Chapter 034: Gather Your People

Tower Floor 6

Carter's hood covered his manly face, and the robe hid his muscles and flat chest. He had kept his secret of manhood from this group of women and wanted it to stay that way. The Gnoll's fortress shrank behind them as they walked towards the east, towards the other smaller Gnoll village he had freed.

Carter and the half-elf Indigo were walking behind a group of sultry women he had just rescued. They were all unclad, not by their choice or his, and Carter had difficulty trying not to stare at them. The weather was sunny and a moderate temperature, at least for the inside of a magical tower, and tiny beads of sweat ran down their backs. His chest started to tingle, giving him a sense of pleasure as if to urge him on.

Captain Harlow looked back and frowned at Carter. She was a tough nut, and for some reason, she hated Carter. She stopped and turned around. Her ample breasts positioned themselves to point directly at Carter's eyes, enticing him to look up and down her body. If taking a cue from Harlow, the other women stopped and looked back towards Carter. A lineup of beautiful, naked women stood before him, making the feeling in his chest grow hotter. His body was starting to wake up, too, and he shook it off.

"I supposed you think you're our master now?" asked Captain Harlow. Her hand came up to stop Carter from walking. He peeled his eyes off of her body and looked into her eyes.

"This symbol on my hand doesn't mean anything," said Captain Harlow as she held up her hand. Carter had to look down again, and his eyes went from the symbol on her hand to the curve of her hips and the tan line near her inner thigh.

"Got nothing to say?" said Seminole. Carter's face turned towards her. Her long blue hair blew in the wind as sweat dripped down her torso. She had one of those stomachs that had muscles on it. Her breasts heaved up and down as she repeated, "Nothing?"

Carter removed Captain Harlow's hand and started walking again. "Do what you want to do. Just leave me out of it," said Carter. He remembered the words of Fable from his past, "Naked women are everywhere." He needed to stop letting his manhood guide his fate and concentrate on performing his mission. A smile came across his face as he thought of Fable, that Darksprite that had lived in his chest. He touched his heart and then frowned.

"She saved you from death!" screamed Indigo as she walked past the group of women and grabbed Carter's hand.

"So Indigo, you like fat, ugly women now?" asked Captain Harlow as she started walking again.

"She is always like that. If it weren't for Arthur's constant torture, she would have acted that way around him," said Indigo. Carter looked over at Indigo. Her body was skinnier than the other women, being a half-elf and all, but her breasts were just as significant. He watched them sway back and forth as she told him what life was like in the village. She thanked him for saving her from Gilgamesh and apologized for throwing him into the spider's den.

"If you ever need a warm body to keep you warm at night, I'd be proud to service you," said Indigo with a smile. She gave Carter a small hug and then let go. Carter started to question his disguise for a moment. Did she know?

"This ring on your finger. It's Arthur's, isn't it?" asked Indigo. Her white, kempt hair was still braided even after Arthur's torture. Her pointy ears peeked out.

"Yes. I believe it's magical," said Carter.

"Oh, yes. He showed us his Gnoll persona, Gilgamesh, at the Gnoll's village. He used that ring to camouflage himself as a Cambian. It allows you to assume any beast form you like. Of course, he chose humanoid," said Indigo, "Try it out."

"I will later," said Carter. He didn't want his robe to tear or have his alter-beast's manhood show.

Over the hill, just ahead, a familiar sight, the smaller Gnoll village. There was no movement amongst the tents, so maybe Arista and the others had returned to the mansion. He wondered if she had told Yuma about her fertilization and who it came from. He saw trouble brewing.

A low hum sounded across the Tower's floor for at least five seconds. None of the women seem to hear it. The sky's light dimmed for a second and then returned to normal.

"Oh, Nature!" said Indigo as she stopped. She looked back at Captain Harlow with fear on her face.

"What was that?" asked Carter.

