WIEDERGEBURT Act III: Chapter 25

Muqadas was the largest city within the Endless Desert. It wasn’t the capital as the Endless Desert had no capital, but many people considered it as such because of how big it was. Anything that could be found within this vast plain of sand dunes was likely to be found there.

I arrived at the edge of Maqudas about four months after entering the Endless Desert. Walking into the city, I glanced at the buildings made from limestone. They were all very plain, with no decorations or adornments, but many of them were massive. Even the pillars were several times thicker than the columns used in architecture found within the Northern Plains.

There were many people within this city, stand owners hawking their wares to potential customers, men and women looking to buy food and other amenities, and children running through the streets. I couldn’t go five meters without several kids darting between my legs. One of them even tried to pick pocket me, though I caught him. Not that it would have mattered. Everything I owned was in my storage ring.

A lot of people stared at me as I walked past them. I understood that it was because I looked different. My clothes might be sturdy and easily able to withstand the desert heat, but they were far more refined than anything found in the Endless Desert. There was also my features. I had pale skin, long green hair, and green eyes. Everyone here had dark skin, dark hair, and dark eyes. There wasn’t much variation.

“Who is this man?”

“That’s a man? Are you sure that’s not a woman?”

“What strange hair.”

“His skin is so beautiful…”

“What is that big thing on his back?”

I ignored the comments people made about me as I walked through the streets. I was looking for an inn. As I walked, I saw that food and jewelry wasn’t the only thing being sold. Several humans and Lamia bound in chains were being forced to stand on a stage as a man announced that they would now begin bidding. It looked like they were going to be sold as slaves.

Slavery was illegal in the Northern Plains, but here it was just another facet of life. Lamia took many humans as slaves as well, though most of the humans did not last for more than a year, or so I had been told. I paid the stage and the crowd bidding on the human and Lamia women currently being auctioned no mind. Whatever happened to these people was none of my concern.

However, as I was walking down the street, I sensed a pair of eyes on me. Hiding my frown, I activated Spiritual Perception to locate my followers. The world around me faded to a dull gray, but in exchange, the colors of numerous Spiritual Signatures appeared within my mind’s eye.

There were only a few hundred Spiritualists in the entire city, with a heavier amount being concentrated on the market places. Most of those people were probably guards. However, I could sense several flames sticking close to me. They followed me when I turned a corner, waited outside of the shops I entered, and even followed me into a bar.

More eyes focused on me when I entered the bar, but I continued to ignore the many stares I received as I walked past several tables filled with dark-skinned patrons and sat down on a stool. The bartender was a bald man with broad shoulders and a thick chest. He was only wearing a vest that remained open at the front. In this hot, arid climate, wearing too many clothes would normally cause someone to suffer a heat stroke.

I was an exception to the rule.

“I would like a glass of wine.”

I reached into my pouch, pulled out several copper valis, and placed them on the table. The man stared at them, counting the amount present before nodding. He grabbed the valis, pulled a glass from somewhere under the bar, and poured me a drink. His eyes were focused on me the whole time, but I paid him only a cursory glance.

The people who had been following me were all scattered around the room now, making it look like they were not part of the same group, but I was sure they were. Unlike the many people who wore light clothes that revealed a lot of skin, they wore red pants and black shirts with a cloak thrown over their bodies. Turbans sat on their heads. Seeing a group in uniform made it obvious they were together. Of course, if I did not have Spiritual Perception, I would have never been able to spot them in the crowd outside, so maybe it didn’t matter if they were in uniform.

As I sipped my wine, I wondered what I should do about these people following me. I could just kill them and be done with it, but I suspected they were working for someone. On the other hand, I had only just arrived here a few short hours ago, and I hadn’t lived in the Endless Desert for probably around a dozen years. It wasn’t like I had been given enough time to offend anyone.

“Do you know of any good inns I can stay at?” I asked the barkeep, placing another five copper valis on the table.

