Sweet Venom Arc 03 Ch. 12

"So if a corrupted czarite isn't having sex..." Oxyi's words trailed off. "God. She looks absolutely awful sometimes too! I thought it was just because she was missing Diego. I bumped into her one night, when I was going to the bathroom and her eyes were all puffy, her skin was all clammy and pale, and she had this look in her eyes... As I walked past her, she just stared at me with this sharp, hungry expression, before going into the kitchen."

"I'm sure she is missing him. And Plasia." Geralt said, wiping his nose in his sleeve. "It's not just that, though. And it makes me feel awful, y'know, after what happened with N-Naomi, and that stupid dungeon and-and ev-everything else... But I feel sorry for her. She's clearly in pain."

Nobody said anything for a few long moments. They all sat around, deep in their own thoughts, before Trent spoke up again.

"Oxyi, you didn't know Diego, did you? Before he arrived to help you?"

"No, that was the first time I'd met him, why?"

"Because, well, he saved our asses, we can all agree with that. We wouldn't have been able to escape without him. But... we let a complete stranger bring along not one, but two of our captors."

"Plasia wasn't really -" Geralt started to protest gingerly, but Trent abruptly cut him off.

"Being around her still triggered the same feelings, Geralt!" He cried out, suddenly. He balled his fists and his eyes narrowed. "Her eyes, her smell, her body! All he told us was to trust him, and that they were coming with us. And we just let it happen!"

"Seeth hasn't hurt us, Trent." Tivy said, her voice trembling with worry. "She's clearly suffering, and not once has she asked any of us to help with that! She sits in her room, alone!"

"Just her being here is enough, Tiv! Don't you guys get it?!" Trent shook his hand out of hers and stood up, running his hand through his hair. "Everytime I see her, I'm reminded of what I could be having, the sex, a-and Moltezz, and... oh fucking hell!" He put his face in his hands and his shoulders started to shake.

"Trent, it's okay." Geralt said quietly. "I... feel the same sometimes."

Trent took a few slow, shaky breaths. "Yeah?" He asked through his fingers. Tivy stood on the chair and gently reached up for them, and squeezed his hands tight.

"The truth is... despite everything... if Seeth came home, right now, and asked me to have sex with her, I'd do it in a heartbeat."

Trent stood still in the middle of the room, still covering his face in his hands. But Geralt's words seemed to trigger some sort of release in him, and his shoulders relaxed.

"I think we all would." He whispered.

Oxyi dropped her gaze to the floor and moved away from Geralt. Now that she'd finally said it out loud, she couldn't get that moment out with Seeth out of her head. That look of deep, desperate desire in her eyes...

And in that moment she knew that, despite everything she'd been told, despite what her friends and family had been turned into, despite the very real, and very serious consequences... if Seeth, one night, were to ask her...

She wasn't sure she'd still be here in the morning.

*

I have never put so much thought into eggs in my entire god-damn life.

Diego weighed up the two pastel-coloured boxes in his hands, shopping basket slung around his shoulder. One box held smaller, speckled eggs with a slight golden hue to their shells. The other had larger, with a gentle colourful twist to its earthy colour palette. Their flavours were similar but the larger ones tended to have a more distinct aftertaste, which could be carefully manipulated with a blend of herbs to bring a rich warmth to the palate of the taster.

Fuck it, lets go with the big boys.

With a gentle sigh, he placed the box in the basket and shuffled deeper into the shop. It was the third time this week Karen had sent him out for groceries, but despite the hour's walk each way into town, he couldn't complain. He loved being out of that house; that illusion of freedom, however brief, was one of the few things keeping him sane.

Not that Regalia Gardens was a particularly large town. Most of the shops were situated in what was called a 'Neo-village,' a term used to describe the hyper modern architecture that the Draconic Alliance favoured but on a smaller, village-like scale. Seeing the iceberg blue glass structures of shimmering silver in their small, quaint fashion had an odd charm to it. Usually, this type of design was reserved for monolithic mega-cities and towering skyscrapers that punched into the horizon, but this shop was a mere two story building, situated a comfortable distance away from its neighbours in the village's centre. Each building had an oddly crystal look, as if each building was a jewel in a crown.

