Author's note: HA! Two in one day. Bet you guys didnt expect that now did you?
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The scene instantly earned the avid attention of all the males in the room.
Roland reacted quickly, using a bit of his spiritual energy and sent out a wave of power that knocked all the students unconscious.
Then he casually pulled out a cloak from the black space and threw it on the naked woman.
As she she put it on, he noticed a delicate golden chain around her neck that plunged slightly into her cleavage. The object looked so fine, almost silk-like.
Fenris, too, examined the handsome young man in front of her with the corner of her eye. His superior looks were not the only thing that interested her. Rather, it was that raw, almost animalistic power she felt from him. She, who was considered one of the most powerful of her generation, was able to feel much more clearly the amount of power he had hidden.
It was hard to describe. Something like . . . being in the presence of something that stood on a higher level of existence from you. Very odd. She had long heard of the trip he and her father were planning. She was eager to see just how powerful this man was. Going to the wilderness of that place with him and seeing him fight would be a good way to gauge his actual combat strength.
The air of carelessness he had was what also contributed to making her more curious about him. He was similar to her father, yet seemed more reliable and trustworthy. She smelled a delicious scent from him too. She noticed it the first time she met him. That irresistable aroma that stroked her insatiable hunger.
She pushed it down and watched as he eyed her chain, his gaze deep and his thoughts unknowable to her. She wondered, exactly what kind of existence was he?
He felt right. And yet also wrong. She felt such a thing didnt make any sense.
When she was more modestly dress he spoke up. " Dammit woman, you see what you made me do?" He gestured to the awkwardly passed out students. "I didnt think you would be an exhibitionist." He said with disdain. Honestly he was a bit disappointed in the girl.
" Whose an exhibitionist? You're the one who made me change back!" The women, Fenris, spoke in annoyance. She made a hmph! sound, eyeing him with a slightly mean look.
"Oh, right." Roland remembered. " Sorry about that. But damn, why were you naked anyway?" Although he couldnt say he didnt enjoy it for the first few seconds. He was, after all, a man. Though that was gone as soon as he remembered who she was.
"I cant help it!" She exclaimed. " Whenever I change back to this form my clothes disappear! I dont know what happens, but when I go back to human form they're just. . . gone! It's totally annoying! Do you understand how many clothes I went through by now? That's why I didnt want to turn back, but you forced me to anyway!" She yelled at the unfairness. She blushed slightly. "E-even my body was nearly stared at by a bunch of kids, how are you going to compensate me for this humiliation?!" Fenris despaired, holding the cloth tighter to her body.
She had never been forced to do something so embarrasing.
Roland felt that wasnt fair. He stayed calm. " You know, you could have just left. I dropped you, you could have easily ran away." he said reasonably
Fenris snorted coldly. " Yeah, right. Me, escape you? I've heard about you from father. I seriously doubt I could have gotten away." Although, maybe if I ran more I wouldnt have had to do this in front of so many people. . . , she thought. But she didnt say this.
"Hm, true. Ah, wait. . ." Roland remembered something important. "Although you were in a cat form then, you did sleep next to me that night. . .Does that mean I slept with my best friend's daughter. . .?" Roland muttered.
This was something that caused a flurry of complex emotions to well up in him. And they werent good. Although only technically true and nothing of an erotic nature happened, it was still not something that he would like to think of.
He didnt know what Loki would do if he knew.
Fenris smiled coyly. Seeing the man worried over such a thing caused a small surge of mischievousness in her." Don't worry, I'll keep it a secret if you will~" She couldnt resist grinning.
Roland didnt really like that look on her face.
Fenris moved back to the desk and sat on top, her curves completely incapable of being hidden by the cloak he gave. No, if anything the clingy material served only to accentuate her considerable curves, hugging her body-line in a most provacative way. He regretted not giving her something thicker.
The thought of doing so now had, surprisingly, not even entered his mind.
She had a slight smile on her face, looking thoughtful.
" You know, actually, I kinda like it. Just a bit. You were very warm, you know? And the way you stroked me was quite pleasing. Mmm, and when you rubbed my stomach? Hehe, I admit that I enjoyed that a bit too much. You really have a way with you hands. . ." She thought aloud. Her eyes held a bit of reminiscence.
Roland shivered a bit. He really, really didnt like what she said. If it was a different woman then he would not mind. But seeing as how this was the daughter of one of his good friends, he was something like an uncle to the woman was he not? Or something like that. Although she was older than him by countless years, he still felt this way.
