The journey back to her cave was incredibly unremarkable. Nothing really happened. Krvavy saw a deer, had to bance the stupidly rge tarp bag on her horned head as she walked through the river, and had quite a bit of trouble maneuvering around the dense woods with her loot.

  Despite moving a little slower through the forest, it didn’t take her very long to get home. At least in terms of days. Krvavy didn’t stop at sundown, instead continuing on until pretty te into the night. So technically she did spend more time walking.

  But it was worth it, because here she is arriving home a few hours before she actually expected to. The sun hasn’t even set yet and she is already approaching the hot springs. Oh... how much she has missed those warm waters...

  Krvavy can just barely hear Beryl and Thea arguing up ahead, though she can’t really make out the individual words... But at least it seems like the both of them are doing alright. That indistinct shouting isn’t quite heated enough to make it sound like something went wrong.

  The barbarian sees her three girls before any of them notice her, though that isn’t really saying much. It isn’t like Khalia can notice anything, Thea is clearly pouting, and the completely naked Beryl is occupied with stirring a pot of stew. It looks like Krvavy got back just in time for dinner. And she must have just missed the end of their argument too. Probably for the best, that is.

  “Hey! Guess who’s back!” Krvavy calls out.

  Beryl immediately jumps to her feet and spins around on the spot. “Oh! Are ya goin’ ta ravish me now~?” She lustfully asks, hungrily licking her lips as she stares down at the barbarian’s loincloth. “Ya must be so pent up~!”

  Seeing the nude Wood Elf does cause Krvavy’s lust to spike up, but she isn’t exactly in the mood for that right now. She is hungry and wants to have a bath first. “Uh, not immediately.” The barbarian says, the reluctance clear in her voice. “I’d like to eat and get cleaned up before that. But first... look at what I have here!”

  The soft thud of the makeshift tarp bag draws Thea’s attention over, the noble girl looking on with narrowed eyes as Krvavy roughly undoes the top of it and lets the rge tarp flop open. “Where did you get that?” The noble accusatorily asks.

  “I found them.” Krvavy offhandedly replies as she pulls the poleaxe free and quickly unwraps it. “Look at this though! Isn’t it cool!”

  “Aye, tha’ is quite a nice poleaxe fer somethin’ Human made.” Beryl comments, looking it up and down with a critical eye. “A bit small fer ya though.”

  “Yeah, I’d like it more if it was bigger.” Krvavy shrugs and pces the poleaxe aside. Turning to Thea, she gestures the bratty noble forwards. “Come here, girl, I think you’ll like what I found.”

  “I have a name you know!” Thea indignantly whines, pulling the ever present bnket up to cover more of her body.

  “Oh come on, don’t tell me you are still upset about your clothes!” Krvavy exaggeratedly exhales, knowing full well that her words and her actions will do nothing but bug that brat.

  “OF COURSE I AM!” The silver-blonde noble screams back. “Because of you I am almost naked at all times! Vile cur! Filthborne beast!”

  “Eh, you’d better get used to it. Now come here, before I drag you over.”

  Thea narrows her eyes and trembles in rage for just a few seconds before giving in, angrily rising to her feet and reluctantly letting the bnket fall down around her. She is hardly naked. The bratty girl is still in her underwear, her dignity preserved by the modest nature of her sporty looking bra and basic panties. Not to mention the stockings clinging to her legs, squishing her soft thighs in a way that almost makes Krvavy envious of them...

  Despite not even trying to make herself look good, Thea is beautiful. Absolutely stunning...

  “Stop looking at me like that, you disgusting pervert!” The silver-blonde brat shouts, stomping a foot on the stone ground even as her cheeks are tinted ever so slightly pink. “Just show me whatever this is already! Ugh!”

  “Tadah!” Krvavy dramatically opens one of the bags, revealing the colourful bolts of silk within.

