Introducing The Girls

“Whoa...!” Beryl breaths out in awe as the greenery of the grotto comes into view. “This place...!”

The two of them had spent most of the walk back in silence, which didn’t remain uncomfortable very long. Beryl is brimming with curiosity and wants to know everything about Krvavy, but she won’t ask questions if she doesn’t have permission to do so. But she was still willing to engage in idle small talk to pass the time.

“Is this yer home?! It’s beautiful!” The wood elf exclaims in wonder.

“The ‘house’ is way up there, see?” Krvavy gestures across the expansive cave with her axe. “But this whole place is mine, yes.”

“Ah-maze-ing!” The heavily accented wood elf’s voice calls out. “Ah ‘aven’t seen anythin’ this beautiful since leaving home! Oh, Ah am so happy you brought me ta this place, my dearest and lovely wy’ahld dragon~!”

“There... is something I should probably tell you.” Krvavy hesitantly starts, catching her overly caring elf’s attention. “I don’t exactly live alone. I have two other women.”

“When ya say that ya have two other women, do ya mean...?”

“Yes.” Krvavy answers before Beryl can finish asking. “I have a relationship of sorts with both of them. That isn’t a problem for you, is it?”

“Ach, o’ course not! Ah’d love ta be able ta ‘ave ya ta myself,” the wood elf admits, “but Ah am so incredibly happy that ya have two other sources o’ love in ya life! How blessed ya are!”

Krvavy grimaces at that. “Well... I wouldn’t really say that they love me...”

“They’d be fools not ta! Ya’re perfect!” Beryl confidently declares.

Sighing out and shaking her head, Krvavy explains the situation to her elf. She skips out on a few details and keeps the sex stuff a little bit vague, but Krvavy makes sure to emphasize that she **** the Orc into a catatonic mindless state and is holding Thea captive against her will.

“Ach, that doesn’t sound so bad.” Beryl dismisses. “Ya’re just being hard on yerself.”

“I don’t know what I expected...” Krvavy grumbles out as her elf continues to find no fault in her.

“Ya are being dramatic again.” The tomboy wood elf comments. “Ya aren’t ta blame fer what ya did to tha’ Orc. Ya were just defending yerself and then yer instincts reared their heads. It happens. The fact tha’ ya are caring fer ‘er and keeping ‘er safe after tha’ is real sweet o’ ya. As fer yer human... ya didn’t go out o’ yer way ta abduct her, and ya even rescued her! This is a great place ta live, far better than whatever stinking city she hails from!”

Krvavy shakes her head at that. “Now that we are almost home, I need you to promise me something. Don’t talk about that collar. I want to be able to forget that it is the reason why you are the way that you are. I’ll take it off of you and then that is it: you never mention it in any way ever again, unless you have a very good reason to. I don’t want Thea, or anyone else, to learn about it.”

“Aye, Ah can do that. No problem.” Beryl promises. “But if Ah am to live here wit’ ya and yer other women, then how do we explain tha’ ta them? Ah take it tha’ ya don’t want me ta call myself a **** or anythin’ like that.”

“I...” Krvavy hadn’t thought about that. Thea will be incredibly suspicious of her bringing an elf home, especially with how willing Beryl is to do anything Krvavy asks of her.

“How about Ah just keep it as close ta the truth as possible?” The wood elf suggests. “Ya know, say tha’ ya rescued me from a horrible man and that Ah fell in love at first sight o’ yer beautiful form? Ah’m sure yer human’ll fall fer that. They already think o’ us Elves as pure sappy romantics, just like right out o’ the old stories tha’ are told ta kids.”

Honestly, Beryl has a point. Thea would probably believe that. The girl is kind of a racist, after all. “Fine.” Krvavy sighs out. She can’t think of a better excuse anyway.

Beryl smiles widely at that. “Love, oh Krvavy, my love. Do ya mind me calling you that, love?”

Krvavy narrows her eyes and glares down at her happy elf.

