarrassingly glaring problem! Is that I don''t need anything from you¡± said Anton as he slowly shook his head ¡°At all¡±


    ¡°What! N-no! Yes you do! You''re trapped in here!¡± cried Kianna as she again turned to the door ¡°That door really won''t open without a code! You''re seriously trapped in here!¡±


    ¡°No, I''m not¡± said Anton as he turned away from her and walked towards the large door ¡°Let me show you why¡±


    The dungeon''s door was a big metal monster with a keypad mounted above it''s bar-shaped knob. As Anton came up to it he veered to the left away from the door itself and punched the wall it was mounted to. His hand disappeared into the drywall and as he pulled it out, he ripped a chuck of the wall out with it. He did this a few more times until a sizable hole existed that was big enough for him to step though.


    ¡°And that''s without even using any magic...¡± he mumbled as he turned back into the room and began to brush away the drywall dust from his arms ¡°I honestly just did it this way because I wanted to be dramatic...¡±


    Kianna''s mouth hung slack as she sat staring dumbfounded at the hole in the wall next to their unmovable door.


    ¡°Not that I think your going to actually get the opportunity¡± said Anton as he made his way back to the bed and looked down at her ¡°But the next time you two decide to build a dungeon you should really consult with a professional designer¡±


    Kianna was still for another moment before she slowly looked away from the door and met his eyes.


    ¡°We have money!¡± she said quietly as she looked up at him ¡°Lots of money!¡±


    ¡°Hm, no, you don''t have enough¡± said Anton as he shook his head ¡°No amount could save you now¡±


    Kianna stared at him for a moment before looking back down at Fiona.


    ¡°This!¡± she whispered as her eyes went wide in panic ¡°This is bad!¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is¡± agreed Anton as he slowly nodded his head ¡°Very bad¡±


    They were both silent for several moments until Kianna''s ears drooped low and she suddenly sobbed quietly.


    ¡°If... if I promise to do everything you say!¡± she whispered as she hung her head and clamped her eyes shut ¡°Will you let Fiona go!? Please!?¡±


    ¡°...What?¡± questioned Anton as brow creased in confusion ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°Please! Please, don''t hurt my sister!¡± whispered the dark elf ¡°I''ll do anything! Anything you want! Just please! Please let her go! Please!¡±


    Anton had become completely flabbergasted as he stared at the dark elf.


    ¡°...Excuse me!?¡± he exclaimed as he searched for some kind of trickery ¡°...Are you being serious?¡±


    Kianna looked up at him before quickly looking back down at the bed.


    ¡°Yes, I promise! I''ll do anything you say!¡± she said as she hunched in on herself and lowered her ears even further ¡°Please just promise me you won''t hurt her! I swear I''ll do anything if you just let her go!¡±


    Genuinely confused by what he was seeing and hearing, Anton looked from Kianna to Fiona and back before moving closer to the bed and looking down at the unconscious Fiona.


    ¡°...You''re willing to sacrifice yourself to save her?¡± questioned Anton as he shifted his eyes to Kianna ¡°And you''re actually being serious about this!?¡±


    Kianna swallowed back the lump in her throat and nodded as she kept her head hung low.


    ¡°...Really?¡± mused Anton as he looked back down at Fiona ¡°Hm!¡±


    As Kianna raised her head to watch, Anton bent over Fiona and lifted her up to a sitting position with her head hanging forward. Holding her in place he turned to Kianna and gave her a cold look.


    ¡°And what would you do if I just killed her right now?¡± he asked as he cocked an eyebrow ¡°Hm!?¡±


    Kianna''s eyes went wide as her whole body seemed to tighten up on itself.


    Tilting his head in mock curiosity, Anton reached down and raised Fiona''s head by taking hold of her chin.


    ¡°You know I could just snap her neck right here in front of you¡± he said in a calm, dry tone ¡°It would be the easiest thing in the world. She''ll be gone in an instant¡±


    Kianna looked him in the eyes as she set her jaw and bared her teeth. Her ears were pointed straight back in anger as her whole body began to tremble.


    ¡°Don''t! You!¡± she hissed through her teeth as she gripped the handcuff chain and began to pull on it ¡°I swear!¡±


    Anton straightened his head out of the tilt as he watched the dark elf tremble in anger.


    ¡°If you hurt her!¡± declared Kianna as her irises began to glow with a murderous red light ¡°I swear I will kill you!¡±


    ¡°...Well now! You actually do care about her!¡± exclaimed Anton as the dark elf continued to glare at him and bare her teeth ¡°...How about that!¡±


    Smiling, he hoisted Fiona upwards and tossed her closer to Kianna.


    Surprise melting away almost immediately, Kianna grabbed hold of her sister and frantically began to pull her away from Anton.


    Anton couldn''t help but to grin as he watched the still fuming Kianna ¡°Save¡± her unconscious sister.


    He had taken note during her threatening that the dark elf''s canine teeth were actually longer than a humans. Though they were nowhere near the length of a vampires fangs, that did still explain why her little love bites on his shoulder hurt so much.


    Once Fiona was tucked safely against the headboard of the bed, Kianna planted herself in front of her sister and faced Anton.


    ¡°...Thank you!¡± she mumbled quietly as she kept her ears pointed straight back ¡°...I don''t know why you did that! ...But thank you!¡±


    ¡°...You actually care about her¡± said Anton as he tilted his head again ¡°...That''s, really interesting!¡±


    ¡°Why do you keep saying it like that!¡± cried Kianna as her brow creased in frustration ¡°She''s my sister! I love her! Of course I''m going to care about her!¡±


    ¡°...What are you Kianna?¡± asked Anton as he looked her up and down ¡°...You look like a Dark Elf?¡±


    ¡°...What!?¡± questioned Kianna as she blinked in confusion ¡°I, I am a Dark Elf!¡±


    ¡°Are you really a Dark Elf?¡± asked Anton as he met her eyes ¡°As in a real one?¡±


    ¡°I, wha!? Yes!¡± declared Kianna as she stared back at him ¡°I''m really a Dark Elf!¡±


    ¡°...Are you sure?¡± asked Anton as he narrowed his eyes at her ¡°...You do look like one?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Yes I''m sure!¡± declared Kianna as she quickly looked down at herself and looked back up at him ¡°Look at me! What else would I be!?¡±


    Anton cradled his chin in his hand as he gazed down at what was apparently a selfless, caring and protective dark elf.


    ¡°...This is different¡± he mused as he took a step back ¡°This is very different!¡±


    Though Kianna was visually calmer now that she had her sister with her, she was still staring at Anton with unabashed apprehension on her face.


    ¡°Let''s try something...¡± whispered Anton to himself as he let his aura flex outward towards the sisters.


    Kianna''s eyes widened as she was blanketed by the unseen aura. Watching intently, Anton laced his aura with malice in an attempt to frighten the dark elf. Almost immediately Kianna tensed and pressed her shoulders against the headboard as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards and began to twitch back and forth in what was obviously a nervous manner.


    ¡°W-What''s happening!¡± she whimpered as her eyes darted around the room ¡°Is something in here!¡±


    Anton tilted his head again as he watched the dark elf frantically search for the source of her unease.


    ¡°...You can feel it! ...But you really don''t have any idea what''s happening right now!¡± he declared as the dark elf looked up at him with a mix of both confusion and nervousness in her eyes ¡°Do you?¡±


    ¡°...No!¡± whimpered Kianna as she shook her head ¡°Why, do you!?¡±


    ¡°...Your sister didn''t recognize anything either¡± continued Anton as he narrowed his eyes while his face become thoughtful looking ¡°This, this is something else...¡±


    Kianna couldn''t help but to swallow nervously as she watched Anton''s eyes begin to deepen with thought while he continued to intently stare at her.


    ¡°...This is just too good to be true, too good of an opportunity to waste! ...I can''t pass this up! ...I shouldn''t pass this up!¡± declared Anton as he began to think out loud ¡°...Do I really want to do this though? It''s a big decision... Very big... Wait!? What am I thinking! It can''t even be done! Not with their kind! I couldn''t even do this if I wanted to! ...If I wanted to. ...Do I want to? ...Because if I did, I''d have get around their... Wait!¡±


    Kianna eased herself back a bit and lowered her ears as Anton suddenly went still and silent. She breathed out of her nose in a nervous manner as she watched his eyes go wide in apparent excitement.


    ¡°Elkins gems! ...That, that might just work!¡± he whispered as his thoughts began to dance wildly in his eyes ¡°That really might work! ...All I need is just a little bit of their blood! And I can try it!¡±


    ¡°What!? Blood!? W-what are you talking about!?¡± cried Kianna as she spread her free arm out at her side in an attempt to block her sister ¡°What''s going on!? What are you trying!? What! What is this!?¡±


    Anton smiled viciously as he released his aura.


    ¡°This? This is very interesting!¡± he exclaimed as he stepped closer ¡°This is very, very interesting!¡±


    ¡°What is!?¡± cried Kianna as she cringed away from him ¡°What''s interesting!?¡±


    ¡°You are...¡± said Anton as tilted his head and looked her over ¡°I think I might keep you! Or at least try and see if I can!¡±


    ¡°...Huh!?¡± chirped Kianna as he stepped even closer and loomed over her.


    ¡°I think I''ll break you down a little bit first though...¡± mused Anton ¡°Should make things easier...¡±


    ¡°W-wait!?¡± cried Kianna as her ears pointed themselves straight up in panic ¡°What does that mean!?¡±


    ¡°Well, my little Dark Elf! I''m afraid to say, that unfortunately for you it means...¡± smiled Anton as he pulled the little white bottle back out from his pocket and gave it a shake ¡°That it''s past your bedtime!¡±

 Chapter 3 : Midday

    Chapter 3 : Midday


    Anton smirked to himself as he checked in on his prisoners. The two dark elves stayed silent as they sat quivering in their bondage but judging by their labored breathing they both appeared to be at least somewhat conscious. With their bodies slumped forwards and their heads hanging low neither of them appeared to have noticed his little check in.


    Both of the dark elves were ¡°Dressed¡± the exact same way, which was barely at all. A wide leather belt was buckled strictly around each of their waists. To these were clipped short chains that were attached to leather cuffs around their ankles. Smaller belts were buckled around their thighs and shins, between their knees and hips, these kept their legs bent and took away their ability to walk upright. Their arms were locked in tight, stringent box-tie style leather armbinders, that kept them folded away behind their backs. These were held in place by thin leather harnesses that wrapped around their shoulders and upper bodies as well as their bare breasts.


    Wrapped around their heads were rather cruel looking head-harnesses, that crisscrossed their faces as well as wrapped tightly around their foreheads, beneath their eyes and under their chins. These harnesses were made up of thin leather straps and were attached to, as well as held in place via metal clips, wide diamond shaped, rubber-coated plate masks that covered the dark elves lower faces by curving under their chins, spreading out over their cheeks and then curving up over the bridge of their noses. These plates fit snugly against their skin and gave the dark elves an almost ninja-like look.


    Attached to the inside of the plates were a large bulbous gag that filled their mouths completely. These gags were made of a harden rubber material that was just soft enough that they could be bitten and molded to the jaws that they had been wedged between. With the straps of the head-harnesses forcing the dark elves to bite down on the gags, their tongues were kept crushed against the bottom of their mouths. This prevented speech and caused over time horribly painful cramps and aches in their jaws. Three small holes dotted along each of the top edges of the plates allowed the dark elves to breath through their covered noses.


    Although their tight bondage gear was clearly uncomfortable. None of it was constrictive enough to cut off any of their circulation. So for the moment the only real hardship that the two dark elves faced were the sybian machines that they had unfortunately found themselves strapped down to.


    The sybians the dark elves had chosen for their dungeon were very expensive, heavily-weighted models that came equipped with a number of controllable timers. And had currently been set to run with a nearly constant low level of intensity that would be interrupted by random increases in power. These random events would each be different in their duration and intensity as well as the length of time in between. Although set at random, the timing between the events would never be shorter than fifteen minutes or longer than three hours. In this way the dark elves were kept in a state of endless arousal and then plagued by instances of intense sexual stimulation that they had no way of either predicting or escaping from. With their bent legs strapped to the sides of these randomized sybians and their shoulder harnesses locked to chains clipped to metal ringlets set into the wall behind them, both of the dark elves were simply but effectively trapped in a pleasurable Hell.


    Anton had found it difficult to resist the urge to make things so much worse for them. As it sits the dark elves had no bondage around their exposed breasts. No clamps on their nipples, clitorises, vulva lips, or ears. They wore no blindfolds and he had decided not to put anything around their necks as that was something that would come later and with much more fanfare. Even their lower holes were shown some mercy as even though they were strapped to the sybians, only moderately sized dildos had been shoved inside them and they had nothing in their rectums.


    Anton mused for a moment longer as he watched the two quivering forms. Satisfied with his check in, and deciding that a few more hours should do them some good, he silently left them to continue their punishment.


    As he turned to leave he was startled by a thin ink-black tendril that hung in the air just above his head. A tiny, glowing yellow eye at the very tip of the tendril blinked at him before the thin shape suddenly disappeared backwards as if it were sucked out of the room.


    Anton smirked again as he left the dungeon and made his way back upstairs. As he entered the kitchen his eyes fell on a gallon sized, glass canning jar that was sitting on the table with it''s lid at it''s side. The large jar was filled with a swirling, black, jelly-like mass. Thin streaks of dim plasma-like white and purple lights would flicker eerily in and out of sight as the mass moved aimlessly about in the jar.


    ¡°Well, I see you''re starting to get some feeling back into your cells¡± said Anton as he spoke to the jar ¡°Are you able to reform yourself yet?¡±


    A glob of the black jelly oozed out over the mouth of the jar and began to rise up into the air as if it were the stalk of a plant. A bulge at the end of the stalk split in two horizontally as it reached head height. The top half of the bulge fanned out becoming thin, silk-like hair that kept the black color it had started with, while the bottom half lightened in color until it became a soft, deep shade of purple. The purple bulge hung low as if it were about to break away from the rest of the mass before snapping back upwards and taking the shape of a humanoid face. The face was feminine in its structure and despite it''s otherworldly qualities was quite lovely on the eyes. Its high cheek bones, and the soft angles of it''s chin and nostril-less nose gave it a youthful but sage-like appearance.


    As Anton watched in silence, four thin slits appeared and split open into four large almond-shaped eyes. The faces eyes were rather eerie looking as they each had two pupil-less perfect circles that could move independently of each other. These ¡°Irises¡± were a glowing yellow in color and were surrounded by solid black sclera.


    The face blinked a few times as it focused all four of it''s eyes and eight of it''s irises on Anton and gave him a thin smile.


    ¡°Yes, it should not be too much longer before I am back to full motion¡± claimed the face in a soft tone.


    The face''s voice was, surprisingly, far more melodic than it''s appearance would have suggested, and had a rather odd cadence to it that gave it an eerie almost echo-like effect.


    ¡°Good to hear¡± grinned Anton as he nodded absently ¡°So, did you like what you saw downstairs?¡±


    The faces features immediately scrunched up into a vicious looking scowl.


    ¡°Those two are not in nearly enough pain for my liking!¡± hissed the face ¡°But its certainly a good start!¡±


    ¡°Really!?¡± questioned Anton as he leaned back in surprise ¡°So you really don''t have any issues with what I''m doing to them!? You have no problem with this at all!?¡±


    ¡°No¡± stated the face in a blunt, emotionless tone ¡°Not at all. I wouldn''t even care if you killed them¡±


    ¡°...Okay, well, this is an interesting sight!¡± teased Anton as he tilted his head to the side ¡°It''s not often that you get to see a Shoggoth become emotional enough to actually show some anger!¡±


    The shoggoth blushed a luminescent shade of blue as she looked away from him.


    ¡°Well they certainly deserve it!¡± she exclaimed around an unhappy grimace ¡°Those beastly creatures!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I''m sure they do!¡± declared Anton with a smile ¡°Putting their poor maid in a jar and then sticking her in the freezer! That''s definitely a ¡°Beastly¡± thing to do!¡±


    ¡°That is merely one of the many humiliations I''ve suffered at their hands!¡± cried the shoggoth as her entire form swelled in size ¡°They have never been kind to me! And I hate them in return!¡±


    ¡°Hm, really?¡± mumbled Anton as he creased his brow in question ¡°Why would you chose them as your Mistresses then?¡±


    ¡°They are not my Mistresses! They hold no true mastery over me!¡± snapped the shoggoth ¡°My true Master is a gentleman! He would never treat me in such a way as they do! Once he hears of my indignities I''m sure he will seek restitution in my name!¡±


    ¡°This is just a job then?¡± asked Anton as he raised an eyebrow in question.


    ¡°Yes, to bring capital to my Masters house I was contracted to serve them for a year¡± explained the shoggoth ¡°That time-frame is nearly at it''s end. And as its gotten closer those evil women have become especially cruel to me! Even threatening to keep me from going back to my beloved Master! I will never forgive them!¡±


    ¡°I see, well, I''m sorry to hear that¡± said Anton ¡°If you''d like, you''re more than welcome to join me and take out any more frustrations you might have with them¡±


    The shoggoth blinked all four of her eyes and looked away as she became thoughtful for a moment.


    ¡°No¡± she said as she turned back to Anton ¡°Though I do appreciate the offer. I''m afraid it''s just not in my nature to be cruel. I''ll take my joy from the knowledge that they will be punished though, and that will be enough for me¡±


    ¡°I understand¡± said Anton as he nodded ¡°So do you plan to leave now then? Or will you still stay until the end of your contract?¡±


    ¡°If you will allow it I would be forever thankful to leave immediately!¡± exclaimed the shoggoth as she rose up higher on her ¡°Stalk¡± and began to quiver in excitement.


    ¡°If I''ll allow it?¡± questioned Anton ¡°What do you mean if I''ll allow it!?¡±


    ¡°You are now the one in control of the Dark Elves and by extension their home as well¡± explained the shoggoth ¡°As far as I''m concerned, you are now the Master of this house¡±


    ¡°...I see, hm. Well, in that case I suppose I don''t have any problem with you leaving now...¡± said Anton as he folded his arms over his chest ¡°I would like as much time here as possible though... Do you think you could wait a week before you let your Master know about me and what''s happening here?¡±


    The shoggoth quickly shook her head.


    ¡°No, but there is no need to fret. My Master is an understanding man and I''m sure he will agree to give you the time you request before he takes any action on my part¡± she claimed in earnest ¡°Especially once I explain the details of my treatment here¡±


    ¡°...I guess that''ll work for me. Though again, I would appreciate as much time as possible¡± said Anton as he nodded thoughtfully ¡°And if you could also contact me whenever he does decide to make any moves, I''d appreciate that as well¡±


    ¡°Of course! That won''t be a problem at all!¡± exclaimed the shoggoth as she smiled broadly and revealed a set of human-like teeth that were colored a slightly luminescent blue ¡°All I need is a number I can reach you at! Oh, and sir? May I have your name as well, please?¡±


    ¡°Antonius¡± said Anton as he offered his hand to the shoggoth ¡°Antonius Faustus North¡±


    A small bulge formed on the side of the stalk that held the shoggoth''s face. It quickly grew in size until it fell apart and unraveled into a long tentacle with a purple colored human-like hand at the end.


    ¡°Salia!¡± exclaimed the shoggoth as she placed her new hand into Anton''s ¡°It is a pleasure Master North! I am deeply in your debt!¡±


    ¡°Think nothing of it¡± smiled Anton as he gently but firmly gripped the still cold to the touch shoggoth and gave her fingers a quick squeeze before letting her go ¡°Though before you leave I do have a little request¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± cried Salia as her eyes brightened in excitement ¡°Anything I can do to be of service to you would be a blessing for me!¡±


    Anton couldn''t help but to smile at her enthusiasm.


    ¡°Well, and I understand if this would be crossing a line for you, since you were technically in service to them¡± he reasoned as he looked upwards towards the second story ¡°But I''ve found a few laptop computers in the house and I''d like to know if you would be willing to give me the passwords for them? And again I understand if that''s not something you''re comfortable with¡±


    The shoggoth chuckled as she shook her head.


    ¡°I hold no loyalty to those fiendish Dark Elves and wish nothing but the worst for them!¡± she cried cheerily ¡°Unfortunately, I''m afraid I wouldn''t know of any of their passwords, though I would gladly give them to you if I did¡±


    ¡°Ah, well that''s unfortunate...¡± mumbled Anton as he looked in the general direction of the dungeon ¡°Guess I''ll just have to get them the hard way...¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily!¡± declared Salia as a glob of her mass began to bubble it''s way out of the top of the jar ¡°If you can bring me the laptops it should be relatively easy for me to be able to decipher the passwords for you!¡±


    ¡°Oh really!?¡± said Anton as he looked back at her ¡°That would be convenient!¡±


    ¡°It would be a pleasure!¡± exclaimed Salia as more of her body oozed its way out of the jar and came to rest on the table ¡°And if you''d like I can also prepare a meal for you while you wait!¡±


    ¡°That sounds nice actually! Thank you!¡± smiled Anton as he turned to leave the room ¡°I''ll be right back with the computers then!¡±


    Moving at a quick pace through the house, Anton made his way upstairs and quickly gathered both of the laptops. When he reentered the kitchen he found that Salia had not only left the jar completely but had apparently split herself into two. While one part of her still sat on the table and kept it''s stalk-like shape with its face at it''s top, the second, now much larger part of her, was at the stove and had reformed itself into a some-what humanoid shape.


    The shoggoth at the stove was feminine in her new appearance but had formed her limbs and torso to be so disproportionately inaccurate that she was only vaguely human-like, and even then only from her waist upwards. She now stood about six feet tall and was ¡°Dressed¡± in what looked like a traditional black and white colored French maid outfit that had not only been stylized to better fit her amorphous body, but actually seemed to be made out of, or formed from, said body as well. The ¡°Skin¡± of her body, at least the sections that were not currently acting as clothing, was smooth, hairless and had a semi-transparency to it that gave it a pliable, gelatin-like quality. The only portions of her that appeared to be fully solid were her face, neck and hands. These areas were all colored the same deep purple as before while the rest of her form shifted though a series of blacks, grays, blues, lilacs and whites that would all change in hue and density depending on her movements and whether or not any of the bright kitchen lights happened to be shining on her.


    Although the shoggoth now possessed a pair of arms and hands she also had a host of tendrils and full fledged tentacles that slipped out of holes and splits in her outfit as well as formed out of her flowing hair. All of these appendages worked independently of each other and allowed her to complete several tasks in unison. Her legs were all together non-existent, as from her hips downwards her body broke down into a stalk-like, quivering, gelatinous mass of ever-moving slime and tentacles. Though she technically had no legs, she was still able to move freely across the floor by simply sliding her entire mass along in an almost snail-like manner. As she moved about a never ending series of eyes, noses, ears and other unrecognizable organs, some of which would ¡°Beat¡± in a manner that was similar to a heart or would make faint buzzing or clicking sounds, would bubble in and out of existence across her body. And these all worked together to give her a full range of awareness irregardless of wherever her head may be pointed. Thin streaks of luminescence continued to blink and flicker across the shoggoth''s body as well, and these would glow the brightest with each of her movements, or whenever a new organ was about to take form on her body.


    Both parts of Salia shared identical looking faces. And this was made even more apparent as the one that was still sitting on the table was suddenly sporting a frilly maids headband that was identical to her counterpart at the stove.


    As Anton stopped in the kitchens archway and took in the sight of the shoggoth for a moment, he couldn''t help but to feel a slight twinge of hesitation. Though he knew that shoggoth were for the most part generally harmless and even subservient creatures, often finding joy and fulfillment by living in the service of others, and Salia in particular certainly did seem to be amicable towards him, he still couldn''t shake the mire-like sense of uneasiness that seemed to hang about in the air like a fog. This subliminal repulsion was easy enough to understand when the fact was taken into account that this abominable, and seemingly unnatural creature, was in all truthfulness, an actual alien being.


    ¡°...It''s always interesting to see a Shoggoth at work¡± mused Anton as he watched the Salia at the stove.


    The standing shoggoth turned her head a full three hundred and sixty degrees and gave him a warm smile as she dropped a dollop of butter on a skillet, heated up a saucepan, chopped several different vegetables at once, gathered a plate and bowl from a cabinet and spread butter on several large slices of bread, all in unison.


    ¡°You''re too kind Master North!¡± exclaimed the Salia sitting on the table.


    ¡°...Hm, ¡°Master¡± you know I''ve always liked the sound of that!¡± chuckled Anton as he set the laptops down on the table and opened them for her ¡°I don''t know about calling me ¡°Kind¡± though! I especially doubt that the Dark Elves would agree with you on that!¡±


    Both of the shoggoth parts narrowed all of their eyes at the mention of the dark elves.


    ¡°Yes, I would think they would likely disagree...¡± mumbled the Salia on the table ¡°Thankfully their opinions are no longer my concern!¡±


    Anton chuckled again as he watched the shoggoth create two thin tentacles out of her stalk-like body. Using the very tips of her new tentacles, she pressed the laptops power buttons and waited for the ¡°Enter Password¡± screens to appear.


    Salia then let a tentacle lay coiled on each of the laptops keyboards, and as Anton watched with growing interest, the ends of the two tentacles melted away into oozing puddles that soaked down into the keyboards and seemed to caress the keys.


    ¡°Such filthy girls!¡± muttered the shoggoth ¡°Neither of these keyboards have ever been cleaned! Today though this will be to our advantage!¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± asked Anton as he leaned in for a closer look.


    ¡°By measuring the accumulated grime and filth I can determine which keys are used more often than others¡± explained Salia as her puddles began to quiver over the keyboards ¡°Once I have the corrects keys I''ll go through and try to guess at their passwords through trial and error¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see, that''s pretty clever¡± nodded Anton ¡°How difficult do you think the passwords will be to figure out?¡±


    ¡°I don''t expect them to be very difficult at all...¡± mumbled Salia in a disregarding tone ¡°Knowing those two as well as I do, I can''t imagine them using anything too clever or complicated...¡±


    Anton looked at the shoggoth and cocked an eyebrow as he took a seat at the table.


    ¡°So you know them pretty well?¡± he asked as he folded his arms on the table in front of himself.


    Salia turned and gave him a wary look.


    ¡°I have lived with them for nearly a year¡± she explained as she turned her focus back to the laptops ¡°I would never go so far as to call it a friendly experience but one does pick up on a few things in that amount of time... Why do you ask?¡±


    Anton ran the tip of his tongue over his teeth as he thought out his next statement.


    ¡°This house is, interesting... Nearly empty! But still interesting...¡± he mused ¡°I think they might be interesting as well¡±


    The shoggoth let out a frustrated sigh as she hung both of her heads.


    ¡°They are both spoiled, lazy, terrible people and I lost all sympathy for them a long time ago!¡± she exclaimed without looking back at him.


    ¡°...I can understand that¡± nodded Anton as his face became thoughtful looking.


    ¡°...What would you like to know?¡± asked the shoggoth as she let out another sigh.


    ¡°Do they really live here alone?¡± questioned Anton.


    ¡°Yes¡± answered Salia ¡°And they have the entire time I have been here¡±


    ¡°This is a pretty big house for only two people and a maid¡± mused Anton ¡°There''s nearly a dozen rooms with hardly anything in them. And do neither of them use the master bedroom? Because it''s completely empty in there?¡±


    ¡°They have left it that way with the hope that their Mother will wish to use it again one day¡± explained Salia.


    ¡°I see...¡± mumbled Anton as he nodded again ¡°So are they close with their Mother then?¡±


    ¡°No¡± declared Salia bluntly ¡°They are not¡±


    Anton tilted his head and smirked at the shoggoth.


    Salia sighed again.


    ¡°I apologize for being blunt! But I do not wish for you to have any misplaced sympathies for them. They do not deserve any kindness!¡± she exclaimed as her puddles on the keyboards began to quiver furiously.


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.Anton glanced at the laptop screens as hidden passwords were quickly entered into the waiting boxes. As each one failed it was replaced almost instantaneously as Salia typed them in using her own mass.


    ¡°They will make efforts to contact their Mother fairly often. Aside from an occasional returning phone call she does not reciprocate¡± explained Salia as a pair of her strange eyes became focused on each of the two screens in front of her ¡°She is technically the one who hired me but I have never met her personally. Nor have I ever been aware of any time that she has even seen her daughters while I have been here¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± questioned Anton as he shifted his gaze from the shoggoth to the screens and back ¡°Not even at any of the holidays?¡±


    ¡°No¡± declared Salia as she shook both of her heads ¡°She does not seem to regard her daughters as being worthy of any priority¡±


    ¡°Do you have any idea why she wouldn''t want to see them?¡± asked Anton as he looked from one shoggoth to the other.


    ¡°...No, I don''t know of any specific reason¡± answered Salia ¡°Whenever they have asked to spend time with her she has always claimed that she is busy with her work¡±


    Anton nodded as his face became thoughtful.


    ¡°...How old are they?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I''m not sure of their exact age?¡± replied Salia as her brow creased in thought ¡°They are in their early twenties at the very least, but beyond that I can''t be sure. They seem much younger than they really are¡±


    ¡°I got that same impression¡± nodded Anton ¡°Their bedrooms are... sparse, its hard to even discern any individuality between them¡±


    Salia stopped typing and turned to look at him.


    ¡°...What? Don''t look at me like that!¡± exclaimed Anton with a smile ¡°It''s not like I''m in there rolling around in their panties! I''m just trying to find out more about the people that kidnapped me, that''s all!¡±


    Still smiling, Anton stared back at the shoggoth as she seemed to assess him. After a moment she turned back to the computers and continued typing.


    ¡°From what I understand, they''ve spent the majority of their lives living in boarding school settings¡± she said without looking at him ¡°They have continued to live that same lifestyle here. They request the same menu items every week. They keep their bedrooms sparsely decorated, as you''ve apparently noticed. They rarely ever leave the house. And they spend nearly every waking hour together. At this point, I''m not sure that they even know how to live any other way¡±


    ¡°Wait? They never leave?¡± asked Anton as he creased his eyebrows ¡°Ever?¡±


    ¡°It is very rare, and only for short periods¡± explained Salia ¡°They often come back in very somber moods that can last for days¡±


    ¡°...So, they don''t have careers then?¡± questioned Anton.


    ¡°No, their mother pays for their living expenses. She is quite successful and wealthy¡± explained Salia.


    ¡°Hm... What about their little hunting trips? I''m guessing those are pretty rare as well?¡± asked Anton as he glanced in the general direction of the dungeon ¡°It really doesn''t seem like that dungeon down there has seen very much use... Although I guess it could be the case that you''re just amazing at cleaning it¡±


    ¡°I would be!¡± boasted Salia ¡°But so far that has not been necessary. You are their first attempt at acquiring a victim. And I think its safe to say that this has been a complete failure for them!¡±


    ¡°Really!?¡± exclaimed Anton as he cocked his eyebrow at the shoggoth ¡°I could tell they weren''t very experienced but I''m surprised to hear that I''m their very first!¡±


    A sudden frantic scratching sound filled the kitchen and the Salia at the stove raised a long tentacle from the stalk that her body rested on and reached across the kitchen to the door that led to the backyard. A tiny happy looking Pomeranian zipped into the house and raced across the room to Anton. The little dog wore a pink collar with the name Molly etched onto a brass tag. She jumped up and down at Anton''s chair and yipped for his attention. Grinning, he reached down and rubbed her ears as well as the side of her face and little dog grunted happily at his touch.


    ¡°Molly!¡± called the Salia at the stove as her long tentacle glided across the room while carrying a bowl of food.


    Molly instantly turned her head as her name was called. She took off at a run and chased the floating food bowl while barking in excitement. Salia set the food down on a pink plastic mat that was shaped like a dog bone and Molly began to devour it immediately.


    Anton was grinning as he turned back to the smaller Salia on the table.


    ¡°Do you think that might be why they put you in the freezer?¡± he asked ¡°So that you wouldn''t know that anything was happening?¡±


    ¡°I had the same theory and I wouldn''t doubt that it was the truth¡± mumbled the shoggoth ¡°It would certainly be within their scope of planning¡±


    ¡°Have they ever put you in the freezer before?¡± asked Anton.


    Salia narrowed all of her eyes and nodded both of her heads.


    ¡°Oh yes, I have been frozen many times...¡± she mumbled through her clenched teeth.


    ¡°But you don''t think they would have done something during any of those times?¡± asked Anton.


    The shoggoth shook both of her heads again.


    ¡°It''s very unlikely as they have never left me frozen for very long. And even if I wasn''t ordered to clean up the mess, there is no way that I could believe they would be able to clean it well enough that I wouldn''t be able to detect something¡± she explained ¡°And besides that, this was the first time that I was frozen since I completed the dungeon for them¡±


    ¡°So then that dungeon is new?¡± questioned Anton ¡°And you''re the one that put it together!?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they designed it, ordered all the pieces for it and had me build it for them. The whole thing was completed only a few weeks ago¡± explained Salia as she smiled broadly ¡°And I find it very poetic that they would be the first victims to fully experience it!¡±


    Anton couldn''t help but to chuckle at her glee.


    ¡°...There''s actually something else that I''ve noticed and want to ask you about. At first I thought that maybe it was some kind of trick, or a game they were trying to play. And, I guess that could still be the case though at this point I can''t imagine that it is... These two are Dark Elves, adult Dark Elves, but not only do they not use magic in any way, they don''t even seem to be familiar with it!?¡± he stated as he raised his eyebrows at the shoggoth ¡°At all!?¡±


    ¡°No they don''t!¡± exclaimed Salia as she turned to him with a perplexed look on her own face ¡°It''s very odd but aside from fleeting glimpses of minute usage, I''ve never seen either of them utilize any form of magic! And even the small amounts of power that I have seen have been completely unrefined and seem to be done on a subliminal level! I don''t think they actually know how to manifest their own magic! And honestly I''ve begun to think it''s possible that they may not even realize that they can!¡±


    ¡°Hm...¡± mused Anton as he thoughtfully cradled his chin in his hand ¡°They have shown that they can use it though, right? You don''t think there''s anything actually wrong with them, do you?¡±


    ¡°No, from what I''ve seen I would say they certainly can use magic¡± reassured the shoggoth ¡°They just simply don''t?¡±


    ¡°Hm...¡± pondered Anton ¡°Interesting...¡±


    ¡°Master North, your meal is ready!¡± exclaimed the fully formed Salia as she glided up to Anton''s seat with a dinner tray in her hands.


    ¡°Oh wonderful! Thank you so much!¡± cried Anton she set the tray down in front of him.


    The meal laid out across the tray consisted of a large toasted sandwich with fried tomatoes, onions and melted cheese over sliced beef. And a bowl of vegetable soup with a bullion broth.


    ¡°This looks delicious!¡± praised Anton as he turned to look up at the standing Salia ¡°Thank you again!¡±


    ¡°You''re very welcome!¡± she exclaimed as she folded her hands in front of herself and gave him a closed eyed smile.


    Tension suddenly seemed to fill the air as Anton stared at the waiting shoggoth. Slowly she opened her strange eyes and looked down at him. Her smile never faltered as dozens and dozens of new eyes began to open all over her body and then slowly turn to stare directly at him.


    Molly let out a low growl from across the room.


    ¡°...Hm, alright then. Come on now, let''s get this over with!¡± sighed Anton as he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest ¡°I don''t have all day!¡±


    Without a word the shoggoth exploded into a wave of withering tentacles that instantly engulfed Anton in darkness.


    Blackness. Formless. Empty and suffocating. This was the Void.


    Considered to be the cushion on which all of Reality sits. The Void is the expanse of nothingness that separates Terra from both Heaven and Hell, or the celestial and chaotic planes, as well as the artificial realms. And beyond all that, the Life Stream where the souls of the living ebb and flow through birth and death.


    It is from the Life Stream that the beings populating the Void are believed to have originated. Souls that have somehow slipped out of the stream itself would have found their way into the Void and become it''s myriad of twisted denizens known collectively as voidlings.


    Whether this was true or not Salia couldn''t say, nor did she care, she like all the other voidlings was essentially unconcerned with her own origin. The voidlings existed, and they were each capable of producing more of their own kind and thus promoting their own species. This was all that mattered.


    Whether they were an intentional creation of the Gods or a mistake generated out of a flaw in Reality would not change anything for them either way, and as such this question was considered irrelevant to the voidlings as a whole.


    Salia''s consciousness flexed outward as it expanded in the empty, openness of the Void. The tight constraints of existing on Terra were such a bother that she couldn''t help but reel in elation at the freedom of non-existence. To swim through a mar of chaos, to be one with both bliss and oblivion. To visit ones own true home.


    And such joy to have found a morsel worth bringing with her.


    To say why she acted how and when she did would be beyond even her own understanding. A call from so deep within her that she could not separate its voice from her own had made itself known in an instant.


    Take it. Feel it. Own it. Must have it all.


    What triggers were strong enough to cause her to break her own subservient nature? To pluck away this mind and steal it away to the Void? She could not say. She did not care. Here she would hold it. Know it. Feel every corner of this being. Mold it and strip it down until all that was worth having would be hers. And everything that wasn''t worth having, could simply be discarded.


    Guilt and pity were but meaningless ideas now. What is one mortal mind stolen from a world of billions. Nothing lost. So much to gain.


    Now, to find it. So quickly will a mortal mind break in the freedom of the Void.


    Ah. There. Good. Still whole.


    Floating among the nothingness was a single tiny sphere of consciousness.


    Life and thought. Memories and hopes. Dreams and fears. All free for her to know and taste. To touch and to take. One tiny mind. A single point of light. All alone in the darkness.


    Salia spread wide in the great expanse and wrapped herself around the tiny ball of light.


    Hunger and pleasure. Knowledge and power. All that this mind had to offer would now belong to her, forever.


    Wait.


    What. Laughing. No. How. Stop. Stop. Its wrong. It hurts.


    This mind. Not afraid. Opportunity.


    Salia couldn''t move as the presence she thought was trapped within her began to swell in size.


    No. It burns. Stop. Stop this now.


    ¡°No¡±


    It spoke. How. Its wrong. No. Control. I will have it.


    ¡°No¡±


    Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain.


    Salia''s formless conscious reeled in agony as the tiny ball of light erupted and grew into a blazing sun.


    It burns. It burns. Stop.


    Salia withered in her agony as the light began to slice her darkness into ribbons.


    No. Please. Do not burn me away. Please.


    Wrapping her torn being in on itself, the shoggoth cringed away from the massive sun that now blazed in front of her. The weight of its gravity condensed around her being, crushing her until she was nothing more but a tiny drop of shadow.


    Please. No more. Surrender. Forgive me.


    She quivered in horror as the sun dimmed and reformed itself, becoming a giant, burning eye that loomed above her as it focused on and then stared down at her tiny being.


    Please. Wait.


    ¡°No¡±


    The great eye blinked and exploded into a massive inferno of blazing heat, light and color.


    Reeling in agony, Salia desperately tried to hold herself together and preserve as much of her existence as possible. As she was burned and engulfed by the exploding eye she could feel small pieces of her splintered mind and body being ripped away and then pulled into the heat around her. These pieces of her would then be absorbed into the heat itself, or burnt away into nothing.


    Before losing herself completely she heard the voice speak once more.


    ¡°Horizon... Break...¡±


    Salia collapsed into two puddles as the world snapped back into place around her. For a few moments she could feel nothing. Slowly her heavy dread eased away and she opened a single tiny eye.


    Anton was looking down at her from his seat. He wore a closed mouth smile as he chewed away at a mouthful of sandwich. He closed his eyes and made sounds of satisfaction as he swallowed.


    ¡°Now this is an amazing sandwich!¡± he exclaimed ¡°You''ve really done a great job with this!¡±


    Salia stared at him as confusion marred her mind.


    ¡°Aw! Are you feeling small and broken?¡± asked Anton ¡°Well take your time and put yourself back together whenever you''re ready. No rush¡±


    Salia blinked her single eye and reached out her awareness to check her condition. Her body that lay puddled against the kitchen floor didn''t feel damaged in anyway but she was still too afraid to move. The smaller part of her on the table felt cold but was no less alive than the rest of her. She opened a few more tiny eyes and slowly began to shift her form until her head and neck took shape again.


    ¡°Feeling better?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°What, happened?¡± questioned Salia as she blinked her four full sized eyes back into existence.


    ¡°You assaulted me and sucked my mind into the Void where you tried to absorb my consciousness¡± explained Anton as he nonchalantly dipped a corner of his sandwich into his soup ¡°It didn''t work out for you though¡±


    ¡°...I, I''m so sorry!¡± cried Salia as all of her eyes went wide ¡°I don''t know what came over me!¡±


    ¡°It happens¡± said Anton with a shrug ¡°You weren''t the first Voidling to try that and I''m sure you won''t be the last¡±


    ¡°...You''ve been to the Void before!?¡± exclaimed Salia.


    ¡°Many times¡± said Anton as he nodded absently ¡°First time was the worst, very annoying!¡±


    ¡°...Who, what are you?¡± asked Salia as she gathered herself together and began to lift herself partially up off the floor.


    ¡°Me?¡± said Anton as he shrugged with indifference ¡°I''m just a man. A man who''s enjoying a nice sandwich and having a conversation with a lifeform that probably shouldn''t even exist¡±


    Salia opened more and more new eyes as she stared at Anton.


    ¡°This is really hitting the spot!¡± exclaimed Anton with a smile ¡°Again, thank you!¡±


    ¡°...Of course! It was my pleasure!¡± cried Salia as she rose up completely and retook her humanoid form ¡°I should really see to tidying up the mess though!¡±


    Anton nodded as Salia bowed and turned to head back to the stove area.


    ¡°Oh, Salia!¡± called Anton as he began to tear the last half of the sandwich into smaller bite sized pieces ¡°Before I forget...¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± said Salia as she turned back to face him. Her entire being was little more than eyes now.


    ¡°You wouldn''t happen to be brave enough to try that again?¡± asked Anton as he gave her a playfully questioning look ¡°Would you!?¡±


    ¡°...No! I would never!¡± cried Salia as all her eyes became focused on him.


    ¡°That''s good to hear! Very good to hear... Because I would honestly just hate for you to have to spend the rest of your existence, crushed down and turned into a tiny living fuel-cell that was sealed inside a jar and then used as a sentient Mana battery. In fact, I think that if something as terrifying and as painful as that were to somehow happen to you, it really would be just so very, very horrible!¡± said Anton as he dipped a piece of the sandwich into his soup ¡°...Don''t you agree?¡±


    The shoggoth went completely still for several moments as she silently stared back at Anton and digested all that he had just said.


    ¡°...Yes!¡± she chirped as all her eyes widened at once ¡°That would be, very, horrible!¡±


    ¡°Good! I''m so glad that we agree!¡± said Anton as he popped the bite of sandwich into his mouth.


    All of Salia''s eyes disappeared from her body which left her to look as human-like as possible. She bowed again and gave Anton a warm smile before turning and quickly making her way back to the stove.


    ¡°So, how are we doing with those passwords?¡± asked Anton.


    The smaller Salia on the table quickly reformed herself and continued to furiously type away at the laptops.


    ¡°I apologize for the delay! I''m afraid I have made no progress as of yet Master North! I''ll be sure to redouble my efforts!¡± cried Salia ¡°...I-in the meantime, was there perhaps anything else you would like to know about the Dark Elves!?¡±


    ¡°Well, some general info I suppose¡± mused Anton as he looked up at the ceiling ¡°I know their names are Kianna and Fiona but beyond that I don''t know anything about them. Not even their last name¡±


    ¡°Vale!¡± cried Salia ¡°Their surname is Vale! And their Mothers name is Olivia Vale! I''m afraid I don''t have any information on  their Father! They have never said anything about him, at least not while I have been here!¡±


    ¡°Hm, interesting...¡± mused Anton ¡°You said their Mother was well off. Do you know what she does?¡±


    ¡°She is the owner and CEO of an investment company known as the ¡°Vale Investment Firm''¡± explained Salia ¡°From what I understand she has been very successful with her endeavors!¡±


    ¡°''Vale Investment Firm''¡± repeated Anton ¡°Interesting...¡±


    ¡°Oh, Master North! I have the passwords!¡± exclaimed Salia as both laptops suddenly booted to their desktops.


    ¡°Really? Excellent!¡± smiled Anton ¡°You got them both at the same time!?¡±


    ¡°They were identical...¡± said Salia ¡°I do believe this was probably a coincidence, and not intentional on their part though¡±


    ¡°What was the password?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°''Olivia''¡± answered Salia ¡°Their Mothers name¡±


    ¡°I see...¡± nodded Anton ¡°Well, excellent job! I really appreciate all your help!¡±


    ¡°It was a pleasure!¡± exclaimed Salia as she bowed her head ¡°Is there anything else I can do to be of service to you!? Anything at all!?¡±


    ¡°I don''t believe so...¡± mused Anton ¡°At least not anything that I can think of off the top of my head...¡±


    The full sized Salia glided up to the table and the smaller one zipped to the edge where she was immediately reabsorbed into the larger mass.


    ¡°Then if it''s all right with you I''d love to take my leave now!¡± cried the now single shoggoth.


    ¡°Sure, of course!¡± said Anton as he rose from his chair ¡°I''ll see you out¡±


    Moving at a quick pace as her lower half slid effortlessly across the floor, Salia led the way through the house and to the front door. Once outside she turned her torso around at the waist and bowed to Anton.


    ¡°It was a pleasure to serve you Master North!¡± she claimed as she rose out of her bow ¡°I do hope that you truly enjoyed your meal!¡±


    ¡°I did! And thank you for all your help today Maphoxud''desulux''cral''salia''favahsas¡± said Anton with a nod ¡°It was a pleasure to meet you as well!¡±


    All four of the shoggoth''s eyes widened as her face paled.


    ¡°O-of course!¡± she cried as she quickly bowed again ¡°The pleasure was all mine!¡±


    ¡°By the way...¡± said Anton as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper ¡°I found a notebook up in one of the Dark Elves rooms and borrowed a page from it to write down my number for you... You do still plan to call me, I assume?¡±


    ¡°Oh, of course! Yes! I will certainly need that!¡± cried Salia as she tentatively reached out with a very thin tendril and took the offered piece of paper ¡°Once I''ve spoken with my Master I shall contact you immediately, and inform you of when and how he shall make his proceedings!¡±


    ¡°I would very much appreciate that!¡± smiled Anton as he watched the tendril, and the paper it carried, disappear as it was sucked into and then reabsorbed into the shoggoth''s gelatinous body ¡°I hope to hear from you soon then!¡±


    ¡°Yes! ...Though it may take me some time to reach my Master! Possibly even a week!¡± explained Salia as she slowly backed away ¡°I will, without question, contact you when I do though!¡±


    ¡°That''s good to hear!¡± smiled Anton as he gave her a wave goodbye ¡°Safe travels then!¡±


    ¡°Yes, farewell!¡± exclaimed Salia as she turned around and glided down the walkway towards the drive. Once she reached the end of the walkway, Salia quickly melted herself down into a puddle and took off across the ground at an incredible speed.


    After watching her quickly disappear, Anton chuckled to himself and closed the door as he made his way back towards the dungeon to give the dark elves another quick check in.

 Chapter 4 : Late Evening

    Chapter 4 : Late Evening


    Anton entered the dungeon and moved to stand directly in front of his prisoners. Neither one of the dark elves would raise their heads to actually look at him but by the increased tempo of their breathing, it was very clear that they were aware that he was there.


    He had also noticed that their long ears had gone from a drooping stance to alert, and it was quite obvious that they were both now listening intently to every move he made.


    Anton turned away from them and glanced around the room as he took note of each piece of furniture. He had already known which pieces he wanted but still went over what was available. He took one of the high-backed chairs and set it about ten feet or so in front of and in between the two dark elves. On either side of this chair he set up a slim, bedside table. Each of these two tables was placed directly in front of it''s own dark elf.


    Satisfied with the simple set up, Anton left the room and quickly returned with a pitcher of water that had been imbued with a bottle of blue healing potion, and two tall glasses. He set these down on one of the tables and turned back to the dark elves.


    Both of the dark elves had still refused to look at him or what he was doing. And at this point he was beginning to think it was possible that they were attempting to feign unconsciousness. Though if they were this effort was completely wasted as their ears betrayed them by slightly twitching back and forth as they followed his every move.


    With a quiet sigh, Anton took his seat in front of them and waited.


    Having had spent enough time among dark elves to have a fair understanding of their basic traits and mannerisms, Anton was familiar enough with them to know just how haughty yet dignified, proud yet courteous and avaricious yet elegant they all seemed to naturally be.


    For the majority of people the way of thinking and worldviews of the dark elves were found to be very off putting, if not down right frightening, as they generally followed behavior patterns that were eerily similar to the sadistic, and conquest-hungry demons. Unlike the demons however, the dark elves had absolutely no interest in ruling over the world or it''s people as a whole, but instead only sought control at an individual by individual basis.


    Their reputation as natural slavers was not a baseless stereotype, as the drive to dominate and control other living beings was a core element in their design as a race. For many of them living in the modern world, this need could be met by purchasing legal slaves, dominating willing, naturally submissive people and by keeping pet animals.


    Some among them however would forgo what they considered to be societal chains and would magically enslave any and all that they choose. These actions were of course illegal on Terra and the offending dark elves would face prosecution for their crimes. This however did little to alleviate the stigma and fear from the general public. And these fears were again, not entirely baseless. Since for a dark elf, controlling the life of another sapient being was as natural an act as breathing, and in their views, there was little to no real difference between the rights of another person and those of a parakeet. For in the mind of a dark elf, both examples could make for an excellent pet.


    One aspect of their reputation that Anton had found to be astonishingly false was that they were allegedly violent and abusive to those that they controlled. This was generally not the case. Although sadistic to the point that they delighted in causing pain, humiliation and fear, they were surprisingly playful in their cruelty and even while preforming acts of actual discipline they never sought to cause any permanent injury or damage. On the contrary, they were actually quite devoted to the upkeep, physical health and appearance of their chosen charges. This aspect of their behavior was more than likely due to their egotistical nature and innate desire to showcase their favored possessions to both each other and to the world at large. These desires would then manifest in an almost instinctual form of legitimate compassion. Regardless of where this behavior derived from though, it was still a universal trait nonetheless and was illustrated in a common saying among them that ¡°Only a fool breaks their own toys and kills their own pets¡± and a ¡°pet¡± or a ¡°toy¡± is exactly what a person was likely to become if they ever found themselves in the hands of a dark elf.


    Finding oneself in such a position was not necessarily an easy task however, and the vast majority of people in such a predicament did in all actuality truly deserve to be there.


    Though the modern era was in essence a time of peace, violence, wanton destruction and illicit actions between and perpetrated by individuals, groups and even entire populations or species was and always would be an inevitable aspect of life.


    And with such a vast array of sapient species inhabiting the planet as well as the outer realms, the artificial realms and the Void, there was realistically little to no way to safely accommodate such a multitude of different beings in any one form of prison facility for any extended length of time. At least not without said facility breaking down into what was essentially a slaughterhouse. Where larger, stronger, or those beings born with forms of natural weaponry, would inevitably injure, kill and even consume those that were tasked with guarding them, each other, and any fellow inmates that were smaller or weaker than themselves. As such, nearly all of the prison facilities that currently existed were designed to be little more than holding areas, whose only goal was to contain their given charges by whatever means were necessary.


    These facilities would often be forced to resort to extreme measures in their efforts to accomplish this goal. And having to readily sacrifice the comfort, safety and mental well being of their inmates was considered an unfortunate but inevitable reality. Cruelty, through isolation, physical immobility, constant chemical sedation, manabinding and the removal of natural weapons through surgery, were all deemed regrettable but necessary practices. These and other factors often meant that most inmates would experience a sharp decline in both their physical and mental well being fairly quickly and very few would be capable of maintaining even a fair degree of health for any length of time beyond even a few months, let alone a year.


    Creating a facility capable of complete segregation, and thus long term containment, was certainly possible but was in no way practical. As building, staffing and maintaining such large and complex facilities on the mass that they would be needed, was simply not cost effective for the majority of the world. Nor was it considered practical, or even possible, for most municipalities and governments to continuously cover the cost of feeding and maintaining the health and well being of such large and diverse groups. Especially when it was taken into account that some species facing life sentences would have lifespans that could number not only in decades, but in centuries or even millennia.


    Another aspect that made such facilities impractical was that there was a wide host of beings that for one reason or another simply could not be contained within them. Species such as devils, sphinxes, phoenix, inari, demons, many of the draconians and so on and so forth, were simply too naturally powerful to even attempt to contain them safely in such environments. Or at least not without said beings having been first heavily modified to the point of mutilation. Other beings such as many of the voidlings, living spirits and undead, were intangible in their nature, and so too could not be easily contained by such facilities, if they could even be contained at all.


    Other, far more practical, alternatives to imprisonment did exist and these included, but were not limited to, monetary debt, banishment to outer realms, execution, rehabilitation programs, and of course, enslavement.


    Though the practice would always have it''s proponents, slavery, through binding curses, charms or enchantments, was considered a very necessary element of both modern society and civilization as a whole. As it had proven time and again to be a viable method to safely remove individuals that refused to or were, for one reason or another, deemed unfit or unable to remain a part of functional society and place them in controlled environments where they would have a much higher likelihood of maintaining a better quality of life than they would otherwise find in a pure prison setting.


    Such a punishment which entailed the stripping of nearly all given rights, was rarely handed down for a first offense, with the exception of murder or the attempt there of, but was often utilized as a means to remove overly violent aggressors or repeat offenders who had shown an inability to uphold a moral standard that fell inline with the rest of civilization and would thus be facing an extended period of incarceration. This fate was no secret to the general population, and was openly touted as a deterrent to potential criminals.


    Although the various states, countries, kingdoms and realms that made up all of Existence each had their own sets of laws and were free to hand down judgments on their offenders in whatever manner that they saw fit. An atmosphere of zero tolerance for unjustified violence and the majority of criminal activities was nearly universal. As was the practice of making examples of the guilty as this in of itself worked to discourage many would be aggressors. Though this mindset may at first appearance seem to be lacking in compassion it was without question considered absolutely necessary, as the world was populated with countless individuals who possessed the natural strength, abilities and power that made them all quite capable of taking lives or generating extreme levels of destruction at any given moment. For such individuals the incentive to behave morally and make the correct choices in their lives would often come down to the singular realization that if they didn''t maintain control of themselves, then someone else would happily do so for them.


    Though stripped of their freedom and the majority of their rights, a global standard for those placed into slavery on Terra did exist. And a series of regulations were in place to alleviate the potential cruelty, abuse, neglect and exploitation of those enslaved.


    All individuals who found themselves as slaves, regardless of where in the world they were made as such, would be entered into a global registry that would assign them a unique identification number and would maintain a record of their lives for the duration of their enslavement. Slaves recorded as such by this registry would be viewed as ¡°Living Commodities¡± and could then be sold and traded freely across a global market where they could be purchased by individuals only, as non-individual entities such as municipalities, corporations, enterprises, laboratories, religious institutions or any other form of organization whether for profit or not, could not legally own slaves as this would be considered a form of exploitation.


    Once a purchase was made a slave owner would then be in complete control of and wholly responsible, both financially and morally, for their given slave and would then be required to both provide proof of heath checks and pay all registration fees on an annual basis. They would also be free to bind their slave in any way that they saw fit. Though the majority would generally utilize one of the aforementioned curses, charms or enchantments.


    Slaves bound in such a fashion would then become linked to their owners via their souls, in a pliable non-permanent way. And depending on the will of their owners, could have their minds ¡°Locked Back¡± to varying degrees, where on one end of the spectrum they would have complete freewill and essentially be at a non-bound state, while on the other side of the extreme they could be reduced to a doll-like, nearly autonomous state where they would be incapable of any freewill at all. Regardless of where on this spectrum an enslaved individual fell they would still remain purely biological and would continue to require sustenance, shelter and upkeep. Slaves, as living biological beings, would still be subjected to the effects of fatigue, sickness, hunger, injury, environmental conditions, mental stress, hygiene and other natural urges and instincts. All negative aspects that they did not share with purely artificial beings.


    Constructs such as golems, automatons and homunculi which could all be crafted to varying specifications, subsisted purely on mana and could be created in whatever numbers were needed, made the concept of using slaves as a labor force completely impractical and in no way cost effective. As such the vast majority of slaves were not and had never been, even historically, kept for such purposes, and if given jobs at all would more often than not be regulated to simple domestic roles such as servants, housekeepers, cooks and groundskeepers.


    Slaves were of course also commonly kept and used for personal entertainment and pleasure as well. But this was not as all-inclusive as one would think and slaves were just as likely to be seen as bodyguards, personal assistants, live-in caretakers for the elderly, babysitters or even utilized as living elements in home defense. Added to this list were the many slaves that were kept simply for the novelty of keeping them, with such slaves existing as little more than companions for their owners.


    Although the vast majority of slaves found themselves as such through their own illicit actions, it was entirely possible for any person to voluntarily enter into slavery if they so choose to. This was far from typical but was still common enough that it was not necessarily considered a taboo and many people would choose to do this to escape their various hardships, or to simply live as such under the care of another being. Those who entered into slavery willingly could simply become a slave outright or they could instead choose to sell themselves through a proxy agency that would allow them to choose their own owners via a veto system.


    Surprisingly, there was actually a wide range of species that were naturally predisposed to such conditions and would often willingly enter into such a lifestyle. Beings such as brownies, the various species of cubi, nekomata, monuca, silkies, kikimora, gargoyles, nightgaunts and many more. Were all inclined to enlist the aid of such agencies in order to find a compatible and willing owner. These beings would then live their lives as little more than sapient pets that were completely reliant upon, and often infatuated with, their chosen owners.


    This, as was said before, was of course in no way typical. As the vast majority of slaves were by and large of the criminal persuasion and as such were generally overtly aggressive and potentially violent beings that were often ill-disposed to even the idea of being under the control of another individual. This fairly common tendency made it necessary to treat most slaves with a certain amount of hesitation. And those that did not wish to lock away their slaves freewill and personality would often be forced to ¡°Tame Down¡± their slaves through various methods.


    One of these methods would be to subject their slaves to what was known as ¡°Behavior Modification Training¡± and there were many owners who would enlist the aid of an experienced individual who could then administer this training and ¡°Tame Down¡± their slaves for them.


    And no single race had a better reputation for both taming and training other sapient beings than the natural slavers themselves, the dark elves. Two of whom were currently experiencing such a process first hand, though not quite from the perspectives that their kind were traditionally accustomed to.


    It had now been just over two days ago that Anton had first locked the dark elves into their bondage. Two days at least without any food, water or interaction of any kind, save for the few instances in which the dark elves had each inevitably messed themselves and it had became necessary for them to cleaned. This had of course been a humiliating situation for them and Anton couldn''t help but to be amused by both their refusal to look at him as well their failed attempts to remain stoic and aloof throughout these experiences.


    These instances aside though, the dark elves had been left completely alone and with nothing to sustain themselves beyond their own thoughts and will. And regardless of how strong willed these dark elves may be, their bodies would eventually begin to give out and betray them. All that was needed now was time and patience, two things that for the moment at least, Anton had in spades.


    For the next several hours the dark elves proved out on their reputation of being stubborn, prideful creatures. But try as they might the subtle signs of cracking were there.


    With the relentless and randomized stimulation from the sybians keeping all but the most fleeting slips of sleep at bay, their exhaustion was obvious. Both of the dark elves were currently slumped forward and were literally hanging from the chains attached to their shoulder harnesses. When they had first woken back up and found themselves locked into their bondage, they had fought fiercely against their bounds. Pulling against their chains, bucking atop the sybians, and screaming through their gags for hours and hours before finally breaking down to their fatigue. Their battle ultimately proving useless against the unyielding leather and metal that held them in place. Even now it was all too possible to believe that they left their heads to hang low out of fatigue rather than pride. Or at least it would be if it were not for the alertness of their ears, and the unmistakable essence of raw, unfiltered, boiling hatred that seemed to be emanating out from every single pore of their entire beings.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.But again the cracks were there, and as Anton studied his prisoners and noted every subtle wobble, every slight droop of an ear and listened to every labored breath, the cracks became more and more obvious.


    It was the dark elf on his left who broke first.


    Her breathing slowed, her aura waned, and then she gave. Her body slumped completely and her ears hung limp from the sides of her head. From one instant to the next she was done, she had given in. The other dark elf shifted an ear towards her sister but otherwise didn''t move. Anton grinned as he watched the defeated dark elf all but wallow in her surrender.


    Taking the cue, Anton picked up the pitcher of water and slowly filled one of the tall glasses. He then set it down on the table in front of the beaten dark elf with a ominously loud tap.


    The sound of pouring water was enough to cause both of the dark elves to stir but only the defeated one gave in and slowly raised her head.


    Her large ruby colored eyes immediately locked onto the glass sitting in front of her. So close and yet still impossible for her to reach.


    This was the first time that Anton had seen her eyes in over two days and the contrast was remarkable. Two days ago these same eyes were glowing with fearsome confidence as she first toyed with and then threatened him. Now they were sunken in, bloodshot with fatigue and filled with a fearful desperation.


    The dark elf shifted her gaze and locked eyes with him for a moment before suddenly losing her focus. She blinked and shook her head as she came back to her senses. Now slightly panicked her eyes darted from him to the glass of water and back.


    Anton''s eyes never left hers as he reached over to the glass and, with his fingertip on the rim, slowly began to tip the glass over until a tiny splash of water hit the table.


    The dark elf''s eyes widened as she watched in horror and Anton became stoic as her eyes turned to him and became pleading, he never stopped his movement until finally her desperation at its limit she clamped her eyes shut and let out a tiny almost inaudible whimper.


    Anton grinned at her and the dark elf, her eyes open again and never leaving his, lowered her head and gave him another slightly louder but no less pitiful little whine.


    A thin grin still on his face, Anton set the glass back upright and stood up from his seat.


    The dark elf''s face took on a look of apprehension as he approached her but raw fear immediately filled her eyes as he knelt down in front of her and casually picked up the controller for her sybian.


    ¡°Well this is quite the awkward situation now isn''t it?¡± said Anton as he flipped the controller right side up in his hands ¡°I''d imagine that this is not exactly how you expected things to go whenever you decided to bring me here...¡±


    The panicked dark elf remained motionless as she stared unblinkingly at the controller in his hands.


    ¡°...I''d like to have a little talk with you¡± said Anton as he stared at the dark elf and absently tapped his finger on the controllers knob ¡°And in order to do that. I''ll need to remove your gag. At least for a few minutes...¡±


    Moving only her eyes, the dark elf shifted her gaze upwards and silently stared back at him.


    ¡°...You must be frustrated. And I understand that¡± said Anton ¡°But be that as it may. If I''m going to let you speak. Then I expect you to be grateful for that opportunity, and to condone yourself appropriately¡±


    The dark elf remained completely silent as she tightened her eyes in annoyance.


    ¡°...So, are you willing to behave yourself?¡± asked Anton as the dark elf''s eyes shifted to the controller in his hand ¡°Or do you need to be punished a little more?¡±


    The dark elf''s eyes remained fixated on the controller as she breathed out through her nose in a vague manner.


    ¡°Hm, so you''re not ready to behave yet?¡± tested Anton as he made as if he was about to turn the dial on the controller ¡°Well, if that''s the case...¡±


    With a sudden surge of motion the dark elf pulled wildly against her chain and growled furiously though her gag as she frantically shook her head and made an obvious, though futile, attempt to swing her bound arms forward and strike at Anton. Failing in her efforts to attack him, and glaring now with her ears pointed straight back in anger, the dark elf turned to Anton with fire in her eyes but was stopped short by the stoic look on his face. They both remained silent and still as they stared at each for several moments. Easing back up on her chain, the dark elf sighed through her nose as she lowered her eyes to the floor in front of her.


    ¡°...Are you done?¡± asked Anton after a moment of stillness.


    The dark elf''s eyes tightened as she nodded her head.


    ¡°I''m not going to tolerate another outburst like that¡± explained Anton in an eerily calm tone ¡°You will control yourself from now on. Am I clear?¡±


    The dark elf''s ears remained pointed straight back as her eyes tightened even further.


    ¡°Am I clear!?¡± repeated Anton as he narrowed his eyes at her.


    The dark elf blinked and moving only her eyes, she looked back up at him. They stared at one another for a long moment before the dark elf broke their eye contact and looked back at the floor. Slumping against her chain she darted her eyes back and forth before taking a deep labored breath through her nose.


    Lifting her head up just enough to tilt it, the dark elf turned to her left side and stared at the still slumped form of her sister. She stayed this way for several moments as her eyes began to tighten themselves up in obvious worry.


    Blinking slowly, she brought her eyes up even further and locked gazes with Anton.


    Finding himself now under her scrutiny, Anton did his best to remain still and unimposing.


    The dark elf''s large, shimmering eyes stared unblinking at him for several long, silent moments as she seemed to be studying both him and his eyes. At some unseen signal she blinked slowly, and apparently satisfied with her examination, she eased her head back and hunched down on her shoulders as her own eyes softened and became imploring.


    As Anton watched the dark elf very slowly and deliberately lowered her ears and then folded them back until they disappeared from sight and were laid completely flat behind her head, in a manner that was very much like a submissive animal.


    ¡°...Does, this mean something?¡± he asked as the dark elf finished her odd display and went completely still ¡°...Does this mean that you''re going to behave yourself now?¡±


    The dark elf stared at him for a moment before lowering her head even further and nodding slowly.


    ¡°...Hm, well then¡± nodded Anton as he switched off the sybian ¡°That''s good to know¡±


    The dark elf''s hips quivered uncontrollably as she hunched in on herself and whimpered in relief. She chirped out another little whine and clamped her eyes shut as Anton took hold of her head-harness and pulled back on it to lift up her head. With his free hand he released each clasp that attached her head-harness to her face plate and gag. Once it was free, he peeled the plate away from her face whilst slowly and gently pulling the large bulbous gag out from between her stretched jaws.


    Anton went to set the gag down next to his bent knee but stopped short as he noticed that the harden rubber that made up the gag itself had somehow been heavily damaged in several places and was covered in what appeared to be deep puncture marks. Upon closer examination it was immediately obvious that the shredded areas and odd markings were the impressions left by the dark elf as she repeatedly bit into the gag with her apparently very strong teeth and fang-like canines.


    ¡°Hm¡± mused Anton as he set the gag down and turned back to the dark elf ¡°Looks like you Dark Elves have got a pretty mean little bite. Not that I didn''t already know that!¡±


    The dark elf apparently didn''t register anything that was said as she was currently preoccupied with her newest bit of freedom. Her half-dazed eyes were now completely unfocused as she drearily stared off at nothing. She made a halfhearted attempt to close her mouth completely but winced in pain as the muscles of her jaw began to tremble on their own. Giving up on this effort, she instead left her mouth to hang limp and rest in the strap of the head-harness that looped beneath her chin. With the tip of her tongue resting on her lower lip, she began to take in deep labored breaths through her newly freed mouth. Each of her ragged breaths not only had a coarse and dry sound to it but also appeared to be a somewhat painful endeavor for her. Despite this, the corners of her mouth still curled up to form a relieved looking smile.


    The dark elf''s smile disappeared instantly as Anton cupped her chin in his palm and began to run his thumb up and down her jawline. Holding her head by the chin now, he released his grip on her head-harness and gently tilted her head from side to side as he looked her over. Shifting her bangs to the side and away from her face revealed that this was the meeker of the two dark elves, Kianna.


    ¡°Kianna?¡± questioned Anton.


    Kianna''s ears rose slightly upwards and her breathing became shallow and even more labored as she blinked and focused on him. Her bright, but exhausted looking eyes were framed on three sides by the black leather straps of the harness that was still wrapped tightly around her head. Though they were still bloodshot with fatigue, the dark elf''s large eyes were now coherent and clearly full of mistrust.


    ¡°Can you hear me?¡± whispered Anton as he leaned in close.


    Kianna''s eyes tightened in acknowledgment.


    ¡°Good, very good¡± nodded Anton as he eased back and let his face become stoic ¡°Because I have a question for you Kianna. There is something very important that I need you to answer for me. And I want you to take a moment and really think about it before you do¡±


    Kianna''s eyes tightened further in suspicion as her ears rose up so as to hear him better.


    ¡°...Who is your Master now little Dark Elf?¡± questioned Anton as he stared into her eyes.


    Kianna remained still for a moment before her eyes went wide as she registered his implication. Taking a stance as her pride resurfaced, she leered angrily at him and pointed her ears straight back as she closed her mouth as much as she could in a failed attempt to clench her jaw.


    ¡°Answer me Kianna¡± demanded Anton as he continued to stare into her glaring eyes.


    Kianna curled her lips back angrily as she tried to speak. Though it was obviously unintentional, the visual of her bared teeth coupled with the broken hiss that came out of her parched throat gave the impression that she was snarling like a beast. Albeit an adorable little beast that was far more endearing than actually fearsome. But a furious little beast nonetheless.


    Anton couldn''t help but to chuckle as he shook his head.


    ¡°Well, it looks like this vicious little Dark Elf needs a little more discipline¡± he said as he reached up with his left hand and roughly grabbed a handful of her hair ¡°How unfortunate...¡±


    Kianna gasped in pain as Anton twisted the handful of her hair and pulled back and up on it to lift her head even higher. Letting go of her chin he raised his right hand and made as though he was about to smack her across the face.


    Kianna''s eyes were clamped shut as she tried in vain to pull away from his grip. Blinking them open, she glared angrily at him until her eyes darted over to his raised hand. She froze as a look of confusion spread across her face. Her eyes slowly went wide in shock as she realized what he was about to do.


    Anton hesitated as he watched the dark elf slowly shift her eyes back to his. She stared at him for a moment before a sense of determination reached her eyes, and with a quiet mumble, she finally closed her mouth completely and clenched her jaw. Clamping her eyes shut, the dark elf scrunched up her face in preparation as she waited for the strike to land.


    Anton continued to hesitate as he watched the dark elf begin to tremble. Breathing out softly he closed his hand into a fist and lowered his arm.


    After a moment of stillness Kianna cracked open a single eye and looked at him.


    Anton slowly released his grip on her hair as he watched her blink in confusion.


    ¡°You''re a pretty brave little Dark Elf Kianna¡± stated Anton as he nodded slowly ¡°I like that!¡±


    Kianna leaned back and away from Anton as he let her go. Her confusion and apprehension were both still clear on her face as she pointed her ears straight upwards. Her large eyes had become probing as they shifted slightly back and forth in their sockets as she again seemed to be studying him.


    Anton tilted his head as he watched Kianna''s eyes suddenly begin to drift and lose focus. Blinking she went to shake her head and with the shift in momentum she suddenly lost her balance. The dark elf made a tiny panicked sound as she toppled forward.


    Anton''s face was stoic as he reached out and caught her by the shoulders before she would have been jerked back by the chain.


    Kianna was still for a moment as she registered that she was being held up by Anton. She immediately tried to lift her shoulders up and away from him but in her exhausted state her body refused to obey. Groaning in frustration she clenched her teeth angrily as her head lolled to the side under its own weight. Sinking in her shame she did nothing as her head fell forward and hung freely. As she stared straight downwards at the floor below, her eyes began to burn in their sockets as they tried to form tears from nothing.


    Anton eased the dark elf down until she came to rest at the end of the tightened chain.


    Kianna clearly wanted to pull away when Anton took her by the chin and began to lift her head but she just didn''t have the strength left to even try. She pointed her ears back behind her head and clamped her eyes shut as Anton gently cupped both her cheeks in his palms and tilted her face upwards. Without a word, he let his aura flow into the dark elf.


    Kianna visually tensed as she felt the flow of power slip into her very being. Her eyes shot open and went wide as a sense of warmth began to permeate throughout her body. Blinking she found herself staring directly at Anton and was surprised to find him staring back at her with a look of concern on his face.


    ¡°...You''ve got a strong will Kianna¡± he whispered as his eyes tightened in worry ¡°And you should be very proud of how long you''ve lasted. But this fight is over now. And for you to prolong your own suffering like this is unnecessary¡±


    Blinking again, Kianna raised her ears as she listened to him speak.


    ¡°We both know you''ve already lost Kianna¡± said Anton ¡°And all we''re doing now is waiting for you to accept it¡±


    Kianna''s eyes tightened as her ears drooped.


    ¡°When you''re ready to do that¡± continued Anton ¡°I promise you that this pain will end¡±


    Kianna clenched her teeth and and broke away from his eyes as she looked down towards the floor between them. Gathering her strength she went to pull away from him but again she was just too exhausted to even lift her own body. Grunting in frustration she began to vibrate violently as her body started to quiver from her rage.


    ¡°Stop it Kianna!¡± commanded Anton ¡°That''s enough!¡±


    Kianna''s eyes shot back up to him and then softened in surprise at the sight of the concern that was back on his face.


    ¡°No more¡± Anton implored quietly ¡°It''s over now. You''re done¡±


    The dark elf''s eyes widened to their fullest as the power that was seeping into her body began to resonate with a soothing calmness. Clamping her eyes shut out of suspicion, Kianna hunched her head down as she attempted to fight back against the effects of Anton''s aura. But pushed to the limit as she was, there was little she could do to hold back the surge of power that flooded her being and with a last grunt of protest she gave in and let the dam break around her.


    Kianna''s eyes opened slowly and focused themselves on an invisible spot on the floor between herself and Anton. She exhaled numbly as the intensity of the fear, anger and the will to fight that was swirling within her was melted away and immediately replaced by a sense of warm, numbing relief.


    With a quiet whimper the dark elf lost all the tension that had been holding her body rigid and with a tiny sigh she let her head rest limply in Anton''s hands.


    Anton remained still as he held the dark elf and listened intently to each of her breaths as they became more even and less desperate. As he watched, her eyes slowly went distant and without a sound she began to lower her ears. The tips of Kianna''s ears came to rest against her shoulders as she again folded them back behind her head and laid them flat in a seemingly submissive manner.


    ¡°...Are you done now Kianna?¡± whispered Anton.


    The dark elf was still for a second as she registered that she had been spoken to. Moving only her eyes she looked up at Anton and stared at him for a moment before letting her eyes fall back towards the floor.


    Although silent, her message was clear.


    ¡°Who is your Master now little Dark Elf?¡± asked Anton as he pressed his thumbs softly against her cheeks.


    Far too dehydrated to form proper tears, Kianna''s eyes again began to burn painfully as her body was racked with a noiseless sob. Keeping her eyes cast down towards the floor she took a deep breath through her nose.


    ¡°...You!¡± she whispered softly.

 Chapter 5 : Late Evening

    Chapter 5 : Late Evening


    ¡°Look at me when you say it Kianna¡± demanded Anton in a soft tone as he tilted her head back and lifted her chin higher with both hands.


    Kianna scrunched up her face and kept her eyes shut for a moment before slowly cracking them open and looking up at him.


    ¡°Who is your Master now?¡± implored Anton as he gazed into her eyes.


    ¡°...Y-you¡± she croaked softly, her voice broken and barely audible ¡°...You!¡±


    ¡°Very good. I knew you could do it¡± whispered Anton as he gave her a soft smile and squeezed her cheeks with his thumbs ¡°My brave little Dark Elf¡±


    Kianna whimpered pitifully as she tightened her eyes and pressed her ears down even flatter.


    ¡°Now...¡± said Anton as he gently lowered her head and let her go to hang limp ¡°Let''s get you a drink¡±


    Kianna groaned and shivered involuntarily as the influence of his aura left her and she was struck by the chill from the lack of his warmth. She closed her eyes completely as she felt him rise and stand up in front of her.


    Anton made it a point to only give Fiona a quick glance as he crossed over to the end table, picked up the glass of water and made his way back to Kianna. Kneeling back down, he reached beneath the dark elf''s hanging head and lifted her face up by the chin.


    Kianna had a miserable looking grimace on her face as she was made to look at him. She made a tiny whining sound as she defiantly kept her eyes shut.


    Shaking his head, Anton moved the glass of water closer to the dark elf''s nose and grinned as her nostrils flared ever so slightly.


    Kianna''s eyes shot open immediately as her nose told her mind about the treasure that was so close now. Swallowing painfully, she bucked her hips against the sybian and leaned as far forward as she could as she tried to move herself closer to the water. Desperate and no longer caring for her pride she turned to Anton and whimpered pleadingly.


    ¡°What do you say my little Dark Elf?¡± he asked.


    Mouth hanging open and pain rolling through her chest with each breath, Kianna tried to speak but all that came out was a broken hiss.


    Anton shook his head.


    ¡°You have to say it right¡± he said in a soft and encouraging tone ¡°I know you can do it¡±


    Kianna groaned as she glared at him and pointed her ears straight back. Her whole body trembling now she took as deep a breath as she could.


    ¡°Eeese!¡± she cried through her teeth before she laid her ears back down submissively and pouted her lips.


    ¡°Very good!¡± chuckled Anton as he smiled and moved the glass to her mouth.


    Kianna eagerly pulled herself forward to meet the glass with her lips. Moaning in pleasure, her eyes rolled to the back of her head in bliss as the cool water filled her parched mouth. Her pain began to subside almost instantly as the healing liquid flowed down her throat and quickly seeped into and then spread throughout her entire body.


    Anton forced the dark elf to maintain a slow pace as she gulped down the whole glass of water. When it was gone she leaned forward again and tried to follow the glass as he pulled it away from her. At the last possible second she clamped her teeth down on the edge of the glass and with her ears pointed straight back behind her head, she held on as tightly as she could.


    ¡°...What? Really!?¡± exclaimed Anton as he gave the glass a soft tug ¡°Kianna let go!¡±


    ¡°Mm mm!¡± moaned Kianna through her teeth as she looked over at him by moving only her eyes.


    ¡°...What, are you even trying to accomplish with this?¡± asked Anton as he smiled at the determined looking dark elf ¡°I''m not going to let you eat this glass!¡±


    Kianna blinked and then groaned in frustration as she let the glass go.


    ¡°Such a silly little Dark Elf!¡± laughed Anton as he gave her chin a squeeze and stood up.


    Kianna hung her head and groaned in annoyance when he let her go. Tilting her head up a bit her eyes darted to the pitcher of water sitting on the table across from her. Seeing that Anton had yet to move she flattened her ears back down submissively and took a deep breath.


    ¡°Please!¡± she chirped quietly as she hunched in on herself and looked down at the floor ¡°More!¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± hummed Anton as he tilted his head in surprise that she already sounded so much clearer ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°Please!¡± she asked a little louder this time ¡°...One more!¡±


    ¡°Hm, well¡± chuckled Anton as he folded his arms over his chest ¡°I appreciate that you asked politely but I''m afraid I''m going to need you to ask correctly as well¡±


    Kianna peeked up at him before tightening her eyes in annoyance.


    ¡°Please¡± she mumbled quietly ¡°...Master¡±


    ¡°Aw, you''re such a clever little Dark Elf Kianna!¡± exclaimed Anton ¡°I didn''t even have to explain anything! You already knew what you needed to do!¡±


    Kianna groaned in embarrassment before sheepishly looking away.


    ¡°Now, since you''ve done what you were asked, you''ll get another drink¡± teased Anton as he turned to the table holding the pitcher ¡°But this will be the last one for now! Too much, too quick and you''ll get a stomachache!¡±


    Kianna''s ears rose back up and pointed themselves straight upwards in excitement as she watched him cross back over to the table and refill the glass.


    Turning back around, Anton chuckled at the sight of the eager looking dark elf. Her over-the-top glee at getting a second helping was clear across her face as she literally bounced up and down on the sybian.


    ¡°Settle down Kianna!¡± he admonished softly as he knelt back down in front of her and took hold of her chin ¡°You''re going to choke yourself if you don''t calm down¡±


    Kianna made an obvious effort to still herself as her eyes stayed locked to the glass of water being held out of her reach. Once it was clear that she was in control of herself, Anton moved the glass to her lips and chuckled again at her ecstatic sounding whimpers.


    Moaning happily through her nose with each swallow, Kianna had a bit more gusto to her as she clamped her eyes shut and greedily gulped down the soothing water. With the second glass now gone even faster than the first one, Anton set it down at his feet and examined the effect it was already having on the dark elf.


    Kianna''s eyes were closed as she rested her chin in his hand and sighed blissfully. Already her breathing wasn''t nearly as labored as before, and a slight flush had given her skin a healthier color. Her closed eyes tightened a bit as she tilted her head to the side and nuzzled her cheek into Anton''s palm. Sighing deeply again, she let her ears hang limply as she immediately started dozing.


    ¡°Hm, how cute!¡± whispered Anton as he took hold of her face with both hands.


    Startled, Kianna blinked open her eyes and looked up at him as he began to rub her cheeks with his thumbs.


    ¡°Well, you''re already looking much better...¡± mused Anton as he smiled back at the large, bright eyes that had already been cleared of the webs of bloodshot veins ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    Kianna stared at him for a moment before her eyes suddenly went wide. Pulling herself back and away from his touch, she stopped short and looked at his hands before focusing her eyes back on his face and leaning herself even further away from him. Once again her ears pointed themselves straight upwards as her eyes became probing. Unlike before however she was now staring at Anton with a look on her face that was not only marred with confusion but gave the impression that she had never seen him before and was now trying to figure out what she was looking at.


    Anton tilted his head in curiosity as he watched the dark elf.


    ¡°...Hey there¡± he said as he playfully arched an eyebrow ¡°You starting to feel a little more alive?¡±


    Kianna said nothing as her eyes followed every little movement he made and her ears twitched and shifted back and forth as she focused on each word he said.


    ¡°...You?¡± she whispered after a long moment of silent scrutiny ¡°...Are you not?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± hummed Anton as he tilted his head slightly to the side and leaned in closer in an effort to hear her better ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°You?¡± said Kianna as she leaned her head even further back from him ¡°You aren''t, scared?¡±


    ¡°...No?¡± questioned Anton as he creased his brow in suspicion ¡°Why? What should I be scared of?¡±


    ¡°...I, don''t know?¡± whispered Kianna as she shifted her ears back and tilted her head in a questioning manner while a worried expression came over her face.


    ¡°...Alright?¡± said Anton as a slight grin spread across his face ¡°What exactly are you talking about?¡±


    Kianna''s worried look deepened as she lowered her ears and hunched in on herself. She went still as she continued to simply stare in silence.


    As he watched her, Anton noticed that a thin strip of her bangs had curled in just enough to irritate her left eye and he couldn''t help but to chuckle softly as she kept trying to covertly blink it away.


    ¡°Hm, you know what Kianna...¡± he mumbled as she winked her eye in annoyance ¡°You''re actually a pretty cute little Dark Elf¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± questioned Kianna as her eyes darted to his ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I said you''re cute¡± grinned Anton as he reached out and moved the lock of hair out of her face before tucking it into a strap of her head harness ¡°My little Dark Elf is cute¡±


    Kianna froze completely as his hand moved back and forth around her face. Blinking in surprise her ears pointed themselves straight upwards as a look of confusion reappeared on her face.


    ¡°Who is!?¡± she questioned quietly as she tilted her head and cocked one of her ears in a curious manner ¡°...Do you mean me!?¡±


    Anton couldn''t help but to smile at the flustered look on her face.


    ¡°Yes, I''m talking about you¡± he said in a hushed tone ¡°You are very cute, my little Dark Elf¡±


    Kianna remained completely still for several moments as she stared back at him.


    ¡°...You, think I''m!? ...W-wait! No! I''m not yours! I''m not your little nothing!¡± she mumbled as she looked away with her eyes ¡°I don''t belong to you!¡±


    Anton smirked as he took note of the light blush that was quickly forming across her cheeks.


    ¡°...Are you sure about that?¡± he asked as his smirk grew into a light smile ¡°Because all things considered... at this moment I''d say you do!¡±


    Kianna''s eyes tightened into a glare as her ears pointed themselves straight back.


    ¡°Listen you! Just because-!¡± she started.


    ¡°And by the look in your eyes... I''m not so sure you even dislike that idea!¡± interrupted Anton as he leaned in close and stared her down ¡°...Do you!?¡±


    Kianna''s eyes became guarded as she went to speak.


    ¡°Whatever you do Kianna!¡± interrupted Anton as he let his aura flare outwards and surround her ¡°Do not, lie to me...¡±


    Kianna was stopped short by the sudden heaviness in the air around her. Blinking in surprise she opened and closed her mouth without saying a word. The worried expression returned to her face as she lowered her ears and cringed back.


    Anton went still as he continued to stare her down. After a moment his face softened as he eased back himself.


    ¡°I know you''re afraid Kianna¡± he said as he released his aura and gazed into her eyes ¡°And that''s fair. You have no idea what''s going to happen to you or your sister. You have every reason to be afraid¡±


    Kianna grimaced miserably as she hunched herself down onto her shoulders. Breaking their eye contact, she looked down at the floor in front of herself and began to tremble softly.


    ¡°Please! Please don''t hurt us!¡± she whispered quietly around a sob ¡°I''ll really do anything you want! Anything!¡±


    ¡°...Anything?¡± questioned Anton as he narrowed his eyes ¡°Are you sure about that?¡±


    The dark elf sobbed again as she flattened her ears back submissively and nodded her head.


    ¡°Yes!¡± she whimpered as she raised her eyes and looked up at him.


    ¡°...Alright then¡± said Anton as he nodded softly ¡°This may be a difficult thing for you to do, or to even understand. But I''d like you to try your best regardless¡±


    Kianna swallowed a lump in her throat as she waited for him to speak.


    ¡°...There''s only one thing I want you to do Kianna¡± said Anton as he reached his right hand out towards her ¡°I want you to try your very best, to trust me¡±


    Kianna leaned back and went rigid in surprise as his hand moved towards her face. With her back as straight as her bondage would allow, she went completely still as her eyes darted from his face to his hand and back.


    ¡°What!?¡± she questioned.


    ¡°I said I want you to trust me¡± repeated Anton as he hesitated and let his hand rest in the air just shy of touching her.


    For several moments Kianna merely stared at him without making a sound.


    ¡°...What?¡± she whispered ¡°...Wha, why!?¡±


    Anton took a breath in through his nose and let his eyes drift close as he gathered his thoughts together.


    ¡°I know that this isn''t going to make any sense to you, and that is actually one of the reasons as to why I think it''s so important¡± he explained ¡°I know that you''re going to be suspicious of-¡±


    Anton was cut short by the sensation of something being pressed softly into his hand. Looking back up he found that the dark elf had bridged the small gap herself and had laid her cheek into his palm.


    Kianna was lightly trembling as she took small, quick breaths through her nose. With her eyes focused on the floor and her ears still laid back submissively, her nervousness was clear on both her face as well as through her rigid stance.


    ¡°It, it doesn''t matter why!¡± she mumbled as her eyes came up and met his ¡°Like this! R-right!¡±


    Anton tilted his head thoughtfully as he watched the dark elf make a conscious effort to relax as she let her head roll slightly to the side and come to a complete rest in his hand.


    ¡°...What are you doing?¡± asked Anton as he surprised Kianna by sliding his hand down lower and cupping her chin in his palm.


    ¡°I, I''m doing what you asked!¡± she exclaimed as she was made to look up at him.


    ¡°Why?¡± asked Anton as he looked her in the eyes.


    ¡°...This, this is what you wanted!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she tightened her ears together behind her head ¡°What you asked for!¡±


    Anton merely stared at her as if waiting for her to continue.


    Kianna swallowed another lump in her throat as she was pulled in closer to him.


    ¡°I, I have to!¡± she stammered nervously ¡°Fiona, we! ...I have to save her!¡±


    ¡°Your sister is just as capable of helping herself as you are¡± stated Anton ¡°You aren''t solely responsible for her fate anymore than she is yours. Why are you so ready to sacrifice yourself?¡±


    ¡°...Because I can''t not do anything! I have to do something!¡± exclaimed Kianna as her eyes filled with desperation ¡°And this... This is all I can do!¡±


    Anton was silent and still as he watched the dark elf grow more and more anxious.


    ¡°...Are you mad?¡± whispered Kianna as her eyes darted from his eyes to his ears and back ¡°...Isn''t this what you wanted me to do? ...I, I''m sorry! I''m trying, I''m really trying! I-¡±


    Kianna stopped mid speech as Anton raised his free hand and laid it on top of her head. Frozen in uncertainty, she did nothing as he stared down at her for several long moments.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°...You really are something else, aren''t you?¡± mumbled Anton as he softly cupped her head between his hands and tilted her chin upwards ¡°...So very, very different¡±


    Kianna''s breath got caught in her throat as she felt the warmth of his aura seep back into her body through his palms.


    Being careful to avoid her sensitive ears, Anton slowly slid his left hand down the back of the dark elf''s head as he gently ran his fingers through her hair.


    ¡°You''ve got such a fearlessness Kianna...¡± said Anton as he watched her eyes widen in surprise ¡°It''s very impressive¡±


    ¡°...Huh!?¡± chirped the dark elf.


    Anton gave her a toothless smile as he brought his hand back up to the top of her head and ran it back down again.


    ¡°...Even with everything you''ve already faced you''re still so determined. ...All the hardship and pain that you''ve gone through and are being threatened with even now. ...And yet you''re still ready to keep going¡± he whispered as he continued to stroke her hair ¡°You''re still so willing to give it everything you have to save someone else... You have real compassion. It''s impressive, very impressive... I think you''re very brave Kianna... And strong too, very strong...¡±


    Kianna remained completely still and stared into Anton''s eyes as he spoke softly to her. While listening to his words she began to feel both a tightness and an unfamiliar heat begin to wash through her chest as she absorbed his praise. Unsure of what to do or how to react to this situation, she began to blink rapidly as her eyes suddenly started to well with actual tears.


    ¡°W-wait, wha!?¡± she questioned as her voice began to crack ¡°W-why are you saying these things!?¡±


    ¡°...What do you mean? Why wouldn''t I say these things?¡± soothed Anton as he leaned in closer and smiled into her eyes ¡°They''re all true... Aren''t they?¡±


    ¡°...What, wha! N-no! No I''m not!¡± whispered Kianna as her eyes tightened in suspicion and her confusion began to mar her voice ¡°I''m not, strong!? R-really I''m not!¡±


    Anton chuckled softly as he watched the nervous dark elf''s anxiety grow and spread across her face.


    ¡°Yes, you are Kianna¡± he confirmed as he nodded slowly ¡°Trust me, I can see it¡±


    ¡°...N-no!? Y-you!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as her body began to be racked with sobs ¡°W-w-why are you lying!?¡±


    ¡°I''m not lying to you Kianna¡± reassured Anton as he smiled and shook his head softly ¡°I really think you''re stronger than you realize... You''re a very impressive little Dark Elf...¡±


    Kianna''s face became twisted as she took on a look of pained disbelief. Confused by the emotions that were now raging in her chest, she struggled to make any sense out of what was happening and why she was suddenly feeling the way she was.


    ¡°...B-but! N-n-no!¡± she stammered in a sudden panic ¡°I-I''m not! I''m weak! I-I''m not!¡±


    ¡°Stop, that''s enough¡± soothed Anton as he held her by the chin and planted his hand at the back of her head ¡°Listen to me Kianna. You are far stronger than you think you are. And I''m not just saying this for no reason. I know it''s true. I can see it in your eyes... You are strong¡±


    ¡°...But I gave up!?¡± whispered Kianna as her eyes went wide and went distant ¡°I-I''m weak! I gave up, and I let you win!¡±


    ¡°...People who have given up don''t argue like this Kianna¡± said Anton around a smile ¡°You don''t sound like someone who has given up at all¡±


    Kianna''s breath froze completely as the warmth of both his aura and presence began to resonate with a subliminal calming effect. Barely breathing now, she blinked as the power flowing throughout her being became a soothing balm.


    ¡°You''re tough Kianna, and I like that. But you still need to learn how to listen to your Master¡± whispered Anton ¡°Now, stop being so stubborn, do what you said you would, and trust me! Alright!?¡±


    With thin tears slowly spilling from her eyes, Kianna began to groan as she grimaced miserably. She shut her eyes tight as she tilted her head to the side and frantically nuzzled her cheek into the warmth of his palm as she knew that this was the source of her comfort.


    ¡°Why are you doing this!? ...I don''t get it!¡± she whimpered in a barely audible whisper ¡°And you''re not my... ugh! Fine! Whatever! ...You''re just stupid!¡±


    Anton couldn''t help but to continue smiling as he held the softly sobbing dark elf. After a few minutes she finally went quiet and he cupped both his hands around her face and made her look back up at him.


    ¡°...You really are such a cute little thing!¡± he teased as he lightly pressed his thumbs against her cheeks and gently squeezed her face.


    Kianna still had a miserable looking grimace on her face as she kept her ears flattened behind her head.


    ¡°...Are you serious!?¡± she whimpered as her eyes became pleading and one of her ears twitched upwards in a questioning manner ¡°Do you really, think that!?¡±


    Anton chuckled at the sight and tightened his hold on her.


    ¡°What did I just tell you about trusting your Master Kianna!?¡± he said as he gave her another smile ¡°Now stop being so stubborn! And listen to me!¡±


    Kianna stared at him for a moment before her eyes tightened and took on a troubled look. She started groaning softly and looked away with her eyes as a bright blush started to spread out across her cheeks.


    ¡°I don''t, why!?¡± she whined as her eyes began to dart back and forth as she looked at everything but his face ¡°Why are you doing this to me!? What do you want!?¡±


    ¡°What I want is for you to stop acting like I''m tormenting you Kianna!¡± teased Anton as he gave her face another gentle squeeze ¡°So far all I''ve done is tell you what I think about you. And I''ve been serious with everything I''ve said. It has been the truth. All of it¡±


    Kianna was still for a moment before she began to groan in frustration.


    ¡°...Is something wrong?¡± asked Anton as he noticed the dark elf was shifting back and forth in obvious discomfort ¡°Are you alright!?¡±


    Kianna''s eyes darted to his before looking down at the floor between them.


    ¡°...No! Obviously I''m not!¡± she whined through her clenched teeth.


    ¡°You''re not!?¡± asked Anton as he leaned back and looked her up and down ¡°What''s wrong!? ...Kianna, tell me what''s wrong!¡±


    Surprised by the concerned tone in his voice, Kianna glanced back up at Anton before quickly looking back down at the floor.


    ¡°...I''m, naked!¡± she mumbled miserably as she squeezed her thighs together around the sybian ¡°...And you''re really embarrassing me right now!¡±


    Anton laughed loudly as Kianna''s ears went as flat as they possibly could.


    ¡°Yes, you are!¡± exclaimed Anton as he wore a broad smile across his face ¡°But I like it when you''re naked! And when you''re embarrassed! I think it''s very cute!¡±


    Kianna groaned again as her ears pointed themselves straight back in annoyance.


    ¡°...You ass!¡± she grumbled as she continued to stare at the floor ¡°...You''re mean!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am!¡± chuckled Anton as he began to rub away the tear lines on her cheeks with his thumbs ¡°Though I do think that you''ve earned this embarrassment Kianna. Let''s not forget that you and your sister have made some pretty evil choices lately! And you do deserve to be punished for those choices!¡±


    Kianna''s ears laid back down submissively as her face scrunched up in worry.


    ¡°What are you going to do with us?¡± she asked quietly as her eyes lifted upwards and met his.


    ¡°...There will be plenty of time to discus that later¡± said Anton as he carefully let her go and picked up her gag ¡°For now though, I thinks it''s time to continue with your punishment¡±


    Clamping her mouth shut, Kianna''s eyes tightened with fear as Anton raised the gag to her face.


    ¡°Hey now!¡± chastised Anton as he lowered the gag and used a single finger to lift her chin back up and make her look at him ¡°It''s time to be brave again Kianna!¡±


    The dark elf swallowed a lump in her throat as she kept her mouth shut and stared up at him with pleading eyes. Groaning softly, she shook her head as she tried to ease herself away from where she knew the gag was.


    ¡°Aw, you really don''t like this gag at all¡± said Anton as his voice took on a soothing tone ¡°Do you?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± declared Kianna through her clenched teeth as her ears rose up and then slowly fell back into place behind her head ¡°...I hate that thing!¡±


    ¡°Hm, well that is regrettable. But I''m afraid it''s not going to change the fact that you''re guilty Kianna. You''ve made some very poor choices, and unfortunately this is going to be part of your punishment¡± explained Anton as he watched her eyes become misty again ¡°You do understand that? Don''t you?¡±


    ¡°Oh c''mon! Seriously!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as she kept her teeth clenched together ¡°But I''ve done everything you''ve asked though! Right!? ...Please! Please don''t make me wear that thing anymore!¡±


    ¡°...Kianna¡± sighed Anton as he shook his head ¡°Now it''s true that so far you have been a good girl tonight. But this is part of your original punishment, and unfortunately that punishment is not over... yet...?¡±


    Anton blinked in surprise as the dark elf suddenly went stiff and her large eyes widened to their fullest.


    ¡°Wait, what!?¡± whispered Kianna softly as her eyes became locked to his ¡°What did you say!?¡±


    ¡°...I said that your punishment isn''t over yet?¡± repeated Anton as he cocked an eyebrow at the dark elf.


    ¡°No! Not...¡± exclaimed Kianna as she blinked and seemed to come to her senses. Shaking her head, her eyes quickly darted to the side as she did her best to look away while another faint blush spread across her cheeks.


    His eyebrow still cocked, Anton tilted his head to the side and narrowed his eyes at the dark elf.


    ¡°Kianna¡± he called softly.


    The dark elf stayed still for only a moment before she slowly shifted her eyes back over to him.


    ¡°...Your punishment isn''t over yet Kianna¡± said Anton in a soft, soothing tone ¡°So you''ll have to wear this gag for awhile longer¡±


    ¡°But, argh! What if I''m sorry!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as her ears rose straight upwards ¡°And I am! I mean it! This was all a huge, stupid mistake! And I''m really, really sorry about it! I really am!¡±


    ¡°...Well, if you do mean that, and you really are sorry¡± said Anton in the same soothing tone ¡°Then you''ll be brave and you''ll accept your punishment, ...like a good girl¡±


    Kianna blinked and pointed her ears straight back as she moved her eyes back to the side and looked away in defiance.


    ¡°...Kianna!¡± drawled Anton as he bobbed his finger, and her chin, up and down until he drew the dark elf''s attention back to his eyes ¡°You do want to be a good girl? Don''t you?¡±


    Kianna stared at him for a moment before her face scrunched up in misery and she began to whine softly through her nose.


    ¡°...Dammit!¡± she grumbled as she slumped her shoulders in frustration and glared angrily at him.


    ¡°That''s what I thought. Now, be a good girl Kianna¡± soothed Anton with a smile as he moved the gag back up to her face ¡°And open your mouth for me¡±


    ¡°Argh!¡± sighed the dark elf as she lowered her ears back down ¡°...Alright, fine!¡±


    Anton chuckled as he moved the gag in front of her mouth and waited.


    Kianna grimaced as she swallowed another lump in her throat and tentatively opened her mouth to let him shove the gag back inside. She whimpered but didn''t fight him as he re-clasped the straps of the head-harness to the face plate and tightened it all back up.


    ¡°Now see? Was that so bad?¡± teased Anton as he lifted her head up higher and made her look at him in the eyes ¡°Look at you! Accepting your punishment like a good girl! My super brave little Dark Elf!¡±


    Kianna grumbled in annoyance through her gag and pointed her ears straight back as she glared up at him. Anton chuckled again as she defiantly pulled her chin away from his hand and hung her head as she turned her glare to the floor below her.


    The frustrated dark elf made a show of her displeasure by making faint growling sounds in the back of her throat as she began to bite at and chew on the gag that had been wedged back into place between her teeth. She froze in surprise when Anton placed his hand on the side of her head above her ear and began to run his fingers in between the straps of her head-harness in an effort the smooth out her hair.


    ¡°...You really are a good girl Kianna¡± praised Anton as he let his gaze wonder across the top of her head ¡°...And I do mean that¡±


    The dark elf blinked up at him as she watched his face soften.


    ¡°...You''ve worked so very hard, and done your best to keep yourself and your sister safe. ...You did everything that I asked you to. ...Even when it was something you hated!¡± smiled Anton ¡°You still did it though... You really are such a very good girl, my little Dark Elf...¡±


    Breathing slowly around the tightness that had seized her chest, Kianna stayed silent as she both stared at and listened to Anton speak. Though she was completely unaware that she was doing it, she slowly began to tilt her head and lean into his fingers.


    Noticing this, Anton chuckled softly and shifted his motions into more of a gentle petting-like rub that the dark elf clearly appreciated.


    This continued for several moments until Kianna seemed to come to her senses and realized what she was doing. She pulled her head back before looking away and grumbling through her gag as another warm blush spread across her cheeks.


    Anton chuckled again as he gave the flustered dark elf a soft pat on her head and turned away from her.


    Kianna glanced back and watched him out of the corner of her eye as he picked up the empty glass and stood up before walking back to his chair. She quickly looked down and away from him as he retook his seat and sat facing her.


    Sighing through her nose, Kianna started to go back over the different emotions she had been feeling throughout the night when a sudden movement at her side caught her attention and she turned to find her sister glaring venomously at her.


    ¡°Hm!?¡± she hummed through her gag as she blinked in surprise.


    Fiona''s ears pointed themselves straight back as she made a low growl like noise through her gag.


    Kianna lowered her own ears and cringed in on herself as she felt the heat of her sister''s hatred wash over her. Quietly mumbling in an apologetic manner she let her eyes become pleading as she wordlessly asked her sister for forgiveness.


    Sighing angrily through her covered nose, Fiona turned away in frustration and stared at the floor in front of herself as her murderously glaring eyes remained completely unchanged.


    Kianna slumped and looked down at her own patch of floor. Too afraid and ashamed now to even look back at her sister, the scolded dark elf''s eyes tightened in worry as she grumbled miserably.


    ¡°...Hm¡± mused Anton to himself as he looked back and forth between the two sisters ¡°That was... interesting...¡±


    Cradling his chin in his hand he narrowed his eyes at Fiona as he watched the dark elf tremble in anger.


    ¡°Interesting...¡± he mumbled in annoyance ¡°And very uncalled for!¡±

 Chapter 6 : Midnight

    Chapter 6 : Midnight


    Fiona''s breathing had been getting slower and slower for several hours now. The defiant dark elf made no response at all to Anton''s presence as he knelt down in front of her and raised one of her ears with the back of his finger. Her ear flopped back down limply as he let it go.


    With two fingers pressed against her forehead he tilted her head back just a bit and then let her head fall back into place, still she gave no response.


    Though he himself couldn''t see her face from his vantage, Kianna could and with growing anxiety she had watched her sister''s eyes go from glaring with anger to nearly comatose in just a few hours.


    It was Kianna''s whining that had prompted Anton to check in on the second dark elf and he wasn''t happy with what he was looking at. He turned to Kianna with a hard look on his face.


    ¡°Hhmmph hhmm!¡± moaned Kianna through her gag as she looked from him to her sister and back.


    ¡°It''s her life and her choice¡± said Anton softly ¡°I''m not going to save her from her own stubbornness¡±


    Kianna''s ears pointed themselves straight upwards in panic as her eyes widened with fear.


    Anton shook his head as he stood up and went back to his seat.


    ¡°HHMMMMPPHH HMPH HHMMEEPH!¡± cried Kianna as she struggled against her bounds.


    Turning to Anton she flattened her ears back submissively and pleaded with her eyes as she continued to whine through her gag.


    Anton shook his head again as he turned his gaze back to Fiona.


    Shaking with desperation, Kianna pulled tight against the chain attached to her shoulder harness and lowered her body as far down as she could before arching herself to the side and twisting herself painfully at both her waist and neck until she was essentially hanging upside down. Once fully bent into this awkward position, she got her face as low as she could and began to frantically call to her sister.


    Fiona continued to stare at the floor as she blatantly ignored her sister''s urgent cries. Kianna wouldn''t be discouraged however as she could still tell that she was being heard by the slight, annoyed tightening of her sister''s eye. Finally, by moving only her eyeball, Fiona looked over at her.


    ¡°Mmph hmmph mmm!¡± moaned Kianna as she pleaded with her sister ¡°Humph hm!¡±


    Fiona stared at her for a moment before further tightening her eye into a full glare and turning back to the floor with a tiny huff.


    ¡°HHHMMMPPHH!¡± cried Kianna as her ears pointed themselves straight back behind her head and her face became marred with a sudden, intense looking anger.


    Twisting herself back into an upright position, the now furious dark elf glared at her sister and started bucking wildly on top of her sybian. Throwing her weight to the side and towards her sister''s direction she angrily began to move the weighted sybian across the hardwood floor of the dungeon until with each determined thrust she gained ground inch by inch.


    Amused, Anton simply watched the spectacle without interfering.


    When she had gotten as close to her sister as her chain would allow, Kianna grunted in frustration and began to cry out as loudly as she could while thrashing her body wildly back and forth.


    This continued for some time until Fiona finally gave in. Her annoyance at its limit, she lifted her head with an angry sigh and shifting her whole body to the side, she turned to glare at her sister.


    They made eye contact for only a fraction of a second before Kianna reared her head back and brought it down as hard as she could as she just barely managed to clip the very edge of her unsuspecting sister''s forehead.


    More dazed than actually hurt from the surprise headbutting, Fiona angrily shook the shock from her vision and turned back to her sister. The rage in her eyes died immediately at the sight of her sister''s face.


    Kianna''s eyes were now swimming in unshed tears. As a lasting sign of her previous anger, a tiny but dark bruise was just barely forming on her left temple. This evidence aside though her rage was completely gone and had now been replaced entirely with nothing but obvious fear and concern.


    ¡°Hhmmph! Humph hmph!¡± she whimpered as her heavy tears rolled down her cheeks ¡°Meh hmph!¡±


    Fiona lowered her ears and went to look away but was stopped short as Kianna began to thrash about in obvious panic.


    ¡°HMM! HMM MM HM!¡± she exclaimed as she stretched her neck out as far as she could towards her sister ¡°HMM HMM!¡±


    Blinking in frustration, Fiona''s eyes began to burn as they tried to form tears from nothing. Groaning with her own surge of determination, she pulled against the chain that held her in place and leaned as far to the side as she could until she was just barely able to reach her sister''s face.


    Kianna immediately began to coo happily and loudly as Fiona finally reached out to her.


    Pressing their foreheads together, both of the dark elves clamped their eyes shut and folded their ears back and away from their heads as they leaned against each other.


    ¡°Mmph!¡± groaned Fiona miserably as she rested her head against her sister''s and let her shoulders slump in exhaustion.


    ¡°Mm! Mmm, mmm...¡± hummed Kianna as she angled herself so as to give her sister as much support as she could provide with the awkward position that they had to work with ¡°Mmm, mmm...¡±


    Anton''s amusement quickly began to shift to intrigue as he watched the two dark elves. Although he was fairly familiar with dark elves as a whole, he had never before witnessed a sight quite like this one. In his experience with them he had found the dark elves to be very eccentric, domineering mavericks who maintained a constant level of independence. And although they weren''t completely heartless there was very little true compassion to be found for each other among them. Even between lovers and family members the level of care was limited and more often than not seemed to stem from a place of  pride rather than out of actual love. Despite these shortcomings, the dark elves were still very gregarious creatures who did seek out and enjoy each others company, especially in casual settings. This friendly but compassion-less nature just meant that they never formed any real camaraderie with each other and only ever kept their relationships with one another at arms length. This dynamic was the only way that Anton had ever seen the dark elves function and it seemed to be the natural way that their minds worked at both their cultural and social levels.


    But this was clearly not the case with these two sisters.


    Not only was legitimate concern being displayed here, but it was also quite obvious that both of these two dark elves were finding relief and comfort in each others touch and presence.


    Whether or not this behavior was a side of themselves that dark elves usually kept hidden away, or was in fact unique to these sisters alone, couldn''t be said. But it was certainly interesting to see nonetheless.


    ¡°Mm... mm...¡± hummed Kianna as she continued to murmur softly while holding her sister''s head up with her own ¡°Mm... mm... mm...¡±


    Fiona''s position was obviously uncomfortable for her but she continued to stay stretched and angled as she was in order to maintain her contact with her sister. After several minutes of apparent dozing her eyes suddenly shot open and immediately became panicked.


    ¡°Hm!?¡± mumbled Kianna as her sister started to tremble and whimper frantically.


    Fiona''s eyes were pleading as she looked into her sister''s and began to buck her hips up and down as she desperately tried to escape from the sybian that was coming to life beneath her.


    Kianna''s eyes widened in understanding as she realized her sister''s plight. She whined through her gag as Fiona pulled away from her and curled in on herself as she tried to power through the onslaught that was now taking place both below and within her.


    ¡°HHMMPH!¡± groaned Fiona as she began to thrash back and forth. With her ears now drooping in sorrow she turned to her sister and cried out in obvious distress.


    ¡°HMM HMM!¡± groaned Kianna as she jerked against the chain that held her in place and struggled to pull her arms free of the binder that held them folded away behind her back.


    Her mind and body at their limits and desperate for any relief she could find, Fiona gathered what little strength she had left and with a surge of adrenaline she threw herself towards her sister. Nearly toppling herself over with her first attempt she managed to stay upright and with renewed vigor she kept making tiny hops until she turned herself and the sybian completely to the side and was now facing Kianna.


    Kianna''s ears had pointed themselves straight upwards in excitement as she moaned frantically through her gag to cheer her sister on.


    Anton had his elbow planted against the armrest of his chair and was casually leaning to the side with his cheek resting against his closed fist. He couldn''t help but to let a broad grin spread across his face as he watched the dark elves play out their little drama.


    With her eyes clamped shut in determination, Fiona threw herself forward until inch by inch she came closer and closer to reaching her sister. With Kianna urging her on the dark elf leaned as far back as she could and with one last mighty thrust she covered the rest of the distance and slammed the face of her sybian straight into her sister''s. The momentum of the impact not only caused her to slump forward and land in a heap against Kianna''s shoulder but actually caused the small wired control box for the sybian to fling forward as well.


    Kianna grunted as she did her best to catch her sister as softly as possible. Fiona was still trembling and whimpering as she desperately pressed herself against her sister and nuzzled her face into the crook of her neck. Kianna leaned back into her and cooing softly she tilted her head and pressed it into the back of her sister''s in an attempt to hold her steady. As she worked to comfort her sister Kianna happened to glance downwards. She stiffened and her eyes went wide as she noticed that the control box for her sister''s sybian had come to rest right next to her foot. Although her bent legs were strapped to the sides of the sybian that she sat on, and the leather cuff that was wrapped around her ankle was attached to the thick belt around her waist by a thin chain. Kianna could still move her foot outwards a bit and this tiny amount of freedom would be just enough for her to reach the little knob that stuck out from the side of the control box with her toes.


    Kianna sat frozen as she stared down at the ominous little controller. Moving just her eyes she slowly looked over at Anton.


    Anton''s grin faded from his face as he narrowed his eyes at the dark elf and slowly shook his head.


    Staring straight at him, Kianna''s eyes tightened as her ears laid back submissively behind her head. Groaning softly, she swallowed a lump in her throat as she turned away from his gaze. Listening to her sister''s frantic whimpers the dark elf groaned miserably as she hunched in on herself. Her turmoil clear in her eyes she glanced back at Anton again before quickly looking away and staring at nothing.


    Anton remained motionless as he watched the dark elf''s foot slowly begin to move.


    Kianna tilted her head back just enough to see what she was doing as she grasped the controllers knob tightly between her toes. Pulling her foot inwards while keeping the side of the little box pressed against the floor and holding the knob steady caused it to twist against the rest of the controller and this simple motion was enough to fully switch the offending machine off.


    The tiny click sound made by the controller rang out loudly in Kianna''s ears as she felt Fiona''s entire body immediately collapse against her as she began to moan in relief.


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.Moving only her eyes again, Kianna slowly looked back over at Anton. A deep chill ran up her spine and her heart sank into her chest as she watched a thin, sinister looking smile slowly spread itself across his face. Seeing that he was, at least for the moment, going to stay where he was seated the now very anxious dark elf looked away from him and whimpered nervously.


    Fiona remained completely oblivious to the interaction as she laid against her sister and continued to moan softly. After a few moments she began to go quiet.


    Leaning her head back so as to be able to see her sister''s face Kianna took on a look of irritation as she found her sister in the process of falling asleep against her shoulder.


    ¡°Mmph! Hmm!¡± she exclaimed through her gag as she began to twist her torso back and forth.


    Fiona had her own annoyed look plastered on her face as she was forced to lift herself up and off of her sister. Slumping forward with her ears pointed straight back, she sat with her head hanging limp and groaned softly in irritation.


    ¡°Mm, hmph¡± cooed Kianna as she lowered her head down and tried to get a look at her sister''s face.


    Fiona went to turn away but was stopped short when Kianna ducked her own head low and forced her sister to raise her head by pressing their foreheads together.


    ¡°Mmph! Hm, hm!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she tried to get her sister to look at her.


    Fiona kept her eyes shut as she kept trying to pull away. Her ears went limp and hung from the sides of her head as her body was suddenly racked with a series of silent sobs.


    Kianna pulled back as the look of irritation on her face melted away and became one of concern.


    ¡°Mmm?¡± she hummed as she watched her sister take one labored breath after another.


    Leaning back in Kianna started frantically nudging at her sisters face while cooing loudly. Fiona remained still and unresponsive as she let herself be pushed back and forth but Kianna refused to give up and after several minutes of effort Fiona finally surrendered and blinked opened her eyes.


    ¡°Mm!¡± moaned Kianna sadly as she looked into her sister''s tormented eyes.


    Fiona''s eyes had become so bloodshot with her exhaustion that they now appeared to be completely red. Although she was looking back at her sister, the dark elf had become so haggard that her eyes seemed distant and nearly devoid of life. She blinked several times and shook her head softly as she made an effort to maintain her coherency.


    Kianna was motionless for several moments as she stared at her sister. With a small sound she suddenly turned and looked right at the pitcher of water before looking at Anton and turning back to Fiona.


    ¡°Mm, mm!¡± she exclaimed as she made sure to have her sister''s attention.


    Fiona leaned back and blinked again as her eyes focused on her sister''s.


    ¡°Mmph!¡± declared Kianna as she ducked her head a bit and waved her ears back and forth before laying them down flat behind her head in a submissive manner.


    Fiona blinked again as she creased her brow in confusion.


    Mumbling in annoyance, Kianna pointed her ears straight upwards and slowly waved them back and forth again before laying them back down behind her head. She then tilted her head to the side and nodded towards Anton.


    Fiona glanced over at Anton and turned back to look at her sister with the same level of confusion on her face. Kianna hunched down and sighed in irritation as she continued to raise and lower her ears. After watching this for another few moments Fiona''s eyes suddenly went wide in realization. Pointing her own ears straight back the dark elf narrowed her eyes into an angry glare and began to groan in a soft but menacing way.


    Blinking in surprise, Kianna immediately pointed her ears straight back as well and returned her sisters glare as she too began to groan in her own threatening way.


    The two dark elves had now both became rigid with tension as they sat completely motionless and stared each other down.


    Anton sat up straight in his chair as he watched the two dark elves with a renewed vigor. Even setting the aggression aside this interaction taking place between them was certainly interesting. It was quite obvious that Kianna was attempting to convince her sister to surrender, and how she was conveying this message was through her ears.


    The methods that the elven races used to communicate with their ears seemed to be instinctual rather than cultural. As the gestures, and the meanings behind them, were identical and universally understood regardless of which of the four species was utilizing them.


    Even for non-elven people it was fairly easy to interpret the meanings behind many of the different gestures, with lowered or drooping ears indicating emotions along the lines of sorrow, anxiety, fear or possibly fatigue. Ears pointed straight upwards implying excitement, intrigue, alertness and sometimes panic. Ears held sharp and pointed straight back, the gesture the two dark elves were utilizing at the moment, was an obvious sign of aggression and could even be considered a warning, as the implied message was one of displeasure, annoyance, frustration and anger. This particular gesture was also seen as a kind of threat display as it was often utilized as a signal for potential, or imminent hostility.


    There were other less commonly seen gestures as well, and it could easily be said that any emotion an elf was feeling could somehow be communicated through it''s ears.


    The specific gesture that Kianna had displayed, and was currently attempting to convince Fiona to emulate, was one of these less commonly seen variants. And Anton had actually been giving this quite a bit of thought over the last few hours. He had witnessed this same display in the past but thinking back on it, the only other times that he could remember having ever seen this done before was when it was being preformed by younger elven children who were being scolded by their parents, older siblings or other elders. And he was a little surprised to realize that he had never actually seen another adult elf of any kind ever display this particular gesture. Or at least not one that was free.


    Looking at it a little closer, this gesture began to make much more sense for it''s supposed implications.


    As all elves, regardless of their particular species, were naturally very proud beings that stood tall in the knowledge that they as a whole were considered among the myriad of Terran races to be in the upper ranks when it came to magical prowess and capability. This distinction gave them all a collective arrogance, and a major sign of their status as elves would of course be their ears.


    These same ears however were not only incredibly sensitive to sound but were also highly sensitive to touch, and in the minds of elves at least, would be considered one of, if not the most, vulnerable part of their anatomy. Despite this, their pride still dictated that they keep their ears out and on display as a sign of their confidence. This was an unsaid aspect of their psyche and nothing new, as even during the times of war throughout the past, none of the elves would ever wear any type of helmet or armor that would completely encompass their ears.


    Taking all of this into account was certainly giving this particular gesture far more significance. As although it was similar in appearance to when an elf merely lowered it''s ears, it was also markedly different.


    When this gesture was preformed the elf''s ears would not only be lowered but would also be folded down as tightly as they could be and then held pressed as far back behind their heads as possible, until the very tips of the ears were nearly touching. In this way the ears would be hidden away and be completely out of sight of anyone facing the elf. And this was where Anton was beginning to believe the true meaning behind this gesture really was.


    This was not just another way to convey an emotion. This was an actual message.


    It was a confession. And it seemed to mean that an elf had registered and was acknowledging that whoever was responsible for triggering this response was greater than themselves and that they were enough of a threat that the elf in question was willing to openly surrender it''s pride to them and make an attempt to protect it''s ears by hiding them away.


    In other words, this was apparently an elven way of saying ¡°You win¡±.


    Since this gesture was clearly a signal for submission it would of course stand to reason that it could potentially hold more significance, and possibly even have a deeper meaning, to such a domineering race like the dark elves.


    Both Kianna and Fiona certainly seemed to find it important. Or at least Kianna did the first time she displayed it, as since then she seemed to have no issues with performing it again and with far less fanfare than the original time.


    ¡°Humph!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she straightened her back as much as she could and attempted to loom over her sister.


    Fiona''s glare deepened as she followed suit and both of the dark elves ended up craning their necks upwards in an effort to look down on the other.


    Her irritation morphing into rage Kianna reared her head back as she projected her intentions to headbutt her sister.


    Realizing what she was about to do, Fiona blinked and dropped herself back. With a quiet groan her face became strained and she shook her head as her fatigue resurfaced. Kianna''s face softened as she watched her sister''s ears suddenly go limp and her entire being slump to the side as she fought to remain upright.


    ¡°Hmm!¡± moaned Kianna as she leaned forward and nuzzled her face against her sister''s.


    Fiona clamped her eyes shut and started to tremble as she pressed herself back against her sister.


    ¡°Humph! Hm, hm!¡± whimpered Kianna as she worked to lift her exhausted sister and help her stay upright.


    The two dark elves both ended up slumped against each other as they pressed their foreheads together so as to be able to look into each others eyes.


    ¡°Mm, hmph!¡± pleaded Kianna as she again moved her ears up and down before laying them flat behind her head.


    Fiona''s eyes were sorrowful as she tentatively shook her head.


    ¡°HMM!¡± exclaimed Kianna as her eyes welled with tears and she began to sob ¡°MM MM! MM MM!¡±


    Fiona was still for several moments as she watched her sister''s thin tears slowly roll down her cheeks. With an exhausted sigh she pulled herself away and sat slumped with her head hanging limp. After another moment of stillness she slowly lifted and then turned her head enough to lock eyes with Anton.


    The dark elf''s eyes were full of raw hatred as she glared at him and pointed her ears straight back behind her head.


    Anton''s expression was stoic as he folded his arms over his chest.


    ¡°Mmph!¡± cried Kianna as she leaned forward and bumped her sister''s forehead with her own ¡°Mm mm!¡±


    Fiona turned her glare on her sister and huffed in indignation.


    Kianna started whimpering softly in encouragement as she stared back with pleading eyes.


    Fiona sighed and shut her eyes as she let her head fall forward. After a moment of stillness she finally gave in and looked back up at Anton. The defiant dark elf''s ears were still pointing straight back as she stared at him. Her exhaustion showed clearly in her eyes as her gaze became locked to his. With another tiny sigh she twisted her torso at the waist until her shoulders lined back up with her head and she was fully facing him.


    As Anton watched the last of the emotion drained from Fiona''s eyes and she slowly lowered her ears before folding them back behind her head. With her ears now laid back submissively, the dark elf kept her eyes on his as she lowered her head and hunched down onto her shoulders.


    Anton''s face remained stoic as he nodded softly.


    ¡°Okay, this is interesting...¡± he whispered to himself ¡°Very, very interesting...¡±

 Chapter 7 : After Midnight

    Chapter 7 : After Midnight


    Kianna''s ears were pointed straight upwards in excitement as she looked back and forth between her sister and Anton. Seeing that neither of them were going to make a move she quickly began to get impatient.


    ¡°Mm!¡± she mumbled as she started to sway back and forth ¡°Mmph!¡±


    Kianna stopped her movements and went completely still as Anton shifted his gaze to her. Finding herself under his scrutiny, the dark elf stared back at him for a moment before nervously leaning herself back.


    ¡°Mm!¡± she whined as she looked from him to the pitcher of water and then at her sister ¡°Hm!¡±


    Fiona remained completely still as her sister continued to moan frantically beside her.


    Twisting herself at the waist, Kianna turned to fully face Anton and mimicked her sister by laying her ears back submissively and hunching her head down on her shoulders.


    ¡°Hm!¡± she moaned as her eyes became pleading ¡°Hmm!¡±


    Anton looked back and forth between the two surrendered dark elves that had now become almost mirror images of each other. With a soft sigh he turned to the pitcher and began to fill the second glass with water.


    Actually seeing the water being poured made all the difference in Fiona, and her eyes immediately began to quickly dart back and forth between the glass and Anton. Seeing him still unmoving she followed her sister''s lead and began to quietly whimper.


    Kianna went silent and turned to look at her sister as she noticed that she was calling out herself.


    ¡°Finally!¡± mumbled Anton ¡°I was starting to think you were going to make poor Kianna do all the work for you!¡±


    Fiona ignored the remark as she stared at the glass of water and continued to whimper softly.


    Anton made a show of cracking his knuckles as he stood up and walked towards the two dark elves.


    Suddenly unsure, the dark elves both cringed away from him as he knelt down and sat at eye level with them.


    ¡°Hm, well isn''t this nice and convenient!¡± teased Anton as he looked from Fiona to Kianna ¡°Tame one, and she goes off and tames the other one for you!¡±


    Kianna blinked before looking down at the floor and mumbling sheepishly.


    Fiona''s eyes became glaring as she made a low menacing sound in the back of her throat.


    ¡°Hm, isn''t that what this means?¡± asked Anton as he waved a finger back and forth between the dark elves and indicated their still flattened ears ¡°Isn''t this your way of saying that you don''t want to fight anymore? And that you''re ready to behave yourselves?¡±


    Both of the dark elves went quiet. After a moment of stillness Kianna shrugged by raising a single shoulder and then letting it fall.


    ¡°I''m going to take that as a ¡°yes¡± then¡± said Anton as he shifted his gaze to Fiona.


    Fiona''s glare intensified as they both stared into each others eyes.


    ¡°...You''re a stubborn one. And that''s the only reason you''ve suffered as much as you have¡± said Anton as he watched the dark elf''s eyes tightened ¡°You know what you need to do next¡±


    Fiona''s ears began to quiver slightly as she fought to keep them where they were. After a few more moments of glaring she gave in, cast her eyes downwards and nodded while groaning defiantly as she did so.


    ¡°Good¡± said Anton as he reached out and took hold of her sybian.


    The startled dark elf bucked her hips and pulled away from him as Anton pushed her back and slid her across the floor before maneuvering her back to where she was originally. He then picked up the little wired control box and turned it over in his hand as he made a show of examining it. Out of the corner of his eye he watched as Kianna stared directly at the little box.


    ¡°No good deed will ever go unpunished Kianna¡± said Anton as he turned to the dark elf and gave her a soft grin ¡°But you already know that... Don''t you?¡±


    Kianna''s eyes went wide as she hunkered down and whimpered fearfully.


    ¡°We''ll get to that in a little while though...¡± said Anton as he shifted his gaze back to Fiona ¡°First things first...¡±


    Fiona''s rage was still clear on her face as she continued to glare angrily at him.


    Without a word Anton reached out with his left hand and took hold of her head-harness before roughly pulling her head upwards until her whole body became taunt.


    Fiona grunted in surprise as her body was suddenly stretched tight. She flinched but kept one of her eyes open as Anton moved his free hand to her face and began to unclasp her face plate. Once the plate was free of the leather straps, he peeled it away from her face while pulling the gag out of her mouth.


    Anton did this in one quick motion as he felt this dark elf had not earned the gentler touch he had given her sister.


    Setting the gag to the side, he took note that it had been just as badly ravaged as Kianna''s. Which of course meant that Fiona had teeth that were just as capable of causing damage as her sister did. Unlike her meeker sister however, this dark elf seemed far more likely to use her natural weapons, and as such she warranted a higher level of caution.


    ¡°Better watch the fingers...¡± mumbled Anton to himself as he turned back to the dark elf.


    Fiona immediately began to take several deep breaths through her parched mouth. She tried flexing her jaw but just like her sister it was too painful of a process for her to accomplish. Her tongue was so dry that it was literally stuck to the floor of her mouth and she let out a tiny yelp as she painfully peeled it up. Moving her newly freed tongue back and forth in her mouth, she glanced at the glass of water sitting on the table across from her and then looked at Anton with expectation in her eyes.


    Anton''s face became stoic as he stared back at her.


    ¡°Who is your Master now Fiona?¡± he asked calmly.


    Fiona clamped her eyes shut and tried to clench her jaw as her face became marred with her agitation.


    ¡°Y-you!¡± she croaked angrily though her opened mouth.


    Anton closed his eyes with a sigh and shook his head.


    ¡°Look at me when you say it¡± he said as he looked back at the dark elf and bobbed her head up and down by her head-harness.


    Fiona scrunched up her closed eyes in irritation before blinking them open and shifting her gaze to him.


    ¡°Who is your Master now?¡± asked Anton as he took note that the dark elf''s ruby colored irises now had a faint red glow to them.


    ¡°You!¡± hissed Fiona as she curled her lip up to bare her teeth and pointed her ears straight back behind her head.


    ¡°Good girl!¡± praised Anton with a smile as the dark elf hissed angrily through her open mouth and began to tremble in fury ¡°Such a very good girl!¡±


    ¡°Hhhate!¡± hissed Fiona as she struggled to clench her jaw.


    Anton couldn''t help but to chuckle as he watched the enraged dark elf continue to tremble.


    ¡°Now you''re just becoming more and more entertaining by the minute!¡± exclaimed Anton ¡°I knew I was going to enjoy this!¡±


    ¡°Kill you!¡± ragged Fiona as she finally brought her jaws together and rattled her teeth.


    ¡°Hm, good luck with that!¡± teased Anton as he gave her a knowing smile and let go of her head-harness.


    The dark elf tumbled back a bit at the sudden free falling sensation. She quickly readjusted herself and turned back to glare at Anton as he stood up in front of her.


    With a small smile still on his face, Anton crossed over to the little table and picked up the waiting glass of water. Turning back to Fiona he was surprised to find that the dark elf had dropped her head to hang forward and was taking one labored breath after another as she stared down at the floor. Kneeling back down in front of her, he lifted her head back up by retaking hold of her head-harness and frowned when he found that she was already on the verge of falling asleep.


    Teetering on the brink of unconsciousness, Fiona''s ears were hanging limp from the sides of her head as she absently opened and closed her mouth. Her large eyes would only open halfway as she began to blink drearily.


    Anton shook his head and moved the glass of water under the dark elf''s nose a few times to both bring her fully back to her senses, and to torment her a little.


    Fiona became alert again almost immediately as she registered the closeness of the water. Lurching forward in an attempt to reach the glass, she was jerked back by both Anton''s hold on her head-harness and the chain attached to her shoulder harness. She groaned in frustration as she tried and failed to pull herself free of Anton''s grip. Her tongue hanging limply out of her mouth she twisted her head as much as she could to glare at him.


    ¡°What do you say?¡± asked Anton as he gave her a condescending smirk.


    Fiona clenched her teeth and swallowed painfully before taking a deep breath through her nose.


    ¡°P-please!¡± she groaned through her teeth as her eyes went wide with desperation.


    ¡°Good girl!¡± whispered Anton as he immediately moved the glass to her lips.


    Fiona whimpered happily through her nose and shivered uncontrollably as the cool water filled her parched mouth and soaked her dried tongue. She pulled against her chain and raised her body up off the sybian as much as she could as she frantically gulped down the rejuvenating water.


    When the glass was emptied, she let out a long and labored sigh and started to tremble so violently that it almost seemed as though she had gone into convulsions.


    Anton held her steady until she finally went still and sighed again.


    Breathing hard but feeling relieved nonetheless, Fiona looked at Anton expectantly. When he merely stared back at her, she scrunched up her face in irritation before flattening her ears back submissively.


    ¡°You know what you have to say¡± said Anton as he grinned at her.


    Fiona went still for a moment before she suddenly bit her lower lip and pouted while giving him her best version of sad little puppy dog eyes.


    Amused by her unexpected tactics, Anton began to laugh before shaking his head.


    ¡°You know what! I''m not gonna lie to you Fiona!¡± smiled Anton as he continued to shake his head ¡°That almost worked!¡±


    Fiona groaned miserably as her eyes tightened in frustration.


    ¡°Please!¡± she exclaimed as she shook her head as much as she could while still in his grip ¡°I can''t!¡±


    ¡°Don''t be ridiculous¡± said Anton in a calm tone ¡°You can, and you will¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡± groaned Fiona as she clenched her teeth ¡°Why are you doing this!¡±


    ¡°Because I think you deserve it¡± answered Anton as a condescending smirk returned to his face ¡°And because I think it''s fun!¡±


    Fiona blinked as a surprised expression took form on her face.


    ¡°And I think you understand that too. Don''t you?¡± smiled Anton as he narrowed his eyes in question ¡°If our positions were reversed right now. You''d be enjoying yourself just as much as I am. And we both know this!¡±


    Fiona stared at him for a moment before sighing and slumping her shoulders in defeat.


    ¡°...Please, Master!¡± she mumbled under her breath ¡°One more!¡±


    ¡°Now see, was that really so hard?¡± asked Anton as he gently loosened his grip on her head-harness ¡°I knew you could do it!¡±


    ¡°I hate you!¡± growled Fiona as she let her head hang limp.


    ¡°I know¡± said Anton as he stood up.


    Crossing back over to the table, he quickly refilled the glass before turning back to Fiona.


    The waiting dark elf had remained alert this time and was watching him expectantly with eyes that were now bright and cleared of their redness.


    Kneeling back down in front of her, Anton had to take hold of the head-harness again to keep the excited dark elf from knocking the glass from his hand. Holding her in place he forced her to drink this glass at an even slower pace than the first one.


    Kianna was smiling with her eyes as she watched the liveliness quickly return to her sister. Her ears had pointed themselves straight upwards which gave her a very ¡°happy¡± look and her blatant relief was down right joyful. Though she didn''t seem to be aware that she was even doing it, Anton had noticed that she was ever-so-slightly grinding herself against the sybian and this put a knowing smile on his face.


    Setting the now empty glass down next to her gag, Anton let go of the head-harness and crossed his arms over his chest as he faced Fiona and looked her over.


    Tense with mistrust in her eyes, the dark elf pointed her ears straight back and stared at him as she waited for him to speak. Her brow creased in annoyance when he smiled at her.


    ¡°You know Fiona I really hope you understand just how lucky you are to have a sister like Kianna! She clearly loves you very much!¡± nodded Anton as surprise spread across Fiona''s face ¡°She''s worked so hard to make sure you were going to be okay! She really is a very, very good girl that apparently cares a lot about you! She did a lot for you today, and I hope you do plan on thanking her!¡±


    Fiona blinked and quickly looked over at the other dark elf.


    ¡°...Y-yeah! I, she''s the best!¡± she exclaimed as she lowered her eyes and ears ¡°Thank you, Kianna!¡±


    Kianna chirped out a series of happy sounds as she playfully rocked her head back and forth.


    ¡°Yes, I really do hope you appreciate what she''s done for you...¡± said Anton as his voice took on a darker tone ¡°Because she is going to have to suffer for it...¡±


    ¡°...W-wha!?¡± stammered Fiona as turned back to him ¡°Why!?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± repeated Anton as he tilted his head in mock question ¡°Why do you think?¡±


    Fiona had a confused look on her face as she went to speak. Looking back and forth between her sister and Anton she stayed silent out of uncertainty.


    ¡°...Fiona¡± soothed Anton as a grin spread across his face ¡°Do you really think that your Sybian just turned itself off?¡±


    Fiona''s eyes went wide as realization spread across her face.


    ¡°Because it didn''t...¡± said Anton as he turned to Kianna.


    Kianna made a loud gulping sound as she swallowed a lump in her throat and laid her ears down submissively.


    ¡°My poor, poor little dark elf...¡± soothed Anton as he sadly shook his head and got to his feet ¡°She disobeyed her Master. And now she''s going to have to face the consequences of that very poor decision...¡±


    Kianna''s eyes widened to their fullest as Anton stood above her and gave her a soft smile.


    ¡°Wait!¡± cried Fiona.


    ¡°Wait? For what!?¡± snapped Anton as he turned back to her ¡°Oh!? Did you want to take her place Fiona? Hm? Maybe sacrifice yourself for her the way she''s been so willing to sacrifice herself for you!? ...Or are you just looking to glare at her again? Answering her compassion with your ungrateful anger!? Go ahead and answer me Fiona. Tell me that you want to trade places with her. Or at least share in her punishment! Maybe even take half of it on yourself!? That seems fair enough to me, and at this point I''m more than willing to entertain that idea!¡±


    Fiona''s eyes became panicked as she cringed back. Glancing at her sister she quickly looked away and lowered her ears as she set her jaw.


    ¡°...Well!?¡± asked Anton as he cocked an eyebrow at the dark elf ¡°Do you have anything else to say? Or not!?¡±


    ¡°...No¡± whispered Fiona as she hunched her shoulders and looked down at the floor ¡°...I don''t¡±


    ¡°Mmeeph!?¡± whined Kianna as tears of hurt started to form in the corners of her eyes.


    ¡°Hm, I didn''t think so...¡± mumbled Anton as he cradled his chin in his hand and turned back to loom menacingly over a now quivering Kianna ¡°Well then, what should I do with you?¡±


    Kianna cringed down as low as she could as she subconsciously tried to make herself look as small as possible.


    ¡°Plenty of options to choose from... Especially considering we''re in a ¡°Dungeon¡± that''s just full of fun and painful toys...¡± mused Anton as Kianna began to whimper fearfully ¡°But then again, this is a first offense, so I don''t think I need to be too rough with you... And besides, I always feel the lessons hit home the best whenever the punishment fits the crime¡±


    Kianna started to frantically shake her head as Anton knelt down in front of her and picked up the control box for her sybian.


    ¡°I''d like to leave this going for a few hours but I don''t think you''ve got that in you right now. And it''s just too difficult to fully reflect on your mistakes once you''ve passed out...¡± mused Anton as he turned the controller over in his hands and held it right side up ¡°So I guess just one hour will have to do...¡±


    ¡°HMMPH! MM MM! MM MM!¡± cried Kianna through her gag as she stared wide eyed at the controller and bucked her hips wildly in a desperate attempt to escape the coming onslaught.


    Anton said nothing as he turned the little dial and upped the intensity of the sybian to max.


    Kianna jolted as if she had just been electrified. She curled in on herself and began to tremble horribly as she desperately tried to maintain control of her body. Unfortunately, spending the last two days in a constant state of sexual arousal had left her both highly sensitive, and susceptible to being easily stimulated further, and she could only hold back for a moment before the sybian, which when set to max was powerful enough to vibrate her entire being, began to send her still aching body crashing over the edge.


    Arching her spine and throwing her head as far back as she could left her in a coiled shape for a moment before she lost all sense of herself and began to convulse wildly. Screaming through her gag she twisted back in on herself and went still with tension before a short but intense climax was violently ripped from her body and was quickly followed by the build up of another.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.Anton retook his seat and leaned back with his legs crossed at the ankles as he watched the struggling dark elf squirm and contort herself into one twisted shape after another. About midway through the assigned time period he glanced over at Fiona and cocked an eyebrow at the sight of her.


    The second dark elf appeared to be completely mesmerized by the sight of her sister''s pleasured torture. But rather than be horrified by what she was seeing it was quite clear by the expression on her face that she was instead fully enthralled by the spectacle.


    A sadistic glint shone brightly in her eyes as she bit her lower lip and slowly shifted herself back and forth atop her own sybian. With her ears pointed straight upwards and the corners of her mouth curled up into a thin smile there was little question left as to whether or not she approved of her sister''s treatment.


    ¡°Are you enjoying yourself over there?¡± asked Anton as a broad smile spread across his face.


    Fiona turned to him as he spoke and immediately looked away as an annoyed frown marred her features.


    Anton shook his head in amusement as he turned his attention back to the chaotically bouncing Kianna.


    When the hours worth of time finally came to an end, Anton knelt back down in front of the quivering dark elf and shut the sybian off with a quick twist of the knob.


    Staring straight up at the ceiling with her back curled into a painful arch, Kianna hung motionless for a moment before slumping off to the side of the sybian. She was held in place and kept from fully falling over by the chain attached to her shoulder harness. Her eyes had rolled into the back of her head, which left nothing but the whites visible between her half closed eyelids. The constant garbled moan and her sporadically twitching ears made it clear that she was completely incoherent and just barely swimming on the edge of consciousness. Viscus fluids ran from her tormented sex and pooled down on either side of the sybian, coating both the machine and her legs as it went.


    ¡°Aw, my poor little dark elf!¡± soothed Anton as he took hold of Kianna''s shoulders and lifted her back upright ¡°It looks like her little brain might have gotten vibrated a little too roughly!¡±


    Kianna''s head lolled to the side as she blinked away her incoherency. Drearily, she lifted her head up and looked at Anton with half closed eyes before moaning softly and slumping forward to rest her head against the very center of his chest.


    ¡°Kianna...¡± called Anton as he held the dark elf upright and began to stroke the back of her head ¡°Can you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Hm...¡± moaned Kianna as she nodded her head against him.


    ¡°Did you learn your lesson?¡± asked Anton in a soothing tone.


    ¡°Mm!¡± whined the dark elf as she nodded again.


    ¡°Are you going to disobey your Master again?¡± asked Anton


    ¡°Mm mm!¡± whimpered Kianna as she shook her head and shivered against him.


    ¡°Good, that''s very good! I''m so happy to hear that you learned your lesson!¡± praised Anton as he tightened his hold on her ¡°You''re a good girl Kianna, a very good girl!¡±


    The dark elf went quiet as she rested against him.


    As Anton continued to stroke her, he noticed that Kianna was beginning to take in deeper and deeper breaths through her nose. A faint hissing sound could be heard each time she pulled the air, and his scent, through the little holes along the top of her plate-mask and into her system. This continued until the dark elf took in a long, massive breath and shuddered as she let it out.


    ¡°Kianna?¡± questioned Anton when she went still against him.


    The dark elf shifted her head and pulled herself back until she was able to look up at him. Her eyes were still dreary looking and she blinked them slowly several times as she worked to focus them on his.


    ¡°Hi¡± greeted Anton as he smiled at her.


    Kianna stared back at him for a moment before her eyes scrunched up as though she were smiling beneath her plate-mask.


    ¡°Hm, hm, hm, hm, hm!¡± she giggled as she folded her ears back and away from her head and leaned in to nuzzle her face against his.


    Anton went stiff in surprise as the dark elf began to nudge her plate covered mouth against his in an obvious attempt to give him a kiss.


    ¡°Um! Well! Somebodies feeling pretty friendly all of a sudden!¡± teased Anton as he playfully let the dark elf push his face back and forth.


    ¡°Mm!¡± moaned Kianna as her efforts quickly began to become to more frantic. She pulled herself upwards to not only better reach his face but to also press her bosom against his chest.


    ¡°Make that very friendly!¡± laughed Anton as he tilted his head and gazed down at the soft mounds that were now being pressed against him ¡°Very, very friendly!¡±


    Kianna began to whimper in frustration as she continued to try and reach his lips through her gag. In another bid to get his attention she began to lightly bounce herself up and down in order to rub her breasts against his chest.


    ¡°Kianna!¡± exclaimed Fiona as a look of exasperation marred her face ¡°What the fuck are you doing!?¡±


    ¡°Mm?¡± grumbled Kianna as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards. Although her ears had become alert to the sound of her sisters voice, the dark elf kept her attention on Anton and continued her efforts without pause.


    ¡°Is this even normal?¡± joked Anton as he turned to Fiona.


    ¡°Huh!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as she shifted her eyes to him ¡°What!?¡±


    ¡°This!¡± said Anton as he indicated Kianna ¡°Not that I''m complaining! It''s just that cuddling isn''t exactly something I''d expect from a dark elf!¡±


    Fiona narrowed her eyes and looked away from him with an angry sigh.


    ¡°...Wait, is it not?¡± asked Anton as he cocked an eyebrow at the irritated but questioning look on Fiona''s face ¡°...Huh, well, anyways!¡±


    Taking hold of Kianna''s shoulders, Anton gently but firmly eased her back as she began to moan in disappointment. A odd slopping sound caught his attention and glancing downwards he noticed that Kianna had once again begun to grind herself against the sybian.


    ¡°Oh, now look at you Kianna!¡± he teased as a broad smile spread back across his face ¡°You''re such a bad girl!¡±


    ¡°Mm! Mm mm!¡± Kianna whimpered pitifully as she pressed her forehead back against his chest and shook her head in protest.


    ¡°Oh yes you are!¡± continued Anton as his smile grew wider ¡°Just look at this mess you''ve made on the Sybian!¡±


    ¡°Humph!?¡± groaned Kianna as she pulled away from him and looked down at her soaked slit. The dark elf went still for a moment as she stared at herself.


    ¡°See!?¡± laughed Anton as Kianna''s ears flattened themselves back behind her head ¡°You''re still so thirsty and yet look at all this water you just wasted! Such a bad girl!¡±


    ¡°...Humph!¡± groaned Kianna with a sudden urgency as she turned to her sister. Bobbing her chin towards her groin and swaying her hips back and forth, she began to call to Fiona in a seemingly inviting manner.


    Anton cocked an eyebrow as he looked from Fiona to Kianna and back.


    ¡°...Oh! Now that''s a fun idea!¡± laughed Anton as he smiled evilly at the viciously glaring dark elf ¡°Fiona, would you like a sip of your sister!?¡±


    ¡°You bastard!¡± hissed Fiona as her ears pointed themselves straight back and began to quiver in anger.


    ¡°...So is that a yes then!?¡± teased Anton as he nodded to her.


    Fiona growled angrily as her irises began to faintly glow with a dim red light.


    ¡°Kianna!¡± called Anton as he turned back to her ¡°Your sister is still really thirsty! Do you want to give her a drink before it dries away!?¡±


    ¡°Mm hm!¡± moaned Kianna as she fell back against him and slowly nodded her head against his shoulder.


    ¡°Aw Kianna! You''re still so worried about your sister aren''t you!?¡± asked Anton as the dark elf whimpered and nodded her head again ¡°Well, it''s not going to give her much in the way of hydration... it is something though... So why not!? Here! Let me help you!¡±


    Fiona watched intently as Anton unclasped the metal ratchets that held the straps wrapped around Kianna''s bent legs and kept her trapped on the sybian. He then detached the chain from her shoulder harness before gently lifting her up and off of the machine.


    Kianna shuddered as the dildo attached to the sybian was slid out of her but didn''t make any noise as Anton set her down in front of himself and began to unbuckle the belts that were wrapped around her legs. Taking advantage of her semi-freedom the dark elf quickly scooted herself forward and bent down to nuzzle her face into his crotch.


    ¡°Whoa! Hey there!¡± cried Anton as a surprised smile spread across his face ¡°What has gotten into you!?¡±


    Kianna began to murmur softly as she flopped down onto her side and let her head rest limply in his lap.


    ¡°Aw, you poor little thing!¡± soothed Anton as he slid his hand under her chin and lifted her head up and away from his groin ¡°My poor little dark elf is so sleepy! Isn''t she!?¡±


    Kianna whimpered pitifully through her gag as she looked up at him with pleading eyes and let her ears lay back submissively behind her head.


    ¡°Kianna, your sister is still thirsty!¡± exclaimed Anton in a soft tone ¡°Don''t you remember!?¡±


    ¡°...Mm!¡± whined Kianna as she sat herself upright and nodded absently. She let her shoulders slump but otherwise stayed still and sitting up as Anton resumed unbuckling and removing the belts from around her legs.


    Once finished, Anton stood up and stepped behind her before wrapping his arms around her waist.


    Kianna leaned back into him as he slowly and gently lifted her up from behind. She groaned softly through her nose as her cramped legs unfolded themselves beneath her, and gave out a frustrated whine as she tried her best to stand on her own. Unfortunately, she was still far too weak and couldn''t even manage to keep her knees locked in place.


    Grinning to himself, Anton lifted her completely up off the ground and carried her over to her sister, where he then held her up so that her sex was level with Fiona''s head.


    ¡°Kianna!¡± whispered Anton as he moved her in close to Fiona''s face ¡°You need to spread your legs so that your sister can reach you!¡±


    Kianna made a small sound as she opened her legs as much as she could.


    Fiona gave Anton a venomous look but without a word she plunged her face into her sisters still dripping folds. Her thirst clearly having gotten the better of her pride.


    ¡°What a good girl you are Kianna!¡± praised Anton as he watched Fiona''s head bob up and down between her legs ¡°Giving your poor, thirsty sister a drink! Such a good girl!¡±


    Kianna whimpered happily through her gag as she took joy in both helping her sister and getting herself licked out. With her head leaned back against Anton''s shoulder, she stared up at nothing with half closed eyes as she began to drift along the edge of consciousness. Her body would occasionally shift between tensing up and trembling as her sister''s tongue lapped away at her tender sex.


    Fiona was both aggressive and meticulous with her task. She completely ignored the aches in her jaw as she left no crevice unchecked and greedily licked away every last drop of liquid she could find.


    After a few moments Anton felt the dark elf in his arms go completely limp as she finally slipped into unconsciousness.


    ¡°Well that''s it¡± mumbled Anton as Kianna''s head lolled to the side under it''s own weight ¡°She''s done¡±


    Fiona gave out a small, irritated huff as he pulled Kianna away.


    Lifting the dozing dark elf up in his arms, Anton carried her across the expanse of the dungeon to one of the metal cages that were lined up in a row along the far wall.


    These cages were made of heavily welded metal and had been bolted down to the floor. They had clearly been designed to hold very strong beings, and there was little doubt that they would be able to keep a pair of exhausted, magic-less dark elves in one place.


    The doorway of the cage that Anton had chosen was large enough that he could easily duck down and lean inside. He set the sleeping dark elf down with her back to the left wall of the cage, and as soon as she was laying against the pillows Kianna nestled in and didn''t move beyond the rise and fall of her breathing. Anton left her legs unbound but didn''t bother to loosen or remove any of her other gear as none of it posed any risk to her circulation.


    Fiona wouldn''t look at him as Anton strolled back from the cages. She continued to stare at the floor as he bent down mid-stride and picked up the glass before setting it next to the pitcher on the small table. She then tightened her eyes and clenched her teeth as he knelt down next to her and picked up her gag.


    ¡°Are you going to kill us!?¡± she exclaimed through her teeth as Anton lifted the gag to her face.


    With an annoyed crease to his brow Anton lowered the gag as he spoke.


    ¡°Do you really think it''s fair to ask questions when you both can''t hear the answers?¡± he asked in a condescending tone ¡°Or do you actually think you deserve to know more than Kianna does!?¡±


    Turning her head just enough to see his face, Fiona glared at him and then down at the gag in his hand.


    ¡°You won''t get away with this!¡± she hissed venomously.


    ¡°Why not?¡± asked Anton.


    Fiona continued to glare at the gag as she spoke.


    ¡°Because when our Mother finds out what you''ve done!¡± she threatened as her eyes rose up to meet his ¡°You''ll be a dead man!¡±


    ¡°...I see¡± nodded Anton ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes!¡± hissed Fiona as a vicious glint appeared in her eyes ¡°That is very so!¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess I''ll just have to deal with that when the time comes then won''t I?¡± said Anton as he held up the gag ¡°Now, are you going to make this simple? Or would you rather try to sleep where you are right now?¡±


    Fiona grimaced as she looked back at the gag. Sighing heavily through her nose she clamped her eyes shut and opened her mouth.


    Anton showed her no courtesy as he shoved the gag into place and re-clasped the face-plate to the harness that was still wrapped tightly around her head. He then released the ratchets that held her legs strapped to the sybian before unclipping the chain attached to her shoulder harness.


    Now free from both the sybian and the wall, Fiona found herself being lifted straight up into the air by her shoulder harness. She let out a meek whine as the dildo left her body and she was able to close her legs for the first time in days. To her dismay Anton made no move to unbuckle the belts wrapped around her legs and instead he kept hold of her shoulder harness with his left hand and held her up as he reached down to take hold of the thick belt that was wrapped around her waist with his right.


    Fiona lightly kicked her still bent but now hanging legs as she found herself being carried as if she were a piece of luggage.


    ¡°...I wonder how far I could toss you?¡± mused Anton as he hefted the lightweight and grumbling dark elf in a testing manner before making his way across the dungeon.


    Fiona blinked in surprise as Anton set her down in the doorway of the same cage that her sister was already sleeping in. Wasting no time, she quickly hobbled into the cage on her knees and turned to face him as he closed and locked the cage door behind her. Hunched over with her ears pointed straight back, she watched as Anton stood back up and took a step back and away from the cage. They both stared at each other for a moment before Fiona turned away from him and looked over her sister.


    Kianna hadn''t responded at all to her sister joining her and was still sleeping peacefully after having snuggled herself into the pile of small pillows.


    Fiona watched her sister sleep for a few moments before slowly turning and giving Anton one last glare. Her message sent, she dropped down onto her side and shifting herself back and forth she shimmied herself in place and curled up against Kianna as closely as she could before laying her head down among the pillows and resting with her forehead pressed against her sister''s.


    Kianna still hadn''t moved or even responded in any way to her sister settling in next to her, and Fiona was now resting with as much of her body touching her sister''s as she could manage.


    Anton stepped forward and gazed down at the two dark elves. Fiona''s eyes were already halfway closed but she still glanced up at him as he moved closer. After staring at him for only a moment she turned back to her sister. As he watched, her breathing began to slow and despite her attitude a moment ago her exhaustion got the better of her and she quickly drifted off to sleep.


    With their heads resting together, Anton couldn''t help but to think that the peaceful looking dark elves made a cute sight, even in their bound state. With a half smile on his face, he quietly stepped away from them and turning out the few remaining lights still on in the room, left them to their dreams.

 Chapter 8 : Morning

    Chapter 8 : Morning


    Neither one of the dark elves stirred as Anton unlocked and opened the cage''s door.


    Kianna''s legs were stretched out as much as the cage would allow and as Anton took hold of one of her ankles and gave her a light tug, she gave out a tiny groan and hid her face deeper into the pile of small pillows.


    With a half grin on his face, Anton gently pulled her forward and dragged her legs out of the cage. Laying on her back, Kianna blinked drearily up at him as her torso came to rest in the cages doorway.


    ¡°Good morning my little dark elf!¡± smiled Anton as he leaned over her and brushed her bangs away from her face ¡°Are you ready to wake up now?¡±


    ¡°...Mm mm!¡± mumbled Kianna through her gag as her eyes refused to stay open completely.


    ¡°Aw, are you sure?¡± teased Anton as he smiled down at her ¡°I would think my little dark elf was probably pretty hungry by now! But if she''s not...¡±


    Kianna whined miserably as she scrunched up her still closed eyes.


    ¡°Oh! Does that mean you do want to have some breakfast then?¡± chuckled Anton as he gave the dark elf a light tap on her plate covered nose.


    Her ears drooping limply from the sides of her head, Kianna willfully blinked the sleep from her eyes and nodded eagerly.


    ¡°Well alright then!¡± smiled Anton as he gently pulled her the rest of the way out of the cage ¡°Do you need to use the bathroom first?¡±


    Kianna went still for a moment before blinking up at him and nodding even more frantically than she had before.


    Chuckling at the desperation that was now in the dark elf''s eyes, Anton lifted her out of the cage and stood her up.


    Kianna stood on her own for only a moment before trying to take a step. The very instant she made to move however, her legs buckled out from beneath her and with a panicked grunt she began to fall.


    Anton caught the now frustrated dark elf by her shoulder harness and lifted her back up to a standing position. He grinned as he watched her wobble on her unsteady legs.


    ¡°I think you''re going to need a little help!¡± he teased as he bent down and tossed her over his shoulder before lifting her up into the air and wrapping his arm around her legs to hold her in place.


    ¡°Humph! Hm!¡± protested Kianna as she suddenly found herself hanging upside down behind his back and with her bare bottom now resting next to his head. Squirming feebly she kicked her feet as a bright blush spread across her face.


    ¡°You might want to quit moving around so much!¡± warned Anton with a smile as he gave her a light smack on her exposed butt cheek ¡°Because if you end up peeing on me, I am going to whip you!¡±


    Kianna froze and whimpering in response she pressed her thighs together and held herself still.


    Chuckling, Anton turned to the door and moving quickly but carefully he carried the dark elf out of the dungeon and up to the bathroom on the ground floor.


    Once in the bathroom, Anton set Kianna down on the toilet seat and took a step back. The dark elf looked at the still opened door before looking up at him expectantly as she squeezed her legs together.


    ¡°You''re not going to be able to clean yourself up on your own¡± explained Anton as he turned around and faced away from her.


    Groaning, Kianna slumped in defeat and unable to hold back any longer began to relieve yourself.


    Anton waited for the sound of tinkling water to come to an end before turning back to the clearly embarrassed dark elf.


    Kianna kept her eyes shut as Anton took a handful of paper and dried away the leftover moisture from her slit.


    Still blushing, Kianna tried to raise herself up from the toilet seat and stumbled into Anton''s waiting arms. Grunting at her indignity, she was taken by surprise as Anton scooped her up in his arms and lifted her bridal style.


    ¡°Hi¡± said Anton as he gave her wide eyed look a closed-lip grin.


    Kianna went completely still as she stared up at him. After a moment she blinked and flattened her ears back submissively behind her head as her eyes became full of nervousness.


    ¡°Aw, are you worried I''m going to let you fall?¡± teased Anton as he leaned his head forward and playfully narrowed his eyes at her ¡°What did I tell you about trusting your Master Kianna?¡±


    The dark elf stared back at him for another moment before looking away with her eyes. Making a low grumbling sound she shifted to the side and lightly pressed herself against him. Laying her cheek against his shoulder she blinked and looked back up at him through her eyelashes.


    ¡°Now that''s more like it¡± whispered Anton as he gave her a broad smile ¡°Such a good girl!¡±


    Kianna''s blush deepened as she twisted her head to the side and hid her face against him.


    ¡°Aw, looks like somebodies feeling bashful all of a sudden!¡± teased Anton as he gave her a gentle squeeze ¡°How cute!¡±


    Kianna grumbled again in response as she closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against his shoulder in protest.


    Anton chuckled as he left the bathroom and headed for the kitchen. Once there he set the dark elf down in front of the farmhouse style breakfast table.


    The large rectangular shaped table had seating for six, with a chair on either end and 2 chairs on each of the sides.


    Anton pulled out one of the side chairs and turned to Kianna who was clearly busy with focusing on staying upright. She had finally been able to stay standing by keeping her knees locked together.


    Sighing softly through his nose, Anton crossed his arms and bent forward so that he would be able to look the dark elf in the eyes.


    Kianna blinked as she lifted her large, ruby colored eyes up from where she had been staring at her legs and focused them on his.


    ¡°I''m going to go back downstairs to get your sister¡± declared Anton ¡°There''s realistically no reason for me to assume that you''ll just stay put up here while I''m gone. Not that I think you could make it very far with your arms bound and your legs in the condition that they''re in. Regardless though, I''m sure you''ll still try to take advantage of this opportunity. And that being the case, I really should restrain you... But I really don''t want to do that...¡±


    Kianna''s eyes went wide as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards.


    ¡°...I want to talk. I have questions. And I''m sure you do too¡± said Anton as they both stared into each others eyes ¡°I don''t want to hurt you Kianna. And I don''t want you to hurt yourself by trying to run or attempting to do something heroic while you''re all alone up here¡±


    The dark elf remained completely still as she continued to stare back at him.


    ¡°I''m serious when I say that I want you to be able to trust me. And I know that''s not going to be an easy thing for you to believe. So to help prove to you that I am serious about it. I''m going to put some trust in you too¡± stated Anton ¡°This is going to be part of building trust between us. So, can I trust you to stay still and wait right here while I''m gone? ...Please?¡±


    Kianna laid her ears back submissively as her eyes dropped down to the floor.  After a moment of thought she slowly nodded her head.


    ¡°Hm! Such a good girl!¡± said Anton as he straightened his back, stood upright and smiled ¡°I knew I could count on you!¡±


    Kianna looked away and grumbled in annoyance as her ears pointed themselves straight back behind her head.


    Chuckling, Anton ruffled her hair as he walked past which caused her to whine in distress as she started to wobble on her unsteady legs.


    As he entered back into the dungeon, Anton was surprised to find that Fiona was already awake.


    The drowsy looking dark elf was sitting upright in the cage and looking at the place where her sister had just been sleeping. Her ears shifted themselves towards Anton as she heard him enter the room and her eyes quickly followed.


    ¡°Good morning¡± said Anton as he knelt down at the cages doorway ¡°I''m a little surprised to see that you''re already awake. How are you feeling?¡±


    Fiona took on an almost caged-animal like look as she hunched in on herself and started moving backwards to the back of the cage. With her ears pointed straight back behind her head and her large eyes glaring, her wordless message of hostility was all too clear.


    ¡°...If you''re going to have an attitude then you''re more than welcome to stay in here all day¡± declared Anton ¡°I''m sure that a third day without food won''t kill you, though I seriously doubt you''ll enjoy the hunger pains. I''m also sure that Kianna will be very upset if you don''t join us upstairs. But I''m not going to fight with you. So, you can either make this easy, and come with me to get some breakfast with your sister. Or you can be stubborn and just stay down here by yourself. It''s completely up to you¡±


    Fiona didn''t move for a moment as she absorbed everything she had just been told. With an aggravated sigh she slowly began to hobble her way to the entrance of the cage. She stopped just in front of Anton but refused to look at him.


    ¡°...I hope you can do a better job of controlling your attitude¡± said Anton as his face took on a look of tired annoyance ¡°Because if not then your time outside of this cage is going to be very short¡±


    Fiona''s eyes darted to his before falling to the floor between them. With a quiet sigh she hunched her shoulders and folded her ears back before laying them flat behind her head. Though her ears were now laid back submissively, her eyes still clearly showed her anger.


    Anton tilted his head as his own eyes became thoughtful. Like her sister, this dark elf didn''t seem to have any hesitation when it came to repeating this little gesture. Clearly the significance was lost after their initial display, and reaffirming their message was not as much of an issue for them.


    ¡°Well now!¡± he smiled as he raised his head out of it''s tilt ¡°Are you saying you''ve decided you''re going to be a good girl then?¡±


    Fiona stiffed at the jab before slowly nodding her head.


    ¡°Good, that''s good¡± said Anton as his voice took on a softer tone ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    Fiona nodded again as her eyes took on a pained expression.


    ¡°And do you need to use the bathroom?¡± asked Anton as he reached towards her and went to take hold of her shoulders harness.


    Fiona leaned back as she cringed away from his approaching hand. Her ears stayed lowered as her eyes darted to his frozen hand and then to his face before falling back to the floor. She relaxed back into her sitting position as she nodded her head.


    ¡°...Make no mistake Fiona. If I wanted to hurt you I would have already done so¡± said Anton as he took hold of her shoulder harness and pulled her forward ¡°And, if in the future I do decide that I''m going to hurt you. I''ll make sure that you understand what''s going to happen, and why¡±


    Fiona tightened her eyes and went limp as she was lifted the rest of the way out of the cage and then set down in front of Anton.


    ¡°Now, I''m going to pick you up and carry you upstairs¡± said Anton as he began to unbuckle the belts that were wrapped around her legs ¡°If you pee on me, I will beat you, brutally. You will not be able to move without pain for a very long time. Do you understand this?¡±


    Fiona blinked and raised her eyes to his. She gave him a sly look before nodding slowly.


    ¡°Don''t test me on this Fiona¡± said Anton as he pointed his finger at her face ¡°You won''t think it''s funny when you''re laying on the ground and struggling to breathe¡±


    Fiona smiled with her eyes and mumbled an agreement through her gag.


    Anton stared at her for a moment before sighing and standing up.


    Confused, Fiona watched him walk over to where the sybians were. When he came back he was carrying the chains that had attached the dark elves to the wall behind them.


    ¡°I need you to hold these for me¡± said Anton as he clipped the ends of the chains together and made two loops ¡°I''ve decided that I''m going to keep you on a leash for a little longer¡±


    Fiona cringed back as Anton dropped the chain loops around her neck and let them hang like two large necklaces.


    Kneeling back down, Anton quickly finished unbuckling and removing the belts before helping Fiona to stretch out her legs. The hesitant dark elf groaned softly first in pain and then in relief as her cramped legs were slowly unfolded in front of her. Anton let her rest for a minute to let the first bits of feeling return to her limbs before gently picking her up and cradling her in his arms.


    Fiona''s eyes were glaring as she faced away from Anton. Although clearly unhappy with being carried in his arms, she made good on her word and kept them both dry until they reached the bathroom. This was apparently more of a struggle for her than she let on though, since she immediately began to relieve herself the very moment she was placed on the toilet seat.


    The dark elf let out a long soft groan for the entire length of time that she was relieving herself and then shivered blissfully when she finished. Unlike her sister, Fiona was not at all bashful when it came to Anton helping her to get cleaned, and even went so far as to spread her legs to make the task easier for him. Also unlike Kianna, she made no effort to stand on her own and merely waited for Anton to lift her back up into his arms.


    As they entered the kitchen they found Kianna down on the ground with her legs sprawled out at her sides. She was still sitting upright but had a sour look on her face nonetheless.


    ¡°Just couldn''t hold up, could you?¡± teased Anton as he grinned down at her ¡°That''s too bad!¡±


    ¡°Humph!¡± whined Kianna as she pointed her ears straight back and glared up at him with eyes that were more pouting than actually angry.


    Chuckling, Anton set Fiona down in the first of the side chairs and took one of the chains from around her neck. He then clipped this chain to one side of her shoulder harness before looping it throughout and then back around the chairs headrest before attaching it off on the opposite side of the harness. This left the dark elf effectively locked to her own chair.


    Fiona gave him a tired look and groaned as she tugged on the chain.


    ¡°It''s hardly necessary considering I doubt your legs are working any better than your sister''s are¡± said Anton as he picked up Kianna and moved to set her down in the chair next to her sister ¡°But it helps to drive the message home¡±


    In an effort to make herself comfortable, Kianna began to shift her hips back and forth in her seat. She became startled and went still when Anton placed his hand on her sternum and pushed her back until she was sitting up straight in her chair.


    ¡°Stay¡± said Anton as he gave her a pointed look.


    Kianna blinked up at him before flattening her ears back behind her head and nodding softly. She remained completely still as Anton stepped around to Fiona and took the second chain from around her neck.


    Standing behind Kianna, Anton threaded the chain through and then around the chairs headrest before clipping both ends to the sitting dark elf''s shoulder harness. This left her locked to her own chair in an identical fashion to her sister.


    Kianna gave the chain a light tug and hunched in on herself. Though she wasn''t completely bound this time, the unhappiness at finding herself entrapped at all was still clear on her face as she tightened her eyes in sorrow.


    With both of the dark elves now restrained, Anton crossed over to the kitchen counter and picked up two bottles of water that had already had their caps removed and had been outfitted with straws that stuck out of their open tops.


    With bottles now in hand, he then made his way back to the table and stepped around to the opposite side from the dark elves.


    A laptop computer had been set up in front of a single chair that sat in the middle of the table and was between, and directly across from the two dark elves. Sitting next to this laptop was a large mouthed mug that had been filled with a dark aromatic coffee. Anton sat at this chair and set the bottles of water off to his side.


    The dark elves had both been staring at the bottles of water but their attention shifted to Anton as he lifted his mug.


    Anton closed his eyes as he took a long, slow sip of the steaming coffee. Sighing in contentment he kept his eyes closed and leaned back into his chair as he set the mug back down on the table. He remained still for a moment as he let the warmth of his drink seep into his body. When he opened his eyes again he found that all four of the large, bright rubies that made up the eyes of the dark elves were intently focused on him.


    Anton took another sip from his mug as he looked from one motionless dark elf to the other. Although they had both laid their ears down behind their heads, their demeanors were in complete contrast to each other. Apprehension was still clear on Fiona''s face as she stared alert and unblinking, Kianna meanwhile had taken on more of a depressed stance as she sat with her shoulders hunched and her head held low.


    ¡°...Before we begin our little dialogue¡± began Anton as he continued to shift his gaze between them ¡°There are a few things that I''d like to have established¡±


    Both Kianna and Fiona had an air of tension to them as they remained still and listened.


    ¡°First of all. I want it to be understood that it was your own choices that led you both to where you are right now¡± said Anton as his face became stoic ¡°This situation that you two have found yourselves in has been one of complete self creation. I did not invade your home. You choose to bring me here. You are now facing the consequences of that decision. And I expect you both to accept this¡±


    Fiona''s eyes tightened into an angry glare as Kianna''s fell to the patch of table in front of her.


    ¡°Secondly. I''m sure you both have questions, I do as well. And in order to have a conversation I do intend to remove your gags and give you back the ability to speak freely. However, there will be conditions to this¡± said Anton as he locked gazes with Fiona ¡°You will both be polite and respectful. There will be no screaming, no spitting, no vulgarism, and no trying to bite me. None of these are negotiable. And if either one of you fail to maintain yourselves then the both of you will be re-gagged and you will stay muzzled for the foreseeable future. ...Is this understood?¡±


    Kianna nodded immediately as Fiona merely stared. Anton remained silent as he kept his eyes locked to the dark elf''s. After a moment of stillness she nodded her head once.


    ¡°Good¡± said Anton as he shifted his gaze to Kianna and found her glaring at her sister ¡°Then on to the last item...¡±


    Anton lifted his mug and took another sip of his coffee before turning his attention back to the waiting dark elves.


    ¡°...Fiona, I''m sure that you''re fully aware of the conversation that me and Kianna have had in regards to trust. Although you weren''t a part of that discussion, I want you to know that the same request is extended to you, to both of you¡± said Anton as he addressed one after the other ¡°And I''d like to explain exactly what I mean when I say ¡°trust¡± and how it applies to this conversation in particular¡±


    The dark elves remained still as Anton took another sip from his mug.


    ¡°...I have no illusions when it comes to whether or not you two have some hateful feelings for me. After all, I''ve made you prisoners in your own home and have spent the last few days keeping you in constant torment and humiliation. Of course you''re going to have some resentment, and I do understand where these feelings are coming from... However, as we''ve established, it wasn''t my idea to come here. And as such, I have no sympathy for either of you. No regret for anything that I''ve done to you. And I''ll feel no sorrow for anything that might happen to you now... I have honestly enjoyed this entire experience. And that, is how you know you can trust me and my word¡± said Anton as he again locked eyes with Fiona ¡°You were made aware of my intentions right away. I told you I was going to enjoy myself, and I have. There was never any deceit or trickery on my part. I was honest with you then, and I''ll be honest with you now...¡±


    Fiona''s eyes tightened further as Anton looked away from her and took another short sip from his mug.


    ¡°...I have no reason, or intention to lie to either one of you. There is nothing for me to gain by lying to you. And if I''m being completely honest, I find lying to be distasteful and I simply prefer not to do it at all... Its something that just makes everything too easy... That being said though, I''m under no obligation to tell you the truth. And my doing so is a complete courtesy to you. And one that I expect you to return¡± explained Anton as he looked back and forth between the dark elves ¡°When you ask me a question, I will tell you the truth. If you ask a question that I don''t have an answer for, then that is what I will tell you; I don''t have an answer for this question. I will not lie to you. And you can trust me when I say that. ...Whether you do so or not, is your own decision of course. I just want you to know that you can. And in exchange, I want the same from both of you. When I ask either of you a question I''m going to trust that you are telling the truth as well. If I ask you a question that you feel you can''t or don''t want to answer, then I''m fine with that as an answer. I would rather hear that you can''t, or don''t want to answer the question, than to be lied to... I feel this is fair, and I hope that you both agree¡±


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report itThe dark elves looked at one another and nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Okay, good¡± nodded Anton as he set his mug down and rose from his seat.


    Kianna kept her ears laid flat as Anton came around the side of the table and took hold of her chin. She stayed still and didn''t resist as he lifted her chin up to unclasp the face-plate from her head-harness and gently pull her gag free of her mouth. She flexed her jaw a bit and licked her lips as she watched Anton set the gag down to the side of her on the tabletop.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± she whispered as she felt him step around behind her and move towards her sister ¡°...Master¡±


    Anton stopped in between the two dark elves and turned back to look at Kianna.


    ¡°You''re welcome¡± he said with a grin.


    Fiona immediately began to glare at her sister while Kianna lowered her head sheepishly and stared at the heavy damage her teeth had done to the rubber gag.


    Despite the irritation in her eyes, Fiona offered no resistance as Anton lifted her chin and unclasped her face-plate as well. Unlike the previous time, Anton remained gentle as he slowly removed the gag from her mouth.


    Fiona shifted her newly freed jaw back and forth a bit before glancing up at Anton.


    ¡°...Thanks¡± she mumbled under her breath as she looked away from both him and her sister.


    ¡°Hm¡± nodded Anton as he set the gag down on the table ¡°It''s a start¡±


    Fiona clenched her teeth in annoyance as she turned her head just enough to give Anton''s back a sideways glare while he made his way back to his seat.


    ¡°Oh! I nearly forgot!¡± exclaimed Anton as he stopped midway around the table. Turning on his heel he quickly made his way over to the door at the far end of the kitchen.


    The dark elves both twisted in their seats and turned their heads to follow him as he went.


    ¡°Molly!¡± called Anton as he opened the door and stuck his head outside ¡°Come here girl!¡±


    The frantic jingling of dog tags marked the arrival of a happy looking pomeranian that bounced into the house and immediately began to jump up on her hind legs and yip for Anton''s attention.


    ¡°Molly!¡± cried both of the dark elves at the same time.


    The fluffy little dog turned to them and dropped down to all fours as she folded her ears back aggressively and began to bark as menacingly as she could. The thick hairs on the back of her neck stood up in warning as the little dog took a protective stance in front of Anton.


    ¡°What the Hell!?¡± cried Fiona as her own ears pointed themselves straight back behind her head ¡°You little traitor!¡±


    ¡°She knows who''s in charge now!¡± laughed Anton as he bent down and began to pet the little dog.


    Molly rolled onto her back and made happy sounding growling noises as she got her belly rubbed. She flipped back over instantly and followed Anton as he stood up.


    Still chuckling, Anton crossed over to the counter-top and picked up a large mixing bowl and a plate of food before continuing on his way back to the table.


    The dark elves both became completely fixated on what he was carrying as he came around to his chair and set everything down next to the laptop.


    Anton sat down with a sigh and pulled the plate to his side. The plate held a few sausage links and a piece of toast with a fried egg on top. There was also a small cup of syrup for dipping. The large bowl had a spoon sitting in it and was filled with a sweet smelling porridge that was lightly steaming.


    Molly jumped up into his lap and laid down as he took his seat. She raised her head up and started wagging her tail as Anton scratched her behind the ears.


    Both of the dark elves were glaring at the little dog who had clearly chosen her new master.


    ¡°Would you like to trade places with her?¡± asked Anton as he smiled at Kianna.


    ¡°Yeah, kinda...¡± mumbled Kianna, after a moment her eyes went wide and her ears pointed themselves straight upwards as an embarrassed blush spread across her face ¡°I, I mean!¡±


    ¡°Are you serious...¡± grumbled Fiona as she looked away and shook her head in frustration ¡°You stupid bitch...¡±


    ¡°Shut up Fiona!¡± growled Kianna through her teeth.


    Anton chuckled as he took a sip from his mug.


    Fuming, the two dark elves now had their ears pointed straight back as they stared each other down. Though initially focused on each other, their attention immediately shifted over to Anton as he lifted a sausage link off of his plate.


    Anton tore off a tiny chunk of the sausage link and offered it to Molly. The little dog grunted happily and licked it out of his fingers before settling down again.


    Both Fiona and Kianna had pointed their ears straight upwards as they followed the sausage link with their eyes. Noticing this, Anton began to toy with them by slowly moving the sausage link back and forth as well as up and down.


    ¡°...Maybe we should get to the food first¡± he mumbled as he watched Fiona hungrily lick her lips ¡°Conversation does usually flow better with a full belly...¡±


    As if on cue, Kianna''s stomach growled loud enough to be heard from across the table. She grimaced in pain as she stared longingly at the sausage link and began to drool.


    ¡°Hey, hey!¡± said Anton as he snapped his fingers at her ¡°I''m not giving you any sausage so quick that!¡±


    ¡°Why not!¡± cried Fiona as a trail of spittle ran down her chin as well.


    ¡°Because neither of you have eaten anything in over 2 days. And some greasy sausage is not going to do your systems any favors right now¡± explained Anton as he set the sausage link down ¡°Bread and heavy grains will be too hard on you as well. I''ve made this for you, it''ll help you get back to normal¡±


    Anton indicated the bowl of porridge and both of the dark elves craned their necks upwards in an attempt to better see the bowls contents.


    ¡°...This is bullshit!¡± muttered Fiona as she glared at the bowl ¡°We have to watch you eat a feast and all we get is some slimy gruel!¡±


    Anton went to speak but was stopped short as Kianna answered before him.


    ¡°Seriously! You''re gonna complain right now!¡± chastised Kianna as she shook her head ¡°You do realize that we could still be sitting in a cage and starving right now! Right!?¡±


    ¡°I''d almost rather do that than sit here and smell his food while we eat gruel!¡± muttered Fiona as she looked away and glared at nothing.


    ¡°You couldn''t even eat that stuff if he gave it to you!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she looked over at Anton''s plate ¡°He just said it''ll make you sick!¡±


    ¡°And you believe that, why!?¡± mocked Fiona as she rolled her eyes ¡°He''s just tying to torture us... Stop being stupid...¡±


    ¡°No, he''s not Fiona¡± sighed Kianna as she looked away from her sister and shook her head.


    ¡°...What makes you so sure about that?¡± asked Anton as he watched Kianna blink and turn towards him ¡°It''s a reasonable theory. How do you know she''s not on to something?¡±


    ¡°You, because you just said...¡± began Kianna, her demeanor becoming sheepish as she found herself being put on the spot ¡°You just said we''d get sick!¡±


    ¡°I did, and you will¡± nodded Anton ¡°But I''d like to know why you believe that?¡±


    ¡°...Cause, I, ...trust you¡± explained Kianna as she dropped her eyes to the table ¡°...I guess¡±


    ¡°I see¡± nodded Anton as he lifted his mug to his face ¡°Good!¡±


    All three went silent for a moment as Anton took another sip of his coffee.


    ¡°...Alright then¡± said Anton as he set his mug back down and tapped the dog in his lap on the head ¡°Molly, up!¡±


    The little dog became alert and leaped down from his lap an instant before Anton rose from his seat.


    Kianna cringed back in uncertainty as Anton came around the side of the table and stood beside her. The nervous dark elf went wide eyed and pulled back as far as her chain would allow as Anton swung his arm out in front of her and pointed down at the table.


    ¡°You will stay right here at the table until our conversation is over¡± declared Anton as he tapped at the table-top with his index finger ¡°Is that clear?¡±


    ¡°I, y-yes!¡± stammered Kianna as she blinked in surprise.


    ¡°Good¡± said Anton as he grinned at her ¡°Now c''mere, and hold still¡±


    Kianna was startled but didn''t resist as Anton took hold of her head-harness and pulled her in closer to himself.


    ¡°W-what are you doing!?¡± she cried as Anton''s hands began to move about around her face.


    ¡°Hm, I''m trusting you¡± explained Anton as he began to unbuckle her head-harness.


    Kianna froze and let herself be pulled back and forth as Anton slipped the leather straps away from her head. She did nothing as Anton dropped the head-harness on the table next to her gag and began to run his fingers through her hair in an effort to straighten it back out.


    ¡°...Why?¡± she whispered as Anton unclipped the chain from her shoulder-harness.


    ¡°Because trust only works when it goes both ways¡± explained Anton as he took hold of her shoulders and spun her around in her chair before beginning to unfasten the box-tie style armbinder that held her hands and arms folded in place behind her back ¡°And besides, how else are you going to eat?¡±


    Kianna pointed her ears straight up and bit her lower lip in anticipation as she held herself as still as she could.


    Fiona remained motionless and watched out of the corner of her eye as her sisters armbinder was detached from her shoulder-harness and her limbs came one step closer to being set free.


    ¡°...Alright, here we go¡± mumbled Anton as he unbuckled the last straps that held the armbinder in place. He then carefully slipped the leather binder down and off before tossing it onto the table with the gag.


    Kianna winced and groaned as Anton helped her shift her arms forward and lay them out on the table.


    ¡°Give it a second or two before you try to move anything other than your fingers¡± said Anton as he watched Kianna tentatively flex her hands.


    The dark elf nodded absently as she became completely focused on moving her newly freed fingers.


    ¡°...What about me?¡± asked Fiona as she continued to watch her sister out of the corner of her eye.


    Anton looked down at her and cocked his eyebrow.


    ¡°You''ll get your arms back when you earn them¡± he said as he turned away from her and made his way back towards his seat.


    Kianna chuckled as her sister glared down at the table and grit her teeth.


    ¡°Let''s get things moving along¡± said Anton as he stopped around the side of the table and grabbed the two water bottles ¡°Here, can you hand one of these to your sister please¡±


    Anton placed the water bottles in front of Kianna and the gleeful dark elf took hold of them in both of her hands. Pulling one to herself, she slid the other one across the table and planted it in front of Fiona. Both of the dark elves immediately began to take long sips through the straws and shivered as the cool water seeped into their bodies.


    ¡°Take it easy with those¡± mumbled Anton as he took his seat and reached out to catch Molly as she jumped up into his lap.


    Kianna watched him rub the little dogs ears for a moment before her eyes shifted to the bowl sitting across from her and just out of her reach. Pulling her arms in to her chest and tucking her closed fists in under her chin she flattened her ears back behind her head as she hunched in on herself.


    ¡°Uh, please, Master!¡± she whined pitifully as she let her eyes become wide and pleading ¡°Can I please have some food! I''m really, really hungry!¡±


    ¡°Oh you''ve gotta be kidding me!¡± muttered Fiona as she looked away and shook her head in frustration.


    Kianna remained completely still as Anton chuckled and shook his head as well.


    ¡°Oh, well now! How about this! Does my little dark elf really think that if she acts cute enough she can already play me!?¡± exclaimed Anton as he rested his folded arms on the table and leaned towards Kianna ¡°Cheeky little thing now aren''t you!?¡±


    ¡°...No, I''m not acting!¡± grumbled Kianna as she dropped her eyes to the table in embarrassment and shook her head softly ¡°I''m serious! I really am hungry!¡±


    ¡°Hm, right! Well just so you know!¡± said Anton as he slid the bowl across the table and placed it right in front of her ¡°That kind of act isn''t going to work every time!¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± cried Kianna as she grabbed the bowl and pulled it in close to herself.


    The dark elf had a questioning expression on her face as she paused to look down into the bowl. Leaning in close, she sniffed once at the yellow colored porridge-like gruel. Her eyes instantly went wide as her nose was filled with the sweet aroma and grabbing the spoon sitting in the bowl, she immediately began to devour the porridge.


    ¡°...You better not choke yourself Kianna¡± mumbled Anton as he watched her inhale her food without pause.


    Fiona was clearly intrigued as she leaned towards her sister and lightly sniffed at the air.


    ¡°...Is it good?¡± she asked as she reached the end of her chain.


    ¡°Mm hm!¡± mumbled Kianna around a mouthful of the porridge.


    ¡°I wanna try it!¡± muttered Fiona as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards ¡°Let me have some!¡±


    Kianna shook her head as she swallowed.


    ¡°No¡± she said in a flat tone as she quickly ate another bite.


    Fiona blinked in surprise and then glared at her sister.


    ¡°C''mon! You''re not gonna eat all of it!¡± she exclaimed as she tugged on her chain ¡°Let me have some too!¡±


    Kianna swallowed the mouthful she was eating before turning to her sister.


    ¡°No!¡± she said again as she narrowed her eyes in annoyance ¡°You can''t use a spoon, and I''m not letting you put your face in my food!¡±


    ¡°...Are you serious!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as she pointed her ears straight back ¡°Just feed me some then!¡±


    ¡°Why should I?¡± declared Kianna as she ate another bite.


    ¡°Why!? Cause I''m your sister dammit! You can''t just let me starve!¡± cried Fiona as she glared angrily ¡°C''mon! Just help me out! Please!¡±


    ¡°Humph! The last time I helped you! You left me to get punished for it!¡± growled Kianna as she turned away from her ¡°...And besides! You''re the only reason we''re even in this mess!¡±


    ¡°...Oh no! No, no, don''t try that Kianna!¡± snarled Fiona as she pulled against her chain ¡°Do not be that bitch right now!¡±


    Kianna''s ears went from a relaxed state to pointed straight back in an instant as she dropped the spoon in the bowl of porridge and exploded out of her chair in a rage. Stumbling forward on her still recovering legs she caught herself by planting her palm on the table in front of Fiona and grabbing the headrest of her sisters chair. Snarling through her teeth she forced her sister to cringe as far back as her chain would allow as she got within inches of her face.


    ¡°I just spent the last 2 days tied up, starving, and with my cunt trapped in a living Hell! My poor pussy is still vibrating!¡± growled Kianna as she loomed over her sister and slowly moved her face in closer and closer ¡°And it''s all your fault! It was all because of you! You, and your stupid fucking plans!¡±


    Fiona''s shock was clear on her face as she stared slack-jawed up at her sister. She swallowed a lump in her throat and hunched down even further as Kianna''s irises began to glow with an angry red light.


    ¡°And now you want me to help you! When the last time I did you abandoned me!¡± cried Kianna ¡°Give me one good reason! One good reason! Why I should ever help a stupid, selfish, stubborn little bitch like you! Ever again!?¡±


    Too afraid to even breathe, Fiona remained completely frozen as she cowered beneath her sister''s fury.


    ¡°Well!?¡± snapped Kianna ¡°Do you have a good reason, or not!?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± whimpered Fiona as she lowered her ears and cringed into her shoulders ¡°I, I''m sorry!¡±


    Kianna''s glowing eyes tightened as she stared down at her sister. With a tired sigh she closed her eyes and shook her head.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± she muttered as she turned away ¡°Yeah you are Fiona!¡±


    Using the table for support Kianna made her way back to her chair and took her seat before going back to her food.


    Fiona kept her ears lowered and stayed silent as she eased herself back up to a sitting position. Glancing at Anton, she found him about to take another sip from his mug. He immediately indicated he wasn''t going to get involved by raising his eyebrows and looking down into his drink. Hunching her shoulders the chastised dark elf looked down at the table in front of her.


    ¡°...This isn''t, ...I never wanted this Kianna!¡± whispered Fiona as her eyes began to grow misty and her voice began to crack ¡°I never wanted you to...! Please, don''t hate me! Please! I''m sorry!¡±


    Kianna slowed her pace as she ate in silence. After awhile she glanced at her sister and found the miserable looking dark elf with her head hanging over the table and her entire being seemingly on the verge of collapse. Her heart melting at the sight, she let out a heavy sigh which caused Fiona to flinch in surprise.


    ¡°Master¡± said Kianna as she turned to Anton ¡°Am I gonna be punished again if I help her?¡±


    Fiona''s face took on a sickly grimace as she waited for the answer.


    ¡°Of course not!¡± declared Anton as he gave Kianna a pointed look ¡°You weren''t punished because you helped her! You were punished because you disobeyed me, and you know that!¡±


    Fiona exhaled in relief and wore a broad smile as she turned to Kianna. Her glee quickly disappeared however as she looked up at the stoic face of her sister.


    ¡°...I''m a stupid bitch¡± whispered Fiona after a moment of silence ¡°And I''m really, really sorry!¡±


    Kianna''s expression remained unchanged as she merely stared at her.


    ¡°Please!¡± begged Fiona as she pouted her lower lip and used her puppy dog eyes ¡°I''m really hungry!¡±


    Kianna rolled her eyes and sighed heavily as she lifted a spoon of food to her sisters face.


    Fiona moaned in bliss as she frantically chomped down on the spoon and savored the mouthful of food.


    ¡°Hmm!¡± she moaned as Kianna prepared another spoonful for her ¡°That''s so good!¡±


    ¡°It really is...¡± mused Kianna as she looked down into the bowl of porridge ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°It''s a mixed fruit blend with some Pedialyte and a bit of Grits thrown in. So basically its sort of like a hearty applesauce that has been packed full of electrolytes¡± explained Anton ¡°It''ll rehydrate you as well as give you plenty of carbs and sugars to help jump-start your systems. By the way, there is another bowl of it sitting on the counter over there so there''s no reason for you to be stingy with it¡±


    ¡°There is!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she looked back at the counter and immediately spied the second bowl waiting there.


    ¡°Mmph!¡± grunted Fiona as Kianna yanked the spoon out of her mouth.


    ¡°Here!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she plopped the half eaten bowl down in front of her ¡°You can eat from this one like the bitch you are!¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± cried Fiona as Kianna grabbed her by the back of her head and began to force her down in an effort to shove her face into the bowl of porridge ¡°Stop! No, no! Don-!¡±


    ¡°Master!¡± smiled Kianna as she held Fiona''s struggling and sputtering face down in the bowl ¡°Can I have the other bowl!? Please!?¡±


    ¡°Sure¡± said Anton as he nonchalantly set his mug down and made to get up from his seat.


    Molly gave an annoyed grunt and jumped down from his lap as he began to rise. She followed behind him as he went to the counter and back.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± cried Kianna as he set the bowl down in front of her.


    ¡°You''re welcome¡± said Anton as he retook his seat and caught Molly as she made to jump back up in his lap.


    Fiona lifted her head straight up into the air and took a panicked breath as Kianna let her go.


    ¡°Y-you! What the Hell is wrong with you!¡± she gasped as she tried to catch her breath ¡°You psycho! You almost killed me you crazy bitch!¡±


    ¡°Please! I didn''t even come close!¡± muttered Kianna as she took a bite from the new bowl.


    Fuming, Fiona glared at her sister for a moment before looking back down at the bowl in front of her.


    ¡°...You''re really not going to help me eat this!?¡± she asked as glanced sideways at her sister.


    ¡°No¡± said Kianna as a coy smile spread across her face ¡°I''m not!¡±


    Fiona''s eyes immediately darted over to Anton. He gave her his own condescending smile as he rested his cheek against his closed fist and settled in to watch the coming show.


    ¡°...Seriously!?¡± she grumbled as she closed her eyes in frustration and lowered her face towards the bowl of porridge ¡°...Argh, I hate you both!¡±


    ¡°Yes, we know!¡± said Anton as he and Kianna gave each other a smile and commenced to enjoy their own helpings of breakfast.

 Chapter 9 : Morning

    Chapter 9 : Morning


    The table was remarkably peaceful as the three sitting bodies ate in silence.


    Although it had been several days since either of them had eaten anything, both of the dark elves became full surprisingly fast and finished eating long before Anton did. While waiting for him, Fiona busied herself with trying to clean the stuck porridge from her face by scraping her chin, cheeks and forehead against the sides of her bowl. Kianna meanwhile kept a hesitant watch on Anton who seemed to have either completely forgotten about the dark elves, or decided to simply ignore them entirely as he absently clicked about on his laptop and lazily ate his food.


    Kianna couldn''t help but to become transfixed as she watched Anton eat. There was just something about the process, and each of the small motions that were involved, that seemed to suddenly fascinate her. She found a strange elegance in the simplicity of it all. Such as how he dipped his sausages in his syrup and lightly drizzled said syrup over his egg and toast. In how and where he would take his next bite. How with each bite the food seemed to slowly disappear. And finally, with how his jaw seemed to effortlessly move in such a smooth and nearly soundless way as it supposedly destroyed whatever was trapped between his teeth. She couldn''t exactly say why this was so interesting to her but it certainly was. And as he got closer and closer to being finished she felt a twinge of disappointment that the show would soon be over. Glancing at her sister she couldn''t help but to feel a second round of disappointment, this time in herself, for not having paid better attention to her while she was eating as well. She wasn''t necessarily interested in comparing the two, but instead wanted to find out if Fiona was as much of a spectacle to watch as Anton was.


    A level of tension hung in the air when Anton finally finished the last of his food and casually slid his empty plate to the side. The two dark elves were both becoming more and more nervous as he seemed to be content with staying focused on his laptop. Finally, after having apparently finished with whatever he was reading, he leaned back in his seat and folded his arms over his chest.


    ¡°So...¡± he drawled as he turned to face them ¡°Are we ready to have a conversation now?¡±


    The dark elves both glanced at each other and nodded slowly.


    ¡°Alright, I''ll go ahead and let you two start then¡± said Anton as he gave each of the dark elves a nod ¡°I''m sure you both have some questions you''re dying to ask¡±


    The dark elves were both silent for a moment as they each seemed to be waiting for the other to speak.


    ¡°Are you gonna kill us!?¡± blurted out Fiona as she grimaced down at the table.


    ¡°No. At this time I have no intention of killing either of you¡± declared Anton ¡°And by that I mean I don''t plan to kill you at all. That does not mean that I can''t, or won''t kill you. It just means that I don''t plan to. As of right now¡±


    The dark elves both shifted themselves back at the implied threat.


    ¡°W-we can pay you!¡± cried Kianna as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards ¡°We really do have a lot of money!¡±


    ¡°No, you don''t. You did! But now you don''t¡± said Anton as he shifted his gaze to his laptop ¡°You have both been getting a kind of automatic monthly stipend, or an allowance of some kind, and this had built up to a pretty high number in each of your accounts... A stock portfolio was also set up for each of you. And I even found an apartment complex that was in both of your names. That brought in a decent amount of money every month. All together, when everything was said and done, you both would have been doing pretty well for the rest of your lives. But then you decided to abduct me. And now its all gone¡±


    ¡°...W-what!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as she leaned forward and got jerked by her chain ¡°What do you mean it''s all gone!?¡±


    ¡°I mean it''s gone. All of it. All of your funds have been diverted over to my outer realm accounts and are currently sitting at a pending status while waiting for me to accept the transfers. So now with a simple push of a button, all of your money will be mine. The transfers for both the stocks and the apartment complex have already been set into motion as well¡± explained Anton as he used the nail on his pinkie finger to absently pick at his teeth ¡°...By the end of this month you won''t own anything and you won''t have a dime to your names¡±


    Fiona fell back into her seat and stared dumbfounded at Anton as he absently flicked away a bit of debris from his fingernail.


    ¡°...How, you! ...When!?¡± she exclaimed as she shook her head in disbelief.


    ¡°Why do you think I was keeping you in storage for the last two days? What did you think I was doing up here?¡± asked Anton as he gave her a sly grin ¡°What you were already doing is actually what made it so much easier for me. Especially with the apartment complex. How could you possibly do that to your own sister Fiona!? Terrible, just, just terrible!¡±


    A sickly look came over Fiona''s face as she lowered her ears and shook her head.


    ¡°...Huh?¡± questioned Kianna as she looked from Anton to her sister ¡°Wait? What were you doing?¡±


    ¡°Nothing!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she turned to face Kianna and pointed her ears straight upwards ¡°I was just making sure the money was taken care of! That''s it! That''s all!¡±


    ¡°No, that''s not what you were doing Fiona!¡± mocked Anton as he shook his head and met Kianna''s gaze ¡°She''s been slowly transferring both your funds and your stocks over to herself for the last year or so. And she''s actually the one who set up the ¡°sale¡± of the apartment complex. I''m guessing she was going to sell it to herself? Essentially, by the end of it, she would have had control of all of your money as well as her own¡±


    Kianna''s eyes went wide as she absorbed what was being said.


    ¡°I really didn''t have to change much in the way of moving things around¡± continued Anton ¡°Most of the groundwork had already been set up. I just had to change a few names and some account numbers. Easy enough really¡±


    Kianna''s mouth hung open as she slowly turned to her sister.


    ¡°...He''s lying!¡± cried Fiona as her eyes locked to her sister''s and she began to struggle in her bounds ¡°I mean! He''s, he''s!¡±


    Kianna clenched her teeth as her ears pointed themselves straight back in anger.


    Fiona smiled sheepishly as she hunched in on herself and lowered her own ears.


    ¡°I, I wasn''t trying to steal from you! Honestly I wasn''t!¡± she tried to explain as Kianna''s face became angrier and angrier ¡°I just thought it would be easier to keep track of everything if it was all in one place! Seriously! That''s really all I was doing!¡±


    Fiona cringed back and clamped her eyes shut as Kianna reached out towards her. Taking hold of her sister''s bowl of food, Kianna pulled it to herself and set it on the other side of her own and far out of Fiona''s reach.


    ¡°Wha? Hey!¡± cried Fiona as she realized what had happened ¡°That''s mine!¡±


    ¡°It''ll be easier for me to keep track of it if I keep it all in one place!¡± growled Kianna and Fiona cringed back as her own words were thrown at her.


    ¡°Kianna¡± said Anton with a stern tone to his voice ¡°Give that back to her¡±


    Both of the dark elves immediately turned to him with surprise spread clear across their faces.


    ¡°What!?¡± exclaimed Kianna ¡°But! She, she just!¡±


    ¡°You have no right to be angry at anyone but yourself¡± chastised Anton as he pointed his finger at her ¡°The fact that you don''t even keep track of your own assets is just embarrassing. You''re lucky it was only your sister taking your money and not an actual thief¡±


    Fiona blinked in surprise and quickly became smug as she smiled at her cowed sister.


    Kianna''s face was torn as she looked down at the table. Scowling in frustration, she kept her eyes lowered as she reached over and set the bowl back in front of Fiona.


    ¡°That being said...¡± continued Anton as he shifted his pointed finger to Fiona ¡°You are far from innocent! But I''m sure Kianna can figure out a good punishment for you. So I''ll just leave it to her¡±


    Kianna''s eyes became vicious as she gave her sister a toothy smile.


    ¡°Wha? Wait a minute!¡± exclaimed Fiona as her own face became scowling towards Anton ¡°You''re the one that just-¡±


    ¡°Or!¡± interrupted Anton as he narrowed his eyes at her ¡°I could come up with something that I would think was appropriate... Though I would like to think that your own sister wouldn''t be nearly as cruel to you as I will be!¡±


    Fiona stopped short mid-speech. With a questioning look now on her face she turned to her sister and found her still smiling evilly. Unsure of who was now allied with who, the confused dark elf eased back in uncertainty as she looked back and forth between Anton and her sister.


    The arrogance on Kianna''s face slowly disappeared as she looked away from Fiona and stared down at the table.


    ¡°...So wait, what happens now?¡± she whispered as she peeked up at Anton ¡°You have all our money, and you have us trapped here! You said you''re not gonna kill us... So what are you going to do now?¡±


    Both of the dark elves were now staring intently at Anton.


    Resting his chin in the crook of his hand, Anton''s expression became thoughtful as he stared back at them.


    ¡°I still need to ask you a few questions before I make any final decisions¡± he said with a sigh ¡°But first...¡±


    Anton bent forward and tapped Molly on the head to alert her that he was about move. Rising from his seat, he stepped around the table and made his way to the sink in the kitchen.


    Confused, the dark elves remained silent as they watched him run a wash cloth under a stream of hot water and then wring it out. He then took a bowl from an overhead cabinet and filled it to the half way point with water from the sink before making his way back to the table.


    ¡°Kianna, could you please clean your sister''s face¡± asked Anton as he handed her the wash cloth and the bowl of water ¡°It''s just too difficult to have a conversation with her looking like that¡±


    ¡°Oh! Sure!¡± laughed Kianna as she took the cloth and immediately turned to wipe the stuck porridge off of her sister.


    Fiona lowered her ears and grimaced in embarrassment as Kianna took hold of her head-harness, and using it as a handle, twisted her head this way and that as she cleaned her face.


    ¡°Ugh, ah, hm!¡± grumbled Fiona as Kianna wiped the porridge away from her closed eyes ¡°...Thanks!¡±


    ¡°...Yeah¡± mumbled Kianna as she rolled her eyes ¡°It''s cool...¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry too much about her hair¡± said Anton as he picked up Molly and retook his seat ¡°She''ll need a shower for that¡±


    Kianna worked both quickly and meticulously to get her sister as clean as possible. In order to complete this task she had to soak the cloth in the bowl several times before most of the porridge was finally gone. When she was satisfied and felt she was finished, she went to move the bowl away and stopped short as she stared down at the soiled water.


    ¡°Master!?¡± she exclaimed as she picked up the bowl and turned to Fiona ¡°Can I make her drink this!?¡±


    ¡°What!?¡± questioned Fiona as her eyes darted to the bowl in her sister''s hand.


    ¡°Sure¡± said Anton as he glanced up at the bowl and went back to scratching Molly''s ears ¡°That''s fine¡±


    ¡°Wha!? Wait, no!¡± cried Fiona as she looked back and forth between them ¡°That''s, that''s not funny Kianna!¡±


    Kianna said nothing as she grabbed her sister''s head-harness, pulled her head back and held her in place against the chairs headrest.


    Fiona frantically tried to pull herself free as a maniacal smile spread across Kianna''s face.


    ¡°Fiona, you thieving bitch! If you don''t drink this! Then I''m going to staple your ears together behind your head!¡± said Kianna in an unnervingly calm and nearly sweet sounding tone ¡°And then I''m going to fall asleep to the sounds of you crying out in pain!¡±


    Fiona froze as her eyes went wide in panic.


    ¡°Y-you''re not serious!?¡± she whimpered as she folded her ears back behind her head in an effort to hide them ¡°Are, are you!?¡±


    Kianna''s face remained unchanged as she nodded slowly.


    Gulping in fear, Fiona''s eyes darted to Anton. Her heart sank when she found him staring at her sister with his own shocked looking expression.


    ¡°Now, open wide Fiona!¡± sang Kianna as she lifted the bowl to her sister''s quivering face ¡°And say ¡°Ah¡±!¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait! Kianna c''mon!¡± whimpered Fiona as her eyes became locked to the bowl of discolored water ¡°This is crazy!¡±


    ¡°...Open wide Fiona¡± threatened Kianna through her still smiling teeth as she tightened her hold on the head-harness by twisting both it and a clump of her sister''s hair ¡°And say ¡°AH¡±!¡±


    ¡°O-okay, okay!¡± groaned Fiona as she opened her mouth as wide as she could ¡°...Ah!¡±


    ¡°Good girl!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she carefully tilted the bowl to Fiona''s lips and forced her to drink ¡°What a good girl!¡±


    Fiona clamped her eyes shut and gulped down the foul-tasting porridge-soiled water as quickly as she could without gagging herself.


    ¡°Bah, ah, ah!¡± she exclaimed as she finished and began to shiver from disgust ¡°You! You are such a bitch!¡±


    Kianna said nothing as she set the bowl down and patted her sister on the head.


    Turning her attention to Anton, she wore a small smile on her face as she stared at him.


    ¡°...So!¡± exclaimed Anton as he smiled back at her ¡°Is my little dark elf having fun over there!?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± chirped Kianna as her ears twitched and her smile broadened across her face ¡°She is!¡±


    ¡°I h-hate...!¡± whimpered Fiona as she hung her head over the empty bowl and continued to shiver uncontrollably ¡°I h-hate you both!¡±


    ¡°Fiona, please don''t vomit!¡± sighed Anton as he shook his head ¡°And if you''re going to, then at least don''t do it on the table!¡±


    Fiona groaned in misery as she worked to steady herself. After a few moments of stillness she had finally gotten a handle on her stomach and turning to her sister she glared angrily as she clenched her teeth and pointed her ears straight back behind her head.


    ¡°Alright, now that we know that Fiona isn''t going to explode on us...¡± mumbled Anton as he watched Kianna smile cattily at her fuming sister ¡°Let''s move things along...¡±


    The two dark elves shifted their gazes from each other in unison as they both became focused back on Anton.


    ¡°Like I''ve said already, I don''t intend to kill you. And honestly, at this point, I''d say I''ve gotten enough compensation to feel justified for what you two tried to do to me¡± mused Anton as he sifted his gaze back and forth between the dark elves ¡°I could, simply just leave right now and be done with this... That is an option...¡±


    Their eyes going wide in surprise the two two dark elves pointed their ears straight upwards as they gave Anton their full attention.


    ¡°Unfortunately, I''m not the kind of guy who can just let a question go unanswered... And when it comes to you two, I''ve got quite a few questions...¡± continued Anton as he rested his elbows on the table and cradled his chin in his hand ¡°So why don''t we start with a few of the easier ones. Just to get the ball rolling¡±


    Kianna and Fiona glanced at each other before looking back at Anton.


    ¡°...Fine!¡± mumbled Fiona as she narrowed her eyes ¡°What do you wanna know?¡±


    ¡°What are your names?¡± asked Anton as he let his hand fall away from his chin and come to rest atop his other arm.


    ¡°Pfft, you know what our names are!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°Or are you like a goldfish and you just forgot them already!?¡±


    Anton merely stared at her for a moment before shifting his eyes to Kianna.


    ¡°...My name is Kianna Vale¡± mumbled Kianna as she sheepishly dropped her eyes to the table.


    Anton nodded before looking back at Fiona.


    ¡°...I''m Fiona Vale¡± declared the dark elf with a frown ¡°Who are you!? Or are you too afraid to say!?¡±


    Anton remained still as Kianna raised her eyes out of curiosity.


    ¡°...Now why would I be afraid of that?¡± asked Anton as he cocked an eyebrow.


    ¡°Because you''re a thief who just admitted to stealing all our money!¡± declared Fiona ¡°And now you don''t want us to know who you are!¡±


    ¡°No, if I was worried about that then I''d just kill you¡± answered Anton ¡°I don''t have any real reason to be concerned with you knowing what my name is. I''m only hesitating right now... because I''m just not sure if you even deserve to know who I am? I really don''t think that you do...¡±


    Fiona blinked and leaned back a bit as her confidence began to waver.


    ¡°But then again, I did ask you what your names were... and you did tell me...¡± mused Anton as he rubbed his chin ¡°So, in the spirit of fairness... I suppose it''s only right to give you the same courtesy¡±


    The two dark elves went still as they became focused on what was about to be said.


    ¡°Most of the people that know me call me Anton. But my name is Antonius, Antonius Faustus North¡± explained Anton as his gaze shifted from one dark elf to the other ¡°Now, just because you two know my name does not mean that you can call me by it. Neither one of you have earned that right¡±


    ¡°...Humph!¡± grumbled Fiona as she pointed her ears straight back in challenge ¡°And what are you going to do if we do! Huh!? Mr. North!¡±


    ¡°First I''m going to reeducate you on the fact that your ability to speak is a now a privilege¡± explained Anton as he looked off into the kitchen and stared at nothing ¡°And then I''m going to illustrate just how easily that privilege can be taken away from you¡±


    Kianna swallowed nervously and turned to her sister. Shaking her head in the tiniest way she made it clear that she didn''t agree with pushing the matter. Fiona stared at her for a moment before looking away from them both and letting her ears return to their relaxed positions.


    ¡°Moving on¡± said Anton as he let his eyes fall to Kianna ¡°How old are you two?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡± stammered Kianna as her brow creased in thought ¡°Um, we''re 23! We just turned 23 last October! On the 10th¡±


    ¡°10th of October...¡± nodded Anton ¡°Wait, you''re both 23?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah?¡± questioned Kianna as she tilted her head and cocked one of her ears in a curious manner ¡°We''re twins! We told you that already!?¡±


    ¡°...You two are really twins?¡± asked Anton as he looked from Kianna to Fiona and back ¡°You weren''t kidding about that?¡±


    ¡°No¡± muttered Fiona ¡°We really are twins¡±


    ¡°...Hm, that''s pretty interesting!¡± mused Anton as he narrowed his eyes at them ¡°...And you''re sure that you''re twins!?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she gave her sister an exasperated look ¡°Look at us! We''re identical!¡±


    ¡°...Yeah, you are, for the most part¡± mused Anton as he looked back and forth between the two dark elves ¡°Are you two the only children in your family?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡± said Kianna.


    ¡°You have no other siblings?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°No¡± said Fiona ¡°It''s only us¡±


    ¡°Hm, and your parents are both dark elves?¡± asked Anton.


    The dark elves hesitated as they both looked away with their eyes.


    ¡°Our Mom is¡± answered Kianna ¡°We don''t really know about our Dad. We never met him...¡±


    ¡°...Your Mother has never told you anything about him?¡± asked Anton ¡°Not even his name?¡±


    ¡°No¡± answered Fiona ¡°She doesn''t want to talk about him¡±


    ¡°She says we''re better off without him¡± mumbled Kianna as her sister gave her an annoyed glare ¡°She says that it''s a good thing that he''s gone...¡±


    ¡°...Hm, I see¡± nodded Anton ¡°I''m sorry to hear that¡±


    ¡°It doesn''t matter!¡± snapped Fiona ¡°Fuck him!¡±


    Anton nodded as he watched Kianna shift her shoulders in discomfort.


    ¡°What is your Mothers name?¡± he asked as he met Fiona''s gaze.


    ¡°Olivia, Vale¡± she answered flatly ¡°Why are you asking about this kind of stuff!? This is none of your business!¡±


    ¡°That''s true. But I''m curious about it¡± answered Anton ¡°And if you''d rather not answer any of these questions then you don''t have to. I already told you that¡±


    ¡°Well then I''d rather not talk about this crap then!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°If you''ve got any other questions let''s just get to them instead!¡±


    ¡°Okay¡± said Anton as he tilted his head mockingly and narrowed his eyes at the fuming dark elf ¡°Why did you kidnap me? And what were planning to do with me?¡±


    Kianna''s ears immediately pointed themselves straight upwards as her eyes widened in panic. Anton smiled as both he and Fiona noticed her reaction.


    ¡°Um! We, we were!¡± stammered Kianna as her eyes locked to Anton''s ¡°We''re-¡±


    ¡°We don''t want to answer that!¡± interrupted Fiona ¡°We don''t have to! You said we don''t have to!¡±


    Anton closed his eyes and nodded as he leaned back in his chair.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.¡°Yes I did¡± he said as he looked back at them ¡°And you don''t. There''s no reason for you to panic¡±


    The two dark elves looked at each other and eased back as well.


    ¡°You''re not gonna be mad if we don''t tell you?¡± asked Kianna as she failed to keep the nervousness out of her eyes.


    Anton shrugged as he took on an air of indifference.


    ¡°I''ve got a pretty good idea of the direction things were heading towards¡± he said as he began to scratch Molly''s ears ¡°So I don''t really need the details. We can move on to the next topic¡±


    Surprise and relief were clear on the faces of the two dark elves as they glanced at each other and turned back to Anton.


    ¡°Okay¡± they both said in unison.


    ¡°Why don''t you use any magic?¡± questioned Anton as he looked from one dark elf to the other ¡°Neither one of you have used a single spell, or ability this entire time. Why not?¡±


    The dark elves both went still and remained quiet as they stared at Anton. As the silence dragged on Anton narrowed his eyes at them.


    ¡°I purposefully didn''t put a manabinder on either one of you. And there were no enchantments on any of the bondage gear I put on you that would displace your auras. You should have been able to escape the moment you woke up. But you didn''t¡± he declared as his eyes landed on Fiona ¡°Even now, there is no reason that gear should be able to hold you. So what are you waiting for? Why don''t you just cut your way out?¡±


    Fiona glared back in silence for a moment before her eyes fell to the table.


    ¡°...I can''t!¡± she muttered through her teeth as an irritated grimace marred her face ¡°...I don''t know how!¡±


    ¡°...I see¡± nodded Anton as he shifted his gaze to Kianna ¡°I figured as much¡±


    The second dark elf flattened her ears back submissively behind her head as she dropped her eyes to the table.


    ¡°So why don''t you know how?¡± asked Anton as he tilted his head thoughtfully ¡°Can you even use magic? Or is there something wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°No, there''s nothing wrong with us!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she kept her eyes on the table and shook her head ¡°It''s just... Our Mother is, really busy! And-¡±


    ¡°Kianna!¡± cried Fiona as she glared at her sister and immediately looked back at the table in front of herself ¡°We don''t want to answer that! Okay!¡±


    Kianna stiffened in surprise at her sisters outburst. Easing the tension from her shoulders she looked away to the side and went quiet.


    Anton remained still for a moment before going back to petting the little dog in his lap as he watched the two dark elves.


    ¡°Are you done yet!?¡± growled Fiona as she raised her eyes just high enough to meet Anton''s ¡°Or do you have even more questions!?¡±


    Anton''s face remained stoic as he stared at her for a moment.


    ¡°Do either one of you own this house?¡± he asked in a calm tone.


    ¡°No¡± said Fiona flatly ¡°Our Mother does¡±


    ¡°I see¡± said Anton with a nod ¡°But she doesn''t live here?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± declared Fiona as she narrowed her eyes into an angry glare ¡°She does!¡±


    ¡°Really? Because she hasn''t shown up in the last few days that I''ve been here?¡± questioned Anton ¡°Where is she?¡±


    ¡°She''s busy!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°She''ll be back soon!¡±


    ¡°...I see¡± nodded Anton as he noticed that Kianna''s ears had a slight twitch to them.


    Fiona''s glaring eyes suddenly became thoughtful as a thin, sly looking grin spread across her face.


    ¡°You know, there''s a few things I should tell you about our Mother!¡± she exclaimed as her tone became mocking ¡°A few things that you should really be aware of!¡±


    ¡°Oh really?¡± questioned Anton as he stared at her and continued to pet Molly ¡°And what exactly should I be aware of?¡±


    ¡°Well, for one she has a Hell of a temper!¡± began Fiona as her grin grew into a smile ¡°And that she is a very, very dangerous woman!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see¡± mused Anton as he looked down at the little dog in his lap.


    ¡°Yeah! And another thing! Not only is she gonna be pissed about what you''ve done to her daughters!¡± threatened Fiona ¡°But all that money you stole! That came from her! So you didn''t just steal from us! You stole from her!¡±


    ¡°Mm hm, I see...¡± mused Anton as he nodded in thought ¡°So what you''re saying is that neither one of you have a career of any sort then? You don''t make your own money but instead you just live off the money your Mother gives you? All while living in her house for free? ...Right?¡±


    ¡°...That''s, not the point!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she registered the mocking tone in Anton''s voice ¡°The point is that the longer you stay here the bigger risk you''re taking!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Anton as he looked up at her.


    ¡°What I mean is that she is going to walk in through that door any second now!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°And when she see''s what''s going on in here! You are not going to survive!¡±


    ¡°I see¡± nodded Anton ¡°So you expect her back any time now?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Any second now!¡± threatened Fiona ¡°You have no idea how lucky you are that she hasn''t shown up already! You should leave now while you still have the chance!¡±


    ¡°You seem pretty confident that she''s going to want to kill me¡± said Anton ¡°She must really love you if she''s willing to kill for you¡±


    ¡°...Of course she loves us!¡± cried Fiona ¡°We''re her daughters! We''re the most important thing in her entire life! We''re, we''re her treasures!¡±


    ¡°She must be a pretty big part of your life then¡± said Anton as he stared into Fiona''s eyes ¡°I''m guessing you spend a lot of time with her?¡±


    ¡°...Wha, what are you saying!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as her ears dipped a bit ¡°Yes! We''re with her all the time! Always! She''s, she''s just busy a lot too! She runs her own company! That''s why she can pay for us! She''s wealthy! She has millions and millions of dollars! She, she can even hire assassins! And now that we know your name, she can find you! But if you leave right now we''ll just forget this whole thing! We won''t tell her anything about you! Or that any of this shit happened at all!¡±


    ¡°...That''s pretty commendable, that she would be running her own company and yet still make time for her daughters¡± mused Anton as he began to pet Molly again ¡°That''s very impressive. There must be a lot of love there...¡±


    ¡°...Why aren''t you listening!?¡± growled Fiona ¡°I already told you there was a lot of love there! We are her treasures! She loves us more than anything!¡±


    Anton was silent as he looked back up at her and nodded.


    ¡°...She is coming!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°Any second! And when she gets here she will kill-!¡±


    ¡°Stop it!¡± cried Kianna ¡°Just stop it, Fiona!¡±


    Fiona''s eyes went wide in rage as she and Anton both turned to Kianna.


    Kianna was trembling as she sat hunched over the table with her head hanging and her eyes staring straight downwards.


    ¡°Just stop!¡± she whispered as tears began to form in her eyes ¡°Just stop it...¡±


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing!?¡± snarled Fiona ¡°I''m trying to save us you idiot!¡±


    ¡°No, he doesn''t believe you!¡± whined Kianna as she clamped her eyes shut and starting shaking her head ¡°He knows you''re lying!¡±


    Fiona''s jaw was clenched painfully tight and her eyes were filled with both rage and panic as she turned to Anton.


    Anton said nothing as he merely stared back at her.


    Fiona blinked as her face softened. With her jaw still clenched she looked away from both Anton and her sister as she lowered her ears.


    Save for Kianna''s gentle sniveling the table went silent for several minutes until Anton looked to Kianna and began to speak to her.


    ¡°What is she lying about?¡± he questioned softly.


    Kianna blinked and peeked up at him before looking back down at the table.


    ¡°All of it¡± she whimpered sadly ¡°Our Mother isn''t coming... She doesn''t live here... She won''t even talk to us!¡±


    ¡°...I see¡± whispered Anton ¡°...Why not?¡±


    ¡°I, I don''t know!¡± whined Kianna as she was overtaken by a fit of sobs ¡°I, I don''t know why! Or what w-we did wrong!?¡±


    Anton was quiet for a moment as he nodded slowly.


    ¡°...We''re, we''re not her treasures!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she covered her eyes with her hands ¡°We were never her treasures! We were Nanny Ma''s treasures! ...But, she''s, she''s gone! She''s gone, forever!¡±


    Anton watched the sobbing dark elf for a moment before glancing at Fiona and finding her on the verge of her own tears.


    ¡°...When you say, she''s gone, you mean she''s passed?¡± he asked as he turned to Kianna and looked from her to Fiona and back ¡°Don''t you?¡±


    ¡°...Yes¡± answered Kianna as she nodded her head.


    ¡°I see, I''m sorry to hear that¡± said Anton as he let his eyes fall to the table in front of him ¡°I know how hard it can be... to lose someone...¡±


    Kianna blinked as she lowered her hands just enough to reveal her eyes and look up at him.


    All three of them were quiet for some time until Anton spoke again.


    ¡°...Are you two alone? Or do you have anyone, who would come for you?¡± he asked softly ¡°Anyone who would even notice if you were gone?¡±


    Fiona went to speak but was stopped short as Kianna interrupted her.


    ¡°No...¡± sobbed the dark elf ¡°There''s no one... We''re alone...¡±


    ¡°I see¡± nodded Anton ¡°Why is that-¡±


    ¡°We''re always alone! ...Nobodies coming for us!¡± cried Kianna as she dropped her hands away from her face and gripped the straps of the harness that was still wrapped around her chest and shoulders ¡°Nobodies... we''re alone! We''re always alone! I''m sorry! We shouldn''t have done this to you!¡±


    Anton said nothing as he continued to stare down at the table in front of him.


    ¡°I''m sorry! I''m really sorry! N-nanny Ma I''m sorry! Please! Please! Don''t hurt us! Please!¡± cried Kianna as she pulled her legs up into her chair and still holding on to her harness hid her eyes against her knees ¡°I''m sorry! Nanny Ma I''m sorry! I tried, I tried to stop her! I tried to be good! I did! I''m sorry! ...Please don''t hurt us! Don''t... don''t take Fiona away! Please! I, I don''t want this! I don''t want this! I, I w-want my Nanny Ma! ...Don''t go Nanny Ma! Please! Everybody, don''t! I don''t want to be alone! I, I don''t wanna be... I''m sorry! I''m so sorry! I don''t wanna be alone again!¡±


    Anton clenched his jaw and pressed his lips into a thin line as he listened to the frantic dark elf falling apart. Unable to stand the turmoil he was hearing, he looked down at the little dog in his lap.


    ¡°...Molly!¡± he whispered as he tapped her on the head.


    The little dog didn''t make a sound as she immediately jumped down and scurried out of the way.


    Anton was stoic and silent as he rose out of his seat and made his way around the table.


    Seeing him coming towards her Kianna began to panic and curled herself into a tighter ball as she flattened her ears back submissively behind her head.


    ¡°I''m sorry! I''m sorry!¡± she cried as Anton approached her and stopped at her side ¡°Please! I''m sorry!¡±


    Without a word Anton reached down to her.


    ¡°Stay away from her!¡± raged Fiona as she nearly toppled her chair over as she began to struggle in her binds ¡°Don''t touch her!¡±


    ¡°Don''t! No! Please!¡± begged Kianna as she covered her head and face with her arms ¡°Please don''t! I''m sorry!¡±


    Taking hold of the shoulder harness at the point where several straps came together between the shoulder blades, Anton lifted Kianna out of her seat and pushed her knees downward to encourage her to unfold her legs.


    The compliant dark elf continued to beg and tremble as she was made to stand in front of him. Keeping her arms up to cover her head and face she did nothing as Anton wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in to the center of his chest.


    ¡°Wha! What are you doing!? What are you doing!?¡± cried the panicked dark elf as she found herself being held in place as she was encircled in his arms ¡°What are you doing!?¡±


    ¡°It''s alright Kianna...¡± whispered Anton as he planted his right hand on the back of her head and tightened his left arm around her torso ¡°It''s okay... you''re okay...¡±


    Kianna went silent but continued to tremble uncontrollably as her eyes widened in shock.


    ¡°...Everythings going to be okay¡± whispered Anton as he tightened his hold on her and held her protectively ¡°...You''re not going to be alone¡±


    Frozen in his arms, Kianna stayed still for only an instant longer before wailing loudly. Dropping her arms down she balled her trembling hands into fists and held them at her sides for a single hesitating moment before frantically wrapping them around Anton. Wailing again, she gripped his shirt behind his back as tightly as she could while she pressed her face into him and cried into his chest.


    Anton closed his eyes and let his aura seep out and engulf the dark elf. The calming warmth that now surrounded her caused Kianna to cry out even louder as she tightened her hold and desperately pressed herself against him.


    ¡°I''m sorry!¡± she wailed into his chest ¡°Please! I''m so sorry!¡±


    ¡°Stop... That''s enough Kianna...¡± whispered Anton as he pressed his cheek down on top of her head ¡°No more...¡±


    The clinging dark elf said nothing more but continued to sob uncontrollably for the better part of the next hour. Anton held her tightly the entire time. When he felt her begin to go limp in his arms he craned his neck back and looked down at her.


    Still holding on to him as tightly as she could, Kianna''s large, questioning eyes gazed back up at him as she left the side of her head to rest against his chest. Her ruby colored irises stood out brightly against the tear induced redness in the rest of her eyes. Though she was still completely coherent, her fatigue was more than obvious.


    ¡°...Such pretty little rubies¡± whispered Anton as he stared at her for a moment.


    The dark elf blinked and grimaced as she flattened her ears down even further and lightly blushed.


    Chuckling to himself, Anton shifted them both into motion and lead Kianna back to her seat. Keeping her in his arms, he pried the dark elf away from his torso and maneuvered her onto his lap as he sat down in the chair and held her to his chest.


    Kianna didn''t resist in any way as she found herself sitting in Anton''s lap with her back to her sister, her legs hanging off to the side and her hands folded in her own lap. Despite what the logical side of her brain was telling her, she couldn''t help but to feel a sense of safety in Anton''s arms. Laying her head against his shoulder she sighed heavily as she let herself go limp.


    ¡°...Why?¡± she whispered quietly ¡°Why are you doing this?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± rumbled Anton ¡°What do you mean? What am I doing?¡±


    Kianna grimaced and tightened her eyes in annoyance.


    ¡°You know what I mean!¡± she whined softly ¡°I mean this... Why are you, holding me?¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to stop?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°No!¡± chirped Kianna as she gripped the hem of his shirt without thinking ¡°...No, I, just want to know why?¡±


    ¡°Hm, well¡± mused Anton ¡°...I guess it''s just because I want to¡±


    Kianna slowly loosened her grip on his shirt as she began to absently play with her fingers.


    ¡°...Why do you want to though?¡± she asked as she watched her fingers ¡°...Don''t, don''t you hate me!?¡±


    ¡°Hate you!?¡± questioned Anton as he creased his eyebrows in question ¡°No. Of course not. Why would you even think that?¡±


    ¡°...W-why wouldn''t I think that? ...Aren''t you mad!? We drugged you, and kidnapped you¡± mumbled Kianna as she pressed her ears down even flatter against her shoulders ¡°...And also, you, embarrass me! And, make me call you Master!¡±


    ¡°Hm, mm hm¡± nodded Anton ¡°Well, I technically drugged myself since I knew it was there and I drank it anyway. I''m not going to say that I was happy to be kidnapped! But I have gotten over it. So no, I don''t hate you for those things¡±


    ¡°...What about the last ones?¡± whispered Kianna as she looked off to the side and stared at nothing.


    ¡°Hm, well...¡± rumbled Anton ¡°I don''t make you call me Master because I hate you Kianna, or because I want you to suffer or be embarrassed. I make you call me Master so that you will understand what our roles are now¡±


    ¡°...Our roles?¡± questioned Kianna ¡°What''s that supposed to mean!?¡±


    ¡°Well, do you understand what a Master really is?¡± asked Anton ¡°And what it means when I tell you that I''m your Master now?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! It means that you think you own me!¡± griped Kianna ¡°What else is it supposed to mean!?¡±


    ¡°Well, that is part of it! But not all of it!¡± chuckled Anton ¡°As a Master there is much more to my role than simply being an owner. You see, as a Master, it''s my place to understand, to recognize who and what the people beneath me really are. To teach them, and to help them to grow. Mold them into what I know they can be, and give them a purpose. To care for them. To be sure that they are safe, healthy and that all their needs are met. There is of course an element of discipline to this. But there is also a stronger element of protection and responsibility. This isn''t a job for me though. I do all of this because I want to. And I only do all of this for the people that I choose to. People that I find interesting, or that I think are worthy of my time...¡±


    Taking his right hand, Anton took hold of Kianna''s chin and tilted her face up to look at him.


    ¡°I did what I did for you, because I wanted to. I don''t need any other reason than that¡± he said in a calm but stern tone ¡°I saw that you were in pain. And as your Master, I wanted to protect you from that pain, and to help you to understand that you are not alone Kianna. Not anymore¡±


    Kianna remained completely still and barely even breathed as she stared into his eyes.


    ¡°Do you understand that now?¡± asked Anton.


    The dark elf was still for a moment longer before she tentatively nodded her head.


    ¡°Good¡± whispered Anton as he smiled and let her go.


    Kianna dropped her head back down and began to tremble as she held back a sob.


    ¡°My little dark elf is so clever!¡± soothed Anton as he wrapped his arm back around her and gave her a gentle squeeze ¡°I knew she would understand¡±


    Kianna whimpered quietly as she gripped his shirt again and hid her face against his shoulder.


    Anton remained still and held her tightly as he felt her quivering with silent sobs. When he finally felt her relax and rest limply against him, he grinned and glanced over at Fiona. His grin faded immediately as he sighed through his nose.


    ¡°Kianna¡± whispered Anton as he hoisted the dark elf up higher in his lap ¡°Your sister is crying. I think she needs you¡±


    ¡°...Fiona!?¡± whimpered Kianna as she twisted her head around and looked back at her sister ¡°Oh no!¡±


    The second dark elf was still hunched over the table but now she was shaking uncontrollably as heavy tears ran down her stricken face. She stared longingly at Kianna with eyes that were both bloodshot and desperate. She went to speak but no sound came out as her lips began to quiver wildly.


    ¡°Fiona!¡± whimpered Kianna as she reached her arm out to her sister.


    Fiona''s ears immediately folded themselves down and away from her head as her sister''s fingertips reached her face and caressed her cheek.


    ¡°I, I''m sorry!¡± whined Fiona as she nuzzled her cheek into her sister''s hand and leaned in as close to her as her chain would allow ¡°I''m so sorry!¡±


    Without a word, Anton reached over, grabbed the seat of Fiona''s chair, and pulled her in next to himself and Kianna.


    Kianna immediately wrapped her arm around her sister''s neck and began to nuzzle their faces together as Fiona was dragged in closer.


    Reaching around the trembling dark elves, Anton unclipped the chain from Fiona''s harness before dropping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her in against him.


    Twisting around in her seat on Anton''s lap, Kianna fully embraced her sister and held her tightly as Fiona began to cry out for their ¡°Nanny Ma¡±.


    Tightening his arms around the pair of sobbing dark elves, Anton held them gently as they both began to wail in sorrow.


    A little over an hour later, Kianna awoke, and blinking open her eyes, found herself staring at her still snoozing sister. The confused dark elf remained still for a moment as she tried to place where she was. A gentle pleasant feeling caught her attention and focusing on it she realized that someone was slowly running their fingers through her hair. Moving carefully, so as not to disturb whoever was comforting her, she tilted her head upwards and found that she and Fiona were both resting against Anton''s chest.


    Though he was still holding the two dark elves and lightly stroking the hair on their heads, Anton appeared to be dozing as he sat with his head leaned back against the chairs headrest and his eyes fully closed.


    Kianna remained still and watched him for a moment before sighing silently through her nose. Her eyes went wide in surprise as his hand suddenly gripped the top of her head and began to playfully ruffle her hair.


    ¡°You two really need a bath!¡± mumbled Anton without opening his eyes ¡°You both stink!¡±

 Chapter 10 : Late Morning

    Chapter 10 : Late Morning


    ¡°Mmmmm!¡± moaned Kianna as she rested her head on her sister''s shoulder and let herself sink a little further down into the warm water.


    ¡°Hey, no falling asleep in the tub!¡± chastised Anton as he glanced over to check which of the dark elves she was ¡°Kianna!¡±


    Kianna grimaced but kept her eyes closed as she lifted her head up a bit.


    ¡°I like how he can tell us apart!¡± she whispered softly as she leaned in close to her sister''s ear.


    Fiona blinked and gave her an annoyed glare before rolling her eyes and going back to picking at her nails.


    Both of the dark elves were now soaking in the six person sized, extra large Jacuzzi style tub in the bathroom of the master bedroom. The water they sat in was tinted a very faint bluish color due to the healing potion that had been added to it.


    Since they had yet to regain complete mobility, they sat shoulder to shoulder to help each other stay sitting upright. The water level in the tub was high enough that even at their sitting positions the water came up to just below their shoulders. This allowed the majority their bodies to rest in the healing water and let their limbs soak up the soothing warmth.


    Although this was the first time in days that the two dark elves had found themselves completely free from any sort of bondage, neither one of them had any intention of moving from right where they were.


    Anton was sitting comfortably next to the tub in a cushioned, deck chair that he had brought in from the outside patio. The thick book being propped up in his hands gave him something to stay busy with while he acted as a lifeguard for the soaking dark elves.


    Kianna cracked open a single eye and peeked out at Anton and her sister. Seeing them both distracted, she quickly dipped her lips below the water line and covertly sucked in a mouthful of water.


    ¡°Kianna!¡± muttered Anton as he shook his head without looking away from his book ¡°Stop drinking that water! I''m not going to tell you again!¡±


    ¡°Seriously! Quit that!¡± growled Fiona as she nudged their shoulders together ¡°You''re a grown ass woman Kianna! Stop being gross!¡±


    ¡°I''m sorry!¡± whined Kianna as she lowered her ears in embarrassment ¡°But I''m still really thirsty!¡±


    ¡°Well you can drink as much as you want when you''re done with your bath¡± declared Anton as he flipped to the next page in his book ¡°Until then you''re both cut off. I''m not going to risk having to drain the water again just because we can''t trust a certain ¡°grown woman¡± not to pee in it¡±


    Kianna stifled a laugh as she smiled at her sister.


    ¡°That was!¡± cried Fiona as she turned her face away from them and blushed ¡°That was an accident!¡±


    ¡°I never said it wasn''t¡± smiled Anton ¡°I''m not going to waste another potion though. So if it happens again then you''re both going to sit in it!¡±


    Kianna made a disgusted looking face before lolling her head to the side and going back to her dozing.


    Still frustrated, Fiona wrapped her arms around her legs as she pulled her knees up to her chest.


    ¡°...Hey, Mr. Master!¡± she muttered grudgingly as she tentatively shifted her gaze to Anton ¡°...Mind if I ask you a question!?¡±


    ¡°Of course not¡± answered Anton as he pressed his finger down in his book to mark his place on the page he was on and turned to look at her ¡°Ask away¡±


    ¡°...What the Hell are you!?¡± asked Fiona as she creased her brow and looked him over.


    Kianna opened her eyes and looked up at him as well.


    ¡°Excuse me!?¡± laughed Anton as genuine surprise appeared on his face ¡°What do you mean!?¡±


    ¡°What are you!?¡± repeated Fiona as she looked him over again ¡°You look like a human! ...But I don''t think you really are one!?¡±


    ¡°Well, I was born a human, and as far as I know I''m still a human! So that label should work as well as any!¡± smiled Anton as he closed his book and laid it down in his lap ¡°Why? What did you think I was?¡±


    Fiona pursed her lips and looked down as she started fidgeting with her hands under the water.


    ¡°I don''t know!¡± she mumbled as she pointed her ears straight back behind her head ¡°You just don''t seem like a human! ...You''re different!¡±


    ¡°Really!?¡± asked Anton as he tilted his head at her ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know! That''s why I asked!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°...You''re just, different!¡±


    ¡°You seem different...¡± whispered Kianna as she shyly looked away from him ¡°Really different...¡±


    ¡°Oh really!?¡± mused Anton as he looked from one to the other ¡°And why do you think that is?¡±


    The dark elves were quiet for a moment before they both shrugged in unison.


    ¡°Hm!¡± nodded Anton as he continued to smile broadly ¡°Well, tell you what! When you two come up with a theory as to how I''m different, just let me know! And we''ll discuss it!¡±


    Kianna nodded tentatively while Fiona stayed silent and continued to fidget with her hands.


    Chuckling, Anton leaned back into his chair and reopened his book.


    Kianna watched him read for a moment before leaning forward and tilting her head as she tried to get a better look at the cover of his book.


    ¡°...What are you reading?¡± she asked as she looked up at him.


    Anton turned to her and without a word lifted the book up to give her a clear view of the cover.


    Fiona glanced back up as Kianna leaned in even closer and squinted at the book.


    ¡°...¡°Morris and Simmons Medical Encyclopedia : The Natural History and Anatomy of the Dark Elf, Volume 1¡±...¡± she read out loud ¡°...Wait!? You''re reading about us!?¡±


    ¡°Mm hm¡± mumbled Anton as he repositioned the book to keep reading.


    The two dark elves glanced at each other before quickly looking back at Anton.


    ¡°Why are you reading about us!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards.


    ¡°...I have a few questions about dark elves¡± mumbled Anton as he continued to read while talking ¡°And I''d like to know a little more about how they work...¡±


    Kianna turned to her sister and found her glaring in annoyance.


    ¡°You''re seriously reading a book when you have two dark elves sitting right in front of you!?¡± she exclaimed as she shook her head in disbelief ¡°You do know we can just answer your questions right!?¡±


    ¡°I''d be really surprised if you could¡± mumbled Anton as a tired look came over his face ¡°I doubt you''d even be able to answer half of them...¡±


    ¡°Why don''t you try us!¡± boasted Fiona as she nudged her sister''s shoulder ¡°Who better to answer any questions about dark elves than actual dark elves!?¡±


    ¡°Mmm, alright then...¡± sighed Anton as he closed his book and set it back in his lap before turning to face them.


    Fiona was smirking with an eagerly determined look in her eyes whilst Kianna was clearly nervous.


    Anton smiled softly and took a deep breath through his nose.


    ¡°At what rate do the livers of dark elves metabolize sugars?¡± he asked calmly.


    The two dark elves went completely still as they stared at him.


    ¡°...Uh, what?¡± mumbled Fiona as she turned to an equally confused looking Kianna ¡°Um!?¡±


    ¡°Your ancestors were originally semi-subterranean in nature¡± continued Anton as he ignored her lack of answer ¡°So how has this effected your current anatomy?¡±


    ¡°...Wait!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards ¡°They were what!?¡±


    ¡°In order for you to be able to see in the dark underground. Your eyes have developed in such a way that they can utilize low levels of geothermal radiation and process it as a form of infrared¡± continued Anton as he ignored her question ¡°With this being the case, just how far into the infrared spectrum does your vision actually range?¡±


    ¡°...Hold on!¡± exclaimed Fiona as her ears pointed themselves straight back behind her head ¡°Did you just say our eyes process shit!? And are radioactive!? Are you just fucking with us!?¡±


    ¡°...Do your bodies metabolize vitamin D naturally like other races?¡± asked Anton as he tilted his head in a questioning manner ¡°Or does it need to be supplemented into your diets?¡±


    ¡°...Did you just seriously ask if we need to eat vitamin D!?¡± growled Fiona as she glared up at him ¡°No! We don''t need to suck dick to live you sick fuck! You''re not even being serious at all are you!? Are any of these even real questions!?¡±


    Anton was still for a moment as he merely stared back at her.


    ¡°...How about we try a few easier ones?¡± he mocked as a condescending grin spread across his face ¡°How many bones do you have, Fiona?¡±


    ¡°...Uh!?¡± drawled Fiona as she blinked in uncertainty ¡°I think like, a hundred... and fifty?¡±


    ¡°Mm!¡± nodded Anton as he pressed his lips into a thin line ¡°And how long is the gestation period for a dark elf?¡±


    ¡°...It''s like a little more than a year?¡± questioned Fiona as she turned to her sister ¡°Right!?¡±


    Kianna opened her mouth and then closed it as she shrugged.


    ¡°No, it''s 11 months¡± sighed Anton ¡°What is the range for a healthy body temperature in dark elves?¡±


    Fiona stayed silent as she stared at him.


    ¡°How many teeth do you have?¡± continued Anton as he gave her a mock smile.


    Again the dark elf stayed silent.


    ¡°...Fiona, what color is your blood!?¡± exclaimed Anton as he began to rub his temples in frustration.


    ¡°Red! It''s red!¡± cried Fiona as she frantically turned to Kianna ¡°It''s red! Right!?¡±


    ¡°Um, I, yeah! It is!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she looked up at Anton ¡°It''s red! ...Right!?¡±


    ¡°You''re both going to need to read this book when I''m done with it¡± muttered Anton as he shook his head and settled back into his chair to continue reading.


    Fiona let out an exasperated sigh through her nose as she scowled down at the water.


    ¡°Wait, why do you even want to know all this?¡± asked Kianna as she tilted her head and cocked one of her ears in a curious manner.


    ¡°Like I said earlier, I want to have a better idea of how dark elves work...¡± answered Anton as he flipped to the next page in his book ¡°I thought I understood dark elves pretty well already but apparently not. You two have really made me question a few things¡±


    ¡°...We did!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards ¡°Really!?¡±


    Fiona''s ears pointed themselves upwards as well as she shifted her eyes to look over at Anton.


    ¡°Mm hm...¡± mumbled Anton thoughtfully as he moved the book closer to his face and focused on what he was reading ¡°Dark elves are a very private people, as they like the idea of being mysterious... So there''s not a whole lot of info about them out there... Not even online... surprisingly...¡±


    The two dark elves glanced at each other for a moment before turning back to Anton.


    ¡°But you say you know a lot about dark elves already?¡± questioned Fiona as she narrowed her eyes in suspicion ¡°How do you know anything about dark elves at all!?¡±


    Anton didn''t answer as he stayed focused on what he was reading. After a moment of silence he eased the book away from his face and turned to the waiting dark elves.


    ¡°I''m sorry, what was that?¡± he asked as he looked from one to the other ¡°What were you asking?¡±


    ¡°How do you know anything about dark elves!¡± demanded Fiona as she gave him a questioning glare.


    ¡°Oh, I lived in Tantarra Estates for a good while¡± explained Anton ¡°So I got to know quite a few dark elves pretty well¡±


    ¡°Where''s Tantarra Estates?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°...It''s in Tantarra, the demon realm¡± answered Anton as he gave her a perplexed look ¡°It''s one of their major cities¡±


    ¡°There are a lot of dark elves there?¡± asked Fiona.


    Anton had a questioning expression on his face as he looked back and forth between the two dark elves.


    ¡°Yes, it''s almost all dark elves¡± he explained ¡°If you don''t count slaves then Tantarra''s entire population is about 80 percent dark elf, if not more. In fact at this point I''d say it''s the main population center for dark elves¡±


    ¡°Why are there so many dark elves there?¡± asked Fiona.


    ¡°...Have you really never heard of Tantarra?¡± asked Anton.


    The dark elves both shook their heads in unison.


    ¡°Really, that''s odd? ...Anyways!¡± mumbled Anton as he shook the notion from his head ¡°Tantarra is popular with dark elves because of it''s laws. Or, really, lack there of! You see, people that are non-citizens have no rights in Tantarra. So basically anybody who isn''t a registered citizen, or is from off-realm, can legally be enslaved without consent. Regardless of whether or not they''re innocent or guilty of any crimes¡±


    ¡°Really!?¡± marveled Fiona ¡°That sounds pretty cool!¡±


    ¡°...I suppose it is if you''re either a dark elf or a slave-monger. Or someone who actually wants to be enslaved. Which shockingly! People like that are a lot more common than you''d think they would be! I guess the idea of being ¡°owned¡± by a powerful dark elf is somehow very alluring to certain people¡± explained Anton as he shook his head ¡°Anyways, I wouldn''t recommend even stepping foot in Tantarra if you''re not immune to binding curses, don''t want to be enslaved, or are not skilled or powerful enough to avoid slavery¡±


    ¡°So were you a slave when you were living there?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°Oh, no!¡± drawled Anton as he shook his head and let a broad grin spread across his face ¡°No, no I wasn''t!¡±


    ¡°...Oh, okay¡± mumbled Kianna as she nervously eased herself back and lowered her ears a bit.


    Ignoring Anton''s implication, Fiona leaned forward and began to scrutinize his face.


    ¡°So!¡± she mumbled as she looked him up and down ¡°...You really do know a lot about dark elves then!?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I think we''ve established that!¡± quipped Anton as he tighten his eyes at her ¡°Though like I said before, I really don''t think I know as much as I thought I did¡±


    ¡°Can you tell us about them then!?¡± asked Fiona in a hushed tone ¡°Like, what you do know!?¡±


    ¡°...I suppose I can¡± mumbled Anton ¡°Why, what exactly do you want to know about them?¡±


    ¡°Just, what are they like!?¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°Are they just like us!?¡±


    Anton shifted his gazed back and forth between the two intently staring dark elves.


    ¡°...I don''t know?¡± he answered flatly as he closed his book and set it in his lap ¡°I really don''t think so?¡±


    Kianna''s ears drooped a bit more as Fiona tightened her eyes in annoyance.


    ¡°What''s that supposed to mean!?¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°How are we different from them!?¡±


    ¡°...Honestly, you two really aren''t anything like other dark elves Fiona¡± mused Anton as he leaned back in his chair ¡°Or at least I''ve never seen any that act the way you two do... Maybe they just hide it better?¡±


    ¡°What the Hell are you talking about!?¡± demanded Fiona.


    ¡°I''m talking about the fact that you two are as close to each other as you are... It just completely goes against the grain...¡±  mused Anton as he indicated the two dark elves who were not only sitting side by side but had their shoulders pressed together and were obviously supporting each others weight ¡°You two seem to legitimately care about each other... And I''m not sure if this is normal?¡±


    The dark elves looked at one another in confusion.


    ¡°You said something like that before!¡± said Kianna ¡°But we''re sisters? How can that not be normal!?¡±


    ¡°It might be! Like I said, I don''t know for sure¡± said Anton ¡°But personally I''ve never seen any other dark elves that are as close as you two are. ...Maybe it''s because you''re twins? ...I don''t know?¡±


    ¡°You''ve never met any other dark elves that were twins?¡± asked Fiona.


    ¡°I''ve never even heard of any other dark elves being twins, or having twins. And I haven''t read anything that even mentions twins, here or online¡± said Anton as he tapped on his book ¡°Obviously it must be possible! But it might be so rare that''s it''s basically unheard of? Again, I just don''t know!?¡±


    ¡°...How can dark elves not care about each though?¡± questioned Kianna as she lightly leaned in closer to her sister ¡°How is that possible? Don''t they have families?¡±


    ¡°Well saying that they don''t care might be taking things a bit too far. They do care about each other. And they definitely care about their children! But it''s a different... kind of care¡± said Anton as his face scrunched itself up and became thoughtful looking ¡°It''s a little difficult to really describe but I guess one way of looking at it would be that they really don''t need to care about each other. And since they don''t really need to, they''re just not built that way. You see, they''re just so capable of taking care of themselves. Dark elves are both physically strong and intelligent, they''re viciously strategic and have excellent memories. These attributes make them talented combatants and scholars. Then there''s their affinity for magic. Their natural skill sets are a mixture of mana based abilities that have been blended with Auramancy. This alone is enough to set them above the majority of other races, but they can improve themselves even further by learning spells and gaining new skills and abilities outside of their natural ones. And this again is something that puts them a step ahead of the norm. Realistically, there is very little that can actually threaten them. Even the demons see them as equals and would hesitate to face them in a one on one fight, which is one of the main reasons why the two races get along so well. Then you add to all of this the fact that even as children they''re such fearless, independent, dominating beings, and there really isn''t any reason to be too concerned for them... ever!¡±


    ¡°...So what you''re saying is that because they''re so tough and badass they don''t even have to worry about each other!¡± reasoned Fiona ¡°That''s pretty cool!¡±


    ¡°Yes... but you two do... a lot¡± mused Anton as he rubbed his chin in a thoughtful manner ¡°And I wonder why? It might be because you''re twins? Or maybe it''s because you were raised together? Since that isn''t normal either...¡±


    ¡°It''s not?¡± questioned Kianna ¡°Dark elves don''t raise their kids together!?¡±


    Anton shook his head.


    ¡°No, they don''t¡± he said as he looked to her ¡°They only ever have one at a time¡±


    ¡°They only have one!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards in panic ¡°Really!? Why do they only have one!? Can''t we have more than one!?¡±


    ¡°I don''t mean they only have one and that''s it! I mean they only ever have one with them at any given time!¡± chuckled Anton ¡°They can have plenty of children but I''ve never seen a family that had more than one child in the house at a time. The parents will raise a child until it''s old enough to be out on it''s own, then once it leaves the house they''ll have another baby. Since they''re so long lived they can do this quite a few times and still have a large family. It''s just takes them longer to build it up than it would other people¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay!¡± exclaimed Kianna as her face became relieved ¡°Yeah, that actually makes a lot of sense!¡±


    ¡°It does?¡± questioned Anton ¡°You really think so?¡±


    ¡°Well yeah!¡± smiled Kianna ¡°That''s how you make sure you can take of the little babies!¡±


    ¡°You don''t think dark elves could take care of more than one baby at a time?¡± asked Anton as he became focused on her reactions ¡°You don''t think it might be better for siblings to be raised together? Like you and your sister were? Don''t you think that might be why you''re so close with each other?¡±


    Kianna was still for a moment before she scrunched up her eyes and tilted her head in a thoughtful manner.


    ¡°...Maybe?¡± she mumbled as she looked down into the bathwater ¡°...I don''t know though!? ...It still doesn''t, that just doesn''t sound right?¡±


    ¡°Hm...¡± mused Anton as he watched the pondering dark elf ¡°Do you two fight with each other a lot? Or did you when you were younger?¡±


    The dark elves both glanced up at him before looking at each other.


    ¡°Sometimes. I guess?¡± said Fiona with a shrug ¡°Not really though¡±


    ¡°Yeah, not really¡± said Kianna as both of the dark elves shook their heads ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because whenever I''ve asked any dark elves why they would only have one child at a time they''ve always answered with ¡°Because kids will fight¡± so I was just curious if you two ever fought¡± answered Anton ¡°Doesn''t seem like you did though...¡±


    The dark elves looked at each other again before shrugging in unison and turning back to Anton as they shook their heads.


    ¡°Hm, maybe its the magic then?¡± reasoned Anton as he began to rub his chin again ¡°Maybe you''d be different if you could use magic? It might make you more inclined to fight with each other? Which might drive you apart?¡±


    ¡°We can use magic!¡± declared Fiona as she pointed her ears straight back ¡°We just don''t know how!¡±


    ¡°And you still don''t want to talk about why your Mother won''t teach you?¡± asked Anton ¡°Or are you ready to talk about that now?¡±


    ¡°We already told you!¡± growled Fiona ¡°She''s a busy woman! She just doesn''t have time!¡±


    ¡°Right¡± mumbled Anton as he nodded absently and continued to stare at her ¡°...I wonder what you would be like if you learned though? I wonder if it would change you, make you more... normal? ...It would be pretty interesting, and kind of scary, if it didn''t!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean!?¡± asked Fiona as she gave him a pointed look ¡°Why would it be scary if it didn''t!?¡±


    ¡°Because dark elves won''t normally work together. When they do! Well, I''ve never seen it happen myself but I''ve always heard that it was a terrifying sight¡± explained Anton ¡°It would normally take a pretty extreme situation to get them to that point though. But if didn''t... if you had a pair that was willing to ¡°team up¡± with each other... That might be a pretty interesting sight!¡±


    ¡°...I don''t like the way you''re looking at us!¡± muttered Fiona as she narrowed her eyes into a glare and eased herself back ¡°...Quit it!¡±


    ¡°Why won''t dark elves work together?¡± asked Kianna ¡°If they''re stronger as a team then wouldn''t it make sense to always team up?¡±


    ¡°It would. But they''re just naturally too independent, so it would take a pretty powerful threat to bring them together. And like I said earlier, there isn''t too much that can even threaten them to begin with. So it really would have to be an extreme situation for it to happen¡± explained Anton ¡°That''s the easy explanation at least. Personally I''d say the fact that they''re a ¡°control race¡± is also a factor. It really wouldn''t be surprising to find out that something was built into them that kept them from being too united. They might be unstoppable otherwise¡±


    ¡°A ¡°control race¡±?¡± questioned Kianna as she tilted her head and cocked one of her ears in a curious manner ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°It means we control other races!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°Obviously!¡±


    ¡°Well, it''s a little more complicated than that¡± said Anton ¡°It''s not an official term or anything so I''m not surprised you''ve never heard it before. It''s also considered inappropriate to apply it as a label since it denotes a particular race as being superior to another. It''s not necessarily meant to be derogative in that way but I can definitely see an argument there. In reality it''s only meant to be a collective term for a group of otherwise unrelated races, and nothing more¡±


    The two dark elves were completely still as they listened.


    ¡°...Anyways¡± continued Anton ¡°The dark elves are one of the control races, along with the dullahan, the nurarihyon, the aos si and so on and so forth. These races were each brought into existence to help bring a balance to the world by controlling another race, or group of races in some way. You see, every now and then a race, or a whole group of them, would find a way to somehow tip things too far into their own favor. And when this would happen one of the ¡°Gods¡± or whatever they were, would create a new race that could counter this threat and bring everything back to a balance. This was how they''d keep one race from taking over and wiping out all the other races. Each of the control races were created with the instincts and abilities to accomplish their given task without taking the place of their ¡°counter race¡±. In other words, they were built with a toolkit to get the job done, but not become a threat themselves. All of the control races are very powerful and each could potentially take over the world if they choose to. Fortunately, none of them, including the dark elves, seem to have any desire to do so. And it''s believed that they were each designed with built-in behaviors to keep this very scenario from happening¡±


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.The dark elves had both gone silent and wide eyed as they sat motionless and listened intently.


    ¡°It''s my opinion that this unwillingness to work together is actually one of these ¡°check-and-balance¡± type of behaviors¡± continued Anton ¡°But there''s really no way of knowing for sure if that''s true or not¡±


    Fiona slowly raised her hand out of the water and held it up as a signal that she had a question.


    ¡°Yes?¡± said Anton as he nodded his head to her.


    ¡°So, you''re saying that...¡± she mumbled as her face began to brighten with excitement ¡°The dark elves are like heroes then! Because we stopped a threat, and saved the world!?¡±


    Anton rolled his head back as he began to laugh loudly.


    ¡°In a way..., yes!¡± he answered as he wiped a tear away from his eye ¡°Your ancestors did at least!¡±


    ¡°So, wait! What is our ¡°counter race¡± then?¡± asked Kianna ¡°The one that we''re supposed to control?¡±


    ¡°Well, why don''t you tell me?¡± grinned Anton as he looked down at her ¡°What race hates your kind more than any other? ...And you can''t help but to get excited whenever you see them?¡±


    The dark elves looked to each other as thoughtful expressions marred their features. Their eyes went wide and they both gasped in unison as realization spread across their faces.


    ¡°Highlights!¡± they both exclaimed as they looked up at Anton.


    ¡°...What!?¡± asked Anton ¡°Excuse me!?¡±


    ¡°Woodies!¡± exclaimed Fiona.


    ¡°Rockies!¡± cried Kianna.


    Anton was completely still as he continued to stare at them.


    ¡°Elves!¡± they both exclaimed as a hungry looking red glow began to shine in their eyes.


    Anton stared at them for another moment before nodding his head and grinning.


    ¡°...Yes!¡± he chuckled as he continued to nod his head ¡°That''s correct... Very good!¡±


    Both of the dark elves were smiling wickedly as they stared at him with their still glowing eyes and waited for him to continue.


    ¡°...The dark elves were created to counter the other elven races when the high elves learned to utilize magic in a way that would allow the then three elven species to take over completely¡± explained Anton ¡°This happened ages and ages ago. And at this point no one is exactly sure on the time-frame or the actual events that took place. What we can be sure of though, is that whatever happened it was significant enough that the slave-mongering dark elves were created and they brought a balance back to the world¡±


    ¡°...How does that work though?¡± asked Kianna ¡° How do we bring a balance by enslaving people?¡±


    ¡°Well, to understand that you have to understand the nature of the other elven races¡± said Anton ¡°Elves in general are all naturally racist, xenophobic beings who will generally stay among their own kind in their own cities, which are far and few between. They are all very long lived and don''t produce a lot of children very quickly. Wood elves and rock elves both produce more children than high elves and dark elves do, but not by very much. So none of the elves have very high populations. Especially when compared to other races. And their populations are spread out in small pockets across the world. High elves in particular are even more prone to racism than the others and have the smallest population of any elven race. They''re technically the dark elves counter race as well, and although no dark elf is likely to ever say no to playing with a wood elf or a rock elf, a high elf will always be their first choice. So now it''s easier to understand that if the dark elves had the instincts to kill the other elves, with their small, spread out populations and low birthrates. It wouldn''t be too difficult to wipe them out completely. Especially the high elves, who are the main targets to begin with¡±


    Fiona and Kianna both nodded silently as they digested what they had just been told.


    ¡°Do either of you ever have the desire to kill a high elf?¡± asked Anton and the sisters immediately shook their heads ¡°What do you want to do to them then?¡±


    The dark elves were still for a moment before broad, wicked looking smiles spread across their faces.


    ¡°Find the ones that think they''re strong!¡± whispered Kianna ¡°And then tie them up! So tight that they can''t even move!¡±


    ¡°Then punish them and make them crawl!¡± continued Fiona ¡°Until they cry and hide their ears!¡±


    Anton went still and stared at the vicious looking dark elves for a moment before nodding slowly.


    ¡°...Right!¡± he drawled as he warily cocked an eyebrow ¡°...Your instincts are telling you to control them. And your nature and abilities are all based around this goal. In this way you countered their threat, not by killing them, but by forcing them into submission... literally!¡±


    ¡°So we beat them by turning them into our little pets!¡± exclaimed Fiona.


    ¡°...More or less?¡± shrugged Anton ¡°That would be the footnote version of it I guess. Though I''m sure there was more of a skirmish involved... Well, probably... Then again, maybe not! Especially considering there really isn''t too much a high elf can do against a dark elf. You guys beat them in pretty much every imaginable way¡±


    ¡°Smug little creamies were made to be beaten!¡± boasted Fiona.


    ¡°No, it was actually the other way around¡± mused Anton ¡°They came first, and then you were ¡°made¡± to beat them. And everything about you was literally designed with this in mind¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Kianna as she lifted her hands out of the water and watched herself open and close her own fists ¡°How are we ¡°designed¡± to beat them?¡±


    ¡°Well, to start off, you''re technically modified high elves yourselves, or at least derived from them. So you have all of their same physical capabilities. You may not be quite as agile as they are, or as fast but you are bigger than them and physically stronger. And you have all the same keen senses, although you''ve got better night vision than they do. But the main creche of your secret weapons are your magical talents, and your immunities. You see, again, since you are in all actuality high elves yourselves, and since all of the high elves are so naturally proud and racist that they apparently could never even imagine a scenario where they would ever need to raise a hand against another of their own kind¡± explained Anton as he rolled his eyes ¡°They can''t hurt you, or each other, literally, even if they wanted to. And this is not merely a mental hangup either. It''s literally a core element of their race. You see, the high elves have been designed in such a way that they are completely immune to their own mana signature. And what this means is that their combative abilities will target and harm other races but never themselves. This sounds like it''s meant to be a sort of built-in safety measure and it is, but it''s one that they can and do take advantage of, as it does allow them to attack at full power and not have to worry about any comrades that may be around them. This can actually be incredibly devastating on a battlefield in which they''re fighting another race. Since this allows them to set loose massive, large scale destructive abilities and still have no need to be concerned for their teammates being harmed by them¡±


    ¡°Oh shit!¡± mumbled Fiona ¡°That explains why they win so many battles! They can just blow everything away and not worry about it!¡±


    ¡°Yes, exactly. When it comes to any form of fighting they know exactly how to use their advantages to the fullest¡± said Anton as a thin grin spread across his face ¡°Unfortunately for them though! These same advantages are exactly why they will forever lose to the dark elves. You see, you are again technically high elves yourselves and as such, you are also completely immune to all high elven based combat magic. While they on the other hand are not immune to your magic which is designed to effect literally every race and species. So in other words, magically speaking, they can not hurt you, but you can hurt them, very easily. So, with all of these factors combined, any fight that may take place between your two races, regardless of whether its magical or physical, is going to be so one-sided that it isn''t even funny. The dark elves have, and will, always win. Without question, every, single, time¡±


    Fiona nodded slowly as a broad, smug looking smile spread across her face.


    ¡°So, wait, if we always won... Then what happened next? What did we do with all the elves we beat?¡± asked Kianna as she stared down into the bathwater ¡°...Did we enslaved them all? Like, all of them!?¡±


    ¡°Well, no, none of the elven races were ever completely enslaved as far as I know¡± mused Anton ¡°And as for what you did with the ones you did enslave? Well, dark elves may be more or less sadistic depending on the individual, but I''ve never known of any that are actually bloodthirsty towards their slaves. And I doubt they were any different back then. So I''d say it''s safe to assume that they didn''t eventually kill any of the elves they enslaved. If I had to guess, I''d think the elves had more than likely seen a similar if not the same fate that most modern slaves do. I''m sure many were made useful by being trained as household servants and used for pleasure and entertainment. In the end though most were probably just kept for the novelty of having them. Fiona isn''t really far off when she referred to them as ¡°pets¡± that''s pretty much what they were, and are, even now¡±


    Kianna was silent for a moment as she nodded thoughtfully.


    ¡°So how did they enslave them?¡± she asked as she looked up at Anton ¡°And how do we enslave people now?¡±


    ¡°Mm, well, the easiest and most common method is to use a binding curse that''s been anchored to a piece of silver. This is usually crafted into the shape of an accessory that can''t be easily removed. Normally it''s a collar, but it can also be a bracelet, an anklet, a belt or even a piercing¡± explained Anton ¡°This isn''t always necessary for a dark elf though. Since they have a built-in dominant presence, they''re naturally attractive to people with submissive tendencies, and if a person is submissive enough then just being exposed to the right dark elf could be all it takes for a natural binding to form between them¡±


    ¡°Seriously!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as her eyes flashed red in excitement ¡°We can really just enslave people by walking up to them!? It just happens!? We don''t even have to use a curse!?¡±


    ¡°No, no it''s way more complicated than just walking up to someone. There is also magic involved so it''s going to be something that you know is happening. It''s not going to happen just by accident¡± explained Anton as he shook his head ¡°This is why dark elves have such a stigma though. People think that they can just naturally enslave whoever they want but they can''t. Like I said, it takes a very submissive person for this to happen, you can''t just do it with anyone¡±


    Fiona''s shoulders slumped in disappointment as Kianna''s eyes went wide in realization.


    ¡°This is something all dark elves can do though!?¡± cried Kianna as she leaned forward ¡°All of them!? And people know about this!?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes!¡± answered Anton ¡°As far as I know they all can? And again, yes, this is fairly common knowledge¡±


    ¡°This! This explains!¡± cried Kianna as she turned to her sister in a panic ¡°...A lot!¡±


    The two dark elves stared at each other in silence as Anton looked back and forth between them.


    ¡°You two really never knew any of this?¡± he questioned as he arched an eyebrow at them ¡°Did you?¡±


    The dark elves both turned to him before slowly shaking their heads.


    ¡°...You''re Mother never explained any of this to you?¡± asked Anton ¡°None of it?¡±


    Fiona looked away as Kianna shook her head and let her eyes fall to the water.


    ¡°This doesn''t make any sense! How could she just...¡± wondered Anton as he shook his head and rubbed his chin in confusion ¡°So, have you two ever even been around any other dark elves? Other than each other?¡±


    The faces of the dark elves tightened as obvious unpleasant thoughts began to dance behind their eyes.


    ¡°...There was one at Bridgemont. For a little while... She wasn''t nice though!¡± answered Kianna as her voice began to become strained ¡°She, was the reason that...¡±


    The dark elf wrapped her arms around herself and went silent as her ears began to droop.


    Anton watched her for a moment before letting his aura seep out and surround her.


    Kianna stiffed as the calming warmth closed in and enveloped her in it''s balm. As recognition took form in her eyes she relaxed and looked up at Anton.


    ¡°What is Bridgemont?¡± prompted Anton in a hushed tone.


    ¡°...It''s a boarding school. ...On the East coast¡± explained Kianna as she looked back down at the bathwater ¡°...It''s where we went to school¡±


    ¡°I see¡± nodded Anton ¡°And there was only one other dark elf there? And only for a short time?¡±


    Kianna nodded.


    ¡°And you weren''t friends with her?¡± asked Anton.


    Kianna''s face scrunched up in displeasure as she shook her head.


    ¡°I see¡± said Anton as he nodded again and looked ahead at nothing ¡°...And your, ¡°Nanny Ma¡± she wasn''t a dark elf?¡±


    Kianna shook her head as her ears drooped even lower and hung in sadness.


    ¡°No¡± she whispered ¡°...She was a troll¡±


    Anton stayed silent as he nodded.


    ¡°But she loved us anyway! Ever since we were little babies! She raised us, and loved us! She always told us to love each other and that we should protect each other! No matter what happens! And... she always said, that we were her little treasures! And that we would always be important to her! And that she would always be here for us!¡± exclaimed Kianna as her eyes began to well with tears and her voice began to crack ¡°...But, she d-died! And now she''s g-gone!¡±


    Anton turned back to her as he increased the power flowing through his aura.


    Kianna looked up at him as she let his soothing presence embrace her.


    ¡°...It was when we were 12¡± she continued as she looked into Anton''s eyes ¡°...We came home for our spring break. ...Our Mom was still here, and she, told us that... that, Nanny Ma was... she was gone!¡±


    ¡°I''m so sorry...¡± breathed Anton as he looked from her to Fiona and back ¡°Truly, I am¡±


    Kianna had a small smile on her forlorn face as she nodded in thanks. Her smile faded as she looked back down into the water.


    ¡°Things kept getting worse after that¡± she continued ¡°When we came back for summer... Our Mom was gone too. That''s when she left, and moved out¡±


    ¡°She left you when you were kids!? Right after you just lost...!?¡± exclaimed Anton ¡°How could she!? Why would she do that!?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know!?¡± cried Kianna as an angry scowl spread across Fiona''s face ¡°We were alone! We didn''t know what to do! And, and it was dark in here...¡±


    ¡°Kianna¡± breathed Anton as he shook his head in sorrow ¡°I''m so sorry...¡±


    The dark elf started to tremble as she sobbed quietly. For some time they all stayed still until Kianna blinked up at Anton.


    ¡°...Thank you¡± she breathed before looking back at the water and continuing ¡°...We just stayed at Bridgemont after that. We didn''t come home on the holidays anymore... There was no one here, so there was no point...¡±


    Anton nodded in understanding.


    ¡°And then! That new semester!¡± muttered Kianna as she glanced up at Anton and looked back down ¡°That''s when Sierra came!¡±


    ¡°Sierra?¡± questioned Anton ¡°I''m guessing she was the dark elf?¡±


    Both of the sisters nodded in silence.


    ¡°She was horrible!¡± growled Kianna through her clenched teeth ¡°She was mean to everybody! For no reason! ...She was the one who told us our Mom doesn''t love us because she won''t teach us how to use magic! She laughed at us and said we were worthless! ...She kept doing mean things to us! And to everybody!¡±


    ¡°The school got rid of her after that semester!¡± declared Fiona as she continued to stare angrily at nothing ¡°But it was already too late!¡±


    ¡°...Too late?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°Everyone saw what she could do!¡± explained Kianna ¡°They saw what she could do to people! She could make them afraid of her! And make them do things! Even the teachers! They were all scared! Then she starting talking about enslaving people! And that''s when the school finally made her leave... But it was still too late!¡±


    ¡°I don''t understand?¡± questioned Anton ¡°What was it too late for?¡±


    The dark elves were quiet for a moment before Kianna looked up him.


    ¡°Everyone saw what she could do!¡± she explained as her face twisted in misery ¡°And they all thought that we would do the same!¡±


    ¡°...Oh!¡± exclaimed Anton as he looked away and nodded ¡°Because you were dark elves like her...¡±


    ¡°We never even did anything to any of them!¡± snarled Fiona as tears of anger began to form in her eyes ¡°It was all Sierra!¡±


    ¡°They didn''t trust you after that¡± reasoned Anton as he nodded slowly ¡°Or at least not what you are...¡±


    ¡°No one would talk to us anymore! Not even the teachers! Everyone was just scared!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she flattened her ears behind her head ¡°We were all alone again!¡±


    Anton shook his head as Kianna fell into a fit of sobs.


    ¡°And you barely even understood what was going on¡± muttered Anton ¡°If you had at least known how to flare your auras you could have made a stand. She wouldn''t have been able to effect you and you could have stopped her from running amok... But you couldn''t, because you didn''t know how...¡±


    ¡°We didn''t know anything!¡± exclaimed Kianna ¡°No one told us what was going on! They just made us stay by ourselves! We thought we were in trouble! But they never told us why! We were just alone!¡±


    Anton nodded again as he let even more power flow into his aura.


    ¡°It was like that until we graduated...¡± mumbled Fiona ¡°Everyone else was so excited, and sad, saying goodbyes to each other... We just packed up and left...¡±


    ¡°We thought college would be better but it was even worse!¡± cried Kianna ¡°Everybody there was still scared of us! And if they weren''t scared then they were weirdos!¡±


    She looked up at Anton as her face became marred with irritation.


    ¡°Everyone acted like we were gonna attack them or something! We had no idea what the Hell was going on!¡± she exclaimed as she clenched her teeth ¡°Then there were the weirdos that would follow us around! At first they acted like they wanted to be friends but then they''d start calling us their Mistresses and acting like they were our servants! That got old really quick!¡±


    ¡°Those guys were fucking creeps!¡± declared Fiona ¡°I still can''t believe you fucked those two...¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± cried Kianna as her eyes went wide in panic ¡°I didn''t know they were gonna be like that! I had no idea!¡±


    Anton pressed his lips together to hold back his laughter as he looked away. Recomposing himself, he shook his head as he sighed through his nose. His chest tightened as he looked back at Kianna.


    The dark elf had hunched herself over as she tried to keep from trembling.


    ¡°Nanny Ma always told us that if we were good girls then everybody would love us!¡± whimpered the sobbing dark elf ¡°But they didn''t! No matter what! They''d never say we were good! And we never knew why!¡±


    Anton was taken aback as she raised her head to look him in the eyes.


    ¡°But now we do!¡± she sobbed ¡°It''s because we''re evil!¡±


    ¡°What!?¡± exclaimed Anton ¡°Kianna you''re not evil! What are you talking about!?¡±


    ¡°Yes we are!¡± cried Kianna ¡°We take people''s lives away! We enslave them! That''s the only reason we exist! We were made to be evil!¡±


    ¡°No! Kianna! You don''t understand!¡± exclaimed Anton as he leaned over the edge of the tub and quickly took hold of her face with both hands ¡°You don''t take people''s lives away! People who kill other people take lives away! You might control lives and change them but you don''t destroy them! You were not created to be evil Kianna! You were created to punish evil people! If you didn''t exist then the other elves would have been able to wipe out everyone else! But you stopped them! You saved us all! How can you think you''re evil when that is the real reason you exist!?¡±


    ¡°...But, but that was a long time ago! Now all we do is enslave people!¡± argued Kianna as she pointed her ears straight back ¡°You said it yourself that all the dark elves on Tantarra have slaves! All those innocent people...¡±


    ¡°I never said that all the slaves were innocent Kianna, I never said that!¡± exclaimed Anton ¡°And you don''t understand, the dark elves living on Tantarra is a compromise that they made themselves! They live there because it''s an easy place for them to be what they are. They can''t just stop being what they are, and they''re not going to force the rest of the world to follow the rules that they want. And they could! Remember when I said that the dark elves were one of the races that are powerful enough to take over the world? Well they are! But they don''t! They don''t force the world to bend to their will, they may control people but they leave the world itself alone! They have a place with rules that they like and anyone who makes the decision to go there understands the risks that they''re taking when they do. And that is fair!¡±


    Kianna remained still as she stayed focused on everything being told to her.


    ¡°As for the slaves. Where do you think they come from? Hm? If you think there are big enough free populations of different species on just Tantarra itself then I can tell you that there isn''t. No, the majority of slaves on Tantarra come from Terra, and they come from the same place they do on Terra. They''re criminals Kianna, guilty people that have been banished¡± explained Anton ¡°People that took lives and livelihoods away from other people. They made the choices to do what they did and now they''re paying the price for those choices. They knew the consequences. They knew that the dark elves existed and they knew that the dark elves would just love to have another toy to play with! And yet they still did what they did. You can''t save people like that. But you can give the rest a warning! Either play nice and be moral or-¡±


    ¡°Or play with us!¡± declared Fiona as she continued to stare off at nothing.


    ¡°Hm, exactly!¡± smiled Anton ¡°You weren''t created to be evil Kianna. You were created to punish evil people. That is what you really are, and what you''ll always be!¡±


    Kianna was still for a moment before a thin smile took form on her face.


    ¡°So you really don''t think I''m evil?¡± she whimpered as a shiver racked her body ¡°You really don''t!?¡±


    ¡°No, I don''t. And I don''t think the dark elves as a whole are any more evil than anyone else!¡± said Anton as he shook his head ¡°Well, at least most of them aren''t. Now your Mother on the other hand! If she isn''t evil she''s close! Very close!¡±


    Fiona lifted her head and stared at Anton as Kianna''s eyes went wide.


    ¡°That she would abandon you both like this!¡± exclaimed Anton as his agitation began to show clearly on his face ¡°She leaves you alone with no knowledge about yourselves and no understanding of how to manifest your abilities! And won''t even give you a reason why! How heartless and cold does she have to be to do this to her own children! Her own daughters!¡±


    Both of the dark elves were still for a moment as they stared at Anton.


    ¡°...No¡± whispered Kianna as she lightly shook her head ¡°...W-we!¡±


    Both Anton and Fiona turned to her as she spoke.


    ¡°Kianna!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she gave her sister an exasperated look.


    ¡°We, know...¡± whispered Kianna as she stared into Anton''s eyes ¡°We know why she won''t teach us!¡±


    ¡°You do?¡± questioned Anton.


    Kianna scrunched her eyes closed and nodded her head as she laid her ears back submissively.


    ¡°It''s because, we ran away!¡± she wailed.

 Chapter 11 : Late Morning

    Chapter 11 : Late Morning


    ¡°What?¡± questioned Anton ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°We ran away!¡± repeated Kianna as she tightened her arms around her torso.


    ¡°Kianna!¡± cried Fiona as she angrily nudged her sister''s shoulder ¡°What are you doing!?¡±


    Anton let go of Kianna''s face and leaned back a bit as he looked from her to Fiona and back.


    ¡°What are you talking about Kianna?¡± asked Anton as he met her eyes ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Nothing!¡± declared Fiona as she pressed herself against her sister ¡°We don''t want to talk about it!¡±


    Kianna''s face showed her misery clearly as she stared at her sister and kept her ears laid back submissively. Fiona''s ears were pointed straight back behind her head as she gave her sister an exasperated glare and bared her clenched teeth.


    ¡°Right!?¡± growled Fiona through her teeth.


    Kianna said nothing as she let her eyes fall to the water.


    Anton stayed silent as he assessed the two dark elves. After several moments of stillness he settled back into his chair and dropped his aura.


    For some time all three sat in silence.


    Although nothing was said between them, and neither was actually even looking at the other by this point, the tension between the two dark elves never lessened.


    Deciding to let them end their silent stand off on their own, Anton went to look away from them and go back to his book when he stopped short. Kianna had been lightly shivering for some time now and Anton had assumed that this was due to her emotions rather than the temperature around her. But as he went to look away from them he noticed that Fiona now had a very slight shiver to her as well. Taking his right hand, he reached out to feel the bathwater.


    Fiona flinched and cringed away as her eyes darted first to his hand and then to his face. Mistrust was still clear in her large eyes as she stared at him.


    Roused by the movement taking place around her, Kianna looked up at her sister before shifting her attention to Anton. Unlike her sister, this dark elf had no apprehension in her eyes and merely blinked in curiosity as she watched him.


    Slowing his movements, Anton continued to reach forward until he was able to feel the bathwater.


    ¡°...Why didn''t either of you tell me that the water was starting to get cold?¡± he asked as he gently shook the water from his hand.


    The sisters said nothing as they both tightened their arms against their sides.


    With both of the dark elves still watching intently, Anton ran his fingertip in a circle at the waters surface to assess it''s temperature. Mumbling quietly to himself about cold baths, he lightly tapped at the water with just the very tip of his middle finger.


    The dark elves cringed back in surprise as a ripple of energy washed across the surface of the water and instantly heated it back to a comfortable warmth.


    ¡°Whoa! ...That was magic!¡± cried Kianna as she frantically looked around herself ¡°How did you do that?¡±


    ¡°Very, very carefully¡± said Anton as he watched Fiona feel her chest where the energy had washed through her ¡°Too much mana and I could have boiled you both alive¡±


    The dark elves both froze before looking up at him in unison.


    ¡°Yes, I am being serious¡± said Anton with a grin ¡°If I wanted to I could incinerate you both, bones and all, into nothing but little piles of dust¡±


    With their eyes going wide and their ears pointing themselves straight upwards in panic, the unease was clear on their faces as the dark elves turned to each other and then looked back up at Anton.


    ¡°And that''s not even close to the worse thing I could do to you¡± teased Anton as his grin spread into a thin smile ¡°That would actually be a pretty quick and merciful death¡±


    Fiona swallowed a lump in her throat and leaned herself back as Kianna flattened her ears back submissively and hunched down.


    ¡°You two never stood a chance¡± said Anton as he looked from one to the other ¡°And had you been raised right you would have known that¡±


    ¡°...What do you mean?¡± questioned Kianna as she raised her ears back up a bit ¡°How would we have known that?¡±


    ¡°Because I made myself and my abilities clear the moment we met¡± explained Anton as he shifted his gaze to Fiona ¡°You just thought it was the A/C kicking on¡±


    ¡°...That was you!?¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°Back at the bar!?¡±


    ¡°Mm hm¡± nodded Anton ¡°That was my aura. And as dark elves you two should have not only been able to recognize that immediately, but have been able to resist it as well¡±


    ¡°Just because we''re dark elves?¡± questioned Kianna as she raised her ears back up completely.


    ¡°That''s right. Not every species has the ability to manipulate auras, or even feel them at all. Auramancy is a specialty of the dark elves though. It''s how they influence emotions, creating fear and despair or making everything seem calm and safe¡± explained Anton ¡°Almost all of the dark elves major abilities utilize their auras in some way or another. This is one of the reasons that dark elves are considered so powerful and potentially dangerous. You see, unlike a mana pool, an aura can''t be easily cut off or bound. There are ways to do it but it isn''t an easy thing to do and most of the world doesn''t even know it can be done. This is again why dark elves are considered so frightening. Because even if you were to place a manabinder on a dark elf, that dark elf could still use a big chunk of it''s abilities. This means that they can''t be stopped or controlled very easily, if at all¡±


    ¡°...So that''s how Sierra made people be afraid of her!¡± exclaimed Kianna ¡°She was using her aura!¡±


    ¡°That''s right¡± nodded Anton ¡°She used her aura to influence other people''s emotions and created a sense of fear in them. This can be crippling to anyone who doesn''t have any way to resist her influence. And why the dark elves can so easily stand up against and take down multiple people at one time. Or people that have tens times their physical strength¡±


    ¡°What do you mean!?¡± asked Fiona ¡°How does making fear make them stronger than other people!?¡±


    ¡°It doesn''t actually make them stronger. In fact it doesn''t even make their opponents any weaker. But it doesn''t need to either¡± explained Anton ¡°You could have all the strength in the world. But how is it going to do you any good if you''re too afraid to even move?¡±


    Fiona made a small sound as she looked downwards in thought.


    ¡°Auramancy is actually the reason I went to Tantarra in the first place¡± said Anton as he settled back into his chair ¡°I wanted to learn more about it and how it works. So I figured I''d go to the experts. It took me a little while to fit in but I finally found a few dark elves that were willing to teach me, and after I learned the basics they even taught me a few useful abilities that blend both mana and auramancy. So it was time well spent. Learning more about the dark elves themselves was a bonus that also turned out to be surprisingly interesting¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± cried Fiona as her head snapped back up ¡°You know how to use dark elf abilities!?¡±


    Anton leaned over and put his palms down on the edge of the tub as he loomed above the sitting dark elves. In the span of a second all of the lights in the room seemed to dim down to almost nothing as if they were cringing away from him. Both of the dark elves felt an unnatural chill creep up their spines as the world around them became cold and foreboding. Despite the still warm water they both began to shiver uncontrollably and without thinking they instinctively huddled together and wrapped their arms around each other. Looking upwards their eyes went wide in shock as Anton''s whole form went pitch black and featureless, save for his eyes which stood out so brightly against the darkness of his face that they seemed to glow as they became piercing and soulless.


    ¡°Yes!¡± whispered the room itself.


    In a single blink of an eye, the blackness around Anton faded away as if it were a cloud of thin smoke and everything immediately returned to normal.


    The dark elves were still quivering as they continued to hold onto each other. They laid their ears back submissively and cringed away from Anton as he lowered himself down and folded his arms on the edge of the tub.


    ¡°Like I said before!¡± he said as he grinned at them ¡°You two never stood a chance!¡±


    Fiona narrowed her eyes into a glare as her ears rose back up and pointed themselves straight back.


    ¡°S-so you know some cute lighting tricks!¡± she croaked as she shook the nervousness from her shoulders and eased away from her sister ¡°Big deal! You''re still just a human! Even if you do know a few dark elf abilities! You''ll still never be able to beat a real dark elf!¡±


    Anton chuckled and closed one eye as he aimed his pointed finger at the glaring dark elf. A thin chain made of orange glowing light shot out from his fingertip and sped towards her. The chain crossed the distance that separated them almost instantly and before Fiona could even react, the end of the chain wrapped itself around her neck and became a shackle-like collar.


    Crying out in a panic, Fiona immediately grabbed the chain with both hands and tried to pull the collar away from her neck. Her panic set in deeper as the links at the other end of the chain began to disappear back into Anton''s fingertip, and started pulling her forward as they did.


    Kianna sat motionless and mesmerized as she watched her sister get dragged across the tub by the pencil-thin glowing chain.


    Fiona planted her palms against the side of the tub and tried in vain to brace herself as the chain pulled her in to just below Anton.


    ¡°Oh look! It looks like I''ve caught myself a ¡°real¡± dark elf!¡± teased Anton as he flexed the fingers on his free hand and then balled them into a fist ¡°Maybe I should see how badly I can beat her!¡±


    Fiona laid her ears back submissively and shook her head as her eyes became locked onto Anton''s fist.


    ¡°Mouthy little dark elf!¡± mumbled Anton as the chain and collar disappeared.


    Fiona fell backwards with a splash and immediately scrambled away from him the second the chain vanished. She kept moving backwards until she could press her back against the wall at the other end of the tub and once there she frantically felt her neck where the collar had just been. Clearly cowed she sat staring at nothing as if she was unsure of what to do or how to react.


    Kianna continued to stare wide eyed at her sister for a moment before slowly looking back at Anton with obvious excitement in her eyes.


    ¡°That was amazing!¡± she cried excitedly as she sidled up to the edge of the tub ¡°Is that a dark elf ability!?¡±


    Anton gave her a perplexed look as he tilted his head.


    ¡°...Yes, it is¡± he said as his face softened ¡°You''ve never seen it before? Your Mother or Sierra never used it?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± cried Kianna as she shook her head ¡°I''ve never seen them do anything like that!¡±


    ¡°Really? Hm, this is a pretty standard ability for dark elves... so that''s kind of surprising?¡± said Anton as his face became thoughtful ¡°It doesn''t make any sense why your Mother would never use it? Sierra on the other hand was still a child though... and she probably didn''t have a large enough mana pool to create anything that was that strong. So rather than risk the embarrassment of having something break on her, she just never used it...¡±


    ¡°More mana will make the chain stronger?¡± asked Kianna as she stared at Anton''s finger.


    ¡°Mm hm, the amount of mana you apply will effect the integrity of whatever you create¡± explained Anton ¡°With enough mana you could create something that was almost unbreakable¡±


    ¡°That''s so cool!¡± breathed Kianna as she continued to stare at Anton''s hand.


    ¡°It really is, the dark elves have some amazing abilities¡± agreed Anton as he balled his hands into fists ¡°It''s just ridiculous that your Mother didn''t even get you started with at least the basics! I really would like to know why she didn''t teach you anything... But I understand if it''s something you''d still rather not talk about...¡±


    Kianna was silent for a moment as her face became solemn. With a conflicted look in her eyes she looked up at Anton before looking away at nothing.


    ¡°...If, I tell you what happened¡± she whispered ¡°...Can you promise that you won''t get mad?¡±


    ¡°No¡± said Anton as he shook his head ¡°I won''t make a promise unless I know for sure I can keep it¡±


    Kianna looked back up at him and they both stared silently at each other for several moments before the dark elf broke away and looked back down into the bathwater.


    ¡°...I don''t know for sure¡± began Kianna as she kept her eyes lowered ¡°But me and Fiona think that she tested us... And we think that, we failed...¡±


    ¡°She tested you?¡± questioned Anton ¡°How did she test you?¡±


    ¡°...It was 2 summers after Nanny Ma died¡± started Kianna in a hushed tone ¡°We weren''t planning to come home... but she called, and said she wanted us to...¡±


    ¡°Kianna!¡± cried Fiona in a panic as she stared at her sister from her place on the other side of the tub ¡°What the Hell are you doing!? Why are you telling him this!?¡±


    ¡°We didn''t do anything wrong Fiona!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she turned to her and stared her down ¡°She, she was the one who did it!¡±


    Fiona was wide eyed in uncertainty as she looked from her sister to Anton and back while shaking her head.


    Kianna stared at her for another moment before turning away and looking at nothing.


    ¡°...What did she do?¡± asked Anton as he shifted his gaze from Kianna to Fiona and back ¡°...Did she hurt you?¡±


    ¡°Huh!? No!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she looked back up at Anton and shook her head ¡°No she...! She didn''t hurt us...¡±


    Both of the dark elves had expressions of unease on their faces as Kianna turned and looked back at her sister.


    ¡°...She took us to a beach¡± said Kianna as she continued to stare at Fiona.


    ¡°...A beach?¡± questioned Anton when the silence began to drag.


    ¡°...It was at night. There were rocks everywhere, and like, cliffs, all around it...¡± explained Kianna as her eyes went distant in memory ¡°It was really warm... And there was a house there, a big house with big windows, and curtains, so you couldn''t see inside... But you could tell the lights were on...¡±


    ¡°We don''t know where it is!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°We got there through a portal!¡±


    Anton nodded to her before turning back to Kianna.


    ¡°...You only went there once?¡± he asked in an effort to prompt the dark elf to continue.


    ¡°Yes...¡± nodded Kianna ¡°Only the one time...¡±


    ¡°...What did you do there?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°We didn''t do anything!¡± whimpered Kianna ¡°She was the one who did it! We didn''t do anything!¡±


    ¡°What did she do Kianna?¡± asked Anton as he spread his aura outwards and filled the area with a calming essence.


    Kianna shifted her shoulders and began to chew on her lower lip as Anton''s aura surrounded her. She laid her ears back submissively as she looked up at him.


    ¡°She told us to watch! She said we don''t have to do anything, or say anything!¡± said Kianna as she swallowed a lump in her throat ¡°But if we wanted to, we could...¡±


    Anton remained silent as he waited for her to continue. When she didn''t, Fiona began to speak from her place on the other side of the tub.


    ¡°...There were people inside the house¡± said Fiona in a hushed tone ¡°3 of em... all human men... I think...¡±


    ¡°They weren''t okay!¡± cried Kianna as her eyes tightened in anguish ¡°They were tied up to chairs! And they were hurt! Really badly!¡±


    ¡°They were all bleeding, and, missing pieces...¡± explained Fiona as her eyes tightened as well ¡°...None of them, had hands...¡±


    ¡°I don''t remember what Mom was saying...¡± said Kianna as she stared forward at the empty air in front of her ¡°But she started talking to them... And she was really loud! And she was laughing and pointing at us... They were all staring at us... And they were scared! Really, really scared...¡±


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.¡°...Mom went behind them, and then she wrapped a chain around the middle one''s neck¡± said Fiona as she stared down into the bathwater ¡°She pulled on it, just a little bit... And he started screaming...¡±


    ¡°She told us to stay still, and to watch... but we didn''t!¡± whispered Kianna as she shook her head ¡°We ran. We ran outside...¡±


    ¡°You could still hear them, a little bit... even outside...¡± whispered Fiona as her ears slowly shifted back and forth ¡°He was screaming... and she was laughing...¡±


    ¡°When he stopped screaming¡± said Kianna as she shivered in unease ¡°Another one started screaming, and then the last one!¡±


    ¡°Then it was quiet... It was finally quiet... for a long time...¡± said Fiona ¡°We stayed by the rocks... we were, hiding... and crying...¡±


    ¡°We didn''t move until it was morning...¡± said Kianna ¡°When we saw Mom outside, and she started calling us. We went back over to her. And she took us home...¡±


    The dark elves went silent as they both stayed focused on the water around them. Unsure of what to say, Anton merely stared at them for some time.


    ¡°...Did, she say anything to you!?¡± questioned Anton as he looked from Kianna to Fiona and back ¡°Did she tell you why!? Or anything at all!?¡±


    The dark elves both glanced at each other before looking back downwards.


    ¡°We didn''t wanna say anything because we thought that she''d be mad that we ran away... But she wasn''t¡± said Kianna ¡°She was acting like everything was fine, like everything was normal!¡±


    ¡°She said not to worry about what happened¡± said Fiona ¡°She said it was important. But, that we were still too young to understand why. She said that it had to be done, for pride... Dark elf, pride...¡±


    ¡°She said we should be proud too¡± said Kianna ¡°Because we''re dark elves too... and that dark elves, will always win...¡±


    Anton stayed silent as he watched the sisters for a moment.


    ¡°That''s, hm...¡± he started before looking away ¡°That had to have been, intense! ...I don''t even know what to say... I''m sorry...¡±


    Kianna blinked and began to rub her upper arms as she nodded softly.


    ¡°...And you, feel like she was trying to teach you something with this!?¡± asked Anton as he began to softly rub his chin ¡°That this was a test of some sort!?¡±


    ¡°We don''t know that for sure¡± said Kianna as she shook her head ¡°She never said anything... But that''s what we think it might have been...¡±


    ¡°I see... And she never did anything like that again?¡± asked Anton ¡°Anything at all!?¡±


    ¡°No¡± said Fiona as they both shook their heads ¡°That was the only time she ever did anything like that... Or, at least as far as we know...¡±


    Anton went silent again as he nodded slowly and digested everything he had just been told. After some time his face began to slowly shift from an intensely thoughtful look, to a hard and stoic expression.


    ¡°...I would imagine, she''s done more than just that though¡± he reasoned as he tightened his eyes at the dark elves ¡°Considering there is a dungeon in the basement¡±


    ¡°No, she never did anything down there¡± said Kianna as she continued to stare at the water while slowly shaking her head ¡°She hasn''t even seen the dungeon yet¡±


    ¡°She hasn''t?¡± questioned Anton dryly as he stared at the empty space between the dark elves ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, it''s...¡± stammered Kianna ¡°It''s new. So she''s never seen it before¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± asked Anton as he let his eyes fall to land on Kianna ¡°Does she know it''s there?¡±


    ¡°No¡± said Kianna as she lightly shook her head ¡°She doesn''t know anything about it¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± asked Anton ¡°Are you hiding it from her?¡±


    ¡°Huh? No!¡± said Kianna as she glanced up at him before quickly looking back down ¡°It''s supposed to be a surprise...¡±


    ¡°I see...¡± mused Anton as he let his chin rest in the cradle of his hand ¡°...And I''m guessing, that I was supposed to be part of that surprise?¡±


    Kianna blinked and went wide eyed as she registered what had just been said. Slowly, she lifted her eyes to meet Anton''s.


    ¡°You keep saying that you think she was testing you, and that you failed...¡± said Anton as he stared back at her ¡°What exactly do you think she was testing you for? And what do you think you were supposed to do, to pass her test?¡±


    The dark elves had both gone completely still as they stared unblinkingly at him.


    ¡°...You said there were 3 men¡± questioned Anton ¡°...Do you think that there was supposed to be one, for each of you? And that you, were supposed to prove yourselves?¡±


    Kianna''s eyes widened a bit more as a hint of panic began to form in them.


    ¡°...I''m asking you questions, Kianna¡± said Anton as the soothing feeling left his aura and the air itself became heavy ¡°And I would like some answers¡±


    ¡°W-we don''t know!¡± declared Kianna as she shook her head ¡°We don''t know!¡±


    ¡°But you have a theory¡± said Anton as he shifted his head to the side and let his eyes land on Fiona ¡°Don''t you?¡±


    The dark elf pressed herself even further back against the tubs sidewall as her eyes locked to Anton''s.


    ¡°I''d like to know¡± said Anton as he stared unblinkingly at Fiona ¡°What your theory is¡±


    The defiant dark elf remained completely still as she stared Anton down.


    ¡°...You!¡± whispered Kianna ¡°...Guessed it already!¡±


    ¡°I see¡± nodded Anton ¡°So when you two kidnapped me. You weren''t trying to poach a slave, or just looking for a fun filled weekend... Were you?¡±


    The dark elves both remained still and silent.


    ¡°...What exactly were you planning to do with me?¡± asked Anton ¡°I would really like to know¡±


    Kianna clamped her eyes shut and bowed her head in shame.


    ¡°...Were you going to imitate your Mommy? ...Were you going to prove that you could pass her test?¡± questioned Anton ¡°Were you trying to make her finally notice you? By being just like her, and doing exactly what she did?¡±


    The dark elves continued with their silence.


    ¡°Were you going to kill me!?¡± demanded Anton ¡°Was that your plan!?¡±


    ¡°We''re sorry!¡± whimpered Kianna ¡°We''re really sorry!¡±


    ¡°...I see¡± nodded Anton as his jaw tightened ¡°...Well, while I do appreciate that you regret your actions, Kianna! Unfortunately... I''m afraid that won''t be enough to save you from paying for what you''ve done¡±


    Fiona tightened her eyes and clenched her jaw as her ears pointed themselves straight back behind her head.


    ¡°...It was your idea. Wasn''t it Fiona? ...All of it, the dungeon, the kidnapping, the drugs. ...Killing someone. All part of your ¡°plan¡± to impress Mommy, and make her proud. Make her think you were real dark elves. Just like her. ...And when your sister told you this was a bad idea. You didn''t listen. And in the end, you finally got her to go along with it!¡± declared Anton as his aura tightened around the two dark elves and became thick with a bloodthirsty malice ¡°Didn''t you!?¡±


    Kianna''s breath hissed in between her teeth as she began to quiver.


    ¡°This! It''s the same as before!¡± she whispered as her eyes locked to Anton ¡°This really was you!¡±


    ¡°This is nothing¡± said Anton in an eerily calm voice as he continued to stare at Fiona ¡°I''m not even trying to hurt you yet¡±


    Kianna made a small sound as she flattened her ears completely and lowered herself further down into the tub.


    ¡°Please!¡± she begged through her teeth as she tightened her arms around herself ¡°Please don''t hurt us!¡±


    ¡°Answer me, Fiona¡± said Anton as his aura became laced with even more power ¡°I want to hear you say it!¡±


    Fiona''s ears dropped a bit as her eyes darted from Anton to Kianna and back. Her face tightening in resolve, she took a ragged breath through her clenched teeth.


    ¡°Yes!¡± she declared as she began to tremble ¡°It was all my idea! I did it! It was my plan!¡±


    ¡°Hm, well that''s very unfortunate...¡± said Anton as he nodded slowly and narrowed his eyes at her ¡°You''ve made some very poor decisions, Fiona. And I-¡±


    Anton stopped short as Kianna rose up on her knees in front of him and blocked his view of her sister.


    ¡°Please!¡± begged the dark elf as she stared at him with eyes wide in terror and her ears pointed straight up in panic ¡°Please don''t kill her! Please! I''ll do anything! Just don''t kill her!¡±


    ¡°You can''t keep stepping in to save her like this Kianna!¡± growled Anton through his clenched teeth ¡°Or she will never learn to stand on her own!¡±


    ¡°No! I don''t care!¡± declared Kianna as her eyes welled with tears ¡°I have to protect her!¡±


    ¡°And how are you going to protect her Kianna!?¡± demanded Anton ¡°What are you going to do!? Are you willing to suffer for her again!?¡±


    Kianna''s eyes widened even farther before she clamped them shut and nodded.


    ¡°...You keep sacrificing yourself like this and the only thing she''ll ever learn is how important you really are!¡± exclaimed Anton ¡°And she isn''t going to learn that until after you''re gone!¡±


    ¡°I don''t care!¡± whispered Kianna as she kept her eyes shut and shook her head ¡°I have to save her!¡±


    ¡°...So you''re really willing to take it to the end!?¡± demanded Anton ¡°You''ll give everything you have!? Even your life!?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± whimpered Kianna ¡°Yes I will!¡±


    ¡°...I see¡± sighed Anton as he reached out to take hold of Kianna''s chin.


    ¡°Don''t you touch her!¡± screamed Fiona.


    Kianna went stiff at Fiona''s cry and Anton pulled back as he turned to face her.


    The second dark elf shot across the expanse of the tub and nearly collided with her sister as she came to a stop just in front of them.


    ¡°I did it! It was all my idea! She didn''t do anything!¡± declared Fiona as she mimicked her sister by rising up on her knees as well ¡°Take me and let her go! Please!¡±


    Fiona went to continue forward but was stopped short as Kianna stuck her arm out and stretched it across her sister''s chest to block her and hold her back.


    Fiona''s eyes went wide with rage as she pushed her sister''s arm away.


    ¡°Stop it Kianna!¡± she screamed as she came in line with her and tried to shove her away.


    ¡°No!¡± cried Kianna as she put her arm back across her sister''s chest and tried to force her back.


    ¡°What is wrong with you!¡± raged Fiona as she stretched her own arm out across Kianna''s chest in an effort to send her back instead ¡°Get out of here!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± shouted Kianna as she pressed in vain against her sister ¡°I can''t! I can''t!¡±


    ¡°Yes you can!¡± shouted Fiona as she clasped her sister''s hand in her own and tried to push her off ¡°Just get back!¡±


    ¡°No! No!¡± screamed Kianna as she grabbed her sister''s hand and pushed back against her ¡°No! Fiona please don''t leave me alone again!¡±


    Fiona stopped short as she registered what her sister had just said.


    The two dark elves stood kneeling side by side. Kianna''s left arm was spread across her sister''s chest and her hand was clasped in her sister''s left hand, while Fiona''s right arm was the mirror opposite with her right hand now held tightly in Kianna''s.


    ¡°Don''t leave me!¡± sobbed Kianna as she pulled her sister''s hand in over her heart and held it against her chest ¡°Please! Please! Don''t leave me!¡±


    ¡°...I, I won''t!¡± cried Fiona as she mimicked her by clutching Kianna''s hand to her own chest ¡°I promise I won''t! I promise!¡±


    The two dark elves were tear stricken but determined as they both raised their heads and faced Anton together. With their ears pointed straight back and their jaws clenched in defiance they stared him down and waited for the end.


    Anton was still for several long moments as he stared back at them.


    ¡°...You two, look at you two, you truly have nothing. Here you are, helpless and alone, with no knowledge, no power, no family or allies to save you. You don''t even have a single friend. You have absolutely nothing, nothing... except each other...¡± said Anton as he watched the sisters both tremble and tighten their holds on each others hands ¡°And yet... that''s still enough to make you both move, to take a stand, and to protect each other...¡±


    To afraid to blink and barely even breathing, the dark elves merely stared back in silence.


    ¡°...Your Nanny Ma would be so proud of you two right now!¡± whispered Anton as he slowly nodded his head ¡°...So very, very proud!¡±


    The dark elves both blinked in confusion as Anton''s aura suddenly fell away from around them.


    ¡°Brave, brave little sisters! Both ready to stand together, and die for each other...¡± marveled Anton as he looked from one dark elf to the other ¡°Your Nanny Ma really would be very proud of this! Of you! Both of you! You need to know that!¡±


    The dark elves both struggled to breathe normally around the heavy weights that they had in their chests. Still trembling from the spent adrenaline, they stared at Anton as he continued to shift his eyes back and forth between them.


    ¡°...W-what!?¡± croaked Fiona as she loosened her jaw ¡°W-what are you doing!?¡±


    Chuckling to himself, Anton settled back into his chair and gave them both a thin smile.


    ¡°At the moment!¡± he declared while shaking his head ¡°...Nothing!¡±


    Kianna nearly collapsed as she let out a heavy sigh and hung her head.


    ¡°Oh Gods alive! Thank you!¡± she cried as tears fell from her eyes and landed on the edge of the tub ¡°Thank you! Thank you so much!¡±


    ¡°You aren''t going to kill us!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as she absently held her sister up ¡°Are you serious!?¡±


    ¡°I''ve already told you that I have no intention of killing either of you¡± said Anton as he tilted his head at her ¡°That hasn''t changed¡±


    ¡°Really!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as she raised her head back up and smiled maniacally ¡°That''s so great!¡±


    ¡°B-but, we! We were!¡± stammered Fiona as her brow creased in confusion ¡°We were gonna kill you! Don''t you even care about that!?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do!¡± said Anton as he folded his arms over his chest ¡°I''m actually very upset about it!¡±


    ¡°...You don''t seem like you''re very upset about it!?¡± questioned Kianna as a hint of nervousness laced her voice ¡°...You don''t even seem surprised!?¡±


    ¡°Well that''s probably because I''m not very surprised¡± explained Anton with a shrug ¡°At all really¡±


    ¡°...You''re not!?¡± cried Kianna ¡°...But, how did you know!?¡±


    ¡°You can''t honestly think that I didn''t realize you two had some obviously, evil intentions from the very beginning!¡± stated Anton as he cocked an eyebrow at her ¡°I could tell that you were up to something sinister the moment you walked up to me¡±


    ¡°...Oh!¡± mumbled Kianna as she looked at her sister before turning back to Anton ¡°But you''re not mad at us!?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am! I already said that I was very upset about all this! And I do have every intention of making you both pay dearly for what you tried to do to me!¡± exclaimed Anton as a devious grin spread across his face ¡°In fact! Now that you both have admitted to your guilt! And I''ve gotten all the information that I feel I need to make my final decision... I think it''s finally time for us to discus your punishment!¡±


    The dark elves glanced at each other and nervously lowered their ears before looking back at Anton.


    ¡°What does that mean!?¡± cried Fiona as she eased herself back ¡°What are you going to do to us!?¡±


    ¡°I''m going to make you help me with an experiment!¡± declared Anton ¡°You see, there''s something that I''d like to do. But I''m going to need some help to see if I can do it. So you two are going to help me!¡±


    ¡°...We''re going to what!?¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°What the Hell are you talking about!?¡±


    Anton sighed in mock frustration and shook his head before turning back to face the dark elves.


    ¡°There is a certain immunity in place that makes doing what I want to do normally impossible. But I think I may have figured out a way around this immunity¡± explained Anton ¡°You two are going to help me test my theory, by helping me with my experiment. And we are going to see if I can really do, what I want to do!¡±


    ¡°...Okay? ...What, exactly?¡± questioned Kianna as she tilted her head and cocked one of her ears in a curious manner ¡°Do you want to do!?¡±


    ¡°...I want to see if I can enslave a dark elf!¡± said Anton as he smiled at her and then shifted his gaze to Fiona ¡°Or two!¡±

 Chapter 12 : Noon

    Chapter 12 : Noon


    Fiona and Kianna stood completely frozen as they stared at Anton. After a long moment of stillness they slowly looked at each other. Their eyes went wide in panicked realization as their ears pointed themselves straight upwards. Without a word they both exploded out of the tub on either side of Anton and began to stumble and fall as they tried to make a clumsy dash for the door.


    Anton sighed as he snapped the fingers on his right hand.


    The wave of bathwater that was about to land on him suddenly stopped moving forward and began to drift aimlessly through the air. The two dark elves both cried out in a panicked confusion as their feet slipped out from underneath them and they suddenly found themselves floating weightlessly above the tiled floor.


    ¡°W-what the Hell!?¡± cried Fiona as she flailed her limbs in an attempt to remain upright, despite her efforts she ended up floating upside down above Anton ¡°Wha, what is this!?¡±


    ¡°This, is an ability I call ¡°Quantum Break¡± it''s a spell that allows me to manipulate the gravity in the area around me. ...It''s also more proof that you''ve never really stood a chance against me¡± said Anton as he grinned up at the clearly uncomfortable dark elf ¡°Don''t worry, it''s not going to hurt you. Unless I decide to turn it off and you fall. That, of course, will probably hurt you¡±


    Fiona''s eyes widened even further as she froze her movements and made a tiny fearful sound in the back of her throat.


    ¡°This is so cool!¡± marveled Kianna as she playfully waved her hands through the floating water ¡°How are you doing this!?¡±


    ¡°Ah, well, it''s kind of embarrassing for me to admit, but I can''t really explain it that well because I don''t fully understand the mechanics behind it myself¡± admitted Anton as he watched the dark elf make balls of water with her cupped hands and then try to bite at them ¡°I learned this skill when a Voidling, a flatwoods to be exact, sucked my consciousness into the Void and tried to absorb me. I was able to get the upper hand on him and somehow learned a few of his abilities during the exchange. This is one of them¡±


    ¡°...Are you serious!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as she curled herself into the fetal position and clutched her stomach ¡°So you don''t even know how this shit even works!?¡±


    ¡°No, not really¡± said Anton as he folded his hands behind his head and gazed up at her ¡°I know how to control it in the sense of turning it on and off and manipulating the intensities. But to say I understand how it works in anyway beyond that... Nope, no idea!¡±


    ¡°That''s so crazy!¡± laughed Kianna as she twirled in a circle ¡°Wait! Are we really gonna fall when you turn it off!?¡±


    ¡°No, I''m not gonna let you fall!¡± declared Anton as he smiled at her instant relief ¡°I''ll turn it off slowly so you''ll just float down. Don''t worry, you''re perfectly safe¡±


    ¡°This is not safe!¡± cried Fiona as she clamped her eyes shut in an effort to fight back against her growing nausea ¡°This is stupid! I hate this!¡±


    ¡°I love this! This is fun!¡± cried Kianna as she bobbed herself up near the height of the ten foot ceiling and looked down at Anton ¡°...It is kinda weird though!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don''t know about weird!¡± laughed Anton as he settled back and crossed his legs at the ankles as he lounged in his chair ¡°Personally! I think there''s something sexy about the sight of two, naked, lady dark elves floating through space! I could watch this for hours!¡±


    Kianna stopped short as her eyes went wide and her ears pointed themselves straight upwards.


    ¡°S-sexy?¡± she questioned as she absently pressed her shoulders and palms against the ceiling and stared down at Anton ¡°...Really?¡±


    ¡°Well yeah!¡± grinned Anton ¡°It''s hard to beat a sight like this! Lots of angles you don''t normally get to see! I''m having a hard time even blinking since I don''t want to miss anything!¡±


    ¡°...Oh!¡± said Kianna as a slight grin took shape on her face ¡°...Really!¡±


    Anton cocked an eyebrow as Kianna smirked at him and folded her ears back so their tips were pointed down and away from her head. Bending her legs upwards, she twisted her waist just enough to hide her sex behind her thigh and folded her arms over her breasts to shield them from sight. Turning slightly to the side she laid herself back against the ceiling and grinned demurely as she arched her back and posed herself for Anton''s attention.


    ¡°...Oh! Well now!¡± rumbled Anton as he tightened his eyes and smiled back up at her ¡°Is my little dark elf feeling playful all of a sudden!?¡±


    Kianna continued to twist herself to the side until she was essentially laying with her belly against the ceiling. Bending her legs back over her bottom and heavily arching her back and neck until she was bent into a crescent shape, she looked down at Anton and smiled at him while chewing on her lower lip.


    ¡°...I don''t know!¡± she teased as she mashed her still hidden breasts together with her folded arms and shifted her shoulders back and forth ¡°...Maybe!¡±


    ¡°Are you shitting me!?¡± snarled Fiona as she glared up her sister ¡°What the fuck are you doing up there Kianna!?¡±


    Kianna''s playful expression shifted to one of irritation as she narrowed her eyes at her sister.


    ¡°Nothing!¡± she declared with a huff ¡°I''m just playing around!¡±


    ¡°Oh! You''re just playing around!¡± mocked Fiona as she clumsily swam through the air towards an empty towel rack that was mounted to the wall ¡°Just playing around, with an asshole! Who just said he wants to enslave you! Nothing wrong with that though! Right!?¡±


    Kianna stared at her sister for a moment before looking off to the side and twisting herself away from both her and Anton.


    ¡°Ugh! I wanna get down now!¡± groaned Fiona as she grabbed hold of the towel rack and hugged herself to the wall before clamping her eyes shut ¡°Please!¡±


    Anton sighed as he stood up from his chair and walked over to Fiona.


    ¡°If I stick you back in the tub are you going to try to run away again?¡± he asked as he folded his arms over his chest ¡°Or will you promise to be a good girl and stay where I put you!?¡±


    Seething, Fiona pressed her forehead against the wall and growled in frustration.


    ¡°...I''ll be good!¡± she snarled through her teeth ¡°I promise!¡±


    ¡°Hm, and what about you?¡± asked Anton as he looked up at Kianna.


    The second dark elf was still floating up near the ceiling and was looking off to the side with an intensely thoughtful look on her face. After a moment she glanced down at Anton and nodded her head.


    ¡°Alright then¡± said Anton as he plucked a floating bathmat out of the air ¡°Just give me a minute¡±


    Using the bathmat as a combination of a shovel and a fan, Anton moved all the floating water back into the tub before turning back to the dark elves.


    Fiona had curled herself back into the fetal position as she kept her death grip on the towel rack. While Kianna, despite the somber attitude she had only a few moments ago, had begun to happily practice free spinning somersaults as she continued to float around the room.


    Anton chuckled as he smiled up at her and the gleeful dark elf quickly turned away from him as an embarrassed blush spread across her face.


    With a smirk still on his own face, Anton walked up to Fiona and shook his head at her.


    ¡°Are we still ready to get down now?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes!¡± exclaimed the dark elf as she frantically nodded her head ¡°Please!¡±


    ¡°Alright then, let go¡± mumbled Anton as he gave her a light smack across her butt cheek.


    ¡°Hey! You ass!¡± cried Fiona as she whorled around in a rage and tried to strike at him. Missing entirely she lost her hold on the towel rack and began to float out into the open air.


    ¡°Ah! No!¡± she cried as she twirled forward in the air and ended up floating upside down again.


    The panicked dark elf flailed her limbs uselessly as she tried to right herself. She froze completely as Anton reached out and took hold of the top of her head. Holding her upside down in his palm, he grinned evilly and lifted her up to his eye level.


    ¡°You really don''t like this!¡± teased Anton as he bobbed her up and down ¡°Do you!?¡±


    ¡°Stop!¡± cried Fiona as she clutched Anton''s wrist with both hands and curled her legs in against her belly ¡°Put me down! Please!¡±


    ¡°Hm, but I kind of want to juggle you a little bit first¡± mumbled Anton as he gave her head a squeeze ¡°And maybe see how well you can bounce¡±


    ¡°No! Stop! Please don''t!¡± whimpered Fiona as she clamped her eyes shut and laid her ears back submissively ¡°Please! Please don''t juggle me!¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay! Don''t start crying!¡± chuckled Anton as he gave her a light spin to get her right side up again ¡°Just remember that you promised to be a good girl now, Fiona!¡±


    Fiona moaned miserably and wrapped her arms around her stomach as she was spun in a complete circle. Keeping her eyes shut, she did nothing as Anton took hold of her shoulders and guided her through the air before easing her back down into the tub.


    With one dark elf now in place, Anton looked up and shifted his attention to the second one.


    Kianna was still floating up near the ceiling. As her eyes met Anton''s she planted herself against the ceiling and made as if she were about to push off with her feet.


    Smiling in understanding, Anton held his arms out and readied himself to catch her.


    The dark elf had a excited smile on her face as she launched herself downwards and went sailing through the air. Curling herself into a cannon ball at the last moment she couldn''t help but to start giggling gleefully as she landed cradled in Anton''s arms.


    ¡°You are just having a blast with this!¡± exclaimed Anton as he squeezed the still balled up dark elf to his chest and teasingly tapped her on the nose ¡°Aren''t you!¡±


    ¡°...Yes!¡± smiled Kianna as she playfully laid her ears back and covered her face with her hands ¡°I am!¡±


    ¡°Aw! My little dark elf is so cute!¡± teased Anton as he stepped back up to the tub ¡°Does she like it when I let her float through the air!?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah!¡± admitted Kianna as she squirmed playfully and kept her face hidden ¡°I do! It''s really fun!¡±


    Fiona growled angrily as she gripped the side of the tub and desperately tried to keep herself in place.


    ¡°Will you please hurry up!¡± she whined as she started to slip back out into the air ¡°Please!¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay. Don''t panic¡± teased Anton as he eased Kianna down and placed her in the tub next to her sister ¡°You need to learn to relax and have some fun Fiona!¡±


    The dark elf growled in annoyance as Anton snapped the same fingers on his right hand and caused everything to slowly fall back into place.


    Fiona breathed a sigh of relief and went limp as she let go of the tub.


    ¡°Well that was fun!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she settled herself in the tub and tossed her hair back and off of her shoulders.


    ¡°That was Hell!¡± cried Fiona as she pressed her forehead against the top of the tubs edge ¡°...I feel like I''m still spinning!¡±


    ¡°It''s nice to know I have something I can threaten you with now¡± chuckled Anton as he ruffled Fiona''s hair ¡°Maybe next time me and Kianna will use you as a Volleyball!¡±


    Fiona went stiff and then groaned in dismay as her sister laughed softly.


    Shivering in the now chilled water, Kianna wrapped her arms around herself and began to rub her shoulders as she laid her ears back and looked up at Anton with pleading eyes.


    ¡°Aw, is my poor little dark elf too cold!?¡± exclaimed Anton as he smirked at her ¡°Well let''s fix that!¡±


    Leaning over the edge of the tub, Anton ran his hand through the water before warming it back up with another tap of his finger.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± chirped Kianna as she looked down into the water and began to fidget with her hands ¡°...Master!¡±


    ¡°You''re very welcome!¡± said Anton as he gave her a quick rub on her bowed head.


    Fiona tilted her head to give her sister a sideways glare and ended up blinking in surprise when Kianna defiantly glared back and stuck her tongue out at her.


    ¡°So!¡± exclaimed Anton as he settled himself back into his seat ¡°Now that we''ve got all the theatrics out of the way. I think it''s time for us to have another little talk¡±


    The dark elves had both nervousness and apprehension in their eyes as they looked up at him and waited.


    ¡°First let me say its nice to see that you both seem to be recovering pretty well. I didn''t know that dark elves could ¡°bounce¡± back so quickly¡± said Anton as he gave Fiona a condescending smirk ¡°That''s always a nice trait to have in a slave!¡±


    Fiona pointed her ears straight back and glared angrily as she moved away from the side of the tub and sunk down to her neck in the warm water.


    ¡°Honestly, you both had to have had an idea that this was coming¡± said Anton as he looked from one dark elf to the other ¡°I haven''t exactly been all that subtle. I''ve even had you calling me ¡°Master¡± for crying out loud!¡±


    Fiona bared her clenched teeth while Kianna stayed silent and merely stared at nothing.


    ¡°You can''t just make us your slaves because you want to!¡± declared Fiona ¡°That''s not how the laws work!¡±


    ¡°True. Justification is necessary. And even then there is still a process to actually make you into a legal slave. Unfortunately for you though¡± said Anton as he narrowed his eyes at her ¡°I think I have more than enough justification to enslave a pair of kidnappers who also happen to be attempted rapists and murderers!¡±


    Fiona''s glare began to falter as her eyes went wide.


    ¡°That''s, that isn''t!¡± she cried as her eyes darted from Anton to Kianna and back ¡°We never actually tried to kill you though!¡±


    ¡°True. But that''s only because I never gave you the chance¡± said Anton as he rubbed his chin ¡°Are you trying to say you wouldn''t have really done it? Because if so we can actually confirm that¡±


    ¡°...How?¡± asked Fiona as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards.


    ¡°With a Warden''s Orb, obviously¡± said Anton as he reached into his pocket ¡°And as luck would have it I happened to have one sitting around and thought it might come into play at some point today¡±


    Anton pulled an oddly shaped glob of silver colored metal out of his pocket and set it down with a tap on the edge of the tub between the two dark elves.


    Their curiosity getting the better of them, Fiona and Kianna both leaned forward to get a better look at the strange object that appeared to be a chunk of molten metal that had hardened around a blue jewel.


    ¡°...What is this thing!?¡± questioned Fiona as she glared at the unimposing little glob.


    ¡°It''s, it''s a Warden''s Orb¡± said Anton as he cocked an eyebrow at her ¡°It''s the same thing they use in criminal cases to determine if a person is guilty¡±


    ¡°...How does it work?¡± questioned Fiona as she raised her eyes up to meet Anton''s ¡°What does it do!?¡±


    ¡°Well, normally it''ll just measure your karmic balance, which is why these are also used in a few forms of divination. But if you activate it and consent to a screen then it''ll do a deeper read and be able to tell exactly what you''re guilty of¡± explained Anton ¡°It is semi-sapient as well, and will record your crimes. So useless you''re fully confident that you''re innocent I wouldn''t recommend using it¡±


    ¡°...We actually are innocent though!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she gave Anton a smug grin ¡°You let us kidnap you and we never even came close to doing anything else! So we really are actually innocent!¡±


    Kianna''s eyes went wide as she looked from her sister to Anton.


    ¡°Then by all means¡± said Anton as he held out his hand and indicated the orb ¡°Prove it¡±


    ¡°...And what are you going to do if it says we''re innocent!?¡± demanded Fiona ¡°How do we know you won''t still try to enslave us!?¡±


    ¡°There''s no point in enslaving you if I can''t even show you off!¡± chuckled Anton as he shook his head ¡°No, if it turns out that you''re innocent then I''ll be happy with everything I''ve already taken from you. And I''ll just leave it at that¡±


    ¡°...You''ll actually leave!?¡± questioned Kianna as her eyes widened even further.


    ¡°You promise!?¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°If it says we''re innocent you''ll really leave!? You swear!?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I''ll leave and you''ll never see me again¡± answered Anton ¡°You have my word¡±


    ¡°Worth it!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as she turned to her sister with unabashed excitement on her face ¡°What do you think!?¡±


    ¡°...I, I don''t know!¡± mumbled Kianna as a hint of nervousness took shape in her eyes ¡°I, I don''t... I!¡±


    Seeing the turmoil in the dark elf''s eyes, Anton gave her a soft smile.


    ¡°Just give it a shot Kianna¡± he encouraged as he nodded to the orb ¡°And we''ll see what happens¡±


    ¡°We''ll see your ass out the door is what we''ll do!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she sidled up to the orb ¡°How do we do this!?¡±


    ¡°It''s simple, first I''ll add a bit of mana to get things going¡± said Anton as he reached out and ran his fingertip across the blue jewel in the center of the orb ¡°Then the rest is up to you¡±


    Both of the dark elves stared transfixed as the blue jewel immediately lit up and began to pulsate.


    ¡°Now, all you two have to do is touch the jewel and ask ¡°Warden am I innocent?¡± and it will do the rest¡± explained Anton as he settled back into his seat to watch ¡°It doesn''t matter if you both touch it at the same time, it can read you both¡±


    ¡°That''s it?¡± questioned Fiona ¡°It''s really that simple!?¡±


    ¡°Yes, this is what this thing was made to do¡± explained Anton ¡°It''s designed to be simple¡±


    ¡°So just touch it?¡± asked Kianna as she reached forward and pressed her fingertip on the jewel ¡°Like this?¡±


    ¡°Mm hm¡± hummed Anton as he nodded his head.


    Fiona followed her sister''s lead and pressed her finger down just next to hers. The dark elves then looked at each other before taking deep breaths through their noses.


    ¡°Warden am I innocent!?¡± they both cried out in unison.


    The jewel at the center of the orb began to glow at a brighter intensity before the metal surrounding it suddenly ignited into a flurry of sparks. The dark elves both pulled their hands back as the orb rose up and floated in the air in front of them. As they watched, the metal around the jewel continued to ignite itself until it became a glowing orb of white plasma with a bluish center.


    ¡°No. You are not¡± said the wardens orb as it zipped forward and came to rest in the air directly in front of Fiona. The dark elf cringed back as three holographic-like square shaped screens shone out from the center of the orb and pointed themselves at each person before they began to run a list of crimes down their lengths.


    ¡°I wouldn''t worry about this just yet¡± mused Anton as he watched the list run it''s course ¡°Technically everybody is guilty of something. So long as the words don''t start turning red then you should be fine... Oh, nevermind, there they are...¡±


    Fiona''s spirit sank as the orb listed each time she stole from her sister before coming to a stop at the bottom of the list.


    ¡°Well there you go!¡± said Anton as he nodded slowly ¡°Clear as day ¡°Kidnapping with the intent to murder¡± that''s far from innocent Fiona!¡±


    Fiona sat dumbfounded as the orb turned to Kianna and began to run through a second much shorter list.


    ¡°Hm!¡± mumbled Anton as he playfully cocked an eyebrow at Kianna ¡°Well now, what''s this! ¡°Kidnapping with the intent to rape and murder¡± so you were the only one who was going to take it the extra mile then!? That''s a little surprising! And here I thought you were the good one Kianna!¡±


    A bright, warm blush spread across Kianna''s face as she looked down into the bathwater and flattened her ears back submissively behind her head.


    ¡°...Nope!¡± she mumbled softly as she peeked up at Anton and gave him a tiny grin ¡°...I''m not!¡±


    ¡°...This! This is!¡± started Fiona as she shook her head and stared at the still glowing orb ¡°This is-¡±


    She stopped short as the warden''s orb rose up into the air above them and then disappeared with a pop of sparks.


    ¡°And there it goes...¡± mumbled Anton as he looked back down at the clearly confused dark elves ¡°It''s on it''s way¡±


    ¡°What!?¡± cried Fiona as she looked from where the orb had just been to him and then back ¡°What happened!? Where did it go!?¡±


    ¡°It went to the closest ¡°Center of Enforcement¡± office¡± said Anton as he rolled his head along his shoulders to crack his neck ¡°Should be back in a few days. ...At least I hope it is. Those things are expensive!¡±


    ¡°...It what!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as she looked back at him with panic in her eyes ¡°Why!? Why is it going there!?¡±


    ¡°Because it knows you''re guilty. And it''s going to record your crimes¡± said Anton as he gave her a perplexed look ¡°I told you it would do that¡±


    ¡°No you didn''t! You never said it was going to report us!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°You, you tricked us!¡±


    ¡°I did no such thing!¡± declared Anton as he shook his head ¡°I specifically told you that it would record your crimes and I warned you not to use it unless you were absolutely sure that you were innocent! And you said that you were!¡±


    ¡°So wait! What happens now!?¡± questioned Kianna ¡°What does ¡°Record your crimes¡± mean!?¡±


    ¡°It means exactly that¡± said Anton as he turned to her ¡°It''ll record your crimes and then the COE will confirm your identities and issue warrants for your arrest. The whole process may take a few days but afterwords officers and bounty hunters will be alerted to your wanted status and they''ll be on the look out for you¡±


    ¡°You bastard!¡± screamed Fiona as she pointed her ears straight back behind her head ¡°We''re going to be arrested because of you!¡±


    ¡°Excuse me!? Because of me!? None of this is because of me, Fiona!¡± declared Anton as he leaned over the edge of the tub and glared at her ¡°The only thing I''m guilty of is sitting at a bar and minding my own business! You and your sister are responsible for everything that''s happened after that!¡±


    ¡°You!¡± seethed Fiona as she glared right back at him ¡°You bastard! You planned this!¡±


    ¡°Well, that is somewhat true¡± said Anton as he eased himself back and resettled into his chair ¡°I did think this particular opportunity might arise, and I did plan ahead so I could take advantage of it if it did¡±


    ¡°I knew it!¡± cried Fiona ¡°...Wait, what are you talking about!?¡±


    ¡°I''m talking about using the Warden''s Orb¡± explained Anton ¡°I thought the opportunity to use it at some point today might come up so I kept it with me just in case¡±


    ¡°...Why did you want to use it?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°Because it''ll make things a lot easier on my end¡± said Anton ¡°It''ll streamline a big chunk of the paperwork I''ll have to deal with by having the information about your crimes processed by the COE itself. Now all I''ll have to worry about is filing with the registry and maintaining your health records. Which will be easy enough really. We''ll go ahead and get my personal files started and out of the way today, and I''ll try to setup an official doctors visit for sometime in the next week or so¡±


    Fiona fell back as her eyes went wide.


    ¡°Wait! Wait!¡± she exclaimed as she shook her head frantically ¡°You can''t be serious!¡±


    ¡°I''m very serious¡± said Anton as he folded his arms over his chest and looked her in the eyes ¡°This is happening Fiona¡±


    Fiona''s eyes darted to the door before zipping back to Anton.


    ¡°You can''t do this to us! We, we have to agree! You can''t just enslave us unless we agree!¡± she exclaimed as she scowled maniacally at him ¡°And I won''t agree! I won''t!¡±


    ¡°I don''t need you to agree to anything Fiona¡± said Anton as he shook his head ¡°I''m the reason you have that imbalance. You targeted me specifically, so you owe me personally. In this instance, I can choose to either press charges against you or keep you myself. We already know what decision I''m making. But either way, whether it''s a prison cell, or a collar, you''re losing your freedom regardless¡±


    There was a moment of stillness as the three of them sat in silence.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.¡°But you stole from us!¡± exclaimed Fiona as her eyes widened in excitement ¡°You''re a thief! You''re not innocent either!¡±


    ¡°If you had been innocent and I had just left with your money then yes I would be guilty of being a thief. That wouldn''t be enough to stop me from doing just that however, as I would be remiss if I didn''t feel compensated for all of the troubles that you''ve caused me. As it sits though, that''s not going to be an issue, at all¡± said Anton as he slowly shook his head before again locking eyes with the dark elf ¡°You struck first Fiona. And everything that has happened so far has been in direct response to that. You are guilty, and you will pay for your crimes. I suggest that you accept that¡±


    Fiona lowered her ears and began to slowly scoot backwards until her back was again pressed against the back sidewall of the tub. Swallowing back the bile that had risen in her throat she pulled her knees up to her chest as she stared at Anton.


    ¡°And as for everything I''m going to take from you? Well, the sad reality for you is that I can''t steal something from someone I own, Fiona¡± he stated softly ¡°Everything they have will also belong to me¡±


    Kianna had a solemn look on her face as she watched Fiona slowly drop her head forward and rest her forehead on her knees. After a moment of stillness she slowly turned to look up at Anton.


    ¡°...If, we had been innocent?¡± she asked as she let her eyes drift away from him and land on the doorway ¡°...Would you have really left?¡±


    ¡°I''m not a gambling man, Kianna. I knew there was no way you would be¡± said Anton as he looked away from Fiona and stared forward at nothing ¡°But in the off chance that you were... Then yes, I would have left¡±


    Kianna shifted her eyes back just enough to see him clearly.


    ¡°Really!?¡± she questioned around a sudden tightness in her chest ¡°After everything that''s happened! You''d just leave forever!? Why!?¡±


    ¡°Because I''d have no right to be here, Kianna¡± explained Anton ¡°And as hard as it may be for you and your sister to believe. I''m not monstrous enough to terrorize innocent people without a reason. There are more than enough guilty people in the world for that... I wouldn''t be happy to leave though. I don''t like to walk away from something that I want¡±


    Kianna was still for a moment as she stared at him.


    ¡°...Why!?¡± she whispered as her eyes tightened in question ¡°Why do you want us!?¡±


    ¡°You already know why he wants us!¡± snapped Fiona as she raised her head and scowled at Anton ¡°The only reasons he would ever want us is so that he can rape and torture us until our minds crack! You know all he''s going to-!¡±


    ¡°Do you honestly think that''s all you''re worth Fiona!?¡± interrupted Anton as he turned to face her ¡°Is that really the only value you can see in yourself!? A warm body, something to put a whip to and a mind to crack!? Is that really all you have to offer!? Is that really all you are!? Because I don''t believe that''s true! I think... I think there''s more...¡±


    Fiona went to speak but stopped short as she seemed to be contemplating her words.


    Kianna''s eyes had gone wide as she swiveled her head and looked back and forth between Anton and her sister.


    ¡°...You two did something very stupid. And you''ve both been punished for that. You''ve suffered enough pain for it though¡± declared Anton as he turned away from Fiona ¡°Now, I''m not going to lie to you. I do very much enjoy being sadistic. And if given a reason I will happily punish you both again. That being said though, I am neither monstrous nor bloodthirsty. And I have absolutely no intentions of abusing you two simply for the sake of it. You have my word, there is no reason to fear that ever happening¡±


    Fiona shook her head and continued to scowl for a few moments before dropping her head again and hiding her face back behind her knees.


    Kianna had once again become solemn as she watched her sister. Moving only her eyes she glanced down at the water before looking back up at Anton.


    ¡°...I don''t, get it? Why? Why do you want us then?¡± she whispered quietly as her voice began to waver with a slight crack ¡°Nobody else has ever wanted-!¡±


    The dark elf stopped short as Anton shifted his head and locked his eyes with her''s.


    ¡°You''re doomed. Both of you. Neither one of you can defend yourselves in any way. You won''t last in prison. You''ll be targeted immediately. Simply because of what you are. It won''t be long before you''re gone. Your lives, amounting to nothing...¡± he said matter-of-factually ¡°You''re not innocent. You did this to yourselves. You''ve earned this. And I shouldn''t save you from a fate that you deserve... But I just can''t... It would be such a waste...¡±


    Kianna remained completely still as she stared back at him.


    ¡°...There are several reasons that I could give as why I want you. And they''d all be true enough. I could just say that I think you lives might be worth saving. That I think you''re interesting, and endearing. Or that I find you entertaining. And I do! But if I''m going to be truly honest with you... Well...¡± said Anton as he shifted his gaze forward and away from her ¡°I''ve, had a lot of time available to me, and I still do. So far, I''ve managed to fill this time with various pursuits and goals. Mostly it''s all been in an effort to keep myself occupied. You see, I don''t like to be bored, and I rarely am... But even though I''ve done well to keep myself busy, the vast majority of my time lately, has been spent alone. Not that I don''t have people in my life, I do! Family members, friends, coworkers, even a few business partners that I''m on pretty close terms with... Lately though. It''s been that, well, I guess you could say that I''ve, stepped away... and distanced myself... I can''t really say why, nothing caused this per''se. But for a while now... I''ve just... stepped away... People will call, stop in to visit, invite you to one thing or another... And as you decline and continuously cut the call or visit short... Eventually, they just stop calling, and stop visiting... And before you know it... You''re alone, and have been for some time... And so far, I''ve been fine with this! Being alone has never bothered me before. And I wouldn''t necessarily say that it does now... But for some reason though, and I''m not even fully sure why... I think I''d like to try, not being alone, at least for a little bit... So if I was going to give you a real answer Kianna. I guess that would be it... I just don''t really want to be alone anymore...¡±


    ¡°...It sounds like you really need to get yourself a pet!¡± growled Fiona as she kept her face hidden against her knees.


    ¡°Hm! That''s pretty much exactly what I''m doing!¡± chuckled Anton as a smirk spread across his face.


    Fiona stiffened and pointed her ears straight back behind her head.


    ¡°Fuck you! You bastard!¡± she snarled into her knees as her ears began to quiver in anger.


    Anton started to chuckle again but stopped short as movement at his side caught his attention. Turning, he found Kianna sitting right next to him and leaning with her shoulder pressed against the edge of the tub.


    The dark elf had laid her ears back submissively and was staring up at him with eyes that were on the verge of tears.


    ¡°I, I don''t want to be alone anymore either!¡± she claimed in a barely audible whisper ¡°I hate it!¡±


    ¡°...I know Kianna¡± whispered Anton as he reached out, placed his hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring squeeze ¡°I know you do...¡±


    The dark elf made a small sound and leaned into his touch as she felt the warmth of his aura begin to seep into her being.


    ¡°I hate it so much!¡± she whispered as she blinked away the moisture from her eyes and laid her head against his arm ¡°I just...¡±


    Anton gently tightened his grip on her shoulder as Kianna closed her eyes and sobbed softly.


    ¡°...Will it? ...Does it hurt!? ...When you!¡± she whispered quietly ¡°...When you!?¡±


    ¡°It can, if you try to fight it¡± said Anton in a soft, calm tone ¡°But if you stay relaxed the process will end quickly and it''ll be painless¡±


    ¡°...When are you going to do it?¡± asked Kianna as she raised her eyes to meet his.


    ¡°I can do it at any time. We can even do it now if you''re ready¡± said Anton ¡°It''ll only take a moment¡±


    Kianna lowered her eyes and stayed still for several minutes before taking a deep, but quiet breath through her nose.


    ¡°...You!¡± she whispered around another shorter breath ¡°I''m, I''m gonna trust you! Okay! I, I am! I don''t know why you want-! ...But I! You, don''t, don''t just, leave! Okay! You can''t, do that! Okay! Please!¡±


    Anton stopped short for a fraction of a second before lifting his hand from her shoulder and laying it atop her bowed head.


    ¡°Kianna?¡± he whispered as he gently ran his hand across the top of her head ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°...Everyone else is gone! They got scared!¡± Kianna whispered through her clenched teeth as her voice became laced with panic ¡°You can''t do that too! You-!¡±


    ¡°Stop¡± said Anton as he nodded and let more of his power flow into her through his hand ¡°I won''t¡±


    ¡°...You promise!?¡± whimpered Kianna as her ears raised themselves upwards in order to hear him.


    ¡°Yes¡± breathed Anton ¡°I promise, I won''t¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± whispered Kianna as she raised her head to lean into the warmth of his touch ¡°...Thank you!¡±


    They both remained silent and still for a moment as they each digested what had just happened.


    ¡°Hm, well then¡± said Anton as he eased away from her and rose out of his chair ¡°I think it''s best if we just get this over with...¡±


    The dark elf nodded softly as she watched him rise to his feet.


    Anton stood still for a moment as he looked from Kianna to Fiona and back.


    ¡°I''ll be back in a few minutes¡± he said as he nodded to Kianna.


    Kianna nodded back as she watched him turn away and disappear through the doorway.


    Fiona gawked in disbelief as she watched Anton actually leave the room. Looking to her sister she found her watching as well but with a small smile on her face. Moving as quickly as she could she frantically scooted back to the front of the tub and poised her ears forward to see if she could catch the sounds of any movement before turning to her sister.


    ¡°Holy shit that was great! I can''t believe you fooled him!¡± she exclaimed in a hushed whisper as she rose out of the tub and sat on the edge ¡°C''mon! Now''s our chance! We gotta be quick!¡±


    ¡°What!?¡± questioned Kianna as she looked up at her sitting sister ¡°What are you doing!?¡±


    ¡°What am I doing!? What are you doing!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as she glared at her sister ¡°C''mon! This might be our only chance!¡±


    ¡°...For what?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°To get out of here you idiot!¡± cried Fiona as she reached down and grabbed hold of Kianna''s arm ¡°Now c''mon! We don''t have time for this, we gotta go now!¡±


    Kianna was still for a second as she stared up at her.


    ¡°...Go where?¡± she asked in a genuine tone.


    ¡°Wha? I don''t know! Maybe Tantarra!? It doesn''t matter!¡± hissed Fiona as she gave Kianna''s arm a tug ¡°We just gotta get out of here!¡±


    Kianna turned to the door before looking back up at her sister.


    ¡°Don''t be scared! I''m right here!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°I''m with you!¡±


    Kianna looked down at her sister''s hand before looking back up at her face. Silently she opened and closed her mouth before quickly looking back at the door.


    ¡°Kianna it''s okay! We can make it!¡± cried Fiona as she gave her arm another tug ¡°But we gotta go now! Before it''s too late!¡±


    Her eyes wide now, Kianna went to turn away from the door but stopped instantly when her vision landed on Anton''s book, now laying on the seat of his chair. She gazed at it for a moment before slowly turning back to her sister and staring her in the eyes.


    ¡°Fiona... nobody has ever wanted us before!¡± she declared quietly ¡°They''ve never even wanted us around them! Nobodies, ever even cared about us before!¡±


    ¡°...What!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as her face took on a look of confusion ¡°What the Hell are you talking about!?¡±


    Kianna stared at her for another second before shifting her gaze back to Anton''s book.


    ¡°...I''m gonna stay!¡± she whispered quietly ¡°I don''t wanna go!¡±


    Dumbfounded, Fiona sat completely still as she stared at her sister.


    ¡°What, did you say?¡± she whispered as her eyes went wide ¡°Are you joking!?¡±


    Kianna''s face was stoic as she turned back to face her.


    ¡°No¡± she whispered as she shook her head and eased herself back.


    Realization spread across Fiona''s face and was quickly followed by intense anger.


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing!?¡± she demanded as she tightened her grip on her sister''s arm ¡°This could be our only chance Kianna! We have to go now!¡±


    ¡°Go where!?¡± cried Kianna as she pulled back on her arm ¡°Fiona we''re wanted now! What if we end up in prison!? What are we gonna do then!?¡±


    ¡°That''s not gonna happen!¡± snapped Fiona ¡°And even if it did, that''ll still be better than staying here and getting raped and tortured for the rest of our lives!¡±


    ¡°That''s not gonna happen!¡± declared Kianna as she turned back to the door ¡°If he was gonna do that then he already would have done it! We can trust him Fiona!¡±


    ¡°Trust? Trust him!? Seriously!? You''re still on that shit!? How can you trust this psychopath Kianna!?¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°This guy wants to enslave you, you dumbass! And you think you can trust him!? Are you crazy!?¡±


    Kianna went still before pointing her ears straight back behind her head.


    ¡°No, I''m not!¡± she declared in an even tone ¡°And he is not a psychopath Fiona!¡±


    ¡°Oh please! You don''t even know what he is!¡± growled Fiona ¡°Don''t fool yourself Kianna! You don''t know anything about this guy!¡±


    ¡°...Yes I do!¡± declared Kianna in the same quiet even tone ¡°I know he tells the truth. He doesn''t lie! He hasn''t once!¡±


    Fiona went to speak but was taken aback as her sister turned to face her.


    ¡°I know he''s smart! I know he''s strong and powerful! I know he has patience! And I know you won''t think so but Gods alive Fiona, he''s damn good looking! Even for a human! ...I know he can be kind! He can be so kind and gentle! And then at the same time... He can be so cruel and scary!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she slumped in on herself and shuddered ¡°...He''s not scared Fiona! Nothing scares him! He''s been in control this whole time! And he''s been planning for everything!¡±


    Fiona was silent as she pointed her own ears straight back and stared at her sister.


    ¡°You''re right okay! I don''t know everything about him!¡± cried Kianna as she tightened her eyes in determination ¡°But dammit Fiona! I love everything that I do know!¡±


    Fiona let go of her sister''s arm as she slowly leaned away from her.


    ¡°You''ve lost your fucking mind!¡± she whispered as she shook her head ¡°This bastard has you brainwashed!¡±


    Kianna sighed in annoyance as she looked away.


    ¡°No, he doesn''t Fiona!¡± she mumbled as she shook her head.


    ¡°The fuck if he doesn''t!¡± cried Fiona as she pointed her finger at her ¡°Why else would you ever do this to yourself!? You-!¡±


    ¡°Because! ...I''m scared!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she stared at the empty doorway ¡°And I know you''re scared too!¡±


    Fiona was taken aback by her sister''s statement. Before she could speak however she was stopped short as Kianna continued.


    ¡°Fiona we never even leave this house! And every time we do people always stare at us! They look at us like we''re monsters! Like they''re scared of us! And they don''t want us anywhere near them! It''s just like at Bridgemont! But it''s like that everywhere we go!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she let her head list forward and her eyes fall to the floor of the tub ¡°So it''s always just us! And now we never even do anything! We never go anywhere! We don''t know anyone! We''re always, alone! And no one ever even told us why! Fiona! We don''t even really know what we are!¡±


    Fiona let her pointed finger fall away as she pulled her arm back to herself.


