Tabula Rasa: Adventures In A New World

Clack.

Stone melds into stone as, within the span of a single heartbeat, a large brick is merged into the fortified ‘wall’... joining together so smoothly that it is almost as if it has never been separate.

Progress is being made down here... it is just very slow due to the sheer scale of what needs to be done. Compared to what this tunnel was originally like, the significantly narrower passage around the pathway feels positively claustrophobic. And that is saying nothing of the tangled maze of even smaller shafts connecting the various murder holes around said passage.

Clack.

Honestly, just this bit alone feels rather excessive. Completely overkill. Though maybe that’s just because the work is pretty tedious...

This is, after all, only the first line of defence that Inanna suggested. And while Krvavy won’t be immediately building those other fortifications, they’re still hanging over her head. Especially since some of them will be a whole lot bigger than this... Though some will also be much smaller...

Clack.

At least this is levelling up her Earth Magic...? Even if rather slowly.

Clack.

Maybe Krvavy can take a break soon...? Not when her mana is completely diminished, because that is still quite a ways away, but instead when it is close..ish... to running dry...?

She could get the fighting manual out and run some of the drills in it... That wouldn’t the most exciting thing to do, but is still a change of pace from all of this work... It’d be nice to stretch her legs and get her muscles moving in a way that isn’t just picking up a brick from point A and then placing it down in point B...

Clack.

The cart is nearly empty. Krvavy will have to fill it again, and again, and again...

Though she’ll probably need to find another source of bricks soon. Nearly all of the ones that have been used thus far are from the tunnel that this Drakling has been ‘digging’ the long way around these fortifications, to reach that empty chamber... which has already been sealed off.

But that descending tunnel feels like it is pretty close to its destination.

Sure, it could be made a fair bit wider and taller, but the amount of stone she’ll need to fully fill in the significantly wider and significantly taller tunnel that is this cave...

Clack.

Suppose it is only a matter of time until Krvavy needs to rely entirely on her mana. And while that would definitely make the overall progress slow down quite a bit, it would also be a lot less mind numbing. She’d just need to pop down here, burn through her mana, and then be done for the day.

No pulling bricks from a wall, carting them from one tunnel to the next, and then putting them back into another wall...

Soon...

The barbarian reaches for another brick... only to find that there isn’t a single one left. “Tsk.” Annoyed, she clicks her tongue and grabs onto the handles of this short cart, turning it around.

Krvavy barely takes a dozen steps before the Far-Speaking ring nestled so snugly on her lower right horn begins to pulse, the echo of a translucent mirage shimmering around the black gem encircling that silver band, only visible to her eyes. She slows to a stop as an impression of just who is telepathically calling her lingers at the back of her mind. A wide grin spreads across Krvavy’s face. She lets her ring ‘ring’ for just a couple more seconds before so casually answering the call. ⟨Hey there~.⟩

⟨Explain yourself, degenerate!⟩ Thea’s beautifully bratty voice fills the connection established by their matching Far-Speaking bands, her accusatory tone overpowering Krvavy’s playful greeting.

⟨Well, see, I’m all the way down past the grotto, working on the fortifications that Inanna wants built. And I just ran out of bricks,⟩ the Drakling innocently explains... what she is currently doing. ⟨So I need to go get some mor–⟩ Only to be quickly and predictably cut off.

⟨Not that, you deviant!⟩ The silver-blonde brat hisses back. ⟨You know what I am talking about!⟩

Krvavy’s grin only grows wider. She can guess what has upset this noble girl, but there’s no need to jump straight to that. Not when she can have some fun instead~. ⟨Do I~?⟩ Krvavy playfully responds, ensuring that her smug tone is ‘heard’, if not felt, by this fiancée of hers.

In turn, Thea’s exasperation floods into the mind of that damnable Dragon. ⟨Yes!⟩

The Drakling’s thick and meaty tail sways behind her, swishing from side to side in such a happy way. ⟨Really~?⟩ Her heart beats with more strength as she fulfills her purpose in life: to bug and bully this brat.

