Shirtless, Barry shifted uncomfortably in the chair, the sensations running through his skull like a thousand ants crawling directly over his bones.

“Stay still, dammit.” Lala grumbled.

The maiden whose hands were causing his head to feel like it had been turned into an ant-hill was growling in frustration. She stood behind him, her chest pressed firmly against his back, her fingers stroking his hair. “I need to get a good feel for the problem.”

“I-If you say so,” Barry stammered, face lit up as he closed his eyes and tried not to think too much of how soft she felt against his skin. “H-How does it work? Will I… be able to see normally?”

“I can heal just about as well as a Mousegirl can fly. What I’m going to do is put a little curse on you.” There was a little chuckle as Lala pulled back from him, hurrying over to the piece of parchment on the table. Grabbing a piece of coal, she began drawing some lines on it.

The small reprieve left Barry sighing and relaxing his shoulders. His eyes moved towards the half-naked maiden. Her dark skin was a dark chocolate, and there was plenty of it to see because the only clothing she wore were a set of green pants, which only helped make her pronounced hips all the more alluring. Barry swallowed and turned the other way, cheeks alight.

“Does… do you need to touch me so much?”

“Consider it a free service, handsome.” There was a little amusement in those words as she hurried to the stool behind him, hopping on and then pressing herself against his back once more. With the touch of her fingers on his head, the young man grimaced once more.

“And… how are you going to curse me?”

“When you were talking about lenses, it kinda got me thinking. If I curse you with the right kind of bad eyesight, it should cancel out your own bad eyesight.” A slight chuckle. “I’m so going to win that bet.”

“… bet?”

The question made the maiden stiffen slightly, a nervous chuckle right as she pressed herself slightly harder against him. “Please don’t tell Lady Embla? She might get pissed off.”

“But… bet about what?”

“Oh, we have several bets going around in regard to our famous otherworlder guest.” She chuckled. “Who gets to fix your eyesight, whose name will the Hound speak first, who gets to fuck you first… you know, standard stuff.”

If the flush before was strong, now it became intense, steam practically felt like it was about to explode out of the red-head’s ears. “W-W-wha-aT!?”

The door opened instantly, and a naked black-haired Hound pounced inside, fangs out and eyes gleaming sharply. Both people froze, though it was Barry who reacted first, raising both his hands. “It’s ok, it’s ok. Orion, calm down, nothing… nothing’s happening.”

“He’s ok, see? Your human’s all safe and sound.” Lala chuckled, ruffling Barry’s hair before lifting her hands.

The Hound glared, scoffing, and without another word, turning around to step right out the door once more. Though she did not close it, standing at the edge of the room and sitting right in the middle of the entrance. She chose a position where she could look over her shoulder and towards Barry.

“By the by, my bets are on her being the one to get you to do the dirty. So if you want to help a girl out…”

“I don’t, this isn’t, I erm… are we done?” He stammered, eager to stand up from the wooden stool.

“You’re more than welcome to stick around, you know, check my angles and lines and stuff.” Lala’s smile was earnest, though considering the way she was smirking and leaning slightly forward, Barry was fairly sure she was also intending to tease him the whole way.

“I can’t read without my glasses, so… maybe another time.” He quickly put his silk shirt back on, waving the tinkerer goodbye as she headed towards the door. “Same time tomorrow?”

“Sure!”

With that, Barry stopped at the door’s threshold, looking down at Orion as the Hound looked up at him in turn. “I… need to step outside.”

Her face remained impassive, and the young human sighed, side-stepping her before turning to look her way. Except she was now gone. The young human’s shoulders deflated as he looked down at his own shadow. The coloration was ever so slightly blacker than the surrounding shadows, the only sign the Hound was there at all. He deflated slightly further, turning his steps towards the large tree in the colony’s center.

The monster of a plant was comparable to the giant trees from the area the bus had crashed into, four of them put very close together, and the main structure that was called the ‘palace’ being where Barry was living at right now.

His steps slowed as he caught sight of a streak of blond hair. His chest seized up as there was only one person with such brilliantly golden hair in the whole Court. The human hurried his steps as he saw Pan stepping into the wooden palace, the Valkyrie was stomping her way across the place. Barry had no intention of engaging with her, making extra sure to wait to determine the direction she’d taken before taking the opposite one.

A longer route to his room, but one he would be able to avoid trouble.

“Barry.”

