Fractured Spirit (Alpha World Book 5)

by Daniel Schinhofen

  Their carriage pulled around to the front, and this time Alburet joined the trio of women in the back. “Seems like everyone is fine with Gerald taking over,” Alburet mentioned. “We’re hopefully going hunting tomorrow. We’ll check with Gerald in the morning.”

  “Aye,” Stacia agreed, “but tonight we be reassurin’ Fluff.”

  Fluff gave a small nod, “I’m looking forward to it.”

  Back home they took a shower together, each of them taking a turn scrubbing down Fluff without sexy shenanigans. Once she was in the tub, the rest of them quickly cleaned themselves and joined her. The warm water relaxed them all and they spent some time each lost in their own thoughts, a comfortable silence enveloping them.

  Once they were back in the bedroom, Fluff lay in the middle of the bed with the covers pulled up to her chest, hiding her naked form. Stacia had already lulled her to sleep with song.

  “Ya each need to think of what moment ya want to share with her. We will be startin’ with mine. After me we will go to Karen then with ya, master,” Stacia advised them.

  “Just one each?” Karen asked.

  “Aye. This be taxin’ on me as I have to shift to get ya memory and emotions each to share. Touch the two of us, so we can begin.”

  Once Karen and Alburet had laid a hand on Fluff’s arm and Stacia’s back, she began to sing. The scene that greeted them was a facsimile of their current room. “What am I supposed to do?” Fluff asked Stacia, her uncertainty of what was to come easy to see.

  “Nothin’. We be sharin’ our memories with ya. This will write them into ya, along with the feelin’s we had at the time. All ya need do is accept what we be showin’ ya. Do ya be ready?”

  Nodding her head jerkily, Fluff half-asked, “Yes?”

  “We be startin’ with me memory. It be the first time I be meetin’ ya, but it be a good memory for showin’ ya the full depth of what I be feelin’ for ya.”

  The scene shifted to the Portal Guild. Stacia was wearing her original set of leathers. Alburet and Fluff were there as well, Alburet had just finished introducing them to each other. Stacia greeted Fluff, her eyes taking in the trim Lunari, a wave of uncertainty and possessiveness radiating from her.

  As the two women conversed, Stacia’s emotions shifted to include a bit of worry, and also a hint of lust. As the conversation turned to the fact that Alburet had slept with Stacia, her emotions spoke volumes of her yearning for Alburet. Stacia turned to Fluff a moment later and asked if the Lunari wanted to join them later that night. Her feeling of desire was almost a tidal wave.

  The scene paused and Stacia began to talk. “Ya see, Fluff, I was worried ya were goin’ to take him from me. I also found ya more than a little attractive. From the first moment I laid eyes on ya, and could see ya wanted to be close to him, I was interested in ya.”

  Fluff gulped slightly, “I didn’t know you felt like that about me even before you were married to Al.”

  “Aye, ya do nay see ya self as I see ya. Ya can now though, tha’ be how Isaw ya then. Look for ya self. Ya stood there, head raised, shocked tha’ I had been taken by Alburet. I saw ya as a strong woman, who might mayhap challenge me for his affections and ya did. I be thinkin’ I mayhap have cheated to come out ahead in the end.”

  Fluff frowned as she looked at herself frozen there. “I didn’t know that others saw me as strong.”

  “We were goin’ to be doin’ Karen next, but instead we be doin’ our husband’s memory. Be ya ready master?” Stacia asked.

  Alburet nodded, “I wish I could show her more than one, but I chose the memory I think best.”

  The scene shifted to the maid café. Alburet and Fluff sat across from each other, the crepes just being delivered by the Lunari maid that had been their waitress. The scene colored in as it began to play. The Fluff who sat across from Al was softer and cuter in his memory.

  Alburet’s emotions during the meal were easy to feel, due to their intensity. His desire for her, his sadness that he couldn’t do anything, his desire to protect her were all laid bare. His desire for her spiked when the crème from the crepes was taken from his finger by Fluff. It spiked again when she cleaned the crème from her own nose as well.

