We leave the city and enter the forest. Leading through the forest is a large road. I don’t know where it goes, but the paving looks interesting. I take a closer look at the paving and decide that it must be the work of a powerful Geomancer. It looks as if they raised rocks from deep within the earth and molded them to be flat and smooth. A fascinating demonstration of power and technique.

The ladies, having ignored my fascination with simple rock, got a head start on me. I jog lightly to catch up, thankful for the running Honey put me through. I’d hate to embarrass myself in front of these two.

Catching myself staring, I seek to keep my composure. I don’t have the massive build and insane healing powers to get away with being pervy, like Mordai does.

Ra’hel swayed enticingly beside me as Quinn guides us toward our destination. The conversation turns from talk of the past to talk of the future. Not just the immediate mission, but conquering the dungeon and beyond.

Quinn informs me that the Dungeon is more than it appears to be. Each floor is some sort of pocket dimension. Almost a whole world unto itself. All sorts of treasures are buried within.

Those who want to pay their debt and advance to the next level often search for these treasures. Just being strong enough to defeat the tower was hardly enough.

“Why don’t we just kill the Guildmaster and do what we want?” Ra’hel asks casually.

“If it only it was that easy,” Quinn sighs. “The Guildmaster is powerful on a level that it is hard for me to even understand. As far as I know the contract doesn’t even forbid attacking him. It is almost like he encourages it.”

“What do you mean?” I ask, curious. “Hasn’t everyone been regulated to this level system?”

“Yes, and his level is high above ours, but that isn’t what makes him powerful,” Quinn explains. Running her hand through her golden hair she describes the problem. “Aside from his cunning, paranoia, level, and economic power, there is a major problem. The system of ‘Source’ here is a lot different to the magic most of us are used to. The Guildmaster has compiled all sorts of secrets gleaned from previous Awakened in exchange for their freedom. He only shares a small portion of this information with us, keeping most of it for himself.”

I ponder the new information for a few minutes. Ra’hel and Quinn sunk into a depressing silence around me. After a while I ask for clarification.

“How does having secrets on the usage of source make him more powerful? Wouldn’t someone of the same level be just as formidable?” I ask.

Quinn begins to explain, but Ra’hel beats her to the chase.

“If you have two swordsmen of equal power dueling,” she begins. “They each have the same weapon, but one is self-taught and the other has had many varied teachers who each taught him their secrets and understanding. Who wins?”

I know where this is going, but I still reply to play along.

“The one with the secrets. He has a better understanding of the usages of the sword.”

“Yes, my pet,” she praises me. “Maybe the swordsman with secrets would even win if he was weaker.”

I smile at that, interpreting it as encouragement.

During our conversation, Quinn had led us to the edge of the road. Distracted by the beauty around me, I had not been keeping an eye on our surroundings. My eyes follow Quinn’s gaze to see a trio of large green skinned creatures lumbering toward us.

Large and obscenely muscled, long fangs jut out of their jaws. They are well armed and armored. A striking difference to my assumption of monsters only carrying crude weapons and armor.

‘This is it,’ I think. ‘My first life or death battle.’

I heft my spear in my hand, reaching to unsling my shield from my back.

***

Ra’hel sat in her coils, watching the human with an enchanted gaze. The party stands on the side of paved road, watching a group of monsters go by. Startled by the trio of Ogres pulling a cart of what looks like ore, the human ‘Snowflake’ tensed for a fight. His spear held at the ready, he unslung his shield, just to be soothed by the Angel.

“Don’t worry,” the Angel said. “The local intelligent monsters trade in Destiny quite frequently. They provide raw ingredients in exchange for manufactured goods.”

Ra’hel wasn’t sure if the Angel’s softness toward the human had similar inclinations as her own, but she resolved to lay her claim the first chance she got. Since coming to this world she had been surrounded by creatures just as strong as her if not stronger. Not the ideal prey for a crafty serpent such as herself.

This human was a tantalizing morsel she couldn’t let escape her. So deliciously frail in body and mind, she must have him. Jumpy like a scared rabbit, it appealed to the predator in her. His lustful gazes at both her and the Angel reiterated her perception of his weakness.

‘A man easily seduced is a man easily ensnared,’ she thought to herself, eyeing the morsel.

Their journey starts again after the Ogres had passed. Ra’hel shot flirtatious gazes at the human whenever she caught him looking at her.

She put extra effort into making her sway more enticing, an overture to future seduction.

‘Convince him I want his body,’ she designs. ‘Once I seduce him into my coils, the look of astonishment when I crush the life from him will be soooo delicious.’

The Angel leads them off the beaten path towards a small mountain peak, not too far away. They continue to travel for several hours while Ra’hel planned her conquest. Many questions plagued her mind as she sought to plan the perfect moment. Perfect, to her, means the moment that inflicts the largest amount of mental and physical trauma on her victim.

They arrive at a clearing, the Angel instructing the duo to stay put while she scouted the path forward.

