"Dislike hoarding all the fun, Wrath?"
The braid-haired Saintess pulled l’s thigh towards her before planting a bite mark right beneath where her skirt would be.
As the teeth sank into the honeyed flesh, she smiled at how l whimpered, squirming with her teary eyes closed.
A breath caught in the Wrath’s throat, her grip over the sword sheath tightening as she retracted it. "l was never the type for you to be hoarded anyway."
Her gaze swept over the frozen crowd; first to Rosana, quietly sampling food at a stall, then to Lila, frozen in complete stillness.
These two... I thought worse would happen. But I’m glad everything went well so far.
"How romantic. And deadpan." The Saintess’s expression dropped before dancing her nail across l’s skin.
As l shuddered at her touch, eyes closed in sha as she liked, the Saintess faced Wrath again. "I would’ve asked you to join instead if l’s fine with it, but..."
She wrapped l’s thighs to dangle loosely at her waist before yanking her up.
Glancing at the Witch’s plush lips, she pressed her lips in deeply, then burrowed her tongue in and kissed against l’s whimpers.
With a draw of her breath, the saliva string glistened between their lips as she flashed a taunting gaze at Wrath. "So what’s your purpose here? Do you an only to interrupt my little al?"
Wrath raised a brow, annoyed. "You... should’ve known what I’m here for."
She took a brief glimpse at l, barely awake as she sat on the Saintess’s lap, fingers clutching onto her uniform.
"Oh, do pray tell." She patted l’s back, soothing her with a doting touch. "You’ve been acting alone without my orders, as usual. What gives now?"
A serious glint crossed Wrath’s eyes. "l’s safety. That’s all."
She scanned her surroundings again, her thumb flicking at her katana hilt with bloodlust.
Two cultists were sitting in the shadows; one disguised as a friendly stall owner, while the other watched from beneath a fraying hood, pretending to be a normal drifter.
"You all have been acting too careless for soone in full view."
Sensing Wrath, Maria had already noticed the Cultist-in-disguise and cast a blank look.
Then, her face softened, before idly licking at l’s reddened ear. "rely two Adept-ranked were hardly a threat."
"You know their reach. The Witch’s Cult was watching for the ti to strike."
Wrath’s expressionlessness, for the first ti, cracked. "Perhaps in the safe zone, or outside of it. They would’ve planned to use casualties to pressure you and l."
"That you don’t have to worry." The Sainess pecked at l’s cheek as she continued. "The cultists wouldn’t risk the stationed Knights responding quickly."
Her gaze curved at l’s tear sliding from her eyes, before wiping it. "They will attack outside of the safe zone."
"Then," Wrath frowned as the Saintess played with l’s tired face. "Need to remove so of those as a warning?"
A brief spark of clarity returned to l’s half-lidded eyes as she shook off Maria’s tease.
Her voice grew a little resolute as she spoke to Wrath. "Don’t. We mustn’t alert the Cult of whatever forces we’re with now."
"Then, are you suggesting wagering your safety, l?" Wrath scowled. "I know the Cult’s after you, l. The idea of using you as a bait-"
"-is fine, rather the odds are stacked against the Cult."
Despite the tickling of the Saintess’s patting, the flushed l flashed a reassuring smile. "Don’t worry. We have too many strong forces with us, and Nyrel’s guard was completely let down by her arrogance. Best yet..."
A cheerfulness slipped into her voice. "You’re with us now, Wrath! That’s the best shield I could ask for."
Words cluttered in Wrath’s throat, as l’s sincere voice rang through the silence.
A flicker of connection passed between Wrath and l, just as the Saintess’s features twisted with jealousy.
Yet before she could lean in and reclaim her l’s attention, Wrath snatched l’s arm, softly tugging her into standing.
Her finger swept over l’s sleeve, nostalgia filling her chest as she sighed. "Don’t give too much faith to . You know I hate expectations."
A chuckle escaped l’s lips. "Then, whatever shall I do? I already put too much faith in you, Wrath."
As Wrath’s gaze t l’s again, her eyes narrowed in an unspoken solemness.
Then she leaned in, kissing l’s eye as it closed.
