It took a long while to escape and by the time I did, I felt utterly sick to my stomach. Gratitude, gratitude was so, so difficult to endure. There were crying women, a lot of crying women, but also stern and strong women too. Fearless and powerful. Regardless of demeanor, they all grabbed and thanked me, a few collapsing into anguish I was more than a little moved by. It wasn’t the rape or abuse for many, it was the deaths.
“My son, My son! You’ve avenged him! Thank you!”
“My husband would’ve sold his whole bar just to shake your hand.”
“My daughter, she, she didn’t make it. They-!”
There’s a large difference between knowing and experiencing. I knew things were bad, but experiencing a wave of grief and gratitude hit me like a semi-truck, along with the physical bodies of the women themselves. If I was any lighter, I was sure I would’ve been hosted into the air.
It was too much. I wanted to go hide in a hole and cry. I felt my own emotions getting swept along into the atmosphere. I wasn’t an emotionless stone and the pure, absolute pain of loss was getting to me. The gratitude itself made me feel, very very wrong. I wasn’t exactly humble but this, this didn’t feel right at all. I hadn’t saved your sons or husbands or daughters, I’d just fixed the problem after the worse had already happened. It, it honestly was starting to make me feel like a failure despite me not being able to ever do anything more than I had.
In short, stop! Knock it off! Please, please ignore me!
It took some time, but eventually, I was pried away from the hectic group of survivors. Mostly Selve and the elf woman from before helping out to calm down the crowd. They all backed away and if the gratitude was bad, the stares now were worse. I hadn’t said a word, just been the rock for their emotions to crash on. But now? Now it was like they were expecting me to give some kind of speech! What kind of atmosphere is this. Oi, hey, this isn’t a relaxing meal time like I wanted you know! I just want to eat some food and go back to bed for a good long while!
I cleared my throat and looked at all the people before me. It was ‘only’ two dozen women but I felt like I was being stared at by an audience of millions. The pressure had suddenly risen to a… very high degree. I opened my mouth and even I didn’t know what I was going to say.
“You survived, you lived. Please keep on doing so, for your loved ones.”
And that was it. That was all I could think of to say. I wasn’t some master orator or some kind of diplomat. I was just a man for Christ’s sake! I just spoke from the heart, basically saying “wow you’re situation sucks but uh, keep on keeping and you’ll be okay, maybe, kinda?” and that was the best I had.
Judging by some of the very manic and potentially suicidal gazes in a few eyes, I really hoped my words had an effect though.
A smarter or more experienced man than I would have fled after that. But no, god damn it, I wanted some food. So after my words, it was like a bomb had gone off again and I had to deal with a whole new level of emotional output and everyone talking at once.
The morning, in my gracious opinion, sucked. Not that I would mention that to anyone. Finally though, I got what looked like meat and eggs. I was struck dumb for a moment, because for some reason I hadn’t expected perfectly normal bacon and eggs. It was a fantasy world right? Shouldn’t I be served like blue meat and swirling darkness or something? I shook that stupid thought off, it’s not like that happened in most fantasy anyway.
Eating was a… painful affair when every person in the room was staring at me. I ignored it. Look at me like an animal all you want if it makes you feel better. I’m gonna eat my god damn food. The elf approached and my heart skipped a beat. I still remembered her naked body, the blood covering her while a sword rested in her hand, the last thing she had asked me. It was the ecstasy of the moment, I was sure, but my heart nearly skipped two beats when my imagination ran wild. She wasn’t going to ask that again was she?!
But no, she sat down, and began eating right next to me. Selve was on my other side, having faded into the background but eating the same meal as the rest of us. It was a… silent affair. Everyone else had stopped eating and just stared. Maybe having fought in combat made the elf- wait, hold on. That’s gotta be at least a little racist to think of someone as only their race.
“My name’s Derek. What’s yours?”
The el- The woman next to me looked surprised for a moment before smiling.
“Celena.”
Breakfast was a lot better after that, some of the high tension dissipating. Right when I was nearly finished though, Celena asked me a very, very important question that caused that tension to shoot right back up.
“Why did you save us?”
