"So you didn't want Aria bound when you did her bond. Has your opinion changed for me?" Quimaru asked once we were back in our dorm.
Aria was hugging my side very protectively and making sure she was positioned between the Zodathak and myself while Sapphire was coming back from checking each room.
"No but you will need to remove your top and turn around. I presume you've already seen Johns unique way of creating our bonds?" Sapphire answered as she moved Quimaru around so her back was towards me.
"Yes. He needs to create some type of circuit with our bodies all connected for his Mana to move through. This is what you presume let's us share our mutations with each other." The purple women said as she removed her top.
I managed to catch a quick peak as she was turned to the side and was slightly surprised her nipples were a bright pink in contrast to the dark purple of her body. Sapphire just gave me a look that said focus but it was Quimaru that called out.
"Far too easy to arouse. I see now what that means." She let out a soft chuckle "He is going to be trouble."
"He already is." Sapphire said with a sigh. "Now hands where I can see them and let's get you bonded. Then you can be friendly with him."
Quimaru put her hands out straight and held still. Aria nodded not that she could be seen and waved a hand to say I could go.
Now this could be interesting. Last time I had one hand on each of my girls but this time I'd have to do something different. Taking Arias hand in my right I put it on top of my left as I placed it on Quimarus back. That's two down.
Sapphire took my unclaimed hand for herself a smile almost making its way to her face before she refocused. Now let's do this.
Like before in my infinite wisdom of doing this I grabbed a healthy amount of my dwindling Mana and threw it into Quimarus back. There was a bit of pushback as it seemed to want to flow through the other two first but it eventually found its path with a lot less flare that Arias.
There was still the mint feeling and the pull of Quimarus Mana changing to my frequency but nothing explosive like Arias.
"Was that it?" The Zodathak asked once we all removed our hands.
"I think so. Check will you?" Sapphire answered with her own question.
Quimaru turned around and held her hand up to her chest with her eyes closed. I of course looked at the half nude woman faced towards me only this time Sapphire didn't say anything. She almost seemed happy now that she was bound. My shield flashed as whatever Quimaru did took affect and I mentally reactivated it.
"Yes I'm now bonded." Quimaru happily said getting up to dance now that the others weren't holding her down.
I averted my gaze and found Aria looking at me with a fondness she hadn't had in the two days we'd been together. "Something up?" I asked more trying to distract myself from Quimarus happy dance.
"You are very different than the males we're use to." She replied not giving anything more.
"Oh. Is that good or bad?" I said back.
"Good. Very good." The big woman returned.
"Now not to interrupt but can I have my stuff back Aria?" My new guard asked still not putting a shirt on.
Yip still pink and very well endowed. Maybe it's a trait of all alien women to be so stacked just to give them a better chance at attracting a male. Whatever the case it was definitely in my favor.
"Sure." Aria replied to Quimarus question and began to pull out the various things she'd had around her in the training area.
I excused myself to go wash up and also so I didn't embarrass myself by how obvious I was staring. Sapphire didn't miss the opportunity to join me under the presence of security but I didn't mind.
Putting our clothes in the cleaning compartment I winced for whoever had to clean the bloodstains out of Sapphires but then remembered Aria's and the state of hers. They just needed to be burnt at this point there was no saving it.
"Are you okay John?" Sapphire finally asked when we were both under the spray.
"Yeah I guess so, why?" I turned her around to face me, grabbing a loofa and slowly dabing the spot her wound had been. There was no sign of it on her skin but Amethyst hadn't removed the blood that was stuck to her hair and around the skin.
"You have just had a second attempt on your life. I want to know your still fine." She responded with giving me a small smile.
She was correct in a sense I guess. It just hadn't sunken in yet. Then again I have been taken from my planet and given a bunch of powers only available in video games so part of me has dissociated from this whole thing. It just seemed so expected. I have guards and magic, I'm not surprised I guess.
Finding my words I answered Sapphires question. "I really am fine, you two did an amazing job really."
Sapphire didn't seem to believe me with her doubtful expression.
"Sapphire I was uninjured and both of you survived." I added moving one of the tap heads to start washing her hair. "I don't know how normal all this is but because of how new to this I am I kind of just accept this as my new normal."