"It's a reset of the floor," screamed Captain Harlow as she ducked down to the ground. Indigo also went down, still holding on to Carter's hand. She tugged him down to the ground.

"Get down," said Indigo.

A battle howl came from the village as an alarm sounded off. Carter looked over the hill they were hiding behind and saw a group of Gnolls searching through the village. A human scream came after that, and Carter stood up.

"Sit down, you idiot! They'll see us," said Captain Harlow in a quiet but assertive tone.

Sword strikes started to echo from the village. Teela, the dark-skinned warrior, looked at Carter and said, "Our warriors are there. We need to help."

Even with seven warriors, Carter could tell they didn't believe they could attack that many Gnolls. They always bypassed the villages. They weren't expecting the reset.

Carter rose silently and started to run towards the village. "No," said Indigo as she tried to grab Carter's leg.

Captain Harlow jumped over to Indigo and covered her mouth. "Let her go! She's as good as dead. Let's slink around the village while the Gnolls are busy with them," said Harlow. Indigo shook her head up and down. She was letting her emotions get the better of her. She said a little "Sorry" as she followed Captain Harlow south.

Arista pulled Yuma back into the tent. She had claw marks across her chest. The armor had reduced the severity of the wound, but she still felt it.

"They aren't trying to capture us. They're trying to kill us!" screamed Yuma. She was their greatest fighter, but she was scared. She took one of the Gnolls to task, and he defeated her soundly. Her rusty sword just wasn't enough to penetrate its thick leather armor. She looked back at Arista and mouthed, "I love you." Arista smiled and then pointed her sword at the door.

Waiting in the village for their sisters was a group decision they all voted on for one main reason: They couldn't fight their way to the mansion with only six of them. And now, the reset threw a wrench into their plan and doomed them to death. Outside their tent were six carnivorous Gnolls, looking to eat them. A loud howl permeated the air, signaling the Gnolls had found their enemy. Yuma braced herself for the coming onslaught at the front of the tent. Time seemed to stop as they waited, hearing the sounds of fighting. Were the Gnolls so furious that they were killing each other? Could they be so lucky?

Something moved towards the tent door from the outside, and she thrust her sword forward with all her might. Carter moved to the side at the last moment and grabbed Yuma's wrist to stop her from falling. Her tear-stained eyes grasped what had just occurred; she had never felt such relief. She wrapped her hands around Carter's waist and hugged him. The other women looked up and started cheering. Arista lifted her sword and cheered at the top of her lungs.

"Let's go," said Carter. A few more coins flew into his bag. Yuma released him and stood up. She looked down at his hand and held her hand up. "You killed him?" asked Yuma.

"He's no longer with us," said Carter. A large smile bloomed on Yuma's face, and she said, "I know your secret."

"Keep it to yourself. You too, Arista," said Carter. Yuma smiled, and Arista shook her head up and down. All he needed was to become the sperm donor for an entire village of over a hundred women.

Carter placed his hand on Yuma's chest and cast Cure Wounds to mend her bleeding injury. She stared into Carter's eyes with a smile and didn't break eye contact. He felt her tender breasts resting against the sides of his hand. His chest became hot again, and he fought the feeling of excitement. He contemplated breeding with just a few of them. He shook his head. He removed his hand and reversed back out of the tent.

Together, Carter and the women walked away from the village. Carter used his Detect Area spell again and found that the downward stairs were a little farther west than last time. He knew they would hit monsters on the way. Boars and spiders littered his map. Ahead on the map, eight green dots were encircled by twelve red dots. The entanglement was occurring farther south, so he started to head that way.

Arista pointed to the west and said, "The stairs are usually over there."

"We need to pick up something before we head there," said Carter as he squinted at the horizon. After a few minutes, the sound of screaming and wolf howls came to his ears. A group of large wolves was circling Captain Harlow and her group. Two women were on the ground, and the others held a defensive position in a circle. Carter ran towards the beasts, leaving the other women behind. They looked at each other, not knowing what to do. Arista raised her hand and said, "Let Carter take care of it." She stood up and watched.

