Combat Healer Ch. 35 (Patreon)

March 18, 2023

NOTE: This is a LONG chapter! (almost long enough to be two chapters)

This is kind of the culminating chapter for the mini-Lyla arc (just in the sense that we get some resolution with her character).

The next 'arc' of the story will be the Ryfle kingdom trip (Wren will be more involved for that, and even though Mel and Val aren't going, we'll get some of them via the italicized parts, mainly plot focused stuff).

<< Chapter 34 | Ch 1 (Book 1) | Ch 15 (Book 2) | Ch 29 (Book 3)

- CHAPTER 35: Humbled -

Present Day

A young human girl with pale skin, blonde hair, and brown eyes, stood back away from everyone else, with a tall elf man close by her side, both of them watching as those in the last Guild in the capital were tested. Watched as the five large Oni men stood by in preparation to attack at a moment’s notice.

It had been a rough day.

There had been more bloodshed.

But thankfully…

Impossibly…

No one was dead.

Due to one man – one man who was now passed out back at her Guild…

Their Guild.

Passed out in her room, since he’d been absent from the capital long enough, having left a few days ago to go on that mission for the Queen to defeat the Flesh Collectors, to not have a room assigned to him.

And because…she’d requested it of his elf friend, the large tall man who stood near her now, who had been the one to pick him up and carry him back indoors once everything settled down some.

Both of them had their arms crossed as they watched this last round of testing.

Both of them relieved to have found others to help with the problem.

As it turned out, the skills of Fighters, including ‘Battle Instinct,’ ‘Intimidate,’ and ‘Onslaught’ were a successful combination, so long as the individuals using them were actually experienced enough to not hesitate when faced with unexpected danger.

However, even more potent were the skills of Oni Fighters.

For a few of them had ‘Warlord,’ a skill almost as powerful as the extremely rare ‘Berserk.’

And rather than ‘Battle Instinct,’ there were a few who had the more potent ‘Warlord Instinct.’

Including the big Red Oni who led the eighth strongest team, a large man named Grif, who probably could have prevented all bloodshed earlier, when Allister saved her, if the huge man had only been standing right there next to the monster.

Proximity was vitally important.

Grif could have reacted very quickly, and defended very effectively, but he wasn’t able to change his location fast enough to help. Even if he had observed everything. Even if nothing of what happened escaped his sharp eyes.

However, there was one other thing that was unique to Oni.

Many elf Fighters had ‘Intimidate,’ but the version possessed by Oni men was often much more potent. Much more effective, putting them on an entirely different level, being perhaps twice as effective.

A few of them also had ‘Weak Point’ or ‘Cripple,’ and a couple even had ‘Haste,’ though the basic combination of ‘Battle Instinct,’ ‘Intimidate,’ and ‘Onslaught’ did work by itself. In total, sixteen monsters had thus far been discovered among the Guilds, and there had been zero bloodshed for the last half of those findings – aside from the monster’s blood, of course.

It had been a very long day though.

Lyla was fairly exhausted, though she was determined to see this through to the end.

Once the testing of all the Guilds was completed, they still needed to test the rest of the capital. However, that would only be done once the army of Scourge Suppressors was unified once again, once they were assured that everyone was truly an ally, and once everyone was fully aware of the threat that had been right underneath their noses all this time.

Lyla doubted she’d be asked to help with that.

After all, they had plenty of healers, and having someone use Stun only, incapable of fighting afterward, wasn’t as useful as having a large Oni man who could both have a stun-like effect with Intimidate, as well as slaughter the beast.

It was why Lyla stood around now.

There was no need for her help.

And it was similarly why the tall elf named Jackel stood around.

He’d done his part.

Saved her, as Allister had requested of him.

Even though the male healer was supposedly pissed at her.

Lyla still didn’t fully understand what happened earlier, still didn’t understand how Allister had gotten to her so quickly, crossing an impossible distance in such a short amount of time, or why his face started turning gray and his eyes started turning red once he did reach her…

However, what she did know was that a major reason why she’d survived the earlier experience was because the guy she both hated…and loved…had asked his friend to protect her.

Even despite being angry at each other, her safety had still been Allister’s priority.

Taking a deep breath, Lyla finally broke the silence, the two of them not having spoken in a while.

“So…about your friend,” she began hesitantly.

“Yes?” the tall elf wondered.

Lyla frowned. “Umm…I mean…” She sighed. “I don’t know…”

“You have feelings for him?” Jackel assumed.

Her entire body tensed, her face flushing red. “I…I never said that,” she hissed.

“I’ve always suspected that he fancied you,” Jackel commented casually.

She tensed again. “He…he does?”

The tall man with black hair and dark green eyes frowned, seeming to debate his answer, before deciding to speak without fanciful words. “Honestly? He thinks you’re loud, annoying, arrogant, and–”

“You just said he fancied me!” Lyla exclaimed in disbelief.

“And,” he continued. “He mainly doesn’t like that you act like you deserve to be on a top team when you only fucked your way to the top.”

“That’s not me!” she yelled in shock. “That’s Layla! The other girl on my team! The Shaman! And yeah, she fucks a lot, but she is truly competent!”

He simply shrugged. “I don’t care either way. You asked a question, and I decided to be honest, instead of only telling you what you wanted to hear.”

