WIEDERGEBURT

by Varnell, Brandon

  By the time we had finished, Rainer looked like he’d been sucker-punched—not that I blamed him. We’d just given him a wealth of far-fetched information. Anyone would have responded with surprise and maybe even complete disbelief.

  “This is… a lot to take in.” Rainer rubbed his forehead with both hands as though our story had given him a headache.

  “Please believe us, Lord Rainer!”

  “We’re telling the truth, Father!”

  “This princess wouldn’t lie about something like this!”

  As Fay, Kari, and Lin adamantly told Rainer they were telling the truth, the man raised his hand to stop them. “I’m not saying I don’t believe you. I believe everything you have said. I’m just saying that this information presents a lot of problems. I’m honestly not even sure how to go about solving them.”

  “I think you should start by having Empress Hilda issue a Royal Edict that allows the Imperial Royal Guards to search the Leucht Family estate,” I began. “With Torgny Leucht’s presence at the ritual site, there is more than enough evidence to implicate them. With such evidence backing us, neither the Kriger Family nor the Eieran Family will have cause to complain, especially the Kriger Family. Both Catalyna and Marko were almost killed during this expedition thanks to him.”

  Rainer ran a hand through his short hair and sighed. “I suppose that is all we can do. All right. We’ll need to head to the Imperial Royal Palace so I can inform Empress Hilda of this matter.” He paused and gazed at us—or more specifically, our cloaks. “The four of you will be coming with me.”

  His words offered little in the way of room for negotiation, but it wasn’t like any of us were going to argue now. We had done what we needed to do. Rainer now knew of the situation, so we could hopefully leave this matter to him.

  Rainer purloined one of the carriages located near the stables. It wasn’t an imperial carriage like Kari often rode in but a regular one with a large cart that could fit all of us inside. That said, three Mares needed to be attached because Lin simply weighed too much for one or even two Mares to pull. We sat with Lin near the front, and then me in between Kari and Fay. The three of us had Lin’s tail stretched on top of our legs. It went from the front to the back and even hung off the end a little.

  “Eryk,” Fay suddenly said as the carriage slowly trudged down the street.

  “Yeah?”

  “What do you think is going to happen now?”

  “I don’t know, but I can tell you this much.” I took a deep breath and released it as I looked at the three girls with me. “The trouble that started when Grant tried to force you two into marrying him hasn’t ended just yet.”

  Chapter 10

  I Want to Give Myself to You

  I couldn’t stop the content sigh from escaping my lips as I sat within the steaming hot water of the bath. The tense muscles in my back, shoulders, legs, and chest all loosened as I sat underneath the Griffin motif carved into the surface of the wall. Water fell from the Griffin’s mouth and onto my back. That helped further loosen the muscles that had been tense ever since the expedition into the Demon Beast Mountain Range took a turn for the worst.

  The bath was shaped like a rectangle with a half-circle in the center. This tub, made from stone and embedded into the floor, was larger than the entire bathing room in my house. It could probably fit at least twenty people comfortably.

  The last time I had taken a bath here was after the Spiritualist Grand Tournament, and I hadn’t stayed in for very long, but I decided to take my time and relax now. I was exhausted both physically and mentally. Half the reason I was standing underneath this spray of water was so I wouldn’t fall asleep.

  Time passed and the door suddenly opened. For just a moment, I thought it might be Garret coming to ask me if everything was okay, but I turned out to be mistaken when I saw Dante walking into the room. He had a towel wrapped around his waist. His bare chest, chiseled from decades of training and covered in a few scars, complimented his broad shoulders and thick arms. I looked at his legs and frowned when I noticed even more scars.

  “I thought you might still be in the bath,” Dante said with a grin as he waded into the water without even giving a thought to my privacy.

  I offered him a Gallic shrug. “I thought I might take advantage of this moment. I just spent over twenty days in the Demon Beast Mountain Range and haven’t had a single chance to relax.”

  “So you decided to take an ultra-long bath?” Sitting on the steps, Dante leaned back and grinned. “You’ll turn into a prune that way.”