Ra’hel coils on her lower body. She pats her coil, gesturing to the human to come have a seat. With a surprising lack of hesitation, he does just that. His annoying pet staying far enough away to not be a danger to her devices.

She coils her body over his lap, bending to sit on it like a humanoid with legs would. Pressing her chest to his, she whispers in his ear.

“I noticed you looking at me,” she purrs in a sultry tone. Sliding her hand down his chest and towards his lower stomach she whispers, “I liked the attention.”

‘Honey to catch flies,’ she cackles in her mind. ‘Sex to catch men.’

Her breath hot on his neck she could feel him stiffen in her grasp. She rose off his lap to readjust her coils around him more tightly, but something alarming occurred.

He is yanked from her grasp, his body flying through the gap in her coils where his legs had been hanging.

Her prey wrenched from her clutches, she turns, hissing. The human’s creature faces her. The human dragged behind it with its tail twisted around his ankle.

Furious, Ra’hel starts to slither forward to teach the creature a lesson. Making the human watch as she mutilates his familiar would bring about a certain satisfaction as well.

The beast settles into a battle stance, obviously sensing her intentions. The action causes her to pause. The creature radiates a level of energy similar to her own. Wavering, she decides to wait a bit longer. Another opportunity would present itself. As all deadly serpents, she is patient and cunning.

“It looks like your pet is an enemy of fun,” she hisses settling on a course of divide and conquer.

She arches her back provocatively in a way that would be physically improbable for someone without the flexibility of snake. She promises things with her body that she knows he would never be able to cash with his.

“Maybe if we could get some alone time…” she trails off, planting the idea and then leaving it to grow.

“Yeah, maybe…” the human echoes, looking into the distance thoughtfully, the creature in his arms.

***

Holding Nevasca close to me to calm her, I sigh. I don’t know why it seems like it has been so long since I’ve had a roll in the metaphorical hay, but it does. Thankfully, Ra’hel doesn’t look too mad. Maybe there will be a chance to salvage this later?

My thoughts wander as I think about what might’ve happened if it had been me and Quinn here alone together…

Come to think of it, both women had been flirty. I wonder why that is? I’m not much of a catch nowadays. Everyone around me is powerful and attractive, much like I used to be.

I guess the problem could also be the answer? I mean, what if I just happened to stumble upon two women who want to nurture, but in a sexual way? Or who like average looking guys?

I consider the possibilities, time slipping by. We had left in the early morning and now late afternoon had arrived.

Quinn returned just as I begin deciding whether I would be willing to refer to her as ‘Mommy.’ My face must be flushed, because she came over to ask if I am okay, an overly friendly hand on my shoulder.

Assuring her that I am fine, I ask about her scouting mission.

“The camp is situated outside of a cave on the mountain side not too far from here,” she reports. “I took the time to scout the area around the camp and I came up with a plan. A perfect plan.”

She bragged with a wink at me. She goes to Ra’hel and grabs her by the waist, gazing into her eyes. For an instant I think my fantasies are coming to life.

“This plan is going to require your help,” she says seductively. “Are you willing to get a little… dirty?”

My eyes go wide at the implications that run through my mind. Quinn spins to see the look on my face and bursts out laughing.

‘Goddamn it!’ I scream internally. ‘She was fucking with me!’

Blood rushes to my face and all I want to do is lay down and die. Smirks adorn both of their faces. I escape by burying my face in Nevasca’s fur. I feel so embarrassed.

“But seriously,” Quinn gasps through the laughter. “I want you to collapse part of the mountain on them.”

Pausing in my self-admonishments, I listen up.

“We’ll sneak around them to higher up on the mountain and trigger a landslide before going in to finish the job.”

She must be addressing Ra’hel for I have no such power.

“Of course,” Ra’hel’s husky reply. “I have no problem getting a little… dirty.”

‘Oh god,’ I lament. ‘They’re both doing it! Narrator take over!’

Quinn, the angelic leader, forged a path forward, two wards in tow. The sun sank as they rose, through the trees into the depths of the mountain.

On a cliff overlooking the alleged war camp, Snowflake and Ra’hel caught their first sight of the target. Huts adorned the mountainside. A great, shadowy cave receded into the depths of the mountain. From here they could hear the clanking of hammers on metal and see the roaring fires of forges. Presumably the goblins were hard at work, forging weapons.

The shadows lengthened as afternoon became dusk. Quinn, refusing to spend the night in the forest, encouraged Ra’hel to utilize her Geomancer class to crush the village below. With barely contained glee, the Naga did just that. The cliff upon which they stood, collapsed around them.

The solid stone flowed, as if sand, around the rock upon which they rested, toward the camp. The earth rose as if a wave, and crashed upon the camp, almost sweeping it away. By Ra’hel’s command, their rock rode forward on the wave. The sight suggestive of a war chariot rushing to battle. They closed the distance, not to just admire their handiwork, but to finish any survivors.

As the earthen wave crashed into the camp, an alarming message flashes before my eyes.

Achievement Unlocked: War Crimes- Aid in the mass murder of unarmed civilians. Adaptability +1