The party didn't take long to collect the needed items and our equipment. It was however a very weird feeling to have to lay down on a pile of blankets. Then have those blankets folded around you then feel cords be tied around several spots including the neck.

"Don't worry Nicole, I have you and you are safe. Try not to move or breathe too much." I heard Turnip whisper to me, after I had been lifted into the air.

I closed my eyes and tried to stay limp, it was very awkward with the Inn so quiet. Based on the tension I could feel, I got the sense that maybe the Seekers went too far in their actions today day. Then again executions in a locked private room I had no doubt was not the norm as well.

"Everyone is shocked by such a blatant and undignified execution. Some did see you go with the Seeker willingly." Turnip whispered so quietly I almost could not hear her.

I wanted to say something to reach out to the outside world right now but I was supposed to be dead.

There was maybe 20 minutes of walking on a stone or gravel path before I heard of crunching of leaves and twigs.

"Alright we've left the path we should be able to get you out soon." Turnip said in a whisper.

"We are going to need to bury something." I whispered back.

"We are working on that, we still have a few followers about 60 feet behind us." She whispered back.

Eventually Orlo had to confront the few followers and tell them that this was a private affair.

"Fuck them… they definitely looked like they where trying to follow us so they could dig up your grave later." Turnip said with heat in her voice.

Our group continued to walk for several more minutes.

"Alright let's dig Nicole a grave." Lluvia said, clearly enjoying the outlet the dark humor was created due to the situation.

"Someone please untie me and let me out. I feel like I'm going to throw up and I need to keep coughing." I said in a no doubt weak and muffled voice.

I was quickly released from my cloth prison then I vomited and continued to cough up half congealed blood for the next few minutes.

"Dying fucking sucks…. I think coming back is worse though." I said a little bit more collected from earlier.

"Are you actually doing ok?" Root asked

"No not really… I've never been in a situation where my life was outside of my own control so completely… I thought I could handle my own mortality but that is clearly a lie I keep telling myself…" I said.

"I feel that's a lie most people tell themselves…" Orlo said.

I was sitting off to the side next to a small fire trying my best to recover from my ordeal.

"Well what should I do now? Anyone have any thoughts?" I asked.

"You keep traveling with us, you are family." Orlo said.

"Oh fuck no I don't want to willing leave this group… but this group only has 5 people in it now." I said.

"Yes… we need to be careful about that… we are likely traveling just behind the seekers and could bump into them or someone who knows of their most recent story." Iser said.

"I might have to spend some time alone at least when you are in town." I said.

"That… you're paranoid but after seeing the games the Seekers are playing maybe that's a good thing." Root said.

"Then we travel till we get back to more civilized and populated cities and someone runs into an old friend." Orlo said.

"I was going to recommend something similar." Lluvia said.

"That could work, and it would give us time to come up with a consistent backstory." Root said

"You going to be ok with that Nicole?" Root asked.

"Sure I think… I mean I could be anyone or anything now… that could actually be a lot of fun." I said with a hint of amusement.

The distraction of coming up with a new identity was nice. I also chipped in helping dig my own grave… that was a very morbid experience but the physical activity helps keep me focused.

"Alright we have your old Armor some old tattered clothes set aside and a dagger for your grave. What else?" Root asked.

"Well it needs a body… so we fill up the wrapping with stones in a rough approximation?" I asked.

"Makes sense… we need to put something that is easy to get to so they don't examine the wrapping." Orlo added.

We eventually placed a few minor valuable bobbles collected from everyone.

"Let's just hope no one finds this at all…" Root said.

Then we filled in the grave.

Congratulations! Through repeated actions your Bait and Switch skill has improved and is now eligible for rank up!

Rank E is a free Rank.

Bait and Switch

Rank - F 100%

You can now construct more convincing distractions on the fly.

Rank E is a free Rank.

Bing Bong! Congratulations, your MacTinker class has reached level 10!

Health + 5

Stamina +5

Mana +10

Resilience +10

Flexibility +5

Magic +10

You have gained: One Class Point

You are now eligible for Class Evolution!

You have gained: Five General Skill Points

"You have got to be shitting me …" I said laughing.

"Well Dirt has one hell of a sense of humor… Bait and Switch just ranked up… oh also I am now level 10." I said, continuing to laugh.

"Fuck and we can't even celebrate until we get back to town… fuck we can't even celebrate then…" Root said.

"Fuck it I'm going back to town and getting some bottles of something. We can drink to the death of the identity of Nicole tonight as well." Lluvia said.

Some hours later we were all in our own little camp drinking and sharing stories.

"Oh I have an idea, who wants to see something crazy. Give me one second." I said drunkenly. I then transformed my body to that of a clothed version of what I presented to Iser the evening before.

