Corty

  Emi was trying to show calmness, but deep inside, she was terrified. The power Aerthus demonstrated was more than she expected, especially from a human... The ease with which he picked her up with a thought, not even looking at her, not to mention barely even standing next to her. There was no touching, not even a move of a hand... his aura simply enveloped her, and the next moment, they were flying through the air... And the speed at which he flew off? It was dizzying.

  The world under her was fshing by, and she could only see blurry images of the scenery that was changing way too quickly, yet she felt like she was standing still. Despite everything, the air remained breathable, no winds cut against her skin, and when she looked forward, Aerthus just calmly flew on, bringing her along in an energy bubble, sparing her from any disturbance whatsoever.

  It didn't take them long, only an hour or so, to arrive at Emi's vilge, making her dazed and, once again, deeply afraid. They wouldn't even notice his arrival... The only thing that made her rex a little was the thought that her Queen must be able to handle the guest she brought back... But... Someone who can travel this fast is best not to turn into an enemy.

  "Nice vilge you have here!" Aerthus stopped above it, yet nobody down there realized they were there, ignoring their presence.

  "Thank you," came the answer, but not from Emi; it was Rumira's voice, echoing near his ears. "Please, I'm in the cave up to the north. Do come in."

  Aerthus slowly sent Emi down to the vilge before flying towards the cave, nding at the bottom, and walking up the rest, showing respect with a calm expression. Arriving inside, he took a deep breath when his eyes met Rumira's, calming his mind, which had clearly been disturbed by her aura and presence, using the previous slow walk to adjust himself and resist the... invitation of desires.

  "You are strong-willed." Rumira smiled, wearing a thin, white robe that barely covered her body as she poured wine into a cup before sitting down at a small table.

  Looking around, the cave was barely decorated; most of the space was occupied by the giant hot spring, a double bed, some bookshelves, and a wine rack that was consistently emptying, while the only light came from the countless torches along the undecorated walls.

  "Thank you, and... it must be hard living like this." He returned the smile, walking up to the table, taking a seat in front of her, picking up the cup, and sipping from the wine.

  "Sometimes, it is… but I must be strong for the rest."

  "I can sense that..." He muttered, "I never wandered into the forest before, so I don't know much about your customs; please, don't be angry if I do something rude."

  "Don't worry, I'm not someone who is hung up on protocol." She chuckled, looking up and down, examining him. "I heard a few things about you throughout the years, though. Yet when you started to make a name for yourself, I was still just a small fox."

  "Ahaha… now I really feel old~!" He scratched his cheek, blushing a little.

  "Does someone at our level still count the years?"

  "You are right." He took another sip, "After the first thousand, it becomes meaningless."

  "I agree." She nodded, "I haven't seen the sun in 400 years... I long forgot how it looks, how it feels on my skin. I lost count of the days in this cave... I just… exist."

  "You could leave."

  "Not until I break through." She shook her head. "It's too dangerous! I can't control my aura, and the others who are not at your level will succumb to me."

  "It's not that bad of an ending, at least." Aerthus joked, making her ugh a little, but it did feel hollow.

  "Yes, it is not, but it stripped me of enjoying it, as it always ends in my partner's death. It is not as happy and uplifting as it used to be, quite the opposite." She shook her head with a sweet yet painful smile, running her fingers through her white hair.

  "I would gdly say I can help you, but I would be lying. I don't know much about your kind's evolution, so I can't offer much."

  "It's not why I wanted to meet with someone of your kind." Rumira answered, shaking her head, "It's because of what's happening in the south, as I know you are connected to it."

  "You could say that. But... It's my disciple who is responsible for it."

  "I know." She smiled, refilling their cups, "But she is your disciple. In extension, you are also responsible for her actions."

  "Then let us get clean! Is it something you see as a problem or as something good?"

  "What if it is a problem?" Rumira asked, her smile unchanging.

  "Then I thank you for the good wine, but I bid you goodbye," Aerthus said in a calm voice, setting down his empty cup.

  "You wouldn't stop me?"

  "No."

  "Even if you make an enemy out of all the tribes in the forest?" Rumira asked, sounding curious and excited.

  "I established an Empire that is still standing after two millennia had gone by. You think I would give up because of something like this?" He smiled, looking into her eyes.

  "I see..." She nodded, letting out a long breath, "Then it is good that I don't see it as a problem. I can't say this in the name of the others, but I, for one, do agree with what's happening down there. I'd like you to unite the South! Or at least the tribes could stand united there as one."

