Starchild Crusaders

by J. J. Pavlov

  "I-I didn't-" With a stutter, the boy looks for an explanation that might make his earlier phrasing less condemning. He doesn't know just how dangerous it can be to make Hestia angry. Even if her curse incurs a heavy price from her, she won't hesitate to use it against anybody she feels deserving of disintegration. Only that her view is skewed in that regard.

  "It's alright. I kind of forced her into it at the start." I admit and wave at the angel girl to calm down. "Kamii was much more proactive, though."

  "I was glad to learn that she finally found her big sister again. While time is of far less concern to us than to humans, eleven summers apart from her thinking she could have been killed is quite harsh." Adano smiles gently and then shoot a glance at the boy. He's Kozii, his son with Saia, the one who shot the arrow into my forehead when I first pushed my way inside.

  She also happens to be the younger sister of Naco, his other wife, which whom he fathered Zirno. The color of her long straight hair

  is the same as Kamii and Daica's, but her eyes are dark blue. The two look very alike, but the younger one keeps her hair at medium-length.

  As I already guessed, dark elves form bonds that humans of this world find unconventional or unnatural, including multiple wives and same-sex relationships. One really can't use a human lens to judge these nearly ageless people.

  Incidentally, Kozii is older than both of me combined, his half-sister is more than twice his age, their father is over a hundred and sixty years old, Saia is yet another thirty years older than him, and her sister is about as much apart from her as well. The numbers they deal in are out of my realm, and I can't help but reconsider how old Kamii and Daica are.

  "So, do you know the way to the nearest transportation circle?" I steer the subject to the instruction letter. It seems that our journey may be coming to an end sooner than I anticipated. We may not even need the map I just bought, so it could have been a waste. But if I hadn't gone into that shop, the clerk wouldn't have recognized me because of Hestia and directed me to this inn.

  "Yes, but it would be better to rest for today. It's five days away from here, and we need to prepare for the journey." Adano replies and silently gestures to his wives. Naco goes through the door into the kitchen to prepare dinner while Saia begins to pour us drinks that look alcoholic.

  "We don't have much money left." I'm embarrassed to admit.

  "Friends of our people don't need to pay." Saia comes over and brings us the drinks with a charming smile. Earlier, she looked utterly terrified, but now her attitude toward me has made a full turn. She did listen to my conversation with her husband, so maybe she found something in it that has given her a reason to trust me.

  "That's very gracious of you." I nod in thanks and look at the bronze cups she places on the table. They contain a reddish purple drink that smells suspiciously like wine; it would seem that grapes exist in this world too.

  "Hey, tell us more about yourself. "Suddenly, Zirno sidles up to Asoko and demands from her. "We know about your twin, but you've been quiet all this time."

  "She's not really... well, my story is quite boring." My other half was about to say that we're not really twins, but doing so would only introduce more questions that could expose what we really are. "We lived the same life until last summer. Then we got separated. Chloe had all the fun while I was lost in the desert."

  I think she's still jealous that I was the one Maou-mama saved and brought back to Arkaim. As I met two lovely girls, she was still alone at an oasis, not understanding what she was doing there. I had a rose-colored love life while she nearly died in the desert. Before she found her direction, I moved to the academy and met Hestia. Only about halfway into our lives in this world did our fates reach a similar point of comfort, when she was forced into Sultana Malika's harem. It still wasn't ideal, but at least she was no longer alone.

  She's telling the two all of that. Adano and Saia listen, while shooting me awkward glances, understanding the underlying grievances that are being given voice to here. Asoko's tone and expression don't betray her emotions, but it's obvious that all those comparisons are meant as jabs against me.

  Naco bringing the first course releases me from the torment, but Zirno expression tells me that she wants to hear more. Kozii has joined her side at one point, despite his earlier misgivings about us being demons. Even though they would both be considered adults or even elderly in human society, their behavior is quite childlike - even more so than Kamii's ever was. I know that the latter was acting that way to hide her mature side, so I'm left to wonder if these two are doing the same.

  But when Zirno takes all of Asoko's attention away, and Kozii puffs up his cheeks in envy, I can't help but believe that mentally, they really are still children. Maybe dark elves take a long time to mature when they stay with their parents, and the two I know were only tempered by becoming orphaned at an age that would even be considered young by human standards.

  Their image together reminds me of the time Kamii and I spent together in Hovsgaerden when she would never leave my side. While she doesn't have my beloved little dark elf's crab pincer, it gives me a glimpse into what could have been if she had never been cursed and captured by slavers.

  Whatever the case, I put my thoughts aside and look at the food. This city is close to the border of the sultanate, so some influences can still be seen even when the culture and architecture are vastly different. For example, the bean-based dips and other cold dishes are staples in every meal we've had over there, and they seem to have found their way into this much greener climate zone too.

  There are also some dishes that I haven't seen before. They're all vegetable-based, so I feel compelled to ask whether or not they're part of the dark elves' traditional cuisine. It turns out that they are, although adjusted for what is available in the nation they currently reside in. As a mostly nomadic people, that does make sense.