⟨Ugh!⟩

⟨Let me guess~,⟩ Krvavy resumes pushing the small cart, not feeling anywhere near as bored now that she is no longer so alone. ⟨Is this about how I have ‘corrupted’ you into being my lusty little loveslave~? About how I have warped you into being a degenerate who is utterly addicted to my dick~?⟩

⟨No, you pervert!⟩ If Thea were here, then she probably would have just petulantly stomped a foot down. Well, she probably still did that anyway~. Hopefully on a more padded surface... It wouldn’t do for that dainty girl to hurt herself. ⟨This is –!⟩

⟨Oh~? So you’re not going to deny any of that~?⟩ Krvavy eagerly interrupts her frustrated fiancée. ⟨You’re just going to let me call you –~?⟩

⟨Sh-shut up!⟩ If only the barbarian could see the blush on this beautiful brat’s face right now... ⟨The book! The filthy book that you gave to me as some sort of sick gift!⟩

⟨What about it~?⟩ A large brick is effortlessly pulled free from the wall and placed onto the cart.

Flustered, indignant fury can be felt through the connection between their Far-Speaking rings. A wonderful feeling, so warm and adorable~... ⟨Explain yourself!⟩

⟨I thought you’d enjoy reading a romance novel~.⟩ Krvavy calmly returns, casually avoiding giving the real answer. For now~.

⟨Ugh!⟩ Thea quite clearly wishes she was having this conversation face-to-face, purely just so she could throttle the Drakling. ⟨Why is the main character described as having braided white-blonde hair and light-blue eyes?!⟩

⟨Well, I haven’t read the book, only the synopsis, but if I remember correctly~...⟩ Krvavy playfully pauses for a moment, dragging out her response for as long as she can. Just to make this brat stew in her frustration a bit more. ⟨She is supposed to be a beautiful Human princess, yes~? How else do you describe a beautiful princess~?⟩

Thea doesn’t immediately respond, taking a good few seconds before her exasperation can be ‘heard’ once more. ⟨And what about the, ugh, the love interest?!⟩ A faint tinge of embarrassment underlines those words. ⟨Do not tell me that it is a mere coincidence that the... love interest... is a Drakling woman with black scales, snow-white skin, blood-red hair, and a... a degenerate dick described in far too much detail!⟩

⟨What? Really?!⟩ Krvavy does a decent job at feigning surprise, but she isn’t quite convincing enough. This brat knows her too well to be so easily deceived.

⟨Yes!⟩ Thea ‘shouts’, sounding more than a little victorious, as if she has caught Krvavy. ⟨And you had a hand in that!⟩

⟨Wow, that’s quite the bold claim~.⟩ The barbarian pulls on the handles of her now completely brick covered cart, leading it back towards the unfinished fortifications. ⟨Are you saying I had an entire book written just to play a prank on you~?⟩

Thea is silent for an almost worryingly long time, the seconds nearly stretching on into a full minute. ⟨Yes.⟩ She confidently declares, a tinge of ice in her mentally projected voice. ⟨That is exactly the kind of thing that you would do.⟩

⟨Ooh... Well, my dear fiancée, you are...⟩ Krvavy places a hand atop her heart, as if wounded... forgetting that Thea can’t actually see her. ⟨Wrong~! I didn’t have the whole thing written for you~! I simply found an ‘adult romance novel’ about a beautiful Human princess who gets left at the mercy of a Drakling after being shipwrecked, and I felt that it was just too perfect to not buy for you~!⟩

⟨Hmph...⟩ The bratty noble girl does not sound convinced. ⟨Wait... You... You are messing with me... Playing with words...⟩ She ‘mutters’, sharing parts of her thought process. ⟨You...!⟩ A jolt of realization arcs through the connection between her and this barbarian. ⟨I know what you did! You may not have been the degenerate mind behind this even more degenerate book, but you paid for adjustments to be made to it! That is why the characters are similar to us in appearance!⟩

⟨Yes~! Exactly~! That’s right~! Good job~!⟩ Krvavy cheers and praises her little princess, more than happy that Thea has finally figured it out.

