Shadowborn

Chapter Four: Proving a Point

I felt like I’d been trampled by a horse. For a brief moment, I forgot where I was. I wondered if I’d gotten caught up in one of Sandrel’s cons. I still held a bit of a grudge from when he’d shoved me in front of that carriage, even if it had gotten us free rooms at the inn that owned it. The longer I lay there, the more I remembered what had led to my current state.

It was cold, and when I opened my eyes I saw a water damaged ceiling with sagging supports. I took a look around the small, dingy room around us. It had once been a fairly simple home, but the years had done it no favors. The smoldering embers of a fire cast a soft glow across it. I briefly worried about Rhallani, but even groggy my brain was able to make sense of the soft warmth currently pressed into my chest.

I risked a glance, trying to move as little as possible. Her head was nestled into my chest, and she had one leg and one arm thrown over me. I could feel the slight rise and fall of her breaths, but most of her was hidden under the blanket that covered us both. She looked so at peace I was loathe to wake her, so I took a look at all the notifications I’d received instead.

[Level up!]

[Level up!]

[Skill Evolution Detected]

[Level up!]

[Skill Evolution Detected]

Hot damn! Three levels and two evolutions? I should definitely be dead right now. I figured the sword had taken up a good chunk of the available XP from the fight, so I shuddered to think of what I might have gained without relying on it. Judging by the pain in my chest I wouldn’t be able to use it safely for about a month, but that was a small price to pay considering the alternative was death.

First things first, I needed to check out those evolutions. They might affect what skill I choose for level eight. Considering how much I’d been using it lately, it was no surprise that the first skill to evolve was my [Hidden Pockets] skill. Now [Hidden Pockets II], my storage had jumped from a five foot cube to a seven foot cube. Not overly helpful currently, but I wasn’t going to turn down extra carrying capacity.

The second one caught me off guard. [Lesser Shadow Manipulation] shouldn’t have evolved until at least level ten, and it should have turned into [Shadow Manipulation]. Something had happened that caused it not only to take a different path, but to split into two skills I’d never seen before.

I racked my brain to think of what could have caused it, but it didn’t take long for me to come up with a working theory. During the battle, I’d used the power from the sword to cast my shadow attacks rather than my mana. Before my reset, I hadn’t been given the cursed blade until I’d been approaching level thirty. Somehow, it had affected my growth. Considering I’d been keeping it stowed since I’d reset, it was entirely possible that it had forced my [Hidden Pockets] to evolve as well.

I’d have to test both my new skills soon, but first I had a skill to select and attribute points to distribute. When I checked the available skills, I was unable to keep my lips from curling into a smile. I didn’t even bother to read the rest of them as I made my selection. This one had saved my life again and again, and I honestly didn’t think I’d be able to get it for another twenty or thirty levels at least.

With that bonus, I didn’t have to worry nearly as much about my physical stats just yet. Running into groups would boost my strength, dexterity, and agility artificially, so I’d be able to hold my own. If [Conjure Shadow] was as powerful as I hoped it was, then I could afford to focus my lower level points elsewhere.

Levels seven and nine each gave me two attribute points, and I already knew where I’d put them. Three into my Focus, and one into my Will. Focus would bring my mana up to 120, and Will would help it regen faster. Considering how things had gone so far, I really needed to focus those stats up. Once I’d allocated them, I took another look at my overall stats.

Looking a little better, but still nowhere near strong enough to save the world. Once I found a decent base of operations I’d need to power level for a while. Maybe Rhallani would be willing to join me. With the book I’d taken and the knowledge I’d gained being subjected to Karn’s experiments, perhaps I could get her a combat class as her secondary.

Almost as if she knew I’d been thinking of her, Rhallani began to stir. Her hand trailed across my chest, sending fire through my veins, and stopped just over my heart. Then, with a sound that was somewhere between a mumble and a sigh, she pushed herself up into a sitting position without looking my way.

I was about to tell her I’d woken, but the words died in my throat as she stretched, reaching her arms above her head with a groan. I found myself very distracted by what she was wearing. Or, rather, what she wasn’t wearing.