    ¡°But he does! And he''s not scared of us!¡± cried Kianna as her eyes became misty and her voice began to crack ¡°He''s not scared of me! ...He even says he thinks I''m cute!¡±


    Kianna hunched in on herself and lowered her ears as a heavy sob racked her body.


    ¡°Even though I''m not!¡± she whimpered as she covered her eyes and sobbed again ¡°I mean look at me! I got red eyes! And fangs! I''m not cute! ...I''m creepy!¡±


    ¡°...Oh damn the Gods Kianna! Don''t be stupid!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she dropped back into the tub and took hold of her sister by the shoulders before pressing their foreheads together ¡°Listen to me! You are not creepy! Okay! You''re cute! Really cute!¡±


    ¡°R-really!? Am I really!?¡± whined Kianna as she leaned in against her sister ¡°I''m not scary!?¡±


    ¡°No! You''re cute, you really are cute!¡± reassured Fiona as she wrapped her arms around her and hugged her tightly ¡°You''re a stupid, stupid idiot too though!¡±


    ¡°I''m sorry!¡± laughed Kianna as she returned her sister''s embrace.


    The dark elves held each other tightly for a moment before slowly loosening their grips on one another.


    ¡°...I don''t want us to be scared anymore!¡± whispered Kianna as she clung to her sister ¡°And I want us to know more about what we really are!¡±


    ¡°Oh save me!¡± muttered Fiona as she shook her head ¡°And what!? You think he''s gonna be, fucking, Professor North! And just start teaching you everything you need to know about dark elves!?¡±


    ¡°...Well, yeah! I mean he already has been!¡± reasoned Kianna ¡°He''s told us way more than Mom or anybody else ever has before! And he doesn''t even have to Fiona! He wants to!¡±


    ¡°He''s just been trying to butter us up Kianna! That''s all everything has been so far!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°But you know what he''s gonna do to you! He''s gonna take everything from you! Until you have nothing left! Do you really wanna lose your freedom!?¡±


    ¡°What freedom!?¡± mocked Kianna ¡°I don''t really even have any freedom! And I don''t have anything left for him to take! I really don''t have anything left to lose!¡±


    ¡°Don''t be stupid Kianna!¡± growled Fiona ¡°You have a lot to lose!¡±


    Kianna tilted her head to the side as a look of contemplation spread across her face.


    ¡°Not really?¡± she reasoned ¡°Fiona, I really don''t have anything?¡±


    ¡°Yes you do! What about your damn dignity Kianna!?¡± snapped Fiona ¡°Or do you honestly think for one second that this guy isn''t going to turn his ¡°cute little dark elf¡± into his very own little fuck toy, sex slave!?¡±


    ¡°...What?¡± mumbled Kianna ¡°His, what!?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean his ¡°what¡±!? His fucking sex slave! Did you seriously not even think about that!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as she felt her sister go rigid in her arms ¡°Like you''re not gonna end up as this dudes fuck toy Kianna! Seriously! I don''t even want to think about all the horrible things he''s gonna do to you! Or make you do for him!¡±


    Kianna''s eyes went wide as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards.


    ¡°Wait! Really!?¡± she breathed as she blinked in question ¡°...What, kind of things do you think he''ll do to me!?¡±


    ¡°Fucking horrible things!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°Disgusting things! Things that are so intense and perverted that you''ll never, ever be able to forget them because they''ll stay haunting your dreams forever!¡±


    ¡°...Oh, really. ...That sounds, um, yeah¡± said Kianna as she stared forwards at nothing ¡°...But hold on a sec, what kinds of things are you talking about though!? Like, what do you think he''ll he actually do!?¡±


    ¡°I, I don''t fucking know!¡± snapped Fiona ¡°Probably some shit that''s so sick and twisted that... that... Wait a minute!?¡±


    Fiona took hold of her sister''s shoulders and pushed her forward so as to hold her out in front of herself.


    Kianna had a light blush across her cheeks as she avoided looking back into her sister''s eyes and instead stared sheepishly down into the bathwater.


    ¡°...Oh for fucks sake Kianna! Are you serious!¡± cried Fiona as her eyes went wide in rage ¡°What the Hell is wrong with you!?¡±


    ¡°What!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as she lowered her ears and leaned even further back ¡°I didn''t even say anything!¡±


    ¡°Oh, you don''t need to say anything! Your face says it all!¡± growled Fiona as she pointed her ears straight back in anger ¡°I can''t believe this! You, you fucking, cock-hungry little slut!¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± whined Kianna as she dipped her ears in a low and sorrowful manner ¡°You don''t have to be mean!¡±


    ¡°Are you serious right now!?¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°Are you actually thinking about this, in a real way!?¡±


    Kianna continued to look down at the water as she puffed out her cheeks and shrugged sheepishly.


    ¡°...Maybe!¡± she mumbled quietly ¡°...I don''t know!¡±


    ¡°You don''t... What do you mean you don''t know!?¡± questioned Fiona as she spoke through her teeth ¡°What does that even fucking mean Kianna!? What are you thinking right now!?¡±


    ¡°That... That it maybe, might be kinda fun, to be a... you know!¡± admitted Kianna as her blush spread further across her cheeks ¡°...If, if it''s for him!¡±


    ¡°...Have you, lost your fucking mind!?¡± questioned Fiona as her tone became hushed.


    ¡°No!¡± said Kianna as she stared at the water and shook her head ¡°I really do think that it might actually be kinda fun, you know... And, I think you could have some fun too! You know, if you just gave it a try, at least once!¡±


    Fiona had become completely dumbfounded as she stared at her sister.


    ¡°...Well?¡± asked Kianna as she peeked up at her ¡°What do you think? ...About trying it too?¡±


    ¡°No! Hell fucking no! You have lost your mind Kianna!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°Do you not realize that you''re talking about fucking the same psycho that locked you up and left you to starve for days! You do realize that!? Right!?¡±


    ¡°He''s not a psycho Fiona! ...But yes, I do remember that!¡± declared Kianna as she pointed her ears straight back ¡°And that did suck! A lot! But I was gonna kill him! So now we''re even!¡±


    ¡°Oh! You''re even now!¡± mocked Fiona as she smiled devilishly ¡°You do remember that this guy stole your money though! Right!?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah!¡± mumbled Kianna as she narrowed her eyes into a glare ¡°But so did you!¡±


    ¡°...And I apologized for that!¡± growled Fiona as she glared right back at her sister ¡°This guy is still a sadistic monster though!¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± exclaimed Kianna as her glare tightened into a scowl ¡°But so are you!¡±


    ¡°...Maybe!¡± hissed Fiona ¡°But the difference is I don''t want to turn you into my slave Kianna!¡±


    Kianna eased back and gave her sister a look of disbelief.


    ¡°...What!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as she furrowed her brow ¡°I would never do that to you!¡±


    Kianna raised an eyebrow as she sighed through her nose.


    ¡°Fiona, sometimes you talk in your sleep¡± she mumbled ¡°And there''s been a few times now, that it''s gotten kinda disturbing!¡±


    ¡°...That, that''s not the same!¡± claimed Fiona ¡°That was just some stupid dreams!¡±


    ¡°Yeah...¡± mumbled Kianna as she folded her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes ¡°Right!¡±


    ¡°It was! But this is real!¡± declared Fiona as her expression became serious ¡°You''re being stupid and making a huge mistake Kianna! This is dangerous!¡±


    Kianna''s eyes softened as she stared at her sister.


    ¡°It is, I know it is...¡± said Kianna as her face became torn ¡°It''s a risk! A real risk... And I know I can''t ask you to stay with me... But I really don''t want you to leave either!¡±


    Fiona blinked in confusion before rolling her eyes.


    ¡°You''re such an idiot Kianna!¡± she declared as she wrapped her arms back around her sister ¡°I can''t just leave you here like this!¡±


    ¡°Well, that''s very good to hear Fiona¡± said Anton ¡°Not that I was going to give you a choice of course¡±


    Both of the dark elves immediately turned towards the door and lowered their ears.


    Anton was leaning in the doorway with his arms folded over his chest. A thin grin was on his face as he stood watching them. In his left hand he was holding two small bundles that were each wrapped in a bright, white cloth.

 Chapter 13 : Noon

    Chapter 13 : Noon


    Kianna and Fiona had both become transfixed as they stared at the two little bundles.


    Without a word Anton moved into the room and taking hold of the headrest, he shifted his deck chair back and to the side so that he could sit facing the two dark elves. Taking his seat he leaned forward and set the two bundles down on the edge of the tub, one in front of each dark elf.


    With a sickly look on her face, Fiona cringed back and away from the unimposing little bundle that had been set down in front of her. While Kianna immediately leaned forward in an attempt to get a better look at her own.


    ¡°Would you like to see what it is?¡± asked Anton as he grinned at the obviously curious dark elf.


    Kianna blushed slightly as she quickly looked at him and then back at the bundle.


    ¡°Yes!¡± she chirped as she clasped her hands together in front of herself and leaned in even closer ¡°Please!¡±


    Anton picked up the little bundle and quickly unwrapped the cloth before setting it back down on the edge of the tub. As he set it down he lifted the last corner of the cloth and revealed an elegantly designed and stylized leather collar.


    The collar was not at all what either dark elf would have ever expected. It''s main form was a thin wire framework constructed out of etched silver. This silver had been imbued with the necessary curses that would bind it''s wearer to their owner. This wire frame also acted as the collars skeleton, and was overlaid with two layers of matte-black colored leather that had been heavily pressed to make it soft and comfortable to the touch. The seams of this leather had been molded together in such a way that they were no longer discernible, and it now appeared as though it was a single piece. The silver skeleton bulged outwards beneath this leather skin but this added to the collars overall design rather than took away from it''s appearance.


    The top edge of the collar was uniform along its length while its bottom edge began thin in the back and gradually expanded until it broadened into a downward point in the front center of the collar. This point would sit perfectly in the hollow of it''s wearers neck and keep the collar facing forward at all times, rather than have it shifting back and forth with its wearers movements.


    Situated in the center of this point was a smooth, bold, red, oval shaped jewel that had been embedded into the collar itself and was attached to it''s silver framework. On either side of this jewel were set two smaller colorless jewels that had also been embedded into the collar and attached to it''s silver skeleton.


    Swirling across the leather surface of the collar was etched in an intricately designed, thin chain that ran along both top and bottom edges of the collar, as well as along the bulges made by the silver frame. This chain circled around each of the three jewels while at the same time connected them to each other.


    Set just below the largest center jewel and just above the collar''s point was a short silver bar that could, conceivably, be used to attach a leash and or a name-tag to the collar.


    There were no buckles, clasps or locks at the back of the collar but instead there were two exposed portions of it''s silver skeleton that appeared as two plates that would fit together in a seamless embrace.


    ¡°...It''s, pretty!¡± gasped Kianna as she gazed at the elegant looking collar ¡°It''s really pretty!¡±


    ¡°Well thank you¡± smiled Anton ¡°You can pick it up if you''d like¡±


    Kianna bit her lower lip as she eagerly and carefully picked up the collar.


    ¡°...That, doesn''t look like a normal binding collar!¡± exclaimed Fiona as her brow creased in bewilderment ¡°That doesn''t look anything like a normal collar at all!?¡±


    ¡°Well it shouldn''t¡± said Anton ¡°I made this one specifically for Kianna¡±


    ¡°...Wait!? You made this!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as she looked from the collar to him and back ¡°You made this for me!?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I made it. Well, I put it together at least. And yes, that one''s for you¡± chuckled Anton ¡°Go ahead and try touching the jewel in the center. I believe I made it right. But just in case, I''d like to make sure of something real quick¡±


    Kianna carefully balanced the collar across the palm of her left hand and tentatively touched the tip of her right index finger to the smooth surface of the opal-like jewel. As soon as she made contact with it''s surface the jewel immediately began to glow with a faint red light.


    ¡°What the Hell!¡± whispered Fiona.


    ¡°Oh good, it does recognize you!¡± exclaimed Anton ¡°Go ahead and try to touch it as well Fiona. And don''t worry, it won''t hurt you¡±


    Fiona hesitated as Kianna held the collar out towards her. Reluctantly she raised her finger and just barely touched the surface of the jewel. The jewel remained dark and unresponsive to her touch but immediately lit up again as soon as Kianna''s finger made contact with it.


    ¡°It does know me!¡± whispered Kianna as she stared at the jewel for a moment before looking over the rest of the collar ¡°...It really is mine!¡±


    Fiona shook her head as she leaned away from the collar.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± cried Kianna in a soft tone as she suddenly looked up at Anton ¡°I love it!¡±


    ¡°You''re welcome¡± nodded Anton ¡°Are you ready to put it on?¡±


    Kianna gently tightened her hold on the collar as she gazed at the red jewel.


    ¡°...Can I look at it for a little longer?¡± she asked quietly as she lightly pressed her finger to the jewel and lit it up once again ¡°...Please?¡±


    ¡°Sure, take your time¡± said Anton as he grinned softly.


    For the next several minutes Kianna carefully looked over the collar and examined its details. Once she was finally satisfied that she was familiar enough with her newest possession, she turned to Anton and without a word, handed him the collar.


    ¡°Ready to see how well it fits?¡± asked Anton as he took the ends of the collar and held them out to the sides of Kianna''s head.


    ¡°Yes!¡± breathed Kianna as she tilted her chin up and exposed her neck ¡°I''m ready!¡±


    ¡°No! No! No!¡± cried Fiona as she stared at the collar that was about to encircle her sister''s neck ¡°No! I can''t do this!¡±


    The panicked dark elf quickly scrambled out of the tub and tried to make a mad dash for the door, she barely made it midway across the room before being forced to stop short in surprise as two hula hoop-like glowing rings made of what seemed to be an orange light that had taken a solid form, suddenly winked into existence around her. Before she could even register what was happening, thin chains that were identical to the one that had appeared out of Anton''s fingertip burst out from both of the rings and began to encircle themselves around her before becoming taunt.


    ¡°What in the!?¡± cried Fiona as the vine-like chains surrounding her body tightened enough that both of her arms were pressed in against her sides ¡°No! Wait! What is this!?¡±


    With the chains wrapped around her torso continuing to tighten, Fiona set her jaw in determination, planted her feet and bent forward as she tried to push her way through the tangle that held her in place. Almost immediately she found herself kicking at nothing as she was suddenly lifted up into the air by the chains from the uppermost ring. In the next instant, her legs were quickly wrapped up and pulled downwards by the glowing light chains from the lowermost ring. Twisting and struggling proved to be useless as the panicking dark elf soon found herself both stretched tight between the rings and floating in midair.


    ¡°No! No!¡± she cried as the rings began to slowly turn themselves around and she was made to face Anton and Kianna again ¡°Please! No!¡±


    Fiona''s entire being was now trembling as her eyes began to well with heavy tears.


    ¡°Please! Kianna! Help me!¡± she cried out as she locked eyes with her sister ¡°Don''t let him touch me!¡±


    Realization spread across Kianna''s face and was quickly followed by panic.


    ¡°Touch you?¡± questioned Anton as he cocked an eyebrow at the ensnared dark elf.


    ¡°Master!¡± cried Kianna as she reached forward and grabbed Anton''s shirt ¡°Please listen to me!¡±


    Turning to face her, Anton was instantly taken aback as she immediately began to speak.


    ¡°Please! Please Master, I swear I will do anything you want! Anything at all! Just please, please don''t touch Fiona!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she flattened her ears down submissively ¡°You can do anything you want with me! Anything! I don''t care! Just please! Please promise me you won''t touch her!¡±


    ¡°Wait! Hold on! What are you talking about exactly!?¡± exclaimed Anton as he put his hands up ¡°Do you mean sexually touch her? Or just normally touch her? Because I''ve already touched her before and nothing happened!?¡±


    ¡°I, I mean it sexually!¡± explained Kianna ¡°You see, Fiona is a... Well, Fiona is a little different! And she is actually really, really terrified of the idea of a man having sex with her! So please! If you want to do anything to either of us just do it to me! Please! I''m begging you!¡±


    ¡°...Wait! What!? Terrified!? Is this true!?¡± asked Anton as he turned back to Fiona ¡°Are you actually afraid of having sex with a man!?¡±


    Hesitating for a moment, the entrapped dark elf whimpered miserably as she laid her ears back submissively and nodded.


    ¡°...Really!?¡± asked Anton as he creased his brow in question ¡°...I mean, don''t get me wrong! I can understand not wanting to have sex with just anyone! ...But why would you literally be afraid of it!?¡±


    ¡°Because! ...Its disgusting!¡± cried Fiona as she began to buck and twist as she struggled to escape from the chains entwined around her body ¡°Men take their filthy, disgusting dicks! The same nasty things that they use to piss out of! And then they ram them up inside you! And that gross thing is inside your body! Moving around! And then they shoot slime inside you! And they leave it in there, and it stays in there! And it absorbs into your body! Oh Gods! That''s just so disgusting! It makes me so sick!¡±


    Anton stared at the dark elf in silence for a moment before slowly nodding his head.


    ¡°Huh, well, yeah. I guess when you put it like that it is kind of disgusting...¡± he mused before turning back to Kianna ¡°So do you have the same issue?¡±


    ¡°Who? Me? Oh no! No, I love dick!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she shook her head and let her eyes fall to Anton''s crotch ¡°Yeah I''m not playing when I said you could do whatever you want! I don''t care if you rip me apart!¡±


    ¡°...You! ...You''re such a good girl Kianna¡± sighed Anton as he gave her a loving head rub.


    ¡°Hee!¡± exclaimed the dark elf as she beamed happily and folded her ears back behind her head.


    ¡°So hold on just a second!?¡± said Anton as he turned back to Fiona ¡°Are you actually a lesbian then!?¡±


    The two dark elves locked eyes for a moment before Fiona groaned and slumped her shoulders.


    ¡°Yes! I am!¡± she mumbled miserably as she uselessly kicked her feet and continued to try and twist her way out of the chains ¡°I don''t love dick! And I really don''t want yours anywhere near me!¡±


    ¡°...Huh, that''s actually a little surprising!¡± said Anton as he tilted his head to the side ¡°I''m usually pretty good at picking up on these kind of things. But you caught me completely off guard with this... I really had no idea!¡±


    ¡°Okay!?¡± grumbled Fiona as she pointed her ears straight back ¡°So is this a bad thing to you!? Or what!?¡±


    ¡°No. It, really doesn''t matter to me I guess?¡± said Anton with a shrug.


    ¡°...Right, right. ...Yeah, I guess it wouldn''t matter to you! It''s not like you''re not just gonna rape me regardless anyway!¡± whimpered Fiona as she laid her ears back down behind her head.


    Anton blinked before narrowing his eyes in annoyance.


    ¡°Now what exactly would make you think that I would do that!?¡± he asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.


    ¡°Oh c''mon!¡± cried Fiona ¡°Like that isn''t exactly what you plan to do to me!¡±


    ¡°No, it''s not¡± said Anton in a dismissive tone ¡°And I''ll even swear to that. I swear I have absolutely no intention of ever doing anything like that to either one of you. You have my word on this¡±


    Both of the dark elves were silent for a moment.


    ¡°Wait! Hold oh! Does that mean you don''t want to have sex with us!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as a panicked expression quickly spread across her face ¡°Seriously!? Cause I! ...I was gonna! Uh! I mean!¡±


    ¡°What!? No! Now wait a second! I never said that, Kianna! You''re both welcome in my bed whenever you want!¡± explained Anton as he chuckled at her expression ¡°I''m just not going to force myself onto you though! That''s what I meant to say! And that being the case, you''re fine Fiona. I won''t touch you if you don''t want me to¡±


    ¡°Oh! Thank the Gods!¡± breathed Kianna as she covered her heart with her hands.


    Anton couldn''t help but to chuckle again at her look of relief, and this caused the dark elf to blush deeply in embarrassment.


    ¡°...Wait, are you being serious!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards ¡°You''re not gonna touch us!? What the fuck!? Why are you even enslaving us then!?¡±


    ¡°Because I want to¡± said Anton as he turned to her ¡°I''ve said that much already. I think you two are interesting, entertaining and I doubt that either one of you would survive in a prison setting. So in the end, whether you like it or not, I think this will be better for you overall¡±


    ¡°...You''re serious!? You really don''t want to turn me into your sex slave!?¡± questioned Fiona as she narrowed her eyes at him ¡°...Wait!? ...Are you into? ...Are, are you gay!?¡±


    ¡°What!? Oh no! No, I don''t love dick either! Well, except for my own!¡± laughed Anton ¡°And yes, I am serious when I say that I''m not at all interested in trying to turn either one of you into a sex slave Fiona. I don''t think either of you would make a very good one anyway. And besides, if that was all I wanted then I''m spoiled for choices already. There''s a whole host of species out there that would make a far better bedroom pet than a dark elf ever would! I could easily go and find myself something like a cubi, a nymph, a huldra or maybe even a kitsune! And they would all not only be willing but actually happy to live their lives in such a way. So with options like these why in the world would I even bother with a pair of vicious, and stubborn dark elves like you two?¡±


    ¡°Hey! Now wait just a second!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she pointed her ears straight back ¡°I''m not vicious! Or stubborn! And I can do just as good a job as any fox bitch! Or some, Hell spawn, or tree sluts ever could! You just need to wait and see! I''m gonna fuck you good! Like real good! I, I mean it too! You just wait! I''m gonna be the best damn sex slave you could ever have! Ever! ...Seriously!¡±


    Both Anton and Fiona had gone completely still as they stared dumbfounded at the now determined looking dark elf.


    Kianna kept the hardened expression on her face as she looked from one to the other and back.


    ¡°...What!? ...I''m just saying!¡± she mumbled as she blushed, lowered her ears and sunk down into the bathwater ¡°...I''m gonna be!¡±


    ¡°...Okay!? Well! ...That is! I''m not sure where that came from at all!? ...But I am definitely not going to stop you from proving yourself on that Kianna!¡± laughed Anton as he reached out and rubbed her head again ¡°...You are just, so, so full of, interesting, and wonderful surprises!¡±


    Kianna blushed deeper and smiled sheepishly as she looked down into the water.


    ¡°So, does that mean you''ll really leave Fiona alone then!?¡± she questioned as she peeked back up and met Anton''s eyes ¡°You''re really okay with just me!?¡±


    ¡°...Kianna, this had better not be another case of you trying to sacrifice yourself for your sister again!¡± said Anton as he narrowed his eyes at her ¡°Now I want the truth! Is that why you''re doing this!?¡±


    ¡°...Huh!? No!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she quickly shook her head ¡°I''m not! ...I''m not doing that! Honestly! I''m, I''m not!¡±


    Anton watched her for a moment before sighing softly and shaking his head.


    ¡°You really are something else, Kianna...¡± he grinned before turning to face Fiona ¡°Now as for you! I already said I wouldn''t force anything on you. And I meant that. So again, you have nothing to worry about¡±


    ¡°...You''re really not going to rape me!?¡± questioned Fiona as she glared in confusion ¡°Seriously!? You''re seriously not going to!?¡±


    ¡°Now how many times am I going to have to tell you no! Before you''ll finally accept it!?¡± exclaimed Anton ¡°Believe it or not, Fiona! I''m not the kind of person who gets excited about abusing people like that! Nor am I in any way desperate enough that I''d stoop to taking advantage of an unwilling slave. Especially not a lesbian one that apparently has some kind of penis phobia¡±


    ¡°...I don''t understand this!?¡± claimed Fiona as she leaned her head as far back as the chains would allow ¡°What''s your deal here!?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know how I could explain it to you any more clearly than I already have!¡± exclaimed Anton as he held his hands out in question ¡°I can keep reassuring you but if all you''re going to do is refuse to believe me then it''s just a waste of my time. Honestly, I don''t even see why you would think I''d want to take advantage of you when I''ve already got the better sister right here!¡±


    Fiona cringed back before her eyes tightened in question.


    ¡°...Wait, what!?¡± she mumbled as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards ¡°What do you mean ¡°better sister¡±? What are you talking about!?¡±


    ¡°I''m talking about Kianna¡± said Anton as he indicated the second dark elf ¡°Obviously!¡±


    Kianna''s face lit up with excitement as her ears pointed themselves straight up at the acknowledgment.


    ¡°What do you mean, Kianna!?¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°How is she the better sister!?¡±


    ¡°Well, it''s simple¡± said Anton as he turned to Kianna ¡°At this point I''ve had more than enough opportunity to give you both a pretty thorough look over. And its my opinion that between the two of you, Kianna easily has the better looking body. Hands down really¡±


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.The eyes of the dark elves became locked as they stared at each other for a moment and then slowly turned in unison to look back at Anton.


    ¡°I am so ready to be your slave now!¡± whispered Kianna as she put her wrists together and held her hands out in front of herself as if she was expecting them to be tied up ¡°I am gonna be yours forever!¡±


    ¡°You gotta be fucking kidding me!¡± raged Fiona as she rattled the chains that held her in place ¡°We''re identical! Completely the same! There''s no way can you possibly say she has a better body than me!¡±


    ¡°...You? ...Why are you even upset about this!?¡± sighed Anton as he slowly shook his head and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and index finger ¡°How is this not good news to you!?¡±


    ¡°Because it''s horseshit!¡± exclaimed Fiona as her ears pointed themselves straight back ¡°We look exactly the same! She is not better looking than me!¡±


    ¡°You two really don''t look exactly the same at all Fiona. I mean at first glance you do. But all it takes is a closer look and the differences are pretty obvious¡± sighed Anton ¡°Kianna has got a little bit more of a softness to her that makes her a little more plump and round in the right areas. While you have a slightly slimmer build and just aren''t as filled out as she is. Now don''t get me wrong! I do think you''re both very attractive! So you don''t need to question that! Body-wise though, my preference is definitely for your sister. Kianna also boasts a sweeter personality, a much happier demeanor and she is just adorably cute without even trying to be! Add all this together and she really is easily the better sister¡±


    ¡°Master! Can I see my collar again, please!?¡± cried Kianna as she leaned over the edge of the tub ¡°Just for a second!¡±


    ¡°Sure¡± said Anton as he handed her the collar ¡°Here you go¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± exclaimed the dark elf as she carefully took the collar from his hand and held it out in front of herself ¡°...Ah, it''s so pretty!¡±


    Without another word Kianna stretched the collar out to its fullest before raising her chin and slipping it around her neck. She gasped in shock as the two silver plates met at the back of her neck and made an audible locking sound as they immediately sealed to one another.


    ¡°Oh, you impatient little!¡± grumbled Anton as he reached out and took hold of Kianna''s chin before she could fall forward.


    The dark elf went completely limp as her eyes became dull and unfocused. With her chin resting in Anton''s left hand she stared forward at nothing as the largest jewel on her collar began to glow brighter and brighter. While holding the dark elf upright, Anton raised his right hand and held it with his palm facing the red jewel.


    Fiona''s eyes went wide as Anton''s aura took on a visible form and appeared as a bright orange fire that blazed wildly around his being.


    Anton scrunched up his face as he seemed to be trying to focus his aura into his palm. As the power became concentrated, it formed into a pulsating ball of plasma-like energy. This ball of energy then collapsed in on itself and became a miniature lightning bolt that shot forward and struck the large red jewel on Kianna''s collar, thus creating an arc that now connected her to Anton.


    As the arc of power made contact with the jewel the etched in chain pattern on the collar began to glow with a faint pink light. The light of the chain had begun at the back of the collar and quickly spread forward from link to link along both of it''s sides. As it reached and then encircled the two colorless jewels, it grew in intensity before filling them both with the same pink colored light.


    Kianna gasped again as all three jewels reached a peak in their brightness and another audible locking sound rang out from the collar. In the stillness that followed, the glowing chain pattern went dark again while the two previously colorless jewels remained a shimmering pink.


    Anton sighed heavily as he let his arm fall back to his side. His shoulders slumped in fatigue as his aura dimmed and quickly faded from sight.


    Easing his head forward a bit, Anton grinned as he examined the large jewel that was no longer a pure red but now had a shimmer of a faint orange tint to it that gave it a very dark almost amber-like color.


    Kianna remained unresponsive as the glow from the jewels on her collar began to slowly dim until finally they all three went dark and became dull.


    ¡°Kianna?¡± breathed Anton as he held her chin up a bit higher and squinted as he looked into her eyes.


    The dark elf''s eyes widened and her ears pointed themselves straight upwards as she seemed to register that she was being spoken too.


    ¡°Master¡± she responded dryly.


    Anton pressed his lips together into a thin line as he watched Kianna''s eyes remain unfocused as they stared straight at him.


    ¡°You bastard!¡± cried Fiona ¡°W-what the Hell did you just do to her!?¡±


    Anton turned and found the dark elf wide eyed with panic as she stared at her sister. Fiona''s complexion had gone several shades paler as a look of absolute horror was plastered across her face.


    ¡°What''s wrong with her!?¡± she whimpered ¡°Is she okay!?¡±


    ¡°She should be fine¡± said Anton as he turned back to Kianna ¡°This kind of response isn''t that unusual. Right now her mind is learning how to function around being bound. She should be back to normal in a minute or two... Once she figures out how to put herself back together¡±


    As he spoke the corners of Kianna''s mouth began to curl up into a slight smile. Clamping her eyes shut, the dark elf held still for a moment before blinking rapidly and then looking up at Anton.


    ¡°Master!¡± she breathed as she laid her ears back submissively.


    ¡°Welcome back!¡± smiled Anton as he watched her eyes brighten and return to normal ¡°...So? How do you feel?¡±


    ¡°I feel!?¡± breathed Kianna as she rolled her head to the side and nuzzled her cheek into his hand ¡°...I feel warm, and safe!¡±


    ¡°Safe?¡± questioned Anton as he raised an eyebrow in surprise ¡°Did you just say you feel safe?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± hummed the dark elf as she took in a deep breath and trembled ¡°I can feel you!¡±


    ¡°...I see¡± said Anton as he tilted his head and grinned at the now dozing dark elf ¡°Is that what makes you feel safe?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡± sighed Kianna as she tucked her arms in around her torso and hugged herself ¡°I really like this!¡±


    ¡°Oh, well! That''s good!¡± said Anton as Kianna hummed a happy sound in response ¡°I''m happy to hear that!¡±


    ¡°Kianna!?¡± cried Fiona as she pulled forward against the chains ¡°Are you really okay!?¡±


    ¡°Mm hm!¡± hummed Kianna as she lifted one of her ears and then let it fall lazily back against her head ¡°...I''m great!¡±


    ¡°Well! I''d say this is looking like a complete success!¡± boasted Anton as he looked back at Fiona and gave her a cruel grin ¡°So I guess now the next step is to see how well this works with an unwilling participant!¡±


    Fiona''s eyes widened as her ears laid themselves flat behind her head.


    ¡°W-wait!¡± she cried as she again started to struggle against the light chains ¡°Wait! Wait!¡±


    ¡°Kianna, I''m going to need to set you down now¡± whispered Anton ¡°It''s your sister''s turn to be enslaved¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay...¡± sighed Kianna as she lifted her arms up and folded them on the edge of the tub ¡°That sounds good...¡±


    Anton gently laid Kianna''s head down on her folded arms before picking up the bundle that held Fiona''s collar.


    ¡°Stop! Please! Anton! You don''t have to do this!¡± cried Fiona as she watched him unwrap the cloth from around her collar ¡°I''ll, I''ll do anything you want! Anything! I swear! I swear!¡±


    ¡°You are not allowed to call me by my name Fiona¡± said Anton in a dry tone ¡°Do not do that again¡±


    The dark elf panicked and redoubled her struggles against the chains as the two rings began to move. With her ears now quivering in fear she groaned miserably as the rings repositioned her right in front of and facing Anton. Pressing her chin down against her neck in an effort to protect herself, Fiona stared at the floor as Anton rose from his chair and stood in front of her.


    ¡°I''d like you to try to fight against this as best you can but I don''t want you to actually hurt yourself¡± said Anton as he reached down, took hold of Fiona''s chin and raised it up until she was forced to look at him ¡°If you feel like things are getting too intense for you then just relax and let it come to an end¡±


    ¡°I''m sorry!¡± whimpered Fiona as heavy tears welled at the corners of her eyes and rolled down her cheeks ¡°I''m sorry! Please! Please don''t do this to me! Please, please just let me go!¡±


    ¡°Stop that Fiona. You''re guilty, and you are going to pay for your crimes. One way, or another¡± said Anton as he stared down into her large, ruby colored eyes ¡°You are a dark elf that doesn''t even know how to flare your own aura. How well do you really think you''ll survive in this world while all on your own? Let alone in prison. Where you''ll be facing a lineup of monsters that''ll all be fighting each other for the right to be the first one to take a bite out of your ears¡±


    Fiona''s breath became caught in her throat as her eyes widened to their fullest.


    ¡°I''m going to spare you from that fate. And let you stay here with your sister¡± said Anton as he raised the collar to her neck ¡°Now, be grateful, and relax¡±


    ¡°No!¡± whimpered Fiona as she tried to pull away ¡°Don''t! Please! Don''t!¡±


    ¡°Such a stubborn dark elf¡± grumbled Anton as he lifted her chin even higher and slipped the collar around her neck ¡°All you''re doing is making this harder than it needs to be¡±


    Fiona gasped and went stiff as with a metallic snap the collar was locked in place around her neck. Just as it was with her sister, her eyes immediately lost all of their focus as the red jewel on her collar began to glow brightly. Unlike Kianna however, she did not go limp at all but instead her entire body stiffened even further and began to tremble.


    With his left hand wrapped around her neck above the collar, Anton held Fiona''s head still as he raised his right hand and faced his palm towards the large red jewel.


    With his jaw clenched and his face hardened in determination, Anton again focused his power at his palm as his aura reappeared and blazed around him. Within moments the concentrated power had formed into a ball before quickly collapsing into an arc that struck the red jewel and connected him to Fiona''s collar.


    Just as it had done before with Kianna, the chain pattern that had been etched onto the surface of the collar began to glow. And like before this glow had begun towards the back of the collar before jumping from link to link and spreading forwards along both sides. Unlike before however this glow was far brighter in it''s intensity and was colored a bright neon green rather than pink.


    Fiona''s eyes remained completely unfocused as her mouth fell open and hung slack. Anton groaned in annoyance as a glob of her drool rolled out and landed on his wrist.


    The dark elf began to moan softly as the glowing chain links reached and encircled the two colorless jewels and immediately began to fill them with their green light.


    ¡°Wait!¡± groaned Fiona as the glow of all three jewels reached a peak and began to flicker in intensity.


    ¡°No¡± declared Anton as he seemed to redouble his own efforts against the large jewel that was now glowing an ominous crimson red.


    Again as before, a second louder locking sound suddenly rang out from the collar itself.


    Fiona gasped and rolled her head back as the chain pattern went dark and left the two colorless jewels now glowing a bright green.


    Anton grinned and sighed through his nose in fatigue as he eased his hands away from Fiona and let his arms fall to his sides. Leaning forward he narrowed his eyes and examined the large jewel that was now glowing a dark amber-like color that was identical to Kianna''s. Shaking the drool from his wrist he watched as the glow from the three jewels began to fade.


    Fiona''s head fell forward and hung limp when as one all three of the jewels went dark.


    ¡°Aw! Poor Fiona...¡± hummed Kianna ¡°She''s so tired now...¡±


    Anton turned back to her and found the dark elf absently watching her sister. Though her head was still resting on her folded arms and her ears were hanging limp, she instantly smiled at him as their eyes met.


    ¡°Do you feel bad for her?¡± asked Anton.


    Kianna shrugged by lifting a single shoulder.


    ¡°Not really¡± she said as her eyes went back to her hanging sister ¡°It''s kinda sad that she was scared but she''ll be fine now¡±


    Anton nodded before turning back to Fiona. The dark elf''s head still hung motionless as a thin trail of drool dangled from her hidden face. After several minutes she gasped lightly as her limp ears rose upwards and then flattened themselves down against the back of her head.


    ¡°...Fiona?¡± said Anton softly.


    The trail of drool fell to the floor as the dark elf cringed.


    ¡°...Yes!?¡± she whimpered.


    Anton reached beneath the dark elf''s hidden face and gently took hold of her chin. Fiona grimaced miserably as her head was lifted upwards and she was made to look at him.


    ¡°...How do you feel?¡± asked Anton as he tilted his head back and forth as he looked her over.


    ¡°...I feel¡± whimpered Fiona ¡°...Tiny!¡±


    ¡°...I see¡± nodded Anton as he gently let go of her chin.


    Feeling defeated, Fiona let her head fall and hang limply. She remained silent as she stared down at the floor beneath her.


    As Anton took a step back from the dark elf the chains holding her in the air began to loosen and she was slowly lowered towards the ground. Fiona let her legs bend and fold up beneath her as she came to rest on the floor. Sitting on her bent knees she kept her head lowered as she hunched in on herself.


    Anton stood still in front of the dark elf as the light chains melted away into nothing, and the rings they came from grew thinner and thinner until they too vanished completely.


    Now free from her restraints, Fiona quickly shambled on her bent legs and pressed herself against the side of the tub. Whimpering miserably the dark elf curled in on herself and gripped her collar with both hands as she desperately tried to rip it away from her neck.


    ¡°...Can you get it off?¡± asked Anton as he watched her efforts become more and more frantic.


    ¡°No!¡± groaned Fiona in frustration as she pulled against the collar ¡°The fucking thing won''t come off!¡±


    ¡°...I see¡± nodded Anton as he stepped closer to her ¡°Good¡±


    ¡°No it''s not!¡± whined Fiona as her face scrunched up in anguish ¡°I don''t wanna be...! I hate this!¡±


    Fiona gave up on her attempt to free herself and let her arms fall limply to her sides as Anton stopped and stood in front of her. She remained still as he bent down and took hold of her by sliding his hands beneath her arms. She kept her legs bent in close to her body as she was lifted up over the edge of the tub and set back down in the warm water.


    ¡°Poor Fiona!¡± sang Kianna as she slipped away from her spot at the edge of the tub and sidled up next to her sister ¡°She feels so little!¡±


    Anton sat back down in his chair and leaned forward until his elbows came to rest against his knees. He cradled his chin in his hand as he intently watched the two dark elves.


    Kianna began to hum softly as she lightly wrapped her arms around her sister and gently pulled her into a comforting embrace. Fiona laid her head on her sisters shoulder and hid her face in the crook of Kianna''s neck as she let herself be pulled in close. She still had a miserable looking grimace on her face but there were no sign of tears in her eyes. She sighed deeply through her nose as Kianna began to softly run the fingers of her left hand through her hair in an effort to comfort her.


    Anton remained silent and still as he continued to observe them.


    ¡°Poor Fiona...¡± hummed Kianna as she tucked a strand of Fiona''s hair behind her ear ¡°Fiona? Are you still feeling like you''re little?¡±


    Fiona was silent for a moment before she quietly grumbled unintelligibly.


    ¡°Okay...¡± smiled Kianna as she continued to run her fingers through her sister''s hair ¡°We''ll just keep waiting for you then...¡±


    For some time the two dark elves remained this way until finally Fiona raised her head.


    ¡°Thank you¡± she whispered softly as she rested her forehead against Kianna''s.


    Kianna hummed a response as she smiled at her. They were both still for another moment until Kianna pulled her sister in close and hugged her tightly.


    Fiona eased away as her sister loosened her grip. The still unhappy looking dark elf grimaced as she gave Anton a glance before quickly looking away.


    Kianna tilted her head downwards and leaned in close as she tried to examine her sister''s collar.


    ¡°Don''t!¡± mumbled Fiona as she lowered her ears and raised her hand to cover the collar.


    ¡°Oh, poor baby!¡± teased Kianna as she smirked at her embarrassed sister.


    Fiona grimaced again as she gripped her collar and gave it a tug. The collar remained locked around her neck even as she raised her other hand and pulled on it in earnest.


    ¡°Still can''t get it off?¡± asked Anton.


    Fiona doubled her efforts and groaned in frustration as the collar refused to budge.


    ¡°No!¡± she mumbled as she hunched in on herself and let her arms sink into the water ¡°I can''t...¡±


    Kianna nodded and settled into a stance that mimicked her sisters.


    ¡°We can''t take them off¡± she declared matter-of-factually ¡°Only our Master can take them off¡±


    Both of the dark elves turned and looked at Anton with blank but expectant expressions on their faces.


    ¡°...Well now! It looks like it actually worked!¡± said Anton as his eyes widened ¡°...This could really change a few things!¡±


    ¡°Worked?¡± asked Kianna as she cocked one of her ears in confusion ¡°What worked?¡±


    ¡°Right...¡± nodded Anton as he leaned back and settled himself into his chair ¡°It''s pretty obvious that you two have no idea... So I guess it''s best that we have a discussion about this right away¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about!?¡± asked Fiona as her brow creased in uncertainty ¡°What don''t we have any idea about!?¡±


    ¡°That this should be impossible!¡± said Anton as he looked back and forth between them ¡°And that you two have just become complete pariahs!¡±

 Chapter 14 : Early Afternoon

    Chapter 14 : Early Afternoon


    ¡°...Pariahs?¡± questioned Kianna ¡°What, what do you mean!?¡±


    ¡°I mean that every other living dark elf is going to be very unhappy with you two¡± said Anton as he folded his arms over his chest and grinned at their confusion ¡°And they''re all going to be absolutely livid with me!¡±


    Both of the dark elves looked at each other before looking back at him.


    ¡°Why!?¡± they both exclaimed in unison.


    ¡°Because this has never happened before¡± said Anton as he waved his pointed finger back and forth between them ¡°At least not as far as I know¡±


    ¡°...What''s never happened before?¡± asked Fiona as she lowered her ears in uncertainty ¡°What the Hell are you talking about!?¡±


    ¡°I''m talking about dark elves becoming actual slaves¡± said Anton ¡°As far as I know you two are the first of your kind to ever be truly enslaved. ...So I guess in a way congratulations are in order. You''ll both be in the history books now¡±


    Both of the dark elves remained still for a moment as they stared at him.


    ¡°What!?¡± they both exclaimed in unison.


    ¡°Are you serious!?¡± cried Fiona as she planted her hands on the sides of her head.


    ¡°How is that possible!?¡± questioned Kianna ¡°How can this have never happened before!?¡±


    ¡°Well, you see, dark elves have a naturally ingrained immunity to all binding spells and curses. This was something that was designed into them when they were originally created¡± explained Anton ¡°And because of this immunity it has always been believed that it was completely impossible to actually enslave a dark elf. But we just proved that this isn''t true, and that there is at least one way to do it¡±


    ¡°How!?¡± cried the dark elves in unison.


    ¡°...Hm, yeah. I think it''s only fair that you two understand exactly what''s happened here, so I''ll explain it as best I can¡± said Anton as he looked back and forth between them ¡°Fiona, you recognized that these collars were different right away, didn''t you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± nodded Fiona.


    ¡°How are they different?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°They''ve got glowing gems on them¡± mumbled Fiona as she felt the collar around her neck ¡°And they kinda look different...¡±


    ¡°You know what normal binding collars look like?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°Yeah. They don''t all look the same but these are really different looking¡± explained Fiona.


    ¡°And how exactly do you know what normal collars look like?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°I, sometimes like to look at pictures online...¡± admitted Fiona in a slightly embarrassed tone ¡°...Of slave girls, that are for sale...¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see, fair enough¡± nodded Anton ¡°So you realize the gemstones on these collars are not typical? And that normal collars don''t have them?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡± said Fiona.


    ¡°Do you recognize what they are?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°...No¡± said Fiona as she glanced at the jewels on her sister''s collar.


    ¡°Well, they''re actually the secret to how these collars can work on you two¡± said Anton as he looked from Fiona''s jewel to Kianna''s ¡°The large center ones are called ¡°Blood Gems¡± and your own blood is one of the ingredients that they''re made out of¡±


    The dark elves eyes widened as they both looked at each others jewels.


    ¡°My blood!¡± whispered Kianna as she reached up and touched her blood gem.


    ¡°Yes, when I knocked you both out on the first night that you brought me here. I took a sample of blood from each of you. Then I mixed it with my own, added some raw silica and combined the mixture in a mana vortex to create these gems. They act as both a catalyst and a relay for the curses that bind you to me. The two smaller gems are buffers that keep your auras from effecting the blood gems¡±


    ¡°Our auras?¡± said Kianna as she looked at her sister''s green colored jewels ¡°Is that why they turned green?¡±


    ¡°...They''re not green!? They''re pink!?¡± said Fiona as she narrowed her eyes at Kianna ¡°Right?¡±


    ¡°No, they''re green?¡± said Kianna.


    ¡°Their colors are based on your individual auras¡± chuckled Anton ¡°Fiona''s aura is apparently green while Kianna''s is pink¡±


    ¡°My gems are pink!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as she tilted her head down in a failed attempt to see her own collar ¡°Really!?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the chain around your collar was pink too¡± said Fiona ¡°But now it''s black again¡±


    ¡°Same with yours, except it was green¡± said Kianna as she leaned in closer to her sister and gazed at her collar ¡°Did you know that your aura was green?¡±


    ¡°No¡± said Fiona as she leaned away from Kianna''s prying eyes ¡°How would I even know that!?¡±


    ¡°If you had ever made any light chains or other items using your aura you would have known it was green¡± explained Anton as he raised his hand.


    As the dark elves watched, a tiny ball of orange light appeared above Anton''s palm and began to grow oblong in shape until taking the form of a semi-transparent handle. As Anton took hold of the glowing orange handle it became solid, lengthened again and became a thin riding crop style of whip.


    Fiona''s eyes widened as Anton flicked the triangle shaped leather flap at the end of the whip under her chin and forced her to lift her head and look into his eyes.


    ¡°I''ll give you one chance to guess what color my aura is¡± he said as he gave her a mocking grin ¡°I hope for your sake your not colorblind!¡±


    ¡°...It''s, it''s orange!¡± declared the dark elf ¡°Right!?¡±


    ¡°Hm, lucky guess¡± mumbled Anton in a playful tone as he let the whip fall from his hand. The thin riding crop immediately began to melt away into nothing as soon as it lost it''s contact with him.


    ¡°Anyways, getting back to the point¡± said Anton as he leaned back in his chair ¡°A dark elf''s immunity to bindings isn''t limited to just the bindings curses in the dominion class of magic. They''re also immune to demonic binding curses as well as familiar contracts. In essence, they just can''t be bound at all. It''s an ingrained natural immunity that they all carry, including you two. You girls may very well be the worst examples of dark elves that I''ve ever seen. But you''re still dark elves nonetheless¡±


    Fiona grimaced at the insult while Kianna merely continued to listen intently.


    ¡°This immunity only flows one way though. A dark elf may not be able to be bound to another person but another person can be bound to a dark elf¡± explained Anton ¡°And as we''ve talked about already, being bound to a dark elf is so naturally easy that any person with a submissive enough nature could become bound to one by being influenced by their auras, listening to them speak or if submissive enough, simply being near them. In other words a dark elf doesn''t necessarily even need a anchored curse to enslave someone, they can do it naturally. This is what they are, they''re a natural ¡°ruling class¡± species that was built to control others. And this immunity was put in place so that no one could ever turn the tables and take control of them. This is another factor that sets the dark elves apart from most of the other races and makes them so potentially dangerous. Since they have this immunity, the threat of being enslaved doesn''t exist for them. And as such they don''t face the same consequences, and they don''t have the same incentives to play nice and follow the rules in the same way most other people do. This is why so many of them are more prone to engage in criminal activities. ...And it can actually be pretty hard for them to keep themselves from being arrogant about this¡±


    ¡°Well yeah! It''s not like that doesn''t makes sense!¡± mumbled Fiona as she nodded thoughtfully.


    ¡°...Wait, hold on!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she tilted her head and cocked one of her ears in curiosity ¡°What would happen if a dark elf wanted to be enslaved though? Couldn''t she just let the binding spells work on her?¡±


    ¡°No, that wouldn''t work¡± said Anton as he shook his head ¡°Your immunity isn''t based from a skill or ability that you can control. It''s a natural part of you, and you can''t just turn it off¡±


    ¡°So how did you do it then!? Or are we even really enslaved!? Or are you just saying we are!? Because I think that you definitely fucked with me!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she wrapped her arms around herself and rubbed her shoulders ¡°But I sure as Hell don''t feel like I''m your slave!¡±


    ¡°Oh, you definitely are. If you weren''t then you could take that collar off¡± explained Anton ¡°I''m not sure just how obedient you''ve become, if at all. It''s possible, very unlikely, but possible that you could disobey my commands. Though even if you could that wouldn''t change whether or not you''re enslaved to me. It would just give me a reason to discipline you¡±


    Fiona grimaced angrily while Kianna''s face became thoughtful.


    ¡°As for how. Well. We have to go back to the blood gems for that¡± explained Anton ¡°They really are the catalyst behind everything¡±


    The dark elves quickly glanced at each others gems before looking back at Anton.


    ¡°You see, as I explained before, the dark elves immunity only flows one way. They can''t become bound to another but another can be bound to them. And this is what these collars are designed to exploit¡± explained Anton ¡°What do you two know about familiars?¡±


    ¡°Familiars?¡± repeated Kianna ¡°They''re like a pet animal that''s been enslaved, right?¡±


    ¡°In most cases that description would be pretty accurate. The most commonly seen familiars are usually animals that have been bound to an individual. It is entirely possible to turn a person into a familiar as well but this is rarely seen as a familiar must fully agree to be bound to it''s owner. You can not just force someone to become a familiar, the binding can only be done if both parties are willing. Now, people that practice high level magic will generally have at least one familiar but its possible for someone to have dozens of them at once. These familiars can be used as assistants, servants and even guinea pigs for their owners during their spell crafting¡± explained Anton ¡°But their main reason for being kept is to give the practitioner a second source of mana that they can tap into to preform very high level mana heavy spells. So essentially the familiars act as a living, backup mana battery¡±


    The dark elves once again had become still as they listened to what was being told to them.


    ¡°The process of binding a familiar is far different and goes much deeper than your standard slave bindings. This is because a familiar is usually meant to be permanent while a slave is supposed to be left with the options of being traded or sold. This deeper bind is called a ¡°Familiar Contract¡± and it involves a connection being made between the minds, souls and auras of the familiar and it''s owner. This kind of connection gives a much higher level of control to the owner, and if done right the level of control could be so great that the owner could even shift their own consciousness over to the familiar and become one with them. When this is done the owner will be able to see through the familiars eyes and even take over and completely control its body. This connection can go even deeper to the point that the familiars body could become a literal extension of the owners body¡± explained Anton ¡°Now, like I said before most familiars are usually animals, with the occasional person becoming one if they choose to. Living things are not the only options though. It is also possible to turn certain kinds of items into a familiar as well. Items like suits of armor, crystal balls, playing cards, or even... a gem!¡±


    ¡°...Oh, you fucking bastard!¡± growled Fiona as she pointed her ears straight back in anger.


    ¡°Let me start by saying that you, yourself are not a familiar Fiona!¡± declared Anton as he smiled at her ¡°But I did use a similar process to a familiar contract on your blood gem. You see, you vicious little dark elf, those blood gems have been bound to you both. And bound to you completely, via your minds, souls and auras in a manner that is again similar to a familiar contract though not exactly the same¡±


    Kianna reached up and lightly took hold of her collar as she listened intently.


    ¡°Since those blood gems are made from your own blood, they are technically you, and as such the connections between you and them are as complete as they can possibly be. This is not a case of one being having been bound to another being, but instead, is a case of a being having been bound to itself. This means that essentially those gems are an artificial extension of you and are now as much a part of you as your own limbs are¡± explained Anton ¡°Now, what this also means is that the bonds between you and the gems won''t trigger any kind of response from your immunity. Meaning that the gems can not only be bound to you... but you can apparently be bound back to the gems!¡±


    ¡°...So what your saying is, these gems are part of us now?¡± questioned Kianna ¡°...But not really?¡±


    ¡°They are a part of you, that is not a part of you¡± said Anton ¡°Fully connected to your mind, soul and aura through the collars that you''re both wearing. But unlike the rest of you, they have no immunities at all! They''re a gateway, an open window, a crack in the castle wall. They''re completely bound to you, and you are completely bound to them. And an important bit of information that you need to always remember about them, is that your blood is not the only blood that they''re made out of!¡±


    ¡°...Oh, you sick son of a bitch!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°You''re a part of me now too!?¡±


    ¡°No, I''m a part of the gems!¡± laughed Anton ¡°But through them I am now connected to you!¡±


    ¡°So is that why I can feel you!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she tightened her grip on her collar ¡°You''re really connected to me now!¡±


    ¡°That''s right, what you''re feeling is the presence and influence of my blood and aura¡± explained Anton ¡°And it''s that same influence that controls the gems, and via them...¡±


    ¡°Controls us!¡± finished Fiona as she scowled down at the water and bared her teeth in anger.


    ¡°Exactly!¡± said Anton as he pointed a finger at her ¡°I control the gems, and the gems are now a part of you, so by their extension, I control you... At least I think I do. I should probably test this and make sure...¡±


    The dark elves both had expressions of unease on their faces as they looked at him.


    ¡°Test it how!?¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°What are you going to do to us!?¡±


    ¡°Girls!¡± declared Anton as he wrapped them both in his aura ¡°This will be a command and not a request¡±


    The blood gems on the dark elves collars began to glow ominously in reaction to Anton''s aura. As he spoke to them the eyes of both of the dark elves went dull and doll-like.


    ¡°You are both completely forbidden to ever explain how your collars work. You are not under any circumstances allowed to give this information out unless I have given you permission to do so. If anyone at all ever asks you about the collars, all you can tell them is to come and speak to me¡± commanded Anton as he looked back and forth from one staring dark elf to the other ¡°Do you understand this?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡± said the dark elves in unison.


    ¡°Good¡± said Anton as he released them from his aura ¡°Very good!¡±


    Both of the dark elves began to blink profusely as they came back to their senses.


    ¡°What the fuck was that!?¡± cried Fiona as she looked down at her trembling hands ¡°I couldn''t even move!¡±


    ¡°That was weird...¡± mumbled Kianna as she rubbed the side of her head and stared at Anton ¡°It''s like you were the only thing that existed!¡±


    ¡°Oh really!? Well! Good! It looks like my little experiment was a complete success then!¡± boasted Anton ¡°You two are legitimately enslaved now!¡±


    ¡°We are!?¡± asked Kianna as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards.


    ¡°How do you know!?¡± cried Fiona ¡°What the Hell was that just now!? What did you do to us!?¡±


    ¡°I enslaved you. That was a command. I know because I can give you commands¡± explained Anton as he tilted his head and looked at her sideways ¡°Now are you going to tell anyone how your collar works?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± answered Fiona in a matter-of-fact tone.


    ¡°What are you going to say if anyone asks about them?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°Nothing. If anyone asks about it I''m just gonna tell them that they need to talk to you¡± stated Fiona.


    ¡°Very good!¡± nodded Anton as he smirked at her and turned to Kianna ¡°Yes Kianna, you are indeed enslaved now¡±


    Fiona blinked as realization spread across her face.


    ¡°You slimy bastard! I hate you!¡± she snarled as she pointed her ears straight back behind her head.


    ¡°Hm, you know I could probably change that now...¡± mused Anton as he gave her another condescending smile ¡°I don''t think I''m going to though...¡±


    Fiona growled through her bared teeth as her eyes filled with rage and began to glow with an angry red light.


    Kianna couldn''t help but to grin as she touched her blood gem and looked back and forth between her glaring sister and her smiling Master.


    ¡°So what happens now?¡± she asked as she leaned forward to get Anton''s attention ¡°What are we going to do next?¡±


    ¡°Well, we''ll get you two cleaned up and knock out your health checks¡± said Anton as he turned to her ¡°Then after that... I guess we''ll start packing. I''d like to at least try and get most of that done before we have dinner¡±


    ¡°...Packing!?¡± asked both of the dark elves in unison ¡°Packing what!?¡±


    ¡°Well, all of your things of course¡± explained Anton as he gave them a perplexed look ¡°Unless you''d rather just leave everything behind whenever we go?¡±


    ¡°Go!?¡± cried Fiona as she leaned back in surprise.


    ¡°W-where are we going!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as her eyes widened in shock.


    ¡°...Obviously I''m going to take you both home with me¡± said Anton as he looked from one dark elf to the other ¡°I know it might seem like I''ve made myself pretty comfortable here these last few days. But it''s not like I actually live here¡±


    ¡°But we live here!¡± cried Fiona ¡°We''ve always lived here!¡±


    ¡°Well, sounds like it might be time for a change then¡± said Anton ¡°You two have already had some pretty big life changes today, a few more shouldn''t hurt too much. And some new experiences should be good... for... you...¡±


    Both of the dark elves had become panicked as looks of terror spread across their faces.


    ¡°But this is our home!¡± whispered Kianna as she looked down and away from him while her eyes welled with tears ¡°This is our only home!¡±


    ¡°I told you!¡± snapped Fiona as she turned to her sister and did her best to hold back her own tears ¡°I told you he was going to take everything away from us!¡±


    Kianna stared back at her for a moment before looking back down into the water.


    ¡°But this is where... We can''t, we can''t just leave!¡± she whimpered as she wrapped her arms around herself and gripped her shoulders ¡°I don''t wanna go!¡±


    Anton watched the wallowing dark elves for a few moments before sighing heavily and looking away from them.


    ¡°Right...¡± he mumbled as he cradled his chin in his hand and mused thoughtfully ¡°Maybe, too many changes at one time isn''t what you need...¡±


    He glanced back at the dark elves and found them both with their ears pointed straight upwards as they stared back at him.


    ¡°I suppose there''s no real rush...¡± he reasoned as he fully turned back to them ¡°Being in a familiar place might help you to better cope with your new lives... So I guess we can just stay put for a little while...¡±


    ¡°Really!? Thank you!¡± cried Kianna as she clasped her hands in front of herself ¡°Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!¡±


    Fiona breathed a sigh of relief before glaring at Anton.


    ¡°...Fuck you!¡± she mumbled before looking away from him.


    ¡°I can''t say that this is going to be anything permanent!¡± said Anton as he pointed his finger from one dark elf to the other ¡°Neither one of you are the owners of this house, so at this time there isn''t any real control here. But like I said, we''ll stay for a little while at least...¡±


    ¡°Yes! Oh! See! I knew he wasn''t going to be cruel to us!¡± beamed Kianna ¡°Our Master would never mistreat us like that!¡±


    ¡°...You''re so damn stupid Kianna!¡± sighed Fiona in frustration as she rolled her eyes.


    ¡°By the way, if I''m going to be officially living here. I will be using the master bedroom¡± said Anton as he looked through the short walkway and out into the massive empty room beyond ¡°And I don''t expect an argument from either one of you on this¡±


    ¡°What!? No!¡± cried Fiona ¡°You can''t do that!¡±


    ¡°Mm, mm hm, yeah, that makes sense!¡± declared Kianna as she nodded her head.


    ¡°How the Hell does that make sense!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as she turned to her sister.


    ¡°Because he''s the Master!¡± said Kianna as she narrowed her eyes at her sister ¡°It makes sense for him to be in the master bedroom! It''s even in the name!¡±


    ¡°That doesn''t matter!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°It''s not his room!¡±


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.¡°Well it is now!¡± declared Kianna as she glared at her sister ¡°And he just said we can''t argue about it so shut up!¡±


    Fiona went to speak but stopped short as she seemed to suddenly realize something.


    ¡°Hey, wait a second!¡± she exclaimed as she quickly turned to Anton ¡°How come we didn''t go back into that golem mode shit whenever you said that!?¡±


    ¡°...Golem mode? Oh, right! No, that only happens when I make an actual command¡± explained Anton ¡°So if both of you can behave yourselves and not force me to give you any more commands. Then I''ll never have to do that to you again¡±


    ¡°Oh really!¡± exclaimed Kianna as her eyebrows rose upwards to match her ears ¡°That''s cool! Cause that kinda sucked...¡±


    ¡°So wait... if you just say something!?¡± asked Fiona as she gave him a perplexed look ¡°We don''t actually have to listen to you!?¡±


    ¡°If I just ask you to do something or I make a request then no, you won''t necessarily have to. Your collars will recognize if I give you an order that I expect you to follow but even then it might be possible for you to disobey me if you try hard enough. You can not disobey a command though¡± explained Anton ¡°There are some binding curses that would lock your minds back and keep you in ¡°golem mode¡± at all times. But I purposely used curses that left your minds as unchained as possible¡±


    ¡°...And why would you do that!?¡± questioned Fiona as her eyes became probing ¡°That doesn''t make any sense!?¡±


    ¡°How does that not make any sense?¡± asked Anton ¡°Why in the world would I want you to be in ¡°golem mode¡± all the time?¡±


    ¡°Because then you could control us!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°Obviously!¡±


    ¡°Oh yes Fiona, because I''m clearly struggling for control right now!¡± mocked Anton ¡°Could you remind me again which one of us it was that woke up in a cage this morning!?¡±


    Kianna snickered as she quickly turned away and hid her face from her sister.


    Fiona''s irises began to glow with a faint but angry looking red light as she pointed her ears straight back and moved up to the side of the tub in front of Anton.


    ¡°You think you''re so fucking amazing! But I swear I''m going to make you pay for what you''ve done to me!¡± she threatened as she leaned across the edge of the tub and glared ¡°You won''t get away with this!¡±


    Anton grimaced as he noticed the knots and tangles from the clumps of porridge that were still stuck in her hair.


    ¡°Right... Well, apparently anything is possible...¡± he said absently ¡°For the moment however I think we can set this conversation aside and actually get you two cleaned up¡±


    ¡°...Huh?¡± questioned Fiona as she pulled back in confusion.


    ¡°Clean!¡± said Anton as he raised his eyebrows at her ¡°The actual reason you''re even in the tub¡±


    ¡°Are you going to make the water soapy?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°Well, yes? I guess so?¡± said Anton as both he and Fiona looked at her questioningly.


    Kianna looked back and forth between them before quickly ducking her mouth below the waterline.


    ¡°Oh for Gods sake''s Kianna!¡± exclaimed Anton ¡°Will you stop drinking that water! Its filthy!¡±


    ¡°What is wrong with you!? That''s so disgusting!¡± cried Fiona ¡°Your ass is in that water!¡±


    Kianna laid her ears back submissively and hunkered down as they both berated her.


    ¡°I''m sorry!¡± she whined pitifully as her face scrunched up in sorrow ¡°But I''m still really thirsty!¡±


    ¡°Ah, fine, I''ll be back in a moment¡± sighed Anton as he rose out of his chair ¡°Stay in the tub. Both of you. I don''t want you slipping on the tile while I''m gone¡±


    ¡°That wasn''t a command!¡± declared Fiona as she smiled wickedly ¡°I don''t have to listen to that!¡±


    Anton''s face remained unchanged as he twisted at the waist and turned towards her. Without a word he raised his right hand and showed her that his fingers were poised to snap.


    ¡°Whoa! No don''t!¡± cried Fiona as she panicked and grabbed hold of the side of the tub ¡°Okay! Okay! I''ll stay in the tub!¡±


    ¡°Such a good girl!¡± mocked Anton as he and Kianna shared a knowing smirk.


    ¡°Argh! I hate you so much!¡± whimpered Fiona as she pressed her face against the tops of her hands as they still gripped the edge of the tub.


    ¡°And that, is exactly why I find you so entertaining Fiona!¡± said Anton as he turned away from them and made his way out the door.


    Kianna kept the smirk on her face as she watched him disappear. When he was gone she settled back with a gentle sigh.


    ¡°I hope your fucking happy Kianna!¡± growled Fiona as she kept her eyes hidden against the tops of her hands ¡°I hope his dick is so fucking worth it for you!¡±


    Kianna slowly ran her fingertip in a circle around her blood gem as she narrowed her eyes at her sister.


    ¡°What''s your problem now!?¡± she mumbled as she turned back towards the doorway.


    Fiona raised her head and stared wide eyed at her sister''s disinterested expression.


    ¡°...What''s my problem!? Can you not see this!?¡± snarled Fiona as she pointed to her collar ¡°I have a mind controlling blood rock strapped around my fucking neck! My entire life has just been ripped away from me by a psychopath who fucking experimented on me and made it so that now I''m going to be the laughingstock of my entire species! And I can''t even run away from all this shit because if I do I could end up in prison! Where I''ll literally be eaten alive! And then on top of all that! I have to deal with the fact that my own sister is apparently going straight gaga for the very bastard that did this to me! This, has been, the worst! Day of my entire life! And you wanna know what my problem is!? ...Are you serious!?¡±


    Kianna was silent for a moment before she slowly shifted her eyes back to her sister.


    ¡°You did all this to yourself Fiona¡± she declared quietly ¡°You need to accept that and be thankful!¡±


    ¡°...Thankful!?¡± growled Fiona as her eyes went wide with rage ¡°Did you really just say thankful!?¡±


    ¡°Yes, thankful!¡± exclaimed Kianna ¡°You know things could be a lot worse than this! Especially for you and your precious little virgin pussy!¡±


    Fiona narrowed her eyes into an angry glare as she pointed her ears straight back behind her head.


    ¡°I am not a virgin you little bitch!¡± she growled softly through her clenched teeth ¡°Just cause I don''t take dick like you doesn''t mean shit! I''m far from a fucking virgin! And you with your slutty little tongue knows that better than anyone! Don''t you!?¡±


    Kianna became her sister''s almost mirror image as she took on her own aggressive stance by pointing her ears straight back behind her head and glared right back at her.


    As Anton came back into the room he stopped short at the sight of the two clearly angry looking dark elves.


    ¡°...Am I interrupting something?¡± he asked as he leaned against the door frame and shifted his gaze from one dark elf to the other. He held two plastic bottles of water in his left hand and rested these against his right bicep as he crossed his arms over his chest.


    The dark elves were both silent for a moment until Fiona looked away from her sister.


    ¡°Yes!¡± she grumbled as she scrunched up her face into a scowl ¡°My life!¡±


    ¡°Oh come now, Fiona!¡± mocked Anton as he smirked at her ¡°We both know you''re the one who started that little trend! All I''m doing is returning the favor!¡±


    ¡°Fuck you!¡± growled Fiona as she turned her glare on him.


    Anton''s smirk melted away as he took on a stern look.


    ¡°Alright Fiona. I think I''ve been tolerating your poor choice in words for long enough¡± he said as he came further into the room and stood in front of the scowling dark elf ¡°I don''t care how justified you think you are. From now on you are going to stop cussing at me like that¡±


    ¡°Or what!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as she glared up at him ¡°You gonna gag me again!?¡±


    ¡°No, that won''t be necessary¡± said Anton as he shook his head ¡°You''re an adult Fiona. And you understand that this behavior is childish, so I expect you to stop doing it. And if you don''t, then I''m going to wash your mouth out with soap¡±


    ¡°Pfft! Yeah right!¡± laughed Fiona as she continued to glare ¡°Like you''d really try that!¡±


    Anton''s face remained completely stoic as he stared down at her.


    Blinking in uncertainty, Fiona''s scowl softened as she lowered her ears a bit.


    ¡°...W-wait¡± she stammered as she eased away from him ¡°You''ve gotta be joking!?¡±


    ¡°If you''re going to act like a child¡± said Anton as he bent forward and loomed over her ¡°Then I''m going to treat you like one¡±


    Staring straight upwards at him now, Fiona lowered her ears completely and hunched in on herself as her confidence faltered even further.


    ¡°Am I clear?¡± asked Anton ¡°Or do I need to prove to you that I''m serious?¡±


    Fiona''s eyes quickly darted from Anton to her sister and back as she continued to ease herself away from him.


    ¡°No!¡± she mumbled quietly as she looked away from them both ¡°You don''t!¡±


    ¡°Good¡± said Anton as he turned to Kianna ¡°Now, why are you two fighting?¡±


    ¡°We''re not really fighting¡± said Kianna as she looked from him to her sister ¡°She''s just, frustrated¡±


    ¡°Hm, well that''s understandable¡± said Anton as he lightly shrugged ¡°It''s not like she doesn''t have good reasons to be upset¡±


    Fiona grimaced in frustration and shifted her eyes to Anton before looking down into the bathwater.


    ¡°Anyways, here¡± said Anton as he handed Kianna a bottle of water.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± cried the dark elf as she gleefully snatched the offered bottle.


    ¡°Mm hm, drink it slowly¡± nodded Anton as he tightened his eyes at her ¡°And don''t you dare try to put any of the bath water in it!¡±


    ¡°Wha? Oh c''mon! Will you stop that! I don''t actually want to drink the bath water!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she twisted open the bottles cap ¡°It''s just all I had!¡±


    ¡°Well now its not¡± grinned Anton as he looked at Fiona and waved the bottle of water at her.


    The dark elf stared at the bottle for a moment before reaching out to it.


    Anton tilted the bottle back towards himself.


    ¡°What do you say?¡± he asked.


    Fiona clenched her jaw and scowled down at the water.


    ¡°Can I have a drink, please!¡± she all but growled ¡°...Master!¡±


    ¡°Of course¡± said Anton as he tilted the bottle back towards her.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± grumbled Fiona as she snatched the bottle and quickly clutched it to herself.


    ¡°You''re going to be such a fun slave Fiona!¡± said Anton as he smiled at the fuming dark elf.


    Kianna''s grin faded away as she lowered her ears and began to pout.


    ¡°What about me!?¡± she whined as she sidled up to the edge of the tub next to Anton and looked up at him with pleading eyes ¡°I''m gonna be fun too! Right!?¡±


    ¡°Oh now don''t get jealous Kianna!¡± smiled Anton as he bent down and tapped her on the nose ¡°You already know you''re my little dark elf!¡±


    ¡°...Oh yeah!¡± chirped Kianna as she playfully laid her head down and hid her face ¡°I am!¡±


    ¡°Aw!¡± laughed Anton as he placed his hand on top of her head ¡°My little dark elf is just so cute!¡±


    Kianna flattened her ears back submissively and began to make happy little murmuring sounds as Anton rubbed her head and ruffled her hair.


    ¡°Oh for the love of the Gods Kianna! Will you cut that cutesie crap out already! Look at you! I can''t even tell if you''re a dark elf anymore!¡± growled Fiona ¡°I swear you''re even worst than Molly! ¡°Oh my Master! I love you so much! I''ll be the bestest little slave girl ever! Let me hide my ears and lay at your feet!¡± Fuck! You''ve been his slave for barely five minutes and you''re already acting like his little pet!¡±


    ¡°And there''s absolutely nothing wrong with that!¡± said Anton as he continued to rub Kianna''s head ¡°If she''s enjoying herself and having fun then who cares what she''s acting like¡±


    ¡°Yeah! And I am having fun!¡± cried Kianna as she turned to her sister and stuck out her tongue.


    ¡°Ugh, I hate you both!¡± mumbled Fiona as she took a swig out of her water bottle and immediately began to choke as the water went down the wrong tube.


    Anton slowly shook his head as he looked down at her.


    ¡°You really can''t do anything right, can you?¡± he asked as his expression became tired looking.


    ¡°Shut, up!¡± cried Fiona between spats of coughing.


    ¡°Kianna, I''m gonna need you to please keep an eye on your sister from now on¡± said Anton as he watched Fiona get her coughing under control ¡°I''m starting to worry that when nobodies watching her she might swallow her own tongue and accidentally choke herself to death¡±


    ¡°Okay Master!¡± cried Kianna as she made a show of intently looking at Fiona ¡°I''ll watch her for you!¡±


    ¡°Thank you¡± said Anton as he gave her a pat on her head.


    ¡°I''m not gonna swallow my tongue!¡± snarled Fiona.


    ¡°I wish I could believe you Fiona¡± said Anton in a sad tone as he slowly shook his head ¡°I really do...¡±


    ¡°I hate you! So much!¡± snarled Fiona before she angrily narrowed her eyes at her sister who was still intently staring at her.


    ¡°Yes, I know, you''ve mentioned that before...¡± mumbled Anton as he absently turned away from her and began to search the room with his eyes ¡°Quite a few times now actually...¡±


    ¡°Will you stop it Kianna!¡± demanded Fiona as she pointed her ears straight back and flicked a bit of water at her.


    ¡°I can''t!¡± smiled Kianna as she leaned away from the tiny splash ¡°I have to obey my Masters commands!¡±


    ¡°Oh fuck you!¡± groaned Fiona as she turned away from her and shook her head in frustration.


    Chuckling, Anton glanced at the empty towel rack that Fiona had been hanging on to before moving over to the counter area where he began to absently open one empty cabinet after another.


    ¡°Do you not keep towels in here?¡± he asked as he turned back to the now watching sisters.


    Both of the dark elves shook their heads.


    ¡°We''re never in here, so there''s no point really¡± answered Kianna.


    ¡°Hm, I see¡± mused Anton as he turned towards the door ¡°Well I''ll be right back then¡±


    He stopped mid-stride through the doorway and turned back to the dark elves.


    ¡°Kianna can you go ahead and start draining the water please¡± he said as he stood midway out of the room ¡°Just leave about 6 inches or so¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± cried Kianna as she moved towards the tubs faucet and lifted a metal lever that opened the tubs drain.


    ¡°Thank you¡± said Anton as he fully left the room.


    Kianna stayed near the faucet as she waited on the quickly draining water. Within less than half of a minute it had reached the required depth and after re-closing the drain she quickly slid across the tub and sat back down next to her sister. Alone now, the dark elves waited in silence as they continued to take sips out of their water bottles. It wasn''t long before the now shallow bath water lost its warmth, and this combined with drinking cold water had a quick chilling effect on the both of them. Without acknowledging anything verbally they sidled up close to each other and began to lightly huddle together.


    ¡°What''s taking him so long!¡± grumbled Fiona as she narrowed her eyes at the doorway.


    Kianna remained silent as she pressed her shoulder against her sister''s. While taking a sip from her water bottle she glanced downwards and noticed that Fiona''s nipples had begun to harden from the chill.


    Grinning devilishly she glanced up to be sure she was still focused on the doorway before leaning over and lightly flicking the tip of the closest nipple.


    Fiona jumped and immediately covered her breast with both hands. Nearly dropping her water bottle in the process she turned to a still grinning Kianna.


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing!?¡± she growled as she pointed her ears straight upwards.


    ¡°Nothin!¡± mumbled Kianna as she playfully lowered her ears and leaned away.


    Narrowing her eyes, Fiona twisted her body around to face Kianna completely.


    ¡°Knock it off!¡± she she grumbled as she hastily moved to set her water bottle down on the edge of the tub.


    Seizing her chance, Kianna quickly reached over and flicked at her sister''s other uncovered nipple before Fiona could cringe away.


    ¡°Dammit!¡± cried Fiona as she covered both her nipples and glared at her sister ¡°Stop it!¡±


    ¡°Oooo! Somebodies sensitive today!¡± teased Kianna as she pointed her ears straight upwards in excitement ¡°That''s good to know!¡±


    Fiona pursed her lips and continued to glare as she pointed her ears straight back.


    Still grinning, Kianna lifted her own water bottle and arched her spine as she leaned her head back and began to gulp down the last of her water. With her eyes closed and her back bent as heavily as it was, both her breasts and nipples stood out openly before her.


    Ignoring her suspicions of a possible trap, Fiona reached out with both hands and gleefully flicked at both of her sister''s nipples at the same time.


    Rather than reacting to the attack, Kianna instead made an obvious effort to ignore her sister as she continued to finish off her water. Frustrated by her attitude Fiona flicked her nipples again, striking them both much harder than she had before. She grinned wickedly as Kianna, despite her attempt to remain stoic, tensed up and made a tiny sound in the back of her throat.


    Fiona smirked as she waited for her sister''s response and was a little surprised when Kianna merely relaxed back into a sitting position before setting her empty bottle on the edge of the tub in front of herself. Her suspicions grew as Kianna took a deep breath, closed her eyes and blew the air out of her mouth as she dropped her legs down and sat cross-legged.


    Fiona''s eyes widened as without a word her sister began to lightly fondle her own breasts.


    Kianna began to breathe faster and faster through her nose as she steadily increased the tempo of her efforts against her own body. Feverishly tugging at her own nipples, she kept each of her hands fully filled with it''s own bulging globe of soft flesh as she lifted and mashed her breasts together before letting them fall to bounce back into place. With her eyes still closed tightly, the dark elf moved her hands up and down to a rhythm as she began to rock her whole body back and forth. Tilting her head even further back, she pressed her ears flat against her shoulders as she slowly slid one hand down her navel. She let her mouth drop open and lightly moaned when her probing fingers found their target. Her fingers were merciless as they slid between her outer folds, pulled back on her hood and gently swirled and mashed her clitoris in a soft frenzy. Her breathing increased to light gasps as she began to vigorously grind her hips back and forth. Spreading her legs out wide, she gave herself several quick but sharp smacks on her now engorged clitoris and hissed through her teeth as her other hand continued to twist and pull on one nipple and then the other. Leaning herself back ever so slightly, she dropped her other hand down to her slit and quickly slid her fingers into her already moistened sex. Curling her fingers back inside herself, she hunched forward with a moan as she dug deeper into her own body. Finding her spot, she stifled another moan by biting her lower lip. With both of her hands now moving wildly against their internal and external targets, she frantically drove herself closer and closer to a building climax.


    Fiona couldn''t help but to stare dumbfounded as she watched her sister drive herself over the edge.


    Kianna completely stiffened for a split second before she was racked with a small but intense orgasm that still caused her entire body to quiver with its release. Moaning through her clenched teeth, she twisted her head back as she rode a wave of ecstasy until its final dying crash. She laughed softly through another moan as she let her head loll limply to the side. Blinking drearily she grinned as she looked at her stunned sister.


    ¡°...Hey!¡± she mumbled as a maniacal smile spread across her face.


    ¡°What the fuck Kianna!?¡± questioned Fiona ¡°What in the Hell was that about!?¡±


    ¡°Mm! I was just thinking!¡± giggled Kianna as another shiver rocked her body ¡°About being a sex slave!¡±


    ¡°...Are, you really!?¡± questioned Fiona as she eased back from her sister ¡°Are you seriously getting off from that!?¡±


    Grinning demurely, Kianna began to chew on her lower lip as she dropped to all fours and moved to fully face her sister.


    ¡°K-Kianna!¡± stammered Fiona as her eyes darted from her sister to the doorway and back ¡°W-what are you doing!?¡±


    Heavily arching her back so that her rear end was held up high in the air behind her, Kianna crouched down low on her hands and knees and, still biting her lower lip, broadened her smile as her hips started to slowly, but alluringly, sway back and forth while her bright, ruby colored eyes began to smolder with a hungry desire.


    ¡°Mm, I don''t know!?¡± she cooed as she folded her ears down low and pointed their tips out and away from her head and body ¡°What do you want me to do!?¡±

 Chapter 15 : Past Noon

    Chapter 15 : Past Noon


    Fiona was merciless as she forced Kianna against the side of the tub and pressed her lips to her''s. Taking hold of Kianna''s arms by the wrists, she held them out and away at her sides. Resting on her knees, she straddled her legs on either side of Kianna''s as she pinned her sister in place.


    Kianna fought back playfully to urge her sister on but made no real move to resist. Arching herself forward she pressed herself into their kiss. Slipping her tongue down the length of her sister''s mouth she curled back the tip in an effort to taste her as deeply as possible.


    Breaking away, Fiona moved to roughly caress the side of Kianna''s neck with her lips as she made her way upwards towards her ear.


    ¡°Wait! No! Please!¡± breathed Kianna as she fought to catch her breath ¡°Anything but that! Please! Please don''t bite me!¡±


    ¡°Quiet! Slave!¡± whispered Fiona as she began to nibble the bottom of Kianna''s earlobe.


    Kianna moaned softly as she submissively pressed her ears against the back of her head. Biting her lower lip she pressed herself against her sister and began to rock back and forth as she mashed their breasts together.


    Fiona''s teeth were gentle but menacing as she bit down softly but firmly. While tugging back playfully on Kianna''s ear, she felt her sister begin to lightly fight back in earnest as she attempted to free her hands.


    ¡°If you fight, then I bite!¡± whispered Fiona as she ran her tongue down the length of Kianna''s ear. Curling her tongue at the end she took the tip of Kianna''s ear in her mouth and held it between her teeth.


    Kianna moaned again and shivered from both the sensation and the sense of helplessness.


    ¡°Please!¡± she begged as Fiona rolled the tip of her ear between her teeth ¡°Please, just let me make you feel good!¡±


    Kianna cringed back against the tub as Fiona released her ear and lifted her head back up to face her. Their lips meeting again, Fiona kissed her sister forcefully until pulling back and smiling down at her.


    ¡°Is the slave ready to please her Mistress!?¡± she breathed as she loomed above her panting sister.


    ¡°Yes! Please!¡± huffed Kianna as she let her tongue hang out of her mouth.


    Fiona released her sister''s wrists and planted her hands against the edge of the tub on either side of Kianna''s head. Raising herself up higher, Fiona arched her back and presented her breasts for Kianna''s attention.


    ¡°Please!¡± breathed Kianna as she stared at the heaving breasts and pointed her ears straight upwards in excitement.


    ¡°You can be allowed to touch...¡± whispered Fiona as she smiled down at her.


    Kianna wasted no time in taking hold of her sister''s breast''s with both her hands and caressing them together as she moved her mouth from one nipple to another.


    Fiona let her head fall back against her shoulders and pointed her ears straight back as she moaned through her smiling teeth.


    Kianna followed her sister''s breast''s up and down as they rose and fell with each of Fiona''s breaths.


    ¡°Oh Mistress!¡± she breathed as she moved her mouth from one nipple to another ¡°I love you!¡±


    ¡°I love you too my sweet!¡± said Fiona as she let her head fall forwards. Resting her own head against the top of Kianna''s she breathed in deeply taking the scent of her sister into her system and letting it intoxicate her.


    Kianna moaned in her throat as she couldn''t help but let one of her hands fall. Bringing her legs together she slipped her fingers into her tightly pressed folds until she found her clitoris. Her breathing increased until each breath came out as a desperate gasp as she now worked to please both herself and her sister.


    Fiona pressed her fingertip onto Kianna''s forehead and pushed her head back until she was forced to look up at her.


    ¡°I don''t remember giving the slave permission to please herself!¡± said Fiona as she lightly thumped her fingertip against Kianna''s brow.


    ¡°I''m, I''m so sorry Mistress!¡± whined Kianna as she lowered her ears down sorrowfully ¡°I, I can''t help it!¡±


    Fiona continued to forcefully press her finger down against Kianna until the meeker dark elf slid down the side of the tub and came to rest with her shoulders just below the waterline.


    ¡°Such a hungry little slave!¡± chastised Fiona as she lifted her finger away and loomed over her cowed sister ¡°You''ve just gave yourself pleasure but still you can''t stop yourself from wanting more!¡±


    Kianna whimpered as she quivered her ears, stretched her neck out and reached up towards her sister''s breasts with her tongue.


    ¡°If you can''t stop your fingers from moving... then I think I know a better place for them to be!¡± breathed Fiona as her voice took on a husky yet sultry tone ¡°Now, please me slave!¡±


    Fiona lowered her entire body downwards and came to rest with her chin sitting on the edge of the tub. She held Kianna in place by pressing her breasts against her face and forcing her head back against the side of the tubs inner wall.


    Moaning happily into Fiona''s bosom, Kianna she raised her free hand to her sister''s slit and eagerly slid her probing fingers inside her.


    ¡°...Oh, yeah!¡± breathed Fiona as her breath hissed in through her teeth ¡°Deeper, just a little... Right! Right there!¡±


    Kianna lost all sense of her own breathing as she bobbed her chin up and down and lapped away at the soft globes of warm flesh that now surrounded her face. Her tongue never ceased it''s movement as her hands frantically worked to find not only her own spot but now her sister''s as well. She took quick desperate gasps as the slender fingers of her hands dug deeper and deeper into each of the burning hot and quivering bodies that were now rocking back and forth as they lightly splashed in the shallow water.


    ¡°There! Right there! ...You!¡± groaned Fiona as she rolled her face to the side, rested her cheek against the edge of the tub and made as if she was biting the air itself ¡°...Faster! ...Do it! Faster!¡±


    Kianna redoubled her efforts at her sister''s prodding and having found her own spot as well she let herself get lost in the emotions and sensations of her new found place in life. Now in this moment she was pleasing her sister but soon she would work to please her new Master as well. Her heart began to beat faster at these thoughts and she gasped as the fires within her grew in their intensity.


    Above her Fiona stiffened as the muscles in her body tensed in anticipation of her upcoming climax. Holding herself back for only the briefest moments she moaned loudly as waves of ecstasy rolled through her and flooded her head with bliss.


    ¡°Don''t... stop!¡± she groaned as she rocked her hips to urge her sister on ¡°...More!¡±


    Kianna struggled to maintain her pace as her body began to edge closer and closer to it''s own release. Pressing her feet against the opposite side of the tub, she gripped the smooth surface with her toes as she tensed her muscles in an effort to hold herself back.


    Fiona left her cheek resting against the edge of the tub as she reached down to her own clitoris with her right hand. Her slightly pruned fingertips gave her an extra dose of sensation as she worked to stimulate herself. She couldn''t help but to start biting her lower lip as she tried to stifle her voice.


    Kianna used her sister''s breasts to muffle her own cries as she brought herself closer to the edge. Without even realizing it, she began to raise her hips upwards in a subconscious attempt to follow her own fingers as they furiously curled and uncurled inside her.


    The two elven women continued to rock and gyrate their bodies wildly until as one they both suddenly stiffened and began to quiver uncontrollably as they each let themselves reach their climaxes.


    Riding the waves of pleasure that ran throughout her body, Fiona curled herself backwards and held herself up against the edge of the tub with her left hand. Letting her head roll back against her shoulders she let out a silent scream as she was once again overtaken by bliss.


    Below her Kianna had arched her hips up high enough that they had completely left the shallow water and being able to hold herself taunt for only a moment, she collapsed back down as the wave of pleasure ran its course through her body. Going completely limp the now exhausted dark elf held her breath as she basked in the afterglow of her orgasm.


    Now completely spent, the two dark elves began to lightly pant together as they each sought to catch their breaths.


    Fiona let her bottom come to rest atop her sister''s outstretched legs as she brought her right hand up and planted it back on the edge of the tub next to her left. Resting her head in the gap between her outstretched arms she looked down at Kianna and smiled.


    ¡°Hey! Good job, slave!¡± she gasped between breaths ¡°Very, good job!¡±


    Kianna grinned back up at her before closing her eyes and letting her head flop to the side until her chin came to rest against her shoulder.


    ¡°Thank you! Mistress!¡± she mumbled between breaths.


    Fiona, following her sister''s example, closed her eyes and rested in place for a moment. After having caught her breath she raised her head and made to shimmy herself off of Kianna''s legs. She stopped short as she opened her eyes and caught sight of something in her peripheral vision. Turning, she immediately froze in place as her eyes widened and a heavy blush spread across her cheeks.


    Anton was grinning at her as he lounged in his chair with his hands folded behind his head and his legs crossed at the ankles. There was a stack of bath towels sitting on his lap, and two cotton bathrobes had been folded in half and were laying across the top of the towels. Sitting on the floor next to the chair, was a medium sized travel bag.


    ¡°Well now! This is a very pleasant surprise!¡± he said as he smiled at the clearly embarrassed dark elf.


    Without taking her eyes off of him, Fiona fell back into a sitting position and absently covered her breasts with her arms. With her back straight and her ears pointed straight upwards she went to speak but no words came out as she moved her mouth.


    A slight splashing sound signaled that Kianna was attempting to sit herself up. A half-moment later the top portion of her head came into view as it popped up over the edge of the tub. The cheeky dark elf had a happy grin on her face as she locked eyes with Anton.


    ¡°H-how long?¡± stammered Fiona as her ears drooped down behind her head.


    ¡°Oh, quite a while. Since before you were biting Kianna''s ear¡± answered Anton ¡°I have no idea how you didn''t notice me earlier. I was standing right next to you for at least 10 minutes before I even sat down. I said hello and everything!¡±


    ¡°Oh! Sorry! We didn''t see you! We were a little busy!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she raised her hand and began to lick at her fingers ¡°So! Do you want to join us now!?¡±


    Fiona''s face became scowling as she turned and glowered down at her sister.


    ¡°You! You little slut!¡± she snarled as she pointed her ears straight back behind her head ¡°You planned this for him! Didn''t you!?¡±


    Kianna''s eyes became mocking as she smiled and ran her tongue between her fingers.


    ¡°You taste really good today!¡± she teased as she smacked her lips ¡°Sweet, and a little sour! Kinda like a green apple!¡±


    ¡°I am going to kill you Kianna!¡± threatened Fiona as she curled her hands into clawed shapes and held them out in front of herself as if she were about to grab her sister by the throat and strangle her ¡°Do you have any idea what you''ve done!? Now he''s going to think we''re freaks you idiot!¡±


    ¡°Oh, there''s nothing to think about Fiona!¡± laughed Anton ¡°Incest is definitely going to lock that title in!¡±


    Fiona groaned angrily and curled in on herself as she covered her eyes with her hands.


    ¡°Why do you even care!?¡± asked Kianna as she cocked an eyebrow ¡°The twin sisters fucking each other thing was the plan from the start! That was how we were gonna lure him here anyway!¡±


    ¡°We were never really gonna do anything in front of him!¡± cried Fiona as she hunched down even lower ¡°Ah! Damn the Gods! This is the worst day of my life!¡±


    ¡°So, I''m going to guess that this isn''t the first time you two have discovered each other?¡± teased Anton.


    ¡°Oh, no no!¡± giggled Kianna as her ears twitched happily up and down ¡°We''ve been getting freaky for a good while now!¡±


    ¡°Shut up Kianna!¡± cried Fiona as she suddenly rose up to a standing position and glared down at her grinning sister ¡°What the fuck is wrong with you!?¡±


    ¡°Wow! Such naughty little dark elves!¡± teased Anton ¡°What am I gonna do with you two...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we''ve been really bad girls! So I guess you''ll just have to punish us now! Right!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as she playfully lowered her ears and began to chew on her lower lip.


    ¡°Well, that does seem appropriate. As you in particular have definitely been a bad girl Kianna! Tricking your poor sister like that! Shame on you!¡± chastised Anton as he grinned back at the mischievously happy looking dark elf ¡°I guess I have no choice! I''ll have to ground you for that! So no more sex at all for a whole week now!¡±


    Kianna''s face immediately went slack as her eyes widened.


    ¡°Huh! Well that serves you fucking right!¡± cried Fiona as she glared at her now panicked looking sister ¡°You stupid little slut!¡±


    ¡°No, no, no, wait! I didn''t mean it like that!¡± cried Kianna as she twisted her legs out from between Fiona''s and pulled herself up on the edge of the tub ¡°I''m sorry! I''m really sorry!¡±


    ¡°I''m not the one you need to be apologizing to!¡± teased Anton as he raised his eyebrows at her ¡°Fiona was the one who was embarrassed! So I think its only fair that she gets to decides if you should be punished or not!¡±


    Kianna''s face took on a sickly pale tone as she slowly looked up at her sister.


    Fiona was completely stoic as she stared back down at her.


    ¡°Um, I''m really so very sorry!¡± whined Kianna as she lowered her ears ¡°Please! I''m sorry! Please don''t do this to me!¡±


    Fiona shifted her jaw back and forth in a thoughtful manner as she continued to loom over her quivering sister.


    ¡°Please!¡± whimpered Kianna as tears began to take form in the corners of her eyes ¡°I''m sorry!¡±


    Fiona sighed loudly and shook her head in frustration.


    ¡°Fine! I don''t care!¡± she exclaimed ¡°She can still get fucked if she wants to!¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± cried Kianna as she wrapped her arms around her sister''s waist and squeezed her tightly ¡°Thank you! Thank you!¡±


    ¡°You owe me big now. You little bitch!¡± said Fiona as she folded her arms over her bosom ¡°Hope your ready to eat some cunt you little whore!¡±


    ¡°That''s fine! I''ll do anything! I don''t care!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she let herself slide down Fiona''s body until her arms were around her sister''s thighs and she could happily nuzzle her cheek against her hip.


    ¡°Aw! You two are so sweet with each other!¡± laughed Anton ¡°This is just so cute!¡±


    ¡°Is this why we''re entertaining!?¡± asked Kianna as she pointed her ears straight upwards.


    ¡°Oh this is exactly why!¡± exclaimed Anton ¡°You two are a perfect boredom killer! I''m not even kidding at all when I say this is exactly what I''ve been needing!¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡± groaned Fiona as she planted her forehead in her hand ¡°I hate you both!¡±


    ¡°We know!¡± cooed Kianna as she playfully lowered her ears, tightened her hold on Fiona''s thighs and repressed her face against her hip.


    Anton grinned at the mischievous look Kianna had in her eyes as she glanced back and gave him a playful smile as she held the tip of her tongue clamped between her teeth.


    Still fuming, Fiona stiffened in surprise as she felt Kianna begin to run her tongue up her inner thigh and then across her navel, before finally giving her pubic mound an open mouthed kiss. The annoyed dark elf remained frozen as she contemplated the next action, if any, that she wanted to take. As she mulled over her options her mind was suddenly rendered blank as her sister continued with her own plan.


    Kianna had dropped herself down as low as she could and was sitting with her legs bent and sprawled out at her sides. She unfolded her arms from around her sister''s thighs and had reached up and taken hold of the rounded cheeks of her butt. Each hand was tightly gripping onto one of Fiona''s soft mounds and this left Kianna''s head literally hanging between her sister''s hips.


    Fiona bit her lower lip as her sister preceded to slide her tongue in between her inner labia and covered the entire top half of her slit with her open mouth. She couldn''t help but make a soft sound in her throat as Kianna then began to playfully suck at the folds that hid her clitoris.


    Steeling herself, Fiona reached down and forcefully took hold of her sister''s hair before yanking her head back until she was forced to look up at her.


    ¡°What, the Hell! Are you doing!?¡± she growled through her teeth.


    Bright eyed and smiling playfully, Kianna left her tongue to hang out limply as she looked up at her sister''s angry expression.


    ¡°Wha!?¡± she asked around her hanging tongue ¡°Ou thad I haf too eet or unt!¡±


    Fiona went to speak but stopped short as Kianna gently squeezed her butt cheeks and tried to pull herself in closer to the waiting slit.


    Moving only her eyes, Fiona glanced at Anton and found him in the exact same position he had apparently been in this whole time.


    ¡°Oh don''t mind me!¡± he said around a broad grin ¡°I''m perfectly fine where I''m at! You do whatever you want and just pretend like I''m not even here!¡±


    Fiona tightened her eyes before looking back down at her sister.


    Kianna''s happy expression had not only failed to falter at all, but now she was even shifting her hanging tongue back and forth in a playfully inviting manner.


    Sighing through her nose in frustration Fiona tightened her hold on her sister''s hair and shoved her smiling face back in between her legs.


    Kianna wasted no time as she planted her mouth back over her sister''s slit and began to frantically search for her clitoris with her tongue.


    Fiona closed her eyes and let her head roll back against her shoulders as her sister found her target.


    Kianna was grinning gleefully as she felt her sister''s little nub come to life and grow in size. Pursing her lips, she did her best to make a seal around the clitoris as she sucked in and ran the tip of her tongue over the sensitive little organ. She giggled through a moan in her throat as she felt her sister''s body tense up and then begin in shiver in pleasure.


    Fiona bit her lower lip as she tried her best to keep herself from moaning. She vented a bit of her frustration by aggressively twisting the handful of Kianna''s hair that she still held and pressing her sister''s face deeper into her aching groin. With her free left hand she reached up to her chest and clumsily began to play with her breasts and nipples.


    Kianna readjusted her head to the new angle that Fiona was forcing her to work with and eagerly continued her efforts in the hopes of triggering even more responses from her sister''s body.


    Time itself ceased to exist for Fiona as she slowly let her frustrations slip away and released herself to the pleasurable sensations that were now running throughout her overly stimulated body. Bucking slightly at the hips she let go of Kianna''s hair and pushed her sister''s head down even further as a signal to what she wanted from her next.


    Kianna immediately obliged and tucking her chin in deep between her sister''s thighs, she slipped her tongue upwards and into the warm, moistened opening of Fiona waiting vagina.


    Fiona had already become quite wet by this point, and as Kianna slid her tongue inside her she was immediately assaulted by the same sweet, yet just slightly sour taste that she had happily licked away from her fingers. Kianna let out another soft, laughing moan as she felt the musculature surrounding Fiona''s vaginal walls become tense and then loosen up as it contracted over and over while the dark elf subconsciously worked to constrict herself as tightly as possible around her sister''s invading tongue.


    With both hands now free, Fiona was able to give each of her breasts equal attention and she wasted no time as she immediately caressed them in her hands and then roughly mashed, and molded them both together. She took hold of her nipples by lightly crushing them against the sides of her index fingers with her thumbs. Surprised by just how stimulated she actually was, she lost herself a bit and moaned softly as she rolled her hardened nipples between her thumbs and fingers.


    The two dark elves remained in these positions as they worked together to bring Fiona closer and closer to her next climax.


    As she began to slip towards the edge, Fiona was unable to maintain her stance and groaning in pleasure she hunched forward and lowered herself down on her bent legs before coming to rest on her bottom.


    Kianna followed her sister''s downwards path and tried in vain to keep her tongue inside her but was forced to retreat when Fiona''s body bent at too far of an angle for her head to stay in place.


    Panting through her open mouth, Fiona''s fatigue was made obvious by her ears as they hung limply out from the sides of her head. She slowly leaned herself backwards until she was able to rest her shoulders against the side of the tub. She never once took her hands away from her breasts as she continued in her efforts to keep herself as stimulated as possible. Her tortured looking eyes clearly showed her desperate need as she spread her still bent legs out wide in obvious invitation for Kianna to continue.


    Kianna''s legs were still sprawled out at her sides as she now sat with her body leaning forwards. Her palms were planted against the floor of the tub and her elbows were locked as she rested on her arms with her back at a sloped angled. Seeing the condition that her sister was now in, she tilted her head to the side and gave her a devilish looking smile.


    Fiona''s eyes immediately narrowed and she tried and failed to raise her ears back upright as a signal of her annoyance.


    ¡°...You know!¡± teased Kianna as she reached out and lightly ran her fingertip in a thin circle across Fiona''s pubic mound ¡°I could! Just leave you like this!¡±


    ¡°I...! Will...! Kill you!¡± panted Fiona between her labored breaths ¡°In...! Your sleep!¡±


    Giggling gleefully at her sister''s response, Kianna scooted herself forward and ran her splayed hands out across Fiona''s exposed inner thighs before taking hold of and gripping both of her legs tightly just before her knees. She then bent forward and lowered her face down between her sister''s spread legs.


    Kianna''s eyes became mocking as she let her tongue hang out and teasingly wiggled its tip just over her sister''s now soaking slit.


    ¡°Slave!¡± growled Fiona through her clenched teeth ¡°I swear! You better get back in there, right now!¡±


    Giggling again, Kianna slipped her tongue in between her sister''s lower lips and slid it down Fiona''s inner labia until she reached the opening of her vagina.


    Fiona visually relaxed and refocused on enjoying herself as Kianna''s tongue finally slid back inside her.


    Knowing that her Master was still watching, Kianna tucked her knees in further beneath her torso and raised her rear end up even higher in an effort to give him a better view of her bottom. She let the thoughts of him enjoying the sight of her body flood her mind as she worked to please her sister.


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.For his part, Anton was certainly appreciative of the gesture, as now his entire world was being dominated by the wonderful sight of a joyfully bouncing, elven butt.


    Fiona on the other hand had pushed everything else out of her mind as she let herself be overtaken by pleasure. Reaching down with her right hand, she dug into her labial folds until her fingertips found her clitoris. With her knuckles bumping against her sister''s face, she frantically swirled her fingers about as she played with her engorged little nub. Feeling herself reaching her peak, the dark elf began to moan in her throat and raise her hips in a rocking motion as she urged her sister to increase her pace.


    Sensing Fiona''s coming climax, Kianna dug deeper with her probing tongue until she suddenly felt her sister''s body go rigid and become stiff.


    Every muscle in Fiona''s lower body had become so tightly tensed that as one they began to spasm as she was rocked by the most intense orgasm she had experienced so far that day. Losing all sense of control the overly stimulated dark elf began to moan loudly as she rode the waves of pleasure that ran throughout her entire body. She suddenly went silent and ceased to even breathe as all conscious thought was completely washed out of her mind and her head was filled with a surge of ecstasy that left her floating in nothing but a blissful white void.


    Kianna''s eyes had gone wide in amusement as she watched her sister''s quivering body spasm uncontrollably, become completely still and then finally collapse in on itself.


    The poor exhausted dark elf had gone completely limp as she laid slumped against the side of the tub. Keeping her eyes tightly shut, she began to take quick shallow breaths in an effort to recover from the intensity of her release.


    ¡°...Damn!¡± mumbled Kianna as she returned to her leaning position and rested on her outstretched arms ¡°That looked like a good one!¡±


    Fiona didn''t respond beyond lifting her hands away from where they still grasped at her breast and clitoris and letting her arms fall limp at her sides.


    ¡°Hm, you know she actually looks kinda cute like that¡± smiled Anton ¡°She kind of reminds me of a sleepy Hyena!¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± laughed Kianna as she smiled at him and quickly turned back to her sister ¡°She''s normally a total bitch! But she can be so sweet when she''s all spent up and tuckered out!¡±


    Fiona''s mouth tightened into a very slight grimace that disappeared almost immediately as she seemed to start dozing.


    ¡°...Hm?¡± mumbled Anton as he thoughtfully cocked an eyebrow.


    After watching the dark elf remain motionless for a few moments, he rose from his seat and moved towards the tub. Lowering himself down on his haunches he leaned over the side of the tub and took hold of Fiona''s head by cradling his right hand under her chin.


    Fiona blinked in surprise and immediately looked up at him. She narrowed her eyes in annoyance but offered no resistance as Anton gently twisted her head to the side and made her face him directly.


    Anton held her still for a moment as he tilted his head one way and then the other as he looked over her face. Fiona''s eyes were unfriendly as they followed his movements but she made no effort to escape his hold or bite at his hand. Taking things a bit further, Anton raised his left hand and pressed his fingertip against the top edge of Fiona''s eye. The startled dark elf blinked and closed her eyes in response and Anton quickly slid his fingertip down over her closed eyelid and held her eyelid shut by pressing down against its bottom edge.


    Fiona''s face scrunched up in annoyance as she clamped both of her eyes shut. A moment later she opened her still free eyelid and after blinking a few times looked up at Anton. Her single open eye was questioning and showed her discomfort clearly. Despite her obvious misgivings she still made no move to resist nor did she speak out.


    ¡°...Well, somebodies in a compliant mood all of a sudden!¡± grinned Anton as he released her eyelid.


    Fiona blinked several times and went to glare at Anton but her effort instead turned into a tired look and she merely stared at him as she continued to let her chin rest in his hand.


    ¡°...This might be good time to get your health check out of the way¡± mused Anton as he continued to look over the seemingly surrendered dark elf ¡°Really should get you cleaned up first though...¡±


    ¡°Health check?¡± asked Kianna as she tilted her head and cocked one of her ears in a curious manner.


    ¡°Mm hm, its just a simple little go over¡± explained Anton ¡°Basic measurements, height and weight kind of stuff. And then a quick overlook to make sure there isn''t anything obviously wrong with you¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay¡± said Kianna as she looked back at her sister ¡°That doesn''t sound so bad¡±


    ¡°It''s not. It''s basically just for my own documentation¡± said Anton as he tilted Fiona''s chin up higher and smiled as he looked her in the eyes ¡°Since you are slaves now you do have to be documented after all!¡±


    Suddenly aware of the grip he had on her chin, Fiona''s eyes tightened into a glare as she again tried and failed to point her ears straight back behind her head.


    ¡°...Yeah, I guess that makes sense¡± nodded Kianna ¡°So do we have to go see a doctor for this?¡±


    ¡°No, not at first. You will after you''ve been fully registered though, and then again each year after that¡± said Anton as he released Fiona''s chin and stood up ¡°That''s a Terran based law to make sure you aren''t being abused or neglected in any legitimate way¡±


    The dark elves glanced at each other before turning back to Anton and watching him as he picked up the travel bag and set it on the vanities counter-top next to the sink.


    Glancing back at the dark elves, Anton found them both staring intently at the bag.


    ¡°Kianna¡± he said as he turned his head fully towards her.


    The dark elf stiffened and immediately turned to face him.


    ¡°Yes Master!?¡± she cried cheerfully as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards.


    ¡°I think the amount of elven fluids in that water is a bit too high for you two to be bathing in it now¡± teased Anton as he grinned at her ¡°So why don''t you go ahead and just drain the rest of it¡±


    Kianna glanced at her sister and grimaced as she looked down at the water they were both sitting in.


    ¡°Oh! Ew!¡± she cried as she registered the faint tint to the water around her ¡°Yeah, I think you''re right!¡±


    Anton chuckled as Kianna quickly scooted herself across the tub and lifting the metal stopper, opened the drain.


    As the last of the water emptied out of the tub, Anton turned back to the bag and unzipped one of it''s side compartments.


    ¡°Do you two think you could manage to stay standing long enough to take a shower?¡± he asked as he began to rummage through the items in the compartment ¡°Or would you rather just bath in the tub?¡±


    The dark elves both glanced across the room to the large tiled shower before turning back to each other.


    ¡°We should be fine¡± said Kianna with a shrug ¡°Showers probably gonna be easier anyway¡±


    ¡°Mm, alright then¡± said Anton as he began to pull several plastic bottles out of the bag ¡°Well be careful in there, and just sit down if you feel like you need to. We have all day now. So there''s no reason for you to fall over because you got tired and tried to power through it¡±


    The dark elves watched with interest as Anton set bottles labeled ¡°body wash¡±, ¡°shampoo¡± and ¡°conditioner¡±, as well as several cotton washcloths out on the counter-top.


    ¡°We have our own shampoos already¡± muttered Fiona as she looked over the blue, green and white bottles.


    ¡°And you''re free to use them whenever you''re bathing normally¡± said Anton ¡°These ones here are not simple store bought items. They''re specialized recovery formulas made with enchanted ingredients that will help to revitalize your systems¡±


    ¡°Really!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as she peered at the green bottle ¡°Did you have to special order these!?¡±


    ¡°No, these were actually a gift from a friend. They''re meant to help you recover from light injuries and intense fatigue. Like what you would experience after an extreme session of exercise or even a battle. But they can also be used as part of the aftercare on slaves that have just gone through a particularly tough bondage session, as well as new ones that have just been acquired¡± explained Anton ¡°And you two technically qualify for both of those conditions. So I figured we might as well give them a go and see how well they work¡±


    ¡°...These aren''t going to melt our minds or anything like that!?¡± asked Fiona as she looked over the bottles with a renewed suspicion ¡°Are they!?¡±


    ¡°Do you mean that literally or metaphorically?¡± asked Anton as he turned to her ¡°Because if metaphorically then yes, at least from what I understand. Supposedly getting washed with these is a very blissful experience¡±


    ¡°You''ve never tried them?¡± asked Kianna as she rose up and stepped out of the tub.


    ¡°I have¡± said Anton ¡°But these particular formulas were apparently designed specifically to benefit females. So I didn''t have the same experience with them that you supposedly will¡±


    ¡°Oooo, sounds exciting!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she leaned over the side of the tub to help her sister up.


    ¡°I think you mean it sounds sketchy!¡± muttered Fiona as she reluctantly took her sister''s offered hand and got to her feet before stepping over the side of the tub.


    ¡°I''m actually pretty interested to see what kind of effect, if any, these are gonna have on you two¡± said Anton as he picked up the semi-transparent bottle of body wash and examined it''s contents by tilting it back and forth ¡°Especially on you Fiona¡±


    ¡°Me!?¡± exclaimed the dark elf as she came to a stand next to her sister and turned to face him while pointing her ears straight upwards ¡°Why me!?¡±


    ¡°Because you''re a lesbian¡± explained Anton as he set the bottle down and picked up the conditioner ¡°I''m wondering if that''ll make any difference with how these work?¡±


    ¡°...Why would it!?¡± asked Fiona as she glared at the bottle in his hand ¡°What does that have to do with anything!?¡±


    ¡°Well these didn''t do anything at all for me since I''m a male in both body and mind¡± explained Anton ¡°I wasn''t sure how you were configured though, so I''m curious to see how they''ll work with you¡±


    ¡°...What the Hell are you talking about!?¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°What do you mean by ¡°configured¡±!? What does that mean!?¡±


    ¡°...Do you identify as a male at all?¡± asked Anton with a sigh ¡°Or are you completely female through and through?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that''s what you mean!¡± said Fiona as she crossed her arms over her chest ¡°Well not that it''s any of your business! ...But I''m female, and I''ve never seen myself as a male¡±


    ¡°Hm, okay then¡± nodded Anton as he picked up the shampoo ¡°Then I''m guessing these should work the same way with both of you. We''ll find out soon enough though¡±


    Turning to the now standing dark elves, Anton handed the shampoo and conditioner to Kianna before giving Fiona the body wash and washcloths.


    Kianna immediately popped open the cap of the shampoo and began to sniff it as she and her sister made their way across the bathroom to the large tiled shower that was built into the far wall.


    ¡°How is it?¡± asked Fiona as she pulled open the clear glass, swinging door of the shower and let her still sniffing sister enter before her.


    ¡°Kinda woody, with a little bit of... vanilla? Maybe?¡± said Kianna as she scrunched up her face in thought ¡°It''s not bad! But I don''t think I''d ever use it over my own stuff¡±


    ¡°Doesn''t smell poisonous though!?¡± mumbled Fiona as she pulled the door shut and went to set the bottle and washcloths down on a small shelf built into the wall ¡°I don''t know if I even wanna risk that shit to be honest!¡±


    ¡°No, it smells okay. I don''t think there''s anything wrong with it¡± said Kianna as she set her bottles down next to her sister''s ¡°I can try it first though, if you want¡±


    ¡°No, it''s cool¡± mumbled Fiona as she stood off to the side and turned on the overhead faucet ¡°I''m sure it''s fine...¡±


    At five feet wide and ten feet long, the extra large shower was built to be overly spacious inside. It was designed with built in seating and multiple faucets at both ends, as well as a large rainmaker style faucet in the ceiling at it''s center. This faucet was more than large enough for two people to stand beneath it at the same time. The showers entire surface was covered in a very light tan-colored tile with a slightly darker grout. And all of it''s fixtures were colored black.


    Fiona held her hand out and felt the falling water as she waited for it to reach the desired warmth. As soon as it did, she and her sister both stepped into the downpour-like shower and immediately began to run their fingers through their hair in an effort to soak themselves as much as possible.


    Anton watched the dark elves for a few moments before turning back to the travel bag and opening a thin compartment that ran along it''s length. From this compartment he pulled out a leather-bound tablet computer and turned it right side up in his hands. By flipping the flapped protective cover open and folding it around the back of the device, he was able to make a slanted stand for the computer to rest upright against. Setting the tablet up on the counter-top, he switched it on and left it to boot up.


    Checking to be sure that they were both still standing, Anton glanced over to the dark elves and found that they had both moved out from beneath the falling water and were now standing at the shelf they had set everything up on. As he watched, Kianna squirted a heavy dab of the cream colored shampoo into her sister''s hands before giving herself her own generous glob. Fiona eyed the shampoo suspiciously as she gave it a sniff. Glancing up at her sister she watched her for several moments as she lathered her glob into her hair. Satisfied that the shampoo was at least not going to immediately kill her, the unhappy looking dark elf grudgingly followed her sister''s lead.


    ¡°Hm, well that''s interesting...¡± mused Anton to himself as he noticed that the two dark elves had both moved their ears out of the way of their working hands by folding them down and pointing them out and away from their heads ¡°...I wonder if they won''t touch them either?¡±


    Taking advantage of the fact that Fiona had her eyes closed and was now preoccupied with her hair, Kianna ducked her head down a bit and took the opportunity to get a closer look at her sister''s collar. She was only able to gaze at it for a moment though before being caught in the act. Smiling sheepishly the discovered dark elf leaned herself back as she was berated by her incensed sister. Although he couldn''t hear what was being said over the sound of the shower, Anton still grinned at the spectacle.


    Once fully lathered the dark elves left the shampoo to sit for a moment as they each took a washcloth, added a dab of the body wash to it, and began to scrub themselves clean.


    While downloading, and then setting up a registry file for each of the dark elves on the tablet, Anton kept a glancing eye on them as they each meticulously cleaned their own limbs and torsos and then helped each other with their backs. Once they were both completely covered in suds they moved back under the overhead faucet and into the falling water, where they began to rinse themselves off.


    While watching them, Anton had taken note that indeed neither one of the dark elves had given their ears any attention at all, and had instead made obvious attempts to avoid even touching them.


    ¡°Sensitive little elves¡± he muttered to himself as he watched the dark elves step back out from under the water and make their way back to the shelf and the bottle of conditioner that was waiting there ¡°We will need to address that...¡±


    The dark elves seemed to have fallen into a much more relaxed state as they stood at the shelf and appeared to casually chitchat with each other over the bottle of conditioner that Fiona was now holding. Kianna held out her hand and when given a dollop of the pink colored conditioner she bent forward at the neck and gave it a few sniffs before offering her hand and letting Fiona to do the same. They resumed their discussion for a moment before shrugging at each other and continuing with their shower. Once they had both covered their heads in the pink lather, they moved back under the falling water and began to rinse off for the last time. Now that they were essentially finished, the dark elves took their time with this last rinse and let themselves enjoy the warm water for a bit longer than they had before.


    Having finished with his own task, Anton glanced back at the dark elves and did a double take as Fiona stepped out from under the water.


    The dark elf was facing away from Anton and was running the fingers of both of her hands through her hair as she moved away from the falling water. Standing tall, she stretched her arms straight upwards above her head and began to shift her shoulders back and forth as she worked the last of the kinks out of her body. Making her way to the valve that controlled the overhead faucet, she turned back to face her sister and planted her left hand on her hip while raising her right upwards and letting it rest on the handle of the valve.


    Anton couldn''t help but to be struck by her appearance. With a single look it was undeniably clear that the rejuvenate properties of the body wash, shampoo and conditioner were far more than hearsay as they had indeed had quite an effect on her.


    The dark elf had certainly become clean, as indicated by the shimmering light that was being constantly reflected off of both her smooth, glistening skin and her crisp, flawlessly pure white hair, whenever she happen to move in any way. And not only was she clean but she had obviously been completely restored as well, as told by the deep, rich tone that her skin had now taken and the cleared, brightened intensity of her ruby red eyes. And even while merely standing poised with a slight slant, it was still easy to see that her strength had also been fully returned to her. As the lean musculature of her slender body, while remaining soft and supple in appearance, now belied a sense of power to each of her movements.


    It didn''t seem as though Fiona had simply been returned to a normal state however. As not only did her body appear to be at an improved point from where she had been even before her days of bondage, but her spirit and demeanor did as well. Looking at her now it almost seemed as though the very essence of her entire being had somehow been given an unnatural boost. Minute details of her features suddenly stood out far more clearly than they had before, such as the strong angles of her facial structure, the smooth curvature of her large eyes and the blatant sharpness of her long, pointed ears as they stood in contrast to the whiteness of her hair.


    As Anton observed her he couldn''t help but to feel a pang of hesitation. As although the dark elf was only standing casually, and there was no sign of any aggression in her eyes, caution still felt required now as a new sense of capability seemed to emanate from her.


    Thus far Fiona had only shown fleeting points of discomfort with her nakedness, as she and her sister both appeared to take little issue with a lack of modesty. This had not necessarily translated to a high degree of self-confidence though, as this demeanor seemed to instead stem from a place of indifference. Now however, a nearly visible cloud of boldness hung in the air around the dark elf as she stood with her body on full display and poised completely nude, save for her collar. And rather than take away from her appearance, this collar instead added a sense of controlled danger to the creature whose neck it now encircled. Like a chained doberman, Fiona now seemed to be held in check by only the thinnest of margins. And seeing her as she was now, standing tall with the presence of a resting predator, it was all too easy to believe that this woman could indeed, be capable of murder.


    At some unseen signal, Fiona began to turn the handle of the valve and shut off the water. As the downpour began to shrink in size, Kianna stepped out of it and leisurely made her way towards her sister. As she moved, she ran her hands through her hair in an effort to wring out the majority of the water that clung to her.


    Like Fiona, Kianna had not only been both cleaned and restored, but her presence had also been given an amplification as well. Unlike her sister however, who had taken on a new level of intensity, Kianna instead carried herself with a far more subdued, though no less real, sense of self-assurance that clearly signaled that a level of capability now lay hidden just beneath the surface.


    Where Fiona''s essence implied a sense of danger, Kianna now gave the impression of control. Standing with the fearless confidence of old nobility, it would be easy to believe that with a single calm word she could now gain the attention of all those around her. Like her sister, the collar around her neck did not conflict with her appearance in any negative way. And instead added a sense of regality to her soft, radiant beauty.


    As Kianna approached her sister the two dark elves began to have a muffled but relaxed sounding conversation.


    Though standing in contrast to each other demeanor-wise, anatomically speaking, it was still quite apparent that these two dark elves shared in their genetics. Their elegant and exotic beauty as well as their overtly feminine sexual appeal was undeniable. And was being made all the more pronounced by the subliminal undercurrent of warning that now seemed to emanate from their very beings.


    With both hands now resting on her hips, Fiona stood in profile with her elbows angled out behind her and her supple breasts on full display. This haughty stance perfectly showcased her thin waist as well as the deep curves that existed at the small of her back, just before the roundness of her bottom took shape beneath it.


    Kianna stood at a more casual stance with her hips gently tilting to the side in such a way that her sex was left fully visible. Her large breasts were currently being both framed and lifted upwards as she held her arms folded beneath them and across her middle.


    Though the two dark elves were nearly identical in appearance, their radiating personalities made it more than simple enough to still discern them as individuals.


    Anton slowly shifted his gaze back and forth as he assessed the twin sisters.


    Though magic-less and ignorant of their own culture, there was no question that Fiona and Kianna were both still prime examples of their species. Enslaved or not, they were dark elves, real dark elves. And looking at them as they were now destroyed any doubt that they could not be just as capable, and as potentially dangerous, as their ¡°wild¡± kin could so easily be.


    Anton couldn''t help but to grin as the dark elves shifted their eyes in unison and stared directly at him.


    ¡°...God''s alive!¡± he whispered softly as his grin grew into a broad smile ¡°Beautiful! Just, beautiful!¡±

 Chapter 16 : Past Noon

    Chapter 16 : Past Noon


    Fiona''s face showed her irritation clearly as she stood in the center of the room and watched her sister dry herself off. After leaving the shower, both her body and hair had been toweled dry and she was made to stand with her legs slightly spread on a rectangle shaped bathmat.


    Kianna was humming quietly to herself as she continued to absently dry her body with one of the white cotton bath towels that Anton had brought back with him. Once she was satisfied with her level of dryness, she wrapped the towel around behind her back and shimmied it up under her arms before folding it over her chest and tucking it into itself to tie it off.


    ¡°Why does she get to keep her towel and I don''t!¡± growled Fiona as she narrowed her eyes and pointed her ears straight back behind her head.


    ¡°Because she isn''t about to be given an examination, and you are¡± answered Anton as he glanced up at the mirror in order to view the dark elves standing behind him ¡°Don''t worry though Fiona. You aren''t being singled out. She''ll lose her towel when its her turn¡±


    Kianna had a smug smirk on her face as she tucked her hair behind her ears and looked around at everything in the room except her sister.


    Registering her sister''s mocking attitude, Fiona tightened her eyes even further as she slowly balled her hands into fists.


    Anton continued to observe the fuming dark elf in the mirror for a moment before turning around and facing her directly. Fiona''s glare remained fixated on her sister for only a second before her large eyes shifted to Anton and locked to his.


    There were no threats in the dark elf''s eyes as she stared, calm and unblinking. None of the rage and hatred that she had displayed so brazenly before now existed anywhere in the vivid rubies that were her irises. Now there was only the simple message of her raw, murderous intent.


    Whether or not Kianna even registered the heightened level of aggression that her sister now displayed was questionable, for if she did, she choose to ignore it.


    Anton however, did not.


    Without a word, Anton crossed the distance that separated them and stood right in font of the dark elf.


    Fiona remained completely still, save for her eyes which stayed focused on Anton''s and followed them as he approached and stood in front of her.


    Gazing into her eyes, Anton found confirmation in his assessment that if she were able to at this very moment, this dark elf would indeed kill him.


    ¡°It''s nice to see that those enchanted soaps do live up to their reputation...¡± he said as he tilted his head one way and then the other ¡°I can tell they''ve definitely had an effect on you...¡±


    Fiona''s eyes tightened but remained unblinking as she followed his movements.


    ¡°You look good. I''d say even better than you did before¡± said Anton as a thin smile took form on his face ¡°You look stronger. And more, confident¡±


    Fiona''s eyes shifted into a full glare as her anger began to break through her calm facade.


    ¡°How do you feel?¡± asked Anton as he leaned in just a bit closer ¡°...Any better than before? ...Any more, confident?¡±


    Fiona clenched her jaw as her irises began to shine with a faint red glow.


    ¡°...I asked you a question, Fiona¡± said Anton as he suddenly reached out and took hold of her chin ¡°How do you feel?¡±


    The startled dark elf blinked in surprise and tried to pull away. Finding herself held in place by a firm but gentle grip, her glare returned as her eyes darted back to Anton''s.


    ¡°Well?¡± asked Anton as his face became stoic while he stared her down ¡°How do you feel?¡±


    ¡°...Good!¡± grumbled Fiona through her still clenched teeth ¡°I feel good!¡±


    ¡°Good, that''s good...¡± soothed Anton as he maintained the stoic look on his face ¡°And do you feel more confident as well?¡±


    Fiona was still for a moment as she stared at him.


    ¡°...Yes¡± she answered in an emotionless tone.


    ¡°Well that''s very good to hear¡± nodded Anton ¡°I wouldn''t want one of my dark elves to not feel confident after all¡±


    Fiona''s eyes went wide as she instantly became enraged.


    ¡°I am not one of your fucking-!¡± she exclaimed.


    ¡°And how does your collar feel?¡± interrupted Anton as he lifted her chin up higher and exposed her neck and collar ¡°Is it comfortable?¡±


    Finding herself suddenly staring up at the ceiling, Fiona went rigid and then began to lightly tremble as she tightened her still balled up fists. Her ears began to quiver in anger as Anton slid a finger between her neck and collar.


    ¡°Doesn''t seem too tight... and it looks like the water resistance charm is working...¡± mused Anton as he slid his finger back and forth along the dark elf''s neck while examining her collar ¡°Does it still make you feel small?¡±


    ¡°...No, not anymore!¡± growled Fiona as she stared straight up at the ceiling ¡°I''ve beaten it!¡±


    ¡°Hm... no, you haven''t beaten anything Fiona. You''re just getting used to it¡± said Anton as he touched the blood gem on the collar and set it aglow ¡°Kianna!¡±


    The second dark elf pointed her ears straight upwards in surprise as her name was called.


    ¡°Yes!¡± she chirped as her eyes darted from her sister to Anton.


    ¡°Would you like to take a closer look at your sister''s collar?¡± asked Anton as he turned back to her ¡°I''ve noticed that you''ve been pretty curious about it¡±


    ¡°...Y-yeah!¡± cried Kianna as she quickly stepped forward ¡°Thank you!¡±


    ¡°Mm hm¡± hummed Anton as he shifted to the side so as to make room for her.


    Fiona''s face became scowling as Anton maintained his hold on her chin and allowed Kianna to lean in close and examine her collar.


    Kianna was bright eyed with excitement as she peered at the elegant looking collar that was wrapped tightly around her sister''s neck. Shifting back and forth she spent several long moments looking over the collar from different angles before going still and staring at it from straight on.


    ¡°...It looks really good on you Fiona¡± she said quietly as she gazed at the set of three gems on the face of the collar ¡°...Like, really good¡±


    Fiona''s scowl deepened enough for her bared teeth to show clearly as she clamped her eyes shut and sighed through her nose in annoyance.


    Kianna grinned and kept her eyes on her sister''s gems while she stood up straight and took a step back from her.


    Fiona blinked open her eyes as Anton dropped his hand away from her chin. The dark elf quickly turned her glaring scowl on him before slightly softening her face and shifting her gaze to her sister.


    ¡°...You know what¡± said Kianna as she tilted her head to the side and cocked one of her ears in a curious manner ¡°The collar makes you look, kinda... scary!¡±


    Fiona''s entire demeanor darkened as her eyes tightened back into a murderous glare and she pointed her ears straight back.


    Blinking in surprise at her sister''s overly hostile response, Kianna leaned back and smiled sheepishly as she lowered her own ears.


    ¡°I mean that in a good way!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she put her hands up in mock surrender ¡°It makes you look cool! And uh, tough! And dangerous! Like a badass!¡±


    ¡°It''s a fucking slave collar Kianna!¡± snarled Fiona as her eyes were set ablaze with a bright red light ¡°It makes me look like a fucking slave!¡±


    ¡°...Yeah!¡± said Kianna as her eyes shifted from her sister''s face to her collar ¡°...But not really though!¡±


    Fiona pressed her lips into a thin line as she raised her balled fists and took a step forward.


    ¡°Fiona, you were told to stay on the mat¡± said Anton in a eerily relaxed tone ¡°Now calm yourself down, and get back on it¡±


    Fiona stopped mid-motion and immediately turned her glare towards him.


    ¡°And what are you going to do if I don''t!?¡± she growled ¡°Huh!? You gonna humiliate me some more!?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will¡± said Anton calmly as he crossed his arms over his chest ¡°And I''ll do this by helping you to understand just how easily free movement can now be taken away from you¡±


    Fiona stared at him for a moment as she digested what he had just said.


    ¡°...What!?¡± she exclaimed as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards.


    Anton''s tone and demeanor remained calm and nearly emotionless as he continued to speak.


    ¡°I said that I''m going to help you to understand that being able to move freely is now a privilege for you¡± he said as he took a step forward and looked down into the dark elf''s glowing eyes ¡°You''ve only had your arms and legs back for a very short time. And it would be a shame for you to lose them again so soon¡±


    ¡°...You''re, you''re kidding!?¡± exclaimed the dark elf as she eased herself back ¡°You gotta be joking!?¡±


    ¡°Now why would you think that?¡± asked Anton as he tilted his head and creased his brow in question ¡°I''ve put you in bondage before. And I''ve kept you in bondage for days. What would make you think I wouldn''t do it again?¡±


    Fiona remained still and silent as she stared at him.


    ¡°...Well?¡± asked Anton as he raised his head out of it''s tilt ¡°I asked you a question, Fiona¡±


    ¡°Y-you!¡± stammered Fiona as she leaned her head back in affront ¡°You can''t just do that to me!¡±


    ¡°Of course I can Fiona. I own you now, and I can do as I please with you¡± explained Anton ¡°And if I think that some discipline is going to be necessary to help you to understand that, then so be it¡±


    Fiona blinked as her mouth fell open and hung agape for a moment before she closed it and clenched her jaw in determination.


    ¡°You, you can''t do this!¡± she growled softly through her teeth as her eyes continued to shine with an eerie red light and she pointed her ears straight back in challenge ¡°I swear! I''m not gonna let you beat me!¡±


    Anton stepped right up to the dark elf and loomed over her.


    Fiona was still for a moment before she slightly eased herself back as she subconsciously registered his lack of fear.


    ¡°Honestly Fiona, what are you even doing right now?¡± whispered Anton as he mockingly narrowed his eyes in question ¡°You''re smart enough to know how ridiculous this is. You have nothing to gain here, and so much to lose. So what exactly do you hope to achieve with this little stand-off? ...Or is this just your way of trying to prove to me how stubborn you can really be?¡±


    Fiona said nothing as she tightened her still glowing eyes.


    ¡°...I am not going to continue to play these pointless games with you Fiona. So unless you actually do want to spend another very uncomfortable day downstairs¡± reasoned Anton in a quiet, calm tone ¡°I suggest that you just let this go¡±


    Fiona stared up at him for several moments before blinking and looking away in frustration.


    ¡°...Very wise, Fiona. Now, if you would, I''d like you to go ahead and step back onto the bathmat¡± said Anton in the same calm tone ¡°Please¡±


    With her anger still clear on her face, Fiona took a step back and planted both of her feet squarely on the bathmat.


    ¡°Thank you, Fiona¡± said Anton as a thin grin spread across his face ¡°I appreciate it¡±


    ¡°I hate you!¡± hissed Fiona as she glared off to her side and then clamped her eyes shut in anger.


    Anton nodded slowly as he eased himself back and stepped away from her.


    ¡°I''d like you to place your hands behind your head Fiona¡± he said softly as he turned away from the dark elf ¡°And please, do not move again until I ask you to¡±


    Fiona blinked and began to tremble in rage as her eyes began to glow brighter than they ever had before. She stood there and hesitated for a moment before she tentatively relaxed her fists and lifted her arms above her head. She then grudgingly planted her hands on the back of her skull and slumped her shoulders. Moving only her eyes she glanced up at Anton and glared at his back for a moment before the anger began to fade from her face and she lowered her ears as she let her eyes fall to the floor.


    Kianna''s ears were pointed straight upwards as she stared completely transfixed at her sister. She had never had an experience quite like this before. And although she had no frame of reference for what she had just seen happen, she couldn''t help but to become excited. She had just witnessed another sapient being fall into submission, and as a dark elf, that sight alone was a thrill for her. But it was the process which led to it happening that was still racing through her mind.


    She knew from her own experience the power that Anton now had over herself and her sister. The collars around their necks gave him the ability to make them do whatever he pleased. All it would take was a simple command and they would obey him without question.


    There had been no command, and yet, Fiona had still obeyed him.


    Kianna knew her sister well enough to know how spiteful she could be when being chastised, and that the mere idea of possible consequences would never be enough to sway her this way on its own. She desperately wanted to know why her sister would choose to simply listen like this but didn''t dare to ask her at the moment.


    Fiona certainly didn''t want to obey, that much was clear. She had no qualms about letting it be known that she hated Anton and would not only not hesitate to seek revenge against him, but had no desire to follow any of his orders. And yet that''s exactly what she had just done. With barely any struggle at all she had conceited and obeyed. And how Anton had gotten her to do this was what Kianna''s mind was now working on trying to understand.


    If they were given a command then both of the dark elves would obey. The curses that bound them would force them to do so, and they would have no choice. And yet Anton had not only chosen not to use this method to control Fiona. He had shown that he didn''t even need to.


    With his words and his presence alone he had forced Fiona to acknowledge and understand that there would be losses for her if she did not maintain control of her own behavior. There had been no threats, no show of power, neither magical or physical and no mention of a command at all.


    Despite leaving Fiona''s freewill intact, Anton had still somehow gotten enough control over her that when he instructed her to expose herself and remain completely still, she didn''t fight back or argue but instead had chosen to quietly do as she was told.


    Fiona had been left allowed to make her own choices, and for some reason, she had chosen to surrender and obey.


    As Kianna continued to stare at her sister and struggle to understand this strange scenario, a new thought suddenly slipped into her mind and immediately caused a fierce burning in her loins.


    With a thin smirk now on her face, she watched her sister and began to imagine what it would feel like to trade places with her, and stand there herself with all of Anton''s attention focused on her as she stood there, naked, exposed, vulnerable and completely under the power of his control.


    Anton glanced up at the mirror in front of himself to check and be sure that Fiona had done what he had told her to do. He grinned in satisfaction as he found the miserable and frustrated looking dark elf standing in the position he had instructed her to be in. Turning slightly to the side, he gave Kianna a cursory glance as well and couldn''t help but to stop short and cock an eyebrow at the sight of the other dark elf.


    Kianna was staring directly at her sister with an odd, almost dreamy looking expression on her face and was lightly panting out of her half opened mouth.


    Anton shook his head softly as he noticed that her arms were both angled downwards across her torso and that her hands were now under her towel, as she was clearly touching herself again. He was of course aware that dark elves were infamous for their libidos but this was quickly becoming ridiculous.


    ¡°Kianna¡± said Anton as he watched her out of the corner of his eye.


    The dark elf stiffened and turned to him immediately.


    ¡°Y-yes Master!¡± she cried cheerfully as she pulled her hands out from under her towel and acted as though she were merely straightening it.


    ¡°Could you come over here for a second¡± said Anton as he looked down at the travel bag and shifted it over to make an open space on the counter-top ¡°I''d like to check your collar real quick¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± cried Kianna as she immediately began to move towards him.


    Turning to look back at the dark elf, Anton was lightly startled to find that Kianna was already standing right next to him. The bright eyed dark elf was using just her fingertips to lightly play with her collar as she grinned up at him.


    ¡°Hm...¡± mused Anton as he bent down and rested his hands on his knees as he leaned in for a closer look at the collar ¡°Did it stay dry in the shower?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± chirped Kianna as she happily raised her chin to give him a better view of her newest accessory.


    ¡°Good... And it doesn''t feel too tight, does it?¡± asked Anton as he slipped a finger between Kianna''s neck and her collar ¡°Because it can be loosened if it is¡±


    ¡°No!¡± sang the dark elf as she stared up at the ceiling and shook her head ¡°It''s snug, but I kinda like it like that! It let''s me know it''s there!¡±


    ¡°Hm, okay then¡± grinned Anton as he stood back upright ¡°Just let me know if it becomes too uncomfortable though and I''ll fix it for you¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she smiled up at him ¡°I will!¡±


    ¡°...You really are something else Kianna!¡± chuckled Anton as he shook his head ¡°I honestly doubt there''s another dark elf in all of existence that would be this excited to wear a collar!¡±


    Kianna''s smiled faded as she cast her eyes downward and looked away from him.


    ¡°...It''s not just the collar¡± she mumbled quietly as she lowered her ears and a light blush spread across her cheeks ¡°It''s also... You, it''s cause you made this for me...¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see¡± nodded Anton as he reached out and wrapped his arm around her shoulders before pulling her into a soft, one-armed embrace ¡°So you''re saying that when people ask me how I tamed my little dark elf, I should tell them that it was easy? I just made something pretty and gave it to her?¡±


    Kianna playfully punched him in the side as she hid her face against his chest.


    ¡°No!¡± she complained as she pointed her ears straight back ¡°That''s not what happened!¡±


    ¡°It did help though!¡± chuckled Anton as he gave her a squeeze ¡°Didn''t it!?¡±


    ¡°...Maybe¡± mumbled Kianna in a quiet tone ¡°...Yes¡±


    Anton laughed as the dark elf pressed her forehead into his chest in protest.


    ¡°Here!¡± he said as he took hold of her shoulders and turned her until she was facing the mirror ¡°Have you even seen it yet?¡±


    Kianna''s eyes went wide as she silently stepped away from Anton and pressed her hips against the edge of the counter-top as she leaned forward and stared at herself in the mirror. The enchanted dark elf spent the next several minutes twisting, tilting and turning her head and shoulders back and forth as she examined herself and her collar.


    ¡°...So what do you think?¡± asked Anton after she had gone still for a moment ¡°Do you like the way it looks?¡±


    Kianna turned to him with a blank look on her face and stared in silence for a moment. Without a word she ducked her head and clasped her hands together over her heart as she quickly made her way back to him and pressed herself tightly against his chest.


    ¡°Y-yes! I d-do¡± she sobbed as she flattened her ears behind her head and nuzzled her face against him ¡°It''s so b-beautiful!¡±


    Anton chuckled softly as he wrapped his arms back around her shoulders and held her gently.


    ¡°Aw, how cute¡± he mumbled as he rubbed the back of her head ¡°Is my little dark elf happy with her collar?¡±


    ¡°Shut up! ...And yes!¡± whined Kianna as she muffed her own voice by pressing her face against his chest ¡°...Yes she is!¡±


    Anton grinned to himself as through the mirror he was able to watch Fiona as she rolled her eyes in annoyance. Noticing that he was looking right at her, she stiffened as their eyes met in the mirror.


    His grin growing into a smile, Anton looked back down at the dark elf in his arms and rubbed her head again.


    ¡°Alright Kianna, time to dry your eyes¡± he soothed as he leaned back from her ¡°We still have some work to do!¡±


    ¡°...Okay¡± grumbled the dark elf as she wiped her eyes with his shirt and pulled away with a sigh ¡°...I really like the way you smell!¡±


    ¡°...Well, thank you!¡± smiled Anton as he shook his head ¡°I like the way you smell too!¡±


    Kianna was biting her lower lip as she looked away to hide her blush.


    ¡°Good!¡± she chirped as she glanced over at her sister.


    Fiona gave her a tired, irritated look as she slowly shook her head back and forth.


    Huffing in indignity, Kianna stuck her tongue out at her before turning away to follow Anton to the counter-top.


    As the dark elves both watched, Anton unzipped the center compartment of the travel bag and pulled out a thin metal tray as well as a roll of thick looking blue-colored paper towels. After layering a paper towel over the tray, he pulled a pair of metal boxes out of the bag and set them down on the counter-top. From the first box he took out a medical stethoscope and hung it around his neck before turning to the second box.


    Kianna''s eyes went wide as she watched him take what looked like sets of both medical and dental instruments out of the box and begin to set them out in several rows across the towel covered tray.


    Fiona''s eyes filled with unease as she too watched the instruments appear out of the metal box. Suddenly feeling vulnerable in her nakedness, she grimaced as she tightened her shoulders and pressed her thighs together.


    Catching her movements in the mirror, Anton glanced up at her and grinned.


    ¡°Feeling nervous Fiona?¡± he asked as he lifted up a pair of odd looking metal-framed glasses that had a thin pen-light attached to the right side of the frames.


    Fiona set her jaw and pointed her ears back in annoyance as she watched him click on the little light and move it up and down as he made sure it was working correctly. Shifting her head just slightly, she moved her eyes to the side and glanced at the open door.


    Noticing this, Anton set the glasses down on the tray and lifted his head to look directly at her in the mirror.


    ¡°Choose your battles carefully Fiona¡± he declared in a calm tone.


    The dark elf kept her eyes on the door for a moment before letting them fall to the floor as she flattened her ears back behind her head.


    Anton nodded as he acknowledged her gesture and lowered his gaze back down to the counter-top.


    Kianna''s eyes had remained wide as they darted back and forth over the items laid out across the paper towel covered tray.


    ¡°...Hey! Are you a Doctor!?¡± she asked as she looked up at Anton.


    ¡°No, not officially¡± answered Anton as he set a soft, plastic measuring tape on the tray ¡°And by that I mean I''m not officially licensed. But I''ve patched together enough paper cuts over the years to have picked up quite a bit of know how. And at this point I wouldn''t be surprised if I could pass most medical exams. I do also have a Holy Attribute. But try as I might, I''ve never been very good with any of the healing spells that I''ve tried to learn. So I''ve had to lean on more of the traditional methods and potion making, which I am pretty good at¡±


    ¡°Healing spells don''t work for you?¡± asked Kianna as she cocked one of her ears in a curious manner.


    ¡°They... work, just not that well¡± answered Anton ¡°Like I said, I just don''t have a talent for them¡±


    ¡°Hm¡± mused Kianna as she stared at the measuring tape ¡°You know how to make potions though?¡±


    ¡°I do¡± nodded Anton ¡°That''s a skill that''s always useful. Especially while traveling. Potions are one of the few things that have a value everywhere, and I can whip up a few overnight and either use them myself or sell them for any extra money I may need along the way¡±


    ¡°Huh, yeah, that''s smart!¡± reasoned Kianna ¡°...So do you do a lot of traveling?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes¡± shrugged Anton ¡°If I have nothing better to do then I might decide to go exploring somewhere. Like I''ve said before, I don''t like to be bored¡±


    ¡°Right¡± nodded Kianna. The dark elf went to say something else but stopped short as Anton began to speak.


    ¡°By the way, Fiona¡± mumbled Anton as he looked over everything he had laid out on the tray ¡°I noticed that you were calling Kianna ¡°slave¡± while you two were messing around earlier. Is that something you would normally do?¡±


    ¡°No, that was the first time she''s ever called me that¡± answered Kianna as she looked back at her sister.


    ¡°Hm, what brought that on then?¡± asked Anton as he too glanced back at Fiona.


    ¡°I don''t know!¡± mumbled Fiona as she shrugged her shoulders ¡°Just seemed right I guess¡±


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.Anton chuckled and nodded his head.


    ¡°And how long have you two been enjoying each other like that?¡± he asked as he rummaged around in the travel bag and pulled out another thin, metal box.


    ¡°Um, a while I guess¡± mused Kianna as her face became thoughtful ¡°It started when we were sharing a room at school. So like, 8 years now? Or something like that?¡±


    ¡°Hm, and were you two always interested in each other?¡± asked Anton ¡°Or did you just prefer each other to the other people around you?¡±


    ¡°Um, no, well... it''s not that we didn''t...¡± stammered Kianna as she grimaced in sorrow ¡°Nobody would talk to us, remember... and we were always lonely...¡±


    ¡°...Right, of course. I did forget about that¡± nodded Anton as he took a tuning fork out of the thin metal box and set it on the tray ¡°So then, do you two consider yourselves a couple now?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, no! It''s not like that!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she shook her head ¡°It''s not like we''re together! We just, have fun sometimes! We, we both fuck other people too! Well, we have¡±


    ¡°I''d rather not talk about this stuff if it''s all the same to you!¡± growled Fiona as she glared down at the floor ¡°It''s none of your damn business anyway!¡±


    ¡°...Uh, I don''t know if that''s true, Fiona?¡± mused Kianna as she looked at her sister ¡°Even if he isn''t going to use it himself. You do still belong to him now, pussy and all. So anything that has to do with your pussy is kind of his business now¡±


    Anton couldn''t help but to start chuckling at the direction Kianna''s logic had taken.


    ¡°Seriously Kianna!¡± growled Fiona as she glared at her sister ¡°I fucking swear I''m gonna-!¡±


    ¡°Now, now! None of that!¡± teased Anton as he lifted the tray and held it out to Kianna ¡°Patients aren''t allowed to threaten the nurses, Fiona!¡±


    Kianna''s eyes went wide in excitement as she eagerly took hold of the offered tray and held it with both hands.


    ¡°I''m your nurse!¡± she exclaimed as she looked down at the items laid out across the tray ¡°...What do I need to do!?¡±


    ¡°Just follow my instructions¡± explained Anton as he smiled at her enthusiasm ¡°It''ll all be simple stuff¡±


    ¡°...Okay!¡± cried Kianna as she lowered her ears and continued to stare down at the tray ¡°Go slow though, please! I''ve never done anything like this before! And I don''t wanna mess anything up!¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry. We aren''t going to do anything too complicated today!¡± laughed Anton as he reached out and tilted her chin up to have her look at him ¡°We''re just going to poke and pinch your sister a little bit! And see what kind of funny noises we can get her to make!¡±


    Kianna held her tongue between her teeth as a playfully wicked smile spread across her face.


    ¡°This is going to fun!¡± said Anton as they both slowly turned to Fiona ¡°For us!¡±


    The irritation quickly faded from Fiona''s face as she looked back and forth between their evil looking smiles. Her brow pinched itself in worry as she groaned nervously. Despite her previous attitude, she still couldn''t help but to flattened her ears back submissively once Anton began to move ominously towards her.


    ¡°We''ll be playing this by ear a bit, since there really isn''t any precedents for dark elves¡± mused Anton as he stopped just in front of Fiona and looked her up and down ¡°I''ve got some working knowledge of elves in general, but from what I''ve been reading dark elves do seem to be pretty different from the other types¡±


    ¡°What, the Hell are you talking about!?¡± mumbled Fiona as she stared nervously at the tray of items in Kianna''s hands.


    ¡°I''m talking about your basic care¡± explained Anton ¡°Since dark elves like you prefer to keep as much about themselves as secret as possible, and have never been kept as slaves before. There is no pool of knowledge to pull from when it comes to keeping your kind. In other words, I''m not really a hundred percent sure on how to recognize the differences between a healthy, or an unhealthy dark elf... I don''t really know what signs I should be looking for...¡±


    ¡°She looks pretty healthy to me?¡± said Kianna as she peered at her sister''s face ¡°And pissed off too!¡±


    ¡°You both do... Look healthy I mean...¡± said Anton as he cradled his chin in his hand ¡°But first appearances can be misleading. Especially when you don''t have much of anything to compare it to... I do think you''re both very healthy looking, but there are a few things that still stand out...¡±


    Kianna immediately turned to him and lowered her ears.


    ¡°What do you mean!?¡± she cried as her eyes tightened in unease ¡°What stands out!?¡±


    Anton chuckled at her panicked expression.


    ¡°Nothing you need to worry about!¡± he said as he reached over to her and rubbed the top of her head ¡°Just a few things I''ve noticed and want to keep an eye on¡±


    ¡°What have you noticed?¡± asked Kianna as she cocked one of her ears in a curious manner.


    ¡°Well, the biggest thing is your height. You''re both a bit on the shorter side¡± said Anton ¡°Not that I think it matters too much since you aren''t that far off from what is supposedly normal for dark elves... It is pretty noticeable though...¡±


    ¡°...Wait!?¡± cried Kianna as she locked eyes with her sister ¡°You''re saying that we''re!? ...We''re, short!?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes. For dark elves you are¡± chuckled Anton ¡°Did you really not notice that?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± mumbled Kianna as she and her sister gave each other concerned looks ¡°We never...!?¡±


    ¡°Is your Mother not the same height as you are?¡± asked Anton as he tilted his head to the side and looked at each of the flustered dark elves.


    ¡°...No!¡± declared Fiona as her eyes went wide in realization ¡°She''s way taller than us!¡±


    ¡°Master!¡± cried Kianna as she frantically looked up at Anton ¡°What''s wrong with us!?¡±


    Anton turned away and was silent for a moment as he held back the urge to laugh. Recomposing himself he looked back to the now nervous looking dark elves and gave them a reassuring smile.


    ¡°This is nothing you need to worry about!¡± exclaimed Anton ¡°Like I said you''re not that far off from what''s normal for your kind! You''re just a little on the shorter side, that''s all!¡±


    ¡°But why!?¡± cried Kianna as she looked from him to her sister and back ¡°Why are we short!? Our Mom isn''t this short! So why are we short!?¡±


    ¡°Ah, well...¡± mumbled Anton ¡°It could be a few things. You''re still young and dark elves do have very long lifespans. And I''m not exactly sure how old a dark elf is suppose to be when it''s considered full grown. So it is possible that you might be still growing, even now¡±


    ¡°Oh! Really!?¡± cried Kianna as she turned to her sister with a questioning look in her eyes ¡°Is that true!?¡±


    ¡°...Don''t ask me! I don''t know!¡± exclaimed Fiona with a shrug ¡°He''s suppose to be the expert here! Not me!¡±


    ¡°I''m not an expert, I''m just thinking objectively¡± said Anton ¡°Another factor to consider is the fact that you two are supposedly twins¡±


    ¡°And why would that matter?¡± asked Fiona.


    ¡°Twins are usually smaller than singletons at birth¡± explained Anton ¡°In most species, twins that are smaller when first born will generally still grow to a normal full size as adults. This isn''t always the case with every species though, and it may be possible that dark elves are one of the species were twins will always be on the smaller side¡±


    ¡°Huh, I guess that kinda makes sense¡± mumbled Kianna ¡°We would need to be smaller so both of us could fit inside our Mom''s belly...¡±


    ¡°It could also be dietary¡± continued Anton ¡°Do you have a very broad diet? Or do you usually eat the same few things over and over?¡±


    ¡°Um, well we just eat what we like. Which I guess is just a few things over and over...¡± answered Kianna with a shrug ¡°Will that really make us shorter though!?¡±


    ¡°Possibly, if you aren''t getting the right nutrients then it can¡± explained Anton ¡°Every species is different and has different requirements. It''s possible that you could have a diet that was normal and healthy for most species but was still lacking something that dark elves needed and this could have given you a mineral or vitamin deficiency. That''s why it''s important to understand what you are and how to properly take care of yourselves¡±


    ¡°Well excuse us for not knowing that!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she glared up at him ¡°Nobody ever told us anything about that stuff before!¡±


    ¡°I''m not blaming you Fiona. I''m just explaining the possibilities of why you''re on the shorter side of things¡± reasoned Anton ¡°Again, I don''t think it even really matters. Being shorter doesn''t make you unhealthy, just different¡±


    ¡°Does your book say anything about short dark elves?¡± asked Kianna as she glanced over at the deck chair the book was sitting in.


    ¡°Probably. But I haven''t had a chance to finish reading it, or the other 2 volumes yet¡± said Anton ¡°It''s been a very busy few days for me¡±


    ¡°Oh, couldn''t finish a book! But you still had plenty of time to steal all our money!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°How convenient is that!?¡±


    ¡°Well thanks to you it was very convenient!¡± quipped Anton as he folded his arms over his chest ¡°That didn''t take very long at all actually!¡±


    Fiona went to speak but was stopped short by the venomous look her sister was giving her.


    ¡°Uh, yeah...¡± she mumbled as she sheepishly looked away.


    ¡°Anyways, let''s go ahead and get started¡± said Anton as he took a step closer to Fiona ¡°You can lower your arms for now. I''ll tell you when to raise them again¡±


    Fiona set her jaw and tightened her eyes in irritation at being told what to do but without a word she lowered her arms to her sides.


    ¡°Just relax, okay, I''m going to touch you but I''m not going to hurt you¡± said Anton.


    Fiona stiffened and pointed her ears straight up as Anton placed his hands on either side of her neck and pressed upwards against the top half of her throat above her collar.


    ¡°W-what are you doing!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as her widened eyes darted about sporadically.


    ¡°Feeling your lymph nodes...¡± said Anton as he moved his fingers back and forth beneath her jawline ¡°Can you swallow real quick?¡±


    Fiona hesitated for a moment before gulping awkwardly.


    ¡°What are ¡°lymph nodes¡±?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°They''re a system of glandes that run throughout the body. They produce hormones that keep bodily functions working correctly. The ones in the throat can become swollen and are effected by infections fairly easily so they''re a good indicator of sicknesses¡± explained Anton ¡°Do you ever suffer from sore throats?¡±


    ¡°No¡± mumbled Fiona.


    ¡°When was the last time you felt sick?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°...I don''t know? A long time ago I guess?¡± said Fiona.


    ¡°So it''s been years?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°Yeah¡± answered Fiona.


    ¡°Okay, that''s good¡± said Anton as he moved his fingertips upwards and pressed them into the sides of Fiona''s neck just below her ears ¡°Do you have any allergies?¡±


    ¡°No, I don''t think so¡± said Fiona.


    ¡°Do you ever suffer from any pain or burning in your ears or in your face?¡± asked Anton ¡°Even if only slightly?¡±


    ¡°...No¡± said Fiona.


    ¡°Okay, good...¡± said Anton as he let go of her face. Turning to Kianna he picked up a thin penlight from the tray.


    Fiona cringed back a bit as Anton raised the light to her face.


    ¡°Just relax and look at the light...¡± he said as he shined the light into each of her eyes and watched as her pupils dilated in response ¡°This is just a quick check...¡±


    Anton took note that the faint light shining back off of Fiona''s retinas had become a bright red in color but her irises, despite the fact that he had seen them glowing before, did not seem to reflect the light at all. Although they were naturally a bright ruby red in color, it was a bit surprising that they continued to stay dull even with the penlight shining directly on them. Apparently, her ability to make them glow was not dependent on an outside source of light, but was somehow achieved through some other mechanism.


    ¡°Tilt your head back just a bit...¡± said Anton as he gently lifted her chin upwards and looked into her nose with the light.


    Fiona grimaced but continued to do as she was told. She lowered her head and looked away as soon as Anton released her chin.


    ¡°I know your ears are very sensitive, so I''m going to be as gentle as possible¡± said Anton as he turned back to Kianna and set the penlight back down on the tray before picking up a hand-held otoscope ¡°I am going to have to hold them still though, so please try to stay relaxed and don''t panic¡±


    Fiona''s eyes went wide as she leaned away from him.


    ¡°My ears!?¡± she exclaimed as she stared at the otoscope and pressed her ears to the back of her head in an attempt to hide them ¡°But they''re fine! You don''t need to touch them!¡±


    Anton went still for a moment as he assessed her.


    ¡°This should be very quick but you can make it take much longer by being difficult¡± he explained ¡°If you think it will be easier for you I can put you into ¡°golem mode¡± while I do this¡±


    ¡°What!? No!¡± cried Fiona as she went to glare at him ¡°Okay! Fine! I''ll, be still! Just, don''t stick your fingers in them! ...Or pinch me!¡±


    ¡°I''m not going to pinch you!¡± laughed Anton as he stepped to her side and leaned in close to her head. Fiona clenched her jaw as he slid the bottom length of her earlobe between two of his fingers and held her ear in place.


    Anton was still for a moment as he looked into the dark elf''s ear using the otoscope.


    ¡°Hm...¡± he mused as he released Fiona''s ear and moved around to her other side. He lingered a bit longer on this side as he examined not only her inner ear but around it''s outer length as well.


    ¡°...Your ears are filthy¡± he mumbled as he straighten back up and turned to the tray in Kianna''s hands ¡°You''re definitely going to hate this next part...¡±


    ¡°What!? What do you mean filthy!?¡± cried Fiona as a look of panic spread across her face ¡°Wait! What are you going to do to me!?¡±


    ¡°I''m going to take care of you¡± mumbled Anton to himself as he set the otoscope back on the tray ¡°It looks like that''s one trait that dark elves do definitely share with the other elves...¡±


    He stopped short as he reached for a bag of cotton balls and instead picked up the metallic tuning fork.


    ¡°Actually, lets go ahead and do this first¡± he said as he lifted the fork up to his face and quickly looked it over ¡°We''ll just get all the ugly stuff out of the way in one go...¡±


    Both of the dark elves were staring intently at the metal fork with obvious curiosity.


    ¡°You know what... I think this one may be too soft of a pitch!¡± said Anton with a grin as he turned back to the counter-top.


    As the dark elves watched he placed the tuning fork back into a metal box and took out another one that was much thinner. Turning back to look at the dark elves he tapped the fork against the side of the counter-top and grinned at the immediately reaction.


    Both Fiona and Kianna had been looking right at the fork as Anton held it poised to be tapped. As soon as it began to vibrate they both clamped their eyes shut and cringed away from it as they folded their ears back against their heads. Anton was not able to actually hear anything as the pitch of this tuning fork was far too high for him to be able to register it with his human ears. But judging by the response that he got out of them, it was blatantly clear that these two dark elves could certainly hear it.


    ¡°What the fuck is that thing!?¡± cried Fiona as she moved to cover her ears with her hands ¡°And why is it screaming!?¡±


    Anton chuckled and pressed the fork against the side of the counter-top to stop it''s vibrations.


    ¡°It''s called a ¡°tuning fork¡± and it''s used to test a persons hearing, as well as a few other things¡± he said as he smiled at the cowed dark elves ¡°This one here is actually supposed to be used to calibrate lasers. But apparently it can be used to torture dark elves as well!¡±


    ¡°Asshole!¡± snarled Fiona as she clenched her fists in anger.


    ¡°What did I tell you about cussing at me Fiona!¡± said Anton in a mocking tone as moved back towards them and set the tuning fork on the tray ¡°You won''t think it''s funny anymore when you have a mouth full of soap!¡±


    Fiona pointed her ears straight back and looked away from him as she began to grit her teeth.


    ¡°I will!¡± teased Kianna as she smiled at her sister.


    Fiona glared at her before turning to Anton and watching him as he took a cotton ball out of the bag.


    ¡°What''s that for!?¡± she asked as she watched him pick up an extremely thin metal rod that had a flattened wedge at each end.


    ¡°Your ears¡± said Anton as he turned to face her ¡°I''m going to clean your ears with this. It isn''t painful but you could be injured if you panic and jerk around. So you''re going to need to stay very still¡±


    ¡°...Oh Hell no! You''re not going to stick that in my ears!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she folded her ears back behind her head and put her hands up in front of herself ¡°You''re fucking crazy!¡±


    ¡°Fiona, I can see the marks around your ears from where you''ve been scratching yourself with your nails¡± said Anton ¡°I know you haven''t been cleaning your ears properly and it has been bothering you¡±


    ¡°...I, that''s!¡± stammered Fiona as a surprised look spread across her face.


    ¡°You don''t like to stick things in your ears. I understand that, but you can''t just neglect them forever¡± said Anton ¡°This will only take a minute and I promise that you''ll feel much better when it''s over¡±


    Fiona''s eyes appeared to become even larger as she stared back at Anton.


    ¡°No! I''m not going to let you!¡± she declared as she stepped back off the bathmat and moved backwards towards the door ¡°You can fuck right off!¡±


    ¡°Okay then...¡± sighed Anton as he shook his head ¡°We''ll just do this the easy way...¡±


    Both of the dark elves froze where they stood as Anton''s aura spread outwards and filled the room.


    ¡°No! No! Not this!¡± whimpered Fiona as she struggled to keep moving towards the door ¡°Fuck you! I hate you!¡±


    ¡°Fiona, I want you to relax¡± commanded Anton in a calm tone as he watched the blood gem on her collar begin to glow brightly ¡°Then come back over here, stand back on the bathmat and remain completely still¡±


    The dark elf''s eyes immediately became dull and doll-like as all the tension seemed to wash away from her entire being. Without a word she walked back onto the bathmat and stood completely still with her arms hanging limp at her sides.


    Moving quickly, Anton stepped to her left side and immediately began to work on cleaning her ear.


    Kianna was once again transfixed by the sight of her sister. Taking a step closer she peered into her face and was met with nothing but an unfocused stare. Gripping the tray tighter with her left hand she raised her right hand and waved it in front of Fiona''s face.


    Kianna''s own face scrunched up in uneasiness as her sister''s complete lack of response made her stomach become queasy.


    ¡°Master, what did you do to her?¡± she asked as she lowered her ears nervously.


    ¡°She''s fine. This is nothing permanent¡± said Anton as he remained focused on his task ¡°This is what it always looks like whenever a slave has had their mind locked away¡±


    ¡°She''s not blinking though!¡± exclaimed Kianna.


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± mumbled Anton ¡°Fiona, close your eyes¡±


    Fiona''s eyes immediately fell shut and Kianna grimaced at the almost robot-like response.


    ¡°...She''s okay Kianna¡± said Anton as he noticed the troubled look on her face ¡°She''ll be back to normal as soon as I''m done and I release her¡±


    ¡°Can she hear me?¡± asked Kianna as she moved closer to Anton.


    ¡°More than likely¡± said Anton as he wiped the tiny metal wedge clean with a cotton ball ¡°Sometimes a slave will black out completely and essentially go to sleep. But I doubt she''s done that since she isn''t going to be comfortable enough to relax like that¡±


    ¡°Will she remember this then?¡± asked Kianna as she squinted at her sister.


    ¡°Well, somewhat. If she hasn''t blacked out then she''ll be able to be aware of what''s happening around her. But whether or not she''s paying enough attention is a different story¡± explained Anton ¡°My voice is really the only thing she''s actually fully focused on. But if she''s trying hard enough she should be able to register everything else that''s going on around her as well. She obviously won''t remember anything she doesn''t register though, so it may seem like she''s lost her memory when in reality she was just completely unaware of what was happening¡±


    ¡°So there could be things happening right in front of her and she might not even know about it?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°That is possible, yes¡± said Anton ¡°It''s very unlikely though¡±


    ¡°...That''s still kinda scary¡± whispered Kianna as she lowered her ears even further.


    ¡°It''s really not that different from what it would be like if she was asleep¡± said Anton as he stepped behind Fiona and moved around to her other side.


    Kianna passed in front of her sister as she quickly followed him.


    ¡°Believe it or not, I''ve actually met plenty of slaves that willing want to be put into this state¡± mused Anton absently as he began to clean Fiona''s right ear ¡°Some have been so fond of it that they''ll even beg for a daily session of time in it¡±


    ¡°Really!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards and she turned to look at her sisters face ¡°Why would they want to do that!?¡±


    ¡°Well, from what I understand, they actually find it therapeutic. Apparently by having the world blocked out like this they''re able to become so comfortable that they can fully release their minds and enter a meditative state¡± explained Anton ¡°And according to them being locked away with nothing but their own thoughts has given them a chance to fully understand who they really are as a person. So many of them swear that this can be such a blissful and enriching experience, that''s it''s become hard for me not to believe them¡±


    ¡°...I guess I could see how that would work¡± mumbled Kianna ¡°I don''t think it would work that way for Fiona though...¡±


    ¡°I don''t either. I don''t think that Fiona is someone who could ever give up control without feeling damaged¡± said Anton as he wiped the wedge clean on another cotton ball ¡°That really shouldn''t be a surprise though, since that just makes her like every other normal dark elf. They all seem to be pretty much the same in that way¡±


    Kianna nodded as she gazed at her sister.


    ¡°...I don''t really know what other dark elves are like¡± she declared in a hushed tone ¡°I don''t think I''m like them though...¡±


    ¡°No¡± said Anton bluntly ¡°You''re not, you''re nothing like them¡±


    ¡°...Do you think something is wrong with me?¡± asked Kianna as tore her eyes away from Fiona and looked at him imploringly.


    ¡°Do you honestly feel like something is wrong with you?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°...I don''t know?¡± whispered Kianna as she looked down at the tray in her hands ¡°Maybe? ...Probably¡±


    Anton turned to her and picked up a tiny bottle of alcohol from the tray before moving to the sink. He washed off the metal rod and it''s wedges before dousing it in the alcohol and setting it out to dry on a fresh paper towel.


    Kianna stood where she was and continued to stare at the tray. She remained still as Anton came back and stood in front of her.


    ¡°There are countless dark elves that are all exactly the same¡± he said as he lifted her chin up and made her look at him ¡°There is absolutely no reason for you to ever feel ashamed for being nothing like them¡±


    Kianna blinked as she stared up at him.


    ¡°I''ve said most of this before but I''ll say it again just to make it clear. In the short amount of time that I''ve known you, I have seen first hand that you have had enough compassion and bravery to stand up for and selflessly protect what you love time, and time again. Your sister, your home, and even me¡± said Anton as he looked her in the eyes ¡°You have been poised enough to admit your fears, regrets and faults. Smart enough to recognize that you were not happy with your life, and so strong that despite the risks that you knew were involved you were still willing to go after what you wanted and embrace a new adventure. Now, after doing all of this with a clear head and no hesitation, how can you possibly think that there could ever be anything wrong with someone that''s as amazing as you are!?¡±


    Breathless, Kianna had gone completely silent and still as she merely stared back at him.


    ¡°...If I ever hear you doubt yourself like that again, I swear I will severely punish you¡± said Anton as he let go of her chin ¡°Do you understand me¡±


    ¡°...Yes, Master!¡± chirped Kianna as she lowered her face in an effort to hide her smile ¡°Yes I do!¡±


    ¡°Good¡± nodded Anton as he turned back to Fiona ¡°Now, come over here so we can finish taking care of your sister''s ears¡±


    ¡°Right! Okay!¡± cried Kianna as she quickly followed right behind him.

 Chapter 17 : Early Afternoon

    Chapter 17 : Early Afternoon


    ¡°See how important this can be?¡± said Anton as he held out the soiled cotton ball ¡°With your darker skin tone it isn''t always going to be so easy to spot the grime right away¡±


    Kianna gawked in disgust at the layer of brownish tan crud that seemed to appear out of nowhere, and was smeared over the alcohol soaked cotton ball that Anton had just run down the length of her sister''s long ear.


    ¡°Ew!¡± cried the dark elf as she lowered her own ears ¡°That''s so gross!¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is¡± said Anton as he set the cotton ball down on the corner of the tray that was farthest away from everything else ¡°But it''s not abnormal, and I wouldn''t be surprised if your own ears were similar¡±


    ¡°Ew! I hope not!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she watched him pluck another cotton ball from the bag and douse it with a splash of alcohol ¡°I shower everyday so they shouldn''t be!¡±


    ¡°Does Fiona not bathe daily?¡± asked Anton as he took hold of the top edge of Fiona''s ear and began to run the cotton ball up and down the grove that ran along the upper portion of her inner earlobe.


    ¡°Well... Yeah!¡± said Kianna as she glanced at her still magically entrapped sister ¡°At least I think so?¡±


    Fiona''s entire being remained dull and nearly lifeless as she continued to stand motionless and unresponsive to everything but her Master''s commands. With her mind held back by her collar, she did nothing as Anton worked to clean her sensitive ears.


    ¡°Even if she did, it really wouldn''t make a difference if she doesn''t actually scrub her ears properly¡± explained Anton ¡°Just letting water run over them isn''t going to be enough to actually keep them clean¡±


    ¡°...Oh¡± said Kianna as her brow pinched nervously ¡°Really?¡±


    Anton smirked at the seemingly embarrassed dark elf as she immediately laid her ears even further back against her head in an effort to hide them from sight.


    ¡°Still feeling confident that they''re clean?¡± he asked.


    ¡°...Yeah¡± muttered Kianna.


    ¡°Oh, would you like to make a bet on it then?¡± asked Anton as his grin spread across his face.


    ¡°...No¡± mumbled Kianna.


    Anton laughed as the dark elf hunched in on herself and began to pout.


    ¡°It''s not funny!¡± she whined as she looked back at her sister ¡°You don''t understand! They''re really sensitive! And it''s really easy to make them feel weird!¡±


    ¡°I do understand. That''s why I''m making such big deal about it¡± said Anton as he met her eyes ¡°But it''s very important that you understand, just how very important it is for you as a dark elf to keep your ears clean! I know that they''re sensitive and that your first instinct is to never touch them. But unfortunately for you, that isn''t going to be an option anymore¡±


    ¡°I really don''t like to touch them though!¡± whined Kianna as she began to pout again ¡°I know it''s weird but it just never feels right when I do!¡±


    ¡°That''s not that weird at all?¡± said Anton as he gave the dark elf a perplexed look ¡°That''s perfectly normal, all elves are like that¡±


    ¡°They, they are!?¡± cried Kianna as her eyes went wide ¡°Really!? Why!?¡±


    ¡°...I keep forgetting just how clueless you two are¡± sighed Anton ¡°Although this really should have been something you would have learned in school. Did you not take Sex-Ed?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah!¡± said Kianna as one of her ears cocked upwards in a curious manner ¡°But we never talked about my ears!?¡±


    ¡°Hm, well that''s an oversight...¡± mumbled Anton as he moved around to Fiona''s other side.


    Turning quickly so as to followed him, Kianna held the tray out to him so he could prepare a fresh cotton ball.


    ¡°Are you ticklish?¡± asked Anton as he began to work on Fiona''s limp ear.


    ¡°Um, kinda, I guess? Not really though¡± answered Kianna as she shrugged her shoulders ¡°Fiona is!¡±


    ¡°Really!? You don''t say...¡± said Anton as his eyes narrowed mischievously ¡°Well, we''ll just have to put a pin in that little factoid for now!¡±


    Kianna couldn''t help but to smile at his obvious glee.


    ¡°Anyways, you still understand what being tickled feels like though, right?¡± asked Anton ¡°That''s it''s a very unpleasant feeling?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡± nodded Kianna.


    ¡°Okay good, well, normally a person can''t really tickle themselves¡± explained Anton ¡°And if they can the feeling still won''t ever be as intense as it would be if someone else were tickling them¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± said Kianna as she continued to nod.


    ¡°Well an elf''s ears actually work in a similar but reversed way¡± continued Anton ¡°It''s a very unpleasant feeling for any elf to touch their own ears. But the unpleasant feeling isn''t nearly as intense if someone else touches their ears, and if the right person touches them, then the whole thing comes all the way around the track and it can be a very pleasant and even blissful experience¡±


    ¡°...Wait, seriously?¡± questioned Kianna ¡°...Why is it, like that?¡±


    ¡°Because this is how elves strengthen the bonds they have with their mates¡± explained Anton ¡°Their minds and bodies are both hardwired to be this way for that very purpose¡±


    ¡°...Wha!?¡± cried Kianna as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards ¡°W-what do you mean!? How does that work!?¡±


    Anton chuckled at the dark elf''s confused expression before continuing.


    ¡°In the minds of elves their ears are the most vulnerable part of their bodies¡± he explained ¡°This isn''t actually true of course. Since an injury to the ear doesn''t come anywhere close to being fatal for them. But since their ears are so sensitive, they can''t help but feel this way. Right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, pretty much¡± mumbled Kianna as she shifted her own ears back and forth.


    ¡°Right, so, elves have an extremely sensitive body part that the last thing they''ll ever want to do is touch. Unfortunately for elves though, ears are still the inlet for one of the main senses and are still necessary for their quality of life, and even overall survival. So they still need to have them groomed. And all elves do have an innate desire to have they''re ears groomed, they just don''t want to do it themselves. Because this is an extremely sensitive body part that unlike all your other extremely sensitive body parts, is not an erogenous zone... Or at least not normally¡± explained Anton as he grinned and gave her a pointed look ¡°You see, when a pair of elves become mates, they''ll groom each others ears. And by exposing what they consider to be their most vulnerable body part to each other, they''ll start to build a bond. Their ears are still extremely sensitive though, so this experience can be very intense for them. But unlike the carnality that sex can be. This experience is almost always one that is gentle, attentive and loving. Regardless of the intensity. And the bond that can be created through this act is considered one of trust and reliance¡±


    ¡°That... sounds kinda, romantic¡± mumbled Kianna.


    ¡°It is considered a very romantic act since it will often trigger very deep feelings¡± explained Anton ¡°In some elven cultures it''s even considered something like a sacred act that''s more or less akin to a mating ritual¡±


    ¡°...Seriously!?¡± cried Kianna as her eyes went wide while she looked directly at what he was doing to Fiona ¡°...Then, you''re!?¡±


    ¡°It''s not like that for dark elves!¡± laughed Anton as he turned to her and dropped another cotton ball on the tray ¡°And even if it was, I seriously doubt that any romantic feelings are being triggered right now between me and your sister!¡±


    ¡°...Yeah¡± mumbled Kianna as she looked from her sister to him and back ¡°...Right!¡±


    Anton raised an eyebrow as he noticed Kianna''s ears pointing themselves straight back while her expression became dark and glaring towards her sister.


    ¡°Hm... Well, I think this is good enough¡± he said as he gathered together the pile of used cotton balls and took them to the counter where he wrapped them up in a paper towel and tossed the whole bundle into the small trashcan that sat next to the commode ¡°I''m sure Fiona''s about ready to wake up by now¡±


    ¡°Probably!¡± grumbled Kianna as her face softened while she gazed at the still form her sister had become.


    ¡°Hm, then again... It might be easier to just finish this up while she''s in this state...¡± mused Anton as he cradled his chin in his hand and looked the motionless dark elf up and down.


    ¡°Probably!¡± repeated Kianna as she too gave her sister a look over.


    ¡°That wouldn''t be right though¡± mumbled Anton as he shook his head ¡°She disobeyed out of fear and not malice. And as annoying as she is, it''s not really fair to punish her for something that any other elf would have done...¡±


    Taking a step back, Anton flared out his aura with enough power to make the center jewel on Fiona''s collar begin to glow.


    The dark elf immediately opened her eyes and cringed back as she shook her head.


    ¡°Welcome back¡± said Anton as he let his aura fall away ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°...It''s so easy!¡± growled Fiona as she stared down at the floor and balled her hands into fists ¡°It''s not fair! I hate it! And I hate you too!¡±


    Anton remained quiet as he watched the dark elf. After a moment of stillness, Fiona began to tilt her head to one side and then the other as she repeatedly raised and lowered her ears.


    ¡°Do your ears feel any different?¡± asked Kianna as she leaned in and looked her sister in the face ¡°Do they feel better!?¡±


    Fiona grimaced and looked off to the side to avoid her scrutiny.


    ¡°Yes!¡± she muttered quietly as she began to lightly tremble ¡°...They do!¡±


    ¡°...Are you okay!?¡± asked Kianna as she took a step closer.


    ¡°Yes!¡± grumbled Fiona as she blinked away a bit of light moisture from her eyes ¡°I''m fine!¡±


    As Anton continued to watch the sullen looking dark elf, her trembling lessened to nothing as she hunched in her shoulders. She seemed to be searching aimlessly as she let her eyes move absently across the floor before finally glancing up at him.


    ¡°Am I done now!?¡± she grumbled quietly before quickly looking away from him.


    ¡°Nearly, just a few more things to check and we''ll call it good¡± said Anton ¡°I want you to place your hands back behind your head now¡±


    Fiona kept her eyes downcast as she raised her arms back up and planted her hands on the back of her head.


    ¡°This may feel a bit cold at first¡± warned Anton as he placed the ear-buds of the stethoscope in his ears. He pressed the disc shaped resonator against his wrist so that he could test it by listening to his own pulse. Satisfied that the device was working correctly, he stepped closer to the waiting dark elf and pressed the resonator against her chest. He moved the resonator back and forth first above, and then below her left breast as he listened to her heart beat.


    Fiona stiffened as the cold disc made contact with her skin but remained silent as she grimaced and looked off to the side.


    Anton nodded in satisfaction as he listened to the sounds of her beating heart.


    ¡°Can you take a deep breath¡± said Anton as he placed the resonator directly between her breasts ¡°Hold it for a moment and then let it out slowly¡±


    Fiona opened her mouth halfway to breathe in as she was asked.


    ¡°And another¡± said Anton as he moved the resonator down a little ¡°...Good¡±


    Fiona shivered involuntarily as Anton quickly moved to her side and pressed the cold resonator against her back just below her left shoulder blade.


    ¡°And another¡± he said as he continued to listen to her body ¡°...Good¡±


    Anton repeated this process on her right side before lowering the disc down and pressing it against the small of her back a few inches above her hip.


    ¡°W-what are you doing!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as Anton wrapped his hand around the lower half of her waist and gave her a squeeze.


    ¡°Checking your organs¡± said Anton absently as he tightened and relaxed his grip on her a few times.


    ¡°My what!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as she looked down at her side where he still held her.


    ¡°I''m listening to your liver and kidneys¡± explained Anton as he moved to her opposite side ¡°Just relax. I''m nearly done...¡±


    Fiona grimaced and groaned in irritation as she lifted her head back up. She locked eyes with her sister for just a brief second before Kianna went back to intently watching Anton work.


    ¡°Your lungs sound a little dry and you have a slight wheeze, but that''s probably because you''re still a bit dehydrated¡± said Anton as he came back around to Fiona''s front and pressed the resonator to her navel just below and to the side of her belly button ¡°...Everything else sounds just fine though¡±


    ¡°She''s a perfectly, healthy specimen!¡± teased Kianna as she smiled at her sister.


    Fiona pointed her ears straight back and gave her a dark glare before looking away.


    ¡°More or less¡± agreed Anton as he took the stethoscopes ear-buds out from his ears and laid them back behind his neck ¡°You can lower your arms now¡±


    ¡°Am I done yet!?¡± mumbled Fiona as she let her arms fall to her sides. She was giving the tray in Kianna''s hands a nervous look as she stared at the dental tools that had yet to be used.


    ¡°No, but we''re getting closer¡± said Anton as he gave the dark elf a quick look over before turning away from her ¡°Kianna, could you come over here please¡±


    Kianna followed him over to the counter where she watched him pick up the tablet and pull a stylus out from it''s side.


    ¡°You can set the tray down for a minute¡± he said before handing her the tablet and stylus ¡°I''d like you to fill this in as we go¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± cried Kianna as she took up the stylus and readied it against the tablet. Taking a closer look at the screen, she saw that a spreadsheet-like document was currently open and had been partially filled in with her sister''s information. Included already under ¡°General¡± was her name, species, sex, sexual orientation, death status, natural hair color, natural eye color, age and birth date. The areas for height and weight were both currently blank.


    Reaching into the large center compartment, Anton pulled an extremely thin, black plastic scale out from the bottom of the travel bag. The scale was a foot square in size and shape. As Kianna watched, he flipped the scale over in his hands and turned it on by flipping a tiny switch along it''s side. Grabbing the tape measure from the tray he then turned and went back to Fiona.


    ¡°Step on this please¡± said Anton as he set the scale down on the floor in front of the dark elf.


    Fiona hesitated for only a second before stepping off the bathmat and planting her feet on the scale.


    ¡°131 pounds, 4 ounces¡± read Anton as a set of red lighted numbers appeared at the top left corner of the scale ¡°Write that down under ¡°weight¡± please. You can step off now, Fiona¡±


    Kianna quickly jotted down the numbers onto the tablet as Fiona stepped off of the scale and Anton unrolled the measuring tape. A coin-like weight at the end of the measuring tape made a sharp tap as it met the tiled floor. Lifting the weight a bit, Anton straightened out the tape and positioned it in front of the watching dark elf. Without having to be asked, Fiona stepped up to the tape and stood with the weighted coin between her feet.


    Anton opened his palm and in an identical manner to when he created the riding crop, he formed a thin, glowing orange rod in his hand. Using the rod as a mark against the tape as he leveled it with the very top of Fiona''s head.


    ¡°Stand, straight...¡± he mumbled as he eyed where the rod landed on the tape ¡°...5 foot, 7 inches is close enough¡±


    Kianna immediately began to scribble on the tablet again as Anton stepped away from Fiona and began to roll the measuring tape back up.


    ¡°You have been weighed and measured!¡± quipped Anton as Fiona glared in irritation and hunched back in on herself ¡°Do you feel like a real slave now that you have a bit of documentation?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah!¡± mumbled Fiona as she moved backwards and stepped back onto the bathmat ¡°I sure do!¡±


    ¡°Good!¡± teased Anton as he slid the scale across the floor and out of the way with his foot ¡°Nurse! Can you bring the tray back over here, please! ...We''re done with that tablet for now, so you can leave that over there¡±


    Kianna quickly made her way over to the counter-top and traded out the tablet for the tray before moving back to stand next to Anton.


    ¡°Am I seriously not done yet!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as she watched Anton drop the measuring tape on the tray.


    ¡°No, not quite. We still have that mouth of yours...¡± said Anton as he looked over the items on the tray before turning back to the dark elf ¡°Then we''ll be done with you¡±


    ¡°Fine, great! Here, look!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she opened her mouth wide and let her tongue hang out.


    ¡°...Mm¡± mused Anton as his eyes immediately locked onto the dark elf''s fang-like canines.


    ¡°I''m good! Right!?¡± snapped Fiona as she closed her mouth and shifted her lower jaw from side to side ¡°I''ve got all my teeth, and everything!¡±


    ¡°Yes, you do...¡± mumbled Anton as he narrowed his eyes at her and slowly nodded his head.


    ¡°...What!? ...I don''t like the way you''re looking at me!¡± growled Fiona as she pointed her ears straight back and scowled in anger ¡°What are you going to do to now!?¡±


    ¡°Not get bitten again¡± muttered Anton as he turned around and made his way back to the travel bag.


    ¡°...Again?¡± questioned Fiona as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards and a perplexed look spread across her face ¡°Wait! I''m not gonna fucking bite you!¡±


    ¡°I know¡± said Anton as he rummaged around in the bag a bit before pulling out what looked like a square shaped glasses case ¡°Because I''m not going to let you¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡± asked Kianna as she watched Anton take a strange metal mask-like item out of the case.


    ¡°This is called a ¡°Whitehead Gag¡± it''s a gag that''s commonly used in the dental field¡± said Anton as he came back over to them and showed both of the dark elves the item ¡°With this I can make sure that I don''t get bitten again¡±


    The gag in Anton''s hands was almost butterfly-like in it''s shape and was made up of two curved pieces of shiny metal rod that were hinged together at both ends. A second smaller curve jutted back from the center crests of both of the larger ones. Attached to either side of the gag were two metal ratchets and a pair of wedge-like cranks. A black leather strap with a buckle completed the insidious looking item.


    ¡°W-wait!¡± cried Fiona as she leaned away from the gag ¡°Why do you keep saying again!? I''ve never bitten you before!¡±


    ¡°I never said that you did¡± said Anton as he glanced at Kianna and gave her a small grin.


    Kianna''s eyes never left the gag as they grew wide and became nervous looking. She flattened her ears back submissively as she hunched herself down onto her shoulders.


    ¡°...Wait!? You did!?¡± cried Fiona as she gave her sister a perplexed look ¡°When the Hell did you bite him!? I don''t remember that!?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember that one time when I had you in a headlock and was forcing you to ingest knock out drugs against your will?¡± asked Anton as he let a condescending smirk spread across his face.


    ¡°...Yes!¡± growled Fiona through her teeth as she glared up at him ¡°I do, vividly! Remember that!¡±


    ¡°It was sometime around then¡± continued Anton ¡°So its really not surprising that you didn''t have the sense to be paying attention. You were understandably preoccupied at the time¡±


    ¡°I hate you! So much!¡± mumbled Fiona as she turned away from him and looked back at her sister ¡°Good for you Kianna! I''m actually kinda jealous of you right now!¡±


    Kianna had an expression of pained embarrassment on her face as she turned to her sister.


    ¡°I didn''t know!¡± she whimpered as her eyes began to overflow with sorrowful tears ¡°I didn''t mean it!¡±


    Both Fiona and Anton were immediately taken aback by her level of reaction.


    With a look of complete devastation on her now tear stricken face, Kianna slowly looked up at Anton.


    ¡°I''m so sorry!¡± she pleaded as she tightened her grip on the tray in her trembling hands ¡°Please don''t be mad at me! I didn''t mean it! I swear!¡±


    Struggling to come up with a response, Anton found himself fighting the urge to laugh as he nodded absently.


    ¡°Are you serious!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as she leaned forward and gave her sister an exasperated glare ¡°Are you really crying over this!?¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± cried Kianna as she ducked her head and clamped her eyes shut ¡°It''s... it''s embarrassing!¡±


    ¡°...You''ve gotta be kidding!¡± muttered Fiona as she shook her head in frustration ¡°Of all the stupid shit to get upset over!¡±


    ¡°This is a little surprising, Kianna¡± said Anton as he placed his hand on her shoulder and gave her a gentle squeeze ¡°I''m not actually mad at you at all, so there''s no reason for you to be this upset¡±


    ¡°But I hurt you!¡± whined Kianna as she continued to avoid his eyes ¡°...I bit you!¡±


    ¡°Well, yes! You did do that!¡± laughed Anton ¡°And I''m not going to say that it didn''t hurt! But you should know. I''m actually pretty glad that you did it¡±


    ¡°...You are!?¡± asked the dark elf as she raised her ears in a questioning manner ¡°Why!?¡±


    ¡°Because I learned a very important lesson about you¡± said Anton as he bent down and leveled his face with hers ¡°Something I need to always remember!¡±


    ¡°...What!?¡± questioned Kianna as she raised her eyes up just high enough to look into his.


    ¡°I learned that my little dark elf might be the sweetest and cutest little creature ever, most of the time!¡± teased Anton as he grinned playfully ¡°But I still need to be very careful with her! Because as it turns out, she does have some very sharp little teeth! And she definitely knows how to use them!¡±


    Kianna stared back at him for a moment before scrunching up her face and turning away as another embarrassed blush spread across her cheeks.


    ¡°You''re an ass!¡± she mumbled as she tried in vain to stop herself from smiling ¡°You''re so mean!¡±


    ¡°I know¡± said Anton as he ruffled her hair ¡°But I have to be. It''s the only way I could ever tame a bite happy little monster like you!¡±


    ¡°I''m not bite happy!¡± whined Kianna as she twisted her head back and forth under his hand ¡°It was only the one time! It''s not gonna happen again!¡±


    ¡°I''m gonna hold you to that!¡± smiled Anton as he turned back to Fiona and leveled the gag with her mouth ¡°In the meantime though, let''s get back to it, so we can get this over with¡±


    Fiona stared at the gag for a moment before glaring up at Anton.


    ¡°Yeah, I''m not going to wear that thing!¡± she declared as she pointed her ears straight back in protest ¡°I''m not the one that bit you! I shouldn''t have to suffer for it!¡±


    ¡°This isn''t a punishment, Fiona¡± chuckled Anton ¡°This gag isn''t actually painful to wear, so there''s no reason for you to panic like this¡±


    ¡°I''m not panicking! But this isn''t fair! I didn''t do anything!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she looked from him to her sister and back ¡°Why should I have to get muzzled just because Kianna bit you!?¡±


    ¡°Well, several reasons really. For one, I don''t actually trust that you won''t bite me, even if you say you won''t. For two, wearing this will make it easier for me to look you over and I''ll be done that much quicker¡± explained Anton ¡°For three I want you to know what this gag feels like, so that way when I threaten you with it later, you''ll understand what the consequences are¡±


    Fiona went to argue but was stopped short as Anton raised a finger and silenced her.


    ¡°And finally¡± said Anton as his face took on an expression of seriousness ¡° You''re going to wear this, because I said you are. And that is really the only reason that you even need¡±


    ¡°...Wha, excuse me!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as she leaned away from him.


    ¡°You heard me, Fiona¡± said Anton in a calm yet stern tone ¡°Now make this easy and open your mouth¡±


    Fiona stared at him for a moment before narrowing her eyes.


    ¡°...You know what. Fuck it! No!¡± she declared as she set her jaw and stood tall in defiance ¡°If you want me to do something, then I''m going to make you make me do something!¡±


    ¡°...You''re going to make me, make you, do something?¡± questioned Anton as he cocked an eyebrow at her ¡°And what exactly does that mean?¡±


    ¡°It means that I''m going to win this! I''m going to make you cheat and use this fucking collar!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she gripped her collar and gave it a yank ¡°You might have Kianna eating out of your hand but not me! I''m not going to be your fucking pet! You aren''t going to beat me Anton! I don''t fucking care anymore! I don''t fucking care what you do to me! You can fuck, right, off!¡±


    ¡°...Hm, I see¡± said Anton as he began to slowly nod his head ¡°Interesting...¡±


    ¡°Fuck you!¡± declared Fiona as she spread her arms out wide ¡°Do your worst!¡±


    ¡°Oh. No, no Fiona. I''m not going to do my worst¡± said Anton as he shook his head ¡°You couldn''t survive my worst¡±


    ¡°...Whatever!¡± growled Fiona as she tightened her eyes ¡°You''re not going to kill me Anton. And you can''t really control me! In the end you''ve got nothing! And you know it! I''m the one with the real power here!¡±


    Anton blinked in surprise before throwing his head back and laughing.


    ¡°Is that really your angle!?¡± he exclaimed as he smiled at the incensed dark elf ¡°You think you''re going to twist things up enough that you can somehow rule from below? It''s a clever attempt! I''ll give you that! But it isn''t going to work for you, Fiona, not with me!¡±


    Fiona went to jerk back as two glowing rings of orange light suddenly appeared around her waist and at her ankles. These circles were nearly identical to the ones Anton had summoned when she had tried to flee her enslavement, but were only a fraction of the size. Before she could even take a step, the lower ring wrapped her legs in light chains and held her in place.


    ¡°No! Stop it!¡± cried the dark elf as the circle around her waist shot out two chains that ensnared her wrists and began to pull them down to her sides ¡°I''m not, gonna, let you, win! Never, stop! I will, win this!¡±


    Fiona pulled back and forth as she frantically tried to escape the chains. Her efforts proved to be useless as her wrists were pulled down to her waist and her arms were locked to her sides by the vine-like light chains that wrapped upwards around her body.


    ¡°...What do you even mean when you say you''re going to win this Fiona?¡± questioned Anton as he watched the enraged dark elf struggle ¡°What exactly do you think you''re going to win?¡±


    Fiona slowed her struggles as she registered what he had just said.


    ¡°What the fuck do you think I mean!?¡± she growled through her clenched teeth ¡°You think I''m going to just give up and let you control me!? Well I''m not! I won''t let you beat me! I will win this! I swear!¡±


    Anton was still for a moment before he nodded slowly and shifted his gaze to Kianna.


    The second dark elf had a blank expression on her face as she silently watched her struggling sister. Staring at her for a moment, Anton couldn''t help but to feel a little fascinated by the fact that she, unlike Fiona, was so willing to casually accept her fate as a slave.


    It was of course possible that Kianna''s acceptance was in fact a ruse, and that she was merely biding her time and waiting for an opportunity to escape from her situation. Nothing about her demeanor gave this impression though. As she seemed, at least on the surface, to be genuinely comfortable, if not even pleased, with the idea of being enslaved. For such placid behavior to come from a dark elf was not only unexpected, but down right bewildering.


    This was certainly not the case with Fiona however, as there was far less of a contrast between her behavior and what would be considered a traditional dark elf''s. Her aggressive personality, defiant nature and desire for control were all in line with the rest of her kin.


    Shifting his eyes back to her, Anton sighed softly as he watched her continue to struggle.


    As a being literally designed to control others and to not be controlled herself, it was going to be interesting to see how well a dark elf like Fiona would adapt to this role reversal, or if she even could adapt to it at all.


    As with any living creature, Fiona''s mental state would play a heavy role in her overall health. And if she was unable to adjust to her new position of being under the control of another person, then it was entirely possible that she would succumb to the mental stress of her situation and her health could drastically and rapidly decline as a result. This was not something that Anton wanted to see happen.


    So, for the time being at least, it was going to be very important for him to maintain a constant visual over both her mental and physical conditions. As although he did intend to have at least a base level of control over her, he had absolutely no interest in destroying her or reducing her to a sickly, depressed, shell of a dark elf that was not only a step away from being on the verge of death, but was actively longing for such a fate.


    Finesse would be of the utmost importance when it came to establishing control over this dark elf. And it was with this train of thought in his mind that Anton took a step closer to Fiona.


    ¡°Fiona¡± he began in a soft tone ¡°Can you hurt me?¡±


    ¡°What!?¡± exclaimed the dark elf as she blinked and looked up at him ¡°The fuck did you say!?¡±


    ¡°I asked if you could hurt me¡± repeated Anton ¡°I know that you want to. But I''m asking can you? Can you hurt me in a real way? Actually harm me? Make me bleed?¡±


    Fiona said nothing as she scowled at him and creased her brow in suspicion.


    ¡°...Can you kill me, Fiona?¡± asked Anton ¡°I''m not asking whether or not you want to. I''m asking if you even can?¡±


    Fiona continued to stay silent as she merely stared back at him.


    ¡°...Could you come into my room tonight and kill me while I slept?¡± asked Anton ¡°Is that something you can do?¡±


    Fiona''s scowl began to soften slightly as she still refused to speak.


    ¡°...Let''s try going in a different direction¡± said Anton as he took a breath through his nose ¡°Can you, kill yourself, Fiona?¡±


    ¡°...What!?¡± questioned Fiona as she blinked in surprise and pointed her ears straight upwards.


    ¡°Can you kill yourself?¡± repeated Anton ¡°Or better yet, can you leave? As in, just walk out the door? Just walk out, and keep walking. Until you''re as far away from me as you can possibly get. ...Is that something that you can do?¡±


    Fiona tightened her eyes back into a glare as Anton leaned in close.


    ¡°Can you escape from this?¡± he asked as he reached up and lightly tapped his finger on the blood gem embedded onto her collar ¡°And again, I''m not asking if you want to. I''m asking if you can?¡±


    Fiona''s eyes stayed focused on his for several moments until she silently shifted her gaze and stared at the doorway.


    Anton kept his eyes on her as he eased himself back.


    ¡°Well?¡± he asked quietly ¡°Can you do any of those things, Fiona? Any of them at all?¡±


    Fiona was still for another moment before she let her eyes fall to the floor.


    Anton nodded slowly as he watched a pained expression spread across her face.


    ¡°...Look at me Fiona¡± he demanded in an even tone ¡°I want to know that you can hear this¡±


    Fiona clenched her jaw and hesitated for a moment before she shifted her glaring eyes back up to him.


    ¡°This is not a game, Fiona. This is not a fight, or a battle. There is no war here¡± stated Anton as he stared unblinkingly into her eyes ¡°There is nothing for you to win¡±


    Fiona''s glare deepened as her ears pointed themselves straight back behind her head.


    ¡°You''re not going to beat me, Fiona. It doesn''t matter how annoying you act or how hard you fight back against me. I''m not going to just disappear, and I''m certainly not going to surrender to you¡± said Anton ¡°All you''re doing is chipping away at my patience. And nothing good is going to come from doing that¡±


    With her ears quivering in anger, Fiona clenched her teeth hard enough that her short fangs could now be seen peeking out from behind her curled lips.


    ¡°Keep fighting me like this, Fiona. And all you''re going to do is keep losing. Just as all you''ve done so far is lose, time and again¡± stated Anton as he narrowed his eyes at her ¡°Your freedom, your money and possessions. Control of your life and your home. Even your ability to move. You''ve lost it all¡±


    Fiona''s eyes began to glow with a boiling rage as Anton leaned in close and stared her down.


    ¡°And if you think that this is as bad as it can get, then you are very wrong, Fiona. It can get so much worse for you¡± declared Anton in a harsh whisper ¡°There is so much more for you to lose. So much I can take from you. And I will Fiona. Keep pushing me, and I will take everything from you. Everything you hold dear. Everything you love. Everything you are. I will take it all, one thing at a time. Until you have absolutely nothing left¡±


    Fiona''s eyes continued to glow as she remained completely still.


    ¡°...Just remember this Fiona¡± said Anton as he continued to stare her down ¡°There are things that I can take from you that you can never get back. And I will take these things. You know I will¡±


    Fiona was still for a moment before the glow in her eyes suddenly disappeared as she blinked.


    Anton froze as he sensed her sudden hesitation.


    Easing herself back, Fiona''s angry expression lost it''s genuine weight as it became a thin mask.


    ¡°...Hm?¡± mused Anton as he cocked an eyebrow and watched as a realization took shape in Fiona''s eyes ¡°...Well now? ...What''s this?¡±


    Fiona kept her eyes locked to his as she tried to maintain the anger that was quickly fading from her face.


    ¡°...There''s something there. ...It''s in your eyes, in your thoughts. Something that you don''t want to... No, no. It''s more important than that. It''s not just something you don''t want to lose. ...It''s something that you can''t lose¡± mused Anton as he watched Fiona''s thoughts dance in the back of her eyes ¡°...It would hurt too much if you did. ...Interesting¡±


    Fiona''s face softened completely as a heavy knot suddenly took form in her stomach.


    ¡°...What could possibly be so important, to someone like you?¡± wondered Anton as he cradled his chin in his hand ¡°...Maybe I should just ¡°cheat¡± and make you tell me?¡±


    Fiona''s eyes widened to their fullest as she shook her head and leaned as far back as the rings would allow.


    ¡°No!¡± she gasped as her eyes filled with panic and she began to frantically struggle against the light chains ¡°Wait! Wait! Just wait!¡±


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Why? What is there to wait for?¡± questioned Anton as he watched the dark elf desperately try to escape her binds ¡°You can''t honestly think I should let you keep you''re secrets after this little stand-off you just started? No, no I don''t think so. I think it might be best to just get this out of the way right now. That way we can move on from it¡±


    Fiona''s ears pointed themselves straight up in panic as Anton let his aura flare outwards.


    ¡°Stop! Wait, wait!¡± she cried as her eyes began to go misty out of frustration ¡°Please! Don''t do this! Please! I''m sorry! I''m sorry! Okay! I''m sorry!¡±


    ¡°No, that''s not going to work Fiona¡± said Anton as he shook his head ¡°You started this fight. You can''t simply apologize and quit just because you know you''re going to lose again¡±


    ¡°Please!¡± growled the dark elf as she hunched down and flattened her ears submissively behind her head ¡°I''m sorry, okay! I was wrong! I was stupid! I, I! ...You win!¡±


    Fiona bent forward and bowed her head low enough that her ears came back into view.


    ¡°I don''t wanna fight! I don''t wanna fight anymore! You win! Okay! You win!¡± she cried as she stared at the floor and twitched her ears up and then back down over and over ¡°See! See! You were right before! It means I don''t wanna fight you anymore! It means you win! You win! Okay! Please! Please! You win! ...Just stop, please!¡±


    Anton remained silent and still as he stared down at the quivering dark elf.


    ¡°You win... you win...¡± whimpered Fiona as she clamped her eyes shut and hung her head ¡°I''m sorry! I''m sorry! ...Please!¡±


    Anton was motionless for another long moment before he sighed softly through his nose and released his aura.


    ¡°Kianna¡± he called calmly as he kept his eyes on Fiona.


    ¡°Y-yes!¡± chirped Kianna as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards and her eyes darted from her sister to him.


    ¡°I want you to answer with just a ¡°yes¡± or a ¡°no¡± I don''t need to hear anything else¡± said Anton as he folded his arms over his chest ¡°Do you know what it is that Fiona is hiding? What she doesn''t want to lose?¡±


    Fiona''s eyes went wide in terror as she tilted her head to the side and met her sister''s gaze.


    Kianna swallowed a lump in her throat and dropped her eyes to the floor to avoid the look of desperation her sister was giving her.


    ¡°...Yes¡± she whispered as she lowered her ears in sorrow ¡°...I''m pretty sure I do¡±


    Anton nodded slowly as Fiona slumped her shoulders in defeat.


    ¡°Okay¡± he said softly as he continued to nod his head ¡°Then I want you to keep that to yourself. I do not want you to ever tell me what it is¡±


    Both of the dark elves went still in surprise for a moment before they looked at each other.


    ¡°...What!?¡± asked Kianna as she raised her eyes back to Anton ¡°What did you say!?¡±


    ¡°I said I don''t want you to tell me what it is¡± repeated Anton ¡°Just keep it to yourself¡±


    ¡°...Okay!?¡± questioned Kianna as she tilted her head and cocked one of her ears in curiosity ¡°Why, don''t you want me to say anything?¡±


    ¡°Because I don''t want you to try to use this information against her. Not that I necessarily think you will. But I want to take care of that possibility just in case¡± explained Anton ¡°So now if you do tell me what she''s hiding after I told you not to, or threaten her with telling me her secret, then you will suffer the consequences for that¡±


    Fiona blinked in surprise as she stayed motionless and continued to stare at her sister.


    ¡°...Okay. I won''t say anything then!¡± agreed Kianna as she met her sister''s eyes with her own ¡°But, you really don''t want to know what it is!?¡±


    ¡°At the moment, no. And if down the road I decide I do want to know then I''ll figure it out on my own. I''d still rather you not just tell me¡± said Anton as he continued to stare down at Fiona ¡°But as it sits right now... I''ve apparently already won. So no, I don''t need to know¡±


    Anton grinned as he glanced over at Kianna and took note of the confusion on her face.


    ¡°I''ve said before that I would enjoy punishing you and your sister and I will. But I also said that I don''t want to break either one of you since I think that would be a waste. And I do really think that¡± he explained as he looked back down at Fiona ¡°The only reason I''m going to punish Fiona at all is because I want her to behave herself and obey me. And if she''s willing to do that. Then I''ll be willing to let her keep her secrets¡±


    Fiona jerked back in surprise as Anton lightly tapped her on the head. Cringing as far back as she could she looked up at him with eyes wide in question.


    ¡°Do you feel that''s fair, Fiona?¡± he asked as he looked her in the eyes.


    The dark elf kept her ears flattened back submissively as she silently nodded her head.


    ¡°...I''m sorry¡± said Anton in a calm but stern tone ¡°But I''m afraid I can''t hear you¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± exclaimed Fiona through her teeth as she hunched her shoulders and continued to nod her head ¡°Yes I do! ...Thank you!¡±


    Anton nodded as he assessed her and her sincerity.


    ¡°You''re welcome¡± he said softly as he raised his hand to her head and began to smooth out her still damp hair ¡°Now let''s move on and put this ugliness behind us¡±


    Unsure of how to react or respond in this situation, Fiona bowed her head slightly forward and did nothing but grimace and blink as she aimlessly looked around the room with her eyes. She raised her head back upright when Anton finished with her hair. Her face immediately took on an expression of misery as he brought the gag back up and leveled it with her mouth. Looking away at nothing, she feigned ignorance as she tried to ignore the gag.


    ¡°Let''s get this over with Fiona¡± said Anton in the same calm yet stern tone he had used before ¡°Open your mouth¡±


    Fiona swallowed a lump in her throat as she hesitated to comply. Still looking away at nothing she let out a tiny, frustrated groan as she clamped her eyes shut and slowly began to separate her jaws. She groaned again as she felt a thin metal bar come to rest against the roof of her mouth.


    ¡°Lift your tongue¡± instructed Anton.


    Fiona whimpered softly as she did as she was told. She let her shoulders slump in defeat as she felt the second metal bar slide into place against her bottom jaw, just behind her teeth.


    ¡°Bite down¡± said Anton.


    The dark elf bit down lightly on the thin metal bars. She opened her eyes wide and looked up at the ceiling as she felt them begin to slowly separate. Little clicking sounds rang loudly in her ears as Anton pressed down on the small metal wedges and cranked the two halves of the gag apart until it was spread wide enough that it wouldn''t fall out on it''s own.


    Fiona''s hands curled into claw-like shapes as she involuntarily pulled against the chains that kept her arms locked at her sides. She continued to stare upwards at nothing as Anton stepped behind her and buckled the the straps of the gag together behind her head. Breathing heavily through her now fully opened mouth, the dark elf''s unfocused eyes began to form tears as Anton came back around to her front and gently cranked the gag apart even more. Fiona made a willful effort to fight back against a sense of rising panic as her mind registered that she could no longer close her own mouth. Biting down as hard as she could resulted in nothing happening as her jaws were held spread apart by the unyielding metal bars that were now locked in place behind her teeth.


    ¡°Well that was a bit more dramatic than it needed to be¡± mumbled Anton as he planted a curled knuckle under Fiona''s chin and tilted her head back a bit further so as to get a better view of the inside of her mouth ¡°...Such a stubborn dark elf!¡±


    Kianna was once again transfixed by the spectacle of Anton''s control. And visions of herself standing vulnerable and at his mercy were once again vividly dancing through her mind. Unfortunately, the slow burn of heady desire that was throbbing within her was being overshadowed by a new feeling that she was not all together familiar with.


    Kianna had never before had any real reason to feel jealousy, especially towards her sister. And as such she didn''t fully recognize that this was what she had been feeling recently. All she knew was that she was getting frustrated that her sister was receiving more and more attention, and she was not. She didn''t like this. And right now she didn''t like her sister. She didn''t like that Anton was looking at her sister and not her. She wanted him to look at her, to touch her, to make her stand still and exposed so that he could give her and her body all of his attention. She wanted him to look at her, to look at her and not Fiona. She was his dark elf, his ¡°little dark elf¡± and her collar was the proof of that. And unlike her stupid sister, she didn''t want to fight him. No. That''s not what she wanted. She wanted to... to...


    A series of delicious thoughts suddenly began to play through her mind and her frustrations were quickly melted away as she realized that soon it would be her turn, and she would have her chance to stand where her sister was standing now. Biting her lower lip, she pressed her thighs together to try and curb the sudden heat that emanated from her loins. She was going to make him want her. And she was going to fully enjoy showing him why he was right to think that she was better than her sister.


    ¡°Nurse!?¡± called Anton as he waved his hand at Kianna ¡°Our patient is ready!¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she tore her eyes away from her sister and stepped closer while holding the tray forward ¡°Sorry!¡±


    ¡°...It''s fine¡± chuckled Anton as he picked up the pair of glasses from the tray and put them on over his eyes ¡°You looked a little lost in thought there?¡±


    ¡°Yeah... I was just thinking...¡± said Kianna as she gave her miserable looking sister a callous glance ¡°This is the last thing you have to do with Fiona, right?¡±


    ¡°Mm hm¡± hummed Anton as he picked up a dental mirror and a stainless steel tongue depressor from the tray ¡°And this should only take a minute or 2¡±


    ¡°Okay, good!¡± mumbled Kianna as she nodded her head.


    Anton grinned and gave her a pointed look before clicking on the little light attached to the glasses he wore and turning back to look down into Fiona''s waiting maw.


    The still ensnared dark elf couldn''t help but to whimper and stiffen up as she felt Anton stick the tiny mirror into the open cavern that her mouth had become.


    The thin metal bars of the Whitehead gag were curved at just the right angle to fit between the canine teeth on both of Fiona''s top and bottom jaws. Resting over her second sets of incisors they were held in place behind her teeth and were thin enough that Anton had a clear view of everything around them.


    Having never had the chance to fully examine the teeth of a dark elf before, Anton took his time in looking them over. He found that they were very similar to both humans as well as the other elven races, in that they consisted of incisors, canines, premolars and molars, and that they were set up in an identical fashion as to what would be seen in a human mouth. The few differences that he did take notice of were that all of Fiona''s teeth seemed to be both somewhat sharper and slightly thicker than what a humans would normally be, this was fairly typical for beings with much longer lifespans, and that not only were her upper canines longer by nearly time and a half as much as a humans but her premolars were sharper and much more fang-like than not as well. Unlike her upper canines, her bottom canines were the same length as a typical humans, though they did appear to be very sharp.


    ¡°Hm, looks like you''ve been taking pretty good care of your teeth...¡± mused Anton as he pressed down on Fiona''s tongue and looked over the back of her throat ¡°That''s good, very good...¡±


    Fiona gagged slightly at the sensation of her tongue being forced against the floor of her mouth.


    ¡°They had us go to the dentist pretty regularly at Bridgemont¡± said Kianna ¡°We still go to the same one to get our teeth cleaned¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see¡± said Anton as he turned to her and set the tongue depressor back on the tray ¡°When was the last time you made a visit?¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh, it wasn''t very long ago!¡± answered Kianna as she watched him pick up one of the dental picks ¡°...Like, a few months ago? ...I think?¡±


    ¡°Hm, okay, shouldn''t have to worry about that for a while then¡± said Anton as he nodded softly and went back to examining Fiona''s mouth.


    Anton used the pick to tap at several suspicious points along the surfaces of Fiona''s molars and judging by her lack of response he assumed that they were not anything to be concerned with immediately as they did not seem to be bothering her. Satisfied with his examination he turned back to Kianna and set the pick and mirror back on the tray.


    ¡°Well, everything looks pretty good Fiona¡± said Anton as he took off his glasses and clicked off the little light before setting them back on the tray ¡°You do have a bit of funky breath going on but I''m sure that''s due to the fact that you haven''t had a chance to brush lately¡±


    Kianna''s eyes went wide as a grimace spread across her face. Gripping the tray with her right hand, she quickly turned to the side and breathed into her cupped left hand in an effort to smell her own breath.


    It was fairly obvious that Fiona hadn''t heard a word of what Anton had just said to her, as the dark elf was clearly too focused on trying to bite down on the gag in her mouth. As Anton watched her struggle, it quickly became all too apparent that she was losing the battle against her still rising panic.


    Fiona began to quietly whimper and pull in earnest against the chains that held her still as she began to hyperventilate through her open mouth.


    Taking a bit of pity on her, Anton placed his hand on top of her head and let the calming essence of his aura seep into her body.


    Stiffening at his touch, the panic in Fiona''s eyes immediately began to clear as she latched onto the calming warmth that suddenly filled her. Blinking slowly, she focused her large eyes on Anton''s and went still as she stared up at him.


    Anton couldn''t help but feel a bit surprised that the normally defiant dark elf would allow herself to be influenced so easily and was even more surprised when she slightly tilted her head back and actually leaned into his touch.


    ¡°Hm, well this is a bit unexpected...¡± mused Anton as he began to lightly rub the dark elf''s head ¡°I''m not sure what to even make of this?¡±


    Anton let a thin grin spread across his face as he noticed Kianna''s eyes go wide and then narrow into an angry glare as her ears dipped down and pointed themselves straight back. She clearly wasn''t happy with the attention that her sister was suddenly getting. And it was nearly impossible not to find her down right adorable as she silently fumed.


    Focusing back on Fiona, Anton let the grin on his face fade a bit as he decided to give the limits of her current demeanor a gentle test.


    ¡°This is kind of nice. I like this not so, ferocious, side to you...¡± he said in a quiet tone as he continued to softly stroke her head ¡°You know, Fiona... I don''t actually want to ruin your life. Nor is it my goal to just make you miserable... Now I know it''s going to be hard for you to believe that... But it''s true... We don''t have to be enemies... We really don''t...¡±


    Fiona was completely still for a moment before the corners of her eyes began to tighten. Blinking, she looked off to the side as she continued to let herself be comforted.


    ¡°Aw! Well aren''t you being sweet on of a sudden!¡± quipped Kianna ¡°That''s a nice change of pace!¡±


    Shifting her eyes over to her, Fiona gave her sister a cold stare to illustrate the fact that she wasn''t amused.


    Smiling back at her, Kianna narrowed her eyes as her expression became catty.


    ¡°You were just going on about me acting like his little pet and now look at you! You''re literally letting him rub your head! And you like it too! I can tell!¡± she mocked as she watched her sister''s eyes tighten into a glare ¡°Didn''t take long for little miss vicious to come around now did it!? So much for never letting him win!¡±


    Although Fiona''s ears were still laid back submissively, they now began to quiver as she balled her hands into fists.


    ¡°Hey now Kianna! That''s enough¡± said Anton as he gave her a pointed look ¡°She''s been having a hard enough time as it is. There''s no reason for you to be teasing her like that¡±


    ¡°...Sorry¡± mumbled Kianna as she dipped her ears a bit and glared at her sister again ¡°...Kinda surprised that you''re being so nice to her though. Since she''s been such a bitch to you this whole time¡±


    ¡°It''s completely understandable¡± said Anton as he reached up to the side of Fiona''s face and went to loosen the wedge on the whitehead gag ¡°Her situation is-!¡±


    Anton pulled his hand back in surprise as Fiona suddenly snapped her head to the side and grazed him with her teeth.


    Everything went still for a moment as Anton and Kianna both stared dumbfounded at Fiona.


    ¡°...Did you just try to bite me?¡± questioned Anton.


    Fiona said nothing as she slowly shifted her piercingly bright, ruby-colored eyes upwards and glared hatefully up at Anton.


    ¡°...Yeah, she did!¡± mumbled Kianna ¡°...Huh, looks like she''s still a bitch after all!¡±


    Fiona remained silent as her lips began to tremble. Though her mouth was being held open by the gag, she was still able to curl her lips back enough to make it obvious that she was not only snarling in anger but was now literally baring her teeth.


    Anton narrowed his eyes as he focused on the bright, white fangs that the dark elf was now threatening him with.


    Fiona blinked in surprise as the calming essence of Anton''s aura suddenly disappeared. She went to jerk away from the hand he still had on her head but was held in place as he gripped her hair.


    Pulling back on the handful of hair in his grip, Anton made the dark elf look up at the ceiling as he forced her head back enough for him to get a clear view of her open mouth.


    ¡°...So, it looks like you can hurt me then. At least a little bit¡± mused Anton as he gazed down at the dark elf ¡°That''s certainly interesting. I didn''t think you''d be able to. ...I guess those curses I used gave you more freedom than I realized. ...You''re not as restrained as I thought you were. ...Well, that''s my mistake I guess. ...I was too soft with you¡±


    Fiona grunted in pain as she instinctively tried to pull away. Stopping short, her eyes widened in unease as she suddenly felt a probing pressure against her teeth.


    Anton had a thoughtful look on his face as he slowly ran his fingertip up and down Fiona''s canine.


    ¡°Hm...¡± he mused to himself as he felt the smooth curvature of her short fang before running his fingertip down and pressing upwards against it''s pointed tip ¡°Oh yes... That is very sharp...¡±


    Fiona''s face showed her aggravation clearly as Anton eased her head forward and stared into her eyes.


    ¡°Listen to me very closely, you vicious, stubborn dark elf. If there is one thing that I will absolutely not tolerate from you...¡± warned Anton as he tightened his hold her hair ¡°It is being bitten!¡±


    Steeling herself against the pain from her scalp, Fiona glared up at him as her irises began to glow red with rage.


    ¡°Heed this warning, Fiona. Because I will not give you a second chance with this. If you ever try to use these fangs on me again...¡± whispered Anton as he tapped on the dark elf''s canine ¡°You will lose them¡±


    Fiona remained still for a moment before her eyes went wide.


    ¡°Do not test me on this, Fiona. You will control yourself. Or you will not stay in one piece...¡± stated Anton as he continued to ominously tap on her tooth ¡°Do you understand me?¡±


    Fiona remained completely still for another moment before she tried and failed to grudgingly nod her head.


    ¡°Good¡± said Anton as pulled her head forward and made her look down at the floor as he shifted her head from side to side ¡°Very good¡±


    Fiona cried out in frustration as the pool of drool that had been forming in her mouth spilled down her chin and was dribbled across and in between her breasts. Struggling in Anton''s grip, and pulling against the light chains proved to be a fruitless effort for her, and in the end she could do nothing but watch helplessly as her bust was coated with a layer of her own saliva.


    ¡°Ew! That''s gross!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she watched lines of her sister''s drool trail down her torso ¡°Master, quit that! That''s mean! She just took a shower!¡±


    ¡°Yes, you''re right. It is mean¡± chuckled Anton as he let go of Fiona''s hair ¡°But being mean to her is just so much fun though...¡±


    Finally free from his grip, Fiona growled in anger and hunched in on herself as she cringed away from Anton.


    ¡°Master you''re cruel!¡± said Kianna as she watched her sister silently rage ¡°Now she''s covered in spit!¡±


    ¡°Does that bother you?¡± asked Anton as he turned to her ¡°That I''m cruel to her?¡±


    ¡°...It, well? No, not really, I guess?¡± answered Kianna after a moment of thought ¡°Fiona is the one being stupid. She doesn''t have to keep fighting you like an idiot. She''s just bringing all this on herself. So I guess she does deserve it?¡±


    ¡°Hm¡± nodded Anton as he assessed Kianna for a moment before turning back to Fiona.


    The fuming dark elf pulled back on the light chains as he met her eyes.


    ¡°You know what Fiona... Since you seem so eager to prove just how vicious you can be...¡± mumbled Anton as he thoughtfully cradled his chin in his hand ¡°I think I might just leave you restrained like this for the rest of the day... Give you a chance to calm down a bit... What do you think about that?¡±


    Fiona went still for a moment before grunting and shaking her head softly as her eyes became nervous.


    ¡°Oh. You don''t like that idea? Well, maybe we need a third opinion then¡± mocked Anton as he turned to Kianna ¡°What do you think, Nurse? Should we set her free? Or just leave her as is?¡±


    Kianna''s eyes were thoughtful as she gazed at the look of desperation on her sister''s face.


    ¡°...Do you only have one of those gag thingies?¡± she asked as she kept her eyes on Fiona.


    ¡°...Yes?¡± answered Anton as he arched an eyebrow ¡°That''s the only one I have¡±


    ¡°...So, if we leave it on her, then I won''t have to wear it when it''s my turn?¡± reasoned Kianna ¡°Right?¡±


    ¡°That, is actually true!¡± said Anton as he slowly nodded his head.


    Fiona groaned in misery as she let her head fall forward and hang in defeat.


    ¡°...Yeah, that really wouldn''t be fair though¡± sighed Kianna as she shook her head ¡°She''s not even the one that bit you! I am! ...So no, she doesn''t deserve that. We should just let her go¡±


    ¡°...Well, she did try to bite me¡± mumbled Anton ¡°But I suppose you do have a fair point...¡±


    Fiona raised her head and gave her sister a overtly grateful look. The dark elf jumped in surprise and grumbled as Anton reached up with both hands and firmly took hold of the gag on either side of her face.


    ¡°You do know how lucky you are to have her as a sister!¡± stated Anton as he looked down into Fiona''s eyes ¡°Don''t you!?¡±


    Fiona stared at him in silence before slowly nodding her head.


    ¡°Good¡± said Anton as he squeezed the wedges on both sides of the gag and released them from the cranks ¡°Now, once you can speak again. I do expect a ¡°thank you¡± from you for both me and Kianna¡±


    Fiona exhaled in relief as the two halves of the gag came together and she was finally able to close her mouth again. Since the gag was still held in place by the straps that were wrapped around her head she couldn''t help but to mouth the two bars and taste the bitter metal with her tongue.


    Anton smirked at the look of distaste on her face and stepped back behind her to unbuckle the gag.


    Fiona pushed the gag out of her mouth with her tongue as Anton came back to her front and tugged on it with the leather straps.


    Once completely free, Fiona hunched back in on herself and looked down at the floor in front of her.


    ¡°...Thank you¡± she whispered meekly as she ran her tongue through her mouth.


    ¡°Thank you?¡± exclaimed Anton as he gave her a pointed look.


    ¡°Master!¡± declared Fiona as she cringed away from him ¡°A-and you too! Kianna!¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It''s cool¡± mumbled Kianna as she watched her sister fight to hold back her tears of frustration ¡°So is she finally done now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she is¡± said Anton as he turned away from the dark elves and made his way to the counter-top ¡°Hopefully in more ways than one¡±


    Kianna watched quietly as Anton took a tube-shaped dispenser of alcoholic wipes out of the travel bag and used them to start cleaning and sterilizing the whitehead gag. She turned back to Fiona when the rings and light chains that held her in place suddenly vanished.


    To afraid to move from where she stood, Fiona wrapped her arms around herself as she kept her eyes away from both Anton and her sister.


    Kianna stared at her solemn sister for a moment before moving over to stand near Anton.


    ¡°You can set the tray down, we won''t need it for a minute¡± said Anton as he placed the whitehead gag back in it''s case ¡°Just give me a minute to get everything cleaned and we''ll get your turn out of the way¡±


    ¡°Okay¡± nodded Kianna as she set the tray down on the counter-top near the tablet ¡°Hey, do you mind if I take care of her real quick? While you do that?¡±


    ¡°Not at all¡± said Anton as he picked up the tongue depressor from the tray ¡°I was actually hoping you would, so thank you!¡±


    ¡°You''re welcome!¡± grinned Kianna as she tossed a bath towel and a one of the bathrobes over her arm and made her way back to her sister.


    ¡°Kianna!¡± growled Fiona as her met her approaching sister''s eyes ¡°You gotta help me!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I am¡± soothed Kianna as she stopped in front of her and began to dab at the saliva residue on her belly ¡°You''ll be clean again in just a second¡±


    Fiona hunched down and subconsciously tried to hide herself behind her sister as she cupped her hands over her mouth.


    ¡°I don''t mean that! Did you not hear him!? This bastard is going to pull out my teeth!¡± she snarled as she tried to keep her voice down ¡°Help me! Please!¡±


    ¡°He said he''s only going to do that if you try to bite him again¡± reasoned Kianna as she wiped away at each of Fiona''s breasts ¡°...Wait? Are you going to try to bite him again?¡±


    ¡°What! No!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she shook her head ¡°The fuck would I do that for!?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know! Cause you''re stupid!? Why did you even do it this time!?¡± whispered Kianna as she looked her in the eyes ¡°Anyways! If you''re not going to bite him again then you''re fine! You have nothing to worry about!¡±


    Clenching her teeth together behind her hands, Fiona whimpered pitifully as she pleaded with her eyes.


    Staring at her for a moment, Kianna sighed softly through her nose as she leaned in and pressed her forehead against her sister''s.


    ¡°You''re gonna be okay, Fiona¡± she soothed as she wrapped the bathrobe around her sister''s shoulders and pulled her in closer for an embrace ¡°Just stop being so stupid... And you''ll be fine...¡±


    Anton had stopped in the middle of his task to watch the dark elves through the mirror. Once again it was clear that they were both finding comfort in each others touch. Like before, they had both folded their ears back and away from their heads as they rested their foreheads together. Though he could barely hear only faint sounds, he was fairly sure that Kianna was now humming softly as she held her sniveling sister. They stayed this way for some time until Kianna pulled back and gave her nearly dozing sister another look over.


    ¡°...Hey, Master! ...I think Fiona has had enough for now. She could probably use some alone time. ...She looks really tired. ...Like really tired!¡± she said as she pulled the sides of the bathrobe out a bit and helped an almost unresponsive Fiona slid her arms into the sleeves ¡°Do you mind if she goes to her room and takes a nap?¡±


    ¡°No, she''s done here. So if that''s what she wants to do then that''s fine¡± said Anton as he continued to watch them through the mirror ¡°And I''d agree with you on thinking that she could use a little time on her own. So that works perfectly¡±


    ¡°You good with that?¡± asked Kianna as she tied the robe shut around her sister''s waist.


    ¡°What!? Are you kidding!?¡± hissed Fiona ¡°Like I could just leave you alone with him!? What if he tries something with you!?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that''s part of the point of you leaving! If I''m lucky he will!¡± mumbled Kianna as she straightened Fiona''s robe and then looked her in the eyes.


    Fiona stared back for a moment before sighing heavily and slumping her shoulders in defeat.


    ¡°Seriously!?¡± she groaned quietly as she let herself lean forward and rested her forehead back against her sister''s ¡°...You''re so stupid, you slut!¡±


    Kianna giggled softly as she gently pushed her own forehead back against Fiona''s.


    ¡°...You should go¡± whispered Kianna as she poked Fiona in the sternum to urge her on ¡°You''re about to fall over¡±


    Fiona was still for a moment before she wrapped her arms around her sister and pulled her into a tight embrace.


    ¡°...Are you sure?¡± she asked as she held Kianna as tightly as she could.


    ¡°Yeah, it''s cool! I got this!¡± smiled Kianna as she hugged her back ¡°I''ll see you in a little while!¡±


    ¡°...You''re stupid, and I hate you¡± grumbled Fiona as she loosened her hold and pulled away ¡°...Scream if you need me. ...Okay!?¡±


    ¡°I will!¡± giggled Kianna as she let her arms fall away from around her sister ¡°Now go get some sweet dreams!¡±


    Nodding her head, Fiona glanced at Anton and gave him a murderous glare before turning away and grudgingly marching through the door.


    Biting her lower lip, Kianna watched her sister make a tentative path through the master bedroom and then disappear as she made her way out towards the hall. Once Fiona was gone from sight, Kianna turned to Anton and smiled broadly.


    ¡°Finally!¡± she breathed as she quickly made her way back to his side ¡°Now we can finally be alone!¡±


    Anton couldn''t help but to chuckle at her enthusiasm.


    ¡°Well now!?¡± he smiled as he set the dental pick down on the tray ¡°Was all that planned out then!?¡±


    ¡°...Maybe!¡± mumbled Kianna as she looked away with her eyes and grinned ¡°...Yes!¡±


    Anton chuckled again as he shook his head.


    ¡°Well, before you get yourself too excited!¡± he laughed as he picked up the tablet and quickly switched files ¡°We do need to get your little checkup out of the way!¡±


    ¡°Okay! That''s fine!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she nodded in agreement ¡°I''m ready whenever you are!¡±


    ¡°Alright then!¡± teased Anton as he gave her a sideways glance and grinned playfully ¡°Then assume the position, my little slave! And we''ll get started right away!¡±


    Kianna stared up at him for a second before a look of smugness slowly spread itself across her face.


    ¡°...Yes¡± she breathed quietly as she folded her ears down and pointed them back and away from her head ¡°...As you wish¡±


    Anton turned to face her fully as Kianna stepped away from him. The dark elf looked back over her shoulder and kept her head tilted back enough that one of her bright, ruby-colored eyes stayed locked to his. As he watched, she unwrapped the towel from over her chest and, holding the corners with both hands, she let it slowly slide down her torso.


    With each step she took she revealed more and more of her body as she let the towel fall further and further down. The piercing whiteness of her hair as it spread out evenly along her shoulders and the falling white cotton towel both contrasted brightly against the smooth, cocoa colored skin being revealed between them. As the towel pooled at the small of her back, she swayed her hips wide and with two sashaying steps she let her derriere come into full view. The roundness of her heart-shaped bottom was showcased clearly as she let the towel slip beneath her butt cheeks and come to rest at the tops of her thighs. Pulling back upwards on the towel, she playfully snagged and lifted her own behind. Her butt cheeks both came to rest with a tantalizing jiggle when she released them from her hold by letting go of the towel and having it fall to the floor behind her.


    Fully nude now, save for her collar, the dark elf wrapped her arms over her chest in mock bashfulness as she stepped onto the bathmat. Locking her knees together she angled the lower half of her right leg out to the side and stood at a slant as she gave Anton a generous view of the backside of her body. Staying motionless for only a moment, she kept her next movements slow and sensual as she twisted at the waist, rolled her hips to the side and kicked off with her angled leg as she turned to face him.


    Kianna''s arms were wrapped tightly around her torso and her hands were cupped protectively over each of her breasts as she teasingly kept them hidden from view. Tilting her hips to the side, she bent her right leg at the knee and lifted it just high enough to hide her sex with her thigh.


    The dark elf lowered her ears and pouted playfully before a sly grin spread across her face. Giving each of her breasts a quick squeeze, she mashed her nipples between her thumbs and fingers before dropping her arms away from her chest completely and stepping to the side to stand with her legs slightly spread and her slit fully revealed. She then ran her hands down her sides and followed the curvature of her waist and hips before lifting her arms up and, using the backs of her hands, she tossed her hair back and off of her shoulders. The dark elf then laced her fingers together above her head and planted her coupled hands against the back of her skull. With her shoulders rolled back and her chest thrust forwards, her breasts appeared at their fullest as they stood up and out in front of her.


    Kianna''s large, captivating eyes had become shimmering pools of seduction as she faced Anton and fixed him within her nearly hypnotic gaze. Wearing nothing but her collar and a thin confident smile, the haughty dark elf stood poised and with every smooth, feminine curve of her body completely exposed and on display for him to enjoy to the fullest.


    ¡°...I''m ready for you now¡± she breathed alluringly as her ears folded themselves further down behind her head and her hips swayed slightly towards him ¡°...My Master¡±


    Anton stood frozen in place for nearly a full minute before he finally came back to his senses.


    ¡°...Oh, Hell!¡± he muttered as he tried and failed to curb the stiffening that was taking place between his legs ¡°...Why do I keep thinking that you''re the good one!?¡±

 Chapter 18 : Early Afternoon

    Chapter 18 : Early Afternoon


    In the short amount of time that he had spent with both Fiona and Kianna, Anton had made note of how they were in contrast to other dark elves by their subdued demeanors and sibling bond. But even as they both stood far and away from typical examples of their species, they still exhibited certain core behavior traits that marked them for the creatures that they really were.


    An example of this would be Kianna''s complete lack of compassion for her sister being enslaved against her will. This was actually surprising to Anton for two reasons, the first being that Kianna was generally very caring and protective towards her sister, save for in this very instance. And the second reason was that although it would be expected for any dark elf to be fine with the idea of enslaving another sapient being, it was still surprising that Kianna seemed to have no issue with this happening to not only one of her own species, but to a family member as well. Whether this was a typical response for all dark elves or unique to Kianna couldn''t be said at this time, but it was certainly worth noting. As was nearly everything else that concerned Kianna and her very surprising reaction to her own enslavement.


    That Kianna was not only willing to submit to and accept Anton as a dominate figure that had control over her but was even ready to fully embrace the idea of him as her Master went against everything that Anton had ever assumed he had known about dark elves in general. Everything he had ever seen and heard in the past had made it clear that a dark elf would never truly submit to another person. Surrender to avoid pain and death? Maybe? But to willingly become submissive to another being, even one of their own kind, had always universally been believed to be somethings that no dark elf would ever do. This was common enough knowledge that most everyone would be well aware of it. Everyone, with the apparent exception of Kianna.


    Although Anton was far more familiar with dark elves than most people would normally be. He had still never been privy to the private relationships that they would develop with each other. And as such he had no idea if Kianna''s seemingly bizarre behavior was really all that unusual.


    As a control race built to enslave other people, it was not at all difficult to believe that a dark elf would seek to have control over another of their own kind. And it was equally easy to imagine that a relationship between two of them would ultimately result in one being dominate over the other. In order for this dynamic to work however, one of them would have to accept the submissive role. And despite the many dark elf couples Anton had known over the years, he had never once seen any evidence that this was ever the case.


    On the contrary, the dynamics he had seen so far had all been very similar in structure. With both individuals on clearly equal ground and having an overall behavior that indicated more of a close and competitive friendship, rather than what would be considered a romantic relationship. In other words, they simply seemed to enjoy each others company and never showed any signs that they had any interest in ever taking things farther than that, let alone ruling over one another. Whether or not they would display a more submissive side to themselves when in private was certainly possible, but that was very hard to imagine considering they were rarely ever truly alone.


    Although dark elves were generally monogamous with their own kind. As natural slave-mongers it was considered perfectly normal for both sexes to maintain slaves of other species that were meant to be utilized for sexual purposes, even while in a relationship. These sexual exploits with their slaves were considered purely recreational and were not ever seen as a type of unfaithful behavior.


    Since the slaves would be in such constant close proximity, it would stand to reason that they would at one point or another bare witness to a dark elf displaying any type of submissive behavior towards another dark elf, and take note of this, regardless of whether this submissiveness was sexual in nature or not. But since no rumors of this existed, it was safe to assume that it was something that just never happened.


    At least not until now.


    ¡°Well now... Quite the naughty little thing, aren''t you!?¡± grinned Anton as he tried to maintain control of his swelling manhood ¡°Does my little dark elf think she''s being cute?¡±


    Kianna''s eyes were both knowing and inviting as she smiled softly. It was quite obvious that she was fully aware of the effects her coquettish efforts were currently having on her Master, and yet she continued to remain quiet and unassuming.


    ¡°...You do look good like that.¡± nodded Anton as he looked her up and down ¡°Maybe that collar should be the only thing I ever let you wear!¡±


    Kianna''s smile broadened as she beamed and tilted her chin up to show off the collar wrapped tightly around her neck.


    ¡°If that would please you, my Master...¡± cooed the dark elf as she eyed the growing mass at his groin ¡°Then I wouldn''t have any complaints...¡±


    ¡°Oh really? Well, that''s good to hear.¡± said Anton as he stepped up to her and placed his hands on either side of her neck above her collar ¡°And what else would you do to please me?¡±


    Kianna shivered and steeled herself to remain still and smiling as he ran his fingertips up beneath her jawline and pressed them in lightly against her throat.


    ¡°I, I would do anything to please you, Master!¡± she exclaimed as she let her ears rise and then fall back into place behind her head ¡°Anything at all!¡±


    ¡°Well now, that''s nice, though not very creative...¡± mumbled Anton as he pressed his fingertips in more firmly ¡°I''d like to hear about what you want to do, to please me...¡±


    ¡°W-what, I want, to do!?¡± gasped Kianna as she felt the pressure of his fingers lightly tighten around her throat ¡°...W-what, I want!¡±


    ¡°That''s right...¡± soothed Anton as he let his aura seep into her through his hands ¡°I''d like to know...¡±


    Anton had a soft smile on his face as he watched the dark elf''s bright, ruby-colored eyes go wide as the warmth of his power spread throughout her body.


    ¡°Uh! I, I would!¡± stammered Kianna as she spoke through her smile ¡°I, I want to!¡±


    ¡°...Yes?¡± breathed Anton as he tilted her head back and lifted her chin up higher in order to make her look at him clearly ¡°...Go on.¡±


    Without thinking Kianna went to move forward and press herself against him but was stopped short as she found herself being held in place by the hands now wrapped firmly around her neck. She made a small desperate sound in the back of her throat as her ears flattened themselves completely.


    ¡°I want to please you!¡± she whimpered as she fought to keep her smile from cracking ¡°Please! Please just let me please you!¡±


    ¡°Alright. But first...¡± said Anton as he let up on his grip ¡°I''d like to hear how you want to please me...¡±


    ¡°Oh! I don''t know how to say it!¡± whined Kianna as she lifted her hands away from her head ¡°Please, just let me show you!¡±


    ¡°Nah, ah, ah! Put your hands back where they belong!¡± commanded Anton in a playful tone as he let his own hands run down Kianna''s neck and come to rest on her shoulders ¡°You were never given permission to move them.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± groaned Kianna as she quickly planted her hands back behind her head ¡°Please, just! Please!¡±


    Anton gave her a another soft smile as he began to move around her. Keeping at least one hand on her the whole time, he took one sideways step after another until he was fully standing behind the dark elf.


    ¡°Stay right where you are...¡± he whispered into her quivering ear as he leaned in close and gave her shoulders a light squeeze ¡°Do not move...¡±


    Kianna whimpered excitedly as she felt his fingertips slowly run down over her shoulder blades. She shivered and then went still as his hands trailed back up around her sides and over her ribs before finally reaching her bosom. Cupping each of the dark elf''s large breasts in his hands, Anton squeezed them both gently but firmly as he pulled her in close to him and forced her shoulders to press in against his chest. Fondling her softly he listened to her weak murmurs before leaning in close and whispering into her ear.


    ¡°Do you want to touch me?¡± he asked quietly.


    ¡°Oh Gods! Yes, please! Please Master!¡± moaned Kianna as she let herself lean against him ¡°Please!¡±


    ¡°Do you want to feel me?¡± continued Anton as he gently crushed her breasts into her own chest as he held her pressed against him.


    ¡°Oh yes! I do! I do Master!¡± whined Kianna as she felt the warmth and vibrations of his chest against her back ¡°Please! I want to! I need to!¡±


    ¡°Do you want to move for me...¡± whispered Anton as he let her nipples slip between his fingers ¡°Do you want to breathe for me...¡±


    The dark elf moaned through her teeth as she lifted and stomped first one foot and then the other. Struggling to stay standing where she was, she rolled her shoulders back and forth as she squirmed against Anton''s chest.


    ¡°Yeess! I do!¡± she whined as she looked down to watch and feel his hands as they worked to mold and mash the soft flesh of her breasts, while at the same time tugging teasingly on her nipples now trapped firmly between his fingers ¡°Please!¡±


    ¡°Do you want to know me...¡± whispered Anton as he leaned forward, pressed the side of his face against her head and breathed in the scent of her hair.


    Kianna moaned as she rolled her head back and leaned back into him.


    ¡°Yes I do!¡± she breathed as she slumped against him.


    Anton let his hands slowly fall away from her breasts and slide down her torso as they followed the curvature of her waist. Wrapping his left arm around her middle he pulled her in close and held her tightly against his body.


    ¡°Do you want to taste me...¡± he whispered as his free hand slipped over her slit and began to gently massage away at the folds that were hiding her clitoris.


    Kianna bucked her hips and tried to twist around at the waist so as to face him. She moaned in frustration as he tightened his hold around her middle and held her in place. Pulling her in closer, Anton pressed her hips into his groin and the dark elf froze as she felt the stiffness of his manhood come to rest between her butt cheeks.


    ¡°Do you want to beg for me!¡± growled Anton as he continued to swirl his fingers feverishly against her labia ¡°Do you want to scream for me!¡±


    ¡°Yeess!¡± wailed the dark elf as she gripped at and pulled down on her own hair as she rolled her head back and let it rest in the crook of his neck ¡°All of it! Please!¡±


    ¡°Do you want to live for me...¡± rumbled Anton as he let his fingers slide downwards and roughly slip inside her already dripping sex ¡°Do you want to obey me!¡±


    ¡°Yeess! Yes I do! I will!¡± moaned Kianna as she frantically gyrated her hips back and forth to the rhythm of his probing fingers all while bouncing herself against the welcoming hardness that was steadily growing behind her ¡°I want to! Please! I want to so badly!¡±


    ¡°Good! That''s very good!¡± breathed Anton as an evil smile spread across his face ¡°Now then, the next time I ask you what you want... I expect you to have an actual answer for me...¡±


    Kianna''s eyes went wide and her ears pointed themselves straight upwards as she felt the warmth of his aura begin to fade from her body.


    ¡°No! No, no, no, no!¡± she cried as his hold on her began to loosen ¡°Please Master no! Don''t do this to me! Please! Please don''t leave me like this!¡±


    ¡°Shh, shh, shh, now, now!¡± soothed Anton playfully as he moved around to her front ¡°You brought this on yourself, my naughty little dark elf...¡±


    Anton left his fingers to curl aimlessly inside her as he stood in front of the quivering dark elf and took her chin in his hand.


    ¡°And now you''ll know that this is what happens to naughty little dark elves...¡± said Anton as he slipped his fingers out of her dripping sex and brought them up to her lips ¡°Who try to seduce their Masters...¡±


    With her eyes moistening with frustrated tears, Kianna flattened her ears submissively behind her head and whimpered pitifully as she tentatively opened her mouth.


    ¡°And you''re going to do your best to remember this lesson...¡± smiled Anton as he slipped his fingers in between her parted teeth ¡°Won''t you?¡±


    ¡°Mm hm!¡± whimpered Kianna as she began to suck her own juices from his fingers.


    Using the very tip of her tongue, she frantically lapped between the invading digits as she desperately tried to both redeem herself and entice Anton into wanting more.


    Anton took hold of Kianna''s jaw by curling his fingers in behind her teeth and slipping his thumb beneath her chin. Gripping tightly, but gently, he pulled the surprised dark elf in close to his face and smiled at her.


    ¡°Oh... My poor, poor little dark elf...¡± he teased ¡°You''re so frustrated now, aren''t you?¡±


    ¡°Mm hm!¡± whined Kianna as she tried to nod her head.


    ¡°Well, if you can behave yourself for the next little bit... Then I promise, you''ll get some relief...¡± soothed Anton as he let up on his grip ¡°Would you like that?¡±


    ¡°Mm hm! Mm hm!¡± whimpered Kianna as her eyes brightened and her ears pointed themselves straight upwards.


    ¡°Well, we better get to it then.¡± smiled Anton as he began to playfully wiggle his fingers in her mouth ¡°We have so many things to do. And times wasting...¡±


    Whimpering in excitement, Kianna redoubled her efforts to suck away the last of her own flavors from his fingers. She cleansed the probing digits thoroughly and then followed them out with her tongue as they left her mouth. She sighed heavily as Anton began to chuckle at her spent appearance.


    ¡°Master! You''re so mean to me!¡± whined Kianna as she brought her legs in close and pressed her thighs together ¡°You''re so cruel! And, and evil!¡±


    ¡°I know...¡± soothed Anton as he cupped her chin in his hand and ran his thumb up and down across her cheek ¡°But I''m afraid I have to be... You see, this is the best way to teach you how to be a good girl!¡±


    Kianna groaned and pointed her ears straight back in annoyance as she glared at him.


    Anton chuckled again as he let her go and took a step back.


    ¡°You can go ahead and put your arms down for now.¡± he said as he let his eyes rove across her body.


    Sighing heavily, Kianna dropped her arms down and immediately began to fondle her breasts whilst simultaneously playing with her nipples.


    ¡°Hey now!¡± smiled Anton as he reached out and took hold of her chin ¡°What do you think you''re doing!?¡±


    ¡°Wha!? Oh c''mon! Please!¡± begged Kianna as she lowered her ears and mashed her breasts together and against her chest ¡°Please, just a little bit!? I really need this right now!¡±


    Anton had a stern but friendly look on his face as he grinned at her and shook his head.


    Kianna groaned through her clenched teeth as he let go of her chin. Balling her hands into fists she held her arms straight down along her sides.


    ¡°Argh! ...Mean! So mean!¡± she whined through her teeth as she glared down at the floor and stomped her foot.


    Anton couldn''t help but to laugh at the adorably frustrated dark elf.


    ¡°Aw! My poor, poor little dark elf!¡± he teased as he flicked a lock of her hair away from her eyes ¡°She''s so upset now!¡±


    ¡°She is! I mean, I am!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she kept her eyes on the floor and pointed her ears straight back ¡°My evil Master is being really, really mean to me!¡±


    ¡°Well, you''re supposed to be behaving yourself, and you''re not!¡± teased Anton as he folded his arms over his chest and smiled at her ¡°Now are you!?¡±


    Kianna groaned miserably and tightened her shoulders as she laid her ears back submissively.


    ¡°...No! I guess not!¡± she grumbled ¡°...I''m sorry!¡±


    ¡°Apology accepted!¡± declared Anton as he continued to smile at her ¡°Now, be a good girl, Kianna, and look at me.¡±


    Hesitating for a brief second, Kianna kept her ears laid flat behind her head as she slowly brought her eyes back up to look at him.


    ¡°Stop that!¡± she whined as a bright blush spread across her cheeks ¡°Stop smiling at me like that!¡±


    ¡°I can''t!¡± laughed Anton ¡°You are just too cute when you''re like this! Aw! You poor little thing! I''m so sorry! But I''m really having a lot of fun with you right now!¡±


    ¡°Mean!¡± wailed Kianna as she stamped her foot again ¡°You! Ah! You''re are so mean!¡±


    Anton laughed again as he clamped his eyes shut and shook his head. When he reopened his eyes he found the dark elf glaring at him as an angry pout marred across her face.


    ¡°Okay! Stop it! Kianna!¡± chuckled Anton as he reached out and placed his hands on either side of her neck ¡°You''re gonna make this take forever!¡±


    The dark elf blinked in surprise before glaring again.


    ¡°I''m not doing anything!¡± she complained as she raised her chin up to give Anton more room to feel around her throat.


    ¡°Oh yes you are!¡± chastised Anton playfully as he pressed his fingertips in along the base of her jawline ¡°You''re being really cute! And it''s distracting me!¡±


    Kianna''s face softened as she looked off to the side.


    ¡°...Well, I''m sorry!¡± she mumbled quietly ¡°...But not really!¡±


    Anton laughed again as he let his arms drop to his sides.


    ¡°Kianna!¡± he sighed as he shook his head ¡°Do you ever have any problems with sore throats?¡±


    ¡°...No.¡± answered Kianna as she shook her head.


    ¡°Any burning, or pain in your ears or in your face?¡± asked Anton as he raised his arms back up and felt along the base of her head below her ears ¡°Or any allergies that you know of?¡±


    ¡°Nope, no and nope!¡± sang the dark elf as she continued to look off to the side ¡°I haven''t been sick in a long time either!¡±


    ¡°Good, very good!¡± said Anton as he took the stethoscope from around his neck and placed it''s buds in his ears.


    Anticipating his intentions, Kianna arched her back and began to twist back and forth as she happily presented her chest for his attention.


    Caught off guard by the sight of a suddenly swaying pair of elven breasts, Anton paused for a moment to appreciate the view before chuckling and continuing on with his task.


    Kianna couldn''t help but to shiver slightly as the resonator disc was placed against her skin.


    Anton nodded softly as he moved the disc around a bit and listened to her heart for a few moments.


    ¡°Can you take a deep breath and breathe out slowly, please?¡± he said as he placed the disc right in between her breasts.


    The dark elf was a little too eager to comply and her in excitement she ended up nearly hyperventilating.


    ¡°Slow down a little bit Kianna...¡± grinned Anton as he shifted the disc down to just below her breasts ¡°Once more...¡±


    Kianna made a conscious effort to slow her pace as Anton moved to her side and placed the disc first below her left shoulder blade and then her right.


    ¡°You actually sound a little better than your sister...¡± mused Anton as he placed the resonator at the small of her back and gave her waist a gentle squeeze.


    ¡°I do?¡± asked Kianna as she turned her head and glanced back at him ¡°Is Fiona okay!?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, she''s fine.¡± reassured Anton as he stepped back around to her front and gave her belly a quick listen to ¡°...I''m sure it''s just because she''s a bit more stressed. She''s not taking to her situation as well as you are.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah... That makes sense...¡± mumbled Kianna as she lowered her ears a bit ¡°She''s not very happy right now... I think she''s pretty scared too...¡±


    ¡°And you''re not?¡± asked Anton as he took the stethoscopes buds out of his ears and let them hang back around his neck ¡°Scared, I mean?¡±


    ¡°...Kinda, I know I should be!¡± said Kianna as her face scrunched up in thought ¡°But...¡±


    Anton stayed silent and still as the dark elf''s large eyes met his. They stared back at one another for a moment before Kianna blinked and tilted her head to the side.


    ¡°...I''m just not scared of you?¡± she whispered as she shook her head and cocked one of her ears in a curious manner ¡°I''m just not...¡±


    Anton nodded slowly.


    ¡°Well that''s good!¡± he said as a thin grin took shape on his face ¡°Though... I do think you might be a little scared of me! Just a tiny bit at least!¡±


    Kianna blinked and looked off to the side as a tight smirk marred her face.


    ¡°...Maybe!¡± she mumbled as her ears pointed themselves straight back behind her head ¡°...Only a tiny bit though!¡±


    Anton chuckled as a light blush spread across the dark elf''s face and she dropped her eyes to the floor.


    ¡°I thought so!¡± he teased as he moved to the side and used his foot to push the thin scale in front of her before making his way over to the counter-top ¡°Go ahead and step on that real quick, and then let me know what it says.¡±


    Kianna tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear as she stepped off the bathmat and planted both of her feet onto the center of the scale.


    ¡°...134 pounds, and 6 ounces.¡± she grumbled as she read off the red lighted numbers.


    ¡°134... and 6 ounces¡± repeated Anton as he picked up the tablet and quickly jotted down the numbers with the stylus ¡°...Hm, looks like you''re just a tiny bit heavier than your sister is.¡±


    ¡°Please don''t tell her that!¡± whined Kianna as she stepped back onto the bathmat and crossed her arms over her chest ¡°Seriously! She doesn''t need to know!¡±


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.Anton chuckled as he set the tablet down and picked up both the penlight and measuring tape from the tray.


    ¡°Alright. I guess we can keep that confidential.¡± he teased as he came back to stand in front of the dark elf ¡°Here, look into the light for me...¡±


    Kianna held her eyes open wide as Anton shined the penlight into each of them and watched as they dilated in response. Just like with her sister, the light shining back off of Kianna''s retinas was a bright red in color.


    ¡°And tilt your head back just a bit...¡± muttered Anton as he gave her nose a quick view ¡°Good...¡±


    Kianna dropped her head back down and took a heavy breath through her nose as Anton eased away from her.


    ¡°Here, step forward real quick.¡± said Anton as he stepped back ¡°And can you hold this for me?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± chirped Kianna as she took the penlight from his hand and stepped off the bathmat to plant her feet flat on the tile floor.


    ¡°Thank you...¡± mused Anton as he let the tape measure unfurl ¡°Now, stand straight...¡±


    Creating another glowing orange rod from his aura, Anton set the weighted end of the tape between the dark elf''s feet and balanced the end of the rod on the very top of her head.


    ¡°...Almost exactly the same.¡± he said as he eyed the numbers on the tape ¡°...5 foot 7 is close enough.¡±


    Stepping back, Anton quickly rolled up the tape measure and took the penlight back from Kianna before going back to the counter-top.


    ¡°So, it''s my ears next?¡± questioned Kianna as she stepped back onto the bathmat and pointed her ears straight upwards ¡°Right!?¡±


    Anton was quiet for a moment as he arranged everything back onto the tray and quickly documented Kianna''s height on the tablet.


    ¡°We''ll get to those in time...¡± he said as he picked up the lighted glasses and placed them back on over his eyes before turning around to face her ¡°But first...¡±


    Kianna went completely still as her eyes immediately locked onto the Whitehead gag that Anton now held in his hands.


    ¡°...I really don''t think that you need to wear this.¡± said Anton as he gazed down at the gag ¡°But if you feel that you should then-¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± interrupted Kianna ¡°I do, think that I should wear it...¡±


    ¡°...Alright then.¡± nodded Anton as he made his way back to her ¡°Then open your mouth for me.¡±


    Though Kianna tried to keep her face as stoic as possible as she stared at the approaching gag, her ears betrayed her by folding themselves back behind her head and laying flat in a submissive manner. As Anton leveled the gag with her face, she closed her eyes and leaned her head back as she opened her mouth.


    ¡°...Lift your tongue.¡± instructed Anton as he set the gag in place behind her teeth ¡°...Go ahead and bite down.¡±


    Kianna kept her eyes shut as Anton moved around behind her and buckled the gag''s straps together at the base of her skull. She opened her eyes wide and pointed her ears straight upwards as he came back to her front and began to press down on the wedges attached to each side of the gag.


    ¡°Just relax Kianna...¡± said Anton as he cranked the two halves of the gag apart and forced her jaws to separate ¡°This won''t take too long...¡±


    The dark elf made a small, unhappy sound as she balled her hands into fists and held her arms straight down at her sides.


    ¡°There we go...¡± said Anton as he finished with the gag and stepped back ¡°Alright, I''ll be right back.¡±


    Turning away from her, Anton made his way back to the counter-top and picked up the dental mirror and tongue depressor from the tray. He stopped short in surprise as he turned back to the dark elf.


    Kianna''s unfocused eyes were filled with a nearly hysterical level of panic as she was clearly trying to force her jaws back together. Failing to bite through the metal gag, the dark elf made a long, pained sound as she began to tremble uncontrollably.


    ¡°Kianna!¡± cried Anton as he rushed to her and pulled her into a tight embrace ¡°It''s okay Kianna! It''s okay! Calm down! Calm down! You''re okay! You''re okay!¡±


    The dark elf began to wail quietly as she gripped onto his shirt and frantically pressed herself into his chest.


    ¡°It''s okay Kianna! You''re okay!¡± soothed Anton as he let his aura engulf the dark elf and fill her with it''s calming essence ¡°Give me one second, and I''ll have this off you!¡±


    As Anton made to unbuckle the gags straps he was suddenly hindered as Kianna began to wildly shake her head and squirm against him.


    ¡°Kianna!?¡± questioned Anton as he looked down at her and found her staring back up at him with pleading eyes that were heavy with unshed tears.


    Shaking her head, the dark elf started whimpering incomprehensibly as she tilted her head back and presented her open mouth.


    Sighing in both understanding and frustration, Anton clicked on the little light attached to the glasses and bent forward so as to get to work examining the dark elf.


    Right down to the sharpness of her short fangs, Kianna''s teeth were an almost identical match to Fiona''s. And the only imperfection that Anton could see was that one of her bottom incisors was being pushed slightly backwards by the one next to it, this was so minimal however that he hardly considered it even noteworthy.


    ¡°Can you stick out your tongue, please?¡± asked Anton as he peered into the back of Kianna''s throat.


    ¡°Ah!¡± cried Kianna as she did as she was asked.


    The dark elf tightened her grip on Anton''s shirt and whimpered pitifully as he gently held the back of her tongue down with the depressor.


    ¡°It''s okay Kianna...¡± soothed Anton as he gave her molars one last go over ¡°It''s almost over...¡±


    Raising back up to his full height, Anton''s chest tightened at the sight of the still panicking dark elf.


    Thick lines of moisture streamed out from the corners of her tear filled eyes and ran down along the curvature of her cheeks. Barely able to see at all through her saturated eyes, Kianna again began to whimper pleadingly and tremble uncontrollably as she registered that he was now looking back at her.


    ¡°Hold on!¡± exclaimed Anton as he frantically unbuckled the straps that held the gag in place and released the cranks that kept it open.


    As the gag began to finally close, Kianna started to coo happily and rattle her teeth by viciously biting at the metal bars over and over again.


    ¡°Let go, Kianna!¡± demanded Anton as he tugged on the gag she now held clamped between her teeth.


    The moment the dark elf released the hold her jaws had on the metal gag she immediately began to wail in sorrow as she ducked in under Anton''s arms and desperately pressed herself against him.


    ¡°I''m sorry!¡± she whined as she clung to his shirt and buried her face against his chest ¡°I''m sorry, I''m sorry, I''m sorry, I''m sorry, I''m sorry!¡±


    Shocked by the similar panicked response the Whitehead gag had on both of the dark elves, Anton hesitated for a moment before wrapping his arms tightly around Kianna and hugging her to himself.


    ¡°Stop it Kianna! You''re okay now! You''re okay! You''re right here! You''re okay!¡± cried Anton as he tightened his hold on her in an effort to keep her still and stop her trembling ¡°It''s okay! You''re okay! You''re okay! It''s over! It''s over!¡±


    Holding the gag, mirror and depressor in his left hand, Anton planted his right against the back of the dark elf''s head above her still flattened ears and held her against him.


    Kianna was making a non-stop panicked wail as she pressed her quivering jaws against his chest.


    Feeling her teeth grazing against him through his shirt, Anton braced himself to be bitten by a bite that never came. Instead the dark elf squirmed in his arms until she was able to tilt her head to the side and look up at him.


    ¡°I''m sorry!¡± wailed Kianna as their eyes met ¡°Please! I''m so sorry!¡±


    ¡°Kianna that''s enough!¡± exclaimed Anton as he bent his head forward and laid his cheek against the side of her head ¡°You don''t need to be sorry, you didn''t do anything wrong! I did! I''m sorry! I didn''t know it would scare you like this! I never would have let you wear it if I did!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± cried the dark elf as she tried to shake her head ¡°No! I couldn''t do it! I''m sorry! I couldn''t! I''m sorry!¡±


    ¡°...Couldn''t do it?¡± questioned Anton as he blinked in surprise ¡°What are you talking about!?¡±


    ¡°I couldn''t do it! I didn''t like it! I didn''t like it!¡± whined Kianna as she hid her face back against him ¡°I''m sorry! I''m so sorry! Please! Please don''t be mad at me!¡±


    ¡°Mad at!? No! Kianna I''m not mad at you at all!¡± implored Anton as he tightened his hold on her ¡°Kianna I have no idea what you''re even talking about! But I''m not mad at you! At all! You''ve done nothing wrong!¡±


    The dark elf began to whimper through her sobs as she tried to keep herself from hyperventilating.


    ¡°That''s enough, Kianna...¡± whispered Anton as he let his aura flare outwards and fill the area all around them ¡°You''re okay now... Just go slow, and calm down. Okay... you''re okay, you''re okay...¡±


    Anton continued to talk softly for some time, and as he did Kianna became quieter and quieter as her panic began to subside. Feeling her go still in his arms, Anton went quiet himself and began to rock gently back and forth as he held her.


    With his mind now racing as he tried to figure out both what Kianna was talking about as well as why the Whitehead gag had triggered such panic in the dark elves, Anton didn''t immediately register when Kianna began to slowly move in his arms.


    ¡°...Hello? Master?¡± she whispered as she kept her face hidden ¡°...I''m really sorry!¡±


    ¡°Kianna, I already told you to stop that...¡± soothed Anton as he began to rub the back of her head ¡°I don''t want to hear you say that you''re sorry again! You have nothing to apologize for. You did nothing wrong, so stop it. Right now.¡±


    ¡°...But I did!¡± whimpered the dark elf ¡°I, I bit you!¡±


    Anton paused in surprise before leaning his head back and looking down at the dark elf.


    ¡°That''s what you''re upset about!?¡± he exclaimed as he cocked an eyebrow in question ¡°Kianna we already talked about this! and I told you I''m not mad at you about that! You need to stop worrying about it!¡±


    ¡°No, I, I know! You don''t understand!¡± exclaimed Kianna ¡°You were mad cause you got bitten! That''s why you got that gag out in the first place! ...And I was the one! I did it! And I wanted to show you I was sorry! ...I wanted you to see that! I was gonna stay still so you could see my teeth! I wanted... to be good! But I, I couldn''t! I''m sorry! I, I failed!¡±


    Anton curbed his first instinct to tell her that was ridiculous and went still as he thought over what she had just said.


    ¡°...Hello?¡± whispered Kianna after a moment of silence.


    ¡°Kianna.¡± said Anton as he ran his hand down the back of her head ¡°I''d like you to answer a few questions for me if you can, okay?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah? Okay.¡± whispered the dark elf as she shifted about in his arms and raised her ears up to better hear him.


    ¡°Why does the Whitehead gag frighten you?¡± asked Anton as he eased his face away from the dark elf''s ears ¡°Both you and Fiona were gagged before, and neither one of you panicked then? But you both did this time? Why?¡±


    Kianna was silent and still for a moment as she seemed to mull over his questions.


    ¡°...This was different.¡± she whispered quietly ¡°Before I was just, stuck. And I knew it. ...But this time. ...You could see me! And, touch me, and look at me. ...And I couldn''t stop it. I couldn''t make my mouth close. I couldn''t make it stop. I couldn''t control it. And I wanted it to stop! I, I didn''t like it! I didn''t like it!¡±


    ¡°It''s okay Kianna, that''s enough!¡± exclaimed Anton as he gave her a squeeze to calm her back down ¡°I think I understand now...¡±


    ¡°...Y-you do!?¡± implored Kianna as she lowered her ears back down ¡°R-really!?¡±


    ¡°Yes. And like I said, you didn''t do anything wrong! You had no idea it would be like that. I didn''t even know it would be like that!¡± said Anton as he stroked the back of her head between her ears ¡°But even though you didn''t like it, you stuck through it, and made it all the way to the end! You didn''t fail at all Kianna! And I don''t want you to think that anymore! You succeeded! And you did a great job!¡±


    Anton felt the dark elf stiffen in his arms as she listened to what he said.


    ¡°You''re so strong Kianna...¡± he whispered into her ear as he squeezed her in tight against himself ¡°My brave, brave little dark elf! She''s such a good girl! And so amazing!¡±


    Kianna remained completely still for several seconds before she nearly exploded into a fit of trembling quivers. While unleashing a stream of happy sounding whimpers she began to squirm in Anton''s arms as she seemed to literally try to bury herself in his chest. Failing to do so, she changed her tactics mid-action and attempted to climb up onto him by wrapping her legs around his hips.


    Laughing softly as he worked to keep his hold on the struggling dark elf that was now determined to climb up onto him, Anton bent his knees and lowered himself down until he could rest on his folded legs.


    Now situated on Anton''s lap, Kianna unwrapped her legs from around him and curled herself into a ball as she clung to his chest and pressed herself against him.


    ¡°Th-thank you! M-master!¡± whimpered the dark elf as she nuzzled her head under his chin ¡°Th-thank you! Th-thank you! Th-thank you!¡±


    ¡°Sh, sh, sh, sh! Kianna, that''s enough...¡± soothed Anton as he began to rock softly back and forth ¡°It''s time to settle down a little...¡±


    Kianna continued to coo happily as she made a conscious effort to calm herself. For the next little while she tried to focus on nothing but the warmth she felt coming from both Anton''s chest and his aura. With too much adrenaline still in her system, she couldn''t bring herself to fully relax and find sleep but she did become calm enough to come close despite remaining alert.


    Anton kept a firm hold on the dark elf in his lap as he sat with her and let his mind wander.


    It was becoming clear to him now that the panic the two dark elves both experienced was more than likely brought on by a realization of helplessness and a confirmed lack of control. The Whitehead gag seemed to trigger this response in a way that being ¡°stuck¡± in normal bondage did not, because it left the dark elves fully exposed and vulnerable to another being, and whatever intentions that other being may have, in a way that full bondage gear didn''t. Considering the dark elves were such a dominating race, it did make sense that being put in a scenario where they were left legitimately powerless would have an acute psychological effect on them. And as Anton continued to ponder this, he began to wonder what other implements might trigger a similar response, and whether or not these implements would only work on his particular dark elves, or on all of them.


    ¡°...Kianna?¡± called Anton in a soft tone as he gently hoisted the dark elf up higher onto his lap ¡°Are you still awake?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± mumbled Kianna as she raised one of her ears and nodded her head against his chest ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± breathed Anton as he ran his hand up and down her back ¡°Because I think it''s about time that we got moving again...¡±


    ¡°...Do we have to!?¡± grumbled Kianna as she lowered her ear back down and hunched in on herself ¡°It''s really warm right here...¡±


    ¡°Aw. Are you cold?¡± chuckled Anton as he gave her a tight but playful squeeze ¡°Is my poor, naked little dark elf cold!?¡±


    ¡°Mmph!¡± groaned Kianna as the air was forced from her torso.


    Pointing her ears straight back, she tilted her head upwards and pouted as she met his eyes.


    ¡°Yeah, kinda...¡± she whined as she snuggled against him ¡°But I''m fine being naked! ...I''m just gonna stay right here for now. ...Where it''s warm.¡±


    Anton laughed at the determined look on her face and shook his head.


    ¡°No, no I don''t think that''s going to work Kianna!¡± he teased as he shifted himself back and forth ¡°My legs are already falling asleep!¡±


    ¡°That''s fine... You''re not using em right now anyways... So you don''t need em...¡± whined Kianna as she hid her face back against him.


    ¡°Yes, yes I do need them!¡± smiled Anton as he walked his fingers up her spine and grinned as she shivered in response ¡°...Tell you what though, since your cold. And you want to be naked! How about another warm bath? Hm? I think you could probably use one. And I''ll sit with you too!¡±


    Pondering his offer, Kianna was still for a moment before taking a deep breath and letting out a heavy sigh.


    ¡°Okay, fine!¡± she mumbled as she squirmed a bit against him ¡°...That does sound kinda nice!¡±


    ¡°Alright, that''s the plan then!¡± said Anton as he made to stand up ¡°But first we need to get everything cleaned up and put away...¡±


    Kianna groaned miserably as she was moved to the side and made to unfold her legs so that both of them could stand up together.


    ¡°We''ll make this quick.¡± promised Anton as he bent down and lifted the scale up from the floor ¡°And then we''ll get you all warmed up aga-!¡±


    Stopping short, Anton turned to his side to find Kianna clinging to him with her arms wrapped around his middle and her cheek pressed into the center of his back.


    ¡°...Really!?¡± he grumbled as the dark elf tightened her hold on him.


    ¡°...Yes!¡± she chirped quietly as she flattened her already lowered ears down against her shoulders ¡°...Please?¡±


    ¡°...Okay, fine.¡± sighed Anton as he turned around and slowly made his way to the counter-top with the still clinging dark elf in tow ¡°You spoiled little thing!¡±


    Kianna whined in protest before going quiet as Anton stopped in front of the tray and began to quickly wipe all of his instruments off with the alcohol wipes. Once everything had been cleaned, he packed it all back into the different metal boxes and arranged them back into the travel bag. As he was packing it all away he left a few key items sitting out on top of everything else before zipping up the bag.


    ¡°Kianna, I need you to let go for a minute.¡± he said as he lifted the travel bag from the counter-top and let it hang at his side ¡°I want you to go over what I''ve written down about you on your file and make sure it''s all accurate.¡±


    ¡°Mmph! Okay, fine!¡± grumbled Kianna as she reluctantly loosened her arms and stepped away from her place against his back ¡°...You''re so mean!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think we''ve figured that out already!¡± teased Anton as he turned to her and ruffled her hair ¡°It could be worst though! I could make you wear a gag all the time!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± whined Kianna as she let her head be shuffled back and forth ¡°...I hate wearing gags!¡±


    ¡°I noticed!¡± smiled Anton as he tapped her on the nose ¡°It''s too bad too. Because you''re so cute when you''re wearing one! Especially whenever you''re trying to talk, or yell at me!¡±


    Kianna pointed her ears straight back and pouted as she glared up at him.


    Chuckling at her expression, Anton moved around her and made his way to the tub. Setting the travel bag down in his deck chair, he leaned over the expanse of the tub and completely opened both of the faucets in an effort to fill the tub as quickly as possible.


    Watching him for a moment, Kianna began to absently stretch her arms out over her head and twist back and forth at the waist. Sighing in irritation, she let her arms fall back to her sides and turned to the counter-top where she picked up the tablet.


    Just as with her sister''s, her file had already been completely filled in. The document itself was identical to the one she had seen before with a top heading labeled ¡°general¡± and below that was all her information. Including her name, species, sex, sexual orientation, death status, height, weight, natural hair color, natural eye color, age and birth date. As she read through it she was a little surprised, and even began to feel a bit giddy, to find that all the information that Anton had written down thus far was indeed accurate. Which was a fact that in her mind, meant that he had already begun to remember everything about her.


    Anton raised an eyebrow as he watched Kianna begin to sway back and forth in a happy, dancing like manner as she read over what he had written out on the tablet. Preoccupied with her task and with her backside facing him, she clearly had no idea that she was being observed. Grinning to himself, and confident now that she wasn''t watching him, he reached over his own head with both arms and took hold of the back collar of his shirt before pulling it up and over his head to remove it in one smooth motion. With his shirt now free from his body, he tossed it onto the headrest of the deck chair and quickly dropped his shorts and boxers so as to add them to the same resting place.


    Kianna nodded her head as she eased the tablet away from her face and set it back down on the counter-top. Everything she had read was indeed correct and this left her with an odd, satisfied feeling in her chest. As she went to turn around she glanced up at the mirror in front of her and immediately stopped short. Her eyes instantly widened to their fullest and her ears pointed themselves straight upwards in surprise at what she saw behind her. Whirling around, she stood stock still with her mouth hanging agape as her eyes confirmed that she had not been tricked.


    Anton was standing with his hands on his hips and his back to her as he watched the tub fill with water. This wasn''t what had surprised her though, nor was it the calm, easy confidence that he stood there with. No, what had surprised her was that he was standing there, completely naked.

 Chapter 19 : Early Afternoon

    Chapter 19 : Early Afternoon


    ¡°Hm, hm, hm...¡± hummed Anton as he tapped at the surface of the bathwater and magically warmed it up to the point that thin lines of steam began to rise from it ¡°...Perfect!¡±


    Stepping over the sidewall, he slowly eased in one foot and then the other.


    ¡°Oooo, oh, oh yeah, just right...¡± he mumbled to himself as he lowered himself into the steaming water and laid back against the sidewall ¡°...Oh yeah, I needed this!¡±


    Anton had filled the tub up high enough that when he entered it and sat down, the water would rise up to just below his neckline. With his back leaning against the side, he was able to lay his head down on the edge of the tub and sink down a little further into the water as he relaxed and stretched out his limbs and body.


    ¡°Been pretty busy these last few days...¡± he mumbled as he shut his eyes and took in a deep breath of the warm, steam filled air ¡°And this is just what the doctor ordered...¡±


    Cracking open a single eye, Anton peeked over at Kianna and couldn''t help but to grin at the sight of her.


    The dark elf had a completely blank look on her face as she stood still and unmoving next to the counter-top. Her ears had pointed themselves straight upwards, which had given her a very surprised look, and she had unconsciously covered herself by wrapping one arm over her breasts and dropping the other down to hide her slit with her hand.


    ¡°Feel free to jump in whenever you want!¡± chuckled Anton as he closed his eye and went back to his dozing ¡°The water is just perfect...¡±


    Kianna never actually said a word or even made a single sound herself, but after several minutes of waiting, Anton heard the water being lightly disturbed on the opposite side of the tub from where he sat and he grinned as he felt the water level rise up to his neck.


    Deciding to play it dumb, he forced the grin from his face and let himself go slack as he focused on enjoying his own relaxation. After another few minutes of soaking he had nearly fallen asleep when he began to feel faint ripples in the water roll in against him. Cracking both of his eyes this time, he glanced over to his right and found that the dark elf had moved in close to his side.


    Kianna''s ears were still pointed straight upwards, and her large eyes were open to their fullest as they slowly roved over and did the best they could to examine Anton''s body while it was being obscured by the steaming bathwater. She was currently on her hands and knees and had an air of caution about her that Anton couldn''t help but to find adorable. The water level in the tub was high enough that her shoulders were almost fully submerged and as Anton''s eyes moved further down her length he couldn''t help but to be delighted with the view of her very round little bubble butt.


    Kianna''s heart-shaped bottom was being held at just the right height and angle so as to be only partially submerged in the water, and each of the rounded globes that were her butt cheeks, crested the surface in such a way that they appeared as two smooth, glistening little islands that seemed to be floating along behind her. Preoccupied as she was, she clearly didn''t realize that she was lightly bobbing her bottom up and down in what appeared to Anton as an almost mischievous manner.


    As Anton shifted his gaze back and forth between Kianna''s face and bottom, the dark elf continued her slow and methodical exploration of his body. Though she couldn''t see him quite as clearly as she would have liked, she was still determined not to waste the chance to sneak in and view him while he wasn''t looking. Her eyes crept along at an even pace as she let them travel down his torso and stop at his groin. There she lingered for several moments as she struggled to discern as much detail as she could through the thin layer of steam that billowed along the surface of the water. Frustrated that she just couldn''t see him as clearly as she wanted too, she moved on to his legs before reversing the trip and making her way back upwards.


    Anton kept his eyes on Kianna''s as he noticed that her gaze was slowly moving back towards him and it would only be a moment before she was fully facing him. He let a thin smile form on his face as her eyes suddenly darted to his.


    Kianna completely froze as she realized that she had been caught in her peeking. Smiling sheepishly, she hunched down and laid her ears back submissively before jumping in surprise as the tips of her ears dipped into the warm water.


    Anton couldn''t help but to chuckle uncontrollably as the startled dark elf''s ears began to throw tiny droplets of water into the air as they twitched wildly up and down.


    ¡°Did you just scare yourself!?¡± he teased as he smiled at the now flustered dark elf ¡°Aw! You poor little thing!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± whined Kianna as a warm blush spread across her cheeks ¡°It''s not funny!¡±


    The blushing dark elf flattened her ears again and sat back on her folded legs as she covered her face with her hands in an effort to hide from her shame.


    ¡°Oh! Are you embarrassed now!?¡± continued Anton as he reached out and lightly poked the side of her head ¡°Don''t try to hide!¡±


    ¡°Quit it!¡± whined Kianna as she cringed away from his touch ¡°You''re being mean again!¡±


    Anton chuckled again as he settled back against the sidewall and watched the squirming dark elf.


    ¡°Well that''s what you get for trying to be sneaky!¡± he teased as she again hunched in on herself ¡°My curious little dark elf!¡±


    After a few moments Kianna turned away from him and dropped her arms down into the water before folding them around her torso.


    ¡°I''m sorry I was sneaking!¡± she mumbled as her ears tightened themselves together behind her head ¡°...I just wanted to look at you for a second!¡±


    ¡°Hm, well I don''t mind if you want to look at me. You don''t have to try to be sneaky for that.¡± said Anton as he let his head tilt to the side ¡°Have you, ever been with a human before? And by that I mean, intimately?¡±


    ¡°Wha? No!¡± chirped Kianna as her eyes immediately darted back to his groin ¡°...Not, with a human, no.¡±


    ¡°Hm, have you ever even seen one before?¡± asked Anton as his grin widened a bit ¡°As in, all of one?¡±


    Kianna was quiet for a moment as she bit her lower lip and squinted her eyes as she continued to stare at his crotch.


    ¡°...Yeah. Well, just online.¡± she mumbled ¡°Not in real life...¡±


    ¡°Hm, I see.¡± nodded Anton ¡°So none of the guys that followed you around in college were humans then?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± said Kianna as she shook her head ¡°One was an incubus and the other was a kaftar. Well, there were 2 kaftars, I guess, but I never actually did anything with Samar, only Josh.¡±


    ¡°...Remind me again what a kaftar is?¡± mumbled Anton as he creased his brow and looked up at the ceiling ¡°Because I want to say they''re the one''s that are like hyenas, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that''s them. They look like hyena people.¡± nodded Kianna ¡°They were kinda scary looking at first, well their teeth were! But they were both actually really friendly...¡±


    ¡°Did you like them?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°They were nice, and I thought their fur was pretty. It was like a silvery, orange and black mix... And their ears were cute...¡± reminisced Kianna as her tone became quiet and far off ¡°I liked Collin better though...¡±


    ¡°...Collin was the incubus?¡± asked Anton after a moment of silence.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± nodded Kianna ¡°He was nice too... They all were... But they were just, well, everything was just weird...¡±


    ¡°...Weird?¡± prompted Anton.


    Kianna shifted her gaze to him and smiled sheepishly before looking back downwards.


    ¡°...They were scared of me. ...They tried to hide it. But I could tell.¡± mumbled the dark elf as her face took on a troubled look ¡°It didn''t matter how nice I was... It was always, it was just never comfortable! It was like they were always nervous, or, waiting for something to happen? Like they were always ready to jump as soon as I said anything. I don''t know, it was just... It was weird...¡±


    Anton nodded slowly and looked back up at the ceiling as he mulled over what she had told him.


    ¡°...It, actually makes a little sense.¡± he mumbled as he let his head roll to the side so he was facing her again ¡°Both of those species are traditionally attracted to stronger woman. So they were probably all expecting you take charge. And were constantly on pins and needles while they waited for that to happen.¡±


    ¡°Take charge?¡± questioned Kianna as she looked over at him ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean just that.¡± said Anton as a thin grin spread across his face ¡°They all probably thought that you were going to dominate them, and eventually take control of them.¡±


    ¡°...What!?¡± questioned Kianna as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards ¡°Why would they think that!? I never said I was gonna do that!?¡±


    Anton couldn''t help but to chuckle at the confused look on her face.


    ¡°Well, they probably thought that!¡± he said as he gave her a broad smile ¡°Because that''s what a dark elf would normally do, Kianna! And if it had been any other dark elf, besides you or your sister. That''s exactly what they would have done.¡±


    Kianna was completely still for a moment before her eyes lit up in realization.


    ¡°Oh!¡± she exclaimed as she looked back down at the water ¡°Oh, that! That makes so much sense!¡±


    Anton began to laugh loudly as he shook his head back and forth.


    ¡°Oh, those poor saps!¡± he exclaimed between bouts of laughter ¡°They probably thought they hit the jackpot! ...And instead they found the world''s most defective dark elf!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± cried Kianna ¡°I''m not defective!¡±


    ¡°Oh! My poor little defective dark elf!¡± teased Anton as he sat up and pulled her into a one-armed hug ¡°She had no idea what was even happening! She just wanted to be friends with everybody!¡±


    Kianna was pouting angrily as she let herself be pulled in for the hug.


    ¡°I did!¡± she whined as she pointed her ears straight back ¡°I didn''t know, that! That they wanted that! Any of that!¡±


    ¡°I know you didn''t, Kianna.¡± reassured Anton as he tightened his arm around her shoulders ¡°And that''s okay. It''s not your fault that they didn''t make themselves clear. And besides! Dominating them wasn''t what you wanted to do. Was it?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± said Kianna as she shook her head ¡°I never even thought about doing that!¡±


    ¡°Well there ya go then!¡± said Anton as he grinned at her ¡°They can just go find themselves a Mistress somewhere else then. My defective little dark elf just isn''t like that!¡±


    Kianna went quiet for a moment as her face became marred with thought.


    ¡°...But maybe I should have been?¡± she mumbled as she tilted her head and met his eyes ¡°Do you really think that I''m defective!?¡±


    ¡°Hmm... Well, I don''t know for sure.¡± said Anton as he pulled her in closer ¡°But yeah, I''m starting to think that you probably are...¡±


    ¡°Wha!? Really!?¡± cried Kianna as she flattened her ears back submissively ¡°Are you serious!?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But it''s alright!¡± declared Anton as he held her to himself and laid his cheek against the top of her head ¡°Even if you are broken. I couldn''t care less! You''re still be my little dark elf regardless! And I think you''re amazing, just the way you are!¡±


    ¡°...You''re so mean to me!¡± grumbled Kianna as she laid her head against his chest and closed her eyes ¡°My Master is such a cruel, evil man!¡±


    ¡°I know... And I am sorry...¡± mumbled Anton as he tightened his hold on her and let his eyes drift close ¡°But being mean, and teasing you, really is just so much fun for me!¡±


    Kianna sighed through her nose in frustration as Anton chuckled softly.


    Going quiet save for their breathing, the two of them sat together this way in silence as they enjoyed the warmth of both the water around them as well as each others bodies. After some time, Kianna sighed again.


    ¡°This is so weird...¡± she mumbled as she lightly nuzzled her cheek against Anton''s chest ¡°It was never like this before...¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± rumbled Anton as he took a breath in through his nose ¡°What wasn''t like this?¡±


    ¡°Being with them...¡± mumbled Kianna as she cracked her eyes and stared at nothing ¡°It was just never like this...¡±


    ¡°...What do you mean?¡± asked Anton ¡°How was it different?¡±


    Kianna was silent for a moment as she put her thoughts together.


    ¡°...It was never this easy. Like, this is so easy! We''re just here, right now. Together! ...And it never felt like this...¡± explained the dark elf ¡°I don''t know... This is just different... You''re different! I guess?¡±


    ¡°...How am I different?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°You''re totally different! Like, in all the ways!¡± exclaimed Kianna ¡°You''re not scared! You''re... honest? I don''t know how to say it... You''re just... You''re, you''re not scared! And you don''t know how important that is!¡±


    The dark elf''s voice began to crack a bit as she pressed herself into his chest.


    ¡°You touch me! You hold me! And you''re not scared of me! You were never scared of me!¡± she exclaimed as Anton let his aura seep into the area around them ¡°Like this! Right now! I''m touching you, and it''s okay! You''re okay! And this is so awesome! I never got to do this before!¡±


    ¡°Wait? You never touched them?¡± asked Anton ¡°I thought you had sex with them? How did that work if you never even touched them?¡±


    ¡°It didn''t! ...At least not really!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she pointed her ears straight back ¡°Like I said it wasn''t easy like this is. They were scared! They barely let me touch them at all! Like, everything was just slow. And it never felt... easy... You''ve already let me touch you way more than any of them ever did! And we haven''t even done anything yet!¡±


    ¡°Really? That''s... just crazy!¡± said Anton ¡°I''m really sorry about that Kianna. That had to be difficult, and, well, frustrating!¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah it was!¡± exclaimed Kianna ¡°And those were the ones that were nice to me! Nobody else would even come near me! ...At least I got to touch them a little bit, so I guess that''s something...¡±


    ¡°...Hm, well, things will definitely be different for you now.¡± said Anton as he lifted his arm off of her shoulders and moved it up and over her head before letting it come to rest in front of her ¡°In fact, here! Go ahead!¡±


    Kianna blinked in confusion as she looked from his offered arm to his face and back.


    ¡°Wha, what are you doing?¡± she asked as her voice became laced with uncertainty.


    ¡°Well, I''m letting you touch me!¡± chuckled Anton ¡°Obviously!¡±


    ¡°...Really!?¡± questioned Kianna as she stared at the arm hanging in front of her ¡°Just, however I want to!?¡±


    ¡°Mm hm, go ahead!¡± grinned Anton as he wiggled his fingers ¡°Knock yourself out!¡±


    Kianna hesitated for only a brief moment before a broad grin spread across her face. Moving slowly she reached out and tentatively took hold of Anton''s offered arm.


    Kianna was completely enthralled by the chance she had been given to examine her Master''s arm and she wasn''t about to let this opportunity go by without taking in every tiny detail that she could.


    She started with the forearm itself and noticed immediately that unlike with the incubus, and unbeknownst to her, her own kind, human men actually had short hair on their arms.


    The hair on Anton''s arm didn''t actually cover the entire limb, and only existed on the top and sides of his forearm and as a thin line that ran along the outer edge of the top of his wrist. Unlike the kaftar whose fur was dense but soft to the touch, Anton''s hair was sparse and thinly spread across his arm, and although it wasn''t quite bristly to the touch, it wasn''t necessarily soft either. It was sort of coarse but with just enough give to it that it moved easily whenever touched, and actually had a rather pleasant feeling to it whenever she ran her hand across it.


    Anton''s skin, wherever he had no hair, was very different from her own. Where her skin felt soft and smooth to the touch, his was rough, unyielding, and although still pliable, there was a toughness to it that she just didn''t have. She wasn''t sure if his skin was actually thicker than her own but it certainly felt like it was. And she was quite sure that it would probably take a lot more to hurt him than it would herself.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.As her eyes traveled up his arm she noticed that his hairline stopped just past his elbow, and right before the rise of his bicep. ...His big bicep, his very big bicep, his bicep that was actually a lot bigger than she first realized.


    Since he had been clothed until just recently, Kianna hadn''t been able to tell just how muscular Anton''s arms and torso actually were. She knew that he was strong, as she herself had experienced just how easily he could lift and move her around. But she didn''t realized just how large his muscles really were until now that she could see them up close.


    She wouldn''t necessarily call him musclebound, as she had seen beings, even other humans, that had muscles that were far larger than his. But as she took a closer look at his body it became quite clear to her that he was a trim, fit and very healthy looking being. And even though he didn''t have the largest muscles she had ever seen, his were still very big, far bigger than she had first realized. And as she put her hand on his bicep, and felt just how hard and unyielding the muscle really was, she couldn''t help but to marvel at the fact that it was actually so big that her whole hand didn''t even come close to being able to wrap completely around it.


    Kianna didn''t know how strong a human normally was, or if they were usually stronger than elves or not. But she did know that her Master was strong, very strong, strong enough that he could easily throw her whole body over his shoulder and carry her around like she was nothing. Which this was something that she very much doubted that she could do to him, and as she lightly squeezed the muscles of his arm it became very easy for her to understand just where all of his strength came from.


    As Kianna pondered where a humans level of strength fell in comparison to other species, the thought suddenly occurred to her that in all actuality she really didn''t know all that much about humans in general. And her mind immediately began to race as she tried to remember everything that she had ever known about them.


    She knew that humans were one of the most common sapient species, and that they could be found living almost everywhere. And that this was the reason why they, unlike many other species, had so much variety among them. She knew that the differences in color, size, hair and other features were all markers that signaled that this particular humans family came from a certain part of the world. And that people who were familiar enough with the differences in humans could even tell where a specific humans ancestors came from, just by the sight of them.


    Though her own experiences out in the world were pretty limited, Kianna had still seen plenty of humans herself and had always noticed that very few of them were ever really similar looking. And one of the things about them that had always been the most surprising to her was that despite how different they may look from each other, there was only one species of human.


    Unlike with her own kind, the elves, all of the different looking humans were the same. And this meant that despite how different two humans may look from each other, they could all still produce children together without any problems. This wasn''t the same with the elves, as to produce elven children you would need to have two elves from the same species or nothing would ever happen. The elves couldn''t just naturally hybridize with each other without magical aid, although they could still produce children with other species. Babies produced this way would either be one species or the other though, as only certain species would create hybrids by mixing.


    Humans and elves didn''t create a hybrid by mixing with each other, and any baby born from a union between them would be either a human or an elf. And as it was with most cases were two different species had produced a child, the baby would have a much higher chance of being the same species as the mother, and would more than likely be a female like her. The higher likelihood of producing females this way was why there were so many more woman in the world in comparison to men. And why males of certain species were sometimes very rare, or almost non-existent.


    Humans were different in this way too, as even though the parents may look completely different from each other, their baby would not look exactly like one or the other but would instead have traits from them both. This gave humans even more variety in their appearances.


    Kianna was in no way familiar enough with humans to be able to tell where Anton''s family came from by just looking at him. This fact was a little upsetting for her, and something that she planned to fix by doing some research on humans. That way she could figure it out herself without having to ask him. She didn''t think that this would be too difficult to do, since Anton didn''t appear to be a rare type of human, as she had already seen other humans that looked somewhat similar to him.


    He was a tall human, but not necessarily huge, and she guessed that he was at least a few inches over six feet but she wasn''t exactly sure. And all she could really say was that he was definitely taller than herself. She knew that humans could technically get bigger than him, but she did like that he was still on the taller side for his species. His skin tone was a lot lighter than her own but wasn''t as pale as some other humans she had seen and she would say he was probably somewhere in the middle when it came to human colors, if not just a little bit on the darker side. She kind of liked this too, since it made her own skin stand out more clearly when it was next to his. His hair, which was cut short and was just a few inches long across the top of his head, was also the complete opposite of her own when it came to color, as his was solid black while hers was a pure, bright white. She wondered if it would stay like that, since she knew that a humans hair could turn white as they aged. And she wasn''t sure if she liked that idea or not, as on the one hand if it did turn white it would be the same as her''s and on the other, as black, it was a nice contrast to her own, and their alternating color schemes, with her dark skin and light hair, and his dark hair and light skin did give them a nice balance that she did like and would be a little sad to lose.


    Something else that she actually really liked about him was his ears. To her they were kind of dumpy and cute since they were so small and round. She did think it was a little weird that they didn''t move, and this did make it kind of hard to tell what he was thinking or how he was feeling. She had to question a few times if he was actually mad or not, simply because of this. But this did also teach her something that was very interesting, and a little scary, about humans.


    They didn''t speak with their ears, they spoke with their eyes.


    Anton''s eyes were a vibrant, rich brown that she couldn''t help but to find frighteningly beautiful. Unlike an elf''s eyes which were large, bright and clear, his eyes were small, dark and deep. Like windows into his mind, they showed all of his thoughts, emotions and desires.


    She didn''t know how to describe it, but just by looking at them she had somehow found herself able to understand him. It was the strangest thing to her at first, but already she was quickly learning to recognize his silent speech.


    There had been several times when she had looked into his eyes and felt a sense of reassurance, as though he were telling her that everything was okay, that he understood her and that she didn''t have to worry anymore.


    It was very odd how he could do this, and it could also be a little frightening, as more than once now he had used his eyes to give her what she now called his ¡°Stop it!¡± look. And every time that he had given her this ¡°Stop it!¡± look, her reaction had always been the same.


    Without even realizing what was happening she would respond immediately by stopping whatever she was doing, almost as if she was being paralyzed, and would stare at him as she waited for his next silent or vocal reaction.


    This was a little scary for her, as she would always respond this way without even thinking about it at all. In fact, she wouldn''t even consciously register what she had done until it was already over.


    She knew that there was no magic involved in this, and that it had nothing to do with her collar. It was just him and only him. This power was his, and with nothing but his eyes he could use it to strike her so deeply that she would immediately recognize his ¡°Stop it!¡± look, for the command that it was, and without a seconds hesitation, she had always acknowledged him.


    She didn''t understand why this power that he had could work on her so easily. Especially since it didn''t seem to effect Fiona the same way. And even more troubling was the fact that she couldn''t even decide whether or not she hated that he could do this to her, or if she actually really liked it...


    Anton''s grin grew broader and broader as he watched the clearly excited dark elf. Though he had no way of knowing what she was actually thinking, it was still very entertaining to see her thoughts as they marched across her face. It had been especially entertaining, and quite an ego boost, to watch her eyes light up and go wide as she realized just how large the muscles on his arms really were. And it had taken a bit of willpower to stay still and keep from chuckling as she tried to wrap her hands around his arm and then again when she tickled him by tracing her fingertip back and forth along the base of his bicep, where the bulge of his muscle met the rest of his arm.


    Once satisfied with her examination of that section of his anatomy, Kianna then quickly jumped back to the opposite side of his forearm and excitedly discovered that there was in fact a hand attached to the end of his limb.


    After flipping his hand over one way and then the other, Kianna spent several minutes tracing the lines on his palm with her fingertip and then watching closely as those same lines creased together whenever she bent his thumb in over the top of his palm.


    Anton''s grin grew into a smile as he watched her eyes narrow and become focused while she bit her lower lip in obvious thought. She had apparently discovered through her gentle squeezing that the bones of his fingers were quite thin on either side of his knuckles but they then became thicker and bulged outwards at each of the joints that made up his digits and allowed them to bend. With the tips of her ears pointed straight upwards for the entire duration, the dark elf spent the next twenty minutes bending each finger at each of it''s joints and then watching closely as Anton stretched them back out. She then spread the fingers apart so she could gently tug on the loose skin that was between them, before moving on to tapping at and examining each of his fingernails. Once she was satisfied with the fingers she moved back down to his palm and started tracing her fingertip along each of the veins that could be seen through the thin skin at his wrist.


    ¡°Such a curious little dark elf!¡± teased Anton as he watched her move her pressed fingertip along his veins in an effort to feel his pulse ¡°Are you having fun!?¡±


    Startled by the sound of his voice, Kianna jumped and immediately let go of his hand as she flattened her ears back behind her head.


    ¡°I, I''m! Yes!¡± she stammered as she turned to him and pointed her ears straight back ¡°Don''t scare me like that!¡±


    Anton laughed as a light blush spread across her cheeks and she folded her arms over her chest.


    ¡°I''m sorry, I wasn''t trying to scare you.¡± soothed Anton as he sat up and planted his palms against the floor of the tub ¡°But the way you jumped makes me think you''ve got a guilty conscious! So what were you thinking about just now!?¡±


    ¡°Nothing!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she looked off to the side ¡°I wasn''t thinking about anything!¡±


    ¡°Uh huh, sure!¡± smiled Anton as he scooted himself forward ¡°If you say so!¡±


    Kianna began to lightly pout as she watched him move to the center of the tub and use his foot to lift a metal lever and open the drain.


    ¡°Hey! Wait!¡± she exclaimed as she grabbed at his shoulder ¡°What are you doing!?¡±


    ¡°I''m just letting some of the water out.¡± explained Anton as he grinned at her ¡°Don''t worry! We''re not done yet!¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± said Kianna as she watched the waterline begin to fall ¡°I thought that, nevermind!¡±


    Anton chuckled as he pushed the lever back down and closed the stopper.


    ¡°Did you really think we''d be done before I got to have my turn!?¡± he teased as he pushed himself back to the side of the tub ¡°Now how would that be fair!?¡±


    ¡°...Your turn?¡± questioned Kianna as her brow creased in confusion ¡°What do you mean by your turn!?¡±


    ¡°I mean my turn!¡± teased Anton as he leaned himself back against the tub''s sidewall ¡°Obviously!¡±


    ¡°...Your turn, for what?¡± asked Kianna as she tilted her head to the side and cocked one of her ears ¡°What are you talking about!?¡±


    ¡°I''m talking about how you got to play with my body for a little while...¡± explained Anton as he narrowed his eyes and gave the dark elf a playfully sinister looking smile ¡°So now it''s my turn... to play with yours!¡±


    Kianna merely stared at him for a moment before her eyes became nervous and she eased herself back.


    ¡°Wait!¡± she exclaimed as she laid her ears back submissively ¡°Wha, what are you going to do to me!?¡±


    ¡°Well... why don''t you come just a little bit closer...¡± mocked Anton as he curled his index finger in and out to beckon her over ¡°And we''ll find out!¡±


    Kianna was still for a moment before a tiny smile appeared on her face and she began to slowly scoot herself backwards.


    ¡°Oh no you don''t!¡± smiled Anton as a thin glowing orange light chain shot out from his fingertip and instantly attached itself to the blood gem on Kianna''s collar ¡°C''mere you!¡±


    Whining playfully, Kianna started biting her lower lip as she tugged back on the chain. Despite planting her hands and knees in an effort to brace herself, she was still slid across the smooth floor of the tub by the chain that reeled her in to Anton''s side.


    ¡°What a naughty little slave girl!¡± exclaimed Anton as he caught her by quickly wrapping his arm around her shoulders and giving her a tight squeeze ¡°And where do you think you''re going!? Huh!? Nowhere! That''s were you''re going! Such a bad little dark elf!¡±


    ¡°I''m sorry!¡± whimpered Kianna playfully as she snuggled up against his side ¡°But you''re being scary and I don''t know what you''re gonna do to me!¡±


    ¡°Well don''t you trust me!?¡± teased Anton as he squeezed her again ¡°Hm!?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah!¡± mumbled Kianna as she lowered her ears ¡°I do!¡±


    ¡°Good!¡± declared Anton as he twisted to the side and took hold of her around the waist with both hands ¡°Then don''t panic, okay!¡±


    ¡°Huh!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as she was lifted partially out of the water and set back down between Anton''s legs ¡°W-wait! What are you doing!?¡±


    ¡°I''m just going to play with you...¡± mumbled Anton as he spun her around until she was facing away from him and then pulled her in closer to himself ¡°And I really don''t want you to panic, okay. I''m not gonna hurt you! I promise!¡±


    ¡°Wha, what are you doing!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as she looked back over her shoulder at him ¡°What is this-!¡±


    The dark elf instantly froze and went silent as she felt a firm grip take hold of the sharp tip of her long, pointed ear.


    Letting his aura flare outwards to bathe the area around him with a calming essence, Anton grimaced as he watched the panicked surprise instantly form in Kianna''s large eyes.


    ¡°Now just relax, Kianna...¡± soothed Anton as he gently held on to her ear ¡°Just, relax...¡±

 Chapter 20 : Early Afternoon

    Chapter 20 : Early Afternoon


    Kianna''s eyes went wide as she realized what she felt was Anton''s fingers holding her ear in place.


    ¡°W-wait!¡± she whimpered as she confirmed she couldn''t simply flick her ear out of his grasp ¡°I-i-its!¡±


    ¡°Ssh...¡± hushed Anton as he put his hand on her shoulder and gave her a gentle squeeze ¡°It''s okay, Kianna. I''m not going to hurt you...¡±


    The dark elf whimpered though her nose as she clamped her eyes shut.


    ¡°Just relax Kianna...¡± breathed Anton as he gave her ear a tiny tug ¡°I promise you''re going to be okay¡±


    Kianna whimpered again and swallowing the lump in her throat she gently nodded her head.


    ¡°Good girl!¡± whispered Anton as he gave her shoulder another squeeze ¡°Such a very good girl!¡±


    Keeping her eyes shut tightly, Kianna began to breathe slowly through her nose in an effort to calm herself down.


    Anton''s grip was firm but gentle as he held onto the tip of Kianna''s ear and kept her in place whilst at the same time making every effort not to pinch her. Staying relaxed himself, he waited for her to calm down enough to go still, before raising his other hand and slowly running his fingertip down along the helix, or top edge, of her long and sensitive ear.


    Kianna groaned softly in her throat and began to quiver from the sensation. Every instinct in her being was screaming at her to pull away and escape but her logical mind squashed these feelings and forced them back down as she became determined to trust her Master.


    Though he could only see a portion of Kianna''s face from his vantage behind her, Anton still watched her intently and smiled as he recognized the resolve take shape in her determined expression. Moving slowly and deliberately, he ran his fingertip back up along the edge of her ear before going back down again. He did this several times over the course of the next few minutes and each time he could feel her tremble less and less.


    Superficially, the outer ears of the elves were very similar in design to a humans, with the major differences being their elongated shape, their heightened sensitivity to touch and the fact that unlike in humans, the intrinsic and extrinsic musculature along their base was fully functional and allowed their ears to move. Unbeknownst to most elves, these same muscles that gave them the ability to move their ears were also responsible for supplying the dreaded hypersensitivity to the skin that surrounded them.


    Beyond these key features though, there was very little difference between the ears of an elf and those of a human. Like humans, the elves ears were made of a pliable elastic-like cartilage that gave them their shape, and was covered in a thin layer of skin. This cartilaginous frame had an overall shape that was similar to humans in that it had a lobe at the base, though in elves this lube was more rounded and not as bulbous as it was in humans, a pointed tragus that protected the opening to the ear canal, a thin helix that ran along the top edge of the ear and gave it a rim-like overhang as well as it''s sharp point and an elongated, bowl-like concha that worked to collect sound waves and funnel them down into the inner ear.


    Anton paid close attention to each of the nervous murmurs that Kianna made as he both examined and ¡°played¡± with the different parts of her ear. He would move on to a new target only after she seemed to get accustomed to his touch in that area and began to go quiet.


    From tugging on her lobe, to rolling his fingertip in her concha, to pressing down on her tragus, to moving her whole ear up and down on it''s axis and to even folding it in over on itself. He worked gently but thoroughly to at least partially desensitize her ear to his touch.


    The poor dark elf did her best to remain as stoic as she could, but her discomfort was more than obvious. And several times it became clear that she was fighting the urge to pull away from his grip. At these times Anton would stop what he was doing and speak soft encouragements to her as she whimpered in response and made the effort to calm herself down.


    Once Anton was satisfied with the progress he had made and was able to run his fingertips across the majority of Kianna''s ear without triggering any response from her, he let her go completely and chuckled as she immediately began to twitch her newly freed ear wildly up and down.


    ¡°You are so mean!¡± whined Kianna in embarrassment as she hid her face with her hands and flattened both of her ears down submissively behind her head ¡°That was really, really intense!¡±


    ¡°I know, and I''m sorry...¡± said Anton as he wrapped his arms around her and gave her a comforting squeeze ¡°But we''re almost done, just one more to go...¡±


    Kianna stiffened in his arms before hunching in on herself and groaning in misery. Although she was clearly unhappy, she offered no resistance as Anton gently twisted her head to the side and began the same process with her other ear.


    This instance went by much quicker as Kianna was already familiar with what was going to be done to her and knew that Anton wasn''t going to cause her any pain either deliberately or accidentally. And as such she wasn''t nearly as nervous this time around.


    When he was finished, Anton released his hold and chuckled again as she immediately twitched her ear wildly before flattening it down along side her other one.


    With an annoyed pout on her face, Kianna turned back to him and narrowed her eyes in irritation.


    ¡°I hope you enjoyed that because I didn''t!¡± she declared as she folded her arms over her chest in protest ¡°That was not a fair trade at all!¡±


    ¡°No, no it wasn''t, and I''m sorry about that.¡± sighed Anton as his face softened ¡°But it was very important Kianna. Because it''s going to make this next part a lot easier...¡±


    The dark elf stared at him for a moment before blinking in confusion.


    ¡°Wha, what do you mean?¡± she asked as her eyes became laced with a thread of nervousness ¡°What are you talking about!? What next part!?¡±


    ¡°The part where I take care of you...¡± said Anton as he turned away from her ¡°You''re probably going to hate this...¡±


    Twisting at the waist, Anton reached back behind himself to his deck chair and unzipped the top compartment of the travel bag that was sitting in it.


    Kianna''s eyes went wide as she watched him rummage around a bit and pull out a bag of cotton balls.


    ¡°Wait, what are you doing!?¡± she whimpered as she eased herself away from him.


    ¡°Kianna, I don''t want to have to put you into ¡°golem mode¡± like your sister.¡± said Anton as he set the cotton balls down on the edge of the tub and reached back into the bag ¡°That''s why I messed with your ears the way I did. So that you could get used to what it feels like when I touch them.¡±


    Kianna was silent as she stared at the bag of cotton balls. After a short moment, a look of understanding took form on her face and this was quickly followed by an expression of nervous acceptance.


    Anton set a small bottle of alcohol down on the edge of the tub next to the cotton balls and turned back to Kianna with the thin metal rod in his hand. As his eyes landed on the dark elf he couldn''t help but to chuckle at the sight of her.


    Kianna had wrapped her arms tightly around her torso and hunkered herself down in a subconscious effort to look as small as possible. With her ears laid flat behind her head and her large eyes moist with early tears she looked for all the world like a terrified puppy that was cowering during a thunderstorm.


    ¡°Oh c''mon now Kianna! There''s no reason to look so pitiful!¡± exclaimed Anton as he wrapped his arms back around her and pulled in against his chest ¡°You poor little thing! You''re acting like I''m about to stick a bunch of needles in you!¡±


    Whimpering softly, Kianna offered no resistance as she let herself be pulled in against him.


    ¡°Just, go slow, okay!¡± she whined as she made an obvious effort to avoid looking at the metal rod by turning her head away from it ¡°Please!¡±


    ¡°I will...¡± soothed Anton as he gave her another gentle squeeze ¡°I promise...¡±


    Shifting her to the side, Anton angled the dark elf in such a way that she ended up laying sloped with her head resting in the crook of his left arm. In this way he was able to easily reach her ear and was even able to cover her eyes by curling his hand back over them.


    ¡°Just relax...¡± breathed Anton as he let his aura seep into the dark elf ¡°This will all be over before you know it... I promise...¡±


    Though her eyes were already hidden beneath Anton''s hand, Kianna still clamped them shut and made an effort to distance her mind from what was going on around her. But even with her mental preparation she still couldn''t help but to jerk back as she felt the rod come close to the opening of her ear.


    ¡°It''s alright Kianna...¡± whispered Anton as he tightened his arm around her head and actually held her still ¡°It''s okay. I promise it''s okay...¡±


    The dark elf whimpered softly as she hugged herself tighter and splashed at the bathwater as she nervously shifted her legs back and forth.


    Doubling the power in his aura, Anton held the rod with two fingers and angled it outwards as he laid his hand on top of Kianna''s head and began to softly stroke her hair in an effort to relieve her fear. After several minutes of this he again tried to approach her ear with the rod and this time she remained still and let him begin his task.


    Although he couldn''t see her eyes as they were hidden behind his hand, Anton still knew that she was constantly blinking in nervousness as he could feel her eyelashes brushing against his palm and fingers with each blink.


    ¡°Such a good girl, Kianna...¡± he breathed in a calming tone as he gently worked to clean her ear ¡°My brave little dark elf... She''s such a good, good girl...¡±


    Making tiny, little moaning sounds with every other breath, Kianna remained still and calm as she kept her mind focused on Anton''s voice.


    Once the wedge at the end of the rod was fully covered in grime, Anton flipped it around to the still clean end by twirling it between his fingers. Within less than half a minute of starting he was already finished with the rod and was able to set it down on the edge of the tub before awkwardly fishing a cotton ball out of the bag. Still only using only one hand, he then popped open the cap on the alcohol and by pressing the cotton ball against the top and flipping the bottle over he was able to soak the cotton ball.


    Kianna''s ear twitched involuntarily at the sensation of the soaked cotton ball being pressed against it.


    ¡°We''re almost done Kianna...¡± soothed Anton as he slowly ran the cotton ball along the length of her ear ¡°You''re doing great... Such a good girl...¡±


    Being as meticulous as he could be, Anton went through three more cotton balls before he felt satisfied enough to call the task complete.


    ¡°That''s one down!¡± praised Anton as he lifted the now limp dark elf up and gave her a light squeeze ¡°You doing such a great job Kianna! You''re such a good girl!¡±


    Kianna moaned quietly but happily as she leaned back into him and nuzzled her head under his chin.


    ¡°Just one more...¡± said Anton as he held her for a moment ¡°And then we''ll be done...¡±


    Loosening his hold on her, Anton twisted to his side and quickly cleaned and prepared the rod to be used again.


    Kianna had gone quiet and stayed completely compliant as Anton shifted her to his opposite side and held her in the same way as before but with his other arm.


    Now using his less dominate arm, Anton was far more cautious and took nearly twice as long with his task this time around. But having experienced this already, Kianna was better able to stay relaxed and unmoving.


    As she laid still and let her mind go blank, Kianna began to feel a subtle shift in how the sensations coming from her ear felt to her. Without even realizing it on a conscious level she began to register these sensations in a completely new way. And as Anton, now moving in an even more slow but no less meticulous manner, continued his soft and gentle efforts to groom her, she began to gradually crave the feel of his touch against her skin more and more.


    With a feeling of relief in his chest, Anton set the rod down on the edge of the tub and began to prepare a cotton ball for the next phase of events. Finally finished with the most hazardous portion of his task, he couldn''t help but to feel a sense of elation.


    ¡°We''re already done with the worst part now Kianna!¡± he exclaimed softly as he smiled down at her ¡°My little dark elf has done such a great job! She''s such a good girl!¡±


    Aside from taking a quick breath, the dark elf remained completely still and unresponsive as she laid limp across his arm.


    ¡°Kianna?¡± questioned Anton as he lifted his hand away from her eyes ¡°Are you okay!?¡±


    Kianna kept her eyes closed for a moment before slowly opening them and staring straight ahead at nothing. Blinking slowly she took in a deep breath through her nose and let it out with a sigh as she closed her eyes again and went back to being still.


    ¡°...Hm.¡± mused Anton as he cocked an eyebrow at the clearly relaxed dark elf ¡°...Okay then?¡±


    Deciding not to question good luck, Anton covered Kianna''s eyes back up and set about completing his task. With the dark elf staying as still as she was, he was able to finish cleaning her ear rather quickly despite being forced to use his impaired arm.


    Once fully done, Anton went still for a moment as he looked down at the dark elf. Taking the very tip of her ear between his fingertips, he tentatively rolled it back and forth as he felt it''s soft, sharpness.


    Aside from making a small noise as he gave her ear a slight tug, Kianna didn''t seem to even register any of the attention he was currently giving to her ear.


    Grinning to himself, Anton let go of her ear and moving slowly, lifted her back up to a sitting position.


    Kianna made another tiny sound in protest as she blinked open her eyes but other than that she made no effort to resist. Now sitting with her back to him, she slouched forward and let her ears hang limp from the sides of her head as she otherwise went completely still.


    Watching her for a moment, Anton pursed his lips in thought and turning to the side, prepared another cotton ball.


    ¡°Okay, Kianna...¡± he soothed as he reached down and retook hold of the tip of her ear ¡°I''m just going to go ahead and get this last part and then we''ll be completely done...¡±


    The dark elf stayed silent and made no move to resist as Anton lifted her ear up by the tip and held it outwards as he ran the cotton ball along the back and behind the base. When he was finished, he quickly did the same to the other side.


    ¡°...Alright!¡± said Anton as he put his hands on Kianna''s shoulders and gave her a playful squeeze ¡°We''re done! We''re completely done! And see? That wasn''t so bad! ...Was it!?¡±


    Kianna remained absolutely still as Anton tilted his head from one side to the other in an effort to gauge her condition.


    ¡°...Kianna!?¡± he asked as he gave her shoulders another squeeze ¡°...Are you okay!?¡±


    The dark elf was still for another moment before she gently nodded her head.


    ¡°...Alright then?¡± questioned Anton as he cocked an eyebrow at the back of her head ¡°...How do your ears feel!? ...Any different?¡±


    Kianna was still for yet another moment before she tentatively lifted her ears up from their limp state and slowly moved them back and forth.


    ¡°...So, how do they feel? ...Any different from before?¡± asked Anton as he watched her ears stop at their resting position and go still ¡°...Do they feel odd? ...Or, better? ...Or?¡±


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.Kianna was quiet for another moment as she moved her ears back and forth one last time.


    ¡°...They feel, ...amazing!¡± she whispered softly.


    Anton eased back a bit as the dark elf lowered herself down on her hands and began to shift to the side so as to turn around and face him.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she lifted her head and locked eyes with him ¡°Thank you, so much!¡±


    Anton was completely taken aback by the sight of Kianna''s irises. Though he had seen them glow red in anger several times before, he had no idea that they could ever look like this.


    Kianna''s eyes had literally begun to sparkle.


    ¡°...Oh, my, wow!¡± breathed Anton as he leaned in closer and gazed mesmerized at the dancing lights in the dark elf''s eyes ¡°...Kianna, your eyes!¡±


    ¡°Huh? My eyes!?¡± questioned Kianna as her features scrunched up in worry ¡°Wha, what about them!?¡±


    ¡°...They''re!¡± whispered Anton as he shook his head in wonder ¡°They''re so, beautiful!¡±


    Kianna was still for only as long as it took for her to fully register what he had just told her. And without another word she folded her ears back so that the tips were pointed down and away from her head, and threw herself at him.


    Wrapping her arms around his neck, Kianna pressed her lips to Anton''s for the first time and kissed him fiercely and with all the passion and madness that had been building and boiling within her. She began to whine loudly in joy as she felt his arms wrap themselves tightly around her back and frantically pull her in to crush her against his chest.


    Anton''s surprise had melted away almost instantly, and the moment his mind registered what had happened he let go of his own inhibitions and returned Kianna''s gesture with his own. Holding her against himself, he drank in the heat of desire that permeated from her entire being and used it to fuel his own passions.


    Lifting herself up on her knees, Kianna forced Anton to lean back against the sidewall of the tub as she pressed herself into their kiss. She began to moan in pleasured excitement as she both heard and felt a beastly growl rumble up from deep within his chest.


    Lifting his right hand to the back of her head, Anton planted his open palm against her and pressed her into his lips before closing his hand and taking her hair in his grip.


    Kianna gasped and began to take in deep labored breathes through her open mouth as her head was pulled back and held painfully in place by her hair.


    ¡°Oh! My naughty, naughty little dark elf! She''s so excited she just can''t wait! She forgot what she needs to do though...¡± breathed Anton as he locked gazes with her and smiled at the desperation that he found in her eyes ¡°First, Kianna! You need to tell your Master, how you want to please him!¡±


    Kianna was still for a moment before her eyes went wide with understanding. Pulling her arms forward she cupped her hands on either side of Anton''s jaw.


    ¡°I want to touch you!¡± she whined as she held his face and pulled against the unmoving grip that held her back ¡°I need to touch you!¡±


    Anton''s smile broadened as he leaned his head a little closer to her.


    ¡°And!?¡± he growled through his smiling teeth as the dark elf tried to pull him closer.


    ¡°I! I want to move for you!¡± cried Kianna as she began to roll her torso in a waving motion so as to rub her breasts against his chest ¡°I want to breathe for you!¡±


    ¡°Good... good!¡± snarled Anton as he moved in just a bit closer ¡°And what else!?¡±


    ¡°Oh! I''ll beg for you! I will! I want to!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she wrapped her arms back behind his head and tried desperately to pull him forward ¡°I''ll scream for you! I swear!¡±


    ¡°Good...!¡± breathed Anton as he moved in a little closer ¡°Now tell me more! I want to hear more!¡±


    Letting his free hand drop down to her bottom, he reached around her hip and grabbed her butt cheek tightly before squeezing her roughly and lifting her upwards.


    ¡°Oh yes! Yes! Yes!¡± moaned Kianna as her legs weakened and she let herself partially hang in his grip ¡°Please Master!¡±


    ¡°I said more!¡± growled Anton as he forced her lower half against him while thrusting his own hips towards her ¡°Tell me more!¡±


    Kianna froze with a gasp as she was suddenly aware of his swollen manhood moving between her thighs. Her body aching with a desire so intense it was now bordering on painful, she moaned loudly through her open mouth as she dug her nails into his shoulders and pulled against him with a new level of ferocity.


    ¡°Please! Please, I want to feel you! I want to know you! I want you! I want you!¡± she cried out in anguish as she gyrated her hips against him in an effort to entice him ¡°Please Master please! Just let me feel you please! I need you! I want you!¡±


    ¡°...One more!¡± breathed Anton as he let their foreheads rest against each other and moved his lips in within an inch of hers ¡°Tell me one more!¡±


    With them each now breathing heavily through both their noses and open mouths, Kianna was able to catch just the tiniest bits of scent and flavor from Anton''s breath and this was still enough to make her system jump and break it''s own rhythm.


    ¡°Taste! I want to taste you! Please!¡± she cried as her mouth began to water in anticipation ¡°Please Master! Please!¡±


    ¡°Good girl!¡± growled Anton through his smile as he released her hair.


    Kianna''s lips fell against his the instant she could move, and locked together again she began to answer his hungry growls with her own feverish groans.


    Dropping his now free hand down to join it''s partner at her bottom, Anton grabbed hold of her other butt cheek and gripping them both tightly, lifted her up and pressed her in against him.


    Curling herself into a reverse S shape so that she could still keep her lips locked to his, Kianna spread her now floating legs to either side of him so that when she was finally lowered, she would be able to straddle him.


    Poised and ready, Anton brought the dark elf down and maneuvered her bit by bit until his probing member found it''s place.


    Kianna squealed happily into their kiss as the head of his manhood finally slid inside her. Clamping her knees together on either side of his hips, she squeezed him between her legs as she fought to lower herself further down onto him and force him to go deeper into her aching body.


    Amused by her eagerness, Anton let loose a deep, rumbling laugh as he lifted his hips upwards while at the same time forcing her''s down onto him.


    Kianna jerked and made a small pleasured whimper as he slid his full length inside her and filled her completely. Before she could even respond any more than that she found herself being bounced upwards and then slammed back down again as she was impaled over and over onto his thrusting member.


    Feeling the heat of her body now surrounding him, Anton began to lose focus on Kianna''s kissing lips at almost the exact moment that she pulled away from him and threw her head back over her shoulders. Following her lead he did the same as he let himself get lost in the intensity of their rocking bodies.


    Moaning loudly, the dark elf''s mouth hung slack as she began to gyrate her hips in time with her Master''s upward thrusts.


    Taking in one haggard breath after another, Anton kept furiously pumping into her as he listened to her sounds of pleasure. Rolling his head forward, his eyes went wide in appreciation as he was greeted with the sight of Kianna''s supple breasts bouncing up and down in time with her body. The soft mounds of female flesh were far too tempting of a sight for his male mind and with a gruntled growl he drove his face in between them before mouthing and lightly biting at her as he inhaled her sweet, elven scent deep into his system.


    ¡°Ah! Oh yes!¡± cried Kianna as she arched her back and pressed herself into the face that was now invading her bosom ¡°Yes Master! Yes!¡±


    Spurred on by her cries Anton gave both of her butt cheeks a brutal squeeze as he lapped away at her breasts with an even more intense fever.


    Kianna moaned into the sky as the raging fires within her body began to roar as they demanded release. Days of nearly constant stimulation as well as the recent activities with her sister and the cruel teasing, followed by the gentle attention from her Master had left her body in a state of need like she had never known before and as her Master now filled her with his entirety the painful feelings of emptiness that had plagued her for so long had finally been quelled and in it''s place was something new that she had never truly felt before, a sense of wholeness.


    ¡°More!¡± cried Kianna as she dug her nails into Anton''s back and urged him on in his efforts against her body ¡°All of it...! I want, all of it...! All of...!¡±


    Anton brought his eyes upwards as he felt the dark elf begin to spasm and constrict the walls of her vagina around his member. Looking to her face, he found her head arched back with her mouth open wide and her ears pointed up towards the ceiling as she was locked in the middle of a silent scream. The sudden sight of her short but sharp fangs gleaming in the bright lights of the bathroom fixtures caused him to instinctively fall back and nearly break his rhythm. Blinking away the unwanted reaction, he berated himself and pushed the feelings of dread and anger back down by telling himself that she was not the one! That her''s were not the fangs that had scarred him so deeply, she was innocent and it was time that he put that pain behind him. Forever.


    As the waves of ecstasy rolled throughout her body, Kianna''s mind went blank and shattered apart as she fell and began to float thoughtlessly into a void of white and static. One by one, the pieces of her consciousness found their way back to each other and worked together to bring her back to reality. As she slowly came to her senses a single image took dominance in her mind and became her one and only desire.


    ¡°Ah!¡± moaned the dark elf as she raised her head upright and then let it fall forward ¡°Please!¡±


    Anton''s eyes went wide as they became locked with Kianna''s.


    The dark elf eased her head downwards until she was able to rest her forehead against his. Once again her irises had begun to sparkle in an almost otherworldly way. Staring into his eyes, Kianna was blind to the ethereal red lights her own eyes had caused to dance across his face.


    ¡°Please! Master!¡± she begged in a barely audible whisper as she tightened her arms around his neck ¡°I want you!¡±


    Sensing the meaning behind her words, Anton clenched his jaw, tightened his hold on her bottom and redoubled his rhythm in order to thrust himself as deep into her body as he could go.


    Kianna''s breath became caught in her throat as her entire being was suddenly flooded with the soul touching power of her Master''s aura. Clean, with no malice or calming essence, she was feeling the true intensity of his power raw and unfiltered for the first time. Frozen in both fear and awe, she could do nothing but widen her eyes and pray that the power now swirling within her was still under his control and wouldn''t tear her apart.


    Anton''s mind lost all sense of reason as he sped ever closer to his own release. With his hips rocking ever onward he dropped his head back against his shoulders as he suddenly felt the dark elf tighten herself around him in anticipation. Pausing for just the tiniest of seconds, he gave one last mighty thrust upwards and let himself go.


    Moaning loudly in bliss, Kianna''s hips began to quiver uncontrollably as she felt both the jolting spasms and the faint heat of Anton''s release spread itself deep inside her. The feeling that she had at that moment would be something she could never truly put into words. As there was no way for her to fully describe the sense of achievement, fulfilled purpose, gratification and above all the feeling of wholeness that came from becoming truly complete, and one with another being. Her Master had answered her call and had given her a part of himself. A piece of his being that she could feel and hold inside her, safe and for her alone. And even as the heat of their act died away, and regardless of how many times it may or may not be repeated, it didn''t matter. The knowledge and the memory of this feeling, in this moment where she knew, beyond all doubt, that a piece of him had now become a part of her, would be with her, forever.


    With his head still laid back against his shoulders, Anton remained frozen in the mid-motion of his last upward thrust. As the bliss that flooded his head began to fade he collapsed back against the sidewall of the tub and began to breathe heavily through his open mouth. Despite his fatigue, the corners of his mouth still curled up into a satisfied smile. He groaned happily as he closed his eyes and let his head rest against the top edge of the tub while he recovered.


    A sudden motion startled him back to reality and as he blinked open his eyes, he found himself staring upwards into the large, still sparkling rubies that were the eyes of his dark elf.


    ¡°...Hey!¡± breathed Kianna as a broad smile spread across her face and her bliss filled eyes tightened as light tears formed in the corners ¡°Hi! You! ...That was great!¡±


    ¡°Whoa! Kianna!¡± exclaimed Anton as she fell from where she had been holding herself up on the edge of the tub and collapsed limp against him ¡°Careful!¡±


    Falling against Anton''s chest with her head landing safely in the crook of his neck, the exhausted dark elf made no response beyond a gentle moan as she curled herself up against him. Feeling the living warmth of his body against hers caused Kianna''s mind to reel in a blissful elation. She could feel him, truly feel him, she was touching him, all of him, and he was touching her, feeling her, holding her, wanting her, caring for her. There was nothing between them, no stigma, no hesitation, no lace of fear to hold them back. He had told her before and had proven his words were true.


    She was not alone, not anymore.


    Mewling quietly and pressing herself into the safety of Anton''s warmth, Kianna let her eyes fall shut and almost immediately began to drift away into an exhausted but blissful sleep.


    Chuckling and silently congratulating himself on what was apparently a job well done, Anton lightly wrapped his arm around the dozing dark elf and settled himself back against the sidewall. After warming the water back up to a comfortable temperature, he wrapped his other arm around Kianna and held her against him as he let his head lay back onto the edge of the tub.


    Staring up at the ceiling and listening to the soft sounds of sleep as they came from the slumbering dark elf, Anton''s mind began to wonder aimlessly until with a sigh he closed his eyes and gave Kianna a gentle squeeze.


    ¡°...What''s going on Anton? ...How did this happen to you? ...How did you even get here?¡± he whispered softly to himself as his eyes moved slowly back and forth behind their lids ¡°...Where did this even come from? ...This, need. This, want. ...You know how dangerous this is going to be. ...You know this isn''t going to be easy. For you, or them. ...Is this really what you want to do?¡±


    After a long moment of silence, Anton opened his eyes and stared upwards at the nothingness above him. As he sat there pondering and unmoving, he felt Kianna begin to lightly stir against him.


    ¡°...Hm, yes!¡± she breathed softly around a sigh as she nuzzled her cheek against him and went still again ¡°...He''s mine!¡±


    Anton sat motionless for several moments before closing his eyes and chuckling quietly.


    ¡°...You know what? ...You cheeky little thing!¡± he whispered around a smile as he gave her another gentle squeeze ¡°...I think you just might be right about that!¡±

 Chapter 21 : Early Evening

    Chapter 21 : Early Evening


    Kianna took in a deep breath through her nose as she stretched her legs out and snuggled her face into the soft pillow her head was currently laying on. Her eyes shot open as her still waking mind registered that she was no longer in the tub with her Master. Blinking the drowsiness from her eyes, she found herself staring into the very disheartened looking face of her sister.


    ¡°...Fiona!?¡± she questioned as she lifted her head and took a quick look around.


    ¡°Hey...¡± mumbled Fiona as she shifted her eyes downward and stared into the pillow she was still laying on.


    ¡°Wha, what happened!?¡± asked Kianna as she realized she was now in her sister''s room and had been sleeping on her bed ¡°Where''s Master!?¡±


    Fiona had an unhappy grimace on her face as she blew a small huff of air out of her nose.


    ¡°The Master! Brought you in here a while ago...¡± she explained as she avoided looking at her sister ¡°He said he had a few some things he needed to get done. ...And that he''d call us when dinner was ready.¡±


    ¡°Dinner!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she excitedly flexed her stomach muscles ¡°Oh, that sounds good!¡±


    Moving only her eyes, Fiona gave her sister a pointed look as a thin frown took shape on her face.


    ¡°Humph! Still feeling empty, huh!? Well that''s surprising!¡± she mocked as she looked away again ¡°So I guess he didn''t fill you up enough already!?¡±


    Kianna pointed her ears straight back behind her head as she gave her sister a tired look.


    ¡°Ha ha!¡± she exclaimed dryly as she settled her head back down onto her pillow and glared at her sister ¡°You''re such a funny, funny bitch!¡±


    Fiona stared back at her for a moment before looking away with a blink.


    ¡°...So.¡± she mumbled as her face softened ¡°...What did he say about me!?¡±


    ¡°...Huh?¡± questioned Kianna as she shifted an ear upwards to better hear her ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Who? What do you mean ¡°who¡±! Who do you think!? ...Didn''t you guys talk about me?¡± implored Fiona as she looked back at her ¡°Didn''t he say anything about me!?¡±


    Surprised by the look of concern on her sister''s face, Kianna''s eyes softened as she shook her head.


    ¡°No?¡± she claimed in a reassuring tone ¡°He never said anything about you? Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°...Really!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as her eyes tightened in question ¡°Then what did you guys talk about!?¡±


    ¡°Uh, well? A little bit of past stuff?¡± answered Kianna with a shrug ¡°We didn''t really talk a whole lot. We just kinda got to know each other, I guess?¡±


    ¡°...Right. Got to know each other, huh!?¡± drawled Fiona as she rolled her eyes ¡°So you guys seriously just fucked the whole time then!? Seriously!? Nothing else!?¡±


    ¡°Wha!? No! Not, not the whole time...¡± mumbled Kianna as she hid half her face with her pillow ¡°He, also did, some other things too...¡±


    ¡°Like what!?¡± grumbled Fiona.


    ¡°...He, he took care of me!¡± mumbled Kianna as her ears twitched and a light blush spread across her face ¡°And it was so amazing!¡±


    ¡°...Uh, took care of you, huh?¡± questioned Fiona ¡°And what does that mean!? Like he got you off!?¡±


    ¡°No! Well! Yeah, he did... He really did... But that''s not what I mean!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she blinked the dreamy look from her eyes ¡°I mean he, took care of, well? ...It was my ears. ...He took care of them ...And I, kinda, really liked it...¡±


    ¡°...Okay? ...Whatever!¡± muttered Fiona as she shook her head ¡°So he seriously never said anything about me though!? Are you sure about that!? Like did he ask you anything about me!?¡±


    ¡°No, Fiona! He never said anything about you! He never even mentioned you!¡± declared Kianna as she tightened her eyes in question ¡°Why are you even asking if he did? Why do you wanna know if he said anything about you?¡±


    ¡°Because!¡± declared Fiona as she looked away again ¡°I need to know what he''s planning! Obviously!¡±


    ¡°Planning?¡± questioned Kianna as she arched an eyebrow ¡°What do you mean? Planning for what?¡±


    ¡°For me! Dammit!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she gave her sister a exasperated look ¡°What is he planning for me!? What is he gonna do with me!?¡±


    ¡°...Are you really still on that!¡± mumbled Kianna as she rolled her eyes ¡°He''s not going to ¡°do¡± anything with you Fiona! He''s already said that, I don''t know how many times now! So just chill!¡±


    ¡°I don''t mean that specifically!¡± growled Fiona as she hunched in on herself ¡°I mean in general! I know he''s got you and your bouncy little ass for that crap! But what about me!? What is he going to do with me!? Am I just gonna end up back in a cage!? Or is he going to make me his servant!? Or is he just gonna keep me as a playmate so his happy ¡°little dark elf¡± doesn''t get lonely!? ...Are you sure he didn''t say anything!? Anything at all!?¡±


    ¡°He seriously didn''t mentioned you even once, Fiona!¡± stated Kianna as her face became concerned ¡°And as for what he''s planning... I guess we''ll just have to ask him?¡±


    ¡°What!? No! Are you crazy!? We can''t just ask him that!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she looked back into her pillow and grimaced ¡°No! No, I don''t even want to bring it up!¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± questioned Kianna as she furrowed her brow ¡°What are you so worried about?¡±


    Fiona''s eyes tightened into a tired looking glare as she glanced back at her sister.


    ¡°In case you haven''t noticed! Oh, dearest sister!¡± she muttered through her teeth ¡°I''m not exactly your new fuck buddy''s favorite person! He might be all kind and gentle to you! But it''s not the same with me! In case you forgot, I''m the one whose gonna get my teeth ripped out! So I really don''t want to push anything right now! Okay! I''ll just be quiet... and maybe he''ll just ignore me...¡±


    Kianna was still for a moment as she mulled over what her sister had just said.


    ¡°...First of all!¡± she began as she tightened her eyes into her own glare ¡°You just being ¡°quiet¡± is never gonna happen! So you can just forget that idea! And secondly! He''s only ever been mean to you whenever you start acting like a bitch! He never said that he didn''t like you! If fact, all he said was that he didn''t want you to bite him! Which that should be pretty simple for you not to do Fiona! ...And he didn''t even make it so you can''t do it! I really don''t think he wants to control you. Not like how you think he does at least.¡±


    ¡°Oh please! How can you be so stupid!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as she rolled her eyes ¡°He''s setting me up! He''s giving out orders and making rules so that when I break them or fuck up he can say he''s justified in punishing me! Which is what he really wants! He wants to make me suffer! That''s all he really wants to do! But he doesn''t want you to think he''s a monster for it! So he''s going to make it look like it''s my fault! This is so obvious! How can you not get it!?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah, right...¡± drawled Kianna as she stared at her sister for a moment ¡°Or! He just really doesn''t want you to bite him! ...Which, I''m actually kinda starting to think he might have a thing about being bitten? ...Anyways, like I said, not biting him should be a pretty easy thing for you not to do! ...Right!?¡±


    Fiona went to speak but stopped short as the sound of footsteps coming down the hallway caused her to go silent. Both of the dark elves turned their heads and trained their ears towards the door as the footsteps came to a stop just in front of it.


    ¡°Girls?¡± called Anton as he tapped on the door with his knuckles ¡°Are you awake? ...Dinner will be ready in a few minutes.¡±


    The dark elves both remained silent as they looked at each other and then back at the door.


    ¡°...Hello?¡± questioned Anton as he tapped on the door again and waited for a response ¡°Are you two awake in there?¡±


    Again the dark elves remained silent as they stared at the door.


    ¡°...Alright you little brats! I cleaned those long ears of yours out myself! So I know you two can hear me!¡± declared Anton as he folded his arms over his chest ¡°But if you''d rather not answer and just stay silent from now on then I can help make that a lot easier for you! A few of your own gags should do the trick!¡±


    Kianna''s eyes went wide as she sat up on her elbow.


    ¡°We''re awake! We''re coming!¡± she cried as she pointed her ears straight upwards ¡°We''ll be down in a minute!¡±


    ¡°Wonderful!¡± quipped Anton as he moved away from the door ¡°That''s all I needed to hear!¡±


    Smiling sheepishly, Kianna listened to him make his way back down the hall before turning to the side and shifting her legs off the edge of the bed.


    ¡°See! What did I just say!¡± exclaimed Fiona in a hushed whisper as she glared at the door ¡°I told you this would happen!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± questioned Kianna as she stood up and gave her a perplexed look ¡°What!? What are you talking about!?¡±


    ¡°I''m talking about him trying to punish us!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she slid off her side of the bed ¡°You heard him! He just said he''s going to gag us!¡±


    Kianna stared at her for a moment before slumping her shoulders with an exasperated sigh.


    ¡°Whatever, Fiona...¡± she mumbled as she slipped on a bathrobe and headed for the door.


    The dark elves entered the kitchen just as Anton was coming back inside through the far door that lead to the backyard. At his heels was Molly. The little dog gave the dark elves a passing glance as she followed close behind Anton and otherwise ignored them.


    In his hands Anton carried a metal baking tray that held a pile of grilled chicken pieces and the metallic tongs used to take said chicken off the grill.


    ¡°Well look who to decided to join me!¡± mocked Anton as he set the tray of chicken down on a waiting potholder that had already been placed on the table ¡°It must be my lucky day!¡±


    The two dark elves barely even registered that he had spoken as they both became fixated on the pile of freshly grilled chicken.


    Without waiting for a response from them, Anton made his way back across the kitchen and stopped in front of the oven. Donning a pair of oven mitts, he opened the oven and pulled out two glass casserole dishes before closing the oven with his foot. Carrying a dish in each hand he quickly made his way back to the table and set them each down on a waiting potholder.


    Drawn forward by the aroma of the still steaming food, the dark elves both approached the already set table and stared in silence as Anton set a plate of rolls and a dish of butter down among the other waiting items.


    ¡°Well? What are you waiting for?¡± said Anton as he made his way to the fridge and returned with a pitcher of ice tea ¡°Take you seats!¡±


    The two dark elves quickly came to their senses and took their places at the table across from Anton.


    ¡°...So, how''s it look?¡± grinned Anton as he took his seat and watched the dark elves eyes dart back and forth as they looked over the spread before them ¡°Good enough to eat?¡±


    ¡°...What are these!?¡± questioned Kianna as she and Fiona both sniffed at the two casserole dishes.


    ¡°Well, the white pasta one is a Penne noodle bake with a cheesy Alfredo sauce...¡± explained Anton as he pointed to one of the dishes and then the other ¡°And this one is a green bean and corn casserole, topped with onion crisps. ...Actually, I forgot to ask. Can dark elves eat onions?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah! We can!¡± answered Kianna as she leaned over towards the casserole and cocked one of her ears in a curious manner ¡°Why wouldn''t we be able to!?¡±


    ¡°No specific reason necessarily.¡± answered Anton as he picked up his plate, and taking up a large serving spoon, gave himself a generous helping of the pasta bake ¡°Not every species can eat them though. And I wasn''t sure if dark elves could or not.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, we can...¡± mumbled Kianna as she watched him pick up another spoon and scoop out a serving of the casserole ¡°We''ve never had this before though... It looks kinda weird!¡±


    ¡°It does. But it''s good.¡± said Anton as he set his plate down and using the tongs gave himself two of the grilled chicken quarters ¡°I want you both to at least try it. I think you''ll be surprised with it.¡±


    The dark elves both glanced at each other before quickly serving themselves helpings of each dish and then taking a piece of chicken each.


    Anton kept a pointed eye on the dark elves as he poured himself a glass of tea. He grinned as he watched Kianna use the very tip of her tongue to taste the casserole before taking a full bite.


    ¡°...Hm! This isn''t bad!¡± she exclaimed as she chewed up the small mouthful ¡°I like the pasta better, but this is good too!¡±


    ¡°Good to hear!¡± chuckled Anton as he took a sip of his drink.


    Fiona had been watching her sister''s taste test as well and with a look of suspicion still on her face she eyed her own serving of the casserole. Taking up a small amount on her fork, she took a tentative bite and began to chew it slowly.


    Anton couldn''t help but to chuckle softly as the dark elf''s eyes went wide and before she even finished with the bite she was eating she reached out to put another scoop of it on her plate.


    ¡°This is good!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she ate another mouthful ¡°Did Snotty make this!?¡±


    ¡°...Who?¡± asked Anton as he creased his eyebrows in question ¡°Who''s Snotty?¡±


    ¡°Oh crap!¡± cried Kianna as she swiveled her head towards the refrigerator and went to rise from her seat ¡°She''s still in the freezer!¡±


    ¡°Ugh! Just leave that bitch in there!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she reached for the plate of rolls and the butter ¡°Seriously! She''s the last person I want to deal with right now!¡±


    ¡°Wait, are you talking about Salia?¡± asked Anton as he looked from one dark elf to another ¡°The shoggoth you had in the freezer?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she slowly sat back down ¡°Did you meet her already!?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡± nodded Anton as he took the butter after Fiona was finished with it ¡°I found her the first day I was here.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Okay...¡± said Kianna as she looked around the kitchen ¡°Where is she then? ...Did you put her back in there?¡±


    ¡°No, she''s gone.¡± said Anton as he spread a thin layer of butter across his roll ¡°I guess you could say she quit.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°That bitch actually quit!?¡±


    ¡°She''s gone!?¡± cried Kianna at the same time ¡°Where did she go!?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she quit.¡± said Anton as he nodded to Fiona and then turned to Kianna ¡°She''s gone back to her actual Master. So I suppose she went to wherever he is.¡±


    ¡°What the Hell!?¡± cried Fiona.


    ¡°Wait!? Who let her quit!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as she turned from Anton to her sister and back ¡°What happened!?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡± said Anton as he gathered up a forkful of pasta ¡°Once I let her out of that jar, and she thawed out a bit. We had a conversation about you two while she cracked your laptops for me. Then she made me a sandwich, and after that she left.¡±


    The two dark elves looked at each other before looking back at Anton.


    ¡°So wait just a second!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°You''re saying she didn''t even wonder who you were!? Or why you were here!? She just immediately started to help you rob us!?¡±


    ¡°Didn''t she even ask where we were!?¡± asked Kianna ¡°And why did you let her quit!?¡±


    ¡°Slow down! One at a time!¡± said Anton as he turned to Fiona ¡°I told her who I was and that I was here because you two kidnapped me as soon as I opened the jar. She never had any issue with helping me, and yes, she did help me to ¡°rob¡± you.¡±


    Fiona''s mouth hung open as Anton turned to Kianna.


    ¡°She knew where you were, she saw you while you were locked up in the basement.¡± explained Anton as he took another quick bite ¡°I let her quit because she asked if she could. And I said yes, because I really didn''t need her here.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious!?¡± cried Fiona as her irises began to glow red with anger ¡°That traitorous bitch really saw us being tortured down there and didn''t even try to help us!? She seriously just took off and left us behind!?¡±


    ¡°Mm hm.¡± nodded Anton as he finished chewing a bite of casserole ¡°Yeah, it doesn''t sound like you 3 got along very well. At all!¡±


    ¡°No, not really!¡± declared Kianna as she pointed her ears straight back and stared down at her plate.


    ¡°That fucking snot monster!¡± raged Fiona as she balled her hands into fists ¡°I hate that bitch so much!¡±


    ¡°...Hm.¡± mused Anton as he continued to casually eat while assessing the two clearly irritated dark elves ¡°So, why exactly didn''t you guys get along?¡±


    ¡°Because that fucking snot ball is a bitch!¡± declared Fiona as she looked off to the side and fumed ¡°And she doesn''t know how to mind her own business!¡±


    Kianna gave her sister a sideways glance before shifting her eyes to Anton.


    ¡°She was... kinda condescending.¡± she explained with a grimace ¡°And it got old, really quick...¡±


    ¡°Kinda condescending!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as she turned to Kianna and gave her an exasperated look ¡°That bitch was the most passive aggressive cunt in all of creation! We couldn''t even go 2 minutes without getting some kind of bullshit snide remark out of her!¡±


    ¡°Snide remark?¡± questioned Anton as he pulled apart a piece of chicken ¡°What would she say?¡±


    ¡°She, would just say things, like in passing. Mostly about how it''s such a shame that two pretty girls like us didn''t have any men in our lives. And that maybe we should try a little harder to find ourselves some good men. She would also talk about how dull things were without a man around. And how it was just so much more fulfilling to cook a meal for a man than it was for silly little girls... She always called us girls, and she made it sound like we were stupid...¡± explained Kianna as her face became more and more annoyed looking ¡°She would also talk about how amazing her Master was. And how he was such an incredible man... Though after a while you could tell just by the things she said about him that he was kind of a total jerk to her... And I really don''t think she realized that.¡±


    ¡°She didn''t! He was! And she deserved it!¡± declared Fiona as she aggressively pulled apart her own piece of chicken ¡°That monster belongs in a bottle! Her mouth, or mouths, or whatever the Hell they were! Weren''t even the worst part about her though! The worst part was that the creepy bitch would follow you around everywhere you went and she would spy on you all the time! Even when you were sleeping! Do you have any idea how fucked up it is to wake up in the middle of the night and see a tiny glowing eyeball floating in the corner of your room and just staring straight at you! And then if you called her out on it she would just stare at you with those weird, freaky eyes of hers! And I swear! Whenever she looked at you and smiled, it always felt like she wanted to eat you! Or, dissolve you, or absorb you! Or however those slimy things do it! You know what I mean though!¡±


    ¡°...Yeah.¡± nodded Anton as he absently gathered a bit of casserole onto his fork ¡°I''ve got a pretty good idea of what you mean.¡±


    ¡°She said she was just trying to learn more about us so that she could serve us better.¡± mumbled Kianna as she shook her head ¡°But I think she was just a creepy person.¡±


    ¡°Voidlings are generally a little... off...¡± mused Anton as he took a sip of his tea and turned to Fiona ¡°Since she kept talking about you needing to find a man. I''m going to guess that you never told her that you''re a lesbian?¡±


    The dark elf looked off to the side and pressed her lips into an angry, thin line as Anton took another drink.


