Sisters of the Elf

Everyone looks at the door, and that's when they see two women standing there.

"Word to Zirnor, you actually managed to get Terra back? What kind of dark magic did you use, old man?" The twin on the right says.

"Terra!" The twin on the left says as she runs up to her sister before leaping into a hug, causing Terra to catch her footing before they fall.

Terra laughs as she holds her sister tighter, "It's good to see you again, Manai. It's been far too long."

"And whose fault is that?" The other twin says as she walks past the hugging duo.

Terra rolls her eyes as she lets go, "It's nice to see you too, Naura. You seem as friendly as ever."

Manai then says, "How are you?! Where have you been?! Are these your friends?! Are they adventurers too?!"

Terra laughs at Manai's enthusiasm, "Don't worry. I will tell you everything. For now, I wish to sit on a real bed instead of a cot on a ship."

"If you follow me. I shall grant your wish," Remar says, walking to the door as he does. The group then soon follow, with Terra smiling as she wraps her arms around Manai and Kiera.

UPSTAIRS:

The group plus Naura, Kiera and Manai follow behind Remar as he leads them down a hallway laden with rooms, "There are plenty of rooms to choose from. However, there are rooms that are already claimed which you will see by the names on the doors."

Naura immediately finds her door, as does Manai. Kiera is next to find her room before the others begin to claim rooms, with Kyuala and John taking the largest bed.

Terra walks past a few more doors before stopping dead in her tracks. She looks at a door, and sees a name plate that reads, "Terra."

Memories come flooding back, and Terra is met with a plethora of emotions. She hears the laughter of her younger self as she played with her sisters. The sounds then change as she hears herself crying after her father and mother forced her to breakup with her first boyfriend. Next is the sounds anger as a younger Terra tosses around whatever items she had in her room due to her argument with her mother about the plans for her to marry the heir of the Knagstun family. Finally, she hears the whispers between herself and Kiera as they discuss the plans for Terra to leave Mulvenscroll.

Terra rests her hand on the handle, holding back tears as she slowly turns it. The door then clicks and as Terra slowly pushes forward, the door creaks open.

Terra's eyes are filled with a shocking sight. Her room is exactly how she left it that night. The sheets are perfectly made, all the items and trinkets are on the shelves and her desk, all perfectly positioned. Her desk is extremely neat, her old papers are all perfectly stacked in a pile, and all her pencils are sharpened and have been placed in the little holder that she had. She also notices that the room doesn't have a speck of dust in it. She inspects the bedside tables, desk, shelves, frame of the bed, and she cannot find a single speck of dust. As she looks around, she almost feels like the room was stopped in time.

"Dad has a maid come in every day to dust."

Terra turns around, and sees Manai at the door, "He wanted to keep it perfect for you, for when you decided to come back."

Terra looks around the room once again, "Why? I practically ruined his whole partnership with the Knagstun's."

Manai laughs, "Oooh boy, the days after you left were soooo hilarious. Dad was red in the face for so long, we had a bet on when he would pop. Every laugh was so worth it, even if it meant having to endure Mother's wrath."

While Manai chuckles about her memories, Terra can't feel anything, but guilt, "Kiera told me she was more... Tyrannical... When I left."

Manai sighs, "Well... She isn't wrong, but as you know, Mother was always a little more demanding than most mothers. She did fly off the handle a little more often over smaller things, but Kiera and Apollita assured us that it wasn't our faults. Apollita did also get into quite a few arguments with Mother from time to time, and after the last one they had, Dad finally stepped in. He told her to lighten up, and she's been less argumentative from then on. There's still things that sets her off, mostly Naura, but nowhere near as bad as it used to be."

It actually hurts Terra to hear that, knowing that their Mother became so aggressive because of her actions. She then hugs Manai before saying, "I'm so sorry you all went through that, just because of what I did."

Manai laughs again, "You don't have to apologize for anything, stupid," Terra then breaks the hug. Manai then sees her sister's confused expression, she continues, "You taught us all how to stand up for ourselves against them! Do you remember how timid Kiera was? She didn't even want to tell them that she wanted to be an alchemy professor until after what you did. Apollita even followed suit and become a history professor for crying out loud. You taught us all that we didn't have to simply take what Mother and Father told us to do. Now, granted, leaving in the middle of the night and escaping to another continent was a bit overkill, but... We all still followed your lead. Erya might still be quiet now, but I have no doubt that sometime soon, she's gonna look up to her big sister and do what she wants to do."

