(This is an erotic litRPG that will deal with aspects of BDSM culture and humiliation play. All sex acts will be consensual, but there will be aspects of non-consensual humiliation/embarrassment explored throughout the story. The full title is
ENF Academy: For Some Reason, She Can Only Save the World if She's Naked
, and I'm going to be releasing blocks of chapters here as I continue to write it. Hope you enjoy!)
1.1: Arrival
The Endrin National Fortress Academy came into view, giving Elaina the first glimpse at her second chance at life. She leaned out the window of the carriage to get a better look, grinning even as her chestnut hair danced around her face and obscured the view. Even from this distance the school was imposing, numerous towers jutting from the pristine white base topped with blue roofs, surrounded by a sprawling green lawn. "Don't fall out now, darling," her coachwoman shouted from the front, her own curled black hair flowing in the wind in what Elaina was sure was more graceful than her own. "They won't pay me if you show up running behind the cart."
Elaina laughed and leaned back into the carriage before opening the small communication window to answer back, "I'm not going to fall out right before I arrive at Endrin! I'd be mortified!"
Char kept her head facing the road, but Elaina could see the grin growing on her face. "I don't know what to expect from you at this point. It's only been a week, but I don't think a day has passed since I met you that you
haven't
done something to mortify yourself."
Elaina pursed her lips, fighting back a blush. It was true, of course, but now that she was finally here that would change,
had
to change. Her days as a walking ball of embarrassment were over, starting now.
"But don't worry about that, dear. Traveling so far is always rough for first timers. Some people take to it better than others."
Elaina was already sure she was firmly,
firmly
placed in the camp of "others," but she appreciated the attempt at comforting her anyway. "Ya, traveling... Once I'm settled in at the academy, things'll be okay." She almost believed it.
The two kept up their small talk for the next half hour or so before they reached the front gates. Getting out of the carriage gave Elaina her first proper view of the Academy. She'd heard of the towers before, and had honestly thought they looked smaller than expected as they approached, but now she realized she had been wrong. The towers had seemed small because she had no idea the base building and surrounding fields would be so enormous. She stood in awe of the castle, a place of legend, one that may as well had been a myth to her just a year ago, and her new home for the next three years.
"Alright, I know it's impressive, but you have to quit gawking." Elaina broke from her trance and saw that Char had already unloaded her two bags from the back of the carriage and set them down just in front of the gate. "I'm not Aspected like you, so they won't even let me through the gates. It's up to you from here." Elaina winced a little at the joke. Char didn't seem to mean anything negative by it, but it did make Elaina vibrantly aware of her situation, the nature of their relationship and respective statuses.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you get all that stuff-"
"Nah nah, that's what I'm paid for," Char said, waving Elaina off. The woman's face grew even warmer than normal when she smiled at her. "I'm happy I got to spend the trip with someone like you for once. Most years it's just the usual noble brats who think I'm one of their house servants."
That did scare Elaina. She'd tried avoiding the thought as much as possible, but she couldn't completely ignore that she was walking into the metaphorical wolves' den with quite a lot of wool covering a very sheep-shaped body. "Are they really that bad?"
"Eh, to me? Ya, but you're one of them, now, whether you act like it or not. Shouldn't be too much of a problem for you to get along with 'em."
"Right..." Elaina looked back at the gates. The suits of armor standing on either side didn't beckon her inside, but the sun was near setting, and she knew she couldn't linger long. Char had kept a fast pace over their seven days, but it was a tight trip, and she was likely one of the last arrivals today, Awakening Day. "I do think I have to go now." She turned back to Char, then walked forward and hugged her. "Thanks for bringing me this far. I can handle it from here."
Char patted her on the back, holding the embrace until Elaina let go. "One more thing," she said, reaching into her jacket pocket and pulling out a leather necklace adorned with a wooden star. "It's not much, but happy birthday."
Elaina took it in her hands and marveled at the piece. Fine leather, excellent wood carved completely smooth. This was the type of thing that the wealthy of her village would flaunt. "I- how much did this cost?"
"Ha, nothing, dear. The string is from an old saddle, and I made the star myself. It's a good hobby to pass the nights on these long trips." She grabbed the piece back for herself and slipped it over Elaina's head. "I know you didn't have a real chance to celebrate, so I wanted to get you at least one proper present."
Elaina took the star in her hands once more as it hung from her neck and beamed back up at Char before embracing her again. "I love it."
Char squeezed her tightly back before finally letting go. "It looks good on you, a star for the star blessed."
Star blessed. That's what Elaina was now, or would be after her Awakening tonight, which she was getting dangerously close to being late for. "Thank you so much, for everything, but I do need to go."
"Ya ya, oh great hero of the future. Get to class before they send you to wizard detention or whatever."
Elaina laughed as she grabbed her bags from the ground. "I will! Have a safe trip back!" She turned back to the gates, the suits of armor standing ever imposing as she did. This was it. If her village priest had made a mistake... Well, she would know soon enough. She drew in one deep breath before darting through. She'd half expected one final humiliation to cap off her trip, but the autonomous guards remained still, and Elaina passed through with nothing but a slight tingle coursing through her body.
Endrin Academy, she'd made it.
After passing through the gate and getting over the weird sensation it gaveโElaina wondered briefly if that had been the rumored barrier meant to keep out nonstudents or just her own nervesโthe walk up to the school was remarkably mundane. She lugged her two suitcases across the sprawling lawn. As she approached the fortress that grew in size with each step forward, a large group of small dots came into view, the other students.