… No sound came.
She was closing and opening her mouth like a dumb fish that got stranded on land.
“[Bubble Snare]” the lunatic monster intoned, and a large bubble materialized out of thin air, enveloping Selene in cold water.
She immediately began wriggling around in her chains, but they held steadfast. She was slowly suffocating, but there was time. The man did not seem to be in a rush at all.
“So, Cedric. What do you have to say?”
He glanced at his lover worriedly before closing his eyes for a bit, thinking deeply. Once he parted his eyes, they seemed a bit colder, a bit more focused.
“I know that she is using me, but so am I using her. She is a great mage and a cunning strategist.”
The man chuckled mockingly, “I don’t know how satisfactory that teamup of yours ended up being, you tell me.”
Cedric couldn’t help but wince. He was right, talking about the benefits of their union was not very believable while he was chained to a chair next to his suffocating fiance. “… To her credit, it was impossible to guess the extent of your powers.”
“You are right in that front. However, do you seriously want to spend the rest of your life as her lapdog? One day, a situation will emerge where you two will be in great trouble, and to save her hide I have no doubt that it will be you who gets shot in the back at that time. Anything goes in her mind as long as it lets her escape.”
Cedric sighed tiredly. “And what do you propose I do? Leave her and what? Be your loyal little soldier? Doesn’t seem much of a future to me.”
“That’s exactly what I propose. My slaves can earn the right to marry, to have a family of their own. Let me tell you that Selene will never have that right. If you stay with her, you will be a loner for eternity.
Furthermore, Look at Seraphiel over here, does she seem to have a miserable life? For the record, Ghost and Blade are my slaves as well. I would value your life as if you were a gem, because that’s what you are, Cedric. A young, unpolished gem with great talents and excellent future prospects as a combatant, but if you let Selene be your polisher you will be one ugly fucking diamond.
I give you a choice, and it’s up to you. Here are the two possible paths your future may take.
One, you remain loyal to your fiance, well, your ex-fiance since I will not permit her to marry. Fight a hopeless battle where you will be up against a man who can order you to slit your own throat even from across the continent.
Two, stand up and leave this room. Just like Lyra and Abudha, I will treat you like a very valuable subordinate of mine. You will have rest days, free time to follow your own agenda, you will be permitted to level up, meet and marry a nice girl who actually cares for you, eat good meals, get expensive gear, and whatever you find joy in.
That’s it. There are no further options. I’m about to begin torturing Selene, so you better start barking at me if you wish to choose the first option, I want to get your beating done and over with so that I can focus solely on her.”
Cedric dryly glanced to his side where his ex-fiance was still struggling for her life. ‘about to begin torturing her he says… does this not count as torturing her already?!’
Cedric was not smart. However, now that he was given two such choices, even he could see which one would be better for him. He took one final glance at his lover, said goodbye to life as he knew it, and fiercely met the man’s gaze. “Unlock my chains, Master Quinlan.”
…
“Bah!” Selene spat once the ball of water finally dispersed. Her lungs were about to give out.
“Please accept my sincerest apologies. You looked like a stranded fish so I thought I would put you back in your natural habitat, but it seems you didn’t appreciate it. Maybe you only like salt water?” The monster leered, but she paid him no mind, for she couldn’t.
Selene greedily began gasping for air, it took her an entire minute to regain her bearings. When she did, she came to a harrowing realization. She was alone with the monster and the blonde elven bitch.
“What did you do to him?!” She screamed hysterically.
It was the slut who replied while sporting a mocking grin that went from ear to ear. “He left of his own volition. You’re alone now, traitorous bitch.”
“What do you mean?!”
The woman grabbed the monster’s arm and hugged it to her chest affectionately while nuzzling the side of her face into his shoulder. “Cedric joined master willingly, he is a valued combatant of the Ascendants now.”
“You fucking bitch! Why are you so loving of this horrible creature?! Can’t you see that he is using you?! You should be doing your best to escape his clutches, not cling to him voluntarily!” She desperately did her best to sow seeds of hostility between her captors.
“Hehehe!” The elf giggled amusedly before turning serious, angry even at the accusation. “use me? Sure. He ‘uses’ me as his extremely highly treasured healer, a knowledgeable member of his group, and as an eye candy he wants to woo. That’s it. You know, I grew up as a valued member of elven nobility, and I’m having so much more fun as his slave than I did back home in my pampered lifestyle. Yes, I miss my friends and parents, but being here is damned amazing. My days are exciting, my teammates are not only overly competent at their craft but they are quickly turning into being my cherished companions, he has friends in such high places you can’t even begin to grasp, and the means available to him are beyond inconceivable for mere mortals like us.
I’m sure that if I stay by his side, I will be part of the greatest journey imaginable.
No elf has ever served a newborn primordial, I will be the first in the annals of history. The healer who saved the life of a legendary entity numerous times, the woman who supported his rise to unparalleled supremacy. How could I possibly object to being ‘used’ by him? I always wondered what the meaning of my life was, and after a hundred years of being lost in my way, I believe that I’ve found my calling.”
“Damn. I really want to kiss you right now.” The monster announced, eliciting another merry giggle from the arrogant elven whore. “I shall allow a peck on my cheek.”
“Great!” And just like that, he grabbed her chin, gently angled it to give him better access, and began doing the deed.
Selene couldn’t believe her eyes. Why was this monster so into the elf? Sure, she was hot, but wasn’t she just an opportunist? Like she was? Why was she so much better in the ‘inner beauty’ department than her?