Chapter 162: 211-220

Chapter 211

Lex let out a content sigh as he leaned back on his seat and watched everybody enjoy themselves, though it wasn't their enjoyment of his party or happiness that had him in such a good mood.

No, it was the confirmation from Gregory that the alchemist had decided to help in exchange for a list of things within the city, most of which were very specific and odd items, not that he was complaining. None were overly expensive like he had thought when Gregory had first told him of the list and would be easy to get his hands on. Once that was done, the elixir to cure his disease would be given to him and the fear that had been plaguing him for the past few years would vanish.

He was not going to be leaving after all, and there was also the fact that things had died down when it had come to the slave stock. They hadn't caught anyone yet, but with what they had gotten from the expedition, they would be able to empower and strengthen themselves. The next time an attack came, they would be ready and new plans and defenses would be put in place. Things had started out bad, but it was looking like it was going to be a very good year.

He and Henry had laid out plans to get more stock, and if all went well then they could be put into affect in a month or so. All of their raid groups that went out and collected slaves were currently back in the city, in warehouses. They were planning on creating more and making contacts and connections in other cities and introducing them to the wealth the sale of flesh could bring. Their profits would triple or more, and all the losses would mean nothing. In fact, Lex was glad that it had happened, as their plans would have never likely been made if it hadn't. The only odd thing was Will. Lex had tried to contact the man to thank him but hadn't had any luck in reaching him so far. It was like he had just disappeared.

"You seem happy," a familiar voice said and Lex turned to see Henry approaching.

"All is well," Lex said with a smile. "Things are coming together and soon we will be even more powerful than before."

"And wealthy," Henry said with a laugh. "The profit from when we sell what we got from the expedition will make us a ton of money, I can already see the mountains of crystals we shall make."

"Indeed," Lex replied. "I'm surprised you are here, and not in one of the private rooms. Are the girls I hired not to your liking."

"Oh they are," Henry said. "Not as good as our usual, but pleasant, and I will be indulging soon enough. I just wanted to let you know that Max has gotten into with Hyde, and they're about to fight in the pit."

Lex raised an eyebrow. "Over what?"

"Hyde was acting pompous." Henry shrugged. "Max called him weakling who couldn't backup his words."

This chapter upload first at NovelBin.com"And Hyde fell for that?"

Henry nodded.

Lex sighed. "That fool is going to leave him black and blue."

"You think he doesn't stand a chance?" Herny asked.

"He does," Lex said. "Or he would, but his style just won't do well against Max. You've seen both of them fight, do you disagree?"

Henry shrugged. "Not really, then again I don't particularly care. Well, I'm going to go partake in those girls now, see you Lex."

Henry raised his glass and Lex did the same, clinking it with his. He raised it to his lips and gulped the drink down. He savored the flavor and turned to motion to a servant to refill his glass, but froze instead.

What happened next, Lex would not have been able to say or describe as he had never seen such a thing before. A flowery scent spread through the room, and figures flickered into view. Lex, did not get any time to wonder, as the needle pierced his neck. His last thought was of the day he and his father had gone hunting in the night. When they had still loved each other. Before he had become as he was now. He couldn't have told you why, even if had survived.

But, Lex, the most wealthy and influential man in the city, died, from a poison needle pierced into his neck. There was no screaming, no struggle, and no fight. Just like that, he was ended. The man who had caused so much grief and pain, so much loss and misery, was gone.

Where his soul went was a question for another time, but if hell existed then his soul was surely damned to rot in its fiery embrace.

——

In every part of the mansion, similar scenes were taking place, and where people fell, that flowery scent permeated the air.

In one of the private rooms, Gregory lay atop a woman, in the throes of passion. He had a smile upon his face, no doubt enjoying the beauty beneath him but also of his rewards which he would never get, as he caught a whiff of that smell, and then felt the sudden sting of a needle. All his training, skills, and abilities were worthless, and Gregory died in the arms of a woman, who had passed out when she too had smelled the scent.

In a larger room within the mansion, men and women surrounded a pit, cheering and shouting as two men stood opposite each other down below. One was the familiar Hyde, an elder of the burning sands sect which no longer existed due to Aeverie. The other man in the pit was a bulky and hairy fellow, with a wild mane of black hair and grey eyes. His teeth were barred in a feral grin as he prepared to lunge.

Neither got to fight, however, as the scent filled the air, and the crowd and two men passed out. Some felt the sting of a needle while others did not. The strongest elder of what had been the most powerful sect in the city was dead alongside the strongest arcanist who had been in service to the now late Lex.

Henry, the merchant, had died at the same time Lex had fallen, and the last of the group, the hooded man who had lost his name long ago, lasted for a second more than the rest, but even as his instincts kicked in when he smelled the air in the private room he was in, it was too late, and he fell to the ground, feeling the sting of a needle on his neck before everything went dark.

The once lively estate was now as silent as the grave. Death had passed through and taken many a soul with him, and in return, freedom was given to all those that lay beneath the manor. They would see light once again, and their minds would be cleared. Help would be granted and hope kindled.

Not just for them, but for the city of Evenord as a whole.

——

From atop a perch on a nearby building, Will, at least that was the name he was known by, looked down upon the manor of Lex, and sighed. Once he had found out what that fae had been planning, he had cut loose and run. He didn't want to risk getting caught, especially not when he was about to head home in four days with the expedition. He had his disguise ready and everything, along with the other items he needed.

Lex had been pleasant, and amusing to Will. He could have cured the man any time, but he hadn't because he had wanted to see what he would do and it would have raised questions. Perhaps if he had been born in the lands beyond the scar, he might have made something more of himself, then again the same could be said about anyone of the plains.

Will glanced out at the city that had been his home for many years now. He had left it multiple times to meet for missions and accomplish tasks given to him, though none had come since the fall of the Twin horn. That damned idiotic sect. Will remembered the first time he had met them. Sure they had been loyal and willing to do anything, but they had also been pricks and had questioned each order he had given when he was there, stating that they needed confirmation from their king. In the end, he had left and had thought things would go according to plan, but they had not.

He winced when he remembered the anger that thing, his superior, had shown when it had spoken to Will and informed him that he'd be returning with the next expedition. He didn't know everything that had happened, but he did know that something had been lost, a queen he'd accidentally overheard, and that plans years in the making had all been ruined. What was worse, was they didn't have a lot to go on as to how and who.

It was bad, to say the least, and Will was still pissed that most of his work in the plains for the past few years had now been for nothing.

'At least I'm finally leaving this place, though I'm still surprised they sent someone with the expedition.'

He hadn't been told why they had sent another agent with the expedition, someone among the Umbrin group. All he knew was that he was to work with this agent and that they had been recruited at a very young age which likely meant they had been infected with a parasite and a unique one at that if what he had been told by his superior was true. Will didn't like working with their kind, they always felt off to him.

'What was his name again.' Will tried to recall the code name he had been given by his superior. 'puppetmaster or was the spider? Something to do with strings I think.'

Will sighed. it didn't matter, he'd be meeting him soon enough to go over a task that they would be sharing on the return journey through the scar.

"Can't wait until this is over," Will said.

The plains were peaceful and he could do anything he wanted here, as long as he didn't cause too much of a ruckus, but he missed home and would be glad when he returned.

Chapter 212

"I think that's enough for today," Zirani said and I let out a sigh as I pulled the enchanted weights off myself. Next to me, Misty did the same thing, and we both toppled to the ground. Unlike the first set, these new weights were far heavier and seemed to heat the body, and as far as I could tell, also stimulate certain parts. Zirani had said it was a dangerous piece of equipment, at least for those not used to it and at the lower levels. It increased blood flow via the heart, and affected other parts of the body,

The only reason she was confident that we could use it was because of all the other training we had done, and the physical conditioning she had put us through. It hadn't been obvious at first, but since none of us had gone out of our way to test it, our physical attributes were beyond the boost that our level gave us. It had become clear when Zirani had me spar a member of the green court, a fae, who naturally had greater psychical abilities than a base human. We were around the same level of power, and the rules had been simple. Neither of us could use aether.

It had quickly become obvious that he didn't stand a chance. The sheer difference was staggering in a way. He was fast and strong, but no were near my level.

"Not everyone pushes themselves like you and the girls Aiden," Zirani said when I asked her about it. "Some people will be content with reaching a certain stage and then remaining there. We all seek power, yes, but some seek more than others."

It was a difference that I hadn't really thought about. I guess it was foolish of me to think everyone would be pushing like me. Why would they after all? Why was I?

