Asher's Futa Chronicles

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Looks like Remmi's got some unwanted attention, more than she realizes.

Fair warning, no smut in this one. There's almost smut, but things come to an abrupt, premature ending. But, smut next time.

Enjoy!

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Chapter 10

REMMI

"There she is!" Waylen said in a singsong voice.

My eyes rolled of their own accord upon hearing the voice. Luckily, I wasn't facing Waylen, so he didn't see my reaction. If I had seen him, I would have changed my appearance to someone else...anyone else to avoid...the bard.

To be fair, he had a smooth voice. The phrase "honied words" came to mind every time I heard him. I just wish the guy would take the hint.

"I told you, Waylen, I'm not interested!" I practically yelled, not turning as I made my way to the stairs of the common room.

I'd just spent two hours in the training yard. I was tired and dirty, and all I wanted to do was take a shower and sleep. The last thing I wanted to do was get into a verbal jousting match with a man who was in love with the sound of his own voice!

"I'm sorry," he began, having the decency to try and sound slightly abashed. "I didn't mean to imply--"

"What.Do.You.Want?" I asked testily as I made the mistake of turning to face him.

Waylen had come with the others on the airship, not emerging until the third day or so with the main contingent. Members of the Adventurer's Guild came in all races and occupations...including bards, apparently.

We hadn't had live entertainment here at The Roadhouse since we'd arrived. And as much as I enjoyed someone who could play an instrument, sing, and tell stories, I almost wished he had been a mime. And I HATE mimes!

Unfortunately, Waylen was talented. I mean, he would have had record contracts back home and sold-out stadiums on tour. Everyone was drawn to the man; he had charisma, and he wasn't bad-looking. There was just something about him that got on my nerves.

Sadly, he'd taken an interest...in me, and didn't understand that no meant no.

Asher hadn't stopped laughing at me since she found out about the man's infatuation with me. For once, I was the center of someone else's attention, and it tickled Asher to no end.

"He's harmless," Asher had said when I'd first complained about the man's tenaciousness.

"So's a fly, but we still make flyswatters," I'd growled back.

"Then smack him next time," Asher said.

"He'd probably like it," I mumbled, which just started Asher off on another fit of infuriating giggles. "You're my girlfriend! Go tell him off, stake your claim, or whatever it takes to make him go away!"

"The lady doth protest too much, methinks," Asher said with a grin.

I didn't say anything, just glared at her and left, the sound of her laughter following me.

Waylen held up his hands in defense as I focused my exhausted annoyance on him.

"Sir Sinjin said he wished to speak with you, that's all. Just delivering the message," Waylen said and took a step back.

"He's not a knight," I mumbled, trying to rein in my emotions. "Sorry, I'm just tired. Where is he?" I asked, offering him a rare apology.

"He's in the kitchen, I believe," Waylen said. Then, because the man didn't know when to shut up, he added, "When you're through, I'd love to treat you to a relaxing meal...or a drink...or..." The idiot just let the sentence hang.

I gave him a flat stare.

"If those are your bedroom eyes, you need to work on them," I muttered and turned towards the kitchen.

"Bedroom...eyes?" Waylen asked in confusion.

I didn't bother turning back around, afraid of what he'd make of my comment. No matter what I said, he always, somehow, twisted it around into a proposition.

"Well--" was as far as he got before I escaped into the kitchen.

Sinjin only wanted to talk for a few minutes, but I found things to do and help with, as every time I looked back into the main room, I saw Waylen was there, lying in wait.

After an hour, I had run out of things to help with, and the new kitchen staff was sick of my loitering. Before they could tie me up and throw me outside, I ventured back into the main room...and straight into the jaws of the beast.

"So...about that drink," Waylen said as if we were still in the conversation from an hour ago.

I simply held my hand up in an expression that, back home, anyone would have understood as "leave me alone." But apparently, they didn't have that expression. Plus, Waylen was utterly clueless.

He followed me all the way up the stairs, chattering away at me about nothing. It wasn't until I reached my bedroom door that I spun on him.

Apparently, my expression cut through whatever had kept him yammering, and he took two steps back. The expression of terror on his face lasted but a moment--a moment I used to escape into my room and bolt the door.

My shower was blissfully therapeutic. By the end, I was still mentally tired, but my body felt recharged. There was even a spring in my step when I reentered my bedroom.

"Magnificent..." Waylen muttered in awe of my naked form. He was also nude and wrapped up suggestively in the covers of my bed!

"How the fuck did you--" I started, but my mind caught up to the reality of the situation.

I crossed the room in two strides and grabbed one of my knives from where it was sheathed on my belt by the door.

"Hey now--" Waylen began, but never got a chance to finish his sentence as my knife sprouted from his eye socket.

I guess I had my answer as to whether I could fight naked or not.

"You killed him?!?" the unknown voice returned, his tone now one of shock.

I grabbed my second knife and turned to face the intruder. I'd felt his presence and heard his voice in the other memories, but I hadn't seen him before now.

