Florine

Healing took a little time, but I had begun to be really good at this with the addition of plenty of Nutrient bombs that Em' had prepared for me. The healing process finished quickly within half a day, it was already night, but the meditation rested my mind. My ladies were all asleep as I woke up from finishing my healing.

My fight with Francis showed me that my old martial arts had a place in this world. The pin that I started with was something out of Francis's depth when I started with it. He was not expecting that type of movement, therefore, caught off guard. It needed modification, though, and to be paired with spells to make them effective. That was why I opened a cutting rift along my leg to act as a knife against his throat. Without it, the move would not be able to pin a man such as him.

I sighed as I moved to the living room in the apartment when I saw Florine there, lost in thought. Her pick ears were like a magenta in the night without much light. I sat down across from her, and she turned her head to look at me. "Hey," I said, "I am fully healed up, and I have some time," I told her with a wry smile.

Something told me this strong woman was feeling fragile at the moment. I never fought with Florine, but she was a B-ranked fighter. I wasn't even sure of the type of fighter she was since it seemed so hidden from sight. I didn't contemplate Florine for very long as I didn't know much about her. Sometimes she would show herself in front of me for companionship while I had been here in the Demon lands. I met her when I met Yuri, But I had not interacted with her that much.

"You know, I met you not too long ago here with my Friend Yuri," Florine began with a soft smile. "I don't understand why you have named your cock, to be honest. But I considered it a unique trait, and most men, I am sure, probably name their dick just don't tell the world about it." Florine continued with a small amused smile. "You are an interesting woman, and I cannot tell you how Interesting I think that you are. I think you distract yourself sometimes too much with the world instead of increasing your power, though," Florine told me.

I raised an eyebrow at that, "I would say you are both correct about that and incorrect," I replied, making her raise an eyebrow in the dark twilight of the room, "There are many forms of Power Florine. I, as an Heir to the Silvermoon Tower, must practice more than just personal power if I do not wish to lose my freedom." I continued to explain, "If I don't, then I will lose control of my children, which I pretty much have lost anyways," My tone was wistful as I continued, "That doesn't mean that I have to allow that to be the case forever. I don't know if you noticed, but in my time here although my personal power has grown, albeit a little compared to my earlier years in my life. My political might has grown severalfold in multiple ways. This is power unseen to only those who know what they are looking at. There is still much more growth needed back in our own nation to continue the trend and solidify my foundation to take much greater control of my life and protect those around me. I have grown my power in this short time much more than if I sat back meditating; no matter how much I would have rather meditated to increase my personal power."

Florine shook her head, "I am not saying you are incorrect in what you are doing. Or that circumstances haven't forced you to. In fact, I was originally planning on staying in the Demon Lands when I came here. I knew that there would be a war eventually. Who knew that it was coming so soon. This was supposed to be a cushy assignment to get me out of fighting for a bit. I enjoyed your dick and working on myself. But you know what," Florine said, and I was confused, "I like you, and I don't mind following you into battle as long as I get to ride you sometimes before battle," Florine chuckled, "Although, It seems you don't consider me your woman." That last part sounded sad.

I was surprised at the suddenness of the conversation and the turn in it. I wasn't expecting it to turn to that. I remembered that night with all the emotional ups and downs as I confessed to my ladies. Florine was someone that I didn't think about that often. She did her job, and once in a while, maybe once a week, would arrive in my bedroom for some sex. She enjoyed riding Doorknocker with enthusiasm and then would be gone before I even woke up. I barely knew her or interacted with her outside of sex.

"Florine," I began, "To be honest, I never really have interacted with you outside of Sex; you seem smart and focused on becoming stronger. Hell, you like Doorknocker, and that is about all I know about you. If you want to be my woman, I have no problem with that, but I like to get to know my women. At least marginally before I start confessing my feelings to them, you know?" I told her honestly.

Florine looked at me surprised, "Wait, we have interacted," Florine contested.

"When?" I asked.

Florine opened her mouth then shut it. She looked lost in thought, and I brought her out of it when I continued, "Florine, Not that you deserve this, but we have interacted maybe only a little, and all of them have been brief. Half the time, I barely know what you're doing outside of the reports on the guards here. Which, to be honest, goes to show how well of a job that you are doing since I have not had a single reason to interact with you." I continued with a wry smile, "You have done such a good job that the Guard and the budget on it is one of the only things in this fucking embassy that are actually going good!" I partially exclaimed before lowering my voice again.

"Okay, For some reason, I thought there was more interaction between us," Florine Confessed, looking embarrassed, "Although I think I might have imagined more between us. I still have some feelings, although not all romantic. I hear that you might be creating an elite division in the war, and I would like some part in that." Florine was trying to change the subject, and all smiles wiped from my face.

"Only a few people should even know of my proposal. Who did you hear it from?!" I said, looking her straight in the eyes.

"You think you are the only one with contacts that are among the elders?" Florine said with an amused look, "I heard about it not long after you told the council some of your plans. I am sure that there is more in the mix. But the fact of the matter was that your proposal sent a lot of our military thinking about building such a unit. A lot of our upper echelons were told to think about it as much as possible. The supply situation with that is something of its own. For your benefit, though, a surprising amount of the sentiment is favorable towards your proposal. Backed by the fact that this is what the Succubi want to join the war effort adds to the fact that most of them are thinking about how to do it instead of trying to find out why not to do it." Florine finished, and I was still looking at her seriously.

"It has been a day and a half," I told her, looking at her, "Why to shout this out this quickly?" I asked her.