A question that I still hadn't fully answered yet.

As I got to my feet, I spotted a few familiar faces watching us. Shana was there alongside a few other dryads who looked me up and down with obvious interest. I had taken my shirt off and was only wearing a pair of shorts, leaving my defined muscles bare. With my robes, I looked to have an athletic figure, with a strong yet not overly bulky build. One might think I was average, but underneath was layer upon layer of defined and carved muscle gained through hours upon hours of torturous physical exertion.

There were a few people who stared intently at Misty which did annoy me a bit, but I needed to stop caring so much about that. Misty paid no attention to them and at the end of the day, it was I who she was in love with, though one, in particular, a muscular and handsome-looking man with goat legs seemed particularly interested. He had shouted out numerous compliments and had only shut up when Zirani had warned him. He was lucky because I had been about to head over and teach him a lesson. The leers were annoying, but as long as they remind leers and nothing else then I wasn't about to fight every single one of them even if I could, but the satyr was so brazen as to openly hit on Misty and even ask her out in front of me. If he didn't take Zirani's warning to heart then I would teach him a lesson.

After a quick rest, Misty and I followed Zirani toward our temporary home. Sandra had opted out of training and had chosen to remain inside. She needed some time to rest, and I wouldn't argue, though I still planned on checking on Zirani and her later tonight. I wanted to make sure that both were alright since they had both been acting oddly, at least that's what it felt like. The entire thing with this upcoming fight still felt so odd and unnecessary. It didn't feel like something Zirani would allow, and Sandra would do. There was also the lost queen which had been more active, though not through speech. It was the feelings I was getting from her. She was deciding something, or so I thought.

In any case, there wasnt much I could do in that regard.

"There's some food ready so dig in," Zanni said. "Or would you prefer to take a bath first?"

This chapter upload first at NovelBin.com"Bath," Misty and I said in unison.

I reeked of sweat and was covered in dirt. Misty who was wearing a sports bra, and tights was also pretty dirty. Her clothes also didn't have any enchantments as they had been a set she had bought from the plains, and enchanted clothing wasn't common in the plains, not like it apparently was in the lands beyond the scar.

"You going to join us?" I asked Zirani.

"No." She shook her head. "I'm going to go speak with Aeverie."

Zirani had left earlier, apparently to check on Sofia, and had returned with good news. Things had begun and I assumed he was going now to check on how things had gone. If my body hadn't been aching and I wasn't about to take a bath I might have asked to go along, but instead, I just nodded and followed Misty into the bath.

We quickly undressed and though Misty body looked very pleasing and enticing, I was too tired to do anything. Misty probably could have healed me somewhat, but ever since Zirani had started on the weights a month ago, she had told us not to use certain healing elixirs or techniques and to allow the body to naturally recover, to allow the muscle to break and build back up. For a normal human, it would not be possible nor feasible, but at our level alongside all those baths and elixirs, our regeneration was good enough that we could.

It was easiest for Misty as her natural regeneration was far greater than mine and Sandra's.

"Misty." Her eyes opened and moved to me. "Are you actually planning on leaving?"

She smiled and shook her head. "Probably not."

I tried to hold back a sigh of relief but I don't think I was successful as she smirked. "You'd miss me?"

"Of course, I would," I replied. "You seemed interested though, earlier at least."

"I was," Misty said. "But I've been thinking and well, anything they could offer, Zirani could get me. She's a princess and I can't even begin to imagine how wealthy she is. She could probably hire vampire teachers for me. I don't think she wanted to say it because she wanted me to decide and figure things out on my own, and I'm happy she did. The sisterhood is interesting, but not for me. Yes, I do need to spend time around vampires, and I will, but not with them, not if I have to leave you, Sandra, and Zirani. I wouldn't be here without you, Aiden, and I don't—"

She paused. "I don't have a goal besides keeping up with you so I can remain by your side. Right now it just doesn't seem like a good decision and it's not one I want to take. There are the first vampires I've met but not the only others out there. No point rushing into things when there are other better options available and one's I've yet to see. Options where I don't have to leave you."

I smiled. "I'm glad, sweet fangs."

She rolled her eyes and splashed some water at me. "Don't start with that."

I chuckled. "Why, it suits you."

We spent some more time in the bath before we got and dried up. Dinner was still hot and read thanks to the enchanted plates. the food was some sort of meat pastry with potatoes, and a mix of vegetables with a wonderful sauce. we spoke of more joyous things while we ate like what we might see in the scar and the lands beyond it. All the sights and wondrous things that awaited us.

It was going to be like stepping into an entirely different world, and though obstacles awaited us, as long as I had my lovers at my side, I would get through it.

Once we finished, we were about to head to bed, and spend some quality time together, but then I checked on Sandra and stopped. The bond was eerily quiet, far more than normal, and I was about to send a message over when the lost queen suddenly spoke up.

"Don't."

I stopped and turned my attention to her as Misty gave me a worried look. "Are you ok?"

I raised a hand to ask her to wait.

"Don't do what?" I asked the queen.

"If you want your little shadowed friend to come out of this unharmed and with her mental faculties intact then you will do as I say."

"Are you threatening me?" I growled mentally. "If you've done something to her I swear I'll-"

"I'm trying to help, you fool," she bit back. "I've done nothing, now would you rather I be silent and you can helplessly try and solve this problem, which you will be unable to, at least not in time for her to come out of this without some problems. Or, do you want someone whose familiar with her problem to help? Well?"

I calmed myself and nodded. "What do I need to do?"

I might have thought this a trick or some elaborate ruse if not for the fact she had left herself completely bare. I could sense fully that she was telling the truth, and I was also certain if she could disguise her emotions so well and do something like this to trick me, she would have done so already.

I sent over a quick mental message of what was going on to Misty and Zirani then without waiting, headed over to Sandra's room. I was glad to hear Misty's footsteps behind me and Zirani's quick response, though my focus did not remain on either for long as I turned my full attention to the queen as she began to speak.

Chapter 213

Sandra was lying on her bed when I entered the room, and looked to be in a state of peaceful slumber, however on closer inspection she was far too still, and the only sign of movement was the erratic rising and falling of her chest. It was not a smooth rise and fall, but like she was struggling to breathe.

I quickly approached the bed, followed by Misty as the lost queen's focus turned to Sandra.

"Don't touch her," the queen snapped when I went to lay a hand on her forehead. "Let me out."

I hesitated, but only for a moment. The next the lost queen manifested beside me, and I stepped back as she gazed down at Sandra. She looked just like she had the last time I had let her out. Porcelain skin and dark eyes deeper than any pit. She was beautiful and striking, not at all like one might think if they only knew her by her personality. Her pointed ears looked like the fae I had seen though slightly different, and her onyx hair contracted with the pale blue dress she wore, the color of ice.

The very air in the room seemed to still in her presence, and I was keenly aware of just how powerful she was. The only reason I had won last time was because of my divine power, not my own capabilities. Without that and the fact she was my bonded, she could likely obliterate me right here and now.

"Wow," I heard Misty breathe as she looked at the queen. "Is that her?'

I nodded as the lost queen sneered and lowered a hand to Sandra's forehead. Due to the fact, that her mind was the mental equivalent of being naked I could tell her sneer was not directed at the Sandra, but something whiting her. I tried to use my arcane sense to detect what and checked our bond, but I could sense nothing wrong. Just a feeling of quiet and like everything was normal.

"Like a mask," I muttered.

I felt through my bond with the lost queen as she directed a drop of her power into Sandra. I whistled internally What she considered a drop would be a large lake for others. The power moved and began to weave itself around Sandra's mind, creating a shell before some of it split off and began to strike at something.

"What is it?" I asked aloud, my question not really directed at anyone.

"Strings," the lost queen replied, and her sneer was gone, replaced by a worried look, though it was not directed at whatever she was cleansing from Sandra's mind.

"So something is wrong with her then?" Misty asked.

"There is," The lost queen said. "Though not for much longer. I didn't expect this, but I shouldn't be surprised they would send someone."

"You know who did this?" I asked.

The lost queen shook her head. "No, but I do know what did this, now no more questions. Let me focus. Whoever did this, formed it in such a way that getting rid of it would leave the person with permanent damage. They probably assume there's no one skilled enough to break it completely."

This chapter upload first at NovelBin.com"And you can?"

She turned and raised her chin. "Whoever did this is but a soldier compared to me, a queen. Now, no more questions!"