She frowned. “So then, he doesn’t fancy me.”

“I feel confident he thinks you’re beautiful, but that he has mostly ignored you because he doesn’t like everything else.”

She grimaced at that, tensing her arms around her small chest.

“Gorgeous and sexy,” he added. “But also prideful, without merit. At least, in his perspective.”

She didn’t respond.

His voice was quiet. “But there is merit, isn’t there?”

She focused up at him in surprise, only to become immediately guarded with a frown. “What makes you say that?” she asked hesitantly.

“My Immortal Form,” he said seriously. “It is a heavy drain on my Stamina and Essence, and yet…I felt like I could have used it far longer than normal. Didn’t need to, but felt like I could have. And I think that has something to do with you.”

She looked away, not responding.

He continued. “I assume you keep your secret heavily guarded. Perhaps to avoid it being abused by others. Perhaps it already was abused, once before.”

Her arms tightened around herself, her shoulders growing tense.

She felt smaller than usual, compared to his intimidating height, barely even reaching his chest.

“It’s none of my business,” he replied casually with a shrug. “But I think I understand why you choose to act the way you do. You’re like a small dog, attempting to bark loudly at an intruder, in hopes that they’ll think you’re more dangerous than you really are.”

She scoffed, her tone quiet. “That’s rude,” she mumbled.

“But true,” he said simply, not phrasing it as a question.

She didn’t respond.

His words didn’t offend her…because it was true.

And because the two of them had spent most of the day together, with him ensuring that she hadn’t been harmed beyond that first time. If anything, he’d earned the right to speak bluntly in her presence. And…

She desired to hear the truth…

When she didn’t respond, he took a deep breath. “So yeah, I think he does fancy you. That he at least finds you appealing, and would enjoy being around you, if you weren’t always barking at him, as if he were an intruder.” He paused to let that sink in, before continuing. “And I also think that him being unaware of your rare breed had an effect too.”

“I’m not a dog,” she mumbled.

“No, but you’ve always carried yourself like royalty. Perhaps him being aware of your worth will change his mind about whether or not that pride is deserved.” He shrugged. “Perhaps not. I can’t speak for him.”

Her pink lips tensed, not responding.

“So,” he continued, finally dropping his strong arms as the last man was tested. “Do you fancy him?” he asked seriously.

“N-No,” she immediately exclaimed, her face flushing.

He turned more toward her, towering over her short figure, causing her to look up at him in surprise.

“No?” he repeated with a charming grin. “Then perhaps you might be willing to try fancying me instead?”

Her face flushed even more. “W-What?” she exclaimed. “N-No!”

He laughed, clearly amused. “Oh, but why not?” he asked curiously. “I promise you’ll never have an experience more breathtaking.”

She glared at him. “I’m not a slut!” she snapped.

He wasn’t fazed. “With a gift like yours, I would be very interested in our encounter lasting much longer than a single night. Perhaps even a lifetime.”

She tensed at that.

He nodded to himself, standing up straight. “So that’s it, then. You fear people only wanting you for your gifts.”

She gawked at him in shock.

Struggled to respond.

“W-What? N-No. I never said anything of the sort,” she hissed.

He shrugged, turning away slightly. “As I said, Allister doesn’t dislike you because he thought you incompetent. He just found it annoying that you acted the most competent, without any visible proof of that competency. As to whether or not he would try to win you over for your gift, I find that doubtful. He’s not really the type, far as I’ve seen, at least. You’ll have to do more, if you want him to be interested.”

She glared up at the tall elf, irritated that he was seeing through her so easily, and that he was turning the tables on her, acting like she was the one who had to win Allister over…

But…again…Jackel was kind of right…

Still, the truth annoyed her. “And what’s that supposed to mean?” she demanded.

He smirked. “Just what I said. That you have no chance with him. Not unless you apologize for your offensive behavior, and stop barking at him like he’s an intruder.”

She gawked at him.

Apologize?

Why should she have to apologize?

She didn’t do anything wrong!

He was the one making assumptions, and…

She grimaced.

Jackel didn’t respond, simply watching her now from the corner of his eye.

Finally she took a deep breath. “Fine,” she conceded.

He laughed, prompting her to look up at him in surprise, even as he responded. “I care not whether you do. That decision is completely up to you.” He grinned, the last member of the last guild having been confirmed to be a person, their long grueling task finally done. “Anyway, I’ll take my leave for now. I had a date with a short little human like you, and am eager to not make her wait any longer.”

Lyla’s face flushed. “B-Bye,” she managed. “And…thank you,” she added.

He laughed again. “That was hard for you, wasn’t it? Expressing appreciation.”

She grimaced.

He laughed again. “You’re welcome. Maybe thank Allister too. Bye for now.”

“Bye,” she repeated, watching him leave.

She then took a deep breath, and slowly started walking away as well.

Heading back to her Guild.

Heading back to her room.

Heading back to the man…waiting for her…in her bed…

Her face flushed as she thought of it, abruptly trying to clear her mind.

Tried to think of what happened earlier, and to understand the implications of what it would mean for Allister to have done the impossible yet again. What it meant for him to have revived four elves who were truly dead. And what it meant for him to turn the broad daylight into an instant midnight, if only for about a minute.