  Thea’s eyes go wide in shock. After a few seconds of staring down into the bag she tears her gaze back up to Krvavy. “Where did..!? You...! You attacked a merchant! Do not lie to me you vile animal!”

  “It was just one old man. And his horses absolutely freaked out when I got near. But yeah.” Krvavy nonchantly admits.

  The noble girl quickly turns to Beryl, who is leaning forwards and inspecting the silk. “Do you not care what your so called ‘love’ has done!? She is a filthy bandit! A brigand!”

  “Hmm? Why’d Ah care about tha’?” Beryl responds rather sincerely.

  “Elvish crone! You have been going on and on about how great a person your ‘love’ is, but she is not! Just as I have been telling you! She is a murderer! A thief! A criminal!” Thea vehemently spits out.

  “Ach, there are so many o’ ya Humans, and ya’re so short lived.” Beryl dismissively shrugs her shoulders. “Yer kind needs some prunin’, and if tha’ is what my dearest love wishes ta do than so be it.” Considering her past, that might be the Elf’s genuine belief and not just her being incapable of finding any fault in Krvavy.

  “Y-you...! Heartless harlot! Soulless knife ear! Tree hugging crone! Hag! Scum lover!” Insults that are far to easy to not take seriously spew forth from the bratty noble girl. Her whole body trembles in fury as she clenches and unclenches her hands into fists. She... honestly looks quite adorable like that.

  “Well, gd to see that you like this wonderful silk I have here. Eighteen full bolts of it. Not that we can really make use of it.” Krvavy comments with a shake of her head. “You can go back to hiding that cute body of yours now, if you’d like. I personally wouldn’t mind being able to see it a bit more~.”

  “Ugh! You disgusting debased degenerate pervert lizard! Filthborne beast!” Thea finds a new target to angrily shout at. “Beast bitch cur!”

  Krvavy just gives the girl a pat on the head, pulling back before that furious noble can smack her. “Guess I should bring all this stuff up to my little treasure trove now. Get it out of our way and all.”

  “Oh, Ah can ‘elp ya!” Beryl eagerly offers, ignoring Thea as the bratty noble slinks back to the bedding to cover herself back up.

  “No, I can handle this easily on my own.” Krvavy turns the Elf down. “But I am hungry, so I’ll have some of that stew when I’m done. If it is ready, that is.”

  “Aye! Ah was just adding some more fvour ta it before ya came home. Ah’ll get a bowl ready fer ya.” Beryl promises, turning back to the stew. “And then once yer done wit’ yer meal...?” She sheepishly lets that question hang in the air, gncing back over her shoulder with need in her blue-green gaze.

  “After I get cleaned up, my eager Elf.” Krvavy bemusedly replies, gathering up her loot once more. It will just take a few more minutes, but Beryl will get what she wants soon enough.

  “This ‘ot spring o’ yers is a thing o’ wonder. Just like ya are~.” Beryl seductively breathes out, lips brushing against Krvavy’s ear.

  That needy Wood Elf woman hungrily stared Krvavy down the whole time that they were eating dinner, exaggeratedly moaning with each bite she took and even suggestively licking her utensils clean once they were all done. Beryl really wants Krvavy to ravish her. That much has been made abundantly clear.

  Steam fills the air, caressing Krvavy’s glistening wet skin and coaxing her deeper into the bubbling pool. The quick shower that she just took may have washed the feeling of filth off of her, but it wasn’t anywhere near as rexing as this.

  Partially because Beryl only just joined her. “So wonderful~... So ah-maze-in’~...” The tanned Elf softly coos as she sits behind Krvavy, rubbing her pert Elvish breasts against the bigger barbarian’s back as she provides a loving and mildly molesting massage.

  This would be truly cozy and comfortable and downright perfect if it wasn’t for how painfully stiff Krvavy’s cock is beneath the water.

  “You aren’t too bad yourself.” Krvavy flirtatiously, and honestly, returns. “Easily the most beautiful woman I have ever had the luck to y my eyes on~.”

