I spent the rest of the day with Amaya and Aunt Akari, talking, practicing martial arts, and meditating. I tried to give them a decent understanding of cultivation, but it was difficult to accomplish much while the aether on earth was still so thin.

  I was tempted to try and bolster their growth the same way Yume did for me, but I decided to wait. I wanted to talk with Yume first to make sure it was safe, and that I knew enough about what I was doing to not hurt them.

  That night I retired to my room early. I had a lot I wanted to do in the Astral, and the time distortion between the realms was already decreased. I had a sliver of apprehension about entering the Astral from a new location. It made no logical sense, as the only connection between earth and my domain was through me, so there should be no problem. Still, I breathed a small sigh of relief when I opened my eyes to find myself standing in front of my tree in the pre-dawn light.

  I checked the upgrades briefly, and they were completing slowly but surely. The build time for the structures wasn't too bad, though it was definitely increasing with the cost of the building. The longer wait came from the delay necessary to build up enough aether to continue the build. In any case, it would take a while longer to complete the harvesters.

  Satisfied with the progress, I left to go find the girls. I was walking through the entrance hall, carefully scanning for any new traps when I heard a shout from the direction of the kitchen, followed by a loud clatter.

  I hurried to see what the commotion was, thinking that perhaps Ash had finally caught her target. Unfortunately, while Ash had indeed caught someone, it clearly wasn't the sneaky helper.

  Instead, near the center of the excessively large kitchen, hung a tired looking Trinket. She was bound tightly in a net, suspended in an extremely uncomfortable looking position. She was wearing a white pair of loose linen pants that looked a little like hospital scrubs, and a tight midriff shirt. More importantly, the way the net held her emphasized her breasts with a rope strung between them. She clearly wasn't wearing a bra.

  On the floor near the counter, I saw the likely source of the clatter was a metal bowl whose fruit was now spilled across the ground. It looked like Trinket had come down for an early breakfast and accidentally discovered one of Ash's traps. She heaved an exasperated sigh before she saw me and began to glow a bright red.

  "C-C-C-Cai! I-It's not what it looks like!" She began to squirm around, trying to improve her position but only succeeding in tangling herself worse.

  I couldn't help it. I burst into laughter as my surprise gave way to amusement. "Oh? because it looks like you decided to play around with ropes. Is this the rumored experimental phase? Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." I finished by giving her an exaggerated wink.

  "N-Noo! It's n-not that!" She tried to cover her face, but her arms were too tangled. "Y-you see, well— I-It's just that there was— a-and then I w-was hungry—" She continued to try to explain, but her words grew jumbled.

  I did my best to compose myself, but couldn't completely hide my mirth. I was still chuckling as I approached her. "No, I get it. I was just teasing you. This was obviously a trap set by Ash. Here, let me help." I reached out and lifted her up, supporting her weight while I used my telekinesis to try to unhook the rope from the ceiling.

  She latched onto me as best as she could while I worked. "You w-were teasing me? U-umm, o-ok. I guess it was p-pretty obvious what happened huh?" She giggled a little, clearly relieved there was no misunderstanding.

  I felt a spike of amusement across one of my bonds just a moment before I heard Ash's voice. "Oh-ho! I didn't know you were serious about rope play, Cai!" Turning to Yume, who had enter beside her, the dragon girl asked, "Do ya think we should be worried? We might be in danger."

  Yume only nodded. She looked distracted, her ears focused intently on me while her tails swirled gently behind her. She was subconsciously biting her lip, her ocean blue eyes slightly hooded. When Ash saw this, she simply smiled and shook her head.

  I had to clear my throat before speaking. "It's not what it looks like." Trinket nodded along quickly, agreeing with my words. "Trinket is just in her experimental phase." She froze and stared at me, eyes wide. I gave her a wink to let her know I was joking, but it didn't seem to help with her blush.

  Ash giggled and came to help me untangle the poor girl, and Yume followed with a smirk. "Sorry about that, Trinket." Ash said after we finally managed to remove the net. "I didn't mean to catch you." She paused then squinted her eyes at the green woman. "Didn't we tell you there was a trap here?"

