“It’s a good thing I’m finally ready for you then,” she whispered into his ear, her suddenly sultry tone making his skin prickle.
“Ready?” Aziel asked as she placed her hand on his chest and began pushing him backward and down onto his seat.
“Yes, Grove Master. It is time we expanded our grove, time you made me yours… completely,” Niyela murmured as she leaned forward, her face only inches away. “Will you take me?” she asked, her brown eyes fixed onto his. As they gazed at one another, her wooden armor began to sink into her skin, leaving her as naked as he had first met her in her new form.
Aziel’s heart raced within his chest. He had been thinking about this since he first met her incarnate form. Niyela was quick-witted, powerful, and stunning in her beauty. The only thing that had made him hesitate was the procreation aspect… but his views had changed on this too. He reached for her, but just as he was about to touch her, she slapped his hand away.
Niyela stood straight and tilted her head, one eyebrow arching upward. “Will you make me yours?” she repeated.
Confused, Aziel reached for her once more, only for her to slap his hand away again, her grin spreading wider. From the look she gave him, Aziel finally understood what she wanted. And from the way she shivered, she had felt it.
Instead of reaching out to caress her, he wrapped his hand behind her neck and pulled her to him, his lips pressing hers as he kissed her hard. Niyela moaned as he forced her to the ground, kneeling before him. “Is this want you want?” he whispered, holding her in place. “To be handled?”
“Yes…” Niyela said, her voice shuddering with desire.
“Speak clearly,” he commanded as he grabbed a tuft of her soft green hair and jerked it backward, forcing her to face him.
“Yes, Grove Master. Use me as you desire.”
Aziel smiled. Though rough play was not something he usually partook in, or sought, he and Celia had engaged in it from time to time.
“Undo my belt, and serve your Grove Master,” he ordered, noting a thin ring of green now lining her brown pupils. Although this discovery intrigued him, just the look Niyela wore had him highly aroused. The pure need it portrayed—it was almost shocking how quickly Niyela took on this submissive persona.
Aziel released her hair and she swiftly, almost frantically, unbuckled his belt. He had come here intending to rest… but this was an alternative he was not going to resist. Just as she was about to begin servicing him, Aziel placed his hand atop her head to stop her.
Niyela let out a frustrated groan and looked up at him, a pleading look in her eye. Even Celia had not enjoyed it to this extent. Aziel leaned down, feeling her quick and hot breath against his cheek. “How many daughters should we have?” he asked, knowing how much it would play into her desires.
“Many…” she said, her whole body shivering now.
“Then lay down for me,” he said.
Niyela obediently lay back, inviting him to take her. “Please, don’t make me wait, I want this,” she pleaded.
Aziel smiled as he removed the rest of his suit and armor. He was getting just as impatient as she was, but this was their first time, so he wanted it to be special. For both of them to enjoy one another, not just go through the motions of procreating.
He knelt and gripped Niyela’s thighs before pulling her to him. “Let us expand our Grove,” he whispered into her ear, causing her to shiver and moan as she pushed herself against him.
* * *
Aziel sat back, panting as he caught his breath. Niyela lay beside him, as slick with sweat as he was. She kept pleading for him to continue, but he could go no more.
“Niyela,” he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. His Dryad lover rolled over to lay on her side, facing him, and Aziel chuckled. “I hope that means it was to your satisfaction,” he said.
“Satisfied… that was a while ago.” She gave him a sly grin. “Everything after that was a bonus.” She sat up and lay her head against his shoulder, a soft smile gracing her face. “Thank you, Grove Master.”
“And here I was thinking I should thank you,” he said then laughed.
Niyela kissed his cheek and stood. “We should thank each other, and often,” she said as she turned to her tree. “I have to deposit your seed,” she explained, her hands moving to her belly.
Aziel ran one hand through his hair. “It’s a little strange when you speak of my seed that way.”
“Do you not like it? Seeding me?” Niyela teased, a grin forming.
Aziel shook his head. “Do as you please.”
She giggled before turning to survey his place of power. “Our grove will be beautiful,” she said happily, before she began walking away.
Aziel watched her go, appreciating the sight, when a notification formed before him.
Faction Military has increased. Current rating: 15.
Faction Civil has increased. Current rating: 5.
Ever since he had appointed Duren as his Minister of Interior and Minister of Foreign Affairs, the civil rating of his faction had slowly inched upward. The rating was a complex one, including all kinds of metrics that had to do with everyday life within the faction. Mostly, however, it represented the overall ability of the faction to provide essential services and its general social stability. But these latest increases were more likely to do with Golan, meaning that Celia, Trikk, and Astrel had been able to take control of the city.
Niyela paused just before reaching her tree, turning to give him a smile, when another notification appeared.
Congratulations, the Fallen has reached level 5.
New positions are now available to faction officers.
