Chapter 20: Chapter 16: The Talk I

They were all gathered inside Reilanis's office, sitting on both sofas, with Reilanis sitting in her chair behind the desk. They had finished dinner a while ago, with the Oni having devoured almost 60 kg of meat by herself, leaving Miriam, who had accompanied her, speechless, and Elisa and Neminah, going crazy preparing more while the Oni devoured each piece like a wild beast.

They were all sitting in silence. On Reilanis's left, Neminah with Elisa, and Miriam on the right with Vistelia, waiting for what their leader had to tell them. Miriam had calmed down quite a bit about how she was doing a couple of hours ago, and although she looked serious, she was inwardly jumping with happiness.

Elisa, on the other hand, looked exhausted. In her mind was waiting for at least one good explanation, and if not, then she would get up and tell Reilanis everything she wanted to say.

Neminah was just waiting for an opportunity to get closer to her mommy and snuggle in her lap, so she was prepared, looking for an opening. And Vistelia, oh boy, she was the one who had her mind messed up the most, after Reilanis herself. "What is she trying to tell us? Is she really my lady? What did that wink mean? Was it some kind of trick to make me lower my guard? And if it really is her, was it some way to give me her answer? Am I overthinking too much about it?" All those questions, and many more, ran uncontrollably through her mind. It didn't matter if her exterior showed her normally unchanged expression. Her mind was in chaos.

“*Ahem* so, uh, I want to get this over with. – Reilanis announced, coughing once to get everyone's attention. She glanced around at each of the attentive faces of her companions, then nodded as she saw that they were focused on her. – First of all, I want to start by apologizing to everyone for what has happened these days. I found myself in a…complicated situation, and I had to do what I did to keep it from getting out of hand.”

The 4 girls nodded, showing that they understood, although both Elisa and Vistelia maintained a certain look of suspicion. They weren't used to Reilanis apologizing to any of them, and less in as formal a way as she was doing at the time.

Satisfied with that, and relieved that there were no questions or comments about it, the Oni decided to continue.

“I'll start by explaining what happened. First of all, on the first day, the reason I acted that way, well, that wasn't me."

"It wasn’t you?"

The first to doubt her was Elisa, who was the most suspicious of the situation so far. And her question only showed that she was already starting to get annoyed, thinking that Reilanis was just trying to make some excuse like she had been doing for the past few years.

"Correct. You see… what happened that day was that somehow another soul entered my body. At that moment, the one who panicked and fainted wasn’t me. Someone else was in control of my body."

Vistelia immediately protested, with visible annoyance and disbelief. “My lady, are you saying that somehow an unknown soul, for some reason, entered this dungeon, possessed and took control of your body, then panicked and fainted? Is that what you're trying to tell us?"

“Essentially, yes.

“I'm sorry master, but I find this extremely hard to believe. I can't take your words seriously."

“I know it's hard to believe me. No one could do something like that in the first place. But it is what happened. I can't do anything but ask you all to believe me."

“Very difficult to do if there is no proof of it.”

Reilanis felt a bit hurt and bothered by Elisa's tone. The blonde girl was aware that she was being disrespectful, but she couldn't help it, she really didn't believe a single word and on top of everything, she was upset because she felt that her master was blatantly lying to them.

"Maybe I should start by telling you in detail what happened that day."

Reilanis then began to explain what happened when he woke up from bed that day, that it had been Reilan, or actually Allan Reizen, who had taken control of her body and, guided by some kind of instinct, he reached that isolated room and locked up with her. She then recounted how they were constantly switching control, with her trying to get rid of him, and Reilan trying to get back to his own home.

“Mother, I… believe you, but I don't quite understand what you're saying. Who is this…? Reilan? Or is it, Allan?”

“It's a bit complicated, I know. But I suppose it is necessary to tell more about who he was."

Reilanis recounted that this other soul was from another world. She talked about the life he had had, his loss, and the abyss of sadness he fell into after his beloved sacrificed herself to save him. About his many attempts to end his life and that they had all failed. “I guess, I was somehow attracted to him. I felt like… I could relate with him.”

"Attracted? To him? – Vistelia's face twitched, a tic under her eye, and the annoyance was visible in her expression. – For what reason would you feel attracted? Perhaps you…”

"No. – Reilanis responded dryly. For some reason, she felt that if she didn't respond that way, she would regret it later. – Let me explain this first. As we talked, or rather, as I struggled to get him out, we came to some mutual understanding. He came to understand that I was… in a bad state. He made me realize that I was avoiding facing my own situation and that…was hurting me. Not only me but also all of you. I… he made me understand many things, and also helped me a lot, even… I came to see him as a brother.”

They were all taken aback by what Reilanis was saying, creating a huge silence. They were not only surprised by this being called Reilan, but by everything she was admitting to them. They were shocked that someone she only knew for about 3 days, had achieved what they had not been able to in several years. They were… jealous. The 4 of them felt jealous of this person. And to top it off, she saw him as a brother? That was already too incredible to be true.

“He also scolded me a lot. He made me realize that all of you were worried about me and that I was just pushing you away. I understood that you were trying to help me because you are my family.”