    ¡°I did tell her! All the time! Over and over again!¡± growled Fiona as she pointed her ears straight back and scowled ¡°That dumb bitch kept saying that I just haven''t met the right man yet! And that I shouldn''t worry about it because when I did, I would come to my senses and finally understand what it means to be a woman!¡±


    Anton clamped his hand over his mouth and held in his laughter so as not to spit out his drink. Turning away from the dark elves he recomposed himself before looking back at Fiona.


    ¡°Okay, that completely justifies your hatred then!¡± he exclaimed around a barely controlled chuckle ¡°Wow, you''ve got to be pretty bold to be that condescending to a dark elf! ...I''m actually a little impressed!¡±


    ¡°She was a bitch! Plain and simple!¡± growled Fiona as she shifted her eyes to Anton ¡°...I doubt she was that way to you though! I bet she just loved serving you since your such a man and all! I''m sure she couldn''t wait to make you a sandwich! She was probably a total sweetheart to you! Wasn''t she!?¡±


    ¡°Mm, well...¡± mused Anton as he swayed his head back and forth in a thoughtful manner ¡°More or less... I don''t think I''d go as far as to call her a ¡°sweetheart¡± necessarily... Then again, I have met some Voidlings that were not nearly as polite as she was...¡±


    ¡°I can''t believe she''s actually gone now!¡± mumbled Kianna as she followed along with everyone else and pulled her chicken quarter apart ¡°I mean, I''m kinda happy she''s gone! But still its... Wait, if she''s gone!? Then who made all this food!?¡±


    ¡°...Uh, who do you think made it!?¡± quipped Anton as he cocked an eyebrow at her ¡°I did!¡±


    ¡°You made all this!?¡± cried Kianna as she looked from one dish of food to another ¡°Really!?¡±


    ¡°Mm hm.¡± mumbled Anton around a mouthful of food.


    ¡°But it''s good!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she stared down at her plate ¡°It''s really good!¡±


    ¡°...Thank you?¡± offered Anton with a smile ¡°Why do you sound so surprised?¡±


    ¡°Oh! I''m not, I''m sorry! I didn''t mean it like that!¡± stammered Kianna as she looked from her plate to him and back ¡°I, just didn''t know you could cook!¡±


    ¡°Well, all this is mostly just following recipes.¡± mumbled Anton as he gave himself another scoop of pasta ¡°I am glad you like it though!¡±


    ¡°Yeah! It''s really good!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she reached for the plate of rolls and butter ¡°So are you going to be cooking all the time now!?¡±


    ¡°...Mm, every once and a while I''m sure I will. When I feel like it...¡± said Anton as he grinned down at his plate ¡°But no, I don''t plan to be cooking all the time though.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay...¡± said Kianna as her face showed a lace of disappointment ¡°So are you gonna get a new maid then?¡±


    ¡°Oh no!¡± declared Anton as he raised his eyes to meet hers ¡°Why would I do that!?¡±


    ¡°Um... Because, we need somebody to cook! Right!? And clean!?¡± exclaimed the suddenly confused dark elf ¡°...Don''t we!?¡±


    ¡°Well, things do need to be clean, and we will need to eat. So yes, I guess we will need somebody to be in charge of all of that.¡± said Anton as he gave her a broad grin ¡°But I don''t think I necessarily need to get anybody new for the job. Especially since I already have somebody in mind who I think would make a pretty good candidate for it...¡±


    Fiona grimaced and swallowed a lump in her throat as she slowly looked up at Anton. She was a little surprised, and then relived, to find that he was still staring at Kianna with a knowing grin on his face and a playful glint in his eyes. With understanding instantly taking shape in her own eyes, Fiona turned to face Kianna as well and mimicked Anton by giving her dubious sister a wide, wicked looking smile.


    ¡°Oh, okay! That''s good!¡± nodded Kianna as her face became relieved ¡°So, who do you have in mind then? It''s not gonna be another Voidling, right!? Or anybody else whose weird, is it!?¡±


    ¡°Well, she is a little odd. But despite that, I think she''s still perfect for the job.¡± said Anton as he set his elbow on the table and rested his cheek against his closed fist while his grin grew into a thin smile ¡°You see, she''s a very, very caring person. And even though she may have never done a job like this. I think she''s someone who will definitely do her absolute best! And I think her best, will be more than enough...¡±


    Kianna stared at him for a moment before a hint of nervousness began to take shape across her face.


    ¡°...Why are you staring at me like that?¡± she mumbled as she quickly glanced at her sister ¡°Wha!¡±


    Kianna did a double take as she found Fiona was smiling evilly at her as well. The still confused dark elf looked back and forth between Anton and her sister as she slowly eased herself back against her chair and laid her ears down submissively behind her head.


    ¡°...Wait?¡± she whimpered quietly as her eyes went wide ¡°Do you mean me!?¡±


    ¡°Such a clever little dark elf!¡± smiled Anton ¡°I just know you won''t let me down!¡±


    ¡°But, wait!?¡± cried Kianna as her eyes darted back and forth between the two smiling faces ¡°Why is it me!?¡±


    ¡°Because you''re a slave girl now sweety!¡± sang Fiona as her eyes became mocking ¡°And slave girls always do all the chores for, and take care of their beloved Masters!¡±


    ¡°Wha, well wait a minute! You''re a slave too though!¡± cried Kianna as she pointed her ears straight back and glared at her smiling sister ¡°So why do I have to do all the chores and you don''t!?¡±


    ¡°Well, I''m not really a slave girl, not like you are anyway! I''m more like... I''m like a prisoner!¡± explained Fiona as she tilted her head one way and then the other ¡°And besides! I would think you''d want this job all to yourself! After all! You were just talking about how he takes care of you! Right!? So don''t you wanna be the one who takes care of him too!? Huh!? Isn''t he your beloved Master!? Hm!? And just like he takes care of you! Don''t you wanna be his cute little maid who does her best and works her hardest to take care of him by keeping his home clean and pretty!? And don''t you wanna make him happy by making healthy, delicious meals for him to eat everyday!? ...Well!? Don''t you!?¡±


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.Kianna was completely still and silent as she stared at her sister. After several moments, she slowly shifted her eyes to Anton''s.


    Anton raised his eyebrows in a questioning manner as he smiled back at her.


    Kianna''s eyes instantly became misty with light tears as she laid her ears back down submissively behind her head and hunched in on herself.


    ¡°Well now I do!¡± she whined miserably as she dropped her eyes to her plate and began to sniffle ¡°But I don''t know how to cook good food!¡±


    ¡°Aw! You poor little thing!¡± smiled Anton as Kianna covered her face with her hands and began to sob ¡°Fiona! Stop making your sister cry!¡±


    ¡°Ah, wha, wait! I didn''t mean to!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she lowered her ears and hunched in on herself while looking back and forth between them ¡°I wasn''t trying to make her cry! Seriously!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know, it''s fine.¡± said Anton as he gave her a pointed look ¡°Nice manipulation by the way!¡±


    Fiona grimaced in uncertainty and looked off to the side as she tried to distance herself from the situation.


    ¡°I''m sorry!¡± whined Kianna as she rubbed her eyes in an effort to clear away her tears ¡°I wanna take care of you! B-but I don''t know how to make food like this!¡±


    ¡°Oh, that''s not a problem Kianna.¡± soothed Anton as he shook his head ¡°Basic cooking skills aren''t too hard to learn at all. And I can show you how it''s done.¡±


    ¡°...You can?¡± questioned Kianna as she looked at him and then down at the food in front of her ¡°But what if I mess it up!?¡±


    ¡°Then you''ll just mess it up, and we''ll try again! It''s no big deal!¡± chuckled Anton ¡°But I think you''ll be alright. We''ll start out with some easy stuff, and we can stick with that until you''re comfortable and you feel like you''ve gotten the hang of it before we try anything too complicated. How does that sound?¡±


    Kianna shifted her jaw back and forth as she bit her lower lip and stared at her plate.


    ¡°...Okay, that sounds good.¡± she declared quietly as she looked up at him ¡°But go slow, okay! ...I really don''t want to mess anything up!¡±


    Anton chuckled again as he nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Alright, we''ll take it as slow as we need to.¡± he assured her as he shifted his focus back to his own food ¡°We''ve got all the time in the world anyway, so there''s no reason to rush! This will be fun! You''ll see! Plus, I think a little responsibility will do you some good!¡±


    ¡°...Responsibility?¡± questioned Kianna ¡°What do you mean? Why would that be good for me?¡±


    ¡°Because being responsible for something is a good way to help someone grow as a person, and I think that a bit of growth is just what you need.¡± explained Anton ¡°Learning how to take care of yourself, your home and even the people around you may sound like it''s a trivial thing at first, but it''s a good way to instill a sense of pride, achievement and confidence. Knowing that you can do something, even if it''s something small like cooking yourself a meal, will still make you a stronger person. Because you will know you can do it.¡±


    Anton raised his head and waved his hand over the food spread across the table.


    ¡°I made this meal. And it''s good. I knew it would be. And before I even started making it I knew I could do it. And I know I can make all of this again, as many times as I want to. This is something I know I can do.¡± he declared as he locked eyes with Kianna ¡°...What can you do?¡±


    The dark elf stared back at him for a moment before dropping her eyes to her plate.


    ¡°...Nothing.¡± she whispered as she hunched in on herself ¡°I don''t, really know how to do anything...¡±


    ¡°And does saying that make you happy?¡± asked Anton as he folded his arms on the table in front of himself and leaned forward ¡°Or is that something about yourself that you''d like to change?¡±


    ¡°No! I don''t like saying it!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she raised her eyes and then lowered them back to her plate ¡°...I definitely want to change it!¡±


    ¡°Good!¡± nodded Anton as leaned back, took up his fork and gathered up a bite of casserole ¡°Then that''s what we''ll do!¡±


    Kianna was still for a moment before she lifted her eyes back up to him.


    ¡°...Thank you.¡± she whispered softly ¡°I promise, I''ll do my best!¡±


    ¡°Good, you''re welcome and I know you will!¡± chuckled Anton after having swallowed a mouthful of food ¡°I do have a question for you though, it''s something that I''ve been wondering about you for a little bit now.¡±


    ¡°About me!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as she pointed her ears straight upwards ¡°What do you want to know about me!?¡±


    ¡°Well, I want to know what you want?¡± said Anton as he planted his elbows on the table and rested his chin on the bridge made from his clasped hands ¡°And by that I mean, I want to know what you want out of life¡±


    ¡°Um, what?¡± questioned Kianna as she blinked in confusion ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean just what I asked. What do you want out of life?¡± answered Anton as he reached out to his side and picked up his glass ¡°What do you want to do with yourself? What are your dreams and goals? ...Basically, what do you want to be when you grow up?¡±


    Kianna was silent as she watched him take a sip from his glass.


    ¡°Well?¡± asked Anton as he set his drink down and rested his chin back onto his hands.


    ¡°...I don''t really know.¡± said Kianna as she looked down and lowered her ears ¡°I know what you mean! Like what you''re asking is what kind of job do I want, or if I want to be an artist or something like that... Right?¡±


    ¡°More or less.¡± said Anton with a shrug ¡°Do you not have anything that interests you?¡±


    ¡°Not really...¡± mumbled Kianna as she shook her head ¡°I looked into a few different things when I was in college, but the more I''d think about something... it was, nothing really felt right. Like, back then, I just couldn''t really see myself as anything, or with anything! Like, with a business, or as a lawyer... I don''t know, I just didn''t really like those ideas after I thought about them more. So, no, there was never really anything I wanted... Before...¡±


    Anton arched an eyebrow as he watched the dark elf look off to the side and nervously bite her lower lip while she reached up and touched the blood gem on her collar.


    ¡°Before?¡± he repeated as he tilted his head to the side ¡°Did that change?¡±


    Kianna looked at him and then down at her plate as a light blush spread across her face.


    ¡°Yeah, kinda!¡± she mumbled as she shifted her shoulders back and forth ¡°...Cause now I really want to learn how to cook some food! ...So I can see you eat it!¡±


    Anton pressed his forehead against his closed fists as he began to chuckle uncontrollably.


    ¡°Well!¡± he said after recomposing himself ¡°That should be a pretty easy goal to complete! And one that I can promise we''ll definitely get done! No matter what it takes!¡±


    ¡°...Really!?¡± implored Kianna as she lifted her eyes to his and grinned ¡°Is that really a promise!?¡±


    ¡°Sure, its a promise!¡± smiled Anton as he rested his chin back on his clasped hands ¡°And I don''t care if we have to go through a hundred ruined meals to get there! It''ll all be worth it when I get to eat something that you''ve made!¡±


    ¡°Hey! I''m not gonna ruin a hundred meals!¡± stated Kianna before looking off to the side and lowering her voice ¡°...Just maybe one or two!¡±


    ¡°That''s the spirit!¡± laughed Anton ¡°Confident, but realistic! I like that! We''ll go ahead and get started right away with some simple stuff... Like, for example, I noticed you''ve got a few boxes of macaroni and cheese in the pantry. That''s something that''s simple enough to make, but is still a good introduction to cooking as a whole. So I think we''ll start with that. How does that sound?¡±


    ¡°Okay! That sounds good to me!¡± declared Kianna as she smiled at him.


    Anton grinned back and nodded before going still as he watched the dark elf look back down at her plate for a moment before starting to eat again.


    ¡°...And what about you?¡± he asked as his eyes drifted over to Fiona ¡°Aside from murdering me in my sleep. What is it that you want?¡±


    Fiona had been in the process of devouring her food but upon registering that she was being spoken to her eyes widened and immediately darted to Anton''s.


    ¡°...Me!?¡± she questioned as she looked from him to her sister and back ¡°Nothing! I''m good!¡±


    Anton narrowed his eyes as he let loose a heavy, frustrated sigh through his nose.


    ¡°You really need to stop trying to lie to me Fiona!¡± he declared as his narrowed eyes evolved into a full glare ¡°You are not very good at it!¡±


    Fiona''s eyes continued to jump back and forth between him and her sister as she swallowed a lump in her throat.


    ¡°I, um!¡± she stammered as she looked down at her plate ¡°...I don''t want to answer that question! You said you were fine with that as an answer, right!? Well! That''s my answer then! I don''t want to answer!¡±


    Anton was silent for a moment as he seemed to assess her.


    ¡°...Alright.¡± he mumbled as he cocked an eyebrow ¡°Can I at least ask why, you don''t want to give an actual answer?¡±


    ¡°...Huh?¡± questioned Fiona as she glanced at him and then back down at her plate ¡°What do you mean!?¡±


    ¡°I mean, why don''t you want to give me an answer?¡± repeated Anton ¡°Is it because you think that what you want is inappropriate? Or is it illegal? Or embarrassing? ...Or is it something else?¡±


    Both Anton and Kianna went still as they watched Fiona fidget uncomfortably.


    ¡°It''s not, illegal...¡± began Fiona as she closed her eyes and seemed to deflate ¡°I just don''t want to talk about it... So, please, just, leave me alone! Please!¡±


    Kianna''s face softened and became sympathetic looking as she let her eyes drift away from her sister. Anton''s however, hardened in unabashed irritation.


    ¡°I swear, Fiona! You are so difficult in the most ridiculous of ways!¡± he declared as the dark elf hunched her shoulders and looked away from him ¡°I don''t even know what to do with someone who is as frustrating as you are!¡±


    Fiona''s face scrunched up before going soft as she let out a silent breath.


    ¡°I''m sorry...¡± she breathed quietly ¡°But what I want isn''t going to happen anymore... So there''s no point in even talking about it...¡±


    ¡°...I see, hm.¡± mused Anton as he looked away from her ¡°Well, this is actually pretty disappointing. I was expecting you to be much more interesting than this. But it looks like I was wrong.¡±


    Fiona wore a miserable looking grimace on her face as she let her head dip down even further.


    ¡°I''m sorry...¡± she whispered while tightening her hunched shoulders.


    Anton nodded slowly as he looked back down at his plate and began to finish off the last of his meal.


    The table went silent for several minutes until Kianna raised her eyes and gazed at Anton.


    ¡°Master?¡± she said as her ears rose and fell in a slow, nervous manner ¡°Can I ask you a question?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± said Anton as his eyes met hers ¡°Ask away!¡±


    ¡°...What are you going to do with Fiona?¡± asked Kianna in an almost emotionless tone.


    Fiona''s eyes went wide as her head shot upwards, she quickly turned to her sister before locking on to Anton.


    Anton nodded slowly as he closed his eyes and cradled his chin in his hand.


    ¡°That, is an interesting question...¡± he sighed as he looked back at the dark elf in front of him ¡°Before I give you an answer though. Do you mind if I ask you a question?¡±


    ¡°Uh, no!¡± said Kianna as she pointed her ears straight upwards ¡°You can ask me anything!¡±


    ¡°Alright, well then... If you were me...¡± said Anton as he let his eyes shift to Fiona and become locked with hers ¡°What would you do with her?¡±


    Fiona''s breath became trapped in her throat as she stared back at Anton. Her ears pointed themselves straight upwards as they became alert to what her sister was about to say.


    ¡°I, I would! ...I don''t know?¡± stammered Kianna ¡°I mean! Obviously, I would just keep her around!¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± asked Anton as he shifted his attention back to her.


    ¡°...Uh!?¡± chirped Kianna as she suddenly found herself under scrutiny ¡°...What!?¡±


    ¡°Why would you keep her?¡± questioned Anton as his face remained stoic ¡°What is she good for?¡±


    ¡°...What, what do you mean!?¡± asked Kianna as her voice became laced with a thread of uncertainty.


    Anton was silent for a short moment before he continued.


    ¡°She is aggressive, conniving, unruly, disobedient, mouthy, and to top it all off, she is a liar.¡± he said as he stared into Kianna''s eyes ¡°She is a selfish, thieving, hateful, greedy being who is also dangerous. As she has made it abundantly clear that she is seeking vengeance against me. And if she were able to, I''m sure that she would indeed take my life.¡±


    Both of the dark elves remained completely still and silent as they listened to him speak.


    ¡°And yet, despite all those negative traits, she is apparently quite fragile. Since as I''ve seen so far, dark elves like her appear to be prone to episodes of panic when bound in certain ways. This is an unsettling unknown that can make punishing her very touch and go. As I now have no idea as to just how stable her psyche actually is. I could potentially damage her permanently without even realizing it. This certainly takes away from her appeal as a trainable slave, if as a dark elf she can even be trained at all. On top of this she also displays an ingrained phobia that makes her all but useless for sexual pleasure. So with all this against her, what is she good for?¡±


    Kianna was still and silent as she stared back into his unblinking eyes.


    ¡°...She can''t be used as a sex slave. She doesn''t know how to use any of her powers or abilities, in fact she doesn''t even know if she can even use them at all. So not only is she useless as a bodyguard or guardian, she isn''t even loyal enough to be trusted with such a position. She would make a poor servant at best, and her attitude and unwillingness to please would make her a terrible steward or hostess. She apparently has no ambitions of her own, or at least not any that she''s willing to share. So she has no depth or interest factor. And beyond tormenting her, there is nothing about her to make her entertaining or appealing in any way.¡± explained Anton in a dry and straight forward tone ¡°So, why would you ever want to keep her?¡±


    Kianna''s eyes began to go misty as she blinked and looked down at her plate.


    The room went quiet for a moment before Anton spoke again.


    ¡°...And there is actually another factor to consider as well.¡± he said as he shifted his gaze back to Fiona ¡°...Her immense value.¡±


    Fiona''s eyes widened even further as Kianna''s head shot back up.


    ¡°She is one of only two captive dark elves in all of existence. And once she is fully registered, this fact alone will give her an immediate high market value. Then there is the fact that not only is she a female, but she''s a gorgeous one. And since she is naturally appalled by men,¡± said Anton as he narrowed his eyes at Fiona ¡°I suspect that she is also technically a virgin. At least in the sense of having been with a man... Which means that she''ll likely sell at literally any price you might ask for.¡±


    Fiona''s face paled as an expression of stark horror marred her features.


    ¡°So taking all of that into consideration.¡± said Anton as he turned back to Kianna ¡°Why in the world, would you ever keep her?¡±


    Kianna was trembling as she stared wide eyed right back at him. Struggling to keep herself from hyperventilating in panic, she lowered her ears submissively as she fought to control the tears that were forming in her eyes.


    ¡°Please!¡± she begged through her clenched teeth ¡°Please don''t do it! She''s my sister! Please!¡±


    ¡°She has betrayed you in more ways than one.¡± said Anton in the same dry tone ¡°She''s stolen from you. Left you to suffer. Convinced you to become a criminal, and is ultimately responsible for your enslavement. She may be your sister but she isn''t mine. And I asked you to give me a reason to keep her as if you were me. So, give me a reason, Kianna. If you were me, why would you ever keep her?¡±


    Kianna opened and closed her mouth several times as she went to speak. Turning to Fiona, she sobbed loudly as a look of painful sorrow spread across her face.


    ¡°...Give me a reason, Kianna¡± said Anton in a soft, quiet tone ¡°Any reason.¡±


    ¡°Please!¡± cried Kianna as she slammed her fists down on either side of her plate and hung her head over the table ¡°I''ll do anything! Just don''t do this! Please don''t do this!¡±


    ¡°...Just give me a reason.¡± repeated Anton calmly ¡°Why would you keep her?¡±


    Kianna sniveled quietly as she slumped over the table and slowly shook her head.


    ¡°...I can''t!¡± she whispered miserably ¡°...There is no reason! ...I''m sorry, Fiona! I''m sorry!¡±


    Fiona''s eyes had gone distant as she sat breathless and completely motionless.


    Anton was silent as he watched Kianna break down in front of him.


    ¡°Do you see this, Fiona? Do you see all the pain that you cause her?¡± he asked as he turned to face her ¡°The suffering that she''s going through right now is all because of you. Its because of all the poor decisions that you make, and the terrible person that you choose to be.¡±


    Fiona laid her ears back submissively as she blinked and met his eyes.


    ¡°She loves you more than anyone else in this entire world... And yet, she still can''t give me a single reason why I should keep you...¡± continued Anton as he gave the dark elf a disapproving glare ¡°That is your fault, Fiona. And I want you to understand that.¡±


    Fiona was still for a moment before her eyes shifted to her sister and then fell to the table in front of her.


    With a sigh, Anton shifted his attention back to Kianna and gave the sobbing dark elf a thin smile.


    ¡°Alright, that''s enough now, Kianna.¡± he soothed as he let his aura spread outwards and fill the area with a calming essence ¡°I only asked you for a reason why I should keep your sister. I never said that I wasn''t going to. So you have no reason to be crying like this.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as her head shot up and her ears pointed themselves straight upwards ¡°You''re not gonna get rid of her!?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡± said Anton as he folded his arms on the table in front of himself ¡°I never said I was going to.¡±


    ¡°...But!? But you!?¡± stammered Kianna as she blinked the tears from her eyes ¡°You just asked why you should keep her!?¡±


    ¡°Mm hm, yes, I did ask you for a reason why I should keep her.¡± agreed Anton ¡°But that''s all I said. I never told you that I wasn''t going to keep her.¡±


    Kianna was silent for a moment as she slowly got her breathing under control.


    ¡°But... you just! All those things!¡± she stammered as she shook her head in confusion ¡°All those things you just said! You said you needed a reason to keep her!¡±


    ¡°No. Again, I only asked you to give me a reason why I should keep her.¡± said Anton as he shook his head ¡°I never said that I needed one, or that I didn''t already have one.¡±


    ¡°Wha, well then what''s your reason!¡± exclaimed Kianna.


    ¡°The same reason I do anything really.¡± said Anton as he shifted his gaze to Fiona ¡°Because I want to.¡±


    Fiona tightened her flattened ears together behind her head and hunched herself further down as Anton grinned at her.


    ¡°She is an absolutely terrible person. But I''m going to keep her around anyway.¡± said Anton as he turned back to Kianna ¡°I want to, and that really is the only reason I need.¡±


    Kianna was completely still as she stared back at him.


    ¡°...You''re so mean!¡± she whined as she hung her head and let her ears hang limp ¡°You''re so mean!¡±


    ¡°I know, and I''m sorry!¡± chuckled Anton ¡°But all of this was for a good reason, Kianna, it really was!¡±


    ¡°What good reason!?¡± cried Kianna as she brought her head back up and pointed her ears straight upwards ¡°All this! This! Why!? Why did you say all those things! And make it seem like you were gonna get rid of her! ...That was so messed up, and really scary!¡±


    ¡°I know, I know! And I am sorry that I worried you! I really am!¡± said Anton as he nodded apologetically ¡°But this was all very important!¡±


    ¡°Why!?¡± questioned Kianna as her eyes became probing.


    ¡°Because, everything I said about Fiona was true.¡± explained Anton as he looked back at the second dark elf ¡°And I wanted her to see that truth. And to fully understand it.¡±


    Fiona swallowed a lump in her throat as Anton''s eyes bore into her own.


    ¡°So, in regards to your question of ¡°What am I going to do with her?¡± the answer is simple.¡± said Anton as he turned back to Kianna ¡°I''m going to make her face the consequences of all of her actions. And I''m going to treat her in the ways that I think she deserves to be treated.¡±


    Kianna was still for a moment before slowly nodding her head.


    ¡°...Okay.¡± she mumbled while still nodding slowly ¡°...But you''re seriously not going to get rid of her though? Right!?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± answered Anton ¡°Not unless she gives me a good reason to at least.¡±


    ¡°Oh thank the Gods!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she fell into the backrest of her chair ¡°Thank you, thank you so much!¡±


    ¡°No... no, rather than get rid of her. I''m going to have some fun with her instead.¡± mused Anton as he looked back at Fiona and smiled at the nervous dark elf ¡°And now, whenever she finds herself being mistreated, teased, tormented or even bullied. She''ll understand why.¡±


    Fiona gulped again and tightened her ears together behind her head.


    ¡°...Yeah, that actually sounds good!¡± mumbled Kianna as closed her eyes and plopped her head back against her chairs headrest ¡°She really is a total bitch. And she does completely deserves all that!¡±


    ¡°Oh, well! I''m glad you agree!¡± smiled Anton as Fiona whimpered miserably ¡°Very glad indeed!¡±


    Kianna let loose a heavy sigh as she let her head roll forward and looked down at her half eaten meal.


    ¡°This has been such a long day!¡± she complained as she took up her fork and began to finish off her food ¡°It feels like it''s already been almost a year, or even more!¡±


    ¡°It does, doesn''t it!?¡± chuckled Anton as he followed her lead and began to eat away at his second piece of chicken.


    The table went quiet for some time as both Anton and Kianna continued to eat while Fiona, having completely lost her appetite, merely stared down at her plate in silence.


    ¡°Well, ladies!¡± said Anton as he set his empty glass down and went to rise from his chair ¡°I cooked! So I think it''s only fair for you two to put away the leftovers, and clean up this mess!¡±


    ¡°Uh... okay!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she looked down at the food still spread across the table ¡°Um, how do we? ...What do we do? With everything?¡±


    Anton began to chuckle as he stood up and stretched while rolling his head along his shoulders.


    ¡°There are storage bowls with lids in that far cabinet over there.¡± he explained as he pointed across the kitchen ¡°Put each of the different foods in their own bowl and then set them in the fridge. There''s enough here for lunch tomorrow so that works out perfectly. When you''re finished with that just wash all the dishes and set them out to dry. Then you''re done for the night!¡±


    ¡°...Okay! That sounds easy enough!¡± said Kianna as she looked back and forth around the kitchen before looking back up at him ¡°...What are you gonna do now?¡±


    ¡°I''ve still got a few things to unpack and set up in my room.¡± explained Anton ¡°So I''m going to go try and knock that out before it gets too late. If you need me for anything, I''ll be upstairs.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± said Kianna as she eagerly got up from her seat and eyed everything on the table ¡°I think I''ve got this though!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I have faith that you do!¡± teased Anton as he refilled his glass with tea ¡°I know you''ll show these dishes whose in charge around here!¡±


    Kianna made a triumphant fist as she smiled threateningly down at the dishes on the table. Anton chuckled again as he turned to leave the room. He stopped just in front of Fiona as he took a small sip from his drink.


    ¡°Everything that was said about you tonight is true, Fiona. I really do have every reason in the world to get rid of you.¡± said Anton as he stared forward through the archway that lead out from the kitchen ¡°I highly suggest that you make it your goal to change that.¡±


    ¡°...Okay.¡± whispered the cowering dark elf ¡°...I will.¡±


    ¡°That''s good to hear.¡± nodded Anton as he continued on his way out of the room ¡°Goodnight then, Fiona.¡±


    ¡°...Goodnight.¡± whimpered Fiona as she clamped her eyes shut in a futile effort to hold back her tears.

 Chapter 22 : Early Night

    Chapter 22 : Early Night


    The master bedroom that Anton now occupied was in reality five separate rooms combined into one. When entering from the hallway, you would first find yourself in a sitting room of sorts that made a good space for a small library. Beyond this room, through a set of double doors, you would enter into the bedroom proper. And on either side of this room were two archways. The archway to the right when entering the bedroom led to what was essentially a second sitting room that Anton had decided to set up as an office. A set of french doors in this room led to a small outdoor balcony that overlooked the front of the property as well as the main driveway.


    The second archway became a sort of short tunnel that ultimately led to the master bathroom. A door less opening midway through this tunnel led to a short pathway that branched off and led to a very large walk-in closet that was complete with triple full-length mirrors and a vanity. A second pathway then led from the closet itself to the bathroom, thus forming a complete circle. At the center of this circle there appeared to be a large room sized, empty hollow created by the walls of the closet, archway and bathroom. And Anton suspected that this cavity within the building itself was more than likely hiding either a panic-room of sorts or possibly even a small vault, and he planned to investigate this further once he found the time.


    Having set up a stabilized portal in his new office, Anton had a direct connection to his actual home and was able to easily furnish his current base camp with his own familiar belongings. This included a large, black-colored, king-sized, four poster bed and it''s matching bedside lamps and end-tables.


    It was on this bed that he now sat with his legs sprawled out comfortably as he continued to read through the same book on dark elves that he had been reading during the earlier part of the day.


    Having skipped ahead from where he had been originally, he was currently reading through the section of the book that was dedicated to eyes. And here it explained how rather than utilizing chemical based bio-luminescence like some species, dark elves instead ignited their eyes by aligning tiny, sliver-shaped crystallized proteins in their irises with their auras and achieving a glow by infusing these crystal-like shards with mana. By making the connection to their mana pools via their auras rather than straight through their bodies as was normal, this meant that if a dark elf were cut off from said mana pool by most traditional methods it would still be able to reach it''s mana through it''s aura and ignite it''s eyes, allowing it to still see clearly, even if in total darkness. This also meant that a dark elf could actually control the intensity of the glow in their eyes by controlling the amount of mana that they applied to them.


    At no point did the book ever mention the ethereal ¡°sparkling¡± effect that had appeared in Kianna''s eyes. And having never seen or even heard of such a thing before, Anton was left to wonder not only why she would produce such a dazzling display for him, but also how did she achieve this effect and whether or not this was something that she, herself, could even consciously control.


    While reading silently over the last twenty odd minutes, Anton had been noticing soft, shuffling sounds coming from the sitting room that was between his bedroom and the hallway. He smiled to himself each time he caught some of the faint noises, as he was fairly confident that the source was an intruding dark elf or two, though he wasn''t completely positive about this. It was of course possible for him to be sure, as he could simply reach out his awareness to the collars around each of the dark elves necks and confirm their locations. But using such a method would just take all of the fun out of playing with his little pets. So instead he had decided to wait patiently and continue to listen as the sounds, and their source, slowly moved ever closer to the closed doors that led to his bedroom.


    Once Anton felt that the sneaking presence had finally become brave enough to reach the other side of the double doors, he put his plan into motion.


    Knowing full well that the elves, including of course the dark elves, had exceptional hearing that was far more acute than what any humans could ever hope to be. As their frequency limits ranged upwards to a little over 70 kHz, while humans topped out at around only 20 kHz, meant that although the elves couldn''t quite hear into the upper ultrasonic levels, it was still very likely that the supposed dark elf on the other side of his door could, if focusing hard enough, actually hear his heart beating, even if only faintly. And using his heartbeat as a guide she should be able to detect where in the room he was, or if he moved his position.


    Placing a tasseled bookmark between the pages, Anton marked his place in his book before quietly setting it down on his nightstand and placing his open palm against his chest.


    Working quickly so as to give the intruder as little time to react as possible, Anton summoned a ball of aura into existence against his chest and using a drop of his mana as a catalyst gave the aura a physical form. Within an instant the aura formed into a type of orange, glowing light-vest that encircled his torso and was similar in appearance to a bulletproof kevlar vest. But rather than smooth across it''s surface, like those made of true kevlar, this vest appeared to be made of an egg crate like materiel and had an irregular peak and valley type of shape to it. This shape gave the vest a sound dampening effect that while not completely eliminating the sound of his heart beat, should still nullify it enough that the supposed dark elf would no longer be able to hear it from the other side of a door.


    Poised to slide off the side of the bed, Anton went still for a moment as he craned his neck towards the door and listened. He smiled when he heard the shuffling noise move back and forth a bit in what seemed to be a confused manner. Dropping his legs over the side of the bed and rising to a standing position, he quickly but stealthily made his way across the room and stood just in front of the double doors. Going still again, he listened for the faintest sounds of movement and smiled when after only a few seconds he heard the sound of someone stepping right up to the other side of the door. As he watched he noticed the door itself move inwards ever so slightly, as if someone had just leaned themselves against it in an effort to better hear through it.


    Reaching outwards, Anton slowly and quietly took hold of the doorknob and grasped it tightly. Smiling again, he then dropped the vest away from his chest and let it melt away into nothing as it fell from his body.


    The presence on the other side of the door was still for only a moment before the clear sounds of frantic backwards movements could be heard.


    Kianna immediately froze in place as Anton threw open the door and exposed her. The discovered dark elf stood facing the door with her ears pointed straight upwards and her hands raised in an apparent mock surrender. Blinking her large eyes in surprise, she smiled sheepishly as she chuckled apologetically and lowered her ears.


    ¡°Uh... hi!¡± she mumbled as she brought her arms down and clasped her hands together in front of her hips ¡°...Um!¡±


    Still wearing her bathrobe, the dark elf began to shift back and forth nervously as Anton silently grinned down at her.


    ¡°...Uh, I was just-!¡± stammered Kianna before being interrupted as several orange, glowing rings suddenly appeared around her.


    The surprised dark elf had no time to react as dozens of thin glowing chains erupted out of the rings and instantly entwined her entire body.


    ¡°I, wha!¡± she cried before being cut off as a orange glowing version of the face-plate gag complete with harness suddenly appeared as well and wrapped itself tightly around her head ¡°Mmph!?¡±


    Kianna tried to struggle for only a moment before making a whimpering sound as the light chains tightened around her. Blinking, she looked up at Anton and gave him a miserable, pleading expression as she laid her ears back submissively in obvious surrender.


    ¡°...Oh! Kianna! It''s only you!¡± exclaimed Anton with a broad teasing smile ¡°I''m sorry! You startled me!¡±


    Kianna blinked a few times before her eyes tightened into a tired, annoyed looking glare. Groaning in frustration, she pointed her ears straight back as she began to wiggle in her binds.


    ¡°Come on in!¡± cried Anton as he turned away from her and went back into the room ¡°Make yourself at home!¡±


    Still unable to move in any way, Kianna blinked in confusion before groaning again in frustration and struggling in earnest.


    ¡°Sorry about the lack of furniture. I''m still setting things up. And I haven''t decided if I want to paint yet or not...¡± mused Anton as he glanced about at the pale, sandy beige colored walls of the room ¡°I don''t hate this color... but I don''t love it either...¡±


    Cradling his chin in his hand, Anton made of show of standing in the center of the room and acting as though he were examining the space around him.


    ¡°...You know, I''m thinking I might just try doing an accent wall behind the bed. ...I don''t know though.¡± he mumbled as he turned back to Kianna ¡°How do you think a stone gray would look in contrast to these walls? Cause I think it might work, but a dull green might work better... What do you think?¡±


    The ensnared dark elf merely narrowed her eyes in annoyance as she stared back at him.


    ¡°...Oh! Right! Sorry about that!¡± exclaimed Anton with another broad smile as the rings, chains and gag, suddenly disappeared from around Kianna ¡°I forgot you were still all tied up!¡±


    Kianna stumbled forward a bit as she shook off the sensations of being bound by the chains. Shifting her newly freed jaw back and forth, she glared at Anton as she folded her arms over her chest.


    ¡°You know! You''re a bully!¡± she pouted as she turned to look away from him ¡°You''re so mean to me!¡±


    Anton chuckled as he tilted his head playfully and grinned at her.


    ¡°Well like I said, I was startled!¡± he teased as he stepped to the side so as to be back in her field of vision ¡°I just found somebody trying to sneak up on me after all! Anybody would be scared if that happened to them!¡±


    Moving only her eyes, Kianna looked up at him before looking away again.


    ¡°I wasn''t trying to sneak up on you!¡± she declared as her ears dipped down in embarrassment ¡°...I just had a surprise for you!¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± questioned Anton as he let his head tilt back in the opposite direction ¡°What kind of surprise!?¡±


    ¡°...I don''t know if I want to give it to you anymore!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she turned completely away from him and looked back out towards the hallway ¡°I don''t know if you deserve it!¡±


    ¡°Ah, well that''s not very fair!¡± smiled Anton in a mock whine ¡°First I get scared and now I don''t get my surprise! This is turning out to be a terrible night for me!¡±


    Kianna was still for a moment before she turned her head back just enough to see him with one of her large eyes.


    ¡°...You weren''t really scared.¡± she said matter-of-factually ¡°...Were you?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not.¡± said Anton as he softly shook his head ¡°I''ll never be scared of you, Kianna. And you know that.¡±


    The dark elf stared at him for a moment before shifting her eye away and blinking as a light blush spread across her cheeks.


    ¡°...Well, in that case. Maybe I can give you your surprise then.¡± she mumbled as she rolled her shoulders and relaxed her arms out of their fold ¡°It would be kind of a waste if I didn''t.¡±


    ¡°Mm, good! So!?¡± hummed Anton as he tilted his head again and playfully cocked an eyebrow ¡°What is my surprise!?¡±


    Kianna gave him a coy smirk and let her ears return to their relaxed position as she turned back enough to stand in profile in front of him.


    ¡°Me...¡± she cooed as she tugged away at the cotton belt that held her bathrobe closed.


    Anton''s eyes went wide as he raised his head back out from it''s tilt.


    Kianna tossed her now open bathrobe back, over, and off of her shoulders to reveal the icy blue colored lingerie she wore beneath it.


    The enticing little ensemble was made of a thin, intricately detailed lace that was styled into a snowflake-like pattern and woven onto a thin, completely see through mesh netting that in reality covered nothing on the dark elf and yet accentuated every finer detail of her body as it''s lighter color contrasted against the darkness of her skin beneath it. The outfit consisted of a half teddy that wrapped itself tightly around her torso, just beneath her bust, and lifted and pressed her breasts together to create one remarkable display. This teddy was then connected to, via thin straps, two garter-like cuffs that were wrapped around her upper arms. More thin straps then wrapped around her middle, in a crisscrossing pattern, before connecting to a pair of waist high, thong panties that had a frilly garter in place of their waistband. Two more garters were then wrapped around her upper thighs and these completed the outfit by connecting to her panties via more thin straps that ran down the front, sides and back of her hips.


    ¡°I didn''t want my poor Master to get lonely on his first night in his new room...¡± explained Kianna in a sultry, hushed tone as she leaned herself back and pressed her shoulders against the door-frame ¡°So I figured I should be a good little slave girl, and surprise him...¡±


    Anton nodded slowly as he took in the sight of the dark elf and watched as she let her bathrobe slide down her limp arms and pool on the floor beneath her.


    Poised as she was in the threshold, Kianna bent in her right leg and stretched out her left so as to let him drink in the full sight of her offered body. Pressing herself in even more against the door-frame, she arched her back and began to lightly caressed her bosom. In doing so she forced her breasts to both bulge against each other, as well as outwards against the thin lace that held them ensnared.


    ¡°So, do you like your surprise?¡± breathed Kianna as she tightened her arms against herself and continued to fondle her own breasts ¡°My Master...¡±


    ¡°...Yes, I do.¡± whispered Anton as he nodded again ¡°Very much so...¡±


    Kianna giggled lightly as she pushed herself away from the door-frame and made her way towards him. Moving slowly, she did a full twirl along the way and gave him a quick view of her lace encircled backside. Two thin straps held the two ends of the garter-like waistband together by crisscrossing back and forth with each other and sliding through small golden rings that hung between them and rested against the skin at the small of her back. These two straps then came together at a point and traveled downwards as one, where they then slipped seamlessly into the cleavage made by the very round cheeks of her derriere and completely disappeared from sight in between them.


    Kianna stopped just a step away from Anton and lowered her ears as she reached back behind herself and began to fondle her own bottom with both hands.


    ¡°Sorry! I never wear thongs like this!¡± she confessed as she shifted her hips from side to side ¡°It''s literally splitting my ass in half! ...And it feels kinda weird!¡±


    Anton was completely still as he stared down at her.


    ¡°...So, um. What do you think though!?¡± asked Kianna as she flattened her ears down completely and smiled nervously ¡°...Does my ass at least, look good, like this?¡±


    Anton said nothing as he stepped right up to her and stood still for a moment.


    ¡°No, it doesn''t look good.¡± he said dryly as he loomed above the still nervous dark elf ¡°...It looks absolutely amazing!¡±


    Kianna was still for only a moment before she threw her arms around his neck and frantically pulled herself upwards enough to reach his lips with her own.


    Letting loose a low gruntled growl from within his chest, Anton planted his left hand against the back of her head and forced her deeper into their kiss as he dropped his right hand down to her bottom.


    Kianna squealed with glee into their kiss and began to wiggle playfully as he ruthlessly grabbed hold of her soft butt cheek with his whole hand, and squeezed her tightly as he roughly pulled her in and pressed her against his groin.


    Savoring the taste that was nearly overwhelming all his other senses, Anton did his best to hold the gyrating dark elf still so he could better focus on his exploration of her salivating mouth. Sliding his tongue up and down along her teeth, he probed her as deeply, and for as long as he could, before they both pulled back with exasperated gasps.


    ¡°...Wow! ¡­I! ...Need!¡± exclaimed Kianna between frantic breaths ¡°...To buy! ...More thongs!¡±


    ¡°Yeah! ...Definitely!¡± agreed Anton with a nod ¡°That''s definitely! ...Gonna happen!¡±


    Kianna went still for a second before a devious grin spread across her face, giggling maniacally she pressed herself up against him as she bit her lower lip.


    ¡°Master!¡± she cooed playfully as she twitched her ears up and down ¡°Do you really like my ass that much!?¡±


    Without even waiting for an answer, Kianna began to twist around in his arms until she was able to plant her bottom against his crotch. Raising her own arms above their heads, she wrapped them back and around behind Anton''s neck and pressed her shoulders into his chest as she began to sway her hips and grind herself against him.


    ¡°...Well? My Master!?¡± she breathed as she laid her head back against his shoulder ¡°...Do you!?¡±


    Wrapping his left arm around her torso, just beneath her breasts, Anton squeezed the dark elf against himself as he raised his right hand and took hold of her neck just beneath her jawline.


    ¡°You are just insatiable, aren''t you!?¡± he breathed into her flattened ear as he tightened his hold around her throat and held her in place ¡°I knew that dark elves could be lustful, but you! You are such a greedy little creature, aren''t you!? How many times have you already had your way today? And yet here you are still hungry for even more pleasure!? There''s no end to it for you, is there?¡±


    ¡°...W-wait? Am, am I being annoying!?¡± questioned Kianna as she went still and tilted her head in an effort to look up at him.


    ¡°What!? Oh, no!¡± reassured Anton as he began to sway his own hips against hers ¡°I''m just wondering if you''re always like this or not!? That''s all!¡±


    ¡°Oh, um, well... Yeah? I guess?¡± mused Kianna as she raised her ears back up to their relaxed position and laid her head back along the top of his shoulder ¡°Honestly! This is all your fault!¡±


    ¡°Oh really!?¡± smiled Anton as he watched her drop her arms down and begin to fondle her own breasts again ¡°And how exactly do you figure that!?¡±


    ¡°Uh, because it is! Because I was literally on fire for days because of you! And now I can''t even turn it off!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she roughly mashed her breasts together ¡°So yeah! It''s all your fault and now you have to take care of me! And fuck me really good! Cause I''m your ¡°little dark elf¡± and I''m still on fire! And you have to put me out! Cause you''re my Master, and that''s your job now!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see!¡± nodded Anton as he loosened his hold on her neck and began to absently run his thumb up and down her jawline ¡°Yeah, I guess I can see how that logic does make sense...¡±


    ¡°...You know what!?¡± smiled Kianna as she shifted over a bit and nuzzled her head under his chin ¡°I''m kinda starting to think that maybe you just can''t keep up with me! Aw! The poor little human! He''s just no match for a dark elf! Is he!? Am I really just too wild for you, Master!? You can admit it if I am! Hm! I promise I won''t laugh at you! ...Too much!¡±


    Anton went still for a split second before closing his eyes and letting a broad grin spread across his face.


    ¡°Well now, somebodies feeling confident all of a sudden!¡± he teased as he let his chin rest on top of her head ¡°Sounds like you''re ready to give it your all tonight!¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah!¡± cooed Kianna as she continued to mash her breasts together ¡°I''m ready to go all night long! ...I just hope that you are too!¡±


    Anton slowly nodded his head as a dark smile spread across his face.


    ¡°Oh, Kianna! My poor, poor little dark elf!¡± he teased as he dropped his right hand down over her torso and began to make little figure-eights through the open spaces between the lace of her panties and across the top of her pubic mound with his middle finger ¡°I really should have noticed this earlier! You poor, poor little thing! You''re just desperately in need of some relief... Aren''t you!?¡±


    Kianna couldn''t help but to become a little nervous as she registered the shift in the tone of his voice. Despite her new hesitation, she still couldn''t stop herself from arching her hips forward as she tried to follow his tracing fingertip.


    ¡°Um, yeah...¡± she whispered as she tucked her ears back and rested her head back in the crook of his neck ¡°I guess you could say that?¡±


    ¡°Well... I better take care of this then...¡± said Anton as he began to lightly tap on the mesh covered folds that hid her clitoris with the same middle finger ¡°We can''t just leave you burning all night after all... Now can we?¡±


    Kianna began to squirm a bit as each of his teasing taps sent a sharp ping of desire rolling through her.


    ¡°No!¡± she whined through her clenched teeth as she felt herself begin to moisten out of anticipation alone ¡°No, no we can''t!¡±


    ¡°No, no... we... can''t...¡± breathed Anton as he gave her a swirling tap with each word ¡°Well! I better get prepared then!¡±


    ¡°...Huh!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as he took hold of her shoulders and held her in place as he stepped back ¡°Wait!? What are you doing!?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I''m just gonna pop over to the house real quick! Be back in just a jiff!¡± teased Anton as he stepped around her and turned towards his office ¡°I need to make a quick raid of my medicine cabinet!¡±


    ¡°Medicine cabinet?¡± questioned Kianna as she made to follow him ¡°What do you need medicine for!?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don''t need any medicine!¡± smiled Anton as he stopped and turned back around to face her ¡°But apparently, you do!¡±


    ¡°Wha, what!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as she stopped short and pointed her ears straight upwards ¡°Me!?¡±


    ¡°Yes, apparently you''ve got a little burning problem, and you need me to sooth it for you! And what kind of Master would I be if I didn''t?¡± explained Anton as he reached out and took hold of her chin and began to run his thumb up and down her jawline ¡°Now, normally, I''m not one for ¡°performance enhancers¡± but! Desperate times... call for desperate measures... And since you''re stuck in your little hyped up state. I think I''m gonna need a little something to put me on par!¡±


    Kianna merely blinked in confusion as she listened to him speak. She went completely still as he suddenly leaned in close and made as if to kiss her.


    ¡°Now, you be a good girl... and wait right here for me...¡± he whispered as he pressed his forehead to hers and let his lips hang just out of her reach ¡°And I''ll be right back...¡±


    ¡°Uh, wha, wait!¡± cried Kianna as he moved away from her ¡°Can''t I go with you!?¡±


    Anton smiled down at her and shook his head as he stood back up straight.


    ¡°Oh no! You wanted to stay here so badly you even cried about it!¡± he exclaimed as he tapped her on the nose ¡°So here is where you''ll stay! At least for now!¡±


    Kianna''s eyes became sorrowful as she laid her ears back submissively and at the same time began to pout.


    ¡°Now, now! None of that!¡± laughed Anton as he smiled at her pitiful state ¡°Look! I''d rather not go through the trouble of a whole tour of my home right now. Okay! Especially... with you... dressed! Like that! I''m barely able to control myself as it is right now... So! Let''s not prolong the inevitable any longer than we really need to! Okay!?¡±


    Kianna was still for a moment before a broad grin spread across her face.


    ¡°Heh! Losing control, huh...¡± she mumbled as she ran her hands down her sides and over her hips ¡°Well, maybe I really do need to get me a few more things like this then...¡±


    ¡°Yes, you do!¡± declared Anton as his eyes followed her hands downward ¡°...Because I can pretty much guarantee that what you''re wearing right now will not be surviving this night!¡±


    Kianna giggled happily as she bit her lower lip and began to playfully wiggle her bottom back and forth.


    ¡°Okay! Stop that!¡± commanded Anton with a smile as he took hold of her shoulders in an effort to still her movements ¡°You... naughty, naughty little dark elf!¡±


    ¡°Ah! Don''t get mad at me! I''m supposed to be naughty!¡± whined Kianna as she lowered her ears and hunched in on herself in mock submissiveness ¡°I''m your sex slave, remember!? It''s my job to be a naughty girl... and then get punished for it...¡±


    ¡°Oh, that... is very true! But it''s also your job to obey me!¡± declared Anton as he pressed his forehead down onto the top of her head and looked straight into her eyes ¡°Or did you forget that part!?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she tilted her chin upwards in an attempt to reach his lips with her own ¡°I didn''t!¡±


    ¡°Then, for the moment. You, need to be a good... sexy, little slave girl! And obey your Master!¡± exclaimed Anton as he stepped away and pointed down at the floor ¡°And wait for me right here!¡±


    ¡°Ah! ...Fine!¡± whined Kianna as she looked down at the floor and began to pout ¡°Fine! Fine! Fine!¡±


    ¡°You, little brat!¡± laughed Anton as he shook his head and took another step back.


    The moment he took both of his hands away from her shoulders, Kianna dropped her own hands down to her navel and slid her fingers under her thong so as to start fumbling with herself.


    ¡°Hey now!¡± exclaimed Anton as he reached out and took hold of her arms at the elbows ¡°I just told you to wait for me!¡±


    ¡°Ah, no, c''mon!¡± whined Kianna as she stamped her foot ¡°It''s just a little bit!¡±


    Anton cocked an eyebrow at her and pressed his lips into a thin line as he sighed through his nose.


    ¡°Hey!?¡± cried Kianna as he suddenly stepped around her ¡°Now where are you going!?¡±


    ¡°I''m ¡°going¡± to make sure!¡± declared Anton as he made his way to the door and bent down to snag the discarded bathrobe from the floor ¡°That you behave yourself!¡±


    Kianna cocked one of her ears in a curious manner as she watched him pull the cotton belt free from the bathrobe.


    ¡°What are you gonna do with that?¡± she asked as she watched him toss the bathrobe onto the side of the bed and shorten the rope-like belt by folding it in half.


    Anton merely smiled at her as he twirled his finger in a circle to signal that he wanted her to turn around and face the other direction.


    Kianna gave him a pouting glare as she pointed her ears straight back and turned around. Without having to be asked, she folded her hands behind her back and held her wrists together.


    ¡°Well now, look at this! Such a clever little dark elf! She already knows what she needs to do!¡± teased Anton as he stepped up behind her and wrapped the belt around both of her wrists before looping it through itself and in between them ¡°...Well? Aren''t you going to tell me that ¡°I''m so mean to you¡±!?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± stated Kianna as she held her chin high and made a show of looking off to the side ¡°You already know it! So I don''t need to tell you!¡±


    Anton chuckled as he tied off the knot he made between the dark elf''s now lightly ensnared wrists. When he was finished he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a backwards hug.


    ¡°You know, if you knew how to behave yourself and weren''t so naughty all the time!¡± he growled playfully as he gave her a light squeeze ¡°I wouldn''t have to always punish you like this!¡±


    ¡°Oh please! You want me to be bad and you know it!¡± mocked Kianna as she shifted her tied arms to the side and pressed her bottom back into his groin ¡°I know how much you love to punish me!¡±


    Anton growled again and tightened his hold on the dark elf as she began to wiggle her hips against him.


    ¡°So you think you''ve got me figured out already then?¡± he smiled as he pressed himself against her ¡°Don''t you!?¡±


    Kianna bit her lower lip and lightly squealed as she felt him begin to harden behind her.


    ¡°Maybe!¡± she whined playfully as she rolled her head back and nuzzled her cheek against his ¡°...Yes!¡±


    Anton chuckled as he lifted her up off the ground and carried her to the center of the room.


    ¡°Right here!¡± he commanded as he set her back down ¡°You stay right here! And no funny business until I get back!¡±


    Groaning in unhappiness, Kianna defiantly leaned into him as he went to step away from her.


    ¡°Hurry up then!¡± she whined as she twisted back and forth in frustration ¡°Stop torturing me!¡±


    ¡°Oh, Kianna!¡± teased Anton as he stepped around her ¡°I haven''t even begun to torture you yet!¡±


    Chuckling ominously, Anton playfully ruffled the dark elf''s hair as he moved past her and made his way into his office where he disappeared through the portal he had set up in the far corner of the room.


    Kianna huffed indignantly through her nose as she shook her head in an effort to settle her hair back into place. After several minutes of being left alone, she began to become antsy and started leaning further and further to the side as she peered longingly through the archway and at the slowly, swirling blue portal.


    The portal Anton had created was kept stable by a set of round, limestone tablets that were covered in a series of sigils. One of the tablets sat on the floor below the portal, while the other one hung from the ceiling above it. These tablets acted as anchors for this side of the portal and connected it to a meridian ley line that acted as both a source of power for the portal and as a pathway for it to travel along before reaching it''s other end.


    With her attention so completely focused on the portal itself, Kianna couldn''t help but to become startled when Anton suddenly stepped out of it.


    ¡°Aw! What a good girl!¡± exclaimed Anton as he grinned at the sight of the dark elf''s surprised expression ¡°Looks like she stayed right where she was told to! I guess it looks like dark elves really can be tamed down and taught to obey!¡±


    Annoyed by his condescending tone, Kianna pursed her lips and pointed her ears straight back as a sign of light rebellion.


    ¡°Yeah, I don''t think you can really call me ¡°tamed¡± just yet, Master!¡± she quipped as she waved her bound hands back and forth behind her back while her eyes became locked to the bottle he carried in his hand ¡°...You did still have to tie me up!¡±


    Chuckling at her reaction, Anton made his way to his nightstand.


    ¡°True! But it has only been a few days since I even started trying to ¡°tame¡± you!¡± teased Anton as he set the bottle and a shot glass down on the nightstand in such a way that Kianna could see it''s label ¡°And if I do say so myself, I think that I''ve made some pretty good progress during such a short amount of time!¡±


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.Kianna said nothing as she became completely focused on the bottle he had just put on display.


    The bottle on the nightstand was a stained blue in color and had the general shape of a wine bottle but was only about half the size of what a traditional wine bottle would normally be. It''s square shaped label had a light golden colored base with an intricate silver vine that ran along it''s edges. The logo at the very center of the label was a circle made up of alternating male and female symbols with ornate lettering within it that read ¡°Solid Farms, Exotic Tonics and Elixirs¡± and below this logo was a title that read ¡°Extreme Incubus Elixir¡± in a bolder font.


    Both the logo and title were holographic in nature, and would shimmer with different colors whenever light would pass over them.


    Anton grinned as he watched the dark elf tilt her head and cock one of her ears in a curious manner while she gazed at the odd bottle.


    ¡°...What is that?¡± asked Kianna as her eyes tightened in question.


    ¡°Oh, this?¡± mumbled Anton as he looked down at the bottle ¡°Well, this was actually a sort of gag gift I had ordered as a present for a friends wedding. And I guess there was some kind of mix up with the order because they ended up sending me two bottles instead of just the one. And since I''m not one to just disregard good luck whenever it happens, I decided to keep this second bottle for myself and hold on to it in case there was ever an emergency!¡±


    ¡°...What!?¡± questioned Kianna as she looked up at him ¡°What is it!?¡±


    Anton laughed as he picked up the bottle and removed it''s top.


    ¡°Why don''t you just come over here and I''ll explain it to you!¡± he smiled as he sniffed at the mouth of the opened bottle and took in the rum-like aroma from within it ¡°...It''ll be more fun if you know what''s coming!¡±


    Disregarding the ominous warning behind his words, Kianna immediately made her way to his side and watched as he filled the shot glass with the strange elixir. Her eyes went wide at the sight of the liquid that poured out of the bottle as it was glowing with a bright, otherworldly, neon-blue luminescence.


    ¡°Oh, that''s pretty interesting!¡± mumbled Anton as he re-capped the bottle and set it back down on the nightstand behind the now glowing shot glass ¡°Explains where the name ¡°Little blue drink¡± comes from too...¡±


    Kianna said nothing as she stared down at the shot glass for a moment before looking up at Anton with her eyes full of question.


    ¡°Okay, according to the instructions a single dose per partner should be all that''s needed for a whole night...¡± mused Anton as he picked up the little glass and peered at the glowing elixir ¡°It does say to go ahead and add an additional dose if planning to service 3 partners or more... And also recommends that this not be taken for more than two days in a row...¡±


    ¡°...Okay!? But what is it!?¡± asked Kianna as she stared at the shot glass ¡°And what does it do!?¡±


    Anton smiled as he looked down at her and lightly tilted the glass from one side to the other.


    ¡°This is called an ¡°Extreme Incubus Elixir¡± and it''s supposedly a very powerful male performance enhancer.¡± explained Anton ¡°I''ve never actually taken it before, but I''ve heard that it works so well that you really do need to be very careful with it!¡±


    ¡°...Male performance enhancer?¡± questioned Kianna as she creased her brow in confusion ¡°And what does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Well... It means that this elixir can enhance a man''s performance!¡± explained Anton as a devilish grin spread across his face ¡°...By supercharging a certain part of him!¡±


    Kianna was still for a moment before her eyes went wide with understanding and her ears pointed themselves straight upwards in excitement.


    ¡°Oh!¡± she exclaimed as her eyes fell to his groin ¡°Oh! ...I see!¡±


    Anton couldn''t help but to laugh and shake his head at her reaction.


    ¡°Yes! So with this, I should be able to put out that little fire that''s been bothering you so much!¡± he smiled before narrowing his eyes and lowering his tone ¡°However...¡±


    Kianna was biting her lower lip in excitement as she blinked and looked up at him.


    ¡°From what I understand this can be pretty intense!¡± warned Anton as he playfully cocked an eyebrow at her ¡°Are you sure you''re up for this? It has already been a pretty busy day for you after all!¡±


    Kianna''s short fangs made a slight appearance as she continued to bite her lower lips while smiling broadly.


    ¡°Oh, my poor Master! He worries so much!¡± she cooed as she lowered her ears and pointed their tips back and away from her head ¡°I''ll be fine! So you just do your best! And try to keep up! Okay!?¡±


    Anton closed his eyes and nodded slowly as a thin smile spread across his face.


    ¡°Oh, my poor, smug little dark elf...¡± he murmured as he met her mocking eyes ¡°You really think that you''re pretty wild, don''t you?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± cooed Kianna as she pressed herself against him ¡°I don''t just ¡°think¡± that... I know it!¡±


    ¡°Hm, well then...¡± breathed Anton as he lifted the shot glass up in salute ¡°Let''s see if you can prove that!¡±


    Kianna smiled excitedly as she watched him tilt the glass back and down the glowing elixir in a single gulp.


    ¡°Mmm, not bad...¡± smacked Anton as tilted the empty glass back and forth and ran his tongue over his teeth ¡°Kind of, pepperminty...¡±


    Kianna stared eagerly at his face as she waited for some kind of reaction. Triggered by the movement of his hand, her eyes darted to the nightstand as he set the shot glass down before immediately returning to his face.


    ¡°...So!?¡± she questioned as she narrowed her eyes in suspicion ¡°...Did it work!?¡±


    Anton closed his eyes and took in a deep breath through his nose. He held the air in for a moment before slowly letting it out through his mouth as a heavy sigh.


    ¡°...I''m, not sure?¡± said Anton as he looked down at the bottle and cocked an eyebrow ¡°...It''s supposed to act pretty quick? ...I don''t really feel anything though?¡±


    ¡°You don''t feel anything at all!?¡± asked Kianna as she studied his face.


    ¡°...Well, I kind of do?¡± muttered Anton as he shifted his shoulders back and forth ¡°...I wouldn''t exactly call this ¡°intense¡± though?¡±


    ¡°Oh really!? Well? Maybe you should take another one then?¡± said Kianna as she looked down at the bottle ¡°Or a couple of em!¡±


    ¡°Hm, well I don''t know about that!¡± murmured Anton as he ran his tongue over his teeth again ¡°I don''t really want to take things too far...¡±


    ¡°Oh please!¡± quipped Kianna as her eyes shifted to his groin ¡°It''s better to go too far than not even get there at all! I don''t know about you! But I''m looking for ¡°intense¡± tonight! So I say you should just drink the whole bottle!¡±


    Anton couldn''t help but to chuckle as he shook his head.


    ¡°No! I''m definitely not going to do that!¡± he smiled as he moved to refill the shot glass ¡°...I''ll try taking one more dose. But that''s it! So this is as intense as its gonna get!¡±


    ¡°Argh! Okay... Whatever!¡± muttered Kianna as she glared at the bottle ¡°It better work this time though! Or this stuff is definitely gonna get a bad review!¡±


    Anton laughed again before downing the second shot glass.


    ¡°...So!?¡± asked Kianna as she watched him set the glass back down ¡°Anything!?¡±


    Anton closed his eyes and went still as he waited for some kind of reaction.


    ¡°...I don''t think that made any difference?¡± he mumbled as he kept his eyes closed and tilted his head to the side ¡°...I do feel, something? ...But its, not much?¡±


    ¡°Seriously!? Well that sucks!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she stared at his face ¡°...Maybe it needs a jump start?¡±


    Anton stiffened as he felt a pair of soft, lace covered breasts being pressed against him.


    ¡°How about now!?¡± asked Kianna as she bounced herself up and down and vigorously rubbed her bosom onto his chest ¡°Anything yet!?¡±


    Anton took in another deep breath and held it for a moment before slowly letting it out.


    ¡°...Oh! Okay! Yeah!¡± he breathed as he rolled his shoulders back and looked down at the dark elf that was still pressing herself against him ¡°...I''d say that did it!¡±


    Kianna''s mouth fell open and hung agape in surprise as she took in the sight of Anton''s eyes.


    Both the pupils in the very center of Anton''s irises, as well as the white sclera that surrounded them, were now glowing brightly with the same blue luminescence as the elixir itself. The effect of this otherworldly light being broken up by the dark band of his irises created a spectacle that was eerily beautiful to the dark elf that was now staring, having been completely mesmerized by their glow.


    ¡°Whoa!¡± gasped Kianna as she took a step back and blinked ¡°...Master! Your eyes are, are... Bright!¡±


    Anton blinked as he slowly tilted his head and let his now enchanted eyes rove over the nearly naked dark elf. Though he was unable to actually see the effect the elixir was having on him, he could still certainly feel it, and he was quickly beginning to like what he felt.


    ¡°...That''s so cool looking!¡± mumbled Kianna as she continued to stare at his eyes ¡°...How does it fee-¡±


    Kianna was cut short as she suddenly found herself flying through the air as she was lifted up by her arms and tossed backwards onto Anton''s bed. With a surprised grunt she bounced once before coming to land on her back in the very center of the cushioned mattress. Blinking in shock, she instinctively flattened her ears as she found herself staring straight up at her looming Master.


    ¡°Great!¡± growled Anton through his teeth as a vicious, hungry looking smile spread across his darkened face ¡°It feels great!¡±


    Before Kianna could even properly register what was happening she was shocked into stillness as Anton''s hands clamped themselves tightly around her waist. She let out another surprised grunt as she was roughly pulled downwards to the very edge of the bed and made to spread her legs and straddle his still standing hips.


    Anton went still as he smiled down at the prone dark elf and drank in the sight of both her and her now disheveled lingerie.


    With her hands still bound behind her back and her body now held in place by Anton''s vice-like grip, Kianna could do nothing but blink in stunned silence.


    His smile still in place, Anton made a show of slowly tilting his head downwards and looking at his groin.


    Kianna''s eyes went wide as she followed his gaze and found his shorts being stretched to their limit by his fully erect member.


    ¡°These are in the way!¡± growled Anton as he rolled his hips forward and forced his shorts to stretch even further around the mass that they seemed to barely contain.


    Kianna gasped as in the next instant the offending shorts were shredded to ribbons from the inside out by a dozen orange glowing blades that appeared and disappeared within the blink of an eye.


    ¡°That''s better!¡± murmured Anton as he shifted his hips downward and pressed the head of his penis against the mesh covered opening to Kianna''s vagina ¡°Now! Let''s see about grounding out that fire you got in you!¡±


    Her eyes still wide as she stared down at his poised member, Kianna blinked before slowly looking up at his still smiling face.


    ¡°...Oh Hell yes!¡± she breathed as she wrapped her legs up around his waist and raised her own hips up to meet him ¡°Yes! Yes! Get it in here! Now!¡±


    Laughing maniacally at the dark elf''s sudden eagerness, Anton tightened his grip around her waist and drove himself straight through her flimsy panties before sliding completely inside her.


    Moaning frantically through her clenched teeth as her entire body was rocked back and forth by Anton''s mercilessly thrusting hips, Kianna did her best to try and meet his rhythm with her own but quickly gave up on these efforts as there was no way for her to keep up with the literal thrashing he was currently giving her.


    With his mind now lost to everything but his own drive, Anton reeled in the sensations being generated by the body that was literally wrapped around him. And seeking to increase his pleasure even further he lifted the moaning dark elf''s hips up off the bed and held her at an angle in midair so as to be able to thrust himself in even deeper inside her.


    Initially surprised to find her lower half being lifted even higher, Kianna did her best to accommodate her new position by curving her back into a reverse S shape and holding herself up with her bound arms as she rested the majority of her weight on her shoulders. Although uncomfortable at first, it soon became apparent that this new angle caused Anton''s penis to grind directly across her inner spot and before she knew it waves of pleasure began to roll throughout her entire body.


    ¡°Oh! Mmm! Yes! Yes!¡± moaned Kianna as she gripped at the bedspread with her bound hands and tightened her legs around Anton''s waist ¡°Faster! C''mon! Please... faster!¡±


    Spurred on by the dark elf''s desperate pleas, Anton let loose a gruntled growl through his teeth as he redoubled his efforts against her. Losing himself even further, he did nothing as his aura billowed out from his very being and filled the area around him with the taste of his power.


    Kianna rolled her head back and pressed herself into the mattress below her as a wave of Anton''s raw power suddenly surged outwards around her and permeated itself throughout her whole body. The combination of this power mixing with the sensations of pleasure still rolling through her completely overwhelmed her senses and left her mind reeling in a nearly crippled state. Now impaired both physically and mentally, the inundated dark elf could do nothing as she was overtaken by the waves of pleasure that flooded freely through her system and soaked themselves deep into her defenseless mind. With a long, agonized, nearly animal-like moan escaping through her wide opened mouth, Kianna loosened her legs from around Anton''s waist and stretched them out straight behind him as her entire body went rigid in preparation for a coming climax. Curling her toes in on themselves, she cut her moaning short with a gasp as she began to quiver uncontrollably.


    Once again a vicious, maniacal smile spread across Anton''s face as he felt the suddenly silent dark elf begin to spasm and constrict herself tightly around his still thrusting member.


    Swimming in the white hot bliss of her release, Kianna was partially brought back to reality by the need to breath, and with a desperate gasp she began to moan again as her body immediately started to build up to another climax.


    Racing towards his own release, Anton worked to bring just enough coherency back into his mind to focus on the status of the dark elf beneath him. Looking down at her left him instantly mesmerized by the sight of her breasts as they were roughly bounced forward and back in time with each thrust of his hips. It was while watching this spectacle that his eyes shifted further downwards and became locked to the vividly bright rubies that were staring right back up at him.


    Kianna''s eyes were swimming with a blatant, pleasured agony that clearly illustrated her desperate need. With her teeth clenched and bared and her ears hanging limp from the sides of her head she looked all the world like a victim of intense torture but the very moment that her gaze met Anton''s her eyes became lit with a bright happiness and the corners of her mouth curled up into a broad, but pained looking smile.


    Smiling back at her, Anton watched her eyes intently and used them as a gauge to determine her closeness to another climax. Sensing her coming peak he held himself back in order to time his own release to coincide with hers.


    Kianna couldn''t help but to break the eye contact she held with Anton as her body once again began to quiver uncontrollably. Clamping her eyes shut she began to moan louder and louder through her clenched teeth until unable to hold back any longer she rolled her head back and let loose a gruntled scream that died out as her breath got caught in her throat.


    Thrusting himself forward with a last mighty push, Anton threw his shoulders back and arched his spine into a painful bend as he drove himself as deep into the dark elf as he could. He let himself finally go as he felt her once again begin to spasm around him.


    Kianna''s mind devolved into a blank white void as she felt the heat of her Master''s release spread itself inside her. Once again a series of blissful emotions ravaged her psyche and left her with a deep sense of both accomplishment and fulfillment.


    Riding a wave of bliss until it crested and left him floating in his own void of whiteness, Anton stood completely motionless for several moments before with a heavy sigh he lowered Kianna back down. Slumping forward, he planted his hands onto the mattress on either side of her waist and left himself to rest on his outstretched arms. Blinking he grinned widely as he found himself staring straight down at a pair of lace covered breasts that began to move tantalizingly in front of his face as they rose and fell with each of the dark elf''s labored breaths.


    Exhausted from her ordeal, Kianna left her legs to hang limp over the edge of the bed and on either side of Anton''s hips. With her head laid back against the mattress and her eyes shut, she was completely unaware of the show she was currently giving him as she took in each chest full of air.


    ¡°Ugh, wow!¡± she moaned between breaths as she shifted her shoulders and repositioned her bound arms behind her back ¡°You, weren''t kidding! ...That, was really, intense!¡±


    ¡°Hm!?¡± rumbled Anton as his grin deepened ¡°Now why are you suddenly talking like we''re done already?¡±


    Registering the tone in his voice, Kianna''s eyes fluttered open as she turned her head to look up at him. Her breath became caught in her throat as she found herself staring up into his ominously smiling face. The otherworldly glow in Anton eyes had failed to dissipate in even the slightest way, and as he lifted himself up to a more standing position, Kianna couldn''t help but to become aware of his still fully erect member that had also not only failed to dissipate in any way, but was now glistening brightly from it''s latest endeavor.


    ¡°Now that better not have been all the ¡°wild¡± you had in you, Kianna!¡± mocked Anton as his smile darkened and became foreboding ¡°I fully expect to see a lot more ¡°wild¡± out of you before this night is over! Especially after all that boasting you just did!¡±


    Suddenly feeling vulnerable in her bound and prone state, Kianna said nothing as she slowly folded her ears back and hid them behind her head.


    Chuckling at the sight of both the dark elf''s surprised expression and her gesture of submission, Anton reached his hand out to her navel and began to slowly run the tip of his middle finger in a circle around her bellybutton.


    Shivering from the tickling sensation, Kianna involuntarily sucked in her gut as she whimpered through her nose.


    ¡°...Kianna?¡± breathed Anton as his smile became playful and lopsided ¡°Do you know how they tame wild horses?¡±


    ¡°Huh!?¡± questioned the dark elf as she blinked in confusion ¡°...No?¡±


    ¡°Well! I''ll tell you then!¡± said Anton as he let his eyes fall to where he was still running his finger around her bellybutton ¡°There''s more than one way to do it of course. ...But one common method is to place a horse in a fenced paddock that''s been built into a large circle, and is called a round pen...¡±


    Kianna couldn''t help but to slightly shift her ears out from behind her head as she listened to his explanation.


    ¡°Once they have a horse in the round pen... A trainer will stand in the center of the pen, and using a whip, will frighten the horse and force it to run...¡± explained Anton as he lifted his eyes back up to meet the staring dark elf''s ¡°And since this pen is nothing but a large circle... The poor little horse, has nowhere to go... no corner to hide in... It can only keep running forward... around... and around... and around... Faster... and faster...¡±


    Kianna whimpered again as he continued to slowly circle her sensitive bellybutton over, and over.


    ¡°Until finally! The horse becomes so tired that it just can''t run anymore...¡± continued Anton as he lightly and playfully tapped on the quivering dark elf''s bellybutton ¡°And so it does the only thing it can do...¡±


    Kianna tightened her ears back behind her head as Anton gave her a wide, tooth filled smile.


    ¡°It surrenders. It gives up. And it submits, to the trainer in the center of the pen. The very same trainer that forces it to run until it can''t anymore... Is the one it will approach, meek and seeking salvation... Ready to be tamed... And willing, to accept the trainer, as it''s Master...¡± continued Anton as his eyes fell to the collar wrapped around his dark elf''s slender neck ¡°So in other words... They tame wild horses, by running the wild right out of them...¡±


    Breathing slowly, Kianna stayed completely still as she watched him gaze down at her collar. Her breath once again became caught in her throat as his glowing eyes shifted upwards and locked themselves to her''s.


    ¡°...Do you understand where I''m going with this?¡± asked Anton as he grinned at her.


    ¡°...Yes!¡± whispered Kianna with a nod ¡°I think so!?¡±


    ¡°Hm, and what exactly do you think I''m implying with this little, explanation?¡± asked Anton as he playfully cocked an eyebrow ¡°What do you think I''m trying to say?¡±


    ¡°...That, your going to tame me!?¡± whimpered Kianna as she tightened her ears together behind her head ¡°...By running the wild out of me!?¡±


    Startlingly her, Anton began to laugh deep and loud as he shook his head.


    ¡°Oh my poor little dark elf!¡± he smiled as he bought his eyes back to her''s ¡°She''s so close! But still missed the mark!¡±


    Kianna hunched down as Anton reached out and lightly tapped her on the nose.


    ¡°You might like to think that you''re still completely wild, Kianna...¡± teased Anton as he tapped her nose again before letting his hand travel downwards to tap at the blood gem on her collar ¡°But we both know that you''re already pretty tame...¡±


    Swallowing a lump in her throat, Kianna stayed still as he lightly ran his finger around her blood gem.


    ¡°Then, w-what are you talking about then!?¡± she asked as she blinked up at him.


    ¡°I''m not talking about you at all, Kianna... Running the wild out of you would just be cruel at this point... So instead!¡± said Anton as he leaned in closer and smiled ¡°We''re going to see if you can run the wild out of me!¡±


    ¡°...What!?¡± questioned Kianna as she blinked in confusion ¡°What do you mean!?¡±


    Chuckling at the look on her face, Anton rose back upwards while continuing to smile.


    ¡°Well, since my cute little dark elf, has this, cute, little theory, that she''s a bit too much for her Master to handle! I thought it might be fun to do a little test! And see if that was really true or not!¡± he said as he tightened his eyes playfully ¡°So now we''re going to find out which one is going to run out first! Her little fire! ...Or my wild one!¡±


    Kianna was completely still as she stared back up at him and digested all that he just said.


    ¡°...Now, this may seem a little, intense! But I''m sure a dark elf shouldn''t have any problems outpacing a human. ...And also, you did say that you were going to be the best little sex slave that I could ever have! Didn''t you!?¡± teased Anton as the silence dragged for a moment ¡°Well, I think that this is actually a pretty good opportunity for you to try and prove that... bold, little claim!¡±


    Kianna said nothing as she merely blinked up at him.


    ¡°...Of course. We can always stop this at any time.¡± smiled Anton ¡°So if all of this is too much for you to handle. You can always just let me know, and we''ll stop. Oh! And I promise you, Kianna! I won''t laugh at you. ...Too much!¡±


    Kianna was still for a moment before her eyes narrowed into thin slits. Without another word she lifted her legs back up and wrapped them tightly back around his hips, pulling him in closer to herself in the process.


    Chuckling at her reaction, Anton tilted his hips downward and pressed the head of his penis into the opening of her still dripping vagina.


    ¡°Now that''s the spirit!¡± he growled as he slid himself back inside her ¡°Such a good girl!¡±


    ¡°Such a good girl!¡± encouraged Anton as he smiled up at the bouncing dark elf ¡°C''mon now! You''re almost there! Just a little more!¡±


    Kianna groaned miserably through her clenched teeth as she fought to keep her exhausted body from collapsing. Thin tears born from a combination of frustration and determination streamed down along both sides of her cheeks before meeting with twin lines of drool that flowed out from the corners of her mouth and trailed down across her jaw on either side of her chin. Her long, thin ears hung completely limp from the sides of her head and would listlessly flop up and down with each frantic motion that she made. The intricate lingerie that she had started out the night with had been all but destroyed, and now only tattered bits and pieces of it still clung to her body at random points. Blinking away her tears, she did her best to smile through her torment as she gazed down at Anton.


    For his part, Anton was laying comfortably on his back in the center of his bed. He had his arms folded back behind his head and his legs sprawled out across the mattress as he casually watched the dark elf work herself into a complete frenzy as she did her best to pleasure him.


    It had now been several hours since they had started their sexual marathon, and at this point, Anton had lost count of how many times either of them had successfully orgasmed but it was certainly far more than a mere handful apiece.


    The elixir had more than lived up to it''s reputation, as even at this point the glow in Anton''s eyes had just barely begun to dim. This slightly fading light was all that was driving Kianna forward as she saw it as her making headway in her goal to outlast his libido. She had no idea just how long she had been working on his current climax, but it was long enough that every muscle in her thighs, stomach, arms and lower legs were all protesting with a nearly crippling, constant burn that intensified with each upward thrust that she forced herself to make. Straddled over his hips, the dark elf fought to remain coherent as she feverishly impaled herself over and over onto his seemingly forever erect member.


    ¡°You''re almost there, Kianna!¡± claimed Anton as he felt himself approaching another release ¡°Just, just a little more!¡±


    Grunting in determination, Kianna clamped her eyes shut as she distanced herself from the pain in her limbs and torso and forced her failing body to soldier on. Refusing to surrender to her fatigue she nearly screamed out in triumph as she felt his member spasm as the burning heat of his newest climax spread itself inside her.


    ¡°Yes! I did it!¡± she exclaimed happily as she began to ease her motions down to nothing ¡°I did it! I did it! I did it¡±


    ¡°Oh yes! Good girl!¡± praised Anton as he smiled up at her and took in the ecstatic expression that quickly spread across her face ¡°Such a very good girl!¡±


    Kianna started to giggle maniacally as she returned his smile with her own tortured version. But as she gazed down at him for a few moments her smile began to fade.


    ¡°...Oh, c''mon! Are you serious!?¡± she whined as she began to wobble on her outstretched arms ¡°Are you really still! Fucking going!¡±


    ¡°Ah! Well!¡± breathed Anton as a sadistic grin marred his features ¡°Yeah, I''m afraid it looks like there might still be a few more rounds left in the clip!¡±


    ¡°...Uh, no! C''mon!¡± growled Kianna as her eyes widened in fear and she shook her head in disbelief ¡°How can you just... argh! No! No, no, no, no!¡±


    ¡°Aw! C''mere you!¡± laughed Anton as he unfolded his arms from behind his head and reached out for her ¡°My poor little dark elf!¡±


    Whimpering as fresh, frustrated tears began to roll down her cheeks, Kianna squealed in discomfort as she lifted her bottom upwards and slid her tender sex off of Anton''s still fully erect penis. Planting her hands down on either side of him, she pulled herself forward just enough to collapse atop his torso and lay her head down on the center of his chest.


    ¡°My poor, poor little dark elf...¡± soothed Anton as he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly ¡°She worked so hard! She''s such a strong little girl!¡±


    Tucking her arms and knees in against her body, Kianna pushed herself forward until her body slid off of his torso and came to rest against his side on the bed. With her head still laying on his chest she looked up at him with eyes that were threatening to tear up even further.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± she whined pitifully as she flattened her ears back submissively behind her head ¡°I¡±m trying! Okay! I''m really trying! I wanna win this! ...But it''s hard! ...I''m sorry! I''m really sorry!¡±


    ¡°What!? No! Now that''s enough of that!¡± declared Anton as he reached out and hugged her to himself as he let his aura spread out around them ¡°Where is this even coming from, Kianna!? This night isn''t really about winning anything! It''s all supposed to be in fun! And you have absolutely no reason to be saying you''re sorry like this! None at all!¡±


    ¡°Yes I do!¡± whined Kianna as she tried to block out the effects of his aura ¡°I wanna prove myself! Prove I can run the wild out of you! ...I wanna beat that stupid blue drink! ...But I can''t do it! ...I''m too tired!¡±


    ¡°Aw, you poor little thing! That''s enough!¡± soothed Anton as he tightened his hold and let his aura seep into her being ¡°Rest now, Kianna, my poor little dark elf...¡±


    Kianna lifted herself up to argue but was stopped short as Anton placed his hand atop her head and forced her to lay back down.


    ¡°No more... That''s enough...¡± soothed Anton as he doubled the power flowing though his aura ¡°Rest now... No more...¡±


    Sniveling quietly, Kianna glared at him but made no more effort to resist his aura. As it''s calming warmth spread throughout her exhausted body she couldn''t help but to close her eyes and almost immediately slip into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.


    Chuckling softly to himself, Anton shifted them both to more comfortable positions and sitting partially upright on a few pillows he settled in to watch the sleeping dark elf.


    ¡°You really are something else Kianna! Such a crazy little thing...¡± he whispered as he moved a lock of her hair behind her twitching ear ¡°You really did amazing tonight! And I''m betting you''re not done yet... You''ll want a rematch... I''m thinking we''ll need to work on your stamina a little before we ever try doing this again though... You poor little thing...¡±


    Musing aimlessly, Anton watched the slumbering beauty for a few more minutes before his attention shifted downwards to his gleaming member.


    ¡°Now what am I gonna do about you...¡± he mumbled as he narrowed his eyes ¡°Won''t be getting any rest with you fully awake like this...¡±


    Grimacing in annoyance, Anton''s eyes shot to the doorway as a slight motion in the shadows caught his attention. His features suddenly became stoic as a familiar figure came into focus.


    ¡°...If, you want.¡± whispered Fiona as she stepped into the room ¡°I, can probably help you with that...¡±

 Chapter 23 : Midnight

    Chapter 23 : Midnight


    Save for his eyes, Anton remained completely still as he watched Fiona enter the room and approach the bed.


    Like her sister, Fiona had opted to dress herself in a very enticing ensemble of thin lingerie. Her entire outfit was made of a pure white lace that both matched her hair, and contrasted brightly against the dark skin of her body. A thinly veiled lace corset, that had a built in garter belt that ran along it''s bottom edge, was wrapped tightly around both her thin waist, and her severely constrained bust. The thin straps of the garter belt were pulled down over the tops of the dark elf''s thighs before being clipped to a pair of white thigh-high lace stockings that were seemingly painted onto her long legs. A set of opera gloves that matched the stocking encircled her entire upper limbs, from her fingertips to the very tops of her arms. She wore no bottoms at all, which left her sex completely open. A thin veil-like dancers mask covered the lower part of her face and completed her outfit.


    With her ears laid back submissively and her hands clasped together between her hips and over her sex, Fiona carried herself with the air of a defeated being that was willingly approaching her own demise. Stopping right next to the bed on the opposite side from where Kianna now slept, the standing dark elf gazed at her slumbering sister for a moment before slowly shifting her eyes to Anton''s erect member. The emotion completely drained from her face as she simply stood still and stared for several moments. Without a word, she rocked herself back into motion and slowly clambered onto the bed before making her way to the center. She stopped and stared for another moment before swinging her leg over both of Anton''s to straddle him, she then lifted herself up on her knees and stopped again. Poised to slide herself down onto Anton''s waiting penis, she brought her eyes up to meet his for the first time since she entered the room and stopped short at the sight of him.


    Anton was staring back at her with unabashed fury plastered across his enraged face.


    Shocked by the sight, Fiona blinked and let her mouth fall open as she instinctively eased herself back and away from him.


    ¡°You rotten, lying, selfish creature!¡± snarled Anton as he balled his hands into fists ¡°How dare you!¡±


    ¡°Wh-wha, what!?¡± stammered Fiona as she raised her hands in surrender ¡°Why, what do you mean!?¡±


    ¡°What do I mean!?¡± growled Anton as he tightened his eyes into narrow slits ¡°After all that nonsense you''ve been going on about being a lesbian and having a phobia! All this time! And after everything Kianna''s done for you! Standing up for you and dedicating herself as a sex slave all in an effort to protect you! And yet here you are! The very moment she falls asleep you come in here and immediately come after me! Why!? Why are you lying to her!?¡±


    Fiona was still for a short moment before slowly shaking her head as her eyes went wide.


    ¡°No, no, no! Y-you don''t understand!¡± she cried as she continued to shake her head in denial ¡°Y-you''re wrong! Its not like that! Its, its... That''s not what this is!¡±


    Anton stayed still for a moment as he stared into her eyes and assessed her truthfulness.


    ¡°...What is this then?¡± he whispered softly ¡°What are you doing in here?¡±


    Fiona swallowed a lump in her throat as she lowered her hands back down.


    ¡°I came here...¡± she whispered as she dropped her eyes to the engorged penis that stood in front of her ¡°Because, I want to please you...¡±


    Registering the misery in her tortured looking eyes, Anton''s face slowly softened back into a stoic expression.


    ¡°Get out.¡± he commanded in a hushed tone.


    ¡°...What!?¡± cried Fiona as her eyes darted back to his.


    ¡°I said, get out.¡± declared Anton ¡°I don''t know what you''re trying to do, but I can tell you don''t want to do it. So get out.¡±


    ¡°No, no wait, you don''t understand!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she shook her head and looked back down at his penis ¡°...I, I do, want this!¡±


    ¡°Well then, I don''t!¡± stated Anton as an annoyed expression spread across his face ¡°Now, get, out!¡±


    ¡°Wha!? But! But I! This...!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she indicated what she was wearing ¡°I, did this!¡±


    ¡°I don''t want it.¡± said Anton as he kept his eyes on hers ¡°And I don''t want you. So you can leave now.¡±


    ¡°What!? But, wait!¡± cried Fiona as she gestured to her sister with both hands ¡°I look just like her! We''re the same! ...So why!? Why don''t you want me too!?¡±


    Anton went still as he stared into her frantic and fearful looking eyes.


    ¡°...Because you don''t want this.¡± he said in a calm, dry tone ¡°Now get out. Before I make you get out.¡±


    Fiona sat completely frozen for several moments before a look of intense fury began to spread across her face. Trembling in her sudden anger, she started to growl through her clenched teeth as she balled her hands into fists.


    ¡°Damn it all! I hate you! So much!¡± she snarled as her eyes began to glow with a bright murderous light ¡°Why are you doing this to me!? You already have everything else you bastard! Why can''t you just let me have this!? One thing! Just one thing! Why!? Why!?¡±


    ¡°...What, the Hell, are you talking about!?¡± demanded Anton ¡°What one thing!?¡±


    ¡°This! Dammit!¡± cried Fiona as she slapped both hands down at her navel and over her pubic mound ¡°The only thing I have left! The only thing you haven''t taken away already! The one thing I still have!¡±


    Anton said nothing as he watched the shaking dark elf hunch herself over and go from furious to anguished within the blink of an eye.


    ¡°You''ve taken everything from me!¡± wailed Fiona as heavy tears began to spill out from her eyes ¡°My life! My freedom! My future, and my home! Everything I own! All my money! ...You even took my only sister!¡±


    Her face marred in despair, Fiona looked longingly at her sister before letting her head fall to hang limp.


    ¡°...You have everything!¡± she whimpered in misery as she shook her head ¡°...And now, this is all I have left! ...The only thing, that you haven''t taken from me!¡±


    Anton remained stoic as he watched the sobbing dark elf clamp her hands over her slit and press her thighs together.


    ¡°Is this what you were hiding? What you were so afraid you were going to lose?¡± he asked calmly.


    Fiona stayed still for a moment before slowly nodding her head.


    ¡°...I see. ...I told you I wouldn''t touch you, Fiona. And I meant that.¡± declared Anton in the same calm tone ¡°So I will not be the one to take that from you.¡±


    ¡°But you can!¡± breathed Fiona as she shook her head ¡°And I can''t stop you! So if you decide to take it, as some... Bullshit! Punishment! ...Or even sell me because of it! ...There''s nothing I can do!¡±


    Anton sighed softly as he shook his head.


    ¡°I don''t want that! I don''t want, this! Anymore... And if I''m going to lose it...¡± sobbed Fiona as she shifted her eyes back to Anton''s member ¡°I at least want to do it myself! ...That way, I can at least say I had control over one thing in my life! That I made one decision! One choice, that was all my own!¡±


    Her face taking on an expression of grim determination, Fiona raised herself back up on her knees and swallowed another lump in her throat before repositioned herself over Anton''s penis.


    ¡°Stop.¡± said Anton as he shifted himself to the side.


    Her eyes darting to his, Fiona groaned in misery through her clenched teeth.


    ¡°Please!¡± she begged as she balled her hands in frustration ¡°Just let me have this! Please! Please I don''t want to be valuable!¡±


    ¡°Stop that!¡± growled Anton ¡°I only told you that so you''d be aware that it was a factor in your situation! I made it clear already I have no intention of selling you! Do not dwell on that!¡±


    ¡°I don''t want it to be a factor though!¡± whined Fiona as she scowled at his crotch and began to ease herself back down ¡°So, just, let me...¡±


    ¡°Stop!¡± said Anton as he shook his head ¡°I already said I don''t want this!¡±


    ¡°Why!? Why are you doing this to me!?¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°It''s not like you''re losing anything!¡±


    Anton said nothing as he shook his head.


    Throwing her head back in frustration, Fiona groaned up at the ceiling before looking back down at Anton with renewed anger in her eyes.


    ¡°Why!? You already have everything else! Why won''t you just give this to me!?¡± cried Fiona as she slumped her shoulders in exhaustion ¡°...What do you want from me!?¡±


    Anton went still for a moment before narrowing his eyes.


    ¡°What do I want from you?¡± he grumbled as his own irritation began to show through on his face ¡°You won''t give me what I want from you, Fiona!¡±


    ¡°...What!? What are you talking about!?¡± cried Fiona as she shrugged sarcastically ¡°You already have everything! I don''t have anything left to give you! ...Except the fucking thing I''m trying to give you!¡±


    ¡°No.¡± mumbled Anton as he ran his hand through his hair ¡°That''s not true.¡±


    ¡°Then what is it then!?¡± cried Fiona as she threw her hands out in question ¡°What the Hell do you want from me!?¡±


    ¡°I want you to stop trying to lie to me!¡± exclaimed Anton as he met her frustration with his own ¡°And I want you stop trying to fight me on every little thing! Stop trying to irritate me by making everything so difficult with all the ridiculous, stubborn games you try to play! ...I have had patience with you, Fiona. Far more than someone as guilty as you deserves! ...I''ve made compromises for you. Accommodated you. And all I''ve asked out of you is for you to stop making your sister cry! Acknowledge what you''ve done, and work to be a better person! That''s it! That''s all I''ve asked! ...And yet I still can''t even get you to just answer a simple question without it turning into a battle! ...You see yourself as a victim, and you are. But what you don''t see is that you are the source of your own suffering, Fiona! You are a victim of your own choices and actions! And all I''ve done as your Master, is try to show you this!¡±


    Her anger still clear on her face, Fiona stared in silence as she lowered her arms back down to her sides. After a long moment she opened her mouth to speak but instead she turned away and looked off to the side.


    ¡°...Fine!¡± she muttered as her face became strained ¡°I''ll just! What, what are your fucking questions!?¡±


    ¡°...Humph, are you actually going to answer them truthfully?¡± asked Anton as he cocked an eyebrow at the slumping dark elf ¡°I don''t want to waste my time if you''re just going to keep trying to lie to me.¡±


    Fiona shifted her gaze to him and gave him a hateful glare before looking back down at the bed.


    ¡°...Just tell me what you wanna know.¡± she mumbled in frustration ¡°I''m not gonna lie! I swear!¡±


    Anton was silent for a moment as he shifted his jaw back and forth in thought.


    ¡°Alright then...¡± he mused as his face became stoic again ¡°I''d like to know why you kidnapped me?¡±


    Fiona slumped down even further as she sighed in irritation.


    ¡°Are you serious!?¡± she growled as she glared at him ¡°You already know why!¡±


    Anton''s face remained unchanged as he merely stared back at her.


    ¡°Argh! Fine!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she shook her head in frustration ¡°I kidnapped you so I could kill you! Okay! Okay!? Is that what you want to hear!? I did it! Okay!? I fucked up! ...I''m sorry! Okay!? ...I''m sorry. ...I really am.¡±


    Anton said nothing as the dark elf''s eyes met his own.


    ¡°...I didn''t want to kill you.¡± whispered Fiona as she let her eyes drop before closing them tightly ¡°I didn''t want to kill anybody! ...I didn''t want any of this! I, I just wanted...¡±


    The dark elf turned to the side and swallowed loudly as she held back a sob.


    Anton narrowed his eyes as he watched her. After a moment of silence he finally spoke.


    ¡°...I''m going to guess.¡± he offered sarcastically ¡°That you just wanted to be like your Mother?¡±


    ¡°Hell no!¡± snarled Fiona as she turned to him with a look of disgust on her face ¡°I hate that bitch!¡±


    Anton blinked as he failed to keep the surprise from spreading across his face.


    ¡°You, you do!?¡± he questioned as he cocked an eyebrow ¡°Really!?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do! Why wouldn''t I!¡± snapped Fiona as she looked away again ¡°She''s a complete bitch! And a fucking murderer! I don''t want to ever be anything like her! Ever!¡±


    Flabbergasted, Anton stared at the now fuming dark elf for another moment before shaking the confusion from his head.


    ¡°Wait one second!¡± he exclaimed as he recomposed himself and brought himself up on his elbows so to be at a more sitting position ¡°Why do you hate her all of a sudden? Before I thought all you wanted to do was to spend more time with her?¡±


    ¡°I do! But not because I want to!¡± declared Fiona as she looked at him and then away again ¡°I need to! She''s the only one that can teach me how to use my magic! So I don''t have a choice!¡±


    Frozen in thought, Anton nodded slowly as understanding took form in his eyes.


    ¡°And you hate her because she won''t teach you?¡± he offered as he gave the dark elf an imploring look.


    ¡°Yes!¡± grumbled Fiona as she looked at her sister ¡°That, and...¡±


    Anton followed her gaze with his eyes and found himself looking at Kianna''s sleeping form as well.


    ¡°...She abandoned us!¡± growled Fiona as her features became hateful ¡°No! She didn''t even abandon us! She just never even cared to begin with! And then even worse! She...!¡±


    Anton shifted his focus back to the dark elf as she went silent, and found her with her jaw clenched shut and her eyes again aglow with a murderous red light.


    Noticing that he was staring at her, Fiona turned away and blinked the glow out of her eyes as she sighed in frustration.


    ¡°She''s a bitch!¡± she growled through her teeth as her eyes darted back to Kianna ¡°I have every reason to hate her!¡±


    Anton let his eyes drift to Kianna before focusing them back on Fiona.


    ¡°...I''m getting the impression that there''s more that you want to say.¡± he whispered softly as he watched a grimace spread across the dark elf''s face ¡°...What happened, Fiona?¡±


    Fiona let her shoulders slump with a sigh.


    ¡°...She made Kianna cry, a lot! Okay!¡± she mumbled as she continued to watch her sleeping sister ¡°...And I couldn''t make her stop doing it!¡±


    Raising her head, Fiona looked at Anton for a moment before looking back down at Kianna.


    ¡°...Look, Kianna loved our Nanny Ma more than anything.¡± she began as a tiny smile formed on her face ¡°When we came home, she would always follow Nanny Ma around while she did things. Cleaning, cooking, watching TV, reading the paper, or even when they were making their stupid puzzles... Kianna didn''t care what they did... She just followed her around. And talked to her, and sang with her and read her books with her... They would talk about school, and just different stuff, but the point is they were always together...¡±


    Fiona went silent for a moment as she closed her eyes and took several slow breaths.


    ¡°It really hurt her, when Nanny Ma... She never got to say goodbye...¡± whispered the dark elf as her ears tightened themselves together behind her head ¡°It really..., it really hurt! ...Both of us...¡±


    ¡°...I''m so sorry, Fiona.¡± whispered Anton as he dropped his eyes in sympathy ¡°I really am...¡±


    ¡°It''s..., yeah...¡± breathed Fiona as she held back a sob ¡°...Thanks, I guess...¡±


    Anton nodded silently and waited without a word as Fiona recomposed herself.


    Taking a deep breath, the dark elf took on an irritated air as she continued.


    ¡°When it happened. Kianna, was quiet for a few days...¡± said Fiona as her face began to darken ¡°And then she started to follow our Mom around!¡±


    Anton looked back up as he registered the change in her tone.


    ¡°She wasn''t trying to be annoying!¡± growled Fiona as her eyes flashed red ¡°She was hurt! She was lonely! And she just wanted to talk to somebody! She followed me too! ...But she really wanted to talk to her Mommy!¡±


    Anton subconsciously tightened his arm protectively around the sleeping dark elf as he listened to Fiona speak.


    ¡°That bitch told her to go away! And leave her alone! But Kianna came back, again and again! ...She just wanted to be with her! But that bitch started yelling at her!¡± snarled Fiona through her teeth ¡°And then she kicked her! And laughed when she fell over!¡±


    Anton''s jaw tightened as he watched Fiona ball her hands into fists.


    ¡°I got mad!¡± declared the dark elf ¡°And I started yelling! And cussing! ...And then I fucked up! I told her Kianna just doesn''t want to be alone... So she laughed! And said then that''s what''s gonna happen!¡±


    Fiona gazed at her sister with eyes drowned deep in sorrow and regret.


    ¡°She made her go stay in her room! And then locked her in there, everyday for the whole week! All by herself!¡± cried Fiona as she shook her head ¡°I''m the one who did it! I was the one yelling! ...But she ended up crying, and crying! And there was nothing I could do! ...I sat by her door, but she couldn''t see me! ...I''m so sorry, Kianna! I''m sorry you were all alone!¡±


    Anton said nothing as he watched the dark elf raise her fists in anger and then let them slowly drop back down.


    ¡°I hated her! Since that very moment!¡± declared Fiona as her arms went limp against her sides ¡°And when we came back for summer, and she was gone! I hated her even more!¡±


    Anton was silent for a moment as he mentally went over all that Fiona had said.


    ¡°...You say you hate her. ...And yet you''ll still go to any limit just get her attention.¡± he mumbled as he shook his head ¡°After everything she''s done, everything she''s put you through...¡±


    ¡°All the more reason to hate her!¡± snapped Fiona as she glared at him ¡°I need her! And that''s the only reason I''d ever even want to see her again! Trust me! If I had any other option, I would take it!¡±


    Anton nodded slowly as his eyes tightened in thought.


    ¡°But with Sierra being the only other dark elf you know...¡± he mused as he looked from her to Kianna and back ¡°Your options are kind of limited...¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± snapped Fiona ¡°And it''s not like I hate that fucking bitch any less either!¡±


    ¡°Right...¡± mumbled Anton as he began to nod his head ¡°When she left you were worse off than you were already...¡±


    ¡°Pfft! I hated her way before that!¡± growled Fiona ¡°I hated her as soon as she started going after Kianna!¡±


    ¡°...She did what?¡± questioned Anton ¡°Why would she go after Kianna!?¡±


    Fiona sighed out of her nose as she looked to her side.


    ¡°She was the first dark elf we ever met! So of course, we tried to make friends with her! And Kianna tried especially hard!¡± she explained as her eyes tightened in anger ¡°But when Sierra figured out that Kianna was sweet, and basically the complete opposite of what a normal dark elf is supposed to be! She started to bully her! And when I got mad she just thought it was even more funny! And whenever I wasn''t there she would mess with Kianna even more! And no matter what I did she wouldn''t quit! So yeah! I hate that little bitch just as much!¡±


    ¡°...Hm, I see.¡± mumbled Anton as he gave Kianna another gentle squeeze ¡°...It''s a shame that hatred isn''t strong enough to make you want to maintain your dignity though.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡± questioned Fiona ¡°What do you mean!?¡±


    Anton was stoic as he gazed back at her for a moment.


    ¡°You say you hate your Mother, and have reasons as to why. But you''re still willing to embrace her as your teacher despite that hatred.¡± he explained as he tightened his eyes at her ¡°You''re willing to set your morals aside in exchange for power. In other words, your greed and lust for power outweigh your sense of pride and dignity... This says a lot about you. And I''m not sure if you realize that or not.¡±


    Fiona''s eyes narrowed into an angry glare as she stared back at him.


    ¡°I have no other choice!¡± she declared softly ¡°And you of all people have no right to judge me!¡±


    ¡°...And how do you figure that?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°Because you''re powerful!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°You''re powerful and you don''t know what it''s like! You have no idea! No idea what it''s like to be weak! And powerless! And not be able to protect someone you care about! To know that if you had power you could make it all stop! But you don''t, and you can''t! And you have no choice! You''re trapped at the mercy of someone else! Someone you hate more than anything! ...You have no idea what that''s like! You-¡±


    ¡°You''re wrong.¡± declared Anton as he cut her off.


    Fiona went silent as she stared defiantly back at him.


    ¡°To be weak, powerless and trapped... To not be able to protect... I know those feelings, Fiona.¡± said Anton in a calm, soft tone ¡°I know them very well. I know them better than you ever will.¡±


    Fiona remained still as she continued to stare back at him. After a long moment of silence she went to speak but stopped short as he spoke before her.


    ¡°Why do you want power, Fiona?¡± asked Anton as he gazed at the dark elf.


    ¡°...What!?¡± questioned Fiona.


    ¡°Why do you want power?¡± repeated Anton ¡°What are you going to do with it? Do you honestly just want it to protect your sister?¡±


    ¡°...That''s, part of it.¡± answered Fiona as she dropped her eyes to the bed ¡°But, not...¡±


    The dark elf''s eyes shifted to her sleeping sister and lingered on the arm that was wrapped protectively around her shoulders.


    ¡°...Damn the Gods, I hate you!¡± she mumbled softly ¡°I hate you so much!¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± questioned Anton ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°I said I hate you!¡± declared Fiona as she turned to face him head on ¡°I hate you. I hate you more than anyone or anything else in this entire world!¡±


    Anton remained silent as he stared back at her.


    ¡°You, you''re like a nightmare! My worst nightmare! But I''m not waking up!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she frantically shook her head in disbelief ¡°It''s like you''re everything I want! Everything I want to-!¡±


    The dark elf clamped her mouth shut as she balled her hands into fists and began to tremble in rage.


    ¡°Why!? Why is this happening to me!? What are you!?¡± implored Fiona as her face became twisted in a warring mar of anger and anguish ¡°You''ve taken everything! Everything! Why!? Why is this...!?¡±


    Anton said nothing as he watched the dark elf reach a crescendo in her fury and then go still.


    ¡°This! This, deserve this...¡± whispered Fiona as her eyes went distant and she began to seemingly speak to herself ¡°...He''s, right... I, I... I always fuck it up, I always... I really do! I always do! I, I...!¡±


    Anton''s face was stoic as he watched the tension fade from the quickly deflating dark elf.


    ¡°...I just wanted, to be...¡± whispered Fiona as her arms slowly fell to her sides and her head and shoulders slumped until her entire being seemed to hang limp ¡°...I''m sorry.¡±


    The dark elf lifted her head just enough for her eyes to land on her sister.


    ¡°...I''m done, I don''t care what you do with me anymore.¡± whimpered Fiona as she stared at her sister and her eyes welled with heavy tears ¡°...Just, please! Promise me you''ll take care of her, and protect her... Better than I did...¡±


    Anton remained silent as he watched the thick tears roll down the dark elf''s cheeks.


    ¡°I hate it... But I think you will... You like her! And she likes you too...¡± declared Fiona as her gaze shifted to him ¡°...You know, that she''s good! ...And that I''m not...¡±


    ¡°...What is this Fiona?¡± whispered Anton ¡°Where did this come from?¡±


    The dark elf stared at him for a moment before her eyes fell back to the bed.


    ¡°You were right... I did this... I brought you here... I hurt her, I always hurt her... back then, and now...¡± whispered Fiona before sighing deeply ¡°...You really should get rid of me. ...I''m only gonna hurt her more... and, I deserve it... I didn''t want this... I never wanted this... I''m so sorry, Kianna...¡±


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.The room went quiet for some time as the dark elf cried in silence.


    ¡°...What did you want Fiona?¡± asked Anton in a soft whisper ¡°Why are you so desperate for power?¡±


    The dark elf kept her eyes down as she started to slowly shake her head.


    ¡°Just... please, don''t.¡± she whispered in an agonized tone ¡°It doesn''t matter anymore...¡±


    Anton''s brow creased in annoyance as the silence dragged on.


    ¡°And what does that mean?¡± he asked bluntly ¡°Why doesn''t it matter anymore?¡±


    ¡°...Because it''s not going to happen.¡± whimpered Fiona ¡°So there''s no point in, in thinking about it...¡±


    His eyes tightening into a glare, Anton watched as the dark elf wrapped her arms around her torso and hunched in on herself.


    ¡°Fiona, you said you would be truthful!¡± he declared in a stern tone ¡°And you said you would answer my questions! Now no more stalling! I want to know! What do you want!?¡±


    ¡°Control, dammit!¡± cried the dark elf as she began to tremble ¡°I want control! For once in my fucking life!¡±


    Anton went still as Fiona began to sob and slowly shake her head.


    ¡°You won''t get it! I''m not supposed to be like this!¡± she exclaimed as she held her hands out and looked down at herself ¡°I''m not supposed to be weak like this! I''m not supposed to be powerless! Or have no control of anything! Or let people tell me what to do! ...I''m, I''m not supposed to be scared! ...I''m not!¡±


    Raising her head, Fiona locked eyes with Anton as she made an obvious effort to control her trembling.


    ¡°...I''m a dark elf! And that''s what I want! Okay! I want to be a dark elf!¡± she declared as fresh tears welled in her eyes ¡°I want to be like all the other dark elves! The real ones! I want to be powerful! Dominating! Badass and dangerous! I want to be sexy! And, and mysterious! I want to control people! Make them scared of me! And I want to make them stop! ...Whenever they''re trying to make my sister cry! ...I want to be the way that I''m supposed to be! ...I want to be real! I want to be a real dark elf!¡±


    Anton was silent for a moment as he stared at her and absorbed all that she had said.


    ¡°...And how exactly do you even know what a ¡°real¡± dark elf is even like, Fiona?¡± he asked quietly ¡°You''ve barely even met any other dark elves at all. The only one''s you''ve ever been around besides Kianna, were your Mother and Sierra. Are you basing all of this on them?¡±


    ¡°...No!¡± muttered Fiona through her clenched teeth ¡°...I, know what dark elves are like, because I research them!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± questioned Anton as he cocked an eyebrow ¡°And how do you research them?¡±


    Fiona sighed in frustration as she looked away.


    ¡°It''s hard!¡± she groaned ¡°...You were right when you said there isn''t much out there on them! They''re mysterious, and they like it that way! ...But I found books, that I could learn about them in!¡±


    ¡°Books?¡± questioned Anton ¡°What books?¡±


    Fiona closed her eyes and grimaced as she hesitated.


    ¡°...You can find a lot of dark elves as characters in, in dark romance novels...¡± she muttered embarrassingly ¡°...They''re actually really popular! And they''re in a lot of them!¡±


    Anton was silent for a moment as he stared at her.


    ¡°...So your research, is based on smut books?¡± he said softly ¡°...Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°It''s not! All, smut!¡± cried Fiona ¡°And it doesn''t matter if it is! You can still learn a lot about dark elves from those books!¡±


    ¡°...How!?¡± questioned Anton.


    ¡°Because the dark elves in those books are always the same!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°They''re always acting the same! And they can always do the same things, and, and they just act the same way! They''re always the ones on top! They''re never afraid of anyone! They''re the scary ones! They says things and people listen! They can make people do things, and make them afraid! And their abilities are always the same too! ...And they''re the same ones that you can use! So now I know for sure they''re the real deal!¡±


    Anton said nothing as Fiona lowered her head and stared back down at the bed.


    ¡°...They''re always so strong! And powerful! ...They''re always amazing! And, and I want to be like them!¡± whispered the dark elf ¡°...But I''m not!¡±


    Fiona clutched her own arms tightly as she hugged herself.


    ¡°...I could be!¡± she whispered softly ¡°I know I could be! I can feel it! It''s there! Inside! ...But, but I don''t know how to make it work! And I can''t do anything without it! ...I, I have to be careful! I''m weak! And, I, I can''t control anything... I look at slaves, for sale online... But I can''t buy one because I can''t control it! And I can''t get my own submissive because if I go out! ...People, might know! That I''m powerless! And what if they try something!? What if I can''t stop them!? ...I can''t let that happen! I, just can''t... I can''t, do anything...¡±


    Fiona hunched herself down even lower as she began to sob.


    ¡°I''m scared!¡± she whimpered ¡°I''m so scared... And I don''t want to be scared anymore! I want to be the one that''s in control! The way I''m supposed to be! ...I want to be real! ...I wanna be a real dark elf!¡±


    Anton said nothing as he slowly nodded his head.


    ¡°...But that''s never gonna happen now.¡± sobbed Fiona as she slumped in on herself ¡°Now I''m the slave... And I have value! ...I''m my Master''s pet, punching bag! ...I''m a slave, I''m a slave. And I''ll never be a real dark elf now... It''s over... Forever...¡±


    Fiona lifted her tear stricken face just high enough for her look directly at Anton''s still erect member.


    ¡°...Please, I don''t want this value. And I don''t want it to just be anyone.¡± she whimpered as she shifted herself into motion ¡°If it''s you... At least I got to choose you...¡±


    Moving herself into position, Fiona continued to hug her own torso as she began to take in one deep breath after another.


    ¡°...I want this! I really do! ...And I''ll make sure you enjoy it.¡± she whispered as she swallowed a lump in her throat and hovered over the waiting member ¡°I, promise! ...My, my Master!¡±


    ¡°Fiona!¡± exclaimed Anton as his aura flared outwards and filled the area ¡°I want the absolute truth!¡±


    The dark elf''s eyes went wide in panic as the blood gem on her collar began to glow.


    ¡°Is this really what you want?¡± commanded Anton as he stared into her eyes ¡°Do you truly want this?¡±


    Her face twisting in agony, Fiona clamped her eyes shut and hunched in on herself as if she were in great pain.


    ¡°...No!¡± she wailed in misery as she shook her head ¡°No, no, no, no! I don''t want this! I don''t want this at all! No! Never!¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± whispered Anton as he released his aura and pulled his legs out from under her.


    ¡°...I don''t want this!¡± whimpered Fiona as she watched Anton move to the side and away from her ¡°I don''t want this! I don''t want this! I don''t want this!¡±


    Anton said nothing as he watched the dark elf deflate in on herself and then collapse onto the bed.


    Curling into the fetal position, Fiona continued to repeat her mantra over and over between fits of sobbing.


    As he gazed at the broken, miserable looking creature before him, the image of her just after her shower immediately sprang into Anton''s mind. And thinking back to the sight of her then, he couldn''t help but to feel that all that she wanted, was in reality, so very close. Hidden, and waiting just beneath the surface. The power, allure, mystique and the danger, were all there. And he knew, that all they would need to be free, was a single, little, push.


    Comparing the sight of Fiona now with what she was then and what she could be, it was easy enough to admit which version of her that he, himself, truly wanted to see.


    ¡°I don''t want this!¡± whimpered Fiona as she hid her face with her arms ¡°I don''t want this!¡±


    ¡°...What do you want, Fiona?¡± said Anton as he watched her go still ¡°Tell me what you really want.¡±


    Fiona was silent for a moment before she let out a heavy sob.


    ¡°I want to be what I really am!¡± she whimpered in desperation ¡°...What I''m supposed to be!¡±


    Anton nodded slowly as he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath through his nose.


    ¡°...Alright then.¡± he said quietly as he opened his eyes and gazed at the dark elf ¡°Then helping you to become what you''re supposed to be... Is what we''re going to do...¡±


    Fiona continued to sob for several moments before slowly going quiet. Shifted her arm down and out of the way, she revealed a single large, ruby-colored, bloodshot eye and stared at Anton.


    ¡°...What?¡± she whispered softly as her eye tighten in question ¡°What did you say!?¡±


    Anton sighed through his nose as his eyes narrowed.


    ¡°Nothing is ever going to be easy with you, is it!? I can already tell! It''s just going to be one ridiculous situation after another!¡± declared Anton as he slowly shook his head ¡°This exact scenario we''re in right now is a perfect example of what I''m talking about. Look at you! What were you thinking, Fiona!? What are you even doing in here right now!?¡±


    The dark elf blinked and cringed in on herself as she continued to stare in silence.


    ¡°Zero to extreme! With no thought at all even given to the consequences!¡± exclaimed Anton ¡°You''re so willing to take any risk, regardless of how you or those around you might be effected! You''ll do whatever it is you think you need to just to get what you want! And you will do anything! It doesn''t matter how crazy it is! Lying, stealing, kidnapping, buying drugs and building a dungeon! You''ll even go so far as to kill somebody!¡±


    Fiona said nothing as her eye tightened further and further in worry.


    ¡°It''s just one insane plan after another! You''ll literally do anything! If the option of success is there then you''ll take it! Risks and all! You''ll take any opportunity you can find! Any opportunity at all! ...Any opportunity. ...Exempt for one.¡± said Anton as his eyes narrowed even further and became piercing ¡°...You know, that I know how to use your kinds abilities. That I was taught how to use them. And that I understand them, and how they work.¡±


    Fiona took a nervous breath as Anton leaned towards her and stared directly into her eye.


    ¡°Did the thought truly never occur to you, Fiona?¡± whispered Anton as his face softened and became sympathetic looking ¡°That you could just ask me for help!?¡±


    Fiona was still for only a moment before her eye suddenly widened to it''s fullest.


    ¡°...Hm!¡± chuckled Anton as he leaned back and shook his head ¡°I''m going to take that as a no then...¡±


    The room went still for several long moments as they both stared at each other in silence.


    ¡°...How?¡± whispered Fiona as her eye tightened in question ¡°How can you...?¡±


    ¡°...What? Teach you? Well, I don''t see any reason to think that the methods used to teach me wouldn''t work with you!¡± answered Anton with a shrug ¡°And if for some reason they don''t... Then we''ll just find another way.¡±


    Fiona blinked as her eye went wide again.


    ¡°But, why!?¡± she breathed as she gripped the bedspread she was laying on ¡°Why are you!? ...Why!?¡±


    ¡°Why!?¡± repeated Anton as he cocked an eyebrow ¡°What do you mean why!? That should be obvious! To you more than anyone!¡±


    Fiona said nothing as she merely stared back with questions dancing in her eye.


    ¡°...Fiona, you belong to me now! You are my dark elf! And do you honestly think that I want my dark elf to be this way!? Look at you! Weak! Broken and hopeless! Afraid to even leave your own home! And you really think that I''m going to let you stay this way!? No! No, no, no, no! You are not going to be this way, Fiona! Not you! Not my dark elf!¡± declared Anton as his face took on a stern expression while his eyes tightened and his jaw clenched ¡°No! This is not what I want! I want my dark elf to be powerful! I want her to be confident! I want her to be a strong, beautiful and capable being who can literally terrify the people around her with just a look! And if there is a single fool out there stupid enough to try and lay a hand on my dark elf! Then I want to know that she will not only be able to stop them and protect herself! But that she will also make them pay dearly for what they tried to do to her!¡±


    Fiona remained completely still and didn''t even breathe as Anton leaned forward and stared directly into her eye.


    ¡°I don''t want you to be scared of anyone, Fiona, ever!¡± stated Anton as he smiled evilly at her ¡°I want everyone to be scared of you!¡±


    Fiona''s eye widened back to it''s fullest and started to glow with a bright red light as her whole body began to quiver with excitement.


    ¡°...And I think you want the same thing.¡± said Anton as he tilted his head to look at her clearly ¡°Don''t you!?¡±


    Fiona was still for another moment before she softly nodded her head.


    ¡°Good! I''m glad to hear that!¡± declared Anton as he eased himself back ¡°Now, I suggest you get yourself mentally prepared to be very unhappy, as this isn''t going to be easy for you, Fiona. There is a big hurdle ahead of you. And it''s a mean, ugly road to get over it. Things will get easier once we''re passed it though. Well, I say that! It will be easier, so long as you''re not fighting me at every turn! Though, I''m sure you will be...¡±


    Fiona said nothing as she watched him settle himself back in against his pillows.


    ¡°Alright, it''s late, and as happy as I am to finally know what you want now! It''s time for you to get out of my room so I can try to get some rest.¡± commanded Anton as he leaned his head back and closed his eyes ¡°I''ve got a lot of things I need to get done tomorrow. I''m going to be very busy now because of you! So do me a favor, give me my moment of peace, and get, out!¡±


    Fiona stayed still for several moments as she continued to watch him. Once she was sure he was indeed done for the night, she slowly maneuvered herself over to the edge of the bed and stood up before making her way towards the door.


    Anton cracked his eyes when he felt the dark elf leave the bed and watched as she tentatively moved to leave the room.


    ¡°Fiona!¡± he called just as she reached the doorway.


    The startled dark elf froze for a second before quickly turning around to face him.


    ¡°...This was a very reckless and embarrassing little stunt that you just pulled tonight!¡± declared Anton as he stared into her still glowing eyes ¡°Don''t you ever do anything like this again!¡±


    Fiona''s eyes tightened apologetically as she looked at the floor and nodded.


    ¡°...And one more thing.¡± said Anton as his face became stoic ¡°Quit moping around like a beaten puppy. If you want to be a real dark elf, then start acting like one. And fix those ears!¡±


    Fiona blinked in surprise as she continued to stare down at the floor. After a moment of hesitation, she raised her ears up from where she had been keeping them laid back behind her head and shifted them back and forth until she found a comfortable position for them to rest in.


    ¡°That''s better.¡± mumbled Anton as he closed his eyes and settled back down ¡°Now goodnight, Fiona.¡±


    Bringing her eyes back up, Fiona looked up at him before turning away and facing the open door.


    ¡°...Goodnight.¡± she whispered as she quickly darted out of the room and disappeared out into the hallway beyond.


    ¡°...Hm! Stubborn dark elf!¡± muttered Anton as he shifted his shoulders back and forth ¡°Can''t be happy unless she makes every little thing as difficult as it can possibly be!¡±


    Anton''s eyes shot open as he felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around his chest and squeeze him tightly. Shifted his head to the side, he smiled as he looked down at Kianna and found two bright, glowing eyes staring back up at him.


    ¡°Oh! Well hello there, sleepyhead!¡± teased Anton as he gave her shoulders a squeeze ¡°So, I take it you''ve been listening in on me and your sister?¡±


    Kianna''s glowing eyes tightened as a cheeky grin spread across her face.


    ¡°...Maybe!¡± she teased as she nuzzled her cheek into his chest and threw her bent leg over his middle as she pressed herself against him ¡°...Yes!¡±


    ¡°Hm, I see.¡± rumbled Anton as he loosened his arm from around her shoulders and ran his hand down her back before letting it come to rest atop her hip ¡°So, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°I think! That Fiona is probably very excited right now! And very, very happy!¡± smiled Kianna as she closed her eyes and let herself go limp ¡°And I think it''s amazing that you''re going to help her!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don''t plan on stopping with just her!¡± grinned Anton as he drummed his fingers on the crest of her hip ¡°I have every intention of making sure that you become a ¡°real¡± dark elf as well!¡±


    ¡°...Wait, seriously!?¡± questioned Kianna as she peered up at him ¡°You''re going to teach me how to use magic too!?¡±


    ¡°Well of course!¡± exclaimed Anton as he reached down and softly shifted a lock of her hair out of her face ¡°Why wouldn''t I? You''re my dark elf as well. And I want the same for you as I do your sister. Which means I want you to be strong, powerful and above all, I want you to be safe. I don''t want you to be scared anymore, Kianna. I want you to be happy.¡±


    Kianna was still for a moment as she stared at him. Without a word she pulled herself up onto his chest and leaned forward until her lips could finally reach his. Kissing him deeply, Kianna began to whimper as she frantically pressed herself into his lips in an effort to fully illustrate her affection.


    A deep chuckle began to rumble out of Anton''s chest as he wrapped his arms around the squirming dark elf.


    ¡°Well now!¡± he laughed as he broke away from their kiss and took a breath ¡°And here I thought you were too exhausted to even move! Were did all this new energy suddenly come from!?¡±


    ¡°Shut up! You need me!¡± snapped Kianna as she began to plant little kisses up and down his jawline ¡°...You''re eyes, ...are still, all fucked up! ...So, ...I''m not, ...done yet!¡±


    Anton laughed and tilted his head to the side as he chased after her lips with his own. Reaching her, he kissed her long and deeply as he savored the sweetened flavor of her mouth.


    ¡°...Ah! ...Listen, Kianna!¡± exclaimed Anton as he broke their kiss and hugged her to himself ¡°Don''t worry about me or my eyes! Okay! I think we over did it! We should have just gone with the one shot glass. 2 was definitely too much!¡±


    ¡°Huh!?¡± questioned Kianna ¡°What do you mean!?¡±


    ¡°I mean, that there''s no reason for you to feel like you need to keep going for my sake. I don''t think the effects of this elixir are going to be disappearing anytime soon.¡± explained Anton ¡°It might even be a few days before it''s fully burnt out and gone.¡±


    ¡°...What are you talking about!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as she pointed her ears straight upwards ¡°I''m making progress already! You just can''t see it but the blue lights are already dimming down! I can totally knock this out!¡±


    ¡°Blue lights? What are you even...? You know what. It doesn''t matter. Questions for later. Listen, Kianna...¡± drawled Anton as he smiled sheepishly ¡°There''s something you should probably know. I''m not sure what you mean by blue lights? But I''ve actually been, holding back... quite a bit...¡±


    ¡°Wha!? What do you mean!?¡± questioned Kianna as she narrowed her eyes in suspicion ¡°How can you be holding back!? You''ve been going crazy this whole time!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and that''s just it... This has not been easy...¡± muttered Anton as he grimaced in discomfort ¡°You have really not made it very easy... At all!¡±


    ¡°...Wait! Hold on a second! Are you serious!¡± exclaimed Kianna ¡°...Well no wonder this is taking forever then!¡±


    ¡°...What!?¡± questioned Anton.


    ¡°Dammit! That''s why it won''t go down!¡± cried Kianna as she pointed her ears straight back in irritation ¡°You''ve been holding it in this whole time! Argh! Okay! That''s it! That ends right now!¡±


    Anton blinked in surprise as Kianna rolled herself off of his chest and came to rest laying on her back just next to him.


    ¡°...Well! C''mon! Let''s go!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she spread her legs out invitingly and kicked her feet in impatience ¡°And no more holding back! We''re finishing this! And we''re not stopping until it''s done!¡±


    Anton took in her determined expression for a moment before turning away and laughing loudly.


    ¡°Kianna... Listen we-¡± started Anton as he tried to recompose himself.


    ¡°Master!¡± interrupted Kianna as she glared at him and spoke through her clenched teeth ¡°I have literally been working my ass off to knock out those blue eyes of yours all night long! And now I find out that the only reason I''m not winning is because this whole time you have been holding back! Well that is gonna end right now!¡±


    ¡°What? No! That''s not why I''m-¡± tried Anton.


    ¡°Master!¡± stated Kianna as she lifted her arm and pointed downwards ¡°Do you really wanna spend the next few days swinging that thing around!?¡±


    Anton followed her pointed finger and grimaced as his eyes fell onto his still fully erect member.


    ¡°Yeah, I didn''t think so!¡± declared Kianna as she took in his expression and smiled smugly ¡°Now! Why don''t you be a good boy! Stop playing around! Get over here! And fuck me silly, right, now!¡±


    Anton was still for a moment before a small smile slowly spread across his face.


    ¡°Are you sure that''s what you want, Kianna?¡± he asked as he shifted his gaze to her ¡°Because if it is...¡±


    Kianna let out a annoyed huff as she gave him a tired glare.


    ¡°Yes! It is!¡± she exclaimed ¡°I want you to give me everything you got! And all of it this time! No more holding back! And I mean it!¡±


    ¡°Hm... Alright then...¡± smiled Anton as he shifted into motion ¡°No more holding back then...¡±


    Kianna giggled in excitement as he rolled onto his side and hoisted himself up onto his hands and knees. Smiling down at her, Anton lifted himself over the gleeful dark elf and moved to hold himself in the air above her.


    ¡°Alright, Kianna...¡± he breathed as he gazed down at her supple breasts ¡°If I really let this go... I don''t think I''ll be able to reel it back in again... So I hope you''re ready for it...¡±


    Biting her lower lip, Kianna smiled up at him and began to playfully wiggle back and forth in answer. Her smile broadened as she watched his glowing eyes widen at the sight of her jiggling breasts.


    ¡°Oooo! Okay, okay I get it, I get it!¡± sighed Anton as he closed his eyes and let his head hang down a bit ¡°Here we go then...¡±


    Kianna''s smile never faulted as she watched him seemingly deflate above her. After a moment of stillness he lifted his head and opened his eyes.


    The blue in Anton''s eyes had intensified to the point that they now appeared as glowing orbs of solid light. As he blinked, literal blue flames began to erupt outwards and lick at the air around his eyebrows. This, and the intensity of the light shining out of them, caused his eyes to take on the appearance of living infernos.


    ¡°Oh... Yes!¡± snarled Anton as he began to tremble with excitement ¡°Oh yes! Oh yes! I like this a lot!¡±


    Kianna remained completely still beneath Anton as she watched the flames dance around his eyes. Her own eyes widened to their fullest as an almost barbaric, and very hungry looking, smile slowly spread itself across his face.


    ¡°Um... Oh, shit!¡± she chirped quietly before swallowing a lump in her throat.


    With a deep, gruntled growl rumbling out of his chest, Anton let his enchanted eyes rove slowly over the dark elf''s supple body until he finally reached her face. Staring at her for a moment, his mouth began to water as he registered the faint nervousness in her large, bright eyes.


    ¡°Oh... My sweet little dark elf... She wanted all of this, so badly...¡± he whispered softly ¡°She''s so amazing! And such a good girl... Isn''t she...¡±


    ¡°...Um, yes! She is!¡± whimpered Kianna as she offered him a thin, nervous smile and slowly spread her legs out as wide as she could.


    ¡°Oh, yes!¡± breathed Anton as he began to chuckle menacingly and ease his lower half down to meet with hers ¡°She is a very, very good girl!¡±

 Chapter 24 : Morning

    Chapter 24 : Morning


    Fiona''s brow was heavily creased as she stared at her sister with an unabashed look of unsettled concern. Both of the dark elves were sitting in their apparently now designated seats at the kitchen table and were in the process of having breakfast, which consisted of simple bowls of milk and cereal.


    Kianna groaned softly as she lightly teetered back and forth in her seat. Though her eyes were technically open, she clearly wasn''t fully coherent, or if she was she was only just barely so. Her ears hung limp from the sides of her head and were partially hidden by the ruffled mess that was her hair. The bathrobe she currently wore was merely draped over her shoulders and had just been folded closed across her front, rather than actually tied shut as it was still missing it''s cloth belt.


    Anton in contrast appeared to be fully rested and in good spirits as he sat humming to himself in his own seemingly designated seat across from the dark elves. His eyes had completely returned to normal, with the blue glow having been burnt away throughout the night.


    He was currently pouring a stream of milk into a bowl of sugar coated cereal with tiny marshmallows in it. Once finished, he slid the bowl across the table and set it in front of a still unresponsive Kianna.


    The haggard looking dark elf made no move or acknowledgment to the offered food and simply remained completely still as both Anton and Fiona continued to stare at her.


    ¡°...Okay? Uh, Kianna!?¡± questioned Fiona as she reached out and went to poke her sister''s shoulder ¡°Are you, awake yet?¡±


    The very moment Fiona''s fingertip touched her, Kianna jumped in her seat and frantically covered her breasts with both arms.


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait, wait!¡± she cried as she cringed away from her sister and flattened her ears back submissively behind her head ¡°Not yet, not yet! Th-they''re s-still r-r-really s-s-sensitive!¡±


    Fiona pulled back as her eyes went wide and her ears pointed themselves straight upwards in surprise.


    ¡°Ah, ah, ah! M-my Mas-ter! I h-helped him!¡± mumbled Kianna as she hunched in on herself and began to shift her arms back and forth across her guarded breasts ¡°H-he! S-says, I''m! I''m a, good girl! I''m a good girl! ...I''m a good girl!¡±


    Fiona slowly turned her head to the side until she was staring straight at Anton.


    Taking a deep breath, Anton took on an air of mock seriousness as he closed his eyes and lightly bowed his head.


    ¡°Its true...¡± he admitted softly as he slowly nodded his head ¡°I did say that...¡±


    ¡°...What, the fuck!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she turned back to her sister ¡°Did you do to her!?¡±


    ¡°Mm, well! I don''t think it was so much ¡°what¡± I did!¡± declared Anton as he looked up at Kianna and smiled broadly ¡°As much as it was how many times I did it...¡±


    Still slightly hyperventilating, Kianna blinked as she seemed to register the bowl of cereal sitting in front of her.


    ¡°Ah, ah! I''m! I''m really hungry!¡± she cried as she reached out and took hold of the bowl and spoon sitting in it before pulling it right beneath her chin.


    ¡°...Yeah! ...You know what!¡± muttered Fiona as she watched her sister begin to frantically devour her cereal ¡°I''m kinda glad I decided not to sleep with you after all...¡±


    Anton blinked before turning to her and narrowing his eyes.


    ¡°You decided?¡± he questioned as he cocked an eyebrow ¡°That''s not how I remember that going?¡±


    ¡°So how exactly are we gonna get started!?¡± asked Fiona as she blatantly ignored his statement and looked down into her own bowl of cereal ¡°What are you gonna teach us first!? How to make chains and whips!? Or make people do what we want!? Or what comes first!?¡±


    Anton stared at her for a moment as he shook his head in annoyance.


    ¡°No. You won''t be able to do any of that until after you learn how to manipulate your auras.¡± he said as he took a bite out of his own bowl of cereal ¡°...You can''t even really access your mana pools without your aura. So that''s where we''ll start.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± nodded Fiona as she watched him take one spoonful after another out of his bowl ¡°So... What do we do first then!?¡±


    ¡°Well. First!¡± smiled Anton as he swallowed a mouthful of cereal ¡°We get the prep work out of the way.¡±


    ¡°Prep work?¡± questioned Fiona as she pointed her ears straight upwards.


    ¡°Mm hm...¡± mumbled Anton around another mouthful ¡°...We need to get a training space set up and I''d like to evaluate you both. That way I can see what I''m working with.¡±


    ¡°...Okay.¡± nodded Fiona as she glanced at her sister ¡°So, what do we, do first then?¡±


    Chuckling, Anton rose from his seat and picked up his bowl before making his way to the sink.


    ¡°First, finish breakfast!¡± he stated as he downed the leftover milk from his bowl before placing it in the sink ¡°Then I need you to help your sister take a shower while I get a few things together.¡±


    ¡°Uh, okay...¡± said Fiona as she turned back to her sister ¡°I guess I can do that.¡±


    Having finished off her cereal, Kianna was now sitting listlessly with her head hanging over her bowl.


    ¡°Good. Go ahead and use the rejuvenation formulas again. Hopefully they''ll be enough to bring Kianna back to life... Oh, and no discovering each other while you''re in there!¡± exclaimed Anton as he gave Fiona a pointed look ¡°Seriously, we don''t have time for that today. ...And I very much doubt that Kianna has enough life force left in her to even survive something like that right now. So keep your fingers to yourself!¡±


    ¡°Are you serious! Like I''m going to do anything when she''s like this!¡± growled Fiona as she pointed her ears straight back ¡°I''m not the crazy sex maniac here buddy! You are!¡±


    ¡°That''s right!¡± exclaimed Anton with a smile as he went to leave the room ¡°And don''t you forget that!¡±


    ¡°...You! Argh!¡± growled Fiona as she shook her fist at the empty archway ¡°Oh, I hate that guy!¡±


    Kianna made a small sound in protest and attempted to glare at Fiona, but barely managed to even turn her head before falling over to the side and landing laid out on the table.


    An annoyed expression spread across Fiona''s face as she stared at her sister and listened to her soft snoring. Sighing in frustration, she turned back to her bowl of cereal and grudgingly finished her meal.


    A little over an hour later the two dark elves found themselves standing outside in the backyard and watching Anton as he appeared to be preparing for what seemed like some kind of odd ritual.


    Dressed in comfortable tank tops and low-cut jean shorts, both of the dark elves stood together and off to the side as they watched Anton pour what looked like ground up glass out of a cereal box sized carton and lay it out in straight, thin lines across a large open space in the yard.


    Raising her arms over her head, Kianna bent her right arm at the elbow and grabbed hold of her left arm as she stretched her limbs upwards. Once again, the rejuvenating shampoos and body wash had done wonders, as the just recently exhausted dark elf was now fully restored and was actually even humming about in high spirits.


    ¡°So, what is this for?¡± asked Fiona as she looked over the large, thirty foot wide octagon shape that Anton was slowly and methodically laying out in the grass.


    ¡°This is a charging circle, it''s going to help focus a large amount of mana into a single point...¡± explained Anton in an absent minded tone ¡°But not so quickly that it causes an explosion...¡±


    ¡°An explosion!¡± exclaimed Kianna as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards ¡°This is gonna explode!?¡±


    ¡°...No.¡± chuckled Anton as he tossed the now empty carton to the side and picked up a new one ¡°I just said that this is going keep the mana from exploding. These lines will act as channels for the mana to flow through on it''s way to the center. This way the mana will flow at an even pace instead of all of it just crashing together at the single point in one go. Which if I let it do that, then it would explode.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so, what do you need a lot of mana for?¡± asked Kianna as she glanced over at a wheelbarrow that Anton had sitting off to the side and covered with a dark sheet ¡°What are you charging?¡±


    ¡°My homu- ...Actually! You''ll see in a second.¡± smiled Anton as he made the line he was working on meet with another to form a corner of the octagon ¡°This will be more fun if you two don''t know what to expect.¡±


    The two dark elves gave each other tired looks before shrugging in unison and turning back to watch Anton continue to form his octagon.


    When he was finally finished, Anton''s octagon had evolved into four separate octagons that had been formed within each other whilst getting progressively smaller and smaller towards the center. He then made more lines that crossed over each of the octagons corners. These lines connected the octagons together before all meeting as one in the very center and giving the entire structure a spiderweb-like design.


    ¡°...Okay, that outta do it.¡± mumbled Anton as he looked over the design he had created ¡°Now for the fun part!¡±


    Making his way to the wheelbarrow, Anton lifted the sheet away and let it drape haphazardly over the wheelbarrows handles.


    Twisting to the side at their waists, the dark elves both craned their necks in an effort to see what had been hidden beneath the sheet. They both creased their brows in confusion as they found themselves gawking at what appeared to be a large, ugly black crystal, whose sharpened spire-like point rose out of a corroded looking base that was reminiscent of a boiling mass of tar and oil that had been instantly frozen in place.


    As the dark elves stared at the strange crystal, Anton reached further into the wheelbarrow to a point that they couldn''t see and began to pick up a series of glowing jars.


    These glass jars were the size of standard canning jars and were each sealed shut with a thick cap made of melted off-white colored wax. Floating within each of the jars was a tiny, dark colored marble sized sphere that was surrounded by swirling flames. The little infernos contained within the jars were each a different color and ran a wide spectrum of intensity that ranged from a dull dark to a bright neon and included among them the colors red, silver, turquoise, orange, gold, purple, green and white. Though the flaming jars were each producing a bright light, they didn''t seem to be generating any heat as Anton showed no signs of discomfort as he picked them up.


    Having gathered all of the jars together in his arms, Anton made his way around the large outer octagon and placed a jar down at each of it''s eight corners.


    ¡°What are those things?¡± asked Kianna as Anton came back around to where he started.


    ¡°Batteries.¡± answered Anton in an absent tone as he looked over what he had done and nodded in satisfaction.


    ¡°...Batteries?¡± questioned Fiona as she furrowed her brow and looked from one jar to another ¡°What kind of batteries are those!?¡±


    ¡°Guilty ones.¡± said Anton in the same absent tone as he turned away and went back to the wheelbarrow.


    The dark elves both gave each other perplexed looks before turning back to the now ominous little jars. Their attention immediately snapped back to Anton as he used two hands to lift the large and apparently very heavy crystal out of the wheelbarrow. As they watched, he carried the crystal to the octagon and, being careful not to step on any of the lines, took it to the very center where he placed it down on the point where all of the lines met.


    ¡°Okay. I think we''re about ready to get this show going!¡± exclaimed Anton as he made his way back to the dark elves ¡°You two might want to step back a bit... No, no, this way. Stay behind me. ...Okay, right there''s fine.¡±


    The dark elves both stood shoulder to shoulder about ten feet back from where Anton now stood facing the crystal at the center of the octagon.


    ¡°Okay, stay right there!¡± commanded Anton as he looked back over his shoulder and smiled in excitement ¡°Do not move from that spot! I mean it! No matter what happens! Okay!?¡±


    With expressions of nervous apprehension plastered across their faces, the dark elves glanced at each other before nodding in unison.


    ¡°Okay!¡± they both exclaimed as they pointed their ears straight upwards and braced themselves in anticipation.


    Chuckling at their expressions, Anton turned back to the crystal and raised his right hand.


    The dark elves both blinked in surprise as a glowing ball of orange flames suddenly erupted into existence in the center of Anton''s open palm.


    ¡°Time to wake up, Earlivi!¡± shouted Anton as he rolled his torso back into a pitchers throw and hurled the ball of flames directly at the crystal.


    The fireball was completely silent as it quickly sailed through the air and struck the black crystal dead on. The very moment it made contact with it''s target it splattered apart and covered the crystal in what looked like dozens of little flaming blobs.


    Everything seemed to go quiet as the little flames danced about on the crystal, and as the stillness began to drag on, the dark elves looked at each other before turning back to Anton. Finding him staring intently at the crystal they both went to speak but stopped short as a loud, thunderous snap echoed through the air as a large, jagged crack suddenly split open across the side of the crystal''s main spire.


    As their attention was immediately brought back to the crystal, the dark elves were both struck by an ominous sense of dread that suddenly seemed to hang thick in the air around them. They lowered their ears and involuntarily eased themselves back a step as a long, deep, irritated groan began to emanate from within the crystal itself. Mesmerized, they watched the tiny flames that covered the crystal begin to shrink down in size and finally disappear as they were apparently absorbed into it''s smooth and now shining surface.


    ¡°Do not move again...¡± whispered Anton in a slow hushed tone as he folded his arms over his chest ¡°No matter what happens, stay completely still...¡±


    Swallowing back their unease the dark elves both went wide eyed as everything again seemed to go quiet around them. Without warning, the crystal they were both so focused on, came to life.


    More jagged splits began to crack open across random sections of the crystal and from these splits erupted angry, tentacle-like globs of blackness that reached out from within the cracked crystal''s body and clawed at the ground around it until finding the lines that lead out to the edges of the octagon. Once their targets were found the tentacles drove themselves into the lines and seemed to start drawing power from them and the jars that sat at their edges.


    As another deep and unsettling groan reverberated out of the crystal, the flaming jars began to glow brighter and brighter as if in response, and from them power flowed into the lines of the octagons which caused the entire design to instantly ignite with an eerie, otherworldly green light that grew in it''s intensity until the world itself seemed to be bathed in it''s glow.


    As the tentacles worked to drain the power from the lines that they had anchored themselves to, they began to swell in size, first doubling and then tripling in their mass until they had each become larger than the crystal they had spawned from, and were still connected to. As the crystal began to be pulled by it''s own tentacles, first in one direction and then another, it began to crack apart and as it''s destruction became inevitable a bloodcurdling moan erupted out of it as it finally broke completely.


    As the crystal shattered, it''s splintered pieces were instantly absorbed into a swirling black mass of living tar that poured out of it and began to grow in size before rising straight upwards into the air.


    The dark elves mouths hung open as they followed the rapidly growing mass upwards with their eyes and watched as it began to take on a thin, limbless, humanoid shape that was complete with a bulbous, round head.


    Awestruck, and failing to quell the growing panic that was quickly swelling within them, they both subconsciously pressed into each other as their eyes went completely wide in both terror and wonder at the sight before them.


    Reaching a height of nearly 40 feet, the now great mass continued to grow until the last of the green light in the octagon below it flickered and finally went out. The fires in the jars along the edges of the now darkened octagon had each dimmed down to nearly nothing, though all of them still had tiny flames glowing within them.


    Their eyes still glued to the giant blank mass that towered before them, the dark elves each gasped softly as it began to sway back and forth. As they watched, still mesmerized, thin sections along it''s sides began to split away from the whole and these lengthened into two long arms that quickly formed massive hands at each of their ends. As this was happening above, a second split appeared at it''s base, and this spread upwards until two column-like legs took shape. As one more deep, ominous groan emanated out of the massive being, two tiny points of white appeared on it''s black, faceless head and these grew larger and larger until becoming two perfectly round circles of glowing white light.


    ¡°Do. Not. Move.¡± whispered Anton as the towering being leaned forward and gazed down at the diminutive figures that were standing before it ¡°No matter what...¡±


    As it stared downwards, the giant remained still and silent for a moment until it''s spotlight-like eyes suddenly seemed to brighten as they became focused on Anton. Without any other sign of warning, it swung it''s long, left leg into a half step and began to topple forward and over the group standing beneath it. As it fell, it threw it''s right arm out ahead of itself and opening it''s massive hand as wide as it could it made as if to slam it''s palm down right on top of Anton. The dark elves both shut their eyes in panic just as the great hand was about to make landfall. They kept their eyes closed as the ground itself shook to the thundering sound of the hand landing just feet in front of them. Slowly they opened their eyes and were struck still by the sight that lay before them.


    The great hand had come to rest against the ground just to Anton''s left and as the dark elves watched in awe the giant being continued to move over them as it bent down into a kneeling position. Resting it''s right knee against the ground it laid it''s folded left arm over it''s bent left knee and bowed it''s head to what was apparently it''s Master.


    ¡°...Good morning Earlivi!¡± shouted Anton as he smiled broadly up at the kneeling giant.


    With a voice that sounded as though it were born out of the deepest shadows of the world itself, the giant began to speak.


    ¡°Greetings... my, Master...¡± it rumbled, it''s voice emanating right out of it''s faceless being ¡°It is good... to see you again...¡±


    ¡°Same to you!¡± called Anton as he continued to smile while giving the massive being a look over ¡°Your looking good! I take it your feeling better now!?¡±


    ¡°Indeed...¡± exclaimed the giant as it eased itself back and lifted it''s right arm up into the air ¡°I have been fully restored...¡±


    ¡°Good, good!¡± nodded Anton as he watched the giant flex it''s fingers before balling it''s hand into a huge fist ¡°Glad to hear that!¡±


    ¡°It is thanks to you...¡± rumbled the giant as it bowed it''s head again ¡°My, Master...¡±


    ¡°...Whoa! Holy shit!¡± breathed Fiona as she and her sister both blinked up at the seemingly docile giant ¡°What the Hell is tha-!¡±


    The dark elf was cut short as the giant slammed it''s fist into the ground just to the side of her and her sister. Before either of the dark elves could react beyond pointing their ears straight upwards, the giant opened it''s fist and as it did so it''s fingers molded together and became a single elongated wall-like form. The giants ¡°hand¡± then shot forward and, stretching out from it''s wrist. It''s wall-like single digit then sailed behind the dark elves before turning at a sharp left angle behind them and then doing so again once it past completely around them. Within a single breath, the two dark elves were now trapped in a box canyon made of smooth black walls that towered over their heads.


    ¡°I see that you have acquired new charges...¡± groaned the giant as it leaned forward and focused it''s huge eyes on the sisters as it doused the dark elves in it''s shadow.


    The dark elves both pressed themselves into each other as the air around them instantly became thick with a heavy sense of dread and malice. Looking straight upwards at the now looming giant, they both lowered their ears in fear as the white lights that made up it''s eyes dimmed and began to shift to an angry looking shade of red along their edges.


    ¡°Would you like me to place these two in containment, Master...¡± rumbled the giant as it menacingly lowered it''s head and preceded to glare threateningly down at the trapped dark elves ¡°So that I may tame them for you...¡±


    Kianna made a panicked sound and fearfully wrapped her arms around her sister, who immediately returned the gesture by hugging her back as tightly as she could. As the giant continued to lower it''s faceless head towards them the dark elves both dropped down to their knees together and made tiny fearful sounds as they cowered beneath it.


    ¡°Hm... Well... No, probably shouldn''t do that... I appreciate the offer Earlivi!¡± grinned Anton as he casually watched the giant terrorize the cornered dark elves ¡°But these two have been tamed down enough already, so there''s no reason to place them in your, ¡°containment¡±. At least not at the moment.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure...¡± growled the giant as it began to tighten it''s box-like hand ¡°They don''t look very tame to me...¡±


    The dark elves both began to whimper pleadingly as the walls that surrounded them began to move inwards and close in around them.


    ¡°Yes, I''m sure these two have become very tame at this point.¡± chuckled Anton as a bright playful smile stayed fixed to his face ¡°Isn''t that right girls? You''ve both become very tame now, haven''t you?¡±


    All four of the bright rubies that were the eyes of the dark elves darted to Anton.


    ¡°Yes!¡± they cried out together as they flattened their ears back submissively and nodded frantically in agreement.


    ¡°We''re tame! Very tame!¡± exclaimed Kianna as Fiona continued to nod her head nonstop ¡°We''re good girls! We promise!¡±


    Anton went to speak but stopped short as the dark elves both looked upwards and raised their ears back up to a merely lowered state.


    ¡°Uh- ...Huh? ...Girls!?¡± questioned Anton.


    The moment they brought their eyes back to him the dark elves once again immediately flattened their ears back submissively.


    ¡°...Girls, can you look back up at Earlivi, please?¡± said Anton as he pointed up at the giant.


    The dark elves blinked in question but did as instructed, and once again raised their ears as they did so.


    ¡°...Hm. Well that''s interesting.¡± mumbled Anton as he arched an eyebrow ¡°...Anyways. You see, Earlivi! I told you they were tame! They''ve even become pretty obedient little things!¡±


    ¡°Yes... It seems they have...¡± mumbled the giant as it''s eyes seemed to tighten and become a deeper shade of red ¡°How very fortunate for them...¡±


    The dark elves both whimpered as they cringed down even lower and tightened the grips they had on each other.


    ¡°Yes, it is...¡± smiled Anton ¡°Anyways! Would you mind condensing yourself down Earlivi? It''s a little hard to have a conversation with you when you''re like this!¡±


    ¡°Of course, my Master...¡± rumbled the giant as it lifted itself back upright and began to ease itself backwards ¡°Give me just a moment...¡±


    The dark elves both clamped their eyes shut and hunched down in panic as the walls that surrounded them were suddenly whisked up and away into the air above them. After a second of cowering they tentatively blinked open their eyes and were just in time to see the giant curl itself backwards and then start to fall towards the ground as it''s body broke down into a wave of living black tar which came crashing in on itself as it began to swirl into a miniature typhoon.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°So do either of you need a change of underwear yet?¡± teased Anton as he watched the whirling mass that was once the giant grow smaller and smaller.


    ¡°Seriously!?¡± growled Fiona as she pointed her ears straight back in anger ¡°You know a heads up would have been really fucking nice!¡±


    ¡°There is literally nothing I could have said that would have been better than ¡°stay still¡± Fiona.¡± smiled Anton as he glanced back at her ¡°There was no way for me to predict what was going to happen. You both did great though! Better than most people would have.¡±


    ¡°Yeah right!¡± snarled Fiona as she shook the tension from her shoulders and got to her feet before helping her sister back to hers ¡°What the Hell is that thing anyway!?¡±


    ¡°Mind your manners, Fiona! Calling someone a ¡°thing¡± is very rude!¡± chastised Anton as he turned his attention back to the swirling mass ¡°Now, both of you come up here so we can do some proper introductions.¡±


    Glancing at each other in uncertainty, the dark elves both hesitantly made their way to stand right behind Anton.


    ¡°Alright then, girls. I''d like you to officially meet, Earlivi!¡± exclaimed Anton as the two dark elves partially hid themselves behind him and peered around his sides at the mass of living blackness ¡°My homunculus.¡±


    As Anton spoke the swirling mass began to split apart, and as it did, it revealed a hollow space within it. And standing at the very center of this space, was an incredibly imposing figure.


    The homunculus standing among the still swirling bits of his mass was in all truthfulness, no less intimidating now in this form than he had been as a giant. Although far shorter than he was mere moments before, he was still a very tall being and easily stood head and shoulders over Anton.


    He was dressed in an elegant, yet imposing outfit that appeared to be a hybrid between a body hugging three piece mens suit, compete with vest, and a set of plate armor. The armored aspect of the outfit was subtle enough that it didn''t clash in anyway with the elegance of it''s suit-like qualities and was, for the most part, regulated to the homunculi''s limbs and shoulders. Thick, armored boots covered the homunculi''s lower legs. And these stretched upwards to just above the knees where they shifted seamlessly into what appeared to be cloth pants. Matching arm guards stretched from his wrists to just past his elbows before being replaced by the same cloth-like material on the upper arms. A set of smooth pauldrons rested over the homunculi''s shoulders and these were connected to each other by a leather-like neck piece that crossed over both his upper chest and back before rising upwards to encase his entire neck. The vest that wrapped tightly around his torso fanned slightly outwards over his hips before tapering to sharpened points in the front as well as at the sides and back. The entirety of the outfit was colored in a series of alternating, monotone grays, blacks and whites, save for the vest which was a deep, nearly black shade of purple.


    The only portions of the homunculi''s body that could be seen around his encompassing outfit were his hands and his head. Neither of which appeared to be biological in any way.


    The homunculi''s hands were human-like but were so smooth in appearance that they seemed to be made of some kind of pliable metal. They were colored a pale metallic-like gray at the wrists and palms but this began to darken to a solid black down the length of his digits. His fingers were long and dextrose in appearance but belied his otherworldly nature by ending in sharpened claw-like points, rather than traditional fingertips.


    His head was also human-like in it''s general shape and had thick, black-colored hair covering the top and back in the same manner as it would on a human. This hair however was completely motionless and was spiked back in a way that gave it a solid, almost unnatural appearance.


    In the place of ears, the homunculus instead had two broad, spike-like horns that pointed straight outwards from the sides of his head.


    His face, for lack of a better term, was nearly nonexistent, as the front portion of his head was made up of four smooth, silver colored, metallic looking plates that fit together in a way that gave him the appearance of having a mechanized skull in place of a face.


    The homunculus had no mouth or nose of any kind as the only openings in his mask-like face were two empty, almond shaped holes that were located at the points where his eyes should seemingly be.


    As the dark elves watched from their guarded vantage, the last of the swirling waves of black mass that had hidden the homunculi''s transformation, swept themselves up his back to connect to the neck piece that crossed over his shoulder blades, and become a thin caplet-like garment that flowed out behind him. This caplet came complete with trailing coattails, but rather than only having two, as would be traditional, it possessed eight in total. And these not only flowed about listlessly behind the homunculus but curled and coiled themselves around his body as though they were living, tentacle-like appendages.


    ¡°Hello again, Earlivi.¡± said Anton as he smiled at and casually approached the motionless figure with both of the dark elves following closely behind.


    Responding to the sound of his Master''s voice, the homunculus balled his hands into fists and folded his arms behind his back as he stood straight and at attention.


    The dark elves swallowed nervously as they watched two tiny points of light appear in the dark hollows of the homunculi''s seemingly empty eyes. These tiny lights quickly grew into two, perfect circles that glowed with the same whiteness that they had when this being had been in it''s gigantic form.


    ¡°Yes, greetings to you as well, my Master.¡± spoke Earlivi as his voice began to emanate right out of his mouth-less being ¡°You were correct when you assessed that this form would better suit our conversation. It is far more comfortable to speak with you while at this height.¡±


    ¡°I figured it would be.¡± nodded Anton as he narrowed his eyes ¡°We''ll get to the inductions in a moment, but I''d like get the most glaring questions out of the way real quick. First, are you okay? Does anything feel off, out of place or even missing?¡±


    ¡°No, my Master.¡± answered Earlivi as he squared his shoulders ¡°As I have said, I am fully restored and completely functional.¡±


    ¡°Good, very good... That''s a load off my mind...¡± nodded Anton as he looked the homunculus up and down ¡°Okay, so, do you remember anything that happened!? Anything at all!?¡±


    ¡°Apologies, my Master. But I am afraid I do not.¡± said Earlivi as his eyes dimmed in a seemingly sorrowful manner ¡°It is merely blackness. At least until now, when you spoke to me.¡±


    Anton nodded with a sigh.


    ¡°That''s alright...¡± he said as he gave the homunculus a reassuring smile ¡°The most important thing is that you''re okay, and that you''re back to normal!¡±


    ¡°I appreciate your sentiment, my Master. But I''m afraid I disagree.¡± said Earlivi as his eyes dimmed even further and shifted to a shade of red as they began to pulsate ¡°I feel that the most important thing now, is vengeance.¡±


    ¡°...That, is a close second.¡± agreed Anton with another nod ¡°And I am working on that as we speak.¡±


    ¡°I am very pleased to hear that.¡± said Earlivi ¡°If there is any way that I may be of assistance to you in your efforts, or in the clean up of the aftermath. Please, do not hesitate to employ my services.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I won''t!¡± smiled Anton ¡°In fact, I have a small job for you here, and once it''s done I''d like you to go home and go over everything! Top to bottom! And if you find anything, anything at all! I want you to let me know immediately!¡±


    ¡°It shall be done.¡± stated the homunculus as his eyes returned to their purely white state.


    ¡°Good! Well then, lets get these introductions going. Shall we!?¡± exclaimed Anton as he twisted at the waist and grinned at the still cowed dark elves ¡°Girls, this is my homunculus, Earlivi. And Earlivi, this is Fiona and Kianna Vale, my new dark elves!¡±


    ¡°Greetings...¡± rumbled Earlivi as his eyes slowly shifted back and forth between the dark elves ¡°Which of you is which...¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry. That one is Fiona.¡± said Anton as he nodded his head at the dark elf and twisted back to his left ¡°And this one is Kianna!¡±


    Kianna made a small sound as Anton placed his hand at the small of her back and pulled her forward.


    The hesitant dark elf went stiff as she was made to stand next to Anton and just in front of the imposing homunculus. Lowering her ears she slowly looked up at Earlivi and then went completely still.


    Earlivi showed no signs of life as he stood towering over the clearly nervous dark elf and stared down at her with eyes that seemed to bore into her own.


    ¡°...Say, ¡°hello¡± Kianna!¡± teased Anton after the silence dragged for a moment.


    Kianna jumped as he playfully drummed his fingers against her spine. Quickly recomposing herself, she clasped her hands in front of her hips and bowed her head.


    ¡°Hello! I mean! Greetings! Mr Earlivi, Sir! My name is Kianna! Vale! Kianna Vale! I, I''m a sex slave! I mean, slave! I''m a slave! I''m my Master''s, I, I mean! Our! Master''s, slave! But, well! I''m a sex slave too! I, I wasn''t lying to you about that! But, I''m just, for our Master! I''m his sex slave! That''s, that''s what I do! For him! And, um I, I''m also gonna learn how to cook too! For him! And you too! If, if you want some, too! But... I, I don''t know what you eat!? Or what you like! So you need to tell me! Okay! Please!¡± exclaimed Kianna as her eyes began to tear up in embarrassment ¡°It''s really, really nice to meet you! ...Please don''t squish me! Or, or put me in containment... Please!¡±


    Earlivi''s expression never changed as he continued to stare down at the bowed and trembling dark elf.


    ¡°...It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Kianna Vale.¡± he said once he was sure she had finished speaking ¡°I do not consume traditional foods. So you have no reason to worry yourself on my behalf.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay!¡± chirped Kianna as she raised her head part way out of it''s bow and kept her eyes on the ground ¡°If, if you change your mind though! Just, let me know!¡±


    ¡°...I will do that.¡± said Earlivi as he shifted his gaze back to Anton ¡°She is a, charming, little creature.¡±


    ¡°Isn''t she!¡± smiled Anton as he wrapped his hand completely around Kianna''s waist and pulled her in close to his side ¡°She''s such a good girl! My funny little dark elf!¡±


    Clasping the hem of his shirt, Kianna pressed herself against Anton and blinked away the light tears of nervousness from her eyes as she looked up at him, smiled sheepishly and laid her ears back submissively behind her head.


    Anton returned her smile and gave her a gentle squeeze before shifting his attention to Fiona and Earlivi.


    The second dark elf had a stoic expression on her face as she blatantly stared up at the homunculus. Though her ears were lowered, her demeanor came off as almost challenging as she silently assessed the strange being before her.


    ¡°...So, you''re really a homunculus?¡± she questioned as she squinted her eyes.


    ¡°Indeed.¡± answered Earlivi in a flat tone.


    ¡°You don''t look like any homunculi I''ve ever seen before...¡± mumbled Fiona as she let her eyes rove down the homunculi''s length.


    ¡°My design is unique.¡± answered Earlivi in the same flat tone.


    ¡°Humph, right!¡± muttered Fiona as she turned to Anton ¡°So did you actually make this thing?¡±


    ¡°What did I tell you about calling him a ¡°thing¡± Fiona!¡± chastised Anton as he narrowed his eyes at her ¡°Do not do that again!¡±


    ¡°Uh, right! Sorry!¡± mumbled Fiona as she too flattened her ears submissively behind her head ¡°I didn''t mean it like that!¡±


    ¡°Mm hm.¡± mumbled Anton as he turned back to the homunculus ¡°Anyways. No, I didn''t create Earlivi myself. Making artificial beings is another thing that I''ve just never had a talent for. Every time I''ve tried to make a golem or a homunculus they''ve always started falling apart almost right away¡±


    ¡°Seriously!? They just fall apart every time you make one!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as she smiled mockingly ¡°Well that sucks!¡±


    ¡°Yes, it does...¡± grumbled Anton with a sigh ¡°Earlivi here was actually created by a friend of mine named Fillola. You could say she''s a kind of researcher, or a scientist. And she had originally intended for him to be an assistant with her lab work. Unfortunately, Earlivi ended up being a little too... rough, around the edges, and also with a few of her living test subjects. So it didn''t really work out.¡±


    ¡°I was merely removing unneeded clutter.¡± explained Earlivi ¡°That woman is far too unorganized, and sentimental.¡±


    ¡°...Right.¡± said Anton as he and the dark elves all stared at the homunculus for a moment ¡°...Anyways! At one point while I was visiting Fillola I met Earlivi, and we hit it off pretty well. And since things weren''t working out in the lab and Fillola thought it would be a waste to just dispel him or demana him into a crystal and leave him on a shelf forever. She gave him to me, and he''s been my faithful servant ever since.¡±


    ¡°And this arrangement has without question been a far more entertaining and fulfilling experience.¡± said Earlivi.


    ¡°I agree!¡± nodded Anton as he turned back to Fiona ¡°Earlivi is in all actuality an experimental prototype. He''s sort of like a chimera, and was intended to have the mixed traits of a shoggoth, an immaccubus and a gargoyle. So his design is a combination of all 3 of those species... I also suspect some umibozo may have possibly gotten mixed in there as well, though I don''t know that for sure... Anyways. That''s why he doesn''t really look like any of the more traditional homunculi, who''re generally modeled after only a single species.¡±


    ¡°Oh. That makes sense...¡± nodded Fiona as she gave the homunculus another look over ¡°...So is being mixed also why he''s all... evil, and shit?¡±


    ¡°Probably.¡± said Anton as he too looked back at the homunculus ¡°I''d be surprised if that wasn''t a factor...¡±


    ¡°Master, is it your intention to bring these... ¡°things¡±...¡± said Earlivi as the lights of his eyes shifted to Fiona ¡°Home with you...¡±


    ¡°No, for the moment I''ll be keeping them here.¡± answered Anton as he looked from one dark elf to the other ¡°And I''ll be staying here as well, so for the next little while you''ll have the house all to yourself.¡±


    Fiona and Kianna both again laid their ears back submissively whenever Anton looked at each of them.


    ¡°I see...¡± said Earlivi as he nodded his head softly ¡°Very well...¡±


    ¡°I figured you''d appreciate the peace and quietness of having the house to yourself.¡± smiled Anton as he turned back to the homunculus ¡°Of course, if you''d rather stick around here you''re more than welcome to stay!¡±


    ¡°No.¡± said Earlivi immediately ¡°I will see to it that all things in your home are maintained correctly.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like a plan!¡± chuckled Anton as he nodded and turned to the darkened design still laid out across the yard ¡°Do you mind cleaning this up real quick before we go inside?¡±


    ¡°Of course...¡± said Earlivi as he turned completely around to face the octagons and jars.


    The dark elves eyes went wide as the tentacle-like coattails that had coiled themselves around Earlivi''s middle, suddenly came to life and stretched out across the yard. The ends of the tentacles widened into funnel-like shapes as they all worked together to hoover up the crushed glass that made up the lines of the diagram. As each tentacle finished with it''s particular section, it''s tip would return to it''s pointed shape and snatch up a glowing  jar before coiling itself back to Earlivi''s side.


    Once he was holding all eight of the glowing jars, Earlivi opened a small, manhole sized portal in front of himself and sent his tentacles through it one by one. As each tentacle passed into the portal, it would almost immediately come back out without the jar it had just previously held. This entire set of events was finished in less than a minute.


    ¡°The task is now complete.¡± said Earlivi as he closed the portal and turned back to face Anton ¡°And all the prisoners have been returned to the shelf.¡±


    ¡°Thank you Earlivi.¡± said Anton as he gave the homunculus a nod of approval ¡°I appreciate that. Now, if you''d follow me, I''ve got one other task for you and then you can return home.¡±


    ¡°Very well...¡± said Earlivi as he made to follow Anton.


    The dark elves both stepped to the side and gave the homunculus a wide berth as he fell into step behind Anton. As they followed a few paces behind, they each noticed that the clothing the homunculus wore was actually connected directly to his skin and appeared to be a part of his body rather than merely covering it.


    As he moved, Earlivi''s joints made very faint almost inaudible hissing sounds that were reminiscent of those made by hydraulic presses. This gave him an almost mechanical aspect and left one with the impression that he was in all actuality, a living machine.


    ¡°Hey! Did he just say those batteries were prisoners!?¡± whispered Kianna as she ducked in close to her sister.


    ¡°Just! Don''t, Kianna!¡± muttered Fiona as she stared straight ahead and shook her head ¡°Just let it go!¡±


    Anton smiled as he came up to the backdoor and listened to the sounds of excited barking that could be heard clearly as they came from just the other side. The very second he opened the door Molly came bouncing out to greet him, however the moment the little dog registered the homunculus she froze completely before turning around and silently running back into the depths of the house.


    ¡°Aw! Earlivi! I think you scared her!¡± laughed Anton as gazed in the direction the little dog had disappeared in ¡°The poor little thing!¡±


    ¡°My apologies...¡± mumbled Earlivi as he ducked his head down enough to step through the doorway and into the kitchen.


    Anton led the group through the house and down into the dungeon before turning back to face Earlivi.


    ¡°Okay, what I''d like to do first is drop the floor about 4 feet. That way we''ll have a 14 foot ceiling in here.¡± he said as he indicated the large room ¡°And I''d like to have everything moved off to the side that way the center here is nice and open.¡±


    ¡°Simple enough...¡± mumbled Earlivi as his eyes seemed to scan the dungeon ¡°Would you like me to expand the room as well, or are you satisfied with it''s current size...¡±


    ¡°No, I think it''s big enough already.¡± mused Anton as he continued to gaze about the room ¡°...Though I would like it if you''d fix the hole next to the door, and then put a few stout beams across the ceiling here. Going down in this direction preferably. And then if you would, I''d appreciate it if you''d bring the hoist and a ten foot bar from the house and install them here in the middle.¡±


    ¡°Very well... Would you prefer the bar to pivots in the center...¡± asked Earlivi as he turned to face Anton ¡°Or would you like it to remain stationary...¡±


    ¡°Hm, I think if it could pivot that would be better...¡± answered Anton as he gazed up at the ceiling ¡°Yeah, go ahead and let it pivot.¡±


    ¡°Very well. It shall be done...¡± mumbled Earlivi as his eyes traveled down the length of the ceiling in the direction that the beams were meant to go ¡°I should have your requests completed fairly quickly. If anything else comes to mind, simply let me know...¡±


    ¡°Will do.¡± nodded Anton as he stepped away from the homunculus.


    Without another word, Earlivi walked to the very center of the dungeon and began to lift the closest pieces of furniture with his coattail tentacles. As he brought several pieces in close to himself he opened another portal, this one much larger than the one he had made earlier, and began to move the furniture into the portal and out of the room.


    Walking backwards, Anton moved towards the entrance to the dungeon and stood with the dark elves as they all silently watched the homunculus go about his task.


    Feeling a faint tug, Anton glanced to his side and found that Kianna had not only moved in close to him but had taken hold of the hem of his shirt. The dark elf was standing at his side but was still far enough behind him that she had to lean around him to clearly see the homunculus. Her large eyes darted to his for a single second before shifting back to Earlivi. Though her glance had been very quick, she still flattened her ears when her eyes met his and lifted them back up to a mere lowered state when facing the homunculus. Intrigued, Anton turned to his other side and found that Fiona had moved closer to him as well. Just like her sister, she too flattened her ears when her eyes met his but raised them back up to a pointed straight back stance when facing Earlivi.


    Anton couldn''t help but to find this little scenario fascinating. It was quite obvious by the quickness of their acts that both Kianna and Fiona were preforming their little submission displays subconsciously.


    Earlivi clearly had them both in a state of unease, and this high level of nervousness seemed to be enough to instinctively trigger these responses in them. Interestingly though, despite the homunculus being the cause of their fearful state, the dark elves did not seem to consider it necessary to ¡°hide¡± their ears from him. They were afraid of him, and that fact was undeniably clear. But fear alone did not seem to be enough to initiate a submissive response in them. And thinking back on it, raw fear hadn''t actually played the primary role in either one of the dark elves original displays of submission as much as desperation had.


    When they had first preformed this gesture for Anton, both Kianna and Fiona had each done so as a conscious decision. They had both been fully aware of what they were doing when they had chosen to submit, and Anton had known right away that this decision had been a very significant one for them. And he was now beginning to understand why this was the case, as this action seemed to have had a much deeper mental effect on them than he had first realized.


    It appeared that in their minds, the dark elves had either applied a sort of mental tag to Anton, or had placed him in a type of category, one that he obviously did not share with Earlivi, and now without them having to even think about it consciously, it was seemingly recognized that under certain stressful or threatening conditions their message of submission should be reaffirmed. And whether or not Anton himself was the cause of these conditions seemed to be completely irrelevant to them, as they would still submit to him, and possibly anyone else they had preformed this gesture to, regardless of where the threat to them actually came from.


    This behavior was apparently a form of dark elf etiquette. And considering both Kianna and Fiona have had such little interaction with their own kind throughout their lives, and have never been influenced by, or even experienced their species culture, it was safe to assume that no one had ever actually taught them to behave this way. As such, it stood to reason that this behavior was purely instinctual, and this seemed especially likely as the two dark elves in question did not seem to be consciously aware of the fact that they were even behaving in this way at all.


    It was of course possible for Anton to simply ask them why they were doing what they were doing, but he was hesitant to bring it up to them as doing so would make the dark elves aware of the fact that he was observing them, and that awareness might effect this behavior.


    As it was now, the dark elves were behaving naturally. And this meant that he was able to intimately observe candid, purely natural dark elf behavior in a way that he would have never been able to before.


    Due to their naturally ingrained immunity to enslavement, no known example of a dark elf had ever officially been kept as a captive slave before. And as such no full scale study of their behavior had ever been done, or at least not from a source outside of their own species. So as the first of their kind to live as captives, these twin sisters offered an excellent opportunity for observation. And this was an opportunity that Anton did intend to take full advantage of.


    ¡°Interesting little dark elves...¡± whispered Anton to himself as he looked from one dark elf to the other and smiled ¡°I just might write a book about you!¡±

 Chapter 25 : Morning

    Chapter 25 : Morning


    ¡°So why exactly do you want to make the dungeon bigger?¡± asked Fiona as she and Kianna followed Anton up the stairs that led out from the dungeon and back up to the rest of the house ¡°You plan on hanging stuff up down there?¡±


    ¡°Something like that.¡± mumbled Anton with a grin ¡°That space is going to become our new classroom. And we''ll need the extra room for magical training.¡±


    ¡°Oh really!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as a broad, excited smile spread across her face ¡°Okay! Hell yeah!¡±


    ¡°Master?¡± questioned Kianna as she nervously glanced back over her shoulder in the direction that she knew the homunculus was in ¡°What is Mr. Earlivi''s ¡°containment¡± like?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes, honestly, I have no idea what he''s even talking about with that. You see, he has offered to put people in his containment before but I''ve never been brave enough to actually let him do it. I don''t have a actual dungeon at the house, and as far as I know he doesn''t either. So I have no clue where he would put them, or what he''s even talking about. I could just ask him of course... but sometimes when it comes to Earlivi its just better not to ask too many questions...¡± explained Anton as a thoughtful expression spread across his face ¡°One thing is for sure though. Wherever, or whatever, this containment is, I can''t imagine that its a place that anybody would ever want to find themselves in...¡±


    The dark elves both glanced at each other as their eyes tightened in unease.


    ¡°How do you even live with that psycho!?¡± questioned Fiona as she shivered and twitched her ears up and down ¡°The fucking air around him just feels evil!¡±


    ¡°It''s surprisingly easy. Well, it is now. There was an adjustment period of course. Things were a bit intense there for a little while. But once I gave him his own room and told him he could do whatever he wanted in there, Earlivi''s entire demeanor towards me changed. I''m guessing he appreciates the gesture as well as having a little privacy. After that things between us have been much more friendly, and he''s become a very diligent servant and home guard. Though, he does still keep to himself for the most part... In fact, the only real signs of personality that I''ve ever seen out of him is when I''ve caught him watching TV, which with him its always some kind of  game show, reality show or survivalist show...¡± mused Anton as he stepped out of the dungeons stairwell and into the house proper ¡°He seems to really like the ones where people are left alone on islands... Anyways, I do know what you mean about the evil feeling in the air around him. Luckily, you do get used to that over time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure, if you say so...¡± muttered Fiona as she rubbed her upper arms and grimaced ¡°I can see why you''d put him in that crystal thing now. Best feature he has!¡±


    ¡°I didn''t do that. I''d never do that to him.¡± stated Anton ¡°No, that was due to a burglary that took place at my house.¡±


    ¡°...Wha? A burglary!¡± exclaimed Kianna ¡°You were robbed!?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I was...¡± mumbled Anton ¡°And whoever did it definitely knew what they were doing. You see, rather than trying to break my wards and barriers. They waited until I was gone and just demanafied my entire house. Which is something I had no idea you could even do! I don''t know how they did it... And honestly I would be impressed if I wasn''t so angry about being the one targeted! Anyways, when they did that, Earlivi ended up getting demanaed as well. And that''s why he was in his crystal form. I would have awoken him earlier, but I had no idea how damaged he might be. So I figured I should talk to Fillola first. She''s the one who recommended I give him a few days of rest, but otherwise she said he should be fine. And thankfully, he is.¡±


    ¡°Damn! So what did they steal from you!?¡± asked Fiona.


    ¡°That is actually what has me the most puzzled. They took mostly random research items. Which, although these things would still be somewhat valuable, its still a little odd. This seems like such a targeted move that its surprises me that they would only take what they took...¡± explained Anton ¡°I have things that would be worth much more than the items they did take. And yet they didn''t even touch these things... This whole mess just feels off to me, and I want to get to the bottom of it! Unfortunately, at this point, I''ve done all I can really do. I have some people that are already looking out for my items and as soon as they find something I can go from there on tracking down the thieves. But until something pops up, I just have to wait...¡±


    ¡°Huh! Well that sucks for you!¡± smiled Fiona.


    ¡°Yes, it does...¡± agreed Anton ¡°Luckily though! I''ve now got two new little pets to give me something to do and keep me entertained while I''m waiting!¡±


    Fiona blinked and began to grumble under her breath as she pointed her ears straight back behind her head.


    ¡°So is that all we''re gonna do for now then?¡± asked Kianna as she pulled the door to the stairwell closed ¡°Are we just gonna wait till something happens? And until Mr. Earlivi is done down there?¡±


    ¡°Yes, for the most part. Though we should still try not to let the time go to waste.¡± smiled Anton as he stepped out of the alcove that hid the entrance to the dungeon and made his way towards the stairway that led to the second story ¡°So to that end, we''ll be utilizing the rest of today for your evaluations!¡±


    ¡°...Evaluations!?¡± mumbled Fiona as she creased her brow and followed Anton up the stairs ¡°And what exactly does that mean!?¡±


    ¡°It means that I''m going to assess you both as students.¡± explained Anton as he stepped onto the second story landing and turned left in the opposite direction of the master bedroom ¡°That way I can have an idea of what to expect out of you two.¡±


    ¡°...Uh huh, and how are you gonna do that again!?¡± asked Fiona as she and her sister both followed him down the hallway to a room near the far end of the building.


    ¡°With research!¡± smiled Anton as he opened the door and stepped into the room.


    The room was filled from floor to ceiling with a odd assortment of boxes that were stacked on top of each other.


    ¡°I''m guessing that when you turned the basement into a dungeon, this is where you put everything that was being stored down there?¡± questioned Anton as he flicked on the rooms central light.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± said Fiona as Kianna nodded in agreement.


    ¡°And I''m also going to assume that somewhere among all of these boxes is a box that has all of your school records as well as your old report cards?¡± smiled Anton as he looked over the rows of stacked boxes ¡°...Right?¡±


    ¡°...Uh.¡± drawled Fiona as she stiffened ¡°...Yeah!¡±


    ¡°There''s a lot more than just that.¡± said Kianna as she pointed at a stack of boxes midway down a center row ¡°Nanny Ma had it set up with Bridgemont to keep everything that was going to be discarded at the end of the year. So instead of it all being thrown away, it all got sent home with us whenever we came to visit.¡±


    ¡°Really!?¡± exclaimed Anton as his smile broadened ¡°So then all of the paper assignments and book reports and busywork that you did throughout the years is all here as well!?¡±


    ¡°Uh huh.¡± nodded Kianna ¡°It''s all in those boxes with the blue stripes on them.¡±


    ¡°Well, how wonderfully convenient!¡± laughed Anton ¡°And here I thought I''d get just a glimpse into your academic history, but instead I''m getting a whole written record!¡±


    ¡°Wait, are you seriously going to go through all that shit!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as she gave him an exasperated look ¡°Like seriously, seriously!?¡±


    ¡°Of course! How else would I be able to determine just what kinds of students you two really are?¡± explained Anton as he turned back and gave them both a sinister looking smile ¡°Now, I''m not going to be disappointed in anything that I find... Am I!?¡±


    The dark elves were both still for a moment before they looked at each other and grimaced.


    ¡°...Oh, this is going to be so much fun!¡± chuckled Anton as he turned away from them and began to make his way straight towards the boxes with the blue stripes ¡°I''m going to really enjoy this!¡±


    Fiona was slowly grinding her teeth in frustration as she watched Anton begin to shake his head in mock disappointment.


    She and her sister were both sitting together on the opposite side of the large dining table from Anton. After having gathered over twenty of the boxes from Bridgemont together, they had then carried them all down to the dining room before separating them out by sister and then by year.


    ¡°They were being very generous when they graded this a ¡°C-¡±... I don''t even see a ¡°D¡± here...¡± sighed Anton as he frowned at the single page book report in his hands ¡°I''ll need to see this one redone as well...¡±


    ¡°Are you serious!?¡± snarled Fiona as she watched Anton drop the paper onto a stack that was slowly growing larger in front of her ¡°Why!?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I''m serious.¡± declared Anton as he narrowed his eyes at the fuming dark elf ¡°And as for the ¡°why¡± it''s simple. This isn''t even a completed report! For the summary you wrote ¡°Emily Sang talked to a ¡°Parrat¡± ¡°To the clues¡± she needed to ¡°Sove¡± the ¡°Mystory¡± It was ¡°Exsiting¡± I really liked it¡± and then you just repeated this, along with the same misspellings, for your final thoughts. So of course you''re going to need to redo this...¡±


    ¡°I was 9!¡± growled Fiona as she pointed her ears straight back in anger ¡°I didn''t know what to write!¡±


    ¡°Well now you''re 23, so it should be much easier for you.¡± said Anton as he pointed his finger at her ¡°And if it isn''t, then that is going to be very disappointing!¡±


    Kianna flattened her ears submissively behind her head and grimaced at her own stack of papers while her sister continued to groan in frustration.


    ¡°Why are you even doing this!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as she glared at her stack of papers ¡°What does this even have to do with anything!?¡±


    ¡°Well I''m not going to lie to you Fiona. I''m mostly doing this because it''s fun for me.¡± said Anton as he bent over to his side and tossed a now empty box away before pulling an unopened one in close to his chair ¡°But this busywork will also help you to get back into the mindset of a student though, so it''s not like it''s a complete waste of time...¡±


    ¡°Forcing me read a kids book is absolutely a waste of time!¡± snared Fiona ¡°This whole thing is just a waste of time!¡±


    ¡°First of all, let''s not pretend like your time is precious, Fiona. No one''s life is going to be at stake because you''re suddenly busy. Thankfully!¡± mumbled Anton as he paused his efforts to open the new box and looked up at the dark elf ¡°And secondly, ¡°forcing you¡±? Don''t pretend like you aren''t happy for the excuse to reread ¡°Emily Sang Breaks the Dead Mans Curse¡± you did say that you liked it after all.¡±


    The dark elf blinked before clenching her jaw in anger.


    ¡°Are you serious!?¡± she growled as she balled her hands into fists ¡°It''s a book for fucking preteens!¡±


    ¡°...So? Are you saying you''re not excited to read it?¡± asked Anton as he cocked an eyebrow at her.


    ¡°Of course I''m not!¡± started Fiona as she threw her hands in the air ¡°It''s a kids book! Why in the world would I ever want to read it again!¡±


    ¡°Because you own it.¡± stated Anton as he gave her a tired look ¡°Along with the rest of the series. They take up a whole shelf on one of the bookcases in your room.¡±


    ¡°...That''s! That''s just cause of me having them from when I was at school!¡± explained Fiona as she glanced at her sister ¡°They''re just nostalgic! That''s all! I would never actually read any of them again! I... seriously, I don''t-!¡±


    ¡°Fiona.¡± interrupted Anton as he narrowed his eyes at her ¡°Will you please stop trying to lie to me. Now, the truth! Are you looking forward to reading ¡°Emily Sang Breaks the Dead Mans Curse¡± or not!?¡±


    The dark elf froze mid speech and held herself completely still as she stared at Anton. After a long moment of silence she shifted her eyes to her sister and then quickly looked away from them both.


    ¡°Argh, I hate you!¡± she mumbled as she folded her hands down onto her lap ¡°So fucking much!¡±


    ¡°That''s what I thought...¡± muttered Anton as he turned his attention back to the box he was in the process of opening.


    Kianna couldn''t help but to cock an eyebrow in surprise as she glanced at her still fuming sister.


    ¡°Well now! What''s this!?¡± exclaimed Anton as he stared down into the box he had just opened ¡°...Now what do we have in here!?¡±


    Both of the dark elves immediately turned to him as he began to excitedly rummage around in the box. The stinging smell of mothballs suddenly struck their noses as he lifted a blouse and skirt ensemble out of the box and laid them out across the table.


    ¡°...Are these your old school uniforms!?¡± asked Anton as looked over the bright white blouse and navy blue and green plaid skirt.


    ¡°Oh, yeah.¡± mumbled Fiona as she gave the uniform a disinterested look ¡°I think those were our junior high ones.¡±


    ¡°They are, they''re the ones we had to wear while in class.¡± explained Kianna as she looked over the blouse ¡°There''s also a red skirt and a different kind of blouse that we could wear on our off time.¡±


    ¡°...I see.¡± said Anton as he carefully gathered up the uniform and bent down to set it back into the box ¡°Well, we''ll just have to set these aside for now... Might just get a little more mileage out of them pretty soon!¡±


    ¡°Uh, what!? Yeah, no! No we''re not!¡± declared Fiona as she crossed her arms over her chest ¡°Sorry to shatter your sick schoolgirl dreams, Master! But those are definitely not gonna fit us anymore!¡±


    ¡°Oh, my dear Fiona! Such a lack of faith!¡± quipped Anton as he smiled at her ¡°Where there''s a will, there will always be a way!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no!¡± snapped Fiona as she pointed her ears straight back ¡°That shit''ll never fit and even if it does it''ll be so fucking tight that it''ll barely even be on us at all!¡±


    Anton was silent as he stared back at her for a moment.


    ¡°...You do realize that you''re not helping yourself with that statement, Fiona.¡± he said as his smile broadened ¡°At all!¡±


    ¡°Argh, Kianna! Will you please say something!¡± snarled Fiona as she turned to her sister ¡°Please!¡±


    Kianna sat completely still with her eyes wide and the tips of her ears pointed straight upwards as she stared down at the table towards the spot where she knew the box of uniforms was sitting out of her sight on the floor. Without a word her eyes darted to Anton before returning to the empty spot on the table.


    ¡°...Oh for fuck''s sake!¡± growled Fiona through her teeth as she seethed at her sister ¡°Kianna!¡±


    ¡°Huh!? What!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as she turned to her sister and was immediately taken aback by the sight of her ¡°What!? What''s your deal now!?¡±


    ¡°My ¡°deal¡±! Is that my slutty sister clearly has no issue with being paraded around like a barely dressed stripper doll!¡± snapped Fiona as she glared in frustration ¡°And all for the twisted amusement of  some jackas- uh! Box! Guy! Fucking, thing! And that''s... it''s pissing me off!¡±


    Kianna stared at her sister for a moment before a tired expression marred her face.


    ¡°You do realize that you''ll get to see me wear it too, right? ...You might even get to do more than just look.¡± she said nonchalantly as she folded her arms over her chest ¡°And don''t you try to act like that won''t be worth it for you!¡±


    Fiona pointed her finger and went to speak but stopped short with her mouth hanging open.


    ¡°...Yeah, that''s what I thought!¡± mumbled Kianna as a small smirk spread across her face ¡°So, if you be a good girl, Fiona, and help me give our Master a little, ¡°amusement¡±. ...I''ll make sure I take care of you too!¡±


    Fiona remained still and silent as she merely stared back.


    ¡°...Oh, no! I''ve been such a bad, bad girl! Showing everybody my panties and disrupting the whole class!¡± whined Kianna as she playfully lowered her ears and began to pout ¡°And now my teacher, miss Vale! Says she''s gonna have to give me some lessons on how to behave myself! And I''m super worried about it because I don''t know what that might mean! It could mean I have to do whatever she wants me to! And that''s super scary, because I think she might want me to strip for her! And if I don''t do it, I just know she''ll spank me! Really, really, really hard!¡±


    Fiona''s eyes began to glow with an ominous red light as Kianna folded her arms down across her front to mash her breasts together and began to shift back and forth in her seat while feigning nervousness.


    Folding her still pointing finger away, Fiona''s hand began to make creasing sounds as she tightened it into a fist.


    ¡°Oh, your damn right she will!¡± she breathed as the glow in her eyes intensified ¡°You naughty little bitch! I''ll teach you all right! I''m gonna give you so many lessons! Really, really, really, really hard lessons!¡±


    Kianna blinked as the fake nervousness in her eyes suddenly became real.


    ¡°So! Fucking! Hard!¡± growled Fiona as she leaned forward and loomed over her sister while a wide maniacal smile slowly spread across her face.


    Lowering her ears even further, Kianna hunched down into her shoulders and swallowed a lump in her throat as her sister''s smile grew wide enough for her short fangs to come into view.


    ¡°...You two are so wonderfully delightful.¡± chuckled Anton ¡°You really are just the best!¡±


    Both of the dark elves immediately turned to the sound of his voice and found him casually watching them as he sat with his elbows on the table and his cheek resting against the closed fist of his left hand.


    ¡°I''m so happy that I decided to enslave you two.¡± he said around a smile ¡°You''re both just so endlessly entertaining.¡±


    Fiona''s smile instantly morphed into a vicious looking scowl as Kianna began to grin sheepishly.


    ¡°Yes, you are... But anyways!¡± said Anton as he turned away from them and glanced about at the short stacks of unopened boxes still piled around him ¡°Let''s get back to it. We''ve still got quite a few of these boxes to go through before the day is done.¡±


    The dark elves were still for a moment before with a groan they both settled back into their seats.


    Later that evening, after a quick early dinner consisting of reheated leftovers, Anton stepped through a double door wide archway and into a front sitting room that was positioned right off of the foyer of the house''s main entrance.


    An extra long couch sat along the back wall of this room, while the wall to the left when entering the room was taken up by a second normal sized couch. A short round table sat in the corner of the room between the two couches and this held a tall, thin lamp. A large bay window complete with a sun seat bench took up the entirety of the wall to the right and overlooked the front walk and driveway. Dozens of potted plants were dotted throughout the room and these were all clearly thriving as they took advantage of the bright, ambient light that the bay window offered the room throughout the day.


    This room would be just to your right as you walked into the house from the front door, and was set up as a sort of quiet getaway spot that was a perfect place for reading.


    Anton stopped short in surprise as he entered the room and realized it was already occupied.


    ¡°Oh, I''m sorry.¡± he exclaimed as Fiona dropped her book down from where it had been covering her face ¡°I didn''t know anybody was in here.¡±


    With her head resting on it''s cushioned arm, the dark elf was comfortably laid out across the couch that sat along the left wall of the room and was already two chapters into her Emily Sang book. She said nothing as she expressionlessly stared up at Anton.


    ¡°...Mind if I join you?¡± asked Anton as he lifted his arm and indicated his book on dark elves.


    Fiona''s eyes darted to his book and hung there for a moment before she shrugged and went back to reading her own book.


    With a nod, Anton continued into the room and made his way to the end of the larger couch that was closest to the window and took a seat.


    For some time the two sat in silence as they read through their respective books. After nearly two hours had passed Anton glanced over at Fiona as he turned to the next page in his book.


    ¡°This is nice.¡± he said softly ¡°I like this.¡±


    Fiona was still for a moment before she gently rolled her head to the side and looked over at him with a single one of her large, ruby-colored eyes.


    Anton stayed silent as he gave her a genuine grin.


    Her eye tightening ever so slightly in annoyance, the dark elf said nothing as she turned her eyes back to her book. Shifted her shoulders back and forth against the armrest she was resting on until apparently comfortable again, she twitched her ears in a seemingly dismissive manner and made a show of going back to reading her book.


    Shaking his head with a shrug, Anton continued to grin as he went back to reading his own book.


    A short time later Fiona glanced back over at him, and finding him now intensely focused on what he was reading she reached down to the back pocket of her jean shorts and pulled out a packet of gum.


    Anton''s head shot up in surprise as a sharp snapping sound suddenly rang out through the room.


    ¡°What was that?!¡± he cried as he immediately turned to Fiona.


    The dark elf said nothing as she smiled up at her book and began to blatantly chew her gum.


    ¡°...Oh. Really?¡± mumbled Anton as he watched her blow a small bubble and then pull it into her mouth to make another popping sound ¡°Very funny!¡±


    Still smiling, Fiona continued to say nothing as she absently flipped to the next page in her book.


    Shaking his head, Anton sighed and went back to his own book as well. After a few minutes he had once again become focused on what he was reading when another sharp pop rang out.


    ¡°C''mon now, Fiona!¡± he mumbled as he looked over at her ¡°It''s been so peaceful in here. Why are you doing this?¡±


    The dark elf clenched her jaw and remained silent.


    ¡°Please stop it.¡± said Anton as he narrowed his eyes at her ¡°Seriously, that''s enough.¡±


    Her eyes creasing into a glare, Fiona tilted her head to the side and looked over at him as she blew another small bubble and pulled it into her mouth to pop it.


    ¡°...Why are you doing this?¡± asked Anton as he shook his head ¡°I don''t get it?¡±


    ¡°If you don''t like it! Then do something about it!¡± mumbled Fiona as she looked away from him ¡°Either make me leave, or just leave yourself!¡±


    Anton stared at her for a moment before closing his book with a sigh.


    ¡°Alright then...¡± he grumbled as he got to his feet ¡°I guess I will...¡±


    Fiona smiled up at her book as he began to cross the room. Her smile faded immediately however as he stopped and stood right next to her. Dropping her book down she stared straight up at him as he gazed back down at her.


    ¡°Wha, what are you doing!?¡± she questioned as she blinked up at him.


    ¡°Something about it.¡± stated Anton as he reached down to grab her.


    ¡°Where is he Molly!? Where is he!?¡± cried Kianna as she quickly followed behind the small dog that was moving frantically towards the sitting room ¡°C''mon girl! Find Master, find him!¡±


    The little pomeranian bolted through the archway and raced across the room before leaping up onto the couch and jumping onto Anton''s lap.


    ¡°Hey, girl!¡± smiled Anton as he rubbed her head with his whole hand ¡°Did you find me!?¡±


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.Anton once again was sitting at the end of the couch near the window. Unlike before however he was no longer simply sitting with his legs bent over the edge of his seat but was now lounging with his legs propped up in the air and his ankles resting in the groove at the small of Fiona''s back.


    ¡°HUMPH! MM, MH!¡± growled Fiona as she struggled against the light chains that held her in place as she hung floating in midair ¡°MMH! MM, HM!¡±


    The dark elf was now hanging suspended face down a little over a foot above the floor. She was being held in the air by dozens of thin, vine-like light chains that shot out from various points along two orange glowing rings that circled around her body at both her shoulders and at her ankles. These glowing orange chains stood out brightly against her dark skin as they wrapped themselves tightly around her shoulders, arms and torso and as well as her long slender legs. A glowing orange version of the ninja-like plate mask style gag, that was complete with it''s head-harness, was wrapped tightly around her head and was not only preventing her from speaking clearly but was also stopping her from chewing the gum that was still in her mouth. With her body stretched taunt between the two rings and her arms folded over themselves and held in place behind her back, the ensnared dark elf was nearly immobilized completely as the only portions of her body that she could move freely were her head, which she was currently thrashing wildly back and forth, and her feet, which were frantically and uselessly kicking at the open air behind her. At the sight of her sister she began to call out even louder in both eagerness and anger.


    Kianna completely ignored her raging sister as she bounded, smiling into the room and stopped just in front of Anton.


    ¡°Hey there!¡± greeted Anton as he smiled back up at her ¡°Are you still mad at me?¡±


    Kianna''s smile faded as she looked off to the side and pointed her ears straight back.


    ¡°Yes!¡± she pouted ¡°...Mostly!¡±


    ¡°Oh, Kianna, I said I was sorry and I meant it.¡± stated Anton as he gave her a soft look ¡°But there was no reason for us to make macaroni and cheese when we already had enough leftovers ready for dinner.¡±


    ¡°...Yeah, I know! ...But you said we would make it today!¡± whined Kianna as she looked at the floor ¡°And I really wanted to...¡±


    ¡°I know you did, and again, I''m sorry.¡± apologized Anton as Molly dropped off of his lap and settled in next to him on the couch ¡°We will make it though, Kianna. That hasn''t changed and we''ll always have tomorrow. ...Okay?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah, okay.¡± mumbled Kianna as her ears rose back up to their resting stance ¡°...It''s fine, I guess!¡±


    ¡°Okay, good!¡± smiled Anton as he continued to pet Molly ¡°So is that what you came in here for? Or?¡±


    ¡°No! Not exactly!¡± cried Kianna as her smile returned ¡°I need some money! So I came here to ask you for some!¡±


    ¡°Money?¡± questioned Anton as he cocked an eyebrow ¡°You need some money?¡±


    ¡°Uh huh! Since you took all of mine, and my account is still empty! I kinda have no choice but to ask you for some!¡± explained Kianna ¡°So here I am!¡±


    ¡°Mm hm, okay.¡± nodded Anton ¡°And what exactly do you need money for?¡±


    ¡°Cause I wanna buy some things...¡± stated Kianna as her entire demeanor became playful and she began to shift from foot to foot.


    ¡°Uh huh...¡± mumbled Anton as his eyes became suspicious ¡°And what kinds of things exactly?¡±


    ¡°Well, some of its secret stuff...¡± admitted Kianna as she folded her arms around her middle ¡°But the rest was... Well... mm... You see! When I was doing the dishes I was thinking about our school uniforms. And then I was thinking that since I''m gonna be doing chores now. I, kinda need some... working type of uniforms!¡±


    ¡°Uniforms?¡± questioned Anton.


    ¡°Yeah! You know, like what you wear when you do chores.¡± explained Kianna as a light blush began to spread across her cheeks ¡°The kind that''s like a dress. But it''s, kinda, different and it''s really... Well, you know! ...It''s a uniform!¡±


    Anton tilted his head as he stared at the now squirming dark elf.


    ¡°Kianna, sweety, I don''t think you really need to wear a uniform?¡± offered Anton ¡°I mean all you''re going to be doing is just normal housework. So I would think that regular clothes would be more comfortable for you?¡±


    ¡°What!? No! Argh! Look! ...Maybe uniform isn''t the right word!¡± claimed Kianna as she raised her hands and pressed her fingertips together ¡°I''m talking about things that are... like, outfits, they''re like dresses! They''re cute! And I think that you''ll definitely like them! They''re, like... Oh! They''re like what a maid wears!¡±


    ¡°...Oh! Those!¡± exclaimed Anton as realization spread across his face ¡°Oh, that kind of uniform...¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Now you get it!¡± grumbled Kianna as her blush deepened.


    ¡°Right, right... I see! Hmm...¡± smiled Anton as he cradled his chin in his hand ¡°I don''t know about that though, Kianna. Do you really think that you''ll even be able to get any work done while wearing one of those?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, sure!¡± exclaimed the dark elf as she nodded her head ¡°Trust me! I''ve already found a whole bunch of em online! And all the different ones that I''ve picked out look like they''d be super easy to move around in!¡±


    ¡°Really now... Wait!? Did you say different ones?¡± questioned Anton ¡°And did you say a bunch of them!?¡±


    ¡°Well yeah!¡± smiled Kianna ¡°I can''t keep wearing the same one everyday. And it''ll be more fun to keep changing into different ones. Also, I''ll have different ones ready encase any of them get, you know... damaged...¡±


    ¡°...Damaged?¡± questioned Anton.


    ¡°Yeah, you know... damaged...¡± mumbled Kianna as her eyes darted to the floor ¡°Like if they get, ripped apart...¡±


    ¡°...Uh huh.¡± mused Anton as he hid his smile away and took on a stoic expression ¡°Well, I don''t know then, Kianna. I''m not sure if you really even need any uniforms to begin with. And if you think they''re just going to get ¡°ripped apart¡± then this might all be nothing but a waste.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as her eyes shot back up to his ¡°No, no no! You don''t understand!¡±


    Finding Anton''s face looking as serious as it was caused the dark elf''s own expression to immediately become troubled and desperate looking.


    ¡°Please, Master! I really need these!¡± cried Kianna as she clasped her hands together and began to beg ¡°And you''ll like em too! I swear, you really, really will!¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I don''t know...¡± mumbled Anton as he worked to keep his face as serious as possible ¡°I just don''t like the sound of them getting ripped apart is all... Especially since I really don''t understand why they would ever even get ripped apart in the first place?¡±


    ¡°Uh, well... That''s, cause you, might rip them apart...¡± offered Kianna as she meekly lowered her ears.


    ¡°...Because ¡°I¡± might rip them apart!?¡± exclaimed Anton as he narrowed his eyes ¡°Well if you don''t think that I''m going to like them, then I definitely don''t think this is a good idea!¡±


    ¡°...Huh!?¡± questioned Kianna as her face was marred with confusion ¡°What!?¡±


    ¡°You just said you think I''m going to rip them apart.¡± explained Anton as he continued to tease the dark elf ¡°Why else would I ever rip them apart, Kianna, unless I just didn''t like them!?¡±


    Kianna was still for a moment as she put together what he was saying.


    ¡°No, no, no! Wait, you don''t understand!¡± she cried as her face suddenly became panicked ¡°You will like them! A lot! Seriously! I swear you will!¡±


    ¡°Oh? And how do you know I''ll like them?¡± asked Anton as he cocked an eyebrow at her.


    ¡°...Um! Because, they''re... Uh, well they''re...!¡± stumbled Kianna as her face became torn and her voice began to get softer and softer ¡°Because they''re, really, really... slutty...¡±


    ¡°...I''m sorry?¡± said Anton as he leaned forward and acted as if he couldn''t hear her ¡°What was that!?¡±


    ¡°...I said they''re slutty!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she covered her face with her hands and flattened her ears down submissively ¡°Like, really, really slutty!¡±


    ¡°Oh! Ah, I see...¡± nodded Anton as he let himself fall back into his seat ¡°Well, I guess that does kind of change things a little bit...¡±


    ¡°It does!? Really!?¡± cried Kianna as her eyes brightened with excitement ¡°So can I get them then!? Please!?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡± drawled Anton softly ¡°I still don''t know...¡±


    ¡°Please! Please! Please!¡± cried Kianna as she went back to begging ¡°I promise you''ll love them! They''re the best! Seriously! I swear, they''re definitely like the skimpiest, sexy, super tiny things! They''re the sluttiest things you''ve ever seen in your whole entire life! They really are! I swear!¡±


    Anton was silent for a moment as he stared back at her. Letting out a heavy sigh that was laced with mock frustration, he leaned forward and reached his arm back to pull his wallet out of his pocket.


    The extra weight of his legs pressing down onto her back as he leaned forward caused Fiona to cry out in fury as loudly as she could.


    ¡°Well... alright, Kianna... But if you''re going to swear they are! Then they better be! And you better wear them all the time, even when it''s cold outside!¡± declared Anton as he flipped open his wallet and slipped out a credit card ¡°Here you go, and try not to go too crazy with it.¡±


    ¡°Yes! I won''t!¡± sang Kianna as she snatched the offered credit card ¡°And I will wear them! I promise! All the time!¡±


    ¡°Alright then! I''m gonna hold you to that!¡± stated Anton as he leaned back into his seat and looked back down at the book in his hand ¡°Just bring the card back whenever you''re done with it...¡±


    ¡°Yes Master!¡± cried Kianna as she smiled at the card in her hands and turned away from him. Not wasting any more time on further goodbyes, the excited dark elf immediately bolted from the room and disappeared into the house.


    ¡°Oh, my, goodness...¡± mumbled Anton as he uncrossed his ankles and switched their positions before letting them resettle back into place across Fiona''s lower back ¡°Who would have ever thought that having dark elves as slaves could ever be so difficult...¡±


    ¡°HUMPH! HUMPH, HMM!¡± snarled Fiona as she frantically tried to twist herself back and forth in a vain effort to throw his legs off of her ¡°HMM! HMM! HMM!¡±


    Clearly fed up with the racket, Molly popped her head up and gave the struggling dark elf an annoyed growl.


    ¡°HUMPH? HM! MMUH!¡± snapped Fiona as she turned to the little dog and pointed her ears straight back in fury ¡°HMMUH HM!¡±


    Molly growled back even louder and bared her tiny teeth, which though far from a frightening sight was still threatening enough to cause Fiona to cringe back in uncertainty.


    ¡°It''s okay, Molly.¡± reassured Anton as he began to rub the little dogs head ¡°Just try to ignore that stubborn dark elf.¡±


    Molly grunted happily from the attention and even though she settled back down when it was over, she continued to keep her eyes locked to Fiona.


    The dark elf narrowed her eyes at the little dog and began to grumble quietly as she continued to try and free herself from the light chains.


    Chuckling to himself, Anton repositioned his book and went back to reading as both Molly and Fiona continued to glare menacingly at each other.


    Some time later Molly popped her head up again and began to growl nervously as she stared at the archway that led into the room. Glancing at her and then following her gaze, Anton was just in time to see the lights throughout the house begin to flicker and dim down a bit. As the air in the room became thick and heavy the little dog went quiet and lowered her head back down before scooting herself back and tucking herself in next to Anton. Fiona followed her lead and went quiet as well as she lowered her ears and stared down at the floor below her. Anton couldn''t help but to grin as he looked back and forth between the two cowed creatures. Grin still on his face, he turned his attention to the archway and waited. Within moments the lights throughout the house dimmed down even more as Earlivi stepped into sight.


    Like Kianna before him, the homunculus completely ignored the living footrest named Fiona as he entered the room and came to a stop in front of Anton.


    ¡°Greetings, my Master...¡± rumbled Earlivi as he lightly bowed his head ¡°I have come to inform you that your requested tasks are now complete...¡±


    As Earlivi stood with his head bowed Kianna suddenly came into view behind him. The dark elf had a confused look on her face as she gazed about at the dimmed lights in the house. As she came around the corner her head swiveled into the room and as her eyes fell on Earlivi her expression immediately shifted to a look of surprised terror. Without slowing her motion in anyway the frightened dark elf instantly turned on her heel and quickly disappeared back the way she had come.


    Chuckling to himself, Anton nodded his head as he looked up at Earlivi.


    ¡°Good to hear!¡± he exclaimed as he smiled at the homunculus ¡°Did anything give you trouble?¡±


    ¡°Not at all...¡± answered Earlivi as he raised his head ¡°The tasks were all simple enough. And no problems ever arose during my efforts to complete them...¡±


    ¡°Glad to hear that.¡± nodded Anton ¡°Well I appreciate everything you''ve done today, Earlivi. And I''m sure you''re anxious to get home, but I do want you to know that you are more than welcome to stay here if you''d like. All I ask is that you don''t kill either of the dark elves, or Molly.¡±


    ¡°I am thankful for the offer, my Master...¡± said Earlivi as he bowed his head again ¡°But if it is all the same to you, then I would prefer to return to your home. As I am eager to search for any evidence that may have been left behind by the trespassers...¡±


    ¡°Right, I understand. And I am hopeful that you''ll be able to find something that I couldn''t detect.¡± said Anton with another nod ¡°All the same though, I''d still like for you to takes things easy for a bit, fully recover and enjoy the peace and quiet as well, Earlivi. Of course, if you do find anything odd while you''re out there then please let me know immediately.¡±


    ¡°I will do so on all accounts...¡± answered Earlivi as a portal winked into existence right next to him ¡°If you require anymore assistance with anything else at all... Please let me know...¡±


    ¡°Will do.¡± said Anton ¡°Have a goodnight, Earlivi.¡±


    ¡°You as well, my Master...¡± rumbled the homunculus as he turned to face the portal ¡°Farewell...¡±


    With a single step, Earlivi walked through the portal and disappeared.


    As the portal vanished both Fiona and Molly immediately groaned in relief as they each seemed to start breathing again.


    Chuckling at their spent expressions, Anton turned to the archway.


    ¡°Kianna!¡± he called out around a smile ¡°You can come back in here now! It''s safe!¡±


    A few moments later the still nervous looking dark elf peeked around the corner and quickly scanned the room before entering fully.


    ¡°I''m sorry, Master, but Mr. Earlivi is really hard to be around!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she lowered her ears and shivered in an effort to shake the nervousness from her shoulders ¡°He''s just so intense!¡±


    ¡°He is, isn''t he!¡± laughed Anton as he carefully lifted his legs off of Fiona and dropped his feet down to the floor ¡°You do know you''ll have to get used to him if he ever gets bored and decides he''d rather be here though.¡±


    ¡°That''s a... really scary thought!¡± mumbled Kianna as she handed him back his credit card ¡°You don''t think he''ll ever really wanna do that though, do you!?¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± said Anton as he took the card and reached back for his wallet ¡°Probably not. But you never know, especially with people like him who are very difficult to predict. I am going to make it clear right now though that I won''t make him stay away, Kianna! He may be intense, but he did come first and I won''t force him to be alone if he doesn''t want to be. That wouldn''t be fair for him.¡±


    Kianna blinked and went still for a moment before her eyes went soft and she flattened her ears back submissively.


    ¡°No, no! I, understand that...¡± she exclaimed as she looked down at the floor ¡°...I don''t, want him to be alone either.¡±


    Anton stopped mid motion as he registered the soft tone of her voice, smiling he finished putting his credit card and wallet away before looking back up at her.


    ¡°Well good, I''m glad to hear that.¡± he said as he smiled and leaned back into his seat ¡°Now, at the same time though. I don''t want you to be worried about him either. Earlivi definitely prefers to be alone, so you need to remember that. I know its a little different for you, but trust me. That homunculus can take care of himself. And he knows that he can come back here at any time. So again, I don''t want you to be constantly worrying about him, Kianna. Okay?¡±


    ¡°...Okay. I won''t.¡± mumbled Kianna as she began to fidget with her fingers ¡°...You are gonna check on him though, right!?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± laughed Anton ¡°We can make sure he''s fine whenever you want to. Alright?¡±


    ¡°...Okay!¡± agreed Kianna as her ears rose back up a bit ¡°Good!¡±


    ¡°Yes, good!¡± smiled Anton as he lifted himself up to a standing position ¡°Now, let''s go see how the dungeon turned out!¡±


    ¡°Aah! Ow! Dammit!¡± cried Fiona as the rings and chains that were holding her in the air suddenly disappeared from around her and she fell to the floor ¡°Fuck you Molly! You little shit!¡±


    ¡°Stop playing around on the floor and let''s get going, Fiona.¡± commanded Anton as he stepped over her and made his way towards the archway ¡°We got places to be.¡±


    Growling at the little dog who growled right back at her, Fiona angrily scrambled to her feet and quickly followed after Anton and her sister as they made their way to the dungeon.


    ¡°Well this turned out perfectly!¡± exclaimed Anton as he looked over the remodeled dungeon ¡°Leave it to Earlivi to get the job done right!¡±


    Both of the dark elves nodded in agreement as they looked out over the now seemingly much larger room.


    The alcove that housed the metal door and acted as the entrance to the dungeon now opened out onto a broad landing that stretched across the width of the room and trailed down via thin wide steps, to the now lowered floor below.


    ¡°...Those look pretty tough!¡± mumbled Fiona as her eyes followed the dark colored wooden beams that now crossed over the ceiling and then traveled down the pole-like wooden pillars that both held the beams in place and gave them integrity ¡°You could so easy tie someone up and hang them from those!¡±


    ¡°Yes, you could...¡± mused Anton softly to himself as he gazed up at the hoist that had been mounted to a beam in the center of the room ¡°Very astute, Fiona...¡±


    ¡°...What?¡± snapped Fiona as she turned to him and pointed her ears straight upwards ¡°What did you say!?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± smiled Anton as he turned away from the dungeon and addressed the two dark elves ¡°Alright, so this looks like it''s ready. So tomorrow morning, we will begin!¡±


    Fiona''s eyes went wide and began to faintly glow as she took in an excited breath through her nose.


    ¡°Seriously!?¡± she exclaimed as she took a step closer to him ¡°You''re really gonna...!? You''re serious!?¡±


    ¡°Mm hm!¡± hummed Anton as he nodded to her ¡°First thing in the morning!¡±


    Kianna couldn''t help but to smile broadly as she watched her sister become more and more excited.


    ¡°In the morning!¡± exclaimed Fiona as her eyes darted from Anton''s to the dungeon and back ¡°Do we really have to wait!? We can''t do anything right now!?¡±


    Anton chuckled and shook his head.


    ¡°The first step isn''t going to be an easy one, Fiona. And it could take us hours, if not even days before we''re finally done with it.¡± explained Anton as he smiled at her ¡°We all need to be as rested and as ready as we can be, both physically and mentally! So, go get yourselves as much sleep as you can tonight! Because we will more than likely be spending the entire day on this tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Argh, I''m so ready right now!¡± cried Fiona as she balled her hands into fists ¡°Seriously! You have no idea how ready I am for this!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I do actually!¡± chuckled Anton as he continued to smile at her ¡°And trust me on this, Fiona... You are not as ready as you think you are! So, we take the night, rest up! And tomorrow, we will begin!¡±


    ¡°Argh, your not just messing with me because of the gum thing are you!?¡± grumbled Fiona as she lowered her ears ¡°Because that was a really stupid thing and I''m really sorry about it!¡±


    ¡°You should be sorry, and I agree that was foolish of you!¡± exclaimed Anton as he pointed a finger at her ¡°But no, I''m not messing with you Fiona. I''m serious, none of us are ready right now. So! Back upstairs and then everyone to bed!¡±


    ¡°...Bed?¡± mumbled Kianna as her eyes fell to Anton''s groin ¡°Okay! I''m good with bed!¡±


    ¡°Your own bed!¡± smiled Anton as he shifted his still pointing finger to her ¡°I just said that we all need to be rested! And that means you don''t need to be half dead like you were this morning! So you''re sleeping in your own bed tonight, Kianna!¡±


    ¡°Ah! But that''s not fair!¡± cried the dark elf as she pointed her ears straight back ¡°Last night we used that stupid elixir! Tonight we won''t, so it''ll be totally different!¡±


    ¡°Kianna... Look, we barely got any rest at all last night! ...In fact, I''ll be honest with you. I think it''s down right amazing that you''re even still standing right now.¡± said Anton as he cocked an eyebrow at her ¡°Anyways, a full nights rest is necessary at this point. We''re gonna need this! Both of us!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get that. But like I said, tonight will be different! ...And besides.¡± mumbled the dark elf as she lowered her ears and took on a sorrowful expression ¡°Remember what you said before? ...You said I would always be welcome in your bed!¡±


    Stifling a smile, Anton narrowed his eyes as he folded his arms over his chest.


    ¡°Why you cheeky little... Alright, Kianna. Can you promise me that you''ll go straight to sleep, and stay asleep?¡± he asked as he looked at her sideways ¡°Without trying any funny business?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± chirped Kianna as she went rigid and pointed her ears straight upwards ¡°I can promise that!¡±


    ¡°...Can you really keep that promise, Kianna!?¡± demanded Anton as both he and Fiona stared at her ¡°For the whole, entire night!?¡±


    Kianna was completely still for several moments before her eyes suddenly went misty. Dropping her gaze to the floor she laid her ears back submissively and slumped her shoulders in sadness.


    ¡°Why!¡± she whined pitifully ¡°It''s not fair!¡±


    Anton threw his head back as he began to laugh loudly.


    ¡°Oh, my poor little dark elf!¡± he exclaimed as he shook his head in mock frustration ¡°I can''t believe how spoiled you''ve gotten already!¡±


    ¡°Oh please! I am not!¡± cried Kianna as she glared at him with teary eyes ¡°You''ve been nothing but cruel to me all day! First you make me redo a bunch of stupid math homework! Then you won''t let me make macaroni and cheese! And now you''re gonna make me sleep in my bed, all by myself! ...So now I''ll be all alone again...¡±


    ¡°Oh no! Don''t you even try that Kianna!¡± exclaimed Anton as he put his hands on both of the dark elves shoulders and ushered them back into the alcove and out of the dungeon ¡°Okay! We''re done! We are not having this discussion anymore! Now lets go upstairs and get to bed!¡±


    Both of the dark elves began to groan miserably as they made their way through the metal door and started up the stairs.


    ¡°Now that''s enough of that! Neither of you even have a reason to be grumbling!¡± mumbled Anton as he took hold of the doors handle and looked back into the dungeon one last time ¡°You will though... Trust me... Your both going to really hate this next part...¡±

 Chapter 26 : Early Morning

    Chapter 26 : Early Morning


    ¡°Seriously!?¡± complained Fiona as she stared down in disgust at the bowl that was placed in front of her ¡°Oatmeal!? ...Can''t we have any eggs or waffles instead? Or anything that''s better than this shit!?¡±


    ¡°No, this is the best thing for all of us today.¡± explained Anton as he sat down in his seat at the breakfast table and began to dribble a generous amount of honey over his own bowl of oatmeal ¡°I doubt we''ll be able to break for lunch so we''ll need something that''ll last us through the day.¡±


    Fiona narrowed her eyes at her bowl and grumbled as she began to grit her teeth.


    Rolling her eyes at her sister''s attitude, Kianna mouthed a silent thank you as she took the offered honey from Anton and began to dribble it over her own bowl.


    ¡°So, what exactly are we going to do today?¡± asked Fiona as she brought her eyes up to Anton ¡°I know how you like to be stupidly vague! But can we at least get a hint?¡±


    ¡°You don''t need a hint. I can tell you exactly what we''re going to do.¡± said Anton as he stirred up his oatmeal ¡°But first there''s something I''d like to ask you both.¡±


    ¡°Oh, for the love of! It''s always so many questions with you! Fine! Whatever!¡± declared Fiona as she eyed the bottle of honey that was still in her sister''s hand ¡°What is it now!?¡±


    ¡°Do you two even know why you can''t use your magic?¡± asked Anton as he took a bite of his food and looked up at the dark elves.


    ¡°Uh, yeah! We do! And so do you!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she gave him a glowering look ¡°This is got to be the stupidest question you''ve asked so far! Considering you already know damn well what the answer is! It''s because our worthless bitch of a Mom won''t teach us how to use it! I don''t know how many times we''ve already told you this!?¡±


    ¡°...So then no, you two don''t actually know why you can''t use your magic.¡± stated Anton as he scooped together another spoonful of oatmeal ¡°Do you?¡±


    ¡°...Is it, not because of our Mother?¡± questioned Kianna as she and her sister looked at each other.


    ¡°It is. That is exactly what your problem is.¡± said Anton with a nod that turned into him shaking his head ¡°But not really.¡±


    ¡°I hate you.¡± stated Fiona calmly ¡°With everything I have. Body and soul. I just hate you, so much.¡±


    ¡°You see, your real issue is a lack of influence.¡± continued Anton as he ignored Fiona''s statement ¡°Dark elves, like nearly every sapient species, aren''t born with the ability to manipulate mana. They develop this ability later in life.¡±


    ¡°...Why aren''t we born with that ability already?¡± asked Kianna as she tilted her head and cocked one of her ears in a curious manner.


    ¡°Self preservation. The same reason that most other species aren''t born with it either. Its easy enough to understand that any infant, or even a child, with the ability to manipulate mana would be a danger to itself as well as everyone around it.¡± explained Anton ¡°For argument''s sake let''s imagine that there was a baby who could manifest a fireball. Now how long do you think it would take before the house that baby was in was burnt down? With that baby more than likely still inside it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh no!¡± cried Kianna as her face filled with turmoil and her ears pointed themselves straight upwards ¡°That would be awful!¡±


    ¡°Mm hm, yes it would be.¡± nodded Anton in agreement ¡°That''s why most children don''t gain the ability to manipulate mana until they reach a certain level of ego development. In other words, children don''t generally learn how to use magic until their mature enough not to immediately kill themselves with it. This can happen at different times for different species, but the most common time-frame is usually around puberty or at some point after. And that would have been about the time that you two would have developed the ability as well.¡±


    ¡°...Except we never did.¡± mumbled Fiona as she and her sister both looked down at the table and lowered their ears in sadness.


    ¡°Sure you did.¡± stated Anton as he lifted a spoonful of oatmeal up to his face ¡°You can both manipulate your mana just fine.¡±


    ¡°...What!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as she and Kianna both looked back up at him ¡°No we can''t!?¡±


    Anton finished swallowing his mouthful of food before turning to Fiona.


    ¡°Fiona, I''d like you to think about something that makes you angry.¡± he proposed as he looked her in the eyes ¡°And I want you to really focus on whatever it is that you come up with.¡±


    Fiona went completely still as she stared back at him. After only a brief moment her eyes tightened in an intense looking fury and began to glow with a faint red light.


    ¡°Um, I think she might be thinking about you...¡± said Kianna as she looked back and forth between her sister and Anton.


    ¡°At this point I''d be offended if she wasn''t. That''s not what''s important though.¡± said Anton as he turned to the second dark elf ¡°What''s important is that her eyes are glowing. You see, dark elves make their eyes glow by filling tiny shards of protein in their irises with mana. So this means that if you two couldn''t manipulate your mana, then you wouldn''t be able to make your eyes glow, but since both of you can make them glow, we know for sure that you both can manipulate your mana.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Really!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as she turned to her sister and stared right into her glowing eyes ¡°Well that''s cool! And good to know!¡±


    ¡°Hold on a second!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she glared at Anton ¡°If we can do this then why can''t we do anything else!?¡±


    ¡°Because you don''t know how to manipulate your auras.¡± stated Anton as he turned back to her ¡°I''ve told you already that the vast majority of your skills and abilities utilize your auras in some way. So without your auras available to act as a channel for your mana, there really isn''t much you can do.¡±


    ¡°...That! ...Okay, that makes sense.¡± grumbled Fiona as her glare intensified ¡°Why can''t we manipulate our auras then!?¡±


    ¡°Because your Mother neglected you. She never gave you the influence you needed to learn how to resist her aura.¡± explained Anton ¡°And without learning how to resist her aura, you never learned how to manipulate your own.¡±


    ¡°...How would she influence us?¡± asked Kianna as she watched her sister blink away the glow from her eyes.


    ¡°Slowly, and overtime. Just by utilizing her aura around you she would have gently triggered responses out of you until you could fully manipulate your own auras at will.¡± explained Anton as he looked from one dark elf to the other ¡°This should have been something that would have happened throughout your childhoods. And that way by the time you two would have reached the point where you could manipulate your own mana, you would have already mastered the control of your auras. Unfortunately, that''s not what happened.¡±


    ¡°...When you say ¡°utilizing¡± her aura, what exactly do you mean by that?¡± asked Fiona.


    ¡°This.¡± said Anton as he let his aura flare outwards and engulf the entire kitchen.


    The two dark elves cringed back in their seats and flattened their ears back submissively as the aura that surrounded them became laced with malice.


    ¡°That''s one of the simplest forms of Auramancy.¡± stated Anton as he released the malice from his aura ¡°Its called ¡°Flaring¡± your aura, and its basically just spreading your aura outwards until it fills the area around you. Once you can do that, you can fill it with an emotion that''ll then influence anyone in that area who can''t resist it.¡±


    ¡°I hate it when you do that!¡± declared Fiona as she shivered and rubbed her upper arms.


    Anton grinned and let a calming essence spread throughout his aura.


    ¡°Is this better?¡± he soothed in a mocking tone.


    Fiona said nothing as she pointed her ears straight back and glared.


    ¡°So are you going to teach us how to flare our auras like this today?¡± questioned Kianna ¡°Is it hard to do? And is that why it''s going to take all day?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, I doubt I''ll even have to actually teach you how to flare your auras.¡± said Anton as he released his aura completely and looked back down at his bowl ¡°No, once you know how to manipulate your auras you should be able to flare them automatically. In fact, I''ll be really surprised if you can''t.¡±


    ¡°So then what are we doing?¡± asked Fiona as she watched him eat a spoonful of his oatmeal ¡°Just straight up learning how to manipulate our auras?¡±


    Anton pointed his finger at her and nodded as he finished swallowing another mouthful of food.


    ¡°Exactly!¡± he declared as he looked from Fiona to Kianna and back ¡°Today is all about getting you two to the point where you can freely manipulate your own auras. That''s our one and only goal for the day.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that sounds good to me!¡± nodded Fiona excitedly ¡°So how are we gonna do that!?¡±


    ¡°Through influence. The same way you should have been influenced by your Mother.¡± explained Anton as he folded his arms on the table ¡°Though instead of having to resist her gentle influence, you''ll have to resist mine... And I''m afraid I''m not going to be gentle with you. We don''t have time for that.¡±


    ¡°...Uh, wait! What!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as she and her sister both eased themselves back and pointed their ears straight upwards ¡°What does that mean!?¡±


    ¡°It means that we''re about to condense something that should have taken years to accomplish naturally, down to the smallest amount of time possible. Hopefully less than a day. Now, this can be done. In fact we''ll be using the exact same method that was used to influence me. So I know for sure that it can be done this way... But it will be intense, very intense. I''m going to literally be assaulting you with my aura until you can resist it''s influence. In other words this will be a sink until you can swim type of crash course. And you two will be forced to endure my aura until you can harness your own auras and bring them forward to fight back, stop my influence and resist what''s happening to you.¡± explained Anton ¡°Now, if you two were still children then I would of course never even consider going with this method at all. Instead we''d just have to sit and wait as you slowly built up a resistance to the presence and ambient activities of my aura. And although it is true that we could still technically go with this gentler method, even now. I''m afraid we aren''t going to. Because unfortunately for you two there''s just no way of knowing how long it will take for you to build up your resistances, it could still take you years, or possibly even longer. And that kind of time-frame just isn''t going to work. Luckily for all of us though. You''re not children anymore. And you''re both pretty tough! So I think you''ll be able to handle this more intense method just fine... or at least I hope you can... I guess we''ll see.¡±


    The dark elves went still and remained silent for a moment as they stared back at him.


    ¡°...This, this is sounding like you''re about to torture the shit out of us.¡± sighed Fiona as she narrowed her eyes and pointed her ears straight back ¡°And you are, aren''t you!?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much.¡± nodded Anton.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she rolled her head back over her shoulders and stared straight up at the ceiling ¡°Are you serious!?¡±


    ¡°I told you this wasn''t going to be easy for you, Fiona.¡± said Anton with a shrug ¡°You want to be a real dark elf and that''s fine. You are going to have to earn it though.¡±


    ¡°Damn the dead Gods... Fine! Fuck it! Fine! Whatever!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she brought her head back down and glared at him ¡°We can handle whatever bullshit you think it takes! So bring it on!¡±


    Anton nodded to her before turning to Kianna.


    ¡°And what about you?¡± he asked as his eyes softened ¡°Think your ready for this?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± whined Kianna as she laid her ears back submissively ¡°I don''t want to be tortured!¡±


    Chuckling at her expression, Anton shook his head.


    ¡°I''m not exactly excited about this either. It won''t be a real burn though, Kianna. Only the illusion of it.¡± he soothed as he looked back at her ¡°Now, I''m not going to tell you that it won''t feel like real pain, because it will. But you won''t actually be injured in any real way, that I can promise you.¡±


    ¡°It''s still gonna hurt though! Right!?¡± whimpered Kianna as she looked down at the table ¡°Do I really have to do this? Can''t I just wait and let it happen normally?¡±


    ¡°...Yes, technically.¡± sighed Anton ¡°Like I said before, it is possible to do this that way...¡±


    ¡°Just let her wait then!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she leaned towards Anton ¡°I''m still down to do it now!¡±


    Anton was silent for a moment as he stared back at her. With a soft sigh he shook his head.


    ¡°I don''t think that would be a good idea Fiona.¡± he said calmly ¡°It''ll be putting a huge gap between you two. One that may be unhealthy to your relationship as sisters.¡±


    ¡°...So wait! If she doesn''t want to do this then we aren''t going to!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as she pointed her ears straight upwards ¡°No! Are you serious!?¡±


    Anton said nothing as he let his gaze fall to the table.


    Her eyes going wide in panic Fiona immediately turned to her sister and lowered her ears.


    ¡°C''mon Kianna! Please! This won''t be that bad! We can handle it!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she gave her sister her puppy dog eyes ¡°You wanna learn how to use your magic too, right!? Well this is what it takes!¡±


    Kianna said nothing as she avoided looking at her sister by focusing on Anton.


    ¡°It''s just for one day! And then you''re good! We just gotta get past this! We''re so close! ...Please!¡± implored Fiona as she tried to put herself in front of her sister and force her to look into her eyes ¡°C''mon Kianna! ...Please! ...Please!¡±


    Kianna''s expression didn''t change as she continued to look around her sister at Anton.


    Breaking her eyes away, Fiona looked at Anton for a moment and then back at her sister.


    ¡°...You do say you trust him. You do say that.¡± she whispered as her eyes became desperate ¡°You keep saying that Kianna! You keep saying it! You say you trust him! And that you know he won''t hurt you! That he''ll take care of you! Well if you really believe it! And you really trust him! You should prove it!¡±


    Kianna was still for a moment before she slowly shifted her eyes to her sister and stared at her.


    ¡°...You are such a horrible bitch, Fiona.¡± she mumbled as her expression became glowering and she dropped her gaze to the table ¡°...Fine, I''ll do it!¡±


    ¡°Yes! Thank you!¡± cried Fiona as she leaned over and threw her arms around her sister''s neck ¡°Thank you so much!¡±


    ¡°Humph. Bravo, Fiona. Once again you prove that we can always count on you to use the ugliest tactics...¡± grumbled Anton as he shook his head ¡°Never fails...¡±


    ¡°Please! It''s not like she''s gonna regret it!¡± cried Fiona as she gave her annoyed looking sister another squeeze ¡°Will you!?¡±


    ¡°...Probably not.¡± mumbled Kianna as she gave her still smiling sister a sideways glare ¡°You''re still a bitch though!¡±


    ¡°And I can live with that!¡± exclaimed Fiona as her smile became snarky.


    ¡°Well isn''t that just the most wonderful of attitudes...¡± grumbled Anton as he shook his head again and commenced to finishing off his bowl of oatmeal ¡°And with that any sympathy I may have had for you today is now gone...¡±


    ¡°Oh, please!¡± snapped Fiona as she pointed her ears straight back ¡°Don''t act like you''re not going to enjoy the Hell out of this!¡±


    Moving only his eyes, Anton looked up at the obnoxious dark elf and said nothing as he finished chewing and swallowing the last mouthful of his oatmeal. Once he was done he broke off their eye contact and rose from his seat.


    ¡°Finish your meals and then do whatever you think you need to do to get yourselves as ready as you can be.¡± he said as he took his bowl to the sink ¡°I wasn''t kidding when I said we won''t be taking any breaks. So use the restroom now whether you need to or not. When you''re both ready to get started, meet me in the dungeon.¡±


    ¡°...Okay.¡± nodded the dark elves in unison as they watched him make his way out of the kitchen.


    ¡°Oh! And one more thing.¡± said Anton as he stopped in the archway and turned back to face them ¡°What color underwear are each of you wearing?¡±


    ¡°Please tell me how this is seriously necessary!¡± growled Fiona through her clenched teeth as she stared straight ahead and did her best to stand as still as possible while Anton tightened the straps of the black leather legbinder he had wrapped around the full length of her legs, from her ankles up to her thighs ¡°Because I''m having a really hard time imagining how it could be!¡±


    ¡°And what exactly are you going to do if I said it wasn''t?¡± asked Anton as he stood up behind her and using two fingers began to thump her on the very top of her head ¡°Please tell me because I''m having a really hard time imagining what it could be...¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay!¡± snarled Fiona as she pointed her ears straight back and lowered her head in an effort to get away from his thumping fingers ¡°I get it!¡±


    ¡°No, you don''t ¡°get it¡±, Fiona, and I have my doubts that you ever will...¡± grumbled Anton as he undid a strap of the box-tie leather armbinder that held the dark elf''s arms folded away behind her back and tightened it down another notch by pulling the strap through it''s corresponding roller buckle ¡°Anyways, to answer your question, yes, this is necessary, very necessary.¡±


    ¡°Yeah right!¡± muttered Fiona as she worked to maintain her balance while Anton''s efforts forced her to lean forwards ¡°Like this isn''t just a weak excuse to tie us up again!¡±


    ¡°I don''t need an excuse to do that, Fiona.¡± said Anton as he checked the tightness of the her armbinder''s other straps ¡°I would think that was clear to you by now.¡±


    Fiona grumbled incomprehensibly as she glanced to her side and frowned at her already bound sister who sheepishly smiled back.


    The two dark elves stood about ten feet apart, and although they were inline with each other they were each facing opposite directions, with Kianna facing the main door of the dungeon and Fiona facing away from it. They had both been bound and dressed in an identical fashion, with the armbinders and legbinders keeping their now useless limbs both sealed away and held in place. Aside from their bondage gear both of the dark elves wore nothing but their collars and matching pairs of simple white colored bras and panties.


    ¡°All of this is necessary.¡± said Anton in an absent tone as he stepped around to Fiona''s front and looked her over ¡°Just trust me.¡±


    The dark elf kept her ears pointed straight back and glared while she watched him run his eyes up and down her bound and nearly naked body.


    ¡°I don''t see how the fuck any of this shit can possibly be necessary!?¡± growled Fiona through her clenched teeth ¡°What the fuck does getting stripped down and then tied up have to do with learning how to use magic!?¡±


    ¡°Technically, you haven''t been ¡°tied up¡± just restrained.¡± said Anton in the same absent tone ¡°And that bondage gear is important because it''s going to help me keep you in one place. And, while you''re wearing it, it''ll be a lot harder for you to hurt yourselves...¡±


    ¡°...Wait!? Hurt ourselves!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as she leaned back and away from him ¡°What the Hell are you talking about!?¡±


    ¡°As for being stripped down that has a few purposes as well...¡± said Anton as he ignored her question and looked up at the ceiling ¡°The first reason its important is because with you dressed like that I can easily see you and what you''re wearing. And the second reason is so that when I look up at the two of you I can''t immediately tell which one of you I''m looking at. And that is actually going to be very important here pretty soon...¡±


    ¡°What, why?¡± questioned Fiona ¡°Why don''t you wanna be able to tell us apart?¡±


    ¡°Because I don''t want to play favorites with you two, but I know myself well enough to know that I will.¡± explained Anton as he brought his gaze back down and locked eyes with her ¡°I don''t want to take it easier on Kianna, and I don''t want to be harder on you than I absolutely need to be. So if I can''t tell which of you is which then it will be a lot easier for me to keep things even between you.¡±


    ¡°...Oh.¡± mumbled Fiona as she blinked in surprise ¡°I see...¡±


    ¡°And as for the third reason... Well, it''s the aesthetics of course.¡± explained Anton as a smug half grin spread across his face ¡°If I''m going to have to sit in one place for hours and hours on end. Then I think it only makes sense for me to make sure that I''ll at least enjoy the view around me!¡±


    Fiona blinked and then went still as her eyes widened and began to glow with an angry red light.


    ¡°Hm, yeah. That does make sense.¡± reasoned Kianna as she arched her back to thrust her bra covered chest forward and began to twist her shoulders back and forth in order to emphasize her jiggling breasts ¡°That seems fair enough to me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut the Hell up, Kianna...¡± groaned Fiona as Anton began to laugh ¡°I swear you are such a slut! You''re worse than a fucking cat in heat!¡±


    ¡°No I''m not!¡± cried Kianna as she pointed her ears straight back and glared angrily ¡°And you''re one to call me a slut! When was the last time you gave your poor clit a night off!?¡±


    Fiona pressed her lips into a thin line as she narrowed her eyes at her sister. Both of the dark elves now had their ears pointing straight back as they stared each other down.


    ¡°Alright, alright! That''s enough! Let''s keep things moving forward. And speaking of forward.¡± laughed Anton as he put his hands out in front of himself and made as if he was about to catch Fiona ¡°I think you''re good now, so go ahead and fall forward for me.¡±


    ¡°...What!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as she shifted her glare down to his waiting hands ¡°The fuck do you want!?¡±


    ¡°I need you to be laying down for this next part, so I want you to fall.¡± explained Anton as he beckoned her forward with his fingers ¡°Don''t worry, I''ll catch you.¡±


    Fiona''s eyes darted from his hands to his eyes and back before an irritated scowl spread across her face. Unable to bend her knees due to the legbinder, she tentatively leaned forward on her toes and bent herself at the waist until the better part of her torso was hovering over Anton''s still waiting hands.


    With an impatient sigh, Anton reached out and grabbed her around the waist, just below her ribs, and pulled her forward as he twisted himself to the side.


    With a surprised grunt, Fiona went stiff as she was partially lifted into the air and then gently lowered to lay face down on the floor.


    ¡°Alright, now you just wait there for a second.¡± said Anton as he stood back up and made his way over to Kianna.


    ¡°Oh, yeah! Will do!¡± cried Fiona sarcastically as she shook her whole body back and forth ¡°Because I have so many other options!¡±


    ¡°You could have even less...¡± mumbled Anton as he stepped in front of Kianna and put his hands out to catch her ¡°You stubborn dark elf!¡±


    Kianna smiled softly at him before looking down at his hands. Raising herself up on her tiptoes she folded her ears back behind her head and closed her eyes as she let herself fall forward.


    Catching her as gently as he could, Anton slowly dropped to his knees and lowered Kianna down until she was laying on the floor in an identical but opposite facing manner to her sister.


    ¡°Such a good girl! My brave little dark elf!¡± he praised as he began to slowly move his hands around beneath her ¡°She knows she can trust her Master! ...Even when he has her trapped and helpless!¡±


    The hapless dark elf giggled gleefully and started to wiggle frantically back and forth as Anton slipped his fingers under her bra and began to playfully fondle her breasts while tugging at her nipples.


    ¡°...Seriously, are you really going after her right now!?¡± grumbled Fiona as she thumped her head against the floor ¡°Please, please don''t start fucking in front of me over there! Please! I''m begging you!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± snapped Kianna as she glared over in her sisters general direction ¡°If you don''t like it then don''t watch!¡±


    Anton chuckled and shook his head as he made to slowly slide his hands out from under her.


    ¡°Ah! No! Not yet!¡± cried Kianna as she tried to follow his hands by squirming forwards after them ¡°Ah! Dammit, Fiona!¡±


    ¡°No, it''s not her fault, Kianna. We have things to do today.¡± laughed Anton as he planted his hand on top of her head and ruffled her hair ¡°We don''t have time for that right now!¡±


    He couldn''t help but to chuckle again as the clearly upset dark elf grumbled under her breath and hid her face by pressing her forehead against the floor in protest.


    Leaving his hand on top of her head, Anton leaned in close to her ear.


    ¡°Now you be patient, you greedy little thing...¡± he whispered as he gave her head a playful squeeze ¡°And don''t you worry. I can always tie you back up again later, whenever we have more time to really enjoy ourselves!¡±


    Kianna went still for a second before turning her head slightly towards him.


    ¡°...Really?¡± she asked in a hushed tone as she spoke towards the floor and pointed her ears straight upwards ¡°Are you serious about that!?¡±


    ¡°Of course I am. After all!¡± chuckled Anton as he gave her head another ruffle ¡°I''ve got both a fully stocked dungeon at my disposal, and a cute little sex slave to play with! Do you really think I haven''t thought about mixing the two together!?¡±


    Kianna was still for another moment before she turned her head so that she was facing directly down at the floor again.


    ¡°...So, should I keep being a good girl?¡± she questioned quietly as she began to slowly sway her hips back and forth ¡°...Or should I be bad instead?¡±


    Anton chuckled loudly as he gave her head another squeeze and lifted his hand away.


    ¡°Either way works just fine for me!¡± he smiled as he reached over her bound arms and gave one of her very round, thinly covered butt cheeks a rough squeeze before tugging her panties to the side and giving her a quick but sharp swat on a patch of exposed skin with each word he spoke next ¡°You, greedy, little, thing!¡±


    Kianna froze completely the instant she felt the stinging smacks begin to land across her backside. When no more appeared to be forthcoming she began to moan softly and pointed her ears straight back behind her head.


    ¡°Dammit, Fiona!¡± she growled in frustration as she pressed her forehead back into the floor ¡°Why do we always have to do your stupid shit first!¡±


    The clearly aroused dark elf couldn''t help but to continue moaning softly and curl in on herself as Anton began to roughly massage the freshly spanked spot on her bottom with just his fingertips.


    ¡°Oh, yeah! We''re definitely doing what I wanna do right now!¡± cried Fiona as she started thumping her own head against the floor ¡°Cause listening to my sister moan like a thirsty whore while she gets sexually molested has always been my idea of a great time!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it actually has been, you freak! And I''m not getting sexually molested!¡± snapped Kianna before miserably laying her ears flat behind her head and laying limp against the floor ¡°Unfortunately...¡±


    Anton laughed and gave her another quick swat before shaking his head and getting back up to his feet.


    ¡°My poor, mistreated little dark elf...¡± he teased as he crossed over to where Earlivi had arranged all of the dungeons ¡°furniture¡± into a surprisingly organized pile ¡°Her little life is just so difficult...¡±


    ¡°It really is!¡± whined Kianna as she began to squirm and rub herself against the floor ¡°Things have been really shitty for me lately!¡±


    ¡°Yes, they have...¡± nodded Anton as he opened a wardrobe and began to rummage through the leather bondage items that were being stored inside it ¡°And unfortunately its going to get a lot worse before it gets any better...¡±


    Kianna groaned miserably as Fiona craned her head back over her shoulders in an effort to get a better look at what Anton was doing.


    ¡°What are you looking for over there!?¡± she asked as she narrowed her eyes in suspicion ¡°...Are you gonna gag us again!?¡±


    ¡°Yes, eventually.¡± answered Anton as he made his way back towards them ¡°But first I''m going to strap these suspension cuffs around your ankles.¡±


    Fiona pointed her ears straight upwards as Anton tossed a pair of padded leather cuffs in her direction. She followed the cuffs with her eyes as they both sailed through the air and then slid across the floor before finally coming to a stop near her feet. Confused, she stared at the black, buckle covered pieces of crafted leather for a moment before turning back to Anton and finding him not only crouched down behind Kianna but midway through the process of tightening the cuff he had already wrapped around one of her ankles. Eyes going wide with a creeping realization, Fiona frantically twisted back and forth until she was able to roll over onto her back. Staring straight upwards now, she felt a heavy knot begin to form in her stomach as she gazed up at a long steel bar with two metal rings welded to each of it''s ends. The bar was slowly drifting back and forth as it hung from a steel cable that fed out of an industrial hoist that had been mounted to one of the heavy beams that now ran across the ceiling.


    ¡°Oh, Hell no!¡± she exclaimed as she felt a bit of bile rise into her throat ¡°No, no, no! No, no, no, no!¡±


    Both Anton and Kianna turned their heads in her direction as Fiona continued her outburst. Completely panicked now, Fiona began to frantically twist back and forth as she tried to escape from her bondage and failing this she rolled back onto her belly and desperately tried to crawl away by squirming back and forth across the floor.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.Anton sighed and shook his head as he raised his right hand and snapped his fingers.


    ¡°...Oh c''mon! Not this shit again!¡± cried Fiona as she began to drift up off the floor and float out into the open air ¡°Why are you doing this!?¡±


    ¡°Because, it''s for the best.¡± mumbled Anton as he finished tightening Kianna''s cuff and started on her second one ¡°Just trust me...¡±


    Fiona growled miserably and clamped her eyes shut as she tried her best to remain as still as possible.


    While watching her sister as she floated aimlessly through the air, Kianna let her eyes drift up to the ceiling and the bar and hoist that were mounted there.


    ¡°...You''re going to make us hang upside down?¡± she asked quietly as she nervously laid her ears back behind her head.


    ¡°Yes...¡± breathed Anton as he adjusted the boot-like cuff around her ankle ¡°I know its going to be uncomfortable, but just trust me, this is the safest way to do this.¡±


    ¡°...What do you mean?¡± questioned Kianna as she looked back at him ¡°How is hanging in the air gonna be safe?¡±


    ¡°Because you won''t be able to hurt yourselves while you''re struggling, but you''ll still be able to move around, which will keep you from going completely insane.¡± explained Anton ¡°Once we get started you two are not going to be able to stop yourselves from trying to escape. So restraining you is necessary. But strapping you down to a chair or even a bed isn''t a good idea because then you''ll have something to strain against. And trust me, you will strain yourselves! You''ll won''t even feel the pain either. You''ll just keep fighting until you literally tear your muscles apart. And what''s worse is that you''ll be so desperate for relief that you''ll be more than willing to bash your own heads in just to make it all stop. Trust me on this. I''ve been through it myself. I know what its going to feel like, and I know how much you''re going to want to get away from it all... Unfortunately, I''m afraid I won''t be able to let you do that...¡±


    ¡°...Argh!¡± groaned Kianna as she slumped back against the floor ¡°Fuck you Fiona! This is all your fault!¡±


    ¡°My fault!¡± cried Fiona as she kept her eyes shut but turned her head towards her sister ¡°Bullshit! You wanna blame anybody for this then blame fucking Mom! If she hadn''t been the biggest bitch on Terra then this shit wouldn''t be happening to us right now!¡±


    ¡°...Hm, she''s actually got a point for once.¡± mused Anton as he finished with Kianna''s last cuff and went to stand up ¡°That''s got to be a first...¡±


    ¡°Ha ha! Very funny!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she shifted her non-existent gaze to him ¡°There''s gotta be another way for you do this! This seriously can''t be the only way!¡±


    ¡°I''m sure there are other ways. But I wouldn''t know them off hand, and I''m not interested in experimenting with this right now. As uncomfortable as this is going to be for you, I know you won''t be able to hurt yourselves and that is the most important part of this. As such, we are going to go with this method.¡± declared Anton as he chased down Fiona''s now floating ankle cuffs ¡°...This is the exact same method that was used with me. So I know that this way will work.¡±


    Kianna grimaced as she felt herself slowly floating upwards and away from the floor.


    Having gathered the runaway cuffs, Anton stepped up behind Fiona and took hold of her ankle as he quickly set to work. The frustrated dark elf let her head slump forward in irritation as she resisted the urge to try and kick him away.


    Once he finished with her, Anton then set his eyes on the bar hanging above them. Taking a small plastic remote out of his pocket, he pointed it up at the hoist and pressed a button with a downwards facing arrow painted on it. The hoist immediately began to make a whirring sound as it began to spin and release more of it''s steel cable. Anton sighed and narrowed his eyes in annoyance as the bar began to bob about near the ceiling rather than simply drop downwards to where he could reach it. Pointing a finger at it, he shot out a glowing orange light chain that sped through the air before wrapping itself around the floating bar and pulling it in as it disappeared back into his fingertip.


    Bar in hand now, Anton turned back to Fiona and quickly attached her ankle cuffs to the metal ring at the end of the bar by using several high capacity, metal rock climbing clips. Leaving her to float about on that end, Anton walked his hand down the bar and took hold of the metal ring on the opposite side. Pulling the bar, and Fiona, along behind him he then made his way over to where Kianna was now floating at head height. After attaching the second dark elf to the empty ring he pointed the remote back up at the hoist and triggered it to reel its cable back in. Once the bar, and it''s attached dark elves, had been towed upwards to a height that Anton felt comfortable with, he shut the hoist off and snapped his fingers again.


    The two dark elves were both whimpering and groaning miserably as they now found themselves twirling slowly in a wide circle while hanging precariously above the floor at a height that put their upside down faces in line with Anton''s chest.


    Anton gave the unhappy sisters a sympathetic look before closing his eyes and turning away from them. Making his way back to the hodgepodge of stacked furniture he pulled out one of the high backed chairs and brought it over to sit it down below, and at the very center of the hanging bar and in between the two spinning dark elves. Next he brought over one of the bedside tables which he sat right next to the chair and a lamp which he set up on the table.


    The two dark elves watched quietly as he then went around the room setting up more lamps along the walls around them.


    ¡°...What the fuck are you doing!?¡± questioned Fiona as she twisted her head painfully at the neck in order to keep him in her sights and glare at him ¡°You couldn''t have done this shit while we were still on the ground!?¡±


    ¡°I''m setting these lamps up so that they can help me to recognize when you two are done.¡± explained Anton with an absent tone ¡°And I''m actually giving you the chance to get a little used to that position while I do this.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, there''s no getting used to this!¡± growled Fiona as she worked to avoid looking downwards ¡°...And how are lamps supposed to let you know when we''re done!?¡±


    ¡°You''ll see.¡± said Anton as he looked back at her and sighed ¡°Alright, I''m going to go grab a few things from upstairs real quick and then we''ll be about ready to begin...¡±


    ¡°Wait! You can''t leave us like this!¡± cried Fiona as she went stiff ¡°What if we fall!?¡±


    ¡°...Well, if you''d like.¡± said Anton as a thin smirk spread across his face ¡°I could have Earlivi come and watch you while I''m gone. Give you all a chance to be alone together for a little while. How does that sound?¡±


    Although the effect wasn''t quite as obvious or dramatic as it normally was, what with their ears being hidden by their hanging hair, it was still clear by the wide eyed looks on their faces that both of the dark elves now had their ears pointed straight upwards in panic.


    ¡°No! Just... Just hurry up!¡± exclaimed Fiona with a grimace ¡°Please!¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± assured Anton as he quickly left the room. Within minutes he returned carrying both volumes two and three of his dark elf books as well as several bottles of water. He set these items on the table next to the lamp and looked back up at the dark elves.


    The two sisters were just as miserable looking as they had been from the moment their ordeal began. Dressed identically and with their hair hanging below their heads it was now nearly impossible to tell them apart at first glance. Or at least it would be, were it not for the gems on their collars.


    Anton grimaced as he narrowed his eyes at the pink and green gems that immediately signaled out the identity of who he was looking at. Making his way back to one of the standing wardrobes he searched through it for a moment before returning to the dark elves.


    Kianna whimpered and leaned her head back as her eyes locked onto the pair of gags that were draped around Anton''s arm. Rather than the more restrictive and complicated designs involving a whole head harness, both of these two gags were the simple more traditional version which consisted of a black rubber ball attached to a leather belt. The ball of the gag was about two inches in diameter which made it just big enough to fit snugly into a persons mouth and was positioned at the very center of the belt it was attached to. This belt was meant to hold the ball in place by wrapping around it''s wearers face and being buckled tightly behind their head.


    ¡°Do you think this gag will make you panic, Kianna?¡± asked Anton as he showed her one of the gags ¡°Or do you think you can handle this one?¡±


    The dark elf stared at the gag for a moment before her eyes narrowed into a fierce looking glare.


    ¡°...I think I''ll be fine!¡± she grumbled as she curled her lips back and bared her teeth ¡°I can hurt that one!¡±


    ¡°...You? ...Okay then.¡± said Anton as he cocked an eyebrow and watched the dark elf clench her teeth in a determined and seemingly menacing manner ¡°...Right.¡±


    Shaking his head, Anton stepped around the hanging dark elf and stood behind her as he took a light but dense black cloth wrap from where he had draped it over his arm and under the gags. Originally, this cloth was more than likely meant to be used as a blindfold, but it would suit his purposes just as well.


    ¡°You''re gonna blindfold us too!?¡± asked Fiona in an almost hopeful manner as she watched Anton straighten out the cloth in front of himself.


    ¡°No, I''m going to need to see your eyes.¡± said Anton as he lowered the cloth below Kianna''s head and raised it back up to wrap it around her neck.


    ¡°Hey!¡± cried Kianna as she tried and failed to follow what he was doing with her eyes ¡°What are you doing!?¡±


    ¡°I''m wrapping this around your collar so that I can''t see your gems.¡± explained Anton ¡°This way I won''t be able to tell you two apart by just looking at you.¡±


    ¡°...Oh. ...So?¡± mumbled Kianna as she tightened her eyes ¡°So, you won''t be able to see my collar then?¡±


    ¡°Well, no, I guess not?¡± answered Anton as he tilted his head in amusement ¡°Why? Does that bother you?¡±


    ¡°...I don''t know?¡± grumbled Kianna as her ears began to slowly rise and fall ¡°...Maybe, kinda.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, this will only be for while we''re doing this.¡± assured Anton as he wrapped the cloth snugly over Kianna''s collar and tied it off ¡°You can take it off as soon as we''re done.¡±


    Kianna was still for a moment before she nodded softly.


    Anton couldn''t help but to grin to himself as he stepped back around to Kianna''s front and once again held up the gag for her to see.


    ¡°So are you ready to try and hurt this now?¡± he asked as held the gags ball between his fingers.


    The dark elf narrowed her eyes at the ball as she pointed her ears straight back behind her head.


    ¡°Yes!¡± she hissed through her teeth ¡°That fucking thing!¡±


    Anton chuckled softly as he moved the ball to Kianna''s lips but went quiet and focused on minding his fingers as she immediately opened her jaws as wide as she could and viciously clamped her teeth down on the offered ball in an almost vengeful like manner. Taken aback a bit, Anton eased himself away from the dark elf and the unsettling sight of her sharp canines. Kianna''s bright, white teeth were suddenly standing out even more clearly than they usually did as they contrasted brightly against the black rubber of the ball that she was now angrily chewing on.


    Making a mental note that he needed to look into a white colored ballgag, Anton stepped around the dark elf and buckled the gag tightly in place behind her head before moving back to her front.


    The smooth, rounded sides of the ball were far too slick for the majority of Kianna''s teeth to find any real purchase on, and as such they would merely slide harmlessly back and forth across it''s surface as she chewed on it. This was not the case with her fangs however, as, although fairly short, the pointed tips of her canines were apparently sharp enough that they were able to pierce through the harden rubber of the ball and this was showcased by the clouds of dotted marks that had already been created across it''s now scarred surface. Having seemingly become aware of her ability to damage the offending item, the now heavily motivated dark elf had become entirely focused on driving her teeth as deeply into the rubber ball as she possibly could.


    Apparently sensing that she was being watched, Kianna paused her efforts and pointed her ears straight upwards as she looked up and locked eyes with Anton.


    ¡°...Having fun?¡± questioned Anton as he gave her a thin, toothless smile.


    Mumbling an incomprehensible affirmative, the dark elf again pointed her ears straight back behind her head and continued in her attempts to destroy her gag.


    Although she wasn''t currently making any noises, the visual alone of what Kianna was doing was in of itself a still very unnerving sight for Anton, and shaking his head with an uneasy grimace, he left her to her self appointed mission as he made his way over to Fiona.


    The second dark elf was not nearly as ill disposed towards her gag and cloth and as such was not at all interested in being as dramatic as her sister was. With his tasks now complete Anton had the dark elves as ready as they were going to be and so with a heavy sigh he took hold of Fiona''s upper arm and lifted her up to hang slightly sideways.


    The confused dark elf gave him a wide eyed look and began to mumble through her gag in protest as she started to struggle in his grip. Her mumbling became far more distraught as Anton suddenly slung her to the side in an action that immediately triggered both of the dark elves to start crying out in fear as they found themselves sailing through the air and swinging around and around from the ends of the pivoting bar that they had both been hung from.


    Casting his eyes to the floor in an effort to lose track of the dark elves, Anton turned around and made his way to his seat at the center of the twirling sisters. Placing the second volume of his dark elf books in his lap, he kept his eyes focused on the cover until the loss of momentum set in and the now teary eyed and whimpering dark elves slowed to a crawl as they continued to spin slowly around him.


    ¡°Alright then girls...¡± declared Anton as he made a note of the time by looking at his quartz watch ¡°I need you both to listen to me very closely.¡±


    As he spoke, Anton allowed his aura to expand outwards from his being and fill the entire area around him.


    ¡°You two are dark elves. And as such you have the ability to feel auras, this is something I''m sure you''re both fully aware of at this point, considering you have both felt the effects of my aura before. What you should also be aware of by now is that not only can you feel auras, but you can manipulate them as well. This alone is a powerful ability to have and I will explain more about this to you in time. Right now though, the only thing you need to focus on is the fact that you can manipulate your own auras, and by doing so you can weaponize them, and then use them to manipulate the auras of other people...¡± explained Anton as he slowly began to build up the density of his billowing aura ¡°And this is exactly what I want you to do. I want you to do whatever it takes for you to gain control of your auras. I want you to feel them flowing around you and then focus them, bend them to your will and force them into place until they are fully under your command. ...In order for you to do this successfully, you will need a target. A target to focus them against, to rally them against, you''ll need something to fight! Something to hate! ...And so with in mind, I am going to become the target that you need.¡±


    The dark elves stayed silent as they listened intently.


    ¡°Once we begin, I am not going to stop. I am fully prepared to continue this for as long as is necessary, even for days if that''s what it takes.¡± continued Anton as he closed his eyes and rolled his head along his shoulders to crack the bones in his neck ¡°I''m sure by now that you''ve both become aware of my aura, as I''ve filled this entire room with it''s presence. And I''m assuming that you can both feel it as it surrounds you and even permeates through your bodies... In a moment, you''re going to feel the intensity of my aura increase, and as it does the effect that it''s presence is going to have on you is also going to intensify...¡±


    The dark elves both began to blink and squirm in discomfort as the air around them began to thicken and become heavier.


    ¡°As this intensity begins to take effect... You''ll start to notice a dull, but heavy pressure along the back of your skulls. This is normal. And its not something you''ll need to worry about...¡± explained Anton as he looked back down at his book and let a sad frown take form on his face ¡°Soon after that though... the burning sensation will begin...¡±


    Both of the dark elves looked at him before turning to each other. Their eyes went wide as they each began to feel a thick pressure creeping down the backs of their skulls.


    ¡°...Falling into a freezing boil. That''s about as close as I can get to describing to you what this burn will feel like. It''s a burn that reaches down to your very fibers, and this will be felt throughout your entire bodies.¡± said Anton with a heavy sigh ¡°...It will be unending, and there will be no escape from it. You won''t be able to slip into unconsciousness, you will never be able to get used to it, and it will not dull... There will only be one way for you to make it all stop. And you already know what you will need to do in order to make that happen...¡±


    The dark elves began to groan frantically as the first hints of burning in the form of tiny pinpricks began to wink into existence both across and within their bodies.


    ¡°I wish things didn''t have to be this intense for you girls... But unfortunately, any power that''s worth having will always demand a price...¡± whispered Anton as he opened his book and made an effort to ignore the growing cries of the now struggling dark elves ¡°I''m so sorry...¡±


    Taking his time with his reading, even gong so far as to reread several chapters in the second volume twice, Anton was now a little more than half of the way through the third tome when he was forced to set it down in his lap and sit up straight as a growing discomfort in his neck had reached a point where it could no longer be ignored.


    Glancing at his watch, he was a little surprised to find that they had been going at this for well over twelve hours now and were fast approaching the late evening.


    Chancing a quick peek, Anton darted his eyes upwards and found that neither of the dark elves were currently hanging in front of him. Thankful for the opportunity to stretch his neck, he kept his attention focused on the exposed light bulb of a lamp that had been set up directly in front of him and began to quickly tilt his head back and forth.


    For their part, Fiona and Kianna had indeed lived up to Anton''s expectations, as they had both gone nearly feral in their efforts to escape from their bondage. Screaming, twisting themselves back and forth, thrashing wildly and all around struggling to the point that they were literally bouncing up and down. The poor creatures made every attempt that they possibly could to escape from the unending torment that they were being mercilessly subjected to. Failing in these efforts, they were forced to endure the relentless onslaught as they continued to aimlessly spin in endless circles all while hanging in midair. Trapped by their unyielding bondage, the two dark elves could do nothing but scream out through their gags and rage as they glared hatefully down at the being who was ultimately responsible for their suffering.


    And despite the noise and commotion they were creating, Anton was able to fully ignore the two dark elves and quietly read his books all whilst sitting comfortably in his chair just below them and yet still far enough out of their reach that he was completely safe from their growing anger.


    Or at least he was at first.


    Anton worked to keep his eyes focused on the light bulb as he brought his head up and out of it''s tilt. Now relieved of the pressure in his neck, he eased down to settle back into place in his seat when he began to notice a tiny shift in the atmosphere around him. Letting his eyes drift to the floor, he watched intently as every few seconds the glow from the lamps he had set up around the room would slightly dim in a very subtle, almost eerie way.


    It was at this moment when he realized that both of the dark elves had become quiet.


    Checking his aura, he found that the intensity he was producing was still on par with what he had been maintaining this entire time. Yet despite this fact, the dark elves were no longer responding to it.


    Raising his eyes back upwards, Anton once again focused on the light bulb sitting directly in front of him. As he watched, it''s glow began to pulse, first growing in it''s intensity before peaking and dimming down to almost nothing and then brightening again before repeating the process. While he stayed focused on this single bulb he registered in his peripherals that all of the other lamps in the room, including the one sitting on the table right next to him, were now following a similar pattern.


    ¡°...Hm, not bad.¡± he mused quietly to himself ¡°That didn''t take as long as I thought it would.¡±


    Still keeping his eyes on the flickering bulb in front of him, Anton waited for one of the dark elves to come into view as they drifted in from either side of him but neither one of them ever did. He knew that there was no way that either of them had gone unconscious as the burning in their bodies wouldn''t have allowed their minds that outlet to slip away. And that if they had truly gone still, as they apparently had, then there was no question that they had to still be fully aware, as the only way that they would not be reacting to the effects of his aura was if they were actively and consciously resisting said effects.


    ¡°...Well now. You two should be proud of yourselves. You''ve done very well today. This is very impressive. And exciting. ...And I''m sure this all must feel incredibly empowering for the both of you as well.¡± said Anton as he kept his eyes facing forward and closed the book in his lap ¡°You have, after all, lived your entire lives without even a hint to what you were actually capable of... So I''m sure that there is an element of shock to this, this revelation... And I''m sure that this is a lot for you both to take in... I also understand, that it is very possible, that you two, may be a bit upset... with me.¡±


    Anton''s grip on his book tightened involuntarily as all at once the lamps in the room flickered and began to go dim as an overbearing sense of rage swelled into existence and bore down against his aura. Acting on instinct, Anton increased the intensity of his own aura in a bid to drive back the oppressive force that now surrounded him. The rippling effect of the now opposing forces clashing with each other caused the lamp on the table next to him to start to wobble and fall over onto it''s side where it hung still for a moment before slipping off the edge of the table and landing on the floor where it continued to flicker wildly.


    Steeling himself, Anton pulled his aura in from the room at large and focused it into a large sphere around himself. As his aura concentrated around his being the lamp that was now laying on the floor stopped it''s flickering and maintained a steady glow.


    ¡°Well then! Okay!¡± mumbled Anton as he nodded his head ¡°I think I''ll go ahead and consider that a conformation that you two are indeed upset!¡±


    His eyes still locked onto the flickering light bulb in front of him, Anton''s face went stoic as he watched the struggling light lose out on it''s battle and go dark. All of the lamps on his left side followed immediately while those on his right hung on a moment longer before they too went dark as well.


    Anton now sat at the center of a ball of light created by the lamp at his feet and protected by the sphere that was made up of his concentrated aura. Just beyond the edge of this sphere the world ended and became a dark void where absolutely nothing could be seen but the deepest of blackness.


    Or at least, almost nothing.


    Anton stared forward and gazed out into this blackness for a long moment before slowly turning just his head and looking to his left. And there, just a few feet away from him, floating upside down in the darkness at the exact same height as his sitting head, he found a pair of large, brightly glowing, red eyes, silently staring straight back at him.


    These eyes were now aglow with a fiery brightness that was so intense that it not only made it impossible to even discern their pupils or irises but also completely encompassed the entirety of the dark elf''s eyeballs and had turned them into two solid red, flaming orbs.


    There was no way for Anton to tell which of the two dark elves he was currently looking at as all that could be seen of her were her eyes as they stood out brightly against the blackness that now surrounded her. Though no details of her face could be seen, the menacing nature of her silent, unblinking gaze made it all too clear that this was without question, a very, very unhappy dark elf.


    Anton stared at the dark elf''s eyes for another long moment before turning away from her to stare forwards once again. After taking a deep breath he turned his gaze to his right and stared into the blackness at the spot where he knew the second dark elf had to be. At first he saw nothing, but as he watched a second pair of eyes winked into existence right in front of him.


    The dark elf''s ruby colored irises could be seen for only a fraction of a second before the brightness in her eyes expanded to the point that only the glowing redness could be seen and she became a match to her already staring sister.


    Anton kept his gazed locked with the clearly angry dark elf for a moment before slowly nodding his head and turning away from her.


    ¡°Hm, well, I suppose we should go ahead and move on to the next step then.¡± reasoned Anton as he set his book down atop of the other one that was already sitting on the table next to him ¡°Seems that its about time to give those collars their first real test...¡±


    Tilting his head back, Anton looked up towards the now blackened ceiling and slowly rolled his head back and forth to loosen out the last cricks in his neck.


    ¡°I''m afraid I haven''t been completely honest with you girls. And for that I do apologize. Regrettably, I neglected to mention that there is actually another reason for restraining you two in the way that I have... And that reason was so that I could, if need be, maintain control of you.¡± said Anton as he brought his head forward and gazed into the darkness in front of him ¡°You see, I, unfortunately, had no way of knowing for sure just how you two would react to achieving control of your auras... I did have my predictions of course. And although this was not the scenario that I was hoping for... I am glad that I was prepared for it nonetheless...¡±


    As Anton spoke he could feel the pressure surrounding the sphere of his aura begin to intensify. It was quite clear that the two now fledgling sorceresses, their judgment being clouded by their anger, had begun to work together against him. And although this attempt was clumsy and unrefined, the amount of power they were able to produce through their combined effort was quickly becoming too great to ignore.


    ¡°Girls, I''m going to need you both to focus, come to your senses, and calm yourselves down.¡± said Anton as he closed his eyes and took a calming breath himself ¡°I need you to show me that you can handle this new power of yours, and that you can maintain yourselves. Because if you can''t control yourselves... Then I will...¡±


    Although Anton didn''t see the eyes of the dark elves tighten in fury, he certainly felt their response throughout his aura.


    ¡°Hm... Very well then.¡± he sighed as he threw his arms out to either side of himself ¡°I did try to warn you.¡±


    As Anton''s arms stretched out wide, an orange glowing light chain shot out from each of his hands and pierced right through the cloth blindfolds as their ends instantly locked themselves to the blood gems on each of the dark elves collars.


    Anton balled his hands into fists and tightened his grip on the chains as he felt the dark elves both pull away and double the amount of power they were throwing at him.


    ¡°I am sorry girls.¡± whispered Anton as he slowly shook his head ¡°But I''m afraid this has to be done...¡±


    As Anton opened his eyes they instantly brightened, becoming soulless and piercing while his body shifted to a state of solid blackness.


    Throwing his power outwards, Anton met the dark elves assault head on and blasted away at the energy that surrounded him with his own overwhelming force. As he did this, the last bit of light from the lamp at his feet grew in it''s intensity until with a surrendering pop, the bulb exploded and everything went dark.

 Chapter 27 : Late Evening

    Chapter 27 : Late Evening


    Although Anton had no way of knowing what to expect when the dark elves finally awoke, he certainly couldn''t have ever predicted that it would be this.


    After they had both lost consciousness, Anton took the dark elves down from the hanging bar and quickly removed all of their bondage gear. Leaving them clad in nothing but their underwear, he then laid them out on the dungeons king sized bed. After setting up his chair next to the bedside, he waited for them to awaken.


    Unsure of what they may do, or how they would react to him, Anton decided to reattached the light chains to their collars as both a precaution as well as a deterrent to any further aggression or attempt to flee. Little did he know, this would not be necessary.


    Anton couldn''t be positive which of the dark elves it was that woke first but when he spoke to her she cringed away from him and refused to speak back. Instead she immediately curled herself up in the fetal position and softly whimpered as though she were still in pain. When the second dark elf awoke she reacted in the exact same way. Hiding their faces and refusing to even look in his direction, both of the dark elves had slowly and stiffly moved to the opposite side of the bed from him and huddled together in the corner. With the chains still attached to their collars, this was as far from where he sat as they could possibly get.


    Curled up as they were, and with their foreheads pressed together, it was impossible for Anton to get a clear view of their faces. If it were not for them constantly twitching their flattened ears and the soft sounds of them murmuring to each other, he would have thought they had both gone back to sleep. As it was, all of his attempts to speak to them were met with nothing but the same panicked cringing and fearful whimpers.


    After some time of this he began to worry that he may have taken things too far with them, and had perhaps even damaged their psyches in a permanent way, when finally they began to speak.


    ¡°Please, Master...¡± whispered Kianna as she continued to keep her face hidden ¡°Please... No more...¡±


    ¡°What?¡± questioned Anton in a soft tone ¡°What was that?¡±


    The dark elf groaned at the sound of his voice and pressed herself in closer to her sister.


    ¡°Please... Please stop!¡± she whimpered around a sob ¡°Please, stop burning me...¡±


    ¡°...I, I''m not!?¡± exclaimed Anton as he leaned forward in his seat ¡°Kianna we''re done already. Its over! I''m not going to burn you anymore!¡±


    The dark elf was quiet for a moment before she began to shift back and forth in obvious discomfort.


    ¡°...But it still hurts?¡± she whimpered softly as she hugged her arms around her torso ¡°It burns...¡±


    ¡°Please, give it back...¡± whined Fiona as she twisted to the side and pressed herself against the bed ¡°Please! Please give it back! ...I''m sorry!¡±


    ¡°What, what are you two talking about!?¡± questioned Anton as he stood up and moved closer to them ¡°What burns?¡±


    ¡°Everything!¡± cried Kianna as she began to sob ¡°It burns, when I move it burns!¡±


    ¡°My, power...¡± groaned Fiona ¡°You took it away, you... I''m sorry! Please, give it back!¡±


    Anton stood still for a moment as he gazed down at the quivering dark elves. Loosening his grip on the chains, he let them melt away into nothing as they fell from his hand.


    ¡°Girls, I''m not doing anything to you!?¡± he exclaimed as he creased his brow in concern ¡°I''m not burning you. And I haven''t taken anything away? ...I''m not even sure what''s happening right now!¡±


    ¡°...But its, its gone!¡± whimpered Fiona ¡°Its all gone! ...All of it!¡±


    Twisting herself even further to the side, she turned away from her sister and hid her face against the bed as she began to cry in earnest.


    ¡°Please...¡± begged Kianna as she tilted her head upwards and finally looked at Anton ¡°It hurts... Please!¡±


    Seeing her anguished eyes filled with tears, Anton acted without thought and dove onto the bed where he started shifting back and forth on his knees as he quickly made his way to the dark elves. Once he reached them he immediately put his hands on them and looked them over as he searched for anything that could be causing them this distress.


    Whimpering loudly, Kianna frantically got up on her hands and knees and crawled onto his lap before laying against his chest and curling herself back up.


    ¡°It''s alright, Kianna!¡± reassured Anton as he wrapped an arm around her ¡°I''ve got you! You''re not burning anymore!¡±


    ¡°It hurts...¡± she whined as she laid against him and began to tremble ¡°It hurts!¡±


    ¡°Where!?¡± asked Anton as he frantically looked her over ¡°Where does it hurt!? Show me where!¡±


    ¡°Ev-everywhere!¡± cried Kianna as she looked up at him and blinked away her tears ¡°My whole body hurts. When I move. ...In my muscles, and in my head. ...When I breathe. ...Ev-everything hurts!¡±


    ¡°It''s!? It''s still burning you!?¡± implored Anton as he looked from her to Fiona and back ¡°Just like before!?¡±


    ¡°...No?¡± whimpered Kianna ¡°Its, its not the same... But it, still hurts, it burns...¡±


    ¡°...It still burns?¡± repeated Anton as he again turned to Fiona ¡°...And no power?¡±


    ¡°Please, please give it back!¡± whimpered Fiona as she cringed away from him ¡°I''m sorry!¡±


    With his eyes tightened in thought, Anton went silent for several moments as he shifted his gaze back and forth between the two dark elves.


    ¡°Kianna?¡± he soothed as he hoisted her up a bit against him ¡°Can you feel your power? Or is it gone as well?¡±


    The dark elf shook her head as she sobbed miserably.


    ¡°It''s gone too...¡± she whimpered before looking away in an attempt to hide her face ¡°I''m sorry!¡±


    ¡°Okay! Okay, I know what''s wrong now!¡± exclaimed Anton in relief as he tightened his hold on her ¡°I''m so sorry girls. This is all my fault! I should have planned for this!¡±


    ¡°Wha?¡± implored Kianna as she looked back up at him ¡°Wha, what''s happening!?¡±


    ¡°It''s your mana. Your mana has been completely drained. That''s why your body is in pain.¡± explained Anton as he shifted his arm over and planted his hand on top of Fiona''s head ¡°And why it feels like your power is gone. It''s because it technically is...¡±


    Fiona stiffened at his touch but rather than cringe or try to pull away she merely stayed still and kept her face hidden.


    ¡°It''s gonna be okay though...¡± soothed Anton as he flared his aura and doused the dark elves in a cloud of comforting warmth  ¡°You just need a little time for your mana pools to refill themselves, and then you''ll be back to normal. I promise! Everything is going to be okay...¡±


    Kianna sighed heavily as she let his aura seep into her body.


    ¡°Please... it hurts...¡± she whispered as fresh tears formed in her eyes ¡°I''m sorry...¡±


    Anton''s face hardened as he stared down into her pleading eyes.


    ¡°...Okay, just hold on a second.¡± he whispered as he tightened both the arm he had wrapped around her as well as his grip on Fiona''s head ¡°I need you both to stay calm, alright. I''m going to try to help you, but you have to stay calm so I can focus on what I''m doing. Do you hear me?¡±


    Kianna''s eyes widened with hopefulness as she nodded her head and pressed herself back against him. Fiona whimpered softly as she too tried to relax.


    ¡°Just stay calm...¡± soothed Anton as he let his own mana slowly flow through his aura and out into the area around him ¡°Just a tiny bit... That''s all you should need...¡±


    Within moments, the gems attached to the dark elves collars began to faintly glow in response to the mana Anton had released into the aura surrounding them. Carefully, Anton focused the concentrated mana outwards and let it flow directly into the bloodgems.


    Fiona and Kianna both gasped in unison as the trickle of energy began to seep into them through their collars and immediately started to sooth their aching bodies.


    ¡°Slow...¡± breathed Anton as he focused on keeping the flow of power in check ¡°It''s okay girls... You''re going to be okay...¡±


    Kianna began to coo happily as not only did the burning throughout her body began to subside, but the pain that she was plagued with was replaced by a kind of warmth that was both familiar and welcomed. Her mind, as desperate for relief as she was, could still instantly recognize this warmth and the presence behind it for what it truly was, Anton, her Master. This was his power, she knew it, she had felt it before, and just as before her entire being was now flooded with the delicious sensation of this warmth, the heat of his power. And as this relief permeated throughout her body a subliminal realization began to form in her mind.


    Anton was here for her. She had just been angry with him, furious, hateful even. To the point that she had attacked him and had done everything she could possibly do to hurt him as badly as she possibly could. She had wanted to hurt him. To make him pay for the pain that she had gone through. Pain that he himself had warned her would come. Pain that he had regretted even before he caused it. She knew that he didn''t want to cause this pain, yet she didn''t care, her rage would have to be satisfied, and as such, joining with her sister, she had attacked him. She had wanted to attack him, to hurt him, to drive him away and make him fear her.


    But he didn''t.


    Despite this conflict and everything she had thrown at him, here he was, still here with her. Caring and concerned, comforting her, understanding her, helping her.


    Holding her.


    Seeing her in need he acted. And now using his own power he not only sought to ease the burning within her, but to once again protect her from pain.


    He was here. She wasn''t alone.


    ¡°Yes!¡± cried Kianna as she wrapped her arms around his neck ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Wha!?¡± exclaimed Anton before being cut short as Kianna pressed her lips into his and began to kiss him deeply and needfully.


    Surprised by the sudden affection, Anton lapsed in his focus as he lost himself in the intensity of Kianna''s kiss.


    Both of the dark elves moaned deeply as they were suddenly saturated by a wave of unchecked power.


    Blinking as his mind snapped back to reality, Anton pulled away from Kianna and quickly regained his composure before frantically reeling in the mana that was now flowing in an uncontrolled stream.


    ¡°Girls!¡± he exclaimed as he stopped the torrent of mana and completely released his aura ¡°Are you okay!? Are you alright!?¡±


    Kianna was smiling broadly and whimpering happily as she nuzzled her head in under his chin.


    Meanwhile, Fiona''s eyes were wide with fear as she stared back at Anton. The dark elf was crouched on her knees with her back and shoulders pressed against the bed''s headboard. With her ears pointing straight upwards and her hands raised in uncertainty it was easy enough to see that she was clearly terrified.


    ¡°Ow!¡± she hissed as she cringed even further back and made an effort to keep herself from hyperventilating ¡°What the fuck was that!?¡±


    ¡°That, was. I, I''m!¡± stuttered Anton as he reached out to her ¡°I''m, sorry! Fiona, I''m sorry! That was too much, for you...¡±


    ¡°...Was that mana! ...Was that your mana! ...Is all this! Your! ...Ow!¡± whispered Fiona as she stiffly shook her head ¡°...That was, a lot!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I''m sorry, Fiona.¡± soothed Anton as a sorrowful expression spread across his face ¡°I didn''t mean to give you that much. It was an accident.¡±


    Fiona went silent and completely still for a long moment before laying her ears back submissively.


    ¡°W-what!¡± she whimpered as her eyes began to mist over ¡°What are you going to do to me now!? Please! No more burning! Anything but that!¡±


    ¡°...I, what?¡± questioned Anton as Kianna, her arms still wrapped around his neck, began to look back and forth between them ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Wha, we!¡± groaned Fiona as she locked eyes with her sister ¡°We, went after you! We tried to hurt you!¡±


    Kianna''s eyes went wide as she registered the reason for her sister''s panic. Twisting back around to face Anton she flattened her own ears back behind her head as her eyes filled with nervousness.


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡± said Anton with a nod ¡°And you assume that I''m upset, and plan to punish you. Correct?¡±


    Fiona swallowed a lump in her throat as she tentatively balled her hands into fists.


    ¡°Are, you not going to!?¡± she questioned as her ears tightened themselves together behind her head.


    ¡°Do you think I need to?¡± asked Anton as his face became stoic.


    ¡°...Wha!? I, I don''t know!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as her eyes darted from him to her sister and back ¡°What does that even mean!? Why are you asking me!?¡±


    Anton was silent as he watched a creeping exhaustion take form in Fiona''s eyes.


    ¡°...Why are you staring at me!?¡± implored the dark elf as she involuntarily slumped against the bed''s headboard ¡°What are you gonna do to me!?¡±


    ¡°...Well, considering you look like you''re about to fall over.¡± muttered Anton as he tightened his eyes in concern ¡°I''m probably going to send you straight to bed...¡±


    ¡°...Uh, wha?¡± questioned Fiona as she blinked in suspicion ¡°You''re gonna, what!?¡±


    ¡°Wait!?¡± cried Kianna as she straightened herself up to look into his eyes ¡°You''re not mad at us!?¡±


    Anton gazed at her frantic appearance for a second before reaching up to her face and softly shifting her bangs to the side.


    ¡°...No. You two had been pushed to your limits and weren''t in a stable frame of mind when you attacked me.¡± he explained as he gave her a reassuring smile ¡°It''s completely understandable that you''d be angry with me after everything that I had just put you through, and responding in the way that you did wasn''t a surprise. In fact, I was actually expecting that exact reaction. And that''s why I had to take some of the precautions that I did.¡±


    ¡°...So, you knew we were gonna go crazy like that?¡± questioned Kianna as she cocked one of her ears in a curious manner ¡°And then try to kill you?¡±


    ¡°Well, I was really hoping that you wouldn''t do that!¡± chuckled Anton as he ran his hand down the back of her head ¡°But yes, I figured that more than likely, that was what you were going to try to do. And again, that''s why I was prepared for that outcome.¡±


    ¡°...Oh, okay!¡± exclaimed Kianna as her eyes brightened ¡°So then we''re not in trouble then!?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± said Anton as he shook his head ¡°You did lose control, but like I said, I understand why. So no, you''re not going to be punished for it anymore than you already have been.¡±


    The dark elves both breathed a sigh of relief as they glanced at each other and let their ears rise back up from behind their heads.


    ¡°That being said...¡± stated Anton as he narrowed his eyes and looked back forth between them ¡°I know you two are smart enough to know this already, but I''m going to say it out loud nonetheless. If either one of you makes the mistake of ever trying that nonsense on me again. I can promise that you will not find me to be as understanding or as forgiving to you as I was this time.¡±


    Their eyes going wide, the dark elves immediately hid their ears away again as they absorbed the implied threat.


    ¡°Are we clear on this?¡± asked Anton as his eyes lingered on Fiona.


    Swallowing nervously, the dark elf stayed silent as she frantically nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Good, very good.¡± said Anton as he let his shoulders slump in an effort to release the tension in them ¡°Now, are you two still burning? Or are you starting to feel better yet?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I feel much better already!¡± sighed Kianna as she tightened her arms around his neck and let the rest of herself go limp and lay against him ¡°My Master saved me! He''s such a Hero!¡±


    ¡°Ah! Well! I don''t know about that!¡± chuckled Anton as Kianna nuzzled her face into the side of his chin and began to lightly kiss him up and down his jawline ¡°After all, I am the one who caused this whole mess in the first place!¡±


    ¡°No, that was, Fiona.¡± stated Kianna matter-of-factually between kisses ¡°You were just, trying to help. It''s not your fault, we got pissed, and went stupid!¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± smiled Anton as he tightened his arm around her waist ¡°Anyways. How are you feeling, Fiona? Can you move without pain now?¡±


    Fiona blinked and looked down at the bed as she shifted her arms back and forth.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± she mumbled ¡°I''m good, I think...¡±


    ¡°Hm, that''s good.¡± nodded Anton ¡°And what about your power? Is it back? Can you feel it again?¡±


    The dark elf was still for a moment as she concentrated on her hands and tried to focus her aura.


    ¡°...Yes!¡± she exclaimed as her face became marred with a pained happiness ¡°It''s back! It''s back!¡±


    ¡°Oh good! That was the problem then. Take it easy now, okay!¡± commanded Anton ¡°That borrowed mana isn''t the same as your own and you might burn it up immediately. You''re going to need to let your own mana regenerate itself before you try anything else. And since this is the first time you''ve ever drained your mana completely, it may take a awhile for it to be fully restored. So I don''t want either one of you to even try anything for at least a day or two.¡±


    ¡°What!? Seriously!?¡± cried Fiona ¡°We have to wait a whole day!?¡±


    ¡°Yes, at least.¡± said Anton in a stern tone ¡°Just trust me on this Fiona. If you give yourself a chance to recover fully then you''ll be stronger for it.¡±


    ¡°I''ll be stronger!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards ¡°How!?¡±


    ¡°Well for one, you should have more mana available to you.¡± explained Anton ¡°You need to think of your mana pool as a muscle that you''ve never used before. Right now its tiny. And likely the same size it was when you were a child. In fact we can be pretty sure that this is the case since you just burned through your entire mana pool, and you barely even did anything beyond killing all the lights around you. Going back to the muscle analogy, as your mana pool recovers it''ll grow in size. Giving you more mana to work with and thus making you stronger. Unfortunately, since this is likely the first time that you''ve ever used any significant amount of your mana, your system isn''t going to be very good at recovering it right now, as it''s never had to before. You will get better at regenerating your mana as you use it more, but at the moment recovering from such a massive drain will be a pretty taxing ordeal, and it''s best to give yourself some time to rest, relax and let this happen slowly.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense...¡± cooed Kianna as she laid her head down on his shoulder and sighed deeply ¡°I could really go for some relaxation right about now...¡±


    ¡°I can tell!¡± smiled Anton as he reached down and gave her thigh a gentle squeeze ¡°How are your muscles feeling? Any tenderness?¡±


    ¡°Mm, yeah. Kinda...¡± mumbled Kianna as she rolled her head to the side and looked down at his still squeezing hand ¡°More stiff than anything... That feels pretty good though...¡±


    ¡°Oh, my poor little dark elf...¡± rumbled Anton as he continued to massage her thigh ¡°She''s so stiff!¡±


    ¡°I am!¡± whined Kianna as she pressed herself into his chest and hid her face in the crook of his neck.


    ¡°Argh!¡± groaned Fiona as she slumped back against the bed''s headboard and gave her sister an annoyed glare ¡°This has been such a long fucking day!¡±


    ¡°It really has been!¡± laughed Anton with a sigh ¡°And I think we''re about ready to call it done... and let you two get to bed...¡±


    ¡°Nah! I don''t want to go to bed!¡± stated Kianna as she pulled her legs in and curled herself up ¡°I''m fine right here...¡±


    Anton laughed again as he gave her a playfully tight hug.


    ¡°Oh are you?¡± he chuckled as he loosened his hold ¡°Am I your new favorite chair now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are!¡± chirped Kianna as she nuzzled her face back into the side of his neck ¡°...Seriously though, I''m really not sleepy. I''m kinda wired! But, also exhausted... If that makes any sense?¡±


    ¡°It does not. At all.¡± teased Anton as he walked his fingers up the length of her thigh before sliding his hand beneath her and giving her bottom a squeeze through her thin panties ¡°My suddenly, very spirited little dark elf!¡±


    Kianna began to make giddy little noises in the back of her throat as she lifted her head and frantically pressed her lips into his.


    ¡°...Ugh, kill me!¡± grumbled Fiona as she looked away from the kissing couple.


    ¡°Ah! You know what sounds really good!¡± breathed Kianna as she pulled away from their kiss and pressed her forehead into Anton''s while licking her lips ¡°We should take a bath! A really hot bath!¡±


    ¡°Oh! That actually does sound good right now!¡± declared Fiona as she rolled her head back onto the headboard behind her and let her arms lay limp at her sides ¡°Yeah, I''m down for that.¡±


    ¡°Hm... that''s not a bad idea...¡± grinned Anton as he gazed into Kianna''s eyes ¡°That might loosen up some of this stiffness that''s bothering you.¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± smiled Kianna as she gave him another quick kiss on the lips ¡°Okay! Let''s go! But you have to carry me all the way there.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really now?¡± laughed Anton in a playful tone as Kianna tightened her arms around his neck and positioned herself to be picked up ¡°I have to carry you, huh? Now why in the world should I have to do that!?¡±


    ¡°Because! I''m really stiff!¡± whined Kianna as she squirmed against him ¡°...And cause I want you to.¡±


    ¡°Oh! I see!¡± laughed Anton as he gave her bottom another squeeze ¡°And I''m guessing you think that those are both good enough reasons!?¡±


    ¡°Yes...¡± breathed Kianna as she returned his smile with her own ¡°You''re my Master, so you have to take care of me, remember!?¡±


    ¡°Mm hm... Take care of you, huh?¡± hummed Anton as he nodded slowly ¡°Well, I think you just want to be spoiled a little bit, don''t you?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± whined Kianna as she laid her ears back submissively and began to pout ¡°...Or, okay, yeah! Maybe a little bit.¡±


    Anton laughed as he slipped his arm under her legs and cradled her up against his chest.


    ¡°Oh, just a little bit, huh?¡± he teased as he lifted her while rising back up onto his knees ¡°Well, why not! My poor little dark elf has has been though such a long and horrible day. I guess it''s only right that I spoil her a little bit.¡±


    ¡°Yes, exactly...¡± cooed Kianna as she laid her head back down on his shoulder and sighed happily.


    Anton chuckled again as he began to make his way off the bed. Shifting back and forth on his knees, he moved backwards until his legs dropped off the edge of the bed and he was able to stand up.


    ¡°And what about you?¡± he asked as he turned to Fiona ¡°I can always come back and carry you as well, if you''re wanting to be spoiled a little bit too?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no!¡± declared Fiona as she began to tentatively crawl to the edge of the bed ¡°I can walk just fine, so I''m good!¡±


    ¡°Suit yourself.¡± shrugged Anton as he hoisted Kianna up in his arms and started towards the dungeons door ¡°Let me know if you change your mind though.¡±


    Fiona grimaced and winced as she slowly and stiffly followed him. She glared up at her smug looking sister who smiled back and blew her a kiss as she let her head laze about on Anton''s shoulder.


    ¡°Stupid slut...¡± mumbled Fiona under her breath as she struggled to keep up with them as they all made their way up the stairs.


    ¡°Ah, c''mon!¡± cried Kianna as she tugged on Anton''s arm ¡°This isn''t fair! I wanna take a bath with you too!¡±


    ¡°I know, and I''m sorry, Kianna...¡± soothed Anton as he shook his head ¡°But I don''t think that''s something that your sister would be very comfortable with...¡±


    The two now naked dark elves were once again in the large jacuzzi tub in the master bathroom. Kianna turned to glare at her sister who sat with her back against the sidewall on the opposite side of the tub from herself and Anton.


    ¡°Why is everything always about her!?¡± growled Kianna as she pointed her ears straight back behind her head ¡°What about me, and what I want!? This isn''t fair!¡±


    As Anton watched the dark elf, her features began to darken while her eyes started to glow with an ominous red light.


    ¡°Unfortunately. Compromises will always be a part of life, Kianna.¡± he stated in a soft tone as he bent down and laid his hand atop her head ¡°But that''s no excuse for you to loose control of yourself.¡±


    Kianna turned to look up at him and lowered her ears as her eyes lost their glow and became sorrowful. She went to speak but was stopped short as Fiona spoke first.


    ¡°It''s fine! I don''t care!¡± declared Fiona as she scrunched up her face and looked off to the side ¡°It''s not like you''ve got anything down there that I haven''t seen already! ...So, I don''t care what you do!¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± mused Anton as he raised an eyebrow and stared at the clearly uncomfortable looking dark elf ¡°...hm? Would it be easier for you if I left my underwear on?¡±


    Kianna looked from her sister to Anton and back as Fiona''s face became thoughtful.


    ¡°...Yeah, actually that would be better.¡± mumbled Fiona as she glanced at her sister and gave her an apologetic look ¡°...Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You''re welcome.¡± said Anton as a thin grin took form on his face ¡°And thank you for compromising.¡±


    Standing back up straight, Anton quickly stripped off his shirt and shorts. Clad in nothing but his black colored boxers, he stepped into the warm water and sighed in contentment as he lowered himself down and settled in against the tub''s sidewall.


    ¡°And you talk about spoiling me!¡± griped Kianna as she sidled up next to him on her hands and knees and pouted ¡°When she always gets what she wants!¡±


    Anton smirked at the fuming dark elf for a moment before reaching out to plant his right hand at the back of her head and, without a word, pulled her in to meet her lips with his own.


    Rather than resist in any way, Kianna instead crawled up onto his chest as she frantically pressed herself into their kiss. Groaning softly as his tongue slid into her mouth and ran itself along her teeth, she returned his gesture with her own and probed him deeply as she savored the taste of him. Anton kept his right hand firmly planted on the back of her head as he wrapped his left arm around her waist and held her against him. Kianna raised her bottom up high enough to lift her leg over both of his so as to straddle him. Settling herself down on his boxer covered crotch, she gripped his shoulders tightly as they continued their fevered kissing.


    After only a few moments of this, Kianna began to giggle in her throat as she felt something begin to stiffen beneath her. Although Anton was being held back by his boxers, she could still clearly feel it as his manhood hardened enough to rise up and slide itself in between her butt cheeks. Shifting her bottom back and forth in order to tease him, she began to giggle again as he immediately started to growl hungrily in acknowledgment.


    With her jaw clenched in irritation, Fiona watched out of the corner of her eye. Although she couldn''t help but to harbor a ping of jealousy towards Anton, she was also a little surprised to find yourself feeling a sense of elation for her sister. She didn''t fully recognized why this would be the case until she gave it some actual thought and realized that she was in truth, happy for her. Kianna was clearly enjoying herself in a way that she had never been able to before. Try as she might, she had never been able to find anyone who could look past what she was in the way that Anton apparently could. And although she, herself, still maintained a strong level of hatred towards him for all that he had done to her, she had to concede that Anton did seem to treat Kianna pretty well. He teased her constantly, but this was clearly playful in its nature and even she had to admit that he did seem to show a level of legitimate care for her. There was no telling how long this would last though, and she still had no trust in him. But considering how easy it would be for him to take advantage of Kianna, or even the both of them, she had to admit that it was pretty telling when he didn''t.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.With her face softening, Fiona closed her eyes and turned away from them. With a quiet sigh she laid her head back on the tub''s edge and did her best to ignore what was happening around her as she instead focused on trying to enjoy the warmth of the water as it eased the soreness out of her body.


    Several minutes later Anton gasped softly as he and Kianna separated themselves so as to catch their breaths.


    ¡°Well, looks like, you''ve already lost, a lot of your stiffness!¡± he breathed as he smiled at the bright eyed dark elf.


    Kianna smiled back broadly as she took one deep breath after another.


    ¡°Yeah! And it, looks like, you found-¡± she started before being stopped short as a loud, hungry sounding growl roared out from deep within her middle.


    Anton couldn''t help but to laugh as Kianna''s face instantly became marred with embarrassment.


    ¡°Aw! Looks like somebodies starving!¡± he teased as he reached in between them and gave Kianna''s belly a playful poke.


    The dark elf blushed and ducked her head down as she hid her face in the crook of his neck.


    ¡°Don''t!¡± she whined as she flattened her ears and pushed his hand away from her stomach ¡°Quit it!¡±


    Anton continued to chuckle as he let her take hold of his hand and ¡°toss¡± it away. Reaching back behind her he grabbed a full handful of her butt cheek and gave her a playful squeeze.


    ¡°My poor little dark elf!¡± he sang as he preceded to massage her bottom ¡°She''s so hungry!¡±


    ¡°You''re so mean!¡± whimpered Kianna as she squirmed against him and wrapped her arms back around his neck.


    ¡°Aw, I''m sorry.¡± smiled Anton as he lifted his hand away from her bottom and ran it up and down her back in an effort to comfort her ¡°Tell you what! Why don''t I order us some pizza, hm? How does that sound?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± cried Kianna as she lifted her head up and met his eyes ¡°We''re supposed to make macaroni!¡±


    Anton blinked in surprise at her level of panic before grinning softly.


    ¡°The point of making macaroni is so that you can learn how to make it...¡± he stated as he reached up to her face and tucked a strand of her hair back behind her twitching ear ¡°Do you really feel like you''re in any condition to be learning a new skill set right now?¡±


    ¡°...Yes.¡± claimed Kianna as her face hardened in obvious determination.


    Seeing the growing cloud of exhaustion in the back of Kianna''s eyes, Anton''s grin grew broader as he narrowed his own eyes at her.


    ¡°Tell you what...¡± he soothed as he smiled fully and began to slowly run his fingers through her damp hair ¡°I know you''re getting tired, and you''ve only got so much left in you before you''ll be done for the night... So, I''ll let you choose which one you really want to do. I''m only going to let you pick one though...¡±


    ¡°...Okay?¡± questioned Kianna as she narrowed her eyes in suspicion ¡°What are my choices?¡±


    ¡°We can make macaroni and cheese right now, and then after we eat, we can all go to our rooms and rest...¡± said Anton as his eyes became playful ¡°Or! I can order us some pizza, we can eat... And then you can sleep with me in my bed tonight...¡±


    Kianna''s eyes went wide before narrowing again.


    ¡°Just sleep!?¡± she demanded to know as she pointed her ears straight back.


    Smiling, Anton slowly shook his head as he stared into her eyes.


    Kianna went still as she stared right back at him.


    ¡°...We can''t just do both!?¡± she whined after a moment of thought.


    Still smiling, Anton continued to shake his head.


    ¡°One or the other...¡± he said as his face softened ¡°You''ve been through enough today, Kianna. I don''t want you to push yourself too far...¡±


    ¡°But I feel fine! Seriously!¡± exclaimed Kianna ¡°You healed me, and now I''m good!¡±


    ¡°I didn''t actually ¡°heal¡± you though.¡± said Anton as he shook his head ¡°All I did was give you some mana. And really, I didn''t even give you very much. It was just enough to ease the pain of being drained. I understand that you''re feeling energized from it, but that effect isn''t going to last for long. You will hit a wall, and soon. And when this happens, you need to let it happen. You need rest Kianna! Both of you do!¡±


    Her turmoil clear on her face, Kianna tightened her eyes and bit her lower lip as she dropped her gaze.


    ¡°...We''ll be taking the whole day off tomorrow.¡± offered Anton as he ran his hand down her back ¡°So we''ll have all that time to make macaroni and cheese...¡±


    Kianna said nothing as she brought her eyes back up to his.


    ¡°And I promise you...¡± soothed Anton as he brought his hand back up and began to rub her shoulder ¡°We will make it!¡±


    Kianna''s large ruby-colored eyes began to shimmer as they went misty. Blinking, she said nothing as she lowered her ears and laid her head back down on his shoulder.


    ¡°You''re so mean...¡± she whined as she went limp against him.


    ¡°I know...¡± said Anton as he gave her a gentle squeeze with the arm he still had wrapped around her waist ¡°And I''m sorry...¡±


    ¡°...I like olives on my pizza.¡± whispered Kianna as she tightened her arms around his neck.


    Chuckling, Anton nodded his head as he continued to massage her shoulder.


    ¡°Just olives?¡± he asked as he glanced to his side and looked at the back of her head.


    Kianna was still for a moment before she spoke.


    ¡°...And pepperoni ...and mushrooms.¡± she mumbled quietly ¡°And Fiona likes olives too... but with green peppers... and onions...¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± whispered Anton with a nod ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°...No.¡± mumbled Kianna in an almost sleepy tone ¡°...We get our own though, right? Cause I don''t like green peppers!¡±


    Anton chuckled as he nodded his head.


    ¡°Yes, we''ll each get our own.¡± he assured her as his massaging hand moved from her shoulder to the back of her neck just below her collar ¡°Do you think you need a large or just a medium?¡±


    ¡°...No, medium is good for me.¡± sighed Kianna as she stretched her neck to the side to give him more room to work.


    ¡°Okay.¡± nodded Anton as he turned to Fiona ¡°You good with a medium olive, green pepper and onion pizza, Fiona?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± mumbled the dark elf as her ear twitched in acknowledgment ¡°That''s perfect.¡±


    ¡°...Say, ¡°thank you¡±! You stupid bitch!¡± grumbled Kianna after a moment of silence.


    Anton chuckled as Fiona let out a loud irritated sigh.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± she stated while shaking her head.


    ¡°...Master, you should really hang her upside down again.¡± complained Kianna as her ears pointed themselves straight back ¡°And then just leave her up there forever...¡±


    Anton chuckled again and tilted his head to the side so as to avoid Kianna''s twitching ears.


    ¡°Fuck you, Kianna...¡± mumbled Fiona with another heavy sigh.


    For some time the three soaking bodies remained silent as they simply enjoyed the soothing bath. As time went on Anton would occasionally need to reheat the water. After reheating it for the third time Kianna''s stomach began to growl again and this prompted Anton to fish his phone out of his shorts pocket and order in their pizzas. A few minutes after the pizzas had been ordered he and the two grumbling dark elves donned fresh underwear and bathrobes before making their way downstairs.


    ¡°Dinner is served!¡± announced Anton as he made his way back into the kitchen from the front of the house.


    After setting the delivered pizzas on the table he took his seat.


    Fiona quickly grabbed the two smaller pizza boxes and after checking to see which was which she handed one to her sister. Both of the dark elves proved to be far more hungry than they had let on as they immediately began to ravage their hapless pizzas.


    ¡°So, what''s next?¡± asked Fiona as she tossed a crust back into the box and picked up another slice ¡°I get we''re taking tomorrow off. But what about after that?¡±


    ¡°Well, we''ll obviously have to start out with some basics, but I think we''ll be able to get passed all that fairly easily.¡± explained Anton as he wiped at the corner of his mouth with a napkin ¡°I don''t know how much you two even know about the fundamentals of magic, and how it works, so we''ll just go over all of that before we do anything physical.¡±


    ¡°...If it''s just gonna be talking then can''t we just do it right now!? Or tomorrow!?¡± demanded Fiona.


    Anton gave her a tired look before turning back to his pizza.


    ¡°No. We are not doing anything at all tomorrow.¡± he mumbled as he took a moment to choose his next slice ¡°I understand that you''re excited, but taking tomorrow off is necessary to give you two more time to not only recover, but for your mana pools to grow. I know you don''t realize it, Fiona, since you have no way of knowing any better. But you have very little mana right now. And I mean very little! You both became spent almost instantly today, and that''s not something that you want to do regularly, if ever again.¡±


    ¡°No, it''s not!¡± mumbled Kianna as she watched him pick up a slice of his large ¡°Meat Eaters Special¡± and take a bite.


    ¡°...Once you two are back to a hundred percent, we''ll start practicing with your auramancy and then actual manifestations.¡± said Anton as he eyed the slice of pizza in his hands and chose where his next bite would be ¡°We''ll still take things slow, but I don''t think it''ll take too long for either of you two to get the hang... of things...¡±


    As he spoke, Anton took note that the two dark elves had both gone quiet and slowed their chewing down to almost nothing as, despite having their own only partially eaten pizzas sitting right in front of themselves, they had both become completely fixated on his. With their ears pointed straight upwards and their large eyes staring intently at the pizza sitting across the table from them, it was easy enough to see what their minds were currently focused on.


    ¡°...The fundamentals!¡± declared Anton loudly as a moment of silence began to drag on ¡°That''s what we''ll be learning next!¡±


    Kianna and Fiona both jumped in unison as their eyes shot upwards and became locked to Anton''s.


    Chuckling at their surprised expressions, Anton sighed in mock annoyance and slid his pizza box across the table until it was within reach of the two dark elves.


    Their surprise melting away instantly, both Kianna and Fiona immediately reached for the offered pizza and took the two largest slices for themselves.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± they both exclaimed automatically as they began to devour the gifted slices.


    ¡°Mm hm, anytime.¡± mumbled Anton as he smiled and shook his head.


    ¡°So, fundamentals!¡± declared Fiona as she finished swallowing a mouthful of food ¡°...That sounds good! ...I guess.¡±


    Raising her arm, Fiona opened her hand in front of her face and stared intently at her palm.


    ¡°I''d rather get straight to the real shit but whatever...¡± she mumbled as she tried to focus a bit of her mana into her hand ¡°One step at a time...¡±


    ¡°Stop that!¡± said Anton as he gave her a pointed look ¡°You''re going to burn through whatever mana you''ve already recovered, and we''re at the table!¡±


    ¡°...It''s just a little stretching.¡± mumbled Fiona as she released her mana.


    ¡°Mm hm.¡± hummed Anton ¡°Control yourself Fiona. Again, I understand you''re excited, but you''re going to end up setting yourself back if you keep doing that!¡±


    The dark elf pointed her ears straight back as her face took on an annoyed expression. Anton narrowed his eyes at her as she began to absently pick the larger chunks of ham off of the slice of pizza he had given her and discard them by dropping them into her own pizza''s box.


    ¡°Hey, let me have those!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she reached over and gathered the chucks of ham out of the box.


    Fiona turned to her and without a word, commenced to dropping the last of her ham chucks directly onto her sister''s pizza.


    Noticing that he was watching them, Kianna smiled sheepishly and slid her pizza box towards Anton as an obvious invitation to take a slice.


    Making a mental note that dark elves apparently had no issues with sharing their food, or at least these two didn''t, Anton smiled back at her as he took a slice and raised it in salute before setting it in his own pizza box to be eaten next.


    Once they had all finished with their dinner Fiona bid Anton and her sister goodnight and, after grudgingly agreeing not to try to use any of her abilities, made her way off to her room to rest for the night.


    After placing the leftover pizza in the refrigerator, Anton turned around to find Kianna standing right behind him with her hands clasped together behind her back.


    Biting her lower lip, the dark elf had a playful and expectant expression in her eyes as she swayed back and forth and twitched her ears up and down.


    Chuckling, Anton nodded towards the direction of the stairs before leading the way out of the kitchen. As they both climbed the stairs on their way to the master bedroom, Anton''s expression softened as he noticed that despite her obvious excitement, Kianna was still moving very stiffly and was clearly having a difficult time keeping up with him.


    Once they reached the bedroom, Kianna quickly disrobed herself and clamored up onto the bed before turning around to face Anton. Now naked, save for her collar, and resting on her folded legs with her hands clasped together in front of her, she mashed her breasts together between her straightened arms as she smiled expectantly up at him. As her excitement reached it''s zenith, her eyes began to glow faintly in the dim light of the room.


    Anton grinned as he stepped up to the edge of the bed and beckoned her over to him. Shuffling forward on her hands and knees, Kianna stopped right in front of him and lowered her ears as she pointed their tips back and away from her head. Taking her chin in his hand, Anton leaned forward and guided her upwards until their lips met in midair. Sitting up on her knees now, Kianna began to whimper softly as Anton gave her one quick but sensual kiss after another. Raising her arms upwards and wrapping them around his neck, she fought to press herself into his lips for a deeper kiss. A low chuckle rumbled out of Anton''s chest as he met her gesture with his own. Bringing his own arms together behind her back, he lifted her upwards and held her against him as he kissed her deeply and savored her sweet taste.


    As Anton broke away from their kiss he leaned his head back and smiled down at the dark elf as she took one labored breath after another. His smiled waned a bit as he watched the cloud of exhaustion in her eyes begin to grow and deepen.


    ¡°...What?¡± questioned Kianna as she registered his concern ¡°What''s wrong!?¡±


    ¡°...Nothings wrong.¡± whispered Anton as he raised his hand and ran his fingers in a line down the back of her head and through her hair ¡°...I have an idea though.¡±


    ¡°Huh? An idea?¡± repeated Kianna as her ears twitched in a questioning manner ¡°What kind of idea?¡±


    ¡°Oh, a good one.¡± grinned Anton as he leaned in and gave her another quick kiss ¡°One that I think you''ll like.¡±


    Kianna giggled softly as she tried to follow his lips upward.


    ¡°Okay, that sounds good!¡± she said as she fell back ¡°What are we going to do?¡±


    ¡°Well, first!¡± said Anton as he shifted her to the side ¡°You, need to lay down.¡±


    Kianna grinned demurely and kept her ears folded back as she let herself be lowered down onto the bed. Anton maneuvered her gently until she was laying on her stomach just a few inches in from the edge of the bed.


    ¡°Okay, now you wait right here for a second.¡± said Anton as he stepped back from her and turned to the bathroom ¡°And don''t move.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master...¡± purred Kianna around a smile as she rested her head down on her folded arms and watched him disappear down the short hallway that led to the bathroom.


    After only a brief moment, Anton returned with what appeared to be a bottle of lotion.


    ¡°Oh! Are you going to give me a massage!¡± cried Kianna as her ears perked up in excitement.


    ¡°I am.¡± smiled Anton as he set the bottle down on the nightstand and began to slip off his robe ¡°I think you could probably use one. Though this may be a little different than any normal massage you''ve ever had.¡±


    ¡°I''ve never had one before.¡± said Kianna as she watched him toss his robe onto the foot of the bed ¡°This will be my first one!¡±


    ¡°Well, I''ll try to make this a good one then.¡± smiled Anton as he picked up the bottle of lotion and applied a healthy dollop into his palm ¡°...I prefer to use oils for deeper massages like this, but I don''t want to leave you all oiled up before bed.¡±


    ¡°I don''t mind!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she shifted her shoulders back and forth in excitement.


    ¡°I do!¡± laughed Anton as he rubbed the lotion into his palms and coated his hands ¡°It''ll be my sheets you''ll be sleeping in, and getting all greasy!¡±


    ¡°Oh, right...¡± said Kianna as her nose picked up on the scent of lavender that was quickly filling the room ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Mm hm, now, no more talking...¡± said Anton as he stepped up to the bed right next to Kianna ¡°Just relax...¡±


    Kianna couldn''t help but to tense up as she felt the entire bed begin to rise upwards.


    ¡°Wha, what''s happening!?¡± she cried as she lifted her head and frantically looked around.


    ¡°What did I just say?¡± chuckled Anton as the bed and Kianna rose up about a foot from where they had first started from ¡°I know you heard me!¡±


    Anton smiled as the confused dark elf blinked up at him. Though she had no way of knowing this, just below her field of view a large circle of orange, glowing light-matter had taken form beneath the bed, and this was what was causing it to rise as it swelled in size and lifted it upwards. This circle grew out from a thin line that led to Anton''s barefoot and both it''s size and shape was being controlled by him.


    ¡°Just relax...¡± soothed Anton as he used the back of his hand to move Kianna''s hair to the side and off of her shoulders ¡°And don''t move...¡±


    Kianna twitched her ears nervously as she laid her head back down on her folded arms. Her eyes went wide as she watched a faint glow take form around Anton''s hands.


    ¡°Just relax...¡± soothed Anton again as he let his hands come to rest across Kianna''s shoulders ¡°Just breathe...¡±


    Kianna gasped softly as Anton gripped her shoulders and gently pressed inwards with his thumbs at the base of her neck, and just below her collar.


    Working from the center outwards, Anton used both his thumbs and the three middle fingers of his hands to slowly and meticulously massage the knots of tension out of Kianna''s shoulders. He grinned broadly as he watched the dark elf instantly begin to seemingly melt beneath his efforts. Once he felt satisfied with the looseness in her shoulders, he applied more lotion to his hands and slowly made his way down her back and sides.


    For her part, Kianna did her best to continue breathing and remain conscious as the combination of Anton''s fingers and the soft warmth from the stream of mana that lightly flowed out from his hands and permeated itself deep into her body, caused her to fall into a state of relaxation that she had never reached before. Nearly sedated, the dark elf couldn''t help but to let herself go completely limp against the bed that she was laying on. With her eyes now glazed over and her ears hanging listlessly from the sides of her head, the only signs of life that came from her were the faint moans that echoed their way out of her open mouth as it hung slack and drooling.


    Anton''s grin grew into a wide smile as Kianna''s moans immediately increased in their pitch as soon as his hands made it across the expanse of her waist and reached her bottom. Deciding to enjoy himself a little, he added another dollop of lotion to his hands and took his time as he both explored and massaged away at her round rump for far longer than he would ever need to.


    Being in no condition to resist, complain or demand even more attention out of him, Kianna merely continued to moan softly as each of her butt cheeks were put through one round after another of being playfully squeezed, bounced, molded and even kneaded as though they were dough, all to the tone of Anton''s quiet humming.


    Despite the fact that she was at this point little more than a panting wreck, Kianna still groaned in obvious disappointment whenever Anton finally moved on to her thighs.


    Chuckling at her reaction, Anton gave her bottom one last rough squeeze before fully moving on and focusing on first one of her legs and then the other. Pressing his fingertips in with just enough force to avoid being painful but still reach her deepest muscles, he massaged each of her thighs and calves until they were as loose as the rest of her body had now become.


    ¡°I think I''m ready to get started on the other side now.¡± whispered Anton as he leaned over Kianna''s head and gently rubbed her shoulder ¡°Are you ready to roll over?¡±


    ¡°Eh!?¡± moaned the dark elf as she raised one of her ears and then let it flop back down against the side of her head.


    Laughing softly, Anton slid his hands under her arms and gripped her around the torso.


    ¡°Here, let me help you...¡± he said as he gently lifted her upwards and, pulling her closer to himself, rolled her over onto her back.


    Kianna did absolutely nothing but blink and moan softly as she found herself being carefully flipped around and then left laying face up on her back.


    Maneuvering her limp body like a doll, Anton took Kianna''s arms down from where they were still folded in a heap over her head and, after straightening them out, positioned them along her sides.


    ¡°...Hey there!¡± he smiled as he again applied another helping of lotion to his hands ¡°Feeling good?¡±


    Kianna said nothing as she gazed up at him from her place on the bed. Though she was still awake, her eyes had become so dreary looking that she seemed to be nearly comatose.


    Chuckling to himself, Anton shook his head and began to work on first one of her arms and then the other before moving on to her chest and shoulders.


    A deep, nearly excited sounding moan echoed it way out of Kianna''s open mouth as Anton''s hands finally encircled her breasts and began to gently massage them.


    With a stifled laugh rumbling out from his chest, Anton smiled as he watched Kianna''s eyes glaze over and the corners of her mouth curl themselves upwards into a slight smile. Taking his time as he again set out to enjoy himself, Anton kneaded a soft globe of feminine flesh in each hand and, using her faint and almost pained sounding moans as a guide, kept Kianna at a leveled state of arousal through both his efforts against her breasts and by giving her engorged, hardened nipples fractured bits of teasing attention.


    Once he was satisfied with his work and ready to move onward, Anton let his hands slowly travel down along Kianna''s sides as he used his swirling thumbs to massage the muscles of her flat stomach. He chuckled again as Kianna suddenly groaned in frustration and attempted to thrust her chest upwards in a clearly desperate effort to draw his attention back to her breasts.


    ¡°Aw, such a spoiled little thing!¡± teased Anton as the dark elf huffed in indignity and collapsed back in on herself in defeat.


    Kianna began to moan softly again as his hands reached her hips and made a gentle path over her pubic mound while on their way to her thighs. She continued to moan and sigh quietly as the muscles in each of her legs were each given another round of attention.


    When he was finished, Anton picked up his bathrobe and used it to wipe away the last of the lotion residue from his hands. With that out of the way he turned back to the still prone Kianna and chuckling to himself began to run his fingers through her hair.


    ¡°So...?¡± he breathed as he bent over the dark elf and looked down into her eyes ¡°Did you like that?¡±


    Kianna merely stared up at him for a moment before her face scrunched up in misery.


    ¡°...I really, ...I really wanna kiss you!¡± she whimpered as she made an effort to lift her arms ¡°...But I can''t move!¡±


    Anton began to laugh as he planted his left hand against the top of her head and playfully ruffled her hair.


    ¡°Oh really!?¡± he exclaimed as his smile broadened and became sinister ¡°Is that right!?¡±


    Kianna''s eyes went wide and then became pleading as she began to whimper in earnest while Anton slowly slid the very tip of the middle finger on his right hand in between her breasts and then down across her torso. While moving across her middle he stopped and teasingly circled her belly button several times before continuing on and over the rise of her pubic mound.


    ¡°My poor little dark elf...¡± smiled Anton as his fingers found their mark ¡°She can''t even move... the poor little thing...¡±


    Tilting her head up just barely enough to look down at what was being done to her, Kianna whined in misery and again tried to lift her arms as Anton teasingly rubbed his fingertip over her hidden clitoris.


    ¡°Tell me what you want, Kianna...¡± smiled Anton as he watched her squirm beneath him ¡°And I might just give it to you...¡±


    Blinking, Kianna looked back up at him as she let her head fall back against the bed.


    ¡°You!¡± she breathed through her clenched teeth as her ears folded themselves back behind her head ¡°Please!¡±


    Anton froze in his motions as he registered the desperation in her eyes. He was still for only a moment before he brought his right hand back up from where he had been teasing her and sliding both his hands first behind her back and then behind her head, he lifted her upwards and brought their lips together.


    Kianna whimpered gleefully into their kiss as she used his arms as leverage to slid her own arms up and around his neck. Holding on to him with all the strength she could muster out of her tenderized muscles, the determined dark elf did her best to press herself back into their kiss.


    Still holding her in his arms, Anton broke away to let Kianna catch her breath and looking down at her was surprised to find that her irises had once again begun to sparkle.


    Blinking slowly, Kianna seemed to have no idea that the dancing lights had returned to her eyes as she fought to recover her breath as quickly as possible.


    Mesmerized by the sight, Anton remained still and stared at her for a moment before suddenly surging into motion. Holding Kianna up against his chest with his right arm, he let the bed slowly fall back into place on the floor and, using his free hand as a third limb along with his knees, he quickly clamber onto the bed.


    Gently dragging Kianna along with him, Anton shuffled them both forward until he could lay her head down among the pillows.


    ¡°Yes!¡± breathed Kianna as Anton twisted to the side and reached back to push his boxers down enough to shimmy out of them completely ¡°Hurry! Hurry!¡±


    Laughing through a smile at her enthusiasm, Anton turned back to her as the dark elf eagerly spread her legs for him.


    Lifting her head upwards and finding Anton''s lips with her own, Kianna kissed him deeply and whimpered in excitement as she felt him plant the head of his quickly hardening member against the entrance of her sex.


    With a deep gruntled groan, Anton carefully slid himself completely inside her and rocking his hips slowly back and forth he commenced to gently make love to his moaning dark elf.

 Chapter 28 : Morning

    Chapter 28 : Morning


    Anton took in a deep breath through his nose as he first scrunched up his eyes and then slowly blinked them open. An unknown something had been faintly flicking itself against the side of his face for some time now, and whatever it was that was doing this had finally reached the point in its activity where it had broken through to his awareness and woken him up.


    Sitting still for a moment so as to fully wake himself up, he stared straight forward and out over the expanse of his pillow as he came to his senses and gathered his wits. As he sat there gazing through the archway that led to his new office area, a quick, cocoa colored blur suddenly appeared in his peripheral vision just a half second before something lightly smacked itself into the lower edge of his cheek.


    Tilting his head just slightly downwards and to the side brought the offending unknown into the clear view of his right eye, and Anton couldn''t help but to grin as he found himself now staring at what appeared to be the very tip of a long, thinly tapered, sharply pointed, and sporadically twitching, elven ear.


    Chuckling quietly in his throat, Anton lightly tightened the arm he had wrapped around the shoulders of the dark elf that was sleeping next to him. And closed his eyes as he enjoyed both the warmth that was coming off of her body as well as the gentle motion caused by the rise and fall of her breathing.


    Having nuzzled her head in under Anton''s chin, Kianna had tucked herself in against his chest and was now sleeping on her stomach with her arms folded around her bosom and with as much of her body touching him as she could manage.


    After a few more minutes of light dozing, Anton took another deep breath, and taking his arm off of her shoulders, started to lift himself up by pulling his other arm out from under the pillow that he and Kianna were currently resting on and, by rising up on his elbow, lifted the light blanket that covered them both up enough to reveal the slumbering beauty hidden beneath it. Gazing down at her, he found himself going still as he watched her sleep.


    Kianna was clearly still in the middle of dreaming, as indicated by the slight but constant movements of her eyes beneath their lids, and her ears, which seemed to be twitching in response to whatever was happening in her dream.


    Torn between the desire to let her sleep and the need for them to start their day, Anton continued to watch her for several minutes before he reached out to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. As he did this, her ear flicked back and forth wildly and the dark elf groaned in irritation as she began to stir.


    Anton grinned as Kianna rolled onto her side and yawned sleepily before blinking up at him. They both stared at each other in silence for a moment before Kianna slumped in on herself and scrunched up her face in anguish as she clamped her eyes shut.


    ¡°...I have to pee.¡± she whined miserably as she wrinkled her nose and flattened her ears back behind her head ¡°...Like, really, really bad.¡±


    Anton couldn''t help but to start laughing loudly as he immediately reached out and wrapped his arm back around her.


    Kianna went stiff for a moment before rolling forward and tucking herself back in against him. Clearly embarrassed, she did her best to hide as she ducked her head back under the blanket and, by squirming back and forth, literally tried to bury herself beneath Anton. When this didn''t work in the way that she wanted, she began to groan in misery and lightly kick at his legs with her own in an effort to make him stop laughing.


    ¡°Quit it!¡± she whined in a muffled tone as she kept her face hidden ¡°Don''t laugh at me!¡±


    ¡°I am so sorry!¡± chuckled Anton as he squeezed her to his chest ¡°But that was just too adorable...¡±


    Feeling the vibrations of his silent laughter still rumbling out of his chest, Kianna continued to softly kick at his legs in protest. When the last of his soft chuckling finally died away, she slid her leg in between his and hooked her ankle behind his calf in an effort to pull him in against her.


    Still holding her tightly, Anton did nothing to impede her as Kianna worked to wrap their legs together. Once he felt her go still, he brought his right hand up and, being careful not to touch her sensitive ears, began to run his fingers down the back of her head and through her hair.


    Kianna was still for a moment before she moved her ears out of the way by folding them down and pointing them out and away from her head. Anton''s grin grew as he watched her slowly shift her head back and forth as she guided his hand down the pathways that she clearly wanted him to take. After a few minutes of this she went still again.


    ¡°...Hey now.¡± soothed Anton with a smile as the faint sounds of sleep began to emanate from where she was hiding her face ¡°It''s time to wake up, you.¡±


    Kianna groaned loudly as her ears tightened themselves back together behind her head.


    ¡°Mm mm!¡± she mumbled in annoyance as she shifted her shoulders back and forth ¡°...No!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± chuckled Anton as he lightly tapped her on the head ¡°C''mon now, it''s time to wake up.¡±


    ¡°Why!?¡± grumbled Kianna as she rolled sideways just enough to pout up at him ¡°We''re taking today off, remember?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but that doesn''t mean we''re going to stay in bed all day.¡± smiled Anton ¡°We still have things to do.¡±


    ¡°...Like what?¡± muttered Kianna as she narrowed her eyes at him.


    ¡°Well, for one.¡± said Anton as he planted his elbow on his pillow and rested his cheek against his closed fist ¡°We do need to make macaroni and cheese today!¡±


    ¡°Ugh, we can do that later!¡± grumbled Kianna as she rolled back onto her stomach and snuggled up next to him ¡°It''s not even lunch time yet...¡±


    ¡°But I''m hungry!¡± teased Anton as he lightly tugged on a lock of her hair.


    ¡°You can wait!¡± complained Kianna as she twitched her ears wildly in an effort to drive his hand away from her head ¡°...Or go eat some pizza. ...It''s still in the fridge.¡±


    Anton chuckled and tried to dart his fingers back in between Kianna''s still twitching ears while she groaned lightly and stretched out her legs.


    ¡°Uh... Uh oh!¡± cried Kianna as she suddenly froze ¡°...I shouldn''t have done that!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± questioned Anton as he stopped his movements as well ¡°What''s wrong?¡±


    ¡°...I really have to pee now!¡± whined Kianna as she rolled away from him and frantically threw the blanket aside as she made her way off the bed.


    Anton laughed as he watched her naked form rush around the bed and make a beeline for the bathroom. Shaking his head in amusement he left the bed at a more leisurely pace and followed after her.


    ¡°Hey!¡± cried Kianna from her place on the toilet ¡°What are you doing!?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± said Anton as he stretched his arms out above his head and made his way to the vanity ¡°I''m going to brush my teeth. Why?¡±


    ¡°...But! I, I''m peeing in here!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she pressed her thighs together.


    ¡°And?¡± laughed Anton as he casually applied toothpaste to his toothbrush ¡°It''s not like I haven''t been in the room while you''ve done that before, Kianna.¡±


    Lowering her ears in embarrassment, Kianna glared as she watched Anton begin to brush his teeth. Seeing that he was essentially going to ignore her, and unable to hold back any longer, she grudgingly continued to relieve herself. When she was finished she rose from the toilet and approached him.


    ¡°You''re gross!¡± she declared as she took a stance right next to him, pointed her ears straight back and planted her balled fists on her hips ¡°And you''re mean!¡±


    Anton nodded absently in agreement as he stared at himself in the mirror and continued to give his teeth a thorough brushing. Making her annoyance clear, Kianna remained still and stood right where she was as he finished and rinsed out his mouth.


    Running his tongue over his newly cleaned teeth, Anton turned to her and immediately gazed down at the collar that encircled her neck. Letting his eyes follow the collar''s pointed tip further downwards, he couldn''t help but to grin as he was greeted with the sight of her full and supple breasts.


    ¡°...Shower?¡± he asked after a moment of silent staring ¡°...I''ll wash your back for you, if you want.¡±


    Kianna stayed still for another moment before narrowing her eyes.


    ¡°Fine!¡± she huffed as she turned away from him, pointed her ears straight upwards and began to march towards the shower ¡°That sounds really good!¡±


    Chuckling softly, Anton nodded his head and locked his eyes onto her swaying bottom as he turned and followed along behind her.


    Kianna''s sour mood quickly disappeared as she stood beneath the downpour of warm water and let it soak into her hair. By letting her mind go blank for a moment, she gave Anton the chance he needed to surprise her by coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her shoulders. Anton couldn''t help but to smile as the startled dark elf almost immediately relaxed and took his hands into her own as she leaned back into him. They stood together this way for some time as they slowly swayed back and forth and enjoyed their time alone beneath their private little rainstorm.


    Shifting them both into a dancing motion, Anton kept hold of Kianna''s hands as he lead them out from under the falling water and over to the little shelf he had stocked with his own shampoos and body wash. Keeping Kianna in front of him, Anton worked around her as he applied a dose of body wash to a large, soft, light-blue colored body sponge. Turning them both around to once again face towards the shower, Anton reached his arm out and held the sponge beneath the falling water while giving it a few squeezes.


    Kianna couldn''t stop herself from smiling softly as Anton lifted her right arm up by the wrist and preceded to gently scrub her limb clean with the now suds covered sponge. Letting herself essentially go limp, the dark elf leaned back into his chest and sighed contently as she watched him work.


    Anton grinned to himself when he noticed that Kianna had begun to quietly hum a soft, almost inaudible tune. Glancing down, he found her watching him with a relaxed, nearly dreary look in her large eyes. Though he had no way of knowing this, she was in all actuality humming along to the gentle rhythm of his heartbeat as it echoed out of his chest and filled her sensitive ears.


    Working slowly and methodically, Anton thoroughly scrubbed away at first one arm and then the other before moving on to Kianna''s shoulders, sides and finally down her front and across her belly.


    Kianna began to lightly giggle in her throat as his hands made their way back upwards and found her breasts. With his own low chuckles rumbling out of his chest, Anton playfully squeezed, pinched at and fondled the soft globes until the dark elf suddenly turned the tables on him.


    Twisting around in his arms until she was face to face with him, Kianna smiled at the sight of Anton''s surprised expression and lowering her ears until their tips were pointed back and away from her head, she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck before stretching herself upwards and kissing him deeply.


    ¡°Hmm!¡± groaned Anton as he tightly squeezed the sponge in his fist and wrapped his arms around the dark elf before pulling her in and crushing her against him. Savoring their kiss, he suddenly leaned back until he was nearly bent over backwards.


    Kianna began to giggle into their kiss and playfully kick her feet as she was lifted up into the air. Breaking away from their kiss, she smiled down at him as Anton held her airborne for a moment before gently setting her back on her feet.


    ¡°I think it''s my turn to do you now!¡± teased Kianna as she loosened her arms from around his neck and began to shift her shoulders back and forth.


    Smiling broadly, Anton laughed through his teeth as Kianna bit her lower lip and slowly rubbed her suds covered breasts across his chest.


    ¡°But I wasn''t done with you yet.¡± he growled in a playful tone as he let his arms fall downwards.


    Kianna gasped in surprise and then smiled as his open hand roughly grabbed hold of her bottom and gave one of her butt cheeks a tight squeeze.


    ¡°Naughty little dark elf! Making it so hard for me to get her clean!¡± teased Anton as he began to run the sponge up and down her back and over her bottom ¡°Such a bad girl!¡±


    Kianna whimpered playfully as she nuzzled their faces together and began to lightly kiss him up and down his jawline as she continued to twist herself back and forth.


    Wrapping his arm around her middle, Anton held the squirming dark elf in a tight embrace as he continued his efforts to scrub her clean.


    Kianna, in turn, did her best to make completing this task as difficult for him as possible. As more suds were applied to her body, the slipperier she became, and the easier it was for her to wiggle her way out of his arms.


    Realizing that trying to hold a soaped up, misbehaving dark elf still with nothing but brute force was in fact a futile effort, Anton instead attempted to negotiate by promising her that if she let him finish, he would let her use the sponge to scrub him for as long as she wanted to.


    Excited by such a prospect, Kianna agreed and became somewhat cooperative as she allowed herself to be thoroughly cleaned. Once Anton was finally finished with her, she gleefully took up the sponge and started her own long odyssey.


    Well over an hour later, a patiently grinning, and heavily wrinkled Anton was finally finished with the deepest and most intimate sponge bath he had ever received.


    Now literally shining with cleanliness, the duo dressed themselves in some casual home wear and made their way downstairs.


    ¡°About time you two showed up!¡± grumbled Fiona as she plopped her book down on the table in front of herself ¡°It''s almost Noon!¡±


    Kianna stopped in the kitchens archway and cocked an eyebrow at her sister.


    ¡°So!?¡± she exclaimed as she folded her arms across her middle ¡°What are you waiting on us for!?¡±


    Fiona blinked and quickly lifted her book back up.


    ¡°I''m not.¡± she stated as she feigned focusing on the pages in front of her ¡°I''m just saying. ...It''s already getting late.¡±


    ¡°...Right, whatever.¡± mumbled Kianna with a shrug.


    ¡°Hey?¡± questioned Anton as he narrowed his eyes at the little pile of ham chunks sitting on the plate in front of Fiona ¡°Are you eating my pizza!?¡±


    ¡°...I, um.¡± stammered Fiona as she kept her eyes staring forward at her book ¡°...Not, all of it.¡±


    ¡°Why you greedy little... You have your own! Why are you eating mine?¡± growled Anton.


    ¡°It''s fine. You''re not going to eat that anyway.¡± declared Kianna as she grabbed hold of her elbow and twisted at the waist while stretching out her arm ¡°I''m gonna make you lunch today! So you don''t need that pizza anymore!¡±


    ¡°...Humph!¡± grumbled Anton as he watched her repeat the process with her other arm ¡°Always there to save your sister...¡±


    Fiona smiled sheepishly as she noticed that Anton had crossed his arms and was once again staring down at her.


    Kianna quickly made her way to the pantry and pulled out two boxes of macaroni and cheese. She then took the boxes and planted them on the counter-top next the sink.


    ¡°Okay!¡± she exclaimed as she looked from the boxes to Anton ¡°So how do I make these!?¡±


    Anton chuckled in his throat as he made his way over to her and picked up one of the boxes.


    ¡°It''s simple.¡± he said as he turned the box on its side ¡°See right here where it says ¡°Directions¡±? This is a step by step guide on how to prepare this correctly.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she picked up her own box ¡°...So, first I need to boil some water?¡±


    ¡°That''s what it says!¡± smiled Anton.


    ¡°Right! So! Boil water!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she marched across the kitchen and stopped in front of the stove ¡°...How, do I make this do that?¡±


    Anton chuckled again as he made his way to her side and opened one of the lower cabinets next to the stove.


    ¡°First, we take a pot. One that''s big enough to handle what we want to make in it.¡± he explained as he pulled out a medium sized pot and took it over to the sink ¡°And then we fill it with enough water to boil our noodles in.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I can do that!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she moved to stand in front of the sink that Anton had placed the pot in and quickly turned on the spigot ¡°So how much water does macaroni need?¡±


    ¡°Well that depends on how much of it you''re going to make.¡± said Anton as he leaned against the counter-top and watched the pot fill with water ¡°Right now we need enough for at least two boxes of macaroni, so I''d fill that pot up to about two thirds of the way full.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± said Kianna as she leaned forward and watched the rising water line.


    Once the pot had enough water in it, the clearly excited dark elf quickly turned off the sink''s stream and rushed the pot over to the stove. With her pot of water now sitting, ready and waiting on a burner, Kianna''s eyes darted up to the stoves controls. With a blank expression on her face, she stared at the knobs that controlled each of the four burners for a moment before lowering her ears and turning back to Anton.


    ¡°How do I make this boil?¡± she asked expectantly ¡°There''s no button on here that says boil?¡±


    Anton chuckled again as he moved closer.


    ¡°Each of these knobs up here controls one of the burners on the stove top down here. And just turning it is enough to make the burner start warming up.¡± he explained as he reached out and twisted one of the knobs to the side ¡°All you have to do is keep turning it until the temperature range that you need reaches this little arrow, and that''s how hot your burner will eventually become.¡±


    ¡°...So, water will boil when you put it at 5?¡± questioned Kianna as she leaned in and examined the numbers that ran along the side of the knob ¡°...Why doesn''t it just say ¡°Boil¡± right there then?¡±


    ¡°It''s not as though water will only boil when the burner is set to 5.¡± smiled Anton ¡°It''ll boil at both a higher and lower temperature. The time-frame will be different though, a lower temperature takes longer to reach the boiling point while a higher temperature will get there a lot faster.¡±


    ¡°...Well if it''s gonna be faster with a higher temperature then why don''t we turn it up?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°Because we don''t want to damage the pot.¡± said Anton as he gave the side of the pot a light flick with his finger ¡°A higher temperature might boil the water faster but it could also scorch the bottom of your pot and weaken it. And if you weaken it enough then the metal that the pot is made out of will eventually crack. Making it useless.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± nodded Kianna as she looked down into the pot ¡°...So how long does it take for it to boil?¡±


    ¡°Not too long.¡± said Anton as he settled in against the counter-top ¡°About 15 to 20 minutes or so.¡±


    ¡°...Mm.¡± hummed Kianna as she nodded again and turned to look up at him ¡°Can''t you just use magic to boil it? Wouldn''t that be faster?¡±


    ¡°I could. And it would be faster.¡± said Anton as he grinned at the pot ¡°Unfortunately, with that being such a small amount of water, the likelihood of me boiling it all away immediately and then melting that pot is actually pretty high.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± said Kianna as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards ¡°So you can''t just control the mana like you did with the bathwater?¡±


    ¡°I could, but you have to understand. When you''re working with raw mana that isn''t tied to a spell or ability, you really have to have a clear understanding of what you''re trying to do. You''d be very surprised at how easy it is to overdo things with raw mana. A small amount of it can go a shockingly long way. In fact, even the difference between forming a soft, heat-less light, and a flame that''s as hot as a blowtorch, is really just a small jump in applied power.¡± explained Anton ¡°And it''s the same when it comes to warming up water or actually boiling it. You''re dealing with two very different goals. One can be achieved with just a tiny bit of mana, but the other has to be a more precise amount. Too little and the water won''t reach the boiling point, too much, too fast, and you can instantly boil it all away. The amount of power you apply to the amount of water you have has to be just right. And like I said before, there isn''t as much room for error with such a small amount of water. And I don''t know about you, but I would rather not risk being scalded by a cloud of steam that I suddenly made by accident.¡±


    ¡°Huh, yeah...¡± said Kianna as she eyed the pot of water ¡°Good point...¡±


    Anton chuckled as he nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Besides, this is supposed to be about teaching you how to cook. Not doing it for you.¡± he smiled.


    Kianna nodded again as she watched a slew of tiny bubbles begin to take shape across the bottom of the pot.


    ¡°...So is there anything I can do while I''m waiting?¡± she asked after a moment of silence.


    ¡°There is, a few things actually.¡± said Anton as he opened a cabinet above and to the side of the stove ¡°We can add a bit of spice to the water for one.¡±


    ¡°Spice?¡± questioned Kianna as Anton set a canister of salt on the counter and handed her one full of pepper ¡°...But this is pepper?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and pepper is a spice.¡± laughed Anton ¡°One that you can add to the water while it''s warming up.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay!¡± said Kianna as she proceeded to shake some of the pepper out into the pot of water ¡°...Is that enough?¡±


    ¡°Mm hm.¡± nodded Anton ¡°Now whenever you''re unsure about how much of something you need, just remember that it''s almost always easier to add more of something than it is take it away. And that''s especially true with cooking, and with spices in particular. You can always add more spices, but once they''re in there, they''re in there for good.¡±


    ¡°Right, that makes sense... So, what do the spices do exactly?¡± asked Kianna as she watched the tiny specks of pepper both float across the surface of the water and slowly sink beneath it.


    ¡°They add flavors.¡± said Anton as he too watched the specks of pepper ¡°Different spices add different flavors of course. And just like mana, a small amount of them can go a long way.¡±


    Creating a thin, glowing orange rod in his hand, Anton leaned over and began to lightly stir the boiling water so that more of the floating pepper would sink into it.


    ¡°What''s happening here is that the tiny bits of pepper are being saturated by the water. And as this happens the peppers flavor leaches out into the water itself, and this will give the water a slight spice to it.¡± explained Anton as he dropped the rod and let it melt away into nothing ¡°Once we add the noodles they''ll soak up the spiced water and take in the peppers flavor along with it. Now, the pepper flavor that the noodles take in isn''t going to be very strong, especially when it''s being masked by the cheese that''s going to cover the macaroni. But the flavor will still be there, even if only faintly, and this small amount will still add to the overall taste of the meal.¡±


    Kianna nodded slowly and stared at the swirling bits of pepper as she listened intently.


    ¡°...So, what if we add more spices?¡± she questioned as she picked up the canister of salt ¡°That way we could have even more flavors!¡±


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Well, the issue there is that not all flavors will always blend together just right. And you could accidentally ruin a meal by trying to mix to many of them at one time.¡± explained Anton ¡°Of course you can also end up finding a combination that you really like by experimenting with mixing different flavors together. And in the future you''re free to do that. But for today, while we''re still learning, we''ll keep things simple and stick to just pepper.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± nodded Kianna as she set the salt down and picked up the box of macaroni. After looking over the instructions again she turned to Anton with a perplexed look on her face.


    ¡°It doesn''t say anything about adding pepper to the water on here!¡± she exclaimed as she looked down at the pot ¡°Did we mess it up!?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. Don''t worry about that.¡± said Anton ¡°Most instructions and recipes are meant to be as simple as possible. That way they''re easy to follow and understand. But when it comes to cooking there is always room for doing things a little differently, adding your own flavor so to speak. Adding pepper to the water is something that I know will work out well. Which is why I suggested it.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Okay. So, how do you know it''ll work though?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°I''ve done it this way before.¡± answered Anton as he picked up the second box of macaroni and looked it over ¡°...You know, I''m kind of surprised you guys have this brand of macaroni instead of one of the more popular ones.¡±


    ¡°Uh, we like that kind because it tastes like the macaroni they had at Bridgemont.¡± answered Kianna.


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡± nodded Anton as he set the box back down.


    ¡°...Is there something wrong with this kind?¡± asked Kianna as she eyed the box in her hand.


    ¡°No, there''s nothing wrong with it. It''s just one of the cheaper brands so I was surprised you preferred it.¡± said Anton.


    Kianna nodded as she continued to stare at the box in her hand for a moment.


    ¡°...This, is healthy to eat? Right?¡± she asked.


    ¡°It''s, not unhealthy?¡± said Anton ¡°What do you mean exactly?¡±


    ¡°I''m just wondering if eating this is why me and Fiona are short?¡± said Kianna as a worried expression formed on her face.


    ¡°Oh, no! Just eating this isn''t going to cause that. Well, it might if this was the only thing or almost the only thing you ever ate. As that would definitely give you a vitamin deficiency.¡± explained Anton ¡°But that''s not the case though, is it? You don''t eat this everyday, do you?¡±


    ¡°No. Not everyday.¡± answered Kianna as she shook her head ¡°We eat different stuff everyday. Not just this...¡±


    Anton couldn''t help but to grin as he watched Kianna''s worried expression deepen as she became thoughtful.


    ¡°Kianna, sweety, I think you''re worrying yourself more than you need to.¡± he said as he reached over and gave her shoulder a squeeze ¡°You and your sister are not unhealthy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but we''re still short!¡± exclaimed Kianna ¡°And there''s gotta be a reason for that...¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily. It could just be how you are.¡± said Anton as he gave her another squeeze.


    ¡°...Maybe.¡± mumbled Kianna ¡°...I don''t know! I feel like I should just eat a whole bunch of vitamins though. Just so I can be sure!¡±


    Laughing loudly, Anton pulled the now grumpy looking dark elf in against his chest and gave her a tight hug.


    ¡°That''s not going to make you grow taller, Kianna!¡± he smiled as she huffed in annoyance ¡°In fact, I don''t think it''ll help you at all since eating too many vitamins at one time will actually poison you!¡±


    ¡°...Seriously? But I thought vitamins were good for you!?¡± exclaimed Kianna.


    ¡°They are. But just like mana and spices; a small amount goes a long way.¡± explained Anton ¡°You can overdose yourself by eating too many in one go. And even if it didn''t poison you, it still wouldn''t do you much good since most vitamins and minerals are something the body utilizes over time rather than right away.¡±


    Positioning her in front of himself with her back against his chest and his arms wrapped around her shoulders, Anton reached down and tilted the box of macaroni in Kianna''s hands so its front was facing up towards them.


