I had a lovely time in the Dream. Daisy showed up aerally prarough a massive meadow full of giant flowers. We rode a dragonfly to the o and then explored a coral reef with a school of shining silver fish all named Freddy. It was all so pretty and rexing and it made me wake up smiling.

  Realizing I was little spoon to Luvetra and big spoon to Carmil made me smile more. “Mmmm love sandwich.” I muttered, squeezing my elemental closer.

  Giggles and squeezes annouhe awakening of my loves and groans annouhe awakening of the not-actually-married married couple. “Ahh fek I slept crooked. Jaina could ya be a dear and magic at my shoulder for me? Jaina? Oy, slut! Get yer face out of Gina’s tits and e help me.”

  Jaina groaned “Mmm, but her tits are han yrumbling.” and I sat up fused as to who Gina was.

  It was then I saw we had guests, guests who had stayed the night in fact. The orc captain ulling herself up and yawning as Jaina disentangled from her arms. The small kiss the two shard before parting told me they got to know each other well the night before. Briggavel sighed in happiness as Jaina mao lesseiffness in her arm.

  Meanwhile in a er nearby our uest was waking up. The woman I assume to be Tulip was sitting up and wobbling a bit. I was shocked to see she actually had much longer hair than I thought. It was just the exact same color as her fur and blended in so well I missed it the day before. Though on this m, it erfect example of catastrophic bed-head.

  “Oh dear. Luv love? Do you think you could assist uest with her unruly locks?” I said with a smile towards the faun.

  Said faun seemed to suddenly be aware that she was not in her own room, but in a tent, naked, surrounded by other naked women. She quickly pulled the her b up to cover herself as her eyes went wide with embarrassment. “Uh, um, g-good m.” she stammered out before clearihroat and trying again “Good m miss Dreamsinger. I am Professor Tulip Merryberry of Green Mother’s Mercy Medical Uy. I have e to-, oh, um thank you.” she paused as Luvetra slid in behind her and started brushily. “I am… ooooh that’s really nice.” she melted at my lover’s toud clearly fot what she was saying.

  I smirked and blew Luv a kiss. “Your brother mentioned he’d be telling you about me. I didn’t expect you quite so soon, or possibly at all to be ho. I rather imagined you’d send a message requesting I e visit you.”

  She pulled her mind baough to respond, though still had a dopey grin on her fad let the b lower enough to leave those glorious mountains of hers exposed again “You told him that I should e here. It would be rude to request you put yourself at disfort if I am not able to do the same for you.”

  I smiled and whispered to my elemental “She’s pletely ho about that. Right?” and Carmil nodded and smirked iurn. Speaking loud enough to hear “That is extremely polite. I have to say I’m already impressed with you. I might be willing to let you examier all.”

  I mao time my words so that Luv finished up moments before I ended my sentehe professor was released from my giant’s melting hold and processed my words. She perked up, her ears wiggling wildly “Please, I am begging you to allow me to examine your runes. Preferably in my b where I have my more powerful and precise equipme up. But even just a visual examination would mean the world to me.”

  “Wow, Prof Berry’s his excited. Whatever you have must be a big deal.” I turo see our uest sitting up fully and smiling. “Captain Gina Riverwalker. I was with the rescue unit that wasn’t quite fast enough to get a li against those angels.”

  “Oh dear gods, I fot you were here too.” Tulip groaned. “Hopefully we both be mature about this and accept this rofessional task for us both and not let it get awkward at work.”

  Weren walked into the tent then “Hey all you sexy bitches, the sexiest bitch of all had prepared a glorious meal for us all to take part in. A luxurious feast just for our tribe and guests, should they desire to feast upon glory!” she was unusually excited for breakfast. But seeing her giddy was doing wonders for my heart.

  We all filed out of the tent, Tulip managing to resist her many obvious urges to cover up, and made it to one of several rge piic tables to plop down and enjoy our meal.

  Dekarru was there having tea and waiting for us. “Ah, Professor, I wao thank you for being so kind as to observe our traditions with us. Not all are willing to disrobe when they visit.”