" Yeah . . .Well. Let's just forget about that. Ah, but if you had that problem why didnt you tell me of it?" Loki was perfectly capable of speaking very well in his other forms.
She sighed. "I cant speak. My father can do it but I dont have much control over this ability. At least not to that degree. So I am not able to talk while in animal form. And sometimes when i'm asleep i turn back into my human form" She suddenly looked lost in thought again. " Actually, I was so comfortable that night with you that you're lucky I didnt accidentally change back into human form." She said.
"Right. " That would have been troublesome in a variety of ways. Good thing that didnt happen. Suddenly he noticed something on her head. A slight. . . twitching.
"What's that. . .?" He pointed.
"Hmm, , ,? Ah! Damn." She felt the top of her head. "Tsk!, this happens sometimes too. It's fine, dont worry about it. Look." She lifted her hand and two cat ears popped up.
Cat ears.
Large, furry, soft-looking cat ears.
Roland understood. So, she has Loki's power, but not his control. Which results in. . . that.
She nodded as if she knew his thoughts. "Yeah. . .It happens from time to time. For some reason i cant control my transformations well yet. It's unfair." She had a thought. " Actually, I hear men have a weird attraction to this type of thing." Her eyes flashed with a sudden wickedness." So, what about you? Do you . . .find this attractive?" She smiled coquettishly, looking at him almost suggestively. She had to force herself to stop from giving a full-on grin. She wanted to see if he would get flustered.
"Nn, I've been with quite a few beast-kin women who had two sets of ears, animal and human. The appeal is there. Somehow it's both erotic and yet at the same time displays a type of innocence that makes a man's desire to protect rise up. Though, the feeling of wanting to conquer the woman also seems to come with it. The destructive power of a cat-eared woman is not to be underestimated. " He nodded easily. He, as a man, had to acknowledged this fact.
Fenris was surprised, she didnt think he would say that. And so boldly at that!
He casually reached out and placed a hand towards her head to feel the softness of the ears.
Nn, this is a good feeling indeed, he thought.
For several seconds she stood there with a relaxed expression, enjoying the experience. However. . .
She let out a small noise. "Ah! S-stop!" She broke away, her face looking slightly heated." Dammit, what do you think you're touching? That's a sensitive spot!" She ran a hand through her hair again, causing the ears to disappear. Roland couldnt help but feel a sense of loss.
" Really, I hate how I cant control this properly." She muttered. The simple touch was starting to feel a bit too good for her liking.
She saw how his lips curled into a smile. "Now that you mention it, I do recall that during sex, whenever I used to rub their ears, the beast-kin females would make sounds that were quite ero--"
" Dont. I dont really want to hear. " She frowned. Thankfully she didnt end up with a tail this time. Well, this would just be more motivation for her to learn how to control the power better. She hated to say it, but it seems that if she ever wanted to stop these slips she would have to suck it up and ask her father for lessons.
"Right, sorry." In hindsight, suddenly stroking the ears was a pretty intrusive move. He didnt think that the spot would be so similar to those of beast-kin to that extent and so he did it without thinking.
"Going back to the problem of your clothes, I know that werewolves like to wear enchanted fabrics. That way when they change, the clothes dont rip. Maybe you should try those." He suggested.
She had trouble looking at him, her body not quite calming down yet. Finally she gained enough composure to look understand his words. Looking interested she raised a delicate brow. " Oh? What happens to the clothes when they go full-on wolf?" She never intereacted much with werewolves. Usually they ran away at first sight of her. It was annoying really.
"It's either held in a special space like you would find in a interspacial ring or it would. . ." He stopped, finding it hard to explain.
"It would what?"
" Well, werewolves have two bodies. Wolf and human. When they go wolf, their human bodies become immaterial. Like an illusion. It exists but it cant be seen or touched. Like a ghost. It follows the wolf form of themselves. Same thing when they change back, the wolf form becomes ghost-like, unseen and untouchable, as it follows the human.
Its an odd concept. Its like having two bodies at once and being able to switch your consciousness between them. Anyway, the clothes would still be worn by the immaterial human form when they change to a wolf. So they're safe."
She frowned. " That just sounds complicated and I'm not even sure I understood what you just said." She sighed.