Judging from some of the outright gasps and the few glares I saw suddenly pointed her way, she was asking something the others felt was a step too far. I felt it was a completely fair question. But I wasn’t really sure how to answer. Honesty was probably best but…
“I guess it just seemed wrong to me.”
And that was the honest to god truth. Sure, there was the element of ‘I might actually die if I don’t do this’ but it wasn’t like I would have ignored them if I was of healthy mind and body either. I’d have just been slower, more stealthy, focused on ambushes, come up with a better plan, probably used an actual weapon like a dagger or sword, and probably gotten the other villagers in on it to attack all at once. I wasn’t crazy after all.
Whether she, or anyone, actually believed me was a different story. I expected the third degree, asking more about my motives and desires, but Celena simply nodded and left it at that.
I looked at Selve. Judging by what he had told me, Demons were universally reviled. I get that the circumstances helped alleviate that, a lot, but it was still a bit jarring between knowledge and reality. Well, it would probably be even more jarring if someone randomly decides to try and kill me because I have horns. Joy.
And sadly, that opened pandora’s box. I was far away from home. If magic got me here, magic can get me out of here. Though if I had to take the same route back… shudder.
I swallowed a lump in my throat. Even if I could go back, I seriously doubted it would be quick. Everyone always wants to go to a fantasy world but I’d been here for a few days, apparently, and I didn’t really care for it all that much yet. It had, completely, sucked. Ignoring my extremely abnormal experiences, were things going to get better? How on earth was a medieval esk fantasy world better than modern day?
No modern toilets, no phones, no shows or movies, no electricity, no microwaves, no showers, no video games, no air conditioning, no heaters, it was basically worse in every single imaginable way. There’s magic? So what! I’d take technology over magic any day of the week. Give me a god damn shower before a fucking fireball!
And those were the ‘fun’ thoughts. My quality of life hadn’t just gone down the gutter, my friends and family were gone.
I let out a sigh.
It wasn’t worth it, that was for sure. My family and I may have been distant, but they were still there. I still saw them on holidays, I still called them every once in a while. I cared about them and would have been devastated if they had died. How is this much different? Expect instead of them being dead, it’s more like I had. I felt robbed.
And my friends… that blow was actually really painful. Ferris, Alex, Toxi, Sora. God damn it. This is why I wanted to just go back to bed. Those weren’t just people I would have been devastated if they had disappeared, those were people I saw at least every few weeks in some way or another. Those were the people I was going to feel the actual loss of within just a few short months.
I flicked my tail by my side.
I had been screwed over. It was… painful to not dwell on all the negatives. Like ripping myself out of a mire of muck. There’d be time to grieve later. To panic and freak out, well, I feel I’ve my maximum quota for life on that one. I needed to figure out tomorrow and the next day and the next day after that.
Sleep, eat, drink, rest.
That seemed like as good a plan as any. I needed some god damn relaxation after everything that had happened. This place had to have enough food for fifty people. I’ll just lie low, let these wounds heal, and slowly figure out a plan. My mind flickered to just staying here in this village, picking up a nice job, laying low ish. Just become a fantasy blacksmith or woodmaker.
It was such a… boring and dull dream… that nonetheless got shattered instantly as I remembered where I was. Not some safe, nice, village I could relax in. No, I was in enemy territory where if found by people I’d be executed merely for the existence of my new race.
And oh boy, was that a second pandora’s box that just unlocked?
Demon… I was a demon now. I didn’t know how to feel about that. Scarred I guess. I wasn’t a demon by choice, it had been forced upon me because I took a casual little trip through hell. My entire race felt like one giant wound I hadn’t and couldn’t heal from. Though, it’s not like I personally minded any of the features. The little horns were, well, I hadn’t seen them but they were probably fine. The optional claws were just straight cool and badass. Only second to my amazing tail that was basically a living weapon. I hadn’t gotten the chance to test out the wings but Jesus Christ, if I could fly, that might make this whole trip half worth it. It’s a magical fantasy world and I had wings. I should at least be able to glide right?
For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt a bit of happiness take place in me. Flight sounded pretty great actually.
The super strength was fun. Who didn’t want to be stronger in general? If I had to deal with anything dangerous again, having it would come in handy. And last but not least, possibly not even the last thing, was my weird internal sensor.
