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.

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...”