Fantastic news!
A gentleman has been kind enough to become my editor and I have to say... the man's good. Made me feel like I was back in my college English class with all the little red marks. Seriously though, I am very impressed with just how better the chapter flows with his changes and suggestions.
As always Votes and feedback are greatly appreciated!
Enjoy!
Blu
Edited by: Old Fart
*****
Kal was a panicky wreck by the time Gerda brought them back up onto the trail not far from Ikuno's pool. He had failed to realize that, even though Gerda 'flew' through the stone at a good pace, the trip back to Ikuno's cave would still take nearly a full hour. With no means of communicating with Gerda, he had no choice but to deal with his phobia and wait until they resurfaced.
Once he had gotten his wits about him and recovered from the journey, he explained to Ikuno and Gerda what the issue was. Ikuno's solution was predictable, stripping him down and pushing him into Gerda's arms for a naked make-out session as they sunk down into the stone below. After some time being distracted from his surroundings by dueling tongues and heavy petting with the golem girl, he reemerged slightly more comfortable with the situation. However, Kal still wasn't sold on the prospect of spending hours at a time moving through miles of solid stone. When Gerda agreed to surface every so often, so he could get an occasional breath of fresh air, he was at least no longer terrified of the idea.
Kal was planning on heading straight home as soon as they got back to the cave. Unfortunately, his insistence on leaving disrupted Ikuno's plans. She had hoped that he would be staying for a little bit but couldn't fault him for wanting to rush home with his mother's deteriorating health. Despite wanting to wait for the more familiar surroundings of her cavern, Ikuno took a few moments to describe in detail what had happened up to the point Gerda had disappeared with him. At times the expression on the oni's face had been more telling, and terrifying, than her portrayal of the events. By the time she finished her account Kal was visibly shaken. Once he had collected himself they made their way down the trail.
Kal dug around in his pack for the partially drained crystal as they walked from the pool to Ikuno's cave. The oni had left it in there once she no longer needed it since she wasn't able to charge it at the time. When they reached the end of the trail Gerda didn't want to step off of the mountain onto the dirt and grass so she and Ikuno had stopped there to talk. Briefly interrupting, Kal asked Ikuno if she would refill the crystal. It shone brightly as it recharged with a touch to her horns, once she handed it back to him he was ready to go.
Stamina and Haste runes glowed and spun up respectively on his vambrace as he pointed himself towards home. Gerda's eyes widened in surprise as Kal bent his knees slightly before leaning forward then speeding off to the west.
Ikuno threw an arm over the golem's shoulders, getting one of the slowest startled responses the oni had seen in her life, directing Gerda off the trail and into her cave saying, "So, tell me about these sisters of yours."
---
Kal made short work of what was normally a two-hour trek back to his farm. As he approached he let himself slow down by cutting power to the runes. A small racket from inside the barn told him Perra was likely working in there as he jogged the rest of the way to the house.
Opening the front door, he found his mother already standing in front of her chair, having recognized the sound of his boots walking up the front steps. Without speaking he stepped over and wrapped his arms around her.
"I'm okay mother, see?" he said as she sobbed quietly into his chest, she responded by giving him a small squeeze. After a few moments, they separated and Kal helped her back into her chair before taking a seat nearby.
"Perra said you were stolen away by a rock golem and that Ikuno was going to rescue you, I'm guessing she succeeded?" his mother asked.
"Mostly, though the golem and I had come to an agreement before Ikuno arrived. She did bring along a translation spell that made communicating with Gerda much easier."
"Gerda? You are on a first name basis with this girl already?" she noted Kal's slight blush and continued on, "I see, you are more than acquaintances, aren't you. How does Ikuno feel about all of this?" she asked.
Kal thought for a moment about the choices he made outside Gerda's cavern. With a sigh, he decided that he could also do away with keeping secrets from his mother about his life outside the farm.
"Yes, that was part of the deal," he said in a level tone. "She would let me go if I promised to come back and see her every so often. Ikuno is from a land far to the east, in her culture, a man having many women is seen as a sign of power and virility, she actually encourages it."
"What about Perra? She's coming of age soon and it's obvious that she has her sights set on you."
"Perra was there when Ikuno told me about how it would be wise for me to build relationships with many monster girls, as it would help me in the long run as a mage."
"Curious, how so?"
"She gave the example of: I could sail out onto the sea, slay a giant squid, then collect its ink or trade some intimate time with a squid girl for ink of roughly the same quality or better."
Kal could tell that his mother didn't fully approve of her son having relationships with multiple women. She sighed and picked up her knitting, "How do you plan on dealing with it if you have children with them?" His mother looked up at his face when he was silent, then brought her knitting needles down to her lap, "Kal... No..."
"Sorry, mother, but the answer is yes, Aradelle and I have a daughter together. If you can't deal with your first granddaughter being an alarune I understand. However, if you are okay with it then I'd like to take you to her little grove in a few weeks when she starts to sprout."
Kal's mother stared at him, blinking repeatedly as she processed everything he just said.
"Sprout? Are you joking?" she asked cautiously.