  Eventually the meal ended and he walked her to her hotel. Along the way his desire for her was strong, but his sadness was just as strong. He felt crushing sorrow when he walked away from her, knowing he was wrong to lead her on.

  The scene grayed out as he walked away from the place he had left Fluff. Alburet’s lips were taut as the group turned to him. “You all know why I couldn’t at that point. Fluff, you could see how I saw you, as well as how much I wanted a relationship at the time. I’m sorry it went the way it did, but now that we are here, I’m happy.”

  Fluff all but tackled him, her arms crushing him to her. A few tears trickled from her eyes as she held him. “Thank you for showing me that. I was so upset when you took Stacia as a wife. I had vaguely hoped that I might be able to break out of my shell enough that I could maybe be with you.”

  He held her back, “I’m sorry for the pain I caused you before. You can plainly see I was interested.” He met Stacia’s eyes. “Can you take us back to the café?”

  Stacia did as she was asked. “Ya want her to really look at how ya saw her. Fluff, look at yaself through his eyes.”

  Fluff sat there, the perfect vision of the shy, cute girl next door, if that girl was a Lunari. Fluff turned her head to regard the version of her from Alburet’s memory. “I look adorable…”

  “You were and are,” Alburet told her, kissing her cheek. “This memory belongs in an anime, from start to finish.”

  Fluff nodded as she let him go after giving him a quick kiss. “I’m happy that we managed to make it to where we are now. It’s different than what I had wanted, but it is so much better now.”

  “Aye,” Stacia smiled. “We be finishin’ with Karen’s memory.”

  Karen stepped to Fluff as the scene around them shifted to Mindblown’s lobby. “Julia, this is how I always think of you.”

  The scene came to life at the moment Julia had asked for a shirt. When Karen asked if the hoodie wearer was Fluff, a burst of excitement and joy overtook the watchers. When Karen got a look at Julia’s face the emotions jumbled together. Stacia paused the scene so they could feel and see the emotions on Karen’s face.

  Joy, wonder, lust, protectiveness, worry, fear, and uncertainty were all there. The fear and worry on Julia’s face was clear to see. Karen spoke into that moment, “I was so afraid before you showed up. Afraid you wouldn’t like me, that you would dismiss me. Then you appeared and took my breath away in that one moment.”

  Fluff swallowed, “I was afraid. You know how I viewed myself for so long. I was just as afraid as you, if not more.”

  “Look at your face as I recall it,” Karen told her gently. “Do you see the ephemeral beauty that I saw? Do you see the vulnerability that made me want to protect you?”

  Fluff’s lips trembled, “You really think I look that pretty?”

  “I know you are that pretty, Julia.” Karen reached out and pulled Fluff into her arms. “When this test is over in five months… I know we both want to come back here. If something happens and we can’t… I want the chance to be with you there.”

  Fluff went rigid for a second before she clung to Karen, tears streaming from her eyes. “Yes. I would like that.”

  Stacia let the scene fade away. “Tha’ be tha’. Ya see now how we all saw ya, how we all felt for ya. It be time to see yaself better than ya did before.” A full-length mirror appeared, with three panels. “Look at the mirror, Fluff. The left shows ya as ya used to see ya self, the middle be ya true self without any alteration. The right be the you we all see.”

  Fluff turned her head to see herself in the mirror as she clung to Karen. The mirror reflected the pair of them, the left most panel the most jarring. Julia, ugly and plain, was holding a grim, unsmiling Karen. The middle showed the Julia from Mindblown w
ith Karen holding her. The right mirror showed a more beautiful version of both of them.

  Stacia smiled, “Tha’ be the lie, the truth, and the truth of our love for ya.”

  The mirror vanished a moment later and the other two joined Fluff and Karen in the hug. They stood there for long moments, just sharing the love and the discovery by Fluff that she was more than she admitted to herself.