The shop was quiet; it always was. Diego could hear the soft giggle of the clerk behind him as she flicked through her phone, complimenting the soft trickle of the various water features that lined every wall. His ears twitched in anticipation as he headed further towards the back of the shop, where prying eyes might find it difficult to see.

The collar around his neck bleeped once, quietly.

He's here.

Several aisles behind him, a metal door that read 'staff only' clicked open. A cautious set of footsteps padded towards him against the ceramic tiles, meandering around at first, not to draw attention.

Diego waited at the back of the shop, looking over the shelves of glass casually until finally, the figure approached.

He was draconic, dressed in a blue shirt and black trousers, hardly anything out of the ordinary. He had a pair of long whiskers protruding from his snout which bounced as he walked. His eyes were sharp, watching everything around him closely.

"Sorry I'm late." He whispered, his voice well-versed to speaking in silence. "Are you still interested?"

"Of course. Is the collar off?" Diego shuffled slightly away, plucking at more items for his basket.

"Yes. We're faking its signature so all looks good from your handlers perspective, but they won't hear a word until I depart."

"Sweet. So, what's the plan?" Diego swallowed quietly, tapping his claws against the shelves.

"Two weeks from today, our transport will pass through the area. It will jam your collar as it approaches so you won't need to worry about that, when is best to pick you up? Day or night?"

"Karen's a heavy sleeper, so night time is best."

"Can you make it to the road?"

"If the collar is being jammed, then yes."

"Then be ready at the roadside for 3:30am. The transport cannot loop around or wait, you understand? If you're not there at that time, you're not getting picked up."

"Understood. What about payment?"

"A man like you understands the debt of gratitude, all you owe us is your good favour. If you see any of my Solar Seraphim kin in need, aid them."

Diego felt a buzz of excitement rush through his body; this was really happening.

"You have my word."

"Then we will see you soon. Take care."

The figure didn't depart immediately; he continued to shop and casually mosy around the store.

Two weeks from today, Diego would be swept away on a transport ship and, if the Solar Seraphim were able to deliver, he would be released back into Nomad territory, firmly away from the DA border. He stifled his grin as best he could as he finished his shop and whisked the basket to the clerk with a definitive bounce back in his step.

"Hey, Diego!" She smiled warmly at him as he approached, her eyes quickly flickered up and down his body, before firmly landing at his eyes. "Do you want the usual along with that?"

"Hey! Yes please!"

She reached behind the counter and grabbed two thick, sweet treat bars.

"You know, you don't look like the type to enjoy fruit and nut, I figured you'd prefer something with a little more... body." She gestured towards his sabre fangs as she scanned his items through.

"Oh, they're not for me." Diego smiled back innocently, but his mind clearly elsewhere.

"That'll be seven fifty-five please, handsome." Her tail swished back and forth behind the counter as she held her hand out for him.

Diego popped the dies into her hand with a metallic jingle and stuffed the goods into his rucksack, ensuring they were safe and snug. He thanked her and quickly headed out the store, still struggling to contain his glee.

Finally there was an end in sight! He wasn't going to be here forever, working out a life sentence in the confines of the Draconic Alliance. The thought of being back with his girls, and the gang, and bringing an end to the corruption... It was all coming back to him, the thoughts that he'd not dared allow himself to think, feelings he'd not dared allow himself to feel. But now, his heart hummed for his two alien girls; every pulse was drawing him closer to them.

With every aching second that ticked by, he was that little bit closer.

The journey back to Karen's house was a pleasant one, an unmarked path across those beautiful emerald fields, surrounded by fresh, snow capped mountains and lush trees. He stopped for a few moments, leaning against a tree to pull his shoes and socks off, then stuffed them into his bag too.

His first step onto the wet grass was a little kiss of freedom on his feet.

He couldn't help himself, he broke into a run through the field, clinging onto the bag straps closely as the grass wet his feet, splashing dew over his calves. Tree after tree flew past him, the wind rushing through his hair, fresh air in his mouth. His heart thumped with a renewed strength in his chest, hot blood pumping through his muscles.

It was perfect.

Almost perfect.

The collar beeped quietly around his neck, its connection reestablished.

Ugh. Not quite free yet.

