I was a screaming comet of flailing limbs until a pair of iron-hard arms snapped me out of the air. The impact was jarring, knocking the wind out of me as Zeraphis caught me in a secure, if somewhat bruising, embrace.
"Stop screeching," she rasped, her violet eyes glinting with amusement. "You sound like a panicked songbird."
The second my boots touched the cracked flagstones, she didn't wait for a "thank you." She blurred into motion, becoming a streak of light.
The Cinder-Drake was still reeling from its failed fire-breath, its lava-scales glowing a dull, confused red. It never stood a chance.
Zeraphis closed the distance in a heartbeat, her armored form tearing through the air with a low boom. She planted her heavy, jagged boot directly beneath the Drake's chin in a brutal upper-cut kick.
The force was staggering. The beast's head snapped back, its massive body lifting entirely off the ground. A sickening crack echoed through the courtyard as its jaw slammed shut, and its orange, glowing eyes rolled back into its head. The Drake collapsed into a heap of cooling stone and gray ash, unconscious before it even hit the floor.
Zeraphis stood over the fallen creature, her cape settling around her like a shroud. She hadn't broken a sweat, and she hadn't touched her sword. She turned her gaze toward the twins and Elara, who were staring in shell-shocked silence.
"Two down," Zeraphis said, her voice dripping with cold arrogance. "The bird is broken, and the lizard is sleeping. Do you wish to continue, or should the Lord prepare for his... exhibition?"
Elara fell to her knees, gasping for breath as the feedback from her unconscious summon hit her like a physical blow. The twins were trembling, their "Mirror-Link" shattered, their faces flushed with a mixture of terror and the realization of what they had just lost.
Deborah stepped forward, clapping her hands slowly. Her eyes were bright with a terrifying kind of pride.
"Magnificent," Deborah whispered. "Perfect Command Suppression. You protected your Lord, spared the 'vermin,' and did it all with your bare hands. A deal is a deal, isn't it, girls?"
I turned to Zeraphis, still feeling the rush of adrenaline—and the slight nausea—from my unplanned trip into the clouds. "Don't you ever throw me into the sky like that again," I muttered, dusting off my robes.
She offered a mockingly deep bow, her black armor clanking softly. "As you command, my Lord. Next time, I shall simply let the lizard incinerate you. It would certainly be quieter."
I ignored her sarcasm and turned back to Deborah and the disciples. The courtyard was silent save for the heavy breathing of the defeated girls. "Well," I said, a slow grin spreading across my face. "That was quick."
Deborah stepped forward, her silver eyes shimmering with a mix of professional pride and a very unprofessional thirst for the drama about to unfold. "Lord Karl won the bet, girls. The terms were clear. You are to show him your breasts as tribute for his victory."
The girls' faces were instantly set ablaze with a deep, frantic flush. They stood in a row, trembling slightly, their hands hovering near the silk ties of their robes. I could see the conflict in their eyes; they were the elite, the "promising" future of the Sisterhood, yet the look they gave me wasn't one of resentment. It was a shy, heavy-lidded anticipation. They wanted to be seen by the Convergence.
"You can choose who goes first, my Lord," Deborah said, crossing her arms and leaning back against a stone pillar to enjoy the view.
My gaze drifted down the line. I started with Elara. Even through her thick apprentice robes, I could see the proud, full curve of her chest. They looked heavy, round, and perfectly shaped—the kind of tits that made my cock twitch just imagining the weight of them in my palms. But the real mystery remained the twins, Lyra and Kaelie.Did they share identical markings, identical nipples, identical softness?
"Elara," I said, my voice dropping an octave. "You're up."
The red-headed fire-starter bit her lip, her golden eyes fluttering as she stepped forward. She was panting slightly from the mana exhaustion, which only made her chest heave more enticingly.
"Go on, Elara," Deborah encouraged, her voice like velvet. "Don't keep the Lord waiting. You fought well, but now you must pay the price of defeat."
Elara reached for the gold clasp at her collar. Her fingers were shaking, but she didn't look away from my eyes. With a slow, deliberate movement, she began to undo the silk ties, the fabric of her white robe parting inch by inch to reveal the glowing, sun-kissed skin beneath.
Elara's breath hitched as she finally pulled the silk fabric aside, letting her robes fall open to her waist. I wasn't disappointed. Her breasts were magnificent—heavy, full, and round, with a creamy, sun-kissed complexion that suggested she spent plenty of time training under the sun. They sat high on her chest, swaying slightly as she trembled. Her nipples were a deep, dusty rose, already hard and protruding like small jewels from the cool morning air.
"Pathetic," Zeraphis hissed from the side, her arms crossed over her black-plated chest. She looked away, but I could see her jaw tightening.
"Oh, don't be jealous, Zeraphis," I said, my eyes never leaving Elara's chest. "They are even cuter than yours."
Zeraphis snapped her head back toward me, her violet eyes flashing with a mix of outrage and wounded pride. "That... that can't be true. You are comparing a warrior's form to a pampered child."
"Seeing is believing," I teased, then turned my focus back to the blushing fire-mage. "Elara... can I touch them? I need to know if they feel as soft as they look."
Elara's face was practically glowing orange now, a physical manifestation of her embarrassment and excitement. She let out a soft, shaky exhale and stepped even closer, her chest heaving. "Please... my Lord. They are yours to command. I want to feel how the hands of the Convergence feel on me."
I reached out, my fingers brushing against the underside of the warm, soft globes. The skin was like heated silk. I cupped them, feeling their impressive weight and the frantic thudding of her heart against my palms.
"See, Zeraphis?" I said, squeezing gently as Elara let out a small, needy whimper. "Absolute perfection."
Deborah watched from the sidelines, her tongue darting out to lick her lips. "Careful, Lord Karl. If you spend too much time on Elara, the twins might get jealous. They are still waiting for their turn to be... evaluated."