DD 202 Ch 10 (Patreon)

Chapter 10

“Really, you trained so hard you are both banged up.” Charlotte tisked as she healed Fayeth and I.

After several rounds of taunting each other, we had really gone at it. While we both had self heals, they hadn’t held up to the intensity of our training.

“It’s my fault.” I scratched the back of my head. “We got carried away.”

“Well, at least you had someone come get me.” Charlotte kissed the top of my head. “Now, the doctor's orders are to rest up for an hour before doing anything more. I don’t want to hear that Crimson got you working again.”

Bun-bun huffed on top of her head and chattered angrily at me.

“Yeah, yeah.” I waved away the angry rabbit. “We were training and in moderation.”

Bun-bun just crossed his arms and gave me a flat stare, mirrored by Charlotte’s only hers was cuter.

“We did go a little overboard.” Fayeth nudged me. “At least it wasn’t as bad as Crimson’s trainings. She gives him potions before she lets him come see you.”

“She does what?” Charlotte shifted her gaze to Fayeth. Bun-bun covered his eyes with his paws, peeking out of them slightly like someone who couldn’t help but watch the oncoming trainwreck.

“Those are stamina potions.” I tried to save Fayeth. Normally I was so worn out from Crimson’s training that I needed something so I didn’t pass out. “So I can stay awake and make the walk.”

Bun-bun smacked his face.

Charlotte pursed her lips tightly and applied a little more healing to Fayeth. “I guess I shouldn’t blame either of you. We are all pushing ourselves.”

Bun-bun perked back up.

“We are all a little bit of training maniacs.” I scratched the back of my head. “I heard about your training last summer. You really pushed yourself with your mother.”

Bun-bun rapidly shook his head as if warning me not to bring that particular moment in time up.

Rather than be upset, Charlotte just sighed and continued to heal us and tend to our injuries. “Ken, we are going to do something very nice and not related to training for the holidays.”

I knew better than to even argue. “Of course. We’ll all be sick of training by then and it’ll be a lovely vacation.”

“Good good.” Charlotte nodded. “Sometimes, we should enjoy life rather than continuing to push as hard as we can into the dungeon. Why are we even pushing so hard?”

“The naga?” Fayeth hazarded.

“Why do I need a set goal?” I challenge both of them, staring up at the ceiling. “Can’t I just like diving the dungeon? I don’t want to be stuck forever grinding some floor like a corporate job. No, I think I’m addicted to seeing my numbers go up.”

Bun-bun looked at me with a tilted head.

“What are you looking at?” I made a face at the rabbit. “It's completely normal.”

“What about Silver Fangs?” Charlotte asked.

I gave her a guilty chuckle. “That should be part of it, right?” I cleared my throat. “Yes, of course I want to make my guild the greatest in the entire world, no, the entire connected worlds from the dungeon!” Shrugging, I returned to my normal voice. “Adventuring is fun. There’s a thrill in doing all of this, particularly doing all of it with you and the rest of my adrel.”

Charlotte’s eyes softened. “Do you have to push yourself so hard then?”

“Yep.” I smiled. “Because while it’s a fun adventure, I can’t leave anything to chance and I have to prepare myself to ensure we all make it out alive so I can keep enjoying it.”

Charlotte leaned forward and gave me a soft kiss as Bun-bun patted the top of my head.

Was that approval from the rabbit?

“I guess it’s up to me to slow us down from time to time then.” Charlotte said and glanced at Fayeth.

The elf nodded sharply. “You have my support.”

“Good good.” Charlotte nodded to herself. “Now, both of you, take a little rest.”

I shrugged. “Sounds good. Fayeth, what are we cooking?”

The elf pulled her hair back to tie it back. “I was thinking after such a good workout that we need protein.”

“Steaks?” I asked, licking my lips.

“Steaks.” She confirmed and I hopped ahead of her to the kitchen area as Charlotte went and tended to other classmates that had injured themselves during the day’s training.

