The rest of the day, Nicole spent picking Goldenmanes around the vilge and at the Usa field.

  My guess is that I pced the grains too close to the fire, plus I didn’t check on them in time.Well, good thing there are plenty growing around. And even burnt, the smell was kind of like baked bread, so at least there’s a chance my whole idea will succeed.

  Nicole got back home in the evening, with even more Goldenmanes in her hands than the day before.

  Soi was already there, checking on the meat drying on the rope. When the catgirl noticed Nicole, the Goldenmanes made her raise an eyebrow.

  "More of them? Seriously, what are you doing with that useless grass?"

  "I'm working on something, but once I'm done, I promise you'll be the first to see it."

  Just like in the morning, Nicole picked up the stone she had left on the table and started beating the grains out of the pnts. Soi shrugged and returned to the meat.

  When Nicole was done, she pced the results of her work onto the same cy pte as before and left it on the table.

  "Hey, Nicole, want some tea? I went to the forest today for training and gathered some."

  "Yeah, why not. By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask—how dangerous is the forest? Do you think I could go wander in there tomorrow?"

  "Hm... the area around the vilge is more or less safe, I think. But still, you should take someone with you. After all, you won’t know what’s dangerous and what’s not, right?"

  In the meantime, Soi grabbed a small metallic pot that stood on four legs with a metal pte underneath. She pced some dark-red dust on the pte and spat on it, causing it to ignite instantly.

  Oh. And here I was thinking I was a cool genius for building something like that myself.

  Next, Soi took out a strange object from her animal-pelt bag. It looked like a jar-shaped carnivorous pnt, about 25 centimeters tall. Casually, she poured some water out of it and tucked it back into her bag.

  "What was that? You store water in a pnt? And what was that dust you used?"

  "Oh, that’s a Cripoth. Hunters and travelers use them to carry water more easily. It stretches when filled with liquid, so it can store a lot if needed. They’re pretty rare, though, so we can’t give one to every vilger."

  Soi expined as she dropped a few white leaves into the pot.

  "This kind of pot is mostly used by hunters too. All its parts can be taken apart to make it easier to carry."

  "And that dark-red powder? Seems useful."

  "Ah, that’s Retite. It can be found in some rocks around here. But it’s dangerous. Like you saw—it can ignite with just a drop of liquid."

  Fuck, so now I need to start gathering stones too?

  "Alright, thanks. There’s so much to learn..."

  Soi smiled and csped her hands.

  "Don’t worry, Nicole! I’ll teach you anything you want to know. By the way, how are you feeling here? You know, our talk at night made me realize how scary and lonely it might be for you. I... I probably won’t ever understand you completely, but I know what it feels like to be alone..."

  Her voice shifted from cheerful to soft and reserved. The smile faded from her face. But after a moment, Soi forced it back.

  "Oh, sorry about that. You probably don’t want to hear these things. I don’t want you to feel sorry for me."

  Despite the smile, the sadness in her eyes was hard to miss.

  Hm, some kind of past trauma? Should I push? Well, better now than never. She’s my friend—I want to know what’s wrong.

  Nicole walked over and suddenly hugged her. Soi squeaked in surprise.

  "It’s okay, Soi. We’re friends, right? You can tell me whatever you feel like sharing."

  "Thank you."

  Soi whispered. Nicole stepped back a bit to give her some space.

  "Oh, I think the tea’s ready."

  Soi poured the tea into a cy cup and handed it to Nicole, then grabbed one for herself. The liquid was white, but partially transparent. Nicole took a sip.

  Tastes like sweet water mixed with milk. I hope this isn’t the only kind of tea they have here.

  The girls sat across from each other, with the pot of tea between them.

  "So... if you want to know, I guess there’s no harm in sharing."

  Soi began.

  "Back when I was little, my parents and I were traveling merchants. We moved from vilge to vilge, buying and selling goods. And, of course, that meant walking through the forest. It can be dangerous, so merchants usually traveled in groups and hired guards and hunters. That was usually enough - most animals didn’t dare attack such big groups. But... one night, it happened. Lamia. Just one Lamia destroyed the entire caravan..."

  As Soi spoke, her eyes fixated on a spot in the distance, as if reliving the memory.

  "When I woke up, most people were already dead. My mom was dragging me away into the forest. But just when we thought we were safe, the Lamia appeared in front of us. Her eyes were glowing bright as she gathered energy for an attack. My mom shielded me with her body as the Lamia fired. I watched a beam of dark-red light pierce her head and corrode her body."

  Nicole, sipping her tea, nearly choked.

  WHAT THE FUCK?!

  "For some reason, after that, the Lamia left, mumbling something to herself. I still have no idea why she let me live. I ran, and luckily stumbled across this vilge. The elders let me stay and took care of me."

  Soi's breathing turned shaky.

  "Before that, I wanted to follow in my parents’ footsteps and become a merchant. But after what happened... I promised myself I’d find that Lamia one day and make sure she can’t hurt anyone else. That’s why I’m training to become a hunter."

