readease Chapter 698: POV Noct
Chapter 698: POV Noct
Bonded Size Queen
You have forged a powerful bond, one that will either take you to exalted heights or to abyssal failure. Commit to the love and lust you feel and gain even greater power in reward. This class will grant you abilities that will allow you to change your size and the size of others, as well as help with lewd accommodations.
Bonded Wand Illusionist
You have forged a powerful bond, one that will either take you to exalted heights or to abyssal failure. Commit to the love and lust you feel and gain even greater power in reward. This class will grant you the ability to fabricate wands that create powerful illusions.
Bonded Enchantress of the Eldritch Bloom
You have forged a powerful bond, one that will either take you to exalted heights or to abyssal failure. Commit to the love and lust you feel and gain even greater power in reward. This class will grant you abilities that will allow you to alter, twist, enhance, and debase natural and magical flora and fauna.
Noct was used to discussing class details. Her father’s divinely gifted ability to see the status sheets of others meant that he was often viewing and reviewing the more interesting classes and skills that he came across with his family. He never violated the privacy of others, always being sure to ask permission before viewing status sheets, and he did not give out identifying details to anyone else when he held discussions, but Aelius always took the time to talk about his findings with his family. Her father was deeply interested in finding out more about where unique classes came from, why certain individuals gained them, and how they worked. Since Noct herself had a bizarre and practically unheard of class, her father would talk to her about her options, how they likely came to be, and what she could do to influence the options she would gain in the future regularly. No, there was nothing taboo about discussing class information in Noct’s family. However, she couldn’t help but feel her values pressed as she sat in a group of thirteen women who were all eagerly discussing the new class options that had been presented by one of their number.
Especially when the options were so… unique.
“Please, please, please take the size queen class,” Kerr begged Sorcha, her arms wrapped around the smaller woman’s legs as she rubbed her cheek against her hip and side. “Please take that class! I’ll do anything! I’ll let you fuck my ass every day if you want! I’ll buy you a hundred-acre farm! I’ll even stop teasing you!”
“Ow! Stop!” Sorcha exclaimed as she pushed fruitlessly against the stronger woman’s head. “Your horns are poking me! And fucking your ass every day is what you would want!”
“Then it’s a win-win! C’mon, I’m begging you here!”
“Can someone please get her off of me!?”
Noct started to move to help, but she was on the far side of the airship’s cabin from the goblin woman and several of the others who were closer moved first. Not Jadis, though. The Nephilim was too busy laughing uproariously, her three bodies sprawled across the deck. One lay on the ground near Noct, face pressed against her forearm while her fist pounded the wooden floor. Tears were streaming down her face and her pale skin had gained the slightest tinge of pink, she was laughing so hard. What exactly was so humorous to the woman, Noct wasn’t sure, but the laughter had started when Sorcha had informed them of her Size Queen class option, so Noct suspected there was some hidden joke that she wasn’t familiar with.
Perhaps it had something to do with Jadis being reborn?
“Jadis, please, I’m trying to write,” Aila muttered as the Jadis near her brushed against side. “What are you even laughing so much for? Don’t you think you’re being rude to Sorcha right now?”
“I—I’m not—I’m not—I can’t—”
That Jadis gasped before falling into another wordless fit.
“Just let her be,” Severina said as she used a foot to push that Jadis slightly to the side. “Whatever weirdness has taken hold of her will pass soon enough.”
“I’m getting kind of annoyed,” Ammy commented from Noct’s other side. “I want to know what the joke is. It’s not fair that Jadis is having all the fun.”
“It’s probably something stupid,” Bridget said as she dragged a whining Kerr towards the other side of the cabin. “Jadis thinks all kinds of things are funny for no reason.”
Possible, Noct silently agreed. Jadis’ humor was strange and, at times, seemingly obtuse. How much of that was caused by her personality and how much came from not being a native to their time was hard to say. Likely the answer was a mix of the two, with possible other factors that none of them were aware of.