I focused hard on it, and it took me a while before I could use it. That same, circular zone, of pressure reappeared. Well, it was more like it was always there, I just only took notice of it now. Now that I wasn’t in such a tense situation, and had some experience, it really did feel like some sort of power or danger gauge. Maybe some bastard combination of the two. The same pressure from Selve was there but it was inverted. If I was a 100, Selve was a 5. The armored men had each been a 30. Just random numbers with no meaning, but it helped put a bit of context to something I didn’t understand.
And then I nearly slapped myself.
“Selve, do demons have a natural danger sense or something?”
“Huh?” Selve looked at me, bacon still in his mouth. He finished chewing before answering me. “I’m not sure. I’m… not really that educated. Wouldn’t you already know the answer though?”
I frowned. I was just considering whether I’d need to find some books on demons when Celena spoke up.
“Actually, kinda. But it isn’t exclusive to demons.”
I looked over to her who had already finished her meal.
“Most demons don’t have it, and I don’t know much, but it’s said that they get access to it more easily. It’s something a lot of powerful people develop. An intuition of how strong others are. But it usually requires decades of constant fighting experience.”
She looked at me meaningfully when she said that but I could do little more than shrug. At least it was confirmation. Then a stupid thought hit me like a hammer.
“I have a god damn in built scouter…”
“What was that Derek?”
“Nothing.”
After the meal was done, I initiated plan “Go fucking relax.” and immediately headed back to my room. I may have slept for three days but that didn’t feel like it was nearly long enough. I stopped when I realized footsteps were following me. I turned around, half expecting to see Selve, only to blink in surprise when it was Celena.
“Oh. Uh, did you need something?”
My heart was beating a little. Celena looked gorgeous and I’d seen more than most. She was a bit petite overall but only somewhat. She still had quite a figure. It only took me a moment to realize what this was about and I smiled inwardly at myself. She was probably here to explain about the end of the fight and clear the air about it. There really was no need, I got it, it was an intense moment and some things were said that weren’t meant.
She bowed and then shouted at the top of her lungs.
“Please let me suck your dick!”
I stared at her, slack jawed, thinking I had misheard her or had already made it back to my room and was dreaming. My ears were demanding that I must have misheard her and my mind was groaning like a beaten punching bag after experiencing yet another shock to my system. Thus, I felt my reaction was perfectly normal, if plain.
“What?”
She looked up at me and there was a gleam in her eye I couldn’t hope to recognize. She looked me right in the god damn eye and said words I felt were totally insane.
“Please, please let me suck your dick!”
My brain finally snapped at that.
“Use more words! Wait, no, why?! What are you even saying?! What is going on here?!”
What type of insane gratitude was this?! Please, a thank you is more than enough! You don’t have to fuck me as a reward you know?! And why so much focus on the oral side of things?! Was that it? Was it some kinda last send off, a simple blowjob to feel like you’ve repaid me?! Wait, was it cultural? Are elves so promiscuous in this world?!
Before my mind could go any more wild, Celena finally answered me.
It was even more insane than I had ever expected.
“You saved us, you saved everyone. and that bastard of a Baron, he used my mouth like a cheap toy. Please, let me repay you on behalf of everyone, and please help me replace the memories!”
Are you on drugs?! What type of logic is that?! “Oh yes, I was raped, so please fuck the violation out of me until I can’t remember anything but good sex.” I mean, fair, it sounds like a good method on paper, but I’m still just some random guy you know?! Savior or not! Also, getting a blowjob for saving people from rapists feels really wrong!
“I…”
I really wasn’t even sure how to respond.
“Please, help me one more time!”
Well….
It wasn’t like I was going to say no…
I was a good man, overall, not stupid. If a hot woman, who especially happens to be an elf, wants to suck your dick, the list of reasons to refuse is pretty small.
“I, that is, yes? Yes.”
Roll with the punches Derek, this is a good thing. Didn’t you want to relax? Let’s not think too hard and just let things happen as they happen.
“Thank you so much!” Celena said before immediately diving towards my groin.
“Wait! Wait! At least wait until we get into my room! Wait!”
I nearly ended up committing public indecency right then and there. I had not expected to be running away from a crazy horny cock lusting elf today but some days are just like that it seems.