The alpha wolf looked away from Captain Harlow and Indigo to size up Carter as its new prey. The alpha wolf yelped at the other wolves to attack. He stayed and encircled his present prey and kept them boxed in. The world seemed to stop, and Carter's great sword cut down the whole snarling group. The alpha wolf didn't even notice Carter in time to evade and was split in half with a powerhouse swing. Captain Harlow stood with her mouth agape.

"How?" she said as she dropped to her knees. Carter grabbed her head and healed the dog bites she had all over her body. He then bent down and brought Teela and Seminole back to consciousness. He stood up and looked at Indigo. "You can help the rest, can't you?" asked Carter.

Her mouth was tight, and she was silent. She shook her head up and down in acknowledgment. Carter turned away and pointed towards the staircase. "This way, I'll take the lead," said Carter, and they walked on.

Arista and Yuma, holding hands, were in better spirits as they got closer to their home. They had their group back and were in familiar territory. Captain Harlow seemed lost in her thoughts. She whispered to Seminole, "How did she kill them so easily? Is she that strong?" Their blue hair wrapped around their exposed shoulders and breasts as they contemplated existence. Carter gave a short glance back, seeing their naked bodies sway back and forth as they walked. "I shouldn't have taken point," said Carter as he looked forward again.

Tower Floor 4

The descent back down the Tower went fast. With the help of the villagers, Carter took down hundreds of monsters with delight. But to Carter's dismay, he reluctantly shared his treasure with his comrades, dropped by the beasts after they were killed. They scooped up all the boar meat, wolf pelts, and coins. He cried a little inside.

They arrived at the giant spider pit on the fourth floor. The protective carapace net still covered it. Arista signed as she walked over to Carter.

"I don't want to sludge through those spider guts again. They must be ripe by now," said Arista.

"You killed that giant spider?" asked Captain Harlow with a look of disbelief. It was distressing for Carter to look at her and answer any questions. She was very beautiful and naked. How could these women act so casually as they talked to people without wearing clothes? A whiff of pheromones in the air made him recoil back. His defenses were more robust against the 'love chemical' attacks than they used to be, but so many women surrounding him and their naked bodies were making it harder for him to fight his lust. He hoped, at some point, he would mature enough to disregard it, but that wouldn't happen anytime soon. The pleasurable burning of his chest also made it hard to withstand their appeal.

Arista laughed and said, "Yes, Carter did. Chopped its head right off."

Captain Harlow looked at Arista for a moment and then back towards Carter. He was looking away from her towards the staircase that went down. She approached him, grabbed his arm, and turned him around.

"Do you think so little of me that you don't want to talk to me?" asked Captain Harlow. She was triggered that Carter wasn't yelling at or punishing her for her disobedience as his Thrall. Arthur wouldn't take it and would chastise her with pain. She didn't like it, but she understood it.

He touched his chest again; the pleasure was pulsating there as he felt the touch of Captain Harlow.

"I ignore you because you don't seem nice," said Carter as he freed himself from Captain Harlow's hand and enticing beauty. Her mouth stopped talking and stayed agape.

"I'm nice," she said. She was having problems with her conflicting emotions. This woman was large and ugly, but she had the qualities of a strong leader. She took charge and got things done. Carter was the strongest person she had ever seen, and she was starting to fall in love with her.

"You are nice. Don't listen to that awful Orc woman," said Seminole. She grabbed Captain Harlow's hand and held onto it. Captain Harlow shook her head up and down and whispered, "I am nice."

Tower Floor 3

The group followed Carter to the next staircase. It took a few hours to reach the cliffs where the mansion was. Carter walked up and started banging on the door, which looked more like the side of a cliff.

The heat from the desert was starting to cook him, and he was getting sweating in the robe. He was looking forward to a good bath and a night's sleep. He looked up into the sky and laughed. There is no night.