The man slid the valis into his hand as he answered me. “There is an inn known as the Snake Queen’s Lodge that you can stay at. Though it’s expensive, the amenities they have make spending the night there worth it, if you have the money.”

I asked for the location of the inn and then stood up to leave. As I did, the people following me shifted in their seats, but I didn’t so much as glance in their direction. I didn’t want them to know that I was onto them.

The people following me left the bar a few minutes after I did, though they didn’t all leave right away. I kept track of them using Spiritual Perception. Some of them left in groups of two, but most of them left one at a time. As I walked toward the Snake Queen’s Lodge, I kept track of how my followers were maneuvering around the city to surround me. It seemed they were finally getting ready to take action.

Several figures suddenly appeared in front of me. They were, of course, the same cloaked men and women who had been following me this whole time. It was only three of them. However, even as I stared at them, I could sense ten more coming out from small alleys and the street I had just vacated.

“I assume you have business with me,” I said.

“Our master has taken an interest in you,” the man in the front said. “You are coming with us.”

The audacity this man displayed, not requesting but demanding that I come with them, astounded me, but I knew this was how many people operated. The Endless Desert epitomized the term survival of the fittest. The strong thrived. The weak were either killed or enslaved by the strong. I could only assume these people worked for one of the rich families that had managed to thrive in the Endless Desert.

I smiled at them. “I refuse.”

My refusal caused the group to stir. Several of them shifted uncomfortably as if they could sense my sudden hostility.

The man who had first spoken narrowed his eyes. “You are not being given the option of refusing.”

“That’s too bad,” I said. “I still refuse.”

“Then we will take you by force!”

At this, the man unsheathed a pair of khopesh that were hanging at his waist. The others also unsheathed their khopesh and readied themselves for battle. None of them moved, however, perhaps sensing something dangerous about me.

My smile widened, but it was a cold smile.

I reached behind me and grabbed the handle of the Dragon’s Tail Ruler. My weapon was currently covered in a thick cloth. The bindings that kept the weapon attached to my back came undone as I pulled it off and held the massive object aloft as if it was a sword. Seeing how easily I held this giant thing made the men and women hesitate further.

“If you wish to die, you may come at me one at a time or all at once. I do not care what you choose to do, but do decide quickly,” I said to the people present.

“Such arrogance!” the spokesperson shouted. “Someone will need to teach you a lesson! I’ll beat you to a bloody pulp and drag your half-dead carcass back to my master!”

“If you believe you have the power to do such a thing, you are more than welcome to try,” I said.

The man roared as he charged at me and swung his khopesh. I didn’t even try to dodge. I merely smiled as his two weapons sliced through the air… and watched as they passed through my afterimage.

“W-what the—?!”

The man’s eyes widened. He didn’t even notice me appearing behind him. I also wouldn’t give him the chance to notice me.

I swung the Dragon’s Tail Ruler and struck him with the flat of my blade, putting enough force into my attack that I could feel my enemy’s bones shattering. The man was blasted off his feet. He slammed into a wall, which cracked and dented underneath the impact, and then slid down in a crumpled heap.

The many people who had been seconds away from charging suddenly stopped when they saw what I did. Most of them hesitated, but a few of the more courageous ones suddenly danced along the ground. Spiritual Power surged around them, traveling into their blades, and when they swung their weapons, fire erupted from them in sharp crescents. All of these attacks came in from multiple directions and were heading toward me.

I used the Flash Step.

I doubt the Spiritualists I was fighting had even noticed that I was no longer where they thought I was. Their attacks struck against each other where I’d been standing, exploding and sending a shock wave of heat washing over everyone. They probably thought I’d been killed in that blast because many of them relaxed.

That was the last mistake they would make.

I appeared behind my first victim and swung the Dragon’s Tail Ruler. This time, I did not use the flat end. I channeled lightning through my weapon, the cloth tearing to reveal the jagged teeth of my blade, and then I used it to tear through my first enemy. The Dragon’s Tail Ruler cut the man in half at the waist as easily as if his body had been made of butter. The two halves separated and fell to the ground. By then, I was already moving.