⟨I knew it!⟩ Arrogant pride oozes from those three words, so excited and smug about this little victory.. ⟨Wait.⟩ The noble girl cuts her triumph short. ⟨You personally requested those changes...? Do... do you have no shame?!⟩ Thea sounds utterly scandalized as she realizes the implication of that. ⟨You subjected your perverted degeneracy onto some poor copier?!⟩

⟨Hey! They were selling that book already, so were clearly fine with making copies of it!⟩ The Drakling quickly defends herself. ⟨And I only requested some minor changes to how the characters look! Nothing big! The ‘love interest’ only has two horns, right?! Not the four that I have!⟩

The echo of a huff can almost be heard, that beautiful brat no doubt rolling her soft-blue eyes. ⟨Then why is her deviant dick described almost exactly as yours would be?! Flared ridges, regal crown, and unwieldy size included!⟩

⟨How would I know?!⟩ Krvavy plays up her exasperation, sharply exhaling through her nose. Though, to be fair, she doesn’t actually know the answer to that accusatory question. ⟨The author is clearly a pervert. I mean, why else would they write an entire story about sex? So obviously they did their research, or have first hand experience with that kind of thing. Like you do~.⟩

⟨Hmph!⟩ Thea huffs and almost certainly crosses her arms. ⟨Even if that is the case, you are not free of guilt! You still purchased this filthy book, and even went so far as to request immensely personal changes be made to it! Did you not feel even the slightest bit of shame or embarrassment when doing that!?⟩

⟨Of course I was embarrassed,⟩ Krvavy honestly admits, raising a hand up above her shoulders, idly rubbing the back of her neck. ⟨But I figured that it’d be worth it. And I was right~. Your reaction was amazing, even if I’m not there to see it in person~.⟩ And what a shame that is... Ahh, but it can’t be helped~...

⟨So this ‘gift’ is just a perverted joke!⟩ The bratty girl accuses, sounding... slightly disappointed by that...?

⟨No, not at all.⟩ The barbarian shakes her head and smiles. ⟨I’m having a bit of fun with it, sure, but this is still an actual gift. I bought it for you to read first and foremost. Though, that said, you don’t need to take it seriously. This isn’t high literature or anything. But I don’t think it’ll be bad either... The girl who made the copy, uh, seemed to really enjoy working on it. It was apparently good enough for her to flirt with me when I paid for it.⟩

Thea almost audibly rolls her eyes, huffing and likely shaking her head as well. ⟨Now you are just making stuff up.⟩

⟨Nope. I’m serious, ask Beryl if you don’t believe me.⟩ Krvavy confidently responds, grabbing a brick and pressing it into the growing stone wall. A bit of mana sees it merge together with those that came before it. ⟨The worker... she quite obviously saw the resemblance between me and the ‘love interest’, and... Well, she straight up asked me if I had a dick. If I remember right, her exact words were ‘big, girthy cock’. Or at least they would have been if her grandma didn’t interrupt...⟩

Thea takes a few, long seconds to respond. ⟨I would believe Beryl even less than I believe you.⟩ She plainly states. ⟨But... I do not exactly doubt that it happened... You have a habit of running into your fellow perverts...⟩

⟨A habit...?⟩ Krvavy quirks a brow, once more regretting that this brat isn’t right here in front of her. It is so much easier, and so much more fun, to tease the girl face-to-face. ⟨What, like how I met you~?⟩

⟨Ha, ha. Very funny.⟩ Try as she might... Thea can’t help but let her emotions bleed into that barbarian’s brain, the warmth of embarrassment and the fluttery feeling of affection first among them. Exasperation and annoyance are there as well, of course. They just aren’t quite as present~.

⟨Thank you~.⟩ Another brick is melded into the wall. ⟨Are you enjoying the book so far?⟩

⟨I have hardly finished the first chapter.⟩ Thea poorly avoids answering that question, doing an even worse job at hiding the hint of embarrassment that underlines her mentally projected voice.

A playful gleam dances across the Drakling’s emerald eyes, her arms more or less moving on their own, muscle memory guiding her menial motions. ⟨You’re not even a chapter in and the descriptions have already gotten graphic enough to rile you up? Wow, it just goes straight into it, huh~?⟩

The bratty girl’s silence speaks volumes.

Another brick... one of a countless amount created and disposed of today... is moved from the cart to join with the ever encroaching cave wall. ⟨Alright,⟩ a soft sigh passes through some pale lips, ⟨enough about the book then. How’s the couch been treating you?⟩ Krvavy casually changes the topic, content with simply ‘speaking’ to her fiancée regardless of the contents of their conversation.