He nodded. "Its a bit difficult to understand, I know. Anyway, you should probably get some enchanted clothes like that. I would enchant them myself if I knew how, but unfortunately that isnt my area of expertise." Which was a small lie. He was quite proficient at it. But doing an enchantment like that required a special type of cloth and also needed a certain spell. He had the spell, but the cloth . . .Well, he sold the last bit he had ages ago for a trinket that captured his interest.
"Huh. Well thanks for the advice, I'll give it a try."
"No problem. So mind telling me why you were late?" Roland moved to the desk and sat down on the chair. Fenris got up off the desk and pouted. It was kind of cute.
"Hmph, that perverted old man of mine, why would I listen to him so obediently? He was lucky I decided to come at all!" She declared. " Ah, by the way, are they going to be okay?" She looked at the passed out students.
"Of course. I was having them study some things for trip."
"Study what?"
"Oh, I just lent them a few battle techniques. Nothing that great. Mm, only Divine rank"
She couldnt help staring." Only? "
"What? I have a lot of better things anyway. Something of that level isnt needed. Though, really, I dont use the ones I think are actually powerful. . ." There was never a need.
"Divine rank is pretty good you know? Why give it away?" The idea seemed foreign to her. She possessed no need for such things, but to just hand them out to a bunch of ignorant kids. . .
"I didnt say I would give it to them. I'm only lending them. Well, if they want to buy them though, that's a different story." Roland did give those three some pretty good things though. He felt that they earned it a bit. To him, giving those three those items was simply a small reward. They seemed like the more talented of the class, why shouldnt he give them a little something? Michael was good to, but Roland had thought to work on him a bit more before giving him anything.
And in the end, even if he did sell the techniques away when would he ever really use such things? If anything he would use the Heaven rank techniques he had. Besides, he had several copies of each anyway.
"I see." Though she really didnt. Selling those things that was a bit too outrageous considering how high ranked they were. Though, she really was not too sure if he considered those things to be all that valuable. From his words he seemed to have stuff that was even better.
If she recalled right, her father once said Roland was quite the wealthy person. It made sense for him to have a good few higher ranked items if even her father said something like that.
Well, he could do what he wanted with them. She was already interested in what else he had.
"Also, that's quite a negative view you have of your father." It seemed that Loki was a bit hated?
Her mood soured.
" Nonsense. That lecherous old man who thinks about nothing but picking up woman is the the worst. Did you know that he and a [/i]tree spirit[/i] of all things were getting it on a while ago? I even walked in on them. He really has no restraint. Shameless old man, he should just die. I dont know how my mother could have seen anything good in him."
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She spoke disdainfully.
" That's. . ." Roland didnt know what to say. He felt sorry for Loki. He really seemed to have it rough.
" Well whatever. Im here now at least. I suppose I dont have anything else to do these days anyway. Hey, do you mind if i stay with you and the others for a bit?" She suddenly asked. Her large eyes suddenly shined, looking at him pleadingly.
"What?" Roland stared at her, not understanding. How did this topic come about?
"Well, you see, I've been thinking of moving there for a long time. But. . ." She let out a slightly embarassed laugh. " It was a bit lonely at that place, so I never did. But now that you and the rest are there it seems like things would be a bit more lively now. Honestly I dont want to go back home anyway. Listening to that man bringing weird woman over every other day is annoying." Fenris folded her arms.
" Absolulety not." He refused. " Besides, why cant you go to the new dormitory the students stay in?"
"There's no room! And I dont really know anyone. I mean I do know some of the student council members here but those guys are just. . ."
"Well, forget it. Somehow I get the feeling Loki wouldnt like that idea at all. I mean he pretty much even hid you from me you know?" He was still a bit put-out about that. Honestly, what was that guy worried Roland would do?
Fenris started playing with her hair idly.
"Oh yeah. Actually I did want to see you in person several times in the past, but he was really stubborn about it. He said you were a beast with zero restraint toward woman and that my chastity would be in danger if we met. As if I would believe that." She laughed. " Honestly, I had actually seen you a few times and I had never seen you display that kind of behaviour. I think he simply disliked the idea of me hanging out with his friends for whatever reason." She shrugged.
Roland's earlier comment about the beast-kin women he had been with was stll not enough for her to consider him the kind of man her father made him out to be.
Roland was a bit shocked and slightly hurt. Really, him, a beast? Loki really had some nerve saying that.
He was astonished. Really, back then he was more sexually active than some but it wasnt like he would shamelessly sleep with any woman he came across. Plus, this girl was Loki's daughter! Even if she was admittedly an attractive woman he would obviously have more restraint than that. To try sleeping with the daughter of one of his few good friends, how twisted would that be?