With only a bra on to cover herself, I got a good look at what little of her I hadn’t seen so far. In the dim light cast by what was left of the fire I could see the muscles in her back shift as she reached towards the ceiling. She was facing mostly away from me, but I could still make out the swell of her perky breasts. Then she stood, and I saw that she was wearing just as much on her lower half as her top.

Her skirt had been long enough to hide the shape of her, but with nothing but a frankly adorable set of cotton panties to cover her modesty I was confronted with the fact that Rhallani had one of the most perfect asses I’d ever seen in my life. I couldn’t keep my eyes off it even as she walked to the fire and crouched down next to it, throwing a log into the embers and poking it until the flames began to brighten. I knew that the celestial races were supposedly descended from humans and angels, but until I saw her perfect body illuminated by the warm glow of the flame I’d never really believed it. More than anything, after what had happened, the mere fact that she was alive made my breath catch in my throat.

She crouched by the flame for another minute or so with her arms wrapped around her knees. Then she let out a long sigh and pushed herself to her feet. Her eyes were on the floor in front of her as she approached, and I realized I had a problem. Her unwitting show a moment ago had left me very aroused, and the proof of that was currently straining against my pant leg. Seeing the shadows of her collarbones pointing my gaze towards her perky chest, her smooth, creamy stomach, and the dip of her hips that drew my gaze towards what little of her was still clothed definitely didn’t help.

She made it all the way back to me and was just lifting the covers when she finally looked at me. She froze when she realized I was looking back at her. “Um, hi,” I said simply

I figured she’d be pissed I was currently getting quite the eyeful, so I was completely unprepared for her eyes to fill with tears in the brief moment before she launched herself at me. Her arms went over my shoulders and her face buried itself in the crook of my neck. “You’re awake!” she cried.

Okay, I was very glad she wasn’t angry with me, but feeling her chest pressed against mine was not doing anything to help my situation. I put one hand on the small of her back while using the other to try and twist my raging erection away from her. She sobbed into me once, which made me frown. A quick glance at my health and mana, which were full, suggested I’d been out for at least a day. Probably more.

Once I was reasonably certain I’d shifted the proof of my arousal out of the danger zone, I used my other hand to gently stroke her hair. “I’m fine. I’m sorry I scared you.”

Her grip on me tightened. “You were barely breathing! I couldn’t even feel your pulse! Then you didn’t wake up for three whole days and I just…”

I winced. Three days, huh? Great. I’d spent more time asleep than awake since my reset. “Yeah, when I told you that my sword was cursed, I may have downplayed it a little.”

She pulled back. “A little!?” She angrily wiped a tear away and crossed her arms. “That was the scariest moment of my life! I thought that sword was going to devour you! If I hadn’t gotten your—” She froze. Even in the firelight, I could see her face going crimson. She looked down at her state of undress, finally realizing what she’d been showing off.

I figured I’d cut off her breakdown and pushed myself to a sitting position. “You got my scabbard, didn’t you?” I put my hand on her bicep and gave it a squeeze. “You figured out that it would seal the blade from just what you saw in the moment. You’re amazing, Rhallani.”

I hadn’t realized Arelim were capable of turning every bit of flesh from their neck to their ears such a pretty shade of crimson. She looked down, crossing her arms over her chest, and mumbled something that sounded like “it was nothing.”

I looked from her to the fire. Like all celestials, her skin was cool to the touch. She could handle colder temperatures than humans could, which is probably why her clothes covered so little of her. If she’d been snuggled up to me, I could only assume it was to keep me warm. “You saved me from having my soul devoured by a cursed blade then cared for me over the course of three days all by yourself. It’s not nothing.” Her bottom lip trembled. She opened her mouth, and I knew she was about to disagree. I kept talking before she could. “And that’s not even mentioning that miracle you pulled off with the golem. I’m not even sure if amazing is a strong enough word. You’re probably one of the smartest people I’ve ever—”

I had no choice but to stop when her lips crashed into mine. Her skin might be cool, but her lips were warm and soft. It was a clumsy, hectic kiss, but that only made me want to kiss her back even more. I’d only just started to lean into her when she jerked back and slapped both hands over her mouth. She sunk back on her knees with her shoulders slumped. I felt a spike of fear come from her, sharp enough to activate my skill.

