Chapter 366 – Lazy Dryad

"My Mistress," Sarania says. "I think we've done enough today. You're good at uncovering the gate, but we don't have much else to work on. We can go."

"But..."

"No. Sorry, my Mistress, we're done. You're shaking in my arms. And there's been a lot of blood today. So we'll go back home and relax. We can plan how to spend some time with Irlo, and we can have Lottie come by for you to cuddle with her. We need to rest."

"Ok," I say. I need to heal the ant first. The piece of shit can't die. Not yet. It'll be painful, and my Shadow will watch in silence. I should take her tongue.

"I've got you, my Mistress," Sarania says. "Just a bit of mana to heal the ant, and we'll go home."

"Thank you."

...

Lottie was already there, naked and waiting, when I got back to my room. My second body is handling the plan tomorrow. It's going to be a big outing with all my babies coming out with Irlo to a garden for the day. It's going to be so much fun. So why can't I get excited for it?

"Come here, Mistress," Lottie says.

I crumble into her arms. At least the tears don't come.

"There there," Lottie says. "I'm sorry for all I've done. I thought you just needed a spark. But I was wrong. You have that already. You didn't need someone to give you one. I should've just asked if you wanted company. I'm sorry.""It wasn't that bad."

"It wasn't the right thing to do when you had just been through hell. I should've known better. I'm thankful for Fluvis and you letting me stay and do the right thing. Just use my warmth and body. Estrella and Fluvis are out protecting the city and your kids. I'll be right here. My body is ready to comfort you. Even the small things matter, Alzi. They can hurt just as much as the rest. I'm sorry for forgetting that."

"I guess," I say. My mind can barely think about our first meeting. Even feeling the little ones in her womb doesn't remind me of that day. Should it? Should I care?

Is there anything I should care about?

*** Nature's Champion ***

What a burden. At least I don't have to control all these beasts. I would've run off if she had thrust that on me. This march is more than enough when all I want is to sleep in the roots of my tree. So many of the little ones just run from the trees. I always wondered why, and now I know.

Nature promised I won't have to do much. But she didn't make me a Champion for no reason. I don't have to fight too hard. Nature's always been a bit stupid with her plans. She never understands how to end the plan. She starts so strong, but she never gets to the end. I don't need to fall with her.

While Nature knows I'm not really into her plan, the Dragons don't. Why would she let that stupid magma into her forests? Who am I kidding? Her strange friendship with Justice is her main issue. How desperate was Justice to have that weak woman be her Champion? And then there's how the stupid Queen is going to cause so much destruction.

Maybe that is my true purpose in all of this. To keep the Dragons from burning the ancient growth.

"Why do you look so mad?" the Dragon Queen's sister asks. I wish she would take control. Then I wouldn't have to worry about stupidity leading half this army.

"I prefer to sleep. Not fight and talk in this stupid tongue."

"You've been called upon by your Goddess," the Dragon Queen says. "You should be proud."

"Your Goddess has abandoned you. You should be ashamed to even be here," I say. "Now. Like I said, I'm not in control of the forces. I don't care what they do or when. If they all died tomorrow, I would just sigh and go home. Nature is either desperate or knows this is doomed to have me be her Champion. The only promise I'll give you is that if that old sack of bones comes out here, I'm just going to retreat and protect my forest."

"Our Goddess has abandoned us," the Dragon Queen insists. "She wishes for the strong to survive now that she has the future set."

"Whatever lets you sleep at night," I say. Every day, I've come to these meetings where they ask me to show up and try to move the forces around. I could do it, but instead, I let Nature deal with it. The rituals are easier to deal with than having to deal with the stupid beasts. I just need to find a way to have a ritual take my place here.

"Your forces should be making more ground. You have so many soldiers, yet you barely take inches each day."

"Well, you've got a bunch of Goddesses against us. Why are you so surprised that this is hard? Complain to Nature and Justice about that. I'm no warchief or fighter. I just like to sleep in the roots of my great tree. Now, are we done? I won't be joining these meetings every day anymore. There isn't any reason for me to do so. I'm not controlling troops, and I have little desire to fight. I'll do my part, but just barely. Nature doesn't have many followers with a brain, and it seems the few that do understand this won't end well."

There's no need to stay and listen to their complaints. All this war will do is make the world lose more of its forests. They won't dare let Nature have so much of the realms if she's willing to start a war over nothing. Alzi hasn't hurt the forest, so why do we need to capture and rape the poor girl? The Dragons may have a reason to pick a fight, but Nature has none. It just has a Goddess who is too obsessed with filling the world with her creations.