    ¡°Whenever you eat anything, regardless of whether it''s even food or not. Your body is going to do its best to break it down and extract whatever useful nutrients it can out of whatever you ate. For the most part your body will convert the bulk of what you eat into calories, which it will use to power itself. There are certain nutrients that can be used for different things though. And we refer to many of these as either vitamins, minerals or proteins. These nutrients are used by the body to build its various parts, make repairs and aid in certain functions. An easy example of this would be calcium, which is a mineral the body uses to build bones.¡± explained Anton as he reached out to the counter and turned the canister of salt around so that it faced them ¡°Another example would be iodine. Which is a mineral that helps with brain functions. Iodine that''s in the soil will be taken in by certain crop plants and then it''ll reach us when we eat those plants. Not all soils where crops are grown have enough iodine in them to make that journey though. So to help make sure that people can get enough iodine, it''s also added to some table salts. That''s why this particular canister here says ¡°Iodized Salt¡± rather than pure salt. Because it has iodine added to it.¡±


    ¡°It does?¡± questioned Kianna as she reached out and picked up the canister of salt ¡°This has iodine in it?¡±


    ¡°Mm hm. It''s such a tiny amount that you can''t even taste it. Yet there''s still enough there for your body to extract it.¡± explained Anton ¡°And there being such a small amount is fine since you''ll never really need that much at one time anyway. Your body is only going use the iodine it takes in as it needs it. So it''s much better to have a steady supple that you can take in over time rather than just trying to drink a whole bottle of it in one go and calling it good. You''re body knows it won''t need all of that iodine at once so it won''t bother to absorb it but will instead just treat it as waste and get rid of it.¡±


    ¡°...So lots of small amounts are better then?¡± mumbled Kianna as her face became thoughtful ¡°Are all vitamins and minerals like that?¡±


    ¡°For the most part. It''s fairly rare for a person to need a large amount of any one kind of vitamin or mineral, unless they have some type of sickness or condition.¡± explained Anton ¡°Of course every species is different and some species will need more or less of certain nutrients then others will. This is why it''s so important to understand what you are as a species and to pay attention to the food that you eat. It''s okay to eat foods that you like of course, but you still want to make sure that what you''re eating is healthy for you. That way you''ll know that your body is getting all the nutrients that it may need.¡±


    ¡°...Are there a lot of nutrients in this?¡± asked Kianna as she indicated the box of macaroni in her hands.


    ¡°Well, not really.¡± smiled Anton ¡°This is mostly carbohydrates, fats and a bit of protein, which for the most part are all going to be broken down and turned into calories. So this is great for fuel. But there really aren''t very many nutrients in there. That''s fine though. Fuel is still important after all. And so long as your diet is made up of a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, grains and meats, you should still be getting all the different nutrients that you need. ...Or at least that''s how it works with humans. I''m still researching whether or not there''s anything specific that dark elves need to have in their diets. I haven''t found anything that says that they do, but I''m going to keep looking into it just to be sure.¡±


    Tightening his arms around her shoulders, Anton began to gently sway both himself and Kianna back and forth.


    ¡°I do want my darling little dark elves to be healthy after all.¡± he teased as he leaned down and kissed the side of Kianna''s head ¡°So I need to make sure that they''re getting everything they need.¡±


    Twitching her tickled ear, Kianna couldn''t help but to smile as she heard her sister sigh in annoyance.


    ¡°How are you going to keep researching though?¡± she asked as she tilted her head back so as to look up at Anton ¡°Aren''t you already done with your books?¡±


    ¡°For the most part. And there aren''t too many other books that seem to be worth reading.¡± answered Anton as he gazed into Kianna''s vividly bright eyes ¡°So I suppose the next step will be to talk to some of the dark elves I know and see if they have anything to say on the matter.¡±


    ¡°...When you say dark elves that you know, I''m guessing you mean actual real ones?¡± said Kianna as she blinked up him ¡°Like on Tantarra?¡±


    ¡°That''s right.¡± nodded Anton.


    Kianna was still for a moment before a bit of nervousness took form in her eyes.


    ¡°...Do you think, they''ll be able to tell, that I''m... you know... like this?¡± she asked as she lowered her ears.


    ¡°Like this?¡± questioned Anton ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°...You know!¡± whined Kianna as her voice became hushed ¡°That I''m like this... That I''m defective...¡±


    Laughing loudly, Anton gave Kianna a squeeze and leaned down to kiss her on the forehead.


    ¡°Ah! I see now! Well, I''m sure some of them will!¡± he teased as he let his chin rest against the top of her head and spoke into her hair ¡°I don''t think it matters though. Because even if they do figure out that you''re as weird as you are! It won''t change anything. You''ll still be just as cute regardless!¡±


    Kianna''s eyes tightened into an annoyed glare as she stared up at him.


    ¡°I''m not weird! You ass!¡± she mumbled as she let her head fall until she could stare directly forward and point her ears straight back behind her head ¡°...I don''t know if I really want to meet these other dark elves though. ...Especially not if they''re just gonna think I''m weird!¡±


    Anton kept his lower face pressed against the top of her head as he laughed into her hair.


    ¡°Well I do!¡± declared Fiona from her place at the table ¡°I wanna meet these other dark elves!¡±


    ¡°That... Will happen, I''ll definitely introduce you, eventually.¡± said Anton as he turned to her ¡°We might have to put that off for a good while though.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± asked Fiona.


    ¡°Because I really don''t think it would be a good idea for you two to be around any other dark elves right now.¡± answered Anton ¡°Especially considering how defenseless you are.¡±


    ¡°...Defenseless?¡± questioned Fiona.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°I, well... listen.¡± said Anton as he looked from Fiona to Kianna ¡°You two need to remember that you are enslaved now. And the other dark elves are more than likely going to be very upset about this. In fact, I''d imagine they''re going to be pretty angry about it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get that.¡± muttered Fiona ¡°What does that have to do with us being ¡°defenseless¡± though?¡±


    ¡°You don''t understand. It''s not supposed to be possible to enslave a dark elf. The fact that it can be done is actually a pretty big discovery. One that I very much doubt that the dark elves as a whole would want the rest world to know about. It''s very possible that they''re going to want to bury this, and all the evidence of it.¡± explained Anton ¡°And considering you two are literally living proof that dark elves can be enslaved... I''m sure they''ll at least consider trying to bury you along with the rest of the evidence.¡±


    ¡°...Wait? So they''ll kill us!? What the fuck! Are you serious!?¡± raged Fiona as she stood up out of her chair.


    ¡°Settle down Fiona, you don''t need to panic like that.¡± said Anton as he turned back to her ¡°I highly doubt the dark elves will actually want to kill you two. Especially if they think they can just kill me and be done with it.¡±


    ¡°Why would they stop with only you!?¡± questioned Fiona.


    ¡°Because if I died then you two won''t be enslaved anymore.¡± explained Anton ¡°And in that way they''ll have the option to lock you both up for questioning and study.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Well that sounds so much better for us!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she crossed her arms ¡°...Not gonna lie, I do kinda like the idea of them killing you though...¡±


    Anton began to chuckle but was stopped short as Kianna frantically twisted around in his arms and grabbed hold of his shirt.


    ¡°They''re gonna kill you!?¡± she cried as panicked tears began to form in her eyes ¡°What are we gonna do!?¡±


    ¡°...Wha! Wait? ...Are you worried about me?¡± smiled Anton ¡°Well isn''t that sweet!¡±


    Kianna blinked and hid her face against his chest as she laid her ears flat behind her head.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± she whimpered as she wiped her eyes with his shirt ¡°This is serious!¡±


    ¡°Aw, my poor little dark elf! Listen, there''s no reason for you to be upset. No one even knows that dark elves can be enslaved yet. And even when they find out there''s still no reason to panic. At least not right away.¡± said Anton as he began to rub Kianna''s back ¡°The dark elves aren''t stupid. Especially the one''s in charge. And there are a few things that should keep them from trying to kill me in my sleep. For one, they have no idea where I am. For two, they''re going to want to know how this works, even if they don''t want anyone else to. And three, if they know I can enslave them, then none of them are going to come near me themselves. They would never risk their own freedom like that.¡±


    ¡°They''re still going to try to kill you though! Even if they don''t do it, they''ll just send someone else!¡± cried Kianna as she pressed herself against his chest ¡°What are we gonna do!?¡±


    ¡°Well, for right now, we''re going to finish making macaroni.¡± said Anton as he glanced at the pot ¡°Your waters finally started boiling. So we can move on to the noodles now.¡±


    ¡°...Wha!? Are you serious!?¡± cried Kianna as she looked up and started shaking him from where she still held onto his shirt ¡°People are gonna try to kill you! Do you really think that some stupid macaroni is more important than that!?¡±


    Anton was still for a second as he gazed down at her.


    ¡°No. I don''t think macaroni itself is more important than that.¡± he said softly as he brought his hand up and slowly ran it down the back of her head and through her hair ¡°Now your macaroni on the other hand? Well, that definitely is more important to me. Far more important.¡±


    Kianna went still and stared at him for a second before her face scrunched up in misery. Hiding her face back against his chest she wrapped her arms around his torso, and squeezing him as tightly as she could she began to quietly sob.


    ¡°It''s alright Kianna... You don''t need to worry yourself with this...¡± soothed Anton as he wrapped his arms around her and began to sway back and forth ¡°I''m going to take care of it...¡±


    ¡°How!?¡± sobbed Kianna ¡°What are you gonna do!?¡±


    ¡°Well, that depends on what happens... But I''ve got a few different ideas and some plans already in the works...¡± explained Anton as he let his aura expand and seep into the dark elf in his arms ¡°So just leave it to me, and I promise, I''ll handle it... Alright? ...Do you hear me?¡±


    Kianna was still for a moment before she whimpered softly and nodded her head.


    ¡°...Such a good girl!¡± smiled Anton as he tightened his hold on her.


    The room stayed silent for some time until Anton leaned back and looked down at the clinging dark elf.


    Blinking up at him, Kianna''s cheeks were marred with the remnants of her dried tears and Anton smiled softly as he gently rubbed them clean with his thumbs.


    ¡°Kianna, listen...¡± he whispered softly as he leaned down and gazed into her eyes ¡°Trust me. Okay. Everything is going to be alright, you don''t need to worry about me, okay...¡±


    ¡°...Are you sure?¡± whispered Kianna as she tightened her ears together behind her head.


    ¡°Yes, I promise you.¡± smiled Anton ¡°Nothing is going to happen to me, Kianna, or to any of us. Just trust me. ...Alright?¡±


    Kianna took a deep breath and rested the side of her face back against him.


    ¡°...Okay, fine!¡± she breathed as she rubbed her cheek on his shirt ¡°...I will.¡±


    ¡°Good! Now then! Let''s get back to what''s important!¡± said Anton as he ran his fingertip down the length of her ear in order to get her attention ¡°We have a big problem here and we need to fix it!¡±


    ¡°What!?¡± questioned Kianna as she looked up at him ¡°What problem!?¡±


    ¡°My stomach!¡± exclaimed Anton as he grimaced in mock pain ¡°I''m starving!¡±


    Blinking in surprise, Kianna sighed through her nose as she glared up at him.


    ¡°Right. That problem...¡± she mumbled in annoyance as she pulled away from him and shook her head.


    Anton grinned as he turned with her to face the stove and the waiting pot of boiling water.


    Kianna was mostly quiet as Anton guided her through the rest of the process of making macaroni.


    He illustrated the simple method of knowing when the noodles were done by throwing one at the wall and seeing if it stuck. When one did, they moved the noodles to a colander in the sink and let the water drain from them while they prepared the cheese mixture in the now empty pot. Once the powdered cheese mix, milk and butter had all been gathered together in the pot, they added the drained noodles and using a large mixing spoon, stirred it all together.


    ¡°...It''s, done?¡± questioned Kianna as she gazed down at the pot of golden colored noodles.


    ¡°Yep! It''s ready!¡± said Anton as he opened a cabinet and gathered together a set of bowls.


    Kianna continued to stare at the macaroni as Anton set the bowls down next to her.


    ¡°...Would you like to serve it?¡± he asked as he tilted his head at her and smiled ¡°Or should I?¡±


    ¡°Oh! No! I got it!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she took up the spoon and quickly filled the three bowls.


    Anton added forks to the readied bowls and taking one in each hand he made his way to the table where he handed one of the bowls to Fiona before taking his seat. Following behind him with her own bowl, Kianna took her place at the table and silently stared down at her heaping helping of macaroni.


    Anton and Fiona glanced at each other in amusement as they both waited for Kianna to make a move.


    Noticing that they were watching her, Kianna took up her fork and after a slight hesitation, lifted a bite of macaroni to her mouth.


    ¡°...It''s good!¡± she declared after swallowing the mouthful ¡°...It''s really good!¡±


    ¡°Excellent!¡± exclaimed Anton as he and Fiona both immediately began to eat.


    Kianna''s eyes darted back and forth as she watched them take one forkful after another out of their bowls.


    ¡°...Is it good? Do you like it?¡± she asked Fiona when she was between bites.


    ¡°Yeah, it''s really good.¡± said Fiona as she continued eating.


    ¡°Oh! Good! And what about yours!?¡± asked Kianna as she turned to Anton ¡°Do you like it!?¡±


    ¡°I do. It''s delicious.¡± answered Anton ¡°You did a great job!¡±


    Smiling softly, Kianna looked back down at her bowl and went still.


    ¡°...I made this.¡± she whispered ¡°I did it...¡±


    ¡°Yes you did.¡± nodded Anton ¡°So now the question is... Do you think you can do it again?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah!¡± said Kianna as she looked back up at him ¡°Yeah, I could totally do this again!¡±


    ¡°Well there ya go! You''ve got a skill now! Congratulations!¡± smiled Anton ¡°Now you can say there''s something that you can do. You can make macaroni and cheese now. Good job!¡±


    Smiling broadly, Kianna looked back down at her bowl and went still again. As she stared down at her food she began to feel a growing tightness in her chest.


    ¡°...I can make this now.¡± she whispered as her voice began to crack ¡°I can do it. ...Thank you.¡±


    Anton and Fiona both went still as they registered the shift in tone.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± sobbed Kianna as she covered her now tear filled eyes with her hands ¡°...I''m, I''m sorry! ...I''m!¡±


    ¡°Kianna.¡± breathed Anton as he rose out of his chair ¡°Come here.¡±


    Kianna quickly got to her feet and rushed around the table to meet him.


    ¡°I''m sorry!¡± she sobbed as she ducked into his arms ¡°I''m just... I''m sorry!¡±


    Anton said nothing as he wrapped one arm around her shoulders and ran his other hand up and down her back.


    ¡°I''m sorry!¡± whimpered Kianna ¡°I''m so sorry!¡±


    ¡°Why are you sorry?¡± asked Anton in a soft and gentle tone.


    ¡°...Because, ...I''m crying.¡± answered Kianna.


    ¡°Why are you crying?¡± asked Anton as he began to gently sway them both back and forth.


    ¡°...I don''t know.¡± whined Kianna ¡°...No, it''s, ...it''s cause, I''m happy. ...And cause, I''m scared!¡±


    ¡°Hm, I see...¡± nodded Anton ¡°Well, I like hearing that you''re happy. But I don''t like hearing that you''re scared...¡±


    ¡°...I''m sorry.¡± sobbed Kianna.


    ¡°It''s okay, I understand.¡± said Anton as he tightened his hold on her ¡°I know why you''re scared, and I know that it''s not something you can just stop worrying about. ...There is something I''d like you to tell me though.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± asked Kianna as she leaned back enough to look up at him.


    ¡°Well, I don''t want you to cry anymore.¡± whispered Anton as he gave her another light squeeze ¡°So I''d like to know if there''s anything I can do to make it so that you''re not so scared?¡±


    Kianna was quiet for a moment.


    ¡°...I guess. ...Being right here.¡± she whispered as she snuggled up against him ¡°...This, helps, a lot.¡±


    Anton chuckled softly as he nodded his head.


    ¡°I see... So right here, next to me. This is where you want to be?¡± he asked.


    ¡°...Yeah.¡± answered Kianna.


    ¡°Okay then...¡± soothed Anton ¡°You can just stay right here with me. For as long as you need too. Okay?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah, okay.¡± agreed Kianna.


    ¡°Okay. Now then. I, am still starving! So, you stay right next to me! And let''s sit back down.¡± smiled Anton as he rocked them into motion ¡°Okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, okay.¡± smiled Kianna as she let him lead them back to his chair.


    Kianna kept a tiny smile on her face as Anton sat down and positioned her on his lap so that her legs hung off to the side and she was able to rest her head on his left shoulder. Ignoring the annoyed look her sister was giving her, she kept her eyes locked onto Anton''s fork as he ate away at the bowl of macaroni.


    After taking in a few bites himself, Anton shifted the path that the fork had been traveling in and offered a bite of food to Kianna. Lifting her head from his shoulder, Kianna gleefully chomped down on the macaroni and quickly ate it. Ginning at her enthusiasm, Anton alternated forkfuls of food between himself and Kianna. When his bowl was emptied he reached across the table and pulled Kianna''s still full one over to their side before continuing to feed both himself and the smiling dark elf.


    ¡°...Okay. ...So, this isn''t gonna be a normal thing now, is it?¡± questioned Fiona as she watched in disgust as her sister was being fed with the same fork that Anton was using ¡°Cause I don''t think I could get used to this... thing, that you guys are doing over there!¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Fiona!¡± snapped Kianna as she watched Anton eat a forkful of macaroni ¡°You''re so stupid!¡±


    ¡°...Yeah, also.¡± said Fiona as she narrowed her eyes at her sister ¡°You''re not going to cry every time you make food now, are you? Cause that''s something else that''s gonna get old really fast.¡±


    ¡°No! I''m not!¡± snarled Kianna as she pointed her ears straight back and glared at her sister ¡°Just shut up already! You''re ruining the moment!¡±


    Anton couldn''t help but to laugh and shake his head as he fed another bite of food to his now pouting dark elf.


    Rolling her eyes in annoyance, Fiona said nothing more as she went back to finishing her own meal.

 Chapter 29 : Afternoon

    Chapter 29 : Afternoon


    After having finished with lunch and its clean up, Anton, Kianna and Fiona had decided to enjoy a little sunshine and burn off some calories outside.


    The property that the dark elves little mansion sat on was a large square parcel that encompassed a little over two hundred and sixty acres of lightly forested land. The mansion itself was situated towards the front center of this square, and was only a few acres back from the road. A tall border fence surrounded the entirety of the property while a smaller fenced in section stretched down from the double entryways and separated the mansion, and the area directly around it, from the rest of the property.


    When exiting out of the backdoors located in either the kitchen or in the large sitting room that ran along the back of the mansion, one would find themselves out in what was essentially the backyard portion of this area. A tall wooden privacy fence encircled the backyard and separated it from the tree filled acreage that lay beyond it. To the right when exiting from the kitchen was a small playground area complete with a playhouse, swing-set and sandbox. To the left was a large stretch of open lawn. A small grove of trees grew towards the back of this area and a long wooden picnic table had been set up beneath them. Past this lawn, and directly in front of the sitting room, was a very large, in-ground swimming pool.


    This pool had an over all rectangle shape with rounded corners, and it''s length stretched out towards the back of the property. The corner of the pool that was closest to the kitchen expanded out into a large teardrop shape, and although still connected to the rest of the pool at large, acted as a sort of shallow lagoon area. Surrounded and partially shaded by chest-high stone planters filled with hardy palms, this shallow section of the pool was a perfect place for relaxation.


    Set up around this little lagoon, and situated among the planters, were a selection of umbrella covered tables, cushioned patio furniture and long lounge chairs.


    It was on one of these lounge chairs that both Anton and Kianna were currently laying together, sprawled out and dozing in the warm rays of the afternoon sun.


    Clad in nothing but a pair of swimming trunks, Anton''s tired state came to pass after having spent a good deal of time in the pool he was now snoozing by and discovering yet another unexpected fact about the dark elves.


    They were surprisingly quite adept in the water.


    With their slender frames, lightweight bodies and taunt musculature, both Fiona and Kianna were able to glide incredibly fast through the water with what seemed like an almost effortless ease.


    While Anton''s bulkier human frame regulated him to more traditional laps, the dark elves would zip back and forth as they smoothly preformed elegant underwater maneuvers that were reminiscent of the dance moves preformed during a ballet.


    Once Kianna discovered, to her immense joy, that she could quite literally swim circles around Anton, she gleefully instigated a fast paced game of cat-and-mouse with him by stealing away his swimming trunks and holding them hostage.


    After over an hour of playful antics, a surrender was finally declared, and the end result of their merry chase was the now very smug dark elf who was laying on her stomach with her head resting on Anton''s bare chest, happily snoozing away and fully content with her victory.


    Fiona had opted to stay out of their game, citing her disgust with Anton''s nudity as well as claiming that her muscles had still not fully recovered from the night before and were already sore again after just a short time in the water.


    When she had inquired as to why Kianna seemed to be so much more refreshed than she was, she was regaled by her sister about Anton''s amazing massage. When offered one for herself, she refused, and claimed that she would rather die a fiery death then to be touched by him in such a way.


    Despite her attitude, Fiona had chosen to remain close by, as rather than disappearing back into the house where she would be alone, she was instead basking in her own lounge chair just off to the side from where Anton and Kianna were now dozing.


    Anton couldn''t help but to find it humorous that Fiona had originally been laying on a different lounge chair on the other side of the pool. Far away from where he and Kianna had been swimming. Whenever they had left the water and taken up residence in their current spot however, she had apparently decided it was best to move so as to be closer to them. When she was asked about this, she merely glared venomously and refused to speak on it.


    Sighing contently through his nose, Anton cracked open his eyes and glanced down at Kianna. His vision slightly blurred from the sunlight, he grinned softly to himself as her sleeping form came into focus, his grin grew in size as his gaze traveled down her length and came to rest on her bikini clad bottom.


    The bikini that Kianna wore was a hot pink in color and was outfitted with metallic, golden colored rings. These rings acted as anchoring points for the material that the bikini was made out of and helped it to keep its shape. The rings on the bottoms rested on the crests of Kianna''s hips while those of the strapless top were nestled between her breasts in front and between her shoulder blades in the back.


    Fiona''s bikini was identical in every way but color, as her''s was a bright white rather than pink.


    At first glance these bikini''s appeared to be several sizes too small for the dark elves that wore them. But it was explained by Kianna that if they weren''t as tight as they were, then they would slip off whenever the dark elves moved or twisted too quickly through the water while swimming.


    Anton let his eyes linger as he enjoyed the sight of Kianna''s bottom rising and falling as her whole body just barely bobbed up and down in time with his breathing. The thin material being stretched to its limit as it was forced to encase her round form was doing a poor job of maintaining her modesty as a tantalizingly tiny bit of her butt cheeks cleavage was peeking out over the hem.


    Not wanting to disturb Kianna''s slumber, Anton resisted the urge to give her bottom a squeeze and instead draped his arm gently over her back. He was immediately rewarded for this when she sleepily wrapped her own arms around his sides and, while still dozing, pressed her breasts against his body as she hugged herself to him with a sigh.


    Fiona clenched her jaw and narrowed her eyes in irritation as she took in the look of satisfaction on Anton''s face. Her aggravation with both Anton and her sister''s antics had been steadily growing throughout the afternoon, and with this little display, her patience with them was now at its limit. Without even consciously realizing what she was doing, she let her aura flare outwards and fill the area around her.


    Anton stiffened and reflexively tightened his arm protectively around Kianna''s shoulders as he felt the air around him thicken and become heavy. Concerned for her as well, his eyes immediately jumped to Fiona and he blinked in surprise when he registered the sour expression on her face.


    As realization dawned in his mind, he narrowed his own eyes in annoyance.


    ¡°...You just always have to be difficult. Don''t you.¡± he muttered under his breath as he let his own aura expand out from his being.


    Fiona''s eyes tightened as she felt the force of Anton''s aura press back against her own. Without a second of hesitation she focused her aura back against him. Though in the back of her mind she knew that this was foolish, as she had already gotten a taste of what he could do and knew that he was far more capable than she was. Her aggravation was clouding her judgment however. And despite knowing full well that he was the more experienced between them, she was the dark elf here. And she was determined to show him exactly what that meant.


    Sensing her resolve through the force that was now pushing back against him, Anton shook his head and sighed through his nose.


    ¡°Stubborn dark elf.¡± he muttered under his breath ¡°Fine then, let''s see what you can do...¡±


    A twisted smile spread across Fiona''s face as she felt the tide of power roll in her favor. Letting herself go at the prospect of actually beating Anton, she poured everything she had into her assault and made an effort to crush him in a single go.


    Her confidence immediately began to waver as she watched an expression of tired disappointment spread across Anton''s face.


    Shaking his head, Anton closed his eyes and grinned.


    Fiona had no time to react as the air was forced out of her lungs by the crippling invisible weight that instantly landed on her chest. All of the power that she had focused against Anton was erased from existence as it was crushed beneath his own wave of might. The power that he had was in its structure no different from her own, but the shear amount of it that he could put forward was leagues above her, and this factor alone left no room for any comparison to be made between them.


    Fiona was in essence, nothing but a tiny candle facing the sun.


    Anton couldn''t help but to let his grin widen and become sinister as he watched the anguish spread across the dark elf''s face. Deciding to drive his point home, he let the well of his mana pool open even further and sent the power outwards to flow freely and fill his aura.


    Pinned down in her seat, Fiona''s breath hissed in through her teeth as she laid her ears back submissively behind her head and gripped the armrests of the lounge chair she sat in. She began to quiver uncontrollably as Anton let a wave of malice flow into his aura and fill the area around them with a heavy, menacing dread.


    Faced with this unstoppable terror now surrounding her, Fiona''s widened eyes began to ache in their sockets as she focused all of her efforts on keeping her heart from beating its way out of her chest. Unable to take in another breath, her panic set in even deeper as her lungs started to burn and her vision of the world around her began to go dark.


    ¡°Stop!¡± whined Kianna.


    Anton smiled playfully as he released his aura and dropped his gaze down to the sleepily, glaring dark elf that was laying on his chest.


    ¡°Quit it!¡± whined Kianna as she lifted her head and rested her chin down on the center of Anton''s sternum while she pouted up at him ¡°What are you doing!?¡±


    ¡°Aw, I''m sorry...¡± soothed Anton as he laid his hand down on top of her head ¡°Did I disturb you?¡±


    ¡°Yes...¡± whined Kianna as she folded her ears down and out of the way so that Anton could rub her head ¡°You did!¡±


    ¡°Oh, my poor little dark elf, I ruined her nap...¡± chuckled Anton as he ran his fingers through her hair ¡°And she was sleeping so peacefully too...¡±


    ¡°I was.¡± grumbled Kianna as she tilted her head forward and to the side as she guided Anton''s fingers.


    ¡°I''m sorry...¡± breathed Anton as he let his fingers slowly follow the path that Kianna set for him ¡°But I''m afraid your sister was acting up again, so I had to teach her a lesson...¡±


    ¡°Argh. Of course she was. Why are you always being stupid, Fiona!¡± growled Kianna as she shifted her head to the side and glared at her sister while pointing her ears straight back in annoyance.


    Still gripping the armrests of her lounge chair, Fiona blinked in uncertainty as she met her sister''s eyes.


    ¡°Stupid bitch...¡± mumbled Kianna as she turned back to Anton and let her ears hang limp.


    Chuckling through his smile, Anton ran his hand back over the top of Kianna''s head before absently taking hold of one of her ears.


    Kianna blinked and went still in surprise as Anton held her ear in place and smoothly ran his thumb down its length before gently gripping its pointed tip between his fingers.


    Keeping his sights on her ear, Anton continued to smile softly as he ignored Kianna''s probing eyes and proceeded to playfully, and gently, grope her ear.


    Having apparently accepted her fate, the dark elf let loose a huffed sigh and rolled her head to the side so that she could both lay her cheek down against Anton''s chest, and give him better access to the ear that he was currently playing with.


    ¡°Aw, such a good girl.¡± whispered Anton as Kianna hummed softly in response.


    Fiona''s eyes were wide with disbelief as she remained stock still and stared at her sister. Stunned by the facts that Kianna seemed to have not only been completely unaffected by Anton''s display of power, as she had no idea that her sister had already been exposed to it in the past and was thus fairly accumulated to it, but that she was now willingly allowing him to handle her ears and was apparently unfazed by this as well.


    ¡°K-Kianna!?¡± she called in uncertainty.


    ¡°...What?¡± mumbled Kianna as she flicked the ear that Anton wasn''t fondling towards her sister.


    ¡°Are, you okay!?¡± asked Fiona as she loosened her death grip on her chair ¡°He''s, touching your ears!?¡±


    ¡°Yeah...¡± muttered Kianna as she closed her eyes and sighed ¡°He does that...¡±


    Anton chuckled as he let Kianna''s ear go and stretched his arms out before folding his hands behind his head.


    Kianna blinked up at him as he settled back into a relaxed position and closed his eyes.


    ¡°...Hey.¡± she mumbled as she dragged her head to the side so as to look at him straight on ¡°Can I ask you a question?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Of course.¡± sighed Anton as he left his eyes closed ¡°Ask away.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a job?¡± asked Kianna as she creased her brow in question.


    Anton began to chuckle as he tilted his head forward and smiled down at her.


    ¡°I''m a little surprised it''s taken you this long to ask that.¡± he said as he resettled himself back in such a way that he could be relaxed while still keeping her in his sights.


    ¡°Um, well I was gonna ask you at one point but I didn''t get to... And then I guess I just never thought about it again?¡± explained Kianna.


    ¡°Hm, I guess when you don''t have a job, you don''t really think about them too much. Do you?¡± teased Anton.


    Kianna shrugged around a smile.


    ¡°I guess not...¡± she mumbled sheepishly.


    ¡°Right. Well, technically...¡± chuckled Anton as he looked up at the sky ¡°I don''t have a traditional job per''se. As in I don''t go somewhere everyday to work. Instead, for money, I dabble in real estate and do a bit of buying and selling of trade items. Things like antiques, rare books, collectible weapons and coins. For the most part it''s stuff like that. Though I do try not to limit myself to any one major group of things. Essentially, I make money by stumbling across things of value, and holding on to them until I find the right buyer.¡±


    ¡°Stuff of value... Does that ever include slaves too?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°Sometimes.¡± grinned Anton as he glanced at Fiona ¡°It has before.¡±


    Fiona blinked and flattened her ears down submissively as she grimaced in unease.


    ¡°I''ve ended up with a few slaves through trading in the past.¡± explained Anton as he brought his eyes back to Kianna ¡°I don''t make a habit out of buying and selling slaves though.¡±


    ¡°You''ve never wanted to keep any of them?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°No. I''ve never kept a slave for very long before. Just a week or two at most.¡± explained Anton as he smiled broadly ¡°I never found any that I wanted to keep. At least not until just recently.¡±


    Kianna blinked and then ducked her face down as she hid a small smile.


    Chuckling in his throat, Anton turned his head to the side and let out a deep yawn.


    ¡°...That''s not really what I consider my job though.¡± he said as he turned back to Kianna ¡°If someone were to ask me what I do as a career, I''d tell them I''m a naturalist.¡±


    ¡°A naturalist?¡± questioned Kianna as she cocked one of her ears in a curious manner ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, in a nutshell, it means someone who studies nature or some element of the natural world. For me, that element is people themselves.¡± explained Anton ¡°I think all the different species of people are each fascinating in their own ways. So I like to study them. Especially the ones that aren''t very well understood already. Or the ones that... like to be mysterious...¡±


    ¡°...Wait? You study, people!?¡± questioned Kianna as her brow creased in thought.


    ¡°Mm hm...¡± hummed Anton as a knowing grin spread across his face.


    Kianna was still for a moment as she stared back at him.


    ¡°...So?¡± she asked as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards ¡°Are you studying me and Fiona!?¡±


    ¡°...Well, maybe.¡± smiled Anton ¡°Would it bother you if I was?¡±


    ¡°...I don''t know?¡± mumbled Kianna as she lowered her ears ¡°...That''s, kinda creepy, I guess?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I''m sorry. I don''t want to make you feel uncomfortable!¡± chuckled Anton as he placed his hand back on her head and gave her a reassuring rub ¡°And I''m not trying to pry or force anything onto you. I''m just trying to understand you a little better. That''s all.¡±


    ¡°...So? What does this mean, exactly?¡± questioned Kianna ¡°What are you going to do, to study us?¡±


    ¡°Nothing much, really.¡± said Anton with a shrug ¡°Mostly just get to know you. Maybe I''ll ask you a question every now and then. Shouldn''t be anything beyond that though.¡±


    ¡°...So then, you''re not going to cut us up into pieces, and put us jars or anything like that?¡± questioned Kianna as she laid her ears back submissively ¡°Right!?¡±


    ¡°No! Of course not!¡± laughed Anton ¡°Honestly, Kianna! What would even make you think that?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know!?¡± cried Kianna ¡°I''ve never been, studied, before!¡±


    ¡°Well it''s nothing like that. Like I said, the only thing I''m going to do is try to get to know you better.¡± said Anton ¡°And that''s really it. I promise.¡±


    ¡°...Okay then.¡± mumbled Kianna ¡°...That''s still weird, but whatever!¡±


    Anton laughed as he nodded his head in agreement.


    ¡°So, that''s really your job though?¡± questioned Kianna ¡°To study people?¡±


    ¡°Well, I like to say it is, but unfortunately, I don''t make much money doing it. So it''s more of a hobby at this point.¡± explained Anton ¡°It can be a pretty expensive hobby too. With traveling and what not.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so, nobody pays you to do this?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°Not really.¡± answered Anton ¡°I do have a few books published on the subject, and they bring in a little money, but not too much. I''m not really concerned with making money as a naturalist though. I do it because I enjoy it more than anything. It''s fun for me.¡±


    ¡°Oh... So you''re just a weirdo who likes to study people for free then?¡± reasoned Kianna.


    ¡°More or less.¡± smiled Anton ¡°Like I said, I make my money in real estate, trading and in other more, creative, ways.¡±


    ¡°Right. ¡°Creative ways¡±, like taking all of my money!?¡± mumbled Kianna as she narrowed her eyes at him.


    ¡°Hey now! That was actually fairly creative!¡± teased Anton ¡°And don''t forget, I also took your stocks, and the apartment complex. ...Which that actually reminds me. I really need to give Leopold a call here pretty quick.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°Leopold, Tajikara. Him and his wife Ila are my real estate attorneys. They''re actually pretty good friends as well.¡± explained Anton ¡°You see, they make an effort to connect with their clients by hosting holiday parties. And after going to a few of them, we figured out that we clicked pretty well and became friends. I used to meet up with them for lunch pretty regularly... We haven''t done that in awhile though... I really do need to call them... Both about the apartment complex, some other things, and just to reconnect a little.¡±


    ¡°Why do you need to call them for the apartment complex?¡± asked Kianna ¡°I thought Fiona already sold it to you?¡±


    ¡°She did, technically.¡± said Anton ¡°But I need to finalize the transfer and make sure everything is set up correctly with the taxes and what not. I just want to make sure everything is taken care of in the right way.¡±


    ¡°Mm hm... I see... You know, you could always just give it back to us.¡± mumbled Kianna ¡°That way we could have some money for ourselves again.¡±


    ¡°Hm... True, I could do that... But no, I''ll hold on to the apartments for now.¡± mused Anton ¡°We do need to do something about money for you two though... But I''d rather do something more creative than just giving you the apartments back...¡±


    ¡°Oh, do you want us to use creative methods like yours?¡± mocked Kianna as she cocked an eyebrow ¡°Whenever we need some money we should be like you, and just go out and enslave somebody so we can take all their stuff?¡±


    ¡°Hey, that''s not exactly what happened! And that''s not one of my normal methods. I''ve never even done this before now.¡± chuckled Anton ¡°Of course, I''m not saying that wouldn''t work. Since it clearly did for me. But no, I don''t think you two need to be doing that.¡±


    ¡°Uh huh, so what do you mean then?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°Well, I don''t know yet. We''ll have to think about it...¡± mused Anton ¡°I''m sure we''ll figure something out though, eventually.¡±


    ¡°...What were you talking about before then? When you said you use more creative ways?¡± asked Kianna ¡°What do you normally do?¡±


    ¡°Uh, well, normally, whenever I find myself needing a bit of money, or a large amount of it really quickly, then I''ll go and do an odd job or two.¡± explained Anton.


    ¡°Odd job?¡± questioned Kianna ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°It''s, something like a temp job. They used to be called ¡°quests¡± back in the day. Usually it''s just a task that you complete for pay.¡± explained Anton ¡°There are several agencies that I''ve signed on with that offer odd jobs. Things like delivering valuable items, or recovering lost ones. Then there''s surveying wild lands, collecting bounties, driving away hostile creatures, hunting manaraged animals, and so on and so forth. These type of things can pay pretty well depending on what the job is. And these agencies are always looking for people with magical talents. So I tend to get at least a few offers sent to me everyday. And if I think a job offer looks interesting, then I''ll take it, and if not, then I won''t. It''s that easy.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really!? So you''re kinda like a mercenary then!¡± exclaimed Kianna ¡°That''s cool! ...Do you think we could go with you whenever you do your next odd job!?¡±


    ¡°Well... we''ll see about that.¡± said Anton with a smile ¡°It depends on what it is. And if it''s something I think I can even take you with me on. So it may not be the very next one. But, I''m sure you''ll get to come along at some point. So don''t worry.¡±


    ¡°Cool!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she began to wiggle back and forth in excitement ¡°I can''t wait!¡±


    Chuckling, Anton went to speak again but was stopped short as a ringing buzz began to blare out from his phone which was sitting on the shaded table far off to his right and out of his reach.


    ¡°Uh oh.¡± muttered Anton as he went to rise up from where he was lounging.


    ¡°I got it!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she slipped off of him and darted over to the table and back.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± said Anton as he took his phone and immediately looked at the screen ¡°...Hm, I''m not sure who this is?¡±


    Anton patted his chest as an invitation for Kianna to lay back down as he put the phone to his ear.


    ¡°Hello!¡± grunted Anton as Kianna gleefully clambered back onto him ¡°...Oh! Hello Salia. It''s good to hear from you. I was starting to think you might have forgotten about me.¡±


    Both Kianna and Fiona pointed their ears straight upwards as they turned their attention to the phone.


    ¡°...Well I guess you''re right, it hasn''t quite been a week just yet.¡± mused Anton as he moved the phone in front of his face for a second and glanced at the date ¡°...Just a day off though, so close enough I guess. ...Ah! So your Master''s planning to make his call tomorrow then. Well, I do appreciate the heads up on that.¡±


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.Kianna''s eyes were wide and probing as she rested her chin on Anton''s sternum and stared up at him. Anton grinned as he noticed that her ears had been shifted forwards a bit and were tilted to the side so that she could focus them on his phone. Although her eyes remained on him, it was clear that she was listening intently to the shoggoth speaking on the other side of the line.


    ¡°...Oh no! No! I didn''t kill them!¡± exclaimed Anton as he smiled at the sour look that spread across Kianna''s face ¡°No, no. Rather than kill them, I decided to enslave them and then turn them into my little pets instead.¡±


    Anton''s smile broadened as he watched Kianna blink her eyes into an annoyed glare.


    ¡°...Oh no. You should see them now, I''m sure you''d be surprised!¡± boasted Anton as he raised his free hand and began to tap his thumb and index finger together in a crab-like pinching motion ¡°They''ve both become just the sweetest of little things...¡±


    Kianna shifted her glaring eyes over to Anton''s hand as he began to slowly and menacingly move his pinching digits towards the tips of her ears. The annoyed look in her eyes deepened to true irritation as she flicked her ears away and then twitched them back and forth as she tried to both avoid Anton''s grasp and continue to listen to the conversation taking place over the phone.


    ¡°And actually, on that note.¡± smiled Anton as he teased Kianna into blinking by pinching the air in front of her face ¡°I was wondering if you would be available to hire as a tutor? ...Yes. ...Well you see, I have a fledgling maid here that could use some lessons. And who better to teach her than a professional like you.¡±


    Going completely still with surprise, Kianna''s ears pointed themselves straight upwards and her eyes went wide as she locked her gaze with Anton''s. Seizing the opportunity, Anton grabbed hold of the tip of her ear and gave it a playful tug before letting it go to flick wildly.


    ¡°...Ah, well, that''s too bad.¡± Anton mumbled around a grin ¡°Well if things don''t work out there, and you find yourself available again, just let me know. I''m sure I''ll still be interested in utilizing your services. ...That''s right. ...No, it''s just one of them. ...No, I wouldn''t say that it''s necessarily a hopeless case. It''s close enough though, and I could still use all the help I can get.¡±


    Kianna blinked and pointed her ears straight back as she narrowed her eyes back into an irritated glare.


    Anton did his best to hold back a chuckle as she huffed through her nose in indignation.


    ¡°...Excuse me? ...Well that''s a bit of a private matter.¡± stated Anton as creased his brow and shifted his eyes in the direction of the phone ¡°...Oh! No! No, I''m afraid I haven''t shown her the joys of being a woman yet!¡±


    Anton smiled broadly as he turned and locked eyes with Fiona.


    ¡°...Oh yes, she is quite the stubborn one. I''d say it''s easily her strongest trait!¡± laughed Anton as Fiona crossed her arms and began to fume in obvious anger ¡°We''re trying to work on that though. Aren''t we, Fiona? ...Salia says ¡°Hi¡± by the way.¡±


    ¡°Tell that bitch to fuck off!¡± snarled Fiona.


    ¡°She says ¡°Hello¡± to you too...¡± said Anton as he went back to absently grabbing at Kianna''s twitching ears ¡°And so does Kianna, by the way... Salia says ¡°Hi¡± Kianna.¡±


    Kianna said nothing as she stuck her tongue out at the phone.


    ¡°Kianna says she misses you, but is happy to hear that you''re back with your Master now.¡± said Anton as the incensed dark elf shifted her glare back to him ¡°And she wishes you nothing but the best...¡±


    Kianna''s eyes began to faintly glow as she slowly shook her head.


    ¡°...Mm hm. ...No, I''m serious. I''ve got them both right here.¡± mumbled Anton as he laid his hand down on top of Kianna''s head and began to gently massage his fingers into her hair ¡°...No, no, I understand. You can tell their Mother exactly what happened, don''t worry about me. ...Well it''s something that will have to be dealt with eventually anyway. So we might as well get it out of the way now. ...No, I''m not concerned with that. ...I wouldn''t know. ...No, we''re still here. ...Well this is where they wanted to stay, and it was important to them so, here we still are. ...More than likely. But like I said, it''s a problem that isn''t going to go away, so we might as well deal with it sooner rather than later. ...No, I agree. Go ahead and tell him that I''m fine with it. ...Alright then, that sounds good. ...Sounds good. ...You take care as well, Salia. And thank you for the call. It was good to hear from you. ...You as well. Take care, bye.¡±


    Anton moved the phone away from his head as he ended the call. He let a playful grin remain on his face as he took in Kianna''s annoyed expression.


    ¡°So, ¡°pets¡±, huh!?¡± grumbled the dark elf as she narrowed her eyes into thin slits.


    ¡°No, you weren''t paying attention!¡± teased Anton ¡°I said you were ¡°little pets¡± not just pets. Big difference there.¡±


    ¡°Oh shut up! No there isn''t!¡± snapped Kianna as she rolled her eyes and pressed her chin into his chest in protest.


    Chuckling, Anton continued to softly massage her head until her eyes eventually softened.


    ¡°...So I guess Salia''s gonna call our Mom?¡± mumbled Kianna.


    ¡°Sounds like it.¡± nodded Anton.


    ¡°...I guess we should call her first then, right?¡± questioned Kianna.


    ¡°Do you think it''ll make a difference? Because I''m not so sure that it will.¡± stated Anton ¡°Aside from what you''ve told me, I don''t actually know her at all. But based off of what you''ve said about her. I''m guessing she''s going to be angry and react violently?¡±


    ¡°Yeah... She probably will...¡± mumbled Kianna as she lowered her ears.


    ¡°Do you think she''ll come here herself?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°Yeah, more than likely...¡± answered Kianna.


    ¡°Well if that''s the case then it might be better for us to just let things play out out as they will.¡± reasoned Anton ¡°We''ll have more time to prepare if we let Salia do all the contacting for us.¡±


    ¡°How are we going to prepare?¡± questioned Kianna as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards.


    ¡°Well... I don''t think we need anything too fancy...¡± mused Anton ¡°We can set a simple ward that''ll let us know when she''s here. That way we won''t be surprised... And that should probably be enough.¡±


    ¡°...You don''t think it might be better for you to just leave when she gets here? At least for a little while? Just so we can talk to her first?¡± questioned Kianna.


    ¡°What!? No! Absolutely not!¡± declared Anton ¡°I''m not leaving you alone with that woman for even a moment! No! That is out of the question!¡±


    ¡°...Huh? Why not?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°Because she''s dangerous, Kianna! Deranged! Look at what''s she''s done!¡± declared Anton ¡°No, I am not going to leave you alone with her, ever.¡±


    ¡°...She''s not going to do anything to us though! We''re her daughters!¡± stated Kianna.


    ¡°We don''t know that for sure. And I''m not going to risk it.¡± said Anton as he shook his head ¡°No, there''s no reason to do that. None at all.¡±


    ¡°...But what about you!? You''re still taking a risk!¡± cried Kianna as a pained grimaced spread across her face ¡°...Maybe we should all just leave then. That might be better...¡±


    Anton paused the movement of his fingers for a moment as he assessed the unhappy looking dark elf.


    ¡°No, that''s not what you want.¡± he said as he shook his head and disregarded the idea ¡°And that''s not going to solve anything. We''ll still have to deal with your Mother at some point. So we might as well do it now.¡±


    ¡°But what if she tries to kill you!?¡± cried Kianna.


    ¡°I''m assuming that she''s going to.¡± stated Anton ¡°If everything you''ve said about her is true then I don''t see any reason to think that she wouldn''t.¡±


    ¡°So what are you going to do!?¡± cried Kianna.


    ¡°Be prepared.¡± said Anton with a shrug ¡°That''s all I can do.¡±


    ¡°...Why aren''t you worried about this!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as her voice became laced with emotion ¡°This is bad! Really bad!¡±


    ¡°Hey now.¡± soothed Anton as he let his calming aura seep into her through his palm ¡°Everything is going to be okay, Kianna. This isn''t something that I haven''t been giving some thought to. It''s just like with the dark elves. When I decided to enslave you these were some of the potential problems I had to take into consideration. They''re all things I''ve been thinking about since I first had the idea to keep you. And I do have some plans for them. So there''s no reason for you to worry yourself, everything''s going to be fine.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you really thought about all this!? Even before...!?¡± questioned Kianna.


    ¡°Of course.¡± said Anton ¡°That''s why I took so long to decide whether or not this was something I really wanted to do. And why I wanted to get to know you two a little better before I made my final decision. I wanted to make sure you were worth the trouble.¡±


    Kianna lowered her ears as Anton ran his hand down the back of her head and through her hair.


    ¡°And you are...¡± he said with a smile.


    Kianna was still for a moment as she stared back at him.


    ¡°But I don''t want you to be in danger!¡± she whined as she frantically wrapped her arms around his sides and hugged herself to him ¡°What are we gonna do!?¡±


    ¡°We''re going to take things as they come, and we''re going to deal with them one at a time...¡± soothed Anton ¡°We know what''s coming, Kianna. And trust me. We can handle this.¡±


    Unable to resist the soothing warmth that was permeating throughout her body, Kianna hid her face against Anton''s chest and flattened her ears back completely as she let out an unhappy sigh.


    ¡°...I know you think there''s nothing you can do, Kianna... But that isn''t true...¡± breathed Anton as he again ran his hand down the back of her head and stroked her hair ¡°You feel helpless... But you really shouldn''t... Because you''re not. Not anymore... We might be facing dark elves, Kianna. But I think you''ve forgotten, that so are they...¡±


    Kianna was still for a second until her ears suddenly flicked upwards and became alert. Without a word she raised her face up just enough for her large eyes to peek out from the shadow of her head and become locked to Anton''s.


    ¡°People have been scared of you for years now, Kianna...¡± said Anton as he took in the look of her eyes ¡°Don''t you think it''s about time that you gave them a reason to be afraid?¡±


    Anton couldn''t help but to grin as he watched the dark elf''s eyes widen.


    ¡°Enemies want to drive you away from your home, Kianna... They''re going to try and take away everything that you care about...¡± whispered Anton ¡°Now are you going to just let them do this?¡±


    The shadow created by Kianna tilted head was suddenly filled with an eerie red light as her irises began to faintly glow.


    ¡°...No.¡± she whispered menacingly as she pointed her ears straight back behind her head.


    ¡°I didn''t think so.¡± chuckled Anton ¡°My brave little dark elf...¡±


    ¡°...You have to show me what to do!¡± declared Kianna ¡°Show me what I can do!¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± smiled Anton ¡°You''ve seen a few things already. So you should have some ideas of what your abilities are like. ...This is a good one for you though. Have you seen this done before?¡±


    Kianna''s head popped up in surprise as Anton instantly concentrated his aura into a circle around them. Looking upwards, she was shocked to find that a large, transparent, glowing orange bubble had suddenly winked into existence and was now surrounding her, Anton and the lounge chair that they were both laying on.


    ¡°What the fuck!?¡± cried Fiona as she jumped up out of her own chair and slowly approached the bubble ¡°...These are a real thing too!?¡±


    ¡°Hm, so you''ve never seen this one either?¡± questioned Anton as he cocked an eyebrow at her ¡°Did your Mother ever use any magic at all while around you?¡±


    Both of the dark elves failed to register what had been said as they were too focused on their examinations of the glowing bubble.


    Reaching out her hand, Fiona tentatively poked at the thin sheen of glowing orange and discovered it to be hard to the touch. Pressing her palm against the side, she found it to be smooth, warm and unyielding. Her mind immediately came to the realization that Anton had somehow caused the light of his aura to solidify into what was essentially, a shield of glass-like material.


    Kianna''s eyes darted all around as she took in the sight of the world that now been coated with a hazy overlay of orange light. She stopped when her eyes landed on her sister''s hand, now pressed against the side of the bubble.


    ¡°...You can''t get through it!?¡± she questioned as she eyes jumped to her sister''s.


    Fiona said nothing as she pushed against the unmoving bubble and shook her head.


    Kianna stared at her for a moment before suddenly turning to Anton.


    ¡°What is this!?¡± she cried.


    ¡°It''s called an ¡°aura field¡± and as its name implies, it''s a force field made from your aura.¡± explained Anton ¡°It''s normally used as a shield, but it''s also technically a trap.¡±


    ¡°A trap?¡± questioned Kianna.


    ¡°Mm hm. You see Fiona isn''t able to get in here. And that''s the shield part. You however...¡± smiled Anton as he tapped Kianna on the nose ¡°Can''t get out. And that''s the trap part!¡±


    Kianna stared at him for a moment before looking straight up at the dome of the bubble above her.


    ¡°Can you do it again!?¡± she cried ¡°Please!?¡±


    ¡°...Um, sure.¡± stammered Anton as he released his aura.


    Fiona jumped back as the bubble disappeared from right in front of her and reappeared just a moment later.


    ¡°...Again! Please!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she watched the bubble vanish and then pop back into place ¡°...Slower, please!¡±


    After watching the bubble wink in and out of existence several more times, Kianna bought her eyes down to meet Anton''s.


    ¡°Leave it down, please.¡± she whispered.


    Anton nodded as he dropped the bubble for the last time.


    Taking a deep breath, Kianna''s eyes narrowed with determination as she kept them focused on Anton''s and let her own aura flare outwards around them.


    Both Anton and Fiona remained silent for several minutes as Kianna''s ears slowly pointed themselves straight back and her face became more and more strained from her efforts.


    ¡°...Concentrate it in closer. Focus it until it feels like a ball around you.¡± whispered Anton ¡°And when you know it''s ready. Take a hold of your mana, and ignite it. You just have to touch one little point, and then let it spread out on its own as it follows the shape of your aura...¡±


    Taking quick breaths through her nose, Kianna nodded and kept her eyes locked to his as she followed his instructions and continued her efforts. For some time there was nothing, then, without a sound of warning, Kianna''s breath got caught in her throat as a pink colored bubble that was identical to Anton''s suddenly appeared around them.


    ¡°I did it!¡± cried Kianna as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards and her eyes widened to their fullest ¡°I did it! I did it!¡±


    ¡°Yes you did!¡± laughed Anton as he looked up at the now pink colored sky.


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she stepped forward and pressed her hands against the side of the new bubble ¡°Kianna! This is fucking amazing!¡±


    ¡°I did it! I did it!¡± repeated Kianna as she let her eyes rove over the bubble she had created ¡°...I did it!¡±


    She stopped short as she locked gazes with her smiling sister who was still on the other side of the bubble.


    ¡°...Wait! Wait, how do I turn it off!?¡± she exclaimed as she whorled back onto a now confused looking Anton.


    ¡°Uh, you, just, let it go.¡± stammered Anton ¡°The mana you have linked to it. Just let it go.¡±


    Kianna blinked and turned back to face her sister. Within a moment the pink wall between them disappeared and then less than a second later it suddenly reappeared behind Fiona.


    ¡°Whoa!¡± cried Fiona as she spun around and found herself trapped within her sister''s newly formed and now much larger bubble ¡°...You can make it bigger!?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± cried Kianna as she excitedly turned back to face Anton ¡°I did it! I did it! Look! I can protect you! Both of you!¡±


    Anton stopped short as his face softened.


    ¡°Yes, yes you can...¡± he smiled as he cupped her cheek in his hand ¡°Great job, Kianna.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± giggled the dark elf as she grasped his hand with her own and nuzzled her cheek into his palm ¡°Okay! Next I need to know how to make people terrified of me! No! I need to know how to make fire! That has to be next! How do I do that!?¡±


    Anton threw his head back and laughed.


    ¡°Now hold on a second there you little warrior! One step at a time!¡± he exclaimed as he took hold of her face with both hands ¡°You''re not even supposed to be doing this much right now. I told you to take it easy today. Remember!?¡±


    ¡°Oh! Right! Um, I''m sorry...¡± whined Kianna as she laid her ears down submissively.


    ¡°It''s fine. You needed this.¡± smiled Anton ¡°Do you feel better now that you know you can protect us?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah!¡± claimed Kianna as a broad smile spread across her face ¡°I do, I really do!¡±


    ¡°Hey, can you let me out of here!? Please!¡± cried Fiona ¡°I seriously hate to spoil this awesome moment for you, but I really don''t want to be trapped in here anymore!¡±


    Both turning to Fiona in unison, Anton and Kianna went still for a moment as they stared at her.


    ¡°...You know what, Kianna. I think just a tiny fire lesson might be okay.¡± mumbled Anton as he narrowed his eyes and grinned evilly ¡°Fiona, hold out your arm for a second.¡±


    ¡°What!? Fuck no!¡± cried Fiona as she tucked her arms in around her torso.


    ¡°Master!¡± complained Kianna ¡°You can''t light Fiona on fire!¡±


    ¡°I wasn''t the one that was going to...¡± said Anton as he gave her a sideways smile.


    Kianna gave him a tired look and started pouting as she dropped the bubble away from around them.


    ¡°Ah! Look what you did!¡± grumbled Anton as Fiona immediately jumped back and put some distance between them ¡°You let her get away...¡±


    ¡°Ha, ha! I''m so sorry!¡± sighed Kianna as she hoisted herself up on her hands and knees and crawled forward ¡°But not really...¡±


    Anton leaned his head back into the lounge chair as Kianna brought her face even with his and began to kiss him deeply. Laying herself back down against him, Kianna wrapped her arms around his neck as she pressed herself into their kiss.


    ¡°...Ah! Well!¡± breathed Anton when they finally broke apart ¡°...I don''t know where that came from! But I''m guessing somebodies in a much better mood now that she can protect people...¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡± smiled Kianna as she lightly kissed at the corner of his mouth ¡°...That might be it!¡±


    ¡°...Might be, huh? And just what are you up to with this?¡± grinned Anton as he narrowed his eyes in suspicion and began to slowly walk his fingers up and down her spine ¡°You sneaky little dark elf...¡±


    Moaning in response to the tickling sensation, Kianna flattened her ears down submissively and began to pout again.


    ¡°...I want you to show me how to make fire.¡± she whined pitifully as she let her forehead come to rest against his and looked down into his eyes ¡°Please...¡±


    ¡°No...¡± drawled Anton as he smiled back up at her ¡°Not today. You''ve done more than you should have already.¡±


    ¡°Oh, c''mon!¡± complained Kianna ¡°Just this one more thing! Please!¡±


    ¡°I said no, Kianna. And I mean it.¡± said Anton ¡°Making an aura field is a natural ability for you. So it''s easy for you to learn how to do it. But creating fire isn''t. Fire making is an actual spell you''ll need to learn. That makes it a lot more complicated, and involved. It''s not something you''ll be able to do right away. It''ll take time, and we don''t have enough time to dedicate to it right now. There are more important things that we need to take care of first.¡±


    ¡°What do we need to take care of first?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°A few things, actually.¡± said Anton ¡°First of all I need to have Earlivi bring me a few items to set up the ward with. And then I''m going to have him help me put together a classroom in the dungeon. That way we don''t have to use the dining room table for anymore school work.¡±


    ¡°...Okay. The ward I get. But do we really need a classroom right now?¡± complained Kianna ¡°Isn''t learning how to use magic more important than that!?¡±


    ¡°That''s what the classroom is for, Kianna. It''s for learning how to use magic.¡± smiled Anton ¡°Trust me. It''ll be a lot easier to stay focused and absorb your lessons when you''re in the right environment. ...And it''ll be a lot more fun too!¡±


    Kianna cocked an eyebrow as a knowing grin spread across her face.


    ¡°More fun, huh!?¡± she quipped ¡°You know... I think that''s what you''re really after with all this... You''re just looking for a good time, and an excuse to see us in our old school uniforms, aren''t you!?¡±


    ¡°Well, I''m not going to lie and say that I''m not at least a little excited for the uniforms... The way I see it, there''s no reason why I shouldn''t have a good time while teaching!¡± laughed Anton as he walked his fingers back down Kianna''s spine and to the small of her back ¡°Life is meant to be enjoyed after all!¡±


    ¡°You ass!¡± giggled Kianna as she arched her back and poised her lips for a kiss ¡°You''re so mean!¡±


    ¡°I know...¡± chuckled Anton as he raised his head and met her lips with his own.


    Getting lost in their session, Anton and Kianna stayed focused on each other for some time. And as preoccupied with one another as they were, they both jumped in surprise when a large, neon green colored bubble suddenly winked into existence just off to their side.


    ¡°I did it!¡± cried Fiona as she raised her balled fists in triumph ¡°Yes!¡±


    The ecstatic dark elf was standing in the center of the bubble she had just created and as she dropped her arms back down to her sides she shifted her hips into motion and started to dance in victory.


    ¡°Oh, good.¡± said Anton as he nodded in approval ¡°Now she won''t fall behind you. And you can both defend yourselves now.¡±


    ¡°Way to go, Fiona!¡± cried Kianna ¡°That''s amazing!¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is!¡± agreed Anton as he used his elbows to raise himself up to a sitting position ¡°Okay, I think I need to get up now. I''ve got things to do.¡±


    ¡°What are you gonna do?¡± asked Kianna as she found herself now sitting on his lap with her legs folded up on either side of him.


    ¡°I told you already. I''m gonna go get Earlivi and have him help me put the classroom together.¡± said Anton as leaned forward and gave her another kiss ¡°...You wanna help us?¡±


    ¡°...Uh! Yeah, I guess...¡± grumbled Kianna as she flattened her ears back submissively ¡°Earlivi is gonna be there though, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He is.¡± smiled Anton as he chuckled at the dark elf''s nervousness ¡°Don''t worry, you can keep taking it easy up here. We can handle the classroom ourselves. ...In fact, there''s actually a few other things I need you to do while we''re busy.¡±


    ¡°Oh really!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as she pointed her ears straight upwards ¡°What do you need!?¡±


    ¡°Well, I''m gonna be hungry again when I''m done. And I wouldn''t mind having some more macaroni to go with my leftover pizza.¡± smiled Anton ¡°Think you can make that happen on your own this time?¡±


    ¡°Sure! I can do that!¡± declared Kianna as she nodded enthusiastically ¡°Anything else!?¡±


    ¡°...Well, you''ll also need to get your clothes ready for class tomorrow. And your sister''s too.¡± said Anton as he smiled slyly ¡°Think you can handle that without being too suspicious?¡±


    Kianna''s ears twitched as her smile broadened and became sinister.


    ¡°...Our clothes, huh? ...You know she''s gonna be so pissed!¡± giggled the dark elf as she leaned forward and pressed her forehead into Anton''s ¡°She''s gonna be so very, very pissed!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know it!¡± agreed Anton as he smiled back ¡°But that''s the price she''s going to pay for power!¡±


    Sharing an evil laugh, they both began to kiss again as off to the side of them an oblivious Fiona finished off a twirling dance move and called out another cry of victory.

 Chapter 30 : Mid-Morning

    Chapter 30 : Mid-Morning


    ¡°Are you fucking serious!?¡± snarled Fiona as she held her arms straight down along her sides and balled her hands into fists ¡°I can''t believe how far you''re taking this stupid bullshit!¡±


    Anton had stayed true to his word when it came to his claims of converting a section of the dungeon into a classroom. Three false-walls had been set up to create a stage-like elementary school room. And these walls had then been crudely decorated to resemble a kindergarten setting, complete with an alphabet running along their top edge and a series of posters depicting various animals, maps and anatomical diagrams strewn randomly across two of the three walls. A large blackboard took up the majority of the far left wall and sitting in front of this was a broad wooden desk.


    Glancing up from his place behind the large desk, Anton leaned back in his leather desk chair and grinned as he took in the sight of the two scantily clad dark elves standing together at the top of the dungeons landing.


    Both Fiona and Kianna had become quite a spectacle after literally squeezing themselves back into their former school uniforms. The white-cotton dress blouse and short plaid skirt ensembles that they currently wore did little more than accentuate their finer features as they barely managed to cover them in any way. The blouses in particular were clearly struggling to simply remain in place after having been stretched to their limits around the fully developed female bodies that they were never meant to adorn. Wide gaps existed between the barely clasped buttons across the front of the blouses and these open spaces gave a clear, tantalizing glimpse of the bra covered bosoms that were somewhat hidden beneath them.


    The dark elves midriffs were fully exposed as the blouses ended just beneath their busts, and this left absolutely nothing but smooth skin between the blouses and the comically short skirts that were fitted tightly around their hips. These skirts fluttered playfully about at the very tops of the dark elves thighs and any bending motion, regardless of direction, would immediately expose the thin panties that they currently wore. Knee high white socks and flat dress shoes completed their skimpy attires.


    Kianna had taken her school girl look even further by braiding her hair into twin pigtails that were tied off with ribbons.


    Each of the dark elves also carried with her a small satchel that held sets of seemingly pointless empty notebooks and other elementary school level supplies.


    ¡°Good morning Miss Vale, and Miss Vale. If you would kindly take your seats please.¡± said Anton as he indicated the two child-sized school room style desks that were set up in front of his much larger desk ¡°Class will be starting in a just a few moments.¡±


    ¡°I hate you!¡± hissed Fiona as she pointed her finger right at Anton and glowered down at him from her place at the top of the landing ¡°I hate you so fucking much!¡±


    ¡°Yes Miss Vale, I am aware of that.¡± smiled Anton as he absently arranged a set of papers on his desk ¡°That, however, will not excuse tardiness. So please take your seat so that we may begin today''s lessons.¡±


    With a wide smile on her own face, Kianna snickered as Fiona snarled and began to grind her teeth together.


    ¡°Price of power, price of power, price of power!¡± repeated Fiona as she followed her sister down the stairs and across the main floor of the dungeon to the classroom.


    ¡°Thank you ladies.¡± said Anton as the two dark elves situated themselves at the small desks and sat at attention ¡°Now, welcome to your first day of class! I''ll be your teacher for the rest of the semester. My name is Mr. Antonius Faustus North. But you may refer to me as your Master!¡±


    Fiona groaned in frustration and let her face fall into her open palm as Anton rose from his seat and began to write out his name across the large chalkboard. She groaned again and glared at her sister when she noticed that Kianna had taken a notebook and pencil from her satchel and was diligently taking notes.


    Kianna smiled to herself as she wrote out Anton''s full name, followed it with an equal sign and wrote the word ¡°Master¡± at the end before underlining everything twice. Once finished, she looked back up at attention and blatantly ignored her scowling sister.


    Like the dark elves, Anton had taken the opportunity to dress the part of the role he was currently playing. Clad in an off-white dress shirt, red tie and black slacks. He completed the ¡°Professor¡± look by donning a tan colored tweed jacket with leather pads on the elbows and lens-less wire-rimmed glasses.


    ¡°Okay, now that I''ve introduced myself... Let''s go ahead and take an attendance real quick...¡± mumbled Anton as he picked up a clipboard from his desk and absently looked over a paper attached to it ¡°Then we can get started...¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on!¡± grumbled Fiona as she flopped down onto her desk and hid her face against her folded arms ¡°You have got to kidding me!¡±


    ¡°Okay... Let''s see here... Kianna Vale?¡± called Anton as he looked up from the clipboard.


    ¡°Present!¡± cried Kianna.


    ¡°Wonderful!¡± said Anton as he made a mark on the paper ¡°Now then... Fiona Vale?¡±


    ¡°Die! Just die! Please die!¡± raged Fiona as she left her face hidden ¡°Or just kill me instead! I don''t even care anymore...¡±


    ¡°Fiona Vale!?¡± repeated Anton as he acted as though she hadn''t said anything.


    ¡°...Argh!¡± growled Fiona as she lifted her head ¡°Present!¡±


    ¡°Excellent!¡± said Anton as he made another mark and then set the clipboard back down on the desk ¡°Well. Looks like we have a full attendance today. Wonderful! Just wonderful!¡±


    ¡°This is the stupidest shit ever!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she laid hunched over her desk and glared up at Anton ¡°Is this really how you''re going to teach us how to use magic!? Seriously!? You seriously expect us to take any of this shit seriously!? Look at us! Look at you!¡±


    Anton maintained an expression of calmness as he merely gazed back at her.


    ¡°How the Hell do you-!¡± started Fiona before a blinding light suddenly filled the room.


    Both Fiona and Kianna froze in their seats as Anton''s aura once again shifted into existence and set his entire being ablaze with a dazzling inferno of living fire.


    ¡°Mana.¡± stated Anton as he stared down at the dark elves ¡°Easily the most versatile form of energy in all of existence. It is the source of power behind all magic. And with it, nearly anything is possible.¡±


    Her eyes wide and unblinking, Fiona rose back up to a sitting position and sat at attention as actual non-aura based flames began to form across Anton''s shoulders. These flames began to travel down his arms as he continued to speak.


    ¡°It''s difficult to say exactly how mana is formed, since no one has ever witnessed it actually coming into existence. As far as we can tell, it''s either produced as a form of radiation during the destruction of different types of matter, or is a byproduct of certain kinds of heat transfers. We believe this because we know it''s generated by the sun, the spinning core at the center of the planet and within the bodies of all living things.¡± explained Anton as he raised his arms and held his hands, palms upwards, out in front of himself ¡°Although we don''t know how mana is created. We do know quite a bit about how it works once it exists. And, what it can do!¡±


    Their mouths hanging agape in awe, both Fiona and Kianna stared transfixed as the flames traveling down Anton''s arms reached his palms and began to rise upwards as they formed into swirling pillars of fire. These flames then continued to spin faster and faster until they became two miniature tornadoes.


    ¡°As a form of energy, mana is unique in many ways. In its rawest form it''s essentially inert, but stimulate it in any way, and its potential is limitless.¡± explained Anton as he bobbed his hands upwards and caused the two flaming tornadoes to double in size ¡°It can be influenced by living things through either mental prowess, or through physical triggers. And due to the fact that its own make up is so simple and rudimentary, its base structure can be easily altered to take on the properties of other forms of energy. An example of this would of course... be fire!¡±


    For emphasis, Anton closed his fists and caused the tornadoes to swell until they both burst and exploded into balls of impressive but harmless flames.


    ¡°This shift in dynamics goes down to the atomic level. And in this way mana can not only become a synthetic version of other energies, but can also be coaxed into forming a molecular structure and taking on an actual physical form. This is not an easy thing to get it to do, but it can be done. And this is how mana can be used to create things such as water.¡± explained Anton to the nodding dark elves ¡°With a similar process, mana can also be used to alter the molecular structure of already existing elements and compounds. These changes will again take place at the atomic level, but will normally only last for as long as whatever was changed remains infused with the mana that changed it. And it will revert back to its original state once the mana is spent. There are ways to make these changes permanent, but these processes are usually very complicated. This is how we can turn one thing into another though. Lead into gold, sand into steel, milk into honey and so on and so forth. Amazingly, mana can also alter the molecular structure, and even the DNA, of a living organism. In this way it can be used to heal wounds, destroy living tissue or even allow a living thing to completely change itself by shifting its entire cellular structure from one form to another.¡±


    The dark elves remained silent as they watched Anton''s aura fade back into its invisible state. Once his aura was gone completely, he turned around and began to erase his name from the chalkboard.


    ¡°These processes and many more are the base elements of what we call, magic.¡± explained Anton as he wrote out the word in big letters along the top of the chalkboard ¡°Magic, is the collective term we use for any and all processes that utilize mana in any way shape or form. And as such, any person who utilizes mana in any way or for any reason at all, is preforming what we call, an act of magic.¡±


    The dark elves remained silent as they watched Anton continue to feverishly write on the chalkboard.


    ¡°The dynamics of magical acts and practices can be broken down into many different categories.¡± he explained as he stayed focused on what he was writing ¡°Today we''re going to focus only on those that pertain directly to dark elves.¡±


    Stepping away from the chalkboard, Anton formed a long, glowing orange pointer in his hand and began to tap on the first words at the top of a list he had wrote down along the side of the chalkboard.


    ¡°All living things are capable of influencing mana and most will utilize it in one way or another. The mana that forms within living beings collects in what we call a ¡°mana pool¡± and this is where the vast majority of any creatures magical power is going to come from.¡± he explained as he looked from one dark elf to the other and again tapped on the words ¡°mana pool¡± on the chalkboard ¡°There are some species who can harness the ambient mana from the environment around them, but most will just use the mana from their mana pools as it''s easier to utilize and far more potent. The larger the mana pool a creature has, the more powerful they will be. As not only will they have more mana at their disposal but larger concentrations of mana will become more potent, and will thus generate more powerful effects whenever used. This is why certain species will always seem to be naturally more powerful than others.¡±


    Turning to fully face the dark elves, Anton dropped the pointer and let it melt away as he raised both of his hands and held them palms up.


    ¡°For an example of this. A dwarf and a sphinx could both preform the exact same spell, and use the exact same amount of mana to create a ball of fire. The fireball created by the sphinx will always be far greater than the dwarf''s, simply because of the way the sphinx''s mana is concentrated. On top of this, the sphinx will be considered the more powerful of the two since it will not only have the more potent mana but far more of it as well. A dwarf may have enough mana to create an inferno big enough to burn down a house. But a sphinx, in contrast, could incinerate an entire city with the mana it has available to it. Now this example isn''t meant to be derogative towards the dwarves, they''re far from harmless after all. It''s only meant to illustrate that magically speaking, there''s just no comparison between some species and others.¡± said Anton as for emphasis he created a small fireball in one hand and a much larger one in the other ¡°Now in regards to the elves, they''re collectively considered an upper tier race when it comes to magical prowess. The high elves in particular are the most powerful of the original 3 species, and that''s why they''re seen as the ruling class of the elves. These days this distinction is pretty subjective though, as the dark elves are easily on par with them in raw power. And any new attempt by the High Elven Empire to establish itself as a force of ruling power in the world is guaranteed to end with the dark elves reminding them just who the actual ruling class of the elves truly is.¡±


    Smiling wickedly, Fiona snickered as she nodded in agreement.


    Shaking out his wrists, Anton dispelled the two fireballs as Kianna raised her hand to signal that she had a question.


    ¡°Yes?¡± said Anton as he pointed to her.


    ¡°How powerful are humans though?¡± she asked ¡°Are they more powerful than elves, dwarves and sphinxes?¡±


    ¡°Yes to dwarves, technically. But no to elves and sphinxes.¡± answered Anton ¡°Humans are actually at the exact center of the mid tier range when it comes to magical prowess. In fact there are many scholars that will often refer to humans as the ¡°neutral zero¡± in regards to magical power.¡±


    ¡°...Neutral zero?¡± questioned Kianna ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°It''s just a term that''s applied to humans when they''re used as a point of measurement.¡± explained Anton ¡°On a graph showcasing the basic magical prowess of multiple species, humans will naturally fall at the very center. And other species will often be measured against them using a plus or minus method. Since humans are used as the starting point in these measurements, they''re considered 0. Now off the top of my head, I don''t remember any of the exact numbers, but I believe that when it came to dwarves, elves and sphinxes it would be something like minus 4 for dwarves. Meaning that it would take 4 dwarves to equal a single human. And it was something like plus 5 for wood elves and rock elves and plus 7 or 8 for high elves and dark elves. Now I''m not at all sure where sphinxes would be on the scale but I would imagine that they would have to be something ridiculous. Probably plus a few dozen humans or more. They are a very powerful species after all.¡±


    ¡°Wait! Wait, hold on a second!¡± cried Fiona as her smile became devilish ¡°So you''re saying that dark elves are actually way stronger than humans!? Like, there wouldn''t even be a competition!?¡±


    ¡°...Magically speaking, yes. The average dark elf is quite a bit more powerful than the average human.¡± said Anton as he gave her a knowing smirk ¡°That''s only when you''re measuring from the baseline set by the average though. And even with that being the case, you should never forget! There are plenty of ways for someone to improve themselves. And not everyone is going to be average.¡±


    ¡°...Still though!¡± drawled Fiona as she playfully drummed her fingers on her desk and continued to smile ¡°That''s interesting to know that a dark elf is so much more powerful than a human!¡±


    ¡°That is interesting, isn''t it...¡± said Anton as he let a broad smile spread across his face ¡°It''s so interesting to think that for a human, a dark elf would make such an amazingly useful familiar...¡±


    Fiona''s smile vanished the instant she registered what had just been said.


    ¡°I mean as the most powerful of the elves, a dark elf really would be the perfect choice.¡± continued Anton ¡°In fact, it''s hard to imagine anything that would even be better.¡±


    Fiona''s face hardened as she merely stared back at him.


    ¡°Really makes you think...¡± drawled Anton as he narrowed his eyes at the stoic dark elf ¡°Doesn''t it?¡±


    Fiona let her eyes fall to her desk as she began to scowl silently.


    ¡°...Anyways.¡± smiled Anton as he turned away from her ¡°Back to the lesson. Now, as I''ve explained to you two before, there are many ways that a mana pool functions like a sort of muscle. The more use, or exercise that it receives, the larger it will grow. And as it grows in size the more concentrated and potent the mana stored within it will be. So again, like a muscle, it can become stronger through effort and training. Unlike an actual muscle however, there is no limit to this. And although the process of expanding beyond a species'' normal standard is an extremely slow one. A mana pool can, technically, grow indefinitely.¡±


    Joining her sister at attention, Fiona looked back up at Anton as she took in this information.


    ¡°This is exactly why you should never assume that someone is going to be weak magically. No matter what they are.¡± explained Anton as he folded his arms over his chest ¡°People may be born at one point or another on the scale of power. But with enough effort, it is entirely possible for anyone to become extremely powerful... and possibly even reach the level of a God...¡±


    The dark elves had both become transfixed as they listened to what was being explained to them.


    ¡°This is still incredibly difficult to do of course. And realistically it''s not even something that''s worth trying to accomplish, since it could take many lifetimes to even get close to that point. But even as hard as it would be to achieve, it is still technically possible.¡± stated Anton ¡°You two in particular are going to need to play a bit of catch up since your own mana pools haven''t been given much of a chance to grow yet. There''s no reason for you two to worry about this though, as luckily a mana pool will grow fairly quickly until it reaches its species'' standard size. So with this being the case, it shouldn''t take too long for you to reach what''s normal for your ages.¡±


    The dark elves nodded slowly as Anton turned back to the chalkboard and reformed the long pointer.


    ¡°Moving on, we next have abilities.¡± said Anton as he tapped on the chalkboard ¡°An ability is a magical act that can be preformed naturally by a given species. Most species will have at least a handful of abilities but some species can have several dozen. Since most abilities come naturally, they generally don''t need to be taught. And those that do are still learned fairly easily. In the case of dark elves, a binding ring and an aura field would both be examples of abilities that-.¡±


    ¡°Wait! What''s a ¡°binding ring¡± supposed to be!?¡± interrupted Fiona.


    ¡°...This,¡± said Anton as an expression of annoyance spread across his face ¡°is a binding ring.¡±


    Fiona''s ears pointed themselves straight upwards as a glowing ring of orange light suddenly appeared around her.


    ¡°Oh shit! No! Not this crap again!¡± she cried as thin chains shot out from the ring and immediately began to wrap themselves around her torso ¡°Dammit! Stop it!¡±


    ¡°Now, as I was saying. Before someone forgot to raise their hand... The majority of abilities don''t necessarily need to be taught as they often come naturally.¡± explained Anton as he casually watched Fiona struggle against the assaulting chains ¡°When it comes to dark elves in particular, the use of many of their abilities is first dependent on them mastering control of their auras. And as we have seen first hand, neglected dark elves who aren''t nurtured correctly don''t develop this control and are magically stunted as a result.¡±


    Kianna''s expression became sorrowful while beside her Fiona cried out in frustration as she lost her battle against the chains and ended up completely ensnared by them.


    ¡°This type of scenario isn''t unique to only dark elves, as there are other species who also require nurturing to fully develop their abilities.¡± continued Anton as cradled his chin in his hand and let his eyes fall to the floor ¡°I am somewhat starting to think that this might explain why dark elves only have one child at a time though...¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± questioned Kianna ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, think about it for a moment.¡± said Anton as he looked back up at her ¡°If a dark elf isn''t given the attention it needs while younger then it will grow up to be essentially helpless, at least magically speaking. So to make sure that this doesn''t happen, dark elf parents will only have one child at a time. This way they can focus on that child and be sure that it will develop correctly.¡±


    ¡°...Oh. Yeah, that does make sense!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she nodded her head in agreement ¡°So I guess that''s why it seems like such a bad idea to have more than one baby at a time then?¡±


    ¡°...That''s right.¡± said Anton as he tilted his head in thought while staring at her ¡°You did think that was a bad idea. Right away even. ...Hm, I wonder if this is something instinctual to dark elves then? Something you do, without even realizing it, or questioning it? ...It might very well be something you just do without even understanding why you do it at all? ...That''s, an interesting theory...¡±


    ¡°...Hey. Wait a second?¡± questioned Kianna as she lowered her ears in embarrassment ¡°...Are, are you studying me right now!?¡±


    Blinking in realization, Anton ducked his head and chuckled.


    ¡°Maybe, just a little bit!¡± he smiled before turning back to the chalkboard ¡°Anyways, back to-.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on!¡± cried Fiona as the chains wrapped around her torso tightened enough that her bust, which was barely being held back as it was, suddenly burst free of her now overly stretched blouse and exposed her bra covered bosom whilst sending buttons flying in multiple directions ¡°Motherfucking-!¡±


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Miss Vale! Would you please stop disrupting my class with your indecent antics!¡± chastised Anton as Kianna covered her mouth to stifle her laughter ¡°Honestly! Have you no sense of modesty!?¡±


    ¡°...I fucking swear!¡± raged Fiona as she struggled to twist free of the chains ¡°I hate you! Oh I hate you so much!¡±


    ¡°Be that as it may. You''ll still be receiving a demerit for this little stunt.¡± declared Anton as he leaned over his desk and made a mark next to Fiona''s name on his clipboard ¡°I won''t stand for such outrageous behavior in my classroom, Miss Vale. Do you understand me!?¡±


    ¡°I, you! Fucking! Dammit!¡± screamed Fiona as she threw her head back and kicked her legs ¡°Dammit! Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!¡±


    ¡°Such ridiculous nonsense...¡± sighed Anton as he grinned at a still snickering Kianna ¡°Anyways. As I was saying. Dark elf abilities include the aura field, binding rings, aural manifestation and what I refer to as ¡°dark mode¡± which is the ability I used when I became solid black and menacing. I''ve come to call it that since I have no idea if that ability has an actual name or not.¡±


    Still struggling in her binds, Fiona''s ears were, like her sister''s, clearly focused on Anton and what he was saying, even as her face was twisted with a glaring fury.


    ¡°I know there are a few other abilities as well. But these 4 are the only ones that I''m capable of using, and as such are the only ones that I''ll be able to teach you how to use myself.¡± explained Anton ¡°Hopefully you''ll be able to develop the rest of your abilities on your own. But if not, then I suppose we''ll just have to find you a tutor of some sort.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, cause I bet that''ll be easy to find...¡± muttered Fiona ¡°We''ll just put out a personal ad!¡±


    ¡°What are the other abilities like? The one''s that you know about but can''t do?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°Well, they''re... kind of a little difficult to describe...¡± said Anton as his face scrunched up and his eyes went distant in memory ¡°You see, you don''t actually see anything happen if you''re the one that''s just watching. But something is definitely happening. It almost seems like... a type of mind reading? Or maybe some kind of hypnosis? Like I said, it''s difficult to describe. What I can tell you is that it does involve your auras, and whenever you use these abilities you''ll kind of, connect? With people. Not enslave them, mind you. Or anything like that. But more like... you''ll suddenly understand them. Very, very well. ...Does any of this sound like it makes sense to you two?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± snapped Fiona.


    ¡°So... we just know what people are thinking?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°No, well. ...I don''t think so?¡± said Anton ¡°Again, like I said, I''m not exactly sure what''s happening. All I can really say is that some kind of connection is made. And once you''ve made this connection with someone... Well, you''ll seemingly just understand that person. And when I say you''ll understand that person, I mean you''ll truly understand them at an intimate level. ...Possibly even better than they understand themselves. And I don''t know how you do this. I''m not sure how that works, at all.¡±


    ¡°...It kinda sounds like this creeps you out.¡± muttered Fiona around a sneer.


    Chuckling, Anton dropped his eyes to the floor as he folded his arms over his chest.


    ¡°It, can be unsettling...¡± he smiled as he looked back up at the dark elves ¡°It is very impressive as well. And I''d love to have a better understanding of it.¡±


    ¡°You don''t know how we do this one though?¡± asked Kianna as she cocked one of her ears in a curious manner ¡°Not even how we start it?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± said Anton as he shook his head ¡°I''ve never had the chance to actually see the process clearly. Only the aftermath.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay...¡± mumbled Kianna as she scrunched up her face and became thoughtful.


    Giving her a half smile, Anton turned back to the blackboard and reformed his pointer.


    ¡°Anyways, let''s go ahead and get back to our lessons.¡± he said as he tapped on the next listed topic ¡°Auramancy! The practice of manipulating auras. Dark elves may be far from the only species capable of this feat. But they are still considered one of, if not the true masters of the talent. And what they can do with just their auras is nothing short of remarkable. The things that can be done with aural manifestation alone is beyond impressive. There are very few abilities out there that can offer even half of the utility of just that single one.¡±


    To illustrate his point Anton raised his pointer into the air and as the dark elves watched he shifted its shape into a series of different items.


    ¡°As you can see, this abilities usefulness is nearly endless.¡± he explained as he waved the pointer turned sword through the air and then shifted its shape again into a butterfly net ¡°Its only drawbacks are that the shapes are limited to simple forms with few or no moving parts. And anything you create must remain in contact with you and your mana pool for it to stay solid.¡±


    Anton showcased this by dropping what was now a pickax and letting it melt away as it fell from his hand.


    ¡°A less flashy but arguably more dangerous aspect of aura manipulation is that it allows one to use their own aura to mingle with and influence the auras of those around them. Dark elves use this to great effect by projecting mental stimulants into their auras and creating an emotional atmosphere around themselves. In other words, the dark elves can alter the emotional state of the people around them using just their auras, and it doesn''t end there. With enough intensity, the effects of this generated atmosphere can be so overwhelming that it can even cause real, physical pain in anyone who can''t resist its influence.¡± explained Anton ¡°You two have already seen first hand how effective this can be.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no shit we have.¡± mumbled Fiona as Kianna grimaced and nodded in agreement.


    Chuckling, Anton turned back to the chalkboard and, with a flick of his wrist, reformed his pointer before tapping on the last item on the list.


    ¡°And finally, I''d like to just touch on this topic real quick, since I know it''s something Kianna is dying to ask me about anyway.¡± said Anton as he smiled at the attentive dark elf ¡°Spells!¡±


    Biting her lower lip, Kianna''s ears twitched in anticipation as she stared at the word written on the chalkboard.


    ¡°A spell. Is what we call an ability that has been broken down into a formula and can now be learned by a species that wouldn''t naturally have that ability.¡± explained Anton ¡°Although the vast majority of them have been, not every ability has yet to be broken down into a spell. At this point though, enough spells exist that you can usually create an effect similar enough to mimic any ability you wanted.¡±


    The dark elves both nodded to indicate that they were listening.


    ¡°Now, there are several ways that one can learn different spells. The vast majority of them however are learned through enchantments, and this is something we''ll go into further detail on later.¡± explained Anton ¡°When a spell is first learned it will require either an incantation or some kind of physical trigger in order to be activated. Since spells are in essence artificial abilities, it is possible to develop a sort of ¡°muscle memory¡± with them that will allow you to activate them using only mental triggers in the same manner as you would with natural abilities. This can take quite a while to master though, especially with very complex spells or one''s that you may not fully understand the mechanics of.¡±


    Kianna quickly raised her hand as a signal that she had something to say.


    ¡°Yes?¡± said Anton as he pointed two fingers at her.


    ¡°So like your Quantum Break spell then!?¡± exclaimed the dark elf ¡°You don''t know how it works, so you have to snap your fingers to make it go!¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± smiled Anton ¡°Because I don''t understand the mechanics behind the spell, I have to keep its activation linked to a physical trigger. The other spells that I know and do understand, I''ve mastered to the point that I no longer need to do this. I can simply activate or deactivate them at will.¡±


    To illustrate his claim, Anton deactivated the binding ring that currently held Fiona entrapped.


    The incensed dark elf immediately folded her arms over her chest as the ring vanished from around her.


    ¡°Since elves as a rule are naturally proficient with magic, and dark elves are no exception. I don''t expect you two to have much difficulty with learning spells.¡± stated Anton ¡°We''ll have to save that for another day though, as we have more important things to focus on. Namely, mastering your natural abilities.¡±


    Anton surprised the dark elves by suddenly bending down behind his desk. Craning their necks upwards in an effort to follow what he was doing, both Fiona and Kianna blinked in uncertainty when he rose back up with a riding crop style whip in each hand.


    ¡°Now that we''ve got a bit of the basics out of the way. I think it''s time that we get started with the practical course.¡± smiled Anton as he tossed a whip to each of the dark elves.


    ¡°Practical course?¡± mumbled Fiona as she flicked her whip back and forth ¡°...And what are we supposed to do with these?¡±


    ¡°Simple.¡± said Anton as he folded his arms over his chest ¡°You''re going to use those whips as a guide, while I show you how to create your own, mana built versions.¡±


    ¡°Seriously!? Okay, now you''re talking!¡± cried Fiona as she held out her whip ¡°Finally, we get to the good stuff!¡±


    ¡°Right, I figured you''d be happy about this. Now...¡± smiled Anton as he bent back down and picked up another whip from behind his desk ¡°I want you to take your whips in your non-dominate hands.¡±


    Both of the dark elves held their whips out in their left hands.


    ¡°Good, now, very slowly I want you to let your auras surround the whips.¡± said Anton as he let his aura come back into view and flow out from his hand as it covered the whip he held ¡°You need to concentrate them, as if you were trying to create a thick shell around the whips. But do this softly and gently. Your goal is to examine the whips with your auras. So you need to let your auras really feel the whips, let them take in every detail as they seep into all the little nooks and crannies that make up the whips designs.¡±


    Biting their lower lips and narrowing their eyes, the dark elves both went silent as they concentrated their efforts on bringing their auras into focus around the whips. After nearly twenty minutes of trying, Fiona suddenly took in a quick breath as the green glow of her aura shifted into reality and surrounded her whip.


    ¡°Very good!¡± nodded Anton as he watched the flame-like wisps of living aura swirl around Fiona''s whip ¡°Now, just relax, and let your aura flow on its own. Let it feel the whip in your hand, feel its shape, how it''s built, its weight, its strength and give. How it bends and moves. You want your aura to know exactly what it is that you''re holding, how it works and what it can do...¡±


    Focused as she was, Fiona kept her eyes trained to her whip as her ears twitched to the sound of her sister crying out in triumph.


    ¡°Very nice, Kianna!¡± said Anton as he let his eyes shift to her newly formed pink-colored flames ¡°Now just relax, there''s no rush, you have all the time in the world.¡±


    As the dark elves both became fixated with their tasks, Anton sat back down in his seat and rested his elbows on his desk as he settled in to watch them.


    Some time later Kianna turned to him with a joyous smile spread across her face.


    ¡°We''re doing it right, right!?¡± she asked as she indicated her flame covered whip ¡°Cause I think I am! I can feel everything about this whip. Like really feel it! ...It''s crazy!¡±


    Chuckling, Anton nodded in understanding.


    ¡°What you''re doing is basically building a blueprint of the whip.¡± he explained as he looked back and forth between the dark elves ¡°When you''re done, your auras will remember this blueprint and you''ll be able to recreate your own version of the whip based off of it.¡±


    ¡°Really!?¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°...So that''s how you do it!¡±


    Mm hm.¡± nodded Anton ¡°Whenever you two think you''re ready, we can move on to the next step. You do want to be sure though, so take your time. There''s no rush.¡±


    Nodding absently the two dark elves continued to remain focused on their whips. After some time, Fiona turned back to Anton.


    ¡°Okay.¡± she breathed while nodding her head ¡°I think I got it now!¡±


    Nodding, Anton looked to Kianna.


    ¡°What about you, Kianna?¡± he asked her ¡°Do you feel like you''re ready yet?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah. I think so!¡± nodded the dark elf ¡°I know so much about this whip now. ...I think I could even make one!¡±


    ¡°Well, that is actually the plan!¡± smiled Anton ¡°Okay, what you need to do next is focus another chunk of your auras into your free hand. Try to focus them into something like a ball. ...Let me know when you''re ready with this.¡±


    Nodding silently, the dark elves both pointed their ears straight back as they concentrated on their open hands. When they felt they had completed their task, they each looked to Anton.


    ¡°...Okay, now this next part is a little tricky.¡± warned Anton as he raised his own hand and focused a ball of his own aura into existence ¡°Take the blueprint you''ve just created and put it front and center in your minds. Try to visualize it. ...Now, as you''re focusing on this blueprint, I want you to add a drop of mana, and I mean just a drop! To the aura you have concentrated in your hands. Let the mana ignite your aura, and as it burns, will it to take the shape of the whip in your minds.¡±


    Fiona gasped as the aura in her hand erupted into a flash of light and burned away completely.


    ¡°That''s alright! It happens!¡± exclaimed Anton ¡°Just refocus another ball of your aura and try to go a little slower with the mana...¡±


    Grimacing, Fiona narrowed her eyes as she quickly reformed another ball with her aura.


    ¡°Just relax, and take it slow...¡± soothed Anton as he let his own mana ignite the aura concentrated in his hand ¡°You don''t need very much... Just enough for it to take form...¡±


    Breathing in and out through her nose, Kianna''s eyes went wide as floating in the air above her hand, right within the center of her concentrated aura, the semitransparent handle of a pink-colored whip began to take shape.


    ¡°Let it fully form before you do anything...¡± said Anton as he smiled at the excited dark elf ¡°It''s almost there...¡±


    Kianna couldn''t help but to make a tiny sound of triumph as the pale image of her whip finally took on its full shape above her hand. Across from her, Fiona''s ears began to quiver in excitement as the handle of her own whip suddenly shifted into existence.


    ¡°Alright now, Kianna. Very slowly, I want you to take hold of your whip...¡± encouraged Anton in a soft tone ¡°Once you''re holding it, let it link with your mana pool. This will let it become solid...¡±


    Moving slowly and tentatively, as if afraid she might break it, Kianna closed her hand around the handle of the whip. The moment she did this she could feel her mana begin to flow directly into the body of the whip and completely fill in its entire shape. She gasped as from one instant to the next, the whip became solid in her hand.


    ¡°Holy crap!¡± gasped Kianna as she stretched out her arm and held the whip out in front of herself ¡°...I did it! ...It''s real now! ...I made it real!¡±


    ¡°Yes, you did...¡± nodded Anton.


    Kianna went silent as she marveled at the glowing whip she now held in her hand.


    Shifting his eyes to Fiona, Anton watched with a smile still on his face as the second dark elf quickly followed suit and gave her own whip a solid form.


    ¡°I did it!¡± breathed Fiona as she, like her sister, held her whip out in front of herself and stared at it with eyes wide in wonder ¡°...I did it! ...I did it!¡±


    Nodding silently, Anton shifted his gaze to Kianna. As he locked eyes with her the dark elf laughed gleefully through her smiling teeth as she playfully waved her whip back and forth.


    Chuckling, Anton turned back to Fiona and stopped short as he registered the thick tear lines running down her cheeks.


    Blinking the moisture from her eyes, Fiona remained silent as she raised and lowered her whip a few times. Leaning back in her seat, she brought the whip down against her desk and lightly slapped it against the wooden surface. Her eyes widened to their fullest and her ears twitched as the whip made a sharp sound the moment it struck the desk.


    ¡°It''s real!¡± she marveled as a new set of tears welled in her eyes ¡°It''s really real!¡±


    ¡°Yes it is...¡± whispered Anton as he nodded slowly ¡°Congratulations, Fiona. You did it.¡±


    Fiona raised her eyes and stared at him for a moment before looking back down at her whip.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± chirped Kianna as she stared at her sister''s whip and fought to keep tears from forming in her own eyes ¡°Thank you so much!¡±


    Fiona stayed silent as she kept her eyes on her whip and nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Hm, of course.¡± grinned Anton ¡°You''ve both done very well. Very, very well! ...So well in fact, that I think we should go ahead and try to move on to the next ability. Then once we have that one out of the way. You two can focus on just practicing, perfecting and fully understanding your abilities, while all the while developing and growing your mana pools as well.¡±


    ¡°Wait, just one more!?¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°But that''s just 3 abilities! You said you could show us how to do 4 of them!?¡±


    ¡°Well, technically I did say that... And I can show you how to use 4...¡± admitted Anton ¡°Unfortunately though, ¡°dark mode¡± kind of requires a target to use correctly. And although you could utilize each other... I''d rather not go that route if possible.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°Because of how intense that ability can be.¡± stated Anton ¡°Now that you two are more capable, I don''t want you to try to use that ability against each other and accidentally trigger a legitimate conflict. You have to remember that you can hurt each other now. So there''s no point in pushing things too far.¡±


    ¡°So what are we gonna do then!?¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°We have to do it at least once to make sure we can even do it! And how else are we gonna learn it if we don''t use each other!?¡±


    ¡°...Wait? Make sure you can do it? What are you talking about?¡± questioned Anton as he furrowed his brow in confusion ¡°You know you can do it. You''ve done it once already.¡±


    ¡°...We did?¡± questioned Kianna.


    ¡°What? No we haven''t!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°We never done that before!¡±


    ¡°...Yes you did? Both of you did!¡± stated Anton as he cocked an eyebrow ¡°It was the very first thing you did once you gained control of your auras. ...Do you not remember it?¡±


    ¡°...Oh, shit! That''s right!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she turned to her sister ¡°That''s when everything went white! ...Well, everything, except...¡±


    ¡°...Except?¡± asked Anton as he tilted his head in question.


    ¡°...Except, for you...¡± mumbled Kianna as she lowered her eyes and ears ¡°You were, red...¡±


    ¡°Oh. I see.¡± chuckled Anton as he nodded in understanding ¡°Well! Well there you go then. Now I definitely don''t think it''s a good idea for you two to be trying to practice that on each other!¡±


    ¡°I doubt it''ll be the same.¡± muttered Fiona ¡°It''s not like we hate each other like we hate you!¡±


    ¡°Now you don''t honestly think that Kianna hates me?¡± questioned Anton ¡°Do you?¡±


    Fiona blinked before looking down at her desk with a grimace.


    ¡°No! I don''t!¡± declared Kianna as she narrowed her eyes at her sister ¡°And you know I don''t hate him!¡±


    ¡°You still lost control of yourself though. And that''s what I mean when I say it''s not worth the risk.¡± said Anton ¡°It''s far too easy to lose control of your judgment whenever using that ability. It should never be used against someone you care about. At least not without being absolutely sure that you can stay in control of yourself.¡±


    Kianna''s expression became miserable looking as she turned to Anton and went to speak.


    ¡°No need to dwell on things!¡± said Anton as he held up his hand and shook his head ¡°Especially when it''s something you''ve already apologized for!¡±


    ¡°Still! I''m sorry...¡± mumbled Kianna as she lowered her ears in a sorrowful manner ¡°Seriously...¡±


    ¡°I know you are. And it''s okay. It''s in the past, behind us!¡± said Anton ¡°And now it''s time to move forward. You can both go ahead and drop those whips now.¡±


    Fiona and Kianna both hesitated as they looked from their whips to each other.


    ¡°...You don''t have to worry about losing them. You''ll be able to reform them whenever you want now.¡± explained Anton ¡°Now that you know what you''re doing you should be able to go through that whole process with new items much quicker as well. And with practice you''ll eventually be able to form any known items instantly.¡±


    The dark elves both continued to hesitate as they gazed at the whips they had created.


    ¡°...If you want proof that you can reform them then just drop the real ones and make second ones in your other hands.¡± said Anton as he settled back into his chair ¡°We''ve got time, so go ahead and give it a try.¡±


    Relaxed in his seat, Anton watched as the dark elves each formed a second whip and then, now convinced that they could create them indefinitely, dropped their whips to melt away before reforming them again.


    ¡°Well, now that we got that settled...¡± said Anton as he rose from his seat and made his way around the desk ¡°Let''s go ahead and get started with the next lesson.¡±


    Fiona and Kianna both had their ears pointed straight upwards as they watched Anton step out of the classroom and walk to the center of a large open space in the middle of the dungeon.


    ¡°...Come on now!¡± beckoned Anton as he turned back to them ¡°We''re going to need a little room for this one.¡±


    Sliding out of their seats, the dark elves quickly started towards him but stopped when Anton raised his hand.


    ¡°Right there is fine.¡± he said when the dark elves were about four meters away ¡°Okay, so who wants to go first?¡±


    ¡°...Wha, what are we doing?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°We''re going to learn how to use your binding ring ability.¡± explained Anton ¡°This is another ability that requires a target to work properly. So for today. I''m going to go ahead and volunteer, to be that target.¡±

 Chapter 31 : Early Afternoon

    Chapter 31 : Early Afternoon


    ¡°...Wait! You want us to use it on you!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards in panic.


    ¡°Seriously!? We get to use it on you!?¡± cried Fiona as she raised her hand and stepped forward ¡°I''ll go first! I''ll do it! I want it! I call it!¡±


    ¡°Okay. That''s fine.¡± chuckled Anton as he placed his hands in his pockets ¡°Go ahead and step to the side Kianna... Alright, Fiona, stand just in front of me here... That''s fine right there. Now, first thing you need to do is flare your aura a bit and then try to concentrate it around me.¡±


    Taking a deep and excited breath, Fiona''s eyes began to glow with a faint red light as she shook out her shoulders and smiled wickedly at Anton.


    Returning her smile with his own calm grin, Anton remained relaxed and curbed the urge to put up a resistance as he felt the air around him begin to thicken and become heavy.


    ¡°Alright... Now, when you feel like you''re ready, go ahead and let a bit of mana flow out into your aura. Be careful not to ignite your aura with this mana though. You''re just trying to let it flow through it, not burn it.¡± explained Anton ¡°This is probably going to feel a little disconnecting at first. Almost like a floating sensation, but don''t worry, that''s normal. Just take your time and when you feel comfortable again, let me know.¡±


    Brimming with eagerness, Fiona let her mana flow unimpeded out into her aura and quickly stopped short as she was nearly overcome by a sudden lightheadedness.


    Anton began to chuckle as he watched her try to covertly shake the uncomfortable feeling away.


    ¡°I told you it was going to feel a little odd!¡± he teased ¡°Just take a minute, and it''ll pass.¡±


    Fiona gave him a thin glare before shaking her head again and looking down at the floor. Once the floating sensation became bearable, she glanced back up at Anton.


    ¡°...Ready?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°Yeah... I think I''m good...¡± mumbled Fiona.


    ¡°Alright then. For this next part you''re going to need to focus both your aura and the mana flowing through it into a concentrated ring that circles around me, but does not touch me.¡± explained Anton ¡°This doesn''t necessarily have to be a perfect circle or anything at this point. So long as enough of both your aura and mana are present the ring will still be able to form. And it will fix its own shape once it does. Let me know when you''re ready with this.¡±


    Fiona nodded as she narrowed her eyes and worked to guide the flow of her mana into a ring around Anton''s middle. When she felt that enough mana had been concentrated into the right space she looked up and met his eyes.


    ¡°...Okay, now, this is again going to be a little tricky to describe.¡± stated Anton as he rolled his head to the side in an effort to loosen the tension from his neck ¡°What you need to do is activate the mana that''s around me, but you don''t want to ignite your aura with it. You aura is just there to guide the flow of the mana. It''s not meant to be part of the ring you''re trying to create. Does this make sense?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I, guess...¡± mumbled Fiona ¡°How do I... activate the mana though? What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°You can still feel the mana you have flowing around me, right?¡± asked Anton ¡°It''s still connected to you and your mana pool?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I think so?¡± said Fiona.


    ¡°Can you move it?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°...Yeah!¡± nodded Fiona.


    ¡°Okay, then it is. So, what you need to do is trace it back to yourself until you can feel its source, your mana pool.¡± explained Anton ¡°This is where you''re going to activate it from. And how you do this is by... Oh! Well, there you go!¡±


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± cried Fiona as her face became twisted and strained ¡°What! What do I!? How do I!? ...How do I, do with this, now!?¡±


    Anton laughed as he swiveled his head back and forth and looked over the green, glowing ring that now surrounded him.


    ¡°Just calm down. You''re doing fine. ...It looks pretty stable.¡± said Anton as he turned in a complete circle and checked over the ring ¡°...Yeah, it looks good!¡±


    ¡°...Ah, okay! So, what do I do now!?¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°I''m... I feel like this thing is attached to my brain! Is that normal!?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that''s perfectly normal.¡± chuckled Anton as he looked back over at her ¡°It technically is attached to your brain. That''s how you can control it. Try to think of it like its a thought that''s taken form.¡±


    ¡°...Okay, that, makes sense. ...It, just feels weird!¡± said Fiona as she hunched down into her shoulders ¡°...Can you give me a second!¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± said Anton ¡°Take your time. No rush.¡±


    Nodding, Fiona took several deep breaths as she tried to come to grips with the sensation of having a piece of her mind suddenly existing outside of her head. After several minutes she looked over at her sister before turning back to Anton.


    ¡°Okay!¡± she mumbled ¡°I think I''m good now...¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± nodded Anton as he tucked his arms in against his sides ¡°Then go ahead and get started.¡±


    ¡°...Wha, wait, what do I do!?¡± questioned Fiona.


    Anton blinked in surprise and then started to laugh.


    ¡°Does it feel like you''ve got this ring in a tight grip?¡± he asked as he cocked an eyebrow ¡°Like if you don''t hold it together it''ll blow apart?¡±


    ¡°It... Yeah, kinda?¡± said Fiona.


    ¡°Well, why don''t you try letting it go a little?¡± smiled Anton ¡°And let''s see what happens!¡±


    Fiona went still for a moment before biting her lower lip and narrowing her eyes.


    Anton''s smile never faltered as undulating bulges began to rise across the surface of the ring around him.


    ¡°You need to visualize what you want them to form into.¡± he explained as he met Fiona''s eyes ¡°Chains are their traditional form, but it is possible for them to be something else if you''d like.¡±


    ¡°...No, chains are good.¡± mumbled Fiona as she furrowed her brow in concentration ¡°...How, do I? Oh! Got it!¡±


    Anton chuckled as several of the bulges erupted into withering chains that started to flail aimlessly about in the air.


    ¡°Dammit! How do I make them... do it right!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she glared at the chains ¡°Stop, fucking, moving!¡±


    ¡°Just keep trying!¡± laughed Anton ¡°You''ll get the hang of it... hopefully!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± muttered Fiona as she took a step closer and continued to glare at the flailing chains ¡°...Stupid! ...Chains! ...Just! ...Yes! Got it!¡±


    Anton hummed in approval as the chains began to move as one and slowly wrap themselves around his arms and torso.


    ¡°Yes!¡± cried Fiona ¡°Finally!¡±


    ¡°Not bad!¡± nodded Anton ¡°Not bad at all.¡±


    ¡°...I''ll show you ¡°not bad¡±!¡± mumbled Fiona as her smile became wicked ¡°Let''s see how much you like this!¡±


    Anton shook his head and continued to grin as more and more chains erupted out of the ring and immediately wrapped themselves around him.


    ¡°...Um, hey! You might want to calm it down a little!¡± stated Kianna as she turned to her sister.


    ¡°Why!? You don''t think our great and powerful ¡°Master¡± can''t handle a few little chains!?¡± mocked Fiona ¡°Tell you what! I''ll let him go! As soon as he says he can''t handle it anymore!¡±


    ¡°Fiona! Don''t be stupid! You''re gonna-!¡± exclaimed Kianna.


    ¡°It''s alright, Kianna!¡± interrupted Anton ¡°She''s worked hard for this. So let''s let her have a little fun. I think she''s earned it at this point.¡±


    ¡°...Wha? Seriously?¡± questioned Kianna as Fiona began to laugh.


    ¡°Yes, seriously!¡± chuckled Anton ¡°Though I would like you to stay in control of yourself and avoid going too far overboard Fiona. You''re still new to this after all.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I''ll show you overboard!¡± mumbled Fiona through her smiling teeth ¡°You smug, arrogant human! I''ve got you now! And I''m gonna make you beg me to let you go!¡±


    ¡°...Right, well good luck with that.¡± sighed Anton as he shook his head ¡°Just remember, stay in control of yourself.¡±


    ¡°Take this control!¡± snarled Fiona as she formed two more rings around Anton and entwined him with even more chains.


    Kianna grimaced in obvious discomfort as the chains around Anton not only tightened in their embrace but also swelled in size until he literally began to disappear from sight behind them.


    For his part, Anton appeared to be unfazed. Though it seemed likely that it should at least be getting difficult for him to breathe, that didn''t seem to be the case, as he not only made no effort to escape but didn''t even seem to be in any discomfort at all.


    Interpreting his stillness as helplessness, Fiona started to laugh loudly and spurred on by her own sense of victory she began to feed more of her power into the chains around Anton.


    ¡°Let''s see you get out of this, Master!¡± she growled as her chains doubled in both size and number until they finally succeeded in completely cocooning Anton''s body and leaving nothing but his head still visible ¡°Try not to get squeezed to death or ripped in half!¡±


    Still merely watching in amusement, Anton kept a calm, casual expression on his face until he noticed just how far the still growing chains were beginning to bulge out around him.


    ¡°...Fiona, you may want to calm it down a bit.¡± he said as he narrowed his eyes in thought ¡°It''s starting to look like you''re using up a lot of mana on this...¡±


    ¡°Are you serious!?¡± snapped Fiona ¡°Do you honestly think that''s going to work right now!? I''ve got you on the ropes you motherfucker! Literally! Do you really think I''m just going to let you go!?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± said Anton as he brought his eyes back to her ¡°What did you just call me?¡±


    ¡°Mother! Fucker!¡± repeated Fiona ¡°I called you a motherfucker! And if you really think I''m stopping then you''re out of your mind! I''m not gonna stop until I squeeze every last breath right out of you, you-¡±


    Fiona froze as the tip of a glowing, pink-colored riding crop suddenly whizzed through the air and stopped just short of striking her face.


    ¡°Let him go.¡± whispered Kianna as she let her aura expand out around herself and fill the area with her silent warning ¡°Right now.¡±


    Fiona''s ears pointed themselves straight back as she slowly turned her head, looked past the pointed whip and locked eyes with her sister.


    The dark elves remained still and stared each other down for a moment before in unison their irises began to glow with an intense and angry red light.


    ¡°Girls!¡± warned Anton as a tired expression spread across his face ¡°That''s enough! There will be no fighting during my class!¡±


    ¡°But she''s trying to kill you!¡± snarled Kianna through her teeth.


    ¡°Yes, she is. Unfortunately. But that isn''t anything she hasn''t tried before, and it''s no reason for you two to be fighting with each other now!¡± declared Anton.


    ¡°...Wha!? But... Yes it is!¡± cried Kianna as she turned to him with both distress and confusion in her eyes ¡°What are you saying!?¡±


    ¡°I''m saying that you, Fiona, are using up too much of your mana. At this rate you''ll drain your mana pool.¡± explained Anton as he addressed the second dark elf ¡°You need to control yourself.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± growled Fiona as she continued to stare at her sister ¡°I''m not gonna stop until you beg me to!¡±


    ¡°...Fiona, now is not the time for you to be draining your mana like this. We still have more that we need to go over today.¡± stated Anton in a calm, even tone ¡°You are going to need to control yourself.¡±


    Fiona''s irises were still aglow as she set her jaw and turned to face Anton.


    ¡°...Make me!¡± she hissed as the area around her began to darken.


    Anton stared at her for a moment before sighing through his nose and shaking his head.


    ¡°I''m not going to say it again, Fiona.¡± he said as he locked eyes with the dark elf ¡°Control, yourself.¡±


    ¡°...No.¡± whispered Fiona as her irises blazed with rage ¡°...I said, no!¡±


    Kianna couldn''t help but to take a step back as the air in the room was instantly filled with a thick, bloodthirsty malice. She gasped in shock as her own aura was overwhelmed by the cloud of power that was now swirling around her enraged sister. Breath now caught in her throat, she continued to back away as the light in Fiona''s irises reached a point that it seemed to overflow and set her entire eyes aflame. Kianna''s own eyes widened to their fullest as in the next instant her sister''s entire being began to darken before finally shifting to a solid, pitch black color.


    Anton remained calm as he stared into the fiery red eyes of the featureless, living silhouette that now stood before him. His jaw tightened involuntarily as said silhouette suddenly opened its mouth and bared its bright, white teeth at him.


    Fiona''s glistening fangs were on full display as she snarled in rage and released the full might of her power into a single targeted attack. Dozens of new rings suddenly winked into existence around Anton and immediately set about to engulfed him within a mass of withering chains.


    Her senses now fully lost to her rage, Fiona''s maniacal laughter filled the room as Anton completely disappeared behind the wall of glowing green chains that had been created for the soul purpose of entombing him alive.


    Panicked by the sight of Anton''s plight, Kianna steeled her resolve and turned to face the monstrosity that her sister had become. Taking a tentative step forward, she raised her whip to strike but stopped short as Anton''s voice suddenly spoke out from within the cocoon of chains.


    ¡°Such a stubborn dark elf...¡± he mumbled in a clearly disappointed tone ¡°Always has to make everything as difficult as she possibly can...¡±


    The mass of chains surrounding Anton swelled outwards for a split second before the circular form of an orange-colored aura field burst into existence from deep within its center. Fiona''s rings and chains were all instantly destroyed the moment this bubble took its full shape, and their tiny shattered pieces hung floating in the air for a single heartbeat before crumbling apart and melting away into nothing.


    Kianna jumped back in surprise as her sister suddenly cried out.


    Shocked by the sudden disconnection from her abilities, Fiona screamed loudly in pain and clutched her chest with both hands as she doubled over and fell to her knees. With what seemed like a thin puff of soot expelling itself away from her body, the blackness disappeared from around her and she appeared normal again. Trembling now, small desperate sounds escaped from the back of her throat as she made a clear attempt to keep herself from retching.


    Kianna took another step back as Anton came forward and stood in front of her sister.


    Sighing softly through his nose, Anton''s expression was stoic as he loomed over the downed dark elf and waited for her to finally quiet down and go still.


    Noticing that Anton was now standing just before her, Fiona hesitated for several minutes before slowly raising her head and looking up at him. She gulped nervously as she registered the lack of emotion on his face.


    ¡°...Well? Was that everything you have?¡± asked Anton after a moment of silence ¡°Are you drained again?¡±


    Fiona couldn''t help but to hesitate again as she stared up at him. Defeated, she dropped her head to hang forward and nodded softly as heavy tears began to well in her eyes.


    Anton nodded as he again sighed softly though his nose.


    ¡°I want you to know that what''s truly disappointing about this, is the lack of surprise... I expected you to do exactly what you did.¡± he stated calmly ¡°Though, I will say I was hoping I''d be wrong about you. And that for once, you would be better than that... Unfortunately, you weren''t... Oh well... Maybe next time you will be.¡±


    Clamping her eyes shut, Fiona remained silent as she flattened her ears down submissively behind her head.


    Recognizing her gesture for the apology that it was, Anton nodded in acknowledgment.


    ¡°Are you in pain?¡± he asked as his face softened a bit.


    Hesitating, Fiona tentatively nodded her head.


    ¡°I see. Can you move at least?¡± continued Anton.


    Staying still for another moment, Fiona carefully shifted her legs back and forth before softly shaking her head.


    ¡°I see...¡± sighed Anton as he leaned forward and reached his hand out towards her ¡°Very well. Lift your head.¡±


    Gulping in nervousness, Fiona kept her eyes shut and her ears laid flat as she slowly raised her head.


    Laying his hand down atop her bowed head, Anton carefully allowed a slow trickle of mana to seep into her being through the gem mounted to her collar.


    ¡°This will only be enough to ease the pain.¡± said Anton as he felt the dark elf stiffen beneath his hand ¡°You''re done for the day. Is that clear?¡±


    ¡°...Yes.¡± whispered Fiona as the burning sensation within her immediately began to dull.


    ¡°Good.¡± stated Anton ¡°It''s nice to hear that you''re not going to argue with me for once...¡±


    Cowed and feeling humiliated, Fiona kept her arms wrapped around her torso as she stayed silent and stared at the floor.


    While maintaining a slow pace with the mana, Anton turned to Kianna.


    ¡°Once your sister can move again, we''ll go ahead and get started with your turn.¡± he said as a thin grin took shape on his face ¡°And hopefully you won''t be quite as dramatic as she was.¡±


    Kianna was still for a moment as she stared down at her sister.


    ¡°...Do you want me to use that same ability on you?¡± she asked as she kept her eyes on Fiona.


    ¡°Yes.¡± said Anton.


    ¡°...I don''t want to do that though. I don''t want to use it on you.¡± said Kianna as she raised her eyes to his ¡°I won''t do it! Even if... If I have to use it on you... then... I don''t even want to learn it!¡±


    ¡°You need to learn this ability, Kianna. It will help to keep you safe.¡± stated Anton.


    ¡°...No, please! Not on you!¡± said Kianna as her eyes fell to her sister ¡°I won''t do it to you!¡±


    Following her gaze, Anton sighed as his own eyes landed on Fiona.


    ¡°I know that you''re angry. And I understand that.¡± said Anton ¡°But I will not tolerate you two treating each other as enemies. Nor attacking one another. Is that clear!?¡±


    Kianna said nothing as she balled her hands into fists and began to glare at her sister.


    Shifting his eyes back up to her, Anton watched Kianna for a moment before shaking his head.


    ¡°If, I allow you to do this. You will be satisfied. And this will end here and now.¡± he said as Kianna looked up at him ¡°You will not hold a grudge, and you will not seek out any other kind of revenge. Do you agree?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I do!¡± declared Kianna as a thin grin spread across her face.


    ¡°...Alright then. Fine. But like I said!¡± said Anton as he returned her grin with his own ¡°This will end right now!¡±


    ¡°Okay! I agree!¡± exclaimed Kianna.


    ¡°...Alright then.¡± sighed Anton as he looked back down at the still bowed dark elf ¡°Let''s go ahead and get started. Stand up, Fiona¡±


    Fiona hesitated for a moment before shifting herself into motion.


    ¡°...Don''t I get any say in this!?¡± she mumbled as she tentatively got to her feet.


    ¡°Of course not.¡± said Anton as he let his hand fall away from her head ¡°Why would you?¡±


    Grumbling under her breath, Fiona kept her eyes on the floor as she made an effort to avoid looking at either Anton or her sister.


    ¡°Go stand over there where I was before and don''t move.¡± said Anton as he stepped to the side to let her pass.


    Moving stiffly, Fiona made her way over to where Anton had been standing and, still keeping her eyes to the floor, turned back to face him and her sister.


    ¡°Keep you arms to your sides and don''t say a word.¡± ordered Anton as he turned away from Fiona and addressed Kianna ¡°Now, were you paying attention during your sister''s turn? Do you have an idea of what you need to do?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± chirped Kianna as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards in excitement ¡°I got this!¡±


    ¡°Alright then.¡± smiled Anton ¡°Whenever you''re ready, go ahead.¡±


    Her grin fading from her face, Kianna stepped away from him and turned to face her sister head on. Without a word she let her aura expand out from her being and spread forwards to where her sister now stood.


    Fiona stiffened as she felt the air around her become heavy with a thin sense of foreboding.


    Working to keep her emotions from showing on her face, Kianna wasted no time as she sent a wave of her mana to flow through her aura and surround her sister. Going over the steps that Fiona had just taken in her mind, she focused the mana into a crude ring shape before tracing it back to its source at her mana pool. After a few minutes of stillness she turned to Anton with a look of frustration on her face.


    ¡°How do I make it work!?¡± she questioned.


    ¡°Can you feel your mana pool?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°Yeah, I think so?¡± answered Kianna.


    ¡°Alright, well what you need to do is visualize the ability you''re trying to use while activating the mana in your mana pool.¡± explained Anton ¡°It''s a little difficult to really explain how to do this. One way to describe it is that it''s going to feel something like flexing a muscle, but in your mind.¡±


    ¡°...So, when I do it right will it just happen?¡± asked Kianna as her brow creased in concentration.


    ¡°More or less.¡± said Anton ¡°We do have the rest of the day now, so there''s no rush. Take your time. You''ll figure it out eventually.¡±


    Kianna huffed as she narrowed her eyes at her sister and focused on trying to figure out how to flex muscles that didn''t exist.


    After some time she cried out in excitement as a pink-colored glowing ring suddenly winked into existence around Fiona.


    ¡°Yes!¡± she exclaimed through her smiling teeth ¡°Finally!¡±


    ¡°Very nice.¡± nodded Anton ¡°Great job, Kianna! And now comes the fun part!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± hissed Kianna as she began to carefully release the mental grip she had on the ring.


    Pointing her ears straight back behind her head, Fiona groaned in irritation as she watched several thin, vine-like chains sprout from her sister''s ring and begin to wither about in the air.


    ¡°Whoa! Hang on! ...Hold, stop moving!¡± grumbled Kianna as she worked to wrangle the unruly chains ¡°...They, they don''t listen!¡±


    Anton began to chuckle as Kianna took a step closer to her sister and glared at the flailing chains. As if in response to her disapproving look, the chains began to sway in the same direction as they wrapped themselves around Fiona''s middle.


    ¡°Argh, not so tight...¡± grumbled Fiona as she scowled down at the entwining chains.


    Kianna was silent for a moment as she stared at her.


    ¡°...No, it should be tight.¡± she whispered softly as a faint glow began to emanate from her irises.


    Registering the ominous tone in her sister''s voice, Fiona slowly raised her head and locked eyes with her.


    ¡°...You deserve for it to be tight.¡± said Kianna in an eerily emotionless tone ¡°No, you deserve worst than that...¡±


    Fiona let out a frantic gasp as the chains around her middle tightened to such a degree that they began to painfully crush her arms into her ribs.


    ¡°You selfish, stupid bitch...¡± whispered Kianna as her eyes went wide with rage ¡°After everything he''s done for you! All the danger he''s in! And all the things I have to worry about already... I don''t want to have to worry about you too!¡±


    ¡°Wait! Wait, Kianna!¡± cried Fiona as the ring holding her in place began to rise into the air ¡°Hold on a second!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± hissed Kianna.


    ¡°Stop! Stop! ...Ugh!¡± croaked Fiona as she was lifted off the floor.


    A thin smile spread across Kianna''s face as she watched her sister frantically kick at the empty air.


    ¡°Kianna! ...Wait!¡± gasped Fiona as she struggled to take a breath around the chains that were quickly tightening to extreme levels ¡°Stop! ...I can''t ...breathe!¡±


    ¡°Good!¡± giggled Kianna as she watched the panic set into her sister''s eyes ¡°You don''t deserve to breathe right now!¡±


    Flailing wildly now, Fiona''s eyes started to well with heavy tears as with each outward gasp the chains crushed her rib cage inwards more and more until she could barely pull in any breath at all. Unable to muster enough air to actually speak, she began to scream silently in panic.


    ¡°You deserve this! You stupid bitch!¡± smiled Kianna ¡°You deserve to be punished!¡±


    ¡°And what exactly makes you think you have the right to decide that?¡± asked Anton in a clearly angry tone.


    Blinking in surprise, Kianna turned to face him and was immediately taken aback by the dark expression on his face.


    ¡°I certainly don''t remember ever giving you permission to punish her.¡± growled Anton as he stepped forward and loomed over the shorter dark elf ¡°So what exactly do you think you''re doing, Kianna?¡±


    ¡°...I, ...I!¡± stammered Kianna as she cringed back and laid her ears down submissively ¡°B-but! She, she lost control! And then she tried to-!¡±


    ¡°And you haven''t!?¡± demanded Anton as he stuck his arm out and indicated Fiona ¡°Would someone in control of themselves be strangling their own sister like this, Kianna!? Because personally I don''t think they would be!¡±


    With her eyes darting to Fiona and back, Kianna silently opened and closed her mouth as she struggled to find the words to say.


    ¡°Can you even release her!?¡± questioned Anton ¡°Do you even know how!?¡±


    Kianna went still as her eyes widened to their fullest.


    ¡°...I didn''t think so.¡± mumbled Anton as he turned away from her and faced Fiona.


    In the next instant an orange-colored aura field winked into existence between Fiona and the ring that held her in the air.


    Kianna gasped as her ring was destroyed by the bubble expanding to its full size.


    Landing in a crumbled heap on the floor, Fiona immediately began to take in one desperate breath after another as she laid where she fell.


    ¡°That was dangerous.¡± said Anton as he turned back to Kianna ¡°What were you thinking!?¡±


    Kianna was still for a moment before an agonized expression spread across her face.


    ¡°I''m sorry!¡± she wailed as she covered her eyes with both hands ¡°I, I didn''t mean it like that! I''m sorry! Really! I didn''t want it to be dangerous!¡±


    Anton remained still for several moments as he watched the sobbing dark elf. Folding his arms across his chest, he glanced at Fiona and found her now sitting on the floor in the center of his bubble with her legs drawn up and her face hidden behind her knees. With a soft sigh he turned back to Kianna.


    ¡°I am very disappointed in the both of you!¡± he declared ¡°After everything you two have gone through! You finally learn to use your magic and the first thing you both do is lose control of yourselves!? The very first thing you do! Unbelievable!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± snapped Fiona from behind her knees ¡°Don''t talk to us like that! We''re not fucking kids!¡±


    ¡°That''s exactly what makes this so much worse!¡± snarled Anton ¡°You''re not kids! You''re grown adults! Both of you! And yet here you are acting like monsters! Not that I don''t expect that from you, Fiona! This is just more proof that you do deserve to have that collar around your neck! You and-!¡±


    ¡°No, no, no, no!¡± wailed Kianna as she frantically shook her head ¡°I''m not a monster! I don''t want to be a monster! I''m, I''m sorry!¡±


    Anton stopped short and went still for a moment before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. Recomposing himself, he looked back and forth between the two dark elves and sighed.


    ¡°Kianna, come here.¡± he said softly.


    At the sound of his voice Kianna''s ears twitched before quickly laying flat again. After a slight hesitation she slowly started forward. Keeping her hands over her eyes, the nervous dark elf stopped just in front of him and waited for him to speak.


    ¡°You''re not a monster.¡± said Anton as he reached out and pulled her into a tight embrace ¡°I shouldn''t have said that... I''m sorry...¡±


    ¡°No! You... I''m sorry...¡± whimpered Kianna as she gripped his shirt and pressed her face into his shoulder ¡°I shouldn''t have even used that stupid ability! I''m sorry! I''ll never do it again!¡±


    ¡°What!? No, no!¡± said Anton as he shook his head and gave her a gentle squeeze ¡°That''s not the issue, Kianna. You need to know how to use your abilities, all of them. They''re a part of you after all. ...You just need to realize the damage you can do with them. And understand how important self-control really is.¡±


    ¡°I do know...¡± whimpered Kianna ¡°But it''s... I''m sorry!¡±


    ¡°You could have killed your sister, Kianna.¡± said Anton in an even tone ¡°You do realize that, right?¡±


    ¡°I, I wasn''t trying to!¡± whined Kianna ¡°I just wanted to make her pay for what she tried to do to you!¡±


    ¡°It''s not your place to do that though.¡± stated Anton ¡°She''s not your responsibility.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and I''m not yours either!¡± snapped Fiona.


    ¡°Actually you are.¡± stated Anton as he narrowed his eyes in annoyance ¡°You both are. And unfortunately, it''s looking like I''ll have to put in a few more fail-safes... At least for the time being...¡±


    ¡°...Wait!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she lifted her head ¡°What does that mean!? What are you going to do!?¡±


    ¡°I just told you.¡± said Anton as he looked over at her ¡°I''m going to put a few fail-safes in place to keep things from getting out of hand again. I don''t want to have to worry about today''s events being repeated in the future.¡±


    ¡°...You''re, wait! What does that mean!?¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°Are you going to take away our magic!?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡± mumbled Anton as he lifted Kianna''s chin so as to get a better look at her collar and the bloodgem mounted to it ¡°That would completely defeat the purpose of teaching you how to use it. No, I''m not going to bind your magic, at least not fully. What I''m going to do is add a few charms to your bloodgems... One''s that will allow me to control your mana and auras. That way if you two lose control again, I can step in and stop you myself.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡± cried Fiona as she quickly got to her feet ¡°You can''t do that to us!¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± asked Anton as he ran his fingertip across Kianna''s bloodgem and set it aglow.


    Making a small sound in the back of her throat, Kianna couldn''t help but to shiver as a tingling sensation coming from her now glowing bloodgem coursed its way through her body.


    ¡°Argh!¡± roared Fiona as she slammed her fists into the side of Anton''s bubble ¡°If you''re just going to take away our magic then why did you even teach us how to use it in the first place!?¡±


    ¡°...I just finished saying I wasn''t taking it away from you, Fiona.¡± sighed Anton as he shook his head ¡°Once again, I''m only going to put in fail-safes. Which all that means is that I''ll be able to step in if necessary. Of course, if you two can maintain control of yourselves, then I shouldn''t ever have to.¡±


    Fiona stumbled forward as the bubble surrounding her suddenly disappeared. Catching her balance, she raised her head and pointed her ears straight back as she glared at Anton. Balling her hands into fists she took a step towards him.


    ¡°...You might want to think very carefully about your next move, Fiona.¡± said Anton as he narrowed his eyes at her.


    ¡°...What''s that supposed to mean!?¡± growled Fiona.


    ¡°It means that I haven''t forgotten about your most recent transgressions against me just yet.¡± explained Anton ¡°Though considering you didn''t do anything unexpected. I was planning to go easy on you with your punishment. Of course, what you do next could always change my mind about that...¡±


    ¡°...Are you serious!? You''re still going to punish me!? Getting strangled half to death wasn''t enough for you!?¡± cried Fiona.


    ¡°That was your sister''s brand of justice. Not mine.¡± said Anton ¡°Like I said, I do plan to take it easy on you.¡±


    ¡°...Easy on me!?¡± snarled Fiona as threw her arms out to her sides and arched her back so her still exposed chest would jut out even more so than before ¡°Like you could even make this any worse! Look at me! Look at what you''ve already done to me! All this humiliation you''re putting me through! How!? How could you possibly make my life any shittier than it is right now!¡±


    ¡°...Is that a real question, Fiona?¡± asked Anton as he cocked an eyebrow ¡°We are literally standing only a few yards away from a pile of fully functional torture devices, and you believe I couldn''t possibly think of a way to make your life any worse than it is right now? ...You can''t be serious about that.¡±


    Fiona stared at him for a moment before her eyes darted across the room to the stacked up implements.


    ¡°...You?¡± she mumbled as her eyes drifted back to him.


    ¡°By now I''d think you''d know just how creative I can be, Fiona.¡± said Anton as he smiled at the uncertainty that had quickly formed on her face ¡°Of course, I can always showcase said creativity... If you wish...¡±


    Despite herself, Fiona couldn''t help but to nervously swallow a lump in her throat.


    ¡°...I''m good!¡± she grumbled quietly as her ears dipped low.


    ¡°That''s what I thought.¡± said Anton as he placed his hand at the small of Kianna''s back and turned back towards his desk ¡°Now come over here. Both of you.¡±


    Offering no resistance as she was towed along beside him, Kianna kept her ears laid down behind her head as Anton guided her back into the classroom and had her stand in front of his desk. Though reluctant, Fiona quickly followed behind them and stood next to her sister as Anton took his seat.


    ¡°As punishment.¡± said Anton as he opened a drawer along the far side of his desk and pulled out a notebook ¡°You''re both going to be writing lines.¡±


    Kianna said nothing as she tentatively took the notebook Anton was now holding out to her.


    ¡°You, Kianna will write ''I, Kianna, am very sorry that I lost control of myself in class, and I promise I will never do it again'' 750 times.¡± said Anton ¡°You will do this as quickly as you can. Since you still have mana, we''ll go ahead and have you build a few more blueprints before the day is over.¡±


    ¡°...750 times. ...Okay.¡± said Kianna as she tightened her ears together behind her head.


    ¡°Good, now go to your desk and get started.¡± said Anton as he opened a smaller drawer on the opposite side of his desk ¡°You, Fiona, will write ''I, Fiona, am very sorry for disrespecting my Master by trying to kill him, again, and disrupting his class. I promise I will never do this again'' 1500 times.¡±


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.Fiona groaned in irritation as Anton held a piece of white chalk out in front of her.


    ¡°Since you have no more mana to use, this, should keep you busy for the rest of the day.¡± said Anton as he indicated the chalk he held ¡°And with that being the case, you are free to take as long as you want to finish.¡±


    Fiona said nothing as she grudgingly took the offered chalk. Gripping it tightly in her fingers, she scowled down at the unoffending little white stick as she made her way around Anton''s desk.


    ¡°...Oh, and just so that we are clear, Fiona.¡± said Anton as he picked up his clipboard and made marks next to both of the dark elves names.


    Stopping short, Fiona''s scowl stayed in place as she turned to him and waited.


    ¡°This will be the last time that I am this patient with you...¡± said Anton as he looked over the clipboard in his hand ¡°If you ever try to kill me like that again... I will flog you down to the bone...¡±


    Fiona remained completely motionless as she absorbed what had just been said.


    ¡°And if I hear even one single word of complaint out of you before this day is over...¡± said Anton as he set the clipboard back down on his desk ¡°I will make you clean that chalkboard with your tongue... Do you understand me?¡±


    Staring at him for a moment, Fiona blinked in affront before exhaling out of her nose.


    ¡°...Yes!¡± she grumbled as she turned away from him.


    ¡°Good.¡± said Anton as he reached down and opened the very bottom drawer of his desk ¡°Then get started. You don''t want to end up being down here all night after all, now do you?¡±


    ¡°...No! I don''t!¡± mumbled Fiona as she picked up an eraser brush and began to clear away Anton''s writings from the chalkboard.


    Kianna remained as quiet as she could as she set up her notebook. Once she was ready to start her lines she glanced up at Anton and was surprised to find him lining up a series of jars and rocks across his desk. She fully lifted her head when he bent down to the side and pulled a large brass plate out of the bottom drawer.


    Anton set this plate down in front of himself before gathering two smaller bowls he set up on either side of the larger plate. Noticing that Kianna was watching him, he grinned at her and pointed downwards to indicate where her focus should be.


    Cowed, the dark elf dropped her eyes back to her notebook and quickly began to write out her lines.


    Barring the chipping scratch of pen and chalk against paper and board, the room remained silent for the next several hours.


    Finding a stopping point in his work, Anton leaned back in his seat and grinned as he noticed that Kianna was twisting her obviously sore wrist back and forth.


    ¡°Why don''t we go ahead and break for a minute.¡± he said as he rolled his head along his shoulders to crack his neck ¡°I''m about ready with all this here anyway.¡±


    ¡°Ugh! Finally!¡± grumbled Fiona as she stood up from where she had been bending over in front of the chalkboard ¡°This shit is-! I, I mean! I, I could... really go for a drink of water right about now! ...I''m not complaining though! Seriously!¡±


    ¡°Mm hm.¡± mumbled Anton as he gave her a sideways look and turned to Kianna who was now approaching his desk.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Kianna as she looked over the jars, rocks and plates that Anton had scattered across the desktop.


    ¡°Preparing imbue to make seals with.¡± said Anton as he picked up a thin, pointed dowel made of silver and used it to stir a paste he had left to thicken in one of the smaller bowls.


    ¡°Oh, I see...¡± nodded Kianna as her eyes roved over the selection of wide-mouthed jars filled with variously colored powders, liquids and what looked like tiny beans ¡°So... What, are you making, exactly?¡±


    Amused by the confused look on her face, Anton chuckled and sat up straight in his seat.


    ¡°Do you really not know what a seal is?¡± he asked as he began to recap the jars he was apparently finished with ¡°As in a magical seal?¡±


    Having been staring down at the brass plate and into a pool of pale, red-colored liquid that filled its shallow basin, Kianna looked up with a bright understanding in her eyes.


    ¡°Oh! You mean like enchantments! Yeah! I know what you''re talking about now!¡± she exclaimed as she looked back down into the liquid ¡°I didn''t know that''s what you meant though. ...When you said you were making ¡°imbue¡± and ¡°seals¡± with this stuff. I thought that maybe you were talking about glue or paint. ...Or something like that.¡±


    ¡°Well, actually, you''re not wrong. Magically speaking at least.¡± smiled Anton ¡°Imbue is how you bind mana into seals. So in a way it kind of does act like glue.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay, cool... So, seals are the same thing as enchantments then, right?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°Well seals are what enchantments are made out of. So in a way, yes.¡± said Anton.


    ¡°I see... And this is how you make them?¡± asked Kianna as she watched herself move her ears back and forth in her reflection.


    ¡°This is one way. And one of the simpler ways.¡± said Anton ¡°What you''re trying to do is what will affect how complicated or simple your seals need to be. And since we aren''t trying to do anything too extreme, this method will work just fine.¡±


    ¡°What are we trying to do?¡± asked Kianna as she cocked one of her ears in a curious manner.


    ¡°Probably something horrible...¡± muttered Fiona as she adjusted her skirt in an effort to better hide her panties.


    ¡°We''re going to make a ward. And I''m going to add a few charms to your bloodgems.¡± explained Anton as he turned to Fiona ¡°Have you regenerated any mana yet?¡±


    ¡°Uh, wha, why?¡± asked Fiona ¡°Why do you ask!?¡±


    ¡°Because if you have any mana then you can be added to the ward right now while we''re making it. And if not, then I''ll have to add you later.¡± explained Anton.


    ¡°Oh. Well, yeah, I guess I did. A little bit at least.¡± said Fiona.


    ¡°Alright, good. We''ll go ahead and set the ward first then.¡± said Anton as he began to place the jars back into the drawer ¡°This will be a pretty simple ward so it should only take us a minute to set it up.¡±


    ¡°What''s the ward gonna do?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°This one is just going to mask our presence and alert us to any sapient beings that come into its range.¡± explained Anton as he picked up a grapefruit sized rock and set it down in the center of the large brass plate ¡°It won''t actually stop anyone from coming onto the property, or within its range. As its just a ward and not a barrier. But it will tell us where anyone within its range is, and make it impossible for anyone to track our mana pool signatures while we''re under its cover. So if anyone tries to invade the house, they won''t be able to tell where we are, but we''ll know exactly where they are.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Cool!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she watched the rock soak up the red liquid and begin to glow ¡°This is gonna be really useful!¡±


    ¡°Mm hm.¡± nodded Anton as he picked up the silver dowel and began to absently tap at different points on the now glowing rock ¡°...Now, we could, make an actual barrier, which could potentially keep invaders out. But if we did that, people would immediately know it was there. ...And if they know its there, they could break it. ...This ward will be so simple that most people won''t even be able to detect it. And if they don''t detect it, and don''t realize its there, they won''t break it. And we''ll have our edge against them.¡±


    ¡°...Makes sense.¡± mumbled Fiona.


    ¡°How do you know how to make wards like this?¡± asked Kianna ¡°Is this something you use when you travel or take on jobs?¡±


    ¡°It can be.¡± said Anton as he pressed down a little harder on the rock and caused that point to glow brighter ¡°...Having a ward over your campsite is always a good idea. ...That''s not why I learned how to make seals though. ...I use a lot of seals whenever I make potions. And it was easier to learn how to make them myself than to constantly buy new ones. ...Now, I don''t really know how to make anything too complicated off hand. ...But simple things like this I can do pretty easily.¡±


    ¡°How is this simple?¡± asked Fiona.


    ¡°...It''s simple because a ward like this doesn''t have much in the way of moving parts. ...It''s nothing but a few charms that once activated, are designed to just constantly do what they''re meant to do and nothing else.¡± explained Anton as he continued his work ¡°...They don''t ever change in any way. ...They''re not even meant to be turned on and off, but are instead meant to be set up and just left alone until no longer needed.¡±


    ¡°So, wait... Will this ward just keep working forever then?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°Potentially. So long as there is enough ambient mana to power the charms and nothing happens to destroy the totem, then yes. It should work forever.¡± answered Anton ¡°...That isn''t likely to happen of course, but it is possible. ...In fact, charms like these would be no different than the kinds you''re likely to find still working in ancient ruins. ...Simple charms always tend to last longer than more complicated enchantments.¡±


    ¡°So why are these ¡°seals¡± you''re making, gonna turn into charms and not enchantments?¡± asked Fiona as she leaned over the desk for a better look ¡°What even makes em different from each other?¡±


    ¡°Well, actually, there technically isn''t any difference. You see, seals themselves are all more or less the same. It''s only once they''re activated that they''re ever considered something different. ...And what they become depends on how they''re designed to work.¡± explained Anton ¡°...The 4 main forms that they take are charms, enchantments, hexes and curses. ...There are a few other forms as well, but with these 4 you can do pretty much anything you want.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so, what''s the difference between the different kinds?¡± asked Fiona.


    ¡°Well, a charm is simple enough that once activated it can power itself by collecting ambient mana from the environment around it. It does of course need to be turned on and off by a person... But once it''s on it doesn''t need a person to actually help it to keep powered. It''s self-sustaining and will just run on its own... An enchantment however, can not run on its own. Enchantments are almost always far more complicated than charms are. And as such, they can do a lot more, but they need help to stay running. ...So, if a person is not actively powering an enchantment, then it will just stop functioning all together.¡± explained Anton ¡°...Hexes and curses are essentially the same as charms and enchantments. With hexes being simple and self-sustaining like charms, and curses being more complicated and requiring a person to supply a source of power to them in the same way that enchantments do. ...The reason the two categories are considered different at all is due to how they''re activated and how they function.¡±


    The dark elves both remained silent as they listened intently.


    ¡°You see, when a person activates and gives power to a charm or enchantment they do so willingly, and they''ll always know that they''re doing it. ...This is not the case with hexes and curses however, as they function more like traps and parasites. You see, a hex is designed to activate when a person interacts with it in a certain way. And it will activate whether that person wants it to or not. In that way it''s like a trap.¡± said Anton ¡°Curses are similar, as they can be activated willingly or unwillingly. What really sets curses apart from enchantments though, is that when a person is powering a curse, regardless of whether they actually want to power it or not, they are never doing so willingly. ...A curse will power itself by draining what it needs from the person it''s attached to. In this way it acts like a parasite that''s feeding itself from its host.¡±


    ¡°Huh, so charms and enchantments are the good ones and hexes and curses are the bad ones then.¡± stated Kianna.


    ¡°Generally, though not always. It all depends on how they''re used.¡± said Anton ¡°It is of course a lot easier to use hexes and curses for nefarious purposes. But there are a lot of good things that can be done with them as well. An example would be an internal defibrillator that was set to go off whenever a person''s heart stopped beating. A hex would be used with such a device since it would activate on its own, whereas a charm would not. In the same way, a helpful curse could be placed on someone that has a medical condition or severe allergies. And this curse would always function regardless of whether or not that person was actively powering it.¡±


    ¡°Huh, yeah, those kinds of things do makes sense...¡± reasoned Kianna.


    ¡°Hey! Wait one fucking second!¡± cried Fiona as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards ¡°Does that mean that we''re the one''s actually powering the curses that are keeping us enslaved!?¡±


    Anton threw his head back and started laughing loudly.


    ¡°Now Fiona! ...Is that something you really want me to answer!?¡± he questioned between bouts of laughter.


    ¡°Motherfucker!¡± growled Fiona as she grabbed at her collar ¡°Fucking parasite bullshit!¡±


    Anton continued to chuckle as he began to run the tip of the silver dowel across the surface of the rock between the various points he had been poking at. By this time the rock had soaked up all of the red liquid and was now aglow with a faint red aura. Wherever the dowels tip touched it on it''s way across the rock, this aura would concentrate and become a thin, glowing line. Once Anton had finished connecting all the glowing points together, a grid-like pattern had come into existence across the surface of the rock. Taking the non-pointed end of the dowel, he scooped up a glob of a thick tar-like substance from one of the small bowls and plopped this down on the center of the rock and in the middle of the grid. He then took a smaller rock with a thinner, longer shape and stood this up tall by planting its base into the glob of tar. The smaller rock, now attached to the bigger one, immediately began to glow as the red aura spread into it. After smearing a second glob atop the standing rock, Anton placed another smaller disc shaped rock at the very top.


    As the red aura spread into this last rock, Anton drew a second grid across its surface that was broken up by several small circles surrounding a larger one in the center. Once finished with this smaller grid, and the entire rock structure was aglow, he set the dowel on the desk and planted his fingertip down in the center of the largest circle.


    ¡°Alright, what I need you girls to do is touch one of the small circles on the top here, and leave your finger there until I tell you it''s done.¡± said Anton.


    ¡°Is this gonna burn us?¡± grumbled Fiona as she and her sister both moved to touch the circles.


    ¡°No. It shouldn''t.¡± said Anton ¡°If it does, then let me know.¡±


    Once both of the dark elves had their fingers in place, Anton began to feed a stream of mana into the rock structure and as he did this its aura and the glowing grids across it began to shift in color until they were the same bright orange as his own aura.


    ¡°Alright, keep your fingers in place and slowly, and I mean slowly! Let a bit of your mana flow into the stone.¡± said Anton as he looked from one dark elf to the other ¡°It''s okay if you let your auras flow into it as well. They aren''t going to do anything that will hurt the charms.¡±


    ¡°Okay...¡± breathed Kianna as her expression became marred with concentration.


    Fiona merely grimaced as she followed suit.


    As the dark elves mana joined with Anton''s, the grid across the entire stone structure began to shift in color as the three streams of mana began to blend within it.


    ¡°Okay... You two can let go now...¡± said Anton as his brow creased with concentration ¡°...Go ahead and step back. ...It''s going to activate as soon as I let it go. ...Don''t panic when it does.¡±


    Glancing at each other in uncertainty, both Fiona and Kianna turned back to the ward and kept their eyes locked to it as they stepped back from the desk.


    The instant Anton lifted his finger a bubble, seemingly made of a bright, red colored light began to expand out from the structure and spread outwards until it had engulfed the entire desk.


    ¡°Don''t panic, this is normal.¡± said Anton as the bubble continued to grow ¡°It''s not going to hurt you.¡±


    As he spoke, the bubble jumped in size and became big enough to engulfed both himself and the dark elves before spreading out to fill the entire room and cover it with its red sheen.


    ¡°...What the fuck!?¡± muttered Fiona as she looked around at everything that was now colored red ¡°...This is normal!?¡±


    ¡°It is.¡± nodded Anton as he watched the edges of the bubble faze through the floor, walls and ceiling ¡°This is usually how wards look whenever they''re first activated.¡±


    ¡°...They''re supposed to be red like this!?¡± cried Kianna ¡°But aren''t people going to see it!?¡±


    ¡°No, no one can see it.¡± assured Anton ¡°We can see it right now because we made it. But no one else can see it. And it''ll disappear for us as well, once it reaches its full size.¡±


    ¡°...How big is it gonna get?¡± asked Fiona.


    ¡°It''ll be fairly small. Only about a few hundred meters in diameter.¡± said Anton ¡°So just big enough to cover the house, the driveway and the immediate area around us.¡±


    ¡°...How will we know when it''s done?¡± asked Kianna as her eyes roved over the red colored ceiling.


    ¡°The red color will disappear and everything will look normal again.¡± said Anton.


    The dark elves both nodded as they continued to glance around the now red colored room.


    After a few more moments of waiting the red sheen suddenly winked out of existence.


    ¡°And there we go.¡± nodded Anton ¡°It''s done.¡±


    ¡°Cool, that was easy.¡± mumbled Fiona as she looked around ¡°...So, how do we know if it''s working?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately we won''t know for sure until someone triggers it.¡± said Anton as he began to rummage around with things on the desk ¡°But there''s really no reason to think that it isn''t.¡±


    ¡°...So then, what''s next?¡± asked Kianna as she watched Anton clean the silver dowel ¡°We get someone to come and trigger it?¡±


    ¡°Oh no. That''ll happen on it''s own. Eventually.¡± said Anton as he grinned at her ¡°No, no. Next, I need to finish with you two!¡±


    Setting her jaw in irritation, Fiona began to groan as Anton rose out of his seat and picked up the second small bowl that was filled with a bluish paste.


    ¡°Now, who would like to go first?¡± asked Anton as he used the silver dowel to stir up the paste.


    When neither of the dark elves gave a response he chuckled and turned to a now glaring Fiona.


    ¡°Why don''t we just start with you.¡± he said as he came around the desk and stood in front of her ¡°Chin up, please.¡±


    Pointing her ears straight back, Fiona hesitated as she eyed the small bowl with a look of obvious disdain.


    ¡°...Fiona, I''m going to be very annoyed if I have to put you in binding rings for this.¡± said Anton as he narrowed his eyes at her ¡°This can be over in seconds if you just let it be easy.¡±


    Hesitating for another moment, Fiona sighed through her teeth and slumped her shoulders.


    ¡°Fine!¡± she grumbled as she raised her chin and looked off to the side.


    Anton wasted no time as he bent forward and quickly tapped his fingertip on each of the three gems mounted to her collar. With each tap, the gems began to glow.


    ¡°...I think it''s only fair for you two to understand that the charms that I''m going to activate right now, were, for the most part, already set into your collars.¡± said Anton as he stirred a bit of paste onto the tip of the silver dowel and quickly moved it to the first gem on Fiona''s collar.


    ¡°...What!?¡± cried Fiona as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards ¡°What are you talking about!?¡±


    ¡°What I''m talking about... Is exactly what I just said... I had already set these charms, into the gems on your collars.¡± repeated Anton as he made one tiny line after another across the surface of the gems ¡°...I had just left them incomplete, and inactive. ...Because I had hoped, that I wouldn''t need them.¡±


    Kianna lowered her ears as a expression of misery spread across her face.


    ¡°And let me guess!¡± mocked Fiona ¡°You''re so disappointed in us because you do!¡±


    ¡°Well... I wouldn''t say that...¡± mused Anton as he began to work on the larger middle gem ¡°If anything I should have known better myself... You two are what you are after all... And it''s not like I wasn''t fully aware of how you would be... I should have been better prepared to deal with actual dark elves... And I really wasn''t... Now I will be...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right!¡± grumbled Fiona ¡°Now you will be for sure! Since now you can just turn off our magic whenever you want!¡±


    ¡°That is more or less the case, yes...¡± said Anton ¡°Though it''s not so much turning it off... As it is channeling it... Redirecting the flow, as it were...¡±


    ¡°...What?¡± questioned Fiona ¡°What the Hell does that mean?¡±


    Anton began to chuckle as he stood up and looked at her face to face.


    ¡°There are two charms being embedded into the gems on your collar right now. The first charm will be mounted to your bloodgem. The way this charm works is that when active it will channel your mana through me. Almost as if you were my familiar, well, as if your gem was my familiar. Anyways, when this happens I can stop the flow of your mana and even redirect it back into you. Thus binding your mana and making it impossible for you to preform your abilities.¡± explained Anton ¡°The second charm is actually being applied to both of your buffer gems. The one''s that keep your aura from messing with your bloodgem. This charm, when activated, will completely displace your aura and make it impossible for you to control it. When both of these charms are activated, you will essentially be harmless. Well, I say harmless. You will still have your teeth, I guess...¡±


    Fuming with rage, Fiona balled her hands into fists as she glared back at Anton and scowling, bared said teeth.


    ¡°Yes, those are the ones!¡± teased Anton as he again tapped on her bloodgem.


    Fiona''s breath hissed as she sucked air in through her teeth.


    ¡°What the fuck was that!?¡± she cried as she tucked her arms in around herself and shivered uncontrollably.


    ¡°That, was the charms becoming active.¡± said Anton as he stepped away from her ¡°You may feel a little queasy for the next little bit. At least until your aura realigns itself.¡±


    ¡°Argh, I hate you!¡± muttered Fiona as she continued to shiver.


    ¡°Oh! ...Well this is interesting!¡± mused Anton as he looked her over ¡°...I think I can actually feel how much mana you have now? ...This will certainly be useful!¡±


    ¡°Seriously!?¡± grumbled Fiona as she let her head hang forward ¡°Well isn''t that just perfect!¡±


    ¡°...I wonder if I can only feel it because you have so little?¡± pondered Anton ¡°Hm, questions for later.¡±


    Still looking utterly miserable, Kianna laid her ears down submissively as Anton turned to face her.


    ¡°Oh, come on now, Kianna. There''s no reason for you to look so pitiful.¡± he said as he stepped up to her.


    Saying nothing, the dark elf offered no resistance as Anton lifted her chin. Bending forward to get a better look at her gems, Anton stopped short. Standing as close to her as he was allowed him to feel the cloud of sadness being emanated out into her aura.


    ¡°So, how far along are you on your lines?¡± he asked in a soft tone as he tapped on each of her gems.


    ¡°Um, I''m past 500 now...¡± whispered Kianna.


    ¡°I see, good.¡± nodded Anton as he quickly started working on the charms ¡°So it shouldn''t take you too much longer to finish them then?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± said Kianna ¡°I''ll be done in, like another hour. ...Or maybe a little longer.¡±


    ¡°Good, that''s good.¡± soothed Anton ¡°Plenty of time then... So, do you think you''ll be up to making a few more blueprints afterwards? Or would you like to just call it a day?¡±


    ¡°...I can probably do a few more. ...If you want me too.¡± mumbled Kianna.


    Smiling softly, Anton stood up and looked her in the eyes.


    ¡°Now that''s not what I asked you, Kianna.¡± said Anton as he took hold of her chin and ran his thumb up and down her jawline ¡°It''s not about what I want. I asked what you want.¡±


    Kianna stared at him for a few moments before her face scrunched up in anguish.


    ¡°I don''t know!¡± complained the dark elf ¡°...I just, I don''t want you to be mad at me anymore! So I''ll just do whatever you want!¡±


    ¡°Hm... I see, well, I''m not mad at you though, Kianna.¡± said Anton as he bent back down to continue working on the charms ¡°So that''s not an issue.¡±


    ¡°...You''re disappointed though.¡± whispered Kianna as tears began to well in her eyes while she stared up at the ceiling ¡°You knew! You knew we might... You knew we might be stupid like this! But you hoped that we wouldn''t be, that we''d be better than that... And we''re not... We''re stupid, and now you have to punish us! ...I''m sorry!¡±


    ¡°...Yes. Unfortunately I did have to punish you.¡± whispered Anton as he finished the charms and stood back up ¡°But I never once said I thought you were stupid for this, Kianna. You or your sister.¡±


    ¡°But we are!¡± whined Kianna as she clamped her eyes shut ¡°That''s why... You''re still disappointed! And you still have to punish me! With these charms! Even though you didn''t want to! I''m sorry...¡±


    ¡°Charms?¡± questioned Anton ¡°Ah, I see. That''s what you think...¡±


    Leaning to the side, Anton set the bowl and dowel on the desk before turning back to Kianna. Without a word he reached out and activated the charms by tapping on her bloodgem.


    Like her sister, Kianna reacted by sucking in her breath and immediately wrapping her arms around herself as her body began to shiver. Her eyes shot open and went wide in surprise when Anton stepped forward and pulled her into a tight embrace.


    ¡°So, you think that the charms are part of your punishment then...¡± he whispered as held the quivering dark elf to his chest ¡°Such a silly little dark elf...¡±


    Kianna was still for several moments before she let herself relax against him.


    ¡°...Are they not?¡± she questioned as she blinked up at him.


    ¡°No. Only your lines were meant to be your punishment. Not the charms.¡± soothed Anton as he ran his hand up and down and gently rubbed the smooth skin of her exposed back between her blouse and skirt ¡°The charms are there to let me control you only if I think I need to... And that''s it... They''re not a punishment, Kianna...¡±


    ¡°...But, that is a punishment though!¡± whined Kianna as she tighten her ears together behind her head ¡°How are they not a punishment!?¡±


    ¡°Because they''re not... And I don''t want you to think of them that way...¡± said Anton as he gave her a light squeeze and continued to rub her back ¡°Instead, I want you to imagine a bike. One that you''re learning to ride for the first time. The charms, would be like a set of training wheels attached to that bike. They''re there to help you stay upright, and to keep you moving on the right path. And that''s it. That''s all they''re there for. They''re not there to punish you. They''re only there to help me hold you up, and keep you from falling. So in this way, you won''t hurt yourself. Or anyone around you.¡±


    Kianna stayed silent and still as she listened.


    ¡°...And when you''re ready. ...When you have control. ...We will take them off. ...And you will ride on your own from then on.¡± continued Anton as he tilted his head back and looked down at her ¡°Alright?¡±


    Kianna remained still for another moment before softly nodding her head.


    ¡°Alright, good!¡± breathed Anton as he turned to look at Fiona ¡°And do you understand that as well, Fiona? Because the same does go for you too.¡±


    Leaning against the false wall next to the blackboard and staring off to the side with her arms crossed over her chest, Fiona hesitated for a moment before slowly nodding her head.


    ¡°Okay, good! I''m glad we''ve got that settled.¡± said Anton as he gave Kianna another squeeze and smiled down at her ¡°Now, you have yet to answer my question, Kianna!¡±


    Blinking, the dark elf looked up at him with a confused expression clear on her face.


    ¡°Wha, which one?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I asked you what you wanted to do with the rest of the afternoon.¡± said Anton he playfully tilted his head to the side ¡°And you never told me.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± mumbled Kianna as she rested her head back against his shoulder and closed her eyes ¡°No, I told you. I''ll just do whatever you wanna do...¡±


    ¡°Ah, so you meant that then?¡± asked Anton as he patted her back just below her blouse.


    ¡°Mm hm.¡± hummed Kianna as she reached around behind herself and began to adjust her skirt.


    Watching the dark elf shift the waistbands of both her skirt and panties back and forth, Anton couldn''t help but to appreciate the way she absently wiggled and swayed her bottom in her quest for comfort. Grinning to himself he began to drum his fingers along her spine as he slowly trailed his hand down to the small of her back.


    Registering where Anton''s hand had found itself, Kianna''s ears pointed themselves straight upwards as her eyes shot open and widened in surprise.


    ¡°Hmm... Now what do I want to do...?¡± hummed Anton as he let his fingers playfully get in the way of her attempts to finish adjusting her skirt ¡°Hmm, hmm, hmm... What, what, what...¡±


    Blinking, Kianna lifted her head and looked up at him.


    Ginning in amusement, Anton looked off to the side as he feigned being lost in thought.


    ¡°You know what I think I''d like to do!¡± exclaimed Anton as he let the tips of his fingers slip under the waistband of Kianna''s panties ¡°I think I''d like to make something really good for dinner tonight... Hm, what should I make though... Maybe... Maybe some pork chops! Yeah! That sounds good. Some pork chops, and some nice big baked potatoes, and maybe some cheesy rice and broccoli... Yeah! I think that sounds good! How does that sound to you?¡±


    ¡°...It, uh. Yeah! That sounds good! Really good!¡± stumbled Kianna.


    ¡°Well, alright then!¡± smiled Anton as he let his fingers teasingly travel further down beneath the now squirming dark elf''s panties ¡°Would you like to help me make it?¡±


    ¡°...I! Yeah! Definitely!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she nodded her head.


    ¡°Good! Well then! As soon as you''re done with your lines we can get started!¡± said Anton as he continued to smile and playfully wiggle his fingers ¡°I think this is going to be fun!¡±


    ¡°...Yeah!¡± breathed Kianna as she began to lightly sway her hips ¡°...Um, is, is that, really all you wanna do though!?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± hummed Anton as his smile grew broader ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°...I, uh, I was just wondering if that was all you really wanted to do? ...Or not?¡± said Kianna.


    ¡°Well... I guess it is...¡± mused Anton as his eyes became teasing ¡°Why? Is there maybe, something else, you, would like to do now?¡±


    Kianna stared at him for a moment before sighing in frustration through her nose and pointing her ears straight back behind her head.


    ¡°You! Are so mean!¡± she mumbled as she narrowed her eyes and arched her back to press herself against him.


    Anton began to laugh as he full on slid his hand into her panties and gave her bottom a rough squeeze.


    ¡°Oh, is that so!?¡± he grinned as he tilted his head down towards her.


    ¡°Yes! It is!¡± muttered Kianna as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him fully down so as to kiss him.


    Returning her kiss with his own passion, Anton tightened his hold on her butt cheek as a soft growl rumbled out of his chest.


    ¡°Hm... We''re still in the middle of class...¡± breathed Anton as he broke away from their kiss and took a breath.


    ¡°No, we''re not! We''re still on a break right now...¡± countered Kianna as she kissed him again.


    Chuckling into their kiss, Anton leaned back and lifted her into the air as he hugged her to himself.


    ¡°Oh! Such a naughty little school girl!¡± teased Anton as he held her up ¡°She can''t even stay focused on her lessons for a single afternoon!¡±


    ¡°Mm, well, maybe I could focus better...¡± breathed Kianna as she lazily kicked her legs in the air ¡°If my professor gave me some, private, lessons...¡±


    ¡°Private lessons?¡± repeated Anton with a smile.


    ¡°Yeah, you know... Private, one on one, lessons...¡± spoke Kianna in between light kisses ¡°Like the kind that, come with extra credits...¡±


    Anton chuckled through his grinning teeth as he set Kianna back down on her feet and pressed their foreheads together.


    ¡°Oh! Those kinds of lessons...¡± he said as he smiled down at her ¡°Well... I might be able to fit one of those into our little break real quick... If! You can promise to finish your lines right afterwards...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can do that!¡± said Kianna as she kissed him again ¡°But, I wanna change one, little thing...¡±


    ¡°Hm? And what''s that?¡± mumbled Anton.


    ¡°I don''t, want a quick, lesson...¡± explained Kianna as she continued to kiss him over and over.


    ¡°Ah!¡± nodded Anton ¡°Well! We''ll just have to see how well you can stay focused then. Now won''t we!?¡±


    Kianna giggled her way into another kiss as Anton gave her bottom another squeeze.


    ¡°Argh! Will you two just get it over with and fuck already!¡± snapped Fiona from her place next to the blackboard ¡°And please, for the love of the Gods, don''t do it in here! ...Or while you''re making dinner! Please!¡±


    Laughing loudly, Anton scooped a still giggling Kianna up into his arms and started towards the stairs that led out of the dungeon.


    ¡°Finish your lines, Fiona!¡± called Anton over his shoulder ¡°And don''t concern yourself with how we decide to make dinner! The food is going to be fine either way!¡±


    Snarling in rage, Fiona turned her back on them and fumed for a moment before snatching up her piece of chalk and grudgingly getting back to her lines.

 Chapter 32 : Mid Morning + Epilogue

    Chapter 32 : Mid-Morning


    Fiona grunted angrily as she dropped her arms in fatigue. Winded, she took several deep, frustrated breaths as she watched the ring of glowing, green light disappear from around her sister.


    Kianna blew a heavy sigh out of her mouth in relief.


    ¡°Hey! Don''t get comfortable over there!¡± declared Fiona as she pointed her ears straight back and glared at her sister ¡°I''m not done yet!¡±


    Kianna grimaced as her shoulders slumped.


    The two dark elves were in the central area of the dungeon, just in front of the classroom. This section had most of its implements moved out of the way to leave a large open space that had now been converted into a training area where they could practice preforming their magical abilities.


    Kianna currently stood in the center of this space. Although she didn''t know it, she was at the moment currently facing her sister.


    In accordance with the idea of ¡°training¡± she was dressed in form fitting athletic garb that consisted of a tank top and tight fitting shorts that hugged her hips. Both items matched each other and were colored black with pink-colored stripes along their stitching.


    She stood freely with her legs barely spread and her arms hanging loose at her sides. A thick black-colored, leather blindfold was placed over her eyes and had been buckled tightly around her head. This blindfold prevented her from either reacting to or resisting her sister''s efforts to entrap her with a binding ring.


    Fiona stood about four meters away from her sister. She was dressed in almost identical clothing, save for the fact that her''s were colored a solid white.


    Behind and off to the side of them sat Anton. He was in one of the high-backed chairs and was casually sipping from a mug of coffee as he watched them practice. Sitting on one of the bedside tables that had been placed next to him, was a ticking egg timer that would signal a change in turns once it went off.


    ¡°Why is this so hard now!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as she tried to shake the tension out of her shoulders ¡°It wasn''t this hard yesterday... What am I doing wrong?¡±


    ¡°It''s the exact same ability.¡± said Anton with a chuckle ¡°So there''s no reason it should be any easier or harder than it was before.¡±


    ¡°It feels like it was easier though.¡± stated Fiona as she held her hands out in front of herself and flexed her fingers.


    ¡°Well, the only thing that''s changed is your target... When you were targeting me it was easy, right?¡± reasoned Anton ¡°But now that it''s Kianna it''s hard, so I''m guessing you wanted to target me, but don''t feel the same way about your sister?¡±


    ¡°Aw! You actually do love me!¡± cried Kianna as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards and gave her a ¡°happy¡± look ¡°That''s so sweet!¡±


    ¡°Nah. That doesn''t make any sense either...¡± reasoned Fiona ¡°After what she did to me, I definitely want to chain this bitch up.¡±


    Kianna''s jaw became set as her ears shifted themselves straight back in irritation.


    ¡°Hm... Well if that''s not the issue...¡± mused Anton ¡°It doesn''t feel like your mana pool has been spent already... Which it shouldn''t be. You haven''t even done anything yet...¡±


    Fiona absently ran the tip of her tongue over her teeth as she stared at her sister.


    ¡°It could be that you''re just trying too hard...¡± said Anton as he took another sip from his mug ¡°Maybe you should try to practice a different ability for now. See if that helps to get things flowing again. You could try making an aura field, or manifesting one of the new items you learned this morning. Like one of the whips.¡±


    Kianna''s head immediately swiveled towards the sound of his voice as her features scrunched up in worry.


    ¡°Wait! What did you just say!?¡± she cried as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards in panic ¡°Don''t tell her she can do that!¡±


    ¡°Oh! Okay!¡± cried Fiona as a wicked smile spread across her face ¡°Yeah, I think I can do that!¡±


    ¡°W-what! No! Wait!¡± cried Kianna as her head turned back to face her sister and she raised her hands in a effort to stop the situation ¡°Hold on a second!¡±


    ¡°One whip! Coming right up!¡± smiled Fiona as her eyes began to glow with excitement.


    Raising her right hand, Fiona willed her aura to concentrate itself towards the center of her palm and forced it into the shape a ball as she brought it into near existence. Using a drop of her mana as a spark, she ignited the concentrated aura and burnt it into reality. The moment the ball of aura shifted into the physical world she took control of its form and immediately began to mold it into the shape that she desired. In a flash of ethereal light, the long leather-bound handle of a bullwhip took shape in the air in front of Fiona''s hand. The handle was made of green, glowing light and appeared to be semi-transparent until she reached forward and took hold of it. In the instant she touched the handle, it made a direct link to her mana pool and took a solid form. Still green in color, the handle began to glow brighter as Fiona filled it with more of her power.


    With her smile growing broader the dark elf raised the handle into the air and with the flair of a eager hand she swung the handle forwards and down. This motion caused the concentrated energy within the handle to snake outwards and form into a long, sinuous whip with two tiny flairs at its end. Fiona then quickly twisted her wrist around and brought the whip back in on itself. This quick motion caused the whip to snap back in an instant, creating its iconic sound as its now physical form sliced its way through the air.


    Kianna jumped at the crack of the whip and immediately began to back away from the source of the terrifying sound.


    ¡°Wait! Wait, wait, wait!¡± she cried as she reached up and desperately tried to force the blindfold up and off of her eyes.


    ¡°Hey! How dare you!¡± growled Fiona ¡°You aren''t going anywhere!¡±


    Fueled by the delicious taste of fear that was now hanging heavy in the air. Fiona raised her left hand and sent a stream of her power to flow outwards toward her sister turned prey.


    Kianna jerked as she felt the sensation of two glowing, rings of green light suddenly winking into existence both around her shoulders and at her knees. Thin, vine-like glowing chains snaked their way out from the edges of both circles and immediately began to coil themselves around the dark elf trapped between them.


    ¡°Wait! Fiona! Stop it!¡± cried Kianna as she began to twist and struggle against the chains that were quickly wrapping themselves around her body. The poor blind dark elf became more and more frantic as she desperately tried to pull and yank the thin chains off and away from her limbs. Her struggles quickly proved to be useless as she was almost instantly overcome. Whimpering in fear, she thrashed her head and feet wildly as the rest of her body was stretched taunt and held in place by the relentless and ensnaring chains.


    Smiling viciously, Fiona raised the whip and angled it to the side as she took aim at her sister. Just as she was about to strike, a shrill buzzing sound filled the air.


    ¡°Times up!¡± called Anton as he tapped the large shut off button on top of the egg timer.


    ¡°...Seriously!?¡± snarled Fiona as she looked from him to her sister and back ¡°C''mon! Just one more minute!¡±


    ¡°Nope. You''re done.¡± said Anton as he shook his head ¡°Better luck next time.¡±


    Kianna let loose a heavy sigh as she slumped in relief.


    Irritation clear on her face, Fiona held her whip poised for a moment as she eyed her sister. She groaned in frustration as an orange glowing light bubble suddenly winked into existence around the entrapped dark elf and shielded her from the whip.


    ¡°Well this is some bullshit!¡± snapped Fiona as she tossed her whip away and let it melt into nothing.


    ¡°Damn right it is!¡± cried Kianna as her head snapped back up ¡°I can''t believe you were really gonna whip me!¡±


    ¡°What? Why is that hard to believe?¡± asked Fiona as she cocked her hip and folded her arms over her chest.


    ¡°...It''s- I''m your fucking sister you bitch!¡± cried Kianna as she pointed her ears straight back behind her head ¡°How could you even think about doing that to me!?¡±


    ¡°Meh, it''s not like you''d die from it.¡± shrugged Fiona as she turned away from her sister and dispelled the chains that were holding her in place ¡°Might get a few welts out of it at worst... Hell, you might even look kinda cute with a few stripes across your ass!¡±


    Chuckling, Anton let the bubble around Kianna vanish as he took a sip from his mug.


    ¡°Well I guess we''re gonna find out how you look with stripes first!¡± raged Kianna as she reached behind her head and struggled to unbuckle the blindfold ¡°...I''ll show you some welts!¡±


    ¡°...Uh. Hey, wait! No!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she turned to Anton ¡°She can''t whip me!¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± asked Anton as he cocked an eyebrow ¡°You were just about to whip her. So I don''t see how it''s fair that she can''t whip you.¡±


    ¡°But, but you! You were the one who told me to do it!¡± cried Fiona.


    ¡°I never told you to do anything.¡± said Anton as he shook his head ¡°I suggested that you try making a whip. But I never told you to use it. You were the one who took it to that point.¡±


    ¡°...No! You! But!¡± stammered Fiona as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards in panic ¡°...Oh shit!¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah! You are gonna get it good!¡± growled Kianna as she continued to fight with the blindfold ¡°I am gonna welt your ass up until you look like a fucking tiger!¡±


    Anton chuckled again as he watched Fiona''s eyes widen with fear.


    ¡°Wait, Kianna, just hold on! You-!¡± cried Fiona before she and Kianna both suddenly went completely still.


    ¡°...What is that!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as looked off towards the front of the house ¡°...Are you doing that, Fiona!?¡±


    ¡°No?¡± said Fiona as she turned to face the same direction as her sister ¡°...That''s not me.¡±


    ¡°...Master?¡± questioned Kianna as her ears twitched in uncertainty ¡°...Is that you?¡±


    ¡°Nope, it''s not me either.¡± mumbled Anton as he downed the last of his coffee and set the mug aside ¡°Hm... Well, it looks like you''re going to get lucky again, Fiona. As usual...¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why?¡± questioned Fiona as Anton rose from his seat and went to help Kianna with the blindfold ¡°What''s happening!?¡±


    ¡°What''s happening.¡± said Anton as he took hold of Kianna''s shoulders and turned her around to face away from him ¡°Is that it looks like we''re going to be taking a quick recess.¡±


    ¡°Why!?¡± snapped Kianna as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards ¡°What''s going on!?¡±


    ¡°Hold on, calm down.¡± said Anton as Kianna twisted her head back and forth ¡°Just think about it for one second. What could it possibly be that would suddenly start triggering alarm bells in your heads?¡±


    The dark elves were silent for a moment before as one they both gasped in understanding.


    ¡°The ward!¡± they cried out in unison.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± smiled Anton as he glanced over at the stone totem still sitting on his desk.


    ¡°Somebodies coming!¡± cried Kianna as her ears trained themselves in the direction she now knew the trespassers were coming from.


    ¡°There''s 2 of them!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she stared off towards the disturbance ¡°...And they''re coming closer!¡±


    ¡°Yes. It looks like we have some guests about to come down the driveway...¡± explained Anton as he worked to unbuckled the blindfold ¡°And since we don''t want to be rude to anyone who''s going to make the trip all the way out here... Let''s be quick, get upstairs, and go see what it is that they want...¡±


    Anton, Kianna and Fiona all stepped out onto the front porch just as a sleek, silver limousine came to a stop in the circular driveway. Making their way down to stand at the head of the walkway that lead to the drive, they watched as the driver side door opened and a massive being rose up to tower over the top of the vehicle. It was unmistakably clear by just the sight of him that this impressive being was a large, male sasquatch.


    Simian-like in appearance, with facial features that were a blend of a human and an ape, the sasquatch had an almost cone shaped head with a sloping brow, small human-like ears and dark, deep set eyes. He had very little neck to speak of, as his head sat almost directly atop his broad four foot wide shoulders. This however, took nothing away from the fact that he was still quite the giant, as he stood at just under eight and a half feet tall at his full height. The general shape of his body was similar to that of an over-sized human, though his limbs were off in their proportions; as his arms were exceptionally longer than a humans would be and hung down low enough to reach his knees. Also unlike a human, the vast majority of his body, save for around his face, ears and the palms and soles of his feet, was covered in a layer of hair that was colored a ruddy, reddish brown and had thin bands of silver at the tips. Very little of this hair could be seen at the moment though, due to the formfitting black-colored suit and massive, polished dress shoes that he wore as his chauffeurs uniform.


    Making his way around the front of the limo, the sasquatch quickly and covertly glanced at the waiting group as he made a beeline for the back passenger door. Though he was moving at a quick pace, his size alone was enough to give him the ability to cover the distance between the front of the long vehicle and his destination in a mere stride and a half.


    Standing at attention just before the door, he swung a long arm forward and hooked a single finger into the latch before gently swinging it outwards and holding it open.


    From within the dark recess of the limo slipped out a long, feminine leg clad in dark purple slacks and wearing a short heeled, dress boot. And this was quickly followed by the rest of an adult female dark elf, as she stepped out of the vehicle and stood tall and opposing before Anton and the sisters.


    ¡°Fuck...¡± whispered Fiona in a tone that was leaking with irritation ¡°It''s Mom...¡±


    Standing as tall as Anton, Olivia Vale stood nearly a full head above both Fiona and Kianna in height. As a dark elf, she was similar to them in appearance, though she did seem to be all around larger than them in size. This was due in part to her hair which, although the same bright white in color, was far longer than either of her daughters. And as it cascaded down to her lower back, it greatly accentuated her height. Her figure was far more pronounced and developed than theirs as well; as even hidden beneath the dark purple dress suit and white undershirt she was wearing, her fuller bust and wider hips were more than obvious. Her piercing, ruby-colored eyes radiated with annoyance as they slowly shifted from one daughter to the other and then landed on Anton.


    Anton returned her gaze for a moment before glancing to his left to check on Fiona. The dark elf was clearly making an effort to keep the hatred out of her eyes as she stared unblinkingly at Olivia. Although still resting at their relaxed positions, her ears had a slight twitch to them that made it clear that she wanted to point them straight back. Her balled up fists dried up any more lingering doubts that she was far from happy to see her mother.


    Grinning to himself, Anton shifted his eyes to Kianna and blinked as he found her standing rigidly and nearly trembling. With her jaw clenched tight and her eyes wide and locked onto her mother, the poor dark elf''s nervousness was more than obvious.


    With the grin quickly fading from his face, Anton''s expression became stoic as he flared his aura out towards her and wrapped her within its calming embrace.


    Kianna blinked as she immediately recognized the soothing warmth that suddenly surrounded her. Turning to Anton she found him staring directly at her mother with a look of fearlessness in his eyes. Gazing at him for a moment, she couldn''t help but to let a thin smile spread across her face. Without a word, she took a sideways step and let the tension in her shoulders melt away as she stood closer to him.


    ¡°Good morning.¡± greeted Anton as he kept his eyes locked to Olivia''s ¡°A bit of a surprise to get a visitor this far out in the middle of nowhere. Is there something I can help you with?¡±


    Olivia said nothing as she continued to stare in silence. After a moment of stillness, she shifted her gaze back to first one daughter and then the other as she let her eyes linger on the collars wrapped around their necks.


    ¡°...You''re a newer one, aren''t you?¡± she asked as she tilted her head towards the sasquatch ¡°...What was your name again?¡±


    ¡°Uh, Joel, Ma''am!¡± answered the sasquatch ¡°Joel Slawken.¡±


    ¡°Well, ¡°Joel''¡± said Olivia as she focused back on Anton and tightened her eyes ¡°I need to have a conversation with my daughters. So I''d like you to go ahead and put them in the car for me. And while you''re doing that, I would appreciate it if you went over there and smashed in that man''s head as well.¡±


    ¡°...Eh, excuse me!?¡± questioned Joel as he blinked down at her.


    ¡°...I said, be a dear. Gather my daughters. And smash that man''s head for me.¡± repeated Olivia with a sigh ¡°And do try to be quick about it.¡±


    ¡°...I, uh, I!¡± stammered Joel as he blinked in incomprehension.


    Olivia''s eyes tightened further as she glanced up at him.


    ¡°Is there a problem, Joel?¡± she asked as her voice became lanced with annoyance ¡°This is not a complicated request, Joel.¡±


    ¡°...It''s! Uh, Ma''am! With all due respect. Violence is not something I was contracted for.¡± stammered Joel.


    ¡°Oh, is that so.¡± said Olivia ¡°So are you saying you weren''t contracted to follow my orders as they were given to you?¡±


    ¡°...I, ...well?¡± said Joel ¡°...That''s, different!¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± asked Olivia.


    ¡°...Look, I''m sorry, Ma''am, but I''m afraid I''m just not comfortable with this request.¡± stated Joel.


    ¡°...And?¡± asked Olivia ¡°...Is that supposed to matter?¡±


    The sasquatch blinked as she stared him down.


    ¡°Because it doesn''t.¡± stated Olivia as she shifted her gaze back to Anton ¡°Do it, now, or you won''t have a job by the end of the day.¡±


    Joel stared at her for a moment before following her gaze to Anton.


    ¡°...Alright then.¡± he mumbled softly as he moved away from the limo ¡°I understand.¡±


    Anton cocked his head as the sasquatch took one long stride after another as he started towards him.


    ¡°Listen, Buddy.¡± said Joel as he put his hands up in a bid for understanding ¡°I''m not sure what exactly is going on here between you all. But, unfortunately, it looks like I''m gong to have to get involved...¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡± nodded Anton as the sasquatch came to a stop a few giant steps away ¡°That''s unfortunate.¡±


    ¡°It is. And this is nothing personal. I really have no idea what''s going on.¡± stated Joel as he cracked his knuckles ¡°Orders are orders though, friend. And I got mouths to feed.¡±


    ¡°No, no I understand. It is what it is.¡± said Anton as he nodded up at the giant standing before him and raised his left hand while shrugging ¡°And same to you by the way... Nothing personal.¡±


    Joel couldn''t help but to grin as he took in the smugness on Anton''s face.


    ¡°Look. I don''t want to do this. So do me a favor, friend.¡± mumbled Joel as he took another step forward ¡°When you go down, I''d appreciate it if you''d just stay down.¡±


    ¡°Mm...¡± smiled Anton as he readied the fingers on his left hand and made as if he was about to snap them ¡°Likewise, friend...¡±


    Both men froze where they stood and locked eyes as a sudden heaviness filled the air around them.


    ¡°How dare you...¡± came an angry whisper from behind Anton ¡°How dare you threaten my Master!¡±


    Joel''s eyes instantly jumped to Kianna and went wide as he took in the sight of her glowing irises.


    ¡°Get the Hell away from him!¡± growled Kianna as she stepped forward to stand in front of Anton.


    Raising an eyebrow in surprise, Anton leaned back a bit as the dark elf took a protective stance in front of him.


    Unsure of what to do or how to react to this situation, Joel merely stared at Kianna for a moment before turning back to Anton.


    ¡°Okay... So, uh. You just gonna let her fight for ya then?¡± he asked as he pointed down at Kianna.


    ¡°...You know what?¡± mused Anton as he lowered his hand ¡°...I think I just might.¡±


    ¡°Wait, seriously!?¡± said Joel as he shook his head ¡°C''mon! This is already a nightmare! I really don''t want to deal with this!¡±


    ¡°Then walk away!¡± growled Kianna as she pointed her ears straight back and set her jaw ¡°While you still can!¡±


    ¡°...Alright. Listen, lady. You do realize you''re not even half my size, right?¡± mumbled Joel as he crossed his arms and looked down his nose at the much smaller dark elf ¡°I can literally just reach over your head and punch that guy behind you.¡±


    ¡°Try it!¡± snarled Kianna as she let her aura thicken and fill with even more power.


    Seemingly unfazed by her display of power, Joel stared at her for another moment before twisting at the waist and turning back to look at Olivia.


    ¡°Ma''am!¡± he called as he indicated Kianna ¡°I''m not sure how you want me to handle this?¡±


    ¡°I want you to handle it quickly. If she''s going to be an idiot, then treat her like any other idiot!¡± muttered Olivia ¡°Just slap her to sleep, throw her in the trunk and be done with it!¡±


    ¡°Try that!¡± threatened Fiona as she pointed her ears straight back and let her own aura flare out to join with her sister''s ¡°And see what happens!¡±


    Stiffening from the sensation of the now two swirling auras, Joel turned to Anton as if asking for help but found him seemingly preoccupied as he looked from one dark elf to the other.


    ¡°...Hm, no influence in the auras. ...Not even any malice. ...We''ll have to work on that.¡± muttered Anton to himself as he continued to gaze at the dark elves ¡°Can''t expect a warning to come across right if there''s no weight behind it...¡±


    ¡°Alright! You know what! Fine!¡± declared Joel as he let his arms fall to his sides ¡°I''m done with this!¡±


    Taking the last step forward, the sasquatch balled his hand into a fist and swung his long right arm right over Kianna''s head.


    Lifting his eyes up from where he had been looking at Fiona, Anton was just in time to see a massive fist come flying in towards his face. Before he could react himself however, a pink bubble erupted into existence around him.


    ¡°Whoa!¡± cried Joel as he was thrown backwards by the bubble taking shape ¡°What in the name of Hell!?¡±


    Catching his balance he glowered down at Kianna as she stared back up at him in challenge from the other side of her bubble. Registering the ferocity in her eyes, Joel set his jaw and pulled his arm back before slamming his fist into the bubble.


    Kianna didn''t even blink as her bubble was rocked by the impact. His irritation getting the better of him, Joel reeled back and began to punch the bubble again and again until finally a crack suddenly appeared across its surface. Spurred on by this, he redoubled his efforts and caused the crack to grow in size until the bubble seemed to be about to shatter. Pulling his arm back for one final punch, he was shocked when his fist slammed into a suddenly fully reformed shield.


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.Anton blinked in surprise as he looked up at the new, and much larger bubble that had taken shape around him. Unlike the thin, smooth surface of its predecessor, this bubble had become a sort of reinforced dome made up of hexagonal plates that fit together in a honeycomb-like pattern. Although this was of course unexpected, what really caused Anton to pause was the fact that unlike every other aura field he had ever seen, this dome was not a single solid color.


    The plates that made up the dome, were an alternating pink and green.


    ¡°...Okay, now this!¡± breathed Anton as he looked down at the two dark elves standing together in front of him ¡°Is different...¡±


    ¡°You can''t get in! So just leave!¡± commanded Kianna as she continued to glare up at the sasquatch.


    Setting his jaw in resolve, Joel aimed right for her face as he slammed his fist into the dome.


    Unfazed by the assault, the two dark elves merely watched the giant ape man attack their dome over and over for several moments before finally reaching the end of their patience.


    ¡°...Fiona.¡± whispered Kianna as her aura began to swell within the cramped space of the dome ¡°I''m done with this!¡±


    ¡°Bout time!¡± muttered Fiona as she nodded and let her eyes fall to their mother ¡°Make this monkey pay. And don''t worry. I''ll watch her.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± said Kianna as she relaxed her jaw.


    Anton remained still and barely even breathed as he watched the tension slowly melt away from both of the two dark elves.


    Registering their sudden change in demeanor, Joel stopped his assault against the dome and looked down at the dark elves as they let their faces go blank and their ears return to their relaxed positions. Unable but to feel uneasy with the eerie calmness that was being projected from them, he took an involuntary step back and away from the dome.


    ¡°...Wait?¡± muttered the sasquatch as he took another step back ¡°...What the Hell is this!?¡±


    In response, the dark elves glanced at each another, dissolved their dome and unleashed their concentrated auras.


    All three of the spectators froze where they stood as a wave of power flowed outwards from the sisters and filled the entire area with their presence. Immediately, this area became cold and still, as though all the air within it had instantly become frozen. And this chill was made even more pronounced as an unnatural shadowed effect enveloped the land and the light started to dim and fade from the world itself. Even the sun above turned traitor as it began to shift to an angry reddish color and the sky around it began to darken into a foreboding purple hue.


    Joel grunted in surprise as he took another step back and put his hands up in front of himself.


    Before him, right where there had just been two dark elves, now stood a pair of living nightmares.


    Fiona and Kianna had vanished, and standing in their places were two monstrosities that appeared as solid black silhouettes that were completely featureless save for their red, brightly glowing eyes.


    His own eyes wide in shock, Anton stared at the dark elves for a moment before looking up at the darkening sky.


    ¡°This, is certainly interesting...¡± he whispered to himself as he nodded slowly ¡°Hopefully, this doesn''t mean that they''ve lost control of themselves...¡±


    Joel made a small sound in his throat as Kianna slowly turned her head away from where she had been looking at her sister and locked her glowing eyes to his. Before he could react any further a series of seven pink-colored glowing rings suddenly winked into existence around him. Two at his torso, one around his short neck and two around each arm.


    ¡°What the-!¡± he cried as thick bodied chains shot out from each of the rings and instantly ensnared him. Planting his feet, Joel immediately pulled back against the stout chains with all his might as he tried to escape from both them and the terrifying beings that stood before him. This proved to be a pointless effort however, as even for such a naturally strong being, the rings refused to budge from where they currently hung in midair.


    Back at the limo, Olivia went to take a half step back and away from her daughters but was stopped short as a series of green glowing rings suddenly surrounded her as well. Pointing her ears straight upwards in surprise, the encircled dark elf blinked in uncertainty as thin bars took shape between the rings and connected them together to create an actual cage.


    Tightening her eyes in anger, Olivia shifted her gaze away from the cage she now found herself trapped within and locked eyes with the monstrosity that had been, only moments ago, her daughter Fiona.


    Grunting in frustration, and now due to the chains wrapped around his short neck, struggling for breath, Joel continued to fight as he ignored the growing strain in his limbs. Despite the thick bands of musculature that wrapped around his arms, the sasquatch''s strength proved to be no match for the magic of the rings that bound him. And unable to hold them in place, he could do nothing as the rings around his arms began to move and pull his limbs out to his sides.


    With his arms now being held stretched out on either side of him, Joel threw his head back and bellowed in panic as the chains that were wrapped around his neck and torso began to tighten. Preoccupied with his struggles, he was caught off guard when the rings all suddenly moved as one and forced him to lurch forward.


    Falling to his knees, the sasquatch''s eyes went wide in surprise as the minute breath he could barely manage to maintain suddenly became caught in his throat.


    Standing right in front of him, was Kianna.


    With Joel down on his knees the dark elf could now look him directly in the eyes. And a bone-chilling sense of cold horror gripped the panicking ape''s pounding heart as a wide, sinister smile slowly spread itself across her otherwise blackened face.


    ¡°N-no! W-wait!¡± grunted Joel as he was forced to stare into the fiery pits that were Kianna''s glowing eyes ¡°H-help me! Somebody! H-help me!¡±


    Furious at this outcome, Olivia set her jaw and balled her fists but before she could do more than that the bars that surrounded her suddenly split apart right across their middle. The dark elf was forced to move back into the center of her cage as the bars, all at once, shifted inwards and pointed themselves directly at her.


    ¡°If you move again.¡± threatened a voice that seemed to come from nowhere ¡°You will die as well.¡±


    Olivia''s eyes shot to Fiona and finding her daughter staring right back at her she couldn''t help but to point her ears straight back and scowl in anger. Her eyes tightened even further as she glanced back down at the glowing bars that surrounded her and watched as their tips sharpened and became pointed.


    ¡°No! N-no!¡± cried Joel as he desperately tried to pull away from the terrifying being in front of him ¡°Please! S-stop!¡±


    A thicker panic set in as he felt the chains around his torso become even tighter as they forced the last of the air right out of his lungs. Choking on his own breath, he rolled his head back and stared upwards as heavy tears began to form in his bloodshot eyes.


    ¡°...P-please! N-no! Not like! ...Jenna! ...My love! ...I, I''m, s-sorry!¡± croaked Joel as his tears began to roll down his cheeks ¡°...M-my boys! ...Daddy, l-loves you! ...Always!¡±


    Kianna''s smile faded from her face as she watched the sasquatch spasm in his binds. Though she hesitated, the chains remained tight around him as her eyes narrowed in resolve.


    Desperate to live, Joel continued to fight feebly and gibber incomprehensibly for nearly another minute before his strength finally failed him. Going still and hanging limp from the rings that held him up, he sucked in what little breath he could manage and continued to make faint gasping sounds as a large wet stain began to spread out from his crotch and soak his pants.


    As Kianna watched the last bits of life struggle to cling on in Joel''s eyes, she couldn''t help but to stiffen in surprise as she felt a hand come to rest on her shoulder.


    ¡°Kianna.¡± said Anton as he leaned in close to her ear ¡°I never gave you permission to kill him.¡±


    The dark elf''s eyes went wide as she balled her hands into fists.


    ¡°Release him.¡± commanded Anton as he tightened his grip on her shoulder ¡°Now.¡±


    Kianna hesitated for a moment before bowing her head. She suddenly looked normal again as the blackness that surrounded her disappeared in what seemed like a puff of smoke that erupted away from her body.


    ¡°But he attacked you!¡± she snarled through her clenched teeth ¡°He deserves to die for that!¡±


    ¡°That''s not your choice to make.¡± said Anton in a calm and even tone ¡°Now let him go.¡±


    Trembling in frustration, Kianna glared at Joel for a moment before clamping her eyes shut.


    ¡°...Fine!¡± she growled as the rings around the sasquatch vanished in an instant.


    With nothing holding him up now and no strength of his own, Joel immediately toppled to his left and landed in a crumpled heap on his side. Gasping for breath, he laid where he landed as he desperately took in one lungful of air after another.


    ¡°Thank you, Kianna.¡± said Anton as he gave her shoulder a squeeze ¡°I appreciate it, and I''m sure he does as well.¡±


    Grumbling in annoyance, the dark elf''s irises were still aglow with an angry red light as she stared down at the fallen sasquatch and watched him struggle to breathe.


    ¡°Keep an eye on him, please.¡± said Anton as he stepped away ¡°I need to go have a word with your Mother real quick.¡±


    Blinking, Kianna''s eyes darted to her mother and then to Anton''s back as she watched him walk away.


    With her arms crossed over her middle, Olivia''s stance was one of obvious impatience. Her eyes were clearly unfriendly as she watched Anton''s approach and she said nothing as he stopped just in front of her.


    ¡°Hello, Olivia. It''s nice to officially meet you.¡± said Anton as he offered the frowning dark elf a thin smile ¡°My name is Antonius, but you can call me Anton, Anton Faustus North. I''m the one who now owns your daughters. And I have a few questions for you.¡±


    Olivia said nothing as her eyes shifted from Anton to the collar around Kianna''s neck and then back.


    ¡°First of all, I''d like to know...¡± whispered Anton as he leaned in closer ¡°Why are you still in this cage? Can you not escape from it?¡±


    The glaring dark elf was still for a moment before her eyes narrowed.


    ¡°...I see.¡± nodded Anton as his expression became thoughtful ¡°I suspected that this might be the case... It would explain why you never taught them anything. You couldn''t teach them what you didn''t know... Could you?¡±


    Olivia''s face hardened as a faint red glow began to shine in her irises.


    ¡°...Hm.¡± mused Anton as he watched the glow in her eyes brighten ¡°So then you''re the same way they were. You aren''t actually hopeless either... Interesting...¡±


    Despite herself, Olivia couldn''t help but to crease her brow in uncertainty.


    ¡°Well. Moving on.¡± said Anton as he smiled at the bemused look in her eyes ¡°As I''m sure you can see. I''ve made myself quite comfortable in this home. Though it wasn''t my first choice to do so. And I am fully prepared to leave if it comes down to that. The girls however, have made it clear that this house is very important to them. And as such, I would like to have a discussion with you about purchasing it for them.¡±


    The questioning look in Olivia''s eyes deepened as she continued to remain silent. A sudden pained sounding commotion caused her eyes to shift to the side as they focused on the source of the noise.


    Behind them, Joel was struggling to raise himself up on his hands and knees. As he did so he began to violently retch before vomiting on the ground in front of himself.


    ¡°Hm... It sounds as though your man may need to call it a day...¡± said Anton as he gave Olivia an amused smile ¡°And I''m getting the distinct impression that you are not too interested in having a conversation with me at the moment...¡±


    The dark elf''s face showcased her fury clearly as she brought her eyes back to Anton.


    ¡°...Why don''t I go ahead and give you my contact information.¡± said Anton as he reached back for his wallet ¡°That way whenever you''re ready to speak, you''ll know how to reach me.¡±


    Having anticipated the possibility of an outcome such as this, Anton took an already prepared slip of paper out of his wallet and looked back up at the now scowling dark elf. Staring her in the eyes, he said nothing as he extended his hand between the glowing rings that encircled her and offered her the slip of paper.


    With her jaw clenched and her irises still aglow, Olivia remained silent as she unfolded one of her arms and using only two fingers, quickly snatched the piece of paper out of his hand.


    ¡°Again, it was nice to finally meet you, Olivia.¡± smiled Anton as he took a step back and turned away from her ¡°And I do look forward to hearing from you again soon.¡±


    Crushing the slip of paper in her fist, Olivia began to tremble with fury as she watched Anton walk away.


    Still in her blackened form, Fiona kept her glowing eyes locked on her mother as Anton approached her and stopped at her side.


    ¡°...So then.¡± he said softly ¡°Do you plan to kill her?¡±


    There was silence for a moment before a voice began to speak from nowhere.


    ¡°...No.¡± it whispered ¡°...I don''t.¡±


    ¡°I see, good.¡± said Anton as he stared ahead at nothing ¡°What do you plan to do then?¡±


    ¡°...She isn''t welcome here!¡± declared the voice ¡°I want to make sure she knows that!¡±


    Anton nodded slowly as he glanced sideways at the monstrosity standing next to him.


    ¡°Well, I do believe you are more powerful than she is now.¡± he said with a grin ¡°So it shouldn''t be too hard for you to make that clear to her.¡±


    Fiona''s eyes widened with excitement.


    ¡°Wait, I am!?¡± questioned the voice.


    ¡°Yes. You and your sister both are.¡± said Anton as he turned away from her and made his way towards Kianna ¡°Now go make sure that she understands that.¡±


    A wide smile spread across Fiona''s otherwise featureless face as she immediately started towards her mother.


    Olivia took an involuntary half step back as she realized her daughter was now headed straight for her. In her blackened state, Fiona was undeniably terrifying. With pupil-less glowing red eyes and her pointed ears giving the impression of sharpened horns, her appearance was nothing less than demonic.


    As she got closer, Olivia leaned as far back as she could in the tight confines of the cage and pointed her ears straight upwards.


    Fiona slowed her approach and let the smile fade from her face as she registered the thin lace of fear in her mother''s eyes. Stopping a few steps in front of her, she stared up at the taller elven woman and watched as her eyes tightened in unease. After a long moment of silent stillness she dropped away her blacken form and appeared normal again.


    ¡°You... You need to fucking leave.¡± she said softly as she turned around and walked back the way she had come ¡°I''m tired of looking at you!¡±


    Before Olivia could react the cage around her suddenly broke apart and melted away as it disappeared completely.


    Fiona kept her eyes facing forward as she made her way back to the front porch.


    Standing next to Kianna, Anton let his eyes drift between the three dark elves as he waited for the sasquatch to recover.


    Resting on his hands and knees with his head hanging low, Joel took in one labored breath after another until enough of his strength had returned for him to make an effort to distance himself from both his own vomit, and Kianna. Crawling off to the side he slowly and tentatively rose back up to his feet.


    ¡°Are you done?¡± asked Anton as he watched the sasquatch struggle to remain upright.


    ¡°...Yes!¡± grunted Joel as he nodded his head.


    ¡°Good to hear, friend.¡± nodded Anton ¡°Now, just so that we''re clear. I''m not going to stop her a second time. ...Do you understand this?¡±


    ¡°...Yes!¡± nodded Joel as he took a staggering step towards the limo ¡°I understand!¡±


    ¡°Good. Very good. Now, just one more thing then...¡± said Anton as he shifted his eyes to Olivia ¡°Do not leave here without your boss.¡±


    ¡°...I, w-won''t.¡± stammered Joel as he fought to hold back the nausea threatening to rise up in his chest.


    ¡°Good. Very good. We shouldn''t have anymore problems then. So long as you''re ready to leave at least, which I think you are.¡± said Anton as he smiled down at a still furious looking Kianna ¡°I wish you safety on your travels, my friend.¡±


    Nodding his head, Joel staggered forward until he made it back to the limo. Reaching out with one of his long arms he leaned against the vehicle for support as he pointed a finger at Olivia.


    ¡°I''m done! We''re getting back to the office and that''s it! No more!¡± he snarled as he let his pointing finger fall and started to make his way around to the driver side door ¡°We''re done here! Now get back in the damn car!¡±


    Glaring, Olivia shifted her eyes away from him as she gave Anton and Kianna a venomous sneer. Her expression softened a bit when she registered that Fiona, from her place up on the porch, was staring at her sideways with her ears pointed straight back in an obvious challenge.


    Narrowing her own eyes, Olivia turned away from them all and dropped back down into her seat in the limo. As soon as she closed her door the vehicle lurched forward and made a hasty exit as it coasted down the drive.


    ¡°...And with that, they''re gone. ...For now.¡± mumbled Anton as he watched the limo leave the property ¡°So. How do you two feel about that little exchange?¡±


    Kianna huffed loudly as she let her shoulders slump.


    ¡°That fucking sucked!¡± she grumbled as she rubbed her arms ¡°...I was really gonna kill that guy!¡±


    ¡°Yes, you were.¡± nodded Anton ¡°Are you glad that you didn''t?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah, I guess so.¡± mumbled Kianna as her ears dipped a bit ¡°...He shouldn''t have come after you like that though! ...He should have just walked away! Like I told him to!¡±


    ¡°Well, I imagine that the next time a dark elf tells him to ¡°walk away¡±, he probably will.¡± said Anton as he reached over and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze ¡°This was actually a good thing though. Because now I know just how homicidal you can apparently be. And that''s something else about you that I''ll need to remember!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± cried Kianna as she twisted to the side and pressed herself in against him ¡°It''s not like I''m crazy! ...I just want to protect you!¡±


    ¡°Aw, I know you do.¡± smiled Anton as he wrapped his arm around her and gave her a tight squeeze ¡°My sweet little psychopath!¡±


    Huffing, Kianna leaned her head back to give Anton a kiss but stopped short as Fiona suddenly walked past them and stood near the edge of the drive.


    ¡°...I did it.¡± whispered Fiona as she stared at the entrance gates ¡°...She was afraid! I saw it! ...She was afraid of me!¡±


    Anton and Kianna both looked at each other before turning back to Fiona.


    ¡°She was afraid... but that was it...¡± mused Fiona as she looked down at the ground ¡°It was only fear... But that''s not enough! I need more than that!¡±


    ¡°More than that?¡± questioned Anton ¡°And what exactly does that mean?¡±


    Turning to face him, Fiona tightened her eyes as she looked back down.


    ¡°I need, control... That wasn''t control, just fear... She was afraid, but she wasn''t going to stop. It wasn''t enough... She won''t, see me... Not yet...¡± she whispered before biting her lower lip.


    ¡°...Hm, okay then.¡± nodded Anton as he looked from her to Kianna ¡°Well, it looks like you both might struggling with a bit of insanity...¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± whined Kianna as she lowered her ears and pouted up at him ¡°No we''re not!¡±


    Chuckling, Anton turned himself and Kianna both around and headed back towards the house.


    ¡°So? What do you think will happen next?¡± he asked as he looked back at Fiona ¡°How do you think your Mother is going to respond to this?¡±


    ¡°Oh, she''s definitely going to try to kill you.¡± said Fiona matter-of-factually as she moved to follow them ¡°That should be pretty obvious. I don''t even know why you''re asking.¡±


    ¡°Do you think she''ll want to do it herself? Or do you really think she''ll try to send an assassin?¡± asked Anton as he opened the door and stepped around an excited Molly as he entered the house.


    ¡°That... I don''t know?¡± mumbled Fiona ¡°50/50, I guess?¡±


    ¡°Hm, well then.¡± nodded Anton ¡°Guess we''ll just have to prepare ourselves for anything...¡±


    ¡°I know I''ll be ready!¡± growled Kianna as her irises began to glow ¡°I''m not going to let anything happen to anybody! ...I really need to learn how to make fire now!¡±


    ¡°Yeah...¡± drawled Anton as he gave her another squeeze ¡°We might want to hold off on that for a bit. I don''t want you to accidentally burn down the entire house because you thought you heard an assassin under the bed...¡±


    ¡°Or melt the stove because you tried to boil water too fast!¡± quipped Fiona as she pulled the door shut behind her.


    ¡°Shut up! Both of you!¡± snapped Kianna ¡°I''m not gonna burn down anything! You saw what I did today! I had control the whole time! And I won! So you two just wait till an assassin gets here! And I''ll show you what I can really do!¡±


    ¡°Yes, you did win. And there''s a very good possibility you''ll get the chance to win again here pretty soon, Kianna...¡± mused Anton as he shook his head ¡°This isn''t over yet... In fact, I''ve got a pretty good feeling that this is probably going to be a very, very interesting weekend...¡±


    With the dark elves in tow and Molly trotting ahead of him, Anton made his way towards the kitchen and the coffee pot that was waiting there. They still had a practice session to finish after all, and now, after getting a glimpse of what his dark elves were potentially capable of, and seeing first hand just how vicious they could be towards their enemies, he was more eager than ever to help them improve and develop a level of control over themselves and their abilities. And so with the mountain of this task still ahead of him, he was definitely going to need another mug of caffeine to see him through.


    Epilogue


    Olivia bobbed her foot in irritation as she stared at her own reflection in the blacked out window that separated the driver from the rest of the vehicle.


    Unfolding one of her crossed arms, she looked down at the ball of crumbled paper in her hand and scowled before pulling out her cell phone and quickly making a call to her main secretary.


    ¡°Keeble. I''m on my way back, and I have something I want dealt with immediately.¡± she growled into the phone as she unfolded the piece of paper and stared at Anton''s phone number ¡°No. Apparently there really is a human man who thinks he can live in my house, with my daughters! I want him gone. Now. And I do not want him to be alive when he is removed. Do you understand me? ...I don''t care! Just find someone! Anyone! And make it quick! I want this done and over with, immediately!¡±


    Ending the call with a click, Olivia recrossed her arms and went back to glaring at her own reflection.


    ¡°...You just wait. You disgusting human.¡± she whispered as her irises began to glow with an ominous red light ¡°Soon enough, you''ll be just another bad memory...¡±


    End of Guilty x Creatures Book One : Dark Elf Arc.

 Guilty x Creatures : Assassin Arc : Chapter 1

    Chapter 1 : Late Evening


    Anton stretched his arms out over his head and grunted in relief as the joint in one of his elbows made a faint popping sound. Bringing his arms back down, he gave himself a final look over in the bathroom mirror before turning out the lights and leaving the room. Dressed only in a pair of comfortable athletic shorts, he was more than ready to embrace the late evening hour and call it a night. With this resolution having been firmly established in his mind, he made a beeline for his bed, but couldn''t help but to stop short as he entered the bedroom and caught sight of a merrily twirling female dark elf who appeared to be clad in nothing but a pair of panties and an oversized T-shirt.


    With her back to Anton, Kianna had no idea she was being watched as she twisted her hips and shoulders in rhythm to a tune in her head and danced back and forth around the side of the large king-sized bed that sat in the center of the room. Hugging the oversized shirt to herself, and causing the hem to flutter about around her hips, the gleeful dark elf was inadvertently giving Anton brief, tantalizing glimpses of her round, panty-clad bottom as she bounced about in front of him.


    Unable to help himself from appreciating the view, Anton crossed his arms, leaned his shoulder against the door-frame and settled in to quietly enjoy Kianna''s little dance show.


    It wasn''t until she went to make a full twirl that Kianna became aware of Anton''s presence. Seeing him grinning smugly she quickly turned her back to him so as to hide the deep, embarrassed blush that was spreading across her face.


    ¡°Well now! What do we have here?¡± teased Anton ¡°That''s an interesting looking shirt... Is that yours?¡±


    ¡°...No.¡± mumbled Kianna as she tugged down on the hem of the shirt ¡°...It''s, it''s something I found.¡±


    ¡°Oh? You just found it, huh? Well that''s a little funny. Because I think I have a shirt that looks just like that one...¡± continued Anton as he playfully tilted his head to the side ¡°In fact. It''s actually one of my favorites too. And I''m sure hoping no sneaky little somebody is trying to run off with it. Because I''d be oh so upset to find out it got stolen away from me!¡±


    Kianna stayed still for a moment before suddenly ducking her head and turning towards the archway that led to the closet.


    ¡°I didn''t know it was your favorite.¡± she mumbled as she kept her eyes on the floor and made to quickly move past Anton ¡°I''ll put it back.¡±


    ¡°Whoa! Hold on a second there!¡± exclaimed Anton as he reached out and took hold of her arm before pulling her in close ¡°I''m only playing with you Kianna. That''s not really my... Wait? What''s wrong?¡±


    Kianna laid her ears back submissively as she looked away from him in embarrassment.


    ¡°I wasn''t trying to steal it... I swear!¡± she whimpered as her voice cracked a bit ¡°I''m sorry, I should have asked you first. I''ll just put it-!¡±


    Kianna was cut short as Anton wrapped his arms around her and hugged her to his chest.


    ¡°Hold on! Where is this coming from Kianna?¡± he asked around a half smile ¡°I know you''re not trying to steal it. C''mon now, it''s not... It''s okay...¡±


    Kianna had begun to tremble in his arms as she quietly sobbed.


    ¡°I''m sorry! I know we don''t have this kind of relationship...¡± whispered the dark elf as she kept her face hidden from him ¡°I just really wanted to try it though...¡±


    ¡°...What? What are you talking about, Kianna?¡± questioned Anton as he tried to look at her face ¡°What do you mean by relationship? And what did you want to try?¡±


    Kianna blinked up at him with misty eyes before looking away again.


    ¡°I wanted to just... Like in movies, and TV shows. Where a girl will wear her guys shirts or other cloths. I''ve always thought that was really cool. And I''ve always wanted to try that... But I never really had the chance...¡± explained Kianna ¡°I''m really sorry! I should have asked you if-!¡±


    Kianna was cut short as Anton hugged her back to his chest and held her tightly.


    ¡°Anything I have, Kianna. Whatever it is. You can wear it all, whenever you want. And for as long as you want to...¡± he whispered into her ear ¡°You never have to ask, just enjoy it all...¡±


    Kianna eyes went wide as she absorbed what he said. After a moment of hesitation she made a small sound and frantically wrapped her arms around him so as to return his embrace.


    They stood together this way until Anton gently loosened his grip and with a whisper suggested they call it a night. Kianna agreed, but refused to release her hold on him, and so with a chuckle Anton scooped her up in his arms and carried her over to the bed. As they settled in, Kianna nuzzled her head in under Anton''s chin and quickly fell asleep in his arms. Listening to the gentle sounds of her breathing, Anton laid there on the verge of sleep for some time before a light impact against his chin jarred him back to full alertness. Realization quickly dawned on him and he couldn''t help but to chuckle quietly as the offending something again lightly slapped itself against his chin. Sighing into a thin smile he gave Kianna a gentle squeeze as he tried his best to ignore her sporadically twitching ear and drift off to sleep.


    The next morning, Fiona yawned groggily as she made her way downstairs. Turning into the kitchen she stopped short and shook her head in annoyance as she took in her sister''s appearance.


    Standing next to Anton at the stove, Kianna was wearing an overly large t-shirt that had been tied up above her waist to leave her mid-drift fully exposed. Slung around her hips were a pair of boxers, and over these were a comfortable pair of athletic shorts. These two garments were apparently much too big in size to actually fit correctly around her slender frame. So in order to keep them from slipping off, she had shortened their waistbands by gathering up a handful of their lengths and tying them into large knots that then stuck out from the side of her waist. Sitting loosely atop her head was a baseball cap, while on her feet were a pair of ridiculously large socks that bunched up and hung slack around her ankles.


    Everything that Kianna was wearing was obviously meant to be worn by men and there was little doubt about whether or not it was all clothing that was owned by Anton. Although Fiona would have liked to believe that this was Anton''s sick way of making a claim on Kianna by forcing her to wear his clothes, she knew better than this, and correctly assumed that her idiot sister had made the stupid decision to dress herself this way on her own.


    ¡°Seriously, Kianna? Are you really going to start dressing like a hobo now...¡± stated Fiona by way of greeting.


    ¡°Huh? Oh, it''s you. Good morning.¡± said Kianna as she glanced back at her sister.


    Taking a sip from his mug of coffee, Anton chuckled and gave Fiona a nod before he and Kianna both focused back on the skillet in front of them.


    ¡°This doesn''t look like bacon?¡± mumbled Kianna as she used a fork to lift a thin strip of meat out of an opened package ¡°Are you sure this is right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, this is what bacon always looks like before you cook it.¡± laughed Anton as he watched her lay the strip down across the skillet and quickly follow it with another one.


    When no more strips could fit in the skillet, he reached over and clicked on the burner.


    ¡°...So we really just let them lay there?¡± questioned Kianna as she stared down at the uncooked strips of bacon she had covered the skillet with ¡°We don''t need to do anything else?¡±


    ¡°No, not yet.¡± said Anton as he leaned back against the counter-top ¡°Once they start to cook we''ll flip them over. But it''ll be a minute before they''re ready for that.¡±


    ¡°...How will we know when they''re ready?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°Oh, don''t worry about that, we''ll know.¡± grinned Anton as he took another sip from his mug.


    Making her way to the refrigerator, Fiona poured herself a glass of orange juice before taking a seat at the table and settling in to wait for breakfast.


    Kianna''s ears were pointed straight upwards as she watched the strips of bacon. Her ears began to twitch excitedly as the faint sounds of sizzling started to rise out of the skillet. A hit of nervousness reached her eyes as a thin layer of grease seeped out of the bacon strips and began to pop and sizzle as it coated the bottom of the quickly warming skillet.


    ¡°...Hey! It''s popping!¡± she exclaimed as she leaned away from the stove ¡°Is it supposed to do that!?¡±


    ¡°Mm hm, that''s normal.¡± smiled Anton as set his mug down and picked up a pair of long tongs ¡°Don''t worry. It''s going to get a lot worse than this.¡±


    Kianna glanced at him before focusing back on the quickly shriveling strips of bacon.


    ¡°What do you mean!? Why is it gonna get worse!?¡± she cried as she leaned further back.


    ¡°Because as the bacon strips shrivel up they''re going to release even more grease.¡± explained Anton as his smile broadened ¡°And with the more hot grease you have, the more popping you''re going to get.¡±


    ¡°...Oh. Well that''s not good!¡± mumbled Kianna as she lowered her ears and took a step back.


    Anton''s eyes were teasing as he watched the dark elf become more and more nervous as the sizzling grease grew louder and louder.


    ¡°...Alright. It looks like they''re about ready to be flipped now.¡± he said as he reached out to hand her the pair of tongs ¡°Now you just need to flip them over so the other side can cook.¡±


    Kianna hesitated for a second before taking the tongs and approaching the stove.


    ¡°Okay...¡± she mumbled nervously as she held her arm out and went to lift a piece.


    The moment the bacon left the skillet a large glob of grease popped loudly and Kianna dropped the bacon as she jumped back.


    ¡°It''s gonna pop on me!¡± she cried as she laid her ears down flat behind her head and held the tongs out to Anton ¡°Here! You do it!¡±


    Anton chuckled as he took the tongs and moved to stand in front of the stove.


    ¡°It''s okay, Kianna.¡± he smiled as he began to flip the bacon with a practiced hand ¡°It''s not going to hurt you. The grease is just being loud as it sizzles from the heat, it''s not really going to explode on you or anything.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure!?¡± grumbled Kianna as she peeked around him and glared at the bacon ¡°...It looks like it''s throwing stuff in the air?¡±


    ¡°Well, it is. A little bit. But these larger globs are too heavy to travel very far before they end up falling back into the skillet. So as long as you don''t get too close they won''t land on you.¡± said Anton as he grinned back at her ¡°So just don''t stick your face near the skillet, and you''ll be fine.¡±


    Kianna turned her glare on him before going back to watching the sizzling bacon.


    ¡°Now, it''s also true that as the grease bubbles and pops, tiny bits might sometimes fly out of the skillet. But these are going to be so small that they''ll cool down as soon as they hit the open air. So even if they happen to land on you it isn''t going to hurt. It''ll just make a mess instead.¡± explained Anton.


    Nodding in understanding, Kianna said nothing as she watched him shift the pieces of bacon about so that they would cook more evenly.


    ¡°Alright, while these are finishing up. Let''s go ahead and get the eggs started.¡± said Anton.


    ¡°Okay!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she dashed to the refrigerator. By the time she returned with a carton of eggs Anton had already gotten a second skillet ready for them.


    ¡°Are scrambled eggs alright with you, Fiona?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°Yeah. I''m good with that.¡± mumbled Fiona.


    Nodding, Anton demonstrated the proper way to crack an egg to Kianna before letting her prepare the rest. The eager dark elf ended up crushing a few of them before finding the right level of finesse to crack them properly. When the second skillet was finally full of waiting eggs, Anton clicked on the burner and instructed Kianna on how to cook them.


    As she watched her sister excitedly stir up the eggs, Fiona''s ears began to twitch as an odd sensation suddenly took form in her head.


    ¡°Yo!¡± she exclaimed as she turned to look towards the front of the house ¡°...I think the wards going off again!¡±


    Anton and Kianna both turned to her a second before they too felt the wards internal warnings.


    Narrowing his eyes, Anton reached over and clicked off both of the stoves burners before wiping his hands with a dish towel and making his way out of the kitchen. The two dark elves glanced at each other before quickly following him as he headed towards the front of the house.


    ¡°I doubt this will be our assassin...¡± mumbled Anton as he stepped into the front sitting room and gazed out the large bay window that overlooked the front of the property ¡°Considering it''s pretty rare for an assassin to be bold, or foolish, enough to attack during daylight hours...¡±


    ¡°Don''t really expect an assassin to just drive right up in a white van either.¡± reasoned Fiona as said vehicle turned into the entryway and slowly came down the drive towards the house.


    As the van rounded the bend of the circular drive and came to a stop, a bright logo reading ¡°Realm Express Delivery Services¡± could be seen clearly as it ran down its side.


    ¡°Oh! It''s my orders!¡± cried Kianna as her face lit up with excitement ¡°That was fast!¡±


    Tilting her head to the side, Fiona pointed her ears straight back as she focused on sensing the mana signatures coming from the vehicle.


    ¡°...There''s one guy driving, and another one in the back.¡± she mused as she eyed the van with suspicion.


    As they all watched, the driver, who appeared to be a halfling, looked over a tablet computer before ducking into the back of the van and out of sight. A moment later he reappeared with several boxes in his hands and hopped down from the van.


    Standing at just over three feet tall, the halfling appeared human in almost every way, save for being, literally, only half the size of one. With dark, short cropped hair, a barely there goatee, large rounded ears and human-like proportions to his limbs and body. He could easily be mistaken for a human youth at first glance. His seemingly oversized feet, in proportion to the rest of his body, was the only feature of his anatomy that would clearly distinguished him for what he truly was.


    Dressed in what appeared to be his uniform, the halfling wore a simple white, long-sleeved, button-up shirt adorned with his companies logo, khaki slacks and black trainers. Large sunglasses hid his eyes and a human-sized watch covered the entirety of his wrist. He had the sleeves of his shirt rolled up past his elbows and a healthy looking tan adorned the light-toned skin of his arms and head.


    Seeing that he was making his way towards the front door, Kianna quickly dashed from the room and before the halfling was even a few paces away from his vehicle, she was coming to a stop just in front of him. After adding her signature to his device she excitedly took the packages from him and with a shouted thank you rushed back to the house.


    Both Anton and Fiona narrowed their eyes in annoyance as they watched the halfling bite his lower lip and lean to the side while he blatantly gawked at Kianna''s backside as she walked away from him. Once she was back in the house and out of his sight he turned around and with a new bounce in his step made his way back to his van.


    ¡°Little shit.¡± grumbled Fiona as she watched the halfling settle back into the driver''s seat and again go over his tablet.


    ¡°Yes, he is...¡± agreed Anton as he crossed his arms.


    They both turned away from the window as a giggling Kianna sped past the room''s archway on her way back to the kitchen.


    Chuckling in amusement, Anton moved to follow her and after taking one last look at the van Fiona did so as well.


    When they reentered the kitchen they found Kianna standing over the pile of packages she had spread out across the table. Having already torn open one of the boxes, she was reading over an order list and verifying the contents in the box. A bright smile stretched across her face as she turned to them.


    ¡°Hey! No peeking!¡± she cried as she slammed the flaps of the box shut in a bid to playfully hide its contents ¡°Especially not you! Master!¡±


    Fiona groaned in annoyance as Anton made a show of quickly looking away.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry! Didn''t mean to peek!¡± exclaimed Anton as he kept his eyes averted and made his way back to the stove ¡°I''ll just stay over here then!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you better!¡± smiled Kianna a she went back to checking over her ordered items.


    Her face still showing her irritation clearly, Fiona retook her seat and absently looked over the unopened boxes for a moment before her eyes narrowed in on one in particular.


    ¡°Hey, this one''s actually for you.¡± she mumbled as she picked up the perfectly square box and turned to Anton.


    ¡°Oh really? Good. That was quick.¡± he said as he glanced back at her ¡°Hopefully I won''t actually need those, but it''ll still be nice to have them just in case.¡±


    ¡°...What are they?¡± asked Fiona as she gave the box a light shake.


    ¡°Oh, you don''t want to know.¡± smiled Anton as he turned back to the scrambled eggs.


    Shaking her head, Fiona tossed the box back on the table with an annoyed sigh.


    Noticing that Anton was now preparing the food on his own, Kianna quickly gathered her packages back into a pile.


    ¡°I''ll be right back. I''m gonna take this stuff upstairs.¡± she cried as she picked up the stack of boxes and raced out of the room.


    Fiona watched her go before slumping in her chair, after a moment of stillness she slowly turned her head towards the front of the house.


    Still standing at the stove, Anton said nothing as he quietly flipped the now fluffy eggs. After a moment of stillness he too slowly turned his head towards the front of the house.


    Fiona''s ears gradually pointed themselves straight back behind her head as her eyes narrowed in suspicion. Turning to each other, she and Anton shared a knowing glance before they both turned back to stare at seemingly nothing.


    Bouncing back into the room, Kianna stopped short as she took in their focused expressions.


    ¡°...What''s, what''s going on?¡± she asked as she pointed her ears straight upwards and looked from one to the other.


    ¡°...The delivery guy is leaving.¡± mumbled Fiona as she kept her eyes forward.


    Shifting her attention towards the front of the house, Kianna too became aware of the quickly departing mana signature of the delivery driver as he supposedly drove away. She stopped short and widened her eyes to the fullest as she came to realize what Fiona and Anton had noticed already.


    The second mana signature was still there, and it was not moving.


    ¡°...Hm, well now.¡± mumbled Anton as he leaned back against the counter-top and crossed his arms ¡°Looks like this day might be about to get a little more interesting...¡±


    Kianna glanced back at him before turning back to glare in the direction of the unknown intruder.


    ¡°I''ll go check it out!¡± she growled as she pointed her ears straight back.


    ¡°No! You stay right there!¡± commanded Anton ¡°We''re the one''s with the element of surprise right now. And if that is an enemy out there, then the last thing we want to do is let them know that we know they''re there... Let''s just wait for a moment, and see what it does next...¡±


    Grimacing, Kianna set her jaw and waited. After a few moments the presence suddenly seemed to disappear from where it was and reappear several meters away and off to the side of the house.


    ¡°Whoa! What the fuck!?¡± cried Fiona as her head swiveled to where the presence now sat ¡°What just happened!?¡±


    ¡°Oh! Looks like we might have a teleporter on our hands...¡± grumbled Anton as he cocked an eyebrow ¡°That could be annoying...¡±


    ¡°Teleporter!?¡± exclaimed Kianna ¡°...Does that mean it could get in here through the walls!?¡±


    ¡°If it is actually teleporting, which I''m pretty sure it is, then yes.¡± said Anton as he kept his eyes facing towards the presence ¡°Now the question is whether or not its using a spell to do so?¡±


    ¡°...Why does that matter?¡± asked Fiona.


    ¡°Because, if its using a spell then it could be anything.¡± answered Anton ¡°But if its using an ability then that will narrow down what species it could be...¡±


    ¡°...Is there a way to tell the difference?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°Possibly. If its an ability it can be used over and over again without any delay at all. A spell though, unless its been fully mastered, is going to have a pause whenever its being recast. ...So far whatever is out there has only moved once, so I can''t-¡±


    As he spoke the presence suddenly made two more jumps, one right after the other, and traveled both away from the house and around to the back side of it.


    ¡°...You were saying?¡± quipped Fiona.


    ¡°...I was saying-¡± started Anton before the presence made three more jumps and stopped out beyond the treeline behind the house ¡°...That yeah! I''d say that whatever it is out there, its using an ability.¡±


    ¡°So now that you know that. Can you figure out what it is?¡± asked Kianna as she glared in the direction of the presence.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°Not yet. But like I said, it does narrow it down...¡± said Anton.


    The room went silent for some time as the three of them all waited for the presence to make another move. As the time began to drag on, Anton turned to the stove and went back to cooking breakfast.


    The two dark elves both glanced at him before looking at each other.


    ¡°What are you doing!?¡± questioned Kianna.


    ¡°I''m finishing up our breakfast.¡± explained Anton ¡°I don''t want it to burn.¡±


    ¡°...Uh! I think we''ve got something a little more important than that going on right now!¡± exclaimed Fiona.


    Anton chuckled and shrugged as he kept his focus on what he was doing.


    ¡°It seems, that for the moment at least, our little friend out there is taking a break.¡± he said as he pulled a plate out of a cabinet and set it down next to the stove ¡°So I see no reason why we can''t do the same.¡±


    The dark elves both looked at each other in confusion before turning back to Anton.


    ¡°Are you fucking serious right now!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as she threw her arm out towards the presence ¡°We got a killer prowling around outside, right at this fucking moment! And you''re just wanna ignore it!?¡±


    ¡°No, I''m not ignoring it at all.¡± said Anton as he began to move the bacon over to the plate ¡°I''m actually paying very close attention to it. And right now at this moment, it doesn''t seem to be doing anything.¡±


    ¡°...Well, wait!? Aren''t, aren''t we gonna go get it though!?¡± asked Kianna as she cocked one of her ears in a curious manner ¡°I mean! What are we waiting for!?¡±


    ¡°We''re waiting for it to come to us.¡± stated Anton ¡°And we are going to wait, patiently, until it does.¡±


    ¡°Why!?¡± exclaimed both of the dark elves in unison.


    ¡°Because we still have the element of surprise.¡± said Anton as he switched off the stove ¡°And if we go off and march out there ready for battle, we will lose that advantage immediately. Now, we have no reason to think that whoever is out there isn''t going to come to us eventually. And when they do, we''ll be ready for them.¡±


    ¡°...So, let me get this straight! Instead of going after it, and taking it out! You just want us to wait in here for it to pop in and kill us!? ...Cause that sounds like a fucking terrible idea!¡± stated Fiona.


    ¡°Try, to kill us.¡± declared Anton as he pointed his finger at her ¡°Not kill us. Try, to kill us. Big difference.¡±


    ¡°Whatever!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°It''s still a terrible idea!¡±


    ¡°Oh really. And why would you think that?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°Because! We''re just sitting ducks in here! It could pop in at any second and just take us out!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°I mean sure, we might know its coming, but that doesn''t mean it still can''t attack us!¡±


    ¡°We would know its coming. And right now it doesn''t know that.¡± said Anton as he brought the pan of scrambled eggs to the table ¡°And going out there and facing it isn''t going to stop it from attacking us. All that''s going to do is let it know that we have security measures in place. Its going to know its been found out and its going to try to escape so it can come back when its better prepared. I don''t want that to happen. I don''t want to let it get away.¡±


    Fiona went still as she stared up him.


    ¡°I don''t care if our little visitor friend out there is here to spy on us, steal from us or is actually going to try and kill us...¡± said Anton as he stared down at the pan of eggs and began to whisper ¡°It has chosen to invade our home. And as such it is now threatening us. And I am going to make sure that it pays for that very poor decision...¡±


    Kianna and Fiona said nothing as they watched Anton move back to the cabinets and begin to gather together sets of plates and silverware.


    ¡°Kianna, do you mind making us some toast, please?¡± he asked as he made his way back to the table and handed the plates and silverware to Fiona.


    ¡°Uh. Sure.¡± said Kianna as her eyes immediately darted to the toaster ¡°I can do that.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± said Anton as he made his way to the coffee maker and poured himself another mug.


    Turning around and leaning back against the counter-top, he took a sip from his mug as he watched the two dark elves go about their tasks. Once Kianna was nearly finished with the toast, Anton picked up the plate of bacon and fell into step with her as they moved to the table together. With everything now in place they all sat down and began to serve themselves.


    Though the food was delicious, the two dark elves couldn''t help but to keep their focus on the unmoving presence outside, and as such the room stayed quiet for some time as they ate in silence and stared at the wall behind Anton.


    ¡°...Why isn''t it moving!?¡± mumbled Fiona as she glared at an empty spot on the wall ¡°What the Hell is it waiting for!?¡±


    ¡°More than likely its going to wait for nightfall to make its move.¡± answered Anton ¡°Which is good, because that will give us some time to prepare ourselves. ...By the way, have you two ever seen that particular delivery man before?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± questioned Kianna as she turned to him ¡°Yeah, he''s been here before, a few times. Why?¡±


    ¡°Okay. It could very well be the case that he didn''t know this person was in the van with him then... Which would mean that this being is either very small, or will have ways of concealing itself. We''ll need to be ready for both possibilities...¡± explained Anton as he glanced over his shoulder towards where the presence was still sitting.


    ¡°Concealing itself?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°Mm hm. It could have something along the lines of invisibility. Or it may be capable of casting illusions.¡± said Anton ¡°We''ll just have to be ready for anything along those lines.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well that would just be fucking perfect...¡± mumbled Fiona ¡°The damn things probably going to go invisible and pop in here to kill us in our sleep!¡±


    ¡°That could very well be its plan.¡± said Anton with a nod.


    ¡°So how are we going to be ready for that!?¡± asked Kianna ¡°What''s our plan going to be!?¡±


    ¡°Our plan is simple, really.¡± said Anton ¡°We wait for our foe to attack us. And then I''ll beat it up when it does.¡±


    Going still for a moment, the two dark elves gave each other a look as they both grimaced in annoyance.


    ¡°Seriously!?¡± grumbled Fiona ¡°That''s really your plan!?¡±


    ¡°Mm hm.¡± nodded Anton ¡°...I''ll probably set up a few hexes as well. Just in case, you never know after all. I really, really don''t want our little friend to get away from us.¡±


    ¡°Really!? Your plan is seriously just to beat it up!?¡± mocked Fiona ¡°And what makes you think that''s gonna work!?¡±


    Anton shrugged as he gave her a smug grin.


    ¡°Well, it worked with you.¡± he stated.


    Fiona narrowed her eyes and began to grumble incomprehensibly as she looked down at her food.


    ¡°I hate this plan!¡± exclaimed Kianna ¡°This is dangerous!¡±


    ¡°It is, but don''t worry Kianna.¡± said Anton as he gave her a reassuring smile ¡°Preparation makes all the difference. And we''ll be ready. As soon as we''re done eating we''ll set up the hexes, and then it''s just a matter of waiting.¡±


    Kianna stared at him for a moment before sighing loudly and continuing with her meal.


    Once breakfast had been finished and cleaned away, Anton brought his jars of imbuing ingredients up from his desk in the dungeon and spread them out across the kitchen table.


    Both of the dark elves were sitting quietly on the other side of the table as they divided their attention evenly between the books they were reading, what Anton was doing, and the presence that still lingered out behind the house.


    While painting a seal across a thin slice of white colored wood, Anton suddenly paused before glancing back over his shoulder.


    ¡°The fuck?¡± whispered Fiona as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards ¡°What''s it doing now!?¡±


    ¡°...Its coming closer.¡± mumbled Kianna as she set Anton''s book on dark elves down on the table and went to stand up.


    ¡°Stay right there!¡± commanded Anton ¡°Don''t move!¡±


    Grimacing, Kianna eased herself back down into her seat and narrowed her eyes at the now slowly approaching presence.


    As all three of them stared at the same empty space on the wall, their attention suddenly shifted to the side as the incoming being made several jumps and reappeared closer to the far side of the house.


    Moving slowly again, the being made its way along the side of the house before pausing for several minutes and then continuing on and pausing again.


    ¡°...What the Hell is it doing now?¡± whispered Fiona.


    ¡°...I, I think?¡± questioned Anton as he cocked an eyebrow ¡°...It might be looking in the windows?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that is so creepy!¡± grumbled Kianna as she pointed her ears straight back behind her head.


    ¡°...This doesn''t make any sense.¡± mumbled Anton as he shook his head ¡°It''s still daylight out there. Why would it take the risk of being seen? ...What is it thinking?¡±


    ¡°Maybe its invisible?¡± offered Fiona as she mimicked her sister by pointing her own ears straight back.


    ¡°That... That might be the case... Still though...¡± said Anton as he shook his head again ¡°I just can''t believe it would be this... bold.¡±


    As they waited, the being outside continued its slow path around the house before finally coming around to the side with the kitchen door.


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she twisted in her seat and faced the windowed door ¡°Its gonna see us!¡±


    ¡°Turn around! Stay sitting! Stay still!¡± demanded Anton as he let his gaze fall to the tabletop in front of him ¡°Just act normal!¡±


    ¡°What!? Are you crazy!?¡± cried Kianna as she and Fiona both stood up ¡°Its gonna see us!¡±


    ¡°Yes. And if we''re lucky, I''ll be able to tell what it is when it looks through that window.¡± explained Anton as he met her eyes ¡°Now sit back down. And just act normal.¡±


    Both of the dark elves glared at Anton as they felt the presence creep closer and closer to the door behind them.


    ¡°This is stupid!¡± hissed Fiona through her clenched teeth.


    ¡°No, this is an opportunity.¡± stated Anton ¡°Now just relax, and sit back down.¡±


    Glancing at each other, the two dark elves reluctantly took their seats and stared down at the table.


    ¡°Ears.¡± whispered Anton as he looked back and forth between them ¡°Relax your ears.¡±


    Scowling, the two dark elves both made conscious efforts to raise their ears back up to their resting positions.


    ¡°Good. Now just hold still.¡± whispered Anton ¡°...Here it comes.¡±


    In an effort to appear nonchalant himself, Anton feigned working on his seals as the presence crept up to the door.


    Moving quickly, the presence peeked in through the window before ducking back down and hiding itself from sight.


    Though he wasn''t looking directly at the window, Anton had still been able to tell that whatever was outside, it was, at least currently, not invisible.


    Unfortunately, whatever the presence was it had moved far to fast for him to make out any details beyond the fact that it had a solid form, and so taking a soft breath he began to softly whisper to the now trembling dark elves.


    ¡°Girls... Just relax... We don''t want to scare it away...¡± he soothed as he reached over to his mug and took hold of its handle ¡°Its not invisible... So now we have a chance to figure out what it is...¡±


    ¡°Wha? Seriously!? Then if we can see it!¡± hissed Kianna through her teeth ¡°We should just try to get it right now!¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Fuck it! Let''s just get it!¡± agreed Fiona in her own snarling whisper.


    ¡°No! Stop!¡± growled Anton as he felt the dark elves auras begin to seep out from their beings ¡°You''re going to give us away! Just wait a moment!¡±


    As he spoke the presence again began to slowly move towards the doors windows and anticipating this, Anton went to lift his mug at the same time.


    ¡°Just wait! Just wait!¡± continued Anton as he brought the mug to his lips and gazed absently across the room.


    Though he wouldn''t dare to look directly at the presence, he was still able to discern a few of its features. Such as the fact that it appeared to be an average, if not slightly below average, sized being and that it apparently had pale skin and black colored hair on its head.


    ¡°Is it looking at us!?¡± hissed Kianna as her ears started to twitch in irritation.


    ¡°Fuck this!¡± growled Fiona as she gripped the edge of the table ¡°Let''s just go for it!¡±


    ¡°I said stay still!¡± snarled Anton ¡°I''m not going to tell you again!¡±


    Glancing at each other, the two dark elves narrowed their eyes in a silent agreement and slowly began to rise out of their seats in unison. Once fully standing they couldn''t help but to stop short when they felt Anton''s aura suddenly fill the area directly around them. Locking their eyes to him they both stiffened as they felt a cold fury take form in the surrounding aura.


    ¡°Girls... I am serious right now. This is not a game.¡± whispered Anton as he took another mock sip from his mug ¡°If either one of you moves again, you will both regret it...¡±


    Furious now, both Fiona and Kianna''s eyes began to glow with a faint, angry red light. They both went to speak but were suddenly cut short. They grunted in surprise when their bloodgems began to glow and their collars started to tighten ominously around their necks.


    Freezing where they stood, the two dark elves glared down at Anton as they remained completely still.


    Behind them, the presence watched for several long moments before sinking down and out of sight.


    As it moved to disappear, Anton took the chance to look at it directly. He only saw it for a split second and still wasn''t able to discern much in the way of features, but one detail did stand out.


    Whatever this being was, it appeared to have a short, shiny, black-colored point, rising out of its head.


    Anton held his bated breath as he felt the presence make a jump away from, and then around the building. He breathed a sigh of relief when after several more jumps, it returned to the spot it had been occupying since that morning and went still again.


    ¡°Well!¡± he said as he stood up and loomed over the dark elves ¡°That could have gone better!¡±


    With his jaw set and his aura flaring, there was little doubt as to whether or not his anger was legitimate.


    Their instincts getting the better of them, both Fiona and Kianna couldn''t help but to submissively fold their ears down flat behind their heads as they looked up at him.


    Gazing back at them for a moment, Anton sighed and slowly shook his head as he crossed his arms. Although the dark elves had preformed their little submissive gestures, they were both still glaring angrily at him and were clearly unapologetic.


    ¡°...Well. Go ahead. I can tell you both have something to say. So let''s hear it!¡± he said.


    Taken aback, the sisters glanced at each other before looking off to opposite sides of the room.


    ¡°...The fuck was that!?¡± grumbled Fiona ¡°We could have taken that thing out if you''d just let us!¡±


    ¡°Oh really?¡± said Anton as he cocked an eyebrow ¡°And how exactly would you have done that?¡±


    ¡°Easy! We have magic now!¡± declared Kianna as she turned her glare back to him ¡°Magic that we could use to catch it! Or even kill it with!¡±


    ¡°Kill it?¡± said Anton as he blinked in surprise ¡°And how do you know you can even kill it? You don''t even know what it is! It could already be dead for all you know. And what then? How are you going to kill a spirit, Kianna? Rattle it to death with some chains!?¡±


    Kianna hesitated for a moment before deepening her glare.


    ¡°It doesn''t matter! I''ll do whatever I have to do! I''m not helpless anymore! I can fight back!¡± she declared as thin tears of anger began to form in her eyes ¡°I have magic now! Real magic! Magic that you taught me!¡±


    ¡°Magic doesn''t make you invincible, Kianna. Even with all the power in the world, you can still lose!¡± exclaimed Anton as he glared right back at her ¡°That''s why you need to always be as prepared as possible! Especially when you''re facing an unknown opponent! One who could very well be a trained assassin!¡±


    Kianna said nothing as she stared up him.


    ¡°...Listen, both of you. There have been plenty of dark elves that have met their ends early purely because they were overconfident.¡± said Anton as he kept his gaze locked to Kianna''s ¡°And the same could easily happen to either one of you. You may have powerful abilities but that isn''t enough to guarantee you victory. You need to understand that magic is just a tool. And that your real weapons are your minds.¡±


    ¡°...What do you mean?¡± mumbled Kianna.


    ¡°I mean exactly what I just said.¡± declared Anton ¡°Your mind is your greatest weapon. Everything else is just a tool for you to use. And this is especially true for your magic. Knowing both what you can do and what your opponent can do will make all the difference in any fight. Look at what just happened to that sasquatch, Joel. He thought his natural strength would have been enough to seal his victory. And he was very, very wrong. His lack of knowledge and understanding of what he was truly up against, lead to a blunder that nearly cost him his life. Learn from his mistake! And don''t assume you can win just because you''re powerful. It''s almost never that simple.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes it is though!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°And how can you even tell what someone can do unless you fight them!? Huh!? It''s not like you can just look at them and be able to tell! Anyone could know how to use spells!¡±


    ¡°True. And that''s my point. You shouldn''t go into a fight either assuming anything or relying on any single capability. Again, look at what happened to Joel. His strength failed him. And the same thing could easily happen to you with your magic.¡± stated Anton as he looked from one dark elf to the other ¡°In all honesty, completely relying on magic in a fight is really the last thing you want to do.¡±


    ¡°...Why is that?¡± questioned Kianna.


    ¡°Because magic can be countered. Especially if you understand how any given ability works.¡± explained Anton ¡°This is why you should always try your best to not let your opponent know what you can do. Rather than blasting your abilities out with wild abandon, you should instead think of them as secret weapons. Weapons that you only use when you really need to, or if you already know for sure that by using them, you can win.¡±


    ¡°Pfft! This is rich coming from you!¡± growled Fiona ¡°You''re using your magic all the time! And for stupid shit too!¡±


    ¡°Yes, that''s true.¡± said Anton ¡°But when I first met you, and we were still enemies, I hesitated to use any magic at all. And even now, I really only use my magic when I feel I need to. In fact, I still have plenty of skills that you two haven''t even seen yet.¡±


    ¡°...Wait? You do!?¡± questioned Kianna as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards ¡°Really!?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes.¡± said Anton as he turned to her ¡°You''ve seen quite a bit of what I can do. But trust me. You two have no idea of what I''m really capable of.¡±


    The two dark elves said nothing as they stared at him for a moment and then glanced at each other.


    ¡°And fortunately for us...¡± said Anton as he looked back over his shoulder ¡°Neither does our little friend out there...¡±


    ¡°...Yeah, but we still don''t know what it can do either.¡± mumbled Fiona.


    ¡°Actually, I''ve got a better idea of what to expect from it now.¡± said Anton as he dropped his aura and retook his seat ¡°I''m not exactly a hundred percent sure about what I saw though...¡±


    ¡°Wait! You saw it!?¡± cried Kianna.


    ¡°What did you see!?¡± exclaimed Fiona.


    ¡°Well, like I said. I''m not completely sure. It could have been an ear, but I don''t think it was...¡± said Anton as he reached across the table and picked up the small package he had received that morning ¡°I think, what I saw was probably a horn...¡±


    ¡°A horn?¡± questioned Kianna as she cocked one of her ears in a curious manner.


    ¡°Well that doesn''t narrow down shit!¡± declared Fiona ¡°Lot''s of things have horns!¡±


    ¡°True, there are quite a few different species that have horns.¡± nodded Anton ¡°This being would have short, black horns though. And the ability to teleport. So that does narrow down the list, considerably.¡±


    ¡°Oh! So you do know what it is then!?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°No, not fully. I do have a pretty good idea of what it probably is though. And if I''m wrong, it should still be one of only a handful of things...¡± said Anton in an absent tone as he formed a glowing orange knife and slit open the box ¡°In any case, if it is what I think it is. Then this will be a good opportunity to illustrate what I mean when I say that magic isn''t necessarily always going to equal victory.¡±


    ¡°...And how are you going to ¡°illustrate¡± that?¡± questioned Fiona.


    ¡°By not using any of course.¡± said Anton as he smiled up at them ¡°And by not letting you two use any either.¡±


    ¡°...What!?¡± cried both of the dark elves in unison.


    ¡°Pretty lucky for me that these came in when they did...¡± said Anton as he opened the little box ¡°Just in time for when I''d need them.¡±


    ¡°What are those?¡± questioned Kianna as she leaned over the table in an effort to get a better look.


    ¡°Oh, just a little something that''s going to help us from having a repeat of this afternoon...¡± said Anton as he pulled a second smaller package out of the box and opened it for them to see ¡°One of these days I hope you two will finally learn to control yourselves. But until then, I guess I''ll just have to keep putting you two in timeout...¡±


    ¡°...Ah, fuck!¡± groaned Fiona as she and Kianna stared down at a brand new, white colored ballgag.

 Assassin Arc : Chapter 2 : Evening

    Chapter 2 : Evening


    Anton gave the clear impression that he was relaxed as he sat dozing in his chair at the breakfast table. With his eyes closed, his head leaned back against the chairs head rest and Molly sprawled out across his lap, he seemed to be completely unconcerned about the presence still lurking about outside and more than content to let the evening simply drift away.


    The two dark elves seated across from him however, were not as inclined to feel so relaxed.


    ¡°Mmph!¡± groaned Fiona as she bit down on the rubber ball that had been wedged between her teeth.


    Anton cracked a single eye and grinned at her.


    ¡°Now, now. I don''t want to hear any complaining. You two brought this upon yourselves after all.¡± he teased as he shifted his shoulders up and down and went back to his dozing ¡°This wouldn''t even be necessary if I didn''t have to worry about you two bouncing around and possibly destroying the house whenever things finally get started...¡±


    Fuming, Fiona began to twist back and forth against her binds as she pointed her ears straight back behind her head.


    Sitting in the seat next to her, Kianna paused her efforts to pierce her short fangs into her own ballgag and turned to give her struggling sister a quick glare. With her silent message sent, she focused back on damaging the offending chunk of rubber that was currently filling her mouth.


    Both of the dark elves had been locked back into full sets of bondage gear and strapped down to the chairs they sat in. The gear included not only their new gags but also a series of thick leather belts that were wrapped around their legs, waists and torsos. These straps were what kept them effectively trapped in their seats. Their arms had been folded away behind their backs and were held in place with the same box-tie leather binders that they had worn before, while their legs were similarly held together by two more leather binders wrapped around their shins and thighs.


    Growing more and more frustrated by the moment, Fiona tried to focus her aura and growled in anger as it was immediately diffused by the charm planted within her bloodgem.


    Sighing through his nose, Anton cracked both eyes and gave her a tired look.


    ¡°You can keep trying that all you want, Fiona. But it''s not going to work...¡± he mumbled.


    Fiona narrowed her eyes at him as she defiantly pulled forward against the strap that held her shoulders pressed back against the chair she sat in.


    ¡°Such a stubborn dark elf...¡± grumbled Anton ¡°Why can''t you just behave yourself and sit there quietly like Kianna is?¡±


    Blinking at the sound of her name being called, Kianna froze mid-mauling and pointed her ears straight upwards as she turned her attention to Anton.


    Anton couldn''t help but to grin as he took notice that the dark elf''s sharp teeth were all but invisible against the white surface of the rubber ball that was wedged between her jaws.


    ¡°See? She''s being such a good girl and keeping herself occupied over there.¡± said Anton as he smiled at her ¡°Aren''t you, Kianna?¡±


    Kianna sang out a happy chirp and rocked her head back and forth in a cutesy manner before viciously biting back down on her ballgag and continuing in her efforts to destroy it.


    Grumbling in irritation, Fiona rolled her eyes and went back to testing the straps that held her in place.


    ¡°Just try to be patient, Fiona...¡± mumbled Anton in a lazy tone as he went back to his dozing ¡°I''m sure it won''t be too much longer before our little friend starts to move around again...¡±


    Fiona''s eyes darted to him before shifting over to where the presence still sat outside.


    It had been several hours now since their unwelcomed visitor had made its foray around the house and then returned to what appeared to be its base camp, where it had since remained completely still, even as the sun had begun to set and darkness fully fell across the world outside.


    After staring at the presence for a moment, Fiona''s eyes drifted to the end of the table and the strange collection of things that sat there.


    Strewed along the edge of the table on Anton''s right hand side were a selection of odd items that he had Earlivi gather together for him. These items had apparently been carefully picked out and meticulously arranged in some kind of order that only Anton seemed to understand, as they made absolutely no sense as a group.


    Among the items present were a spay bottle full of water, a pair of rodent glue-traps, a long extremely slim, rectangle shaped black magnet, several spray cans of a compressed, foaming rubber sealant, a tennis ball, and finally, a keychain sized laser pointer.


    Several other odd items had been set up around Anton as well, and these included a wooden walking cane with a curved handle that was leaning against the table. A small table top fan with its face pointed upwards was sitting on the floor just behind his chair and a basket of fully filled water balloons was sitting halfway beneath his chair and just within arms reach.


    Fiona had no idea what Anton could possibly be planning to use all these things for, as she couldn''t see how any of them would even be all that useful against an armed assassin. According to Anton however, these things should be all that he would need to handle whatever it was that stalking about outside. This was a claim that she very much doubted.


    She also couldn''t help but to doubt Anton''s assurances that he would try not to use any of his magic. As again, according to Anton at least, if whatever was outside was what he thought it was, then he shouldn''t necessarily need to use any.


    This seemed like a completely stupid idea to her. But unfortunately, in her bound state, there was little she could do about it except for try to be ready for whenever things inevitably went south.


    If she was really lucky, Anton would be killed and she would be able to use her magic again, and she could then both escape her binds and kill the assassin herself. And this exact scenario was what she was secretly hoping for.


    After nearly another hour of waiting, Anton raised his head as he and the dark elves all looked towards the back of the house in unison.


    ¡°Hm, well. Looks like it''s finally woken up...¡± mumbled Anton as he looked down at the little dog in his lap and gave her head a light tap ¡°Molly.¡±


    Molly instantly looked up at him and perked her little ears in attention.


    ¡°Bed, Molly.¡± said Anton as he pointed to the small dog bed set against the far wall.


    Molly immediately jumped down from his lap with a grunt and ran to the bed, where she turned around and stared at him as she sat down.


    ¡°Stay!¡± said Anton as he smiled at her and pointed his finger downwards.


    With another tiny grunt, the little dog laid down and flattened her ears as her tail swished back and forth.


    ¡°Good girl, Molly.¡± said Anton as he turned away from her and focused on the presence that was now making it''s way towards the side of the house.


    Fiona and Kianna couldn''t help but to glare at their former pet, who had never been quite so obedient while under their care.


    Anton grinned as he turned back to the glaring dark elves.


    ¡°Alright girls, I''m going to need you both to stay focused and pay close attention tonight.¡± he said as he reached forward and picked up the tennis ball.


    Both of the dark elves immediately turned to him and snapped to attention with their ears raised and pointed straight upwards.


    ¡°Now, even though I plan to use as little magic as possible during this fight. I do want you girls to understand that I will use it to keep you safe. And if things do get too far out of control, then I''ll deactivate the charms keeping your auras defused and you''ll be able to put up your aura fields. Which if you do that right, you should be able to rip apart the bondage that''s keeping you in your chairs.¡± explained Anton as he looked from one dark elf to the other ¡°Hopefully, things will go smoothly and none of that will be necessary. But just in case, I want you to have the thought of your aura fields in your minds and to be ready to use them. Understand?¡±


    The dark elves glanced at each other and nodded before looking back at Anton.


    ¡°Good, now! Tonight, you''re going to learn just how predictable most assassins can be.¡± said Anton as he gave the tennis ball in his hand a light squeeze and glanced over his shoulder ¡°This will be a bit of a crash course as there''s obviously going to be some real world training involved. But even so, I''ll try to explain things as best I can. So first of all, I want you to understand that most assassins are usually predictable only because their goal is not to simply kill their targets, but to be as untraceable as possible when they do so. And in order to accomplish this they use the methods that most often give them the best results, while leaving behind the least amount of evidence. Now these methods are fairly limited. And as such, they become predictable.¡±


    The dark elves kept their ears trained to Anton''s voice as they let their eyes drift over to where the presence outside was quickly approaching the side of the house.


    ¡°Things become even more predictable when you know what species you''re dealing with. As different species tend to prefer certain methods over others.¡± continued Anton as he kept his eyes on where the presence had stopped just next to the house ¡°And if my guess is correct... Tonight, we''ll be dealing with a shinoccubus...¡±


    The dark elves both glanced at him before focusing back on the presence.


    ¡°...Alright, here we go.¡± whispered Anton as he rolled his shoulders in an effort to loosen the tension from them ¡°Its inside now...¡±


    The dark elves eyes widen as they felt the presence suddenly jump closer and begin to slowly move around in the large living room that took up a solid chuck of the bottom floor.


    ¡°Stay absolutely quiet...¡± whispered Anton as the presence began to slowly move through the house and make it''s way towards the kitchen ¡°And until I say it''s okay... Do not look directly at it... If I''m wrong, and it''s not a shinoccubus... It''s possible it might be able to turn you to stone...¡±


    Both Fiona and Kianna blinked before looking directly at Anton. Finding him focused on the darkened entryway, they quickly turned to each other and creased their brows in uncertainty. Slowly, they both tilted their heads to the side and tentatively watched the entryway out of the corners of their eyes.


    After what seemed like an eternity, the presence finally turned a corner and stopped directly in front of the entryway. Though it was now less than fifteen feet away from Anton and the dark elves, and could without question see them sitting in the lighted kitchen, it was itself still completely invisible, as it currently stood in solid darkness.


    For several long moments everything remained completely silent and still.


    ¡°Well then!¡± cried Anton as he shattered the silence and caused both of the dark elves to jump in their seats ¡°Looks like we don''t have to worry about being turned to stone! That''s a relief!¡±


    Blinking away their shock, the two dark elves both pointed their ears straight back as they glared at him.


    Chuckling, Anton smiled at them as he tossed the tennis ball back and forth from one hand to another.


    ¡°One of the nicest things about dealing with shinoccubi is that they rarely ever use guns, wands or even any combat magic of any kind.¡± he explained as he caught the tennis ball in his right hand and made a show of holding it up to his face while examining it ¡°They don''t use any of those things for 2 reasons. For 1, they all leave traceable evidence. And for 2, shinoccubi are prideful and believe that such methods aren''t skilled enough for them.¡±


    The dark elves let their ears return to their relaxed positions as they stared at the tennis ball.


    ¡°Or at least that''s what they try to claim.¡± said Anton as he eased the tennis ball away from his face ¡°The real truth though. Is that they''re just bloodthirsty little monstrosities, that like to cut people open...¡±


    The dark elves kept their eyes on the tennis ball for another moment before as one they turned to stare directly at the hidden presence.


    ¡°Oh, and by the way!¡± called Anton as he too turned to look straight at the presence ¡°In case you somehow haven''t figured it out by now. We do know you''re there.¡±


    Without another word, Anton rolled his arm back and threw the tennis ball right at the hidden being.


    A series of loud noises could be heard as the presence tumbled to the side and the tennis ball, having missed its mark, began to bounce around the room.


    ¡°Hey! You better not have scuffed up the floor in there!¡± called Anton as he narrowed his eyes at the darkened entryway ¡°I swear, if I find a single mark there''s going to be Hell to pay!¡±


    The dark elves widened eyes darted back and forth between Anton and the entryway as they waited for something else to happen. When it didn''t, they glanced at each other in confusion.


    ¡°...Well then. It seems like it really doesn''t have a gun.¡± said Anton as he eased back into his seat and sighed in relief ¡°That''s good. Very good. I hate dealing with guns. ...So I guess that means we won''t be needing the balloons after all.¡±


    The dark elves blinked as their eyes fell to where the water balloons sat mid-way beneath Anton''s chair.


    ¡°Now, I''m not sure if you girls have noticed it by now or not. But when it comes to conflict. I''m of the mentality that the best offense is a good defense. And by that I mean, I would rather let my enemy make the mistake of coming to me. As opposed to going after them.¡± explained Anton as he picked up the wooden cane ¡°Now this generally works pretty well. Though it can occasionally require a bit of... goading, on my part.¡±


    Leaning forward in his seat, Anton lifted the cane above his head and began to use it as a make-shift back scratcher. Grunting and groaning in mock pleasure, he made it a point to make a show out of disregarding the still hidden presence.


    Reacting to some unseen warning, Anton blocked the side of his head with the curved handle of the cane just as a pointed spike-like blade with a ring at the end of its grip came sailing out of the darkened entryway and flew straight towards his head.


    Both of the dark elves eyes widened to their fullest as they locked onto the solid, black-colored blade that had become embedded into the handle of the wooden cane.


    ¡°Hm, a kunai. Fairly typical one too...¡± mused Anton as he moved the cane in front of his face and examined the stuck blade ¡°Definitely should be a shinoccubus then...¡±


    Still staring at the blade, the two dark elves again jumped in their seats as a slim bodied feminine form suddenly appeared in the space in front of them and landed on the table.


    Pulling the small blade free from the cane, Anton used it to block a downward strike from a thin-bladed black-colored steel sword.


    ¡°Well hello there! Okay, as you can see girls! A teleporter can be pretty predictable as... Wha, wait... what? What in the world are you wearing?¡± questioned Anton as he looked over the being that was now looming above him ¡°...Is that supposed to be some kind of lingerie!?¡±


    The attacking being was scantly clad in two, black-colored silken cloths that were strung together over her shoulders. These cloths flowed down her front and back and were held in place against her body by a silken scarf-like belt that was tied around her waist. This thin garment was fully open down its sides and as such it did little to hide her underwear, which were a pair of black, lace panties that looked so tight around her hips that they seemed to be at least a size or two too small for her.


    She wore no bra but instead had a second black, scarf-like shawl wrapped around her ample bust.


    A third, far thicker scarf, was wrapped around her neck and this was left to flow down her back and billow out behind her. Her face was mostly obscured by both this scarf and a cloth mask that stretched from below her chin to up over the bridge of her nose. When combined these two items effectively hid her neck and the lower part of her face.


    Stretched over her arms and legs were thin chainmail gloves and leggings that had been woven into the forms of fishnet stockings and finger-less opera gloves. These separate pieces of armor all ended in, and were held in place by, thick, shining black leather belts which were wrapped tightly around each of her thighs and upper arms.


    Strapped over her chainmail gloves were thin metal bracers with attached wrist and elbow pads.


    Her legs were similarly protected by armored boots that encased her shins and ended in metal coated knee pads.


    The plated, lightweight metal that covered both her boots and bracers seemed to have been styled so as to be reminiscent of dragon scales, and were colored black with splashes of bright purple highlights and inlaid with intricately flowing, golden designs.


    ¡°...Okay? ...I''m not exactly sure what to make of this, outfit?¡± mumbled Anton as he gave the being''s risque attire another quick look over ¡°I''m guessing this might be some kind of traditional, or possibly ceremonial garb? ...I mean, this is a shinoccubi. Which is technically a cubi... Still though... You generally wouldn''t see one, dressed, like this while they''re working...¡±


    As he spoke the shinoccubi pulled back on her sword and struck again in a sideways sweep.


    ¡°Alright, anyways! For the sake of our lessons, I guess we''ll just have to try and power through this embarrassing lack of professionalism...¡± said Anton as he blocked her attack with the smaller blade and pushed back against her ¡°So I''d like you girls to still try and take this whole thing as seriously as possible. Even if our guest clearly isn''t...¡±


    While holding the sword back with the smaller blade, Anton swung the cane forward to feign grabbing at the shinoccubi''s legs with it''s curved handle. And this caused the surprised shinoccubi to leap back to the end of the table where she took a stance with her legs spread wide, her sword raised to the level of her head and the tip of its blade pointed straight at Anton.


    ¡°Right. Okay. Girls. Pay close attention! This is a shinoccubus, which is a species of cubi.¡± explained Anton as he recomposed himself and indicated the shinoccubi by pointing the small blade at her ¡°Now, like all cubi, the shinoccubi insist on giving their separate genders different names. A female like this one would be referred to as a ¡°Kiochi¡± while a male is called a ¡°Kiogah¡±. Among the cubi, the shinoccubi are considered the ¡°warrior¡± race. Although realistically this title is not very accurate, as they''re so lacking in overall strength, that they make very poor warriors. They are however, very fast, agile and are capable of being incredibly stealthy. And as such, they do make excellent spies and assassins... Or at least most of them do. ...I''m already starting to have my doubts about this one?¡±


    The dark elves kept their ears trained to Anton''s voice even as their eyes stayed locked to the kiochi.


    At the first glance it could be all too easy to mistake the kiochi for a mere human, as she was very human-like in size, general shape and appearance. But a closer, second look would quickly reveal her for the inhuman being that she truly was.


    Her skin was smooth, hairless and had the same tone as that of a very light skinned human. And although she had a trim, lightly toned physique, she still had a provocatively curvaceous figure, with her large bust, thin waist and wide hips giving her the shapely hour-glass form that came naturally to all female cubi.


    Even though the mask and scarf that she wore did obscure the better portion of her face, the kiochi''s natural beauty was still easy enough to discern. As many of her features could still be seen quite clearly.


    Her ears were broad, sharply pointed and were situated on the sides of her head. They were a little longer than what a humans would normally be, but were not quite elf-like, nor were they anywhere near as long as the elves were.


    Her long hair was a raven-black in color and was soft, flowing and silk-like. The majority of its length was held back in a multi-banded pony-tail that flowed down to the middle of her back. The bands that held her pony-tail together were flanked along their sides by tiny, ornamental looking shuriken star blades. Her hair was human-like, but had an odd, dark blue shine to it that would shimmer brightly whenever she moved beneath the kitchens overhead lights.


    Her bangs hung down in long strands that framed the sides of her face. And these bangs were kept in place by two sharply pointed, spike-like horns that grew out of her forehead, just above her eyes. These horns were short at only about three inches in length and were a polished, shimmering black in color.


    Her large eyes were easily the most striking feature of her face, as they blatantly illustrated her demonic heritage. They were framed in what appeared to be a form of natural eye-liner, as a darker, bluish nearly black, portion of skin around the base of her horns streamed downwards in two thin stripes that ran along the groves made by the bridge of her nose to her eyes. And once there they then broadened into a blushed, saturated shadow that surrounded her eyes and gave them a sense of depth.


    Her eyes themselves were piercing, as they contrasted with the darkness that surrounded them. Her irises were easily twice the size of a humans, and each took up the majority of her perceivable eye. They were a shockingly vivid, emerald green in color and shun out brightly against the pale whiteness of the sclera they sat in. Her pupils were long, tapered, vertical slits that appeared thin when at rest but could become fully dilated at will.


    Although the demonic attributes of her face were certainly noteworthy, they were still subtle enough to go unnoticed with a passing glance. Despite this, identifying her for the fiend that she truly was could still be done fairly easily, as no other singular aspect of her anatomy was more pronounced and noticeable, than her tail.


    The kiochi''s tail was an thin, jet-black-colored, coiling thing, that was easily longer than her body was tall. At its tip was a spearhead shaped spade that appeared to be a natural weapon for her, as unlike with a more traditional succubus, her spade seemed to be made of a hardened, black-colored metallic-like substance that was lined with a sharpened, bladed edge that glistened as it moved through the light. At the base of the spade her tail expanded into a thick, tear-drop shaped bulge that housed four curved, hook-like sharp barbs. Each of these barbs had a set of musculature at their base that allowed her to flex them outwards, and whenever flexed, they would curl backwards and point away from the tip of her tail. When at rest, the barbs retracted back into this bulge and were kept hidden away. They were the same glistening black color as both her horns and the bladed edge of her spade.


    The kiochi poised on the the table in front of Anton was not very large at all, and was easily smaller than the two dark elves that were seated near her. Regardless of her smaller size though, she was still quite intimidating. Especially now, as she stared at Anton with her sword poised to strike and her thin tail eerily twirling and coiling through the air both above and behind her.


    Her tail suddenly stopped in its motions as just next to her, Kianna began to cry out through her gag.


    Kianna was struggling angrily against her binds as she attempted to jerk herself free from her restraints. With her ears pointed straight back behind her head and her glowing red eyes locked to the kiochi, there was little doubt as to whether or not her intentions were hostile in nature.


    Seemingly surprised by Kianna''s hateful glare, the kiochi stared at her for a moment before shifting her eyes to Fiona and then bringing them back to stare blankly at the clearly enraged dark elf who was apparently threatening her.


    Anton remained silent as he watched the kiochi and waited for her to strike at the dark elves. When she instead turned to him and narrowed her eyes into a glare, he couldn''t help but to smile.


    ¡°Ah. So, I''m your target then.¡± he whispered to himself as his smile broadened ¡°Good.¡±


    The kiochi tightened her grip on the hilt of her sword as she curled the end of her tail up and over her head. Pointing the sharpened tip of her spade down at Anton she exposed her hidden barbs by slowly flexing them in and out of their sheaths. Though completely silent, her threatening message was menacing nonetheless.


    ¡°...Hm, alright then.¡± nodded Anton as he turned away from the kiochi, hung the cane on his wrist and picked up the laser pointer while dropping the small blade on the table ¡°Alright girls! Let''s get back to our lesson! Now, I''m sure that just by looking at our guest here, that one of the first things you''ve noticed about a shinoccubi is how creepy they are. This is because they keep their emotions locked in while working in order to stay as focused as possible on their missions. This trait can be very misleading as it gives the impression that shinoccubi are emotionless beings. This is absolutely not true, at all! Remember, they are cubi. And as cubi, they are in fact, very, very, emotional! So, this being the case, if you find yourself facing one, always remember. One of the easiest ways for you to beat them, is to just get their little feelings... all riled up!¡±


    Turning back to the kiochi, Anton found that she was apparently listening to him as intently as the dark elves were. Smiling, he waved the laser pointer back and forth and began to shine it into each of her eyes.


    Blinking in surprise, the kiochi tried to block the point of light with her sword before, without warning, she suddenly lunged forward and dived at Anton.


    Leaning to the side to dodge her attack, Anton flipped the cane back into his hand and, using the curved handle, twirled it up and around her sword before pulling it downwards. With this one motion he steered the pointed end of the weapon away from himself and locked the side of the blade against the edge of the table. With his other hand he reached forward and quickly undid the silk belt from around the kiochi''s waist, before pulling not only the belt back to himself but the sheath to her sword as well.


    The surprised kiochi quickly recovered and responded by jabbing at him with the blade at the end of her tail, which Anton then blocked with her own sheath.


    ¡°Okay, now! The second thing I''m sure you''ve noticed is her tail... Hideous looking thing, isn''t it...¡± said Anton as he continued to use the sheath to knock the attacking tail away from him ¡°Just ugly as sin... Anyways! The tail may look weak, as its so thin, but its actually quite strong, and as I''m sure you''ve noticed, it has an actual blade as well as several sharp barbs at the end.¡±


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.The kiochi pulled back on and slid her sword free before jumping back and taking a low stance. Her cloth garments, now free from her belt, hung away from her body and seemed to float about with her movements. Narrowing her eyes, she pointed the tip of her sword back at Anton as her tail began to coil menacingly back and forth above her head.


    ¡°...That tail is both ugly and very dangerous. Not only can it cut or stab you, but they''ll occasionally smear it with chemicals that could be venomous or acidic.¡± said Anton as he watched the kiochi''s eyes and let her sheath fall to the floor next to his chair ¡°Its sharp... And as with anything that''s sharp... the best way to deal with it...¡±


    Keeping his eyes locked to the kiochi''s, Anton reached out to the side and used the curved end of the cane to tumble one of the cans of rubber sealant and fling it over her head.


    Instinct getting the better of her, the kiochi immediately crouched down and slashed at the can with her tail as it sailed above her.


    ¡°Is to make it dull!¡± sang Anton as he smiled at the dark elves.


    The sharpened spade of the kiochi''s tail effortlessly sliced right through the thin metal of the can and, within a single instance, released the entirety of its pressurized contents. The resulting geyser of gelatinous slime then completely encased not only her spade, but the bulge holding her barbs as well, as it exploded out of the can. Since the rubber was manufactured to bind to smooth, hard surfaces and solidify as it made contact with air, it didn''t take long for the end of the kiochi''s tail to harden into the form of a large black, blob-like ball.


    The startled kiochi jumped back again as she flung her tail back and forth. Clearly panicked she frantically dragged her tail along the top of the table and slapped it against the sides as she tried to dislodge the ball of goop from her spade.


    ¡°Shinoccubi will not only use their tails as weapons but also as a means to help them maneuver around. There''s a natural elasticity to it, and it can stretch to twice the length that you''re seeing right now.¡± explained Anton as he and the dark elves all watched the kiochi desperately try to free herself ¡°The barbs at the end allow them to use it as a sort of natural grappling hook, which can then help them to scale walls and ceilings fairly quickly. Again, it may look weak since it is very thin, but surprisingly, its strong enough for them to actually lift themselves up with, and even hang from. Now, I know what you''re going to ask next, and yes! Whenever they do this they do look exactly like evil little monkeys!¡±


    The kiochi stopped short as the dark elves began to laugh quietly behind her, shifting her eyes to Anton she gave him a pointed look before turning back to her tail and trying to slice away a chunk of the hardened goop with her sword.


    ¡°Hey now! None of that!¡± chastised Anton as he leaned forward, picked up the spray bottle full of water and began to squirt the kiochi in the face ¡°Bad kiochi! Bad girl, bad!¡±


    Her irritation getting the better of her, the kiochi dove forward at Anton with her sword held low and Anton again, dodged her strike by leaning to the side. As he did so, he jabbed her in the ribs with the blunt end of the cane while continuing to squirt her in the face with the water bottle.


    Shaking her head, the kiochi swung wide with her sword and missed him again. Anton then used the curved end of the cane to pull her foot out from under her. The kiochi used the backwards momentum to slide away from him all while keeping her self balanced upright with her tail. Once she was standing tall again, she began to slap the end of her tail against the table as she pointed her sword back at Anton.


    Anton stared at her for a moment before letting out a tired sigh. Shaking his head, he set the cane down and left it to lean against the table as he picked up the small spike-like blade.


    ¡°Shinoccubi will usually train for years with many different types of bladed weapons.¡± said Anton as he twirled the spike-like blade in his hand ¡°Even with this being the case though, you can more or less expect that they''ll almost always be using certain ones.¡±


    Provoked by his condescending expression, the kiochi dove forward and started striking at him with her sword as he continued to speak.


    ¡°Like this blade here, which is called a ¡°kunai¡± and is one of their signature weapons.¡± said Anton as he knocked away her strikes with the kunai and gave her more squirts with the spray bottle ¡°The sword that she''s using looks to be a short bladed katana. Lightweight but strong, they make excellent weapons for assassins.¡±


    Drenched enough that her vision had become blurry, the kiochi pulled back from her attack and shook the water from her face. She then began to step sideways along the table in an effort to give herself a different angle on Anton who remained still as he watched her move. She kept her sword pointed at him as he merely stared back at her.


    ¡°...You may not be able to tell from this one since her performance thus far has been very poor.¡± said Anton as the kiochi''s eyes tightened at the verbal jab ¡°But shinoccubi are usually highly trained at weapons combat and will practice with their chosen weapons until they''ve all but mastered their use.¡±


    The dark elves were wide eyed as they shifted their gazes back and forth between the two combatants and waited for one of them to make the next move.


    ¡°...Isn''t that right?¡± asked Anton as he spoke to the kiochi herself ¡°You''ve trained with that sword until its felt like a part of your own body... Right? You know its exact weight, length, strength and how to balance it perfectly with each of your movements... Right!?¡±


    The kiochi''s tail went still as she blinked at Anton. After a moment of staring, she tightened her grip on the swords hilt and narrowed her eyes into a glare.


    ¡°...Right. So, how do you even fight someone like that? Someone who knows their weapon so well that it''s almost as if it''s become a part of their own body?¡± asked Anton as he tossed the kunai on the table and picked up the cane again ¡°Well, it''s very simple.¡±


    Looking back up at the kiochi, Anton beckoned her forward by quickly curling and uncurling two of his fingers.


    Goaded, the kiochi''s eyes tightened even more as she zipped forward and aimed her sword directly at Anton''s heart.


    Anton barely moved as he tilted back just enough for her attack to miss him. With the walking sticks longer reach he swung over his own head and bopped the kiochi between the eyes with the curved end.


    Too stunned to respond quick enough the kiochi did nothing as he then brought the walking stick down on her sword and slammed them both against the table and right into the middle of the line of random items. In the sudden stillness that followed, Anton slowly raised the water bottle and gave her another squirt to the face.


    Hopping up and out of his seat, Anton twirled around and out of the kiochi''s reach as she pulled her sword up and swung at him. He then went still and left his back to her as she suddenly stopped and stared at her own sword.


    ¡°All you have to do...¡± said Anton as he stood with his back still to the kiochi ¡°Is change the weapon.¡±


    Rather than attack him, the kiochi took two jumps back to the other end of the table as she continued to stare at her sword.


    Anton turned back to the table, hung the cane back on his wrist and set the spray bottle down before unscrewing its top.


    As he did this, the kiochi remained at the other end of the table where she slowly began to wave her sword back and forth in front of herself.


    ¡°It can be very difficult to visually judge the age of a cubi as they almost always appear to be youthful. They can be quite old and you would never be able to tell just by looking at them. Shorter horns can be one giveaway, but that isn''t always accurate. ...I''m fairly positive that this one is actually pretty young though.¡± said Anton as he picked up the kunai and glanced at the kiochi ¡°...Do your parents know what you''re doing right now?¡±


    Standing motionless as she examined her sword, the kiochi''s eyes slowly moved away from her blade and became locked on Anton.


    ¡°...You''re not skilled enough to be out here alone.¡± said Anton as he looked away from her and absently moved both the glue-traps and the last can of rubber sealant to the corner of the table ¡°You''ve lost your kunai, your spade and you''re about to lose your sword. You''ve yet to use another weapon or throw a single projectile other than the kunai, so considering that, and the way that you''re dressed. I''m guessing you''re not carrying any other darts or blades with you. This, along with the fact that aside from teleporting, you haven''t used a single one of your abilities. Leads me to believe that you haven''t received much in the way of training, or that you were just trained very poorly... Either way, at this point I am legitimately starting to think that you might be a complete amateur... Or possibly an idiot.¡±


    Anton turned back to the kiochi and stared into her eyes for a long moment before turning to the dark elves.


    ¡°You see? It''s just like I said. All you have to do is get their little feelings all riled up.¡± he said as he shined the laser pointer at the kiochi''s eyes.


    The kiochi immediately exploded across the table towards Anton and swung her sword in an effort to lop off his head. Anton blocked her attack with her own kunai before tossing the cane up into the air, grabbing the very bottom of it and bonking her on the head. Furious now, the kiochi struck wildly again and again while Anton merely danced back and forth while blocking and parrying her attacks over and over. Her frustration finally getting the better of her, the kiochi turned away from him and began to shake her sword as if she were strangling it by the hilt.


    Seeing her distracted, Anton took the opportunity to covertly pull one of the glue-traps over to himself with the cane. He then tucked the kunai in his pocket and grabbing the glue-trap, hid it behind his back.


    ¡°Now, as you girls can plainly see! Once a shinoccubi becomes frustrated they lose all sense of skill and become clumsy and foolish.¡± said Anton as he addressed the dark elves ¡°It''s actually kind of sad just how easy it is to break them. They really are such sensitive little monkeys.¡±


    Her eyes tightening at the sound of the dark elves muffled laughter, the kiochi stopped for a moment before standing up straight and taking a deep breath.


    ¡°So are you ready to surrender yet?¡± asked Anton as he reached forward and began to prod the kiochi''s backside with the cane ¡°All joking aside, I legitimately think you should.¡±


    Anton barely had time to react as the kiochi attacked him. Moving at an incredible speed, she had turned and crossed the distance between them in an instant. She then dove in close and tried to drive her sword into his heart.


    Anton had again caught the blade with the curved end of the cane and forced it down and away from himself. At the same time he used the momentum of her attack to pull the kiochi in close and leave them staring face to face.


    Trembling with anger, the kiochi glared at him with unabashed fury across her half hidden face. As Anton watched, the thin slits that were her pupils began to dilate until they encompassed the majority of her eyes and left nothing but a thin ring of emerald green around their edges. Staring into the black pits that were her eyes now, Anton nodded as he acknowledged her raw, murderous intent.


    ¡°...Hm. ...You really need to learn how to control your emotions.¡± said Anton as he slapped the glue-trap onto her forehead between her horns.


    The kiochi immediately panicked and pulled back from him. Reaching for her face, she let go of her sword with one hand and Anton quickly jerked it free of the other with the cane.


    Still panicking, the kiochi knocked over the open spray bottle with her thrashing tail and while still stepping backwards began to slip on the quickly growing puddle of water as it spread across the table. With her feet suddenly at a loss for balance, she began to tumble and fall. She attempted to catch herself with her tail but Anton pulled it out from under her with the cane. Free falling now, the kiochi could do nothing but pinwheel her arms as she fell flat on her back.


    Anton turned away from her and took a seat in his chair as he began to look over her sword.


    ¡°Just like I keep saying...¡± he mumbled as he pulled the thin but heavy magnet away from the blunt edge of the sword ¡°Clumsy and foolish...¡±


    The dark elves couldn''t help but to laugh mirthfully as they stared at the downed kiochi.


    Laying on her back in the puddle of water and with the glue-trap still stuck to her face, the kiochi took another deep breath before reaching up and quickly pulling the glue-trap away. She made a frustrated sound as the glue-trap took some of her hair along with it.


    ¡°Hm? So it looks like this sword is actually enchanted...¡± mused Anton as he moved the ornately detailed blade up and down ¡°I''m going to venture a guess that you didn''t know that. And that even if you do. You probably wouldn''t know how to use it...¡±


    The kiochi looked over at him by moving only her eyes. Anton smiled at her as he slid the sword into its sheath and set it on his lap.


    ¡°Are you done yet?¡± he asked.


    The kiochi glared at him as her hand slowly curled into a fist.


    ¡°...Hm, alright then.¡± nodded Anton.


    Reaching into his pocket, Anton pulled out the kunai and without another word, tossed it onto the table were it slid across the surface and came to rest near the kiochi''s balled fist. He then looked over at the wide eyed dark elves.


    ¡°As with all cubi, a shinoccubi does actually have wings. But due to their secretive nature, they often keep them hidden away inside their bodies. This helps them to hide their identity as shinoccubi and remain stealthy while moving around quickly. But this practice has had a downside as well, and now after generations of it, their wings have been heavily reduced in size.¡± explained Anton ¡°At this point neither sex is capable of full flight, but kiogah still have wings that are large enough for them to at least glide around with. Kiochi however, have nothing but residual wings that are so small and pathetic that they can''t use them for any kind of flight at all. Kiochi''s that are better, and more skilled than this one, will use abilities like teleport to compensate for the fact that they can''t fly.¡±


    Her eyes glaring with rage, the kiochi''s hand was trembling as she slowly wrapped her fingers around the kunai''s grip.


    ¡°Now, the reason that kiogah have larger wings that are still semi-functional is actually kind of funny.¡± teased Anton as he grinned at the kiochi ¡°You see, for a kiochi, like this one. Seeing large wings on a male is actually a very sexually attractive sight. And the larger the wings are, the nicer they are on the eyes. As such, the boys have the larger wings, because the silly girls have a perverted wing fetish, and they can''t help but to get excited whenever they see them. So, in other words, kiochi are just a bunch of little wing freaks.¡±


    Looking down at the kiochi, the dark elves both began to snicker as they watched her eyes go wide and a light blush spread across the portion of her cheeks that could still be seen around her mask.


    ¡°Hey there, you. Would you like to show us your little wings?¡± asked Anton as he leaned forward and smiled at the flustered kiochi ¡°We''d love to see them! And I''m betting they''re actually really cute!


    By curling her legs and lower body back over her head and kicking forward, the kiochi created enough momentum to raise herself up off the table and land back on her feet. Kunai in hand she took a low stance and glared at Anton.


    ¡°...So is that a no then?¡± asked Anton as he shined the laser pointer at her eyes.


    Feinting a strike, the kiochi suddenly disappeared from the table.


    ¡°Aw, that''s too bad... I guess we''re getting back to the lesson now...¡± mumbled Anton as he used the sheathed sword to parry an attack from the kiochi as she reappeared at his side, struck at his neck and then disappeared again ¡°So as I was saying before. Teleporters can be surprisingly predictable...¡±


    Anton nonchalantly reached behind himself and, using the sheathed sword to push a button, turned on the fan sitting on the floor behind him. He then leaned forward and quickly grabbed the last can of rubber sealant.


    As he did this the kiochi reappeared up near the ceiling and seemed to hang in the air for a slight moment. Holding the kunai in one hand she used the other to throw what looked like little pebbles at the floor around Anton before disappearing again.


    ¡°Right, as I''m sure you can probably guess by now, shinoccubi are a very athletic species. And many of them will spend a solid amount of their time tempering their bodies to improve their speed, stamina and strength.¡± explained Anton as he settled back into his seat and grinned at the dark elves as a cloud of thin, grey smoke billowed up from the floor around him.


    The smoke cloud engulfed the area in an instant but with the fan blowing the smoke upwards Anton reappeared almost immediately.


    The kiochi also reappeared behind him and lounged forward with her kunai posed to strike the side of his head. Without looking back at her, Anton moved the can of sealant into the path of her kunai. The kiochi panicked as she stabbed the can and its contents immediately engulfed her kunai, she dropped both the blade and the can of sputtering, pressurized rubber before teleporting to the opposite side of Anton''s chair.


    Anticipating her move, Anton reached out and grabbed the scarf that was flowing out behind her.


    ¡°Unlike many other species that become very hard-bodied with any form of strength training. Shinoccubi, and kiochi in particular...¡± said Anton as he yanked back on the scarf and jerked the kiochi back towards him.


    Her momentum causing her to twirl backwards, the kiochi lost her balance as her scarf was unfurled from around her neck and she ended up landing laid out on her belly across Anton''s lap.


    ¡°Will actually stay very...¡± smiled Anton as he flipped up the kiochi''s back cloth and exposed her round bottom and tight panties ¡°Soft!¡±


    With his fingers completely outstretched, Anton raised his hand and brought it down on the kiochi''s open skin, spanking her as hard as he could and immediately leaving a bright red handprint across her butt cheek.


    Shocked to the point that both her head and tail pointed themselves straight up into the air, the kiochi went completely rigid as she stared off into the empty space in front of her.


    Chuckling at the sight of the stunned kiochi, Anton casually raised his other hand behind her head and, with the same motion of locking a hand-cuff on someones wrist, slapped a thin, rounded metal ring around her newly exposed neck.


    Still too stunned to notice what he had done, the kiochi did nothing as she remain completely still.


    Laughing out loud now, Anton brought her back to reality by playfully drumming his fingers over her still exposed butt cheek.


    Flinching herself back to full awareness, the kiochi blinked and then blinked again as if suddenly confused. Panicked, she shot backwards and away from Anton, but by stumbling and tripping over her own feet, she ended up falling over and landing on her butt.


    The kiochi was just tall enough that when sitting on the floor the two dark elves could just barely see the top of her head over the table. And as such, they could only see her head start to bob about as she immediately grabbed at her neck and frantically started pulling on the metal ring that hung there.


    ¡°Aw, sorry little kiochi, but no more magic for you.¡± said Anton as he reached out and picked up the last glue-trap.


    Openly furious now, the kiochi leap to her feet and almost blindly began to assault Anton with nothing but her fists and her blunt, rubber coated tail.


    Anton stayed seated as he caught each punch and tail jab and using her own momentum, twisted and twirled the kiochi back and forth until confused and disoriented, she started throwing wild punches at nothing.


    When she finally came back to her senses, she was not only facing the two dark elves with her back to Anton, but she was standing with both arms pointed out at odd directions and had the last glue-trap stuck to her face.


    ¡°This really is such a ridiculous outfit...¡± mumbled Anton as he reached between her cloth garments and pulled on the hem of her panties ¡°What were you even thinking when you decided to wear this?¡±


    Stretching the hem out as far as he could, Anton let it go to whip back against her hip with a loud snap.


    The kiochi stood still for a long moment as she seemed to be unsure about what she should try to do next. Slowly, she raised her hand to her face and peeled off the glue-trap, she then tried to fling it away but it stuck to her fingers and she had to frantically shake her hand to finally get it to flutter off.


    ¡°Alright. This lesson is over.¡± said Anton as his tone remained calm but became commanding ¡°You''re done now. It''s time for you to leave.¡±


    The room went quiet for a long moment as Anton and the dark elves all stared at the motionless kiochi.


    Gazing directly at her, the dark elves watched as the kiochi''s eyes narrow into a glare. Acknowledging her hostility, they both pointed their ears straight back as the kiochi took a deep breath and let it out slowly.


    Without further warning the kiochi twisted backwards and attacked Anton with a roundhouse kick. Anton caught her by the ankle and as he stood up out of his chair, he flung her whole body into the air and up over the table. The confused kiochi spun around in the air several times before landing sprawled out on her belly.


    Tossing her tail to the side, Anton then flipped her back cloth forward enough that it completely covered her head and face. With a stern look on his own face, he took the kiochi''s sheathed sword and brought it down hard across both of her exposed butt cheeks. The smack from the thin sheath landed with a resounding crack that rang out through the room and left a long red welt to rise up across her pale skin and pink handprint.


    Laying prone across the table, the kiochi stayed silent and unmoving for a long moment before she began to slowly dig her nails across the table top and ball her hands into fists. Taking in one deep breath after another she gathered herself together and rose up to one knee. Flinging her back cloth back over and off of her head, she let it fall back into place behind her before slowly turning to look directly at Anton.


    Beaten and humiliated, she had lost all control of her emotions, and, with tears of anger now forming in the corners, she stared at Anton with eyes that suddenly appeared to be mesmerizingly alive. Following the rhythm of her breathing, her slitted pupils would dilate and constrict each time she took a deep breath, and this gave the impression that they, themselves, were actually breathing as well.


    Keeping her eyes locked to his, her hands still in fists and breathing hard the entire time, the kiochi stood up to her full height and stared down at Anton with murderous hatred.


    ¡°...I understand that you''re angry. But that is no excuse for losing control of yourself. This is over now. And you need to leave.¡± said Anton as he glared right back up at her ¡°I mean it. Now. Walk away. While you still can.¡±


    ¡°...Fuck! You!¡± declared the kiochi as she spoke for the first time.


    Anton stared at her for a moment before setting her sword down on the table.


    ¡°If you attack me again.¡± he said as held his arms out at his sides ¡°You will pay for it. I''m not going to tell you again. I''m not going to give you another chance. Either leave now. Or you will suffer the consequences.¡±


    Leaping up into the air and aiming the heel of her boot right at his face, the kiochi performed a diving kick straight at Anton.


    Anton again caught her by the ankle and with hardly any effort, he flipped her lightweight frame back over on itself.


    Blinking in surprise, the kiochi made eye contact with the dark elves as she found herself floating upside down. She landed hard on the back of her head and tumbling from the momentum, she bounced and rolled across the table until she flew off the other side. She made eye contact with them again as, for a split second, she hung in midair before disappearing below the edge of the table. A loud thud was the only signal that she had landed on the floor.


    All was quiet as Anton and the dark elves watched the space where the kiochi had disappeared. After a moment scraping sounds could be heard and these were followed by the kiochi rising up to stand with her back to them.


    The kiochi was just tall enough for her bottom to show over the edge of the table and the red welt made by her own sheath was vibrantly clear on either side of her back cloth. With her head slightly tilted to the side, her shoulders slumped and her tail hanging limp she looked completely defeated even from behind.


    Slowly, she reached up to the back of her head and rubbed at a lump that was quickly forming from where she had landed on the table. She brought her hand back into her own view and stared at it for a moment before letting it and her arm fall limply against her side.


    ¡°You see? It''s just like I said. All you have to do is get them all riled up.¡± whispered Anton ¡°And then they just fall apart...¡±


    The kiochi hung her head as she raised her hand and threw more pebbles at the ground.


    ¡°Right. Two more things that apply to all assassins.¡± said Anton as the kiochi disappeared into a cloud of smoke ¡°Whenever an assassin is retreating in defeat they will always, and I mean always! Look back at you at least one more time...¡±


    As the smoke cleared away the kiochi could be seen glaring at Anton as she crouched on the window sill above the sink. With the window opened wide in front of her she was poised to disappear into the night when suddenly she went stiff and her tail began to twitch back and forth at odd angles.


    ¡°And secondly. Regardless of how adept an assassin may be at locating booby traps around the perimeter, the entrances, or the interiors of their target locations...¡± said Anton as he watched the kiochi''s eyes roll into the back of her head and her tail begin to quiver wildly ¡°For some reason they never seem to expect them at the exits...¡±


    Having seemingly lost consciousness, the kiochi fell backwards off of the window sill and landed on her butt in the sink. She sat motionless for a moment before falling over to the side and collapsing on the counter top. Her tail, having gone completely limp, had spilled over the side of the counter before coiling up in a heap on the floor below her. Stuck to the bottom of one of her boots was a white strip of wood with several blue-colored glowing seals lit up across its surface.


    ¡°Molly!¡± called Anton as he smiled at the little pomeranian ¡°You can get up now, girl.¡±


    Molly immediately jumped out of her bed and ran over to the counter where she started barking up at the unconscious kiochi.


    ¡°So then!¡± exclaimed Anton as the dark elves quickly turned away from the kiochi and stared at him with eyes wide and their ears pointed straight upwards ¡°...Did either of you have any questions?¡±


    Both Fiona and Kianna blinked at him in uncertainty while behind them in the background Molly began to growl through her teeth as she tugged on and thrashed around with the kiochi''s limp tail.

 Assassin Arc : Chapter 3 : Night

    Chapter 3 : Night


    The kiochi''s eyes shot open as a bright lamplight clicked on above her. Blinded by the light shining down into her dilated pupils, she instantly scrunched her eyes shut and shied away from it by turning her head to the side and pressing her face into a small pillow.


    As realization reached her waking mind, she blinked her eyes back open and immediately sat up straight.


    Centered within the dome of light created by the overhead lamp, she found herself unable to discern hardly anything beyond the fact that she was now surrounded by a thick darkness. Blinking through the lamp''s glare, her eyes went wide as she discovered that she was no longer in the house''s kitchen, but was instead sitting in what appeared to be a cage.


    The kiochi''s movements were almost bird-like as her head bobbed and twisted back and forth as she examined the metal bars of her new prison.


    As her eyes began to get accustomed to the bright light, she peered through the bars of her cage and stopped short as she registered three sets of eyes staring back at her from the darkness.


    Situated around a high-backed chair were three forms whose solid black appearance was so intense that they stood out clearly against the darkness around them. The largest of these beings was sitting in the chair itself while the other two were standing on either side.


    The one in the chair appeared to be masculine and was leaning forward with it''s hands clasped together and its elbows resting on its knees. Its eyes seemed to be human and looked to be more or less normal, though they were being thrown into a stark contrast by the pitch blackness that surrounded them. The two beings on either side of the chair were clearly feminine, and although more lithe in appearance, they were far more intimidating than the one sitting between them. This was due mostly to the fact that unlike their companion''s, their eyes were glowing red orbs that shun out brightly against the solid blackness of their beings. The two fiery-eyed women carried themselves with a subliminal level of confidence, as they leaned, poised and alluringly, against the backrest of the tall chair.


    Her own eyes widening to their fullest at the sight of her captors, the kiochi couldn''t help but to instinctively lean away from the imposing trio. Although motionless and completely silent, the three beings in front of her still portrayed an undeniably menacing capability that was made all the worst when the air around her suddenly began to thicken and become heavy.


    A lump quickly formed in the kiochi''s throat as she watched two bright, toothy smiles spread across the blackened faces of the standing women.


    ¡°Oh! She''s afraid...¡± whispered a voice that seemed to come from the room itself ¡°Good...¡±


    ¡°Yes, she is...¡± answered another voice that seemed to echo with silent laughter ¡°And it''s so delicious!¡±


    ¡°Indeed...¡± spoke a third, deeper voice ¡°Such a lovely flavor...¡±


    Swallowing the lump in her throat, the kiochi went to lean further back but froze in her movements as the sitting being narrowed its eyes at her.


    An ominous chuckling began to ring out through the room as the being closed its eyes completely and rose up to settle back into its chair. As it came to rest, a soot-like poof of blackness faded away from around its body and revealed that it was the man who had defeated her.


    ¡°Well then...¡± said Anton as a thin smile spread across his face ¡°I think we established enough of an atmosphere. Let''s go ahead and move things along now...¡±


    As Anton spoke the few electric lights on in the room around him began to wink back into existence and flicker weakly.


    On either side of him, the blackness began to fall away from the standing women, and as it did so, it revealed them to be the two dark elves from upstairs.


    Now free of their bondage gear, the dark elves had both donned simple dominatrix style attire. They were both dressed identically in knee-length lace-up stiletto boots, finger-less opera gloves, form-fitting leather pants and laced corsets with push up style tops that hugged their torso''s snugly as they rested over white, loosely fitted blouses. Everything they wore beyond their blouses was colored black with red highlights.


    Dressed to match them, Anton wore a red button-up dress shirt and black slacks as he went for a simpler yet just as imposing visage.


    The kiochi stared at the smiling trio for a moment before turning away from them. Blinking in the now dimmed light, she quickly looked around the unfamiliar room. Her expression became questioning as her eyes darted about and fell on each of the strange looking implements that dotted the area around her. After a moment of exploring the room with her eyes, her movements slowed until she went completely still.


    The dark elves both began to laugh softly as they watched the realization form in the kiochi''s eyes.


    This place, was a dungeon.


    Drawn back to them by the sounds of their laughter, the kiochi''s eyes landed on the dark elves before falling to stare directly at Anton.


    ¡°Well hello there.¡± said Anton as he grinned back at her ¡°Good to see that you''re finally awake. We were getting a little worried... Well, not really. But anyways. Welcome to our little dungeon. As you can see. It''s fully stocked. And we should have everything we need here to make sure that your stay with us is a very... comfortable, one...¡±


    Narrowing her eyes, the kiochi''s glare shifted to an expression of surprise as she tried to speak through the gag in her mouth.


    ¡°Humph!?¡± she cried as she blinked and then slowly looked down at herself. Her eyes once again went wide as she discovered that she had been stripped naked and locked into a set of bondage gear.


    A Bolero straight-jacket, that had been crafted out of black leather, had been wrapped tightly around her upper torso. The broad straps and cuffs of the jacket crisscrossed her shoulders, neck and collarbone before coming together and attaching to a thick belt that had been tightened around her ribs, just above her waist. Her arms had been fed into the sleeves of the jacket, crossed beneath her exposed breasts, and then strapped to this same belt. Her hands had been balled into fists and locked into the strict bondage mittens that were attached to the ends of the jackets sleeves.


    Two thick leather binders were wrapped around her legs. One stretched across her shins, from her ankles up to the base of her knees and the other was wrapped around her thighs.


    To complete her bondage, a ninja-like, face mask gag and its leather harness had been strapped around her head and her long tail had been tightly wrapped around her waist until the bladed tip, now cleaned of the rubber sealant, was able to be planted at the small of her back, where it could be rendered harmless by being encased in a modified leather knife holster and then strapped, buckled and locked to a leather belt.


    The kiochi stared down at herself for a long moment before suddenly looking back up at the trio in a panic and scooting on her butt to the back corner of her cage, where she then frantically pulled her legs up to hide her chest.


    Having reclaimed a bit of her modesty, she commenced to glare angrily over her knees as a bright blush began to spread out across her cheeks.


    Surprised by the sight, the dark elves looked at each other before smiling wickedly.


    ¡°Well, well, well! It''s looks like somebodies bashful!¡± teased Kianna.


    ¡°Yeah! I guess the poor little ninja-bitch isn''t a fan of the locker room, huh!¡± taunted Fiona.


    The kiochi''s ears began to turn a bright red as her blush deepened. Unable to teleport and escape due to the thin ring of enchanted silver-inlaid-steel that was still locked around her neck, she could do nothing but pull her legs in tighter against her body and glare up at the taunting dark elves.


    ¡°Mmph! Ah!¡± she cried through her gag as she started to wiggle about in an effort to free herself.


    ¡°Huh? This is pretty surprising. This bitch was just dressed up like a total whore. But actually having her tits out is suddenly too much for her?¡± mocked Fiona as she crossed her arms and gave the kiochi a perplexed look ¡°Guess this little bitch is nothing but a tease then?¡±


    ¡°Looks like it.¡± mumbled Kianna as she lifted the kiochi''s sheathed sword and held it out in front of herself ¡°Guess she''s just a failure at everything she tries to be...¡±


    Seeing her sword in the dark elf''s hands, the kiochi''s eyes tightened in thought as she looked from Kianna to Anton and back. Confusion was clear in her expression as she stared at the dark elf and continued to struggle.


    ¡°...Hm, well now?¡± mused Anton as he began to rub his chin ¡°Girls... I think this kiochi might have assumed that you two were my victims?¡±


    ¡°...Well she''s not really wrong about that! We are your victims!¡± snapped Fiona as she pointed her ears straight back.


    Anton chuckled as he glanced up at her.


    ¡°You''re your own victim, Fiona.¡± he said as he looked back at the kiochi ¡°And you always have been.¡±


    ¡°Humph! Whatever!¡± huffed Fiona as she narrowed her eyes at her grinning sister.


    ¡°So then. Did you think these two were going to be against me?¡± asked Anton as he leaned forward and rested his elbows back on his knees ¡°Did you think that they were going to be your allies?¡±


    Still wiggling in her binds, the kiochi tightened her eyes as she blatantly ignored his question and refused to look at him.


    ¡°...Oh, c''mon now. Let''s not be rude.¡± said Anton ¡°I know we may have gotten off on the wrong foot. But there''s no reason we can''t be civil with each other from here on out. As at this point, I''m more than willing to move past our grievances if you are. And despite your attempts against me, I will say, I''ll hold no grudge, and seek no restitution against you. In fact, I feel I actually owe you a bit of gratitude. For you see, you have in reality done me a service by giving me the opportunity to teach my dark elves a bit about assassins, and despite your poor performance, it was still a solid lesson. And I''m happy with the end results. So, at this time, all I want from you now is to have a simple conversation, and nothing more. And I think that''s more than reasonable considering the circumstances. But, what do you think? Do you agree? Or is there something you''d like to add?¡±


    Although the kiochi was clearly listening, she again, completely ignored Anton.


    ¡°...Well?¡± asked Anton as the grin faded from his face ¡°...Do you find my offer reasonable? Or not?¡±


    Again, the kiochi completely ignored him.


    ¡°...I am making an attempt to be civil with you, kiochi.¡± said Anton as he narrowed his eyes ¡°And I would appreciate it, if you showed me the same courtesy.¡±


    The kiochi huffed through her nose in a dismissive manner and shifted herself to the side as she continued in her efforts to wiggle out of her binds.


    ¡°...I see.¡± nodded Anton as he settled back into his chair and laid his arms out across the armrests ¡°Very well then... Hm...¡±


    Noticing the thoughtful expression on his face, Fiona and Kianna both watched Anton for a moment before giving each other a knowing look and smiling at the kiochi. They were both startled when Anton suddenly rose from his seat.


    The kiochi frantically pressed herself into her corner and began to cry out through her gag as Anton approached her cage.


    Without a word, Anton knelt down, unlocked the cage and left the door fully open as he stood up, turned his back on the kiochi and made his way back to his chair.


    Clearly confused, the kiochi didn''t dare to move as she stared at the now wide open door. Just as equally confused as her, the dark elves said nothing as they watched Anton settle back into his seat.


    ¡°Girls.¡± said Anton as he stared at the kiochi with an empty expression on his face ¡°I''m going to need your help with something...¡±


    ¡°Huh!?¡± exclaimed both of the dark elves in unison as their ears pointed themselves straight upwards.


    Maintaining his emotionless expression, Anton kept his eyes locked with the kiochi as he spoke.


    ¡°This kiochi has information that I''d like to have. Who sent her here, what clan is she part of, and are anymore of her comrades going to show up... All simple questions really, but important nonetheless... Unfortunately, it seems that this kiochi isn''t particularly interested in speaking with me...¡± explained Anton ¡°Now, this is not all that surprising. As the fact that she would harbor a certain level of resentment towards me is completely understandable. However, that does not change the fact that my questions need to be answered. So, if she''s unwilling to speak with me... Perhaps, she can be convinced to speak with you two...¡±


    ¡°...So? You just want us to talk to her then?¡± asked Kianna as she turned to the kiochi ¡°That''s it?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, no, no, no... Not at all...¡± said Anton as a thin grin began to spread across his face ¡°Merely speaking with her wouldn''t be any fun at all, now would it? No... No, it wouldn''t. So instead, I''d like to know what you girls would like to do, with this kiochi...¡±


    ¡°Do, with her?¡± questioned Fiona as she too turned to the kiochi ¡°Wait? What do you mean by that?¡±


    Anton began to chuckle softly as he registered the questioning look in the kiochi''s eyes.


    ¡°Well, it''s simple. Dark elves, such as yourselves, are of course, naturally inclined to want control of those around them. In fact, the desire to punish and control the guilty is something that''s been embedded deep within the very fibers of your beings. It''s who you are. And I''d like to see what that part of you looks like...¡± explained Anton ¡°I''ve never had the privilege to see a dark elf actually dominate someone. And as far as I know, you two have never been given the chance to practice that particular skill of yours... So this is actually a pretty lucky opportunity for all of us... Well... almost, all of us...¡±


    The kiochi couldn''t help but to swallow nervously as she registered the growing excitement in the dark elves eyes.


    ¡°Seriously!? You''re serious right now!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as a evil looking smile spread across her face ¡°So we can do whatever we want with her!?¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± smiled Anton ¡°So long as the end result is you establishing control and getting her to a point in which she''s willing to speak to me. Then yes, you may do as you please with her...¡±


    Turning to each other, the dark elves began to laugh softly but menacingly as they shifted their gazes back to the kiochi.


    Her eyes going wide, the kiochi started to struggle in earnest as the dark elves began to move towards her cage.


    ¡°Oh... Getting her to want to talk to you won''t be a problem at all, Master!¡± sang Kianna ¡°We''ll show you exactly what we can do!¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah! This is gonna be our pleasure...¡± cooed Fiona as she smiled broadly down at the kiochi ¡°We''re going to make this little bitch sing for you!¡±


    With the dark elves now looming on either side of the cage''s entrance, the kiochi, in desperation, rocked forwards onto her knees and quickly scooted herself to the edge of the cages doorway.


    ¡°HMMHM HMPH MMMMPH HMMMHMPH!¡± she exclaimed through her gag as she frantically shook her head and gave Anton an exasperated look.


    Anton leaned forward in his seat and rested his elbows back onto his knees as he spoke.


    ¡°Are you trying to say that you''re willing to cooperate now?¡± he asked.


    The kiochi nodded her head as she waddled out of the cage and planted herself between the dark elves.


    ¡°I see...¡± nodded Anton ¡°Well, isn''t that convenient...¡±


    Still nodding, the kiochi glanced upwards and gave each of the disappointed looking dark elves a smug look.


    ¡°And pathetic...¡± continued Anton.


    Blinking, the kiochi''s head went still for a second before her eyes darted back to Anton.


    ¡°Just absolutely pathetic.¡± stated Anton as he narrowed his eyes in disgust ¡°Is the mere threat of pain really all it takes for you to roll over and immediately give in to your enemies? Is it that easy for you to admit defeat? Do you have even a shred of honor? Or any integrity at all?¡±


    Seemingly frozen in place, the kiochi did nothing as she stared back at him.


    ¡°...Well!?¡± demanded Anton ¡°Do you, or not!?¡±


    The kiochi blinked in uncertainty before her eyes tightened and she looked down at the floor in front of herself.


    ¡°Humph! Right, I figured as much...¡± mumbled Anton as he shook his head ¡°Now, don''t get me wrong, kiochi. I''m all for setting these theatrics aside and getting my answers out of you right away. I''m a reasonable man after all. And I''m more than willing to negotiate for the information I want. I would have made a fair agreement with you. A deal that would work out for both of us. That is exactly what I wanted to do from the very beginning... Unfortunately though, at this point, I''m afraid that option is no longer available to you anymore. Because you see...¡±


    Moving only her eyes the kiochi peeked up at Anton and watched him as he leaned back in his chair and folded his arms over his chest.


    ¡°I''m not the one that you''re going to be dealing with anymore...¡± he said coldly ¡°It''s the dark elves that you''re going to have to convince now...¡±


    The kiochi went stiff as the weight of the air around her suddenly became thick and heavy. Slowly she looked up at the dark elves that stood on either side of her and gulped loudly.


    Both Fiona and Kianna were wearing smug looking grins as they waiting expectantly.


    ¡°...Mm! Hmmhm hmph, mmmmph hmmmhph?¡± offered the kiochi through her gag.


    Both of the dark elves smiled fully and exposed their short fangs as their irises began to glow with a faint, hungry looking red light.


    ¡°Wow. I didn''t understand a single word of that.¡± said Kianna as she cocked an eyebrow ¡°Did you?¡±


    ¡°Nope!¡± sang Fiona as the kiochi''s eyes widened ¡°It looks like this little ninja-bitch is going to be a stubborn one after all... Oh well! Can''t be helped!¡±


    With the dark elves now looming above her, the kiochi tightened her eyes in anger and crouched down low as she started to screech through her gag.


    Surprised by the unexpected aggression, both Fiona and Kianna jumped back from the kiochi as a pair of black colored, bat-like wings suddenly sprouted out from between the straps that ran across her shoulders and stretched themselves out to about a meter on either side of her.


    Still screeching as loudly as she could through her gag, the kiochi spread her thin, membranous wings out as wide as possible before using them to strike at the dark elves in a threatening manner.


    ¡°Whoa! Whoa! What the fuck!¡± cried Fiona as she and her sister both took another step back and away from the enraged fiend.


    Seizing the opportunity, the kiochi rolled back onto the balls of her feet and with all her might, she shot herself upwards and out from between the two dark elves. As her body became airborne she began to flap her wings wildly in an attempt to lift herself up and over Antone''s chair.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.Unfortunately for her, she stopped moving almost immediately as pink and green glowing chains wrapped themselves around her ankles and she was violently jerked backwards before being slammed onto the floor.


    Rocked by the impact, the kiochi groaned through her gag as she collapsed against the floor. As she went still, her quivering wings stretched themselves straight upwards before falling limp and crumpling up against her sides.


    ¡°Whoa! Holy shit! This bitch really does have wings!¡± marveled Fiona as she and Kianna each released their chains and let the kiochi''s bound legs fall to the floor ¡°...They''re not that fucking tiny though!? ...I figured they''d be way smaller than that? Since, they go inside her and everything...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they''re really not that small...¡± grumbled Kianna as she used her foot to roll the dazed kiochi onto her back ¡°...Maybe we should chop them off!¡±


    ¡°Yeah...¡± mumbled Fiona as she gazed down at the limp wings that now lay spread out on either side of the kiochi''s shoulders ¡°Yeah, we should probably do... Wait! What!? What did you just say!?¡±


    ¡°I said we should chop off these ugly things!¡± growled Kianna as she pointed her ears straight back and pulled the kiochi''s sword free from its sheath ¡°Let''s just get rid of them before she tries anything stupid like that again!¡±


    ¡°...Okay? What the Hell!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as she pointed her ears straight upwards ¡°When did you get so gruesome!?¡±


    ¡°When this bitch! Tried to kill my Master!¡± declared Kianna as she scowled down at the kiochi and set the ball of her booted foot down on the arm of her wing.


    ¡°...Huh. Yeah. She did do that, didn''t she.¡± said Fiona as she smiled and placed the ball of her own boot on the opposite wing ¡°What a dumb little bitch!¡±


    The kiochi instantly came to her senses and started to scream through her gag as the dark elves began to painfully grind her wings into the floor. Twisting back and forth and flapping her wings in a panic, she forced the dark elves to step off them and, with a shiver, shrunk them down until they disappeared back into her body. Breathing hard now, she glared up at the dark elves with hatred in her eyes.


    ¡°What do you think you''re doing!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as she bent over the prone kiochi ¡°We were having fun with those! Bring them back out! Right now!¡±


    The kiochi''s breath got caught in her throat as Kianna''s aura fell like a weight across her chest. Blinking up at the glaring dark elf, she groaned through her gag as she shook her head in defiance.


    ¡°...Why you little.¡± growled Kianna as she pointed the sword right at the kiochi''s face ¡°Listen you. You tried to take away something that is very precious to me. My Master. You tried to kill him! And take him away from me! ...So now, I''m going to take away everything from you! Every, little, thing!¡±


    The kiochi''s eyes widened to their fullest as she stared up at the tip of her sword. Too afraid to even breathe, she tried desperately to push herself away from the blade with her bound legs, but was stopped short as Fiona put her foot down right behind her head and blocked her path.


    ¡°I was going to start by slicing up those stupid, useless wings of yours!¡± threatened Kianna as she inched the sword closer and closer to the kiochi ¡°...But now, I think instead I''ll start by chopping up your ugly tail into tiny, little bits!¡±


    Staring nearly cross-eyed at the tip of the looming blade, the kiochi whimpered softly as she frantically shook her head.


    ¡°Well now! While I do appreciate the sentiment, Kianna.¡± said Anton ¡°I would much rather you not do that.¡±


    Both the dark elves and the kiochi all snapped their heads up to him as he spoke.


    ¡°...Hm. I think some guidelines might be in order.¡± smiled Anton as he stared down at the cowering kiochi ¡°And maybe some limitations as well...¡±


    ¡°Limitations!?¡± exclaimed both Fiona and Kianna in unison ¡°Why!? She doesn''t deserve limitations!?¡±


    ¡°Oh, now don''t get the wrong idea.¡± said Anton as he looked up at them ¡°Compassion is not a factor here. I just think that you two need to learn how to treat your torture more like a form of art. It should be slow, and tasteful, something to savor and enjoy. Not blunt, brutal, and over immediately. No, no you need to trust me with this. You want this experience to be as memorable as it could possibly be. And that goes for everyone involved... And limitations will help you to understand this by forcing you to be more... creative. With your chosen methods.¡±


    ¡°Wha, creative?¡± mumbled Fiona as she looked back down at the kiochi ¡°...I mean, chopping up her tail is, kinda creative. ...A little bit at least.¡±


    ¡°Right. No, it isn''t...¡± drawled Anton as he shook his head ¡°Anyways, I also think that you two fail to realize just how dangerous this shinoccubus actually is. I can understand that you''re going to underestimate her considering you just watched her get defeated. But make no mistake, given a chance, she will hurt you, and even kill you. She is deadly, especially with that tail of her''s. It''s not something that you two need to be messing with.¡±


    ¡°Well that''s just another reason to get rid of it then!¡± muttered Kianna.


    Hunching down into her shoulders, the kiochi gulped nervously as the dark elf glared down at her.


    ¡°And we may very well do that.¡± said Anton with a shrug ¡°But you don''t jump right in to the worst punishments first, Kianna. You do need to give her an incentive to behave herself after all.¡±


    ¡°Huh, yeah. That''s true. We do want her to be a good little ninja-bitch, don''t we!¡± chuckled Fiona.


    ¡°Yes, we do. We also don''t want her to go into shock or lose consciousness. At least not until we first get the information we need out of her.¡± explained Anton as he gave Kianna a reassuring grin ¡°So let''s go ahead and keep her in one piece. For now at least.¡±


    ¡°Ugh! Fine!¡± mumbled Kianna as she slid the sword back into its sheath and glared down at the kiochi.


    ¡°Oh, and Kianna.¡± smiled Anton as he held out his hand ¡°May I see that sword, please.¡±


    ¡°Wha, why!? I''m not going to use it on her!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she looked from the kiochi to him and back ¡°Yet!¡±


    The kiochi couldn''t help but to flinch at the implied threat.


    ¡°Oh, I know you won''t. That''s not what I''m worried about.¡± chuckled Anton ¡°The problem is that sword itself. Remember, it is enchanted, and we don''t know what it does. So for now, I''d rather keep it away from the kiochi. Just in case.¡±


    ¡°Humph! ...Okay, fine!¡± grumbled Kianna as she tossed the sword to Anton and crossed her arms in irritation.


    ¡°Thank you, Kianna.¡± smiled Anton as he caught the sword and, setting it down, left it to lean against his chair ¡°I do appreciate it. And I''m sure the kiochi does as well.¡±


    ¡°...Right.¡± mumbled Kianna as her eyes fell to the kiochi ¡°She better!¡±


    The kiochi again cringed in on herself as Kianna bent over at the waist and leaned over her.


    ¡°My Master, literally! Just saved your tail...¡± growled Kianna as she narrowed her eyes ¡°So you better thank him!¡±


    Staring up at her for a moment, the kiochi narrowed her eyes as well and let her stance be known by remaining completely still.


    Spurred by the show of defiance, Kianna''s eyes went wide with rage as she immediately filled her aura with a riling fury.


    The kiochi''s breath got caught in her throat as she watched the looming dark elf''s body fade to a solid black while her eyes ignited and became living orbs of angry red light.


    ¡°You! Are a stupid creature!¡± roared a voice that came from nowhere.


    The kiochi made a small sound as above her the monstrosity that was Kianna rose upwards and held its arm out to the side. In the next instant a ball of pink light appeared just before Kianna''s open hand, and this quickly took the shape of a pink-colored glowing hilt. The moment the dark elf closed her hand around the hilt it immediately formed into a perfect copy of the kiochi''s sword.


    ¡°Thank! Him!¡± snarled the voice as Kianna pointed the glowing sword right between the kiochi''s eyes.


    The kiochi stared at the glowing blade for a moment before making a small sound and craning her neck back just enough to look up at Anton.


    ¡°Uh! Mmph ah!¡± she groaned through her gag before quickly focusing back on the blades tip.


    Appearing normal again, Kianna said nothing as she rose back up to her full height and held the light sword out to dangle above the kiochi''s head.


    ¡°Say it again.¡± she said as she stared coldly down at the frozen kiochi.


    Moving slowly, the kiochi glanced back at Anton and again mumbled apologetically before cringing down beneath the hanging sword.


    ¡°Much better.¡± said Kianna as she let the sword fall.


    The light sword quickly melted away and vanished as it fell from her hand, but the surprised kiochi still whimpered and flinched nonetheless.


    ¡°Humph! So much for the big bad assassin.¡± mumbled Kianna as crossed her arms over her chest.


    ¡°...Holy shit! That was fucking hot!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she stood with her ears pointed straight upwards and looked back and forth between her sister and the cringing kiochi ¡°I am so loving this new evil Kianna so much!¡±


    ¡°Evil? What are you talking about?¡± said Kianna as she planted her balled fists on her hips and leaned back over the kiochi ¡°I haven''t even gotten started on being evil... yet!¡±


    Pressing her bound together feet against the floor, the kiochi stared at Kianna''s still glowing eyes as she started to slowly inch herself away from the dark elf.


    ¡°...Right. And on that note, I think I need to set the guidelines...¡± said Anton as he too watched Kianna''s eyes become menacing ¡°After all, we are just going to torture this kiochi. Not kill her...¡±


    ¡°Hmmmph!¡± cried the kiochi as she twisted back and looked up at Anton ¡°Mmmph hummph!¡±


    ¡°Now, I don''t plan to give you girls too many rules.¡± said Anton as he looked at and then disregarded the kiochi ¡°The biggest thing is that I want you to be as creative as possible. And I also want you to remember that we do need this kiochi to stay alive and conscious. So with that in mind. Nothing that would be permanent is going to be allowed. That includes dissection, dismemberment and of course, death.¡±


    Incensed at being ignored, the kiochi glared at Anton and began groan loudly while twisting back and forth in an earnest effort to free herself.


    ¡°Hey! You need to be quiet down there.¡± mumbled Fiona as she planted her foot down on the kiochi''s middle just above where her tail was wrapped around her waist and pressed down on her gut with the pointed heel of her stiletto boot ¡°People are tying to talk up here, and you''re being rude!¡±


    The kiochi grunted and instantly froze as the heels sharp point dug into her soft belly.


    ¡°Another factor that needs to be remembered is the dangers involved in dealing with a shinoccubus. Especially one that''s so inclined to be, unruly...¡± continued Anton as he watched the kiochi try to wiggle herself out from under Fiona''s foot ¡°And as that is clearly the case with this one. Removing any of her bondage, or the manabinder, is not going to be allowed. Like this, she is pretty much harmless. And that''s the way she needs to stay.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that sucks!¡± grumbled Fiona as she lightly twisted her heel into the kiochi''s middle ¡°I wanted to try to hogtie this bitch with her own tail!¡±


    ¡°...Hm, yeah. That would probably be possible...¡± mused Anton as he rubbed his chin ¡°Her tail is very long... and considering how her spine is built, bending her into the necessarily shape would be entirely doable...¡±


    ¡°Wait, what''s up with her spine?¡± asked Fiona.


    ¡°Hm. Oh. Well, it''s incredibly flexible.¡± explained Anton ¡°Shinoccubi have about a dozen extra vertebra in their spines. So their flexibility is almost snake-like. They can literally bend themselves in half without even trying.¡±


    ¡°Really...¡± drawled Fiona as she looked back down at the kiochi ¡°Well isn''t that interesting!¡±


    Registering the unsavory look in Fiona''s eyes, the kiochi went still as she blinked up at her.


    ¡°So, she''s like a perfect little bondage doll then! One that even comes with a built in rope!¡± exclaimed Fiona as her eyes went wide with excitement ¡°Oh, Hell yes! We are so going to tie up this bitch now! I wanna see her bend in half!¡±


    ¡°Hhmmph! Mmeeph humph!¡± cried the kiochi as she frantically shook her head.


    ¡°I don''t know how well you''ll be able to pull that off, Fiona.¡± said Anton as he cocked an eyebrow ¡°It''s not going to be too easy to tie her up even more. What with her bound the way she already is.¡±


    ¡°Well... Hm... Yeah... That fucking jacket really is in the way...¡± grumbled Fiona ¡°Can we seriously not just take it off?¡±


    ¡°Nope, I''m afraid not. That''s a part of the rules. You''ll just have to figure out a way to be creative and work around it.¡± smiled Anton ¡°This does give you even more incentive to get control over her though. Since once you do, it''ll be safer to do more with her.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess that''s true... Something to look forward to.¡± grumbled Fiona as she glared at the straight-jacket and pointed her ears straight back ¡°That jacket really does kinda limit things though...¡±


    ¡°Well, not really. She still has plenty of exposed areas for you to play with.¡± chuckled Anton ¡°And besides. I think you might be forgetting that she is still technically a cubi.¡±


    ¡°...And why is that important?¡± asked Fiona as she, Kianna and the kiochi all looked up at him.


    ¡°Well, it''s simple. I''m sure you''re familiar with the original race of cubi, the conccubus, or as they like to call themselves, incubus and succubus, and how they have an ingrained addiction to the tantric energies that are produced during sex. Well, since all cubi are derived from them, they all carry that same trait.¡± explained Anton ¡°That''s why all cubi are such overly sexualized beings. Everything about them is built to produce as much tantric energy as possible. And one of the adaptations they''ve developed for this, is that once they become sexually stimulated, all of their erogenous zones will become ten times more sensitive than they normally are...¡±


    ¡°Huh. Really? Well that''s cool for them! Lucky bitches!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she again began to absently grind her heel into the kiochi''s stomach ¡°How does that help us though? It''s not like we''re trying to get this bitch off?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, Fiona. You don''t understand.¡± chuckled Anton as he made eye contact with the glaring kiochi ¡°You see, that hypersensitivity isn''t just limited to only pleasurable experiences... They will feel everything that you do to them, tenfold...¡±


    Still staring right at him, the kiochi''s eyes widened at the realization of her predicament.


    ¡°Oh! You didn''t know about that part, did you?¡± teased Anton as he smiled broadly at her.


    ¡°So... What your saying is! If we stick a vibe in her, and light her up!¡± said Fiona as her eyes fell to the kiochi.


    ¡°She''ll start singing for us! Whether she likes it or not!¡± finished Kianna as a vicious smile spread across her face.


    ¡°Exactly. And, as luck would have it. She''s got two nice, big, very sensitive erogenous zones, right up front.¡± smiled Anton ¡°Ready and waiting.¡±


    The kiochi''s eyes darted back and forth between the three smiling faces before looking down at her exposed and vulnerable breasts. Slowly, she began to hyperventilate through her nose as she struggled to raise her bound arms and cover them up. Failing this, she then tried to roll over onto her belly but was held in place by Fiona''s boot.


    ¡°This is so perfect!¡± growled Kianna as her ears pointed themselves straight back.


    ¡°Seriously!¡± teased Fiona as she lifted her boot up from the kiochi''s middle and quickly pressed the ball of her foot down on one of her large breasts ¡°So, what should we do with these things!?¡±


    ¡°Nothing permanent...¡± muttered Kianna as she narrowed her eyes into a glare.


    ¡°Nope, sorry sis, but you can''t be gruesome!¡± mocked Fiona ¡°We gotta be creative too!¡±


    ¡°Right... creative...¡± mused Kianna as she cradled her chin in her hand and glanced around the dungeon ¡°Something... creative...¡±


    ¡°Damn! These things are actually pretty big!¡± mumbled Fiona as she mashed the kiochi''s soft flesh by grinding her foot back and forth ¡°You''re seriously lucky you''re wearing that fucking straight-jacket. Otherwise we''d definitely be tying these fuckers up!¡±


    ¡°HMMMPH AAAHMMPH!¡± cried the enraged kiochi as she squirmed beneath her.


    Grinning at the sounds of the kiochi''s frantic protests, Kianna''s eyes roved over the dungeon until they landed on the display case filled with knives, daggers and medical instruments. She stopped short as her thoughts went to the stacks of small boxes that were stored in the bottom cabinets of this particular display case.


    ¡°...Creative! It''s perfect!¡± exclaimed Kianna as her eyes lit up with excitement and an evil smile spread itself back across her face ¡°Hey, Fiona! How do you feel about each of us having our own to play with!?¡±


    ¡°Um, sure.¡± answered Fiona as she smiled down at the glaring kiochi ¡°Yeah, I''m fine with that. Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I just got a really creative idea!¡± snickered Kianna as she started to make her way over to the display case ¡°Master said we should treat our torture like art, right? So let''s make some art, and decorate this bitches tits!¡±


    ¡°Decorate?¡± repeated Fiona as she and the kiochi both turned their heads to follow Kianna ¡°What do you mean by decorate?¡±


    ¡°I mean decorate!¡± cried Kianna as she bent down in front the display case and began to dig through its cabinets ¡°With lots of pretty colors and patterns!¡±


    ¡°Uh, wha?¡± drawled Fiona as she and the kiochi both looked at each other ¡°So? You wanna paint her, or something?¡±


    ¡°No, not paint!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she tossed a small box over to Fiona ¡°I want to use these!¡±


    Catching the box with two hands, Fiona and the kiochi both went wide eyed as they each took in the bright pictures of sterilized, medical needles fitted with colored plastic bases, that were printed on each side of the small box.


    ¡°...Oh, these!¡± marveled Fiona as realization reached her eyes ¡°These aren''t permanent! Are they!?¡±


    ¡°Nope!¡± cried Kianna as she came back with her arms full of more boxes ¡°And look at all these pretty colors we have to work with! We can be really creative with these!¡±


    ¡°...Yeah. ...These are gonna hurt like Hell, but they won''t cause any permanent damage. ...They seriously don''t break any of the rules!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she looked down at the frozen and wide eyed kiochi ¡°Right!?¡±


    As one, both of the dark elves and the kiochi all looked over at Anton.


    Now lounging in his chair with his elbow planted on the armrest and his cheek resting against his closed fist, Anton took in a deep breath though his nose as he let his eyes drift close.


    The kiochi immediately began to cry out loudly though her gag and frantically shake her head as a thin grin slowly spread across his face.


    ¡°Well, technically...¡± chuckled Anton as he shook his head ¡°No, they don''t...¡±

 Assassin Arc : Chapter 4 : Late Night

    Chapter 4 : Late Night


    Kianna smiled viciously as she rolled the plastic base of the sterilized, medical needle back and forth between her thumb and index finger and held it up to the kiochi''s face.


    Hyperventilating through her nose, the kiochi whimpered pitifully as she stared almost cross-eyed at the sharp tip of the needle.


    Dozens of identical needles had already been embedded deep into each of her heaving breasts. The thin slivers of metal had pierced her soft flesh with ease as the cruel dark elves would press them in, one at a time and bury them all the way up to their plastic bases. The pale skin of her bust had become a vibrant canvas as each of her breasts were dotted with dozens of points of colored plastic, which had all been arranged in rows and swirling patterns that, when seen as a whole, gave them an almost flora appearance.


    ¡°So... Are you ready to talk yet?¡± cooed Kianna as she pressed the tip of the needle against the kiochi''s trembling tit.


    ¡°EEHHPH! HHMMMMPPHH!¡± cried the kiochi through her gag as she glared angrily at the dark elf and desperately tried to nod her head.


    Thick beads of perspiration rolled down her forehead in an endless stream as her body was racked by both the intense torture and unending stimulation.


    The captured shinoccubus had been strapped to a mock electric-chair that was made of heavy, welded metal and outfitted with thick leather belts, straps and cuffs. She was still wearing her mask-gag, straitjacket and legbinders, though now her ankles and shins had also been buckled into the cuffs attached to the chair itself. Thick leather belts ran across her lap, waist, shoulders, neck and across her forehead just below her horns. These straps held her in place and kept her pressed firmly against the cold frame of the metal chair.


    Her wings, after she had once again tried to use them to defend herself against the dark elves, had taken on the appearance of collapsed umbrellas, as the dark elves had folded them up and restrained them by wrapping them in leather binds and strapping them to the back of the chair.


    Along with her more stringent bondage, the kiochi''s torture had been escalated tenfold by the large and immensely powerful vibrator that had been mercilessly shoved inside of her.


    The vibrator was a ten-speed, triple-motor, jackrabbit style dildo that was twelve inches in total length and just under three inches in diameter. Sitting with her bottom pressed against the chairs seat had forced the monstrous vibrator to impale itself as far up into her body as it could possibly fit. And being strapped down as she was had made it impossible for the kiochi to lift herself up and escape from its unending assault against her. Set to its highest speed, the vibrator was more than strong enough to cause her entire torso to vibrate continuously.


    A curved prong that sprouted out from the base of the dildo gave the vibrator a second point of attack as it jutted up over the kiochi''s slit and rested, pressed against her engorged and tender clitoris.


    All of this combined with her twisted biology was causing the pain being inflicted by the dark elves, which would start out as pure torment, to morph into a form of throbbing pleasure that would reverberate throughout her being before shifting again into raw tantric energy. And now drunken on this energy, the overly stimulated kiochi was forced to fight a willful battle simply to remain coherent.


    ¡°Wow. She''s still refusing to say a single word.¡± mocked Fiona as she popped open the plastic tube of another needle ¡°How stubborn can this ninja-bitch really be?¡±


    ¡°You try to kill our Master...¡± growled Kianna as she forced her needle into the kiochi''s breast ¡°And then not only do you refuse to even answer for the crime...¡±


    The kiochi closed her eyes and screamed through her gag as the needle slid deep into her flesh. Trembling with adrenaline, she opened her eyes to find Kianna''s glowing irises staring mere inches from her face.


    ¡°But now all you do is grunt and growl like an animal!¡± snarled Kianna as she flicked at the base of the freshly embedded needle ¡°You deserve this...¡±


    Reeling from the sharp, stinging pain, the kiochi gasped through her nose and desperately tried to shake her head. Despite her best efforts, she was only able to move the minute amount that the belt across her forehead would allow.


    Still able to recognize her effort to disagree for what it was, Kianna''s eyes widened with anger.


    ¡°Oh! So you don''t think you deserve this then!?¡± she exclaimed as she began to flick at the kiochi''s nipple ¡°Well, maybe you''re right... Maybe you deserve worse... Maybe it''s time to move on to the next target...¡±


    The kiochi''s eyes went wide as she started to kick and struggle against her binds. Regardless of how much effort she made though, the heavy chair refused to even shift in its spot. Trapped and helpless, she could only beg and plead through her gag. Which was another pointless effort in of itself, as her cries fell flat against the deaf, uncaring ears of the dark elves.


    ¡°Oh yes... New target acquired...¡± taunted Fiona as she gleefully took hold of the struggling kiochi''s nipple ¡°C''mere little pinky. Time to pay for your crimes!¡±


    ¡°Hold on a sec.¡± said Kianna as she knelt down in front of the kiochi and pressed the dildo''s vibrating prong in even harder against her clitoris ¡°I want to make sure she feels this...¡±


    Bucking against her restraints, the kiochi couldn''t help but to groan as the dark elf expertly maneuvered the unrelenting device against her aching, defenseless clit. Pushed as close to her limits as she was, there was little more she could do beyond clamp her eyes shut and make an attempt to distance her mind from all that was being done to her body.


    ¡°Oh yes...¡± smiled Fiona as she rolled the hardened nipple between her fingers ¡°Definitely want her to feel this one...¡±


    Crushing the tender nub with her thumb and index finger, Fiona twisted and pulled it away from the quivering body it was attached to. Shaking and bouncing the kiochi''s whole breast up and down by the nipple in this way caused the needles already embedded within it to shift and re-pierce the tortured flesh. Screaming through her gag, the kiochi frantically jerked to the side in an effort to pull away from Fiona and escape from the incoming pain.


    Laughing at her wasted efforts, Fiona pressed the tip of her needle to the very center of the kiochi''s nipple and, as slowly as she possibly could, she sunk the thin metal shaft straight down into the overly sensitive bit of female flesh.


    The kiochi screamed again as this new and far more intense pain iced its way right through her. Unable to resist the intensity of the stimulation that had been plaguing her for over an hour now, her eyes shot open as her mental dam finally broke, and now free to flow unimpeded, an immense orgasm immediately began to rip its way throughout her entire being.


    ¡°Whoa!¡± cried Kianna as she dropped back to avoid a spray of feminine fluids that was erupting out of the kiochi''s tormented loins ¡°...Seriously!? This bitch is gonna cum from that!?¡±


    ¡°Holy shit! She is!¡± laughed Fiona as she watched the groaning kiochi quiver uncontrollably in her binds ¡°That''s fucking wild!¡±


    With eyes now open wide and unblinking, the kiochi went completely stiff as the crashing waves of both pain and pleasure that were rolling through her being, swirled together into a maelstrom of intense, inescapable stimulation. Any and all thoughts were stripped away from her as a flood of endorphins washed its way through her head to soak into her brain, dull her mind and leave her teetering on the very edge of consciousness.


    ¡°...Um, hold on a second.¡± muttered Kianna as she watched the kiochi''s eyes glaze over and become unfocused ¡°...Did she just pass out!?¡±


    ¡°...Maybe? ...Yeah, looks like it. Oh well, who cares.¡± said Fiona as she poked at the kiochi''s nipple with the tip of another needle ¡°She''ll wake up again eventually, and when she does, the little slut will have a fresh set of new holes in her body.¡±


    Grimacing, Kianna shook her head as the kiochi''s eyes showed no response to her sister''s efforts.


    ¡°What do you mean nobody cares, Fiona!¡± she hissed ¡°We''re not supposed to knock her out! Remember? We''re supposed to make her talk. And if she passes out, we''ll fail!¡±


    Eyes going wide in realization, Fiona quickly looked up at the unmoving kiochi before glancing over her shoulder at Anton.


    Still seated in his high-backed chair on the other side of the room, Anton sat at attention with his chin cradled in his hand as he watched the dark elves. Though clearly alert to what was happening, his facial expression gave little away in regards to his thoughts.


    ¡°...Fuck. You''re right!¡± muttered Fiona as she quickly stuck the needle she was holding into a open spot on the kiochi''s breast ¡°C''mon, get her up! Quick!¡±


    ¡°Hey, hey! Wake up, you little bitch!¡± snapped Kianna as she gave the kiochi''s nose a few hard flicks with her fingertip ¡°C''mon! Let''s go, wake up, wake up!¡±


    Groaning in irritation, the kiochi blinked in confusion before going stiff at the sight of the two dark elves who were now huddled in close to her face.


    ¡°Sorry to interrupt your little nap...¡± hissed Fiona as her tone became low and menacing ¡°But I don''t recall either of us giving you permission to pass out...¡±


    Glaring in anger, the kiochi''s pupils constricted themselves down to thin slits as her eyes darted back and forth between the two dark elves.


    Narrowing her own eyes, Kianna eased in close as she stared down the kiochi.


    ¡°Listen closely, you little bitch.¡± she whispered as she pointed her ears straight back in anger ¡°If you''re actually ready to talk now, then blink twice.¡±


    The kiochi went still for a moment before her eyes went wide. Eager to comply, she started to take quick breaths in through her nose as she clamped her eyes shut twice in quick succession.


    Staring at her for a moment, the dark elves glanced at each other before smiling wickedly.


    ¡°Wow. Looks like she''s still not ready to cooperate yet.¡± said Kianna as she shook her head in mock disappointment.


    ¡°Nope. Guess she''s gonna need a little more convincing after all.¡± smiled Fiona ¡°Oh well! We''ll just have to try again after a few more needles. Another box aught to do it... Or maybe two...¡±


    Crestfallen at the sight of the snickering dark elves, the kiochi''s shoulders slumped in defeat as she clamped her eyes shut and groaned in misery.


    ¡°Okay girls.¡± said Anton ¡°I think I''ve seen enough of this.¡±


    The dark elves both jumped in surprise and went stiff as Anton spoke from right behind them. With their ears pointed straight upwards they slowly turned to face him.


    Standing just behind them with his arms crossed over his chest, Anton''s face showed neither anger nor disappointment. Yet despite this, the dark elves couldn''t help but to become uneasy as they looked up at him.


    ¡°Well, I think it''s safe to say that when given the chance... You two can certainly be sadistic...¡± said Anton as he stepped between them and nodded slowly as he took in the state of the kiochi ¡°Not that it shouldn''t be expected of course. Considering you two are dark elves after all...¡±


    The kiochi''s tired eyes showed her apprehension clearly as she stared warily up at Anton.


    ¡°...So then. At this point. Do either of you actually feel as though you''ve achieved any real control over her?¡± asked Anton as he glanced at one dark elf and then the other ¡°That was your goal after all.¡±


    Grimacing, the dark elves turned to look at each other as they laid their ears down submissively behind their heads.


    ¡°...No.¡± they both mumbled in unison.


    Anton began to chuckled as he shook his head.


    ¡°Well, at least you''re both going to be honest about it.¡± he said as a grin spread across his face ¡°And honesty, is something I can always appreciate.¡±


    The dark elves smiled sheepishly as they let their ears rise back up to their relaxed positions.


    ¡°...Unfortunately though, I''d have to agree with your assessment.¡± said Anton as he watched the kiochi flinch in pain with each breath she took ¡°I wouldn''t say that ¡°under control¡± would be an accurate label for this kiochi... Not yet anyways...¡±


    Huffing through her nose, the kiochi went to narrow her eyes in anger but stopped short as she noticed that the dark elves were both glaring at her. The hostility faded from her eyes and her expression went blank as she watched the dark elves irises begin to glow with a very faint but undeniable red light.


    ¡°...Hm, maybe you do have a bit of control after all? ...Or at least the foundation of it.¡± mused Anton as he shifted his gaze from the seemingly cowed kiochi to each of the dark elves and back ¡°Let''s see if we can build on that foundation.¡±


    Seeing him moving towards her, the kiochi began to cry out in protest and struggle in her binds as Anton leaned forward and reached out to her. Slipping his hand in between her soaked legs, Anton turned the control dial on the vibrator down until, with a tiny clicking sound, it shut off completely.


    Despite herself, the kiochi couldn''t help but to immediately go limp and with eyes swimming in relief, groan in what sounded like a thankful manner.


    Chuckling at her spent expression, Anton stayed bent forward as he watched her breathing slowly even itself out.


    ¡°Well, I''d say you both have some skill at causing fear and desperation. But I don''t think that either of you understand what it takes to truly have control. This isn''t your fault of course. You can''t be blamed for not understanding something that you were never given the chance to learn about.¡± he said as he cleaned the moisture away from his fingers by wiping them across the leg of his pants ¡°Pay attention. Because now is your chance.¡±


    The dark elves both took an involuntary step back back as Anton stood up to his full height and, while letting his aura spread out to fill the area with his presence, loomed over the sitting kiochi.


    ¡°Control, true control, is a matter of dominance...¡± said Anton as he and the kiochi stared into each others eyes ¡°And domination, is a game of finesse. Brute force may be enough to create fear and desperation. But it will take more than that to achieve true control... For you see girls, the truth that you need to understand. Is that true control is not something that can ever just be taken.¡±


    Turning away from the kiochi, Anton grinned as he faced the two wide eyed dark elves.


    ¡°Whether it is through trust...¡± smiled Anton as he raised his right hand and cupped Kianna''s chin in his palm.


    The compliant dark elf made a small noise and folded her ears back so their tips pointed down and away from her head as Anton lifted her chin and used his thumb to gently caress her cheek.


    ¡°Or through surrender...¡± said Anton as he turned to Fiona and quickly took hold of her chin by firmly clamping it between the thumb and curled fingers of his left hand.


    Glaring in irritation and balling her hands into fists, the defiant dark elf went rigid and pointed her ears straight back as Anton lifted her chin and forced her to look him in the eyes.


    ¡°True control, is always given...¡± grinned Anton as he shifted his gaze back and forth from one dark elf to the other ¡°It is always earned...¡±


    Standing motionless, the two dark elves were silent as they absorbed what they had just been told.


    ¡°And it will be the same with you, kiochi.¡± said Anton as he spoke over his shoulder ¡°You will either trust me. Or you will surrender to them... That choice is yours. And it is the only choice that we are going to give you.¡±


    Narrowing her eyes, the kiochi remained silent as she glared at the back of Anton''s head.


    ¡°Now, let''s see how wise you can be with your choice...¡± said Anton as he let his hands fall away from the dark elves.


    Dropping their chins back into place, the two dark elves both grinned smugly as their eyes landed on the kiochi.


    Noticing their expressions, Anton chuckled softly as he stepped between them and made his way back across the dungeon to his chair. Lifting the chair up from behind, he carried it back and set it down directly in front of the kiochi.


    ¡°Now then, why don''t we try this again.¡± said Anton as he settled into his chair and locked eyes with the kiochi ¡°Are you ready to have a conversation with me now?¡±


    The kiochi remained silent as her eyes tightened in obvious irritation.


    ¡°...Because if you''re not.¡± drawled Anton as he narrowed his own eyes ¡°I can always go ahead and just let the girls finish decorating you...¡±


    The kiochi blinked as the dark elves began to snicker menacingly. Her face softening, she closed her eyes and tried to sigh dramatically through her nose but flinched in discomfort as this action caused her breasts to move enough to disturb the needles embedded within them. With the dark elves now snickering even louder, she opened her eyes and gave Anton a tired look.


    Nodding in acknowledgment, Anton kept his eyes on her as he addressed the dark elves.


    ¡°Girls, if you would, could you please release the belts from around her neck and forehead.¡± he asked.


    ¡°Sure.¡± said the dark elves in unison as they stepped forward together.


    The kiochi''s eyes darted back and forth in suspicion as the dark elves smiled broadly at her and undid the belts that held her head in place. The moment her head was free she immediately began to thrash her head back and forth in an effort to wiggle herself up and out of the rest of her binds. She froze less than a second later with her eyes wide and staring straight up at the ceiling as the pain of her bouncing breasts broke through to her consciousness.


    ¡°Wow, what a stupid bitch!¡± laughed Fiona as the kiochi groaned in misery.


    ¡°She really is.¡± smiled Kianna as she flicked at the needle embedded in the kiochi''s nipple and caused her to gasp in agony.


    ¡°Alright girls, that''s enough.¡± said Anton as he grinned at the smiling dark elves ¡°I think she''s learned her lesson.¡±


    ¡°Doubt it.¡± mumbled Fiona under her breath as she and her sister both stepped back to the sides of Anton''s chair.


    ¡°Well then...¡± said Anton as he watched the kiochi slowly ease herself back into place ¡°Are we finally finished with the theatrics now?¡±


    The kiochi had a exhausted and pained expression in her eyes as she blinked at him and slowly nodded her head.