He was honestly a bit hurt his friend would say that, Though he knew Loki didnt mean anything by it. Loki was not the type of person to say such things seriously. Okay, well, if he has to say, it was probably only 40% serious.
Still, it caused Roland to be a bit angry as well. He started thinking of a few things he would like to do to Loki right about now.
Since he was a god he wouldnt die so easily. No, even if he did die he would revive. So, no matter what Roland did, it was fine, right?
Roland smiled a bit at the thought.
Although Roland had to admit that he was a bit of a lustful guy back then. Which was not entirely his fault. His body's hormones were kicked into overdirve back then, how was that his fault?
He had to concede the fact that perhaps Loki was simply one of those overly protective parents. If he was a father, he would do the same. No, perhaps he would even do a lot worse. Thankfully he wasnt one.
" Well anyway I dont think that would be a good idea. The two girls' parents are here now and they have moved in too."
"Ah, you mean the pretty redhead and that gold-eyed woman? That couple I saw earlier was their parents?. . . So?" She asked. "There's plenty of room."
" Adoptive parents. " He corrected. " And that's true, but I still say no." Not having enough room wasn't the problem.
"Why?"
"That. . ." Really Roland didnt have a good reason to say no to her. If she wanted to move in, why exactly should he stop her?
He would not really like it, but he didnt have a good reason to refuse her. . . And is she was going to stay a cat anyway. . .
"So, I can?" She looked excited.
He sighed. "I dont even understand why you feel you need my permission. It's your dad's property."
"But it's your territory. You're top dog there you know? So I have to do this. It's, like, common curtesy?" She seemed unable to explain it clearly.
But Roland felt he understood. It seems like animal instincts were stong in her. If it were to be put into words, it would be like saying Roland was the alpha and the house was his territory. It was a fair assessment since she knew Roland was the strongest one living there. Since that was how it was, that place was "his" in her mind.
If one wanted to move there, they needed his permission to do so.
Or such were her thoughts on the matter.
" Just. . . Can you talk to Loki about this first?"
" No! He would just try to stop me. Besides, i stay in my animal form most of the time, I can just do that. Ah, can I bring my own pillow though? Yours is a bit too hard for me." Fenris looked at him.
Roland was shocked. " You. . .You cant think your going to sleep with me right?" He asked a bit indignantly.
"Why not?" She looked genuinely confused on why he would ask that.
He snorted coldly. " If you think you're sleeping in my room, you're out of your mind." He'd be damned if he allowed that to happen.
She coughed. " But I like it in there! It smells good. And warm. Besides, what the problem? We've done it once already. I will stay in my cat form anyway. Just think of me as a pet?" Besides, did she not already mark that place as hers?
He stared at her blankly. Was he really having this conversation? " Yeah, no. Pick another room. I refuse to let you stay in mine."
She frowned. "Che!. Fine. I honestly dont see the problem though. I mean it isnt like we haven't done it before. Well whatever. I did kinda expect this. At least I wont have to live with that perverted old man anymore. I could just sleep outside, but the ground is too hard on my muscles. Nn, this is best." She recalled something. " Ah, I saw the two girls a while ago. That black haired one seemed a bit down. And angry. The boys seemed to be a bit abnormal too."
She was a bit worried. They would pretty much be living together from now on, so she thought it was a good idea to make sure they were all okay.
Though she didnt care much about a few mortals, she did feel it was her duty as a future co-resident to take an interest in their well-being.
Roland was momentarily wondering if he made the right choice to allow the woman to do what she wanted. He understood that she wouldnt like to watch Loki's more. . .adult behaviour. . . up close, but he was concerned about how it seemed so many new people were going to be living with him. Three, no, four new people were to live with him. And all this in a single day.
He wasnt entirely against it, but for some reason felt things were going to get more hectic from now one in various ways. He couldnt shake off the feeling that something was fast approaching, and he felt that something would cause a lot of trouble. Though maybe he was being paranoid. . .
He glanced at Fenris and frowned once more. He hoped Loki wouldnt make a big deal out of this. He mentally shrugged.
He chose not to dwell on it.
He began talking as a few of the students began to groan. " Dont worry about that. Anyway, I dont want you causing any trouble, got it? If you're going to be living with us, no tricks. I know your father, dont think I dont know how his daughter would act." Any child of his was bound to have a michievous streak. Was that not already obvious from their conversation?