⟨It... is alright.⟩ Thea seems a little reluctant to admit that. Probably because she doesn’t want to praise the barbarian. Not after all of this bullying~. ⟨The seats are comfortable enough.⟩

Krvavy idly nods. ⟨Better than the bed?⟩

⟨For sitting around and reading? Or trying to read, at least?⟩ The silver-blonde noble girl just can’t help but be a little sassy. ⟨I suppose. It is nice to both have a backrest and a place to let ones legs dangle down.⟩ That brat definitely just lifted her chin, acting all high and haughty.

⟨You know, for a girl who called me just to complain about that book, you do seem rather eager to read it~.⟩ Krvavy playfully responds, emerald eyes glimmering with amusement as she openly teases this feisty fiancée of hers. ⟨Are you, perhaps, enjoying it more than you’d like to admit~? Are you picturing yourself as the beautiful princess and me the ferocious wildwoman~? No one would blame you for that, not with how closely they resemble us~! Do you want to recreate some of those scenes~? Just the two of us toge–~⟩

The Drakling abruptly cuts herself off. She has the distinct impression that Thea just hung up on her.

“Dammit...” Krvavy sighs, scowling slightly and giving her head a soft shake. There goes her source of entertainment... Now she has nothing to keep her mind off this boring and banal work, so tedious and tiresome... exhaustingly endless...

In hindsight... She really should have expected Thea to cut the call like that. The bratty girl has zapped her with lust magic for less.

Clack.

Stone strikes against stone as Krvavy moves an unremarkable brick from the cart to the ever-expanding wall.

“Hmmm...” The barbarian pauses her work. She mostly just mentioned recreating a scene from that book to mess with Thea, but that honestly isn’t the worst idea... Granted, Krvavy hasn’t read the thing herself, but that hardly matters.

Thea is already her little princess, so treating her like an actual one should come naturally~.

Krvavy calmly ascends the sculpted stone staircase. Each step is a little on the shorter side, letting her easily take them two – or even three – at a time. She probably could do four, but with the depth of each step... that’d just feel a bit awkward. Maybe if she was in much more of a hurry...? Still, soon enough she passes into the tiny and admittedly useless connecting ‘hallway’ that currently doesn’t really connect anything, and then steps into the living area proper.

A certain silver-blonde brat glances up at that barbarian, soft-blue eyes glaring through her gold-rimmed glasses. After just a second or two, she rolls those beautiful eyes and turns her attention back to the book resting in her lap, lounging on the cushioned moss of the couch.

“What~?” The Drakling innocently asks, walking straight towards that arrangement of rather comfy looking seats, set into a large ‘U’ shape. Without even the hint of shame, she openly ogles that noble girl... who is surprisingly not naked, instead wearing a simple white sundress. Still, a thin piece of fabric is not enough to hide Thea’s beauty.

“You simply could not leave me alone, could you?” The bratty girl absently sighs, flipping to the next page.

Krvavy quirks her brow and drops down onto a separate part of the couch. Not one that is too far away though. “It’s been over an hour since we talked. Probably closer to two.” Her tail casually curls around and to the side, its tip reaching across the gap between these segmented seats.

Thea pulls her bare legs back, dodging that touchy tail. She pushes herself up into more of a sitting position, legs forming a triangle as her knees pull together and her heels press into the padded moss, a fair distance apart. “And yet you still came straight to me.”

“Of course.” Krvavy shamelessly admits, tilting her head as she takes in the sight before her.

Confusion creeps onto Thea’s already faintly flushed face... only to be quickly replaced by bashful indignation. Hastily, she rolls over onto her side, forcing down the hem of her dress. “P-pervert!” She stammers, her blush burning so much brighter as she purposely covers herself up.

“Says the girl who just flashed me~.” A teasing grin plays at the Drakling’s pale lips, that toweringly tall dickgirl looming above this flustered fiancée of hers. “Looks like you’ve been enjoying this ‘trashy’ story~.”

Pure and unadulterated embarrassment fills this brat’s very being. It takes a great deal of effort for her to not curl up and hide behind her knees. That, more or less, is what led her here in the first place. “Sh-shut up...” Thea weakly mutters, struggling to maintain her heated glare.

Krvavy leans forwards, elbow pressing into her toned thigh as she rests her chin in the palm of her hand. “You’re pretty cute when you get all flustered like this~.”