    As he stared at her miserable state, Anton couldn''t help but to take a bit of pity on the poor creature.


    The dark elves both stiffened and turned their eyes to him as they felt his aura become laced with a calming essence. It now seemed as though a warm balm hung in the air around them, and as they eased the tension from their shoulders, they couldn¡¯t help but to feel relaxed as they were surrounded by its influence.


    Desperate for any relief she could find, the kiochi breathed out slowly as she let the aura''s essence freely seep into her being and ease her pains.


    ¡°...Does that feel good?¡± asked Anton.


    Staring at him for just a brief moment, the kiochi''s eyes tightened slightly as she nodded. Both of the dark elves couldn''t help but to nod as well.


    ¡°Good.¡± soothed Anton as he settled back in his chair ¡°Why don''t you take a moment. And when you''re ready, we can begin.¡±


    The kiochi stared at Anton for a moment before giving him a thinly veiled look of gratitude and hunching in on herself as she let her eyes fall to the floor. After several minutes of stillness she brought her eyes back up to meet his.


    ¡°...I have several questions for you. And I''m sure you have at least a few for me.¡± said Anton as he stared back at her ¡°If you''ll be truthful with me. Then I''ll show you the same kindness. Does this sound fair to you?¡±


    The kiochi looked up at the dark elves for a moment before bringing her eyes back to him and nodding slowly.


    ¡°Good.¡± nodded Anton ¡°Well then. I think we should go ahead and get the ugliest questions out of the way first. Agreed?¡±


    The kiochi''s eyes tightened a bit as she nodded again.


    ¡°Were you sent here to kill me?¡± asked Anton.


    Sighing softly through her nose, the kiochi scrunched her eyes shut and nodded once.


    ¡°I see.¡± said Anton as he nodded towards the dark elves ¡°And the dark elves as well?¡±


    The kiochi shook her head as she glared angrily up at the grinning dark elves.


    ¡°Were you told to leave them alive?¡± asked Anton.


    Still glaring at the dark elves, the kiochi made a small menacing sound in the back of her throat as she nodded.


    ¡°Look at me, kiochi.¡± said Anton ¡°You''re speaking to me right now. Not to them.¡±


    The kiochi stiffened before bringing her glaring eyes down to lock with Anton''s.


    Anton stared at her for moment before sighing, shaking his head and leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees.


    ¡°I still have a few questions for you. And in order to get the answers for these questions, I''m going to need to give you back the ability to speak... So, with that being the case, that''s what I''m going to do...¡± he said as he narrowed his eyes ¡°However. I am not going to play any games with you, and this will be your only warning...¡±


    Surprised, the kiochi blinked the glare from her eyes as she gave him her full attention. She flinched, but made no sound as his hand suddenly moved near her face.


    ¡°When I take this off of you.¡± said Anton as he reached out and lightly tapped her gag''s face plate ¡°You will be polite and respectful. There will be no screaming, no spitting, no vulgarism and no trying to bite anyone. ...If you do not heed this warning, and fail to maintain yourself, you will face the consequences of your actions. ...Do you understand and agree to this?¡±


    The kiochi stared at him for a moment before looking off to the side and scrunching her eyes up in a thoughtful manner.


    ¡°Mmph! Mm hmph!¡± she exclaimed as she turned back to Anton.


    Opening her eyes wide as she leaned towards him, the kiochi looked up and bobbed her head at each of the dark elves as she made chomping sounds and mimicked biting at them. When she finished this she looked back at Anton with an expectant expression in her eyes.


    ¡°...Okay? ...Are you trying to say that you''re willing to not bite me, but you still want to be able to bite the dark elves?¡± asked Anton as he cocked an eyebrow at her.


    ¡°Mm hm.¡± nodded the kiochi.


    Anton rolled his head back as he began to laugh loudly.


    ¡°Why you little bitch!¡± snarled Fiona as she shook her fist at the kiochi.


    ¡°Humph!¡± growled the kiochi as she glared up at her in challenge.


    ¡°...Okay! ...Now! ...Hold on! ...All things considered!¡± chuckled Anton as he recomposed himself and smiled at the kiochi ¡°...I feel like that, would be a fair compromise!¡±


    ¡°What!?¡± snapped Fiona.


    ¡°On the condition!¡± smiled Anton as he held up a finger and then pointed it at the kiochi ¡°That you understand! That they will be allowed to respond to being bitten, in any manner that they see fit.¡±


    ¡°Mmm...¡± mumbled the kiochi before she shrugged in mock indifference.


    ¡°Alright then. So, other than that, do you have any other misgivings with the terms?¡± asked Anton.


    The kiochi shook her head.


    ¡°So you''re willing to behave yourself then?¡± asked Anton.


    The kiochi nodded.


    ¡°Good.¡± said Anton as he leaned forward and held out his hands.


    The kiochi cringed back for a moment before slowly lifting her chin up to make it easier for him to reach the clasps that held her gag in place. Staring straight up at the ceiling, she wouldn''t look at him as he detached the plate from the head-harness and carefully peeled it away from her face, all the while gently pulling the gag out of her mouth.


    When the gag was finally removed, the kiochi flexed her jaw a bit before turning to the side and coughing quietly. Keeping her head facing away from him, she shifted her eyes to Anton and gave him a silent but grateful look.


    Nodding in acknowledgment, Anton shifted to the side and set the gag down behind himself in the back corner of his seat.


    ¡°So then, let''s continue.¡± he said as he resettled himself and sat up straight ¡°Since you''ve answered a few questions already. I think it''s only fair that you get a chance to ask a few yourself now.¡±


    Gritting her teeth at the grinning dark elves, the kiochi gave Anton a quick glance before looking away.


    ¡°...Are you gonna kill me?¡± she whispered softly.


    ¡°At the moment, no, I don''t intend to.¡± said Anton ¡°Of course that doesn''t mean that I can''t kill you. Just that at this time I don''t plan to.¡±


    The kiochi grimaced at the soft threat.


    ¡°So does that mean you''re going to let those cunt elves kill me instead!?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No.¡± said Anton ¡°But if you call them that again, I will let them hurt you.¡±


    Blinking, the kiochi visually gulped as the dark elves quietly snickered.


    ¡°...So what are you going to do with me?¡± she asked as she shifted her gaze back to him.


    ¡°That has yet to be determined.¡± said Anton ¡°There are several options that I''m considering. But I''d like to see where the night takes us before I make a final decision.¡±


    ¡°...Wait, what?¡± questioned the kiochi as she tightened her eyes ¡°What does that even mean!?¡±


    ¡°By that I mean, I haven''t decided what I''m going to do with you yet. When I have decided, I will let you know.¡± said Anton ¡°Until then, you''ll just have to be patient and thankful, that for the moment at least, your life is not about to end.¡±


    ¡°...Seriously!?¡± growled the kiochi ¡°You were just spouting a bunch of bullshit about being ¡°truthful¡± with me and that''s what you''re gonna say!? Really!?¡±


    ¡°That is the truth.¡± said Anton as he narrowed his eyes ¡°I haven''t decided what I''m going to do with you yet. Now, when I have decided, we will discus it further. Until then. You will just have to be happy with the knowledge that I am not planning to kill you. ...At the moment.¡±


    The kiochi went to speak but stopped herself as she seemed to think better of it. With a frustrated sigh she let her glaring eyes fall to floor as she went silent.


    Anton stared at her for a moment before he let his eyes soften.


    ¡°Well then, I think it''s my turn to ask a few more questions now.¡± he said as he settled back into his chair ¡°What is your name?¡±


    The kiochi''s jaw tightened in defiance as she continued to stare at the floor.


    ¡°...You know, it''s very impolite to ignore someone who is talking to you.¡± said Anton in an even tone.


    The kiochi shut her eyes with a sigh as she felt the warmth drain from the aura around her. The throbbing soreness returned to her chest as the air itself was left with an ominous weight.


    ¡°...Mica.¡± she mumbled in irritation ¡°My name is Mica...¡±


    ¡°Mica.¡± repeated Anton with a nod ¡°Well, it''s a pleasure to meet you, Mica.¡±


    ¡°Likewise...¡± muttered Mica ¡°It''s just been an absolute pleasure...¡±


    ¡°Yes, I''m sure it has. So then, what clan are you from, Mica?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°...Huh? Wait, what?¡± questioned Mica as she glanced up at him ¡°Why the Hell would you wanna know that?¡±


    ¡°...Why, wouldn''t I want to know that?¡± asked Anton as he registered what appeared to be legitimate confusion on Mica''s face.


    ¡°Why would you wanna know that!?¡± demanded Mica ¡°What does that even matter? Is this like a trick question or something? ...Or are you trying to steal my shit!?¡±


    ¡°What? No?¡± questioned Anton as he cocked an eyebrow ¡°I''m not trying to steal anything from you? Wait, what exactly do you think I''m asking you?¡±


    ¡°You wanna know what clans I''m in!¡± exclaimed Mica ¡°Which is just... A really weird thing to ask!?¡±


    ¡°Clans?¡± questioned Anton ¡°You''re in more than one clan?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess. I main in only one. But I have secondaries that are in more than one clan.¡± explained Mica ¡°Why do you even wanna know about this though!?¡±


    ¡°Really? Well that''s interesting... I had no idea shinoccubi could be in more than one clan? I knew they''d marry outside their clans. But I didn''t think any of them actually ever claimed more than one clan at a time?¡± said Anton ¡°And ¡°secondaries¡±? I''m guessing that means aliases? One''s that can be in separate clans? Is that a new thing? Or was that always part of your traditions?¡±


    ¡°...What the Hell are you talking about?¡± questioned Mica ¡°What traditions? Marrying who!? And why would being a shinoccubi mean I couldn''t be in more than one clan!? Nothing you''re saying even makes any sense!¡±


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°It? ...Hold on. What are you talking about!?¡± asked Anton ¡°Because I''m starting to think that we''re not talking about the same things.¡±


    ¡°I''m talking about my clans!¡± exclaimed Mica ¡°Which, again! I don''t even know why you would ever care about them in the first place? That just doesn''t make any sense!?¡±


    ¡°...How does that not make any sense?¡± asked Anton ¡°Why wouldn''t I want to know what clan you''re from? That''s such an obvious question.¡±


    ¡°...Whatever! Fine! I''ll tell you my clans but I''m not giving you my usernames!¡± declared Mica ¡°You can fuck off on those!¡±


    ¡°...Usernames?¡± questioned Anton.


    ¡°I main MKL66 but I have alts that are in both the BrassMafia and the KnivesOutClub.¡± explained Mica as a sense of smugness laced her tone ¡°I''m not telling you who I am though. Seriously! The last thing I need is a bunch of fucks finding out that I''m a girl, or even worse, a cubi!¡±


    ¡°...MKL66?¡± questioned Anton ¡°...Is that a real clan?¡±


    ¡°You''re damn right it is! It''s Multi Kill Legion! We''re in the top 35 Divinity clans!¡± exclaimed Mica ¡°Which is a pretty big deal considering we only got 28 members. And like at least 4 of those are alts. So even less really.¡±


    Anton was clearly dumbfounded as he stared at Mica with a blank expression on his face.


    ¡°...Wait!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she pointed her ears straight upwards ¡°Are you talking about Divinity, the video game!?¡±


    ¡°Yeah? I''m talking about my Divinity clans.¡± said Mica as she looked from Anton to the dark elf and back ¡°Why? What else would I be talking about?¡±


    ¡°Your actual clan! Your real clan!¡± exclaimed Anton ¡°Why in the world would you think I would want to know about your video game!?¡±


    ¡°I, I didn''t think you did! I kept saying that was weird!¡± cried Mica ¡°Those are my only clans though! I don''t have a ¡°real¡± one. Why would I?¡±


    ¡°...Why!? ...You! Of course you do! You have to!¡± stated Anton ¡°You''re here to kill someone, right!? So who gave you this job? Who sent you here!?¡±


    ¡°...Oh! That''s what you mean.¡± said Mica as she blinked in understanding ¡°You wanna know who I work for. Well why didn''t you just say that?¡±


    ¡°I... thought, I did.¡± said Anton ¡°I thought that was exactly what I was asking?¡±


    ¡°Well I didn''t know that''s what you meant!¡± exclaimed Mica ¡°Be more specific!¡±


    Anton went to speak but stopped short as he shook his head and sighed in defeat.


    ¡°Okay, fine, Mica.¡± he said as he recomposed himself ¡°Who do you work for? And by that I''m asking who was it that sent you here?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I''m not telling you that.¡± stated Mica ¡°You can fuck right off.¡±


    ¡°Argh!¡± grumbled Anton as he dropped his head into his hand ¡°Okay. You know what. Girls! Good news! It''s looking like you''re going to get to play with Mica for a few more hours.¡±


    ¡°Sweet!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she and Kianna both smiled wickedly.


    ¡°Wait, what!?¡± cried Mica as the excited dark elves began to menacingly, rub their hands together ¡°No, no, no! Hold on! I''ll tell you! I''ll tell you!¡±


    ¡°Oh, are you sure you want to do that?¡± asked Anton as he folded his arms over his chest ¡°The girls are clearly looking forward to playing with you some more. So do you really think it''s a good idea to upset them by actually cooperating with me?¡±


    ¡°...Uh-um.¡± stammered Mica as she looked up at the glaring dark elves ¡°...I, I don''t know how to answer that question?¡±


    ¡°...Just tell me who sent you here, Mica.¡± mumbled Anton ¡°And please, don''t try to lie to me...¡±


    ¡°Okay, fine!¡± muttered Mica as the dark elves mimicked Anton by folding their arms over their chests as well ¡°...It''s Renegade. Okay! I''m with Renegade.¡±


    ¡°Renegade?¡± questioned Anton ¡°Your clan''s name is Renegade?¡±


    ¡°I guess?¡± said Mica with a tiny shrug ¡°No one ever called it that. But they''re the one''s who sent me.¡±


    ¡°...No one called it that?¡± repeated Anton as he scrunched up his brow in question ¡°...Wait? You''re not talking about Renegade, Renegade? As in the agency, Renegade, are you?¡±


    Mica''s expression became smug as a thin grin spread across her face.


    ¡°That''s right! So you know them, huh? Good! That should make this a lot easier then!¡± she said as she gave each of the dark elves a sneer ¡°You can go ahead and let me go now. Before things get ugly!¡±


    Sitting completely motionless, Anton stared at the kiochi for a moment as he seemed to be collecting his thoughts.


    ¡°...Are you being serious?¡± he asked as he narrowed his eyes at her ¡°Or has all this been some kind of trick?¡±


    ¡°Nope! No tricks!¡± smiled Mica ¡°And if you really know who Renegade is, then you should also know that they''re waiting for me to report back in. And if they don''t hear from me soon they''ll-¡±


    ¡°Consider you dead, the mission a failure and write you off.¡± interrupted Anton ¡°They may have told you that they''ll send backup after you but that''s not going to happen. Not with a blacklist mission like this. They''ll give a mission like this one attempt. And if the agent fails then they''ll wash their hands of it. Scrub their records clean and remove any and all connection they may have had to the mission. If you were counting on them to come and rescue you then you can forget that idea right now. No one is coming for you. At least not from Renegade.¡±


    Mica''s grin faltered as her expression went blank.


    ¡°I''m kind of surprised your Mother would be this cheap.¡± said Anton as he spoke to the dark elves ¡°Especially considering how well off she supposedly is.¡±


    ¡°Huh? How do you know it was her behind this?¡± asked Fiona.


    ¡°Because I have no reason to think she isn''t the one behind this.¡± said Anton as he waved his hand at Mica ¡°The dark elves still don''t know anything about us. So there is no reason to suspect them. And besides, Mica here, claims that she was instructed to kill me specifically and not you two. Who else would have wanted that to be the case besides your Mother?¡±


    ¡°Mm, yeah. That''s a good point...¡± mumbled Fiona.


    ¡°So do you know who these Renegade people are?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°I do. They''re one of the agencies that I was talking about before. They offer odd-jobs to capable people. Generally these jobs are on the up and up, but I''ve always heard rumors that they would accept blacklist missions as well.¡± explained Anton as he looked up at her ¡°And I guess now we know those rumors are true. Not that it''s surprising to me. You see, I''ve worked with Renegade before, and have no intention of working with them again. They''re a ridiculously unorganized joke of an agency. And that''s about the nicest way I can put it.¡±


    ¡°Wow, sounds like the perfect place for you then.¡± quipped Fiona as she grinned at Mica.


    ¡°Fuck you!¡± snapped the shinoccubus.


    ¡°That does beg the question though...¡± said Anton as he turned back to Mica ¡°Why in the world would a shinoccubus like you ever be working for Renegade in the first place?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know, because they hired me!?¡± snapped Mica ¡°Trust me! I wouldn''t be working for them if I knew those shitheads were gonna fuck me over like this!¡±


    ¡°Why are you even with them at all though? Why aren''t you working through your clan?¡± questioned Anton ¡°Are you on the run from them or something?¡±


    ¡°What is the deal with you and clans!?¡± cried Mica ¡°I don''t have a clan, okay? Seriously! Get over it! I don''t even know what the Hell you''re talking about!¡±


    ¡°...There is no way that you don''t have a clan!¡± exclaimed Anton as he leaned forward in his seat ¡°You''re a shinoccubus! You have to have a clan!¡±


    ¡°Well I don''t!¡± snapped Mica ¡°And I seriously have no idea what you''re even talking about! I''ve never heard anything about a clan before! Ever!¡±


    ¡°...Right. ...What realm are you from then?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± questioned Mica ¡°Like a demon realm?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± nodded Anton ¡°Which one are you from?¡±


    ¡°None. I''m not from any of them. I''m from Parnell.¡± answered Mica.


    ¡°...Parnell, in Cordelia?¡± asked Anton ¡°You''re from that Parnell?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± said Mica.


    ¡°...Parnell, as in the city Parnell?¡± questioned Anton ¡°...As in you were born here, on this world, on Terra? ...In Parnell?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. As in, yeah, I was born in Parnell!¡± snapped Mica ¡°Why are you acting like that''s so crazy? It''s a huge city. Lot''s of people are born there.¡±


    Anton went still for a long moment before settling back into his seat. He continued to stare at Mica for several more moments before he finally spoke again.


    ¡°...There''s just no way. ...There''s just no way the world could ever be that small.¡± mumbled Anton in a barely audible whisper ¡°...She''s from Parnell though. ...And she, she does look like them?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± questioned Mica ¡°What are you mumbling about?¡±


    ¡°You''re really from Terra? Truthfully?¡± asked Anton as he narrowed his eyes ¡°You''re not from Hell, or any of the realms?¡±


    ¡°Argh! Yes! I''m from Terra! And no, I''m not from Hell! Never even been there. Or any of the realms!¡± exclaimed Mica ¡°Why do you even care about this so much!? Why does it matter where I''m from!?¡±


    ¡°...Mica, do you have a surname?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°A what?¡± asked Mica.


    ¡°A surname. A last name.¡± explained Anton.


    ¡°Oh. Yeah, I do?¡± mumbled Mica ¡°Why wouldn''t I?¡±


    ¡°You do! Okay, have you had this name ever since you were born then?¡± asked Anton ¡°The same last name that you have now?¡±


    Mica had a puzzled expression on her face as she glanced up at the equally confused looking dark elves. Finding no answers with them, she turned back to Anton and regarded him with growing suspicion.


    ¡°...Yeah?¡± she answered slowly ¡°I''ve always had the same name? What are you getting at?¡±


    ¡°...Mica, is your last name, Tajikara?¡± asked Anton.


    Mica went completely still for several moments as she stared back at him.


    ¡°...Uh, wha, no!¡± she stammered as she blinked at him ¡°No! It''s, not!¡±


    ¡°...Mica. ...Are your parents, by any chance, named Leopold and Ila Tajikara?¡± asked Anton in a soft tone as he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees.


    A broad smile slowly spread across Anton''s face as he watched Mica''s pupils dilate in the slightest way.


    ¡°No.¡± she chirped bluntly ¡°Never even heard of em!¡±


    Anton threw his head back and laughed.


    ¡°Unbelievable!¡± he exclaimed as he began to clap his hands together ¡°This is just unbelievable!¡±


    ¡°Hey! I said no! They''re not my parents!¡± cried Mica.


    ¡°Right!¡± chuckled Anton as he shook his head ¡°And do they know what you''re doing right now!?¡±


    ¡°They! They''re not my parents!¡± growled Mica ¡°And stop laughing at me!¡±


    ¡°Oh, they''re not, huh?¡± said Anton as he continued to chuckle ¡°So then if I were to give Leopold a call right now. And ask him if he has a daughter named ¡°Mica¡± he''ll tell me no... Right!?¡±


    Mica went still as she merely stared back in silence.


    ¡°...Why don''t we find out.¡± said Anton as he leaned to the side and reached into his pocket for his phone.


    Anton slowed his movements as he watched the turmoil take shape in Mica''s eyes.


    ¡°...Wait.¡± muttered Mica as she let her head hang and stared down at the floor ¡°Just... wait! Please!¡±


    Anton''s head fell back as he began to laugh and clap his hands again.


    ¡°How the Hell do you know my parents!?¡± exclaimed Mica.


    ¡°Simple, I''m one of their clients.¡± smiled Anton between bouts of laughter ¡°I''ve known and have been working with them for years now.¡±


    ¡°...Oh. ...Fuck!¡± growled Mica ¡°...Will you stop laughing!¡±


    ¡°Oh! Who could have ever thought that those two would end up having a would be assassin for a daughter! Just unbelievable!¡± said Anton as he continued to chuckle ¡°So then. Do your parents actually know what you''re doing right now, or no?¡±


    ¡°...No.¡± mumbled Mica.


    ¡°Do they know that you''re working with Renegade?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°No.¡± repeated Mica.


    ¡°Mica, how old are you exactly?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°...What?¡± asked Mica after a short pause ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I can tell you''re young, but I want to know how old you really are.¡± chuckled Anton.


    ¡°Yeah, like I''m really gonna tell you anything else about me!¡± snapped Mica as she raised her head enough to lock eyes with him ¡°You can fuck off!¡±


    ¡°Hm... I want to know if you still live at home, Mica.¡± said Anton as he smiled back at her ¡°Because I am going to call your parents. And when I do, I''d like to know beforehand whether or not they''re actually going to come and pick you up. Or if you''re going to be left out on you''re own?¡±


    Mica stared at him for a moment before grimacing and dropping her head back down with a sigh.


    ¡°...They, will, yeah.¡± she mumbled ¡°They''ll come, and get me...¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see. So then you''re young enough that you do still live with them?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°Argh! Fucking A! Yes! I do! Okay! And I''m 18! Okay! You happy now!?¡± snarled Mica ¡°Do you know everything you need to know about me yet!?¡±


    ¡°Hm, 18...¡± nodded Anton ¡°More adult than not, I suppose... Especially for a cubi.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean you guess!? I''m an adult!¡± snapped Mica ¡°18 is an adult! You jackass!¡±


    ¡°Right. Sure it is.¡± chuckled Anton ¡°It''s also still young enough for you to be grounded though... Isn''t it?¡±


    Mica''s pupils began to dilate in fury as she narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°...Mica, are you going to be in trouble when you''re parents get here?¡± asked Anton as his smile became mocking ¡°You did just try to murder somebody without their permission after all. So I''m guessing that your Mommy and Daddy are probably going to be pretty upset at you for that. ...Do you think they''ll ground you? Or maybe they''ll do something like take away your phone privileges?¡±


    ¡°...Shut, the fuck! Up!¡± hissed Mica.


    ¡°...Hm, I''m going to go ahead and take that as a ¡°yes¡± then.¡± chuckled Anton.


    Snarling in frustration, Mica dropped her head again and began to mumble incomprehensibly.


    ¡°...What was that?¡± asked Anton as he tilted his head to the side.


    ¡°I said!¡± snapped Mica ¡°You won''t be laughing anymore when my parents get here and see what your shit-colored bitches did to me!¡±


    ¡°What did you just call us!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she and Kianna both immediately flared their auras.


    ¡°...Is that right.¡± mumbled Anton as he began to rub his chin in thought ¡°Interesting... Girls!¡±


    The dark elves both froze from where they had been advancing on the glaring kiochi and turned to Anton in unison.


    ¡°I think we should go ahead and get Mica here cleaned up a bit before we call her parents.¡± said Anton with a grin ¡°Could you two go upstairs and bring back a bowl to collect the, ¡°decorations¡± in, and also a towel in case there''s any bleeding. Please. ...And preferably a red towel by the way.¡±


    ¡°...Sure. Of course. Master. We''ll be right back.¡± mumbled Kianna as she and Fiona both gave Mica another glare before making their way out of the dungeon.


    ¡°Thank you girls!¡± called Anton as he chuckled to the sounds of them grumbling to each other.


    Mica''s eyes stayed locked to the dark elves as she watched them leave. Once they were out of sight she turned her glare back to Anton.


    ¡°...So then. Tell me. Are your parents really more than they seem?¡± asked Anton.


    Mica''s eyes tightened as she stared right at him and said nothing.


    ¡°...Mm, I see.¡± nodded Anton as he read into her silence ¡°That, is disappointing...¡±


    ¡°Excuse me!?¡± Mica exclaimed as she blinked at him ¡°Disa- Who the fuck do you think you are!? Listen you shithead! Watch your tone! You might have beaten me but don''t think that means a damn thing! My parents are the real deal and it''s not going to go the same way for you again! Not with them!¡±


    ¡°Right, the real deal...¡± nodded Anton ¡°Again, that is very disappointing...¡±


    ¡°You motherfucker!¡± growled Mica ¡°Who do you think-!¡±


    ¡°Like I said before, I''ve known your parents for years now.¡± interrupted Anton ¡°And I always found it endearing that despite the stigma that they faced for simply being what they are. They stayed dignified, and seemed to be doing everything they could to rise above the stereotype and live as peaceful, professional, upstanding citizens. I respected this about them. I truly did. And now that I''m hearing that may not be the whole truth... I can''t help but to feel a bit disappointed... I''m honestly hoping that you''re lying to me about this. I truly am...¡±


    ¡°Listen you ass! I-!¡± started Mica as she leaned forward and suddenly gasped in pain from the movement of her breasts.


    ¡°...Hm. You know. I honestly tried to make things easier for you. I really did.¡± grinned Anton as he shook his head ¡°Didn''t quite work though...¡±


    ¡°Huh!?¡± snapped Mica ¡°What are you talking about!?¡±


    ¡°I''m talking about this whole... decorating, torture, thing. That the girls have going on with you.¡± explained Anton ¡°I wasn''t joking when I said I could tell that you were younger. And with that being the case, I thought I''d try and make things a little easier for you by giving the dark elves a few rules. Unfortunately for you though, that didn''t work out. As they turned out to be quite a bit more creative than I thought they would be.¡±


    ¡°Yeah! That did not work out!¡± snapped Mica ¡°That did not work out at all!¡±


    ¡°No, it didn''t...¡± mumbled Anton ¡°Still, things could have been a lot worse for you.¡±


    ¡°I don''t see how!?¡± argued Mica as she carefully shifted her shoulders back and forth.


    ¡°Well, considering how Kianna wants to chop you up into little pieces. And Fiona wants to fold you in half and hogtie you with your own tail.¡± said Anton as he grinned mockingly ¡°I''d say you still got off pretty easy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah! No! I didn''t!¡± grumbled Mica as she looked down at her abused bust and went still for a moment ¡°...Listen. ...Can you not, call my parents?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± asked Anton as he cocked an eyebrow in question.


    ¡°Can you not call them.¡± repeated Mica ¡°Please. Can''t we just, forget this? Or make a deal? Or something? I''ve got some money. It''s not a lot, but I''ll give you whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°You don''t have anything I want, Mica.¡± said Anton as he shook his head ¡°Especially not anything I want more than to tell your parents about this little fiasco. Truth be told, I honestly can''t wait to see the look on your parents faces when they come to pick you up, as I''m assuming they''re going to be pretty furious with you.¡±


    Mica sighed in frustration and went to speak again but stopped short as the dark elves reentered the dungeon and made their way down to her and Anton.


    ¡°Request complete!¡± said Fiona as she waved a small red-colored hand towel at Mica.


    ¡°Would you like to remove the needles, Master?¡± asked Kianna as she came up next to Anton ¡°Or should we do it?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, you two can clean up your own mess.¡± laughed Anton ¡°I would watch your fingers though, as she technically does have permission to bite you.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Please, Mica! Please try it!¡± exclaimed Fiona.


    Mica glared angrily as she looked back and forth at the two dark elves standing in front of her. Sighing through her nose she leaned her head back against the metal chair and closed her eyes.


    ¡°...Wait, seriously? Are you really going to behave yourself!?¡± cried Fiona as she poked at Mica''s cheek ¡°C''mon! You were the one who wanted this. Let''s at least see some effort here!¡±


    Clenching her teeth, Mica grimaced but remained silent and still.


    ¡°...Fine! Whatever! Be that way then!¡± mumbled Fiona as she reached down and plucked a needle out of Mica''s breast ¡°You''re no fun anymore!¡±


    Although Mica flinched and hissed through her teeth as each of the needles were removed, she stood strong in her resolve and refused to open her eyes or give in to the dark elves quiet taunting.


    Surprisingly, there was actually very little blood flow, as each of the puncture wounds left by the needle-points were so tiny that they didn''t cause much in the way of bleeding. What little there was would quickly stop on its own as the blood was wiped away with the towel.


    ¡°Feeling better now?¡± asked Anton as the last of the needles had been removed.


    ¡°...No!¡± mumbled Mica as she blinked open her eyes and hunched in on herself ¡°...I''m still sore!¡±


    ¡°Hm. Not surprising.¡± nodded Anton as he leaned to the side and reached into his pocket ¡°Kianna, here, can you take this, please.¡±


    Pointing her ears straight upwards in intrigue, Kianna turned to him and took the small sealed bottle he held out to her.


    ¡°What is this?¡± she asked as she examined the green liquid within the bottle.


    ¡°It''s a healing potion that will work on an Infernal.¡± explained Anton ¡°It isn''t holy in any way, so it''ll heal Mica instead of burning her.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really. Well isn''t that lucky...¡± mumbled Kianna as she turned to Mica and pointed her ears straight back ¡°Hopefully it won''t be too bitter for her!¡±


    Mica''s pupils constricted down to thin slits as she narrowed her eyes at the dark elf.


    ¡°It would be if she drank it.¡± chuckled Anton ¡°But since we don''t want her to spit it out everywhere, you can just go ahead and dump it on her head instead.¡±


    ¡°...Uh, okay!¡± smiled Kianna as she twisted the wax seal off the potion.


    ¡°Wait, what!? No! Stop!¡± cried Mica as Kianna immediately dumped the green, slime-like substance on her head.


    Cringing away from Kianna, Mica hunched herself down into her shoulders and began to shiver as the potion was spilled out over her head. Within seconds the slimy mass was gone as it had instantly soaked down into her hair and skin before being absorbed into her body.


    ¡°Whoa... Cool!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she and Kianna watched the green substance rapidly disappear.


    Letting out an exasperated breath, Mica shook her head before tentatively shifting her shoulders back and forth as she looked down at her breasts.


    ¡°Do they feel better now?¡± asked Anton ¡°Good as new even?¡±


    Mica glared up at him as she silently nodded.


    ¡°Good. Well then I-¡± started Anton before stopping short as Mica began to struggle wildly in her binds.


    No longer hindered by the potential pain in her breasts, the snarling kiochi twisted and thrashed about as much as possible in her desperate attempt to wiggle free from the remaining straps. After nearly a solid minute of this she collapsed back into her seat and began to take in one exhausted breath after another.


    ¡°...Well that was pointless.¡± mocked Fiona as she planted her balled fists on her hips ¡°Congrats on another failure, you stupid ninja-bitch. Gods alive, Mica. You really are a fucking loser!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± roared Mica as she strained against her binds in anger ¡°Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!¡±


    The dark elves both began to laugh openly as Mica''s anger grew into a blind rage.


    ¡°Shut up! All of you! Stop laughing at me!¡± cried Mica as she rattled her legs against the frame of the metal chair ¡°I''m not a loser! I''m not a failure! I''m not! I''m not, I''m not, I''m not!¡±


    Anton shook his head slowly as the dark elves continued with their snickering.


    ¡°And another thing!¡± snapped Mica as she locked eyes with Anton and began to speak through her clenched teeth ¡°My tail is not ugly! Okay! It''s not!¡±


    Despite making an attempt to maintain himself, Anton couldn''t help but to throw his head back and laugh as he took in the serious expression on Mica''s face.


    ¡°Mica! You...! You are such a treat!¡± he exclaimed as he dropped his head into his hand and began to rub his eyes ¡°Oh, this has been such a fun day!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± screamed Mica before going back to the futile effort of struggling against her bindings ¡°No it hasn''t! ...I''m, gonna, get, out! And kill you all!¡±


    ¡°No, you''re not, Mica.¡± chuckled Anton as he reached out and flicked her on the forehead between her horns ¡°Now settle down before you hurt yourself.¡±


    ¡°Ow!¡± exclaimed Mica as she threw her head to the side in an effort to get away from his hand.


    Seething with rage, the trembling kiochi slowly turned back to him and glared for a moment before sighing in frustration. Succumbing to her fatigue, Mica''s eyes became strained and her shoulders slumped as she hung her head.


    ¡°...I hate this.¡± she grumbled softly ¡°...Can I just go home now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you can.¡± smiled Anton as he shifted to his side again and reached into his pocket ¡°As fun as this night has been, I''d say it''s about time to wrap things up.¡±


    ¡°...Wait. Hold on a sec.¡± said Fiona as she and Kianna looked at each other ¡°You''re not really gonna just let her go, are you!?¡±


    Anton slowed his movements as his expression became stoic.


    ¡°She tried to kill you!¡± said Kianna as she pointed her ears straight back and glared at the kiochi ¡°She deserves to pay for that!¡±


    ¡°Well, I wouldn''t exactly say she hasn''t paid.¡± reasoned Anton as he settled back into his seat ¡°She has just been tortured after all.¡±


    ¡°Not enough though. Not even close!¡± exclaimed Kianna as her irises began to glow ¡°You should make her suffer for what she did!¡±


    ¡°Now, now, Kianna. It may be true that she did try to kill me.¡± stated Anton ¡°But her parents are good friends. And despite Mica''s transgressions, I''m not going to continue to be cruel to their daughter.¡±


    ¡°Well, we could do it for you.¡± offered Fiona ¡°You did say you wanted to see us get control of her, right?¡±


    ¡°...Yes, I did.¡± said Anton as his demeanor became thoughtful.


    The entire dungeon seemed to become darker and full of quivering shadows as the two dark elves flared their auras and smiled viciously.


    Mica instinctively pressed herself against the back of the metal chair as she cringed away from the heavy dread that now surrounded her.


    ¡°We could still do it. It''s what we are after all, we just need someone to practice on, and she''s perfect for that! Think about it! She''s already trapped here!¡± Fiona exclaimed excitedly as her eyes began to glow in the shadow that now covered her face ¡°And no one even knows she''s here! We could do whatever we want with her, and no one will ever know!¡±


    Mica''s breath got caught in her throat as she gawked at the dark elf.


    ¡°Please, Master, please let us keep punishing her for you. We promise we won''t kill her...¡± whispered Kianna as she smiled at Mica ¡°We''re just wanna make her scream, and beg for mercy...¡±


    ¡°Right, we won''t kill her. We promise! So you can still just let her go later. And if we don''t kill her, then it doesn''t matter what we do, because you can always just heal her again!¡± reasoned Fiona ¡°We could seriously do whatever we want! ...We could, we could bend her! And stretch her out, twist her up, and squeeze her so tight!¡±


    ¡°Oh. We could do worse than that...¡± added Kianna ¡°We could whip her, decorate her again and even burn her like the bacon... Or, even better. You could show us how to burn her with our auras.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes! She won''t even be able to pass out from that! No escape!¡± hissed Fiona ¡°We gotta hang her upside down first though. So she doesn''t kill herself... Oh! We can even use her tail for that!¡±


    ¡°W-wait, what!? What the f-fuck!¡± cried Mica as her face took on a look that was a mix of terror and disgust ¡°W-what are they talking about!?¡±


    Anton stayed silent as he glanced from one smiling dark elf to the other and then stared at the clearly nervous looking shinoccubus for several moments.


    ¡°...Well. You girls can certainly make a convincing argument. But I''m sorry, the answer is still no. Like I said before, she''s the daughter of friends, and it just wouldn''t feel right to do any of that to her...¡± he said as he closed his eyes and shook his head ¡°Don''t be too upset though. I doubt Mica will be the last assassin that we''ll have to deal with. Sooner or later another one is bound to pop up. And when it does, you girls will have something new to play with. Until then though, we''ll just have to be patient, and continue to prepare ourselves as we wait.¡±


    Fiona and Kianna both groaned in frustration as they folded their arms over their chests and pouted.


    Mica let out a long breath as her face became relieved, her eyes quickly darted back and forth as she looked from Anton to the two disappointed looking dark elves and back.


    ¡°This is crazy. You people are all fucked up! And like, evil, or some shit!¡± she accused as she pulled against the jacket that held her arms bound.


    ¡°Well that''s quite a rich judgment considering it''s coming from a contract killer...¡± mocked Anton ¡°And on that note. A word of advice for you, Mica. You should really look into a different line of work. I don''t think you have much in the way of talent for assassinations.¡±


    Mica stared at him for a moment before looking down at the floor in front of herself.


    ¡°Can I just go home now?¡± she mumbled as she continued to stare at the floor ¡°Please!¡±


    ¡°Yes. I do think it''s time for you to go.¡± said Anton as he again shifted to his side so as to finally pull his phone out of his pocket ¡°We really do need to get you out of here. Before the girls actually change my mind...¡±

 Assassin Arc : Chapter 5 : Midnight

    Chapter 5 : Midnight


    ¡°Fingers crossed he''s in a good mood.¡± chuckled Anton as he put the phone to his ear.


    Mica kept her eyes lowered as she worked to avoid the glaring looks that both Fiona and Kianna were giving her. She and the dark elves all stayed silent as Anton lightly rocked his head back and forth while he listened to the phone ringing on the other end.


    ¡°Hello. Leopold! It''s Anton. ...Good evening to you too. How''s it going? ...Good, good. Listen, sorry I''m calling you so late, I hope I didn''t wake you?¡± said Anton as the line was answered ¡°Oh, still working? ...So are you still at your office then? ...Ah, you''re at home. ...Okay great. Perfect scenario actually.¡±


    Having shifted their ears forward, the two dark elves were clearly trying their best to listen in on both sides of the conversation as they leaned in over Anton.


    Noticing their efforts, Anton waved them both off as he gave each of them a tired look.


    ¡°So is Ila there with you? ...And how''s she doing? ...Good to hear. ...It really has been too long.¡± he said as he leaned his head back and looked up at the ceiling ¡°Oh, it had to have been this last new years party? ...Or maybe the one before? Regardless, it really has been too long. Way too long.¡±


    Mica couldn''t help but to shift about uncomfortably in her seat as she listened to the unnervingly casual conversation.


    ¡°Right. Real quick though, before we get to the actual reason I called you tonight. Did you happen to get that e-mail I sent you?¡± asked Anton as he glanced down at Mica ¡°...Yes, that''s right. The apartment complex. ...No, no. That''s a real acquisition now. ...Well, yes, originally it was going to be a purchase. But not anymore. ...Well, truth be told, I''ve acquired the previous owners as my slaves. So now it can be treated as a straight acquisition. ...No, this is a first. I generally don''t make a habit of collecting slaves. This was a unique situation though. A very unique situation in fact.¡±


    Reminded of their circumstances, Fiona grimaced in annoyance as Kianna grinned sheepishly.


    ¡°...No, not yet. I know I need to. But like I said, this situation is unique, so I''m taking my time with their registrations. ...Well, the truth is things with them might be a bit, controversial. So I''m trying to get as prepared as possible before I take that step. ...Exactly, I want to be ready for any fallout I might experience over this.¡± explained Anton ¡°...Oh no, no, it''s nothing like that. No, the truth is that they''re dark elves. ...That''s right, dark elves. ...No, they are definitely dark elves alright. Real dark elves. ...Normally it is impossible, or it was. But, believe it or not, I found a way to do it. ...No, as far as I know this is a first. ...Well, if it has ever happened before it was either never documented or buried outright. ...Exactly. That''s why I said it''s going to be controversial. ...No, it''s not a fluke, I''ve actually done it more than once now. ...Two of them. ...Mm hm. Females, both of them. ...Hm, well, I wouldn''t say that. They''re not quite as monstrous as you''d think they would be. One of them is actually quite the little sweetheart. Or, most of the time she is. The other one though... mm, not so much. She would be closer to what a normal dark elf is expected to be... Yeah, pretty much.¡±


    Kianna hummed a small sound and rocked her head in a cutesy manner as Fiona narrowed her eyes into a glare and pointed her ears straight back behind her head.


    ¡°Excuse me? ...Oh, well, that. ...Oh really? ...I see, hm, possibly?¡± muttered Anton as he glanced up at Fiona ¡°Well the biggest thing is that she''s young, and has no experience. ...That is a pretty big factor though. ...Are you sure this is something you would even want to try, Leopold? ...Well I can''t guarantee that it''ll work out the way you''re thinking it will. ...Well, yes, of course it might. But I think another factor that you''re not taking into consideration is the cost. ...You do have to understand that she is a dark elf after all. So unfortunately, no matter how we slice it, this will not exactly be cheap.¡±


    Fiona''s face softened as Anton looked away from her. Shifting her gaze to her sister, the two dark elves stared at each other as uncertainty formed in their eyes.


    ¡°Tell you what. Let''s just see how things go with the rest of this conversation. And if things go well, we can come back to this topic.¡± smiled Anton as he focused his attention back on Mica ¡°...Oh no! I''m not saying no, I''m not at all against the idea. ...Well we can figure it all out later of course. And if we do decide to go ahead and actually do something, then I''ll definitely give you a good deal. So don''t worry about that.¡±


    Fiona''s ears pointed themselves straight upwards as her eyes went wide and her mouth fell open. Across from her Kianna was shaking her head as a disbelieving expression masked her face.


    ¡°In any case, I think it''s time that we got to the real reason I''m calling you tonight.¡± said Anton as he grinned at the miserable looking kiochi ¡°Well. Believe it or not. I''m afraid to say that somebody actually tried to kill me earlier this evening. And I think there is a very, very good chance that this somebody, is someone you might know...¡±


    Groaning softly, Mica began to chew on her lower lip as she dropped her eyes back to the floor.


    ¡°Yes, I''m very serious. ...No, it was a full blown assassination attempt. ...Oh, no! No, I''m fine. Not even a scratch. ...Well, an effort was certainly made, I can say that much. Unfortunately for her though, she never stood a chance.¡± chuckled Anton ¡°...Oh, I''m fairly sure you do know her. ...Well, you see. I''m afraid to say that my assailant was an eager, but very unskilled little kiochi, named Mica.¡±


    Anton''s grin broadened as he watched Mica become more and more crestfallen.


    ¡°...Mm hm. That''s right. ...No, no, this one is definitely yours! I guarantee it!¡± smiled Anton ¡°...No. Of course not. She''s alive. I have her right here in front of me. ...Oh yes, I''m completely serious. I''m looking right at her. ...No, this is definitely your daughter, Leopold. ...Well, would you like to talk to her?¡±


    Mica brought her eyes up as Anton eased forward and held the phone out towards her. Leaning as far forward as her bounds would allow, Mica tilted her head to the side so Anton could hold the phone to her ear.


    ¡°Hello, Daddy!?¡± cried Mica into the phone ¡°Can you hear me!? ...Yeah, it''s me... No, I...! ...Yeah...¡±


    Mica was silent for a moment as she listened to the muffled voice on the other side of the line.


    ¡°...But, it''s...! ...No, I, I got a contract! Yeah, it''s a real one. ...I told you I could! ...Yeah, it''s a real contract! ...It''s from that Renegade place. ...Yeah? ...They were in your Rolodex thingy. That''s where I found them. ...Well I didn''t know that! ...Yeah, I did. Why? It''s not like it''s a secret? ...Yeah? ...Why not? ...I don''t see why it even matters! It''s not like they weren''t going to know exactly what I am as soon as they saw me!? ...It was kind of weird. ...Because when I first talked to the guy he didn''t really say much until I said I was a shinoccubi, and then he got really excited and just started giving me jobs. ...No, this is the only one, so far. ...Well I had to! ...Because you guys wouldn''t listen! ...No you wouldn''t! ...No! No you wouldn''t!¡± exclaimed Mica as her face became more and more agitated ¡°Because you all kept saying I needed to prove myself! ...Yes you did! ...Well how else was I supposed to do that then!? It''s not like you guys were trying to help me! ...No, no you didn''t! All you kept saying was ¡°You''re not ready, Mica! You''re not ready!¡± over and over!¡±


    ¡°For the record, I''d like it to be known that I do agree with that.¡± chuckled Anton ¡°I don''t think you''re ready either, Mica. Not even close.¡±


    ¡°Will you shut up, you jackass!¡± snapped Mica ¡°What!? ...No, Dad not you! It''s this guy, the one I was supposed to kill. He''s talking shit! ...I guess? They didn''t tell me what his name was. ...No. They just said to kill him and not the two dark elves that were with him. Which by the way, fuck these bitches! First chance I get I''m slicing their fucking ears off! ...Yeah, you say that now! But you don''t even know what these two psycho bitches did to me!¡±


    ¡°Wait? Renegade didn''t even tell you my name?¡± mumbled Anton as he cocked an eyebrow ¡°Well that just shows how completely incompetent they are... Although, actually, thinking about it. They probably didn''t even know it was me... Since there''s no way they would have only sent one person if they did... Hm, that''s interesting...¡±


    ¡°...I don''t know! They didn''t tell me why, and I didn''t ask. ...I don''t know! Cause I didn''t think I was supposed to!? ...Well how the Hell was I supposed to know you knew him!?¡± exclaimed Mica ¡°What are even the odds on that!?¡±


    ¡°Apparently they''re better than zero...¡± mumbled Anton.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± snarled Mica as Anton merely grinned at her ¡°Not you Dad! This guy is still talking, and-! ...Huh? ...Uh, sure! ...Yeah! I can do that! ...Yeah! If you can get him to do it. ...Okay! Hold on!¡±


    Anton creased his brow in confusion as Mica smiled up at him.


    ¡°My Dad wants to talk to you again.¡± she said as she eased back in her seat ¡°He''s got an interesting proposition for you!¡±


    Arching his eyebrow at the phone, Anton settled back into his own seat as he planted the phone back to his ear.


    ¡°Hello.¡± he said in way of greeting before going silent and listening ¡°...What? ...Well, yes, that''s? I mean, yes, I can. Not that I would. ...Because I would never do that to your daughter. Obviously. ...Well that was before I knew who she was. ...Excuse me? ...That, wait, you can''t be serious? ...No, absolutely not. Because I''m not going to, I refuse. ...Because there''s no point to that. I don''t even know where this is coming from? And it doesn''t even matter, I''m not going to do it. ...No. ...No, Leopold! What are you even trying to accomplish with this? ...I mean, I can understand...! ...Wait, what? What did you just say!?¡±


    Leaning in over Anton, and having apparently been listening back in on the conversation, Fiona and Kianna both blinked in surprise as their ears pointed themselves straight upwards. They stared at the phone for a moment before as one they slowly turned to Mica.


    The kiochi''s brow creased in confusion as she took in their blank expressions and then watched as the emotion drained from Anton''s face.


    ¡°...Hey? Hey, what''s going on?¡± she mumbled as she tightened her eyes in irritation ¡°Why are you all looking at me like that!?¡±


    Anton''s empty expression hardened as he stared forward at nothing and listened to the voice on the other side of the phone.


    ¡°Leopold. I am not appreciating the direction this conversation has taken.¡± he said calmly ¡°If this is your idea of a joke, then I have to say, it is not funny.¡±


    Mica and the dark elves all flinched back in surprise as Anton suddenly stood up out of his seat.


    ¡°Stay here.¡± he said softly to the dark elves as he quickly moved around his chair and made his way across the open space behind it.


    ¡°Hey! Wait! What''s happening!?¡± questioned Mica as she looked up at the two stoic dark elves.


    Her confused expression shifted into a glare as a thin, smug grin slowly spread across Kianna''s face.


    ¡°Wow. You''re fucked...¡± mocked Kianna as her grin grew into a thin smile.


    ¡°Wha, why!?¡± demanded Mica ¡°What''s going on!?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you''ll see. Soon enough...¡± cooed Kianna as she turned away to gaze at Anton.


    Across the room and standing with his back to them, Anton kept his voice lowered as he continued his conversation.


    ¡°Alright, Leopold, enough of this nonsense. I am going to open a portal to right outside your office, and you are going to meet me there to pick up your daughter. I am not going to fight with your daughter again, and I am absolutely! Not going to kill her. Now, how long is it going to take for you to get to your office?¡± said Anton as he set his jaw and stared up at the ceiling ¡°...Enough. This is your child. What is wrong with you. I can''t believe you would even say that. ...That is not what happened. ...She didn''t ¡°give¡± you away, Leopold. Or ¡°betray¡± you. I was the one who put two and two together and figured out who she was. ...It doesn''t matter what was said. ...No, it doesn''t. ...She, ...yes, she did. ...Well, I''ll be honest. It certainly affects my opinion of you and Ila. ...Can''t be helped. ...That''s hardly fair, Leopold. At least consider her situation. ...Oh, she was certainly under duress. ...There are two dark elves here, Leopold. I''m sure you can imagine how things went for her. ...To say the least. ...That is irrelevant. ...Because it''s irrelevant. ...Because as far as I''m concerned it changes nothing between us. Mica is only here because of a job. It''s just business. And this business between me and her, will not affect the business between you and me. ...Again, irrelevant. ...Because how you choose to live your life is none of my business, Leopold. And I have no intention of intruding any further into your, or your families personal affairs. ...No, I don''t see any reason that I should be concerned with it. ...Because it has absolutely nothing to do with me. ...I don''t see how it does? ...Leopold, I''m starting to get the impression that you are trying to imply that I do have a reason to be concerned. ...Well, I assure you. It is not something I am going to be concerned with. ...No. I''m not. ...Leopold, I''m going to pretend you didn''t say that. ...Okay. Now you listen to me, Leopold. I understand that you''re upset. I do. But if you dare to-!¡±


    Anton stopped short as the stillness in the room was suddenly shattered by the customized musical tone of a ringing phone.


    Everyone''s head immediately turned to face the same direction as their eyes all fell onto the pile of Mica''s stripped garments that had been left laying on the king sized bed.


    Bewilderment was clear on Anton''s face as he quickly looked from the ringing clothing to Mica and then back.


    ¡°...Leopold. ...I''m going to need to call you back.¡± he mumbled into the phone ¡°There''s apparently another call I need to deal with.¡±


    Dropping the phone away from his ear, Anton ended the call amid the muffled protests from the other side. He then turned completely around and locked eyes with Mica before going still and staring at her until the ringing from her garments finally came to an end.


    ¡°...Mica, did you bring your cell phone with you?¡± asked Anton as he stared right at her.


    ¡°...Yeah.¡± answered Mica.


    ¡°...Seriously. You really brought your cell phone with you? To assassinate someone?¡± questioned Anton as he shook his head in disbelief ¡°And you didn''t even silence it!?¡±


    ¡°...I, forgot!¡± growled Mica through her teeth.


    The dark elves both bowed their heads forward and covered their mouths with their hands as they tried to stifle their laughter.


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± said Anton calmly as he nodded his head ¡°...And why, in the world, did you bring it?¡±


    ¡°Cause I needed it!¡± snapped Mica ¡°No one was I gonna believe me without any proof! So I brought it to take some pictures...¡±


    Anton stood still for a moment before he slowly raised his hand and began to roughly rub his eyes with his thumb and index finger.


    ¡°So your saying that you brought your own, personal, very traceable cell phone, with you to commit a murder... And you did this for the specific purpose of taking pictures of your victim... And thus creating evidence of the crime... That you then planned to show off... As infallible proof of what you''ve done...¡± said Anton as he pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head ¡°And you honestly think that you should be considered ready... Are you serious!?¡±


    Losing control of themselves, both Fiona and Kianna doubled over at their waists as they began to laugh hysterically.


    ¡°Shut up! Shut! Up! Stop laughing at me!¡± raged Mica as she hung her head and struggled in her binds ¡°I didn''t think about any of that!¡±


    ¡°For God''s sake''s, Mica. You need to be sanctioned...¡± grumbled Anton ¡°What is wrong with you!?¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± screamed Mica.


    Anton sighed and began to rub his eyes again as the cell phone on the bed stated to ring anew.


    ¡°Kianna, can you bring me that phone, please!¡± he said as he moved back in front of his chair and dropped down into it ¡°I need to sit down for a second...¡±


    ¡°Yes! Of course!¡± chirped Kianna as she choked back her laughter ¡°Right away!¡±


    Mica grumbled miserably but said nothing as she glared at the haughty dark elf. Seething at Kianna''s smugness, Mica watched her sashay her way over to the bed and start searching for the ringing phone.


    ¡°...It''s in the arm-guard-thingy!¡± she called before looking back at Anton.


    Sitting rigid in his seat, Anton was staring at her with wide open eyes as he slowly shook his head back and forth.


    Mica couldn''t help but to grimace as she looked at the floor in embarrassment.


    ¡°Here you go, Master!¡± cried Kianna as she quickly came up to the chair and handed Anton the still ringing phone.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± said Anton as he looked at the name spread across the front of the phones screen ¡°Who is ¡°Nokko¡±, Mica?¡±


    ¡°That''s my sister!¡± cried Mica as she leaned as far forward as her bounds would allow ¡°Let me talk to her! Please!¡±


    ¡°Hm... Alright...¡± said Anton as he slid his finger across the phones screen to answer the call and then tapped the speaker button before facing the phone towards Mica.


    ¡°Nokko!¡± cried Mica as she spoke at the phone ¡°Hey! Can you hear me!?¡±


    ¡°Hello? Mica, is that you?¡± answered a voice through the phone.


    Save for a seemingly older more mature tone, the voice speaking through the phone had a very similar cadence to Mica''s, and could have easily been mistaken for her.


    ¡°Yeah, it''s me.¡± mumbled Mica.


    ¡°Mica, what''s going on? Mom and Dad are screaming their heads off at each other, all while talking about you?¡± said Nokko ¡°What happened?¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°I! Uh, I kinda fucked up, petty badly...¡± admitted Mica as she grimaced at the phone ¡°And I think it''s really bad, actually...¡±


    ¡°You? How?¡± questioned Nokko ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°...I, uh, I got a job. A contract. ...To go, hurt somebody.¡± explained Mica ¡°...And I fucked it up.¡±


    The phone went silent and remained so as the numbers on the calls time keeper continued to rise.


    ¡°...Hello?¡± prompted Mica as she stared at the phone ¡°Hey! Are you still there?¡±


    ¡°...Are you joking?¡± asked Nokko after another pause ¡°Or are you being serious right now?¡±


    ¡°...I''m being serious.¡± confirmed Mica.


    ¡°...Okay. Okay, so everything that Dad''s been yelling about is actually true then!?¡± exclaimed Nokko as irritation began to mar her voice ¡°You really did go off to kill somebody!? No jokes! You really actually did that!?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah.¡± muttered Mica.


    ¡°Unbelievable!¡± sighed Nokko ¡°Mica, you! What were you thinking! Just! ...I can''t even! ...Okay! Okay, so! Did you at least, complete this job!? Or no!?¡±


    ¡°...No, not exactly.¡± grumbled Mica.


    ¡°Not exactly?¡± questioned Nokko ¡°What do you mean by not exactly!? What does that mean!?¡±


    ¡°Look! I already said I fucked up! Okay!¡± stated Mica as she narrowed her eyes at the phone ¡°I didn''t kill the guy, but it''s fine! It doesn''t matter! Turns out this guy knows Daddy, and he''s not even mad. He thinks the whole thing is funny! But it doesn''t matter anyway! He''s going to let me go home, so now we can all just forget this whole thing ever even happened!¡±


    ¡°Hey now, hold on a second.¡± said Anton ¡°I never said I wasn''t mad.¡±


    ¡°Seriously!?¡± snapped Mica as she shifted her glare to him ¡°Whatever! Fucking get over it!¡±


    ¡°Wait, who was that!?¡± asked Nokko.


    ¡°Nobody. That''s just the bastard I was supposed to kill.¡± explained Mica ¡°He doesn''t matter though. Just ignore him.¡±


    ¡°What!? That''s your target!? Your target is with you right now!?¡± demanded Nokko.


    ¡°Ugh, yeah...¡± sighed Mica ¡°He''s right here. And he can hear you...¡±


    ¡°He can!? ...Mica! Why is the target still with you?¡± asked Nokko ¡°And why can he hear me!?¡±


    ¡°Cause... He''s, kinda helping me hold the phone up, so I can talk...¡± answered Mica ¡°And he can hear you because you''re on speaker right now...¡±


    ¡°Hello, Nokko.¡± smiled Anton as Mica fumed in embarrassment.


    ¡°...Hi!¡± growled Nokko ¡°Mica! Why is this guy helping you hold up the phone? Are you injured?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± mumbled Mica ¡°Not anymore...¡±


    ¡°...Then why does he need to help you!?¡± prompted Nokko.


    ¡°Cause I''m, kinda, tied up right now...¡± grumbled Mica.


    ¡°You''re! ...You were captured?¡± asked Nokko.


    ¡°Yeah, pretty much...¡± answered Mica.


    ¡°How!? How, did!? Mica! You can teleport!¡± exclaimed Nokko.


    ¡°No, I can''t!¡± growled Mica through her clenched teeth ¡°I got this, stupid metal ring thing around my neck! And it won''t let me do anything!¡±


    ¡°...You, have a manabinder around your neck?¡± questioned Nokko ¡°How!? How did he even get that on you!? What happened!?¡±


    ¡°...I''d rather not talk about that!¡± grumbled Mica as her eye began to twitch in irritation.


    Standing on either side of Anton, the dark elves both turned away as they once again began to snicker.


    ¡°Look! None of this even matters anymore! Okay! I fucked up! I get it! You get it, he gets it! Elf bitches get it! Everybody gets it!¡± exclaimed Mica ¡°Now will you just go get Mom and Dad and come get me already, please!? I''ve had a shitty enough day as it is, and really want it to be over now!¡±


    ¡°...Right. Over. That sounds good.¡± mumbled Nokko as her tone darkened ¡°Fine. Where are you right now?¡±


    ¡°Um... Actually, I don''t know?¡± said Mica as she looked around the dungeon.


    ¡°You don''t know? How do you not know!?¡± questioned Nokko ¡°Are you not at the same target location!?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess?¡± said Mica as she watched Anton nod his head ¡°I still don''t know where this is though?¡±


    ¡°...How do you not know where you are!?¡± demanded Nokko ¡°Didn''t you go there yourself!?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Well, kinda. They didn''t tell where I was going. They just opened a portal.¡± explained Mica ¡°And then they gave me a disc that would take me home whenever I was done.¡±


    ¡°...Take you home? You mean like back to their office?¡± asked Nokko.


    ¡°...No. I mean home.¡± said Mica as her eyes suddenly filled with uncertainty ¡°Like, home, home.¡±


    ¡°...Home, home!¡± cried Nokko ¡°...How did they!? Did you tell them where you live!?¡±


    ¡°...Uh, well yeah? Why?¡± questioned Mica as Anton closed his eyes and shook his head ¡°What!? What''s wrong!? ...Was I not supposed to!?¡±


    ¡°...How!? How can you possibly be this stupid!?¡± groaned Nokko as the faint sounds of background commotion could be heard through the phone ¡°It''s just so unbelievable... I just... I don''t even know what to say!?¡±


    ¡°Seriously!? C''mon!¡± exclaimed Mica ¡°It''s not like those guys are going to try anything! They know they''ll be jumping into a house full of assassins! They''re not going to do shit!¡±


    ¡°They! They know what!?¡± cried Nokko ¡°Wait, what else did you tell them!?¡±


    ¡°Chill, Nokko!¡± said Mica as she glared at the phone ¡°I already told Dad about all this so there''s no reason for you to freak out!¡±


    The background commotion grew louder as Nokko''s voice seemed to have joined in on what was clearly sounding like a heated discussion.


    Anton sighed softly as he eyed the phone and shook his head.


    ¡°This could be bad...¡± he whispered to himself as his eyes shifted to Mica.


    ¡°Anton! Can you hear me!?¡± cried out a masculine voice from the phone ¡°I''d like to speak with you, please!¡±


    With another sigh, Anton tapped the speaker button to off and placed the phone to his ear.


    ¡°Hello.¡± he said calmly as a muffled barrage of excitement immediately began to resonate out from the phone ¡°...Hm, I see. ...I would agree. ...No, I''m afraid not.¡±


    Anton went silent for several long moments as he listened to what was being said on the other side of the line. Although his facial expression remained blank throughout the seemingly one sided conversation, his eyes still sharpened in intensity as he gazed at Mica.


    Unnerved by his silent scrutiny, the kiochi grimaced as she glared right back at him.


    ¡°...Leopold. I hate to interrupt. But I''d like to ask you a few questions real quick.¡± said Anton as he kept his eyes locked to Mica''s ¡°...Of course, they''d obviously be in regards to this situation. ...Well, to begin with. Is your family actually part of a clan, or not? ...I don''t see how that would be an inappropriate question. ...I see. Well, that being the case, I won''t ask you for any details about the potential clan then. Just a simple yes or no is enough. ...I see, that is a surprise. ...Because you have a surname. Or at least you claim to have one. ...Yes, truth be told, I''m much more informed on your kind than I liked to let on. ...Oh no, it''s nothing personal. I''ve had an invested interest in all Infernals for some time now. Long before I ever even met you. ...That''s a conversation we can save for another time. For now, let''s stay focused on the matter at hand. ...Exactly. ...So, were you exiled? Or are you in hiding? ...Hm, so I take it that they are not aware of your children then? ...Ah, right, fair enough. I''m sorry. I don''t mean to pry. ...Not at all, I''m simply trying to fully understand this situation. ...Far from irrelevant. In fact, I''d say it''s-¡±


    ¡°Hey! Hi! Hate to break up your guy''s cute little chat!¡± interjected Mica ¡°But can we just get this over with please!? My tail is starting to seriously cramp up right now!¡±


    Anton sat still for a moment before narrowing his eyes in annoyance.


    ¡°You know what, Leopold. I think I''m beginning to understand where your lack of patience with her is coming from...¡± he muttered into the phone ¡°...No. That does not mean that I''ll agree to your request. Nor do I have any intention of telling you where she is. ...Because at this point it has become clear to me that she is not safe with you. ...Oh, make no mistake, I know her guilt is above question. Better than anyone. However, as your friend, I can not allow you to do something that I know both you and Ila will regret. ...Be that as it may, I won''t be able to help but to feel responsible for your loss.¡±


    ¡°...Wait, what?¡± mumbled Mica as her brow creased in confusion ¡°What are you talking about now?¡±


    ¡°Of course I''d feel responsible, Leopold! I''m in the center of this situation! ...Regardless, it''s not going to happen. I understand that you feel betrayed, and that you think this is necessary, but there has to be another way to handle this. ...Punishment is one thing, Leopold. But this is simply too far over the top. ...I''m sorry, but the answer is still no. ...Because, Leopold! It''s simple! I refuse to be the reason that you kill your own daughter!¡±


    ¡°...Hey. What!?¡± questioned Mica as she began to slowly twist back and forth in her bounds ¡°...That''s not what he said! We''re going to fight again! ...Just! Let me out, and we''ll fight! ...Let me out! Let me go!¡±


    ¡°Stop! That''s enough, Leopold! Don''t make this any worse than it already is!¡± growled Anton into the phone ¡°Because I''m trying to preserve a friendship here! Don''t try to pretend that you will ever be able to look at me again while knowing that I''m the reason your daughter is dead!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± cried Mica as she began to struggle wildly ¡°Fight me! Fight me you bastard! ...Let me go! Let me go!¡±


    ¡°Will you please be silent!¡± exclaimed Anton as he turned his attention to Mica.


    ¡°Let me go! Let me go!¡± raged Mica ¡°Let! Me! Go!¡±


    Dropping the phone into his lap, Anton''s face hardened in anger as he stretched his arm out and pointed his finger right at Mica''s head.


    ¡°Be silent!¡± he growled as a bright, baseball sized orb of golden light blinked into existence at his finger tip.


    Mica instantly froze mid-motion as her eyes became locked to the ball of light. Cringing away from the stinging heat that was radiating out from the strange orb, she couldn''t help but to stare mesmerized as she eased away from it and pressed herself back into her seat. She had never seen or felt a ball of energy quite like this one before, and seemingly through instinct alone, she immediately knew that it wasn''t merely fire, plasma, or some other simple form of light, but was instead something that was somehow far more dangerous.


    Anton remained motionless for a moment as he watched the cowed and now confused looking cubi stare unblinkingly at the orb. Without a word, he cut off the power to the orb and let the ball of light dim down into almost nothing. It then vanished completely as he let his arm fall away.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± stated Anton dryly as he picked the phone back up and put it to his ear ¡°Hello. ...Yes, I agree. Your daughter has very poor manners. Hopefully she won''t be interrupting us again...¡±


    Blinking, Mica clenched her jaw and glared at Anton as well as the two watching dark elves.


    ¡°...Endlessly repeating yourself is not going to help your case. I already gave you my answer, and I have no intention of changing my mind.¡± said Anton as he slowly shook his head ¡°...I''m not the only one being stubborn. And I would hardly call myself the unreasonable one when you are currently advocating for the death of your own progeny!¡±


    Kianna began to grin wickedly as Mica''s glaring expression softened into a look of uncertainty.


    A long moment of silence passed before Anton sighed through his nose.


    ¡°At this point I think both of our stances have been firmly established.¡± he stated as he again shook his head ¡°...If anything? Perhaps a night of rest. And enough time for the minds to fully clear. ...What else can be said? ...No, honestly I''m hoping that by morning you''ll come to your senses. ...Again, I don''t see how I''m being the unreasonable one. ...Okay, I think we''re done here. ...For the time being I think we are. ...Leopold, I think it''s best! If we continue this again once we''ve both had some time to calm down. ...Right, please tell Ila and Nokko I said goodnight and that I will speak with you all again tomorrow. ...No. Now goodnight, Leopold!¡±


    Ending the call with a tap of his thumb, Anton stared at the phone for a moment before setting it back back down on his lap. Closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath, he balled his hands into fists and flexed the muscles in his arms in irritation before relaxing and blowing his breath out of his mouth. Recomposed, he opened his eyes into a glare that he aimed directly at the kiochi sitting in front of him.


    Oblivious to the look Anton was giving her, Mica remained completely still as she stared miserably at her phone. She continued to stay silent and unmoving as she watched Anton pick the phone back up, take it out of its protective case, pop off its back panel and remove its battery.


    ¡°Kianna.¡± said Anton as he turned to the dark elf and handed her the phone along with all of its pieces ¡°Can you set this back over there with the rest of Mica''s things, please.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± said the dark elf as she quickly took up the dismantled phone and made her way to the bed.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± said Anton as he pulled his own phone back out of his pocket and set it to a silent mode.


    Disheartened by the sight of the dark elf making off with her phone, Mica slowly raised her eyes to Anton and found him now resting with his arms laid out across the chairs armrests, his eyes closed and his jaw set in obvious annoyance. Cowed by his expression, she looked down at the floor and remained silent.


    Making her way back from the bed, Kianna glanced at Fiona and was saddened to find her sister staring at the floor and looking almost as degenerated as Mica.


    ¡°Hey.¡± she whispered softly as she sidled up right next to her ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Fiona looked up at her before giving Anton a quick glance.


    ¡°Yeah, sorry...¡± she whispered back ¡°Just thinking...¡±


    ¡°...Thinking about how we might just get to keep the little ninja-bitch after all?¡± teased Kianna.


    ¡°...Yeah.¡± mumbled Fiona ¡°That would be cool...¡±


    ¡°...Hey. It''s gonna be okay.¡± reassured Kianna ¡°He wasn''t serious. You know he wasn''t serious.¡±


    ¡°...Right.¡± whispered Fiona ¡°Yeah, I know... I''m okay...¡±


    ¡°...Are you sure?¡± questioned Kianna.


    ¡°Yeah! Don''t worry. I''ll be fine.¡± claimed Fiona.


    ¡°...Okay.¡± nodded Kianna ¡°...It is gonna be okay. ...It really is.¡±


    ¡°I know! I know!¡± nodded Fiona ¡°It''s okay, I''m good. Don''t worry!¡±


    ¡°...Okay then, I believe you.¡± mumbled Kianna as she stepped away and continued on to her place on the other side of Anton''s chair.


    After several minutes of stillness, Anton began to silently tap his fingertips against the front edges of the chairs armrests. Sighing softly as he finished putting his thoughts together, he opened his eyes and looked down at the slumping kiochi.


    ¡°You know, Mica. I have to say. You really have done one amazing job of making me very angry...¡± he mumbled in a calm but stern tone.


    The kiochi stiffed and then bobbed her head up just enough to look at him. She said nothing as she narrowed her eyes in defiance.


    Registering her attitude, Anton leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees as he glared right back at her.


    ¡°Out of all of the people alive today. I don''t think there''s anyone out there that I''d like to flog to death more than you at this very moment...¡± he growled softly ¡°Not only did you foolishly invade my home and try to kill me! But you have somehow now managed to put me into a standoff with a close friend, who''s very life you have since put in mortal danger!¡±


    Mica kept her hardened expression in place for only a moment before blinking in confusion.


    Seeing the uncertainty in her eyes, Anton sighed and shook his head as he settled back in his seat.


    ¡°And that right there is the worst part of it all!¡± he mumbled through his clenched teeth ¡°You don''t even know what you''ve done. You have no idea just how badly you''ve messed things up for your parents. After everything they''ve tried to do for you. The freedoms they''ve tried to give you. The lives they''ve built! All of it''s in jeopardy now!¡±


    ¡°Shut up! You''re full of shit!¡± snapped Mica ¡°Like I''m going to believe anything you say!¡±


    ¡°It doesn''t matter whether you believe me or not, it makes no difference at all.¡± stated Anton ¡°This ridiculous situation remains the same regardless...¡±


    Apparently having nothing else to say to each other, both Mica and Anton settled in to a silent glaring match.


    After a few moments of watching them, Kianna cocked one of her ears in a curious manner and turned to Anton.


    ¡°So? What are we going to do now?¡± she asked as she looked from him to Mica and back ¡°Just wait and talk to Leopold again tomorrow? And see if he''s calmed down?¡±


    Anton sighed in irritation as he shook his head.


    ¡°He won''t. Really, he can''t. Or at least that''s his mindset.¡± he mumbled ¡°I don''t know how much you actually heard, but I''m guessing it was enough to know how he plans to fix things...¡±


    ¡°Um, I couldn''t really hear everything he was saying. Especially not after he started yelling. But I did hear it when he asked you to kill her.¡± said Kianna ¡°Which, what''s the deal with that? I mean, isn''t she really his daughter? Why does he want you to kill her?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn''t go so far as to say he necessarily wants me to kill her.¡± said Anton ¡°As he see''s it though, that''s what has to be done. If he is actually in a clan, then he has no choice. He can''t let it become known to his clan that she''s his and Ila''s daughter. Or that he even has a daughter at all.¡±


    ¡°Why not? Why can''t the clan know?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°Because... it''s, complicated...¡± sighed Anton ¡°But in a nutshell, he doesn''t want the clan to know because if they find out... They will kill him. As well as Ila, Nokko, Mica and any other siblings that Mica and Nokko may have... They will kill them all, and wipe out the whole family...¡±

 Chapter 6 : After Midnight

    Chapter 6 : After Midnight


    ¡°What? Why!?¡± questioned Kianna as she gave Mica a perplexed look.


    ¡°Because not that he actually came out and said it.¡± mumbled Anton ¡°But it''s pretty clear that Leopold and Ila have somehow become renegades from their clan. Or at least in part. I can only speculate since I don''t know all the details. But it looks like they''ve taken an opportunity to live free lives, and have decided to try and give their children a chance to live freely as well. Away from their clan...¡±


    ¡°Well, if that''s all they want. Can''t they just say that?¡± questioned Kianna ¡°I mean, if they don''t want their family to be part of the clan anymore. Can''t they just leave it?¡±


    ¡°No. That''s not how it works, Kianna.¡± said Anton as he shook his head ¡°A shinoccubi can''t just leave its clan. Not by its own choice at least.¡±


    ¡°Why not!?¡± snapped Mica ¡°Who''s gonna stop them!?¡±


    Anton went still for a moment as he gave Mica a silent assessment.


    ¡°You really don''t have any idea how the clans work, do you?¡± asked Anton.


    Mica said nothing as she narrowed her eyes and set her jaw.


    ¡°...I see, well, now that I think about it. I guess that does make sense.¡± nodded Anton ¡°All shinoccubi are forbidden to discus anything that is related to their clans with outsiders. And since I''m guessing your parents never intended for you to become part of their clan. They couldn''t discus anything about it with you... How very inconvenient for them... Lucky for you though, I can discus it with you. And I can even explain why your parents now want to kill you.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? Do you really think I''m buying any of this shit? My own Mom and Dad suddenly want to kill me out of the blue because some invisible clan is gonna be pissed at them if they don''t. A clan that I''ve never even heard of before because apparently my parents have been ¡°forbidden¡± from talking about it! And yet, somehow, some random human like you knows all about all of it!? Yeah, right!¡± mocked Mica ¡°Why would I believe anything you''re saying, about any of this crap!? When I have literally no reason to think you aren''t just a piece of shit liar!¡±


    ¡°Watch your mouth you little bitch!¡± growled Kianna as her features began to darken ¡°My Master is not a liar!¡±


    Mica''s tail began to quiver wildly around her waist as she instinctively tried to point her spade at the looming dark elf.


    ¡°Enough. Both of you.¡± commanded Anton ¡°Again, believe me or not, Mica, it makes no difference. You''re still going to listen to what I have to say. You need to hear this so that you can understand what you''ve done.¡±


    ¡°Fuck! You!¡± growled Mica through her teeth.


    Ignoring her, Anton turned his attention to the two dark elves.


    ¡°It won''t hurt for you two to have a better understanding as well. Of both shinoccubi, and cubi in general.¡± he said as he looked from Fiona to Kianna ¡°So pay attention.¡±


    ¡°Right, there''s actually I few things I was wanting to ask you about.¡± said Kianna ¡°Mostly why you kept talking about their last name? Why is that so important?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that. Right, well.¡± said Anton as he shifted his gaze back to Mica ¡°You see, any cubi that has a last name is pretty much guaranteed to have been born on Terra. As the cubi that are born in the realms are not allowed to have last names.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± asked Kianna as she too turned her eyes to Mica.


    Anton hesitated for a moment as he stared at Mica and let a thoughtful expression take form on his face. Having apparently decided on what he was going to say, he began to speak.


    ¡°Because a last name can have meaning. It can be more than just a label. It''s something you can take pride in, stand for, and build on. It''s a legacy, a piece of heritage. And it''s also something that can be rallied around. It can give people unity, hope, strength and a promise for a future. In other words, a last name is something that can make people want to be better people. And this is not something that cubi are allowed to have...¡± explained Anton as his eyes stayed locked to Mica''s ¡°Because in the eyes of the other Infernals, cubi are not people.¡±


    Taken aback, Mica blinked and creased her brow in affront as she took in his statement.


    ¡°They''re toys, tools, soldiers, minions and servants. The very luckiest of them live as pampered pets, and those that aren''t so lucky... Well, they often end up as food...¡± said Anton as he watched Mica''s eyes widen ¡°Cubi may be fully sapient, and are without question people. But not to the other Infernals. To them, a cubi is considered no different than an animal, like a dog. And may even be seen as less. They are creatures bred and born to be owned. And as such they''re often treated as little more than living items. Tokens to be collected and bartered with. In fact, this practice of being used as trade tokens is how many cubi have come to be living on Terra in the first place. As it has always been common for a negotiating demon to sweeten a deal by throwing in a cubi or two. This is literally where the vast majority of the Terran population of cubi are derived from, these traded individuals, who were either set free themselves, or gave birth to free children. And that''s exactly what I thought the case was with Leopold and Ila. I assumed they had somehow become free themselves, or were descended from freed parents... That doesn''t seem to the case though. Or at least not fully.¡±


    ¡°I''m not a fucking dog!¡± growled Mica ¡°Don''t ever call me that again!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by free?¡± asked Kianna ¡°Are shinoccubi enslaved to their clans?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly. Though they might as well be.¡± said Anton ¡°Cubi as a whole are rarely ever legitimately enslaved because there really is no need for that. You see, cubi all have an ingrained ability that when invoked, acts as a self-inflicting curse that will bind them to whoever they recognize as their owners. In shinoccubi this ability is more akin to an oath of loyalty, and is used during a ceremony in which they become recognized as part of the clan by activating this ability and essentially committing themselves to what is called their ¡°Makieve¡±, which is the head of their clan. Now, this Makieve is never another shinoccubus, but instead is usually a demon. A demon which acts as not only the leader, but is in all truthfulness, the owner of the clan, and everyone in it. And I do mean this literally. As the clans are treated as property in the realms. With the position of Makieve acting as the title of ownership. A title which can be, and is often, traded or sold.¡±


    The dark elves both remained silent as they nodded in understanding and gazed at the fuming kiochi.


    ¡°Since their Makieve is not actually a permanent figure, these shinoccubi who have cursed themselves are in all actuality dedicated more to the clan itself than anything. Or at least the idea of it. You see, although they will always obey any commands that their Makieve may make, they still operate fairly independently in their day to day lives. And by this I mean they do have their own culture. One that keeps them organized, efficient and functioning correctly. The clans are structured and have hierarchies as well as customs, beliefs and most importantly, laws.¡± explained Anton ¡°Laws that are enforced with deadly consequences. Laws that dictate ¡°All, within one shadow¡± which means that one''s mind, body, pride and blade, all belong to the clan, and to the clan alone. To steal any of these things from the clan is a blatant betrayal. And this is a crime that Leopold and Ila are both very guilty of.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit!¡± exclaimed Mica ¡°My parents aren''t thieves! They didn''t steal anything!¡±


    ¡°Yes, they did.¡± said Anton.


    ¡°What!? What did they steal then!?¡± demanded Mica.


    ¡°You.¡± declared Anton ¡°You, Nokko and any other siblings you may have. All of you have been stolen away from the clan that by birth you belong to and from the Makieve that ultimately owns you. You''re parents, for all that they''ve done, are, without question, traitors to their clan. By hiding away and living on Terra, giving themselves a last name, accumulating wealth by building successful careers, and finally, by having children. All without the clans knowledge. Makes your parents thieves, that by all appearances look very much like they''re trying to secretly build a new, rival clan that''s all their own. Now, considering you are clearly not trained in such a way that you could help them fight against another clan, I very much doubt that''s what their plan is. Unfortunately, it really doesn''t matter what I think...¡±


    ¡°They didn''t ¡°steal¡± me!¡± growled Mica ¡°Nobody owns me! And I don''t belong to any fucking clan!¡±


    ¡°Isn''t that going a little overboard though?¡± asked Kianna ¡°I''m mean, I get it that the clans gonna be pissed that they ran off, but isn''t going straight to killing everyone a little much?¡±


    ¡°Of course it is. But you have to remember that shinoccubi are naturally bloodthirsty beings, Kianna. Killing is second nature to them. It''s their answer for every problem. And something else that you need to understand is that they see themselves as one of the most cunning and capable races in existence. And they are not necessarily wrong about this. Mica may have given her kind a poor first impression, but don''t let that fool you. A trained, experienced shinoccubus can be a deadly opponent, especially when you don''t see them coming.¡± said Anton as he shook his head ¡°And because they view themselves so highly, they consider it an honorable accomplishment to successfully kill another one of their own. This is why clan to clan warfare is so common among them. It gives them the opportunity to target each other and claim the glory of a kill. Which is an achievement so important to them that they''ll even keep body parts of their slain opponents as both trophies and proof of what they''ve done. They are extremely vicious towards their own kind. And with this being the case, there is no question that the clan would see Leopold and Ila''s transgressions as more than a good enough reason to target them. They will take the opportunity to make an example of them, and then they''ll quell any possible future vengeance by taking out their children as well...¡±


    ¡°...That''s, wow.¡± whispered Kianna ¡°That''s pretty extreme...¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is... And none of this would have been an issue if Mica hadn''t gone and put herself out there.¡± sighed Anton ¡°A full grown female shinoccubus that has appeared out of nowhere, is claiming that she isn''t in a clan and is looking for work as an assassin is going to immediately draw attention. From everyone, everywhere! Every clan is going to want to know where she came from, how capable she is and whether or not they can add her to their own ranks. Which they will all want to do, by force if necessary. They will track her down. And when they do, she''ll lead them right back to her family. Which she will do. We''ve already seen this ourselves. She was willing to talk almost immediately after we captured her, so we know she won''t last a minute in the hands of another shinoccubus... I can almost see Leopold''s point with wanting to kill her. She''s nothing but a liability now...¡±


    ¡°Fuck you!¡± snapped Mica ¡°I didn''t tell you shit about my family!¡±


    ¡°Yes, you did. You told me enough to figure out who your family was. You lead me right to them.¡± said Anton ¡°And you''ll do the same again, there''s no question of that. You will talk.¡±


    Trembling with raw hatred, Mica''s slitted pupils began to pulse with her breath as she glared at Anton.


    Narrowing his eyes at her, Anton couldn''t help but to become irritated with her blatant disregard and fed up with her attitude he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees as he addressed her.


    ¡°Now you listen to me, you unrepentant little fool. You need to start taking this seriously. As things have been set in motion now, events that could very well end with the spades cut from yours and your family members tails all ending up as someone''s kitchen knives!¡± he snarled as he stared right back at her ¡°And not only is this going to be all your fault! But you don''t even have a drop of remorse for what you''ve done, do you!?¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Just shut up!¡± raged Mica ¡°Just stop talking! I don''t believe you! I don''t believe any of this!¡±


    ¡°Seriously!? He''s telling you the truth you idiot!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she pointed her ears straight back behind her head ¡°You need to listen to him! He''s trying to help you understand how your crazy murder clan works! You stupid little bitch!¡±


    ¡°No, he''s not! He''s a liar! He''s not a shinoccubus so how could he even know any this!¡± countered Mica ¡°He''s trying to fuck with me! Telling me shit to mess with my head! Like my family! They would never want to kill me! He''s lying! And there is no clan! He doesn''t know what he''s talking about! He-!¡±


    ¡°Your tail was short when you were born.¡± interrupted Anton as he settled back into his seat and laid his arms out across the chairs armrests ¡°And the spade at the end of it was soft with a rounded shape. It hardened quickly after your birth, but it didn''t get its sharp point, or become elongated in shape until just a few years ago. When you were going through puberty. During that time the sides of it split open, and the sharpened edge came through. Its not done growing in yet. It will get even longer and sharper with time. As will your horns...¡±


    Surprised by his statements, Mica went still as she stared at him.


    Gazing back at her, Anton waited until it was clear that she wasn''t going to speak before he continued.


    ¡°Your tail was short so you wouldn''t strangle yourself with it in the womb.¡± he explained ¡°Or get it tangled up with your umbilical cord. And your spade was soft and dull so you wouldn''t hurt either yourself or your mother with it.¡±


    ¡°...How, in the Hell?¡± mumbled Mica as she narrowed her eyes in question.


    ¡°You are not completely immune to fire, but you have a very high resistance to heat in general. And can remain comfortable in temperatures that are well over several hundred degrees.¡± said Anton ¡°The reverse is not the same however, as you have absolutely no tolerance for the cold.¡±


    ¡°...Okay. So what are you like some kind of shinoccubi fan boy or something!?¡± exclaimed Mica as she pressed herself back against the metal chair ¡°Cause that''s just creepy that you know all that crap!¡±


    ¡°I wouldn''t exactly call myself a fan...¡± mumbled Anton ¡°But as you can tell, I am very well informed on your kind.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Did you study the shinoccubi too!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards in question.


    ¡°I have.¡± nodded Anton ¡°I''ve actually done my best to make an in-depth study of each of the Infernals.¡±


    ¡°...Okay?¡± drawled Mica ¡°That''s... weird! Why would you ¡°study¡± my people?¡±


    ¡°Because I''m a naturalist, and my main interest is other sapient races.¡± explained Anton ¡°And the reason I''ve studied your kind as well as all of the Infernals so deeply... Is because it was necessary. We needed to know everything we could about you. What you could do, and any weaknesses you might have. We had to have this knowledge. So we could survive against you. So we could fight you. And so we could beat you.¡±


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.Mica blinked in uncertainty as a lace of anxiousness formed in her eyes.


    ¡°The modern age may be a time of peace. But this is a new experience. This is the first instance of true peace this world has ever known.¡± stated Anton ¡°For countless millennia this world knew only constant conflict, and war. And no enemy of peace was more prominent than Hell itself. For Hell, and its people, war was the way of life. Conquest and destruction were its culture, and no place was safe from its flames...¡±


    Mica said nothing as she merely stared back at him.


    ¡°You, yourself, may be far removed from the Hell of the old age, Mica. But that doesn''t change the fact that it is where you come from. It is why you exist. And it is still what you are. You''re a product of war. And the blade at the end of your tail is proof of that.¡± said Anton ¡°Your kind was our enemy. And in order to defeat an enemy, you need to figure them out. You need to understand them, and how they work. We knew this. And so we learned. We watched you. We studied you. Until we understood enough about you, to finally win...¡±


    ¡°...That, that wasn''t me though.¡± muttered Mica as she looked away in defiance ¡°That was forever ago, and I had nothing to do with any of that!¡±


    ¡°No, you didn''t have anything to do with it.¡± nodded Anton ¡°And the wars may have long ended. But you and your kind are still here. And so many of you are still so ready and willing to kill. So understanding how to stop you will, unfortunately, always be knowledge worth having...¡±


    The room went quiet for several long moments before Kianna slowly leaned forward to gaze at Anton.


    ¡°Were you, actually there?¡± she whispered softly as her eyes tightened in question ¡°Back then?¡±


    ¡°...Another time, Kianna.¡± answered Anton in a soft tone as he stared at Mica.


    ¡°...Right.¡± nodded Kianna as she too looked to Mica ¡°...Right.¡±


    ¡°...Fine then. So let''s say I think you might know what you''re talking about.¡± mumbled Mica as she shifted her eyes back over to Anton ¡°You might! ...None of what you''ve said explains why my parents would want you to kill me though. If the clan doesn''t know who I am, or anything about me, then if anything we could just run off and hide or something! Wanting to kill me doesn''t make any sense! And I think you''re just trying to fuck with me, or trick me! Or something! I don''t know what your deal is! But my Mom and Dad would never do that to me! They would never hurt me!¡±


    ¡°They would if the clan told them to.¡± said Anton ¡°If the clan told them to find this mystery kiochi, and then bring her in. They would do it. Even if it meant their own deaths through being found out, they would still do it. They would have no choice. And they know this.¡±


    ¡°...Wait. ...Th-that!¡± stammered Mica as understanding suddenly formed in her eyes ¡°...But, that. That would only matter if the clan was real! Which you could still be full of shit about that! This could all be bullshit! Just a trick! You! You''re! ...You''re!¡±


    ¡°And why would I be trying to trick you all of a sudden? What would I gain from that?¡± asked Anton ¡°You have nothing I want. And even if you did, I have you at my mercy here. If there was something I wanted from you, I could take it easily enough right now this moment. But there is nothing. In fact, all I''ve wanted was to send you home. I even called your Father, and I let you speak with both him and your sister. I didn''t have to do any of that. So what, am I supposedly trying to trick you for? What goal could I possibly have for doing that?¡±


    ¡°...What is this then? ...What do you want!?¡± demanded Mica as her expression became frantic ¡°What are you going to do with me!?¡±


    Anton remained still and silent as he stared back at her.


    ¡°...What are you going to do with her?¡± asked Kianna as the silence began to drag on.


    ¡°...Honestly.¡± sighed Anton ¡°...I don''t know.¡±


    ¡°Then just let me go!¡± cried Mica as she began to pull against her binds ¡°Let me go! Let me go!¡±


    Seemingly ignoring her, Anton shook his head in frustration before continuing.


    ¡°This is a very difficult situation...¡± he mumbled as he began to rub his temple ¡°And if I was going to be completely honest about it... I''d say the easiest, and probably the best solution... Would be to just kill her and be done with it...¡±


    Kianna had a stoic expression on her face as she nodded her head and watched as Mica''s emerald eyes went wide in panic as she froze mid-motion in her efforts to free herself.


    Sighing through his nose, Anton said nothing as he folded his arms over his chest and stared down at the distressed kiochi.


    ¡°...I really should. ...It would instantly solve this entire situation.¡± he mused after several minutes of silence ¡°Her life for her families... It''s the best way to make them safe... Maybe the only way...¡±


    Mica made a small noise in the back of her throat as she pressed herself against the metal chair.


    ¡°...I should just to do it. ...And be done with it.¡± continued Anton as his expression remained blank ¡°It''s the best way... It needs to be done...¡±


    Mica''s eyes were at their widest as she stared at Anton and held her breath.


    After another moment of stillness, Anton slowly shook his head.


    ¡°...But I can''t do that.¡± he whispered softly as he closed his eyes and sighed again ¡°I just can''t do it...¡±


    A relieved expression instantly spread across Mica''s face and was quickly followed by an angry scowl.


    ¡°Why not?¡± asked Kianna as she narrowed her eyes at the kiochi and pointed her ears straight back.


    ¡°Because I know how badly this will hurt Leopold and Ila.¡± admitted Anton ¡°And I just can''t do that to them...¡±


    ¡°...Right, but, you said they were going to kill her themselves, right?¡± questioned Kianna ¡°Wouldn''t it be better for you to do it instead?¡±


    ¡°That''s not what they want though, Kianna. They''re only going to do that because it''s what they have to do. What they think they need to do.¡± stated Anton as he began to rub his temple again ¡°It''s not what they want to do... It''s not what I want to do...¡±


    ¡°...Right. They''re your friends, I keep forgetting that.¡± nodded Kianna ¡°I''m sorry...¡±


    ¡°It''s okay.¡± grinned Anton ¡°I know how you feel about Mica. So I understand.¡±


    ¡°Yeah... Still, I''m sorry.¡± mumbled Kianna softly as she gazed at the kiochi ¡°...So then, what are you going to do with her now?¡±


    ¡°That...¡± replied Anton ¡°Is still a very good question...¡±


    ¡°...Well, what were you planning to do with her before?¡± asked Kianna ¡°Before you knew who she was, and who her parents are?¡±


    ¡°Ah, well!¡± grinned Anton ¡°That''s not a plan that''s going to work out anymore either. So I don''t think there''s any reason to discus it in front of our guest.¡±


    Mica narrowed her eyes in irritation as Kianna giggled softly.


    ¡°We are going to need to do something though...¡± mused Anton as he addressed Mica by leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees ¡°And a little more information is going to be necessary to figure out the next step. So, that being the case, I''m going to need you to answer a few more questions for me, Mica.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you!¡± snapped Mica ¡°I''m not telling you anything else! Give me my phone! I want to talk to my Dad!¡±


    Taken aback by her outburst, Anton narrowed his eyes in annoyance.


    ¡°Have you not been listening? Your parents are not going to be any help to us right now.¡± declared Anton ¡°We''re on our own here, and if we want to fix this, then I''m going to need some more information. Some clue that could tell me what clan your parents are part of. So you need to think. Did they ever talk about anything that sounded like it might be work related, but seemed off to you? Any strange, demonic sounding names they may have talked about more than once? Anything at all like that might be important. So think hard.¡±


    ¡°I''m not telling you shit!¡± hissed Mica through her teeth ¡°You keep twisting around everything I say! You''re not getting anything else out of me!¡±


    ¡°...Listen to me, Mica. This is important. Your parents will never tell me what clan they''re in. So I need you to help me figure it out.¡± explained Anton ¡°You said they were assassins, right? How did you know that? What did they tell you?¡±


    Mica pressed her lips together as she shook her head in defiance.


    ¡°Mica. I am not trying to trick you. I am trying to fix this.¡± stated Anton as his face hardened ¡°And for that I need you to answer my questions. Please.¡±


    Again, the kiochi shook her head as she remained tight lipped.


    ¡°...If she doesn''t wanna talk, then we could always try putting the needles back in her.¡± offered Kianna as she grinned smugly ¡°It worked the first time.¡±


    ¡°No, Kianna...¡± sighed Anton ¡°We are not going to torture her again...¡±


    ¡°Aw! But it did work...¡± groaned the dark elf as she smiled cattily at the fuming kiochi ¡°We got her talking right away before. And we could do it again. Just scare the words right out of her!¡±


    Shaking his head, Anton settled back into his seat and sighed in frustration. After a moment of stillness, his face took on a thoughtful expression.


    ¡°...Actually. That might not be a bad idea.¡± he mused softly.


    ¡°Oh, seriously!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as she turned to him with excitement in her eyes.


    ¡°What! No!¡± cried Mica before slamming her mouth shut again.


    ¡°Not the needles, necessarily.¡± smiled Anton as he again leaned forward and planted his elbows on his knees ¡°I meant scaring the words out of her. That is actually a great idea.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡± mumbled Mica as she blinked in uncertainty.


    ¡°Since things have become more, complicated, as of late. My plans for what to do with you have since changed. And out of kindness, I was going to spare you the details of what I had potentially intended for you.¡± explained Anton ¡°But now having thought about it a bit more. I think you can actually still be quite useful to us. At least in a few instances.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what!?¡± questioned Mica ¡°What are you talking about!?¡±


    ¡°I''m talking about what I had originally considered doing to you, of course.¡± chuckled Anton ¡°You see, Mica, Fiona and Kianna, the two dark elves that are here with us. Are in the process of learning how to use their various magical abilities. Now, as you can see, they are already adults. Which means that they are a bit behind where they should be. This, unfortunately, is due to a rather, rough, upbringing. One that resulted in them only recently being able to begin practicing with their magic. Now, despite this late start in life, they''ve been doing very well with developing their skills. And we have been able to make quite a bit of headway in getting them to where they need to be. Of course, this hasn''t been without a few, hiccups. One major issue that we have been dealing with recently has been a lack of a... proper target...¡±


    ¡°...I don''t like where this is going!¡± mumbled Mica.


    ¡°You see, Mica. Thus far we''ve been forced to do what we could with what we have. And this has meant that in order to help each other practice, each of us has had to take our turn as a stand-in target.¡± said Anton as he gave Mica a playful smile ¡°Now, unfortunately, this really hasn''t been working out too well for us. As you see, the girls can be a bit, eager, or, heavy-handed, if you will. And at this point we''ve had more than one... Well, let''s just call them, close calls, shall we?¡±


    Mica involuntarily swallowed a lump in her throat as the two dark elves began to snicker.


    ¡°And that is where you, and your usefulness, would have come in.¡± continued Anton ¡°You see, had things gone differently. I was planning to use you as a training body for the girls to practice with. It really would''ve been so much easier to use you as the target, than to try and continue to have them learn while using each other. And I just knew that you would be the perfect person to help us with this. Since, as a shinoccubus, you would definitely be tough and, flexible, enough for the job. Of course, we would have certainly have had to remove some of your more, unfriendly attributes, first...¡±


    Mica gulped again as Anton leaned in even closer.


    ¡°After all, a good little training doll has no need for horns, fangs, clawed wings or a bladed tail...¡± whispered Anton as he stared into her eyes ¡°Nasty little things like those would just get in the way...¡±


    Mica remained completely still as Anton eased away from her.


    ¡°Now, due to a possibly misplaced act of kindness towards your parents...¡± said Anton ¡°I''m no longer planning to subject you to such extreme modifications... Unless of course you make me have to...¡±


    Mica grimaced as she tried and failed to wiggle her spade free from the belt it was locked to.


    ¡°In any case, even though my plans have drastically changed. I do believe there is at least one thing you can still help us with.¡± smiled Anton ¡°Something that would have otherwise been very difficult to practice on our own.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you! I''m not helping you with shit!¡± exclaimed Mica.


    ¡°Wonderful! That''s actually an excellent attitude to have for this!¡± chuckled Anton as he settled back into his seat ¡°Alright ladies. We''re going to have a short, impromptu lesson real quick.¡±


    The dark elves both turned their attention to him as their ears pointed themselves straight upwards.


    ¡°Now, I want you both to think back to the confrontation that just took place between you two and the sasquatch, Joel.¡± said Anton ¡°If you remember correctly, Joel did react to your auras. Unfortunately though, that reaction wasn''t enough to stop him. He could clearly feel the auras, but he was still willing to attack you. Why do you think that was?¡±


    ¡°...Uh?¡± questioned Kianna as she and Fiona looked at each other ¡°...I don''t know? ...I guess, because he wasn''t scared of us?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. You got it in one, very good.¡± said Anton as he grinned up at the dark elf ¡°A lack of influence was exactly what allowed the ape to continue with his assault against you. Now, had you been affecting his emotions, things would have likely gone much differently. As there is an emotion that when influenced with intensity, can be quite crippling. Even to a being with the strength of a sasquatch. And which emotion do you ladies think that is?¡±


    The dark elves looked to each other for a moment before turning to Mica and smiling wickedly.


    ¡°It''s fear!¡± they both answered in unison as their eyes began to glow with excitement.


    ¡°Correct, very good.¡± nodded Anton as Mica''s eyes quickly darted back and forth between the two smiling dark elves ¡°Now then, let''s see just how well Mica can handle a little fear, shall we...¡±

 Assassin Arc : Chapter 7 : After Midnight

    Chapter 7 : After Midnight


    ¡°So, how do we make people feel fear!?¡± asked Kianna as her voice rang with her excitement.


    ¡°It''s actually not too difficult.¡± said Anton as he laid his arms out across the chairs armrests ¡°In fact, you''ve already done something similar without even realizing it. If you''ll think back to our previous training, specifically the time when you were attempting to kill your sister with a binding ring, you''ll realize that you were projecting your anger out into your aura. Mechanically speaking, the process of instilling fear is in essence the same, only with a different emotion being applied.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay... I do remember that...¡± mused Kianna as her expression became thoughtful ¡°But how do we do that with fear though?¡±


    ¡°How did you do it with anger?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°Uh, well, I just kinda did it?¡± reasoned Kianna ¡°...I guess I was trying to make sure she knew I was pissed? Like I wanted her to feel it?¡±


    ¡°You''re on the right track.¡± nodded Anton ¡°Essentially what you''re doing is sending a message. It''ll be easier to show you what I mean as I explain it. So let''s go ahead and begin by flaring our auras.¡±


    ¡°Whoa! Hold on a second!¡± exclaimed Mica as she thrashed back and forth ¡°You can''t do this to me! This isn''t fair! I''m not gonna be your fucking training doll!¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are.¡± said Anton as he let his aura spread outwards and fill the area ¡°You don''t have a choice.¡±


    The dark elves were both smiling as they let their auras flare outwards and join with Anton''s.


    ¡°Now, anger itself is actually a very easy emotion to project. As Kianna has noted, all you have to do is make it be known that you, yourself are unhappy. It really is that simple.¡± explained Anton as he watched the kiochi slow her struggles as she felt the air around her become heavy ¡°Now for an example. I''m going to make it clear to Mica, just how very unhappy with her I actually am...¡±


    Mica made a small sound in her throat as the air around her was instantly filled with a thick and suffocating sense of dread and malice. Blinking her eyes wide in apprehension, she went still as she stared at Anton.


    With their own auras now surrounding them and acting as a buffer, the dark elves were able to recognize the presence of Anton''s aura around them but were not being directly effected by it.


    ¡°This is as simple as it is because I am legitimately furious with Mica. And I do want her to know this... However, I can still generate this same effect with another target that I am not so upset with by simply recalling a point in time that I was feeling especially angry and channeling that same emotion into my current message.¡± said Anton as he narrowed his eyes at Mica ¡°Now, a message of anger can and will elicit a certain amount of natural fear in anyone who feels it. However, this fear is going to be more akin to apprehension, and is not going to be the same as forcing someone to actually feel true terror. Projection is not the same as influence. Though their mechanics are similar. What I am doing right now can be thought of as a warning more than anything. What I''m about to do however... Is no warning...¡±


    Mica''s breath became caught in her throat as the aura that was surrounding her began to seep into her very being. Unable to resist in any way, she could do nothing as a thin, swirling cloud of raw dread began to take shape within her mind.


    ¡°Just a tiny little taste... Don''t want to overdo this...¡± said Anton as he kept his eyes locked to Mica ¡°Now then, the difference between projecting a warning and influencing your target is subtle but quite significant... Do you understand what''s happening? You should be able to feel it, at least somewhat... This is no simple warning... There is no message here... No question or comment that can be ignored or disregarded... I''m not asking her to fear me... I''m making sure that she does...¡±


    The dark elves both stared transfixed as they watched Mica begin to tremble as her face paled. Staring at Anton, the kiochi''s slitted pupils constricted themselves down until they were nothing more than thin, black slivers that were barely visible in the sea of emerald green that made up her eyes.


    ¡°...I can feel it! How you''re... ¡°influencing¡±, her...¡± whispered Kianna as she tightened her eyes in question ¡°But, how are you... making the fear?¡±


    ¡°Ah, again, it''s very simple.¡± said Anton as he nodded slowly and dropped his aura.


    Mica immediately breathed an exasperated sigh of relief as the swirling terror instantly drained itself from her mind.


    ¡°N-no! N-no more!¡± she croaked as her entire body was racked with tremors ¡°I''ll talk! I''ll talk!¡±


    ¡°Why don''t we put our little training doll to the test. And see how well she can handle having you both practice this together.¡± said Anton as he ignored the kiochi''s cries ¡°To begin with, the both of you can go ahead and imbue her with your auras.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what!?¡± cried Mica as the dark elves both smiled broadly ¡°Hold on! Hold on! Wait! Don''t!¡±


    The kiochi went rigid and silent as she felt the weight of the two opposing auras begin to concentrate themselves around her. Shaking her head in defiance, she clamped her eyes shut as she put all her will into resisting their efforts to invade her being.


    The dark elves both began to softly laugh as they felt their auras slowly claw their way into the now groaning kiochi.


    Her struggles wasted, Mica glared up at them in fury as their presence permeated throughout her being.


    ¡°Very good.¡± nodded Anton ¡°Now then, at this point you two should be able to feel her resolve as if it were a wall or barricade fighting to block you out and resist you. Force you way beyond that. Delve as deep into her very core as you can. And don''t worry too much about hurting her. That''s what you''re trying to do after all.¡±


    The dark elves both nodded silently as they concentrated on their efforts.


    ¡°No!¡± groaned Mica as she fought to hold them back.


    Pressing herself back against the metal chair, Mica clamped her eyes shut as she felt her resistance fail.


    ¡°Okay! I think we did it!¡± breathed Kianna.


    ¡°Good.¡± nodded Anton ¡°Now, you just need to make her feel fear.¡±


    ¡°...H-how?¡± questioned Kianna.


    ¡°Simple.¡± said Anton as he stared unblinkingly at Mica ¡°Show her your desires. Everything that you want to do. Everything that will happen to her. Make her feel it all. Don''t simply tell her anything, show her everything. Make sure that she knows there will be no more warnings, only promises.¡±


    ¡°Stop!¡± cried Mica as she shook her head ¡°No! Get out! Get out! Get-!¡±


    The kiochi''s eyes shot open as her mouth hung agape. Slowly looking upwards she made a small gurgling sound as she took in the sight of the looming dark elves.


    Fiona and Kianna stood completely silent as they gazed down at the quivering kiochi and watched her eyes slowly go wide in terror. Making small choking sounds in the back of her throat, Mica tried to scream as the dark elves features suddenly began to blacken and their eyes ignited into a fiery glowing red. Taking a step closer, the two dark elves forced Mica to cringe down into her shoulders as they leaned over her and stared unblinkingly into her eyes as they filled her entire being with a crippling, soul crushing fear. Unable to look away from them, Mica whimpered softly as she saw visions of herself reflected back in their large eyes.


    ¡°...Alright girls, I think that''s enough for now. We don''t want to break her completely on the first round. We do still need her to be coherent after all.¡± said Anton in a hushed tone as he watched the dark elves slowly eased themselves away from Mica ¡°...This little exercise actually has a second point of usefulness to us. As one very nice aspect of Infernals, is that they all seem to instinctively understand hierarchy. Establish yourself as more powerful than them. And whether they like it or not. They will recognize you as such. And so, I expect Mica will be much more willing to behave accordingly now...¡±


    ¡°This is seriously so easy!¡± mumbled Kianna as the blackness that was surrounding both her and Fiona vanished from around them ¡°She literally can''t do anything to stop us... I don''t think she can even move!¡±


    ¡°It''s going to feel easy because for a dark elf, causing fear will come naturally.¡± explained Anton ¡°And yes, I doubt she would be able to move all too well right now, if she can even move at all. This is how it will be for most people, or at least anyone who can''t resist you. And this is what you can do without even touching her. The same level of influence would not only be easier to achieve while touching your victim, but the effect can actually be amplified tenfold. I don''t think we need to go that far with Mica though, at least not at the moment.¡±


    ¡°...No wonder people are so scared of us.¡± said Kianna in a hushed tone as Fiona nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Yes, caution is definitely necessary whenever dealing with a dark elf.¡± said Anton ¡°And now that Mica understands that. We should have a much easier time with her.¡±


    The kiochi blinked and hunched in on herself as the dark elves both released her from their auras. Turning her eyes to the floor and away from the people in front of her, Mica began to groan softly as a light dripping sound began to echo through the room.


    ¡°Ew! Seriously!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as she and her sister both took a step back ¡°Did she really just piss herself!?¡±


    ¡°Hm... We may have over did things a bit...¡± muttered Anton as he grimaced at the small puddle that was forming beneath the metal chair ¡°Though, if that was all it took, that is just embarrassing...¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Just shut up!¡± whined Mica as she clamped her eyes shut ¡°I hate you all! ...I wanna go home!¡±


    ¡°Completely understandable.¡± nodded Anton ¡°Cooperate, and we may be able to make that happen.¡±


    ¡°...Okay, fine!¡± whimpered Mica as she left her head to hang low ¡°What do you wanna know?¡±


    ¡°Everything you may know about the clan your parents are a part of.¡± said Anton.


    ¡°I don''t know anything about that! I swear!¡± groaned Mica as she shook her head ¡°Seriously! I never even heard about it until today!¡±


    ¡°Hm... Alright then...¡± sighed Anton ¡°Then how about your parents? You said they were assassins. We''re you telling the truth when you said that?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± nodded Mica ¡°They are. They''re seriously real assassins!¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± said Anton ¡°Assassins who get their targets from their clan?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know?¡± exclaimed Mica ¡°I seriously don''t know anything about that!¡±


    ¡°...Hm.¡± mused Anton as he cradled his chin in his hand ¡°...How is it that you know that your parents are assassins, but don''t know anything about the clan? Why would they tell you about being assassins but nothing else?¡±


    ¡°...They, they didn''t just tell me.¡± admitted Mica ¡°I don''t think they even wanted me to know...¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± questioned Anton ¡°Then how did you find out?¡±


    ¡°...Cause they came home one day. Just out of the blue. They popped in through a portal. ...It was right after I graduated, so I don''t think they remembered I was home.¡± explained Mica ¡°They were talking about it. What, they had just done...¡±


    ¡°They were just talking about it?¡± asked Anton ¡°As in joking about it? Or what exactly do you mean?¡±


    ¡°...No. Well, yeah... kinda.¡± mumbled Mica ¡°They were more like, flirting, with each other. ...Dad was all over Mom, telling her she was amazing... And, she was telling him how incredible he was, when he, cut some guys head off... How clean it was... And he was telling her that he could only do it because of her distraction... I guess the guy couldn''t take his eyes off her... She was wearing that...¡±


    Turning her head to the side, Mica nodded to the pile of garments laying on the bed.


    ¡°Ah! So that''s why you were wearing that then...¡± nodded Anton ¡°You thought a distraction would give you an edge as well. That makes sense.¡±


    ¡°Didn''t help for shit though!¡± grumbled Mica.


    ¡°No, not in this instance at least.¡± agreed Anton ¡°It was distracting. I will give you that. But not enough to help you. ...So, did you steal that outfit from your Mother?¡±


    ¡°No! I just, borrowed it...¡± mumbled Mica.


    ¡°I see.¡± said Anton ¡°She''s going to be furious when she finds out you have it, isn''t she?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah.¡± groaned Mica ¡°Probably...¡±


    ¡°Good. I glad to hear that.¡± grinned Anton ¡°Getting back on track though. So you finding out your parents secret was an accident then. Interesting... What did they say when they realized that you were there?¡±


    ¡°They just tried to backtrack.¡± said Mica with a shrug ¡°But it didn''t work. So they just gave up and told me the truth, that we''re actually real shinoccubi.¡±


    ¡°Real shinoccubi?¡± questioned Anton ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°I mean, you know. Real shinoccubi. Like really, real one''s.¡± stated Mica


    ¡°Do you mean to say shinoccubi as in assassins?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°Yeah. You know, real shinoccubi.¡± confirmed Mica.


    ¡°Right...¡± nodded Anton ¡°You didn''t know they were killers... But you did know that you were a shinoccubus before this though, right? As in the species?¡±


    ¡°Well yeah.¡± mumbled Mica ¡°I''ve got a knife mounted to the end of my tail. Kinda hard to miss that.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± nodded Anton ¡°So what happened next? Now that you found out, what did they do?¡±


    ¡°They made me swear not to say anything, obviously.¡± said Mica ¡°And I told them I wanted in. That finally everything was making sense. And that I wanted to join them too.¡±


    ¡°Making sense? What do you mean by that?¡± asked Anton ¡°And what do you mean by joining them too?¡±


    ¡°I mean like Nokko.¡± stated Mica.


    ¡°Oh, that''s right. Nokko... She knows they''re assassins too...¡± nodded Anton ¡°And when did she find out? Was it the same time you did?¡±


    ¡°No. I don''t know when she found out.¡± said Mica ¡°She probably always knew.¡±


    ¡°What makes you think that?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°Because she''s one of them.¡± said Mica ¡°She''s an assassin too.¡±


    ¡°She is!?¡± exclaimed Anton ¡°Are you sure about that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that''s what I was talking about when I said it all made sense now.¡± explained Mica ¡°Nokko has always been running off to help them with crap. And now it makes sense why. They''re all assassins.¡±


    ¡°Hold on, back up a bit.¡± said Anton as he raised his hand ¡°What are you talking about? What was she helping them with?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know for sure. But now I''m guessing it was to help them kill people.¡± said Mica ¡°Nokko was always waiting for Mom or Dad to call her so that she could go and help them. It was actually really annoying, because she would be standing around one second and then just gone the next without ever saying anything. She never actually wanted to do anything either. Like she never really hung out or played any sports or anything after school because she always had to be ready whenever they called. I always thought it was kind of weird and stupid. And I never knew what they were doing. Until now.¡±


    ¡°And you never asked about this?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°Sure, a couple of times.¡± said Mica as she shrugged her shoulders ¡°She always said she was just helping Mom and Dad though. And they were always busy working, so I figured she really was just helping them do stuff. Honestly, I always thought they were being cool to to me because they never made me do anything like that. They just let me do whatever.¡±


    ¡°I see... So they''d call her for help... But not you...¡± mused Anton as he seemed to be focused on his own thoughts ¡°...Was this always a random thing? Whenever they would call her. Or was it often at the same time every day?¡±


    ¡°It didn''t happen every day.¡± said Mica ¡°And no, the times were always different.¡±


    ¡°I see...¡± nodded Anton ¡°And how many other siblings do you have?¡±


    ¡°Just Nokko.¡± answered Mica.


    ¡°Really? It''s just the two of you?¡± questioned Anton.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± said Mica.


    ¡°Hm, cubi''s stopping at two... That''s different...¡± mumbled Anton ¡°Is Nokko older than you?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Barely.¡± said Mica ¡°She just barely turned 19.¡±


    ¡°And you''re 18?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± said Mica.


    ¡°Hm, very close together... Interesting...¡± nodded Anton ¡°Does anyone in your family ever interact with any other shinoccubi? Any at all? Family? Neighbors? Anything?¡±


    ¡°Um... No?¡± said Mica ¡°Not that I know of?¡±


    ¡°Do you know if your family are the only shinoccubi living in Parnell?¡± asked Anton as he closed his eyes and slowly twisted his neck to the side to crack it.


    ¡°No. I''ve seen other one''s before.¡± said Mica ¡°But I don''t know any of them though, I''ve never talked to any of them.¡±


    ¡°Right... It makes sense that you wouldn''t...¡± mused Anton as he twisted his neck in the opposite direction ¡°So it sounds like your parents let you stay busy with your own things while they met with Nokko whenever they could. Rather than try to juggle the both of you at the same time, they just focused on her... Plates were already too full I''d guess...¡±


    ¡°...What do you mean?¡± asked Mica as she gave him a perplexed look.


    ¡°Nokko is not part of your parents clan, and like you, she probably doesn''t know anything about it either. Or at least none of the details. We can be sure of this for two reasons.¡± said Anton as he settled back in his chair ¡°The first is that if she was a part of the clan, she would have already told them about you. And the fact that she hasn''t is very solid evidence that she is still free from their influence. The second reason we know she isn''t part of the clan is because your parents are the only one''s who''ve been interacting with you two. You see, normally, shinoccubi communities take the form of well hidden villages that may be home to dozens of different families, all from within the same clan. Living in this way, they''ll all work together to help each other raise and train the children. Unfortunately, your parents didn''t have the luxury of relying on that kind of support system. So with all the burdens of trying to keep up with the appearance of normal citizens, maintaining their careers and apparently handling clan assignments. They weren''t left with many hours in the day for raising a pair of young shinoccubi into effective and well-rounded kiochi''s.¡±


    Their attention focused on Anton, Mica and the dark elves remained silent as they all listened to what was being said.


    ¡°Alright then, so considering what we know so far... I think it''s safe to say that your parents have been permanently planted on Terra. More than likely this was so that they could be on site for any assignments that became available here... And they more than likely were given the level of freedom that they have so that they could form a better cover for themselves... Now all that is simple and makes sense... What''s interesting though, is what they''ve done with this level of freedom...¡± mused Anton as he let his eyes fall to the floor ¡°And the question now, is did they actually plan any of this? Because I''m really starting to think that they didn''t...¡±


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± asked Mica.


    Anton blinked as he looked back up at her.


    ¡°I don''t think that you and your sister were planned babies. I think you were both accidents. You especially. And obviously, your parents took advantage of their situation and made the decision to raise you as truly free shinoccubi... A risky decision, but one I can understand and appreciate...¡± he explained ¡°And without any support to help them, they knew they wouldn''t have been able to give you both the attention you needed... So they decided to focus their efforts on the oldest, Nokko, with the mindset of having at least one successfully raised child, rather than two poorly trained ones...¡±


    ¡°Heh! Sounds like everything about you has been an accident.¡± teased Kianna as she smirked at the crestfallen kiochi ¡°Even from the very beginning.¡±


    ¡°Of course, as interesting as all of this is, it doesn''t actually help us in figuring out what clan your parents are part of...¡± said Anton as he focused his attention back on Mica ¡°We need to get back on track. So we can figure this out... Ah! Of course! Your training! That will actually offer us some clues! What is your training like? Describe it as much as you can, you never know what detail might be important.¡±


    ¡°...What do you even mean by training?¡± questioned Mica ¡°I haven''t been trained. Quit talking about me like I''m a dog or something!¡±


    ¡°Dog? What? No, I mean combat training. As in teaching you how to fight.¡± explained Anton ¡°Tell me what they''ve taught you so far. And what your lessons have been like.¡±


    ¡°Oh, um. They haven''t, I guess.¡± said Mica ¡°We haven''t really done anything like that yet.¡±


    ¡°...Wait, you haven''t had any training at all?¡± questioned Anton ¡°Nothing!?¡±


    ¡°I mean, I''ve still been doing my exercises. And jogging. But that''s all just normal stuff.¡± said Mica ¡°Other than that though... We did do some races on an obstacle course at the park, which they said would help to test my skills. I only won one of them, but that was because Nokko kept cheating!¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait! That''s it? That''s all you''ve done?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°...Well, I did take some karate classes too.¡± offered Mica ¡°But that was back when I was a kid...¡±


    ¡°...And that''s it!? So they haven''t taught you anything then!?¡± questioned Anton.


    ¡°No, that''s why I''m here!¡± exclaimed Mica ¡°They wouldn''t let me go anywhere with them! So I had to show them what I could do myself!¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. You showed them all right...¡± mumbled Anton as he reached over the side of the chair and picked up Mica''s sword ¡°This doesn''t make any sense though. Why would they give you this sword if they weren''t going to show you how to use it?¡±


    ¡°...Uh, well.¡± muttered Mica as her eyes became locked to her sword ¡°They didn''t really, give me that sword... I kinda borrowed that too...¡±


    Anton blinked at her before looking down at the sword in his hands.


    ¡°Oh, of course you did...¡± he grumbled as she shook his head ¡°Why do I keep giving you the benefit of the doubt?¡±


    ¡°Look! I get you''re pissed at me but you really need to be careful with that sword! Okay!¡± exclaimed Mica as her expression became desperate ¡°It''s not mine, it''s my Dad''s. And it''s really important to him! He got it from his family, so it''s a big deal! Seriously!¡±


    Anton''s eyes went wide as he gazed down at the sword in his hands.


    ¡°He got this from his family!? ...So then this had to come from his clan!¡± he smiled as he looked over the sword ¡°...Perfect! This is perfect!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± questioned Mica.


    ¡°This sword!¡± said Anton as he looked up at her ¡°This sword could lead us straight to your parents clan! And I know just the guy to show this to! This is perfect! This is exactly what we needed!¡±


    ¡°Oh. Uh, good.¡± nodded Mica ¡°Right, this is good! ...Right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is! This is exactly what we needed!¡± smiled Anton ¡°And now that we have this... We don''t need you anymore...¡±


    Mica blinked as she felt the air around her begin to thicken and become heavy.


    ¡°Don''t think for one second that I''ve disregarded you, Mica. I know there''s bound to be more than one insidious little idea percolating in that grey matter between your horns.¡± said Anton as he locked his eyes to the kiochi''s ¡°I''m sure the thought of escape, or even worse, the terrible notion of completing your mission, has crossed your mind more than once. But unless you want to find out just how uncomfortable your stay with us can really be, I highly suggest that you keep those thoughts as nothing more than the fantasies that they are.¡±


    ¡°...Wait! You''re not really going to make her comfortable, are you!?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°Hardly.¡± said Anton ¡°There is a small cage-shaped space between comfortable and uncomfortable that Mica is about to become quite familiar with...¡±


    ¡°Oh. Okay. That sounds good!¡± smiled Kianna.


    ¡°But, wait! I answered your questions! And I told you about the sword!¡± exclaimed Mica ¡°Why do I have to go back in the cage!?¡±


    ¡°Because you also tried to kill me. And at this point I doubt your above trying that again.¡± said Anton ¡°I also highly doubt that you''d be against harming your torturers. Which is something else I don''t plan on allowing you to do. No, you can''t be trusted in any way. So for the foreseeable future you will remain contained. At least until you can be useful to us again.¡±


    ¡°Oh yes. Don''t worry, Mica. We''ll come get you as soon as we need another target.¡± smiled Kianna ¡°Or if we get bored and decide to decorate you again...¡±


    ¡°Yes, those would also be valid reasons that you may find yourself out of your cage again.¡± nodded Anton as he absently looked over the sword.


    Mica''s mouth fell open as she frantically looked from him to the dark elves and back.


    ¡°No, no! Wait! Please!¡± she cried as panic filled her eyes ¡°Please, please! I''ll do anything! Just please don''t let the elves have me again! Please!¡±


    ¡°They''re dark elves, get it right.¡± said Anton ¡°And do you honestly think that being given to these dark elves is the worse thing that could happen to you here?¡±


    Mica pressed herself against the metal chair as Anton''s aura suddenly flooded the area around her with dread and malice.


    ¡°W-wait, wait! You said wouldn''t kill me!¡± she whimpered.


    ¡°Yes, I did. And I won''t.¡± nodded Anton ¡°Though I never once said that I wouldn''t make you suffer...¡±


    Mica''s eyes widened as she watched a cold smile spread across his face.


    ¡°There are plenty of things that I can do to you that are just as bad as, if not worse than death...¡± said Anton in hushed tone ¡°Binding you to a jar would be one example...¡±


    ¡°...W-what?¡± questioned Mica ¡°What does that mean!?¡±


    ¡°Oh. Are you not familiar with the concept?¡± asked Anton as he set the sword down in his lap and made a little steeple with his fingers ¡°Well then. Let me explain it to you in detail. So that you will understand exactly what will happen to you. You see, what will happen is that you will be condensed down into your barest elements by an enchanted vortex designed specifically to disassemble you, with out killing you. So to begin with your mana pool will be ripped right from your living body, taking your mind and soul along with it. This, of course, will be quite an agonizing experience for you. But what happens next will be worse. As you see, both your mind and soul will be shredded and warped by the vortex they''ve been trapped within until they''ve been combined into one with your mana pool. This process could go on for hours before it''s completed. When it is finished though, your mind, soul and mana pool will have taken the form of a tiny ball of conscious fire. Now, as all of this is happening to your mind, soul and mana pool. Your body, at the same time, is being crushed down into a little marble made up of all of your carbon molecules. This, of course, will also be quite agonizing for you. Once these processes are finally complete, the enchantment will reattach the flame made up of your mind, soul and mana pool back to your body. Making you a single being again. Your body will then act as the fuel source for the living fireball that you have now become. Now, if I decide to leave you fully conscious in this state, then your existence in this new form won''t be anything less than absolute torture. As you see, you will now find yourself withering in an inescapable, unending cycle of raw, blind agony. You won''t be able to move, see, scream or even think in any real way as your body is slowly consumed over the course of countless eons. Burnt away, molecule by molecule by the combined flames of your own essence. This will be painful, very painful. And this pain will last for as long as you are trapped in this form. And you will be staying trapped in this form when I bind you to the base of a jar and seal you inside it. And once you''ve been bound into your cozy little jar, you won''t be able to do anything but flicker in helpless silence until I see fit to set you free... Assuming I ever will of course...¡±


    A long moment of silence stretched out as Mica stared unblinking at Anton.


    ¡°...You will actually look quite pretty as a tiny fireball floating in a jar. So it''s not all bad I guess.¡± said Anton as he shrugged his shoulders ¡°You''ll even still be useful to use as well. Since we could set you up on a shelf or on the counter-top in the kitchen or the bathroom. Someplace where your little flame can flicker and act as a lovely and decorative little nightlight... Now wouldn''t you like that? To know that you''re still being useful to us?¡±


    The kiochi made a tiny sound in the back of her throat as she stared wide eyed and frantically shook her head.


    ¡°Oh, no? Well, that''s too bad I guess.¡± said Anton with another shrug.


    ¡°...Gods alive!¡± breathed Kianna ¡°Can you really do that to her!?¡±


    ¡°Of course I can.¡± said Anton as he leaned forward towards the kiochi ¡°I wouldn''t have said I could if I couldn''t...¡±


    Mica swallowed roughly as she fought to keep the bile in her stomach from rising.


    ¡°Do you know what color her flames will be?¡± asked Kianna.


    Mica stiffed as she turned and gawked at the dark elf.


    ¡°No, I don''t know.¡± said Anton as he eased back into his chair ¡°It''s usually the same as the aura, but every now and then it can be different.¡±


    ¡°That''s so crazy!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she shook her head in amazement ¡°Can I watch you when you do it?¡±


    ¡°Now I didn''t say that I was going to do it. I only said that I could do it...¡± said Anton in a calm tone ¡°Whether or not little Mica here ends up as a flame in a jar depends entirely on her...¡±


    Kianna huffed in annoyance and pointed her ears straight back as she glared at the terrified looking kiochi.


    ¡°Let me make a few things very clear to you, Mica.¡± said Anton as he released the kiochi from his aura ¡°As I don''t want you to be confused on any of the finer points of this situation. First of all, I don''t like you, at all, and I am not at all interested in helping you, or saving you in any way. However, I do like your parents. And as such, I have... grudgingly! Found myself in a position where I am tasked with keeping you alive and at least somewhat healthy... Now, I suggest that you do everything in your power to not make this task anymore difficult for me than it already will be... Do you understand everything I''ve said so far?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± hissed the kiochi through her clenched teeth.


    ¡°Good, good. So then, until we can find a solution for this, work of art, that you have created... You will be staying with us...¡± explained Anton ¡°Now, whether you are treated as a guest or as a prisoner while you are with us will be entirely dependent on how well you can behave yourself from here on out... Do you understand what I''m implying by this?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± nodded Mica.


    ¡°Do you want to live as a flame in a jar?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°What! No!¡± cried Mica.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°Yes!¡± exclaimed Mica.


    ¡°Then will you promise to try your best to be a quiet, well behaved little shinoccubi?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°Yes! Yes I will!¡± nodded Mica as she hunched in on herself.


    ¡°Wonderful. I''m so very happy to hear that.¡± mumbled Anton ¡°And I just can''t wait to see how badly you fail to keep that promise...¡±


    Mica stiffened before dropping her eyes to the floor.


    Anton shook his head before turning to Kianna.


    ¡°Our kiochi has made a mess between her legs.¡± he said as Mica blushed brightly ¡°Can you please go get me a set of gloves, a towel, a wet washcloth and some sanitary wipes so that I can clean her up, please?¡±


    ¡°Of course...¡± sang Kianna as she gave Mica a parting smirk ¡°I''ll be back in just a moment...¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± said Anton as he and Mica both watched her walk away.


    Once Kianna was out of sight, Mica let her eyes fall back to the floor.


    ¡°And do you mind collecting Mica''s scarf and panties for me?¡± asked Anton as he turned and looked up at Fiona ¡°We''re going to show her a tiny bit of hospitality by giving her back some modesty.¡±


    ¡°Of course! Right away, Master!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she immediately started moving towards the bed.


    ¡°Thank you... huh!?¡± started Anton before giving her a double take and cocking an eyebrow.


    ¡°You''re very welcome! Master!¡± cried Fiona over her shoulder as she rushed off to complete her task.


    Anton couldn''t help but have a questioning look on his face as he watched her go.


    ¡°...Hey, thanks, for the clothes.¡± whispered Mica as she continued to hang her head.


    ¡°...It''s just a show of good faith, nothing more.¡± said Anton as he turned back to her and narrowed his eyes.


    Mica nodded softly.


    ¡°...Look, I just want to go home. Okay!¡± she mumbled as she tightened her eyes in sorrow ¡°I don''t want to fight you anymore! Okay! Seriously, I swear! I don''t want anymore problems! I just want to-!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I''m not worried about that, Mica.¡± interrupted Anton as he suddenly lifted her head up by her head-harness ¡°I know you won''t try to fight me again.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what are you-!? Mmph!?¡± cried out the surprised kiochi as Anton shoved her gag back into her open mouth.


    ¡°I also know that you''re not going to cause me anymore problems.¡± said Anton as he held her head pressed back against the metal chair while he locked the clasps back into place on her gag''s face plate ¡°And I know that you''re not going to, because I''m not going to let you!¡±


    Kianna grimaced in annoyance as she glared down at the caged kiochi. Slowly, she slipped the pink-colored light sword she had created between the bars of the cage and lowered it down bit by bit until the tip of the blade hung in the air just above Mica''s head.


    Laying on her back in the locked cage, Mica''s arms were still bound in the Bolero straitjacket that was strapped around her torso. Her breasts however were no longer exposed, having been covered by one of her scarfs, which had been wrapped around her chest before being tied off behind her back. Her wings had been pulled back into her body and were now being held inside her by a thick leather belt that had been buckled strictly around her shoulders. Her tail remained wrapped tightly around her waist, with it''s bladed tip still locked to the belt strapped around her middle. Her legs were thankfully no longer bound at all, and she had been given back her panties.


    This bit of reprieve was overshadowed by not only the large bulbous gag that had been forced back into her mouth, but also by a thick, leather blindfold that had been molded over her eyes and was being held in place by two leather straps that were wrapped tightly around her head both above and below her ears.


    With her sight now locked away behind the blindfold, Mica had no idea that the tip of the light sword was currently dangling precariously just a few inches above her face, and was being pointed directly at the space between her covered eyes.


    Claiming that he wanted to go contact his associate about Leopold''s sword, Anton had left the dungeon immediately after locking the shinoccubus back in her cage and giving the two dark elves the commands that they were not allowed to kill her.


    Fiona had left just as soon as he had as she stated that she needed to ¡°think¡± for a bit.


    Left alone with the kiochi, Kianna had stood in silence for some time before finally approaching the cage and creating the sword.


    ¡°...I know, you know I''m here.¡± she said softly as she absently shifted the sword back and forth.


    Mica stiffened with tension the moment the dark elf spoke but remained still and silent out fear of provoking her.


    ¡°...I''m sure you''ve figured this out by now. But just in case you haven''t, I wanted to make it clear.¡± said Kianna as she bobbed the sword downward in a mock stabbing motion ¡°You have made me very angry...¡±


    Holding her breath, Mica did everything she could to remain as still as possible.


    A thin grin spread across Kianna''s face as her sensitive ears picked up on the heighten pitch of the kiochi''s heartbeat as it echoed out into the otherwise silent room.


    ¡°It''s good that you''re afraid. You should be...¡± breathed Kianna as she lifted the sword a bit higher ¡°Coming here was a mistake. And I''m gonna make sure, that you pay for that mistake...¡±


    Holding the sword about a foot over Mica''s head, Kianna let it drop and watched as it harmlessly melted away just before finding its mark.


    ¡°I have a goal now... It''s that before I find out what color your flame will be...¡± said Kianna as her eyes began to glow with a pale red light ¡°I''m gonna make you cry. I''m gonna hear, what you sound like, when you cry...¡±


    Despite her efforts to remain still, Mica couldn''t help but to swallow the lump in her throat.


    ¡°Goodnight, Mica...¡± smiled Kianna as she stepped away from the cage and turned towards the dungeons exit ¡°Sweet dreams...¡±


    Flicking the last of the lights off as she moved through the room, Kianna stopped at the door and turned back to gaze into the blackness behind her.


    ¡°Oh, I hope that you''re not afraid of the dark.¡± she called as she turned to leave ¡°I would offer you a nightlight, but we don''t have one... yet...¡±


    A heart sinking clank echoed through the dungeon as the dark elf closed the heavy door behind her and sealed the kiochi in solitude.


    The quiet, crypt-like stillness in the blackened dungeon lasted for some time before the silence was broken by the sound of a single, sorrowful sob ringing out through the darkness.

 Assassin Arc : Chapter 8 : Morning

    Chapter 8 : Morning


    Mica kept her eyes lowered as she stared down at the plate of scrambled eggs that had been set down on the table in front of her. While sitting right across from her, and clenching her jaw in obvious anger, Kianna was openly glaring at the clearly uncomfortable looking shinoccubus.


    The next morning had found them, along with Anton and Fiona, all sitting together at the kitchen table and in the process of eating breakfast. Fiona and Kianna were in their normal seats while Mica currently sat next to Anton on the opposite side from them.


    The dark elves were no longer dressed in their dominatrix garb but were now wearing the comfortable cloth shorts and tank tops that they had slept in. Fiona wore a yellow colored top with white shorts while Kianna was in a matching set that was a light pink in color. Anton was similarly dressed in a pair of dark green boxer shorts and a black t-shirt.


    Mica on the other hand was not quite so comfortable. Clad in nothing but her thin panties, bondage gear and a scarf which was still wrapped around her chest, she couldn''t help but to feel as though she had been left far more naked than dressed. Her arms were still held bound by the Bolero straight-jacket, and the belt that had kept her wings trapped inside her body was still buckled around her shoulders. Her blindfold and gag had thankfully been removed once she had been led upstairs and placed in her seat, but the harness that would hold her gag in place was still wrapped tightly around her head.


    Surprisingly, her bare legs had been left unbound, though her now cramping tail was still wrapped tightly around her waist with its bladed spade still safely locked away.


    ¡°...Is everything alright over there, Kianna?¡± asked Anton as he read through the news on his laptop.


    ¡°No, it''s not!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she scowled at Mica and pointed her ears straight back ¡°Why is she sitting on that side with you!?¡±


    Mica quickly glanced up at the dark elf before immediately dropping her eyes back down to the table.


    ¡°Because I don''t know how safe it would be to sit her over there, next to either of you two.¡± said Anton in a matter-of-factual tone ¡°And by safe, I mean that for all three of you...¡±


    Kianna huffed as she tightened her eyes in annoyance. Her expression softened and became wicked looking as her eyes began to glow with a faint red light.


    Mica stiffened as she felt the air around her begin to thicken and become heavy. Glancing back up at the dark elf, she gulped audibly as she was greeted with a sinister looking smile.


    ¡°...Uh, um, hey.¡± whimpered the kiochi as she tilted her head and looked up at Anton ¡°Can I just go back to my cage? Please!?¡±


    Anton glanced at her before looking at her untouched plate.


    ¡°Not until you eat something.¡± he said as he shifted his eyes back to his laptop ¡°You''ll make yourself sick if you go too long without anything in your system.¡±


    Grimacing in sorrow, Mica brought her eyes back to her plate as she hunched herself down onto her shoulders.


    The glow in Kianna''s irises began to brighten until she noticed that Anton''s eyes had become focused on her from over the top of his laptop. Registering his obvious ¡°Stop it!¡± look, she froze immediately before dropping her aura and sheepishly looking down at her own plate.


    Breathing a sigh of relief as the aura faded from around her, Mica eyed her plate of eggs for a moment before grimacing again.


    ¡°So, how am I supposed to eat this?¡± she whined as she shifted about in her straight-jacket ¡°I can''t even use my fork.¡±


    ¡°Well of course you can''t...¡± muttered Anton as he clicked about on his laptop ¡°Did you really think you were going to be allowed to have a sharp item like that?¡±


    Mica gave him a sideways glare before turning back to her eggs.


    ¡°So what am I supposed to do then!?¡± she cried as she struggled against the thick belt that held her arms in place.


    ¡°Hm... Well, I guess you''ll just have to do the only thing you can do, and dive in face first...¡± mumbled Anton in an absent tone ¡°Or, alternatively, you might try to convince one of the dark elves to help you.¡±


    Kianna''s face immediately lit up with a smile as she leaned over the table.


    ¡°Oh! I''d be so happy to help you!¡± she cooed as Mica nervously cringed back and away from her.


    ¡°No, it''s okay, I got it.¡± declared Fiona as she quickly picked up her half eaten plate and got up from her seat.


    Making her way around the table, she set her plate down next to Mica''s before taking the chair from the end of the table and moving it closer to the shinoccubus.


    Anton and Kianna both blinked in surprise and looked at each other as Fiona sat down and began to diligently feed Mica while still eating her own food.


    ¡°...Um, what?¡± questioned Kianna ¡°...What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± said Fiona as she offered Mica one of her sausage links ¡°I''m feeding Mica?¡±


    Eyes going wide in excitement, Mica snatched the offered sausage and quickly devoured it before sheepishly glancing up at Anton as if to make sure that what she had just done was okay.


    ¡°Okay? Why are you being nice to her all of a sudden?¡± asked Kianna as she tilted her head and cocked one her ears in a curious manner.


    ¡°I''m not. But she needs to eat. And I know you wouldn''t be able to help yourself.¡± explained Fiona as she raised a forkful of eggs for Mica ¡°All you''re going to do is try to choke her the whole time. Or stab her with her fork. You''d just end up hurting her, and then leaving her hungry. ...Right!?¡±


    Kianna''s expression soured as she huffed in affront and glared at Mica. Glancing over to Anton, she shared a look of surprise at this unexpected event with him before he grinned, shrugged and went back to reading the news on his laptop. Huffing again, Kianna focused back on eating her own food while continuing to cast darting glares at Mica.


    When he was finished with his meal, Anton slid his plate to the side and was startled when Fiona reached over to pick it up.


    Without a word she set the empty plate on a stack with her own as well as Mica''s and Kianna''s. She then took the stack to the sink where she began to wash them all.


    Dumbfounded, both Anton and Kianna stared blankly at her while a confused Mica looked back and forth between the three of them.


    ¡°...Huh. Well this is a nice change of pace.¡± mumbled Anton as he leaned back in his seat ¡°...Thank you, Fiona.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Of course, Master! Anytime!¡± cried Fiona in a cheerful tone as she looked back over her shoulder and nodded to him.


    Kianna''s mouth full open in surprise as she and Anton both looked at each other again.


    ¡°What''s going on!?¡± mouthed Anton as he raised his hand to indicate Fiona.


    Kianna shrugged and shook her head as they both turned from each other to the kiochi. Unnerved by the sudden attention, Mica nervously shook her head as well as she looked back and forth between them.


    As Anton and Kianna went back to gawking at Fiona, the solemn shinoccubus began to chew on her lower lip as she took the opportunity to covertly shift her hips back and forth in her seat.


    While trying to move as little as possible, Mica worked to scratch an itch on one of the coils of her tail by rubbing it against the bars that made up the backrest of the chair she was sitting in.


    She couldn''t help but to jump in a quickly dissolving panic when Anton''s phone suddenly began to ring in his pocket.


    ¡°...Oh, well it''s about time.¡± mumbled Anton with a grin as he pulled out his phone and glanced at the name on the screen ¡°Looks like somebody''s finally feeling brave again...¡±


    Turning away from him, Mica made an effort to pretend she wasn''t there as Anton tapped on the answer button and pressed the phone to his ear.


    ¡°Well, good morning, Issac.¡± said Anton in a cheery tone that seemed to be laced with a threatening undercurrent ¡°It''s so good to finally hear from you. I''ve been leaving you so many messages. Yet I haven''t heard anything back from you in so long now, that I was starting to worry that something, terrible, might have happened to you...¡±


    Watching as Anton''s face became stoic, Kianna couldn''t help but to shift her ears forward a bit as she tried to listen in on whoever was frantically talking on the other side of the line.


    ¡°...Okay. Let me stop you for just a second.¡± said Anton as he stared forward at nothing and narrowed his eyes ¡°Is all this actually going somewhere? Or are you just wasting my time again?¡±


    Anton tilted his head thoughtfully as the voice on the phone became even louder and more excited sounding.


    ¡°...Mm hm. I know it. I don''t see how that has anything to do with me though?¡± he said as he looked down at his laptop ¡°...Right. ...The big one in Halliburton? ...You''re there right now? ...Well, it''s good to know where you are. ...Because it makes it easier to find you. ...Because I want to find you. ...Oh, I guarantee I would have found you already, if I hadn''t been, busy, these last few weeks. ...That''s nice. I''m glad to hear you''ve been busy as well. Speaking of which, was there a point to this phone call? ...Mm hm. ...Right. ...You found it!? Really!? ...Are you serious? ...And you''re sure it''s the real deal? You''ve seen it? ...Holding it. Okay! Wonderful! Have them...! ...Excuse me!? ...They wouldn''t dare! ...Are you serious!?¡±


    Anton''s back went straight as his jaw set and he forcefully closed the laptop in front of him.


    ¡°They already know who it belongs to! It was reported missing!¡± he declared as he stood up from his chair and picked up his laptop ¡°Give me a minute! I need to get to my office and then I''ll be right there! ...No, just stay right there! I''ll only be a minute! And Issac, I swear if this is a joke! ...You, you''re sure? ...Fine! Find them! And tell whoever is charge that I''ll be right there!¡±


    Anton shook his head in frustration as he pressed the end call button on the phone and turned to the watching dark elves and kiochi.


    ¡°...I need to take care of something real quick. I''ll be right back.¡± he said as he looked directly at Kianna with a frown on his face ¡°Can I trust you two to not hurt Mica while I''m gone?¡±


    ¡°What!? No!¡± cried Mica as her eyes went wide in panic ¡°You can''t leave me here with them! They''ll kill me!¡±


    Anton ignored her completely as he looked from one dark elf to another.


    ¡°Oh, yes! We''ll take good care of her for you!¡± cried Kianna as she nodded eagerly and gave the panicked kiochi a sideways grin ¡°She''ll be just fine...¡±


    ¡°Of course we''ll watch her for you, Master.¡± said Fiona ¡°And don''t worry. I promise, I''ll make sure that she stays safe, and that Kianna doesn''t hurt her.¡±


    ¡°...Right. ...Okay. ...Good!¡± said Anton as he cocked an eyebrow at the smiling dark elf.


    Taking a few steps backwards he gave Kianna another pointed look before turning and quickly leaving the room.


    After a few moments of stillness, Fiona went back to the dishes as Kianna slowly turned to the kiochi and gave her a wicked looking smile. Feeling the air around her immediately thicken, Mica made a small sound as she cringed away from the vicious looking dark elf.


    ¡°So then, Mee-cah...¡± cooed Kianna as she began to rub her hands together ¡°Which one of your horns would you like me to file down first?¡±


    ¡°Ah, no!¡± whimpered Mica as she frantically shook her head.


    ¡°C''mon, Kianna. Will you just leave her alone.¡± chastised Fiona without turning away from the dishes.


    Narrowing her eyes in annoyance, Kianna dropped her aura as she turned to her sister.


    ¡°Okay. For real. What''s going on with you?¡± asked Kianna as she tossed a piece of toast crust at Mica''s head ¡°Your acting weird. And it''s creeping me out!¡±


    Sighing through her nose, Fiona hung her head as she rested her palms on the counter-top and leaned over the sink.


    ¡°...Don''t play stupid, Kianna.¡± she said quietly ¡°You know what this is...¡±


    ¡°...I don''t know what you''re talking about.¡± said Kianna ¡°...And don''t call me stupid.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± muttered Fiona as a sob cracked her voice ¡°You know exactly what I''m talking about!¡±


    ¡°No, I don''t. ...I have no idea what you''re talking about.¡± mumbled Kianna as she looked down at the table in front of her.


    Groaning in frustration, Fiona turned around at the sink and wrapped her arms around herself as she glared at her sister.


    ¡°I don''t want to be sold, Kianna!¡± she cried out as she gripped herself tightly.


    Kianna started to breathe heavily through her nose as she continued to stare down at the table.


    ¡°He wouldn''t do that!¡± she declared through her clenched teeth ¡°We heard him wrong! He would never really do that!¡±


    ¡°Oh, c''mon! You heard him as clearly as I did!¡± cried Fiona as her ears lowered themselves down and her eyes welled with tears born of fear ¡°It was clear as day!¡±


    ¡°No! We didn''t hear him right!¡± cried Kianna as she finally looked at her sister with panic in her own eyes ¡°It was a mistake! It was just a mistake!¡±


    ¡°Oh please!¡± sobbed Fiona ¡°You know how much he thinks I''m stubborn and stupid! For real! The first chance he gets to sell me and he would have took it! You heard him! If things didn''t go to shit then I''d be gone right now! And you know it! ...And it''s gonna happen again!¡±


    ¡°No! He wouldn''t... He just wouldn''t!¡± sobbed Kianna as tears began to build in her eyes as well ¡°He wouldn''t do that to you! He wouldn''t do that to us!¡±


    The dark elves stared at each other as they both fought to hold back their panic.


    ¡°Kianna...¡± whispered Fiona as heavy tears rolled down her cheeks ¡°I don''t wanna be a good deal!¡±


    Without another word, Kianna exploded out of her seat and rushed across the kitchen to her sister. Neither dark elf could hold back their tears as they frantically wrapped their arms around each other and embraced tightly.


    ¡°I don''t wanna go! I don''t wanna go!¡± cried Fiona as she buried her eyes in the crook of her sister''s neck ¡°I''ll be good! I promise! I''m sorry!¡±


    ¡°Stop it!¡± cried Kianna as her hold on her sister became desperate ¡°Just stop it!¡±


    Fiona whimpered a mumbled apology as she hung in her sister''s arms.


    ¡°He won''t do it! He won''t do it!¡± chanted Kianna as she squeezed Fiona as tightly as she could ¡°I know him! He won''t do it! I don''t believe it!¡±


    ¡°I have to be good! I have to!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°I don''t wanna go! Please! You have to help me!¡±


    ¡°I will! I swear! I swear!¡± cried Kianna ¡°I won''t let you go! We can fix this! Okay! We''re gonna fix this! I promise!¡±


    Fiona moaned thankfully as she clung to her sister and began to tremble uncontrollably.


    ¡°It''s gonna be okay, Fiona... It''s gonna be okay...¡± soothed Kianna as she began to rub her sister''s back ¡°It''s gonna be okay...¡±


    Without even fully realizing what she was doing, Kianna began to slowly expand her aura outwards around herself until she was able to fully engulf Fiona with her presence. Moving on an almost instinctual level, she unknowingly filled her aura with a calming essence as she worked to comfort her clinging sister.


    Surprised by the sudden warmth that now flowed around her, Fiona gasped softly before letting her own aura spread out to mingle with her sister''s.


    Registering Fiona''s presence now surrounding her, Kianna eased back on the defensive nature of her aura and allowed her sister''s warmth to reach her as well.


    The two dark elves began to mew quietly as they now embraced each other both physically and magically. As the essence of their combined auras seeped deeper into their beings, both Fiona and Kianna couldn''t help but to feel of sense of both comfort and, surprisingly, empowerment. Recognizing that they truly stood together, they eased back just enough out of their embrace to gaze at each other.


    Standing face to face, the two dark elves went completely still for several long moments as they each stared deeply into the others now faintly glowing eyes.


    ¡°...What, is this?¡± whispered Fiona as she tentatively reached her hand up and cupped her sister''s cheek ¡°...It''s like, I can, ...hear you? ...Like, I can, I can...¡±


    ¡°Feel you...¡± finished Kianna as she smiled softly ¡°Oh, Fiona... You really are a sadistic monster...¡±


    Folding her ears down in embarrassment, Fiona chuckled softly as she leaned forwards to press her forehead against her sister''s.


    ¡°Yeah... And you''re not...¡± she whispered ¡°What are you doing, Kianna? ...This isn''t right, this isn''t like you. You don''t even like this, this, anger. ...It feels so wrong!¡±


    Resting her forehead against her sister''s, Kianna let her eyelids fall shut as she sighed in fatigue.


    ¡°I know... But I need it though...¡± she grumbled ¡°I have to fight... It''s the only way to, to... to keep you both safe...¡±


    Fiona wrapped her arms back around her now sobbing sister and held her tightly.


    ¡°No...¡± she breathed ¡°No, Kianna... You can''t do this... You can''t hurt yourself like this... You can''t, it''s not right... It''s not what you want.¡±


    ¡°But I have to!¡± sobbed Kianna ¡°You need me, you both need me!¡±


    ¡°...Yeah.¡± soothed Fiona ¡°Yeah, we do. We need you... Which is why I can''t let you hurt yourself like this... We can''t, we can''t lose you like this...¡±


    Moaning through a heavy sob, Kianna buried her face against her sister''s shoulder.


    ¡°This isn''t you, Kianna... You''re not a killer... Not really...¡± breathed Fiona ¡°So just stop it... This shits only going to hurt you. Just let it go. That''s what you really want, right? You don''t want to hold on to it like this... You just, want to let this anger go...¡±


    ¡°But I can''t...¡± whined Kianna ¡°I need it!¡±


    ¡°No, you don''t!¡± claimed Fiona as she shook her head ¡°Just stop it... Let us deal with it, okay. Let us be angry... Let us deal with her. Let us deal with all of them!¡±


    ¡°...But, I need to help you!¡± sobbed Kianna.


    ¡°You, are you kidding!? You already do, Kianna!¡± smiled Fiona ¡°More than you''ll ever know...¡±


    Tightening her hold, Fiona held her sniveling sister as she let as much of her power flow into her aura as she could. Feeling the comforting warmth eclipse her sorrows, Kianna returned the gesture in kind as she filled her own aura as well.


    Though the now combined auras were still invisible to the eyes, both of the sisters knew that they were large enough together to easily fill the entire room around them. Standing huddled in the center of their swirling cloud of essence, they continued their efforts to comfort each other for some time until as one, they opened their eyes wide and both went completely still.


    Another presence had begun to pull on their auras.


    They could feel it, the very moment it happened they both knew. Tiny, feeble claws were feverishly clinging to the warmth that now flowed through the very air itself. They could tell right away that the presence was frantically gripping at their auras as hard as it could and whatever it was, it was not about to let go.


    ¡°...Fiona? ...What is this?¡± whispered Kianna as she stared blankly out the kitchen window ¡°...What''s going on?¡±


    ¡°...It''s, um, it''s!¡± stammered Fiona as she blinked and softly shook her head ¡°Kianna... I think you need to look at this...¡±


    Moving slowly, Kianna twisted around in her sister''s arms until she was facing the same direction. Her eyes went wide as she took in the sight before her.


    ¡°...Oh.¡± she breathed as she blinked in surprise and her ears pointed themselves straight upwards ¡°...It''s her.¡±


    Mica''s large, fiendish eyes were wide and probing as she stared directly at the dark elves. Her slitted pupils had dilated to the point that they now appeared as perfectly round, obsidian discs with a thin ring of bright, emerald green surrounding them.


    Although her eyes had certainly become captivating, this was not what had surprised the dark elves.


    That would instead be the fact that filling the air all around the shinoccubus, was the visible haze of a swirling maelstrom of pink and green auras that seemed to be flowing right into the cubi''s being.


    ¡°...What, the fuck?¡± whispered Fiona as she tightened her eyes in question ¡°...What is she doing?¡±


    ¡°...I have no idea?¡± answered Kianna in a hushed tone.


    Having apparently decided to attempt an escape, the kiochi was no longer sitting in her seat but was now standing between the table and the archway that led out of the room. Looking as if she had been frozen in mid-motion, she stood completely still and silent as she seemed to be intently studying the sisters standing before her.


    Though they were clear as day to the dark elves, Mica herself did not seem to actually be aware of the auras surrounding her as she had no reaction to their presence.


    ¡°...Wait? Cubi absorb energy. Like during sex.¡± reasoned Kianna as she creased her brow in question ¡°Maybe that''s what she''s doing now?¡±


    ¡°...So then, wait? Is this little bitch eating us right now!?¡± questioned Fiona as she pointed her ears straight upwards.


    ¡°Maybe? I don''t know?¡± said Kianna ¡°...But we should probably not let her if she is!¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± stated Fiona ¡°Also... Is she trying to run away!?¡±


    Seemingly just realizing that the dark elves were now looking right at her, Mica turned away from them and went to bolt out of the room but stopped short as a glowing pink ring suddenly winked into existence around her.


    ¡°And where do you think you''re going!?¡± mocked Kianna as she smirked at the now frozen kiochi.


    Too afraid to move with the ring now surrounding her, Mica''s eyes darted back and forth across its length before she slowly turned around to look back at the dark elves.


    Unnerved by the prospect of having their energy drained by the kiochi, both Fiona and Kianna pulled on their auras and brought them back in around themselves. The instant they did this however, a surprised gasp escaped from them as their chests tightened and became heavy.


    A bit of Mica''s essence had begun to flow back as well.


    It was nothing but a thin thread, as benign as a faint taste in the air, and yet it was still jarring enough to make both of the dark elves immediately pause as they instantly sensed that this essence carried with it a silent cry, a soundless, voiceless, desperate call, for help.


    ¡°Wha... Whoa, whoa, whoa!¡± muttered Fiona as her eyes went wide ¡°What the fuck was that!?¡±


    ¡°...That, that was?¡± stammered Kianna as she she blinked in question.


    ¡°Did she just do that! ...Or did we do that!?¡± asked Fiona.


    ¡°...I don''t know?¡± said Kianna.


    For some time, all three women remained silent and still until without a word, Kianna stepped away from her sister and approached the kiochi.


    Upon noticing that Kianna was now coming towards her, Mica immediately began to panic.


    ¡°No! No! Wait! Wait!¡± she cried as she planted her feet against the tiled floor and began to push backwards against the ring in a desperate bid to get away from the approaching dark elf ¡°I''ll won''t run! Just wait! Just wait!¡±


    The dark elf stopped just in front of the frightened kiochi and looked down at her with a face that was completely devoid of emotion.


    Mica kept her eyes locked to Kianna''s as she raised her foot slightly off the floor and readied her leg so as to be able to defend herself with a kick if necessary.


    If Kianna noticed this action at all, she showed no sign to it as she continued to stare in silence.


    Unnerved by the stoic dark elf, Mica hunched down into her shoulders as Kianna narrowed her eyes at her.


    ¡°...Fiona, let''s try doing that again.¡± said Kianna as she spoke over her shoulder ¡°I want to make sure that wasn''t something Mica did.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what? What did I do!?¡± questioned Mica ¡°I didn''t do anything!¡±


    ¡°That''s what I''m going to make sure of.¡± said Kianna as a series of thin chains erupted out of her ring and quickly wrapped up the panicked kiochi.


    ¡°Yeah. Good idea.¡± said Fiona as she made her way over to stand next to her sister.


    ¡°Hold on!¡± cried Mica as she planted both feet back against the floor and frantically tried to wiggle herself free ¡°Stop! Stop! Don''t touch me!¡±


    Ignoring her, the two dark elves spread their auras back outwards and engulfed the kiochi in their embrace.


    The terrified kiochi could offer no resistance against the calming warmth that was again flowing around her. And as the growing sense of comfort began to lightly permeate into her being, she couldn''t help but to tentatively look back up at the dark elves. The very moment she did this, all the tension in her entire body loosened as her mind suddenly went blank.


    Fiona and Kianna''s ruby-colored eyes were faintly aglow and were absolutely captivating as they gazed down at her. Lost in the shimmering red lights now, Mica did nothing as she felt the essence of her own aura being concentrated in the air around her as it was seemingly drawn out of her being by the wills of the dark elves.


    Functioning at an almost mechanical level now, Fiona and Kianna released themselves to their instincts and willingly pulled the kiochi''s essence deep into their own beings. As they did this, they were again given a faint, tantalizing glimpse of the person Mica actually was. This was still just the tiniest of tastes though, little more than an impression, but it was still enough to make both of the dark elves eyes widen, as to them, this was a most deliciously exquisite flavor, and it instantly made them hunger for more.


    Now seeing for herself the predatory beings that Fiona and Kianna truly were, Mica began to panic.


    ¡°...Wait, what!?¡± she breathed as she struggled to keep her emotions under control ¡°Wha, what are you doing to me!? What is this!? Why are you doing this!? Stop! Stop! What are you-!?¡±


    Helpless to do anything more than gaze up at the two taller women, Mica blinked and whimpered nervously as without a word the dark elves each brought a hand upwards to cup the sides of her face. Her tentative whimpering grew in pitch as she felt a new, even softer warmth begin to seep deep into her being from where the dark elves were now caressing her cheeks, and to her panic, she could distinctly feel more of herself now flowing outwards through their touch.


    With their connection fully made, the dark elves could now truly feel the kiochi in the upmost intimate of ways, completely raw and unfiltered. And as their awareness spread throughout her being, and reached down to her very core, they began to fully understand Mica on a deeper, more fundamental level. With nothing now between them and the very soul of the shinoccubi, they could feel every shred of who Mica''s really was. They could feel her fears, her doubts, pride, determination, lust, will, longing, love, goals, and above all of this, they could feel a deep sea of confusion that was laced with a lingering sense of abandonment, and raw loneliness.


    They knew, and could immediately recognize, that there was something very wrong with Mica.


    That could feel, that she was in pain.


    It was as though a part of her was missing. Or, more accurately, that she was missing, as though she herself should be a part of something bigger. A connection of some sort, not broken, but instead having never been formed in the first place, was glaringly absent from her psyche. And without this grounding link to give her a direction, or purpose, Mica was left to flounder in a confused, aimless haze.


    Searching for this lost connection, finding her missing piece, and finally completing herself by becoming a part of something bigger than she could ever be on her own, was in all actuality the ultimate force behind the desperate drive that clouded Mica''s mind, affected her judgment and carried her forward.


    None of this was anything that Mica herself consciously understood in anyway, hence her confusion.


    She didn''t actually comprehend that a part of her was missing, and had no idea that the pain she felt was due to the lack of this connection.


    All she knew, was that she was not supposed to be alone.


    And as all of this information slowly made its way back to them, both Fiona''s and Kianna''s chests began to tighten painfully in guilt. As unlike Mica, they did understand exactly what was wrong.


    They knew, all too well, the pain and desperation that such loneliness could so easily generate, as they, themselves, had lived through such heartache before.


    And not only did they recognize this pain for what it was, but they also realized, that if they choose to, they could actually take this pain away.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.They knew, immediately, linked to her as they were, that with the ease of flipping on a switch, they could trigger something in the kiochi, that there was something there inside her that was meant to be activated... something that was waiting to be activated...


    There was something there, that wanted to be activated.


    They knew, that with a single, simple act, they could give this kiochi a twisted, unnatural version of the connection she so desperately wanted...


    They knew, that right now at this very moment, they could make Mica theirs... Forever.


    ¡°We have to stop this!¡± cried Kianna as she lifted her hand away from the kiochi ¡°This isn''t right!¡±


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± hissed Fiona as she pulled her hand back to herself and grabbed at the sides of her head ¡°Dammit, Kianna! We were inside her, her, head! ...What the fuck did we just do!?¡±


    ¡°...I! ...W-we!?¡± stammered Kianna as she shook her head ¡°...I, don''t know!?¡±


    ¡°Fuck, fuck, fuck!¡± repeated Fiona as she stepped back and away from Mica ¡°Dammit all to Hell! Kianna! ...This stupid bitch is just like us!¡±


    Stumbling backwards until she could lean against the counter-top, Fiona kept her hands clamped to the sides of her skull as she frantically shook her head and dropped her aura.


    Moving to follow after her sister, Kianna stopped short and quickly turned back to Mica.


    The kiochi''s eyes were wide with fearful confusion as she looked back and forth from one dark elf to the other.


    ¡°...Wha? ...What did you do to me?¡± she whispered as panicked tears formed in her eyes.


    ¡°W-we? ...Nothing.¡± said Kianna as she blinked in uncertainty ¡°...I don''t think, we did anything?¡±


    Startled, Mica jumped when in the next instant both the chains and the glowing ring that were encircling her all vanished in the blink of an eye.


    Pulling her aura back to herself, Kianna shivered as she broke the last bit of connection she had to the kiochi.


    Devoid of the dark elves presence now, and struck by the sudden sense of isolation, Mica froze for a second before an intense feeling of loss began to overwhelm her. Unable to fully comprehend what was happening, she hunched down into her shoulders as she fought back against a rising wave of panic.


    ¡°...Why!? S-stop!¡± wailed the kiochi as her tears seemed to literally explode from her eyes ¡°No more! Don''t! I, why!? ...Somebody! Help me! Why, why won''t anybody help me!?¡±


    Dropping down to her haunches, Mica sat huddled with her knees drawn up to her chest as she continued to cry out in anguish.


    Fiona''s jaw was clenched tightly as she started to turn away from the crying kiochi. Mica''s next statements however, caused her to stop mid-motion.


    ¡°I don''t want this! I don''t want to be here! I didn''t even want to come here!¡± cried Mica ¡°I didn''t want any of this! I just... I just... I just wanted to be one of them! ...Why can''t I be one of them?¡±


    Fiona''s face went slack as she slowly looked back at the trembling kiochi. Her chest became heavier and heavier as she couldn''t help but to feel the weight of a familiar pain.


    ¡°...Fuck.¡± she whispered softly to herself as she wrapped her arms around her middle ¡°Yeah... I know, Mica... I know, what that feels like...¡±


    ¡°I don''t want any of this... I don''t want any of this...¡± repeated Mica over and over as she continued to softly sob ¡°I don''t want any of this...¡±


    The two dark elves both remained silent and still as they listened. After some time, the shinoccubus began to become quieter and quieter until finally, only faint whimpers could be heard coming from her huddled form.


    Turning to her sister, Kianna found Fiona had her eyes clamped shut as she stood slightly slumped to her side. With her ears hanging limp and an expression of anguish clear on her face, it was easy enough to tell that she was feeling sympathetic to the crying kiochi.


    Giving in to her own sense of compassion, Kianna took a deep breath, balled her fists and stepped back up to Mica before stopping just in front of her.


    Realizing that someone was now standing over her, Mica tentatively brought her gaze upwards and blinked in surprise as she took in the pained expression on Kianna''s face.


    Heart sinking at the sight of Mica''s tear stricken condition, Kianna grimaced for a moment before her face softened.


    ¡°...Argh! ...Just, c''mere!¡± she mumbled as her eyes grew heavy with sympathy ¡°Stop crying...¡±


    Confused, Mica''s eyes widened to their fullest as she felt the comforting warmth of the dark elf''s aura suddenly wash back over her.


    Reaching down, Kianna used both hands to take hold of the leather straitjacket that crisscrossed Mica''s shoulders and, while lifting her upwards, gently coaxed the kiochi back up on to her feet.


    Too afraid to neither speak nor move, Mica became compliant and kept her eyes on the floor as she was made to stand before the taller female.


    ¡°...Argh. ...Poor, stupid creature.¡± sighed Kianna as she let her hands rest on Mica''s trembling shoulders ¡°...Just, hold on for a minute. Okay!¡±


    Kianna gave Mica''s shoulders a quick, reassuring squeeze before turning away from her and moving over to her sister.


    ¡°...Fiona.¡± whispered Kianna as she laid her hand on her sister''s shoulder ¡°What should we do now?¡±


    Blinking open her eyes, Fiona sighed softly as she shook her head.


    ¡°I don''t know, Kianna!¡± she grumbled ¡°...I have no fucking idea!¡±


    Kianna went to speak but stopped short as her ears twitched and then shot straight upwards. Looking back over her shoulder, she found that the faint sound she had picked up on was actually Mica, who had apparently decided to follow after her.


    Rather than take the opportunity to try and make another escape attempt, the clearly confused, as well as terrified looking kiochi had instead chosen to move closer to the dark elves, and was now standing right beside them with her eyes still on the floor.


    Chest tightening at what this could possibly mean, Kianna went to speak but stopped short as Mica sobbed loudly through her clogged nose. Staring at the pitiful looking being for a moment, Kianna sighed heavily before turning around to fully face her.


    ¡°...C''mon, idiot.¡± she whispered softly as she hooked a finger under one of the straitjacket''s leather straps and pulled Mica closer ¡°And, quit crying...¡±


    Mica didn''t resist in any way as Kianna towed her across the room and stood her next to the kitchen sink. She shivered uncontrollably as the dark elf dropped her aura and let its comforting warmth fade away with it.


    Moving quickly, Kianna took a washcloth from a drawer and ran it beneath a stream of warm water before turning back to the shinoccubus.


    Still keeping her eyes lowered, Mica held herself still as Kianna gently swabbed away at her eyes and cheeks with the soft cloth. Once she was satisfied, Kianna placed the rag over Mica''s nose and prompted her to blow before turning back to the sink and commencing to rinse out the washcloth.


    Staying still for another moment, Mica shivered again as she took in a deep breath through her now cleared nose.


    ¡°...Um, what are doing?¡± she breathed as she meekly looked up at the dark elf ¡°...Why are you being nice to me?¡±


    Kianna was quiet for a moment before she spoke.


    ¡°Honestly, I don''t really know...¡± she sighed softly ¡°I guess, I''m just doing whatever I want to do...¡±


    Mica stared at her for a moment before dropping her eyes back to the floor.


    ¡°...Oh, okay then.¡± she whimpered as she grimaced in unease ¡°...So, are you still going to hurt me!? Or no?¡±


    Frowning, Kianna gave her a sideways glare as she rung out the washcloth.


    ¡°Well. That depends.¡± she said as she turned to stand facing the shinoccubus and narrowed her eyes down at her ¡°Do you still want to kill me!?¡±


    ¡°...What? No. I''m not going to kill you. I was never going to kill you. I hate you. More than anybody. ...But I''m not going to kill you.¡± grumbled Mica as she shook her head ¡°I was supposed to help you...¡±


    Surprised by her bluntness, Kianna raised an eyebrow as she tilted her head and cocked one of her ears in a curious manner.


    ¡°Wait, what do you mean you were supposed to help me?¡± she asked ¡°When were you ever trying to help me?¡±


    ¡°When I was trying to kill the guy who had you tied up.¡± explained Mica ¡°They told me to kill him, but not you. They said that you were his prisoners, and that I needed to make sure that you stayed safe. So I thought I was helping you...¡±


    Kianna was still for a moment as she absorbed what Mica had said.


    ¡°...Huh.¡± she mused as she rolled her head and let it tilt to the opposite side ¡°So, you actually thought you were like, what? Saving the day?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah, I guess.¡± grumbled Mica ¡°But then you got pissed at me, and you laughed at me. And then you wanted to kill me, and even fucking tortured me! Argh! I still really hate you for that!¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± nodded Kianna ¡°But you don''t actually want to kill me though? Even though you hate me?¡±


    ¡°...I mean, I do. I would totally love to kill you... But I won''t...¡± sighed Mica ¡°Don''t get the wrong idea though, I wouldn''t mind seeing you die. I''m just not going to do it myself.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± asked Kianna as creased her brow in question.


    ¡°...I don''t know?¡± grumbled Mica as she shrugged her shoulders ¡°...I think it''s cause I''m not supposed to, I guess? So I''m just not going to.¡±


    ¡°...Huh, really? ...Well that''s pretty convenient!¡± said Kianna as she grinned down at the now annoyed looking kiochi ¡°Looks like following orders really is in your blood... You''re just a born minion, aren''t you!?¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± muttered Mica as she let her shoulders slump ¡°...Fuck you. ...I hate you.¡±


    ¡°Right...¡± nodded Kianna as a thoughtful expression spread across her face ¡°So, does this mean that you still want to kill my Master? Since killing him was also part of your orders?¡±


    Mica blinked as a uneasy expression immediately spread across her face.


    ¡°Mica...¡± drawled Kianna as she narrowed her eyes ¡°You better answer me!¡±


    ¡°...Well it''s not like I wouldn''t be doing you a favor!¡± exclaimed Mica after a short hesitation ¡°In fact! If we team up, we could even-! Ow!¡±


    The kiochi was stopped short as Kianna brought her hand down and chopped her on the head between her horns.


    ¡°Bad Mica! Bad girl! Bad!¡± said Kianna as she bopped the kiochi again and again.


    ¡°Okay! Okay! I get it!¡± cried Mica as she hunched down into her shoulders ¡°...Fuck that fucker though! I hate him even more than I hate you!¡±


    ¡°Why? You shouldn''t. He''s trying to help you.¡± said Kianna as she planted her balled fists on her hips ¡°You really should be more thankful to him!¡±


    ¡°Thankful!? Are you serious!?¡± exclaimed Mica ¡°What the Hell would I ever be thankful to him for!?¡±


    ¡°For trying to help you!¡± repeated Kianna ¡°Even if he is only doing it for your parents sake, he''s still trying to help you! And you''re lucky he is! Because if anybody can figure this stupid shit out, it''s him! He''s really smart, and powerful! You have no idea! He''s amazing!¡±


    ¡°...How can you even say any of that!?¡± snapped Mica ¡°This guy doesn''t want to help me! He wants to turn me into a fucking nightlight! And 2 seconds ago you 2 were just crying because he''s going to take your sister away and sell her! And you''re really calling him amazing!? What''s wrong with you!? This guy is a monster!¡±


    Kianna was silent for a moment as she stared down the glaring kiochi.


    ¡°...We don''t know any of that for sure. He never said he was really gonna do any of that!¡± she declared as she looked down at the floor and crossed her arms over her middle ¡°And I don''t believe he''ll really do any of it. ...I just don''t! ...I trust him!¡±


    ¡°...You trust him!? Seriously!?¡± mocked Mica as she eyed the dark elf with frustration ¡°After all this crap you can really still say that!?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± said Kianna as she brought her eyes back up to lock with the kiochi''s ¡°Yes I can! I don''t know what he was talking about with your Dad, but I know he won''t sell Fiona! I know he won''t! ...I do trust him! And I always will!¡±


    It was Mica''s turn to stare in silence for a moment before sighing in fatigue.


    ¡°...Yeah, well. Maybe you do. And maybe you think you can.¡± she stated as she gave the dark elf an exasperated and questioning look ¡°But can I? Cause I doubt it! Seriously! He hates me! And you know he hates me! ...And he''s going to tear me apart and set me on fire! And you know he is! ...Right!?¡±


    ¡°Y-you...¡± stammered Kianna as she blinked in uncertainty.


    ¡°...Well!? Do you really think he''ll do it!?¡± whimpered Mica ¡°...Just tell me! Tell me if you think he''ll really do it!¡±


    Her eyes going wide, Kianna said nothing as she slowly looked away.


    ¡°Ah! You see!¡± cried Mica through her clenched teeth as she started trembling ¡°I don''t want to be a flame in a jar, Kianna! ...What am I gonna do!?¡±


    Looking off to the side and staring at nothing, Kianna stayed silent as Mica let her own eyes fall to the floor in defeat.


    ¡°...Well.¡± spoke Fiona from where she was still leaning against the counter-top behind Mica ¡°What would you do, if we just, let you go?¡±


    Turning to her the instant she spoke, both Kianna and Mica went wide eyed as they gazed at the solemn looking dark elf.


    ¡°What!?¡± chirped Mica ¡°Are you serious!?¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡± shrugged Fiona as she looked across the kitchen and towards the backdoor ¡°Just answer the question. What, would you do. If we let you go... Right now. What would you do?¡±


    Mica and Kianna glanced at each other before looking back at Fiona.


    ¡°...Well!?¡± demanded Fiona as she stood motionless.


    ¡°I! ...I would, run! I''d run away! I''d leave!¡± exclaimed Mica.


    ¡°You''d leave...¡± nodded Fiona as she kept her eyes on the backdoor ¡°So you wouldn''t come back in the middle of the night and try to kill us in our sleep?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± said Mica in a matter-of-factual tone.


    ¡°Do you swear to that!?¡± said Fiona as she let her gaze fall to the shinoccubus and stared directly into her eyes ¡°You''re not going to turn around and just come right back!?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± repeated Mica ¡°Why the Hell would I ever do that!?¡±


    ¡°Vengeance.¡± said Kianna ¡°You were beaten, embarrassed and even tortured. You really wouldn''t want to get revenge for any of that?¡±


    ¡°What, and risk it all happening again!? Hell no!¡± exclaimed Mica as she frantically shook her head ¡°I don''t care about getting vengeance on you! Fuck you! I never want to see you again! And I definitely don''t want to be trapped in a jar! I, I just want to go home!¡±


    ¡°So then you''ll leave. And you''ll never come back.¡± said Fiona as she stepped away from the counter and stood in front of Mica ¡°And we''ll never, ever see you again! ...Right!?¡±


    Mica stared up at her for a moment before she spoke.


    ¡°Listen. This has been the worst day of my entire life.¡± she said in a hushed tone ¡°Why would I ever want to come back here and live through all this again!?¡±


    With a thin grin spreading across her face, Fiona nodded before looking up at Kianna.


    ¡°He said we couldn''t kill her. And he said we couldn''t hurt her.¡± she stated as she stared into her sister''s eyes ¡°But he never once said we couldn''t let her go!¡±


    ¡°...Fiona. This is crazy! We can''t do this!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she slowly shook her head ¡°We have no idea what he might do!¡±


    ¡°No. We do know what he''s gonna do. We know exactly what he''s gonna do.¡± said Fiona as she tightened her eyes ¡°We''ve seen the jars, Kianna. We know it''s real. And we know he''ll do it to her.¡±


    Kianna''s expression was torn as she looked down at Mica, it became anguished as she watched the kiochi nervously look back and forth between her and her sister.


    ¡°...Fiona. We can''t do this.¡± she whined as she lowered her ears in unease ¡°He''ll be so furious!¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Well, he''ll just be pissed at me!¡± said Fiona with a shrug ¡°It''s all my idea after all. And he''s just gonna sell me anyways... So who gives a shit! Let him be pissed!¡±


    ¡°No, he''s not, Fiona! Him and Leopold are fighting, they''re not going to make any deals!¡± exclaimed Kianna ¡°And besides, he never said he was going to do it! And-!¡±


    ¡°Oh, c''mon, Kianna! Even if it isn''t Leopold it''s gonna be somebody!¡± interrupted Fiona ¡°We both heard him! Very first time someone made him an offer and he was already willing to make a deal! It''s gonna happen... It''s just going to...¡±


    Kianna''s eyes immediately welled with tears as the anguish on her face deepened in intensity.


    ¡°...At least with this, we can help Mica.¡± said Fiona as she looked away from her sister by dropping her eyes to the floor ¡°Besides, if you think about it... This is actually the best thing we could do.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°Think about it. He won''t kill her, and even he doesn''t think he can save her. So all he''s gonna do is get more and more pissed off at her.¡± explained Fiona ¡°She''s going to end up in a jar if she stays here. There''s no doubt about that. But maybe, if she goes and talks with her family, they can figure something out. And if she just disappears from here. He won''t have to deal with her anymore. She''ll just be gone. And she''ll at least have a chance. So then everybody wins! Well, except me, I guess...¡±


    ¡°What? No! Fiona! It''ll be both of us!¡± declared Kianna as she stepped around Mica and rushed to Fiona ¡°It''ll be my fault too! He can''t just blame it all on you!¡±


    Fiona''s face softened as Kianna hugged her tightly.


    ¡°...And besides.¡± said Kianna as their embrace ended ¡°You might be right. And maybe if we explain it to him the right way. Maybe he''ll agree!¡±


    ¡°Wha? Oh Hell no! He''s gonna be pissed no matter what we say.¡± muttered Fiona as she shook her head ¡°But it doesn''t matter anyway. We can''t let him put Mica in a jar. She, doesn''t deserve that...¡±


    ¡°...No, she really doesn''t.¡± sighed Kianna ¡°She''s such an idiot! ...But that''s it, she''s just stupid. She''s not really evil... Okay! Okay, let''s do it! Let''s help her!¡±


    ¡°Good! Finally! C''mon then!¡± cried Fiona ¡°We gotta be quick with this! She''s gotta get out of here before he gets back!¡±


    Dumbfounded by the unexpected turn of events, Mica stiffened in surprise as both of the dark elves immediately turned around, grabbed a hold of her and began to frantically unbuckle the straitjacket that was wrapped around her torso.


    ¡°Wait, what!¡± she cried as Kianna untied the scarf wrapped around her chest so she could reach the buckles behind it ¡°What are you doing!?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± questioned Fiona as she gave her a perplexed look ¡°We''re letting you go? We just talked about this.¡±


    ¡°But... Why!?¡± cried Mica as the straitjacket began to loosen from around her ¡°This is crazy! This is stupid! Why are you doing this!?¡±


    ¡°...Are you serious!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as she pointed her ears straight back behind her head ¡°Were you not just crying because nobody was going to help you!? And now you''re bitching because we are!? Just shut up and let us work, okay!¡±


    ¡°But! ...I! I don''t get this!¡± exclaimed Mica as her arms were freed from the belt around her middle ¡°Why are you helping me now!?¡±


    ¡°...Just, because!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°Because we want to, okay! Seriously! Just shut up! Get out of here! And don''t ever come back! Okay!¡±


    ¡°Argh! I can''t get your tail out!¡± cried Kianna as she frantically pulled on the unrelenting leather ¡°There''s a lock on this belt that I can''t get off! Mica, you''ll have to find a way to cut the belt off later.¡±


    ¡°I don''t know how to get this ring thing off your neck either...¡± muttered Fiona ¡°You''ll just have to cut that off too.¡±


    Giving up on the items that they couldn''t remove, Fiona and Kianna each instead focused on unbuckling one of the round bondage mittens that Mica''s hands had been locked into.


    Still in a state of slight shock, Mica stayed quiet and went more or less limp as she was tussled back and forth by the dark elves. Before she could even fully register what was happening the straitjacket was being pulled away from her body and she was suddenly left almost completely free.


    As the realization that she could now move freely again reached her conscious mind, the kiochi immediately jumped away from the dark elves before turning back around and falling into a defensive stance as she faced them.


    The three women all went still as they stared at each other. After a long moment of silence, the tension suddenly fell away as Mica let out a relieved breath and stood up straight.


    ¡°...Uh, so? How do you feel?¡± asked Kianna as she watched Mica slowly flex her fingers and open and close her fists ¡°Pretty stiff?¡±


    ¡°...Kinda. It''s not bad though.¡± replied Mica in a mumbling tone ¡°...I guess.¡±


    ¡°Well that''s just great to hear!¡± cried Fiona as she snagged Mica''s scarf out of Kianna''s hands ¡°Here! It''s time to go! You can keep playing with your fingers once you get out of here.¡±


    As her eyes landed on the scarf, Mica seemed to realize that her chest was once again exposed as she instinctively moved to cover herself.


    ¡°It''s so cute that you''re modest.¡± laughed Fiona as she shoved the scarf into Mica''s hands ¡°Hurry up and get that on. Unless you''d rather go running around mostly naked!¡±


    Mica looked down at the scarf for a moment before wrapping it around her chest and quickly tying it off at her side.


    ¡°...Thank you.¡± she said as she looked from one dark elf to the other ¡°...Why did you do this?¡±


    ¡°Ugh! Will you just say you''re an idiot and that you''re sorry!¡± said Fiona as she pointed at the door ¡°And then get out!¡±


    Mica looked at the door and then back at the dark elves.


    Frustrated by her lack of movement, Fiona groaned in annoyance and started towards her.


    ¡°Gods alive! You really are an idiot!¡± she exclaimed as she grabbed the kiochi by the arm and began to drag her towards the door ¡°Stop being so stupid, Mica! Just get outta here while you still can!¡±


    ¡°You have to hurry!¡± said Kianna as she rushed past them and opened the door ¡°Just go as fast as you can!¡±


    Mica began to shake her head as she was dragged through the door and out into the backyard.


    ¡°You got your little home portal thingy still hidden out there, right?¡± said Fiona as she flung Mica forward and towards where she had been hiding out past the treeline the day before ¡°Use it. Go home. Figure your shit out.¡±


    Stumbling a bit before catching her balance, Mica''s eyes fell on a gate that led out of the backyard proper and out into the larger property beyond. After staring at the gate for a moment she quickly turned around to face the dark elves.


    ¡°Look. Your family is probably going to attack you or something.¡± said Fiona in a matter-of-factual tone ¡°So be ready for that. Seriously. Okay!¡±


    ¡°Be careful, Mica. Be very careful.¡± said Kianna ¡°And, good luck. I guess.¡±


    Mica''s eyes went wide as she took a hesitant backwards step towards the gate.


    ¡°...Wait. This isn''t right. You shouldn''t have done this.¡± she whispered as she reversed the step she had taken ¡°What''s going to happen to you now? What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°I''m going to get pissed off if you don''t get the fuck out of here!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she went to shove the kiochi away ¡°Now go, dammit!¡±


    ¡°Just go!¡± cried Kianna as she grabbed her sister by the arm and pulled her back ¡°We''ll be fine! Don''t worry about us!¡±


    Fiona went to fight but stopped immediately when Kianna pulled her into a tight hug.


    ¡°We''ll be fine. ...Okay, we''ll be fine.¡± sobbed Kianna as she started to drag her clinging sister back towards the kitchen door ¡°We''re going to be okay. So just go! And don''t ever come back!¡±


    ¡°Just go! ...Just go!¡± screamed Fiona as she too began to sob while holding tightly on to her sister and letting herself be led back towards the door ¡°...You stupid little idiot! ...Get the fuck out of here!¡±


    Standing rooted in place, Mica tentatively shook her head as she watched the dark elves disappear back into the house. She continued to hesitate as she listened to the murmur of their soft crying as it filtered its way out of the still open door. Unable to stand the sounds of their turmoil any longer, she steeled her resolve and turned to run towards the gate. Scrabbling a bit with the gate''s latches she was finally able to throw it open and, with a small cry of triumph, she darted out into true freedom.


    Making her way across the wooded terrain as fast as she could while barefoot, Mica quickly put several acres between herself and the house behind her. As she moved further away, she couldn''t help but to feel a heavy-weighted tightness forming deep within her chest. She tried her best to ignore this growing handicap but as she crested a small hill, the tightness reached such an intensity that she could barely even breathe around it.


    Standing atop the hill, Mica balled her hands into fists and grit her clenched teeth as she told herself over and over that she hated those dark elves. Both of them. More than anything. They were evil, arrogant beings. They had hurt her, tortured her, both physically and mentally. They had ripped away her dignity and humiliated her. They made her feel tiny and helpless. Why would she ever care about them? Why would she ever want to do anything for them? They deserved what was coming to them. Everything that was coming to them. She hated them. She hated them so much that she wanted to scream at them, and so, without even making the conscious decision to do so, she turned back towards the way she had come and began to scream out in anger.


    ¡°I! Hate! You!¡± she bellowed out at the very top of her lungs.


    From the tree branches around and above her several startled birds suddenly took flight, and as they fluttered away a new silence filled the air.


    Breathing heavily through her clenched teeth, Mica seethed in anger as she stared back towards the house she had suffered so much in.


    ¡°...Argh! No!¡± she growled in frustration ¡°They have to hear it! They need to hear it!¡±


    Her resolve set, the kiochi launched herself into a full run and raced back the way she had come.


    Crossing the distance at an even faster pace than before, Mica barreled through the gate in the fence with a single stride and quickly made her way across the yard. She couldn''t help but to smile wickedly as her eyes became locked onto the still open kitchen door.


    Coming to a full stop in the doorway, she marched into the kitchen and began to blink in the dimmed light. As her slitted eyes adjusted themselves to the lack of bright sunlight, she stopped short as she finally caught sight of the dark elves.


    Fiona and Kianna laid huddled together on the floor as they pressed themselves against the cabinets below the sink. They were both crying softly as they desperately clutched each other as tightly as they could. With their eyes held firmly shut and their ears hanging limp from the sides of their heads, neither of them seemed to have any idea that the kiochi had returned.


    Her smile fading at the sight of them, Mica stood completely still as she stared down at the pitiful looking creatures.


    Standing there, watching them as they were, she still felt every ounce of the hatred she had before. And yet, even as she could see them suffering right in front of her, the weight in her chest was still there, and with every breath, it continued to grow.


    This was wrong. She knew this was wrong. Why? Why would these two do this to themselves? Why out of nowhere would they suddenly do this, and for no reason!? They hated her! And she hated them! So, why!?


    Why, did they do this...


    Why would they ever do this?


    Why? ...Why!?


    Why did they help her...


    Why did they sacrifice themselves to save her...


    Why...


    This was wrong.


    This should have never happened. It should have never been this way. She should have helped them. If she had done what she was supposed to do, this would have never happened.


    This... This was her fault...


    If she had just completed her stupid mission, then none of this...


    Her mission.


    All other thoughts instantly left Mica''s mind as the weight in her chest fell away and a new resolve took shape within her.


    With a grim, focused determination now swelling out of her very core, she slowly turned her head towards the counter-top and stopped as her eyes landed on a slanted wooden holder.


    Her wicked smile spread itself back across her face as she took a step towards the counter and reached out her hand.


    ¡°This isn''t over yet...¡± she whispered excitedly to herself as she gleefully wrapped her trembling fingers around the handle of a kitchen knife.

 Assassin Arc : Chapter 9 : Morning

    Chapter 9 : Morning


    Feeling particularly pleased with himself, Anton couldn''t help but to wear a smug smirk on his face as he passed through the portal and stepped back out into his new bedroom. With a joyful spring in his step, he quickly loped out of the room and descended the stairs as he made his way back to the kitchen.


    He had just finished negotiating a buying price for an item that had been set to go to auction at the World Auction House in Halliburton.


    The Bacsik Manuscript was a set of wooden plates that had been strung together and featured a series of ancient writings that were believed by some to be instructions that could help in preforming powerful rituals. It was an important item in research Anton had been doing off and on for many years now. And he was quite happy that his negotiations had allowed him to avoid having to deal with the hassle of bidding on it.


    Unfortunately, his good mood was nearly overshadowed by the unyielding rage he was feeling at being forced to buy back something that he was, technically, already the owner of.


    But at times, such is life.


    And the guilty person responsible for this annoyance would be dealt with as soon as possible.


    In the meantime however, he would need to set that train of thought aside and focus on solving the problem of the other guilty person that was currently disrupting his life.


    As Anton stepped back into the kitchen he immediately became aware of a couple of odd sights.


    The first was that Mica had completely disappeared from her seat and was now nowhere to be seen. The second was that the dark elves were, for some reason, currently laid out together on the floor and pressed against the cabinets below the sink.


    At first glance it seemed that they had apparently ¡°discovered¡± each other again, as they appeared to be engrossed in what looked to be a very intimate and emotional embrace. Upon closer examination however, it was clear that they were in reality quite distressed. Or at least Kianna was, as she had a pained expression plastered across her tear stricken face as she clutched her... unmoving, sister to her chest...


    ¡°...Girls?¡± questioned Anton softly as his chest tightened in concern.


    Anton felt himself go cold as the whole world suddenly seemed to go silent and still. Taking another step into the room, he was unexpectedly greeted with a third odd sight, as what looked to be a nearly-naked, dark-haired, clearly female, crazed eyed lunatic suddenly appeared in his peripheral vision. Whoever this person was, she was apparently quite incensed with him, as she was currently in the process of rushing across the room towards him, whilst brazenly brandishing a steak knife above her head.


    Any rational thought that may have been left in Mica''s mind completely vanished at the sight of Anton stepping in through the walkway. With her hated target now in front of her, and focused on nothing else but plunging her weapon into his neck, she immediately began to race towards him. As she came within striking distance, she leaped into the air and moved to bring her knife down with all of her might. Unfortunately, before the tip of the blade could meet its mark, it struck something else entirely.


    Mica had no time to react as her whole being was unexpectedly bounced back and away from Anton. Though dumbstruck by the sensation of being thrown backwards, she was still able to land on her feet and remain standing upright. Blinking in confusion, she looked up to find that a giant, glowing orange-colored bubble had suddenly appeared between herself and her target.


    Although the light bubble now surrounding Anton may have only been a few dozen molecules worth of energy thick, it was still more than strong enough to stop something as simple as a knife wielding maniac.


    Enraged by this complication, the kiochi began to dance about and frantically stab at the bubble in a futile attempt to pop it. Her anger only intensified as these efforts quickly led to her making eye contact with Anton.


    ¡°...Mica?¡± questioned Anton as a surprised expression marred his face.


    The kiochi merely growled in response before continuing to try and stab her way into the bubble.


    Staring down at her for a moment, Anton shifted his eyes back to the dark elves as a grim realization caused his heart to sink even further in dismay.


    ¡°...No. ...Girls. ...What have you done?¡± he whispered quietly as his eyes went wide with rage.


    Mica let out an excited cry as the bubble suddenly vanished from in front of her. Before she could continue her assault however, a bright flash of light caused her to reflexively look upwards.


    Her mouth fell open in shock as she gazed up at a furious looking Anton who was now bathed in a brightly glowing, fiery orange-colored aura.


    ¡°What have you done!¡± roared Anton as he raised his fist high into the air above her and summoned a blazing ball of ethereal fire into existence.


    ¡°Crap!¡± exclaimed Mica as she leaped away backwards and then to the side in order to just barely dodge the incoming fireball. Diving forward again, she frantically rolled out of the way of two more blasts before leaping back up to her feet. Her instincts were once again screaming at her that the fireballs being thrown at her were made of no ordinary fire, but rather than try to full on escape out of the still open door she instead turned and headed straight for the dark elves.


    ¡°How dare you!¡± raged Anton as he ignited both his fists with the ethereal flames and without hesitation fired both blasts right at the fleeing kiochi''s back.


    Mica''s mind fell into a blind panic as she felt the unnatural heat of the incoming fireballs swelling in intensity right behind her. Unable to dodge them, she closed her eyes as she desperately willed herself forward.


    Though even she herself didn''t quite understand her own motives, every fiber in her body was telling her to make it to the dark elves. She needed to be with them. They needed her to be with them. She knew she had to make it to them. And she also knew, that she wasn''t going to.


    She wasn''t going to make it. She was going to fail. Again.


    Holding her eyes shut as tightly as she could, Mica leaped forward and spread her arms out wide in an effort to block the dark elves from the fire that she could feel was rising rapidly right behind her.


    In this final split second before the twin blasts would have met their mark and incinerated her into nothingness, a sense of peace suddenly filled her mind. Sailing through the air, the realization that in this final act she could at least spare the dark elves from this blast was somehow comforting to her. As though, with this single action, her life would finally be given a purpose. The broader reality behind this idea didn''t matter, as for her, in this moment, that thought in of itself was enough. She would die to save them. And for some strange reason, she could accept this. She was okay with this.


    Believing her end had finally come, Mica smiled softly in bliss as from one instance to the next the heat of the fires behind her suddenly vanished.


    Unbeknownst to the kiochi however, this reprieve was due to a wall of pink-colored light that had instantly taken form in between them and blocked her from the blasts.


    ¡°No!¡± screamed Kianna as she held her hands up in an effort to gain Anton''s attention ¡°Stop!¡±


    ¡°...Ki-Kianna!¡± exclaimed Anton as he pulled back on his next attack and kept the flames in his hands.


    ¡°Stop! Please!¡± cried the dark elf in utter desperation ¡°Please! Please! Just stop!¡±


    Locked in a state of confusion, Anton stared into Kianna''s pleading, tear stricken eyes for what seemed like a frozen eternity. He blinked, and came back to his senses as her aura field fell away.


    ¡°Please!¡± sobbed Kianna as she continued to hold up her hands ¡°Just! ...Just don''t hurt her!¡±


    Unsure of how to respond, Anton blinked again when his view of Kianna was suddenly blocked by Mica as she stepped in front of the dark elf.


    With her eyes locked to Anton''s and a hard, determined expression on her face, the kiochi wrapped both of her hands around the handle of her knife as she pointed its tip straight at him. Her shoulders shifted slightly as she suddenly sprouted her leathery wings out from between her shoulder blades and spread them out as wide as she could in an effort to both appear larger, and thus more intimidating, and to further block the dark elves from view.


    Dumbfounded, Anton could merely stand there and stare as he assessed the kiochi in front of him.


    As he watched, Mica''s wings began to vibrate menacingly in agitation, and to his surprise a series of copper and crimson colored lines began to form across the surface of the leather-like membranes that stretched between the long fingers of each wing. Blood was clearly being pumped into the membrane, and this was causing a bright, vibrate pattern of eerie looking eye spots and trailing stripes to form across the expanse of each wing.


    Below this, around Mica''s waist, the loops of her long tail were quivering wildly as she was clearly trying to wiggle herself free from the last of her restraints. Still brandishing her knife at him, the kiochi planted her feet out wide as she took a low stance in front of the dark elves.


    With her slitted, snake-like pupils fully dilated into angry looking black pits, she let her lower jaw fall open to expose her thin needle-like fangs as she unleashed a long, menacingly loud and bloodcurdling, demonic hiss.


    Taken aback by her display, Anton stayed still for a long moment before his own eyes went wide as a sudden realization took form in his mind.


    Mica was threatening him, and only him.


    All of her aggression was directed solely at him. She had clearly somehow gotten herself free from her bondage. But rather than take the opportunity to escape, she had instead returned to the dark elves. She wasn''t threatening them though. She hadn''t attacked them or even tried to take them as hostages. No. Instead she had planted herself in front of them and was now standing her ground between them and himself, almost as if... she was guarding them?


    The shinoccubus clearly wasn''t trying to hurt the dark elves, she was trying to protect them.


    With his fiery aura slowly fading from sight, Anton let his arms fall and come to rest at his sides as he stared at Mica.


    Behind the kiochi, Fiona and Kianna both began to rise back up to their feet.


    Noticing this, Mica quickly glanced back at them before refocusing on Anton.


    ¡°Just stay behind me!¡± she hissed as she clenched her teeth and raised her wings upwards to better block the dark elves behind her ¡°I won''t let him hurt you!¡±


    Anton''s mind began to race as he tried to figure out what was happening. Trembling from adrenaline, the kiochi before him worked to steady herself by again tightening her grip on her knife. She was obviously afraid, and yet, she remained right where she was, poised with her determination clear on her face. This was no ruse. She was legitimately ready to fight. To defend the dark elves, she would fight... But why?


    ¡°What the Hell are you doing you little idiot!¡± shouted Fiona as she smacked the back of Mica''s head as hard as she could ¡°Why are you still here!?¡±


    ¡°Ow! Hey! Stop it!¡± cried Mica as she turned her head back to glare at the dark elf ¡°What the fuck is wrong with you!?¡±


    ¡°What the fuck is wrong with you!?¡± snapped Fiona as she pointed her ears straight back behind her head ¡°What are you still doing here!?¡±


    ¡°I! I have to be here!¡± countered Mica ¡°I can''t just leave you trapped here with him like this!¡±


    ¡°You, wha!? And what do you think you''re even going to do about it!?¡± seethed Fiona ¡°Besides get a matching hand print on your other ass cheek!¡±


    Mica''s mouth fell open in affront as she turned completely around to face Fiona.


    ¡°You ungrateful bitch!¡± she exclaimed as she glared up at the fuming dark elf ¡°I''m trying to help you right now you stupid shit-skin!¡±


    ¡°Help me!? You''re not helping me at all you little idiot!¡± cried Fiona as she balled her hands into fists and loomed over the smaller female ¡°All you''re doing is ruining everything we just did for you! ...And what the fuck did you just call me!?¡±


    ¡°What''s the matter!?¡± sneered Mica as she mockingly waved her knife back and forth to indicate Fiona''s ears ¡°Are those stupid looking ears of yours not working!?¡±


    Fiona froze mid-comeback as the room was suddenly filled with an intense bone-chilling malice.


    ¡°Point that knife at her again.¡± threatened Anton as he leveled his inflamed open palm at Mica ¡°And I will blast your head right off your shoulders.¡±


    Her eyes going wide at the sight of the ethereal flames, Mica grimaced in annoyance before scowling at Anton.


    ¡°Fine...¡± she said in a calm tone as she turned away from Fiona and re-took her stance as she fully faced him again ¡°I''ve got a better target for it anyway...¡±


    Anton stared at her for a moment before dropping his aura.


    ¡°Well this has been a morning of non-stop surprises...¡± he grumbled as he dispelled the flames at his hand and let his arm fall back to his side ¡°Somebody really needs to tell me what is going on in here before I-!¡±


    ¡°We aren''t telling you crap!¡± exclaimed Mica as she replanted her feet in front of the dark elves ¡°You come any closer and you''ll be kissing this blade!¡±


    Anton stared at her for a moment before looking up at a clearly seething Fiona, and then shifting his gaze over to an absolutely miserable looking Kianna.


    ¡°Kianna...¡± he called in a calm tone.


    ¡°Ah! Yes!¡± chirped the dark elf as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards.


    ¡°...I would really like to know what''s going on in here.¡± said Anton as he crossed his arms over his chest ¡°So do you think you could answer some questions for me?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah, sure!¡± replied the dark elf as she flattened her ears down submissively behind her head.


    ¡°Good, that''s good.¡± nodded Anton ¡°Okay then. To start things off, the first thing I would really like to know is... Why, exactly, does Mica have a knife?¡±


    ¡°...Uh, that! ...I don''t really know anything about that?¡± whimpered Kianna after a moment of hesitation ¡°I don''t even know how that happened!? We definitely didn''t give it to her though!¡±


    ¡°...Alright. Well, that''s good to know that you didn''t just give it to her, I suppose.¡± mumbled Anton ¡°So then, do you at least know why she isn''t wearing her straitjacket anymore?¡±


    ¡°...Yes. ...It''s because, we took it off of her.¡± answered Kianna as her eyes drifted over to where the discarded straight-jacket was still laying on the floor.


    ¡°...I see.¡± said Anton as he nodded slowly and followed her gaze to the straitjacket ¡°...And why, exactly, did you do that?¡±


    ¡°Okay! Look! This was all my idea! Okay!¡± cried Fiona.


    ¡°Of course it was...¡± grumbled Anton as he shook his head ¡°Naturally I assumed you had to be behind this, Fiona... I mean, who else but you could have the brilliance to come up with a plan as ingenious as setting the assassin free, and than allowing her to arm herself...¡±


    Taken aback, Fiona grimaced as she looked down at the floor.


    ¡°I swear, Fiona...¡± continued Anton as he began to rub his eyes in frustration ¡°You are without question your own worst enemy...¡±


    Her expression turning sorrowful, Fiona began to nervously run her hand up and down her left arm as she flattened her ears down behind her head.


    ¡°She''s not the only one who did it though! We both let her go! Not just Fiona! And we can explain!¡± cried Kianna as she began to speak rapidly ¡°We thought about it and we figured that just letting Mica go might actually be the best idea!¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± nodded Fiona as she began to speak at the same pace ¡°Listen! We thought that since you won''t kill Mica, and you don''t really think you can actually help her, then the next best thing would be for her to just disappear all together! That way everything just, kind of solves itself!¡±


    ¡°She won''t be your problem anymore! You could just forget about this whole thing!¡± explained Kianna ¡°Mica could go and get everything else straightened out! And with her gone, she''d be safe, and you wouldn''t have to deal with her anymore! So this really will solve everything!¡±


    ¡°...What? Wait, that? ...Girls that plan doesn''t solve anything!¡± exclaimed Anton as confusion marred his face ¡°Mica isn''t going to be able to just go get everything straightened out! And she won''t be safe at all! In fact, dark elves and torture aside, this is actually the safest place for her to be right now. Her not being here isn''t going to make her family want to kill her any less. They''ll hunt her down as soon as she leaves. They''re probably already looking for her as we speak.¡±


    ¡°...Uh, well, yeah. She wouldn''t really be safe from them. ...At least not right away.¡± mumbled Kianna as she looked down at the kiochi.


    Anton tilted his head as he narrowed his eyes and cocked an eyebrow at the dark elf.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Than what are you even talking about?¡± he asked ¡°What is she going to be safe from?¡±


    ¡°They''re talking about you!¡± declared Mica as she pointed her knife up at Anton''s face ¡°They were saving me from you!¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± questioned Anton.


    ¡°Yeah, you!¡± exclaimed Mica ¡°They know a heartless bastard like you is gonna rip me apart and put me in a jar! So they helped me escape!¡±


    ¡°Yes. Which was an effort you completely fucking ruined!¡± seethed Fiona as she again, smacked the back of the kiochi''s head ¡°You little idiot!¡±


    ¡°Ow! Stop that!¡± snapped Mica as she kept her eyes locked on Anton.


    ¡°Wait? Seriously?¡± asked Anton as he looked back up at the dark elves ¡°Is that really the reason you let her go?¡±


    The dark elves both glanced at each other before sheepishly nodding.


    ¡°...Yeah, kinda.¡± they both mumbled in unison.


    ¡°...Okay, hold on! What happened in here!?¡± exclaimed Anton as he waved his hands around in question ¡°An hour ago you two wanted to either bend her half, or kill her yourself! And now out of nowhere you both want to save her? Why!? What did I miss!? What suddenly changed your minds?¡±


    Mica couldn''t help but to peek back at the dark elves herself as she and Anton both waited for them to answer.


    Fiona and Kianna looked at each other again and stopped short as they both tried to start speaking at the same time.


    ¡°Look. We knew this was gonna make you mad. And we wouldn''t have done it if we didn''t think we needed to...¡± started Fiona as she glared down at Mica ¡°...Argh! You know this would be so much easier if you had just stayed gone, Mica! You fucking liar!¡±


    ¡°Wha, I''m not a liar!¡± argued the incensed kiochi.


    ¡°Uh! Yeah you are!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°You promised us you wouldn''t come back! And yet, look at where you are now. Right now! How are you not a liar!?¡±


    ¡°Because I didn''t come back!¡± snapped Mica ¡°I never left! So that means I technically didn''t come back! I was always here!¡±


    ¡°...Seriously!?¡± growled Fiona as her face became twisted with rage ¡°That''s how you''re going to play this!?¡±


    ¡°Hm. Typical Infernal. Forever twisting their words.¡± mumbled Anton as he shook his head ¡°This is exactly why it''s so hard to take anything they say at face value. If they can turn things around on you for their own benefit, they will, every single time. You can see it right here. You girls apparently trusted her to leave, and I''m sure she was nice enough to step out of sight for you. But then you turned your back, even if it was just for one moment, and here she is again. She never really left. Oh, and look at this, now she has a knife...¡±


    ¡°Shut up! I''m not twisting shit!¡± cried Mica ¡°And I''m not a liar!¡±


    ¡°Then what are you, Mica? And what are you doing?¡± asked Anton ¡°They let you go, so why are you still here? Why did you stay?¡±


    Mica said nothing as she merely stared back at him.


    ¡°...Let me venture a guess.¡± said Anton in a calm tone as he kept his eyes locked to the kiochi''s ¡°You''re here because your mission isn''t over yet, is it?¡±


    Taken aback, Mica blinked as she tightened her grip on her knife.


    ¡°...That''s what I thought. These girls let you go and of course this is how you respond. You instantly turn around and try to kill again.¡± said Anton as the ethereal flames reappeared in the palms of his hands ¡°You''re just a murderous little monster that''s as predictable as the rest. Oh well. This was a good lesson for them. And now, I''m going to teach you your own lesson. I''ll need to make this quick though, so I can get back to work on solving the rest of the problems you''ve created.¡±


    Mica involuntarily cringed back from the flames, but rather than moving to avoid them entirely. She instead took her knife in one hand and stretched her other arm out to block the dark elves behind her.


    Anton couldn''t help but to hesitate in surprise as the kiochi, still refusing to abandon her place in front of the dark elves, spread her wings back out to their fullest and readied herself to fight.


    ¡°Wait! Wait!¡± cried Kianna as she wrapped her arms around Mica''s neck and shoulders ¡°Don''t hurt her! Please!¡±


    ¡°Just hold on! She''s just stupid!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she put an arm out across Mica''s front and pulled her back and away from Anton ¡°You don''t have to do this!¡±


    ¡°What are you doing!?¡± shouted Mica as she tried to pull away from the dark elves surprisingly strong holds ¡°Get off me! Let me go!¡±


    ¡°Girls! Get away from her!¡± roared Anton ¡°She is going to stab you!¡±


    Mica continued to struggle as the dark elves blinked in confusion and glanced at each other.


    ¡°What?¡± questioned Kianna as she turned back to Anton ¡°No, she''s not?¡±


    ¡°It''s fine. This stupid little bitch isn''t gonna hurt us.¡± mumbled Fiona ¡°Watch.¡±


    ¡°Ow! Ow! Stop it!¡± screamed Mica as Fiona began to forcefully yank on and then twist her ear.


    ¡°See. She''s not going to do anything.¡± mocked Fiona as she grinned down at the glaring kiochi and then flicked her on the nose.


    ¡°Bitch!¡± snapped Mica as she brandished her knife ¡°I will fucking stab you!¡±


    ¡°You do and you will regret it!¡± threatened Anton as he level his palm at her head ¡°Get away from her Fiona! She is going to hurt you!¡±


    ¡°She''s not though!¡± claimed Fiona ¡°Look at her! She''s not trying to hurt us!¡±


    ¡°Only because she knows that if she does I will incinerate her head!¡± exclaimed Anton ¡°Now will you both, please! Stop messing around, and move away from the armed assassin!¡±


    Fiona and Kianna went still for a moment before slowly looking at each other.


    ¡°Argh! We can''t!¡± whined Kianna as she tightened her hold on the kiochi ¡°Look! You don''t understand! Mica is an idiot. But she''s not gonna hurt us, okay! Or try to kill you again. She''s done! And, really, she''s not actually like that at all!¡±


    ¡°...What are you talking about, Kianna? She''s exactly like that! She just tried to kill me again as soon as I stepped into the room!¡± stated Anton as he locked eyes with the kiochi ¡°And she''s not going to stop trying until her mission is over.¡±


    ¡°What? No, she... Wait, did you really do that!?¡± questioned Kianna as she looked down at the kiochi.


    ¡°...Um, kinda.¡± muttered Mica as she grimaced and looked away ¡°It''s not what you think though!¡±


    ¡°Seriously!? Dammit to Hell, Mica! You promised you wouldn''t try that again!¡± roared Fiona.


    ¡°No I didn''t!¡± cried Mica as she pointed her knife at Anton ¡°I never said I wouldn''t kill this motherfucker!¡±


    ¡°Bad Mica! Bad! Bad! Bad! Bad!¡± chastised Kianna as she brought her hand down and chopped the kiochi on top of her head over and over again ¡°Stop pointing your knife at him!¡±


    ¡°Ow! Dammit! Stop hitting me!¡± growled Mica.


    ¡°Then stop trying to kill our Master!¡± exclaimed Kianna ¡°Do you want to end up getting punished again!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I''m afraid we''re long past that point, Kianna.¡± said Anton as the flames at his hands flared angrily ¡°As it is, I''ve already got more than enough reasons to punish her...¡±


    The eyes of the dark elves and the kiochi all went wide at the sight of the growing, golden fires.


    ¡°Though, thinking about it... Searing off the first few layers of her flesh may be a bit too severe for a first time punishment... And I''d rather not waste a radiant potion on repairing her if I don''t have to...¡± mused Anton as he narrowed his eyes at Mica ¡°So instead... Maybe I''ll just waterboard her a little...¡±


    ¡°...You! Wha, what!?¡± croaked Mica.


    ¡°Yes, that should work well actually. It''s a nice, solid form of torture that doesn''t actually generate any real damage. And it''s also something I can multi-task with. So really it''s just perfect.¡± reasoned Anton as he continued to eye Mica ¡°Then again... I do have these flames ready... Be a shame to waste them...¡±


    Tightening her grip on her knife, Mica made a small sound in the back of her throat as she stared at the dancing flames.


    ¡°No! Hold on! You can''t do that!¡± whimpered Kianna as she pulled Mica in closer and hugged the kiochi to herself.


    ¡°Yeah! Just, wait a second!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she put her hands up ¡°This, this is all our fault! Okay! We''re the one''s who let her go! She wouldn''t have done any of this if we didn''t let her out!¡±


    ¡°That, that''s right! We''re the one''s who were supposed to watch her! And we let her out!¡± nodded Kianna.


    ¡°See! It''s all our fault! So you can''t punish her! If you''re going to be mad at anybody, than be mad at us! You can''t just punish her for what we did! Not unless you''re going to punish us too!¡± declared Fiona ¡°Right, Kianna!¡±


    ¡°Right! That''s... Uh! W-wait!¡± stammered Kianna as she blinked in uncertainty and turned back to her sister ¡°Hold on? ...We what now!?¡±


    ¡°It''s only fair!¡± stated Fiona as she locked eyes with her sister ¡°He can''t just punish Mica because we were the one''s who let her go! So we''re the one''s at fault here! ...Right, Kianna!?¡±


    Staring back at Fiona for a moment, Kianna''s shoulders slumped in defeat and with a frustrated sigh she nodded her head.


    ¡°Yeah... We did it...¡± she mumbled ¡°We let her go...¡±


    ¡°Right! So there you go!¡± cried Fiona as she turned back to Anton and stood up straight ¡°If you''re going to punish Mica! Then you''re going to have to punish us too!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± nodded Anton ¡°That sounds fine to me.¡±


    The dark elves both went still for a long moment as they stared back at him.


    ¡°...So? Wait? Are you saying, okay, you''re not going to punish her?¡± asked Fiona as her expression became hopeful.


    ¡°No, of course not. I''m saying, okay, I agree with punishing you two as well.¡± said Anton ¡°Even with setting my anger at Mica aside, I''m still absolutely furious with the both of you. And I was already planning on punishing you both for betraying my trust in you, and risking your lives by setting Mica free. I honestly can''t even believe you two would so foolishly put yourselves in mortal danger like that. It really is just mind boggling. And I am going to make sure that you two know better than to ever make another very poor decision like this again. You two are both going to learn to think twice from this mistake. And I do guarantee that.¡±


    ¡°...Oh.¡± gulped both of the dark elves in unison as they slowly flattened their ears back behind their heads.


    ¡°And since I am a bit pressed for time today. What with all the phone calls I have to make... This idea of just punishing all three of you together actually works out better for me.¡± continued Anton as he closed his fist and dispelled the flames in his hand ¡°So then. I think it''s best if we just begin this immediately. That way we can be done with it.¡±


    ¡°...Wha, wait! What are you gonna do to us!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards in panic.


    ¡°I already told you. I''m going to waterboard you.¡± repeated Anton ¡°For you two it should be an intense, though fairly painless experience. Yet one that you will definitely not enjoy. For Mica however, as an Infernal, it''ll be a true torture in every way. And as it is also something I can do to you while I''m on the phone, it will, as I''ve said already, work out just perfectly for me.¡±


    The two dark elves faces went several shades lighter in color as they looked at each other.


    ¡°Wait! Are you being serious about this!? Are you really gonna waterboard us¡± cried Fiona as she and Kianna both turned back to Anton.


    ¡°Yes.¡± said Anton in a nonchalant tone ¡°Unless of course you can give me a really good reason why I shouldn''t?¡±


    ¡°Pfft! I got your reason right here!¡± exclaimed Mica as she pulled away from a now distracted Kianna.


    Everyone''s eyes fell to her as she smiled viciously and pointed her knife up at Anton.


    ¡°There are 3 of us and only 1 of you!¡± mocked Mica ¡°So you even try anything like that and we''ll take you down like the motherfucker you are!¡±


    ¡°Oh, really now...¡± nodded Anton as he looked up at the dark elves ¡°And do you two agree with this?¡±


    ¡°Hell no! Don''t listen to her! She''s crazy!¡± cried Fiona as she looked from Mica to him and back ¡°Shut the Hell up, Mica!¡±


    ¡°What, no! We can win this!¡± cried Mica ¡°Listen! If we team up we can totally take him down! You two just need to make him afraid of you, and then I''ll take him out! It''ll be easy!¡±


    ¡°Oh! Well now! That''s actually not a bad plan.¡± nodded Anton ¡°I for one, am certainly interested in seeing how well it''s going to work out.¡±


    The dark elves both went stiff as they looked back up at him.


    Anton wore a small, amused looking smile on his face as he tilted his head to the side and cracked his neck in a seemingly menacing manner.


    ¡°...Oh! Fuck this!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she reached out and grabbed hold of Mica by wrapped one arm around her neck and clamped her other hand over the surprised kiochi''s mouth ¡°Shut up, shut up you little idiot!¡±


    Mica immediately began to struggle and flap her wings wildly as she was pulled in and held clutched against Fiona''s chest.


    Anton stared at the struggling duo for a moment before shifting his gaze over to Kianna.


    The miserable looking dark elf immediately hunched in on herself as their eyes met.


    ¡°You know, you really need to stop letting your sister talk you into things.¡± said Anton in a calm tone as he gave her a soft smile ¡°Now, did you have anything else to say for yourself? Maybe some explanation for your poor decisions? ...Or perhaps you''d like to tell me why you decided to change your mind about Mica?¡±


    Kianna tightened her ears together behind her head as she grimaced and glanced at the kiochi.


    ¡°I, I didn''t really change my mind. I just... You don''t understand! Mica is... She''s, she''s really confused. She''s stupid too! Which is what makes this so much harder! But she''s not, really... evil? Well, she is! But not like, actually evil. And I helped her because... Because I think, maybe, I shouldn''t have done... Argh! I don''t think I should have hurt her as bad as I did last night! Okay! I was angry, and I was too rough with her, she doesn''t really deserve this...¡± explained Kianna as her expression became laced with sorrow and regret ¡°You really don''t understand! She really is confused right now! Like seriously confused! I don''t even know if she understands why she''s even still here! I really don''t think she does!¡±


    ¡°...I''m not sure why you seem to think she''s so confused, Kianna?¡± said Anton as he raised an eyebrow and looked over at the kiochi ¡°Her motivations seem pretty easy to understand. She wants to complete her mission, by killing me.¡±


    ¡°No! Kianna''s right! You don''t get it! Mica never really wanted to kill you! Like you personally! Or anybody!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she fought to hold the kiochi in place ¡°All she wants is for her family to accept her! So she can be one of them! And she thought she had to kill somebody to do this! But she knows she was wrong! And she is sorry! Right, Mica!? You''re sorry, aren''t you!?¡±


    ¡°Fuck no!¡± cried Mica as her mouth was released and she looked back over her shoulder to glare at the dark elf.


    ¡°See, she-! Why you little shit! Yes you are!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she began to rapidly smack the back of the kiochi''s head with her now free hand ¡°Now say it! Say you''re sorry!¡±


    ¡°Stop it!¡± cried Mica as she tried to beat the dark elf away by slapping at her with her wings ¡°No! I''m not sorry!¡±


    ¡°Dammit! Mica! Just tell him you''re sorry!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she continued to smack the kiochi whilst throwing her head back in an effort to avoid being slapped by her flapping wings ¡°Just say it!¡±


    ¡°No! Never!¡± shouted Mica as she tried to duck her head away from the dark elf''s assault.


    After watching the duo''s antics for a moment, Anton began to slowly shake his head.


    ¡°You know, Mica. The girls are tying very hard to argue on your behalf. And honestly, I''m still not sure why?¡± said Anton as he folded his arms back over his chest and gave the kiochi a thoughtful look ¡°You don''t seem to be too interested in helping their case. And yet they still insist that there is more to you than what I''m seeing... I just don''t know if I can believe that though...¡±


    ¡°I don''t give a crap what you believe!¡± declared Mica as she shifted her glare to him ¡°And I don''t know why they do either! When all you''re going to do is sell them! You heartless fuck!¡±


    ¡°...What? Excuse me?¡± questioned Anton as his face shifted to a look of surprise ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°I said you''re a heartless fuck!¡± cried Mica ¡°And you are! These two are sisters, and they love each other, and they need each other! And you wanna separate them! You ass! But I won''t let you do it! You come anywhere near these elves again and I''ll slaughter you!¡±


    Blinking in surprise, both Fiona and Kianna were taken aback as they looked down at the kiochi who was now openly defending them.


    ¡°They let me go and tried to save me because they know they can''t save themselves! They know they can''t trust you. They know they''re fucked! But none of that matters anymore... ¡± growled Mica as her face hardened in determination and she leveled her knife back at Anton ¡°Because I won''t let you touch them. And if you even try to, then I swear. I. Will. Kill you!¡±

 Assassin Arc : Chapter 10 : Morning

    Chapter 10 : Morning


    ¡°...Is this supposed to be some sort of trick?¡± questioned Anton as he cocked an eyebrow ¡°Or a joke of some kind? Because I...¡±


    Anton stopped short as he looked up at the suddenly miserable looking dark elves and found them both huddled together with their ears laid back submissively.


    ¡°...Wait? What''s going on?¡± he asked as he unfolded one of his arms and indicated Mica ¡°What is she talking about?¡±


    ¡°I''m talking about you! You ass! And how you said you were going to sell this elf to my Dad!¡± seethed Mica as she pointed back at Fiona ¡°You even said you would make him a good deal! You sick fuck! But I won''t let you do it! You come anywhere near her and I''ll kill you!¡±


    Staring down at the brazen little kiochi who was apparently ready to fight for her, Fiona''s eyes went wide as a grateful tightness began to form in her chest.


    ¡°...Okay, this is definitely some kind of trick.¡± mumbled Anton as he turned to the dark elves ¡°Girls, I don''t know what Mica has told you, but I have never even once spoken to her Father about selling either one of you. This is just complete nonsense.¡±


    ¡°...What? But, yes you did!¡± started Kianna as her voice began to crack ¡°You did, when you were talking to Leopold last night!¡±


    ¡°You said you were working with dark elves.¡± whimpered Fiona as light tears began to form in her eyes ¡°And you said that one was coming along great, and that one wasn''t... And then you started talking about me. About how I was young and, inexperienced. And then you told Leopold that a dark elf would be expensive. But that you would make him a good deal...¡±


    Going still for a moment, realization slowly formed on Anton''s face as he looked from one dark elf to the other.


    ¡°Oh!¡± he said as he slowly began to nod his head ¡°That''s what your all talking about! No, no no no! This has been a complete misunderstanding! That''s not what we were talking about at all! That had nothing to do with selling you, Fiona!¡±


    ¡°...What do you mean?¡± asked both of the dark elves in unison as they looked at each other in confusion.


    ¡°What were you talking about then!?¡± demanded Mica ¡°Because that sure as Hell sounded like you were talking about selling her!¡±


    ¡°Your parents.¡± said Anton as he indicated Mica ¡°Have a client that is married to a nekomata, or a werecat of some kind. And this cat is apparently being quite the tom lately. So Leopold wanted to know if he could rent or hire my dark elf on this clients behalf, and have her step in and scare this cat straight via some ¡°behavior-modification¡± training. That''s what we were talking about. We never even once discussed him actually buying Fiona. Not that I would ever sell a homicidal brat like Fiona to him anyways. I could never do something like that to a friend after all.¡±


    The dark elves and shinoccubus remained completely still and silent for several moments as they all stared at Anton.


    ¡°Oh, thank the Gods!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she hunched in on herself.


    ¡°I knew it!¡± cried Kianna as she clutched her relieved looking sister around the shoulders ¡°I knew it! I knew you would never sell her! I knew it! I knew it!¡±


    ¡°Hold on. Is this why you''ve been acting so weird lately?¡± asked Anton as he pointed at Fiona ¡°You really thought I was going to sell you?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± cried Fiona ¡°And oh Gods! I almost puked so many times! ''Oh look at me! I''m little miss happy, happy slave girl! Master! Master! Right away, Master!'' Bah! Argh! My stomach was turning the whole fucking time! And I could barely even stand myself!¡±


    ¡°It was so creepy and gross!¡± declared Kianna as she nuzzled their cheeks together ¡°And it''ll be so good to have you back to normal!¡±


    ¡°...Agreed. That was actually very unsettling.¡± nodded Anton ¡°This is still unfortunate though. Considering at this point, I doubt things are going to work out for you, Fiona...¡±


    ¡°Wha? What do you mean?¡± questioned Fiona as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards in nervousness ¡°What''s not gonna work out for me!?¡±


    ¡°This opportunity.¡± said Anton ¡°I know how important it is to you that you become better at being a dark elf. And this would have been a good chance for you to get some real world experience in. Unfortunately, like I said, it''s just not going to work out. And I am really sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Right. No, that''s okay...¡± said Fiona as she shook her head ¡°Don''t worry about it. I mean, it sucks. But it''s whatever. I''m not upset about it.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Well I appreciate the good attitude.¡± nodded Anton ¡°And I promise, we will find you more opportunities like this one. We''ll just have to keep our eyes open for them.¡±


    ¡°...Right. Okay!¡± grinned Fiona as she joyfully pressed her shoulder into the hold her sister still had on her ¡°Yeah! That sounds good!¡±


    ¡°You''re still a heartless bastard!¡± declared Mica as she kept her knife pointed at Anton''s face ¡°And I''m still not letting you anywhere near these elves!¡±


    Narrowing his eyes, Anton was quiet for a moment as he seemed to be assessing the shinoccubus.


    ¡°Right... So where is this really coming from, Mica?¡± he asked as he began to thoughtfully rub his chin ¡°Because you can''t actually expect me to believe you''re truly trying to protect the dark elves without some other motive being at play here...¡±


    ¡°I don''t give a crap what you believe!¡± snapped Mica ¡°I already told you that!¡±


    ¡°...Mm hm. So, you''re saying that when you attacked me just now, you weren''t out for revenge with that? You only did that to protect the dark elves?¡± asked Anton as he folded his arms back over his chest ¡°The very same dark elves that have been torturing you, and openly threatening your life... You gave up on a chance to escape, and you stayed to protect them. With no ulterior motives whatsoever. You realize how difficult that is to believe, right?¡±


    ¡°Motherfucker!¡± growled Mica ¡°Yes! That''s what happened! I stayed because I knew you''d be pissed at them if I was gone!¡±


    ¡°...I see. ...Well isn''t that interesting.¡± mumbled Anton as he cocked in eyebrow in obvious disbelief ¡°You knew I was going to punish them, so you stayed to try and protect them. That''s very nice of you.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you!¡± snapped Mica through her clenched jaw.


    Fiona had become stoic as she stared down at Mica. After a few moments of watching her argue, she smirked at the frustrated kiochi before closing her eyes, sighing through her nose and turning to face Anton.


    ¡°Master!¡± she called as she looked him in the eyes ¡°You know how to fight, right?¡±


    Taken aback, Anton blinked as he, Mica and Kianna all turned to her unison.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± said Anton as his face scrunched up in surprise ¡°I, why? What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°I mean, that you know how to fight! Like when you fought with Mica last night.¡± said Fiona as she looked back down at the kiochi ¡°You knew what you were doing. And you knew, that she didn''t know what she was doing... Right?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes, you''re right... I wouldn''t necessarily call myself overly skilled at most forms of combat. But yes, I can technically fight. And fairly well.¡± stated Anton ¡°Why exactly are you asking though?¡±


    Fiona hesitated and began to chew on her lower lip as she stared at Mica. Unnerved by the sudden attention, the kiochi grimaced in unease as she leaned away from her.


    ¡°...Do you think? That you could, maybe like, teach Mica how to fight?¡± asked Fiona as she looked back up at Anton ¡°Like train her? Or something?¡±


    ¡°...What!?¡± exclaimed both Anton and Mica in unison.


    They immediately mimicked one another again by glancing at each other and then turning back to face Fiona.


    ¡°Now why in the world would I ever do that!?¡± questioned Anton.


    ¡°Why would I ever listen to a damn thing this guy says!¡± declared Mica as she pointed her knife back at Anton.


    ¡°Because! ...I don''t know!¡± cried Fiona as she looked from Anton to Mica and back ¡°Because! Because she needs it! Because she''s stupid! And she''s gonna get herself killed! She needs help! Bad! She''s all alone in this! And nobody else is going to help her! Because nobody else even cares!¡±


    Mica went silent as she stared dumbfounded at the dark elf.


    ¡°...And why do you care all of a sudden?¡± asked Anton in a calm tone as he tilted his head ¡°Seriously? Where did this come from?¡±


    ¡°It, it came from her! When she! When we! ...I don''t know!¡± cried Fiona as her voice began to crack ¡°...Why do you care so much!?¡±


    ¡°Um, well. I wouldn''t exactly say that I do!¡± chuckled Anton.


    ¡°Yes you do! You care a lot! You care about us!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she turned to a startled Kianna and began to blink at her as light tears took shape in her eyes ¡°You tell us about what we are! And you''re teaching us how to be better at what we are! You want to make us better at what we are! ...And, I don''t know why!? ...I know you say it''s because it''s entertaining to you. Like you''re just bored, or something. ...But I don''t know about that. ...I think, maybe you just really care! ...And I think, that maybe you want us to be better, because you really care? ...But I, don''t? ...I don''t know?¡±


    Anton remained silent and still as he watched the now sobbing dark elf struggle with her confession.


    ¡°It''s like with this thing, that just happened. I thought you were getting rid of me! ...But you weren''t. You were gonna help me get better. And you even said that you''re sorry cause it didn''t work out. ...You promise other ones will though. And, I believe you! Because, I know you want me to be better. And I know you can help me be better. I know you can help us be better!¡± continued Fiona as she pressed her shoulder against her sister''s as she grinned at her ¡°And even though I do hate you! ...I still know that you''ll help me. ...And, I just think, that maybe, maybe you could help make her better too? ...Please?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± cried Kianna as she looked up at him and frantically nodded in agreement ¡°Please! She really does need help! Your help! Please! You have to help her! ...Please!?¡±


    Anton stood completely still for several long moments before he slowly turned to the kiochi.


    ¡°...How did you do this?¡± he asked softly as he shook his head in disbelief ¡°How did you manage to get these two on your side like this?¡±


    ¡°I didn''t do anything...¡± mumbled Mica as she scowled and looked away from him ¡°They just started untying me. ...But this is why I stayed. Because they helped me, and I wanted to help them. ...So now you know why. ...Okay!? Do you get that now!?¡±


    Anton stared at her for another long moment before slowly looking back up at the dark elves.


    ¡°Well, then... This is just, out of nowhere... And I''m really sorry girls, I don''t know how to say this, but...¡± he mumbled as he cradled his chin in his hand and went quiet for another long moment.


    The dark elves couldn''t help but to grow anxious as they watched Anton''s expression slowly become thoughtful.


    ¡°...But, then again. ...I did kind of like the way that looked.¡± mused Anton as his eyes shifted back to the shinoccubus ¡°When she was protecting you.¡±


    The dark elves eyes widened to their fullest as Mica''s head snapped back up to attention.


    ¡°...Enslaved dark elves are going to be a spectacle. And in the right place, you two could easily draw the wrong attention.¡± continued Anton as he looked from the kiochi back to the dark elves ¡°It might not be a bad idea, to have a bodyguard around...¡±


    Mica''s face immediately scrunched back up into a scowl as she pointed her knife back up at Anton.


    ¡°Fuck you! I wanna kill you! Like I''d ever be your bodyguard!¡± she exclaimed ¡°I''d never do that for somebody like you!¡±


    ¡°Hm, well, technically, you already are doing it for me, Mica.¡± chuckled Anton as a small grin formed on his face ¡°After all. You''ve been protecting my dark elves this entire time, haven''t you?¡±


    ¡°From you!¡± declared Mica ¡°Not for you!¡±


    ¡°Mm, true. But that''s just a minor detail.¡± said Anton with a shrug ¡°You''re already willing to protect them though. So that wouldn''t be something that I''ll have to train into you myself.¡±


    Blinking, Mica took a step back as her confidence seemed to suddenly falter.


    ¡°Hey! Don''t talk about me like that!¡± she exclaimed as she took another step away from him ¡°You can''t just train something into me! I''m not some kind of... dog!¡±


    ¡°Right, you''re right. You''re not a dog... You''re a young, clanless, homeless shinoccubus with no formal training and who is completely unwanted by her family...¡± mused Anton as he took a step forward and let his grin grow into a thin smile ¡°You are, in all actuality, quite interesting...¡±


    ¡°I''m, h-hey! No I''m not!¡± cried Mica as her voice became laced with an undercurrent of panic ¡°Don''t say crap like that! And stop looking at me like that!¡±


    ¡°Well, well, well... This suddenly became interesting... This suddenly became very interesting... This is actually a very unique opportunity!¡± continued Anton as he took another step forward ¡°You''re a completely clean slate, Mica. You have no exposure to clan doctrines. You have no bad habits from former trainers. You''re able bodied, eager to learn and have plenty of motivation... It really would be a shame to just let someone else ruin all of your potential. Especially considering that as you are, you could be molded so very easily.¡±


    ¡°What!? No I can''t!¡± exclaimed Mica as she looked from him to the dark elves and back ¡°Seriously! Stop saying crap like that!¡±


    ¡°...This is such a wonderfully entertaining idea! Why didn''t I think of this earlier!?¡± smiled Anton as he turned back to the dark elves ¡°Good thinking, Fiona! I''m going to have so much fun with this!¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah. No problem!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she smiled and tried to ignore the kiochi who was now hatefully glaring at her ¡°Anytime!¡±


    ¡°No! You''re not!¡± declared Mica as she shifted her glare back to Anton ¡°I''m not listening to you, or working for you, or anything for you! Ever!¡±


    ¡°Why not? What better option do you even have?¡± asked Anton as he continued to grin at the angry little kiochi ¡°Do you really think you can defend yourself on your own? Because it''s not as though the world outside this house has suddenly gotten any safer for you.¡±


    Her face twisting in rage, Mica went to speak but was stopped short as Kianna interrupted her.


    ¡°Mica!¡± shouted the dark elf as she pointed her ears straight upwards ¡°Stop that! Right now!¡±


    ¡°...Wha, what!?¡± questioned the startled kiochi.


    ¡°What are you doing!? You have someone who is finally willing to help you and you''re going to act like this!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as she stepped forward and took a stand in front of the wide eyed kiochi ¡°This is exactly what you wanted! You don''t have to be alone anymore! Our Master is going to help you. So why are you fighting with him!? What do you think you''re even doing!?¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°...I! ...W-wait! No! He, he''s gonna!¡± stammered Mica as she pointed at Anton ¡°He''s the bad guy!¡±


    ¡°What!? Why!?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°...Because! He''s gonna punish you! And, and put me in a jar!¡± exclaimed the kiochi before blinking in confusion ¡°...Remember!?¡±


    ¡°I never said I was going to do that to you, Mica. Or that I even wanted to. I only said that I could do it.¡± sighed Anton as he shook his head ¡°And I only told you that so that you would understand what the consequences for you would be if you pushed things to that point. My only intention was to give you a reason to control yourself. And nothing more.¡±


    ¡°See! There ya go!¡± exclaimed Kianna excitedly ¡°You''re not really gonna end up in a jar. Not unless you keep being really stupid. Which you''re not gonna be! Because we''re done now! We''re not enemies anymore! So you''re not gonna try to run away, or keep fighting us or anything like that... Right!?¡±


    Mica said nothing as she merely stared up at the now smiling dark elf.


    ¡°...Right, Mica!?¡± repeated Kianna through her smiling teeth as she folded her arms across her middle and narrowed her eyes into a stern looking glare.


    Her expression clearly mistrustful, Mica tightened her own eyes as she shifted to the side and clutched her knife to herself as if she was expecting it to be taken away from her.


    ¡°Dammit, Mica...¡± grumbled Fiona as she shook her head in frustration ¡°Really!?¡±


    ¡°Mica.¡± said Anton in a calm tone.


    Mica and the dark elves all turned to him in unison as he spoke.


    ¡°What!¡± snapped the kiochi as she tucked her knife in even closer to herself in an effort to keep it out of sight.


    ¡°Just recently, we''ve had a conversation where we discussed how all shinoccubi have an ingrained ability that when invoked, takes the form of an oath of loyalty.¡± explained Anton ¡°This ability essentially acts as a self-inflicting curse. And when shinoccubi come of age they invoke this ability on themselves and swear their oaths of loyalty to their clans and to the Makieves that their clans serve. Do you remember all of this?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah.¡± mumbled Mica.


    ¡°Good, perfect.¡± nodded Anton as he clapped his hands together ¡°Then listen very carefully!¡±


    Grimacing in unease, Mica went still as she narrowed her eyes at him.


    ¡°We do not trust each other. You do not trust me. And you have proven, time and again now, that I can not trust you. So, if you''re going to be staying here with us, living with us, and working with us. Then this is going to have to change. Immediately. So with this being the case, I want you to invoke this ability, and then swear your loyalty to me. Thus, making me your Makieve and your Master.¡± said Anton ¡°And in exchange for this. I will swear that I will protect you, care for you, keep you alive and have you fully trained to the point that you will be able to defend yourself against anyone who may try to threaten or attempt to kill you... Now, how does all this sound to you?¡±


    Mica was silent for several long moments as she stared at him.


    ¡°Are you serious!? Hell no!¡± she declared as she pointed her knife back up at his face ¡°Fuck you!¡±


    ¡°Hm. Okay, fine then.¡± said Anton with a shrug ¡°I''ll just enslave you instead. It''s basically the same thing anyways.¡±


    Another long moment of silence passed as everyone stared at Anton.


    ¡°...Wait, what!?¡± cried Mica as her eyes went wide.


    ¡°Oh! That actually works perfectly!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she clapped her hands together.


    ¡°Holy shit! Why didn''t we think of that!?¡± cried Fiona as she slapped her forehead ¡°This solves everything! We should have just done this from the beginning!¡±


    ¡°Wait, what!?¡± cried Mica as she turned towards them.


    ¡°But hold on. Don''t you think this will make her family even more pissed?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°Nah, why would it? If anything it should make them happy!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°If Mica becomes our slave, then they won''t need to kill her anymore!¡±


    ¡°No, I doubt it''ll make much of a difference to them either way. And even if it does, it definitely won''t be enough to stop them.¡± said Anton ¡°She''s too much of a liability, even as a slave. They want her dead. And us putting a collar around her neck isn''t going to change that.¡±


    ¡°Hold on! Just hold on! Everybody just stop!¡± cried Mica as she put her hands up and backed away from all three of them before pointing her knife at Anton ¡°You! You can''t enslave me!¡±


    ¡°...Okay?¡± questioned Anton ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Why! Because! I''m not a criminal! You can only enslave criminals!¡± exclaimed Mica as she tapped her finger on her own chest ¡°And I''m not a criminal! I''ve never done anything wrong! I''m totally innocent!¡±


    There was a moment of silence as everyone stared at her.


    ¡°...Wait, seriously?¡± questioned Fiona ¡°She can''t seriously be this stupid? ...Right!?¡±


    ¡°Stop it, Fiona! Don''t call her stupid! You know how confused she is!¡± said Kianna as she glared at her sister and then turned to the kiochi ¡°Mica, sweety. Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Wha!?¡± cried Mica as her eyes darted from Anton to the dark elf ¡°Because! I was helping you! How many times do I have to keep saying this!?¡±


    ¡°Uh, no. Well, yes. But what I mean is, why did you come here? In the first place. What were you-.¡± started Kianna.


    ¡°Kianna, just hold on a minute.¡± interrupted Anton as he shook his head ¡°Let''s try giving her a moment to figure it out on her own...¡±


    ¡°What!? Wait! What was that!?¡± cried Mica as she looked from Kianna to Anton and back ¡°What were you gonna say!?¡±


    Kianna grimaced apologetically as she hunched her shoulders into a shrug.


    Mica stared at her in confusion for a moment before shifting her gaze to Fiona.


    Smirking, Fiona made as if she were holding something as she bobbed her hand up and down in a stabbing motion.


    Brow creasing as her confusion deepened, Mica looked down at her own hand. Her eyes widened in panic as they locked onto the knife being held there.


    ¡°...Oh crap.¡± she groaned softly.


    ¡°And there it is.¡± grinned Anton.


    ¡°Oh crap! Oh crap! Oh crap!¡± chanted Mica as she balled her hands into fists and pressed them to her temples jut below her horns ¡°What have I done! I tried to kill somebody!¡±


    ¡°Mm, it was twice that you tried that, actually.¡± grumbled Anton as he held up two fingers ¡°So far...¡±


    Mica began to tremble uncontrollably as her eyes went dull and lost focus. The coils of her tail began to wither wildly around her waist as her panic set in deeper.


    ¡°...Okay. I think I''m gonna go ahead and take this away from you now.¡± said Fiona as she reached over and slowly slipped the knife out of Mica''s hand ¡°I don''t think you should have this anymore...¡±


    ¡°No, she never should have had it to begin with!¡± grumbled Anton.


    Rather than fight back as her weapon was taken away and tossed into the sink, the trembling shinoccubus instead just rolled her hands forward to cover her eyes.


    ¡°Crap!¡± wailed Mica as her whole body seemed to slump ¡°Why is this happening to me!?¡±


    ¡°Oh, poor little Mica...¡± soothed Kianna as she patted her on the head ¡°Nothing is just happening to you, sweety... You did all this to yourself...¡±


    Mica went still for a moment before suddenly diving forward and ducking around Kianna as she made a break for the backdoor. She stopped in a panic as a series of pink and green rings suddenly winked into existence around her.


    ¡°What the! No! Stop!¡± she screamed as thin vine-like chains erupted out of the rings and immediately ensnared her before lifting her up off the ground ¡°Get off me! Let me go!¡±


    ¡°Now where do you think you''re going!?¡± mocked Fiona as she and Kianna stepped around to stand on either side of the struggling kiochi ¡°You had your chance to leave and you blew it, you dumb little bitch! You came running right back. And now it''s just like they say! Let something go, and if it comes back to you, it''s yours... Forever!¡±


    ¡°Wha!? No! Let me go! Dammit! Let me go!¡± cried Mica as she cringed back from the smiling dark elves.


    ¡°Sorry, sweety!¡± cooed Kianna as she tapped Mica on the nose ¡°But you''re not going anywhere now!¡±


    ¡°Well, that may not be completely true.¡± mused Anton ¡°It might be better to send her off for a bit of training. So she might go away for a little while.¡±


    ¡°What? No!¡± cried Kianna as she and Fiona both wrapped their arms around the still bound Mica and held her sandwiched between them ¡°You can''t do that! What if the people you send her to are mean to her!?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! We''re the only one''s who get to be mean to her now! And besides! You''re supposed to train her! Not somebody else!¡± exclaimed Fiona.


    ¡°There''s only so much I can really help her with though.¡± said Anton as he shook his head ¡°Like I said before, combat wise, I''m far from an expert. And I would rather her learn from someone who had a better idea of what they are doing when it comes to combat training. I will help her of course, but I''d still prefer she learn from someone who was better skilled than me in the forms of combat that she would be more suited to.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Well, yeah, I guess that makes sense...¡± grumbled Kianna as she tightened her hold on Mica ¡°But still! Do we really have to send her away though? Can''t we just keep her here, and take her to lessons or something?¡±


    ¡°Oh! That''ll work! We''ll just take her to lessons!¡± repeated Fiona ¡°That way we can still keep her here with us!¡±


    ¡°Right! We want to keep her here, please!¡± begged Kianna ¡°Can''t we keep her here!¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Can we keep her here!?¡± whined Fiona in a mockingly childish tone ¡°Pretty please!¡±


    ¡°Pretty please can we keep her!?¡± sang both of the dark elves in unison as they squeezed the kiochi between them.


    ¡°Stop saying it like that you psychos!¡± cried Mica as she frantically tried to wiggle herself free ¡°I''m not some damn stray you can just keep! I''m a person! You can''t just keep me like a dog, dammit!¡±


    ¡°Pretty please! Can we keep her!?¡± repeated the dark elves as they both began to rub Mica''s head as if she were some kind of small animal ¡°Pretty please!¡±


    ¡°No! Quit! Stop that! Dammit!¡± screamed Mica as she angrily twisted her head back and forth in an effort to get away from them ¡°Stop petting me!¡±


    Anton couldn''t help but to throw his head back and laugh.


    ¡°Okay! Okay...¡± he chuckled as he recomposed himself and wiped a tear away from his eye ¡°Alright... Well... If it really means that much to you girls... Then I guess it''s fine with me... We can keep Mica!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± cried the dark elves as they again squeezed the kiochi as hard as they could.


    ¡°No!¡± whined Mica as she struggled to breathe around their onslaught.


    ¡°I guess we''ll just have to put together some kind of training schedule for her...¡± mused Anton as he rubbed his chin ¡°...And maybe we can find her a tutor? Or something like that. Oh well, we can figure all this out later. We still have some more important things to do today.¡±


    ¡°Right! We''ve got to get her ready after all!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she smiled wickedly and took Mica''s face in her hands before beginning to playfully twist her head back and forth ¡°You''re gonna be such a cute little slave!¡±


    The kiochi whimpered pitifully as she scrunched up her face in misery.


    ¡°She actually really is. I mean, for a vicious little ninja-bitch, she''s already a cutie!¡± teased Fiona as she continued to pet Mica''s head ¡°She''s gonna be the bestest little guard-doggy too! Isn''t she! Yes! Yes she is! Hey! We should wrap a big pink bow around her neck so people will know how dangerous she is!¡±


    ¡°Aw! Yes!¡± gasped Kianna as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards in excitement ¡°That would be so cute! Oh! We can tie some bows to her horns and wings too! And wrap a ribbon all the way down her tail! Yes! We could even put her in cute little dresses! Like a little dolly!¡±


    ¡°What! No! No, you can''t do this!¡± exclaimed Mica as she frantically shook her head ¡°Dammit! I''m not your doll! And I''m not your dog! I''m a person! Dammit! I''m not your pet! You can''t do this to me! You fucking psychos! What the Hell is wrong with you!?¡±


    ¡°They''re dark elves, Mica. They''re like that. They see people as pets. That''s just how they are.¡± said Anton with a shrug ¡°You''ll get used to them eventually... Or not. Honestly, at this point, I really don''t know if I care either way?¡±


    ¡°Hey! When she gets enslaved, will she have to listen to what we say too!?¡± asked Fiona as she turned to Anton.


    ¡°Hm, well, she will if I command her to.¡± said Anton as he cocked an eyebrow at the dark elf ¡°I don''t know if I''m going to do that though...¡±


    ¡°Ah, c''mon! I''m not gonna do anything too cruel. I just wanna play with her in the dungeon a little bit. Make her ass dance a little, and maybe bend her in half a few times.¡± said Fiona as she smirked evilly at the kiochi ¡°Also... I wanna command her to act like a monkey!¡±


    ¡°You, what!?¡± cried Mica as she twisted her head towards Fiona ¡°Fuck you! You sick bitch!¡±


    ¡°Aw! That would be so cute!¡± exclaimed Kianna ¡°Oh! We could even get her a little monkey costume! One she can wear it as her pajamas!¡±


    ¡°No! Shut up! I''m not a monkey!¡± cried Mica as she whirled back to glare at her.


    ¡°Yeah, I''m not going to let you two do any of that.¡± chuckled Anton ¡°Well, maybe the monkey thing...¡±


    ¡°What! No!¡± cried Mica as she redoubled her struggling ¡°Dammit! I don''t wanna be a monkey!¡±


    ¡°Ah c''mon now, Mee-cah...¡± cooed Kianna as she playfully squeezed the kiochi''s cheeks and pulled them apart to stretch out her face ¡°You''ll make such a great monkey! You''ll be so cute!¡±


    ¡°Nah! Thop ith! Leth meeth tho!¡± cried Mica as she tried to speak around her stretched face ¡°Wah!¡±


    Kianna laughed merrily and crushed Mica''s cheeks together before finally letting her go.


    ¡°Ah!¡± groaned Mica as she cringed away from the dark elf ¡°Fuck this! Fuck you! This is a nightmare! I swear! This fucking day can''t get any worse!¡±


    ¡°Oh, now don''t say that, Mica.¡± said Anton as he crossed his arms over his chest ¡°Things could always get worse, you know.¡±


    ¡°How!?¡± snapped Mica as she glared at him ¡°I''ve been trapped by a bunch of psychos who want to turn me into a guard-dog-monkey-slave! How could things possibly get any worse than this!?¡±


    ¡°Well, for one thing...¡± said Anton as he let his aura flare outwards and instantly flood the room with a cold and heavy dread ¡°You''re still about to get waterboarded...¡±

 Assassin Arc : Chapter 11 : Late Morning

    Chapter 11 : Late Morning


    Anton hummed quietly to himself as he watched the little mountain of ice cubes begin to crumble apart from the bottom upwards. As the waterline in the large ice chest slowly rose higher and higher, more and more of the ice cubes began to tumble downwards and disappear beneath the surface of the water.


    A sudden, frustrated groan drew his attention over to the picnic table and to the angry little shinoccubus who was currently trying to wiggle herself free from her bounds.


    Chuckling around a soft grin, Anton shook his head before going back to watching the rising waterline.


    The stream of water from the garden hose began to slow as he eased up his grip on the trigger-like plunger that was attached to the gun-like nozzle at the end of the hose. And once the last of the ice cubes had sunk down into the now heavily chilled water, he fully released the trigger and completely shut off the flow. After laying the hose across the top of the ice chest, he turned back to the table and gave his bound charges another quick look over.


    The long picnic table had been taken out from under the small grove of trees and was now sitting in the middle of the yard so it could be set up in the full sun. Several yard stones had then been collected from around the flowerbed next to the house, and these had been placed under the legs of one end of the table. This raised that side high enough so that the whole table now had a slope of around fifteen degrees.


    A somberly quiet dark elf had been strapped down to each of the picnic tables bench seats while the still struggling shinoccubus had been tied spread eagle across the table top itself. All three were laid out on their backs and with their heads down at the low end of the sloped table.


    Folded washcloths had been shoved into each of their mouths to act as gags. And these were held in place by cloth bandannas that were wrapped tightly around their heads before being tied off at the base of their skulls. Dark blue-colored pillowcases had also been fitted over their heads before being loosely tied around their necks.


    Sitting ominously just off from the side of the table were two large ice chests. Originally these had both been filled with ice cubes. But now the one closest to the table had been reduced to a near freezing icy water while the other was still overflowing with the solid cubes. On the opposite side from the ice chests, and set up in such a way that it had a clear view of the table and all three of its bound charges, was one of the cushioned patio chairs.


    Anton sniffed and blinked in the bright sunlight as he took his phone from his pocket, tapped on the correct contact and then held the phone to his ear. As he waited for the line to click over and start ringing, he used a plastic pitcher to absently pour a stream of icy water over Mica''s prone body. He leaned back a bit as she immediately started to frantically thrash about and throw tiny water droplets into the air.


    Screaming through her gag, Mica curled her fingers into claw-like shapes as the cascade of freezing water soaked into the scarf that was wrapped around her bust and sent a stinging chill straight through her breasts and deep into her chest.


    As an Infernal, Mica''s fiendish biology allowed her to withstand temperatures of well over several hundred degrees, and as such she could live comfortably in most traditional hellscapes. The trade off for this however, was that her body had almost no natural tolerance for the cold, and she could barely even withstand temperatures as low as fifty degrees Fahrenheit before she would start to suffer numbing pains from being chilled. This, unfortunately for her, meant that although being dosed with the nearly freezing water was ultimately harmless, it was not only incredibly uncomfortable, but was in all actuality an excruciatingly painful experience that was attuned to being electrocuted.


    Anton was of course fully aware that this would be the case. And in anticipation of her inevitable struggles, he had shown no mercy with the bindings he had used to strap the shinoccubus to the table. So now, save for her fingers, feet and head, Mica had been rendered all but immobilized.


    Dozens and dozens of short leather belts had been gathered from the dark elves collection of bondage gear and brought up from the dungeon. As each belt was outfitted with roller buckles and had punched holes down their entire lengths, they could all be tightened down to a shockingly small size.


    With numerous little belts now wrapped tightly up and down the lengths of each of her extremities, Mica''s arms and legs had been all but molded to the wooden slots that made up the picnic table''s top. In order to keep her torso in place, ratcheting straps with nylon belts were wrapped both above and below her large breasts as well as around her waist and hips.


    Fiona and Kianna had both been similarly bound to the benches they were laying on. And although their bindings were no where near as stringent as Mica''s were, they were still far from comfortable. Especially now, as Mica''s furious screams began to echo in their ears.


    ¡°Well hello, Issac.¡± stated Anton as the phone was finally answered on the other end ¡°Appreciate you actually answering, for once...¡±


    Anton''s annoyance showed clearly across his face as he scooped another pitcher full of water out of the ice chest.


    ¡°Yes, the attitude is warranted. Since once again... I''m forced to deal with you...¡± mumbled Anton as he slowly poured the water out in a line down the middle of Kianna''s body ¡°Now don''t get me wrong. I do appreciate the call you gave me this morning. But I would have appreciated it even more if you had stayed there and actually helped me find my item! ...Yes. I was able to get my property back. That''s not the point though. I had no idea where to go, or who I needed to speak to. So a little guidance would have been nice. Instead I was left to stumble around and frantically ask random people, who knew even less than I did, about where I needed to go! ...What, what do you mean you saw!?¡±


    ¡°Meh!¡± gasped Kianna as her entire being went rigid and she pulled upwards against the straps that held her in place ¡°Humph! Hm! Meh! Hm! Meh!¡±


    Rocking herself from side to side in a futile effort to escape from the chilling rain, Kianna lifted her head and shook it back and forth as she pleaded for the flow of water to stop. As the stream of water reached her navel, she desperately tried to press her thighs together, but with her legs slightly spread apart and strapped down as they were, she could do nothing but whine in anguish and start to tremble as the cloth shorts that were covering her genitalia became soaked with the freezing cold water.


    Listening to her sister''s turmoil, and knowing that her turn would soon be next, Fiona couldn''t help but to hunker herself down as she began to groan in despair.


    ¡°...So, hold on a second! You were still there then!?¡± asked Anton as he made his way back to the ice chest ¡°I thought you left right after we spoke!?¡±


    Standing still for a moment as he listened to what was being said on the other side of the line, Anton''s expression slowly shifted from annoyed to thoughtful.


    ¡°...And you''re sure they didn''t detect you?¡± he asked as he gathered another scoop of water and turned back to the table ¡°I mean, invisibility is far from impervious... Right, I suppose that is what you do... So what were you able to find out?¡±


    Stepping around to the other side of the table, Anton stared down at Fiona for a moment as he listened to what Issac had to say.


    ¡°...No, they wouldn''t tell me anything. They stated the seller was demanding to remain anonymous.¡± said Anton as his face again shifted back to annoyance ¡°And since I didn''t have any real way to prove the item was mine to begin with, I couldn''t really file a claim...¡±


    Hearing Anton speaking right next to her, Fiona held her breath in an effort to remain unnoticed as she slowly cringed away from him. Her apprehension kept growing to a fever pitch as he went quiet and merely stood there for several minutes.


    ¡°...Okay, Issac! That''s enough, please! I don''t need to hear about every single step you took! I know how much you enjoy these long winded spiels. But I would appreciate it if you would just get to the point already!¡± said Anton as he narrowed his eyes at his phone ¡°...No, you are not ¡°building for impact¡± with this! You''re just trying to annoy me. ...Yes you are. ...Yes you are! ...Stop laughing!¡±


    Fiona screamed into her gag as in one swift motion Anton dumped the entire pitcher of water across her torso. Gasping from the shock, the ensnared dark elf struggled as best she could as she tried to shake the loose, nearly melted away ice cubes off of her exposed belly.


    ¡°Will you just get to the point, please...¡± mumbled Anton as he made his way back to the ice chest and grudgingly refilled his pitcher ¡°Did you actually learn anything about the seller, or not?¡±


    Although she couldn''t actually see anything beyond the tiny points of sunlight that were filtering in through the pillowcase that was wrapped around her head, Mica still paused her struggling out of reflex when a shadow passed over her and blocked out said dots of light. This was the only warning she was given before a stream of freezing water was poured directly onto her face.


    In an effort to drown out the kiochi''s furious screeching, and actually hear what Issac finally had to say, Anton turned his head to the side and pressed his phone fully against his ear. While listening to Issac speak, he let the pitcher absently swing slowly back and forth so as to fully soak the thrashing kiochi''s head. Although he was making sure to give her a good drenching, Anton actually made it a point to avoid aiming the stream anywhere near her nose, as he did not want to legitimately endanger her by filling her sinuses with water, but merely torment her by soaking her face and hair.


    ¡°...It''s a lich? Are you sure?¡± questioned Anton as he turned back to the ice chest ¡°...Hm. ...That does make sense, actually... A lich could potentially siphon enough mana... ...What? Oh, no. Just talking to myself. So, is this someone you actually know then? ...What do you mean by maybe? ...Right. ...So do you know them or not? ...You know them, but you don''t know them? And what does that even mean? ...Oh, for the love of! So you don''t know them at all! You just know their name!? ...I swear, Issac! If you start laughing again-! ...Argh!¡±


    With anger marring his features, Anton quickly refilled his pitcher and turned back to the table. He stopped short and took a deep breath through his nose as he looked down at Kianna. The dark elf was sniveling quietly as she hunched her covered head down into her shoulders. Closing his eyes with a sigh, Anton shook his head. He wasn''t at all excited about what he was about to do, and he didn''t want his frustration with the phantom, who was still cackling on the other side of the line, to bleed over and influence either of the dark elves discipline. He was of course going to go through with their punishment, but he wasn''t going to let Issac''s idiocy cause him to makes things even worse for them. So, after taking his moment to recompose himself, he steeled his resolve and commenced with pouring his pitcher of water out over Kianna''s head.


    The dark elf''s response to this was far more subdued than Mica''s as she merely began to whine loudly and lightly tremble as she hunched herself down even further. Anton couldn''t help but to grin at this as it allowed him to be more careful and selective in where he aimed the stream of water. Once he was finished with his task, he set the pitcher down on the table and reached down to softly rub Kianna on her soaked head. The dark elf immediately went still and silent the moment she felt his touch and only started to whine again as she tried to follow his hand when he lifted it away.


    Making a mental promise to make it up to her later, Anton reluctantly grabbed the pitcher and turned away from the whimpering dark elf.


    ¡°...Are you done yet!?¡± growled Anton as the phantoms guffaws began to quiet down ¡°I would really like to get this call over with at some point today... ...Just give me the lich''s name, please. That''s all I need, and I can take it from here. ...Wait, what do you mean? Why are you trying to find him? What would you even need to find him for? ...No! Just tell me his name and I''ll find him myself! ...Why!? What do you even plan to do when you find him!? ...Issac! So help me! If I hear even a single rumor that you''re trying to steal my items out from under me, I swear, I will hunt you down and feed you to my homunculus!¡±


    Taking up another pitcher full of water, Anton tromped around the table and again took a short breather as he stared down at Fiona and waited for Issac to stop laughing.


    Fiona screamed the loudest out of the group as she furiously thrashed her head back and forth. Anton actually had to stop a few times in his effort to empty the pitcher because she was making it so difficult for him avoid getting the water in her nose.


    ¡°...Excuse me?¡± said Anton as he stepped back from the bucking dark elf ¡°...Oh. No. I''m currently in the middle of waterboarding some people. And what you''re hearing is them screaming. ...Yes, last night, and then again this morning... I had an assassin try to kill me. So now she''s being punished for that. ...Mm hm, I also had a few dark elves that tried to kill me recently too. And this morning they decided to betray my trust in them and foolishly endanger themselves. So now as a incentive to not do that again, they''re being punished as well. ...Yes, I''m serious. ...I know, it is difficult to imagine that anyone would ever want to warm a sweetheart like me. But sadly, it has happened. ...Yes well, bad things happen to good people all the time. It just is what it is.¡±


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Having apparently heard Anton, Mica popped her head up and blindly faced towards him as she snarled through her gag.


    ¡°Anyways. Back to the matter at hand.¡± said Anton as he made his way to the second ice chest and dug his pitcher down into the mountain of ice cubes ¡°Listen, I''m not interested in anything beyond my own property. So I''m willing to compromise with you. Find this thieving lich, and we can face it together. I''ll get my property, and my vengeance, and you can help yourself to any other trinkets that might be left behind. ...Yes, you have my word. Anything that isn''t mine is fair game. ...Well, in the off chance that there''s something there that I want, then I''m sure we can come to an agreement. ...Yes, and if we need to we can cross that bridge when we come to it. ...Good. So do we have a deal then?¡±


    As Anton listened to Issac voice his concerns, he turned back to the table where he gave a still snarling Mica a short glance before dumping his pitcher of ice cubes across her navel.


    Mica screamed out as if she were being burned as the pile of ice settled across her exposed belly. Unable to move in any way beyond squirming, she could do nothing but rage in fury as the coils of her tail were buried away by the cubes of ice. In a bid to bury the majority of her torso, Anton quickly gathered several more pitchers of ice and made piles that started at each of her armpits and ran down her rib-cage, before shifting his attention to her breasts.


    ¡°Yes, I''m fine with all of that. ...Good. I''m glad we could come to an understanding.¡± said Anton as he stared down at Mica''s chest and watched as it rapidly rose and fell with each of her furious breaths ¡°I''ll await your call then. ...Sounds good. I''ll talk to you then. ...Yes. ...Yes, you too. ...Okay. ...Okay. ...Okay! Goodbye! You annoying fool!¡±


    Ending the call amid Issac''s muffled guffaws, Anton sighed and slipped his phone into his pocket before reaching out to Mica.


    Popping her head up in a panic as she felt what he was doing, Mica frantically shook her head as Anton pulled upwards on the scarf wrapped around the shinoccubi''s bosom and began to dump his pitcher of ice down into the canyon made by her large breasts. With the scarf now holding the ice in place in between her breasts, Mica''s screams began to die down into ragged gasps as her chest began to constrict from the cold.


    ¡°I tried to tell you all that this would be so much easier for you without clothes on. But you girls just wouldn''t listen to me...¡± mumbled Anton as he stretched out the hem of Mica''s panties and emptied another pitcher of ice onto her groin ¡°Nobody ever wants to listen to me. But then they always find themselves regretting it when they don''t... I just don''t understand it...¡±


    Mica''s breath got caught in her throat when Anton let the hem of her panties go to snap back against her. A thin, shrill whine erupted out from her very being as he then used his whole hand to crush the now panty covered pile of ice cubes down against her sex. Unable to muster an actual scream, Mica''s curling fingers clawed uselessly at the empty air as Anton unceremoniously dumped another pitcherful of ice into the V made by her spread legs.


    ¡°Hm...¡± nodded Anton as he watched Mica''s entire body stiffen and then begin to tremble ¡°Yeah, I think that''s good enough for now...¡±


    Dropping his eyes down to Kianna, Anton frowned at he gazed at her for a moment. This dark elf was the only one who was willing to listen to him when it came to removing her clothes. Unfortunately she had been convinced by the other two that this was a bad idea and had elected to stay dressed along with them. And now she''d come to regret this decision, just as they all would. Moving with purpose, Anton went to work filling both her top and shorts with the chilling ice, before making piles in between her legs and across her stomach. He did his best to ignore her frantic whimpers as he set out to complete his task as quickly as possible. And when he was finished with her, he did the same to Fiona.


    Once all three of his charges were equally encrusted with ice, Anton ran another pitcher of water over each of their heads before making his way over to his chair and settling in to take a break.


    The three shivering females all went surprisingly quiet as they each did their best to hunch in on themselves and stay as warm as possible. As he gazed at them, Anton''s mind had slowly begun to aimlessly wander before a sudden vibration in his pocket brought him back to his senses. Pulling his phone back out, he checked the screen and cocked an eyebrow in surprise when he saw who it was.


    ¡°Hello.¡± he said as he answered the call and placed the phone to his ear ¡°...Good morning to you too. And how are we doing this morning? ...Right, yes, I would imagine it would take more than one night to sleep all this off. ...Mm hm. So, what can I do for you, Leopold?¡±


    Glancing skyward, Anton tilted his head back as he listened to Leopold plead his case.


    ¡°No. I''m afraid I haven''t changed my mind. In fact, I''d say it''s just the opposite. My resolve is even stronger now.¡± said Anton as he shifted his head to the side and cracked his neck ¡°And actually, it''s pretty fortunate that you called. You see, I have a few questions I''d like to ask you about Mica.¡±


    Anton''s eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he twisted his head in the opposite direction and cracked his neck again.


    ¡°...Hm? Your what now?¡± he said as his eyes landed on Mica ¡°...Oh! Uh, well, actually. That depends. Is it a black bladed short katana with an ornate shark-skin handle, and a dark green colored sheath? ...Right, well then. There''s a pretty good chance I may have seen something like that floating around... ...Well, now at least you know where it is. ...Oh! And, she, um, may have also borrowed one of her Mother''s outfits, along with the sword. ...Well, it''s one that, from what I understand, you, yourself, happen to be quite fond of...¡±


    Anton couldn''t help but to smirk as Leopold began to angrily rant on the other side of the line.


    ¡°...Yep, that sounds like the one.¡± chuckled Anton as Leopold became even louder ¡°...Well, I guess you can just add that to the reasons you have to be angry with her. ...I mean, if it''s that important. I can probably get the outfit back to you. ...No, I''m afraid the sword will have to stay with Mica. For now at least. ...No, no. Don''t worry yourself. I understand the sword is important to you. And I''ll make sure that it stays safe. You have my word on that. ...Because, I''m afraid I need it for some research that I''ve recently become interested in. ...Yes. I am. ...Because I need to. ...I know, there is at least a chance though. ...It''s no surprise that you wouldn''t find this to be happy news. And it''s entirely possible that I might feel a bit more sympathetic about that, if I felt that you were being completely honest about this whole situation. You may be far from a saint, Leopold. But Mica is still your daughter. And I may not have ever met your children before, but it was never uncommon for both you and Ila to be bragging about your daughters. I know full well that you care for her, and that you don''t want to see her die. ...Of course. I''m well aware of the dangers involved. ...No, I don''t expect any help from you. And I know better than to even ask. ...I understand. ...Well, as I''ve said before. I''m far better versed on your kind than I let on. ...It really shouldn''t be too much of a surprise, Leopold. Despite the fact that you shinoccubi work as hard as you do to keep your customs as secret as possible, there is still a great deal about you that at this point is common knowledge. And although it can be difficult at times to separate the facts from the rumors, I still have more than enough confirmed information to speculate with. And I highly doubt that I''m too far off the mark with any of my theories as to why you and Ila are making the choices that you are. ...You have your position and I have mine. And for now I think we should leave it at that. ...Again, I understand, Leopold. I really do. ...Right, well then, to shift the subject a bit. It has, at this point, become abundantly clear that for the foreseeable future, Mica will be remaining under my care. And with this being the case, I''d like to ask if there is anything about her that I should be aware of?¡±


    As he spoke, Anton couldn''t help but to smirk as he noticed that a small swarm of honeybees had begun to gather around the soaked pillowcase that covered Mica''s head. As the kiochi herself became aware of the buzzing creatures, she started to cry out in alarm and frantically jerk her head back and forth in a effort to drive the thirsty insects away from her face.


    ¡°Well to begin with, I''d like to know if she, or I suppose shinoccubi in general, have any allergies that I should be aware of?¡± asked Anton as he leaned back in his seat and crossed his legs at the ankles ¡°Well you know how some people have issues with odd things. Dairy products, some seasonings, nuts, animal dander, certain types of air freshers or cleaning supplies. Just anything like that. ...Hm, okay good. And how about bee stings though? ...Really? So are they still painful at all? ...Oh they are then, good. ...Oh, no reason. So, how about dietary needs? ...Well your kind are Infernals, so I wasn''t sure how important fresh blood was for you. Or whether or not you could even eat cooked meat? ...Well good. That makes things easier since we won''t have to prepare separate meals for her. ...Because I don''t know how long she''ll be here, Leopold. At this point I can only plan for tomorrow. And since I do want her to stay healthy, I do need to be aware of these kinds of things. ...Well, we''ll just have to see then, won''t we... Oh, also! One other thing. Does she happen to take any medications? Or no? ...Okay, good. ...Yes, it matters. ...Because again, she''s going to be here. ...Well, to be honest with you. At this point. It''s been decided that we''ll be keeping her... legitimately...¡±


    There was a moment of weighted silence on the other side of the line as Leopold seem to be digesting the implications of what Anton was saying.


    As he waited for Leopold to speak, Anton reached into his pocket with his free hand and felt the brand new collar he had just recently acquired right before getting ice for the ice chests. He absently ran his finger across the smooth rounded surface of the collar until Leopold''s questioning voice finally came back through the line.


    ¡°...She tried to kill me, Leopold. Twice now. And I can''t just forever risk her trying to kill me or my dark elves while we sleep.¡± said Anton as he took his hand out of his pocket and left it to rest on his chair''s armrest ¡°...No, what I''m saying is that the best course of action, for everyone involved, is for her to be under control. ...Yes, that''s exactly what I''m saying. ...Because it''s for the best, Leopold...¡±


    As Leopold continued to speak, his tone shifted and became threatening. And as this happened, Anton''s attention became split as he focused on both what was being said, and on a light tickling sensation at his wrist. Glancing down at his appendage, he found that a ladybug had landed on and was now crawling around on the back of his hand as it lay resting on the armrest of his chair. Grinning at the sight, he absently watched the brightly colored little insect for a moment before slowly raising his hand and gently blowing on the tiny creature. The startled ladybug immediately opened its wings and flew away as Anton''s grin broadened. Shifting his full attention back to Leopold, he dropped his hand back to the armrest and let it lay palm upwards so it could be warmed up by the sunlight.


    ¡°I think it may be best for us to put this conversation on hold, Leopold. ...Because I think that with enough time you''ll come to appreciate the fact that although this is not a full on solution to our little problem. It does help us both more than it hurts us. ...I understand that you''re angry. I do. But I''m going to need you to refrain from threatening me any further. ...Because I don''t appreciate it. ...Then I think that for the time being it''s best that we end this call. ...Yes, I do. ...Have a good afternoon, Leopold.¡±


    Ending the call with a tap of his thumb, Anton dropped his phone in his lap before leaning his head back and sighing through his nose. As he sat there contemplating these two conversations, he found himself becoming mesmerized by a rather unusual sight.


    The ice cubes that lay around and over Mica and the dark elves had now begun to melt. And as they did the pools of water they left behind had started to seep between the wooden slates of the picnic table and drip down to the ground below. As these drops of chilled water fell through the rays of bright sunlight, they reflected the light and created a dazzling array of sparkles.


    Enchanted by the simple yet beautiful display, Anton went still for some time as his mind fell into a semi-meditative state. And it was while quietly watching this tiny, shimmering rainstorm that the events of the last few weeks began to float through his thoughts.


    Busy, would certainly be an understatement when describing the most recent period of his life. As hardly a still moment had gone by since he had first met Kianna and Fiona on that fateful evening.


    A thin but happy smile adorned Anton''s face as his thoughts jumped from one memory to the next, and he had to admit, without question, that he had definitely enjoyed the last few weeks spent with these girls. But as his mind finally reached the series of events that had taken place this morning, his smile began to fade.


    It had been many, many years since he had felt any emotions as strongly as those he had experienced this morning. And although he was no stranger to fear, despair or rage. It had still been a very long time since he had felt their sting reach him so deeply. Even now, as his eyes strayed away from the sparkling water and landed on the prone forms of the dark elves, a heavy weight began to grow in his chest. And for the first time in as long as he could remember, he felt himself beginning to question his decisions.


    From the start, he had known full well that taking on the dark elves as his charges would lead to difficulties. As many outside sources would not look in on what he had done with anything less than absolute fury. He had known that this would be the case, and had mentally prepared himself to deal with the incoming dangers.


    Or at least, he thought he had.


    Though he had no fear for his own safety, the realization of just how fragile the dark elves truly were had not fully dawned on him until this morning. And it wasn''t until after having experienced how it would feel to lose them, to see them fallen, injured and seemingly lifeless, that he became aware of just how truly unprepared he actually was... One lapse in judgment, one mistake, one blind moment... That would be all it would take, and they would be gone...


    He was not going to let this happen.


    Unable to help himself, Anton began to smirk as the irony of this situation hit him. Here he was fretting over the safety and well-being of the dark elves whilst all the while subjecting them to some of the harshest treatment they had ever experienced.


    Shaking his head, he quickly came back to his senses before rising from his seat. As he approached the table his eyes became locked to the guilty individual that was ultimately responsible for the dark elves current predicament.


    With stiff, stilted movements that were being compounded by her uncontrollable shivering, Mica was still pulling furiously against her restraints as she stubbornly struggled to free herself.


    Completely unaware that someone was now gazing down at her, the incensed shinoccubus continued in her efforts without pause as an annoyed expression spread across Anton''s face.


    Through her rash and poorly executed actions, Mica had single-handedly made his goal of keeping the dark elves safe and secure that much more difficult. As now her parents, and possibly even their entire clan, could officially be added to the list of potential threats that would need to be dealt with.


    As he stared down at her, Anton''s annoyance gradually grew into full on irritation. This little demonoid had created some serious problems for him. So now, whether she liked it or not, she was going to help him solve those problems. He knew that she did have the potential to be a great asset, but it was going to take a bit of work to get her to that point. He was also aware that this task would be a delicate one as a level of mutual trust and loyalty would need to be established between them, and they were certainly not off to a good start on that front...


    Anton sighed softly and shook his head as he turned away from Mica and headed towards the ice chests. He knew that if he wanted to make any progress with this shinoccubus he would first need to do something about the level of irritation that he felt towards her. And so, with the intention of alleviating some of this anger, he gathered together another pitcherful of the icy water and continued with his task.

 Assassin Arc : Chapter 12 : Noon

    Chapter 12 : Noon


    ¡°Y-y-you p-p-piece of sh-sh-shit!¡± chattered Mica as she sat huddled into a small ball on the floor next to the large tub in the master bathroom ¡°I c-c-can''t b-b-believe y-y-you r-r-really f-f-fucking w-w-w-water b-b-boarded us!¡±


    ¡°You''re going to figure out pretty quickly that I''m actually a very honest person.¡± said Anton as he dropped a set of thick bath towels on the counter-top ¡°I don''t believe a person''s word is worth anything if it can''t be trusted. So I strive to be as truthful as possible.¡±


    ¡°...Th-th-that''s n-n-not th-the f-f-fucking p-pro-problem!¡± exclaimed Mica as she raised her head just high enough to glare up at Anton ¡°Y-y-you th-th-think I g-g-give a sh-sh-shit ah-b-b-bout y-y-you b-b-being on-on-honest!¡±


    ¡°I think you should.¡± mumbled Anton as he glanced down at the quaking shinoccubus ¡°I know I would appreciate having a Master who I knew was going to be honest with me.¡±


    ¡°...F-f-fuck y-y-you! Y-y-you ba-ba-bastard!¡± snarled Mica ¡°Y-y-you e-e-even t-try an-anything f-f-f-f-funny l-l-like th-th-that on-on-on m-m-me an-and I''ll s-s-slit y-y-your th-th-throat!¡±


    ¡°No, you won''t.¡± said Anton as he narrowed his eyes ¡°Though the fact that you will try is exactly what makes restraining you so necessary.¡±


    Seething, Mica hissed through her teeth as the coils of her bound tail began to vibrate around her waist.


    Shaking his head, Anton dismissed her as he turned away and began to unfold a cushioned deck chair that he had brought in from the patio.


    Incensed at being disregarded, Mica tightened her eyes at him before quickly shifting her gaze over to the open doorway.


    ¡°G-go ahead and t-try it.¡± grumbled Kianna ¡°L-let''s s-see how f-far y-you g-get th-this t-time!¡±


    Cowed by the dark elf''s threat, Mica hunched back in on herself as she dropped her eyes to the floor. After a moment of hesitation, she slowly raised her head back upwards and tentatively looked up at the two dark elves.


    Sitting up on the edge of the large tub, Fiona and Kianna sat huddled together and shaking in each others arms as they both glared down at the shivering shinoccubus.


    Grimacing at their hostile expressions, Mica glanced away and glared at nothing as she began to speak.


    ¡°D-d-don''t f-f-fucking st-st-stare a-at m-me l-l-like th-th-that!¡± she grumbled as she hunched down into her shoulders ¡°I-I''m n-n-not th-the s-s-s-psycho! Wh-who t-t-tortured y-y-you!¡±


    ¡°N-no! B-but y-you''re s-still the r-reason it ee-even h-h-happened!¡± snapped Kianna.


    Blinking as she took in Kianna''s words, Mica looked back up at the dark elf and returned her glare with her own.


    ¡°Y-y-you c-c-can''t b-be s-s-s-serious!¡± she seethed ¡°D-d-d-don''t ee-ee-even t-t-try t-t-to bl-bl-blame m-me f-f-for th-th-th-this sh-sh-shit!¡±


    ¡°W-w-why sh-shouldn''t I!¡± countered Kianna ¡°It''s all y-your f-f-fault!¡±


    ¡°Mm-mm-mm-my f-f-f-fault!¡± cried Mica ¡°I-I''m n-n-not th-the f-f-f-fucker w-w-who ah-ah-most f-f-f-froze u-us t-t-to d-d-d-death!¡±


    ¡°N-n-no! B-b-but y-y-your s-s-still th-the l-l-little sh-sh-shit! W-who m-m-made it ah-all h-h-happen!¡± chattered Kianna as she pulled Fiona along with her as she loomed over Mica ¡°An-and it''s n-n-not l-l-like y-y-your ee-ee-even t-t-trying t-to apo-apo-apol-apologize! F-f-for an-an-anything!¡±


    ¡°F-f-fuck! Y-y-y-you!¡± growled Mica as she raised her middle finger and flipped the dark elf off ¡°Th-th-th-there''s y-y-y-your apo-apo-apology! B-b-b-bitch!¡±


    ¡°...W-w-why y-y-you l-l-little!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she went to rise to her feet.


    ¡°Alright, Kianna. That''s enough.¡± said Anton as he turned back towards them ¡°Our kiochi is in no condition to be beaten up right now. She can barely even move as it is.¡±


    ¡°A-a-ass! I-I''m n-n-not y-y-y-your n-n-n-nothing!¡± screeched Mica before dropping her head down and huddling back in on herself as a massive wave of shivering rolled across her body.


    Gazing down at her, Anton''s expression softened into one of light sympathy.


    Unlike the two dark elves who, although uncomfortable at the moment, were still fully functional, Mica had become nearly incapacitated by her treatment. Which was the reason why, for the time being at least, she didn''t actually require any form of restraints. In fact, even when first released from her bondage she had simply laid limp across the picnic table and had refused to budge. When picked up to be brought back inside the house, rather than attack or attempt to gouge out his eyes as Anton had expected, she had instead grudgingly curled up against him in an effort to absorb his body heat and had allowed herself to be carried back inside without so much as a word. Her current huddled position and inability to move was far from an act on her part, as with just a quick glance it was easy enough to tell that the miserable looking little creature''s nearly frozen condition, was indeed legitimate.


    Mica''s entire body had paled to the point that she seemed to have taken on a blue cast to her skin tone.


    The dark saturation that existed around her horns and eyes had deepened and spread out across her face so that it now appeared as though she were wearing an actual mask, and this was matched by her quivering lips which had become a dark grayish blue in color. The digits of her appendages had also followed suit, becoming their own shade of blue that was deeper than the rest of her limbs.


    Though extreme in appearance, Mica''s condition was neither life threatening nor permanent for her. Since, as an Infernal, her body could recover from being so thoroughly chilled without any actual damage being done to her. This meant that as soon as she was allowed to absorb enough heat to rewarm her core, she would be able to return to normal without any lingering effects.


    Anton was of course aware of this and would be taking advantage of her immobilized state to address her. First however, would come the dark elves.


    ¡°...Girls.¡± said Anton in a flat tone.


    Sitting huddled together as they continued to shiver and glare at Mica, both of the dark elves went still the moment Anton spoke to them. Although they had already had their ears pressed in against their heads in an effort to keep them warm, they both lowered them even further and pointed their tips downwards as, in unison, they slowly looked up at him.


    Wearing identical expressions, with their faces scrunched up in unease and their large ruby colored eyes pinched in worry, the dark elves were both visibly tense as they silently stared up at Anton and waited for him to speak.


    Gazing at them for a moment, Anton sighed through his nose before shaking his head.


    ¡°W-we''re s-sorry!¡± cried Kianna as a light sheen of moisture formed in her eyes ¡°W-we d-didn''t know s-she was g-gonna t-try t-to k-kill y-you!¡±


    ¡°Th-the l-l-little sh-sh-shit l-lied t-to us!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she went to glare at Mica ¡°Th-th-this is h-her f-f-fault! Sh-sh-she s-s-said sh-sh-she''d l-l-leave! An-and n-n-never c-come b-b-back! Sh-sh-she s-s-said sh-sh-she di-di-didn''t w-w-want re-v-v-venge! B-b-but th-th-then-!¡±


    ¡°That''s enough.¡± interrupted Anton ¡°She''s already been punished for what she did. It''s over. We''re past that. ...But you two! ...How could you!? What you two did! ...I don''t even know where to begin!¡±


    With a heavy, frustrated sigh Anton suddenly deflated in front of them and fell to land in the chair he had just finished setting up.


    The dark elves breaths became caught in their throats as they watched him slump forward, rest his elbows on his knees and cradle his hanging head in his hands.


    Too afraid to even breathe, neither Fiona nor Kianna said a word as a frustrated groan rumbled out of Anton''s chest and he began to slowly rub his temples with his fingertips.


    ¡°...I don''t want to ever have to do anything like that to either one of you two, ever again!¡± said Anton as he stared down at the floor between his feet ¡°And I mean it! Never, again! Do you understand me!?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes!¡± chirped both of the dark elves in unison.


    ¡°Good! ...I did not enjoy that. Not at all.¡± said Anton as his fingertips slowed even further.


    ¡°...We-we''re s-sorry!¡± whimpered Kianna.


    ¡°Mica could have hurt you, or even killed you...¡± chastised Anton as he shook his head while his voice dropped down to a whisper ¡°And I thought she had... When I saw you both... Just laying there... Not moving... I...¡±


    The dark elves both involuntarily cringed back as Anton suddenly raised his head to glare angrily at them.


    ¡°What were you thinking!? Do you even realize the mistake you made!? The risk you took! Do either one of you even have any idea, how terrifying it was to see you that way!?¡± exclaimed Anton as he looked from one dark elf to the other ¡°Do you!? Do you have any idea how I! ...I! ...I thought she hurt you. Both of you... I thought I lost you...¡±


    Fiona and Kianna''s eyes widened to their fullest as they registered not only the pained look in Anton''s eyes, but the rising tears born both from his frustration... and his fear.


    Dropping his head back into one hand, Anton blinked the moisture from his eyes as he again looked down at the floor below him.


    ¡°What''s wrong with me...¡± he mumbled as his shoulders slumped in on themselves ¡°What was I even thinking? How could I have done this. How could I be so horribly selfish. ...I''ve put your lives at risk. And for what? Just to see if I could!? ...What have I done to you. ...I''ve made you criminals! ...I need to fix this... I have to find a place for you to go...¡±


    ¡°...W-wha? Go?¡± whispered Fiona in a soft, questioning tone.


    ¡°W-w-w-wait! W-w-what d-do y-y-you m-m-mean g-g-go!?¡± cried Kianna ¡°G-g-go w-w-w-where!?¡±


    Anton went still for a moment before sighing quietly.


    ¡°Someplace, safe...¡± he said softly ¡°Someplace where you can keep learning... Where you can be free again. And away from me, and all of this-¡±


    ¡°Wh-what!? N-no! Y-you c-can''t do th-that!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she began to frantically look back and forth between Anton and her sister ¡°Wh-what are y-you s-saying!?¡±


    ¡°...I''m saying, Kianna. That I don''t want you to get hurt.¡± said Anton as he raised his head and looked her in the eyes ¡°That this was wrong. The risks are too great... And that I made a mista-!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± screamed Kianna as she leaped up from where she was sitting and dived forward.


    Surprised to find the dark elf suddenly flying towards him, Anton reacted automatically by leaning fully back in his chair and catching her by planting his hands around her waist. Grabbing hold of his shoulders, Kianna screamed out in anger as she was held in the air above him.


    ¡°Wh-what''s wrong with you! Don''t say th-that!¡± she cried as she pointed her ears straight back and dug her nails into his shoulders as she tried to pull herself in closer to him ¡°D-don''t say that! Don''t ever say that!¡±


    Shocked into silence, Anton''s eyes were wide as he stared up at the raging dark elf and watched as turmoil slowly spread across her face.


    ¡°Y-you can''t do th-that!¡± sobbed Kianna as her eyes instantly welled with tears ¡°Y-you c-can''t l-l-leave us b-b-behind!¡±


    With her anger suddenly resurfacing, she pulled her arm back to herself and gripped the collar around her neck.


    ¡°You see th-this!¡± she shouted as she pulled on her collar and brandished its gems at Anton ¡°Y-you made this! For m-me! Y-you g-gave th-this! To m-me! ...And y-you can''t have it back!¡±


    Speechless, Anton''s eyes became fixated on the bloodgem mounted to the collar.


    ¡°It''s m-mine!¡± whined Kianna as she pulled her legs up and folded them onto Anton''s lap ¡°It''s mine... It''s mine, it''s mine, it''s mine! ...It''s mine! And it means, that I''ll n-never be alone again. ...Remember? That''s what you said! ...Remember what you promised? ...What you promised me?¡±


    With everything going still for several long moments, Anton remained silent as Kianna laid her ears back submissively and began to ease herself down until she was laying across his chest.


    ¡°...Right here.¡± she whimpered around a sob as she pressed herself against him ¡°You said, I could stay right here... You promised me! ...You promised... You promised...¡±


    Without a word, Anton wrapped his arms around the softly sobbing dark elf and held her gently.


    ¡°...I''m your little dark elf. I am. Me. That''s what you said. ...I''m your little dark elf. ...I''m your little dark elf.¡± chanted Kianna as she wrapped her arms around him as well and rubbed her face against his shoulder ¡°I''m your little dark elf...¡±


    ¡°...Yes. You are. You''re right.¡± breathed Anton as he hugged her tightly to himself ¡°You''re right. You are. You''re right, I promised you''d stay right here... And you will...¡±


    Kianna whimpered happily as she nuzzled her head in under his chin before going limp from her spent adrenaline.


    Again, everything went still for some time before Kianna tilted her head upwards under Anton''s chin and began to speak.


    ¡°...Why would you even say that!? That you would leave. Why!?¡± she whined as she blinked the moisture from her eyes.


    ¡°I don''t know...¡± sighed Anton ¡°I''m sorry, I was wrong to say that... I just, I got worried... I just want you to be safe...¡±


    ¡°...Well then just keep me safe then!¡± pouted Kianna ¡°Like you were always going to...¡±


    ¡°...Right. Okay.¡± sighed Anton as a soft grin spread across his face ¡°I will. I promise.¡±


    ¡°Good!¡± said Kianna ¡°...You were really stupid for saying that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I was.¡± nodded Anton ¡°I''m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Good! Now don''t ever say that again!¡± commanded Kianna as she adjusted her legs into a more comfortable position ¡°...And if you do, I''m gonna bite you.¡±


    Anton paused for a moment before chuckling around a smile.


    ¡°Don''t laugh. I''m serious.¡± whined Kianna as she pointed her ears straight back ¡°I know you hate it. So I''ll really do it!¡±


    ¡°Oh really!?¡± teased Anton as he reached up and began to gently tug on the tips of her ears.


    ¡°Yes!¡± pouted Kianna as she twitched her ears up and down in an effort to drive away his fingers ¡°I really will too! Cause you''ll deserve it!¡±


    ¡°Well... You''re right. I would deserve it. So I guess I just won''t do that again then.¡± smiled Anton.


    ¡°Good...¡± said Kianna as she took a deep breath and let the irritation fade from her expression ¡°You''re still stupid though... You ass...¡±


    ¡°I know. And I''m sorry.¡± chuckled Anton.


    Humming in response, Kianna took in another deep breath and closed her eyes as she began to doze. Sighing, Anton held her for a few more minutes until he felt her begin to lightly shiver.


    ¡°Okay, c''mon now, Kianna.¡± he whispered softly as he started to rise back up to a sitting position ¡°We need to get you warmed up.¡±


    Groaning in annoyance, Kianna curled her legs in further as she tightened her arms around him.


    ¡°5 more minutes...¡± she mumbled as she hid her face in the crook of his neck ¡°Please...¡±


    ¡°No, we can''t wait. You''re still shivering, and so is Fiona, and also Mica.¡± smiled Anton as he ran his hand up and down her back ¡°And we don''t want Mica to succumb to hypothermia and die on us. So we have to get things moving along.¡±


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Speak for yourself. Right now I don''t care if she kills over...¡± grumbled Kianna ¡°She''s still the idiot who started all this shit. She''s just as stupid as you are...¡±


    ¡°That''s true. She is. But we can''t just let her die like that, Kianna.¡± chuckled Anton as he sat up straight and glanced down at the shinoccubus ¡°She''s going to be very useful to us after all. So we don''t want to let her go to waste like that.¡±


    Still huddled in her spot next to the tub, where she had apparently been watching them this entire time, Mica locked her eyes with Anton and angrily bared her clenched teeth as she scowled up at him.


    Ginning at her, Anton shook his head as he continued to rise from his seat. As he moved to stand up, he grimaced and then chuckled as Kianna made no effort to make things easier for him and instead did everything she could to remain right where she was sitting. Hefting her up with him as he rose, the dark elf grumbled in annoyance as she was forced to drop her legs down to the floor. Even as they both made it to their feet and were finally standing upright, Kianna stubbornly kept her face hidden as she stayed pressed up against Anton''s chest and held her arms wrapped around him.


    ¡°Such a spoiled little dark elf...¡± teased Anton as he gently ran his fingers through her damp hair and grinned down at her.


    Protesting his statement, Kianna pointed her ears straight back and grumbled in disagreement as she pressed her forehead into his sternum and lightly pushed back against him.


    Chuckling, Anton''s expression immediately shifted from amused to stoic as his gaze landed on Fiona.


    Though she wasn''t shivering anywhere near as badly as Mica was, the second dark elf still had her arms wrapped around herself as she stared at her sister. After a short moment of stillness, her eyes lifted upwards and met Anton''s. Realizing that he was watching her, she grimaced and looked away while pointing her ears straight back behind her head.


    ¡°...Fiona-.¡± started Anton before stopping short as the dark elf began to speak.


    ¡°Stop! Just, don''t even say anything! I don''t want to hear how you''re so sorry!¡± interrupted Fiona as she closed her eyes and lightly bowed her head ¡°Seriously, don''t even bother. I already know that if Kianna isn''t going anywhere than I''m not going anywhere either... So fuck it! It''s whatever! ...Answer me one thing though, please. ...If it had, if she hadn''t, ...would you seriously have let us go? For real?¡±


    Anton stared at her for a moment before slowly nodding his head.


    ¡°...Yes.¡± he said in a soft tone ¡°Yes. I think I would have.¡±


    ¡°Fuck...¡± sighed Fiona as she scowled and shook her head ¡°So close! ...Dammit, Kianna!¡±


    ¡°Humph! Oh, please!¡± mumbled Kianna as she glanced over her shoulder at her sister ¡°Quit trying to save face over there. And quit acting like you wouldn''t be scared! You know you would be. ...Hell, we all know that even if he''d let you, you wouldn''t want go off all by yourself anyways. So just stop it!¡±


    Narrowing her eyes into a glare, Fiona shifted her gaze to her sister.


    ¡°Only because I was worried about you! You dumb bitch!¡± she growled before dropping her eyes to the floor ¡°Like I could just leave you behind with a bunch of assassins... And this tyrant...¡±


    ¡°Yeah right! Whatever...¡± muttered Kianna as she nuzzled her head back in under Anton''s chin and closed her eyes ¡°Say whatever you want... It doesn''t matter anyways...¡±


    Scowling at her sister''s back, Fiona''s expression slowly shifted from angry to sorrowful as her eyes drifted back to the floor.


    Watching her, Anton''s face remained stoic as he gave Kianna a gentle squeeze and softly breathed out through his nose.


    ¡°...Fiona,¡± he began as he kept his eyes on her ¡°I do owe you an apology.¡±


    ¡°Pfft! No, you don''t! I don''t want your apology! I just said that!¡± muttered Fiona as she gave him a look of annoyance ¡°I''m not going anywhere. So there''s no reason to keep talking about this shit! ...Let''s just fucking forget it already...¡±


    ¡°This isn''t about that though.¡± said Anton as he shook his head ¡°This is about you and me. And all the mistakes that I''ve made with you... None of what took place today would have happened... None of it should have happened! And it more than likely wouldn''t have, if I had done things differently. If I had handled things better... Especially with you...¡±


    Blinking in surprise, Fiona pointed her ears straight upwards as she creased her brow in confusion.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± she questioned as she narrowed her eyes at him.


    ¡°What I''m talking about is the fiasco that took place this morning. And the misunderstanding that led to it happening.¡± explained Anton ¡°From what I understand, the main factor behind it all was mistrust. You and your sister both felt compelled to release Mica because you didn''t feel that she would be safe around me. And you felt this way, because you, yourselves, no longer felt safe with me... Especially not you, Fiona.¡±


    Neither Fiona nor Kianna said anything as they listened to Anton speak.


    ¡°When you heard me speaking to Leopold last night, you came to the realization that we were talking about you.¡± stated Anton ¡°And then, without even trying to verify anything with me, you jumped to the conclusion that you would be sold to him.¡±


    ¡°Okay, now hold on just a second! Don''t try to make it sound like I was the one overreacting here by jumping to conclusions! It''s not like I didn''t have plenty of reasons to think that you wouldn''t happily sell me off! As if you haven''t talked about doing just that, over and over and over again! No! I had every damn reason to think that you were gonna do it! And Hell, even now! I still think you would!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she suddenly rose from her seat, marched closer to Anton and started shouting into his face ¡°Do you really think I don''t know how much you hate me!? C''mon! I''m not stupid! No matter what you might think! I''m not! I know damn well that if it wasn''t for Kianna, I''d already be a goner! I! Know! This!¡±


    Anton remained completely silent and still as he listened to the shouting dark elf.


    ¡°I know, that you don''t like me. Okay! I get it! I do! ...And I know, that you think that I''m worthless and selfish and a waste of time. ...I know, that you think I''m stupid. Or stubborn! Or whatever the fuck you wanna call it! ...It doesn''t matter. The point is, I know, what you think of me.¡± stated Fiona as she eased herself back and took a step away from him ¡°I''m not ¡°your little dark elf¡± and I never will be! I''m just someone you have to deal with... Someone that you know is super valuable too. Which I''m sure is annoying to think about, since you know you''re sitting on a goldmine... I''m just someone you can play teacher with while you make me more... Wait... Oh fuck! That''s it! Isn''t it!? That''s your, your plan! It all make sense now! That''s what you''re doing! You don''t care! You never cared! You''re only doing this to, to... Make me even more valuable...¡±


    Anton tightened his hold on Kianna as he felt her stiffen against him and watched as a look of horror spread across Fiona''s face.


    Taking another step back, Fiona quickly turned around and faced away from Anton as her ears lowered themselves and drooped in a sorrowful manner.


    ¡°It all makes sense now... I should have known... No, I did know. I know you well enough to know... When you say you''re gonna do something, even if it sounds crazy! You do mean it...¡± she said as she shook her head ¡°Hell, you just proved that by fucking waterboarding us... You evil psycho...¡±


    Clearly exhausted, and starting to shiver again, Fiona let her shoulders slump as she stared forward at nothing.


    ¡°So now I know... I know... That it''s only a matter of time...¡± sighed Fiona ¡°You were just going to wait for me to fuck up again, weren''t you? That''s all you needed. Any excuse... And then, poof... I''m gone... Well now you don''t need to wait... Now you don''t need to hide it...¡±


    Anton was still for several long moments as he stared at Fiona.


    ¡°...How could I have made so many mistakes in such a short amount of time.¡± he whispered as his expression became sympathetic ¡°Listen to me, Fiona, I-.¡±


    ¡°Stop! Just save it!¡± said Fiona around an exasperated sigh ¡°I don''t want to hear it! I don''t care any-!¡±


    ¡°No! This is wrong! It''s not what you think. None of it!¡± claimed Anton as he shook his head ¡°I was wrong! From the very beginning I''ve done nothing but make mistakes with you. And I see that now. This, all of this... How you feel, and what you think of me. ...Fiona, I never wanted to make you feel this way. I swear!¡±


    Although she wouldn''t actually look back at him, Fiona tilted her head to the side to indicate she was listening.


    ¡°My intention has always been to make you see the faults in your decisions, Fiona. The errors in your ways. And that''s it, I don''t have any other goal beyond that. And I never have. I was doing this because I wanted you to see the damage that you were inflicting upon your own life. And then convince you to change. Better yourself, and strive to rise above these poor traits. ...I wanted you to want to improve yourself. That''s all I wanted.¡± said Anton as he bowed his head ¡°...But I let myself lose my patience with you. Time and again. And I became too blunt. Too hard. Too cold... I have told you the truth with everything I ever said to you. ...But then I left you to dwell on that truth, and suffer under the weight of it... I was so quick to point out all of your negative aspects. And yet, I never even thought about how important it was for you to hear the positive one''s as well. You know that I think you''re stubborn, selfish and rash. But not once have I ever said anything about all the good qualities that I see in you, or how special I think you really are. We''ve spoken at length about your compulsive behavior, but not once about your drive to succeed, your unwillingness to surrender to defeat, or the fearlessness that you can maintain even when you''re facing impossible odds. ...I may have led you to believe that these were all negative qualities, Fiona. But again, that was due to a lack of patience on my part. I''ve had to face these elements of your personality myself, head on, and it hasn''t been easy. You may think that I can''t stand you, Fiona. But the reality is quite different... You impress me, Fiona. And you have always impressed me.¡±


    Fiona was still for a moment before tilting her head further back.


    ¡°And you just expect me to believe all this!?¡± she snapped as her ears twitched ¡°You start saying all this shit out of nowhere, and I''m just supposed to take it as the Gods honest truth!? Are you serious!?¡±


    ¡°No. Of course not. I know that you feel you can''t trust me. And I understand why. It''s all my fault, I created this situation myself. Through my own poor decisions and actions.¡± said Anton as he shook his head ¡°I will fix this though. I promise you that! ...I don''t expect you to take any of this at nothing but face value. No. In fact, I don''t expect you to believe anything I''m saying at all. I know I''m not going to convince you of anything with my words alone. So instead, I will show you that I''m telling you the truth. I promise you, Fiona. I will work hard to make sure that in the future you will know that you can trust me. That you can come to me without fear or hesitation and that you will always be able to get the truth from me. ...I''m really not your enemy, Fiona. And I never wanted to be your enemy.¡±


    Despite her still obvious misgivings, Fiona couldn''t help but to turn her head even further and actually stare back at Anton with one of her large, bright, ruby-colored eyes.


    ¡°...I''ve been tough on you. Far tougher than I may have needed to be. And I''ve made the mistake of comparing you to your sister when you''re both so vastly different from each other. Now I know the way I treat Kianna is a far cry from how I''ve treated you. But again, you are different people. And just because I treat each of you in your own way doesn''t mean that you aren''t just as important to me. You are, both of you are.¡± said Anton as he stared into Fiona''s eye and gave Kianna a squeeze ¡°And I''ve failed to make sure that you knew that... Which was wrong on my part... It''s my fault that you don''t even know, that you have no idea... When I saw you, both of you, just lying there... You have no idea how painful that sight was for me, how much it hurt... I know, that it hasn''t been very long that we''ve known each other. But even so... The thought of losing you, either of you... It scares me. It truly does... And now, just as bad, the realization that you don''t even know how much I''ve come to care for you, and what you''ve both come to mean to me... I don''t know how I could be so blind to my own mistakes like this! But I was... I was wrong. And I''m sorry. I''m so sorry. And I swear, I will fix this. I will make things better between us... And I just hope, that at some point, you''ll be able to forgive me...¡±


    As Anton finished speaking and went quiet, Fiona''s eye tightened into a glare. And with a huff, she turned around to fully face him.


    ¡°You seriously expect me to forgive you!? Are you insane!? After everything you''ve done to me, and all the shit you''ve put me through! You think I''d ever forgive you!? Hell, no!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she pointed her ears straight back and balled her hands into fists ¡°I have been living in a nightmare ever since I met you! You are the absolute, worst thing that has ever happened to me! You''ve done nothing but make me miserable this whole time! You''ve tortured me! Humiliated me! Fucking froze me! Then you threaten to sell me, pull out my teeth and even make me eat soap! Like some, little kid! ...You treat me like shit! And then, not only do you expect me to just forgive you for all that! But you want me to trust you!? After all of that shit! Are you crazy!? ...I! Hate! You! And I always will! ...I will always, hate you! Always! ...Always. ...Fucking, always...¡±


    Anton did nothing but bow his head as he listened to Fiona berate him.


    As her voice trailed off into nothing, Fiona continued to take heavy breaths through her clenched teeth.


    The room remained quiet for several long moments before the dark elf spoke again.


    ¡°...We''re you actually serious? ...With what you just said? Did you really mean it?¡± she asked in a soft hushed tone ¡°Or were you just talking out your ass!?¡±


    Blinking, Anton looked up to find her staring right back at him.


    ¡°...I was truthful with everything I''ve said. All of it.¡± he replied.


    Fiona''s eyes tightened as she looked away from him.


    ¡°Right, sure...¡± mumbled the dark elf ¡°Like you''re not just going to say whatever you think you need to! I''m not falling for your bullshit!¡±


    ¡°...Fiona, I''m not exactly sure what you''re talking about right now. But whatever it is that I said, it wasn''t a trick.¡± said Anton as he watched the emotions dance about in the dark elf''s eyes ¡°I have no reason to try to trick you. I do, legitimately want you to trust me. I don''t know what it is that you''re referring to, but whatever it was that I said, it was the truth. And I''ll swear to that.¡±


    Moving slowly, Fiona brought her eyes back up and locked them to his.


    ¡°...So then you really think that I''m, impressive?¡± she asked softly.


    ¡°Yes.¡± answered Anton immediately.


    ¡°...Fucking bullshit!¡± growled Fiona through her clenched teeth ¡°You''re just saying what you think I want to hear! That''s all this is!¡±


    ¡°No. You know that''s not true...¡± mumbled Kianna as she rubbed her closed eyes with Anton''s shirt ¡°You know he''s not scared of you. And that he doesn''t need to lie to you. So if he said it, he means it.¡±


    Surprised by her sudden speech, both Anton and Fiona looked to Kianna in unison and watched her as she sighed and lazily rested her head back down against Anton''s shoulder.


    Grinning at her, Anton chuckled quietly as he reached up and laid his left hand atop her head. As he shifted his gaze back to Fiona, he stopped short in surprise at the sight of her.


    Turmoil was plastered across Fiona''s face as she stared at her sister.


    ¡°He doesn''t though! ...He''s lying!¡± grumbled the dark elf as she looked away and frantically blinked away a sheen of moisture that was quickly forming across her eyes.


    Anton remained silent as he watched Fiona''s eyes dart about as she seemed to be searching the room for nothing in particular.


    As her gaze finally landed back on him she scowled and glared at him with a hateful rage in her eyes.


    ¡°You! You have to swear! You have to swear to me that you''re telling the truth!¡± she snarled as her eyes began to glow with a bright red light ¡°Okay! You have to swear to me! I want to hear you say it!¡±


    ¡°...Alright.¡± said Anton ¡°I swear to you, Fiona. That I will tell you the truth.¡±


    Hesitating, Fiona let her eyes fall to the floor as she began to tremble.


    ¡°Do, do you! ...Am, am I, really important to you?¡± she said as she suddenly sobbed.


    Taken aback, Anton went still for a moment as the shivering dark elf continued.


    ¡°...Well!? Am I? ...Do you really care about me?¡± whimpered Fiona as she wrapped her arms around herself and clamped her eyes shut as heavy tears rolled down her cheeks¡°Were you serious? Do you really think that I''m... That I''m special!?¡±


    Without a word, Anton shifted both himself and Kianna into motion.


    Looking up to see him moving towards her, Fiona laid her ears down submissively as she bowed her head. She remained completely still as Anton''s right arm was wrapped around her and she was scooped up into a tight embrace.


    ¡°I hate you!¡± wailed Fiona as she was tucked in next to her sister and held against Anton''s chest ¡°I hate you! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!¡±


    ¡°I know...¡± whispered Anton as he hugged her as tightly as he could.


    ¡°...I, hate you!¡± sobbed Fiona as she laid her head against his shoulder and cried into the crook of his neck ¡°I hate you! ...I hate you so much!¡±


    ¡°I know...¡± soothed Anton as he rubbed her back in an effort to comfort her ¡°I know you do...¡±


    Growling in frustration, Fiona hesitated for a long moment before wrapping her arm around him and frantically gripping his shirt behind his back.


    ¡°Why!?¡± she wailed as held on to him ¡°Why did you say that!? ...Why did you say it!?¡±


    ¡°Because it''s true...¡± whispered Anton as he tightened his arms around both of the dark elves and held them all together ¡°I''m sorry, but it''s true...¡±


    Fiona wailed again before falling into a fit of sobs.


    For some time the three of them stood together this way before finally Fiona began to speak again.


    ¡°I hate you. I really do. I hate you so much...¡± she whimpered as she tightened her grip on the portion of shirt she had in her hand.


    ¡°I know...¡± nodded Anton as he began to rub her back again.


    ¡°...I don''t wanna go.¡± sobbed Fiona ¡°I wanna stay here...¡±


    ¡°Good. Because you''re not going anywhere...¡± soothed Anton.


    ¡°...I hate you!¡± mumbled Fiona.


    ¡°I know...¡± said Anton.


    ¡°...I''m not your dark elf!¡± grumbled Fiona.


    ¡°Yes you are...¡± smiled Anton as he gave her another squeeze ¡°You''re my stubborn, disobedient, mouthy little brat of a dark elf... And you''re going to stay that way...¡±


    Pointing her ears straight back, Fiona grumbled in rage as she forcefully pressed her forehead against Anton''s shoulder.


    ¡°Argh! I hate you so much!¡± she growled before taking a deep frustrated breath.


    ¡°Yes, I know...¡± nodded Anton as he continued to smile softly and hold his two dark elves.


    After a moment of stillness, he began to chuckle as he felt Kianna begin to slowly move as she tried to covertly slip herself in between him and Fiona.


    ¡°What are you doing!?¡± snapped Fiona as she planted her shoulder against Kianna''s and pushed back against her ¡°Knock it off!¡±


    The two dark elves immediately began to shove against each other as they both fought for space.


    ¡°C''mon now, Kianna... Don''t be jealous.¡± laughed Anton as he leaned forward and kissed her on top of her head ¡°You know you''re special to me too! My sweet little dark elf...¡±


    Both of the dark elves went still as Anton wrapped his arms back around them and hugged them to his chest.


    ¡°Oh, my sweet, special, stubborn little dark elves...¡± rumbled Anton as he squeezed them both as tightly as he could.


    ¡°Okay! We get it! We get it!¡± complained Fiona as the air was forced from her crushed torso ¡°Let, go!¡±


    Anton chuckled as the two dark elves kept their faces hidden against his chest and continued to grip his shirt, even as he loosened his hold on them. After a moment of stillness they both began to fidget a bit before recommencing to lightly shove each other.


    ¡°You''re the stubborn one.¡± mumbled Kianna as she roughly pressed her shoulder against her sister''s.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± snapped Fiona as she pushed back against her.


    ¡°No, you both are!¡± laughed Anton as he planted his hands on their heads and gently smoothed out their hair ¡°Now c''mon, we need to get things back on track and get you all warmed up again. ...Also, it seems that our kiochi prisoner is trying to escape on us, and we should probably stop her.¡±


    Moving in unison, the two dark elves both glanced over their shoulders as they followed Anton''s gaze.


    Suddenly finding herself under their scrutiny, Mica paused in mid-motion as she scowled up at the now frowning dark elves. Although she had been making her way towards the exit for some time now, the kiochi''s condition had prevented her from being able to lift herself up off the floor or move with any real kind of speed. And as such, even after all this time, she had only been able to drag herself a little over halfway across the large room.


    ¡°Humph. Yeah, she''s not going anywhere...¡± mumbled Kianna as she laid her head back down on Anton''s shoulder ¡°She still can''t even barely move...¡±


    ¡°Just toss her dumbass in the tub for now.¡± grumbled Fiona as she followed her sister''s lead and rested her head back against Anton''s other shoulder ¡°She''s still frozen so she won''t be able to climb out of there.¡±


    ¡°That''s actually a good idea...¡± yawned Kianna as she closed her eyes and settled into a light doze ¡°We should just do that...¡±


    ¡°...Right, okay? ...Don''t you two actually want to get warmed up?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°...Eh, we''re fine.¡± said the two dark elves as they glanced at each other.


    ¡°Hm, I see. Well, I''m afraid I''m still going to have to insist that we get moving...¡± grinned Anton.


    ¡°Ugh, but it''s warm right here...¡± grumbled Fiona ¡°Why do you always have to ruin everything...¡±


    ¡°Hm... Tell you what. If you girls get moving, then I''ll let you two handle getting Mica ready. While I get the bath going.¡± offered Anton ¡°How does that sound?¡±


    ¡°...What do you mean by getting her ready?¡± asked Fiona.


    ¡°Well, she can''t really move to well right now. And she''s about to take a bath.¡± explained Anton ¡°So I''d imagine she would appreciate some ¡°help¡± with getting undressed...¡±


    Their eyes locking in realization, the two dark elves both looked at each other for a moment before turning their heads in unison and staring down at the still shivering shinoccubus.


    ¡°I''d also imagine that the condition she''s in, has not only made her all but helpless...¡± said Anton as he gave Mica a sly looking half smile ¡°But also about as, pinchable, as she''ll ever be...¡±


    ¡°W-w-w-wait! Wh-wh-wh-what!?¡± cried Mica as she watched the two dark elves eyes widen in excitement ¡°N-n-no! St-st-stay th-the f-f-f-fuck! Ah-ah-ah-way f-f-from m-m-m-me!¡±


    ¡°Why don''t you girls go find out if my theory is correct or not...¡± smiled Anton as he gave each of the dark elves a gentle nudge to get them moving ¡°And please, do remember to be as thorough as possible with your tests...¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes! We will be!¡± exclaimed the dark elves as they smiled wickedly and began to advance on the hapless kiochi.


    Panicking now, Mica turned away from them and began to frantically scramble forward as best she could as she attempted to escape through the open doorway.


    Moments later the stillness of the afternoon was completely shattered by shrill, angry sounding protests and loud, gleeful laughter.

 Assassin Arc : Chapter 13 : Noon

    Chapter 13 : Noon


    ¡°F-f-fuck y-y-you al-al-all!¡± growled Mica as she desperately held on to the last shred of fabric that was once her silken scarf ¡°F-f-f-fucking! D-d-d-die! Al-al-al-all of-of y-y-y-you!¡±


    ¡°Quit being so dramatic, you little shit...¡± said Kianna as she reached over and worked to pry Mica''s fingers apart ¡°And let go. We''re throwing this away...¡±


    ¡°St-st-st-stop!¡± cried the kiochi as she tried in vain to keep the fabric in place over her bust ¡°N-no!¡±


    ¡°Enough, seriously. You''re not even covering anything...¡± sighed Kianna as she yanked the fabric away from Mica and tossed it aside.


    Mica growled through her chattering teeth in frustration as she watched the lightweight silken material flutter to the floor where it joined the pile of ripped up scraps that were once the rest of her scarf and panties.


    Naked now, save for the belt still wrapped tightly around her waist, Mica turned to Kianna and gave her a hateful, scowling glare as she hunched in on herself, wrapped one arm around her bosom and held the other down across her torso so as to bury her hand in between her pressed thighs and cover her hidden slit.


    Smirking, Kianna stuck her tongue out at her in a teasing manner before turning away with a dismissive huff. With her own condescending smile on her face, Fiona laughed mockingly at the incensed kiochi before turning away from her as well and following Kianna''s gaze to the archway that led out from the bathroom.


    All three of them were now sitting on the edge of the large tub as they waited for Anton to return from where he''d gone to gather more potions.


    Having removed their soaked clothing, the two dark elves sat huddled together for warmth. Though still heavily chilled, they were no longer shivering as Mica still was and, also unlike the seething shinoccubus, they once again seemed to have no issue with their nakedness as they made no effort to cover themselves in anyway.


    Glaring at them for a moment, Mica took advantage of the stillness to slowly inch closer to Kianna and tentatively press herself against the dark elf''s side.


    Kianna sucked in a gasping breath through her teeth as a sudden sharp chill shot through her body. Turning to find Mica trying to huddle up next to her, the dark elf immediately pointed her ears straight back as an irritated scowl marred her face.


    ¡°What the Hell do you think you''re doing!?¡± she growled as she loomed over the smaller female ¡°Don''t fucking touch me!¡±


    Cowed and cringing away, Mica groaned miserably and hunched even further in on herself as she continued to shiver.


    ¡°Aw! Is the little ninja-bitch still cold over there!?¡± mocked Fiona as she leaned forward to look around her sister ¡°Poor little ninja-bitch!¡±


    ¡°Poor nothing!¡± snapped Kianna as she nudged her shoulder into Mica''s and gave her a shove ¡°It''s all her fault that we''re all like this in the first place! Stupid little idiot!¡±


    Clenching her teeth in anger, Mica said nothing as she looked away and tightened her arm around her chest.


    ¡°Now I don''t think that''s all too fair to say, Kianna.¡± said Anton as he stepped back into the room ¡°As I recall it, you and Fiona both volunteered to be punished along with her.¡±


    Having returned from his home through the portal he had set up in the other room, Anton''s hands were both filled with an assortment of small glass bottles that each contained a different colored liquid.


    ¡°We weren''t trying to get punished along with her!¡± complained Kianna ¡°We were trying to help her. Which was a stupid move on our part!¡±


    ¡°Very true.¡± nodded Anton as he made his way over to the counter-top and set down the collected potions ¡°And while I do think your intentions were commendable, that was still a very poorly thought out decision. And even though it could be argued that Mica was ultimately responsible for what happened to the three of you, it''s hardly right to try and blame her for choices that you and your sister made all on your own.¡±


    ¡°...Wait! Are you actually defending Mica right now!?¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°Seriously!? Where is this coming from!?¡±


    ¡°I''m merely being fair. Mica''s antics may have been a catalyst, but you two sealed your own fates yourselves.¡± explained Anton ¡°She had nothing to do with your decision. And so I''m not going to let you take out your frustrations on her, when for once in her life... She is actually innocent.¡±


    Picking up one of the bottles from the counter, Anton brought the dark green colored brew up to eye level and gave it a quick shake before making his way over to Mica and standing in front of her.


    Though clearly aware of Anton''s presence, Mica made an effort to feign ignorance as she kept her head bowed and stared off to the side.


    Unperturbed by her efforts, Anton twisted off the wax seal from the mouth of the bottle and unceremoniously dumped its contents across the kiochi''s head.


    Startled by the sensation of the potion landing on her, Mica went to shake her head but in her reduced state she could hardly manage to twist her head to the side before going still.


    Anton stayed silent as he watched the potion sink down and disappear as it was absorbed into Mica''s body. Once it was fully gone, he lowered himself down to rest on one knee.


    Despite herself, Mica couldn''t help but to shift her glaring eyes to Anton''s as he knelt down in front of her.


    ¡°Unfortunately, that potion I just gave you was rather old. So I don''t know how well it''s going to really help you. If anything though, it should still take the edge off of any muscle pains that you''re currently experiencing.¡± said Anton as he looked the kiochi over and assessed her condition ¡°I do have another potion that will help you far more. But we''ll save that for after your bath.¡±


    Mica''s eyes narrowed in suspicion as Anton looked at her directly.


    ¡°...I''m going to release your tail.¡± he said calmly ¡°I would be surprised if by now the muscles in it haven''t become cramped. And I''m sure that this has made it quite uncomfortable, if not down right painful for you... Do not make me regret this.¡±


    Blinking in surprise, Mica went still as Anton reached around her waist and began to open the lock that held the belt in place.


    ¡°We will be having a conversation soon, once you have had a chance to recover a bit. There are several things that need to be addressed. And I''m sure you have your complaints. We will discus all your misgivings then.¡± said Anton as he worked to slowly and gently undo the straps of the belt ¡°I''ll give you the chance to say all you want. Then I''ll answer any questions you may have, and explain my own actions. As I do want you to fully understand why you were punished today. ...I suggest you take this time to get your thoughts in order.¡±


    Mica''s expression went from thoughtful to hateful as she listened to Anton speak. As the belt was removed from around her waist, she went to uncoil her tail but almost immediately wrapped it tightly back around her body in a futile attempt to keep it warm.


    Anton sighed through his nose and slowly shook his head as he watched the miserable looking kiochi struggle to maintain her modesty as she tried and failed to keep herself from shivering wildly.


    ¡°You might be worse off than I thought... We really do need to get you warmed back up.¡± muttered Anton as he stood up ¡°Kianna.¡±


    ¡°Hm, yes!?¡± chirped the dark elf as she looked up at him.


    ¡°Mica is really suffering at the moment. Do you mind letting her rest against you while I get the bath going?¡± asked Anton as he made his way around the tub to where the facets were located.


    ¡°...Seriously!?¡± mumbled Kianna ¡°...Do I really have to?¡±


    ¡°Well, no. You don''t have to.¡± chuckled Anton as he tossed the belt on the counter and began to open the tub''s facets ¡°I''d really appreciate it if you did though.¡±


    Pointing her ears straight back in annoyance, Kianna rolled her eyes before letting out a exasperated sigh.


    ¡°Fine!¡± she exclaimed as she shifted around until her back was facing Mica ¡°But you better watch it with those horns!¡±


    Mica wasted no time as she frantically scooted right up to the dark elf and huddled in against her.


    ¡°Oh crap! That''s cold!¡± grumbled Kianna as she involuntarily arched her back and pointed her ears straight upwards ¡°Seriously! ...How are you still this cold!?¡±


    ¡°Infernals don''t generate body heat in the same way that Terran people do. Because normally they don''t need to.¡± said Anton as he absently felt the water coming out of the now open taps ¡°Since the hellscape type of environment that they come from is naturally always extremely warm, they can rely on said environment to help keep their bodies regulated. Now, this doesn''t mean that they''re fully ectothermic like a reptile is, they''re not, though they aren''t that far off from it either. They do generate their own body heat, they''re just not very good at it. And once they''ve been chilled in the way that Mica has, they''ll need to either use magic, or get some outside help to warm themselves back up again. Otherwise it could take a very long time for them to do it themselves. This is why chilling them like this is the best method to use if you want to take them as prisoners.¡±


    ¡°Hm, so if we really wanted to warm her up real quick...¡± mused Fiona as she leaned around Kianna and looked Mica up and down ¡°Could we just stick her in the oven for a little while?¡±


    ¡°We could. That would actually work.¡± nodded Anton ¡°A warm bath will be far more comfortable for her though.¡±


    ¡°...All the more reason to go with the oven then.¡± mumbled Kianna as she gave Mica a quick shove with her shoulder ¡°Or maybe the microwave...¡±


    Grunting, Mica kept her head lowered and didn''t say a word as she tentatively pressed herself back against the dark elf. Grinning wickedly, Kianna began to lightly sway back and forth so as to prevent the kiochi from getting comfortable in any way.


    Watching this, Anton frowned as he waited for Mica to get frustrated and lash out with either her spade or her horns. He was pleasantly surprised when instead, all she did was shift her head away, so as to point her horns to the side, and do her best to follow along with Kianna''s movements.


    ¡°Hm, well that''s a good sign...¡± he mused to himself as he began to magically heat the bathwater.


    Seemingly sensing the heat of the water behind her, Mica looked back over her shoulder and gasped in excitement as she immediately made to twist herself around.


    ¡°Hold on a second, Mica.¡± said Anton as the kiochi stopped just short of toppling over backwards ¡°Let it fill up a little more first.¡±


    ¡°W-w-w-why!?¡± whined the kiochi as she stared longingly at the few inches of water ¡°C-c-can I-I j-j-j-j-j-just g-g-get in-in-in!?¡±


    ¡°I need a little more water in there to keep warming it up.¡± explained Anton ¡°I don''t want to damage the tub by heating up such a small amount of water too fast.¡±


    Chattering and shaking uncontrollably, Mica whined in frustration as she pressed herself even tighter against Kianna''s back.


    Watching her out of the corner of her eye, Kianna couldn''t help but to feel a sympathetic tightness in her chest as she saw that desperate tears were forming in the quaking kiochi''s eyes.


    ¡°...Dammit.¡± she muttered as she turned around and wrapped her arms around the smaller female ¡°C''mere, you! Hold still!¡±


    Though surprised to find herself suddenly being pulled into the unexpected embrace, Mica offered no resistance and instead gave up on her modesty as she ducked her head in under the dark elf''s chin, pressed herself up against her torso and clutched her as tightly as she could.


    ¡°God''s alive! You are seriously so cold!¡± muttered Kianna as she did her best to hold on to Mica''s shivering body ¡°No wonder you can''t even move!¡±


    Shutting her eyes in bliss, Mica''s only response was a long, drawn out, appreciative sounding sigh.


    ¡°Aw, how cute!¡± snickered Fiona ¡°Are you keeping the poor little baby warm?¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± snapped Kianna as she pointed her ears straight back and tightened her hold on Mica ¡°...And yes. ...I am.¡±


    Both Anton and Fiona chuckled as they watched Kianna''s jaw tighten in annoyance.


    Once the tub was nearly a quarter of the way full, Anton heated the water in it to a comfortably hot temperature before nodding to the dark elves.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Okay, you girls can go ahead and stick your feet in now.¡± he said as he gave Fiona a pointed look ¡°If that triggers the need to use the restroom then go and do it. Don''t try to hold it.¡±


    Grimacing up at him, Fiona stuck out her tongue before she and the other''s twisted around in their seats on the edge of the tub and dropped their feet into the steaming water. Sharp gasps were quickly followed by heavy sighs of relief as all three of them moaned in satisfaction.


    After a few moments, Fiona began to bite her lower lip and press her thighs together. Noticing this, Anton gave her another pointed look that was complete with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± grumbled Fiona as she huffed in irritation and rose from her seat before quickly jogging out of the room.


    Watching her leave, Kianna grimaced as her own source of warmth left with her. She became startled as Mica suddenly started to buck in her arms.


    ¡°P-p-p-p-please!¡± whimpered the now struggling kiochi ¡°C-c-c-c-can''t I-I-I j-j-j-j-just g-g-get in al-al-al-al-al-already!?¡±


    ¡°No, not yet. You could end up sending your system into shock by jumping your body from one extreme to another like that.¡± explained Anton ¡°Give it a few more minutes with just your feet in there and then you can get in.¡±


    Wailing in misery, Mica''s tail began to quiver wildly around her waist as she stared at the rising water.


    ¡°Hey! Settle down, you!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she hugged the kiochi to herself and did her best to hold on to her.


    As Fiona came trotting back into the room, Kianna immediately called out to her.


    ¡°Fiona! Come here! I need your help!¡± she cried out over Mica''s gibbering.


    ¡°Huh? What, what do you need?¡± asked Fiona as she pointed her ears straight upwards.


    ¡°Help me hold this little bitch! She''s trying to get in the tub and she''s not ready yet!¡± exclaimed Kianna ¡°She''s gonna end up shocking her system if she jumps in too fast!¡±


    ¡°...Okay? And? Who cares if she does that?¡± asked Fiona.


    ¡°You... Argh! Just shut up and help me!¡± growled Kianna ¡°Please!¡±


    Laughing smugly, Fiona sat down on the other side of Mica and pressed herself against the kiochi''s back before quickly wrapping her arms around her and speaking into her ear.


    ¡°Hey there... You better calm down you naughty little ninja-bitch...¡± cooed Fiona as she gathered one of Mica''s breasts in each of her hands and gave them both an ominous squeeze ¡°Unless you wanna get pinched again...¡±


    ¡°Ah! N-n-n-n-no! St-st-stop!¡± cried Mica as she tried to pull away from the groping dark elf ¡°N-n-n-not ah-g-g-g-gain!¡±


    ¡°Then sit... still!¡± breathed Fiona as her fingertips began to tentatively tap at Mica''s hardened nipples ¡°And maybe, just maybe, we can avoid that...¡±


    Swallowing a lump in her throat, Mica scowled angrily as she forced herself to go as still as possible.


    ¡°Good girl...¡± smiled Fiona as she gave each of the kiochi''s breasts another gentle, but still menacing squeeze ¡°See, Kianna. This is how you get an unruly bitch under control.¡±


    ¡°Hm, right. I''ll try to remember this the next time I need to put you in your place...¡± said Kianna as she gave her sister a smug grin.


    ¡°Yeah, sure. Good luck with that.¡± said Fiona as she returned Kianna''s grin with her own.


    Still shivering, even as she was sandwiched between the two clinging dark elves, Mica''s eyes widened as she felt Fiona''s warm, soft breasts mold themselves across her back as the dark elf pressed herself against her. Try as she might to push this realization out of her mind, she just couldn''t keep herself from blushing a bright, crimson red. Her blush grew in intensity and spread to her ears as Fiona''s weight forced her forward and caused her own bust to become mashed against Kianna''s. Grimacing in embarrassment and expecting to be ogled, her eyes immediately darted over to Anton, were she was surprised to find that he was instead still preoccupied with the rising bathwater and thankfully seemed to be ignoring the dark elves antics.


    As the water level reached the tub''s halfway point, Anton gave the dark elves another nod, and, while towing the excitedly whimpering kiochi along with them, they immediately clambered into the tub and sat themselves down in the rising water.


    Huddled in between the two dark elves, Mica''s shivering lessened down to almost nothing as the steaming water rose around her. Once the waterline reached to just below her shoulders, Anton shut off the taps, and she and the dark elves all hunkered down to soak in the soothing warmth.


    Taking his place in his deck chair, Anton pulled his phone from his pocket and settled in to wait for Mica and the dark elves to recover.


    ¡°Let me know when the water needs to be warmed up again.¡± he said as he began to go over his emails.


    For the better part of the next hour, the room remained relatively quiet and peaceful. Anton had to rewarm the bathwater several times during this period as Mica seemed to be literally soaking up the heat from around her.


    As time went on, the life started returning to both Fiona and Kianna at a much faster pace than it did with the kiochi that was dozing in between them.


    Glancing at one another and grinning slyly, they looked down at their intended victim and covertly positioned their hands in place on either side of her head.


    ¡°...Ow! Quit it!¡± cried Mica as the dark elves, moving in unison, gave her ears a quick tug at the same time.


    ¡°Wakey wakey!¡± teased Fiona as she flicked Mica on the nose ¡°Don''t want to fall asleep and drown now, do you?¡±


    ¡°I''m not!¡± snapped Mica as she glared at the dark elf.


    Looking back and forth at her two tormentors, Mica''s glare grew into a full scowl as she took in their mischievous grins. She could now easily have just moved away from them, but was reluctant to give up on the warmth that could be had by staying in place between their two bodies.


    ¡°Wha!? Hey! Stop!¡± she cried as they suddenly wrapped their arms around her, held her wrists against her stomach and planted their chins down on top of her head ¡°What do you think you''re doing!?¡±


    ¡°What!?¡± sang Kianna as she tightened her hold on the struggling kiochi ¡°We''re warming you up!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, don''t worry!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she smiled broadly enough to show off her short fangs ¡°We''re just trying to help you!¡±


    Mica cried out in protest as the viciously smiling dark elves preceded to rest their full weight atop her shoulders and cause her to involuntarily hunch down into herself.


    ¡°No! No! Stop it!¡± she cried as they then pressed their chins down hard onto her head and forced her to slowly sink further and further into the water ¡°Stop, sto-!¡±


    Mica began to sputter in panic as both her mouth and nose were held just below the waterline by the now wickedly giggling dark elves.


    ¡°Hey, knock that off you two. No drowning the shinoccubus...¡± mumbled Anton without looking away from his phone ¡°If anyone''s going to drown that little brat it''s going to be me. And if I don''t get to do it, then no one does...¡±


    The still giggling dark elves both let up on Mica''s head but kept their grips on her wrists as they held her in place.


    Mica''s eyes were misty with light tears as she popped her head up and coughed out a mouthful of water.


    ¡°Ack! Ack! W-w-why!?¡± she cried.


    ¡°Why? Well, it''s simple... We just can''t help it...¡± cooed Fiona as she leaned in close and began to whisper into Mica''s ear ¡°You see, it''s in our nature to be... mean!¡±


    ¡°That''s right...¡± soothed Kianna as she followed her sister''s lead and began to whisper softly into Mica''s other ear ¡°We are dark elves after all... And we''re supposed to punish people... Guilty people...¡±


    ¡°People, just, like, you...¡± continued Fiona ¡°Cute, little, kiochi''s... Who have been bad little girls...¡±


    Swallowing a lump in her throat, Mica went stiff as she pressed her lips together into a thin line.


    ¡°Naughty little kiochi''s... Who get captured...¡± whispered Kianna around a smile ¡°And who can''t escape... Or teleport away...¡±


    ¡°Trapped, little kiochi''s...¡± breathed Fiona as she let her teeth just barely graze the edge of Mica''s pointed ear ¡°Squeezable... Pinchable... Spankable... Little, kiochi''s...¡±


    ¡°Kiochi''s, who are just, like, you!¡± teased Kianna ¡°One''s that are small, soft and helpless!¡±


    Blinking, Mica''s expression hardened as she stared down at the water in front of her and listened to the dark elves mirthful snickering.


    ¡°Soft, and helpless...¡± she growled as she tightened her eyes into a glare ¡°Who do you think you''re calling soft and helpless...¡±


    The dark elves were instantly silenced as they felt an unexpected flurry of motion take place around them. Glancing at each other in uncertainty, they both shifted their eyes forward as a long, thin shape began to move about in the water in front of them.


    Rising into the air in a manner that was reminiscent of an angry cobra, Mica''s coiled tail broke through the surface of the water and arched upwards until her bladed spade came into view.


    The dark elves eyes went wide as they both locked onto the tip of the spearhead-like spade and watched as it slowly twirled in a circle as it rose above them.


    ¡°Well!?¡± grumbled Mica as she flexed the muscles around the base of her spade so that her barbs would bloom out in a threatening manner ¡°You were saying something about soft and helpless!?¡±


    Staring up at the menacing display, the dark elves watched as Mica''s curved barbs began to curl inwards and then spread back out in time with each of her breaths. Narrowing their eyes, they glanced back at each other before slowly loosening their hold on the kiochi and easing themselves away from her.


    ¡°Heh! That''s what I thou-Ugh!¡± exclaimed Mica as Fiona and Kianna both planted their hands on the back of her shoulders and violently shoved her forward.


    ¡°Humph. Moody little ninja-bitch.¡± mumbled Fiona as she and Kianna both moved back and away from the staggering kiochi ¡°You''re no fun anymore.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? This little bitch was never fun...¡± said Kianna as she planted her foot against Mica''s back and shoved her again, this time hard enough to force her head underwater.


    Once the panicked kiochi quickly recovered herself, she whorled around and glared at the two dark elves while arching her tail up high over her head and pointing its bladed tip at them.


    Moving to the other side of the tub, Fiona and Kianna sat together with their backs resting against the sidewall as they gazed icily at the angry kiochi.


    ¡°If you think we''re going to be scared of you or that little toothpick you have at the end of your tail, then you''re wrong, sister!¡± said Fiona ¡°You aren''t intimidating anybody.¡±


    ¡°You better get all this viciousness out of your system now, Mica.¡± said Kianna as she narrowed her eyes in warning ¡°Because you will not be threatening us again.¡±


    A silent standoff between the three women thus commenced and lasted for nearly a full minute until with a dismissive huff, the two dark elves stretched out their legs, let their heads lull back onto the edge of the tub and closed their eyes before starting to doze.


    Unnerved by their apparent indifference to her, Mica tentatively lowered her tail before glancing over at Anton. She stiffened in unease as she found him staring right back at her with a keenly thoughtful expression on his face. Looking away from him, she scooted herself back until she nearly hit her own section of the tub''s sidewall and hunkered herself down by pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around her folded legs.


    Having positioned herself in such a way that she could move just her eyes to see either the dark elves or Anton, Mica watched the dark elves do nothing as Anton went back to looking at his phone. Settling in to focus on her own recovery, she kept her silent vigil on her enemies as she tried to figure out a way to escape from them. After a moment of contemplation, she reached up to her neck and began to lightly pull on the ring of steel and inlaid silver that kept her pool of mana locked away from her. As she sat there thinking, she once again became acutely aware of the sharp pains that still plagued the muscles throughout her body. And so, in search of relief, she began to stretch out said muscles as covertly as she could.


    To say the very least, Anton had found the exchange that had just taken place between the dark elves and Mica to be more than intriguing. Though he hadn''t intervened in any way, he had certainly been ready to. His hesitation to get involved, though difficult for him to maintain, was at this point very important, as it had now become necessary for him to look at things in a broader scope. Where as before, Mica had merely been a problem that once resolved would then be completely over and done with. The end result being that she would be gone, and everyone involved in this fiasco could simply move on with their lives. Now however, this was no longer the case. The shinoccubus wasn''t going anywhere anytime soon. And this meant that this situation had to be handled far differently from here on out. And Anton knew that the first step that needed to be taken, was to change his own mentality.


    It was unfortunate that hindsight was such a cruel mistress, as had he known that things would have eventually led to this outcome, he would have made vastly different decisions early on. As it sat, in an effort to make her second guess any idea she may have had of attempting to harm either himself or the dark elves, he had been working towards establishing a sense of fear and dread in the shinoccubus. In other words, he had gone down the path of attempting to control her by forcing her to surrender.


    This had been a mistake. And had he known better he wouldn''t have allowed her to be treated so brutally and would have instead been working towards establishing a level of trust between her, himself and the dark elves. And this, despite being set back as far as they now were, was his new goal.


    Now, it wasn''t necessarily the worse thing that Mica had been subjected to such harsh punishments, as she would now understand that any consequences she was threatened with would be quite real, and she knew by now that she could believe him and what he said, even if she didn''t like it. This was far from the foundation of trust that Anton would have preferred to have built with her, but it was at least something he could work with. It was also helpful to know exactly where he and the shinoccubus currently stood in regards to each other. They were enemies, plain and simple. This was something that they both understood, and something that he did intend to fix.


    Now, Mica''s relationship with the dark elves however... that was a bit more complicated.


    On the surface it would appear that they all had every reason to see each other as enemies as well. Strangely though, this didn''t seem to be the case. For reasons that he still didn''t fully understand, the dark elves had felt compelled to speak out in defense of Mica, and she in turn had elected to defend them physically. This was quite the shift in attitudes all around. And he did intend to further question the dark elves about this as soon as he had a chance to be alone with them.


    Fiona in particular seemed to be more inclined to be amicable towards the shinoccubus, or at least she wasn''t quite as aggressive towards her as she could be, and he was beginning to think that this was due to the fact that Fiona had found Mica and her situation relatable to herself and her own past decisions. That she somehow saw a bit of herself in the headstrong and overly eager shinoccubus. This would certainly be interesting if true, as it would mean that he should begin to regard Fiona as a person with far more depth than he had previously thought.


    Kianna, on the other hand, was clearly of the complete opposite mindset. And, surprisingly, was at this point the bigger problem between the two dark elves. As she had no issue with making it known that she had no intention of ever being on friendly terms with Mica. And was instead far more interested in making the kiochi as miserable as possible. This cruelty was in stark contrast to Kianna''s normal demeanor, and Anton couldn''t help but to feel that this was more of a false projection than anything else. One that she would possibly drop if given a good enough reason, he simply needed to find that reason...


    And in the meantime, he would also need to keep an eye out for any opportunities to shift the current mentality the dark elves seemed to have in regards to the shinoccubus, as they had made it fairly clear that in their view, she was going to be treated as a pet, and this was something that was definitely not going to work.


    In his time among the dark elves, Anton had seen first hand exactly how the different types of slaves would each be treated. With servants, lovers, thralls, etc and etc, all being shown different levels of respect, freedom and dignity. And among these levels, a ¡°pet¡± was far from the top. To the dark elves, a ¡°pet¡± meant something very specific. Essentially, a pet was given little to no autonomy whatsoever. They were not given a choice in hardly anything they did and were instead treated in the same manner that one would treat a small breed of dog or even a doll. And what was down right uncanny was how easily the dark elves seemed to be able to suppress an individuals sapience down to the point that they would become indistinguishable from said dogs or dolls. The beings subjected to this fate would become literal pets, completely tame, willingly obedient and fully dependent to the point of obsession with their given master or mistress.


    Now, although it would certainly be interesting to watch and see whether or not Fiona and Kianna could, through some form of instinctual process, successfully tame Mica down and turn her into their pet, this, unfortunately, just couldn''t be allowed to happen.


    Mica had a job to do. And in order to do this job successfully, she would need to maintain a level of independence and not be reduced to a harmless, quivering mess who was forever craving the touch and attention of her mistresses.


    The dark elves would need to see her as something other than a potential pet. Now what that something should be was still to be determined. There were options to be considered of course. And even just now, Fiona''s recent quip did offer a new and interesting alternative that Anton hadn''t thought of before...


    One problem at a time though, as on the other side of this battle-line was the more glaring issue of Mica herself...


    Anton''s thoughts were interrupted as Mica suddenly let out a small sneeze which caused him to glance over at her. Gazing at her for a moment, he turned back to stare idly at his phone as he let one new plan after another begin to slowly form in his mind.

 Assassin Arc : Chapter 14 : Noon

    Chapter 14 : Noon


    Although he, himself had put forward the idea of enslaving the shinoccubus, Anton did harbor some reservations about going down that route. As even though Mica did require a measure of control to be had over her, she was still the daughter of friends. And despite the circumstances, and the fact that binding curses weren''t necessarily permanent, enslaving the daughter of your friends was, to say the least, still poor etiquette. So with this being the case, he was more than willing to explore other alternatives.


    Unfortunately, Mica was neither harmless nor trustworthy, and her natural abilities would make it all too easy for her to literally disappear the moment she was given any amount of freedom. Keeping her manabound and restrained indefinitely certainly was possible, but wouldn''t be practical. Especially if she was to be expected to preform in her new role as a bodyguard.


    Her built-in loyalty oath ability was of course another option, and although he wasn''t overly familiar with how that particular ability worked, it did seem to be a better alternative to outright slavery, at least on the surface. Unfortunately, it was, as far as he knew, something that she would have to willingly invoke herself. And so at this point his working plan was to see if it would be possible to convince her to do so. This would of course still entail illustrating to her that the alternative would be her enslavement, which although an ugly premise, was nonetheless the truth.


    And so, with the mindset of pursuing this goal, Anton had taken the calculated risk of allowing Mica a level of freedom by releasing her tail. This would hopefully help in establishing a foundation of, and maybe even building some tiny amount of, trust between them. It would also give him an opportunity to see just how aggressive she was likely to be if given the chance.


    And interestingly enough, despite a confrontation taking place almost immediately, the shinoccubus had done nothing more than make idle threats. Even when physically pushed she had refrained from retaliating with violence, which for an Infernal like her, reacting with a slash of her spade would normally have been an almost automatic response.


    The fact that Mica had instead hesitated to attack was a solid indication that she had a strong sense of control over herself and her instincts, which was a very, very good sign.


    With his eyes sitting idle on his phone and his mind continuing to shift through his thoughts, Anton''s attention was suddenly caught by movement taking place in his peripherals. Turning his head, he found that Mica''s tail was slowly slicing a path through the water as she looped it around herself several times.


    Intrigued, he watched silently as Mica reached out and began to tenderly massage her tail by rolling sections of its length through her fingers. Preoccupied with her task, the shinoccubus seemed oblivious to her audience as she gently kneaded out the knots that had formed in the thin ribbons of tightly wrapped musculature that ran down the length of her tail. As she worked her way along, stretching and loosening up the muscles of her limb, the natural elasticity of her tail began to become more and more apparent and its true length began to appear.


    Not that this was a surprise to him, but it did become quite clear to Anton that Mica had positioned herself so that if she wanted to, she could, from right where she was sitting, easily stretch her tail out far enough that her spade would be able to reach both himself and the dark elves. And although she seemed to be content to remain quiet and unassuming at the moment, there was no way of knowing how long this peaceful mood would last, and he was not so inclined to just let her have the first strike.


    ¡°...Hm, you know, Mica. It''s actually really nice to see that you seem to have a decent level of control over yourself.¡± said Anton as he turned off his phone ¡°Not everyone who is born with natural weapons like yours will always hesitate to use them in the way that you just did.¡±


    Mica''s fingers went still as she shifted her eyes up to him. Though her face itself showed nothing to her emotions, her quickly thinning snake-like pupils were still a good indication that her thoughts were far from friendly.


    ¡°...I''m going to guess that growing up in a city and attending school was enough to condition you to not let violence be your first response. That''s a trait that I can certainly appreciate.¡± continued Anton as he gave her a thin, but genuine grin ¡°It would be a real annoyance for me if I to had to keep your tail locked away at all times. So it truly is nice to see that, hopefully, at least, that won''t be necessary.¡±


    Keeping her eyes locked to his, Mica remained silent as she pressed her lips into a thin line and shifted her tail around her body until her spade was on her opposite side and partially hidden behind her back.


    ¡°Heh. Hard to imagine little Mica being in school.¡± chuckled Fiona from her place on the other side of the tub ¡°Not her being little, of course. That parts easy to imagine.¡±


    Blinking, Mica''s eyes darted over to the dark elf the moment she started to speak.


    ¡°Hard parts imagining her not trying to stab everybody. Or choking people with her tail.¡± continued Fiona ¡°Like an angry little monkey!¡±


    Narrowing her eyes, Mica''s face hardened as both of the dark elves began to chuckle.


