I stepped out of the old lady's house and I felt like a new man. The Presence inside me was more pronounced and I could see and feel the Presence and mana around me. Until I had seen the old lady combine the energies inside of me, I had honestly thought that Presence and mana were two different energies. I couldn't have been more wrong. Mana was only another form of Presence. I used my gather energy ability and my body sucked in a ton of both Presence and mana, converted it to my use, and formed a thick barrier around myself and refracted the light to make myself invisible. Of course, once I did that, my first thought was an odd one.

Why can't I block everything and not just light?

With my understanding of gravity, it was a force that massive objects exerted and used to pull things towards itself. It never occurred to me that it could be a massive amount of Presence that actually pulled other Presences towards itself instead. Once I understood that, it was quite easy to counter that flow of Presence and I essentially created a zero-gravity area around myself. Mind you, it took a considerable amount of Presence to counter the pull of an entire planet, so I wasn't going to be flying around like a bird anytime soon. I could manage very limited flight over short distances, however.

If I estimated my Presence reserve properly, I could probably travel for about twenty minutes inside an atmosphere before exhausting myself. I let out a bark of laughter and jumped into the air, as if I was inside the long haul transport and had jumped into the central corridor, then I floated towards the center of town. I used Presence to guide my 'flight' and quickly flew all the way back to the Protection tree in the center of the city in under ten minutes.

I had been a little off on my estimate and my Presence reserve was down to just under half when I landed. I hadn't taken into consideration how much I would need to move around after making myself essentially weightless like my armor. I was tempted to walk inside the tree like I was, completely invisible, then decided not to take the chance of being caught and attacked for being an intruder.

I slipped around a nearby tree and absorbed the barrier I had surrounded myself with, which put my reserve back up over a half of its total, then I walked around the tree and walked over to the entrance of the Protection tree. Every single person around stopped walking and looked at me.

“Hello!” I said and waved. “Beautiful day, isn't it?”

None of them responded, just like I had predicted, and I walked up the steps and stopped in front of the two guards. I glanced up and looked through the tree to try and find Sylvana. I saw her inside the center chamber and found that the tree was identical to the one that I had spent time inside.

“I'm here to see Princess Sylvana.” I said with confidence. “Do I go inside and look for her on my own or should I wait here and let you handle it?”

The two guards looked at one another and then back at me. They didn't know what to do.

“I'll take care of it myself, then. Thank you for the help.” I said and used a Presence Hand to open the door between them and stepped by.

They stared at me and I held in my laugh as I closed the door without touching it. I walked across the lobby and every woman stopped and stared at me.

“Hello! Hi! Hey, there!” I said and waved at them as I went up the main stairs. “I'm just meeting the princess. Nothing to see here.”

When I reached the third floor, I didn't have to turn around to see that they all stood at the bottom of the stairs and stared up at me. I held in my laugh and went down the right hallway to the elder's chamber. The two guards there stared at me as I approached.

“Greetings.” I said. “Princess Sylvana is inside. May I speak with her, please?”

“J-just one m-moment.” One of the guards said and knocked on the door. I watched one of the elders come over to the door and open it.

“Yes?” The elder said and then she saw me. “OH!”

“Princess Sylvana, please.” I said.

“Y-yes, of course.” The elder said and turned around. “Princess, you have a visitor.”

Sylvana started to walk over towards the door and I heard her sigh. “I hope this is important.” She said and then jerked to a stop when she saw me. “Hunter!”

“You called?” I asked, and both her and the elder's faces flushed red.

“I... I just...”

“Yes, I know you were worried.” I said and let her off the hook. “Thanks to the Elder and a lot of work, I'm fine.”

“That's a relief.” Sylvana said. “The elders are concerned about what happened to us out in the forest.”

“Me, too.” I said. “Unfortunately, I need to rest.”

“Excuse me?”

“I've been awake for a week and I need to sleep.” I said. “Meditating and Invigoration can only do so much. My body needs a break.”

They stared at me for several moments, then the Elder nodded and looked at the guard on the right.

“Guard, show this man to a room and make sure he is undisturbed.”

“Yes, Elder.” She said and gave her a bow, then motioned down the hallway. “Please, follow me.”

“I'll need exactly eight hours.” I said and followed her. “A small room would be preferable.”

The guard nodded and led me down a small set of stairs and down a hallway, then she stopped at a door and opened it. “I will stand guard and maintain your privacy.”

“I appreciate that.” I said and then turned to look at her. “Can I ask how old you are?”

“I'm a hundred and thirty-two.” The guard said. “Why?”

“Because you are of child bearing age, I can't ask you to cuddle with me.”

“Excuse me?” The guard asked, surprised.

“I don't want to tempt you like that. I made that mistake before and made the queen and her daughters angry at me for it.” I said and sighed. “I'll try and make something instead.”

“But...” The guard started to say and I closed the door on her. I walked over to the small desk and hung up my uniform coat, long sleeved t-shirt, and pants to let them air out, then I used Presence to make a life-sized copy of Maylia. I stripped off my normal outfit that I was wearing, down to my underwear, and slipped on my nightgown before I climbed into bed with the slightly blue Maylia doll. I wasted twenty minutes as I tried to snuggle it, rolled it over, then tried to drape it over myself to simulate how Maylia would do it... then I sighed.