Noct would have been happy to discuss the suspected reasons, if she were not still uncertain whether or not the rest of the women who had attached themselves to Jadis were aware of her secret. Noct did not want to expose Jadis, for many reasons. For one, it would be a horribly rude thing to do. For another, Noct didn’t have any concrete proof of her suspicion, just assumptions based off of things Jadis had said and actions she had taken. Finally, to do so could jeopardize her relationship with Jadis, which was the last thing Noct wanted to risk. She had finally found someone who was everything she was looking for in a compatible partner. Even more, Jadis stimulated her in an emotional way that made Noct’s blood burn with desire. She had long ago set aside any hope of finding a person who would both satisfy her requirements as a mate and also elicit her wanton lusts. And yet, there Jadis was. Effortlessly beautiful and innately sensual, almost primal in her sexuality.
Rolling on the floor.
Exposing her not-so vulnerable neck…
Noct did not lick her lips. She was too well trained, too careful to control her impulses to let such a dangerous act slip. But she wanted to. Oh, she wanted to lick her lips. Then lick Jadis. Then let her teeth press against that pale, sweet, lush flesh and taste the ambrosial nectar of her—
A small creak of leather being strained was enough to snap Noct out of her spiraling thoughts. She had almost let her baser side loose. To do so in a situation where they were all supposed to be discussing Sorcha’s new classes would have been utterly inappropriate, even if Jadis and Thea had been so gracious in their assurances regarding Noct’s alter nature. She had to maintain control. As she had for nearly her whole life, Noct repeated her mantra in her head. Order and discipline, focus and restraint. Control. Control. Control.
…but Jadis’ blood tasted so good…
“—it’s not that I’m saying it wouldn’t be powerful, I just don’t think it would be doing enough different from Villatic Wand Witch to be worth taking. What do you think, Ammy? Noct?”
Aila’s words were a divine blessing. Her calm, reasoned tone pulled her mind away from the temptation of Jadis’ body, helping her focus on what she was ostensibly there for; to help Sorcha with her class selection. While she had not been paying as much attention as she should have, Noct had long since learned to have a part of her mind recording what was being said and done around her, even when she was distracted by her beastly instincts, so she wasn’t completely lost.
“Yeah, I agree,” Ammy answered first. “It’s a bonded class, and those always have powerful perks, but I think it’s too similar, too. I mean, your witch class is already pretty good, Sorcha. I’ve met other witches that are way less powerful than you are, even without Jadis boosting you. You could double down on the wands; it makes sense, since that’s what I did with my primary and secondary classes except with potions, but I don’t think you should. Not when you have that Enchantress class as an option. That’s the best choice, no contest.”
“Agreed,” Noct echoed the Hero’s companion. “Enchantress.”
The choice was patently obvious. Yes, a class with a name that was as specific as Wand Illusionist meant that the illusion spells offered would be powerful. However, from what Noct had seen of Sorcha’s wands, her primary class gave her far more versatility and would still be capable of casting powerful illusions. There was no reason to constrain herself further by taking another wand-based witch class.
“So that means she should take—”
“No,” Ammy used her tail to slap against Kerr. “We already discussed this! Jadis has spells for changing people’s size! Sorcha doesn’t need a class that can do that too!”
“Well, to be fair,” one of Jadis’ forms who had composed herself chimed in, “I don’t see anything wrong with doubling up on that sort of spell. A class focused all around increasing and decreasing the size of allies and enemies could be pretty powerful, if you use it the right way. That said, I don’t think Kerr’s motivations are practical when it comes to that class.”
“Practical my pussy,” Kerr cursed in frustration. “Who needs practical when you can make everyone have giant cocks!?”
Sorcha, who had retaken her goblin-sized seat after Kerr had been forcibly dragged away from her, stared at the therion with a blank look that Noct could admire as an expert in controlling emotions.
“Okay, that crosses that class off the list permanently.”
“Aww…”
“That said, I’m still not sure what an enchantress is supposed to be?” the goblin continued with a question in her tone. “Would that make me a crafter…?”
“I hope so!” Sabina chirped in an utter lack of emotional control. “Then you can spend more time in the crafting workshop with me, and we can be crafting buddies! Wouldn’t that be great? We could enchant all sorts of things together and everything we made would be so powerful and amazing and—”
“It’s not a crafting class,” Aila interrupted the far too expressive half-elf. “Sorcha wouldn’t be able to make enchantments with you.”
