Chapter 10

Authors Note: It's been a little while. I took a small break, but always was looking forward to returning to this story. I have had so much fun with it, and I hope that all of my readers enjoy reading it as much as I have writing it for you all. Without further ado, the 4.5k word chapter that you all deserve. As always, your likes and comments are what keep me going!

Derek was starting to get used to waking up in the morning in Xrn’s arms. It helped that her bed was much more comfortable than his by a wide margin, and that she was in it. That did make getting up and out of bed for work much much more difficult though. Somehow through a herculean amount of willpower he pushed himself up, disentangling himself from her arms as she grumbled about something unintelligible in her sleep.

Planting a soft kiss on her temple, Derek closed the door to the bedroom behind him. It was getting to be time for work. Slipping out of Xrn’s apartment without making too much noise was a bit harder than it sounded. Gathering his clothes without his keys clinking, opening the door without it creaking. He just hoped he didn’t wake her up as he put on his clothes and walked out into the hallway. While he barged into his own apartment like a tornado, he had to get ready quickly. Today was Friday after all, and he had drinks with Gimble later in the night. So he couldn’t dress up too much for work, the dwarf was liable to spill beer all over him. He wrote a small note to Xrn detailing that he had to get up for work, and wrote his phone number at the bottom just in case. It was a little silly that they hadn’t done that yet but the whole relationship was a little odd.

Sliding the note under her door, Derek booked it across the floor out into the street. Nearly jogging, he came up to one of the cross streets and realized something as he turned right. Celia said he could show up late to work. So with a sigh of relief he slowed down to his normal gait. Visibly relaxing amidst the morning pedestrian rush while people flowed around him like some great river.

Waltzing into work almost fifteen minutes late, he booted up his computer and got to work. Organizing some figures, downloading reports from the day before, all boring enough to make him want to take a little nap. Given the look that the Ice Queen was giving him when he walked in however, he decided not to push the envelope any further. Gimble either didn’t notice that anything was amiss, or didn’t care as he popped his head over the top of the cubicle wall.

“Oi, laddie. Late today eh? The Ice Queen sure as shit ain’t a fan of that, but she ain’t coming over here to chew your ass out. By the Stonefather you either have a massive pair of balls, or you’re just lucky. Which is it?”

The cheerful dwarf cackled before returning to his side of the divider. Derek let out a sigh of relief, he didn’t want many people asking questions about him. Odd circumstances were bound to follow him with the powers of the app. Questions would bring attention, and too much attention would almost certainly be a bad thing.

The beginning of the day went along smoothly, plugging data into projection formulas, emailing suppliers about price changes, and glancing at the Idle Harem App every now and again. Not much had changed, Xrn’s love score had gone up by 3 since last night but that was about it. Isabella and Elizibeta’s scores were both increasing at the correct rates, a corruption event would be happening by the end of the week, and late next week with any luck.

“A little of both I think. Not that I want to test either of those again anytime soon.”

He replied to Gimble before returning to work. The morning passed somewhat smoothly, a few calls to product management, and a handful of emails following up on requests for data on a few projects. All in all fairly normal. That was, until lunchtime that is. Celia walked up to his desk and curled her tail underneath his chair. Dragging him towards her slowly.

“Let's go to lunch together. There are some team bonding exercises I want to run past you.”

The Ice Queens tone brooked no argument, and it was all he could do to nod quickly. Hoping that not too many of his coworkers notice that he was getting picked on by her two days in a row. Nervousness filled him, he hadn’t put her under his control yet. She wasn’t a member of his harem, and he hadn’t talked to Xrn about adding her. Fuck. He could do it today, this very meeting if he had to but he didn’t want to go adding anyone without his girlfriend's direct approval. Checking his phone to see if she had texted him or seen the note, he had no notifications. Stifling a sigh, he stood from his chair and gave Celia a fake smile.

“Of course, you’re buying?”

Putting a bit of pressure on her, he could tell that her smile didn’t reach her eyes as she nodded. Following her out of the office building, and towards a nearby restaurant. They were seated and served their drinks before Celia spoke again. Clearly chewing on her words, considering and looking him over as she thought. Derek felt a little awkward watching her eye him like a piece of meat and just waiting for her to say something, anything. While he took a sip of his water, she decided to speak.

“You’ve kept your mouth shut regarding our arrangement so far. Thank you.”