It took the mansion's occupants ten minutes, but the door slowly opened, and a gush of cold air came flying out. Seth, Hammy, and Corin stood in the doorway, wearing matching see-through white gowns. All the women rushed forward and started hugging and greeting each other. Carter stood out of the way as everyone passed him with smiles. All except one, Captain Harlow passed him with a scowl and a stare. Carter still did not know what she wanted from him. She was starting to get on his nerves.

"One day. Then I can have peace and quiet fighting my way to the top," thought Carter to himself. He looked back at the harsh desert behind him and walked into the hallway. He grabbed the door and pulled it closed. His eyes adjusted to the dark, and he found himself alone in the large hallway. Echoes of laughing and giggling bounced around the hallway, giving Carter an awful headache.

He has always had some degree of headache since he had been in Thresh. Ironically, his death helped him clear his head of the insistent pain. But now that he is trying to reintegrate into his body, it has returned. He had gotten so used to it that it now felt like a hum in the ear.

He walked into his bedroom and found it covered in women's clothes, with his blanket on the ground. He lifted a couple of garments from a pile on the floor and found dresses and gowns of various styles and colors. He surmised that the women must have found a machine to make clothes, and his bedroom became the fitting room. He threw the dresses back down and closed the door. His bed was inviting, but he was still dirty and didn't want to sully it up.

Seth, Corrin, or Hammy had placed a mirror on the wall, and Carter walked up to it.

His current ensemble, a red robe covered with dirt and blood, needed a good cleaning. His hair had grown long enough to escape the robe's hood and herded into his face. He removed his hood and looked into his own blue eyes. "Ugly? Maybe," said Carter. He dropped his robe to the ground and stood before his image.

He grabbed the ring around his finger and started turning it. "Transmutation?" said Carter to himself. He released some energy into the ring, and nothing happened. "Gnoll," said Carter as he put more energy into it. His image flickered into a Gnoll and then back to himself.

"Cool," said Carter. He was watching his manhood as he transformed, and it did not appear on the Gnoll. He started feeding the ring again, a small amount of mana trickling constantly. He said "Gnoll" again, and the image changed in the mirror. He touched his face as the facade stayed constant with the mana pouring into the ring.

"You need to feed it constantly with mana. It doesn't take very much, but if you run out, it stops," thought Carter to himself. He went through a gambit of monsters: Orc, Ogre, Bugbear, and Goblin.

"Spider," he shouted to the mirror. Nothing.

The ring wouldn't let him try non-humanoid creatures like spiders, wolves, or boars. They had to be bipedal, humanoid-type monsters. He wondered if he had a variety of the same monster.

He said "Orc" several times, and the same ugly face greeted him in the mirror. "Darn, I thought maybe I could find a good-looking Orc and use that as a disguise," said Carter. He thought for a second and then said, "Half-Orc."

A handsome green-colored face appeared in the mirror, with minimal hair covering his green-toned body and face. Small tusks barely protruded out of his lower jaw. His muscles were still there, and he was about a head taller. There was no manhood.

"Perfect," he said with a slight grunting noise afterward.

He cupped his pelvis and felt only a muscular bump and some hair. A smile came over his face, and something clicked in his head. "My penis is missing!" It was an odd sensation.

He turned off the power to the ring and returned to himself. He grabbed his manhood and let out a sigh. "That was a little bit of an over-exaggeration of panic on my part," said Carter as he stood in front of the mirror.

"Arthur turned into a humankind. That's what Indigo had said," thought Carter. He closed his eyes, sent magic to his ring, and said, "Human woman."

He opened his eyes and saw a normal-looking woman in the mirror. Her breasts were large, her blond hair reached down to her, uhm, crotch, and she had a lovely figure. He wasn't half bad-looking and could probably pull off being a woman. He reached down and squeezed one of his breasts. It was soft to the touch but didn't have the same impact as touching someone else's breast. He stared for a while, amazed at what the ring could do. He turned around and looked over his shoulder at his butt. A feeling of strangeness overcame him as he stared at himself, and a slight frown appeared on the woman's face. He placed his finger in the corners of his mouth and stuck out his tongue.