Appearing above the group, I channeled more Spiritual Power through my weapon, causing the segments to unlock and move like the tail of a dragon. Commanded by my will and Spiritual Power, I sent the dragon tail to attack. The eleven segments shot forward. One person was pierced through the chest before she knew what was happening, and then three more people quickly followed suit. All of them died instantly.

“M-m-monster!” one of them yelled. “He’s a monster!!”

“Run away!”

After seeing me kill four of their members with such ease, none of them wanted to stick around and keep fighting me, but I had no intention of letting them leave. I made liberal use of the Flash Step to cut down each person who attacked me. I showed no mercy as I killed them, though I did grant them the benefit of a quick and almost painless death.

I stood amongst the scattered remains of over a dozen corpses. There was no blood on my clothing, but the stench clung to me all the same. Several people had appeared when the commotion started to see what was happening, but all of them had run away when they laid eyes on me.

Placing the Dragon’s Tail Ruler on my back again, I wandered over to the man who had first spoken to me and checked his pulse. He was still alive. That was a good.

I tied him up and began healing him with the water element. I had some questions that I wanted him to answer, and it would be much easier to torture him if he wasn’t already in pain.

***

Kari awoke with a stifled yawn. Blinking her eyes open, she slowly sat up, stretched her arms, and groaned as her muscles tightened before relaxing. As she brought her hands back down, she looked at the room she was staying.

The nice room featured soft carpet and contained several amenities like couches, chairs, and love seats. There were also three beds. Currently, only the bed with Fay was being occupied. The one Lin slept in was empty.

Standing up, Kari slipped out of her pajama bottoms and shirt. She wandered over to the clothing rack, grabbed her robes, and slid them on. She normally wore breast bindings, but since she was planning on taking a dip in the hot springs, Kari decided not to wear them.

After she was dressed, Kari went to Fay’s bed and began shaking her future sister awake.

“Fay. Wake up, Fay. It’s time to get up.”

Releasing a soft groan, Fay turned onto her back and slowly opened her eyes. She blinked several times when her eyes landed on Kari’s. Then she gave a sleepy smile.

“Good morning, Kari.”

“Good morning. Sleep well?”

“It was okay.”

Fay sat up in bed and stretched her arms high above her head. She also stretched out her legs, and even her toes seemed to be stretching. Her red hair was a complete mess, but Kari knew that would be fixed soon.

“Let me guess: you would have slept much better if you were with Eryk, right?” Although she said that in a joking manner, it wasn’t like there was no truth to her words. Fay blushed at her but didn’t deny them, causing Kari to laugh. “Come on. Get dressed so we can meet up with Eryk and Lin.”

Fay nodded as she slid out of the bed. Like Kari, she was wearing pajama bottoms and a shirt. The shirt was too small, so it stretched taut against her breasts, but Fay didn’t seem to mind. She slid her pajamas down her hips, stepped out of them, then removed her top. Kari went over to the clothing rack, grabbed another robe, and helped the redhead slip into it.

Once they were both dressed, the pair left their room and traveled to the one right next to them. Kari knocked once.

“Eryk? Lin? Are you two awake?”

“We’re up,” Eryk’s voice echoed from the other side. “Come on in.”

Eryk and Lin were indeed already awake when the two entered. Lin was sitting on a couch and Eryk was standing behind her, brushing her hair with a comb. There was an incredibly dopey smile on Lin’s face and her tail thumped against the ground in a steady rhythm.

“Good morning, you two.”

“Morning, Big Sister. Morning, Fay.”

Kari and Fay greeted the two as they moved over to the sofa and sat down on either side of Lin. Eryk continued combing Lin’s hair as he chatted with all three girls. While they spoke of inane matters like Spiritualism, the elements, and the food available at this resort, Kari felt an astonishing warmth pervade her chest. Sitting here with the man she loved and her tw future sisters gave her a joy she never knew was possible. She was so happy with her life now, so incredibly content that she couldn’t imagine any other life.