Fayeth was the queen of the little mobile kitchen she now brought through the dungeon. It was a stainless steel station that collapsed into a few parts. The center was a grill with an oven hatch underneath it. Then there were two large work stations on either side and even a faucet with a small reservoir of water.

She put on an apron and started humming as she pulled charcoal from her CID and lit the grill before putting out her pans and knives.

I watched as she was completely at home cooking.

“Do you really not have any goals?” She asked me.

“Hmm? The goal post keeps stretching out. I just hit level 30. Now I want level 32 to be ready for the raid. As soon as we get in there, I’m sure I’ll make some goals for stats.” I said, having long ago accepted that goal posts always seemed to move when reached.

Fayeth gave me a strange look. “Then what keeps you going?”

“Your food.” I smiled at her.

Fayeth kissed me, holding my head still for a moment. “Thank you, but I think you need more than that.”

“Well, there’s you and the rest of our party.” I shrugged. “We have to graduate Haylon, right? Crimson’s whip is quite a bit of reason to keep going.”

“It’s really that simple for you.” She threw down the first seasoned steak on the grill.

Like a summoning spell, Felin appeared behind the grill, sniffing the air.

Fayeth wasn’t even surprised. “Can I help you?”

“I’m so hungry.” Felin gave her pleading eyes that would melt all but the coldest of hearts.

“Maybe you should think about contributing to the funds that buy all the food you keep eating.” Fayeth put her hands on her hips.

Felin reached into the small leather at her waist that held far more than it appeared to and then poured out a fist full of blue mana crystals. “Steak please.” She sat down next to the work space with a fork and knife.

I felt odd as Felin paid far more than a steak was worth. It reminded me of Brandon Sayer’s little place and the exorbitant price they put on food.

“This is all going to the next grocery trip.” Fayeth waved it all the way with a swish of her arm. “I’m going to replace all of the cream that you’ve been snatching.”

Felin’s ears dropped. “I’m nothing but skin and bones. I need more cream.”

Staring at her chest, I broke out into a laugh.

“What?” Felin pinched her tiny waist. “Look, there’s no fat.”

“You are far from starving. Maybe you could make your own milk.” Fayeth wasn’t shy about staring at her chest.

“Huh? You want me to have kittens?” Felin asked before turning to me. “Ken, we are making kittens! That way I’m part of the pride forever.”

My head banged against Fayeth’s cooking station. “That’s… that’s not what she meant.”

“Oh. So that wasn’t acceptance into the pride?” Felin looked crestfallen with big eyes and her ears back.

“Don’t you dare give Ken that look. That’s the same one you give me when you guzzle four bottles of cream and ask for a fifth.” Fayeth chided her.

“She looks so sad though.” I offered.

“Why do you want to join Ken?” Fayeth pushed Felin.

The Nekorian perked up. “Oh, that’s easy. He did a trial, which means he’s strong and an equal to a shaman. To make it better, he’s not an asshole yet.”

“Yet?” I raised an eyebrow.

Felin nodded hard enough to make her ears flop. “Yup! All of the shamans and trial victors eventually become assholes, like Crimson.”

“She’s got that right.” Fayeth tilted her head to the side, giving the Nekorian the win.

“Crimson’s not…” I couldn’t finish defending her. She was good to me and by extension my party, but she pretty much did what she wanted otherwise. Which very much included being an asshole if she didn’t like the person.

Felin snickered. “See. He can’t even defend her. Yet she’s a kitten to him, because he’s going to be just as strong or stronger than her one day. Thus you will be a passable mate for a shaman as incredible as me.”

“Just passable?” I raised an eyebrow.

Fayeth had finished the steak and was about to plate it.

“Yep.” Felin took the steak off of Fayeth’s fork, hissing at the heat and starting to nibble on it.

“It’s okay. She doesn’t appear to have the best judgment.” Fayeth said dryly.

“Hmm?” Felin was so engrossed in the steak that she didn’t hear the elf. “The steak is great.” She smiled around it so wide that her eyes pinched closed and her ears turned outwards a little.

