BXBX NOVEL Chapter 60: Thief?
The information she received after using all her knowledge of memory spells and alchemy was invaluable; Sol had been summoned twice, he had already defeated a demon god after spending ten years locked in perpetual combat, he was scarred and broken beyond any soldier she had ever seen, and he attained godhood while still being human, or as he made it seem, he was bullying the gods at his leisure.
And Ikaris was a literal goddess from another dimension who had fallen in love with him, not by name, but in the true sense, it was beyond fascinating, it was impossible, but he had done it anyway, which explained a lot of the things she had seen and heard from them; the first being a strange symbiosis she had noticed among other things.
"I\'ll have to keep this to myself," She had commented as soon as she was privy to this sensitive information: Sol Vestic, the [Tarnished] and Ikaris or [True Goddess Ikaris] as the system called her, she didn\'t know if she\'d die if they found out or if they would just erase her memories again, so she already had countermeasures in the form of a [mimic puppet] in place, a golem-like creature which held all her memories and her personality, if anything happened to her the creature would activate and hide away, and later try to use alchemy to revive or save her somehow.
She was fascinated, frightened, and tempted by his existence.
As Arla sat under the patter of raindrops in her tent reflecting on the incident she smiled, heaving after her fantasies had drowned out her grief for the time being.
"Maybe, someday," She blushed and released a huff of her blue mana from her nostrils. "Maybe..." She pulled her sheets over her shoulder and hugged her staff, creating a small shield around herself as she drifted off into slumber.
"Master," Ikaris snuggled against Sol\'s chest. "Master, wake up," She closed her eyes as his arms tightened around her. "We have to go."
"A few more minutes," Sol groaned and tried squeezing her tighter, but she bit him with a chuckle deep in her throat causing him to sigh and open his eyes. "I was having a decent dream this time," Sol sat up, smiling at her.
"How are you feeling?" Sol stared down at Ikaris, unlike him who was wearing nothing at all, she was covered in a transparent nightgown, which only served to make her more attractive in his eyes as she lazily reached above her head and raised her torso in a stretch to wash away her fatigue.
"Master was so rough," She pouted sitting up and wiping her eyes. "I never expected that you could be so ravenous, I am sore, master," Ikaris admitted reaching down and placing her hand over her abdomen. "You did things to me I had never even imagined, I had to voice my utter satisfaction, the most physical pleasure I have ever endured." She smiled humbly.
"Let\'s-" Sol was about to suggest they start getting ready when someone knocked on the door.
He hugged Ikaris in the sheets and pulled her into his lap. "Yes, Sara?"
"Good morning Sir, Milady, the army should be on the move soon, please eat before we depart." Sara entered with a trey of fresh food and a curtsey, Sol couldn\'t help but notice the bright blush on the woman\'s face as she approached them and skillfully placed the trey on the bed in front of Ikaris.
"Say, how loud were you last night?" Sol looked down at Ikaris in his lap who grabbed the first piece of warm bread and dipped it in the sauce and began eating it without abandon. He couldn\'t recall anything but her voice.
"A loch (a lot)" Ikaris answered, looking around at him with sauce on her face and a mouth full of food. "Mashkur wash wuff (master was rough)" She chuckled, and again Sol noticed Sara\'s face redden. "I couldn\'t hold my voice."
"It was delight beyond my wildest expectations!" Ikaris swallowed her food and gave Sol the universal "Ok" sign with her free hand before turning to her food and devouring like a starving animal.
"After another thirty minutes of going through the motions, the two finally readied and left with Sara\'s magic, appearing in their tent where to their shock they found Dina standing with her head hung and her arms folded while her boots tapped the ground impatiently.
"Please," Dina ground her teeth. "If you plan to disappear, please let someone know at the very least, I searched the entire camp!" She snapped at the two, and while Sol didn\'t care enough to respond, Ikaris gave Dina a disgusted glare and peeled her lip into a frown.