If anything, it meant the words of his tall elf friend were true.

As he so easily figured out, Lyla was truly afraid of someone only wanting her for her power…

But she also realized…

Allister was perhaps just as valuable, just as powerful, just as gifted, if not even more so, than she was. Which meant he probably wouldn’t be someone who would abuse her gift. Wouldn’t be someone who would only want her for her gift.

Unfortunately, her attempt at distraction from where she was heading wasn’t enough.

All she could think about was what happened earlier that day, and that the man she both hated and loved so much was lying in her bed back in her room at the Guild. Which meant, her heart was racing by the time she had returned and was climbing the stairs, heading down the hall to her room.

Unfortunately, she wasn’t expecting…

For him to have company.

* * *

I woke up to hearing Wren sing ‘Master’ repeatedly in my head in an adorable voice, not even because she was overly concerned or anything, but only because she was bored and wanted my attention. Kind of didn’t help that she couldn’t kill things to amuse herself, as she’d practically spent the last eighteen years of her life doing, always having plenty of monsters to slaughter.

Of course, she was allowed to hunt, but she’d already eaten recently.

Leaving her bored.

She seemed to be aware of the events that had transpired within the capital, but far less concerned than probably the average person, since she knew I was fine. And she continued to sing ‘Master’ to me over and over in a cadenced rhythm, aware I was now awake and listening, until I finally acknowledged her.

Of course, I wasn’t at all annoyed at her.

If anything, it was actually a very pleasant wakeup call.

Especially when she giggled and greeted me.

‘Good evening, master. I missed you.’

‘Hi,’ I thought cheerfully with my eyes still closed. ‘How long was I asleep?’

‘Hmm, maybe eight hours? It was still morning when you passed out, and now it is evening.’

I was briefly surprised that I hadn’t been out longer, but then immediately knew why.

The limitations on my Domain of the Goddess skill were based on my Strength and Fortitude Stats, both of which were maxed out now that I was a monster. Previously, if I used ‘Mass Cast,’ then I would have been inflicted with Critical Fatigue and Severe Drowsiness. Instead I was inflicted with the ‘moderate’ versions of both, the combination enough to make it nearly impossible to stay awake, but not so bad that I was passed out for over a day.

I was about to respond, but then I heard the bedroom door creak open, followed by a familiar voice.

Mel’s voice.

“I know,” she giggled, her tone lighthearted. “I feel bad because we personally didn’t do anything, but it is really nice.”

“What’s nice?” I wondered, yawning as I stretched in bed.

They were both carrying trays of food, Mel having two in her grasp.

“Oh Allie!” Mel said in relief. “You’re finally awake! Are you hungry? We brought dinner.”

I slowly began easing myself up, surprised that I felt pretty good compared to the last time I’d truly used Domain of the Goddess all those years ago. Proof that my body truly was different now, considering I basically felt normal in this moment, as if the eight hours of sleep was enough to recover.

Very different than that first time, where I woke up feeling like I’d passed out from drinking too much ale.

“Yeah, food would be great,” I agreed, carefully sitting on the side of the bed, realizing my feet were bare, my boots by the door. “And what was nice?” I asked again.

Mel set one of the trays down in my lap, the other on the bed, and then grabbed my face in her warm rosy hands, her breath hot against my skin as she planted a heavy kiss, before standing back up straight and responding. “Well, just how everyone is treating us. Like, the food was free, and we have a free room for the night, if we want it. And I was just saying I kind of feel bad, because we didn’t really do anything to deserve the treatment, but it’s nice. Lots of respectful looks when we were downstairs, just because they know we’re with you.”

I nodded, looking at Val as she set down a tray on the desk, with me seeing that she looked visibly distressed. When she focused on me again, I reached out with my hands to invite her in for a quick hug. Walking over, she proceeded to squish her heavy tits in my face as she wrapped her arms around my head, causing me to realize that she needed help with that again soon.

As she started to pull away, I set the tray to the side before she went far. “I think I’ll take care of my thirst first,” I commented, focusing on her tits.

Her face flushed but there was also some affectionate desire in her purple eyes.

“Oh, me too,” Mel chimed in, moving her tray over on the bed and plopping down right beside me.

Val proceeded to undo the strings holding her leather top together, and stepped closer to shove her heavy tits in our faces.

Mel and I both drank for a while before I spoke up again.

Largely because there were a few inconsistent things I’d noticed.

Like the very small black dress on the floor by the bed, appearing as if it might be sleepwear, as well as the overall scent that seemed to linger in the room. Mel had a very sharp cinnamon scent to her, in part because of her ‘Juicy Pussy’ problem, and Val smelled kind of earthy like Astaer and Celestine did, but with a hint of sweetness, as if from honey.

Alternatively, there was a fairly potent floral scent in the room that was unfamiliar to me.

And it really seemed to linger like a sprayed perfume.

I finally commented on it once I was pretty much finished draining one of Val’s tits.

“Whose room is this?” I wondered.

Mel immediately popped off Val’s other tit, scoffing. “Lyla’s room, apparently. I had to pay her roommate a silver to let us in. She was really nice about it though. Seems very quiet.”