Once Eryk finished combing Lin’s hair, he combed Kari’s and Fay’s hair as well. During this time, the maidservant who was waiting on them arrived with a tray of food. It was a simple but delicious meal of bread with butter and honey and a variety of fruits. Of course, that was for the humans. Lin was served a large helping of beef.

As everyone began eating, they discussed more important matters.

“It’s been two days already, but we’ve still seen no sign of this peeper,” Eryk said. He was sitting between Fay and Lin. “Are we sure he hasn’t left?”

“I’m positive he hasn’t left,” Fay said as she nibbled on some berries. “Maybe I’m imagining things, but there were several times I could have sworn I felt a pair of eyes on me, and it wasn’t the usual kind I feel when other women look at me. The feeling of these eyes was lecherous.”

“This princess has also sensed someone lurking around,” Lin added. She paused long enough to grab another long slice of beef, place it in her mouth, and swallow after barely chewing it. “He disappears every time this princess senses him, so she can never keep track of where he is, but there was definitely someone ogling us.”

“Hmmm… in that case, I suppose we should try hitting more of the hot springs until we get lucky,” Eryk said with a sigh. “I’ll stick around in the men’s bath like usual. Sorry I can’t be much help.”

“It’s okay.” Kari smiled as she tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. “We know there’s not much you can do to catch this peeper. It would be one thing if he was interested in men, but since he’s not, there’s no way you can lure him out.”

“That doesn’t make me feel much better, but thanks.”

Kari knew that Eryk’s real problem was in regards to another man who wasn’t him seeing them naked. She wouldn’t say he was the jealous type, but he was definitely possessive. She actually rather liked that. He didn’t try to control her or force her to do things she didn’t wanted, but he hated it when other men ogled her, Fay, and Lin, which was something Kari honestly appreciated.

After they finished eating, Eryk split up from them and went to the men’s bath.

There were several hot springs located in this resort. Most of them were separated by men and women, though there were some mixed baths. The men’s hot spring was on the opposite side of the women’s, which was located on the south side of the resort. To reach the women’s hot spring, Kari, Lin, and Fay needed to travel outside and take a meandering cobblestone path that led to another building.

The building was a lot smaller in terms of height, but it was also much wider and was located at the base of a small mountain. Each room within this building featured a different type of hot spring. There were indoor hot springs, outdoor hot springs, simple springs, carbonated springs, salt springs, and springs that contained various kinds of minerals. So far, Kari, Lin, and Fay had only tried the simple indoor and outdoor hot springs.

“Which hot spring do you think we should try today, Big Sister?” Lin was slithering along beside Kari with a bright grin. The Lamia was practically glowing. “This princess thinks we should try the hot springs that are high in minerals. Sonia told this princess that mineral heavy hot springs may help make my scales smoother and glossier.”

“They seem pretty smooth and glossy to me already,” Fay said as she looked at Lin’s tail, which was indeed quite smooth and glossy-looking.

“This princess’s tail can always afford to look better,” Lin defended. “This princess wants to look her best for Darling.”

Of course she was thinking about Eryk when she mentioned wanting her tail to look more attractive, though Kari didn’t think she needed to worry. Eryk had confided in Kari during their pillow talk that he thought Lin’s snake half was very erotic. His comments had even made Kari consider having a threesome with Lin and Eryk. She was planning on it soon, but she wanted to prepare herself first. The threesome she, Eryk, and Fay had their first night at this resort had left her very, very, very sore the next morning. She’d walked with a limp for at least the first half of her day, and that was after Eryk healed her.

Since Lin wanted to bathe in a mineral heavy spring and neither Kari or Fay had any specific hot spring they wished to try, the three of them journeyed into the building, traveled down a hall, and soon emerged from the other side.

The mineral hot springs were located further up the mountain. They followed another cobblestone trail, bypassing several other hot springs that a number of women were lounging around in.

