What the fuck is wrong with me?

  That was the only thought in my mind as I basked in the afterglow. I couldn't get Jen's face out of my head. How excited it made me to see her eyes soaked with fear, how powerful I felt when she looked at me. How amazing it was to feel Anthony's pulse weakening under my hands as I squeezed the life from him. The hate and terror in his eyes as I choked him made my heart race. I wonder if she's realized her mistake yet. God, I hate that woman.

  The thought of her face riddled with fear made me twitch with excitement. Does she hate me as much as I do her? What would it be like to force her? Would I enjoy it just as much as I usually did? I shook my head clear, abandoning the dark path my thoughts were taking. No, Marshall. Stop that, you're better than that. You have Lia.

  A small hands crept down my chest, touching my skin ever so softly before squeezing me.

  "You sure are insatiable, Champion." my Lady giggled, moving her hand. I chuffed and reached down, grabbing a perfect handful and squeezing as well.

  "No more than you, my Lady." I replied, her gasps sending shivers down my spine. I rolled on top of her, ready to go again, but was stopped by something. My stomach roared with anger at being ignored for over twenty hours. I still had yet to eat after the fight with the Nevind and loving my Lady had taken even more from me. Not that I minded much, but I still needed fuel. My body felt weak with hunger but my soul was full with contentment and love, growing even more as a contented sigh sounded from under me. My Lady shifted a little closer, pressing her lips to my neck and sucking slightly. I chuckled and pulled her closer, further into me. My stomach roared again and I sighed, hunger taking hold.

  "Damn. I'd say let's go again, but..." my sentence was punctuated with a third roar from my stomach and Lia laughed fully, pulling back and wrapping her arms around my neck.

  "Need some food?" she asked knowingly.

  "Yes, please." I replied. My Lady laid back on the bed, looking up at me with those bright, flaming emeralds and I had to force myself not to fall back into her. "Gah, woman, you gotta stop giving me those eyes." She giggled and flashed me her burning emeralds again, lust clear within them, and rose from the bed, dressing in her technicolor dress. I put on the new clothes Elysin had given me before saying "You know what, we're taking tonight off. You and I are going on a date."

  "A date? What is that?"

  "A date is where two people who like each other romantically go and spend time together, typically out of the house. Anything could be a date, from ice skating to going to the movies or even staying at home and making supper together. Anything done together could be classified as a date, but it also depends on perception. When I was... when I was courting Jennifer, I asked her out quite a few times before she finally agreed to make it official." I averted my eyes as I said that last bit. Openly talking about my former fiancé to my new lover while said former was just a few doors down made it extremely awkward, though Lia didn't seem to think so.

  "So you went on multiple dates before you became engaged?"

  "Yes. The way dating works on earth is one person asks another out. They go on a few dates, just the two of them, before somebody brings up the whole boyfriend/girlfriend thing. My world loved their labels, much like folks do here; Hunters and Vartins and the like. More often than not, people date for a few years before agreeing to marry each other. Jen and I were together for two before I proposed."

  "So what does that make us?" I barked out a spiteful laugh.

  "I fuckin' hate that question. That's the cliché way to bring up the fact that you want to take things further, become even more exclusive." Lia sauntered up to me, a sway her tiny hips.

  "I suppose it's a good thing, then, that you belong to me and me alone, my Champion." She kissed me softly and whispered "My lover." against my lips. I scoffed and kissed her back once, dragging myself away as my stomach roared again.

  "Come on, baby, I gotta eat. Please." Burning emeralds flashed at my words and I felt her shiver in my arms.

  "Say it again." she said in a soft, needy voice that triggered my own shivers. I saw her under me, that same voice sounding in my head but far, far louder. God, she was vocal.

  "Please?" I said, pitching my voice higher and teasing her. Lia gave me a pointed look and crossed her arms.

  "No food until you do." At her words, a golden haze entered my mind and forced my mouth to obey.

  "I love you, baby." I heard myself say and my heart knew it was true. My mind warred against the haze, wanting to confess my love itself, not be forced by magic.