I nodded and watched with Misty as the lost queen worked on Sandra. I could tell through her bond that she was getting rid of something, but I couldn't for the life of me sense it. At least not with my arcane senses.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Misty asked mentally. "Can we trust her?"

"For this, yes," I replied, considering what all of this meant. Someone or something had placed something under some sort of mental influence which might very well be the cause of her odd behavior, and the bet, but why?

Had it been Kai or a member of the Umbrin? The way the lost queen spoke made it sound like it was something she was familiar with.

In the middle of my musings, the door opened, and Zirani stepped in, looking angry. She spotted the lost queen and turned her gaze to Sandra. She slumped in relief then motioned me and Misty over to her.

I approached warily, and Zirani must have understood why. "It's gone."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Whatever was in my head is gone," Zirani said. "I broke it a minute after you sent the first message about Sandra. I was already on my way back.."

"Do you know what it was?"

She shook her head. "Not really. It was a nasty little thing, tired to leave a scar as it went. It didn't work, luckily, but it was like a sharp string. It was too dull however to do any real damage to my mind and all it took was some aether and an excursion of will to get rid of it. It was a bit difficult since I couldn't sense it with arcane sense. Luckily, I didn't need to as I do possess other senses and natural abilities that other races do not. I flooded aether in and flushed it out. it's clear that something is at play that we were not aware of. Whatever it was, it was not made out of aether, at least not any form I have ever seen before. In fact-"

Zirani glanced at the lost queen. "It was very much like her power."

"Well she's clearly familiar with it," I said. "She said as much. In any case, we need to wait for her to finish helping Sandra, and then we can ask some questions. Honestly, I'm surprised she's helping us in this."

"Perhaps she's made her choice," Zirani muttered under head breath before shaking her head and turning to Misty. "And you?"

Misty shrugged. "I don't think whatever it was had affected me or else the queen over they would have said so, and well, I haven't been acting strangely the past few hours."

"Zirani, do you think this is why she made the bet?" I asked.

"Yes and no," Zirani said. "I think it pushed her to make the decision. It might have been an outlandish idea in her head that she would never acutely do, but the strings took hold, and well, here we are, though I do think this is the Umbrin's doing. They could be lying, but they seemed shocked when she made the suggestion and this power is foreign, not to mention we never made a binding oath, and while I'm not one to break agreements, something like this might make me do so. I won't rule them out though"

Zirani turned to me. "You still want to fight?"

I frowned, but before I could reply, there was a loud cough, and we all turned to see Sandra sitting up, with a hand over her mouth, coughing loudly.

I rushed over and the lost queen made way. She felt clammy, but a quick check through the bond confirmed that she was ok. I glanced over at the queen and nodded gradually. She simply stared at me for a long moment before disappearing and heading back into her core.

"What happened?" Sandra shook her head and blinked several times.

"What do you remember?" Zirani asked.

"After our talk, I got a headache and decides to rest." She frowned. "I don't remember falling asleep."

"Is that all?"

She nodded then pressed a hand to her head and winced. "My head hurts."

"So does mine," Zirani said. "But it would pass. It seems something snuck a bit of power into our heads and embossed with our minds, though it was worse for you than me. I'm not sure what their reason was, at least not comply, but it might explain a few things."

"Like the mental shroud?" Sandra asked.

"Sort of," Zirani answered. "But the power was not dream aether, and it didn't shroud our minds or change any memories or as such, but instead smaller things. Sandra, do you remember the bet?"

She nodded. "I-I do."

"And what do you think of it?" I questioned.

She frowned. "It was a stupid thing to do, but I…"

Her words trailed off as a visible look of confusion appeared on her face. "I don't remember why I did it."

"Then we know one of the reasons at least," Zirani said. "And it could lead us to whoever did this. It could be the Kai or someone on his side, or someone planted these strings beforehand and used them at the right time."

"Which would mean someone was watching nearby or it had to be someone there," Misty said.

"Not quite," Zirani said. 'We don't understand this power. It could have activated on some sort of trigger or might have allowed someone to watch from a long-distance away. There are a lot of possibilities, and lucky for us we can narrow it down. I know you can hear me, lost queen. This isn't over, come back out."

Chapter 214

I heard an audible sigh in my mind before the lost queen manifested, which was surprising to me since I had expected her to just ignore us and block herself. I wasn't really sure why she was cooperating all of a sudden, but I wasn't about to complain. I had been trying to get her to cooperate for a while. Maybe what Zirani had said to her and the threats had paid off and she was finally realizing it was better if she tried to help.

"Well?" Zirani shot a pointed look at the lost queen.

The queen smirked, and both stepped forwards, squaring off with each other. The lost queen was a bit taller, but it was hard to tell. Both were powerful and beautiful women and it might have been a dream come true for me if I didn't know what the lost queen was like and what had just happened.

"I can answer some of the questions you have," the lost queen said, moving away and taking a seat on the bed. She crossed a leg and folded her arms. Even bonded and essentially trapped, she still managed a regal bearing, and made the way she sat on the bed made it seem more like a throne.

"And?" I asked. "Will you? Or are we going to have to bargain?"

"I love a good bargain," The queen said. "But no, I shall grace you with my knowledge for no cost. Think of it as charity for lesser beings."

"How gracious." Misty scoffed.

"Indeed," the lost queen agreed, ignoring Misty's sarcasm. "Firstly you are correct in that this is no form of aether you are familiar with. It is similar to my own power but lesser. My power is pure ki while that which rooted itself into your minds is an artificial form of aether."

"Artificial?" I frowned. "What, so it was made?"

She nodded. "It was. Technically all aether was made, but not like this."

"If it's aether why can't we sense it," Zirani said.

"Its trait of the power," the lost queen explained. "Imagine a spectrum of all energy. You can see one small part of that spectrum. This aether is outside of that small area, mainly due to what it is made from."

"What affinity is it?" I asked.

This chapter upload first at NovelBin.com"Many, and none. It is an amalgamation, and allows for much." She smiled. "What befell your allies was a use of the power to form strings which allowed for control and manipulation of what they were attached to. The mental manipulation is due to form of power having origins in dream aether."

"What's it called?"

"It has a few names, but I've heard it most commonly called horror aether, mainly for the way it is used, though any affinity can be used to perform horrendous deeds."

"Do know who did this?" Sandra asked, sitting up, and getting off the bed.

"If they show themselves and use horror aether around me then I will sense it, but the power is gone, and whilst I was cleansing it, I found no link back to its source." She shrugged, making the gesture look elegant. "It could be any number of things, though the technique was used makes it clear they at least had been faulty close when it had been formed."

"Who made horror aether?" Zirani asked. "What's your involvement in this?"

The lost queen made a tsking noise and then waved a finger. "I'm afraid that's all I shall be saying. Consider yourself blessed and very lucky."

She gave us a smile that held no kindness nor sincerity but a sense of mocking. She vanished and I felt her return to her core. She blocked herself off immediately making it clear she was done for now.

"Well, that was more than I expected her to give," I said honestly. "And it does help, but now we need to figure out what we're going to do."

"We need to look for it," Sandra said angrily. "I need to pay them back."

"Yes, but how?" Misty asked. "If it was someone nearby then that sort of narrows it down to the Umbrin, but how do we go about checking them. If it is one of them and we start looking, it might spook them, and then who knows what will happen, not to mention the fact that you two might not be the only ones affected. What's to say others haven't been. If you Zirnai can be affected then most certainly others in expedition can as well."

"This is bad," I said. "Very bad."

"Well, firstly we need to decide one thing before we formulate any plans to figure out who and what is behind this." Zirani looked at me. "Do you still want to fight Pate?"

I glanced at Sandra, and through our bond, I could sense worry but also trust in my decision. I felt a lot better knowing she hadn't really made that bet, and that Zirani hadn't allowed it of her own free will, at least not really. In any case, I could call it off, but that would lead to problems. Everybody was already excited about the fight, and in the truth behind the initial anger and confusion, I had also gotten excited.

"I'll still fight him, but that whole thing about marrying Sandra is off," I said.

"Worried?" Zirani asked.

"Should I be?" I shot back.

She shook her head. "No, I don't think so. I know you'll win. So, the fight is still on then. I will need to consult the lost queen again later, and hopefully, she so graciously gives me a way of detecting this aether because that is the biggest problem. I was only able to detect it via my racial traits, and not my arcane sense."

"And if there isn't?" Misty asked.

"Then I might have to turn to Aeveire, though what will lead to me divulging things i don't really wish to yet." Zirani sighed. "I trust her, but she's the type to look too deep into this too fast, and get ahead of herself. She is however an expert when it comes to the mind, and who knows, an elven fae might be able to see that which I can not."