It took a long while to escape and by the time I did, I felt utterly sick to my stomach. Gratitude, gratitude was so, so difficult to endure. There were crying women, a lot of crying women, but also stern and strong women too. Fearless and powerful. Regardless of demeanor, they all grabbed and thanked me, a few collapsing into anguish I was more than a little moved by. It wasn’t the rape or abuse for many, it was the deaths.
“My son, My son! You’ve avenged him! Thank you!”
“My husband would’ve sold his whole bar just to shake your hand.”
“My daughter, she, she didn’t make it. They-!”
There’s a large difference between knowing and experiencing. I knew things were bad, but experiencing a wave of grief and gratitude hit me like a semi-truck, along with the physical bodies of the women themselves. If I was any lighter, I was sure I would’ve been hosted into the air.
It was too much. I wanted to go hide in a hole and cry. I felt my own emotions getting swept along into the atmosphere. I wasn’t an emotionless stone and the pure, absolute pain of loss was getting to me. The gratitude itself made me feel, very very wrong. I wasn’t exactly humble but this, this didn’t feel right at all. I hadn’t saved your sons or husbands or daughters, I’d just fixed the problem after the worse had already happened. It, it honestly was starting to make me feel like a failure despite me not being able to ever do anything more than I had.
In short, stop! Knock it off! Please, please ignore me!
It took some time, but eventually, I was pried away from the hectic group of survivors. Mostly Selve and the elf woman from before helping out to calm down the crowd. They all backed away and if the gratitude was bad, the stares now were worse. I hadn’t said a word, just been the rock for their emotions to crash on. But now? Now it was like they were expecting me to give some kind of speech! What kind of atmosphere is this. Oi, hey, this isn’t a relaxing meal time like I wanted you know! I just want to eat some food and go back to bed for a good long while!
I cleared my throat and looked at all the people before me. It was ‘only’ two dozen women but I felt like I was being stared at by an audience of millions. The pressure had suddenly risen to a… very high degree. I opened my mouth and even I didn’t know what I was going to say.
“You survived, you lived. Please keep on doing so, for your loved ones.”
And that was it. That was all I could think of to say. I wasn’t some master orator or some kind of diplomat. I was just a man for Christ’s sake! I just spoke from the heart, basically saying “wow you’re situation sucks but uh, keep on keeping and you’ll be okay, maybe, kinda?” and that was the best I had.
Judging by some of the very manic and potentially suicidal gazes in a few eyes, I really hoped my words had an effect though.
A smarter or more experienced man than I would have fled after that. But no, god damn it, I wanted some food. So after my words, it was like a bomb had gone off again and I had to deal with a whole new level of emotional output and everyone talking at once.
The morning, in my gracious opinion, sucked. Not that I would mention that to anyone. Finally though, I got what looked like meat and eggs. I was struck dumb for a moment, because for some reason I hadn’t expected perfectly normal bacon and eggs. It was a fantasy world right? Shouldn’t I be served like blue meat and swirling darkness or something? I shook that stupid thought off, it’s not like that happened in most fantasy anyway.
Eating was a… painful affair when every person in the room was staring at me. I ignored it. Look at me like an animal all you want if it makes you feel better. I’m gonna eat my god damn food. The elf approached and my heart skipped a beat. I still remembered her naked body, the blood covering her while a sword rested in her hand, the last thing she had asked me. It was the ecstasy of the moment, I was sure, but my heart nearly skipped two beats when my imagination ran wild. She wasn’t going to ask that again was she?!
But no, she sat down, and began eating right next to me. Selve was on my other side, having faded into the background but eating the same meal as the rest of us. It was a… silent affair. Everyone else had stopped eating and just stared. Maybe having fought in combat made the elf- wait, hold on. That’s gotta be at least a little racist to think of someone as only their race.
“My name’s Derek. What’s yours?”
The el- The woman next to me looked surprised for a moment before smiling.
“Celena.”
Breakfast was a lot better after that, some of the high tension dissipating. Right when I was nearly finished though, Celena asked me a very, very important question that caused that tension to shoot right back up.
“Why did you save us?”