“I’m sorry!” she said, her eyes wide. “I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have done that! Please don’t hate me!”

I tamped down the slight frustration that tried to rise and reached out to brush a stray hair out of her face. “It’s alright, I’m not mad. Promise. Why would I hate you?”

“I—I don’t—” She shook her head. “I can’t.”

I raised a brow. I didn’t want to push her too hard, but I was beginning to realize that if I didn’t push her at all I’d never get any answers. I slid over so that my leg was pressed against hers and we were almost face-to-face. “Rhallani, I’m not mad that you kissed me. If you keep apologizing for no reason and being down on yourself, then I might start getting angry. Now, please, answer me. What reason could I possibly have to hate you?”

She sniffled. “Because I’m a celestial,” she said miserably.

My brows drew together. “That’s all?”

I don’t know what she was expecting, but my answer clearly wasn’t it. Her face scrunched up. “Isn’t that enough? What man in his right mind would want something like me?”

All I could do was gape at her. “You’re serious?”

She nodded.

Fine. If she was going to be this weird about it, I wasn’t going to hold back. I gently grabbed her hand. She flinched, but made no move to resist when I pulled it under the covers. She barely seemed to be breathing as I led it towards the part of me that was still straining angrily against my pants. I placed her palm over it, ignoring the heat that flared through my body at the contact, and waited. She didn’t seem to understand at first, then her eyes grew so wide I feared they might fall out of her head.

I smiled. “Does that look like the reaction of a man who doesn’t want you?”

I was fully expecting her to freak out and pull back, so I failed to fully hold back a surprised groan when her fingers wrapped around my cock. She gasped at the sound of my voice, but her eyes never left mine. The fear faded, even if it didn’t disappear completely. “This is…because of me?”

I struggled to keep my breathing as even as I could. “Very much so. You make it very hard to keep my eyes off you.”

She looked at where her hand sat in my lap, then back to me with uncertainty in her eyes. She bit her lip, then her hand started to move down my length. I shuddered at the sensation, and she seemed to take it as a sign to continue. I certainly wasn’t going to complain. “I didn’t think I would…appeal to you. Nobody’s ever looked at me like that before.

“Then they’re morons,” I said through gritted teeth. “I spent half the time we were in the tower trying to hide this guy from you.”

Her breath hitched, and her hand sped up. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

“I really wish you’d stop apologizing for things that need no apology.” I put my palm to her cheek. After a moment, she pressed into my hand without ever taking her eyes off me. “I won’t be upset if you don’t feel the same way, but to say that you appeal to me is a bit of an understatement.”

“T-then, can I—” she stammered to a stop, but I saw her eyes flit down to my lips.
I shifted my hand so that it was on the back of her neck and gently pulled her closer. She allowed herself to lean forward and put her free hand on my chest. Her beautiful blue and golden eyes closed just before our lips met. This time, the kiss was much more hesitant. Much slower. I took my time exploring her lips, and she seemed content to do the same. All the while, her hand never stopped stroking me. It felt amazing, but I ached for more. My pants, which I’d purchased back when I had a more reasonably sized cock, were starting to cause me physical pain.

I pulled back from the kiss. “I’m afraid you’re doing more harm than good down there.”

She was panting slightly. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. She went back to chewing on her lip, then I felt her hand finally leave. My disappointment was brief, as it travelled just far enough to grab the buckle of my belt. She paused, the question clear in her eyes.

I was expecting her to stop, but I was glad to be wrong. I nodded briefly, and she began trying to undo my belt with one hand. She flushed when I chuckled, shooting me a glare. Using the hand not on the back of her neck, I threw the covers aside and gave her some help. Once the belt was out of the way, she fished my cock out with an eagerness that made me raise a brow.

“Oh…” she breathed, unable to take her eyes off it. I couldn’t blame her, Allura’s gift was even bigger than I thought it’d be when fully hard. It was easily eight inches long, and it looked even larger when she wrapped her slender fingers around its base. Her lips curled a little when I shuddered at her touch, then she started slowly moving her hand up and down my length.