"So what then?" Sandra looked confused. "Do we just wait?"

"There is not much else we can do," Zirani said. "We need to take care. As I just said, the first thing we need is a way of sensing this power and we also need to take care not to arouse too much suspicion that is of course not considering the fact the thing who manipulated us didn't sense it when we broke their technique. They might already know we're looking for them. I will figure things out. Leave this to me."

I nodded. "I'm ok with that. I have the fight to prepare for."

"As do I," Misty said.

"But if there is anything we can do," I said. "Please tell us. I detest the idea that something is going around and attaching mental strings to people as if they were puppets."

Zirani smiled. "Of course, Aiden. As usual, I will keep all of you in the loop. Now, I think I'm going to get some sleep. My mind is still a bit shaky, and I need some rest."

Sandra's stomach grumbled and she headed for the door. "I'm going to get something to eat, anyone else hungry."

Misty and I shook our heads. "We just ate."

"Then I'll see you later." With that Sandra left the room.

Zirani didn't bother heading back to her own room and instead plopped down onto the bed, leaving me and Misty standing there. We glanced at one another then headed out of the room and towards mine.

I could sense that Misty was worried through our bond and I felt the same. Why couldn't things just have gone normal for once? Why was it that every time things lulled, all of a sudden a new problem cropped up? It seemed that the plains still have one more thing for us before we left, and hopefully we could figure it out before we did. I felt worried enough now, but being on the expedition through the great scar with something which could use horror aether was not something I wanted to consider, though it was a possibility. It all depended on what Zirani could do.

I had trust in Zirani, however, and if anyone could get to bottom of it, then it would be her, and even after all this time, and how far I had grown in all aspects I had no illusions about being smarter than she was. She was over four hundred years old and would be able to tackle this better than I could.

Once we were in the room, we undressed and I looked Misty's body up and down, feeling my lower region react accordingly. She smiled when she saw me before beckoning me over. "I don't want to think about any more problems, so why don't you make me scream out your name."

"It would be my pleasure."

Chapter 215

When night passed and dawn began, heralding the rising of the sun, the city of Evernord was changed. For most, they did not notice it until the groups of guards began to move through the city and call for all people to head to the north of the city where a once great arena had been, but many years ago, after a conflict, it had crumbled, and after the rubble had been cleared, the space had been left. The owner of the arena had never put the land on sale, simply keeping it to himself but that owner had been killed the previous night as he had been involved in various criminal activities, the worst of which was acting as the leader for groups of hired killers, mainly hired by those at the middle-end of society.

With him gone, the new mayor and his council, appointed by Aeverie through binding oath had taken the land and had their new guard move through the city.

People were confused at first, mainly due to the fact of the guards' uniforms which unlike the previous black was now a dark blue, and unlike the old ragged and disorganized guards, these new guards moved in unison at a march, and in formation. Every now and then a guard would split off to move down a narrow alleyway to call more people and send them north. They weren't trying to get everyone since that would be extremely difficult but just enough that it would be talked about everywhere in the city and spread very quickly.

Crowds became to form nearer the north and soon the empty space began to fill up with hundreds then thousands of people.

It also served another purpose as it allowed the clean-up crews to more easily get rid of the dead bodies which had been left behind in the previous night's events and for the quick takeover of all lands that belongs to the deceased. There was barely any struggle, and though a few noticed, it wasn't enough and was overshadowed by the larger crowds gathering and moving north.

Those crowds spread the words and on and on it went until more and more people began heading north. Soon thousands went to tens of thousand and within two hours, half the city had gathered in the empty space which more still trickling in.

Rows of guards stood below a small platform made of earth, which towered above the people below. Atop the platform stood three figures one of which was a middle-aged woman who stood flanked on either side by a man in a more intricate guard uniform and an older-looking man in a set of simple yet expensive-looking clothes.

Many of the people below recognized the figures, and quickly the crowd began to speculate as to what was happening. Some spoke of invasion, but that was quickly disapproved while others thought this might have something to do with the expedition, but many pointed out that none of them were to be seen. Rumors abounded and everyone waited in anticipation for what was about to happen, and what would be said.

All the while, more people trickled in and those chosen by Aeveire solidified their hold on the city, cleaning up the old and taking control, a control that would not harm the people as the old had, but help. Not to trap and force, but to free and heal. It would be a long road but a necessary one. It would take time for people to get used to things and of course, there would be problems to come, but Aeverie was very intelligent and had chosen well.

"Are we ready to begin?" The new mayor asked the older man beside her.

"Give it another minute," he replied, glancing at her. "Nervous."

She snorted. "Never. I've faced down worse. This will be easy in comparison compared to dealing with Lex and his lot. I still can't believe what's happened. I'm surprised, but happy."

This chapter upload first at NovelBin.com"We all are," the guard captain on her other side said. "But we can't allow that to hold us back. We have been given an amazing opportunity, and we can't let it go to waste."

She nodded and took a deep breath before taking a step forward. She reached into her pocket, and pulled out the enchanted object. It was a rod with an oval on the end and its function was to amplify sound. This would allow her to be heard by everyone very clearly. She had heard it was based on old-world tech and was from an old expedition.

The crowd was quiet as they noticed her movement, and the new mayor of Evenord raised the item to her mouth and began to speak.

______

Will watched from afar as the new mayor began to speak. He shook his head, and let out a sigh. He had to admit that the fae had known what she had been doing. His remaining contacts which were the ones he had created himself, the only ones left, had reported a major wiping of every major and minor criminal organization, and out of those who had been left, almost all had stopped any activities and dissolved. Apparently many had been offered jobs and positions, which was possible because of all the new projects that were about to be announced

The city of Evenord was more advanced than most in the plains, but the gap between it and the others was about to grow. By the end of this, it would be the most advanced and greatest city in the plains, more so than it had already been, though a few others had compared with it.

"Boss, it's almost time."

Will glanced over at Kiggs, and not for the first time wondered why in the hell he had been sent of all people. Will had at first thought Kiggs was the agent, but Kiggs had confirmed he was not, and had been sent to make sure everything went well. He was basically a messenger and did anything asked of him by those above his station.

He was a shapeshifter, and had been rather weak the last time Will had seen him, but apparently, he had moved up in the world, though not by too much. He was average now and currently disguised as a middle-aged man with a rough face and bulky body. He had probably gained a few new forms. Unlike other types of shapeshifters, Kiggs needed to essentially eat or absorb someone to get access to their form, and even then, there were limitations on size, weight, and height, not to mention they needed to eat most if not all of the person or shapeshifting into was harder and other parts from other forms would be needed to fill out gaps sometimes leading to very odd appearances. Some of his kind tended to take certain parts and then assembly forms rather than taking whole bodies. It was like taking parts and putting them together to create what was needed.

"How long?" Will asked. "And stop speaking in that squeaky voice when your in that body."

"Oh sorry, and two minutes."

"Where did you say we were meeting again?" Will asked.

"There's an old warehouse in the south, very hidden and rumor says it's cursed so no one will go near it. It's the perfect place."

"Do you have the elixir?" Will asked, holding back a wince. He did not like having to change his form but knew it was necessary.

Kiggs plunged a hand into his body and pulled out the elixir. Will gingerly took it. He knew that Kiggs race had access to an innate spatial storage that was connected to their body, but it looked very disturbing when they pulled out things.

"Come on then." Will got to his feet. "Let's go."

Kiggs led the way as they made the through the silent city. Will took in a few of the sights he would miss when he was gone. Mainly the brothels because he doubted he'd be getting any on the return journey. He would have to play his part very well and not attract any attention or try anything, at least not on his own.

The warehouse was just as Kiggs had said. Decrepit, crumbling, and covered in dirt and who knew what else, but at the center stood a cloaked figure, a body next to him wrapped in a fabric.

Kiggs approached the body and began to extract what he needed to add to the elixir while Will approached the figure.

"So you're the agent they sent?"

"Puppetmaster." He said with a slow nod. "Though you will know me by my other name soon enough."

"A pleasure," Will said warily, eyeing the still figure up and down. "Anything to report?"

The figure shook his head. "The shifter should have told your everything you need to know. Besides that, you should listen to what I say, I know the clan far better than you. I have after all been with them my whole life."

"It's done." Will turned to Kiggs who offered him a small white bead. Will took it and after opening the elixir, dropped it in. It dissolved and the blue color changed to red then milky white.

"Who is this?"

