[ Contains mild sensual themes. Reader discretion advised. ]
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Hale was still sitting in the stream with Remy on his lap, her soft, naked body pressed snugly within his embrace. He honestly didn't know how the hell he was holding himself back. Any other man…at least one who wasn't impotent, would've eaten her whole by now.
But he forced restraint, clinging desperately to three reasons: his promise to his mother, Remy's warning that doing it with him would mean her death, and the grim possibility that his own life might end tonight with the Blood Daughter.
So instead of giving in, he steadied his breath and forced his focus onto the story Remy was about to tell.
"Hm… where do I even start?" Remy murmured, playfully bouncing her head against Hale's chest.
Hale silently thanked Chloe—Melissa's so-called friend, for the first time in years. Back then, he'd started hitting the college gym in the start of his 2nd year, though it was little more than a couple of rusty machines. After his breakup, when Chloe spread those damned rumors about him, he became the campus outcast overnight. He quit the gym altogether—he couldn't stomach the judgmental stares, the way everyone pretended to train while actually gossiping.
So he joined a private gym instead. No fake smiles, no whispers behind his back…just gym bros. Guys who didn't give a shit about his past and treated him like family as long as he put in the work. For nearly 3 years, Hale threw himself into training like a madman. That grind, on top of college life, carved his body into something lean, cut, and hard.
Even when he went back to the farm, he never stopped. Poultry farming itself was physical enough to count as exercise.
Without all that, he thought grimly, he'd probably be embarrassed as hell to be bare-chested in front of Remy right now.
"Alright… let's start with the Chieftain," Remy said, her voice lilting, though her expression turned thoughtful. "The Drakthar tribe's chieftain goes by the name, Uldrak. Within the tribe, there are many factions, each led by powerful and influential figures."
She twirled a finger lazily in the water, then continued, "There used to be only 2 Great Factions, both headed by the most dominant and influential of Uldrak's wives. You see, since the Chieftain has many wives, he naturally has many children as well. But only those who prove themselves in strength and achievement are permitted to compete in the Rite of Crimson Path. Those who survive the trial earn the title of Blood Son or Blood Daughter."
She leaned back slightly against his chest. "But everything changed when the witch was born—the first Mystic in the Drakthar tribe."
"The witch came from the union of a kidnapped Aenvari woman and the chieftain. Until then, she was just a trophy wife with no real power in the tribe. But when her daughter turned out to be a Mystic, Uldrak was ecstatic. He granted his trophy wife real authority and resources that made the other faction leaders seethe with envy. She rose quickly within the tribe, growing stronger and more influential."
Remy shifted slightly against Hale's chest, letting her hand brush lazily over his thigh as she continued.
"Her daughter, the witch, soon followed suit, aiding her mother, and together they rose stronger with each passing year, until their faction became the 3rd Great Faction of the Drakthar tribe."
She let out a soft sigh, tilting her head to glance at Hale with a playful smirk. "Are you bored yet?"
"Not really, the story isn't boring at all, especially with someone as beautiful as you explaining it," Hale said, leaning into full rizz mode.
Remy bit her lower lip, her gaze darkening with lust. "Then maybe we should spice things up… make the rest of the story a little more interesting."
Hale blinked innocently. "How so? I thought your head would roll if we did it together…"
Remy shifted in his lap, locking her legs around his waist. Their faces were inches apart, lips nearly brushing. "I did say that," she murmured, "but it doesn't mean we can't… do everything else."
She glanced toward Rhea. "You done yet, sis?"
"Almost," Rhea replied with a nod.
"Perfect." Remy turned her attention back to Hale. "We need to move to a dry spot before we start."
Hale frowned, confused. "Then why'd you have me clean myself in the stream?"
Her brown eyes glinted with mischief as she leaned closer, letting her teeth graze his lower lip. "Of course, lil brother. The herbal paste works best on wet skin. Now pick me up, move to the edge where the grass is… just lie down, and I'll… purrrr… make sure you enjoy your night."
Hale didn't hesitate anymore. He lifted her carefully, her body clinging to him like a koala, and carried her toward the soft green grass, every nerve in his body on fire.
Hale settled on the grass, Remy still clinging to him, before she slowly detached herself and stood.
"So… what's this herbal paste you were talking about? I thought the Blood-Daughter just wanted you to clean me up," Hale asked.