Terra can't even respond with words. She wants to say something, but every word just gets stuck in her throat. Tears then form in her eyes before slowly streaming down her face, and Manai wraps her arms around Terra.

Terra's tears soak the shoulder of Manai's cardigan, but Manai doesn't care. She simply rubs Terra's back and whisper, "It's okay. I'm here now... let it all out."

MEANWHILE:

John and Kyuala lay on the large bed, and rejoice about the cloud-like mattress they currently have the pleasure of relaxing on.

A few minutes pass by, and John feels Kyuala getting closer to him. He looks at her, and sees a conflicted look on her face.

"What's wrong?" John asks.

Kyuala bluntly replies, "Terra's mother. I don't like her."

"I'm not surprised. After what we've heard about her, she doesn't exactly scream model mother."

"No, it's not that..." John is confused as Kyuala continues, "When she came up to us, something about the way she said 'especially the Hero of Reduna'z Gaze,' it just felt... off to me."

"Off? What'd you mean?"

Kyuala grumbles for a few seconds before answering, "It felt like she was trying to flirt with you."

A few seconds go by before John starts laughing, "Flirting with me? No way!" John laughs a little more before continuing, "She was probably just trying to keep a kind face cause Terra was there, and it came out like that."

Kyuala doesn't respond. However, her face shows that she disagrees. John sees this look, and so he rolls over, getting on top of her. Kyuala then giggles in confusion before feigning annoyance, "What are you doing? Get off."

As Kyuala tries to move her arms, John pins them down, "Sorry, but I decide when you move, beloved."

Kyuala cocks her eyebrow, this sudden display of dominance both intriguing and exciting her. Her excitement would be ramped up as John slowly leans down to her ear, gently whispering into her ear about what he plans to do. He then finishes his whisper by kissing her cheek before moving his head back up.

Kyuala's giggles change from confused to perverted as they get ready to start what John has planned. Their plans would be over as soon as they started however, as the door is knocked.

Both Kyuala and John sigh, but Kyuala is definitely the more frustrated of the two. John quickly kisses her, but even the loving peck isn't enough to lighten some of her frustration. John slides off of Kyuala, and heads to the door.

He opens the door, and is met with a surprising sight.

"Ahh, Remar was right. You are here..."

John is stunned, seeing Terra's other sister, Naura. "Oh hi. You're Naura, right?"

"That I am. A pleasure to meet you..." Naura sticks out her hand like a queen would with the back of her hand facing upwards. John is confused by this, so he takes her hand and awkwardly shakes it, "Nice to meet you as well. I'm John."

Naura, who is a little annoyed from the hand shake, looks at John and practically scans every inch of his body whilst she hums, It may only be a few seconds, but due to the awkwardness John feels, it seems like forever.

After her visual investigation is finished, she looks up at him, "Hmm, you're definitely better than some of the other so-called suitors that my sisters used to sniff around. Tell me... Is my sister treating you well?"

The question almost makes John laugh, "Of course. Terra has been a very welcome addition to the group, and is generally a delight to be around."

Naura seems almost displeased with that answer, and John wonders if he misinterpreted the question in some way. Naura then slightly clears her throat, "Well, give it some time. After a while, she'll start bugging you, and you'll wish I was by your side."

John is almost feels insulted on Terra's behalf, so he asks, "And why's that?"

Naura chuckles, "Do you need to ask? Just look at me. I am much, much easier on the eyes. I also don't ramble on about nonsense like plants and how to make a potion out of a beet and leaves."

"Shame. I quite like learning new things, especially when it could come in handy. Plus, Terra is a very beautiful woman, I find her pale skin to be quite... appealing in the sea of colour that is this world."

Naura is almost stunned, expecting John to essentially become putty in her hands, but he seemed to resist her charms with ease. Just then, she sees a large orc entering back through the door to the bathroom, and is almost frightened.

"Who is it, beloved?" Kyuala asks.

"It's Naura, Terra's sister. She just came to say hello and meet us."

Naura is still almost frozen in fear due to the extreme height of Kyuala. As Kyuala gets closer to her, Naura's head moves back almost instinctively as she tries to keep her eyes on Kyuala's.