  Naco's cooking is fantastic, and we all praise her work in high tones. Her smile tells me that she doesn't become bashful from compliments easily. She must be used to people liking the food she makes, though I still wonder who visits an inn in such a shady location - and whether or not this even is an inn.

  Well, dark elves seem to prefer this to more visible and bright places. Daica's sense of beauty and aesthetics was no different, and while Kamii hid it pretty well, she also likes dark designs and creepy things. Both sisters like Senka's looks even before knowing she was alive, while most humans in this world usually feel apprehension against her.

  I miss Senka too...

  Chapter 66 - In The Arms Of An Angel

  "Can you sleep now?" Hestia asks me while sitting on the bed in her newly acquired pajamas. She's still wearing her glasses even while it looks like she's about to go to sleep.

  I'm standing at the window and gazing up into the night sky, my left arm with the tally marks for each day I've been gone from the academy leaning on the windowsill. She thinks that maybe now that we know Kamii is safe, I can finally get some rest at night. After all, I haven't slept for fifty-two days.

  A part of me is impressed that my mind hasn't broken down yet. I read somewhere that sleep-deprivation can be lethal, and even several days can cause one to hallucinate. But that's only for humans; my mind is no longer bound to the physical restraints of my past life.

  "I won't sleep until I see Kamii again." I turn around and glance down at my arm before grinning at Hestia. "Don't worry about me. As you can see, I'm completely fine."

  "You really are special." She returns the expression with a gentle smile. I revel in her loving gaze, enjoying the calm mood between us for the first time in a long while.

  "Why am I in a room with you two?" Asoko suddenly comments in a grumpy tone and ruins the moment. "Without me here, you could have just hopped into bed together."

  "We could have even with you." I sigh and comment, causing Hestia's face to flush red. When we were still in Hovsgaerden, Kamii and I sometimes did it in the presence of Daica. I know that in a
t least some of those times she pretended to be asleep to watch us, though neither of us minded.

  Now that I think about it, we should have shown a little more restraint back then, even when everybody involved was okay with it.

  "You're that far gone, sister?" My other half shakes her head in disapproval. "That's something you do with your lover when nobody is watching."

  "I don't want to hear that from you!" I point at her in rebuttal. In the castle in Mallabun Al-Majnun, she was the first that jumped on the pile of naked bodies. While Hestia and I were eating food, she was eating girl after girl right in front of us.

  "Those weren't my lovers. Just snacks." She gives me a shrug suggesting I'm the one in the wrong here. "I have yet to find somebody like that in this world."

  "What about Malika? She seemed to like you?" To me, it looked like they fit well together. But me appearing there did ruin everything, and their relationship will most likely never be mended again.

  "I was just one of many, even if I was a favorite. You know better than anyone what it is that we really want." Lowering her gaze, Asoko replies thoughtfully.

  "A harem of our own?" We've been apart for long enough that our outlooks on life have become misaligned in some places. I know that not so long ago, I used to think that true love is between two individuals.

  But meeting Daica and then Kamii, and learning about how dark elves handle relationships, my view has changed. Wanting to be with more than one person should be wrong, but I could never leave one behind just to satisfy social restraints ingrained into my memories through my previous life.

  "Exactly!" Asoko points at me with a serious expression, and I feel dumb for overthinking it. She has learned that loving more than one person at the same time is not only socially accepted in this world - at least by some peoples - but also wholly viable. Just that she found out in a completely different way than I did.

  "Then does that mean you won't become my lover?" I quip, knowing exactly how she's going to react.

  "Nah. Having fun once in a while is fine, but we live separate lives now." My other half gives me a wry smile. "But you already knew I would say that, didn't you?"

  "Of course..." I begin.

  "... who do you think I am?" Asoko joins me in completing the second half of our trademark statement. Then she gets up from her bed and walks toward the door.

  "Where are you going?" I ask although I can already guess the answer to that question.

  "Out of your way." Waving without turning around, she leaves the room, and her footsteps recede in the hallway.

  Hestia suddenly jumps up, walks over to me, and takes my hand before looking up at me through her glasses with a meaningful expression. There's no doubt about what she wants, and now that I know Kamii is safe, I feel that I can do that with a clear conscience. I've been holding back for so long even after witnessing scenes that should have blown my restraints away, and the same must be true for the angel girl.

  It's alright to relax now, right?

  "Let's do it." I whisper to her, and her expression lights up. She didn't think I would agree so easily, so she buries her face in my chest to hide her embarrassed expression. We stay like this for a while as I enjoy her closeness, but eventually, she separates from me and looks into my eyes with a sheepish smile.

  Her self-confidence when facing others is blown away whenever she's with me. There were moments even before her corruption when she did show confidence in her skills or knowledge in front of me, but in personal matters, she's still the same as she was the day I met her.

  It triggers a feeling in my chest that can only be described as the excitement a bully feels when they see an obvious target. Pushing her back a few steps and then down onto the bed, I lean over her with a tender gaze.

