Nateaser: Reborn As My Love Interest

Ember - Chapter Fifty Seven

It was all too quiet.

Since we crossed that bridge the lizards seemed to give up on us. Maybe they realized I'm not someone to mess with? Still, I was bored. We spent most of our days traveling on those uncomfortable abominations that Bullhead called wagons, but they were closer to torture.

"Heeey, Captain, are we there yet?" I asked desperately. I could no longer feel my bottom, but the commander did not seem to enjoy it either.

"We are already in Cranta Proper if that counts!" He shouted much louder than I expected. He burst his eardrums, which might have been my fault, I had forgotten to warn them. Besides, they would have missed my cool monologue, if they covered their ears. I had no regrets. "So tell me, Ember. Did you crack that magic crystal yet? You had plenty of time."

"Uugh, but it's such a mean device," I complained. Trying to probe that thing was even more boring than this whole travel. "All it ever does, is trying to convince me to do things. It won't answer my questions or tell who made it, for what purpose."

"What does it want you to do then?" Gorgon asked, still louder than it would have been sensible. "And what if you did what it wants?"

"You pervert!" I yelled at him. "You would want me to do that?"

"Huh? What exactly?" After asking me to do that, he played the clueless, but then I remembered I didn't say what the crystal wanted me to do. I took a deep breath.

"It, umm, it tries to get me to, you know." I loved to tease people, but I lacked real experience with them, with that kind of stuff. It was hard for me to talk about it directly. "To make babies, a lot of them, and keep making them. And once I have enough babies for an army, take over the world, I guess. And I'm not going to do that."

"What?!" This time his shouting was well justified.

"It wants me to have, ss... To do that, okay?" I repeated, throwing the crimson crystal at the beastfolk commander. My cheeks burned hot. "It keeps telling me not to waste time, and lay lots of eggs."

"Eggs?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "You can't possibly do that, you idiot. Do you even have any idea how babies are made?"

"Sh-Shut up. I don't care about your perverted stuff." I threw a waterskin at him for good measure. I didn't need him to educate me about that kind of thing, neither was his mockery. "That's what it said."

"Well, I guess it was made for the lizardmen so that would explain it." Gorgon scratched his head. "It doesn't know that another species possesses it. Still, is it just something to urge you to make babies? Any aphrodisiac can do that, why waste time on an elaborate spell and an expensive magic stone for this?"

"It wasn't all," I noted, still blushing. "Also contains commands, instructions, and promises vague rewards in return, but most didn't make sense. Especially the one describing spells."

"Hmm, sounds like some sort of idol then." He concluded, pulling back on the reins. It was close to noon now. Since we weren't chased anymore, we'd rest every few hours so the raptors wouldn't get too exhausted. I could already see the wyverns ahead of us.

The scouts and hunters flew forward on their backs to report on the terrain, and to look for prey. Our pack animals ate more than the orcs, ogres, and all the goblins put together.

Now that we left those desolate highlands, they found much better prey. Our rations improved significantly. They roasted some wild game in the camp, so I was sure to get food today. The climate was much more pleasant here as well.

"We'll stop here for an hour. Post two guards at the front and the back, and one on each side." Bullhead gave the order once we reached them. Avalon halted his trusty raptor right next to us too. The commander stretched his back before turning to face him. "Anything to report?"