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“Aww…”
“Then what is it?” Sorcha asked while resigning herself to being hugged by the brawny blacksmith.
“It’s something of a mix between druidic classes and enchanters,” the mage explained. “The ones that I read about were capable of applying divine enchantments directly onto living creatures. I’m not exactly sure how an Eldritch version would differ, but I’m sure the mechanics would essentially be the same.”
“So, it’s a support class,” Sorcha said slowly. “I would be able to cast enhancements on others?”
“It seems that way,” Aila replied as she looked thoughtfully at the journal she always carried with her. “But the description would also indicate that you could place negative effects as well.”
“No,” Noct spoke up. When Sorcha turned her attention onto her, she shook her head slowly and clearly to reinforce her statement. “Not others.”
“Uh, what do you mean?” the goblin asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.
Noct frowned as well, somewhat disappointed that the others had not seen the obvious. As she thought of a way to restate her position, the Jadis who was near her leaned forward and spoke first.
“I think Noct means that it isn’t a class for buffing your allies, like how Ammy can give us a potion for Strength or your witch class can give us a boost to our stamina regeneration. The description talks about plants and animals as being the focus of your enchantments. I bet you’ll be able to alter them in ways for defense or offense. Like enchanting a tree to protect you with its branches, or turning bee stings into explosions, stuff like that.”
“That’s an… interesting assumption,” Aila said as she thought Jadis’ words over. “Is that what you meant, Noct?”
“Yes,” Noct nodded her head firmly. “Alterations.”
Noct did not smile, though she wanted to. It was so wonderful to have someone other than her parents and brother who understood her so easily. Noct could tell that others sometimes underestimated Jadis, assuming that she was a fool due to her ignorance of common knowledge or her tendency to solve problems with brawn rather than brain. Perhaps the woman was a bit of an ox, at times, as her mother would say of those who were stubborn or crude. But Noct had seen Jadis’ startling intelligence shine through. The Nephilim was exceptionally perceptive, particularly when it came to the thoughts and motivations of others. She saw to the heart of a person, even if they did not see themselves.
Noct could attest to that.
“That sounds weird to use on animals,” Sorcha frowned, but then her expression turned contemplative. “But on plants, that could be useful. If I could find a way to grow that paddleweed, or whatever Ammy called it, using magic, then that would be helpful.”
“That would be very useful,” Ammy held up a small bundle of the grayish green leaves that Sorcha had brought back from her expedition with Jadis earlier that day. “I don’t know why this paddleweed isn’t affected by the toxins in the air, but I can definitely use more of it to make cheaper, more effective potions that’ll keep the poison clouds away.”
“I’m sure the class will let you do more interesting things than grow weeds,” Jay grinned at the goblin.
“I’m sure it will, too,” Sorcha smiled up at the Nephilim, a look of genuine adoration on her small face before she hid it behind a mask of seriousness. “But I’m just thinking practically right now. Plus, this gives me a reason to take Exotic Herb Health for my level thirty-one primary class skill slot. Feels more useful than a bloody attribute improvement skill.”
Noct nodded in agreement. A generic attribute improvement would give a few points, which was fine for the average person. For Sorcha, who walked among giants, it would be a waste. Better to further improve her ability to cultivate rare and exotic flora, which she could use for her wands and Ammy could use for potions, than add a couple more attribute points to her already exceptional Eldritch score.
“Alright, well, if you’re going to take the right choice, hurry up and do it already!” Kerr said as she pushed past Noct so that she could flop heavily across Jadis’ lap. “I want to hear what your new skill is. It’s got to be something interesting, with a class name like that, at least.”
Noct felt her bonds strain as her beastly instincts threatened to grow. Kerr, the devious slut, had positioned herself in such a way that her beautiful rear, encased in tight leather pants, was pointed directly at her. A purposefully provocative act, one that Noct knew the therion did because she knew that Noct would be tempted. It had perhaps been a foolish impulse to join Thea in her voyeuristic acts. Now Kerr knew her weakness, and the woman was not one to leave a weakness unexploited.