  Trinket looked down sheepishly. "I-I was still sleepy, a-and hungry, so…" She trailed off, watching as I used my power to replace the bowl and fruit. I kept one apple, rinsing it in the sink before floating it to the embarrassed crafter. She accepted it, but couldn't meet my eyes as she thanked me. Ash continued to giggle.

  I turned to Yume. "Anyway, I was hoping to check on the tether, then go back to the Broken Falls. I wanna try learning the water element, and I was hoping you would come along."

  Yume stepped forward quickly, latching on to my arm and letting her three tails wrap around me. "That sounds amazing. I don't know if I can learn it, but I'd like to try."

  We both looked at Ash but she shook her head. "I may try to learn water at some point, but not yet. Magical beasts can't normally learn new elements without some extraordinary event. I know my meridians changed when we bonded, so I might be able to, but I want to start with a different element. It's not uncommon for one element to interfere with learning another, so I'd rather try my luck with somethin' that'll give me more offensive power." She looked away with a slight blush as she finished speaking.

  I knew she had dreams of becoming a powerful dragon like the larger species, so this was likely linked to her insecurities. I didn't push, simply shrugging as we turned to head toward the tether. Ash followed, taking my other arm and escorting us to the fey shard.

  Yume broke the silence. "So I take it you made it to Japan ok? How are your aunt and Amaya-chan?" She looked up at me with interest in her blue eyes.

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  "They're doing well. I told them about almost everything, and they are on board. Actually, it turns out they're both kunoichi from a clan of shinobi called the Kagehira." I informed them.

  Yume raised her eyebrows in surprise, but Ash looked confused. "What are those kuno-what's-its and shinobos?" She asked, possibly messing up the words on purpose.

  Yume chuckled, but explained. "A shinobi is a ninja, a type of stealthy warrior or assassin. A kunoichi is specifically a female shinobi."

  Ash hummed thoughtfully. "Hmmm. I think I like the sound o' that. Although, us dragons don't usually need stealth." I gave her a raised eyebrow and she looked away. "Hey, just because I can turn invisible, doesn't mean I have to. At least, not anymore. My mana has more than doubled thanks to you, and I have a giant form now!"

  I smiled at her reassuringly, and Yume reached around me to scratch her behind her horns.

  Ash let out a breath, then changed the subject. "What about Amaya? Did you ask her out yet?" She bounced her eyebrows suggestively while grinning up at me.

  I reached my hand around her waist and tickled her as punishment for her mischief. "I told you, humans on the material don't normally have multiple partners. I didn't think she was even into men, though I might have been wrong about that."

  "Oh? so you think she likes you?" Yume asked, one ear flopping to the side in curiosity.

  "Well, perhaps." I hesitated before going on. "It might be my charm stat affecting her. The way she talks, it could also be something she's felt for a while, though I don't know if she's serious or not."

  "Would it bother you if it was your charm stat?" Yume prodded.

  I shook my head. "I don't think so. I'm not interested in mind-controlling someone into liking me. I wouldn't want something fake. But everyone has a charm stat. Feeling bad about how attractive I am would be silly."

  Both girls nodded in approval, and Ash took the opportunity to tease me about my childhood friend all the way to the tether. I was beginning to think that she might have a deeper reason for wanting me to add more women to our family. She was certainly happy having more people in her life.

  When I reached the tether, I put my hand on the podium. To my surprise, a screen rose from its back, and an information display appeared. Apparently, upgrading my spire had improved a few other aspects of my territory as well.

  The information on the screen showed me that there would be a cool down period of more than a day before I could use it to pull in a new shard. Shrugging, I took Yume's hand as we went through the portal to the fey shard, waving to Ash as we left.

  ****

  The Broken Falls were just as beautiful as the last time we were here. Bird song filled the air, creating a soft counterpoint to the cadence of the waterfall. The fragrance of the many exotic flowers was carried on a refreshing breeze as the morning light reflected off the lakes mirror like surface.

