Chapter 87 Stroll.

Chapter 87: 87 Stroll.

The next morning, Juniper cornered me after breakfast when the others were busy.

She parked her whole serpentine ass between me and the coffee pot and said, "We need to talk about the ritual," and that was that.

I set my empty mug on the counter and followed her to the living room.

Elsa was upstairs, allegedly admiring herself in the mirror. To be fair, Elsa herself was the one who made the allegation when I called for her, so it was more or less a fact.

As for Ayra, the dog girl was outside doing laps of the property on all fours because she saw a squirrel out the window when we were doing the dishes.

Clementine went back into the guest room to change into her selection of my stolen clothes she’d picked out for the day.

Juniper coiled up on the living room floor and nodded toward the couch.

Her crimson hair was loose today, spiraling past her shoulders, and I noticed her hands were fidgeting in her lap. She kept lacing and unlacing her fingers.

Juniper didn’t typically fidget. She was the most still person in the house on any given day, and the fact that her hands wouldn’t settle told me more than her face did.

"The full moon is approaching soon," she said.

I nodded, and my erection bobbed in unison with my head. "I’m aware. You’ve mentioned it a few times."

"I’ve mentioned it because it’s important. Of the utmost importance, really." She pressed her hands flat against her coils, forcing them still. "The ritual of consummation under the full moon is a sacred tradition among Hero’s Parties. It’s the formal bonding ceremony that seals the Champion to his Maidens and unlocks a significant power enhancement."

"Sex under the moon sounds rad for sure." I leaned back on the couch and crossed my arms.

"You’ve been briefed on the concept by two women who were too busy climbing on top of you to explain the mechanics properly." She pinched the bridge of her nose, right between those crimson eyes, and I had to fight down a laugh.

She looked like a stressed-out professor dealing with her worst students, and honestly, that wasn’t far off. "The act must be sincerely performed, or the whole thing fails. And you don’t get a second chance once we lose our virginities."

"I don’t think sincerity is going to be a problem for me." I glanced toward the stairs. Elsa’s womb tattoo was probably boring a hole through the ceiling even now. "Not for them, and not for me."

"Not for them, or for you," Juniper agreed, blushing. Her mouth twitched toward a smile, and one hand drifted up to toy with one of the golden caps on her horns. "Those two have been ready since they met you." The smile didn’t quite form. She looked down at her coils. "The difficulty is on my end."

I’d figured that was where this conversation was heading. "Talk to me."

She was quiet for a few seconds. Her tail made a slow, restless loop across the hardwood, scales whispering. "I find this very difficult to articulate. In the Blasted Lands, we are not... forthcoming about matters of desire or love. Emotional transparency is considered a vulnerability, and vulnerabilities are exploited."

"We’re not in the Blasted Lands."

"No. We’re isolated within the mysterious twisting fields of Minnesota, which has its own problems, but I take your point." She looked up at me. "I have feelings for you, Champion, but you and I haven’t become physically acquainted yet. I’m worried I’ll be awkward and it could end up ruining things. And the idea of a deadline and such high stakes has me worried. I know it’s likely nothing, but I can’t help my nerves."

"Then forget the deadline and the stakes," I said. "I think we already get along well enough to pull the ritual off. Sincere doesn’t mean perfect, and I don’t think it means you have to be already head over heels for me just yet."

She exhaled slowly. "You are very wise and patient, Grey."

"That’s a low bar for wisdom, but thank you."

She stared at me for a few seconds, and then her shoulders dropped about two inches from where they’d been bunched up near her horns. "Perhaps," she said quietly. "Perhaps not."

"So, practical stuff," I said, giving her the pivot before she could close back up. "How does the ritual actually work?"

She grabbed onto the topic change eagerly. "The ritual isn’t so complex, actually. It only requires that you penetrate each maiden and release inside her outdoors under the full moon."

I nodded, stroking my chin. "Roger that. Penetrate with my dick and give you all the ol’ creampie treatment. I’m a master of that already, just ask Clementine."

"Yes, quite so. Three sequential bondings, one per Maiden. The order matters for tradition but not for the magic, which means—"

"Which means Elsa goes first as First Maiden. That’s established and not up for debate." I raised an eyebrow at her. "Right?"

Juniper looked quietly relieved that I’d said it first. "Correct. Ayra knows this. She simply enjoys pushing the boundary." She folded her hands in her lap. "I’ll go last. I prefer to take my time."

Grey 2: Biggus Dickus registered that last sentence and tucked it away under "things to think about later when I’m alone," which I never was anymore, so he’d be waiting a while.

"About the power boost," I said, pushing on. "What are the specifics?"

Juniper lit up. This was her territory, the place where magic met math. She sat straighter, her tail coiling tighter, and her hands started moving as she talked. "A permanent bonus to all stats. All base stats increase by one, which sounds small but is rather significant." She settled her hands back in her lap, and her tone shifted quieter. "One more thing. The ritual creates an emotional bond between all party members. After it’s complete, you’ll be able to sense our general emotional states—similar to how you can sense Clementine’s through the Cavalier bond. And we’ll sense yours when we try to."

"Like the party awareness I already have?"

"Deeper, but yes. The party sense is tactical—location and danger. This is emotional. You’ll feel when Elsa is being possessive, when Ayra is excited, when I’m..." She hesitated. "Concerned about things I don’t always mention out loud."

I tried to imagine a constant low-frequency feed of Elsa’s jealousy piped into my brain. It sounded exhausting. Also sounded like it would make me a much better partner to all of them, which was probably the point. "That’s going to be an adjustment."

"For all of us." Juniper uncurled from her sitting position, which was an event in itself given how much snake had to go somewhere. "Now. I believe I requested the pleasure of your company for a walk."

"You did. Let me grab a jacket."

I told Ayra where we were going on the way out. She’d just finished her lap and was panting happily on the back steps, tongue out, ears perked. "Master and Juniper are going on a romantic stroll! I shall guard the homestead in your absence!"

"Keep an eye on Elsa," I said. "She’s been in the bathroom for a while now."

"Aye aye, Master! Arf!"