Note to the reader: *.......* means he's saying that in his head.

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Chapter 12

I was sitting by the fire thinking. I should have woken someone up to take over watch duty, but I liked having this time to myself. While I stared at the fire Sasha came out of the tent. She looked towards me for a few seconds before coming over and sitting by the fire. I tried to make small talk.

Becket:"It's cold."

Sasha:"Yeah."

*Oh. She responded.*

Becket:"So why'd you join the adventurers guild?"

Sasha:"Need money."

Becket:"Makes sense."

Sasha:"You?"

Becket:"Well I needed money too. I'm probably going to be doing some traveling soon so I needed to earn a little cash."

Sasha:"Cash?"

Becket:"I mean money."

There was a silence for a while.

Sasha:"Not a girl."

I twitched.

Becket:"What did you say?"

Sasha:"You're not a girl."

I cast my eyes down.

Becket:"How did you know?"

Sasha:"Your scent."

Becket:"I smell like a guy? Are you insulting me?"

Sasha removed her hood and I saw her hazel colored eyes. Her hair came down a little past her ears, but was more tan looking than I first thought and littered with round black spots. When her hood was up it created a shadow that made the hair appear darker. She had black tear marks running from the corner of her eyes down past the sides of her nose that looked like tattoos and short slightly rounded animal ears on top of her head.

Sasha:"I'm a beastwoman."

Becket:"Oh. So you can tell the difference between genders by scent. I guess that's something you would need for finding a mate."

Sasha:"There's another reason I knew you were a guy."

Becket:"And what is that?"

Sasha:"I dream about you sometimes."

*Hm. Dream about me?*

Becket:"You dream about me?"

Sasha:"When I was young you started appearing in my dreams. My twin sister saw you too, but she thought they were just dreams."

Becket:"I don't know why you would be dreaming about me."

Sasha:"Another person talked to us in our dreams. They said that my sister and I would become your lovers."

Becket:"Strange. How did you find me?"

Sasha:"The other person in our dreams told my sister and I to come here. He told me to take this job and I found you."

Becket:"Where is your sister?"

Sasha:"She didn't believe the dreams so she didn't come here. Her name is Clara. She's the only mage in our family and decided to join the academy instead of chasing after the man in our dreams. I had to know if you were real so I came."

Her story of dreaming about me sounded weird, but heck anythings possible in a fantasy world.

Becket:"Who was this other person in your dreams?"

Sasha:"Haarus. My people's god......at least that's what he said."

Becket:"Did he say why we were suppose to become lovers?"

Before Sasha could answer Balor came strolling out of his tent.

Balor:"Get up Haluk, Tallie we've got work to do."

Balor came over to the fire and set down.

Balor:"Once we eat something we'll set off."

Becket:"Sure."

Sasha had her hood back up and was silent. Everyone ate so I had some left over wolf meat. We packed up the tents and Balor led us like usual. I was near the rear close to Sasha so I decided to quietly try and finish our conversation.

Becket:"What do you know about me?"

Sasha:"Only what you look like. You were always kind in my dreams, but you never talked. When Haarus started appearing I asked him about you, but he only said you were important."

*Do the gods here have something to do with me coming to this world?*

Sasha:"He did say there would be other lovers and that they would be sent to find you."

Becket:"Other lovers? Why?"

Sasha:"I don't know."

*This doesn't make any sense.*

I wasn't really sure what else to ask so we stayed quiet. The snow was falling and we couldn't see very far ahead of us. After a few hours of walking the snow finally stopped and an ice mountain was revealed. We were about 50 meters away from what looked like an entrance in the side of the mountain.

Balor:"This is the ice palace. Our job is to explore the outer area around it and take note of any monsters or traps. Do NOT go inside. Our ranks are to low to survive against what's suspected to be inside."

We spent the next 6 hours circling the ice palace and fighting weak monsters. We found a cavern in the side of the ice palace that was seven meters deep and eight wide. It was filled with what looked like frozen flowers that turned out to be the herb I was looking for. It became our next camp site so we set up the tents and ate. We sat around the fire together discussing tomorrow.

Balor:"Tomorrow we'll circle the palace again then our jobs done. Beckets already got his plants so we've got nothing else to do."

Becket:"This job was pretty easy. I never had to do anything."

Balor:"You're just an explorer so of course your job would be easy. Ok everyone it's time to get some rest. Sasha you've got first watch."

Sasha nodded. I went to my tent, but didn't go to sleep since I wanted to talk to Sasha. Maybe her dreams had something to do with why I'm in this world and in this body. After about 20 minutes I heard a rustling noise so I left the tent , but Sasha wasn't sitting by the fire. I looked around and saw her standing at the other end of the cavern.

Her back was facing me so I called out to her quietly.

Becket:"Sasha."

She fell to her knees and I saw what was on the other side of her. It looked like a human woman, but with messed up gray hair and dirty black rags for clothes. It's eyes were completely white and its nails looked black with sharp tips. Sasha's hair had turned gray and her skin was wrinkled. She looked like an old woman now.

Becket:"Guys! Get up!"

I called for the others to see if they were ok. Balor came running out of the tent with his sword.

Balor:"What's happening?"

I had already covered myself in my leaf armor and lunged at the enemy. I easily took off it's head.

Balor:"What!? That's a hag!"

I knelt down next to Sasha. She was unconscious and it looked like she had all of her youth sucked out of her. Balor walked over to us.

Balor:"The hag got her. She's done for."

He put his hand on my shoulder.

Balor:"It would probably be more humane to put her down. People who are attacked by hags never survive for very long."

I put Sasha in the tent and went to talk to Balor.