“Oh love, don’t ya look at me like that~! Ya wanted me ta play the part o’ the besotted Elf maiden, didn’t ya~?” Beryl teases. “Ah’m perfect fer the role, aren’t Ah~? It all comes naturally to me, and Ah don’t even need ta act~!”

Krvavy sighs out. No wonder Beryl was so eager to suggest that. But... Krvavy doesn’t mind having the elf as, well, a girlfriend. So if that is what Beryl wants...

“Oh! Look at tha’! Ya didn’t tell me tha’ ya had a hot spring! Oh, how ah-maze-ing~! This paradise o' yers just gets better and better!” The wood elf enthusiastically exclaims.

Beryl just looks around in awe as they walk through the hot springs. Krvavy makes sure to keep the elf to her left so that Beryl is mostly hidden behind her when they near the living area and campfire. She doesn’t want Thea catching even a glimpse of that collar. She should have taken it off Beryl right when they entered the cave...

Approaching the campfire, Krvavy sees Thea lying back in the bedding, clearly bored out of her mind.

“Keep going along up the path. I’ll join you in a bit.” She quietly tells Beryl.

The elf nods at that and does as Krvavy asks. As soon as the elf has her back to Thea, with the bedroll and backpack blocking her head and neck, Krvavy puts the deer down beside the campfire.

Thea’s eyes lazily open at the sound, yawning as she slowly sits up, keeping the blankets wrapped around her body. The noble girl rubs her eyes tiredly and doesn’t seem to notice Beryl at all, instead focusing on the deer. “Oh. You actually caught something worth eating?”

“I did more than that.” Krvavy comments dryly. Though despite her tone she is rather happy that Thea is talking again, and even seems to be back to her normal mood. “I have to get some stuff from the stash, so have fun waking up from your little nap.”

“You! Do not mock me!” Thea calls out indignantly as Krvavy heads off further up the path towards Beryl.

The wood elf is standing in the midst of all the loot, with her bag resting on the ground in front of her. The platform is feeling a little cluttered now, even though it is fairly organized.

“Okay, time to get that thing off you.” Krvavy states, carefully pulling the key from her pouch.

Wordlessly, Beryl turns around and tilts her head forwards, giving Krvavy easy access to the smooth metal.

The collar is rather odd, as really does seem to be just a single piece of metal. There is no hinge or anything to suggest that it has ever been anything other than a perfect loop. An embossed pattern dances all around the collar, uniform and unremarkable without a single break in it. Directly in the center at the back, right over Beryl’s spine, is a keyhole standing out from pattern.

Krvavy is a little bit worried about this. Hopefully this is actually the right key. She doesn’t want Beryl to have to live with that thing around her neck.

Inserting the key, Krvavy sighs out in relief when it turns and causes a soft click. The metal of the collar bends, splitting into a rough U shape, open at the front.

Krvavy cautiously lifts the collar off of Beryl’s neck. “Do you feel alright?”

Rubbing her neck, Beryl turns around and smiles widely. “Ah ‘ave never felt better! Thank ya!”

“I’ll find a safe place to store it.” Krvavy states. “Why don’t you head back to the campfire and introduce yourself to my girls? You can unpack your stuff later.”

“Ah can do that.” Beryl replies, immediately heading back down the path.

Krvavy idly empties out her pocket, placing down the rest of the trinkets she looted from the sketchy man’s corpse. As soon as the wood elf is out of her sight Krvavy turns and heads through the stone wall into her respawn point cave.

Just leaving this collar on the ground doesn’t feel right. Maybe she is being paranoid, but Krvavy wouldd rather have an even safer spot to store it. Krvavy is almost full up on Mana, so hopefully she can use Sculpt Stone to make a little alcove in the wall for it.

Choosing a spot far away from everything else, up close to the ceiling, Krvavy casts her spell. Luckily for her it does work in here, and in just a matter of seconds she has a nice almost unnoticeable hidden alcove for it. Placing it away, Krvavy decides to Inspect the collar before she leaves it there. She probably should have inspected it earlier, but she got a bit caught up in everything that happened.