This time it was Rhea who replied. She picked up one of the bowls containing the herbal paste and handed it to Remy. "That's what she ordered at first, but then she changed her mind. She realized you're too weak, haven't reforged your body even once… she couldn't have you dying too early. So she wants you to do this herbal bath to strengthen your body, make you last longer with her."
Rhea then stood and unbuttoned her clothes, revealing a pale, curvaceous figure that rivaled Remy's.
Hale's lips twitched nervously. What does that mean…?
He looked at Remy. "Why do you guys think I'll die tonight? It's just… a night with the Blood-Daughter, right? Aenvari men are supposed to be… in demand to birth a Mystic. Why would she just kill me?"
Remy crouched before him, her hands already spreading the paste over his chest in slow circles. Hale shivered at the touch.
"Well, lil brother, that's the rest of the story. You asked why our dialects, and the Blood-Daughter's…are different from the rest, right?"
"Yeah… you said it was a long story, but nothing you've told me explains it yet."
"I was getting there. Why so impatient, lil brother?" she teased, her fingers tracing up and down his chest.
"You see… after the 3rd Great Faction rose, they implemented many new policies. You already know that the Aenvari speak the most fluent, natural dialect, right? The 3rd faction created an institution to teach these customs, language, and culture in detail. Actually, these teachings already existed in the Aenvari tribe—that's why they call themselves the intelligent ones while Drakthars are considered barbarians by them. But the Mother of the Witch, with the help of other kidnapped Aenvarians, set up the institution and trained the initial teachers."
Hale furrowed his brows, equally impressed and confused. "But… isn't that betraying their birth tribe?"
Remy leaned close, her lips brushing his ear. "Hehe… you're still so innocent, lil brother," she whispered, then bit and licked his earlobe. Hale gripped the grass for dear life.
"That woman, the matron of the 3rd Great Faction—if she had stayed in the Aenvari tribe, she would've been nothing more than just a member there. But in Drakthar, after her daughter was born and she gained power, she thought of only one thing: how to expand her influence and authority even more. Think about it, lil brother—she had power, respect, everything she could want here. Why would she give it all up to return to her old tribe? Of course, if the Witch went with her to Aenvari, they might have granted her a position of importance, but Uldrak wasn't an idiot. He wasn't about to give away the only Witch in Drakthar. So she didn't hesitate to betray her birth tribe."
As Remy continued applying the paste across his chest and torso, Hale's back was suddenly cooled by another touch. Rhea, now unclothed, had crouched behind him and begun spreading herbal paste across his back with a second bowl. The combined sensation; the warm paste from the front and the silky touch from behind, made Hale shiver involuntarily.
Remy glanced back over with a teasing smirk. "See, lil brother? Teamwork makes everything more… effective."
Rhea hummed softly in agreement, her hands moving methodically as she continued the paste, working in tandem with Remy. Hale's mind was a dizzying mix of fascination and arousal, but he forced himself to stay focused.
Remy's voice returned, whispering lightly, "From what I've heard, she even had a husband back in Aenvari… weak enough that he couldn't take her back. And to strengthen her position here, she coerced other kidnapped Aenvarians with promises of power, influence, and other… incentives, helping her build the institution. In doing so, she increased her influence over Drakthar even more."
Truly, that woman was cunning—one opportunity and she spread her wings across the horizon. Hale respected her even more than the elusive witch. What she did was undeniably ruthless, but he didn't think the Aenvari had ever tried to reclaim her. They only struck after learning that a Witch had been born in the Drakthar tribe, not when the witch's mother was first kidnapped.
"So the institution is why you two speak the dialect so well? The other Drakthars don't study these things?" Hale asked.
Remy's mischievous smile widened as her fingers grazed the edge of his boxers. "We are a tribe of strength, lil brother. Only the children of Uldrak and people like me and my sister—born not for the frontlines but to handle other duties, are taught these things."
She shifted herself, moving on top of him with the bowl set aside. Face-to-face, she continued, "My sister and I belong to a Major Faction under Blood-Daughter Helda. Unlike the 3 Great Factions, there are many Majors—usually ruled by Blood Sons or Blood Daughters. We just finished our time at the institution before being sent here by the Blood-Daughter. That means…"
Leaning close to his ear, her voice dropped to a sultry whisper, "We're still virgins, lil brother… and could use someone like you to taste that forbidden ecstasy."
She pulled back to face him again, her playful grin blooming. Hale's hands twitched involuntarily as Rhea's fingers continued their slow massage down his spine.
"But, of course," Remy added, "only if you survive tonight with the Blood-Daughter."