  "Good. You are not allowed to love anyone more than me, understood?"

  "What about Rosie and Diego?" Rosie stirred in my shadow at her name, manifesting next to me with a whine and turning pleading seas on Lia. Diego de-camo'ed from its spot on the wall and launched itself at my shoulders, taking its normal spot. I chuckled and pet the Cerintino softly, looking at Lia as well.

  "Fine, you may love them as well, I suppose. But I take priority."

  "As you wish, my Lady." My stomach roared its agreement and moved my feet of its own accord, exiting the room with my partners close behind me. Rosie panted heavily, dashing about under my feet and bouncing in and out of shadows. Lia grabbed my left hand and held it tightly, walking by my side.

  "What do you want to do for our 'date'?" she asked as we walked down the stairs to the main lobby.

  "The same thing I originally suggested. Clothes shopping, if you like. You need something more fitting for a Lady than that rag-tag dress. Not that it doesn't look great on you, but I refuse to let my Lady run around in rags. I only have two sets of clothes and they aren't the best. I want some new ones. There's also an entire city to explore. I heard music coming from somewhere in the city, so we could go find that."

  "Lady Freyolin!" I turned and found Tzolob rushing towards us, hand raised. I smiled and raised mine in return, turning my smile on Railey as she appeared from behind the Guild Master.

  "'Sup, y'all? How's it goin'?" Tzolob gave me a weird look and I smiled wider. I love fucking with the locals.

  "We have your reward." he said, bowing slightly. "Please, follow me." Lia looked at me and grinned a malicious grin.

  "Thank you, Guild Master, but my Champion and I are going on a date. I will collect the reward when we return."

  "Hol' up, does the reward contain money?" I asked, a problem occurring to me. Sure, I had some money, but I needed my Soul Coins for other purposes. Such as saving hurt creatures, including myself.

  "Of course. You will be paid a monetary reward for killing the Nevind." I pumped my fist.

  "Hell yeah! I'll take mine now, so I can pay for my Lady. It is the gentleman's job to pay for the Lady on a date."

  "The reward is one and the same." Tzolob said. "Twenty gold pieces for killing the Nevind with a new dagger forged from its bones to replace the one you lost." My smile widened.

  "Lead the way, boss man." I gestured for the Guild Master to take the lead and we walked towards the back of the Guild Hall, through a door I hadn't seen before. Kiltont was back there as well and he smiled knowingly when he saw us.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  "My Lady. Marshall." he said by way of greeting. "Did you have fun?" I chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of my head as Lia smiled widely.

  "Very much so, Chief." Lia said.

  "I am impressed, Lady Ameilia. I did not know your voice could get that loud." Lia's face went bright red at that and it was my turn to smile.

  "Come on, bro. Ain't no need to embarrass her like that, she was just enjoying herself." Lia slapped me on the arm then hooked hers through mine.

  "You did a wonderful job, Champion. I've never felt that way before. The way you felt inside me was unforgettable. I could feel your Spark more than when we first melded."

  "Lia!" I cried, putting a hand over my heart. "We are in public!"

  "So?" she replied, giving me a look. "You did well and deserve to be showered with rewards for it. What's so wrong with me bragging about my Champion's ability to care for me?"

  "There are some things that should remain private."

  "Mhm. This is not one of them. You laid with me wonderfully and I will brag about it." Kiltont scoffed and put his head in one of his hands.

  "I never imagined you to be so crass, my Lady."

  "I don't care what you think, Chief. Respectfully. Marshall fucked me good and hard and I want him to do it again and again and again."

  "Christ, Lia, have some decency." I said, blushing deeply.

  "Oh, I can't wait to brag to that whore about how wonderful you feel." I shook my head and addressed Tzolob.

  "Anyway, putting that aside for the moment, you said there was a reward?" Tzolob shook himself, blinking a few times.

  "Y...yes, there is." He grabbed a brown pouch from the table Kiltont was standing next to and handed it to me. "Twenty gold pieces and the dagger will be finished soon, hopefully this time tomorrow."

