NOVEL NEXT Chapter 38: Potion Brewing Girlfriends
Erica
Without a second thought, I scooped Aoife up in my arms and started carrying her towards our house, Willow close behind. I’d thought she was pretty before, but now, scaled up to human size, and with that lovely pair of horns, I could see how gorgeous she really was. I licked my lips and marveled at how it felt. Potions really are incredible.
Willow had been more than a little surprised when I first pitched the idea to her. She wanted to know how I even knew how to make potions, why I was so comfortable with her asking Aoife out, and how I knew they’d work the way I anticipated. This was one of the very few things I was genuinely thankful to Rob for. While I was still lucid and aware, I watched as he made his first potion from my blood, and it was actually super simple. Add a drop of your own blood to the blood or parts of whatever you’re trying to get traits from, and then focus. The clearer you can picture what you want from it, the stronger the potion you can make. The dumb bastard had explained how to do it even as he was draining my blood
I gave Willow some of my blood so she could get taller and bulk up a bit, and she gave me her’s so I could have human (or pixie?) lips again. I had no idea how long the potion would last, but I intended to make the most of it. I shoved open the front door, careful not to hit Aoife’s head on anything and started towards the bedroom. Willow darted ahead and opened the door for us, so I strolled on through.
With a cheeky grin, I flung Aoife onto the bed with one arm and stood back to inspect my prize. Aoife had reacted quickly, as I knew she would, and was now lying on her back, propped up on her elbows facing me. Facing us, I realized, as I looked to my left. Willow was beside me, staring down at Aoife with a hungry look in her eyes. I tossed a quick wink her way and she smiled.
Oh yeah.
She gets it.
Willow
I’d missed looking down at Aoife. This potion worked wonders. I wasn’t as tall as I used to be, not quite, but it was still more than enough to absolutely tower over Aoife. The horns were a nice bonus too. They were smaller than Erica’s, but other than that they matched her’s perfectly. I’d been a little worried I’d be the only one in our new little throuple who wasn’t horny, but now I fit right in.
…
No, I will not apologize for the pun.
Aoife's eyes were wide, watching us intently, and waiting for what we might do. The anticipation was getting to me too, but there’s no way I’d let her know that. Besides, there was something else to address first.
“Alright, who’s actually been in a polycule before?”
I crossed my arms as I looked between the two of them. Both shook their heads no.
“Ok. Then this is new territory for everyone. Consequently, I want to establish a few things. If at any point, anyone starts to feel uncomfortable about anything going on, just say so, if anyone starts to feel like things are moving too fast and need to slow down, just say so, and if something feels really nice and you want more of it, say so and maybe, maybe I’ll indulge you.” That last one was directed mostly towards Aoife. Erica smiled as Aoife nodded wordlessly.
“Well said, Pix. Communication, not just during sexy times either. Now. All that being said, shall we?”
She was already stalking towards Aoife, devouring her with her eyes. I suppressed a giggle as I noticed the small houseplant in the windowsill. Nonmagical, nonsentient, and just itching to be used.
My smile grew wider.
“I think we shall.”
Aoife
Erica paused just short of reaching me, a look of confusion and amazement in her eyes. I didn’t have a chance to ask her what she’d seen before something smooth and cool and leafy wrapped around my wrists, wrenching my arms out from under me. My breath caught in my throat as I saw Willow approaching from behind Erica.
“Is this ok?” She asked.
I simply nodded.
“Can I do more?”
More?
Before I could let myself overthink things, I nodded again.
“Say it.”
Erica had stepped back, and was now watching on in amusement. I twisted around, trying to get a look at the vines that had trapped me, wondering what more could possibly be. There was only one way to find out though. I looked Willow in the eyes.
“I don’t know what more is, but I know that I want it. Please.”
With that, my wrists were dragged up further above my head, the vines tightening their grips. At the same time, two more wrapped around my ankles, pulling tight. I knew I could break out of these vines if I wanted to. There was very little that could restrain a dragon, after all, but I definitely didn’t want to. Besides, the fluttering butterflies in my stomach and the growing warmth in my core had left me weak.
More was… really good.
“Look at that, Erica. A sweet little present, all wrapped up, just for us.”
Then they both descended upon me at once, and the whole world slipped away.
Matt
It had been just over a week since I asked Chelsea to train me, and train me she did. Every day, after our shifts on the wall, she’d take me out to the training field and we’d spar, or do some drill she’d come up with, or practice a new move. She was every bit the ruthless instructor she claimed she could be, but as far as I could tell, it was working. It’d be a long time before I was on her level, but it no longer felt unattainable. I was faster, smarter, and while I didn’t exactly hit harder, my strikes were starting to have more impact. Mitch was still Mitch, guard duty was still boring as hell, and my body was pretty much constantly sore now, but I felt like I was finally making real progress towards my goal for once.
My new routine was interrupted by the arrival of a stranger, one of Cyrus’ direct servants. As I readied my practice sword, a tangled mess of burning wheels appeared before me. Each wheel was covered in dozens and dozens of eyes, and a singular massive eye floated in the center of it all. An angel had appeared before me.
“Matthew and Chelsea, correct?”
Its voice was like a choir, with subtle discordant melodies buried underneath it. Dozens of voices overlapping with one another, one of them just a tiny bit flat, not quite harmonizing perfectly. We both nodded our confirmation.
“Good. Lord Cyrus has a job for you. The other hunters are already off on missions, so it falls to the both of you. A group of goblins has made their camp closer to Sunrise than is ideal. Remove them, and you can both become official hunters in service of the village. Do we have a deal?”
Chelsea and I shared a long look before finally, I nodded.
“Deal.”