She stuck her pink little tongue out at him. " Boring~ But fine." She gave a small salute. " Whatever you say goes, boss." She grinned cheekily. The expression suited her.
"Please dont"
"Master then?" She asked. Her grin widened. She liked "boss" better, but that one was fun too. She actually found that she like messing with the man in front of her. He was a bit more calm than normal people would be when they talked to her, but that made her want to see him truly flustered all the more.
"No thanks. Hate that word. Roland is more than fine."
Being called master was something he disliked. The last time someone called him master, they started recruiting members for a religious sect with him set up as the "god". It stemmed from a multitude of circumstances that made the person regard him as some kind of holy being. Admittedly it was his fault for showing off, but still.
Really, that was an annoying experience. People kept sending him offerings of various things like precious medicinal herbs, treasures, Artifacts and even young woman who were to serve him. He thought that last bit was going too far. He didnt exactly understand their reasoning, though he assumed it was something like wanting to let the woman have the "honor" of bearing the child of their "god".
Of course he never touched them. It was amusing at first but it was at that point where he knew he had to do something.
He finally had to leave the place, burning down the new-found "Church of Roland" as he did. Hm, though, the women were not exactly welcomed back, something about them being blamed for the entire thing. So he kind of had to take them with him as he left.
They should still be at Roland's Estate with his mother if he recalled correctly. . . Which reminded him, he should visit her some time. He hadnt seen her in at least half a year.
All this happened in one of the short times when he and Loki went their seperate ways. Though, Mephisto was with him at the time and found the entire thing hilarious. Solomon and Aries, those two bastards, even wrote a song about it as soon as they heard. It was obviously not the kind meant to be sung in civilized society.
So in short that was why he really, really disliked the title of "master".
"Uh, Hello? Roland?" Fenris called out worryingly. He seemed to wander off a bit.
Roland paused.
What were they talking of again? He seeme to have become lost in his thoughts.
"Anyway, that's how it is."
" . . .Okay then. Well I think--"
"uuughhhh~" The students suddenly lets out more groans, starting to wake up.
"Quicker than I thought" Roland commented. Michael, Alex and Sara were waking faster than the rest. William, a vampire, was weak to spiritual energy and was still soundly unconscious.
"You should probably--"
"Meow~~ " A cat sound echoed throughout the room.
"Nevermind."
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Meanwhile.
Gehenna floated in a large room. It was more of a space, really. There was no floor, no walls, no sound. Only an endless darkness like that of a black hole. A room that was not a room, in a place that time held no sway. A place where the sky was a faint red and the moon was always visible.
To many, the place was known as "Hell". Specifically, the place the room, if it could really be called such, was housed in was located in the Western Region of Hell.
The place where Gehenna dominated with absolute authority.
The room held only one thing: A ptich-black sword with azure veins running through it. It was covered with bright red chains, chains not quite able to hold back the sword's overbearing aura of majesty.
This was no normal sword. It was even taller than Gehenna, and nearly twice as wide. Truly one that could be called a king of swords.
Gehenna looked at the sword with a soft, unreadable expression. She stroked the blade gently, speaking to it in a whisper.
"Shh, my dear. I understand how lonely you have been all this time, isolated in this place. Crying. Waiting. Just as I did." Her voice was filled with a hard to describe sadness that seemed soul-deep. She suddenly smiled, a bright smile filled with longing. "But dont worry. We're going someplace soon. A place where you and I will once again find our "happiness".
Do you understand, my sweet child? Yes. Of course, you do." She laughed, the sound like beautiful twinkling bells and the singing of larks. "You've been waiting as long as I have, afterall. Finally, we will have our questions answered. The reason why we were left behind. The reason why we were abandoned." A tear slid down her cheek, an old pain resurfacing.
The sword's veins glowed softly at the words, as if it understood. It was an almost sad reaction, as if not daring to believe in the words yet hoping they were true. The sword was, indeed, no normal sword. It slowly began to brighten in intensity, bathing her in warm azure light.
His color.
" Shall we go?" Gehenna smiled. " We will have to go through that old devil, but that is of no matter to us, right? We cant let that bastard stand in the way of our reunion, now can we?"
Unbeknownst to her, an odd light came into her eyes. It was, for lack of a better word, controlled madness.
To whom did such a madness belong? The goddess of destruction within her, or the spirit of the lonely child she had once been?
Perhaps both.
In an instant the two of them, woman and sword, disappeared.
All that remained was a profound silence.