Chapter 8: The Whole Armada Empire is in Flames! (8)
The journey back through the dense, tangled undergrowth of the Blackwood Forest was grueling, especially with the added weight of an elven princess in his arms. But as the familiar scent of pine and woodsmoke hit his nose, Abellion felt the tension in his shoulders ease. The trees thinned out, revealing the small, sturdy clearing he had carved out of the wilderness with his own two hands.
"We finally arrived." Abellion announced, his breathing only slightly heavier than usual. He walked past the defensive perimeter of sharpened stakes and approached the cabin. He didn't bring her inside immediately; the fresh air was better for assessing her condition before trapping them both in a confined space. Abellion finally arrived and drop Olivia on a bench outside of the house.
The bench was a simple thing, a split log smoothed down and resting on two stumps, but to the exhausted and poisoned princess, it likely felt as comfortable as a throne.
"Home sweet home," Abellion muttered, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead. He took a moment to look at the structure—sturdy, functional, and solitary. It was his fortress against the plot, though he had just voluntarily breached his own defenses by bringing a main character here.
He turned his gaze downward. Abellion then look on Olivia.
She was slumped against the log wall of the cabin, her breath coming in shallow, ragged gasps. The poison was moving faster now, the black veins creeping up her neck like a sinister ivy. Despite her agony, she noticed his intense stare.
"What are you looking?! Owww owww," she snapped, trying to sound imperious, but the attempt turned into a whimper of pain as she tried to adjust her position.
Abellion pull her right hand and then look her hand. He ignored her protest, his grip firm and clinical. He rolled back the sleeve of her tattered travel dress, examining the source of the corruption. The skin was cold to the touch, and the black necrosis had darkened significantly since he first saw it in the forest.
His mind raced, cross-referencing the symptoms with the encyclopedic lore he had memorized from the novel. The distinct smell of rotting orchids, the spiderweb pattern of the veins, the sudden drop in body temperature—it was unmistakable.
'I was right this poison is none other than the 'Necro-Blight', luckily I have the antidote since this forest has the antidote of that damn legendary poison. The only dangerous effects of it is either you will get in heat or horny or a deep sleep for days.'
It was a classic trope of the genre. The Blackwood Forest was a high-level danger zone, and in such ecosystems, the cure often grew near the poison. He had harvested the Moon-Pale Lilies years ago, processing them into a potent extract just in case he ever encountered the toxic beasts that utilized this venom. He hadn't expected to use it on a royal elf.
He looked at her, his expression serious. Abellion sighed "I have the antidote but it has effects and I'm not sure if I will use it to you."
The hesitation was genuine. The side effects were volatile, usually played for comedic or erotic tension in the novel, but in reality, they were dangerous variables.
Olivia hearing that then look on Abellion "Really?! Give it to me then, give it to me!" Her survival instinct overrode her dignity. She lunged forward, grabbing his wrist with surprising strength for someone on death's door.
"Relax! Damn stop pulling my hand," Abellion grunted, trying to disengage without hurting her further. Olivia realizing she is holding his hand then she hurrily let it go. She pulled back as if burned, clutching her poisoned arm to her chest, her face flushing with a mix of fever and embarrassment.
Abellion continued "Do you want to know the effects, they are lethal too y'know." He needed her informed consent, or at least for her to understand that he wasn't responsible for what happened next.
Olivia sighed "Just tell me I'm prepared of those lethal effects you are telling of and I'm a princess of the elves which means I have resistance on lethal effects on antidotes." She lifted her chin, trying to project the haughty confidence of the High Elves. In the novel, Elves boasted high magic resistance and fortitude, but 'Necro-Blight' was a poison designed to kill gods, not just mortals.
'Guess I worried for nothing,' Abellion thought, looking at her stubborn expression. If she was confident, who was he to argue? Abellion sighed in relief then tell her.
"Since you told me you have resistance to it then I'll tell ya."
"Just hurry up and tell me," Olivia snapped, rushing him. The pain was becoming unbearable, feeling like liquid fire in her veins.
"Well the lethal effects of the antidote is heat or deep sleep, the heat word means horniness which means you will be in heat for days like 2-3 I guess." He said it bluntly, without sugarcoating. In the medical texts of the Empire, it was referred to as 'Mana Overload Arousal,' but on the streets—and in the fan forums of the novel—it was simply 'The Heat.'
Olivia blinked, her brain processing the information slowly through the haze of pain. "Is that all then heat and deep sleep is too eas-, what? So you saying if I take that antidote I will be in-heat for like 2-3 days."
"Yep," Abellion nodded, his face a mask of pragmatic indifference. Then continue "But it has a low chance for you to get that tho."
The novel lore was specific. The Moon-Pale Lily antidote had a 98.5% chance of inducing a magical coma to repair the body, and a 1.5% chance of triggering the 'heat' state due to an overreaction of the adrenaline system.
Olivia sighed in relief and then ask Abellion "What about the deep sleep effect?" Given the odds, the sleep seemed the inevitable outcome.
Abellion replied "Well you will sleep like a princess for like a month I guess."
