Galen Vesa

“Yes! Yes! Oh, yes!”

“Would you stop that already?”

“Ahhh! “

Cora screamed, moaned, huffed, and puffed, all while sitting in a chair and thumping her foot against the floor and painting her nails.

“Just stop it.”

“Where is fun in that, useless master?”

Ignoring me, she reached the peak of her vocal performance and concluded her recital by an overexaggerated, lengthy moan. Some other people might too reach a peek quite soon if the cat calls and loud applause coming from outside the window were to be an indicator.

“Fun?”

I had to turn and stare at her. Was that my dryad sitting there, painting her nails?

“A dryad’s body is nothing more but a wooden doll. I had never had a chance to be this close with the one I love.”

She sighed feeling the weight of my stare.

“Now this meaty bag of bones leaks whenever I think of him. It yearns for what he can no longer give me. It aches in ways I do not understand... To be so cold, I envy you my useless master.”

Tears glittered in her eyes.

“There’s nothing to envy. The magic and charms are nice and all but at the end of the day, you see how people look at me. You have more of a chance at normal life than I do. I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s how it would turn out.”

Something odd radiated from within her core. The feeling was brief but I’m sure of what I felt. A kind of understanding. An acknowledgment of one monster to another.

“You know twiggy, if you promise me to forfeit killing sprees, I can take you somewhere you want, somewhere where your core would be safe. We could find you a nice ancient tree or something.”

“Words unbefitting my useless master. Keep offering me my freedom, master, and I may think you care.”

Her eyes took on an odd shine, perhaps I should change the subject.

“Say, weren’t you supposed to keep an eye on our guests?”

“I am.”

“And you're doing it how?”

“Like this.”

The answer came not from Cora, at least not the one painting her nails but from someone standing right behind my back. I turned to investigate and right behind me, she stood there.

“Cora?”

“Yes master?”

Both answered in unity.

“Am I hallucinating?”

“No, master.”

A third one appeared.

“This one is a fifth. I have one body guarding the elves. One roaming near the city.”

“One here.”

The nail polish wielding one raised her hand.

“And here.”

Cora number four and five chimed in, hugging me from both sides. As much as impressive her pillow attack was, I freed my arms from their pillow prisons.

“Since when can you do that? How?”

The one sitting by the door leaned back in her chair, forming a thought while the other two became preoccupied with each other.

“I believe I could do that ever since your core reformed, master, although only recently I learned how. When the spirit consumed all your mana, for a moment I lost contact with this body. I thought it dispersed and I resummoned one only to find myself staring at myself.”

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“You control all of them at the same time?”

“Yes, master.”

The trio spoke in unison. Eh, another creepy addition to my life. At least this one seems useful, I think.

“How many can you make?”

“About five and a half. If I make a sixth one, they become unstable and vanish while I get an amazing headache.”

A headache. Without a body. Well she is a stone stuck somewhere inside me. Nah, I just don’t want to know how it works. I have my own issues.

Combing my hairs into a ponytail I craned my head back and inch by inch started checking out my backside. Again. I’m sure I must have missed something. There must be her mark somewhere.

“Master, a question. What may you be doing?”

“Pretending to be a rubber pretzel while looking for a cursed mark. It must be somewhere. I’m sure I felt her put it on me… Wait a minute, you’re much better at this magic thing than I am. Come here and help me search.”

Well, I didn’t expect such a serious reaction from her but almost instantly her doppelgangers vanished while she cupped my face in her palms and pressed her forehead against mine. With her eyes closed, she matched her breath with mine and moment later, I could feel her heartbeat fall in line with my dragon heart.

And then her hands went searching. Another weird memory to be stashed away. I hope we did close the door. On the other hand, after what she kept on doing through the night, I don’t think we can do anything more awkward.

I take that back.

“I’m sure there is no mark there. Outside or inside.”

That did not stop her, and truth be told, quite an interesting technique she has shown me...

“I could not find the mark.”

Her hands done their travel.