Collar of Consuming Love: This deceivingly simplistic metal collar has potent and ancient magics brimming beneath its surface. Permanently alters the mind of those who wear it, causing them to hopelessly fall in love with the first person they lay eyes upon. This love is unshakable and unyielding, consuming their very being and making them willing to do anything for the one they love, even if it is to their detriment.

Nothing particularly unexpected there, though it is a bit longer than the usual Inspect. Is that because Krvavy already had most of that explained to her? Could be something to test out another time, as she should go and see how her girls are getting along.

Turning to head back out, Krvavy stops mid-step. She just remembered that she levelled up earlier and hasn’t allocated the points yet. While she is kind of curious how the automatic allocation works, she would rather put them in herself. It would be annoying if it put them into some stats that are useless for her.

And so, with just a little bit of thought, she puts three into Dexterity to get it to 25 and then decides to put two into Perception. No real reason for Perception specifically, she just wants to start raising her mental attributes and it seems like it will be the most immediately useful with how much she hunts.

Dexterous Defender I: Increases Dexterity by 5%, strengthens the effect it has on Stamina Regeneration, & it now affects Total Stamina. Associated attribute = Dexterity.

Not a bad new trait by any means, but Krvavy doesn’t really need more stamina. It would have been nice if it added to her health instead, but beggars can’t be choosers.

With that done Krvavy quickly exits back out and makes her way down the path back towards the living area.

“Knife-eared wench! You are not listening to me! Agh!” Thea’s voice calls out in exasperation. “I am being held captive! I do not want to be here!”

“Ach, Ah heard ya. And Ah stick to what Ah said. This place is a paradise, full o’ beauty.” Beryl calmly responds.

“YOU!” Thea furiously shouts out, pointing her finger at Krvavy as soon as she sees the barbarian. “What sort of madwoman have you brought here?! Why is this elf refusing to rescue me?! Who even is she?!”

“Beryl Woodswalker, pleasure ta make yer acquaintance.” The wood elf politely curtsies.

“I DO NOT CARE!” Thea screams out, shaking furiously in her blankets. “AAGH!”

“Dearest love, ya didn’t tell me yer human was so disrespectful!” Beryl comments, acting a bit scandalized as she brings a hand up to her chest.

“WHAT?! ‘Dearest love’?! Are you insane?! What could you possibly love about that irredeemable savage?!” The bratty noble spews out. “She is a filthborne beast! ****! Vile animal!”

Beryl’s eyes narrow, glaring at the impudent brat as she sidles up to Krvavy, pressing herself against the barbarian’s side. “Show some respect, she is ah-maze-ing! This mighty and magnificent woman, who ya call a savage, saved me from a fate worse than **** earlier today! She valiantly defeated a dastardly villain wit’ a single strike, cleaving ‘is head in twain! Oh, Ah only had ta lay eyes on my wonderful dragon ta fall fer ‘er~!”

“THAT BEAST BITCH IS A VILLAIN!” Thea screams out, absolutely furious. “Are you elves not supposed to have standards?! Or are you one of those tree hugging, animal ‘loving’ ones?! How could you ever fall in love with a monster like that thing?!”

“Shut yer mouth, child.” Beryl coldly says with such intensity that Thea flinches. “This most wonderful woman is no monster! She is greater than any o’ ya filthy upstart insects tha’ call yerselves Humans! She has the blood o’ dragons flowin’ through her veins! She is a **** o’ nature, not a blight upon the world like yer kind!”

“Tree hugging crone! Arrogant has-been!” The bratty noble spits out. “You Elves live for centuries, yet accomplish nothing with your lives! A single Human does more in a year than you lazy layabouts do in a lifetime!”