“It's not working.” I said.

I was completely awake and I could feel the effects of prolonged wakefulness as it ate away at my consciousness. If I didn't get some actual sleep soon, I was really going to regret it. I absorbed the Maylia doll and rolled onto my side and stared at the wall, with no idea of what to do, then I heard a knock on the door.

“Yes?” I said as I sat up and looked out through the door. It was the guard and another woman.

“I have someone here for you.” The guard said.

Now I know I'm really out of it, if I didn't notice the guard leaving and coming back with someone. I thought. “Please, come in.”

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

The door opened and I saw with my eyes that the woman with the guard was already dressed in her own night clothes. I wasn't surprised to see that it was entirely see through, just like the ones I had seen on Sylvana's guards. She also wore a small pair of panties that barely covered her.

“This is my bed sister.” The guard said. “She hasn't passed her guard training yet.”

My eyes widened slightly. “You haven't turned eighty yet?” I asked, and she shook her head. “Would you be okay with cuddling in bed? I'm not an elf.”

“That's a relief.” The woman said. “I don't think I could be in the same room with you if you were.”

It sounds like she's had some personal experience with male elves. I thought. “Just to be clear, I'm not asking you for sex and we won't be having a child together.” I said and saw them both shiver. “All I want is a warm body to hold me and comfort me while I sleep.”

“I have three bed sisters, so I know exactly what you need.” The woman said with a smile.

“Thank god.” I whispered and moved back on the bed. She walked over to me and I watched her handful-sized breasts jiggle enticingly as she climbed into the bed.

“Front or back?” She asked as she untied her ponytail and let her long blonde hair flutter out.

“Your back to me, please.” I said and assumed the proper spooning position. She laid down and slid in close, and I wrapped my arms around her. I was careful of where I put my hands and she let out a cute little chuckle, then she grabbed my hand and put it right onto her breast.

“Cuddle away.” She said and hugged my other arm.

I buried my head into her mass of hair and hugged her close, gave her firm breast a squeeze, then sighed. “Thank y...”

*

Both women were surprised when Hunter fell asleep mid-word. The guard looked at her bed sister and regretted that it wasn't her. She could see the strong arms holding the younger woman and she wanted to feel them around her own body. She gave her friend a wave and left the room before she did or said something that she would regret.

Her bed sister on the other hand was in heaven. Her hands gently caressed the strong arms around her and her breast had never been held so firmly and gently before. She wasn't sure how that was possible, so she didn't linger on the thought. His hot breath on her neck gave her pleasant shivers down her spine and the warmth of his body pressed into hers. They were almost the same height, so she was touching him from her ankles to her neck.

Even my bed sisters didn't fit this well behind me. She thought and hugged his muscular arm. She hadn't been tired when she came to the room and thought she would lay awake the whole time... then she felt a wave of tiredness come over her and she yawned. It was quickly followed by a wave of peacefulness and she closed her eyes, snuggled in as much as she could, then drifted off to sleep.

The guard in the hallway felt the same wave of tiredness hit her, then the feeling of peacefulness. She wavered on her feet for a moment and then used a Wakefulness spell to stay awake. Her urgent need for sleep faded away and she stood up straight. She didn't know what had happened; but, since it happened with the man right behind her going to sleep, he had to be the cause. She didn't like leaving her post for a second time, though. She debated telling someone of a higher rank to pass it along to the others.

It's probably just here. She reasoned and stayed at her post.

She had no idea that everyone within a thousand feet of Hunter had suffered the exact same thing that she just did. Of the seventy female elves inside the Protection Tree, over half of them hadn't used the general Wakefulness spell in time and fell asleep where they stood.

*

“What is he doing?” Sylvana asked as she wavered on her feet and braced herself on the desk. She had cast the spell just in time.

“He's sleeping.” The elder beside her said with a smile. “He wasn't kidding. He really needed to rest.”

“How many did he take with him?” Sylvana asked, not really wanting to know the answer.

“Only about forty inside the Protection tree.” One of the other elders said as her eyes glowed green. “Nearly a hundred in the surrounding buildings.”

“I'll send out the squads to check on everyone.” One of the other elders said and opened the chamber door. The two guards that were supposed to be protecting them were asleep on the floor. She bent down and touched them to cast the Wakefulness spell on them, then walked away.

“By the Queen's grace.” Sylvana sighed. “I told him not to cause a scene.”

The elder beside her laughed. “I don't think he had a choice this time, Princess.” She said and tapped her temple. “It was a mental affliction.”

“Wh-what?” Sylvana asked, surprised. “It wasn't a spell?”

“Mass Sleep?” The elder laughed again. “That only has a range of fifty feet.”

“But... but...” Sylvana couldn't comprehend what had just happened. They were a lot farther than fifty feet away from the guest rooms.

“He is a wonder.” The elder said. “I hope we will soon hear from our retired sister about him.”

“Would she tell me about him?” Sylvana asked, and the elders exchanged glances.