"A clan member, Max." The figure motioned to the elixir. "If you would hurry, we must go soon."

Will held back a sigh and then put the contents into his mouth. He almost spit it out but managed to swallow. He tagged which quickly turned into a cough then a gasp as he fell to the floor and began to writhe in pain.

His flesh began to distend, bubble and shift. A shell of horror aether formed around him and the sound of his struggles were cut off. For those outside the shell, it lasted but a minute, but for Will or Max now, it felt like it went on for hours.

When at last the shells cracked and the aether faded, what was left was not Will, but somebody else. A different body, a different face, and a different voice.

Max sat up and let out a curse. "Fuck that. It was Just as bad as last time."

Chapter 216

A Large tree stood before me, reaching up into the sky, its roots dug deep into a verdant land. My eyes were locked onto its majesty, and all else was blurry. I thought it was day but I could not have said if asked as all my mind was focused on the tree. In the back of my mind, I realized this was a dream, but I could not do anything but focus on the tree. The wind whistled and a few of the branches and leaves of the great tree rustled, and for a moment I swear I could hear words, as though the tree was speaking to me.

"Aiden, find us, dig your roots deeper."

I felt a pulling sensation and things began to darken and fade.

The wind picked up. "The queen is the link, but even before we called, we all called. Find…"

Darkness took over my vision and all went black, the words being cut off. I felt dizzy and like I couldn't think properly, but any hope of waking myself up was dashed as a new scene formed around me, far different than the tree and verdant lands.

A fiery star burned in the night, and I floated in front of it, but its heat did not burn me, nor did its light blind me. I only felt warmth and something more. The flame roared and just like the tree, I swear I could hear words.

"Do not let the twisted lords near, the queen is a risk, bind her fully or burn her out."

Its words were so odd, made up of roading flame, and so different from the gentle rustling of the branches and leaves. Before I could ask what or even muster enough focus to do anything but look and listen, I felt a warm sensation overtake my lower region and the start began to fade as a new light bloomed.

"Bind her or burn her," were the last words I heard before I blinked my eyes open and let out a groan of pleasure.

A wave of vertigo overwhelmed me and thoughts and memories from a moment ago slowly began to fade, all but the words. My mind didn't remain on the dreams for long however as I let out another groan and looked down to see Misty bobbing her head up and down of hard shaft, taking me deep into her throat, and lavishing my silken flesh with her warm and skilled tongue.

"Oh fuck, Misty."

Pleasure coursed through me as she took me in and out of her mouth. Meanwhile, one of her hands massaged my balls while the other stroked what parts were not in her mouth. I moved a hand down and began to guide her up and down, speeding her up, which she allowed.

Soon I was at the edge. "Misty I'm cumming."

She let out a moan and then shoved me all the way down her throat. I burst, and my warm seed flooded down her throat and into her stomach. Shot after shot of cum filled her stomach until only a trickle was left.

I let out a content sigh as she pulled back, and cleaned me along the way. When only the tip was left she sucked and drank down the few remaining drops before releasing me.

This chapter upload first at NovelBin.com"What a way to wake up."

She smiled and licked her lips. "I'm glad you enjoyed that because we're not done yet."

Misty moved up onto her knees and then positioned her opening just above my manhood. She was quite literally dripping wet, the pleasure from my orgasm having raised her pleasure. Her eyes locked onto my own as she slowly lowered herself down, her warm channel taking me in until I was balls deep inside her.

I moved my hands to her sides and up until I grasped her breasts. "You want me to move or do want control?"

Instead of responding, she began to bounce up and down on me.

I massaged her breasts and we spent a near an hour like that, enjoying each other before I burst and filled her while she screamed and spasmed atop me in the throes of her own climax.

"You two finally done!" I heard Sandra call, and I glanced at the door, realizing that it wasn't fully shut.

Misty and I chuckled before the blonde shouted back, "Yes, we'll be out in a minute unless you want a turn?"

There was silence for a long moment before Sandra called back. "As much as I want to, I'll save it for later. Now hurry up there's some good news."

"We shouldn't keep her waiting then," I said and the two of us quickly got and dressed. Misty went for a more casual dress rather than her usual robes while I went with some shorts and a shirt because I had training and no reason to wear the robes. I wasn't planning on heading onto the city.

Sandra was at the table, eating fruit from what looked like a very exotic fruit salad. It was made up of a few fruits I recognized but most were foreign to my eyes. There was also toast, yogurt, and a few other dishes.

"Have fun?" Sandra asked.

"Of course," Misty said, sitting next to Sandra and immediately filling up a plate with small cakes and pastries.

"Sweet fangs indeed."

Misty rolled her eyes as I took a seat and dug into the bowl of fruit. It tasted amazing like everything else I had tried here and the mix of fruits was perfect. I added some cream from a small bowl nearby and honey which made it taste even better.

"So what's the good news?" Misty asked as I ate.

"And where's Zirani?"

"Well Zirani went off to speak to Aeverie," Sandra explained. "And the good news is that the plan worked. The slaver ring is done, but not just that."

Sandra shook her head. "That lady is something else."

"What happened?" I asked.

"She changed the entire city," Sandra explained. "At least that is what Zirani told me. Apparently, there is a new mayor, new guards and basically, all the criminals and problems have been… taken care of."

"Taken care of?" Misty raised an eyebrow. "As in…"

Sandra nodded. "Aeverie has set up new people and with what Zirani told me before she left, things are looking very good."

"Well that is good news," I said.

I felt a small weight lift from my chest as I had been thinking about it, and I was definitely glad that things had worked and that not only was the slave ring gone, but that the city would improve. It made me think of just how much was possible with the power and resources those from the lands beyond the scar had. If Aeverie stayed she could probably take over the plains and do the same for every city. She wouldn't of course, but I couldn't help but think of just how good of an idea that would be.

When I did return would I be able to do that, would I be able to do even more? I shook my head, Best not to think about that. After all, I hadn't even left the plains yet and there was still a long way to go.

"What's everyone's plan for the day?"

"Some training and I also wanna spend some time with Shana," Misty said.

"I'm going to relax," Sandra said. "I might have a look around some of the other groups, but not the Umbrin."

"Be careful," I said. "Don't wander off anywhere too far away. I'll be training with Zirani."

"Indeed you will," she sent over through the bond. "I'm currently with Aeverie but I'll be back soon. Prepare yourself."

"Don't I always?"

"Zirani is what Sandra said true?"

"It is," she replied. "Aeveire has outdone herself this time, and I suspect the city of Evenord will be the greatest and most peaceful place in all the plains, at least this close to the border. The girls have all been moved and are receiving help. It will be harder for some to heal than others, but they'll get all the tools and help they need, not to mention all the other projects that will be taking place in the city."

I had a smile on my face for the rest of breakfast and after we finish, the three of us separated. Sandra said she would be remaining inside for a while and taking a long bath while Misty and I headed out to the area where Zirani had been training us yesterday. It was the largest empty space in the green court area, and apart from the central area of the plaza, a great place to train. We could use the central area, but that would attract a lot of attention, especially on Zirani, and I didn't want to be distracted. The dryads giving me heated looks and sultry smiles would be bad enough without getting into a fight with some idiot who would stare too long at Misty or try something.

Zirani appeared only minutes later as Misty and I were getting ready. "Good you're both here, then let's begin."

Chapter 217

"We only trained for a few hours yesterday and didn't really get into what I want to use these four days for," Zirani said. "We will still be using the weights and other exercises I've taught you, but apart from that, the focus will be on combat alone. We're going to work on your martial skills and I'm going to teach you a few things I think will help you because raw power is necessary but so is a skill. I've seen weaker arcanists take down more powerful opponents because of their greater skill and in a way you two have also done that."

"So sparring?" Misty asked.

Zirani nodded. "Yes, but not just that. You two won't be sparring each other."

Zirani snapped her fingers and two people who had been watching stepped forwards. I recognized the satyr, but not the elven fae with the cold look on his fae. "This is Rall, your sparring partner Aiden and the other is Gerick, one of Lady Aeveire's personal guards. Before I begin teaching you I want you two to spar against your opponents. Anything is allowed, and I want you to try and take down the other as fast as possible. None lethal and without any serious injuries. Consider this a warm-up."

Rall smiled as he and I walked to on edge of the space. "Watch me dear Misty, I shall show you just how superior I am."

Misty rolled her eyes and glanced at me as she faces off against the guards. "Teach him a lesson, but don't hurt him too badly. He doesn't know any better."

