NOVEL NEXT 49. Blessing and Curse
Bonny kicked Freja’s sides with her heels. “Giddy up!”
“What?”
“I told you earlier, it means you can go. How fast do you think we can make it back to my friends?”
The centaur laughed, “Hold on tight.”
Bonny grabbed on and the world blurred. Wind pulled at her, trying to hold her still, yanking on her ears and cheeks. She had thought Eloisss’ run was fast, but this was more similar to the bursts of speed when then ran from the goblins, but continued, unending. The centaur’s hooves beat a steady rhythm, the sound a constant drumming on the hard packed road.
Bonny felt her hair tangle in the wind and cracked an eye open to see a spirit playing in the wind. Without thinking, she let go of the centaur and raised a hand to the sylph, open and inviting. The spirit wound around her hand and sank in, just as Bonny slipped off Freja’s side.
She hit the ground at close to a hundred miles an hour, a speed only possible due to Freja’s physical stats and a couple of skills.
Bonny just had time to think, “Divine Ward!”, protecting her head, before she bounced and rolled, the road tearing at her leather and stripping the fur and flesh from her exposed breasts and hips. She came to a stop twenty yards later.
Freja stopped a little ways further down and trotted back,clearly afraid of what might have happened. "Bonny! Don't let go like that. Are you ok?"
Bonny hopped up, her armor torn and bloody. “I'm fine. Divine Mending!” Her wounds closed partially, then she cast again, and again. Finally restored, she turned to look at the long bloody streak along the road. “That doesn’t look good.”
Freja stopped beside her looking at the gore. “Why did you let go? You’re lucky to be alive.”
“I found a wind spirit!” Bonny held up a hand and released a blast of air into Freja’s face. “Blow, wind, blow! Hmmm, I should make up name for that.”
“Are you sure you’re ok?”
“I’m fine. Uh, Recovery?”
The rainbow unicorn goddess shimmered into existence beside Bonny. “You are fine, Bonny. Please try to avoid falling at that speed in the future.”
“But I got a wind spirit. Look!” She held up her hand and her three wind spirits wound around it in a tiny cyclone.
“Yes, but had you not cast ward, you could have hit your head and been unable to heal.”
“I know, but it was worth it. Thank you, beautiful. A kiss?”
Recovery leaned down and kissed the bunny, then turned to Freja, who was staring with wide eyes. Again.
“Please take care of her. She is new to this world.”
“Uh, what?”
“She is an outworlder, but has received boons from Courage and me.”
“Yes, Goddess.” Freja bowed. When she raised her head, the goddess was gone.
“Who are you, Bonny?”
Bonny held up her hand for help mounting. “Just a bunny girl.” She grinned as Freja helped her up.
The rest of the trip back was uneventful and Bonny used her purification aura to clean up the blood. She also took the time to explain about Wrath and the artifacts in Beaverton. They arrived to find the centaur patrol and Bonny’s companions both camped a little way apart. Bonny waved at her friends as the two trotted over to the centaur camp.
She slid down and turned to the patrol chief. “Did Eloisss explain?”
The chief ignored Bonny and looked above her head to Freja. “Did she talk to you about the demons and artifacts?”
Freja nodded. “I will join them. I resign my position and will guide them to the city.”
“What? You can’t do that.”
“Why not? I have completed my tour. Years ago. They offer greater challenges than you.”
He sputtered and glared at Bonny. “But, but you need to inform the Commander first.”
“I will when we get to the city. Thank you for your leadership, chief.” Freja turned to get her weapons when Bonny stepped in front of her.
“Wait, can I get a kiss?”
Freja turned back. She glanced at the watching patrol and blushed, the star on her forehead turning pink and her dusky skin darkening further. “Here? Now?”
Bonny nodded and grinned. “Yesss!” She hopped over and held her arms up to be picked up.
Freja obliged. Grabbing her under her arms and lifted her smoothly, then leaned forward and gave her a peck on the cheek.
“No, cutie. A real kiss.”
Freja paused and shifted her hooves, sidestepping and stamping. “Really?”
“Yesss! You wanted a challenge, right?” Bonny reached out and leaned her head forward with lips puckered.
The centaur pulled her close and opened her mouth to Bonny, who wrapped her arms and legs around the centaur’s body, and thrust her tongue in, entangling it with the centaur’s. In the middle of the kiss, Bonny concentrated on Courage and offered a blessing to the centaur, with no explanation or warning.
Bonny felt Freja's initial confusion, then acceptance, showing an unhealthy level of trust to a bunny she had just met. Meeting the goddesses probably had something to do with that though.
A bright crimson flash swept over the patrol, then back, solidifying around Freja. She let go of Bonny in surprise, but the bunny hung on and maintained the kiss through the change.
When Bonny released her and dropped to the ground, Freja stood frozen, looking at her hands and flexing them.