Judging from some of the outright gasps and the few glares I saw suddenly pointed her way, she was asking something the others felt was a step too far. I felt it was a completely fair question. But I wasn’t really sure how to answer. Honesty was probably best but…
“I guess it just seemed wrong to me.”
And that was the honest to god truth. Sure, there was the element of ‘I might actually die if I don’t do this’ but it wasn’t like I would have ignored them if I was of healthy mind and body either. I’d have just been slower, more stealthy, focused on ambushes, come up with a better plan, probably used an actual weapon like a dagger or sword, and probably gotten the other villagers in on it to attack all at once. I wasn’t crazy after all.
Whether she, or anyone, actually believed me was a different story. I expected the third degree, asking more about my motives and desires, but Celena simply nodded and left it at that.
I looked at Selve. Judging by what he had told me, Demons were universally reviled. I get that the circumstances helped alleviate that, a lot, but it was still a bit jarring between knowledge and reality. Well, it would probably be even more jarring if someone randomly decides to try and kill me because I have horns. Joy.
And sadly, that opened pandora’s box. I was far away from home. If magic got me here, magic can get me out of here. Though if I had to take the same route back… shudder.
I swallowed a lump in my throat. Even if I could go back, I seriously doubted it would be quick. Everyone always wants to go to a fantasy world but I’d been here for a few days, apparently, and I didn’t really care for it all that much yet. It had, completely, sucked. Ignoring my extremely abnormal experiences, were things going to get better? How on earth was a medieval esk fantasy world better than modern day?
No modern toilets, no phones, no shows or movies, no electricity, no microwaves, no showers, no video games, no air conditioning, no heaters, it was basically worse in every single imaginable way. There’s magic? So what! I’d take technology over magic any day of the week. Give me a god damn shower before a fucking fireball!
And those were the ‘fun’ thoughts. My quality of life hadn’t just gone down the gutter, my friends and family were gone.
I let out a sigh.
It wasn’t worth it, that was for sure. My family and I may have been distant, but they were still there. I still saw them on holidays, I still called them every once in a while. I cared about them and would have been devastated if they had died. How is this much different? Expect instead of them being dead, it’s more like I had. I felt robbed.
And my friends… that blow was actually really painful. Ferris, Alex, Toxi, Sora. God damn it. This is why I wanted to just go back to bed. Those weren’t just people I would have been devastated if they had disappeared, those were people I saw at least every few weeks in some way or another. Those were the people I was going to feel the actual loss of within just a few short months.
I flicked my tail by my side.
I had been screwed over. It was… painful to not dwell on all the negatives. Like ripping myself out of a mire of muck. There’d be time to grieve later. To panic and freak out, well, I feel I’ve my maximum quota for life on that one. I needed to figure out tomorrow and the next day and the next day after that.
Sleep, eat, drink, rest.
That seemed like as good a plan as any. I needed some god damn relaxation after everything that had happened. This place had to have enough food for fifty people. I’ll just lie low, let these wounds heal, and slowly figure out a plan. My mind flickered to just staying here in this village, picking up a nice job, laying low ish. Just become a fantasy blacksmith or woodmaker.
It was such a… boring and dull dream… that nonetheless got shattered instantly as I remembered where I was. Not some safe, nice, village I could relax in. No, I was in enemy territory where if found by people I’d be executed merely for the existence of my new race.
And oh boy, was that a second pandora’s box that just unlocked?
Demon… I was a demon now. I didn’t know how to feel about that. Scarred I guess. I wasn’t a demon by choice, it had been forced upon me because I took a casual little trip through hell. My entire race felt like one giant wound I hadn’t and couldn’t heal from. Though, it’s not like I personally minded any of the features. The little horns were, well, I hadn’t seen them but they were probably fine. The optional claws were just straight cool and badass. Only second to my amazing tail that was basically a living weapon. I hadn’t gotten the chance to test out the wings but Jesus Christ, if I could fly, that might make this whole trip half worth it. It’s a magical fantasy world and I had wings. I should at least be able to glide right?
For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt a bit of happiness take place in me. Flight sounded pretty great actually.
The super strength was fun. Who didn’t want to be stronger in general? If I had to deal with anything dangerous again, having it would come in handy. And last but not least, possibly not even the last thing, was my weird internal sensor.