  Tulip looked like a deer in the headlights… now if only I knew what headlights were. But she looked shocked to the point of freezing. Yep, her brother certainly pulled one over on her. She gnced over at the buildihe exit where clothing is kept and I could see the desire to run off in her eyes.

  Gina spoke up quickly however. “Oh those people that don’t are just pin wrong. Aside from it being polite, no one here cares. You might get some appreciative looks from folks but nudity is so normal to Path folks that being clothed with them makes you stand out aared at way more. Being clothed in the Encve District is like waving a sign around ‘I’m an outsider and I don’t belong, stare at me.’ and I’d rather blend in. Besides, it’s really fortable once you get used to it.”

  Ahhh, smart woman, kind too. She was saving Tulip future embarrassment. The faun nodded and took a seat o Gina. I heard her mumble something quietly to the captain that I’m pretty sure was a thank you.

  I smiled and stretched “If I might direct things a bit this m? I do have a couple of big questions for Captain Riverwalker.” everyone nodded between bites of our cook’s meal. Which really was better than normal, if one believe that’s even possible.

  Gina cleared her throat “Before you get to any questions, I do want to thank you on behalf of the Willow Creek Defense Force for the donation of the angel’s armor. You were under no obligation to even sider it and frankly, you’d have made a fortune selling it to us. We would have paid damned near anything you asked for that material. We’ll be using it to make protective gear for elite emergency response units. People that go out into situations that are already absolute shit. Fatality rates for them are around thirty five to forty pert. These new suits should drop that by ten or more and more importantly allow our troops to more successfully plete rescue operations. That armor will save lives. Both ours and those who rely on our aid. So thank you Miss Dreamsinger. You have made several friends in the service.”

  She gave me a salute, a fist over her heart and a bow of her head. Then she spoke again “Now with the official thanks out of the way. Seriously, we owe you. We had beeing more of our advanced materials from some advanced are foundries up north of Uvtrayl but half of them got nabbed by Pitrak and the other vassals of the Empire and the other half by Uvtrayl itself. Being our allies they’re selling us some, but it’s a trickle of what we used to get sinuch is going to their war efforts. A win like this is a huge relief for us. I personally want to promise that if the Emergency Rescue Force help you, we will. Not to mention I’d do damned near anything you asked of me, hott-stuff.” she winked and grinned.

  Tulip blushed and quickly covered her gasp by shoving a pastry in her mouth and looking away.

  I smirked “So you and Tulip are friends?”

  Tulip swallowed “Co-workers, ily. My main job is teag but I also help develop and produce the infusions the Willow Creek military’s local forces use. Gina here leads the local Emergency Rescue Force, the ERF goes through a lot of infusions, I produce most of the Infusions in the region. Add to that my dear younger brother being a member of the First Squad and directly under her and. We i regurly.” Tulip refused to look at Gina as she spoke and had a certain nervouso her words that I could read like a book. Based on Carmil’s smirk, she could too.

  I tilted my head a out a small “Huh.” I cleared my throat “Alright, I’ll just get to it. I was attacked by awice a few weeks apart. With them even going so far as to invade Fae-Lord protected territory to do so. How much danger am I in?”

  Gina snorted “Iy? he Celestials would have to atta the huo get through the elementals proteg the walls and they would have to siege us evehe elementals also prevent transportation magic or stealth abilities. And even if they came, our Military would respond quickly. It would be days at most before thousands, if not tens of thousands of our soldiers, warriors, shaman, and more arrived to fall upoag army. A few weeks and our army would grow to more than a million strong.”

  I whistled. “Okay, I tinue rexing while in here. Good. question though, how did they get this far without setting off some kind of arm?”

  Gina paused aed her elbows oable. “That’s why they had the weak one.”

  “retty sure they damned near killed us all.”

  Dekarru spoke up “The wingless one. Celestials gain a pair of wings every forty levels. It’s extremely rare that wingless are allowed out of the Celestial Realm. I’ve read some aexts that suggest it’s not just because they are low level, but because they are susceptible to some vague ‘corruption’ that I could not find more details on. Wings seem to give them a kind of prote.”