The human almost shrieked and jumped in surprise as the familiar voice rumbled and bounced across the wooden walls. Every maiden in the immediate vicinity abruptly found they had something to do elsewhere.

Lady Embla looked down at the human with her ever-present frown. “Heading to your room?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“I’ll accompany you.”

There was little room for rebuttal, he nodded in agreement. The dark-skinned maiden reached down and took his hand in her larger palm. It was soft despite the callouses, and Barry couldn’t help but turn to look up at her as she marched down the corridor. Everyone they stumbled along the way would quickly march right back out of the way.

That is until Pan showed up.

The maiden glanced at Barry for a flicker of a second, her expression stilling right before she turned to the taller maiden.

“Lady Embla.” She approached hurriedly. “I have-.”

“Unless it’s an emergency, our meeting is not due for another three hours.” The dark-skinned maiden declared, throwing the most intense glare a stony still face could manage as she did so. “IS this an emergency, miss ambassador?” Pan hesitated, tensing for only a moment. “I thought so.”

Lady Embla walked straight past the Valkyrie, pulling Barry along the way. The maiden’s hand gripping his own squeezing ever so slightly right as he’d been about to turn in the blond-maiden’s way. It made him look up at her in confusion.

“I heard from Kajou what that Valkyrie did to you while under her captivity.” Embla spoke with a firm growl. “Do not let pity taint your views, she is owed none.”

There were no more words spoken between the two, Barry nodded as they continued through the corridors and stairs until they reached one of the rooms nearest to the top of the building. Also one of the largest, the place certainly had more than enough space for a whole apartment.

The two guards at the entrance stepped aside to let them through, the doors locking behind them.

The instant the door had closed, Lady Embla sighed, her stiff statuesque shoulders relaxing as she let go of Barry’s hand. The maiden carefully raised her hands to her leather armor, undoing the straps with short simple gestures, efficient. She moved like a soldier who’d gone through the process a thousand times over, her steps leading towards the bed and making Barry hesitate.

“Come.” She commanded, dropping her shirt and exposing her large pillowy breasts, sitting at the edge of the bed and patting her lap. Barry gulped and nodded, moving closer and pushing back the embarrassment as he sat on the taller woman’s thigh.

Embla regarded him for a long moment, closing her eyes and raising her chin.

“Touch my neck.” A moment of hesitation. “Please.”

With a nod, he reached up, fingers caressing the patch of discoloration on her throat, the one that had been occupied by a collar not that long ago. The woman shuddered and relaxed, sighing. Her hands reached out to pull him closer against herself, leaning down and kissing him for only a brief moment.

With her palm holding his back steadily, she pulled away, meeting his gaze with emerald green determination.

“You didn’t bond Lala.” Her tone was soft but reproachful. “I specifically sent you to her since she looked the most eager.” Leaning closer, her free hand lifted his chin, and she kissed his throat. “I still smell her on you.”

“She was… touchy.”

“She is bonded to a prisoner, and would gladly take your advances. You need just offer.”

“I-.”

Slowly, Embla pulled away once more, keeping his chin raised so he could not look away from her gaze. “Barry, you must learn to conquer. Lala would have succumbed under your touch like a leaf falling in autumn.”

“I just… I’m not that confident.”

“No one is born strong in spirit. You must learn.” Embla touched his thigh softly, his body becoming warmer under her caress. “But you must be willing to learn, only then can you grow.”

“H-how’s your mother?”

Embla hesitated, her brows lowering, the statuesque expression faltering as it darkened. “I know of a way to fully heal her, but I will need your aid, Barry.”

The human perked up. “If I can be of help…”

“Then dedicate yourself to growing stronger in spirit.” Embla said firmly.

“I… how can that… Help?”

The woman glanced back down at him, her arm circling around his hip. “There are several maidens who have the knowledge and power that could aid her Ladyship, but they are under the kingdom’s control.”

“Wait, you want me to… bond them?” Barry blinked. “Forcefully?”

“They have grown up as slaves, they know nothing else, they fear freedom. With the bond, you could help them learn the truth.” She replied. “But most importantly, we need to be able to trust they will not harm her Ladyship. If, once done, they still wish to return to slavery, then we will not stop them.”

The young man hesitated, lowering his gaze in thought. “I… I’ll do it.”

“Then prove your resolve.” Her gaze twinkled with an approving smile, her hand pulling his palm against her soft pillowy breast. “Conquer me once more.”