Alana melted back into Lesha, and I leaned back, putting my hands down to prop myself up. Lesha was smiling, but I had a feeling that this story might undo that, and that was unfortunate because it looked so good on her.
"Even before I got this power, my parents were not the nicest, and both of them were heavy drinkers. They had taken Victor and me with them to the outside of the city to a party that they had been invited to. Once there, our parents left us to go with their friends, leaving us with strangers," Alana said, and she started to tense up but continued on.
"More people started to show up, and I started to feel weird like there was something trying to get out on me. Victor tried to get people to move, but most people just ignored us or shoved him out of the way. The people started to gather around us, and push us close together."
Alana was starting to shake and her breathing was picking up. I sat up and then slid into the water, moving over to the two, lowering myself down to eye level with Alana.
"It's alright, we can stop here if you would like. I get that it's hard, and there is more than enough time for you to tell us. I think I heard a tube voice outside of the door, so that means food is ready. Let's go eat and then you can relax with the girls, okay?" I asked, but then moved forward to give the poor girl a hug.
Alana was trying to hold back the tears, but when hugged her between Lesha, she began to sob. I pulled her head down to my chest and let her get it all out, but I also was examining the choker she was wearing.
There was some kind of weird stone attached to the necklace. I had never seen anything like it before, and I would have to talk to Healia about it, or…
[Aegis Stone, it denies the use of magic in a control area. It can stop casting and block magic from being used. I can also stop magic from hurting you, so I suggest you put it on after taking it off her. Your healing isn't strong enough to repair that kind of damage.]
Do you know what it is? Her power I mean?
[Explosion Summoner magic, a combination of Fire and Wind. It is extremely powerful and just as hard to handle. You will have to train this one, but she might be very good at using it. This is a summoning type of magic that summons a creature of the casters choosing, and they are very small.]
Explosion Summoner magic? That was strange, what did that mean? Did she create a pet using mana?
[No, she can only summon it with her magic and help it grow. If properly trained, Explosion Elementals can control the direction of their blast. That certain type of Elemental can one-shot most dungeon level, but not boss rooms.]
So, This little girl got scared and summoned this Elemental, and it got scared and killed everyone close to her. Everyone except for Victor who was standing beside her. Does that mean she can choose who she can protect?
[No, I have no idea why the boy was able to survive. To start with, only you will be able to be around her and you will still have to use your shield. Even with you holding the rock, it won't protect you from the heat in the air that will cook your lungs. You will just have to use your shield on what she summons.]
Alana was quiet now, and she had her arms wrapped around me. She was resting her face on my chest with her eyes closed, and I thought that she was asleep.
"Can I get mine on my shoulder?" Alana asked, surprising me as she opened her eyes, lifting her head to look at me.
I smiled at her, and put my hand over her shoulder she had gestured at. I sought the flame, and let it trickle out of my hand, binding Alana to the Crimson Legion, and by extension, to me.
We all separated and Alana was smiling brightly, fingering the blood-red circle with the line crossed through it.
"This is really real, isn't it?" Alana asked no one.
"Yes, now let's get dried off before the other girls eat everything that gets sent up!" I said with a smile, coming over and messing with her short hair.
After the three of us got dried off, Lesha found us each a brown housecoat that didn't really look good on any of us. Alana loved the ugly thing, but they were soft, so they had to be given that.
After getting fully changed, we went back to the sitting area where there were three couches set up. There were two love seats and a sofa shaped from wood with a dark stain, and red cushions.
The other girls had already gotten the food and were talking up the two love seats, leaving the couch open for us. We all sat down and were hand plates to dish up a wonderful meal.
There was a platter of steaming sliced meat with mashed tubers in a large bowl with gravy on the side. There were also some strange green balls called cabbage sprouts that had a slightly bitter taste, but after you put gravy on, everything tasted good.
Everyone was hungry, and the meal went by in silence. The sun was cresting, and there was still some light left in the day, but it was too late to go out and explore.
"Do you girls mind hanging out with Alana while Lesha and I spend some time alone?" I asked looking pointedly at Gloria who grinned back at me.
"Yes, we will play some cards. I have been trying to teach Mei, but she might have a better time with more people. Go and enjoy yourselves," Gloria said with a wink and a smile.
I walked back into our room in my towel with Lesha hanging off my arm. I wasn't that tired before, but after that, my body felt spent.
"Can you go get Alana?" I asked Lesha after slipping on a large white shirt of my father's that I had stolen back from Mei.