  “Don’t worry. I can use the water element to prevent that from happening.”

  Dante laughed at my words, then slowly settled down. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back. I watched him for a moment before sighing and stepping out from under the Griffin head waterfall. Making my way over, I sat on the steps about a meter or so from the older man.

  “Since it seems you knew I was in here, I’m assuming you came in because you wanted something?” I said.

  “Yeah. I wanted to relax.”

  “We both know that isn’t true,” I shot back. “If you were going to relax, you’d do so in bed where you can get some shut-eye.”

  “Haaah…” Dante released a gust of breath that seemed almost like a sigh. “You really are too observant for your own good. Fine. You’re right. I’m here because I’ve just received some news that I thought you might be interested in.”

  “News I might be interested in, huh?” I tilted my head to look at the ceiling far above me. Steam filled my vision as I traced one of the ribs on the ceiling with my eyes. Reaching up, I began toying with my bangs. “I’m guessing that news has something to do with the Leucht Family. That’s really the only news I can see myself being interested in right now.”

  “Sharp kid,” Dante complimented, but I didn’t respond as I waited for him to continue. He released another sigh. “Rainer told Hilda, Valence, and myself about what happened in the Demon Beast Mountain Range. Before I talk about the news I have, I want to thank you for protecting my daughter. I know you didn’t do it for me or anyone whose name isn’t Kari, but I still appreciate that you got her back safe and sound, so thank you.”

  “You’re welcome,” I said simply.

  “Now, as for the news,” Dante began again. “After Rainer informed us about what happened and how the Leucht Family seems to be involved somehow, Hilda mobilized the entire Imperial Royal Guard. Valence is taking charge right now. He’s gathered a squadron of his best men and is traveling to the Leucht Family estate even as we speak.”

  “Do you think they will find anything?” I asked after a moment’s pause.

  “Maybe.” Standing up, Dante waded deeper into the bath and sank until he was submerged up to his shoulders. He turned around to face me. The expression on his face was surprisingly serious. “Hilda has issued an Imperial Edict, essentially giving Valence and the Imperial Royal Guard free reign to search and seize the Leucht Family’s assets. Something like this is normally impossible, but since we have an eye-witness account of Torgny Leucht working together with a man of unknown origins to attack the Astralia Royal Family, we’re making it work. It helps that we just received a message from Catherina Kriger, stating that we have her full cooperation on this matter.”

  Catherina Kriger was the current head of the Kriger Family, having succeeded her grandfather, Grimm Kriger, several years back.

  The Kriger Family was a warrior family. In other words, the family head was chosen not through hereditary practices like the eldest son or daughter succeeding their parent. The next head was chosen through martial prowess. When the current head died or stepped down, a tournament was held to determine who among them would succeed as the Head of House. Catherina Kriger had won the last tournament. She was Catalyna and Marko’s mother.

  “What about the Eieran Family?” I asked. “Are they going to be a problem?”

  Dante scratched his head. “We haven’t heard anything from th
em, but they don’t really have much to do with political matters like this and generally stay out of the affairs of others. Of course, we can’t afford to step on their toes. They might not be a family with a lot of powerful Spiritualists like the Kriger Family, but they do own nearly a third of Nevarian land. This includes land outside of the city.”

  Given that my own house came from the Eieran Family, I could understand why Dante and even Empress Hilda would need to be wary of them. They didn’t involve themselves in politics. But it wasn’t like they couldn’t. Between the Three Heavenly Families, I honestly thought they were the most dangerous to have as enemies.

  “Anyway, that’s the current situation,” Dante finished. “We’ll probably have some news by tomorrow morning, but I thought it would be best to let you know what’s happening right now since you have a vested interest in this matter.”

  “I appreciate that,” I said, standing up and stretching my arms, wincing only slightly as my back cracked. “I’m getting out. Thanks for letting me know about what’s happening.”

  “It’s not a problem.”