“Ah’m no crone. Ah’m only one hundred and sixty-seven summers.” Beryl says, more to Krvavy than anyone else. “Give or take a few. Ya lose track after a century or so. And in tha’ time Ah’ve seen all the world has ta offer, good and bad. Ah’ve met people Ah wish Ah ‘ad never met. Ah’ve lost people Ah wish Ah ‘ad never lost. So what ‘ave ya done this past year?”

Thea sputters out indignantly before finding her words. “I have been kidnapped and held captive against my will! I was supposed to marry a Duke to prevent a war!”

“Ahhh... So nothing.” The tanned elf blankly states. “Ya’ve done nothing. Like all yer kind. Ya Humans toil away in mud and filth, wastin’ yer lives and doing yer hardest ta make sure that no other Human can rise out o’ that filth.”

“Lowborn dew drinker! Peasant! Pauper!”

“What a silly little girl ya are. Pauper. Those that poor... they didn’t exist before yer kind.” Beryl sagely states. “Elves in our lands are never without home or food. Even Orcs, cruel as they are, are much the same. From what Ah know, so too are the drake-blooded peoples o’ this ah-maze-ing woman ‘ere.”

“You arrogant floozy! Do you even know what that filthborne beast really is?! She’s no wo–”

“Enough! Ah’ll hear no more insults towards my love! Ya should show her gratitude fer saving ya from a life o’ doing nothin’! Fer bringing ya ta this paradise!” Beryl scolds the bratty noble.

“WHAT?! GRATITUDE!?” Thea incredulously calls out. “You really are insane! Moss-brained crone! Beast lovi–!”

“Alright, that’s enough.” Krvavy interjects. It was fun watching these two interact, but it’s starting to drag on now. “Beryl, this here is my Orc. Isn’t she sweet?”

“Aye, she is much **** than yer other girl~!” Beryl laughs out, as Thea fumes in rage off to the side. “And Ah must say, she is rather fetching fer an Orc. Ah’ve never seen one o’ ‘er kind look so peaceful. Does she ‘ave a name?”

Krvavy shrugs at that. “I’d assume so. I never got it out of her though.”

“Ach, so ya just call her Orc? That’s no good, my dearest love. Ya ‘ave got to name ‘er!” Beryl insists. Seeing Krvavy’s thoughtful expression, she then suggests a name. “How about Khalia? The Khal part sounds pretty Orcish ta me, but the rest o’ the name is like Dahlia, the flower.”

“Khalia... Kh-ahl-ee-ah...” Krvavy ponders. The name does sound rather nice... “Alright, she can be Khalia.” At least until she wakes up.

Beryl nods proudly at that, before biting he bottom lip. “Now that we’re home, how about Ah show ya some more o’ myself~? Like Ah promised earlier~?” Her hands trail along her wooden armour, pawing at the knots and straps holding it all together.

Arousal immediately shoots through Krvavy’s body, as she hasn’t gotten off all day. But there is one more thing that she has to do before that.

“Just... give me a minute first. See this ledge here? I’ve been trying to close it off a bit to make it safer, and so it this feels more like a home.” Krvavy explains as she begins using Sculpt Stone to extend the rudimentary railing. “It’s just taking a while, as this uses a lot of Mana.”

“Oh~!” The wood elf almost moans out. “My dearest love, ya keep surprisin’ me~! Earth magic! Oh, how grand~! Ya are so talented~!”

Having finished her quick work, draining her Mana completely, Krvavy turns back to her elf who is cooing lovingly. Thea is off to the side, rolling her eyes in annoyance and just generally pouting. She always looks so cute when she pouts.

“There.” Krvavy shakes her head. It is time to focus on her elf. “How about we take this down to the hot springs? It’ll be much more relaxing.” And it’ll give Thea some space. No need to harass her so much.

Beryl’s eyes light up and her face flushes in anticipation. “Oh, how wonderful~! Ah’d love ta~!”

Happily grabbing onto Krvavy’s hand, Beryl follows her down the path, away from the bratty noble.