“S-she was scolded? Her!?" They all thought at that moment. They didn't know how to react. They all looked puzzled by that revelation. It was as if they had been told that the sky tasted like mint, or that the north had become yesterday. An absolutely crazy statement.

“And that brings me to the most important part of this. I… the reason why it took me so long to get out of there. While I was locked in there with him, he made me remember a lot of things from the past. I remembered when Miriam was born, also when we found Elisa, and the time when I decided to bring Neminah with us. – Reilanis paused to look Vistelia in the eyes. The elf felt as if this was some kind of message that she was giving her. – I remembered when you found me that day and… what you told me.”

Miriam, Elisa, and Neminah alternated their gazes between the two girls. A strange atmosphere had suddenly formed between those two as if flowers were blooming around them. Vistelia looked strangely more feminine than before, and Reilanis, for some reason had a sheepish grin on her face.

"*Ahem* So, what was that you were going to say, master?"

"Eh? Oh yes, uh, sorry. – Reilanis replied, blushing a little and looking away from the elf, who had "taken refuge" in her hood, hiding from the gaze of the rest of the girls. Her heart was beating like crazy, and her face had grown so hot that she felt as if it was going to burst into flames at any moment. Reilanis placed her hand on the back of her neck and sighed, trying to calm down before resuming her story. – Well, this is not an easy thing to say. The situation, and Reilan, forced me to… remember my past. The reason why I was becoming… what you guys have seen these past few years.”

The four girls felt the sudden change in her actions. She looked worried and nervous, there was a subtle trace of fear in her eyes. Sensing that this was the ideal moment, or perhaps because she thought that she could help, Neminah got up and walked directly to her mommy. She climbed onto her lap and snuggled into it. Reilanis herself did nothing more than watch her, and when the girl finished settling down, she surrendered to the little girl and began to pet her. Feeling that this made her feel calmer, she began to tell what she most feared to reveal about life.

She talks about her childhood, that she was an orphan, without knowing who her parents were or they whereabouts. She was ignored by all the adults in the village and constantly picked on by all the children, except for one girl. A blue-skinned Oni named Mika. Reilanis unexpectedly confessed that this girl had been her first love, but that she was feeling so separated from everyone, and knowing that there was no future with her if she stayed, decided to leave the placer and go on her own. She said that she had gotten the idea from a human adventurer named Rita, who had taught her everything she knew up to that moment, but unfortunately, she never heard from Rita again.

Miriam and Vistelia felt upset hearing about that girl who was the first to steal Reilanis's heart. Miriam kept pondering something with a straight face, while the elf decided that she should redouble her efforts to show Reilanis how much she loved her.

After a short silence, which Reilanis took advantage of to hug Neminah and feel the softness of her fur, she resumed her story.

This time, her expression became more serious. There was pain and fear in her expression, something that was immediately noticed by the others.

“After leaving the village, I headed to the nearest city. According to Rita, it was a few days south. But… I never made it.”

It was here that she began to recount the most difficult parts of her life. The night she was attacked while she was preparing to camp. Being overwhelmed by many men and defeated by their leader. She was immediately turned into a slave and taken to an unknown location. Her voice began to crack and she began to pause as she spoke, making an enormous effort to keep speaking without intending to stop. In her mind, as difficult as it was, she was determined to say it all.

She talked about that nun and her profane religion, the things that crazy woman made her do every day, and the constant beatings she received every time she did something wrong, or even just because that bitch took pleasure in making her suffer.

As Reilanis continued, everyone's expressions grew darker and darker. Miriam clenched her teeth and was on the verge of tears. Vistelia was completely lost. In her mind were only the questions, how, why, and who? She made an enormous effort to understand what to do. While Elisa was realizing that her master had gone through a life equal to or even worse than hers.

“That was… at the beginning. The easiest to bear. After all, at that time it was just her.”

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Reilanis took a moment to calm down, closing her eyes and breathing slowly. She caressed Neminah seeking comfort in her softness and warmth. She was shaking profusely, but, when she felt ready enough, she went on with what would be the hardest part of it.

“One night, that bitch came to my 'private room' as she used to call my cell, and after her daily routine, she told me, that was a special night. She forced me to wear some rather humiliating clothes and then took me to another room, where the rest of the group of bastards were."

Again, she took another moment to breathe and calm down. The others noticed how difficult it was getting for her to keep talking, they could tell that she was one step away from breaking down in tears.

"Mom! – Miriam yelled, getting up from her place. Her face was a reflection of the pain and concern that overflowed as she heard her. And if the next part was as bad as she thought, she wished Reilanis would stop, She couldn't bear to see her haunted by the memories and the pain of reliving them. – That's enough, you don't have… ”

"No. I’m not going to stop here. I already decided to tell you all without hiding anything. For the last 3 days, I had to relive everything. I was there again. I saw myself going through all of that. And…if it wasn't for Reilan forcing me to face it, right now I would be even worse than before. If I don't do this, I won't be able to move on."

Silence.