  "Excellent." I pocketed the pouch and felt it disappear into my Inventory, smiling widely. "Hey, you got any good recommendations for a place to eat around here?" My question was punctuated with another painful roar from my stomach and Tzolob smiled.

  "I recommend Haverty's, about a half-mile down the road." He pointed to the right as he said this. "They have a wonderful Dimonl fillet that is simply divine."

  "Awesome. Thanks, bro. Y'all have a good night." I patted the hand tucked under my arm and bowed, smiling at the men. "Gentlemen. Railey." I turned and led Lia out of the room than snapped and turned back around. "Tzolob, are there any clothes stores still open? Lia needs a new wardrobe."

  "As do you." Lia said. "I'll not have my Champion running around dressed in rags." I chuffed at her use of my earlier words. "And let me cook for you. I want to reward you for your hard work both today and yesterday."

  "I mean, I'd rather treat you to a nice dinner, but your cooking sounds magnificent as well. Clothes come first, however." My stomach roared its disaproval at my statement and Lia grinned at me.

  "Are you sure?" she asked knowingly, placing her hand on my stomach. "I can feel your stomach rumbling." Another roar of agreement and I hid my scowl, the roar fairly painful this time.

  "You're right. Let's eat and if there's time we'll go clothes shopping. I'm still gonna take you on a date, though, even if it's not today." I stared straight at the Chief and Guild Master as I said my next words. "We're taking the next two days off to enjoy the city and our new lease on life."

  "As you wish, Tank. You've earned a day off for your efforts. However, you will be required to attend a training session tomorrow morning as you missed this morning's. A Prime Dragon has directly instructed me to train you and I take that seriously."

  "Aw, hell. Fine, but after that I'm done. I'm taking Lia on a date and we're gonna explore the city."

  An hour or so later, Lia and I were sat at a table by ourselves in the corner of the Guild Hall. The Hall itself was surprisingly big, larger than a football field and held upwards of two dozen counters. The ceilings weren't that high, I could touch them with the tips of my fingers if I really stretched, but it just seemed to go on forever. Everything a Hunter could want was contained within this Hall, from weapons to armor to quests to a general store and a cafeteria. As I said before, we were sat in one of the corners of the cafeteria, the four of us digging into a wonderful meal hand-crafted by Lia. I didn't say a fucking thing as I ate, too consumed with hunger to even think of having a conversation. Lia ate politely, taking small bites and covering her mouth with a napkin as she chewed, the pinnacle of grace.

  "Must you eat like a savage?" my Lady asked. I ignored her, continuing to devour the feast before me. I couldn't even tell you what I was eating, just the fact that it was delicious and exactly what I needed. I grunted in reply, gulping down my second pitcher of water. A young female Vartin came and placed another pitcher before me, though this one appeared to be some kind of ale. The fluid within was amber colored and foaming at the lip, dripping down the side. I nodded in appreciation to her and she bowed, leaving without a word. Lia sighed and shook her head, taking another small bite. After twenty minutes of gluttony, I finally started to slow. I had devoured the food Lia made in under a minute, but that was fine. The Guild's chef had done a wonderful job keeping up with my apatite and I was finally able to eat my fill. I leaned back in my wooden chair, rocking on the back two legs and sighed contentedly.

  "Oh, Lord have mercy, that hit the spot." I moaned and rubbed my stomach, my eyes starting to close. "I may have put myself in a food coma. Wanna go back to sleep, baby? I'm fuckin' tired."

  "When are you not tired, Sir?" a new voice said. I opened one eye to find Railey standing next to Lia, arms crossed over her chest. "If you're going to be with our Lady you must be better than this. There is food in your hair." I chuckled.

  "I've no doubt. I haven't eaten my fill since the fire and this was just what I needed."

  "What fire?"

  "Don't worry about it. I usually have more manners than that, but man, was I hungry. I apologize for my decorum, Lia."

  "It's fine, Marshall. Watching you eat the food I cooked was more than enough for me to disregard your rude table manners." I laughed and stood.