"A month?!" Olivia shocked. Her eyes went wide. A month was a long time to be vulnerable, unconscious in the home of a human stranger in the middle of a monster forest.
"Yeah a month, so just pray it will lessen the effects using your resistance elf trait." He shrugged. "Honestly, waking up in a month is better than dying in an hour, right?"
Olivia sighed and then tell Abellion "Just give the antidote then." She had no choice. The cold creeping toward her heart told her she had minutes, not hours.
Abellion then princess carry her again "Don't you dare to shout! I'm just bringing you inside." He scooped her up from the bench before she could try to stand and fall over.
Olivia nod 'I'm not planning to shout anyways. Hmph!' She pouted, crossing her arms as best she could. Being carried was becoming a habit she found disturbingly comfortable.
Abellion then arrived inside and put Olivia on his bed. It wasn't a luxury mattress; it was a frame filled with dried moss and covered in cured bear furs, but it was warm and dry.
"Stay there I will get the antidote first."
Olivia nodded, after a while Abellion disappear on her sight then she look on the room. Left alone for a moment, her curiosity battled her exhaustion. She scanned the interior of the cabin.
The room has a simple and minimalistic design. It was aggressively utilitarian. There were no paintings, no flowers, no decorations. Just weapons on the wall, drying meats hanging from the rafters, and heavy wooden furniture. It smelled of man—of sweat, leather, and steel.
'This could get improve if he have a wife or girlfriend but knowing that dense guy, I bet he is still single and virgin.'
The thought bubbled up through her delirium. Despite his rugged looks and capability, he had the emotional intelligence of a rock. He treated an Elven Princess like a sack of potatoes.
"Hehehehehe" Olivia laugh then realize what she had just thought shriek in cringe manner.
'Why the hell I did think that?!' She blamed the poison for making her mind wander to such inappropriate places.
Abellion finally arrived after a gruesome 3 minutes. To Olivia, it felt like an hour. He was holding a wooden bowl filled with a shimmering, silver-blue liquid.
"All right here the antidote, and don't bother using your elf powers to get the juice I already did that, i put all the flower juice into that bowl." He knelt beside the bed, stirring the mixture one last time.
Abellion then gave it to Olivia, then she thank him "Thank you." She took the bowl with trembling hands.
Abellion replied "Your welcome."
She didn't hesitate. Olivia then drank the antidote that Abellion made. It tasted bitter, like crushed stems and raw magic, but she swallowed it all.
Almost instantly, the reaction began. The black veins on her arm stopped pulsating and began to fade to a dull grey. Her body temperature spiked, then stabilized.
"Well are you feeling anything now?" Abellion ask, taking the empty bowl from her.
"It seems I feel sleepy, AUGHHHW" A massive yawn cracked her jaw. Her eyelids felt like they were made of lead. The magic of the lily was forcing her body into immediate shutdown to repair the necrotic damage.
Then she drop her body to the bed and finally close her eyes and sleep. Her breathing evened out instantly, deep and rhythmic.
Abellion stood over her for a moment, watching. She looked peaceful, far removed from the terrified creature screaming at a bear an hour ago.
'Where will i sleep now?' Abellion thought and sighed. He looked at his only bed, now occupied by royalty. He glanced at the hard wooden floor. 'Great. I guess I'm sleeping on the bear rug tonight.'
He checked her pulse one last time. It was slow and steady. The comatose state had begun.
'I bet the deep sleep effect will be for a day, knowing Olivia's lineage which is High Elves and also being a descendant too of the Goddess Ymir, the effect will be just a day I guess.'
He was optimistic. If she woke up in 24 hours, he could send her on her way and get back to his training. He didn't want a roommate for a month.
Abellion then go outside to continue his routine 'I just hope the deep sleep effect will be in a day.'
The rest of the day passed in a blur of physical exertion. Abellion needed to burn off the nervous energy that came from having his isolation breached. He spent hours in the clearing, practicing his spear forms. Thrust. Parry. Sweep. Strike.
He moved like a whirlwind, his sweat soaking his shirt. He was preparing for the worst-case scenario: that assassins would come looking for Olivia, or that monsters would be drawn to the scent of the magical antidote.
As the sun began to set, painting the sky in hues of purple and orange that matched his eyes, he finally stopped. He wiped his face with a towel and looked at the cabin. It was quiet.
'It's been about eight hours,' he calculated. 'She should be deep in the restorative coma.'
After a while it's evening Abellion done doing his training routine decide to go inside.
The interior of the cabin was dark, the fire in the hearth having burned down to glowing embers. He stepped inside, expecting the rhythmic breathing of the sleeping princess.
Instead, he heard… shifting. The rustle of furs.
His eyes adjusted to the gloom. The bed was empty.
"I thought the effect would be estimated for a day? It seems your resistance trait is too op huh princess?"
He spoke into the darkness, assuming she had woken up early due to her superior Elven bloodline. He walked towards the center of the room.
"Umm Princess Olivia are you alright?" Abellion ask in worry manner.