  Eventually the scene faded completely away. Coming back to themselves in their bedroom, the trio swayed slightly. “Tha’ be all for tonight,” Stacia murmured as she curled up next to Fluff and was soon snoring.

  Alburet looked at two of the three women he loved, a smile coming to him easily. “I think I’m the luckiest man in two worlds.”

  “Right?” Karen chuckled. “That would make me the luckiest woman, then.”

  Nodding, Alburet agreed with her, “Shall we curl up and sleep?”

  Karen eyed him for a moment, her lips curling up. “We have another room. Maybe we can go play for a bit first?”

  Lips pursed, Alburet eyed her imperiously. He couldn’t hold it long, though, his grin breaking through. “Sounds like fun.”

  Eyes gleaming, Karen snatched his hand and dragged him out of the room. “I’m going to make you so sore.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Alburet woke to soft hands rubbing his back. “Again Karen?” he mumbled as he stretched his back muscles.

  “Aye, again master, but this time with me,” Stacia whispered in his ear.

  Opening his eyes, he saw that Karen was gone, replaced by a very naked Stacia in bed with him. It took him a moment to realize he wasn’t in their normal room, but still in the guest room where he had gone off to have sex with Karen last night. “Guess we fell asleep,” Alburet chuckled as he rolled over and pulled Stacia onto his chest. “Well, it would only be fair after all. But where did she run off to?”

  “She be in the other bedroom with Fluff. Now, how about we focus on the growin’ needs ya be havin’?” Stacia grinned as her hands went below his waist.

  His breathing sped up a little, but his brow furrowed as a question occurred to him. “You’re not mad, right?”

  “About ya and our lovin’ wife comin’ in here last night to sate ya desires? Nay in the slightest, we all be a family after all. Would ya have been mad iffin ya walked in to find me and Fluff together?” she asked, her hands busy with his flesh.

  Gulping as he visualized Stacia and Fluff together, he could only shake his head. “No, not in the least,” he moaned.

  “Good. We be needin’ no jealousy amongst us,” Stacia purred as she began to kiss his chest. “Now ya just relax,” she said as her kisses started trailing south.

  Alburet surrendered to her for a while. Eventually he grabbed her and asserted his own wishes as to how the morning should go. After some time they left the room, both of them slightly sore but sated. They entered the master bedroom just as Fluff let out a mewling cry as her orgasm washed through her. Pausing in the doorway, they watched the erotic scene, Alburet pulling Stacia to his chest.

  It was a moment before the pair on the bed realized they had an audience. Fluff’s eyes widened as she was the first to notice them. “K-Karen,” Fluff stammered, interrupting Karen as she started to kiss her way back up Fluff’s body.

  Noticing Fluff’s distress, Karen turned her head to see the other two there. “Morning. Did you two have as much fun as I just did?”

  “Aye,” Stacia said, slipping out of Alburet’s grip as she went towards the bathroom. “Next time, Fluff, ya mayhap consider lettin’ me join as well. After we walk in master’s memory tonight, mayhap?”

  Fluff met Alburet’s gaze, to see happiness in his gaze, along with a good portion of desire. Tearing her gaze from his, she nodded. “Maybe.”

  Alburet gave a chuckle as he began to move towards the bathing room, following Stacia. “I think I need a cold shower,” he said.

  His words drew Fluff’s attention to the reason, her eyes locking onto his flesh, before he disappeared into the other room with Stacia. Karen had been watching them both. She slid from the bed, offering her hand to Fluff.

  “He seems interested,” Karen commented as she pulled Fluff to her feet.

  Nodding, Fluff had to agree, “Yes. So am I, but I just don’t think I’m ready yet.”

  Karen wrapped her in a hug. “You notice how he didn’t press the matter. He knows, Fluff. He’s also willing to wait until you are ready. He didn’t even comment, which means he is still very afraid of hurting you, even with words.”

