BXBX NOVEL Chapter 322 321: Check In
That night my dreams were laced with the sweet scent of my Demoness, the haughty laughter of a proud Jackalkin, and the warm caresses of a regal Vampire.
Each familiar sensation made my heart pound in my chest, and I found myself muttering their names as I tried to keep them nearby, deluding myself with the possibility that they would be there when I woke up, waiting for me.
Smiles on their faces, the sun warmly kissing their skin as they stared at me lovingly, all of us cuddling under a blanket together, trapping us with each other as we nuzzled closer, heating each other up.
When I woke up the next morning, none of that was true.
My body was cold, the furs that were laying over my body drenched with sweat, while my hair was plated and stuck to my face.
Panting, my heart constricted tighter with each beat, and I felt my head begin to spin as I sat up, the cold light of morning streaming in through the windows.
Each breath was shaky, only fueling the panic that gripped my mind in its sharp talons.
My thoughts were astray, and I reached up and clutched my head, holding back a cry as a sharp pain flared, making me question whether or not my skull did indeed just split.
Tears appeared in my eyes, and I swore I could hear the deranged laughter of Jillian and Ayla just outside, waiting for me to find my way into their clutches.
However, I knew that they weren\'t near.
I had escaped from their spells and tricks, escaped from the certain hell that they promised me.
I was safe.
Alone, afraid... but safe.
The Arese were sheltering me...
Eyoli was a large, cheerful woman, while her closest friend Valaka was a collected huntress...
Oya and her sisters were warm and welcoming, thankful to me for giving them and the two warriors the nudge to take a step forwards together.
I reviewed each fact that I possibly could, trying to ground myself in reality, to calm down my jittery, anxious mind.
Just at the edge of my hearing was a whisper, and I felt my heart ease a little at the words.
\'C\'mon Kat, I thought I was the \'idiotic\' one~? What\'s got you going through a loop, huh?\'
Smiling wryly, I cradled my head in my hands, wiping away my tears as I chuckled softly, muttering "You are, you bumbling blue dolt..."
Sniffling, I blinked away the rest of my tears as I looked up, towards the window beside me.
Beautiful white flakes drifted slowly to the ground, thick gray clouds sprinkling them down onto Scythiara .
Taking a few deep breaths, I got up and washed myself quickly, donning my original armor and clothes and strapping on my weapons.
Rolling everything else up, I packed away the various miscellaneous items that Eyoli and Valaka had given to me on that first night; a bedroll, some blankets, and a knapsack, which I stored everything in.
Placing the pack beside the door, I began to look through the cabinets and cupboards for ingredients to cook with, needing something to take my mind off my earlier panic attack.
[Acknowledging it is the first step to overcoming it.]
\'I know, hence why I acknowledged it... you do know that I knew that, correct? You\'re linked to me, after all.\'
[... Somethings just need to be said?]
Sighing softly, I focused on the various vegetables in front of me, chopping them thin before sliding them into the pot.
Filling it with water, I turned and chopped some herbs as finely as I could, before squeezing out some juice from a lemon like fruit.
Next, I worked on preparing the thin strips of venison, making three for the normal people - Oya, her sisters and I - and six for Eyoli and Valaka.
[Ahem... anyways, about that tattoo... it\'s interesting, isn\'t it? If you were curious, it technically raised your Constitution stat by a good chunk, meaning it does work like that Priestess said it would, but...]
\'Yes, it works as something else as well; maybe it is buffing my nervous system itself alongside my flesh? Or it could literally just be my nervous system... That would require in depth testing with a blade to figure out...\'
[Testing with a blade? You\'re not thinking of-!]
\'Cutting myself? Technically yes, but not because I wish to die or crave the pain. It is simply a test, that\'s all.\'
[...]
\'Really, I do wish to remain alive; I don\'t think I would have been panicking about them if I wanted to leave them behind... As for the pain, I might have masochistic tendencies, but I am not so far gone that pain on its own is pleasure; I separate the two.\'
The system remained silent, leaving me to my cooking.
It didn\'t take long for the smell of food cooking on the fire to wake everyone in the house up, each stumbling out in various states of undress.
Taking a sharp breath, I returned my attention to the pot as I stirred around the vegetable stew, muttering a greeting to Oya as she joined me.
Everyone else began to get dressed, with Eyoli and Valaka packing what they needed, though that was very little...
Setting the table, Oya poured out some tea while I placed the plates down, before I sat back on the clean counter and began to eat.
\'Thanks for checking in on me though, system. You\'d been silent for awhile now, so...\'
[No problem. Remember, I AM linked to you, so... yeah. Anyways, I just... like you, I\'ve been thinking things over. Mainly reminiscing; things are so different from what they used to be, Kat. So much has changed, but... parts of you remain the exact same, even now.]
Holding in a chuckle, I bit into the juicy strip of venison as I replied \'I\'ll take that as a compliment. And yeah, things are different... I have a system dedicated to serving a Mistress that is no longer by my side, and I find myself in completely unfamiliar territory... But, seems that I still crave the possessive love of my partners, no matter what world or life I am in.\'
Finishing the meal, I placed the plates and cutlery into the basin and gathered up my stuff, hugging Oya, Poepa, and Quarta goodbye as I joined Eyoli and Valaka outside alongside the other Arese, all of us preparing to depart for the journey Northwards, to Polaris City.
There, I would begin my search anew for a way home, and maybe learn something during my journey.