  If only Krvavy could see Beryl’s face right now. She can almost guarantee that her Elf is blushing wildly. This beautiful tomboy of an Elf just loves being complimented.

  “Oh, ya ftter me, my dearest love~.” Beryl sighs out those words, sounding so incredibly happy and content.

  “I don’t know much about you,” Krvavy admits, moving away from her flirty tone, “so how about telling me a bit about yourself?”

  “Ach, there isn’t much ta say.” The Wood Elf quickly dismisses that question.

  “Don’t be ridiculous.” Comes the order from Krvavy. “You have lived a... very interesting life, I’m sure. You’ve travelled all across the world, after all.”

  “If tha’ is wha’ ya think.” Beryl pinly shrugs. “What’d ya like me ta talk about then?”

  “How about your homend? I don’t really know anything about where you Elves, Wood Elves, come from.” Krvavy says, turning around just enough to grab and drag the lithe tomboy into her p, so that Beryl’s firm rear is pressed against her shaft.

  “Oh...?” Beryl sounds surprised that Krvavy is asking about that. “If tha’ is wha’ ya want ta ‘ear about.” She says with another slight shrug, leaning into Krvavy’s embrace.

  The tomboyish Wood Elf takes a few moments to gather her thoughts, before starting with a wistful sigh. “It is the most beautiful pce in the world. There isn’t anythin’ else like it left. Trees tha’ reach up inta the clouds, wit’ trunks so wide tha’ even a dozen people ‘and in ‘and couldn’t wrap around ‘alfway.”

  Closing her eyes and rexing into Krvavy’s arms, Beryl continues to reminisce. “The forest is steeped in the old magics, untouched by seasons and time. Tha’ is instead managed by the Elder Dryads, who decide wha’ the woods around their trees will be like. Some prefer ta keep it aligned wit’ the outside world, wit’ days and nights and seasons. Others prefer ta keep their domains unchangin’, locked in a state o’ forever night, dawn, winter, autumn, or anythin’ in between.”

  That sounds a lot more fantastical than the rest of this game is. Guess the developers can just excuse tossing realism out of the window when magic is involved. Still, that does pique Krvavy’s interest. “Are those dryads your rulers then? And... what are they?” She adds after a moments thought. Dryads could be just about anything in this game. It could even be just a title for all she knows.

  “Ahhh...” The tanned tomboy’s brow furrows faintly. “They are... Ach, it is not easy ta expin. Ta start... They rule only beneath the Regent and the Gods, wit’ the Regent bein’ expected ta turn ta them fer advice. But the Dryads, Elder or not, rule over just the forest, not the people in it. Tha’ is left fer the Earls and Margraves. So... ya can look at it as two... hierarchical lines, both leadin’ up ta the Regent, who rules in stead o’ the Gods.”

  “As fer what the Dryads are... Tha’ is far more complicated.” Beryl answers, gncing up at Krvavy and locking eyes with the barbarian. “They are, or were, Elves. Dryads are made through rituals. O’ which there are two kinds. The first attunes an Elf maid wit’ the forest, transforming her inta a Dryad. Ta be chosen fer tha’ is... a great honour tha’ few ‘ave ever turned down.”

  Beryl pauses and turns her gaze away, staring into the steamy air for a few long seconds before continuing. “The other ritual is... much, much less common. Rather than turn an Elf into one o’ them, a Dryad must be impregnated. The ritual will then cause a seed ta grow in pce o’ a child, and tha’ seed can then be made ta become a Dryad in time.”

  The tanned Wood Elf falls silent, seemingly done with her expnation. Krvavy is rather intrigued by what her Elf has said, as there seems to be a fair bit of world building here, considering that this game is still in beta and all. And compared to her own race. Or at least what she knows of her own race. Maybe that is just because Elves are more of a cssic, so the devs sidelined other races to flesh them out?