  It only took us a little over a half an hour to get to the falls this time, rather than a full day. The main reason was because it was naturally closer to the portal than the kobold den where we traveled from the first time. Another was that we were able to run at supernatural speeds the entire way instead of walking at the pace of a kobold. Not having to contend with trolls and corrupted creatures was also a plus.

  "So," I said, as I took Yume by the hand once more. "Where do we start? Should we go sit under the waterfall?"

  My kitsune lover raised a delicate eyebrow. "We can if you want to, but that's a different kind of training. I've heard of people doing that as a form of body tempering, or perhaps to strengthen their focus while cultivating. If it was the way to learn an element however, then learning the lava element would be difficult indeed."

  I snorted, and pulled Yume closer as I enjoyed the view. "Hey, I was just guessing based on things I saw on Earth. In some stories, the best way to understand an element is to experience it first hand."

  Yume leaned her head on my arm as she thought. "I suppose that does make sense. The key to gaining an element is to understand its concept. Coming to a place like this is helpful because it is filled with natural water elemental energy, and you can experience the way it flows through your meridians." She shrugged one shoulder. "Perhaps sitting under a waterfall would help you comprehend water faster. It's a personal experience, so it's hard to say."

  I thought for a moment before heading towards a moss covered rock by the side of the lake. "Let's start with experiencing the water over here for now. We can always move to the waterfall if we want to later.

  I took off my shoes and rolled up my pants before sitting on the rock and letting my feet submerge. Yume joined me as I began the rhythmic breathing she had first taught me for cultivation. I easily slipped into a meditative state and began pulling the ambient energy to me. I focused on passing the energy through a meridian in my lower abdomen associated with water. I was trying to identify any differences in the qi that might represent water element.

  I sat like this for some time, letting a part of my mind focus on cultivation and identifying the elemental energy, while the other part tried to conceptualize water.

  I started with my scientific knowledge of water; everything from its molecular structure, to its three states of matter. The way that impure water could conduct electricity, while pure water could act as an insulator.

  After running through all of the facts I knew in my head, I started to focus on the nature of water in a more personal sense. It was a life giving resource that provided nourishment and sustenance. That thought felt especially poignant for the water in this particular lake. It was a purifying force. As I held that feeling, the part of my mind that was searching for energy noticed when sparks of blue appeared in my mind's eye as they flowed through my meridian.

  Excited, I did my best to capture the sensation while continuing to contemplate water. I thought about the destructive aspect of water. It had the ability to wear away stone, bend metal, and drown cities. Water was easily influenced by forces all around it, and could be wielded in ways that were diametrically opposed. Just as it could be used as an insulator or a conductor depending on circumstances, it could also be used to sustain life or destroy it.

  I felt myself take a step closer to my goal, but then stalled. I was still missing pieces, but my meridians were getting sore. After several more minutes I decided that I had pushed myself far enough for now.

  Opening my eyes, I activated Aetheric Eyes and gasped when I looked out over the lake. I could now see tiny motes of blue energy as they flowed through the water. The image didn't last long before it faded and the water returned to normal. Still, I smiled at the memory, hoping that it might help me learn faster in the future.

  Yume sensed the change of my emotions over our bond, and soon resurfaced from her own meditation. I grinned at her and I stood up, taking my shirt off as I went. "Come on," I said, offering her a hand. "This has been useful, but it's time for the main reason I brought you out here."

  She gave me her own coquettish smile as she took my hand. "Oh? and what reason would that be?"

  I pulled her to her feet before reaching for my belt. "Overtly? I wanted to spend time with you in a romantic setting. Secretly? I've been dying to see you by this lake in the moonlight. See all of you." I enjoyed her blush, as well as the yearning in her eyes. I was excited for what was to come, but first, I wanted to have some fun with her. "Come on, let's experience the water some more." I gave her a wink before stripping off my pants and diving into the lake.