So this is the next one. Again, you don't need to have played the game to read the story, hope you enjoy it :D
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Raine sighed and started the paragraph over for the fifth time.
"The use and effectiveness of magitechnology for personal use is by and large counter-indicated, unless the result of the use releases a large amount of mana in itself . . . ."
She sighed again and slammed the book shut.
She didn't know why she was having such a hard time concentrating, but it was best to just give up for the day; otherwise, she would just get more and more frustrated and start screaming.
She stretched broadly as she stood up from the desk in her bedroom and walked over to the window that looked out onto the garden. The sight of the trees and flowers soothed her mood somewhat, but then her eye was caught by a flash of pink, and she turned her head.
After she saw what it was, her head snapped back the other way. Presea and Genis were standing, embraced, on one of the paths, kissing. That wasn't what made Raine's cheeks burn; rather, it was the way the girl's skirt was pushed up, exposing her underwear, and the slight movement that might have been a hand caressing them.
Raine was sure that none of what was going on was any business of hers. They were all adults, after all, no matter how much she might like to think of them as her students still. She had thought, however, that Colette at least would have had more sense than to get entangled with Zelos. But, again, it wasn't her business.
She turned away from the window all together and left the room. She wasn't sure where she was headed at first, and then turned around a corner and headed toward the library. It was cool there, and the only windows faced the front of the house. And of course, there might be some books there that she could focus on reading.
The library was indeed cool and dark, and the only light coming in was from the window. The shadows abounded, and she jumped when she saw one of them move and stand up to a height greater than her own. One hand pressed to her chest to try and calm her racing pulse, but it was just Regal Bryant, standing up with a book in his hand.
"Oh, Regal! You startled me," she said, laughing a little. "I was just coming to . . ." she trailed off, since she had no idea what she'd actually come to do.
He smiled at her and sat back down. "I'm sorry to have frightened you, Raine."
She sat in a chair near his and crossed her legs. "Have you noticed strange things happening lately?"
A laugh rumbled up from his chest. "Raine, you of all of people know that strange is relative. And which of the unusual things are you referring to?"
There was a momentary silence as she thought about it. "Well, I was thinking about all the sex. It seems like every one here is more sexually charged than they'd been."
He nodded thoughtfully and stood up again. "I know what you mean. I have a book in my room that might explain a little. Would you like to come see it?"
Raine agreed eagerly, and followed him out of the library. But she found herself thinking about how attractive he was, watching the way his ass moved under his trousers.
There was, indeed, a book in his room, and Regal opened it to a page that discussed the excesses of mana produced by sexual activity. Raine scanned the page, and shrugged. "Okay, so sex means more mana, because of its basic purpose of producing life." She looked at him. "But how does that relate to what's been going on here?"
He motioned for her to sit down, and sat down himself, facing her and leaning in close. "Remember what happened right after the Giant Tree germinated? We needed to keep Derris-Kharlan from leaving, so that the mana it gave off could help the tree survive."
She nodded impatiently. "And that's what happened."
"But Derris-Kharlan has been moving away." At her shocked look, her reached out and took her hand. "Raine, haven't you felt it? The mana level isn't steady. The Tree is making up some of the deficit, but it's still trying to get to its full potential." He chuckled. "I'm human, and I can feel it. How can half-elves not?"
She turned bright red. "I've just been distracted, I suppose."
Regal moved behind her and began to massage her shoulders. "It happens. In any case, the Tree has power of its own, and I think that's what's causing this."
"Hmmmm?" Her eyes were closed, enjoying the feeling of his strong hands on her back.
"The Tree is influencing us to be more sexual in order to produce the spare mana needed to balance the world until the Tree is mature."
Her eyes opened slowly. "But why us?"
"We were the ones that worked to recombine the worlds, that helped the Tree germinate. It feels a connection with us, and we have strong mana." His hands paused and started to run down her arms softly. "Why not us?"
Raine felt a soft touch on the side of one of her breasts and her head whipped around. "Regal, what are you doing?"
A gentle hand touched her cheek, and he moved in front of her. "Raine, haven't you been feeling left out of the fun? Everyone but us having sex, it has to be frustrating for you."
She frowned a little. "I suppose it has been, a little." Her face firmed. "But that doesn't mean that we should . . ." she flushed.
"Think of it as helping balance the mana." His thumb brushed her cheek and she pressed her face against his palm.
"Do you still have those shackles?"
He took a step back. "What? The . . . what?" Her grin was a little feral as she stood up. "I'll be right back."
Regal was a little puzzled over what she had meant, but stayed in his room until she returned. She came back carrying a pair of handcuffs, and something else that she was trying to hide in the folds of her tunic. "Raine, where did you get those?"
She managed to look a little embarrassed. "It's a long story." Her tone and demeanor changed. "Now. Hands behind your back."
He complied, still a little amused over this new Professor that none of them had ever seen. She cuffed his hands together behind his back and pushed him down onto his bed with one hand in the middle of his chest. The other hand held a riding crop, something he'd never seen her use.
Raine dropped the crop on the bed next to him and pulled her tunic over her head. She was wearing a thin undershirt, because of the summer heat, that did little to hide her nipples, which pushed up through the material. She picked up the crop and slapped his shoulder with it, sliding it around to the back of his neck and pushing his head forward to her breasts. "Suck."
His mouth opened and his tongue snaked out to wrap around her nipple over the fabric of her undershirt. Regal's lips closed over the nipple, feeling it harden as he sucked gently on it, wetting the fabric. Her free hand stroked his hair gently while the riding crop stayed pressed against his neck.
Another quick, hard slap of the riding crop. "Now the other one."