"Nope, not for me," said Carter. He decided not to deconstruct why he didn't like being a woman but to only use that transformation in emergencies. Thresh had enough women already. Ivy would have been mad if she had heard him say that.

"Half-orc," said Carter. His appearance changed to the handsome green man with the tusks.

"I could get used to this," thought Carter. He walked over to the bed and sat down. The bed groaned under his added weight. His head started to get dizzy. Changing to a new persona seems to use a lot of mana, but staying the same doesn't.

He stopped the magic to his ring and turned back into dull old Carter. He cupped his familiar pecks and laughed.

He wasn't physically tired, but mentally he was drained. It was like he had watched twelve kids run around and kept yelling at them to stop.

"Eat, bathe, and sleep," said Carter as he placed on his robe and exited his door.

The dining room was filled with empty wine bottles, plates of food, and drunk women. Some women wore see-through gowns, some wore red robes, and others wore nothing. They were eating, drinking, and talking to each other without a care. They completely ignored Carter as he walked towards the kitchen area.

"Fucker!" screamed Captain Harlow, her face twisted with anger as she punched Carter in the face. She pulled back her hand and started shaking it.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" said Captain Harlow in a lot of pain. Indigo immediately jumped up, drunk and wobbly, and started healing Captain Harlow's hand.

Carter didn't feel the punch physically, but emotionally, that was another thing. Captain Harlow was visibly drunk, and she still had a bottle of wine in her hand.

"Oh, I don't need this," Carter thought.

He didn't know what was wrong with Captain Harlow, but he didn't have to put up with it. He turned around and walked out of the dining room. Indigo turned around and said, "No, Carter, don't go. She didn't mean it. She's drunk."

Not seeing the punch, the other women looked over momentarily and then went back to laughing and talking as if nothing happened.

Feeling slightly distraught, Carter walked down the stairs to the bottom floor and headed towards the meeting room. He had seen a fireplace with a chimney against the wall when he had explored before. Maybe he could make a makeshift camping fire and cook on it.

The fireplace sat against the far wall, and its firebox was fully stocked with hard firewood. A metal contraption sat above the firewood consisting of a pole and two metal bars that held it above the fire.

"A spit?" said Carter. He laughed at that word. His uncle had one on Earth in his backyard for cooking pigs. The castle had many spits in its kitchen. You place your food on the long rod over the fire and turn it on until it is cooked.

He searched the mantle and the surrounding area for a match or something to start the fire but found nothing. He pointed at the logs and cast Fireball using the least mana he could. Blam! The logs caught instantly on fire, as well as his eyebrows.

He pulled the spit rod off the rack and placed some of the boar's meat he had gathered on it. The meat and spit were heavy, and he placed it back onto the racks. The end of the rod went into the wall of the fireplace. A small handle protruded out of the fireplace wall a few feet over. He turned it, and the meat started to turn. A small chair was next to the handle, and he sat down.

He turned the handle and watched the flames as he contemplated his life. He rubbed his jaw and remembered why he didn't easily make friends.

"Your son is what we like to call an introvert, Mrs. Grant," said Ms. Marshall.

"He's only in 2nd grade," said Carter's mother.

"I think we can help him by having him make some friends," said Ms. Marshall, ignoring Carter's mother. The teacher pointed to a rather tall 2nd-grade student named Jimmy sitting alone.

"Jimmy is a little older than Carter and has difficulty making friends. We'll pair them up together and see what happens?"

"I don't see why not," said Carter's mother. She didn't see how making friends could hurt Carter. Everyone needed friends.