I laughed at that.

Mel gave me a confused look.

I just shook my head, not wanting to get into the details right now.

Of course, I definitely understood how I could have misinterpreted all the rumors I’d heard over the years. Because Layla, the Green Oni healer on the second-best team, truly was very quiet, soft spoken, and reserved around most others. And Lyla, the human healer, was a loudmouth and acted like she owned the place.

So when I overheard people talking about the slut who would fuck anyone, and had a foul mouth on her, being very boisterous and noisy in bed, I assumed that they meant Lyla – the girl who tended to have a foul mouth on her and was very noisy all the time.

But of course, I was willing to bet that Lyla was actually very shy in bed.

Ironically.

Oh well.

At least I knew the ‘supposed’ truth now.

Assuming she wasn’t lying.

I grabbed my tray as Mel finished drinking and spoke up again, watching as Val grabbed her food to sit on the floor. “So how did I get here?” I wondered, deciding not to get into the whole Layla versus Lyla thing right now, and how the Shaman girl actually wasn’t quiet under certain circumstances.

“Umm, I think it was Jackel who carried you,” Mel commented. “We were visiting with the Queen when everything happened this morning, and you were already in this room by the time we got here.” She paused. “When everything happened, Eliza was very…concerned, I suppose. Especially once we realized you even revived the elves who died earlier. Though she didn’t tell us why. I think it’s because everyone knows your secret now, since she did seem relieved that they had been revived.”

I nodded, wanting to focus on the first part. “So then, does that mean you’ve been here all day?”

Val nodded. “Yes, master. We stayed by your side the whole time. As requested of the Queen.”

Mel shrugged. “Well, we would have done that anyway. But yeah, not counting when we left to grab food for lunch and now dinner too, we’ve been here with you.”

I nodded, digging into the meal on my lap, the juicy pork roast and butter-slathered bread being the two things I intended on devouring first.

I was honestly really hungry, my monster stomach definitely being able to handle a lot more food than my human self had been capable of. And perhaps requiring more food too, for this new body to function.

“And have you heard from Lyla?” I wondered casually.

Mel scoffed. “I’m surprised you care.”

I shrugged. “Would it bother you if I did?” I asked seriously.

Mel scoffed again. “Not if she wasn’t such a bitch,” she retorted. “Like, if you think she’s pretty, I get that. But fuck, she’s so damn annoying. I mean, she tried to discourage you from trying to save Celestine, and then she was badmouthing you afterward.” She frowned, focusing on me. “You don’t actually like her, do you?”

“Her attitude is an issue,” I agreed. “But I think there’s been some misunderstanding between us. She thinks I’m full of myself, that me reading all the time was a way to try to show off or something, or like I thought I was all high and mighty. Also didn’t help that I claimed I was the best healer, but objectively I am when it comes to healing spells.”

Mel sighed. “Allie, she’s just a bitch.”

I shrugged. “As far as her discouraging me from trying to save Celestine, I think I understand her perspective a little better. The fact is, we can’t save everyone. We can’t heal everything. And we already do a lot. Already sacrifice a lot. In her mind, I think she thought I was just full of myself, and that my arrogance was causing me to be cruel by giving Astaer hope for something that was impossible. Which makes sense to me, how it could be harmful for someone who was ‘delusional’ as being the best healer to give someone hope for the impossible. And how that would rightfully make her angry, that I was making the situation worse by trying to make a selfish point about ‘being the best,’ at least in her perspective.” I sighed. “But honestly, now that she knows I’m capable of such things, I think if something like that were to happen again, she wouldn’t be a bitch about it. She wouldn’t discourage me from trying. She’d know that the risk of me giving them false hope would be worth taking a chance on.”

Mel frowned as she considered that, taking a bite of her meal, only to swallow before responding. “Yeah, I guess I can kind of see that’s what she thinks, now that I’m thinking about it. Because that’s pretty much what she was complaining about afterward. How dismissive you were of her, and how you were so conceited and such.” She sighed. “But honestly, Allie. Even if you were arrogant, you deserve to be arrogant. Because you are the best healer.”

I shrugged. “Technically, she deserves to be arrogant too. Problem is, she actually is arrogant. So that’s kind of the main issue. Her attitude. If she’d drop the attitude, then she could probably be a decent friend, at least.”

Mel laughed. “A friend you fucked, huh?”

I rolled my eyes. “I know Eliza wouldn’t care, but you and Val are very important to me. So if you care, then that’s that. It won’t matter if she starts being nice or not.”

Mel shrugged. “The way I pretty much live my life is, if you’re nice to me, then I’ll be nice to you. If you’re a bitch to me, then I’m going to be a bitch right back. So if she stops being such a bitch, then I probably won’t mind her so much.”

I nodded, glancing at Val.

She was focused intently on me, speaking up in response to my gaze. “Master, I only wish to be with you. I do not mind if you are with others, so long as I can always remain with you.”

I gave her a warm smile, my tone apologetic. “Sorry I misunderstood things when we first met. I was interested in you, but thought you might not be, and also knew it would be hard on you if you only saw me once or twice a month, due to me being a Scourge Suppressor.”

“I would have been very happy with that,” she reassured me. “And I am very happy that I can now accompany you.”

