CHAPTER 117: ’THE REAL GIFT WAS IN TONIGHT’

As Mel plopped down at the bed, her eyes hazily stared at the Saintess; now draped in her usual nun uniform.

She then settled her right cheek on her naked thighs, facing outward, and purred under Maria’s petting.

The nightly star inside the Whale’s room was beautifully serene, just like Maria’s gentleness for today.

"Mm..." Mel held back a moan as Maria’s nail brushing against her ear. "Did you read through Samantha’s reports?"

"You seem to be in a hurry," Maria murmured, a slight grin adorning her motherly face. "Scared of how Lila’s panicking to wait for you."

"Well you did teleport me here all of a sudden." Mel grumbled, shifting awkwardly with Saintess tickling her ear.

"Don’t worry. I have my consideration." A chuckle, then she revealed.

"I have slowed the time inside this room with Pride’s Mastery of Space and Time. Every five hours passed here is a second passed outside."

With a shudder, a faint blush spread across Mel’s face, as she stared at the Saintess’s plushy skin beneath her.

A thought occured to her; if the time was slowed inside this room, was it possible to-

Her tongue danced inside, her thought slipping back into the depth of her mind with each lick of her teeth.

Then with closed eyes, she finally parted her lips before biting onto Maria’s thigh.

"Hehe. So eager as soon as I proposed." Maria patted Mel in-between her little bite. "Very well, listen as I talk."

A space was left out in Mel’s hazy mind as she whimpered, her frontal teeth nipping at the skin with litte strength, careful not to let out too much sound with her tongue.

"In about fifteen minutes outside," Maria’s palm smoothed over Mel’s hair. "I predict the Tortoise, or rather Embervale would be awaken."

Mel paused, yet her lust sweeping away her slight shock as she cupped Maria’s knee.

She continued leaving small marks on her thighs, wet squeltches echoing in her ears as she began to struggle which side she was nipping at.

"The Erdtree’s roots were the firmest, seeping deep into Embervale’s soil like a nerve system."

One more wet echo, and Mel’s tongue darted out, brushing against Maria’s thighs.

Her eyes almost fluttered open, hoping her tongue found the right red spots.

"Then..." Mel’s voice trailed off as she talked in-between the lickings. "The Cult now..."

"I know what you’re guessing, as there was more than one site for the Erdtree."

As Mel threatened to shift her head upward, Maria gently tugged her head back at her skin.

With a slight gulp, Mel resumed tracing Maria’s skin with her saliva.

"The Cult used those roots as limbs and brains to relay orders on an otherwise corpse."

Maria twirled a lock of Mel’s hair around her finger, a sad smile painting her face. "It appears once Nyrel resurrected the Tortoise as an Undead, the entire Embervale would become a moving fortress for the cult."

The urgency finally prompted Mel’s eyes to snap open, yet her cheeks burned at the sight of her bite marks seared into the skin beneath her.

"Ah... is that so..." A breath hitched inside Mel’s throat, her hand stroking against Saintess’s knee to calm her sanity.

"Relax."

The Saintess cupped Mel’s cheeks, before nudging her to face her.

Mel’s hand loosened on the knee as she stared into the golden eyes; lustful and hazy, just like her own.

"Just like this room, it was possible for an Exarch Ranked like me to stall the resurrection indefinitely."

The Saintess whispered, as her arm slipped into a crack in the space.

Then, she took a necklace from it; it was a black-stringed necklace decorated with reversed tooth, as a strange frost coated the tip at its end.

"This is a Drake Necklace from the North, one that can mimick any effect of an artifact in a lower rank, including the Mirage Collar at your neck."

Maria dragged a thumb along Mel’s clothed collarbone, pausing to flick the exposed jewel.

"Before Lila awakened, let her wear this necklace."

The Saintess’s lips paused; a silent admission of her selfishness.

In truth, she knew that Mel had similar artifacts in her Inventory, yet handing her this Drake Necklace would deny her attempt at gifting Lila.

More than that, Drake Necklace was better than the artifacts Mel had at hand, so Mel would find it difficult to refuse it.

Mel’s eyes glimmered, unspoken words caught between them; Maria’s soft face lay shadowed under the ceiling’s sharp stars.

Then with a mischievous smile, she arched her waist, lips parting once again.

Bite. She bit onto the tooth of the necklace, before slowly swaying her head to seize it in her mouth.

With a silent hum, Mel’s eyes curved at Maria’s shaken gaze; a pebble thrown into the calm river.

Yet the river had a mind of its own; the ripples stilled as Maria returned to her mischievous grin.

"You never cease to amaze me, Mel."

The Saintess took a deep breath, before holding the back of Mel’s neck.

"Hic!"

Her other hand felt up Mel’s thigh as the Witch yelped, dropping the necklace to the ground.

"I shall lend all of tomorrow for you and Lila."

The Saintess’s thumb carrassed the neck, as she gently slid her hand up at Mel’s thigh.

"But after tonight, we shall head back to this room."

With narrowing eyes, she admired the sight of Mel’s panting mess; her face flushed as she desperately locked gaze with hers.

"For now." As her hand stopped just below her skirt, right beneath where her bottom was emptied, Maria breathed out.

"I shall enjoy an appetiser."

And with a slight pull, she shifted the dazed Mel’s posture to straighten up, leaving her lap with a regretful moan.

Then, she leaned in, capturing Mel’s lips in a slow kiss.

Mel’s mouth joined with Maria’s in a slow manner, savoring each moment like unwrapping a ribbon from a present.

The real gift was in tonight; she could wait till then.

--------------

As Mel has gotten out of the bedroom, her face still a little flushed, nighttime has just arrived at the air deck.

Night barely peeked over the horizon, beyond the great wall encircling Embervale.

A determination flared up as Mel narrowed her gaze; the students’ voices around her grinding to a lull as she peeked towards Lila.

Her lover was now glancing at a certain direction; she knew not what she was looking at, yet she had a feeling it was the forest they were just placed at earlier.

"Mel."

Lila whispered, her hand capturing Mel’s in a wordless plea.

Her emerald eyes met Mel’s, pupils narrowing with a focus Mel couldn’t place.

Mel tilted her head, deciphering that her Lila was in a trance.

It was her murmur afterwards, however, that shook her a little.

"I’ve a request later. Can you listen to me afterwards?"