“Then thankfully all is good and I’ve been imagining things.”

Cora looked me in the eyes in a way, I have no idea how to interpret that.

“I did not say there isn’t one. All I meant is, the mark has not revealed itself yet.”

“What?”

“Useless master, your core harbors alien magic powerful enough to rival the seal placed upon your lizard. If I were to guess, both were left by the same… entity.”

And here I hoped for some slack. Nope. Nu-uh. Seems like Elves, humans, dragons, spirits, hallucinations, gods, like everyone aside from me has a say what’s gonna happen with my life. At least that didn’t change from my previous world.

That’s probably not a good thing, is it?

“Useless or not, I’m still your meal ticket… you alright twiggy?”

Her face became flushed for some reason, her breath faster.

“No, I am not alright, perverted master.”

Oops.

“The charms?”

“Yes.”

If only for a moment I forget about shuffling my mana away from those runes, they go off whenever someone touches me.

“Then perhaps you should go and wait it out. It wears off in a minute or two if I’m not around.”

“Can I… stay?”

Her face took on a darker shade of red while her eyes were lost looking for something around my feet. Not something I would expect. Not from her at least.

“You sure?”

“Yes.”

Well, I did not mind. The night was young and her lips were sweet. We learned she can go up to nine if she wants to. And we also learned my bed could hardly fit four people. Next time we should find a bigger one. What am I thinking? Next time? There should be no next time.

“Why not? That was interesting. We may…”

“Let me be the judge of that. Come twiggy, let us spoil another good day. And get you some underwear while we’re at it.”

I’ll have to appropriate myself a pair too. Perhaps Li can find us something usable.

“Why? The wolf pays me more if I don’t wear any.”

“She is paying you?”

“Yes.”

It would explain the nail polish. That stuff ain’t cheap in this world. Although, I feel cheated at the same time. To remedy that, I scooped up few handfuls of coins and gems out of one of the chests Earth left behind. There was still plenty left, so I took some more. I have no idea what my future may hold but I know for sure a shopping spree will be a part of it.

“Child…”

Appearing out of nowhere, Earth grabbed my arm before I could pocket the gold and shook it all out back into the chest.

“That is not meant for you. I will not allow you to become a common thief. If you want gold, then ask for it. I shall oblige.”

And then I may consider killing you, her face seemed to be saying. Nope. I do not want to be any more dependent on those perverts than I already am.

“No. I do not want to.”

The queen smiled and pulled me into her bosom and showered my head with kisses. Did I pass a test of some kind?

“And that is why my lovely child I shall give you this.”

A leather pouch found its way into my hands.

“Your allowance for this moon. Do not spend it all at once.”

Then woosh she went with a puff of dust. They say that cats bring their owners gifts as a sign of affection. That is a misconception. Cats bring people hunted prey as a sign of pity. Meaning that they realize their owners can’t care for themselves and well, It seems I just been handed a dead canary.

Welp, these pillows do deserve a new wardrobe and the gold jiggled nicely in the heavy pouch. Not right now though. I put the gold into my ring and went to get the door as familiar presence approached my room. I thought of getting something to cover myself but, whatever for. I had nothing on me Beatrice hadn’t seen before though she still raised her eyebrow at me when I open the door right before she knocked.

“Good morning Trice.”

Her eyes went up and down and back up.

“I dare say it could have been better if you had put on something.”

She said and at the same time, pinched her nose and took a step back.

“And took a bath. Karin you stink like a ferru dunk in musk.”

“Apologies. I’ll go clean up right…”

“Don’t you even dare go anywhere smelling like that. Your last night performance already caused enough issues. You’ll stay put, lock the door and I’ll arrange for a tub and hot water to be brought over.”

Even though I made sure to squelch the runes before I opened the door, Beatrice’s cheeks began developing the familiar reddish hue. It prompted her to take one more step back.

“Also, master wants to see you at the earliest convenience. Preferably you may join her for breakfast. Take your guests with you.”