  Fuck. And what am I supposed to say? She said not to feel sorry for her, so saying "I’m sorry" would sound dumb. Ugh.

  "I... understand. Partially. I lost my parents early too. But I have to ask - Lamia can shoot beams from their eyes?!"

  "Yes, but only some of them. And I guess I was just unlucky to meet a strong one. Look, let me expin something."

  Soi raised the back of her hand. Three cws slid out.

  "We, as Torakai, all have this. Other tribes have different abilities. Remember when we saw the vilge guards training? Some of their cws looked different."

  "Right. You mentioned something called ascension and that there are two paths."

  "Exactly. So like we have cws by default, Lamias have the ability to exhale venom and cover the area around them with it. The venom itself isn’t fatal—it’s harmless at first. But Lamias can activate it whenever they want. They let it build up inside your body, and then - days ter - you suddenly die."

  What the fuck? Please tell me there’s an antidote for that.

  "And when they ascend, their venom gets even stronger, and both paths give them new abilities. It’s so unfair! One path lets them paralyze anyone they look at. And after the next ascension, they can do even more. I once heard someone fell into a hypnotic trance and attacked their own vilge. Thankfully, I’ve never heard of a Lamia reaching the final level of that path. I don’t even want to know what they’d be capable of."

  Nicole buried her face in her hands.

  Fucking hell. This world’s way more dangerous than I thought. And what am I supposed to do? Everyone has at least something to fight with. I bet the other tribes have even crazier powers. Fucking cheaters.

  Soi smiled at Nicole's reaction.

  "Oh, and I haven’t even told you about the second path! I think I know how you feel. But don’t worry too much. As you can see, the vilges manage just fine, despite everything."

  "Yeah, yeah. But what about me? I don’t have any abilities... Anyway, what about the second ascension path?"

  "Oh, right! They can shoot a beam of energy from their eyes. As they ascend, it gets stronger and starts leaving rot in its wake. Luckily for us, the stronger the beam, the more energy it takes for her to charge. And from what we know, using it too much can drive them insane."

  Well, that’s at least some kind of bance.

  "Unlucky for me, though... I think that caravan was attacked by one of those crazy bitches."

  Nicole pced her empty cup aside.

  "Hey, I’m curious. You referred to Lamias as female multiple times. Are there no male Lamias?"

  "Hm... I’ve never really thought about it. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a male Lamia. And considering how aggressive they are, it’s not like we can just ask them. Another good question is—how do they reproduce if they’re all female...?"

  Nicole yawned.

  "Well, time for my evening training. I need to do everything I can to make sure I survive here."

  Meanwhile, Soi cleaned up the small firepce and dishes. When she came back, Nicole was still doing push-ups.

  "Hey, Soi. I almost forgot to ask - earlier today, I saw a girl carrying an animal pelt. Its fur was curly and soft to the touch. What animal was that? And how hard would it be to get that pelt?"

  "Hmm, let me think... What color was it?"

  "I think it was light grey and brown."

  "Oh, right! That’s Ironhide. A pretty big beast, I have to say. Only a few of the best hunters in the vilge could take one down. But why do you ask?"

  Shit. I guess I’ll have to ask that huntress elder for help.

  "Nah, don’t worry about it. I was just curious, that’s all."

  Soon after, Nicole finished her workout session.

  I did slightly more than yesterday. That’s some progress. Though I think it’s because of things like that bear-like monster’s meat. Soi mentioned it has empowering effects. Well, the most important thing is that I get stronger, no matter the means.

  Only now did Nicole notice that Soi was nowhere around.

  I wonder where she went. I was so focused on my training that I didn’t see her leave. Should I wait for her to come back or just go to sleep?

  Right at that moment, Soi came in. Her hair and skin were wet.

  "I’m back!"

  "Oh, hey. Where have you been?"

  Soi raised an eyebrow.

  "I told you - I went to clean myself in the ocean. Some prefer to do it in the morning, but I like evening baths. Plus, I have to get up early for my hunting training."

  "Oh, sorry. I was so focus on the training that didn’t hear you probably. Hm, I think I should follow your example."

  "Want me to go with you? I’m sure no one like Dels will try anything if I’m there too."

  "Why not? Come on, then."

  The two girls walked through the vilge and reached the shore. Some of the natives were still there, naked in the water.

  Well, it’s time. I have to start getting used to their culture.

  With a sigh, Nicole slowly undressed. She felt like everyone was staring at her, but in reality, no one paid her any attention.

  Fighting the urge to cover herself, Nicole entered the water. Soon, she rexed and stopped caring, enjoying the swim.

  After a few more minutes, the girl got out of the water. It was already dark by then, and only torchlight and moonlight provided any illumination.

  When they got back home, both of them undressed, and Nicole sat on the bed.

  Hm, only now do I notice how beautiful she is. Though, to be fair, I can’t remember seeing anyone here who wasn’t attractive.

  "Hey, Soi. Listen, remember our talk at night? I… have to apologize. I think you were right. And you know, with all this talk about Lamias and your story... it made me realize this pce is even more bizarre than the one I came from."

