NOVEL NEXT Arc 3 – Queen of the Monster Maze 2.3
Kikori blinks and she’s inside her inner world again, looking at her Haoma.
There’s something different now though. The glass surface that usually makes up this plane is cracking. That’s no good.
On the other hand, her skilltree is growing, its roots breaking through the ground and the glass alike. The red flowers are now positively glowing with power.
“Ohh… so that’s how it is,” she says, walking to touch it. She usually would meditate and move her memories from training or from fighting right into the tree, making it slowly grow and lighting up the flowers that represent her growth as a Knight, but now… something else is going on, indeed…
Then it starts.
With a rumble, the trunk of the tree starts to widen, growing – the tentacles wrapped at its base shift to keep their grip, and by now it looks like they are part of the tree itself.
Kikori stumbles back as her tree sprouts twice as tall and twice as thick as before. She grins as she slips into the dark once again… wonder what her body will look like now?
+++
“Madama Kikori?” The rumbling voice of the Minotaur reaches her ears. She blinks and sits up. Yes, definitely. Her body feels different… and she’s really hungry. “I put up something for you,” he says with a smile.
While she was out he has managed to somehow set up a campfire and a boiling pot. He pours the two of them a generous cup of tea and he takes out of his housecoat a bag full of slices of garlic bread.
“Mhhh!” Kikori takes a deep bite. Now that she had her bath, a good and hard fuck, a slice of bread is just what she needed.
“But… what has changed since I was…” she reaches for her head and feels something that was not there before. “Oh. Oh almighty Samash.” She leans towards the brook and catches herself in the water’s reflection. She is now sporting a thick pair of white horns on her head. “Oh. These… these do not look good on a Knight.”
Very suspicious. Demon-like. Even though the Demon race has been almost completely exterminated.
“I personally think they suit you,” Sir Enceladus says offering her another slice.
“Thanks,” she replies accepting both the bread and the compliment. “But how can I come out of here looking like this? The others will think I have sold my soul to the Morningstar.”
The Minotaur frowns at that name.
“I have heard of her. Just… stories, of course. Not much reaches down here.”
“Then you know we as Knights have a duty to oppose her!”
“Perhaps. But you should not really focus too much on what other people want you to do. Perhaps more on making your family proud by being yourself proud. Besides, don’t you think you have gotten any other boon besides those cute horns?”
“I… I don’t know.” She picks up her axe and gives it a swing… the weapon is surprisingly light in her grip. She swings it around and can feel how much stronger her hits would now strike.
She turns to try the axe on one of the nearby trees, but something makes her hesitate.
This place has welcomed her, nourished her… fucked the holy light out of her…
And also given her much higher strength. Perhaps she needs to respect it a little more.
She holds out a hand to caress the tree.
“I am getting stronger,” she hushes. “I want to use this strength for good.”
From above, comes an azure light.
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I personally really like Kikori's new horns. Thanks for reading and for leaving a good rating, everyone!