  Gina grunted “Yeah, but in this case I guess they thought it worth the risk due to her Abilities. She has stealth Spells, extremely powerful ohat work on groups. I don’t think her skill set is eveely on fels. They are typically the least subtle things that have ever existed. Using tactics like that tells me they really want you dead.” Then a raise of a brow “Now, I know that whatever you have going on is at least retively safe or else the good Oracle here would have done something about you by now rather than ride you like a pony on stage.” Tulip spit out her tea and had a coughing fit, Gina chuckled and tinued “I do have to ask, even if I don’t get an answer. Why do they want you dead do badly?”

  I took a breath and stared at the sky for a moment, before turning back to face the captain. “Because I’m a force of ge and they know it. I ’t say more than that yet but… maybe soon.” I smiled, remembering that my Goddess and my other, i Goddess via being oh would be meeting soon, if they hadn’t already, and hopefully they could e to an agreement.

  Gina nodded “Well that’s wly vague. But I trust the Oracle Dekarru with my life so I’m on your side until she isn’t anymore.”

  I ughed “That’s a running theme for me tely.” With a sigh something else es up I o know. “What happeo her? The captured angel I mean.”

  Gina looks at Dekarru who nods to the woman. I guess permission from an Oracle ts for revealing military information? “She’s in a cell having her mana tinually draio keep her from esg. We’re trying to question her but she isn’t responding. Worse, we have to assume the Fae-Lord knows and is ing to poke their head in on this. They are very likely to either kill or abduct her so we have a limited time to get anything from her, which is not horribly likely even with more time.”

  I grunt, that’s not great, right? She at least seemed to be sorry about what she felt she o do. But that’s out of my hands now, which is probably for the best. “Okay, st question. Do you e here often? You seem both extremely fortable and quite knowledgeable about the Path and the Encve District.”

  Gina snorts and fights back a ugh. “Alright, story time I guess.” and at that even Tulip perked up and paid more obvious attention. “So when I was a teenager I had a boyfriend.”

  Tulip tilted her head “But aren’t you-?”

  “Shush, getting there.” she smiled at the faun “So I had a boyfriend and we were as awkward as a drunk, three legged horse with each other. We dated for almost a year, only kissed like four or five times, and were just extra weird. We somehow came to the brain-dead clusion that it was sexual frustration and we o have sex to be closer. Yes I know, it’s obvious in hindsight.” she said as Tulip opened her mouth to speak again. “Anyway, we get to his room, strip naked, look at each other’s bodies and immediately both say ‘oh, I’m gay’.”

  Mahrk walked over at that and leaned down to kiss the captain’s cheek. “No. I said ‘oh geeze, I think I like men’ and you said ‘oh fuck I’m a gay’.”

  “Mahrk! I didn’t realize your encve was here or I’d have e sooner!” she jumped from her seat and picked him up into a big hug. When Divh came over she set Mahrk down and hugged his partner as well “Oh gods it’s good to see you two!”

  “Oh we missed you too sis.” Divh said warmly. “You all met our sister I see? She’s a sweetheart and don’t let the scary military face fool you.”

  Gina smiled “You guys know Mahrk and Dihv? Love these idiots.” She grinned “So yeah, after that we went from a horrible couple to the best friends around. Marhk met Dihv a few years ter at a big festival in our hometown. They brought fish. So many fish. They started dating immediately and a couple weeks ter when Dihv’s encve left for their home, Marhk decided to joio stay near his true love.”

  “And you followed us too, don’t fet.” Marhk prodded her shoulder.

  “Yeah, and I love the Path but rescue work called me harder. So I’m kind of oh too but my work demands pants, and sidering the lives what I do saves I’m willing to bear that burden when I have to.” she smirked.

  Tulip tilted her head “You’ve old me any of this.”

  The captain looked down at the faun “You have repeatedly told me that small talk is a burden on your mind that you disce.”