  "Thank you. I promise I will be better about it from now on."

  "Marshall!" I looked up at the sound of my name and frowned, watching the woman approach us from the other side of the cafeteria. Grabbing Lia's hand, I turned and walked off, dragging Lia from her seat. She let out a sound of surprise as I dragged her behind me, away from the whore chasing after us. "MARSHALL!! Come back!"

  "Fuck you!" I called over my shoulder. I caught Railey following along behind us with a confused look on her face.

  "Please! I need to talk to you!" I stopped, a look of rage growing on my face. I felt Railey bump into me but ignored her, whirling around on Jennifer.

  "What?!" I cried, failing to keep a hold on my emotions. "What the fuck could you possibly want from me?! Are you here to destroy me again? Break my heart for the third time? I don't think so."

  "No, it's not that. I... I came to apologize."

  "I don't want your worthless apology. I believe I made that clear."

  "Yes, but, you see..." Jennifer shifted her weight from foot to foot, her hands clasped behind her back. She pushed her chest forward and took a step towards me. "I miss you and..."

  "No." Lia said, cutting Jennifer off. "You are not allowed to talk to my Champion anymore."

  "I don't have to listen to what you say." Jennifer said, a look of anger on her face.

  "Yes, you do. I am Lady Ameilia Sarielay Freyolin and it is well within my rights to claim you as my Vartin for hurting a member of my family." What? That's not the same name she used before. It was 'Sarie' when she introduced herself the first time.

  "I don't care who you are, you are seducing my husband."

  "I am not your husband." I growled, glaring at Jennifer. "But you know my feelings about people being Vartins, Lia."

  "Yes, I do, which is why I have yet to do it. But, gods, do I want to. I have some ideas that need testing and she is the perfect candidate."

  "What ideas?" Jennifer asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

  "Oh, you need not worry about that. I will save them for another foe. One who truly deserves it. I was going to use you to perfect the technique, but I can find another."

  "Well, now you got me intrigued." I said, putting a hand to my chin. "What techniques are you thinking about?"

  "Well, I can heal others, right? I have yet to find the limit for what my Spark can heal. I think it best to begin with the nails. Maybe I could have Rosie rip her heels apart and watch her crawl on the ground like the bug she is." That gave me cause for concern. As she had been speaking, Lia's voice had gotten softer and gained an undertone of violence that sent shudders down my spine. The familiar fear and terror wormed its way into my heart but I fought them down and grabbed her chin, turning her to me and looking into her eyes. I forcefully activated my True Sight for the first time, starring deep into her burning emeralds. Again, her fire had grown. Not by much this time, but now more than half of her eyes were on fire. Her emeralds were full of hate and rage, a look I had never seen on her unless she was looking at Marin. Something writhed within the flames, howling and raging against the bars of her soul.

  "Lia, something's wrong. You're not being yourself."

  "Yes, I am, Marshall. How could you know who I am? You've known me for three weeks. You know nothing about me or who've you agreed to serve! Why can't you just think for a minute? Must you always be so quick to speak?" I frowned as she spoke, something clearly wrong with her. I could feel her Spark just under her skin, bright and warm and kind like normal, yet full of a familiar violence. It was like she was trying to keep a lid on a two-liter of Coke that had a bag of mento's shoved into it. It didn't work.

  "No," I replied, trying to keep my voice even. "but I know your soul. You and I were one for a minute there and this is not you. You are not a violent woman."

  "Fuck you. You know nothing! Now kneel."

  "What?"

  "KNEEL, Champion." A spike of ice entered my mind, driving me to one knee with a groan. Lia placed her foot on my head and pressed it down, forcing me to look at the ground. "You serve me and me alone. That stupid Dragon can say whatever it wants, but I am your Mistress and you will obey me. Understand? If I want to break that whore I will. Am I clear?"

  "Yes, Mistress." my voice said of its own accord. "I am at your disposal."

  "Good. Now, come. I have some ideas I would like to test out. You as well, Whore."