World quest completed: Rise of the Fallen
Your faction has gathered allies and strength. Its influence solidifies its position in the world, and other factions have taken notice of your rise.
Hidden objective completed: The Grauda joined the faction.
Hidden objective completed: The Ogre’i joined the faction.
Reward: Faction officers receive one free skill point.
Reward: Each officer will receive an item based on their contribution to this quest’s completion.
Congratulations, as Faction Leader, you have received a free skill point.
The sound of air abruptly being sucked from the room caught Aziel’s attention. A tiny vortex of air was swirling just above Niyela, and it was emitting the same sound he remembered from the time he had suddenly been transported to that white room. Fearing the same was about to happen to Niyela, he prepared himself to sprint to her—to save her… But then, that strange noise ended, and a staff appeared and fell to the ground before her.
Niyela, clearly shaken by what had just occurred, looked at him for a long moment. Then she knelt cautiously to examine the staff. It appeared to be made of two branches tightly twisted around one another. At the base were what looked like roots, while the top expanded into a crown of branches, with a single green and leafy branch on either side. From a small opening at the center of the interwoven branches, a bright green light shone. A nature crystal, Aziel realized.
Not able to hold back his curiosity, he activated his All-Seeing Eye.
You have successfully Analyzed your target.
You have successfully Detected the magic within your target.
* * *
Nature’s Guardian
Type: Pole
Quality: Mastercraft
Mana: 2,800/2,800
* * *
Passive Enchantments:
Contact Heal: As long as the wielder is in contact with the staff, it will continually heal their wounds.
Enroot: When planted in fertile, mana-rich soil, the staff will self-repair any damage inflicted upon it and regenerate its mana over time.
* * *
Active Enchantments:
Guardian Treant: Call upon the guardian of the forest. Awaken a single selected tree to serve for as long as mana is provided to it.
* * *
“This… this is the same staff grandmother owned,” Niyela murmured, her eyes wide as she held the staff in reverence. “I know it from the stories my mother told me.”
“I’m happy for you, Niyela,” Aziel said just as another vortex appeared, this time above himself. It sucked in air with that same rushing sound, before a small box appeared in its place—which Aziel reached out and caught before it fell to the ground.
He turned it over, examining it. The box was simply made of wood, but something rattled inside when he shook it. He unclasped the two hooks and flipped the lid open. Inside was a white ring: runes were etched all along its outer surface. Aziel was just about to activate his All-Seeing Eye when the whole log of information appeared before him.
* * *
Ring of Endless Binding
Type: Accessory
Quality: Unique
Mana: 4,000/4,000
* * *
Passive Enchantments:
Bloodbath: This ring regenerates its lost mana by collecting it from fresh blood.
Protection from Demons: Wielder is immune to the effects of Siphons.
* * *
Active Enchantments:
Endless Binding: Bind a demon to the wielder’s will. Each bound demon will cost more mana to maintain.
Demonic Feeding: When activated, the wielder can channel mana from the ring to a bound demon in the form of demonic mana.
Blood link: None
Current demons bound: 0
* * *
Aziel stared at the ring. While he could see it was immensely powerful, he couldn’t imagine what use it would be to him. If Niyela’s reward was anything to go by, each was tailored to the person. Celia was the only demon Aziel knew, and she was already bound to him as his Champion.
Still, there was something about this ring that could be useful to him. He turned the ring, feeling its unexpected weight in his hand, and examined its pearly-white surface. Yes—it was made of refined aranite. More importantly, though tiny, it was able to hold four thousand mana within it, almost half the amount his own vessel could hold currently. If Tijar was able to refine the aranite he gave them, how powerful would they be when they created items such as this?
Aziel slipped the ring onto his finger and winced. It had pricked him! It appeared the ring Blood Linked itself to whoever wore it first… well, he thought, so be it. He might not know many demons, but others would. He would rather wear this item and not use it, than have someone else abuse it.
“That’s very pretty,” Niyela said, coming to him and holding his hand out to see the ring. “What does it do?”
Aziel was about to answer, when another vortex appeared above him. Another box dropped from the air, this one longer than the first. It was made from the same wood, but he heard nothing within it when he shook it. Curious, he unclasped the lid and peered inside, which is when his heart skipped a beat. His hands began to tremble, his stomach twisting around itself.
“Grove Master?” Niyela asked, feeling his sudden distress.
“How…?” Aziel began, as he swallowed a lump in his throat. He reached in and picked up the delicate item. A faint golden glow emanated from it.
Niyela placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed, trying to reassure him even if she did not yet know what was wrong. “A white feather?” she asked.
“It belongs to my mother,” he replied. He could tell it was hers. He had no doubt as to that. He should have been overjoyed—this meant his mother was alive. But he did not want to believe it. He did not want what this represented to be true.
His mother was alive, but the World Seed had her.
Author’s Notes/Gallery
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Fallen Ambitions Page 56