Roo was surprised how docile Fleur became.
He still needed to guard the drawbridge. The bangs and booms of battle by the canyon path entrance was still ongoing. Plenty of screams and death cries. The coming forces weren’t too large but scouts already confirmed it was more than big enough to take the town and secure it for a larger force.
Bishop Hagert was right about Peaches having to go familiar or else.
She really … went overboard on the vengeful lightspawn thing.
On the other hand, Fleur sat calm and peaceful by the front of the gate. Her wrists, ankles, and tail chained behind her with cold silver, and, of course, nude, since the danger of hidden weapons and worse …
Standard procedure.
Leaning against one of the logs she was no doubt supposed to tear down, it was clear she was embarrassed, and he couldn’t blame her. She kept enough of her dignity by hiding it, rather than throwing a hissy fit, but it was bad enough that he could hear her pant so ragged.
Of course, it was from her chest wound, but as serious as it looked with her bare in the scale beautiful body, but no, he knew, her being a serpent, that kind of wound wouldn’t kill her so quick, and especially with it bleeding so slowly, and she could be healed any time before it actually killed her.
Which he explained to and she simply nodded.
For now he stood quietly beside her.
Fleur took an extra deep and ragged breath.
“Vat vill happen to me?” she said.
Finally.
“I can’t be sure,” Roo said, “But I checked my bingo book and wowzer, you’ve really made a name for yourself. Good chance, well … I won’t lie but …”
“Tortured to death,” she said, “Zo I do not revive.”
She even slumped. “Show me. Please.”
Slipping out his bingo book, Roo flipped to her page. The illustration was gorgeous yet still didn’t do justice to her. Her exploits and … sigh.
He showed it to her.
“See that cross of branding irons,” he said, “That means torture to death. So to prevent revival.”
Fleur gulped, but before she asked the obvious next quest, he showed her the glossary of symbols.
“I don’t blame you for being skeptical,” he said, “I’m surprised you didn’t last longer.”
“Zhen … I am not worthy of being your familiar, no?” she said.
“Never said that,” he said, “But … you’ll need some training, and wait. I can’t force you into being my familiar, and now that you know you’ll be tortured to death …”
She gulped. “I understand, but … I vish … may vee try?”
“Fleur …” Roo said, “I …”
“Please?” she said, “I never died before and now … my first may be my last. I’m … scared. I’d ... I’d go genie, if … but first, please, try to familiar me, unlessss your words about my beauty … just words, no? And I truly am a brainless bimbo.”
Roo sighed. “Genie isn’t … alright. You have a point. There’s no good options for you, and letting you go … you’re too injured to even escape.”
She giggled, and whimpered.
“True,” she said, “Zank you for such a fight, but I … I vish zeenks could of been different between us, unlesss would you kill me? I shall answer your question. You vant information, true? Then …”
Roo patted her head. Even her hair was silky soft and lush.
“You’ll lose your horns,” he said, “Maybe your tail too.”
“Until I grow them back,” she said, “And vorth it for a second chance, no?”
“True,” he said, and drew his cold silver blade.
Squatted in front of her.
“Okay,” he said, “I’m make this quick. Any info on Camilla?”
“I tell you,” she said, “And I suffer vorse than being her abused pet, so please …”
Roo sighed. Those big violet eyes, even if they were serpent eyes …
“Okay,” he said, “Any info you can tell me?”
“I owe you my true life,” she said, “Do vat you wish with whatever parts are left behind. Sell them. Forge them. Vhatever.”
“Whatever?” he said, “If they’re used for forging, that’s another layer of pain you’ll have to deal with until you destroy whatever they’re forged into.”
“My fault for losing, no?” she said, “And you shall suffer for killing me rather than–”
Roo brushed her horn. So velvety and ...
Fleur gasped. Gulped.
“Zat is …” she said, “Very sexual … for my kind, so please, be gentle.”
“Forger are not gentle,” he said, “A forger would carve your horns into … but I hold onto them for you, since if any of your parts are left behind, you’ll need to fetch them. You’ll have a deep down need to. It’s good way for you to–”
Fleur giggled. Her smile reaching her serpent eyes too.
“Of course!” she said, “I shall consider it our second date. Less fighting each other next time, no?”
“You know,” Roo said, “Peaches and Ruby had their own entries in my bingo book.”
“Oooh,” Fleur said, “They earned it. But … I am not ready to go … familiar, quite yet.”
“Revival isn’t nearly as hellish,” he said, “Ruby even confirmed it.”
“Really?” Fleur said, “Zhen maybe … no. I …”
“You sure?” Roo said, “You might not be the same once you’re reborn. That pain … it must of changed Peaches. Drove her fanatic about lightspawn stuff. I’d hate to be the reason you went fanatic darkspawn.”
Fleur slumped.
Grimaced.
“I am your prisoner,” she said, “If you vish to genie me, go ahead. It is not my right to complain, no? Had I won, you vould be dead, and this way, you learn vat you need to about Camilla.”
“True,” he said, “Fleur La Noir, would you allow me to try familiaring you first?”
“I …” she said, “Alright.”
She heaved her chest out. “Fondle away, no? I am bare in the scale defenseless.”
Roo tsked, but then …
“Okay,” he said, and gently cupped her breasts in his hands and holy Light in Heaven, were these a dream come true.
Killing her … damn.
There were even cherry red nipple scales and that poked ever so gently. He pressed his thumbs into them and Fleur gasped sultry.
She even smiled. “I am a virgin, so if you vish … with your other blade …”
Wow.
Just wow.
With his heart racing, Roo knew where she was going, and knew better than to go there without slipped out a golden tricross dagger thing first.
Four left, after this one.
He showed it to her. “Familiar if you want, genie if not.”
“Finally,” she said, “I knew you vould not be so foolish as to kill me, and grant Camilla such a victory. No hard feelings about me trying, no?”
“No,” he said, “No hard feelings about … this.”
“No,” she said, “A date first …”
“Be honest now,” he said, “Camilla would never let you go on a date with me. Leaving your parts with me would only help her track me down. Using you. Nice try though.”
She slumped. “Zo … defeated once again, no?”
“Familiar time,” he said, “Or genie. Your choice.”
She nodded. “Zhen – ack!”
He stabbed the tricross up into her wound. Deep into it. Right into her heart.
Let her heart absorb it.
She gasped. Eyes glowed wide and violet.
Then she sighed.
Blinked a few times.
Her wound healed quick and perfectly. Blood vanishing too.
“Feeling better, Fleur?” he said, and patted her head again.
“Yessss, Massster,” she said, “And … oh, by zee way, vat is your name?”
“Oh yeah,” he said, “I never told you. I’m–”
“ROO!” Peaches cried out, “NOOOOOOO!”