The honesty surprised him enough that he sputtered on his drink. Spitting some of it back out into the cup as he sat back in his seat. Looking at her oddly. Celia just let out a soft chuckle and waved off his surprise.

“Come now, relax. I was just saying thank you. You didn’t even **** your extra privileges too badly this morning. Take a deep breath, we share some secrets now don’t we? I’m not just your boss anymore.”

Taking a sip of her own drink, some kind of magical liquor for dragons, Celia smiled icily. While he tried to sink into his chair and disappear. This was the last place he wanted to be with her. Still he tried to bear it, and just smiled back at her. Nodding in agreement.

“I did think about it, showing up thirty or so minutes late with some breakfast. But I’d prefer our arrangement to be mutually beneficial rather than exploitative.”

Derek said smoothly, a nice way to keep this negotiation or shakedown on an even keel. No need for either of them to upset the other. Given how her eyes flashed with delight at his words he figured that she thought the same.

“Oh I couldn’t agree more. I much prefer…mutual benefit.”

Her playful tone belayed a different meaning but Derek was just too out of it to pick up on it. Blissfully ignorant, he took another sip of his water and nodded along. Happy enough when their appetizers arrived so that he could start to eat. Celia had gotten some kind of spiced strips of beef, while he was having some spinach and artichoke dip. They dug in with gusto, Celia as a dragon ate particularly quickly while he took his time. Enjoying each and every bite of cheesy goodness. As they wrapped up their appetizers, Derek began to fidget. Glancing at his phone every now and again, hoping that Xrn would send him something, anything.

“So, how long have you and your girlfriend been together?”

Cutting through his nervousness with that question, the ice dragoness was practically purring at the awkward look on his face.

“Not very long, just a week or so? It hasn’t been official for long but we get along really well. I like her a lot.”

True feelings just slipped out, he loved waking up next to her. Although hopefully she wouldn’t ask to come over to his place anytime soon. Sheepishly he rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. Grinning like an idiot, he tried to distract himself a bit. Celia just looked at him oddly again as if she was seething with jealousy. But why would she be jealous? There was nothing for her to be jealous about.

“That’s very cute. You haven’t been in many romantic relationships have you?”

Another pointed question about his love life, or lack thereof. Derek was starting to raise a metaphorical eyebrow at this line of questioning. Shaking his head back and forth with a chuckle.

“No, I haven’t. Is it that obvious? I don’t want to mess anything up between her and I. I get nervous sometimes. She makes it easy though.”

Laughing haughtily, the ice dragoness’ wings flared a bit. Scaring a few nearby customers and nearly knocking their entrees out of the waiters hands. Still the skilled human managed to keep a hold of them, placing the dishes down without much fanfare. Retreating quickly, the entire restaurant was now looking at or very obviously gossiping about them. Not that Celia seemed to care, in fact the dragon seemed to luxuriate in it.

“It is. That obvious I mean. You have to relax a little sometimes, you’re far too on edge around her. I can tell.”

Just wrapping her hand around her glass made it frost over, the dragoness unconsciously licking her lips before tearing off a chunk of her steak with her other hand. Juices dripping down her hand and onto the tablecloth. She ate ravenously, like the dragons of yore ripping into a flock of sheep. Not that she would enjoy that comparison if Derek made it. So he did his best to keep his mouth shut and allow his clearly power hungry boss her monologue. Whatever got him out of this as fast as possible.

“With a girl like that, you have to be a little more confident. Xlich or whatever her name is, you have to stay…how do I put this in a way you’ll understand. You have to stay out in front of things, appear unflappable, unbothered by anything. You’re her first real relationship too or…?”

At his silence Celia clicked her tongue softly. Disappointed either by his lack of knowledge as to the answer or taking it as a negative.

“You don’t know, do you? Haven’t quite opened the closet to find all the skeletons yet hm? A girl like that…probably has quite a few. Here, for lunch. Don’t be late coming back ya?”

Celia finished her entree, wiped her hands clean with a napkin and stood up from the table. Putting a few bills down to cover it, she patted his shoulder knowingly before making her way out of the restaurant. The eyes of every patron were on her, and she knew it.

