"So… you're absolutely sure! You won't get pregnant!" Rennia pressed her face against the Fae, who backed in discomfort.
Gossamer floated above her, Faerie wings flapping fast. "Yes! For the last time, human! My glamour can whisk everything away inside of my body. No sickness, and no growths. I'd know if a little human was growing inside of me."
"Are you sure, sure? Because you were like overenthusiatic about my "seed."
"Yes!" The fairy clenched her fists, frustrated. "I was after whatever magical properties your body was peddling!"
"Phew!"
Rennia wiped the sweat off her brow. She hadn't thought this through—it was a good thing she and Maeve hadn't engaged in any actual penetrative sex. Of course, Ishmere probably had a method of controlling this, which is why the topic was never brought up. Then again...
She felt at her own stomach. She hadn't gotten pregnant from engaging with Ishmere's antics either, which could only mean there was some effect here she couldn't understand. But that could wait until she got back to the Ebon Gild.
"So are you gonna tell me what just happened to ya? The floaty stuff, touch you and be damned?"
Sharing her conversations about Arosia is not something she was eager to do. Everytime she entered her realm, it was like she was being mind fucked. She shook her head. "I can't. It's very private."
"Something to do with old Arosia, I have no doubt."
Rennia winced, but the Fae just smiled at her.
She said nothing about that matter going forward and instead diverted her attention to what was promised earlier. "Forget about that. Part of our bargain—you promised me you'd tell me about Ember, what I need to know."
Gossamer folded her arms. "I said I'd tell ya all about her, but not what you need to know? No?"
Rennia had a flash of anger and nearly leaped at the fae. Honestly, she had a name, a target, and a possible suspect for the hex. (Which wasn't very nice.) It would be better to do this diplomatically—she didn't want Gossamer to turn her into a toad or whatever fae did.
"Making up your mind, are you? Are you thinking about strangling me?" Gossamer teased.
"Very kinky, but no!" She sat down, glancing at her lower body, realizing how irregular it was to just walk around naked. Gossamer was a weird fling, not a partner. She shouldn't be this comfortable.
"Tell me about Ember. Who is she? Why did she recruit you? Why are you terrorizing the village? Why do you need sexual energy—"
Gossamer's face had turned sour. She held her finger up and pointed at herself. "One question at a time, and no more than three." She folded her arms, looking mildly smug and proud of herself.
"What are you, a genie now? Just answer the damn questions. Why did you come here?"
The fae threw her head back, causing her auburn red curls—in her human form—to shake in the air. Rennia admitted it was kind of cute. "I already told you. I was paid in gold, real gold, not the coins you people frolic around with, to draw sexual energy onto myself and then pass it over to the Queen of Hearts, via her general and emissary, of course. Ember the succubus, of one of the great houses of the devil world."
"Devils? Goddammit, they're a messy bunch?" The last time she had communicated with devil, they had been uncooperative, casued a witchhunt and nearly got her and her former friends into a near death bout. If that was what she was facing, an army of them, she was going to need Ishmere's guidance a helluva lot more.
"So Ember is some kind of succubus. What about the Queen of Hearts? What do you know about her?"
Gossamer bit her lip, frowned, and looked at the rocky roof of the cavern. She leaned forward, her voice slightly lowered. "I don't know what to tell you. You know that demon lady, demon lord thing? The person that got wiped, by that hero party? She, the lady of hearts, pretty much took on that role pretty quick. Dunno what to tell ya. All I know is that she lives in Osterria—"
"Osterria!?"
Gossamer put her finger on Rennia's lips. "Oh, shut the hell up! Don't talk so loud! She has ears everywhere!"
Rennia took a step back. For some reason, Gossamer was awfully afraid of this Dark Queen. Rennia didn't even see what the deal was. So she's some upstart, and her mother probably dealt with worse before she was born. That was hardly the issue. It's navigatiing the whole business.
"Look, I try not to live in this human form with very human thoughts." Gossamer started acting erratic, rubbing at her hair. They came off like leaf shrubs—firm but fragile when disturbed. She paced up and down. "They have plans, plans, okay? Plans that involve yanking whatever energy they can get out of people for some diabolical nonsense I know nothing of. This was a one-time thing. Is that it? Is that enough information for you?"
Rennia wondered just about that. Some things were left best unanswered, and if Gossamer was going to share this much about her business partners, then no doubt she'd share about her when it came down to it.
"Alright, one more thing. Where in Osterria?"
The fae seemed angered by the question and turned her back to her. She clapped her hands together, and a couple of vine sprites showed themselves, scurrying out of the tunnel. Gear was placed down on the ground—their weapons, her armor and backpacks, things that didn't belong to them, things that belonged to adventurers and the like.
Maeve had been carried by the crew of minions. She was put down there in front of Rennia, fully clothed and unharmed, fast asleep and blissfully unaware. She was fine at the very least, which eased Rennia.
"I will not be answering asinine questions, cock-girl. This is it for me, and this stupid town."
"No. You made me fall on my head, ran my ass through, you owe me some explanation atleast!"
"Nope anyway! Thank you for that delicious blessing your goddess has shared with me~" Gossamer started winking erratically, and slowly her form changed again—greenish and tree-like, and then as hollow as a ghost.
"I believe our deal is complete! You were a very satisfying mate, although there aren't many women like you around. I might come visit you in the future, who knows."
"Wait, Gossamer! There's a few things I'd like to speak about! The town—"
"Will return to normal, and I will take my leave." She snapped her fingers together, and another group of sprites came out of nowhere. They all came to her, surrounded her, disguised her—and then one approached. In its tentacle claws was a small glinting ring. It offered it to Rennia.
"Take it," Gossamer told her. "A gift from me to you! This will help you amplify your magics."
Rennia shook her head. Such a thing wasn't something that would suit her aptitudes. Maeve would be the perfect case. "I'm not a mage. It's useless on me."
Gossamer shook her head. "It's not a trinket you can share or some ordinary dungeon loot. It's from me, made for you. Take it or leave it. But I must go now. Farewell, mortal—you have entertained an old sprite for some time."
"No… wait, one more thing! Please!"
The fae turned her back and started floating away. The vine sprites shriveled and then returned to the earth, and the metal ring fell on the ground next to all the adventuring gear. Rennia turned her head back to the fae, who was long gone.
"Gossamer, you bitch, come back! Gossamer!"
Rennia dropped to the ground. Her stomach ached—something was horribly wrong. She felt something well up in her throat, not nausea but something that came into her body and wanted out. She couldn't control herself. She turned away from the unconscious Maeve on the ground and made a very large hiccup.
"Hic!"
Little bits of pink, red, blue, green, and purple colors left her mouth. It looked like fairy dust. It was overwhelming and too much to control. She felt like she was vomiting. She fell on her knees, she felt the Living System bless her once again. As the confetti dust fled her body.
Class leveled up — Maiden of Eros Lv. 4] > [Maiden of Eros Lv. 5]
Skill obtained — [Faerie glamour Lv. 1]
Skill leveled up — [Sexual Discipline level 6 > 7]
Attribute obtained — [Charisma + 1 (Faetouched)]