    ¡°You know she probably got bullied, right?¡± quipped Kianna as a condescending smile spread across her face ¡°Imagine little Mica trying to act all tough and then instantly getting thrown in a trash can or shoved in a locker. You just know it happened!¡±


    As both of the dark elves began to laugh, Mica''s tail started to undulate angrily in the water until several of its coils finally breached the surface and her spade rose up high enough for its tip to point down at the sisters.


    With their heads laid back and their eyes still closed, the dark elves remained completely oblivious as the incensed kiochi moved her tail into position to strike down at them.


    ¡°Mica. Put your tail away and stop threatening the dark elves. Your job is to protect them. Not to endanger them.¡± said Anton as he slipped his phone into his pocket ¡°And girls! You''re being rude. Stop bullying your bodyguard.¡±


    Mica''s tail froze right where it hung in the air as she clenched her jaw and turned to Anton with rage in her eyes.


    ¡°Sorry!¡± sang the dark elves as they continued to chuckle quietly.


    ¡°I am not their bodyguard! And I don''t have a fucking job!¡± declared Mica as she pulled her tail back in to herself and pointed her spade at Anton ¡°I don''t work for you! Or anybody! And I ain''t protecting shit!¡±


    ¡°You do have a job, Mica. One that you will do. You don''t have a choice.¡± said Anton in a calm but stern tone as he glanced at her spade and then looked right at her ¡°I also want you to understand that the freedom that I''ve given you right now is a test run to see how well you can behave yourself. It is a privilege, and you''re putting it at risk. I''m going to be very disappointed if you make me have to lock your tail away again.¡±


    ¡°You just try it!¡± growled Mica as she raised her tail back up into the air and flexed out the barbs at the base of her spade ¡°Touch me, and I''ll slit your throat and bury my spade in your heart!¡±


    Grinning broadly, the two dark elves both lifted their heads up to watch the coming show.


    Anton was still for a moment as he stared down at the seething kiochi.


    ¡°Mica.¡± he said as he kept his eyes locked to her''s ¡°Do you understand why you were punished as severely as you were today?¡±


    ¡°You! Oh! Of fucking course I do! It was so some sadistic asshole could get his rocks off!¡± snarled Mica ¡°Obviously!¡±


    ¡°Colorful. But no, I''m afraid that isn''t the reason.¡± said Anton as he continued to stare at her ¡°Would you like to try and guess again?¡±


    ¡°...It was because I tried to kill you!¡± snapped Mica as she arched her tail even higher ¡°You poor, poor fucking baby!¡±


    ¡°No, that did annoy me. But that isn''t the specific reason either. You''re enslavement will cover that transgression.¡± said Anton as he ignored the spade bobbing above his head ¡°Would you like to try one more time?¡±


    Unnerved by the fact that he was disregarding her threats, Mica went silent as she glared back him.


    ¡°...No? Very well. Let me just explain it to you then. You see, Mica, the reason that you were so overtly punished today is because I needed to diminish some of the... overwhelming, amount of animosity that I felt towards you.¡± stated Anton as the kiochi''s glare deepened into a full scowl ¡°Now, petty as that reason may be. It was still very important. Because I am about to dedicate a lot of my time, effort and resources into you and your development. And I know myself well enough to know that unfortunately, if I didn''t take care of my issues with you right away. Then chances are I would be constantly setting things back by giving in to the urge to make you suffer far more than I actually needed to. And as we don''t have the time to waste on waiting for you to be forever recovering from unnecessary injuries. I felt it was best to just take care of the situation now and be done with it... Is all of this making sense to you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah! I think I get what you''re saying loud and clear.¡± growled Mica as she began to speak through her clenched teeth ¡°You''re saying the reason I got strapped down to a table, waterlogged and had a fucking iceberg shoved up my ass! Was all so that you could get over some shit grudge. Right!?¡±


    ¡°Yes, exactly.¡± nodded Anton.


    ¡°And how exactly does that not make you an evil, pathetic, disgusting, fucking little crybaby asshole!¡± demanded Mica.


    ¡°Simple. Because the person I did it to wasn''t some innocent little teenager that I snagged off the street. It was you, Mica.¡± said Anton as he narrowed his eyes into a glare ¡°It was a wannabe little assassin who''s very first act upon meeting me was to try to cut my head off.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and it''s too bad that I missed on that too!¡± snapped Mica ¡°Next time I won''t!¡±


    Anton was still for a moment before he leaned over the arm of his chair and stared down the kiochi.


    ¡°You need to understand that generally speaking, I don''t have a lot of patience for people that try to kill me, Mica. And I don''t normally like to let such people live.¡± declared Anton ¡°You have been a special case from the very beginning. In fact, the only reason I didn''t kill you immediately last night was because I was using you as an object lesson for the dark elves. And during said lesson, when I figured out that you had no idea what you were even doing. I decided to take pity on you. And even went so far as to give you opportunities to surrender and leave. But no, you just had to keep going. You had to keep pushing things till the end. And now look at where all your efforts have gotten you. Beaten and bound. I didn''t want this. I told you to leave, but you wouldn''t. And now you want to sit there and call me evil. Well, fine! I won''t argue with you on that. But don''t you dare try to blame me for the direction your life has suddenly gone. Because my decisions didn''t put you here, Mica. Yours did.¡±


    ¡°Fuck off!¡± cried Mica ¡°Seriously, stop acting like you''re some poor, pitiful victim! You''re not! You wanted this to happen, you said so yourself when you said you were planning to give me to your bitch ass elves so they could tie me up and torture me and shit! You''re a sick fuck! You''re evil, all of you are! You disgusting fucks have literally done nothing but torture me this whole time, and I don''t deserve any of this crap! The twisted shit that you''ve all done to me has been insane!¡±


    ¡°You don''t deserve this?¡± repeated Anton as an incredulous expression spread across his face ¡°Mica, how exactly do you not deserve this when you came here specifically to kill someone!? ...You can''t honestly think that since you failed in your intention to kill, that you''re somehow innocent now and you don''t deserve to be punished. Because that is not how it works. You are not innocent, and you never will be again. You''ve earned everything that has been done to you. Everything. And I find it very rich of you to try and accuse me of acting like a victim when that''s all you''ve been doing this entire time. So far you''ve yet to own up to anything that you''ve done. Not a single thing. You act like you didn''t have a choice in any of this when no one brought you here, Mica. You invaded. No one forced you to attack. You jumped in yourself. And when you were told, multiple times, to leave. You were the one who kept fighting. It was all you, Mica. It was your decisions, and your decisions alone that lead you here. You do deserve all of this. And you need to accept that.¡±


    ¡°And what if I fucking don''t!?¡± exclaimed Mica ¡°What are you gonna do then, huh!?¡±


    ¡°...Well, you''ll be trained either way. So in the end I suppose it makes no difference.¡± said Anton with a shrug ¡°You''re still going to be turned into something useful whether you like it or not. Of course, there is no real reason for you to make things difficult. Though if you insist on fighting me the entire time, then so be it. Just know that even if I''m forced to drag you along at the end of a leash, I will. And the end result will still be the same.¡±


    ¡°You! Fuck you! And your leash!¡± snapped Mica ¡°Like I''m going to let you treat me like a dog!¡±


    ¡°Control yourself, be respectful, act like a person and you''ll be treated you like one.¡± said Anton as he folded his arms over his chest ¡°Act like a vicious, wild animal, and you''ll be put on a leash. It''s as simple as that. The choice is yours, but remember, Mica, either way, the end result is not going to change for you. So my suggestion is that you make things easier on all of us, and just accept your fate.¡±


    ¡°...You motherfucker!¡± growled Mica as she held up her middle finger and waved it at Anton ¡°Accept this!¡±


    ¡°Oooo!¡± sang the dark elves as they both smiled gleefully and pointed their ear straight upwards in excitement.


    Anton stared down at the kiochi for a moment before silently rising from his seat.


    Glaring up at his stoic expression, Mica faltered back a bit as Anton stepped up to the edge of the tub and loomed over her. Keeping her finger pointed at him, she raised her tail even higher and arched it up over her head in a manner that was reminiscent of an angry scorpion.


    ¡°Stay back!¡± threatened Mica as she menacingly flexed her barbs in and out of her tail ¡°I mean it! I''m not scared of you!¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± said Anton as he knelt down so as to be at eye level with her ¡°That''ll actually make this next part easier.¡±


    Lifting his left hand, Anton used two fingers to point up at Mica''s spade.


    ¡°Strike me with that.¡± he said in a calm even tone.


    Mica''s barbs froze mid flex as she blinked in surprise.


    ¡°...Wait, what!?¡± she chirped as her tail stiffened above her head.


    ¡°I said. Strike me with that.¡± repeated Anton as he left his fingers pointing upwards ¡°Now.¡±


    ¡°...Are you serious?¡± asked Mica as she narrowed her eyes in suspicion.


    ¡°Yes. You are openly threatening me, which I do not appreciate.¡± said Anton ¡°So I''m going to give you a reason not to do it again.¡±


    ¡°...Oh really.¡± mumbled Mica as her tail began to slowly sway back and forth ¡°Is that right...¡±


    ¡°Yes. Now, strike me with your tail.¡± said Anton in the same calm tone.


    Hesitating, Mica''s eyes narrowed even further as she stared back at him.


    ¡°...Are you going to start disobeying me already?¡± prompted Anton.


    ¡°...No. Not yet!¡± said Mica as a wicked looking grin spread across her face ¡°Just remember that you asked for this!¡±


    Anton kept his eyes locked to the kiochi''s and left his fingers still pointing upwards as her tail began to dance and curl about above him.


    Slicing through the air with a hiss, Mica''s tail suddenly zipped out wide before twirling back around and speeding straight towards the left side of Anton''s head.


    Anton remained completely still as the sharp tip of Mica''s spade sailed passed the back of his head and circled around to strike him on the opposite side. As the bladed spade, now aiming for the right side of his neck, came to within a heartbeat of striking him, Anton lowered his hand and leveled his pointed fingers right between Mica''s eyes.


    The kiochi reflexively froze as a bright, shining, golden ball of light appeared at the end of Anton''s pointed fingertips. Dumbfounded by the unexpected sight, Mica merely blinked in surprise while her tail suddenly stopped short of its mark and hung frozen in midair.


    Without a word, Anton reached up with his free hand and grabbed hold of Mica''s tail at the very base of her spade and right at the thickest point of the bulge that hid her barbs.


    With a surprised gasp, the kiochi instinctively flexed out her barbs as her tail was grabbed. Unfortunately for her, even when fully extended, they were situated too far back to reach Anton''s hand.


    Coming back to her full senses, Mica immediately tried to pull her tail back to herself and out of Anton''s grip. Failing this, she then moved to loop her tail up and around his neck but was thwarted when he dropped his left hand down and snatched a coil of her tail that was further down its length and closer to her body. The light that had been at the end of his fingers had spread itself across his entire hand and was now bathing both it and the kiochi''s tail in its shimmering glow.


    Mica''s breath hissed in through her teeth as a stinging sensation suddenly emanated out from where ever this light touched her.


    Ignoring her reaction, Anton lifted his left arm straight upwards and gave her now stretched tail a painful squeeze with his ethereally glowing hand.


    ¡°Ow! Ow! Ow!¡± cried Mica as her face scrunched up in agony and her hands curled into clawed balls ¡°Stop it! Stop! Let go! Let go, let go, let go!¡±


    Disregarding her cries, Anton''s face remained stoic as he turned his attention to Mica''s bladed spade.


    ¡°...People who are born with built in weaponry will of course have a natural advantage in any fight.¡± mused Anton as he held the spade out in front of his face and began to look it over ¡°Unfortunately, such people also tend to fall into the trap of being overly confident when outside of battle as well. As they often assume that they continue to forever hold an advantage over others around them. This is especially true if they find themselves in a confrontation with someone whom they perceive to be unarmed, and harmless...¡±


    ¡°Ow! Ow!¡± whined Mica as she used both hands to try and pull her tail free from Anton''s grip. Though she didn''t understand why, she couldn''t help but to start listing to the side as the strength was suddenly sapped from her body and she felt incredibly weakened.


    ¡°Conversely. A student can not learn from a teacher that they don''t respect.¡± said Anton as he turned his attention back to the struggling kiochi ¡°And no student will respect a teacher, if they think they have an advantage over them.¡±


    Mica''s eyes were panicked as they quickly darted from her tail to Anton and back.


    ¡°Tell me the truth, Mica.¡± said Anton in his calm even tone ¡°Do you think that you have an advantage over me?¡±


    Groaning in misery, Mica clamped her eyes shut as she gave her tail another desperate tug.


    ¡°No!¡± she cried out as she frantically shook her head ¡°I don''t think that! Okay! Now just let me go!¡±


    Anton stared at her for a moment before sighing through his nose and releasing her tail.


    ¡°How very disappointing...¡± he mumbled softly to himself.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Fucker!¡± growled Mica as her tail immediately zipped around behind her back and disappeared down into the bath water ¡°What the Hell was that!? What did you just do to me!?¡±


    ¡°...You''ve never met a nephilim, or someone with a holy attribute before, have you?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°Who? And a what!?¡± muttered Mica as she glared at him.


    ¡°...Hm, I suppose it''s really not that surprising. Nephilim are far from common. And what with the celestial realm having vanished, there are only so many ways to still get an attribute.¡± mused Anton as he stood back up ¡°And with that being the case, the chances that you would randomly run across someone who had one in this day and age, would be very slim.¡±


    Mica went to speak but stopped short as Anton leaned forward and pointed his two fingers back between her eyes.


    ¡°I ordered you to strike me with your tail, and you failed to do so. Then I told you to tell me the truth, and you lied to me.¡± said Anton as the glowing light reappeared at his fingertips ¡°You''ve disobeyed me twice now, Mica... You''re shaping up to be a very poor student...¡±


    Her expression becoming strained, Mica''s tail rose back up out of the water and arched itself up over her head.


    ¡°This fireball has been imbued with the essence of my attribute. Which has made it celestial in nature. In other words, what you''re looking at is literally holy fire. Something that you, as an Infernal, are poorly equipped to handle.¡± explained Anton ¡°I want you to understand how dangerous this particular combination can be for you. So I''m going to punish you with it.¡±


    Staring nearly cross-eyed at the ball of light that was slowly moving closer and closer to her face, Mica stammered wordlessly as her mouth silently opened and closed.


    ¡°I''ll need to reduce the intensity a bit though...¡± mumbled Anton as the ball of light dimmed down to a fraction of its former size ¡°I don''t want to accidentally incinerate you after all...¡±


    ¡°W-wha! Wait!¡± exclaimed Mica as her eyes widened in panic.


    ¡°No.¡± said Anton as he released the fireball.


    Mica clamped her eyes shut and cringed back as Anton''s hand fell away from her face. After a long moment of stillness, she tentatively cracked open a single eye.


    ¡°...Uh? Did it not work?¡± asked Fiona as she, Kianna and now Mica all stared at a tiny, marble-sized ball of light that was hanging in the air just in front of Mica''s face.


    Without a word, Anton took a step back and squinted his eyes.


    Following the ball with her own eyes, Mica''s head tilted forward as she watched it slowly fall, sink into the bathwater, and then come to rest on the floor of the tub. Staring down at the glowing spot for a moment, she began to laugh maniacally.


    ¡°Well!¡± she cried as she smiled smugly up at Anton ¡°Guess this time you''re the one whose a fail-!¡±


    The shinoccubus was cut off mid-speech as a pillar of flaming light shot upwards from right beneath her and completely engulfed her entire being within its radiance.


    ¡°...Whoa!¡± breathed both of the dark elves in unison as they gazed in awe at the stunning display that Mica had become.


    The shinoccubus trapped in the center of the pillar had all but disappeared from view as the flesh of her body was seemingly washed away by the bright light that was now surrounding her. This effect left the black-colored bones of her skeleton as the only portion of her being that was still fully visible.


    Each one of Mica''s dark colored bones, which appeared to be the exact same color as her horns, stood out clearly as they contrasted against the light shining around them. Though her face itself could no longer be seen, her agony could still be easily interpreted by the fact that her skull was staring straight upwards at the ceiling and appeared to be locked in a silent scream.


    Enthralled by the sight of Mica''s skeleton, the two dark elves couldn''t help but to lean in closer as they both tried to take in as many details of her anatomy as they could.


    Setting the thin appearance and black color of her bones aside, the shinoccubi''s skeleton had the general structure of a standard humanoids, though there were still several very obvious differences. The first, and most obvious of which, was of course her tail.


    Mica''s tail appeared to be made up of dozens and dozens of tiny individual vertebrae that were all held together by long, thin ligaments. These ligaments, which although unknown to the examining dark elves, were naturally elastic in their design and were what gave the tail its flexibility and allowed it to stretch out in length.


    At the moment, Mica''s wildly undulating tail was quite the sight, as these ligaments couldn''t actually be seen and her spade, barbs and each of the tiny vertebrae that made up the tail''s length all appeared to be floating about in the air both around and above her being in a swirling whirlwind of seemingly disconnected, individual pieces.


    The next difference that could be seen was much more subtle, as it was Mica''s skull itself. Her skull appeared to be very slightly elongated and had a thin, smoothed ridge of bone that ran down its center. This ridge was only about a quarter of an inch tall, and would normally be hidden from sight by her hair. It started from right in between her horns and trailed back across her skull to its base.


    Below her skull, Mica''s shoulder girdle appeared to be quite different from a traditional humanoids. Having developed in such a way to accommodate her wings, her scapula, or shoulder blades, were both reduced in size and had a curved, concave shape to their internal edges. Each of them also featured a thin but heavily reinforced ridge of bone that traversed across her shoulders and then turned sharply downwards where they then tapered into sharp spike-like shapes that sat along each side of her spinal column. These bones acted as anchoring points for the many layers of heavily compressed muscles which both controlled and powered her wings.


    These bones then led the eye to the last and least noticeable difference, as nearly hidden beneath them was a enlarged vertebrae that had a set of sockets located on each of its sides, and attached to these sockets via swiveling ball joints, were Mica''s wings.


    Wrapped up tightly along the inside surface of her rib cage, and partially hidden by the rib bones that surrounded and encased them, the thin skeletal structures of Mica''s bat-like wings could still be clearly discerned, once they were finally noticed.


    ¡°Holy shit... That''s so fucking cool looking!¡± muttered Fiona as Kianna nodded in agreement.


    For more than half a minute, the dark elves stared in wide eyed wonder as Mica''s quivering bones stood out blatantly within the pillar of light. At some unseen trigger, the light began to dim a bit before with a last flare of brightness, the pillar burnt out from the bottom upwards, and as it disappeared it left the shinoccubus looking normal once again.


    With her head now laid back limply across her shoulders, Mica sat completely still and unmoving for several long moments before a deep, haggard sounding cough erupted out of her being and this was quickly followed by a long, pained groan.


    Lifting her head back upright, Mica blinked up at Anton several times before letting out another long, agonized groan.


    Staring down at her with a stoic expression on his face, Anton remained still as Mica''s wings suddenly unfolded themselves out from her back and slowly rose upwards as she stretched them out to their fullest.


    Seemingly no longer in control of her body''s movements, Mica''s panic filled eyes fully dilated as her tail started to curl and coil itself into painful looking twisted loops, while above her head, her wings began to quiver violently from the strain of remaining stretched out as far as they were.


    ¡°...Hm, it looks like you may have lost control of some of your motor skills. Which, considering that every synapses in your brain and body was just thoroughly fried. That''s really not too surprising.¡± mused Anton as he gave Mica a thoughtful nod ¡°Since you''re still conscious I''m guessing you''ll be fine in a few minutes or so... Next time I might try to cut back on the power a bit more...¡±


    Heavy tears welled up in Mica''s eyes as every muscle in her entire body began to tremble and convulse.


    ¡°...Owie!¡± she whined miserably before collapsing to the side and slowly sinking down into the water.


    With an annoyed sign, Anton quickly stepped back up to the tub and knelt down at its edge. Reaching into the water, he took hold of the limp kiochi''s ponytail and lifted her head back above the waterline.


    Gasping in panic, Mica immediately began to sputter and cough out mouthfuls of water as she struggled to catch her breath.


    Grimacing at the miserable looking creature, Anton shifted his gaze over to the dark elves and found them both smiling smugly at the half-drowned kiochi. Tightening his eyes at them, he went to speak but stopped short as a thought suddenly occurred to him.


    ¡°...Girls.¡± he called as he grinned at Mica ¡°Can you come over here for a moment, please.¡±


    Narrowing their eyes and pointing their ears straight back behind their heads in suspicion, Kianna and Fiona frowned at each other before shifting themselves into motion and slowly making their way across the tub.


    Whimpering from the pain of being held up by her hair, Mica could do nothing but grimace in anger and unease as she was shifted around and made to face the oncoming dark elves.


    ¡°Here you go, girls.¡± said Anton as he smiled broadly ¡°I need one of you two to hold on to your new little sister until she can move again.¡±


    Stopping short and pointing their ears straight upwards, Fiona and Kianna both immediately looked down at Mica.


    ¡°...Oh, Hell no! We''re not playing that game!¡± exclaimed Fiona.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± said Anton as his smile grew and became knowing ¡°What game?¡±


    ¡°The game where you try to pawn this little bitch off as our ¡°new little sister¡±! Please! Like we''re going to fall for that!¡± said Fiona as she crossed her arms over her chest ¡°The stupid little ninja-bitch is not our sister. And she never will be.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Of course she is.¡± said Anton as he continued to smile.


    ¡°Fucking how!?¡± cried Fiona.


    ¡°Well, it''s simple. I own you two, and I am going to own Mica as well. And with that being the case, it means that the 3 of you will all be considered slave sisters.¡± explained Anton ¡°So in this way, Mica is, technically, your new little sister.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that''s some bullshit if I ever heard any!¡± groaned Fiona ¡°I mean, c''mon! You can''t really expect us to buy tha-!¡±


    ¡°Wait?¡± questioned Kianna as her eyes darted to Anton''s ¡°Are you being serious?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± nodded Anton.


    Kianna''s eyes widened and became probing as she stared back at him.


    ¡°Wha? Hold on! Don''t just buy into that shit!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°This is crap and you know it! It''s just a ploy! And it''s-!¡±


    ¡°Fiona.¡± interrupted Anton as he turned to her ¡°Weren''t you the one who was speaking out on Mica''s behalf this morning?¡±


    ¡°...Uh, that, that was!¡± stammered Fiona as she looked from him to Mica and back.


    ¡°Now why would you do that, Fiona?¡± asked Anton ¡°Was it because you could see that what she had done was a mistake? That she had made one, horrible, decision after another? And did you actually understand this? Did you see it, for what it really was? ...Fiona, did you relate to her? ...Did you see yourself in her?¡±


    Fiona went still as she merely stared back at him.


    ¡°...Mica has proven that she''s prone to making bad decisions.¡± said Anton after a moment of silence ¡°I think it be would nice if she had someone who she could relate to with that. Someone that could maybe, keep an eye on her, and even offer her some guidance, whenever it looks like she''s about to make another bad decision...¡±


    Staring back at him for a moment, Fiona narrowed her eyes into an angry glare before silently looking off to the side.


    Grinning softly at the sight, Anton shifted his gaze back to Kianna and found the dark elf staring solemnly at the sniveling shinoccubus.


    ¡°...You know, Kianna.¡± he mumbled softly ¡°I could really use your help with all this...¡±


    Her ears perking up even higher, Kianna turned to him with a questioning look in her eyes.


    ¡°Not that I think this would be a surprise to you, but I''m not always the most patient person. Nor am I necessarily the best at having a, gentle, touch.¡± admitted Anton as he indicated the kiochi he was holding up by her hair.


    ¡°Yeah, that ain''t no shit...¡± grumbled Fiona.


    ¡°So with that being the case, I think it would be a good idea for me to have a second set of eyes who can watch over Mica, and make sure that I don''t go overboard, or take things too far with her.¡± explained Anton ¡°I want her to grow. To get stronger, faster and more capable. And I''d like this to happen as quickly as possible. But I don''t want to accidentally destroy her along the way. So I''ll need someone to help me make sure that she doesn''t get pushed too hard. That she stays healthy, gets enough rest and is well fed on the kind of diet that she needs... In other words, I need someone to help me take care of her.¡±


    Kianna said nothing as she let her eyes drift back to Mica.


    ¡°And I think that you would be a very good candidate for this role, Kianna. But I also know that you''re not that fond of Mica.¡± said Anton as he too shifted his gaze to the kiochi ¡°So I understand if you''d rather not be a part of this... I do need help, but I''m not going to force you to do anything that you-.¡±


    ¡°You''re hurting her...¡± said Kianna in a soft, hushed tone ¡°Just, let me take her...¡±


    Anton said nothing more as Kianna gingerly took hold of the now paralyzed shinoccubus.


    Laying Mica''s head over her shoulder, Kianna wrapped an arm around Mica''s torso, just beneath her now limply hanging wings, and half-dragged her across the tub until she was able to lean her shoulders back against the sidewall. She then draped the smaller female across her own chest and set to work on carefully repositioning each of Mica''s skewed limbs so that they could be tucked in against her body. Once satisfied that Mica was laying in as comfortable a state as she was going to be in, Kianna settled in and wrapped both of her arms around her in a gentle hug.


    At no point did Kianna ever glance back at either Anton or Fiona. Instead she merely stared forward at nothing as she held the mewling kiochi.


    With an annoyed expression plastered across her face, Fiona rolled her eyes, sighed through her nose and scooted herself back until she could lean against her own section of sidewall on the opposite side from her sister and Mica.


    When the two dark elves finally made eye contact, Fiona gave her sister a tired looking glare that was clearly meant to say ¡°Really!?¡±.


    Reading her sister''s message loud and clear, Kianna frowned back at her before sticking out her tongue and tightening her hold on Mica.


    Grimacing at the response, Fiona shook her head before leaning back onto the edge of the tub and closing her eyes with a huff.


    Satisfied with this outcome, Anton couldn''t help but to grin as he retook his seat.


    ¡°Try to make sure that she stays awake, please, Kianna.¡± he said as he pulled his phone back out from his pocket ¡°She just went through a pretty intense ordeal. And her brain may need a little more time to fully sort itself out. So to avoid the risk of her slipping into a coma on us, it''s best not to let her fall asleep for the next little bit.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay. I''ll keep her awake then.¡± said Kianna as she felt Mica become tense with panic.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± said Anton in an absent tone as he went back to looking over his emails.


    For the next few minutes the room remained relatively quiet, save for the faint grumbling sounds that Mica made as she struggled to both regain control of her body and slip away from Kianna.


    ¡°Will you just calm down, Mica...¡± soothed Kianna as she hoisted the kiochi back into place ¡°You still can''t even move. Do you really want to drown yourself that badly?¡±


    Frustrated, Mica clamped her eyes shut and tried with all the strength she had left to lift her arms and push herself away from the dark elf. Failing this, she collapsed in on herself with a long, sorrowful groan.


    ¡°Aw. Poor little Mee-cah...¡± grinned Kianna as she began to rub her hand up and down Mica''s back ¡°She''s just so pissed off... Aren''t you, Mee-cah? Poor little Mee-cah...¡±


    ¡°Fuck you...¡± groaned Mica.


    ¡°Aw! Poor, poor little Mee-cah, her poor, stupid little brain got all fried up... And now her poor little body doesn''t work anymore...¡± sang Kianna as she pulled the bands free from Mica''s ponytail and began to run her fingers through her hair ¡°Mee-cah... Mee-cah... Do you like being paralyzed? ...Mmm? Do you?¡±


    ¡°...Argh, no!¡± growled Mica as Kianna prompted to her to answer by gently jostling her up and down.


    ¡°I see... Well, would you like to fall into a coma instead then? ...Mmm?¡± hummed Kianna.


    ¡°...No!¡± whimpered Mica after a moment of hesitation ¡°Please no!¡±


    ¡°Mmm... Well then, I guess from now on, you better be a good little cubi... And listen to everything that your new Master, and your big sisters tell you... Alright?¡±


    Mica stayed silent for a moment as her face became marred with rage.


    ¡°No! No, no, no!¡± she whined as she frantically tried to twist away from the dark elf.


    Kianna laughed softly as she held the kiochi in place. Once Mica gave up on her struggles, the grinning dark elf took hold of the kiochi''s upper arms and lifted her up just enough to hold her out in front of herself. Mica grimaced in irritation as she was made to sit, slumping forward in front of and facing the smugly smirking dark elf.


    ¡°Aw, poor little Mee-cah...¡± cooed Kianna as she teasingly tapped on the tip of first one of Mica''s horns and then the other ¡°You know if you keep being stubborn like this, then you''re just gonna keep getting punished... Over and over, and again and again...¡±


    Mica remained still as she stared at the dark elf though her hanging bangs.


    ¡°Is that really what you want? I mean, our Master only used one move on you and you''ve already suffered so much from it...¡± said Kianna as she ran her hand across the top of Mica''s head and smoothed out her soft, silk-like hair ¡°Do you really want to go through this much pain again? ...Hm? Is it even really worth it?¡±


    Mica continued to silently stare for a moment before lowering her eyes.


    A thin smile spread across Kianna''s face as she watched the kiochi''s eyes tighten in worry.


    ¡°Mee-cah...¡± she called as she gently caressed Mica''s cheek ¡°Mee-cah... Do you really want to spend every day, getting tortured, and being blasted with holy fire? ...Hmm? Do you?¡±


    ¡°...No, not that again!¡± groaned Mica as her lips quivered uncontrollably ¡°Not that... That, really, it really hurt...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I bet it did...¡± said Kianna as she took hold of Mica''s chin and lifted her face back upwards ¡°Now just imagine, that same pain, happening every day... Every single day... Because you do realize, Mica, that unless you learn to obey, it is going to happen again. And it is going to hurt, just as badly as it did today... You do realize that... Don''t you?¡±


    Forced to stare into the dark elves eyes, Mica refused to answer her and yet, despite her attempt to stay silent and keep her expression defiant, she still couldn''t help but to nervously swallow a lump that had formed in her throat.


    ¡°Oh good, you do realize it...¡± nodded Kianna as she watched a ribbon of fear begin to dance in the back of Mica''s slitted eyes ¡°That''s good, very good...¡±


    ¡°...Fuck you.¡± whispered Mica as frustrated tears began to form in her eyes.


    Kianna chuckled through a smile as she hugged the kiochi back to herself and gave her a tight squeeze. Mica groaned miserably as her body was crushed in the dark elf''s grip and the air was forced out of her chest.


    ¡°This is gonna be so much fun...¡± breathed Kianna as she settled back against the sidewall and sighed in contentment.


    With her head now laying back in place on the dark elf''s shoulder, Mica grimaced before going still. As she laid there, staring at nothing, she couldn''t help but to go back over Kianna''s words in her mind, and as she did so the gravity of her situation began to truly dawn on her.


    ¡°...Wait. Wait, hold on.¡± she mumbled as she tried and failed to lift herself back up ¡°Wait... Just, just wait, wait a second. ...Let me go. ...Please, let me go!¡±


    ¡°No...¡± cooed Kianna as she drummed her fingers on Mica''s back ¡°You still can''t move. So if I let you go, you''re just going to drown. So no, you''re not going anywhere...¡±


    ¡°No! Wait, wait, wait!¡± whimpered the kiochi ¡°I, I mean it! Let me go! Please! Please, I need to get out of here! Please! You have to help me!¡±


    ¡°Wha, what?¡± questioned Kianna.


    ¡°You! You helped me before! Remember? You let me go! Please! You have to help me again!¡± begged Mica as her voice dropped down to a desperate whisper ¡°Help me get out of here. Please!¡±


    ¡°Stop it, Mica, that was different.¡± stated Kianna in a calm but stern tone ¡°That was a mistake. We shouldn''t have done that. We thought you were in danger. But you''re not.¡±


    ¡°But! No! Yes I am! I am in danger!¡± whimpered Mica ¡°You just said it yourself! That bastards gonna hurt me! Torture me! And enslave me! Please! Please, don''t! Just let me go! Please... Please... Please, I just want to go home...¡±


    Kianna went silent for a moment as she listened to the kiochi beg her for help.


    ¡°Please! I''m serious! Please, help me!¡± continued Mica.


    ¡°...Stop, Mica.¡± said Kianna ¡°That''s enough. You know you''re not going anywhere. You''re staying here, and you''re going to have to live with that.¡±


    ¡°No! Wait, wait!¡± cried Mica as she started to struggle anew.


    ¡°It''s too late, Mica.¡± said Kianna as she softly shook her head ¡°It''s over. It''s already over.¡±


    The kiochi froze as she felt a comforting warmth begin to seep into her being from wherever the dark elf was touching her. Recognizing this for the unstoppable effect that it was, she sobbed loudly as she tried to fight back against Kianna''s effort to calm her.


    ¡°No!¡± she wailed as heavy tears began to spill from her eyes ¡°Please! I wanna go home! Please, let me go! Please!¡±


    ¡°You can''t go home, Mica.¡± stated Kianna as she spoke through her teeth ¡°You know that!¡±


    ¡°No! That''s not true! Please! I don''t want to be here! Please! I don''t want to be enslaved!¡± begged Mica ¡°Please, you have to help me!¡±


    ¡°Mica, stop it!¡± snapped Kianna ¡°You did this to yourself! Okay! You did it! So stop it, right now!¡±


    Still sobbing loudly, Mica clenched her jaw in determination and redoubled her efforts to escape from Kianna''s hold. Failing to even lift her tail out of the water, she finally fell limp in defeat and went quiet for several long moments.


    ¡°...Okay, okay, you''re right. ...Okay. ...I did it.¡± she whimpered as she clamped her eyes shut ¡°I did it. I did it all. ...I was stupid! And I tried to kill somebody... I invaded... I attacked... And I kept fighting. ...I did it. ...I did it. ...And, I''m sorry!¡±


    Kianna said nothing as she merely stared forward into the empty space in front of her.


    ¡°I''m sorry, okay! I''m sorry! I''m sorry!¡± wailed Mica ¡°Please! I''m sorry! I don''t wanna do this anymore! I wanna go home! Please! Please, let me go home! Please, help me!¡±


    ¡°...No, Mica.¡± whispered Kianna.


    ¡°Yes! Please!¡± cried Mica as she began to literally panic ¡°Please, I''m sorry! I''m sorry! I don''t wanna fight anymore! ...I just wanna go home! Please, help me! Somebody! Please! Help! Help me! M-Mommy! Please help me! Please help me! Please! I want my Mommy, and my Daddy! Please! Please, just let me go! Please, please... I just wanna go home... I just wanna go... Please, I want my Mommy... Please... Please... Mommy! Please...¡±


    Kianna''s breath became caught in her throat as she listened to Mica''s frantic and terrified cries.


    Both Anton and Fiona remained silent and still as the kiochi''s words began to slur and become nothing but incomprehensible sobs.


    With her own eyes growing misty, Kianna''s arms involuntarily tightened around Mica''s trembling frame as she slowly turned her head to face Anton.


    ¡°...Master.¡± she whispered around the growing tightness in her chest ¡°Please. Please, we have to do something!¡±


    Closing his eyes with a sigh, Anton shook his head before turning to Kianna. He stopped short as he found her clutching Mica in a clearly protective manner and staring back at him with eyes that were tearful but burned with a desperate determination.


    ¡°...Kianna, I''m sorry.¡± said Anton as he gave her a sympathetic look ¡°But you know what her situation is. And you know there''s no simple fix for it.¡±


    ¡°But there has to be something you can do though! Some way you can help her!¡± exclaimed Kianna ¡°Listen to her! She''s scared... And she wants her Mommy...¡±


    ¡°...Yes, I understand that, and I am sorry. But you have to understand, Kianna. Just because she''s started to cry doesn''t mean that all of a sudden anything has changed for her.¡± explained Anton in a gentle tone ¡°We still can''t just let her go. It would be the end of her...¡±


    ¡°I, I know that...¡± mumbled Kianna as she struggled to control the heartache that was spreading across her tear stricken face ¡°But can''t we at least let her see her Mommy!? Or talk to her!? Or something!? ...There has to be something we can do, right!?¡±


    ¡°That... I really don''t think that would be a good idea...¡± said Anton in a hushed tone as he shook his head ¡°I don''t think it would help... In fact, I know it wouldn''t...¡±


    Kianna went to speak but stopped short and became startled as she felt Mica''s arms begin to slowly wrap themselves around her. Having apparently regained some feeling in her limbs, the trembling kiochi was whimpering quietly as she began to frantically cling to the dark elf.


    Looking down at her for a second, Kianna lowered her ears in sorrow and gave her a gentle, comforting squeeze before turning back to Anton.


    ¡°Please, there has to be something you can do.¡± she cried as her ears dipped even lower ¡°Something that can help her. Something that... Just, anything! Please!¡±


    Anton stared at her for moment before turning away with a sigh, leaning forward in his seat and resting his elbows on his knees.


    With his chin now cradled in his hand, a calm, thoughtful looking expression spread across his face as he stared forward at nothing.


    Save for Mica''s whimpering sobs, the room remained quiet for some time. The stillness was finally broken when Anton twisted around at the waist to glance back at the counter-top behind him and the bottle of healing potion that was sitting there. Nodding at the sight of the potion, he turned back to an anxiously waiting Kianna.


    ¡°Alright. Now, first of all. I do appreciate that Mica has finally admitted to her guilt, and has even apologized for what she''s done.¡± said Anton in a calm and quiet tone ¡°But be that as it may though, I still have absolutely no intention of just letting her go. As not only would that be a death sentence for her. But in my mind, she has done nothing to actually earn her freedom. Nothing at all.¡±


    Whimpering loudly, Mica hunched in on herself as she clung to Kianna.


    ¡°So then, if Mica wants to go home, she''ll first need to change my mind, and convince me that she deserves to go free... And I suppose it''s only right to give her an opportunity to try and do so... And with that being the case...¡± said Anton as he began to rub his chin ¡°Kianna, do you have any clothes that Mica could borrow? Preferably something that was simple and lightweight?¡±


    ¡°I, um, maybe?¡± said Kianna as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards in surprise ¡°I have some workout clothes that might fit her. Would those work?¡±


    ¡°That would actually be perfect.¡± nodded Anton as he stretched his back out and then settled back into his chair ¡°Alright then, another few minutes and then I''m gonna need everyone to vacate the tub, get dressed and be ready to leave. We''re all going to be taking a short walk this afternoon, so you girls will need to dress accordingly.¡±


    Kianna tilted her head and cocked one of her ears in a curious manner.


    ¡°Wait, what are you going to do!?¡± she asked as Mica twisted her head to the side and tentatively peeked back at Anton.


    ¡°...Well, I want to see exactly just how tough and skilled Mica really is. So I''m going to put her through a little test.¡± answered Anton as he turned his head and looked directly at Mica ¡°And in the process, I''m going to give her a chance to earn her freedom.¡±

 Assassin Arc : Chapter 15 : Afternoon

    Chapter 15 : Afternoon


    ¡°Ugh!¡± cried Fiona as she dropped down and sat on a bark-less fallen tree trunk ¡°Did we seriously have to hike out miles and miles just so we could get to nowhere! We couldn''t have just done this shit in the backyard!?¡±


    ¡°No, there''s a good chance that things are going to get intense. And I''d rather not risk damaging the house.¡± explained Anton ¡°Besides, a little exercise isn''t going to kill you. And honestly, if that little walk was too much for you then you''re going on an exercise routine immediately.¡±


    ¡°...Well, it''s not like I''m dying or anything.¡± grumbled Fiona as she looked up at the impressively large tree they had stopped to rest near ¡°I just don''t get why we had to come all the way out here? I mean one open field is as good as any, right?¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± said Anton as he took the bottle of water Kianna handed him ¡°Just trust me, Fiona. Coming out this far was important, even if it doesn''t seem like it.¡±


    Fiona cocked an eyebrow and smirked as she took the bottle of water Kianna handed her.


    ¡°Wait a second... You got some kind of bullshit plan rolling around in your head right now, don''t you!?¡± she quipped as she twisted the cap off the water bottle.


    ¡°Always.¡± grinned Anton as he looked back at Mica.


    Following his gaze, Fiona''s smirk grew as she took in the sight of the struggling shinoccubus.


    Mica was once again wearing her armored boots and bracers, and was dressed in a two piece set of form-fitting, purple colored athletic clothes that she had borrowed from Kianna.


    Having been wrapped tightly around the shinoccubi''s more endowed figure, the thin cloth material that the shorts and tank top were made out of was clearly being stretched to its limit, yet it still held up well enough to work.


    ¡°You know, for somebody who really doesn''t want to be treated like a dog. You''d think she''d put more effort into not acting like one...¡± mused Fiona before she took a swig from her water bottle.


    ¡°You would think that, wouldn''t you...¡± mumbled Anton in a tired tone.


    ¡°C''mon guys, give her a break!¡± chastised Kianna as she gave Mica a sympathetic look ¡°She''s just desperate, and scared...¡±


    ¡°No, she''s stupid!¡± exclaimed Fiona with a laugh ¡°Don''t act like she''s just getting bullied out of nowhere here, Kianna. That dumb bitch immediately started threatening everybody as soon as she was healed and could move again, and then was stupid enough to try and take off the moment the backdoor was opened!¡±


    ¡°I know...¡± sighed Kianna as she dropped down on the fallen tree and sat next to her sister ¡°But it''s not like she''s actually trying to fight us anymore, all she wants now is to go home.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and that continues to prove my point that she''s stupid.¡± snapped Fiona as she gave her sister a condescending smile ¡°This dumb bitch can''t wait to race home to her death!¡±


    ¡°Hard to argue with the facts, Kianna.¡± said Anton as he gave her a reassuring smile ¡°Don''t give up though.¡±


    A sudden, frustrated grunt drew their attention back to Mica.


    Having apparently fallen over in her efforts to escape, the kiochi was quickly getting back to her feet as she continued to dig in her heels and angrily yank on the light chain.


    Anton, Fiona and Kianna all shook their heads in unison as they watched her slip again and fall over sideways before crashing to the ground in a heap of flailing limbs and tail.


    The shinoccubus was about fifty feet behind them, and was struggling to free herself from a thin, orange-colored light chain that connected a shackle-like light collar around her neck, to a cuff that hung around Anton''s left wrist. Strapped around her face was a glowing orange light version of the ninja-like mask gag that was complete with its head-harness.


    ¡°Ugh, the poor thing...¡± mumbled Kianna as she watched Mica begin to whip the chain up and down in frustration ¡°She really is just stupid...¡±


    ¡°Yep...¡± drawled Fiona as Mica began to scream through her gag and yank back on the unyielding chain.


    ¡°Why don''t we go ahead and give her some water before we get started.¡± said Anton as he raised his hand and began to reel in the shinoccubus by making the chain links disappear back into his palm.


    Mica nearly tripped forward as she was forced to move closer to Anton. Digging in her heels, she leaned back as far as she could in a vain attempt to keep from being pulled along. Failing to anchor herself, she began to desperately attack the chain with the bladed spade at the end of her tail.


    Growling loudly through her gag, she viciously struck at the concentrated aura again and again by thrashing her long, thin tail wildly both around and above her body.


    ¡°...She better put that fucking tail away before she gets over here.¡± muttered Fiona as she narrowed her eyes at the kiochi ¡°Why don''t you just lock it up again?¡±


    ¡°Because if I did that she wouldn''t have the temptation to attack one of us with it.¡± said Anton as a thin smirk took form on his face ¡°And then I wouldn''t get the chance to discipline her when she eventually does make that mistake.¡±


    ¡°...Oh c''mon, seriously?¡± grumbled Kianna as she glared up at Anton.


    ¡°Ah, yeah. That makes sense.¡± nodded Fiona ¡°I can totally understand that. Little bitch needs to be disciplined as much as possible after all.¡±


    ¡°You two do realize that constantly disciplining her isn''t going to make her like us more, right!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as she pointed her ears straight back in irritation ¡°And you know she''s not going to protect us if she hates us!¡±


    ¡°She will if she''s too afraid not to.¡± said Anton.


    Fiona pointed her finger at him as she looked at her sister and nodded in agreement.


    Kianna sighed in frustration and shook her head as she pulled another bottle of water from the tote bag she had brought with her.


    Even after she had stopped being pulled forward, Mica continued in her futile fight against her restraints. Planting her feet about fifteen feet away, the kiochi stubbornly kept pulling back on the chain as her eyes became locked with Anton''s.


    ¡°...Thirsty?¡± asked Anton as he arched an eyebrow at her.


    Mica''s eyes immediately shifted to Kianna and the bottle of water she held before darting back to Anton. With an exasperated sigh she let up on the chain and dropped down to the ground with a huff. Folding her legs in, she sat cross legged and hunched in on herself before glaring at him and then each of the dark elves in turn.


    ¡°Aw! Such a well behaved little puppy girl!¡± teased Fiona as she smiled broadly ¡°Look! She sits before you even have to tell her to!¡±


    Mica began to tremble with rage as she arched her tail up high above her head and pointed the tip of her spade at the dark elf. Flexing the barbs at the base of her spade she quickly shifted her eyes to Anton before going back to glaring murderously at Fiona.


    ¡°Oh! I think she wants to stab me!¡± laughed Fiona as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards ¡°Well isn''t that just the cutest thing ever!¡±


    ¡°Fiona, will you quit it!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she stood up and made to move towards Mica.


    As she got within striking distance of the kiochi''s tail, Kianna stopped and stared at the blade for a moment before looking down at Mica herself.


    ¡°Please put your tail away.¡± she said softly ¡°I''m not going to hurt you. I''m just going to give you some water.¡±


    Mica narrowed her eyes as she stared at her. After a moment of stillness, she looked away and with a tired sigh, coiled her tail up behind herself and laid the bladed spade down against the ground.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± said Kianna as she quickly closed the distance between them and handed Mica the bottle of water.


    Mica gave her a frustrated but thankful look before turning and glaring at Anton.


    ¡°...Are you going to stop cussing at me?¡± asked Anton.


    Mica''s glare never faltered as she nodded her head once.


    ¡°Are you willing to admit that your behavior during this little trip has been childish and wrong?¡± asked Anton as he folded his arms over his chest ¡°And are you willing to apologize for all the things you''ve called me today?¡±


    Mica had to stop herself from crushing the bottle of water in her hand as she began to rage again. Taking a deep breath through her nose, she shut her eyes and held them closed as she nodded.


    ¡°...Alright then.¡± nodded Anton as the gag disappeared from between Mica''s teeth.


    The shinoccubus said nothing for a moment as she stared at Anton and shifted her newly freed jaw back and forth.


    ¡°Apologize, and the rest will disappear as well.¡± stated Anton.


    ¡°...Fine. Whatever. ...I''m sorry for everything I said.¡± declared Mica in a dry and monotone voice ¡°My behavior was childish, and I was wrong.¡±


    ¡°Good enough. Thank you.¡± said Anton as he nodded and dispelled the harness from around Mica''s head ¡°You can go ahead and enjoy your water now.¡±


    Snarling in anger, Mica looked away from everyone before twisting the cap off of her water bottle with far more force than was necessary, and making to gulp it all down in one go.


    Fiona went to say something but was stopped short as Anton glanced back at her and shook his head. Immediately understanding that play time was over, the dark elf slumped forward in a huff, planted her elbows on her knees and rested her cheek in her palm as she narrowed her eyes at the kiochi.


    As Mica finished her water, she crushed the bottle in her fist and took a quick look around the field she had been led to.


    This area had at least a few hundred square acres of open land that was surrounded by groves of medium sized oak trees along three of its sides, and had one massive live oak here near its center. As she ran her eyes along the treeline, her brow creased in agitation at her inability to escape from the chain and collar that connected her to Anton. If she could only make it into those trees she could easily evade even him. Or at least she could, if she could use her teleport ability that is. Unfortunately, she still couldn''t access her pool of mana since it had been locked away by the ring of silver-laden steel that was currently hanging around her neck.


    Functioning in a similar manner to a closed electrical circuit, mana flowing out from a person''s mana pool would normally travel throughout the body in a continuous cycle before eventually circling back to the mana pool itself. This allowed mana to be readily available whenever it was needed.


    When locked in place on a person, a manabinder would disrupt this circuit by redirecting the mana to itself, and thus stopping the flow. There was technically a threshold to how much mana a given binder could hold back at one time, and if more mana than it could handle was forced against it, then in the same vein as an electrical fuse, it would become overwhelmed and burn out.


    Although she wasn''t fully aware of just how the technicalities of a manabinder worked, Mica still understood enough to know that to escape one was difficult and required a large amount of mana, far, far more she would be able to produce herself. Essentially, unless she happened to find a random set of bolt cutters in this field, her mana would remain thoroughly trapped.


    Shifting her eyes away from the trees, she looked at the ground around her for a moment before glancing up at Anton.


    She was a little surprised to find him watching her with an unusually soft look on his face, almost as though he were feeling concern or even sympathy for her. Turning away from him she sighed out of her mouth and narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°So you said you were gonna test me, and that you''d give me a chance to earn my freedom.¡± she began as she refused to look at either him or the two dark elves ¡°So I''m guessing you have some kind of challenge in mind? Is this where it''s gonna happen? Or no!?¡±


    ¡°It is.¡± nodded Anton ¡°I''ll explain the ¡°challenge¡± in a moment. Before that though, I have a few questions I''d like to ask you.¡±


    Looking back up at him, Mica couldn''t help but to study his face for a moment.


    ¡°...Okay?¡± she mumbled ¡°What do you want to know now?¡±


    ¡°Well, I''ve seen that you know how to use a teleport ability.¡± started Anton ¡°But that''s the only ability I''ve had a chance to see you use. So I''d like to know if that really is the only one you can use?¡±


    Mica blinked and scowled at him.


    ¡°What!? Like I''m going to tell you shit! If you really think I''m just gonna give up all my secrets like nothing then you''re outta your mind!¡± she declared ¡°If you wanna see what I can do then take this bullshit ring off of me and I''ll show you!¡±


    ¡°That''s exactly what I intend to do.¡± said Anton ¡°But I want to see how well you can preform all of your abilities. Which is why I want to know which ones you can use, so that way I can be sure to pay attention for them.¡±


    ¡°...Wait?¡± questioned Mica as her face became thoughtful ¡°Are we gonna fight again!?¡±


    ¡°Something like that.¡± said Anton ¡°Like I said, I''ll explain in a moment. But first, I''d like you to answer my question. Is teleport your only ability?¡±


    ¡°...No.¡± said Mica as she folded her arms over her chest ¡°It''s not.¡±


    ¡°What else can you do?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°...I don''t have to tell you.¡± mumbled Mica as she looked away and coiled her tail in loops around herself ¡°That''s not fair!¡±


    ¡°Hm, in a way you''re right. Technically you don''t have to tell me...¡± said Anton ¡°In that same grain though, I don''t technically have to give you a chance to go free either. So why don''t we make a compromise that''ll work for both of us?¡±


    Mica glanced back at him before looking away again.


    ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± she asked as she shifted in her seat and used a coil of her tail to scratch the back of her left shoulder.


    ¡°I''m going to ask you if you know an ability. Whether you know it or not, you will answer truthfully, and if you do know it, then I''ll get to ask you a single question about that ability.¡± explained Anton ¡°If I don''t ask about an ability, then you don''t have to tell me that you know it. Once I''m done with my questions, then I''ll explain the ¡°challenge¡± to you, and you will get your chance to go free.¡±


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°...How do I know that you''ll really let me go if I win your challenge?¡± questioned Mica ¡°I''m just supposed to trust your word on this?¡±


    ¡°More or less.¡± said Anton with a shrug ¡°You''re free to ask Kianna and Fiona whether or not I''m trustworthy if you''d like. Though, ultimately, you really don''t have any better options so it''s a mute point either way.¡±


    Mica''s expression became thoughtful as she stared at a section of the ground directly in front of her. After a moment of stillness she glanced up at Kianna with questioning eyes.


    ¡°...He''s never lied to us before.¡± declared the dark elf ¡°I guarantee he''s not trying to trick you.¡±


    Mica nodded slowly and sighed through her nose as she turned back to Anton.


    ¡°Fine!¡± she exclaimed as she glared at him ¡°Ask your questions!¡±


    ¡°Alright then.¡± nodded Anton ¡°Since I already know you can teleport, I''ll just start with that one. How far is your range? And by that I mean how far can you go in a single jump?¡±


    Mica''s face scrunched up in thought as she mulled this over for a moment.


    ¡°I don''t really know for sure...¡± she mumbled ¡°I''m guessing about..., maybe 20 feet at full max? Or something like that? That''s like really pushing it though.¡±


    ¡°Mm hm. That would be about average for someone your age.¡± said Anton with another nod ¡°Alright, next question. Can you use a shadow walk of any kind?¡±


    Mica blinked and gave him a perplexed look.


    ¡°A what?¡± she asked ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°I''m asking if you can melt into a shadow and travel through it.¡± explained Anton ¡°Or if you can melt yourself down into a shadow so as to move around that way?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that. No, I can''t do that. Which sucks because that shit is so fucking cool!¡± exclaimed Mica ¡°I want to be able to do that, but I don''t even know how that shit works.¡±


    Anton couldn''t help but to grin at her sudden enthusiasm.


    ¡°Well, I''m not sure about the full mechanics of the skill either. But from what I understand it''s pretty advanced, and very dangerous to learn.¡± he answered.


    ¡°Why is it dangerous?¡± asked Mica.


    ¡°Because you can''t breathe while in or as a shadow. So you can only maintain that form for as long as you can hold your breath.¡± explained Anton ¡°So if while learning the skill you slip into a shadow, and can''t figure out how to get back out in time, you''ll suffocate and die.¡±


    ¡°Oh, crap!¡± exclaimed Mica as her brow creased in thought ¡°Yeah, that''s kinda scary...¡±


    ¡°That''s the main reason why it''s not an ability that all shinoccubi learn.¡± said Anton ¡°As far as I know they can all do it, but not all of them are willing to take on the risks involved in learning it.¡±


    ¡°Right...¡± mumbled Mica as her face became thoughtful again ¡°It''s really cool... But still...¡±


    ¡°Mm hm, anyways, getting back on track.¡± said Anton ¡°Can you cloak yourself? As in become invisible?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah!¡± sighed Mica as she grimaced in annoyance ¡°Technically, yes...¡±


    ¡°Hm. Judging by your enthusiasm. I''m guessing you can''t move while you''re invisible?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°No, I can''t...¡± grumbled Mica ¡°I look like I''m made out of water if I don''t hold still. It sucks!¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. That''s a common problem.¡± nodded Anton ¡°It has to do with shifting through different light intensities. You can learn to work around that. But it does take a lot of focus and practice to do it right, and even then, you can slip up if you''re not constantly paying enough attention.¡±


    Mica stared at him for a moment before narrowing her eyes.


    ¡°Seriously... It''s crazy how you know so much about all this.¡± she stated as she tilted her head to the side ¡°You really are some kind of shinoccubi fan boy. Aren''t you?¡±


    Anton chuckled while shaking his head.


    ¡°No, I''m really not. What I''ve said before is literally the case. I''ve had to deal with your kind quite a bit over the years.¡± he explained ¡°And again, as I''ve said, it''s always easier to counter something when you understand how it works. Hence my effort to study shinoccubi and their abilities. ...Lucky thing for that too, as all that knowledge will be useful now that I have my own little shinoccubi to play with.¡±


    Mica''s face immediately scrunched up into a scowl.


    ¡°And from what it''s sounding like, there''s going to be quite a bit you''ll still need to be taught...¡± continued Anton ¡°At least I shouldn''t have to worry about any big surprises out of you.¡±


    ¡°You don''t have your own anything you fucking dick!¡± snarled Mica ¡°I don''t belong to you!¡±


    ¡°Not yet.¡± said Anton ¡°I''ll be fixing that soon enough though.¡±


    Mica stared at him for a moment before turning her scowl towards the ground. She hunched in on herself as she began to slash at the grass around her with the blade on the end of her tail.


    ¡°...Hm, I think one more question should be enough. After that can get started.¡± said Anton as he watched the kiochi destroy a dandelion with her spade ¡°How does that sound?¡±


    ¡°That sounds great!¡± exclaimed Mica as she looked back up at him ¡°I can''t wait to win and go home!¡±


    ¡°That''s the spirit!¡± chuckled Anton as he grinned at her ¡°Now then, for the last question. Can you create a vorpal weapon? Or form any weapons out of your shadow? In other words, can you make a weapon out of darkness?¡±


    Mica froze and blinked at him as her eyes went wide.


    ¡°...Wait, what!? We can do that!?¡± she exclaimed ¡°Ah, man! That would be so sweet!¡±


    ¡°Okay, I''m going to take that as a no then...¡± laughed Anton ¡°There really is going to be so much for you to learn. You''ll be a brand new shinoccubi before you even know it. ...Well, so long as you don''t go home today.¡±


    Mica eyes softened as she looked off at nothing.


    ¡°...Even if I do go home, I can still learn how to do all this!¡± she mumbled as she shifted her gaze downwards ¡°It''s not like I actually need you to learn any of this! My parents can teach me! ...Or I can just learn it all on my own! If I have to...¡±


    ¡°You can certainly try.¡± said Anton ¡°And I''m sure you''d be able to figure out a few things. All of these abilities will come naturally to you after all. And now that you know about them it shouldn''t be too hard for you to stumble through learning them, in theory at least. What will be difficult for you is understanding where your limitations are, and then finding the perfect motivation to go beyond them.¡±


    Mica shifted her gaze to him and narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°Right, my limitations.¡± she grumbled sarcastically ¡°What are you even talking about? As if you''re some kind of ¡°guru¡± who knows my ¡°limitations¡± and how to find some ¡°motivation¡± for them!¡±


    ¡°I do though.¡± said Anton ¡°I know exactly how to motivate you.¡±


    ¡°Right, sure!¡± scoffed Mica ¡°And how are you going to do that!?¡±


    ¡°Simple.¡± said Anton ¡°I''ll just use your will to live.¡±


    ¡°...Wha? So all you''re gonna do is threaten me then!?¡± exclaimed Mica.


    ¡°Me? Oh no! No, I don''t need to threaten you.¡± chuckled Anton as he shook his head ¡°No, I just need you to want to learn as badly as you want to live. So in other words, I need to help you to understand that you don''t have a choice anymore, Mica.¡±


    ¡°...And what do you mean by that?¡± questioned Mica ¡°Why don''t I have a choice anymore!?¡±


    ¡°Well, to be honest, I''ve already begun to answer both of those questions.¡± stated Anton ¡°I started by bringing you out here. So I could show you why you don''t. You see, Mica, by the time we''re done here, you will fully understand exactly just how limited your options really are.¡±


    ¡°...What the Hell are you talking about!?¡± exclaimed Mica as she leaned away from him.


    ¡°You''ll see, soon enough.¡± said Anton as his face became sympathetic ¡°For now though, I think we should go ahead and get started with the, ¡°challenge¡± as you put it.¡±


    Twisting to the side, Anton grinned as he moved to face Kianna and the dark elf immediately perked her ears up as she smiled back at him.


    ¡°Kianna, could you bring me that bag please?¡± said Anton as he pointed to the bag in the crook of her arm ¡°I need something out of it.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± chirped Kianna as she crossed the distance between them and held the tote bag open for him.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± said Anton as he reached into the bag and rummaged around for a bit before pulling out a roll of thin string and a locking, shackle-like cuff.


    The cuff was made of a hard yet pliable rubber that coated a thin metal frame. Several small seal-covered strips attached to its side indicated that it had some magical components in its design.


    Mica''s eyes widened at the sight of the cuff before narrowing in anger.


    ¡°What the Hell is that!?¡± she exclaimed as Anton unlocked and opened the cuff.


    ¡°It''s an incentive.¡± said Anton as he looked down at her ¡°And a major part of the ¡°challenge¡± you''re going to face.¡±


    ¡°...Is that thing going to enslave me!?¡± exclaimed the kiochi as a slight tremor marred her voice.


    ¡°This? No. This is just part of an invisible fence. Set to max, of course.¡± said Anton as he held up the cuff ¡°This is going to be locked onto your ankle. Or your wrist, if you''d prefer that. And what it''ll do is give you an incapacitating electrical shock that''ll render you unconscious if you move more than 1000 yards away from me.¡±


    ¡°...Okay! Why in the name of Hell would I ever wanna wear that then!?¡± exclaimed Mica.


    ¡°Because this is your ¡°challenge¡± and the only way I''ll be willing to let you go free.¡± said Anton ¡°Put this cuff on, and I''ll remove the light chain and manabinder from around your neck. You''ll be able to move freely and use your abilities again. So long as you stay within the 1000 yard range at least.¡±


    Anton tossed the opened cuff to Mica who caught it by wrapping it up with her tail. The shinoccubus brought the cuff closer to her face and gave it a look over before turning back to Anton.


    ¡°This will be a two part challenge that''ll last an hour in total.¡± explained Anton ¡°For the first half an hour your goal will be to free yourself by getting this key.¡±


    Anton raised the key for the locking cuff up so Mica could see it clearly. He then tied a length of the thin string around the key. Making a loop out of the remainder of the string, he tossed the loop over his head and let it come to rest around his neck.


    Mica''s eyes were locked onto the key as it now hung against Anton''s chest.


    ¡°If you can get this key and unlock the cuff, then you''re free to go. You can leave and I won''t chase you or try to stop you.¡± said Anton as he tapped the key ¡°I won''t actually attack you during the first part of the challenge either, I''ll only defend myself whenever you attack me.¡±


    ¡°...Okay. That sounds easy enough. So what happens if I don''t get the key in time?¡± questioned Mica.


    ¡°If you fail then we''ll move on to the second part of the challenge.¡± continued Anton ¡°In the second half of the hour your goal to get the key will remain the same. However, things will be escalated by the fact that I will actively start attacking you, and I will now have my own goal as well.¡±


    ¡°...Alright. So what is your goal supposed to be?¡± asked Mica as she furrowed her brow.


    ¡°To catch you.¡± said Anton with a grin ¡°From that point on my goal will be to catch you by grabbing hold of your tail. So you''ll now have to risk trying to get the key while at the same time avoiding all my attacks as well as being captured. This is not going to be easy for you, even with your abilities, so, to make things fair. If you can run out the clock and avoid being captured then I will unlock the cuff and you''ll still be free to go. In this way I''ll know for sure that you''ll be able to survive on your own.¡±


    ¡°...Wait, what do you mean by survive?¡± questioned Mica ¡°What''s that supposed to mean!?¡±


    ¡°By that I mean your family.¡± explained Anton ¡°If you can somehow escape from me, then you''ll be able to escape from your family when they attack you. And they will attack you, Mica. You have no reason to doubt that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right, sure.¡± mumbled Mica as she digested everything that had just been told to her ¡°...So what exactly is the catch here?¡±


    ¡°...I''m sorry? What do you mean by that?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°I mean this whole thing sounds too easy.¡± stated Mica as she gave him a look that was full of suspicion ¡°It''s like you''re just trying to let me go. So what''s the deal!? Where''s the catch!?¡±


    Anton chuckled as he slowly shook his head.


    ¡°You''re right, Mica. I am trying to let you go. I am literally presenting you with an excellent opportunity for you to earn your freedom.¡± explained Anton as he crossed his arms and looked down at the kiochi ¡°Because when you lose, and you have been caught... I want you to feel it. I want you to know it, to believe it. And I want you to fully understand, that you never stood a chance.¡±


    Mica remained stoic as she stared back at him.


    ¡°When you fail, Mica, and you will fail, I will become your Master.¡± said Anton as he matched her stoic expression with his own ¡°And you will acknowledge that, and accept it.¡±


    Mica was still for a moment as she assessed him. A scowl spread across her face as she spoke.


    ¡°You really think this is over already!¡± she hissed through her teeth as she raised her tail and the cuff above her head and pointed her spade at him ¡°You seriously think you''ve already won!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do.¡± said Anton as he kept his eyes locked to her''s ¡°But you''re more than welcome to prove me wrong.¡±


    ¡°Oh! I will!¡± declared Mica as she dropped the cuff from her tail and caught it in her outstretched hand ¡°I will go free! And then I will go home and straighten all this bullshit out! ...First though, I''m going to wipe that smug look off your face by beating the living shit out of you! And I''m gonna enjoy every single minute of that!¡±


    ¡°Hm, is that right? Well then...¡± nodded Anton as a broad grin slowly spread across his face ¡°Good luck with that!¡±

 Assassin Arc : Chapter 16 : Afternoon

    Chapter 16 : Afternoon


    Mica twisted back and forth at the waist before bending forward and dropping her upper body down so that she could touch the toes of first one foot and then the other.


    Once again tied back into a multi-banded ponytail, her raven-black hair was shimmering with its almost unnatural looking dark blue color in the sunlight as it bounced about with her movements.


    Rising back up to her full height she clasped her hands together and lifted her arms up above her head before curving herself into a backwards arch and stretching her entire body until it was as taunt as a bow.


    Fiona was biting her lower lip as she stared transfixed at the stretching shinoccubus. Her eyes moved about freely as they followed the flowing motions of the curvaceous little creature that was happily dancing back and forth in front of her.


    Noticing the hungry looking glow in the dark elf''s eyes, Anton smirked and followed her gaze as he too continued to enjoy the little show.


    Having now risen herself up into a handstand, Mica continued her stretches by pointing her legs straight skywards and then slowly spreading them out to her sides.


    With her back facing the watching group, she was unknowingly giving her audience a clear and very generous view of her very round bottom. Curling her legs in and bending herself backwards, she them gave them all a presentation of just how overtly flexible her spine really was, as she bent herself in half and flipped her upper body forward so as to come back to a standing position. Now facing the group, she blinked in surprise as she found them all intently watching her.


    ¡°...Wha, what!?¡± she cried as she looked from one grinning face to another ¡°Why are you all staring at me!?¡±


    ¡°Because you are sexy as all Hell!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°Gods alive girl! You have got a great body!¡±


    Mica''s face and ears immediately took on a bright red tone as her large, emerald colored eyes widened in embarrassment. Turning away she mumbled unintelligibly as she glared off into the distance.


    ¡°And you''re bashful as fuck!¡± laughed Fiona as she clasped her hands together ¡°Which just makes it all so much sweeter!¡±


    Mica continued to face away from them as she stretched her arm out and pointed her raised middle finger at Fiona who merely laughed teasingly at the flustered action.


    ¡°...That seems almost like some kind of practice routine?¡± mused Anton as he rubbed his chin in a thoughtful manner ¡°I''m going to guess that maybe you were a cheerleader while you were in school?¡±


    ¡°Uh, no. They did invite me to join their squad, but I never really wanted to do that.¡± explained Mica as she sheepishly rubbed the back of her head ¡°I was actually on the gymnastics team.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± nodded Anton ¡°And how long did you do that for?¡±


    ¡°Well, I started in grade school, and then competed all 4 years of high school.¡± boasted Mica ¡°They told me I''ve got some scholarship options too! But I haven''t really looked into that yet...¡±


    ¡°I see. That''s interesting! Though, I''m a little surprised they actually let a shinoccubus compete. That honestly seems a bit unfair.¡± said Anton ¡°How often did they just hand you the win right away?¡±


    ¡°Uh, that did happen... But it would go the opposite way sometimes too.¡± mumbled Mica as she began to bend sideways at the waist ¡°Like this one time, this bitchy little tit-less cat girl thing, tried to get me disqualified because as a shinoccubi I had an ¡°unfair advantage¡± like her bendy little feline ass didn''t!¡±


    ¡°Hm. She probably figured you were her only real competition and tried to take you out early.¡± mused Anton as he grinned in amusement ¡°Kind of ironic that she would essentially try to assassinate a natural assassin.¡±


    ¡°I know right!¡± laughed Mica as she twisted herself in the opposite direction ¡°Didn''t work out either. And the best part was she got so pissed off that they told her no, that she lost all her focus and ended up in 4<sup>th</sup> place! That was such a awesome day!¡±


    ¡°I bet!¡± chuckled Anton.


    ¡°Yeah... Hey, wait, fuck you!¡± cried Mica as she straightened herself back up ¡°Don''t try to get all buddy, buddy with me you ass!¡±


    Anton blinked and chuckled again.


    ¡°Right, still enemies I guess.¡± he mumbled around a smile.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± said Mica as she narrowed her eyes at him ¡°And that''s never gonna change!¡±


    ¡°Well, we''ll see about that.¡± said Anton ¡°Are you about ready to get started yet?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± cried Mica as she began to hop sideways from one foot to the other ¡°Let''s do this already!¡±


    ¡°Alright then.¡± said Anton as he nodded and stepped towards her ¡°Come here real quick.¡±


    Mica froze mid-hop and took a step back and away from him.


    ¡°Why!?¡± she cried as she raised her wrist ¡°I''ve got your stupid cuff on already!?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you do...¡± drawled Anton as he stopped his advance ¡°You''re also still wearing the manabinder. So if you''d like me to take that off then come here for a minute.¡±


    Mica hesitated for half a moment before with a grimace on her face she crossed the distance that separated them. Looking away, she tilted her head back and raised her chin to expose her neck and the ring of metal that hung there.


    Anton reached forward and took hold of the ring with his thumb and index finger. As soon as he touched it the seals etched into its surface gave off a faint glow. He then gave the ring a gentle tug, and it immediately popped open and slid off of Mica''s neck.


    The shinoccubus made a small gasp and began to blink rapidly as she was instantly reconnected to her mana pool. She suddenly disappeared from in front of Anton and reappeared standing back where she was before.


    ¡°Yes!¡± she growled in excitement as she held her clenched fists out in front of herself and smiled broadly as her tail whipped back and forth behind her ¡°You are so fucked now!¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, how the tables have turned.¡± mumbled Anton with a smile as he folded the ring down into a quarter of its original size and slid it into his back pocket ¡°How could I have ever make such a mistake? What a fool I must be!¡±


    ¡°Laugh all you want!¡± cried Mica as she pointed at his chest ¡°But that key is as good as mine now!¡±


    ¡°Yes, the key... You know, I honestly expected you to make a grab for it as soon as I took the manabinder off.¡± said Anton as he gave the key a tug ¡°I''m actually impressed that you didn''t even try.¡±


    The excitement drained from Mica''s face as she continued to stare at the key.


    ¡°Yeah, well... I thought about it.¡± she grumbled as she lowered her arm ¡°I almost did it...¡±


    ¡°Why didn''t you?¡± asked Anton.


    Mica ran her tongue over her teeth as she looked away from him.


    ¡°...I don''t know!¡± she grumbled as she crossed her arms over her middle ¡°I just decided not to!¡±


    ¡°I see...¡± said Anton as he nodded his head thoughtfully ¡°Do you think that maybe you just didn''t want to win that way?¡±


    Mica glanced at him before quickly looking away again.


    ¡°...Maybe, I guess.¡± she mused as her eyes looked towards the floor and her tail looped itself around her body ¡°...I don''t know!¡±


    Anton tilted his head as he watched her for a moment.


    ¡°Would you like to know what I think?¡± he asked.


    Moving only her eyes, the kiochi looked back at him and waited.


    ¡°Hm, I think, that you''re actually pretty excited about all this. You have an opportunity here to prove yourself in a real way.¡± said Anton ¡°And I think, that you do want to beat me. But you want to win for real, and in a way that is impressive enough, that I will acknowledge you as the winner and commend you on your victory.¡±


    ¡°...Dude.¡± mumbled Mica as she narrowed her eyes at him ¡°Don''t get so full of-!¡±


    ¡°You want someone to finally see you win.¡± continued Anton ¡°You want someone to see what you can really do. To know what you can really do... You said they never took you seriously. Because no one was ever there... Were they? No one ever actually saw you when you won... Did they?¡±


    Mica froze as she stared back at him. After a moment her eyes darted to the dark elves before she quickly looked away at nothing.


    ¡°Fuck you! Stop trying to mess with me!¡± she said as she tightened her shoulders ¡°You don''t know what you''re talking about!¡±


    Anton nodded slowly as he watched her for a moment.


    ¡°You know... I kind of want to let you win now.¡± he said as her eyes shot back to him ¡°Just so I could see what you look like, when you do.¡±


    ¡°...Don''t! Don''t do that!¡± said Mica as she set her jaw ¡°Don''t you dare just let me win!¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± asked Anton as he kept his eyes locked to her''s ¡°You wouldn''t still want your freedom? Even if it was given to you as a gift?¡±


    Mica stared at him for a moment.


    ¡°...No.¡± she declared quietly as she looked down at the ground ¡°Not like that. I would rather just lose.¡±


    Attempting to determine her honesty, Anton remained silent as he gave her a long assessment.


    ¡°...I like that answer.¡± he said as he slowly nodded his head ¡°You might actually have a bit more integrity in you than I thought you did.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you!¡± exclaimed Mica as she continued to stare at the ground while her tail whipped back and forth behind her ¡°Stop messing around, and let''s just do this already!¡±


    ¡°Right, yes! We did get a little off the rails there, didn''t we.¡± said Anton as he tilted his head playfully ¡°About time we got back on track I guess.¡±


    Mica grimaced as her whole being seemed to tighten up.


    ¡°Don''t worry about it, Mica. It was an interesting idea. But nothing more than that. I have absolutely no intention of letting you win. So if by some miracle you do, then it will be your victory.¡± said Anton as he leaned towards her and let his aura flair outwards to engulf the area around them ¡°That being said...¡±


    The kiochi stiffened as she was surrounded by the unseen force of Anton''s aura. Steeling herself, she raised her head and locked eyes with him.


    ¡°Don''t hold anything back. Give it absolutely everything you have.¡± said Anton ¡°Because this is it, Mica. This is your one and only chance.¡±


    Mica''s tail slowed to a crawl as it made another loop behind her.


    ¡°...That''s fine.¡± she muttered as the barbs at the end of her tail began to slowly flex outwards ¡°That''s all I need.¡±


    ¡°Good to hear.¡± smiled Anton as he released his aura ¡°Kianna!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± chirped the dark elf from where she had taken a seat next to her sister on the fallen tree.


    ¡°Could you set a timer on your phone for thirty minutes, please.¡± said Anton as he moved into position and faced Mica ¡°I think Mica''s about as ready as she''ll ever be.¡±


    ¡°Damn right I am!¡± declared Mica as she twisted her head back and forth to crack her neck and squared her shoulders ¡°Let''s get this over with!¡±


    ¡°Alright then.¡± said Anton as he loosened up his own shoulders ¡°On Kianna''s signal, we begin!¡±


    Mica leaned forward into a runners stance as she locked eyes with Anton and waited for the signal.


    ¡°Okay!¡± cried Kianna as she held up her phone ¡°3... 2... 1, go!¡±


    Disappearing in an instant, Mica immediately reappeared in the air above Anton''s left shoulder, and moving forward in a controlled fall, she reached for the key as she sailed past him. Anton reacted by grabbing her outstretched arm at the wrist and pulling her downwards towards the ground and away from the key. Unfazed, Mica curled into a rolling somersault as she landed, rolled and sprung back up to a standing position before twirling around, refacing Anton and teleporting back into the air above him.


    This same series of events continued several times over as Mica kept up a nearly constant, harrowing bombardment against a calm and focused Anton.


    When it became clear that merely snatching the key away from him was not going to be as easy for her as she first thought, Mica began to actively attack Anton by twisting her body in midair circles and kicking at his head and face.


    Utilizing both sight and sound to gauge the incoming attacks, Anton would react by letting his torso bend freely at the waist and dropping his head and shoulders out of the paths of Mica''s flying kicks.


    The two watching dark elves couldn''t help but to be impressed as for nearly a solid four minute span, Mica neither stopped moving nor touched the ground as she teleported from one point in space to another and attacked Anton from every direction.


    Though Mica''s assault was certainly fast paced, judging her intentions and countering her attacks was still fairly easy for Anton to do, as the kiochi was not only unrefined in her movements, but was also inexperienced enough that she would become legitimately surprised when her attacks failed to land, and rather than move right into another attack, she would instead hesitate and break her own flow by trying to reposition herself to repeat the same maneuver over and over.


    Another point in which Mica''s lack of experience became obvious, was in that she had become so focused on striking at Anton with both punches and kicks, that she seemed to have completely forgotten about her own tail.


    This was something that Anton had noticed early on and as such was quick to register now.


    Mica had shown, time and again, that she had no issue with using her tail during her threat displays, but she was clearly hesitant to actively attack with it. This didn''t appear to be an actual conscious decision on her part though, and seemed to be more inline with his theory that having been raised in modern society, she had been conditioned to refrain from ever becoming violent with her natural weapon.


    This conditioning was something that she would definitely have to overcome, but this was an issue that could be addressed at a later date.


    In the meantime, Anton was beginning to feel that it was time for a change of pace. And so, as Mica came in close for another attempt at snatching the key, he grabbed her by the wrist and, pulling her downwards to give himself a good angle, used his right fist to give her a quick pulled punch to her exposed belly. Although he held back against her, the punch was still just strong enough to send her flying off to the side.


    Falling akimbo now, Mica disappeared and reappeared higher up in the air a short distance away and, using the extra falling time to right herself, landed on her feet facing Anton.


    Shocked by the suddenness of Anton''s counterattack, she grunted and hunched herself forward as she held her stomach and glared at him. As her tail curled about angrily behind and above her head, she let her eyes dart back and forth as she planned out her next attack. Disappearing, she made two teleporting jumps behind and away from Anton to give herself some space.


    Anton nonchalantly twisted his head back as he looked for her. Spotting her behind him, he turned to face her and planted his hands on his hips as he waited for her to make her next move.


    Having apparently settled on her next strategy, Mica went still for a few moments as she watched Anton watch her. Standing up to her full height she began to walk slowly in a large circle around him. Using her bladed spade, she let her annoyance show itself by swiping at and cutting down the larger weeds that were directly in her walking path. Her attempt to be intimidating was obvious as she did this while keeping her gaze locked to his.


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    Anton couldn''t help but to smirk as he casually twisted himself at the waist as he followed her with his eyes.


    Mica suddenly vanished and reappeared as far from Anton as her range would allow. Diving into a full sprint, the kiochi raced towards him at top speed. As she reached a mark that was about a dozen feet away from him, she launched herself headlong into the air and rolling forward into a flying somersault, she made as if to crash right into him.


    Anton remained unfazed as he watched the now spinning kiochi make her quick approach and failed to react as she disappeared just before reaching him.


    Mica reappeared high up in the air above and behind Anton and using the momentum she had gained, she sailed straight towards him at a high rate of speed as she twisted herself into position to give him a downwards kick to the back of his head. She was too surprised to react when Anton turned to face her, and moving to quickly to respond or change her path, she did nothing as he reached out and caught her outstretched leg at the ankle.


    Using her own momentum against her, Anton twirled the kiochi around his torso before tossing her off to his side. Moving quickly, he then reached out and grabbed hold of the end of her tail, just before the spade, as it sailed past him. Bracing himself, he pulled back as hard as he could on the tail and yanked the hapless kiochi downwards.


    Mica screamed out in anger as the elasticity of her tail was painfully stretched to its limit. With her limbs flailing and unable to teleport away due to her tail being held, she found herself being slammed to the ground where she landed in a haphazard heap. She laid still for less than a second before crying out again and rolling to the side.


    Fiona covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a laugh as Mica raised her arms up in front of herself and curled her hands into clawed shapes as she cried out though her clenched teeth.


    The poor kiochi had landed in a patch of thorny weeds and her arms were now covered in the piercing spines of the offending plants.


    ¡°Oh! Oh, that''s too bad!¡± exclaimed Anton as a grin spread across his face ¡°Sorry! That wasn''t part of the plan!¡±


    ¡°You...! Fuck! Ow!¡± cried Mica as she frantically began to pull the needle-like spines out of her arms.


    ¡°Seriously! I did not intend for that to happen!¡± laughed Anton ¡°I am so sorry about that!¡±


    ¡°Mother, fucker!¡± muttered Mica as she got to her feet and continued to pull out the last of the spines. Turning to glare at Anton she rubbed at her sore limbs and set her jaw.


    ¡°...Do you need to take a break?¡± asked Anton.


    Mica vanished and reappeared just in front of Anton. In a fury she reached for the key but was blocked when Anton grabbed her wrist and spun her around. Disoriented by the sudden reversal the kiochi didn''t respond in time and was given a quick kick on her butt which sent her stumbling forward. Disappearing again she reappeared up and above Anton''s left shoulder and reached for the key as she moved passed him in another controlled fall.


    Anton quickly tilted his torso to the side and moved out of her reach as she fell forward. Disappearing again, Mica tried to follow his movements by continuously reappearing in front of him but Anton simply took one step backwards after another to avoid her sudden attacks.


    Frustration clear on her face, the kiochi dropped to the ground, threw herself backwards and high kicked straight upwards in an attempt to strike at Anton''s face.


    Catching her at the ankle, Anton lifted the seemingly weightless kiochi up into the air before flipping her over herself.


    Now hanging upside down in midair, Mica disappeared and reappeared even higher up in the air nearly twenty feet away. Righting herself mid-fall she landed on her feet facing Anton.


    Eyes full of rage and tail swiping at the air in anger, she rubbed at her arms as she again began to stalk around her target.


    Anton merely watched her as he rolled his right arm to loosen up the joint at the shoulder. He turned to the right as soon as Mica vanished and grabbed her arm as she attempted to reappear behind him. Twisting her around, he bent her arm back behind her and planted it at the small of her back. The kiochi grunted in pain as he gave her another kick to her butt and sent her stumbling as he released her arm.


    Mica vanished and once again reappeared some distance away.


    ¡°Dammit to Hell!¡± she cried out in anger as she kicked at the ground ¡°How!? How are you reading my mind!?¡±


    ¡°...I, what?¡± questioned Anton as he stopped short.


    ¡°Is it this!?¡± exclaimed Mica as she held up the locked cuff ¡°Does this let you in my head!?¡±


    Anton threw his head back and laughed as the the growling kiochi tried to rip the cuff off her wrist.


    ¡°I can''t read your mind, Mica!¡± chuckled Anton ¡°And I wouldn''t even need to if I could. You''ve been projecting every move you''re going make this entire time.¡±


    ¡°...I''m doing what!?¡± cried Mica.


    ¡°Projecting. Every time you''ve made a plan you''ve been following the path you want to take with your eyes before you take it.¡± explained Anton ¡°It''s been easy enough for me to tell what you''re going to do next by just watching where your eyes go.¡±


    Mica was still for a moment as she stared back at him.


    ¡°...Look, there really isn''t anything you can do about it right now, so I wouldn''t dwell on it.¡± said Anton as he folded his arms over his chest ¡°You''re too green to be able to really maneuver around an opponent without thinking. Once you''ve had some more combat experience, you''ll be able to pull off your maneuvers by muscle memory alone, and be able to flow from one to another while in the middle of an attack. Right now though, you need to stay focused on what you''re doing so you don''t end up hurting yourself. So like I said already, it just can''t be helped. So don''t dwell on it.¡±


    Mica was silent for a moment before a sly grin spread across her face.


    ¡°Oh, I think it can be helped!¡± she said in a mocking tone as the end of her tail began to slowly coil back and forth as if she were wagging it ¡°You said you''re just watching my eyes, right?¡±


    ¡°...Yes?¡± said Anton as he tilted his head and gave her a thoughtful look.


    ¡°Well then! Let''s see how well you can watch my eye''s, when I''ve got more than one set!¡± exclaimed Mica as she hunched over and pulled her arms in close to her body.


    ¡°...Oh! Right. I forgot to ask about this skill.¡± mumbled Anton as he watched Mica''s body slowly darken until becoming a solid black in color.


    Leaning forward in their seats on the log, the dark elves both watched intently as the kiochi''s black form began to grow in size and then seemingly melt into a shadow-like cloud of darkness. The Mica cloud then started to swell and expand outwards until it became three times its original size. Having apparently reached some kind of crescendo, the cloud commenced to rip itself apart into three pieces which all immediately began to consolidate in on themselves before becoming fully formed again.


    ¡°What the Hell!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as three identical looking Mica''s took shape out of the clouds.


    The three Mica''s were smiling broadly as they all looked up at Anton and began to speak in unison.


    ¡°So! What do you think of this!?¡± they asked as they all struck a different combat pose ¡°Not so easy to watch my eyes now, is it!?¡±


    ¡°No, no it is not.¡± agreed Anton as he nodded his head ¡°Should be a bit more of a challenge now.¡±


    The three Mica''s all began to laugh loudly before dropping out of their poses.


    Suddenly swaying their hips to the rhythm of an unheard beat, they all began to dance in choreographed unison. With the two on either side taking a quick step back and acting as backup dancers to the one in the middle. They than commenced to put on a rather impressive, and quite provocative, performance.


    After watching them for a few moments, Anton tilted his head to the side in confusion.


    ¡°...Hold on, are you really going to stop at just two clones?¡± he asked as his brow creased in question.


    The three Mica''s all froze mid-dance move and blinked.


    ¡°Uh, yeah?¡± they said as they held still and stared at Anton.


    ¡°Why?¡± asked Anton with a tone of concern ¡°Can you not make any more than that?¡±


    ¡°...I can, technically. ¡± mumbled the Mica''s as they dropped to standing positions and folded their arms over their chests ¡°But I''m not going to!¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°Because it takes a lot longer to make more, and I don''t have that much time to waste!¡± explained the Mica''s ¡°And also the new clones will be see though for a minute, so you''ll be able to tell which one is the real me!¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay, that make sense.¡± nodded Anton as he turned to the dark elves ¡°Kianna, how much time do we have left?¡±


    ¡°Um...¡± mumbled Kianna as she looked at her phone ¡°It''s only been 9 minutes, so far. So you have 21 minutes left!¡±


    ¡°Okay, good. Can you go ahead and pause that timer then, please.¡± said Anton as he turned back to the Mica''s ¡°How many clones can you make in total?¡±


    ¡°Uh, I can make 6.¡± said the Mica''s ¡°Well, I can make more than that. But after 6 they start falling apart...¡±


    ¡°Hm, that sounds about right.¡± said Anton as he nodded ¡°Can you keep 6 coordinated? Or is it easier to work with just 4?¡±


    ¡°I can do 6 just fine.¡± said the Mica''s ¡°Are you sure you can handle 6 though? Cause if not this is gonna be over right away!¡±


    ¡°Oh, don''t worry about me!¡± chuckled Anton as he shook his head and turned around to look away from her ¡°Just let me know whenever you''re ready and we can get back to it.¡±


    The Mica''s stood motionless for a moment as they stared at Anton''s exposed back. Taking a half-step forward, they all leaned into a stance as if they were about to move in and attack him. After another moment of stillness however, they stood back up and continued to stare before one of them glanced over at the dark elves.


    The dark elves faces were both expressionless as they merely stared back at the kiochi.


    The three Mica''s all grimaced as the single one looked back at at Anton. They fully broke their unison movements when the Mica in the far back hunched in on herself and went black as she began to make more clones.


    ¡°Alright!¡± sang a chorus of Mica''s ¡°I''m done!¡±


    Anton turned around and nodded his head as he looked over a group of seven identical looking shinoccubi.


    The Mica''s were all in the same pose with their hands planted on their hips and their tails waving lazily back and forth behind them.


    ¡°Or should I say, you''re done!¡± sang the Mica''s as mischievous grins spread across their faces.


    Groaning at the poor joke, Fiona shook her head as the Mica''s all lifted their left arms in unison and pointed their raised middle fingers at her.


    Anton chuckled at the sight before turning to Kianna.


    ¡°Alright then, Kianna.¡± he said as he nodded to her ¡°As soon as you give the signal, we can finish this.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± declared the dark elf as she held up her phone ¡°3... 2... 1... Go!¡±


    The group of Mica''s instantly all disappeared at once and reappeared closer to Anton.


    Anton kept his arms folded over his chest as he casually watched the advancing shinoccubi quickly dart across the ground in different directions as they made to surround him. He grinned as once in position, they, as one, leaped in to attack him en masse.


    The Mica''s all grunted in surprise as they suddenly smashed into the sides of a large, orange light bubble that had instantly winked into existence around Anton.


    ¡°Wha, what the Hell!?''¡± they all exclaimed as they realized what had happen ¡°Not this crap again!¡±


    As one they all leaped back at the bubble and assaulted it with a flurry of kicks, strikes and even slashes from their tails.


    Anton yawned mockingly as he merely stood in the center of the bubble and feigned boredom.


    ¡°You ass!¡± cried the Mica''s as they clamored around and continued to attack the bubble ¡°This is cheating!¡±


    ¡°Cheating? This isn''t cheating anymore than what you''re doing is cheating!¡± laughed Anton as he absently glanced up at a Mica that had teleported to the top of the bubble and was stomping up and down on it ¡°Or do you honestly think that 7 against 1 is actually fair?¡±


    ¡°Are you serious!?¡± cried the Mica''s ¡°Are you really gonna stay in there!?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± said Anton as he watched the Mica above him drop down to all fours and begin to furiously strike at the bubble with her tail in the same manner as a stinging scorpion ¡°I just wanted you to see that if I was actually going to be cheap about this whole thing, then there wouldn''t really be any way for you to win this round.¡±


    ¡°Seriously!? So what are you trying to say that you''re noble or some shit!?¡± exclaimed the Mica''s.


    ¡°Hm, I wouldn''t go that far.¡± said Anton as he looked back down at the Mica in front of him ¡°I am about to beat up a bunch of little girls after all.¡±


    ¡°...Wait, what!?¡± exclaimed the Mica''s.


    Anton grinned as he raised his left arm above his head and caught the Mica above him in his open hand as the light bubble suddenly disappeared from beneath her. He tossed this Mica to the side and slammed her into two other Mica''s while at the same time he reached forward and grabbed the surprised Mica in front of him around the neck. Turning to his right, he used this Mica to block the kicks from two more Mica''s before shoving her forward and sending all three to the ground. Still turning in the same direction, he spun around completely and stopped short as he now faced the last standing Mica.


    ¡°So, you''re the real one, right?¡± he asked as he loomed above her and smiled.


    ¡°...Crap!¡± cried the Mica as she reached forward to grab at the key.


    Chuckling, Anton caught her wrist and quickly lifted her up into the air by her arm.


    ¡°You know, I''ve always been curious to know if this would work.¡± he mused as he reached forward and began to wiggle his fingers up and down along the Mica''s exposed rib cage.


    ¡°WHA! Wait! S-S-STOP!¡± cried the Mica as she began to kick wildly and grab at his attacking wrist with her free hand ¡°D-D-DON''T! A-ASS!¡±


    The poor Mica began to laugh uncontrollably as her twisting and jolting tail began to jump from one lighting bolt shape to another.


    All around them the other Mica''s began to fall back over on themselves as they cringed away from the invisible hand that was seemingly tickling them.


    ¡°Oh, wow! It does work!¡± exclaimed Anton as he looked around at the group of struggling shinoccubi ¡°...Well that''s good to know!¡±


    ¡°S-S-STOP! P-P-PLEASE!¡± begged all the Mica''s at once as tears rolled out of their eyes and they all pressed their thighs tightly together ¡°I-I-I''M! G-G-GONNA! P-P-P-PEE!¡±


    Anton laughed loudly as he stopped tickling the captured shinoccubus. All around him the other Mica''s began to sigh in relief as they each collapsed in on themselves.


    ¡°...I hate you.¡± mumbled the captured Mica as she hung limply from Anton grip and relaxed her legs ¡°I hate you so much...¡±


    ¡°What an awful thing to say to somebody.¡± smiled Anton as he dropped the Mica to the ground and planted his foot between her shoulder blades.


    ¡°Hey!¡± cried the Mica as she whipped her tail up at him and struggled to slip out from under his weight.


    Anton caught her flinging tail midway up its length with his right hand and began to twirl it around like a lasso as he pulled up on and stretched out the rest of the tail with his left. Twisting to the side he kept his foot planted on the downed Mica as he turned to face a group of them that were just getting back to their feet.


    Smiling, Anton began to shift his torso back and forth as he flung the captured Mica''s tail around and around and used it as if it were a rope dart weapon. Twirling it up, over and around his shoulders, arms and neck he tightened the length of the tail down until he could pull it back and grab the bladed spade at its base before pointing its tip at the other Mica''s.


    All of the Mica''s were staring at him with the same dumbfounded expression on each of their faces. As one they all glared at him and began to fan out around him.


    Still smiling, Anton reversed the tension on his captured tail weapon and began to fling its spade out at any of the Mica''s that came within his range before pulling it back and catching it back in his hand.


    ¡°What the Hell!¡± cried out all the Mica''s as they tried to figure out how to get around what was essentially their own weapon turned against them.


    ¡°You are actually the real Mica, right?¡± asked Anton as he looked down at his Mica prisoner.


    The Mica grimaced and tightened her eyes in anger as she pushed up against him and refused to answer.


    ¡°Hm. Well, regardless, putting you out of commission will still be one less to deal with.¡± said Anton as he crouched down and began to tickle the downed Mica.


    All of the still standing Mica''s immediately cringed away from the sensation before doubling over with uncontrollable laughter.


    Acting quickly Anton swung out a coil of his tail weapon and looped it around one of the captured Mica''s kicking legs. Pulling it back in over her back, he quickly wrapped the thin tail around her ankle a few times before looping it under and then over itself, thus effectively tying it off. Curling her leg in even further he stopped tickling her as he grabbed her wrist from the opposite side of her bound leg, and bent her arm back before planting her wrist against her ankle and looping her own tail around them both.


    ¡°H-HEY!¡± cried the Mica as she registered what was happening and began to struggle ¡°No! Let me go! Stop that you ass!¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± said Anton as he let go of the now tied together limbs and began to tickle both of her sides at once.


    Laughing, crying and cursing at the same time, the Mica began to buck and curl in on herself as she tried desperately to cover her open sides. With the other Mica''s out of commission for another moment, Anton set to work on tying his prisoner''s other two limbs. Within the span of just another few seconds he had finished his task and stood back up.


    The two watching dark elves began to clap at the show of skill.


    The now hogtied kiochi was laying on her belly and not only had all four of her limbs curled over her back and tied together at the wrists and ankles with her own tail, but a coil of her tail had also been looped around her head and fed through her mouth before being tied off completely.


    ¡°Oh shit! You really can hogtie her with her own tail!¡± cried Fiona ¡°That''s so awesome!¡±


    Snarling though her tail gag, the tied up Mica glared at the cheering dark elves before falling over on her side as she frantically struggled to free herself from herself.


    ¡°Kianna, how much longer do we have left?¡± asked Anton as he watched the group of Mica''s begin to quickly recover.


    ¡°Um, one sec!¡± mumbled Kianna as she looked at her phone ¡°...It''s been 18 minutes, so you only have 12 minutes left!¡±


    ¡°Okay, thank you.¡± said Anton as he nodded thoughtfully ¡°Alright then Mica''s! Let''s get a few things straightened out real quick!¡±


    The group of shinoccubi turned to him as one and although glaring angrily, it was still clear they were all listening.


    ¡°Unfortunately, since we didn''t discus this particular ability beforehand, we never determined how it would play into the rules of the challenge.¡± explained Anton.


    The Mica''s all creased their brows in confusion as they continued to listen intently.


    ¡°Technically, this was a huge mistake on your part, Mica.¡± said Anton as he looked down at the hogtied kiochi ¡°Since once this challenge proceeds into the second half, I won''t just have a single Mica that I need to catch, but 7 that I can choose from. Which makes things exponentially easier for me.¡±


    The Mica''s eyes all widened at the realization.


    ¡°Again, considering we didn''t discus this already. I don''t think it''s fair for me to have such a sudden advantage.¡± continued Anton as he looked back up at the group ¡°So to keep things fair, let''s go ahead and set the rule that I still need to catch the real Mica in order to win. Everybody agree on that?¡±


    The Mica''s all immediately nodded their heads in agreement.


    ¡°Good, I''m glad we got that settled. Now, there are 2 reasons why I believe that I''ve got the real Mica tied up right here, and the first is that since she''s been gagged none of you have said a word.¡± said Anton as the Mica''s all began to look back and forth at each other ¡°And the second reason, is because this is the only Mica that has the cuff on her wrist...¡±


    The Mica''s all immediately looked at their empty wrists before turning and staring at the wide eyed kiochi laying next to Anton.


    ¡°Wait! Are you serious!?¡± cried Fiona ¡°Did you really forget about that!?¡±


    ¡°I''m hoping that wasn''t an oversight on your part, Mica. And that maybe, since there is a magical element to that item, it was just something that you couldn''t duplicate?¡± offered Anton as he looked down at the kiochi.


    Blinking in surprise at being given an opportunity to save face, the tied up Mica quickly looked up at Anton and nodding frantically in agreement.


    ¡°Mm hm... That''s what I thought...¡± said Anton as he gave the dark elves a pointed look and turned back to the group of Mica''s ¡°So, it being the case that I''ve got the real Mica right here, your goal is going to have to shift a bit I''m afraid.¡±


    The Mica''s all gave him a questioning look.


    ¡°Since none of you have a cuff to unlock, getting a hold of this key is going to be a fairly useless endeavor for you.¡± said Anton as he looked down at the tied up Mica and grinned ¡°And since it''ll be an exceptionally easy action to simply reach down and grab hold of this Mica''s tail. My advice would be that rather than continue to aim for the key, your goal should instead be to rescue her before the time runs out. Otherwise, the next round is going to be a very short one...¡±


    ¡°And you only have 9 minutes left to do it!¡± exclaimed Kianna.


    Anton raised his eyebrows at the captured Mica. Staring back at him for half a moment, she whimpered and started to frantically struggle as the other Mica''s all began to move in for another mass attack.


    Anton forced the group of Mica''s back by creating another light bubble, which he then dropped almost immediately. Standing over the hogtied kiochi, he began to fight off the attacking Mica''s as they came at him in ones and twos. Twisting, turning and using Mica''s to both block with and even attack other Mica''s, Anton kept a steady rhythm of motion going as he playfully fought off the increasingly desperate shinoccubi. All the while the tied up Mica tried and failed to wiggle her way away from him and free her bound limbs.


    ¡°2 more minutes!¡± cried Kianna as she kept her eyes darting back and forth between the action and her phone ¡°Hurry, Mica!¡±


    The tied up Mica groaned loudly in desperation and anger as she pulled herself taunt and began to thrash wildly.


    Anton kept an eye on her as he fought and fearing that she may actually hurt herself, he stepped back and bent over her.


    ¡°You do realize that I''m not actually holding on to you, right?¡± he stated calmly ¡°So you should be able to just teleport away.¡±


    Eyes going wide, the kiochi froze mid-struggle before suddenly disappearing. She reappeared nearly twenty feet away and landed on the ground with a grunt. Immediately, all the other Mica''s descended on her and frantically began to untie her limbs.


    ¡°You have got to be kidding!¡± cried Fiona as she planted her hands on either side of her skull and shook her head in disbelief ¡°You could have just done that this whole time!?¡±


    Anton threw his head back and laughed as one of the Mica''s stopped what she was doing just so she could turn to the dark elf and point her raised middle finger at her.


    ¡°1 more minute!¡± exclaimed Kianna.


    Kicking and struggling as she was freed, the hogtied Mica finally scrambled up to her feet. Rubbing at her limbs and twisting her stretched out tail back into shape she turned to the watching dark elves as she fought to catch her breath.


    ¡°...Times up.¡± said Kianna as they locked eyes with each other.


    As one, the dark elves and all the Mica''s slowly turned to face Anton.


    A broad smile across his face, Anton let his arms hang loosely at his sides as his aura spread outwards and filled the entire area with his message of power.


    ¡°My turn.¡± he whispered.

 Assassin Arc : Chapter 17 : Afternoon

    Chapter 17 : Afternoon


    ¡°Kianna.¡± called Anton as he tilted his head to the side to crack his neck ¡°If we could get another 30 minutes, please.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Master!¡± replied the dark elf as she again set up the timer on her phone.


    ¡°Yes! This is about to get really good now!¡± smiled Fiona as she rubbed her hands together.


    The Mica''s all grimaced angrily at her before quickly turning back to Anton.


    ¡°Okay!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she readied the timer ¡°3... 2... 1... Go!¡±


    Everything remained still for a moment as the Mica''s waited for Anton to make a move.


    ¡°Hm, I think I''ll start by thinning out the herd a bit...¡± mused Anton as he raised his left hand and leveled his open palm at the group of Mica''s.


    The shinoccubi all took stances and braced themselves to be ready for whatever Anton was planning. They froze in shock as one of them was suddenly entrapped in a series of binding rings that seemed to just instantly exist around her. The ensnared Mica made a small sound as chains exploded out of the rings and wrapped around her torso so tightly that they crushed the very air out of her chest. More thin chains then wrapped around her limbs and neck before tightening to such extreme levels that they literally started ripping the shinoccubus apart. With a look of panic on her face the Mica clone dissolved into a shredded shadow before disappearing completely.


    The rest of the transfixed Mica''s stared in horror at the now empty binding rings. Preoccupied as they were, they failed to respond as a light chain shot through the air and wrapped itself around the waist of a second Mica before turning into a locked shackle. The surprised Mica grunted as she was yanked backwards into the air by the rest of the chain and pulled towards Anton''s open left hand.


    Catching the flying shinoccubi at the head and holding her up by the hair, Anton remained stoic as she began to scream in rage.


    Immediately, the Mica went to slash at him with her tail, but Anton caught her at the base of her spade with his right hand and in one fluid motion, he pulled her spade down and then across her neck, slitting her throat clean open with a single slice.


    Anton then dropped the now silenced Mica to the ground and as she landed on her knees and fell forward, her head and body split apart at the neck. The clone then dissolved back into a shredded shadow before disappearing completely.


    A stunned silence passed as both the rest of the shinoccubi and the two dark elves all stared at the spot where the Mica clone had just disappeared.


    ¡°...Uh, you have 29 minutes left.¡± said Kianna as Fiona began to softly clap.


    Anton angled his right hand out and away from his body as he pointed his open palm towards the ground. Focusing a ball of mana into existence at the center of his palm, he ignited the mana with his holy attribute and condensed it down into a physical manifestation that was the size and shape of a glowing hot tennis ball. Grabbing the ball of energy in his hand, he tossed it at the group of Mica''s.


    Zipping through the air at a faster rate of speed than it could have reached if it were an actual, physical ball, the glowing orb made a sudden right turn and homed in on one of the Mica''s before striking her in the center of her chest. Before the surprised Mica could even react, the ball exploded and instantly incinerated her into nothing. The resulting cloud of fire caused the rest of the now panicking Mica''s to all scatter in opposite directions.


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± cried Fiona as the burst of flame burnt away ¡°Run! Run little Mica''s! Run for your lives!¡±


    Anton followed the same pattern as before and created another ball of mana at the center of his palm, but instead of throwing this new ball he moved his palm in an arc pattern in front of himself. As his hand moved across the span of the arc, the ball of mana was left hanging in the air at the low end of the arc and was quickly followed by another. Within the span of seconds, Anton had a dozen glowing balls of energy floating in front of him.


    ¡°Yes, you better run...¡± whispered Anton.


    Both of Anton''s palms began to glow with a soft white celestial light. Rearing his arm back and rolling his shoulder, Anton pushed forward and slammed his open palm against one of the glowing balls of mana, which instantly set it alight and sent it flying out into the open air.


    Having been imbued with a much heavier dose of his holy attribute, the mana had now become a large, blazing ball of holy fire. As it flew forward through the air it veered on its axis and curved to the side as it began targeting one of the fleeing Mica clones.


    With a look of terror on her face, the Mica clone raced across the field and began to dart back and forth as she tried to escape from the now growing ball of flame. Tripping she tumbled, rolled and came to a stop sitting on her butt and facing the looming inferno. At the very last second, she vanished as she teleported herself to safety. As the fireball struck the ground it rolled over in on itself and exploded forward. The blast of holy fire was so intense that it ripped up the ground itself, creating a massive cloud of dust and leaving a vitrified scar that was over ten feet wide, four feet deep and nearly thirty feet long.


    ¡°Whoa!¡± cried the dark elves as they both shielded their eyes from the brightness of the explosion.


    Anton wasted no time on observing the blast and instead began to slam his palms at more of the mana balls, igniting them and sending them flying at the stunned Mica''s that were scattered across the field.


    As the balls of fire began to soar through the air they each bent in their trajectories and targeted one Mica or another. The panicked shinoccubi raced, danced and teleported across the open terrain as they all tried to dodge the swarming fireballs and subsequent explosions. As each fireball exploded, it left behind a ravaged stretch of land and clouds of dust and debris.


    In a panic, the real Mica raced through a cloud of dust before ducking down into one of the lightly smoldering trenches left by an exploded fireball. Safe for the moment she began to hyperventilate as she worked to catch her breath. As she peeked over the edge of the trench to survey the land around her a loud whizzing sound drew her attention upwards. Her eyes widened to their fullest as the cloud of dust above her was suddenly split apart by the wake of an orange glowing chain that was sailing at high speed through the air and heading straight for her. Leaping out of the trench at a run she stumbled over the broken terrain and fell into a rolling cartwheel that turned into a series of back-flips before righting herself on her feet and running at full speed. As she raced to and fro across the field she now had to dodge the still raining fireballs while keeping herself at least one step ahead of the chain that stayed on her heels as it zigzagged behind her.


    It wasn''t long before her fatigue set in and her speed began to wane. Realizing her plight she teleported forward to give herself some space and dropped into a combat stance as she turned to face the chain. Still soaring forward at full speed, the chain quickly closed the distance between them. At the very last second before the chain found its mark, a Mica clone appeared in front of the real Mica and was immediately wrapped in the chains coils before they turned into a set of shackles that locked around her body.


    ¡°Hm, clever...¡± mused Anton as he pulled the chain back into his left palm.


    Reaching out, he grabbed one of the few remaining balls of mana in his right hand and raising his open palm upwards, he let the imbued fireball absorb more of the holy light from his hand. The small fireball began to slowly spin as it grew in size, and as it reached a high enough speed, two falchion-like blades erupted from its sides and began to whistle angrily as they cut through the air.


    With a flick of his wrist, Anton sent the bladed ball of fire flying forwards so it could effortlessly cut through the ensnared Mica clone that was being pulled towards him.


    The clone was sliced in half at the chest just below her bosom. The cut was clean and instantly separated her torso into two whilst slicing off both of her arms at the elbows, and half of her tail. Gasping in shock, the clones eyes went dull looking as she fell apart and dissolved back into a broken shadow.


    The still sailing, bladed fireball then left a trail of flames as it cut a trench through the ground behind the clone before finally exploding into a pillar of fire.


    Ignoring the blazing inferno, Anton began to scan the field of destruction for the real Mica. He was surprised as the two remaining clones suddenly appeared right in front of him and both reached for the key at his chest in unison.


    Unperturbed, Anton leveled his open palms at the clones faces and blasted them both with holy fire, which instantly incinerated their heads.


    Stepping through the dissolving clones, he cocked an eyebrow as he continued looking around for the real Mica.


    ¡°Fuck! This is just unfair!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she shook her head ¡°They''re all gone now!¡±


    ¡°Master is so amazing...¡± whispered Kianna as she struggled to keep her clenched hands from reaching down to her loins ¡°He''s just so amazing!¡±


    Anton shifted his lower jaw back and forth in a thoughtful manner as he looked out over the seemingly empty, smoldering field.


    Chuckling to himself, he began to stride out into the largest remaining patch of tall grass. Turning to the dark elves, he raised his left hand in front of himself and made a show of readying his fingers to be snapped.


    Their eyes going wide, both of the dark elves became fixated on his raised hand. Though they had seen him preform this ability with his right hand in the past, they suddenly realized that they had never actually seen him do this with his left.


    With a grin on his face, Anton snapped his fingers.


    As the sound of the snap reverberated through the air, the tall grass around Anton was bent and crushed to the ground in a wave of motion that began from right where he stood and spread outwards into a massive circle that spanned nearly a hundred feet.


    ¡°...What the fuck?¡± breathed Fiona as her eyes widened at the sight ¡°What did he just do?¡±


    Kianna shook her head thoughtfully for a moment before she spoke.


    ¡°...He makes things float by getting rid of the gravity, right?¡± she mused as she watched the circle of flattened grass spread out to the side as Anton began to nonchalantly walk in that direction ¡°Maybe he can make things fall by adding more?¡±


    ¡°...Oh, this guy is just full of bullshit!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°He just made a fucking Crop Circle!¡±


    ¡°...Yeah!¡± giggled Kianna as she nodded her head in agreement ¡°He did!¡±


    As the dark elves watched, Anton continued to casually walk around until he noticed what appeared to be an odd lump in the flattened grass. Veering in his path so as to head towards the strange anomaly, he began to laugh humorously as the lump started to slowly move away from him as he got closer to it, but would stop moving as soon as he did.


    Crouching down, he picked up a tiny pebble from the ground and tossed it at the lump. As soon as the pebble left the area closest to him it picked up speed and hit the lump with a surprisingly loud thud.


    ¡°OW! Fuck!¡± cried out the lump as it was struck with the pebble.


    Anton laughed again and began to rub his eyes with his thumb and index finger. Without even looking, he raised his left hand and shot out a light chain towards the lump.


    The lump quickly rolled to the side and dodged the chain as it struck the ground. Suddenly taking the appearance of a person made of water, the odd being rose up on its hands and knees and began to frantically crawl towards the edge of the circle. As it crossed over into the non flattened grass, the strange water person quickly got to its feet and began to run away from Anton before suddenly disappearing completely.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    The dark elves were both startled as the water person suddenly appeared in front of them.


    ¡°H-how, m-much, time, do I have left!¡± cried out the water person as it planted its hands on its knees and began to hyperventilate.


    ¡°What the Hell!¡± cried out Fiona as she leaned away from the odd alien-like being ¡°Who the Hell are you!?¡±


    ¡°Mica!?¡± asked Kianna ¡°Is that you!?¡±


    ¡°Wha!? Yeah!¡± cried the water person as it looked back and forth between them.


    As the dark elves watched in amazement, color seemed to fill the bubble of water that made up the being and an exhausted looking Mica quickly appeared in front of them.


    ¡°...How much time! ...Is left!¡± cried Mica between breaths ¡°...Till I win!¡±


    ¡°Um!¡± mumbled Kianna as she looked at her phone ¡°...21 minutes.¡±


    ¡°...What!?¡± cried Mica as her face became panicked ¡°Are you serious!?¡±


    ¡°Wha, y-yeah!¡± stammered Kianna as a look of concern spread across her face ¡°Mica, I''m sorry! But it''s only been 9 minutes!¡±


    ¡°That! ...Can''t be! Right!¡± exclaimed Mica.


    ¡°Yeah, it is! And most of that was actually you hiding in the grass.¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°Mr. Armageddon over there killed all the other Mica''s like right away. And has just been walking around since then.¡±


    Mica went to speak but stopped short as a rapid whistling sound filled the air and she was suddenly interrupted by a small twirling item flying in from her side and striking her neck as she was leaned forward.


    The dark elves eyes widened and their jaws fell open as they registered the still spinning, shiny ring of metal that had looped itself around Mica''s exposed neck.


    ¡°Oh no...¡± whispered Kianna as the manabinder came to rest against Mica''s collarbone.


    ¡°Oh shit... You are so fucked now!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she shook her head and smiled.


    ¡°...No! No! No!¡± cried Mica as she reached up and frantically pulled on the locked manabinder with both her hands.


    ¡°Did you really just take your eyes off your enemy in the middle of a fight!?¡± called Anton as he was nonchalantly making his way towards them.


    ¡°No! No! No! No! Not again!¡± cried Mica as she quickly backed away from the dark elves while still pulling on the manabinder ¡°Not this again!¡±


    Tripping over her own feet, she fell over on her butt and began to scramble backwards before getting back upright and running away towards the large tree.


    ¡°Well this just went from exciting to sad...¡± muttered Fiona as she watched the fleeing shinoccubus.


    Mica had reached the tree at nearly the same time that Anton came up to the dark elves.


    ¡°Is she crying?¡± asked Anton in a hushed and concerned sounding tone.


    ¡°No.¡± said Kianna as she shook her head ¡°Not yet. But she''s probably close...¡±


    Anton nodded and sighed softly.


    ¡°Might as well get this over with...¡± he mumbled as he raised his hand and sent a light chain flying out towards Mica.


    The shinoccubus at the tree had apparently found a fallen branch and was now welding it as a weapon. Though she had initially taken a sword stance as she faced the approaching chain, her movements quickly devolved and became similar to someone welding a baseball bat. By jumping, dodging around the tree trunk and striking with her branch weapon, she was finally able to evade the chain by climbing up into the tree and getting it to wrap itself around one of the lower hanging limbs.


    Anton sighed in frustration and shook his head as he released the end of the chain and let it melt away.


    Mica took the opportunity to climb higher into the tree and give herself as much distance as she could. She put on quite a show by not only showcasing some of her gymnastics skills but also illustrating just how invaluable her tail could be in aiding her escape attempt.


    ¡°...Wow, she actually does move like a monkey.¡± quipped Fiona as she watched Mica hoist herself upwards by her tail alone ¡°Look at her go! ...She must weigh like nothing.¡±


    ¡°Fiends like her are naturally very lightweight.¡± said Anton as he too followed Mica''s movements ¡°To make it easier for them to fly, they all have hollow bones, which that alone cuts the weight of their skeletons down by more than a half of what a normal person''s would be. Also, like I said before, her tail is actually a lot stronger than it looks. Which now that you get to see it in action, you now know what I mean.¡±


    The dark elves both nodded their heads as they all watched Mica reach the top branches of the massive oak. Crawling out onto the edge of an overhanging branch, the suddenly cheerful shinoccubus looked down and began to taunt them manically.


    ¡°Ha! Let''s see you get all the way up here!¡± she shouted as she gripped the branch with both her hands and her knees ¡°Good luck getting up here before the time runs out!¡±


    Leaning over the tip of the branch so she could face the group below her put Mica in a position of having her rear end pointed up into the air. As such, she waved her long tail back and forth behind her in both joy, and in an effort to help her stay balanced on her perch.


    ¡°Has she not been paying any attention at all?¡± asked Anton as he shook his head ¡°I just devastated the landscape right in front of her and she thinks this tree is going to somehow stop me?¡±


    ¡°Well what do you expect? I keep telling you guys she''s stupid!¡± mumbled Fiona ¡°How many times do I have to keep saying it?¡±


    ¡°Stop it, you guys need to be nice!¡± chastised Kianna as she pointed her ears straight back ¡°You know how scared she is! ...She''s just tying to be hopeful right now!¡±


    ¡°Kianna!¡± shouted Mica as she bobbed up and down on her branch ¡°How much time do I have left!?¡±


    Fiona and Anton both turned to Kianna who looked down at her phone.


    ¡°16 minutes!¡± called Kianna as she placed her open hand against the side of her mouth to help her voice carry further.


    Mica was giggling as she gave her a thumbs up. She happily began to slice at the leaves on the branches around her with her tail in an obvious early celebration.


    ¡°Hm, the poor little thing is about to get her poor little heart broken...¡± mused Anton as he watched the shredded leaves billow down from the tree top ¡°You know, I think I''m legitimately going to feel bad for her when she starts crying...¡±


    ¡°I hope you''re ready to eat shit! You cocksucker!¡± shouted Mica as she started to bounce herself up and down on her branch ¡°This game is over and you lost! You pathetic, asshole, fuckwad!¡±


    ¡°...Hm, nevermind.¡± said Anton as he shook his head and began to crack his knuckles ¡°I''m going to so very much enjoy dragging that mouthy little brat around by her tail...¡±


    ¡°Oh, c''mon, Mica! Why!?¡± cried Kianna as she rubbed her forehead ¡°Why do keep doing this crap to yourself!?¡±


    ¡°Again! She''s stupid!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she looked at her sister and threw her hands in the air ¡°I keep saying it!¡±


    ¡°She''s lucky I don''t really want to hurt this tree.¡± said Anton as he faced away from the dark elves and raised his right hand ¡°Otherwise this would have been a lot more flashy.¡±


    Opening his palm, Anton gathered together a broad expanse of mana and pushed it forward. As he did this, reality itself seemed to bow inwards for a second before silently cracking and finally shattering like glass.


    The dark elves were both impressed but not overly surprised by the sight of a portal opening up.


    The portal was the size of a floor length mirror and was oval in shape with what looked like tiny broken pieces of the reality glass along its edges. Looking through the portal they were greeted by the sight of Mica''s round, purple clad behind as it bobbed up and down in the air.


    ¡°Hey! What is he doing!?¡± cried Mica who was now much easier to hear through the portal ¡°What is that thing!?¡±


    ¡°It''s a skill I call Meridian Break. It basically works in the same way as a normal portal spell, but these portals travel through the Void rather than through a ley line like a normal one would. This makes these portals smaller than a typical one would be, but the trade off is I can open them pretty much wherever I want. Which makes them very useful.¡± explained Anton ¡°...I always forget how clearly you can see through them whenever the two ends are this close together.¡±


    Mica stiffened at the sound of his voice so close behind her. Arching her tail over her head, she lifted herself up on her hands and knees and looked down between her limbs. Her eyes could just barely be seen over the edges of her hanging breasts, but it was clear by the shock in them that she knew what she was seeing.


    ¡°Mica, did you know that you have hollow bones?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°...I, um? No?¡± mumbled Mica as her eyes tightened in worry.


    ¡°Hm, well now you do.¡± said Anton as he leaned back on his left leg and raised his right up before bending it inward in preparation to kick.


    Mica went into a panic as she realized what he was about to do, but before she could react Anton kicked her square in the center of her bottom and sent her flying out into the open air.


    Tumbling as she fell, Mica was too panicked to have the sense of mind to reach out with her tail and snag one of the passing branches, and so she merely flailed her limbs as she quickly plummeted to the ground.


    Just as she was about to make her landfall, another portal opened up right in front of her and she sailed through it and directly into Anton''s waiting fist.


    Anton had created the new portal with his opened palm just as he had before but this time he locked his elbow as it opened and made his hand into a fist. As Mica came though the portal, she met his fist with her gut and was bent completely in half before being tossed backwards.


    Landing in a heap on the ground, Mica immediately hunched into the fetal position and held her belly as she struggled to keep from vomiting. Having had the wind knocked from her, she laid breathless on her side for a moment before desperately sucking in one painful lungful of air after another.


    ¡°That was for cussing at me again...¡± said Anton as he let his arm fall to hang at his side.


    Gathering her senses, Mica steeled her resolve and gripped at the nearby grass as she tried to rise back up and move. Getting herself to her hands and knees, she clawed at the ground as she crawled away from where she knew Anton was. Making just enough headway to give herself a dose of hope, she was suddenly jerked to a stop. Already knowing in her heart what was keeping her from moving forward she clenched her teeth and stared at the ground between her hands as she continued to pull fruitlessly against the grip that held her tail. Gathering her courage, she tilted her head to the side and glanced back over her shoulder.


    Anton was sitting cross-legged on the ground behind her and in his left hand he held her tail at the base of her spade.


    Eyeballs burning from a combination of the dust around her and her recent fall, Mica shut her eyes as she shifted her head and reopened them as she looked up at the dark elves.


    Both of the dark elves had solemn expressions on their faces as they looked back at her. Without a word Kianna slowly moved her phone so that its screen was visible to Mica. The shinoccubus clamped her eyes shut again and hung her head as she saw that there was still eight minutes left on the timer.


    With a groan Mica pulled against Anton''s grip until the last of her strength was spent and she tumbled forward into a heap on the ground. Curling back up into the fetal position she ended up lying with her cheek resting against a cool, dusty patch of soil.


    Mica had remained completely still for the last nearly half hour. Although she was still awake, she made every attempt she could to distance her mind from what was happening around her.


    ¡°Kianna, can you hand me that pouch I had you put in your bag, please.¡± said Anton.


    ¡°...Um, this one?¡± asked the dark elf as she pulled out a small black colored, canvas pouch that was reminiscent of the carrying cases that shaving kits or hair-clippers were kept in.


    ¡°Yep, that''s the one.¡± said Anton as he reached out and took the pouch from the dark elf ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Unzipping its top, Anton opened the pouch with one hand before reaching in, rummaging around a bit and pulling out a small whetstone block which he set down on his bent knee.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Fiona as she planted her elbows on her knees and rested her chin in her hands as she watched Anton.


    ¡°I''m going to give Mica''s tail a bit of maintenance while we''re waiting.¡± said Anton as he gave the edge of the shinoccubi''s bladed spade a look over by flipping it back and forth.


    ¡°...Wait? How much longer are we gonna be out here?¡± asked Fiona as she glanced down at Mica.


    ¡°We have no reason to rush.¡± said Anton as he took a small package of alcohol wipes from the pouch and ran one down along the sharpened edge of Mica''s spade to clean away the remains of the weeds and other plants she had been recently slicing apart ¡°We can afford to be kind, and give Mica a little more time.¡±


    Fiona scrunched up her face in annoyance but said nothing as she continued to watch Anton work. After a few moments of silence her ears suddenly pointed themselves straight back in annoyance.


    ¡°Hey!¡± she exclaimed as she furrowed her brow at Anton ¡°If you can make portals wherever you want to, then why did we have to hike all the way out here! We could have just portaled here!¡±


    Anton chuckled as he folded the small towelette over and began to use the still clean side.


    ¡°I''ve never been here before, and there was no one here. So how could I have made a portal just open up out here with no point to link to?¡± he explained as he grinned up at the dark elf ¡°Also, that little walk was a good warm-up for Mica. And it''s not like you and your sister didn''t benefit from it as well. In fact, now that we have a shinoccubi to train, I''m seriously thinking about implementing an exercise routine for everyone to follow.¡±


    Shacking her head, Fiona rolled her eyes and harrumphed in irritation before looking off to the side and silently fuming.


    Chuckling again, Anton continued to gently work on Mica''s spade.


    Mica''s spade was shaped like a thinly tapered spearhead and had about six inches of bladed length that was rooted to a smaller triangle shaped section that acted as the foundation for the blade. This chitin-like, horn-colored triangle had a cracked appearance across its surface and was actually the remnants of Mica''s originally dull spade which had broken open along its top edge as the sharpened blade grew out from its top point. The two lower points of this triangle were still dull and rounded.


    Like the rest of her tail, the blade itself was black in color and had a smooth, seemingly polished surface that would faintly reflect light in a softly shimmering manner. This low shine gave the blade the appearance of being metallic in nature, though it was actually made of a densely packed carbon based material which was constantly growing outwards to replace itself as it was worn down along its edge.


    The very base of the spade, where it met the rest of Mica''s tail, was curved inwards, and this was where the teardrop shaped bulge of musculature that not only attached the spade to her tail itself, but housed her barbs as well, could be found. Each of Mica''s four barbs were curved, claw-like and about two and a half inches in length. They were a solid black in color and would retract into this bulge in a similar fashion to how a cat''s claws would retreat into its toes.


    Satisfied now with the cleanliness of the spade, Anton planted the whetstone along its sharpened edge and lightly ran the stone down its bladed length. He worked slowly and lightly to both sharpen the blade as well as smooth away the nicks and scrapes it had accumulated during its recent use. He was a little annoyed to find that the very tip of the blade had actually been chipped off at some point, and so using the whetstone, he did his best to carefully carve it back into a sharpened point.


    These actions taken against her spade were not only painless for Mica, but actually had a certain level of comforting pleasantness to them. So even as Anton began to loosen his grip on her tail, she let him continue in his efforts rather than pull her spade back to herself.


    Setting the whetstone back on his knee, Anton took a thick, dry, fibrous cloth from the pouch and ran it along the edge of the spade to clean away the dust-like particles that had been chipped away from the blade itself as it was being sharpened.


    Sitting quietly as they watched him do all this, the two dark elves were both startled as a large portal suddenly opened up a few hundred yards in front of them.


    ¡°Oh, good. It''s about time...¡± mumbled Anton as he blew on the newly resharpened tip of Mica''s spade and gave it another swipe with the cloth ¡°That took a lot longer than I thought it would...¡±


    ¡°Uh, what!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as she looked from the portal to him and back ¡°Wait! Who is that!?¡±


    ¡°That...¡± said Anton as he glanced up at the three figures that had just come through the portal ¡°Would be Mica''s family...¡±

 Guilty x Creatures : Assassin Arc : Chapter 18

    Chapter 18 : Afternoon


    The three shinoccubi standing at the portal were all slightly taller than Mica but were otherwise very similar to her in appearance. Two of them, like Mica, were female kiochi while one was clearly a kiogah.


    The kiogah stood in stark contrast to the two women at his side due to several obvious key differences in his features. The first of which were his larger horns, which were only slightly longer but were much broader at their base and spaced further apart, being placed on either sides of his brow rather than at his temples. Also unlike the kiochis, his horns curved inwards with their points facing each other rather than curving back above his head.


    The bladed spade at the end of his tail was also noticeably larger and broader than those of the kiochis, and unlike them, the saturated coloration around his eyes was almost nonexistent.


    The most obvious difference between him and his female counterparts however, were his wings. The kiogah''s wings were markedly larger than Mica''s and were currently wrapped tightly around his shoulders. The arms of his bat-like wings had been laid over the tops of his shoulders where they then bent at their elbows to wrap around his collarbone. The tiny clawed fingers at the wings wrists were then clasped together over his chest, while the longer, thinner fingers that made up the structure of the wings themselves were curling back, over, and around his shoulders before trailing down his back. The length of his wings then draped down his back to his waist and made it appear as though he was wearing a short cape.


    The three shinoccubi were all dressed identically in full black colored bodysuits that covered them from head to foot. Attached to these suits were pads of lightweight, tactical style plated armor that wrapped around their limbs and torsos, while half masks that were identical to Mica''s covered the lower halves of their faces.


    Dressed as they were, the only parts of their bodies left visible around their suits and masks, were the top halves of their heads, from their eyes upwards, the kiogah''s wings, and their long, coiling tails.


    Like Mica''s, the three shinoccubi''s hair were all colored a solid black, but would shine a different color whenever they moved through the light. The kiogah''s hair was cut short and shined a dark blue that was identical to Mica''s but the two kiochis hair shined a dark green color instead. One of the kiochi had her long hair in a multi-banded ponytail that was similar to Mica''s while the other one had hair that was cut shorter and was left to hang freely.


    Their guarded stances and the sheathed weapons that hung across their backs and at their hips made it clear that these shinoccubi did not intend to be peaceful.


    Though they did carry themselves with a presence that belied their potential danger, this had little to no effect on the two dark elves, who were both far more intrigued by the sight of them than intimidated.


    Interestingly, the long haired kiochi seemed to be carrying a teddy bear sized stuffed frog that was a bright green in color and had a broad cartoonish smile stitched across its face.


    ¡°Yes!¡± cried Mica as she pulled her tail back to herself and quickly scrambled to her feet ¡°I knew it! I knew they''d come and get me!¡±


    Anton shook his head softly as he slipped the dry cloth back into the pouch.


    ¡°You''re so fucked now!¡± cried Mica as she balled her hands into fists ¡°You might have kicked my ass but you''ll never beat them! They''re the real deal! Actual assassins!¡±


    ¡°I''m sorry, Mica.¡± said Anton as he placed the whetstone and towelettes back in the pouch as well ¡°But this is for the best...¡±


    Taken aback, Mica stared at him for a second as she registered his somber tone.


    ¡°...You''re a dead man.¡± she declared quietly before turning and making to run towards her family.


    Mica only made it a few paces before being forced to stop short as the wall of an orange light bubble suddenly appeared right in front of her. She went to cry out in anger but her voice died in her throat as a thin dart-like blade struck the bubble directly in front of her face. The tiny ping sound that the blade made was quickly followed by one after another as a rain of blades, all clearly aiming for her, struck the bubble and bounced off of it to land harmlessly on the ground in front of her.


    Dumbstruck, Mica went completely still as she stared through the transparent bubble at her family. She blinked as a sharp hissing sound caught her attention and looking downwards, she immediately noticed thin streams of smoke rising from were a bubbling chemical that had been smeared on the dart-like blades was burning the ground itself. Making a small sound in the back of her throat, she took a tentative step away from the blades and looked back up at her family.


    ¡°...Wait?¡± she whispered as she fell forward and dropped to her knees ¡°No, wait... No!¡±


    ¡°I''d say that was at least 12 pings...¡± mumbled Anton as he rose from his sitting position and set the pouch down on the log next to the dark elves ¡°That will hopefully be all their poisoned darts. They usually only carry about 4 of them at a time.¡±


    The dark elves looked from him to Mica and then finally to the three shinoccubi.


    ¡°...What are you going to do now?¡± asked Kianna as she pointed her ears straight back and glared at Mica''s family.


    ¡°I''m going to go over there and have a chat with my friends.¡± said Anton as he turned to look at the waiting shinoccubi ¡°...But first.¡±


    The two dark elves both stiffened in surprise as a faint warmth began to emanate directly from the bloodgems mounted to their collars.


    ¡°Wha... Whoa, whoa!¡± exclaimed Fiona as a surge of raw power began to slowly seep into her and fill her entire being ¡°Hold on! What are you doing!?¡±


    ¡°I''m making sure that you two will have more than enough power to do whatever it is you feel you need to do...¡± explained Anton.


    ¡°...What we need to do?¡± questioned Kianna as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards ¡°What do you mean!?¡±


    ¡°Well, I''d like you girls to stay over here, and keep an eye on our kiochi while I''m gone.¡± said Anton as he tightened his eyes at the shinoccubi ¡°And if anyone decides to be foolish enough to come over here and try to kill her while I''m busy. Then I''d like you girls to step in and stop them.¡±


    Wide eyed, the dark elves glanced at each other before turning to stare at the three figures in the distance.


    ¡°Remember. You have no reason to be afraid. You have the defensive advantage.¡± said Anton ¡°Your aura fields alone should be all you need to keep yourselves and Mica safe.¡±


    ¡°...Right. ...Sure.¡± nodded Fiona ¡°But let''s say, that if we, maybe wanted to try... Could we beat them?¡±


    Pausing at her question, Anton tilted his head and glanced back at the two dark elves. Finding them both staring at the shinoccubi with calm, calculating looks on their faces, he couldn''t help but to grin.


    ¡°They are assassins. For them the element of surprise is everything. In fact, I''m sure the only reason that they''re hesitating right now is because at the moment, they don''t have that advantage on us.¡± explained Anton as he focused back on the shinoccubi.


    The dark elves both nodded silently as they continued to listen.


    ¡°You''ve seen Mica in action, and you know how quickly she can move. They''ll be just as fast, if not faster. And unlike Mica, they''ll have training and experience on their side. They won''t be as clumsy as she is, or as predictable. Do not take them lightly.¡± continued Anton ¡°Your auras are what will make all the difference for you. So do not hold back with them. The link you have to me will give you all the power you need. So you have no reason to worry about running out. Work together, force them to feel fear, and there will be nothing they can do to stop you.¡±


    The dark elves nodded again as faint smiles formed on their faces and their ears began to twitch in excitement.


    ¡°Do not be overconfident though. Remember, these are natural born killers. They are not harmless by any means.¡± warned Anton ¡°Act rash, overreach, and they will take advantage of you. But if you stay in control of yourselves, remain patient, let them make the mistake of coming to you, and the battle will be yours.¡±


    Their expressions shifting to show a grim determination, the dark elves both narrowed their eyes at the shinoccubi.


    ¡°...Oh, and there is one more thing.¡± said Anton ¡°Possibly the most important thing of all.¡±


    Shifting their attention back to him, the dark elves remained still as they waited for him to continue.


    ¡°If things do become ugly. And a battle does take place.¡± said Anton as he glanced down at them and grinned ¡°Then I want you both to make sure that you enjoy yourselves.¡±


    ¡°...Oh, of course, Master!¡± replied the dark elves in unison as wicked looking smiles spread across their faces ¡°We absolutely will!¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± nodded Anton as he began to make his way towards the edge of the bubble ¡°Very good.¡±


    Stopping next to the still frozen and wide eyed Mica, he pointed his index finger straight down and pressed his fingertip against the very center of the top of her head.


    ¡°Stay.¡± he ordered as he applied enough pressure to make her head dip a bit ¡°Do not move.¡±


    Mica made a tiny sound in acknowledgment as her tail coiled itself around her body.


    The light bubble dropped away completely as Anton stepped past her and went to walk through it.


    Though the majority of their features were obscured, tension could still be seen clearly in the eyes of the three shinoccubi as they stood their ground and silently watched Anton approach.


    ¡°Leopold! Ila!¡± cried Anton cheerfully as he made his way towards them ¡°Fancy running into you guys out here in the middle of nowhere! What are the odds!¡±


    The kiogah and the long haired kiochi both blinked and glanced at each other before turning back to Anton. Though in no way older looking by comparison, the long haired kiochi was marginally taller than her short haired companion, and had horns that were nearly twice as long as both her''s and Mica''s.


    ¡°Hello, Anton.¡± said Leopold as he inclined his head in greeting ¡°You''re looking well.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Hello, Anton.¡± said Ila as she waved her tail back and forth in greeting ¡°It''s nice to see you again.¡±


    ¡°Same, same!¡± smiled Anton as he came to a stop about a dozen feet in front of them ¡°And I''m guessing this is Nokko then, right? It''s nice to finally meet you!¡±


    The short haired kiochi blinked with obvious apprehension on her nearly hidden face.


    ¡°...Right, yes. It''s nice to meet you too.¡± she answered in a voice that was both unfriendly and unsure ¡°I''d like to apologize for any, inconveniences, that my sister may have caused you.¡±


    ¡°Hm? Ah, you must mean Mica.¡± said Anton as he nodded his head playfully ¡°Yes, she has been a bit of a handful lately. As you can see.¡±


    The three shinoccubi followed Anton''s hand with their eyes as he gestured towards the still smoking trenches laid out all around them.


    ¡°...Yes. Quite easy to see.¡± nodded Ila as she glanced about ¡°Mica didn''t actually do any of this though? Did she?¡±


    ¡°Well, no, most of this was me.¡± said Anton with a grin and a shrug ¡°But she was involved.¡±


    ¡°I take it you two had a battle then?¡± questioned Leopold.


    ¡°You could say that. Though in reality, it was more of an assessment of Mica''s skills.¡± explained Anton as he let his eyes drift to Nokko, who was now staring past him at her sister ¡°You see, I wanted to know just what Mica is capable of, and how much training she''s going to need to best preform at her new job of protecting my dark elves. So now, I can say that while I do think she does have a long way to go, and will need quite a bit of work, there is definitely enough natural talent there to know that the effort will be worth it.¡±


    Clearly uncertain of how to precede with this situation, both Leopold and Ila shifted in unease as they glanced at each other.


    Anton had to work to suppress the smugness from his expression as he watched the tension pass between the two shinoccubi.


    ¡°...Anton.¡± began Leopold as he measured his words before speaking ¡°I know, that you do understand, why we''re here. And that you know, what it is we''ve come to do.¡±


    ¡°Well of course I do. You''ve come to murder your own child.¡± said Anton as he looked from Leopold to Ila and back ¡°That''s exactly why we''re out here as well. You see, I wanted Mica to fully understand her situation. Unfortunately, she was still under the impression that this could all be resolved, and that you, as her parents, wouldn''t truly want to harm her. So knowing that you would more than likely be using some kind of locator spell to find her. I brought her out here, away from my ward, and we''ve just been passing the time and waiting for you to show up.¡±


    Taken aback, the three shinoccubi went still for a moment as they absorbed what Anton had just said.


    ¡°...Wait, so you planned for this?¡± asked Ila.


    ¡°Yes. And although I do appreciate you being as predictable as you''ve been, I also think that it took you a lot longer to get here than it should have.¡± said Anton as he shifted his gaze down to the stuffed animal ¡°I''m guessing that this frog is the focus you used to find Mica?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes.¡± said Ila as she looked at the frog in her hand.


    ¡°Hold on a moment!¡± grumbled Leopold as he narrowed his eyes and curled his tail upwards behind his shoulders ¡°If you''re telling the truth. And you intended to lure us here. Is this meant to be some kind of trap!?¡±


    ¡°Trap? Oh, no! No, I think the point has been made already, so you''re free to leave.¡± said Anton as he gestured to the portal ¡°Like I said before, I just wanted Mica to understand that you would legitimately kill her. And now that she does understand that, we''re done here.¡±


    The three shinoccubi glanced among themselves before turning back to Anton.


    ¡°No, Anton.¡± said Leopold as he locked eyes with Anton ¡°I''m afraid we''re not done here, yet.¡±


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    ¡°Yes, Leopold.¡± smiled Anton ¡°You are.¡±


    ¡°Anton, you have to understand.¡± said Ila as her eyes became pained ¡°This is something that we need to do. There''s far more to this than you realize.¡±


    ¡°No, there isn''t. I understand your situation completely, Ila.¡± stated Anton as his voice took on a harder tone ¡°I just don''t agree with how you plan to resolve the issues that you''re dealing with.¡±


    ¡°This isn''t something that''s going to be enjoyed, Anton.¡± said Leopold as his tone hardened as well ¡°But regardless. It is something that we are going to do.¡±


    ¡°No, Leopold. It isn''t something that you''re going to do. Because I''m not going to let you do it.¡± said Anton as he folded his arms over chest ¡°Now accept that, and leave.¡±


    The stillness that followed lasted for several long moments before being broken by Nokko as she narrowed her eyes and menacingly swiped her tail back and forth above her head.


    ¡°Okay, who the Hell does this guy think he is!?¡± she asked as she gestured to Anton by pointing her spade at him ¡°Because he sure is cocky for somebody who is moments away from death!¡±


    Anton chuckled as he kept his eyes locked to Leopold''s.


    ¡°Enough, Nokko!¡± chastised Ila as she slapped at her daughters spade with her own.


    ¡°Yes! Enough of this nonsense!¡± said Leopold ¡°This is a serious matter, Anton. And if you keep pushing it, then this situation will become violent.¡±


    ¡°Of course it will, you say that as if it''s actually avoidable. You''re Infernals, Leopold. And it always comes down to violence with Infernals...¡± said Anton as he sighed in frustration ¡°Even when dealing with the domesticated ones...¡±


    Stiffening at the jab, both Leopold and Ila tightened their eyes in annoyance.


    ¡°Violence isn''t necessary, Anton.¡± said Leopold ¡°I do not want to hurt you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, now come on, Leopold. We both know that isn''t true.¡± said Anton ¡°We''re still friends here, regardless of the situation. So please don''t lie to me like that again.¡±


    Clearly taken aback by the suddenness of the statement, Leopold sighed and shook his head in frustration.


    ¡°You''re really going to make this difficult for us, aren''t you?¡± grumbled the kiogah.


    ¡°Difficult? No, I''m not going to make this difficult for you...¡± said Anton as he shook his head and began to flare his aura ¡°I''m going to make this impossible for you...¡±


    ¡°...Is that so.¡± whispered Leopold as he slowly arched his tail up high over his head and pointed his spade down at Anton.


    ¡°Wait! Now hold on a moment!¡± exclaimed Ila as she teleported herself in between the two steel eyed men ¡°Anton, I don''t understand this at all! Why are you suddenly so adamant about wanting to keep Mica alive? She has tried to kill you! You owe her nothing! And yet you''re standing here ready to fight for her!? Why!? Why would you ever do this!?¡±


    ¡°...Because, amazingly, somehow or another that little kiochi has endeared herself to my dark elves. And this is something that I just can''t help but to find fascinating.¡± said Anton as he sighed in mock frustration ¡°They''ve decided that they like her for some reason. And they want to keep her. And yes, yes I know I''m spoiling them by giving in like this. But it''s just so difficult for me to say no to those girls when they ask so nicely. ...And, well, also, I suppose I''d be lying to myself if I didn''t admit that the little brat wasn''t growing on me a bit as well...¡±


    ¡°...Wait, what!? So you''re seriously going to risk your life for somebody you''ve just barely met, all because some dark elves asked you to!?¡± exclaimed Nokko in a mocking tone ¡°Does this really not sound ridiculous to you!?¡±


    ¡°I''m not the one whose life is at risk, Nokko.¡± said Anton ¡°That would be Mica.¡±


    ¡°...You sure about that?¡± mumbled Nokko.


    ¡°Yes.¡± stated Anton ¡°And I have no intention of letting her, or anyone else die today. Which is why I''m willing to offer a proposition to you two, Leopold and Ila.¡±


    ¡°Proposition?¡± questioned Leopold.


    ¡°Yes. As you can see.¡± said Anton as he nodded towards his and Mica''s battlefield ¡°I am not without my capabilities. And if this were to escalate to a point in which the 4 of us were to fight, then I would of course defend myself in anyway that I felt was necessary. And there is no guarantee that one of you won''t be killed in that scenario... I don''t want to see that happen. So I propose that we settle this in an as controlled a manner as possible. A simple, quick match between me and Leopold. One on one, winner takes Mica with them, and we call it a day. How does this sound?¡±


    Leopold was silent for a moment as he stared at Anton.


    ¡°...This is foolishness.¡± he said at last ¡°You are taking a risk here, Anton. One that I don''t feel you truly comprehend.¡±


    ¡°Possibly.¡± nodded Anton ¡°It''s entirely possible that you''re right, Leopold. But be that as it may, it''s a risk I''m still willing to take.¡±


    ¡°...Very well then. If you insist, then I will oblige.¡± said Leopold as he nodded to Ila and Nokko ¡°We will do this one on one. Just you and I.¡±


    ¡°Excellent.¡± said Anton as he watched the two kiochis disappear for a brief second and then reappear a short distance away.


    ¡°As I said before, I am not going to enjoy this.¡± said Leopold as he stepped into place in front of Anton ¡°I wish you could be more reasonable.¡±


    ¡°This is an ugly situation for all of us, Leopold.¡± said Anton ¡°This isn''t something that I''m looking forward to either. But I have to do what I feel needs to be done.¡±


    ¡°And that is a decision that you will regret.¡± said Leopold as he pulled two swords from the sheaths strapped to his back ¡°I don''t intend to drag this out, Anton. I will end this as quickly as possible.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I intend to do the same.¡± said Anton.


    ¡°It is clear that you''re not completely incapable.¡± stated Leopold as he began to slowly walk in a circle around Anton ¡°So I don''t intend to give you an opportunity at a clear target.¡±


    ¡°...Mm hm, that makes sense.¡± nodded Anton as he arched an eyebrow in question.


    ¡°I am going to use an ability to generate several clones of myself. These will not be mere illusions, Anton. Each of these clones will be fully capable of harming you.¡± explained Leopold ¡°You will not be able to tell which one is the real me. I will then create a veil of dust in which to hide in. You will not be able to tell from which direction you are going to be attacked from.¡±


    ¡°...Okay?¡± questioned Anton as he folded his arms back over his chest ¡°Why are you telling me all this?¡±


    ¡°Because, capabilities aside. You are no warrior, Anton.¡± said Leopold ¡°You have made it abundantly clear through our past conversations that you are merely a scholar. Skilled in survival as you may be, a battlefield is no place for you. As it sits, you have no chance of winning this fight. And to not at least give you some idea of what to expect would just be cruel.¡±


    ¡°...I see. Well, that is, very kind and, confident, of you. And I do appreciate the gesture, Leopold.¡± said Anton as he nodded slowly ¡°But I think it would be best if you went ahead and just got started already. You see, if it''s all the same to you, I would really rather not spend the rest of the day on this...¡±


    ¡°...Very well then.¡± muttered Leopold as he unclasped his wings and spread them out wide over his shoulders ¡°If you insist...¡±


    The dark elves both went wide eyed as they watched the shadows created by Leopold''s wings begin to consolidate into seemingly solidified masses. Within the span of a moment, two clones that were identical to Leopold suddenly dropped out of the solid shadows and stood on either side of the original.


    Apparently, unlike with Mica, Leopold didn''t have to completely dissolve himself into a cloud of darkness to create clones. Nor did he have to remain still to do so, as he continued to walk in a circle around Anton while creating one set of clones after another.


    As they were created, each set of clones would quickly dash to different positions around Anton. And by the time Leopold had made a full circle, Anton was completely surrounded.


    Ignoring the clones, Anton remained stoic as he watched Leopold come to a stop in front of him.


    ¡°This is your last chance, Anton.¡± said Leopold as he and the clones all spread their wings out as wide as they could ¡°From here on out, the fight will begin.¡±


    ¡°By all means.¡± said Anton as he lifted his left hand and waved it about ¡°Please, begin.¡±


    Without another word, all the clones began to move in unison as they beat their wings down towards the ground. In doing so they immediately raised a thick cloud of dust.


    Anton kept his eyes on Leopold as around them each of the clones dropped backwards into the dust cloud and began to run at inhuman speeds in a circle, kicking up more dust as they went.


    Within seconds, Anton and Leopold stood alone in the center of a swirling dust storm that now hid the still moving clones.


    The watching dark elves and kiochis had completely lost sight of anything within the dust cloud and could do nothing but wait for the view to clear.


    Leopold gave Anton a sly half grin before he beat his wings and launched himself backwards so as to disappear into the dust cloud himself.


    Anton remained motionless as he merely stared forward and waited.


    Bright flashes of sunlight reflecting off of their blades was the only warning Anton had as over a dozen Leopold''s suddenly appeared out of the swirling dust cloud and went to attack him all at once.


    In the next second, the sound of a single finger snap reverberated loudly across the open field, and this was followed by an immediate cease to all of the movement around the still standing Anton.


    The air surrounding Anton had instantly become clear as the dust, grass and attacking shinoccubi had all been immediately crushed to the ground around him.


    The two dark elves began to clap softly as the dumbfounded kiochis blinked in confusion.


    ¡°...It''s quite depressing to see how times of peace without conflict can have such ugly side effects on those who carry a drive for combat in their spirits.¡± said Anton as he glanced around at the unmoving kiogahs ¡°The gentrification of the modern age has been especially cruel in this regard. By dealing with only the average citizen, any individual with even a modest amount of training will begin to truly believe themselves to be capable as a warrior in real combat. And it''s only after encountering someone who knows what it truly takes to win the day on an actual field of battle, that these misguided individuals will not only come to comprehend the true gap in skill, but they will also come to fully understand their own place amongst their betters...¡±


    Twisting at the waist, Anton tilted to the side to meet eyes with one of the struggling Leopold''s.


    ¡°You have failed to recognize your place, Leopold. You are no warrior. You''re a posh, real-estate lawyer who merely moonlights as an assassin. A blade for hire who lives at the beck and call of any fat businessman with the money to pay for your services...¡± said Anton as he tightened his eyes in question ¡°Tell me truthfully. How many of your targets have ever been anything more than a a nosy accountant, a lazy son-in-law, or an unwanted whore?¡±


    The Leopold remained silent as his expression hardened.


    ¡°Mm hm, that''s what I thought...¡± nodded Anton as he looked away from him ¡°Underestimating your opponent is always the first step to defeat. This is something that I will make sure that Mica learns.¡±


    A hollow thud suddenly rung out as a kunai came sailing into the area and immediately slammed to the ground to lay with its point aimed at Anton.


    Glancing at the fallen weapon, Anton slowly raised his eyes up to Nokko and took in her post throwing stance.


    The kiochi lowered her arm to her side as a look of hated clouded her eyes.


    ¡°Release him.¡± she growled ¡°Now.¡±


    Anton tilted his head as he gave her an assessment.


    ¡°I said, release him!¡± ordered Nokko as she pulled a handgun from a holster at the small of her back and pointed it at Anton ¡°Right now!¡±


    Anton remained silent and still as they both stared at each other.


    Nokko''s eyes tightened further a split second before she pulled the trigger on her weapon, but this signal was all the warning that Anton needed to summon an aura field into existence around himself and block the bolt of concentrated mana that had been fired out of the gun.


    Surprised by the sight of the glowing bubble, Nokko seethed and began to rapidly fire her weapon in anger. Aiming for Anton''s head, she struck the bubble at the same spot over and over again. When no effect was made by the mana based blasts, she quickly flipped a switch on the side of her weapon and fired an actual physical bullet from the gun. After several fired shots, she became elated when a small crack suddenly appeared across the bubble''s surface.


    Anton''s expression never altered as he calmly watched Nokko empty her weapons supply of bullets against his shield.


    Pausing for a moment to assess the damage she had done, Nokko cried out in anger as the cracks she had made shrunk down into nothing and the bubble''s surface became smooth again. Furious, she raised her gun back up but hesitated to fire when her mother''s spade came to rest on top of it.


    ¡°That''s enough.¡± whispered Ila as she gave her a pointed look.


    ¡°...Hm, that one has a temper, and doesn''t hesitate to attack.¡± mused Anton as he watched Nokko grudgingly return her gun to its holster ¡°That is one thing that I do actually appreciate about Mica. She can control her temper, and she doesn''t immediately resort to violence. She''s-¡±


    ¡°Ila!¡± cried out the Leopold''s as they all struggled to turn their heads towards her ¡°...Go!¡±


    Ila froze for a split second as she locked gazes with the closest Leopold. Her eyes went wide with understanding as they darted to Anton.


    ¡°...Ila, we had an agreement.¡± said Anton as his eyes narrowed in warning ¡°Don''t you dare.¡±


    Without another word the kiochi turned away and disappeared from sight only to reappear in the field that separated them from Mica and the dark elves. Dropping the stuffed frog, she began to sprint at full speed straight towards her daughter.


    Sneering at Anton, Nokko turned and hastily followed after her mother. Once she caught up to her, the two kiochis made to cover the distance between themselves and their target as quickly as possible by hurling themselves into the air and teleporting parts of the way.


    Her tail reflexively curling back and up over her head in surprise, Mica''s eyes widened to their fullest as she stared dumbfounded at the sight of her own mother flying in through the air, and heading straight for her with dual swords and her tail spade poised to strike. The stunned shinoccubus remained completely frozen even as her mother and sister both came to a unexpected stop, floating in the air above her.


    Having slammed into the side of a large curved dome that had suddenly appeared in front of them, the two kiochis paused in confusion as they stared down at an equally surprised looking Mica.


    The dome they found themselves on was transparent enough to see through clearly, and was made up of thick, reinforced looking hexagon shaped plates that had been honeycombed together and were colored in an alternating pattern of neon green and pink.


    ¡°What the Hell is this!?¡± cried Nokko as she and her mother both attempted to pierce the dome with their weapons and bladed tails ¡°Is Mica doing this!?¡±


    ¡°...No.¡± mumbled Ila as she watched both Kianna and Fiona step up behind Mica and stand on either side of her ¡°No she''s not...¡±


    The two attacking kiochis jumped backwards and landed on the ground just in front of Mica. They both glanced at each other before turning to face the dark elves.


    Watching the kiochis clamber about and then leap down off the dome, Anton shook his head and sighed in irritation.


    ¡°Well that was foolish.¡± he grumbled as he pointed a finger at the kunai on the ground, shot out a thin light chain that instantly wrapped around its handle and pulled the blade back up to his waiting hand.


    Rolling the kunai between his fingers, he glanced down at the closest Leopold.


    ¡°You know, this would have been over...¡± he said as his aura began to ominously spread out and blanket the area around him ¡°But Ila chose to make a very poor decision. One that I''m going to make sure that you both regret...¡±


    Angling his arm out to his side, he let the kunai fall point first. With the added gravity in the area, it easily pierced right through the neck of the Leopold and the apparent clone cried out before dissolving back into shadow. With a quick pull on the thin chain still attached to the handle, Anton brought the kunai back up to his hand.


    ¡°I just have to find you first...¡± he said as he turned and let the kunai fall through the chest of another Leopold who immediately began to dissolve ¡°Which shouldn''t take too long...¡±


    The ringing pings of the kiochis testing the dome with the blades on their tails rang out through the air as they searched for some way into the impenetrable fortress that separated them from their target.


    ¡°...M-mommy?¡± whimpered Mica as she stared up the attacking kiochi.


    Ila froze before slowly shifting her gaze down to her kneeling daughter.


    Mica''s face was stricken with a mix of both panic and sorrow as heavy tears rolled down her cheeks and fell to the ground between her knees.


    ¡°...No.¡± she cried meekly as she reached out her hands ¡°Mommy, please!¡±


    Ila''s eyes softened as she slowly lowered her weapons.


    ¡°Are you serious!?¡± declared Nokko as she struck at the dome with her tail and caused Mica to flinch back in fear ¡°Can you be any more pathetic!?¡±


    ¡°Hey. Watch your mouth, you little bitch.¡± snapped Fiona as her eyes roved over Ila''s slim but curvaceous form and then darted to Nokko.


    Narrowing her eyes into a glare, Nokko stared right back at her.


    ¡°This has nothing to do with you elves.¡± she declared as she coiled her tail back above her head and menacingly flexed out her barbs ¡°If you dirt-skinned little bubble bitches knew what was good for you, you''d both stay out of this!¡±


    Mica made another tiny sound as she felt the the dark elves auras swell around her. Slowly looking upwards, she gulped nervously as she found both Fiona and Kianna staring forward with hardened expressions on their faces and their ears held sharp and pointed straight back behind their heads.


    ¡°I''m not sure how much you actually know about dark elves, Leopold. But I can assure you that all the worst things you''ve heard are true.¡± said Anton as he dropped the kunai through the head of another clone ¡°They''re sadistic, hedonistic creatures who will enslave and dominate for nothing more than the simple pleasure of ruling over the life of another being. They were built with the soul purpose of controlling others, it''s what they truly are, through and through. And as such they are nearly incapable of seeing other people as anything more than potential pets, toys or slaves... So knowing this, why do you think the people of the world would ever tolerate them? These monstrous creatures who treat all others as nothing more than living playthings. Why wouldn''t the people just band together against them and make an effort to be rid of them forever? ...Well, the truth is, they have tried, many, many times...¡±


    Dropping down to sit on his haunches, Anton leaned in close to a Leopold as he continued to speak.


    ¡°Every army, every kingdom, every alliance that has ever made an effort to oppose the dark elves, drive them away or even wipe them out completely... Has failed. Spectacularly. Every, single, time...¡±


    Anton let a broad smile spread across his face as he watched the kiogah''s eyes tighten.


    ¡°The dark elves rule over others because they are powerful enough to do so. They were built, and blessed by the Gods themselves with the power to do so. And they are powerful, Leopold. Powerful enough that if they choose to, they can make even your lords, the demons, kneel before them.¡± said Anton as he began to softly chuckle ¡°Your kind would never stand a chance against them. And the funny thing is, at this very moment, your wife and daughter are over there right now. Trying their best to make two of these beings as angry as possible...¡±


    ¡°You...¡± breathed Kianna as she stared unblinkingly at Nokko ¡°You''re the one that attacked my Master while he wasn''t looking...¡±


    Nokko cocked her hip and smirked with her eyes in an effort to taunt the dark elf.


    ¡°Yeah, I did. And what are you going to do about it? Aside from sit in your little bubble.¡± she mocked as she ran the tip of her bladed spade across the side of the dome and made a sharp scratching sound ¡°If you wanna talk so big then why don''t you drop this shield, and show me what you''re really made of.¡±


    The dark elves were both still for a moment before their ears went from a pointed straight back stance to fully relaxed as their entire beings seemed to inexplicably become calm.


    Looking back and forth between the two now seemingly serene looking dark elves, Ila took an involuntary step back as her instincts began to go off in alarm.


    ¡°Okay.¡± whispered the dark elves in unison.


    ¡°You know, I really can''t wait to see what happens here.¡± chuckled Anton as he looked back over to the dark elves ¡°This is going to be very, very interesting.¡±

 Assassin Arc : Chapter 19 : Late Afternoon

    Chapter 19 : Afternoon


    In the instant the dome fell away, Reality was lost.


    Fueled by the connection they had to Anton, Fiona and Kianna spared no thought to conserving their power as they unleashed the full might of their combined auras out into the world around them.


    Ila and Nokko both froze where they stood as existence itself was bathed in a cold, unnatural darkness.


    Nokko''s eyes went wide as the sky above began to dim down into a sickening ashy blackness, and the sun, sitting over the horizon behind the dark elves, suddenly shifted into a sinister, blood red orb that now hung menacingly above the darkening world.


    Taking a step back, the kiochi''s breath became caught in her throat as the air all around her fell flat and grew heavy. Her unblinking eyes began to strain in their sockets as she watched, horrified, while the edges of the world appeared to tilt inwards. This effect caused the horizons to rise in such a way that the land itself seemed to have been transformed into a massive, inescapable maw, which now threatened to close in above and seal away all the unlucky souls that found themselves trapped within its expanse.


    Reality had truly been lost, stripped away by the wills of monstrous beings, and in its place was left a dire landscape filled with nothing but darkness and dread.


    ¡°Hm... Well now...¡± mused Anton as he gazed up at the darkened sky before glancing about at the now twisted terrain ¡°This is certainly impressive... So this is what happens when they work together... I do hope that this is just an illusion of some sort, and they''re not actually ripping apart the world... Because that is going to be pretty unfortunate if they are...¡±


    Instinctively reaching for her weapons, Nokko stopped short as her eyes fell back on the dark elves. Although they were already naturally taller than herself, the sisters had somehow seemed to be to have become much larger than they were even mere moments before. With the red orb that was once the sun hanging in the sky between and just above them, the now towering dark elves remained completely silent as the features of their faces and bodies began to fade behind a thick, enveloping darkness that seemed to encase their entire beings, and left them as solid black, living silhouettes.


    Nokko made a small sound in the back of her throat as she watched, mesmerized, as the eyes of the two dark elves lit up and began to blaze with an angry, fiery red glow that shined out brightly against the blackness around them.


    The kiochi''s chest tightened as a bone-chilling, nonexistent wind carried by the dark elves auras, rolled straight through to her core as it spread outwards and saturated the very landscape itself with not only a message of their power, but their wordless promise of impending entrapment, despair and pain.


    Frozen where she stood, Nokko did nothing as her mother''s tail wrapped itself tightly around her middle and jerked her backwards. Snapped free from her trance, she grunted and blinked in surprise as a series of pink and green glowing rings winked into existence in the spot she had been standing in less than a second before. In the next instant, a tangle of pink and green chains erupted out of the rings and began to angrily rip at each other as they searched for their intended prey.


    Furious now, Nokko pulled her gun from its holster and went to level it at one of the dark elves.


    Though she had regained her senses, she was disheartened to find that her movements and reactions were being heavily hampered by not only the feeling of intense dread that permeated her being, but by the very environment itself. The air around her had become so dense that moving through it in anyway was no longer an easy task. It literally felt as though she was now deep underwater or more accurately, had been buried in sand, and this not only worked to break her focus, but caused her limbs to feel so weighted that even lifting her feet off the ground was now a struggle.


    Though she was no where near as experienced in combat as her parents were, Nokko was still savvy enough to know that this hindrance could easily cost her the fight against the still quickly moving dark elves. This notion was immediately illustrated when in the moment before she could even pull the trigger of her gun, a pink bubble winked into existence around the dark elf she was aiming at, and the end of a glowing, neon green whip sliced through the air and wrapped itself around her weapon.


    Unable to react fast enough to make any meaningful difference, Nokko could do nothing but cry out as her weapon was ripped away from her and sent sailing into the hand of the attacking dark elf.


    Turning to her assailant, she stopped short when she found the barrel of her own gun was being aimed right back at her. She couldn''t help but to grin when a click sound rang out and indicated it had failed to fire.


    ¡°Heh! Bitch!¡± she sneered as she watched the dark elf''s glowing eyes tighten in annoyance as she looked down at the gun in her hand ¡°It''s not synced to you, you idiot!¡±


    Turning back to her, the dark elf narrowed her eyes even further as she took in Nokko''s mocking expression. The gleeful light in the kiochi''s eyes quickly died when in the next instant, three thin, tentacle-like glowing green chains snaked out of the dark elf''s palm, wrapped themselves around the gun and commenced to violently rip it apart.


    ¡°...You! Bitch!¡± breathed Nokko as she watched the pieces of her former weapon fall to the ground ¡°You stupid bitch!¡±


    Fiona didn''t respond as her attention was taken up by Ila suddenly disappearing from behind her daughter. Summoning her own shield out of caution proved to be the right move when Ila reappeared in the air over Fiona''s head and went to strike her from above. The elder kiochi''s swords bounced harmlessly off the side of the aura field and using this momentum, she flipped herself backwards so as to land on her feet in front of Fiona and fall into a fighters stance with her weapons at the ready.


    Focused on her Mother''s antics, Nokko came back to her senses when several pink rings suddenly winked into existence around her. Startled into reacting, she immediately teleported herself up into the air and out of the rings reach.


    Enraged at the effort made to entrap her, the kiochi pulled a set of daggers from a pair of sheaths strapped to her thighs and curling her tail up and over her head, dove down at the waiting dark elf. Slamming onto the top of her bubble, Nokko preceded to furiously strike at the exact same spot over and over with both her bladed spade as well as her twin daggers.


    Circling slowly around Fiona, Ila jumped back in surprise when the dark elf suddenly dropped her shield and stuck at her with her whip. Feinting a forward strike, the kiochi froze when a set of green rings appeared around her. Rather than teleport away as her daughter had, Ila instead tucked her swords and tail in close to her sides and hopped into the air. As she dropped back down from her little jump, the kiochi failed to land back on the ground, as instead, she sank down into her own shadow.


    Fiona''s glowing eyes tightened in question as she watched Ila disappear, and they became annoyed when the shadow the kiochi had disappeared into began to quickly move about across the ground and out from under her rings.


    Brandishing her whip, Fiona struck at the shadow as it zipped back and forth around her and in anticipation of Ila resurfacing, she kept summoning more rings into existence whenever the shadow would stop moving.


    Sunk down into her shadow, Ila found the effects of the dark elves auras had been lessened quite a bit for her, unfortunately she wouldn''t be able to maintain for too much longer without air and would need to resurface at some point soon.


    ¡°These stupid bubbles!¡± growled Nokko as she worked to both keep chipping away at the bubble and ignore the glowing red eyes that were staring up at her ¡°If it wasn''t for this shit you and that bastard over there would both be dead already!¡±


    Kianna''s eyes widened in fury before narrowing down into thin slits. Reestablishing her composure, she took a step back and out from under the kiochi.


    Preoccupied as she was, Nokko failed to notice the dark elf as she pointed a finger up at her. And the next sequence of events happened far too quickly for the hindered shinoccubi to react in time, as all at once the bubble she was sitting on disappeared while at the same moment a thin, glowing pink chain shot out from Kianna''s fingertip and almost instantly latched onto the now free falling kiochi''s tail.


    Unable to teleport now and too surprised to fully register what was happening, Nokko did nothing as she fell to land in a heap on the ground.


    Struggling to get back on her feet amid a torrent of curses, she stopped short while on her hands and knees as an icy chill ran its way throughout her entire body. Flipping herself over to land on her butt and see what was happening behind her, the kiochi''s eyes went wide as she immediately realized what was wrong.


    The dark elf was now holding onto her tail.


    ¡°Uh, no!¡± croaked Nokko as every muscle in her entire body went stiff and froze up as a flood of raw, soul crushing fear washed its way into her being. Her jaws clenched themselves shut as the dark elf''s glowing eyes bored into her own, and unable to move in any real way, she could do nothing but struggle to scramble away backwards as Kianna lifted up her free hand and began to slowly approach her. Nokko''s chest tightened in alarm as she watched a long, pink rod take shape and float in the air above Kianna''s open palm. Freezing up, her heartbeat began to ring in her ears when the dark elf took hold of the rod and with a flash of light, it instantly reformed into a glowing pink replica of her Father''s sword. Her heart then skipped a beat completely when Kianna raised said sword up high into the air above her head.


    Staring up at the looming, solid black monstrosity that was now posed and ready to end her life, Nokko went to scream, but as she opened her mouth to do so, the frantic, desperate cry that suddenly filled the air, didn''t come from her.


    Both Kianna and Fiona couldn''t help but to pause for a moment before they each turned to stare directly at Mica.


    The terrified looking kiochi was still in the same place she had been this whole time, though now her tear stricken face was twisted into a look of pained horror that was clearly brought on by the sight of her sister''s impending execution.


    In the stillness that followed, Ila sprung up out of her shadow and with a flying somersault landed on her feet facing Kianna. With a blazing fury in her eyes, she brandished her swords and dove into a headlong run at the dark elf.


    Turning to defend herself, Kianna was caught off guard when the charging shinoccubus suddenly made a hard left just before reaching her. Her surprise quickly shifted to anger when Nokko''s tail was subsequently ripped free from her hand.


    Having successfully snagged Nokko with her own tail, Ila wasted no time in putting some distance between them and the two dark elves. Racing back towards where their portal was located while towing the weight of her daughter through the air behind her was no easy feat though. And when the effort became too much to bare, she dropped down into one of trenches that Anton had cut into the ground and quickly pulled Nokko in next to her.


    ¡°Run!¡± cried Ila as she gave Nokko a frantic shake ¡°You have to run with me!¡±


    Making a small, fearful noise in the back of her throat, Nokko nodded in understanding.


    Springing out of the trench, the two kiochis made one teleporting jump after another until they both reached the area just in front of their portal.


    Turning and brandishing her weapons, Ila made a visual effort to recompose herself as she and her daughter both tried to shake off the effects of the dark elves auras.


    Fiona and Kianna remained just as foreboding as they stood motionless on the other side of the field.


    Staring at them for a moment, Nokko groaned in misery before doubling over at the waist. Tearing her mask away from her face, the suffering kiochi dropped down to her hands and knees as she began to violently retch.


    After another moment of stillness, the two dark elves both turned in unison and gazed down at the still kneeling Mica.


    Realizing she was now under their scrutiny, the trembling kiochi stared forward at nothing as she worked to avoid looking up at them. She flinched when a much smaller version of the dark elves pink and green dome appeared and not only encased her in its protective cover, but trapped her in the very spot she sat in.


    ¡°...Oh no.¡± whispered Ila as the two pairs of glowing eyes slowly turned and fell on her.


    ¡°Fascinating, aren''t they...¡± mused Anton as he gazed at the now advancing dark elves ¡°Such capable beings... And to think, these two still don''t even know about everything they can do yet...¡±


    ¡°Anton!¡± cried Ila as she teleported to the very edge of the crushed grass ¡°Please! Call them off!¡±


    Anton''s thoughtful expression shifted to one of mock confusion as he turned to her.


    ¡°Now why in the world would I do that?¡± he asked as he arched an eyebrow ¡°As far as I''m concerned, they''re not the one''s who have done anything wrong... You are.¡±


    Steeling her jaw, Ila quickly looked from Anton to the slowly approaching dark elves and back. She went to speak but stopped short as Anton leveled his arm out to his side and dangled the kunai over a downed Leopold''s chest.


    ¡°We had an agreement, Ila.¡± said Anton as his eyes hardened ¡°And you broke that agreement.¡±


    ¡°...Anton.¡± breathed Ila as she stared at the kunai and shook her head ¡°Wait! Just wait!¡±


    ¡°No.¡± said Anton as he dropped the kunai.


    Gasping in fear, Ila breathed a sigh of relief as the apparent clone dissolved back into shadow.


    ¡°This would have been over. But you chose to make a very poor decision...¡± said Anton as he pulled the kunai back up into his hand ¡°One that I''m going to make sure that you and Leopold both come to regret...¡±


    Testing the quantum break field with her tail, Ila grunted as her spade was immediately forced to the ground. Dragging her weighted spade back out of the field, she hopped into the air and fell back into her own shadow.


    ¡°...Now what do you hope to accomplish with this?¡± mumbled Anton as he watched the living shadow slip into the field and begin to zip from one Leopold to another ¡°Aside from showing me where the real Leopold is?¡±


    After making a quick pass between all the Leopold''s, the Ila-shadow made a beeline for the edge of the crushed grass but was instantly stopped in its tracks when it slammed into the wall of an orange-colored aura field.


    ¡°I take it you found the real one then.¡± reasoned Anton as he narrowed his eyes at the shadow ¡°So why don''t you come out of there and tell me which one it is.¡±


    The Ila-shadow paused for a moment before going back into the side of the aura field. After seemingly probing the edge for a way out, it rushed over to Anton and began to rapidly zip back and forth in front of him.


    ¡°...Can you not get out of there?¡± questioned Anton as the shadows movements became more frantic ¡°Hm, I take it the pressure won''t allow you to slip back out then? Well, that is certainly unfortunate for you...¡±


    Pausing at his words, the shadow flew across the ground and slammed itself back into the side of the orange bubble where it slunk back and forth along its edge as it desperately tried to find a way out.


    Sighing in annoyance, Anton shook his head as he dropped the aura field away.


    Ila reappeared the instant her shadow crossed the line of crushed grass, and falling to her hands and knees, the choking kiochi desperately gulped down lungfuls of air in between each fit of frantic coughing.


    ¡°...Hm, that gives me an idea.¡± mused Anton as he turned back to the Leopold''s ¡°There''s only one of you that actually needs to breathe...¡±


    ¡°Alright! Anton, you win this!¡± exclaimed Ila as she tentatively got to her feet and turned back to him ¡°I was wrong. I shouldn''t have attacked Mica like that. I broke our agreement, and it was a mistake. It was, was... What are you doing?¡±


    Having crossed his arms over his chest, Anton had taken a position back in the center of all the remaining Leopold''s.


    ¡°...Ila, have you ever seen images or video footage of whales that have become stranded on beaches? It''s such an awful, tragic sight...¡± said Anton in a somber tone as he gazed down at the Leopold''s and slowly shook his head ¡°The poor creatures. They suffer such a long and grueling death... I have this friend, named Rembraunt, and he can''t stand the very idea of it... He''ll drop everything, and do all that he can to help them, but sometimes... He''s just gets there too late...¡±


    ¡°...Anton? What are you talking about?¡± questioned Ila as she shifted her attention between him and still approaching dark elves.


    ¡°Many people believe that what''s happening is that the whales are like fish, and that they die because they''re out of the water for too long... But that isn''t really the case...¡± said Anton as he turned only his head and locked eyes with Ila ¡°What actually happens, is that the weight of their own bodies, slowly suffocates them...¡±


    Staring back at him, Ila couldn''t help but to ease herself away as a sense of unnerving dread began to fill the air.


    ¡°You see, when in the water, a whale''s great bulk is rendered nearly weightless. And they can move about rather easily, even considering how heavy they really are. But when on land, without the buoyancy that the water gives them, they''re forced to carry all that weight all on their own... And this just isn''t something that they can do for very long...¡± said Anton as he kept his eyes locked to Ila''s ¡°Can you imagine how horrifying it would be, to suddenly find yourself in a position were you are forced to lift the weight of the entire world... Just to take a single breath...¡±


    Ila''s eyes went wide in horror as she understood the direction this conversation was taking.


    ¡°And with each herculean effort that you take... Your strength is slowly ebbed away, bit by bit, with each and every breath...¡± continued Anton as he began to slowly shift the intensity of the gravity around him ¡°Until, finally, you have nothing left, and with your mind filled with panic, you breathe your very last breath, and slip into blackness...¡±


    As they both stayed focused on each other, the kiogahs around them began to shift about in discomfort before finally starting to struggle in earnest.


    Ila balled her hands into fists as one of the Leopold''s let out a choking gasp a split second before the rest followed in imitation.


    ¡°There you are...¡± said Anton as a thin grin spread across his face ¡°Finally found you...¡±


    Tearing her now panic filled eyes away from Anton, Ila locked gazes with her husband, who was laying a few paces behind Anton and was laid out on his stomach with the side of his face pressed down against the ground.


    ¡°You win, Anton. You win!¡± she cried as she turned back to him and showed her open palms ¡°Please! We''ll leave like you asked! This is over!¡±


    ¡°No...¡± said Anton as he turned away from her and eyed the real Leopold ¡°I''m afraid this isn''t over yet...¡±


    ¡°Stop! Anton! Please!¡± cried Ila as she shifted into motion ¡°Don''t! Stay away from him!¡±


    Giving up on any pretenses of remaining anonymous, Leopold let an angry scowl spread across his face as he struggled to breathe.


    ¡°Anton! Don''t you dare touch him!¡± exclaimed Ila as her tail stretched upwards to its max length and began to wave about angrily over her head ¡°Get away from him!¡±


    Stopping to stand next to Leopold, Anton had a stoic expression on his face as he turned to Ila.


    ¡°Tell me, just how permanent is your oath of loyalty?¡± he asked.


    ¡°...Wha, what!?¡± stammered Ila ¡°...What are you talking about!?¡±


    ¡°That oath of loyalty ability that you invoke whenever you officially join a clan.¡± stated Anton ¡°How permanent is that?¡±


    Clearly taken aback, Ila hesitated for a moment before narrowing her eyes.


    ¡°I have no idea what you''re talking about.¡± she said in a dry manner.


    ¡°I see.¡± said Anton as he angled the kunai out over Leopold''s left leg and then let it drop.


    Both Nokko and the dark elves all turned at once to the sounds of Leopold''s gargled cry and Ila''s ear-shattering scream.


    ¡°Now, now, Leopold... You shouldn''t waste your breath being dramatic like that...¡± said Anton as he pulled the bloodied kunai back up to his hand ¡°You know you don''t have the air left to spare for such theatrics...¡±


    ¡°Stop! Anton! Please!¡± cried Ila as she dropped to her knees ¡°You win! You win! We''ll leave! Please! Just let us leave!¡±


    Anton''s face was emotionless as he dropped the kunai onto Leopold''s other leg.


    Expelling his breath out through his clenched teeth the shinoccubus began to claw feebly at the ground as he tried to keep from crying out in agony.


    All around Anton the rest of the clones began to dissolve away into nothing.


    ¡°It''s permanent!¡± screamed Ila ¡°It''s completely permanent! Forever! Lifetime! Nothing can break it!¡±


    ¡°Not even your Makieve?¡± questioned Anton as he yanked the kunai free of Leopold''s leg.


    ¡°...No!¡± whined Ila as she clearly struggled to answer ¡°...Nothing, can!¡±


    ¡°I see. Well that''s good to know... A bit unsettling as well...¡± nodded Anton as he turned to face her ¡°If it really is as permanent as you say, then it''s thankful it''s something that can only be willingly invoked.¡±


    Ila gazed back at him for a moment before letting her eyes fall to the ground in front of her.


    ¡°That, isn''t always true...¡± she mumbled softly as she shook her head ¡°It, isn''t always a choice. It can be forced...¡±


    ¡°...What!?¡± exclaimed Anton.


    ¡°...A demon, or a devil. ...They can force it to invoke.¡± explained Ila in the same soft tone.


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    ¡°...Are you serious?¡± questioned Anton.


    Ila said nothing more as she nodded her head.


    ¡°...So does that mean that any demon or devil could do it?¡± asked Anton.


    Again, Ila silently nodded her head.


    Anton went still for a moment as he stared at her.


    ¡°...I swear, of all the neglect you''ve shown your daughter, this has to be the cruelest thing you could have ever done to her!¡± seethed Anton ¡°You''ve left her to grow up believing that she was legitimately a fully free and independent person. When at anytime, one random encounter, one single event, and all that could be taken away from her! Forever! She could be gone in the blink of an eye! And not only did you fail to prepare her to defend herself from this danger, but you''ve given her no warning of it at all! Is this some kind of sick, terrible joke to you!?¡±


    ¡°You don''t understand what you''re talking about!¡± cried Ila as she began to tremble ¡°She''s not part of our clan! We can''t just explain any of this to her!¡±


    ¡°Then you should have found someone who can!¡± shouted Anton ¡°There is no excuse for this! You both should have done better! You two risk everything for the chance to give your girls a life of freedom, and yet instead of seeing this through to the end you went and brought your own brand of oppression with you by not giving them the information they desperately need to stay safe! Why!? Why when every year there are more and more cubi fleeing the demon realms for the freedom of Terra! How many of your own kind have already done the same!? And yet you couldn''t have asked a single one of them to help you!? To help your children! What is wrong with you two!?¡±


    ¡°You don''t know what you''re talking about!¡± exclaimed Ila as she frantically shook her head ¡°You have no idea! It''s not that easy!¡±


    ¡°Yes it is!¡± countered Anton.


    ¡°No, it''s not!¡± cried Ila ¡°You don''t understand!¡±


    ¡°And what do you think is so difficult to understand!? Hm!? Do you think I don''t know that everything with you has to be a secret!? That everything you say and do has to go through a filter that''s been ingrained into your very minds from birth! Do you think I don''t know what you are!? Because I do! I know exactly what you are...¡± declared Anton as he slowly shook his head ¡°I know, that you were never meant to be free... I know, that despite whatever dedication you may have to your clans. They were never meant to be yours... They were always meant to belong to someone else. And by extension, so were you and every one of your kind... This was the purpose that you were born and bred for. To blindly follow the orders of your betters. Those that sit above your clans. The one''s who rule them, command them, and ultimately own them, as well as they do you... And I know, that no matter how far you run, what lies you tell yourselves, or how badly you may want to rise above this fate... Deep down, you will always feel their hold on you... And any doubt of this is shattered immediately by the fact that you''ve come here today, with your armor and your weapons, ready and willing to kill your own child. And all so that you can play lip service to calls, customs and traditions that you don''t even want to believe in, but can never escape from...¡±


    Everything remained still for a moment before Anton spoke again.


    ¡°Don''t try to tell me that I can''t understand you. When I understand you completely.¡± said Anton as his face softened ¡°I know exactly how you work. And I know that you can''t just reveal everything about yourselves, even if you want to... I also know how far you''ve come... And I know how hard it''s been for you... But unfortunately, that''s still no excuse for not making sure that your girls were prepared. That they had the knowledge they needed... If Mica wasn''t left as clueless as she was, then none of this would have happened.¡±


    ¡°We didn''t want this to happen, Anton.¡± breathed Ila ¡°We never wanted any of this to happen.¡±


    ¡°I know you didn''t...¡± sighed Anton ¡°And for what it''s worth, I didn''t want any of this to happen either...¡±


    Glancing down at Leopold, Anton found the kiogah had his eyes shut and was taking in one quick, shallow breath after another. Surprisingly, his expression was no longer angry, though clearly still in pain, his face gave the impression of exhaustion more than anything.


    ¡°...Leopold.¡± said Anton in a soft tone ¡°Are you done?¡±


    Opening his eyes, Leopold looked up at Anton and merely gazed at him. Though silent, the confirmation in his eyes was still clear. Nodding in acknowledgment, Anton turned back to Ila.


    ¡°Ila.¡± he called as he tilted his head to the side in an effort to crack his neck ¡°I think this day has been long enough... And I''d like to see it end now. So if you''ll bring me that stuffed frog you were carrying earlier, I''ll trade you your husband for it.¡±


    The kiochi looked up at him in confusion for a moment before suddenly disappearing.


    Reappearing on the other side of the now arriving dark elves, she gave them a wide berth as she quickly searched the field for the stuffed frog.


    ¡°Alright girls.¡± said Anton as he addressed the dark elves ¡°This is over. You two can let up on the theatrics now.¡±


    The two dark elves tightened their eyes in annoyance as with a poof of blackness they both suddenly appeared normal again.


    The world around them immediately returned to its original state as they each dropped their auras.


    ¡°W-w-w-what the hell!¡± exclaimed Nokko as she looked around at the once again blue sky before glaring hatefully at the dark elves.


    Reappearing at the edge of the crushed grass, Ila met Anton''s gaze as she held up the recovered frog.


    Nodding, Anton snapped his fingers and dispelled the intensified gravity.


    Coughing loudly, Leopold lifted himself up on to his elbows as Ila rushed over to them and stopped in front of Anton.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± said Anton as he took the stuffed frog she held out to him ¡°Nokko! Come and help your Mother collect your Father.¡±


    The younger kiochi turned from were she was brandishing her weapons at the glaring dark elves and immediately disappeared only to reappear next to her mother.


    ¡°I didn''t hit any bones, or arteries. So it should be a simple matter to heal him...¡± said Anton as he looked over the stuffed animal in his hands ¡°If you need a potion, I can have one brought here.¡±


    ¡°We''re fine!¡± snapped Nokko as she helped Leopold sit upright while Ila popped open a thin tube and handed it to him.


    Taking the offered potion, Leopold downed it in one go and then went still as he let it get to work on repairing his legs.


    As her husband let out a soft sigh of relief, Ila let her eyes wander back to Anton and she watched silently as he began to brush away debris from the plush toy.


    ¡°...Anton.¡± said Ila as she eyed the stuffed frog ¡°You know we don''t need that frog to find Mica. We have plenty of other items we can use. So why do you want to keep it?¡±


    ¡°...Because, I''m sure Mica will appreciate having it.¡± answered Anton as he plucked a last bit of stuck grass off of the frog ¡°The poor girl has already lost everything else today... And I think it would be nice for her to be able to keep at least a single piece of her old life... Even if it''s only a small thing...¡±


    Ila was silent for a moment as she stared at the frog.


    ¡°...I see.¡± she said in a soft tone as she looked back at her husband ¡°...That''s very kind of you, Anton.¡±


    Staring back at his wife, Leopold found a growing resolve in her eyes and with another soft sigh, he closed his own eyes and nodded his head.


    ¡°...Anton.¡± called Ila as she looked back at him ¡°There''s something I need to tell you... It''s about our oath, and how it works.¡±


    Anton''s movements immediately ceased as he stopped to listen.


    ¡°...This, isn''t going to be easy for me to tell you. ...But I want you to know this, for Mica''s sake.¡± said Ila as her speech became strained ¡°Please, just listen...¡±


    Registering that this was a difficult thing for her to do, Anton kept his eyes away from Ila and said nothing as he waited for her to continue.


    ¡°...At times, there will be those among our young who are, for one reason or another, determined to be unworthy of joining the clan. ...Unusually, these would be those who are unfit for combat. But not always.¡± explained Ila ¡°...When this happens, a Makieve may decide to part with these individuals. ...And would set them aside to be sold or traded. ...They would often end up in other clans. ...This isn''t something that any shinoccubi would ever want to do willingly of course, nor would any clan want to see its numbers drop like this, but it happens, often. ...To prevent these individuals from activating their oaths themselves, which would ruin their prospect of joining another clan, they would be enslaved with traditional binding curses. ...This would not only suppress their ability, but would also stop other demons from being able to just activate it, and binding these open shinoccubi to themselves before buying them.¡±


    Anton''s expression became thoughtful as he listened closely.


    ¡°...Anton, you said, you were going to enslave Mica.¡± continued Ila as her eyes tightened in sorrow ¡°...Well if you do that, then no one else will be able to bind her against her will. ...Not until the curse between you is broken.¡±


    Anton nodded once in understanding.


    ¡°Anton, please listen... I''m sorry to ask this of you... I know I have no right to do so...¡± said Ila as a thin sheen of moisture formed over her eyes ¡°But please, please take care of our daughter... Please keep her safe, even from us...¡±


    Pausing for a moment, Anton nodded reassuringly as he lowered his eyes to the frog.


    ¡°I can only promise you that I''ll try my best...¡± he said softly ¡°But you do have my word on that. I will try... I''ll do everything I can...¡±


    ¡°...Thank you.¡± whispered Ila as she blinked the moisture from her eyes and turned back to Leopold.


    Gazing at her for a moment, Leopold took a deep breath and grunted softly as he planted his foot against the ground. With the use of his tail, and with help from his wife and daughter, he quickly rose back up to his feet and turned towards the portal he and his family had come through.


    ¡°...Anton, I am not satisfied with the way things have gone today.¡± he said as he kept his eyes on the portal.


    Anton said nothing as he merely nodded.


    ¡°Be that as it may though... Business is business.¡± said Leopold as he looked back at Anton ¡°And this business won''t affect any other business that we have with each other. You have my word on this.¡±


    ¡°...Oh. Well, that''s good to hear.¡± said Anton as he turned to the shinoccubi and nodded in agreement ¡°I feel the same.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then I''ll give you a call this week, and we''ll set up a time to meet and discus your, other, business ventures.¡± said Leopold as an air of fatigue seemed to overtake him ¡°For now though... Have a good evening, Anton.¡±


    ¡°...Yeah. Same to you, my friend.¡± said Anton as a thin grin spread across his face ¡°And to you, Ila, always a pleasure. And again, it was nice to meet you as well, Nokko. I hope you all have a good night.¡±


    Scowling angrily, Nokko said nothing as she hid her face back behind her mask and turned to face the portal.


    ¡°Yes, same to you, Anton.¡± said Ila as she glanced from him to the dark elves and back ¡°And I''m sorry, I hope we didn''t disrupt your evening too badly.¡±


    ¡°No, not at all.¡± said Anton as he looked down at the stuffed frog in his hands ¡°If anything you''ve made it far more interesting...¡±


    ¡°Well then... Good.¡± said Ila as she started towards the portal ¡°We''ll be off then...¡±


    Glancing back upwards, Anton watched the three shinoccubi make their way to the portal.


    ¡°Leopold, Ila!¡± he called out as they made to enter the portal.


    Stopping short, both Leopold and Ila turned to him with questioning expressions.


    ¡°...If things turn ugly for you. And you find yourselves in a difficult situation.¡± said Anton ¡°...I''d like to know about it.¡±


    ¡°...What are you talking about, Anton?¡± asked Leopold.


    ¡°I''m talking about your clan. If they find out about your girls. And they come for you. If there''s going to be a battle, and you need an ally to fight by your side.¡± said Anton as he looked from Leopold to Ila and back ¡°Call me.¡±


    The two shinoccubi stared at him for a long moment before nodding softly.


    Turning in unison, they and Nokko all quickly disappeared through the portal.


    As the shinoccubi''s portal winked out of existence, Anton turned to the waiting dark elves.


    ¡°Well now. I really don''t think they expected things to go the way they did.¡± he smiled as he began to head back towards Mica.


    ¡°No! No they did not!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she and her sister both fell into step with him.


    ¡°Did you see us, Master!?¡± cried Kianna excitedly ¡°Were we scary!?¡±


    ¡°Oh, are you kidding!¡± laughed Anton ¡°You were both amazing! In fact you were so terrifying that I''m pretty sure you''ve completely traumatized both Nokko and poor Mica!¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah... Mica did kinda break down a little bit...¡± mumbled Fiona as she folded her arms above her head ¡°I don''t know if she''s even going be okay?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, poor Mica...¡± said Kianna as she shook her head ¡°She really was looking like she was falling apart back there...¡±


    ¡°Well we can''t really blame her for that.¡± said Anton ¡°She''s been through quite a bit today...¡±


    The three of them went silent as they approached the dome containing the still kneeling shinoccubus. As they came closer, the dark elves dropped the dome away.


    Mica stayed still and continued to stare unblinkingly at the spot where her family''s portal had disappeared. She showed absolutely no response to the dome vanishing from around her, or the arrival of Anton and the dark elves.


    Anton had a sorrowful grimace on his face as he stood next to the kiochi and looked her over.


    Mica sat on her knees with her arms hanging limp at her sides and her shoulders completely slumped. Her motionless tail was laid out across the ground around her and her stricken eyes were nearly vacant as they stared out at the now empty field. Thin lines of tears trailed down her cheeks and slowly dripped to the ground below her.


    Leaning down, Anton silently offered her the stuffed frog he had gotten from Ila.


    Without a word, Mica''s head turned just enough for her to see the frog clearly. The expression on her face never changed, but upon registering what she was looking at, she tentatively reached out and took hold of the stuffed animal. Her gaze went back to the spot where her family had disappeared as she silently clutched the frog to her chest with one arm.


    Fiona and Kianna both shook their heads as they looked from Mica to each other and back.


    ¡°How could they do this to her? Their own family member!¡± muttered Kianna ¡°Argh! I wish those two hadn''t gotten away from us!¡±


    ¡°Yeah... That was really fucked up how those bitches went right for her.¡± said Fiona ¡°No hesitation at all! ...Would have been seriously nice to get a hold of them both.¡±


    ¡°It really would have!¡± growled Kianna as she pointed her ears straight back ¡°I was about to chop off that one''s feet so she couldn''t get away, and if I had, I could have really made her pay for this! ...I know that would have been gruesome, but we could have just repaired her later... But then the other one jumped in and saved her!¡±


    ¡°Right, yeah. That was my fault. Dumb bitch turned into a shadow before I could catch her. And I couldn''t get her out of it... Sucks too. If we''d had caught them we could have each had one to play with. Which would have been perfect.¡± smiled Fiona ¡°I''d love to have my very own kiochi to twist up into knots. I still really want to see how far I can bend one in half.¡±


    Mica blinked as she appeared to register that people were talking around her. Slowly she tilted her head and looked up at Anton and the dark elves. As the realization of who she was looking at seemed to reach her eyes, she clutched the stuffed frog even tighter against her chest with both arms and curled in on herself as she coiled her tail in tightly around her body. A look of raw fear spread across her features as her eyes widened to their fullest and quickly darted from one face to another.


    The dark elves both blinked in surprise at the sight of the terrified looking kiochi who suddenly seemed to have become even smaller than she ever was before.


    ¡°I''m, I''m sorry. I, I give up.¡± whimpered Mica as she began to tremble uncontrollably ¡°Please. Please! I give up!¡±


    ¡°Wha, what?¡± questioned Kianna.


    Mica flinched at the sound of her voice and hunched down even further.


    ¡°I give up! Please! Please don''t hurt me!¡± begged Mica as she looked from Kianna to Fiona ¡°Please don''t decorate me again! Or bend me in half! Please!¡±


    The dark elves both quickly looked at one another before turning back to Mica.


    ¡°I''m sorry!¡± wailed Mica in desperation as she frantically looked back and forth between them ¡°I''m sorry! I''m really sorry! Please, I give up! Please don''t hurt me anymore!¡±


    ¡°Oh, Mica we''re-!¡± started Kianna.


    ¡°Ugh! After everything that we just-! Are you even serious right now!? You stupid, stupid little ninja-bitch!¡± muttered Fiona.


    Kianna and Mica both turned to her the instant she spoke.


    Fiona still had her arms folded behind her head as she huffed and looked off and away at nothing.


    ¡°...Fine! ...I won''t! I won''t hurt you, and I''m not going to bend you in half!¡± said Fiona as she blinked away a thin sheen of moisture from her eyes ¡°You can stop crying already, you little baby! ...You''re gonna be okay now. ...I promise!¡±


    ¡°I''m not going to hurt you either!¡± exclaimed Kianna ¡°Ever again! I promise!¡±


    Faint, desperate relief reached Mica''s eyes as she looked back and forth between the two dark elves.


    ¡°...R-really!?¡± she whimpered as she tightened her grip on her frog ¡°Y-you really promise!? For real!?¡±


    ¡°Oh... You poor little thing...¡± cooed Kianna as she bent over, planted her hands on her knees and flared out her aura so as to fill the area with a calming essence ¡°You don''t have to be scared anymore, Mica... You''re going to be okay now... We not gonna be mean to you... We promise...¡±


    Taking quick relieved breaths, the shinoccubus had a pained but thankful smile on her face as she looked from one dark elf to the other. Her smile faded however as her gaze traveled upwards and landed on Anton.


    Anton was slowly shaking his head as he stared down at the cowering kiochi.


    ¡°It''s just so unbelievable that you''ve been accepted by these dark elves like this...¡± he mumbled as an amused smirk spread across his face ¡°Dark elves actually promising that they won''t be cruel... Will wonders never cease...¡±


    Unsure of how to respond, Mica blinked and looked downwards in discomfort while softly breathing in and out through her nose.


    ¡°...Unfortunately, as much as I''d like to say otherwise.¡± said Anton as his face took on a more serious expression ¡°I''m afraid I can''t make the same promise that they have...¡±


    Mica immediately looked back up at him with renewed fear in her eyes.


    ¡°Wait, what!?¡± she whimpered as she leaned away from him ¡°What do you mean!?¡±


    Anton''s expression never changed as he took a small step towards her.


    Panicking, Mica scrambled backwards as she frantically got to her feet. Her eyes locked to Anton''s, she gripped at the manabinder around her neck as she slowly backed away from him.


    Anton stopped his advance and stared back at the frightened kiochi as he let his aura expand outwards to join with Kianna''s.


    Mica froze in surprise as the calming essences of the combined auras flooded the space around her.


    ¡°...Mica, I''m sorry.¡± said Anton ¡°But I''m afraid we don''t have the luxury of time.¡±


    Mica blinked in confusion and said nothing as she wavered on taking another step back.


    ¡°This isn''t over. We may have settled things for the moment, but whether you''re ready for them or not, your family will eventually come back for you. Again and again if they have to. They won''t stop until their mission is complete.¡± explained Anton ¡°And to get you to a point where you can at least defend yourself isn''t going to be easy. You need to be ready as soon as possible, and that means I''ll have to be intense with you and unforgiving.¡±


    Mica''s eyes remained wide as she stayed focused on Anton and eased herself out of her backwards step as she gave him her full attention.


    ¡°If I''m going to push you beyond your limits, then I''m afraid I can''t be locked back by kindness.¡± continued Anton ¡°If I need to be cruel to you to save your life, then I will be...¡±


    ¡°...My life?¡± breathed Mica as she looked down at her stuffed frog ¡°...My life! They came to kill me!¡±


    Anton remained still as the dark elves both looked at the ground in sympathy.


    ¡°They''ll come back for me! They can find me!¡± exclaimed Mica as her voice became laced with panic ¡°Wh-wh-what am I gonna do!?¡±


    ¡°...You''re going to come home with us, and I''m going to place a charm on your collar that will mask your presence.¡± explained Anton ¡°Then you''re going to learn how to fight back and defend yourself.¡±


    The panic slowly faded from Mica''s eyes as her face became emotionless.


    ¡°...Collar.¡± she whispered as she looked back up at Anton ¡°Wait! If I do that oath thing you were talking about earlier then-!¡±


    ¡°What, no!¡± interrupted Anton as he shook his head ¡°That option isn''t going to work out, Mica. I''m afraid we''re going to have to go with a collar.¡±


    ¡°What, why!? Why won''t it work now!?¡± asked Mica.


    ¡°It''s not that it won''t work, it''s that it''ll work too well. That oath is permanent.¡± explained Anton ¡°While a collar can always be removed...¡±


    Blinking in surprise, Mica''s hunched shoulders relaxed a bit as a little tension seemed to leave her.


    ¡°Removed...¡± she repeated slowly ¡°But what if I promise to just listen to you!? If I just do everything you say! And I, I will! I promise! Can''t I just stay free!? ...Please!?¡±


    Anton closed his eyes with a heavy sigh as he slowly shook his head.


    ¡°I''m guessing you didn''t hear us at all then... We must have been too far away...¡± he mumbled softly.


    ¡°You, what?¡± said Mica ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°Mica, listen...¡± started Anton as he looked back up at her pleading expression ¡°Mica, there are some, things, that you don''t understand... You don''t realize what could happen to you...¡±


    ¡°...Wha, what do you mean?¡± asked the shinoccubus as her face became marred with question ¡°What are you talking about!?¡±


    ¡°...Mica, just listen to me. This is for the best. I know that might be hard to believe but it is.¡± said Anton as his face hardened and became serious ¡°I need you to trust me when I say there are things that I will explain to you, but right now is not the time. You already have enough to worry about. You don''t need something else taking away your focus.¡±


    The shinoccubus was still for a moment as she stared back at him.


    ¡°...Trust, you!?¡± she whispered as her eyes tightened ¡°Why should I ever trust you!?¡±


    ¡°Because I''m asking you to. And because I don''t need you to.¡± answered Anton ¡°I can just enslave you right now and be done with this, and if I have to I will... But I don''t want to do that. I want you to understand that I''m not trying to entrap you, and that there is a good reason for this, it is for the best.¡±


    Mica continued to stare silently for a moment before her face softened.


    ¡°Why, why are you doing this all of a sudden?¡± she whimpered as she looked down at her frog ¡°Why are you helping me now?¡±


    ¡°I''m not. I said I would protect you, keep you alive, and turn you into something useful. And that is exactly what I''m going to to do.¡± answered Anton ¡°Don''t think for one second that this is out of charity though, Mica. It''s not. Whether you like it or not you have a job now, a purpose, and you will earn your keep.¡±


    Mica grimaced as she tightened her hold on her frog.


    ¡°So what then!? I''m really just gonna be your guard dog now!¡± she mumbled miserably ¡°Right!?¡±


    Anton was silent for a moment as he stared at her.


    ¡°You are guilty, Mica Tajikara.¡± he stated softly ¡°You fought me, tried to kill me, and you lost. So now, I own your life.¡±


    Mica whimpered and started to tremble again as she leaned away from him.


    ¡°Prove to me that you deserve it.¡± said Anton as he tightened his eyes at her ¡°...And I may let you earn it back.¡±


    Mica stilled her trembling as she slowly looked back up at him in question.


    ¡°...I don''t have to report what you''ve done. You don''t have to be registered as a criminal. I can just say that you''ve chosen to become my slave. You''re a cubi after all, so this would be easy enough for anyone to believe.¡± explained Anton ¡°And without an actual sentence keeping you bound, I can release you at any time.¡±


    ¡°...Will you promise, that when this is all over, you''ll really let me go?¡± asked Mica in a hushed tone.


    ¡°...No. I''m afraid I can''t do that.¡± said Anton as he closed his eyes and shook his head ¡°I won''t make you a promise, unless I know for sure that I can keep it.¡±


    Mica''s eyes tightened in sorrow as she looked back down at her frog.


    Anton made an effort to strengthen the effect of his aura as he stepped closer to the forlorn kiochi.


    Mica hunched her shoulders nervously as he approached but remained where she was standing as he stopped right in front of her.


    Without a word, Anton lifted the loop of string up and over his head, and showing the key to Mica he held out his hand for her.


    Mica hesitated for only a moment before loosening her arm from around her frog and letting him take hold of her wrist.


    ¡°There are two promises, that a I know I can make for you, Mica.¡± said Anton as he gently twisted her wrist to the side and slid the key into the locked cuff ¡°The first one is that by the time this is all over, you''ll have become a creature so dangerous, that you''ll never again feel the level of fear and helplessness that you''ve felt today...¡±


    Mica blinked in surprise and despite herself, looked up at his face.


    Anton removed the cuff and slid it into his back pocket before returning her gaze and looking her right in the eyes.


    ¡°...And the second promise. Is that when the time comes. And trust me, Mica, it will come. For you to have to face your family again, and fight for your life. I will be there.¡± he said as a slight smirk took form across his face ¡°And I will not be joining that battle. I won''t even lift a single finger. I will not do anything. At all. To help you in even the tiniest way. I will be there! But all I''m going to do is watch.¡±


    Mica''s eyes went wide in panic.


    ¡°Wh-what, why!?¡± she cried.


    ¡°Because, I still want to see what you look like...¡± said Anton as he reached up and with a single tug, removed the manabinder from around her neck ¡°When you win...¡±


    Mica had froze completely as she stared at him and absorbed what he had just said. After a long moment of stillness, frantic tears began to roll down her cheeks and her mouth twisted into a maniacal smile as she began to giggle hysterically.


    ¡°...You! That''s so crap! ...Fuck you! ...That''s, that''s cool!¡± she declared between fits of laughter ¡°...That''s! ...Really, really! Dammit! ...Thank you, thank you!¡±


    ¡°You''re welcome.¡± said Anton as he folded the manabinder down and slid both it and his hand into his front pocket.


    Mica nodded frantically as she continued to both laugh and cry at the same time. She hunched in on herself as she gave her frog a tight squeeze and as she did so she noticed the ring-like shape that was creasing the material along the bottom edge of the pocket that Anton had his hand in. Her laughter slowly died down to nothing as she realized what she was looking at.


    ¡°...Is it, gonna hurt?¡± she asked as she raised her head and looked him in the eyes.


    ¡°Only if you fight it.¡± said Anton.


    ¡°...Will I still be me?¡± whimpered Mica as her tail lightly wrapped itself around her body.


    ¡°Yes, I can promise you that as well.¡± said Anton ¡°All of your memories, your personality, your dreams and goals. Everything that is who you are. I won''t take any of it away from you.¡±


    Fresh tears rolled down Mica''s cheeks as she clamped her eyes shut.


    ¡°Just... Please just do it...¡± she groaned as she held her eyes closed ¡°I just don''t want to think about this anymore...¡±


    ¡°...Alright.¡± said Anton as he pulled his hand out of his pocket.


    Mica gasped and frantically gripped her frog to her chest as a metallic locking sound rang out from the collar that was now around her neck.


    Pulling away from Anton, she reeled backwards and started to hyperventilate in panic as she began to feel the binding curse overtake her.


    ¡°Mica!¡± exclaimed Anton as he took hold of her shoulders and kept her from falling over ¡°Relax Mica!It''s okay! You''re going to be okay! Stop fighting it!¡±


    Still panicked, Mica locked her pleading eyes to his and began to whimper as her wings suddenly appeared out from between her shoulder blades and began to flap wildly.


    ¡°Relax, Mica! Just relax and it will end!¡± assured Anton as he pulled her in closer and kept her eyes focused on his ¡°Let it end, Mica... Just let it end...¡±


    Mica''s wings suddenly went completely still as a second, louder locking sound rang out from the collar. Sighing heavily in relief, she went limp and collapsed forward as her legs gave way beneath her.


    ¡°Mica!¡± exclaimed Anton as he caught her in his arms and followed her down.


    Kneeling, he let the spent shinoccubus lay limp in his lap as her wings, legs and tail came to rest in a heap on the ground in front of him.


    ¡°Mica!¡± cried Kianna as she and Fiona came around either side of Anton and peered down at the unresponsive shinoccubus ¡°Is she okay!?¡±


    ¡°She''s-!¡± started Anton as the sounds of sleep began to emanate from Mica ¡°...Perfectly fine?¡±


    ¡°...Did she really just fall asleep!?¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°Seriously!?¡±


    ¡°It''s not that surprising that she would be exhausted...¡± mused Anton as he looked over the sleeping kiochi ¡°It has been a very stressful day for her... And I doubt she got much rest last night.¡±


    ¡°Oh, poor Mica...¡± cooed Kianna ¡°It hasn''t even been a whole day yet since she came here, and already so many horrible things have happened to her... The poor, poor little thing...¡±


    ¡°...Oh shit!¡± exclaimed Fiona as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards ¡°It really hasn''t even been a whole day yet! ...This has got to have been the longest day of her life!¡±


    ¡°More than likely.¡± said Anton as he gently hoisted the kiochi up until he was able to cradle her in his arms ¡°Let''s get her back to the house. Kianna, can you grab her frog, please.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± cried the dark elf as she snagged the stuffed animal and hugged it to herself.


    As Anton got back to his feet Mica began to stir and quietly whimper.


    Blinking groggily, she looked up at him as the slitted pupils of her large emerald eyes dilated out to their fullest and became probing black pits. Staring back at her for a moment, Anton gave her a soft smile and she blinked slowly in return.


    ¡°Aw!¡± cried Kianna as she stepped up close to Mica and smiled at her ¡°She''s so cute when she''s sleepy!¡±


    Mica turned her eyes on the dark elf as she slowly blinked again. Her eyes quickly tightened with worry as she noticed that Kianna was now holding her stuffed frog.


    ¡°Aw, do you want this back?¡± cooed Kianna as she placed the stuffed animal in Mica''s arms ¡°Here you go!¡±


    Making tiny happy sounds in the back of her throat, Mica gripped the frog tightly and smiled broadly until her face and ears began to suddenly turn red in embarrassment.


    ¡°Aw, well look at this! Is the little ninja-bitch embarrassed of her little froggy friend!¡± teased Fiona ¡°Isn''t that just so sweet! What a cute little baby!¡±


    Whimpering in embarrassment, Mica wrapped her tail around Anton''s waist and hid her face against her frog as her blush deepened.


    ¡°Stop that, Fiona!¡± cried Kianna as she glared at her sister ¡°Don''t bully her!¡±


    ¡°What!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as she smiled wickedly ¡°I''m just playing around!¡±


    ¡°C''mon! You know she''s already had a long enough day!¡± chastised Kianna as she gathered together her bag and Anton''s knife cleaning pouch ¡°So just give her a break!¡±


    ¡°...Yeah, fine.¡± sighed Fiona as she folded her arms back behind her head and began to mumble ¡°I''ll just burn that frog later when no ones looking...¡±


    ¡°Fiona! Don''t you dare!¡± threatened Kianna as she pointed her ears straight back in anger ¡°I swear if you make Mica cry again, I will make you cry even worse!¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay! I''m kidding! I''m kidding!¡± smiled Fiona ¡°...Mostly.¡±


    Anton chuckled as he felt Mica''s tail tighten around his waist. Angling his hand out from under her legs he faced his open palm out ahead of himself and created a portal.


    ¡°You know what, Mica...¡± he said as he smiled down at the nervous kiochi ¡°I''m starting to think that having you around is going to be a lot more fun than I first thought.¡±


    Gripping her frog even tighter, Mica groaned in frustration and wrapped her wings around herself as she was carried through the portal.

 Assassin Arc : Chapter 20 : Early Evening

    Chapter 20 : Early Evening


    ¡°...Stop fidgeting, Mica.¡± mumbled Anton as he slowly shifted the tiny dental mirror back and forth as he looked over the backsides of Mica''s teeth in her top jaw.


    Holding her mouth open for him, Mica had a miserable looking expression on her face as she tightly closed her eyes and went rigid in an attempt to remain motionless.


    Having already been introduced to the Whitehead gag and subsequently saved from having to experience it due to Kianna''s intervention, the grateful kiochi had resolved to be as compliant as she could in order to both avoid having to wear the sinister looking item, and to make sure that the dark elf''s efforts weren''t in vain.


    Although she was making an effort to remain as still as possible, her discomfort was made obvious by her tail, which continued to coil aimlessly in the open space behind her body, and her wings, which kept faintly quivering in unease.


    ¡°Much better...¡± soothed Anton as he used the metallic depressor to gently shift Mica''s long, thin tongue to the side so that he could then go over the teeth on her bottom jaw.


    Though he was loath to admit it, Anton had the misfortune of being intimately more familiar with the teeth of Infernals, and the damage they could do, than he''d ever like to have been. And as such he was surprised to find that unlike the teeth of every other Infernal he had seen so far, the shinoccubi actually had a set that was nearly identical to a humans. In fact, the only obvious differences that he could see were that Mica''s fangs were both longer and sharper looking than what a humans would normally be, but only just slightly so. Funnily enough, the dark elves actually possessed fangs that were even longer, and Anton couldn''t help but find it comical to think that both Kianna and Fiona had teeth that would give them a bite that was far more formidable than this actual Infernals.


    ¡°Hm, alright then, you''re done.¡± said Anton as he stepped back and turned around towards the counter ¡°You can close your mouth now.¡±


    Mica sighed in relief as she immediately closed her mouth and began to run her tongue between her teeth as she re-moistened her lips. Keeping her eyes on Anton she made a conscious effort to try and ignore the watching dark elf that was standing just to her left.


    ¡°...You know. ...It''s so weird that you actually have a tail.¡± mused Fiona as she lounged against the vanities counter-top and followed the length of Mica''s tail back to where it sprouted out from the base of her spine ¡°...It literally just pops right out above your ass.¡±


    ¡°Wha? Excuse me!? It''s not weird!¡± declared Mica as she turned to the dark elf in affront and coiled her tail in close around her body ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Standing with his back to them, Anton chuckled at the exchange as he set about cleaning his dental instruments with alcohol and laying them out to dry.


    ¡°All Infernals have tails, though shinoccubi are the only one of the cubi that have a sharp spade and barbs.¡± he explained as he glanced back at Mica ¡°So I suppose that does make them a little weird.¡±


    Mica grimaced and hunched her shoulders in irritation.


    ¡°...Cubi. ...Cube-bye. ...That''s such a weird name.¡± mumbled Fiona as she gazed at Mica''s small but sharply pointed horns that although covered in a fine layer of dust were still shining as they reflected the glow from the bathroom lights ¡°Where does that even come from?¡±


    ¡°It actually started out as a derogatory slang term for concubines.¡± explained Anton ¡°And when the demons created the original cubi, they named them that in an effort to degrade them.¡±


    ¡°Really? Damn!¡± laughed Fiona ¡°Well that sucks for you!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± cried Mica as she glared at the dark elf and then turned to Anton ¡°That''s not true!¡±


    ¡°...I''m sorry tell you this, Mica. But I''m afraid it is.¡± said Anton as he grinned and shook his head.


    ¡°So how did the demons even create them anyway?¡± asked Fiona ¡°I thought only Gods could make new races?¡±


    ¡°They didn''t create us!¡± exclaimed Mica as she spread her wings out wide over her head ¡°Nobody created us!¡±


    ¡°Well, technically they didn''t create them so much as they bred them into existence.¡± explained Anton as he ignored Mica''s outburst and glanced to his side to check on the small swirling mana vortex that was sitting on the counter-top to his left ¡°What they did was breed imps and cambions to enslaved demons to make hybrids. They then cultivated those hybrids into a race of sex slaves they named conccubi, which is a bastardization of the word concubine. You''d probably know the conccubi better as the incubus and succubus. It''s from them that through selective breeding, the demons went and created other varieties, including the shinoccubi. To make things easier they then gave these new races the collective name of cubi. And now at this point there is at least a half a dozen distinctly different kinds of cubi. And honestly, I really wouldn''t be surprised if the demons weren''t still working on creating new ones.¡±


    ¡°Huh, wild... So wait, they just bred them until they existed?¡± questioned Fiona as she gave Mica a sideways look ¡°How does that work?¡±


    ¡°It''s not that difficult really. You just breed for certain traits.¡± explained Anton ¡°It''s essentially the exact same process that was used to create different domesticated animals, like the various dog breeds. Only in this case it was done with people.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay... So is that why you hate being called a dog?¡± asked Fiona as she tilted her head to get a better look at Mica''s face ¡°Because you were basically bred like one?¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up!¡± cried Mica as she arched her tail up and over her head ¡°I wasn''t bred like anything, dammit! Don''t talk about me like that!¡±


    ¡°What''s going on in here!?¡± asked Kianna as she came into the room while carrying a set of towels and bathrobes in her arms.


    ¡°Mica''s in denial.¡± explained Fiona as she smirked at the fuming kiochi ¡°She doesn''t like the fact that her ancestors were little demon pet projects!¡±


    ¡°Pet projects?¡± questioned Kianna.


    ¡°Shut, up!¡± growled Mica ¡°Stop talking about shit you don''t even know about!¡±


    ¡°We do know about it though, Mica.¡± said Anton as he packed away his stethoscope ¡°There are still plenty of people alive today that are old enough to remember when the cubi were first created. And even without their testimony it would still be possible to follow your ancestry through DNA. You''re an established race now, but your ancestors were intentionally bred from hybrids. You may not like that idea, but your opinion isn''t going to change reality, so you might as well just accept it.¡±


    Mica went to argue but stopped short and hung her head as she sighed in frustration.


    ¡°Why are you guys still bullying her!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as she dropped the stack of towels and bathrobes on the counter-top ¡°Just leave her alone!¡±


    ¡°Nobodies ¡°bullying¡± anybody!¡± declared Fiona ¡°I was just asking questions and she didn''t like the answers.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn''t like them either!¡± seethed Mica as she glared at the dark elf ¡°How would you like it if people were saying that your kind was nothing but somebodies fucking breeding project!? Huh!?¡±


    Taken aback, Fiona said nothing as the enraged kiochi turned to fully face her.


    ¡°I am not some product that was designed! Okay! I''m a person! A real person! And nobody made me! You hear me!¡± exclaimed Mica as she started to tremble with anger ¡°Nobody made me! Okay! ...Nobody bred me! ...Okay! ...Not me!¡±


    The two dark elves said nothing as they watched frustrated tears begin to form in Mica''s eyes.


    The kiochi went to speak further but instead merely sighed as her exhaustion suddenly resurfaced and caused her shoulders to slump in fatigue.


    ¡°Not me...¡± she mumbled as she crossed her arms over her chest and wrapped her wings around her head and shoulders in an attempt to hide her face from view.


    The dark elves both gazed at her for a moment before glancing at each other and then looking over at Anton.


    Still standing with his back to them, Anton remained silent as he stared down at a silver disc that was surrounded by a pulsating light.


    Sitting on the counter-top in front of him was a square shaped plate made of polished black-colored granite. And mounted to the center of this plate was a broad mouthed bowl made of the same material.


    In each of the plates corners were a set of etched in runes. A series of seals connected these runes to each other, as well as to the bowl in the middle. And sitting in the bowl was a very small silver disc with a hole in its center.


    Having been powered up by Anton, the runes and seals were all aglow with the bluish light of raw mana. And as this mana flowed through the seals and reached the bowl, it would continue to flow and create a swirling, glowing vortex that was confined within the bowl.


    As he watched, Anton would absently lay two fingers down on one of the runes and add a bit more mana to the device.


    Taking his phone from his pocket, he went over the details of the charm he was trying to make and creased his brow as he realized that he wasn''t sure if the curse applied to Mica''s collar was even compatible with this particular charm.


    ¡°Girls, come here for a moment.¡± he called as he turned around and stepped up behind Mica ¡°I want to show you something.¡±


    Both Fiona and Kianna''s ears stood straight upwards as they moved to stand next to him and the now uncertain looking kiochi.


    ¡°Just relax, Mica. This isn''t going to hurt.¡± said Anton ¡°I just need to check your collar real quick.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡± asked Mica as she looked back at him.


    ¡°I need to make sure that the curse in your collar will work with the charm I''m making.¡± explained Anton ¡°This will just take a moment.¡±


    Though clearly unhappy, Mica said nothing as she let her wings droop down until they were out of the way, shifted her ponytail over her shoulder and then tilted her head down so Anton would have a clear view of the back of her neck and the collar that was wrapped around it.


    ¡°Alright girls, this is going to be a little different from how your own collars work. But it''s still similar enough for you to get an idea of the basics.¡± said Anton as he pressed his thumb against the silver plate that acted as the collar''s latch.


    Mica stiffened as a series of blue X''s lit up along the length of her collar and her body was suddenly forced to remain as still as possible.


    The two dark elves both made small sounds of intrigue as a set of holographic-like glowing circles winked into existence and floated just above the collar''s silver plate.


    ¡°This is your main panel. It''s here that you can alter the level of freedom and sapience that your slave can experience.¡± explained Anton as he placed his finger along the edge of the topmost circle and began to slowly spin it back and forth ¡°By turning this dial here, you can control how much of your slaves mind is locked back. This is of course just the simple method. And it is possible to open this up and have more in depth control, that''s rarely necessary or worth the effort though. Since if you simply raise this high enough, you''ll seal away their memories and eventually even their self awareness.¡±


    ¡°Are the memories gone forever?¡± asked Fiona.


    ¡°No, they''re just locked away. They still exist and can be pulled from whenever the slave is given a command. But while sealed they can''t be accessed at will anymore.¡± said Anton ¡°We''re going to leave Mica at the lowest setting, so that all her memories and her entire personality is completely free.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, you sure that''s a good idea? It might be better to cut her back a little...¡± mumbled Fiona ¡°She is a bit of a bitch after all...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and so are you!¡± snapped Kianna ¡°But we still deal with you anyways.¡±


    Anton chuckled as the two dark elves glared at each other.


    Tapping on one of the smaller circles, Anton caused it to become larger and rise to the forefront as the previous dial-like one shrunk down. He quickly cycled through the half dozen circles until finally stopping at one that displayed the information for the collar''s specific curse as well as listed the various other minor hexes and charms that were mounted to it and helped it to keep functioning correctly.


    ¡°It''ll be fine...¡± he said as he read over the curses information and then double checked it against the charm on his phone ¡°At this point I don''t think Mica is going to give us anymore problems... Or at least I hope she doesn''t...¡±


    ¡°She won''t...¡± said Kianna as she nonchalantly took hold of Mica''s ponytail and started to gently remove the bands that held it together ¡°She''ll be fine...¡±


    Fiona went to speak but stopped short as Anton tapped on the very center of the glowing circle and caused it to disappear by shrinking back down into the silver plate.


    ¡°Well, this looks like it should work out just fine.¡± he said as he pressed his thumb to the silver plate and fully deactivated the collar''s panel ¡°There''s already a charm mounted on this collar that''s nearly identical to this masking one I''m making... so...¡±


    Anton trailed off as Mica''s tail silently rose into the air in front of him while on its way to arching up over her head.


    Having fully dismantled the kiochi''s ponytail, Kianna had gathered the ends of Mica''s hair in her hand and was holding it outstretched while absently running her fingers through its soft, silky length.


    Noticing movement taking place above her, she paused her activity and glanced up to find the tip of Mica''s newly resharpened spade mere inches away from her face and pointed straight down at her. The dark elf gazed at the ominously black and menacing blade for a second before looking down and finding that Mica had tilted her head back just enough that both of her piercing, emerald eyes could be seen clearly.


    Standing motionless and unblinking, Kianna couldn''t help but to find the kiochi''s slitted, snake-like pupils striking as they silently stared back at her.


    Although Mica''s face was devoid of any expression, the thick tension in the air made it abundantly clear that at the moment, the little demonoid was not happy.


    Keeping her eyes locked to the kiochi''s, Kianna released Mica''s hair by letting her arms slowly fall to her sides.


    The moment she was no longer being held in anyway, Mica vanished from in front of Kianna and reappeared on the other side of the room.


    Taking refuge in the corner made by the shower and the bathroom wall, she let out an exasperated breath as she gripped her collar and began to tremble. Glancing upwards, her face hardened at finding that Anton and the dark elves were all intently staring at her.


    ¡°Yeah... No problems at all...¡± mumbled Fiona as she crossed her arms over her chest and pointed her ears straight back ¡°Should probably do something about that tail though...¡±


    Blinking as she realized what she had just done, Mica''s eyes became nervous as she quickly curled her tail in behind herself and leaned away from the watching trio.


    Anton went to say something but stopped short as Kianna spoke before him.


    ¡°No. It''s fine.¡± she said softly ¡°It''s not her fault...¡±


    Anton said nothing as he gazed at the solemn dark elf.


    ¡°This is our fault.¡± said Kianna as she shook her head ¡°She just... doesn''t...¡±


    Turning to Anton, she tightened her eyes in remorse.


    ¡°We really fucked this up...¡± she said in the same soft tone.


    ¡°We didn''t know, Kianna.¡± said Anton ¡°There was no way that we could have ever predicted things would take this path.¡±


    ¡°...Yeah. ...Still though.¡± whispered Kianna as her eyes shifted back to Mica.


    Finding herself under their scrutiny, Mica looked back and forth between the three faces before dropping her eyes to the floor.


    The room remained quiet and still for a long moment before without a word, Kianna stepped forward.


    Seeing that the dark elf was approaching, Mica reacted by instinctively backing herself all the way into the corner. Steeling her shoulders in an effort to keep her nervousness from showing, she couldn''t help but to gulp quietly as Kianna came to a stop just in front of her. Now finding herself in the shadow being cast by the imposing dark elf, Mica held her breath and remained silent as she looked up at the taller female.


    The two women gazed at each other for what felt to Mica like a gruelingly long eternity, before Kianna finally spoke.


    ¡°...I''m not sorry for anything that I''ve done to you, Mica. I didn''t make us enemies, you did.¡± declared Kianna as she stared down into Mica''s eyes ¡°You tried to take my Master from me. And you deserved to be punished for that.¡±


    Grimacing, Mica made a tiny sound in the back of her throat as she fought the urge to look away.


    ¡°I''m not sorry that my Master has enslaved you.¡± said Kianna as she tightened her eyes ¡°You attacked him, and tried to kill him... You would have killed him. So you deserve to be punished for that.¡±


    Mica clenched her jaw as she swallowed another lump in her throat.


    ¡°I''m not sorry that your family wants to kill you.¡± continued Kianna ¡°Your stupid, reckless actions have put their lives in danger, and forced them to take a stand against a friend. ...You made this happen, and you deserve to be punished for that.¡±


    Despite her best efforts Mica couldn''t help but to clamp her eyes shut as she held back a sob.


    ¡°...I''m not sorry for any of the pain that you''ve already been put through.¡± said Kianna softly as she stared down at the quivering kiochi ¡°And I won''t feel sorry for any suffering that you''re still going to go through. You have made some very poor decisions. And you''re going to pay for them. All of them.¡±


    Hunching down into her shoulders, Mica kept her eyes closed and cringed down low as she felt the dark elf lean in and loom over her.


    ¡°...I''m not sorry for any of it, Mica. None of it, at all.¡± whispered Kianna.


    Mica''s breath became trapped in her throat as she felt the air around her become thick and heavy, but her eyes shot open wide with surprise as that heaviness was suddenly filled with a warm and comforting essence. Tentatively bringing her gaze upwards, she blinked in disbelief as she took in the pained expression on Kianna''s face.


    ¡°...But I am, sorry.¡± croaked Kianna as her eyes filled with anguished tears ¡°For why you did it!¡±


    Too stunned to react, Mica''s eyes widened to their fullest as she was suddenly pulled into such a tight embrace that her chin ended up resting on Kianna''s shoulder. Staring forwards at nothing, she offered no resistance against the soothing warmth that had begun to flood into her from the clinging dark elf, and as the growing sense of comfort began to permeate throughout her being, she couldn''t help but to let loose a tentative breath as the tension was immediately forced from her body.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Oh, Mica... I''m so sorry...¡± soothed Kianna as she hugged the unresponsive kiochi ¡°I know you don''t get it. I know you just don''t understand. I know it''s... confusing... and it hurts... More than anything, it hurts... so badly...¡±


    ¡°Wha, what?¡± mumbled Mica as her pupils widened to match the rest of her eyes.


    ¡°I know, that you''re not supposed to be like this. That you''re not supposed to be... alone, like this... Not like this. It''s not what you are...¡± said Kianna ¡°And I get it! I do! I understand how you feel... All you really wanted, was just to be with them... You just wanted to belong...¡±


    ¡°...Wha, w-what!? What!? Wha!? Why!? Why, why, why, why wouldn''t they let me go too!?¡± cried Mica as she gave up on the last of her apprehension and pressed herself into the dark elf''s embrace ¡°Why!? Why can''t I go!? Why can''t I be with them!? Why!? Why won''t they let me be with them!? Why, why!?¡±


    Unable to give her an answer, Kianna said nothing as she merely held the quivering kiochi.


    ¡°Why can''t I go too!? Why is it only Nokko!? Why!? Why is she the only one!?¡± cried Mica as she huddled herself in against Kianna ¡°She goes with them all the time! She''s always the special one! ...But I''m just as good as her! I can do anything she can do! ...So why!? ...Why won''t they ever give me a chance!? Why!? ...Why!? ...What''s? ...Kianna, what''s wrong with me!?¡±


    ¡°No! No, Mica, no!¡± cried Kianna as she frantically shook her head.


    Easing back, Kianna tucked her arms in and gently cupped her hands on each side of Mica''s face.


    ¡°Listen to me, Mica! Okay! Just listen!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she gazed down into the large black discs that were Mica''s dilated eyes ¡°It''s not your fault. Okay! It''s not! It''s not that you weren''t good enough! You were! It''s, just... It''s not your fault! Okay! ...There is absolutely nothing wrong with you Mica! Nothing at all!¡±


    Mica was completely still for several heartbeats before all the weight of the last twenty four hours landed on her all at once. A loud clanging sound suddenly rang out through the room as her tail went limp and her spade fell to clatter against the tiled floor.


    ¡°I... I tried...¡± she wailed as heavy tears welled in her eyes ¡°I did... I really did... I tried...¡±


    ¡°I know, I know you did...¡± soothed Kianna as she wrapped her arms back around the trembling kiochi and held her as tightly as she could ¡°I know you did... You did your best...¡±


    Gibbering incomprehensibly, Mica kept her face hidden against Kianna''s chest as she all but collapsed in her arms.


    ¡°It''s okay, Mica... It''s okay, you''re gonna be okay...¡± breathed Kianna ¡°Everything is gonna be okay...¡±


    As she stood there, cooing softly and working to calm the sobbing kiochi, Kianna was surprised by a sudden, odd sensation at her ankle, and glancing downwards, she found that Mica was slowly wrapping a coil of her tail around her leg.


    Holding her spade off to the side and gripping softly but earnestly with the length of her tail itself, it was abundantly clear that Mica was not trying to be hostile or insidious with this action, but was instead seeking comfort and reassurance.


    The kiochi''s whimpers grew in pitch when Kianna answered her by giving her another tight hug. The dark elf''s ears drooped in sorrowful sympathy as Mica''s grip around her leg quickly tightened and became desperate.


    In a bid to give them a moment, both Anton and Fiona let their eyes drop to the floor and away from the hugging duo.


    While maintaining her firm but gentle hold on the shivering kiochi, Kianna was surprised to see Mica''s wings suddenly extending out behind her. Keeping still, she watched as the bat-like, membranous wings spread themselves open, stretched themselves straight upwards into the air and then dropped down to wrap themselves tightly around both her and Mica. The oddly cozy sensation of having the wings warm, soft, velvet-like skin and long, thin fingers both wrapped around and gripping onto her shoulders was certainly unexpected, but not quite unpleasant, and so with a thin grin on her face, she re-closed her eyes and continued in her efforts to comfort the mewling shinoccubus.


    The room remained still for some time as the two standing bodies stood right where they were.


    Holding Mica until her quivering lessened down to almost nothing, Kianna''s ears pointed themselves straight upwards in surprise when they picked up a tiny almost inaudible whisper as it rose out from where the kiochi was hiding her face against her.


    ¡°...Thank you.¡± breathed Mica between her soft sobbing breaths.


    Without a word, Kianna smiled, sighed gently through her nose and loosened her hold on the kiochi.


    Taking a half step back, she left her hands resting on Mica''s shoulders as she looked down at the poor, miserable looking creature.


    Still confused and too nervous to even speak, Mica kept her gaze lowered as she worked to blink the moisture away from her tear stricken eyes. Exhausted from her ordeal, she let her wings slip down from around Kianna''s shoulders and fall to hang limply at her sides.


    ¡°...C''mon, let''s get you cleaned up.¡± soothed Kianna as she reached down and went to lift up the thin athletic top Mica wore.


    Making a small sound of protest, Mica took hold of the tops hem in an effort to stop its removal.


    ¡°Hey, now.¡± chastised Kianna in a gentle tone ¡°You''re dirty, Mica. You''re literally covered in dirt.¡±


    Still holding the hem of her top, Mica made no effort to resist as Kianna took her chin in her hand and had her look up into her eyes.


    ¡°I know you''re tired, but you need a shower.¡± stated Kianna in the same gentle tone ¡°After that we''ll get you something to eat, and then you can rest. Okay?¡±


    Sighing softly in defeat, Mica tentatively nodded her head as a thin grimace spread across her face.


    ¡°Okay, good girl...¡± soothed Kianna as she proceeded to help her undress.


    Through she had accepted her fate, Mica''s face still shifted to a deep red as her clothes were removed. In an effort to maintain her modesty, she wrapped her wings around her chest, used both hands to cover her sex and curled in her tail in such a way as to shield her bottom from view.


    Despite her compassion, Kianna still couldn''t help but to chuckle at the sight of the embarrassed cubi. Not looking to prolong Mica''s suffering, she quickly undressed herself and lead the kiochi to the shower. Stepping in behind her, she pushed a button next to the door handle and in an instant the glass panels that made up the shower walls frosted over to give the two women a bit of privacy.


    Grumbling at being denied a show, Fiona slumped back against the vanities counter-top and huffed in annoyance.


    ¡°Humph... Well that little bitch is gonna be really confused now...¡± she mumbled in a dismissive tone.


    ¡°...What do you two even mean by that?¡± asked Anton as he turned to her and arched an eyebrow.


    ¡°Hm? What?¡± questioned Fiona ¡°What do we mean by what?¡±


    ¡°That Mica''s confused? You and Kianna have both said that more than once now.¡± said Anton ¡°What makes you think she''s confused?¡±


    ¡°...Uh, because she is?¡± stated Fiona ¡°That poor dumb bitch is super confused!¡±


    ¡°What is she confused about?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°Couple things, really. For one she doesn''t get why she''s not part of her families killing club.¡± said Fiona.


    ¡°But she knows why she''s not part of that? That''s been explained to her. She knows that her parents didn''t want her to be locked into the clan with them. That they wanted her to be free.¡± said Anton ¡°Why would she still be confused about that?¡±


    ¡°Wha? No, you don''t get it. I''m not talking about the clan.¡± said Fiona as she shook her head ¡°She does know all that. But you gotta understand, she''s like a bug. And I don''t mean that like an insult. I mean she''s literally like a bug. She''s like an ant or a bee, or, maybe more like a wasp? You see, she''s supposed to be part of something like a big group, with others. Like a hive, or a swarm, or, something... Whatever! She''s just not supposed to be alone. That''s not how she works. It''s not how her head works. To her being alone feels wrong, but she doesn''t even really know why, it just does. It makes her... not really scared, or even nervous... It''s more like, she has no confidence? Like, she''s vulnerable? There''s a word for what I mean, but I can''t think of it...¡±


    ¡°Anxious?¡± offered Anton.


    ¡°Yes! Exactly! It makes her anxious!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°And that fucks with her head, a lot, and it makes her do stupid shit. Like this whole deal. She knows, damn well, that everything she''s done was stupid. Like she''s not really dumb enough not to think she wasn''t breaking laws and shit. She knew she was, but it didn''t matter, she still had to do it. Because becoming part of the group was more important to her, it''s all she thought about. And in her mind, once she became part of the group, no matter what it took, everything else would be okay...¡±


    Fiona went quiet for a moment as she watched the two silhouettes moving about on the other side of the frosted glass.


    ¡°It wasn''t though...¡± she continued in a soft, sympathetic tone ¡°I don''t think anything she''s ever done has worked out in the way that she thought it was going to. Like all the efforts she''s made, like in her gymnastics and stuff. She thought if she succeeded it would matter... But it never did... And she doesn''t know why... You know what it''s like, for her? It''s like she''s a little fish, one who has always been trying to swim with the other fish but they keep swimming away from her and she doesn''t understand why... So she''s always been confused, and anxious... It''s actually kinda really sad...¡±


    ¡°...And she told you all this?¡± questioned Anton after a moment of silence.


    ¡°No, not really.¡± mumbled Fiona ¡°She didn''t actually say any of this. I don''t think she even realizes half of it herself. And if she does, she hides it really well... It was more that me and Kianna could... Kinda feel it? It''s a little hard to explain. But we looked into her eyes, and we felt her with our auras, and it''s like we could just tell. Like all of a sudden we knew a bunch of stuff about her. Like we knew who she really was, and why she is the way she is... I don''t know how real any of that was though... It might have all been a trick, or something... I don''t know...¡±


    ¡°...You, then you! ...Unbelievable.¡± sighed Anton as he shook his head in annoyance ¡°I step away for a single moment, and I miss it! ...Of all the rotten luck. ...Well, that explains a lot at least.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? What did you miss?¡± asked Fiona.


    ¡°I missed you guys using that ability.¡± said Anton ¡°The one I was telling you about. The one that allows you to read people and understand them.¡±


    ¡°...Oh. Oh, so that''s what that was!¡± exclaimed Fiona as her eyes went wide in realization ¡°Huh. So it was all real then... Okay, that makes sense then, I guess. That''s a pretty trippy ability! Useful though...¡±


    ¡°Do you know how you did it?¡± asked Anton ¡°And could you do it again?¡±


    ¡°Eh... Kinda?¡± drawled Fiona ¡°It was really weird. We used our auras to do it, but it wasn''t like the normal way we use them. At first it was like we could taste her aura, with our auras, and that told us a lot about her... But then... It was like, our auras were inside her, like we were in her head... And I don''t know if we could just do that again, in the same way at least. Really, I honestly think it was more that Mica actually wanted to tell us about herself. Like, she wanted us to know more about her, so she let us in... She let us do it, she was willing, even if she didn''t realize it. If that makes any sense?¡±


    Anton sighed softly as he nodded his head.


    ¡°That''s pretty much exactly what I''ve heard in the past.¡± he said as he took on a solemn expression ¡°Hopefully, at some point, I''ll actually get the chance to see this ability in action...¡±


    Following his gaze, Fiona stared at the shadowed figures in the shower for a few moments before speaking again.


    ¡°...You know. When we were in there. ...We found something.¡± she began as her eyes focused on the shorter figure and went distant ¡°Something that we could use to... We found out we could break her... We really could. It would be easy. She wouldn''t even fight it. She wouldn''t be able to... She wouldn''t even want to...¡±


    Turning back to her, Anton remained silent for a moment as he took in her serious demeanor.


    ¡°...Is that really something you would want to do though?¡± he asked softly.


    ¡°...It''s-¡± started Fiona.


    ¡°Will you quit that! I can wash my own tail!¡± cried Mica as her irate voice rose over the sound of the shower water.


    ¡°Well you''re not going to!¡± exclaimed Kianna in a firm but patient tone ¡°Now hold still!¡±


    Fiona began to chuckle as the end of Mica''s tail could be seen whipping back and forth in obvious irritation while Kianna stretched it out near its base and began to give it a light scrub.


    ¡°Nah! It would be a loss.¡± said Fiona as she smiled deviously ¡°She''ll be more fun like this, with some fight in her.¡±


    Anton shook his head as a thin grin spread across his face.


    ¡°I agree.¡± he chuckled as he turned back to the forming charm ¡°You still haven''t answered the question though. About why Mica is going to be even more confused now?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah... Right...¡± nodded Fiona ¡°Well, you know that Mica thinks she''s supposed to be part of something. That she thinks she''s supposed to be part of a group of others like her, her own kind... But that''s not... She doesn''t know, that it doesn''t really have to be like that...¡±


    Anton remained quiet as he looked over at her and waited.


    ¡°She''s confused...¡± said Fiona as she looked at the floor and grinned softly ¡°Because, all of a sudden, she doesn''t really feel as alone, as she did, anymore... And this is new for her, so she doesn''t really get it yet... She''s still figuring things out...¡±


    Blinking, Anton looked over at Mica''s silhouette before turning back to the charm and nodding slowly.


    ¡°Ah, I see...¡± he said in a soft tone ¡°Right, I can see how that might be confusing for her...¡±


    ¡°Yep...¡± nodded Fiona as they both went quiet.


    Some time later, Kianna shut off the water in the shower and, leaning out of the door, beckoned for the towels. After drying themselves off, and wrapping their towels around their torsos, she and Mica both left the privacy of the shower.


    ¡°Aw, it really is so cute how bashful you are!¡± teased Fiona as she sneered at a clearly uncomfortable looking Mica.


    Clutching her towel to herself and following right behind Kianna, Mica grumbled under her breath as her face and ears turned a bright red.


    ¡°Quit it.¡± snapped Kianna as she gave her sister a quick glare and headed to the vanity.


    Placing Mica in front of herself, Kianna pulled a hairdryer out of a drawer and began to dry the kiochi''s hair. When she was finished, she used both hands to fluff out the long, silky mass.


    ¡°...It''s nice to see I can touch your hair now, without you getting mad.¡± smiled Kianna as she gazed at Mica in the mirror and watched as her exhausted looking eyes tightened and then closed completely as she resigned herself to the pleasant treatment ¡°I''m guessing this feels too good to fight against? ...Or are you just too tired to care anymore?¡±


    ¡°Mmph...¡± hummed Mica as her tail slowly coiled in around her body.


    ¡°Oh, poor Mica... She''s so sleepy...¡± cooed Kianna as she took up a brush and began to gently comb out the kiochi''s hair ¡°It''s okay, you''ll get to rest as soon as I''m done...¡±


    As she spoke, Kianna was surprised to see Mica''s expression shift as her face scrunched up in worry.


    ¡°Hm? Mica? Are you okay?¡± she asked as she placed her hand on the girl''s shoulder.


    ¡°...Yeah. ...I''m fine.¡± mumbled the kiochi as she laid her cheek down on the dark elf''s hand ¡°I''m just not ready to go to bed yet...¡±


    ¡°You''re not?¡± questioned Kianna as she raised an eyebrow ¡°Are you sure? Cause sweety, you look like you''re ready to fall over...¡±


    ¡°No, I''m fine...¡± said Mica.


    ¡°...Well, okay? I guess you don''t have to go to sleep if you don''t want to?¡± reasoned Kianna as she continued to brush out Mica''s hair ¡°You shouldn''t push yourself though, Mica. You''ve had a long day...¡±


    ¡°If you''re worried that it''s not safe enough for you to sleep, then you can be at ease, Mica.¡± said Anton ¡°We do have a ward set over the house. So we''ll know if anyone invades. And besides, nothing is likely to happen with your family this soon. They''ll still need some time to recover before they try anything again.¡±


    ¡°...That''s not the problem.¡± admitted Mica as she became sorrowful ¡°I''m just not excited about where I''m gonna sleep, that''s all...¡±


    ¡°Oh? Well you don''t need to worry about that either.¡± said Anton ¡°We''re not going to make you sleep on the floor or anything. For now, until we get you your own bed, we''ll set up one of the couches for you. Which of course we''ll still try to make that as comfortable for you as possible.¡±


    ¡°What? No!¡± exclaimed Kianna ¡°She can just sleep in my bed for now. It''s not like I''m using it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well that''s even better then.¡± said Anton ¡°That''s very kind of you, Kianna.¡±


    ¡°Wait, hold on?¡± questioned Mica as she used the mirror to look from Anton to Kianna and back ¡°...You''re not going to make me sleep in a cage again?¡±


    ¡°...What!? No!¡± chuckled Anton ¡°Is that what you were worried about?¡±


    ¡°You stupid little thing!¡± sang Kianna as she wrapped her arms around Mica and gave her a squeeze ¡°We''re not gonna put you back in a cage! Why would you even think that?¡±


    ¡°...I just, did.¡± mumbled Mica ¡°I figured it was either that or... I''d end up in his bed...¡±


    Kianna followed Mica''s gesture as she nodded towards Anton.


    ¡°Which, how is that even gonna work?¡± continued the kiochi ¡°Are we all just at his beck and call? Or is it gonna be a take turns kind of thing?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What are you talking about?¡± questioned Kianna as she cocked one of her ears in a curious manner.


    ¡°Ah, yes! I supposed we still haven''t addressed that!¡± laughed Anton ¡°You don''t have to worry about that either, Mica. I have no intention of ever taking advantage of you like that. Slave or not, your choice is still your own in that regard. I won''t touch you if you don''t want me to.¡±


    ¡°...Wait, seriously!?¡± cried Mica ¡°You''re not going to make me fuck you!?¡±


    ¡°No. Of course not.¡± said Anton as he absently added a bit more mana to the vortex ¡°For one, you are still the daughter of people I consider friends. So obviously I''m not going to sully that friendship by forcing myself on you. And even if that wasn''t a factor, I still wouldn''t throw away what little trust we might have built by making you do something that you didn''t want to do. So again, this isn''t something that you need to worry about.¡±


    Clearly surprised, Mica stared at him for a moment before looking to the dark elves for confirmation.


    ¡°Yeah. He''s serious. He really won''t touch you if you don''t want him too.¡± said Fiona with a shrug ¡°I know it''s hard to believe, but it''s true. He''s a fucking sadist, and a jerk, but he''s really not much of a horn dog, surprisingly.¡±


    ¡°Oh no! He definitely is!¡± giggled Kianna as she wiggled her bottom and playfully lowered her ears so as to point their tips back and away from her head ¡°And actually! This is great! You''re a cubi! You''re like born to fuck! Which is perfect! You can help me run the wild out of our Master!¡±


    ¡°I, wait, wha?¡± grumbled Mica as she was given another squeeze ¡°Help you what!?¡±


    Anton threw his head back and began to laugh.


    ¡°Are you really trying to gather reinforcements over there?¡± he chuckled


    ¡°Yes! Now stop listening to our conversation!¡± said Kianna as she put her back to him and pulled Mica in to hold her close ¡°This doesn''t concern you!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I think it definitely does!¡± chuckled Anton ¡°But alright. I''ll just stay out of this, I guess!¡±


    ¡°You do that!¡± exclaimed Kianna as Fiona shook her head in annoyance.


    Still unsure of what was happening, Mica grimaced in unease as Kianna began to whisper in her ear.


    ¡°Okay, listen. So, our Master has this potion that can make him go crazy in bed. And I mean like really crazy. It''s, intense...¡± explained Kianna around a slight shudder ¡°Last time he used it I ended up passing out or something. I don''t even know what happened, but I can''t remember when he fully finished. So clearly, I lost. And I do not want to lose like that again, but I don''t think I can beat that potion on my own. If we team up though, we could totally do this. It''ll still be tough, but if we work together, I know we could fuck that potion right out of him. And burn those blue lights right out of his eyes! So what do you say? Are you in?¡±


    ¡°...Uh, um. I, I don''t know?¡± mumbled Mica as she frantically shook her head.


    ¡°Ah, c''mon! Seriously, I could really use your help with this!¡± whined Kianna ¡°You have no idea! I got completely rocked last time, and I don''t think my poor pussy could handle another battle like that all alone!¡±


    ¡°Kianna! Will you quit trying to freak her out!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°The last thing the poor girl needs right now is you trying to draft her into your fuck war. Just leave her alone!¡±


    ¡°I, No! That''s, not... Um... Okay, maybe you''re right...¡± said Kianna as she loosened her hold on the kiochi ¡°Let''s just talk about this again later...¡±


    Mica had a nervous looking grimace on her face as Kianna tentatively repositioned her back in front of the vanity.


    In an effort to shift things to a new subject, Kianna turned her attention back to Mica''s hair.


    ¡°You know, it''s really nice having someone with long hair around again.¡± she said as she again began to gently run the brush down through the hair''s length ¡°I really missed combing hair like this...¡±


    ¡°Hm, did you used to have long hair, Fiona?¡± asked Anton as he watched the swirling vortex begin to slow its movements.


    ¡°Yeah. A long time ago.¡± answered Fiona.


    ¡°We both did...¡± said Kianna as a small, almost remorseful smile spread across her face ¡°I really loved having long hair... I miss it...¡±


    ¡°Why did you decide to cut it?¡± asked Anton.


    Kianna went quiet for a moment as Fiona''s face darkened in anger.


    ¡°I didn''t, really decide to. I kinda had to cut it...¡± admitted Kianna as Fiona pointed her ears straight back ¡°Because Sierra mashed up a bunch of gum in it...¡±


    ¡°...Oh. I see. ...I''m sorry to hear that.¡± said Anton as his eyes tightened ¡°That''s unfortunate.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it sucked...¡± said Kianna as she portioned out lengths of Mica''s hair and began to braid it together ¡°Shorter hair is easier to deal with, so I never grew it back out... And neither did Fiona...¡±


    ¡°Right...¡± nodded Anton as he glanced over to Fiona ¡°So I''m guessing Sierra did the same to you?¡±


    ¡°Nah, I cut my own hair.¡± answered Fiona.


    ¡°...Why?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°...Because.¡± sighed Fiona ¡°We weren''t the same anymore. And Kianna was crying about that... So I cut it, like her''s...¡±


    ¡°And that was really sweet of you!¡± cooed Kianna as a bright smile spread across her face.


    ¡°Yes... It was.¡± nodded Anton as his expression became thoughtful ¡°Very sweet...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Whatsoever...¡± mumbled Fiona as she crossed her arms and sulked.


    Relieved that her most current worries were not actually going to be an issue for her, Mica focused on the pleasant feeling of having her hair played with while ignoring the conversation taking place around her. She sighed softly as she gave in to her exhaustion a bit and began to lightly doze right where she stood. She was brought back to full consciousness when Anton began to move about at her side.


    ¡°Okay, this should be ready.¡± said Anton as he took the silver disc from the bowl and turned to Mica.


    Seeing the nervous look on her face, he paused for a second and held the coin out for her to see.


    ¡°There are 2 different charms that have been mounted to this.¡± he explained as he turned the disc back and forth to showcase the sets of etchings on either of its two sides ¡°The first charm is designed to mask your presence by forming a kind of overlay around your being that is made up of my essence. This means that while this charm is in place, most mundane locator spells won''t be able to detect you because to them you will appear as me. This isn''t perfect or foolproof though, as highly specialized spells will still be able to see past this charm. A powerful clairvoyant will also be able to detect you around this charm as well, though they will have to work their way past it. The essence this charm is utilizing will also have to be replaced as it''s used up, but the link to me through your collar should work to keep it charged.¡±


    Mica nodded softly as she kept her eyes on the silver disc.


    ¡°The second charm is there in case the first one does fail, or is bypassed. It essentially functions as an alarm system. It''ll let us both know that not only have you been detected by someone, but it will also trace the spell back to its caster and, hopefully, show us who it is that''s now tracking you.¡± continued Anton ¡°Now, these charms are by no means the best examples of what they are. They are the best that I could put together myself in such a short amount of time and with what I have here though. They will work for now, but we''ll still upgrade them as soon as we can find better versions. In the meantime though, let''s go ahead and get them installed.¡±


    Mica couldn''t help but to grimace as Anton took Kianna''s place behind her. Bowing her head a bit, she shivered involuntarily as she felt him once again activate her collar''s control panel.


    The two dark elves watched in silence as Anton cycled to a specific ring that appeared to be blank until he placed the silver disc in its center. Once the disc was in place, a series of interconnected sigils winked into existence across its surface. For a moment, both the ring and the etchings on either side of the disc began to glow brightly before the disc was sucked down to the collar itself, where it then instantly melted into the silver plate and disappeared.


    ¡°And there we go.¡± said Anton as he deactivated the collar and stepped back.


    Mica shivered again, before squaring her shoulders and glancing up at the mirror to find that everyone was now staring at her.


    ¡°...W-what?¡± she stammered as she looked back down ¡°Why are you all looking at me!?¡±


    ¡°Do you feel the new charms?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°No. I don''t think so?¡± answered Mica.


    ¡°That''s fine. They''re not something that you should notice.¡± said Anton as he moved to collect his crafting supplies ¡°At least not until they''re actually functioning.¡±


    Mica nodded softly before letting loose a long yawn.


    ¡°C''mon, let''s go get you a sandwich or something.¡± said Kianna as she took the compliant kiochi by the shoulders and turned her towards the door ¡°Then it''s off to bed for you!¡±


    Mica merely nodded and said nothing as she was led out of the room.


    Fiona stretched her arms up over her head and went to follow them out but stopped short when Anton suddenly spoke.


    ¡°Fiona.¡± he called softly as he kept his eyes on the mana vortex generator ¡°Could you wait just a moment, please. I''d like to ask you something.¡±


    ¡°Uh, sure. What''s up?¡± said the dark elf as she twisted at the waist to face him.


    Anton had a calm expression on his face as he glanced back at the open doorway to make sure that they were alone.


    ¡°...Do you happen to remember Sierra''s last name?¡± he asked as he turned back to the counter-top and gathered up his items in his hands.


    Fiona blinked in surprise and scrunched up her brow as her mind went back to her school days.


    ¡°Yeah, I think it was Winscott?¡± she said after a moment of thought ¡°Pretty sure that was it. Why though? Why do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°Winscott...¡± repeated Anton with a nod ¡°I see... Thank you.¡±


    Fiona was still for a moment before a devilish smile spread across her face.


    ¡°...It makes you mad, doesn''t it?¡± she teased as her smile grew wider ¡°That bitch was so mean to your poor, precious little dark elf. She even made her cry, a lot. And that just makes you so very, very mad... Doesn''t it!?¡±


    Anton''s expression showed nothing of his thoughts as he turned and gave her a pointed look. Without a word, he calmly made his way to the door.


    Fiona began to laugh wickedly as she watched him leave the room.


    ¡°Oh, yes! Oh, Sierra you stupid bitch! You''re so fucked now!¡± she said to herself as her irises began to glow in excitement ¡°You have no idea what''s coming for you!¡±


    Still laughing to herself, Fiona had a twirling quality to her motions as she gleefully danced her way out of the room.

 Assassin Arc : Chapter 21 : Early Morning

    Chapter 21 : Early Morning


    Stretching out his legs as his waking mind found its way back to full consciousness, Anton cracked open his eyes as he felt Kianna begin to stir next to him.


    Tucking herself in underneath their blanket, the dark elf wiggled back and forth as she wrapped her arms around Anton''s torso and snuggled herself in against him.


    Having lost all of their clothing via an evening of playful sex, the two had spent the night sleeping naked in each other''s arms. Despite this, Anton was more than happy to still indulge in a bit more skin on skin contact with the sleepy headed dark elf.


    ¡°Hmm, well hello there. Is somebody feeling cuddly this morning?¡± teased Anton as he let his arm drape over the dark elf''s slender frame.


    Kianna said nothing as she breathed out a heavy sigh and went still as Anton ran his hand up her back and began to gently massage the smooth, bare skin of her shoulder.


    Grinning to himself as the warmth of Kianna''s soft, supple breasts seeped into his being from where she was pressing herself up against him, Anton was in the process of dozing off again when he suddenly blinked his eyes back open.


    By this point the soothing, pleasant warmth of Kianna''s body had become quite the familiar sensation to him, but at the moment however, the heat that was currently radiating off of her was far more intense than he had ever felt before and he couldn''t help but to glance down at her in surprise.


    ¡°Kianna?¡± he called softly as he gave her shoulder a squeeze.


    Hidden beneath the blanket, the dark elf quietly groaned in answer as her twitching ear disturbed the fabric that covered her in only the slightest of ways.


    ¡°...You''re really warm this morning?¡± observed Anton as he realized that even her shoulder had begun to smolder in his hand ¡°...Are you feeling okay?¡±


    ¡°...No.¡± whined Kianna.


    Raising himself up onto his elbow, Anton lifted the edge of the blanket up just enough to peer under it at the hiding dark elf.


    Clinging to Anton as she was, Kianna''s face remained hidden for a moment before she slowly peeked up at him.


    ¡°What''s wrong, Kianna?¡± asked Anton as their eyes met.


    ¡°...I don''t feel good.¡± whimpered Kianna as her face scrunched up in sorrow ¡°...My throat really hurts. ...And my stomach too.¡±


    ¡°Aw, you poor thing...¡± soothed Anton as he gave her a light squeeze ¡°My poor little dark elf...¡±


    Whimpering softly, Kianna hid her face away again as Anton began to rub her back. After a few minutes of comforting her, he slid to the edge of the bed and got to his feet.


    ¡°C''mere, let me look at you...¡± he said as he beckoned her over.


    Keeping the blanket wrapped around herself, Kianna grudgingly rose up to her knees and made her way over to the edge of the bed. Plopping herself down right in front of Anton with a huff, she sat on her folded legs and leaned forward to rest her forehead against his chest.


    Chuckling, Anton gave her shoulders a reassuring squeeze before gently wrapping his hands around her neck. Grumbling softly, Kianna offered no resistance as he gently examined her and then tilted her head back so as to make her look up at him.


    Anton couldn''t help but to frown as he took in the sight of Kianna miserable looking state. Her long ears were hanging listlessly from the sides of her head and her normally bright eyes had a dull cast to them that seemed to take the very shine out of her ruby-colored irises.


    ¡°Hm... You''re really burning up... And there''s definitely some swelling here...¡± said Anton as he pressed his fingertips in lightly against the sides of her throat ¡°...Open your mouth for me, please.¡±


    Letting her jaw fall slack, Kianna stuck out her tongue and held her breath as Anton leaned down and peered into her open mouth. Tilting her head this way and that as he used what little ambient light he had to look over her swollen throat, he frowned thinly and shook his head before standing back up right.


    ¡°No cough, but a definite fever and plenty of swelling...¡± mused Anton as he worked to comfort the dark elf by slowly running his fingers through her hair ¡°Guess we''ll just take this as a sign that it''s time to make that doctor''s appointment.¡±


    Grumbling softly, Kianna hugged the blanket to herself and rested the side of her head against Anton''s chest as she looked up at him.


    ¡°You don''t have any potions, or something you could just give me instead?¡± she whimpered as she tried to blink the fatigue out of her eyes.


    ¡°Possibly, I don''t know exactly what''s wrong with you though...¡± smiled Anton ¡°Now chances are this is something that only needs a day or two of rest to fix. But we might as well make sure, and we can also get yours and your sisters health checks out of the way as well.¡±


    ¡°...I don''t want to go anywhere though.¡± whined Kianna as she looked back down and hunched in on herself.


    ¡°Oh, no?¡± chuckled Anton ¡°So you don''t want to go get some medicine that''ll make you feel better?¡±


    ¡°...Yes, I guess.¡± mumbled Kianna ¡°But not right now... Right now I want you to lay with me...¡±


    ¡°Aw, my poor little dark elf... I''m sorry, but I''m afraid I can''t do that...¡± soothed Anton ¡°I''ve got to get moving, so I can set up your appointment and then get ready to go.¡±


    ¡°No, just stay here...¡± grumbled Kianna as she pouted up at him ¡°Please...¡±


    Anton laughed softly as he eased away from her.


    ¡°Tell you what. You stay here, lay back down for a little bit. And I''ll go get my laptop, grab you something to drink and once I''m done setting up your appointment. I''ll help you take a shower... How does that sound?¡± asked Anton as he caressed the dark elf''s very warm cheek.


    ¡°...Okay, fine.¡± mumbled Kianna as she laid her ears back behind her head and leaned into his touch ¡°But hurry back, okay...¡±


    ¡°Alright, I will.¡± reassured Anton as he stepped away from her, put on a pair of shorts and made his way out of the room.


    As he descended the stairs, Anton began to hear Molly''s sharp sporadic barks coming from the kitchen. And upon entering the room, he found the little dog scampering back and forth while barking at Mica. Sitting on her haunches near the backdoor, the kiochi had her hand stretched out and was clearly trying to coax the small dog into sniffing her palm.


    ¡°Making friends?¡± chuckled Anton.


    ¡°Trying to...¡± mumbled Mica as she stood up.


    Dressed in a set of sleepwear that was once again borrowed from Kianna, Mica clutched a small backpack to herself as she gave Anton an apprehensive look.


    ¡°Hey, so, I went and grabbed my backpack...¡± she explained as she indicated the bag ¡°That''s okay, right?¡±


    ¡°Sure, that''s fine.¡± said Anton as he bent down to rub Molly''s face ¡°What do you have in there anyways?¡±


    ¡°Not much...¡± grumbled Mica ¡°Just the clothes I was wearing yesterday, and my shoes... I do got this too though. Figured you want to see it...¡±


    Glancing up at her, Anton''s eyes narrowed as he squinted at the small disc she was holding up.


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± he said as stood up and took the offered disc ¡°So this will open a portal back to your family''s house?¡±


    ¡°Yeah...¡± mumbled Mica ¡°It opens the portal inside the house too.¡±


    ¡°Oh? So you tried it already?¡± questioned Anton.


    ¡°Yeah. I tested it when they gave it to me.¡± answered Mica as she stared at the disc ¡°I wanted to make sure it worked...¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± nodded Anton ¡°Hm, well, chances are it''ll come in handy at some point... For the time being though, I think it''s best if I hold on to this for you.¡±


    Mica said nothing as she slowly nodded her head.


    ¡°We''re going to be taking a trip to see a doctor today. And afterwards we can make a stop to pick you up some clothes and a bedroom set.¡± said Anton as he went to prepare a pot of coffee ¡°So go ahead and start getting ready.¡±


    ¡°A doctor?¡± questioned Mica ¡°But I feel fine. I don''t need to see a doctor.¡±


    ¡°That''s good to hear, though you''ll still need to have a health check done.¡± said Anton as he took a small pot from a bottom cabinet and began to boil some water ¡°The reason we''re going today though is because Kianna woke up feeling sick this morning, and I want to make sure it''s nothing serious.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± said Mica ¡°Is she alright?¡±


    ¡°She seems to be, for the most part.¡± answered Anton ¡°She''s just not feeling well is all.¡±


    ¡°I see...¡± nodded Mica as she went to leave the room ¡°Guess I''ll go get ready then.¡±


    Nodding, Anton went over to the table where he had left his laptop and divided his attention between finding a suitable doctor that would be available for an appointment on that same day and making both a mug of coffee for himself as well as some honeyed tea for Kianna. Once finished with his tasks he made his way back upstairs.


    ¡°Fiona!¡± he called as he reached the landing on the second floor.


    ¡°What!?¡± answered an unseen voice from down the hall.


    ¡°We''re going to get your health check out of the way today.¡± said Anton ¡°And afterwards we''re going shopping for Mica. So get ready, we''ll be leaving in about 2 hours.¡±


    ¡°...Alright.¡± grumbled Fiona.


    Entering back into their bedroom, Anton found Kianna curled up on his side of the bed and dozing in the warm spot he had left behind. After coaxing her back to full consciousness, he had her drink her tea and then, while carrying her in his arms to the shower, got them both cleaned up and ready to go.


    Several hours later the four of them found themselves stepping out of a portal and entering through the sliding glass doors of a clinic situated on the other side of the country, far from both where they lived, as well as from where Mica''s family lived.


    Once past the main reception area, they made their way to the ¡°General Practice¡± branch of the clinic and upon entering a rather spacious waiting room, were greeted with another smaller reception desk that was manned by a pair of female Astrals, a banshee and a psychai.


    Nestled in the very center of reality was the world of Terra. And circling above this world, far beyond the point in which any mortal being could ever hope to survive, was the source of the worlds life giving light, the Astral plane.


    Here within the Astral plane hung the sun and moon, which both sailed across the skies of the world below in an endless cycle of days and nights. And filling the open space surrounding these two heavenly bodies was a swirling, luminescent sea made up of trillions upon trillions of shimmering, multi-hued miniature stars.


    Floating freely within the expanse of the plane, these tiny points of light would be pulled along in the wakes made by the passing sun and moon. And when gathered together in such a fashion they would create a dazzling display that was reminiscent of a diffuse nebula or an aurora borealis.


    For eons immortal now, the peoples of Terra would be mesmerized night after night by the lights of the ever shifting stars in the sky above them. And over time, they came to recognize that these stars were far more than mere points of light. As whenever an age of peace would grace the world, or a shift in season would bring an abundance of new life, the stars in the sky would lessen until the nights would be darkened by the loss of their light. Likewise, as the cold and dark seasons took their hold upon the world, or war, famine, disease and calamity each took their toll in ended lives, the stars above would swell in number, and fill the night sky with their light.


    Through these observations the realization was made that the stars were actually the souls of all those who lived and died in the world below them, and that all the life in the world could be measured with their light. Times of dark nights were in fact reason for celebration, as this meant that life existed in abundance. And any sudden growth of light in the sky was in reality, a hauntingly beautiful signal of great tragedy and mass death.


    In this way, the sea of ever changing light in the sky, became known as the Life Stream.


    The light of the Life Stream was life itself, and from this light came the Astrals.


    Also known as ¡°living spirits¡±, ¡°cosmic beings¡± or ¡°elementals¡± by various scholars. The many Astral races were each originally born through a process in which a soul slips free of the Astral plane, and arrives on Terra by riding a beam of light from either the sun or the moon.


    These beings can be divided into two main categories, and are referred to as either ¡°Dayborns¡± or ¡°Nightborns¡± depending on whether it is the sun or moon that spawns their given race.


    Though the multitude of their races were often vastly different in appearance from each other, as beings literally born from light, all Astrals did have one trait in common, which was that they all have some type of luminescence built into the structure of their bodies. This luminescence can come in many forms but usually takes the appearance of a unearthly glow, ethereal light or living fire.


    As animated souls it is not at all surprising that many Astral races do have an undead like appearance. This is merely cosmetic in its nature though, as none of them have any true relation to the undead, nor do they possess any memories of a time in which their souls were previously alive.


    Like the voidlings, all Astrals are capable of propagating their race by producing children. Unlike the voidlings however, they do not require any assistance to cross over into Reality, and as such their population numbers can be bolstered as more individuals are naturally spawned.


    As Anton approached the desk the lady on the left, who was the banshee, looked up at him first and offered a soft smile in greeting. As he got close enough to see all the way over the desk, he noticed that although both women appeared to be sitting down, there were no actual chairs beneath them. Instead both women were just in sitting positions as they floated in midair.


    ¡°Good morning... Matilda.¡± said Anton as he glanced at the banshee''s name tag ¡°My name is Anton North, and I should have several appointments for my slaves today.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, North... Yes. 3 health checks...¡± mused the banshee as she glanced at her computer screen ¡°I''ll just need you and your charges to fill out a bit of information real quick. And we''ll call you as soon as the doctors are ready to begin.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good, thank you.¡± said Anton as he picked up a waiting clipboard with patient data sheets attached to it and stepped away from the desk.


    The banshee nodded as she eyed the dark elves and Mica.


    Spirit-like in her general appearance, though solid in form. The banshee''s wispy, seemingly weightless qualities coupled with her ghostly white complexion and long silver colored hair left her with an eerie, otherworldly presence. Her size and body type were humanoid in their likeness, though her facial features were more fae-like in quality and seemed to be sharper than what would be normal among humans. With pointed ears and a cast to her face that gave the impression that she was of Asian decent, her almond shaped eyes were devoid of pupils, which left her pale, tea green colored irises to appear as large discs that encompassed the majority of her discernible eyes.


    Even within the brightly lit room, a faint, bluish, moonlight-like glow could still be seen surrounding her. And although this glow appeared to radiate out from her entire being, it was strongest around both her eyes and hair.


    Taking seats in a row of interconnected chairs that had no armrests and were facing the reception desk, Anton, Mica and the dark elves each filled out a page of paperwork on the clipboard before Anton went back to speak with the two ladies at the desk.


    As she watched him go, Kianna noticed that several people seated along the far wall were all looking her way. When she turned to face them, they all quickly averted their gazes from her and tried to act as nonchalantly as possible. Creasing her brow, she let her eyes wander across the room and discovered that everyone present was distinctly staring at either Mica, Fiona or herself.


    Feeling self conscious now, she sheepishly lowered her ears as she turned back to Anton and waited longingly for him to return to her side.


    As Anton stepped away from the desk, the psychai leaned over from where she had been observing Mica and the dark elves and began to whisper to the banshee.


    ¡°Are those girls, what I think they are?¡± she asked as she glanced at the computer screen and watched as the banshee began to input the information from the clipboard.


    ¡°If you''re thinking that they''re dark elves, then yes. That is apparently what they are...¡± said Matilda ¡°And apparently that guy does own them... At least according to what he wrote down...¡±


    ¡°Huh... Do you think this is like, some kind of role-playing thing for them?¡± questioned the psychai.


    ¡°Possibly...¡± muttered Matilda ¡°That makes about as much sense as anything else...¡±


    ¡°Hm, weirdos.¡± mumbled the psychai as the banshee merely nodded in agreement.


    Snagging a magazine from a nearby end table while making his way back to his chair, Anton sat down and went to open the magazine but stopped short as Kianna leaned over and hid her face by laying herself against him.


    ¡°Well, hello there.¡± chuckled Anton as he draped an arm around the dark elf ¡°Is somebody still looking for a warm spot?¡±


    Kianna made a quiet grumbling sound as she lowered her ears even further and squirmed in her seat a bit.


    ¡°...Hey now, what''s going on?¡± questioned Anton as he registered that Kianna had clearly become timid all of a sudden.


    ¡°...It''s, the people.¡± whispered Kianna.


    ¡°Hm? What was that?¡± asked Anton as he leaned his head down towards her.


    ¡°...It''s the people.¡± repeated Kianna ¡°...They''re all looking at us.¡±


    ¡°People?¡± said Anton as he raised his head and glanced around ¡°...Ah, I see.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, I hate it when this happens...¡± said Kianna.


    ¡°...Right.¡± said Anton as he tightened his arm around her and gave her a gentle squeeze.


    ¡°I just wish they''d all stop looking at me...¡± whimpered the dark elf.


    Shifting in his seat, Anton leaned to the side in an effort to block Kianna form the view of as many people as possible. Holding her for a few moments, his chest tightened a bit as he felt her silently sob.


    ¡°...You know, Kianna.¡± he soothed softly ¡°Right now, none of these people are looking at you... They can''t even see you... They can only see me...¡±


    ¡°...Yeah, but that''s only because you''re helping me stay hidden.¡± whined the dark elf ¡°They would be looking at me if they could...¡±


    ¡°Maybe...¡± breathed Anton as he bent over her, rested his chin against the top of her head and spoke into her hair ¡°But that doesn''t change the fact that right now, they''re not looking at you... Only I''m looking at you...¡±


    Kianna stiffened and then sighed softly in relief as she felt Anton''s aura begin to slowly seep into her being.


    ¡°I''m the only one who''s looking at you now, Kianna... It''s just me here now...¡± soothed Anton ¡°So, what is it that you want to show me, hm? ...What is it that you want me to see? ...Do you want to show me your sadness? Or how scared you are? ...Do you want to show me your misery?¡±


    Laying her ears down flat behind her head, Kianna remained silent as Anton began to massage her shoulder with his hand.


    ¡°Or do you want to show me... How strong you are... How brave you are... And how beautiful you are...¡± continued Anton ¡°What do you want to show me, Kianna? What do you want me to see? Your tears... Or your smile?¡±


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Kianna was still for a moment before mumbling incomprehensibly.


    ¡°...What was that?¡± asked Anton around his own thin grin.


    Kianna squirmed a bit and tightened her ears together behind her head as she mumbled again.


    ¡°I''m sorry.¡± chuckled Anton as he lifted his head and reached down to her face ¡°But I can''t hear you...¡±


    Pouting while keeping her eyes lowered, Kianna didn''t put up any fight as Anton took hold of her chin and tilted her head back just enough to see her face.


    ¡°So then...¡± said Anton as he let his forehead rest against hers ¡°What were you trying to tell me?¡±


    ¡°...I said.¡± grumbled Kianna as a light blush spread across her cheeks ¡°That I wanted to...¡±


    ¡°...Yes?¡± encouraged Anton after a moment of silence.


    ¡°...That I wanted to show you, my smile...¡± whimpered the dark elf.


    Chuckling softly at her embarrassed expression, Anton gave her chin a light squeeze.


    ¡°Well, whenever you''re ready, I''ll be waiting to see it...¡± he said.


    Hesitating for a second, Kianna clamped her eyes shut as a lopsided smile took shape across her face and revealed her dazzlingly white teeth.


    ¡°Oh! And there it is...¡± breathed Anton ¡°There''s my brave little dark elf, and her beautiful smile... Look at her, she''s so cute...¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± whined Kianna as her smile widened to its fullest.


    Giving Anton''s chest a light punch, the flustered dark elf pulled her chin out of his hand and hid her face back against him.


    ¡°Oh no you don''t.¡± teased Anton as he playfully retook hold of her chin and lifting upwards, made her look up at him ¡°You''re not gonna hide that smile away from me now!¡±


    Giggling softly in her throat, Kianna kept her lips pressed together in defiance.


    ¡°Oh, you little...¡± smiled Anton as he moved their faces in close ¡°C''mon now... Let me see that smile!¡±


    Still giggling, Kianna''s lips began to tremble as Anton leaned in closer and made as if to kiss her. Just as their lips met a wide, happy smile spread itself back across her face.


    With both of them now laughing mirthfully, they gave each other one light kiss after another whilst playfully rubbing their noses together.


    ¡°Oh for the love of the Gods...¡± grumbled Fiona as she crossed her arms over her chest and sulked ¡°Somebody better get a hose out here quick, before it''s too late...¡±


    Ignoring her, Kianna kept smiling brightly up at Anton as they continued to nuzzle their faces together.


    ¡°Aw! Well isn''t that sweet!¡± sang out a voice from the desk in front of them.


    Turning in the direction the voice was coming from, Kianna was just in time to see the psychai rise up from were she had been ¡°sitting¡± and shrink down in size as she zipped over the desk and headed straight towards her and Anton.


    As an almost complete opposite to her more subdued coworker, the psychai was a vibrant, colorful being whose bright smile not only radiated a lighthearted and friendly personality, but literal light as well.


    Her skin was pink in color and would shift in hue in response to her emotions, becoming brighter and brighter the more lively she became. Her hair was a stark chestnut red and was done up in a long, braided ponytail that bounced along behind her as she moved about.


    From her shoulders were spread a pair of shimmering, semi-transparent, crystal blue colored, gossamer wings that at first glance appeared similar to those of a dragonfly, but upon closer inspection were actually made up of thousands of closely packed, tiny feathers.


    The base of these wings were not actually connected to her body in any way, but instead seemed to float in the air just behind her. And although she was capable of moving them, she didn''t seem to necessarily require her wings to stay airborne, as she never flapped them. Despite this though, she did use them to help direct her path as she moved through the air.


    Though she had appeared human sized only moments before, as the psychai came to a stop in midair just in front of Kianna, she had shrunk down to only about a foot tall. Smiling brightly, the now diminutive pixie-like being showcased her human-like teeth as she eased closer to the dark elf.


    ¡°Well aren''t you just a little sweetheart!¡± cooed the psychai as she gleefully clasped her hands together ¡°...Heh, never thought I''d ever say that about a dark elf!¡±


    Pressing herself into Anton and gripping his arm in uncertainty, Kianna''s ears were pointed straight upwards and her eyes were at their widest as she stared mesmerized at the radiant little being before her. Now that she was so close, Kianna could see that the psychai had tiny little freckles across her cheeks and arms that shined with their own internal light and made it so that her skin appeared to be covered in glitter.


    Catching movement in his peripherals, Anton glanced back above Kianna''s head and found that Mica''s bladed spade now hung over them with its sharpened tip pointed straight down at the psychai. Shifting his gaze past Fiona to make eye contact with the shinoccubus, Anton smiled softly and shook his head.


    Frowning as she looked from him to the psychai, Mica tightened her eyes as she eased her tail down and out of sight behind the chairs.


    Although the psychai appeared oblivious to what had just happened, the banshee had been watching everything with rapt attention.


    ¡°Aw, don''t be nervous sweetheart...¡± soothed the psychai as she planted her hands on her knees and leaned over Kianna ¡°I would never harm you. I just wanted to get a closer look at you is all...¡±


    Still clearly unsure, Kianna sheepishly lowered her ears. She went to say something but stopped short as Anton tightened his arm around her in a comforting embrace.


    Watching as the tension faded from Kianna''s eyes, the psychai stared at her for a moment before her own eyes fell to Anton''s arm and followed it back to its source.


    ¡°...He comforts you. He''s good to you.¡± whispered the psychai ¡°That''s good.¡±


    Kianna said nothing as the psychai''s eyes came back to stare directly at her own. As she watched, the psychai''s pupils tightened as her golden colored irises began to slowly spin back and forth. Although the dark elf herself had no idea what was happening, Anton could tell that the small, glittering woman was subtly aligning her own light to Kianna''s aura so that she could get a read on the dark elf''s condition and emotional state.


    ¡°...Oh, you poor thing. You''re not feeling very well, are you?¡± said the psychai in a sympathetic tone as the color seemed to fade a bit from her being ¡°...And you really don''t like all this attention, do you?¡±


    Creasing her brow in unhappiness, Kianna lowered her eyes as she softly shook her head.


    ¡°Such a sweetheart...¡± cooed the psychai as she floated close enough to place her hand atop Kianna''s head ¡°Don''t you worry, sweety. We''re going to make sure you feel better, I promise...¡±


    Kianna tensed a bit as she felt the warm, soothing light from the psychai begin to seep into her being and blend with Anton''s aura. Though this sensation was a little unsettling at first, she could tell right away that she wasn''t in any danger as it was clear the psychai was just making an effort to comfort her.


    ¡°...Th-thank you.¡± whispered Kianna as she nervously bowed her head.


    ¡°Of course, sweety.¡± said the psychai as her wings shifted to a lighter, somber blue color ¡°That''s what we''re here for after all...¡±


    Feeling that she had imposed enough, the psychai dimmed the light radiating out her being as she slowly moved away from Kianna.


    ¡°...You know, this is the first time I''ve ever felt a dark elf like this before.¡± said the psychai as she reluctantly eased back a bit more ¡°They aren''t normally so... friendly...¡±


    ¡°No, they''re not. But my little dark elf is very different.¡± said Anton as he gave Kianna a gentle squeeze ¡°She isn''t like other dark elves, she''s special.¡±


    Grumbling in embarrassment, Kianna huffed in indignity as she nested herself in against Anton''s side.


    ¡°Yes, she is.¡± nodded the psychai as she turned her eyes on Anton ¡°And you better take care of her.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I will. I promise.¡± smiled Anton.


    ¡°Good.¡± said the psychai as she lowered herself down so as to look at Kianna again ¡°Sweety, my name is Solassi. And I''ll be here all day. So if you need anything, just let me know, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay. Thank you.¡± said Kianna ¡°I''m Kianna, by the way.¡±


    ¡°Kianna.¡± repeated Solassi ¡°That''s cute, it suits you.¡±


    Giving the blushing dark elf a soft smile, the psychai moved backwards as she rose up into the air.


    ¡°I''m going to go give the doctors a heads up real quick.¡± said Solassi as she shifted her eyes to Fiona and Mica ¡°I think it might be a good idea for them to know what''s coming their way...¡±


    ¡°That does sound like a good idea.¡± smiled Anton as he followed her gaze and found that both Fiona and Mica were staring up at the psychai with less than friendly expressions on their faces ¡°A very good idea.¡±


    Nodding, Solassi floated backwards back over her desk before enlarging herself back to human size and then quickly darting down a hallway.


    Watching her go, Fiona stared at the point where the psychai disappeared for a moment before noticing that the banshee was looking straight at her. Though her face was more or less devoid of expression, the dark elf couldn''t help but to feel a bit unnerved as she gazed right back at the banshee''s seemingly lifeless green eyes.


    ¡°Yo, what''s the deal with little miss moonlight bitch over here?¡± grumbled Fiona as she leaned over Kianna and spoke softly to Anton ¡°Why is she staring at me?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Oh. She''s just making her presence clear is all.¡± said Anton as he looked up from the magazine he was holding cradled in one hand ¡°It''s her way of letting you know that she is watching you.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but why is she watching me!?¡± seethed Fiona ¡°What the Hell did I do!?¡±


    Anton chuckled as he flipped to a new page in the magazine.


    ¡°Because, Fiona. You''re a dark elf, and she wants you to know that if you decide to try anything funny, she''ll get involved.¡± answered Anton ¡°And you shouldn''t take her warning lightly. She is a banshee, after all. One of the few races that a dark elf would actually have very hard time against.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± questioned Fiona as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards ¡°Why''s that?¡±


    ¡°Because she can generate sound waves at a high enough pitch to disrupt and shatter the fields and light items you create with your aura. So many of your main methods of attack would be useless against her. Also, your ability to invoke fear wouldn''t work on her either, as she''ll just counter it by forcing you to feel intense sadness and grief.¡± explained Anton ¡°Now a banshee wouldn''t necessarily be impossible for a dark elf to defeat. But with your limited experience, one would be a very dangerous opponent for you in particular, and you would have a slim to nil chance of winning that fight. So, with this being the case, I suggest you behave yourself, and try your best to heed her warning.¡±


    ¡°Hmph...¡± huffed Fiona as she slumped back into her seat and narrowed her eyes at the banshee.


    A few minutes later Solassi returned to her place at the reception desk and grinned as she saw that Kianna had begun to doze as she rested against Anton''s side.


    As time went on one set of people after another were called in to see their various doctors and after just under an hour of waiting Solassi herself called for Anton and Kianna to follow her into the back.


    ¡°Normally we prefer to give charges the chance to have a one on one with their doctor by having the owners stay in the waiting room. But considering your unique circumstances, and the fact that Kianna is actually ill, it was agreed that allowing you to come along might be for the best.¡± explained Solassi as she guided them to a medical scale and indicated that Kianna should stand on it.


    ¡°I don''t mind waiting if that''s what''s standard.¡± said Anton as he watched Solassi take Kianna''s weight and height ¡°I don''t want to impose after all.¡±


    ¡°It''s not really an issue...¡± said Solassi as she made notes on Kianna''s file ¡°It''s more of a guideline than a hard rule anyway.¡±


    After leading them to an examination room, Solassi took Kianna''s temperature, blood pressure and asked her several questions about how she was feeling. After writing everything down, she assured them that she would be right back with the doctor and promptly left the room. A few moments later her voice, which was now accompanied by a second feminine sounding voice as well, could be heard coming back down the hallway.


    ¡°No, I''m telling you it''s not a mistake!¡± exclaimed Solassi''s voice as it came muffled through the walls ¡°...Okay, okay, I guess you''ll just have to see for yourself then.¡±


    The second voice spoke too softly to be heard clearly by Anton, but judging from Kianna''s smug grin, she was not only capable of hearing what was being said, but also found it humorous.


    After a quick knock to announce their arrival, the door opened up and what could only be described as a cheap looking, faceless, plastic robot-like golem stepped into the room.


    ¡°Good morn...¡± started the golem before going still.


    The golem had stopped short in the doorway as it seemed to have caught sight of Kianna sitting on the examination table. Just behind it, Solassi''s bright radiance could be seen intensifying as a broad smile spread across her face.


    ¡°...Good morning?¡± offered Anton after a moment of silence.


    Though there was no way to actually tell due to the lack of any expression on its faceless head, it was still quite clear that the golem was surprised to see Kianna. Taking a step back, it suddenly left the room and pulled the door closed as it did.


    ¡°That is a dark elf.¡± said the golem on the other side of the door.


    ¡°Yeah, I told you she was.¡± laughed Solassi.


    ¡°...She''s really wearing a collar.¡± said the golem ¡°She''s a slave.¡±


    ¡°Uh huh.¡± answered Solassi ¡°And there''s another one in the waiting room that''s also wearing a collar.¡±


    ¡°...Is this the one you said was friendly?¡± asked the golem.


    ¡°Yes, this is Kianna, and she''s a sweetheart. You won''t have any problems with her.¡± said Solassi.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± questioned the golem.


    ¡°Completely. She let me touch her and everything.¡± confirmed Solassi ¡°I''m telling you, it''s fine.¡±


    There was a quiet pause that lasted a few seconds before a second knock rang out from the door.


    ¡°Sorry about that, just had a little bit of confusion there for a second...¡± said the golem as it reopened the door and stepped into the room ¡°Why don''t we try that again... Good morning!¡±


    ¡°Good morning.¡± chuckled Anton as Kianna merely grinned ¡°And please, there''s no reason to apologize. It''s completely understandable, this is an unusual situation.¡±


    ¡°Right. Yes. Very unusual.¡± said the golem as it stood facing Kianna ¡°Certainty a first for myself...¡±


    Not altogether sure of what to make of the motionless, plastic being that was apparently gazing at her, Kianna simply stared back, narrowed her eyes, and tilted her head as she cocked one of her ears in a curious manner.


    ¡°...I''m sorry. My name is Dr. Creek.¡± said the golem as it seemed to come to its senses ¡°And I''ll be your physician, today...¡±


    ¡°...Uh, right, hi.¡± said Kianna as the golem went still again ¡°...I''m Kianna Vale.¡±


    ¡°Um, Dr. Creek.¡± said Solassi as she waved her hand at the golem ¡°You''re still wearing an exo-unit, and I think that might be unsettling the patient a little.¡±


    ¡°Oh... Oh, so I am.¡± said the golem as it turned from Kianna to Solassi and back ¡°My apologies! One moment please...¡±


    The golem stiffened for a split second before slumping in on itself as a vaporous, steam-like cloud of mist appeared to literally take a step forward and out of it.


    Watching as the cloud of mist began to solidify into a humanoid form, neither Anton, nor Kianna were all too surprised by what they were seeing as this was far from the first time that either of them had ever encountered a ghost.


    As Dr. Creek''s actual appearance took shape, it became clear that she was, or had been, a tall, slim human woman who stood just a few inches shorter than Anton. She had a very friendly, matured looking face and although she was for the most part transparent and nearly colorless, it was still easy enough to see that she had been of Caucasian decent.


    The outfit she wore was completely immaterial and appeared along with the rest of her body. It consisted of a doctors coat worn over a simple shirt and pair of slacks.


    A pair of wide spectacles rested on the bridge of her nose and her straight, silvery blonde hair was held back in a casual ponytail behind her head.


    Blinking open her pale blue eyes, Dr. Creek gave Kianna a warm smile as she went to take a step towards her. As she moved forward, her feet and lower legs vanished to just above her knees and she began to simply float through the air.


    ¡°I apologize for my earlier hesitation.¡± she said as she reached up to adjust her glasses ¡°I didn''t intend to be rude. I was merely surprised is all. I hope I didn''t offend you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. You didn''t.¡± said Kianna as she shook her head ¡°It''s okay, don''t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°Well good, that''s good to hear.¡± said Dr. Creek as she eased closer and looked Kianna up and down ¡°Now then, Miss Vale. As I understand, you aren''t feeling very well today. And have been running quite the fever. So why don''t you explain to me what else is troubling you, and we''ll see about getting it straightened out, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± nodded Kianna as she let her ears droop a bit ¡°Well, I''m feeling really tired, and my throat hurts when I swallow, and talk... Also my stomach hurts too...¡±


    ¡°I see...¡± said Dr. Creek as she gently placed her hands against the sides of Kianna''s neck and felt her throat ¡°Could you swallow for me right now, please?¡±


    Kianna shivered a bit as the ghostly woman''s chilled hands were pressed against her skin. She looked straight up at the ceiling as she tentatively swallowed.


    ¡°Hm...¡± mused Dr. Creek as she nodded her head, let her hands fall away and floated upwards into the air a bit ¡°Have you been coughing at all? Even a little?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± answered Kianna as she shook her head ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡°Hm, okay, that''s good.¡± said the doctor as raised her index finger and focused enough energy into its tip to cause a soft but brightly glowing light to form there ¡°Could you open your mouth for me, please.¡±


    Letting her jaw fall slack, Kianna stuck out her tongue and looked off to the side as the doctor shined her light into her mouth and examined the back of her throat.


    ¡°Hm mm... Okay. Now, you were saying that your stomach hurts as well...¡± said Dr. Creek as she shook her finger and dosed her light ¡°Are you feeling any tightness, or nausea at all? Or is it just pain?¡±


    ¡°No, no nausea or anything. It''s just pain...¡± explained Kianna.


    ¡°Is this a constant pain? Or is it only painful whenever you eat something?¡± asked the doctor.


    ¡°It''s, pretty constant...¡± mumbled Kianna ¡°I haven''t tried to eat anything since it started hurting, I haven''t wanted to...¡±


    ¡°Mm, so have you had a drop in appetite as well? Or are you actually hungry right now?¡± questioned Dr. Creek.


    ¡°No, I''m not really hungry right now.¡± answered Kianna.


    ¡°I see... And how long have you been feeling this way? Did it just start suddenly?¡± asked the doctor ¡°Or have you felt it coming on for a while now?¡±


    ¡°I, um... Well, I kinda felt it, a little bit for a while. Like a few days ago...¡± explained Kianna ¡°But it wasn''t this bad, and my stomach didn''t hurt before. It just got really bad this morning, when I woke up...¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± nodded the doctor as her face became thoughtful for a moment ¡°...Well Miss Vale, if you''re okay with it, I''d like to go ahead and do a body possession real quick. Just to be sure of a few things.¡±


    ¡°Um, yeah, sure. I''m fine with that.¡± said Kianna.


    ¡°Good.¡± said Dr. Creek as she turned to Anton ¡°And is that okay with you as well, Mr. North?¡±


    ¡°It''s okay with me, so long as it''s okay with her.¡± said Anton ¡°Would you like me to lock her mind back for you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. That shouldn''t be necessary.¡± said the doctor ¡°I just want to give her body a quick feel and make sure that we''re on the right track with figuring this out.¡±


    Kianna lowered her ears a bit as the doctor floated right up to her and placed her cold hands on her shoulders.


    ¡°This may feel a little cold and uncomfortable at first, but don''t worry, it''ll only last a moment.¡± explained Dr. Creek as she began to dissolve back into a vaporous mist.


    Kianna clamped her eyes shut and started shivering as the mist began to seep into her body from where Dr. Creek''s hands still rested on her shoulders.


    After a moment the last bits of the doctors ghostly form sunk down into the dark elf, and when Kianna reopened her eyelids, a thin bluish film could clearly be seen overlaying her eyes.


    ¡°Are you alright, Miss Vale?¡± asked Dr. Creek''s voice as she spoke out of Kianna''s mouth ¡°This isn''t too uncomfortable for you, is it?¡±


    ¡°Uh, no. This is fine.¡± said Kianna in her own voice.


    ¡°Good, good. Now then... Let''s see what we have here...¡± said Dr Creek as she tilted the dark elf''s head and looked down at the rest of her body.


    Taking control of Kianna''s arms, the doctor hummed quietly to herself as she felt along Kianna''s neck and stomach.


    ¡°Hm... Some obvious fatigue... With very localized sources of pain... Thankfully the rest of you does feel perfectly normal... Strong heartbeat, clear lungs and all of your senses seem to be working...¡± mused Dr. Creek as she thoughtfully nodded Kianna''s head while opening and closing her fists and lifting one leg after the other into the air ¡°Yes... I think I may have an idea of what''s going on here...¡±


    Kianna took in a light gasping breath as Dr. Creek''s misty form began to rise up and out of her body.


    Once she had reformed herself, Dr. Creek turned back to Kianna and looked at her collar before shifting her gaze to Anton.


    ¡°Mr. North, according to the information that you have provided to us, you are a human, correct?¡± she asked as she looked him up and down.


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡± nodded Anton.


    Nodding, Dr. Creek turned back to Kianna and placed her hand across her forehead to again assess her temperature.


    ¡°And Miss Vale, you are an actual dark elf, correct?¡± questioned the doctor ¡°You aren''t simply using magic to appear as one, are you?¡±


    ¡°No. I''m really a dark elf.¡± answered Kianna.


    ¡°I see.¡± nodded Dr. Creek ¡°And for how long now have you been a charge of Mr. North?¡±


    ¡°Um, charge?¡± questioned Kianna ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°...Ah, I mean, how long have you been under his care? How long have you been his slave?¡± explained the doctor.


    ¡°Oh, uh, not very long?¡± said Kianna as she creased her brow in thought ¡°Like... a week and half now? Maybe a little longer?¡±


    ¡°Mm hm... And how do you feel about him?¡± asked the doctor ¡°Do you feel he mistreats you? Or do you feel he cares for you?¡±


    ¡°No, he doesn''t mistreat me, he cares about me.¡± said Kianna.


    ¡°I see, good.¡± nodded the doctor ¡°And has he ever disciplined you?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah, he has.¡± mumbled Kianna ¡°But only when I did something first. He doesn''t punish me for fun, or for no reason.¡±


    ¡°I see...¡± mused the doctor ¡°And was he intense when he disciplined you? Do you fear him now?¡±


    ¡°...He can be really intense sometimes, but even then he''s still very caring.¡± explained the dark elf ¡°And no. I''m not afraid of him. I know he won''t really hurt me. I feel safe with him.¡±


    ¡°Do you? Well good, that''s very good. Now, have you ever been intimate with him?¡± asked the doctor.


    ¡°Yes, many times.¡± nodded Kianna as a slim grin formed across her face ¡°We''ve been very intimate.¡±


    ¡°I see. And has kissing been a common part of that intimacy?¡± asked Dr. Creek.


    ¡°Yeah, we kiss a lot.¡± answered Kianna as she cocked one of her ears in a curious manner ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Because I''m pretty sure that might be the cause of our problem.¡± said Dr. Creek as she looked over at Anton ¡°You see, all people naturally harbor bacteria in their mouths that they''ll inadvertently spread through kissing. Now normally this isn''t a problem as most forms of bacteria that are spread this way will be destroyed by either saliva, stomach acid or via the bodies immune system. Unfortunately, human mouths in particular tend to play host to a plethora of very stringent bacteria that can survive being spread to other species.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that''s right. Humankiss...¡± nodded Anton ¡°I hadn''t thought of that...¡±


    ¡°Humankiss?¡± questioned Kianna.


    ¡°Yes, that''s the common name for the condition in which humans spread bacteria to their nonhuman partners by kissing them.¡± explained Dr. Creek ¡°This can lead to infections and illnesses that are very similar to what you are experiences right now.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I''m so sorry, Kianna.¡± apologized Anton ¡°I didn''t mean to make you sick.¡±


    Kianna''s ears were pointed straight upwards as she began looking back and forth between Anton and Dr. Creek.


    ¡°You... So, wait...¡± she whimpered as her eyes suddenly became misty and a panicked expression spread across her face ¡°Does this mean that we can''t kiss anymore!?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no! No, no, child, it''s okay. It doesn''t mean that all...¡± soothed Dr. Creek as the teary eyed dark elf looked up at her floating form ¡°This condition often results in just a mild infection, and rarely ever develops into anything major. You feel ill at the moment because your immune system is still currently learning how to fight against the bacteria that you''ve been exposed to. Once your body understands how to deal with these invaders though, it will stop reacting so dramatically. Or to put it in simpler terms, you just have to get used to Mr. North''s particular set of germs, and then you''ll be okay again. ...Does this make sense to you?¡±


    ¡°...Yes, okay, good!¡± sniffed Kianna as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hands ¡°I just have to get over this then...¡±


    ¡°Yes. And of course we can make that easier for you.¡± reassured Dr. Creek as she placed her hand on Kianna''s arm ¡°I''ll just need to get a sample real quick, and then I''ll be able to prescribe a suitable anti-bacterial for you... Alright?¡±


    ¡°Okay, what kind of sample do you need?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°I think just a simple throat swab should be enough.¡± said Dr. Creek as she floated backwards to slip back into her robotic golem suit ¡°If the problem continues then we can move on to a blood sample, but for now, we''ll try to keep things easy.¡±


    Once fully possessing her suit again, Dr. Creek raised her arm and as Kianna, Anton and Solassi watched, the fingers on her hand split apart and a series of different implements began to cycle in and out of her open digits until finally a long cotton swab appeared and stuck out from her index finger.


    ¡°This will feel a bit uncomfortable, but I promise it will be painless.¡± said Dr. Creek as she approached Kianna ¡°I''m just going to rub this along the back of your throat really quick, so I need you to open your mouth and stick out your tongue for me, please.¡±


    Hesitating for a brief moment, Kianna reluctantly opened her mouth and tried her best to stay relaxed as the doctor quickly but gently collected her sample and backed away.


    ¡°Alright then, we''re all finished with that.¡± said Dr. Creek as her swab disappeared into her hand ¡°Give me just a few minutes. I need to run some tests on this, so I can find out exactly what we''re dealing with, and then I''ll be right back.¡±


    With that, both Solassi and the doctor left the room and returned about thirty odd minutes later.


    ¡°Alright, Miss Vale.¡± said Dr. Creek as she handed Kianna a prescription slip ¡°I''m going to prescribe you some anti-bacterial pills that should do the trick. Take one of them once a day until they''re all gone. Preferably before you go to sleep. They should help with knocking back the number of pathogens your system is trying to deal with and make it easier for you to develop the immunities you''ll need to remain healthy. And for some immediate relief of your symptoms... I have this for you.¡±


    ¡°...A band-aid?¡± questioned Kianna as she squinted at the small wrapped item the doctor was handing her.


    ¡°No, no.¡± chuckled Dr. Creek ¡°This is a dissoluble tab that you place on your tongue. It should help to relieve your swelling, pain and fever.¡±


    ¡°Oh, cool!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she began to unwrap the tab.


    ¡°Yes, though a word of caution. While this medication works quickly, it will make you extremely drowsy for about an hour or so after you take it.¡± explained Dr. Creek ¡°So I don''t suggest taking it until you''ll have a chance to lay down for a bit.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Okay.¡± mumbled Kianna as her expression became disappointed.


    ¡°Well that shouldn''t be a problem.¡± said Anton ¡°Fiona and Mica still have their exams to take. So I''m sure we''ll have enough time for you to get a little nap in while we wait for them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that sounds like a good idea. And if you''d like to stay in this room, you''re more than welcome to.¡± said Dr. Creek ¡°I''m sure you''d be more comfortable in here than back out in the waiting area.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank you.¡± said Anton ¡°That''s very kind, though are you sure you won''t need the room?¡±


    ¡°Not for the time being.¡± said Dr. Creek ¡°We''ll go ahead and give Kianna some peace while we examine your other charges.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good.¡± said Anton as he went to follow Solassi and the doctor out of the room.


    ¡°...Wait, don''t go!¡± called Kianna as she reached out and took hold of Anton''s arm ¡°Stay with me...¡±


    Pausing, Anton gave her a soft smile and went to speak but stopped short as Dr. Creek began before him.


    ¡°That''s fine. Go ahead and stay with her. I''ll just be next door here, with... Mica.¡± said the doctor as she looked over her charts ¡°She''s a cubi, so I shouldn''t need you for her. Though if there are any problems, or if I have any questions, then I''ll just come back and speak with you.¡±


    ¡°...Well, alright. If you''re sure.¡± said Anton as he stepped back to Kianna and put his arms around her ¡°Just be aware though, the other two aren''t quite as easy going as Kianna is.¡±


    ¡°Yes, so I understand.¡± said Dr. Creek ¡°And to be safe, we will have Dr. Grainer examine the other dark elf.¡±


    ¡°Dr. Grainer?¡± questioned Anton.


    ¡°Yes, she is a banshee.¡± explained the doctor ¡°So she will not be easily intimidated by your Fiona.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡± nodded Anton ¡°Yes, that''s probably for the best... Though still, let her know that Fiona can be a handful.¡±


    ¡°We will be cautious with her, and hopefully everything will remain civil.¡± said Dr. Creek.


    ¡°Yes, it, should...¡± mumbled Anton ¡°Just let me know as soon as you have any problems.¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry. We will.¡± said the doctor as she and Solassi left the room.


    Alone now, and finding the examination table to be both uncomfortable and far too narrow for the two of them, Anton formed a long, slim hammock-like bowl shape out of his aura that was, while certainly cozy, still big enough for the two of them to lay together in.


    Once the lights in the room had been turned down low and she was snuggled in next to Anton, Kianna placed the tasteless tab on her tongue and within minutes, she was fast asleep.


    Settled in himself, Anton gazed up at the ceiling and trained his ears to any sounds that he could hear coming through the walls of the room. He sighed softly as he silently hoped that Fiona and Mica would behave themselves. Not exactly confident that he wouldn''t be needed however, he decided it was best to remain awake and just wait for the potential commotions to suddenly start erupting from the rooms around him.

 Assassin Arc : Chapter 22 : Late Morning

    Chapter 22 : Late Morning


    ¡°Miss Mica.¡± called Solassi as she opened the door to the waiting area ¡°We''re ready for you now.¡±


    ¡°...Mm, wish me luck. I guess.¡± muttered Mica as she rose out of her seat.


    ¡°Yep. Have fun...¡± mumbled Fiona as she bobbed her foot in an impatience manner.


    Following the floating psychai into the back rooms, Mica was lead to the same scale that Kianna had used before and was subsequently measured and weighed.


    ¡°It''ll be just a moment.¡± said Solassi as she held open the door to a vacant examination room and indicated Mica should enter ¡°Feel free to take a seat.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± said Mica.


    Smiling, Solassi nodded as she closed the door.


    Left to her own devices now, Mica hopped up onto the examination table and began to absently glance around the room as she waited.


    Finding herself in a seemingly typical exam room, she gazed at the charts on the wall for a bit before turning her attention to the small counter-top that was outfitted with a bank of drawers, a few cabinets and a miniature sink.


    After some time, she became bored with her surroundings and began to get a bit antsy. With her phone having yet to be replaced, she had no easy outlet to occupy herself with, and thus her mind turned to more mischievous thoughts.


    Glancing at the door real quick, she turned back to the counter-top and, by stretching out her tail to them, began to tentatively open one drawer after another. Craning her neck so as to be able to peer inside, she was disappointed to find that they were each filled with nothing but mundane supplies.


    She jumped and slammed the last drawer shut when a knock suddenly rang out from the door.


    ¡°...Uh, c-come in!¡± she stammered as she pulled her tail back to herself.


    ¡°Good afternoon.¡± said Dr. Creek as she stepped into the room while wearing a new exo-unit and shut the door behind her ¡°My name is Dr. Creek, and I''ll be your physician today.¡±


    ¡°Uh, hello.¡± said Mica as she looked the strange plastic golem up and down.


    ¡°So how are we feeling today?¡± asked Dr. Creek as she glanced down at a clipboard in her hands ¡°...Miss Mica?¡±


    ¡°Um, I''m good. I guess.¡± said Mica.


    ¡°Nothing been troubling you then?¡± asked Dr. Creek as she made her way to the wall across from Mica and stood facing the kiochi.


    ¡°...No. Not really.¡± said Mica as she creased her brow in question while registering the odd amount of distance the doctor had put between them ¡°I''m fine.¡±


    ¡°That''s good to hear.¡± nodded the golem ¡°...So I see here that you''ve just recently become a charge of Mr. North. ...I''m going to guess that this means that you''d have gone through quite an abrupt change in your living arrangements lately?¡±


    Blinking, Mica grimaced and looked off to the side.


    ¡°Yeah. I guess you could say that...¡± she muttered softly ¡°Definitely a lot to get used to...¡±


    ¡°...Right. ...I know that for many people, situations like these can be very stressful.¡± said Dr. Creek in a soft and understanding tone ¡°And I want you to know that both your physical and mental well being is important to us here... So if there''s anything that you''d like to talk about, please, don''t hesitate to let me know.¡±


    ¡°...Nah. It''s fine. Honestly.¡± mumbled Mica as she turned back to the golem and smiled thinly ¡°I''m okay. You don''t need to worry about me.¡±


    ¡°...Was your situation truly a mutual decision then?¡± asked the doctor ¡°Or, is this perhaps some kind of, ¡°honor bound¡± type of scenario?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean by ¡°honor bound¡±?¡± questioned Mica.


    ¡°I mean your enslavement, to Mr. North. I''m wondering if maybe he had defeated you in some manner, and in defeat, you acknowledged him as your better and then bound yourself to him.¡± explained the doctor ¡°In other words, I''d like to know if that was why you chose to belong to him or not?¡±


    ¡°Oh. No! Hell no! That wasn''t why!¡± mumbled Mica ¡°Why would I let myself be enslaved that easily!?¡±


    ¡°Well, not to be presumptuous, of course. But you are listed as a cubi here.¡± said Dr. Creek as she indicated the clipboard ¡°And allowing oneself to be enslaved by a determined better, wouldn''t necessarily be abnormal behavior for a cubi.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Yeah, right, well... I don''t know if you''ve noticed or not...¡± said Mica as she coiled her tail up over her head in order to fully showcase the broadside of her bladed spade ¡°But I''m not exactly that kind of cubi...¡±


    ¡°...Yes, that was something that I did notice.¡± said Dr. Creek in a hushed tone as her golem seemed to stare at Mica''s spade ¡°...And I must say, today has been quite the treat. ...One first after another for me.¡±


    ¡°Uh, what? What do you mean?¡± questioned Mica.


    ¡°...I mean, I have seen many cubi over the years, Miss Mica. Thousands, even.¡± said Dr. Creek as she continued to watch Mica''s spade slowly twirl through the air ¡°But you are the very first of your kind that I''ve ever had the privilege of examining... And I must say, it''s a rather exciting prospect for me...¡±


    ¡°...You''ve never seen another shinoccubi before?¡± questioned Mica ¡°Like ever?¡±


    ¡°Never as a patient.¡± said Dr. Creek as her golem brought its nonexistent eyes down to meet with Mica''s ¡°This is a first.¡±


    ¡°...Okay? So, why exactly haven''t you seen another shinoccubi before? If you''ve been a doctor for years, then why would that be the case?¡± asked Mica.


    ¡°Because while I do specialize in overseeing overly dangerous beings who have been enslaved, to which your kind would certainly qualify as such... Your specific race of cubi rarely ever exist as traditional charges.¡± explained Dr. Creek ¡°I have no idea why this would be the case, as one would think that charges that were as skilled as your kind is, would certainly be in demand. For some reason though, they are a very rare sight. Almost unheard of even. And this has me certainly curious about your situation... And your Master...¡±


    ¡°My Master? I don''t have a... Oh, right, him...¡± sighed Mica as she rolled her eyes ¡°Why are you curious about him?¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn''t I be?¡± said Dr. Creek ¡°Mr. North is quite the interesting individual. Somehow he has acquired not 1, but 3 extremely rare charges. 2 of them being the only enslaved examples of their species that I''ve ever even heard of. A species which supposedly can''t even be enslaved, and yet he has somehow done this. And not only does he seem to have a level of control over these beings, but at least one of them is obviously quite attached to him. This is unexpected to say the least... And then there''s you. And all the oddities surrounding you.¡±


    ¡°...Wait, what? What ¡°oddities¡± are surrounding me?¡± questioned Mica ¡°What are you talking about!?¡±


    Dr. Creek was quiet for a moment as she gazed at the kiochi.


    ¡°...You are listed as a mere cubi, rather than as a shinoccubus.¡± she started as she indicated her clipboard ¡°You also only have a first name here. Which, while that isn''t necessarily unusual for a cubi. Your place of birth is listed as Terra, rather than one of the realms... Which leads me to believe that you might have a surname, and that your Master has chosen not to list it, in an effort to keep you at least somewhat anonymous... Is this perhaps, true?¡±


    ¡°...Even if it was.¡± said Mica as she looked away ¡°None of that is any of your business...¡±


    Dr. Creek again went quiet for a moment before folding her golems arms together in front of itself, and then stepping out of it.


    Appearing as a vaporous mist in the open space she had left between them, Dr. Creek quickly retook her shape before opening her ethereal eyes and looking back up at the kiochi.


    ¡°Huh, okay. You''re a ghost.¡± nodded Mica ¡°Yeah, I figured there was something inside that golem...¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are correct. I am deceased.¡± nodded Dr. Creek ¡°You are also correct in that your personal affairs are not technically any of my business... However, I would be remiss if I didn''t put my suspicions to rest...¡±


    Mica instinctively whipped her tail to the side and pointed her spade down at Dr. Creek as she began to advance towards her. Knowing that striking the immaterial being would have little to no effect, Mica hesitated when the ghostly woman reached out and suddenly placed her hand on the kiochi''s arm.


    ¡°Tell me the truth, child.¡± whispered Dr. Creek as she gave the surprised kiochi a worried, sympathetic look ¡°Have you been kidnapped?¡±


    ¡°...I, w-what?¡± questioned Mica as she blinked in uncertainty.


    Registering Mica''s confusion, Dr. Creek smiled softly.


    ¡°Your kind are well known for their clans. And the tight bonds that exist between the members of said clans. It''s assumed that these bonds are at least one reason why your kind are so rare as charges, as the clans would never surrender any of their members to slavery.¡± she explained ¡°Of the few enslaved examples of your kind that I''ve known of, more than one started out as someone who was stolen away from their clan as a child, and then later enslaved. I just want to make sure that this isn''t what has happened to you?¡±


    ¡°...Oh. Oh! No! No, I wasn''t stolen, I mean, kidnapped. That didn''t happen to me!¡± said Mica as she frantically shook her head ¡°I never had a clan... I didn''t even know about them until just recently.¡±


    ¡°Oh? So you weren''t born into one?¡± asked Dr. Creek.


    Mica merely shook her head.


    ¡°I see...¡± nodded the doctor ¡°So I take it your parents were not part of a clan either then?¡±


    ¡°...Well, it''s complicated.¡± mumbled Mica ¡°I don''t really want to talk about it though... And anyways, it doesn''t matter. Anton didn''t kidnap me. So you don''t have to worry about that...¡±


    ¡°...Alright. That''s good to know.¡± said Dr. Creek as she eased back from the standoffish kiochi ¡°...I won''t ask anymore questions about your past. But I would still like to know more about your Master, and your situation with him.¡±


    ¡°...Okay. I guess. There''s not much I can tell you though. I haven''t known him for very long.¡± said Mica as she let her eyes fall to the floor ¡°...And to be honest with you, I really don''t know anything about him?¡±


    ¡°I see...¡± nodded Dr. Creek ¡°Well then why don''t we start off with some simple questions then, shall we?¡±


    ¡°...Okay.¡± mumbled Mica.


    ¡°Do you like him?¡± asked the doctor.


    ¡°...I don''t know? ...Not really, I guess.¡± answered Mica.


    ¡°...Do you hate him then?¡± questioned the doctor.


    ¡°...Yeah, kinda. ...I guess.¡± mumbled Mica before tightening her eyes ¡°Or... No, it''s not really hate, per''se... I don''t like him. But I don''t hate him either... I did, before... But not anymore... I guess...¡±


    Dr. Creek raised an eyebrow ever so slightly as her expression became thoughtful.


    ¡°I see...¡± she said as she nodded again ¡°Have you been intimate with him?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± said Mica as she shook her head.


    ¡°Oh? Well that''s unexpected.¡± said Dr. Creek in genuine surprise ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Cause he hasn''t done anything like that. And he said that he won''t. He''s not gonna force himself on me... He said that anything we do, would be up to me...¡± mumbled Mica with a shrug ¡°And so far he''s been serious about that...¡±


    ¡°Oh. Well that''s kind of him.¡± said Dr. Creek with a nod ¡°So I take it that you don''t have any interest in him then?¡±


    ¡°...I mean, he''s not the worst.¡± grumbled Mica ¡°But I don''t know, I''m not really... Looking for that...¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± asked Dr. Creek.


    ¡°I don''t know...¡± said Mica as she narrowed her eyes at the ghost ¡°I just don''t think of him like that.¡±


    ¡°Hm... I see...¡± nodded the doctor ¡°...Has he ever been cruel to you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Hell yes!¡± growled Mica as her tail whipped back and forth ¡°You wouldn''t believe half the stupid crap that bastard has done to me! Or all the pain and threats and humiliation he''s put me through! He''s literally tortured me!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. Well that''s certainly unfortunate...¡± said the doctor ¡°So I take it that you''re afraid of him then?¡±


    ¡°Wha!? Hell no! Are you kidding!? I''m not gonna be scared of that bastard!¡± exclaimed Mica.


    ¡°Oh? Well that''s strange. Why not? If he''s cruel to you, and even tortures you... Then shouldn''t you be afraid of him?¡± reasoned the doctor ¡°And shouldn''t you also hate him as well?¡±


    ¡°I... Okay, look! Don''t try any stupid reverse psychology bullshit on me, okay! I know what I''m talking about!¡± stated Mica ¡°Anton is a jackass! Okay! He''s a cruel, sadistic psychopath! And you can trust me on this! I know better than anyone how much of a dick that guy can be!¡±


    ¡°Then why aren''t you afraid of him?¡± questioned Dr. Creek ¡°And why don''t you hate him?¡±


    Mica pointed her finger at the doctor and went to speak but stopped short as she struggled to think of something to say. After a moment of stillness she dropped her finger and narrowed her eyes.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°Shouldn''t you be examining me, or something?¡± she mumbled as she flicked her tail in irritation.


    ¡°...Yes. I suppose I should be.¡± nodded Dr. Creek as she faced her opened palms at the kiochi.


    Mica watched with indifference as a rune covered, hologram-like blue glowing disc winked into existence in front of the doctor.


    ¡°I''m not overly familiar with what the healthy statistics of your kind should be.¡± explained Dr. Creek as the outer section of her disc split away from its center and rose into the air ¡°So just to be safe, I''m going to make a recording of your anatomy, as well as all of your vitals. This way I can compare you to what records we have and verify that everything does look correct.¡±


    Mica grimaced but said nothing as the glowing ring sailed through the air before stopping just over her head.


    ¡°This should only take a few minutes...¡± said Dr. Creek as the center portion of her disc shifted in appearance and took on the look of a computer tablet ¡°Please try to remain as still as you can...¡±


    Still grimacing, Mica took in a breath and went still as the ring above her began to descend. She could feel a faint warmth begin to pass over her as the ring started to slowly scan her from the head down.


    The room went quiet as Dr. Creek silently watched lines of data begin to appear across the screen in front of her.


    ¡°Miss Vale.¡± called Solassi as she smiled at the dark elf ¡°We''re ready for you now.¡±


    ¡°About time.¡± mumbled Fiona as she rose from her seat and followed the psychai into the back rooms.


    After a quick trip to the scale, Solassi led Fiona to an empty exam room and bid her farewell.


    Moving to stand in the center of the room, Fiona planted her hands on her hips and began to look around the small space she had found herself in. She had only been standing there for a moment before a series of sharp knocks echoed out from the door.


    ¡°Come in.¡± she called as she casually turned around.


    The next moment the door opened to reveal a banshee who was similar looking to, but clearly different from the one at the front desk.


    Floating about a foot off the floor, the banshee made her way into the room and shut the door behind her.


    Although clearly ethereal and ghost-like in nature, unlike Dr. Creek, Dr. Grainer was a completely solid being and in no way immaterial. As such she did not utilize any type of golem and wore actual clothes.


    Appearance wise she was a serious, sophisticated looking older woman who wore her silvery glowing hair in a tight bun atop her head. Broad, wire-rimmed glasses and a stark white lab coat over a black knitted sweater and gray slacks completed her image of a stern, no nonsense professional.


    ¡°Good morning.¡± said Dr. Grainer in a calm even tone ¡°You must be Fiona Vale. I''m Dr. Grainer, and I''ll be your physician today.¡±


    Fiona slowly looked the doctor up and down before smiling smugly.


    ¡°Hi...¡± she breathed around her smile.


    ¡°...Hello.¡± said Dr. Grainer as her eyes tightened ever so slightly.


    ¡°So...¡± cooed Fiona as she took a step forward and again looked the floating banshee up and down as she sized her up ¡°Guess I made some people nervous... Didn''t I?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± said Dr. Grainer as she raised an eyebrow ¡°I''m not sure what you''re referring to?¡±


    ¡°Right...¡± chuckled Fiona ¡°C''mon now. Let''s not pretend that you weren''t sent in here specifically because you''re a banshee... So what? Did they really think that you could even make any difference if I decided to be a bitch? Was that the mindset there? Are you supposed to be the one that''s able to control me?¡±


    Dr. Grainer said nothing as she merely gazed down at the obnoxiously grinning dark elf before her.


    ¡°Because if that was the idea...¡± drawled Fiona as she again smiled broadly ¡°It''s not going to work...¡±


    ¡°...Is that so?¡± said Dr. Grainer ¡°You seem to be fairly confident about that.¡±


    Fiona shrugged as she continued to smile.


    ¡°Prove me wrong.¡± she said as she flared her aura and filled the space around them with her presence.


    ¡°...There is no need for this.¡± said Dr. Grainer as she narrowed her eyes ¡°All I want is to make sure that you are fit and healthy. ...But, if it''s a confrontation that you want. Then it''s a confrontation that you''ll get.¡±


    Fiona''s smile became even more smug as the banshee rose higher into the air and glared down at her.


    ¡°This will not be anything you can win though. Your magic cannot touch me.¡± said Dr. Grainer as her pupil-less, sickly green eyes locked themselves to Fiona''s.


    Fiona''s smile never faulted as she felt the banshee''s aura expand out to mingle with and then overtake her own. As she watched, Dr. Grainer''s hair loosened itself free of the bun she had it wrapped in and began to float about in the air around her.


    An ethereal light began to emanate from the banshee as her speech took on a hypnotically captivating cadence.


    ¡°...No. This is not at all something, that you can win, child. As your presence, cannot defeat my own. I am the counter to you, in nearly every way. ...My voice, will shatter your barriers. ...My song, will break your weapons. ...And my glow, will melt your shadow.¡± said the banshee as she rose even higher and loomed ominously above Fiona ¡°There is nothing you can do. You cannot defeat me.¡±


    Seemingly unfazed, Fiona merely nodded.


    ¡°So I''ve heard, though, I think I can...¡± she said as she turned away from the banshee and put her back to her ¡°There is more than one way to win a war, after all...¡±


    ¡°...What? What are you doing?¡± questioned Dr. Grainer as Fiona began to unbuckle her belt.


    Saying nothing, the dark elf looked back over her shoulder and grinned as she slipped off her shoes and began to slowly shimmy her way out of her jean pants. Once her panties followed her pants to the floor, and her bottom and legs were free of their confines, the dark elf, now naked from the waist down, hopped up onto the exam table and draped her legs over the sides as she laid herself out across its length.


    Confused, Dr. Grainer stayed floating right where she was as she watched Fiona gleefully reach down to her nether regions and slip several of her fingers inside herself.


    Closing her eyes and laying her head back, Fiona began to take in quick breaths through her nose as she began to vigorously rub away at her sex.


    ¡°Oh! ...Oh yes! Oh, Dr. Grainer, yes!¡± moaned Fiona as she turned to the Dr. and smiled viciously ¡°More! ...Please! More! Please touch me more!¡±


    Dr. Grainer''s eyes widened as she quickly turned from the dark elf to the closed door and back.


    ¡°What do you think you''re doing!?¡± she exclaimed in affront ¡°Stop this! Right now!¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes! More, please! Please! More!¡± cried Fiona.


    ¡°Quiet!¡± hissed the banshee angrily ¡°Stop this now! Before someone hears you!¡±


    ¡°Ohhhh!¡± moaned Fiona loudly and provocatively ¡°Yes Dr.! Yes! Please! Teach me to behave!¡±


    ¡°You! Have you gone mad!¡± cried Dr. Grainer before quieting down her own voice ¡°Stop it! Stop this at once!¡±


    ¡°Sure... Right away...¡± grinned Fiona before moaning again, curling in on herself and spreading out her toes in actual pleasure ¡°Just as soon... Oh, yes! Just as soon, as you surrender... To me!¡±


    ¡°...Excuse me!?¡± growled Dr. Grainer through her clenched teeth.


    ¡°You, oh! ...You heard me!¡± moaned Fiona as she began to massage her breasts through her shirt with her free hand ¡°I want you, to surrender... And declare me, the winner... Of this, war!¡±


    ¡°...Why you rotten little elfling child!¡± hissed Dr. Grainer as her pupil-less eyes lit up and blazed with an eerie, ghostly green light ¡°How dare you!¡±


    ¡°Ohhhh! Yes! Yes, yes, yes!¡± cried Fiona as she worked herself up into a frenzy ¡°Right there, Dr.! Right there! ...More! More! Please, more!¡±


    ¡°You heathen!¡± exclaimed Dr. Grainer as she again looked back at the door ¡°Enough! Enough of this! Stop this right now!¡±


    ¡°No! ...Not, until, you, surrender, and I win, this war!¡± huffed Fiona as she continued her efforts against herself in earnest.


    ¡°You are insane!¡± snarled Dr. Grainer as her hands, now shaking with rage, curled into clawed shapes ¡°We are not at war, you lunatic!¡±


    ¡°Then just say it then!¡± smiled Fiona ¡°If we''re not at war, and it doesn''t matter, then just do it! Say you surrender! And this will all end...¡±


    Livid now, the banshee''s left eye was twitching as she glowered down at the grinning dark elf.


    ¡°...Fine!¡± she hissed menacingly ¡°...I surrender!¡±


    Shaking with laughter, Fiona let her head loll back as she slowed the pace of her hands.


    ¡°Now see...¡± she cooed happily as she turned to Dr. Grainer and smiled morosely ¡°Was that so hard?¡±


    ¡°Unbelievable!¡± growled the fuming banshee ¡°Absolutely unbelievable!¡±


    ¡°Yeah... I kinda am...¡± nodded Fiona as she shut her eyes and focused on the pleasure her own fingers were bringing her.


    ¡°...What are you doing!?¡± questioned Dr. Grainer ¡°You said you would stop!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and I will... I''ll be quiet now, I promise!¡± groaned Fiona ¡°But it''s just... I''m a little too far gone right now, and I do not want to be dealing with this for the rest of the day. ...So just let me finish real quick!¡±


    ¡°...You have got to be kidding me!¡± mumbled Dr. Grainer as she shook her head.


    ¡°Hey! At least with this! ...You can tell, that I''m obviously pretty healthy!¡± giggled Fiona as she locked eyes with the banshee ¡°And also, if you really want to end this quicker... You could always lend a hand... Or a maybe just a finger, or two?¡±


    Blinking, Dr. Grainer stopped short as she registered the innuendo behind Fiona''s remarks.


    ¡°I wouldn''t say no to borrowing a set of lips either...¡± continued the smirking dark elf as she looked the banshee up and down and licked her own lips ¡°Top or bottom, I''m fine with either or, or even both...¡±


    Dr. Grainer stayed completely still for a moment as she stared down at the dark elf.


    ¡°...Oh, that''s it.¡± she whispered softly as her eyes went wide with fury ¡°...Inoculations.¡±


    ¡°...Uh, what?¡± questioned Fiona as she trembled in pleasure ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°...I said, inoculations. ...You''re going to need inoculations!¡± said Dr. Grainer as a wicked looking smile spread across her face ¡°Lots, and lots of them.¡±


    ¡°Wha? What are you talking about?¡± mumbled Fiona as a sudden cold chill ran up her backbone and her eyes went wide with panic as the now smiling banshee began to loom over her ¡°What does that mean!?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you''ll see soon enough...¡± chuckled Dr Grainer as she turned back to the door ¡°I''ll be back in just a moment...¡±


    ¡°Uh, wait? Where are you going?¡± asked Fiona.


    Pausing with her hand on the doorknob, the banshee glanced back and again smiled widely.


    ¡°Oh, don''t worry. I won''t be gone long. I''m just going to give you a chance to finish up while I go get a few things...¡± said Dr. Grainer as her hair gathered itself back together into a bun on her head ¡°Oh, and by the way. Don''t bother putting your clothes back on when you''re done. I''m going to need access to your backside...¡±


    ¡°You? ...Wait, you''re gonna need what?¡± questioned Fiona as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards.


    Saying nothing more, Dr. Grainer quickly left the room and shut the door as she went.


    Staring at the door for a second, Fiona shrugged in indifference and focused her attention back on the task of relieving herself. She was just at the point of stifling a satisfied, post climactic moan when there was another knock at the door.


    ¡°Come on in...¡± she breathed as she lounged across the exam table, let her ears hang limp from the sides of her head and playfully kicked her bare feet.


    ¡°Finished now, are we?¡± asked Dr. Grainer as she slipped into the room and shut the door behind her.


    ¡°I am, though... I could go for a round 2...¡± smiled Fiona as she gleefully spread her legs out invitingly and showcased her moistened sex ¡°If you''re interested?¡±


    ¡°I''m afraid I''m not.¡± said the banshee as she floated right up to the side of the exam table ¡°Though, if you don''t mind, I would like to get a look at your backside...¡±


    ¡°...Heh. Sure. Why not?¡± chuckled Fiona ¡°This is a bit of a surprise though. I wouldn''t have taken you for an ass lady.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I''m not.¡± said Dr. Grainer as she pulled her hand out of her lab coats pocket and held up a large syringe ¡°I''m only interested in your backside because your buttocks is one of the meatiest places on your body. And that makes it a perfect entry point for all of the inoculations I''m about to inject you with...¡±


    Her ears pointing themselves straight upwards at the sight, Fiona''s eyes went wide as they became locked onto the almost ridiculously large needle at the end of the syringe.


    ¡°...You''ve got to be kidding me.¡± she whispered softly as she shifted her eyes to the banshee''s ¡°You''re not really going to stick that in my ass... are you!?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I am.¡± smiled Dr. Grainer as her unnerving eyes began to glow with their sickly green light ¡°New slaves need their immunizations... So I''m afraid you''ll have to suffer through this inoculation, as well as about a dozen more...¡±


    ¡°...Oh, fuck.¡± whimpered Fiona as her expression became panicked ¡°Wait! Wait a second! We can talk about this! Right!? I, I mean! I was just joking about the whole surrender thing anyway! Seriously! I was! It was just a joke! ...Wait! Wait! No! Wait! Wait!¡±


    Raising her hands up in a bid to placate the banshee, Fiona''s breath hissed in through her teeth as Dr. Grainer locked her own hand around the dark elf''s wrist and immediately filled her with a cold, numbing dread.


    Soft, melodic laughter began to fill the hallways as muffled, pleading cries continued to ring out from within the exam room.


    Mica''s face was all but expression-less as she watched the scanning ring make its way to the end of her tail and finish its task by roving over her spade.


    ¡°And that should do it...¡± said Dr. Creek as the larger ring zipped back over to her and reattached itself to its smaller partner ¡°...Hm, now let''s see here. ...Mm, your heart rate seems a little high to me? At least when compared to other cubi. ...But it is in line with what the other shinoccubi were showing? ...Hm, perhaps it needs to be higher to accommodate your tail?¡±


    ¡°My tail?¡± questioned Mica.


    ¡°Yes. Your tail is much longer than those of other cubi''s. So to keep the blood flowing through it correctly, it would make sense for your heart rate to be higher...¡± mused Dr. Creek ¡°It''s nowhere near an alarming level regardless. So there shouldn''t be any reason to worry about it. But even so, I''ll look into it, and if there seems to be a problem, I''ll contact you immediately.¡±


    ¡°Okay... Thanks.¡± said Mica ¡°I appreciate that.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± nodded Dr. Creek ¡°I know our conversation may have gotten a bit rocky earlier, but rest assured, child. I am here to help you. Your well being is still important to me.¡±


    Nodding as she looked off to the side, Mica chewed her lower lip in thought for a moment before turning back to the doctor.


    ¡°Yeah, about that conversation...¡± she started as she let her eyes fall to the floor ¡°There''s a lot that you don''t know, and that I don''t want to talk about... Or really, I can''t really talk about it I guess... Just know that I didn''t really choose this, to be Anton''s slave, I mean. And he didn''t kidnap me or win me, or anything... I''m not his victim, or anything like that.¡±


    ¡°...Why are you with him then?¡± asked Dr. Creek.


    ¡°...He''s kinda, helping me, I guess.¡± said Mica with a shrug ¡°It''s really complicated...¡±


    ¡°Oh? ...So is he protecting you?¡± asked Dr. Creek.


    Mica sighed and nodded her head.


    ¡°Ah, I see...¡± said Dr. Creek as she creased her brow in thought ¡°Well, that certainly helps to clear things up a bit...¡±


    Mica said nothing as she continued to stare at the floor.


    ¡°...Let me just ask you this one last question, and then we''ll let this go.¡± said the doctor as she floated closer to the kiochi and lowered her voice ¡°Do you trust him?¡±


    Mica blinked before slowly looking back up at the doctor.


    ¡°Uh... I, don''t...¡± she mumbled as her expression became uncertain ¡°...I guess, ...yeah. ...I guess I do?¡±


    ¡°Well then, good.¡± said Dr. Creek as she smiled softly and nodded her head ¡°That''s all I really need to know then.¡±


    A little surprised by this revelation herself, Mica went quiet as she looked back down at the floor.


    With her mind now preoccupied, the last part of her examination went by as a blur for her as she absently answered the rest of the doctors questions about her health. And before she knew it, she was being led back out through the hallways.


    ¡°I''m going to make it a point to do some research and better familiarize myself with shinoccubi.¡± Dr. Creek was saying as she held open the door for Mica ¡°So if there''s anything else you need, please, let me know, and I''ll do my best to help if I can.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± nodded Mica as she stepped out into the waiting room ¡°Yeah, thanks...¡±


    ¡°Have a good rest of your day, Mica.¡± said Dr. Creek with a genuine smile ¡°And please, be safe.¡±


    Dozing as he listened to what faint, broken murmuring he could pick up through the walls, Anton had nearly fallen asleep himself when Dr. Creek''s head slowly and silently phased into the room through the closed door.


    ¡°Hello again.¡± he said as he grinned up at her ¡°Everything alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes, actually. Everything has gone... rather smoothly, with both Mica and Fiona. And we''re all finished up with them now.¡± said Dr. Creek in a hushed tone as she stepped fully into the room ¡°How is Kianna doing?¡±


    ¡°Sleeping soundly.¡± said Anton as he gazed down at the dark elf curled up along his side ¡°Her fever has already gone down. She''s not nearly as hot to the touch as she was before.¡±


    ¡°Good, that''s good.¡± nodded the doctor ¡°She should be feeling back to normal fairly quickly, but I suggest that you make sure she finishes those pills. Even if she feels like she doesn''t need them anymore.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± nodded Anton as he gave Kianna a gentle shake to rouse her ¡°Kianna, it''s time to wake up...¡±


    Grumbling softly as she blinked open her eyes, Kianna slowly tilted her head upwards and gazed up at Anton for a moment before laying back down on his chest.


    ¡°No...¡± she whispered as she made to go back to sleep.


    ¡°Yes, it''s time to get going.¡± chuckled Anton as he gave her shoulder another shake ¡°C''mon now...¡±


    Pouting as she began to grumble again, Kianna flattened her ears down submissively as she got up to a sitting position and glared at Anton.


    ¡°Don''t give me that look.¡± smiled Anton as he got up out of the bowl and turned back to help the dark elf get to her feet ¡°We''ve still got things to do. We can''t just be napping all day long.¡±


    ¡°Fine, whatever...¡± mumbled Kianna as stood next to him and began to rub her eyes.


    ¡°Are you feeling any better?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°...Yeah, actually I do.¡± said Kianna around a yawn.


    Stretching her arms out over her head and pointing her ears straight upwards along with them, Kianna blinked the sleepiness from her eyes as she turned to the waiting doctor.


    ¡°Thank you for the medicine, Dr. Creek. I''m feeling much better now.¡± she said as she gave the doctor a wide smile.


    ¡°That''s good to hear.¡± said Dr. Creek as she turned the lights back up in the room ¡°I still suggest you try to take it easy for the next few days though. And refrain from at least kissing for the next 3. If after taking a few pills you''re still feeling ill, then just let me know and we''ll try something a little stronger.¡±


    ¡°Okay, will do.¡± said Kianna as she and Anton followed the doctor out of the room and through the halls to the waiting area.


    ¡°Your other charges are already waiting for you.¡± said Dr. Creek as she indicated the way out ¡°And we sent copies of their scans to your email as you requested on your form. If there''s anything else you need, please, don''t hesitate to give us a call.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate that.¡± said Anton as he gave the doctor a nod in parting.


    Finding both Fiona and Mica waiting for them, with Mica sitting in her same seat while a grumbling and miserable looking Fiona was standing and lightly rubbing her backside. The group made their way to the front desk so Anton could take care of their bill and make arrangements to have the health check certificates sent to him as well. They then stopped at the in-house pharmacy to pick up Kianna''s prescription before making their way back outside.


    ¡°So where to next?¡± asked Fiona as they headed towards the designated portal area.


    ¡°Well, we still need to get a few things for Mica.¡± said Anton as he looked at his phone ¡°So I supposed a spot with clothing stores would be a good place to head to next... Just let me find one real quick...¡±


    ¡°Oh sweet, we''ll finally get a chance to play dress up with the little shit!¡± exclaimed Fiona.


    ¡°Fuck you...¡± muttered Mica as she grimaced and looked off to the side.


    Chuckling as he raised his hand, Anton opened a portal and led the way as they all stepped through it and disappeared.

 Assassin Arc : Chapter 23 : Afternoon

    Chapter 23 : Afternoon


    ¡°Alright, personally!¡± said Fiona as she led the way through the double sets of automatic doors that separated the mall from the outside world ¡°With a project like this I think it''s best to start with the first layer first.¡±


    ¡°First layer?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°Mm hm, first layer, the one right against the skin.¡± explained Fiona as she looked back at Mica and grinned ¡°The fun layer that''s full of tiny little tight things!¡±


    Blinking, Mica''s expression became wrathful as her cheeks began to redden.


    ¡°So a lingerie shop should definitely be our first stop.¡± continued Fiona as she nodded to herself ¡°It''ll probably take the longest to get through too, what with all the things we''ll need Mica to model for us. So we really should hit it first.¡±


    ¡°Bitch! I am not your damn dress up doll!¡± muttered Mica ¡°And I''m not modeling shit for you!¡±


    ¡°Heh, silly little Mica.¡± mocked Fiona ¡°As if it''s up to you.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you!¡± growled the kiochi.


    ¡°A lingerie shop isn''t a bad idea, actually...¡± mused Kianna.


    ¡°Seriously, you too!?¡± exclaimed Mica.


    ¡°I didn''t mean it for you.¡± grinned Kianna as she absently bumped into Anton and leaned against him as they walked.


    Chuckling, Anton wrapped an arm around her waist as he shook his head.


    ¡°As much as I''d like that, I think we need to heed the doctor''s advice and take it easy on you for today.¡± he said as they came up to a directory that featured a large map of the multi-story mall ¡°So let''s also spare Mica for now, and save that particular shop for our next trip.¡±


    Letting his eyes rove over the categories of listed shops, Anton grinned playfully as he ignored the groans form the pouting dark elves that were glaring at him.


    ¡°...So do you have a preference for any of these specific stores, Mica?¡± he asked as he turned to her ¡°Or will any of them do?¡±


    Stepping up to look over her options, Mica ran her eyes down the list of stores before glancing up at the map above.


    ¡°I like Route 9, Dream Like and sometimes Trails has good stuff.¡± said Mica ¡°They''re all to the left from here.¡±


    ¡°Okay...¡± nodded Anton as he continued to look over the map ¡°We''ll need to stop at the Vantage store as well. That way I can get you a new phone and put you on my plan...¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± said Mica as she looked up at him ¡°You''re seriously going to let me have a phone?¡±


    ¡°Well yeah. You''re going to need a phone.¡± chuckled Anton ¡°One that I can set parental locks on, of course. Since we don''t need you to be calling anybody that currently wants to kill you...¡±


    Mica grimaced as the dark elves both began to softly laugh.


    ¡°Like I''m really gonna do that...¡± she grumbled as she followed along behind Anton.


    Making their way to the closest store, Dream Like, the two dark elves immediately caught the attention of the staff as they entered the store and began to peruse the racks of chic clothing. And it wasn''t long before said staff members all disappeared into the backroom and abandoned their clearly uneasy looking manager to man the checkout desk alone.


    Following them at a more subdued pace, Mica''s tail coiled aimlessly about behind her as she looked out across the expanse of the store.


    ¡°For now.¡± said Anton as he came up beside her ¡°Let''s just get you enough clothes to last the next few weeks. I know you''ll need a full wardrobe eventually, but if we play our cards right, in the near future, we may have the opportunity to get a hold of all your belongings.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± questioned Mica.


    ¡°Mm hm. It''s nothing to bank on just yet. But hopefully your parents won''t mind negotiating a price for all your things.¡± said Anton ¡°We''ll have to wait and see how well things go with the next meeting I have with them though. Whenever that''ll be...¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay...¡± nodded Mica.


    ¡°Mica! C''mere!¡± called Kianna as she held up a bright pink blouse ¡°What do you think of this?¡±


    Grimacing, the kiochi began to shake her head as she and Anton made their way over to the dark elf.


    ¡°That''s a little bright for my tastes...¡± mumbled Mica as Kianna held the blouse up to her.


    ¡°Yeah...¡± drawled Kianna ¡°This color doesn''t really go with your eyes either...¡±


    ¡°Okay! I''ve got the first few things you''ll need to try on!¡± cried Fiona as she suddenly bounded up behind the kiochi.


    Turning to her, Mica was caught off guard as Fiona abruptly passed her a plethora of differently styled panties. With her hands now full of the incredibly skimpy underwear, Mica''s tail froze in place as her face instantly reddened in embarrassment.


    ¡°I figured dark colors would probably be the way to go, considering how pale you are...¡± mused Fiona as she plucked a pair of barely there purple lace panties from the stack and held them up in front of Mica''s face ¡°Oh yeah, that''ll be a sweet contrast. Can''t wait to see how well these babies will look wrapped around your ass...¡±


    ¡°...You! Bitch! Dammit!¡± grumbled Mica as angry tears of embarrassment formed in the corners of her eyes.


    ¡°Okay, that''s enough.¡± said Anton as he shook his head and reached back for his wallet ¡°C''mon, Fiona, we''re going to go wait outside...¡±


    ¡°What, why!?¡± cried Fiona as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards.


    ¡°Because, Mica has already had a hard enough time lately.¡± said Anton as he handed Kianna a credit card ¡°And the last thing she needs right now is us ogling her underwear. So c''mon, let''s give her some peace and privacy.¡±


    Kianna made a small happy sound as she smiled at the credit card.


    ¡°Try to keep it reasonable, please...¡± sighed Anton as he stared at the credit card ¡°C''mon, Fiona. Let''s go.¡±


    Grumbling under her breath, Fiona balled her hands into fists and pointed her ears straight back as she reluctantly followed Anton out of the store.


    ¡°...Well that was nice of him.¡± said Mica as she watched them leave.


    ¡°Yeah, he usually is pretty nice. Well, most of the time... Anyways.¡± said Kianna as she looked over the pile of panties filling Mica''s arms ¡°Guess we might as well get these out of the way first. Since we already have them.¡±


    Sighing in defeat, Mica nodded as she too began to look over the items Fiona had picked out for her.


    Finding a bench just outside and a little down from the store, Anton took a seat and pulled out his phone to check his messages.


    He had been hoping to hear back from an associate of his, the same individual he had messaged about Leopold''s sword, who was avid collector of bladed weapons named Alan Mokai.


    Having spoken with him when he had first acquired the sword, Mokai had been very interested in seeing the Infernal weapon for himself, but unfortunately he wouldn''t be available right away. Instead he had assured Anton that he would let him know as soon as it would be possible for them to meet.


    ¡°So is this you punishing me for something?¡± muttered Fiona as she plopped down next to him.


    Grinning as he read through a new message stating that Mokai would be available that following morning, Anton absently shook his head.


    ¡°No, it isn''t.¡± he said as slipped his phone back into his pocket ¡°This is really just to show Mica a little mercy.¡±


    ¡°Mercy from what?¡± questioned Fiona ¡°You''re acting like I was about to torture her, when all I was gonna do was play a little dress up with her. That''s all.¡±


    ¡°Believe it or not, Fiona.¡± said Anton around a chuckle ¡°But being stripped nearly naked and then forcefully put on display for the amusement of others is actually considered torture to some people.¡±


    ¡°...Yeah, I guess. I mean it might be at first, but she''ll get used to it.¡± said Fiona in a dismissive tone ¡°I mean, Mica is a slave after all. She needs to get used to having to do things she doesn''t want to do. And entertaining us is gonna be a part of that.¡±


    ¡°No, it isn''t.¡± said Anton ¡°Mica isn''t your slave, Fiona. And she''s not here to entertain you anymore than you''re here to entertain her.¡±


    ¡°...I mean, yeah, that''s right. But she still needs to get used to doing things she doesn''t want to do though.¡± stated Fiona as she crossed her arms over her chest.


    ¡°That may be true, but how that''s gone about is not for you to decide.¡± said Anton ¡°Again, she''s not your slave, Fiona. And you need to stop thinking of her in that way.¡±


    Fiona went to speak again but stopped short as she seemed to think better of it. Glancing off to the side, she sighed softly and crossed her legs at the knees as she settled in and began to people watch.


    She wasn''t exactly sure what time it was in the area they were in but judging from the brightness coming through the skylights overhead and the lack of foot traffic in the sparsely populated mall, she guessed it was likely just past midday.


    Bobbing her foot up and down, she let her eyes absently roam from one random person to the next until suddenly her attention was draw to a rather peculiar sight.


    A full grown female lamia had slithered into view and was making her way past the bench that she and Anton currently sat on.


    Human-like in shape from the waist upwards but possessing a long serpentine form from the hips down, the lamia appeared as a mermaid-like blend of a humanoid and a snake.


    Smooth, tightly packed but only faintly overlapping scales encased the entirety of her lower half and these spread upwards past her waist to cover her back, shoulders, arms and clawed hands before growing smaller in size and then tapering off all together as they crept up her neck to her ears and spread out along the rim of her jawline.


    The majority of her scales were colored a deep black, but those along her belly paled down to a dark gray. Bright, golden-yellow bands broke up the solid blackness of her body scales as they haphazardly crisscrossed her back. These bands started out as broad blotches at her shoulders and became thinner and thinner as they moved steadily down the long length of her being.


    Her skin, in the areas where it was free of scales, such as on her face, torso and palms, was a light gray color that had a slight purplish cast to it.


    Her large, inhuman eyes were quite the mesmerizing sight, as they were made up of a pair of black slitted pupils that stood out clearly as they seemed to divide her eyes down the middle, and were surrounded on either side by a gleaming sea of steel green sclera.