"Well, hello there. I'm Kyuala, it's nice to meet you." Kyuala extends her hand out, and Naura just looks at the huge green bear-like paw that is held out in front of her. Naura then carefully brings her hand up, and shakes Kyuala's, "It's lovely to meet you too. I sure hope I wasn't interrupting anything. I know how precious couple time can be."

"You needn't worry. We were just relaxing on the incredibly comfy bed. It's like laying on a bed of dreagle feathers mixed with a cloud."

Naura lets out an obviously nervous laugh, "Yes, the beds are probably the best part about living here. The chefs are a huge plus too. If they like you enough, they'll sneak you extra later on."

Kyuala laughs, "Good to know. We do tend to... Work up an appetite after all."

John face palms, but his smile still shows as he does. Kyuala just laughs as she puts her over John's shoulder while Naura nervously chuckles as she looks down.

After the laughter dies down, Naura looks back up, "Well, I'll let you to get back to the... lovey dovey stuff."

Naura then walks away, and hears the door close behind her. As she walks down the hallway, she whispers to herself, "He's bedding an orc?! What a fucking dynamic that is. He must be pretty good to keep a woman like her happy, must be pretty big too. He's pretty good-looking too, and there's this aura around him. It's weird... But hot." As she gets into her room, she drops down onto her bed, "And what was all that about Terra? How is she so damn special? Cause she's so smart and knows a lot of stupid shit? And she's appealing? What sort of gurogan shit is that? Must be some weird fetish from wherever he's from. I know damn well that I'm twice the woman she is. I chase after what I damn well want, and no one, not my sister nor some dumb orc bitch, is gonna stop me!"

Naura then stops for a moment as she hears talking from down the hallway. She gets to her door, and pinpoints the location of the voices. Naura then creeps towards the door marked with the name Terra, and tries to listen in.

"What about Sydna? I'm actually surprised she isn't here," Terra says.

"Sydna went off to Nillork for an excursion where she met a noblewoman and practically married her on the spot. I've never seen her so infatuated with anything or anyone. I do remember that Kova was not happy about Sydna leaving, and they even fought about it until Sydna left. I don't know if they've reconciled recently, but from the way Kova talked about her, you'd think she was a scorned lover. Enough about here though, what about you? I heard you were involved in defending Reduna'z Gaze from a necromancer attack?"

Terra chuckles, "Word really does spread quick, huh?"

"Have you forgotten dear sister? This is Mulvenscroll. We heard about the attack before it was even over. I even heard that ships were put on standby in case the undead came by sea."

Terra chuckles once again as she shakes her head, "I never had any doubt. As for the attack itself, it wasn't a fairy-tale battle as the bards will make it out to be. I saw a lot of good people die, and a lot more come back to life. We thought we had a good plan, but we always seemed a step or two behind. If it wasn't for John, we may not have been here in the first place. He was the one who dealt the final blow to Imoga, and kept us together in times of chaos. It was a weird situation, but one he stepped up in. He definitely earned the title of 'Hero' that night."

"You speak of him highly... does my sister have a crush on the drop-in?"

Terra's eyes open wide, "What?! No! John is just a friend, a friend that I highly respect! He vouched for me when Kyuala didn't trust me, and I wouldn't have escaped without their trust. He is an impressive man, but he already has his hands full with his women already."

"Women? As in... Multiple?"

"Yes. Kyuala is his wife, but they also have another lover." Terra's brain finally catches up to her mouth and realizes that she is spilling secrets that aren't hers, "B-b-but that doesn't matter! You have to promise to not tell anyone! I don't know if they want people to know or not, but you cannot mention it unless they do, understood?!"

Manai laughs, "I understand, and it's not my place to tell. He can do as he pleases with his lovers, as long as it doesn't negatively affect you in any way. If it does, I will not hesitate to tell off the Hero of Reduna'z Gaze. Do you understand?"

Terra laughs, "I understand."

Naura's eyes open wide as she overhears this information. Her mind begins to speculate and formulate a plan as her goals are now clear: Join the Hero's harem, and be better than Terra.

A devilish grin then forms on Naura's face as she quickly and quietly heads back to her room.

In the other newly claimed room, Amilia and Lani are currently lounging around with Amilia seemingly thinking about something. Lani sees this, and so she asks, "Copper for your thoughts?"

"C'mon wings, I'm worth a silver a least."

The duo have a little laugh, but Lani asks again, "What's up? I don't think I have ever seen you think this much without some sexual innuendo after it."