"I know I am better for you," Rall said joyously, smashing his rather large fists together

I rolled my shoulders and flexed my fingers before getting into a basic martial stance, my body turned with one foot in front of me, and the other behind. Rall did no such thing and simply continued to smile at Misty.

I clamped down on my anger and let it cool into an icy cold which I let cover me in its cold embrace. I took a deep breath and told myself that this was non-lethal and that I couldn't kill this idiot. Misty was right he didn't know better and I was willing to let him off somewhat because of his nature, but that didn't mean he wasnt about to get a beating. When this was over he would understand that there were lines and what happened when he crossed them.

"On my mark," Zirani said. "Three, two, one!"

I burst forward, my bark armor forming around me in a flash as Rall slammed a hoof into the ground. The earth cracked and shook but I did not falter, not even when two spikes of earth shot up at me.

This chapter upload first at NovelBin.comI casually dodged the first and jumped over the second with a hand. Whilst I did, I prepared an enhanced impact seed using nature and my mutated aether to greatly increase the force.

When it was ready, I sent it towards him and in response, he slammed another foot down and a wall of stone rose in front of him. The seed hit and proceeded to blast the wall to pieces, and instead of using that as cover I formed a large spear of wood and launched it into the air, a few feet above him.

I saw his shocked look but then I was in the air above him, grasping the spear, and bringing it down upon him. His senses must have been good as he dodged and attempted to strike me while I was still in the air. I tilted my body to dodge the blow, and counter-attacked by shoving two fingers into his mouth and releasing a spray of paralytic poison down his throat.

I quickly pulled them back before he could bite down, and was about to follow up, but it seemed that a satyr's body was resistant as he only spasmed slightly before an angry look came over his face and he launched himself at me. He moved at a fast speed, but not fast enough, and I was able to dodge the first strike, though his follow-up strike ended up breaking my spear.

The next minute was a brawl of hand-to-hand combat in which I dominated mainly because of the way he fought. There was no finesse or flow or rhythm to his movements. It was just a barrage of haymakers and attempts to grab me, which did not work out for him.

"Aiden," Zirnai called. "What part of, end it as quickly as possible, didn't you understand? Stop playing with him. We have plenty of time for extended sparring later and testing our combinations."

"Fine," I called back as I ducked a hook. "Sorry but this ends now."

I rose, striking his chest with a palm. He was confused and smiled, probably thinking i had done no damage and was open, but then the burst of pure solar power hit him and he screamed at the burning as he was sent flying away.

I could have formed another spatial marked spear, but they were costly, and it wasn't really needed. I walked over and found him laying on his back with a pained look on his face and a severe burn mark on his chest. It looked nasty and sizzled. I sort of felt a bit bad. I could have used a mix of poison and injected that into him using some small hollow wooden spears or a knife, though I had no idea how resistant he was. I had been surprised he was resistant to paralytic poison though it's not like I was facing a lower arcanist or a normal human. He was an aether beast, a smart one, but still an aether beast and no doubt even weaker Aether beasts had better natural resistance than normal humans. Rall was from the lands beyond the scar and so had probably grown in strength over his life so he was probably even more resistant, though enough and strong enough types would have worked, No point in risking it though.

I leaned down and stared into Rall's eyes. "This is a warning, the only warning you'll get it. I will turn you into ashes if you cross the line again, understand?"

He gulped then nodded.

"Good."

It was then that I realized I couldn't hear any sounds of fighting which meant Misty was done. I stood and turned to see her opponent on his ass with his hands over his ears.

"Did you use a sonic attack?" I asked. "I didn't hear it."

Misty smiled. "It was point-blank, into an ear."

I winced. "Oof, did you pop his eardrums?"

She nodded. "Probably, but they can be healed. without too much problem. I think I could have blasted his brain and head to bits if I had used more power. My fight ended quickly."

"Good thing you didn't and well I wanted to spend a bit longer sparring him," I replied. "He's strong, but unskilled and relies way too much on simple techniques and his raw power. I could have beat him in the first exchange."

"Indeed you could have," Zirani said, waving to two dryads to come and help Rall and the guard. "Now that we are done with that, we can begin the proper training. You two already have your weights on so I want—"

"What!"

We all turned to see Shana with a shocked look on her face. When she noticed our attention she blushed and stuttered. "Y-you have the weights from yesterday on while you were fighting?"

"Lesser versions," Zirani said. "The ones from yesterday would be too much and they would not be able to fight or spar properly. Those are for pure physical conditioning and training. Now if you can't be silent then leave."

Shana nodded. "I'm sorry, I'll be quiet."

"Good." Zirani turned back to us. "As I was saying I want to start you two off with your techniques and synergy."

For the next few hours, Zirani worked me and Misty to the bone, starting with our synergy in using techniques and how best to use them together, and to be efficient in our use of aether. She had us go over various moves, comboing our techniques in between and going from pure fists or in my case, glaive as well, to techniques and switching. She sparred with each of us, giving us pointers and tips when needed. Counter attacking and using openings to your advantage. Timing attacks and techniques so that we could be as efficient as possible and not waste any time as seconds could mean the difference between defeat and victory in a fight.

I preferred this type of training a lot more than the simple physical stuff because I loved learning how to use my techniques in a better way and how to synergize them and chain them together. How to combine their effects and when best to use one over another. This was true combat training, and I loved it, even when I got my ass handed to me my Zirani, not that I expected any different.

I was also glad to finally be using my glaive again, and despite Zirani wanting me to learn other weapons as well, she was fine with me using the glaive as long as I didn't get too attached. Yes, there were those who focus on a weapon like a sword, spear, or glaive, but I was more of a specialist in a way in that my fighting style was very much varied and changed according to who I was facing.

No matter who Misty faced, she always favored speed, and Sandra loved skirmishing at range, but I was none of that. It was sort of like I was a jack of all trades, but instead of being a master of none, Zirani wanted me to be a master of many.

And I couldn't lie, that sounded amazing.

Chapter 218

"Zirani which poisons are best to use?" I asked. It had been a few hours since we had started and we were continuing our training by focusing on techniques and how we could change them. I had been working on my poisons and I had difficulties deciding which ones I should use and the potency I should put in. Unlike Zirnai I wasn't familiar with the correct doses needed to disable and not kill and which ones were best for certain situations.

"Good question," Zirani replied. "There are a lot of different types and the amount you should use and potency is important as too little can lead to a bad effect and too much can cause permanent damage or kill, and then there's mixing poisons which is a whole nother conversation. When we reach my lands we're going to need to get you a naga teacher to teach you more about poisons. For now, however, I suggest you focus on paralysis as you spent a fair amount of time on it, though the type you are using is going to have less of an effect on large targets. You should increase the potency and practice forming wooden syringes to pierce and inject, or creating darts and spears coated in them."

She tapped a finger against her chin. "There is something else I could teach you, but it's rather dangerous, and I don't think your ready for spores and the more horrific things."

"Horrific?"

She sighed. "So far Aiden, you've mainly seen a lighter of what is possible, and we haven't truly scratched the surface as to what else there is. My aunt's court has developed many types of plant life and other things. An example would be a spore that infects people and turns them into zombie-like creatures, like a necromancer in a way, but different. She based it on a real-world plant that infected insects with spores. it's just one example."

"Plant zombies, really?"

She nodded. "There will come a time where I will need to teach you what I've learned from there or perhaps even take you there, though I'd rather not think about that possibly. In any case, work on the potency and combining it with other techniques. You've already toyed with the smokescreen and created a poison that matches it in color and so can blend in. Why not try and make the paralytic poison the same color and try and make it odorless. There are tons of possibilities and tons of combinations you can create with your techniques. So many ways to dominate a battlefield. Remembered what I told you so long ago. Those with the nature affinity, those who can harness its true potential can dominate in all ways."

I nodded and got to work. My paralytic poison was created via aether change with the information Zirani had sent through our bond when she had first taught me and I'd come far enough that I could change aspects of it. The color was simple to do, though I couldn't get it fully to make the smokey color of the smoke screen. It was close enough however and in the middle of a fight, it would be extremely hard to notice. The smell was a bit more challenging. Perhaps if I had more information on more types of paralytic plants and poisons I could have done more, but in the end, I wasn't able to fully make it odorless, not that I was worried about Pate detecting it.

This chapter upload first at NovelBin.comHe would be busy with me and fighting for his life. Once I was done with that, I tested it out a few times which involved having to get paralyzed. It was not pleasant but if it worked on me then it would most definitely work on Pate as he was at the same level as I was. The only difference between us was that he had a second core he could use and I just had the lost queen.