But the sight of Jadis fucking Kerr had been so damned erotic…
Noct jumped slightly as she felt a hand brush against the back of her head. For a few seconds, she held herself stiff and still as fingers moved through her hair, petting and rubbing her scalp. Then she relaxed into the soothing touch, letting her muscles go limp.
Jadis truly was a treasure to be protected. She was the perfect companion. Noct would follow the beautiful woman forever, through storm and flame, from one end of Oros to the other, enduring all hardships, if she let her.
Then Kerr’s bare feet fell into Noct’s lap, brushing casually against her inner thighs, and she had to question whether or not she would be able to endure keeping herself under control for the few minutes.
“Okay!” Sorcha grinned, her excitement bubbling over in a way that helped distract Noct. “My tertiary class is officially unlocked! And my first new skill is…”
Noct focused on the way the goblin’s expression shifted through several emotions. Confusion, interest, excitement, and amusement all battled for space on the petite woman’s face. The way she was able to be so expressive without uttering a single word was almost more interesting to Noct than the description of her first skill. Almost.
Guardian Bloom of the Enchantress
Active Spell. Transform a plant into an ambulatory servant that will follow and defend you from hostile action. The bloom’s physical attributes are linked to your Eldritch attribute and grow at pace with you. The abilities the bloom possesses are dependent upon the original plant the spell is cast upon. If the spell is recast onto a new plant, the previous bloom will become inert and will require the same basic care as any other plant but will retain its altered form. This spell takes 10 minutes to cast. Cost: 250 magic. Duration: Permanent.
“Oh!” Amarantha exclaimed. “That’s just like my Ketty! But about plants, I guess.”
“That description is similar to spells I have seen among my people,” Meli added quietly, her expression showing intense interest. “Only I do not believe their versions enhanced the target plants with their Eldritch attribute. Your version appears to be far more powerful, Sorcha.”
“It does sound… interesting, doesn’t it?” Sorcha replied nervously. “I’m not even sure what I should do…”
“Try it,” the Jadis who was closest to the goblin said as she put an encouraging hand on her shoulder. “The spell sounds amazing. I can’t wait to see how one of these eldritch blooms look!”
“In here?” Sorcha looked around the airship cabin. “Is that a good idea?”
“Why not? If it’s supposed to follow you around, it can’t grow too big. And you can always cast the spell again, so you don’t have to worry about picking out the perfect plant right at this moment. C’mon, I’ll make some room for you.”
That Jadis got up and began pushing chairs and tables out of the way. Alex, who had been sitting quietly with her head leaning against Eir’s shoulder for most of the discussion, immediately got up and began helping Jadis to clear a large space. Once the two had made enough room, Sorcha got up from her seat and stood in the middle of the open area, nervously clutching her skirt in her hands.
“I’ve never cast a spell without a wand before,” Sorcha said. “I mean, other than my oblation, but I don’t think that counts. It feels weird.”
“Nothing says you can’t wave a wand while you do this,” Jadis replied with a grin. “Anyone have a stick?”
“Here,” Eir smiled as she passed over a wooden spoon with a long handle. “This should do.”
“Mm,” Sorcha hummed, still obviously nervous as she held the spoon up before her. “This’ll work. Oh! What plant am I casting this on?”
“We’ve got this,” Amarantha held up the bundle of paddleweed. “None of my other herb ingredients will work, though. They’re all powdered.”
“I think this plant is appropriate,” Jadis said as Alex plucked the plant from the Lares’ hand and placed the bundle at Sorcha’s feet. “This is the plant that got you to CLR sixty. Seems only right that you cast your first enchantress spell on it.”
Noct agreed, even though it was a sentimental thought with no true logic behind it. There were probably far more plants that would serve as better guardians available. But as Jadis had pointed out, the choice wasn’t permanent, so there was no reason to worry about selecting the perfect plant right away.
With another nervous glance around the gathered women, Sorcha nodded to herself before brandishing the wooden spoon and waving it once over the bundle of paddleweed. As soon as she had, a strange glow suffused the bundle, causing Sorcha to hastily back away.