  Dante waved me off as I stepped out of the bath and into the changing room. I saw his clothing strewn across a long bench in the center of the room and shook my head. Walking up to the clothes folded at the end of the bench, which I assumed were for me, I got dressed and left the chamber.

  Garret was waiting for me outside. “Did you have an enjoyable bath, Master Veiger?”

  “I did.” I nodded. “Sorry for making you wait on me for so long.”

  “Not at all.” The old man with the handlebar mustache bowed to me.

  I was soon led up to what I was going to call my bedroom from now on. It was the guest room I stayed at on the second floor whenever I was here, which Empress Hilda had decided to let me use whenever I stayed in the Imperial Royal Palace.

  The room felt a little empty to me, probably because it was so large and undecorated to boot. The lack of furniture made the room seem bigger than it was. All this place had was a bed, a dresser, and a desk situated underneath a window that overlooked Nevaria. On a more pleasant note, Kari’s room was literally one floor down.

  I wondered if Kari and the girls were finished with their own baths. After briefly considering visiting Kari’s room, I decided not to. Since we’d returned to Nevaria, I’d been feeling sluggish; that feeling had only increased after getting out of the bath.

  Falling onto the bed, I didn’t even bother getting underneath the covers as I fell asleep. Darkness engulfed me before I began to dream. My dream was more pleasant than some of my other ones. After parting ways with Erica, Tungsten, and the Dweorgs, we reached a small town, where Kari and I rented out a room and made passionate love from dusk until dawn. It was one of the better dreams I’d had recently.

  I didn’t know how long I slept for, but when a knock suddenly echoed around the room, my body jerked into a hazy state of alertness. Sitting up in bed, I glanced out the window. The stars and twin moons were out. When I’d gone to bed, it was sunset, meaning I had only gotten a few hours of sleep.

  Someone knocked on the door again. It was followed by a voice. “Eryk? Are you awake?”

  “Kari…” I climbed out of bed and made my way to the door, opening it and smiling at the girl on the other side. “Hey, what are you still doing awake—”

  My words stopped mid-sentence when I saw what Kari was wearing. The sheer pink nightgown was made of a material I couldn’t recall by name. Lace? Nylon? It was see-through and Kari wasn’t wearing any breast bindings. My eyes didn’t obey my will as they traveled across her slender shoulders and collarbone, devoured the sight of her nearly bare breasts and soft pink nipples, then traveled further down to her flat stomach. She was wearing string underwear. It was a patch of fabric that covered her crotch and was tied together on either side of her hips with a string. I traced the magnificent outline of her womanly hips until I reached the gap between her thighs.

  I took a deep breath and then looked at Kari’s face.

  “May… may I come in?” Kari asked. Her cheeks were turning pink as I continued to stare at her. She brought her hands together so she could twiddle her fingers, but the act pushed her large breasts together as well, further emphasizing her most notorious assets.

  “Yes,” I said after a moment. I stepped aside and allowed her to walk past me, then shut the door. I didn’t turn around. Closing my eyes, I took several slow, deep breaths to calm my racing heart.

  Only after I had calmed down did I turn.

  Kari was standing in the center of the room. Her hands were no longer clasped, but she was clutching the fabric of her sheer nightgown in what I believed was embarrassment. With the soft moonlight pouring in through the window, her beautiful figure was illuminated with a halo-like effect, and the pink coloration of her cheeks was somehow enhanced.

  “I’m guessing Fay and Lin are asleep?” I asked.

  Nodding, Kari looked down at the floor. She was clenching and unclenching the soft carpet with her toes. Each toe was tiny and cute, beautiful like jade sculptures. While neither of us had a fetish for it, there were times in my past when I would take her toes into my mouth and suck on them. It normally happened when she and I felt kinkier than usual.

  “They were exhausted after the bath and went to sleep almost immediately,” Kari said.

  I tilted my head. “Are you not also tired?”