I frowned, recalling that I’d be leaving soon. “Well, most of the time,” I clarified. “I just remembered that the Queen is sending me to Ryfle later this evening.”

“She told us,” Mel replied. “And that’s fine. We will probably stay with Val’s family on their farm, unless the Queen has need of us for anything.”

“Oh. Okay.” I nodded. “That sounds good.”

“And we have plenty of coin to our name,” Mel added. “She paid us for the Quests we completed, and has kind of given us a ‘royal stipend,’ or whatever she called it. We get coin regularly for doing nothing.”

“That’ll be nice,” I agreed. “Although, just to forewarn you, I’m not one to sit around and do nothing, even if we can get paid for it.”

Mel waved her rosy hand back and forth. “Oh. No, I’m not either. I wasn’t implying that I planned on doing nothing. Although, I am looking forward to taking a bit of a break while you’re away. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to relax a little.”

I smirked. “You’ll just have to ensure that Val is milked several times a day.”

She laughed at that. “Can do!” she said cheerfully.

Val’s face was flushed slightly as she focused on her meal.

I was about to respond…

But unexpectedly the door to the room burst open.

Lyla was in the process of rushing in, as if she were in a hurry, adorned in her white silk dress that was clinging to her body as snuggly as ever, her stomach and hips very clearly defined, the shiny material leaving nothing to the imagination, her small perky tits so distinct that she might as well be naked.

There was briefly a look of anxiousness in her rich brown eyes…

Only for her to focus on Mel and Val.

Her eyes widened in shock, her full pink lips parting, even as her face began turning red in anger. “What the hell are you doing in my room?” she snapped. “How did you get in here?”

Mel immediately crossed her arms, her tone hard. “First of all, your roommate let us in. And second, we were just talking about you possibly dating Allister, so long as you stopped being a bitch to us, but I can see clearly that’s never going to happen.”

Lyla just stared at her in disbelief, the red slowly fading from her face.

She then finally glanced at me, only to drop her gaze entirely.

Her shoulders slumped.

“My…roommate…let you in,” she whispered.

“We paid her a silver,” Mel admitted, her strong rosy arms still crossed.

Lyla’s brown eyes flashed with anger, speaking through her teeth. “Fucking bitch,” she hissed. “Fucking cheap whore,” she added.

Mel continued. “I realize this is your room, but you realize it’s our man in your bed, right? If you want us to share, then you can’t treat us like shit.”

She was still looking down, her voice low. “I’ve known him longer,” she mumbled.

“Still our man,” Mel countered. “And Allie isn’t something you can claim anyway. Even if we decided we liked you, he might still decide he doesn’t like you. And honestly, he only kind of likes you right now. But your bitchy attitude is a big turnoff for all of us.”

She finally closed her eyes, scoffing. “If he’s interested, I’m sure there’s only one reason why.”

I frowned at that, not understanding why she’d gone there, but realizing she seemed stuck in her own head for some reason, as if she could only see things a certain way, through her own perspective, and couldn’t seem to grasp that Mel was trying to make peace with her.

It was like Lyla wanted the conflict, wanted me to reject her, while also wanting to stake a claim on me at the same time, and I didn’t understand why.

She couldn’t seem to let it go.

Even after what she’d seen me do, she was assuming I might only be interested in her due to her gift.

I decided to speak up. “Mel, do you mind if I just talk to her for a few minutes?”

She looked at me in surprise, and then shrugged. “Yeah, I don’t care. Val and I got a room for the night,” she continued, reaching in her back pocket for one of the keys, only to hand it to me. “So, we’ll just wait for you.” She then glared at Lyla. “Just don’t do anything stupid with her if she’s going to insist on being a bitch,” she added, taking her tray with her.

Lyla didn’t respond, her eyes still closed, her head still bowed as she stood there as still as a statue.

Val got up as well, but took her time, Mel already slipping into the hallway by the time she was wishing me farewell. “Bye master,” she whispered, taking her tray too, as she turned to leave.

Lyla scoffed at that.

Shockingly, visibly enraged, Val abruptly marched over to her aggressively, speaking so loud out of nowhere that Lyla looked up at her in shock.

“What’s wrong with what I said?” she snapped, unexpectedly looking very intimidating as she stood before the shorter blonde human.

And Lyla’s brown eyes widened in complete shock. “N-Nothing,” she stammered.

“He is my betrothed,” she snapped harshly. “He saved my mother’s life, when no one else could. He saved my little brother’s life as well, living with us for several days and trying even when another healer gave up. He is the most gentle and kind man I’ve ever met, and I love him. He is my master, as my kind call our husbands, and that is a fact I am proud of. So I will ask again, what is wrong with what I said?” she demanded loudly.

“I’m…I’m sorry,” Lyla blurted out.

Val just stared at her.

Mel’s white eyebrows were raised high, standing partially in the hallway. “Damn, Val.”

Val didn’t respond, finally humphing and walking around the skinny blonde.

I was a bit stunned too.

Val was always so timid. I’d rarely seen her act so bold before.

It was like when she was in the heat of battle, turning into a warrior when she was fighting for those she cared about. In this case, she was fighting on my behalf. Fighting for my reputation, since Lyla’s scoff had implied I wasn’t worthy of being called ‘master.’