  Fluff buried her head in Karen’s neck, “I’ll get there eventually with your help. I’m still getting used to your touch, after all.”

  “I know. Now come on, we need to clean up so we can go hunting today.” Karen lightly swatted Fluff’s rear.

  Fluff purred as she scampered for the bath. Her steps felt light and her heart full of love and hope. Karen watched her go, a large smile on her lips. Karen was glad that Fluff had accepted her, and was just as interested in continuing their relationship.

  There was very little playing in the bathing room as the four of them took quick showers. As each finished, they dried off and left to get their gear in order. Once they were all geared up, Stacia prepared a simple meal of eggs and coffee for them all.

  While they ate, Alburet sent Gerald a message asking if he and Marysue were up for some hunting. As they finished eating a reply finally came back from the newly appointed guild leader.

  Message from Gerald:

  We’ll meet you all at the Portal Guild in half an hour. We going to hit the lower zones for the quests, or did you want to jump right into the places we should be for our level?

  Alburet finished his coffee before asking the trio with him for their opinions. “Ladies, do we want to hit the zones we out-level for quests and dungeons, or jump right to the level sixty areas?”

  “Old quests and zones,” Fluff said. “I want to see all the zones.”

  “We can add the gear we get to the raffles, for people who didn’t go on the raid with us and for the next batch that joins the guild,” Karen added.

  “I be agreein’ with them,” Stacia stated.

  “Okay,” Alburet said as he sent another message to Gerald. “We’re meeting them in a half hour at the Portal Guild.”

  They arrived at the Portal Guild before Gerald and Marysue, so they found seats in the lobby. As they waited they talked about the various Abilities they’d each selected. Karen and Fluff were both a little shocked that Alburet had spent seven of his Abilities on minion upgrades.

  “Still Casting and Copy were the only two that weren’t minion upgrades?” Karen asked, a little disbelieving.

  “I don’t have to talk or use hand motions now,” Alburet grinned, “which might mean I can wield a weapon in one hand and a spell in the other.”

  Fluff shook her head, “We’re going to have to see them all in action.”

  “Aye, I be lookin’ forward to comfortin’ and drainin’ as need be,” Stacia said suggestively.

  Karen snorted, “This morning just wasn’t enough, right?”

  Stacia and Karen shared a knowing look, while Fluff glanced at Alburet. “Well, I have a few interesting ones,” Fluff said to get the conversation back on track. “I can hinder an enemy’s movement, and I also have an attack speed buff. My rage won’t drop until combat ends now, even during boss fights. I picked up Dual Mastery, so my attacks with my claws now do a quarter more damage. The fun one is Whirlwind, lets me strike everything in a five-foot radius; luckily it doesn’t make me dizzy. Also, there’s an ability with a long cooldown that lets me ignore half of a target’s armor for five seconds, Piercing Strike.”

  Karen nodded, “Sounds about right. I can Vanish once during a combat now, allowing me to restealth for another Backstab. I picked up Improved Backstab, which gives me half again as much damage from doing so from stealth. Decoy, which is a fun one. It lets me throw up a three second copy of myself within sixty feet and
transfers all my aggro to the decoy. I have Limited Trap Sense, about a quarter as good as a Trap Smith. I can Garrote, which will silence a target for ten seconds. That’s going to be useful against casters, but it does have a minute long cooldown. Dirty Tricks lets me blind a target for one second, making them open for crits. I picked up a passive ability that lets me ignore a quarter of all area damage, Evasion.”

  “Asthore was kind enough to give me a heal and a way to restore me own health and mana,” Stacia reminded them.

  “Sorry for the delay,” Gerald called out as he and Marysue advanced towards the quartet. “We’re ready to go.”

  Alburet looked up and managed to repress the snicker that Karen didn’t. Gerald was dressed in polished white armor, the only color the guild crest on his left breast. “Gerald, good to see you,” Alburet managed in a normal tone.