  Either way, Krvavy has kind of let herself get distracted. She didn’t want to talk about Elvish politics, or whatever. She wanted to know more about Beryl: where she is from, what her life was like, that sort of thing.

  “Where did you grow up then? Were there seasons, or...?” Krvavy asks, leaving the question hanging for her Elf to step in.

  “Ah’m from... well, the name doesn’t matter.” Beryl dismisses. “Ah grew up in an eternal spring. Flowers always blossomin’, leaves fresh and green. It was beautiful, colourful, vibrant. But there is beauty ta be found in all o’ the seasons, especially when ya get ta see them shift and change. The warm strength o’ summer, the reds and oranges o’ autumn, the quiet snows o’ winter...”

  “Yeah, sometimes you need change, even if just to break the monotony.” Krvavy slowly agrees, filling the silence left by her Elf’s trailed off words.

  “Oh, Ah was worried ya wouldn’t understand.” Beryl sighs out in relief, before answering the barbarians inquisitive gaze. “Ah know yer kind is from so far north tha’ it is always winter. So Ah was worried tha’ ya’d think Ah was bein’ ungrateful fer not appreciated wha’ Ah ‘ad.”

  “Nah,” Krvavy waves off her Elf’s concern, “I don’t really care about that. After all, you don’t choose where to be born. And speaking of that, what was it like growing up in a pce where it was always spring?”

  Beryl smiles happily, nuzzling her face into Krvavy’s bare breasts. “It was easy. Ah won’t lie about tha’. We never went ‘ungry, as even when ‘arvests weren’t great there was still enough to eat. It helped tha’ my parent were farmers, at least ter in their lives when they ‘ad me. They grew all sorts o’ fruits. Fruits ta eat, fruits fer jam, fruits fer wine. Wha’ we didn’t eat we traded off fer clothes, other foodstuffs, everythin’ really.”

  “Were you an only child?” Krvavy questions, as her Elf hasn’t mentioned any siblings. Granted, she isn’t really going into details about herself in general, but still.

  “In a way.” Beryl responds a bit cryptically, before quickly expining. “Ah ‘ave a brother who is around eighty years my senior and a sister forty years my junior. Ah don’t really know either of them though, as there are too many years between us.”

  That makes sense to Krvavy, as they would have grown up and moved out before the next sibling was born. Is that normal for Elves?

  Before Krvavy can ask that, Beryl speaks up. “Now, are ya gonna keep asking me things or are ya goin’ ta use me already?” The Elf wiggles her rear, rubbing her firm ass against Krvavy’s still hard cock. It had softened a bit from the non-sexual nature of this conversation, but that single movement brings it back up to being painfully hard and desperate for release.

  “I just wanted to get to know you first.” The barbarian replies.

  “Ah appreciate tha’, Ah really do, but we ‘ave years fer tha’. But this,” she almost moans that word, reaching a hand back to grab onto Krvavy’s cock, “needs release now. And Ah want ta finally take it inside o’ me~. Ah want ta become one wit’ ya~!”

  “Alright, alright.” Krvavy relents with feigned reluctance. “Where do you want to do it?”

  “Oh? Ah get ta pick?” The Elf seems quite happy about that, though her smile quickly turns rather devious. “Ah’d just love fer ya ta take me in our beddin’~! Ah want ta show tha’ irreverent girl o’ yers ‘ow ta properly care fer yer needs~!”

  Krvavy isn’t going to turn down a beautiful Elf like Beryl, and getting chance to bully Thea is just icing on the cake. Not that she really expects Thea to stick around. That girl will probably end up fleeing down here once they get started. Still... “That sounds great~.” She responds with a wide smile, standing up and scooping her tomboyish Wood Elf in one smooth motion.

  Beryl giggles joyfully as she is carried like a newly wed bride all the way back up to the living area, leaving a trail of water as neither Elf nor Drakling even think about drying off first.