Needless to say, when Val slammed the door shut behind her, Lyla didn’t budge.

Didn’t say anything.

She was no longer looking down, but also not looking at me either.

I decided to be the one to break the silence, because I didn’t trust her to do so. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if she turned right around and just walked out of the room. It was obvious she didn’t like being humbled. Didn’t like feeling vulnerable.

Thus, I started with a different approach entirely.

My tone was gentle. “Are you doing alright after today?” I asked quietly.

Her brown eyes widened at that as she glanced at me, only to grimace and look down, not responding.

I continued. “I…look, I’m not trying to be an ass by telling you this, but I do have a spell that might help, if you want me to use it on you.”

Her brow furrowed as she glanced away. “What’s that?”

“Heal Ailment, Trauma.”

She grimaced, her expression pained. “I’m not traumatized,” she snapped. “I’ve been hurt that bad before. Not the first time I’ve almost lost an arm or leg.”

“Me too,” I said simply.

Her eyes pained again briefly, before she took a deep breath, staring at the wall. “S-So what was that anyway? The night sky, and the blue light, and you getting to me so quickly,” she wondered hesitantly. “Some kind of ridiculous skill?”

“Yes,” I said simply, deciding not to elaborate that there was more than one skill involved, especially in the whole ‘getting to her so quickly’ part.

She frowned, focusing on me. “You’re not going to tell me what it’s called? I told you about my skill.”

I scoffed. “Only because I seduced it out of you.”

She gawked at me, her face visibly turning red. “Fuck, you’re such an asshole,” she hissed.

I raised my eyebrows. “And you’re such a bitch.”

“Only because you’re an asshole!” she retorted. “Shit, I really wished I hadn’t been so stupid earlier.”

I just shook my head. “Yeah, speaking of that, let me ask you a serious question.”

“What?” she snapped.

“This is a serious question,” I emphasized firmly.

She abruptly crossed her arms. “I’m listening.”

“Let’s say you were really horny–”

“Fuck!” she interrupted. “Just shut your mouth!”

“Will you just hear me out?” I demanded.

She glared at me. “Fine!”

I continued. “If you were horny, and then I proceeded to blow my load all over you, covering your face in my cum, only to immediately say, ‘Well that was stupid, wished I hadn’t done that,’ then how would that make you feel?”

Her brow furrowed at that, looking almost concerned now.

I raised my eyebrows, emphasizing each word. “How would that make you feel?” I repeated seriously. “Let’s say I even initiated the kiss. I gave you a kiss, got you to kiss me back, and then jerked off all over you. I then immediately said, ‘Fuck, that was stupid, bye bitch.’“ I scoffed, my tone becoming sarcastic. “Would that make you feel like shit, Lyla? Would you feel like shit? Because that’s how I felt.”

She finally grimaced, and looked away, not responding.

“Or maybe you wouldn’t know how that feels,” I commented. “Since you apparently don’t fuck around a lot, and since I would never say that to you. Even if I felt that way, I would never actually say that to you.”

Her grimaced deepened, her brown eyes pained.

I sighed heavily. “Whatever,” I finally mumbled. “Clearly ‘being nice’ is beneath you.”

“Do you want to?” she unexpectedly blurted out, her face growing red, even as her eyes pained more.

I frowned. “Want to what?”

“C-Cum…cum on me,” she managed, even her neck flushing.

My brow furrowed. “Where?”

Her face turned a deep shade of crimson. “W-Wherever you want.”

“On your face?”

Her eyes immediately closed. “I deserve that,” she whispered.

I scoffed. “I’m not trying to punish you,” I said seriously. “Or humiliate you. I wouldn’t cum on your face because I wanted you to feel like shit. I’d do it because I thought it was hot, and maybe because I wanted to see Mel or Val lick it off.”

She stiffened at that.

I took a deep breath. “Look, forget it. You don’t owe me anything. I actually enjoyed kissing you, and I’m glad you enjoyed yourself too. We can be done with that, since you regretted it so much.”

She dropped her head entirely, visibly looking heartbroken at that.

I continued. “Honestly, I don’t know where you got this idea that I’m a complete asshole, but I’m nice to the women I love. And if it’s true that you don’t sleep around, then I would have been happy to eat you out for your own pleasure. To service you without even expecting anything in return. Except for maybe you to just be nice to me.” I paused. “Why? Because it’s the intimacy that matters most to me. But no way in hell would I do that if you’re going to say, ‘wished we hadn’t of done that,’ after every time.” I scoffed. “Because I’d rather be slapped in the face. Honestly, it was a slap in the face.”

“I’m sorry,” she finally blurted out.

I crossed my arms, staring at her, not even sure if I truly believed her.

She glanced at me, only to grimace as she continued. “Okay, fine. I just felt stupid for doing that kind of stuff with you, when I know you’ve got two other hot women. I felt stupid when I realized that you’d never want me when you had them, and that you and I were never going to be anything serious. That I was just some pathetic girl who would never be anything other than a casual fuck to you.”

I frowned, my arms still crossed. “Honestly, if you don’t mind my relationship with Mel and Val, then there’s no reason why I wouldn’t be serious with you. Clearly, as you just saw, their only problem with you is the fact that you’re a bitch.”