A forced rictus came to Jimmy's face, fooling his teacher and mother. Then Carter finds out why Jimmy is alone. Over the next few days, Jimmy became more than just my friend; he became my bully. Jimmy was a courteous bully, though. He would only beat me badly on Friday so I would be healed by Monday. Carter learned a very good lesson about making friends.

"Cynical," said Carter as he turned the spit. The quiet felt good. Next to the crank was a small button. His curiosity got the better of him, and he pushed the button. The crank started spinning on its own. He released the handle from his hands.

The boar flesh started cooking immediately, filling the room with a pleasant smell.

Not having to turn the spit anymore, Carter started to walk around the meeting hall. The hardwood and brass table in the middle could fit a hundred people easily. The chairs had soft seat cushions and were made of wood and cloth.

A glimpse of a small door that tried to hide within the wall caught his attention. It beckoned him to open it. The door opened hard as he pushed it with great strength.

The door almost broke in his hands, squeaked open, and revealed a little room. The little room led to a descending staircase illuminated by glowing plants in the wall. The plants gave off a weak light, but it was enough to find his way. The staircase twisted around in a circle and went down a floor. The landing exited to a nice-sized room filled with stacks of wood used for burning. A disappointment came over Carter's face at not finding anything exciting.

"Hundred-year-old burning wood," said Carter to himself. He grabbed a whole bunch of the wood and tossed it into his bag.

He walked to the end of the room and found another door with a sign on it. "Maintenance," it read.

"Just like the one in the Gnoll's village," thought Carter. It wasn't the same. This one had a drawbar across it to keep things from exiting the staircase. He removed it and pulled with all his might. It didn't budge. He placed the drawbar back on.

"Dang," said Carter. He looked around and found a little shelf on the back wall above a desk. It contained a small journal with "The Towers" written on it. He placed the book under his armpit and grabbed some more firewood. He climbed back up the stairs and exited into the meeting room. The smell of food made his stomach grumble. He threw the few logs he picked up onto the fire, sat on the chair at the end of the long table, and pulled out the little journal. Dropping the book in front of him, he started to read it. The light from the fireplace flickered throughout the room and gave him adequate light to read.

The journal was handwritten in the Thresh language, so it was hard to read for Carter.

The journal of Areofat the Scribe.

Journal Entry One:
Before he died, Mage Carthorn, the wizard to the King of Kek, prophesied the world's end and told King Kek he needed to create four towers to save the world. Each one would be built precisely 100 miles away from each other, ranging from twenty floors to fifty floors in ascending order.

The Towers will house a menacing weapon he would win from one of his enemies. But the prophecy added that the weapon would be used against him if he kept it. He needed to hide the weapon in the four Towers.

That weapon was the Tattoo of Annihilation. It had the power to pull out the soul of a person and banish it to the afterlife, in effect, killing that person. It also had the power to place a person's soul back into his body, resurrecting them. A weapon that is that powerful had to be hidden. The Tattoo was split into four pieces and hid at the top of each Tower. Floors of progressively harder monsters would guard entry against robbers, thieves, and would-be-Kings.

Only an adventurer of true might and spirit can claim the weapon. The savior will win by collecting all four tattoos, using them, and bringing back peace to the world of Thresh.

Handwritten on the side was written, "Why didn't the King just destroy the Tattoo?"

The wizard also told him that he had to sacrifice four of his children to be canonized into Tower masters, and they would have to reside at the top of each Tower.

It was hard for the King, but ultimately, he chose four of his children: Carom, Smith, Salem, and Angela. They would live in the Towers forever and be immortal. They will be the last defense for the Tattoo.

Journal Entry Two:
The following is a list of people who have attempted to get the Tattoo in Tower One and what has become of them.

(The list was of forty adventures who led their parties into the Tower. Carter didn't recognize any of their names. But he noted that Level 12 was the highest anyone reached. All the entries had the word "Dead" or "Missing" after the adventurer's names.