I focused hard on it, and it took me a while before I could use it. That same, circular zone, of pressure reappeared. Well, it was more like it was always there, I just only took notice of it now. Now that I wasn’t in such a tense situation, and had some experience, it really did feel like some sort of power or danger gauge. Maybe some bastard combination of the two. The same pressure from Selve was there but it was inverted. If I was a 100, Selve was a 5. The armored men had each been a 30. Just random numbers with no meaning, but it helped put a bit of context to something I didn’t understand.
And then I nearly slapped myself.
“Selve, do demons have a natural danger sense or something?”
“Huh?” Selve looked at me, bacon still in his mouth. He finished chewing before answering me. “I’m not sure. I’m… not really that educated. Wouldn’t you already know the answer though?”
I frowned. I was just considering whether I’d need to find some books on demons when Celena spoke up.
“Actually, kinda. But it isn’t exclusive to demons.”
I looked over to her who had already finished her meal.
“Most demons don’t have it, and I don’t know much, but it’s said that they get access to it more easily. It’s something a lot of powerful people develop. An intuition of how strong others are. But it usually requires decades of constant fighting experience.”
She looked at me meaningfully when she said that but I could do little more than shrug. At least it was confirmation. Then a stupid thought hit me like a hammer.
“I have a god damn in built scouter…”
“What was that Derek?”
“Nothing.”
After the meal was done, I initiated plan “Go fucking relax.” and immediately headed back to my room. I may have slept for three days but that didn’t feel like it was nearly long enough. I stopped when I realized footsteps were following me. I turned around, half expecting to see Selve, only to blink in surprise when it was Celena.
“Oh. Uh, did you need something?”
My heart was beating a little. Celena looked gorgeous and I’d seen more than most. She was a bit petite overall but only somewhat. She still had quite a figure. It only took me a moment to realize what this was about and I smiled inwardly at myself. She was probably here to explain about the end of the fight and clear the air about it. There really was no need, I got it, it was an intense moment and some things were said that weren’t meant.
She bowed and then shouted at the top of her lungs.
“Please let me suck your dick!”
I stared at her, slack jawed, thinking I had misheard her or had already made it back to my room and was dreaming. My ears were demanding that I must have misheard her and my mind was groaning like a beaten punching bag after experiencing yet another shock to my system. Thus, I felt my reaction was perfectly normal, if plain.
“What?”
She looked up at me and there was a gleam in her eye I couldn’t hope to recognize. She looked me right in the god damn eye and said words I felt were totally insane.
“Please, please let me suck your dick!”
My brain finally snapped at that.
“Use more words! Wait, no, why?! What are you even saying?! What is going on here?!”
What type of insane gratitude was this?! Please, a thank you is more than enough! You don’t have to fuck me as a reward you know?! And why so much focus on the oral side of things?! Was that it? Was it some kinda last send off, a simple blowjob to feel like you’ve repaid me?! Wait, was it cultural? Are elves so promiscuous in this world?!
Before my mind could go any more wild, Celena finally answered me.
It was even more insane than I had ever expected.
“You saved us, you saved everyone. and that bastard of a Baron, he used my mouth like a cheap toy. Please, let me repay you on behalf of everyone, and please help me replace the memories!”
Are you on drugs?! What type of logic is that?! “Oh yes, I was raped, so please fuck the violation out of me until I can’t remember anything but good sex.” I mean, fair, it sounds like a good method on paper, but I’m still just some random guy you know?! Savior or not! Also, getting a blowjob for saving people from rapists feels really wrong!
“I…”
I really wasn’t even sure how to respond.
“Please, help me one more time!”
Well….
It wasn’t like I was going to say no…
I was a good man, overall, not stupid. If a hot woman, who especially happens to be an elf, wants to suck your dick, the list of reasons to refuse is pretty small.
“I, that is, yes? Yes.”
Roll with the punches Derek, this is a good thing. Didn’t you want to relax? Let’s not think too hard and just let things happen as they happen.
“Thank you so much!” Celena said before immediately diving towards my groin.
“Wait! Wait! At least wait until we get into my room! Wait!”
I nearly ended up committing public indecency right then and there. I had not expected to be running away from a crazy horny cock lusting elf today but some days are just like that it seems.
