Netori: Stealing The Hero's Party!

Late in the afternoon, Raven and the monster girls finally arrived at the farmhouse. Greeted promptly by the illusionary guards that resembled Raven and the rest of the main original group, they had to leave the carriage at the end of the dirty path and wait for Rose herself to get them since the clones wouldn't let the group pass without a fight. Enjoy new stories from empire

Thankfully, the owner of the farm was hard at work with her son in the field and it only took a few minutes for Rose and Amedith to notice the group standing at the edge of the farm and calling out for Rose.

With welcome arms, Rose hugged Raven and the girls, even though her complaints about not being informed of their arrival beforehand were unrelenting.

"If you'd told me you're coming we'd have a nice warm meal and a warm bath already prepared for you!" She yelped, leering at Raven.

Stepping a few steps back, she stood beside Amedith, her hands on her hips and her eyes glanced across the tired faces. Her son had a similar expression as the guest, not because he was tired but due to his mother being uncomfortably touchy with everyone in front of him, especially Raven.

"Well, it's done now," clapping her hands, Rose jumped around with a pep in her step and the sight of her butt bouncing like thick jelly flashed before everyone's eyes. Leading the group forward in a sweaty sundress, the gyrating motion of her ass had Raven's as well as the girl's eyes fixed on Rose's hips.

Like a Gazelle her hips swayed with rhythm, the pendulum motion of her body enough to hypnotize the best of wizards and illusionists. The sweat on her body making her clothes stick to her skin and even turning it near transparent, further intensified the trance all the way up until the party was already inside Rose's house.

Once inside, Amedith walked away from the group to do something else, and in the meantime, just sensing the presence of the monster girls and Raven, Melicia came rushing towards the door. Liliyana too wanted to greet them, but her inkling for emotions being much stronger, she felt Amedith's awkwardness about the situation and decided to stick with him instead.

"What are you guys doing here!" Although confused, Mel quickly rushed into Raven's arms and hugged him like a tall teddy bear.

Squeezing him for a moment, she took a long whiff of his comforting smell before letting him go and turning to the rest. Placing her hands on her hips, she glanced around at the tired faces, especially on Brenna and Aerin, both of whom still appeared a bit sleepy.

"Never a good trip on those bumpy mud paths, come I'll take you guys to the hall, you can lay down there for a bit," pulling her weight around the house as well, Mel took over for Rose and led the group to the hall where everyone would be staying.

In the meantime, the mother of one made her way to the bathhouse to activate the runic warming of the open pool. Once it was done, she let the warm water collect in the bath. Heading to the kitchen while the bath was being readied Rose began preparing a quick meal for the tired guests.

What she thought would be half an hour's worth of work quickly turned to thrice that amount. Mostly because of just how much food the monster girls could guzzle, especially Mino and Maine, the other would've gone hungry had it not been for her working on another meal yet again.

A boundless pit their bellies felt like, but thankfully, being a farmer producing her own food, Rose had a stock that could last her ten lifetimes.

"You don't like vegetables?" She asked Arche who seemed utterly disgusted by everything presented to her.

The Arachne was the only one who hadn't touched a morsel of food, and because she wasn't hungry she'd rather starve than eat something that wasn't roasted meat or bleeding. Eventually, upon learning the same, Rose brought the Arachne a plate of pickled eggs, blood sausages, and pig blood wine.

Finally, stabbing the food with her dark nails, Arche devoured the meat, washed it down with the wine and finally ended her meal with the pickled eggs.

"I've never seen anyone like blood wine, but I guess to each their own…" Standing before the Arache who appeared to be growing ever so slightly, Rose laughed nervously, unsure what kind of monster the woman truly was on the inside–that is to say her organs, not personality.

"Anyways, I think the bath's more than ready for you guys, although I'd suggest taking turns since there's so many of us currently."

"Fine," getting off the ground, Raven turned to his girls and separated them into two groups. One had Mino, Maine and Amelia, who would be going in first, then Ophelia, him, and Arche. While doing the separation, he noticed a glint of jealousy sparking in Mel's eyes, thus in an attempt to extinguish it, Raven decided to talk to her in private.

Away from the group and outside the house, Raven held Mel's hand firm and led her further down towards the corn fields. He knew Mel was the jealous kind, and that her choice to go last on a date was obviously causing great strain on her. She wanted him still, despite a choice made of her own violation, and Raven decided to grant it tonight since the rest were bound to be tired and sleep soon enough.

"I'm sorry about how long this is taking…" Raven whispered as he came to a stop.

Turning to face her, he was met with a confused look. Mel knew what he meant and what he was referring to, but an apology wasn't something she was expecting him to make for a choice that she'd made herself.

"What are you talking about? I-I know…" Watching him grab her hands with his own, she looked into his eyes with a drained sigh. "I don't mean to get jealous, but it's been taking so long. And I know that you have to pay attention to them too! Trust me I do! But…"

Sealing her lips, Mel's gaze dejected to the ground.

'Excuses…' She thought, knowing full well that she was being far too dramatic about something as simple as a bath. But why? Her mind wandered. Why did she feel such a need to be loved? To be seen by the one she adored so dearly? The answer was simple, but she hadn't faced it yet, at least not until now.

"I guess I'm just afraid that you'd leave me…" Looking up again, her eyes tearing up a little, Melicia gulped heavily as her emotions began to well up her throat. "Just like my parents, just like they abandoned me on the doorsteps of that orphanage, I don't want to be abandoned again–not after you've inked your name on my body, I'd be far too heartbroken!"

Like the blood in her veins and the woodland magic in her soul, the tattoos on Melicia's body were a reminder of Raven's love. But one was cursed with the worst of memories, and the thought of the other being plagued with the same? Would shatter her completely.

For once, at a loss for words, Raven hadn't a clue what he should say in such a delicate moment. Lifting her head instead, he looked her in the eyes and squeezed her tight in an embrace.

"The only way I'd ever leave you is if I'm dead." Although it wasn't the best choice of words, Mel snuggled her face into his chest to them. Brushing her head on her man's chest and feeling the beat of his heart against her lips, she felt a moment of calm and responded to him.

"Shut up…We're not gonna die, we're gonna be gods, remember?" She said, even though Melicia didn't believe in those words herself.