He slowed back down, as the field came to an end and connected with the road that led up to the mansion. He sighed loudly as the road crawled closer with each step, and eventually stopped again, to find a place to retrieve and put his shoes back on his feet.

I'm sure some part of me is going to miss the peace and quiet of this place.

Trudging down the road, the iron fence of the new neighbours began to appear on the horizon, surrounding their expansive plot with a black, spiked wall. He could see two figures working the grounds within, tending to the garden in an endless battle.

A sad, pained sigh escaped his lips.

Or maybe not.

Eventually, he drew close to the fence and the figures nervously looked around, ensuring they had a few minutes to spare before limping towards the fence.

They were an equine brother and sister, both with a chocolate brown coat and various white patches blotched across their body. They were both lean - leaner than they should have been - with the brother being the shorter and smaller of the pair.

Diego approached the fence and pulled the rucksack off his shoulders, grabbing the two bars he bought out of the bag and passing them through the fence to the two waiting figures, who clasped at the food eagerly, passing the wrapper back to Diego before eagerly stuffing it into their waiting mouths.

"T-Thank you, Diego! I-It's good to see you!"

"You're welcome, Katie. You both doing okay?" Diego's eyes landed on her brother, who had a significant welt on his face and some faint bruising across his neck and shoulders. "That doesn't look good, Darin..."

"I-It's fine." Darin replied sheepishly, rubbing his small hands across his neck. "A-As long as they're hitting me, they're not hitting Katie!"

Darin held up his skinny fists, boxing the air in front of him in a manner that suggested he'd never actually hit anyone before in his life.

Seeing his cuts and bruises made the anger in Diego swell in his chest like fire.

"B-But thank you again for the food! W-We should go, before we get caught." Katie nodded, giving Diego a warm, thankful smile before turning away from the fence, her shoulders visibly slumping as she guided her younger brother back into the grounds, supporting his slight limp the best she could.

Diego quickly padded away from the fence and continued back to Karen's mansion, accompanied by a deep pang of discomfort that jabbed at his chest and limbs repeatedly, cold and uncomfortable.

As the gates to Karen's estate rolled up, every emotion he'd felt over the last couple of hours merged and mixed uncomfortably in his stomach.

He'd be free soon, sure...

But they wouldn't.

His ears flicked suddenly; he could hear a third party in the house. A high-pitched cackle echoed through the grounds, like a little giggling demon was loose in the mansion.

His hands subconsciously curled, as if he were clasping at a handle or a hilt, but hearing Karen's voice continue the muffled conversation calmly at least confirmed it wasn't an intruder. His shoulders relaxed slightly.

Almost there, Diego. Just keep calm. This is nearly over.

He approached the mansion by its curling metal gates, taking the meticulously groomed path to the front door and removing his shoes before entering.

"Oh, it sounds like he's just come home, speaking of the little agelet!"

He didn't recognise the voice, but it was the same person that made that awful laugh from earlier.

Diego wiped his feet on the mat outside, then gently rounded the corner into Karen's impressive front room to see Karen and her visitor sitting on the seemingly endless L-shaped sofa within.

"Well well well! Just look at those fangs and ears! He's very exotic, isn't he? Goodness, you must have paid quite the sum for him! A coralith komodo... I don't think I've ever seen one alive before."

She was a taller dragoness than Karen, with a faint purple tint to her skin and a pair of beady eyes that seemed to perpetually stare you down, whether you were shorter than her or not. She was currently clad in a loud summery dress that had almost certainly come with an extreme price tag.

Karen quickly turned to face Diego and forced a smile.

"Diego! This is one of my favourite clients, Fairylin Thornscale. She's moved in just across the road from us with her wonderful husband, I'm sure you've seen their stunning grounds already!"

Despite the forced enthusiasm in her voice being rather convincing, Diego could quite clearly see the desperate 'help me!' expression in Karen's eyes.

"Pleased to meet you, Fairylin." Diego smiled back as best he could, but he was feeling a strong dislike for Karen's guest immediately.

"Ooh, well spoken, too! Quite the find, Karen! I see you look after him too, look at those muscles! Do you have sex with him?" She asked with a blatant disregard, still staring at Diego.

"F-Fairylin!" Karen spluttered, her face flushing bright red in embarrassment.