"Wow… that looked absolutely insane to see you transform like that… I think I need to throw up after that " Lluvia said.

"The way her jaw changed… I do not like!" Turnip nearly screamed.

"It doesn't hurt… it does feel very weird however." I said as I explored my mouth and teeth with my new tongue.

"Do things seem different when you do that?" Orlo asked.

"My sense of smell changes, there is a particularly alluring scent to Iser now." I said hungerly looking at my current partner.

He noticed my change in behavior and went wide eyed.

Then I shook my head.

"Having a tail is fun as well." I said while spinning around.

"Oh no… I believe the changes are deeper than that." He said in a panic.

That got my attention back on him.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

I wanted him, his smell was intoxicating. I could tell my prey was about to run. He could try and would fail.

"Umm Nicole? You doing ok?" Root asked.

My breathing was already much quicker trying to pull in as much of my prey's scent as I could. I then let out a soft hum.

"Yes…. I am well." I said, then I pounced at my prey.

My prey dived back in an effort to avoid my pounce and I overshot him.

"I fuck someone help me grab her." Root said, and before I knew it I felt strong arms around my arms and waist.

"Holy shit she's squirmy right now, do whatever it is quickly." Turnip said.

Root placed his hand on my chest and a second later I felt clarity hit me.

"What the fuck was that!?" I asked in a wide-eyed panic.

"That was you messing around with an ability that can alter your mind… while drunk." Root said.

"That… holy shit… I didn't hurt anyone did I?" I asked in a panic as I flipped through my drunken memories.

"I think you startled Iser." Turnip said.

"That… was very unexpected. I did not anticipate that level of mental change." Iser said.

"Wait, was that what it felt like to you?" I asked him.

"I think so, yes. Kobolts are very much scent driven, our arousal can be augmented by a partner's scent." He said.

"It was more than just that, well I don't want to say that I felt now." I said, my voice very clearly embarrassed even if I was unable to blush.

"Ohhh honey now you have to tell." A drunk Lluvia said.

"I hate to admit it but I'm a little curious now as well… I know Buns can be dramatic…" Turnip behind me said.

I reverted myself back to my original state.

I then sat down in Iser's lap and he folded his arms around my waist.

"I wanted him to breed me… I wanted him to make me his…" I said embarrassed.

"You are sitting in my lap and talking like I am not even here." He said.

"Sush the girls are talking." I told him and kissed him on the nose.

"That just sounds like being horny and wanting a child… honestly completely normal for some women." Turnip said.

"... and the complete and utter loss of reasoning and wanting to consume him?" I asked.

"Ok that last bit…" Turnip said.

"Ok.. hunger… maybe not the best word but it's the closest to what I could describe…" I said.

"That would be the specific drive I spoke of." Iser said to me.

"You were not joking, it completely removed all reason… I just wanted you…" I said.

"Oh great, does anyone know what they're saying?" Lluvia asked.

"Nope…" Turnip said.

"Wait… did we?" I asked.

"Yes…" was chorused at us.

"That feeling is most easily described in our native language." He said.

"Hey wait… I just realized now after all of that I'm not drunk anymore… What did you do to me?" I asked Root.

"That was actually mostly you…" he said a bit hesitantly.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I…. Used that newer skill I told you about to filter your blood." He said.

"Wait that one that allo…" I started to say.

"Yes" he said very very quickly.

"Root… what aren't you telling us?" Turnip asked.

"Fuck… well it was bound to come up eventually… back when Nicole blew herself up I had to rank up my first aid skill to save her. I also had to sort of force her body to fix itself but triggering her shaping skill…" he said very hesitantly.

"Okay? So then what happened…" Turnip asked.

"Well it stabilized her and after a little bit of work with it I got the Internal Guidance skill…" he said.

"Wait… I thought you told me only specific healers could get it?" She said.

"That's what I thought but it's a general skill for me…" he said a bit nervously.

"Wait there is more to that isn't there." I said.

"... yes… it’s a bit misunderstood in what it can do exactly but just by touching I can control another person's abilities fully. In the healing community it is restricted and normally bound by enchantments so that it can only be used in specific locations." He said.

"Oh fuck so you accidentally getting it… well I can only imagine how complicated that might get." I said.

"In the past it has been used to remove an individual's free will to carry out actions." He said.

"Fuck… so it's basically taboo." I said.

"And punishable by a lifetime imprisonment if you are found to abuse it." He said.

"Alright so backing up, you said you used it to tell my body to repair itself?" I asked.

"Yes, but all I really did was turn it on and let the ability guide itself." He said.

"Wait, how does an ability guide itself?" I asked.

"Your mind and body initially know what you are, well in this case I just sort of pushed mana into you and let that innate control guide the 'repair' for lack of a better description." He said.

"Umm hmm… and this is always sort of there right?" I asked more to the group as a whole.