"As I said, The Elders were intrigued with the proposal backed by that was the way you talked the Succubi into helping us, means that we are doing it. Although, one thing I don't understand is why the Elders want the Succubi to help so much. It makes sense to have a large group of illusionists help us, Which I only know since I currently live here and know who you are talking to, by the way." Florine told me, filling me with relief, "But all the rest of the minds thinking on this now are not in the know why. just that it is happening and that they have to figure out the best way of doing it for a group of people that will be joining us." Florine paused before continuing, "How though was through an emergency crystal that can only give short burst transmissions. All B rankers that are in high positions among the standing army have them. They need to be charged after every use. The simple message for us to create proposals on how to do it was straightforward, though, and I have been thinking about it for the last day or so." Florine finished.

I sighed as I leaned back. This was one of those times that they started things before I was even finished the negotiations. Mira was going to sign when it was finished. Hell, she was probably already preparing on her side of things to move forward. Gathering volunteers and putting up notices. That was just smart as long as all the other Queens signed off on it too. Mira said she was the split vote, making her a powerful existence among her wizard's tower. But she would be joining us in the Beast-kin nation. Therefore there would probably be some political problems within the succubi ranks as well, although they will probably keep it in check on the battlefield.

I sighed, leaning back as my mind struggled to go out of control. "You know," I said, looking at Florine, "You have sufficiently added more to make me think on," I told her with a wry smile.

Florine stood up and walked around to sit beside me, "I didn't mean to do that; in fact, I think you need to unload some of these burdens onto your other women and me. You hold them inside and act like we cannot do some of the thinking for you. Like your mind is the only one that can come up with solutions to the problems that you are thinking about." Florine said, and I looked at her.

"Fight me," I replied, and Florine looked startled.

"What?" Florine replied, backing off a bit.

"Without anyone else to witness, what I need most is to see where I am. You are strong, and I can feel that. But I don't know how strong, and I want to know. I want to fight someone other than Francis. I need other people to fight in order to know where I stand. You told me to unload a problem?" I asked her. "Well, My biggest problem is that I am weak, or I think I am weak. I need to know where I stand." I told her solidly.

"I will fight you but bring some of those nutrient bombs. YOu will need them." Florine didn't argue as she stood up, "I wanted to have some fun with Doorknocker before getting some sleep, but I can go a day without sleep. But tomorrow, I swear I want some time with Doorknocker." Florine said with a grin.

I replied with a grin as we began to leave the apartment. "Sure, But the fight comes first," I told her, and my skin started to buzz with excitement. I followed her with some pep to my step. I was looking forward to this, and Florine seemed to be getting in the mood as we reached where I lost just earlier that day.

The training area was quiet at this time of night. Most of the guards were sleeping while a small force patrolled some of the halls as we passed. Florine and I moving towards the Arena didn't mean much to everyone around, and therefore they probably thought that I was about to get spicy with their boss somewhere more interesting for once.

It was good and bad that they thought that way, but with my reputation, it was something that was bound never to go away. As we reached the training area, I ignored the extra unnecessary thoughts, and Florine stood across from me. I took time to restore the lights to the training area, and the mana glow returned, making it look as if it were daytime in the training area. "Strange how this looks so different compared to when I am here with all our soldiers. Keeping them working is a full-time job." Florine smiled as she leaned back; she turned her body once while her legs stood still.

The movement was interesting, and she cracked her knuckles. "I don't usually fight barehanded," Florine admitted, "I fight with a dagger," Florine told me, and it was as if two daggers came out of nowhere into her hands. "Since you fight with mana, and it is always at hand. I will fight with my weapons. Otherwise, this wouldn't be a fight." Florine finished, and she lowered her body with a hand on the floor.

"Ding!" My voice rang out, "Let's start!" I finished, and Florine smiled a dark grin.

It was a side I had never seen in her, and I felt my skin crawl with danger. That pink hair and fur moved in a blur towards me, and I jumped back. Something told me that this wasn't like with Francis, where I could make dodges near him. No, playing a pinning game with her would be like playing with lava bare-handed. No one would like the results of the exchange.

I moved away from her, and right when I was about to open a rift to further the distance, Florine increased her movement. I changed where the rift was opening from behind me to under me as I dodged an attack of a dagger at my stomach. The attack seemed so fast it surprised me the sudden burst of speed as I leaned back, using my marginal flexibility to my advantage. I fell through the rift, and I started to use my hand to cast mana bolts as I felt out of a rift from the ceiling of the training room. Florine smiled as she looked up at me, and I felt a shiver run through me as that pink blur moved. My mana bolts hit the ground uselessly, and I saw her hit the wall and jump into the air. She was far but rapidly closing the distance. I didn't understand why she moved like that, as she was now a target for me. I started to shoot mana bolts at her when I gasped.

"Do you think I am stupid?" Florines voice came from that rapidly approaching blur. Then that blur began to dodge and increase in speed towards me. Only seconds had passed in the fight when she closed the distance; as I was falling into a rift, I had opened under me. Her foot kicked me out of it. I gasped as pain erupted across my face as I was torn out of the rift back up to the ceiling. Just as I was about to hit the ceiling, my air was cut off as a strong arm held me around the neck. "There are counters to all forms of fighters, Chelsea; you have shown me your weaknesses while I have hidden mine," Florine told me as she held me, choking me while holding us up to the ceiling with a dagger to hold us up. "Remember that next time." Florine finished and let me go.

I slowly fell to the floor, and I brought in the fresh air. My mind woke up to one fact. 'I had underestimated others yet again.'

Florine was smiling in the same position as before as I looked up from regaining my breath. Her smile was a challenge and I smiled in return.

I should pay more attention to those around me. How Interesting! I smiled with the challenge, "Let's Begin," I said.

Florine turned into a blur and our fights continued.