93. The Forest Affairs I

At night, Edmund would play with Kiara and Sofia. By day, he would shapeshift and rejoin Ethan and Nysta, now holed up in a small, tiny fortress. Naturally, Edmund wasn't going to make it easy for the two hero-party members, even if Ethan was now empowered by the [Rank 2 Dark Knight], and he had stronger combat abilities.

"There's undead coming this way." Ethan said to Nysta, and they both looked at each other. "Do you want to hide, or fight?"

Naturally, Edmund was nearby, and he had shapeshifted into a small rat. Nysta still felt a little weak from the effects of the poison, there was a throbbing pain in her belly from the blade of that undead. "If we fight, do you think they'll keep coming for us?"

Ethan looked around. "I'm not sure."

In truth, Edmund lured them here, and with his magical powers, could just as easily seize control of the lesser undead. But he wouldn't do that. Not yet, anyway. There was no point to it.

But he meddled with their senses.

"Let's hide." Nysta said, but there were not many places to hide in that hut, except for a small, tight little compartment beneath the bed. It was as if the compartment beneath the bed was once used to store things.

"Can that fit both of us?" Ethan asked, a little unsure. But it was the perfect setup for the two to get intimate.

"We have no choice." Nysta said, as she got in first. Ethan, then followed.

Then, they shut the bed on top of them and quickly hid in the narrow compartment beneath the bed.

***

The undead entered the room at Edmund's command. It was child's play for a demon lord to give suggestions to a demon-controlled undead.

***

Ethan and Nysta were so close that they almost kissed, and Ethan, in an attempt to feign innocence, ensured both his hands was around Nysta's head.

He whispered. "I'm putting my hands so here just so you know I'm not touching you anywhere."

Nysta blushed, but Ethan was so close, and Edmund, naturally, although he was just a rat, released powerful aphrodisiacs into the tiny little compartment. The undead wasn't moving. Instead, more undead came into the hut as if looking for something. But they were dumb things, and they didn't know how to look under beds.

Nysta's body began to heat up. She was so close to a man, and her body felt the warmth of a man. There was something about Ethan's smell that was familiar, and it was intoxicating. Maybe it was the lack of oxygen in that small tight compartment under the bed, but her breathing grew heavy.

"Shh." Ethan whispered. "They are still out there."

Yet, the priestess grew light-headed. The compartment was tight, and Edmund then manipulated it such that it grew slightly tighter. The effects of Edmund's magic grew, as Nysta began to breath in Ethan's manly scents.

It was an imprint. Nysta could feel the undead still out there, and yet, in that tight compartment, she felt nervous. Ethan, then tapped her head. He whispered sweet words into her ears. "It'll be alright. I'm here. We won't die, not today."

Somehow, though the priestess Nysta was obsessed with the hero, at the moment she felt vulnerable. And so, she moved closer to Ethan, and unknowingly, she began to hug him. Ethan continued to soothe her head.

With each gentle tap and rub of her head, Nysta grew more and more comfortable with Ethan's presence. It was dark, dim in that compartment, and all she could feel and smell was Ethan.

Yet, her mind, perhaps clouded by Ethan's demonic curse and Edmund's magical aphrodisiacs, began to work against the hero. She moved closer, and she held Ethan's body tighter.

She sniffed and got used to his smell.

Ethan touched and continued to rub her head. "It's alright."

Nysta didn't know why, but she realized the hero had never shown her that sort of tenderness. This sort of closeness and intimacy felt special. It wasn't a kiss. It didn't need to be.

But it was enough to shift it slightly, as the priestess's heart began to change.

And the hours passed.

The undead didn't leave until a few hours later, and even then, Nysta whispered. The hours together, her heart pounded and she felt strangely comfortable in the man's presence. "Let's wait a little longer."

Ethan nodded. "Sure."

So, they waited an hour more, and this time, Nysta held him rather tightly. Ethan did not tease her, instead, he continued to rub her gently. Ethan and Edmund both realized that he might be able to set up almost romantic situations with some of them. The power of the goddesses are strong, but in the face of special moments, the girls' hearts could still be shifted.

If that is so, then Edmund needed to transform Ethan into a powerful second figure in the hero party. One that could win over the girl's hearts, with the aid of Edmund to create those special moments. He would need to distract Aman to do so, but given how dense the hero has been, it may not be too hard.

***

The coast was clear.

"You alright?" Ethan asked as he helped Nysta out of the tiny compartment. Her face was flushed red, caused by both the heat and how closely she was to a man. The priestess was a good woman, all her life she devoted to the faith, and so when she joined the hero party, she thought it was so that she could be with Aman. Yet her mind, in those hours within the tight compartment, she wondered whether what the goddesses truly intended.

Are they really meant to be the hero's partners? Is that what the teaching was?

"Ah, yes. I'm- I'm fine." Nysta sat and felt her wound throb. She winced, and Ethan immediately stepped closer.

"Let me check the wound. Hopefully nothing got into it while we were trapped in the compartment." Ethan approached the priestess, and this time. "Can you lift your robe a little?"

Nysta blushed only slightly, as she adjusted her robe. The wound was still black.

"Hmm, do you mind if I touch it?"

She looked unsure but then nodded. "Go- go ahead."

Ethan's palm touched the wound on her lower abdomen where her stomach and liver was, and felt the demonic curse inside. It was getting a little bit stronger. He touched it, and decided to use the demonic curse's power against her. "It's growing stronger."

She paled. "I- I noticed. Let me try to suppress it a little more."

Her magical powers were not enough to suppress the curse, and she frowned. "Ah. I'll need to return to the temples to remove the curse. I- I hope they come back soon."

Ethan nodded, but he knew they would not be back yet. Edmund had guided additional undead to harass both Hannah and Wynn. Not enough to defeat them, but enough to ensure that they would take an additional day or two to return.

"Rest." Ethan said, as he made food for them two. After food, Nysta took a nap while he was outside.

But Edmund, in the form of a rat, quickly tapped the nun's head once she was asleep, and injected a powerful burst of lust energies, this time, aimed at Nysta.

A dream.