  “I am,” Kari admitted. Her head was still tilted down, but her eyes flickered up to look at me before looking away. “But I… um… that is…”

  It had been a long time since I’d seen Kari acting this embarrassed. When we first met, I had teased her and she’d gotten so embarrassed she ran away from me. However, the more time she and I spent together, the less embarrassed she acted when it came to matters of teasing and intimacy. At this point, she had no trouble displaying her affection for me even in public. We’d held hands, shared kisses, and even made out in the library once.

  On that note, Ms. Nadine had caught and scolded us that time.

  We never made out in the library again.

  Kari was the type of girl whose embarrassment disappeared once she became accustomed to doing something. It was the exact opposite of Fay, who acted confident at first and became embarrassed more easily as time went on. The reason Kari was acting this way now was, I believe, because of the reason she’d come to visit me this late at night, wearing nothing but a sheer nightgown.

  I stepped up to her. Kari was about average height for a girl of her age, while I was considered taller than average for my age. At about two heads taller than her, I wouldn’t say I towered over Kari, but we definitely couldn’t see eye to eye.

  “Kari…” I placed a hand under her chin and tilted her head up. Her vibrant blue eyes glowed with an otherworldly luster as moonlight from the twin moons reflected off them. They complimented her blush nicely. “Do you want to spend the night with me?”

  The pink coloration of her cheeks darkened into a reddish hue and spread to her ears, the rest of her face, and even down her neck and to the roots of her hair. Her eyes flickered away. She nodded once.

  “That’s good. I want to spend this night with you too.”

  I leaned down and kissed her. I didn’t force the kiss or try to make it more passionate. Like always, I kept it light at first, offering her a chance to push me away should she choose, but she didn’t. Barely a second passed after I initiated contact before she brought her arms around my neck and began kissing me back.

  She pushed her tongue into my mouth and swirled it around, stirring up saliva and generating heat as our tongues entwined together. Soft noises escaped her lips, muffled by my mouth. As our kiss continued, she pushed her chest into mine, her nipples rubbing against my skin through the fabric of her nightgown.

  Our kiss soon heated up. Kari’s arms tightened around me. One of her hands suddenly reached for my head, delicate fingers threading through my hair as she pulled me down as if to somehow make our kiss
more forceful. I kept my arms wrapped tightly around her waist, pinning her body to mine. I didn’t doubt she felt the sign of my arousal. It was wedged firmly between her thighs.

  “Eryk…” Kari mumbled as we parted for breath, her voice a soft moan. A string of saliva remained to attach us, but it broke after a few moments.

  “Come on,” I said as I released Kari and guided her to the bed.

  I reinitiated our kiss after sitting her down. Kari released a soft, delicate moan into my mouth as I pushed her onto the bed. This time, I was the one who pushed my tongue into her mouth, sharing with her the sweet nectar our tongues had created. She didn’t mind. Her thighs squirmed as I leaned over and kissed her silly. And while we engaged in passionate oral foreplay, I slipped my right hand underneath her nightgown, traced my fingers up her stomach, which twitched and shuddered, then cupped her left breast.

  My fingers sank into the softness of her breast, more pliant than any pillow. Kari’s breathing picked up the moment my hand landed on her. Her breath hitched when I began kneading her breast with my hand. I felt like a baker kneading soft dough. The elasticity of her chest was something I always marveled at.

  Kari’s breasts had always been sensitive. I didn’t know if it had something to do with their size or if there was another reason, but I could make her orgasm simply from playing with her chest. Her nipples were particularly erogenous. That was how it had been in my previous life, and as I moved my index finger in a circle around her nipple, I could tell that it was the exact same in this life as well.

  “E-Eryk!” Kari gasped when my mouth left hers. “That feels… it feels so… ahn!”

  Her words came out in incomplete stutters as I trailed kisses down her jaw and then her neck. Kari had several areas around her neck, like the junction between her neck and shoulders, that were sensitive. I found those areas and began licking, nibbling, and sucking on them. Sometimes I left shiny red marks and other times I kept going until her skin had bruised. I listened to the sound of her cries and moans, deciding what I should do based on which sounds she made.