  "Aren't you afraid they would be our puppets?"

  "No. You couldn't puppeteer them; our blood is different; it resists something like that." The Queen chuckled, "You would need to brainwash us by force or ensve us to rule over us. If you do something like that, the rest of the tribes will eradicate you. Alongside your empire, too..."

  "Charming."

  "Thank you." She nodded, finally breaking eye contact. "We have two other tribes up here..." She added suddenly, "They are battling each other, and because I will stay neutral, it will drag on for years or decades even. You have time, and I will buy you some more... but I can't do it indefinitely."

  "I'm listening. What are your pns after there is a unified southern forest?"

  "Alliance." She said firmly, "I want to show that dominating each other is not the way forward. We are different. Different species, different kinds of beings, we can't be ruled over by another, it won't work on a longer timescale, it would just fall into disharmony and chaos." She stood up and walked to a bookshelf she had, filled with ancient tomes, records, and parchments from the Old Kingdom that had existed here before her time. "I read a lot, and I know the human stories. Let's say we have a strong tribe rising up, unifying the rest... It's all good for who knows, maybe a few centuries. But then? What happens when the one thing that keeps us united dies? When the vacuum of power, left behind by that one person, appears, what then? We will fall back to little, tiny tribes, fighting for dominance over each other once again."

  "So you want to unify the forest by making an alliance between the different tribes?" Aerthus asked.

  "Yes. Let us have our own territory governed by our own species. Then have a council composed of representatives from those species. That council could govern our retionship with the outside world."

  "It sounds nice, but I guess it won't go like that."

  "No, it won't." She agreed, "That is why you are here now. I want to start working on it... I want to send Emi to your Sect as a disciple. Let her be the first and hopefully not the st. I want allies, and I want to show others that it can be done. We aren't enemies... we are neighbors."

  "Everyone is welcome in my sect who has the talent." Aerthus nodded with a happy smile, "Don't worry; she won't be handled differently than any other sect member."

  "I am relieved to hear that."

  "Here." He put five jade pieces on the table as Rumira walked back and took one up, inspecting it with a bemused expression. "These are long-range communication jades. Each of them can be used 10 times before it gets exhausted and crumbles. Their counterpart is with me at all times; you can contact me with this anytime, anywhere. The same is true for me."

  "Oh? Thank you for this generous gift. I won't say no to them."

  "Please." He smiled, "The gift was mine, to be able to meet with such a lovely woman."

  "You are too kind." She stretched forward her fingers, lightly caressing the top of Aerthus's hand, making him flinch, but he soon recovered his composure. "You are truly strong-willed~!" Rumira giggled, drawing back her hand as Aerthus smiled wryly.

  "Please, don't tempt me..." He mumbled, rubbing his nose, "It is still a chore to keep my composure up. You are some heavy-hitting cultivator for my senses, that's for sure..."

  "Ahahaha~! Well… they are heavy, that's why I like staying in my hot spring, they are killing my back!" Rumira ughed without holding back, making Aerthus even more fidgety, as he clearly felt she was testing his limits and powers, and less subtly by now... It was... hard.

  "I can… see that. I mean… I think I should go." He stood up, fixing his robes.

  "I was happy to speak with someone different for a change, especially you being a male… I long forgot how lovely your creatures can be." She licked her lips as her eyes shone with a gentle pinkish hue, and apparently... she wasn't joking.

  "I'll visit again; you don't have to worry!" Aerthus added, composed and, pushing back at her with his own aura, making Rumira let out a soft moan, "I am all for making friends."

  "Please..." She whispered, watching him leave, "Do come back..."

  After Aerthus had left, Rumira just sat there, still like a statue, looking at where he had disappeared before sighing loudly. Her base instincts and powers were already boiling deep inside; the presence of Aerthus brought forward her long-suppressed self that was once so prevailing… before it got out of control and just consumed every partner she ever had, making her life miserable and lonely. She wanted him... and the smell of him was making it so hard to keep her old self contained.

  "I'm still not there... How long will it take? Will I ever reach it?" She leaned back on her chair, closing her eyes. "I heard his line can supplement energy or even take it... Maybe he wouldn't be consumed by me, or maybe... I would be fully eaten up by him? It would be… a fitting end." She chuckled before sweeping up the jade tokens from the table, putting them away carefully before stripping down and walking into her spring water, submerging completely, trying to finally calm down and suppress her old self that wanted nothing more than to enjoy everything a body could offer, be it hers... or others…