"One does not just casually tell everyone when they are going to get their brains fucked out do they?" She asked, approaching and standing before Dina with a raised brow. "Why do you care so much what Master and I are up to?" Ikaris asked while Sara gave Dina a bow as greeting.
"You\'re a part of the heroes\' party aren\'t you, do you expect me to ignore your presence all the time just because we don\'t get along?" Dina stood her ground and placed her hands on her hips while her eyes wandered over Ikaris\'s shoulder to Sol. "We had a meeting last night and you were supposed to be there-"
"-Eris always fills me in whenever I need to know something, and my knowledge of whatever doesn\'t matter either way, I act independently in case you have forgotten!" Ikaris countered and slammed her forehead into Dina\'s causing the mage to reel back in shock and pain. "You have gotten brazen again, I should-"
"Oi, Ikaris," Sol caught her hand before she could punch Dina\'s face in. "Be nicer to her, she\'s only concerned about your well-being," He looked at Dina who staggered and almost fell as blood dripped down her nose.
"Fuck!" Dina snapped at tears welled up in her eyes. "You\'re impossible to deal with!" She exclaimed, casting [minor heal] on herself to stop the bleeding. "We\'re leaving in a few minutes, get out so the people can do their jobs!" She spun on her heels and stomped out of the tent, leaving Ikaris fuming and Sol staring at her confused.
"Why did it have to be you of all people!?" They heard her raging outside as her voice faded with distance.
"What\'s gotten into you all of a sudden?" Sol asked.
"Is it not obvious enough without me saying it?" Ikaris stared at him, still upset after her interaction with Dina.
"Eh?"
"Sir, for all the power you have, and being so self aware; you are sometimes very dense," Sara shook her head and gestured to the exit.
"Hm," Sol stared at Ikaris with a raised brow, and she lowered her head at his gaze and extended her hand toward him.
"Master, you are as impossible as ever," She took his hand and pulled him along.
"What happened?" Eris came walking toward them as soon as they were out of the tent. "Where were the two of..." She paused in her stride and stared at the bloodstaing on Ikaris\'s forehead, remembering immediately that Dina was bleeding. "Ikaris~" She approached and pulled her away from Sol with sisterly care.
"You should stop attacking people when you don\'t get along with them," She chastised her, casting [heal] on her forehead as well, but Ikaris pulled her hand away and pushed Eris\'s hand.
"I am fine, Eris." She grumbled. "Do not expect me to befriend or get along with that thief."
"Thief, what\'s there to steal?" Eris asked shocked, and then looked at Sol and sighed; Sol was the only topic that Ikaris showed true passion over, she was especially sensitive about him when it came to the other women around her and how nonchalantly he handled their presence.
"I doubt Dina would... right?" Eris too was at a loss of words when Ikaris\'s words made more and more sense as she thought about how Dina behaved. "Huh?!" She snapped. "It\'s so obvious that I never noticed," She slapped her fist in her palm. "But, you don\'t need to worry about that either," She slung her hand over Ikaris\'s shoulder with a grin. "He\'s too dense to let it happen,"
"Dense..." Sol held a deadpan as he stared at the dynamic between Ikaris and Eris, and compared it with how she treated everyone else.
"Well, whatever," He summoned his usual light armour over his clothes and called his horse with a whistle. "I\'ll leave you to your duties," He waved at them and then wandered off into the camp with Sara bowing to them and following after him.
"Ugh," Ikaris watched Sol leave. "Master."
"Are you sure you are okay?" Eris asked her, watching her hand gently run across her abdomen and noticing her slouch.
"I\'m just a bit oversensitive right now... and sore," Ikaris chuckled mischievously and watched Eris\'s face turn red as her blood rushed to her head like a boiler.
"L-lets go meet up with the others, there were a few changes to the plans last night too so I\'ll go over them while we\'re en route." Eris adjusted her glasses, and turned her gaze.
"Hehe sure."