That seemed to annoy her as she raised herself until she was a head taller than myself and had her tail completely wrapped around my legs. "John this was not normal. Acolytes should not be hunted like that so brazenly, you should not have been shot at on your second day and you should not just brush it off as if you expected it. We are your guards, yes. We are persistent with your shield, yes. But that's all mainly to practice for when you become a full mage and have to patrol through dangerous territory. Not because it's normal to kill Acolytes aboard the bloody Acolytes rest!"
She finished with a rapid breath that her anger seemed to break through. I thought through her words catching her slight spike in her tone when she mentioned the day it was just the two of us and the cyclops almost got the drop on us.
"Regardless Sapphire we're still here." I tried to calm her. "You and Aria did your job excellently. And as you said, this can be practice for when I finish my Acolyteship?" Should find out if here's a word for finally becoming a mage.
My blue lamia looked like she wanted to argue more but the door was opened and Aria came through. The two girls looked at each other having a silent conversation before Sapphire relented, releasing me and exiting the shower with a sigh. I tried to make my way out with her but was stopped by my angel.
"Would you mind staying John? I would like to talk." She asked meekly trying to look as small as possible.
"Sure." I replied getting back under the water. I was briefly reminded that I was still naked but before a flush could grace my cheeks Aria stripped out of her uniform breaking it even more when it refused to fold around her wings.
This was the first time she'd willingly been naked in front of me and I almost missed Sapphires favorite line as she left. "Too easy to arouse John. But I'll let you off this time."
Aria ignored the lamia and shut the door behind her making sure it was locked, although with how much strength Sapphire had in her tail I doubt it would have held for too long if she wanted to get back in.
That just left Aria and me.
"Do you want me to wash your back." I said lamely trying to focus on something that wasn't the large naked woman in front of me.
She easily dominated the room with her sheer size alone to the point I would be looking straight at her chest if I didn't crane my neck. Yet at the same time she managed to look so submissive.
"I would love that." Aria replied coming into the shower itself. The shower head in the very center of the ceiling seemed to detect her height and adjusted accordingly by retracting further untill it was a good hand width away from her hair.
Aria gave a soft smile down at me when she caught me staring between the tips of her boobs and her face. I tried to think of something to say but she beat me to the punch when she produced a bottle of something from her inventory.
"Feather shampoo. If you don't mind?" She said offering the bottle.
I took it with a nod. I mean what did I really expect, she has wings after all of course that would be included in washing her back. The only thing she's really missing from earth stories is a halo.
Heedless of my turmoil Aria turned around and sat down with her legs crossed, flexing her wings out until they almost hit the wall on either side. It was obvious something had happened as similarly to Sapphires head there was streaks of blood painting the whites of some of her feathers.
"I thought you guys shared mutations, shouldn't it have stopped most of this?" I asked quietly running my hand through her right wing. It was incredibly soft but that feeling was ruined when my hand found a clump of dried blood. There was no injuries any more thanks to Amethyst but the effect was still the same. Part of me was surprised the goblin captain had let us into the training ground at all looking like this.
"Armour penetration." Aria answered. "Sapphires mutation stops anything lower than grade three. What they were using was grade two and three so there was a few times they hit partially weak points. There was also lazer weaponry being used. Sapphire had a natural advantage with her scales but for me even with her mutation my skin and feathers still burn if hit enough times."
Aria offered a brush over her shoulder that I presumed was for her wings so I took it and began trying to get as much of the dried blood off as I could before using the soap. As soon as I began I noticed her feathers falling out in obvious patches that seemed to have been hit with the more powerful rounds. I tried my best to keep them from all going down the drain until Aria stopped me.
"Do not worry about that John. The plumbing has to put up with multiple Vattares washing together so a few of my feathers are not going to do much."
"That's reassuring." I mumbled being slightly more rough on a stubborn glob neer the edge of her left wing now that I wasn't too careful about loosing the dead feathers. "How long will it take to regrow these as I presume you can't fly right now?"
"A week." Aria replied quickly. "I can take a form of medication to speed up the process if need be but there is a lack of flying areas outside of the training ground in the Acolyte areas. Perhaps I could take you to one of the more open areas if you don't mind me carrying you."
That sounds like fun. I mean if I could figure out a spell to fly on my own that would be great but I would definitely take Arias offer.
"Definitely interested." I replied done with my initial brushing. Now for the shampoo.
Sapphire had shown be how to use the controls so I turned them all down but left the one on my back just so I didn't get too cold. Then I started to lather the substance along the top of her wings letting it drip down part way before I started rubbing it in properly.