Yet, the cute look didn’t seem to get through to Fayeth, the elf put her hands on her hips.

“How can you be mad when she looks so content?” I asked.

“Because that was your steak.”

“Oh. Give that back.” I told Felin.

The Nekorian danced away, quickly devouring the steak before I could even attempt to get it back. She licked at her fingers. “That was great.”

“Now if only my food lasted more than a minute.” Fayeth sighed but threw two more steaks into the pan.

Felin came back, her tail flitting back and forth mischievously. “Sorry, it was just too good for me to resist.”

“If you steal Ken’s steak again, I’m going to make you cook your own meals.” Fayeth warned.

“But I paid you! Fraud! That’s the right use of the word?” Felin asked me, seemingly slightly uncomfortable with the word.

“I think you did it right. Why?”

“That word is dangerous in Nekorian.” Felin said. “Umm… How to translate… if someone lied about a deal you’d call them ‘Death Marked’? No, cursed. That’s the word.”

“You’d call them cursed or you’d curse them?” I clarified.

“The second, preferably with a hot iron brand. Scars are a lot harder to heal.” Felin nodded rapidly with a big stupid smile on her face.

Fayeth winced. “Yeah, that’s not what he meant. Are thieves?”

“People who make bad deals can’t be trusted by the tribe.” Felin crossed her arms and held fast to her beliefs. “On Neighbors, there was that lawsuit episode. I cannot believe humanity is so… inefficient. Just off with their heads.” The Nekorian smiled slightly at the mention of violence.

“What if you are wrong?” I asked.

“Shamans aren’t wrong.” Felin shot back without missing a beat. “Just like I’m not wrong that you will be strong and that I will become part of your pride.” She gave another of her big smiles.

I sighed. She was pretty fixed on joining. “You still need to take me on that date and we need to practice some questions so Bellaire doesn’t throw you off too hard next time.”

Fayeth stopped mid action. “You can’t put her in front of Bellaire. She’ll eat the kitty alive.”

“Only Ken gets to call me a kitty, and Bellaire didn’t seem particularly dangerous. I would like to see her try to eat me.” Felin let out a soft challenging growl.

“It’s… why do I try?” Fayeth quickly plated a steak and handed it to me. “If you go on a date with Ken, will you behave?” Fayeth held back the second steak.

“Of course.” Felin nodded rapidly, making her ears smack against the top of her head. “I want to join the pride. That means treating him really well and maybe bringing him somewhere private before going into heat.” She snatched the steak from Fayeth the second the elf relaxed.

I cleared my throat. “About that. Is there… uh… some timer on that?”

“Mu-ch-tu-da, wen-day my heat.” Felin formed absolute nonsense words around the steak.

“Did you catch that?” I asked Fayeth.

“Nothing except the last two. Which was already the subject of conversation.” Fayeth sighed and started cutting potatoes.

I shook my head. “Let’s not get too carried away. If you are taking me on a date, it’s just the two of us going out and coming back before too long.”

“Heat can take days.” Felin said.

“Then no heat.” I stared at her.

She nodded. “Fine. We’ll go hunting. Gotta go down a few floors for a good challenge. Nothing like a hunt to get the blood moving and getting to know the other. Not to mention, I can show off enough that you’ll have to be an idiot not to take me into the pride.” Felin smiled using her giant fangs.

I glanced at Fayeth who shrugged. “Fine. A hunt it is. You pick the date.”

She frowned for a moment. “Oh. Right, that word has two meanings. Yeah, I’ll pick the day for the date.” She spoke slowly. “Don’t worry, you’ll love it. Who doesn’t love a good hunt? You had people we needed to kill, right? Want to hunt them?”

“No.” I hadn’t made up my mind about Brandon Sayer. Ami would be back in a few days with the information I’d requested. “We will make a plan for that later, but it will be the entire pride.” I spoke her language.

