Darkness surrounds Krvavy as she steps out onto the loot-filled ptform. The various natural skylights dotted across the cave ceiling are just barely visible, glowing faintly like dull stars and utterly failing to illuminate the grotto far below, leaving it shrouded in a murky haze that her eyes can’t pierce. The sun clearly set... quite some time ago.

  She frowns, steadying herself against the nearest solid wall.

  Krvavy died in the middle of the day. Roughly around noon.

  That some time has passed since then isn’t a surprise. The notification about her death made it clear that she didn’t immediately respawn. That coming back to life would take a while. But it also didn’t say how long it would take. Though... it must have been at least ten, maybe even twelve, hours for it to be so dark...

  The barbarian slowly shakes her head. She can’t really find it in herself to care about that right now.

  Her feet thump into the ground, each step heavier than she’d like. Her hand remains on the wall as she passes through her meager hoard and heads down the path towards where her girls are surely sleeping. She feels heavy. Clumsy. She tries to keep quiet, to not bother her girls, but... she doesn’t do the best job at that.

  “Hmmhnph...?” Beryl tiredly raises her head up from the bedding, blinking a few times in the dim light of the dying campfire. She stares at Krvavy for a few long moments, before her eyes go wide and she bolts to her feet.

  In a matter of seconds the naked Elf has crossed the living area and wrapped her arms around Krvavy in a tight hug. “Oh, my dearest love...! Ya’ve returned...! Ah was so worried...! Ya took so long comin’ ‘ome tha’ Ah almost went out there lookin’ fer ya...!” Despite her enthusiasm and eager joy, the tomboyish Elf knows to keep her voice quiet, just barely above a whisper.

  The knot of worry strangling Krvavy’s heart grows rger and tighter. She died halfway through her trip. If anything, she should have gotten home early. “How... how long was I...?”

  “Oh, so long...! It has been eight whole days since ya left...! Ah’ve missed ya, my dearest love...!” Beryl partially pulls back from her clingy hug, just enough to gaze up into Krvavy’s tired eyes. She freezes. The joy and excitement that she was exuding just moments ago disappears in an instant. Her expression is still warm and loving, but that affection is now buried beneath a mountain of concern. “Are ya alright...? Ya look... worn down.”

  “It has been a long... week.” Krvavy slowly sighs out. She turns her head to the side, staring off into the darkness. “I just want to rex... Sorry about my promise. I’m not really... in the mood to ravish you.”

  “Tha’ is alright, my dearest love.” Beryl gently soothes, letting her hands glide down the barbarian’s sides. “Would ya like me ta accompany ya? Down ta the ‘ot springs? Ah’d be more than ‘appy ta massage this strong bod– Huh?” The Wood Elf’s brow knits together, her blue-green eyes raking across Krvavy’s pale and unblemished skin. “Yer scars. They are... gone?”

  The barbarian closes her eyes. That... is news to her. But it isn’t a surprise. She slowly exhales, visibly defting as her shoulders sag in defeat. She doesn’t know how to expin that, and she isn’t in the mood to just make something up. “I...”

  “Let’s...” Beryl’s tone softens even further. “Let’s get ya ta the wa’er first, alright?”

  Krvavy just nods, passively allowing the tanned tomboy squeeze under her arm, helping her stay upright as they make their way down to the hot springs, one step at a time.

  The sound of running water fills the hot and steamy air. Rexing. Calming. Not nearly as loud as it perhaps should be.

  Krvavy sits in the deepest part of this rejuvenating pond, the pleasantly warm water pping at her bare breasts as she leans back against the smoothed stone edge. A pair of dexterous hands massage her shoulders, nimble fingers kneading tense and stiff muscles like dough.

  To say that Krvavy is exhausted would be an understatement. Not even having a lithe and beautiful Elf in her p, rubbing against her cock and occasionally leaning forwards to kiss her forehead, is enough to get any sort of reaction from Krvavy. She can barely keep her heavy eyelids from completely dropping down. And even then they still can’t help but droop halfway.

  “Beryl...” Krvavy softly sighs, breaking the silence after far too long of a wait. Yet also far too soon.

  “Yes, my dearest love?” Her Wood Elf responds, voice dripping with love, care, and concern.

  “I died.”

  Beryl is silent for a few moments, though her hands continue to caress Krvavy’s tense shoulders. “What do ya mean? Ya aren’t dead. Ya’re right ‘ere in front o’ me.”