Speaking of the queen, A bit through the training she and Zirani had talked, though I had been too focused on training to listen in. It had ended well though from the fact Zirnai didn't look angry, though she did look somewhat worried. I would ask her about it later, but for now, training was the focus.

Misty was currently working on her life and death techniques, and I had seen her do all sorts from clouds of black smoke to fast-moving crescent blades and orbs, and a technique which rained down a blackish liquid that didn't seem to affect Misty but it certainly affected anything around her. The ground sizzled. There was her flesh manipulation and a few blood techniques as well. One of the most interesting things I had seen was the manipulation of her hair. She could change it, sharpen and lengthen it. She could use them as limbs or cutting tools, and at one point she had even made them long enough that they could lift her off the ground, though it clearly cost her a lot of aether to do so, and she needed to take breaks in between.

It was the same with me and mainly because we hadn't yet refined them, though I didn't have as much trouble as she did. It was probably because she was using both life and death in unison for certain techniques and had been going nonstop since we had started.

Just as I was about to use a technique, I sensed a familiar presence and turned to see Sandra approaching us. "Mind if I join?'

"Not at all," Zirani said.

"You got bored didn't you?" Misty said.

Sandra nodded. "There's nothing to do without the three of you. I just ate some food, had a nice bath, and then wandered around for a bit. I need to train, get my aether going. I'm not fighting anyone but I don't want to lag behind."

"Good," Zirani. "Then I'll catch you up."

Sandra probably had it the worst out of all of us as Zirani most certainly caught her up, and made sure she knew everything and was taking in everything we had learned, however unlike the first few times when she had first started training under Zirani, Sandra didn't complain and whenever she was beaten down she got right back up, and the only complaint she made was that she regretted not wearing lighter clothing. I couldn't help but watch for a few minutes when she and ZInrai sparred but I soon got back to my own training.

I wanted to make sure I was ready for the upcoming fight, and that I didn't waste this time. Yes, it was only four days, but I could still learn a lot in that time and improve. I had already improved today, and I would tomorrow and the day after leading all the way to the fight with Pate.

If he was smart then he too would be training.

We worked through the day and part of the night since we didn't need as much sleep and the lights in the green court made it look like it was day, and provided comfortable natural sunlight. We did take breaks to eat and drink, and I had to admit the perks of being with Zirani were good as she could order anyone in the court about, not that she used it casually and abused her power. Zirani was the last person who would do something like that.

When we finally called it quits, we had all worked up quite a sweat and to my surprise when I looked around, Shana was still there watching. Had she really stayed the entire day?

I walked over to Shana who smiled as she saw me approach. "Hello, Aiden."

"Hello Shana," I said and gave her a quick hug. She returned the embrace and when I pulled away she kept hugging me for a minute more. "Shana, is there something you need? The others left hours ago, but you're still here, why?"

She blushed. "Well, I actually originally came to ask Misty if she wanted to spend some time together, but then I saw you two training and didn't want to interrupt, and well, erm, I liked watching you."

"That was obvious," Misty said as she walked over. "I'm sorry I couldn't spend some time with you. Tomorrow, I promise."

"Oh, great." Shana nodded, lacing between me and Misty Nervously. "Then I'll just go."

"Why don't you show Aiden around your home," Misty said, making the dryad pause. "I saw you have some male clothes with you. You aren't in a relationship with anyone are you?"

Shana shook her head. "No, those are just clothes I made. I want to be a weaver and make clothes in the future but I'm still learning. W-would you really let me spend time with him?"

"I don't control him," Misty said. "And I like you so yes I'm fine with it."

Misty gave me a pointed look and sent an image over the through the bond which made me push back a blush.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Aiden," Misty said with a smile as she walked away. "Have fun, I'll want to hear about it later."

Chapter 219

[Pace should start to speed up soon.]

I was a bit surprised that Misty was ok with this and even pushing for it, but I wasn't going to argue, especially not since it would probably hurt Shana's feelings if I made it look as if I didn't want to spend time with her which was not correct at all. She was beautiful and a very joyful person which I found to be very attractive and I would be lying if I said I hadn't pictured her in a lewd way just as she probably had about me. There was no way the heated looks she had given me and staring were simply because of how hard I trained.

"Well then." I offered an arm to the Dryad. "You heard her, let's go."

Shana smiled and then placed a hand on my arm. I allowed her to guide me as I didn't know where she was staying, and we walked at a leisurely pace, passing a few people, and even some dryads who shot jealous looks at Shana.

"So, Shana, you're into fashion?" I asked. "You and Misty must enjoy each clothes company a lot."

"We do," She replied. "She is very beautiful and has an eye for what works. I honestly never thought I'd make friends with a vampire, but sometimes I forget she is."

"Not used to the vampires like her?" I asked.

Shana shook her head. "Not at all. I know not all vampires are bad, but the place I live in is on the outer edge of the court territories, at least it was before the recent expansion and we had a lot of skirmishes, a few with vampires. I never fought with any but I heard a lot of bad things."

"I'm guessing they were raiders?" I asked, remembering what Zirani had said about vampires a while ago.

She nodded. "They haven't been successful in taking anyone from our lands in a long tie, but they still try as we have unique blood and the rarer and more unique, the more valuable it is to vampires, though it wasn't just vampires, but also a few bandit sects, though they are even less successful. They might get something once in a while, but nothing big."

"You sure know a lot about it," I said.

"It's my father's job to organize groups to patrol our lands and guards shipments," she explained. "My mother is a weaver and I want to be like her. My clothes still aren't anywhere near her level."

"That dress that Misty wore." I glanced at her. "Did you make it?"

This chapter upload first at NovelBin.comShe nodded. "It's based on a design I saw in a book."

"Well it was amazing," I complimented. "Truly, far greater than anything I've ever seen plains."

"I think that can be said about everything," she said then winced. "I didn't mean to offend, I'm—"

"It's fine." I waved a hand. "I'm aware of the difference and not offended. You're right, the plains can't compare to your lands or probably any land beyond the scar. Speaking of which have you seen the city?"

She nodded. "I went with Misty. It was different, very different."

We stopped once we arrived at Shana's home and she led me in with a smile. It was similar to where I was staying though a bit smaller and filled with more things. There were fabric and clothes everywhere along with a few objects I couldn't recognize and some tools.

"It's a bit messy, so I'm sorry," she said as she walked through a door.

"It's fine," I said, following her into a nicely decorated room with a light on the ceiling and a large rectangular device at one side. It was attached to the wall, and Shana touched a finger to its side and it lit up, words and images moving about on its surface. It was by far one of the most complicated sets of enchantments I had ever seen and they all seemed to work together so seamlessly, and well.

Shana seemed to control them with her hand. "Give me a minute, Aiden."

"What are you doing?"

"Well despite what Misty said, I do want to try some clothes out of you before we have… some more intimate fun if you're up for that?"

I smiled and walked up behind her, wrapping my arms around her and leaning in to kiss her neck. She shivered, and I moved my mouth to her ears. "It would be my pleasure."

She felt amazing in my arms and I had to hold myself back from phishing further, It was difficult especially since she pushed her ass into my crotch and rubbed herself against me. Not to mention I could practically feel her vibrating with anticipation and pleasure just at this simple contact.

I moved back and she let out a sigh, but then continued what she was doing. Once she was done, she had a few sets of clothing which she set on a desk that came out of the wall at a gesture. After grouping them she turned around and gave me a pointed look. "Well, get undressed."

"Oh, yes." I stripped off my shirt and pants and waited as Shana looked me up and down, her eyes full of lust and sparking my own, though I managed to clamp it down.

"Misty is a lucky girl," Shana said. "I'll have to thank her for doing this. Now begin with the black trousers, white shirt, and blue vest."

I spent the next hour trying on clothes for Shana and I had to admit that she knew what she was doing as each set worked far better than anything I had put together, then again it's not like I spent much time deciding what to wear and for most of my time after I had first left West Vale I had worn the steel heart battle robe and after leaving them, it became a generic battle robe.

Shana had me try out casual clothes to formal wear to what I liked the cost, the combat clothing.

"This is my favorite," I said as I stared into a mirror at myself. I was wearing a shirt and above that, a vest with metallic armor on the right side going up to an ornate shoulder pauldron that merged with the chain-like material the right arm was made of. It ended in a clawed gauntlet that was as flexible as a skin-tight glove.

The lower see was made of trousers and a robe over it that only covered the sides and back. The colors were a mix of black and gold

"How much?"