She rubbed her hands together. “Then we should go on the date soon, so that I’m part of the pride’s hunt. Tomorrow? No, that’s not eager enough. Tonight! We go on the date tonight. You promised me.”

I sighed. “Fine. Tonight. You’re the one planning it though.”

Felin jumped to her feet with unnatural grace. “I need to find Crimson. Where is she?”

“Do I look like her keeper?” I asked.

Both of them stared at me like I’d asked a stupid question and waited for me to answer.

“Heather, The Harem Queen’s tent. Pretty sure she was going to go harass her for fun.”

Felin clapped her hands with finality and started off before pausing. “Where is her tent?”

“That way. The big green one. If you can’t find it, well you must be a terrible hunter.” I chuckled to myself.

Felin gasped as if I’d just called her fat.

“Even I knew that was a bad thing to say.” Fayeth put a pot on to boil while Felin stormed off. “At least she’s not going to eat everything as I cook now. The only thing that’s safe from her are vegetables and those cause a furry problem.” Fayeth shook her head and kept on cooking.

***

Des wiped her brow after finishing with some of the seniors. “Good training today.” She pulled a small towel out of her CID and wiped at the back of her neck.

She’d take a shower, even though her sweat had a very sweet scent now. Bellaire told her she could bottle it as a perfume and people would go crazy for it.

Still, Des didn’t like to be dirty.

“You too.” Mel, a senior, nodded at her. “Hey, uh.” Mel scratched the back of her head. “Ken wouldn’t happen to be looking for more, you know?”

Des had a playful smirk slide across her lips. “Hmm? More what?” She was going to have too much fun with all the women interested in him.

“Yeah, more what?” Frankie nudged Mel. “Going to go ask him out?”

“Shut up. I saw you ogling him.” Mel snapped back.

“Duh. He’s hot.” Frankie shrugged. “I’m not into girls, and he’s eye candy. Can’t help it. My eyes just slide over that way whenever he walks by. It’s a fucking crime when he puts his shirt on after training.”

“Frankie!” Des gasped. “That’s my man.”

“Lucky bitch.” Frankie grumbled. “Anyway, Mel wants a piece of that. What’re her chances?”

Des shook her head. She’d love to line them up and watch Ken go at them. The idea suddenly made her smile. “Sadly, he’s kept pretty busy.”

“Told you.” Frankie nudged Mel.

“You were trying to get me to ask, coward.” Mel shot back before focusing on Des. “Really? No chance?”

“Eh…” Des tapped her lips. “How should I say this? Ken is very dedicated to his party. I think you’d have to get into his party to even stand a chance. Charlotte would die before she left his party. Fayeth and him have an elven love bond that they are both dedicated to. As for me, fuck no. I’m not leaving. You’ve all seen those abs, but I’ve seen that pocket monster he’s got.” Des licked her lips and bit the lower one for effect.

She’d need to go tease Ken after thinking about it.

“What about the last slot?” Franking asked, showing some interest finally.

“The Nekorian.” Mel rolled her eyes. “I’m straight and I’d probably take a shot at her. What are the chances you get another pass at a smoking hot catgirl?”

Des smiled to hide the sigh. Really, Ken could learn something from these two and bang Felin already. All he’d need to do is put a bowl of cream on the floor and she’d bend right over for him.

No, he just needed to wet his pocket monster with some cream and Felin would lick that thing clean for him.

Probably purr while doing it.

Damnit, Des wanted a piece of the kitty. Why did he have to be so slow about these things?

“Look at her. Even Des wants the Nekorian.” Mel said.

“Damn right I do. Now, you two got my imagination going. I’m going to see what Ken can do about that.” She shot the two a wink.

Frankie grunted and Mel turned to tease the bigger girl about being thirsty before the two broke down into an argument about who needed to get laid more and what position they would choose if Ken ever was interested in them.

Sometimes, women were so thirsty. Ken had no clue what kind of danger he was in every time Crimson convinced him to workout without a shirt.