The chief stepped forward, looming, “What did you do?”
Bonny just pointed to Freja, who slowly looked up, over the heads of the two of them. “Holy Goddess, what did you do?”
“You’ve been blessed. By Courage.” Bonny grinned. “May you wield her power well, Priestess Freja.”
“Thank you, Goddess.” Freja picked up Bonny and kissed her again, then touched their foreheads together and whispered, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Bonny whispered back. “I’ll have more gifts later. We will need to all get stronger as fast as possible.”
Once down, Bonny headed over to her companions, who were starting to pack up the camp. Miu held a small pouch of roots and grains out for Bonny as she arrived.
Bonny greeted the cat with a kiss as she took her lunch. “Hi, cuties. Thank you, Miu. Freja will be joining us. She met the two goddesses and wants a challenge.”
Eloisss noticed her armor and pointed it out, “What happened?”
“Oh, I fell off Freja while she was galloping. I’m fine, I found a new wind spirit.”
Eloisss sighed and slithered in for a hug. “Pleasse be careful, Bonny.”
“That’s what Recovery said.”
Kanae ran over, still in fox form, but a little wobbly. She yipped and stood up, holding onto Bonny’s leg and pushing her nose into Bonny’s groin.
“No, Kanae. Time and place.” Bonny pushed her down.
“Sshe hass been acting oddly ssince you left.”
“Odd? How?” Bonny
“Kept whining and falling, nya.”
Bonny stopped eating to look closer at the fox. “Triage!” Nothing showed as injured. She cast it again and again, with divine and demonic affinity, focusing on more detail. Nothing.
Bonny knelt down and kissed Kanae on the nose. “Are you feeling ok?”
The fox shook her head and whined.
“Do you need something from me?”
A nod.
“What is it?”
Kanae stuck her head in Bonny’s crotch, again.
Bonny sighed and stood. “Tonight is Eloisss’ night, but she may share if you're nice. Can you run in a circle around us for me?”
The fox stumbled around them, clearly unsteady.
“Recovery?” Bonny glanced at her shoulder, to see the goddess standing there.
“You have a free skill slot, right? There is a spiritual triage skill that may help.”
“Do you know what’s wrong?”
Recovery nodded, but said nothing.
Bonny concentrated on her skills and used, “Spirit Triage!”, without actually checking her status or the list of skills. She turned, looking at each of her friends, finding a reddish, warm glow residing in each, including herself. Kanae, on the other hand, had one filled with black streaks.
Bonny turned back to Recovery, who called on the demoness. “Lust?”
The succubus appeared, still in her favorite spot. She grinned. “Hi.”
“Did you do this? Is she cursed?” Bonny growled.
“Noooo.” Lust shook her head. “You did.”
“What?”
“You have my essence in you. The fox has drunk from you for days. She is addicted and cannot stray far.”
“How do I fix it? Will the others be affected?”
Lust grinned.
“I! asked! How! Do! We! Fix! It!?” The bunny growl was deep, dangerous.
Lust stopped grinning and floated back, slowly. “Time. She needs time. You can wean her off by reducing the amount of essence she takes in.”
“How. Long?!”
“A couple weeks. Maybe.”
“Maybe?”
“I’ve never done this before. No one has.”
Recovery agreed. “If I had seen this before, I would have warned you.”
“Are any of my other companions in danger?” Bonny looked back and forth between Recovery and Lust.
“I do not think so.” Recovery responded.
“Lust?”
“No. Probably.” The succubus shrugged. “As long as they wait a few days between sessions, they should be fine. This isn’t an active curse, it’s a result of consuming demonic essence.”
“Keep checking them with spiritual triage. You should see signs before it gets out of hand.” Recovery added.
“Thank you.”
Bonny turned to her companions. “Did you hear any of that?”
“Jusst your sside.”
Miu shook her head.
Bonny quickly explained, then picked up Kanae and hugged her. “No sex for you tonight. Or tomorrow.”
The fox whined.
“No. But I’ll carry you until we camp.” She turned to her other two companions, who had hung back, staying out of the way. “Willow, Adelina, can I get a kiss from you two?”
The fairy now zipped forward and gave Bonny a peck on the lips. She drifted up and her sun glare vanished for just a moment, followed by a giggle.
Willowbelle moved up and kissed her as well, tasting as delicious as only she could.
“Thank you. I want you all to know that I value and appreciate you. As I said earlier, Freja will be joining us. We passed a dairy farm a ways up the road. I’d like to get to it before nightfall and buy some milk. I haven’t had any since coming to this world. Maybe we can camp nearby and get more for breakfast.”
They finished packing and set out once Freja rearmed herself. Bonny shifted Kanae so that her front paws and chin were on one shoulder and held her tight as they headed toward the city.