  Krvavy stares deeply into the Elf’s bright and beautiful blue-green eyes. She doesn’t want to lie to Beryl. This Elf cares too much about her, even if that is only because of the colr... The colr. Dammit. If this is all real... then...

  “Dearest love?” Beryl’s concerned voice pierces through the barbarian’s thoughts. “Are ya alright? Ya’re worryin’ me.”

  “I...” Krvavy takes a deep breath. She’ll be as honest as she can with her Elf. Just... just not about this possibly being a game. Or about about her maybe being from another world. Krvavy has no idea how to expin either of those things, and she doesn’t want to scare Beryl by giving her some sort of existential crisis. Or by making her think that Krvavy has completely lost it. Which is probably more likely. Also... that would require a lot more energy to expin. So... “I actually died. But I... came back.”

  “How?” Beryl immediately asks, before quickly looking apologetic. “Oh, Ah’m sorry. Ah should let ya talk at yer own pace...”

  Wrapping her arms around her Elf, Krvavy simply holds Beryl tight as she tries to find the right words. “I am the champion of a God. If I die my soul comes crawling back to life. But I don’t know how many times I can do that before I’m gone for good.”

  A thoughtful expression passes over Beryl’s face. After a few moments she nods her head. “Tha’ can’t ‘ave been easy fer ya.”

  “You... you believe me?” Krvavy mutters in disbelief. And immediately feels stupid because of that. She shouldn’t be surprised. Beryl would believe anything she told her...

  “Aye. Why would ya lie ta me?” Beryl honestly questions, leaning in to give the barbarian a peck on the lips. “Do ya want ta talk about it?”

  Krvavy doesn’t respond, instead choosing to rest her forehead against that of her tanned tomboy, her upper horns framing the Elf’s head. Her eyes slowly shut. One of her hands gently glides up Beryl’s back, staying below the surface of the hot spring pool. She pauses for just a moment. “You can Inspe– scry me, right? You should be able to see some proof there.”

  “Ah don’t need proof,” the caramel coloured Wood Elf quietly replies. “but if ya insist...”

  A slight prodding sensation enters Krvavy’s awareness. Not physically, not in her body. Not quite in her mind either... That sensation soon fades... and Beryl immediately jerks back, toned arms outstretched as if holding the barbarian just at the edge of her reach.

  “Ya... Ya’re only level nine!?”

  “That is what you’re focusing on...?” The barbarian bnkly stares at her Elf.

  “Ah thought... Ya...” The tomboy stumbles over her words. “Tha’ is so low...! My dearest love! Ya... Ya are an idiot! No wonder ya died! Ya’re too weak ta be gallivantin’ around the world! Ah should ‘ave been there, by yer side!”

  “I was fine until a damn wizard showed up!” Krvavy growls, clenching her hands into fists as her frustration fres up. But that anger, and the brief burst of energy it brought with it, quickly fades away as Krvavy sees tears welling up in her Elf’s eyes.

  “Ah don’t want ta lose ya!” Beryl sobs, cheeks growing wet from more than just the steam. “Please! Don’t be so reckless! Even if ya can come back ta life!”

  Krvavy tightens her hug, pulling the sad Elf’s head down into her shoulder and rubbing that woman’s toned back. Her own eyes grow damp. Though she doesn’t acknowledge that.

  Beryl quickly calms back down, helped by the fact that she clearly kept reading Krvavy’s stat sheet. “Ya’re pretty strong fer someone so low level...” she quietly mutters out, sounding ever so slightly relieved. “And these traits are–”

  The tanned tomboyish abruptly cuts herself off as she once again pulls back from Krvavy’s grip, intensively staring into the barbarian’s eyes. “Divine Potential...! Do ya have any idea ‘ow powerful tha’ trait is?! Ya could become one o’ the strongest bein’s ta ever exist wit’ tha’!”

  “Yes, I know. Especially after you expined affi–”

  Beryl cuts Krvavy off, breathing heavily as she frantically continues. “Yer Naturists Blessing is amazin’ as well! Oh, it really ‘elps ta expin why ya go around almost naked all the time! Ah’m so ‘appy ta ‘ave tha’ reassurance tha’ ya aren’t just suicidal!”

  “I’m no–”

  Krvavy is hardly even able to a get a word out before Beryl cuts her off again. “And yer nguage blessing, ‘ow does it work? Can ya understand–” Beryl’s voice suddenly changes, becoming even more beautiful and musical than usual, though it sounds like she is speaking complete gibberish.