“Fffuck,” I groaned. It would seem my new weapon was a bit more sensitive than the old one, too.
Her smile widened, and I sunk my hand into her hair to pull her back towards me. She came happily, returning her lips to mine. I was surprised when she was the first one to send her tongue questing, and let it in happily. She explored my mouth and I hers while she slowly jerked me with soft, smooth motions. She nibbled my bottom lip and my hand found its way to her perfect ass to give it a squeeze.

She moaned into my mouth and her hand sped up. I pulled back but kept my forehead pressed to hers. “Do you want me to touch you?” I whispered.

“Please…” Her voice was barely more than a whisper. I gave her ass another squeeze and she pushed her tongue back down my throat with renewed vigor. I kneaded her wonderfully firm cheek for some time before my hand started to travel northward. I enjoyed every inch of smooth skin that my palm slid over. She shivered when I slid my hand under her bra and gave her perfect breast a squeeze. It fit in my hand perfectly, just as I remembered. She moaned again when I ran my thumb over her nipple and her unoccupied hand twisted behind her. In an single impressive move, her bra was tossed aside. I pulled away so I could enjoy her fully, and the sight of her took my breath away.

Her chest heaved and her tits jiggled magnificently while she continued jerking me off. Two perfect white mounds each topped with a dark gray peak. I leaned my head down and took one into my mouth, and she gasped. Her fingers sunk into my hair and pushed me into her. As much as I enjoyed her breasts, I had one more place for my hand to go questing. It went southward, and her entire body shivered when I ran my finger over the cloth of her panties. It was completely soaked through, which let me feel every bit of her lower lips.

“Oh gods!” Her body jerked when I ran my fingers down her slit. One brush and her legs spread to give me better access. I caressed her folds and she began to push her hips into me. “I—” she broke off with a gasp when I grazed her clit through the fabric, “—I’m afraid you’re doing more harm than good down there,” she panted.

I laughed, releasing her nipple from my mouth, and straightened so that I could look her in the eye. “You think you’re funny, do you?”

She opened her mouth to respond, but at that moment I slid her panties to the side and touched her directly. Her words ended up a gasp, which melted into a moan when I slid a single finger into her core. Her grip tightened and her hand sped up, which made it very difficult to focus, but I still managed to start slowly moving my finger in and out of her.

I kissed a trail from her breasts up her neck, then recaptured her lips just as I slid a second finger in. She moaned into my mouth and began rocking her hips against my hand. Her trembling hand gripped my hair hard enough to border on pain, but that just made me speed my hand up. I could feel myself getting close, and I wanted to finish her first. I curled my fingers towards myself and she cried out, breaking the kiss and burying her head in my shoulder. “More! Please, more!”

I sped my movements up and kissed her neck, then spoke directly into her ear. “See? Now we’re getting somewhere. You’re finally asking for what you really want.” Her only response was to moan into my shoulder and rock her hips faster, trying to match my movements and get my fingers deeper. Her hand wrapped around my cock reached new speeds, and her thumb lifted to brush against my glans. Pleasure washed over me, but I could tell that she was even closer than I was.

“I think that deserves a reward, don’t you?” I whispered.

“Mmmhmm,” was all she could get out.

“Then go ahead,” I pressed my thumb to the nub at the hood of her core, “cum for me.”

Her body clenched around my fingers. I felt a wave of wetness on my hand as her body spasmed, and she cried out. Her grip on my cock grew tighter than ever before, and even through her body-wracking orgasm she kept pumping her arm. The sound of her voice as she came and the feeling of her shaking form pressing into me was enough to finally send me over the edge. I buried my nose in her hair and growled as I came. The first shot hit her on the side, and she somehow had the wherewithal to aim the rest away from both of us.

Once both of our orgasms had finished, I fell back with her on my chest. Her breasts heaved while she tried to catch her breath, and I wasn’t much better. I’d had sex before, but it had never felt like that. My experiences had been solely based on physical attraction. Nights spent desperately seeking comfort and distraction in the arms of someone else who also thought they were spending their final night alive. Those nights with other fighters, frantically trying to find pleasure and comfort without growing attached to one another for fear one of us would die the next day were nothing compared to what I felt now.