Vistelia looked afflicted at Reilanis, she also wanted to stop her somehow. Her heart felt hurt as she heard more about her past, but she had nothing she could say to change her mind. Finally, Miriam sat back in her place, giving in to the wishes of her mother. Although she and Vistelia remained extremely hurt and worried.

Reilanis nodded and continued.

She talked about how that first night was the start of her hell. Beaten, raped, and without the right to rest for a single minute until that pig was satisfied. Her only consolation was that being a "rare and high-quality product" they would keep her virginity intact. But that was just false hope.

When that first night was finally over and she was granted some rest, she was awakened the next morning and sent to the training ground to be taught how to fight, to be a combat slave as well as a sexual one.

This cycle was repeated over and over again for several months. During a whole night she was raped and tortured by one or several men, so that the next day and for another 5 days, she was beaten, cut, and mutilated, until the night of the sixth day came when the whole cycle would start again. She was there, being tortured in thousands of ways, for almost a year out of the 2 years she was held captive. Until somehow a miracle happened that allowed her to be free again, which led her to find the core of the dungeon.

"Thanks to that, I was able to find all of you."

With those words, Reilanis ended her story. She remained silent, watching the reaction of each of them.

Neminah, in her lap, had started to cry at some point in her story, but now she had calmed down and was holding her tight. Reilanis was relieved. Even with everything she heard, the girl didn't dislike or reject her in any way, so she could trust Neminah to be with her no matter what.

Elisa, on the other hand, was having an internal struggle. Her face showed how complicated it was to assimilate what she had heard. She already knew that Reilanis had a difficult past, and since she also knew about the nightmares that plagued her, she understood how deep was the trauma she was enduring. "But to think that it was that bad… I don't even know what to think." Finding that out had been too heavy for her.

Suddenly they all noticed how the temperature in the place began to rise. They immediately turned their attention to Miriam, who had a face of utter fury. All that warmth was coming from her. Her anger, being so intense, had activated her nature, which was to produce heat as intense as the emotions she felt. They could all see steam forming from the heat around her. Fearing that she would set the room on fire, Reilanis went to stop her but Vistelia spoke faster, with an imposing voice.

"Miriam!"

The dragon girl glared at her with fury burning in her eyes, which turned a crimson hue, so intensely red they looked like burning lava. She watched the elf as if she were her mortal enemy.

"Miriam, control yourself right now!"

The volume of her voice didn't increase, but the way she say it carried an authority that none of them had ever heard coming out of her mouth before. Even more so because that action managed to bring Miriam back to sanity.

The girl began to gasp, her eyes wandering everywhere, and seeing that the others were worried, she realized that she had completely lost control.

“I-I… what was I…?”

The temperature gradually dropped, until it returned to normal, Elisa helped cool things down using ice magic. Embarrassed by her outburst, the young cub sat back in her place, hugging her legs and hiding her face between them, as she mumbled apologies.

“Riri. – Reilanis called her. Her words made Miriam slowly reveal her face to her, embarrassed for getting out of control. – Thank you for getting angry on my behalf. It makes me happy to know how much you care about me by seeing you react like that.”

Miriam looked surprised by Reilanis's words, but also extremely happy. She let out a sheepish laugh as she nodded. Her flushed face now had another meaning.

Elisa was more surprised by the fact that the Oni had used that old nickname. Her master had shown so many different things in the last few hours, she was no longer sure how to react to the sudden change in attitude.

“Even so, don't get carried away like that. – Reilanis warned, with a tone of voice that made her look calm, but furious at the same time. – You were about to burn down the whole damn place you dumbhead little brat.”

And with those words, Elisa discarded what she had thought. Reilanis was still the same as always. Even Miriam had hidden her face from her again and began to tremble, knowing that if she said anything else she was in for a real scolding or would even be heavily disciplined.

Reilanis sighed tiredly, then looked at Vistelia, curious, since she was wearing a different expression than normal. It seemed strange to her that she could control Miriam, but even stranger, was the "power" behind her words. The Oni looked at the elf, while she seemed to be deep in her thoughts.

Vistelia tried to recall every job she'd done, every client she'd met, and every place she'd visited, looking for any little bit of information she'd picked up at some point in her life that would lead her to know the location of someone acquaintance of Gallard, or the whereabouts of the man named Dorian. There were a few bits and pieces, but she couldn't remember anything specific. “There must be something that can…”

"Vistelia, leave it."

“Leave it? Leave what my lady?” The elf replied, tilting her head and speaking in a tone that made it clear that she didn't understand what Reilanis meant.

"I know what you're thinking. Not worth it. Gallard is dead, and Dorian, if he is still alive, must be very old by now. I repeat it's not worth it."

"My lady, I still can-"

"I. Said. Leave it!"

Reilanis yelled loud enough to intimidate them all and make even Vistelia shrink.

*sigh* Sorry about that. But right now, I have no interest in seeking revenge. There will be a time for that in the future. I have a rough idea of where I was being held, so we can go and destroy the whole place any other time. For now, there are more important things we need to discuss.

"And what is that, master?"

“We need to talk about the future.”

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