Chapter 46: Love, Hares and Regrets (Bonus Chapter 2/2)
"You can talk to me my Lady..". I almost groaned upon hearing it again but Sumiré's sincerity kept me calm. "You know.. Where I came from.. I wasn't a Lady.. a woman. I had no power, no freedom.. I was simply a boy pretending to be a man, trying to do right by my family but failing to be true to myself. I was drowning in the responsibilities of adulthood and wished things could go back to being simpler rather than just taking control of my life. Finally, when I became sick I simply gave up.. I took comfort in the fact that the hard choices were taken from me and lay in a bed, waiting to die instead of fighting. Now.. I have power. I have control. I have a body that feels right to me and my responsibilities are those which I choose. I have people who protect me and think I'm beautiful and some times when I'm real low, it feels that I haven't earned any of it.." I exclaimed with an exhale of relief. This burden had been sitting with me for quite some time. I couldn't believe that Sumiré had managed to get me talking about how I felt and I feared to imagine how she thought of me now.
"Then earn it.. If you think you are not worthy of what you have then simply become worthy! I've seen you do extraordinary things my Lady and yet everyday you grow stronger and continue to surprise us. I care not what you were in a previous life.. the ways of the Elders are truly strange! But the person I came to know.. our Minõa.. this is who you are to me. The person I came to admire and love for how caring and giving she can be despite the cruelty she must indulge to protect us! This is not beyond you my Lady.. Earn it..". she said and just like that..I was the one smiling.
Time flew by pleasantly for the first time in this past week. Everyone was asleep, tired from our fight against the Ghoul while Sumiré and I walked through the caves of my Dungeon, discussing and simply enjoying each other's company. We took a seat in my Main Cave, with me conjuring up two stool-shaped mounds of earth, to the woman's amusement. Our private time together was soon interrupted when a small horde of minions decided this would be a good time for some quality time with their Master. The critters rushed me and the "cuddle-fest" began. Sumiré seemed to thoroughly enjoy this sort of interruption and appeared to have grown quite fond of my little monsters. The strangest thing was that the summons themselves had also taken a liking to her, even heeding her commands some times. As the beautiful Acamarian wad not part of my Dungeon I couldn't analyze her to see if she had any kind of ability that would allow her to do this and being blind frustrated me beyond belief. Once I had collected all the Gold pieces I had stashed away I would amend this gap in my abilities.
Sumiré reintroduced me to my own summons, giving me their new names and I was stunned to see that my surviving mobs had evolved on their own! They hadn't just changed form but had obtained new abilities, traits or even powers on their own, based on their experience and personalities. This proved that the longer a summon was around, the greater it had the potential of becoming. I promised Sumiré that the survivors would get Cores of their own, meaning they would never truly perish as long as my own Core was intact. "How come the smaller ones don't listen my Lady?" the young woman asked while trying and failing to summon one of the glowbugs to her open palm. "Oh.. I'm not sure. Any summon that's too weak to count against my maximum capacity just seems to go about its business like any normal animal unless I will it to do something. Maybe they aren't smart enough to listen to you?" I wondered. The girl extended her arms to a "Dune Bõka", the chinchilla-looking creatures that I had introduced to my Dungeon's ecosystem. The fluffy mammal wiggled its whiskers in an almost playful manner before hoping away shyly, much to the Sumiré's disappointment.