  She looks up through her glasses, clasping her hands on top of her chest in anxious anticipation and shaking insecurity. This will be our second time together, and the first time she'll be fully conscious - until we really get going that is. That night on the library, she was feverish and not entirely in control of her senses.

  "Relax. I'll be gentle." I whisper to her, and she blinks in surprise. Then she averts her gaze as her cheeks grow redder as if embarrassed by the thought of what we're about to do.

  "It is alright... if you want to be rough." She mutters while avoiding eye contact. I gawk at her with my mouth hanging open, not sure if I heard that right. When I don't respond, she glances at me, then turns to look straight into my questioning stare. "I... actually liked it... when you went hard."

  My heart stops, and I feel something primal well up deep inside me. It's just like back then, when she was asking me to corrupt her. I lost control and made her into a mess - and telling me that she liked it is too much for my sanity to handle.

  But I straighten my back to distance myself from her for a moment. I don't know what I might do if I let go of all my restraints. In fact, judging by how my discarded shell tried to grab Al-Majnun when it started to move as a lifeform that was separate from me, it's safe to say that it would be pretty dangerous.

  I would most likely eat Hestia - not in the sexual sense. Maybe I was lucky that I didn't do that back then.

  "I-is something wrong?" The fallen angel looks up at me with a concerned expression.

  "No, it's alright." I shake my head and give her a smile to hide my troubled thoughts. This just means I'll have to practice some restraint.

  Once again, I lean over Hestia and look into her eyes. Her expression is far more measured than when she asked me to corrupt her. Back then, an unnatural fever was ravaging her body, and she maybe mistook it for desire.

  But that means every bit of her lust right now is conscious and willing. A part of her is clearly embarrassed about that, and with those glasses, she looks outright shy. That stirs my libido more than anything else, though.

  A tentacle assault is out of the question, but Hestia is clearly hoping for something of the insertion type. Fingers feel too distant, and while the tongue is a great option, I'd love to see her face from close up. Then I remember a naughty magazine I accidentally read in a convenience store before. Maybe I can do that.

  "I want to try something new, Hestia." I bring my face close to hers and whisper. Her hot breath tickles my nose, and I go in for a kiss before she can react. It has been a while since our lips last touched like this, and neither of us needs to hold back this time.

  That 'something new' can wait until we had our fill.

  Almost reluctantly, I eventually separate from her and look through her glasses into her crimson eyes. I didn't even notice the presence of the frame while kissing, so it seems that it won't bother us. Eventually, I'll forget that it's my fault that she needs them, but until then, I'll make her feel good about having to wear them.

  I lean in for another kiss while untying her shirt. Stopping at halfway down, I let my fingers run across her collarbone while caressing her cheek with my other hand. She shivers at the sensation, and I take the opportunity to part her lips with my tongue. Greeting it with her own, they intertwine in a sensual dance of flesh.

  This is basically her first time doing foreplay. Back then, her expression and begging blew away my reasoning, and she was overflowing like a waterfall already, so I just went for it. My tentacles also had some lubrication of their own, even though they're usually dry; I don't produce the enormous amounts of mucus that are always associated with tentacle monsters. Though I wouldn't be surprised if what came out naturally due to my arousal was a form of aphrodisiac.

  My one hand moves to the nape of her neck and the other to her waist, and I pull her up into a sitting position. Surprised, she holds onto me with both her arms as well as her wings, knocking over the lamp on the nightstand with her long feathers.

  Ignoring the resulting crashing sound, I caress her backbone while separating from her. But she pursues my lips and sucks on them almost frantically as if fearing that I won't return for more. Reciprocating her feeling, I share a deep kiss with her
once more.

  Now that she's holding onto me herself, my hands are free to explore her body again. My right hand caresses the back of her head and behind her ear, while my left creeps downward to dance over her chest. Missing the mounds on purpose, it slides down between her cleavage and toward her navel, softly touching her skin all along the way as if to tickle her.

  "Chloe..." Hestia twitches at the sensation and cocks her head back slightly to breathe my name. Her voice is heating up as she bites her lower lip and closes her eyes in enjoyment.

  It appears that even though she has seen my other half go at it for several days seemingly without pause, she's still unfamiliar with the mutual side of things. Her hands are grabbing onto me, sometimes clutching my clothes and at other times relaxing again, never consciously seeking ways to return my little favors.

  I don't really mind; seeing her various expressions of pleasure and watching her trying to hold back her voice is my greatest enjoyment.

  The fingers of my left hand move back up and under her shirt to trace each individual rib of hers. She did lose some weight on our journey, but that's understandable. In the academy, she had little opportunity to properly exercise, but now her body has become firmer all over just the way I like it.

  It's a remnant from my track and field days when I was surrounded by girls with lean bodies all the time and still tied to social constraints. I had to hold back my desires for the sake of appearing normal.

  But I don't need to do that in this world. I nibble on Hestia's neck and then suck on her skin with the intention to give her a hickey. It's to leave behind a visible mark on her body that will show others that she's mine. My right hand moves down her spine, causing waves of shivers to run across it.