I wrapped my arms around Rhallani and kissed the top of her head. She sighed contently and nuzzled into me. “Was that enough?” I asked. “Or do we need to go again to prove that you’re almost as beautiful as you are brilliant?”

She giggled sweetly. “You’ve made your point. Though…”

I bit back a laugh of my own. I trailed my fingertips lightly down her back, stopping to grip her ass. “I’ll prove it as many times as you like.” I felt her shiver against me, but she only repositioned so that she could throw one of her slender legs over mine. For a while we just sat there holding one another. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt so at peace. Now that I’d relieved some of the pressure in my groin, I felt like I could finally think straight. “We should probably clean you up,” I said finally.

“No need.” I raised a brow, and she flushed. “That isn’t what I meant. Watch.” She drew a symbol in the air and whispered a few words, and the cum vanished. “A simple cleaning spell. Before I got my class, my father wanted to make sure I had the skills to serve as a maid if no other option presented itself to me.”

I grinned. “Handy.” That made her giggle. I ran a knuckle across her jaw. “You want to tell me why you were so freaked out before now that I’ve finally gotten through to you?”

Her expression fell, but she didn’t retreat like I was afraid she might. “Like I said, I’m a celestial. Ever since the war, humans have hated us.”

I frowned at that. “That’s hardly fair. It’s not like your people decided to become enslaved to Grimsbane. By the time anyone knew what he was capable with that blood mage class of his it was too late.”

She sat up with wide eyes. “You mean you believe the stories?”

Believe them? Fuck, I’d lived them. I still had nightmares sometimes of being forced to kill the demi-humans that were enslaved to the bastard. To be trapped in your own body and forced to fight the very people trying to save you was a hell I wouldn’t wish upon my worst enemy. The moment I’d cut Grimsbane’s head off the seal had been broken and they’d been freed. Thing had been pretty hectic when I’d left, but I had no reason to believe there would be such deep seated grudges this many years later.

I placed my palm on her cheek. “I have it on very good authority that it’s true. The celestials had nothing to do with Grimsbane’s rise to power. Not willingly, at least.”

Her bottom lip trembled. “Oh. My father had always been adamant, but I thought he was just trying to make me feel better.”

I held my hand out and she took it hesitantly, then allowed me to pull her back down so that she was laying next to me. I wrapped my arms around her and she nuzzled into me. It was only just growing light outside, so there was plenty of time to cuddle. Especially now that I had her talking. I kissed the top of her head and she sighed. I stroked her hair until she felt like talking again. “My father is the only human I’ve met who didn’t look down on us. Even Pierce and his party treated me like I was little more than a child they were begrudgingly taking care of.

I squeezed her. “Fuck Pierce. He’s an asshole.” She giggled. “What about other celestials?”
She didn’t answer right away. “Like I said, my father cared for me. He’s of noble blood, so he was able to protect me and my sister. He gave us better lives than most celestials get to lead, which meant the other Arelim resented us. It’s always just been me, my sister, and my father.”

Damn. No wonder she was so starved for attention. I wanted to reassure her, but there was still too much about the current world I didn’t know. Considering my mission, I couldn’t afford to make hasty promises, no matter how badly I wanted to make sure she never felt so alone again.

I decided it was time to take her mind in a different direction. “So, what happened in the tower after I passed out? I can’t imagine it was easy to get me all the way down here.”

She flashed a smile at me. “Actually, aside from the fact that I was terrified you were dying, it was easy. When you killed the wraith it deactivated all the traps, and I still had a golem that was able to carry you down here.”
“Please don’t tell me you want to go back in now that the traps are inert,” I said with a groan.

She laughed. “No, once you started to get color back, I looked around. I’m guessing all the locked doors were just the bedrooms of the residents. The only room with objects of value was the top floor, and we got the important stuff out of it. I just wish I knew what those poor thralls were.”