    Though primarily reptilian in nature, the lamia still possessed enough mammalian traits to make her mixed heritage clear. These included a full head of blonde colored human-like hair, a set of external ears that were sharply pointed and covered in scales, and a pair of ample, well formed breasts.


    All these traits came together to form a creature that, although seemingly alien in nature, was still stunningly beautiful to behold.


    Wearing a light, white colored sundress and raising her upper half into the air in a manner that was reminiscent of a standing cobra, the lamia gave the impression that she stood as tall as and was no bigger than an average humanoid. This was quite misleading though, as she was in fact exceptionally larger than the average person was, and should she choose to she was fully capable of lifting herself up much, much higher than this.


    She would be able to accomplish this feat with the aid of the hundreds upon hundreds of banded muscles that were wrapped around her lower half and ran down the length of her body. These muscles were so tightly packed together that she was still left with a seemingly smooth appearance despite their presence just beneath her skin. This musculature not only assured her a shockingly high level of strength, but also gave her enough power that she could easily oscillate her long body from side to side and use her own coiled sections to push against the ground and sling herself along at a surprisingly fast rate of speed. Moving in this way allowed her to effortlessly glide forward in a graceful and silent manner.


    Although the lamia was certainly eye catching in of herself, what made this particular one even more interesting was that she was being accompanied by what appeared to be her children.


    Nestled in the lamia''s arms was a tiny sleeping baby that was wrapped up in a bright, pink blanket. While cruising along on either side of her were two older lamia girls that were both very similar in appearance to their mother, save for the fact that they were only a fraction of her size and both possessed black-colored hair. A third, much smaller little lamia girl with blonde hair was coiled up and riding on her mother''s back as she moved along. Sitting next to this girl, and riding along with her, was a young hobgoblin boy.


    Making their way past the bench, the group continued on for a ways before veering off of the main pathway and slithering up to a sweet shack being manned by a male hobgoblin.


    Standing at roughly three and a half feet tall, a hobgoblin was essentially the goblinoid equivalent of a halfling in size and shape. Green skinned with sharp features, large dark eyes set in yellow sclera and big, broad, pointed ears, they had the general appearance of a traditional goblinoid. And what set them apart, aside from their size, was that they were on average far more adept at the use of magic than most of their brethren kin.


    Unlike true goblins, which preferred to live underground almost exclusively, hobgoblins were more human-like in that they could be found living in a wide range of locales. Intelligent, fairly friendly and outgoing, they were a rather common sight not only throughout the cavern lands below, which was their original home, but also across the surface of Terra as well.


    The gentleman hobgoblin at the kiosk had a beaming smile across his face as he watched the approach of what was obviously his family.


    Stopping just in front of him, the snake-like portion of the mother lamia remained in motion for a bit as she gathered herself out of the walkway by coiling her lower half up into a large circle. Leaning over the kiosk''s counter-top, she and her husband shared a quick kiss before he gleefully lifted a corner of the pink blanket and peeked in on the tiny baby hobgoblin girl who was sleeping soundly in her mother''s arms.


    Bemused by her parents antics, one of the older lamia girls turned away from them and let her eyes wander aimlessly across the open expanse of the mall. As she looked about, a long, thin, black-colored tongue suddenly slipped out from between her parted lips and hung down past her chin as its forked tip began to flick up and down. Seemingly satisfied with the taste of the air around her, she slipped her tongue back into her mouth and turned to begin chatting with her siblings who were still seated on their mother''s coiled back.


    Watching all of this, Fiona couldn''t help but to take note of how, despite the fact that one of them was an entirely different species, the four children that she could see were all strikingly similar to each other in appearance as they were all sporting a clear blend of their parents features.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Though she was no expert on the subject, she understood that from a purely biological stance, these children would naturally be impossible, as the genetics of a hobgoblin and a lamia would of course be far too different from each other to ever allow a baby to be conceived between them. At least through any normal means.


    For couples such as this to have children they would have had to have formed what is known as a ¡°Soul-Link¡± between them. Which, despite its name, was technically not a link made between their souls, but instead between their mana pools. This link was essentially a magical bridge that was gradually formed by the bond that flowed back and forth between two people. And with its aid a couple comprised of two completely different and normally incompatible species would become capable of producing children together.


    How this worked was at the point of conception this link would magically filter, alter and merge their genetic material together in such a way that a baby would form. This process would also ensure that the mother would be capable of carrying the child to term, or in the case of egg layers, successfully hatching them. This often meant that the babies produced via this link would develop as the same species that the mother was and would have a much higher likelihood of also sharing her sex, as said baby would essentially be more of a clone of her than not. This was not always the case of course, and children that were the same sex and or species as the father, although a rarer occurrence, would be possible as well, so long as the mother could successfully care for them during development.


    As this link was formed through magical means, it could only develop between sapient beings.


    Fiona had learned of all this while in school, and so was not at all confused by the sight of a real world example of it. As she watched, the family mingled for bit longer before the mother and children moved off and continued on their way. As she went to turn away from them, Fiona found that Anton was also absently looking over in the same direction.


    ¡°...Is he selling churros over there?¡± he mumbled as he craned his neck to get a better look ¡°...He is selling churros over there. Oh, I am going to get me a churro!¡±


    ¡°What''s a churro?¡± asked Fiona.


    ¡°Um, well, imagine a long, thin doughnut that''s been deep fried until it''s crispy and then covered in cinnamon and sugar. That''s basically what a churro is.¡± explained Anton as he stood up ¡°Would you like to try one?¡±


    ¡°Uh... No, I don''t think so.¡± said Fiona.


    ¡°You sure?¡± said Anton as he went to move away ¡°They''re really good.¡±


    ¡°Nah, I''m good.¡± said Fiona as she shook her head ¡°Thanks anyway.¡±


    Nodding, Anton stepped away and headed towards the sweet shack. As he made his way along a trio of young children quickly past him up as they gleefully raced to the kiosk.


    The children appeared to be some type of feline folk as they were human-like in general form but each sported cat-like ears on their heads, had vertically slitted pupils amid golden-colored eyes and had long, furred tails curling along behind them. They seemed to be siblings as they all had both black-colored hair and similar facial features. The two older looking individuals were a boy and girl, while the smallest among them was another girl. In order to help her keep pace with her larger siblings, the littlest girl was holding on to her brother''s tail as they sped along.


    As they came up to the counter, the older girl produced a handful of wrinkled dollars and random collected change which she carefully laid out while her siblings excitedly pointed at what items they wanted from the menu that was painted across the front of the shack, just below the counter-top.


    Fiona couldn''t help but to grin as she watched Anton take his place in line behind the children that had so easily beaten him.


    Going over the trio''s available money, the hobgoblin''s warm smile shifted to a sorrowful grimaced as he began to shake his head and the three children''s ears and tails all began to droop as if the metaphorical wind had been stolen from their sails.


    Having apparently noticed their plight, Anton took his wallet from his pocket and as both Fiona and the hobgoblin watched, he let a 5 dollar bill flutter away and land off to the side.


    Though he was too far away for her to hear him, Fiona could tell that Anton had said something to get the children''s attention and as they turned to look at him he pointed down at the money. As soon as she caught sight of what he was indicating, the smaller cat girl''s eyes lit up and she immediately pounced forward onto all fours and grabbed up the money. Clearly excited by the sudden windfall, she quickly offered the money to the hobgoblin who then happily produced the cupped sundaes they had originally wanted. With frozen treats now in hand, the three children shouted thank you''s to both the hobgoblin and Anton as they sped away.


    Watching them go, Fiona sighed softly and settled in to wait for Anton''s eventual return. A few moments later her nose was filled with the rich, warm aroma of cinnamon.


    ¡°What a nice guy.¡± said Anton as he sat back down ¡°He made this fresh for me.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, that was cool of him.¡± said Fiona as she glanced at the twisted confection.


    ¡°It was.¡± agreed Anton as he took a bite.


    Savoring the sweet treat, Anton took one small bite after another as he fell back into a session people watching.


    After awhile he glanced over at Fiona and found her pensively staring off at nothing as a thoughtful expression marred her features.


    ¡°...Something on your mind?¡± he asked softly as he followed her gaze.


    Brought back from her revelry, Fiona dropped her eyes to the floor in front of herself.


    ¡°Nah, I was just thinking...¡± she sighed as her ears seemed to droop a bit.


    ¡°...Well what are you thinking about?¡± asked Anton as he took another bite of his churro.


    Hesitating for a moment, Fiona sighed again as she looked off to the side.


    ¡°...I know that, Mica, isn''t my slave.¡± she began as she glanced over at the store that Kianna and Mica were still in ¡°I know that...¡±


    ¡°...Right.¡± prompted Anton after a moment of silence.


    ¡°It''s just...¡± started Fiona as she seemed to be trying to get her thoughts in order ¡°You, asked before... You asked what I wanted, like, out of life... Remember?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I remember that.¡± nodded Anton.


    ¡°...You wanted to know, what I wanted.¡± continued Fiona ¡°...Do you still want to know about that?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± said Anton.


    ¡°...Well, what if it''s something you''re not going to like though?¡± mumbled Fiona ¡°What if, what I want, is something that you think is... Weird, or wrong...¡±


    ¡°...Do you already know for sure that I''m going to think this?¡± asked Anton as he cocked an eyebrow.


    ¡°...Not, for sure. No.¡± said Fiona ¡°...But you might. And I don''t want you to say no...¡±


    ¡°Hm... I see...¡± said Anton with a slow nod ¡°Well, I''ll tell you what, Fiona. I''m not going to promise that I won''t say no. But, if you''re willing to be brave enough to share this with me. Then I promise you, I will keep an open mind, and even if I don''t like what I hear, I will take everything you say into a long consideration before I make any final decisions. I think at this point I owe you at least that much anyway.¡±


    Fiona''s ears shifted slowly up and down as her eyes tightened in thought.


    ¡°...That, sounds good.¡± she mumbled softly ¡°I guess I can work with that...¡±


    ¡°Good, I''m glad to hear you think that.¡± said Anton ¡°So then, tell me, what is it that you want, Fiona?¡±


    Hesitating for a second, Fiona squared her shoulders as a look of resolve spread across her face.


    ¡°Remember that night, when I was in your room, and you asked me why I wanted power?¡± she said as her ears became alert and pointed themselves straight upwards.


    ¡°...Yes?¡± nodded Anton ¡°You told me you wanted power so you could stop people from hurting your sister. You said you wanted to be able to protect yourself and Kianna. And that you didn''t want to live in fear anymore.¡±


    ¡°...Yeah.¡± said Fiona as she took a deep breath ¡°And that''s all true... But it''s not the only reason I want power...¡±


    ¡°...Okay?¡± said Anton as he looked over at her ¡°Why else do you want power then?¡±


    ¡°...I, want power.¡± said Fiona ¡°...So I can control, people. ...So I can control, ...slaves.¡±


    Keeping her eyes averted as she waited for Anton to respond, Fiona tried to remain still but after a long moment of silence she swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat and tentatively spoke again.


    ¡°...I want slaves.¡± she whispered as she laid her ears back submissively ¡°...I want my own slaves.¡±


    Anton stared at her for a moment as he waited for her to continue. When it became clear that she wasn''t going to, he again cocked an eyebrow.


    ¡°...Okay?¡± he said in a seemingly confused tone ¡°...Is that all?¡±


    Blinking, Fiona turned to him as her ears once again became alert and pointed themselves straight upwards.


    ¡°...Uh, yeah?¡± she mumbled in uncertainty.


    ¡°Really? That''s it? Is that really what you were making such a big deal about?¡± questioned Anton.


    ¡°...Wait, you don''t think it''s weird that I want slaves?¡± questioned Fiona.


    ¡°No. I think it''s expected.¡± said Anton ¡°Honestly, I think it would be weird if you didn''t want any.¡±


    ¡°...Wait, are you serious!?¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°This really isn''t a surprise to you!?¡±


    ¡°Why would it be?¡± questioned Anton ¡°It''s literally what you are, Fiona. You''re a dark elf, a natural born slave monger. It only makes sense that you would want to have your own slaves.¡±


    ¡°...Huh.¡± mumbled Fiona as she blinked at him ¡°...So, you''re cool with me getting some slaves then!?¡±


    ¡°Well... Yes and no.¡± stated Anton ¡°First of all, technically, I''m now responsible for providing for your care and living expenses. Which is fine, I chose to enslave you and as your owner that''s part of the deal. That however does not mean that I''m willing to take on the responsibility of feeding every other mouth that you decide to keep as a pet. That responsibility is going to fall on you. If you want a slave, then your going to need to help provide for it.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that''s fair!¡± nodded Fiona ¡°I''m good with that!¡±


    ¡°Good. Then secondly.¡± continued Anton ¡°You might want to hold off any browsing until you have some money to spend. Slaves are expensive purchases, often very expensive. So don''t expect me to go out and buy one for you anytime soon. That''s something you''ll need to either earn, or buy for yourself.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. That''s cool. I''m not super into just buying a slave anyway. I''d rather find my own.¡± said Fiona.


    ¡°...Hold on. What exactly do you mean by that?¡± asked Anton as he narrowed his eyes at her.


    ¡°Um, I mean that I''d rather find my own slaves instead of just buying them?¡± repeated Fiona ¡°That would make it more personal. You know? Like I want to make them my own, but not by locking their minds back. More like I want to tame them and shit. And I want to do it myself instead of having somebody else do it for me.¡±


    ¡°...Right. Okay.¡± said Anton as he nodded slowly ¡°And how exactly do you intend to do that?¡±


    ¡°...What do you mean?¡± asked Fiona.


    ¡°Well, for one, where do you intend to find these slaves?¡± questioned Anton ¡°Because I''m really hoping that you''re smart enough not to think that you can just abduct the next poor girl that catches your fancy.¡±


    ¡°Wha? No!¡± exclaimed Fiona in affront ¡°No, I''m not gonna just grab somebody like that! ...I already made that mistake once with you... And I''m not doing that again...¡±


    Anton chuckled as he nodded his head.


    ¡°Good! Glad to hear that.¡± he said around a smile.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah... But no, I''m not going to kidnap anybody.¡± said Fiona as her features began to darken a bit and her eyes began to faintly glow ¡°Nah... I''m not going to do that. I mean, don''t get me wrong, a poor, innocent little victim would definitely be fun to play with, for sure. But I''m not going to just snag somebody. Because that''s not really what I want. You see, what I really want... Are bad girls!¡±


    Anton tilted his head in a thoughtful manner as he felt the nearly visible aura of excitement begin to form around the now wickedly smiling dark elf.


    ¡°I wanna find me some bad girls. Like really bad ones. Ones that know they''re bad. Ones that want to be bad...¡± whispered Fiona as she hungrily licked her lips ¡°Yeah, that''s what I really want. I really want to find me some really, really bad girls...¡±


    Unnerved a bit by her sudden intensity, Anton stared at Fiona for a moment before pressing his lips into a thin line and cocking an eyebrow.


    ¡°Okay...¡± he drawled in a questioning tone as he eased away from her ¡°And how exactly do you plan to tame these bad girls? Once you have them in your clutches that is?¡±


    The glow in Fiona''s eyes flashed in intensity as her smile broadened wide enough to show her fangs.


    ¡°Oh, don''t worry about that...¡± she said around an evil sounding chuckle ¡°I''m sure I''ll figure out some way to convince them to behave themselves...¡±


    ¡°...Right.¡± nodded Anton ¡°Hm, well then... As exciting as all that sounds, I do have a few reservations concerning the details...¡±


    ¡°...Okay? What does that mean?¡± asked Fiona.


    ¡°It means, that I''m not necessarily saying no...¡± started Anton ¡°As I don''t want to crush your dreams. But that said, I''m not overly excited about this idea.¡±


    ¡°Why, what''s wrong with it?¡± questioned Fiona as her expression became annoyed.


    ¡°Well let''s be realistic here, Fiona.¡± said Anton ¡°You don''t have any experience whatsoever when it comes to handling even a tamed slave, you''ve literally never even had one before, so you have no idea what you''re doing. And yet you want to go out and try to collect, contain and control a ¡°really bad girl¡± all on your own. ...Honestly I don''t think I should have to explain how easily this plan could end poorly for you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well yeah, I get that this could be dangerous.¡± said Fiona ¡°But I think that you''re forgetting that I am a dark elf. Taming slaves is in our blood. I''m literally built for this. This is what we do!¡±


    ¡°Shinoccubi are literally built to kill people. But that fact alone didn''t help Mica out very much now did it.¡± countered Anton ¡°Having all the right tools available to you isn''t going to be much help if you don''t know how to use them correctly.¡±


    ¡°Well how the Hell am I gonna learn how to use my tools if I don''t have a slave to practice on!?¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°It''s not like you''re gonna let me use Mica! And if I can''t get a slave without experience then how am I gonna get experience without a slave!? ...Wait, is this your bullshit way of saying no without actually saying no!? Cause if it is that''s fucked up!¡±


    ¡°Hey now, hold on just a second. Again, I''m not saying no to any of this. And if I was I wouldn''t need any roundabout logic to justify my decision. I''d just tell you no and be done with it.¡± said Anton ¡°All I''m saying is that I''d like you to get some experience and maybe even a little bit of combat training in before you run out and bite off more than you can chew.¡±


    ¡°...Combat training?¡± questioned Fiona ¡°Why would I need combat training?¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn''t you?¡± said Anton ¡°You don''t actually expect these ¡°really bad girls¡± to be harmless, do you? Or for them to just give up and come quietly because you''re a dark elf. You have to realize that''s not likely to be the case. There''s no reason to think that any of these beings are going to be interested in doing anything that you want them to, Fiona. No. They are going to fight you, with everything they have. So you''re going to need to be able to not only defend yourself, but fight back as well.¡±


    Fiona blinked as her expression became thoughtful.


    ¡°...Something that you need to consider, Fiona, is that there are species out there that are not going to obey you unless they know you are capable of forcing them to do so.¡± said Anton ¡°And actually beating them in a fight may be the only way to prove this to them.¡±


    ¡°...Fuck. You''re right.¡± mumbled Fiona ¡°Shit, I gotta learn how to fight!¡±


    ¡°Yes, you do. Thankfully, you have good abilities for combat.¡± said Anton ¡°And luckily, we now have somebody that''s perfect for you to practice with as well.¡±


    ¡°...You mean Mica?¡± questioned Fiona.


    ¡°Mm hm. This will actually be good for the both of you too.¡± nodded Anton ¡°So long as you don''t go into dark mode and cripple her with fear, Mica should be able to give you a serious challenge. And having to face you will be a good experience for her, since understanding how dark elf abilities work will be useful knowledge for her to have. Especially if we end up fighting with any dark elves down the road.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that makes sense...¡± mused Fiona as she rubbed her chin in thought ¡°Mica''s got a lot of good abilities, and she can move around really fast... If I can''t make her afraid of me then it might be pretty hard to beat her...¡±


    ¡°Yes, I imagine it will be.¡± smiled Anton as he noticed Kianna and Mica step out of the store and head towards them ¡°Better start strategizing now.¡±


    ¡°Strategizing for what?¡± asked Kianna as she watched Anton take a bite of his churro.


    ¡°Kicking Mica''s ass...¡± mumbled Fiona as she looked the kiochi up and down.


    ¡°Huh? Wait, what!?¡± questioned Mica.


    Anton chuckled as he swallowed and turned to the confused kiochi.


    ¡°You and Fiona are going to be sparring partners.¡± he explained as he took note of the large paper bag she was now carrying ¡°That way you can help each other with some combat practice.¡±


    ¡°Oh. So we''re going to fight.¡± said Mica as she looked sideways at Fiona ¡°Okay, I''m good with that.¡±


    Blinking, Fiona let a thin smile spread across her face as she and Mica locked eyes.


    ¡°Good to hear.¡± said Anton as he went to take another bite of his churro. He stopped short as he noticed that Kianna was staring straight at it.


    The dark elf stood still for a moment as her eyes followed Anton''s churro as he slowly lowered it away from his mouth. Upon realizing that he was looking at her, Kianna quickly moved to the bench and sat down next to him. Ignoring Fiona''s protests, she locked her eyes back on the churro as she squeezed herself in between Anton and her sister.


    ¡°What is that?¡± she asked as she leaned against Anton and lightly sniffed at the air ¡°...It smells good.¡±


    ¡°Its called a churro.¡± answered Anton around a grin ¡°And it''s really good.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡± mumbled Kianna as she pressed herself against him and gazed at the churro.


    Anton''s grin became playful as he watched the anxiousness grow in the dark elf''s large eyes.


    Pressing her lower face against Anton''s arm, Kianna''s eyes darted from the churro to his and back several times before she laid her ears back submissively and looked up at him.


    Chuckling at the cute sight of the silently begging dark elf, Anton lifted his arm up and over her head before wrapping it around her shoulders and giving her a playfully tight squeeze.


    ¡°Would you like to try it?¡± he asked as he waved the churro back and forth.


    ¡°Yes, please!¡± cried Kianna before leaning forward and gleefully taking a bite.


    Crushed into the side of the bench, Fiona grumbled under her breath in annoyance as her chewing sister began to make humming sounds of delight.


    ¡°That''s really good!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she licked away some cinnamon from her lips.


    ¡°Here, you can have the rest.¡± smiled Anton as he offered her the whole churro.


    Without a seconds hesitation, Kianna snatched up the churro and immediately began to devour it.


    ¡°Well it''s good to see your appetite is back.¡± said Anton as he watched the churro quickly disappear ¡°Maybe we should go get some actual lunch next.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good to me.¡± said Fiona as she stood up from the bench and looked around ¡°I think the food courts just a little further down from here.¡±


    ¡°Did you find anything you liked?¡± asked Anton as he nodded towards Mica''s bag.


    ¡°Uh, yeah, a few things...¡± answered Mica.


    ¡°Well good, after lunch we''ll stop at the next two places and then look for a bedroom set.¡± said Anton ¡°You''ll need it tonight. We''re going to go see an associate of mine in the morning and I want you to be fully rested up for this.¡±


    ¡°...Oh. Okay. ...So are we going to kill this guy or something?¡± asked Mica.


    ¡°What? No! No, this is an actual friend.¡± laughed Anton ¡°He''s the one that''s going to take a look at your Father''s sword.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay cool.¡± nodded Mica.


    ¡°We''ll need to get up pretty early to meet with him in the morning though. He''s going to be busy throughout the rest of the day, so that''s the only time he can see us.¡± said Anton as he stood up ¡°So let''s get going, that way we can get home in enough time to set your room up for you.¡±


    ¡°Onward then.¡± said Fiona as she started down the path ¡°Oh, by the way, Kianna! Your Master said that after I learn how to beat the shit out of Mica, he''s gonna let me hunt down my own slaves!¡±


    ¡°Oh really? That''s cool!¡± said Kianna as she tossed the churros wrapper into a nearby trashcan ¡°What kind are you thinking you want to get first?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know yet...¡± mused Fiona as she folded her arms behind her head ¡°Probably not gonna go after anything too big. Since I gotta pay to feed it myself... And I think I''d also wanna be able to have it hang it from the rafters in the dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that still leaves you with a lot of options.¡± said Kianna as she came into step next to her sister ¡°Also I agree with not getting anything too big. Especially now that we have Mica around.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, I didn''t even think of that.¡± said Fiona ¡°Gotta remember how little she is...¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± questioned Mica from her place behind the two dark elves ¡°I''m not little! I''m just shorter than you two! That doesn''t make me little! And what does that even have to do with anything!?¡±


    ¡°Nah, you''re pretty small, Mica.¡± said Fiona as she and Kianna looked back at the incensed kiochi.


    ¡°Yeah, sorry Mica. We''re not trying to be mean to you or anything, but you really are little.¡± said Kianna with a sympathetic look ¡°So we do need to be careful not to get anything so big that it''ll be able to squish you, or try to eat you.¡±


    ¡°Probably shouldn''t get a demon either. Or really any other Infernal. Since they''ll definitely try to bully her.¡± reasoned Fiona.


    ¡°You could still go with another cubi.¡± offered Kianna.


    ¡°That''s true...¡± mused Fiona as she turned to look forward again ¡°Another cubi would give Mica a friend to play with too, which would be cute.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it would.¡± nodded Kianna as she too turned away from Mica.


    ¡°...You, stupid dark elves!¡± muttered Mica as she glared at the dark elves that were now ignoring her ¡°You stupid, arrogant bitches! I am not little! And I don''t need a fucking playmate!¡±


    Chuckling, Anton gave her a pat on the shoulder.


    ¡°Just be glad that they''re looking out for you.¡± he said around a grin ¡°I know it''s a little embarrassing, but it could always be worse.¡±


    ¡°How!?¡± growled Mica.


    ¡°Well, for one, they could actually want to feed you to something.¡± grinned Anton.


    ¡°Hmph, like to see them fucking try that...¡± grumbled Mica as she crossed her arms over her chest and whipped her tail back and forth.


    Anton chuckled again as he, the now sulking kiochi and the two dark elves all headed towards the enticing aroma of the malls food court.

 Assassin Arc : Chapter 24 : Early Morning

    Chapter 24 : Early Morning


    Anton grumbled to himself as he reached over to his nightstand and shut off his phones alarm.


    Still several hours away from dawn in their part of the world, the room around him was completely dark, so before pulling his arm back to himself he grudgingly flicked on his bedside lamp.


    Pointing her ears straight back, Kianna scrunched up her face with a whine before pulling the blanket up over her head and hiding herself from the light.


    Chuckling, Anton leaned over her and began to playfully poke at her ears through the blanket.


    ¡°Hey now... C''mon, it''s time to get up...¡± he grinned as the blanket began to twitch in irritation ¡°You knew we were getting up early today. So c''mon, let''s get this over with...¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± groaned Kianna ¡°5 more minutes...¡±


    Chuckling again, Anton took hold of the edge of the blanket and slowly peeled it back enough to expose the dark elf hidden beneath.


    Glaring up at him with her just barely glowing eyes, Kianna pouted for a second before turning her face into the pillow and groaning again.


    ¡°Aw... My poor little dark elf. She''s so sleepy...¡± teased Anton.


    ¡°She is!¡± whined Kianna as she scooted closer and made to snuggle herself up against him.


    ¡°I know...¡± soothed Anton ¡°But unfortunately we''ve got things we have to do today. So she''ll have to get up now...¡±


    ¡°Argh! ...Fine!¡± complained Kianna as she lifted herself up onto her elbows.


    Blinking the sleepiness from her eyes, she turned to Anton and smiled softly before leaning towards him and going in for a kiss.


    ¡°Hey now!¡± smiled Anton as he eased away from her ¡°What do you think you''re doing? You heard the doctor''s orders! No kissing for the next few days!¡±


    ¡°Hmph! What the doctor doesn''t know won''t hurt us...¡± stated Kianna as she stubbornly continued to lean forward ¡°It''s just a little kiss anyway, it doesn''t... Wha!? Hey!¡±


    Stiffening in surprise, Kianna went still as Anton suddenly flung the blanket back over her head and quickly wrapped his arms around her so as to trap her beneath it.


    ¡°Naughty little dark elf...¡± he whispered as he held her against his chest ¡°When will you ever learn to behave yourself, huh?¡±


    Kianna stayed still for a moment before starting to lightly struggle.


    ¡°Let me go...¡± she whimpered as she looked up at him through the blanket and tried and failed to wiggle her way free.


    ¡°Hm... I don''t know... You might try to kiss me again...¡± teased Anton ¡°Will you promise to behave yourself, and listen to the doctor''s orders if I do?¡±


    ¡°...No.¡± grumbled Kianna after a moment of silence.


    Blinking, Anton laughed loudly as he tightened his hold on her.


    ¡°Why you little...¡± he chuckled ¡°Yes, Kianna! It''s just for the next few days. You can handle this!¡±


    Making a tiny whimpering sound as she was squeezed, Kianna began to grumble in irritation.


    ¡°...Okay, fine.¡± she groaned as she tried and failed to point her ears straight back ¡°I promise. I guess.¡±


    Still laughing through his smiling teeth, Anton loosened his hold and leaned his head back as Kianna immediately shook her head free of the blanket.


    Blinking as she looked back up him, Kianna began to pout as she successfully pointed her ears straight back behind her head.


    ¡°Bully...¡± she muttered as she ducked down and nuzzled her head in under Anton''s chin ¡°You''re so mean to me...¡±


    ¡°I know, and I''m sorry...¡± smiled Anton as he wrapped his arms back around her.


    Kianna sighed heavily through her nose as she let herself go limp in Anton''s arms. After just a moment like this she nearly began to doze again as she listened to the comforting sounds of Anton''s heart beating in his chest.


    ¡°...Do we really have to get up right now?¡± she asked softly.


    ¡°Yes... Unfortunately we do...¡± mumbled Anton.


    Kianna groaned in annoyance as she stretched out her legs.


    ¡°Do we really, really have to though?¡± she asked again.


    ¡°Yes.¡± chuckled Anton as he moved to rise up onto his elbow ¡°Tell you what though. You go make sure your sisters are awake, and I''ll start the shower, so that by the time you get back the water will be warm, and I can wash you.¡±


    ¡°Hmm... Just wash me?¡± questioned Kianna.


    Grinning, Anton leaned over her and stared her straight in the eyes.


    ¡°We have a deadline to meet. So if you don''t get back quick enough...¡± he said as he raised his eyebrows for emphasis.


    ¡°Okay, fine, I''m going!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she rolled over to her edge of the bed.


    ¡°Good girl!¡± smiled Anton as he watched her bounding form quickly leave the room.


    -


    Mica sighed softly as she gazed at herself in the mirror and lightly tugged on the collar that hung around her neck. Unlike the jeweled versions that the dark elves wore, this collar was a more traditional model. Solid black in color and made of a carbon steel shell molded around a silver center, the collar was quite durable and yet still lightweight enough to not be uncomfortable to its wearer.


    Simple in design as it may be, there was still no mistaking the collar for anything else but what it truly was. A signal that she was a slave, and a constant reminder of all her mistakes.


    Mica shook her head as she drove that idea from her mind. She refused to let her regrets rule her, she had messed up, yes, many times over, but she would not let herself fall into despair. Things were certainly bad for her, but she would stay strong and overcome this situation, she would survive this and in the end, she would be free again.


    Her resolve set, Mica turned back to the mirror and let her eyes land back on the collar. She couldn''t help but to feel a bit thankful that at least this collar wasn''t nearly as flashy looking as either Fiona''s or Kianna''s were, and that its subtle appearance, along with its smaller size, would make hiding it fairly easy.


    Staring at it now, she began to wonder if maybe this was why Anton had chosen this type of collar for her. Maybe he had intended on letting her hide it? He never did say she couldn''t. And after all, if he wanted her collar to be noticeable he could easily just make her wear one like the dark elves. ...Though, perhaps her collar not being as fancy as theirs was actually meant to mean something? Maybe having a simple collar was meant to be a sign of where her place was... Maybe it was meant to let her know that she was lower than everyone else... That she was at the bottom...


    Mica shook her head again as she mentally berated herself for almost falling back into despair.


    Sighing again, she let her shoulders slump as she brought her eyes back to the mirror.


    She looked tired... She was tired. Last night had been the first full night of solid sleep she had gotten in days. Her first night as a slave had been a restless one, as she had been on guard all night, fearful of and fully expecting Anton to appear and come for her at any moment. He never did though. Not that she was convinced that he wouldn''t try at some point or another. So far at least he hadn''t made any moves to do so... Though even if he did, there was nothing she could do to stop him...


    Grumbling incomprehensibly, Mica banished the negative thoughts from her head. Annoyed with herself now, she took a deep breath as she mentally commanded herself to stop letting herself slip like that. Taking stock of the positives, she looked around the bathroom and immediately registered that the bathroom itself was a positive. This was her bathroom, which was connected directly to her new room, which she had been allowed to pick out herself. She could have easily ended up back in the dungeon, but instead she now had her own room with a bathroom. This was a nice room too, it was big, even bigger than the one she had at home. It was a private place for her, complete with a lockable door. She liked this room. And she also liked her new bedroom set, it was nice, and she had also been allowed to pick it out as well. Everything had been in pieces when they got it, but Anton, Fiona and Kianna had spent the evening helping her put it all together... They had wanted to help her... They had helped her a lot lately...


    They had even fought for her...


    Mica''s jaw tightened involuntarily as her conflicting emotions warred inside her and she thought back to the conversation she had just had with Dr. Creek.


    Did she really trust Anton? Or the dark elves for that matter?


    She really wasn''t sure...


    On the one hand, she absolutely hated them all. They were monstrous people and she would never forget all the torture and humiliation that they had put her through!


    And yet, at the same time, on the other hand... She did owe them her life...


    The pondering kiochi was suddenly pulled away from her thoughts by a knock at her bedroom door.


    ¡°Mica?¡± called Kianna ¡°Are you awake in there?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I''m awake.¡± answered Mica as she stuck her head out of the bathroom and spoke at her bedroom door ¡°I''m getting ready right now.¡±


    ¡°Okay, just checking.¡± said Kianna as she stepped away.


    A moment later Mica heard another knock coming from further down the hall, which was followed by the muffled back and forth of Kianna talking to Fiona through her bedroom door, and this conversation quickly grew in intensity as they started to lightly argue with each other.


    Ignoring them, Mica put her previous thoughts aside and finished getting ready by taking a long, hot shower, tying her hair back into a simple ponytail and getting dressed before finally leaving her room.


    Making her way downstairs, she found a very refreshed looking Anton in the kitchen drinking a cup of coffee and petting Molly. Once the dark elves joined them, they had a quick breakfast and after double checking the coordinates on his phone, Anton opened a portal and they were off.


    -


    Stepping out of the portal, the group found themselves surrounded by dense pine forest and majestic, towering mountains. The early morning chill was nearly as breathtaking as the scenery that now lay all around them. Wisps of heavy fog rolled down the sides of the mountains and hung lazily in the air as the gray skies above were just barely showing the early signs of the coming daylight. The quiet hour was broken by the first few faint chirps of unseen birds as they were just beginning their morning chorus.


    Having arrived in the designated portal area that was adjacent to a parking lot, Anton led the group down a walkway towards a massive wooden structure that a first glance appeared to be a hunting lodge.


    ¡°Okay, so before we get up there. There''s a few things I should let you guys know about Mokai.¡± said Anton as they came to a wooden stairway that led upwards ¡°He''s ex-military, and as such he can have a bit of an intense character to him. He''s a nice enough guy though, and very reasonable. As a civilian, he not only collects all kinds of weapons, but he practices with them at a professional level as well. In fact, this isn''t just his home, it''s also a school that he runs himself. Here he trains others on how to fight with various weapons and also teaches classes on wilderness survival on top of the combat training.¡±


    ¡°Really...¡± mused Mica as she looked up at the lodge with new interest.


    ¡°Yes, he''s a very knowledgeable person, though I wouldn''t get too excited if I were you, Mica.¡± said Anton as he glanced back at her ¡°As there''s one other thing that I do need to mention about Mokai. And it''s that he is not very tolerant of Infernals.¡±


    ¡°...Wait, so he doesn''t like Infernals?¡± asked Kianna as she too glanced at Mica.


    ¡°As a whole, no. Though from what I understand he doesn''t have any issues with mazzikin. He is not fond of fiends though, and that includes cubi''s.¡± answered Anton ¡°In fact, he actually runs several courses designed around fighting Infernals. And I would be very surprised if at least one of those classes wasn''t dedicated to dealing with shinoccubi specifically.¡±


    ¡°Oh, goody...¡± mumbled Mica as she rolled her eyes ¡°So what? Should I just wait outside or something?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, that won''t be necessary.¡± said Anton ¡°Like I said, Mokai is a reasonable person. So I''m sure he''ll be suspicious of you but I doubt he''ll be hateful in any way. Just don''t expect much in the way of a warm welcome is all.¡±


    ¡°Huh. Well thanks for the heads up, I guess...¡± said Mica.


    ¡°Of course.¡± said Anton as they came up to the wide landing in front the lodge''s entrance ¡°Another thing for everyone to remember is to not give out the names of any of Mica''s family members. Things are already complicated enough with them, and the last thing we don''t need to do is add Mokai to that mix. So just don''t mention any of them by name. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± rang out the dark elves and Mica in unison.


    ¡°Good.¡± said Anton.


    ¡°Uh, aren''t we going inside?¡± asked Fiona as Anton veered to the left and away from the front doors.


    ¡°No, those doors should still be closed and locked.¡± explained Anton ¡°Mokai is supposed to be waiting for us around back though.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± said Fiona.


    Following a gravel path around the side of the building, the group rounded the back corner and came upon a wide open clearing with what looked like sparring rings, running tracks and obstacle courses set up along its back half.


    Facing all this was a broad, wooden beam, high ceiling, raised porch, which ran down the entire length of the back side of the lodge. And situated just in front of this porch were multiple rows of seating, which consisted of half cut logs made into long rustic benches.


    And on the far side of this porch, sitting cross-legged on a stack of what appeared to be some kind of massive pillows, cushions or possibly even bean bags, was a figure that could only be assumed to be Mokai.


    -


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Resting with the air of someone in a state of meditation, the figure had an odd feel to him as he sat silently staring outwards towards the coming dawn. This sense of strangeness was due in most part to the large purple sheet he had draped over both himself as well as the stack of large pillows he sat on. Aside from giving him a monk-like appearance, as it hung over the top of his head, this sheet had also apparently been dampened with warm water, as not only did it cling to the figure''s being, but faint wisps of steam were steadily rising from all around it. Adding to his sage-like appearance, the figure had a large, round mug nestled in his hands that seemed to be filled with a warm drink as indicated by a thin, stream of steam that rose from it to join with the steam rising from the sheet around him.


    -


    ¡°Good morning, Mokai.¡± called Anton with a cheery tone.


    ¡°Good morning.¡± answered the figure with a nod ¡°Glad you could make it, Anton. ...And I see you brought some friends with you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I hope that''s not a problem?¡± said Anton.


    ¡°No, not at all.¡± answered Mokai as he nodded to the benches just in front of himself ¡°Please, take a seat. Can I offer any of you a drink?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. Don''t trouble yourself.¡± said Anton as he indicated that everyone should sit ¡°No reason to get uncomfortable.¡±


    ¡°Hardly a problem.¡± said Mokai ¡°But if you insist. ...So, who do we have here with us today?¡±


    Gazing up at the now high sitting figure, Mica and the dark elves couldn''t help but to squint a bit as they all tried to make out any details of the being they were looking at. Unfortunately, the only portion of him that could be seem around the sheet that was draped over him was his lower face, from his eyes downwards and even this small bit was still heavily obscured by a deep shadow.


    ¡°Ah, yes. These two are Kianna and Fiona Vale, and at the end there is Mica, our bodyguard.¡± said Anton as he went down the line from who was sitting next to him ¡°Everyone, this is Alan Mokai. He''s the one who''ll hopefully be able to help us figure out which clan our sword has come from.¡±


    Mica had a slight grimace marring her features as she tentatively grinned up at Mokai.


    ¡°Good morning, Mr. Mokai.¡± said Kianna as she smiled brightly.


    ¡°Good morning to you as well, Miss Kianna. And please, just Mokai is fine.¡± said Mokai as he nodded to her ¡°Mr. Mokai is my Father.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Mokai, and you can just call me Kianna too. It''s very nice to meet you!¡± said Kianna.


    ¡°You as well, Kianna.¡± nodded Mokai as he inclined his head to her ¡°It''s a pleasure.¡±


    Smiling with legitimate delight, Kianna couldn''t help but to feel a bit elated and impressed that Mokai seemed to be one of the rare individuals who had no qualms whatsoever with the fact that she and her sister were dark elves.


    ¡°...This is an interesting place you got here, Mokai.¡± said Fiona as she craned her neck back and let her eyes wander across the clearing ¡°...So you really do teach classes on how to fight here?¡±


    ¡°I do. Among other things.¡± answered Mokai.


    ¡°...That''s cool.¡± nodded Fiona as she continued to look around ¡°Really cool...¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± said Mokai as he shifted his head to the side and looked in Mica''s direction.


    Seeing that his attention was on her, Mica nervously turned away in a bid to act as though she hadn''t noticed him looking at her.


    ¡°...You certainly keep some interesting company, Anton.¡± said Mokai as he gazed at each member of the group for another moment ¡°...Dark elves, and a kiochi. ...Interesting company indeed.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I lead quite the blessed existence.¡± smiled Anton as he reached over and gave a grinning Kianna a light, one armed hug.


    ¡°Quite.¡± nodded Mokai as he took a sip of his drink ¡°Well then, shall we get down to business? I''m assuming that''s the sword you called me about?¡±


    ¡°Yes, this is the one.¡± said Anton as he stood up and went to hand Mokai the sword ¡°Careful, its been enchanted, though I haven''t been able to identify how yet.¡±


    Setting his drink down on a small table that was sitting next to him, Mokai hummed softly as he took the offered sword, removed it from its sheath and used both hands to hold it out in front of himself. After silently looking over the sword for several long moments he hummed again as he absently began to nod his head.


    Having retaken his seat, Anton and the others all quietly watched as a faint glow began to emanate from around the sword.


    ¡°...Yes. ...There are at least 4 different enchantments here. ...And possibly more.¡± mumbled Mokai as he turned the sword over in his hands ¡°An aura ignition, a charm breaker... and what I believe may be a mana pool breaker as well. ...I''m not sure what this fourth one is though? ...It''s not a self destruction hex. And I don''t believe it''s a tracer of any kind. ...I don''t know what this is?¡±


    ¡°Hm, those other enchantments all make sense...¡± mused Anton ¡°Do you think the fourth one might be some kind of identifier? Something that would let the owner, or the clan know exactly who is using the weapon?¡±


    ¡°I doubt it.¡± mumbled Mokai as he shook his head ¡°Something like that would be too easy to trace back to the source. Assassins won''t ever use anything on their weapons that would link them back to the owners. That''s also why most of their weapons rarely ever have any kind of safeties...¡±


    To illustrate his point, Mokai held the sword out in front of himself and activated the aura ignition enchantment. The moment he did, the sword''s blade instantly lit up with the soft silver light of his aura. Now appearing as though it was made of solidified plasma, the sword began to pulsate in time with a faint, electrical sounding hum that emanated out from it. This hum grew into a whooshing sound as Mokai swung the sword from side to side and effortlessly cut through the air with it.


    ¡°See what I mean. So long as you know how to activate the enchantments, anyone can use them.¡± said Mokai.


    ¡°...Wait? If they don''t link their weapons to themselves, then why couldn''t I use Nok-I mean, that kiochi... That one bitch''s gun!?¡± asked Fiona as she sheepishly glanced at Anton ¡°It was synced to her, so I couldn''t fire it...¡±


    ¡°Oh, that''s simple.¡± said Anton as he made an effort to remain nonchalant ¡°I''m guessing she didn''t get that gun from her clan. Nor did she make it herself. In fact, she might have actually bought it legally, though I doubt that. And as for why she would even be carrying it in the first place? Well, if anything, I''d say she was more than likely only meant to use it as a last resort. Something to defend herself with, rather than as a primary weapon.¡±


    Mokai nodded in agreement as he deactivated the swords enchantment and laid it across his lap.


    ¡°It sounds as though you''ve had some interesting experiences lately.¡± he said as he looked at Anton ¡°Do you mind telling me what happened?¡±


    ¡°...Unfortunately there''s really not much I can say. You see, I''m afraid that this is a very sensitive situation. And not one that I''m willing to involve too many people in.¡± explained Anton.


    ¡°...I see. Well, while that is regrettable.¡± mumbled Mokai ¡°I''d still be interested in hearing whatever it is you can tell me. Especially as any extra information you can give would only help to identify where this sword came from.¡±


    ¡°Hm... Fair enough.¡± mumbled Anton as he crossed his arms over his chest ¡°Just understand that I can''t give out any of the finer details, so you may need to read between the lines a bit.¡±


    Mokai nodded as he slid the sword back into its sheath and settled in against the large cushion that was propped up behind him as he readied himself to listen to what Anton had to say.


    Keeping things as vague as possible, Anton gave a quick, chopped up retelling of what happened over the last few days. As he explained it, the sword they had was taken from an assassin who had tried to kill him with it, and whose clan mates had later appeared to try and reclaim it. And how they were now trying to figure out which clan these assassins had come from so as to take the fight to them.


    For his part, Mokai stayed mostly quiet, with the few questions he did ask being neither overly prying nor intrusive but simple things that he seemed interested in having clarified. When Anton finally finished, he remained silent for a few more moments before slowly looking over towards Mica.


    ¡°...Alright then. I think I can understand why you feel it''s necessary to try to keep so much information to yourself.¡± he said as he kept his eyes on the kiochi ¡°As well as what you mean by reading between the lines... Though, just because I may understand parts of your situation does not mean that I''m willing to completely play along, Anton. There is an obvious gap in your story, one that I see no reason to ignore.¡±


    Anton said nothing as he followed Mokai''s gaze to Mica, as he looked over at her, he gave her and the dark elves all a reassuring grin.


    ¡°I have more questions, and I would appreciate it if you would tell me the full truth.¡± stated Mokai ¡°And first and foremost among them, I''d like to know whether or not this kiochi that''s here with you, Mica, is the assassin that tried to kill you?¡±


    ¡°...Yes. She is.¡± said Anton with a nod.


    ¡°And why is she here with you now?¡± asked Mokai.


    ¡°Well it''s like I said, she''s our new bodyguard.¡± said Anton as he smiled at Mica ¡°Or, bodyguard in training, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°And how did that come to be the case?¡± questioned Mokai as he turned to face Anton ¡°Did her clan give her to you? Or did you make some kind of deal with them?¡±


    ¡°No. There''s no agreement to speak of, least not officially.¡± said Anton as he shook his head ¡°Truth be told, Mica herself is not part of a clan, and has never been part of a clan.¡±


    ¡°...Then where did this sword come from?¡± asked Mokai ¡°Was she not the one who had it?¡±


    ¡°She was.¡± nodded Anton.


    ¡°Then where did she get it from?¡± questioned Mokai as he shifted his gaze back to Mica.


    ¡°She borrowed it, from her parents.¡± said Anton ¡°Who are themselves, in a clan.¡±


    ¡°...Her parents are in a clan, but she isn''t part of that clan?¡± questioned Mokai.


    ¡°Correct.¡± nodded Anton.


    ¡°...You''re being reckless by letting these shinoccubi get as close to you as you have. And I don''t intend to do the same, I think it''s time for you to leave.¡± said Mokai as he shook his head ¡°I don''t know what kind of game you''re trying to play with this nonsense, but I don''t want any part of it.¡±


    ¡°This isn''t a game, Mokai.¡± signed Anton ¡°Look, here''s the truth. Mica''s parents are in a clan, but due to certain circumstances they were given a level of freedom that allowed them to keep Mica''s existence a secret and raise her outside of the clan. Unfortunately, this led to a disconnection between them that resulted in a sense of longing in Mica. So taking it upon herself, she sought to bridge the gap with her parents by proving herself in their eyes. This, was a misguided decision. And it obviously didn''t work out for her. But now because she''s put herself out there like this, her existence has become known, and it may be only a matter of time before her parent''s clan makes an effort to investigate her. Which is why we need to know who they are, we need to be able to-¡±


    ¡°You can''t be serious.¡± stated Mokai as he interrupted Anton ¡°Do you honestly expect me to have sympathy for someone who tried to connect with her parents by committing a murder?¡±


    ¡°...Again, it was a misguided decision on her part.¡± said Anton.


    ¡°To say the least.¡± said Mokai ¡°And even if this was all as legitimate as you say it is, then you''re acting just as misguided as well, if not down right stupid.¡±


    ¡°...Excuse me?¡± said Anton.


    ¡°Tell me exactly why you''re so trusting of this kiochi after what she''s tried to do to you. And while you''re at it explain to me how you can be so sure that this isn''t some ruse on her part.¡± said Mokai.


    ¡°Ruse? ...What are you implying?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°I''m implying that this could all be some kind of long play on the part of these shinoccubi, that they could have some reason for wanting to get close to you. Perhaps they''re after some kind of information you have, or they want access to any valuables that they know you''re keeping.¡± said Mokai ¡°Whatever the case may be, it''s a fools end to ever trust them at face value. And I assume that you''re smart enough to understand this. So I''m asking you, why are you willing to trust this kiochi like this?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see what you mean now.¡± said Anton ¡°Well as I''ve said before, there are details to this situation that I''m afraid I still need to keep to myself. But suffice to say, there''s no reason for me to think that this is some kind of ploy. As at this point I don''t feel that any of the shinoccubi involved are a threat, save for the clan itself, the same clan that we''re trying to identify.¡±


    ¡°And how do you really know that this kiochi isn''t actually part of that clan? Because she told you she wasn''t? And you just believed her? How do you know she isn''t going to betray you, Anton?¡± asked Mokai ¡°What makes you so certain that it''s even safe to have her around?¡±


    Blinking, Anton turned to Mica and raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Wait, do you not see that collar around her neck?¡± he said as he looked back at Mokai ¡°She''s been enslaved, Mokai. Bound to me. She couldn''t betray me if she wanted to. She doesn''t even have that option anymore.¡±


    Pausing for a moment, Mokai turned back to Mica before going still again.


    ¡°She''s not a threat at all.¡± said Anton ¡°But her parent''s clan is, which is why we''re tying to figure out who they are.¡±


    ¡°...How did you do that?¡± questioned Mokai.


    ¡°...What do you mean?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°...You really enslaved her?¡± asked Mokai as he turned back to Anton.


    ¡°Yes?¡± confirmed Anton.


    ¡°...I see. ...Well that changes things.¡± mumbled Mokai as he again looked at Mica.


    Fed up with this conversation, Mica''s tail curled up high over her head as she glared at Mokai.


    ¡°Oh! So now I''m suddenly trustworthy now that you know I''m a slave, huh!?¡± she exclaimed as she crossed her arms over her chest ¡°Guess the fiend isn''t so scary now that she''s under control, eh!?¡±


    Mokai said nothing as he continued to stare at her.


    ¡°...Look! This ain''t a scam, okay! I''m not trying to fuck anybody over!¡± continued Mica ¡°And I''m not a threat to you or anybody. I haven''t even done anything at all since I got here! But oh no! I''m a kiochi, so you''re gonna be suspicious of me regardless, even when you don''t even know me!¡±


    ¡°I know you''ve tried to kill someone.¡± said Mokai in an even tone ¡°And that alone gives me all the reason I need to be suspicious of you.¡±


    Mica went still for a moment as her face twisted in rage.


    Expecting her to continue, Mokai was surprised when she sighed in defeat, slumped her shoulders and looked at the ground.


    ¡°...Yeah, I did.¡± mumbled Mica as she closed her eyes and shook her head ¡°But I didn''t want to... Not that, that matters though... I was stupid. And I knew I was being stupid, even when I was doing it...¡±


    Everyone stayed silent as Mica sighed again and lifted her head.


    ¡°I fucked up. Big time. And I know I did.¡± she said as she looked straight at Mokai ¡°But whatever it takes... I will pay for my mistakes.¡±


    Looking past the dark elves, Mica turned and locked eyes with Anton.


    ¡°I''ll wear this collar. I''ll serve him, and I''ll protect them.¡± she declared ¡°And I''m not going to do this because I''m being commanded to, or because I have no choice. ...I''m gonna do it because I want to!¡±


    Mokai remained still as Mica turned back to him.


    ¡°I know you don''t trust my kind, and yeah, trust me, I get it! They suck!¡± she exclaimed ¡°...But I''m not like them. Okay! ...This isn''t a scam or a ploy or a game, or anything! ...This is just these guys trying to help me. That''s it! ...They''re just trying to help me. They''re the only people that are trying to help me...¡±


    Dropping her eyes back to the ground, Mica wrapped her crossed arms around her torso as she hugged herself in despair.


    ¡°I fucked up, and they''re still trying to help me...¡± she whimpered as her eyes welled with tears ¡°I owe them everything... And I would never betray them... I trust them!¡±


    Mica went stiff as Fiona and Kianna suddenly appeared on either side of her. Wrapping their arms protectively around the smaller figure, the dark elves held the sobbing kiochi between them. They tightened their hold on her when they felt Mica''s tail slowly wrap itself around them to complete the embrace.


    Staring at them for a long moment, Anton couldn''t help but to let a thin smile spread across his face.


    ¡°This is why we need your help, Mokai.¡± he said softly.


    ¡°...Yes. It''s clear that there is more going on here than I realized.¡± said Mokai with a nod ¡°...You really do keep some interesting company, Anton.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you have no idea.¡± chuckled Anton.


    ¡°Maybe not... Sadly though, there really isn''t much info I can give you at the moment.¡± said Mokai as he looked at the sword in his lap ¡°There''s no question that this is a shinoccubi clan sword, but I can''t say which clan it came from... There''s just no easy way to know. These swords are made in such a way that makes them intentionally difficult to track.¡±


    ¡°Hm, that''s disappointing. But not necessarily surprising...¡± grumbled Anton ¡°Well if this sword is going to be a bust, do you have any ideas for what we should try next?¡±


    ¡°Now hold on a moment. I may not be able to tell you anything myself, but that doesn''t mean this sword is a hopeless case.¡± said Mokai ¡°Let me ask around a little bit. Some of the people I know may be able to tell us more about this sword than I can. So just give me a little time, and I''ll see what I can dig up.¡±


    ¡°I''d appreciate that, I really would.¡± said Anton ¡°And if you could let me know as soon as you find out anything, that would be great.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± nodded Mokai ¡°I just wish I could be more helpful right now...¡±


    ¡°...Well, there is actually one other thing that you might be able to help with.¡± said Anton as he stared at the sword.


    ¡°Oh, and what''s that?¡± asked Mokai.


    ¡°Well, and I hate to even ask out of the blue like this.¡± said Anton as he looked over to where the dark elves were still comforting Mica ¡°But do you think you could have one of your staff give my bodyguard an assessment of some sort?¡±


    ¡°An assessment?¡± repeated Mokai.


    ¡°Yeah, something to give me an idea of where they think her skill level lies. And whether or not there''s anything specific I should have her focus on.¡± explained Anton as he turned back to Mokai ¡°You see, Mokai, being able to protect us is a nice idea and all. But the reality is that she really needs to be able to protect herself. She''s never had any actual combat training in her life, and she''s now in a position where she is going to be facing real danger. And not even because I intend to put her in harms way, but because danger itself is going to come for her... It already has come for her, and it''s going to come again, whether she''s ready for it or not.¡±


    Shifting his head to the side, Mokai remained silent for a moment as he watched an irritated Mica grudgingly allow Kianna to clean her face with a handkerchief.


    ¡°...Can she fight at all?¡± he asked softly.


    ¡°...In a rudimentary sense, yes.¡± said Anton with a half shrug ¡°Though I''d say that any basic skill on her part has probably more to do with instinct than anything else.¡±


    Mokai nodded slowly as he shifted his shoulders back and forth.


    ¡°Hmph... Well maybe we need to test those instincts a bit...¡± he said as he set the sword down on the table next to his drink ¡°And see just how strong they really are...¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me.¡± nodded Anton as he turned back to the kiochi ¡°Mica! Come here for a second, please.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± questioned Mica as she looked around Kianna and then quickly got to her feet ¡°What''s up?¡±


    ¡°Mokai has been kind enough to offer to give you an assessment today.¡± explained Anton as he nodded to Mokai.


    ¡°...Okay, cool.¡± said Mica as she came up to stand almost between them ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Nothing too complicated. I''m just going to test your skills a bit with a simple strength test.¡± said Mokai as he began to stretch by lightly twisting back and forth at the waist ¡°Something like an arm wrestling match. Simple. That''s all.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Okay, cool.¡± said Mica as her tail curled excitedly ¡°Yeah, I''m down for that!¡±


    ¡°Wait, you''re going to do it yourself?¡± asked Anton ¡°Are you sure you''re in any condition for this, Mokai?¡±


    ¡°It''s fine. No point in calling in someone early when I''m right here already.¡± said Mokai as he began to shift back and forth to stretch the kinks out of his back.


    ¡°...Yeah, I really don''t know about this.¡± mumbled Anton.


    ¡°Hey, don''t try to baby the monk!¡± said Mica as she planted her hands on her hips and mockingly grinned at Mokai ¡°If he wants to test me, then let him test me!¡±


    ¡°He''s not really the one I''m worried about...¡± said Anton in a hushed tone.


    ¡°Monk?¡± chuckled Mokai ¡°I''m far from a monk, little one.¡±


    ¡°Little one!?¡± sneered Mica as she cocked her hip ¡°No offense, pal. But you don''t seem that big to me. Definitely not big enough to be calling me little one!¡±


    ¡°Oh, you think I''m... Heh, I see...¡± said Mokai as his chuckling became ominous ¡°This is going to be fun.¡±


    ¡°Now hold on just a second!¡± said Anton as he stood up ¡°Mokai, are you really sure about this? Because I was under the impression that you were still recovering from a molt?¡±


    ¡°I am.¡± said Mokai as the ¡°pillows¡± he was sitting on began to suddenly quiver ¡°I''ve hardened up about as much as I''m going to through. And I think this is just what I need to work out the last bit of stiffness in my joints...¡±


    ¡°...Whoa, whoa, hold on. ...What the hell?¡± questioned Fiona as the pillows beneath Mokai began to move in earnest.


    Suddenly sliding out from under the sheet that had been hiding them from sight, two giant, dark-colored, chitin encrusted, cylindrical legs stretched themselves out before Mokai. These legs were made up of long segmented sections that were covered in short, sharply pointed hairs and were connected to each other by fleshy joints that stood out clearly due to their lighter, yellowish color.


    The ¡°feet¡± or paws at the ends of these legs consisted of two large toes and were, far and away, reminiscent of padded slippers, this appearance was helped along by the fact that they were covered in a dense, fuzzy looking coat of light gray hair.


    ¡°Oh, yeah...¡± drawled Mokai as the toes at the ends of the legs stretched out to their fullest and began to lightly tap themselves on the edge of the porch ¡°I''ve been sitting for long enough I think...¡±


    The ears of the dark elves pointed themselves straight upwards in surprise as two pairs of long, serrated, hook-like claws suddenly shot out from between each set of toes and instantly clamped themselves down onto the edge of the porch with a vice-like grip.


    Using this hold on the porch as leverage to help pull himself forward, Mokai began to stand up.


    ¡°Oh... crap...¡± mumbled Mica as she slowly tilted her head upwards.


    The kiochi''s confidence quickly fell away as she watched the now ominous shape before her begin to rise higher and higher into the air.

 Assassin Arc : Chapter 25 : Morning

    Chapter 25 : Morning


    Mica and the dark elves all stood in stunned silence as the purple sheet slipped away from Mokai and revealed him for what he truly was, a very large tsuchigumo.


    With a humanoids upper body mounted atop the cephalothorax of a gigantic spider, a full grown tsuchigumo was, without question, an impressive sight. And even for those who were familiar with the species, to see one in the flesh was still striking.


    Although he possessed what seemed to be the upper torso of a human, Mokai was still distinctly inhuman in appearance. His flesh in this portion of his body, wherever it could be seen around the thin bathrobe that he was wearing, or his chitinous carapace, was an ashen white in color and was hairless, save for what was found atop his head. Which, although this was technically hair, it was not human-like in the slightest, but was more akin to sharpened quills or very thin, tightly packed spines which, as they were all pointed backwards, gave his head an almost elongated appearance.


    His face was human-like at first glance, and with sharp features, high cheek bones and a strong jaw, he could easily be considered handsome. A second look however would quickly reveal his arachnid qualities, such as the pair of chelicerae that were each kept folded up along his jawline. Like his head, these chelicera were covered in black-colored hair, and tucked away as they were, they could easily be mistaken for some form of stylized facial hair. Though subtle, these appendages were actually quite dangerous, as each was connected to a venom producing gland located deep in Mokai''s chest, and was armed with a long venomous fang. A fang which was generally kept folded away from sight, but could be deployed at a moments notice to deliver a toxic, paralyzing bite.


    In contrast to his chelicerae, Mokai''s eyes were not quite so easily missed, and this was mostly due to the fact that there were so many of them. Similar in design and placement to a humans, his first set of eyes were complete with lids and eyebrows, though unlike a humans, they were deep black, opal-like orbs that were broken by a single thin, white ring that existed at the point where the pupils would be on a normal human eye. His second pair of eyes existed above the first at his temples. These eyes were much the same as the first set but had no eyelids, instead they were protected by a thin clear shell that kept them from drying out. A third and forth pair of eyes, identical to this second set, existed on the sides of his head just above his human-like ears, and at the back of his head, down near the nape of his neck. Working together, these four pairs of eyes allowed him to see in all directions at once.


    Thick plates of black-colored chitin ran up his back and across his shoulders before encasing his arms and hands in living armor and leaving his fingers to end in sharpened, claw-like points. Thin creases existed between these plates, and this allowed his digits and joints to move as well as the large muscles beneath the plates to flex and bulge.


    From here the similarities to a humanoid ended, as from the waist downwards, Mokai''s body took on the shape of a massive, tarantula-like spider.


    The large mass which had originally appeared to be a giant cushion that had been propped up behind him, was actually a part of his body. This somewhat bulbous form was his abdomen, and was where the majority of his body''s organs were housed. Here could be found his digestive system, the large tube shaped heart that powered his circulatory system, his silk producing spinnerets and the large accordion-like book lungs that pulled air in from vents along his underside and kept his massive body oxygenated.


    The surface of this abdomen was covered in a coat of long, soft hairs that were mainly colored a grayish black, and this was off set by a series of dull yellow-colored patterns that ran across the top of the abdomen, and were faintly reminiscent of a tigers stripes.


    Though these portions of Mokai''s body were certainly large, it was the eight long legs branching out from the base of his cephalothorax, which truly emphasized how big he really was.


    When stretched to their max, and held straight below his body, Mokai''s stilted legs could easily lift him a full twelve feet into the air. This was an uncomfortable stance for him to maintain though, so as such, he instead carried himself by bending his long legs at about the midway point and letting his body hang suspended in the air as he moved around. Though technically shorter when standing in this way, he still stood at a looming eight feet tall at this stance.


    Due to his large size, it was generally necessary for him to keep at least four of his feet touching the ground at any given time so as to remain balanced upright. This didn''t impede his speed in any way though, which was something that Mica was about to discover first hand.


    ¡°That''s enough stretching...¡± rumbled Mokai as he eased himself down amongst his bent legs and focused several of his eyes on Mica ¡°Alright then... Let''s start by getting a better look at you.¡±


    Mesmerized by the sight of the massive spider-man that had suddenly appeared before her, Mica had no time to react and could only blink in surprise as with what seemed like a single motion, Mokai took a striding step forward and swung two of his outer most legs down to swing low beneath the edge of the porch and scoop her up off the ground.


    ¡°Wha! Hey!¡± cried the kiochi as she was lifted into the air and quickly passed from one set of legs to another. Despite her efforts to fight back, there was little Mica could do as Mokai snagged her attacking tail out of the air and fed it along from foot to foot behind her.


    With a nonchalant expression on his face, Mokai expertly handled the squirming kiochi and maneuvered her in such a way that he could use his first two pair of legs to hold her spread eagle out in front of himself.


    Balancing himself on his four back legs now, and apparently satisfied with the position he had her in as he held the struggling kiochi up in the air, Mokai used his left hand to take hold of the end of her tail, just before her barbs, and quickly looped a length of it around her neck before lifting his arm upwards and pulling it taunt.


    Mica gasped and went stiff as her own tail was tightened around her neck to a point that she could just barely breathe around it.


    ¡°Hey! Don''t choke her!¡± cried Kianna as she and Fiona both pointed their ears straight back in anger.


    Before the two dark elves could do more than move to take a step forward, Anton raised a hand as a signal for them to stop.


    ¡°Girls! It''s okay. This is just a test.¡± he said as he kept his narrowed eyes on Mokai ¡°...He''s not going to hurt her.¡±


    ¡°No, I''m not... I just want her to stay still for a moment, so I can get a good look at her...¡± mumbled Mokai as he focused his human-like eyes at the kiochi, and in particular the collar that she wore.


    Their eyes aglow with a red, angry light, both Fiona and Kianna eased back but remained clearly ready to act at a seconds notice.


    Seething with rage, Mica made an effort to remain still herself as Mokai leaned forward and gazed at the collar that hung around her neck.


    Tapping at the collar with the tip of a single mana infused finger, Mokai slowly nodded and made a low mumbling sound in his throat as he found it to be both legitimate and fully functioning. Easing back a bit, he gave Mica a long look over before lightly letting up his grip on her limbs.


    Feeling his hold on her loosen a bit, Mica immediately began to struggle anew and anticipating this, Mokai used her efforts to pull herself free of his limbs as a method to gauge her strength.


    ¡°...Let me go! You motherfucker!¡± growled Mica through her clenched teeth as she struggled to twist herself free of the tsuchigumo''s ironclad grip.


    Seemingly satisfied with his examination, Mokai silently lowered Mica to the ground before carefully letting her go.


    Jumping back the moment she was free, Mica curled her tail back over her head and pointed her spade up at Mokai as she threateningly flexed out her barbs.


    Though she couldn''t see them come up behind her as she was keeping her eyes on the tsuchigumo, both Fiona and Kianna flanked the kiochi as they too joined her in glaring angrily up at the giant spider-man.


    ¡°...Well that was certainly dramatic.¡± said Anton as he looked from Mica to Mokai ¡°...So, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°She''s about as strong as I expected her to be... And I can say I agree with you on that her reactions seem to be mostly instinctual, rather than practiced...¡± said Mokai as he stared at Mica''s collar ¡°And I can also say I''m surprised that she actually is enslaved. And that she really isn''t part of any clan...¡±


    ¡°...And what makes you so sure of that all of sudden?¡± asked Anton as he raised an eyebrow in question.


    ¡°Because if she was, she''d be dead.¡± said Mokai ¡°You can''t enslave a shinoccubus that has already activated their loyalty oath ability and joined a clan, as that ability will prevent most forms of binding curses from affecting them. This comes at a big cost though. You see, if a curse strong enough to overpower their oath is used on them, then a fail safe built into that ability will activate and cause their mana pool to literally explode, and the affected shinoccubi will die. Right then and there, with no chance of undeath. This is why you never see captured and enslaved shinoccubi. It''s not something you can do without killing them.¡±


    Mica''s face took on a sickly expression as she fought to keep from grimacing.


    ¡°...Huh, I have heard rumors that demons did have a way to instantly kill a shinoccubus that may be trying to attack them.¡± mused Anton as he looked at back at Mica ¡°So that must be how they do it...¡±


    ¡°Yep. They don''t even bother with fighting them, they just try to bind them, and kill them that way.¡± said Mokai as he watched Mica work to keep the nervousness out of her eyes ¡°...Anton, how long ago was it that you enslaved Mica?¡±


    ¡°Just a few days ago.¡± said Anton ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Just curious...¡± mumbled Mokai ¡°How much of her mind have you locked back?¡±


    ¡°None. I haven''t locked her back at all.¡± said Anton as he grinned at the kiochi ¡°Aside from the base compulsions from the curse itself, she''s at a completely natural state.¡±


    ¡°Huh, okay...¡± nodded Mokai ¡°So are you planning on forcing her to activate her oath? And making her fully loyal to you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± said Anton flatly ¡°I don''t even know for sure if I can make her do that or not. And I have no intention of trying to find out.¡±


    Mokai''s head remained still as several of his eyes focused themselves on Anton.


    ¡°Why not?¡± he asked.


    ¡°...Well, to be honest with you.¡± said Anton as he looked up at the towering tsuchigumo ¡°I don''t think she deserves that.¡±


    Mokai was still for a moment before he slowly nodded his head. Shifting his gaze to the dark elves who were poised and ready to defend the kiochi, he again went still and stared at them for another moment as a thoughtful expression formed across his face.


    ¡°It''s pretty clear that you three seem to see something in this kiochi...¡± said Mokai in a soft tone as he raised himself up on his stilt-like legs and eased forward to loom over Mica ¡°Makes me want to see what that is for myself...¡±


    Crossing his arms over his chest, and seemingly ignoring the spade currently being pointed at his head, he grinned down at the scowling little demonoid before raising his eyebrows in a questioning manner.


    ¡°Mica.¡± said Mokai as his grin grew into a knowing smile ¡°Would you like to spar with me for a bit?¡±


    Blinking in surprise, Mica''s brow creased in confusion before her eyes went wide in understanding.


    ¡°Yes.¡± she said bluntly ¡°Yes, I would.¡±


    ¡°Excellent.¡± said Mokai as he rose back upright and waved one of his left legs in the air just over Mica''s head.


    Her attention locked on the unexpected movement, Mica instinctively ducked down and went to swipe at the offending leg with her spade but having apparently anticipated this, Mokai quickly snagged her tail out of the air with another leg from his opposite side.


    ¡°Crap! No, not again!¡± cried Mica as she tried to pull back on her captured tail but was instantly lifted up into the air and immediately grabbed by multiple legs at once.


    Placing his hands on their shoulders, Anton began to chuckle as he startled the dark elves out of going into their dark modes.


    ¡°Alright, hold on there, you two.¡± he said as they both turned their glares on him ¡°This is actually a great opportunity for Mica. It''s not everyday that a chance to spar with an expert trainer comes along. She could learn a lot from this.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate the vote of confidence. I''ll try to live up to your expectations.¡± grinned Mokai as he shifted his attention to Anton and the dark elves while beneath him his legs wrapped the raging kiochi up with her own tail ¡°I think it would be more comfortable for us to continue this inside though. So if everyone would please follow me, we can get started.¡±


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Hands still on their shoulders, Anton guided the dark elves up onto the porch as Mokai turned around and led the way to a set of large double doors.


    Making their way inside the former hunting lodge turned dojo, the group was greeted with a comforting warmth that was a stark contrast from the chilled mountain air outside.


    The buildings interior was made up of wooden paneled walls which stretched upwards to an at least fifteen foot ceiling. Thick wooden beams held up a series of wooden rafters that crisscrossed the ceiling above, which unlike the roof outside the building, this ceiling was not pitched, but was instead flat. Strange, six foot wide wooden pillars that were wrapped in nautical rope were dotted throughout the lodge, and these led up to large open holes in the ceiling which seemed to indicate that there was a second story that could only be reached by climbing said pillars.


    Following Mokai deeper into the building, the group came to a wide open room that had obviously been built to spar and train in.


    Like the rest of the lodge, this room had wooden walls as well, though these walls were decorated with various training weapons and had several large cabinets and armoires spaced out along their lengths.


    A long rise of bleacher style seating took up one wall, and gave spectators and students a perfect view of any combatants and or instructors who may be utilizing the space before them.


    As they had been making their way through the lodge, Kianna had been noticing faint, quick movements taking place in the shadows just along her peripherals. Though each time she looked in the direction they were coming from, nothing would ever be there.


    Still annoyed by Mokai''s treatment of Mica and now frustrated by this as well, she inadvertently let the glow in her eyes begin to deepen until she could fully see into the shadows. So when they all entered the training room, and she looked up towards the dimly lit ceiling she was immediately able to spy a diminutive figure hiding in the shadows among the rafters.


    ¡°Oh!¡± cried out the dark elf as she stopped in her tracks and pointed her ears straight upwards ¡°She''s so cute!¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± mumbled Mokai as he looked back at her and then with everyone else followed her gaze ¡°Oh, yes. My daughter. Isabella. Are you already awake, sweety?¡±


    Moving so fast as to appear as nothing but a blur, the tiny figure darted from rafter to rafter as it traversed across the ceiling, slipped down a wooden beam and then disappeared beneath the bleacher seats.


    ¡°Oh no! Come back!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she raced over to the bleachers and peered into the gloom beneath them ¡°...Where? ...Oh! There you are!¡±


    Lowering herself down onto her haunches, Kianna smiled brightly and clasped her hands together beneath her chin as she took in the sight before her.


    Hiding herself in the shadows made by the seats above her, and peeking around a wooden strut that acted as part of the bleachers frame, was a teeny tiny little girl version of Mokai.


    Standing no taller than two feet at her max and about a foot and a half with her legs bent, Isabella was in essence a micro copy of her Father in nearly every way. Save for her longer hair and the fact that the yellow coloration at her joints, and of the patterns across her abdomen, were far more vivid in their brightness.


    Wearing a frilly purple pajama top on her human-like half and clutching a small stuffed teddy bear to her chest, made it pretty clear that this little spider-girl had just recently woken up and left her bed.


    With her massive eyes all locked onto the smiling dark elf before her, Isabelle spread her fanged chelicerae out wide and began to sway from side to side as she lifted her front legs into the air and waved them about.


    Failing to recognize the little girl''s threat display for what it was, Kianna began to giggle and follow along with her by swaying from side to side herself.


    ¡°Aw! Are you dancing, sweety?¡± sang the dark elf as she held her arms up and began to dance to an unheard rhythm.


    Blinking in confusion, Isabella went still for a second before suddenly scurrying up the bleachers frame and climbing out onto the very top of the bench seats, where she then planted herself above the dark elf and once again tried to appear as threatening as possible with her unintentionally adorable little show.


    Still unfazed by the aggressive display, and now giggling at the sight of the standoffish little girl, Kianna sat down on one of the lower seats and smiled up to her.


    ¡°Hi there! You''re Isabella, right? It''s nice to meet you!¡± she said as she patted the open space on the bench next to her ¡°My name is Kianna. Would you like to come and sit with me?¡±


    Staying still for a moment, Isabella''s eyes shifted from Kianna''s face to the space she was patting and back before she suddenly darted to the end of the bleachers and then hopped down one bench after another until she was at the same level as Kianna.


    Staring at the smiling dark elf for another second, the spider-girl moved a little closer before stopping and going still again.


    ¡°Oh... Are you being shy this morning?¡± asked Kianna as she continued to smile ¡°That''s okay, it''s okay to be shy with new people after all.¡±


    Saying nothing, Isabella took a few more tentative steps forward before stopping again. She swayed back and forth a bit as she teetered on taking another step or darting back the way she had come. The claws on her little feet made faint scratching sounds as she gripped the edges of the wooden bench on both sides with all of her eight legs at once.


    ¡°Is that your Teddy Bear?¡± asked Kianna.


    Looking down at her bear, Isabella clutched the stuffed animal to her chest and slowly nodded.


    ¡°Aw. Does he sleep with you at night?¡± questioned Kianna.


    Again, Isabella remained silent as she merely nodded.


    ¡°Well that''s nice of him, isn''t it?¡± smiled Kianna ¡°He''s a very cute little bear. Would you like to show him to me?¡±


    Isabella swayed back and forth a bit before looking back up at the dark elf. Without a word, she closed the distance between them and slowly held out her bear.


    ¡°Wow! Thank you!¡± said Kianna as she carefully took the offered teddy bear ¡°Oh! He really is a cutie! I just love him!¡±


    Gushing extravagantly, Kianna hugged the teddy bear to herself before giving him a playful kiss on the cheek.


    ¡°He''s just the bestest Teddy Bear ever!¡± she exclaimed as she gave the bear another kiss ¡°Right!?¡±


    Turning her smile back on Isabella, Kianna found that the little girl''s facial expression was still stoic but now her eyes seemed to be shining with obvious joy. Before Kianna could say anything more though, Isabella suddenly zipped off the bench and scurried across the room to one of the strange rope covered pillars.


    ¡°Wha? Oh no!¡± cried Kianna as she held out her hand ¡°Wait! Don''t go!¡±


    ¡°Uh oh, you''ve done it now...¡± chuckled Mokai as they all watched Isabella effortlessly climb the pillar and disappear into the hole in the ceiling.


    ¡°Did I upset her!?¡± questioned Kianna as a hurt, panicked look spread across her face.


    ¡°Hm? Oh, no. Not at all.¡± chuckled Mokai ¡°No, I''m afraid you''ve done the opposite actually. You''re her new best friend now, and she is going to need to show you every single toy that she owns.¡±


    ¡°...Oh? Oh, okay!¡± smiled Kianna as Isabella suddenly reappeared and spiraled down the pillar as fast as she could.


    Racing over to Kianna, the little girl wordlessly handed her a brightly colored dryad doll before turning around and quickly retracing her path up the pillar.


    ¡°Yeah... Sorry about this.¡± mumbled Mokai ¡°Me and the wife have been going through our molts lately. And so she''s been a little starved for attention. If she''s bothering you at all just let me know and I''ll have her stay upstairs.¡±


    ¡°What! No! No, not at all!¡± laughed Kianna as Isabella came back carrying both a stuffed giraffe and a plush tiger ¡°She''s a sweetheart!¡±


    ¡°She is... She really is.¡± smiled Mokai as he watched his daughter zip back up the pillar ¡°She''s our youngest baby. And our last one... Well, I say that...¡±


    Chuckling to himself, Mokai turned to Anton and Fiona as he indicated the bleachers.


    ¡°Have a seat. Get comfortable.¡± he said as he stepped out into the sparring area and headed towards one of the large cabinets mounted to the far wall ¡°We''re about to see what Mica can do...¡±


    Taking his seat next to Kianna, Anton grinned as the dark elf began to shift some of stuffed animals that were beginning to overflow her lap onto his so as to make room for more newcomers.


    Grumbling as she was carried along beneath the tsuchigumo, Mica grunted as she was suddenly shifted forward and planted back on her feet.


    ¡°This is what happens whenever you let your instincts make you predictable.¡± said Mokai as he clipped a manabinder around her wrist before letting her go completely.


    ¡°Wha, hey!¡± cried Mica as she immediately unwrapped her tail from around herself and went to try force the manabinder off her wrist.


    ¡°We''re just going to be testing your basic skills today.¡± said Mokai as he opened the cabinet and took out two wooden training swords ¡°So you don''t need any magic for that.¡±


    ¡°...Maybe not.¡± growled Mica ¡°But a heads up about a manabinder would have been nice though!¡±


    ¡°You wouldn''t have agreed to wear it.¡± said Mokai in an offhanded tone as he handed her one of the swords ¡°...Would you?¡±


    ¡°Guess we''ll never know...¡± mumbled Mica as she took the sword.


    ¡°Guess not.¡± grinned Mokai as he turned and made his way to one side of the sparring ring.


    Making her way to her own side, Mica hefted the wooden sword a bit to get a feel for it before giving it a few light swings.


    Mokai couldn''t help but to grin again as he glanced over at the bleachers and found his daughter holding up one stuffed animal after another so that Kianna could give each of them a kiss on the cheek.


    Focusing back on the task at hand, he shifted his attention to Mica and leveled his sword at her.


    ¡°Whenever you''re ready...¡± he said as she mimicked him by readying her own sword.


    Eyes tight with determination, Mica''s tail did a long slow loop through the air behind her before she suddenly shot forward.


    Tucking her sword in close, she raced up to Mokai and leaped into the air. Using her tail as a third limb, she lifted herself up high enough to be at eye level with him and began to attack him over and over with her sword.


    Parrying each of her strikes with ease, Mokai stood his ground for a moment before stepping forward and driving Mica back.


    Using her tail as a makeshift spring, Mica flung herself backwards towards the center of the room but was both surprised and dismayed to discover what for her was an unexpected fact about Mokai.


    Despite his large size, the tsuchigumo was incredibly fast.


    Striding with ease across their battlefield, Mokai was able to effortlessly keep pace with his smaller opponent. And although it was clear that he wasn''t legitimately out for blood, he still refused to give Mica a moments rest.


    Each time the kiochi landed on her feet she was immediately forced to dart backwards again by the quickly advancing spider who could not only attack her from on high, but would also give her feinting strikes with his many legs. Dodging and weaving around each of his attacks, Mica''s frustration intensified as she noticed that even as he was in the middle of fighting with her, Mokai''s attention was still on Kianna and his daughter.


    At the bleachers, little Isabella was busy arranging an armful of her Dragon Force Warriors action figures across Kianna''s lap. Her own arms now quite full of stuffed animals, the dark elf could only smile as she bent forward to give each of the warriors a kiss before the tiny spider-girl would carefully set them down and present another.


    Even though she herself couldn''t help but to find this scene cute, Mica''s anger still flared, and as Mokai went to strike at her again with his sword, she planted her feet and put all her weight into blocking the blow.


    ¡°Are you going to start taking this seriously, or not!?¡± she snarled as she held Mokai''s sword at bay and locked eyes with the looming spider.


    ¡°What? No.¡± said Mokai.


    Before Mica could even react, Mokai rolled their swords to the side and sent two quick punches into her gut with his front legs.


    Hit hard enough to be sent flying backwards, Mica had just enough of her wits left to cushion her landing with her tail. As her feet hit the floor though, she immediately dropped to her knee''s and clutched her middle in pain.


    With the air knocked from her, she started sucking in gasping breaths through her teeth as she glared up at Mokai with watery eyes.


    ¡°If I was taking this seriously, Mica.¡± said Mokai as he squared his shoulders ¡°You''d already be dead.¡±


    Seething, Mica put her pain out of her mind, brandished her sword and using her tail as a springboard, she launched herself at Mokai.


    For the next several minutes Mokai danced around Mica''s attacks and as the kiochi''s blows became more desperate and predictable, he started to focus more and more on what his daughter was doing.


    Having apparently exhausted her supply of dolls, stuffed animals and action figures, Isabella had now moved on to her books.


    Though their laps were now hidden beneath a plethora of children''s toys, Anton, Kianna and even Fiona all maintained patient, and even amused expressions as they seemed to be completely unfazed by Isabella''s antics.


    Even now, they were all more focused on the little girl who was proudly holding up her Dragon Force Warriors picture book, so a cooing Kianna could see its cover.


    Furious at being disregarded by all sides, Mica let out an angry battle cry and flipped herself over backwards. Using a series of gymnastic flips, the kiochi landed on her feet at the edge of the sparring ring where she stopped to lock eyes with Mokai.


    Surprised by her shouting out in the way that she did, Mokai had gone still and merely watched as the kiochi had put on her show of athletics.


    With her face hardened in determination, Mica dived into another forward set of flips as she made to close the distance between herself and the tsuchigumo.


    Spreading his legs out wide so as to plant himself, Mokai grinned as he readied his sword to block Mica''s obvious frontal attack.


    Tumbling flip over flip, Mica built her momentum up as high as she could in the space she had available and at the very last second before she reached her target, she arched herself forward and threw her sword straight at Mokai''s face with all the strength that she could muster.


    Caught off guard by the unexpected tactic, Mokai reacted instinctively and blocked the projectile sword in such a way that it went flying off to his side. Unfortunately he realized too late that he was sending it right at the spectators. Turning towards the sword in an effort to snag it with an outstretched leg, he was just in time to see Anton reach out and safely catch the flying sword before it could hit anyone. Livid now, he turned back to face Mica but was again surprised by her unexpected tactics as he found her sailing feet first straight into his shoulder.


    Having used the sword as a distraction, Mica had flung her tail out to the side and wrapped it around a wooden beam which she then used to swing herself up into the air and around the room before launching herself straight at Mokai. Using her own body as a living missile, the kiochi let out another loud cry as she slammed feet first into Mokai''s raised shoulder. Looking to drive as much force into her opponent as possible, she then curled in on herself upon landing and kicked off of him as hard as she could.


    Shocked by the shear force of Mica''s assault, Mokai became stunned as he was sent skidding sideways across the smooth wooden floor. With all his legs still spread out around him, he slid along at a quick pace until finally coming back to his senses.


    Acting quickly, he deployed the twin claws from in between each of his toes and dug them into the floor. Coming to a skidding stop just before the bleachers, loud splintering sounds of wood breaking could be heard echoing through the room as the tsuchigumo came to rest by fully sinking his mighty claws into the floor beneath him.


    In the silent stillness that followed, Mokai slowly shifted his many eyes to the still seated spectators and sighed in relief as he found them to be safe.


    Anton and Fiona both had calm looking faces as they each sat poised and ready to put up their aura fields. Meanwhile, as Mokai''s massive form had come bearing down on them, Kianna had reacted without thinking and had reflexively scooped Isabella up and out of harms way. Her expression clearly concerned and full of spent adrenaline, the dark elf held the child clutched against her chest as she stared up at Mokai and blinked in the sudden stillness.


    For her part, Isabella seemed completely unfazed by the action taking place around her. Swiveling her head back and forth, she looked from Kianna to her Father and back a few times before settling into the warm spot she suddenly found herself in. Having apparently decided that she was perfectly comfortable with having Kianna''s arms locked protectively around her, the little spider-girl made a soft huffing sound as she folded in her legs, curled herself up into a small ball and snuggled herself in against the dark elf.


    ¡°I, I''m sorry!¡± called Mica.


    With every head now turned towards her, the kiochi froze for a second before swallowing a lump in her throat.


    ¡°...I didn''t mean for that to happen like that!¡± she exclaimed as she looked from one staring face to another ¡°I, I just...¡±


    Breathing hard now, Mica''s face was apologetic until her eyes rose up to meet with Mokai''s. Fixated on the dark orbs that were his eyes, she went still again before looking down at the floor.


    ¡°I''m sorry... I didn''t mean...¡± she said as she balled her hands into fists ¡°I didn''t... I just wanted...¡±


    Gaze still on the floor, Mica squared her shoulders and set her jaw as her eyes became filled with a fierce determination.


    ¡°I just wanted you to take me seriously.¡± she said as she looked back up at the tsuchigumo.


    Glaring at him now, the kiochi slowly raised her balled fists and planted her feet as she took a fighters stance and made it clear that she was ready to continue.


    Staring at her, Mokai stayed still for a moment before turning to Anton and silently holding out his hand to him.


    Without a word, Anton handed over the sword he had caught earlier.


    Holding both swords now, Mokai gripped their hilts tightly and looked down at the floor beneath him for a moment before slowly nodding.


    ¡°You want me to take you seriously...¡± he whispered softly as he turned to Mica and narrowed all his eyes at her ¡°Alright then... I will...¡±

 Guilty x Creatures : Assassin Arc : Chapter 26

    Chapter 26 : Morning


    The low groaning sound of stressed wood filled the air a second before Mokai ripped all of his claws out of the floor in a single instant.


    Watching as tiny bits of splintered wood fell to scatter around the tsuchigumo''s feet, Mica''s confidence wavered a bit at the realization of the damage he was apparently quite capable of.


    Shifting himself into motion, Mokai made his way across the room and stopped in front of a large armoire.


    ¡°You have no natural aptitude for swords.¡± he said in an absent tone as he opened the armoire''s double doors ¡°This became apparent to me fairly quickly...¡±


    ¡°...I don''t?¡± asked Mica.


    ¡°No, you don''t...¡± said Mokai as he placed the two swords he was carrying in the armoire.


    Rummaging about for a moment, he twisted around at the waist and tossed a wrapped bundle to Mica.


    Eyes locking onto the item that was now sailing towards her, Mica reached out with her tail and snagged the bundle out of the air by looping a length of her appendage around it.


    ¡°Put those on while I find something that''ll be more comfortable for you to use.¡± said Mokai as he turned back to the armoire.


    Creasing her brow in question, Mica brought the bundle in close enough for an inspection before taking hold of it with her hands. Her expression softened as she realized what she had been given were a pair of armored, arm length gauntlets, which she immediately slipped her hands into and began to strap in place.


    ¡°Here we go, these should work...¡± mumbled Mokai as he turned back to Mica ¡°Here, catch.¡±


    Looking up at him, Mica was just barely able to raise her now armored hands in time to catch a pair of large daggers that had been tossed to her hilts first.


    ¡°Give those a few swings and let me know if they''re too heavy for you.¡± said Mokai.


    Hefting the two solid but not uncomfortably heavy daggers, Mica gave them a few quick swings before beginning to shadow box a bit with an unseen opponent.


    ¡°...No, they''re not bad at all.¡± she said as she jabbed at the open air with both daggers as well as her bladed spade.


    Satisfied with the sight of her now much more comfortable looking movements, Mokai nodded and turned away.


    ¡°As I was saying, you have no finesse when it comes to swords. You''re uncoordinated and cumbersome with them... You treat them more as a club than a blade, and you can''t find a comfortable method in which to wield them. You''re constantly tightening and readjusting your grip on the hilt and switching from one hand to the other as well... All while trying to use the sword as both a weapon and a shield at the same time. This can be done of course, but not in the way in which you''re trying to do it...¡± explained Mokai as he began to strap his own gauntlets onto not only his human-like arms but onto his many legs as well ¡°Now, there''s nothing to say you couldn''t learn to use a sword correctly. That is entirely possible of course... Today though, we''re trying to figure out where your talents lie... And at this point I think we can safely say that they''re not with swords...¡±


    ¡°So you think I''ll do better with these?¡± asked Mica as she indicated the daggers.


    ¡°That''s what we''re going to find out.¡± said Mokai as he stepped away from the armoire.


    Turning to the bleachers, he slipped off the bathrobe he had been wearing over his torso and revealed the taunt musculature of his arms, chest and shoulders which were all still partially covered by both his chitinous plates and a thin black-colored muscle shirt. Tossing the bathrobe onto one of the benches, he turned to face Mica and began to flex his arms.


    ¡°...Um. Are you not going to use a weapon?¡± questioned Mica as Mokai took his place facing her.


    ¡°I''m good.¡± said the tsuchigumo as he planted himself at the far side of the ring and took a stance ¡°I''m not trying to beat you after all. Merely test you.¡±


    ¡°...Is there really a difference though?¡± said Mica as she readied herself ¡°This is still a fight. And you''re still trying to win this fight too, aren''t you?¡±


    ¡°Win this fight?¡± said Mokai as a thin smile spread across his face ¡°Is that what you''re trying to do? Do you really think this fight is meant to be won?¡±


    ¡°...Is it not?¡± questioned Mica.


    The kiochi''s eyes went wide in surprise as from one instant to the next, Mokai crossed the distance between them and bathed her in shadow as he reared up high into the air above her.


    ¡°No, it isn''t.¡± whispered the looming spider as he brought his fist down upon her.


    Dodging to the side, Mica just barely missed being crushed as Mokai threw all of his weight into his punch and drove his fist straight into the wooden floor.


    ¡°Crap!¡± cried the kiochi as she was immediately forced to dodge several more blows from Mokai''s now armored legs. Using her daggers to block a strike to her face, Mica went to hop back and away from Mokai but cried in dismay as he snagged her tail and pulled her back.


    ¡°There is no victory to earn here, Mica.¡± said Mokai as he grabbed her by the arms and then tossed her across the ring ¡°That is a pointless goal. Something you shouldn''t even be trying for.¡±


    Tucking and rolling as she landed, Mica quickly sprung to her feet and turned back to face her opponent.


    ¡°What the Hell are you talking about!?¡± she growled as she brandished her twin daggers ¡°What the Hell is the point of this then!?¡±


    ¡°To show me what you can do.¡± said Mokai as he spun around and moved towards her ¡°To give me a reason to regard you.¡±


    Blocking and dodging a whirlwind of striking legs, Mica wrapped her tail around a wooden beam and used it as leverage to throw herself across the room.


    ¡°Show you what I can do!?¡± she exclaimed as she landed facing Mokai and raised her wrist with the manabinder wrapped around it ¡°How can I even do that when I''ve got this thing holding me back!?¡±


    ¡°Is that all you are?¡± asked Mokai as he moved in her direction while lashing out with his legs ¡°Just another shinoccubus whose dependent on your abilities? No different from any other?¡±


    Pushed back against the wall, Mica grit her teeth as she hopped up onto a windowsill and leaped straight up into the air. Stretching her tail out to its limit, she grabbed hold of a wooden ceiling brace and pulled herself up into the rafters. Now situated high above the floor and out of Mokai''s easy reach, she leaped from one rafter to another as she quickly made her way out to the central point of the ring.


    ¡°Don''t act like you know a damn thing about me!¡± exclaimed Mica as she sneered down at the spider below her ¡°You have no idea who you''re dealing with!¡±


    ¡°Hmph. Maybe not who...¡± said Mokai as he bent his legs in even more and hunkered himself down low ¡°But I know exactly what I''m dealing with.¡±


    ¡°Oh crap!¡± exclaimed Mica as Mokai suddenly launched himself upwards.


    Flipping his massive form over in midair, Mokai was able to grab onto the rafters with his many legs and, while now hanging upside down, begin to crawl across the ceiling while chasing after Mica.


    ¡°Damn...¡± muttered Fiona as she watched Mica frantically utilize her gymnastics training to swing from rafter to rafter and avoid the advancing spider ¡°You know, considering how big he is, you really wouldn''t expect that guy to be able to move so fast. Or jump that high.¡±


    ¡°Mm hm. Looks can be very deceiving with spider folk. Especially the bigger ones. By all appearances they seem like they''d be slow and clumsy creatures, but they should never be taken for granted.¡± said Anton as he too kept his eyes trained upwards ¡°They are almost always far stronger and faster than you''d ever expect them to be...¡±


    Swinging out into the open air, Mica curled in on herself and did a midair somersault before shooting her tail outwards and snagging another set of rafters. Landing on one of the beams feet first, she stood up and turned back to face Mokai while brandishing her daggers.


    ¡°What''s the matter!?¡± she exclaimed as she smirked at the distance she had put between them ¡°Can''t keep up with-!¡±


    Mica''s taunting was cut short as Mokai stretched his legs out between two sets of rafters and used them as leverage to ease himself back and then launch his whole body through the air.


    ¡°Fucking!¡± cried Mica as the giant spider was suddenly bearing down on her again after making a surprisingly graceful landing on the same beam she stood on.


    ¡°C''mon now, I know you can move faster than this.¡± said Mokai as he ducked down low enough to maneuver himself up onto the top of the beam and jabbed at Mica with one leg after another.


    Grunting as she was forced to balance herself while moving backwards and out across the beam, Mica blocked each incoming attack with her daggers and spade until finally fed up with this assault, she slipped her spade in between two incoming legs and drove its pointed tip straight towards Mokai''s face.


    Tilting his head to the side, Mokai dodged her attack and narrowed his eyes at her.


    ¡°How typical.¡± he mumbled as he snagged Mica''s tail before she could pull it fully back ¡°Leave it to a shinoccubus to always go for the neck, even in a friendly fight.¡±


    ¡°Friendly fight!¡± cried Mica as she pulled back on her tail ¡°How the Hell do you figure this is a friendly fight!? This has been a full on battle this whole time!¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± said Mokai as he let her tail go ¡°I told you already, Mica. This isn''t a battle. It''s just a test, and that''s it. I''m not trying to win this, or hurt you. I haven''t even really tried to hit you yet.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit!¡± growled Mica as her tail coiled angrily behind her ¡°Stop trying to psych me out, dude!¡±


    ¡°I''m not.¡± said Mokai.


    ¡°Whatever!¡± cried Mica ¡°If you''re so fucking great than c''mon! Let''s see what you can really do, you fucking bug!¡±


    ¡°...Alright.¡± said Mokai.


    Crouching into a stance, Mica saw Mokai move a half step forward before a sharp impact suddenly slammed into her torso. Punched in the gut by a leg moving so fast that she couldn''t even see any of its movement beyond a slight blur, Mica doubled over as she was sent sailing backwards into the open air.


    Dropping down off the side of the ceiling beam, Mokai swung himself beneath the beam to put himself back upright and, falling through the air now, reached out his legs to grab both the limp kiochi as well as her two daggers, before silently landing back down in the middle of the ring.


    ¡°Oh... That looked like it hurt...¡± said Fiona as she winced in sympathy and Anton nodded in agreement.


    Sucking in one labored breath after another, Mica struggled to quickly replace the air that had been knocked from her lungs. When she was finally breathing normally again, Mokai set her on her feet in front of him.


    ¡°I need to apologize. I hadn''t intended for that punch to be as intense as it was. But I wanted to make it clear that this is not meant to be a legitimate battle. And that I am truly not trying to actually hurt you.¡± said Mokai as he placed a dagger back into each of Mica''s hands ¡°If you feel like you''ve had enough I... Wha, what!?¡±


    Noting that the tsuchigumo was preoccupied with his speech, Mica took advantage of the situation and quickly slipped the wristband that acted as a manabinder over several of his fingers and jerked downwards. Acting out of reflex, Mokai pulled back against the band with the intention of freeing himself, and this action was just enough to trigger the bands release mechanism.


    ¡°Ha!¡± cried Mica as she gripped her daggers and threw herself backwards and away from Mokai.


    Tumbling into one back flip after another, Mica made her way to the opposite side of the ring before landing on her feet and immediately dropping into a stance.


    ¡°You! Need! To stop underestimating me!¡± cried the kiochi as she brandished her borrowed daggers up at the surprised looking tsuchigumo ¡°How can you expect me to show you what I can do if you''re not even taking me seriously!?¡±


    Staring, Mokai remained silent as he merely blinked at her.


    ¡°You say this is a test, right!?¡± exclaimed Mica ¡°Well then test me for real! Do your worst! C''mon! Give me everything you have! ...And, we''ll, we''ll see if I can survive this!¡±


    Mokai was still for another moment before he suddenly threw his head back and laughed loudly.


    ¡°Well now... This is a bit unexpected. I think I may have misjudged you a little, Mica.¡± said the spider around a broad smile.


    ¡°Yeah you did! I ain''t some little bitch whose gonna give up after one punch!¡± claimed Mica as she readied herself for any sudden incoming attacks ¡°...It''ll take more than that to take me down.¡±


    ¡°Clearly.¡± nodded Mokai ¡°...Now let''s find out just how much more it''ll take!¡±


    Flexing his limbs all at once, Mokai triggered his many gauntlets to all split open down their middles, and the moment this happened, long thin blades hidden within them suddenly popped upwards and locked into place along their surfaces. From one blink of the eye to the next, the tsuchigumo''s arms and legs were now not only armored, but armed as well.


    ¡°...Yes! Now we''re talking!¡± cried Mica as she shot forward and raced towards the blade covered spider with all her own blades held at the ready.


    Laughing with his own excitement, Mokai rocked forward to meet her head on.


    As the two combatants clashed in the center of the ring sparks began to fly through the air as metal was slashed against metal.


    Mica''s speed seemed to have literally doubled as she effortlessly bobbed, weaved, blocked and counter struck every blow that Mokai threw at her. Seemingly invigorated by the prospect of real combat, the kiochi lent herself to her instincts as she made every effort she could to land a strike against her foe.


    Recognizing her blood lust for what it was, Mokai''s smile faded a bit and twisting to the side, he slammed two of his legs straight into Mica. Blocking the heavy blows with her daggers, Mica couldn''t help but to let herself be lifted into the air and thrown backwards by the double strikes.


    ¡°Well, well, well...¡± drawled Mokai as he watched the kiochi land on her feet ¡°Seems I really am dealing with a shinoccubus after all...¡±


    ¡°Oh don''t start that shit!¡± exclaimed Mica as she squared her shoulders and pointed one of her daggers up at Mokai ¡°You have no idea what you''re talking about!¡±


    ¡°Actually I do...¡± said Mokai as he began to move sideways around her ¡°I have a very good idea about what I''m talking about...¡±


    Keeping her eyes locked to his, Mica fell back into a stance as she followed the circling spider''s movements with her own.


    ¡°In fact, I know exactly what I''m talking about...¡± said Mokai in a soft tone ¡°And I know exactly what I''m dealing with...¡±


    ¡°You don''t know shit.¡± whispered Mica.


    ¡°Oh, but I do.¡± grinned Mokai ¡°I know exactly how you work, Mica... I know exactly what you are...¡±


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    Mica''s jaw clenched involuntarily as she narrowed her eyes and arched her tail up over her head.


    ¡°And do you want to know what you are, Mica...¡± said Mokai as he continued to slowly circle around the ring ¡°What you, and all of your kind are...¡±


    Mica remained silent as she kept her eyes locked to the black orbs of Mokai''s eyes and tentatively stepped back enough to stay just out of his easy reach.


    ¡°You, and all of your kind... Are dogs.¡± said Mokai as he slid one of his blades across the floor and lightly sliced into the wood beneath him ¡°You are all nothing but obedient little dogs. Dogs bred by the demons to follow orders, and kill on command... You''re literally no different than a Dotson that was bred to kill rats, and come to heel when called...¡±


    Expanding with her anger, Mica''s pupils became wide black-colored discs as she stared up at Mokai.


    ¡°Although, I guess there is one difference between you and a dog.¡± said Mokai as a condescending grin spread across his face ¡°Dogs aren''t pathetic enough to get emotional and fall apart, the way your kind does... So I guess that makes them better than you...¡±


    Clearly seething now, Mica''s rigid tail arched back even further behind her as she readied herself to move.


    -


    Intimately familiar with her kinds abilities, and fully aware that Mica was once again capable of utilizing her mana, Mokai knew, possibly better than anyone, just how dangerous she, and all shinoccubi, could truly be. The ease in which they could maneuver around an opponent was the key to their success. Their skill sets made pinning them down nearly impossible, and allowed them to often out right dominate a fight with cut and run tactics. With the added options to create shadow clones, teleport, shadow walk, become invisible and much more, the combinations of nonsense that they could unleash against an opponent were not only infinite, but down right deadly.


    And now, recognizing her intentions to attack for what they were, a means in which to sate her ingrained desire to kill her opponent, Mokai braced himself and readied his senses as he knew, that any second now, Mica would disappear from sight.


    Mokai knew, what Mica could do. He knew, everything that she was capable of. And he knew, exactly what she was going to do next...


    And he was wrong.


    -


    Bracing her tail against the floor behind her, Mica again used it as a springboard to shoot herself forward as she full on raced straight for Mokai.


    Surprised by her forward advance, Mokai was caught off guard as he blocked her first strikes. And was even more so surprised when she planted her tail against the floor in front of him and used it to lift herself up into the air so she could fight him face to face.


    Blocking and parrying her strikes with his human-like arms, Mokai came back to his senses and swiped at Mica''s tail with his legs, but she was apparently prepared for this. Whipping her tail up into the air, she dropped down to land on her feet and immediately fell back into her assault.


    Still expecting some aspect of her abilities to come into play, Mokai kept his awareness as open as possible whilst staying focused on Mica''s current stream of attacks. Watching her as intently as he was, a new surprising realization dawned on him as he began to register that her movements with the daggers had suddenly begun to feel much more natural. Although brand new to these weapons and still unrefined in their use, the flow Mica had achieved with them was already feeling far more at ease and fluid than it had ever been with the sword that she had tried to wield earlier.


    As his focus on her intensified, the area around them both seemed to slowly go distant until finally it was just the two of them fighting within their own tiny pocket of reality. Surrounded by nothing but a black void now, the movements of the two combats began to slip into a sort of rhythm as they became synced in their attacks.


    Watching the expression on Mica''s face as they fought, Mokai had expected her anger to quickly overwhelm her judgments and affect her ability to fight. What he found though, was quite the opposite.


    Rather than let her emotions get the better of her, the young kiochi had instead steeled herself and became focused enough to neither stumble nor overstep in her efforts. Where anger should have been blazing within her eyes, there was instead a new, different and unforeseen driving force at play. Mica''s raging fury had somehow been overtaken by a calm and fierce determination.


    This was not something Mokai had expected at all, and the most surprising aspect of this new outcome, was that behind this intense determination, there was no longer any blood lust to be seen.


    The shift in goals was subtle, but Mokai could still see it clearly. This was no longer a pseudo fight to the death for the kiochi. No. This fight had become something far more important than that.


    Mica was putting everything she could into this fight, but was not trying to beat him anymore. Instead she was standing against him, merely to prove that she actually could.


    She was showing them both, what she could really do.


    ¡°Yes!¡± breathed Mokai to himself as an elated smile spread across his face ¡°Finally!¡±


    Eyes wide, legs a quiver and chest swelling with excitement, Mokai threw himself full force into their dance of blades as he answered Mica''s challenge with his own. For if she sought to prove herself here, than he would be sure to give her the opponent she deserved.


    ¡°Go Mica!¡± cried out a cheer from Kianna as she too registered that the tone of this fight had suddenly shifted ¡°You got this!¡±


    ¡°Fucking get him!¡± roared Fiona as she balled her raised fists in excitement ¡°Show him what you can do, girl!¡±


    Heart racing in her chest, Mica couldn''t help but to smile broadly as she registered the cries of support. More determined now than ever, she dived through the air and flew head first right into the swirling whirlwind made up of Mokai''s attacking legs. Weaving herself between the bladed appendages, she made a path through them by blocking with her daggers and spade before dropping down to land on her thigh and sliding across the smooth wooden floor until she fully disappeared beneath the giant spider.


    ¡°What!?¡± exclaimed Mokai as he reared up onto his four back legs and moved backwards while looking downwards and searching for Mica.


    Whipping her tail upwards, Mica quickly wrapped its length around the thin cylinder-like section that connected Mokai''s front and back halves together and, using the spider''s own body as leverage, she lifted herself up, over and behind the tsuchigumo.


    Rising upwards as she held herself up with her tail, Mica tucked in her arms and legs as she slipped in between Mokai''s raised front limbs and sailed through the air as she arched over his back and headed straight for his head.


    As she got closer to her target, Mica''s own eyes widened as she saw the small white rings within the black orbs located at the base of Mokai''s skull shift within their depths and zero in on her. Her stomach instantly tightened as she realized she had already been spotted and her attempt to blindside the spider had clearly failed.


    Everything seemed to start moving in slow motion for Mokai as he watched the incoming kiochi bear down on him. Curling a front leg back, he forced her to block with the dagger in her right hand, but before he could do the same with her left, her arm shot forward with said dagger aimed straight between his eyes.


    Narrowing said eyes in question, Mokai hesitated in his movements as he noticed that Mica was going to continue her trend of surprising him by twisting her wrist and flipping her dagger to the side so that its tip was safely pointed away from him.


    Now with nothing but a closed fist hurtling towards the pair of black orbs, Mica made another unexpected move as she suddenly stopped her attack and left her fist sitting in the air a mere inch away from Mokai''s eyes.


    Freezing mid-motion, Mica, as well as the rest of the room, went completely still for several long heartbeats, as neither she, her opponent, nor their audience even dared to breathe.


    Staring at the white rings within Mokai''s eyes as they remained locked onto her frozen fist, a haggard sigh escaped from between Mica''s clenched teeth as the rings suddenly shifted upwards and focused their attention on her. Eyes met now, she took a deep breath as she narrowed her own eyes in challenge.


    ¡°Y-you!¡± she croaked as she struggled to find her voice ¡°You don''t know me!¡±


    Pulling her arm back to herself, Mica thumped her chest with her fist as she continued.


    ¡°You don''t know anything about me! Nothing!¡± she cried as a light sheen of moisture glazed her eyes ¡°I don''t care how much you know about my kind! They''re not me! None of them are!¡±


    Remaining completely still, Mokai merely stared in silence as the kiochi continued.


    ¡°I am me! I am the only me!¡± declared Mica ¡°And you don''t...! You, don''t...¡±


    Eyes still locked to Mokai''s black orbs, Mica began to waver at the end of her tail as her fatigue suddenly landed on her.


    ¡°Don''t... Please... I...¡± breathed the kiochi as her expression softened and became imploring ¡°I did my best! So please, please don''t disregard me anymore... Please...¡±


    Though Mica herself couldn''t see Mokai''s face from her vantage point, Anton and the dark elves could. And as they silently watched, the annoyed grimace the tsuchigumo wore slowly melted away until his expression became stoic.


    Blinking as she noticed movement taking place around her, Mica swiveled her head back and forth as Mokai''s curled legs began to ease themselves back and away from her. The kiochi''s stomach tightened even more at the realization of just how easily she could have been sliced to ribbons by the spider''s bladed limbs.


    Her path clear now, Mica tucked her own limbs back in as she floated out from over the tsuchigumo and quickly lowered herself to the floor. Once on her feet again, she pulled her tail back to herself and took several steps back before being slammed with an intense adrenaline crash.


    Arms hanging limp at her sides and her entire body trembling now, Mica let her daggers fall to clatter against the floor a moment before she too found her way downwards. Dropping down onto her haunches, she tucked her knees in against her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs as she took one quick breath after another and began to lightly rock back and forth.


    Turning around to face her, Mokai gazed down at the diminutive looking being and watched as her long sinuous tail quickly wound itself in tightly around her. As he stood there, he lightly flexed all of his limbs and triggered his gauntlets to split open again, so that their blades could disappear back within their depths.


    ¡°...Dual wielded weapons are clearly more your forte.¡± he said after a long moment of silence ¡°You did far better with those daggers than you ever did with the sword.¡±


    ¡°...Th-thank you.¡± whispered Mica.


    ¡°You may keep those daggers as a gift. Practice with them daily.¡± said Mokai as he slowly turned in a circle and faced away from her ¡°They''re good enough to train with, but would make for poor primary weapons. Replace them with something better as soon as you can.¡±


    Moving tentatively, Mica reached down with both hands and picked up the daggers before clutching them to herself.


    ¡°This was a good fight, Mica.¡± said Mokai as he made to move away ¡°...I enjoyed it.¡±


    ¡°Train me, please.¡± said Mica.


    ¡°No.¡± said Mokai as he stepped away from her.


    ¡°Please! ...I need your help!¡± cried Mica.


    Stopping in his tracks, Mokai went still as he gave her a chance to speak.


    ¡°...You know, how to fight my kind. ...And that''s what I need to learn!¡± exclaimed Mica as she looked up at him ¡°My family is going to come for me. ...They''ve already come for me. They''ve tried to kill me once already, and they''re going to come back!¡±


    Though his head itself never actually moved, several of Mokai''s eyes shifted to the bleachers and he frowned thinly when Anton nodded once in confirmation.


    ¡°I have to be ready to fight them.¡± continued Mica ¡°I have no choice. And I have to learn how to fight as fast as I can! ...So please, please teach me!¡±


    ¡°No.¡± said Mokai.


    ¡°Please!¡± cried Mica.


    ¡°No, Mica.¡± said Mokai ¡°This is your battle. And I am not going to involve myself or my school in it... I''m sorry.¡±


    ¡°I''ll do anything you ask! Anything at all!¡± said Mica as she fell to her hands and knees and let her head hang low ¡°Please! Please, I need your help... Please...¡±


    ¡°...No. I can''t do it, Mica.¡± sighed Mokai as he shook his head ¡°For the reasons I''ve stated as well as the fact that I''m already at capacity. You''re going to need a lot of time and attention focused on you. And even if I was willing to help. Every class I have is already full. I just don''t have the room for you. I''m sorry...¡±


    Trembling anew, Mica hunched in on herself and tightened her grips on her daggers as Mokai stepped away.


    Pausing at one of the wooden beams, Mokai tapped at a series of charms that once activated, caused a pale purple light to emanate from every surface of the ring. As the light faded, every damaged piece of wood within the ring was suddenly repaired.


    Watching the tsuchigumo stride back to the armoire, Anton began to quickly hand the stuffed animals on his lap to the dark elves. Nodding to them, he stood up and made his way over to Mokai.


    Coming to a stop right next to the larger being, Anton took on a casual air as he placed his hands in his pockets.


    ¡°...So? What do you think of her?¡± he asked as he looked up at the giant spider.


    Shifting his eyes to him, Mokai continued to carefully remove the gauntlets from his limbs as he spoke.


    ¡°...She has potential. She''s lacking in overall strength, but that can be fixed easily enough.¡± he said as his expression became thoughtful ¡°...She has a strong drive to succeed. ...More than likely this is due to her situation though.¡±


    ¡°Yeah...¡± mumbled Anton as he turned to watch the dark elves gather Mica up from the floor and guide her back to the bleachers ¡°She does have plenty of motivation...¡±


    ¡°...She is, different. And interesting.¡± said Mokai in a soft tone ¡°...I wonder, if perhaps being raised outside of a clan has affected her. If maybe that has changed her mentality in some way.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Anton as he focused his attention on Mica and raised an eyebrow ¡°Do you think there''s something wrong with her?¡±


    ¡°No. I wouldn''t say that.¡± said Mokai as he too watched the kiochi with the eyes on the back of his head ¡°If anything I''d say she is capable of being far more independently minded than her clan-bound kin. Since she doesn''t have the level of indoctrination they typically do... This may, or may not actually be a good thing though. As not only does it give her an extra degree of potential, it makes her very unpredictable as well... She surprised me today... More than once even.¡±


    Turning back to him, Anton was quiet for a moment before he softly cleared his throat.


    ¡°So, bearing all that in mind, do you think that she would make a good student?¡± he started as he craned his neck back to get a better look at Mokai''s face ¡°...For you?¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Mokai slowly shook his head.


    ¡°Even if I was willing to involve myself in this, Anton, I can''t.¡± he said as he placed the gauntlets from his human-like arms back in the armoire ¡°She''s going to need a lot of attention, special attention, and I''m already at my limit with students. ...I just don''t have the room for her.¡±


    ¡°There has to be some way though.¡± said Anton ¡°Some opening that she could fit in.¡±


    ¡°As I''ve said, I''m full already.¡± said Mokai as he shook is head ¡°And not only do my other instructors have full schedules already as well, but I have a waiting list a mile long. And I''m not going to break any of those agreements, Anton. ...I''m sorry.¡±


    ¡°No, don''t apologize. I understand...¡± said Anton as he turned back to gaze at Mica and the dark elves ¡°It''s just unfortunate is all...¡±


    ¡°It is, it really is.¡± said Mokai ¡°Though, it''s probably for the best as well. Especially considering she is, what she is...¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°She''s a shinoccubi, Anton. An Infernal. I have classes that are literally dedicated to dealing with her kind.¡± explained Mokai ¡°How do you think it would fair to have someone like her in that kind of class? Hm? Do you think the other students aren''t going to notice her, and single her out? Because of course they will... The whole thing would be asking for trouble...¡±


    ¡°...Right. ...You make a good point there.¡± said Anton.


    Contemplating the situation for a moment, Anton blinked as an idea suddenly popped into his head.


    ¡°Right, right... Then again... You know, Mokai...¡± he drawled as he looked back up at the spider ¡°I think you might be failing to realize that there is actually a very unique opportunity staring you straight in the face right now. And it''s not one that I think you''ll want to miss.¡±


    ¡°...Oh really?¡± said Mokai as he took on an air of light suspicion ¡°And what opportunity is this?¡±


    ¡°Well, you teach a class on how to deal with shinoccubi, correct?¡± said Anton.


    ¡°Yes. I do.¡± said Mokai in a blunt tone.


    ¡°And how would you like to add a living element to that class?¡± asked Anton ¡°A living, demonstration, if you will.¡±


    ¡°...What are you going on about?¡± questioned Mokai as he turned to fully face Anton.


    ¡°What I''m saying, is that you have an opportunity to give your students some real world training...¡± said Anton as a thin grin spread across his face ¡°Against not only a legitimate, real live shinoccubus. But one that can actually be trusted to stay in control, and not kill your students.¡±


    Mokai remained still for a moment before suddenly shifting his gaze over to Mica.


    ¡°...Of course.¡± continued Anton as his grin grew into a full smile ¡°You wouldn''t want to give your students the wrong idea, by letting them face an inexperienced shinoccubi... That didn''t know how to fight...¡±


    Mokai kept his eyes on Mica for a moment longer before turning back to the armoire and recommencing to remove his gauntlets.


    ¡°...That is certainly an interesting proposition, Anton.¡± he said in a soft tone ¡°Unfortunately though, it doesn''t change the fact that I still don''t have the room for her.¡±


    ¡°Well what if we did some kind of tutelage deal instead? Where she wouldn''t be a part of any of your main classes, but you just saw her with whatever time you can spare?¡± offered Anton ¡°And in exchange, your students will get the chance to face her themselves. Which, we both know, Mokai, that will be a far better experience than any lecture or textbook could ever give them.¡±


    His expression thoughtful, Mokai began to calmly crack his knuckles as he absently stared into the armoire.


    ¡°Hmph... I don''t know about this...¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°...What if I could sweetened the deal?¡± offered Anton.


    ¡°And how would you do that?¡± asked Mokai.


    ¡°Well, Mica isn''t the only potential opponent that''s available.¡± said Anton as his grin returned ¡°There is always myself, and my dark elves as well.¡±


    ¡°...Your dark elves?¡± questioned Mokai as he looked back at Fiona and Kianna ¡°...Those two aren''t just with you? You actually own them?¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡± smiled Anton ¡°And considering their kind can be a rather, confrontational, species. Giving your students an idea of what they can do wouldn''t necessarily be a bad idea, now would it?¡±


    ¡°...No. ...It really wouldn''t.¡± mused Mokai as he rubbed his chin.


    Shaking his head with a sigh, the tsuchigumo eyed Anton with annoyance as he crossed his arms over his chest. He was still for several long moments before he finally spoke again.


    ¡°...If we do this, Mica will follow the training program that I give her to the T.¡± said Mokai as he turned to fully face Anton ¡°And I mean to the T! Every exercise I lay out will be completed on the day it''s scheduled for, no exceptions! She needs to get her strength up as quickly as possible. So this is going to be the most import thing for her.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I agree.¡± nodded Anton.


    ¡°Things won''t be consistent schedule wise. I''ll have to go over my schedule each month and see where and how I can fit in a few lessons with her...¡± continued Mokai ¡°It won''t only be me that''ll be teaching her either, as there''s nowhere near enough time for that. So some of my other instructors will help to pick up the slack.¡±


    ¡°That''s fine, anything and everything will be helpful for her.¡± said Anton ¡°And also, if you''re not comfortable with her coming here regularly, we could always find another venue to meet at.¡±


    ¡°Mm, no, we have too much available here. I appreciate the offer but it''ll be easier to just do things here.¡± said Mokai as he sighed again ¡°You know, this is about to kill what little free time I have...¡±


    ¡°Ah, right...¡± chuckled Anton ¡°Sorry about that... Though, there is something else we might be able to work out. To give you a little more free time, that is.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and what''s that?¡± questioned Mokai.


    ¡°Well, and this is only if you''re comfortable with the idea of course.¡± grinned Anton as he turned back to the bleachers ¡°But if you and the Ms. are ever interested in having a little time to yourselves... We might be able to work out some kind of babysitting detail for you.¡±


    Following Anton''s gaze, Mokai couldn''t help but to grin himself as he spied his daughter sitting happily in Kianna''s lap while the cooing dark elf was reading her the Dragon Force Warriors book she had brought down earlier.


    ¡°I''d say Isabella has taken quite the shine to Kianna, and vice versa.¡± said Anton ¡°And while it may be a bit controversial to employ a natural born slave monger as a babysitter, you do have to consider...¡±


    Turning just enough to give Mokai a sideways grin.


    ¡°Anybody who might be looking to harm that child...¡± he said as he looked back at Kianna and Isabella ¡°Will have to get past that dark elf first.¡±


    ¡°...Hmph, now don''t get me wrong, Anton.¡± said Mokai with his own grin ¡°That''s a Hell of a pitch. But I do have to also consider the fact that your people are being targeted by shinoccubi assassins. Do you really think my daughter would be safe in the hands of your dark elf when that''s a factor?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, she''ll be fine.¡± said Anton as he waved his hand in a dismissive manner ¡°The fact that Mica is even still alive is proof of that.¡±


    ¡°...And what''s that supposed to mean?¡± questioned Mokai.


    ¡°Who do you think handled those assassins the first time they showed up, Mokai?¡± asked Anton as he looked up at the spider ¡°Do you really think that Mica fought them off herself?¡±


    Mokai was still for moment before chuckling softly.


    ¡°You should have seen it.¡± mumbled Anton as he shook his head ¡°They literally turned the sky black.¡±


    ¡°That sounds awful.¡± quipped Mokai.


    ¡°It was. But it was also spectacular.¡± said Anton.


    ¡°And you think I should trust my little girl to one of these monsters?¡± mocked Mokai.


    ¡°Yes, I do.¡± nodded Anton ¡°I can''t imagine you ever making a better decision.¡±


    Laughing softly, Mokai shook his head as he shut the armoire and turned towards the group at the bleachers.


    ¡°Tell you what, I''ll think about it.¡± he said as he made to move towards them ¡°In the meantime, why don''t we go give Mica the good news.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me.¡± smiled Anton as he fell into step beside the giant spider.

 Guilty x Creatures : Assassin Arc : Chapter 27 : Morning

    Chapter 27 : Morning


    ¡°God''s alive! I am so pumped right now!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she stood behind her chair and amateurishly punched and kicked at the open air in front of her ¡°I can''t wait to kick some ass!¡±


    ¡°You mean get our asses kicked...¡± grumbled Mica from her place at the table.


    Taking his seat, Anton chuckled softly as he opened his laptop and turned it on.


    ¡°Excuse you!¡± smiled Fiona as she twirled around in the open kitchen and let loose a mock karate chop ¡°You must be speaking for yourself there. Cause I don''t plan on getting my ass kicked!¡±


    ¡°Does anyone ever?¡± quipped Mica as she kept her eyes on the paper she was reading.


    The next morning had found them all sitting at the kitchen table while waiting for Kianna to come downstairs. Anton and Fiona were in their normal places while Kianna, having officially claimed the seat right next to Anton, had let Mica take over her old spot.


    Said kiochi was currently reading over the packet of paperwork that Mokai had sent her home with. This packet included a copy of everything she had filled out the day before as well as a strict and thorough workout plan, which was what she was presently looking over.


    ¡°You better get familiar with your own exercises too, Fiona.¡± said Anton as he tapped on the dark elf''s personal packet of paperwork ¡°You''re going to be facing trained fighters after all. You don''t want to slack off and get embarrassed by them, do you?¡±


    ¡°Fuck no I don''t!¡± said Fiona as she grabbed up the packet and flipped through it to her own workout plan ¡°...This is gonna be so great! I am so fucking excited for this!¡±


    ¡°This whole thing really did work out pretty well, all things considered.¡± nodded Anton as he clicked open his e-mails ¡°Not only will you get to sit in on Mica''s lessons, but you''ll also get a chance to see some action yourself. Which is exactly the kind of thing you need, considering what your goals are.¡±


    ¡°I know, right!?¡± smiled Fiona as she gleefully swayed her hips from side to side ¡°It''s just so perfect!¡±


    ¡°Goals?¡± questioned Mica as she glanced up at Fiona ¡°What are your goals?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡± drawled Fiona as she smiled devilishly ¡°I want to collect my own slaves! Which means that I''m probably going to have to beat the shit out of some of them first. Which is why I need to learn how to fight.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. You were talking to Kianna about that.¡± mumbled Mica.


    ¡°Yes... Speaking of which. Where is she?¡± asked Fiona as she looked over at the archway that led out of the kitchen.


    ¡°She''s supposedly getting ready.¡± said Anton as a thin grin spread across his face.


    ¡°Ready for what?¡± asked Fiona.


    ¡°Making breakfast, I think?¡± answered Anton ¡°At least that''s what I was led to believe, since she asked me not to start anything without her.¡±


    ¡°...Okay? That sounds weird, but whatever.¡± said Fiona as she shrugged in indifference.


    The room went quiet for a moment as everyone became focused on what they were reading.


    ¡°...Hm. Well now.¡± mused Anton as he looked over at Mica ¡°I''ve got an e-mail here from your Father, Mica. It seems he''d like me to meet with him and your Mother for lunch on Friday...¡±


    ¡°Oh... Really.¡± said Mica as her expression became pensive ¡°...Is that good news?¡±


    ¡°It''s, not unexpected. And I wouldn''t call it bad news, I guess.¡± said Anton ¡°This should just be about normal business matters, hopefully...¡±


    ¡°Right... So, do you think I should go with you?¡± asked Mica.


    ¡°...Well, maybe? ...I suppose you could. If you really wanted to.¡± said Anton ¡°...Do you want to?¡±


    ¡°...I don''t know?¡± mumbled Mica as her tail coiled nervously around her ¡°...Really, I don''t think that sounds like a good idea, personally.¡±


    ¡°Okay, good. Because honestly I don''t think it would be a good idea either.¡± said Anton as his expression became thoughtful ¡°Probably be best for me to just go on my own...¡±


    Fiona went to speak but stopped short as a gleeful call came from the archway.


    ¡°Oh, Master!¡± sang Kianna from a point just out of sight ¡°Are you in there!?¡±


    ¡°Yes...¡± grinned Anton as he tilted his head in a playful attempt to look out beyond the kitchen''s entrance ¡°I''m here.¡±


    ¡°Are you sitting down?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°Yes?¡± said Anton as he raised an eyebrow ¡°I''m at the table.¡±


    ¡°Perfect!¡± cooed Kianna.


    A moment later the dark elf''s long, stocking clad leg came into view as she kept the rest of herself hidden around the corner. Lifting her limb up high, she bent her leg at the knee and held it in the air for a second before taking a slow, sensual step forward. Smiling cheekily as she came out of hiding and locked eyes with Anton, Kianna rolled her hips from side to side as she sashayed out into the open and did a slow twirl in the middle of the archway as she put her new ¡°uniform¡± on full display.


    -


    The intricate little ensemble the dark elf was wearing was essentially a french maid outfit that had been micronized down into a tiny, barely there, bikini-like version of itself.


    Sheer lace, tiny bows, thin ribbons and ruffled frills all made up the bulk of the material that was now crisscrossing Kianna''s body in such a way that she was left with far, far more of her cocoa colored skin visible than covered.


    Her ample breasts poured out over a half cupped, push up bra which framed her bosom in such a way that her nipples were held up and out and would have been left fully exposed if they were not tucked out of sight beneath a pair of heart shaped pasties. Pasties so thin that the little mounds made by the nubs of female flesh hidden beneath them, could still be seen quite clearly.


    Thin, black-colored ribbons lined with white, frilly lace acted as a set of cuffs at her wrists and ran in crisscrossed patterns up her arms. The ends of these ribbons then wrapped around her neck before coming together and being tied off with a bow which rested at the back of her neck just above her collar.


    A matching set of ribbons made a similar pattern down her torso, wrapping tightly around her ribs and waist before again, being tied off with another even larger bow which rested at the small of her back.


    Bright white stockings, that were topped with frilly garters and tiny black bows, clad her thighs and calves and accentuated her slender legs as a pair of shiny black, four inch high heels lifted her entire frame upwards and left her to step with an elegant gait.


    Her stockings were held in place with a frill covered garter belt which rested snugly around her hips and gave the impression with its lacy frills, that she was wearing an extremely short, see through skirt.


    This belt also had a tiny, napkin sized apron attached along its front. An apron so small that it could barely even manage to cover the dark elf''s navel, let alone her sex.


    Said sex was instead kept hidden away by a pair of extremely tight, white-colored thong panties. Panties who''s material was so thin that the curved shapes of Kianna''s nether lips could quite obviously be seen being tantalizingly caressed beneath them.


    High above all of this, a frilled headband with a tiny black bow in its center sat upon Kianna''s head, and literally topped off her outfit.


    -


    ¡°Holy, shit...¡± breathed Fiona as her eyes went wide and her ears pointed themselves straight upwards ¡°Fuck you, Master. Seriously... Gods alive I hate you so much...¡±


    Stopping a few steps in front of Anton, Kianna took hold of her garter belts frills with just her fingertips and lightly bowed her head as she gave him a curtsy.


    ¡°Good morning, my Master...¡± she cooed softly as she closed her eyes and laid her ears back submissively ¡°How may I serve you today?¡±


    Taking a long moment to slowly drink in the sight before him, Anton couldn''t help but to smirk as he met Kianna''s lowered eyes. Her irises faintly aglow with excitement, the dark elf in waiting may have still had her head bowed but she now sported a cheeky, knowing half grin across her smug looking face.


    Chuckling softly, Anton reached out and took hold of the tiny apron before playfully pulling the nearly naked dark elf in closer.


    ¡°Well, well, well... It''s about time...¡± he breathed as he took hold of Kianna''s chin with his free hand and made her look at him directly ¡°Such a naughty little maid to make her master wait like this...¡±


    Blinking, Kianna quickly hid her grin away as she tightened her ears together behind her head and followed along.


    ¡°Apologies, my Master...¡± she whimpered softly as she moved in closer and bent over him ¡°Please forgive your poor maid. She tried her best to get ready as quickly as possible. But unfortunately, the time started to get away from her. And in the end, she knew what was more important...¡±


    Bending at the waist and leaning in close enough to send a wave of her scent washing over Anton, Kianna looked him deep in the eyes as she cupped his cheek with one hand and laid her other across his thigh.


    ¡°She knew, how important is was that she look only her very best... for her Master...¡± whispered the dark elf as she pointed her ears down and away from her head ¡°She knew... that her Master deserved only her best...¡±


    Mesmerized by Kianna''s ruby colored eyes, Anton barely even took a breath as he watched a series of faint, tiny sparkles begin to dance beautifully in the dark elf''s irises.


    ¡°Sadly though, your maid can only give so much...¡± whispered Kianna as her eyes became sorrowful ¡°She would give her Master everything, of course... She would be his, all of her... And she would please him, in any way that he wished... But sadly, due to the doctors orders... He cannot have that...¡±


    Frozen in his seat, Anton couldn''t help but to feel a stiffening in his shorts as Kianna began to softly and sensually rub her hand up and down his thigh.


    ¡°Of course...¡± breathed Kianna as she lightly brushed her fingertips across Anton''s crotch and let her lips hover tantalizingly over his own ¡°My Master could always just, break the rules... and just take whatever he wants...¡±


    Anton was still for a moment before a broad grin spread across his face.


    ¡°Why you evil little tease...¡± he sighed as he let his head loll forward and rested his forehead against the dark elf''s ¡°If I didn''t know that it was exactly what you wanted... I swear I would ravage you half to death right here and now...¡±


    Kianna giggled gleefully in her throat as she felt Anton''s needful hands wrap themselves tightly around her waist.


    ¡°Such a naughty, naughty little maid...¡± whispered Anton in a strained tone ¡°Whatever should I do with this naughty little maid...¡±


    ¡°You, you should just do whatever you want to...¡± breathed Kianna as she took his chin in both her hands and tentatively made to kiss him ¡°Like maybe, maybe you should just kiss her... please...¡±


    Anton began to laugh as he held Kianna at bay and leaned his head back.


    ¡°Oh for crying out loud, Kianna! It''s only been 1 day!¡± he exclaimed as he shook his head.


    Folding her legs up so as to be able to shimmy herself up onto his lap, Kianna kept her hold on his face as she again laid her ears back submissively.


    ¡°Yeah, but I already feel way better... And one little kiss isn''t going to hurt anything...¡± she mumbled as she tried to nuzzle their faces together ¡°It''ll be fine... We should just try it...¡±


    ¡°No, you little brat.¡± chuckled Anton ¡°Seriously, Kianna. You are so spoiled. One little thing you''re not allowed to do and now that''s all you want...¡±


    ¡°No... It''s not all I want...¡± whined Kianna as she shifted herself from side to side and rubbed her bottom across Anton''s lap ¡°But it would be a good start...¡±


    ¡°Oh? A good start for what exactly?¡± asked Anton as he dropped his hands down from around Kianna''s waist and playfully grabbed her bottom before giving each of butt cheeks a hard squeeze.


    Whimpering in excitement, Kianna nuzzled her lips against the side of Anton''s face and began to kiss him lightly along his jawline.


    Chuckling, Anton quickly twisted his head to the side to keep the dark elf from reaching his lips, much to her annoyance.


    ¡°They do know we''re still here, right?¡± said Mica as she eyed Fiona.


    ¡°Shut up, dumbass!¡± hissed Fiona ¡°You''re gonna scare em!¡±


    Laughing as he was reminded of the time and place, Anton cradled Kianna''s bottom in his arms and lifted her up with him as he rose out of his seat.


    ¡°Right, right. Breakfast time... Breakfast first, Kianna... Then we''ll deal with you and your uniform...¡± he said as he made his way around the table and headed towards the stove.


    Kianna merely giggled in response as she wiggled about in his arms and continued to try and kiss his dodging lips.


    A few minutes later found the two of them still engrossed in each other as they slowly put breakfast together.


    It wasn''t long into them mixing up a bowl of pancake batter that Kianna''s playful antics resulted in Anton''s hair taking on a light coating of white powder and in her, much to her delight, sporting a white handprint across each of her butt cheeks.


    Though she feigned disinterest with what was going on around her, in truth, Mica was far from uncomfortable with Anton and Kianna''s activities and was actually even quite grateful for them. This was mostly due to the fact that they were currently filling the air around them with light waifs of tantric energy. Sweet, delicious tantric energy which the unassuming cubi was more than happy to quietly absorb off them.


    And it was while enjoying this treat, and sitting there staring at but not actually reading the piece of paper in her hand, that she began to notice a second quickly growing source of energy in the room.


    ¡°...Uh, are you okay?¡± she asked as she eyed Fiona who was standing just to the side of her ¡°You seem kinda, tense...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that''s probably because I''m feeling pretty tense right now...¡± muttered Fiona as she kept her eyes on her sister''s backside ¡°God''s alive, this just isn''t fair...¡±


    Following Fiona''s gaze to Anton and Kianna, Mica turned back to the dark elf and gave her a questioning look.


    ¡°So is Kianna the only one he''s interested in? Or what?¡± she asked in a hushed tone ¡°Or does he just not like you?¡±


    ¡°...Huh? What are you talking about?¡± asked Fiona.


    ¡°I''m talking about how they''re, them, and you''re not.¡± said Mica ¡°Like, are they an actual couple or something?¡±


    ¡°...Oh, uh, yeah, I guess they are. For the most part at least.¡± said Fiona ¡°Not that I would have any interest in being a part of that mess. Yeah, no thank you.¡±


    ¡°...Uh, you sure about that?¡± questioned Mica ¡°Because no offense. But from where I''m sitting it definitely seems like you''re interested...¡±


    ¡°Well yeah, in Kianna, sure.¡± said Fiona with a shrug ¡°But I could do without the Y chromosome over there... God''s alive, just look at that ass... Mmm, maybe if I ask nicely I can get a turn with her too?¡±


    ¡°...Wait, what!? Excuse me!?¡± said Mica as she blinked in question ¡°Hold on, are you a lesbian!?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I am. Did you not know that?¡± said Fiona.


    ¡°...No. No one told me that!¡± mumbled Mica ¡°So... then... All this time that you''ve been fucking around with me... Were you serious!?¡±


    ¡°What the Hell are you talking about now?¡± questioned Fiona ¡°What have I been fucking around with you with?¡±


    ¡°Uh, everything! Talking about how I''m hot, or trying to make me model shit for you and crap like that!¡± explained Mica ¡°You weren''t just being a bitch with all that?¡±


    ¡°Oh. Yeah, no. I''m totally serious about all that.¡± said Fiona as she let her eyes fall to Mica''s bust ¡°Yeah, no, I would totally fuck you silly right now even... Well, right after Kianna that is...¡±


    ¡°...Okay. Hold on, aren''t you guys sisters!?¡± asked Mica ¡°Like actual sisters!?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We''re sisters. So what though?¡± said Fiona as her demeanor became smug ¡°You saying you''ve never fucked your sister before?¡±


    ¡°...I! N-no! Of course not!¡± stammered Mica.


    ¡°Really? That''s kinda surprising...¡± mused Fiona ¡°I mean, I get that your sister''s a bitch. But she''s still pretty hot. Definitely fuckable. I would absolutely fuck her if I were you.¡±


    ¡°...She''s my sister! You sicko!¡± exclaimed Mica as her face reddened a bit ¡°What''s wrong with you!?¡±


    ¡°Oh? Well now... What''s with this embarrassment, Mica?¡± said Fiona in mock surprise ¡°C''mon now. There''s no reason to hide anything here, so just come out with it. With a sister as hot as yours, you can''t tell me that you''ve never even once thought about fucking her... I know you have...¡±


    ¡°No! No I haven''t! What the Hell! I''ve never even considered that!¡± cried Mica.


    ¡°Seriously? Huh... Man, you really are like the shittiest cubi ever.¡± said Fiona as she shook her head in disappointment ¡°You''re supposed to be like a total slut by default but instead you''re a, a... boring, blushing maiden, or something. Which is just stupid. You''re so stupid, Mica. Quit being so stupid.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, bitch! Just because I''m a cubi doesn''t mean I''m automatically a freak too!¡± exclaimed Mica ¡°And you''re one to talk about failed stereotypes. When you''re sitting here as a dark elf slave. To a human even. Talk about fucking up royally...¡±


    ¡°...Why you little shit.¡± said Fiona as she turned and loomed over the still sitting kiochi ¡°How dare you!¡±


    ¡°Oh, did I strike a nerve...¡± mumbled Mica as she leaned back from the dark elf and curled her tail up over her head.


    Feeling the first faint pinpricks of Fiona''s aura forming in around her, Mica pointed the tip of her spade at the dark elf and flexed out her barbs in warning.


    ¡°What are you two fighting about now?¡± said Anton as he came up to the table and set down a plate of pancakes.


    The two women immediately started speaking over each other as they both blamed the other for their argument. Their ranting ended with them both saying ¡°And then this bitch actually went there!¡± in unison.


    Anton couldn''t help but to laugh as they both glared at each other.


    ¡°Anyways, it doesn''t matter... Honestly I think I''m just kind of on edge right now...¡± mumbled Fiona.


    ¡°Well yeah. As pent up as you are, it''s no surprise you''re on edge...¡± said Mica in an absent tone as she turned her attention to the pancakes Anton had brought over.


    ¡°Yeah, I really, really need to get my own slave to play with... Or if not that, then at least someone to practice on...¡± said Fiona as she leaned back over the kiochi and smiled down at her ¡°You wouldn''t perhaps be interested in volunteering for that role, now would you? I promise I''ll make you feel good if you say yes...¡±


    Grimacing as she hunched down and away from the looming dark elf, Mica narrowed her eyes and shook her head.


    ¡°Yeah, no thanks...¡± she muttered ¡°I''ve seen how you dark elves like to play with your victims already, and I don''t need another reminder of how fucked up you are...¡±


    Fiona laughed as she eased herself up and away.


    ¡°Girl... You are so lucky you''re off limits...¡± she said as she grinned evilly ¡°I would do so many horrible things to you...¡±


    Sighing dramatically, Fiona stepped back from Mica and slumped her shoulders as she took on an air of mock depression.


    ¡°Alas, such is not meant to be...¡± she said as she shook her head sadly ¡°I guess I''ll just have to continue going on without an outlet for my stress... Oh, woe is me, doomed to suffer endlessly...¡±


    Chuckling at Mica''s annoyed expression, Anton turned to Fiona while sporting his own playful looking grin.


    ¡°Well. You know, Fiona. Mica''s not the only option when comes to practice candidates for you.¡± he said as he met the dark elf''s eye ¡°There is technically another slave in this house. One that even seems to be just as pent up as you are.¡±


    Fiona''s eyes slowly went wide as she realized his implication.


    ¡°And considering how much said slave has been misbehaving this morning...¡± said Anton as his grin broadened and became sinister looking as he shifted his gaze to the side ¡°I''d say she could definitely do with a bit of discipline...¡±


    Following his lead, Mica and Fiona both turned to look in the same direction as Anton.


    Standing in the middle of the kitchen with another plate of pancakes in her hands, Kianna blinked in uncertainty as she found that everyone''s eyes were now on her. Taking in Anton and Fiona''s hungry looking expressions, and suddenly feeling exposed in her nearly naked state, the dark elf reflexively pressed her thighs together and nervously hunched her shoulders.


    ¡°Um, uh oh...¡± she whimpered softly as she laid her ears back submissively.


    -


    Some time later found Kianna down in the dungeon and standing by herself in the middle of a large open space beneath a bright, overhead lamp.


    Far off to her left, just outside the circle of light she had been made to stand under, sat Anton in one of the high-backed chairs. A small nightstand-like table had been set up right next to him and this was currently holding a bucket of ice containing a bottle of lightly chilled white wine and an empty glass.


    Though his features were obscured by the shadows he was sitting in, Kianna could still tell that he was smirking at her, and so the pouting dark elf pointed her ears straight back as she glared back at him.


    Having been stripped of her uniform, Kianna made an attempt to deny Anton a show by covering up as much of nakedness as she could, but much to her annoyance, it quickly became clear that he was more amused by her efforts than not.


    ¡°Stupid Master...¡± she muttered before looking away from him with a huff.


    Chuckling softly, Anton shook his head as he took the bottle of wine from the ice and poured himself a glass.


    Having given Fiona permission to practice some rope work on his slave today, Anton had no intention of participating directly in their activities, but was merely there to watch over them and make sure that the overly zealous Fiona didn''t take things too far in her excitement and that a repeat of earlier incidents in which being restrained caused the dark elves to panic, didn''t happen again.


    And while he had every intention of also enjoying Kianna''s company himself, in time. Forcing his little dark elf to wait that much longer, and having her go through an afternoon of torment at the hands of her sister, not only sounded quite entertaining, but was also a fitting punishment for the attempted kiss stealing little stunt she had pulled earlier.


    Kianna''s ears went from a straight back stance to up and alert just a moment before Fiona stepped out of the dungeon''s walk-in closet and into the main room.


    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she strutted into the light and smiled broadly at her sister ¡°Hopefully you didn''t get too chilly...¡±


    Stopping just in front of Kianna, Fiona''s haughty confidence was on full display as she posed for her sister and showed off her outfit.


    Dressed in skintight black leather pants with a bright red belt, arm length leather gloves, and a frilled equestrienne style dress shirt with a tiny red overcoat that was wrapped around her shoulders, Fiona had clearly embraced the woman in charge visage with her choice of attire. Her high heeled, knee length boots and the long, rolled up bullwhip hanging from her hip completed her slave tamer image.


    Kianna let her eyes slowly rove over Fiona''s outfit before bringing her gaze back up to her face.


    ¡°You look like the ringleader of a circus...¡± she said dryly ¡°All you''re missing is a top hat...¡±


    Taken aback, Fiona blinked before pointing her ears straight back in anger.


    ¡°I! You! No I don''t!¡± she cried in affront.


    ¡°Uh, yeah you do.¡± said Kianna as she folded her arms across her chest.


    ¡°...Why you little bitch! I do not look like a fucking ringleader!¡± exclaimed Fiona.


    Kianna cocked an eyebrow before shifting her gaze over to Anton for confirmation. Following her lead, Fiona also turned to him and gave him an expectant look.


    Anton stared back at them for a moment before suddenly becoming very interested in his wineglass.


    ¡°Okay, you know what! Fuck the both of you!¡± stated Fiona as Kianna smiled smugly ¡°Neither of you know what you''re even talking about!¡±


    ¡°Uh huh...¡± drawled Kianna as she cocked her hip and smiled cattily.


    ¡°...You know, you''ve got quite an attitude for a naked slave whose waiting to be tied up.¡± said Fiona as she stepped up to her sister.


    Unable to utilize neither her mana nor her aura, as both were currently being barred by Anton via her collar, Kianna could do nothing but stiffen in unease as Fiona''s aura suddenly surrounded her.


    ¡°I''ve had quite enough sass out of you...¡± mumbled Fiona as she summoned a green glowing riding crop into her hand and used it to lift Kianna''s chin ¡°Maybe I should do something about that mouth of yours... Maybe I should put it to work...¡±


    With her boots currently giving Fiona several inches over her, Kianna couldn''t help but to have to look up at her sister. She swallowed a lump in her throat as she watched Fiona''s eyes begin to glow with a hungry looking red light.


    ¡°Or maybe I''ll save that for later...¡± said Fiona as she smiled at the defiant nervousness in her sister''s eyes ¡°Maybe I''ll start with you instead...¡±


    Kianna couldn''t help but to lightly jump as Fiona suddenly dropped her whip away from her chin and used it to slap lightly at her inner thighs.


    ¡°Spread your legs, slave...¡± said Fiona in a quiet but commanding tone.


    Kianna was still for a moment before she pointed her ears straight back and reluctantly did what she was told.


    ¡°Now there''s a good girl...¡± smiled Fiona as she let her whip fall to melt away and cupped her now free hand over her sister''s slit ¡°Let''s see what you have for me here...¡±


    Kianna couldn''t help but to make a tiny sound in the back of her throat as she felt Fiona slowly slide her fingers between the lips of her sex a few times before tentatively slipping two of her fingers inside her. Clenching her jaw, Kianna balled her fists and resisted the urge to press her thighs together as Fiona''s invading digits began to teasingly curl within her.


    ¡°Hmm... Not quite wet yet...¡± mused Fiona as she gleefully watched her sister squirm ¡°But I doubt it would take much to get you there... Too bad for you though, that isn''t the plan... Yet...


    Tightening her hold and using the fingers she had inside Kianna as leverage, Fiona jerked her sister forward and held her against herself as she gazed down into her eyes.


    ¡°First it''ll be the rest of you that I''ll be focusing on instead...¡± smiled Fiona ¡°Especially these parts...¡±


    Eyes going wide in surprise, Kianna''s ears pointed themselves straight upwards as Fiona suddenly took hold of her breasts and began to roughly mash them together.


    ¡°Oh yeah... I''m gonna have some fun with these puppies...¡± said Fiona as she laughed softly and playfully massaged the warm, soft mounds of female flesh ¡°Gods alive, I can''t wait!¡±


    Kianna blinked as Fiona suddenly darted away from her.


    ¡°I''ve got to get ready!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she rushed over to a stack of furniture and quickly returned with another nightstand like table.


    Kianna merely stood there and quietly watched as her sister then raced back and forth from one display case to another as she collected her supplies and brought them back to the table. Suddenly feeling exposed again in her nakedness, Kianna couldn''t help but to cross her arms protectively over her chest as she watched a pile of ropes slowly begin to grow on the table.


    ¡°Uh, don''t you think that''s enough, Fiona?¡± she questioned as she continued to nervously eye the heap of ropes ¡°I mean, do you really need this much rope just to practice with?¡±


    Stopping short, Fiona stared at her sister for a moment before marching off to another display case.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Yeah. That''s enough out of you.¡± she said as she came sauntering back with a white-colored ball gag held out in front of her ¡°Your speaking privileges are hereby revoked.¡±


    ¡°Oh, c''mon! A gag too! Seriously!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as she held up her hands.


    ¡°Don''t act surprised.¡± said Fiona with a smile ¡°You knew this was bound to happen.¡±


    Pointing her ears straight back, Kianna clenched her jaw and glared at her sister.


    Still smiling, Fiona merely waited as she held the gag up to Kianna''s tight lipped mouth.


    After a short standoff, Kianna rolled her eyes with a huff and reluctantly opened her mouth.


    ¡°Good girl.¡± teased Fiona as she popped the ball in place and stepped around to buckle the gag tightly.


    With her ability to speak clearly now cut off by the large white ball that was wedged between her teeth, Kianna''s retort came in the form of a low grumbling growl of irritation.


    ¡°And to make sure you don''t mess with it...¡± said Fiona gleefully ¡°Let''s get those hands locked away too, shall we!?¡±


    Moving over to the pile of ropes, Fiona selected a nice 6 foot length of 8mm jute rope that had been dyed a bright white. She choose this particular style because despite it being softened to a comfortable degree with a bit of added nylon during its processing, its twined shape was still defined enough that it would leave clear impressions on a subjects skin if wrapped appropriately tight. And she was of course going to make sure that it was indeed, wrapped tightly enough to do so.


    ¡°Wrists together, slave...¡± smiled Fiona as she shortened her rope by folding it in half ¡°And behind the back, if you will.¡±


    Clenching her jaw, and driving the tips of her sharpened fangs into the gag''s rubber ball in the process, Kianna clasped her hands together behind her back.


    ¡°Not like that. Keep your wrists pressed together, but make two fists.¡± said Fiona as she stepped around behind her.


    When Kianna did as she was told, Fiona stopped for a moment to admire the shapely form in front of her.


    With her shoulders rolled back, her arms held rigid against the gracefully smooth, arching slope of her back, and her hands held together at the wrists and resting over the soft mounds of her rump, Kianna was, in Fiona''s eyes, a perfect example of true feminine beauty.


    For years Fiona''s dreams, both waking and not, had been filled with the tantalizing visages of the fairer sex. She dreamed of the smooth, round shapes, elegant curves and soft bends of the female form, and of moments just like this, moments in which she could freely enjoy the full splendor of just such a form in all of its spectacular glory.


    And she dreamed of enhancing that form.


    She dreamed of molding it, sculpting it, curling, bending, stretching and finally, binding it into the exotic shapes that she desired to see it in.


    With her own hands, she would take a person and combine their helpless living flesh, with lifeless merciless bounds, and create art. Art that would showcase just how hauntingly beautiful the female form could truly be.


    But that was getting ahead of things.


    She still needed to practice this craft before she could ever hope to achieve her goal of turning a body into a work of art.


    The idea of practicing was no less exciting for her though, as she had forever longed for a time wherein she would have full power over a waiting subject. And while deep down she knew full well that it was both a bit surreal that she would be using another dark elf''s body for practice, and her own sister''s body at that, and that Kianna was not truly her slave to do with as she pleased, the situation was still close enough to her dreams for her to fully enjoy it.


    So now all but giddy with excitement, Fiona set to work on binding her sister''s hands together.


    Pulling what she thought was the correct pattern from memory, Fiona looped her rope around Kianna''s wrists several times before back tracking and trying again and again. Unable to get things just right, she quickly grew frustrated enough to take a step back and fume.


    ¡°Hey. Don''t move. I''ll be right back.¡± she huffed as she stepped around Kianna and made her way back to the walk-in closet.


    Blinking in confusion, Kianna waited and watched the closet until Fiona came sprinting back out of it.


    ¡°Sorry about that!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she speedily retook her place behind Kianna ¡°Just needed to check something real quick...¡±


    Crouching down to get a better view of what she was doing, Fiona hastily looped her rope back around Kianna''s wrists and grinned as the type of binding she was aiming for finally began to take shape. When it was complete, Kianna''s hands were separated by a length of rope wedged between them, and yet were still locked together at the wrists. This type of tie would leave enough rope for Fiona to loop the last bit of it upwards to the top of the wedge, where she could then tie it off in a knot that would be out of reach of Kianna''s probing fingers.


    That was the plan at least, but as she tried to tie off the rope it quickly became apparent that her knot wasn''t going to work. And so, sighing in irritation, she stood up and without another word, stomped back to the closet.


    Watching her go, Kianna cocked one of her ears in a questioning manner and turned to Anton.


    Having a pretty good idea of what was going on, Anton got up from his seat and made his way over to the closet.


    ¡°Hello, Fiona?¡± he said as he knocked on the door frame.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. I''ll be right there!¡± growled Fiona from within ¡°Just one sec...¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Anton.


    There was a slight pause before Fiona huffed and appeared in the doorway.


    ¡°I''m just checking something real quick...¡± she grumbled as she indicated the book she was holding.


    ¡°Mm hm, I figured that was what you were doing...¡± nodded Anton as he eyed the cover of what was obviously a bondage guide book ¡°Why don''t you just bring your book out with you? Why are you trying to hide it?¡±


    ¡°Because it ruins the mood!¡± complained Fiona ¡°...And also it''s kind of embarrassing. I''ve read this book so much that I should already know how to do this. But I keep fucking up my loops, and I can''t even get my knot right.¡±


    ¡°You''re practicing.¡± said Anton with a shrug ¡°And I''m sure you''re excited, so it''s no surprise that you''d be getting floundered a bit. Don''t worry about it though. Just bring your book with you, learn how to do things right, and eventually you won''t need it.¡±


    Hesitating a moment, Fiona said nothing as she glanced down at her book.


    ¡°...It''s going to be more embarrassing if you have to keep running back over her every few minutes.¡± chuckled Anton as he turned and made to head back to his chair ¡°But you do this how you want to. Personally, if it was me, that book would be the last thing I''d keep hidden, and the first thing I would have shown to my slave.¡±


    ¡°...Huh? Why?¡± questioned Fiona as she followed after him.


    Glancing over his shoulder at her, Anton grinned.


    ¡°Because I think it would be fun to show them exactly what I''m going to do to them.¡± he said around a smile.


    Staring at him for a moment, Fiona smiled back.


    ¡°Okay, yeah, that''s a pretty good idea.¡± she said as they both turned their eyes to Kianna.


    Finding their attention on her, and registering their evil looking grins, Kianna''s ears lowered themselves as she hunched her shoulders and whimpered nervously.


    ¡°Hey, slave...¡± cooed Fiona as she came up to her and held her opened book up for her to see ¡°Check it out... What do you think of this?¡±


    Staring at the picture of a naked, tightly bound, female model for a moment, Kianna''s eyes slowly went wide as she looked up at Fiona.


    ¡°Yep. That''s gonna be you in a little while. It''s a pretty intense tie, huh? Says it''s kinda tough to pull off too, for first timers at least. Don''t worry though, I''ll figure it out. And I''ll make sure everything''s tight enough that you''ll look just like this.¡± smiled Fiona as she turned the book around and flipped to the page that she needed ¡°But first things first... Gotta make you helpless...¡±


    Whining miserably, Kianna looked down at her breasts and shuddered as Fiona stepped back behind her.


    Having propped her book up on the table so she could see it clearly, Fiona made quick work with her knots, and with Kianna''s hands now finally out of the way, she moved on to the next step.


    Having Kianna kneel down until she was sitting on her knees, Fiona sat down with her and spent the next half hour clumsily looping rope around and in between her sister''s bent legs as she worked to bind her up in what was, according to the book, called a ¡°Frog tie¡± style of bondage. When she was finished, Fiona had left Kianna''s legs bound in such a way that her ankles were molded against her thighs and she could no longer stand up at all. Thus she was trapped on her knees now, but with her legs tied up in such a way that her sex was still open and readily available.


    Annoyed with this situation as a whole, Kianna spent her time mostly glaring at her sister while also taking tentative glances at Anton, as she was still very conscious of the fact that he was watching them.


    Knowing full well how much pleasure he took in teasing and bullying her himself, there was little doubt in her mind that he would enjoy seeing her in the predicament that she was in now. And while she would much rather be playing with him at the moment, knowing that she was still giving him a good show was exciting enough on its own, or at least for now it was...


    ¡°Okay, that''s done! Legs are good!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she stood up and rubbed her hands together ¡°Now for the main piece!¡±


    Kianna again whimpered nervously as she tightened her shoulders and hunched over in a bid to hide her bust.


    ¡°Aw, are you worried? That''s so cute!¡± teased Fiona as she turned the pages in her book back to the tie she had shown Kianna earlier ¡°And completely understandable...¡±


    The bondage tie being showcased was a form of heavy breast bondage that consisted of an intricate rope harness that encased the entire upper torso, from the shoulders down to the belly, and acted as a frame from which ropes that were wrapped tightly around the base of subjects breasts could be anchored to.


    Far and away it was sort of like a bondage style bikini top, though one that rather than actually cover the wearer''s breasts, would instead expose and accentuate them as much as possible.


    Fiona wasted no time as she began to set up the groundwork for this tie. She started by laying out all the lengths of ropes that she would need, and then draping several of them over Kianna''s shoulders.


    ¡°Hold these for a sec...¡± she said as she gleefully measured out two lengths of rope by pulling them down and positioning them over Kianna''s breasts.


    With the looped ends of the rope left to rest teasingly just over her nipples, Kianna''s chest tightened in anticipation.


    Though she knew that her watching Master wouldn''t let any real harm come to her, Kianna was also fairly confident that Fiona had no intention of being gentle with her in any way. And thus, while she had accepted her fate already, the nervous dark elf couldn''t help but to worry that the uncomfortable looking tie would actually be painful for her to endure.


    In an effort to put these thoughts out of her mind, Kianna let her eyes drift to the side and did her best to try and ignore what her sister was doing to her. This of course became harder and harder to do as she felt more and more of the ropes being looped and tightened around her body.


    About midway through the tie, Fiona suddenly became frustrated with the rigid angle that Kianna''s arms were being forced to rest in, as they were making it harder for her to complete her tie properly. And so she quickly untied her sister''s wrists and preceded to instead fold her arms together behind her back, layering them from wrist to elbow before tying them back together.


    Kianna just rolled her eyes as Fiona apparently felt the need to keep apologizing for having to redo this.


    With Kianna''s arms now in a better position, Fiona was finally able to incorporate them fully into her tie, and as the lengths of rope were threaded around her limbs, Kianna found that any attempt to move her arms resulted in the tightening of the rope harness that was quickly taking shape around her chest.


    As her framework began to near completion, Fiona anchored it all down by vigorously wrapping a long length of rope around Kianna''s belly, just below her ribs, and tying this off with a heavy knot. And as she viciously tightened this down, Kianna''s waist began to take on a bit of an extreme hourglass shape.


    Grunting softly as the air was forced from her chest by the tightening bounds, Kianna began to take in more rapid, shallower breaths to compensate for the lack of room she had been left to breathe freely with.


    With everything else now ready, Fiona finally turned her attention to her ties main attraction.


    ¡°...Mm! Hmph!¡± grunted Kianna in surprise as her nipples were suddenly and ruthlessly pinched hard.


    ¡°Oooo, already feeling sensitive, are we?¡± mocked Fiona as she smiled at her sister''s blushing glare and playfully rolled the captured nips between her fingers ¡°Getting nice and hard too... That''s just perfect!¡±


    Embarrassed by her body''s betrayal, Kianna pointed her ears straight back and growled through her gag.


    ¡°Hold the attitude for a little longer, sweety.¡± grinned Fiona ¡°You can complain all you want when we''re done. ...Which, we''re almost there. Just one more spot to go.¡±


    Lowering her gaze, Fiona smiled wickedly as she gave her sister''s nipples another hard squeeze and set to work.


    Taking the ropes she had earlier laid out over Kianna''s breasts, and subsequently half covered by another part of the harness, Fiona made sure they still had enough slack before picking up another two lengths of even thinner rope.


    ¡°Bend over...¡± said Fiona as she placed her hand on her sister''s shoulder and guided her forward ¡°Right there... Perfect...¡±


    Leaning forward enough so that her breasts were now hanging in midair, Kianna couldn''t help but to lower her ears as she felt Fiona shimmy one of the lengths of rope into place and begin to furiously wind the cord around the base of her left breast.


    With the second cord soon wrapped tightly around her sister''s right breast, Fiona took the still hanging lengths, which were now buried beneath the many loops of rope and the makeshift harness, and used these to pull the bound breasts up and back before finally tying everything off behind Kianna''s neck. Taking several more lengths of rope, Fiona then repeated this process two more times, though these ropes were subsequently anchored to the bottom and sides of the harness that encased Kianna''s chest.


    Whimpering as she was made to sit back upright by her sister''s guiding hands, Kianna pointed her ears straight upwards as she looked down at what had become of her bosom.


    When it was all said and done, the poor dark elf was left sporting a full dozen full loops of rope around the base of each of her ample breasts, and this caused the heavily confined female flesh to swell with the constriction and stand out like two luscious melons a full three inches away from her heaving chest.


    Staring down at her bound bust, Kianna whimpered again and lowered her ears as her sister''s hands slowly came into view.


    Wrapping her fingers around each of Kianna''s swollen globes, Fiona swore softly as she began to tentatively squeeze and fondle them.


    ¡°Damn... This came out perfectly...¡± she whispered excitedly as she looked over her handiwork ¡°...So, does this hurt? Or does it feel good?¡±


    ¡°Mmm...¡± grumbled Kianna as she hunched her shoulders into a shrug.


    While not in any actual pain, her bound breasts were certainly tingling with sensation as their now constricted state caused them to become quite sensitive.


    ¡°Fuck, this is sweet...¡± smiled Fiona as she continued to lightly and playfully bounce her sister''s bound breasts ¡°You know... I never really noticed before, but you''ve got some pretty big tits, Sis. Like these are some full fucking udders here... I wonder if I squeeze em hard enough, maybe I can get some milk to come out of em?¡±


    ¡°...Hmph!? Mm mm! Mm mm!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she pointed her ears straight upwards and frantically shook her head.


    Laughing, Fiona moved her probing fingers to Kianna''s nipples and began to rub them while smiling viciously.


    ¡°Aw, what''s the matter? You don''t want to be turned into a little moo cow!?¡± she teased ¡°You''d rather stay the little dark elf slave bitch you are instead?¡±


    Pointing her ears straight back, Kianna glared at her sister before looking away with a huff.


    Still laughing softly, Fiona stared at her sister for a moment before her smile suddenly turn wicked again.


    ¡°You know, you''ve had a pretty shit attitude this whole time. But I think I''ve got an idea to fix that.¡± she said gleefully ¡°This is something that will either be a complete blessing for you, or just straight up add to your torment. Which honestly, I''m good with either way!¡±


    Turning to her, Kianna raised an eyebrow in suspicion as Fiona quickly stood up.


    ¡°You just sit tight, I''ll be right back!¡± said Fiona as she mockingly patted Kianna on the head before turning and rushing off back to the closet.


    Within moments the grinning dark elf returned with a curved, white, plastic shampoo-like bottle and an artists paintbrush.


    ¡°I actually just remembered I had this last night when I was thinking about what we did to Mica.¡± said Fiona as she sat down cross-legged in front of Kianna ¡°It''s too bad I hadn''t thought about it back when we were torturing her. We could have really fucked her up with this!¡±


    Staring at the bottle for a second, Kianna brought her eyes back up to her sister and gave her a questioning look.


    ¡°Don''t worry. You''ll find out what this is soon enough!¡± laughed Fiona as she cracked open the bottle.


    ¡°Hold on a second, Fiona. What is that?¡± asked Anton ¡°And what exactly does it do?¡±


    ¡°Oh, this? Don''t worry, it''s nothing bad...¡± smiled Fiona ¡°It''s just, kind of like a special kind of lube...¡±


    Anton cocked an eyebrow as he gave her an expectant look.


    ¡°...Okay, okay! It''s a female aphrodisiac. A concentrated nymph extract to be exact.¡± explained Fiona ¡°It''s totally harmless though. And even organic. See, says right here on the bottle...¡±


    Holding the bottle up, Fiona pointed at the label before continuing.


    ¡°It''s not gonna hurt her, promise. It just amplifies a girls already existing arousal, and makes her super sensitive. In other words, it''s just gonna drive her little slut ass crazy for a bit.¡± said Fiona as she smirked at her fuming sister ¡°A quick soak of this should do wonders for her mood, and make the day a little more fun...¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see. How long does it last?¡± asked Anton as Kianna swiveled her head to him and gave him a wide eyed look.


    ¡°Just till you burn it up. It''s not supposed to last forever or anything.¡± said Fiona ¡°Basically we get her off a few times and she''ll be back to normal.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, alright then. Go ahead with it.¡± said Anton with a chuckle.


    ¡°Mmph!¡± cried Kianna through her gag in affront.


    ¡°Sweet!¡± sang Fiona as she immediately stuck her paintbrush into the bottle and began to swirl it around ¡°It''s too bad this is clear and not black or white. It would actually be kind of funny to paint you in spots like a real moo cow... Maybe I''ll get some body paint for next time. Oh! And some clamps with little cow bells on them for your nipples!¡±


    ¡°Hmph! Mm mm! Mm mm!¡± growled Kianna as she shook her head.


    Still smirking, Fiona lathered up her paintbrush with the gel-like concoction and teasingly swirled a line of it around her sister''s nipple, covering her areola as she went.


    Kianna immediately shuddered as the sensation of having the paintbrush''s bristles against her skin was far more intense than she had anticipated. Laughing at her reaction, Fiona quickened her pace with the brush, and within just a few minutes she had layered a full coat of gel across her sister''s now glistening globes.


    It didn''t take long for Kianna to start feeling the effects of the concoction icing through her. This was mostly due to the fact that while she had been maintaining an aloof outward appearance, in truth, she was already, secretly, quite aroused.


    Try as she might, she just couldn''t help but to get excited by this whole scenario. Here she was, a poor, helpless, quivering victim being forced to suffer for the amusement and pleasure of more powerful beings. Her precious body, taken by force, bound, tormented, and turned into little more than an object to be put on display and played with... Played with... Soon... Soon there would be hands upon her, holding her, gripping her with need... Strong hands... His hands...


    No longer paying attention to anything but the tight caress of the ropes that bound her body, and the thoughts of her Master''s coming embrace, Kianna couldn''t help but to roll her head back and start to moan longingly through her gag as the brush found its way to her nipples again and again.


    Breathing through her nose, the dark elf''s breaths became heavier and heavier as her thoughts began to swim in her head and her body slowly grew hotter and more sensitive with each stroke of the brush.


    Her longing desire growing quickly, she arched herself further back and slowly spread her bound legs out wide and invitingly.


    Smile still plastered across her face, Fiona silently praised herself for making the right choice with her tie. The bondage around Kianna''s legs not only worked well enough to keep her in place, but also left her fully open and exposed. A fact that by the look of it, Kianna clearly appreciated as well.


    ¡°Oh, damn! I guess this stuff is already working!¡± she laughed gleefully ¡°Aw. Does the little slut want some attention for her poor little cunt too? Well... Okay! Why not!¡±


    With the brush soon swirling teasingly across her navel and pubic mound for several torturous minutes, Kianna let loose a long, low moan as it finally found its way to her aching sex.


    ¡°Better enjoy this while you can...¡± smiled Fiona as she ran her brush through her sister''s nether lips a few times before flicking it lightly across her clitoris ¡°Because the next step is you going up in the air... You''re gonna hang like a sexy little wind chime... And who knows when you''ll come down again... Hell, maybe we''ll just leave you up there to suffer all night! Would you like that? Hm? Just let you- Hey!¡±


    Ducking her head, Kianna dove forward and slammed herself straight into her sister as hard as she could, and pushed her back enough to topple her over. Moaning frantically, the panicked dark elf then turned to the side and scrambling as best she could with her bound legs, she raced straight towards Anton.


    Having fallen backwards so unexpectedly, Fiona had thrown her arms up and inadvertently squeezed the bottle in her hand hard enough to spray a stream of the concoction out to splash across her face and chest, soaking her shirt as it did.


    ¡°Dammit! What in the Hell, Kianna!¡± she cried as she frantically wiped the gel away from her eyes ¡°You stupid bitch!¡±


    Seeing the unsteady dark elf coming towards him, Anton quickly rose from his seat to meet her along the way and dropping to his knees just before her, he caught her before she could fall on her face.


    Falling into his arms, Kianna cooed loudly and happily as she feverishly nuzzled herself against him and clumsily climbed up onto his lap.


    ¡°Stupid bitch...¡± growled Fiona as she gathered herself up off the floor ¡°Are you kidding me!?¡±


    ¡°Now Fiona, let''s take this as a learning experience!¡± laughed Anton as he cradled his arms around Kianna in an effort to shield her from her menacingly approaching sister ¡°This is exactly why you always fully restrain any slave that you''re working with. Since you never know when they''re going to do something unexpected.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I''ll restrain this bitch alright!¡± seethed Fiona as she loomed over Kianna ¡°I''m gonna staple this bitch''s pussy lips to the floor!¡±


    Turning to face her sister''s outstretched hand, Kianna''s eyes blazed with a furious, flaming red light as she bared her teeth as best she could around her gag, pointed her ears straight back in warning and let loose a murderous, animal-like growl.


    Taken aback, Fiona instinctively pulled her hand back and the second she did this Kianna immediately turned to nuzzle her head back against Anton, laid her ears back submissively and continued cooing happily.


    ¡°I think you might have over did it...¡± chuckled Anton as Kianna began to press her gag against his face in an effort to kiss him ¡°Pretty sure she''s over the edge now...¡±


    Fuming silently, Fiona merely stood there and stared as Anton gently held a now whimpering Kianna at bay.


    Though her mind was too preoccupied to notice right then, Fiona had failed to wipe away the majority of the concoction that had been splashed on her. And as she stood there, staring at her sister''s bouncing bottom, said concoction began to seep into her being and affect her system.


    ¡°...Over the edge, huh.¡± mumbled the dark elf to herself ¡°Fine then, let''s give her what she wants.¡±


    Reaching out, Fiona grabbed a handful of her sister''s hair and pulled her head back far enough to look her right in the eyes. Kianna''s growls died in her throat as Fiona began to speak.


    ¡°You want to kiss him that badly, huh.¡± stated the dark elf ¡°Well fine. I''ve got a way you can kiss him all you want.¡±


    Blinking, Kianna creased her brow in question and groaned softly.


    Yanking her further back, Fiona slid Kianna off of Anton''s lap and back onto the floor before shoving her head down and burying her face into Anton''s crotch.


    ¡°Whoa, hey there!¡± grumbled Anton in surprise.


    ¡°You want it, don''t you bitch...¡± said Fiona in a quiet tone as she rubbed Kianna''s face against Anton''s hidden member ¡°You want to kiss it so bad... Don''t you!?¡±


    Feeling her Master''s manhood begin to stiffen against her cheek, Kianna''s eyes widened in excitement and she couldn''t help but to groan hungrily in affirmation.


    ¡°Right. Thought so. ...Hey, Master. ...Let''s let her see it.¡± said Fiona.


    Gazing down at Kianna for a moment, Anton grinned softly.


    ¡°Sure, why not...¡± he said as he lifted himself up on his knees a bit and shimmied his shorts down.


    Held in place by her hair, Kianna''s still widened eyes locked themselves to Anton''s member the very moment it was revealed.


    ¡°There it is...¡± said Fiona as she unbuckled Kianna''s gag, popped it out of her mouth and tossed it away ¡°Let''s give you a little taste...¡±


    Still holding her tightly by the hair, Fiona eased her mewling sister closer and closer until finally, by sticking out her tongue, Kianna was just able to reach her goal.


    Running the tip of her tongue across the head of her Master''s hanging member, tiny excited whimpers started to emanate from Kianna''s throat as Anton began to steadily rise and grow erect.


    ¡°That''s right... Lick it up you little slut...¡± said Fiona as she used her free hand to reach back behind her sister ¡°Kiss it good...¡±


    Kianna''s ears tightened themselves together behind her head as she felt Fiona''s probing fingertips slip between her lower lips.


    ¡°Oh... Yes...¡± she moaned softly as she continued to reach for her Master ¡°Please... Please let me have it...¡±


    ¡°Oh, I''m gonna let you have it alright!¡± smiled Fiona as she pulled her sister back and away from Anton ¡°I''m gonna let you have it from all sides!¡±


    ¡°Ah! Wait! Wait! What are you doing!?¡± cried Kianna as her face was forced down against the floor.


    ¡°You stay right here. I''ll be right back... And if you move, even an inch...¡± breathed Fiona as she lightly ran her fingertip down the length of Kianna''s quivering ear in warning ¡°I''ll make you regret it... You hear me?¡±


    The side of her face pressed against the floor and her bare bottom swaying back and forth in the air, Kianna groaned in misery as she nodded.


    ¡°...I said. Do you hear me!?¡± repeated Fiona.


    ¡°Yes!¡± whined Kianna.


    ¡°Yes, what!?¡± questioned Fiona.


    ¡°Yes, Mistress!¡± whimpered Kianna ¡°I hear you, Mistress...¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± growled Fiona as she stood up and looked at Anton ¡°Hey. Don''t let her have it till I get back. Okay.¡±


    ¡°Hold on. What are you planning?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°What? Isn''t it obvious?¡± said Fiona as she gave Kianna a quick, vicious slap across her butt cheek ¡°We''re gonna split roast this little bitch!¡±


    ¡°Oh... Gods, yes!¡± groaned Kianna from her place on the floor ¡°Please, please hurry!¡±


    Laughing at her pitiful expression, Anton shook his head before turning back to Fiona.


    ¡°Okay, sounds good!¡± he chuckled.


    At that Fiona took off back to the closet while Anton twisted around to work his shorts off completely.


    ¡°Master... I don''t want you to worry, okay. I promise I won''t bite you. I don''t want to hurt you, I want you to feel good!¡± whined Kianna as she kept her face hidden against the floor ¡°But... I, um...¡±


    Lifting her head up just enough to peek up at him, Kianna had a timid, seemingly embarrassed look on her face.


    ¡°I, uh... I''ve never sucked a dick before, so I don''t really know what I''m doing...¡± she whimpered nervously ¡°So you, you have to tell me if I''m doing it wrong, okay! You have to tell me if it feels good, or not... Cause I really want it to feel good! I want to make you feel good... Okay?¡±


    Staring at her for a moment, Anton dropped down low enough to rest at her level and reaching out, he cupped her cheeks in his hands as he held their foreheads pressed together.


    ¡°Kianna, I swear... You are just the sweetest, most pure hearted little deviant I have ever met...¡± he sighed around a smile ¡°And I promise you, I will make sure that you know I am enjoying myself. Okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Okay!¡± cried Kianna as she nuzzled her nose against his and fought the urge to try and kiss him.


    Chuckling softly, Anton rose back up and shook his head as he started running his fingers through the whimpering dark elf''s hair.


    ¡°Okay! Enough cutesy shit!¡± exclaimed a now naked Fiona as she came strutting back up to them with the massive, rubber phallus of her dual sided, purple colored strap-on proudly leading the way ¡°Let''s get to fucking this bitch!¡±


    ¡°Yes! Finally! Gods, I want it!¡± cried Kianna as she bit her lip and stared longingly at Anton.


    Dropping back to sit directly on the floor, Anton eased his legs open wide and began to stroke his member invitingly.


    ¡°Come and get it then.¡± he chuckled.


    Wasting no time, Kianna rose back up to her knees and scrambled forward. Stopping just before Anton, she took one quick breath after another as she watched his member slowly grow in his hand. Once he was standing tall, she leaned over him and opened her mouth to try and engulf his full length.


    The scent of her Master''s musk filled her nose and made her system skip a beat as as the dark elf sealed her lips around his girth and lathered her tongue across the underside of his shaft. Struck by the intoxicating taste of him, she quickly gathered herself back together and lifting and lowering her head, she excitedly ran her lips up and down his length and began to vigorously suck on him.


    ¡°Now, Kianna... You wanna start a little slower than that, you need to build it up still...¡± instructed Anton as he placed his hand on top of her head to help guide her speed ¡°There you go... Now you''re getting it...¡±


    Feeling the heat of her Master intensify as more blood was pumped into him, and enthralled by the sensation of helping him grow, Kianna became all but giddy as he quickly began to fill her whole mouth.


    ¡°Oh... You''re doing good... Keep doing that with your tongue, Kianna...¡± breathed Anton as he lightly gripped her hair and encouraged her to pick up her speed ¡°Yes... That''s good... Like that...¡±


    As focused as she was on Anton, Kianna couldn''t help but to blink in surprise as she felt her sister''s hand suddenly slide sensually across her backside.


    ¡°That''s right, keep that rhythm going...¡± said Fiona as she used her whole hand to lube up her strap-on''s dildo with more of the concoction ¡°Don''t worry about me, I''m fine back here...¡±


    With her rear end pointed straight up into the air and her efforts to pleasure Anton causing her entire body to rock back and forth, Kianna had been inadvertently giving her sister quite the show with her swaying backside.


    Mesmerized by the sight of her sister''s dripping sex, Fiona tentatively slid the tip of her dildo in between Kianna''s labial lips and smiled at the immediate results.


    Refusing to skip a beat with her rhythm and thus forced to keep her body in motion, Kianna shuddered and moaned loudly in her throat as she was made to rub her own sex against the ribbed surface of her sister''s dildo.


    ¡°Better get ready, bitch...¡± smiled Fiona as she slid the dildo back just enough to line it up with her sister''s female opening ¡°Cause you''re about to start fucking yourself...¡±


    Unable, and unwilling, to slow her pace, Kianna could do nothing but close her eyes and keep moaning as she began to tantalizingly bounce herself against the tip of the waiting dildo. It wasn''t long before she felt it finally begin to slip inside her.


    Easing her hips forward little by little, Fiona''s eyes began to glow with excitement as she watched her sister slowly swallow away the dildo bit by bit. Once it finally bottomed out, she began to rock back and forth herself. Thrusting the dildo in and out of Kianna and slamming her hips against her backside in time with her sister''s rocking motions.


    Caught off guard, Kianna whimpered and clenched her thighs together as Fiona suddenly flipped a switch on a tiny remote and set both ends of her strap-on to start softly vibrating.


    With all three participating parties now moaning and groaning in pleasure, it wouldn''t be long before one of them finally broke, and in this particular case that one turned out to be Anton.


    With Fiona''s actions now driving Kianna to an even faster pace, the bound and hapless dark elf was forced to take Anton''s member deeper and deeper into her maw. And with the hot, convulsing sides of Kianna''s throat now constricting around him, Anton couldn''t help but to let himself go.


    Grabbing Kianna''s head with both hands, he involuntarily tightened his grip on her hair as he pressed her down against him and drove himself as deep into her as he could go.


    For her part, Kianna did her best to keep both her jaw and throat as relaxed as possible. Her eyes went wide as she heard Anton groaning loudly above her at just the same moment as she felt him begin to convulse violently within her mouth. In the next instant she clearly felt the white hot ropes of his seed spray themselves straight down the back of her throat. Swallowing gleefully several times over, the dark elf gasped and began to take in one frantic breath after another as Anton eased back and popped himself out of her mouth.


    Continuing nonstop with her thrusting, Fiona began to laugh as she took in the sight of her two suddenly spent and collapsed partners.


    ¡°Oh... Yeah...¡± said Anton in a breathless state as he leaned back on his outstretched arms and rolled his head back ¡°Great... Job... Kianna... That, was great...¡±


    Whimpering happily from where she had let her head flop down against his crotch, Kianna shifted to the side and wrapped her lips back around her Master''s quickly softening manhood.


    Smiling up at the ceiling, Anton shook his head as he felt her begin to eagerly suck on him again.


    ¡°I''m gonna need another minute still, Kianna...¡± he chuckled as he gave her head a playful rub ¡°You''re gonna have to be patient for a minute...¡±


    Kianna whined loudly in an over the top display of sorrow as she tried in vain to bring him back to life too soon.


    Annoyed at being ignored, Fiona narrowed her eyes at the back of her sister''s head as she redoubled her efforts against her. As she gazed further down at her bent over form, her eyes were suddenly drawn to Kianna''s lightly puckering anus.


    ¡°...Heh. You know, it''s been a while since we''ve played with this hole.¡± she mumbled to herself.


    Slowing her pace, Fiona eased the glistening dildo out of its current encasement and began to lightly bounce it against her sister''s second orifice.


    Kianna''s eyes immediately widened to their fullest and her ears pointed themselves straight upwards as she registered the probing dildo.


    ¡°No, no, no, no!¡± she cried as she threw back her head ¡°Stop! What are you doing!¡±


    ¡°Huh? ...What does it feel like I''m doing?¡± smiled Fiona ¡°I''m fucking you! Obviously!¡±


    ¡°No, not there!¡± whined Kianna as she quickly looked from her sister to Anton and back ¡°Not now!¡±


    ¡°...What? Why not? What''s the matter?¡± asked Fiona as a knowing smirk crossed her face ¡°I thought you liked having this happy little hole fucked with?¡±


    ¡°I! You! ...Shut up!¡± cried Kianna as frantic tears began to form in her eyes.


    ¡°What''s going on?¡± questioned Anton.


    ¡°Nothing!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she turned to him and flattened her ears back submissively.


    ¡°I don''t know!?¡± sang Fiona ¡°I was just playing with Kianna here, and she started to freak out... It''s almost like she''s hiding something... From you!?¡±


    ¡°I! No! I, I!¡± stammered Kianna as her eyes filled with clear panic.


    Anton blinked in surprise as Kianna buried her face in his crotch and Fiona began to laugh.


    ¡°Are you serious right now!? C''mon!¡± cackled Fiona as she playfully slapped Kianna''s hips with both hands ¡°He''s not gonna care!¡±


    ¡°Care about what?¡± asked Anton ¡°What''s going on?¡±


    ¡°What''s going on, is this little bitch is apparently embarrassed about you finding out that she likes to get buttfucked!¡± laughed Fiona ¡°No idea why she would hide that?¡±


    ¡°Because-!¡± started Kianna before she trailed off into another whine.


    ¡°...Because, why?¡± asked Anton.


    Squirming in obvious discomfort, Kianna tilted her head to the side and peeked up at Anton with a single tear filled eye.


    ¡°Because...¡± she whimpered as she tightened her ears together behind her head ¡°I didn''t want you to think I was gross...¡±


    Anton was still for a moment as he stared at her.


    ¡°Oh, Kianna... My poor, sweet little dark elf...¡± he said as he smiled down at her and laid his hand on top of her head ¡°Where would you even get that idea? I could never think that about you!¡±


    Her expression turning hopeful, Kianna whimpered as Anton began to caress her head in a reassuring manner.


    ¡°Kianna, you are a very free woman when it comes to sexual acts and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.¡± said Anton ¡°And the last thing I would ever want to do is make you feel uncomfortable about something that you enjoy. I want you to be happy, you silly little thing! And if a bit of anal is what it takes for that to happen, then so be it!¡±


    ¡°Told you he wouldn''t care...¡± mumbled Fiona in an absent tone as she began to grind her strap-on''s inner vibrating dildo against her own clitoris ¡°Oh... Yeah... That''s the spot...¡±


    ¡°No more hiding things.¡± said Anton as he gently ran his fingers down the length of Kianna''s long ear ¡°From now on, you need to tell me exactly what you want. Because I want to know, Kianna. Just like how you want to make me feel good, I want to make you feel good too... Okay?¡±


    Kianna stared at him for a moment before she slowly began to rise back up to her knees.


    ¡°Fuck me...¡± she whispered softly as she worked to climb up on top of him.


    ¡°What?¡± chuckled Anton as the dark elf began to feverishly rub her bound breasts against his chest ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°I said, fuck me...¡± breathed Kianna as her eyes began to smolder with desire ¡°Please. Please fuck me... I want to be fucked, hard... Right now... Please... Fuck me as hard as you can!¡±


    Seeing the clearly desperate need in her eyes, and acutely aware that she was now grinding her dripping sex against his crotch, Anton smiled softly.


    ¡°Sure, why not.¡± he said as he looked past her to where Fiona was still busy with pleasuring herself ¡°Fiona!¡±


    ¡°What...¡± grumbled the dark elf through her clenched teeth.


    ¡°Come over here.¡± said Anton as he held Kianna steady with one arm while rising to his feet ¡°I need you to help me fuck your sister.¡±


    ¡°...Did you just cuss?¡± questioned Fiona as she pointed her ears straight upwards in surprise ¡°...Wait? Come again!? What do you want!?¡±


    ¡°You heard me.¡± smiled Anton as he stood up and, taking hold of the rope bindings wrapped around her upper thighs, lifted Kianna into the air ¡°Now c''mon! You take that end, and I''ll handle this side.¡±


    Seeing her sister''s round bottom being invitingly swung back and forth, Fiona smiled gleefully.


    ¡°Yes sir! Right away sir!¡± she cried as she grabbed her bottle of concoction and quickly dumped more of its contents across her strap-on''s dildo ¡°Just let me get lubed up here!¡±


    ¡°Grab these ropes, and help me hold her steady.¡± said Anton as he teasingly ignored Kianna''s overly excited gaze.


    ¡°One sec, let me get this in position...¡± said Fiona as she pressed the head of her dildo against her sister''s anal opening ¡°Just got to get it in place...¡±


    Biting her lower lip in anticipation, Kianna couldn''t help but to let loose a long, murmuring groan as she felt the tip of the dildo pop inside her.


    ¡°Best stay relaxed, slave...¡± breathed Fiona as she grabbed hold of a rung of ropes and began to lightly sway her hips to drive her dildo in just a bit deeper.


    ¡°Let''s try to keep things moving in tandem, if we can.¡± said Anton as he probed about with his quickly hardening member ¡°And whatever you do, do not just let go of her!¡±


    ¡°Right, right... I won''t.¡± reassured Fiona.


    ¡°Oh, Gods... Oh, yes... Please hurry! Both of you, hurry!¡± whined Kianna as she felt Anton finally slip inside her ¡°I can''t take this anymore!¡±


    Laughing together, Anton and Fiona started a countdown before one after the other, they each began to vigorously thrust themselves into the dark elf hanging between them.


    Impaled by both sides and having never felt so full before, Kianna quickly lost all sense of herself as she began to drown in blissful pleasure.


    Soaked as she was in her sister''s concoction, it wasn''t long before her overly stimulated body was driven over the edge and rocked by an intense, mind numbing orgasm.


    Though she wasn''t even consciously aware of it happening at the time, she literally began to scream out in bliss as she drenched her two partners in a rain of her feminine fluids.


    For their parts, both Anton and Fiona each lost themselves in their own hectic rhythms. Battering the body held aloft between them, their two opposing forces rarely ever collided with each other and even when they did, it was only a brief bump in the road on their race towards their own pleasured goals.


    Having already been spent just recently, and being the only one not affected by Fiona''s concoction, Anton was the one to last the longest this round. A fact he quickly became aware of when Fiona''s aid in helping to hold up her sister, suddenly slackened.


    Knees buckling beneath her, Fiona couldn''t help but to drop back as she struggled to stand on her weakened legs. Not wanting to drag her sister down with her, she surrendered to her plight and began to let go of the ropes.


    ¡°Sorry! Sorry! I can''t hold it, anymore... It''s all you now, big guy...¡± she groaned as she doubled over, pressed her vibrating dildo as hard against her clit as she could, and dropped to the floor to ride out the waves of her climax as they washed violently through her body.


    Alone in his efforts now, Anton heaved Kianna up into his arms and held her bound torso pressed against himself as he continued to pump away at her. Quickly reaching his limit, he let his head roll back over his shoulders, squeezed Kianna tightly and moaned in pleasure as he released himself deep inside the now quivering dark elf.


    Frozen in his final act for a moment, Anton frantically worked to regain his balance as he suddenly stumbled backwards.


    With his arms still locked around Kianna, he found purchase in his step again and moving slowly, made his way back to his chair, where he then flopped down in exhaustion.


    ¡°Oh... Hell... You two are going to be the death of me...¡± he mumbled softly around a smile.


    Dropping down to sit on her bottom, Fiona tossed her head back and cried out in triumph.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± she exclaimed happily ¡°That was great!¡±


    Chuckling softly as he gave his mewling dark elf a quick squeeze, Anton absently nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Yeah... It was...¡± he breathed as he let his head loll to the side and closed his eyes.


    His attempt at rest was soon thwarted as he felt the bondage clad beauty in his lap begin to stir. A thin smile spread across his face as he was forced to twist his head away from Kianna''s sneaking lips.


    ¡°Really... You''re still gonna try that?¡± he chuckled as he tightened his arms around her in an effort to hold her in place ¡°You forever naughty little dark elf!¡±


    Upset at being caught, Kianna whimpered miserably as she nuzzled her face into the side of his neck.


    After this, the room went quiet for several minutes as everyone caught their breaths.


    This stillness was broken when Anton opened one eye and gazed down at where Fiona was laid out on her back across the floor.


    ¡°...Hey, Fiona.¡± he called softly.


    ¡°What...¡± mumbled the dark elf.


    ¡°Can you change the dildo out on that strap-on?¡± he asked ¡°Or if not, do you have another one that''s clean?¡±


    ¡°...Both. I can do both.¡± said Fiona as a smile spread across her face ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Because after I take this breather... And maybe get myself a potion... I''ll be ready to go another round.¡± said Anton around a smile ¡°Only this time, I want to switch sides...¡±


    Registering both what he had just said, and Fiona''s laughing affirmation, Kianna''s ears pointed themselves straight upwards as she began to tremble uncontrollably and whimper in excitement.

 Guilty x Creatures : Assassin Arc : Chapter 28

    Chapter 28 : Late Afternoon


    Anton hummed quietly to himself as he ran the metal bristles of the cleaning brush across the barbecue''s grates.


    After their second excursion in the dungeon, he and the dark elves had all taken a bit of a long breather before getting themselves cleaned up and finally coming back upstairs.


    Refreshed and hungry now, Anton was busy with preparing to grill up another batch of chicken to go with the pasta and green bean casserole he had baking in the oven. All of which had been requested by the dark elves.


    This trait of theirs with wanting to eat the same things over and over again was a habit he did plan to break them of, but he would worry about that later. For now, chicken sounded fine to him as well.


    Just off to the side of him, Kianna was sitting with a happy, satisfied look on her face, even as her bottom was conspicuously resting on a large, soft pillow.


    Dressed in short shorts and a low cut tank top, she was gleefully showcasing the risque markings that encircled not only her arms and legs, but the base each of her breasts as well. These titillating imprints were the undeniable evidence that had been left behind by the tight, rope bindings that had only just recently been wrapped around her limbs and bosom.


    The brazen dark elf had positioned one of the long, lounge style pool chairs in such a way that she could easily watch Anton as he cooked their dinner while also absently beginning to read one of the books on Infernals she had picked up from a bookstore at the mall they had just visited.


    Fiona, who was feeling far more energetic than her sister was at the moment, was out in the grass with Mica and was trying her best to mimic the poses of the stretching exercises that the kiochi was attempting to teach her.


    As for her part, Mica had been enjoying the light buzz she had developed from the energy she had been gathering secondhand off of her housemates activities, but not wanting her judgement to be overtaken by them, or to end up in a full blown drunken stupor, she had retreated outside when the tantric energies had started to become too thick and intoxicating for her to handle.


    ¡°Stop trying to twist so far back.¡± said Mica as she shifted from one pose to another and ended up standing on one foot with her other leg pointed straight up into the air ¡°You''re just starting out, so you''re not going to be that bendable yet.¡±


    ¡°...Yeah.¡± mumbled Fiona as she raised herself back upright and gazed at Mica''s perfectly straight form ¡°...I don''t know if I''ll ever be that bendable, honestly. At least not bendable enough to do flips.¡±


    ¡°You will. It just takes practice.¡± said Mica as she looped her tail around herself in a stylish manner.


    Letting her leg fall forward, the kiochi used its momentum to throw herself into a curled up form and preformed a midair frontal somersault before landing back on her feet again, just in front of Fiona.


    ¡°Flips are easy once you get the hang of them.¡± she said as she grinned ¡°Like I said, just takes practice. Which to get started, first you need to loosen yourself up more. Then you gotta learn how to maintain your balance properly.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, great advice. Just loosen my body up more...¡± grumbled Fiona as she gave the showboating kiochi an annoyed look ¡°Easy for you to say...¡±


    ¡°Hey, if you wanna be doing flips, then that''s what it''s gonna take.¡± said Mica with a shrug ¡°Be loose, and find your balance. Though really, balance is the most important thing. Being loose is as easy as just letting yourself go.¡±


    To illustrate her point, Mica went limp, planted her coiled tail against the ground and used said tail to toss herself up into the air where she closed her eyes and sailed backwards into a graceful, effortless looking back-flip. Landing on her feet now nearly ten feet away but still facing Fiona, she smiled smugly as she opened her eyes.


    ¡°See, all you really need is balance, and then it''s easy.¡± she said as she put her hands on her hips.


    ¡°...Well yeah, and I bet it''s super easy to find your balance when you''ve got a tail like yours that you can use to throw yourself around like that!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she planted her hands on her own hips and began to sway them from side to side ¡°In case you haven''t noticed though, I''m sort of lacking in one of those particular appendages!¡±


    ¡°Excuses, excuses...¡± said Mica as she waved both her hand and tail dismissively ¡°I''ve known plenty of people without tails who could still do flips just fine. It''s really not that big a deal.¡±


    ¡°It still helps.¡± mumbled Fiona as she crossed her arms over her chest ¡°There''s no way it doesn''t.¡±


    ¡°Sure, but knowing that doesn''t do you any good.¡± said Mica with another shrug ¡°Not unless you plan on growing a tail of your own.¡±


    ¡°...Hm, I guess I could do that. Just get a body mod charm or something.¡± mused Fiona as her expression became thoughtful ¡°...Nah, I''m not going to do that. I don''t think I would look right with a tail.¡±


    ¡°Then you''ll just have to learn to work without one.¡± said Mica ¡°Which means loosen up and find your balance!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, whatever. I heard you before, I gotta dig deep and ¡°Find my balance¡± I get it, I get it...¡± grumbled Fiona as she fell back into doing the yoga-like stretches that Mica had shown her before ¡°Stupid, lucky, long tailed little shit...¡±


    ¡°I heard that.¡± said Mica.


    ¡°Good!¡± said Fiona.


    Chuckling, Anton shook his head as he began to lay out pieces of chicken across the grill. Once he had them all laid out and seasoned, he gave them a last look over before nodding his head in approval.


    Giving them a minute to stop sizzling against the new heat, he pulled out his phone to check his messages. As he did this he again noticed Leopold''s email and this got him thinking about their upcoming meeting.


    Taking up a pair of tongs, he began to absently reposition a few of the pieces as he let his thoughts percolate a bit.


    ¡°...Mica.¡± he called suddenly as looked over at her ¡°Can you come over here for a second. I need to ask you some questions real quick.¡±


    Turning to him, Mica creased her brow in suspicion before making her way closer to the grill.


    ¡°What''s up?¡± she asked as her eyes landed on the cooking chicken.


    ¡°I was just wondering...¡± said Anton as he turned to her ¡°Does Nokko still live with your parents as well?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she does.¡± answered Mica as both Fiona and Kianna began to blatantly listen in on their conversation.


    ¡°I see...¡± nodded Anton ¡°Do you know if she has a job, or maybe classes, or anything that might be keeping her away from the house during the day?¡±


    ¡°Uh... Yeah, she has both, actually.¡± answered Mica ¡°She''s almost never at home during the day. Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I was just thinking about the meeting I''m going to have with your parents, and it occurred to me that this might be a good opportunity for us...¡± grinned Anton as he began to flip over each piece of chicken ¡°We''ll know exactly where two out of the three of your family members are, which isn''t bad. And we''ll get a pretty good window of time too...¡±


    ¡°Uh oh! What are you planning over there!?¡± smiled Fiona as she dropped out of her pose and came over to stand next to Mica.


    ¡°Well, possibly... A heist.¡± said Anton as he turned to them and playfully raised his eyebrows in a dramatic manner.


    ¡°What!? Are you planning to rob Mica''s family!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as she pointed her ears straight upwards in intrigue.


    ¡°Something like that. Though, more accurately, this could be called a repossession mission.¡± chuckled Anton ¡°Basically, this could be a chance for us to sneak in and collect Mica''s clothes as well as all of her other things.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Oh, okay, yeah!¡± cried Mica as her expression filled with excitement ¡°We can steal all my stuff!¡±


    ¡°Exactly. We need to plan this out thoroughly first though.¡± said Anton as he turned back to the cooking chicken ¡°Do you know what kinds of security measures your parents have around your home? Any wards or barriers of any kind?¡±


    ¡°...No? I don''t think so? I know there''s a few cameras. But they''re only in certain rooms. Like in my parents office.¡± explained Mica ¡°We live in an apartment building. So most of the security is handled by the complex itself.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see... Okay, so hopefully you''ll still have clearance through the complex and can still get in without any problems...¡± said Anton ¡°I''d like to give that a try beforehand and make sure you can, but at the same time I don''t want to alert them that we''re up to something... Might be best just to wait and do this live...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, probably... Really don''t want them to know we''re coming... Or, I guess that I''m coming...¡± mused Mica as her expression became thoughtful ¡°You guys are planning to have lunch, right? So I should have at least an hour or so, right?¡±


    ¡°Probably at least that.¡± nodded Anton ¡°Do you think that''s enough time for you to get all of your things together?¡±


    ¡°...I think so. It should be. If I''m just grabbing everything and running. ...I won''t be able to get any of my big stuff though. Like my desk.¡± reasoned Mica ¡°That''ll just have to stay behind. Which sucks. I like my desk. But it''ll be too hard to move it on my own. And since you guys will have to stay with my parents the whole time, there''s no one to really help me move it.¡±


    ¡°I mean, there''s no reason I can''t help you.¡± offered Fiona ¡°If we work together we''ll be able to get all of your shit out of there faster too.¡±


    ¡°That''s a good idea. The two of you will be able to watch each others backs as well.¡± agreed Anton ¡°And Kianna can come with me to act as our communicator. It''ll be easier for her to get messages back and forth without seeming suspicious... I think this will be or plan then, or at least the basics of it.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me!¡± nodded Kianna in excitement as she playfully flopped her book up and down against her thighs ¡°This is so cool! It''s like our first mission as a team!¡±


    ¡°...Yeah, I guess it is!¡± chuckled Anton.


    ¡°What are you reading over there, Kianna?¡± asked Mica.


    Looking up at her, Kianna folded her book closed and held it up so Mica could see the cover.


    ¡°...The Beginners Guide to Keeping Cubi for Fun and Profit. Vol 1...¡± read Mica before her expression soured and she glared at the dark elf ¡°Really!? Are you serious!?¡±


    ¡°...What? What''s wrong?¡± questioned Kianna in genuine surprise.


    ¡°What''s wrong is that book!¡± exclaimed Mica ¡°Why are you even reading that!?¡±


    ¡°It, it was the highest rated book on cubi I could find... A lot of people said it was a good one?¡± explained Kianna ¡°Why are you so mad? What''s wrong with it?¡±


    ¡°For starters it shouldn''t even exist!¡± cried Mica as her tail whipped itself angrily back and forth behind her ¡°It''s just offensive!¡±


    ¡°What? What do you mean? How is it offensive?¡± asked Kianna as she looked at her book ¡°It''s just trying to help people learn how to take care of their cubi''s?¡±


    ¡°You don''t need a book for that! Especially not one that makes it sound like cubi are, are... Fucking livestock!¡± exclaimed Mica ¡°Cubi aren''t animals! They''re people! We''re people! And we can take care of ourselves!¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, sure you can. I mean just look at you, you''ve been doing such a great job of that so far!¡± quipped Fiona around a smug looking smile.


    ¡°Shut, up!¡± seethed Mica.


    ¡°Make, me.¡± grinned Fiona.


    ¡°There''s really no reason for you to get so upset, Mica.¡± said Kianna ¡°This book doesn''t even talk about shinoccubi, so it''s not like it''s about you specifically.¡±


    ¡°That doesn''t matter! It''s still a cubi... pet guide! Or whatever! It''s still talking about how to make profit off of my people!¡± ranted Mica ¡°Which there is no way that you''re going to make money off of cubi without it being fucked up in some way!¡±


    ¡°Actually, you''d be surprised.¡± said Anton ¡°There are a lot of government grants and stipends out there that people can claim for harboring refugees from demon realms. Which this can include cubi. And there are people out there that do make extra money doing this. So that''s probably what this book is talking about.¡±


    ¡°No, I don''t think so.¡± said Kianna as she shook her head ¡°It might talk about that, but it looks like the main money making thing here is with breeding and selling cubi.¡±


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± questioned Anton ¡°Wait, who wrote this book?¡±


    ¡°Uh... Salphothrasta Sinclair, is the author''s name.¡± said Kianna.


    ¡°Ah. Yeah. That''s definitely a demonic sounding name.¡± nodded Anton ¡°Okay then, that book is going to be exactly what it sounds like. Sorry, Mica.¡±


    ¡°Fucking gross!¡± exclaimed Mica.


    ¡°So what does it say about breeding?¡± asked Fiona ¡°Anything good?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know yet. I haven''t gotten that far.¡± said Kianna ¡°It looks like there''s a different chapter for each different species though. Or at least the ones it talks about. Which is pretty cool.¡±


    ¡°There''s seriously no shinoccubi chapter though? Like it doesn''t even mention them?¡± asked Fiona.


    ¡°Nope, nothing. Sadly.¡± said Kianna ¡°Apparently shinoccubi are covered in a different book, a volume 2, that they didn''t have at the store. So I guess I''ll need to order it.¡±


    ¡°Damn. That really sucks...¡± said Fiona as she slumped her shoulders ¡°It''s super important for us to know all the secrets about breeding shinoccubi too...¡±


    ¡°I know, right.¡± mumbled Kianna ¡°All those books and they didn''t have the one we needed the most...¡±


    ¡°Fuck, both of you!¡± snarled Mica.


    ¡°There''s still a lot going on in this book though... Like I don''t even know what some of these cubi even are?¡± mused Kianna as she looked over the book''s table of contents ¡°Like what is an... ¡°Elluccubus¡±? I''ve never even heard of that one before?¡±


    ¡°Oh, those are the little ones.¡± said Anton ¡°And it''s pronounced Ee-luke-cu-bus. They''re the main ones that are kept as pets.¡±


    ¡°Oh! They''re so cute!¡± cried Kianna as she turned to a page that featured a picture of three sleeping elluccubi that had squeezed themselves into a large basket and had curled up together into a mass of tangled limbs, wings and tails ¡°...Wait, I don''t think these ones are even babies? How small are these guys?¡±


    ¡°They''re pretty small. Even as adults.¡± said Anton ¡°If you saw one next to a normal sized cubi and didn''t know any better, you might think it was the normal cubi''s child.¡±


    ¡°What!? Why the Hell would demons want cubi that looked like kids!? That''s creepy as fuck!¡± cried Mica.


    ¡°It''s not what you think.¡± said Anton as he shook his head ¡°Elluccubi are child-like because they were bred to be cute, not for sexual reasons. Demons have conccubi for that. Elluccubi are essentially the equivalent of a lapdog or a toy breed. They''re basically a cubi version of a dog that looks like a puppy. Kind of like a Pomeranian.¡±


    Mica''s and Fiona''s eyes followed Anton''s hand as he pointed to Molly, who was currently snoozing beneath Kianna''s lounge chair.


    ¡°That, right there, is literally what an elluccubi is.¡± said Anton before turning back to the chicken.


    ¡°Heh, look, another doggie comparison...¡± said Fiona as she grinned at a now fuming Mica.


    ¡°''Unlike some other types of cubi, Elluccubi are not prone to jealousy, and are almost never aggressive towards each other. They will often become anxious when kept alone, and do best when kept together in groups of 3 or more.''¡± said Kianna as she read the caption beneath the picture ¡°Aw! They like to have lots of friends! That''s so cute!¡±


    ¡°Will you please! Stop reading that book out loud...¡± grumbled Mica as she rubbed at her temples just beneath her horns ¡°I really don''t like hearing about how oppressed my people are...¡±


    ¡°These aren''t your people, these are a totally different kind of cubi.¡± said Kianna as she kept her eyes on her book ¡°Honestly these guys sound like the complete opposite of your kind.¡±


    ¡°They really are.¡± chuckled Anton as he flipped over several pieces of chicken ¡°That''s almost a perfect description of them.¡±


    ¡°How do you even know about these guys?¡± asked Fiona ¡°Have you seen them before?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah. They''re all over Tantarra.¡± explained Anton ¡°Dark elves love them.¡±


    ¡°I can see why.¡± nodded Kianna as she flipped to the next page in her book before crying out ¡°Oh! Look at the baby! He''s so teeny tiny! And he''s hiding under his Mommy''s wing... Aw, that''s so adorable! Look!¡±


    Holding her book up, Anton, Fiona and Mica all leaned forward to gaze at a picture of a mother elluccubus who was holding her little baby in her arms. The happy looking elluccubus had her wings wrapped around both herself as well as the clinging baby whose face could just barely be seen peeking timidly out at the camera from around the crook of his mother''s bat-like wing.


    ¡°...Okay, yeah. That''s super cute.¡± mumbled Mica ¡°It''s still fucked up that people treat them like pets though!¡±


    ¡°Wow, sounds like somebodies jealous.¡± said Fiona as she shook her head ¡°You''re sounding very petty right now, Mica.¡±


    ¡°...How the Hell do I sound petty!?¡± cried Mica ¡°No! You know what! Don''t answer that, just shut up!¡±


    ¡°Mica...¡± drawled Kianna with an air of seriousness as she looked up and met the kiochi''s eyes ¡°If we decide to get a little elluccubus someday, you better not be mean to it!¡±


    ¡°...I, wait, what!? I''m not going to be mean to it! Why would I ever be mean to it!?¡± exclaimed Mica.


    ¡°Because if it''s getting lots of attention you might get jealous, and decide to be mean to it.¡± explained Kianna ¡°Which you better not do!¡±


    ¡°...I can''t tell if you''re being serious or if you''re just messing with me. And I don''t know which one is gonna piss me off more!¡± growled Mica.


    ¡°Just consider it both then.¡± said Fiona ¡°That way all the bases are covered.¡±


    Kianna said nothing but was smiling as she pointed at Fiona and nodded her head in agreement.


    Seething, Mica closed her eyes and took a deep breath before suddenly becoming smug.


    ¡°You know what. I know how to handle this.¡± she said as she grinned cattily at the dark elves ¡°Don''t think I haven''t been paying attention. I know exactly how things work around here.¡±


    ¡°...What the Hell are you talking about?¡± questioned Fiona.


    ¡°I''m talking about dealing with you two, and how I know exactly what to do.¡± said Mica.


    ¡°...Oh do you now?¡± mocked Fiona as she and her sister grinned at each other ¡°Well don''t keep us waiting then. Let''s see how you''re going to deal with us!¡±


    ¡°Okay. If you insist.¡± said Mica.


    Turning away from them, Mica stepped right up to Anton and let an overly sorrowful expression take form across her face as she hunched down, drooped her tail and tried to appear as pitiful looking as she possibly could.


    ¡°Anton... Fiona and Kianna are picking on me again...¡± she whimpered before pouting her lips and dropping her fake tear filled eyes to the floor ¡°And they''re being really mean today!¡±


    Without missing a beat, Anton turned to the dark elves and narrowed his eyes at them.


    ¡°Are they now...¡± he said in a hard, stern tone ¡°Girls! Is this true? Are you picking on Mica again?¡±


    ¡°Oh! You spineless little shit!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°Tattle-telling! Seriously!? This is your tactic!?¡±


    Mica kept her face lowered as she gave Fiona a sly grin.


    ¡°Can''t really argue with something that gets results.¡± chuckled Anton as he turned back to the grill ¡°Now quit picking on her.¡±


    ¡°Hmph! Well 2 can play that game.¡± mumbled Fiona as she pointed her finger accusingly at Mica ¡°Hey! She didn''t call you Master! She''s being disrespectful and you should punish her! ...Or you could let me punish her! I''d be glad to help you out with that!¡±


    ¡°I! Wait! No, he never said I had to call him that!¡± exclaimed Mica ¡°He never said I had to call him anything!¡±


    ¡°Hm. That''s true, actually... That never did come up.¡± said Anton as he glanced at Mica ¡°And now that I think about it... I don''t know if the label ¡°Master¡± really suits the relationship I have with you... That title may be more suited for Mokai than me, since he''s the one in charge of teaching you... For fairness sake though, I think you''ll still need to address me the same way they do. To avoid conflict if nothing else.¡±


    ¡°Well hold on! Just hold on!¡± cried Mica as she held up her hands ¡°You''re right though! Mokai is my Master, so calling you both that is just going to be confusing! ...And also, it''ll take away from what he''s doing for me if I don''t call him that...¡±


    Anton went still for a moment before he nodded in agreement and turned to fully face her.


    ¡°Fair enough, I can accept that.¡± he said as he crossed his arms ¡°But there''s still the matter of keeping things fair here as well.¡±


    ¡°...Okay. Then... How about I just call you boss or something?¡± offered Mica ¡°That''s basically what you are anyway. My boss, right?¡±


    ¡°Hm...¡± hummed Anton as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully ¡°Yeah, alright, I suppose that works. Boss it is then.¡±


    ¡°What!? Seriously!?¡± cried Fiona ¡°But that''s not fair! Why do I have to call you Master if she doesn''t!¡±


    ¡°Because you are a guilty creature and calling me Master is part of your punishment.¡± said Anton ¡°And while she is guilty as well, working for me is her punishment. And calling me boss still fits within that framework.¡±


    ¡°...Well, if it''s just working for you, then I can do that too!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°Seriously! I don''t mind working for you if I can call you boss too. I will do anything you want if it means not having to call you Master anymore! Anything at all!¡±


    ¡°...You really hate having to call me Master, don''t you?¡± asked Anton with a grin.


    ¡°More than anything...¡± whined Fiona as she wrapped her arms around her middle ¡°You have no idea how embarrassing it is for me...¡±


    Going quiet, Anton merely gazed at her as he contemplated the situation.


    ¡°...Please!¡± begged Fiona as she laid her ears down submissively ¡°Pretty please!¡±


    ¡°Oh, alright fine...¡± he sighed ¡°You can call me boss too if it''s so much easier for you.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± breathed Fiona as she balled her fists in triumph ¡°Gods alive! You have no idea how much easier this is gonna be for me! This is a huge load off my mind...¡±


    Chuckling, Anton shook his head and turned back to the cooking chicken.


    ¡°And what about you, Kianna?¡± he said as he began to flip each piece ¡°Do you need to call me boss now too?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± said Kianna as she crossed her arms and shook her head ¡°I am perfectly fine with Master, thank you very much.¡±


    ¡°Well alright then.¡± smiled Anton as he nodded in acknowledgment ¡°Good to hear.¡±


    ¡°Glad we got that settled.¡± said Mica as her eyes followed the flipping chicken pieces ¡°So how much longer before dinners ready?¡±


    ¡°It''ll be a little while still. Chicken takes a bit longer to cook than other meats do.¡± said Anton ¡°You''ve got enough time to go back to your exercises if you want.¡±


    ¡°...Alright. Might as well get a few more reps in.¡± said Mica as she stretched her arms up over her head ¡°Call me when the foods ready, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing.¡± nodded Anton.


    Coiling her tail against the ground, Mica used it as a natural spring to toss herself backwards through the air.


    ¡°...That is a seriously useful tail.¡± mumbled Fiona as she watched Mica sail through the air and land on her feet on the other side of the yard ¡°Wish I could just throw myself around like that...¡±


    ¡°...Actually, you can. Launching themselves into the air is something a dark elf like you can definitely do.¡± chuckled Anton ¡°Not quite as easily as Mica can, of course. But still close enough to compete with her at least.¡±


    ¡°They can!? I mean, I can!?¡± questioned Fiona as she pointed her ears straight upwards ¡°How!?¡±


    ¡°Give me a second to finish flipping these and I''ll show you.¡± said Anton as he expertly maneuvered the chicken around the grill.


    Once satisfied that he could leave the pieces to cook on their own for a bit, he turned the heat down to a simmer and glanced at Fiona before nodding towards the yard.


    ¡°Would you like to join us, Kianna? Or would you rather sit this one out?¡± he called as he led the way out onto the grass.


    ¡°Nah, I''m good.¡± said Kianna as she shifted back and forth on her pillow ¡°I''ll just watch from here.¡±


    ¡°Alright, sounds good.¡± said Anton as he shifted his head to the side to crack his neck ¡°This will be mostly just explanation anyway. So you''ll still be able to get the gist of it from there.¡±


    Twisting back and forth at the waist, Anton began to limber up with a bit of stretching before turning back to Fiona.


    ¡°Okay. Now, this is one of the more tricky things you can do with aura manipulation. I wouldn''t call this a full on ability or anything, as there''s no trigger behind it.¡± he explained ¡°Which that is also why it''s so difficult to learn. As there''s really no step by step instructions I can give you for this. All I can do is show you that this is possible for you to do, and you''ll have to figure out how to actually do it on your own.¡±


    ¡°...Okay?¡± said Fiona as she took a step back and looked him up and down ¡°...So what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Nothing yet.¡± chuckled Anton as he himself took a step back as well ¡°Take a few more steps back, and then I''ll begin.¡±


    Completing his request, Fiona instinctively focused her aura around herself as she felt Anton flare his out widely into the space around them.


    Blinking, the dark elf pointed her ears straight upwards in surprise as a thin, glowing orange-colored disc suddenly began to expand out from beneath Anton''s feet and spread out into a three meter wide circle all around him.


    ¡°Pretty neat. Isn''t it?¡± grinned Anton as he glanced around and found that both Mica and Kianna were now gawking at his disc as well ¡°Can you tell what I''m doing, Fiona?¡±


    ¡°...Uh, yeah? I think so?¡± mumbled Fiona ¡°You''re igniting your aura with mana, and then focusing it into a big disc shape. ...Right?¡±


    ¡°You''re halfway right.¡± nodded Anton ¡°What you''re seeing is ignited mana... But it''s not in a disc shape. In fact, it doesn''t even have a shape at all.¡±


    ¡°...Okay? Well it looks like a disc?¡± said Fiona as she creased her brow in contemplation ¡°...But if it''s not a disc, then what the Hell is it?¡±


    ¡°Let me show you.¡± said Anton as he turned to Mica ¡°Mica, can you come over here and give me a hand real quick, please.¡±


    ¡°...Do I have to?¡± questioned Mica.


    Anton gave her a lop sided grin as he cocked an eyebrow.


    With a sigh, the kiochi tentatively walked up to the edge of the glowing circle before grimacing up at Anton.


    ¡°If you would, can you try to strike me with your tail, please.¡± said Anton in a calm, nonchalant tone.


    ¡°...Seriously!? This again!?¡± cried Mica as her tail coiled nervously about behind her back.


    Anton began to chuckle as he shook his head.


    ¡°You won''t get in trouble for failing this time, I promise.¡± he said around a smile ¡°Just do your best to strike me, that''s all I ask.¡±


    Hesitating for a moment, Mica sighed again before leveling her spade at Anton and striking out right at the center of his chest.


    Mica, Fiona and Kianna all went wide eyed in surprise as Mica''s spade was stopped by a thin pillar of orange glowing aura that had instantly risen up from out of the disc below and blocked her attack.


    Pulling her spade back to herself, Mica watched the pillar quickly sink back down into the disc before looking up at Anton. Finding him staring back at her with a smug looking smile across his face, she narrowed her eyes and struck at him again but was immediately blocked this time as well by another pillar. Irritated now, the kiochi began to strike again and again in quick succession but was blocked each time by the never ending pillars as they instantaneously rose and fell.


    ¡°...How the Hell are you doing that?¡± asked Fiona as she watched Mica''s attacks keep failing ¡°...How did you ignite the aura, without making it solid?¡±


    ¡°That''s the tricky part.¡± said Anton ¡°It technically is solid, I just haven''t given it a shape to fully form into. So in a way, what you''re seeing is the aura as if it was water that''s trying to become ice. Any little slip in my focus and it''ll freeze into whatever shape it''s currently in. By manipulating it though, I can control its shape and even force it to switch back and forth between a fluid state, and a frozen one.¡±


    ¡°...Okay, that''s awesome!¡± exclaimed Fiona as her eyes stayed locked to the shifting aura ¡°...But how are you doing that!?¡±


    ¡°Again, that''s the tricky part.¡± smiled Anton ¡°I can''t really explain it beyond saying I''m manipulating my aura by igniting it and not letting it solidify. You''re going to have to figure out what I mean by doing it yourself. Which now that you know that this is something you can do, I''m sure you''ll eventually get the hang of it. And with enough practice, you''ll be able to do things like this...¡±


    Mica and the dark elves all craned their necks upward as Anton suddenly rose up into the air atop a giant pillar. Once he was up high enough, his aura at the base of his pillar began to break apart, and as it did this Anton allowed it all to dissipate away into nothing. Hanging in midair now, he did several lazy back-flips as he fell, and before hitting the ground he re-formed his aura pillar and landed gently atop its pliable surface.


    ¡°I probably made that look a lot easier than it really is.¡± he said as he stepped back onto the ground proper and dispelled his aura ¡°Acing a landing like that isn''t always so simple.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± smiled Fiona ¡°So you can just pop up into the air whenever you want then? Or do all kinds of crazy shit? It''s that easy?¡±


    ¡°Well I really wouldn''t call it easy. But sure, I suppose.¡± said Anton as he made to move back to the grill ¡°And yeah, you can do all kinds of things with that technique. Like for instance, if I wanted to, I could also launch myself, or even one of you, over the yard and into the pool from here.¡±


    ¡°...Do it! Do it to Mica!¡± cried Fiona as she frantically pointed at the kiochi ¡°Throw her in the pool! Hurry before she teleports away!¡±


    ¡°Fuck you, Fiona!¡± exclaimed Mica as she flipped the dark elf off.


    Chuckling, Anton grabbed his tongs and began to flip the chicken pieces.


    ¡°Tell you what, Fiona. Since it''ll be good exercise for her, and good practice for you...¡± he said as he glanced back over his shoulder ¡°Learn how to do it yourself. And you have my permission to throw Mica around whenever you want to.¡±


    ¡°What!? No! Don''t tell her that!¡± cried Mica as Fiona immediately closed her eyes in focus and began to flare her aura as she then attempted to concentrate it below herself ¡°Dammit! Now look! She''s not gonna stop until she figures it out now!¡±


    ¡°Yes. And that''s called ¡°motivation¡±, Mica.¡± grinned Anton ¡°Don''t worry though, she''ll have her chance to help you with some practice as well.¡±


    ¡°...What do you mean?¡± questioned Mica and Fiona in unison.


    ¡°Well, Mica needs to get faster with her tail strikes.¡± explained Anton ¡°And I think having Fiona try to block them with her aura, like I was doing earlier, will be good practice for both of you.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck!¡± cried Fiona as she pointed her ears straight upwards ¡°You''re gonna let her stab me!?¡±


    ¡°I''m going to let her try to, yes.¡± said Anton ¡°Whether or not she does is up to you of course.¡±


    ¡°...Oh, I am so going to put so many holes in you!¡± breathed Mica as she smiled wickedly at Fiona and flicked her tail back and forth in an excited manner.


    ¡°Like Hell you are!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°Your ass is getting thrown in the pool, sister!¡±


    ¡°...Master, I know you''re trying to get results here.¡± said Kianna as she watched both of her sisters begin to vigorously start practicing the very skills they were planning to use on each other ¡°But sometimes I think you''re also just a cruel, evil person...¡±


    ¡°Really? Only sometimes?¡± chuckled Anton as he continued to cook the chicken ¡°Well, I guess I''ll need to work on that then.¡±

 Guilty x Creatures : Assassin Arc : Chapter 29 : Early Afternoon

    Chapter 29 : Early Afternoon


    Glancing down at his watch and seeing that they were only about twenty minutes out from when they were supposed to meet with Leopold and Ila, Anton nodded and turned to Fiona and Mica.


    Standing all together in the kitchen, he and Kianna were each wearing nice, semi-casual outfits in accordance with their upcoming business meeting. While Fiona and Mica were both dressed from head to toe in solid black, form-fitting clothing that made them look all the world like a pair of cat-burglars.


    ¡°Alright. You two remember the plan, right?¡± said Anton as he paced back and forth in front of Fiona and Mica and looked them over ¡°Get in, get out. Move quickly, but cautiously. First sign of any trouble, you get out of there as fast as you can and close the portal. And I mean immediately with this! Do not try to stand and fight, just get out of there. Understand me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± said both Fiona and Mica in unison as they stood at attention.


    Staring at them for a moment, Anton nodded and smiled softly.


    ¡°Watch out for each other, okay.¡± he said as he stepped away and moved over to the counter.


    ¡°...We will.¡± mumbled Fiona and Mica as they glanced at one another.


    Grinning, Kianna held up her phone.


    ¡°As soon as I give you the signal, it''s a go.¡± she said ¡°Don''t do anything until then though.¡±


    ¡°Right, right. We know the plan. Wait for you guys to make sure they''re really there, then sneak in, and steal Mica''s shit.¡± said Fiona as she crossed her arms over her chest ¡°We got this. It''s all easy enough.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully it will be.¡± said Anton as he came back from the counter with two potions in each of his hands ¡°Here, take these.¡±


    Fiona ears pointed themselves straight upwards as she gazed at the two potions she had been handed.


    One of the potions was the familiar green variety she had seen Anton use on Mica a few times now, but the other was a bright, golden colored brew that she had never seen before.


    ¡°What''s the deal with this one?¡± she asked as she held up the golden potion ¡°This some kind of super potion or something?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much. They''re called radiant potions. And they''ll be able to fully heal you from any injury.¡± explained Anton ¡°They do take a few moments to work though, so don''t use them until you''re in a safe place. Also you''ll need to give them a good shake to activate them. You''ll know they''re ready when they start glowing. Oh, and don''t worry, Mica, they''re not made with holy water, so they will work on you.¡±


    ¡°Good to know.¡± said Mica as she slipped the two potions into her pockets and adjusted the belt that held her sheathed daggers against her hips.


    ¡°We better get going.¡± said Anton as he turned to Kianna ¡°You ready?¡±


    ¡°Yep!¡± chirped the dark elf as her ears twitched with excitement.


    ¡°Alright. We''re off then.¡± said Anton as he raised his hand and opened a portal to the coordinates Leopold had given him.


    Stepping through the portal, Anton and Kianna found themselves standing just outside of a two story restaurant that looked as though it had been built in the style of a Mediterranean villa.


    Upon entering and speaking with the hostess, they were led upstairs to a private seating area that was set up in a far back corner of the second floor.


    Leopold and Ila were already seated and waiting at a round table in this area, and upon seeing Anton approaching, they both donned welcoming smiles. As she caught sight of Kianna following along behind Anton, Ila''s eyes widened a tiny bit though her smile still remained.


    Noticing the kiochi''s hesitant demeanor, Kianna couldn''t help but to grin smugly and gleefully flare her aura in anticipation. She quickly reined it in however when Anton glanced back and gave her a pointed look.


    ¡°Leopold, Ila, good to see you both again.¡± said Anton as he came up to the table and shook each of the shinoccubis hands ¡°I hope you haven''t been waiting too long.¡±


    ¡°No, not at all. We just got here. And it''s good to see you again too, Anton.¡± said Ila as her smile warmed with her greeting and she turned to Kianna ¡°And, I''m sorry. But I don''t believe we''ve been introduced yet. I''m Ila, and this is my husband, Leopold.¡±


    ¡°Kianna, pleased to officially meet you both.¡± said Kianna as she took each of their offered hands in greeting ¡°And, yeah. Sorry we got off to such a rough start...¡±


    ¡°Oh, don''t worry about it.¡± said Ila as she waved her hand in a dismissive manner ¡°These things happen sometimes. Nothing worth dwelling on.¡±


    ¡°Good to hear that.¡± said Anton as he pulled a chair out for Kianna ¡°No reason we can''t all be friendly here.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡± said Leopold as he picked up a wine list ¡°Shall we share a bottle?¡±


    ¡°Sure, sounds good to me.¡± said Anton as he took his seat opposite Leopold and gave Kianna a slight nod.


    As Anton, Leopold and Ila decided on a bottle of wine, Kianna covertly took out her phone, kept it hidden beneath the edge of the table, and sent Fiona a message as a signal that everything was a go. Grinning smugly, the dark elf slipped her phone back into her small purse just as everyone began to look over their menus.


    ¡°So what''s good here...¡± mused Anton as he browsed over his options ¡°Oh, they''ve got scallops...¡±


    ¡°Yes. Their pan seared scallops and pasta dish is very good, definitely recommend...¡± said Leopold in an absent tone from behind his menu.


    ¡°Well then, I''m sold.¡± grinned Anton as he turned to Kianna ¡°Anything jumping out at you?¡±


    ¡°Mmm... I can''t decide...¡± mumbled the dark elf ¡°I really want to try the sea food salad, but the mushroom chicken also looks really good... Hmm...¡±


    ¡°Mm hm...¡± hummed Anton as he looked back at his own menu ¡°Well, how about this. Let''s order both of them and I''ll split the salad with you, sound good?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, that''ll work for me.¡± said Kianna as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards ¡°Thank you!¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± said Anton.


    Looking back and forth between the smiling couple, Ila let an amused expression slowly spread across her face.


    ¡°You know, Anton...¡± she started as she glanced over the top of her menu at him ¡°It''s nice to see you finally with someone. It''s been so long now, and I was always so worried that you might be lonely.¡±


    ¡°That''s true. It really has been awhile...¡± mused Leopold ¡°So how did you two meet by the way?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you know, it''s the same old story.¡± grinned Anton ¡°A stranger sits down at a bar, and starts talking to a pretty girl. One thing leads to another, and now here we are.¡±


    ¡°Actually, it was more like me and my sister drugged, kidnapped and were going to try to kill him. But that didn''t work out too well for us. And now I''m his sex slave.¡± said Kianna in a matter-of-factual tone ¡°Best decision I ever made too. I don''t regret anything.¡±


    Both Leopold and Ila paused for a moment and began to laugh as they took in the look on Anton''s face.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± chuckled Leopold ¡°Is that really what happened?¡±


    ¡°...It may have been something like that.¡± mumbled Anton as a giggling Kianna leaned over and playfully nuzzled herself in against his shoulder ¡°It was definitely along those lines...¡±


    ¡°Well then... That sounds like an interesting story!¡± laughed Ila ¡°You''ve just been completely unlucky with people trying to kill you lately, haven''t you?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn''t say unlucky, per''se.¡± grinned Anton as he leaned back against Kianna ¡°There''s been more good than bad, honestly.¡±


    It was at this moment that the waiter, a tall, soft-spoken, dark haired human man, appeared and began to take everyone''s order. Once he had everything jotted down, he went off to inform the kitchen and quickly returned with a bottle of wine and a pitcher of flavored ice water.


    As they all waited for their food, Anton began to tell the full story of how he had met Kianna and Fiona, as well as how their lives together had been going thus far. He kept the finer details to himself of course, though Kianna did interject with her own rather colorful anecdotes from time to time.


    Having expected this meeting to be more awkward than not, Kianna was in reality quite surprised at just how casual and outgoing both Leopold and Ila really were. And although she was still very much on her guard, she quickly found herself actually enjoying the joking small talk she was having with the two alleged assassins.


    Before too long, their steaming hot meals arrived atop a large platter and were quickly passed out across the table.


    As she watched Anton divide their sea food salad between two plates, Kianna''s sensitive ears picked up on the faint sound of her phone suddenly beginning to vibrate inside her purse. Being as discreet as possible, she took it out and immediately had to stifle a laugh by clamping her hand over her mouth. On the screen was a picture from Fiona showing the smiling dark elf lounging across a sofa in an unfamiliar living room and giving the camera a peace sign, whilst in the background behind the sofa, a clearly irritated looking Mica was in the middle of shouting at her in an obvious bid to get her moving.


    ¡°Everything okay over there?¡± asked Anton as he raised an eyebrow at the dark elf.


    Without a word, Kianna shifted her phone to the side so he could see it clearly. Taking a single look at the picture, Anton sighed around a smile as he shook his head.


    ¡°Looks like everything is going just fine.¡± chuckled Kianna as she put her phone away.


    ¡°Indeed...¡± mumbled Anton.


    ¡°Sharing secrets over there?¡± quipped Ila as she sliced her baked eggplant into thin strips.


    ¡°Maybe.¡± smiled Kianna as she quickly became focused on her own plate of food.


    ¡°Well you have fun with that.¡± grinned Leopold as he arced his tail over the table and used his spade to slide the pepper shaker over to himself.


    Having ordered a whole roasted young chicken over rice, the kiogah looped a length of his tail around the pepper shaker, lifted it up over his plate and lightly sprinkled pepper across his chicken as he used two knives to expertly slice the bird into pieces.


    With her meal now ready to eat, Ila gave her own phone a quick glance to make sure she hadn''t missed any messages and stopped short as she noticed that the app connected to their in house security cameras was signaling that it was detecting movement in their home. Creasing her brow in question, she quickly opened the app and blinked in surprise as she saw Mica and Kianna''s sister Fiona moving through the hallway of their apartment. Looking up at Anton and Kianna, she met their eyes for a moment before dropping her gaze back down to her phone. She was just in time to see Mica and Fiona quickly exit Mica''s room with armfuls of her daughter''s clothing and belongings and disappear though a portal before reappearing and repeating the process. Shaking her head, she closed the app and gave a staring Anton and Kianna a knowing smile.


    ¡°Something wrong?¡± asked Leopold as he looked over at her.


    ¡°...No. It''s nothing important.¡± said Ila as her expression became amused ¡°I was just checking in on the cameras at home... Everything is fine though.¡±


    Nodding in understanding, Anton chuckled and began to eat his food which prompted a faintly nervous looking Kianna to followed suit.


    Narrowing his eyes at his wife, Leopold stared at her for a moment before shrugging and going back to his meal.


    Small talk soon recommenced and before too long more and more empty space began to appear on everyone''s plates.


    ¡°So, Anton.¡± said Leopold as he added a bit more wine to his glass ¡°Are we ready to go ahead and start discussing the matters that brought us here today?¡±


    ¡°I suppose we might as well...¡± mumbled Anton ¡°Best to get it over with...¡±


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°There really isn''t too much.¡± said Leopold as he brought a thin briefcase up from under his seat and set it on the table ¡°I have a few things I want to go over with you and make sure you understand. And then I''ll just need a few signatures and we''ll be done. All simple stuff really.¡±


    ¡°Well that''s good news.¡± said Anton as he rested his elbows on the table and leaned forward ¡°So what have you got for me here?¡±


    As Leopold began to delve into the taxes and zoning laws applicable to the dark elves former apartment complex, Kianna and Ila both took the opportunity to check their phones.


    Seeing another text from Fiona, Kianna grinned as she read that they had finished and were now safely back at the house.


    ¡°Looks like the mission is complete.¡± said Ila as as she clicked off her phone and smiled at Kianna.


    ¡°Mission?¡± questioned Leopold.


    ¡°Yes, don''t worry. I''ll fill you in once you guys are finished with all this.¡± said Ila as she indicated the paperwork sitting in the briefcase.


    ¡°...Alright?¡± said Leopold as he turned back to Anton.


    For the next hour and a half Leopold and Anton went over the all the details of Anton''s newest acquisition.


    ¡°Alright... So now I''ll just need you to sign these papers here, and here, and here. As well as initial and date them here, and we should be done with this for today.¡± said Leopold as he took a pen from his briefcase and offered it to Anton.


    ¡°Sounds good.¡± said Anton as he took the pen and began to sign.


    ¡°Alright, now... On to that set of contracts you asked me to have written up...¡± said Leopold as he took a folder from the briefcase ¡°These are fairly rough, in all honesty. But they cover everything you asked for.¡±


    ¡°Excellent.¡± said Anton as he took the folder and quickly looked over the papers within ¡°I appreciate you getting these done so quickly.¡±


    ¡°Not a problem.¡± said Leopold as he gathered up all the papers he and Anton had gone over and packed them back into his briefcase ¡°That should be everything we need to discus today, business wise at least...¡±


    ¡°Right...¡± nodded Anton as he set the folder aside and picked up his wineglass ¡°I suppose it''s time to finally address the elephant in the room...¡±


    ¡°Yes, though first.¡± said Leopold as he turned to Ila ¡°What was that you were talking about earlier? Something about a mission?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. This is actually in regards to the new topic of discussion anyway, so that works out.¡± said Ila as she took out her phone ¡°It seems our daughter had a busy day today.¡±


    Leopold''s brow creased in question as Ila held her phone up for him to watch a video that had been recorded off of their security cameras. Both Anton and Kianna couldn''t help but to grin thinly as Leopold''s expression slowly darkened and his tail began to curl aimlessly about in obvious irritation.


    ¡°Well then...¡± he muttered after the video ended ¡°As much as I''d like to press charges for trespassing... I think I''ll let it slide this one time...¡±


    ¡°Now, now. Mica certainly couldn''t have been trespassing if she had clearance from your complex to enter the apartment, now could she?¡± smiled Anton.


    ¡°...That''s a good point.¡± sighed Leopold as he turned back to Ila ¡°Did they take anything that wasn''t Mica''s?¡±


    ¡°No, they didn''t.¡± said Ila as she shook her head and went over the rest of the footage ¡°...They did leave a package of some sort on our bed though?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes.¡± nodded Anton ¡°That would be the outfit that Mica borrowed from you. Leopold expressed an interest in getting that back, so we obliged.¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh yes. He is very fond of that one...¡± grinned Ila as her tail waved about happily ¡°Thank you for getting that back to us.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± smiled Anton as Leopold closed his eyes and shook his head.


    ¡°In any case. Home invasion aside...¡± said Leopold as he turned to Anton ¡°What exactly do you have planned for our daughter, Anton?¡±


    ¡°As I''ve said before, I intend to have her act as a bodyguard of sorts.¡± said Anton.


    ¡°For dark elves.¡± said Leopold ¡°As if a bodyguard would even be necessary for such creatures.¡±


    ¡°An extra set of eyes is always nice to have around.¡± countered Anton ¡°And considering Mica''s natural abilities, a role as a bodyguard would be both an easy fit and a good way for her to earn her keep. So it''s an obvious route to take with her.¡±


    ¡°Mica has no experience when it comes to combat though.¡± said Ila ¡°She could easily end up as nothing but a hindrance for you in a battle.¡±


    ¡°That''s true, as of right now.¡± said Anton ¡°But that won''t be the case for long. I''ve already gotten Mica set up with an experienced teacher, and she''ll be starting her lessons within the week. She has a long way to go, of course. But I have some confidence in her, and I think she might do better than we all expect.¡±


    Both Ila and Leopold were quiet for a moment.


    ¡°...So, she has begun to train then.¡± stated Leopold.


    ¡°I suppose you could say that.¡± said Anton.


    ¡°Has she seen any actual combat yet?¡± questioned Leopold.


    ¡°A little, though nothing actually life threatening of course.¡± said Anton ¡°But enough to say that she has had a bit of experience now. ...A tiny bit, at least.¡±


    The two shinoccubi both nodded slowly as they glanced at each other.


    ¡°...So then she hasn''t killed anyone yet?¡± asked Leopold as he picked up his glass and took a small sip of wine.


    ¡°No. She hasn''t.¡± said Anton.


    ¡°That''s good. We aren''t too late then.¡± said Ila as Leopold nodded in agreement.


    ¡°...Too late?¡± questioned Anton as Kianna cocked one her ears in a curious manner.


    Both Leopold and Ila were quiet for a moment before Leopold finally spoke.


    ¡°...You have made it clear, that you are at least somewhat informed on both our kind and our customs.¡± started Leopold ¡°But how much do you really know about our ceremonies?¡±


    ¡°Ceremonies?¡± repeated Anton as he raised an eyebrow ¡°...I suppose it depends on what ceremonies you''re referring to?¡±


    ¡°You know I can''t be specific.¡± mumbled Leopold.


    ¡°You can''t be, or you just won''t be?¡± questioned Anton ¡°Sometimes it''s difficult to tell...¡±


    Leopold merely stared back at him in silence.


    ¡°...Generally, it''s a matter of can''t.¡± said Ila ¡°But considering the circumstances, and the fact that we are likely not revealing anything new to you, information wise... I think we can afford to be a bit more candid. Though, I would still like to ask for a promise of secrecy, on the part of you and your people...¡±


    ¡°...I think I can agree to that.¡± nodded Anton as he looked over to Kianna.


    Meeting his gaze, Kianna gave him a knowing look as she turned back to Ila.


    ¡°If my Master wishes for us to remain discreet...¡± she said as she lifted her chin just enough to indicate the collar around her neck ¡°Be assured, he has the means to enforce such a decision...¡±


    The two shinoccubi nodded slowly as they looked from the jeweled collar back to Anton.


    ¡°There is a certain ceremony practiced among our kind in which an initiate to the clan must first prove themselves both worthy, and capable.¡± explained Leopold ¡°This is done before the initiate is given any major training. As this is considered both a test of their natural skills, and as a way for the clan to find out whether or not they would have wasted their time...¡±


    ¡°...Wasted their time?¡± questioned Anton ¡°And what does that mean?¡±


    ¡°This is a rather intense challenge, Anton. You could think of it as a sort of trial by fire.¡± said Ila.


    ¡°Right...¡± nodded Anton ¡°So then I take it that not everyone survives this challenge then?¡±


    ¡°No. They do not.¡± said Leopold ¡°It is a right of passage, that is paved in blood. And it takes the form of a one on one battle, in which only one combatant is meant to survive.¡±


    ¡°...I see.¡± said Anton as he nodded slowly and looked Leopold in the eyes ¡°So tell me, please. Why exactly should I believe that this in any way a legitimate practice among your people, and not some poorly disguised ploy that you''ve come up with to kill Mica?¡±


    ¡°Because it is in fact, both of those things.¡± said Leopold as he stared right back ¡°And I make no claim otherwise. It is an opportunity for us to see Mica killed, yes. It is a very real ceremony as well though.¡±


    ¡°Hm, I see...¡± mumbled Anton.


    ¡°There, is another factor at play as well...¡± said Leopold as his expression became faintly strained ¡°This is also... Well... It is a chance for us to be a part of this portion of Mica''s life. If however small...¡±


    ¡°...Excuse me?¡± said Anton.


    ¡°Anton, you have to understand, she is still our daughter. And this idea of her receiving training, without our input... For us to know that someone else will be the one to guide her...¡± said Ila as her eyes suddenly grew heavy ¡°That is a very difficult thing for us to have to accept...¡±


    ¡°Oh, now don''t try this nonsense with me.¡± grumbled Anton as he creased his brow in irritation ¡°You two have had ample opportunity to train the girl yourselves. A lifetimes worth of opportunity even! And you made the decision not to. So don''t you try to play victim with me now!¡±


    ¡°This is not a matter of playing victim, Anton.¡± said Leopold as he closed his eyes and shook his head ¡°It is literally the situation that we''re in now...¡±


    ¡°We didn''t train Mica before because we didn''t envision that kind of life for her.¡± said Ila as her expression saddened ¡°Mica was always such a stubborn and confident child, but she is also so was very outgoing, free spirited and friendly as well... She could have lived a life of peace and happiness...¡±


    ¡°She could have been free...¡± whispered Leopold.


    ¡°Yes, and that was the life we wanted for her.¡± said Ila as she placed her hand on Leopold''s shoulder ¡°That was the only life we ever wanted her to know...¡±


    Lifting his own hand upwards, Leopold clasped Ila''s back as they both bowed their heads and went quiet.


    Watching them, and seeing the torment on their faces, Anton sighed and shook his head.


    ¡°I''m sorry that things have gone the way that they have. You know that I am...¡± he said as he dropped his eyes to the table ¡°I know this is not what you wanted. And that''s exactly why I can not let you kill your daughter. Either directly or indirectly.¡±


    ¡°There is no guarantee that Mica will be killed though. She could win this.¡± said Ila.


    ¡°But you want her to be killed.¡± said Anton as he kept his eyes lowered ¡°That is still the main point of this.¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily.¡± said Ila ¡°It is a factor, yes. But if Mica could win this fight... If we could see her fight, and know that she actually can... It would ease our minds, so very much.¡±


    ¡°...And would that peace of mind be worth risking her life for?¡± asked Anton ¡°Or at best, turning her into a killer?¡±


    ¡°She was born to be a killer, Anton. It is in her blood. It is what she is.¡± said Leopold as he lifted his eyes ¡°Make no mistake. She is still one of us. And inside, we are all killers. You know this.¡±


    ¡°...Yes, I do know that.¡± said Anton as he looked up and met Leopold''s gaze ¡°And if the time comes that she needs to defend herself then-.¡±


    ¡°Will she be able to?¡± interrupted Leopold ¡°Or will she hesitate? In that moment, when her life is on the line, and that split second will make all the difference... Will she be ready to do what she needs to do, to survive?¡±


    Anton remained silent as he and Leopold stared each other down.


    ¡°...We are killers, Anton. And we won''t hesitate.¡± whispered Ila ¡°...We need to know, that she won''t either. ...We need to know, that she''ll do, what she needs to do, no matter who it is, she is facing.¡±


    Pausing as he took in the implication behind Ila''s words and now staring straight into Leopold''s slitted, snake-like, demonic eyes, Anton couldn''t help but to register the turmoil riling just beneath the surface of his calm facade. His own eyes widened as he quickly realized the depth of the desperation that was on display here.


    Here was a set of parents torn between the love of their child, and the knowledge that she must be destroyed. Despite the great pain it would cause to themselves, they would do what they deemed necessary, they would see this morbid mission through... But deep down, they wanted to fail, they wanted to be stopped... These two poor souls were not only ready to kill their own daughter, but as an acceptable alternative, as a way to spare their child, they would instead, happily die at her hand...


    With a sigh, Anton closed his eyes and shook his head.


    ¡°How did things get to this point...¡± he mumbled softly ¡°It''s just unbelievable...¡±


    The two shinoccubi lowered their eyes to the table.


    ¡°It is, truly unfortunate...¡± said Leopold ¡°But this is the reality that we find ourselves in... And sadly, a part of this reality is the fact that Mica needs to be ready to kill...¡±


    Anton went still and silent for several moments before looking back up at the shinoccubi.


    ¡°...Let''s say, for arguments sake, that I might agree with you. That I might! ...Even if only slightly.¡± he said as he tightened his jaw ¡°...I still have a few questions first though. Starting with, how exactly does this ceremony of yours work?¡±


    ¡°By design it is simple.¡± said Leopold ¡°It is a fight between 2 combatants, with a single winner. There are no rules beyond that.¡±


    ¡°Literally just a fight then?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°Yes.¡± said Leopold ¡°All Mica has to do is win.¡±


    ¡°By killing her opponent?¡± questioned Anton.


    Leopold shrugged.


    ¡°Yes, that would obviously be the case.¡± he said matter-of-factually ¡°This is generally meant to be a first kill type of thing, though it''s not uncommon for initiates to have already killed before this point.¡±


    ¡°I see...¡± mused Anton as he rubbed his chin ¡°...And is Mica''s opponent meant to be one of you?¡±


    ¡°No. By tradition she is not meant to face one of her own kind in this event.¡± said Leopold ¡°So as such, her opponent is not another shinoccubus.¡±


    ¡°Her opponent is not?¡± repeated Anton as he raised an eyebrow in question ¡°Do you already have a specific opponent picked out for her then?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We have acquired her an appropriate opponent already.¡± said Leopold ¡°This opponent should be enough of a challenge for Mica, while still giving her even odds of winning.¡±


    ¡°Oh really? And I''m just supposed to take your word on this?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°Not at all. You are more than welcome to inspect her opponent yourself.¡± said Leopold ¡° Though, if you do decide to do so, I do ask that you refrain form saying anything to Mica about said opponent. As she should be going into this fight without any preplanned strategies in mind. This is meant to be a test of her natural skills after all. And having a readied battle-plan would defeat the purpose of that.¡±


    ¡°Hm, understandable...¡± mumbled Anton ¡°So is this opponent a person? Or an animal?¡±


    ¡°That''s somewhat subjective.¡± said Leopold as he shrugged again ¡°Could be considered either or, depending on who you ask. Rest assured though, they are a killer in their own right. No innocent person will die for this.¡±


    ¡°Hm, I see... I see...¡± nodded Anton as his expression became thoughtful and he went quiet and still.


    Watching him for a moment, Leopold and Ila glanced at each other and nodded before Leopold quietly cleared his throat.


    ¡°Anton. I understand that you''re going to have your suspicions of this. And that''s completely reasonable considering all that''s happened.¡± said Leopold ¡°But rest assured, my friend, there is absolutely no hidden ruse at play here. We have no intention of attacking Mica either during or, should she win, after this fight. As the victor, in our eyes, she will have earned her right to live beyond this day. Now I know these claims are dubious at best, but there is a truth that I think you should know, as I feel it would help to set your mind at ease.¡±


    ¡°Oh? And what''s that?¡± questioned Anton.


    ¡°The truth is, whether you believe it or not, Anton.¡± said Leopold as a thin grin spread across his face ¡°We are a prideful people, as I''m sure you''re aware. And as such, we do legitimately want to see our daughter succeed at this challenge, just as much as we want to see her fail.¡±


    Anton was still for a second before he began to chuckle softly.


    ¡°You know... That is something I could actually believe.¡± he said while slowly shaking his head.


    ¡°So do you agree then?¡± asked Ila.


    ¡°...I do, yes.¡± said Anton as he looked at her ¡°But that said, I''m not going to force Mica to do something that she isn''t comfortable with. And seeing you two again so soon... Well, I''ll explain everything to her first, and we''ll see what she thinks.¡±


    ¡°Tell her that this is a glimpse into her culture.¡± said Leopold ¡°That this is a part of who she really is.¡±


    ¡°...Alright. I will tell her that.¡± nodded Anton ¡°But again, I make no promises one way or the other here. Whether we do this or not will be completely up to Mica.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough.¡± said Leopold as he pulled a slip of paper out of his pocket and, using his tail, slid it across the table to Anton ¡°This is the location we have found for the fight. It is a simple field, far from any inhabited areas. We will not be bothered here.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± said Anton as took the paper, glanced at the written coordinates, and then slipped the paper into his pocket ¡°We''d better be off then... We need to speak with Mica...¡±


    ¡°We''ll be waiting to hear from you.¡± said Ila as Leopold nodded in agreement.


    Rising from their seats, Anton and Kianna both bid the two shinoccubi goodbye and quickly left them behind as they made their way out of the restaurant.


    ¡°So, what did you think of all that?¡± asked Anton as they stepped outside.


    ¡°...I don''t know? ...That was, I don''t know?¡± grumbled Kianna ¡°What do you think? Do you think this is all a trick?¡±


    ¡°Possibly...¡± sighed Anton as he raised his palm and opened a portal ¡°Unfortunately we can''t rule that idea out...¡±


    ¡°Are you really going to let Mica do this then?¡± asked Kianna as she dipped her ears in uncertainty.


    ¡°...I''m going to do what I said I would.¡± said Anton ¡°I''m going to give her all the information I can, and then I''m going to let her decide.¡±


    ¡°But what if this is a trap!?¡± exclaimed Kianna ¡°What if they try to hurt her!?¡±


    ¡°...Well, if they do try anything like that.¡± said Anton as he looked down at her and grinned ¡°Then I guess we will just have to be ready to stop them.¡±


    Staring at him for a moment, Kianna sighed and shook her head.


    ¡°Well, if Mica decides to do this, and it is a trap. Then at least Fiona will be happy.¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°Why''s that?¡± asked Anton as he raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Because.¡± said Kianna as she turned to face the portal ¡°She''ll get another chance to catch herself a kiochi to play with.¡±


    Blinking, Anton began to chuckle.


    ¡°That, is very true. She will definitely be happy about that.¡± he smiled as they both stepped through the portal and disappeared.

 Guilty x Creatures : Assassin Arc : Chapter 30 : Afternoon

    Chapter 30 : Afternoon


    Mica had been silent for some time now. Sitting at the table across from Anton, she had patiently listened to everything he had to say before dropping her gaze to the tabletop and going still.


    Kianna and Fiona were both standing off to the side where they could lean against the counter-top and listen in themselves. Their ears pointed themselves straight upwards in surprise when Mica suddenly pushed her chair away from the table and stood up.


    Turning away from everyone, Mica stomped out into the center of the room where she stopped, crossed her arms over her chest and let her tail coil around rapidly through the air in irritation.


    ¡°So this is all just a trap, right!?¡± she growled without looking back at anyone ¡°They''re just using this as an excuse to get close to me, so they can strike! ...Right!?¡±


    ¡°It''s entirely possible that is the case...¡± sighed Anton as he reached across the table and picked up one of the unused radiant potions Mica and Fiona had left there ¡°We don''t know that for certain though...¡±


    ¡°Seriously!?¡± snapped Mica as she turned back to him ¡°C''mon! It''s obvious that''s what''s going on here! They''re just trying to kill me again! It would be the stupidest thing ever to even think about going along with this! ...Right!?¡±


    Staring down at the potion he was absently turning over in his hand, Anton didn''t say anything for a long moment as he gathered his thoughts together. His gaze was piercing when he finally looked up and faced Mica.


    ¡°I''m going to be honest with you, Mica. I''m not so sure that this is a trap. In fact, I really don''t think it is.¡± he said softly ¡°I think it''s actually legitimate.¡±


    ¡°...Why? What makes you think that?¡± asked Mica.


    ¡°Your parents.¡± said Anton ¡°Your parents know full well the situation that you''re in. And while they themselves will not abandon their mission. They''re not excited to succeed either. In fact, I''d say they might even be more than happy to see you succeed instead. Even if that means that you kill them in the process...¡±


    ¡°...What!?¡± exclaimed Mica.


    ¡°Understand, Mica. As far as your parents are concerned, there is only one way that this is going to end. And it''s through bloodshed.¡± explained Anton ¡°So this is them preparing you for that. This is how they intend to contribute to your success. It''s their way of trying to support you... Whilst still trying to kill you, of course...¡±


    Fiona snorted softly as she held back a chuckle.


    ¡°In every way, this is a win, win for them. If you triumph over this test of theirs, you''ll be better prepared for the next fight that you''re in.¡± said Anton ¡°And if you fail... Well, mission accomplished...¡±


    Mica stayed quiet for a moment as she let her eyes fall to the floor.


    ¡°...And that''s just it, isn''t it. That right there, that''s the trap. The real trap.¡± she whispered softly as she shook her head ¡°They really don''t think I can win this. They think I''m gonna lose... And die...¡±


    Anton said nothing as he merely stared at her.


    ¡°They don''t believe in me. They never have. They don''t think I can do this at all... They don''t even think I stand a chance!¡± growled Mica as her expression hardened in anger ¡°Well they''re wrong!¡±


    Gripping the handles of her sheathed daggers, Mica turned to Anton with fire in her eyes.


    ¡°They don''t take me seriously! Nobody ever takes me seriously!¡± she exclaimed ¡°But when this is over! When I win... They will!¡±


    Anton nodded slowly.


    ¡°Wait, seriously? You''re gonna fight!?¡± questioned Fiona.


    ¡°I''m gonna win!¡± declared Mica as she turned to her ¡°And I''m gonna make my family think twice about coming after me again!¡±


    ¡°...So you''re just gonna kill somebody, and you''re cool with that?¡± asked Fiona.


    ¡°Sure. Why not? I''m already a slave anyway, so I got nothing to lose.¡± said Mica with a shrug ¡°Bound to happen eventually anyways, so who cares?¡±


    ¡°...I mean, okay?¡± mumbled Fiona ¡°Whatever I guess...¡±


    ¡°Is that your decision then, Mica?¡± questioned Anton as he reached over and picked up the second radiant potion ¡°Is this something you really want to go through with?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah.¡± said Mica as she nodded in affirmation ¡°Yeah it is...¡±


    ¡°Alright then. I''ll let your parents know.¡± said Anton as he took his phone out of his pocket and replaced it with the two potions ¡°I suggest you get yourself ready, both physically and mentally.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don''t worry. I''m ready.¡± muttered Mica.


    ¡°I hope so.¡± said Anton as he placed the phone to his ear ¡°Because I bet this is easily going to be the biggest challenge you''ve faced so far...¡±


    Standing together in the backyard, Mica, Kianna and Fiona were waiting patiently for Anton to return. Having gone ahead to make sure that everything was as it should be, and that Mica''s opponent was within the range of a fair fight, Anton had been gone for over twenty minutes before his portal winked back into existence and he reappeared through it.


    ¡°Okay, everything looks good. At least as far as I can tell.¡± he said as he stood in front of the portal and crossed his arms ¡°Now are you sure you''re ready for this, Mica? Because once you start this fight, that''s it, you''ll have to finish it.¡±


    ¡°...Yeah, I know.¡± said Mica as she squared her shoulders ¡°It''s okay. I''m ready.¡±


    ¡°...Very well then.¡± said Anton as he looked to the dark elves ¡°Girls, keep your eyes open. You never know what assassins could be planning. So be ready for anything.¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± said Kianna and Fiona in unison.


    Nodding, Anton turned around to face the portal and took a deep breath.


    ¡°Alright then.¡± he said as he took a step forward ¡°Let''s go.¡±


    Stepping out of the portal, the group found themselves in a wide open prairie that seemed to stretch out for miles in every direction. This landscape was quiet and still, with a light breeze shifting the taller strands of grass being the only bit of motion to be seen in the massive sea of green that now surrounded them.


    About twenty yards away, Leopold and Ila stood facing the new arrivals. And just off to the side of them, Nokko sat cross-legged up on top of a large, wooden crate. This crate was a tall rectangular shape and was just about the right size for an average humanoid person to stand inside it.


    The three shinoccubi were all dressed rather casually, which was a far cry from the appearance they had the last time they had all met in an open field like this. Also unlike their previous encounter, the shinoccubi were unarmed, or at least they were not carrying any weapons that could be readily seen.


    Mica couldn''t help but to tense up a bit as her family came into view. With Anton ahead of her and a dark elf flanking each of her sides, she did feel a thread of comfort at the protective presence that surrounded her, but this still wasn''t enough to stop a knot from forming in the pit of her stomach.


    ¡°Hey, it''s okay. You don''t need to worry.¡± whispered Kianna ¡°You got this.¡±


    Mica blinked in surprise at the unexpected encouragement.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± breathed Fiona ¡°You just took on a big ass spider and did great. Whatever they got in that little box over there will be a piece of cake for you.¡±


    ¡°...I, um. ...Thanks, guys.¡± mumbled Mica as she gripped the handles of her daggers ¡°...I appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°Mica, don''t worry about your family getting involved. We''ll be keeping our eyes on them. And if they try anything then we''ll handle it.¡± said Anton as he nodded to each of the dark elves ¡°You just stay focused on your fight.¡±


    ¡°Right, I will.¡± said Mica.


    ¡°Keep your eyes on your opponent at all times. And mind your distance. You never know what kind of tricks they might try to pull on you.¡± continued Anton ¡°Watch out for manabinders in particular.¡±


    ¡°Right. Don''t worry, I''m not going to get caught with that shit again.¡± said Mica.


    ¡°Good. ...Alright, let''s get this going.¡± said Anton as he started towards the shinoccubi.


    Following close behind him, Mica and the dark elves kept their expressions as neutral as possible as they made the short trek across the field and stopped just a few paces in front of the waiting shinoccubi.


    Both Leopold and Ila had thin, awkward smiles on their faces as they watched their daughter approach, while Nokko on the other hand, made no effort to appear friendly at all, and instead merely stared at the incoming group.


    ¡°Anton, Kianna, Fiona. ...Mica.¡± said Ila as she greeted each of them in kind.


    ¡°Welcome, I''m glad to see you could all join us for this special occasion.¡± said Leopold ¡°I hope you''re all as excited for this as we are.¡±


    ¡°A little, though anxious might be a better descriptor for some of us.¡± chuckled Anton.


    ¡°And that''s understandable.¡± grinned Leopold as he let his eyes fall to Mica ¡°This is a big event after all. Mica''s very first official test.¡±


    ¡°...Yeah, test.¡± mumbled Mica ¡°It''s just a test...¡±


    ¡°We''re very excited for this, Mica.¡± said Ila ¡°We can''t wait to finally see what you can do!¡±


    ¡°Oh, don''t worry.¡± said Fiona as she locked eyes with Ila ¡°She won''t disappoint you.¡±


    ¡°Good to hear.¡± nodded Leopold ¡°Why don''t we go ahead and get this show started then, shall we?¡±


    Turning back to Mica, Anton gave her a nod and indicated that she should take her place out in the field in front of them.


    ¡°Don''t worry. We''ll be right here.¡± whispered Kianna.


    Taking a deep breath, Mica nodded and began to march out into the field.


    Leopold likewise nodded up to Nokko as he started to make his way over to the standing crate.


    The kiochi slipped her tail down over the side of the crate and planted the broad side of her spade against the ground before lifting her still cross-legged form up into the air. Sitting atop her own tail now, she shifted herself to the side and lowered herself down to gracefully land on her feet before turning to the crate. Whipping her tail upwards and using her spade to slice apart the bindings wrapped around the wooden box, she grabbed onto a mounted handle and pulled opened one full side of the crate for her approaching father.


    Keeping her eyes locked on to what they were doing, Mica watched as her father prompted a strange looking being to step out of the crate.


    This being had a humanoid shape to its body and by all appearances seemed to be feminine in form. She stood upright on two long, slender, segmented legs that ended in four clawed toes, and her bound arms were folded together across her front. She was no shorter than Mica herself, but was so overtly thin that she seemed to be much more diminutive than the kiochi in size. Her face was kept hidden behind a black cloth bag that was draped over her head and tied in place around her neck. This bag, along with a metal belt that was wrapped tightly around her thin waist, was the only form of covering that she wore, and this nakedness made it easy enough to see that this was no ordinary being, but instead appeared to be a humanoid mixed with some kind of plant, or was possibly an insectoid type of person.


    Her entire body was colored in shades of pale green, with some areas highlighted with stripes of bright pinks and purples which gave her a flora-like appearance.


    Though she was technically naked, her most intimate parts were covered in chitinous looking plates that gave the impression that she was wearing a sort of natural bikini. These plates spread out from her back and ran forwards across her rib cage before encasing her small bosom. A second set streamed downwards over her navel to give her genitals their own layer of protective covering.


    More endowed versions of these plates were also wrapped around her upper arms and thighs as well as attached to different sections of her body such as at her hips, shoulders and along her spine up to the back of her neck. These particular plates were clearly more robust in nature and were obviously a form of natural armor for her.


    The plates surrounding these armored sections of her body shrank down into smaller scale-like forms before fully transitioning into the smooth, pale green skin of her torso. These skinned areas included her belly, butt, chest and neck.


    Jutting out from the base of her spine and resting just above her bottom, was a long, bulbous, tail-like appendage that was encased in the same type of smoother plating that covered the other softer parts of her body.


    The being made no sound nor offered any type of resistance as Leopold took hold of her upper arm and guided her out into the open field.


    ¡°...What the Hell is that thing?¡± asked Fiona as she squinted at the strange being ¡°...Some kind of, mutant beanstalk, or something?¡±


    ¡°That''s a weremantis. Or at least I think it is?¡± said Anton ¡°I''ve never actually seen one that looked like that before.¡±


    ¡°Huh, weremantis... Okay, yeah I can see the bug parts now.¡± said Fiona ¡°Never seen one of them before either...¡±


    ¡°How does she look different from other weremantises you''ve seen?¡± asked Kianna as she looked up at Anton and cocked one of her ears in a curious manner.


    ¡°Wait, that thing''s a girl!?¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°...Are you guys sure about that?¡±


    ¡°Well, she has some odd coloration. Which could just mean that she''s some type of tropical variety that I''ve never met before.¡± said Anton as he glanced at Kianna ¡°But what''s making me question things is that she seems to be, very different looking?¡±


    ¡°Different looking?¡± repeated Kianna ¡°How is she different looking?¡±


    ¡°She''s just, sort of strange looking.¡± said Anton as he raised an eyebrow ¡°I''ve never seen a mantis that looked like her before, so I don''t know if she''s supposed to look like that or not? And to be honest, I don''t even know for sure if she really is a mantis to begin with?¡±


    ¡°What else could she be?¡± asked Fiona.


    ¡°Mm, maybe a walking stick? Or perhaps a katydid?¡± said Anton with a shrug ¡°Honestly, I have no idea what she is... I will say this though. If she is a mantis, they can be some of the most fearless adversaries you could ever face. So Mica is going to need to be very, very careful during this fight.¡±


    Squaring her shoulders, Mica balled her fists and stood tall as the being was blindly led to a point about five meters in front of her.


    Stepping in front of the stopped being, Leopold quickly untied the cloth sack from around her neck but left it where it was for the time being.


    ¡°Right in front of you is a kiochi girl. She is your target.¡± whispered Leopold as he used his bladed spade to slice apart the series of elastic zip-ties that held the beings folded arms together ¡°Kill her, and you will go free. Fail, and you will die.¡±


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    The being said nothing as she merely stood where she was. As her arms were freed, she let them fall to hang at her sides.


    ¡°Do not disappoint me.¡± said Leopold as he lifted the bag up off of the beings head and teleported away.


    Mica''s chest tightened in anticipation as her opponent now stood in full view. Taking advantage of this moment of stillness, she quickly ran her eyes up and down this insect-like creature and tried to give it as thorough an examination as she could.


    The beings segmented arms were, far and away, somewhat similar to Mokai''s legs, but these particular extremities had a rather strange design to them. The upper arms started out slender and seemingly muscle-less before transitioning into thin but broad forearms that were club-like in appearance and covered in dozens of strange little nodes along their bottom halves. More of these nodes could be seen on other chitinous portions of her body, though there purpose couldn''t be discerned.


    There were no hands to be seen at the ends of her arms, but instead there looked to be a whole other section to them that was folded back and hidden within a groove set into the forearms themselves.


    Reasoning that these arms could be potential blunt force weapons, Mica raised her eyes up to the creatures face and froze as she locked gazes with her.


    The beings face was an almost perfect triangle in shape, with her sharply angled chin acting as the main downwards facing point. Two strange looking, oval shaped, dark-colored bulbs that seemed to be covered in a myriad of deep scratches were mounted to the sides of her head and these acted as the triangles other two points. In between these bulbs was a swath of pale, lilac-colored human-like hair that was trimmed short into a sort of messy, pixie cut style.


    Smooth, chitinous scale-like plates spread forwards over the creature''s cheeks and the sides of her face as they framed the thin slit that was her mouth, her tiny nose and also, her otherworldly looking eyes.


    The creature''s eyes were human-like in overall design but were absolutely massive at easily three times the size of a normal humans. She had no discernible pupils, and what irises she had were made up of a multitude of ¡°lens¡± that would reflect tiny points of light in a glitter-like effect and this gave her eyes the appearance of being made out of living crystal. These irises were so large that the whites of her eyes could barely be seen around them, and they left the being with a mesmerizingly beautiful, but distinctly alien-like gaze.


    What looked to be a much smaller third eye existed at the center of her forehead, though this eye was unlike the others in that it was lidless and appeared to be more like some kind of strange jewel than anything else.


    ¡°God''s alive...¡± mumbled Anton as he shook his head in disgust and turned to the group of shinoccubi ¡°This is a sick display, Leopold.¡±


    ¡°If you are implying that I''m responsible for that mantis'' condition, then you''re wrong.¡± said Leopold as he kept his gaze on Mica and the mantis ¡°She was already in that state when I acquired her.¡±


    ¡°Yet you''ve still left her like this?¡± stated Anton ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°She is better able to serve her purpose in this condition.¡± said Leopold as he gave Anton a sideways glance ¡°Honestly, I would think you would appreciate this, as it is a kindness to Mica after all.¡±


    ¡°She''s been mutilated, Leopold.¡± countered Anton ¡°Half of her is missing. She''ll barely be able to defend herself in this state.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. She''s still fully capable of putting up a good fight.¡± said Leopold ¡°And if she isn''t. Well, I suppose it''ll be a good thing that her misery will be put to a quick end.¡±


    Anton was still for a moment before he looked away from Leopold and focused back on the two combatants.


    Fiona and Kianna both had their ears pointed straight upwards as they stared at Anton. Finding him unmoving now, they glanced at each other before they too turned to Mica and the mantis.


    For her part, Mica had yet to make a single move, as she couldn''t help but to remain overly tensed while facing her silent, motionless opponent.


    Although she was a small, thin-bodied being, the mantis had a very intimidating, predatory aura about herself, and this was made all the worst by her blank, emotionless stare and almost robot like demeanor.


    ¡°Uh. ...So? ...Um, hi?¡± said Mica.


    The mantis remained still for a moment longer before the folded back sections of her arms suddenly swung downwards and revealed themselves to be a pair of sharp, hooked-shaped scythe-like blades.


    ¡°...Crap!¡± muttered Mica as the mantis locked her scythes into place and took a stance.


    The kiochi had barely enough time to unsheathe her own weapons and block herself before the mantis shot forward, crossed the distance between them and struck at her with both of her blades.


    Pushing back against the mantis'' assault, Mica jumped backwards herself in an effort to put some distance between them. The mantis however refused to let up and immediately leaped after her. This resulted in a frantic chase in which a hesitant Mica nimbly dodged and countered the mantis'' wildly swinging scythes.


    ¡°...Damn! This bug isn''t fucking around.¡± mumbled Fiona ¡°She''s kinda giving me the creeps too... It''s like she''s not really a person, but more like an actual animal, or something?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I''m pretty sure she''s feral.¡± said Anton as Mica again blocked the mantis'' scythes with her daggers.


    ¡°Feral? What does that mean?¡± asked Kianna as the mantis kicked a surprised Mica in the side and then instantly tried to slice her head off.


    ¡°Essentially it means a person who lives a more animalistic life in the wild. There are quite a few races that live a mostly, if not entirely feral existence. For some this is due to their basic natures making it too difficult for them to fully function in normal society.¡± explained Anton as Mica slashed at the mantis with her tail in effort to drive her away while she groaned and staggered back in pain as she struggled to breathe ¡°Many of the elemental races of Astrals and Voidlings would fall into this category. Creatures like sylphids or narguns and their ilk, are more often than not found living outside of urban settings, as an existence on the fringes of the wild is just more comfortable for them overall.¡±


    ¡°Right. So it''s like how dryads mostly live in forests and almost never in cities.¡± said Kianna as the mantis merely moved her head back and forth to dodge Mica''s darting tail.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± said Anton as the winded kiochi found her breath and stood up straight again ¡°For others a simple lack of desire to live in society is the driving force behind the decision to live a feral lifestyle. And there are many examples of werefolk who choose to live in the wild even though their race may be fully capable of living in society.¡±


    ¡°Why the Hell would they want to do that?¡± asked Fiona as a now furious looking Mica wrapped her tail around the mantis'' arm and proceeded to lift her overtly lightweight body into the air.


    ¡°Some people just prefer to live a more natural life.¡± said Anton with a shrug as Mica kicked the hanging mantis in the gut as hard as she could ¡°Others may have been born into it and have never known anything else. ...And of course there are some people out there that are just a slave to their nature. The one''s who simply enjoy hunting down, killing and eating their own food too much to live any other way.¡±


    Mica cried out in anger as the seemingly limp mantis suddenly slashed at her head with her free arm.


    ¡°...Huh, so those people are basically just crazies who want to live like animals then?¡± said Fiona as Mica used her tail to slam the mantis against the ground and then fling her away.


    ¡°More or less.¡± said Anton with another shrug as the mantis landed on her feet and immediately leaped back in to attack Mica again.


    ¡°Are you people going to talk throughout this entire fight!?¡± questioned Nokko as she leaned forward to look around her parents and glare at Anton and the dark elves.


    ¡°I don''t know. Maybe we will.¡± said Fiona as she turned to the kiochi and planted the back of her wrists against her hips ¡°Why? Is that not okay?¡±


    Narrowing her eyes at the haughty dark elf, Nokko''s tail coiled about in obvious irritation as she turned back to the fight and said nothing.


    ¡°Yeah, that''s what I thought.¡± said Fiona as she smiled viciously and turned back to the fight herself.


    Grinning, Anton shook his head as he focused his attention on the two speedsters that were zipping back and forth in front of him.


    For the next few minutes it seemed that the two combatants were easily on equal footing, as they were both able to effortlessly dodge and counter each others attacks. As Anton watched though, it quickly became apparent to him that the mantis was struggling with this fight, as although she was still able to invade Mica''s attacks, he was quick to notice that there was a distinctly heavy pause with each of her counterattacks. This did not come off as if she were hesitating to hurt Mica though, but instead it almost seemed as if she was reacting via instinct and attempting to make moves that simply weren''t working. This resulted in her movements having a janky, uncoordinated feel to them that Mica was clearly beginning to pick up on.


    On top of this, as time went on, the mantis'' focus on her opponent was apparently beginning to waiver as her attacks were becoming more and more frenzied by the moment.


    Fatigue was clearly setting in.


    ¡°This fight is over.¡± mumbled Anton as he shook his head.


    ¡°Huh!? What do you mean!?¡± questioned Fiona.


    ¡°How do you know it''s over?¡± asked Kianna.


    Anton was quiet for a moment as he watched Mica go still and lower her guard in an obvious invitation to her opponent. The split second before the attacking mantis'' strike could land, the kiochi disappeared from sight only to reappear above and behind the mantis. She then twirled around in midair and landed a spinning kick square into the mantis'' back, sending her flying forward to land, tumble and roll across the ground before coming to rest in a crumpled heap on her side.


    ¡°...Because that mantis is almost at her limit already.¡± said Anton in a hushed tone as he watched the mantis slowly get back up to her feet ¡°She won''t last much longer.¡±


    Glancing over at the watching shinoccubi, Anton found both Leopold and Ila smiling softly as they too had obviously come to the same conclusion.


    ¡°Well that didn''t take long...¡± grumbled Fiona as she folded her arms behind her head and watched in disdain as the mantis began to stagger ¡°What a shitty bug. She''s already falling over and she couldn''t even get Mica to break a sweat.¡±


    ¡°It''s pretty obvious that you''re not familiar with mantises at all.¡± said Anton as Mica countered an attack by the mantis by blocking her scythes with one hand and her bladed spade ¡°If you were, you''d realize that this poor creature is already more dead than alive...¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Kianna as she quickly looked from the mantis to Anton and back.


    ¡°This mantis has been horribly injured, to the point of mutilation... And on top of that, while mantises are naturally thin people...¡± said Anton as he watched Mica use her free hand to punch the mantis hard in the gut ¡°It looks like this one has been starved nearly to death...¡±


    Crumbling over backwards, the mantis maintained an emotionless expression on her face, yet despite this it was still easy enough to see that she was in great pain.


    Blinking, the two dark elves glanced at Anton before turning to watch the mantis get back to her feet. While they had always thought that she had looked thin, now that they gave her a closer examination, it was actually pretty obvious that this mantis was not at all healthy looking. Nearly every rib along her torso stood out clearly, and below them the top crests of her hip bones jutted out sharply. And not only was her face overtly gaunt, but the bones of her spinal column were all poking outwards from under the chitinous plates that adorned them and the thin layer of skin that was stretched over them.


    ¡°Shit...¡± breathed Fiona ¡°She really does look like she''s about to die...¡±


    ¡°The poor thing...¡± said Kianna as she sadly shook her head.


    ¡°This is messed up.¡± said Fiona ¡°Mica needs to end this.¡±


    ¡°She will. In her own time.¡± said Leopold.


    Anton and the dark elves all turned to him as he spoke.


    The kiogah had a smug grin on his face as he stood with his arms crossed and his tail waving about above his head.


    ¡°You may not understand this. But this is a big moment for Mica.¡± he said ¡°This is her first victory in battle after all. Her first taste of bloodshed. And her first step to becoming a true shinoccubus. ...This is something she should savored till the very end.¡±


    Keeping their eyes on Mica, Ila and Nokko both began to nod in agreement.


    Fiona and Kianna both went to say something but stopped short as Anton raised his hand.


    ¡°He''s not wrong...¡± he whispered softly as he turned back to the fight.


    Unhappiness clear on their faces, the two dark elves looked at each other before halfheartedly turning back to watch the end of the fight.


    Out in the field, Mica stood at ease while facing the mantis. Though her expression was stoic, she was clearly paying attention as she waited for the mantis to make a move.


    Swaying on her feet, and taking one labored breath after another, the mantis'' face was as blank and expressionless as ever. Despite this, there was still a fog of desperation lingering in the air around her.


    The two combatants stared at one another for nearly a full minute before with a thin, quiet sigh, Mica sheathed her twin daggers.


    The mantis'' breathing slowed as she focused on what the kiochi was doing. When the weapons were safely stowed away, she raised her strange eyes up to meet with Mica''s.


    Mica''s expression never changed as she arced her tail up over her shoulder and pointed her spade directly at the mantis.


    Recognizing this challenge for what it was, the mantis went still for a moment before leaning into a stance and readying herself to attack. Another moment of stillness passed before she shot forward and raced straight at the kiochi.


    Mica stood where she was as she sent her tail forward to meet the mantis'' charge. As the mantis made to attack the incoming spade, Mica''s tail feinted to the side and curved around the slashing scythe before again wrapping itself around the mantis'' arm. Before the mantis could even react to this she was again lifted into the air and violently slammed into the ground. Mica preceded to then drag the mantis across the ground for a moment before lifting her back into the air and slamming her back into the ground again. She did this twice more before raising the limp mantis back up and leaving her to hang before her.


    Gazing at the bloodied mess that the mantis had become, Mica quickly registered that the arm she had her tail wrapped around was clearly broken, as were both of the mantis'' legs.


    As Mica stared at her, the mantis coughed violently and spit out a mouthful of blood before raising her last good limb and feebly making to slash her scythe at the kiochi. Failing to do so, her entire being became limp as she went still.


    Unfazed by this last act, Mica merely tossed the mantis to the side and left her to land in a broken heap.


    ¡°Excellent job, Mica!¡± cried Leopold as he, Ila and Nokko all began to clap ¡°That was a marvelous display!¡±


    ¡°You did amazing, Mica!¡± exclaimed Ila ¡°I knew you would!¡±


    ¡°Yeah... That was alright...¡± muttered Nokko.


    Standing still, Mica stared down at the ground in front of her as she seemingly ignored the cheers from her family. Slowly, she looked up at Anton and the dark elves. Meeting their gazes, her chest tightened as they all turned away from her eyes. Looking to move past this awkward moment, they too began to clap, albeit in an impossible to hide morosely manner.


    ¡°...Stop. ...Just stop.¡± whispered Mica ¡°...Stop clapping.¡±


    Too far away to hear her, the two watching groups continued in their cheers.


    Enraged now, Mica scowled angrily as she turned to fully face them all.


    ¡°I said, stop clapping!¡± she roared as she arched her tail up over her head and flexed out her barbs.


    Shocked by the outburst, everyone immediately went silent.


    ¡°What the Hell do you think you''re clapping for!?¡± exclaimed Mica as she balled her trembling hands into fists ¡°Do any of you really think that was worth clapping for!? No! It wasn''t! That wasn''t amazing! It wasn''t excellent! That was nothing! Don''t clap for that!¡±


    ¡°Mica! What is wrong with you!?¡± shouted Leopold ¡°Where is this nonsense coming from!?¡±


    ¡°Shut up! It''s not nonsense! It''s true!¡± countered Mica ¡°You shouldn''t clap for that! That! That! ...That wasn''t worth clapping for!¡±


    Seeing the turmoil on his daughter''s face, Leopold paused his next outburst and took a deep, frustrated breath.


    ¡°Mica, that was worth clapping for.¡± he started as he tried to suppress his own anger ¡°You won that battle, Mica. You deserve to be congratulated for-.¡±


    ¡°Battle!?¡± interrupted Mica ¡°That wasn''t even a battle at all! That wasn''t even a fight, or a challenge or anything! ...That was! ...That was. ...That. ...That, wasn''t fair.¡±


    ¡°...Well. I''m sorry you feel that way.¡± said Leopold as he crossed his arms ¡°But that was a battle, Mica. It was a battle to the death. And whether you like it or not, you did win that battle. You earned your victory. Now stop with this embarrassing display. And accept that victory.¡±


    Mica went to speak again but stopped short as a faint rustling sound in the grass next to her caught her attention. Turning to the source of the noise, she blinked as she found the apparently still alive mantis slowly making her way towards her.


    Using her one good arm, the mantis would drive her scythe into the ground and use this leverage to drag herself along as she made a beeline for Mica.


    ¡°...Seriously!? You''re still going!?¡± snarled Mica as her face twisted in rage ¡°What the fuck are you doing you stupid bitch! This fight is over already! Give up! You lost!¡±


    ¡°End it, Mica.¡± said Leopold ¡°Finish her off, so we can be done with this.¡±


    Mica glanced at him before looking back down at the mantis.


    ¡°...I already won though. It''s over already.¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°Not yet. There''s still one more task before you complete your test.¡± said Leopold ¡°She isn''t going to stop until she''s dead, or you are. So just end it now.¡±


    ¡°...But, it is over though.¡± said Mica as she shook her head ¡°...It''s over.¡±


    ¡°No, Mica. This is not over.¡± said Leopold ¡°Your test is not over until your opponent is dead. So kill her now, and end it.¡±


    Her mind racing, Mica''s chest tightened even further as she dipped her tail down over the prone mantis and pointed the tip of her spade at the back of the mantis'' neck. Reasoning that she was putting the broken, wretched creature out of its misery, she pulled her spade back to strike but froze completely as the mantis lifted her head and looked up at her.


    Mica''s breath became caught in her throat as she stared down at her fallen opponent.


    Although her expression hadn''t changed from the same blank, emotionless look she had worn throughout their fight, the mantis now had two thin lines of moisture running down her cheeks.


    And following these lines back to their source brought Mica''s gaze to the mantis'' strange, alien-like eyes, and here, for the first time since they had met, she could see emotion.


    She could see fear, pain, anger, and above all else, desperation.


    Here was the last flames of a dying fire, the last desperate will to go on, to keep moving forward, to keep fighting.


    To keep living.


    Without even thinking, Mica slowly lifted her tail away.


    ¡°...Mica! End it!¡± shouted Leopold.


    Startled out of her revelry, Mica blinked and turned to him before looking back down at the mantis.


    ¡°Do it, Mica.¡± said Leopold ¡°Complete your test.¡±


    Looking back and forth between her father and the mantis, Mica began to take one heavy breath after another as she continued to hesitate in her indecision.


    Seeing the agony on her face, Anton calmly reached into his pocket before crossing his arms over his chest.


    Catching this movement in her peripherals, Mica''s head immediately swiveled in that direction and she blinked in uncertainty as she locked eyes with him.


    Staring back at her, Anton''s expression remained stoic and unreadable. After a moment of stillness, he slowly shifted his eyes downwards to his hand and the item he now held there.


    Following his gaze, Mica found Anton''s closed fist casually resting atop his other arm. She froze and her eyes widened to their fullest as she registered what it was that he was holding.


    In Anton''s hand, was a small glass bottle that was radiating a faint, pale light.


    Staring at the bottle for a moment, Mica slowly dropped her gaze back down to the mantis.


    ¡°...She''s not going to do it.¡± mumbled Nokko as she shook her head in annoyance.


    ¡°No. She''ll do it.¡± said Leopold ¡°We may have had our doubts in the past. But Mica has already shown us that we were wrong. She is one of us. And just watch, she''s about to show us what she can do.¡±


    Placing her hands atop the hilts of her daggers, Mica slowly nodded her head.


    ¡°...Yeah, I am.¡± she whispered softly to herself.


    Everyone but Anton jumped in surprise when Mica disappeared from where she had been standing and reappeared a few feet in front of Anton.


    Turning to her family, Mica narrowed her eyes into a glare.


    ¡°You think I''m one of you, huh?¡± she said as she shook her head ¡°You really don''t know me at all. You have no idea who I am. ...You are right about one thing though. I am going to show you what I can do.¡±


    Anton grinned softly as the kiochi snatched the bottle out of his hand with a loop of her tail.


    ¡°I''m gonna show you all what I can do.¡± said Mica as she grinned back at Anton and disappeared.


    Reappearing in front of the downed mantis, Mica held her hand out to the side and caught the bottle as it fell from her tail. Shaking the bottle as rapidly as she could, she was pleasantly surprised when the potion inside it began to shine with a bright golden light. Tearing off the wax seal, she dropped down to rest on her haunches in front of the mantis.


    ¡°You. You failed.¡± she said softly as the mantis looked up at her ¡°You were supposed to test me. You were supposed to challenge me, to force me to go past my limits, and you failed at this... But even though you lost. I know you aren''t done yet... And lucky for you, I''m not done yet either...¡±


    Reaching out, Mica grabbed hold of the mantis'' hair and lifted her head up higher so that they could both see each other more clearly.


    ¡°I am going to kill you.¡± said Mica as she stared into the mantis'' eyes ¡°You are my test. Your death is my goal. And I assure you, I will complete this challenge. ...But first, we''re going to fight for real. And we''re going to have the battle that we both deserve.¡±


    Plunging the mouth of the bottle in between the mantis'' thin lips, Mica tilted it back slowly as she forced her adversary to drink every last drop.


    ¡°...Anton. What is Mica giving her?¡± questioned Leopold as he glanced over at him ¡°What exactly is in that bottle?¡±


    ¡°Hm, in that bottle?¡± grinned Anton as the mantis'' entire body began to glow with a bright, radiant light ¡°Well, in short... A miracle.¡±

 Guilty x Creatures : Assassin Arc : Chapter 31 : Afternoon

    Chapter 31 : Afternoon


    Jumping back and away from the now shimmering mantis, Mica tossed the empty bottle aside as a wide, excited smile spread across her face.


    This glow coming from the mantis began to quickly build up on itself until the whole area was awash with the bright golden light.


    The watching spectators were all forced to squint as the mantis began to slowly rise back up to her feet. Looking all the world like a being made out of pure light now, it was impossible for anyone to see any of the mantis'' details. But as they watched, mesmerized by the sight, waves of white light began to ripple across her body and as each one of these waves passed over her, new sections of her body began to appear as her missing pieces were seemingly recreated out of the light itself.


    For her part, the mantis remained completely silent and still as her mangled body was rebuilt anew.


    ¡°...So, was this really the smart thing to do?¡± muttered Fiona.


    ¡°The smart thing to do? No, probably not.¡± responded Anton as his grin widened ¡°Now was it the right thing to do? ...Absolutely!¡±


    As the light rippling across the mantis seemed to reach a crescendo, the glow that encased her began to break apart into silent little explosions that left a shimmering cloud of light particles floating in the air all around her. And as these sparkling lights faded away into nothing, the fully healed mantis finally came into view.


    Standing motionless with her eyes shut, the mantis'' entire being now appeared clean and refreshed as all the grime and dirt, as well as every cut and bruise that had adorned her body merely moments ago, had all been erased away by the healing light of the potion.


    Although this rejuvenated state made her an impressive sight in of itself, what stood out the most to the onlookers around her, were the parts of her that were new. Most noticeable of which, was her second pair of arms.


    These new arms were far thinner and much more spindly than her original set. And they did not branch out from her shoulders in the more traditional way, but were instead mounted to the back of her hips. Circling forward around her waist, these arms were like the mantis'' legs in that they were made up of chitin encased sections. They both ended in five fingered, heavily segmented hands.


    New hands also now existed at the ends of her traditional arms as well, just before the hinged portion that allowed her scythes to swing forward.


    The small, strange nodes that had covered the lower portion of her broad forearms as well as some of the chitinous plates scattered about her body, had each been replaced with a sharpened, spike-like point, and this left her arms, and the more armored areas of her body, now sporting a formidable looking layer of protective spines.


    The two odd bulges attached to the sides of the mantis'' head were no longer in their heavily damaged state. And rather than being the dark, ugly brownish color they were before, they were instead a bright, beautiful, fuchsia pink in color. In between these bulges, a pair of thin, wispy, insectoid antennae rose up out of the mantis'' now much brighter, lilac colored hair.


    The last of the obvious changes, was a pair of long, subtle, cape-like structures which flowed down from the mantis'' shoulders and covered her back before trailing down her tail-like abdomen.


    ¡°Oh wow... She''s beautiful...¡± breathed Kianna ¡°...She looks like a flower.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, a deadly flower.¡± mumbled Fiona.


    ¡°Yes... You''re both right.¡± nodded Anton.


    Pleased with the sight of her new and improved opponent, Mica nodded her head in approval as she looked the mantis up and down.


    ¡°Well, you''re looking a Hell of a lot better now!¡± she exclaimed as she gleefully unsheathed her daggers ¡°So you ready to get this started again?¡±


    Without a sound, the mantis flicked her antennae forwards and proceeded to slowly wave them back and forth a few times before whisking them back over her head.


    After another second of stillness, she opened her eyes and stared straight at Mica.


    Smiling in anticipation, the kiochi lowered herself into a stance as she pointed both of her daggers at the mantis.


    Seemingly unfazed by this challenge, the mantis shifted slightly to the side and dropped her gaze down to the side of her chest.


    Blinking, Mica creased her brow in suspicion as a thin, sharpen piece of metal suddenly pierced through the mantis'' skin, just below her last rib. As the kiochi watched, a metal spike was slowly driven out of the side of the mantis, and as it finally exited completely, the wound it left behind was instantly closed up by the last flash of golden light from the potion.


    Catching the piece of metal before it fell to the floor, the mantis held it in the palm of her hand as she silently examined it.


    ¡°What the Hell was that?¡± asked Fiona as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards ¡°Did something just pop out of her!?¡±


    ¡°It looks like it.¡± nodded Anton.


    ¡°What is that thing?¡± questioned Kianna.


    ¡°Well, if I had to guess. I''d say it''s probably a mana displacer.¡± said Anton.


    ¡°What''s that?¡± asked Kianna ¡°Is it like a manabinder?¡±


    ¡°Something like that, yes. Though it''s a little more permanent than a manabinder.¡± said Anton ¡°You see, while a manabinder channels a beings mana back in on itself, a mana displacer sort of does the opposite. It displaces a beings mana and sends it flowing out into the environment around it. In this way a persons mana isn''t just cut off from them, but completely siphoned away. And unlike a manabinder, a mana displacer is not so easily burned out. Acting as a mere channel, mana can flow through one almost indefinitely. And in that way they''re more permanent than a manabinder.¡±


    ¡°...Oh. So, how did one of those things get inside the mantis?¡± asked Kianna ¡°Did she eat it?¡±


    ¡°No. Someone either stabbed her with it, or it was implanted in her surgically.¡± said Anton.


    ¡°Ew! That''s gruesome...¡± grumbled Fiona.


    Pointing her ears straight back, Kianna''s face twisted in anger as she turned and glared at Leopold.


    ¡°Don''t look at me.¡± said Leopold calmly as he kept his eyes on Mica and the mantis ¡°I didn''t do that.¡±


    ¡°Well someone did!¡± growled Kianna.


    ¡°Yes... Someone clearly did not want that mantis to be able to use her mana.¡± said Leopold as a thin smile spread across his face ¡°Looks like that issue has been fixed though.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it has.¡± nodded Anton ¡°And now not only does that mantis have access to her mana again, but she has a potentially useful weapon as well...¡±


    ¡°Oh, fuck that! That''s gross!¡± exclaimed Fiona before placing her open hands on either side of her mouth and calling out loudly ¡°Hey, Mica! Don''t let that bug stab you with that thing! It''ll take away your mana!¡±


    Both Mica and the mantis turned to her in unison as she spoke.


    ¡°Hey! Stop that!¡± cried Nokko ¡°You''re not allowed to help her!¡±


    ¡°Fuck you. I''ll do whatever I want.¡± sassed Fiona as she dismissively waved her pointed middle finger at the fuming kiochi.


    ¡°Oh really... Thanks for the heads up.¡± said Mica as she turned back to the mantis ¡°Yeah, good luck sticking that thing in me!¡±


    Shifting her gaze to her, the mantis stared at the kiochi for a moment before looking back down at the shard of metal in her hand. Without a sound, she turned to face away from everyone and rolling her arm back, she threw the mana displacer as hard as she could.


    Mica''s eyes followed the metal shard as it sailed out over the open field and quickly disappeared from sight.


    ¡°...Uh? Okay?¡± she said as she brought her eyes back to the mantis ¡°Did you not understand what that thing could do?¡±


    Seemingly ignoring her, the mantis was now focused on staring at her new hand.


    ¡°...Yo! Hey! Don''t think that I don''t get that you''re happy to have hands again, I do!¡± said Mica as she readied her daggers ¡°But we''ve got a fight to get back to. And if you don''t mind, I''d like to get started now.¡±


    Turning only her head, the mantis looked over at the kiochi and gazed at her with her same blank stare.


    ¡°...C''mon then!¡± said Mica as she pointed her dagger straight at the mantis'' face ¡°Show me what you can do!¡±


    Mica blinked as the mantis'' form seemed to fade a bit as her outline became slightly distorted. The kiochi''s breath got caught in her throat as she registered that within a split seconds time, the mantis had fully crossed the distance between them, and was now standing right next to her.


    ¡°...You-!¡± was all Mica could say before the mantis slugged her right in the jaw.


    Dazed and staggering, the kiochi went still for a moment as she collected herself. When she came back to her senses, she realized that the mantis was now standing back in the same exact spot she had been in before and was currently busy gazing at her hands as she slowly opened and closed them.


    ¡°Well then...¡± chuckled Anton ¡°This isn''t looking good for Mica...¡±


    ¡°What the fuck just happened!?¡± cried Fiona as she pointed from the mantis to Mica and back ¡°The bug was there, then there, then there again! Like instantly! ...Did she just teleport!?¡±


    ¡°No. She''s not teleporting.¡± said Anton ¡°It looks like she can blitz.¡±


    ¡°Blitz?¡± questioned Kianna.


    ¡°Yes. Functionally blitzing is like a soft form of teleportation, but mechanically the two abilities are completely different.¡± said Anton ¡°When someone teleports what they''re doing is slipping out of reality and traveling through the Void before popping back into a different point in reality. This whole process can be preformed more or less instantaneously. Blitzing however, is what happens when someone infuses themselves with mana and splits themselves apart. Reduced to an immaterial mass, the two halves of this person can not only both move incredibly quickly, but can even exist in two different places at one time. This allows someone to launch one half of themselves forward and then either repeat the process to move forward again, or, alternatively, they could rubber-band themselves back to where they left the other half of their body. This process is so fast that it can be difficult to track with the naked eye.¡±


    ¡°...So, you''re saying that by splitting in half, that bug can move so fast that we can''t even see her?¡± questioned Fiona.


    ¡°Yes, exactly.¡± nodded Anton.


    ¡°...So, then the bug could just slice Mica''s head right off and Mica wouldn''t even know what happened!?¡± exclaimed Fiona.


    ¡°Well, the mantis would still have to pause for a moment to rematerialize.¡± said Anton ¡°But this could happen fast enough to more or less be exactly what you''re talking about, yes.¡±


    ¡°...So is Mica''s fucked!?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°More than likely.¡± said Anton.


    ¡°Well this just got a lot more interesting.¡± chuckled Nokko.


    ¡°Fuck you, bitch! This isn''t over yet!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she pointed her finger at Nokko ¡°You keep talking shit over there and I''m gonna shove your tail up your ass, spade first!¡±


    ¡°Heh, like to see you try that.¡± mocked Nokko.


    ¡°No you wouldn''t.¡± said Fiona.


    ¡°Enough! Save your squabbling for after the fight.¡± said Leopold ¡°We need to pay attention here, we don''t want to miss this.¡±


    Back on the battlefield, Mica had recomposed herself and now a bit more cautious of her opponent, was ready to continue the fight.


    ¡°Okay. Cool trick.¡± she mumbled ¡°But I can do that too.¡±


    Breaking into a run, Mica raced straight at the preoccupied mantis before disappearing from sight. An instant later she reappeared in the air right in front of her adversary and slammed down at her with both of her daggers. Apparently anticipating this, the mantis blocked her attack by catching and holding the kiochi''s wrists and the two now locked combatants found themselves pushing back against each other.


    Grinning, Mica went to utilize her tail against the mantis but before she could do this the mantis reached up and grabbed the sides of her head with her newly regrown middle arms. The next instant found the mantis pulling downwards and slamming a surprised Mica''s head into her bent knee face first.


    Dazed by the attack, Mica went to stagger back but before she could even take a step the mantis delivered four quick blows into her torso with her middle arms and then leaned back to stand on one leg and give the kiochi a swift kick right into her stomach with the other.


    Bent in half as she was sent flying backwards, Mica tumbled and rolled as she made a hard landfall. She came to a stop in a crumbled heap as the mantis went back to casually examining the hands on her new limbs.


    ¡°Oh! ...Ouch.¡± mumbled both of the dark elves as they watched Mica tentatively regain her feet.


    Furious now, the kiochi immediately made another run right at the mantis, and at the last second before reaching her mark, she disappeared again and reappeared up in the air behind her seemingly oblivious opponent.


    Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion as Mica''s gathered momentum allowed her to sail at speed straight at the back of the mantis'' head. The kiochi''s gleeful smile became strained though, as she watched the two large bulges on the sides of the mantis'' head shift a bit as a dark spot within each of their depths spun around and seemed to become focused on her. Memory coming into play here, Mica was immediately taken back to the time she had experienced a similar situation with Mokai, and her chest tighten as a realization came into her mind.


    Those bulges were actually eyes, and she had just been spotted.


    Making to teleport away, Mica''s response came too slow and before she could escape the mantis had turned around and grabbed her outstretched leg with all four of her hands.


    ¡°No!¡± cried Mica as the mantis yanked her forward over her shoulder and slammed the kiochi into the ground.


    Bouncing off the ground with a pained grunt, Mica found herself suddenly flying through the air again as the mantis grabbed hold of her tail and began to swing her around by it. Letting go after a few spins the mantis flung the kiochi off to the side and went still as she watched Mica fall to roll head over heels through the tall grass.


    Everything was quiet for a second before an angry scream echoed out over the open prairie.


    Throwing bits of grass and debris off of herself, Mica got to her feet and brandished her daggers and bladed spade at the mantis.


    ¡°Bitch!¡± she hissed as her fury emanated out around her ¡°I am gonna cut you to ribbons!¡±


    Though her mouth never actually moved, the mantis smiled with her eyes as she raised the hands on her main arms and showed her opened palms to Mica.


    Unsure of what was meant by this, Mica hesitated and then took a quick step back as a white glow began to form around the mantis'' hands.


    ¡°Uh oh.¡± mumbled Anton ¡°This doesn''t look good...¡±


    ¡°What? What is she doing now!?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°She''s casting a spell...¡± said Anton as his face went grim.


    As the glow around the mantis'' hands grew into a full on white light, she dropped her arms down and let her scythes swing forward to lock in place before wrapping a glowing hand around the base of each scythe. The glow quickly spread across both weapons before a blinding flash caused everyone to look away.


    Blinking the lights from her eyes, Mica turned back to the mantis and immediately stopped short.


    From one instant to the next the mantis'' scythes had doubled in length and taken on a metallic shine as they now appeared to be made of sharpened steel.


    Taken aback, Mica stood completely frozen as the mantis began to twirl in a controlled series of attacks which effortlessly sliced away at the tall grass around her. With the sunlight glinting off of her now scimitar-like blades, the mantis finished her dance-like display by dropping into a stance in the center of the mowed circle she had just created and smugly brandishing said blades at Mica.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°...Okay. You know what! Fuck you!¡± said Mica as she pointed her raised middle finger at the mantis.


    Without a sound, the mantis sprung forward.


    ¡°Crap!¡± cried Mica as she jumped back to try and evade the quickly advancing mantis.


    ¡°Did you know she could do that?¡± asked Anton as he turned to Leopold.


    ¡°I did not.¡± said Leopold as he watched a profanity shouting Mica frantically try to keep her distance by teleporting away from the blitzing mantis.


    ¡°Do you even know anything about this mantis at all?¡± asked Kianna as an increasingly frustrated Mica threw one of her daggers at the mantis.


    ¡°Can''t say that I do, actually.¡± said Leopold as he watched the mantis swipe the flying dagger away.


    ¡°Where did you even find her?¡± asked Fiona as the mantis finally caught up to the kiochi and with a single strike, knocked her other dagger out of her hand.


    ¡°I let an associate of mine know that I was in the market for a combatant that met certain criteria, and this mantis is what he provided me with.¡± said Leopold as Mica dodged the mantis'' blows and tried to reclaim her weapon by teleporting and sprinting over to where she had dropped her dagger, only to be chased away from it by the pursuing mantis.


    ¡°Hm. Interesting...¡± nodded Anton as he watched a now desperate Mica teleport straight up into the air.


    ¡°Ha! Bitch!¡± taunted Mica as she teleported upwards again and again ¡°Let''s see if you can jump this high!¡±


    Staring straight up at her, the mantis tucked her arms and scythes in tight against her torso, bent her knees and lowered herself down before springing straight upwards and launching herself at the kiochi.


    Mica started laughing gleefully as despite her impressive leap, the mantis was obviously not going to make it high enough to reach her. Her laughing stopped short when the cape-like structures trailing down the mantis'' back split down their middle and shot out to her sides. The confused kiochi blinked as next, two massive, heavily veined, insectoid wings spread themselves out wide on either side of the mantis'' shoulders and then disappeared from sight as a loud, angry buzz filled the air.


    ¡°Oh, dammit to Hell!¡± cried Mica as her eyes widen in fear ¡°This bitch can fly!?¡±


    The spectators on the ground remained silent as they all tilted their heads back in unison and followed the two combatants as they rose higher and higher into the air.


    Once Mica and the mantis were little more than two black dots in the sky, it became hard for anyone to determine exactly what was happening, but it appeared that Mica had attempted to escape the mantis by teleporting behind her, and this did not seem to work.


    Having caught hold of Mica, the two dots had become one as they fell back towards the ground and as they got closer and closer it could be seen that the mantis was giving the kiochi quite the midair pummeling.


    Diving down head first, the mantis waited till they were both just a few meters off from hitting the ground before she veered off to the side and gave Mica a resounding kick to send her flying in the opposite direction.


    Avoiding a direct impact with the ground, Mica still tumbled through the dust and grass like a rag doll before finally coming to a stop. Laying face down with all her limbs askew, the kiochi groaned in misery as she stayed still for a long moment.


    It was the buzzing sound of the approaching mantis'' wings which prompted Mica to finally lift her head. Looking upwards she found her opponent staring down at her with a faintly bemused look on her otherwise blank face.


    Before the kiochi could even utter a single word, the mantis lifted her middle arms and tossed Mica''s weapons to her. The kiochi''s two daggers each made a distinct thunking sound as they were driven into the ground on either side of her head.


    Spreading her wings back out wide, the mantis hopped backwards and sailed back about a half dozen meters before landing gracefully, folding her wings away and dropping herself down into a fighters stance.


    Mica stared at her for a long moment before slowly getting to her feet and collecting her daggers.


    ¡°...So what''s this supposed to be now?¡± she mumbled as she eyed the mantis and took a tentative step forward ¡°...Are you saying you''re not done humiliating me yet?¡±


    The mantis simply remained silent and still.


    ¡°...Yeah. Okay.¡± said Mica as she fell into her own stance ¡°I''m not done yet either!¡±


    The two combatants stared each other down for a long moment before they both shot forward at the same time. A loud metallic clank rang out across the open prairie as Mica''s twin daggers met the mantis'' spell enhanced scythes. Sparks began to fly as they each unleashed a fury of fast paced blows and their slashing attacks clashed with one another.


    Watching the fight intently, Anton blinked as he began to notice something telling about the mantis'' attacks. Though certainly impressive, they clearly weren''t as intense, nor as precise as they should have been. Several times now she had failed to take advantage of clear openings. And although she continued to parry and counter each of Mica''s slashes, she was also leading the kiochi on as well... In a strange way, it nearly seemed as though she were guiding her opponent on where and how to attack... Almost as if she was trying to teach the kiochi how to better fight with her...


    Anton couldn''t help but to grin as at one point the mantis had a clear shot of Mica''s head. With one fell swoop she could have easily lopped the kiochi''s head clear off her shoulders but at the last second, the mantis folded her scythe back and instead punched Mica in the face. There was no question about it now, the mantis was purposely avoiding killing blows.


    Turning to the side, Anton''s grin widened as he glanced at Leopold and found a look of irritation plastered across the kiogah''s face. He had clearly noticed what was happening as well.


    ¡°Well, well. Isn''t this a nice surprise.¡± chuckled Anton as he turned back to the fight.


    ¡°Huh? What''s a surprise?¡± asked Kianna as she and her sister both looked from the fight to Anton and back.


    ¡°Well, I don''t know this for sure yet...¡± said Anton ¡°But it looks like Mica might have made a friend...¡±


    Looking back and forth again, the two dark elves blinked in surprise as they both noticed that the kiochi, while certainly embroiled with her conflict, was not looking nearly as strained as she should have been, but was actually smiling as she fought.


    The fight raged on for some time before it became clear that both contenders were starting to show signs of fatigue. This came to a head when Mica got a lucky strike in on the mantis with her tail. Aiming for her opponents face, the kiochi''s bladed spade sailed past the mantis'' tilted head and was just barely close enough to graze her cheek and leave a small, thin cut behind in its wake.


    ¡°Ha! Ha! Yes!¡± exclaimed Mica in between heaving breaths ¡°I got you! I actually got you!¡±


    The mantis said nothing as she rubbed at the tiny wound with a finger before bringing said digit out to the front of her face. She stared at her bloodied fingertip for a second before looking up at the kiochi and tightening her eyes in annoyance.


    ¡°...Ah, crap.¡± muttered Mica as the mantis blitzed into the space right in front of her.


    The kiochi couldn''t even follow the movements of the mantis'' middle arms as a series of heavy blows were riddled across her head and body.


    Dazed by the assault, Mica tried to take a staggering step back but instead ended up falling forward on to her knees. Shaking her head to clear her senses, she went to raise her arms but froze as the mantis rested the broad side of one of her scythes down on her shoulder.


    Turning her head, Mica stared at the sharpened blade that was now poised and ready to slice her head clean off at the neck. Following the mantis'' arm back to its source, she slowly continued to tilt her head upwards until she could finally lock eyes with her adversary.


    The mantis'' face was as emotionless as ever as she stared back at Mica. After a moment of stillness, she raised her other scythe and held it at the ready.


    ¡°No! Mica!¡± cried Kianna as she and Fiona both went to step forward.


    The two dark elves both stopped short as Anton raised his hand and flared his aura.


    ¡°Wha, what are you doing!?¡± exclaimed Fiona as she felt the collar around her neck begin to tighten in an ominous warning ¡°She''s gonna kill her!¡±


    Anton''s face was stoic as he kept his eyes on what was happening out on the battlefield.


    Swallowing a lump in her throat, Mica kept her eyes locked with the mantis'' alien-like orbs as she waited for the final blow to land.


    Staring back at her, the mantis remained completely still as she seemed to be giving the kiochi a deep assessment.


    ¡°Mantis! End this already!¡± called Leopold.


    Mica made a small sound as her father''s words echoed in her ears.


    Turning her head, the mantis looked right at Leopold with her same blank expression.


    ¡°...You have clearly won this fight.¡± said Leopold as he stared back at her ¡°Now end it.¡±


    Slowly, the mantis turned back to Mica and gazed at her for another moment longer before lifting her scythe away from the kiochi''s shoulder.


    Mica leaned back in uncertainty as the mantis took a step away from her and let her arms drop to hang at her sides.


    ¡°...Of all the ridiculous nonsense!¡± growled Leopold before he began to shout ¡°Mica! Now''s your chance then! End her now!¡±


    Blinking, Mica quickly registered that the mantis had indeed left herself completely open, but as the kiochi went to lift her daggers, she couldn''t help but to hesitate.


    ¡°...What are you waiting for!? ...One of you end this already!¡± roared Leopold ¡°End this now!¡±


    Taking one deep breath after another, Mica tightened her grip on her daggers as she worked to will herself to attack. As she stared up at the waiting mantis though, she just couldn''t bring herself to do it, and so, with tears beginning to form in her eyes, she dropped her daggers to the ground.


    ¡°...I. ...I can''t.¡± she said softly as she lowered her head ¡°...I''m, sorry.¡±


    ¡°...Unbelievable!¡± shouted Leopold ¡°Absolutely beyond belief!¡±


    Gazing down at her forlorn opponent, the mantis watched her flinch at her father''s words. Turning to face Leopold, she stared at him as she continued to remain still.


    ¡°...End it. Now.¡± said Leopold as he glared at her ¡°You will finished this!¡±


    Tightening her eyes at him, the mantis took another step back from Mica as with a quick flash of light, her scythes returned to normal. Folding her weapons back into place along her arms, she turned away from everyone and leaped into the air. Blitzing forward to give herself more distance, she spread her wings back out as she made to fly away.


    ¡°...How dare you.¡± said Leopold as he took a metal, rune covered rod out of his pocket and aimed it at the departing mantis.


    As the runes along the rod lit up, a blinding flash erupted out from the metal belt around the mantis'' waist and she reeled in midair as waves of blue colored bolts of electricity ran up and down her body. Going limp, she tumbled end over end through the air before hitting the ground with an audible thud.


    Mica gasped as she watched her foe fall, and now staring at the point where she had landed, her heart sank as one of the downed mantis'' wings rose up from the ground and twitched wildly before flopping back over to the side and going still.


    Everything was quiet and still for several long moments as everyone''s eyes stayed focused on where the mantis now lay.


    ¡°...This is over.¡± whispered Anton as he turned to the dark elves ¡°Can you two go get Mica, please. While I watch them.¡±


    Nodding silently, both Kianna and Fiona had pensive grimaces on their faces as they stepped past Anton and made their way to where Mica still sat staring.


    Their eyes following the dark elves, the three shinoccubi remained where they stood as they watched the sisters help Mica to collect her daggers and get to her feet. Walking along on each side of the shorter woman, the dark elves kept a guarded eye on the three assassins as they led Mica back to where Anton was waiting.


    ¡°Well this has been a very disappointing day...¡± said Leopold as the three women came up to Anton.


    ¡°It hasn''t been without its high points.¡± said Ila as she nudged Leopold with her tail ¡°Mica showed a lot of potential today. And I for one am excited to see her improve.¡±


    ¡°...Yes, perhaps you''re right about that, at least.¡± said Leopold.


    Keeping her head lowered, Mica stepped behind Anton as she made an effort to avoid looking directly at her family members.


    ¡°Potential? What potential?¡± mocked Nokko ¡°I don''t know what you guys were watching but I didn''t see any potential today. Just failure.¡±


    Flinching at her sister''s words, Mica coiled her tail around herself as she wrapped her arms around her torso.


    Incensed, Fiona and Kianna pointed their ears straight back as they both turned on the sneering kiochi.


    ¡°That''s enough, Nokko!¡± said Ila as she glared at her daughter ¡°Your sister fought well today, and you should acknowledge that.¡±


    ¡°...Yeah, maybe.¡± mumbled Nokko as she folded her arms in defiance ¡°She still lost though.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, she did...¡± sighed Leopold ¡°There were no winners today...¡±


    ¡°No. That girl...¡± mumbled Mica from behind Anton ¡°That girl won. She was the better fighter...¡±


    ¡°No. She didn''t.¡± said Leopold ¡°That mantis may have been the more skilled combatant. But you''re still alive. So she did not win.¡±


    ¡°...Well I think she did.¡± grumbled Mica ¡°And I think I would know, since I was the one who fought her...¡±


    Annoyed, Leopold went to say something more but stopped short as Anton spoke first.


    ¡°I think, that this day has been long enough.¡± he said as he inclined his head to Leopold ¡°We should probably all go our separate ways now.¡±


    ¡°...Agreed.¡± nodded Leopold as he eyed his daughter who had semi hidden herself behind her compatriots ¡°Just one more order of business to finish first...¡±


    Turning to the field, Leopold glared at the spot where the mantis had fallen and shook his head.


    ¡°What a waste of money...¡± he grumbled ¡°Nokko. I''d like to put this day behind us. So go and end that miserable creature''s life, so we can be done here...¡±


    ¡°...Wait, she''s still alive?¡± questioned Nokko.


    ¡°Of course she is. That shock wasn''t nearly strong enough to actually kill her.¡± said Leopold ¡°It was only meant to incapacitate her. She''ll still need to be dealt with.¡±


    Though no one had noticed her, Mica had gone still and wide eyed as she listened to her father speak.


    ¡°Is that really necessary?¡± said Anton.


    Turning his ire on him, Leopold narrowed his eyes as he spoke.


    ¡°That creature knew full well the choice she was making, Anton.¡± said Leopold ¡°She knew exactly what was at stake.¡±


    Anton stared at him for a moment before turning away with a grimace.


    Turning away as well, Leopold nodded to Nokko and went to toss her the mantis'' control rod, but as Nokko reached out to catch the twirling rod, a second hand suddenly snatched it out from her grasp.


    Having teleported in close, Mica dived through the air in between her father and sister and grabbed the rod before falling into a rolling somersault and bouncing back up to her feet.


    ¡°What!?¡± exclaimed both Nokko and Leopold in unison as they turned to Mica.


    Spinning around to face everyone, Mica held the rod out in front of herself with both hands as her tail arced up over her head and she began to threateningly point her spade from one person to another.


    ¡°...Mica? What are you doing!?¡± questioned Leopold as he went to take a step forward ¡°Give me that!¡±


    Striking at the space in front of him with her tail, Mica took a step back before curving her tail over her head and pointing her spade straight down at the rod in her hands.


    ¡°Mica, no! Don''t do it! It''s booby trapped!¡± cried Ila as she made to jump at her daughter but was held back by Leopold.


    ¡°Mica!¡± exclaimed Fiona and Kianna as they too rushed over towards the kiochi.


    Seeing everyone moving to advance against her, Mica raised her tail up high into the air before striking straight downwards and piercing her spade right through the center of the rod, splitting it in half with a single blow.


    ¡°No! Mica!¡± screamed Ila as a split second later the unleashed energy in the rod caused it to explode in Mica''s hands.


    The wave of energy caused everyone to turn away and shield their eyes as it kicked up a cloud of dust and smoke.


    Standing among the shinoccubi now, the two dark elves both went cold as the dust began to part and they could see what had become of Mica. Behind them, Ila began to cry out in despair.


    The kiochi was still standing, though both of her arms, her tail and half of her head had been literally blown away to the point that now nothing but burnt flesh was left along the edges of what was left of her.


    ¡°...Mica. ...No!¡± breathed Kianna.


    As everyone watched, the ravaged kiochi took a staggering step back and began to dissolve into a cloud of shadowy smoke.


    ¡°...Wait, what!?¡± cried Nokko as everyone blinked in surprise at the dissipating shadow clone.


    Hearing faint grunting sounds coming from far out behind them, the two dark elves pointed their ears straight upwards and whirled around to face the source.


    Racing across the open field with a look of utter desperation marring her face, was Mica, the real Mica, and slung over her back was the limp form of the mantis.


    The exhausted looking kiochi was carrying the mantis piggyback style and had wrapped her tail around the unconscious creature to help hold her in place as she ran as fast as she possibly could, straight towards Anton.


    ¡°...Mica?¡± questioned Ila and Leopold in unison.


    ¡°What is that idiot doing now?¡± grumbled Nokko as she made to move towards her sister.


    ¡°Fiona!¡± cried Kianna.


    ¡°Right!¡± exclaimed Fiona.


    The three shinoccubi all stopped short as a large dome made of pink and neon green hexagonal plates suddenly winked into existence around them and trapped them all in place.


    ¡°Oh, c''mon! This again!?¡± snarled Nokko as she slammed her fist against the dome''s wall ¡°Seriously!¡±


    Turning on the dark elves, the kiochi paused as she found them both standing with their backs to the opposite wall of the dome and brandishing glowing light weapons. Kianna held a pink-colored light version of Leopold''s sword while Fiona sported a long, glowing green bullwhip in each hand.


    The faces of the two dark elves were grim with determination as they stared down the shinoccubi.


    Hesitating, Nokko went to step up to them but stopped short as her parents both crossed their tails in front of her. Turning to them, she found them both shaking their heads as they stared at a point beyond the dark elves themselves. Following their gaze, Nokko found herself looking through the space in between the dark elves and locking eyes with Anton as he stood tall behind them.


    Although he was technically on the other side of the dome, Anton''s presence was still imposing as he was clearly poised and ready to back up the dark elves if need be.


    Registering that this fight wouldn''t be easily won, Nokko grudgingly crossed her arms over her chest and went to stand next to her parents.


    The situation seemingly under control for the moment, Anton turned his attention back to Mica.


    Emboldened by the sight of the dark elves containing her family, Mica sported a gleeful smile as she pushed herself to run even faster to her goal. Her smile faded however, as she turned back to Anton.


    His face expressionless and unreadable, Anton stood with his arms crossed and his jaw set as he silently stared at the approaching kiochi.


    Suddenly unsure, Mica slowed her pace until coming to a complete stop about fifteen yards away from him. Seemingly studying one another for a long moment, the two beings remained motionless as they stared each other down.


    Breathing hard from her trek across the field, the kiochi squared her shoulders, clenched her jaw and hoisted the mantis up higher onto her back as she stood tall and made her intentions clear.


    The steeled resolve blazing in her eyes now, she held her ground as she faced Anton.


    After another moment of stillness, Anton unfolded one of his arms and, without a word or a single change to his demeanor, he faced his open palm right at Mica.


    Fearing a possible oncoming attack, Mica took a tentative half step back as she hesitated. Her eyes lit up in excitement however, when a portal suddenly opened up in front of her.


    Crying out in relief, the kiochi tightened her hold on her companion and charged forward. Leaping into the air at the last second, she dived head first through the portal and disappeared with the mantis in tow.


    With them both now safely beyond the reach of the watching shinoccubi, Anton dropped his arm to his side as he let the portal wink out of existence.


    ¡°...Alright, girls.¡± he said as he turned back to the dark elves ¡°You can release them now.¡±


    Dropping their dome away, the two dark elves stepped backwards until they were standing with Anton again before letting their weapons fade away as well.


    With the two parties now positioned far apart from each other, a standoff ensued.


    The three shinoccubi were silent and still for a long moment before Leopold and Ila gave each other a quick glance.


    ¡°Why did you do that?¡± questioned Leopold as he turned to face Anton.


    ¡°Why!? What do you mean why? Isn''t is obvious!¡± said Fiona as she folded her arms behind her head and gave the kiogah a sassy grin ¡°Mica made a play to save her friend. You really think we weren''t gonna back her up on that?¡±


    Leopold stared at her for a second before looking back at Anton.


    A thin smile on his face, Anton shrugged.


    Grimacing, Leopold shook his head.


    ¡°I expect to be compensated for my loss.¡± he said as he eyed the spot where the portal had been only a moment before.


    ¡°Fair enough.¡± nodded Anton ¡°Feel free to roll this into my next bill then.¡±


    ¡°Very well, then I will hold no grudge over this.¡± said Leopold as Ila nodded in approval.


    ¡°What do you know about that mantis?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°As I''ve said before. Nothing.¡± said Leopold.


    ¡°Nothing at all?¡± questioned Anton.


    ¡°No, nothing. I have no idea where she came from, or how she came to be in the state she was in. I don''t even know if she can even speak.¡± assured Leopold ¡°And even if I was willing to give you the name of the person I got her from, you know as well as I do that information would lead you nowhere. As I doubt there''s any less than a dozen people with fake names between me and wherever she originally came from.¡±


    Anton sighed as he nodded his head.


    ¡°If you really want to know more about her, then I suggest you ask her yourself.¡± said Leopold.


    ¡°Yeah, I suppose that''s the plan...¡± mumbled Anton ¡°Hopefully she can tell me something...¡±


    ¡°I wish you luck.¡± said Leopold with a thin grin ¡°Now, if you''ll excuse us. We''ll be going home now.¡±


    ¡°Hm, yes, well, it''s been an interesting afternoon.¡± smiled Anton ¡°Enjoyable even.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, it really has been. Have a goodnight, Anton, Kianna, Fiona.¡± said Ila as she inclined her head to the two dark elves.


    ¡°Goodnight.¡± said Kianna with a soft smile.


    ¡°See ya later...¡± said Fiona as she sneered at Nokko, who glared right back at her.


    ¡°Till next time.¡± said Leopold as he pointed his tail to the side and used it to open a portal.


    Grinning, Ila gave one last wave goodbye before following her husband and daughter through the portal and disappearing.


    When the shinoccubis portal finally extinguished itself, Kianna and Fiona immediately turned to Anton.


    ¡°What the Hell was that little idiot thinking!?¡± cried Fiona ¡°Please tell me you did not actually send Mica and that bug monster back to the house!?¡±


    ¡°...I did.¡± grinned Anton.


    ¡°Why!? Why did you send them there!?¡± exclaimed Fiona.


    ¡°Where else was I supposed to send them?¡± said Anton with a shrug.


    ¡°I... I don''t know! But not our home! We live there! And now we''ve got a fucking bug monster to deal with!¡± stated Fiona as she threw her hands in the air ¡°What the Hell are we even gonna do with that thing!?¡±


    Still grinning, Anton merely shrugged again.


    ¡°...Wait? Do you really not have a plan for this!?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°No, how could I? I had no idea this was going to happen.¡± said Anton as he turned to the side and opened another portal ¡°At this point I have no clue what we''re going to do. But first things first, I think we just need to try to talk to that mantis. We can''t really make any plans before that.¡±


    ¡°And what happens if she can''t even talk!?¡± questioned Fiona ¡°What are we gonna do then!?¡±


    ¡°...I don''t know?¡± said Anton as he shook his head ¡°We''ll just have to figure something else out, I guess...¡±


    ¡°I can''t believe Mica actually saved that mantis like that... That was out of nowhere...¡± said Kianna as she stared at the portal ¡°...What do you think we''re gonna find when we get home?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea...¡± said Anton.


    ¡°Maybe we''ll get lucky and Mica will have just killed that thing already...¡± mumbled Fiona.


    ¡°I doubt that.¡± said Anton as he shook his head ¡°Honestly, I''d say it''s pretty clear that those two don''t actually want to kill each other... Or at least it really doesn''t seem like they do.¡±


    ¡°They might if they fight again though.¡± said Kianna ¡°They might even be fighting again right now!¡±


    ¡°Hopefully not.¡± said Anton as he stepped up to the portal ¡°But just in case, we better go check.¡±


    ¡°10 to 1 says they''re at each others throats...¡± mumbled Fiona as she followed Anton into the portal.


    ¡°Shut up, Fiona.¡± said Kianna as she quickly stepped into line behind them.


    A moment later, the portal disappeared and the open field was left quiet once more.

 Guilty x Creatures : Assassin Arc : Chapter 32 + Epilogue

    Chapter 32 : Late Afternoon


    Bursting through the portal and into the backyard at top speed, Mica frantically tried to gain her footing. But hitting the ground at a run proved to be too difficult for her, and before she could even manage a few steps, she began to tumble and fall. Landing on her shoulder, she rolled to the side as she and the mantis came to a crashing halt. Behind them the portal winked out of existence.


    Lying on her back now, the kiochi began to laugh manically in between taking in one heaving breath after another.


    ¡°We, made it!¡± she cried as she raised her fists in triumph ¡°We, fucking, made it!¡±


    Glancing back to where the portal had just been. The kiochi couldn''t help but to smile. Her plan had been a spur of the moment thing and would have easily failed had it not been for Anton and the dark elves all stepping in to aid her.


    ¡°...Thanks, guys.¡± whispered Mica as she closed her eyes, plopped her head against the ground and smiled broadly.


    After taking a quick moment to rest and catch her breath, Mica turned her head to the side and glanced at the mantis.


    Lying in a heap on her side, and with her back facing the kiochi, the still unconscious mantis looked all but lifeless, save for the gentle rise and fall of her chest which signaled that she was indeed still breathing.


    Rolling over onto her hands and knees, Mica made her way over to the mantis and tentatively maneuvered her onto her back before looking her over and confirming that she hadn''t been too banged up by her fall.


    ¡°H-hey...¡± she coaxed softly as she gave the mantis'' shoulders a gentle shake ¡°Hey, wake up. I need to know your okay real quick... Then you can sleep more...¡±


    Unable to get any response out of the mantis, Mica began to panic a bit. Lifting the mantis up into a sitting position, she started shouting at her while shaking her more fervently. Finally, her desperation at its limit, she gave the mantis a slap across the face and cried out in excitement when the two large eyes on either side of her head suddenly shifted themselves forward and focused their tiny black dots on her.


    ¡°Yes! You''re alive!¡± cried Mica as the mantis drowsily shook her head.


    Blinking open her main eyes and looking up at Mica''s smiling face now only inches away from her own, the mantis panicked a bit and shoved the kiochi before scrabbling back and away from her.


    ¡°Hey! Hey! It''s okay! You''re okay! You''re safe now!¡± exclaimed Mica while she put her hands and tail up in the air as she tried to placate the mantis ¡°We made it out! You''re safe! ...I promise! You''re safe!¡±


    Staring at the kiochi for a moment while her antennae waved around wildly and her large eyes seemed to be frantically scanning the area around them, the mantis blinked as she took on a look of confusion.


    ¡°It''s okay... This is where we live...¡± explained Mica as she indicated the house ¡°It''s safe here...¡±


    Turning to the house and giving it a quick look over, the mantis brought her eyes back to Mica and gave her a questioning look.


    ¡°I, well, no, we... We got you out of there.¡± said Mica as she slowly lowered her hands and tail and came to rest on her folded legs ¡°They... They were gonna kill you. So we got you out...¡±


    Blinking, the mantis eased forward a bit as she watched the kiochi''s face twist in anguish.


    ¡°I''m sorry!¡± growled Mica through her clenched teeth as she fought to hold back her tears ¡°I''m sorry... For everything... For everything that they did to you... And for everything that happened... I swear, they''ll pay for what they did to you! I''m... I''m really sorry...¡±


    Watching the kiochi turn to the side as she wiped away her tears, the mantis eased forward even more and mimicked Mica by coming to rest on her folded knees. Without a sound, she reached out and tentatively laid her hand on Mica''s shoulder before giving her a soft pat.


    ¡°...Heh. ...Thanks.¡± said Mica as she smiled softly at the gesture and gave the now sitting up mantis another look over ¡°So, anyway, how are you doing? You had a pretty bad fall... Does everything feel okay?¡±


    Pulling her hand back, the mantis blinked before looking down at herself. Lifting her four arms, she started moving them up and down as she spread her wings back out and began to lightly buzz them.


    ¡°...Looks like everything''s still working.¡± mused Mica as she nodded her head ¡°That''s good news.¡±


    Still staring down at herself, the mantis bent in one of her middle arms and tentatively poked at the metal belt that was still wrapped around her waist. When nothing seemed to be happening, she carefully grabbed hold of the belt with all four of her hands. Her eyes went wide as she pulled on the belt and its lock immediately popped open and allowed it to fall away from her.


    ¡°Oh, huh. I guess when I destroyed that remote control thing, this part stopped working too.¡± mumbled Mica ¡°That''s pretty convenient. Now you won''t have to worry about cutting that thing off of you.¡±


    Holding the belt up in her now trembling hands, the mantis stared at it for a moment before looking back up at Mica and gesturing with the belt.


    ¡°Yeah, it''s like I said. You''re safe now.¡± said Mica as she looked from the belt up to the mantis'' eyes ¡°And I guess you''re free now too.¡±


    Dropping the belt, the mantis suddenly shot forward and frantically wrapped all four of her arms around the kiochi before pulling her into a tight hug.


    Stunned by the unexpected embrace, Mica went rigid to the point that her tail even stood straight up into the air. Blinking, she relaxed a bit as she reached around the mantis and tentatively patted her on the back.


    ¡°Uh... Yeah. You''re welcome...¡± she said around a thin smile.


    The mantis responded by tightening her hold and beginning to lightly shake.


    Mica''s eyes went wide as from over her shoulder she heard a faint, barely audible sob ring out before being followed by a grateful sounding whimper. Going still for a moment, the kiochi''s chest swelled with emotion as she dropped all her inhibitions and wrapped her own arms around the mantis'' thin frame before hugging her back as tightly as she could.


    ¡°You''re safe now...¡± whispered Mica as heavy tears rolled down her cheeks ¡°I promise... I promise you''re safe now...¡±


    Unknown to the oblivious duo, it was at this moment that another portal opened up behind them.


    As Anton, Fiona and Kianna all stepped through, they immediately stopped short as they each caught sight of the now embracing, former adversaries.


    ¡°...Huh. ...Okay?¡± mumbled Fiona as she shook her head ¡°Sure as Hell wasn''t expecting this...¡±


    ¡°No.¡± said Anton as he shook his heads as well ¡°Can''t say that I was either...¡±


    ¡°Aw! You were right!¡± cooed Kianna as she clasped her hands together ¡°They really are friends now!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, apparently.¡± chuckled Anton as he folded his arms over his chest and smiled softly.


    Everything stayed quiet and still for a moment before Anton nodded to the dark elves and stepped forward. Approaching the still hugging pair, he dropped down in front of Mica and rested on his haunches as he gazed at her.


    Staring back at him, the kiochi''s expression hardened as she quickly looped her tail around herself and the mantis in a protective manner and pointed her spade right at Anton''s head.


    ¡°She''s safe now!¡± growled Mica as she tightened her hold on the mantis ¡°I promised her that she would be safe now! I promised her! ...Okay!?¡±


    Looking from the spade down to the kiochi''s clearly determined eyes, Anton nodded his head.


    ¡°I understand.¡± he said softly ¡°She is safe here. You have my word.¡±


    Mica remained still for a moment before lowering her spade and blinking the hardness from her eyes.


    ¡°Is she injured at all?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°...No, I don''t think so?¡± answered Mica.


    ¡°Good, that''s good.¡± nodded Anton as he looked over what he could see of the mantis ¡°Has she spoken to you?¡±


    ¡°...No. Not yet.¡± said Mica as a light grimace formed on her face ¡°I don''t know if she even can?¡±


    Anton nodded again before returning his gaze to Mica''s eyes.


    ¡°May I sit with you?¡± he asked in such a way that it was clear he was technically asking them both.


    ¡°...Yeah, that''s fine. I guess.¡± said Mica as the mantis shifted her head slightly to the side and looked back at Anton with one of her large, insectoid eyes.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± said Anton as he smiled softly and dropped down to sit cross-legged just to the side of Mica and the mantis.


    With Mica''s arms still around her, the mantis shuffled to the side a bit until she could fully turn her head around and gaze at Anton.


    ¡°Hello there, I don''t think we''ve formally met yet. My name is Anton, Anton Faustus North.¡± said Anton as he inclined his head to the mantis ¡°It''s a pleasure to meet you, Miss...?¡±


    The mantis remained silent as she merely stared back at him.


    ¡°...Oh, yeah. Uh, hey? What is your name anyway?¡± asked Mica.


    Looking back at her, the mantis tightened her eyes before dropping them to the ground.


    ¡°...Wait? Do you not have a name?¡± questioned Mica as her eyes tightened in sympathy.


    Still staring at the ground, the mantis slowly shook her head as she lightly shrugged her shoulders.


    ¡°Hm. Well that''s alright. For the moment there''s more important things for us to focus on.¡± said Anton ¡°Such as making sure that you''re okay. You''re not hurt anywhere, are you?¡±


    Turning back to him, the mantis shook her head.


    ¡°That''s good.¡± nodded Anton ¡°So, can you speak at all?¡±


    The mantis merely remained silent.


    ¡°...Hm. Alright then.¡± hummed Anton as after a moment of stillness he grinned at Mica ¡°Well, so what''s next, Mica?¡±


    ¡°...Uh? What do you mean?¡± questioned Mica.


    ¡°Well...¡± chuckled Anton ¡°What''s the next step you want to take here? Or, more to the point, what is it that you''re planning to do, with your new friend?¡±


    ¡°Oh, um... I don''t know?¡± mumbled Mica as she looked at the mantis ¡°...I guess I just want to make sure she''s going be okay? ...Maybe take her back to wherever she belongs?¡±


    ¡°Alright. We can certainly do that.¡± nodded Anton as he turned back to the mantis ¡°So long as you can tell us where it is you come from, of course?¡±


    The mantis still remained silent but tilted her head slightly in a questioning manner.


    ¡°...He means, where do you live. Like where is your home?¡± explained Mica ¡°...You look like you came from a tropical place. Like a jungle or something? Do you know which jungle your kind comes from?¡±


    The mantis went still as her eyes seemed to become thoughtful.


    ¡°...If you can tell us where you come from, then I would be more than happy to help you get home.¡± said Anton.


    After another moment of stillness, the mantis lowered her eyes back to the ground and slowly shook her head.


    ¡°Damn. I don''t think she even knows...¡± mumbled Mica as she creased her brow in thought ¡°...Maybe if we look up mantises, we can figure out what kind she is and-.¡±


    The kiochi stopped short as she was interrupted by a loud, deep groan that came echoing out of the mantis'' torso.


    Easing herself away from the kiochi, the mantis had a pained grimace on her face as she clutched at her stomach with the hands on her middle arms.


    ¡°Mm, poor thing.¡± said Anton as he gave the mantis a sympathetic look.


    ¡°Wait? What''s wrong with her!?¡± cried Mica as she held onto the mantis'' shoulders and tried to look into her eyes ¡°Is she hurt!?¡±


    ¡°No, she''s not hurt. She''s probably just hungry, starving even.¡± said Anton ¡°I don''t know if you''ve ever seen a weremantis before, but if you have then I''m sure you''ve noticed how thin they usually are. Even with that being the case though... This poor girl has been terribly malnourished. Honestly, even for her kind, she''s all but emaciated. Poor things to the point where she''s nothing but skin and bones...¡±


    Blinking, Mica quickly looked the mantis up and down as she fully took stock of her condition.


    ¡°...Skin and bones.¡± she repeated softly as her eyes went wide ¡°Crap! Okay, hold on!¡±


    Scrambling up to her feet, Mica went to bolt to the house but stopped short before turning back to the mantis.


    ¡°Stay! Okay!? Stay right here!¡± exclaimed the kiochi as she stood over the mantis and held out her open palms ¡°I''ll be right back, okay!? ...So just stay right here! ...Stay!¡±


    The mantis stared up at her for a moment before folding both pairs of her hands in her lap and going still.


    ¡°Good girl!¡± said Mica as she backed away while keeping her open palms facing the mantis ¡°Okay! Stay right there!¡±


    Hesitating for one last second, the kiochi whirled around and quickly ran towards the kitchen door.


    ¡°Don''t let Molly out!¡± called Anton ¡°Keep her inside for now!¡±


    Still running, Mica nodded and disappeared a moment before reaching the house as she teleported her way inside.


    For her part, the mantis remained completely motionless as she stared at the spot where Mica had disappeared.


    Unnerved by the eerily still creature, Fiona grimaced as she pointed her ears straight back.


    ¡°Uh, hey!¡± she called as she crossed her arms over her chest ¡°Do you really think it''s a good idea to just leave that blitzing monster loose like this?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don''t think there''s a problem. She seems to be pretty well behaved in my opinion.¡± chuckled Anton as he looked back at the dark elf ¡°Why do you ask though? Does she make you nervous?¡±


    ¡°...I mean, I wouldn''t say nervous.¡± grumbled Fiona as she narrowed her eyes at the mantis ¡°At the same time I wouldn''t mind seeing her go back into her box though...¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I doubt that box would even be able to hold her now.¡± said Anton as he smiled at the dark elf ¡°Of course, if you feel like you''re brave enough to test that theory by trying to shove her back into it yourself... Then by all means, go for it.¡±


    Although the mantis herself continued to sit still and stare directly at where Mica had disappeared into the house with the eyes on her face, one of the large insectoid eyes on the side of her head slowly shifted over until the black dot within it became focused right on Fiona.


    ¡°...Yeah, no, fuck that.¡± mumbled Fiona as she shook her head ¡°She''s behaving herself, and if she''s just gonna sit there then I guess it''s fine...¡±


    ¡°Glad you think so.¡± chuckled Anton as he shook his head and turned back to the mantis.


    Watching her for a moment, he sighed as he nodded his head.


    ¡°I''d like to take this moment to thank you...¡± he said as he followed her gaze to the house ¡°For sparing Mica...¡±


    The mantis'' face remained unchanged as her antennae lightly twitched in acknowledgment.


    ¡°...She''s something else, isn''t she?¡± said Anton as he grinned fondly ¡°She''s young. And stubborn. And there have been plenty of times now that she''s done things without thinking... She''s made a lot of mistakes lately... But you know, I don''t believe that helping you was one of them... I think she did the right thing there...¡±


    Though the eyes on her face remained fixated on where Mica had disappeared, the mantis'' large insectoid eyes shifted over and became focused on Anton.


    ¡°She has good qualities. And character. And a lot of strength. Both physically, and in spirit... There''s quite a bit of potential there... Sadly, I have to admit. When I first met her, I was blinded by my own preconceived notions of her kind, and I didn''t see that potential right away.¡± said Anton as he shifted his gaze back to the mantis ¡°...But I think that maybe you did.¡±


    The mantis remained silent as she merely stared back at him.


    ¡°She has a long way to go. And a lot of work ahead of her... And she''ll need help...¡± said Anton as he looked back at the house ¡°But with enough time, and guidance... With the right people, giving her the directions she needs... I think she could become something great... And I''m not going to lie, more and more now, I''d like to see that happen...¡±


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    The mantis was still for several seconds before her large eyes silently followed his gaze back to the house.


    A moment later, Mica suddenly reappeared with a large covered bowl and several water bottles cradled in her arms. Racing back to Anton and the mantis, she dropped down to her knees in front of them.


    ¡°Sorry! That took longer than it should have.¡± she said as she maneuvered the bowl onto her lap ¡°I was waiting on the microwave and I got caught up with looking up mantises on my phone. Did you know that there''s more than 2000 different kinds of them!? And that means we''re going to have to go through all of them to figure out which kind she is...¡±


    As she spoke, Mica let the water bottles tumble onto the ground next to her before snatching one back up and quickly opening it.


    ¡°That''s assuming she''s even a type of mantis that''s been documented already.¡± said Anton ¡°She could very well be a species that hasn''t even been officially described yet.¡±


    ¡°Oh that would just be perfect...¡± mumbled Mica as she went to hand the opened water bottle to the mantis ¡°Here ya go. Figured you''d probably be pretty thirsty by now.¡±


    The mantis leaned back a bit as she stared down at the water bottle with all of her eyes.


    ¡°...Uh? Wait, do you not drink water?¡± questioned Mica as she blinked at the mantis and then turned to Anton ¡°Do mantises drink water?¡±


    ¡°They do.¡± nodded Anton ¡°She may not realize that you''re giving her water though. I''m pretty sure she''s feral, Mica. Or at least she was before ending up in whatever predicament that your Father found her in. So she may not know what a water bottle is.¡±


    ¡°Feral? Wait, what? ...But she can talk? Or, kind of? She''s knows what we''re saying at least.¡± said Mica as she splashed a little water out into her palm.


    ¡°We assume she knows what we''re saying.¡± said Anton ¡°Who knows how much she really understands though. Also, most feral people can still speak. It''s just that more often than not they choose not to.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, cause they''re usually freaks...¡± mumbled Mica as she held her hand out to the mantis ¡°Here, see. It''s water, it''s good.¡±


    Narrowing her eyes, the mantis flicked her antennae forward and dipped their tips in close to Mica''s offered hand. After apparently determining that the water, was water, and that it ¡°smelled¡± right, the mantis immediately grabbed the bottle that Mica was still holding out to her and began to dump the water onto her own palm before frantically slurping it up.


    ¡°Wait! No, no, no! Not like that!¡± exclaimed Mica as she grabbed another water bottle ¡°Look, like this.¡±


    The mantis watched intently as the kiochi took a slow swig, before trying to emulate her. It took a few tries before she was finally able to take a drink without spilling any on herself, but once she got the hang of it, she quickly gulped down her entire bottle, which did lead to a bit of awkward coughing.


    ¡°Dammit. You need to slow down.¡± grumbled Mica as she opened another bottle for the blank-faced yet still clearly enthusiastic mantis ¡°You''re gonna make yourself choke.¡±


    Seemingly heeding her words, the mantis made an obvious effort to slow her pace as she finished the second bottle.


    ¡°Hm, nice to see she knows how to listen to advice.¡± said Anton as he looked over at the dark elves and grinned ¡°I wish more people were like that.¡±


    ¡°Ha, ha, ha. I wonder who you could possibly be talking about...¡± mumbled Fiona as she and Kianna both moved closer and stood behind Anton.


    ¡°Who indeed.¡± smiled Anton.


    Pulling the lid off the bowl in her lap, Mica was forced backwards as the mantis suddenly leaned in close and began to wave her antennae around wildly as she tried to figure out what was in the bowl.


    ¡°Will you chill.¡± said Mica as she planted her hand on the inquisitive mantis'' chest and gently pushed her back ¡°You can have all of these, but you need to go slow when you eat them.¡±


    Picking up a piece of the leftover grilled chicken on the bone, Mica held it up so the mantis'' probing antennae could quiver around it. The mantis'' alien-like eyes went wide as she ¡°smelled¡± the chicken.


    ¡°Seriously. Go slow with these, there''s bones in them.¡± said Mica as she handed the mantis the first piece.


    The mantis''s hands were trembling as she tentatively took the chicken and moved it to her mouth.


    Everyone froze in surprise as the chitinous plates covering the mantis'' cheeks began to fold back over onto themselves, and her seemingly tiny mouth spread open so wide that it appeared as though her face had suddenly split itself in half.


    Within the mantis'' mouth were several rows of sharp, shearing teeth which lined both her upper and lower jaws and right behind these were what looked to be crushing, chitinous plates clearly designed to grind down into paste anything that may be unlucky enough to be placed in between them.


    Holding the piece of chicken in front her now open mouth, the mantis dropped her hand away as a pair of thick, black-colored, serrated mandibles suddenly shot out from the back of her mouth, clamped themselves onto the chicken, crushing it in the process, and pulled the hapless bit of poultry further into the depths of her maw.


    Fixated by the unexpected sight, everyone could do nothing but stare in morbid fascination and listen to the sounds of crackling bones as the mantis commenced to utterly obliterate the chicken with the nightmarish machine of destruction that was her mouth.