A skeleton stood before me wearing a bathrobe and fuzzy slippers. Somehow, he had a shocked expression on his face.

I took a threatening step towards him and raised my...dandelion? I stared at the plant in my hand that, only moments before, had been my blade.

"Won't you have a seat?" the skeleton said.

And then I was sitting in a recliner that was rocking softly. The room had changed as well. It was still Asher and my bedroom, but the bed was gone. There was a fireplace, and two chairs that the skeleton and I occupied.

"Where is she?" I demanded.

Before I could rise from my chair, the skeleton spoke again.

"She's fine. Asher and I are having a different conversation," the skeleton said, his jaw moving up and down as he spoke.

I automatically relaxed as I inexplicably knew he was telling the truth.

"Of course I'm telling the truth," the skeleton--

"Tim, call me Tim," he said, somehow interrupting my thought.

I stared at...Tim, my brain felt like it was cramping.

"It'll pass, just give it time," Tim said.

"You can read my mind?" I asked, incredulous.

"Naturally. Now, please answer my question," Tim said. When I stared at him blankly, he continued. "Why'd you murder that man?"

"He wasn't real," I said and shifted in the chair. "And can I please have my clothes back?" It took until then for me to realize I was still naked. Then I saw my dresser and went to retrieve clothes.

"That really doesn't answer--"

"There was no way he could have entered our room," I said as I pulled on my normal day clothes. "It's magically sealed."

"He entered the family wing with you, bypassing that seal. Couldn't someone have let him in? Asher perhaps?" Tim offered.

"No," I said automatically. But the more I thought about it, the more uncomfortable I became. "Asher wouldn't do that to me," I said finally.

"That's what you thought about the chest, too, wasn't it?" Tim asked.

"Why are you a skeleton named Tim?" I asked, dodging the question and trying to take some semblance of control here.

"Oh, I plucked the idea from Asher's head," Tim said. "I figured I should adopt it so the two of you don't get confused. It's a play on Temple Master."

"You're the Temple Master?" I asked in shock.

"I am, but in what way is that shocking?" Tim asked.

"It's just..." I sputtered. "I wasn't expecting..." I held out my hand and motioned at Tim. "That. You," I finished lamely.

"What were you expecting?" Tim asked.

"I don't know," I exclaimed. "A short, bald guy in red robes?"

"Interesting," Tim said. "Just out of curiosity, what is it you do see?"

"What?" I asked.

"What do I look like to you? It's different for everybody," Tim said.

"A skeleton?" I said cautiously. "In a...bathrobe?"

"Ah, well, at least I got the robe you expected," Tim said.

"Not exactly what I had in mind, but true...after a fashion, I guess," I said.

"Am I a scary or funny-looking skeleton?" Tim asked, leaning forward, apparently eager for my answer.

"Just...a skeleton. You know, like in a classroom," I said, frowning.

"Not a funny boneman, then?" Tim asked.

"A what?" I asked.

"Never mind that. You have a very powerful mind," Tim said.

"Uh...thanks?" I said.

"No, I mean it," Tim said. "You brought yourself out of each of those memories without any tweaking or interference from me. I'm sorry for my intrusion during the last one, but you surprised me."

"What is all of this?" I asked, holding my hands out. "I mean, I understand it was some sort of test, but why sex memories?"

"The bond you share with Asher has a strong root in her lust problem," Tim said.

"Lust problem?" I asked. "I mean, I know the girl is crazy horny all the time, but I wouldn't call it a problem."

"Meanwhile, your mind allows you to give in to your combined lust but retains the ability to pull yourself from that influence as well," Tim said.

"Say what?" I asked.

"You have a strong and well-disciplined mind," Tim said. "That will help with the duty."

"The duty?" I snickered.

"You two are very similar," Tim nodded. "But back to my first question, why didn't you escape the chest on your own?"

"Honestly?" I asked.

"Always," Tim said.

"I kinda panicked and didn't think about it," I said. "Then Asher took advantage of the situation, and I...got into it."

"I see," Tim said.

"What did you mean by it's different for everybody?" I asked. "When talking about what you looked like," I added.

"While you're in my domain, your mind will interpret what you experience based on your own mindset," Tim said. "This means, when you are in the same room with Asher, she'll see me as a cartoonish 'boneman' and you'll see me as a simple classroom skeleton. You'll even see the rooms differently."

"But why?" I asked. "Why not just be normalized like everything else?"

Tim tapped on his bony chin for a moment before answering.

"You and Asher are from another Bio Hab, in another dimension," Tim said. "Never mind how I know this, I do. Do you honestly believe things work the same everywhere? Well, they don't.

"A part of your brain that you can't control uses your imagination to help you adapt to what you see instead of letting you go insane out of self-defense," Tim explained.

"So, if you were a Cthulhu monster, without this defense, I'd see you and go insane," I said. "Instead, my brain makes you look like a harmless skeleton out of...self-preservation? That's trippy."

"More than you know," Tim said. "Now, let's get the two of you back together so we can get on with it, shall we?"