Scintillating motes of green, purple, blue, and silver rose up from the paddleweed, drifting through the air like embers from a fire before winking out before they reached the ceiling. As they watched, the paddleweed slowly began to grow, its roots spreading across the floor in a roughly circular pattern while its stalk multiplied and thickened. The leaves increased in size and number, growing into a sort of half-sphere shape where the flat side was tilted but facing diagonally upward. A large, dark purple, tear-shaped bloom with a single petal grew in the middle, its size increasing past the point of absurdity, large enough that it dwarfed the goblin in size. A single dark yellow stamen extended from the middle of the flower, and Noct could see a mist of pollen circling the bloom in a way that could not be explained by natural means.
The whole process took ten minutes, just as the spell description had said it would, and by the end the transformed paddleweed was six feet tall and four feet wide; a sizeable increase compared to the five or six inches the original plant had been.
“It smells so lovely,” Eir breathed in a deep breath, sighing happily. “So fresh!”
“The air feels cleaner around it,” Jadis said as she gently brushed her fingers against the waxy smooth edge of the single flower. “It’s like being in the middle of one of Ammy’s cleansing mists.”
“So strange,” Sorcha whispered as she walked around the huge plant. “I wonder what it—ah!”
Everyone startled as the goblin yelped, some even moving to defend, but there was no issue. As Sorcha had moved up next to the paddleweed, several long, vine-like stalks had reached out to her, touching her arm. When Sorcha pulled away, the plant went inert once again.
Taking a breath, Sorcha boldly stepped forward again. When she did, the plant reacted and, with a gentle grace that spoke of amazing strength, lifted her up and placed the goblin inside of the blossom. Sorcha settled back comfortably against the petal as more leaves moved to give her support for her back and arms, turning the bloom into a sort of throne.
“Yeah, it’s like my Ketty alright,” Amarantha nodded with confidence. “Welcome to the family of having weird constructs that follow you into the bathroom.”
“Uh…”
“I’m sure you can order it not to follow,” Jadis reassured the concerned goblin.
From there, the group began to discuss among themselves the possibilities that Sorcha’s new class and skill presented for the future. While several smaller groups formed and the talks grew in volume and excitement, Noct did not participate. Instead, as the others moved around the gigantic paddleweed, Noct stepped closer to Aila, who was sitting alone. The mage had her journal open and was writing quickly, no doubt documenting the unusual new spell.
Looking at the gibberish on the page over the human’s shoulder, Noct admired Aila’s cypher. It was one of the better ones Noct had seen, and if she had not seen the mage use her key earlier, she probably would not have been able to crack it. At least not so quickly. Translating the symbols in her mind, Noct saw that she was right about what Aila was writing, and that Sorcha’s updated status sheet was on the opposite page.
Sorcha - Daughter of Tyree
Race: Goblin
Primary Class: Garden Herbalist (31)
Secondary Class: Villatic Wand Witch (29)
Tertiary Class: Bonded Enchantress of the Eldritch Bloom (1)
Combined Level Rating: 61
Health: 660/660
Magic: 370/370
Attributes
Strength: 6
Dexterity: 6
Agility: 20
Vitality: 21
Fortitude: 6
Endurance: 13
Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 940
Focus: 37
Resilience: 6
Will: 61
The goblin truly had a colossal Eldritch attribute. Noct could only speculate how that translated to empowering the paddleweed. All the more reason Noct should accept Jadis’ offer and allow her to improve her own status with the Lewd Lover’s Bond ritual.
If she could trust herself with that much power…
Shaking her head clear of the nervous thought, Noct took a few mental notes on Aila’s cypher and resolved to write a new, more secure version for the mage. The current one was excellent quality, but there were a few issues with the numbers that made it possible to crack given a point of reference. Noct was certain that she could come up with an alternative that was more secure. Likely she could complete the code that night, if she were permitted to sleep in the presence of Jadis’ Sleep of the D ritual. Noct was fairly certain no one would object to her presence. Though, the fact that Jadis herself would not be present made her a little nervous. Jadis would be helping Alex reach her next couple of levels that night, and so Noct would be alone with everyone else.
Which meant Noct would be surrounded by individuals like Kerr, Maeve, and Amarantha.
Hopefully Thea would protect her while Jadis was gone, otherwise Noct wasn’t sure what she might end up doing.