Journal Entry Three:
One of Sir Justam's porters pointed out that some monsters didn't disappear when killed. Sir Justam talked to an intelligent Orc who told him that the Tower Master had summoned him to defend the Tower. So be warned, the Tower Master can summon elite beasts to fight for him.

Journal Entry Four:
It seems that the Tower Master's name is Carom for this Tower.

Journal Entry Five:
An adventurer on the tenth level was killed by a giant woman named Weqoy. One of his fellow adventurers watched him get eaten by the Giant before she ran away. The Giant stole two women in their group and placed them in chambers. Weqoy kept calling them her harem as she closed the chamber's doors. Madam Welch thought the Giant was refrigerating them for later—nasty business.

Journal Entry Six:
News from the outside as all the members go to leave. It seems that the war has finally found us. Most of the members of the red spiders are fleeing from the Tower to the woods. Captain Summers and I are going to our base on floor nine for the foreseeable future.

Journal Entry Seven:
I leave this here for the next scriber.

(A couple of names appear below but were too hard to read.)

"So those cylinders I found at the Gnoll's mountain contain either women for a harem or leftovers," said Carter to himself as he closed the book. He threw it into his haversack and stood up. The food smelled like it was done, and he pushed the button to stop it from turning. Pulling a large serving plate from his bag, he held it under the meat and cut it from the spit. The juicy meat dropped onto his plate, and he set it on the table. He pulled out his fork, water skin, and knife and sat down. The meat smelled a lot better than what came out of that magic microwave.

He placed the first piece into his mouth and savored the taste. "Oh, what is that smell?" came from the door. Indigo and Yuma walked into the room. Yuma was wearing a red robe, probably Arista's, and Indigo was still wearing nothing. She bounced herself over to Carter, bent over, and took a deep whiff of the boar. Her breasts rested on the table as she took another whiff.

"You should have just eaten upstairs. That magic stove is wonderful!" said Yuma.

Indigo sat beside Carter and said, "She didn't mean it. Punching you like that. You didn't have to leave."

"Who punched him?" said Yuma as she leaned in and pulled Carter's hood back. A small smile came over her face as she noticed his manly features. He was an ugly woman, but he was a handsome man. She grabbed his chin and moved his face around.

"I don't see anything," said Yuma. Indigo's vision was pretty impaired, so she didn't scrutinize him too severely. Carter pulled his face back and covered it with his hood. He grabbed another piece of meat and ate it.

"Arthur had always promised her to mate. He led her on for a long time, but she always had that sliver of hope. You killed him, and that hope went away," said Indigo.

"Did he scream?" asked Yuma as she grabbed some meat off Carter's plate.

"I wouldn't know. I was unconscious at the time," said Carter.

"He wasn't happy," said Indigo.

"Doesn't Captain Harlow know she couldn't have had children with Arthur? He wasn't a hum... Cambian," said Carter.

"It doesn't matter. That sliver of hope is sometimes the only thing that allows you to live another day," said Yuma.

"Doesn't that mean Amanda was lying about being fertilized by Arthur?" asked Yuma to Indigo.

"Yeah, it does," said Indigo as she laughed. She bent over the table and grabbed some of Carter's food.

"Well, you don't have to worry about them anymore. They all went to sleep. We were on our way and thought we'd say good night," said Indigo.

Indigo stood up and started to walk towards the door. Her butt swayed back and forth, and Carter's chest grew hot.

"You know, there aren't any door locks on the bedrooms, and if you wanted to visit, I wouldn't mind," whispered Yuma with a smirk.

"Good night," said Carter, placing more food in his mouth.

Indigo returned and placed a bottle of wine on the table. "This goes better with boar meat than water," said Indigo. She picked it back up and took the cork out. She took a small swig and placed it back down.

She wobbled towards the door, and Yuma grabbed her waist and said, "Let's get you to bed." Indigo started laughing, and he heard them walk down the hallway.

He was left alone again.

He took a big swig of the wine and placed the bottle down. He noticed the scent of rancid body odor. He needed a bath.