Meanwhile Derek just wanted to curl up and die. Getting love life advice from his boss was not on his bingo card for the day. Neither was being in the middle of a scene in a public space. Now that Celia had left the building, everyone's eyes were on him. Even if they weren’t actively looking at him, they were paying attention to him. He hated it, all the judging eyes, so curious about the drama of his life. All because theirs were so boring they had to supplement it.

He should never have said yes to going to lunch, and now his day was in the dumps. Not quite ruined but close to it. Gods if this evening with Gimble was anything close to this he’d leave halfway through. That would turn today from rough to hell on Earth. Trying to not draw much more attention to himself, Derek finished his meal as quickly as it was polite to do so. Leaving the establishment in shame, he looked up at the sign to remind himself where to not go. The sign flashed back at him Oorgones.

Great, one of the nicer casual places in the city. Started by a Gorgon a few years ago, apparently petrifying the animals allowed them to be transported as stone, and then de-petrified just moments before being processed and plated. Meaning their food was just about as fresh as it could get. Even if it meant all their cooks had to be lizardfolk. Nobody else would sign the waivers about a risk of petrification. At least that’s what he could remember about the place. Disappointed, Derek walked back to work.

Slumping into his chair after lunch, the rest of the day was a slog. Pushing his way through emailing people who still hadn’t sent in their data from last month, as well as continuing to find new ways to analyse said data. He threw in some graphs to help with visualization on a new five month moving average inventory analysis, tried to get it to format properly, and gave up with about thirty minutes left in the day. This time, he decided to relieve his own boredom by poking his head over the cubicle wall.

Within seconds of doing so, he knew why Gimble liked to do it so often. It was nice to look down on someone, especially if they were a little stressed. Like Gimble clearly was in this moment, his usually meticulously ordered desk was thrown into disarray.

“You okay down there bro?”

Asking curiously, Gimble’s eyes fell upon him like a volcano of rage. Then the older dwarf sighed and shook his head, raising a handful of papers at him and shaking his head.

“The goddamn throughput necessary for this deal, I don’t think we can hit it. Even with the new Lux enchanting stylus and efficiency shortcuts we’ve found in the last year or so. We’ll need to fold space to fit the extra runes necessary to hit the numbers for this deal. That’s gonna cut into our margins, and the higher ups aren’t gonna like it. So I’m coming to them with all the evidence this time.”

Derek nodded in sympathy. They both knew how bad it could get sometimes.

“Well, look forward to drinks in half an hour then. That should keep you going or are you fixing to turn in early tonight eh old man?”

Wiggling his eyebrows, Derek smiled as Gimble began to laugh and wave him away. Needing to get back to his work, Derek obliged him. Then he had nothing to do but sit there for thirty minutes, so he checked his phone for any updates to the app. His three profiles sat there blinking up at him. Almost asking to be inspected.

Harem Member 001: Isabella Vern

Race: Elf

Corruption: 20

Love: -67

Obedience: -34

Stress: 76

Perks: Daddy's Girl

Tasks: Full!

Harem Member 002: Xrn Klvzskch

Race: Mothgirl (Luna moth Variant)

Corruption: 5

Love: 17

Obedience: 2

Stress: 29

Perks: None

Tasks: None (New Tasks Available!)

Harem Member 003 Added: Elizibeta Andilet

Race: Ancient Vampire (Bloodreaver)

Corruption: 8

Love: -200

Obedience: 5

Stress: 78

Perks: None

Tasks: Full!

Each one of them almost begged for his attention. He was so close to a new event for Isabella, he couldn’t wait to see what he could squeeze out of her next time. That spanking had been such an unbelievable rush. He couldn’t wait to do it again, or worse with her. Elizibeta on the other hand, he didn’t really know what he was doing with her just yet. She was a powerful figure in the city, and if she could be made perfectly obedient to him then…all that power would be at his fingertips. It helped that she was drop dead gorgeous. Literally.

Seeing Xrn’s scores change again without controlling her schedule was just as intoxicating as it was the first time. Instead of just watching it go up due to preselected tasks, he was pushing it upwards himself. That more than anything told him that he was on the right track, and that Celia was mostly full of shit advice when it came to love at least.

The last half hour rolled past as Derek looked over his upgrade options once more, nothing new. He still had his eyes on the mana well, but the camouflage sounded like it could be very useful. Especially if he ever had to sneak into a place to add someone to the harem. Something else to place on his wish list. At least his harem would grow, and his upgrades along with them. That was a certainty.