"Of course, a silly suggestion. My apologies. There is no way a pure breed like yourself would ever allow a creature of his blood make contact with you." Fairylin shook her head dismissively. "Must be something else. Still, for his kind, he is a bit of a looker. You must appreciate the eye-candy on the estate."

"I-I guess." Karen was struggling to maintain her professional persona; her eyes kept darting over to Diego who continued to stand at the door, flabbergasted.

"How much do you want for him?" Fairylin asked bluntly.

"He's not for sale, Fairylin." Karen laughed awkwardly. "You should put the shopping away, Diego. Then come sit with me for a bit, please."

"Why not? If you just want eye-candy, there are plenty of hunks you can buy out there, for a much cheaper price! Name a price - name a species! I'll get you whatever or whoever you want as a replacement."

"I'm afraid I'm not looking for a replacement right now, Fairylin. Diego fits into my routine very nicely and his skills are difficult to find, so I am quite pleased with my current arrangement." Karen spoke a little more firmly now, and shuffled forward on her sofa.

Fairylin flicked her fingers dismissively, but the disappointment was obvious on her face.

"If you say so."

Diego quickly ducked off to put the groceries away, but listened closely as they continued their conversation.

"So how's things otherwise, Fairylin?"

"Oh, simply marvellous! I'm so glad you recommended Regalia Four to us. I do adore the smell of freshly terraformed air, and the grounds around us are just so humble!"

"Indeed! And I'm so glad you built your estate so close to mine! All these thousands of acres of land around us for the taking and you chose to live right next to me. We can see one another from our bedroom balconies!"

Diego stifled a snort from in the kitchen as the sarcasm in Karen's voice slipped right under the radar.

"Of course! We can wave to one another with our morning coffee in hand! I just couldn't bear to be apart from my number one event planner! Are you still holding that party at the end of the month?"

"I am, should be quite the turn-out!"

Diego finished putting the food away and made his way back to the front room to join Karen, sitting close to her on the sofa. Fairylin immediately locked eyes with him, staring at him intensely. Diego refused to back down, and stared right back at her.

"He's got some fire in him, doesn't he?" Fairylin grinned in amusement. "You know, if my staff looked a guest in the eyes, I'd have them disciplined on the spot. Would you like me to administer some corrective punishment, Karen?"

"N-No. I would not. Diego doesn't need 'corrective punishment,' he is just... protective of me."

"Ohhh! I understand now! The physique and the species!" Fairylin cackled loudly. "He's your bodyguard! Goodness, you got quite the bargain there, with a bodyguard and a cook in one! Still, I had no idea you were so concerned with your personal safety."

"B-Bodyguard? Yes! Bodyguard. Let's roll with that."

"Well, Karen, I can say to your face that I'm quite disappointed with your lack of discipline and treatment of this..." She gestured dismissively towards Diego. "...man. But I don't suppose I hire you for your choice in men, bodyguards or house-keeping. You don't fuck him, you don't seem to hit him, I can't help but feel you've been ripped off for how expensive he was. But as long as he's kept in check, I can't say much more I suppose."

Diego couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the mention of his expense, but didn't say anything.

"Well, you know I've always appreciated your honesty, Fairylin." Karen forced another professional smile onto her lips, and her hands clasped together firmly on her lap.

"The truth should always be our top priority, as friends and colleagues." Fairylin smiled back. "And now, I can come see you every day! Oh, all the gossip I can share with you!"

"What joy! I'd appreciate the company. I might struggle to fit you in though! You know me, always working."

"Ever the productive little dragoness, aren't you?" Fairylin slowly stood and brushed herself down. "Well, I'd better get back to my estate. My husband will be home soon and he'll want some relaxation, his job is terribly stressful you see. My wifely duties have no end!"

"So nice to see you, Fairylin. Pop by whenever you like!"

The taller dragoness gathered her belongings and departed from the room from her host, continuing her lines of derogatory small talk aimed at Diego and other non-draconics in general. The slam of Karen's front door prompted a shared sigh of relief from both Karen and Diego.

"Oh, thank Chance. She's gone! UGH! WHY DID SHE HAVE TO MOVE RIGHT NEXT TO ME?!" Karen pressed her palm against her forehead tightly. "Diego! Can you make me something sweet and heavy? I need some sugar, now."