She gawked at me, only to frown.

I continued. “And not because of your gift,” I added. “They don’t even know about that. And I didn’t even know about it until today. Honestly, you’re the first girl I really had the hots for in our Guild, and it’s why I found myself disliking you so much when you were a bitch toward me for seemingly no reason.”

She scoffed. “Well, it certainly didn’t help that you were going around telling everyone you’re the best healer.”

I sighed. “Lyla, your gift is amazing. It is beyond amazing. It’s literally the most powerful thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life thus far. But here’s the deal, you could be Focusless, and still be amazing.”

She frowned. “What’s your point?”

“Do you think you’re a better healer than me?” I asked seriously.

Her brown eyes narrowed, her pink lips flattening.

I continued. “Or can I have that?” I wondered. “You are by far the most valuable teammate anyone could ever have, but is it fair to say that I’m the better healer? Were my previous claims just me being conceited? Or do you think it’s reasonable for me to make such claims?”

“I don’t like you acting like I’m beneath you,” she admitted.

“And I only thought that because of the rumors I heard, which I’m honestly sorry about. I had no idea they were talking about the other girl. They said she was loud, and you are kind of loud.”

“So, you aren’t sorry,” she hissed.

I crossed my arms again. “Lyla, seriously. What do you want from me? What is your problem exactly? Do you want to understand each other, or do you want to hate each other? You tell me. What do you want?”

She looked away, not responding.

I sighed. “Do you want me to leave, or do you want me to stay?”

She still didn’t respond, her arms tense.

I didn’t get up, but my tone was serious. “Okay, so then, I guess I’ll just leave.”

“I don’t know how to stop,” she blurted out.

My brow furrowed. “Stop what?”

“Being a bitch,” she said seriously. “My roommate and I argue all the time. I call her a whore, a slut, a dumbass, and she calls me a bitch all the time, and that’s just how I live my life. I know I’m a bitch, and I get pissed easily, and I say hateful things, but that’s all I know. I don’t know how to be nice. I don’t really want to be nice.”

I honestly wasn’t sure what to say to that.

“Okay, so then what do you want?” I repeated. “For me to love you or hate you?”

She grimaced at that, finally focusing on me. “Can’t you just…be okay with me being who I am?”

My eyebrows shot up. “So, you want me to tolerate you being a bitch then?”

She looked away. “I mean…if I’m being mean to you, then you can be mean to me. That’s only fair.” Her face and neck started to turn red, her voice becoming strained. “Or like, if I tell you I wish we hadn’t done something, that doesn’t mean we have to stop doing those things.”

I honestly couldn’t believe what I was hearing, realizing for the first time that, when she made that statement earlier, something I was sure she sincerely meant, she also didn’t try to walk away.

My voice was hesitant. “So earlier…if, after you said that, I pushed you up against the tree and fucked you, then what?”

She visibly gulped, her visible skin deep red. “Then you would have fucked me,” she said simply.

I literally couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

“And what if you didn’t want to?” I wondered.

She scoffed, glaring at me, her face still bright red, her hard nipples poking through her white silk dress. “Trust me, if I didn’t want you to fuck me, I’d fucking tell you.”

I realized that was true – she was extremely vocal about what she did or didn’t want.

If she told someone to stop doing something, there wasn’t a soul within earshot who didn’t hear it.

The reason?

Because she was a loud bitch.

“So you want me to just put up with your attitude, maybe push you around a little for being such a bitch, and you’ll let me know if you don’t like something?”

Her pulse was visible in her neck, her strained tone almost breaking. “Of course I’d fucking let you know!” she snapped.

I immediately stood up, and her arms jerked outward slightly in panic, quickly beginning to back up against the wall as I approached her trembling form, her chin tilted up toward me even as I bent down to mash my lips into hers. Her brown eyes looked drugged again, her skin deeply flushed as she pushed against my chest, even as my hands were tugging up on her silk dress.

I didn’t tell her what I was doing, but I knew she was well aware when she lifted one leg up and hooked it on my hip, even as I got my thickening cock out, holding it in one hand as I aimed my throbbing head into her swollen folds, rubbing back and forth a few times before I started sinking in.

She was extremely wet and ridiculously tight.

Lyla immediately broke the kiss, her eyes fluttering as she jutted her chin straight up, gasping for breath now as she tried to hold onto my neck.

“Oh God!” she cried out, sounding like she was struggling to breathe. “Oh God, fuck me!” she pleaded. “Oh my God, fuck the shit out of me! I’m sorry I’m such a bitch, but if I piss you off, or hurt your feelings, then just fuck me. Just fuck the shit out of me, and then we’ll be good.”

I was about to do just that.

Fuck the shit out of her, and show her who was in control.

I ran my hand up the side of the silk on her toned belly, reaching up to cup one of her small squishy tits, enjoying the warmth of her skinny fluffy body against mine, shoving as deep into her as I could before finally beginning to thrust in and out incrementally. My other hand moved to hold the back of her small waist, keeping her belly pulled against mine.

She must have truly been as horny as shit though, because I barely started thrusting more fully and she was already climaxing on my cock, writhing around in my arms as she groaned in ecstasy.

Definitely quiet when she was actually getting there.