“Oi, you there lad. Ready?”

Gimble stood right outside of Derek’s cubicle, work clothes on but the top two buttons of his shirt were unbuttoned. Showing off his curling red chest hair, and his broad chest. Derek laughed and stood up. Towering over the little dwarf, not that Gimble cared all that much. Walking alongside each other, the pair exited the office building and wove their way through the crowded streets of Paeth. Derek was pretty much just following his dwarven friend as he blazed their path. Clearly he already had a place in mind, and while it might be a little speciesist to say that a dwarf always knew the best spot for beer in a given city. It wasn’t always incorrect.

Their route led them through some of the seedier areas of Paeth, where an odd vampire or two literally crouched in the shadows so as to not burn to a husk. Clearly selling something, one of the vampires lifted his trench coat a bit when he looked at them. Showing all kinds of odd paraphernalia. From oddly painted knives to a literal voodoo doll with glowing purple stitching.

Turning away as quickly as possible, a sliver of fear injected itself into Derek’s heart. That kind of black magic, he didn’t want to be anywhere near it. Especially with his recent luck regarding all things vampiric. Picking up the pace, he walked in line with Gimble for a moment before the dwarf stopped. Turning the corner sharply and knocking on a massive wooden door. Derek didn’t even know where they were, or how in the gods' names he’d get home from here.

Swinging open, the massive wooden door revealed a hangar-like room that had a full old time replica ship built into the middle of it. A bar at floor level served everyone that was hanging out inside the bar, and everyone on the ship had inner bars on each level. For VIP’s and such, at least that’s what Derek assumed. Gimble looked up at him and slapped his legs, grinning and taking a deep breath of the air. The place felt free in a way most of Paeth did not. The bright lights shining all sorts of different colors onto the ground made for a massive dance floor. Atop the ship, a woman was tied to the mast, and just above her a DJ mixed the music for the whole space.

The analytical part of Derek could almost see the sound based runic enchantments carved into a few poles that dotted the inside of the massive bar. With a shake of his head, he dislodged that thought to walk over to the ship’s outer bar with Gimble. Snagging two beers each, they walked through the hangar area in large circles. Walking, talking, and drinking the night away as best they could.

“So what the fuck is going on with you and the Ice Queen? In her office one day, and lunch the other, don’t get me started on showing up late without a writeup. I mean either you have something on her, she has something on you, or the entire branch is about to get shut down.”

While sipping on a stout beer so dark it was nearly black, Gimble was the picture of relaxation. Except his questions were anything but. Derek couldn’t reveal why Celia was taking such an interest in him, but didn’t want to lie to his friend.

“It’s definitely not that. Nobody’s getting shut down.”

Derek placated and took a sip of his own beer. A spiced ale that left a hint of cinnamon on his tongue. Divine.

“We…have a kind of arrangement. Nothing that’s going to blow up in any odd ways, or end the branch. You have my word.”

Unbeknownst to the pair, a dark figure moved through the crowd like a lioness hunting a gazelle. Shadowing them, the cloaked figure jumped through the long shadows cast throughout the massive open space in the hangar-like building. As the crowd moved in currents around the ship, the figure slipped through tiny gaps. Always staying out of Derek and Gimble’s line of sight by a few feet. Lady Elizibeta Andilet was losing her mind internally.

Her thoughts racing, the vampiress did everything she could to watch and listen. Chasing after Derek like some star crossed lover, or jealous mistress. Yes she had drank his blood as part of the ritual, and while it was delicious. That was no reason to go after the poor boy like her son had. Except she wasn’t hungry, so there was no reason to be stalking this handsome young man. Despite not being able to come up with a reason why she was doing this, she continued. Grabbing a bit of cloth from his shirt that came slightly undone and fluttered onto the floor. Elizibeta watched as the rest of the evening unfolded.

“Yeah lad, I believe you. I trust you even. Got a good head on your shoulders. It's the other party I ain’t so sure about. You wouldn’t be the first young man I’ve seen her sink her teeth into, and you won’t be the last. Just be careful. I really don’t want to go learning another analyst's name at my age.”

The dwarf grinned, finishing his first beer and starting on the second just as Derek began to cough into his own. For the second time that day, he felt as though everyone was looking at him. Just for a moment that passed as quickly as it came, then he just started to laugh. Gimble was very sweet, but there was something he didn’t, or rather couldn’t know. The app, his ace in the hole. There wasn’t anything Celia could do once he had her under his control.