The corner of Thea’s left eye twitches. She takes a deep breath and ever so slightly adjusts her enchanted glasses, letting them sit straighter atop her dainty nose. “What... What do you want?”

Warmth and love washes over Krvavy, her heart beating faster as she simply basks in her brat’s presence. “Do I need a reason to spend some time with my fiancée~?”

“Yes.” The noble girl quite firmly states, gradually regaining her resolve. She purses her kissable lips into a slightly scowled pout. “Yes, you do. Now out with it.”

“Alright,” Krvavy casually shrugs, leaning back into her segment of the couch. “Well...” Her scaled fingers glance across the pale skin of her inner thigh, legs spreading just enough to give a comfortable amount of space for both her colossal cock and hefty sack. Thea’s attention is nearly drawn down by that subtle bit of movement. “Our conversation earlier made me want to see you in person.”

“Is that all?” The silver-blonde girl skeptically asks, her icy eyes narrowing into slits.

Krvavy quickly nods her head. “Yup.” That word pops past her pale lips, bare breasts rising as she takes a deep breath and raises her strong arms up, fingers locking together behind her head.

Thea makes an adorable scoff of a sound. “Liar.”

The Drakling raises a single eyebrow in response. “I’m lying?” That is news to her.

“Do not play coy with me! I see it in your eyes!” Thea raises her voice... which has the unfortunate side effect of making her accusation sound more bratty than authoritative. “You are scheming! You have some sort of ulterior motive to be here!”

“I mean, yeah?” Quite bewildered by that brat, the barbarian simply shrugs her shoulders as best she can with her arms raised like this, hands slipping down to the nape of her neck. “I always have some sort of ‘ulterior motive’ around you, don’t I? Honestly girl, I can hardly look at you, my fiancée, without imagining what it’d be like to just bend you over and make sweet, passionate love with you at any given moment.”

Thea’s blush burns just a bit brighter at that choice of words. “Do not make it sound so romantic, you degenerate Dragon!” She huffs, reaching over and grabbing up her discarded book, flipping through it to find her place before slipping a strip of silken fabric between its pages to mark her spot.

Krvavy can’t help but grin, closely watching this girl that she so dearly loves. “You think that was romantic~? No wonder you’re enjoying that book so much~.”

“Sh-shut up!”

“Mmm... I suppose if I was a bit more, well, tactful...” The barbarian idly taps a finger against her chin. “Rather than just say what essentially amounts to ‘I want to fuck you’, I could have said something more along the lines of... you being so enchantingly beautiful that I cannot help but desire you~... that I want our lips to press together~... for my hands to trail along your soft and smooth skin~... for us to lose ourselves in passion~... to slowly sink into your–~”

A loud clap echoes across the living room as Thea slams her book shut. The glittering title emblazoned onto its cover only seems to leave her even more flustered. “I said sh-shut up!”

Krvavy slowly nods. “Right, I can do better than that...”

Clearly resisting the urge to throw her book at Krvavy, the bratty blonde instead drops it down onto the stone coffee table... so that she can freely throw herself at Krvavy.

“Woah, careful~!” The Drakling playfully laughs, effortlessly catching that furious brat and pulling the girl into an inescapably tight hug. “I have some pointy bits attached to my head, and the last thing I want is to hurt you with them~.”

“Ugh...!” Thea struggles in vain to break free from the barbarian’s embrace. Her arms strain, pressing into Krvavy’s body with all her might. All to no avail. “You... are too strong now...” She reluctantly grumbles, wiggling one last time before giving up for good. Her head turns to the side, soft-blue eyes glancing towards the fireplace, its dim light flickering across her flushed face. It is almost a shame, for their home to be lit up more by steadily glowing crystals than a proper warm flame...

“Now?” Krvavy gently smiles, patting her defeated fiancée on the head. “I’ve always been stronger than you. Not to be rude, but Might isn’t exactly your best stat.”

“I know, but... there was a time when I could at least cause your grip to weaken. When I could push your arms back even a bit.” The silver-blonde girl clicks her tongue just once. “Now though... Now I doubt that I could even break your skin if I got a knife and stabbed you with it.”

