Chapter 76: Lucien Versus The Leviathan

Serenith and Kamiko sit together in the hot spring, tucked into a small, high-walled section at the edge of the village while soft afternoon sunlight filters down through the surrounding trees in warm, shifting patches across the water, the faint mineral scent of the springs rising with the steam.

Steam curls lazily off their cleaned, naked skin. Hair and fur slick from bathing oils and herbal potions.

Kamiko sits in the water between Serenith’s legs, back resting against the pool’s stone rim, while Serenith perches above her on the edge, both hands working methodically through Kamiko’s scalp, soft holy magic radiating out from her fingertips with every pass, relaxing Kamiko’s entire mind, body, and soul with careful, considerate motions.

Serenith, meanwhile, has been talking nearly nonstop, milking the rare opportunity for proper girl-on-girl bonding for absolutely everything it’s worth.

"You would not believe some of the mortals I’ve been assigned over the centuries," she says, working a fresh line of tension out of Kamiko’s neck. "Most of them were considerably easier to manage than my current one, for what it’s worth." She wrinkles her nose. "I did a stint in the universe’s birthing division once, too. Gods, the mess there. Nobody properly warns you going in." She pauses, considering, then adds, almost wistful, "I also fought in the Age of Chaos too, you know. Whole war fought across three collapsing realities at once." She catches herself mid-sentence and waves the thought away with one hand. "Actually, never mind that one. Mortals really aren’t supposed to know about that particular Chapter of history. Official policy and all."

She trails off mid-sentence when she notices the water sloshing sharply around them, and glances down to find Kamiko twitching beneath her hands, eyes rolled fully back, mouth working soundlessly, no actual noise coming out at all.

Serenith gasps and yanks her hands back at once.

Kamiko’s eyes roll further, body still twitching, gasping hard for air, both hands gripping the stone rim just to keep herself upright as she heaves through it.

"I’m so, so sorry," Serenith says quickly, hovering anxiously. "I got carried away, I didn’t realize—"

Kamiko turns to her, eyes wild, chest still heaving.

"That felt like a full-body orgasm. For five straight minutes." She sags back against the rim, boneless. "I might genuinely die happy now. There’s nothing left to accomplish."

"I’ve always been complimented on my massages." Serenith chuckles.

"That wasn’t a massage," Kamiko says, letting herself float back on the water’s surface, arms spread wide. "That was a spiritual awakening." she shudders slightly, some lingering pulse of magic still working its way through her. "Have you ever given Lucien a massage like that?"

"Absolutely not." Serenith barks out and laughs. "He already never leaves me in peace as it is. If he knew I could give orgasmic massages, he’d never let me stop. I’d never have a moment’s rest again."

Kamiko chuckles, then goes quiet for a moment, voice softening when she speaks again. "I think he’s already a little obsessed with you, you know. Whether he’d admit it or not."

Serenith’s eyes go wide, and a flush spreads fast across her face. "No, we’re just, we’re..." She trails off, apparently unable to land on the end of the sentence.

"Good friends." Kamiko offers, saving her.

"Yes. Just good friends." Serenith latches onto that gratefully, a little too fast.

"You should really consider the benefits package," Kamiko says, entirely too casual about it, watching Serenith closely over the rim of the water.

"No, I can’t." Serenith snorts out, laughing unconvincingly. "It’s completely against policy. I’d get into enormous trouble. Definitely. I can’t."

Kamiko goes quiet at that, saying nothing.

"It’s true," Serenith insists, into the silence. "I could get banished."

"Of course, it’s just odd," Kamiko says eventually, "that you brought up the policy at all, and didn’t actually deny wanting the benefits."

"T-That’s not," Serenith flushes even harder, sputtering. "y-you’re reading it wrong, I didn’t mean it like that. I don’t—"

"It’s fine, you don’t need to explain it to me, Serenith." Kamiko says, gentle now, no teasing left in it. "Sounds like you need to understand it yourself first, more than anything."

Serenith looks at her, and Kamiko just smiles warmly back, offering a small, knowing wink.

Serenith sighs, smile turning wistful despite herself.

"How hopeless is it, exactly?"

"You and Lucien?" Kamiko asks.

Serenith bites her lip and gives the tiniest possible nod.

Kamiko shrugs one shoulder, considering.

"You’re an angel. You can literally reshape reality when you feel like it. If anyone on this continent can put a leash on a man like Lucien, it’s you."

Serenith laughs softly at that. "I’m not sure even divine magic can properly control Lucien."

The door to the spring swings open without warning, and Valgereth steps through it, still fully dressed in his immaculate suit despite the steam.

Both women yelp and scramble to cover themselves at once.

"Please." Val scoffs, unbothered. "I’ve seen more meat left on the bones after one of my dinners." He glances between them. "Are you two finished in here?"

Both women giggle despite themselves. "We’re just about done," Kamiko assures him. "It’s all yours. We’ll be out in two—"

Val doesn’t wait for the rest of the sentence. With a single snap of his fingers, his entire suit transforms into a towel wrapped loosely around his waist, which he then promptly drops without a second thought.

Both women gasp, hands flying to their mouths, as Val steps unhurried into the water, entirely unbothered by the audience, something considerably more substantial than either of them expected swinging heavily between his legs as he moves, the water level in the pool visibly rising an inch to accommodate him, a small wave sloshing over the stone rim and soaking both their discarded towels.

Serenith and Kamiko look at each other for exactly one shared second, then bolt out of the spring entirely, giggling like a pair of scandalized schoolgirls, grabbing their things on the way and sprinting out fully naked, water trailing behind them.

They pass Lucien on the way, who’s already doubled over laughing at the sight of them fleeing, and stops them both, looking them up and down. Two flushed, breathless, women still giggling helplessly.

"Are the springs really that good?"

They look at each other, dissolve into more laughter. "You should really go check for yourself," Kamiko says.

"Fine." He scoffs. "Need to blow off some steam anyway." He heads for the spring door.

He steps inside to find Val just settling in, about to take a bite out of a whole loaf of sweet bread while soaking.

"That’s terrible hot spring etiquette." Lucien chuckles. "I’ll keep your secret, though, if you’re willing to share."

Val growls low at him, unimpressed, but tears off a piece and tosses it over anyway.

Lucien strips off his own clothes and slides into the water across from him. "Any wine hiding somewhere in those shadows of yours?"

Val snaps his fingers, and a bottle folds neatly out of the shadow pooling behind him.

"You’re an actual godsend," Lucien says, grinning, reaching across the water toward it.

Val rises slightly to hand it over, and Lucien watches, with slow, growing horror, as something rises out of the water right along with him, breaking the surface like a leviathan surfacing for air, and simply does not stop.

Lucien gulps.

Then yelps.

Then shouts outright, "What the FUCK is that thing?!" as it keeps going.

Val glances down at himself, entirely unbothered, and scoffs. "You shouldn’t feel intimidated, Lucien. Size isn’t a measure of strength or ability."

Lucien stares at him, mouth hanging fully open.

"Size?! That’s a baby dragon. A sea monster. A natural disaster waiting to happen to someone."

Val chuckles despite himself, clearly pleased by the reaction regardless of how he plays it off.

"No wonder you eat so much!" Lucien winces. "That thing looks like it has its own diet and exercise routine."

Val simply conjures another bottle for shadow-chilled wine and washes down his sweetbread before pulling out two more.

Lucien stares at him in an entirely new light after that. Then looks down at himself, between his own legs, comparing without meaning to, and gulps down the rest of his wine in one long, humbled swallow.