I concentrated on the small bugger and not before long, it came hoping back and into the woman's lap. Sumiré cheered excitedly as she petted the creature's exceptionally soft grey fur. "You did this, didn't you?" she accused me with a mischievous grin and I nodded while smiling. "You know.. these are called Dune Hares in Jázrah." she stated as an interesting piece of information. I chuckled at that before answering, "But aren't they rodents? You know.. big mice basically..". The girl laughed while covering her mouth. "Yes I suppose they are.. The story is that, when Jázrah was still but a small settlement, it lacked the bountiful lands and rainforests of East Acamar and the rich ports of the South. Their hunters scavenged the dune for food and resources when they found these little things.." she said and pointed to the Bõka which was frantically cleaning itself and ruffling its own fur. "Of course, no one wanted to eat giant desert rats even in those difficult days. So.. the first Sultan ordered his men and hunters to always behead and skin the critters before selling them over to the market, as Dune Hares! For many years most Jázrieli thought that Dune Hares and Bõka were two different kind of creatures.." the girl laughed in amusement and I couldn't help but smile at the sight of her being relaxed and having fun after what we had been through. "It was only after the population grew that people realized that no one had ever seen a live Dune Hare before! And the truth was revealed some time after that but.. to this day, Jázrah will still sell this creature's meat and fur as a Dune Hare in the market.." Sumiré finished and yawned loudly.
We were sitting down at this point and most of the critters had huddled around us, giving us their warmth. I was happy to see another Wyvern had been born during my absence and the Dire Coyote was also a welcome addition. Sumiré lay down beside them and seemed to enjoy the cuddly sensation their bodies provided. Even Spinner the Deep Fisher was there, knitting up a silken bedsheet for her new favourite human to use. The unprocessed material was less than ideal and kind of sticky to the touch, but still provided a level of coziness for the young woman who had decided the long day had come to an end. "My Lady? Would it be ok if I... just.." she murmured as she rested her head in my lap. I didn't protest, accepting the intimacy with a surprising willingness on my part. The girl's eyes closed immediately and within seconds, sleep had taken her in its warm embrace. I was left paralyzed in my sitting position, afraid that any movement might awaken the girl. I ogled at her pursing lips and they way her soft, moist skin glistened under the cave's glowing lights.
When I finally got the courage to scoop her up, Sumiré tucked herself deeper in my embrace, pressing her face against mt my breast. I took a deep calming breath, fighting off desires I didn't even know I harboured for the beautiful girl. I carried her to her bed, my enhanced strength making me feel as if I was carrying a small child instead of a grown woman. A grown woman with a curvy waist... a stunning eyes and beautifully shaped breasts. I gulped and continued for the barracks. I placed the girl on a bed, taking note of her mother sleeping on the one opposite of hers. Adam and Eve were also out cold and Eve's snoring echoed throughout the spacious room. I couldn't help but run my fingers against the side of her face as I knelt down beside her. The sleeping Sumiré seemed to enjoy my caress and snuggled even deeper in her sleep. I wondered.. would it be ok.. if I just.. I leaned in, extending my lips slightly until they were touching hers. Their softness and warmth was like nothing I had ever experienced. I slipped into a state of euphoria and had to restrain myself from kissing her full-on. I pulled back and to my absolute embarrassment, witnessed the girl smiling! It took me a moment to realise that she was still asleep. I stood and quickly exited the barracks, feeling I had gone too far but ironically did not regret a thing. It was the best sin I had ever committed.
While exiting the room, I could tell that Fatná was not asleep. The mother no doubt was worried for her daughter and couldn't sleep until she was certain of her safety. That also meant that the woman probably saw me kissing her sleeping daughter. Her breath had become shallower and her body exuded more heat, indicating she was angry or stressed. I wasn't sure how I had picked up this information in such detail and short amount of time. It was probably due to my growth in the Mental statistic. If the woman didn't speak up about her doubts I would be forced to confront her about this. I paused at that thought.. Confront her about what? What were my intentions for Sumiré? Was I in love or simply horny?
I cursed my inexperience in these matters and returned to my Main Cave. It was time to bring back my lost forces and repopulate my Dungeon. It was time to vent.. Time to release all that pent up sexual energy I've been holding back for the past days and see whether I would stop thinking about Sumiré or not. Even as I extended my hand, diving into my Aether reserves in order to summon back Fisher, I couldn't stop replaying our moments together. Talking about Hares, love and our regrets..
[ * PING * Natural Allure has reached Rank 3! ]
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone