Unexpected Detour (Razgriz x Wingshadow)

Sam could only groan as Sasha hypothesized that Undine might possess that ability as well. Though her statement about being contracted before confused him; from what he understood, elementals could bond once in their lifetime, with the contractor being able to break the contract. But Gnome told him point-blank that even 'breaking' the contract meant that it wasn't completely broken; though he had to consider that maybe his was a special case somehow. Still, the possibility remained that she'd been abandoned by a previous contractor, like what he did to Gnome, except the guy didn't come back.

The pollutants in the spring was a possibility in Sam's mind; though he deemed it relatively unlikely as humans clearly hadn't had a major presence here for some time. Even hundreds of years ago, means of efficiently - to near one hundred percent - converting waste of all kinds into energy would have been available. He'd even seen the Fazor Mk XI fusion generators - albeit in a decrepit state due to lack of maintenance and if the cave human colony revealed anything, possible scavenging - in that town where he first encountered Mist and Flo.

Still, he wasn't fully comfortable with this; he knew he had to continue, but he was seriously doubting himself to be able to do it. He placed his hands over his face in exasperation, feeling both distraught and overwhelmed; how did he get roped into this? He knew Gnome believed in him, but he still wasn't sure of himself. And he had Rachel waiting for him; he'd been gone so long, he wondered if she'd moved on. He wouldn't blame her, but he just wanted to see her one last time. So many thoughts ran through his head, he felt like he was going to lose it.
 
"She doesn't mean that sort of pollution," Gnome read Sam's thoughts and made an attempt to draw his attention away from his own lack of confidence, "Sasha means that there is a possibility that she has absorbed some of the dark magic from the area, possibly from a powerful spell of some sort cast by a magic user. Undie has a bad habit of trying to absorb energy from whatever source she can find, so its possible that her bad tendency has caught up to her after all these years."

The earth elemental reached up and stroked her contractor's hair, "Don't worry, Sam... I'm sure we can find a way to beat her, together. When we gain the power of two elementals, not even the Pharaoh will be able to stand up to us for long! You should focus on the positives, Sam... Your modesty is one of the things I admire most about you, but you should really have more confidence in yourself. You were able to take down a Minotaurus practically by yourself! Few people in the universe can claim to have done that, plus you have me."
 
Sam cocked his head as Gnome explained that Sasha wasn't referring to that kind of pollution; what was this with dark magic now? So now there was magic......Sam had to admit things were looking absolutely great from his point of view. He knew Gnome was a very powerful spirit by herself, but he felt that he simply wouldn't be ready to take on someone like the Pharaoh or Undine. It wasn't his strength he was worried about, it was his ability to sufficiently utilize his contract with Gnome. And even that sounded wrong; she wasn't his slave.

Feeling fingers run through his hair, Sam looked down just as Gnome started trying to cheer him up. He couldn't but sigh, "I know I have you, Gnome, and believe me, I wouldn't trade for anything else in the world." Her comment about the Minotaurus made him chuckle, "You and I both know that's not true, but I appreciate the compliment. You were there to help me a lot though; but, I couldn't think of anyone better watching after me".

His head then rested on the pillows, the exhaustion from last night starting to creep up on him again. "Sorry, Gnome; maybe once I'm rested, I'll be a bit more confident and willing. But....know that I don't think you're weak. I just think I won't be able to work effectively with you when we have to face Undine and the Pharaoh. If I survive Undine that is."
 
"Don't worry, Sam," Gnome smiled, "Our bond is so strong that I'm certain you could even become more powerful than myself with enough training. If you work hard on your control, I'm sure you won't have to worry about defeating Undie and forming a contract with her. I know you won't disappoint me."

"You two are very close, aren't you?" Sasha remarked, looking between the two and recognizing the tenderness with which they spoke to each other, "Let me personally assure you that from today on you are welcome here anytime, for you are a part of our family now. Although I can't be there for you like little Gnome can, I hope you can come to see us in the same way that we do. We have a lot to be thankful to you for, and we wish to offer you as much of our support as we can... Myself included, of course."
 
Sam couldn't help but smile as Gnome continued in her endless quest to cheer him up; he then replied, "Nice to know someone thinks so highly of me. Maybe once I rest, I'll share your enthusiasm. No, actually, I know I will." Gnome was right; he just needed to practice. She and him would figure out a strategy to get Undine to form a contract with him. Though if any of the theories as to why she was so bitter were true, Sam couldn't shake a slight feeling of pity and remorse for her; he would try his hardest to carry Gnome's infectious spirit into her.

Sam then turned his attention to Sasha as she commented on how close they were; well, distance makes the heart grow fonder, as they say. And with the unpleasant conditions surrounding their separation, they certainly seemed to grow very fond of each other. "I already do, Sasha; don't forget you gave Mist and Flo along with my children a stable place to call home. You weren't exactly slacking in the thankfulness department. Just know that if anything like the Minotaurus threatens you again, any of you, I'll come back". But with that, the poor man leaned back, feeling exhaustion creep up on him once more. "But for now, I think I need to rest". He then said to both Gnome and Sasha, if they were willing, "But I wouldn't mind some pleasant company....."

*seven Deseusan days later*

Sam's acquired durability and healing power quickly paid off; the rather extensive bruising from his and Sasha's long mating session had all but disappeared, leaving only minor aches behind. Certainly not enough to keep him in bed, but just enough to make him not press himself too much. He'd recovered fully in three days, and spent the other four being with his family, playing with Terra, and training, as well as spending 'quality time' with Gnome to help increase both their respective energies. Before long it was time for him to leave; after visiting his family one last time and hugging and kissing his daughters and lovers goodbye, doing the same to Sasha and wishing her the best in her endeavors as leader and future mother, before setting off to find Undine.

As they traveled over the next few days, Sam would get lessons from Gnome about the finer aspects of Earth control. While he was certainly no master of it yet, his ability grew significantly from what it had been: He could now at least repair the ground he used to practice his technique on, as well as utilize the Earth Javelin and Spike Wall attacks more efficiently. Sam's travels would take him back to a beach; not the same beach where he emerged to find Gnome again, but another one. He saw something off in the distance; it looked like a figure, hunched over something. As he carefully approached, he saw what it was that the figure was hunched over: an unconscious mermaid, not a Sea Bishop, just a regular mermaid.

The figure, a he apparently, possessed grey leathery skin, his canines seemed filed to points like fangs, and his clothes were tattered and ripped. The sand under the mermaid's neck was stained red, as was the man's mouth; this bastard was feeding off her! "Hey!" Sam called out, feeling a bit pissed; the leathery-skinned looked up, his eyes red as rubies, to see Sam approach him and smiled devilishly. "Ah, good, I just finished eating! Now I can test it!" The psychotic bastard then seemed to disappear; Sam then felt a knee in his back, forcing him to cry out in pain before a fist landed in his gut and sent him bouncing back across the sands. "Hahaha, you weak little bitch!" the man called out as Sam tried to get up; this guy was strong. And fast, too. Sam eventually get to his feet, feeling a bit put-off by this guy's speed. He wasn't expecting him to attack so suddenly; strangely enough, the man then bolted, dashing into the forest that bordered the beach.

"What the hell was that about?" Sam asked himself; he then turned his attention back to the mermaid, who still lay unconscious with blood leaking from her neck. He went over and knelt down next to her; she was in bad shape. Her skin was paling from the blood loss; he wanted to help her, but didn't have any idea how.
 
Gnome appeared beside Sam in a momentary flash, kneeling down and looking over the distinct puncture wounds on the mermaid's throat, "He was drinking the mermaid's blood... The fool doesn't know what he is getting himself into, now does he?"

She seemed to be talking to herself as she held her hand over the mermaid's head and a dim green glow issued from her palm, which she slowly pressed down onto her neck. The blood stopped flowing after a short while, but Gnome still had a look of concern on her face. She gently eased the injured mermaid closer to the water and bent over to splash some water over her lower body, trying to keep her from drying out.

"Drinking a mermaid's blood can grant amazing powers, but if it is taken without her consent, those that drink it will suffer a terrible curse," Gnome answered his unvoiced question, "As long as we keep her body wet she should be fine, but..."

Her voice trailed off as she considered just what sort of man would do such a thing. Anyone who knew the secret of the mermaid's blood doubtless knew the risks. It lit a fire of anger inside her to see someone harm an innocent, harmless mermaid for his own selfish purposes. As her anger flared, so did her thick green aura, which surrounded her and reached up nearly twice her height. During their stay in the Lamia village, Gnome had stored up a vast amount of energy, and at times such as this she found herself unable to contain it all.
 
Sam was indeed confused by Gnome's statement; what she mean the man didn't know what he's getting himself into? He was stupefied for a moment, trying to consider her rhetorical question as she tended to the mermaid's injuries; he then looked and saw Gnome's expression. A mix of concern for the victim and outrage at what happened to her. Sam saw how she healed the mermaid's wounds, the energy flowing from her hand into the skin, rejuvenating the cells to accelerate the healing process.

When she stated the answer to the question he was about to ask, he was more concerned about what exactly this curse was. Before he could ask though, he saw Gnome's energy flare up; she was pissed. And she had every right to be; Sam was pissed too, but at the fact that he wasn't there to stop him from feeding. Still, getting mad now wouldn't help anyone; he laid a hand gently on Gnome's shoulder. "Gnome, I know you're mad and believe me, I feel the same way. But right now, we need to focus on making sure she recovers." He then gave her a confident smile, a change from his previously self-doubting mentality, "Don't worry, though; we'll find him, and he'll answer for his crimes. One way or another."

Sam then gingerly picked up the mermaid, cradling her body in his strong arms as he walked into the surf; he soon disappeared beneath the waves, his mind focusing on first anchoring himself to the ocean floor. His body modifications made the transition from earth to water absolutely seamless, allowing him to stay down here with her so that she didn't drift to potentially become someone else's food; after he anchored himself to the bottom, he diverted some of his energy into the mermaid, keeping the flow slow and steady to help restore her. Not a lot, but hopefully enough to at least make sure she was alright. His Bishop husband robes swayed in the current, his gentle golden hues never leaving the mermaid, praying that they weren't too late.
 
Gnome nodded and her aura slowly faded back into her body. She knew that Sam felt the same way as she did, as it was the exception when they did not feel the same way, but even so she couldn't help but feel somewhat helpless, given how fast that person had become after consuming most of the poor mermaid's life. As a monster, she would go through a lot and still survive, but even so it seemed like a horrible, vile thing to do to a creature which posed no threat to anyone. Gnome held her peace and calmly kept a lookout just in case the man returned or something else was waiting to take advantage of her weakened state.

The cold, soothing waters washed across her body, slowly breathing a hint of life back into her pale form. The mermaid's eyes slowly opened and upon seeing Sam's face looming over her, her initial reaction was one of panic. His firm grasp, however, held her in place as she weakly squirmed in his grasp. Gnome hurried over to his side and stroked her hair, trying to calm her down.

"P-please, don't kill me..." the mermaid whimpered softly, knowing that she had no way of fighting back against them.

"Its ok, we are friends... We are not trying to hurt you," Gnome whispered softly, "Please stay still and focus on recovering."

Upon hearing the elemental's voice the mermaid calmed herself and looked up at Sam with wonder, realizing that he wasn't the same man who had fed off her blood just a short while ago.
 
Sam saw the mermaid slowly awaken, feeling a rather intense sensation of relief wash over him. He would gladly admit he was worried; even if he didn't know the true nature of every mermaid, Vivian and her friends showed him that they were more often than not gentle creatures. He tried to keep his grip on her firm but not over-imposing; it would be counter-productive to have her fear him when he was trying to help her out. Just like that, Gnome appeared beside him, aiding his endeavor to make sure she didn't get herself too worked up. Sam smiled at this; he could always count on Gnome to help him out.

"That's right; you're safe now. Just lie still and conserve your energy" Sam uttered gently to the poor mermaid, continuing to feed her his own energy. One thing he was able to deduce was that energy could be transferred from one being to another, provided they were either monster girls themselves or somehow influenced by them. He found that his own energy reserves were -in his opinion - quite sizable, more than any 'untainted' human could possibly hope to match.

Sam took a deep breath as he stayed beneath the waves, holding the mermaid as gently as possible; the current from the surf rocked him gently, the sunlight above refracting through the surface to give it a diamond-like glint as the rays washed over them. The water was cold indeed; however, where he once found it uncomfortable, it was like a second home to him. He looked into the mermaid's eyes, smiling softly to help present an image of non-hostility. He would give her as much energy as she needed; it was the least he could do since he wasn't able to stop her from being hurt.
 
Upon seeing that he had no intention of harming her, the mermaid let Sam hold her as he poured his energy into her body, the soothing sensation relaxing her body and allowing her to recover much faster than normal. After some time, her body began to regain a healthy color she smiled up at Sam and turned her head to the side to kiss his shoulder. Once her life was no longer in danger, she seemed quite eager to please him, or in some way thank him for his kindness, much to Gnome's consternation.

"I'm feeling much better now. I think I should be fine now," she shifted her position in his arms and pressed herself against him slightly, "You saved me... How could I possibly thank you enough?"

"Ahem," Gnome cleared her throat as she stood beside them, clearly a bit jealous, "How exactly did that man capture you? He didn't seem to have a net or anything like that with him."

"I'm... not quite sure myself," the mermaid sighed, nestling her head in the crook of Sam's neck, "I was singing on the beach as I often do, since it sounds so much more pretty in the air as opposed to the sea... Then, I suddenly felt myself being pushed down with great force and the next thing I remember is waking up here with you looming over me."

Gnome couldn't help but sigh. Well, of course a man like that would attack a mermaid while she was on the shore. Mermaids were known to sing along the coast since there were much better acoustics, and in the time when human colonists were still populating the planet in rather large numbers, unmarried mermaids would often line up in large numbers in order to attract humans to hear their songs and perhaps pick one out that he liked from among them. Being subjects of Poseidon, however, they never developed the tendency to attack or forcibly take human males for their mates.
 
Sam was glad she was recovering so well; soon, her draw of energy from him soon dwindled to zero, having restored her to near peak condition. Sam couldn't help but flush as she kissed his shoulder in gratitude; he was just to have helped was all. Before he could even have a chance to answer her question, Gnome interjected with one of her own, causing Sam to turn to look at her. He could see it plain as day: she was jealous. Did she really think he was going to do anything with her after going through such a traumatic experience?

But, Gnome's question did have some relevance; her answer, however, intrigued him the most. He'd heard of mermaids only in name and generally accepted physical depiction, but not much in the way of the legends and stories behind them. She was singing on the beach when that beast of a man attacked her? Now that he had a problem with; he was already scum in Sam's eyes for assaulting her and draining her blood. But doing it when she was merely trying to enjoy herself? Now he was going to get it twice as bad; one principle he lived was a man should NEVER strike a woman unless she struck you first, and even then he himself would have serious reservations about doing it.

"So, you sing, do you? Mind if I hear a sample?" he then asked; what little he heard of mermaids was indeed that they had a strange attraction to singing. He'd read tales about how they would lure sailors to their deaths. So, to say he was curious was understatement; he'd heard some brilliant singers in his life, but he was curious to hear what she sounded like.
 
Gnome sighed, realizing that singing wasn't exactly one of the skills she possessed. In fact, Dryad had tried to give her lessons on numerous occasions, but she never really caught on. Her small frame just couldn't put enough power into her soft voice, making her sound as if she were mumbling when she tried to sing. For the time being, she merely let things stand as they were... Sam wouldn't be lured in by one little song, after all, and she would be lying if she claimed that she wasn't somewhat curious about the mermaid's song herself.

"Hmm... I suppose it would be alright," the mermaid nodded, a bit confused at his request, "Even though I don't usually sing for anyone in particular, but if that is what you would like me to do I have no objection. This is a song a human taught me, long ago... I hope you like it."

She opened her mouth, the waves and the currents around her suddenly lighting up with thousands of tiny glistening orbs of light which twinkled and pulsed, making elegant sounds and tones in time with her smooth, flowing voice. With each passing line, Gnome couldn't help but feel somewhat swept away by the sound of the elegant music.
 
Sam in turn was confused and, in truth a bit put-off, by her momentary reluctance to sing; it wasn't like he was asking her to fuck him or anything. Oh wait, here that was a good thing.....It wasn't like he was forcing her to sing; he just wanted to hear her voice. Perhaps he was taking it the wrong way, but her tone and choice of words made her come across as a tad condescending, as if he should be privileged to hear her voice. His arms crossed and his golden hues narrowed for a brief span in minor annoyance; though she agreed to sing for him, he still felt like she was being a bit of a bitch.

Though, those feelings were instantly forgotten as she begin her melody; he was taken aback by the sudden burst of glowing chime orbs around them, but even in time those were forgotten as well. Her voice was like fine silk, each lyric, syllable and stanza a masterpiece in and of itself. To say he was impressed wouldn't do it any form of justice; no singer he'd ever heard back on Earth could even hold a candle to this woman. The words themselves blended together beautifully, the mermaid expressing her mastery of all things vocal. When she finished, Sam had to admit he felt himself a bit teary at the beauty of her composure.

And when she finished, the man clapped, clearly showing his appreciation for her performance. "To say that was beautiful would be depriving it criminally of the praise it truly deserves......Vocal expressions can't say enough just how absolutely superb that was. I admit myself stupefied, astounded.....Oh, here I go, rambling like an idiot..." He then managed to regain his composure before adding, "You asked how you could thank me for saving you........I think that masterpiece of yours will suffice. To hear something like that even once in my life is more than I probably deserve, but that truly was excellent."
 
Gnome's cheeks puffed out in mild annoyance upon hearing Sam praise the mermaid's voice so enthusiastically, but otherwise made no reply. She was quite amazed at her voice and song as well, but she found it hard to openly acknowledge her skill. The mermaid seemed to pick up on this and smiled at Sam, albeit while keeping a careful watch on the earth spirit. She didn't want to piss off a powerful being such as Gnome... Her voice might be powerful, but her body most certainly was not.

"Oh, you praise me much too highly, my kind human savior," the mermaid waved her hand in front of her face as if to brush away his heavy praise, "I would gladly sing for you again sometime, but if I did so now I'm afraid your little lover might just explode with envy."

Gnome stepped over to Sam's side and clung to his robe, rubbing her cheek against him as she looked over at the mermaid. However harmless the mermaid might have been, she was certainly confident in her own voice and the power that she wielded through it to influence others. Perhaps she was one of many of the mermaids along the coast who were still holding out a strand of hope that they might attract a loving husband. Unfortunately for this one, however, she had attracted some sort of deviant instead.

"Please do not worry too much about finding that man," the mermaid swam back and forth a bit, making sure that her body was able enough to move as before, "By drinking my blood, he has sealed his own fate... a fate worse than death itself. That alone is more of a punishment than I think either of you could deal out to him, so please do not trouble yourselves unnecessarily on my account."
 
Sam flushed a bit at her praise of him; oh if only she knew the truth. "Oh, it was nothing" he then said; while being truthful it was at the same time misleading. In truth, the man succeeded in pummeling Sam fairly hard before running off; still the man's words rung in his head........."Now I get to test it!" Did mermaid's blood give a man inhuman power? His thoughts were momentarily disrupted when he felt something press against him; it was Gnome. He mentally sighed; he didn't praise her to try and get her all worked up for a quickie or anything. He just never heard something so beautiful and felt that it only deserved the highest praise imaginable.

But the mermaid's next words snapped him out of his little daydream; fate, curse. Both she and Gnome had said relatively the same thing: By forcefully taking a mermaid's blood, he was cursed. And for her to tell them not to seek this man out, it must be some curse that he took on. Who in their right mind would do such a thing? Part of him didn't really want to hear the details, but his mind was one of extreme curiosity, so the next question was inevitable. "What do you mean he sealed his own fate? What exactly is the curse for taking a mermaid's blood against her will?"
 
"The benefits are the same, granting eternal life and a great increase in physical abilities," the mermaid replied softly, but her words carried deep weight, "However, just as his lips touched my blood, the curse took hold of his soul and rent all sense of enjoyment out of his body. He could eat all of the most delicious food in the world, but taste nothing. He could listen to the most wonderful music in the entire universe, but not be moved. But, most terrible of all..."

Her eyes flashed for a moment and she pointed down at Sam's crotch, "He cannot get a hard-on, no matter what he does! His body has become cut off from the world as we know it, incapable of experiencing pleasure of any kind. The more he seeks relief from his craving desires, the more he will realize how vain and fruitless his attempts are. What man would ever want such a fate, to be able to live forever cut off from the embrace of a woman? Its almost tragic to simply think of it..."

"That's what you were so worked up about?" Gnome's eyebrow twitched, "He might not care about any of that, you know."

"What do you mean?" the mermaid blinked, "Isn't your master all like, I'm going to eat you, every night? Every touch between you surging forward with delight toward that delightful peak of-'"

"Alright, that's enough of that for now..." Gnome interrupted her, her cheeks flushing a dark red color.
 
Sam swore he felt shivers run up his spine as she explained the details of the curse; did she have to speak in such a heavy-emphasis tone? His eyes widened as she revealed the nitty-gritty of the curse: He got to live forever, but couldn't ever experience pleasure and enjoyment of things again? Maybe he was a bit closed-minded in thinking this, but living without the ability to experience pleasure from anything was indeed a fate worse than death. People had to experience joy in something, else they would go mad. They had to; even if it was not taking pleasure from anything it was a form of joy. To take that away.......The mermaid's curse was a cruel one indeed.

Though her next comment would floor him: her blatant pointing at his crotch and telling how he would be forever cut off from the embrace of a woman made him flush furiously. Though he had to agree with Gnome; perhaps he got no joy from sex at all. Maybe his motive for taking her blood by force was something completely non-related to sex in general, but in any case, whatever his goal was would be met with ultimate failure. If he couldn't enjoy the results of his labor, then in reality, there was no point in doing it in the first place. But, what got to him next was her comments about his and Gnome's relationship, which Gnome thankfully cut off.

He then gave a small polite cough, "Well, thank you for that....revealing....exposition". He then paused, unsure of what to say next; the gentle currents and waves were the only things moving around them. He then rubbed the back of his head, finally saying, "Well, this was fun and all, but Gnome and I have somewhere we need to be.....So, see you around, I guess" Of course, he didn't know if she was expecting anything more from him; her earlier actions of rubbing against him made him think she wanted something else, but that could have just been the gratitude talking.
 
"Take care, you two," the mermaid gave him a slightly playful wink, "May the blessings of the sea go with you, wherever your travels may take you."

Gnome glanced back at her as they turned to leave, wondering why she felt that this would not be the last time they would have an encounter of this sort. Granted, she had no idea where their journey would take them next, but she was looking forward to whatever adventures they might have along the way... Especially if it meant dealing with that brute of a man who was most likely still ignorant of the full extent of his own curse. She did feel a measure of pity for him, but what confused her more than anything else is what could have possibly driven him to commit such an act. What did he need such power for? Granted, mermaid blood did grant quite potent powers, but even his speed and strength paled in comparison to Sylph's speed, Undie's form, Ignus's raw firepower, and her own strength and defenses. Sam's power with the four of them by his side, assuming he could perfect all of their unions, would make him a powerful adversary indeed.
 
Waving good-bye as the mermaid swam off gracefully, Sam turned to leave the embrace of the wide ocean with Gnome; his robes remained dry and non-clinging, but the exposed portions of his skin dripped with condensation and his hair was matted. Sam, as expected, had the same questions Gnome did: Why would someone sacrifice the ability to feel pleasure and joy of anything for increased power? Either the man felt like nothing was worth anything to him anymore, or he was truly ignorant of the curse and its effects on him. He also wondered why the man desired this power; what could his goal possibly be?

Sam wondered if this man was also after the Succubus; of course, he wasn't cognizant of the power difference between those who drank the blood of a mermaid and those who contracted an elemental. And how could he be; it wasn't like he was an encyclopedia of this planet. Sam learned many things over the course of his residence on this planet, but there was still much more to discover, some he was aware of and others he had no clue of them even existing. "Another mystery to the pile, eh, Gnome?" he said with a light chuckle. The sun continued to beat on them as they walked; Sam took it upon himself to train by summoning some of the sand around them and creating a parasol-like canopy over the both of them to shield them from the intense rays. He remembered when he couldn't even lift a pebble, now here he was lifting sand. Of course, his fine power control needed some work still, but he was improving.

His travels would eventually take him to another large grasslands area; he paused for a moment, taking in the serenity of the scene. Green as far as the eye could see, a backdrop of blue with touches of puffed white dotting it. He took in a deep breath, letting the smell of fresh grass assault his olfactory nerves. Sam was feeling a bit exhausted; he'd been walking almost non-stop and needed a place to just rest for a bit. He soon found an embedded rock formation and sat down with his back on it. It was a bit uncomfortable, though; he sat up and turned to face it, using his powers to make the surface a bit flatter and smoother. Testing it again, he let out a sigh of contentment; he realized that he probably shouldn't be so relaxed, but if he pushed himself too hard, he was liable to screw up. Sometimes it was just better to take things slow, let your mind sort through the frenzy of thoughts in your mind.

Oddly enough, his thoughts drifted to the first monster woman he met here: Talbor the Third, granddaughter to one of the Centaur Tribe Elders. He wondered how she was doing; though he figured the odds of meeting her out here were very slim, he chuckled at how it would be all the funnier if he somehow ran into her out here.
 