“Another analyst? Only when I’m promoted, then you’ll have to remember mine too, you old goat!”

Derek raised his glass to meet Gimbles toasting to absurdity, to good times, and to above all else the pleasure of a damn good drink. After three more rounds, following the currents of dancing across the floor of the bar, the pair decided it might be best to call it a night. There was no way they were getting on the boat. Elizibeta was thankful that Derek had chosen such a crowded space to spend the evening, watching him was oddly fulfilling.

“When I was your age, I was still working as a blacksmith. My family trade. Gave it up to come here from Dulvas Citadel. It wasn’t easy, but nothing really is. My family, gods protect them, are still there. Fighting the Green Tide. I send them money but, sometimes I feel as if I should go back and put my life on the line for my people.”

It was a miracle that Gimble wasn’t slurring his words, and that Derek could actually understand him at all given his worsening accent.

“I-Gimble let me be honest here. Why the fuck did you come here? My family was a bunch of nobodies, no family trade besides farming in a town of a thousand people on the outskirts of the Democratic Kingdoms. No threats really.”

The unspoken question hung in the air.

“Because I was afraid.”

Four words stopped Derek in his tracks. He’d be afraid too, in the same position. He honestly couldn’t say he wouldn’t have done the same exact thing that Gimble had. It was easy to lose track of just how violent the world could be outside of the borders of the Kingdoms. The ancient dwarven citadel had been under attack for nearly a hundred years with no signs of the conflict slowing.

“I don’t blame you.”

Derek said after a few moments of reflection.

“I left because I wanted to be something more than a minor government official, you wanted to live. There’s nothing wrong with that. We made our choices, now we live with them. I don’t think less of you, especially for being honest.”

Feeling a pat on his shoulder, Gimble looked up at his coworker and friend. A bit of tears in his eyes as he smacked Derek’s hand off him.

“I’m too drunk to even try to lie, lad. Don’t think this means we’re best friends, you hear me? Fuck lets try to get home ya?”

The dwarf took his own advice and started to stumble out of the bar, not waiting much for Derek to follow him. Yet he did follow, slamming into more than a few people shoulder first as he pushed his way through parts of the crowd that the gleeful dwarf simply weaved around. The pair of drunken fools ended up side by side just outside the bar laughing like mad.

Breaking apart with promises to get together sometime next week, the pair went their separate ways. Derek looked at his phone with bleary eyes trying to type in his address into a search bar. Gimble was already halfway down an alleyway and headed in the wrong direction. After a few minutes Derek managed to get the route to his apartment appearing on his screen.

Following the route that Derek was taking, Elizibeta continued to stalk Derek for a few minutes after leaving the bar before she realized that it wasn’t as fun watching him when he wasn’t really doing much. Fading back into the shadows with a thought, she wished Derek farewell. All while hoping that she didn’t get the urge to stalk him again.

Six minutes later, Derek stumbled onto the next cross street. Only two more turns until he reached the apartment building, perhaps his own bed, maybe even Xrn’s. He could get used to spending the night at her place. A bright light flashed across his vision, a big sign promising untold riches of food and drinks. A convenience store.

Walking inside Derek thought the place looked familiar. Slightly unfocused eyes fell upon the cashier, a startled looking elfin woman with blonde hair and a fantastic pair of tits. She looked familiar but he couldn’t quite place it.

“Is this going to be all for you today…sir?”

Respect, tacked on at the end was clearly a bit of an afterthought to this bitch. With no idea why, Derek decided to just go with the flow. His flow. Of how he thought this young woman could respect customers like him more. Glancing around the store to make sure nobody else was looking he shook his head.

“No, I want to see your tits before I go sweetheart.”

The elf blushed hard, clearly unaccustomed to such blatant displays of desire. Derek’s eyes nearly popped out of his head when the girl actually lifted her shirt up for a split second. He saw her massive tits held back by a clearly magically enhanced bra of some kind. Nearly foaming at the mouth, he held his card to the scanner and paid. When the card reader beeped, he grabbed his items. A bit of food, and some water for the morning. And rushed to leave, barely believing what he saw was real and not some kind of blackout drunken fever dream. Behind him all he heard was the elf calling out after him.

“Did you like what you saw? Daddy?”