    Though it did seem like she had tried to chew slowly, it still wasn''t long before the pulverized piece of chicken, bones and all, had quickly disappeared down the mantis'' throat.


    Clearly satisfied with her meal, the mantis turned to Mica and stared at her in an expectant manner.


    Without a word, Mica slowly handed her another piece from the bowl.


    ¡°Holy, fuck...¡± breathed Fiona as she watched the mantis devour this piece in just as frightening a manner ¡°Did you know she had teeth like that hidden in her head?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± grinned Anton.


    ¡°Oh wow... She looked so sweet before... When she was being good and sitting still... You would never know, she was really like this...¡± said Kianna as she grimaced at the sight of the chicken being shredded apart into nothing.


    ¡°Well, she''s still just as sweet as before.¡± chuckled Anton ¡°You''re just seeing the part of her that is a bit more predatory now, that''s all.¡±


    ¡°Hell yeah!¡± smiled Mica as she handed the mantis a third piece of chicken ¡°She''s badass!¡±


    ¡°Right, that''s enough creepy for me.¡± said Fiona as she took out her phone ¡°We need to hurry up and figure out what kind of mantis she is, so we can send this ¡°predator¡± back to whatever horrible jungle she belongs in.¡±


    ¡°Yeah...¡± sighed Mica as she pensively gazed at the mantis ¡°I guess we do need to get on that...¡±


    Staring back at the kiochi with the large eyes on her head, the mantis slowed her chewing down to a crawl before slowly looking over at Anton.


    Meeting her eyes for a second, Anton said nothing as he watched the mantis look from him back to Mica. The mantis then gazed out across the yard and up at the house for a long moment before she finally returned her strange eyes back to him.


    Staring at each other in silent conversation now, Anton began to slowly nod his head.


    ¡°I would be very grateful if you were willing to help her learn...¡± he said in a soft tone ¡°You spared her life. And for that I do owe you my thanks... If it''s what you wish, I will help you find your way home... Though I do want you to know, that if you choose to, you are more than welcome to stay here with us for as long as you''d like...¡±


    The mantis continued to stare at him while she slowly chewed away at her mouthful of chicken. Once she was finished, she shifted her gaze back to Mica.


    The kiochi''s eyes were wide with uncertainty as she looked back and forth between the mantis and Anton.


    ¡°...What the fuck are you doing?¡± grumbled Fiona as she glared down at Anton.


    ¡°I''m potentially hiring a capable fighter to help train my kiochi.¡± said Anton ¡°Mica is going to need all the instruction that she can get. And unfortunately, Mokai''s time is very limited. So we''ll need to explore other options as well, and I think that this could be an excellent opportunity for everyone involved.¡±


    Fiona grimaced as Anton grinned up at her.


    ¡°Our new friend here is going to need a place to stay. And I think that room and board would be a small price to pay for Mica to have a readily available sparring partner, right here on site.¡± he said.


    Turning back to them, Anton chuckled softly as he found Mica and the mantis both staring intently at each other.


    Looking back and forth between them, Anton and the dark elves all jumped in surprise as a loud clang suddenly rang out across the yard.


    With the spade at the end of her tail, Mica had struck at the mantis who had blocked the incoming blade with her scythe. Their natural weapons still locked, the kiochi and mantis stared coldly at each other for a moment before they both began to grin softly and ease their weapons back.


    ¡°Awesome.¡± said Mica as her tail coiled menacingly though the air before settling into the open space behind her.


    The mantis'' thin grin never faltered as she folded her scythe away with an ominous snap.


    ¡°...Yeah, this is a terrible idea.¡± said Fiona as she shook her head ¡°These two are gonna end up killing each other!¡±


    Anton began to laugh as he nodded his head.


    ¡°Seriously! They are going to kill each other and we''re going to get caught in the middle of it!¡± said Fiona and she crossed her arms in protest.


    ¡°Nah, they won''t kill each other.¡± said Kianna around a bright smile ¡°Just look at them. They''re friends! Besties even!¡±


    ¡°They literally just tried to stab each other!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°Not even two seconds ago!¡±


    ¡°They were just playing.¡± said Kianna as she grinned teasingly at her sister ¡°Just like best friends often do.¡±


    ¡°This is so crazy!¡± said Mica as she smiled excitedly and then became somber ¡°...You know, if she''s gonna stay, then she''s gonna need a name.¡±


    ¡°True, she will definitely need a name...¡± nodded Anton ¡°And honestly, I think you should be the one to do the honors there.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± said Mica ¡°Why me?¡±


    ¡°Well, when it comes to her, you''re easily the most involved.¡± explained Anton with a shrug ¡°And it''s not like any of us know her as well as you do.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? I don''t know her...¡± muttered Mica as she handed the mantis the last piece of chicken from the bowl ¡°And this is something important. I don''t think I know enough about her to make a choice like this...¡±


    ¡°Well now, that''s not true.¡± said Anton as he folded his arms over his chest ¡°You know plenty about her.¡±


    ¡°No, I don''t!¡± exclaimed Mica ¡°I don''t know anything about her!¡±


    ¡°Then why did you save her?¡± asked Anton.


    Mica stopped short as she blinked at him.


    ¡°...If you don''t know anything about her.¡± said Anton in a soft tone ¡°Then how did you know that she was worth saving?¡±


    ¡°...I, I don''t know? ...I just did.¡± mumbled Mica ¡°It''s not like I know her though... I just know she''s an amazing fighter. And I didn''t want to see her die like that...¡±


    ¡°So you didn''t save her because she spared you?¡± questioned Anton ¡°You didn''t feel like you owed her for letting you live?¡±


    ¡°...No?¡± said Mica as she shook her head and looked at the mantis ¡°I didn''t even think of that... We were supposed to fight to the death. So I don''t even know why she did that?¡±


    The mantis remained silent as she merely stared right back at her.


    Anton nodded slowly as he too gazed at the mantis.


    ¡°I think I know why she did it.¡± he said softly.


    ¡°You do? Why?¡± asked Mica as she turned to him.


    Anton was quiet for a moment as he seemed to be putting his thoughts together.


    ¡°...I think we can safely say, that if we were to ask any of your family members, they would all agree that you lost today.¡± said Anton in the same soft tone ¡°They would say, that your goal was to defeat your opponent, and take their life. That this was a test of your resolve, and that you failed this test...¡±


    Mica grimaced as she dropped her eyes to the ground.


    ¡°But I don''t agree with that. I don''t think that you failed at all.¡± stated Anton as he shook his head ¡°I think that in your own way, you did test your resolve... In fact, I think you tested far, far more than just that.¡±


    Blinking, Mica looked back up at him.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked.


    ¡°You won that fight, Mica. It was over. All you had to do was make one single cut, and your opponent would have been nothing but a memory...¡± said Anton as he looked her in the eyes ¡°But you didn''t do that... Did you?¡±


    Keeping her eyes on his, Mica shook her head.


    ¡°No, you didn''t. You hesitated. You stayed your hand. And in the end, you chose a different path...¡± continued Anton ¡°That was when you tested yourself, Mica... That was when you tested your resolve... And your character, your spirit, your sense of honor and your compassion... In that moment, all of these aspects of who you are, were all put to the test... And I think you passed that test, Mica. I think that was when you truly won...¡±


    ¡°...But after that I lost the fight though.¡± said Mica as she looked at the mantis ¡°I got my ass whooped... I couldn''t even do anything...¡±


    ¡°Yes, but by then it didn''t matter. You had already shown us all, including this mantis, who you really are and what you can do.¡± said Anton ¡°You impressed us, all of us.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you really did. I guess...¡± mumbled Fiona as she looked away and folded her hands behind her head ¡°That was pretty sweet when you chose to heal that thing...¡±


    ¡°It really was!¡± nodded Kianna ¡°You knew that fight was messed up. You knew it wasn''t fair, so you fixed it. And that was pretty awesome... You looked so cool when you did it too!.¡±


    Looking at the ground in slight embarrassment, Mica shrugged.


    ¡°Well it wasn''t all me. You''re the one who gave me the potion...¡± she mumbled as she eyed Anton.


    ¡°Yes, but you were the one who chose to use it.¡± said Anton ¡°You showed us your true colors, Mica. And I''d be surprised if that wasn''t a factor on why this mantis decided not to kill you. It certainly wasn''t pity that spared your life. No, you convinced her that you were someone worth keeping alive... And she obviously convinced you of the same with her. Hence your little rescue mission.¡±


    ¡°...Heh, yeah. She did.¡± smiled Mica as she gleefully glared at the mantis ¡°Don''t get it twisted though. This isn''t over yet. Now that I''ve got the chance, I''m not gonna stop until I can beat her. I''m gonna win this, for real.¡±


    The mantis'' eyes tightened as the corners of her thin mouth rose into a slight smile.


    ¡°She''s still my first test, after all.¡± said Mica ¡°And I have every intention of completing this test.¡±


    ¡°A worthy goal.¡± nodded Anton as he looked from the kiochi to the mantis and grinned.


    ¡°Yeah... In fact... I think I should honor that, with her name...¡± said Mica as her expression became thoughtful ¡°She''s my test... So...¡±


    The mantis blinked as Mica''s probing stare intensified.


    ¡°...Tessa.¡± whispered the kiochi as she nodded her head ¡°Yeah, I think that fits.¡±


    ¡°Tessa...¡± repeated Anton with a nod ¡°That''s a good one. I think it suits her perfectly.¡±


    ¡°Right! Okay then. From now on, your name is Tessa!¡± said Mica as she reached out and laid her hand on the mantis'' shoulder ¡°...Do you like it?¡±


    The mantis was completely still for a moment before she suddenly dove forward, and wrapped her arms back around Mica as she pulled the surprised kiochi into another tight hug.


    ¡°...Uh, yeah!¡± groaned Mica as she struggle to maintain her breath around being squeezed ¡°I think she likes it!¡±


    An affirmative shrill filled the air as the mantis opened her wings just enough to give them a quick buzz.


    ¡°Well good! Tessa it is then.¡± chuckled Anton.


    ¡°Yeah, good name and all. But don''t get too excited yet, Mica.¡± said Fiona as she crossed her arms over her chest ¡°Cause just because you gave that thing a name doesn''t mean you''re gonna get to keep it in the house or anything.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡± cried Mica as she glared up at the dark elf ¡°We can''t make her stay out in the yard! That''s messed up!¡±


    ¡°Who said she was even gonna be allowed in the yard?¡± said Fiona as she planted her hands on her hips and leaned over the sitting kiochi ¡°Because I sure didn''t!¡±


    ¡°And what exactly makes you think that this is in any way up to you, Fiona?¡± said Anton as he arched an eyebrow at her ¡°I certainly don''t remember ever giving you any authoritative power over the house?¡±


    ¡°Wait, seriously!?¡± cried Fiona ¡°You''re not really gonna let her keep that thing in the house, are you!? You saw what that thing can do, she could kill us all!¡±


    ¡°Tessa is not a ¡°thing¡±, Fiona. Do not call her that again.¡± said Anton as his expression hardened ¡°And yes. I have every intention of having Tessa stay with us in the house. So I suggest that you get used to this idea.¡±


    ¡°...Oh! Oh, okay! I get it!¡± laughed Fiona ¡°You''re going to enslave her too, and make her harmless! Right? ...Right!?¡±


    ¡°Now why would I do that?¡± asked Anton ¡°She hasn''t done anything to deserve that.¡±


    ¡°She... But she''s a fucking monster! She''s dangerous! Did you not just see her teeth!¡± cried Fiona ¡°What if she tries to eat us while we sleep!¡±


    ¡°Don''t be ridiculous, she''s not going to do that.¡± said Anton as he turned to Mica and Tessa ¡°We will need to make sure that she understands that she''s not allowed to eat Molly though.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what? You really think she''ll try to eat the dog?¡± questioned Mica.


    ¡°Possibly. It''s pretty likely that she is feral, so there''s a good chance that she''s not going to have any issues with killing and eating animals.¡± said Anton as he looked from Mica to the dark elves ¡°And on that topic, just like with the water bottle earlier, there''s likely going to be things that she isn''t going to understand right away. So we''ll all have to be ready to help her learn as things go along. And I expect everyone to be patient with her, including you, Fiona.¡±


    ¡°Please tell me you''re joking. Please... Please!¡± exclaimed Fiona.


    ¡°Hm, she really is so skinny... We probably don''t have any clothes that will fit her right...¡± mused Kianna as she twitched her ears back and forth in a thoughtful manner ¡°We''ll have to get some for her... Also, I wonder if she needs a special kind of toothbrush?¡±


    ¡°That... Is actually a good question?¡± said Anton ¡°Probably going to be the first of many too...¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But don''t worry about it. Me and Mica will take care of taking care of her.¡± declared Kianna as she smiled down at Tessa ¡°Which, first things first. We should probably give her a bath and find her something to wear. Then we need to focus on putting some meat on her bones... Poor thing is just so, so skinny...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, making sure she''s got a full belly is the first good idea I''ve heard all day...¡± mumbled Fiona ¡°I wonder if bug spray would work on her?¡±


    ¡°Do you really want to risk pissing her off if it doesn''t?¡± asked Kianna ¡°Or risk pissing off Mica and Master if it does?¡±


    ¡°...Hm, good point.¡± grumbled Fiona ¡°Guess I''ll just have to poison them too...¡±


    ¡°How about you just don''t poison anybody instead.¡± said Anton as he got to his feet ¡°Now c''mon, let''s go introduce Tessa to Molly. And then we can figure out where Tessa is going to sleep.¡±


    ¡°We should probably pull some more chicken out of the freezer too.¡± said Kianna as she watched Tessa gaze longingly at the empty bowl while Mica put the lid back on it.


    ¡°Good idea.¡± nodded Anton as he started towards the house.


    Watching Mica take Tessa by the hand and lead her along after Anton and Kianna, Fiona sighed and shook her head.


    ¡°Fuck this...¡± she grumbled as she fell into step behind them ¡°Well this is gonna be a long, shitty, sleepless week...¡±


    Glancing at the back of Tessa''s head, Fiona couldn''t help but to frown as she found that the tiny black dots within the mantis'' large insectoid eyes were staring back at her with an almost subliminally smug and playful expression.


    ¡°Master?¡± whispered Kianna as she and Anton reached the kitchen door ¡°Fiona does kinda have a point... Are you sure this is a good idea?¡±


    Pausing with his hand on the doorknob, Anton''s expression became thoughtful.


    ¡°...As you live your life, Kianna, you''re going to encounter many different people. And if you pay enough attention to those people, you''ll eventually learn to recognize when someone has an agenda. When they want more than what they say they do. You''ll learn to recognize when someone has deceit in their eyes.¡± said Anton as he turned to the dark elf ¡°And more importantly, you''ll learn to recognize when they don''t... You''ll learn to recognize who your allies are, and when your enemies, aren''t really the enemies that you thought they were...¡±


    Kianna cocked one of her ears in a curious manner as Anton glanced back to where Mica and Tessa had stopped to wait for them to bring out Molly. He grinned as he watched the kiochi open the last bottle of water, and hand it to the eager mantis.


    ¡°You can always be fooled, of course. As this recognition can be little more than just a gut feeling... Or at least for people like me it is... I myself have been fooled many times, you see.¡± said Anton as he turned back to the door and opened it just a crack ¡°Although, the last time I had this feeling about someone, it turned out to be right. That person wasn''t the enemy that I thought they were. In fact, they turned out to be someone who actually became very important to me.¡±


    ¡°...Oh? Who was that?¡± asked Kianna.


    Bending over, Anton scooped up the excited little dog and lifted her up in his arms.


    ¡°...It was you.¡± he whispered softly as he gently filled Molly with his aura in an effort to calm her down a bit.


    Kianna''s ears pointed themselves straight upwards as Anton stepped past her and made his way over to Mica and Tessa.


    The mantis'' eyes widened in hungry excitement at the sight of Molly, and licking her lips, she reached out to the little dog.


    Taking hold of her wrist, Mica calmly chastised her and Anton began to chuckle as the disappointed looking mantis was made to rub her hand on Molly''s head, and let the little dog smell and lick her clawed fingers.


    Gazing silently at the sight, Kianna watched for a bit before taking out her phone and snapping a few quick pictures.


    To say the very least, the last few weeks had been quite a hectic time for her. As her life, as well as the lives of those around her, had all seen one dramatic change after another, and it seemed likely that even more greater changes were still waiting for them all on the horizon...


    Reflecting on this for a moment as she stared at the picture showcasing the group of people she now shared her life with, Kianna couldn''t help but to smile as her chest swelled with excitement.


    More changes were certainly coming for them, but they would see them through, they would overcome them and they would continue to stand tall and strong against them.


    They would face these changes head on... And they would do it together.


    Satisfied with the cute photos she had taken, the dark elf didn''t slip her phone back into her pocket right away, but instead she began to look up books on weremantises and quickly added several of them to her online shopping cart.


    Epilogue


    Standing in his darkened living room, Leopold kept his eyes pointed upwards to the family portrait hanging on the wall in front of him. As he stood there contemplating, he suddenly felt the familiar sensation of a long, thin, sinuous tail wrapping itself around his hips and waist.


    ¡°What are you doing, sweetheart?¡± breathed Ila as she came up behind him and slipped her arms beneath his as she wrapped them around his chest.


    Sighing through his nose, Leopold took his wife''s hands in his own as he looped his own tail around her.


    ¡°I just couldn''t sleep...¡± he whispered as he felt his wife gently press herself against his back.


    Resting her chin on his shoulder and leaning the side of her head against her husbands, Ila gazed up at the portrait that Leopold was studying.


    It was a professionally taken photo of their family, with her and Leopold seated in the center and their two daughters standing behind and on either side of them. They were all smiling as they stared forward.


    ¡°...That was a while ago now.¡± said Ila as she looked from one of her daughters to the other ¡°They''ve both grown so much since then...¡±


    ¡°Yes, they have...¡± nodded Leopold as he spoke in a soft tone.


    ¡°...Our Mica has especially grown quite a bit. Just in the last week even.¡± mused Ila ¡°She''s made some powerful allies as well...¡±


    ¡°Yes, she has.¡± agreed Leopold.


    ¡°...Leopold. ...They didn''t know what she was going to do. And yet, they didn''t hesitate to stand behind her.¡± said Ila ¡°They will fight for her, Leopold. We know this... We''ve seen this more than once now...¡±


    Leopold said nothing as he continued to stare at the portrait.


    ¡°...It isn''t going to be easy to get past them.¡± said Ila.


    ¡°No, it won''t be...¡± sighed Leopold.


    ¡°And even when we do... Mica is learning to fight...¡± mused Ila as a thin, thoughtful smile spread across her face ¡°You know, she did do well today. Better than I expected her to.¡±


    Leopold remained silent as he nodded his head.


    Laughing softly, Ila give him a squeeze as she began to whisper into his ear.


    ¡°Our daughter shows a lot of promise, Leopold. More than either of us ever thought she would.¡± she breathed around her smile ¡°She could become quite skilled... Though... She isn''t like us... She is no killer...¡±


    ¡°No. She will kill, when she needs to...¡± said Leopold ¡°I have no doubt about that...¡±


    ¡°...I agree. She will.¡± nodded Ila after a moment of thought ¡°But she is still not like us. She is not a killer, Leopold.¡±


    ¡°No, she isn''t. She is not a killer... And she is no assassin... No... She is something else...¡± said Leopold as a thin but prideful smile slowly formed across his face ¡°She is... A warrior...¡±


    ¡°...Yes! Oh, Leopold! She is! She really is!¡± smiled Ila as she tightened her hold on her husband ¡°Oh, our little girl is a warrior! And she''s going to be a great warrior too! Just watch! And when she does kill... Oh, she will do it right, Leopold! And it will be glorious... Oh, Leopold, my Leopold... I want to see it... I want to see it so badly!¡±


    ¡°So do I.¡± nodded Leopold as his smile broadened with excitement ¡°So do I...¡±


    End of Guilty x Creatures : Book Two : The Assassin Arc.

 Guilty x Creatures : Mothers and Daughters Arc : Chapter 1

    Chapter 1 : Morning


    Fiona had a thin grimace on her face as she stood at the edge of the archway that led into the front siting room. Gazing into the room, her eyes narrowed in suspicion as her ears slowly pointed themselves straight back.


    Situated in the far back corner of the room sat the subject of her attention, a motionless Tessa.


    Although the mantis had been offered a room of her own, she had decided of her own accord to take up residence in this room instead. And was currently sitting cross-legged atop a large round, deep brown colored beanbag-like backless cushioned chair.


    Originally a table had been placed in this corner and that was where Tessa had first set up her new home base. By gathering together many of the large potted plants from around the room, and setting them up around this table, she had built herself a nice, dense little jungle to sleep in.


    Amused by this, Anton had bought her the cushioned chair to use instead of the table and she took to it immediately. And now content with being surrounded by her little indoor wilderness, she refused any and all of Mica''s or the dark elves efforts to move her to her own more traditional room.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Mica as she came up beside Fiona.


    ¡°...Watching the bug.¡± mumbled Fiona in a hushed tone.


    ¡°Why? What is she doing?¡± whispered Mica as she peeked around the corner.


    ¡°Nothing. That''s the problem. She''s not even moving at all.¡± said Fiona in her same soft tone ¡°She''s just sitting there. Completely still.¡±


    ¡°...That''s because she''s still sleeping.¡± grumbled Mica as she took on an annoyed expression.


    ¡°It''s like she''s a statue. Can''t even tell if she''s breathing...¡± continued Fiona ¡°It''s so creepy... We need to get rid of her!¡±


    ¡°You''re an idiot...¡± sighed Mica as she flicked at the tip of Fiona''s ear with a loop of her tail.


    ¡°Ow! Dammit! Will you quit doing that!¡± growled Fiona.


    ¡°Nope.¡± said Mica smugly as she stepped around her and made her way over to the sleeping mantis.


    Although it had only been a week that Tessa had now been living in the house, a marked difference could already be seen in her condition and demeanor. As she had not only begun to put on a bit of much needed weight, but she had obviously become quite comfortable around her new companions as well. This didn''t happen immediately though, as for the first few days after her arrival she had remained overly alert to everything that was happening around her at all times, and no one had noticed her ever actually going to sleep or even relaxing in anyway. This soon changed however, due primarily to Anton reining in both Kianna and Mica who, while well meaning in their efforts, were clearly smothering the poor mantis with attention. This went so far as them not even wanting to let her go outside for fear that she may wander off and become lost.


    Once she was given a bit of space though, Tessa began to behave more naturally and it quickly became apparent just how different from other people she really was. And one of the first realizations that was made in this way, was that the reason she wasn''t sleeping was because she apparently wasn''t comfortable with being made to lay down in a bed. Instead, when left to her own devices, she slept in a rigid upright state either while standing or, more often than not, while sitting down in a cross-legged almost meditative-like stance with her head lightly bowed and her four arms folded up in her lap, just as how she was currently positioned right now.


    Another thing she really did not appreciate was being in a room with the door closed, this unfortunately included the bathroom, and this was more than likely the reason she preferred the open sitting room to any of the empty bedrooms upstairs.


    But despite those rocky first few days full of misunderstandings, and once she was finally given a bit of freedom to do things her own way, Tessa now seemed to feel safe and happy enough in the house to regularly let her guard down and sleep in her strange manner.


    Despite the fact that she was sitting upright, Mica could still tell that Tessa was indeed asleep due not only to her main eyes being closed, but also because when sleeping, her large insectoid eyes would take on a darkened appearance as she apparently shifted the many tiny lenses inside them inwards so that they were technically facing themselves. In this way they wouldn''t pick up on any movement around her and were thus essentially closed.


    Stopping just in front of the mantis, Mica slowly waved her tail back and forth over Tessa''s head, right above her antennae. Having learned it was best not to startle the mantis by touching her while she was asleep, she and the others would instead use this method to wake her up by dousing her with a fresh wave of their scent.


    Within moments Tessa''s antennae began to rise upwards and wave themselves back and forth as she began to stir.


    Yawning softly, Tessa kept her main eyes closed while her insectoid eyes brightened in a wave of color as the lens inside them shifted themselves outwards and became focused on Mica.


    ¡°Morning, sleepyhead.¡± said Mica with a smile ¡°Ready to start the day?¡±


    Tessa was still for a moment before she flicked her antennae back in a dismissive manner and darkened her eyes up again as she blatantly made to go back to sleep.


    ¡°Wha, hey! C''mon now, it''s time to get up!¡± exclaimed Mica as she used the broad side of her spade to tap on the mantis'' head between her antennae.


    Annoyed now, Tessa scrunched up her main eyes before opening them up just enough to glare at the kiochi.


    ¡°You know, if you go back to sleep you''re going to miss breakfast.¡± warned Mica with a grin ¡°So you better get up if you wanna eat!¡±


    Tessa remained still for a moment before unfolding her middle set of arms from her lap and using them to pat at her bent knees.


    ¡°No, I''m not bringing you a plate.¡± said Mica as her grin broadened ¡°If you don''t get up now then you''re going to go hungry.¡±


    Despite the fact that her facial expression never changed, it was still easy to tell that the mantis was now pouting as she folded both sets of her arms over her chest and middle in protest.


    ¡°Get as upset as you want to!¡± laughed Mica ¡°It''s not gonna change anything! If you stay in here, then you''re not gonna eat!¡±


    A thin, groan-like whine began to emanate out from the mantis as she vibrated her wings in annoyance.


    ¡°What''s going on?¡± asked Kianna as she came around the corner and stopped next to Fiona ¡°Why is Tessa buzzing?¡±


    ¡°Because Mica is trying to get her to get out of bed, and she doesn''t want to.¡± answered Fiona ¡°Apparently she''s still tired.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, well if she didn''t stay up so late chasing varmints, she wouldn''t be so tired in the morning...¡± mumbled Kianna as she stepped into the room ¡°Anyways. Guess what, Tessa! I''ve got a surprise for you!¡±


    Turning to her, Tessa''s eyes brightened once again as she flicked her antennae forward in intrigue.


    ¡°Check it out!¡± cried Kianna as she pulled a light green tank top out from behind her back and held it up in front of the mantis ¡°Its the same color as you! So when you wear it, you''ll still be-!¡±


    The dark elf stopped sort with a sigh as the tank top was suddenly sliced in half, right down its middle.


    ¡°Seriously!? C''mon, Tessa!¡± said Kianna as she held onto the two halves of the destroyed tank top and planted her balled fists on her hips ¡°You can''t just run around naked forever!¡±


    Folding her scythe away, Tessa crossed her arms back into place over her chest and middle before closing her eyes and turning her head away with an implied huff.


    ¡°...Honestly. How does a mute mantis even manage to pull off sass like that?¡± sighed Kianna as she narrowed her eyes ¡°Who even taught you how to act like that? ...Was it Master!?¡±


    ¡°Why do you care so much if she wears clothes or not? It''s not like you can even see her goody bits anyway.¡± said Fiona as she leaned her shoulder against the door frame ¡°I mean really, if you didn''t know any better you couldn''t even tell she was naked.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but if you did know better you could!¡± countered Kianna ¡°Like if another mantis saw her they would definitely know.¡±


    ¡°...Okay, sure.¡± said Fiona with a shrug ¡°What are the chances of her running into another mantis around here though? Slim to none, I bet. Honestly, I say if she wants to be naked then just let her be naked. Who cares?¡±


    ¡°Yeah... Normally I would agree.¡± sighed Kianna ¡°But later today we''re going back to Mr. Mokai''s. And we can''t take Tessa with us if she''s naked!¡±


    ¡°Why not? That spider is another big bug after all.¡± said Fiona ¡°Maybe he''ll enjoy the show?¡±


    ¡°Master Mokai isn''t like that! He''s an honest, happily married spider!¡± exclaimed Mica ¡°He wouldn''t appreciate such disrespectful behavior! And also, Isabella will probably be there too. So yeah, Tessa definitely needs to be dressed.¡±


    ¡°...Okay, I''ll give you the Isabella point. But the rest of that is nothing but wishful thinking on your part.¡± said Fiona before turning her attention back to Kianna ¡°Maybe if we show her other mantises wearing clothes, she''d be more willing to try it too?¡±


    ¡°...Oh, that''s a good idea!¡± said Kianna as she immediately reached back for her phone.


    Seemingly ignoring the conversation taking place around her, Tessa yawned again before glancing at the phone that Kianna was now holding up in front of her.


    ¡°Take a look at this, Tessa.¡± said Kianna as she pointed at the images on her phone ¡°See! These weremantises aren''t exactly the same kind as you are, but they are all wearing clothes. And they look good with them on too. You could be just like them!¡±


    Apparently intrigued, Tessa leaned closer and focused all her eyes on the screen in front of her. After a moment of staring, she flicked her antennae forward and began to use the tip of one of them like a finger to scroll down and expose more images.


    With Tessa taking her time examining each and every picture, it wasn''t long before Kianna''s arm began to tire from holding out the phone. And when she finally began to droop from the strain, Tessa reached up with one of her middle arms and repositioned Kianna''s limb back in its original place.


    ¡°Okay. Tessa, sweety.¡± started Kianna as she shifted her shoulder from side to side ¡°I can''t just hold this up for you forev-!¡±


    Pointing her ears straight upwards in surprise, the dark elf stopped short before narrowing her eyes in annoyance as a still preoccupied Tessa absently reached up and pressed two of her fingers against Kianna''s lips to silence her.


    ¡°...Why you rude little brat!¡± grumbled Kianna as she pointed her ears straight back in full on irritation ¡°How dare you!¡±


    ¡°Ha! Looks like she showed you who''s the boss around here!¡± laughed Fiona as Mica chuckled in agreement.


    ¡°Hey. What''s going on in here?¡± asked Anton as he came up from behind Fiona.


    ¡°Kianna''s trying to convince Tessa to wear clothes, and it''s not going too well.¡± chuckled Fiona.


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡± nodded Anton ¡°Yeah, that does sound like a challenge.¡±


    ¡°It really is.¡± sighed Kianna ¡°You wouldn''t happen to have any ideas, would you?¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡± mused Anton as his expression became thoughtful ¡°Have you tried bribery yet?¡±


    ¡°...No? Haven''t tried that yet.¡± said Kianna as she looked from him back to Tessa ¡°...What would I even bribe her with though?¡±


    ¡°Hm, well, something to eat would probably work best.¡± said Anton ¡°Maybe a rabbit, or a chicken?¡±


    ¡°...When you say a rabbit or a chicken, you don''t mean a living animal, do you?¡± questioned Fiona.


    ¡°Yeah, I do.¡± said Anton.


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Okay, really!? Like you really think she''s just gonna eat a live animal!?¡± exclaimed Fiona.


    ¡°I don''t just think that she will, I know she will.¡± said Anton ¡°What do you think she did with that raccoon she caught the other night?¡±


    ¡°...Wait! Are you serious!? Did she really eat a fucking raccoon!?¡± cried Fiona.


    ¡°Well, most of one...¡± said Anton with a shrug ¡°Me and Mica had to clean up the parts she didn''t like.¡±


    ¡°Ew! Gross!¡± groaned Fiona ¡°Seriously! Why the Hell do we let this thing in the house!?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that sucked having to wash all the blood off the porch. There really wasn''t much left of the body though. Just part of the lower jaw, a chuck of pelt and a foot.¡± said Mica ¡°And I''m thinking it wasn''t that she didn''t like those parts, but that she just got full. Otherwise she probably would''ve eaten the whole thing.¡±


    ¡°Probably.¡± nodded Anton ¡°That was a pretty good sized raccoon. Honestly, I''m surprised she ate as much of it as she did.¡±


    ¡°Hold on! How did this twig even fit a whole ass raccoon in her stomach?¡± questioned Fiona ¡°And when did this even happen? Because I don''t remember her ever walking around with a beach ball belly!¡±


    ¡°It was a couple of days ago now. And you wouldn''t have noticed anything if you were just looking at her torso.¡± said Anton ¡°Her stomach isn''t in there. It''s in her abdomen.¡±


    ¡°...Okay? And where exactly is her abdomen?¡± asked Fiona.


    ¡°It''s that long section of her body beneath her wings.¡± explained Anton.


    ¡°...You mean her tail?¡± questioned Fiona.


    ¡°Yes, that''s it. Which while it does kind of look like a tail, it''s actually an extension of her body.¡± said Anton ¡°And it''s where most of her organs are. Including her stomach.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that''s fucking weird...¡± mumbled Fiona.


    ¡°Not really. That''s how most arthropoda based people are built.¡± said Anton with a shrug ¡°Even Mokai is the same way. His stomach is in his abdomen as well.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, note to self, never let your guard down around anybody who keeps their stomach in their tail.¡± muttered Fiona ¡°Apparently they can fit way more in there than you might realize, and it turns out it''s a great place to hide a body...¡±


    Anton chuckled as he nodded in agreement and made his way into the room.


    ¡°Here, Kianna. Let me see your phone for a second.¡± he said as he reached out to her.


    Dropping her phone in his hand, Kianna watched as he quickly looked up a video of people letting their big, white, pet rabbits hop around in their backyard.


    ¡°Here we go. Here, Tessa, take a look at this.¡± said Anton as he held the phone up to her.


    Shifting her eyes forwards, the mantis stared with rapt attention at the frolicking bunnies for a moment before using just the very tip of her tongue to hungrily lick her lips.


    ¡°See those cute bunnies, Tessa?¡± chuckled Anton ¡°If you let Kianna dress you up, and keep the clothes on the entire time we''re out today. We''ll go to a flea market and get you one to eat this weekend!¡±


    ¡°This is so fucked up...¡± muttered Fiona.


    Tessa''s eyes tightened as she continued to stare at the phone.


    ¡°...You can take the clothes off again as soon as we get home.¡± offered Anton ¡°And that''s a promise, you won''t have to keep wearing them once we get back here.¡±


    Tessa was still for another moment before she looked up at Anton and nodded her head.


    ¡°Excellent! Alright, Kianna. She''s all yours!¡± smiled Anton as he turned to the dark elf and handed her back her phone ¡°Have fun!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I''m going to!¡± grinned Kianna as she turned to Tessa and tapped her on the nose ¡°I''m going to make you look so cute!¡±


    The mantis had a tired looking expression in her eyes as she slumped her shoulders and let her antennae droop back behind her head.


    -


    Later that afternoon the group found themselves stepping out of a portal in front of Mokai''s lodge.


    As they all made their way up the hill to the entrance, Mica had an eager spring to her step while Tessa, who was still fidgeting with the lightweight, sky-blue sundress that Kianna had dressed her in, was lagging a bit as Kianna led her along by the hand.


    ¡°Will you stop messing with it.¡± chastised a smiling Kianna as she patted one of Tessa''s middle hands away from her dress''s strap ¡°I know you''re just trying to get out of wearing it by ¡°accidentally¡± slicing it up with your claws. But you might as well quit that as it''s not gonna work out for you, Missy! Cause I brought plenty of safety pins!¡±


    Anton chuckled as Tessa let out a low annoyed sounding hum from her vibrating wings.


    With her wings resting atop the dress that was wrapped around her torso, the buzzing sound Tessa had attempted became muffled quite a bit by the soft fabric, and wasn''t nearly as loud as she had intended it to be. Thwarted by the object of her ire, Tessa glanced back at her wings before glaring down at the dress and lightly flexing her scythes out a bit before folding them back into place with a snap.


    ¡°I wish you would have let me cut your hair...¡± sighed Kianna ¡°You would look so much cuter with a trim...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, let''s not push the wild child with the built-in knife collection too much in one day, okay?¡± said Fiona ¡°I mean honestly you should just be thankful that she finally let you put her in a dress at all.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that''s true. We are making progress, I guess.¡± said Kianna as she tried to adjust Tessa''s uneven bangs as best she could ¡°Baby steps...¡±


    As the first to reach the entrance, Mica held the door open for everyone else and as soon as they all moved past her, she let the door shut on its own as she teleported back to the front of the line.


    The room just past the entrance was a sort of lobby/administration area that sported some comfortable seating for any waiting guests, a small counter-top with offered water and coffee and a welcome desk. And to the left of this desk was a wide hallway that lead deeper into the building.


    As it was already late enough in the afternoon to be past normal business hours, there was currently no one in sight.


    Stepping up to the desk, Anton gave a button labeled ¡°Call for Assistance¡± a quick push and looked about as a soft, doorbell-like chime rang out.


    ¡°If that''s you out there, Anton. You guys can come on back.¡± came Mokai''s voice from down the wide hallway ¡°We''re just down here, second door on the right.¡±


    Following his directions, the group soon found themselves back in the same large sparring room they had used before.


    Across the room from them, Mokai was busy arranging wooden training swords back into an armoire while a woman, who appeared to be half feline in nature, was sitting on the bleachers and running an oiled cloth across a actual steel sword.


    ¡°Some of these are getting pretty beaten up...¡± mused Mokai as he eyed the heavily notched sword in his hand ¡°Remind me to put in for a half dozen of them the next time I''m making an order.¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡± muttered the cat woman with a nod.


    Noticing Anton and the others entering the room via the eyes on the back of his head, Mokai twisted around at the waist and smiled in greeting.


    ¡°Welcome back.¡± he said as he turned his whole body around to face them ¡°Good to see you all again... And I see we''ve got a newcomer as well.¡±


    ¡°Yes. A bit of an unexpected new addition.¡± said Anton as he turned to the mantis ¡°This is Tessa, and she''ll be Mica''s new live-in training partner. We brought her along so she could watch the lessons and get herself familiar with Mica''s courses. I hope that''s okay?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡± nodded Mokai as he looked the mantis up and down ¡°No, that shouldn''t be a problem. So long as she''s at least...¡±


    The tsuchigumo trailed off into silence as he gazed at Tessa. Their eyes now locked with each other, he and the mantis both stood completely still as they seemed to be giving one another a long, thorough assessment. After a few moments of this, Mokai grinned and nodded his head.


    ¡°Hmph, yeah. Mica will definitely be able to learn a thing or 2 from this one...¡± he said ¡°I''m guessing there''s an interesting story behind her as well?¡±


    ¡°A little bit of one.¡± said Anton with a grin.


    ¡°Yeah. I figured as much.¡± mumbled Mokai as he began to lightly shake his head ¡°Well, keep it to yourselves, Okay. We''ve already got enough drama surrounding your group as it is. No need to keep piling on even more.¡±


    ¡°Alright, fair enough.¡± chuckled Anton.


    ¡°And how are we doing today, Miss Mica?¡± asked Mokai as he turned to the kiochi.


    ¡°Good! Really good!¡± declared Mica as she beamed up at him ¡°Ready to get started!¡±


    ¡°Eager then, good.¡± nodded Mokai ¡°Well before we get going. Let me introduce you to one of my instructors. She''ll hopefully be helping us with your lessons from here on out.¡±


    Mica''s eyes immediately jumped to the woman sitting on the bleachers. And she blinked as she realized that while the woman was still polishing the sword in her clawed, cat-like hands, she was also gazing right back at the kiochi.


    -


    Sitting with her long tail curled along her side, her paw-like feet planted on the seat below her and the sword resting across her lap. The woman had a casual and even curious vibe about her as she absently swished the tip of her tail and let her bright, golden colored eyes run slowly up and down Mica''s length.


    Though definitively feline in nature, there was little chance of mistaking her for a simple cat, no, this woman''s linage had clearly come from far beyond the borders of civilization, and out from the darkest of the deep jungles.


    She was humanoid in form and face, and had black-tipped feline ears sitting perked and alert atop her head, amid a sea of silk-like raven colored hair. The rich, bronzed skin of her face and torso was strikingly offset by the sleek coat of short fur that covered her shoulders, back, hips, tail and limbs.


    This fur was a tawny gold in its base color and was overlaid with a series of mottled, dark spots.


    These spots, or the dark patterns that adorned her fur, were reminiscent of ink dripped haphazardly upon paper. Blotch-like and nonuniform in their shapes, with each individual mark being unique in its design. In color, they were an earthen tone towards their centers and this darkened to a full black along their edges. Despite the brightness of her golden fur, these markings gave her a dappled, shadowy appearance that, even when sitting as she was in full light, left her with an aura of mystique and a sense of danger, which signaled that if she were to simply will it, she could easily turn aside and at any point, disappear back into the wilds of the world.


    Without question, this woman was certainly no mere cat, she was an nagual, a werejaguar.


    -


    ¡°Well, well, well...¡± said the werejaguar as she set the sword aside and silently sprang to her feet ¡°So this is the famous Mica...¡±


    Mica stood her ground as the taller woman sauntered up to her and smiled just enough to show off her sharpened teeth.


    ¡°I''ve heard quite a bit about you lately.¡± continued the werejaguar as she laid her hands on her hips and cocked her head to the side ¡°You''ve apparently made quite the impression... Nice to finally put a face to the name.¡±


    ¡°Oh really? I''m famous, huh. That''s cool.¡± said Mica as she mimicked the werejaguar''s stance ¡°So what do you think? Do I live up to the hype?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know yet.¡± said the werejaguar as she lifted her head out of its tilt ¡°Still gotta figure that out...¡±


    Dressed in a dark green sports bra and a pair of athletic shorts that left her tight stomach on full display, the werejaguar was poised and confident as she and the kiochi both stood facing one another and let their long tails each curl aimlessly about through the air behind them.


    Clearly capable, and yet still friendly in her demeanor, the werejaguar was impressive in her own right, and Mica couldn''t help but to instantly like her.


    ¡°Nadia.¡± said the werejaguar as she held out her hand ¡°It''s a pleasure to meet you, Mica.¡±


    ¡°Likewise.¡± said Mica as she eagerly shook the paw-like appendage ¡°I''m looking forward to learning from you!¡±


    ¡°Good to hear!¡± smiled Nadia as she turned to Mokai ¡°I can tell she''s got some toughness to her, and probably an attitude problem. I like her already!¡±


    ¡°Excellent.¡± nodded Mokai ¡°That''s exactly what I wanted to hear.¡±


    Having stepped a bit off to the side from everyone else, Kianna tentatively glanced about at the rafters of the roof before moving towards the shadowy hole that apparently led to the buildings upper story.


    ¡°Oh, Isabella! There you are! Hello again, sweety!¡± she cried as she spied the little girl''s face peering down at them from the large darkened hole in the ceiling.


    The little spiderling wasted no time in descending down the rope covered pillar and scurrying over to the dark elf.


    Kianna dropped down to rest on her haunches and opened her arms out wide in time to scoop the racing little girl up into a welcoming hug.


    ¡°It''s so good to see you again, sweety!¡± cooed Kianna as she nuzzled her cheek together with the little spider''s ¡°Have you been a good girl since we left?¡±


    Isabella nodded her head enthusiastically before turning to her Father for confirmation.


    ¡°She has, definitely.¡± chuckled Mokai ¡°She''s even gotten better at making her bed every morning.¡±


    ¡°Oh that''s good to hear!¡± said Kianna as she reached back to her bag ¡°And since you''ve been a good girl, I''ve got a surprise for you...¡±


    Isabella eagerly craned her neck as she tried to look around the dark elf and see what it was she had in store for her.


    ¡°Ta-dah!¡± said Kianna as she held up a brand new Dragon Force Warriors children''s book she had picked up while at the mall ¡°I hope you don''t already have this one yet. It''s supposed to be the newest one to come out so far.¡±


    Isabella''s eyes lit up as she reached out and took hold of the book before gazing at its cover. After a moment of stillness she turned back to Kianna and eagerly held it out to her.


    ¡°Sure, we can read it while your Daddy and Nadia gives Mica her lesson.¡± said Kianna as she stood up and cradled the little girl in her arms while making her way over to the bleachers.


    Curling herself up into a little ball as Kianna sat down, Isabella settled herself in on the dark elf''s lap before quickly looking through the pictures in her new book.


    ¡°So is this your way of trying to butter me up?¡± asked Mokai as he leaned in close to Anton.


    ¡°Huh, what?¡± questioned Anton ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The book.¡± said Mokai as he nodded to Kianna and Isabella.


    ¡°Oh, no. That was all Kianna''s idea. As soon as she seen that book, she had to get it for Isabella.¡± said Anton ¡°I hope that''s okay? She''s not overstepping, is she?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all. It''s nice of her. And I appreciate it.¡± said Mokai ¡°I was just making sure there were no ulterior motives at play.¡±


    ¡°Ah, no. I''ve already gotten everything I want out of you.¡± chuckled Anton ¡°So there''s no reason to try manipulating for even more.¡±


    Mokai laughed before shaking his head.


    ¡°Fair enough.¡± he said as he turned to face Mica ¡°Why don''t we go ahead and get started then.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me!¡± exclaimed Mica as she immediately began to stretch.


    For the next two hours Nadia ran through sets of simple maneuvers with Mica while Mokai watched and added bits of advice or recommendations at various points throughout the lesson.


    For their parts, Anton and Fiona divided their attention between Mica''s training and Kianna''s antics with Isabella. While Tessa on the other hand, had kept her eyes locked to the lesson taking place before her. Having been seated right next to Kianna, the mantis had stayed completely still for the full two hours as she became focused with rapt attention on every little thing that was both said and done by the two instructors.


    How much she was actually comprehending out of everything that was happening in front of her was anyone''s guess, though Kianna in particular was just thankful that she had at least been distracted enough to stop messing with her dress.


    Throughout their lesson, the mock combatants of Nadia and Mica steadily grew more casual in their conversational banter and it was easy to see that a friendship between them was quickly developing. And as their allotted time began to run out, the werejaguar made it a point to let Mokai know that she was definitely interested in working with the kiochi further, much to Mica''s delight.


    When they were fully done for the day, Mica, Anton and the rest of the group thanked Mokai and Nadia for their time and Kianna promised Isabella that she would see her again soon, as their next visit was planned for the same time that following next week.


    Their goodbyes and thank yous said, the group left through another of Anton''s portals.


    ¡°Well that was fun.¡± said Fiona as they stepped out of the portal and into the foyer at the front of the house ¡°That jungle cat chick is pretty cool.¡±


    ¡°She is! She''s a badass!¡± nodded Mica ¡°She knows what she talking about too. That girl knows how to fight!¡±


    As they made their way into the house, Tessa suddenly stopped short and went stiff before beginning to rapidly wave her antennae back and forth.


    ¡°Tessa?¡± questioned Kianna ¡°...You okay?¡±


    Without an answer, Tessa leaped straight upwards and flipped herself over in midair so as to be able to grab hold of the ceiling with all six of her clawed limbs. Crawling silently across the ceiling now, the mantis quickly shot forward and disappeared deeper into the house.


    ¡°What the Hell? What''s gotten into her?¡± asked Fiona.


    ¡°She''s probably just excited to be home. Cause now she can shred that dress into pieces...¡± sighed Kianna.


    ¡°Ah, yeah, that makes sense.¡± nodded Fiona.


    ¡°Don''t worry, I''ll try to stop her from destroying it completely.¡± laughed Mica before she suddenly disappeared from sight as she teleported after the mantis.


    ¡°Wait! Mica, don''t go!¡± cried Anton though it was too late, the kiochi had already gone.


    ¡°What? What''s wrong?¡± questioned Fiona as she and her sister both turned back to Anton.


    Anton stood still for a moment as if he were listening for something, before dropping his gaze to the dark elves.


    ¡°Can either one of you sense them right now?¡± he asked softly.


    The dark elves blinked in question before shaking their heads.


    ¡°No? What are you talking about?¡± questioned Fiona as she looked out into the house ¡°Sense who?¡±


    ¡°Mica and Tessa...¡± said Anton as he locked eyes with Kianna ¡°Can you feel their mana signatures?¡±


    ¡°...Oh, uh? ...No!¡± gasped Kianna as she pointed her ears straight upwards in alarm.


    ¡°Wait! I can''t either! ...What is this? What''s going on!?¡± demanded Fiona as she turned back to Anton.


    ¡°...The ward is down.¡± said Anton as he flared his aura ¡°We''re under attack!¡±

 Guilty x Creatures : Mothers and Daughters Arc : Chapter 2

    Chapter 2 : Early Evening


    ¡°You two stay right here. I''m going to go get Mica and Tessa.¡± said Anton as he stepped around the dark elves ¡°When I get back we''ll all make our way to the dungeon to repair the ward.¡±


    ¡°What, no! We''ll come with you!¡± cried Fiona ¡°We need to stick together!¡±


    ¡°What if there''s enemies! You''ll need us to help you fight!¡± exclaimed Kianna.


    ¡°Listen! I don''t like splitting up either. But it''ll be easier for me to fight if I don''t have you two standing right next to me.¡± said Anton ¡°We''re blind right now. We have no idea what we''re dealing with, and I don''t want to risk either of you getting caught in the crossfire if I have to go all out. And besides, chances are, I''m the only target right now, so you two should be safe here under your shields. And that means I can let you stay here and guard this area.¡±


    Anton looked from one dark elf to the other as he spoke.


    ¡°If I need to fall back, then I''ll need a safe place to fall back to. And that''s where you''ll come in.¡± he said softly ¡°Now, if I''m not back in 20 minutes then make your way to my room and enter the portal I have set up there. Earlivi knows who you are so he won''t kill you. Tell him what''s happened and send him after me. Okay? Do you guys understand the plan?¡±


    ¡°No! You can''t leave us!¡± whimpered Kianna.


    ¡°Listen! I''ll be right back.¡± said Anton as he took hold of her shoulders ¡°But I have to go now, Tessa and Mica could be in danger! There''s no more time to argue.¡±


    ¡°He''s right. We''re wasting time!¡± said Fiona as she pointed her ears straight back and began to look around behind them ¡°Just go, Boss. We''ll hold the fort here.¡±


    Anton nodded and gave Kianna a reassuring look before turning away from them and darting off towards the back of the house.


    The two dark elves wore solemn expressions as they formed their reinforced shield around themselves and set in to wait.


    Mica found nothing unusual as she walked into the kitchen and looked around for any sign of Tessa. Finding the room empty and seeing that the backdoor was still closed, she turned to leave back out the way she came in but stopped short as she found herself staring at a broadly smiling unfamiliar face.


    Mica blinked and took a step back as she quickly registered that the face she was looking at was actually a smiling opera mask. Colored white with solid black eyes and mouth, the mask''s uncanny appearance immediately left one with a sense of unease.


    ¡°Well, well... What do we have here?¡± said the stranger who was holding a completely at ease looking Molly in its arms and lightly stroking the little dog''s head ¡°Looks to me like it''s a living superiority complex, that''s trying to beat us to our target... Can''t have that now, can we...¡±


    Taking a step forward, the stranger tilted its head back and forth in a creepy, almost robotic-like manner.


    ¡°Can''t have that at all...¡± it said in an eerily melodic yet menacing voice.


    ¡°Don''t kill her, Pin! Remember! Only the target is-!¡± said a voice that was quickly cut off as the stranger tapped at a communicator in its ear with the tip of a spaded tail.


    ¡°Don''t you just hate backseat drivers?¡± asked the stranger as it took another step forward ¡°Always so unhelpful...¡±


    Caught off guard, and with her instincts telling her to be wary, Mica said nothing as she took another step back and raised her tail up over her head.


    ¡°Oooo, that''s a nifty looking blade you got there...¡± drawled the stranger as it watched Mica''s barbs flex themselves out wide ¡°Very sharp looking... Scary...¡±


    ¡°Put the dog down.¡± ordered Mica as she poised her tail to strike ¡°Now.¡±


    Staying completely still for a moment, the stranger tilted its head to an unnatural angle before speaking again.


    ¡°...Or, what?¡± it said in obvious challenge.


    Wholly unnerved by the strange being, Mica immediately struck at its face without hesitation and blinked in surprise when her spade actually became embedded into its mask.


    ¡°Congratulations... You missed...¡± said the being from just behind the now cracked mask that hung in the air at the end of Mica''s tail ¡°Also, that was very rude of you...¡±


    Whipping her tail back behind herself, and tossing the mask off to the side in the process, Mica''s chest tightened a bit as she finally got a look at her foe. Though she had no idea who this person was, the kiochi was immediately certain that she was looking at another female cubi. And as such, she couldn''t help but to get immediately annoyed at this creatures arrogant attitude.


    Standing half a head shorter than Mica herself, the strange cubi was clearly not another shinoccubi, but was so similar to, and yet still different from one, that the kiochi couldn''t help but to feel a sense of uncanniness about her.


    She had a typical cubi shape, with a thin, curvaceous frame, large inhuman eyes, pointed ears, horns, bat-like wings and a long, sinuous tail with a spade at the end. Any similarities with a shinoccubi ended here however.


    This cubi''s spade was not sharpened but was fleshy and soft. Her skin was a pale orange in color, with darker, bluish stripes crisscrossing down the length of her tail. Her horns were much larger than Mica''s, and unlike her own, were covered in a thin layer of flesh. They started out the same orange color as the rest of her body, but quickly darkened along their lengths until they became a vivid, crimson red at their tips.


    Like a kiochi, thin lines of color ran down from her horns to her eyes where they broadened into an eyeliner-like mask. Unlike a kiochi though, this coloration was bright and multi-hued, being almost iridescent looking. These lines or stripes didn''t stop there either, but continued down over the edges of the strange cubi''s cheeks before running down her neck and pooling into a heart-shaped marking that started at the base of her throat and trailed down in between her shapely breasts. Additional freckle-like markings adorned each of her cheeks, right below her eyes, and this gave her face an even broader splash of seemingly unnatural coloration.


    Her hair was a bright turquoise in color, and cascaded back over her shoulders in looping curls. And her wings, rather than resting in place behind her back, were instead folded downwards and wrapped tightly around her thighs and legs. And this gave the impression that she was wearing leather chaps.


    Her broad smiling face, bright coloration and flamboyant hair all worked together to give this creature a distinctive clown-like feeling to her nature, albeit a rather unnerving clown at best.


    Although she, herself had never actually met one before, and knew that it was hard to tell when you were really looking at one, as they were well known for constantly changing their colors and appearances... At this point though, Mica was fairly certain that she was facing a parodi, or a female junoccubus.


    As a race, the junoccubi, or motli''s and parodi''s as they called themselves, were in many ways on the complete opposite side of the mental spectrum from the shinoccubi. Where shinoccubi were serious minded creatures who were ordered and strict in their behavior, junoccubi were instead chaotic, free spirited and fun loving beings.


    This division in their demeanors was due to the specific roles that the two races were each bred to play, as where shinoccubi were bred for following commands and killing targets with speed and precision, junoccubi were actually created to stop them.


    The clown-like appearance, whimsical nature and playful attitudes were all a ruse to hide just how capable, bloodthirsty and exceptionally dangerous a junoccubus really was. And this was no accident, as by design the junoccubi were specifically bred for a set of very important purposes. They existed to amuse, care for and ultimately protect, children.


    Once bonded with a child, regardless of what species that child may be, a junoccubus, or more often than not a pair of them, would become feverishly attentive to that child''s needs and happiness. And would provide them with a readily available caretaker, playmate, entertainer, advisor and especially, a guardian.


    Essentially, these creatures were a blend of a baby sitter, an imaginary friend, a jester and a fiercely loyal guard dog who would, without hesitation, fly to the defense of their charges.


    And with a plethora of magical abilities at their disposal, these unpredictable cubi would not only fearlessly take a stand against any would be threats that may appear, they are also, despite their disarming appearances, fully capable of winning any fight that may take place.


    Even against their seemingly better equipped cousins.


    ¡°Sorry to disappoint you, sugarlips...¡± said the parodi as she continued to absently rub Molly''s head while now sneering at Mica ¡°But I''m afraid that this just isn''t your day...¡±


    Her instincts kicking in as she felt the threat in the parodi''s voice, Mica pulled her daggers from their sheathes and fell into a readied stance with her blades pointed at the smiling woman.


    ¡°Who are you!?¡± she demanded as she positioned her tail to strike again.


    Rather than say anything, the parodi merely continued to stare into Mica''s eyes as she began to loudly and arrogantly chew on some gum.


    Staring back at her, Mica watched as the strange woman''s eyes each began to rapidly shift from one color to another. Mesmerized by the sight, the kiochi couldn''t help but to blink and jump back a bit as the parodi made a loud popping sound by suddenly blowing a bubble with her gum.


    Laughing now, which caused a wave of colors to wash over her body, the parodi continued to sneer.


    ¡°Jumpy little bitch, aren''t you?¡± she snickered before blowing another bubble which popped just as loudly as the first.


    Angry and even more unnerved now, Mica reacted without thinking and drove her spade down directly at the parodi''s face.


    The parodi barely tilted her head upwards as she blew another bubble and let the kiochi''s strike land.


    The moment the tip of Mica''s spade touched the bubble it popped outwards, blowing the spade away and covering its tip with a huge glob of gum. Gum which rapidly began to expand and spread backwards as it made to engulf the entire spade.


    ¡°The fuck!¡± cried Mica as she pulled her spade back to herself and frantically tried to scrape the gum off with her dagger.


    Preoccupied with this, she didn''t notice right away as the parodi began to quickly blow a stream of tiny pink, floating bubbles out of her mouth. And by the time Mica finally looked back at her, there was a thin cloud of bouncing bubbles floating between them.


    ¡°What a loser!¡± laughed the parodi as she spread her wings out wide.


    Mica could only blink in response as the parodi flapped her wings and sent the swarm of bubbles straight at her.


    The hapless kiochi cried out as the bubbles exploded against her and she was thrown back against the wall. Covered in sticky gum, and now stuck to the wall itself, Mica tried to cry out though her gum covered mouth as she immediately began to struggle.


    The parodi cackled gleefully as she stepped up to the trapped and raging kiochi.


    ¡°You know, you''re so lucky that you''re not the target...¡± she said as she smiled wide and ominously ¡°Otherwise this would have gotten a lot uglier for you!¡±


    Furious, Mica glared back as she redoubled her struggles.


    Still laughing, the parodi turned and went to walk away but after only a few steps she came to a stop.


    ¡°...Then again.¡± she said as she glanced back over her shoulder ¡°It would be a waste, to go without a taste...¡±


    Mica blinked and went still as the parodi turned to face her with a contemplating expression on her face.


    ¡°You always hear how good kiochi''s are...¡± mused the parodi as her tail looped about behind her ¡°Never had a chance to try one though...¡±


    Mica creased her brow in confusion as she stared at the pondering parodi.


    ¡°Oh? Have you never heard?¡± asked the parodi as her smile returned ¡°Kiochi''s like you are supposed to have very lean, and tender meat. And you''re supposed to have a most wonderfully sweet, flavorful taste... Though, I can''t say if that''s true or not. Since I haven''t had a chance to try one of you out... yet... Always wanted to though...¡±


    Mica was still for a moment before her eyes went wide.


    ¡°And like I said, walking away right now...¡± said the parodi as she gleefully narrowed her eyes and smiled broadly enough to show off her sharpened teeth ¡°Would be a waste...¡±


    ¡°Humph! Hm mm! Hm mm!¡± cried Mica as she frantically tried to shake her head.


    Staring into Mica''s eyes, the parodi licked her lips as she took a step forward.


    The kiochi screamed through her gag as she tried with all her might to pry herself away from the wall.


    Both of the cubi stopped short and blinked in surprise as a transparent wall of orange-colored light suddenly winked into existence between them.


    ¡°Hello, Pinnacle.¡± said Anton from behind the parodi ¡°Fancy meeting you here, of all places.¡±


    Whirling around, the parodi blinked in surprise as she looked up at a stern faced Anton.


    ¡°...Uh? ...Anton?¡± she questioned as she leaned away from him ¡°Is that you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± answered Anton as he crossed his arms over his chest ¡°And if you don''t mind, I''d really like to know what you think you''re doing with my dog, and my kiochi.¡±


    ¡°...Your, kiochi? ...Oh! ...Uh! ...I was just, uh, playing with her! A little bit!¡± chuckled Pinnacle as she smiled sheepishly and playfully hugged Molly to herself ¡°Same with the doggie! Yeah! That''s it! We were all just playing around! That''s all we were doing, just playing! Right!? Little kiochi!?¡±


    ¡°Hmph! Humph, hmph, hmph!¡± exclaimed Mica as she glared at the parodi.


    ¡°See!? We''re just having a good time!¡± laughed Pinnacle as she let Molly down and clasped her hands together behind her back ¡°That''s why I didn''t hurt either of them! Cause we were just playing!¡±


    Anton said nothing as he stared down at the parodi.


    ¡°...Uh? ...So? ...Um, what''s up, man?¡± said Pinnacle ¡°...When did you decide to get a kiochi?¡±


    ¡°Not very long ago.¡± said Anton as Molly sat down next to his leg ¡°So where is Brea?¡±


    ¡°...Uh, Brea? Oh, yeah, uh? ...She''s at home.¡± said Pinnacle as she shrugged her shoulders ¡°She''s sitting this one out. She wasn''t feeling good. So she stayed in bed today. You know how that goes, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh I know exactly how it goes. I know you wouldn''t be here if she wasn''t also around.¡± said Anton as he narrowed his eyes ¡°I know that if she was sick, you would be sitting right next to her bedside. Like the good little babysitter you are... No, if your here, she''s here. So I''ll ask you again, where is she? And please, don''t lie to me this time...¡±


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°...Okay. Now hold on just a second! What the Hell are you even doing here!?¡± questioned Pinnacle as she tried to change the subject ¡°I didn''t know you took blacklist jobs? Is that why you got a kiochi? Cause if so then I hate to be the one to tell you, but the one you got sucks. Might want to try getting your money back.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you''re here? For a blacklist job?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°...Uh, maybe?¡± muttered Pinnacle as she mimicked him by folding her arms over her chest ¡°Is that not why you''re here?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± said Anton.


    ¡°...Okay? Then what are you doing here?¡± asked Pinnacle.


    ¡°I live here.¡± said Anton.


    ¡°...What? No you don''t.¡± said Pinnacle.


    ¡°Yes, I do.¡± said Anton.


    The parodi stared at him for a moment before twisting around at the waist and looking back at Mica. The kiochi''s expression was smug as she smiled with her eyes and nodded her head.


    Slowly turning back to Anton, Pinnacle blinked up at him as her expression went blank.


    ¡°...Huh. ...Uh, hey? ...You wouldn''t happen to be the only man who lives here, would you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I am.¡± said Anton.


    ¡°...Really. ...So then, you''re the one and only guy, that lives here?¡± questioned the parodi.


    ¡°That''s right.¡± said Anton.


    ¡°...Do you and the kiochi live here alone?¡± asked Pinnacle.


    ¡°No.¡± said Anton.


    ¡°...Huh. ...Uh, say? You wouldn''t happen to maybe live here with a pair of twin sisters, would you?¡± mumbled Pinnacle as a bit of worry began to form in her eyes ¡°Please say that you don''t.¡±


    Anton said nothing as he let a knowing grin spread across his face.


    ¡°...Oh, crap.¡± muttered the parodi as she slowly shook her head ¡°Dammit, this isn''t good...¡±


    ¡°No, it isn''t.¡± said Anton as he let the smile fade from his face ¡°And now I think it''s time to drop these theatrics and get right to the point. So, please tell me what you''re doing here. And who it was that sent you.¡±


    The parodi said nothing as she merely stared back at him.


    ¡°...I''m trying to be polite here, Pinnacle.¡± said Anton ¡°And I would appreciate it if you would acknowledge that.¡±


    ¡°...C''mon, man.¡± said the parodi after another moment of silence ¡°You know I won''t say.¡±


    ¡°I see... Well in that case, I''m going to ask you one more time, Pinnacle.¡± said Anton as he narrowed his eyes ¡°Where is Brea?¡±


    ¡°...That isn''t anything you need to know.¡± said the parodi as the colors of her body darkened in an aggressive manner ¡°This has nothing to do with her. This is just between you and me now.¡±


    ¡°...Come now, Pinnacle. There''s no reason for things to get violent.¡± said Anton as he watched the waves of color spread themselves out across the parodi''s body ¡°I know you were there in Port Lampo. And that you saw what happened. You know this is not a fight you can win.¡±


    ¡°And you know I can kill your kiochi right now, right!?¡± countered Pinnacle as she spoke through her clenched teeth ¡°One wrong move on your part and I''ll blow her to smithereens!¡±


    Anton stopped short before his face hardened in anger.


    ¡°You do that and I promise you won''t be the one to suffer for it.¡± he warned as he let a thin wisp of malice spread throughout his aura ¡°Don''t tell me you think this is really worth risking Brea over?¡±


    ¡°...You bastard! You go anywhere near her and I''ll-!¡± growled the parodi.


    ¡°Enough. Stop pretending to be tougher than you are, Pinnacle.¡± interrupted Anton before his voice dropped down to a threatening whisper ¡°We both know you wouldn''t be able to stop me.¡±


    ¡°...Alright! Alright, just chill!¡± exclaimed Pinnacle as she spread her wings out as much as she could within the confines of Anton''s bubble ¡°This is getting out of hand really quick right now!¡±


    ¡°...Agreed. Things are going too far too fast.¡± nodded Anton ¡°This is exactly why I want to know where Brea is. So I can talk to her instead.¡±


    ¡°...You just want to talk?¡± asked Pinnacle.


    ¡°Yes.¡± said Anton.


    ¡°...Alright. Fine. Give me a sec.¡± mumbled Pinnacle as she went to tap at her earpiece with the tip of her tail.


    The parodi winced and scrunched up her face in annoyance as a static filled hiss could be heard coming from the earpiece.


    ¡°Pin! ...Pin! Can you! ...Hear!? ...Are you there!?¡± cried a voice from the earpiece.


    ¡°Yeah! I''m here, I''m fine.¡± said Pinnacle.


    ¡°You''re hurt!? You''re fighting!?¡± exclaimed the voice before seemingly turning away from the mic ¡°I think she''s fighting already!¡±


    ¡°What? No! I said I''m fine, fine! Not fighting! Fine!¡± cried Pinnacle not realizing that Anton''s aura field was disrupting her communicator ¡°Look, you need to get in here. Anton''s here and he want to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°He''s attacking you!? Who''s attacking you!? Is the target there already!?¡± questioned the voice.


    ¡°...What? No! Not attack! A talk! A talk! He just wants to talk!¡± exclaimed Pinnacle.


    ¡°She''s said attack! Let''s go! Now!¡± commanded the voice.


    ¡°What, no! Dammit! No, no, no, no, no, no!¡± cried Pinnacle.


    ¡°You heard her! Go, go, go, go, go, go!¡± yelled the voice before suddenly cutting off.


    Pinnacle went still for a moment before absently tapping the earpiece off again.


    Anton sighed through his nose as he slowly shook his head.


    ¡°Okay. I know you just heard that whole thing!¡± said Pinnacle as she pointed her finger up at him ¡°So you know this is not my fault!¡±


    ¡°Why did you turn off the earpiece?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°Eh, it''s barely working. And beside, Brea will be here any minute anyway so it doesn''t matter.¡± said Pinnacle.


    Anton had a tired look on his face as he shook his head again.


    The room became awkwardly quiet for a bit as the three people all waited for Brea to arrive.


    ¡°...So, uh? ...This is a pretty nice place you got here.¡± said Pinnacle as she looked around the kitchen.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± said Anton.


    ¡°...You know, I don''t know why, but I really didn''t expect you to be living in such a normal looking kind of-! Oh, thank goodness! Brea''s here!¡± exclaimed Pinnacle as she smiled at a woman standing in the entryway.


    ¡°Pinnacle? ...Wait, Anton!? Is that you?¡± said a very tall redheaded woman who was wearing a suit of white and golden colored plated armor and carrying a broadsword at the ready.


    Although she looked to be human in appearance, Anton had always had the sneaking suspicion that Brea was not exactly what she seemed to be. Nonetheless, he still found her to be an easy going and likable person and was essentially on friendly terms with her.


    ¡°Hello, Brea. Yes, it''s me.¡± said Anton with a smile.


    ¡°What are you doing here? You''re not after the same target we are, are you?¡± asked Brea.


    ¡°No, unfortunately it seems that I am the target you''re looking for.¡± said Anton as he kept the smile on his face and shrugged ¡°Imagine that.¡±


    ¡°...Seriously? You really are?¡± asked Brea.


    ¡°From what it sounds like I am.¡± said Anton.


    ¡°...Oh. Well that''s not going work.¡± mumbled Brea as she hefted her sword upwards and slung it over her shoulder ¡°Looks like this night was a waste. Sorry about this, Anton. We didn''t know it was you we were going after.¡±


    ¡°It''s no problem, these things happen sometimes.¡± said Anton ¡°And I actually need to apologize myself. You see, Pinnacle threatened to kill my kiochi over there. And in order to stop her, I threatened to hurt you if she did, which I am sorry about.¡±


    ¡°Did she really!? Pin, you are just terrible!¡± chastised Brea as she gave the parodi a disapproving look and turned back to Anton ¡°Sorry about that, she should have known better. I''ll definitely have a talk with her about it.¡±


    ¡°What! Are you serious!? How am I the one getting in trouble for this!?¡± cried Pinnacle ¡°That''s not even fair!¡±


    ¡°I appreciate it. And again, I am sorry for threatening you like that.¡± said Anton.


    ¡°It happens.¡± said Brea with a shrug as she looked over at Mica ¡°Pin''s an Infernal after all... And we both know how you gotta be extreme with them sometimes... So when did you get a kiochi?¡±


    ¡°Just recently.¡± said Anton as he followed her gaze ¡°Her name is Mica, by the way.¡±


    ¡°Mica, eh. Well isn''t she a cutie.¡± said Brea as she waved at the still trapped kiochi ¡°Hi, Mica. It''s nice to meet you.¡±


    Mica had a tired looking expression in her eyes as she moved her barely free fingers and waved back.


    ¡°So I have to say.¡± said Anton as he dropped his aura and let his bubble disappear ¡°I''m surprised to see you here of all people. I didn''t know you took blacklist missions?¡±


    ¡°I don''t normally, but the bills got to get paid somehow.¡± said Brea as her sword and armor all burst into a cloud of sparkles as they vanished and left her wearing a pair of jeans and a tank top ¡°And I gotta say myself, I''m surprised to see you here of all people. The only reason I even took this job was because I was told the guy here who is the target kidnapped a pair of sisters and turned them into his slaves. And we''re supposed to help them. Now is that true, Anton? Did you really do that!?¡±


    ¡°It''s partially true, though it''s nowhere near as bad as it sounds.¡± said Anton ¡°First piece of inaccuracy there is that I''m the one who was actually kidnapped.¡±


    ¡°...Oh, really!? They kidnapped you? ...Why did you let them?¡± asked Brea.


    ¡°I was in a playful mood.¡± chuckled Anton ¡°And I thought I''d let them take me on a little adventure.¡±


    Brea smiled and went to say something else but stopped short as she noticed a tiny red dot just over Anton''s eye. Her face went blank as her sword suddenly reappeared in her hand.


    Anton remained completely still as the sword was instantly thrust into the open space right next to his head, where it froze just in time to stop a bullet from hitting him.


    ¡°Hey! What are you doing!?¡± exclaimed Brea as she turned to the entryway ¡°Can you not see I''m talking here!?¡±


    There was a moment of silence before a voice came from a bit further outside the room.


    ¡°Is this not a distraction?¡± it asked in a no nonsense manner.


    ¡°No! It''s a code Lotus! We''re dealing with a friendly here!¡± cried Brea as she pointed her sword in the direction of the unseen voice ¡°Weapons down, man! The job is off!¡±


    ¡°...Alright then.¡± said the voice.


    A few moments later a short being stepped into the room and lifted a pair of what looked like night vision specs up off his deep set, dark eyes.


    ¡°Apologies. I seemed to have misread the situation.¡± he said as he made a point of flipping on the safety of his weapon, which was a silenced rifle that was a little longer than he was tall.


    ¡°Clearly.¡± muttered Brea before turning back to Anton ¡°Sorry about that. I should have signaled them earlier, that''s my fault.¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry about it. No harm no foul.¡± said Anton with a shrug and a grin ¡°So is this a new partner?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I was told the last person who was sent here never came back. So I figured I should cover my bases and bring in some help. You know, just in case.¡± explained Brea as her sword vanished from her hand ¡°I''m guessing you ended up having some fun with the last poor schmuck?¡±


    ¡°You could say that.¡± smiled Anton as Mica rolled her eyes in the background ¡°Anyways, nice to meet you. I''m Anton.¡±


    ¡°Duke.¡± said the small being with a nod ¡°It''s a pleasure.¡±


    Dressed in a black bodysuit and tactical gear that left very little of his features visible, it was just barely possible for Anton to observe that this being appeared to be a pombero.


    Standing at just under a meter tall, the pombero was a short, bipedal ape-man type of creature that was in essence a halfling sized version of a sasquatch-like being.


    Small, sociable yet secretive and quiet in their habits, and covered in a coat of short, dark colored hair that was even spread out over the tops of their feet, the comparison between the pombero and halflings was an easy one to make. Despite this though, the two species, as both hominids, were only distantly related to one another and their similarities were the result of a comparable lifestyle and mere coincidence.


    Anton went to say something else but stopped short mid speech as a sudden, angry sounding rattle of gunfire could be heard going off upstairs. This was quickly followed by a series of loud shouts, a stumbling commotion and finally, the sound of a window shattering right above them.


    In the next instant a dark form passed in front of the kitchen window as it made its speedy way to the ground. Landing with a heavy thud, an arm-less human-sized being dressed all in black came back into view as it frantically scrambled up to its feet and began to race across the lawn. Still just visible in the dim evening light as it ran away, the stunned group all stood still as they watched the running figure crash through the back gate and disappear from sight into the forested acreage beyond. A moment after the being vanished, a broken looking sub-machine gun came flying into view as it had apparently been thrown out of the upstairs window at the fleeing being.


    ¡°...Another friend of yours I take it?¡± asked Anton as he turned back to Brea.


    Before Brea could answer with anything more than a nod, Kianna''s terrified voice rang out from the front of the house.


    ¡°Master! Master!¡± she cried in alarm ¡°Answer me please! Are you okay!?¡±


    ¡°I''m fine, Kianna! It''s alright!¡± called Anton before turning back to Brea ¡°Was that the last of your men? Or is there any more in the house?¡±


    ¡°No. That was the only other one.¡± said Brea as she looked back out the window ¡°What happened to him anyway?¡±


    ¡°Considering the look of his condition? I''m guessing he probably ran into Tessa.¡± said Anton as he looked towards the front of the house ¡°Girls! Everything is alright now! You can come on back! We''re all in the kitchen!¡±


    ¡°You''re all!?¡± questioned Fiona ¡°Who''s you''re all!?¡±


    ¡°Come back and see!¡± said Anton ¡°And don''t worry! Turns out we''re dealing with friendlies here!¡±


    ¡°Who are you talking to, Anton?¡± asked Brea ¡°Are these the poor girls you enslaved?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and there''s a bit of a long story behind that.¡± said Anton as he grinned at the sight of the dual pair of faintly glowing eyes that were quickly, but cautiously approaching the doorway ¡°Which it''ll be easier for me to explain things after you''ve met them and seen what they are.¡±


    ¡°And why''s that? What are they... Oh, okay yeah, I see what you mean...¡± said Brea as the glaring dark elves stepped into the room and instantly flooded the space with the effects of their auras ¡°...Oh my.¡±


    Pinnacle''s tail was visually quivering as she subtly put herself between Brea and the dark elves.


    Glancing at and then dismissing the still struggling Mica, the dark elves quickly turned their attention to the strangers in the room.


    ¡°...Friendlies, huh?¡± said Fiona as she crossed her arms and sized up the three invaders ¡°Lucky them...¡±


    Making a beeline for Anton, Kianna stood right next to him as she blatantly eyed the gun wielding Duke with an unfriendly stare.


    ¡°Do you really know these people, Master?¡± she questioned quietly as she pointed her ears straight back behind her head ¡°Can we really trust them!?¡±


    ¡°We can.¡± grinned Anton as he wrapped a reassuring arm around the unhappy dark elf and held her against him ¡°Brea and Pinnacle are actually some long time acquaintances. And Duke here seems to be friendly enough, all things considered.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he looks super friendly looking...¡± muttered Fiona as she ran her eyes down the length of the pombero''s gun.


    Brea offered a stilted grin as the two dark elves both shifted their probing eyes to her.


    ¡°Uh, Hello...¡± she started before stopping short as her eyes suddenly darted to something behind Fiona.


    Their ears pointing themselves straight upwards in alert, the dark elves quickly followed her gaze and looked at the entryway just as Tessa stepped into the room.


    The mantis had her traditional blank, uncaring expression in her eyes as she casually made her way over to Anton.


    In one of her middle hands she carried a severed human-like arm which appeared to have been sliced off at the shoulder, while dangling out from her absently chewing mouth hung the limply hanging fingers of another clearly human looking hand. The last bit of these fingers disappeared into her maw just as she stepped up to Anton. The sounds of crunching bones filled the stillness for a moment before Tessa''s machine of a mouth finally destroyed the hand enough for it to be swallowed down with a gulp.


    Without ceremony, the mantis reached in between her now stilled jaws and pulled out a heavily chewed up, stainless steel wrist watch that was dripping with both blood and saliva. She then absently handed this watch to Anton.


    ¡°...Thank you, Tessa. I appreciate you taking care of the intruder.¡± grinned Anton as he used only two fingers to tentatively pick up the battered accessory ¡°Also, I''m glad to see that you avoided getting shot in the process.¡±


    The mantis flicked her antennae in a dismissive manner as she set to work on peeling the black leather glove and ripped up sleeve off of the severed arm she had yet to eat.


    Though she was focused on her task, the large eyes on her head still shifted back and forth as they calmly assessed the strangers in the room.


    ¡°So would any of you like to return this to your friend?¡± asked Anton as he held out the watch.


    ¡°Sure, I''ll take it.¡± said Duke ¡°Since things seem to be wrapped up here, I might as well step out anyway.¡±


    ¡°Tell your buddy he''s lucky she didn''t go for his head.¡± said Fiona ¡°Next time she probably will.¡±


    ¡°...Yeah. I''ll do that.¡± muttered Duke as he watched Tessa begin to devour the severed arm, stump first.


    Clearly preferring to keep some measure of distance between himself and the mantis, the pombero glanced up at Anton and beckoned with his hand for the watch.


    ¡°It was nice meeting you, Duke.¡± grinned Anton as he tossed the watch over to him.


    ¡°Likewise.¡± said the pombero as he caught the watch and turned to Brea ¡°You two going to be okay here?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we''ll catch up with you later.¡± said Brea ¡°And tell Harvey I said I''m sorry, we were grossly misinformed about this whole mission.¡±


    ¡°I''ll say...¡± said Duke as he gave Tessa another glance before making his way to the door.


    ¡°Hey, are we really letting him go!?¡± whispered Fiona as she leaned in close to Anton.


    ¡°Yes, we''re letting them all go.¡± said Anton as he grinned at Brea ¡°This was all just a mistake after all. And they all stopped as soon as they realized that.¡±


    ¡°It was.¡± nodded Brea ¡°I never would have taken this job if I knew it was you.¡±


    ¡°And we shouldn''t have any problems with them, right?¡± said Anton as he nodded to the door the pombero had just disappeared through.


    ¡°No. They were hired under me and they''ve already been paid.¡± said Brea ¡°Harvey might have some ill will, but considering he just ran out on a job I doubt he''ll want to make anything more out of it. And I''ll deal with him if he does.¡±


    ¡°Alright then, I guess we''re good.¡± said Anton as he smiled at the disappointed looking dark elves ¡°Everything worked out for everybody. And no one has any reason to hold a grudge.¡±


    ¡°Humph! Hmph, hmph!¡± cried Mica as she glared at Pinnacle.


    ¡°No reason to hold a grudge at all...¡± repeated Anton as he blatantly ignored the raging kiochi.


    ¡°Right... So, do you mind explaining what''s going on here?¡± asked Brea as she looked back and forth between Mica, the dark elves and Tessa ¡°Because none of these girls look like the helpless victims we were told about?¡±


    After gathering some refreshments, and forcing Pinnacle to reluctantly release Mica, the group relocated outside and everyone situated themselves on the patio furniture while Anton told a very condensed story of how he and the others had all met.


    ¡°...Huh.¡± nodded Brea after she had a moment to digest it all ¡°Well, sounds like you''ve had a busy couple of weeks.¡±


    ¡°You can say that again...¡± mumbled Anton as he grinned at Kianna who had positioned herself right next to him ¡°Just one thing after another lately. And on that note, you wouldn''t happen to know if anybody else is likely to show up here, would you?¡±


    ¡°Probably. Wouldn''t know who for sure though.¡± said Brea as she set her emptied glass down on a small table ¡°I can spread the word about who exactly is involved with this job though. If you want.¡±


    ¡°Hm... That might not be a bad idea... If you can be subtle about it.¡± said Anton ¡°The less people I have to deal with the better.¡±


    ¡°Consider it done.¡± she said as she stood up to leave ¡°By the way, if you want any advice on this whole thing you''ve got going on here. You should really think about beefing up your security. Literally all we had to do was knock out a single ward. And that''s just ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°Yeah... I do need to get on that, I guess...¡± mumbled Anton ¡°You about to head out?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think we''ve disrupted your night for long enough now...¡± said Brea as she stretched her arms upwards ¡°We''ll keep in touch though. Let you know if we hear about anybody heading this way.¡±


    ¡°I''d appreciate that.¡± nodded Anton.


    ¡°...You know. It was really nice seeing you again, Anton. ...It''s been a long time.¡± said Brea as she gave him a lopsided smile ¡°And you look good. ...You look, kinda, happier, more so than you used to. ...It''s nice. Really nice.¡±


    Taken aback, Anton merely blinked as Brea laughed softly and turned away from him.


    ¡°You should try not to disappear for so long next time.¡± she said as she opened a portal ¡°People miss having you around, more than you know.¡±


    ¡°...Uh, yeah. I''ll try harder to keep in touch, myself.¡± said Anton ¡°And, uh... It was good to see you guys too... It really was.¡±


    Brea laughed again as Pinnacle came up beside her and gave Anton her own smile.


    ¡°Good to hear! Have a goodnight, everybody!¡± said Brea ¡°Hopefully we''ll see you all again soon!¡±


    Once the duo had disappeared, Anton sat and stared at where their portal had been for a second before turning to give everyone a quick glance.


    ¡°So?¡± he said as he looked from one face to another ¡°What did you guys think?¡±


    ¡°I think it''s time for dinner...¡± muttered Fiona.


    ¡°I think I''d like to kick that skinny little clown bitch''s ass!¡± growled Mica.


    ¡°...I think, they were nice.¡± said Kianna ¡°...I like that they like you.¡±


    Anton chuckled as he got to his feet.


    ¡°I agree, liking me is always a good quality for people to have. And I also agree that it''s about time for dinner.¡± he said as he turned and made his way to the door ¡°So let''s go fix the ward real quick and then figure out what we want to eat.¡±


    ¡°Tessa doesn''t get a vote for dinner.¡± declared Fiona as she stepped through the door that Anton was holding open ¡°We all know she won''t vote for real food, and she''s already eaten anyway.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Fiona.¡± grumbled Mica as she led Tessa inside ¡°Stop talking shit.¡±


    Anton chuckled again and shook his head as they passed by.


    ¡°Master...¡± said Kianna as she came up beside him ¡°Do you really think everything will be okay? With Brea and Pinnacle, I mean?¡±


    ¡°I do, honestly.¡± said Anton ¡°I''ve known those two for a good while now, many years actually, and they''re good people. We shouldn''t have to worry about them.¡±


    ¡°...Well, okay. If you''re sure.¡± said Kianna.


    ¡°I am.¡± said Anton with a sigh ¡°I just hope the next assassination attempt goes as smoothly as this one did... Which that really isn''t something you ever expect to hear yourself say... My life has seriously gone off the rails lately... But at least it''s in a fun way, and I wouldn''t change anything.¡±


    As Anton slipped his arm around her waist, Kianna giggled and eagerly hugged him back as they both stepped inside together.

 Guilty x Creatures : Mothers and Daughters Arc : Chapter 3

    Chapter 3 : Morning


    ¡°Okay, so... Not that I''m really complaining here, cause this is actually pretty good...¡± said Fiona as she lifted a forkful of long noodles up out of her bowl ¡°But why are we eating soup for breakfast?¡±


    ¡°Because it''s what came out of the breakfast bucket this morning.¡± said Kianna.


    ¡°...The what bucket?¡± questioned both Fiona and Mica in unison.


    ¡°The, the breakfast bucket!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she pointed to a small blue bucket sitting on the kitchen counter ¡°Master said we should try something new everyday this week. So I put a bunch of recipes in those buckets over there and this is the one we got out of the breakfast bucket today.¡±


    ¡°...Oh. ...Okay, I guess that makes sense.¡± nodded Fiona as she looked from the bucket back to Kianna ¡°But why did you put a noodle soup recipe in the breakfast bucket?¡±


    ¡°Well, the recipe said to put eggs in this. So I thought it was supposed to be some kind of breakfast soup...¡± explained Kianna as she looked down at her bowl and grimaced sheepishly ¡°But now I don''t think it is...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I don''t think it is either!¡± laughed Fiona.


    ¡°Hm, I think it works well enough.¡± chuckled Anton as he lifted a large, whole mushroom out of his bowl and took a bite out of it.


    ¡°You''re just saying that to be nice.¡± said Fiona.


    ¡°Not really. This is legitimately good.¡± said Anton as he turned to Kianna ¡°You did a great job with this.¡±


    ¡°...Thank you.¡± mumbled Kianna as she blushed and laid her head against Anton''s shoulder ¡°I''m glad you like it.¡±


    ¡°...Hey, so?¡± said Mica as her tail did a slow, nervous looking loop behind her back ¡°If I put a recipe in one of the buckets and it gets chosen, will you really make it?¡±


    ¡°...If you? Of course!¡± exclaimed Kianna as her eyes lit up with excitement ¡°Yeah, I''d love to make something for you! You just let me know what you want and I''ll be happy to make it!¡±


    ¡°Okay, cool. Thanks.¡± said Mica ¡°I''ll just put it in the bucket though. That way it''s still fair...¡±


    ¡°Aw! No, don''t do that! You can just tell me!¡± whined Kianna ¡°I want to make something that you like right away!¡±


    ¡°...Nah, that''s okay. I''ll just put it in the bucket.¡± mumbled Mica as she dropped her eyes down to her bowl and quickly started eating again.


    Kianna went to say something more but stopped short as Anton glanced over at her and shook his head.


    ¡°...Well, yeah that''s fine then. If you''d rather just do it that way, then I guess it''s cool.¡± mumbled the dark elf ¡°But you better tell me when what I make is the thing you like though! Seriously!¡±


    ¡°Okay. I can do that.¡± nodded Mica.


    ¡°Good.¡± said the dark elf with an affirmative nod.


    Smiling softly, Anton continued his meal for a bit before looking back up at the rest of the table.


    ¡°So, what''s everybody''s plans for the day?¡± he asked casually.


    ¡°Argh... Cleaning, again...¡± grumbled Kianna ¡°It''s crazy how fast this house gets dirty...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, actually! About that! Hey, Tessa!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she looked over at the mantis sitting at the end of the table ¡°Were you the one who left a bunch of feathers all over the couch in the living room!? Did you eat a bird in there or something!?¡±


    Currently in the process of investigating her soup by holding a forkful of the noodles up in the air and getting a smell of them with her antennae, Tessa clearly didn''t seem to be at all impressed with what was being offered for breakfast today. And aside from shifting her eyes over to the dark elf as her name was called, her face remained blank as she made no effort to confirm or deny the allegations laid against her. After staring at Fiona for a moment, she silently went back to examining her food.


    ¡°...You know, I don''t know why I actually expected you to answer me.¡± mumbled Fiona as she narrowed her eyes at the mantis and shook her head ¡°I must be an idiot or something...¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡± nodded Mica.


    ¡°Shut up, you.¡± muttered Fiona before looking back at Kianna ¡°Anyways, all those feathers need to be cleaned up too. And the couch sprayed with a disinfectant. Or you just burn it, or whatever.¡±


    ¡°Yeah I''ll add it to the list...¡± grumbled Kianna as she laid her head back against Anton''s shoulder and pouted up at him ¡°Cleaning is hard, and it never ends...¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is. And yes, it never does.¡± chuckled Anton ¡°Though, if you''re starting to feel a bit overwhelmed... Maybe you should try recruiting some help?¡±


    ¡°...From where?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°Oh, I don''t know. Maybe from the people sitting at this table?¡± offered Anton.


    ¡°What!? No! Fuck that! You said she was the maid now! And cleaning is all her job!¡± exclaimed Fiona.


    ¡°No, I never said it was all her job. Now I did say she was in charge of it, yes.¡± said Anton as he gave Kianna a sly grin ¡°But I never once said she had to do it all by herself.¡±


    Kianna blinked before her eyes went wide with understanding.


    ¡°You''re completely free to take advantage of all the available minions you have right here, Kianna.¡± smiled Anton before glancing at Tessa and chuckling as he found her making a pile on the table of all the apparently unwanted vegetables she had taken out of her soup ¡°Well, maybe more like the available minions and the one trouble making mascot...¡±


    ¡°Oh this is gonna be sweet! With this much help I can easily get everything done in time to make dinner!¡± said Kianna as she clasped her hands together in excitement ¡°Okay everybody! Today we are going to give this entire house a super deep clean, from top to bottom! We''re gonna make this place shine!¡±


    Just as she finished speaking the soup broth runoff from the pile that Tessa had made started to stream over the side of the table, and a loud dipping sound filled the air as it began to puddled on the floor.


    ¡°Oh goody... Well there goes my fucking day...¡± grumbled Fiona with a sigh ¡°Just fucking lovely...¡±


    Later that night Fiona flopped down onto her bed in exhaustion. The work she had done that day wasn''t necessarily hard but was very tedious and mind numbing. Kianna had tasked her with, among other things, wiping down all of the walls throughout their large house with a washcloth and cleaning all the windows. Tasks which had taken her literally all day to complete. Although things would have probably gone by quicker if she hadn''t spent so much time trying to shirk her duties by running off and hiding... maybe...


    Regardless though, by this time she was done with the day and ready to just sleep these memories away. And so with this idea set firmly in her mind, she rolled over onto her side and quickly fell asleep.


    -


    In the expanse in which Terra existed, there was a defined separation between what would be considered Reality, or everything that actually existed physically, such as Terra itself, the planes of Heaven, Hell and the many artificial realms, and the space that was beyond all that, a space known as the Void.


    The Void was believed by all but a few of the most well versed researchers to be completely empty. As technically nothing actually existed there beyond raw, cosmic energy. And any physical matter that entered the dimension would be almost immediately destroyed by said energy.


    Those that knew the truth however, even if they couldn''t prove it, were aware that it was this same cosmic energy that was what was used by matter to form at the quantum level before shifting into Reality and taking on a physical, atomic shape. And as such, everything that existed, or would ever exist, was built from this infinite energy that was only found within the expanse of the Void.


    In other words, the Void was in all actuality not only the birthplace of Reality itself, but of everything and everyone in it as well.


    Although there was no direct link between Reality and the Void, dimensional rifts between the two did exist, and were even possible to create. Naturally, tiny rifts would occur when energy was transferred from one dimension to the other. This took place whenever matter formed at the quantum level, or when an atom was completely destroyed and the spent energy shifted itself back into the Void through a form of radioactive decay. Other random rifts could also happen when light shifted back and forth from waves to particles while moving through space and occasionally when heavier forms of energy, such as gravitational pull, raw mana flowing through a leyline or thermodynamic and electromagnetic energies were suddenly and rapidly diffused down into nothingness.


    These minuscule rifts paled in comparison to the true gates that could be opened by creating artificial wormholes that traveled in and out of the Void, and by those connections that formed spontaneously during dreams.


    Through some poorly understood mechanic involving the electrical activity taking place within a brain experiencing REM sleep, a semi-stabilized quasi rift between the dimensions could be accidentally created. And through this rift it was possible for a person''s subconscious mind to temporarily slip into the Void.


    Generally, these travels into the Void would be for the most part indiscernible from an actual dream. As a mind in the Void could, with thoughts alone, manipulate the cosmic energies in such a way that they would create a landscape that while not actually real, would still exist for the visiting mind, at least visually. Since the act of waking up was enough to break these connections and close the rifts, and as it wasn''t possible for a mind to lose its full link to its body in this manner, these mental excursions were generally considered to be harmless.


    Or at least, the travels themselves were considered harmless.


    Unfortunately, this activity could potentially attract the attention of one of the chaotic denizens of the Void, and any encounter with a Voidling in the Void was never without its dangers.


    This wasn''t to say that every Voidling was villainous in its intentions. Quite the contrary. Many of them were actually very friendly and playful beings. And some some were even heroic in their nature.


    The montauk for instance were a race of small, bipedal teddy bear or canine-like entities who gave the strong impression that they were essentially some kind of living cartoon characters. This disarming appearance was very much a ruse though. As these little beings were actually quite powerful combatants, and would take it upon themselves to befriend any dreaming children that had accidentally found themselves in the Void. The montauk would then defend these innocent children and would readily fight off any of the other more sinister Voidlings who tried to target them.


    And target them they would, as aside from being summoned directly, traveling through dream rifts was one of the easiest ways for a Voidling to enter into Reality. And once free to roam about as they please, many of them that would use these pathways would often turn around and possess, or even consume, the still sleeping dreamer who had inadvertently let them through.


    Luckily, it was the rare Voidling that would even desire such a thing, as the vast majority of them were not fond of the constraints of existing physically, and as such had no interest in ever leaving the Void.


    There were those who still posed a danger within the Void itself though. As these, often parasitic entities, would find dreaming victims and absorb not only their life force, but their very essence as well. Draining these often helpless minds of their memories, knowledge, emotions, abilities and finally their consciousness itself.


    Those greedy Voidlings who cared not for leaving their victims alive could easily take so much from them that they would leave their victims as mindless, brain dead husks that without immediate treatment, would quickly slip into a coma and die.


    Though there were many different kinds of Voidlings who practiced this ghoulish activity, there was one species among them whose infamy was above all the rest. This was a creature whose hunger for the taste of fear was so renowned that their very name had become synonymous with terror itself. So honed were the capabilities of these entities, and so awful was any encounter with them, that they lent their namesake to those most fearful of all dreams.


    Amongst themselves, and to those who were well versed about their kind, they were known as the mara, but to most people of the world they went by a very, very different name...


    -


    That night, Fiona''s sleep started out as nothing but a fuzzy, dreamless fog until blinking herself into a soft awareness, she suddenly found herself standing in the middle of an elegant uptown club, and staring eye to eye with an extraordinarily beautiful woman.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    The setting surrounding her had a dark and subliminally mysterious vibe to it that would have fit perfectly into any noir film set during the early half of the last century. The dark forms of other club goers moved in a foggy haze around her as she stood stock still and gazed at the woman before her.


    Standing at the bar with one long leg crossed demurely in front of the other, the woman wore a slim, formfitting dark red colored velvet gown which perfectly accentuated her curvaceous figure and featured a single split down the front which showcased her smooth, shadowy dark, hosiery clad legs.


    With shimmering, silver colored hair and smooth skin that radiated a deep, golden blush. This woman was the very type example of exquisite.


    She had the overall appearance of a humanoid of some kind, and yet, her amber colored eyes that seemed to glow like embers in the dim light, left little doubt that there was something distinctly different about her. And what her true identity may be, was impossible for Fiona to tell off hand.


    Not that the dark elf even cared in that moment, captivated as she was by this radiant creatures knowing gaze, she took a step towards her.


    The woman smiled softly, and moving with a predators grace, she slipped away from the bar and made her way to Fiona.


    Moving towards one another in unison, the two quickly met face to face and without a single spoken word from either of them, they slipped their arms around each other and fell into the flow of a slow and sensuously hypnotic dance.


    Wearing an equally enticing, solid black evening gown which hugged her slender frame just perfectly, Fiona brought her own confident, sexual charge to the duos rhythmic movements.


    Shifting the lead back and forth between them, the two women led each other on an odyssey across the dance floor until finally, her excitement at its limit, Fiona slowed her movements down to a crawl and cupped her hand against her partners cheek.


    ¡°Your name...¡± she gasped through a whisper ¡°Tell me your name...¡±


    Smiling playfully, the stranger kept her eyes locked to Fiona''s as she let her hand slide down to the small of the dark elf''s back and pulled her in close.


    ¡°You are not the one I was sent here for...¡± she whispered softly as she let her lips hover just before Fiona''s ¡°Sadly for you though... I''m not very good at taking orders... I was always better at, twisting, them...¡±


    ¡°Sadly? Orders?¡± questioned Fiona as she tried to close the gap between her lips and the woman''s ¡°What do you mean by sadly?¡±


    ¡°I mean that sadly... You caught my... eye...¡± whispered the stranger.


    ¡°...Oh, did I? ...And is that a bad thing?¡± asked Fiona around a smile ¡°Cause it doesn''t seem like it is... Seems like it''s pretty lucky to me...¡±


    The stranger''s smile broadened as Fiona boldly slid her hand through the split along the front of her dress, and gripped her upper thigh.


    ¡°Really lucky...¡± breathed Fiona as her irises lit up with excitement ¡°What''s your name?¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡± hummed the stranger as she eased back ¡°My name...¡±


    Slipping away from Fiona, the stranger seemed to glide about as she stepped back and then moved around the dark elf.


    ¡°If you really want to know...¡± she said over her shoulder as she headed towards the clubs exit ¡°Then follow me...¡±


    Fiona''s eyes shifted back and forth in their sockets as she watched the stranger''s hips sway from side to side as she walked away. Blinking, the dark elf quickly shook her head and made to follow after her.


    Stepping through the exit, she found herself suddenly standing in the threshold of an elegantly decorated bedroom. Thinking nothing of this, the dark elf kept her eyes locked to the woman standing before her and breathed out a small gasp as the stranger''s dress suddenly slipped away from her shoulders and fell to puddle at her feet.


    Drinking in the sight of the woman''s naked form, Fiona remained completely still as the stranger slowly turned around to face her.


    ¡°A small treat... Before the end...¡± said the stranger as she rolled her shoulders back and presented her ample bosom to the dark elf ¡°Now come along... I''m waiting...¡±


    Stepping forward without hesitation, Fiona reached out and cupped the stranger''s offered breasts with both hands before leaning in and kissing her deeply.


    Meeting the eager dark elf with her own fervent hunger, the stranger wrapped her arms around Fiona and held her tightly.


    Lost in the heat of their kiss, Fiona let her tongue and hands all explore freely as she savored the strange, tantalizing flavor of the woman''s mouth. She froze in her motions as a soft, gleeful yet ominous laughter suddenly filled her head.


    ¡°No escape now...¡± spoke a voice that seemed to come from nowhere.


    Surprised, the dark elf tried to pull away from the stranger''s lips but found herself locked in place and unable to move. Blinking open her eyes, she found the stranger''s amber irises staring right back at her with an amused and hungry looking expression filling her gaze.


    ¡°Fight all you want... You''ll burn no different than the rest...¡± said the same disembodied voice from before.


    Angry now, Fiona tried to struggle in earnest but was unable to free herself from the stranger''s grip. A raising panic began to fill her chest as she started to feel a faint heat begin to form wherever the woman was touching her.


    More laughter filled her head as the intensifying heat began to spread out until its burn surrounded her entire being.


    ¡°No escape!¡± cackled the voice.


    Fiona''s eyes widened as she watched the glow in the woman''s irises suddenly flare until her entire eyes took on the appearance of molten hot coals. Fiery, with a red hot hunger swelling within them, their message to the dark elf was clear. They would be the last things she would ever see.


    ¡°No!¡± cried Fiona in her own minds voice ¡°Stop! Let me go!¡±


    ¡°No escape!¡± repeated the voice amid louder laughter and a growing burn.


    Trapped and helpless, Fiona could do nothing as with a rising panic, she felt the first snips of her essence being ripped away from her.


    Raging and screaming in her mind she fought with every once of her will against the monster that was merrily consuming her alive. Bit by bit, every facet of her being was slowly being eaten away by the heat that surrounded her. She reeled in agonized horror as a torrent of her memories raced by her minds eye on their way to be stripped away by the creature that held her in place. As each snippet of her life disappeared in front of her, one memory suddenly stuck out from the rest, and desperate and terrified Fiona reached out and clung to it with all that she had left.


    It was a memory from weeks ago now, of Anton''s face as he sat, laid out in his bed and spoke to her.


    ¡°Did the thought truly never occur to you, Fiona?¡± he said as his eyes tightened in sympathy ¡°That you could just ask me for help?¡±


    ¡°...Help!¡± screamed Fiona into the very Void itself ¡°Please! Help me!¡±


    Delighted at the terror that rang out so strongly from the little morsel in her clutches, the woman holding Fiona did nothing to silence her victim, and in no way tried to stop her as she cried out for mercy.


    Her arrogant smile faulted just a bit as she thought she suddenly felt something. Pausing, she looked down at the dark elf in her arms and as she did, she felt it again, a tiny, barely even there... pulse?


    Fiona cried out in stark relief as she felt it herself. Emanating out from the gem mounted to the collar around her neck was a sudden pulse of awareness. And from this pulse a familiar and welcomed presence began to flow into her mind, bringing with it a sense of instant salvation.


    And the most comforting thing about this for Fiona, was that she could tell right away that this presence was absolutely furious.


    ¡°What do you think you''re doing to my dark elf!?¡± roared Anton''s voice as his raw fiery anger flowed out of Fiona''s bloodgem and manifested itself into a cloud of glowing orange warmth that engulfed the dark elf in a protective embrace.


    ¡°Mine!¡± raged the woman as the last visage of any human-like quality fell away from her and she appeared as a monstrous screaming face surrounded by a haze of smoke and a swarm of writhing, black tendrils.


    Opening a huge mouth filled with gleaming fangs, the monster let loose a bone shattering scream as Anton''s presence took the form of an enraged flaming eye and reared itself up high above her.


    The two incorporeal beings immediately clashed as they both fought in earnest to wrestle the dark elf away from the other. Their battle reaching a stalemate, Anton quickly shifted his attention to Fiona and spoke to her in her mind.


    ¡°Fiona! I can''t fight her off alone! Not in this state. You have to help me!¡± exclaimed Anton as he mentally shook Fiona''s dwindling consciousness ¡°You have to focus! This is the only way we can save you!¡±


    ¡°Save me...¡± whimpered Fiona ¡°Please... Save me...¡±


    ¡°I''m trying! I''m trying! But I can''t do it alone! You have to listen to me! You have to focus!¡± urged Anton ¡°She''s trying to destroy you, Fiona! You can''t let her!¡±


    ¡°I can''t stop her...¡± sobbed Fiona as she mentally shivered at the remembered pain of being burnt away.


    ¡°You can! I can show you how! I can help you!¡± declared Anton ¡°But you have to let me! You have to focus! Let me work through you, and I can show you how to fight her!¡±


    ¡°Fight her... Yes... Yes, I want to fight her!¡± cried Fiona.


    ¡°Good! Good!¡± said Anton ¡°Then focus on me, Fiona! Let me in, and together, we can beat her!¡±


    Turning to him in her mind, Fiona pushed all the pain and fear she was feeling at that moment aside as she focused everything she had left on Anton. Gazing at his raw presence she could suddenly feel his intent, desires and fears. She knew, having spoken to him without speaking, that right now he was afraid, afraid that he would lose her forever, afraid that even now, she wouldn''t trust him enough to let him save her.


    That was truly his biggest fear, that she still didn''t trust him.


    ¡°You''re so stupid...¡± whispered Fiona as she let him in.


    The monster still gripping the dark elf paused as the fiery presence she had been grappling with suddenly vanished along with the glow that had been surrounding and protecting her prey.


    With the dark elf now open and ripe for the taking, she wasted no time on any celebration beyond a smile and set forth on devouring the last bits as quickly as she could before that damnable presence returned.


    But just as she was about to tear back into her meal, a sudden and intense burn erupted in the center of her being. Looking down at herself, she blinked in confusion as she found an odd sight. The dark elf''s fist was now covered in angry orange flames, and had been driven straight into her middle.


    ¡°You stole her essence...¡± whispered the dark elf as a suit of flaming armor began to form around her ¡°And we''re gonna make you pay for that...¡±


    The monster tried to scream out in rage but was cut short as a mighty punch smashed into the side of her face.


    Feeling Anton''s power and knowledge flowing through her, Fiona trusted him to form the correct spells through her body as she stood up tall and faced her adversary head on.


    ¡°Try to eat me!¡± raged Fiona as a great chain was summoned into her left hand ¡°How dare you!¡±


    Wrapping the monster up in the chain and anchoring her to the ground, the armored dark elf leveled her right hand at her enemy and let Anton unleash a billowing stream of fire across the monster''s being.


    ¡°Everything you took from me!¡± cried Fiona as she gleefully dosed her enemy in fire ¡°We''re taking it all back!¡±


    The monster roared in anger and pain as she struggled to escape from the bindings that were constantly tightening around her.


    ¡°No!¡± she screamed as she felt the presence from before resurface among the flames and begin to rip into her with its own fury.


    As she burned she felt this presence gathering bits of her and funneling them back to the dark elf. What she had just gained was siphoned away first, but more would soon follow. This presence knew what it was doing, it had done this before, it knew how to hurt her.


    As the essence of the monster began to flow into her, Fiona''s eyes widened to their fullest. The haze of broken information coming in to her was nearly overwhelming, and at first it was difficult to separate what were her own memories from those that weren''t. After having a chance to get her mind wrapped around what she was witnessing however, several things did start to become more clear. And as she was able to start making sense of the creatures thoughts, she discovered that many of the beings secrets and intentions were suddenly laid bear for the dark elf to see clearly, and she did not like what she found. This creature, was evil. Pure evil. This thing would have destroyed her, just as she had destroyed so many others that had slipped into her clutches. Innocent minds, toyed with and consumed for no other reason than to entertain this monster with their pain, fear and suffering.


    This thing deserved to pay, it deserved to pay dearly.


    To her horror, the realization quickly took shape in the monster''s mind that these two beings had worked together to turn the tables on her, and there was no other choice now, she had to escape them. She hated to do it, but she would have to run. At least for now.


    ¡°Don''t let her get away. Not yet.¡± said Anton in Fiona''s mind.


    ¡°Don''t worry. I got her!¡± smiled Fiona as she took in the lost knowledge that Anton had returned to her and quickly formed an aura field around them all ¡°She''s not going anywhere!¡±


    Trapped and restrained now, the monster abandoned her plans for escape and changing her tactics on the fly, shifted her attention back to Fiona. Focusing as best she could through the wall of flames, she locked on to her target and sent out a large tendril which quickly snaked its way across the ground before rising up and wrapping itself around the dark elf''s waist.


    ¡°Wha!? Hey!¡± cried Fiona as she tried to rip the intruder away from her body ¡°Get your slimy hands off me!¡±


    ¡°Fiona! Wait!¡± cried Anton ¡°Don''t burn yourself!¡±


    Stopping the flow of flames just before the dark elf could attempt to turn them on her assailant, and inadvertently herself, Anton mentally grit his teeth as the laughing monster quickly took advantage of the lack of flames and sent more tendrils straight at Fiona.


    ¡°Bitch!¡± raged Fiona as she feverishly fought off the wave of riling appendages.


    Time for you to go...¡± growled the monster as she strained against her restraints and formed what looked like a doorway right behind Fiona.


    ¡°...Wait? ...She''s trying to send you back? Good! Fiona! Let her go!¡± exclaimed Anton as he both readied another flame spell and allowed the chains around the monster to start slowly breaking apart.


    ¡°What!? No!¡± cried Fiona as Anton''s spell erupted out of her and burned away all the monster''s tendrils ¡°This bitch tried to destroy my mind! I''m not letting her get away!¡±


    ¡°You can''t just sit in the Void and hold her like this forever though!¡± said Anton as the monster''s tendrils again reformed and tried to drive the duo back and into the doorway ¡°Now''s your chance to escape. Take it, and let''s get out of here!¡±


    ¡°...You? ...No! Not yet!¡± growled Fiona as she summoned her own chains to rebind the monster with as Anton''s fell away.


    ¡°Fiona! Stop! She''s going to force us out of the Void anyway! Let''s just get out of here, now!¡± reasoned Anton as he added his own weight to the effort of dragging Fiona through the doorway.


    ¡°...Argh! Dammit!¡± seethed the dark elf as she grudgingly let herself be pushed backwards.


    At the last second the dark elf narrowed her eyes as she watched a broad, smug looking smile spread across what was apparently the monster''s face.


    ¡°...Why you ugly bitch! You think you won, huh!?¡± raged the dark elf ¡°Well we''ll see about that, Rozzie sweets!¡±


    ¡°...What!? What did you just say!? ...Wait! No! Fiona, stop!¡± cried Anton as he felt the dark elf plant her mental feet and begin to focus her power ¡°What are you doing!?¡±


    ¡°Giving this bitch one more squeeze before I go!¡± growled Fiona through her smiling teeth ¡°One last hug to remember me by!¡±


    Winking a series of glowing neon green rings into existence around her enemy''s mass, Fiona smiled evilly as waves of her chains erupted out of the rings and began to viciously wrap themselves around the predator turned prey.


    The monster roared out in fury as her withering form was painfully crushed by the chains merciless embrace. Enraged, she redoubled her efforts to banish her adversaries back to where they had come from.


    ¡°...Fiona! ...Get out! ...Let! ...Let her go! ...Now!¡± cried Anton as he felt his connection to the waking dark elf begin to fail ¡°...Now!¡±


    ¡°Not till the last second...¡± growled Fiona as she tighten her chains as much as she could ¡°I want her to remember this...¡±


    ¡°...No! ...Fiona! ...Don''t say her! ...If you! ...Pull her through! ...Stop! ...Get!¡± called out Anton as his voice began to crack and fade with the breaking connection ¡°...Fiona! ...Fiona! ...Fio-!¡±


    Feeling Anton''s presence slip away from her, Fiona knew it was time to end this as she wasn''t about to try and face this monster alone. And since she felt satisfied enough with her revenge already, she leaped up and allowed herself to be thrust back and through the doorway behind her. Keeping her chains locked around the monster, and squeezing her as tightly as she could, even as she fell backwards through the doorway and out into an open, white void, the dark elf began to laugh gleefully as she felt the creature''s anger still raging all around her.


    ¡°Yeah! Stay mad, bitch!¡± smiled Fiona as she was engulfed by the white light that was now surrounding her ¡°Stay mad forever, Harozza''mukulamei! You stupid, ugly bitch!¡±


    The stillness in Anton''s room was shattered as he suddenly bolted upright and shouted.


    ¡°Fiona! No!¡± he cried out before blinking in the dim light.


    Finding himself back in his room and sitting up on his bed, Anton quickly threw his blanket to the side and got to his feet before heading towards the door.


    ¡°M-master!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as she awkwardly lifted herself up on one elbow ¡°Wh-what''s happening!?¡±


    ¡°It''s Fiona. She''s about to pull-!¡± started Anton before stopping short as the sound of a loud thud filled the air and the house shook a bit as if something heavy had just landed within it.


    ¡°...What was that!?¡± questioned Kianna as she pointed her ears straight upwards while she and Anton both looked over to where the sound had come from.


    ¡°...Oh no. ...She did it. She really did it. She pulled that thing through. ...She pulled it right into Reality.¡± said Anton in a tone of disbelief as he stared into the empty space in front of him ¡°Its loose in the house... This is going to require some backup. Kianna! Stay right here! I''ll be right back!¡±


    Turning away from were he had been staring, Anton quickly made a beeline for the portal he had set up on the other side of the room.


    ¡°Wait, Master! What happened!? What did Fiona do now!?¡± cried Kianna as she frantically scrambled out of their bed ¡°What''s in the house!?¡±


    Pausing just before the portal, Anton glanced back at her with a look of seriousness on his face.


    ¡°A nightmare.¡± he said solemnly before disappearing through the portal.

 Guilty x Creatures : Mothers and Daughters Arc : Chapter 4

    Chapter 4 : After Midnight


    Fiona gasped audibly as her eyes shot open wide. Staring up at the ceiling above her bed, she breathed out a sigh of relief at finding herself back in the familiar space of her room. Relaxing enough to let her head sink further into her pillow, she began to mentally go over everything that had just happened to her.


    She was still in the process of trying to decide if anything that she was remembering actually happened to her, or was all just a dream, when suddenly her thoughts were interrupted by a distinct shuffling sound coming from the floor at the foot of her bed.


    Ears now poised and alert, Fiona slowly lifted her head and gazed into the darkness. For a moment everything was quiet and still, but as the dark elf watched, a blackness deeper than the darkness around it began to slowly rise up from the floor.


    At first glance this blackness seemed to be a formless mass, but as it continued to rise it began to consolidate into a more solid form which began to take on a familiar shape.


    ¡°...Oh shit.¡± breathed Fiona as the black mass seemed to turn towards her ¡°She followed me...¡±


    Fiona''s breath got caught in her throat as a pair of eerily glowing, yellow circles suddenly winked into existence and pointed themselves right at her.


    ¡°...Uh, hey there.¡± whispered the dark elf as the pupil-less orbs silently stared at her ¡°...Is that really you? ...Rozzie?¡±


    The moment Fiona said the name, the orbs both shifted to an angry looking red light and the black mass reared up high into the air.


    ¡°Shit!¡± exclaimed Fiona as she instinctively formed an aura field around herself.


    Just as soon as the bubble took shape it was immediately slammed into by a force that rocked the dark elf within its protective barrier.


    Looking upwards at her attacker, Fiona''s ears pointed themselves straight upwards as she watched a pair of cloven hoofed feet rear again and then slam themselves back into her bubble.


    The hoofs on these feet were so sharp they were almost claw-like and they made an angry scratching noise as they were raked across the side of the bubble.


    Gazing past them, Fiona froze in wide eyed panic as she watched her attackers head begin to form out of the blackness of its mass.


    Far and away this head was the same size and shape as that of a large black horse, though this was easily the most horrifying looking horse that Fiona had ever seen. Its wide nostrils blew out a plum of smoke-like blackness as the two perfect glowing circles that were its eyes bore into her own.


    A shimmering flame soon erupted out of the back of the head and ran down its long neck before billowing out into a blazing, silver colored mane that appeared to be made out of white fire.


    Easing its head in between the legs it had pressed against the bubble, the horse''s eyes seemed to boil with rage as it stared down at Fiona. Without warning it opened its massive maw unnaturally wide and let loose a bone shattering scream.


    Fiona barely even registered the monster''s scream as her attention was instantly locked to the creature''s mouth itself. Though horse-like in appearance on the outside, the monster''s mouth was filled with several rows of long, sharp, knife-like fangs that seemed to be made out of a black, shiny metal. And behind these fangs, far down within the bellowing mass, came radiating forth the fiery light from what could only be described as a living cauldron or furnace which somehow contained a literal, swirling white colored inferno deep within the monster''s body.


    Staring down the creature''s throat and into this fiery pit, Fiona''s transfixed mind was brought back to the here and now by a thin, splintering crack, which suddenly spread itself across the expanse of her bubble.


    Emboldened by this achievement, the monster screamed again before rearing back up high into the air.


    Raising her hands on impulse, Fiona cried out as the monster readied itself to bring its hooves crashing back down upon her.


    Before it could accomplish this however, it suddenly stopped mid motion and paused as if it had sensed something was wrong. The stillness that followed was broken as Fiona let out a relived breath. She too had sensed the ominous presence filling the air around them, but for her this feeling of dread was all too familiar and at this point, far from unwelcomed.


    In the next instant the bedroom door swung opened with a crash and revealed a large dark, looming figure standing silhouetted against the lights from the hall.


    The monster immediately turned to the intruder and screamed again before it was cut short as it was suddenly tackled around its middle by the charging figure.


    Wrapping his arms and tendrils as tightly around the monster as he could, Earlivi swept the creature up into his charge and sent them both crashing through the window. Using their combined bulk against the nightmare, he shifted the creature''s mass forward to break his fall as he slammed them both onto the ground below.


    ¡°Fiona!¡± cried Kianna as she and Anton both bolted into the room ¡°Are you okay!?¡±


    ¡°I! He! ...They went that way!¡± stammered Fiona as she pointed at the shattered window.


    Racing forward, Anton continued on to the window as Kianna went to her sister at the bed.


    ¡°Are you hurt!?¡± whimpered Kianna as Fiona dropped her aura field ¡°Did she get you!?¡±


    ¡°No. She couldn''t reach me...¡± said Fiona as she shakily got to her feet and made her way to the window.


    Coming up next to Anton, the sounds of a fierce battle could be heard raging below them and as Fiona looked down, her breath got caught in her throat.


    The two monstrous entities were indeed engaged in a viscous clash. Their large forms moving about amid a whirling maelstrom of fists, hooves and ripping tendrils. For the moment, Earlivi appeared to have the upper hand as he seemed to be having a far easier time maneuvering about. Planting his feet out wide, he continuously rolled his head back and forth to dodge his adversaries tendril attacks while constantly taking every opportunely he was given to trip the unsteady monster''s legs out from under her and slam her into the ground over and over. Despite his better tactics, the homunculus was not without damage though, as the monster''s fanged mouth and six hoofed legs still tore into him whenever he furiously attempted to maintain a grappled hold around the creature''s middle.


    ¡°It''s hurting him!¡± cried Kianna ¡°Master we have to kill it before it kills Earlivi!¡±


    ¡°We can''t, we can''t kill her...¡± mumbled Fiona ¡°All that''s gonna do is send her back to the Void. Killing her won''t work!¡±


    ¡°What!?¡± exclaimed Kianna as she turned to her sister ¡°You don''t know that!¡±


    ¡°No, she''s right.¡± said Anton as he shook his head ¡°That thing is a nightmare, Kianna. A Voidling, and one of the worst. You can''t just kill them. Even if you do manage to destroy their bodies, they''ll just reform back in the Void.¡±


    ¡°Well... Who cares if its back in the Void!? That''s where it belongs anyway!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she looked from Anton to Fiona and back ¡°Right!?¡±


    ¡°She won''t stay there now. She''ll reform, and when she does, she''ll just come right back.¡± said Fiona as her eyes went distant ¡°She knows my name now, and she knows I know her name...¡±


    ¡°...Okay? And? I don''t know why that matters but whatever!¡± said Kianna ¡°If she''s a nightmare then we can still send her back to the Void and just put up charms or dreamcatchers in the house to keep her away! Right!?¡±


    ¡°There''s already charms and dreamcatchers set up in the house, Kianna. They don''t work on her though, because she''s been to Reality before. She''s got a physical body and she knows how to slip past a charm...¡± explained Fiona ¡°That''s how she was able to get to me. She tricked me into following her deeper into the Void. She''s knows I know what she did. She knows I know her secrets... She''s not gonna stop until she kills me!¡±


    ¡°I told you not to hold on to her, Fiona.¡± growled Anton ¡°You should have just let her go when I told you to! But oh no, you just had to teach her a lesson, didn''t you!? Once again you take things too far...¡±


    ¡°I''m sorry! I didn''t know she could follow me like this!¡± exclaimed Fiona.


    ¡°She didn''t just follow you. She wouldn''t do that. You pulled her through. You brought her here.¡± said Anton ¡°And now she''s gonna kill you to make sure you can''t ever do that again.¡±


    ¡°We have to stop her!¡± cried Kianna as Fiona groaned miserably ¡°And if we can''t kill her then how do we stop her!?¡±


    ¡°We trap her.¡± said Anton as he turned away from the window and faced Fiona ¡°You said you knew her name now, right?¡±


    ¡°I! ...Yes.¡± nodded Fiona.


    ¡°Are you sure you know the whole thing?¡± asked Anton as he gave her a pointed look ¡°Their names can be very long. And this will only work if you know the whole thing.¡±


    ¡°I know it. And I know I know it because she got pissed when I said it.¡± said Fiona ¡°It''s-!¡±


    ¡°Stop! Don''t tell us, we don''t need to know it too. Not yet.¡± said Anton as he held up his hand to stop her ¡°Don''t say it again until after she''s been contained.¡±


    ¡°You can contain her!?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°I can. A nightmare is powerful, but it''s still a Voidling, so it can be bound. And they should in theory be no harder to keep bound than something like a jinn, or a huli jing.¡± said Anton as he narrowed his eyes at Fiona ¡°Though I''m not going to be the one to bind this monster... Fiona is.¡±


    ¡°Me!? Why me!?¡± cried Fiona ¡°Why can''t you just do it!?¡±


    ¡°Because I''m not the one she''s after. So even if I did bind her, there''s no guarantee that you won''t still be her target. No. You have to be the one to put her in her place now... And more importantly than that, I''m not going to do it because she''s not my monster, Fiona. I didn''t bring her here. I didn''t take things too far again... You did.¡± said Anton as he loomed over the dark elf ¡°You made this mess. And now you''re going to be the one to clean it up.¡±


    Fiona went still for a moment as she stared back at him.


    ¡°...I, I! ...Okay, fine! ...You''re right! I did this. I brought the bitch here.¡± she said softly as she turned to the window and took a labored breath ¡°But I don''t know how to fix this!?¡±


    ¡°I can show you. I can even work the spell through you.¡± said Anton as he followed her gaze ¡°But you''re going to have to be the one to actually do it. I''m not kidding when I say she''s after you, so you have to be the one to contain her. It''s the only way to get her to stop targeting you.¡±


    ¡°...Okay. Sounds good.¡± nodded Fiona ¡°So, what do I contain her in?¡±


    ¡°This.¡± said Anton as he held up a small, round pot-like green colored jar with a series of binding seals etched across its base.


    ¡°...This? ...Are you serious!? We''re really going to try to put that freak in this tiny little thing!?¡± questioned Fiona as Anton handed her the jar that was just barely big enough to fill her open palm.


    ¡°Yes, we are... Hopefully.¡± mumbled Anton ¡°Unfortunately, this one wasn''t designed for a nightmare specifically. But there''s no time to make a new one. So we all better hope this one will work.¡±


    ¡°...Is she even gonna fit in here!?¡± asked Fiona as she eyed the small jar.


    ¡°She should. ...Hopefully. There''s only one way to find out for sure though.¡± said Anton as an angry, ear splitting scream came from outside the window ¡°And I suggest we don''t wait any longer to try it.¡±


    The scream outside was abruptly cut short as Earlivi slammed the nightmares head against the ground. The homunculus tossed his own head back and out of the way as a plume of smoke filled fire suddenly erupted out of the nightmares mouth and mane.


    ¡°Oh great. It looks like that monster has started to figured out how to use her physical body''s abilities.¡± mumbled Anton ¡°We need to do this now before she realizes she can disintegrate things.¡±


    ¡°...S-s-she can what!?¡± stammered Kianna.


    ¡°Right, so!¡± started Fiona as she looked from the jar to the window and back ¡°What do I do first!?¡±


    ¡°Come here, and stand in front of me.¡± said Anton as he kept his eyes on what was happening outside.


    Placing his hands on her shoulders, Anton guided Fiona forwards and positioned her between himself and the window.


    The dark elf gulped audibly as she found herself standing just above and looking down upon the battle taking place right below her.


    ¡°Now listen carefully.¡± said Anton as he gave her shoulders a reassuring squeeze ¡°This will be just like what we did in your dreamscape. The only difference is this time it''s all going to happen in reality.¡±


    ¡°You''re going to go into my mind?¡± questioned Fiona as she pointed her ears straight upwards.


    ¡°Not my full consciousness, no. But as I cast the spell through you, it will travel out from my mind and through yours. Let this happen. Don''t try to resist it, or fight it or even try to understand it. Just let it flow on its own. You won''t know what its doing as it does it. But don''t be afraid of that, just let it finish.¡± explained Anton ¡°The words I say will be in an ancient language, so they''ll sound strange and alien to you. But don''t worry about that right now either, just repeat them as I say them. Once we begin, don''t say anything else that isn''t part of the spell, or we''ll have to start all over. Understand so far?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I''m following you.¡± nodded Fiona ¡°Let magic flow through me, say the funny words and nothing else. Simple.¡±


    ¡°Essentially, yes. That''s the basic premise at least.¡± said Anton as he tightened his hold on her shoulders ¡°When I give you a squeeze like this, it''ll be the signal that it''s time to say the nightmare''s name. You''ll need to do this twice, once when we lock the spell onto her, and again when the spell is complete. You''ll need to say the nightmare''s full name both times. If everything is done right, she should become bound to the jar.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± nodded Fiona ¡°How do I know if it doesn''t work?¡±


    ¡°If it works, she''ll be sealed inside the jar.¡± explained Anton ¡°And if it doesn''t work, she''ll break the jar...¡±


    Fiona gulped audibly as she gripped what she felt like was far too small of a jar.


    ¡°Hold the jar out in front of you like this, and face its opening at the nightmare.¡± said Anton as he lifted Fiona''s arm and held her by the wrist ¡°I''m going to create a binding circle in the air around our wrists with my aura. And I want you to overlay your own aura around mine. Follow the pattern I make, and once it''s finished, you need to keep it in place for the entirety of the spell.¡±


    ¡°Uh, okay?¡± said Fiona.


    ¡°...Just relax.¡± said Anton as his aura began to manifest around him ¡°...Just follow the pattern.¡±


    As the two dark elves watched, Anton''s glowing orange aura started flowing down his arm before concentrating at his wrist and swirling outwards into a wide, disc shape that was covered in seals and markings.


    Taking a deep breath, Fiona let her own aura flow out to follow the path set by Anton''s. At first her aura remained invisible, but as she felt it melt around the shape that Anton had created, she ignited it with her mana and with a flash of light, the bright green glow of her presence winked into existence.


    ¡°Perfect.¡± whispered Anton ¡°Alright. We''re about to begin, and when we do, do not move from this spot, stop with the incantation or let your circle falter, no matter what happens. And I''m serious about this. Once we begin, we can not stop, for any reason. Alright?¡±


    ¡°Alright... I get it...¡± breathed Fiona as she let him level their circle wielding arms at the nightmare ¡°...I''m ready! Let''s do this!¡±


    Behind her, Fiona felt faint rumblings begin to emanate out of Anton''s chest as he began a whispering chant. Though he hadn''t explained this, the dark elf instinctively knew that this wasn''t part of the spell, but was merely an exercise that would help him in quickly gathering power from his mana pool.


    She stiffened as this rising power began to overflow into her being from where he was still holding her arm and shoulder. As this power grew in intensity, Anton''s whispering chant died down to nothing. And after a moment of heavy silence, he began to speak aloud.


    The words that Anton began to say were melodic yet concise in their structure and while completely unfamiliar with their meanings, Fiona was still able to recognize when one word ended and another began well enough that she could repeat them clearly and easily.


    Focused on her fight with the meddling abomination, the nightmare had no idea that anything was happening above her. It wasn''t until a wave of tiny pinprick like sensations, caused by the forming spell, washed across her being that she noticed the chanting echo coming from the shattered window she had just been thrown out of.


    Looking up at the gaping hole, she spied the dark elf standing behind a glowing circle with a strange man. Realizing at once what they were trying to do, the nightmare''s eyes began to boil with a new rage.


    Fiona couldn''t help but to pause her breath as the nightmare unleashed the loudest scream she made so far. Prodded on by Anton, she quickly caught up with him as they continued the spell.


    A new target in her minds eye now, the nightmare quickly twisted her entire body into a desperate death roll and wretched herself free of her enemy''s grapple before immediately leaping into the air.


    Held in place by Anton''s hold on her, Fiona could do nothing but raise her free hand over her face and cry out the next word as the nightmare''s hideous form began to sail straight towards them.


    Roaring in rage, the nightmare landed hard against the broken window frame and drove her long neck back into the building as she went to sink her teeth into Fiona''s head.


    The dark elf''s eyes went wide as the nightmare''s jaws suddenly snapped shut mere inches away from her face. A strained, angry sound came from the nightmare as she snapped her jaws again before easing back and away from Fiona. A elated breath came from the dark elf as she realized that a thick, black tentacle was wrapped tightly around the nightmare''s head.


    ¡°...You!¡± grunted Earlivi from where he had planted himself on the ground ¡°...Will remain, in place!¡±


    With his tendrils stretched out before him and wrapped all around his foe, the homunculus gave one mighty heave and pulled the nightmare back to himself.


    Ripped away from the window, the nightmare took a section of its frame with her as she was violently pulled back into Earlivi''s waiting arms.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Withering in rage at being recaptured, the monster created her own metallic tendrils out of her body and sent them speeding straight back up at Fiona.


    Seeing the sharpened points gleaming in the moonlight as they sped towards her, Fiona cried out again as she shut her eyes in panic. Just before the tendrils met their mark however, the ringing clangs of metal clashing with metal filled the air.


    Her breath frozen in her chest, Fiona blinked open her eyes as the buzzing sounds of insectoid wings suddenly filled her ears.


    ¡°Mica! Tessa!¡± cried Kianna in excitement.


    ¡°What the Hell are those things!?¡± demanded Mica as she brandished her daggers at Earlivi and the nightmare.


    Having buried her spade into the damaged wall, the sleepwear clad kiochi gripped at what was left of the window frame with her barbs as she used her tail to keep herself standing up in the air with her feet pressed against the siding of the outside wall. Hovering in the open space on the other side of the window from her, Tessa kept her eyes on the battle below as she held her spell enhanced scythes at the ready.


    ¡°The armored one is our side! Don''t hurt him!¡± exclaimed Kianna ¡°The other one is a nightmare trying to kill Fiona! And we''re trying to stop her!¡±


    ¡°...Right. Okay.¡± said Mica as she looked from the two monsters to Fiona and Anton and back ¡°Tessa! Don''t let the ugly bitch touch the stupid bitch!¡±


    Buzzing in acknowledgment, Tessa tucked her limbs in and twisted herself into a barrel roll before diving down at the nightmare and slashing apart a new wave of tendrils with her scythes.


    Hoisting herself up with her tail, Mica hung in midair and zipped back and forth as she viciously cut down any tendrils that Tessa missed.


    Mesmerized by the sight of battle taking place around her, Fiona was brought back to reality by Anton''s prodding and quickly recommenced to repeating after him.


    With their two guardians now protecting the window, Anton and Fiona were able to continue to build up the spell without pause, and as they did the very air around them became charged with the energy from the forming spell.


    Though he had no time to explain this, the language that Anton was speaking was actually divine in its nature, as it was the original language spoken by the Gods before their exodus.


    Rarely spoken in the modern age due to being nearly all but forgotten, words in this tongue still held power over the world itself and were used to operate intricate spells. Or at least they could be by those that knew how to use them correctly and who were either ancient enough to remember them out right, or lucky enough to be learned in them.


    Far from fluent in this language and in no way an expert on its mechanics, Anton still knew enough to be cautious with any words said in this tongue as they were known to sometimes have unexpected effects on both the peoples, and the very environment that they were spoken in and around.


    Had things not been as dire as they were right now, he wouldn''t have gone to such lengths as to use this language at all. But as it sat, he didn''t feel that he had much in the way of choice. The nightmare had to be stopped, and chancing failure with weaker spells just wasn''t worth the risk.


    Concentrating as he was on what they were doing, Anton did his best to ignore the knot of worry that was steadily growing in his stomach. He knew he needed a plan in case this one didn''t work, but there was no time to think about that now, he had to remain focused on the spell he was working to build lest it fall apart around them.


    As they finally reached the point in which they would lock the spell to the nightmare, Anton gave Fiona''s shoulder an urgent squeeze as the signal and she stiffened in acknowledgment.


    Raising her voice so it could be heard above the din of the battle, the dark elf sang out clearly.


    ¡° Harozza''mukulamei!¡± croaked Fiona as for a moment she met eyes with the monster below her.


    In the next instant a second, larger circle that was identical in design to the one floating around Anton and Fiona''s wrists, winked into existence right beneath the nightmare''s feet.


    Her eyes dropping to the ground beneath her, the nightmare let loose another ear shattering scream as the circle surrounding her became aglow with the neon green light of Fiona''s aura.


    Elated by this, Anton set in to the second half of the spell and Fiona quickly followed along with him.


    As they chanted away now as loudly as they could, lost in the throes of the magic they were creating, Kianna couldn''t help but to take a step back and away from them.


    These words, the words that her master spoke, they sounded so very alien to her, and yet, at the same time, they were so strangely familiar.


    Barely even breathing now, the dark elf became transfixed as for her it began to feel as though the words, and the magic they carried, were passing not only through the air around her, but right through her being itself.


    It was as though the deepest core of herself had begun to vibrate in time with the words as they were spoken, as though her very being had suddenly become attuned to them.


    Though still unfamiliar in their spoken form, Kianna was beginning to recognize the deeper meanings behind these divine words.


    They were power...


    Domination, fear, justice, surrender, strength, trust, subjugation, power...


    Power...


    Power...


    These words... Not only had Kianna begun to recognize them, she now knew they were in truth, a part of her...


    These words had all been spoken, and their power fully invoked, by the Gods during the initial creation of her race, so very, very long ago...


    She knew now that her very essence had been born from these words, and she still carried their power within her.


    She was the literal living embodiment of this power, she and every other dark elf that had ever existed...


    Including Fiona.


    Gazing at her sister, Kianna''s eyes widened in unease as she watched a twisted smile begin to form across Fiona''s face.


    ¡°...Back. ...They need to get back.¡± breathed Kianna as Fiona''s features began to darken and go black ¡°Back! Everyone get back!¡±


    Pausing in surprise at her outburst, Anton turned to Kianna just as she began to race to the broken window.


    ¡°Everybody back!¡± cried Kianna as she held onto the side of the window frame and leaned outwards ¡°Tessa! Earlivi! Get back! Get away from the nightmare!¡±


    Looking up at her, Earlivi''s orb-like eyes narrowed in suspicion before with a start and a grunt he dropped his gaze to the ground beneath him.


    The glow from the circle surrounding him and the nightmare had begun to intensify tenfold, and it now felt as though they were being pulled down towards it by a heavy, relentless weight.


    It was at this moment that Anton blinked and suddenly became aware that while he had paused in their chanting, Fiona had not.


    The power he had been slowly running through the dark elf was now being siphoned out in earnest by her as with a mere thought, she had seized control of the spell away from him and barreled forward with what they had begun.


    The dark elf''s voice rang out true and strong as she boldly continued to form the spell, a spell they had once been building together, but one that now belonged to her alone.


    Taken aback, Anton stared transfixed as Fiona, seemingly through some kind of instinct, began to reshape the spell by adding new words said amid a darker tone.


    As the spell she was now forming on her own grew to a crescendo, the power flowing into it began to manifest as green static electricity-like sparks which began to appear out from the darkening dark elf''s body and jump all around the room.


    Outside, the pull from the circle of power had grown so intense that with a struggle, Earlivi had just been able to wrestle his limbs away from the clawing nightmare before turning and trying to stomp his way out of the circle and escape. Reaching the edge of the circle, his fatigue suddenly set in and he fell to one knee. Bracing himself with his tendrils, he fought against the weight that held him in place and was just barely able to raise his damaged body back up to his feet. Teetering now but desperate to keep going, he stopped short as Mica suddenly appeared in front of him.


    Without a word the kiochi whipped her tail forward into the circle and wrapped its length around Earlivi''s arm before looking up and nodding at an unseen someone behind him. In the next instant, Earlivi was struck from behind and shoved forward. Pulling with all her might, Mica heaved the large homunculi''s now sailing body through the air and out of the circle.


    Landing in a heap with Tessa planted on his back, strength immediately returned to Earlivi as the weight he had bore a mere second ago was instantly relieved.


    Still unsure of their supposed ally, both Tessa and Mica each put a sizable distance between themselves and the hulking being who was now quickly getting back to his feet.


    Seeing her adversary escape, the nightmare screamed in rage before toppling over onto her side and dissolving herself back into a formless mass.


    All eyes fell onto the withering being as her bloodcurdling screams reached a new gut wrenching intensity.


    Behind the screams Fiona''s confident chant could still be heard rising into the night air. With a flurry of the green sparks erupting out of the darkness that was her being now, the dark elf paused for dramatic effect before finally finishing her spell.


    ¡° Harozza''mukulamei!¡± she cried around a smug smile ¡°Your bitch ass is now mine!¡±


    With that declaration made the circle beneath the nightmare broke away from the ground and, lifting the nightmare up with it, began to rise into the air before sailing straight towards its twin floating around Fiona''s wrist.


    Trapped in between the two enclosing and shrinking circles, the nightmare raged in a futile fury as her formless mass was crushed down into a smaller and smaller shape by the spell that now entrapped her.


    Forced to consolidate down into almost nothing by the shrunken circles, the tiny ball of blackness that had was what had become of the nightmare was violently sucked into the jar, an act which cut off its one last final scream.


    Their target now trapped, the two glowing circles combined into one and wrapped themselves around the glass enclosure before taking on a physical form and fusing themselves over the mouth of the jar, sealing it shut in the process.


    A silent stillness filled the night as everyone stared intently at the jar.


    For a moment, the glow of the circles pulsed in what looked like the rhythm of a struggle before finally slowing in pace and going dark.


    The stillness that followed was broken when Kianna jumped in surprise as Mica teleported into the room and appeared right next to her.


    ¡°...Did we win?¡± questioned the shinoccubus as she looked from one face to another.


    ¡°Damn right we did!¡± cheered Fiona as she raised the jar up high in triumph and turned to Anton ¡°We totally wrecked that bitch! ...Right!?¡±


    Signing in relief, Anton''s shoulders collapsed and hung limp as he stepped backwards until he could fall to sit on Fiona''s bed.


    ¡°Well that was an ordeal...¡± he muttered before smiling up at Fiona ¡°To answer your question though... Yes, we won...¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± shouted Fiona ¡°Victory is ours!¡±


    ¡°Sweet!¡± smiled Mica as her tail waved back and forth excitedly.


    ¡°Oh, thank the Gods...¡± breathed Kianna.


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!¡± cried Fiona as she rigorously shook her fist, and the jar it held, up and down ¡°We won, we won, we won!¡±


    ¡°Will you please not shake that jar like that, Fiona!¡± exclaimed Anton ¡°Do you really want to find out what would happen if you break it?¡±


    ¡°I already know! The jar is a housing for the curse! And is just like our collars!¡± smiled Fiona ¡°Even if it breaks, it''ll just fix itself! And the stupid bitch will just end up back in her circle until it reforms!¡±


    ¡°...Hm. So you do actually understand that spell then?¡± questioned Anton as he arced an eyebrow ¡°That''s interesting...¡±


    Fiona went to speak but stopped short as her expression shifted from excitement to confusion.


    ¡°...Did you know that would happen?¡± she asked as she looked Anton in the eye ¡°That the spell would, speak, to me like that?¡±


    ¡°...Is that what happened?¡± questioned Anton ¡°Because I assumed the spell itself might have taken over there at the end?¡±


    ¡°No. It helped. But I was in control.¡± said Fiona as she shook her head ¡°It didn''t take over. It didn''t need to. It knew that I would take over, and it just let that happen... Honestly, I think it was actually kinda, happy? Whenever that happened...¡±


    ¡°...I see.¡± nodded Anton as he gazed at the jar in Fiona''s hand ¡°Well luckily that worked out, and the spell was friendly to you. That''s not always the case when a spell takes on a mind of its own like that...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, super lucky that spell wanted to trap this bitch just as much as I did!¡± laughed Fiona as she brought the jar up to eye level and smiled tauntingly at the faint mass of blackness inside it ¡°Look at this tiny dumbass! Trapped under glass! Just like a goldfish in a bowl! Ha! Hope you''re cozy in your new little home, Rozzie! Cause you''re gonna be in there for awhile! Better get comfortable, bitch!¡±


    ¡°...Wait, can she actually hear us out here?¡± asked Kianna as she watched her sister tap on the glass with her fingertip.


    ¡°She can hear me, and if I let her she could hear the rest of you too.¡± said Fiona as she rolled the jar back and forth while watching its contents shift around ¡°Probably gonna keep her in the dark for a little while though. At least until she calms down.¡±


    ¡°...Hold on. You can actually hear her!?¡± asked Anton ¡°Even right now!?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah?¡± said Fiona as she pointed her ears straight upwards ¡°Why? Am I not supposed to?¡±


    ¡°...Uh, I? ...I''m not sure?¡± said Anton ¡°I don''t think I would be able to hear her with that specific spell? ...But maybe the spell works differently for dark elves?¡±


    ¡°Probably. Could also be you weren''t doing it right.¡± said Fiona in a dismissive manner ¡°The spell did seem like it thought you were doing things a little wonky there. That was one of the reasons it was happy when I took over.¡±


    ¡°...Oh? ...Okay?¡± said Anton ¡°I didn''t know I wasn''t doing it right?¡±


    ¡°No biggie.¡± said Fiona with a shrug ¡°It still worked out just fine.¡±


    ¡°So, what the Hell just happened?¡± asked Mica as she turned to the window just as Tessa''s hovering form appeared ¡°Where did that nightmare even come from?¡±


    ¡°Fiona''s dream.¡± said Anton as he watched Tessa zip into the room and lightly land on her feet as her wings folded themselves away ¡°That''s actually where this battle started. That nightmare tricked Fiona into following her fully into the Void, where she then tried to absorb her mind, which would have killed her. Luckily, the slavery bond between us allowed Fiona to call out to me, and I was able to help her fight the nightmare off.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so that''s why you woke up all panicked.¡± said Kianna with a nod ¡°Fiona was stupid again, and almost got herself killed.¡±


    ¡°Hey, it''s not funny.¡± mumbled Fiona ¡°This bitch was really trying to eat my mind! She was seriously going to kill me...¡±


    ¡°Okay, so, if this was going on in your dream, then how did that thing get out here?¡± asked Mica ¡°Nightmares don''t just jump out of dreams like that... Do they?¡±


    ¡°No, a nightmare couldn''t, and wouldn''t, normally just come to Reality on its own like that.¡± sighed Anton ¡°When Fiona''s mind slipped out of her dreamscape, she inadvertently pulled the nightmare out with her by mistake. And if she hadn''t done that then this wouldn''t have happened.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so this was all your fault then.¡± said Mica smugly ¡°Figures, dumb bitch just being dumb again.¡±


    ¡°...Why you! Come here you little shit!¡± said Fiona as she reached out with her free hand and made to move towards Mica.


    Grinning, the kiochi teleported behind Kianna and pressed up against her in an effort to use the other dark elf as cover.


    ¡°Circumstances aside, this whole thing wasn''t really Fiona''s fault.¡± said Anton as he watched the incensed dark elf glare at the partially hidden kiochi ¡°Fiona can''t really be blamed for a random nightmare showing up out of the blue like that...¡±


    ¡°Oh, no! That''s the thing!¡± said Fiona as she turned to him ¡°This wasn''t random. Rozzie was actually sent here.¡±


    ¡°...What? ...Are you serious!?¡± questioned Anton.


    ¡°Yeah, she told me she was here looking for somebody and that I wasn''t her target. But that I would still do.¡± explained Fiona ¡°And then when I was sucking up her thoughts, I actually saw who she was supposed to be looking for, and it was you.¡±


    ¡°...Me? She came here to kill me?¡± stated Anton ¡°Are you sure about this?¡±


    ¡°Yep. She wasn''t excited about it though. I guess when she got here she didn''t really like the look of you, so she decided to go after me instead.¡± continued Fiona with a shrug ¡°I don''t think the people who sent her here actually have any control over her. Like, they didn''t order her to come here, it was more like they kinda convinced her to come here.¡±


    ¡°...Hm. ...Honestly, I''m shocked that anyone could even manage to persuade her to do anything at all.¡± mused Anton ¡°She''s a nightmare after all. How does one even bargain with a nightmare to begin with?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know, they offered her something though. And she won''t say what it is.¡± said Fiona as she held the jar back up to her eye ¡°Might need to torture it out of her... At least we know why she was here though. She''s just another assassin after you.¡±


    Anton stared at the jar for a moment before his face hardened.


    ¡°...Do you know who it was that sent this nightmare?¡± he asked as he shifted his eyes to Fiona''s.


    ¡°No, sorry.¡± said Fiona as she shook her head ¡°I don''t think Rozzie does either. They were someone who just showed up in the Void and spoke to her. Or at least that''s about as much as I can tell from what I''ve seen. They might actually have been another Voidling, because from what I can tell, it didn''t seem like Rozzie wanted to hurt them, and she wants to hurt everybody!¡±


    ¡°...Another Voidling. ...That makes a little more sense. ...Still though.¡± mumbled Anton as he turned to Kianna ¡°Do you have your phone on you?¡±


    ¡°...Uh, no? It''s still on the nightstand.¡± said Kianna as she pointed her ears straight upwards ¡°Did you want me to go get it?¡±


    ¡°Please, if you would.¡± nodded Anton as he rose to his feet and made his way towards the broken window.


    ¡°What do you need her phone for?¡± asked Fiona as she watched her sister quickly leave the room.


    ¡°Because I need her to make a call for me...¡± mumbled Anton as he leaned out the hole in the wall ¡°Earlivi! Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes... My master...¡± answered the homunculus from where he was kneeling in the grass ¡°I am merely taking a moment to recover, and assess the damages I took during the battle...¡±


    ¡°Damages... Give me a second, and I''ll be right there.¡± said Anton before stepping out through the broken window.


    Forming a pillar with his aura, Anton lowered himself down to the ground and quickly made his way over to Earlivi.


    ¡°Back!¡± cried Kianna as she jogged back into the room ¡°...Master? Where did he go?¡±


    ¡°He''s checking on Earlivi.¡± said Fiona as she pointed out the window ¡°Looks like the big guy got hurt pretty bad during the fight.¡±


    ¡°He did? Oh no! That''s awful!¡± exclaimed Kianna ¡°Is he gonna be okay!?¡±


    ¡°I guess? I mean, he looks okay to me?¡± said Fiona with a shrug.


    The trio all watched as Anton had Earlivi lift his arm and flex his hand into a fist.


    ¡°Who is that guy?¡± asked Mica ¡°He''s creepy as Hell...¡±


    ¡°That''s Earlivi. He''s the boss''s homunculus.¡± answered Fiona ¡°And yeah, he''s super creepy, and he''s also not very friendly. So try not to stand too close to him, or get on his bad side.¡±


    ¡°...A homunculus. ...Damn, he''s pretty big for a homunculus.¡± mused Mica.


    ¡°Oh, this is nothing. You should see him in his giant form.¡± said Kianna ¡°He''s actually even bigger than the house when he transforms.¡±


    ¡°Giant form? Wait, he can transform? What the Hell kind of homunculus is he?¡± questioned Mica.


    ¡°An evil, experimental one that was created in a lab by what I suspect is probably an actual mad scientist.¡± said Fiona ¡°A mad scientist who is of course, friends with our boss...¡±


    ¡°...Wait, what? Seriously?¡± said Mica.


    ¡°Yeah, it''s probably best if you just don''t ask too many questions about him...¡± mumbled Kianna ¡°Just be thankful that he''s on our side, okay.¡±


    ¡°Kinda on our side...¡± muttered Fiona ¡°For the moment...¡±


    After having finished with his assessment of the homunculi''s condition, Anton made his way back to the house and rose back up to the hole in the wall via another aura pillar.


    ¡°Is Mr. Earlivi alright?¡± asked Kianna as Anton stepped back into the room.


    ¡°He''s a little banged up, but nothing too bad.¡± said Anton with reassuring grin ¡°A bit of mana, and a day or two of rest and he should be good as new.¡±


    ¡°Who''s mana?¡± muttered Fiona.


    ¡°Isn''t he going to come back inside?¡± asked Kianna as she gazed at the still kneeling homunculus.


    ¡°I''m sure he will in a bit. He''s just taking a minute to recuperate.¡± said Anton ¡°Anyways, were you able to find your phone?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah. It''s right here.¡± said Kianna ¡°Did you need to call someone?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I''d like to give your Mother a call.¡± said Anton as he held his hand out for the phone ¡°So I can give her a piece of my mind...¡±


    ¡°...My Mom!?¡± questioned Kianna as she tentatively handed over the phone ¡°Why do you want to talk to my Mom!?¡±


    ¡°Because I want to let her know that her latest attempt to kill me just backfired and almost cost her a daughter.¡± growled Anton as he scrolled through Kianna''s rather short contact list ¡°Of all the insane plots... I guess now I know were Fiona gets it from...¡±


    ¡°Wait, your Mom is trying to kill him?¡± questioned Mica as she looked up at Kianna ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Uh, hello!¡± muttered Fiona as she pointed at her collar ¡°Do you really think this went without notice?¡±


    ¡°Quiet, I''m on the phone.¡± said Anton as he placed the phone to his ear.


    The faint buzzing sound of the phone ringing on the other end could be heard before what sounded like a recorded answering machine began to speak.


    ¡°Hello, Olivia. This is Anton. I''m just calling to let you know that not only am I still alive, but the last assassin you set here didn''t even try to attack me. Instead it went straight for Fiona, and nearly succeeded in killing her!¡± snared Anton as his face hardened with anger ¡°You nearly lost a daughter tonight, Olivia! Sending a nightmare was the most reckless, irresponsible and down right insane! Idea you could have ever come up with! How could you ever even think to unleash such an uncontrollable monster around your daughters like this!? Absolute insanity! ...Listen, very closely. Targeting me is one thing, it''s even understandable. It''s something I''m prepared for. And I assure you, I can handle whatever else you decide to send my way. ...That being said though, I''m going to give you one and only one warning. If you endanger these girls again with anything you send, I will put a stop to this, as quickly and as brutally as possible. ...You do not want me to take this fight to-!¡±


    Anton suddenly stopped speaking as the line on the other end was picked up.


    ¡°...Hello?¡± said Anton before a voice began to speak softly to him ¡°...Alright. ...Yes, I''ll hold.¡±


    Anton glanced at the dark elves for a moment as he waited for the line to be picked back up.


    ¡°...Hello? ...Is that you, Olivia?¡± he asked as he turned and walked away from everyone before beginning to repeat everything he had just said.


    As Anton spoke to their Mother, both Kianna and Fiona tried their best to listen in on her responses, but unfortunately they just couldn''t make out her soft, direct replies from where they were on the other side of the room.


    ¡°Yes, Fiona is fine. But it was a close call. Too close. ...Be that as it may, I''m not going to tolerate a repeat of tonight. And I suggest you take my warnings seriously, Olivia.¡± said Anton with his own direct tone ¡°If these girls are ever put in danger like that again, I will make sure that it doesn''t happen a third time.¡±


    Anton stood motionless for a moment as he listened to Olivia''s response. The watching girls were surprised when he suddenly turned to the side and stared off at nothing with a thoughtful look on his face.


    ¡°...Are you being sincere with this offer?¡± he asked at last ¡°...No, not necessarily. ...No, I''m not against it at all. In fact, I''d be more than willing... ...Yes, I can do that. ...Alright, I''ll be waiting to hear from you then. ...Yes, goodnight to you too, Olivia.¡±


    Moving the phone away from his head, Anton stared at it for a moment before shutting it off and turning to the waiting girls.


    ¡°...Well, that took an unexpected-¡± started Anton before being cut short by a series of odd sounds coming from outside.


    With everyone turning to the broken window in unison, they were all just in time to see Earlivi''s broad form rise into view.


    Using his many tentacles to scale the outside wall, the large homunculus bowed his head as he stepped through the ravaged hole in the house and entered the room.


    ¡°Oh, Mr. Earlivi!¡± asked Kianna as she took a tentative step towards him ¡°Master said you were injured! Are you alright!? Do you need anything!? We can get you a potion! ...Potions work on you, right!?¡±


    Seemingly taken aback, Earlivi paused for a moment as he gazed at the clearly upset dark elf.


    ¡°I appreciate the offer, miss Kianna... I assure you though, I will be fine... My body will mend itself in time, so there is no need for a potion...¡± explained Earlivi as he stood tall and folded his hands behind his back.


    ¡°Are you sure though? That fight was pretty bad. And if your hurt then we can just heal you now...¡± offered Kianna as she lowered her ears in sorrow ¡°I don''t want you to be in pain...¡±


    ¡°...I am fine. Your concern is unnecessary...¡± said Earlivi as he turned away from her ¡°Though, it is appreciated...¡±


    Turmoil still on her face, Kianna said nothing more as she watched Earlivi shift to the side and face Mica and Tessa.


    ¡°I am thankful, for the assistance that each of you gave me...¡± he said as he nodded to both of them.


    ¡°...Uh, yeah. No problem. Anytime.¡± muttered Mica as Tessa twitched her antennae in agreement.


    ¡°Glad to see you back on your feet.¡± said Anton as he stepped up to the homunculus ¡°I know you said that you didn''t, but we do have potions here. So it really is no problem if you need one.¡±


    ¡°As I said, I am fine...¡± said Earlivi.


    ¡°...Okay, if your sure.¡± nodded Anton ¡°I won''t force one on you. Though, I hope you''re still able to move around a bit. As I''m going to need your help with something.¡±


    ¡°If you are referring to the window... Then there is nothing to worry about...¡± said Earlivi ¡°It can be repaired easily enough...¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh, yes. Though, no. That isn''t what I''m talking about.¡± said Anton as he quickly glanced from Earlivi to the window and back before giving the taller being a lopsided grin ¡°I''d appreciate you fixing the window, of course. But I''m also going to need you to do you me another favor, and pull a shift of babysitting duty for me.¡±


    ¡°...Excuse me?¡± said Earlivi.


    ¡°Babysitting?¡± questioned Kianna as she pointed her ears straight upwards ¡°Who do you need him to babysit?¡±


    Anton kept up the same grinning expression as he slowly looked from one staring face to another.


    ¡°...Oh, fuck no!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°You better not be talking about us!¡±


    ¡°It seems that I''m going to be out for an evening this weekend.¡± said Anton as he turned back to Earlivi ¡°So I''d like you to spend the night here while I''m gone, and make sure that everyone stays safe.¡±


    ¡°Out?¡± repeated Kianna ¡°Wait! What do you mean, out? Where are you going!?¡±


    ¡°...I''ll be going out to dinner.¡± said Anton as he looked at both of the dark elves ¡°...With your Mother.¡±

 Guilty x Creatures : Mothers and Daughters Arc : Chapter 5

    Chapter 5 : Evening


    ¡°You know, Olivia...¡± said Anton as he set his wineglass down ¡°I have to say that I''m a bit surprised that you wanted to meet with me like this. Not that I didn''t think we''d eventually need to have a talk, of course. I just wouldn''t have expected such a casual setting for our first meeting.¡±


    ¡°Well... Anton...¡± said Olivia as she put a bit of cold emphasis on his name ¡°I have to say that I''m a bit surprised that you agreed to meet with me at all...¡±


    ¡°Oh? Are you now?¡± said Anton as he gathered the last bits of his salad together and scooped them up onto his fork ¡°And why is that?¡±


    Sitting across the large, round table from him, Olivia tilted her wineglass from side to side as she stared icily at the human man in front of her.


    ¡°Well considering our current status is that of enemies. I think it''s reasonable for me to have expected a higher level of caution on your part...¡± explained Olivia.


    Chewing his last bite of salad, Anton nodded absently as he slid his empty bowl to the side.


    ¡°That would be a reasonable assessment, yes. Though there is one element of that thought process that is a bit off, I''m afraid.¡± said Anton as he looked the dark elf in the eyes ¡°You seem to think that I see you as an enemy, but I assure you, you''re mistaken about that. I don''t consider you an enemy at all.¡±


    Taken aback, Olivia stilled her glass as she furrowed her brow.


    ¡°Excuse me? ...Are you joking?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Not at all. Here, let me explain. You are a factor, and one that does require acknowledgment, certainly. But that doesn''t make you an enemy, Olivia.¡± explained Anton as he reached for his own wineglass ¡°An ¡°enemy¡± is dangerous. It is something to be feared, and taken seriously. An ¡°enemy¡± is not something that can be brushed aside, and ignored. It must be faced immediately, and tended to accordingly. An assassin, sent to kill me, now that would be an enemy. But you? No, you are not that kind of threat. I have no reason to fear you in that way. So as such, you are not an enemy, Olivia. Or at least I don''t consider you one.¡±


    Saying nothing, Olivia''s eye began to twitch ever so slightly as she watched Anton take a sip of his drink.


    ¡°Mm, that is a delightful flavor...¡± said Anton as he set his drink down and again met eyes with the dark elf ¡°And you should be thankful that I don''t consider you an enemy, Olivia. Because if I did... I would have dealt with you already.¡±


    ¡°Is that so...¡± mumbled Olivia.


    ¡°Yes, just as I''ve dealt with each of the assailants that you''ve sent so far.¡± said Anton as a slight grin formed on his face ¡°Well, I say that I dealt with them. Though to be fair, I have to admit that the girls have certainly played their parts as well. In dealing with our uninvited guests that is.¡±


    Once again lightly tilting her wineglass from side to side, Olivia said nothing as she watched Anton''s face become thoughtful.


    ¡°Especially with this last one, everyone did a phenomenal job. And it was a complete victory for us...¡± he mused softly ¡°They really all did wonderful...¡±


    ¡°...You''re talking about this, nightmare, that attacked you?¡± questioned Olivia ¡°Fiona and Kianna helped you kill it?¡±


    ¡°They helped me contain it, or really, we all helped Fiona contain it.¡± answered Anton.


    ¡°...You helped Fiona contain it?¡± questioned Olivia ¡°...You didn''t just destroy it then?¡±


    ¡°No. Its just been contained for the moment.¡± sighed Anton as he shook his head ¡°Now that we have it trapped, I was planning to force it back into the Life Stream and fully end it... But unfortunately, that idea just made Fiona upset...¡±


    Furrowing her brow in question, Olivia said nothing as she waited for Anton to continue.


    ¡°Even trying to compromise with just putting it in my vault wasn''t enough for her either. That girl was adamant about keeping it herself. It was her monster after all, she summoned it, she trapped it, so she would be the one to deal with it... Which, she''s not necessarily wrong with any of that...¡± said Anton with another sigh ¡°She kept begging me and begging me to let her keep it, and finally... I relented and agreed to let her at least try to tame that thing herself. On several conditions of course, the first and foremost being that she wasn''t allowed to ever play with it without my supervision.¡±


    ¡°...Are you being serious right now?¡± questioned Olivia in affront.


    ¡°Yes. And I know what you''re thinking, and you''re right... The whole thing is just ridiculous. It''s like letting a 5 year old keep a giant crocodile as a pet. I''ll constantly have to worry about her being eaten now...¡± said Anton as he shook his head with a chuckle ¡°Then again, if there was anyone in this world with enough clout to actually pull off taming a nightmare. It might very well be Fiona.¡±


    ¡°...You think she could tame it?¡± asked Olivia ¡°And what makes you think that?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding? Even with her legendary stubbornness aside, that girl is fearless. And once she gets an idea in her head, no matter how foolhardy it may be, she''ll do everything she can to make it work. Now she''ll need guidance with this new goal, of course. And while I''ll help her as best I can... We will still definitely need to see if we can''t find somebody out there with both a bit of knowledge on the subject of nightmares, and a willingness to help us tame one... A tall order for sure. And not one that I''m confident we can even accomplish, with or without help...¡± explained Anton ¡°Not that these hurtles would deter Fiona at all. That girl doesn''t know the meaning of the word ¡°impossible¡±. Or at least doesn''t consider the concept relevant to whatever her goals may be. Of course this is to her downfall, more often than not. But past failures aside, I can''t help but to have a bit of faith in her with this. As excited as she was, I really wouldn''t be surprised if she succeeds this time.¡±


    Olivia remained silent as a happy looking, lopsided smile crossed Anton''s face.


    ¡°She really is insane sometimes, that girl... And fearless... They both are, honestly...¡± smiled Anton ¡°Even Kianna, sweetheart that she is, is no stranger to facing down a threat on her own. You''ve seen this yourself with Joel... How is he, by the way?¡±


    ¡°Couldn''t say. He quit that day.¡± mumbled Olivia ¡°And good riddance to him...¡±


    ¡°Hm, understandable.¡± nodded Anton ¡°Kianna was a bit rough with him after all. And being forced to face your own mortality can certainly make one question their choice in a career. If it was any consolation to him, he wasn''t a special case. Kianna wasn''t any nicer to the next person that tried to threaten me... Oh, that crazy girl... She''s my sweet, sweet little dark elf. And yet she''s also completely homicidal, or at least a bit too over protective at times... Still though, she has such a beautiful little soul. And such a caring heart... She''s just so strong... They both are, really, those girls... Oh, but poor Kianna, she''s probably going crazy right now. You should have seen her face when I told her I''d be coming here alone. She was so upset, and I felt terrible. Her staying home was for the best though. And I''ll make it up to her. I''m planning on taking her out on a real dinner date next, just the 2 of us. And I know she''ll love that... I can already imagine how excited she''s gonna be...¡±


    Seemingly getting lost in his thoughts, Anton went still for a moment before finally coming back to his senses as he realized that Olivia was staring at him.


    ¡°Right... So, why don''t we get back to the main reason that we''re here tonight...¡± he said as he took a sip from his drink.


    Still staring icily, Olivia went to set her own glass down but stopped short as her ears lightly twitched.


    Less than a moment later an identical pair of huli jing waitresses carrying platters stepped into the room and quickly delivered them their entrees.


    -


    With Asian features adorning their human-like faces, slim but toned bodies, fox-like ears atop their heads and large, luxurious looking black furred tails trailing about behind them, the two huli jing were quite the exquisite sight as they moved about with a quick paced, dancers grace.


    Dressed in dark colored, formfitting cocktail dresses whose skirts draped to just below their knees, their sharp eyes and alluring appearances did little to negate the air of professionalism that hung about them.


    -


    Thanking the young fox woman as she set his steak, green beans and baked potato down in front of him, Anton couldn''t help but to grin as he looked over his spread.


    Once all the plates had been set, the two women suddenly slipped into a twirling dance with each other and morphed back into a single being that now sported two large, bushy, fox-like tails.


    Smiling broadly enough to show off her sharp teeth, the fox girl then asked how everything looked and when told it all looked great by Anton, she thanked them for their patronage and let them know that if they needed anything else, they could simply summon her at any time. With that, she slipped out of the room and disappeared.


    Once they were alone again, Olivia, while ignoring her own meal of salmon and rice pilaf, turned her attention back to Anton and watched as he began to cut his steak down into bite sized pieces.


    Annoyed by his casual attitude, and apparent dismissal of her as a threat, she decided right then and there that she had had enough of him, and that it was time to end this night.


    ¡°Name your price, Anton.¡± she said in a calm, even tone.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°Don''t play coy. You know I want you gone. And it''s clear that my attempts to be rid of you have thus far failed to bear fruit. So, rather than continue to waste more money on such efforts. I would prefer to just be done with this right now.¡± explained Olivia ¡°So, again, name your price. Tell me how much it''s going to take to get my daughters back and be rid of you forever.¡±


    ¡°Ah, well... Honestly, you can just abandon that whole thought process right now.¡± said Anton as he kept his eyes on what he was doing ¡°There''s nothing in this world I would ever trade those girls for. And certainly no amount of money would ever be enough to keep me away from them. No, I''ve made promises to them, ones that I intend to keep. So I''m afraid I''m not going anywhere. That being said, I don''t see any reason why the two of us can''t live in peace. For the sake of the girls if nothing else.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Enough with this charade! You''re not fooling anyone.¡± growled Olivia ¡°Try and talk all you want about them, but know I''m not buying it. You''ve only been around them for a few weeks at best. So you can''t honestly expect me to believe that you legitimately care for them this much already.¡±


    ¡°Trust me, no one is more surprised about this than I am. In fact, if someone would have come up to me a month ago and told where my life would be right now, I''d have called them a lunatic... And yet, here we are.¡± said Anton ¡°There is no ruse here though, Olivia. I do, truly, care for those girls. A lot. And there''s no changing that now. So I suggest you figure out a way to get used to the idea of having me around. Because again, I''m not going anywhere. And even if I do, I won''t be leaving those girls behind.¡±


    Livid now, Olivia shifted her hand to the side and tapped on a small wooden disc with a set of seals etched across its surface. In the next instant a wave of purple energy rose up from the floor, traveled up the walls and sealed them in the circular shaped private dining room they were sitting in.


    Their conversation now fully shielded from the outside world, Olivia took a deep breath through her nose before recomposing herself.


    ¡°I highly suggest that you both rethink your position and reconsider my offer, Anton...¡± she said softly ¡°Because if you think for one second that you won''t regret spurring my ire... You''re dead wrong...¡±


    ¡°I understand your frustration, so I''m going to try and be as patient with you as I can be... That being said though, I really don''t appreciate being threatened...¡± said Anton as he placed a piece of steak in his mouth and began to hum in satisfaction.


    ¡°...You shouldn''t underestimate me, Anton.¡± said Olivia.


    ¡°Nor should you underestimate me, Olivia.¡± replied Anton after swallowing his bite of steak ¡°Remember, I''m not some helpless, mutilated victim that you have tied to a chair. Killing me will not be an easy task. You''d think you''d have realized that by now.¡±


    Taken aback, Olivia stared at him for a moment before her eyes began to glow with an angry red light.


    ¡°...So I see that my daughters have been talkative with you.¡± she said in a hushed tone.


    ¡°A bit.¡± said Anton as he began to sprinkle some crushed pepper across his potato ¡°Which, while I''m sure that this revelation must be frustrating for you, I would advise against any attempt to reprimand them for their choice in sharing with me. As the only thing you''re going to accomplish with that, is to make me angry with you...¡±


    ¡°...What did they tell you?¡± asked Olivia.


    ¡°Well, they gave me a rather vivid account of how you took them, as children no less, to an undisclosed beach house in the middle of the night. And tried to have them stay and watch as you murdered 3 men in front of them.¡± said Anton in a low even tone ¡°You left quite the impression on them with this act, by the way...¡±


    ¡°I see... Well isn''t this unfortunate...¡± mumbled Olivia as she finished off her wine and preceded to start refilling her glass from a bottle sitting just to the side of her arm ¡°So then... I take it you plan to try and blackmail me with this information?¡±


    ¡°No, while I''ll admit that thought did cross my mind, I don''t currently have any plans to go down that route.¡± said Anton as he shook his head ¡°In fact, as it sits. I don''t intend to say anything to anyone about what you''ve done.¡±


    Narrowing her eyes in suspicion, Olivia placed the wine bottle back onto the table with an rather ominous tap, before turning to face Anton directly.


    ¡°Well aren''t you the accommodating one...¡± she said in an unfriendly tone ¡°And to what do I own this unexpected show of kindness to, hm? What game are you trying to play here?¡±


    ¡°There is no game.¡± said Anton with a shrug ¡°As I''ve told you already, I don''t consider you an enemy. So as such, I have no reason to want to see you fall. And certainly no reason to go out of my way to make such a thing happen. No, you can rest assured that for the time being at least, your secret past is safe enough with me.¡±


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°...Well forgive me if I find that difficult to believe.¡± muttered Olivia as her voice took on a low, threatening tone ¡°As most people would hardly be so comfortable with even knowing that such things have taken place, let alone standing idly by as the guilty party sits right across from them...¡±


    ¡°You''re far from the first killer I''ve ever met, Olivia...¡± mumbled Anton as he shook his head in a dismissive manner ¡°And while I don''t approve of what you''ve done. I''m going to assume that you did have a good reason for doing it. And even if you didn''t? Well, it''ll take a bit more than being a mere murderer for you to actually be able to intimidate me.¡±


    ¡°...I see. So you''re the type to be fine with being among a murderer then?¡± quipped Olivia ¡°Well that certainly says a lot about you now, doesn''t it?¡±


    ¡°I suppose. Though I wouldn''t read too far into that if I were you.¡± said Anton ¡°I don''t generally make a habit of keeping potential psychopaths as company. It is, again, more so for the sake of the girls that I''m willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. And overlook your... well, let''s call them, transgressions, shall we?¡±


    ¡°...The sake of the girls?¡± repeated Olivia ¡°And what is that even supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°It means exactly what it sounds like.¡± answered Anton ¡°You''re still their mother, murderer or not. So it''s for their sake I''m willing to assume that you did have some kind of reason to do what you did. Not that I could say I understand what that reason could be, of course. Though if I had to venture a guess... I''d say it''s must likely to have been an act of revenge. And if not that? Then perhaps it may have been some kind of culturally relevant ritual type of thing? As in some kind of dark elven right of passage? Or something along those lines.¡±


    ¡°...A what?¡± questioned Olivia as genuine confusion spread across her face ¡°...Now what would make you think that was the case?¡±


    ¡°Well that was the theory that the girls put forward. And it does seem like a reasonable enough explanation, all things considered.¡± explained Anton ¡°Why else would you have gone out of your way to expose them to something like that? And as children no less. Simply involving them in a murder, and generating witnesses for the sake of it, certainly doesn''t make any sense. And as far as I know, them being there didn''t actually help you with completing your task in any way. No, you could have easily have done what you did without them being present for any of it. They would have never even known what you did. But you actively involved them. You took them there. You brought them to the scene of the crime yourself. You wanted them to be there. That much is obvious... And so there had to be some significant reason for that. And if it was not for any cultural reason... Then what else am I left to think it was about?¡±


    ¡°...What indeed.¡± mumbled Olivia as she looked off to the side and took another sip of her wine.


    Anton watched the dark elf for a moment as he waited for her to continue. When it became clear that she had nothing else to say, he sighed silently and went back to enjoying his meal.


    Taking his time as he ate, Anton alternated his attention between his food and the dark elf in front of him. Which, aside from taking small sips of her wine, Olivia remained for the most part silent and motionless.


    As he watched her though, Anton did begin to notice her expression hardening as a subtle, haunted looking darkness slowly started to form in her eyes. And while he had no way of knowing for sure where her thoughts may currently lie, he couldn''t help but to get the impression that she was reliving past memories.


    As the silence dragged on, and the dark elf continued to show no signs of engaging him in further conversation, the notion that Olivia might actually be stalling for time began to cross Anton''s mind. And having no interest in letting her get away with any schemes, he reached over to his own seal covered disc, and gave it a tap.


    Brought back to the present by the ward around them suddenly being dispelled, Olivia turned to Anton and narrowed her eyes as she found him pulling out his phone.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she questioned in a demanding tone.


    ¡°Now, now. Don''t get excited...¡± answered Anton as he scrolled down through his contacts ¡°I''m just checking in on the girls... I want to be sure you aren''t trying anything funny while I''m out...¡±


    Olivia immediately went to say something but stopped short as the sounds of ringing began to emanate out of Anton''s phone.


    Holding the phone out so they could both hear what was being said through the speaker, Anton grinned smugly as he watched Olivia''s eyes become locked to the phone in his hand.


    ¡°Hello!?¡± came Kianna''s voice as the line clicked open ¡°Hello, Master!? Are you there!?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I''m here. And so is your Mother. You''re on speaker by the way.¡± smiled Anton ¡°I''m just calling to make sure everything is going okay?¡±


    ¡°Oh... Uh, yeah. Everything is fine. ...For the most part.¡± said Kianna in hesitating manner ¡°Are you coming home soon!?¡±


    ¡°Should be. In a bit.¡± answered Anton ¡°At least I think we''re winding down here... I think... Anyway, what was that about ''for the most part''?¡±


    Before Kianna could answer another voice could be heard speaking up from the background.


    ¡°Hey! Is that the Boss!?¡± exclaimed Fiona in a clearly annoyed tone ¡°Tell him to hurry his ass up! This crap is getting really old really quick over here!¡±


    ¡°Shut up! I''m trying to talk to him!¡± growled Kianna ¡°He says he''ll be back soon, so chill!¡±


    ¡°Hold on, what''s going on over there?¡± chuckled Anton ¡°What''s getting old quick?¡±


    ¡°Um, well, it''s... It''s Mister Earlivi... I don''t know if he just doesn''t realize how old we are? Or if he''s just taking the idea of babysitting a little too seriously? Or if he might be just messing with us... I really don''t know which it is... But Fiona''s right. It''s really getting old...¡± grumbled Kianna.


    ¡°...What? What are you talking about?¡± asked Anton as his smile broadened ¡°What is he doing?¡±


    ¡°He''s, well... It''s not that he isn''t being nice... He is, kinda... Well honestly he mostly just stands in the corner doing nothing but staring at us... Which is creepy... But the real problem is that he''s treating us like little kids...¡± whined Kianna ¡°He gave us a bunch of coloring books and crayons, and he''s making us all stay in the living room together and watch a bunch of movies for little girls, like with cartoon princesses and junk...¡±


    ¡°...He? Oh, okay. ...I see. ...That''s, interesting.¡± said Anton as he stifled a laugh ¡°So is he there with you right now? Can I talk to him?¡±


    ¡°Um, one sec. Mica had to go to the bathroom so he''s guarding the door for her right now. He''ll be back in a minute.¡± said Kianna.


    ¡°He''s guarding the door? As in the bathroom door?¡± asked Anton as he grinned at a confused looking Olivia.


    ¡°Yeah, he won''t let anybody be alone for too long.¡± explained Kianna as she lowered her voice down to a hushed whisper ¡°We have one of his tentacle things with us still... It''s just hanging in the air... Do you know if he can see or hear out of those things?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea.¡± said Anton around a smile ¡°I''m guessing he probably can though, especially if he has it there with you still.¡±


    ¡°...Oh, that''s super creepy.¡± whined the dark elf.


    ¡°I know, but he means well... I think?¡± chuckled Anton ¡°Just bear with it for a little longer, Kianna. I''ll be home soon.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, okay...¡± sighed Kianna.


    ¡°So how are Mica and Tessa handling Earlivi, by the way?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°Tessa''s fine. Believe it or not, she''s actually been into these movies. She''s just been sitting there watching them this whole time.¡± said Kianna ¡°And Mica has been fine too. Honestly, I feel like Mister Earlivi hasn''t been as intense with them as he is with me and Fiona...¡±


    ¡°Oh really? Well that''s good.¡± said Anton.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess...¡± said Kianna ¡°...Hold on, I think they''re coming back now? ...Yeah, here they come.¡±


    A small commotion could be heard as Kianna began to speak to Earlivi. A moment later, a new voice spoke through the phone.


    ¡°Greetings, this is Earlivi speaking...¡± said Earlivi.


    ¡°Hello, Earlivi. Everything going good, I trust?¡± said Anton.


    ¡°Indeed...¡± answered the homunculus ¡°Your charges have all been cooperative thus far... And no other issues have arisen... All has been peaceful...¡±


    ¡°Good, very good. I''m glad to hear that.¡± said Anton as he kept his eyes on Olivia ¡°Everything seems to be fine here as well. And I should be home fairly soon, I believe.¡±


    ¡°There is no cause for rush... Take your time, and enjoy yourself...¡± said Earlivi ¡°Your charges are safe enough, and well cared for... I have provided them with food and entertainment... And I shall see to it that they are well rested as well... They will all be in bed by 9pm...¡±


    ¡°Are you fucking serious!?¡± cried Fiona''s voice from the background ¡°Are you really going to try to make us go to bed at fucking 9!? How old do you think we are, you freak!¡±


    There was a moment of pause before Earlivi spoke again.


    ¡°...Make that 8:30pm.¡± he said in a dry tone.


    ¡°Dammit! Shut up, Fiona!¡± came Kianna''s voice from just as far away.


    Anton couldn''t help but to start laughing as the sounds of the dark elves arguing with each other could be heard clearly through the phone.


    ¡°That sounds good, Earlivi.¡± he said around a chuckle ¡°Seems like you''ve got everything under control over there so I''ll let you get back to it. Feel free to call me if anything comes up though.¡±


    ¡°Very well, I shall...¡± said Earlivi.


    ¡°I should be back soon, but let me go ahead and talk to Kianna again for a moment, if you would.¡± said Anton.


    ¡°Of course, here she is...¡± said Earlivi.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± said Anton.


    ¡°Hello!?¡± came Kianna''s voice as she was handed back her phone.


    ¡°Hey there. Having fun with your sister?¡± said Anton.


    ¡°She''s an idiot!¡± growled Kianna before her voice softened and became pleading ¡°You need to hurry up and come home...¡±


    ¡°I will, soon.¡± said Anton ¡°Just let me finish up here with your Mother and I''ll be there. Okay?¡±


    ¡°...She isn''t trying anything funny with you, is she?¡± asked Kianna after a moment of pause ¡°Cause if she tries to hurt you, even once! I''ll make her suffer forever!¡±


    Anton chuckled as he watched Olivia narrow her eyes in annoyance.


    ¡°No, she hasn''t tried anything. We''ve just been talking a little, nothing more.¡± assured Anton.


    ¡°What have you been talking about?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°Oh, just a little bit of this and that. It''s mostly been about you and your sister, of course.¡± said Anton ¡°Don''t worry, though. I''ll give you a full run down when I get home.¡±


    ¡°...Okay, good.¡± said Kianna firmly ¡°Still, you need to hurry home as soon as you''re done.¡±


    ¡°I will, I''ll see you soon enough.¡± said Anton.


    ¡°...Okay.¡± said Kianna as her tone softened and she went quiet.


    ¡°...Okay. It''s time to say good bye now, Kianna. And hang up the phone.¡± smiled Anton as the silence began to drag.


    ¡°...No.¡± mumbled the dark elf in a quiet whine.


    ¡°Yes, Kianna! I will see you soon!¡± laughed Anton ¡°Now say good bye!¡±


    There was a heavy silence as the dark elf said nothing.


    ¡°...C''mon now, Kianna. The longer you drag this out, the longer it''ll take me to get home!¡± chuckled Anton.


    ¡°...Argh! Alright, fine! ...Just come home soon!¡± whined Kianna.


    ¡°I will. Now say good bye, and hang up.¡± said Anton.


    ¡°...Okay, fine. ...Good bye.¡± mumbled the dark elf as she reluctantly hung up the phone.


    ¡°Aw, see what I mean? My poor little dark elf...¡± said Anton as he shook his head ¡°I told you she was going to be upset...¡±


    Olivia said nothing as she watched Anton put his phone away and then continue with his meal.


    The room remained devoid of conversation for some time as the only sounds made were those of Anton quietly eating and Olivia refilling her glass with wine.


    As the bottle eventually ran dry, the dark elf summoned the huli jing who quickly brought them a replacement.


    After watching the fox girl disappear out of the room again, Anton turned his attention back to Olivia who was once again refilling her glass.


    ¡°May I see that when you''re finished.¡± he asked as he picked up his nearly empty glass.


    Glancing at him, Olivia said nothing as she held the open bottle out over the table in an obvious offer to pour him his drink.


    Surprised by this, Anton quickly met her offer by reaching out with his glass and letting her fill it.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± he said before taking a sip of the sweet wine.


    Olivia responded with silence as she placed the bottle back onto the table.


    ¡°...So then. It''s getting late, and the girls are waiting.¡± said Anton as he set his glass down ¡°Was there anything else you''d like to say? Or is it getting to be about time for us to call this evening over with?¡±


    ¡°...We''ve yet to resolve anything thus far.¡± said Olivia as she eyed him ¡°I''d hardly call this evening over with...¡±


    ¡°...Well then, by all means.¡± said Anton as he leaned back in his chair and folded his arms over his chest ¡°Let''s talk.¡±


    Staring at him for a moment, Olivia mimicked him by setting her glass down and leaning away from the table as well. Folding her hands in her lap, the dark elf kept her eyes locked to Anton''s as she sat up straight and poised.


    Even when at her worst, Fiona''s anger could never compare to the raw hatred that was boiling within her Mother''s calm eyes at this moment. Red eyes boring deep into his own, and intimidating in her own right. This imposing elven woman had a harder, darker edge to her that was clearly lacking from the more vibrant essence that her daughters displayed.


    Despite having yet to illustrate her power in any way, there was no question that Olivia was far closer to what one would expect a traditional dark elf to be.


    She was dangerous, but luckily this was a danger that Anton was all too familiar with.


    ¡°...If this is an effort on your part to influence me, it''s not going to work.¡± said Anton as he returned her cold stare with his own.


    Staying still for a moment, Olivia kept her eyes on him as she silently reached over and tapped on her disc.


    Glancing to the side, Anton watched as the ward reappeared around them.


    ¡°Hm, alright then. I''m guessing you have something to say now?¡± he mused as he turned back to Olivia ¡°Looking to threaten me again, perhaps?¡±


    The room remained silent as they both stared at each other.


    ¡°...Well?¡± growled Anton as his patience began to grow thin ¡°Do you have something to say, or not?¡±


    Again, Olivia remained silent and still.


    ¡°...Alright. Enough of this.¡± muttered Anton as he shook his head ¡°We''re clearly done here. I''ll be leaving now.¡±


    Seeing him going to rise from his seat, Olivia scowled in rage and pointed her ears straight back.


    ¡°Fine!¡± she snarled as she raised a gun up from her lap ¡°I''ll just do it myself!¡±


    Anton blinked in surprise at the sight of the weapon and before he could react any further a sudden numbness filled his mind as a bullet blasted its way through his forehead and exploded out of the back of his skull, taking most of his brain with it as it went.


    Falling back into his seat, Anton blinked again out of reflex as he locked eyes with Olivia.


    A smug expression on her face, the dark elf pulled the trigger several more times.


    Firing straight into Anton''s face, she didn''t quit until what remained of his head was hanging limp over the obliterated remnants of his chairs headrest.


    His neck snapped from the force of being thrown backwards, Anton lay slumped and still as his single remaining, lifeless eye stared at the back of the room. A faint dripping sound filled the air as thick rivets of blood dribbled out of his shattered skull and streamed down the back of his seat to the floor.


    ¡°Stop! Stop firing you lunatic!¡± cried out a voice from behind Anton.


    A second later a single tailed version of the huli jing waitress winked into view. Now covered in Anton''s splattered blood and sporting a look of rage, the fox girl quickly stomped her way up to the table.


    ¡°What was that!¡± she screamed as she angrily stabbed a dagger into the table and glared at Olivia ¡°You almost shot me!¡±


    ¡°Well I wouldn''t have had to if you had just done your job already.¡± said Olivia in a mildly irritated tone ¡°Next time don''t wait so long to act.¡±


    ¡°You!? Are you blind!? Could you not see his aura was active the entire time! If I had gotten any closer to him he might have known I was there!¡± exclaimed the enraged fox ¡°But I was ready for an opening! You shouldn''t have started shooting like that!¡±


    ¡°What does it matter? You''re merely a clone, aren''t you? Hitting you wouldn''t have actually killed you. So you have nothing to worry about.¡± said Olivia dismissively ¡°And with this that fool is finally dead. The ward is up so no one heard the shots, the job is done. Everything is fine.¡±


    ¡°Fine! It''s not fine!¡± growled the huli jing as she ripped her dagger out of the table ¡°I''m not a clone! I''m a partition! Shooting me would still hurt like Hell! And ward or no ward, that was reckless! We still have other guests in the building you know! You''re paying double for that little stunt! You lunatic!¡±


    ¡°...Like Hell I am.¡± muttered Olivia as she indicated her gun ¡°You''ll be lucky to get paid anything at all, considering you couldn''t even get the job done.¡±


    Eyes narrowing into thin slits, the fox girl''s jaw tightened as she slowly looked from the gun to Olivia.


    Staring each other down, the two women both paused as a faint coldness began to fill the room. They each then blinked in surprise as a second later a large, orange-colored dome suddenly winked into existence around them.


    ¡°What is this?¡± said Olivia as she pointed her gun at the huli jing ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I''m not doing anything.¡± said the fox as she gazed up at the dome ¡°...This isn''t me.¡±


    ¡°...W-well.¡± muttered a guttural, broken sounding voice ¡°...That, was certainly unpleasant.¡±


    Turning in unison, both Olivia and the huli jing went still as they stared at Anton''s motionless corpse.


    Brandishing their weapons at the body, both women involuntarily leaned back as a faint cracking sound rang out through the room, and the blood that had been pooling on the floor, suddenly began to slowly flow back up the sides of the chair before seeping into Anton''s still open wounds.


    In the next instant, Anton''s hanging head suddenly shifted to the side all on its own and stopped as if he had just cracked his neck. As this happened, the ribbons of flowing blood leaped off of the chair they had been traveling up along and began to sail through the air as they continued to race back into his broken body.


    ¡°Wait... Impossible...¡± whispered the huli jing as she watched the dead man''s head begin to rise back up into place as his neck bones appeared to stitch themselves back together ¡°...He was dead! I saw his aura fade into nothing!¡±


    ¡°If this is your idea of a joke. It isn''t funny.¡± said Olivia in a calm tone ¡°This gun is equipped with a mana breaker, and enchantments to prevent undeath. He is dead. Now drop the illusion, you idiot.¡±


    ¡°I, I''m not doing this! I swear!¡± said the fox as she turned from Anton to Olivia and back ¡°This isn''t an illusion. ...He really isn''t dead!¡±


    ¡°No... I''m not...¡± muttered Anton as he reached up to one of the gaping holes in his forehead and began to feel about inside himself ¡°Though... I am pretty annoyed...¡±


    The huli jing took a step back and away as Anton casually loosened a lodged bullet out of his skull and dropped it onto the floor with a ping.


    ¡°I don''t know how familiar either of you are with dying...¡± mumbled Anton as the holes in his head began to close themselves up ¡°But personally, I have to say... That despite how quickly it''s usually over with... Being shot to death is one of my least favorite ways to go...¡±


    Still assuming this was all an act on the part of the huli jing, Olivia let an annoyed frown mar her features as she watched a quickly growing panicked expression form across the fox girls face.


    Preoccupied as she was, she was completely taken aback when the barrel of her gun was suddenly wrapped in the grip of a glowing, orange-colored, clawed hand.


    Pulling her own hand back to herself, the dark elf''s eyes widened when the clawed hand then proceeded to slowly crush her gun into a twisted, mangled shape.


    Staring at her destroyed weapon for a moment, Olivia''s eyes tightened in irritation as she slowly looked up at Anton.


    Having now fully reformed, and sitting comfortably again, Anton''s expression was stoic as he merely stared back at the dark elf.


    Having placed two fingers on the tabletop, Anton had sent a line of his solidified aura across its surface to create the hand that held Olivia''s gun. With said weapon now destroyed, he lifted his fingers away and let the hand fade into nothingness as what was left of the gun fell to rattle across the table.


    Folding his arms over his chest, Anton''s expression hardened as he stared into Olivia''s eyes.


    ¡°Hm, well done, Olivia.¡± he said with a nod ¡°It looks like you''ve convinced me to change my mind...¡±


    The dark elf and huli jing both stiffened as the air around them grew heavy with dread and malice.


    ¡°From here on out... I will be considering you an enemy now...¡± said Anton in a calm, cold, even tone ¡°Congratulations on that...¡±

 Guilty x Creatures : Mothers and Daughters Arc : Chapter 6

    Chapter 6 : Late evening


    The room was silent for a long moment as the three motionless beings all stared at one another.


    Without a word, Anton shifted his eyes away from Olivia and locked them with the huli jing''s.


    The fox girl stared back at him for a moment before raising her hands as a show of parlay.


    ¡°The night is yours.¡± she said softly as her dagger disappeared and she held her now empty palms out in surrender.


    Anton nodded before turning back to Olivia. The dark elf jumped as Anton''s bubble disappeared and instantly reappeared as a shrunken down version that now surrounded only her.


    ¡°I think I could do with something sweet right about now...¡± mumbled Anton as he turned back to the huli jing ¡°What would you recommend for dessert?¡±


    Blinking, the huli jing quickly clasped her hands together as she recomposed herself.


    ¡°As a seasonal treat, we are currently offering fresh mulberry cobbler with a side of cinnamon flavored ice cream.¡± she said in a cheerful tone ¡°It''s quite a delightful experience, and one that I would highly recommend.¡±


    ¡°That sounds lovely. I''ll take an order of that, please.¡± said Anton with a nod.


    ¡°Excellent choice, Sir. I''ll be back with your order in just a moment.¡± said the huli jing as she gave Anton a light bow and nervously tapped on the the disc to deactivate the ward before quickly disappearing from the room.


    Moments later, the fox girl, now sporting three tails, returned with Anton''s treat before bowing again and quickly retreating from the tension filled room.


    Alone again, Anton tapped his disc and reactivated the rooms privacy ward.


    ¡°Alright then...¡± he sighed as he turned his attention away from Olivia and glanced down at his dessert ¡°I guess I need to decide what to do with you now...¡±


    Olivia said nothing as she narrowed her eyes and stared at him.


    ¡°Hm, so let''s see here...¡± hummed Anton as he dropped his aura field from around the dark elf and spread it back out to fill the room and leave them both locked behind two barriers now ¡°So, aside from the gun, the fox assassin, the poisoned green beans, the tiny glass shards in my drink, and the booby trapped chair... Did you have anymore surprises planned for the evening?¡±


    ¡°...So you found all that?¡± questioned Olivia as she tightened her jaw in irritation ¡°...How are you still alive then? You should be dead twice over by now.¡±


    ¡°How indeed...¡± mumbled Anton.


    ¡°...What are you? Some kind of undead? ...Or a type of Voidling? One that can put himself back together?¡± questioned Olivia as she watched him eat a small spoonful of ice cream ¡°...Answer me!¡±


    Anton casually finished a bite of cobbler before glancing up at the waiting dark elf.


    ¡°Do you really think that you''re in any position to be demanding answers from me?¡± he asked calmly before turning his attention back to his food ¡°What I am, and how I am alive, is no business of yours. You have more important matters to be concerned with right now.¡±


    ¡°Such as?¡± mumbled Olivia.


    ¡°Such as convincing me not to test whether or not you would survive everything that I''ve gone through tonight.¡± said Anton nonchalantly ¡°I don''t think that you would. But who knows? Maybe you''ll prove me wrong.¡±


    ¡°Spare me your arrogance.¡± said the dark elf as she pointed her ears straight back behind her head ¡°You may be more difficult to kill than the average person, but that only changes so much. I''m not afraid of you.¡±


    ¡°You don''t have to be afraid of me to be burnt by my flames, Olivia.¡± said Anton calmly ¡°Bravery will not save you from incineration.¡±


    Olivia was silent for a moment as she stared at him.


    ¡°...If you expect me to beg, you''re going to be disappointed.¡± she said callously.


    ¡°No. I don''t need you to beg.¡± said Anton as he shook his head ¡°Honestly, for the moment at least, all I want from you is a bit of cooperation.¡±


    ¡°...Cooperation?¡± questioned Olivia.


    ¡°Yes. I have questions for you. There are a few things I still don''t understand.¡± said Anton as he met her eyes ¡°Have a conversation with me. And answer my questions, truthfully. For the moment, that''s all I ask.¡±


    Olivia said nothing as she stared back at him.


    ¡°...Make no mistake, dark elf. My curiosity is the only reason that you are still sitting there comfortably.¡± said Anton ¡°I will get the answers I seek from you. One way or another. And I would imagine that having a simple conversation with me would be far more comfortable for you than experiencing the agony of having all your memories ripped away from your living essence... But perhaps you disagree?¡±


    Scowling, Olivia looked off to the side before leaning back in her seat with a sign.


    ¡°Fine, you filth...¡± she growled as she picked up her wine glass ¡°What are your questions?¡±


    ¡°...Hm. You know, you do so remind me of your daughters.¡± chuckled Anton ¡°I can see where they get their attitudes from.¡±


    ¡°Are insults really necessary?¡± muttered Olivia ¡°Or will you not be satisfied until I''m as miserable as possible?¡±


    ¡°...Is being compared to your daughters really an insult to you?¡± questioned Anton as he arched an eyebrow at the dark elf.


    Olivia said nothing as she narrowed her eyes at him.


    ¡°...Hm, well? Is it?¡± prompted Anton.


    ¡°Can we just move on, please...¡± growled Olivia ¡°I''d really like to just get this over with as quickly as possible, if you don''t mind...¡±


    ¡°I don''t mind at all. But if you want this to end, then you''ll need to answer my questions.¡± said Anton calmly ¡°...All of them.¡±


    ¡°Oh for the love of... Fine!¡± hissed Olivia through her teeth ¡°Yes. It is.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± asked Anton.


    ¡°Because I can not stand those two! Or the thought that I am connected to them in any way. Plain and simple.¡± said Olivia in a annoyed tone as her eyes began to glow with an angry red light ¡°And so the last thing I want is to be told that I am similar to them, or that they are similar to me...¡±


    Taken aback, Anton was still for a moment as he stared at the furious looking dark elf.


    ¡°...You can''t stand them?¡± he questioned in a perplexed tone ¡°...Why?¡±


    ¡°...Because they exist.¡± mumbled Olivia before taking a sip of her wine ¡°They''re both nothing but failures and burdens... The fact that I''m stuck here tonight dealing with this nonsense because of them is prove enough of that...¡±


    The room was quiet for a moment as Anton stared at Olivia and watched her as she looked off to the side at nothing. Once again, a deep anger could be seen forming in her eyes as her mind seemed to go distant.


    ¡°...I don''t understand? If you can''t stand them, then why even bother going to all this trouble for them?¡± asked Anton ¡°Why not just be done with them instead?¡±


    ¡°Because regardless of how I might feel about them, they''re still my daughters.¡± said Olivia ¡°They belong to me. And I''m sure as Hell not going to just sit by and let some random human... thing, or whatever you are, take them from me.¡±


    ¡°...I see.¡± said Anton with a nod ¡°...Well. This is certainly an interesting development. ...I can''t say that I was expecting this kind of response from you, to be honest.¡±


    ¡°And I''m afraid that I couldn''t care less about what you were expecting...¡± sighed Olivia ¡°Now if we could just move on to your next question, so that we can be done with this nightmare of a night already, that would be wonderful...¡±


    Going still as he gazed at the dark elf, Anton took a moment to put his thoughts together before he finally spoke again.


    ¡°...Who are you, Olivia?¡± he asked softly.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± replied the dark elf.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± repeated Anton ¡°Honestly that question sums up everything I want to know... So, again, who are you?¡±


    ¡°You know who I am.¡± mumbled Olivia ¡°What asinine game are you trying to play here?¡±


    ¡°I know your name, yes. But I don''t know who you are.¡± stated Anton ¡°And ultimately that''s what I want to know. So let''s just cut to the root of this. I want to know who you are, where you came from, and how you came to be this way... So tell me, in your own words... Who are you, Olivia Vale?¡±


    Staring at him for a moment, Olivia lightly tilted her head in surprise as she seemed to find actual sincerity in his eyes.


    ¡°...And why in the world would you want to know all of that?¡± she asked callously ¡°What good would having any of that information even do for you?¡±


    ¡°...I want to know, because I want to understand you.¡± explained Anton ¡°I want to understand why your relationship with your daughters is so strained. And why you''ve chosen to keep their Father out of their lives. I want to know why you''ve done the things you''ve done. Made the decisions that you''ve made... I want to know, why you are the way you are...¡±


    ¡°...Why I am the way I am?¡± repeated Olivia as she narrowed her eyes ¡°And what exactly do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°What I mean, is that your daughters don''t know anything about dark elves as a whole. They don''t know anything about their own culture, or their peoples way of life. They barely seem to have any understanding about their species specific quirks, or their abilities... They have no idea what they''re even capable of... Now why is that the case?¡± said Anton ¡°Why don''t you have anything to do with other dark elves? And if you do, then why are you keeping your daughters away from them? Where is your family? And why were you never taught how to use your magic? Or if you were, then why would you hide the fact that you can? And why did you choose not to teach your own daughters how to use theirs? ...I don''t understand any of this, Olivia. ...I don''t understand, why you are, the way you are?¡±


    Olivia was still for a moment before she turned to face Anton fully.


    ¡°You seem to have a lot of interest in things that are none of your business.¡± she whispered softly.


    ¡°Anything and everything that concerns the girls is my business now.¡± replied Anton in his own soft but firm tone ¡°They have been neglected their entire lives. They were left powerless, and adrift in a sea of questions with no answers in sight... And I want to know if this was done on purpose or not... I have my suspicions that it wasn''t, but I want you to confirm that. I want you to help me to understand all of this. Again, I want you to tell me, exactly, why things are, the way they are...¡±


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Olivia was quiet for a long moment as she seemed to be assessing the man in front of her.


    ¡°...You want honesty from me. And understanding. Fine. I will oblige. But in exchange I demand the same in kind.¡± she said at last ¡°I have questions as well, answer them. And I will answer yours.¡±


    ¡°...Alright. If that''s what it''s going to take to make this easier, then so be it.¡± said Anton as he nodded slowly ¡°Ask your questions. And if I can answer them, then you have my word that I will.¡±


    Olivia was quiet for another moment before she spoke again.


    ¡°In our last encounter, my daughters were using their magic. They have never been able to use magic before. And yet now all of a sudden they can...¡± said Olivia as she tightened her eyes in question ¡°Tell me, did you have anything to do with that?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did.¡± said Anton with another nod ¡°They can use their magic now, because of my help.¡±


    Olivia stared at him for a moment before shifting her eyes to the side and going still.


    ¡°...They have a ways to go still. But already they show plenty of promise.¡± said Anton as the silence began to drag ¡°It won''t be long before they both become powerful sorceresses... You, yourself, have seen the signs of this first hand...¡±


    ¡°...And why exactly did you help them?¡± asked the dark elf.


    ¡°Because I wanted to.¡± said Anton nonchalantly ¡°And I''m not being facetious with that answer. That is legitimately why I did it.¡±


    Seemingly mulling over this information, Olivia continued to stare off to the side for a bit before bringing her eyes back to Anton.


    ¡°...If you''re wondering whether or not the same methods that I used to teach them with, would work with you. Then the answer is more than likely yes.¡± said Anton ¡°And depending on how the rest of this night goes... This may be a conversation that I would be willing to continue with you, at some point...¡±


    ¡°...Absolutely not. You can keep your methods to yourself.¡± said Olivia ¡°I will not live in your debt. And so I will not ask you how this was done.¡±


    ¡°...Very well.¡± nodded Anton ¡°I can understand that.¡±


    Olivia kept her eyes on him for a moment longer before finally looking away again.


    ¡°On second thought, I think I''d rather not know anything more about you... Let''s just get the rest of this over with...¡± she mumbled before swallowing the last of her wine.


    Anton said nothing as he watched her refill her glass.


    ¡°There''s a lot of background information that goes into your questions... So I suppose the easiest place to start would be at the beginning...¡± said Olivia as she placed the wine bottle back onto the table ¡°I don''t appreciate having to repeat myself, so pay close attention...¡±


    Bringing his eyes to the dark elf''s face, Anton went still as he waited for her to continue.


    After taking a quick sip of wine, and settling into her seat, Olivia began to speak.


    ¡°I have never known my Father, I don''t even know if he is even still alive. And if he is, I don''t know whether or not he is even aware that I exist... I do intend to seek him out at some point. But I will do so in my own time.¡± started Olivia as she stared at her glass and started lightly tilting it back and forth ¡°As for my Mother, she was, or is, not a dark elf... I can only remember her faintly, and so I can not tell exactly what she is, but she seems to be humanoid in nature. So either a human, or perhaps a dwarf... She cared for me, but she also feared me... Even when so young, I could still see the fear in her eyes... That is actually my clearest memory of her... Her fear...¡±


    Anton remained silent as he let the dark elf speak.


    ¡°When I was just under 2 years old, she left me at an orphanage... I won''t bore you by giving you a full retelling of my time there, suffice to say it was pleasant enough, if a bit lonely and dull. I was well cared for, but I was never adopted... I supposed there is probably someone out there who would be willing to bring a young dark elf into their home. But I never met them...¡± said Olivia as she continued to stare at her glass ¡°When I came of age, I set out to find my own way in the world. And at that time, I considered seeking out my own kind, but decided against it as I felt that I would not be accepted by them. For you see, I couldn''t use my magic. I was, and still am, a completely magic-less dark elf... And while this has made things difficult for me at times, it was honestly a sort of comfort to me as well. As it explained why I was abandoned by my parents. They knew I would be magic-less. That I was a broken child, and unfit to be kept... And this was something my young mind could understand. To me, this was even reasonable... Those around me did their best to assure me, many times over, that this wasn''t the case. They forever claimed that they could find nothing that was actually wrong with me. But even still, my abilities never developed. And it didn''t matter what I did, or how many courses or classes I was put into, nothing ever worked. I was born a magic-less child, and I would stay that way.¡±


    Clenching his jaw, Anton worked to keep the frustration he felt from showing on his face.


    If the dark elves weren''t so keen on keeping themselves as mysterious as possible, then those caring for Olivia would have had a better understanding of her, and this poor child wouldn''t have been left to suffer in confusion and doubt.


    It was an unfortunate and aggravating circumstance. And one that he could potentially help to change with the book he had been thinking about writing.


    ¡°I was powerless when I took my first step out into the world. But I would not stay that way. I had long ago vowed that I would prove my worth to those who had abandoned me. And while I had no magic available to me, I knew that money could be just as if not even more powerful than any magic could be. And so with my goal in mind, I set out to build myself a fortune.¡± continued Olivia ¡°I knew that there were companies out there that were capable of generating vast amounts of money seemingly overnight. But I had little knowledge on how the internal workings of such companies functioned. And so while working on getting myself a degree in business, I searched for a job at the most successful companies that I could find in my area... And after a bit of a difficult road, I finally found an investment firm that was willing to hire me...¡±


    Going still for a moment of reminiscence, Olivia took a small sip of her wine before continuing.


    ¡°If I had known what I would find in that cesspool... I never would have walked through those doors... But sadly that''s exactly what I did...¡± she said through her clenched teeth ¡°As a student still in the process of acquiring my degree, I came on as little more than an intern. This was fine with me though. As even though my position wasn''t glamorous, I could still use the real world experience from this job as credits towards my degree. Over all, my initial position was rather dull, as I was essentially a gopher for those directly above me. Luckily though, my superiors refrained from giving me any tasks that were too demeaning. I assume they were afraid of inciting my ire, making this an instance in which being seen as a monster actually worked to my benefit. Be that as it may though, it wasn''t long before all of the upper management, as well as all four of the company''s owners, were well aware of my existence... And one owner in particular, quickly took notice of me...¡±


    Tilting her glass back and forth, Olivia seemed to contemplate taking another sip before apparently thinking better of it and continuing.


    ¡°He was the eldest of the owners, and in the beginning I thought he was an elder relative of the other three, as all four of them were human men. But that turned out to not to be the case, as none of them were actually related. This man was a bit of an eccentric, and he took a vested interest in me right away. And while I at first thought him to be something of an idiot, I did find the fact that he wasn''t afraid of me somewhat refreshing... Unlike the others in the company who were worried that I would scare away clients, simply because of what I was, he instead saw potential in me...¡± said Olivia as she continued to stare at her glass ¡°He wanted to start including me in his meetings immediately. And when others would argue against this, he would say... ''People are only afraid of monsters when they''re not on their side. When they are though, they love them. What''s more comforting than to know that a monster has your back? Nothing! And she''s a dark elf! Which is second only to a demon in most peoples minds. No. No, no, she''s not going to frighten anyone away. Mark my words! She will give our clients confidence in us. People are going to love her!'' ...That''s what he claimed.¡±


    With a small smile on her face, Olivia took a quick sip before going on.


    ¡°And he was right. It was just as he said. People would be nervous when first meeting me, of course, but they would quickly warm to the idea of having me on their side. They couldn''t wait to shake my hand. They''d even get excited about that idea... And it wasn''t long before these successes were noticed, and the others were trying to include me in as many of their meetings as they could as well... Raises and bonuses in the form of gifts, such as jewelry and accessories, were soon to follow. And in order to uphold the '' professionalism of our company'', I was encouraged to shop at certain places and dress in certain ways... In those early days, in my youthful naivete, I saw all this as them training me. Setting me up for success. When in reality, none of them were actually taking me seriously in any way. It was only my presence that they were interested in. Which was why I needed to look my best, for them, and for the company... That''s all I was though. Something nice to look at. I might as well have been a part of the furniture for all I really mattered... I was little more than a mascot. A pet on display... But all that would change once I finished with my schooling, and I had my degree.¡±


    Pausing for a moment to finish the last few sips of her wine, Olivia glanced at Anton before looking away again.


    ¡°All of this will be relevant in the end.¡± she said as she made to refill her glass ¡°Though I do apologize if this part of the story may be boring you...¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡± said Anton as he shook his head ¡°Please, continue.¡±


    ¡°...Very well.¡± said Olivia as she settled back into her seat ¡°As I was saying, once I had my degree, I insisted on taking a more active role during the meetings. My mentor was hesitant about this at first, but I quickly proved that I had been paying attention this whole time. And that I was far more capable at negotiations than I seemed. When this became apparent, he was delighted. And I was given more and more opportunities to prove myself. It wasn''t long before my record of success began to surpass my seniors, and eventually even rival those of the owners... Almost overnight, I was a star, a key player in the company. But I wasn''t satisfied with just that. Success meant nothing without money after all. And money had always been my goal. So once I had proven just how much money I could bring into the company, I made my move... I still remember that morning, and the look on my mentor''s face, when I demanded to be made a partner in the company. There wasn''t a hint of surprise in his eyes, he merely nodded, and invited me to sit down and plead my case. And when I did, and was finished, he began to speak... That was when I discovered just how ruthless this man really was. You see, I had always thought that there was some kind of connection between him and the other owners, but that wasn''t the case. The other three were merely a means to an end for him. And while he had no ill will towards any of them, profits split four ways was already a stretch, and five ways would be out of the question. Someone, or someones, were going to have to go. And as I was already proving myself to be quite the asset, I was clearly in the staying group. From that point on, we began to have discussions in secret as we developed our coup against the other owners... Unfortunately, at that time I had yet to learn the art of discretion, and so it wasn''t long before suspicions began to develop. Not that I cared, of course. I was young, arrogant, and in my own mind, invincible...¡±


    Pausing again, Olivia''s eyes went distant and took on a haunted cast as she slowly sipped away at her wine.


    For his part, Anton remained patient and merely waited for her to eventually continue. After topping off her glass with a sigh, she finally did.


    ¡°It was my own confidence that was my undoing.¡± said Olivia as her expression hardened ¡°As I said before, I was arrogant. And that arrogance clouded my judgment enough that I hadn''t noticed just how much resentment was being directed towards me. Nor had I any idea that I was being watched as closely as I was... Again, I hadn''t yet learned to be discrete with my life... And so it was an easy task for those bastards to learn everything there was to know about me... They knew where I lived, where I had went to school, and even where I had grown up. They knew that I had been orphaned, and was alone... They knew that no one would come for me... That no one would even know I was gone... And most importantly, they figured out that I was powerless, and essentially harmless...¡±


    Registering the shift in tone that this story was taking, Anton stayed still and said nothing.


    ¡°Money had always been my motivation. And so when one of the other owners approached me with a deal that could have potentially been better than what I had with my mentor, I was willing to hear him out... This man was years ahead of me when it came to experience in negotiations, and he played me like a fool... Looking back, the gap in skill between us was so obvious. He would tell me just enough to get me interested, before abruptly ending the conversation for one reason or another. This went on for a few days before he finally invited me to continue the conversation with him in a more discrete setting. He claimed he had a place where we could speak privately and for as long as we wanted to, without interruption. And so we made arrangements to meet there one night. He gave me a preset portal token, and when I used it, I was taken to a house on a private beach that was surrounded by large rocks and high cliffs.¡± explained Olivia as she stared down into her wineglass and let her eyes once again go distant in memory ¡°Still convinced of my own invincibility, the thought that a mere human could ever be an actual threat to me never even crossed my mind... I was stupidly naive... I really did think I was invincible... And I would soon be proven wrong...¡±


    Saying nothing, Anton slowly set his jaw.


    ¡°I was annoyed when I found all three of the younger owners there, and even more so when they began to laugh and toy with me...¡± said Olivia ¡°It took me far too long to realize I was trapped... And by the time I did, it was too late...¡±


    ¡°Wait, Olivia. We don''t need to...¡± started Anton.


    He stopped when the dark elf eyed him with annoyance.


    ¡°You said you wanted to understand, right? Isn''t that what you''ve going on and on about this whole time!? Well now you''re going to shut up and listen until you do...¡± growled Olivia before dropping her eyes back down and continuing ¡°I was a prisoner now, and the first thing my captors did was try to enslave me... Apparently they found the idea of a dark elf slave to be very entertaining... Fortunately for me though, their curses wouldn''t work. None of them did. No matter how many times, or different methods that they tried. Nothing ever worked. So then they gave up on that idea, and did the next best thing they could... They chained me up, and beat me until I couldn''t fight them anymore... This happened again and again. Day in and day out... I refused to fully break for them though, so they eventually changed their tactics, and an endless train of elixirs, love potions and mind altering drugs soon followed... They used anything and everything they could get their hands on... I don''t think that there was anything that I ate in house that wasn''t laced with something... All this in an effort to make me break for them, which I still refused to do... Over time though, the drugs kept getting more and more powerful, and exotic... After a while, they even got desperate enough to start trying weirder things... Demonic things... Things like aphrodisiacs, and even, fertility drugs...¡±


    Staring at the dark elf, Anton paused as the realization of what she just said reached him. His breath became locked in his chest as his heart sank and his eyes widened.


    ¡°...Oh no.¡± he whispered softly to himself as he closed his eyes and shook his head ¡°Oh, please no...¡±

 Guilty x Creatures : Mothers and Daughters Arc : Chapter 7

    Chapter 7 : Night


    ¡°I held out for as long as I could. But eventually my mind was lost...¡± said Olivia in a soft tone ¡°I don''t remember exactly when it happened, or what finally did it... But at some point... I was theirs... And they became my entire world... I wanted them. More than anything. I wanted to please them... I wanted them to want me, to touch me, to take me... I wanted them to hurt me... I even begged them for it... And they did. Everyday...¡±


    Anton said nothing as he dropped his eyes to the table.


    ¡°This went on for months, though I barely remember any of it...¡± continued Olivia ¡°And I suppose it would have gone on forever. Were it not for the fact that one of the demonic elixirs that they were using... Could force a soul-link to form...¡±


    At this, Anton closed his eyes and shook his head.


    ¡°And that was when, for the first time in so long, I finally got a lucky break. If it had been any of them but him... Well, luckily it was just us that morning... When he laid his hand on me, and felt the tiny movements inside me... He didn''t get angry, instead he panicked... Knowing that the child, what could very well be his own child, would likely be destroyed as soon as the others found out. He did something that I would never have expected him to do... He used a charm to force me to sleep. And then he took me away from that place... He took me far away from there... And when I finally awoke, I was in a hospital, and was being put through a detox that would remove all of the chemicals and magical residue that was plaguing my body and mind... I was told, that I had been found abandoned outside of a fire station in the middle of the night. And that my detoxification would take a long while to be complete, as they had to be as gentle with me as possible... Because you see, I was pregnant with twin girls...¡±


    Anton remained still as he kept his eyes on the table. He said nothing as Olivia finished off her glass of wine and refilled it.


    ¡°The hospital staff were understandably frustrated with me when I refused to tell them what happened. But I didn''t care. I wasn''t going to risk anyone getting to those men before I did.¡± said Olivia as she continued ¡°When I was finally discharged. I pulled every cent that I had saved up out of my bank accounts, and bought a house far out in the country. In a place where I would never be found. And then I went into hiding, until several months later, when I gave birth to my daughters...¡±


    Olivia paused for a moment to take a sip of wine.


    ¡°Once I was fully recovered, and had the girls safely hidden away, I was finally ready to go back to the company. My mentor was elated with my return, though he too was irritated with my refusal to elaborate on where I had been. Apparently, he had been told that I had left to join another company. He didn''t believe this though... In fact, he had actually reported me missing, and had even begun a private investigation into my whereabouts... Which I have to say, even if this was mostly monetarily motivated, it was still nice to know that at least one person did care that I was gone...¡± said Olivia around a faint smile ¡°As for the other three owners, they were obviously apprehensive about my return. But a few pictures of the girls and a warning that if they did anything to me, then everything they had done would be exposed, was enough to keep them somewhat at bay, at least at first. Of course this wasn''t going to stop them forever, but having learned to always be on my guard, I was able to just barely stay one step ahead of them. And luckily for me, it turned out that they themselves no longer trusted each other. And I was able to use that fact to my advantage by sowing suspicions and inciting discourse between them. A very long game of cat and mouse involving all four of us soon followed. And the end result of this, in an effort to avoid me, was them having all moved on to other companies. Of course I still kept tabs on them, and after many years, I had finally gathered enough information on each of them to make my move. By this point I knew everything there was to know about them, their daily schedules, where they and their families lived, what security systems they had in place, their medical histories and most importantly, what undeath enchantments they had imbued themselves with. There was just one more piece of information I needed, and once I had it, I would be ready. And then, finally, after years of searching, I found it... I found that damned beach house.¡±


    Clearly pleased with herself, Olivia paused for a moment to enjoy another sip of wine.


    ¡°Since there had been no formal interaction between any of us in years now, there was no reason for anyone to ever suspect me. But even so, I did everything I could to limit any evidence of my presence. I had made multiple plans that covered all possible scenarios, and with everything finally in place, I was ready... Years of careful planning had gone into this moment. So I reigned in my excitement, and moved slowly. I had been patient for this long after all, I could afford to be patient a little longer... And after nearly a decade and a half of waiting, that patience would finally pay off... Over the course of several days, I made each of them disappear... And just like that it was over... I had them, all to myself... I had won... Once again, we were all together at that beach house. Though this time, our roles would be reversed.¡±


    ¡°...That house, and the one you took the girls to?¡± questioned Anton in a soft tone.


    ¡°One and the same.¡± smiled Olivia as her eyes began to glow faintly in excitement ¡°It''s gone now. Burnt to the ground, and then washed away by a storm. And good riddance to it. I hated that wretched place. But even so, I would savor my victory there. I wanted to enjoy every single second of it... So I was slow, and very methodical with my vengeance. And then, after a few months, I was finally satisfied enough to end it... And so I did... And from what I understand, you already know how that went...¡±


    Anton said nothing for a moment as he slowly nodded his head.


    ¡°...Did you ever find out which one was the Father?¡± he asked softly.


    ¡°Of course not!¡± snapped Olivia ¡°That''s the last thing I''d ever want to know...¡±


    Again, Anton remained silent and merely nodded.


    As the time began to drag, Olivia cleared her throat.


    ¡°Well there you have it then... I think I''ve told you everything of importance now.¡± she said as she tilted her wine glass back and forth ¡°I do hope that you''re satisfied with your newfound understanding. And that your curiosity has been sated...¡±


    ¡°...No, not quite. Not yet.¡± mumbled Anton as he looked up at the dark elf ¡°There''s still the question of why you would want the girls there that night? What was the point of that?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes... That...¡± nodded Olivia ¡°Well the answer to that is rather simple really. I wanted those men to see them before the end. You see, those girls were the only thing that kept those men from fully acting against me. I would have been killed, or recaptured if it wasn''t for them existing, hidden in the background. Unseen, but never forgotten. Those girls were a bane to those men, they were their ultimate failure. And I wanted them to see this for themselves. I wanted that failure to be the last thing those men ever saw, right before they died...¡±


    Anton was quiet for a moment before he creased his brow in confusion.


    ¡°...Was that really it? Was that the only reason?¡± he questioned ¡°All of your careful planning, and years of patience... Thrown away for something so petty? That still doesn''t make any sense. You had won, Olivia. You had gotten away with it. Why expose the girls to what you had done and then not even explain anything to them at all? You had no reason to create loose ends like that. You were about to end it. So then why when... when...¡±


    His voice trailing off, Anton went silent as realization formed in his eyes.


    ¡°Oh, by the Gods, no... You weren''t going to leave any loose ends... Were you...¡± he whispered softly as he shook his head ¡°You were going to end it all...¡±


    Gazing at her wine glass, Olivia said nothing for a long moment.


    ¡°...It was finally over.¡± she whispered softly ¡°I could be free of it all...¡±


    ¡°...How could you? How could you even consider such a thing, Olivia.¡± said Anton as his expression hardened in disgust ¡°The men were one thing, that was understandable. But these were just innocent children, these were your own children!¡±


    ¡°My children... Don''t even start with that...¡± mumbled Olivia as she pointed her ears straight back ¡°I never had any desire to be a mother, and I still don''t. But that choice was stolen away from me... ''How could I?'' you ask? How could I not!? What do you think I see whenever I look at them!? Do you not think that the very sight of them isn''t a constant reminder of the worst nightmare I''ve ever lived through!? That they are not only the embodiment of the mistakes of those men, but symbols of my own weakness and stupidity! My children! They are not my children! They are not the children of those men! They are nothing! Nothing but living monuments to all of our failures!¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± roared Anton as his anger spread throughout his aura ¡°How dare you! They are innocent girls! They had nothing to do with what happened! They''re as much as victims of all this as you are!¡±


    ¡°Victims!? Hardly!¡± exclaimed Olivia ¡°How can they be called victims when they''ve never even known a hardship!? They''ve lived in bliss their entire lives! Every one of their needs has always been met! Even now, they want for nothing! They aren''t victims! If anything they''re nothing but spoiled, rotten brats!¡±


    Seething with anger, Anton went to respond but quickly stopped short. With a shake of his head, he balled his hands into fists and looked down at his section of tabletop. Taking a deep breath, he sat for a moment to recompose himself before looking back up at the dark elf.


    ¡°So why didn''t you do it then? What made you change your mind?¡± he asked in an even tone.


    Olivia stared at him for a moment before dropping her own eyes to the table.


    ¡°...In the end, it was just as you said, they really were just innocent girls.¡± she mumbled softly.


    The room went silent for some time before Olivia began to speak again.


    ¡°...I had told them to stay still, and just watch. But of course they didn''t. They ran away, and left the house. At that point I didn''t care though. Their appearance had been made, and I knew there was only so far they could go.¡± explained the dark elf as she continued to stare at the table ¡°When I was finished, I went after them... I had a gun. So I could end it quickly... I found them next to a big rock, not that far from the house. They had been hiding, and had fallen asleep... I could tell they had been crying...¡±


    Pausing, Olivia took a large swig of her wine before continuing.


    ¡°I leveled my gun at them... 2 quick shots and it would be over... They would cease to exist...¡± said the dark elf ¡°But while standing there, staring down at them... That was when a thought occurred to me... These two were just children. Stupid, naive children. They would never say anything. And even if they did, the only person who would have even come close to believing them, was already gone... I didn''t need to do this... So I didn''t... I lowered my gun, and I walked away...¡±


    ¡°...Who was this person that would have believed them?¡± asked Anton as he raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Their nanny. But she was already dead.¡± said Olivia.


    ¡°Ah, right. Their Nanny Ma...¡± said Anton as he narrowed his eyes at the dark elf ¡°You didn''t happen to kill her as well, did you?¡±


    ¡°No. Though I admit I had planned to. Just to clean up loose ends. But the old troll had already died on her own by then. And I had nothing to do with her death. Though I was the one who found her, dead at the kitchen table. Apparently she died of natural causes, at least according to the people that came and took her away...¡± said Olivia as her expression became thoughtful ¡°It''s strange... I''ve always had this feeling, that if she hadn''t died when she did, I would have pulled the trigger that night... I don''t know why, but sometimes I think about that...¡±


    Unsure of how to respond, Anton merely remained silent as he stared at the dark elf.


    ¡°Just silly, pointless thoughts though...¡± mused Olivia as she commenced to finishing off her glass of wine ¡°...So then, was there anything else you had questions about? Or are you finally satisfied now?¡±


    ¡°...Were those three men the only people you''ve ever killed?¡± asked Anton after a moment of thought.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Yes.¡± said Olivia immediately.


    ¡°...Hm. ...And what about had killed?¡± offered Anton as he did his best to gauge how truthful the dark elf''s words were ¡°Aside from myself, how many others have you had targeted by assassins?¡±


    ¡°Believe it or not, none.¡± said Olivia ¡°Though there''s plenty of other people that I''d love to see be gone forever, you''re the only one who has so far pushed me to the point of action.¡±


    ¡°...Really?¡± questioned Anton as he raised an eyebrow ¡°I have to say that''s a little difficult to believe, Olivia. Considering how quickly you were willing to act against me, I can''t help but to be left with the impression that you''re fairly comfortable with deploying assassins. It certainly doesn''t seem to be something you''d hesitate to do.¡±


    ¡°Your impression of me is flawed then.¡± said Olivia ¡°Despite what you may think, I''m not nearly so rash as to immediately attempt to solve all my problems with violence.¡±


    ¡°Then why were you this time?¡± asked Anton ¡°Was it actually out of concern for your daughters? The very same daughters that you''ve allegedly considered nothing but a burden up till now?¡±


    Pointing her ears straight back, Olivia narrowed her eyes in annoyance.


    ¡°...Well?¡± prompted Anton.


    ¡°...You filth. You may not be a perfect match to any of the men that I dealt with, but as far as I know you''re still a human man, just as they were. And no one knows better than I do just how cruel you human men can be!¡± growled Olivia through her clenched teeth ¡°Despite how I may feel about my daughters, I''m not so heartless that I would ever wish them to live through the same fate that I did! Or to go through the same horrible nightmare of trying to live a life, all while knowing that their abuser is still out there, somewhere, ready and willing to happily put them back into chains... No, I''ll spare them from that life. A life I know all too well. A life of suffering, paranoia and pain... And since I know that those idiots will never be able to achieve vengeance on their own, or hide their guilt, I''ll just get rid of you myself...¡±


    Anton stared at the dark elf for a long moment before dropping his eyes back to the table and nodding slowly.


    ¡°Hm... I see... Well, while I can sympathize with why you would want to believe them, we both know that your notions of me are wrong.¡± he said softly as he looked back up at Olivia ¡°I am not the same as the men who harmed you. I do not want to destroy the girls, or force them to live in suffering. Quite the contrary. I want them to be powerful, capable and happy. And you know this. You''ve seen the evidence of this yourself. And you''ve heard it in their voices... I am not their enemy... I am the one who is helping them to grow.¡±


    Olivia merely gazed back at him for a bit before looking away.


    ¡°Those two are idiots. Easily fooled.¡± she said dismissively ¡°They wouldn''t even know how to recognize an enemy that was standing right in front of them...¡±


    ¡°...Right.¡± said Anton in a tired tone as he shook his head and sighed through his nose ¡°Okay then... At this point, I think it''s safe to say that both of our impressions of each other are clearly flawed...¡±


    ¡°One man''s opinion...¡± mumbled Olivia as she eyed her empty glass.


    ¡°...Ugh, this has seriously turned into such a long night.¡± sighed Anton as he leaned back in his chair ¡°There''s a lot to take in here...¡±


    ¡°Oh, please. Don''t act so worn out all of a sudden...¡± grumbled Olivia as she refilled her glass yet again ¡°You were the one who insisted on knowing the truth after all. Well now you''ve got all the understanding you wanted... Careful what you wish for and all that.¡±


    ¡°Yes... Careful indeed...¡± mumbled Anton as he closed his eyes and let his thoughts wander as he began to go over everything he had just been told.


    As he sat there thinking, one decision quickly became resolved in his mind, and that decision was in regards to writing a book on dark elves.


    Here was a perfect example of exactly why he would write his book.


    So many things would have been different if those who had been caring for Olivia had known how her kind worked. If they had the knowledge about her that they needed, they could have helped her, they could have made her whole. But they just didn''t know.


    And as a result she was left helpless.


    He would see to it that in the future, a source for the information that was needed would exist.


    He would make sure that a scenario like this would never happen again.


    But that was a problem for another day. Right now he had more pressing issues to deal with.


    Cracking his eyelids, Anton found the dark elf gazing off to the side and sipping her wine. He blinked open his eyes fully when she suddenly spoke.


    ¡°So is this going to be the part were you tell me you''ve changed your mind about trying to blackmail me?¡± said Olivia as she gave Anton a sideways glance ¡°Or should I just be expecting a visit from the authorities instead?¡±


    ¡°...Authorities?¡± repeated Anton ¡°Why would you be expecting a visit from the authorities?¡±


    ¡°Come now. Don''t play dumb.¡± growled the dark elf ¡°Lets not pretend like we weren''t just discussing the fact that I murdered three men... Not that calling anyone would do you any good without proof beyond hearsay...¡±


    ¡°Oh, that. Right. No, I''m not calling anybody about that. You were completely justified with what you did there.¡± said Anton nonchalantly ¡°You didn''t murder three men, Olivia. You put down three sick animals. And as far as I''m concerned the world is better off for what you did.¡±


    Seemingly taken aback, Olivia went still as Anton dropped his aura and began to rise from his seat.


    ¡°No, the only issues I have with you are centered on how you''ve treated your daughters.¡± said Anton as he stood up ¡°Well, that and I''m also not happy with your attempts to kill me. Which on that topic, you seriously need to stop doing that before I fully loose my patience with you...¡±


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± questioned Olivia as Anton began to make his way around the table.


    ¡°Home.¡± said Anton as he stopped to stand in line with the sitting dark elf ¡°I''m tired. The girls are waiting for me. And I''ve got a lot to think about now... Namely whether or not I''m going to tell the girls the truth about their Father... Or Fathers... And I also need to consider what, if anything, I''m going to do with you...¡±


    ¡°Do with me?¡± repeated Olivia as she narrowed her eyes ¡°And what exactly is that supposed to me?¡±


    ¡°...You shot me in the head, Olivia.¡± said Anton as he returned the dark elf''s glare with his own tired look ¡°Do you honestly think I''m not going to consider returning the favor in kind?¡±


    ¡°Oh, please. Don''t act as though anything even came of that.¡± grumbled Olivia ¡°You certainly don''t seem to have suffered much from it, if at all.¡±


    ¡°Just because it wasn''t effective doesn''t mean it didn''t hurt.¡± countered Anton ¡°This may be a surprise for you to hear, Olivia. But I generally don''t appreciate it when people try to kill me. And I normally don''t let such guilty parties live... Though it seems like more and more I''ve been making a habit out of doing just that lately... Oh well... Anyways...¡±


    Easing away from him, Olivia pointed her ears straight back as Anton stepped up close enough to loom over her.


    ¡°I''m going to be honest with you, dark elf. I don''t want to have you as an enemy, nor do I have any desire to kill you. At least not at the moment. That''s not to say that I can''t kill you, or that I won''t. Just that I don''t currently want to.¡± said Anton as he stared down at the glaring dark elf ¡°Now that being said, you really, really need to stop giving me reasons to change my mind about that...¡±


    Olivia stiffened as she felt the sharp pinpricks of Anton''s aura concentrating around her.


    ¡°Call off your assassins, accept my offer of peace, and most importantly...¡± said Anton as his features began to faintly darken ¡°Do not ever, and I mean ever, shoot me again... Do you understand me?¡±


    Olivia''s jaw tightened as her glare intensified.


    ¡°...I said. Do you understand me?¡± repeated Anton.


    ¡°...Fine.¡± hissed the dark elf as she smiled wickedly ¡°I guess I can promise that I won''t shoot the poor baby again... Moot point that it is, considering the people downstairs will never let you leave this place alive...¡±


    ¡°They will if they want to keep themselves and their building intact.¡± said Anton as he straightened up ¡°I guess we''ll find out soon enough how wise they can be with their decisions...¡±


    Startled, Olivia couldn''t help but to jump a bit as Anton reached over and disabled the rooms ward by tapping on her disc.


    Turning away from her, Anton made his way towards the exit.


    Following him with her eyes, Olivia went still as he paused at the closed door.


    ¡°...Before I go, I do want to thank you for sharing with me tonight, Olivia. ...I know that had to be a difficult thing to do.¡± said Anton as he kept his back to her ¡°And while I don''t want you to take this as mere pity on my part, because it isn''t... For what it''s worth, I do want to apologize on behalf of my kind... I am sorry... I''m sorry for everything that happened to you...¡±


    Taken aback, Olivia said nothing as her eyes remained fixed on the back of Anton''s shoulders.


    ¡°Truly, I am sorry...¡± continued Anton ¡°...Goodnight, Olivia.¡±


    Watching him as he made to leave, Olivia sat up straight in her chair.


    ¡°Wait...¡± she said softly.


    Stopping short, Anton went still as he waited.


    ¡°...No, I refuse.¡± said Olivia ¡°I don''t want your thanks, or your apologies... And I refuse to live in your debt... I don''t want to owe you anything anymore.¡±


    ¡°...Anymore?¡± said Anton ¡°What do you mean by anymore? You don''t owe me anything?¡±


    ¡°No, I do...¡± mumbled Olivia as she looked away from him ¡°I owe you my thanks... Whether you meant to or not, you''ve given me a great gift... One that I didn''t even know I wanted, until I saw it...¡±


    ¡°...What are you talking about?¡± questioned Anton as he tilted his head slightly back.


    ¡°...I''m talking about my daughters, and their magic.¡± explained Olivia as her eyes seemed to go distant in memory ¡°Seeing them, like that... Seeing them... So powerful, dangerous, and unstoppable... That was beautiful... They were beautiful... And now they won''t ever be like I was. They won''t be helpless. Or trapped. They can fight back, they can free themselves... They can kill if they need to... And it''s all thanks to you... You did that...¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I didn''t do it for your sake though. You don''t owe me any thanks for that.¡± said Anton.


    ¡°No, I do. Whether I like to admit it or not, I do. But I refuse to owe you anything. So here is where we stand. You keep your thanks, and your apologies, and I''ll keep mine.¡± said Olivia as she grudgingly looked back over at him ¡°And in that way, we''ll now be even...¡±


    Anton stood still for a moment before slowly nodding his head.


    ¡°Very well, that''s fair enough I suppose. Fair enough that I can agree with it at least.¡± he said as he continued to nod his head ¡°There is one other thing that I want to give you though. And you''re going to take it, whether you want to or not.¡±


    ¡°...Excuse me? And what is that?¡± asked Olivia as she tightened her eyes at him.


    ¡°My word.¡± said Anton ¡°You have my word, and my solemn promise, that the girls will never suffer through the same trauma that you did. And they''ll never know the pain that you know... You were right when you said that they wouldn''t ever be like you. They won''t. I won''t allow that to happen. They will never need to make the same decisions that you had to... Forced to become murderers, just to keep their sanity... No, not those girls. That will never be them. And had I known at the time, that would never have been you. You would have never even have a chance to kill those men, Olivia. Not before I did.¡±


    Olivia said nothing as she merely stared at him.


    ¡°That is my promise to you. Accept it or don''t, it''s yours either way...¡± said Anton as he opened the door and paused before leaving ¡°...Despite everything, this was still a lovely evening, Olivia. ...I appreciate our conversation, and I wish you a goodnight.¡±


    With that, Anton left the room.


    Alone now and sitting motionless, Olivia stared at the closed door that Anton had disappeared though for some time before the sound of a small explosion coming from somewhere below her, brought her mind back to the present, and she turned back to the table as she listened for any more commotion.


    Minutes later the huli jing, who was suddenly looking quite disheveled, entered the room and gave her a fresh glass of wine. Which was courtesy of the man who had just paid their bill before leaving.


    Correctly assuming that the fox girl was talking about Anton, Olivia grudgingly accepted the wine before shooing the girl away.


    Placing the glass on the table, Olivia rose from her seat and gathered herself together before turning to leave. Glancing back at the glass of wine, she sighed in annoyance before quickly downing it and slamming the glass back on the table.


    Her irritation clear on her face, the dark elf made her way through the building, ignoring a cordoned off section of heavily burnt walkway as she did, and stepped outside to stand beneath the porte cochere.


    Putting off summoning her chauffeur for a moment, Olivia looked up at the night sky and took in the mesmerizing sight of the Life Stream swirling high above her.


    As she stood there, breathing in the cool night air and gazing up at the twinkling lights, she began to go over her conversation with Anton, and this just worked to annoy her even further.


    She had no idea why she had told him as much as she had, as she certainly hadn''t planned to ever tell anyone about that particular aspect of her life. Such things should have been taken to the grave after all. And yet, here she was, spilling everything out to what was essentially a complete stranger, or really what was in all actuality even worse than that, an enemy. Her enemy.


    Although he apparently didn''t see her as such... Or at least he claimed he didn''t want to...


    Why did she tell him everything... Why did she tell him the truth...


    Because he asked... Because he wanted to know... Because he was the first person who has ever cared enough to try and find out...


    Why did she feel so comfortable while talking to him, insulting him, and even threatening him... She knew he was dangerous just from the fact that he had apparently taken out several of her assassins... And yet not once did she ever feel like she was in any actual danger while with him...


    Nor did she ever sense a single drop of fear in him at all...


    Who even is this man...


    Glancing over to the designated portal area, Olivia began to wonder what Anton might be doing right then. He had said he was going to go home to the girls, which meant that he was probably still at the house she had bought to keep her daughters in. Meaning that the bastard was currently in her house, right now, with her things, and her daughters... Well he could keep her daughters if he wanted them so badly, and that house, really. What did she care anyway. She had already taken all of her things out of there. Well, all her things except for...


    Olivia''s eyes widened as her mind suddenly jumped to the vault in her room, and the items she kept hidden away in there.


    ¡°Crap.¡± whispered the dark elf to herself as she made to walk to the portal area.


    Anton was smart, or at least as far as she could tell he seemed smart. She could admit that much. And it wasn''t unlikely that if given enough time that he would find her vault, and then he''d... he''d... He''d do what, exactly...


    Slowing her steps, Olivia began to consider why she was so concerned with Anton finding her vault. It wasn''t as though he would even know why she had those items. Though, he did know enough about her past to possibly figure out why... Still though. What would it even matter if he knew... Why did she suddenly feel the need to explain herself to him... Why did she even care if he thought less of her... He was her enemy... Right...


    Coming to a stop just before the portal area, Olivia felt herself wobble a bit as she found her footing.


    The wine had definitely begun to affect her, though she did still have her wits about her, at least for the most part.


    She hesitated for a moment before looking down at the small clasp purse she held clutched in her hand. As she stared at it, her resolve suddenly hardened.


    She had no reason to second guess herself here. This was her house after all. And she could visit her house if she wanted to. Whenever she wanted to. And no one was going to stop her. Not even him...


    Right, him...


    Opening her purse, Olivia quickly pulled out a small collapsible mirror that once opened would float in the air in front of her. Checking herself over real quick, she straightened her bangs a bit, dabbed at her lip gloss and adjusted her bust by bending forwards and maneuvering the top of her dress back and forth until her cleavage was once again being showcased just right.


    Satisfied with the way she looked, the dark elf put her mirror away and commenced to rummage about in her purse until with a tiny cry of excitement, she pulled out a small, coin-like portal token.


    Her mind now racing to try and figure out what she was going to say when she saw him, Olivia activated the portal, and after taking a deep breath, stepped through it.

 Guilty x Creatures : Mothers and Daughters Arc : Chapter 8

    Chapter 8 : Night


    Stepping through the portal and into the house''s foyer, Anton sighed softly as he looked about at the familiar sight of the house''s entryway.


    ¡°Home sweet home...¡± he muttered quietly as he stepped past the open sitting room and spied Tessa''s sleeping form in the far corner.


    As he made his way through the darkened house and towards the staircase, he couldn''t help but to grin as the thought occurred to him that although this wasn''t technically his home, it had certainly begun to feel that way.


    Making his way upstairs, he reached the landing and was met with a large shadowy figure.


    ¡°Greetings, my Master...¡± said Earlivi as the white pupil-less glowing discs that were his eyes trained themselves onto Anton ¡°I trust that your evening was enjoyable...¡±


    ¡°It was, for the most part.¡± nodded Anton ¡°Certainly enlightening... How has everything been here?¡±


    ¡°Peaceful. With nothing of note to report...¡± replied Earlivi ¡°Your charges were well behaved, and they have all been retired for the night. Though only the mantis and shinoccubus are currently asleep...¡±


    ¡°So the girls are still awake then...¡± mused Anton as he looked down the hall towards his bedroom door and considered his options.


    ¡°Yes... Though only one of them seems to be waiting for you specifically... The other one simply hasn''t fallen asleep yet, though she is in the process of doing so...¡± said Earlivi.


    ¡°...How do you know that? Are you watching them still?¡± asked Anton as he cocked an eyebrow.


    ¡°I am...¡± said Earlivi ¡°I am currently monitoring the entire house...¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± nodded Anton as he noticed that the homunculi''s coattail-like tentacles were stretched out far enough behind him to disappear into the gloom of the darkened house ¡°Well I do appreciate your thoroughness in keeping an eye on things, but now that I''m back I think it''s okay to give everybody a bit of peace and privacy again.¡±


    ¡°Very well...¡± said Earlivi as he shrunk down the lengths of several of his tentacles until their ends returned to his side ¡°Will you still require my assistance for the remainder of the night, or am I free to return to your home now?¡±


    ¡°No you can head home if you''d like. We should be good here now.¡± said Anton as he headed down the hall towards his bedroom ¡°And don''t worry, I''ve got the feeling that we won''t have anymore nightmare attacks any time soon. So there shouldn''t be any reason for you stay alert on our behalf.¡±


    ¡°That is good to hear...¡± nodded Earlivi as he followed Anton into the sitting room that was situated between the hallway and the master bedroom proper ¡°On that note... There is something I feel I should discus with you... It is in regards to that battle with the nightmare...¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is something wrong?¡± asked Anton as he stopped in front of the closed double doors that led to his bedroom and turned back to face the homunculus.


    ¡°...Possibly.¡± said Earlivi with clear hesitation in his demeanor.


    Before Anton could respond, the double doors in front of him suddenly swung open to reveal an ecstatic looking dark elf.


    ¡°Master! Welcome back!¡± cried Kianna as she stopped just in front of him and ran her eyes up and down his length while clasping her hands together beneath her chin ¡°Oh Gods, it''s so good to see you''re okay! I was so worried that Mom was gonna do something stupid and try to hurt you! ...Which she didn''t do, right? You''re really okay, right!?¡±


    Stopping short, Anton stared at the eagerly waiting dark elf for a moment before smiling softly.


    ¡°Yeah, I''m fine...¡± he said in a quiet tone ¡°You don''t need to worry about me...¡±


    Cocking one of her ears in a curious manner, Kianna raised an eyebrow as she took in his probing gaze.


    ¡°...Are you sure?¡± she questioned ¡°...You kinda seem a little out of it? ...Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°No, well... Yes, things happened....¡± said Anton ¡°But mostly we just... We talked about...¡±


    Trailing off, Anton went still for a moment before suddenly stepping forwards and scooping Kianna up into a tight hug.


    ¡°Listen to me, Kianna... Listen to me closely...¡± he said in a hushed tone as he held her to his chest ¡°No matter what happens, I want you to remember that you are a good person... Okay... You are a smart, wonderful, brave person... And you are very, very special to me... No matter what... Always remember that, always...¡±


    Blinking, Kianna pointed her ears straight upwards in surprise.


    ¡°...O-okay?¡± she whispered softly ¡°...I, I will. I''ll remember that. ...I promise.¡±


    ¡°Good girl...¡± smiled Anton as he tightened his hold on her ¡°You''re such a good girl... My sweet little dark elf...¡±


    Letting her eyes drift close as she felt Anton''s warmth soak into her being, Kianna lowered her ears as she let herself go limp against him.


    Standing together this way for some time, the two were brought back to the present when the stillness in the room was disturbed by Earlivi moving away from them and heading towards the portal that led back to Anton''s home.


    ¡°Oh, right. Earlivi.¡± said Anton as he turned to the homunculus ¡°I''m sorry about that. I got caught up in the moment there. What were you saying before? Something about the battle that you needed to tell me?¡±


    ¡°Battle? You mean the nightmare battle?¡± questioned Kianna ¡°Oh no! Mr. Earlivi were you hurt!?¡±


    ¡°...I may have sustained some damage, yes.¡± said Earlivi ¡°...It is of no real consequence though.¡±


    ¡°What!? You''re hurt? Show me.¡± said Anton as he and Kianna both immediately made to move towards the homunculus.


    ¡°It is of no consequence.¡± repeated Earlivi ¡°There is no cause for alarm. I merely wish to discus some abnormalities that I am experiencing with you, my Master...¡±


    Sensing that the homunculus would rather speak in private, Anton nodded.


    ¡°...Right. Alright then. We can talk real quick.¡± he said before turning to Kianna ¡°Hey, just wait right here, okay. I''ll be right back.¡±


    ¡°...Are you sure? I don''t mind coming with you.¡± said Kianna as her face showed her concern clearly ¡°If anythings wrong, I want to help...¡±


    ¡°I know you do. And if there''s anything you can do to help I promise I''ll let you know right away.¡± smiled Anton as he gave her arm a reassuring squeeze ¡°For right now though, just let me go talk to Earlivi real quick, and I''ll be right back. Okay?¡±


    ¡°...Okay.¡± grumbled Kianna ¡°But hurry back though... Seriously...¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry, I will.¡± said Anton as he turned to Earlivi and gestured to the portal.


    Holding her arm where Anton had squeezed her, and already missing the warmth of his touch, Kianna lowered her ears again as she watched him and Earlivi disappear through the portal.


    Chewing her lower lip as she waited, she held her vigil for a few minutes before slowly tilting her head to the side and glancing back at the entrance to the closet.


    Knowing that Earlivi would be okay so long as Anton was looking after him and both thinking about what a caring person her master was, and that he deserved to be rewarded for this, the suddenly gleeful dark elf giggled to herself as she quickly darted to the closet so she could prepare a surprise for him.


    With the main room empty now, no one was there to witness a new portal suddenly wink into existence in the middle of the entryway. Nor was anyone there to greet the lone figure that stepped through it.


    Blinking as her eyes adjusted to the light in the room, Olivia immediately frowned as she found herself looking down at a large bed that she had never seen before and which had been set up in what was technically still her room. Her frown deepened as she glanced around and discovered that she was actually surrounded by an entire host of unfamiliar furniture. Clearly, somebody had made themselves quite at home in her bedroom.


    Preoccupied as she was, she failed to register the faint, almost subliminal tingle from the ward that she had inadvertently triggered, nor did she notice the figure that suddenly appeared in the walkway that led to the closet and bathroom.


    ¡°...Uh, M-Mom!?¡± croaked Kianna as she stared wide eyed at the woman standing in the middle of the room ¡°...Is that y-you!?¡±


    -


    Having passed through the portal and entered into his actual bedroom, Anton immediately made a beeline for a large desk situated against a far wall.


    ¡°Alright Earlivi, tell me exactly what''s going on?¡± he said as he began to rapidly tap at a number pad-like group of seals that were etched into the surface of the desks right corner.


    ¡°To be precise...¡± said Earlivi as he stepped up behind Anton ¡°My body is heavily fatigued, and I do not seem to be healing in a timely manner...¡±


    ¡°You haven''t healed yet?¡± questioned Anton as he glanced back at the homunculus ¡°...You look like you''ve been fully healed though?¡±


    At the desk, a blue ring of sigils lit up across its surface before a metal briefcase was summoned into the rings center.


    ¡°Merely a cosmetic illusion...¡± mumbled Earlivi ¡°I have altered my appearance in order to remain visually appealing...¡±


    Anton frowned as he watched a wave of particles lift themselves away from Earlivi''s arms and chest and then break apart into specks of simmering, ember-like lights. As the lights faded into nothing, the homunculus lifted the armored sections of his body up onto thin tendrils and exposed the black-colored flesh-like musculature that existed beneath his plates of living metal.


    With his true condition now on display, Earlivi''s poor state was all too apparent, as charred, almost corroded looking armor and deep, grievous wounds in his flesh could be seen clearly wherever his arms and chest had been ravaged by the nightmare''s unnatural fire.


    ¡°By the Gods, Earlivi...¡± breathed Anton as surveyed the damage ¡°Why didn''t you say something sooner!?¡±


    ¡°I assumed there was no need, as these wounds are not as dire as they may appear, and my life is not in danger...¡± rumbled Earlivi ¡°In the past I have healed from far greater damage than this, and at a much quicker pace... I do not know why these wounds linger so...¡±


    ¡°Hm... These were caused by a nightmare''s fire... So that''s likely to be part of the problem...¡± mused Anton ¡°Have they healed at all? Or are they exactly the same as when they were first inflicted?¡±


    ¡°No. They were far worse when originally inflicted...¡± said Earlivi ¡°They are healing, though it is at an annoyingly slow rate...¡±


    ¡°Hm, I see...¡± nodded Anton as he turned back to the desk and clicked open the metal briefcase ¡°Well as bad as they look, it doesn''t seem as though your movements have been impaired by them at all. Are you in pain right now?¡±


    ¡°There is discomfort... But it is not unmanageable...¡± replied Earlivi.


    ¡°Okay, one second and I''ll get you something that should help with that.¡± said Anton as he flicked on a tens machine-like device that was sitting in the briefcase ¡°First let me set this up so I can take your vitals.¡±


    Taking a series of small rubber paddles that were attached to long lengths of rolled up wires from the briefcase, Anton quickly unwound the wires and plugged them into his machine before turning to Earlivi.


    For his part, the homunculus remained completely still as Anton placed the paddles at various points along his body.


    Although he, himself was not overly skilled in the creation of artificial beings, Anton was still well versed in the care and upkeep of the various types. Unfortunately this knowledge only partially extended to Earlivi and his unique physiology.


    Though there were many different sub-types in existence, most artificial beings could be divided into three main categories, golems, automatons and homunculi.


    As the simplest and easiest to create of the three forms, a golem can be made out of any material, either organic or inorganic in nature, and can be crafted into any shape that its creator desires. They are then given mobility and are powdered through enchantments that are etched into their bodies. The more powerful and intricate these enchantments are, the larger, stronger and more capable the golem can be.


    Although self aware to the same level as that of a lower life-form, such as a worm or insect, a golem is built to mindlessly follow orders and complete simple tasks. And as such they are unable to speak, have no memory and cannot form coherent thoughts on their own. And this singular point, a distinction between sentience and sapience, is what separates the golems from the automatons.


    Built in the exact same manner as their simpler brethren, an automaton is crafted with a drop of their creators minds added to their enchantments, and while this does not result in them becoming a complete copy of their creators, with a mind of their own now, they are thus capable of both speech and thought. And while still fiercely loyal to their creators, this ability to think independently will always result in an automaton naturally developing a personality all its own over time.


    Unlike the previous two mentions, a homunculus is a not a being that is built, so much as it is grown.


    Crafted through a lengthy process in which biological materials are fermented in a vat and then synthesized into a quasi life-form, a homunculus, while still completely artificial, is distinctive in that they possess a body that can both be powered through mana as well as function by breathing in oxygen and taking in foodstuff to burn as calories.


    Although their appearances may vary depending on what materials were used in their creation, most homunculi are based off of an existing species, as it is easier for a creator to be successful with a form that is already understood and known to work, than it is to start from scratch.


    As purely organic beings, all homunculi possess a genetic code as well as both a mind and a mana pool, which does give them a fully natural, individual personality and the potential to use magic.


    Although he was technically a homunculus himself, Earlivi was unlike his more mundane kin in that he was crafted with a method that utilized a combined mixture of Terran, Astral, Infernal and Voidling materials. This was a process that would usually result in failure, but through extensive experimentation, was somehow achieved by one Dr. Abigail Fillola, who for better or worse, was a friend of Anton''s.


    Though he didn''t fully understand exactly how this was done, Anton did know that Fillola''s ultimate goal was actually to create an all powerful homunculus that could function in the same manner as a Voidling and would be able to utilize the unlimited cosmic energies found in the Void. Thankfully she only partially succeeded before giving up on this plan. Her mindset having been drastically changed when she was pulled into the Void herself by one of her own creations and spent nearly five hundred years being slowly ripped apart and then put back together by said creation, which was one of Earlivi''s younger, slightly less reasonable brothers who was named Marbarlo.


    Switching on his machine, Anton let it run its diagnostics on Earlivi while he turned back to the keypad-like group of seals and summoned two different sets of marble sized gemstones.


    ¡°Okay. Now lets see if these will work on you...¡± he said as he faced the homunculus and handed him one of the gemstones ¡°Here you go. This should hopefully ease your pain. Try not to absorb all of the mana out of it right away though, okay.¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡± rumbled Earlivi as he gazed down at the tiny stone that was now laying in his palm.


    ¡°...Is it working?¡± asked Anton as the gemstone began to faintly glow.


    ¡°Indeed... It is quite soothing...¡± replied Earlivi.


    ¡°Okay, good. I''ve got a few of these here. So you can switch them out every now and then to give them a chance to rest and recharge. And these bigger blue ones should help you fall asleep.¡± said Anton as he held up one of the slightly larger stones ¡°...Which, these shouldn''t make you shift back into your crystal form. ...Or at least I don''t think they will?¡±


    ¡°No. It would take a great deal more than this to accomplish that...¡± rumbled Earlivi as he took one of the stones and held it up to eye level ¡°Thank you, for these... It is appreciated...¡±


    ¡°No problem. Glad I could help...¡± said Anton as he looked over his machines readings ¡°Hm... Well this might be the issue... It looks like you''re still low on mana... Very low even...¡±


    ¡°Still low?¡± questioned Earlivi.


    ¡°Yeah, at least compared to the levels I was reading before you were completely demanaed....¡± mused Anton ¡°Which is really surprising, considering how much mana you were just given... That should have been more than enough... But then again, you are mostly Voidling... Maybe that makes more of a difference than we realized?¡±


    Turning back to the homunculus, Anton looked him over again before shaking his head.


    ¡°Sorry to say it, but this could be a little out of my range of expertise, Earlivi...¡± said Anton as he gave the taller being a sympathetic look ¡°It might be best to give Fillola a visit...¡±


    Though his expressionless face never changed, Earlivi''s glowing eyes did dim slightly in obvious distaste.


    ¡°Must we really...¡± mumbled the homunculus ¡°Surely there must be some other option... Some other individual we can speak to instead...¡±


    ¡°Not really. That''s the problem with you having such a unique design. No one else is going to understand your make up better than she will...¡± said Anton as he crossed his arms ¡°I guess we can put it off for a bit, and just see what happens... You are technically healing... And who knows, maybe another big infusion of mana might help...¡±


    ¡°It is worth a try...¡± agreed Earlivi ¡°Anything to avoid seeing that woman is worth the effort...¡±


    Chuckling, Anton shook his head as he turned off his machine and began to gather the paddles from Earlivi.


    ¡°Well take another big dose of mana from the prisoners. Just please, please try not to kill any of them when you do... Seriously.¡± he said as he eyed the homunculus ¡°After that, just take it easy for the next few days. And we''ll see if your condition changes at all.¡±


    ¡°And if it doesn''t?¡± questioned Earlivi.


    ¡°Well... We''ll just have to take the next step. We can''t just leave you damaged like this after all.¡± said Anton ¡°...While we wait I''ll try to do a little reading and see if I can find something that might help. If nothing comes up though, Fillola''s will have to be our next stop.¡±


    Grumbling as he maneuvered his armored portions back into place, Earlivi''s eyes began to take on a faint red tint as a sign of his annoyance.


    ¡°Just try to relax, Earlivi.¡± said Anton with a smile ¡°There''s still a good chance that you''re just too low on mana to heal correctly. And if that''s the case then we won''t need to bother with a visit to her.¡±


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    ¡°True... Hopefully that is merely the issue...¡± rumbled the homunculus as he watched Anton pack everything back into the metal briefcase.


    ¡°Fingers crossed.¡± said Anton as he closed up the briefcase and sent it back to wherever it had come from ¡°For the time being though, I need to get back. I''m sure Kianna is worrying herself sick while waiting for me to let her know that you''re alright. I''ll check back in on you tomorrow night, and see how you''re coming along.¡±


    ¡°Very well... I shall speak with you again tomorrow then...¡± said Earlivi as he gave Anton a light bow of his head ¡°I am thankful for your assistance... Have a good night, my Master...¡±


    ¡°You too. And you''re welcome. If anything gets worse, then let me know right away.¡± said Anton as he made his way back towards the portal ¡°Get some rest, I''ll see you soon.¡±


    With that, he stepped through the portal and disappeared.


    -


    Having shifted her gaze to her daughter, Olivia said nothing as she let her eyes slowly take in the state of her attire.


    Dressed in nothing but a tight, crotch-less, barely there teddy that was crafted out of little more than ribbons and thin, red colored lace, Kianna couldn''t help but to feel self-conscious as she suddenly found herself under the scrutiny of her mother''s eye.


    ¡°...Uh, hey. ...W-what are you doing here?¡± she asked softly as she nervously wrapped her arms around her middle and tried her best to appear nonchalant.


    Olivia merely stood motionless for a moment before narrowing her eyes and making to move towards her daughter.


    ¡°Where is Anton?¡± she asked as she crossed the space that separated them.


    ¡°...Uh, he''s? He''s not here.¡± replied Kianna ¡°H-he had to step out for a minute... He''ll be right back though... In just a minute...¡±


    Staying still as she watched the opposing women approach her, Kianna involuntarily lowered her ears and swallowed a lump in her throat as her taller Mother came to a stop just in front of her.


    ¡°Is that so? Well, good. I need to speak with him about his living arrangements... It looks as though he has certainly made himself quite comfortable here...¡± reasoned Olivia as she began to walk slowly around her daughter while letting her eyes rove over the younger dark elf''s skimpy attire ¡°Comfortable indeed... Seems he''s decorated things to his liking... Including you...¡±


    ¡°...Uh, no. He, um, he didn''t make me wear this.¡± mumbled Kianna as she looked down at herself ¡°I, uh, put this on myself... To surprise him...¡±


    ¡°Did you now...¡± nodded Olivia as she came back around to the front of her daughter and gazed down at her jeweled collar ¡°Well aren''t you just the most attentive little slave...¡±


    Keeping her eyes downwards, Kianna lowered her ears even further as Olivia placed a finger beneath her chin and made the girl look up at her.


    ¡°Such a happy little plaything... So excited to serve her Master... That''s you... Right?¡± said Olivia as she narrowed her eyes in contempt ¡°I always knew you were a failure of a dark elf. But even so, this is just too much... Look at you, all too happy to be a humans little pet. No fight in you at all. How disgustingly shameful... A weak, worthless little creature like you isn''t even worthy of having a Master like Anton. He could do so much better than you.¡±


    Blinking, Kianna said nothing as her Mother shook her head and moved away from her.


    ¡°Get out.¡± said Olivia as she stepped around her shocked daughter ¡°I don''t want to see you in here ever again.¡±


    ¡°...I, w-wait. No!¡± said Kianna as she found her voice ¡°This is my Master''s room now! You can''t just make me leave!¡±


    ¡°...Excuse me?¡± said Olivia as she stopped short.


    Kianna pointed her ears straight upwards in alarm as Olivia shifted her now glowing eyes to her.


    ¡°You listen here, you insolent little brat...¡± growled Olivia as she loomed over her shorter daughter ¡°Regardless of what you may think. This is still my house, and my room. So I alone, will decide who goes and who stays in here. And some worthless little whore like you has no business ever questioning that. Now stop trying to talk back to your betters, slave. And get out!¡±


    Wanting to argue, but still harboring an unhealthy amount of fear for the woman standing before her, Kianna hesitated for a moment before dropping her eyes to the floor and quickly darting out of the room and her Mother''s sight.


    ¡°Humph. Such a disappointment...¡± mumbled Olivia as she shook her head and made her way into the closet.


    Annoyed to find that not only had Anton been busy moving his things into her space, but apparently Kianna had as well, Olivia frowned at the sight of hanging feminine clothing that didn''t belong to her. Kicking her daughter''s recently discarded garments to the side, she moved to stand in front of the closets three paneled set of mirrors. Gazing at herself for a second, she ran her hands down her trim form to straighten out her dress before stepping closer to the center mirror and pressing her thumb against an inconspicuous section of the mirror''s frame. A faint beep sound rang out before the entire section of wall, mirror, frame and all, eased forward with a hydraulic hiss and revealed a doorway hidden behind it.


    As her eyes fell onto the undisturbed contents of her vault, Olivia felt the tension in her chest ease a bit. And while she was still irritated with herself and her ridiculous urge to explain things to Anton, it was with a relived sigh that she stepped into the vault and disappeared from sight.


    Stepping out of the portal, Anton paused where he stood and went rigid as he immediately recognized that an unfamiliar mana signature was across the room and just out of sight from him.


    ¡°Master!¡± called Kianna with a harsh whisper ¡°Come here, quick!¡±


    Noticing her beckoning at him from the doorway, Anton hastily made his way to her while keeping his eyes trained towards the unseen intruder.


    ¡°Kianna, what''s going on!? Who is that in there!?¡± he asked in his own hushed whisper.


    ¡°It''s my Mom!¡± hissed Kianna ¡°She''s in the closet!¡±


    ¡°What? Wait, Olivia''s here?¡± questioned Anton as his tension immediately eased ¡°What in the world is she doing here?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know!? She just showed up, and told me to get out of her room...¡± whined Kianna ¡°Do you thinks she''s planning to move back in!?¡±


    ¡°I, I don''t know?¡± said Anton as he raised an eyebrow ¡°...She didn''t say anything about that at dinner? C''mon, lets go see what she wants.¡±


    ¡°...Uh, wait.¡± whimpered Kianna as she reached out and grabbed Anton''s arm ¡°I''m sorry! But, Mom said she doesn''t want to ever see me in this room again...¡±


    ¡°...What?¡± questioned Anton as he watched Kianna fold her ears back submissively behind her head ¡°Why would she say that?¡±


    ¡°...She, she said that, because she thinks I''m a failure, and worthless, and shameful...¡± explained Kianna as she dropped her eyes to the floor ¡°And she also said that I didn''t deserve to have a Master like you, cause you could do so much better than me... Which, she is technically right about that part, I am actually a pretty shitty dark elf... You could easily find a better one than me...¡±


    Anton was silent for a moment before he slowly turned his head towards Olivia''s mana signature.


    ¡°...Kianna, sweety. Listen to me very closely. You are the absolute best little dark elf I could ever have and I would never trade you for another one, ever. Now, I want you to forget everything that woman just told you, okay.¡± he said softly as he worked to keep his anger from leaking out into his aura ¡°I''m also going to need you to go wait downstairs for a few minutes while I go rip your Mother to pieces...¡±


    ¡°...Wha? Master! No! I could never do that!¡± cried Kianna.


    ¡°Oh, now don''t you worry about a thing...¡± growled Anton through his clenched teeth ¡°I''ll be sure to put her back together when I''m done...¡±


    ¡°No, I''m not worried about her! I mean, I can''t just leave you alone up here...¡± whined Kianna ¡°What if you need me?¡±


    Pausing for a second, Anton chuckled before nodding his head.


    ¡°Alright, just stick close to me then.¡± he said as he started towards the closet.


    Following close behind, Kianna kept her ears lowered as she fought the urge to grab the hem of Anton''s shirt.


    ¡°Huh... Well now...¡± said Anton as he rounded the corner into the closet and stopped just in front of the now open vault ¡°I did have my suspicions that there was something hidden in this space... Can''t say that I was expecting this though...¡±


    Staring into the vault, Anton could see that the small, octagon shaped room was about eight feet in diameter and was well lit up with bright, overhead florescent lights.


    This was hardly what caught his attention though, as the numerous and varied forms of insidious looking bondage gear and the many torture implements that adored the walls of the room, as well as the large, leather-clad metal framed chair that graced its center, were all far more eye catching than any of the rooms more mundane features.


    ¡°So I was right...¡± said Olivia as she ran her fingertips across the smooth, polished surface of the chairs metal armrest ¡°It would have only been a matter of time before you found this space...¡±


    The chair the dark elf was standing near was far from a comfortable looking seat, as cage-like, banded metal structures were attached to various points around its frame. And these implements were clearly designed to encase, spread wide, and completely immobilize the limbs, head, and torso of any unfortunate being who was unlucky enough to be locked within their suffocatingly tight confinement.


    While this type of chair was certainly intimidating in its own right, as any victim trapped in such a device as this would be left entirely exposed, vulnerable and at the complete mercy of those around them, what was even more unsettling about this one in particular though, was that its leather backing showed clear sighs of being wore down from extended use.


    ¡°...So what is all this?¡± questioned Anton as he slowly surveyed the room ¡°Your own private little torture den? A place where you can let your dark elf tendencies run wild?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly...¡± muttered Olivia as she continued to gaze at the chair ¡°It''s not meant to ever be used... I guess you could say it''s something like an exhibit... A little museum for me to display my nightmares in...¡±


    Turning to her, Anton cocked an eyebrow while behind him Kianna peeked around the corner and went wide eyed as she took in the rooms contents.


    ¡°These things, they were all used on you... You took them from the beach house...¡± whispered Anton as he let his eyes fall back to the chair ¡°...Why would you ever want to keep these things, Olivia?¡±


    ¡°...To remind myself, of what can happen if I let my guard down again.¡± said Olivia as she reached out and let the leather thongs of a hanging whip run through her fingers ¡°And... Also... To remember...¡±


    Trailing off, Olivia let the room go silent for a long moment before Anton finally spoke in a soft tone.


    ¡°...To remember?¡± he questioned.


    ¡°To remember...¡± mumbled the dark elf as she picked up a leather hood that was made to fully encase a persons head ¡°What it felt like to actually be wanted... Even if only in the worst way...¡±


    Staring at her for a moment, Anton let his eyes drop to the floor in sympathy while slowly shaking his head.


    ¡°...I''m sorry, Olivia.¡± he whispered.


    ¡°Don''t be. I don''t need your pity. I''ve already put all this behind me. And you know that.¡± muttered the dark elf ¡°So you can take your savior complex, and apologies, and go straight to Hell with them.¡±


    ¡°...Wait? What are you guys talking about?¡± questioned Kianna as she tentatively stepped into the room.


    ¡°You again...¡± muttered Olivia as she went to hang the hood back on the wall ¡°I thought I already told you to get out and stat out!¡±


    Flinching, but emboldened by Anton''s presence, Kianna stood up straight as she made her way fully into the room and stood between her Mother and Anton.


    With this being the first chance he had gotten to fully see what Kianna was currently wearing, Anton did a double take and couldn''t help but to lock his widened eyes to her in admiration.


    ¡°Enough with the shit attitude, Mom! You''re not in charge anymore... So just get over it. Now I''ll ask you again, nicely. What''s going on here? What is all this?¡± demanded Kianna as she faced her Mother ¡°...And what happened to you?¡±


    Olivia merely stared at her for a moment before turning back to the wall of hanging items.


    ¡°None of that is your concern, slave.¡± she said while nearly spitting the last word.


    Frustrated, Kianna let out a tired sigh before turning around to face Anton.


    ¡°Master, what''s going on here?¡± she asked.


    Before Anton could answer, Kianna suddenly went rigid, wide eyed and pointed her ears straight upwards as a loud crack echoed through the room.


    ¡°Your slave is poorly trained, Anton... She clearly doesn''t know her place... said Olivia as she held the wooden caning rod she had just used to strike Kianna''s backside between both hands and examined it for damage ¡°I''d say she could certainly do with a bit more discipline...¡±


    Trembling with fury and eyes now aglow with an ominous red light, Kianna slowly turned back to face her smug looking Mother. As their eyes met, the two dark elves commenced to point their ears straight back and stare each other down.


    Flaring her aura outwards, Kianna froze where she stood as the very instant her aura surrounded her Mother, a surreal realization suddenly hit her.


    With no barrier in place to guard against such an intrusive assault, and with Olivia''s willpower compromised by her semi-drunken state, Kianna''s aura was able to immediately seep into Olivia''s being. And with her eyes currently locked to the elder dark elf''s, Kianna inadvertently began to read her in a nearly identical manner to how she had done so with Mica.


    Just as it had happened with the cubi, a wave of information began to flow through Kianna''s aura, and with it came an unexpected truth about Olivia, a truth that Kianna would have never have suspected.


    The reason Olivia was there, was because of Anton.


    She had come to see him, she had wanted to see him again, even if only for a short time. There was no love, or even any true joy behind this, as she did not like him at all. In fact, she legitimately hated him... And yet, for reasons that she refused to admit, even to herself, she wanted to be near him again...


    While she may be denying her motives for coming home to herself, the intentions Olivia was projecting to Kianna were all too clear, as just beneath the hatred, there was not only a layer of piqued intrigue for her Master, but beyond that there was a tiny, but undeniable, ping of desire.


    Eyes widening in surprise and slight confusion, Kianna stared at her Mother for a moment before quickly glancing at Anton and then shifting her gaze back to Olivia.


    Though her initial response had been one of anger at the idea of her Mother trying to take for herself what was her Master, Kianna''s demeanor quickly shifted as her eyes once again locked themselves to Olivia''s and she was treated to another wave of information.


    Making a claim on Anton was not at all what Olivia wanted, no, it was the opposite in fact. As the reality that she could never lay a claim on him was in all actuality what was triggering her unwanted interest in him in the first place...


    She was afraid of him.


    She knew better than to not be afraid of him. As she knew he was strong, smart and powerful...


    Olivia understood that Anton was dangerous.


    She knew that he was fire. And it was this danger and allure that made her both hate him, and long to be near him.


    She wanted to be burned... Even if only just a little...


    Eyes now straining in their sockets as she stared unblinkingly into Olivia''s ruby irises, a maniacal smile slowly began to spread itself across Kianna''s face.


    Her Mother would never admit it, but she wanted to be burned... Badly... And she could help her with that... Oh, yes... She could be a very good little slave, and bring her Master a new toy to play with...


    Reluctant to intervene but ready to if necessary, Anton kept still as he waited to see what the two aggressive looking dark elves would do next. He and Olivia both creased their brows in uncertainty as Kianna''s crazed expression suddenly shifted and became subdued.


    ¡°You know what, you''re absolutely right...¡± said Kianna as she glanced back at Anton and dropped her aura ¡°I really have been such a poor slave tonight. Neglecting my duties. I haven''t even prepared any refreshments yet... I''m so sorry, my Master... I''ll be right back...¡±


    ¡°Hmph. Well it''s about time for you to start finally making yourself useful.¡± said Olivia as she turned away from her daughter ¡°Bring me an ice water with a slice of lemon. And be quick with it.¡±


    Anton raised an eyebrow as Kianna ignored her Mother and gave him a sly looking grin as she walked past him. Turning to the right as she exited the closet, Kianna ducked into the bathroom to apparently don a bathrobe before quickly reappearing in the walkway and leaving the bedroom all together. Surprised that she would bother with covering herself, Anton continued to watch the walkway for a moment before shifting his gaze back to Olivia.


    ¡°You know, you should really be more careful with Kianna.¡± he said as he found the dark elf switching out her caning rod for a thicker one ¡°She''s not nearly as harmless as she seems.¡±


    ¡°Don''t be ridiculous.¡± muttered Olivia ¡°A stern word is all it ever takes to put that one back in line. If anything it''s the other one that''ll try to test you.¡±


    ¡°That''s... Not completely inaccurate...¡± muttered Anton ¡°Anyways, getting back to the matter at hand. Why are you even here?¡±


    ¡°Does one need a reason to visit her own home?¡± said Olivia ¡°In all actuality, I could ask you that same question. Why are you even here? Don''t you have your own home to live in?¡±


    ¡°I do. But as I''ve said before, the girls didn''t want to leave.¡± said Anton ¡°From what I understand. This is essentially the only home they''ve ever known, and so they wanted us to stay here. It was important to them. So here we stayed.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, so you were serious about that... It really is their fault that you''re here then.¡± grumbled Olivia.


    ¡°Essentially.¡± chucked Anton.


    ¡°I see.¡± nodded Olivia ¡°So then tell me. If I told you to get out, right now. Would you really leave peacefully?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± answered Anton ¡°Though if it comes down to that I won''t be leaving alone. The girls will come with me. And that will naturally make finding them far more difficult for you.¡±


    ¡°Naturally...¡± nodded Olivia as she seemed to start contemplating her options ¡°Assuming of course... That I would even care to find them...¡±


    ¡°Right, assuming that you would.¡± nodded Anton.


    The room was quiet for a long moment until Kianna finally returned with a steaming mug of coffee cradled in her hands.


    ¡°Here you are, Master!¡± sang the dark elf as she cheerfully presented the mug to Anton.


    ¡°Oh, thank you, Kianna.¡± said Anton as he reached for the mug ¡°It''s a bit late for caffeine, but I appreciate it nonetheless.¡±


    Just as their hands met, Kianna leaned in close and began to whisper softly.


    ¡°Master. Real quick. You wouldn''t be mad, if we made this...¡± she said as she hooked a finger into the fold of her bathrobe and pulled it open just enough to expose her bosom ¡°The main plan for tonight... Would you?¡±


    His eyes now locked to her barely contained breasts, Anton couldn''t help but to grin thinly.


    ¡°I mean, once we have everything else settled...¡± he said as he lightly nodded towards Olivia ¡°I don''t see any reason why we can''t enjoy the rest of our night...¡±


    Her maniacal smile returning, Kianna''s ears pointed themselves straight upwards in excitement as her eyes began to glow.


    ¡°You better drink up then. You''re going to need the energy.¡± she said gleefully ¡°Oh, and don''t worry. I''ll handle getting ¡°everything else¡± settled...¡±


    Anton chuckled softly as he took the mug in his hands.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡± grumbled Olivia ¡°Have I been forgotten over here?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, no, no... Don''t worry, I didn''t forget about you...¡± said Kianna as she watched Anton take a sip of his coffee ¡°I''ll be with you in just a moment...¡±


    ¡°Mm...¡± hummed Anton as he swished his drink back and forth in his mouth a bit ¡°That''s different? Kind of almost... Sweet and, minty? What did you put in here? Some kind of creamer?¡±


    ¡°Something like that.¡± giggled Kianna ¡°Do you like it?¡±


    ¡°I do. It''s good.¡± nodded Anton as he took another sip.


    ¡°Good, good! You just enjoy it then...¡± said Kianna as she shifted her gaze over to Olivia ¡°And while you''re doing that, I''ll prepare something else for you to enjoy...¡±


    Olivia let her annoyance show clearly on her face as Kianna turned and began to approach her.


    ¡°And where''s my water?¡± she asked curtly.


    ¡°Water? You don''t want water...¡± said Kianna around a thin smile ¡°That''s not why you''re here... That''s not what you came here for...¡±


    ¡°...What are you doing?¡± said Olivia as she narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°Me?¡± breathed Kianna as she slowed her pace into a playful sashay ¡°I''m being a good little slave... And helping you...¡±


    Stopping just in front of Olivia, Kianna kept her eyes locked to her Mother''s and began to tug on her bathrobe until it started to slowly slide off of her shoulders.


    Blinking in uncertainty, Olivia stifled an involuntarily shiver as Kianna''s aura was suddenly surrounding her.


    ¡°I know what you want...¡± said Kianna in a hushed, sensual whisper as she pointed her ears down and away from her head and let her bathrobe fall to the floor ¡°I know why you''re here...¡±


    Though she wasn''t fully aware of exactly what Kianna was doing, Olivia froze where she stood as she felt her daughter''s whispering message of lust begin to flow through her aura.


    ¡°I know you won''t admit it... And that''s okay, you don''t have to...¡± said Kianna as she cupped her hand across her Mother''s cheek and leaned in close enough to whisper softly in her ear ¡°I know you came here... Because you want a taste of him...¡±


    Olivia''s eyes widened and went distant as she worked to keep herself from looking at Anton.


    Nuzzling her smiling lips against the side of Olivia''s face, Kianna began to giggle playfully as she felt her Mother stiffen, drop her canning rod and go rigid.


    Entirely unsure of what exactly was happening here, Anton kept his eyes locked to the scene in front of him and stayed quiet and unassuming as he continued to take long sips of his drink.


    Sensing that her Mother was about to pull away from her, Kianna clasped one hand around the back of Olivia''s neck and grabbed hold of her wrist with the other.


    ¡°Oh, now... Don''t be scared... You know you want this...¡± breathed Kianna as she pressed herself against the taller woman and continued to speak into her ear ¡°Here now... Let me help you get his attention...¡±


    Anton''s eyes widened in surprise as Kianna slowly shifted both her own and Olivia''s hands downwards in such a way that they got hooked on the strap of Olivia''s dress and pulled it down to expose a single one of her breasts.


    ¡°H-how, dare you!¡± hissed Olivia in embarrassment as she fought to suppress the growing burn in her loins ¡°I''m going to fucking kill you!¡±


    ¡°No, you''re not... You''re going to let me help you, give him a show...¡± giggled Kianna as she began to lightly kiss the side of her Mother''s chin ¡°Now shut up... And kiss me...¡±


    Olivia''s protests died in her throat as Kianna pressed their lips together and forced her Mother into a series of long and passionate kisses.


    Anton''s eyes were unblinking as he slowly downed the last of his drink and watched mesmerized as the mother, daughter duo engaged with each other.


    ¡°Yes! That''s it, finally...¡± gasped Kianna as her and Olivia''s lips finally separated ¡°You''re getting into it...¡±


    ¡°You little bitch!¡± snarled Olivia as she tried and failed to resist the lustful warmth that was seeping deep into her being though Kianna''s aura ¡°W-what, what have you done... What are you doing to me...¡±


    ¡°I told you already.¡± said Kianna as she summoned a light sword and use it to cut away at her Mother''s dress ¡°I''m helping you get what you want... And in exchange, you''re going to help me...¡±


    ¡°Help you! Never!¡± growled Olivia as she tried to ease away from the glowing sword and ended up stumbling on her weakened knees.


    Kianna laughed as she caught her compromised Mother and helped her stay upright.


    ¡°Oh, now. Don''t worry, you''re going to get what you want out of this night...¡± she said as she smiled wickedly and slid her sword past the hem of Olivia''s panties ¡°In fact, everybody is going to get what they want tonight... Right, sis?¡±


    Anton followed Kianna''s eyes as she looked past him to the walkway beyond. A sinister giggle filled the air a moment before Fiona stepped around the corner and smiled viciously at Olivia.


    ¡°My, my, my... Well this is certainly an interesting little collection you''ve got here, Mommy dearest...¡± said Fiona as she stepped around Anton and ran her eyes around the bondage gear filled vault before picking up a pair of brutal looking stainless steel alligator clamps ¡°Now... Why would you have so many funny little things like these, hm!? Don''t tell me you actually like to wear them, do you!?¡±


    ¡°Put those down you idiot!¡± snarled Olivia as she tried again to pull away from Kianna ¡°You both are demons! Get out! All of you get out!¡±


    ¡°No.¡± said Fiona flatly as she eyed the clamp she was currently opening and closing ¡°I''ve got some issues I need to work out with you... And this seems like a pretty good way to get started with that...¡±


    Olivia blinked and pointed her ears straight upwards in alarm as Fiona turned to her and began to darken into a fiery eyed, smiling, evil looking, living silhouette.


    ¡°Now, now, sis. Hold up. You''ll get your turn.¡± said Kianna as her eyes began to blaze as well ¡°She''s gonna get what she wants first though, and while we''re doing that, she''s going to help me get what I want. And then she''ll be all yours after that...¡±


    ¡°I am not helping you do-! Ah!¡± cried Olivia as a hand was suddenly slapped over her sex.


    ¡°Oh, but you''re going to help me, you bitch...¡± smiled Kianna as she nuzzled her lips back against the side of Olivia''s face ¡°You''re going to get what you came here for... And while you''re doing that...¡±


    Semi-drunk, and nearly crippled by her daughter''s oppressive, lust filled aura, Olivia couldn''t help but to groan loudly as Kianna''s fingertips began to teasingly probe around the entrance to her sex.


    ¡°You''re going to help me win...¡± giggled Kianna as she slid her curling fingers inside her Mother and turned back to smile at Anton ¡°You''re going to help me run the wild out of him!¡±


    Pausing at her words, Anton stared into Kianna glowing irises for a moment before dropping his own eyes down to his empty mug.


    Just as he registered the faint, bluish glow emanating out from the residue of his drink, he felt the earliest pings of the elixir begin to start affecting him.


    ¡°...Kianna, you, bad girl!¡± he muttered as he shook his head ¡°Ugh, I''m going to make you pay for this...¡±


    ¡°Control... Your slaves, Anton!¡± growled Olivia as she struggled to remain upright amid Kianna''s lustful influence.


    Looking back up at them, Anton blinked as the vision of a naked dark elf clinging to her nearly naked dark elf daughter, immediately began to trigger a response in his loins.


    ¡°...No, I think I''ll just let them continue.¡± he said as he stared unblinking at the sight of Olivia''s and Kianna''s bosoms being mashed together ¡°They seem to know what they''re doing...¡±


    ¡°Yes! Oh, this is gonna be a fun night!¡± giggled Fiona as she began to rub her hands together in anticipation ¡°Hope you''re ready for this, Mommy dearest!¡±


    Laughing as she enticed one desperate sounding moan after another out her squirming Mother, Kianna smiled gleefully as she watched Anton''s eyes light up blue and go wild with a barely controlled lust.


    -


    Downstairs, nestled in her small jungle in the corner of the front sitting room, Tessa sleepily blinked open her eyes before looking up at the ceiling in annoyance. Sleep would not be coming easy for the mantis this night, as from the rooms above her came filtering down the sounds of loud, sensual moans, and these were destined to go on for some time.

 Guilty x Creatures : Mothers and Daughters Arc : Chapter 9

    Chapter 9 : Morning


    Fiona scrunched up her face in irritation as a loud series of obnoxious beeps began to ring in her ears.


    ¡°Will somebody turn that shit off!¡± she growled as she tried to block the sound by covering her head with the folds of the blanket she had been sleeping on ¡°Seriously! It''s-! Ow! Hey! Don''t kick me, bitch!¡±


    Ignoring her grumbling daughter who had been sleeping at the foot of the large bed, Olivia stretched out her legs and lifted her arms up high into the air before raising up to a sitting position and swinging her legs out over the side of the bed.


    ¡°Oh, oh, oh...¡± moaned the dark elf around a soft smile as she twisted at the neck and waist ¡°...Now that''s what I call a lovely evening!¡±


    Getting to her feet, Olivia again twisted back and forth a bit as she absently checked her breasts, hips and backside for bruises. And taking stock of the many handprint sized, though easily concealable marks that now adored her body, she smiled in satisfaction.


    Laying on his back in the center of the bed, Anton began to stir and grumble before rolling over onto his side and draping an arm over Kianna''s prone body.


    ¡°You know, good as last night was, I don''t think I could ever stand baring the sight of any of you on a daily basis...¡± said Olivia as she made her way across the room and bent over to pick her purse up off the floor ¡°That being said though, I wouldn''t be opposed to the occasional repeat of last night... Maybe this could even be a monthly thing. We could call it your rent perhaps.¡±


    ¡°...How the Hell is this bitch even standing up right now?¡± muttered Fiona as Olivia switched off her phones alarm ¡°I swear I thought I almost killed her twice last night...¡±


    ¡°Don''t think so highly of yourself, or so little of your Mother, Fiona...¡± said Olivia as she quickly scanned through her missed messages ¡°I''ve sailed through far rougher seas than those I went through last night, and still lived to tell the tale...¡±


    ¡°...The fuck are you talking about?¡± questioned Fiona ¡°No. You know what, never mind. I don''t even want to know... Just go away and let me go back to sleep...¡±


    ¡°Fine by me.¡± said Olivia as she kept her eyes on her phone and made her way into the bathroom.


    ¡°Stupid bitch...¡± mumbled Fiona as she settled back down ¡°Stupid morning people... Make me sick...¡±


    Up near the head of the bed, Anton chuckled and took a deep breath before blinking open his eyes.


    Finding Kianna already awake and staring up at the ceiling with a sour look on her face and her ears hanging limp from the sides of her head, he smiled and tightened his arm around her in greeting.


    ¡°Good morning...¡± he said softly as he reached up and lightly ran his fingers over her head as he tried to smooth out her hair ¡°And how are we doing this morning?¡±


    Shifting just her eyes to him, Kianna tightened her lips into a thin line as she looked back up at the ceiling.


    ¡°I don''t want to move my legs... They hurt...¡± she grumbled as she went to curl her toes and winced from the pain in her stretched muscles ¡°I think I''m in even worse shape than I was in the last time we did this...¡±


    ¡°Yeah... You might need something a little stronger than just enchanted shampoo this time around.¡± said Anton as he shifted his eyes towards the bathroom just as the shower could be heard turning on.


    Looking in the same direction, Kianna''s frowned deepened.


    ¡°She''s up taking a shower already and I can barely even move...¡± she muttered before turning back to Anton and narrowing her eyes at him ¡°She barely even got fucked at all, while I ended up with my legs bent back behind my head for most of the night... That wasn''t fair...¡±


    Laughing softly, Anton ran his hand down her waist before gripping her hip.


    ¡°Well what can I say? Why would I ever want her, when I had my favorite dark elf right there with me?¡± he said as he began to gently massage Kianna''s navel with his thumb and fingertips.


    Kianna stared at him for a moment before looking away.


    ¡°...You ass.¡± she muttered as a faint blush spread across her cheeks ¡°...You''re so mean to me.¡±


    ¡°I know, and I''m sorry.¡± chuckled Anton as he leaned over and kissed the side of her head ¡°That being said though, you did last a lot longer last night than you did the last time we played with that elixir. So you should be excited about that at least.¡±


    ¡°I still didn''t win...¡± muttered Kianna as she tried to sit up but again winced in pain ¡°Also my ass really, really hurts too... Did you really have to spank me so hard?¡±


    ¡°Oh, now don''t try blaming me for that! Not when you were the one who was begging me to smack you harder and harder!¡± smiled Anton ¡°Also you deserve that for drugging me without consent, you bad, bad girl.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you never said I wasn''t allowed to drug you.¡± said Kianna as she smiled cheekily ¡°So I didn''t even know I was doing anything wrong...¡±


    ¡°...Oh! Yes you did you little brat!¡± laughed Anton as he gave the side of her hip a light, playful smack ¡°You knew exactly what you were doing and you''re not even sorry about it! Are you!?¡±


    ¡°Maybe a little bit...¡± said Kianna as she looked off to the side and lightly shifted her hips back and forth ¡°...But not really, no.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that''s what I thought.¡± said Anton around his smile ¡°Now I''m going to have lock that bottle up somewhere where you can''t get to it anymore.¡±


    ¡°...What, no! Don''t do that!¡± cried Kianna as she pointed her ears straight upwards in alarm.


    ¡°Argh! Will you, shut up! So fucking loud...¡± grumbled Fiona.


    ¡°You shut up!¡± snapped Kianna ¡°What are you even doing in here still!? Shouldn''t you be watching Mom or something!?¡±


    ¡°What? When did that become my job!?¡± said Fiona as she shifted to the side and eyed her sister ¡°I''m not the one who decided to make her the guest of honor at the sexy slumber party. That was you!¡±


    ¡°Hey don''t act like you didn''t enjoy yourself!¡± countered Kianna ¡°You should be thanking me! I know that had to feel good to finally put that bitch in her place! To you especially!¡±


    ¡°...Okay, yeah. You got me there.¡± mumbled Fiona as she seemed to deflate back into the blanket ¡°Gods alive... I really needed last night... That stupid bitch knows better than to fuck with me now...¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, same...¡± breathed Kianna as she too became relaxed again ¡°So nice to not be afraid of her anymore...¡±


    Shifting his eyes from one dark elf to the other, Anton raised a eyebrow in intrigue.


    ¡°So, hold on? What exactly was last night about?¡± he asked as he met Kianna''s eyes ¡°Are you two, somehow dominate over your Mother now?¡±


    Fiona snorted as Kianna shook her head.


    ¡°No, that stupid bitch will literally die before she ever considers either of us dominate over her.¡± said Fiona as she stretched out her legs ¡°She''s just not going to fuck with us anymore, that''s all.¡±


    ¡°Basically, we''re not kids anymore and Mom knows that she can''t just make us do whatever she wants anymore.¡± explained Kianna ¡°We''re like the same as she is now. We''re like equals.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay... I see...¡± nodded Anton as his expression became thoughtful ¡°And you made her understand this... By having sex with her?¡±


    Both of the dark elves laughed in unison.


    ¡°Nah, that was just us wanting to see the stupid bitch crawl.¡± said Fiona ¡°That didn''t have anything to do with what we''re talking about.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that was all just for fun.¡± said Kianna ¡°Which, you had fun too, right? Like I know I didn''t really explain much last night, cause I wasn''t sure if you would be onboard with Mom being involved in all. And I am sorry about that... But you did enjoy yourself, even with her there... Right?¡±


    His mind flashing back to a memory of yanking back on a fistful of Olivia''s long hair as he was roughly taking her from behind, Anton slowly nodded his head.


    ¡°I did, yes...¡± he mused softly ¡°Though I will admit that I''m of the same mindset that she is. In that I don''t know if I''d appreciate her being around constantly... An every now and then thing probably wouldn''t be so bad though... Honestly this whole thing with her is just one big question mark to me. Especially in the sense of why she''s even here. I''m guessing she came because she wanted to check in on her vault? Though the timing on that decision is a bit odd to me...¡±


    ¡°That''s probably one reason why she''s here, but it''s definitely not the main one.¡± said Kianna ¡°The real reason she''s here is because she wanted you to fuck her. Even if she won''t admit it, that''s why she came when she did.¡±


    ¡°...Excuse me!?¡± questioned Anton in surprise.


    ¡°Yeah, no, she definitely wanted some attention from you.¡± said Fiona as she glanced over at Anton ¡°I guess she was feeling lonely, or either you just strike her fancy just right or something. Either that or you charmed her over dinner. You were out with her for a while... What were you guys even talking about anyway?¡±


    ¡°We, talked about... Wait! Why would you two think that she was here because of me?¡± questioned Anton ¡°Did she tell you that was why she came?¡±


    ¡°Not with words, no.¡± said Kianna ¡°It was just like with what happened with Mica. You could just kind of feel it through her aura.¡±


    ¡°...Wait? So, you used that reading ability on her?¡± asked Anton ¡°When did that happen? Was I there when you did it?¡±


    ¡°You were, but I didn''t fully read her or anything. I didn''t have to.¡± explained Kianna ¡°This was just a surface kind of thing. She wasn''t trying to hide what she wanted, so it was easy to pick up on.¡±


    ¡°...Oh, I see.¡± said Anton as he looked over to where Olivia''s mana signature was located ¡°Well that''s an unexpected development... And honestly I''m not sure how I feel about this? I really don''t like the idea that I might have reminded her about...¡±


    Trailing off, Anton blinked as he realized what he was saying. Glancing down and finding Kianna staring back at him expectantly, he went quiet.


    ¡°...Reminded her about what?¡± questioned Fiona as she raised her head up high enough to look at him.


    Finding himself under both of their scrutiny now, Anton looked back and forth between the two dark elves before shifting his gaze back towards Olivia.


    ¡°I don''t know, how to start...¡± he said softly ¡°Honestly, I don''t know if I''m the one who should even say anything...¡±


    ¡°...What the Hell are you talking about?¡± questioned Fiona.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Is everything... Okay?¡± asked Kianna.


    Looking down at her, Anton tightened his eyes in sympathy.


    ¡°Look... There are some things you need to know, both of you...¡± he began with a sigh ¡°But I don''t know if I should be the one to tell you though... Or if it would be better if your Mother did...¡±


    ¡°Things we need to know?¡± repeated Kianna as she cocked an ear in a curious manner ¡°Are these, good things?¡±


    ¡°...No.¡± sighed Anton as he shook his head ¡°No, they''re not...¡±


    Turning his eyes away from the dark elves, Anton went quiet as he focused on getting his thoughts in order.


    Glancing at each other, Kianna and Fiona both shrugged before turning back to Anton and waiting for him to continue.


    As the three of them went silent, the noise of Olivia''s shower filled the otherwise quiet space, and after a time, these sounds too disappeared.


    Having shifted their attention to Olivia''s mana signature, Anton and the dark elves all followed her with their eyes as she wandered about in the bathroom for a bit and then meandered through the closet before finally heading back towards them.


    Having dressed herself in a pair of pink, lace panties that belonged to Kianna and one of Anton''s button up shirts that she had left mostly open, Olivia had a refreshed, casual air about herself as she sauntered back into the room.


    ¡°Still in bed?¡± she questioned as she flipped her long, damp hair back over her shoulder and eyed the trio of her most recent lovers ¡°By the Gods, Anton. I know they''re idiots, but you really have done a poor job of training these two. Sure, they''re skilled at servicing their betters in the bedroom, but a slaves duties hardly end there. And letting them laze about like this is a poor precedence to set.¡±


    Taken aback, Anton and the dark elves all said nothing as they each worked to decipher what had just been said.


    ¡°Slaves! Chop, chop! Breakfast isn''t going to make itself!¡± said Olivia as she clapped her hands and addressed her daughters ¡°Coffee, with two shots of vanilla cream. And I''ll have a five grain bagel with a light, and I mean a light! Spread of strawberry cream cheese. And if we have any blueberry yogurt here I''ll take some of that as well.¡±


    Blinking, Fiona and Kianna looked at each other before they both turned back to their Mother with glaring expressions on their faces.


    ¡°Hm... It looks like you two might have jumped the gun a bit with your earlier assumptions...¡± mused Anton ¡°I''m not so sure that the idea of you guys all being equals now is the consensuses here...¡±


    ¡°Equals? With slaves!?¡± laughed Olivia as she rolled her eyes and went to open the bedroom doors ¡°Don''t be ridiculous! That''s... Hello? What''s this... A cubi?¡±


    Having fully opened the double doors, Olivia stopped short in surprise as she found Mica curled up on the floor in the middle of the walkway.


    With a clearly satisfied expression on her face, the kiochi had apparently been indulging in the rampant tantric energies that had been produced throughout the previous night, and was now blissfully sleeping off her intoxicated state.


    ¡°Is this your cubi, Anton?¡± asked Olivia as she looked over the sleeping girl.


    ¡°Yes. That''s Mica, my kiochi. Please don''t step on her, or kick her.¡± said Anton.


    ¡°Hm, interesting... Another freeloader in my house... Looks like I''ll need to start charging you for a pet deposit.¡± mused Olivia as she stepped over Mica and went to leave the room ¡°Have that cubi join us the next time I''m in, and we''ll call this even.¡±


    ¡°...Okay, this is clearly a problem that''s going to need to be addressed immediately.¡± mumbled Anton as he watched Olivia disappear out into the hallway ¡°Girls, pull yourselves together because we''re going to need to go handle your Mother...¡±


    ¡°Let''s just ring the bitches neck and be done with it!¡± grumbled Fiona as she pointed her ears straight back ¡°Or we could just let the bug eat her. That would work too.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. Tessa!¡± said Anton as he moved to leave the bed ¡°We need to let her know that Olivia isn''t an intruder!¡±


    ¡°No we don''t.¡± said Kianna in dry tone.


    ¡°Yes, we do, Kianna.¡± said Anton with a grin as he got up and began to move quickly.


    Once dressed, healed and grudgingly woken up, Anton, the dark elves and Mica all made their way downstairs and into the kitchen where they found Olivia just barely starting the coffeemaker.


    ¡°Oh goody, she''s still alive...¡± muttered Fiona as she made her way to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of orange juice.


    ¡°About time. Bring me my mug when it''s ready.¡± said Olivia as she went to sit at the table ¡°...What happened to this chair?¡±


    Having pulled out the chair at the head of the table, Olivia was surprised to find that two of the center spokes that made up the chairs backrest had been removed.


    ¡°Ah, that''s the seat that Tessa uses.¡± said Anton ¡°We had to modify it a bit so as to accommodate her wings and abdomen.¡±


    ¡°Tessa? And who is this Tessa?¡± asked Olivia.


    ¡°She''s a weremantis who lives with us.¡± said Anton as he turned to Mica ¡°Speaking of which, do you mind going and waking her up, please.¡±


    ¡°Sure, no problem...¡± said Mica around a drowsy yawn.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± said Anton as he took a seat at the table opposite from where Olivia was now sitting ¡°Alright, Olivia. I''d say it''s pretty important that we have ourselves a little conversation this morning. There''s a few things I think we need to discus, ground rules not being the least among them...¡±


    ¡°Ground rules?¡± repeated Olivia.


    ¡°Yes, ground rules.¡± said Anton ¡°If you''re going to be visiting us on a regular basis now, then there''s going to be conduct that will need to be followed. Such as no more showing up out of the blue. This is our home, after all, and we do have a right to some privacy. So give us a call first. Preferably at least a day ahead of time.¡±


    ¡°I guess I can try to remember that, but no promises.¡± said Olivia with a catty, one shoulder shrug.


    ¡°It would be appreciated if you did...¡± mumbled Anton ¡°Secondly, the girls are not your servants. Nor are they in any way restricted in how they''re allowed to treat you. So I wouldn''t recommend that you keep talking to them in the manner in which you have been lately. Useless you''re actually interest in seeing just how far you can push them...¡±


    ¡°Pfft, come on now, Anton... Let''s not pretend like those two don''t know their place...¡± chuckled Olivia ¡°I''ll talk to them in any way I see fit.¡±


    ¡°Alright then, you''re taking that risk on your own though.¡± smiled Anton as he shrugged as well ¡°Lastly, I''d like to talk to you about buying-¡±


    Anton stopped short as an urgent sounding beep suddenly erupted out of Olivia''s phone.


    ¡°Hold that thought...¡± said Olivia as she held up a finger and eyed her phone as she scanned the new message that was being displayed on its screen ¡°I need to make a call real quick...¡±


    Placing the phone to her ear, the dark elf absently played with the buttons on her shirt as she waited for the line to be answered.


    ¡°Keeble, what do you need? What could possibly be so important that it can''t wait till Monday?¡± said Olivia as she lolled her head to the side and listened to the frantic sounding voice on the other end ¡°Are you serious!? No! They''re not getting another dime! In fact, they''re fired! ...Because they failed to complete the job! And I know they failed because I''m sitting right in front of him right now, and he is very much alive! So I don''t care what they say, they''re lucky they got paid as much as they did! Oh, and another thing! Their so called ¡°brilliant plan¡± was another point of failure. That monster they tried to send didn''t even go after the right person! So no, they''re not getting the other half. They''re not getting anything. ...What do you mean what should you tell them!? Tell them that they''re fired and tell them that if I ever hear another peep out of them ever again, it''ll be the last mistake they''ll ever make! In fact, tell them that they''ll be really lucky if I don''t just send Anton after them right now!¡±


    Ending the call with a click, Olivia let loose an exasperated sigh before turning back to Anton.


    ¡°At some point in the future I may need you to go destroy a group of assassins.¡± she said nonchalantly.


    With his elbows planted on the table and his chin resting on his clasped fists, Anton''s expression was clearly unamused.


    ¡°So I gathered...¡± he drawled as he narrowed his eyes ¡°Now you do realize that I don''t work for you, right?¡±


    ¡°Not officially, maybe. But you do owe me, as you are using my home to house all your little pets...¡± said Olivia while glancing at the entryway just as Mica and Tessa were stepping into the room ¡°Speaking of which...¡±


    ¡°Excuse you!?¡± said Mica as she planted one hand on her cocked hip ¡°And who do you think your calling a pet!?¡±


    ¡°You.¡± said Olivia in a dismissive tone while looking Tessa up and down.


    Apparently more than content enough to just ignore the new face in the room, Tessa sat down in her seat and yawned softly before closing her eyes and seemingly going back to sleep.


    ¡°Hm, have to appreciate the quiet ones...¡± mused Olivia before turning back to Anton ¡°In any case, while living under my roof, you and yours are in my debt. And being called in for a few random favors every now and then seems like a fair enough trade to me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, about that...¡± said Anton as he rose from his seat ¡°I think I''ve got a better idea. I''ll be right back. Just need to go get something real quick. Girls, Mica, mind our guest while I''m gone, please.¡±


    ¡°Right, boss.¡± said Mica as she crossed her arms and planted herself in the doorway.


    Watching Anton as he left, Olivia shifted her gaze to the now readied coffee before eyeing her daughters expectantly. When all Fiona and Kianna did was stare back at her in defiance, the elder dark elf rose from her seat with a huff and made herself a mug.


    ¡°Absolutely useless...¡± muttered Olivia as she sat back down and began to idly look at her phone.


    A few minutes later, Anton returned with a stack of papers in his hand.


    ¡°Alrighty then... So of course I don''t expect you to sign this immediately...¡± he said as he sat back down and separated the papers into two stacks before passing one set across the table to Olivia ¡°Here, this is your copy to take with you when you leave. Look it over, see what you think. And we can meet back up at some point in the next few days or so to get it signed...¡±


    ¡°Signed? Hold on, what is this?¡± asked Olivia as she grabbed up the papers.


    ¡°Just a little something I had my lawyer write up for me. In a nutshell it''s a contract that''ll transfer the ownership of this property from you to me.¡± explained Anton ¡°It''s fairly standard in form, but was purposely made out to be as simple and painless as possible. I can promise you that there''s nothing insidious hidden inside it. Though I''ll fully understand if you want to have your own people look it over for you.¡±


    ¡°Are you insane!?¡± balked Olivia as she immediately tore the contract in half ¡°As if I''d just sell you my property out of the blue like that!¡±


    ¡°Hm, yeah, I figured you''d react that way.¡± said Anton as he gazed at the torn up contact and tapped on the stack of papers sitting next to him on the table ¡°Which is exactly why I brought a few spares...¡±


    ¡°Bring as many spares as you want, it won''t make any difference!¡± declared Olivia as she pointed her ears straight back ¡°I''m not selling you anything, Anton!¡±


    ¡°Oh, but I think you will...¡± said Anton as he met the dark elf''s eyes ¡°In fact, I can guarantee that you will...¡±


    ¡°Oh really?¡± mocked Olivia as she leaned back in her chair and took a sip from her mug ¡°And how exactly are you going to manage that?¡±


    ¡°By not giving you a choice.¡± said Anton ¡°Let''s not forget, Olivia, I''ve got more than enough justification to enslave you. I could just take everything from you in one go, but instead I''m trying to be nice here. And I''d appreciate it if you would acknowledge that...¡±


    ¡°Enslave me!¡± laughed Olivia ¡°Are you serious!? Did you already forget our conversation from last night? I''m a dark elf, Anton. Three pigs literally spent months trying to enslave me and they couldn''t do it no matter what they tried! So what in the world would make you think that you''ll be able to succeed where they failed?¡±


    ¡°The fact that I''ve already succeeded, twice.¡± said Anton in a dry tone.


    ¡°Pfft, please...¡± said Olivia dismissively ¡°I''ll admit that those decorative little collars that you''re making those two idiots wear may be lovely to look at, but they''re not fooling anyone, Anton. You can''t really expect me to believe that you actually enslaved those two.¡±


    ¡°I could always prove it to you.¡± replied Anton in the same nonchalant tone ¡°You really don''t want me to do that though. As I don''t think you''ll be very happy with where you''re going to land on the hierarchy around here...¡±


    Olivia went silent as she narrowed her eyes at him.


    ¡°...Look, let me make things clear. There are only two things that I want from you. And one of them is this house. Now I''m not trying to cheat you out of the house in any way though. Nor am I asking for anything for free here. I''m willing to pay you a fair market price for the house.¡± said Anton as he crossed his arms over his chest ¡°And considering I do have other, cheaper, options... I think this is a pretty generous move on my part.¡±


    ¡°Generous indeed...¡± mumbled Olivia ¡°And why exactly do you even want this house so badly?¡±


    ¡°Because it''s important to the girls. And I want them to have it.¡± said Anton.


    ¡°Again with the girls...¡± said Olivia as she rolled her eyes ¡°Those two have you completely wrapped around their fingers, don''t they?¡±


    ¡°Well, one could certainly make that argument.¡± chuckled Anton.


    ¡°Yes, they could. Easily¡± said Olivia as she too crossed her arms over her chest ¡°And what was your second demand?¡±


    Anton was still for a moment before he sighed softly and looked down at the table.


    ¡°...I want you to tell the girls everything.¡± he said as he looked back up at the dark elf ¡°Everything that you told me last night.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± said Olivia.


    ¡°This isn''t a request.¡± said Anton.


    ¡°Good. Because it isn''t going to happen.¡± said Olivia.


    ¡°The girls need to know the truth. And you''re going to tell them.¡± said Anton as he narrowed his eyes ¡°Or I''m going to complete my collection of Vale women, and make you tell them.¡±


    Pointing her ears straight back, Olivia glared menacingly as she tightened her jaw.


    ¡°If you want them to know so badly, then just tell them yourself.¡± she said in a tone of irritation.


    ¡°...I considered that.¡± said Anton as he looked off to the side and shook his head ¡°But no. It wouldn''t be right. It''s not my place. It''s not my story, or my history. It''s yours, and theirs... They deserve to know the truth. What happened, where they came from, and why you made the decisions that you did... They deserve to know everything...¡±


    ¡°...Why?¡± hissed Olivia as her eyes shifted to a glowing red ¡°What good is it even going to do them to know what happened? How are they not better off without knowing!?¡±


    Anton was still for a moment before without a word, he looked up at Fiona and Kianna and gazed at them in silence.


    The two dark elves blinked in uncertainty as they stared back at him and watched as a tiny, sad looking smile formed on his face.


    ¡°...It''s not going to be good, or easy for them to hear.¡± he said softly as he dropped his eyes back to Olivia ¡°But they need to know... They''ll never be whole otherwise...¡±


    Staring at him in silence, Olivia paused as she took in his strained expression, and registering the sincerity in his eyes, she slowly dropped her own to the table.


    ¡°...The one benefit of you knowing everything was that you could be the one to tell them.¡± she mumbled softly ¡°And you couldn''t even do that right...¡±


    ¡°It''s not my place, Olivia...¡± said Anton as he slowly shook his head ¡°Look, I just need you to tell them. And then I''ll take care of everything else after that...¡±


    Keeping her eyes on the table, Olivia said nothing.


    After a time, Anton rose from his seat and had Mica, Kianna and Fiona all help him to quickly make breakfast. Fielding their questions the entire time, Anton remained steadfast that it wasn''t his place to say more.


    When breakfast was finally ready, he set a plate of eggs and bacon down in front of Olivia and sat down with everyone else.


    Though she was silent the entire time, Olivia did finally cave to her hunger and begin to eat as well.


    When everyone was finished, Anton made up a fresh pot of coffee and set it up on the table for Olivia, before ushering Mica and Tessa from the room.


    Alone with her daughters now, Olivia stayed silent for nearly an hour before with an exasperated sigh, she began to speak.

 Guilty x Creatures : Mothers and Daughters Arc : Chapter 10

    Chapter 10 : Night


    The fading light of the waning evening found Anton sitting up against the headboard of his bed with his arms wrapped reassuringly around a sobbing Kianna''s slender frame. After curling herself up in his lap, the devastated dark elf had hidden her face as she cried softly into Anton''s chest.


    Having recounted her life''s story to her daughters, Olivia had taken her leave earlier in the afternoon.


    And having been left alone at the table, Fiona and Kianna had sat silent and motionless for some time as they both seemed to be digesting everything that they had just been told.


    Unsure of exactly how he should approach them, Anton had came into the kitchen after seeing Olivia off, and quietly sat down across from the unresponsive dark elves.


    ¡°...Girls, I''m so sorry.¡± he had said softly ¡°Truly, I am...¡±


    Saying nothing, the two dark elves remained still as they left their unfocused eyes to stare at the table in front of them.


    After nearly another hour of silence Fiona finally looked up at Anton.


    ¡°Yeah... I''m tired.¡± she muttered in an emotionless tone ¡°I''m gonna go lay down, I''ll see you guys later...¡±


    ¡°...Alright.¡± nodded Anton ¡°...Just let us know if you need anything.¡±


    Nodding absently, Fiona rose from her chair and left the room.


    Watching her go, Anton turned back to Kianna and found her gazing at her sister as well.


    ¡°...Kianna?¡± he said softly ¡°...Are you alright?¡±


    Slowly shifting her eyes to him, Kianna stared silently for a moment before finally speaking.


    ¡°...No.¡± she whispered.


    Her face twisting in anguish, Kianna dropped her head into her hands as she tried to hide the tears that were quickly forming in her eyes. Despite her efforts to keep her emotions in check, a garbled cry soon escaped from her as her body was rocked by a heavy sob.


    With her eyes hidden, Kianna never actually saw Anton rise from his seat and approach her side. But as she felt his arms wrap around her in a familiar, comforting embrace she immediately leaned into him, let loose a grateful whimper and began to cry in earnest.


    Lost in her sorrows, the dark elf had barely even registered that anything was happening when Anton had lifted her up from her seat and carried her to their room, where they remained for the rest of the afternoon and into the evening.


    As the night began to grow later, both Anton and Kianna were surprised when the double doors of the master bedroom were suddenly thrown open wide.


    ¡°I am not a piece of shit!¡± declared Fiona as she burst into the room.


    Shocked into silence by her sister''s appearance, Kianna whipped her head around and blinked at her.


    ¡°It doesn''t matter if both my parents were garbage!¡± continued Fiona as she began to pace back and forth ¡°It doesn''t matter if they were rapists! And if they wanted to kill me! It doesn''t matter if they never loved me! Or ever, even wanted me at all... It doesn''t matter if they were shit! It doesn''t matter!¡±


    Working herself up into a frenzy, Fiona would turn and point at Anton and Kianna as she made each of her points.


    ¡°It doesn''t matter where I came from! Or why I was born! It doesn''t matter if I was just a tool!¡± she exclaimed as she kept pacing and pointing ¡°It doesn''t matter which one he was! They were all shit! But I''m not! Just cause they were shit doesn''t mean that I was born shit! I''m not shit! I''m not! They''re shit! But I''m not!¡±


    Stopping just in front of Anton and her sister, Fiona turned to fully faced them both.


    ¡°It doesn''t matter. None of it matters. I am not shit.¡± she declared in a soft tone as she clearly worked to convince herself of the truth of these statements, as well as her audience.


    As the three of them stared at each other in silence, a heavy fatigue could clearly be seen forming in Fiona''s eyes.


    ¡°...I, I got to go!¡± exclaimed the dark elf as her voice began to crack.


    Twirling around in hast, Fiona''s foot got caught on her other ankle and thus her attempt to leave the room as quickly as she could resulted in her tripping over her own feet and toppling to the ground.


    Finding herself on the floor now, Fiona laid still for a moment before her pride fully broke and she curled herself up into the fetal position and began to softly cry.


    Everything seemed to go still as her quiet whimpers filled the room.


    ¡°...No! Quit it!¡± whined Fiona as she felt a pair of arms begin to wrap themselves around her ¡°Don''t touch me!¡±


    Ignoring her protests, Anton lifted her quivering form up as gently as he could.


    ¡°...I''m not a piece of shit!¡± waled Fiona as she kept her eyes closed while being carried across the room.


    ¡°No, you''re not.¡± said Anton softly ¡°You''re a strong, beautiful and very special woman. And you need to always remember that. No matter what...¡±


    ¡°...Shut up!¡± sobbed Fiona as she pressed the side of her head against his shoulder ¡°...I hate you!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know you do...¡± said Anton as he carefully set her down on the bed.


    Fiona sobbed loudly as she was immediately embraced by her sister the moment she was laid on the bed.


    Clinging to each other, the two sobbing dark elves pressed their foreheads together and began to gibber incomprehensibly.


    They each whimpered gratefully as from behind Kianna, Anton''s arms wrapped themselves around them both and flooded them with a warm and comforting essence.


    It was late into the night that the dark elves quietly cried, as all the while Anton worked to gently rock them to sleep.


    Waking up that next morning, Anton had risen up to one elbow and found both of the dark elves looking up at him with their ears laid back submissively and their large eyes bloodshot with fatigue. Still in each others arms, they stared at him with a heartfelt but silent and aimless expectancy.


    Smiling softly back at them, Anton had gently and wordlessly prompted both of the dark elves out of the bed and into the bathroom.


    Following his lead without any resistance whatsoever, both Kianna and Fiona had allowed themselves to be undressed and then ushered into the shower where Anton would position them about as he helped them to get clean.


    The only sounds that ever came from them were the quiet, grateful whimpers that Kianna made as Anton held her to his chest while he took a soft cloth and began to gently but thoroughly clean her long, twitching ears.


    When it came time for her turn, Fiona''s subdued expression made it clear that she wasn''t quite as happy with getting such attention as her sister was. But she said nothing and offered no fight as Anton had her stand in front of him and hold still.


    Though he didn''t acknowledge it at the time, Anton was still keenly aware of what it meant for Fiona to willingly allow him to touch her ears in this way.


    She was trusting him.


    And while Anton knew that there was none of the romantic undercurrents that often accompanied this type of trust, Fiona was still trusting him in what was for her a very real way. And registering this, he couldn''t help but to feel a grateful warmth begin to swell in his chest.


    Once cleaned, dried and redressed, Anton led the dark elves downstairs and tried to make them a warm meal but he had to stop and bring them back upstairs when they both slipped into another crying session that lasted for the rest of the day and back into the night.


    This pattern continued for the next three days.


    During this time neither Kianna nor Fiona would hardly ever willingly leave Anton''s side, as he cared for and comforted them. Eating little, if at all, the depressed, brooding dark elves had spent these days huddled in bed or sitting together outside with Anton while quietly taking in a bit of much needed sunlight.


    There had barely been a single actual word ever spoken between any of the three of them throughout this time, as the mere presence of each other was enough satisfaction in of itself.


    For their parts, Mica and Tessa kept their distance from the forlorn group, and instead focused on their own matters, such as Mica''s training routines, and more or less fended for themselves during meal times.


    Anton did work to provide for them as well by going out and getting take-out meals whenever he had the chance to slip away from the sporadically sleeping dark elves. And it was during these moments that he would also go and check in on Earlivi, who, thankfully, was beginning to heal much faster with each infusions of living mana.


    It was during the return from one of these food gathering trips that Anton came back to find Fiona awake and sitting alone on the couch in Tessa''s front room.


    ¡°Oh... Hey there...¡± said Anton softly as he came into the room and stood in front of her.


    ¡°...Hi.¡± said Fiona as she gazed up at him.


    ¡°It''s good to see you up and about...¡± said Anton as he took stock of the dark elf''s clearly improved condition ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°...I''m, okay.¡± said Fiona after a second of silence ¡°I think... Yeah... I''m okay. I''m... I''m good...¡±


    Staring at each other, a thin smile slowly formed on both Anton and Fiona''s faces.


    ¡°Good, this is good.¡± said Anton with a nod ¡°Just, take it slow though, alright...¡±


    ¡°Yeah... Yeah, I am...¡± said Fiona as she looked away from him ¡°Hey... Thanks, by the way... For... You know... For everything...¡±


    ¡°Of course...¡± nodded Anton ¡°Remember, I''m still right here. If you ever need anything...¡±


    ¡°Yeah... Yeah, I know...¡± nodded Fiona ¡°I''ll, remember that...¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± grinned Anton as he indicated the pizza boxes in his hands ¡°You hungry?¡±


    Catching the intoxicating scent of melted cheese, garlic and tomato sauce, Fiona''s mouth immediately began to water in anticipation.


    ¡°...Yeah. Oh yeah, I am.¡± she claimed as she rose up from her seat and eagerly bounded up to Anton.


    Chuckling, Anton led the way to the kitchen.


    ¡°Go ahead and get started.¡± he said as he set the stack of pizza boxes on the table ¡°I''m going to go check on Kianna.¡±


    ¡°She was still asleep when I left.¡± said Fiona as she sat down ¡°Guessing she''s probably starving by now too though.¡±


    ¡°More than likely.¡± said Anton as he headed towards the stairway.


    Left to own devices now, Fiona began to dig through the boxes of pizza until she found an extra large meat lovers combo and, picking off the larger chucks of ham as she went, she quickly began to devour one hefty piece after another.


    Preoccupied with her meal as she was, Fiona didn''t notice the thin, ominously lurking form as it silently entered the room by crawling across the ceiling. And it wasn''t until Molly gave a short, excited bark that the dark elf realized that she was no longer alone at the table.


    Fiona''s ears pointed themselves straight upwards in surprise as she suddenly found Tessa sitting in her modified chair with her antennae perked up and alert.


    Clearly intrigued by the prospect of food, the mantis had a bright, excited, expectancy about her that could easily be felt, despite her otherwise blank expression.


    Annoyed at being startled by the alien-like creature and in no mood to share her food, Fiona pointed her ears straight back and sent a clear message to her unwanted guest by forcefully slamming shut the pizza box and glaring at the mantis.


    Looking at the closed box for a second, Tessa shifted her eyes to Fiona and gazed at her for a moment before silently opening her seemingly tiny mouth and spreading her sharp, serrated mandibles out as wide as they would go.


    Staring, unblinkingly, at the solid black, vicious looking vice that was Tessa''s mouth, and fully registering the mantis'' wordless warning, Fiona slowly turned the reopened pizza box towards the mantis as she silently offered her a slice.


    Without hesitation, Tessa leaned forward and clamped her mandibles shut around two slices of pizza before quickly pulling them back into her mouth.


    Watching as the eager mantis made to devour what had moments ago been her own food, Fiona began to maliciously grin.


    With ¡°teeth¡± that were originally designed to crush and rip apart the hard bodies of armored arthropods, Tessa''s mouth was not exactly equipped to deal with soft, mushy or sticky substances. And so, just like a dog with peanut butter stuck to the roof of its mouth, the hapless mantis began to struggle with chewing up the melted cheese that was now slathered across and stuck in between the jagged points of her mandibles.


    Chuckling to herself, Fiona''s evil smile brightened as she picked up another slice of pizza and settled in to enjoy the show.


    Meanwhile, upstairs, Anton slowly opened the inner door to the master bedroom and peeked inside.


    With the shades pulled shut over the windows, the room was cast in a gloomy, gray darkness that left it with just barely enough light for him to vaguely see with.


    ¡°Kianna? Are you awake?¡± he called softly into the stillness.


    Peering through the shadows, he was just able to register a bit of movement on the dark mass that was his bed, and as he watched, a pair of red, faintly glowing eyes turned back to look at him. As his own eyes adjusted to the darkness, Anton smiled softly as Kianna''s pouting face formed out of the gloom.


    Wearing nothing but a pair of pink panties and a ruffled, sleep worn t-shirt that she had borrowed from him, the dark elf was laying haphazardly across the top of the bedspread. With a tiny huff, she rose up on her hands and knees and began to crawl towards Anton.


    ¡°Master...¡± she breathed as reached the edge of the bed and sat back on her folded legs.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Leaving the door open behind him, Anton entered the room and quickly made his way over to the bed.


    As he approached her, Kianna laid her ears back submissively and began to whimper softly when Anton wrapped his arms gently around her in greeting.


    ¡°Hey there, my sleepy little dark elf...¡± whispered Anton as he began to run his hand up and down her back ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°Argh...¡± grumbled Kianna as she rubbed her face against his shoulder and then nuzzled herself up against him ¡°I''m tired... But I''m also tired of being tired...¡±


    Chuckling, Anton gave her a squeeze and then used one arm to hold her against his chest as he began to play with the length of her hair.


    Letting herself lay limp against him, Kianna began to hum appreciatively as Anton slowly ran his fingers through her hair.


    Laying there, listening to the familiar, comforting sounds of Anton''s heartbeat, Kianna couldn''t help but to feel a growing sense of guilt and a tightness in her chest. And so, with a garbled, unhappy whine, she reached up and gripped the sleeves of Anton''s shirt as she looked up at him.


    ¡°Master... I''m sorry...¡± she whimpered as she tightened her ears together behind her head ¡°I''m so sorry... I really am...¡±


    ¡°...You? What?¡± questioned Anton in genuine surprise ¡°What do you mean? What are you sorry for?¡±


    Biting her lower lip in anguish, Kianna lowered her eyes and made to hide her face before she spoke again.


    ¡°For being, broken...¡± she whimpered quietly around a sob ¡°And not being a real dark elf...¡±


    ¡°...What?¡± asked Anton as he blinked at her ¡°What in the world are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°I''m talking about being, defective... And how now it makes sense why...¡± she whined ¡°I''m not really a dark elf...¡±


    Raising her head back up to look at him, Kianna fought to hold back tears as she explained herself.


    ¡°I know you want to study dark elves... That''s why you enslaved us... But now you can''t study me anymore... Cause I''m not really a real dark elf... I''m half human...¡± she whimpered sadly ¡°And I''m sorry! I''m so sorry!¡±


    Without a word, Anton tightened his arms around the quivering dark elf and pulled her into a caring embrace.


    ¡°Oh, Kianna... My sweet, sweet little dark elf...¡± he sighed as he hugged her ¡°That''s not how it works. It doesn''t matter what your Father was, you are and will always be, a real dark elf...¡±


    ¡°But... I''m not though...¡± sobbed Kianna ¡°I''m not like other dark elves... I''m broken...¡±


    Shaking his head, Anton eased back a bit so he could look down at the dark elf.


    ¡°No. You''re not like other dark elves, but that doesn''t mean that you''re broken. Just different. That''s all...¡± he said as he smiled softly ¡°And you being different doesn''t mean that you aren''t a dark elf, you are.¡±


    ¡°But I''m not, not really... I''m only half...¡± whimpered Kianna.


    ¡°No, no, no. That''s just not how it works.¡± said Anton softly ¡°Babies who are conceived through a soul-link have their genetics blended in such a way that they are only ever one species, Kianna. They''re never hybrids, because hybrids don''t need a soul-link to form, they can be conceived naturally. But humans and elves, they don''t make a hybrid naturally. Any babies born between them have to form through a soul-link, and so they are only ever one species or the other. And that means that you are a dark elf, Kianna, and there''s no question about that.¡±


    ¡°...But I''m not pure.¡± whined Kianna ¡°I''m not a pure dark elf. I have human genes...¡±


    ¡°That... That doesn''t matter though. Not being pure doesn''t change anything.¡± reassured Anton ¡°You''re carrying human genetics, yes. But they''re going to be dormant, and they''re not going to affect you. They can''t, because they''re turned off, and they no longer work. It''s no different than how humans carry primitive primate genes that are turned off and don''t work. It''s basically the same thing. So just because you have these human genes, it really doesn''t mean anything. You''re still a dark elf, Kianna. Through and through.¡±


    Doubt still clear in her eyes, Kianna said nothing as she looked away and scrunched her face up in sadness.


    ¡°Listen to me, Kianna...¡± said Anton in a soft tone as he gently took hold of Kianna''s chin and made her look him in the eyes ¡°You are a dark elf. And you''re not just any dark elf. You are my dark elf. And whether or not you''re a pure dark elf means nothing to me. Nothing at all. You are my sweet, strong, beautiful and very, very special little dark elf... And I think that you are perfect, just the way you are.¡±


    Kianna stared at him in silence for a moment before fresh tears began to form in her eyes.


    ¡°Do you really mean that? Do you really think I''m perfect?¡± she sobbed as she tightened her ears together behind her head ¡°Or, or do you want to trade me for a better dark elf instead, one that''s pure...¡±


    ¡°Wha? No! Of course not, Kianna...¡± sighed Anton as he wrapped his arms back around the quaking dark elf ¡°How could you ever even think that!?¡±


    Garbling incoherently, Kianna hid her face against him as she sobbed loudly.


    ¡°Kianna I would never, ever trade you for any other dark elf.¡± reassured Anton as he hugged her tightly ¡°Never!¡±


    ¡°Really!?¡± whined Kianna as she hugged him back ¡°You promise!? You promise you won''t trade me away!?¡±


    ¡°Of course I promise...¡± soothed Anton ¡°I promise you, I would never trade you away, Kianna. Not for anything. Not for the world.¡±


    Whimpering in relief, Kianna tightened her hold on him as her body was racked with a series of heavy, grateful sobs.


    Not quite satisfied with merely hugging, the suddenly ecstatic dark elf began to frantically clamber up Anton''s chest until she could wrap both her arms around his neck and her legs around his middle.


    Chuckling, Anton shimmied his arms down Kianna''s slender frame so he could slide his hands beneath her thighs and better hold her in place.


    ¡°Oh, Kianna... My poor little dark elf...¡± he sighed as he shook his head ¡°You should have known better than to think that I would ever trade you away... You know I would never do that to you...¡±


    ¡°I''m sorry...¡± whined Kianna as she nuzzled her face against the side of his head and began to enthusiastically kiss him along his jawline ¡°I''m sorry... I''m sorry... I''m sorry...¡±


    ¡°Hm... My sweet little dark elf...¡± breathed Anton ¡°What am I going to do with you...¡±


    Laying her head on his shoulder in such a way that her face was aimed away from him, Kianna began to lightly squirm a bit in Anton''s arms while mumbling incoherently.


    ¡°Hm? What was that?¡± questioned Anton as he tried to look back at her.


    ¡°...I said.¡± said Kianna in a barely audible whimper ¡°That you should... Probably... Maybe...¡±


    ¡°...Maybe?¡± repeated Anton as the dark elf trailed off into silence.


    ¡°Maybe... You should fuck me...¡± mumbled Kianna ¡°Like right now...¡±


    Pausing for a second as he registered what she had just said, Anton closed his eyes as he slowly shook his head and held back a laugh.


    ¡°Oh, really now?¡± he said around a smile ¡°Is that what you think I should I do?¡±


    ¡°...Yes.¡± said Kianna.


    ¡°I see, I see.¡± nodded Anton ¡°Well, I suppose it has been a little while since I last did that... Though, I can''t help but wonder, why in the world should I do that right now?¡±


    ¡°Because... I want you to...¡± whined Kianna as she tightened her legs around his waist and squeezed herself against him ¡°Please...¡±


    ¡°Hm...¡± hummed Anton as he slid his arms forward just enough to cup her butt cheeks in his hands ¡°I don''t know about this...¡±


    Kianna whined miserably in her throat as Anton began to tease her by giving her bottom a playful squeeze.


    ¡°Yes!¡± she exclaimed as she shifted her hips back and forth ¡°Please! Please!¡±


    ¡°Oh... Alright...¡± chuckled Anton ¡°Why not...¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± cried Kianna as she pressed her lips to his and kissed him deeply.


    Easing forward so as not to break their kiss, Anton gently laid the dark elf down on her back and began to chuckle in his throat as she immediately started trying to kick his pants away. Helping her out, he reached down and quickly undid his belt before letting her push his pants and boxers down with her feet.


    Drinking in the heat of the dark elf''s urgency, Anton was quick to reach a state of readiness himself, much to Kianna''s delight.


    His feet still planted on the ground, Anton wrapped his hands around Kianna''s waist and maneuvered her hips into place at the edge of the bed. Spreading her legs out wide for him, the dark elf gripped his shoulders tightly and groaned in excitement as she felt his probing member force her panties to the side as he searched for the moistened entrance to her sex. She groaned even louder when she felt him finally slip inside of her and fill her with his presence.


    Breaking away from their kiss, Kianna began to moan in pleasured bliss as Anton began to slide himself in and out of her. Urging him on with a rise in her tempo, Anton eagerly obliged the needful dark elf and before long Kianna''s entire body was being rocked as with each thrust, Anton slammed their hips together with more and more force.


    Spreading her toes out wide as a wave of climactic pleasure washed its way through her being, Kianna dug the trimmed nails of her fingers into the unyielding flesh of Anton''s shoulders as she drank in the wonderfully delicious heat of his own coming release.


    Arching his back into his final thrust, Anton began to shudder in ecstasy as he groaned in pleasure.


    His body now spent, he groaned again and dropped down to one elbow before rolling to the side and laying on his back to recover. Breathing deeply, he lounged on the bed for a moment before turning his head to the side and looking at Kianna.


    The dark elf smiled at him before leaning over and giving him a kiss on the cheek.


    ¡°Thank you, Master! That was great!¡± she exclaimed as she sat up and began to stretch ¡°Now I''m hungry!¡±


    ¡°Heh... Yeah, you''re welcome...¡± chuckled Anton with a sigh ¡°There''s pizza downstairs in the kitchen. You should go get some before the others eat it all...¡±


    ¡°Oh! Pizza! Perfect!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she bounded up to her feet ¡°Mmm... My panties are all wet now... I''m gonna wear yours instead!¡±


    ¡°...You''re going to wear my what?¡± questioned Anton from his place on the bed.


    ¡°Your panties or, underwear? Or whatever you call these?¡± said Kianna as she shimmied her way out of her soaked panties by slipping them over her hips and down her legs.


    ¡°Ah. Those are boxers...¡± mumbled Anton around a yawn ¡°Yeah, just help yourself to them I guess...¡±


    ¡°Will do!¡± smiled Kianna as she quickly slipped on the boxers and tied them off around her waist ¡°Are you coming, or are you going to take a nap?¡±


    ¡°No, I''m coming... I''ll be right there...¡± said Anton as he stretched out his arms ¡°You go on ahead though. I''m going to clean up a bit... And maybe use the restroom...¡±


    ¡°Okay! I''ll see you in a little while then!¡± said Kianna as she merrily made her way out of the room before calling back over her shoulder ¡°Oh, and thanks for the sex! You''re the best Master ever!¡±


    ¡°...Yeah, anytime.¡± chuckled Anton to the now empty room.


    -


    Stepping out into the hallway, Kianna''s sensitive ears were able to easily pick up on a heated conversation taking place downstairs.


    ¡°You''re such a bitch, Fiona!¡± exclaimed Mica''s voice.


    ¡°How am I a bitch!?¡± responded Fiona ¡°I didn''t even do anything!¡±


    ¡°Yeah and that''s exactly why you''re a bitch!¡± cried Mica ¡°All you did was sit there and watch! You didn''t even tried to help her!¡±


    ¡°Didn''t try to help her? Are you crazy!?¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°Do you really think I''m stupid enough to put my hands anywhere near that thing''s mouth!?¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up! She''s not going to bite you, you stupid bitch!¡± said Mica.


    ¡°You don''t know that.¡± said Fiona ¡°And I''m not going to risk my final resting place being that thing''s fucked up belly tail!¡±


    Making her way into the room, Kianna found Fiona sitting at the table and looking back over her chair with her finger pointed at Mica and Tessa who were standing over by the sink.


    ¡°And besides. I actually did try to stop her from eating the pizza, but then she threatened me!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°That bug would have bitten my head off if I didn''t give it to her!¡±


    ¡°Yeah right...¡± mumbled Mica as she appeared to be probing at Tessa''s open mouth with a butter knife ¡°Like I''m gonna buy that...¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, ''buy that''!?¡± cried Fiona in affront ¡°Bitch! That''s what really happened!¡±


    ¡°What''s going on in here?¡± asked Kianna ¡°What are you doing to Tessa?¡±


    ¡°I''m trying to clean out this cheese that got gunked up around her jaws.¡± explained Mica ¡°Cheese that this bitch let her eat!¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah. That ¡°I¡± let her eat. As if I could even fucking stop her!¡± exclaimed Fiona ¡°Tell you what. Let''s just wrap a bite proof iron muzzle around her head and this will never be a problem again. How does that sound?¡±


    ¡°Oh no! Poor Tessa! Hold on, I''ll be right back!¡± said Kianna as she darted out of the room.


    A few moments later Kianna returned with a brand new toothbrush and a washcloth.


    ¡°Don''t worry, Tessa. We''ll get you cleaned up in no time!¡± said Kianna as she rushed over to the sink and began to run the washcloth under the tap.


    Watching from her place at the table, Fiona couldn''t help but grimace in unease as both Kianna and Mica fearlessly poked and prodded at the mantis'' mandibles while working to get them clean.


    For her part, Tessa remained completely still the whole time as she merely stood there with a blank expression on her face but a grateful air still about her.


    ¡°Okay, Tessa...¡± said Mica as she lightly scrubbed between two of the mandibles sharpest points with the toothbrush ¡°Next time you eat pizza, or anything else that has melted cheese... Don''t bite it with these big black teeth, okay?¡±


    Tessa said nothing as she flicked her antennae in acknowledgment.


    ¡°Hm... So I see you''re bumming it again today, sis.¡± said Fiona as she eyed Kianna''s boxer clad bottom.


    ¡°Huh?¡± said Kianna as she turned back to her ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Your clothes.¡± said Fiona with a nod ¡°You''re wearing the boss''s clothes again. And you look like a bum while doing it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, these, yeah.¡± said Kianna as she looked down at herself and began to sway her hips back and forth ¡°Say whatever you want, but these clothes are super comfy!¡±


    ¡°If you say so...¡± mumbled Fiona as she watched her sister''s boxer covered hips ¡°...Hey? Is there a hole in those shorts? Did you rip them?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, there''s a hole in the front. And no, I didn''t rip them!¡± exclaimed Kianna ¡°I don''t know why it''s there, but all of Master''s boxers have that hole. So I think they''re supposed to have it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they''re supposed to have it.¡± said Mica in an absent tone ¡°Dudes use that hole when they have to pee.¡±


    ¡°When they have to pee?¡± questioned Fiona ¡°They pee through that hole?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they let their dick hang out through it. I saw my Dad do it once...¡± said Mica before her face reddened in embarrassment.


    ¡°Oh, did you now!?¡± drawled Fiona as she smiled teasingly ¡°Well! I never thought you''d be into that kind of thing!¡±


    ¡°I was taking a bath! I mean! No! I was still little!¡± cried Mica as Fiona began to laugh ¡°It was a long time ago! Shut up!¡±


    ¡°Huh... He could pee through this...¡± mused Kianna as she tentatively stuck her fingers and then her whole hand through the boxers fly ¡°That''s kinda cool...¡±


    ¡°Stop laughing at me you fucking bitch!¡± snarled Mica as she curled her tail up high over her head and pointed her spade down at Fiona ¡°I swear Fiona, I will fucking stab you!¡±


    ¡°Well then, sounds like things are finally getting back to normal in here...¡± sighed Anton as he stepped into the room ¡°What''s going on now?¡±


    ¡°Master!¡± exclaimed Kianna as she rushed over to him ¡°Did you just pee right now!?¡±


    ¡°...I, wha? ...Excuse me?¡± questioned Anton.


    ¡°Did you just pee?¡± asked Kianna as she leaned in close to him in excitement ¡°Right now, when you were upstairs?¡±


    ¡°Uh? Yes?¡± said Anton as he eased back from the eager dark elf and blinked in uncertainty ¡°...I did?¡±


    ¡°Ah, man! I missed it!¡± groaned Kianna as her ears drooped in sadness.


    ¡°...You, what?¡± questioned Anton.


    ¡°Master! Next time you have to pee, can I watch you!? Please!?¡± exclaimed Kianna.


    Anton was still for a moment as he stared at the smiling dark elf.


    ¡°...Um, okay? Sure, I guess?¡± he mumbled as he arched an eyebrow.


    Yes! Okay, cool!¡± said Kianna as she looked down and stuck her hand back through the boxers fly ¡°You have to use this little hole when you do it though. Cause I want to see how it works!¡±


    ¡°...Oh! Oh, okay!¡± exclaimed Anton as he watched the dark elf wiggle her fingers ¡°You found that little hole and now you want to see it... Okay, now it all makes sense.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± questioned Kianna as she looked back up at him.


    ¡°Oh, thank goodness...¡± breathed Anton as he wrapped his arms around a now confused Kianna and pulled her into a hugging embrace ¡°I thought that... You know what. Never mind what I thought. It''s fine. Everything is fine...¡±


    ¡°...What are you talking about?¡± questioned Kianna as despite her uncertainty she still snuggled up against him.


    ¡°Nothing. I''m just hungry...¡± said Anton around a smile ¡°Is there any pizza left? And also, what are you guys doing to Tessa over there?¡±


    ¡°She got a bunch of cheese stuck in her big black teeth, so we were helping her clean it out.¡± explained Mica ¡°She''s pretty much good now though.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡± said Anton as he maneuvered himself and Kianna over to the table and stood next to Fiona ¡°And what about you? Not interested in helping out?¡±


    ¡°Hell no.¡± said Fiona as she looked up from her seat ¡°Like I''m gonna just give that thing an easy shot at my hands? Yeah right!¡±


    ¡°What did I tell you about calling Tessa a ¡°thing¡± Fiona?¡± said Anton as he narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°Oh, uh, right! Sorry about that! Just kinda slipped out there...¡± said Fiona as she smiled sheepishly.


    ¡°Mm hm...¡± mumbled Anton as he pulled out seats for himself and Kianna ¡°Just don''t do it again...¡±


    ¡°Right! Will do, I mean! ...Won''t do? I think? Anyways! Won''t ever happen again! Promise!¡± stammered Fiona as she let her eyes drop down to her pizza.


    ¡°Yeah right...¡± muttered Mica as she and Tessa both made their way to the table and sat down.


    ¡°Huh... I wonder...¡± mused Fiona as she looked from her pizza back up to Anton ¡°Do you think I should try to give Rozzie a piece of pizza?¡±


    ¡°Hm... I don''t know about that?¡± said Anton as his face took on a thoughtful expression ¡°At this point I don''t think there''s even a safe way to try that? You don''t actually have any control of that nightmare yet, do you?¡±


    ¡°No... Not really...¡± mumbled Fiona ¡°All she does is scream at me every time I try to talk to her... So yeah, progress has been pretty slow... Especially the last couple of days...¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± nodded Anton ¡°Honestly I think our best bet here is to find somebody who can give us some advice...¡±


    ¡°Isn''t that kind of dangerous though?¡± asked Kianna ¡°Anybody we talk to is probably going to find out that me and Fiona are enslaved, right? And won''t that just be one more person spreading the news?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and that is a concern...¡± mumbled Anton ¡°A bigger concern for me though is Fiona trying to mess with that nightmare and getting herself hurt, or letting it get loose and it hurting someone else... No. We need to learn as much as we can about nightmares as quickly as we can. And there''s nothing quite like getting information from someone with first hand experience... We need to find someone who knows what they''re doing...¡±


    ¡°...I mean? We can''t just look up the info?¡± questioned Mica.


    ¡°We can, and I have been trying. Unfortunately though, nightmares aren''t exactly something you see too often in the slave trade, as they can''t really be bound with traditional slave enchantments, or something like a collar. You see, they don''t really have a physical form, so they''re more often than not just trapped in jars and lamps with binding curses.¡± explained Anton ¡°Taming them as mounts has supposedly been done before in ages past. But these might just be stories, as the few modern examples that I''ve found of people who have successfully bound nightmares and tried to tame them as mounts, have so far all resulted in said people being eventually killed by their allegedly tamed nightmares...¡±


    ¡°Mounts?¡± questioned Fiona ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°It''s what you would call a creature that you would ride. Something like a horse, or a wyvern.¡± explained Anton.


    ¡°Oh... Wait! Are you serious!? I could ride Rozzie like a horse!?¡± exclaimed Fiona in excitement ¡°That would be so badass! I could ride her into battle!¡±


    ¡°Only if you can get her to not want to kill you herself...¡± sighed Anton ¡°Which is apparently not an easy task...¡±


    ¡°Right... Right...¡± mused Fiona ¡°So, do you really not know anyone who might be able to help us? You said before that you know some dark elves, right? Can''t you just ask them?¡±


    ¡°I could...¡± nodded Anton ¡°I''m not sure if the timing is right for that though... That''s going to be an introduction that will require some, finesse... And I just don''t think that we''re ready for that yet...¡±


    ¡°Well... Is there anyone else you know?¡± asked Fiona.


    ¡°There is, one someone, that I know...¡± sighed Anton as he suddenly looked very tired ¡°One person, that might possibly know someone who can help us... In fact, if there is anyone out there who could help us, this person would know exactly who they are...¡±


    ¡°...Well okay then!¡± exclaimed Fiona after a moment of silence filled the room ¡°Lets give this person a call then!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I doubt we''ll need to do that...¡± muttered Anton as he shook his head ¡°No, this is the kind of person that knows when her friends are thinking about her... She''ll more than likely just pop in now. If we''re lucky she might even ring the doorbell, though I seriously doubt she''ll do that...¡±


    ¡°Wait, what!?¡± questioned Mica ¡°So this person just knows whenever you''re thinking about her?¡±


    Anton nodded his head.


    ¡°Yes. Most of the time she can. Sometimes she won''t notice, but that''s pretty rare. At least in my experience...¡± he sighed ¡°Ugh, she is going to have a field day when she gets here...¡±


    ¡°What kind of person is she?¡± asked Kianna as her expression hardened ¡°And is she friendly?¡±


    ¡°Oh, she''s friendly all right. She''s very friendly...¡± mumbled Anton ¡°And in all seriousness, meeting her might actually be a very good experience for all of you. Especially for you dark elves.¡±


    ¡°Whys that?¡± asked Kianna.


    ¡°Because she''s a control race, like you. She''s an astral, but otherwise her kind is very similar to yours...¡± explained Anton ¡°Her name, is Nadine. And she is a nurarihyon...¡±