Perhaps it was because of Lin and her tail, but they were drawing a lot of attention. Quite a few women stared at them as they walked by. Even more were leaning over and whispering in each other’s ears, though Kari could not hear what was being said.

In order to protect the privacy of their guests, the Whiterun Hot Spring Resort had erected large stone walls around the mountain to keep men from trying to enter. The rampart, which must have been a few meters wide, was also being guarded by female Spiritualists. Several of them were patrolling the walls.

“It’s a wonder this man can peep on women when there are so many guards patrolling the area,” Fay said when she saw where Kari was looking.

“I know what you mean.” Kari frowned. “I do wonder how he manages to slip past all these guards undetected. He must be incredibly skilled at stealth.”

Stealth was not something most Spiritualists focused on since many of them preferred flashy Spiritual techniques, but it wasn’t like there weren’t any who possessed that sort of talent. Finn had been quite adept at stealth.

They soon arrived at the mineral spring, which was already occupied by two women. However, the spring was quite large, about fifteen meters in diameter, and so it wasn’t like anyone could complain about their presence. Like the other springs, this one was also surrounded by trees and bushes. It gave the spring a natural aesthetic.

“Look at how pretty this hot spring is! This princess cannot wait to get in!”

Lin was quick to slip out of her robes, discard them on the ground, and slither into the water. The two women already in scooted away from her. However, Lin didn’t even seem to notice as she sank into the water until it was up to her shoulders. The Lamia girl sighed in content as she leaned back against the edge of the spring.

“So nice…”

“It seems someone is eager,” Fay joked with a smile as she slipped out of her robes and folded them up. She placed them next to Lin’s before wandering over to the spring. Unlike Lin, she dipped her foot in first, testing the temperature before deciding it wasn’t too hot. Then she slowly slipped into the spring and sat down next to Lin.

Kari sighed as she folded both hers and Lin’s robes, setting them back down before joining her friends. The water really was nice. The heat seeped into her body, relieving the tension and aches in her muscles. It felt like her fatigue was being washed away. The water also felt very thick, like it was more than just water. She guessed those were the minerals.

While Kari and Lin merely relaxed in the water, Fay began moving around. It looked like she was doing basic exercises and stretches.

“Fay has a lot of trouble keeping still,” Lin muttered as she watched the redhead.

Kari shrugged. “Fay enjoys training for the sake of training, so I’m not surprised.”

“Do you think the peeper will show up?”

“It’s hard to say…”

Kari began rocking back and forth as she activated Spiritual Perception. Unlike Eryk, who mentioned that he saw Spiritual Signatures as flames, Kari could sense Spiritual Signatures as sounds. She could determine how much Spiritual Power someone had and what their element was based on the pitch and timbre they gave off.

The two women in the spring with them were not Spiritualists, so they gave off nearly no sound at all. Of course, there was Fay and Lin, the two strongest Spiritual Signatures aside from her own, and then there were the female Spiritualists guarding the wall. However, aside from them, she couldn’t sense anyone el—

Kari continued rocking as she picked up a strange sound. It felt very different from most other sounds. This one reminded her of the way wind whistled when it passed through a valley of rocks. It sounded almost like the sounds of nature, but when she focused on it further, she realized that it was, in fact, not nature but a person producing those sounds.

“Fay,” Kari called. “Stop exercising and come talk with us. We’re supposed to be on vacation.”

Fay did stop doing her stretches and waded back over to them, and Kari felt a slight moment of admiration when she saw her friend’s muscles. Her arms and legs were slender but defined, and her stomach had a six-pack, something that Kari would never be able to gain because of her softer body.

Of course, Eryk loved her body, so she wouldn’t trade it for the world, but she still admired Fay’s muscular figure.

“Is something on your mind?” asked Fay.

Kari gestured for her and Lin to come closer. Fay and Lin appeared curious as they leaned in, until their foreheads were mere centimeters from Kari.

“I’ve found the peeper,” Kari whispered, causing the other two girls to grow stiff.