  Due to your Not So Cunning Linguist trait you are [1%] of the way towards learning Iaith Coetir.

  Beryl smiles widely, looking at Krvavy expectantly.

  The barbarian tiredly stares back. “I have no idea what you just said, and it’ll take at least an hour of listening to that for me to learn it.”

  “An hour o’ just listenin’ ta learn a whole nguage!? Ah-maze-in’!” Beryl gushes, eyes gleaming in amazement. “Ah’ll sing ta ya ter then! Oh, Ah cannae wai’ ta tal’ wi’ sommon inma mo’er tung agai’!” her accent fres up, slurring those words to an almost incomprehensible degree in her excitement.

  Which causes the faintest hint of a smile to py at Krvavy’s lips, completely against her will.

  “Those aren’t the only blessings I have.” The barbarian admits, catching her eager Elf’s attention. This is as welcome a distraction as it was before. More, even. “I can also spend some divine favour to get more. And to upgrade what I already have.”

  “Oh~? Like wha’? But wait, ‘ow do ya earn yer God’s favour?”

  “From ‘fulfilling my desires’ and ‘proving my strength’.” Krvavy answers with a shrug. “Though... that is pretty vague. I don’t really know what either of those mean. Not exactly. I only just got my very first point. From coming back to life.”

  Beryl stares intensely at Krvavy. “Wha’ do ya desire most right now?” she forcibly asks, fingers digging into the Drakling’s shoulders.

  Krvavy opens her mouth to respond, but pauses. What does she want the most right now?

  < ERROR: SOUL-LINK CONNECTION LOST. UNABLE TO ESTABLISH CONNECTION WITH ORIGINAL FORM >

  Besides that.

  If she is stuck in this... world... What does she want? What...?

  “Khalia.” Krvavy says as soon as the thought comes to her. “I want Khalia to get better. At least enough so that she can take care of herself.” She broke the poor, innocent, Orc woman. It is only right that she fixes her. If that is even possible... Still, she should at least try.

  “Alright.” A determined look fills Beryl’s face as she simply nods her head. “Let’s go and do tha’ right now.”

  The Elf quickly climbs out of Krvavy’s p and moves to leave the water, only stopping as a scaled hand grabs onto her arm.

  “What? How? How are we going to do that?”

  “Ah ‘ave a few ideas. Ah might not be able ta get ‘er back ta wha’ she was like before, but ta get ‘er able ta care fer ‘erself again should be easy enough.” The tanned Wood Elf confidently replies, taking advantage of Krvavy’s grip to pull the barbarian out of the hot spring pool and onto her feet.

  “But... I don’t...” Krvavy is a bit too confused to do much more than mutter as Beryl hastily drags her back towards the living area. She doesn’t have the energy to properly resist. But at least she doesn’t seem to need anymore help staying on her feet...? That soak was nice and just what she needed... though she would have liked to have stayed down there a while longer...

  “Beast Magic.” Beryl begins, her blue-green eyes piercing into the barbarian’s emerald pair. “It isn’t the most well suited fer people, but wit’ the state tha’ Khalia is in.... Well, it should work. The smarter a person is the less this kind o’ Beast Magic tends ta affect them, but she doesn’t ‘ave anythin’ goin’ on in ‘er head right now. Ah don’t think...”

  “What are you pnning on doing to her?” Krvavy cautiously asks.

  “Nothin’ dangerous, my dearest love.” Beryl reassures, talking a bit quieter as they approach the living area. “She is yer woman, and Ah’d never dream o’ ‘urtin’ one o’ yer own.”

  That doesn’t do the best job at reassuring Krvavy, but the barbarian doesn’t have much of a chance to probe Beryl either.

  The Wood Elf woman stands above the sleeping form of Khalia. She softly bites her bottom lip, looking the barbarian up and down, before kneeling beside the unresponsive Orc. “Take ‘er.” Beryl softly orders, grabbing Khalia beneath the arms and lifting her towards Krvavy. “We’ll need ta bring ‘er somepce quiet. Don’t want ta wake up yer girl ‘ere. She gets grumpy if ‘er sleep is interrupted.”

  Krvavy is a bit hesitant. But her legs aren’t as numb or unsteady as before, so... She nods and crouches down, carefully scooping Khalia’s limp body into her arms. It isn’t easy. The Orc feels far heavier than normal. But if she only has to be carried down to the hot springs...