"As it is understood, yes." Iser said behind me.

"Umm I know you sort of gave me an indication I was injured very badly but how bad was bad." I asked.

"You had a rather large wound in your abdomen that we had no way of healing." Turnip said with some tears in her eyes.

"Fuck… ok that's bad… and you let my ability guide the repairs?" I asked.

"Yes" he said.

"Hmm…" I said

"You feeling ok?" Lluvia asked me.

"Yeah I think so… in fact I suspect I should start feeling even better as time goes on." I said.

Then I wiggled myself deeper into Iser's embrace and pressed a kiss on the side of his jaw. That caused him to nuzzle my neck in a very pleasant manner.

"Oh no they are going to go at it again." Said a drink and giggling Lluvia.

"There is something I would like to try but have never had the courage to ask…" Iser said in his own language.

"Oh and what's that?" I asked.

"I would like to taste… down there." He told me.

"Oh ok, I'm all for it but I'm a bit curious as to why?" I asked.

"As you have recently discovered, intimacy for Kobolt's while enjoyable is very similar each time… I would like to try something new and you to try something new on me…. If you are willing" he told me.

"That would certainly be fun." I said

I looked around at the rest of the group… They were not idiots; they knew what we wanted to do.

"Grab onto my waist and hold on for just a moment. I whispered to him.

I then reached out a mana tendril and found a nice thick stick that would make plenty of noise when it broke. Mixing I think 3 different skills together by this point together I set the stick on a timer to break.

CRACK!

As soon as everyone turned their head to see what made the noise I pulled myself and Iser into our tent.

I heard a soft gasp of shock from outside then quiet chuckling.

"That bitch… Did she just misdirect us?" I heard Lluvia giggle.

"Yup…" I heard Turnip say.

I had pressed a finger to Iser's mouth to keep him from speaking for a moment.

"Can you create a barrier to block or dampen sound when leaving the tent?" I asked quietly.

He nodded, then closed his eyes for a moment to concentrate.

"It won't block all sound but a scream would sound like a soft whisper." He said in a whisper.

"Then why whisper at all?" I whispered back.

"We are in a party with Buns…" he said to me with amusement.

"So how do we begin?" He asked.

"Well first you have to get me worked up, kissing, nuzzling, and petting different parts of my body." I said.

"You smell like you are already… well ready…" he said in some confusion

"Explore my body, explore me, learn what tickles or gives pleasure or might just feel good when stressed." I said in a reassuring voice.

"So nuzzling your neck." He said and leaned over me pressing and moving his snout up and down my neck. The texture was obviously different but it still felt very nice.

"Then some kissing." He whispered then I felt his tongue dart out and tickled my neck. It wasn't the same as being kissed with lips but being licked had some merit as well.

"Then petting." He said and I felt is claws gently glide down the side of my neck.

"Have you just been toying with me?" I said and my breathing changed.

"A little, I am not completely ignorant of what human females want. I do enjoy learning of what works best for you." He said and nuzzled between my breasts.

I kneaded my breasts pressing them to his face. I was actually glad the dress I had borrowed from Lluvia was a wrap style. It gave easy access down to my stomach and lower. His snout reached my panties and she started to slowly drag them down his chin.

"Oh… That…. Yes…" I said in response, then I felt his claws glide down my sides where he eventually hooked them under and started to lower them. His warm snout pressed between my legs in-between my thighs.

"How… how many times have you… done this before." I asked while trying to keep my thoughts coherent.

"Only one other, you however are much easier to understand and react to." He said, then continued to nuzzle my lower region.

After doing that for who knows how long he changed to gentle licking. That really changed things given how flexible his tongue was.

I was already pretty close when he started to work his tongue around my lower bits. I responded to his urgings by gripping his head with my thighs. He didn't have any hair so I had to make due with my nails in his scalp which I think he enjoyed.

We eventually finished and he slowly crawled his way up my body. Having his warm scaly body press up against my back was very pleasant.

"That… was… amazing." I said cuddling into his embrace.

"And you were delicious." He whispered, hot breath brushing my neck.

"You next" I whispered to him.

"Tomorrow, I just wanted to help you relax tonight." He whispered back.

"Sleep?" I asked tiredly.

"Sleep." He agreed.

"One more thing… Do you prefer me with scales?" I ask.

"I prefer you for you." He said.

That just made me press into him even more. Then just for added fun I changed my skin to scales and added a tail but left everything else alone.

I felt a concept hum particularly when I not so subtly managed to fumble my tail around his leg.

The connection I felt with Iser was different from what I had felt with Lluvia. Things in that relationship had been focused far more on just the physical aspects. With Iser things just felt more complete and well rounded.

I died earlier that day, I didn't have very much to my name but what I could carry and yet I felt happy and safe.