“Well that... its a bit concerning that you’re even thinking about that...” Krvavy lightly shakes her head, before leaning in to give her fiancée’s forehead a soft kiss. “You’re not feeling bad about that, are you? That I’m growing more and more powerful and ‘leaving’ you behind?”

“No,” Thea honestly answers, her head bumping into her barbaric lover’s bare breasts as she gives it a soft shake. “Unlike that Elf hag of yours... I have spent my whole life weaker and more useless than all those around me. But with you I...” Her slowly fading blush flares up once more, filling her cheeks with a rosy hue. “I know that no matter how strong you get, I will always be yours. I will always be your first girl – and no, Khalia does not count! She did not even have a name back then!”

Krvavy’s heart can’t help but flutter as her beautiful blonde’s serious tone shifts into a bratty huff. This is the girl she loves~.

“Hmph...!” The noble girl huffs and crosses her arms, taking a moment to calm herself down. “Still, I... am not as weak as I was mere months ago. And, as much as it pains me to admit it, I... I have you to thank for that.” A slow sigh escapes past her parted lips, drawn free by that reluctant confession.

“I may have given you the means to grow stronger, either literally or by just awakening that power inside of you, but...” The barbarian pauses for a moment, brushing a loose strand of hair away from her fiancée’s embarrassed face. “But I didn’t make you grow stronger. That was all your doing. You are the one who put in all those hours practicing your magic. You are –”

“Ugh, enough...” Thea groans, turning her gaze to the side once more. “I do not need you to stroke my ego. I did all of that purely because I had nothing else to do around here. Failing again and again is less mind numbing than just sitting around and staring at a wall all day. Like you have been doing~.”

A single, strong finger lightly presses into the bottom of this bratty girl’s chin, gently guiding her head back up. The eyes of these two lovers meet, soft-blue staring into verdant emerald. Moments later, their lips press together.

A calm and chaste passion surrounds both barbarian and brat as they share their boundless love.

A delicate hand trails over the Drakling’s pale cheek, trimmed nails glancing across the patch of black scales that rest just above. The ring nestled tightly on one of those fingers is cool against her skin.

Strong arms, already wrapped around this beautiful blonde’s body, give her a reassuring squeeze. A large palm glides up that girl’s back, unbothered by the soft white sundress just barely keeping them apart. Thea’s warmth can still be felt through that thin fabric.

“Haahh~...!” The noble girl gasps as she pulls herself back. Her bottom lip quivers, as if wanting to push out into a pout, before she gently bites down on it. A bashful expression fills her heavily flushed face as she once again turns to look away. “I will be q-quite cross if you learn Eromancy and get better at it than I!” She abruptly declares, almost shouting those words.

The barbarian blinks once, and then twice. She is still recovering from that wonderful kiss that she freely lost herself in, and has no idea what this beautiful girl is talking about.

“You can surpass me in everything but that, understand!?” The silver-blonde brat shudders and sinks into Krvavy embrace, burying her face between the barbarian’s big, bare breasts. “As detestable and degenerate as that magic is... it... it is one of the greatest gifts that you have given me...” Her voice is hardly audible, fading into a subdued sigh.

“Don’t worry,” Krvavy lovingly runs her fingers through her fiancée’s silver-blonde hair, avoiding those relatively neat braids. “I’ve already spread myself thin enough when it comes to magic, so I don’t think I’ll try to learn even a little bit of Eromancy. I’ll leave all of that to you, my love~.”

“Thank you...”

“No problem~.” The barbarian all but beams with joy. She almost feels bad about ruining the moment. Almost. “And since we’re being honest with each other... You were right, earlier. I am, or at least I was, actually scheming.”

Thea goes completely still in her Draconic lover’s embrace. After a couple seconds she begins to push herself up. “I... I knew it!” She accusatorily pokes Krvavy in the cheek, roughly pressing down with as much force as she can muster. Which, honestly, is not much. It is just about enough to be mildly uncomfortable. “You! Out with it!”

“Now, now, it was nothing serious~.” Krvavy grins as smugly as she possibly can, all while resisting the urge to lick her brat’s finger. The reaction that that would earn would be so entertaining... “It was just an idea~. Something that the two of us could do together~. A bit of fun inspired by that new book of yours~.”

Thea narrows her eyes, quite obviously picking up on what that Drakling is not so subtly implying. “Go on...” She orders all the same.