A warmth tenderly blood at l, as Wrath drew her head back with a mutter. "Consider small gestures of gratitude like what I did, rather than offering yourself entirely to your Partner."
l froze, before scratching her blushing cheek as she lowered her gaze. "Tha-that..."
As she stamred for an answer, the Saintess’s arms slithered around her waist from behind.
A submissive look returned to l as she lted into the Saintess’s embrace.
"That is between and l." The Saintess’s nail slid over l’s neck. "Sha for you. It’ll even be harder for you to et her, despite your strength."
Wrath’s dull eyes t Maria’s mocking stare before shrugging. "I won’t interrupt next ti."
The Saintess blinked, her chest pressing into l’s back to seek comfort against the brewing malice in her chest.
"Sure." Without notice, Maria slipped back her mask of deceit. "I’ll be mindful next ti, unless l invited herself."
Wrath noticed the Saintess’s steady eyes glimred with bloodlust before sighing. "Guess that’s the most reassurance I can have."
"What more do you need other than from the Saintess herself?" Maria smirked. "I never could have lied!"
"Right..."
A scoff almost spilled out from Wrath as she bowed her head in silence. "Your words should never be trusted, just as mine were."
"For what? Do pray tell." Maria’s eyes ’smiled’. "Don’t be mistaken, Wrath. I don’t need to trust in soone’s promises or vows."
With a playful nip at l’s neck, the Saintess confessed. "As long as they bear no harm to my l, I fully welco them."
A tension stirred in the air as the two stared at each other, an unspoken bond of fragile trust intertwining between them, with l standing as the sole bridge connecting their worlds.
l’s gaze flickered between them both, quietly confused by the two’s barrage of questions and answers.
She sensed a history between these two, yet decided to stay quiet in respect.
Wrong ti, wrong place.
The Saintess watched Wrath turn away, shuffling forward before raising her sword slightly.
Then, in a heartbeat, Wrath slashed - clean, deliberate, and absolute.
The Grey World split in two, and color bled through the rift, until ti snapped back into motion.
Maria quickly turned back to her Elf form, glancing at Wrath weaving through the now-moving crowds, unnoticed by even the passersby surrounding her.
The power of the only demi-god rank, how troubleso.
Still more bothered than awed by Wrath’s interruption, she released her flustered l, finally giving her so space to recover.
------------------
After her pride as a Witch of Lust was severely hurt, l squished her cheek against Lila’s, her little grumbles serving well as her dicines.
Again. And this ti, in front of Wrath herself.
l didn’t know what grasped her, or was her gratitude towards Partner so great she was willing to offer herself fully...?
Realizing she had seriously considered it, she pressed harder into Lila, who only grumbled in confused dismay.
Afterward, the group of four finally searched for a place for breakfast and found a tavern behind the stalls.
Golden carvings adorned the entrance, as a faint aroma oozed out from within. Despite being a tavern, the silence inside hinted at a lack of business.
"Ta-da!" The elf’s cheerful voice bood as they entered. "We have arrived at my favourite place here! Really expensive food, but no worries. It’s my treat as your senior!"
"Hoh?" Rosana munched on the skewer, examining the mahogany wood that adorned the ceiling and walls. "Are you sure this is called a tavern?"
"Yep! The Knights love to go here, so it’d be remiss of not to...oh..."
As the elf’s voice trailed off, the group’s attention was drawn to the unexpected figure.
There sat Calina, hands on her fork and knife as she cut the honeyed chicken with a grace for no one particularly to see.
She sat alone, surrounded by untouched chairs in a hollow silence.
"Wow." l’s brows raised. "Is it just or is this so... tragically awkward?"
"Stop it, l..." A rare sympathy sparkled in Lila’s erald eyes. "I know."
"Heh..."
l narrowed her eyes with a knowing glint, her observant gaze noticing the sneaking, awkward glances from Calina.
"Pft." She held her trembling lips. "Say, shall we join her in breakfast for a while?"
The group stared back at l, collectively disagreeing with her suggestion.
"Alright!" l clapped her hands. "Then it’s decided!"
Alas, l’s stubborn whim won out, dragging the group into an unplanned breakfast with Calina.
The Witchhunter herself, after all, was an essential raid party mber for the {Draconic Invasion}.
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