"Yes, but I think you should just wear that all the time," Lesha said, coming over to give me a kiss.
As she did Lesha grabbed my nipple and pinched down playfully, but they were still sensitive. I let out one of my horrible squawking noises, and jumped back, covering my breasts as Lesha advanced on me.
"GIT! Go get the damn girl, you vile woman!"
"Oh, but baby, I just want a little squeeze, I will be gentle this time!" Lesha said in her oh-so-sweet voice, but with zeal burning in her eyes.
"Get your damn hands out of my shirt or I will…" I started to threaten, but there was a knock at the door.
Lesha leaned in with her hands on my hips and gave me a quick but deep kiss that left me blinking as she turned and called to come in. I shook my head and smiled, every moment was another memory to be cherished.
If I really had spent multiple lifetimes with this woman, I could see the appeal in the idea. In the twenty-two years that I have been breathing, I had never felt so alive, and happy.
"This will be like a sleepover, I never had them as a kid, but K was the first girl I had a sleepover with. Maybe that isn't a good example, but I think you know what I mean!" Lesha said to Alana as they closed the door.
I grinned at Lesha's fumbling and walked over, taking Alana by the shoulders and guiding her to the bathroom. I showed her a toothbrush and she knew how to use it, so I left her be and walked back out to Lesha who was crawling into bed.
"No, I am sleeping on the edge," I said flatly.
I wasn't playing this game with her again. Last time I ended up getting no sleep. So, this time she could deal with the "Sleepover" because I was tired and I had things to do tomorrow.
"But baby! I need to hang my arms over the edge! Baby, please?! Baby!" Lesha said in her adorable voice.
"I will hurt you if you ruin that word for me! I love when you call me that, but now you're overdoing it," I said scowling at her.
"Okay, fine, you win, I will sleep in the middle, where my hands will be hot. I probably will have trouble getting to sleep, so I am sorry if I keep you up," Lesha said slowly moving over.
"Good," I said, going to the slide of the bed and pushing her over and out of my spot.
"HEY! You're not supposed to do that! You're supposed to…"
"...Go to sleep in the designated sleeping areas we decided on? Oh yeah, working on it!" I said trying to get into bed, but Lesha sat up, leaning over onto the place that I was trying to get into.
"But… please?" Lesha asked, giving me her big eyes.
A firestorm of emotions raged inside of me, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to kiss her or throw her out of the bed. I sighed and rolled my eyes, and Lesha tried to hold back her grin but failed.
I was about to start tickling her, but that was when Alana walked back out of the bathroom. I pulled my hands back from Lesha and smiled at Alana as she slowly walked over.
"Do you two always sleep together?" Alana asked as she crawled into the bed beside Lesha.
What was going on here? Lesha grinned up at me, patted the massive open section of the bed beside Alana. I just shook my head, give an inch and they took a mile.
That was something my father used to always say about my brothers, and I never really truly understood the veracity in the statement. Now though, crawling into my side of the bed with a little girl separating me from the woman I wanted to throttle, I understood.
---------------
"VICTOR! I CAN'T STOP HIM! VICTOR!" Alana screamed at the top of her lungs, making me bolt up straight.
Alana was sitting up, and I put a hand on her arm, starting her out of the nightmare trance. I pulled her down into my arms as she began to cry into my chest.
Lesha, of course, was still asleep. The woman could sleep through a hurricane tearing the roof of the Guild.
"Are you alright?" I asked Alana quietly.
"Mmhm, I am sorry, I had a bad dream… I saw it happen again. I can't unsee all the people disappearing in flames, and it comes in my dreams," Alana said quietly as I stroked her hair.
"Victor is very important to you isn't he?" I asked.
"Mmhm, he has always protected me, or tried to," Alana said.
"Then, just think about him, or Corbit and try to go to sleep. I will try to keep the bad dreams away," I said with a smile, but I got the look I just was coming.
"W-W-What do y-y-you mean? W-W-Why would I think about something like that? Or him I mean? Do you really like girls? Do you and Lesha…" Alana asked with an expert level switcheroo, leaving me short for words.
"Get to sleep!" I growled, and she let out a small giggle.
"Thank you, you have been so good to me, and I will probably never be able to repay you, but I just want you to know that I really appreciate what you have done," Alana said, cuddling into me, and soon she was asleep.
"I know you're awake you witch! Next stray we get, you're in charge of her!" I whispered to Lesha, and she rolled over with a grin.
"But you so friggin cute with them, baby!"
[thank you for voting!]
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