Chapter 43.2

“Aww… come on,” Mia replied, pouting.  “You deliberately avoided the question.”

“And now you’re deliberately avoiding answering it,” I shot back.  “Besides, I thought you liked it when I did that.  You said it was cute.”

“I did not.  I said it was sweet!  You and your deficient memory…” She let out a huff in annoyance.  “Well, no matter.  We will fix that in time.”

“Mia…” I began warningly.

“I’m not going back on my word,” she said in quick defense.  “But you will need to work on your Intelligence eventually, if for no other reason than to even out… certain things.”

“Such as?”

She sucked in a breath.  “Oh~ yes.  There it is.  I knew I could get one out of you eventually.”

I rolled my eyes, then jerked when one of Lynnria’s newly sharpened teeth nicked me ever so slightly.  She did not stop, but her claws did dimple my thighs.  Whether that was out of a desire to apologize or a warning not to further move, I could not say.

“Anyway, I’ve figured out where that ‘Engraving Intricacy Capacity’ your Do-lilim mentioned is coming from.  And now that I have, I should be able to continue granting them skills as per their previous set-up.”

“Okay,” I said slowly, still trying to relax.  “But I had the impression you didn’t like how Xhinn was handling things.  Something about… blasphemy.”

There was a moment of silence.

“I don’t believe I’ve ever said anything like that.  But even if it was, it changes nothing.  I cannot undo what has been done.  Only make use of it.”

“Uh huh.”  I knew a pedantic side-step when I heard one.  “I don’t suppose you would be willing to elaborate.  I would like to avoid causing trouble with any more deities than I already have.”

“Look, even if it was blasphemy—and I’m not saying it is—it wouldn’t be the sort you need worry about,” she assured me unhelpfully.  “Nor would I be able to explain the reasons why.  Not that I would have any need to.”

I did not reply.  My face was doing all the talking I needed.

Also, Lynnria had apparently taken some offense at my distraction and begun to redouble her efforts.

“On a completely unrelated topic… haven’t you noticed how different your skills are when compared to those of your Do-lilim?” she asked.  And if her tone was any guide, the question was anything but unrelated.

“Uh… not really,” I admitted, struggling to focus beyond the over-stimulation going on at my crotch.  “Unless you’re talking about how I have to cast spells all the time.  But I thought that was because I’m a wizard.”

“You are not a Wizard.  Your Class simply has a focus on spell casting.  Those are not the same things.”

“Whatever.  You know what I meant.”

She sighed.  “You are on the right track, at least.  Perhaps it may help to take a more… active interest in their skills?  I’m sure they, at least, would be curious to learn about some of the things you’ve discovered lately.”

I grunted, trying to sift out the hints from the chaff.  But again, concentration was not a thing I had a great deal left to spare at that particular moment.

“We’re going to need to pick out some skills soon anyway.”

“Good enough.”  She clapped her hands together, punctuating the end of that topic.  “In the meantime, you need to make a decision about our young companion.  Shall we continue nurturing her as kind… or as Do-lilim?”

“Um…”  I grimaced.  That had sounded like a really important question.  “Lynnria could you…?  Isn’t that something you should be asking her, Mia?”

“Don’t be absurd,” she replied somewhat haltingly from my thoughtless question.  “I would—oh~ my.  Just look at her go.  Uh…  That is, I would never grant any facet of my lord’s power to another without his explicit say so.  Besides, that one is taking you so deep, she… or… Well, she aspires to much, I mean.  That girl would leap at any chance to further her own ambitions.”

“What kind of ambitions?”

Lynnria’s furious ministrations ground to a sudden halt.  After a moment’s pause, her eyes flicked up to meet my own, then she slowly dragged herself off of my engorged manhood just enough speak freely… though only just.

“Donum?  What exactly is that Faen of yours talking to you about?” she asked between licks and caresses.

“Um…” I murmured, twitching and jerking with her every touch.  “Something about how to nurture you?”

She narrowed her eyes fractionally.  “And?  What about it?”

“Ah hah… well,” I stammered.  The abrupt change to these micro-stimulations were sending little shocks up and down my spine, and every one seemed to reset my brain.  “I don’t really know.  We were just get-hing t-to that.”

“Tell her… hmm,” Mia began, thinking aloud.  “Tell her we remember the dreams of her childhood.  And we know what made her set them aside.  Tell her we can make them a reality… and surpass every expectation ever laid upon her.  We can make her more powerful than she could possibly imagine.  All she need do is take one last step off the uncertain path of mortal kind.  And become… other.”

“Yeah, okay, Palpatine.  Let me get right on that,” I groaned sarcastically.  Never mind the quasi-villainous monologue, I would have had a hard time repeating that back even if I was not being fondled.

“No good?” she said innocently.  “Well, that was more for your benefit, anyway.  I’ll just be a moment…”

With that, whatever internal microphone she had been using clicked off, and I had to wait while she repeated some version of her spiel over in Lynnria’s head.  The girl listened with half an ear, giving me a little time to recover but still toying with my wooden mast.

“Aren’t I already a Do-lilim?” she asked after a moment, eying her claws.  Then, “Lesser?  That won’t do.  How do I raise my rank?  And what’s the difference?”  She glanced at me somewhere in the middle of the reply.  “Then I don’t understand.  If he can’t even do it yet, what is this choice?”