The Sword and The Shadow

Annelotte smothered him from behind and pressed her face against his back. Though she still smelled of alcohol, he could pick up her familiar scent almost instantly.

Meanwhile in Leguna's mind…

What the hell! The sky is falling! The earth's cracking open! He didn't know why, but that was all that he could think of in his head. It felt like thousands of horses were galloping on the plains of his heart. An understatement, really.

He was completely stunned and nobody other than soulgraspers like Angelista would know what he was thinking.

Those who saw him petrified would only think of two things. Either his mind short-circuited or he had been struck by lightning and had his nerves and brain fried.

Either way, he was at loss as to what to do.

"What? You don't wanna?" As she was still rather drunk, she leaned into him to keep her hands while pressing her soft bosom against his back.

It was currently summer and all she wore was a thin robe with good airflow. Even her undergarments were designed to dissipate heat. As such, he could even subtly feel the two cherries atop her sponge cakes. The thought of the person before her with the stunningly beautiful face made his nose start to drip.

[At this rate, you'll bleed out and die from blood loss in five minutes,] Gahrona gleefully said. Lighteater, which she inhabited, was placed in the corner of the room. He now had the habit of carrying it wherever he went.

He slurped his nose harshly.

"Do you… really not want to?" she asked hesitantly, seeing that he hadn't replied after so long. Even drunk, it took her crazy levels of courage to make an advance (not that Angelista would tell her about the little suggestion trick she used). Was he willing to do it or not?

'To be or not to be, that is the question!' An outlandish, foreign phrase appeared in his head. He shook his head to clear his mind and resorted to asking his teacher.

[Teacher, what do you think I should do?!]

[How would I know?]

Gahrona didn't want to bear responsibility for this.

[Just give me some suggestions… I'm really at a loss right now…] he pleaded.

Gahrona fell silent, then said, [Follow your heart, Ley. There's no choice you can make now that things have developed this way. Annie's just a girl and I've known you intend to treat her well for life. So, even if you take her now, there's nothing wrong with it. Come to think of it, I don't see how it'd be possible for you to resist.]

[So, you think I should push her down?]

[You can say that, but it's just my point of view, an orc's. You humans have different values among yourselves, to say no less about the different values other races hold. My opinion might not be the best for you, so the choice is still yours to make. It's your life, after all.]

Leguna pondered for a moment in silence and said, [I understand.]

[So you have an answer now?]

[No.]

[Then what did you come to understand?]

[You said so much and beat around the bush while avoiding the topic, all because you don't want to be responsible. You're quite useless at times, Teacher.]

[Hey! This is between the two of you! Why should I be responsible for it? Don't think you can use me to eat m ease your guilt for bedding her! It's something you'll have to bear yourself! I'm not taking a shred of responsibility!] She cried out so agitatedly that Lighteater even began to glow somewhat.

Leguna stopped responding to her and wiped the blood off his nose. He then turned to Annelotte, whose expression had turned complicated from the long silence.

She was blushing so hard even her ears were red. When she saw him turn around, she stood motionlessly, completely dumb as to what to do. In an instant, shame, rage, clarity, and confusion all flashed through her mind. She fidgeted and touched her hair before turning around and back, as if she didn't know where to put her hands.

How cute!

He smiled warmly all of a sudden and took both her hands. He then planted a kiss on her little lips…

Was it a night of passion?

……

Annelotte found herself naked in the bed when she woke the next morning. The evening's heat meant not even a sheet was covering her. She lay completed unveiled to the room, glowing golden like a freshly sculpted masterwork statue in the morning sun.

The realisation only stuck with her for half a moment, however. The more overpowering realisation was that another figure slumbered beside her.

Short black hair on a slender, chiselled face greeted her. The male was as nude as her, and his right hand rested under her neck.

She blinked violently, certain it had to be a hallucination, a leftover of her sleep, the product of her yet-to-fully-awaken mind.

Her eyes opened ten seconds later, but the male's face was still there, just as it had before. The only difference was a thing sliver of saliva which had escaped his mouth and was reaching for the bed. He groaned and rubbed his eyes with his free hand.

"Come, Annie… How about another round?" he mumbled.

"Phew… phew…"

Annelotte looked at her right hand. After making sure she was not asleep, she raised it, and…

Whack!

"Ach!"

The bright cry echoed through the entire manor, waking anyone still asleep.

"Did you forget what I said?! Go about your own business!" Alaine shouted, jumping in front of her mistress' bedroom door to shoe away any prospective intruders.

She'd known something would happen, much as she hated the thought, so she was prepared.

Nobody was allowed to enter the mistress's chambers under any circumstances. Galestorm Manor could be flattened from magic running wild.

Looks like the lecher lives up to his name after all! she thought, feeling rather ambivalent, Guess My Lady turned him into scraps. I wonder if I should get one of those scraps to keep as a memento?

"Annie… listen to me, Annie! It really isn't what you think!" Leguna shouted, his cheek rapidly swelling up in the shape of a delicate palm.

"What could you possibly have to say?" Annelotte half-shouted.

Her blue hair shimmered under the glow of raging enthymema.

"Let's talk about this like two adults!" the boy shouted pathetically, sweat pouring off him even more than it had been for most of the previous evening.

"Right then, let's talk!"

Her voice was crunching ice, and the space around her shimmered from the force of her magic.

"Now? Bur… we're still naked."

Stunned, Annelotte looked down and released her sculpted beauty was still on display to the +%$*(&# bastard. She couldn't see anything besides the tips of her toes beneath her breasts, but the pale lumps glimmered like steamed buns in the sunshine -- their tips a seductive, glowing, euphoric pink she'd never seen before.

She froze.

Ten seconds of absolute silence passed, then a sound none of the servants in the manor could ever forget cracked the space on the estate.

"Kyaaaaaaah!"