Gnome was taking a nap inside of Sam while in spirit form at the time, so she didn't notice the gentle stirring in the ground beside Sam as something thick and red began to flow up. The thick, jelly-like substance formed into the familiar shape of Ruby, the slime which he had met soon after his arrival on the planet. It had been quite some time since they last met, and she smiled down at her former lover and the father of her child, Rose. She slowly reached toward Sam and poked him in the cheek, trying to be careful not to get any of herself on his beautiful robes lest she dissolve them.

"Its been a while, Sam," she spoke softly, "For a moment there I hardly even recognized you... You have changed so much."
 
It was a while that Sam sat there, his eyes closed as he tried to relax and gather his thoughts. The sun was at just the right angle where the warmth washed over him, but it wasn't an unbearable intensity. He too didn't notice the approaching figure; however, the poke in the cheek roused him partially from his little nap. The slight tingling as Ruby's finger left him served to wake him more, but her voice jolted him awake. His head turned to the left to see none other than his gelatinous lover Ruby.

"R..Ruby?" Sam said, blinking and rubbing his eyes in disbelief; was it really her? A few moments passed and he realized it was her. "Wow, it certainly has been a while.......You're looking even more vibrant than when I last saw you" he added; it was the truth. Her red coloration seemed.....brighter, more pronounced. He then paused and asked, "Hey, where's Rose?"
 
"Thank you. She's doing well. She's sleeping right now..." Ruby brought her right hand up and brushed her bangs back away from her face in a shy manner, "Its pretty normal... She's almost old enough to... Start needing a partner of her own."

The slime was just as awkward and short with her sentences as ever, the occasional pauses breaking her words up into short collections of questions and statements. Her renewed vigor was likely due to the lingering effects of her last good feeding from Sam, as slimes could easily last years between meals if they were not too active.

She smiled back at Sam again, her eyes glistening in the light as the sun shone through her translucent body, "How about you? Are you doing well? You seem... A lot stronger than before. Its like you are a different person. At the same time, you have not changed at all."

Just then, Gnome appeared beside Sam and looked up at the significantly taller female before her. She knew who she was from Sam's memories, but it still baffled her that the red slime possessed enough self-restraint to talk so naturally with Sam without even hinting at wanting to feed off him. Gnome figured Ruby had quite a lot of willpower, but even so it was hard for monster girls, slimes in particular, who had to consume semen in order to live.
 
Sam chuckled; she hadn't really changed much personality-wise since he met her. Still, it was nice to see that she was doing well. "That's good to hear, that you're both doing so well" he replied; he flashed back to when Rose first fissioned from her mother. He was so surprised when it happened; now, he was glad to have been able to bring a new life into the world. One which he became responsible for, apparently. Still, it was those like Ruby and Rose that would give him the strength to continue; he had to.

Her remarks on him being stronger brought a smile to his face; he then said, "Well, I will say I'm definitely doing better. Though whether or not it's well, remains to be seen. I've been given the glorious task of facing down the Pharaoh" He waved his hands in a quasi-dramatic manner upon telling Ruby of the task that had been laid before him. He then settled and added, "But first, I need to go find the Water Elemental Undine, as I need her power to accomplish the aforementioned task. And from what I hear, she's not exactly the most welcoming of individuals"
 
She seemed greatly impressed when he claimed that he would be confronting the Pharaoh herself, as although she was a relatively young red slime, she still had heard of her might even if she had never even encountered a single one of her minions. Surely, someone who had such a grand title as the Pharaoh must be quite powerful. What he said next, however, captured even more of her interest.

"Undie, hm?" Ruby repeated, "I have heard of her. In fact, she is famous among us slimes. You might say she is... a more pure form of slime. She is certainly the most powerful. Her body is much more liquid than ours. She can mold her body in much the same way... She can manipulate and blend into any body of water... but her actual body is fixed in size. I've never actually had the pleasure of meeting her. I can't speak to her personality... But I can imagine she's quite proud of her reputation."
 
"I see" Sam replied as Ruby gave an exposition of Undine's characteristics; his heart fell when she told him she could blend into any body of water. He silently prayed that the Cleansing Embrace wasn't near a lake or even worse, the ocean. If she was going to be difficult to contract in a spring, it would be a game-over scenario if she had something as massive as the ocean behind her.

He really had no idea of what else to say next; he never expected to meet Ruby again so soon. Well, soon in his eyes, anyway. But he figured he would shift the topic of conversation to her, so he then asked, "So what have you and Rose been up to? Anything particularly exciting happen?"
 
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