  Beryl stops the barbarian before she even takes a step. Without a word, the Elf gently drags Krvavy in the other direction, up towards the loot and Krvavy’s little respawn point cave.

  “Why here...?” Krvavy asks as soon as they arrive. Her breaths are a bit deeper than she’d like to admit.

  “Well... Ah know ya didn’t want me ta bring it up...” the Elf hesitantly starts, gncing off to the side in a way that just makes her look guilty. Which is quite appropriate, considering the next few words to pass her lips. “But Ah think tha’ the, well, ya know, thing tha’ bound me ta ya could ‘elp. And Ah know tha’ ya keep it somewhere around ‘ere.”

  Krvavy narrows her eyes. “You want me to ensve her? I thought that you hated that colr.”

  “Ah do. But this is... a special case. And not just because it’ll be ya usin’ it! Ah really do think tha’ this’ll be safer wit’ its ‘elp.”

  “Safer? You said that this wasn’t going to be dangerous.” The Drakling’s jaw sets. That her Elf still won’t meet her gaze doesn’t help her paranoid suspicion.

  “Ahhhh, well...” Beryl nervously replies, idly touching her neck as she gnces towards the comatose Orc. “It will be safe. Fer ‘er. Maybe not so much fer us. Depends on ‘ow she takes ta it. Wha’ if it works perfectly and she wants ta kill ya? She’s an Orc. They’re an angry people. And ya... Well, she might not like ya. Even if she’d be a fool not ta.”

  Krvavy closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. Maybe if she was in a better state of mind... Maybe if she wasn’t worn down and tired... “Alright.” She reluctantly relents, that single word leaving a sour taste in her mouth. But... her Elf has a point. Krvavy doesn’t want to put Beryl and Thea at risk. So having her Orc immediately fall in love with her, becoming obedient and loyal, is simply for the best.

  And... it isn’t so bad either. Khalia’s mind has already been broken. Having that colr reshape it will... only be an improvement. As long as the Orc can be a person again...

  Pcing Khalia on the ground, Krvavy walks through the illusionary barrier into her private cave, ignoring the surprised sound Beryl makes as she does so. She quickly unseals the colr’s alcove and grabs the damn thing before hastily heading back out. The sooner this is over the better...

  “Wha...? How...?” Beryl confusedly mutters as Krvavy returns. The Elf is knocking her knuckles on what is, to her, a solid wall of rock.

  “There is a little cave there that is bound to my soul. It is where I came back to life.” Krvavy offhandedly expins. “Now tell me what you are pnning on doing to her. And don’t dodge the question.”

  “Of course, my dearest love.” Beryl smiles softly, readily accepting that expnation for walking through a wall. “Ah intend ta use the same fundamental magical idea behind my Calm Creature spell ta stimute ‘er mind. Ah’ll mostly be prodding ‘er different emotions and feelin’s ta get a response out o’ ‘er, but Ah’ll also try ta quash any trauma or fear she ‘as about ya. If Ah can. Ah don’t ‘ave ‘igh ‘opes fer tha’ though. Hence why tha’ thing is needed.”

  “And that will make her better?” Krvavy says with some doubts in her voice. This pn sounds like a magical version of what Krvavy originally tried, which was fucking the Orc to get some reactions out of her. And if that didn’t work...

  “Aye, Ah ‘ope. It can’t ‘urt ta at least try.” The tomboyish Elf reassures. “And Ah mean tha’. Ah’m not powerful enough ta fry ‘er brain or anythin’. The worst tha’ can happen is nothin’.”

  Krvavy is about as reassured as she can be, even if she doesn’t have the highest hopes for it working. “Alright, lets get started. The sooner it is done the sooner I can put this thing back.”

  “Yes, my dearest love.” The tanned Elf nods, before quickly going around Khalia and sitting on the ground next to the Orc.

  Crossing her legs Beryl gently pulls Khalia partway into her p, letting the Orc woman’s head rest against her breasts. “Alright, put it on ‘er now.” She says as her hands firmly hold Khalia’s head in pce, pressing her palms over the Orcs temples.

  Krvavy nods as she crouches down, reaching towards Khalia. With just a moments hesitation, she pushes the colr onto the Greenskin woman’s neck.

  It locks on with a loud, metallic click.