  Soi, listening carefully, sat down next to Nicole. Then Nicole suddenly smirked.

  "So I should have fun and take opportunities when they come!"

  With those words, she leaned forward and hugged Soi. She whispered into the catgirl’s ear:

  "And right now, I see an opportunity to cp your ass real good."

  Fuck, that sounds too cheesy. I don’t even have a dick for that. Whatever.

  Nicole moved her head back slightly, then kissed Soi the next second. Using her weight, she gently pushed the catgirl down onto the bed.

  She felt her own body getting hotter, a familiar feeling growing between her thighs.

  As their tongues danced together, Nicole’s hands slid into action, softly cupping Soi’s generously sized breasts.

  Damn, it feels good to finally touch some nice tits. I missed having fun while I was in jail. And hers are pretty big, too!

  She broke the kiss, a line of mixed saliva still connecting them. Soi’s breathing was ragged, her nipples visibly hardened.

  Nicole y on the bed next to Soi, facing her so that their breasts pressed together. With one hand, she toyed with Soi’s chest, while the other slowly ventured down, through a soft patch of pubic hair, stopping at the wet pussy.

  "Do you want me to continue, kitty? Of course you do."

  Without giving Soi time to respond, Nicole began massaging her sex.

  Suddenly, Nicole realized the catgirl had started purring like a real cat. Her ears were fttened to her head, her eyes shut tight.

  Looks like she surrendered completely. Well, I’ve gone too far to stop now. Not that I’d be able to anyway.

  Her middle finger slipped into the welcoming entrance, while her thumb found the sensitive clit and began rubbing it teasingly.

  "Ah…"

  Soi’s voice let out a soft moan. Nicole whispered directly into her ear:

  "Come on, Soi, rex. Don’t hold it all in, girl."

  She pnted a kiss on Soi’s cheek and slowly moved lower, never lifting her lips from her skin. Nicole alternated between licking, kissing, and lightly nibbling on her neck. Meanwhile, her other hand kept kneading Soi’s breasts, now pinching the nipples too, drawing moans each time.

  Eventually, a second finger slipped inside Soi’s vagina. Nicole’s movements quickened, as did the rubbing of the clit.

  "A-Ah, f-fuck…"

  Soi’s voice was quiet and broken between fast breaths. Nicole moved down, burying her face in Soi’s chest. Helping herself with one hand, she kissed a sensitive nipple and bit it lightly. Suddenly, a sweet, milky taste spread on her tongue.

  Huh? That was unexpected… Though I can’t say I dislike it. And Soi doesn’t seem to mind either. I’ll have to ask about it ter.

  She continued to suckle while her hand worked between Soi’s legs, her movements growing sharper until Soi couldn’t hold back anymore. Her back arched as her body trembled from pleasure.

  "A-Ahh! N-Nicole! Ohhh!"

  It’s our first time, and she’s already moaning my name? Not bad, not bad.

  Nicole didn’t stop. As Soi shook from her orgasm, Nicole felt tight walls pulsing around her fingers.

  "That’s it, Soi. Good girl."

  After a few more seconds, Soi y still, breathless and spent. She opened her eyes and smiled at Nicole, who y against her chest. Nicole slowly withdrew her fingers and licked them clean, never breaking eye contact. She heard purring again.

  "You look satisfied, Soi."

  "And why wouldn’t I be? I never expected you to be so good at this. Honestly, your earlier behavior made me think you weren’t that into sex."

  "I’ll take that as a compliment."

  Nicole’s hand slowly moved around Soi’s chest, nding on an erect nipple.

  "But don’t you think we’re missing one crucial thing? Now it’s your turn to do the dirty work."

  Nicole sat up straight, her round breasts jiggling slightly. Then, with a sudden motion, Soi’s head was between Nicole’s thighs. She licked her lips, and her hips lowered slowly, letting her pussy press gently against the catgirl’s mouth.

  Almost immediately, Nicole felt the soft touch of Soi’s tongue, probing inside her. She began grinding her hips and pushing down, letting Soi go deeper.

  "Ah yes, you’re doing a perfect job!"

  Oh fuck, I’d almost forgotten how good this feels!

  "Ohh…"

  For a while, the hut was filled only with wet, slurping sounds and moans of pleasure.

  Soon, Nicole reached her peak. She pressed her crotch to Soi’s face and leaned forward, pcing a hand on the bed for bance as her orgasm hit.

  After it subsided, she moved off Soi’s face, breathing heavily, and y beside the catgirl, hugging her tightly.

  "Holy hell. That was so good - especially after half a year in prison!"

  "I’m gd you enjoyed it, Nicole."

  "You loved it too, I know that! I may be a little rough around the edges, but you don’t seem to mind. So get ready—this night is just the beginning!"

  Still hugging her, Nicole began petting Soi like a cat, gently touching her ears.

  "Uh, Nicole… just so you know, in the future - only parents or those who are really close can touch someone’s ears or tail. I don’t mind you doing that, but please don’t do it suddenly to others."

  "Alright, I’ll remember that. Well, goodnight."

  "You too. Sleep well."