"That wasn't what you wanted to talk about though was it?" I asked now that I'd found a rhythm.
"No. I wanted to ask what your plans were for after you finished your minimum time as a mage for the Constellation?" Aria answered, her face turned around enough that she could see my expression.
Than was not at all what I was expecting. Truth be told I hadn't thought that far ahead. My current plan was just to figure out how to be a mage in the first place but she had a point. I should think about the future at some point. Now was probably not the best time however.
"No idea." I said giving her a smile. "I've only been a Acolyte for a few days and that's not taking into account the fact I found out aliens are real, so I guess I've been spending most of my time trying not to look like a complete idiot."
That got a laugh out of her but she stopped when it started to shake her wings. "You haven't looked like an idiot. Maybe a little clueless but definitely not stupid."
My turn to smile. "So my plans for now are still the same. Figure out how to be a mage then go explore the universe."
"You wouldn't want to go back to earth?"
I finished up the back of her wings and came around her right side to begin doing the inside. Thankfully there was very little damage done here so it was a lot easier.
"No." I said simply. "As I said before I left nothing behind except a boring job and an apartment that's probably already been broken into. So any personal effects of mine are already lost. That's not to say I wouldn't visit but trying to persuade humans not to shoot at Sapphire is a problem if rather not deal with."
"You would stay with Sapphire? Even if you didn't have to when your contract ends?" Aria was looking at me very intently as she asked.
I rinsed off the inside of her right wing and moved across her front to the other. Aria didn't stop me even when I obviously ogled her on the way.
"I don't think I'd be able to leave her if I tried." I answered. "But I doubt I would anyway. She's wriggled her way into my life quite quickly and I don't think I'd enjoy exploring without her. It really doesn't help back on Earth I fantasied about finding a monster girl."
I hastily added. "Girls with none human attributes."
"What about me?" This time I saw the slight vulnerability that she was trying to suppress.
"That's a question I can't answer." I said simply finishing up with the last wing. I moved in front and helped her rise. By helped I offered my hand for her to grab but we were both under no illusions that I could actually lift her up.
Once she was standing I had the perfect view of everything and tried my best to look her in the eyes instead of her nipples that had pebbled against the cold air.
"You wanted to pursue me at your own pace, so I'm trying to respect that. If you want my honest opinion on if I want you by my side. That's easy. You're a beautiful woman that I would love to explore in all the carnal ways and you have proven today that you will stand by my side regardless of what we're up against. If you have any doubts look at the state of your wings. That's proof enough to me." My speech was slightly ruined when I looked from her face to her chest then south again.
Aria eventually responded after a bit of time had passed. "I'm your guard John that's part of my job."
"Regardless, I think you went above and beyond. I just hope Quimaru will be enough to tip the odds of we don't have Tayatt and her girls next time." I silenced her self criticism.
Aria scoffed quietly with a roll of her eyes that I swear she picked up from Sapphire. "Is that your way of saying you want more guards? Are we not enough?"
I elbowed her lightly in the stomach. "You know what I mean. You almost sounded like Sapphire then. What's next, you start saying I'm so easy to arouse?"
She gave me a playful glare that dipped down to the evidence that proved that statement was very true. In response I tweaked her left nipple getting a sharp hiss from the angel that made her step back and cover up her body with her wings.
"Fine I'll give you that one." She playfully jested keeping her wings as her own personal shield. "Shouldn't have been naked in front of you in the first place. Don't know what I expected really."
"A good rub down starting with your wings and ending with a little skin on skin contact?" I said while miming running my hands down her back. Don't think I missed her saying we.
Aria blushed something fierce. "T-that... I will take my leave now. Thank you for the... Wash."
I didn't get to respond before she rushed out of the shower and washroom not bothering to grab a towel. I couldn't really understand her. One moment she was standing confidently naked in front then the next she was running away. Admittedly I could have been a bit more reserved but I must have misread her. Thought being naked was her way of saying we were making progress.
Too much too soon John. I scolded myself.
Sapphire didn't waste the opportunity and slithered her way inside with a devilish grin closing the door on Quimaru who was trying to catch a peak. "Don't take it too heart John, angels are fickle creatures, especially around people they wish to pursue. Now would you like some assistance?"
I wasn't really given an option but I was allowed to touch her horns. Very good handlebars indeed.