  “Small talk doesn’t include details about your life and how you realized you were a lesbian. Small talk is ‘What’s your favorite color, Prof? Do you like to dance, Merryberry? I hear that new cafe on Main street is nice.’ You know, silly words just to fill the air because you don’t like silence.”

  I cleared my throat “Uh, no. That sounds a lot more like flirting than small talk I think.” and Tulip’s fur immediately fluffed up in what I am assuming is equivalent to a blush. Oh yes, she’s fun to mess with, but baby steps. I didn’t want to scare her off. “You said you wao see my runes?” She tched onto the distra and once I scooted over to make room, she quickly joined me to look at my arm.

  For several long moments she run her fingers delicately over the magically imbued uional tattoos on my left arm. It was almost intimate, but her gaze was hoppiween ically detached areme fasation and it was hard to feel like anything other than a patient with a rare disease. “This is incredible, the runes have been subverted somehow, did you do this yourself?”

  “Ahhh that’s…” I cleared my throat “Not on purpose?”

  “What does that mean?”

  I sighed, knowing the earful I was about to get. Someone who had a deep uanding e bands was going to flip out over what I did most likely. “I have amnesia, more specifically I have Mind Shatter, at double S severity, it was triple S at first. I woke up in an Pitrak armored transport in a battlefield as the only survivor with a bunostly minor wounds and a huge hunk of shrapnel in my leg, thus the prosthetic. I couldn’t remember anything, including a lot of details about… well, the entire world. I somehow remembered the symbol on the first aid kit, followed the instrus to put a triage band on, and uh…”

  My pause was long enough that the professor tilted her head “What did you do?”

  Pointedly avoiding looking at Carmil, I didn’t want to reveal that just yet, I drooped my shoulders. “The elemental fragment had grown enough over the turies that is was able to ask for help. So I put all of the bands from the kit on at once.”

  Tulip’s eyes went wide “How in the abyss are you still alive!? That would have let the elemental fuse it’s fragmented pieces back together and bee whole! At best it would have torn itself free and escaped, leaving you injured. More likely it would have seen you as an easy meal after hundreds of years of famine! Or it may simply have been violently insane from it’s fragmented experiences!”

  “Yeah well, the elemental was intelligent enough at that point to be grateful for it’s healing and freedom. We came to an uanding. We are still w together now in fact. Quite amicably.”

  She grunted and narrowed her eyes at the runes “Yes well, I see a rune bination that would indicate an increase in itive capacity so that is within the real of possibilities I suppose.” she tapped her . “Miss Dreamsinger, I must beg of you to e to my b. My equipment there is of the ‘non-mobile’ variety and could tell me so much more.” She could see the hesitan my fad immediately tinued. “I won’t demand this for free. I have personal funds for my own projects and if this gives me the information I think it will I would even be able to get funding from the gover and you would be well pensated for your time and disfort. And if money does not i you, I am a very talented and well equipped medical inscriber and alchemist. My talents would be at your disposal. I make infusions or medical devices for you and your tribe easily.”

  I g the others, the sudden i on everyone’s faces told me that was actually a really good thing to have. I took a breath “Okay. You’ve sold me, or… bought me? Whatever. I’m in.”

  “Excellent!” She cheered and cpped her hands iement. “I would be more than happy to make myself avaible whenever is best for you.”

  “Will this be particurly straining on me in any way?”

  “Very unlikely. It would mostly be you sitting or ying down (depending on what is more fortable for you of course) while I ran non-invasive tests. I rather think the worst that will happen is you bee bored.”

  I looked to my tribe “Are we doing anything today?”

  Dekarru smirked “Rec aing, which it sounds like you do in this b of hers. Go on, we’ll all have a big cuddle when you e back tonight.”

  I smiled at her, I love my tribe. So much. “Well Professor Merryberry, I’m yours for the day. Why don’t we go get dressed and you poke and prod to your heart’s tent.”

  “Wonderful!” she leapt up, clearly eager to scurry back for her answers. I was slightly worried, though not seriously, that perhaps I was beio a mad stist’s ir.