Galataea Crystallim Core 2
Page 17
Scott looked up the price list for basic skills then chose the most expensive empower skill, Empower Vitality. It cost him one gold credit, far more than any of the other basic empower skills would cost.
After he learned and properly trained the skill, he could develop it to the point that he had much more vital force to work with during training sessions and in emergencies. It was practically a must have skill for a mage given the slower growth rate for humans. Higher vital force meant more capacity to train skills. Stronger skills required more vital force. It was a vicious circle and humans often did not rate highly in regards to high-end skills because of it.
“We have that mission in a few days. I better get started.” He doubted that he would learn the skill before then even with dedicated training. Still, once he mastered it he would be able to train skills with much greater ease. Scott called up a copy of the training manual that he'd purchased then went out to train.
A few hours passed as the training session wore on. The empower skill training mostly involved reading the manual and focusing on how his energy centers reacted to certain manipulations. He needed to tune his body for it properly before he could use it.
Eventually, most of the girls wandered off to the sauna to enjoy a relaxing steam. The only people left in the room were Scott and Shaia.
The hunter glanced over at the water tank and watched as Shaia relentlessly fired water spears toward moving targets. A soft smile denoted his thoughts on the matter. "She tries so hard."
Shaia panted heavily a few minutes later, after another round of water spears, and then collapsed in the water. Scott knew that she would not drown, and suspected that she had depleted her vital force by too great a degree. Even so, she was one of his dear companions. The moment she went down, he rushed over to check on her.
Scott hopped into the tank then pulled the girl back to the surface. He swam with her over to the narrow entrance ladder and sat on the little shelf next to it. Non-amphibious water types used it to sit above the water so that they could practice their skills easier.
He held the gasping girl gently in his arms, a position reminiscent of her sitting in his lap, and nuzzled his chin against the top of her head. He called up his inventory and pulled out a health restorative hypo-spray. He placed it against her arm and a brief hiss signaled the fact that its contents had entered the girl's body.
She began to calm down a few seconds later. Soon, she breathed normally once more. Shaia shuddered and trembled briefly, but said nothing for a time.
Scott stroked her hair then gently kissed her on the ear. The mermaid tensed up for a moment then slowly relaxed into his embrace.
“I-I’m sorry,” she said after a few minutes passed. She sniffled once more and sadly fanned the water with her tail.
Scott realized that she was crying. “Shaia...”
She made a cute little noise then shook her head. “S’ok...”
Scott said, “You have been training hard.”
She remained quiet, but her tail fanned slightly once more. This time it seemed slightly hopeful for some reason. Honestly, he would have been hard pressed to explain why he thought such a thing, but the change in motion did seem to speak to hope rather than despair. Scott took that change as a good sign.
“Your accuracy has increased greatly and you’ve become quite strong,” he said, before kissing the top of her head gently.
She sniffled softly, but her tail fanned the water a little more. Quietly, she said, “Not enough...”
He gently rubbed her shoulder then ran his nose against her ear. Shaia’s tail curled over slightly and she made a strangled gasping noise.
“Do I still frighten you?” asked Scott.
“A little...” she said in a gentle and nervous tone.
He kissed her sweetly on the ear then whispered, “What can I do to make you feel better?”
Her tail spasmed and she started to pant. Shaia was too stimulated to respond.
“You’re such a sweet and beautiful girl. I am sorry to see how upset you are when I’m around,” he said.
Shaia spasmed in his arms, and then she went a little limp. Her panting slowed, and her tail began to fan the water once more.
“What about me frightens you?” he asked gently.
“Everything...” she replied quickly.
“Really? Is it so bad that you wish for a different master,” he asked in a soft tone of voice.
“No!” Shaia wriggled in his arms. “No, no....”
He kissed her on the shoulder and she froze up again. “I care about you Shaia. I wish I knew how to help you be more comfortable around me.”
“You do...?” she asked in a tiny little voice.
“Yes. I want you to be comfortable and have a happy life with us,” he replied.
Slowly, her tail began to fan once more. It picked up speed and showed a nervous motion. “I would like that too...”
Scott thought about what he'd seen recently. Shaia underwent training with Pirouette and Flora to help her be able to deal with him easier. He had no real idea what they did, but from what he'd seen it seemed quite interesting. That image was burned into his mind, actually. He knew that she wanted to spend time with him, but she was so painfully shy and easily embarrassed that she could not bring it upon herself to make it happen.
He took a deep breath then sighed. When they first met she seemed extremely interested in physical intimacy.
After she woke from Nightmare status, and became stable, her personality proved to be a far cry from what he expected. There was no problem in that being the case. She was a sweet girl, and she worked quite hard. He had resolved to take things slowly and let her move at her own pace for a while.
However, she now trained so hard that she risked injuring herself. She obviously had a psychological issue. She was frightened by what he represented. She was a supremely innocent sort of girl, and the idea of developing any sort of physical intimacy caused her to panic.
“We don’t have to do anything, you know,” said Scott.
“Huh?” she asked.
Scott hugged her tightly. “I’m not going to molest you, or force you to do anything that you do not want to do.”
“I know...” she said softly.
“Does holding you like this make you uncomfortable?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said with a slight quaver in her voice.
“I’ll let you go then,” said Scott.
She shook her head a little. “You don’t have to...”
“Then I’ll hold you tighter... alright?” he asked.
She made a strangled noise, but nodded her head once. Scott’s arms were crossed over her torso, one hand was on her left shoulder, and the other lightly caressed her hip. He embraced her tightly in a gentle squeezing motion that caused her to squeak a little.
They remained that way for quite some time. Shaia and Scott grew a little closer that day, and by the time that the other girls returned to the training room to check on their master and mermaid companion, Shaia had already returned to training. She was determined to become as strong as she could so that she could be a confident and powerful member of the team.
In their own way, each of the girls wanted to prove themselves. It was not just about becoming stronger, however. It was about determining their place in the world. As a group, no as a family, they were developing bonds far stronger than any ranked skill or status upgrade. One step at a time, and with each day that would come to pass, they would grow closer.
###
Thank you for taking the time to read this book. Galataea Crystallim is a longtime project of mine, one of many that features beautiful monstergirls who only want someone to love them, support them, hold their hair when they are drunk, or at least knock their lady junk around a little when they're bored. Much like my other stories, it is a bit of a passion project for me, as it combines my love of ridiculous humor with sexy shenanigans.
If you enjoyed this book, then I ask that you share it with your f
riends and on social media. Let it be seen throughout the world!
If you hated it, then by all means tell everyone that as well. It is the only way that I'll learn my lesson.
Either way, please review this book at the site of the distributor from whom you purchased it. Reviews are the life's blood of authors and can make or break a series!
Thanks again!
~Scottie Futch
About the Author
Scottie Futch is a goofy sort of fellow who enjoys parodies, anime, pop-culture, zombies, and various lewd images of innocent videogame heroines who are no doubt far better portrayed by their source material than any parody he might create.
He also likes cake.
I'm telling you, this guy really loves his cake. It's almost a mental health disease at this point. If you're religious, pray for him. If not, ask the flying spaghetti monster to pay back the money that he borrowed. The author knows where that fool lives. He can't dodge true justice forever!
May his sauce be forever saucy...
Discover Other Titles by Scottie Futch
1. Origin ARS
2. Galataea Crystallim Core
3. Freelance Saga
4. Galactic Fist of Legend
Contact Me
Follow Me on Twitter: @ScottieFutch
Friend me on Facebook: Freelance Saga
Visit My Wordpress Site for Galataea: Galataea Crystallim
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