Nearly silent, compared to how her roommate supposedly was.

Part of me wanted to keep going.

Part of me wanted to keep thrusting until I filled her pussy with my cum.

But the other part of me recalled that I was somewhat limited on time, knowing an Elf Guard might be coming to get me anytime now. And honestly, if I was going to spend my last hour in the capital with anyone, I’d rather it be with Mel and Val.

I’d already accomplished my goal here.

Truly making this girl my bitch.

Thus, I decided to carefully pull out, still having her silk dress bunched up at her hips.

“W-What are you doing?” she gasped, trembling between me and the wall.

“You got there, right?”

Her brown eyes still looked drugged, like she couldn’t see straight as she tried to focus up at me. “Y-Yeah, but…A-Aren’t you going to cum in me?” she managed.

I was about to respond, already getting my cock back in my pants, only to realize I had some blood on me.

“Wait. Was I too rough, or are you a virgin?” I said in surprise, feeling like I wasn’t rough at all, but also knowing her cunt was the tightest one I’d ever fucked in my life. As tight as Wren’s asshole was.

Her face immediately flushed red. “W-What does it matter?” she managed. “I can just heal myself.”

I gave her a look, her face flushing even more, my tone a bit sarcastic as I repeated her question. “What does it matter?” I scoffed, deciding to be honest. “Well, it’s kind of hot you’re a virgin,” I admitted.

Her body was tense. “R-Really?” she managed.

“Yes, very hot. And thank you for letting me fuck you for your first time.”

She frowned even though she still looked drunk on her orgasm. “There’s a ‘but,’ isn’t there?”

I leaned down to give her a passionate kiss, causing her to wrap her arms around my neck more fully, her warm tongue thrusting in my mouth.

I then pulled away enough to speak. “The only ‘but’ is that I only ‘kind of like you’ right now, and I have to leave the capital soon. So if I’m going to cum in anyone’s pussy, I’d rather be in Mel or Val’s. Which means, this is goodbye for now.”

She grimaced, though not for the reason I thought. “T-Thank you,” she stammered. “For, umm, letting me…you know.”

“For getting you there first?”

She swallowed hard, nodding, her brown eyes trying to focus on me. “I…I didn’t realize it would feel like this. Kind of understand why my roommate fucks so much.”

I scoffed. “Well, if you really do turn into a slut and start fucking around, then we’re definitely done.”

She grimaced. “That’s not…what I meant.”

Seeing the look in her eyes, one of longing, specifically for me, I leaned down to press my lips to hers again. She wrapped her arms tightly around my neck and tried to wrap her legs around me too, but I pushed her thigh down. She groaned in complaint, but probably realized the reason why.

Not only might she get my clothing a little bloody, but she could ruin her white silk dress too, even if it wasn’t much.

I finally broke our kiss, smiling when she gave me such a desperate expression. “So, we have a deal then? If you wait for me, then I’ll eat you out next time.”

“I’ll wait for you,” she promised.

My tone was serious. “I realize you struggle with being a bitch, and maybe I can tolerate that, but I can’t tolerate a liar.”

“I try not to lie, just in general,” she said sincerely. “And I won’t lie to you. I promise. It’s kind of why I’m such a bitch. Because I say what I think.”

I knew that was definitely true. “Okay, one last kiss, and then maybe take a nap. You look exhausted.”

She laughed at that, a big goofy grin spreading across her cute face.

“What?” I wondered, pecking her on the lips.

“I’m always telling my roommate that,” she giggled. “Go take a fucking nap, or something,” she chuckled again. “I might just do that.”

I gave her one last kiss. “Sleep well then. Bye.”

“B-Bye,” she replied as I finally pulled away, leaving her slightly off balance. “T-Thank you,” she repeated, looking like she truly appreciated it.

Appreciated the mind-blowing orgasm.

I simply waved at her as I opened the door and headed into the hallway, leaving my tray behind so she’d have something to eat if she decided she was hungry and didn’t want to have to leave her room. Because she truly did look exhausted, and not just from a long day, but from an extremely stressful day.

A very stressful day that finally felt a little better after a really good orgasm.

Honestly, it occurred to me for the first time, as I fished out the key Mel gave me and checked the room number, that Lyla kind of stopped being a bitch after she got there. Which got me thinking about her gift. Her blessing, and how it gave her basically a lot of pent-up energy, and how restless and irritable that probably made her when she didn’t have an outlet.

Maybe that’s all she needed.

Lyla just needed a really good fucking every once in a while, and then she’d be nice.

She’d be sincerely appreciative.

She’d be less irritable and less of a bitch.

But only time would tell.

And right now, I only had one thing on my mind.

Spending time with Mel and Val, before I had to leave them for a little while.

Before I had to make my trip to the Ryfle Kingdom…

And set the stage, for an eventual overthrow of the current king.

I was actually looking forward to it.

FEEDBACK: Thoughts on this chapter?

This is kind of the culminating chapter for the mini-Lyla arc (just in the sense that we get some resolution with her character).

The next 'arc' of the story will be the Ryfle kingdom trip (Wren will be more involved for that, and even though Mel and Val aren't going, we'll get some of them via the italicized parts, mainly plot focused stuff).

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