“Perhaps.” The elder beside her said, then a second later her face went blank. “Perhaps not.”

Sylvana held in her sigh at that revelation, because that was a definite no if she ever heard one.

*

It took almost an hour for the squads to check the surrounding buildings for all of the people that were asleep. Thankfully, no one was hurt, mainly because the space between the waves of sleepiness and peacefulness had been just long enough for everyone to either cast the spell or to assume a proper sleeping position before they fell asleep.

Sylvana was the one that was most relieved to hear this, and she sent personal apologies to everyone that had been affected. The elders had told her that it wasn't necessary, that everyone understood what had happened and weren't angry at all, and she issued the apologies anyway. She should have waited, because something else happened seven hours later.

Hunter woke up.

*

I woke up and my mind was bright and alert. I caught the retreating edge of an effect that my mind had generated. I caught it and tried to stem the effect, then realized that was like trying to catch a wave after it had passed. I let it go and felt the woman that was cuddled in my arms as she woke up.

“Good morning.” She said and her arms didn't lessen their grip on mine.

“I'm pretty sure it's early evening.” I said, and she giggled. I felt her breast jiggle in my hand and I started to let it go.

“Just a bit more.” The woman said. “Please.”

“A quick nap?” I asked, and she nodded. It pulled on the hair I currently had my head buried in, so I moved my head a little and put my face back against her neck. “Ten minutes.”

“Twenty.” The woman countered and hugged my arms, which squeezed her breasts. “Can you nuzzle my neck? Marlee always does that in the mornings.”

I didn't feel the Presence waver, so I obliged and started to nuzzle the part of her neck that my lips could reach. She rolled slightly and turned partially onto her back as she flung a leg over mine. My lips slid over her skin and she let out a relaxed sigh as I nuzzled her neck right under her chin. Her hand played with her other breast, so I copied her movements and fondled the one I held.

“Mmm, that's so good.” She whispered and her body tensed up for a second, then it melted into me and the bed around me as she completely relaxed. I stopped kissing her neck and playing with her breast when I felt her lose consciousness.

I rested my head beside hers. What else do her bed sisters do for her? I asked myself and looked at her rising and falling chest as she breathed deeply. She didn't care that I was a man at all, which was both nice and disturbing. I could do anything to her, anything at all, and she probably wouldn't say no. I concentrated on her to test my ability and read her surface thoughts. She does want someone to play with her. I thought in surprise. She actually expects it when she wakes up!

That was enough to convince me that I was not going to be here when she woke up the second time. It was one thing to explain to Maylia that I had a bed sister once and it was definitely another thing to go beyond casual touching. I created a Presence layer around my body and made it solid around the parts she was currently touching, then I slipped out from behind her and silently moved off of the bed. I changed into my armor and stored my nightgown, then went to the door.

I eased the woman's arm and leg down to the bed and absorbed the Presence holding them, then I opened the room's door and stepped out without making a sound. The guard looked at me with wide eyes and I made a quiet motion with my hand and closed the door.

“She's napping.” I whispered. “She may want... ah... something... when she wakes up.”

The guard couldn't help but smile at my awkwardness. “She's pretty easy to please. Usually you can get away with just a finger, maybe two. I doubt she'll want a mouth near there unless she took a bath this morning.”

I stood there and didn't say anything, and she laughed.

“I'll take care of it when I come back.” The guard said and motioned down the hallway. “The princess and the elders are waiting for you.”

I nodded and followed her back to the center chamber and she left me there with the two guards. They had both angry and impressed looks on their faces and one of them knocked. The door opened and one of the elders was there.

“Sylvana is currently giving apologies... again... to those that have been affected by your abilities.”

“Again?” I asked. “What happened before?”

“When you fell asleep, you sent out a mental command for everyone to sleep, then you sent out a feeling of peace.”

I was surprised when the Presence didn't waver, so I took a deep breath and let it out. “Please accept my apologies for causing you trouble.”

“Don't worry about it.” She said. “How did you sleep?”

“Surprisingly well.” I said. “Thanks to getting a loan of a bed sister.”

“Good.” She said. “I'm sure that Sylvana will want to leave... wait, what did you say?”

“The guard was kind enough to loan me a bed sister. She let me cuddle her and I fell dead asleep.” I said. “In fact, that's probably why I sent out those pulses automatically. I really needed to sleep.”

“Did he say he used a bed sister?” One of the elders asked.

“Excuse me?!?” Sylvana said from across the room. She stood up and stalked over to me. “Did I hear that right? You had a woman in your bed?”

“I couldn't sleep.” I said. “The guard...”

“You did NOT share a bed with the guard!” Sylvana said angrily.

“No, I shared it with her bed sister. She's not of child bearing age, so it's okay.”

“It is not 'okay'.” Sylvana said through gritted teeth. “How do you think this makes the royal family look?”

“I don't think that applies.” I said. “You didn't sleep with her.”

“You shouldn't have, either!” Sylvana spat.

“Nothing happened.” I said in my defense. “I left before I had to... ah... play with her.”

“We. Are. LEAVING!” Sylvana yelled, grabbed my arm, and dragged me down the hallway. The laughs of the elders followed us as we left.