Good luck, Alzi. Finish this quickly so I can sleep.

*** Syro ***

I don't get it. I haven't done anything. We're trapped in this house, unable to fight on the front lines or even around the city, grounded with nothing to do. No wife to suck up to. Elora is still the head wife, but I don't care about her opinion or thoughts. I don't think even she cares about her thoughts right now.

But here I am, with a new level. One I know I didn't earn, and it even came with a Skill. And the name of it leaves no doubt about why I have it.

Healing the Mind: Go through the torment of another together to help them process and heal. It won't get rid of anger and fear, but it will help keep their mind from fracturing or self-harm.

Will Alzi trust me? Do I even want to see that?

"My Lady," my maid says. "Princess Alzi is back."

"Do you think she will even listen to me?"

"She trusted you when meeting with Goddesses."

"And I let her get beaten up."

"You warned everyone that something was wrong. Others were meant to get her out of the temple. You did your part. If this will help Princess Alzi, then you have to try. Keep it to yourself, and nothing good will happen. There should be no more secrets between all of you and Princess Alzi. You weren't one to keep them back then; don't start now. Offer to help. That is all. Suppose she accepts, then you know where you stand. If she refuses, then we'll understand that we should find a new family to join, as she does not wish you to be part of hers."

"But that's harder to do."

"Princess Elora accepted you. Princess Alzi must be willing as well. She's likely to accept Lady Inanos and Lady Vanya. Rumors say Lady Victoria is wanted as well. There is room for you, especially if you offer to help her. Come, we're going to ask her. The reports say she was shaking when she got out of the carriage. She could use your soft feathers to relax and your new Skill to help her."

"Very well," I say. Being a coward won't change anything for the better, I suppose. But it is nice not having to deal with rejection.

It's a short walk to get to Alzi's manor, where a maid lets me in without question. Hopefully, that means Alzi's maids think this is a good idea. Maybe I could talk to Alzi's Mother and have her help convince Alzi to let me help.

I just have to go down a hallway to reach her room. There are no stairs here for the women who will likely spend the rest of their lives pregnant. How many silly things did we have that could've made her happy, but we just ignored them?

My maid gives me no chance to back out. Shyla is waiting right outside the door, and we walk right up to her.

"Just be kind," Shyla says. "She doesn't need a fight."

"Of course," I say. Inside, Lottie is cradling Alzi the best that two pregnant women can. "Alzi. I got a strange Skill that I think can help you."

"What is it?" Alzi asks.

"Healing the Mind," I say. "It is meant to help work through the torment you've been through. We'll do it together, and it will help both of us. We can start slowly and see if it helps. It won't let me into your mind or anything. It just helps to work through problems to help overcome the past. It won't remove your feelings about the past, just help keep it from harming you."

"I guess," Alzi says. Not the best answer, but it'll do for now. I just have to prepare for the worst. The brothels have a history of doing some disgusting things. I doubt they did much better when they got their hands on a slave.

I slide in behind her and start the Skill.

*** Alzi ***

I shouldn't say yes to this, but I've let the Goddesses mess with my mind enough. One try, and if I hate it, I can just throw her out of the marriage at the end. My Skills have always had accurate names, so why wouldn't hers?

She snuggles up with me and covers us with her wings, and my past returns, the first raping. I'd had sex before this, but it was only the normal thing that a brothel girl would do. But this. This was brutal. Tied down to the point that I couldn't even choose when I would blink. The first party of the brothel owners. Please. Please.

"It isn't real," Lottie whispers. "Whatever you see isn't here now. It's all in the past. You're safe in my arms. Just listen to my breathing and let it wash over you."

"I'll try," I say. She's not wrong. I don't feel the pain of the whips or the ropes burning into my skin. It's just something that happened. Why I need to be shown this to feel better, I don't know, but it does calm me down. I feel a bit of excitement for tomorrow as I watch myself get abused, a strange feeling.The Queen has promised me these women. The contract will ensure I get them, and Fertility will make their ritual deaths painful. I know it.

...

While the session was calming for me, Syro is a mess. My back is drenched in her tears, and her feathers are shaking as she cries. Did she really not understand? Did they not care to find out what I've been through?

"I'm sorry, Alzi," Syro says. "We're so stupid."

"Yes, you are."