Something was wrong. The air in the room felt heavy, charged with a strange, sweet scent—like musk and blooming flowers. He saw a silhouette standing near the window, swaying slightly.
It seems Olivia is focus looking down the floor and then after a while.
She turned. Her green eyes were practically glowing in the dark, the pupils dilated so wide they swallowed the iris. Her skin was flushed a deep, feverish red.
She didn't speak. She moved.
BAM!
It wasn't an attack; it was a tackle. Abellion, despite his years of fighting monsters, was caught completely off guard by the sheer speed and ferocity of the movement.
Abellion drop on the floor and then he saw Olivia above her body.
He hit the wooden floorboards hard, the wind knocked out of him. Before he could scramble up, Olivia straddled his waist, pinning him down with a strength that shouldn't have been possible for someone recovering from lethal poison.
Her hair hung down like a curtain around them, shielding his view of everything but her face. She was panting, her breath hot and smelling of the antidote's sweetness.
"You know it's rude to ask a lady mister~" Her voice was a low purr, dripping with a sultry tone that was terrifyingly different from her usual haughty demeanor.
"What is the meaning of this Olivia?!" Abellion shouted, panic rising in his chest. This wasn't normal. This wasn't the 'Deep Sleep.'
Olivia continue with a deep blush on her face and breathing heavily infront of Abellion "Also it is rude you ask my name and then you didn't even give me your name mister!"
She leaned closer, her weight pressing him into the floorboards. She was delirious, operating on pure instinct and magical compulsion.
Olivia then chock Abellion and then ask him "So what's your damn name mister~?!"
Her hands wrapped around his neck—not to kill, but to dominate. It was a firm grip, demanding submission.
"Abe-Abel my name is Abel and stop chocking me already-" He stammered, trying to pry her fingers loose.
Then Abellion look on Olivia, her face is in deep red and she is breathing heavily.
The realization hit him like a freight train. The symptoms. The aggression. The heat radiating off her body. The dilated eyes.
'Don't tell me she got the in-heat effect!'
His mind reeled. 'How's that possible getting the in-heat effect is 1.5% chance as the novel said as far as I damn remember.'
Out of all the odds, of course, the plot would force the 1.5% scenario. It was cosmic bad luck. The antidote hadn't put her to sleep; it had jump-started her reproductive system and flooded her brain with magically induced pheromones. She wasn't just horny; she was in a state of primal, magical need.
"Olivia get a grip you got the in-heat effect, just, just come back to your damn sense!" Abellion struggle to let go of Olivia's hands while she is choking him.
He didn't want to hurt her. If he used his full strength, he could break her bones, but he couldn't just lie there.
"Get a damn gri-"
Before Abellion could continue Olivia kissed him.
It wasn't a tentative, romantic kiss. It was a devouring. She silenced him effectively, her lips crashing against his, hungry and demanding. She tasted of wild magic and desperation.
Abellion's eyes went wide. His brain short-circuited. He was the feared mafia boss, the survivor of the monster forest, the man who killed bears for breakfast—and he was completely paralyzed by an Elven Princess.
After a whole damn 5 minutes Olivia finally stop kissing Abellion and she look on him.
She pulled back, a thin string of saliva connecting their lips. Her eyes were hazy, swirling with lust and the potent effects of the Moon-Pale Lily.
"Let's do it~"
Olivia leaning to Abel's left ear and said with a seductive tone "My dear Abel~"
The whisper sent a shiver down his spine that had nothing to do with fear and everything to do with the fact that he was a healthy sixteen-year-old boy in a very compromising position.
'I'm fucking screwed' Abellion thought.
He stared up at the wooden ceiling, his mind frantically searching for an escape route and finding none. Because he knew how powerful the in-heat effect is, even Olivia's resistance elf trait didn't even work, there's a big chance he will be rape.
The magical compulsion of the 'Heat' didn't take 'no' for an answer. It turned the sufferer into a creature of pure instinct until the energy was spent. And right now, Abellion was the only outlet for that energy in a hundred miles.
---
The scene abruptly froze. The candle flickered but didn't move. Olivia remained poised, lips parted, eyes burning with intent, hovering over a terrified Abellion.
From the shadows of the corner of the room, a figure stepped out, leaning casually against the wall. It was Abellion—or rather, the persona of Johan, breaking the fourth wall with a weary but amused expression.
The scene stop and the one whose behind is none other than Abellion "Hi readers, I just stop that scene because I decide to continue that in the next chapter.
He pointed a thumb back at his frozen self on the floor, who looked moments away from losing his innocence in the most chaotic way possible.
"Also don't worry we will get an early 18+ chapter so expected to get ready, to read the first early 18+ chapter of my novel lol."
He grinned, acknowledging the sudden shift in the story's tone. Survival, politics, and monsters had suddenly taken a backseat to something far more primal.
"Goodbye, see ya." Abellion waved his hand again as a gestured for a goodbye.
As he waved, the image of the cabin faded into darkness, leaving the readers on the precipice of the "event" that would bond the Villain and the Villainess together permanently.