Catherine slowly gathered herself after the two left. The raging storm of mana in her body subsided, allowing her to take her elven form once more. Laying flat on her stomach she clutched her head, a feeling what she would call a hangover assaulted her mind. “...bitch” she groaned, forcing herself up. If she got anything form that experience, then that would be she never wanted to experience that shit again.
If Violet didn’t help her with easing the rampaging mana she felt like she would have been out for days, unable to move and in constant pain as she was torn apart from the inside. What was worse is, Delvin was right, even when she tried to absorb the mana it refused to listen, like it had a mind of its own it ignored Catherine’s will and acted freely inside her body. It was a helplessness that was several times worse then being trapped in ice.
She forced herself up and made her way to the stairs, taking one look back at the tree in the middle of the room “warning received loud and clear.” She then summoned the leash, not surprised to see it still lit up and demanding that she return. Shrugging her shoulders she made her way up the stairs, thinking in silence at what she should do and what waits for her.
In the middle of the stairwell Catherine stumbled across an intersection, where the stairs she was walking up met another set of stairs going up and down. As soon as she stepped out onto the intersection the way behind her closed. Guessing she was now in the regular part of the dungeon, and not some super shortcut system created by Delvin she moved upwards, eventually getting reaching the top.
“Took you long enough… how deep did you go?” Rose said, her arms crossed with her back against the wall.
Catherine glanced at her “Deep.” She said, looking down at the leash as it’s light dimmed, she then back up “Where is the cat?”
Rose flicked her head to the side, Catherine followed the motion to see Nyoka, rummaging through the corpses of two male humans. Catherine raised an eyebrow “Who are they?” She asked, taking a closer look. The corpses themselves had some adventuring gear on them that looked similar to what Nyoka wore, but seemed old and worn out.
Nyoka perked up, noticing the presence behind her “Oh you are back!” she said, quickly turning around and dusting herself off “These two were so-“
“Nyoka not important. We have to go.” Rose cut her off, coming over and gripping the cat’s shoulder and dragging her off “ah but before we do.” Rose stopped and turned to Catherine and spoke.
“------.”
Catherine blinked, moving her head to the side. She understood Rose said something to her, but she didn’t understand it “what? What is it?” she asked.
Rose stared at her for a moment, then nodded to herself as if confirming something “nothing, come on, we have spent enough time in here already.”
Catherine was confused, not knowing what she meant by any of that but followed, glancing down at Nyoka who was getting dragged by her shoulder, a confused look on her face “What did she say?” She asked the cat.
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Nyoka looked towards her “She said we had to go?”
“No, after that.”
The confused look on her face grew “She didn’t say anything?”
“Drop it slime, just move.” She ordered “And walk on your damn own Nyoka!” She then lifted the girl up and plopped her down on her own two feet and pushed her forward. The cat girl stumbled a bit before catching her balance.
“kay.” She said and started walking ahead of them.
The trip up through the dungeon was uneventful and full of silence, Rose refused to talk the rest of the way, ushering them to the entrance, the familiar room with a platform and some kind of mechanical totem.
The group approached the platform, and when all 3 where on it the platform lit up “Be on your best behavior if you want to live you stupid slime.” Catherine heard Rose say before the group vanished. The sudden shift in position momentarily confusing her but she soon found herself outside of the dungeon, and glanced back at the small floating asteroid. ‘Really was a lot bigger on the inside…’ she thought to herself.
“Spirit, if you would, restrain the slime.”
Catherine heard an unfamiliar, female voice and then found herself unable to move, the feeling familiar enough by now to know exactly who had her restrained.
“Restrained… my lady.” A voice Catherine was sure belonged to Lucy said. Followed by a bit of a pause.
“Turn it to face me.” The voice said.
“With pleasure, my lady.” Lucy said, willing Catherine’s body to turn.
When finally faced away from the dungeon and towards the group Catherine noticed several things. Most notably was the new figure in the room. Beautiful, was the only word to come to mind when looking upon the figure, a women dressed in nothing but a white gown, white feathery wings fluttering behind her as she floated in the air, her face hidden behind a metal mask that covered the entirety of her head, and a golden halo hovering just above it.
Beautiful, even with her face covered, was still the only word that she could think of when describing the women in front of her, maybe graceful could be added to it? No, only the word beautiful does her justice she deserves. If she could bow to this women, she would do so and was angry at Lucy’s control over her body preventing her from doing so.
“This one is called many names, young slime, but you may call this one as “my lady”. Your lady permits you to speak, have you understood what this one has told you?” The beautiful women spoke, every word out of her mouth sending shivers of delight down Catherine’s back.
“Yes, my lady.” Catherine answered, struggling against lucy’s magical grip on her body. She wanted to bow, she NEEDED to bow, why wouldn’t she let her bow? Shouldn’t everyone submit to this absolute beauty?!
“Ease yourself, my follower. “Lady spoke, and Catherine stopped struggling against the Lucy’s magic. “Good, this one is pleased. Now slime, this one requires you to answer truthfully, respond in agreement.”
“I agree, my lady…” Catherine replied.
“This one asks, Did you encounter a pretentious and dirty little imp in this dungeon?” Lady asked “This one requires you to answer.”
“yes, my lady.” Catherine replied truthfully, it is only natural to do everything her lady asks of her.
“This one is beyond pleased you have answered truthfully, my follower, this one also asks, did you talk to this imp?”
“yes, my lady.”
“This one wonders, what was it about?” Lady floated nearer to Catherine, placing a single hand on her cheek “What did the little imp tell you. Your lady requests an honest answer.”
Catherine felt the soft touch of her lady on her cheek, and act wasted on someone as low as her, but her lady was beautiful, kind, and while the act was wasted on her Catherine appreciated it, it only served to deepen her feelings for her lady, one who she would sacrifice the world for, for as little to feel the touch again. “They told me about their adventuring party, my lady.”
“What.”