"You like it?" she asked happily.

"Like it?" I walked over to her and embraced her, pulling her clothes. I leaned down and gave her a quick kiss. "I love it."

"In that case, I think I deserve a reward." Shana smiled and leaned in to give me another kiss. "The price of this set is a night of you all to myself."

"Deal," I replied, and our lips met in a passionate kiss. Her arms wrapped around my neck while my own grabbed her waist. I lifted her up so that her legs wrapped around me. Our tongues dueled fiercely as I walked out of the room with the dryad in my arms.

We spent a long minute with our lips battling before she pulled back and motioned with her head to the other door. "Bedroom.'

I nodded and our lips reunited as I kicked open the door and moved in. It shut behind me and then all my focus was on the volley dryad in my arms. Her breasts were pushed up against my chest, and as much as I wanted to continue our kiss, I needed to get undressed.

I pulled back and lay her on the bed which was similar to those where I was staying, though with more enchantments and decorated in a way that suited Shana. I quickly began to pull off the clothing as Shana did the same. She was only wearing a skirt and blouse, so she was quicker but I wasn't far behind, and soon we once again had each other's arms wrapped around one another, both on the bed.

We spent long minutes exploring each other's bodies before she pushed me down and straddled me. "Are you ready?"

I smiled and leaned up to engulf one of her breasts in my mouth. She moaned and her hands grasped my head tightly as she rocked on my lap. I was rock hard and ready. I made sure to keep my bond with the others shut, at least I kept my pleasure to myself as I didn't want to disturb them if they were busy or sleeping. Heavens knew I was feeling enough pleasure that if I let it through they would most definitely feel it.

"Aiden." She pushed me away until I was on my back again and then crawled down until her face was hovering over my crotch, her lips mere inches away from my tip. "I want to taste you."

I pushed myself up with my arms and watched as she lowered her lips to my erection.

Chapter 220

Shana's lips touched the tip in a kiss before her tongue flicked out and touched the sensitive flesh.

"I like it," She said softly with a smile before moving back in. She began licking all over my length, lavishing me with attention and sending pleasurable tingles through my body, and changing it up from short licks to long licks from the base to the tip.

My mind was lit up with pleasure and ecstasy and the sight of her licking my manhood increased my pleasure, however, soon enough she apparently wasn't satisfied with simply licking and soon she wrapped her lips around my tip and this time my groan of pleasure was loud and echoed through the room. She made a pleased noise in the back of her throat and moved forward, her tongue lathering me up all over, and her hot, wet mouth was blissfully warm. She soon found her rhythm, bobbing up and down on my shaft. It was amazing and even after having had plenty of blowjobs, I was not tired of them. I didn't think I would ever get tired of this,

After a few minutes, her rhythm changed and she began to speed up, moving up and down from base to tip. I had a feeling this was her first time, but that she was natural, and soon I felt myself reaching the edge.

"Shana wait."

She paused and pulled back. "Am I not doing it well, it's my first so I—"

"You're doing amazing," I said. "But I also want to provide you with pleasure, so why don't you turn around."

She seemed confused but did as I asked, and when her legs were on either side of me, I pulled her closer to my mouth until I was able to reach her opening. "Oh, Aiden you don't have toooo."

Her word elongated and turned into a long moan as I began to lick up and down her opening. I dragged my tongue up the inside of her folds, slowly, and gently, just taking my time to enjoy her. She moaned and spasmed, her body shaking with pleasure and ecstasy as my tongue shot bolts of pleasure through her. I started slow then slowly began to increase my pace, licking up and down. She near scrambled when I began licking and nibbling her clit, every so often wrapping her pearl around my tongue. Her clit has to be even more sensitive than normal as her entire body arched up her screams of pleasure were piercing.

While I was bathing her in the attention she returned the favor and took me back into her mouth. We bathed each other in attention and I wondered if I should have tried to make a temporary link to increase our pleasure but it was too late for that, though I would ask Zirani if it was possible later.

This chapter upload first at NovelBin.comOnce I was done with licking, I moved both hands up, spread her opening apart then pressed my mouth against her, engulfing her fully, and piercing her insides with my tongue. She shook harder than she ever had before, and I quickly began to move my tongue inside of her, giving her all the pleasure I could. In a way, she tasted like ZInrai, though more earthy. It was like fresh and cool water with a slightly sweet taste. As I continued my work she shook, rocked, spasmed, moaned, and finally cried out when she hit her climax.

A wave of her sweet nectar flowed into my mouth and I devoured it greedily as I burst within her mouth. She moved up to my tip and swallowed everything I gave as I did, taking all she had to give and more. I didn't stop licking or tasting her as she orgasmed, which caused her to shake even more as her sensitivity went into overload.

After a minute, the flow died down and she stopped spasming.

"Wow," she breathed out as she went limp atop. "The others girls always bragged but I didn't think i would be this good."

"Well it's not over," I said as I moved her up off me and lay her down on the bed. "Just lay back and relax. I'll make sure you enjoy this."

She nodded and her breathing picked up, as I moved in between her legs. Her soft brown skin looked beautiful in light and flushed with pleasure. I gently moved my hands up to her breast and began to massage them as I positioned myself at her opening. She let out cute moans as I tweaked her nipples and as I pushed forwards I moved and met her lips with my own as I slowly began to push in.

I moved slowly since I expected to hit her hymen, but as I moved deeper and deeper in, I realized that she didn't have one. Either she wasn't a virgin which or dryads didn't possess a hymen. I was more inclined to believe she was a virgin since she was unbelievably tight, and she let out very loud moans into my mouth.

Soon I bottomed out inside of her and just allowed myself to relax and take in the warm pleasure of her tunnel and also allow her to get used to my size before I once again began to move.

I broke our kiss and stared deeply into her eyes. "I'm going to move now, ok?"

She nodded and her face contorted with pleasure as I began to pull out of her until only my tip remained inside. Then I moved back in slowly. Shana moaned and her arms wrapped around my shoulders as I sheathed myself inside once again. In and out I went, starting off slow and then picking up speed, and Shana never once asked me to stop.

"More, more, harder, Aiden, more!"

I gave her what she wanted, and soon was pounding into her with full force. Her breasts shook up and down and she let out moans and screams of pleasure as I filled her up again and again. Our pleasure increased, and the sound of slapping flesh mingled with our moans and groans to create a melody of pleasure.

"Aiden, stop."

I paused as she looked up at me. "I want you to do me from behind."

I raised an eyebrow. "Really, well I'm not complaining."

She got on all fours on the bed and I moved behind her, enjoying the view of her ass and dripping slit.

She looked back at me over a shoulder. "Come on, Aiden, Fuck me."

I was still as hard as steel as I knelt behind her, and placed my hands on her hips. I pressed my tip to her folds and slowly began to push myself in until I was fully inside her. Then I began where I left out, not staring off slow, but beginning with the fast pudding which she seemed to like. It was clear she liked it rough and I didn't mind at all.

At a very fast pace, I thrust myself in and out of her, and not soon after I'd begun, Shana was screaming and moaning in pleasure once again as my erection moved in and out of her tight channel. She let out moan after moan. I groaned in pleasure every time I sheathed myself inside of her.

After a few minutes, I raised a hand and smacked her ass gently, not wanting to do it too hard just in case she didn't like it. She did and moaned loudly at the feeling, not to mention her warm tunnel tightened around me.

"More, Aiden, more, please!"

I did it several more times while I pounded in and out of her. Soon, her tunnel tightened around me and she let out a scream of pleasure, and the tightening of her core set me off and I let out a long groan and shoved myself all the way inside her. As her juices flooded and splashed against me, I kept myself fully sheathed in her, coating her insides.

Once I was empty and she too stopped moaning, I pulled out and collapsed beside her as she fell forwards onto her stomach, panting hard. We spent long a moment in silence before Shana turned onto her back and moved closer, placing her head on my chest.

"Thank you, Aiden," Shana said. "For my first time."

"And thank you for choosing me for that first time," I said, leaving down and kissing her head. "But what makes you think this is over, you said an entire night after all. The sun will be up in an hour or two, but I think Zirani will forgive me for being an hour or two late. What do you say?"

"I say yes," she said and moved up to straddle me. We spent the rest of our time enjoying each other, and our sounds of pleasure echoed in our room for hours. When we were done, I left the sweet little dryad sleeping peacefully on her bed. I left after giving her a kiss on the cheek. I would have loved to remain with her, but I had training to get to, and I was already late.

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Chapter 162: 211-220

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