I knew, and the answer made me sick to my stomach. Honestly, it took me longer than it should have to put it together. “They were living curses.” She went rigid in my arms. Curses were created by sacrificing levels—the caster’s or a catalyst’s—to create powerful magical effects, usually at the cost of the life of whoever’s levels were sacrificed. It was considered a lost magic, but it was possible to condemn a person to a cursed form by using all their levels as the catalyst. “If I had to guess, the dead-man sigils didn’t just activate traps.”

She shivered, then wiggled deeper into my embrace. “If that’s the case, we’re lucky to be alive. I thought living curses were supposed to be more dangerous.”

I debated hiding the truth from her, but she’d almost died too. She deserved to know. “I think they let us win. They were only pressing me hard enough to force my cursed blade out. As soon as I drew it, they all left you alone.”

She looked up at me with a frown. “Why?”

If Rhallani was half as smart as I thought she was, telling her anything about the blade was risky. Intelligence and curiosity like what I’d already seen from her could be dangerous around something as deadly as the blade I carried. That being said, I simply couldn’t bring myself to distrust her. “The blade devoured their magical energy, but not before it unraveled the curse that kept it in place. Once the curse was unraveled, their souls were freed. It’s the same concept I used to free you from the barrier trap.”

Uh oh. Her eyes were glowing again, which meant I’d flipped her switch. “Unravels magic? Does that mean it was trying to unravel you while you wielded it? How much control do you have over the effects? Can I see it now? You did promise.”

I hesitated, and she immediately switched to a pout. “Drawing the blade nearly killed me,” I explained, “and bringing it out before I’ve fully recovered could be dangerous.” Plus, I was still freaking out a little that it had affected my class, and if Allura was right about an outsider god being drawn to the blade then I wanted to keep it hidden away as much as possible. At least until I had a few more levels under my belt to protect it.

She stuck her bottom lip out. “Fine. I can wait.” She laid her head back down and wiggled into me. “I’m guessing you want to move out soon?”

“The sooner the better.” I needed to get to Amesseria and start getting ready for whatever threat Allura had foreseen. “Do you want to travel with me?” I asked hesitantly.

I hadn’t seen her smile so widely yet, but it quickly fled her face. She buried her face in my chest. “That would be amazing, I’m headed there anyways.”

Well that was either a stroke of good luck or a sign of something else. Had Allura arranged our meeting, or was I just overthinking things? Either way, I found myself rather excited to know that she’d be around at least long enough to get to the capital. However long that took. “In that case, we should probably head towards Listone.” I leaned in and whispered directly into her ear, “This is nice, but it would be nicer in a soft, warm bed.”

She shivered, and I felt her finger trail down the length of my half-hard dick. “Will—” She cleared her throat. “Will it really fit?” she asked so quietly I almost didn’t hear.

I raised a brow. “Do you want to find out?”

She hid her face in my shirt, but nodded ever so slightly. The simple action sent fire through my body. I was painfully aware that the only thing stopping us was my pants and the very flimsy cotton cloth over her privates, but we still barely knew one another. The list of things I wanted to do to her was long, but more than anything else I wanted to know more about her past. About her. I wanted to find every source of pain in her life and make sure she never had to fear them again. If I was understanding her correctly, she’d never been any kind of intimate with a man. I wanted her bad, but for the first time in a long time I wanted something a little longer term than a quick hook up.

I chuckled and forced myself to sit up, bringing her with me. “Then we should get to Listone. Nobody’s first time should be in shithole like this. Besides, I want you to spend the trip back making sure this,” I pointed from her to me, “is something that you actually want.”

She sat up, and her breasts made it somewhat difficult to maintain eye contact. “You think I’m not sure now?”
“I think I saved your life twice, you saved mine, then you went through several days terrified and alone.” I grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Take the two days and think on it and, if you decide you still want it,” I leaned in close, “then I’ll make sure you spend our first day back unable to walk.”

Her face returned to that beautiful shade of crimson. She nodded, but when I went to stand up she pulled me back down. She looked at me with pleading eyes and I couldn’t help but laugh. I leaned in and gave her a quick peck that turned into a less-than-chaste kiss, then she allowed me to get to my feet. I started packing, but by the time I’d put out the fire she’d managed to throw her clothes on, stow the bedroll, and shove her books into her bag. If I didn’t know better, I’d think she was eager to get back to Listone.