Amilia chuffs, "I could talk about taking dick if it makes you feel comfortable?"

"No thanks."

Another quick round of laughter happens, but Amilia still feels Lani's eyes on her, "Fine, I'll tell..." Lani turns her body to face Amilia who starts, "I guess I'm just... worried."

"About the Giant Queen?"

Amilia shakes her head. Lani then asks, "Are you worried about Terra?" Amilia doesn't verbally answer, but her lack of physical answer gives Lani all the confirmation she needs. "Listen, I know I wasn't there for the pirate attack, but I know it changed Terra, even if she doesn't outright show it. I also know that Terra is a strong person. I mean... She had all of this at her fingertips, and she dropped it because she stuck to her convictions. How many people do you know that would give up all of this? Or better question, how many people do you think are so weak-willed when it comes to having money and power like this? Cause it's a lot more than you think. Of course all of this is going to be tough on Terra, but it's up to us to be there for her, and I know for a fact that you will be."

The corners of Amilia's mouth actually shape into a smile, "Thanks... Lani."

Lani is surprised, so she decides to take the Amilia approach, "Hmm, just as I was getting used to being called wings."

Amilia looks up at Lani, and blows a raspberry right at her, "Screw you, wings. Speaking of getting screwed, I wonder if John and Kyuala are getting it on already. I bet he's balls deep in her right now."

Lani's face almost folds in on itself as the disgust and embarrassment takes over, "Please stop. I just got the mental image of them and the pirate out of my head."

"Oooh, you should've seen it, he was going soooo hard.."

Lani then plugs her ears as quick as she can while Amilia simply laughs at the fairy's reaction.

A FEW HOURS LATER:

A knock is heard at the door, so Amilia and Lani stop their shenanigans to head over to it. As they open the door up, they see Remar walking around and knocking on all the doors of the currently occupied rooms. Door by door, they all open up, but it's John and Kyuala's that opens up last.

As they see this, Amilia whispers to Lani, "I told you... can't keep it in their pants for a minute... terrible."

Lani looks at Amilia stunned, but it's clear Amilia means this in jest as a large grin is on her face.

"What do you want, Remar? I am trying to relax y'know," Naura says, annoyed at the interruption.

"I apologize Miss Naura, but I was asked to gather all of you. Master Tarron has requested all of you to show up in the throne room as your other sisters have arrived."

Terra heart beats faster again, the fear of seeing all the others quickly returning to her. Kiera and Manai both see this flash of fear, so they both give her a comforting hand on each of her shoulders which she appreciates.

Naura doesn't wait another moment before walking down the hallway, "Let's see the others then. I bet they can't wait to see me."

The trio of sisters all roll their eyes as Naura's behaviour isn't anything new to them. They then follow suit with the others following behind.

As they head down the steps, Terra leans back to the group, "A warning. Some of my sisters as I have already told you, can be very flirtatious. However, they can also be quite... Rude. Please, don't take anything they say seriously, and let us handle them."

"We'll try, but we won't be able to hold our tongues forever," Kyuala says.

"Speak for yourself. If a bratty bitch tries to talk down to me, I'm clawing her face off."

Manai chuckles, "I like her."

Terra smiles, "As do I, but please don't do that Amilia."

Amilia grumbles in response, but Terra takes that as it's the closest thing she'll get to a promise from her.

THE THRONE ROOM:

The group reach the throne room doors, and since they are already opened, they walk in. Inside the throne room, they immediately see a humongous table, and twenty chairs all around it, with two larger chairs at the head of it.

In those two aforementioned seats, Holvaeth is on the left and Myssera is sat on the right, both with a direct line of sight at the door. They immediately recognise Erya, who is sitting in the chair, closest to Holvaeth's right. They also see Naura who is already sitting a few seats away from Myssera. Durat is the last person who they recognise as he is sitting at the seat on the left side that's closest to the door.

The rest of the table however, is a sea of new faces. The most surprising things is that only one of the newly seen sisters actually looks similar to Terra. She actually has silver hair and pale skin, whereas most of the others have a less pale complexion and differs between brown and blonde hair.

As they walk over to the table, Holvaeth says, "I hope you all have enjoyed your accommodations so far! I do apologize for disturbing you, but since everyone is finally here now, I thought a dinner was in order! Now, take a seat, and let's begin!"