Becket:"What is a hag exactly?"

Balor:"They're also called life drinkers. They steal the life from people."

Becket:"Is there no way to fix it?"

Balor:"Once the life's been stolen only a hag can return it."

Becket:"I might be able to then."

Balor had a confused look on his face. I walked over to the hags body and cut off chunks of meat then ate them. This time I didn't feel pain, but my throat felt dry.

Tallie and Haluk were up and seemed to be preparing for battle.

Becket:"Are you expecting a fight?"

Tallie:"Well once a hag dies their sisters always come."

Becket:"How many?"

Tallie:"Not sure. It varies, but probably only three to five."

Balor:"Becket."

I turned to face Balor.

Balor:"I saw you kill that hag. You have some skill. I didn't expect it."

Becket:"What did you expect me to do?"

Balor:"Run."

Becket:"Thanks. Could you tell me how a hag steals life?"

Balor:"It's called the kiss of death. They lock lips with their victim and suck all of their life out. They're just monsters with no intelligence. The only thing they know to do is attack people."

*A kiss huh.*

I entered the tent Sasha was in and made sure to close it up so no one else could see inside. She was still asleep.

Balor:"The hags are hear!"

I could hear sounds of fighting start. I knew I had to be quick so I pressed my lips against Sasha's. I concentrated, but nothing happened. I did feel some faint presence that reminded me of what mana felt like.

Becket:"Shit! Did I not get the ability? Identify."

InformationNameBecket EdwinRaceElfAge102Account Balance0TitlesEnvoy Of The Fairy Princess

Knight Of The Fairy Princess

Keeper Of The Fairy Princess

Blessed One

Wandering Soul

Explorer

Life ThiefMagicsNature

Language Comprehension

Wing Manifestation

Healing Saliva

Thermal Insulation

Primal Sensing

Vitality ManipulationBlessingBodily Augmentation

(Through Ingestion)Assigned JobHerb CollectingStored Vitality0 years

Becket:"What so I have to steal it from someone else first?"

I stood up. Just what I needed was outside the tent. The hags. I walked out and saw a huge number of hags pouring into the cavern.

Tallie:"Citatus atque imperio ignis. Ignis Pila!

A fire ball bigger than any I've seen him cast before erupted from his staff and flew towards the hags. Many of them were burnt, but kept coming.

Balor:"Why are there so many!?"

Tallie:"I don't know! Maybe they're all from the ice palace!"

Haluk was surrounded and pulled away from Tallie and Balor.

Balor:"Haluk!!!!!"

I activated the full body leaf armor and jumped into the crowd of hags. I sent body parts flying as I made my way to Haluk. He was already in the kiss of death so I lopped off the hags head. He was able to keep from falling to the ground by using his spear to hold himself up.

Becket:"You ok?"

He nodded. He appeared to have aged a few years, but was still pretty young. I turned my attention back to the hags. It was time to see if I could steal their life. I grabbed the closest hag by the throat with my left hand and fought others off with my right. I locked my lips onto the hags. I felt that mana like presence again, but it was much stronger this time. I pulled on it like I would my own mana and the hag started to shake. Once I pulled all of it out the hag turned to dust.

Balor and the others were still fighting the hag horde so they paid me no attention and I started kissing every hag that got close to me. A pile of dust started collecting around my feet. The others were taking light injuries, but Haluk was the one most hurt. The age progression slowed him down and he was now covered in scratches from the hags claws. He had one cut on the throat that was bleeding badly so he used one hand to stop the bleeding and continued fighting with his spear using his other arm.

When the last hag died the dust at my feet came up to my knees. I felt all the life I stole from them gathered inside my body. Haluk was sitting on the ground. He wrapped a piece of his shirt around his throat and the bleeding seemed to have stopped.

Becket:"Unwrap your throat."

Balor came over.

Balor:"Do you know healing magic?"

Becket:"No but I can help with the healing."

Haluk still hadn't unwrapped his throat. Balor looked at him.

Balor:"Do it. She's trying to help you."

He nodded and revealed his throat. The cut wasn't too deep, but it did slightly hit an artery. I placed my hands on his shoulders and leaned in. I licked his throat. Both Balor and Haluk seemed surprised.

Balor:"Why'd you do that?"

Becket:"My saliva has healing properties."

Balor:"Really?"

Becket:"Yeah."

Balor:"Well I have a split lip."

Becket:"You're fine."

I went back into Sasha's tent and she was awake. She pulled off the necklace she was wearing and spoke in a weak voice.

Sasha:"Please give this to my sister."

She extended a shaky hand with the necklace in it.

Becket:"Identify."

InformationNameBecket EdwinRaceElfAge102Account Balance0TitlesEnvoy Of The Fairy Princess

Knight Of The Fairy Princess

Keeper Of The Fairy Princess

Blessed One

Wandering Soul

Explorer

Life ThiefMagicsNature

Language Comprehension

Wing Manifestation

Healing Saliva

Thermal Insulation

Primal Sensing

Vitality ManipulationBlessingBodily Augmentation

(Through Ingestion)Assigned JobHerb CollectingStored Vitality64 years

Becket:"That should be plenty. Sorry but you'll have to give that to her yourself."

I kneeled down next to her and leaned in to kiss her. When our lips locked I felt that weak mana like presence that I now knew was her life force. I pushed the gathered life I had inside me towards her life force. After about half of it was gone she had completely returned to the way she was before. She sat up and looked blankly at me.

Sasha:"How?"

Becket:"Magic."

A few tears escaped her eyes and she pulled her hood up to cover her face.

Sasha:"Thank you."

Story Information