Part One - Third Year - Chapter [021]

I started exploring what seemed mostly abandoned buildings, cobwebs were starting to emerge up in the corners - dust had settled onto the books so much it had a tick layer of white above the covers - and the glass was messy on the inside - worst of all spiders had started to crawl in between the cracks, surly a colony already settled inside. 

To put it bluntly, this whole building was a mess. And it was just the first floor.

As my eyes started to adjust I saw staircases in the back of this open floor plan, massive window lay on the other side of the room, it's azure-tinted glass projected enough sunlight for me to be able to move my way around the sea of books and research equipment that lay in front of me. 

However, the sun tinted blue created a cerulean darkness that made it almost pitch black. 

"Hello?!" I shouted.

"I was instructed to come here - I'm looking for the science building!" I shouted into the ether in front of me. 

Just like that - I heard rumbling and books falling over behind me. 

I was startled - but from the wreckage, a figure appeared.

Tall - lanky and skinny. 

The figure started trampling over the books, making glass vials shatter as they hit the floor, its movements were big and human. 

My heart dropped for a moment. 

But as the light hit the figure just right - I recognized him as another human. 

I sighed in relief. 

"Oh god - you've given me a fright," I huffed and calmed myself a little bit. 

"Sorry - that's my sleeping corner," said the guy in front of me. He wore glasses and had a white trench coat - he looked like a doctor or some kind of pharmacy tech.

"What?" - You're sleeping corner!?" I asked dubiously. 

"That's right - most of us spend our waking hours researching and when sleep comes - we take a corner - some of us have preferred sleeping ones," I raised an eyebrow. What was this guy talking about?! 

"Sorry - I must have forgotten your name," he said in an almost sweet voice. 

His face was sort of cute - if you're into sweet nerdy guys. 

His facial features were more on the feminine side - I could see how it could be attractive to some, but not to me. I considered myself feminine enough, thank you. 

His face was clean-shaven. His nose is pointy and acute.

"No - you didn't forget - I haven't properly introduced myself -" I started. 

"Name's Aiden - a pleasure to meet you, dear fellow science officer!" I extended my hand. He looked at it, positively disgusted.

The silence became awkward between us. 

"Is that a handshake?" He finally broke the silence. 

"Uh-hu?" I said highly cringing at myself. 

"We don't do - physical contact between science…" he pounced. 

Off to a bad start - I guess?

I drooped and took my hand back.

"Like no one?" 

"Absolutely no - one," he continued.

"It would be a disrespect, most warriors already drag us out when they need an inamorato like we're some kind of toy." Just now he was the most expressive I've seen him since meeting him.

But he regained composure quickly. 

There was a pause.

He pushed up his glasses with both hands at his side. 

I must have pushed a button.

"Sorry - I wasn't aware, I've been studying in seclusion," I went with the same backstory as before and told him about the elves. 

"That makes sense - it's good to have you then, you may provide some insight into actually cracking the code."

What code? I wondered.

"Does that mean I passed the entrance exam?" 

"There is no exam… If you're inside this building it means you were sent here - and you're our first applicant in 4 months,"

Huh?

"Anyway - I'm Dan - nice to meet you - now on your way…" he said and dismissed me. He pushed through the crowded space and disappeared into the background before I could get another word in. 

I suddenly felt a cold air behind me. 

Then a creepy smile breathing down my neck. 

I jumped again so hard my whole body flipped 180.

I crashed into some books. Making a mess. 

In front of me was another figure, this time it was another guy, with the same trench coat as Dan from before. 

The suspense is ruined when the trench coat covers his face. 

"Hi there!"

He exclaimed. Now that I could notice he was hanging upside down from a rope that led to the ceiling. It looked more like some kind of silk. 

"Hello?" I asked. He made a flip and landed on his feet. 

"I see you've met Dan already - he's sort of our leader around here - he takes his work very seriously," I looked down at his body, he was ripped in a lean kind of way. Yet his face was not exactly what I would call cute - unless you find a monkey cute.

He had a sigh like something was weighing on his mind. 

His hair was yellow, and he was around 5'2." This guy was tiny. 

"Most people just call me Ape, but my name, is Arthurian Moonflame, at your service," he bowed and everything. He looked like a fairy. 

"Arthur - that's a pretty name," I said instinctively. 

"Huh?! His gaze changed like he was dead inside - his soul's stare pierced my soul. The air turned eerie.

"What did you say?" he continued. 

"Are you perhaps flirting with me?" He said with a monotonous voice I could feel a chill run down my spine. 

"It's just a pretty name - chill out dude," I said annoyed. 

His demeanor changed back to being happy-go-lucky again. 

"Okay - as long as you don't try anything funny," he said and started climbing his fairy ladder and disappeared towards the ceiling like some kind of ninja. 

What the fuck?! I whispered to myself. 

After exploring some of the room, and going upstairs, I found myself in a particularly rough corner, my foot then crashed into something squishy and soft. 

"Ow!" A tiny voice came from the floor. 

I looked down, only to see a whole person hiding in a fetal position behind what I could only describe as some sort of fort made out of stacks and stacks of old books. 

"I AM SO SORRY!" I said apologetically, crouching down to see this person face to face. Here was a full-fledged person. 

"That's okay - I'm used to being trampled over and used," 

What?! I felt like crying. 

"Are you hurt anywhere?" I asked. 

"No - I'm fine - thank you," said the little guy. He glanced at me. 

"Oh - you must be new," he said in a cute tiny voice. 

"I'm Kit nice-nice to meet-meet you," he had a little bit of a cute stutter. 

I smiled and finally rested my body as it hit the ground. Letting out a sight of exasperation. 

Inadvertently the green cloak I had on me, which had buttons up the middle through an inlay of dark fabric, flew open and the skin of my stomach showed open. My stomach had lightly defined muscles. I spread out my legs and stretched out my neck looking out the sky. 

"You seemed tired - you need anything?" Said Kit who was now giving me his full attention. 

I was able to look up. 

"A glass of water, maybe something to eat?" He said - I recognized that there was a flirty tone to his voice. 

"That's okay - thank you - " Kit put up his hands like he was expecting a beating. I just stood there dumbfounded. 

"What's wrong?" I said. I caught him staring at my stomach.

"Sorry - " he apologized and went back to the fetal position. 

"Usually science guys hit me when I'm nice like that with them," he said almost in a whisper. 

"What?! But that's nice of you - I don't see why they should do that - that's wrong," he looked at me with stars in his eyes. 

He stared at me for a couple of seconds - but I just had question marks all over my face. 

He turned back, a smile crept on his face. 

"Have you met Dan or Arthur?" He asked in a soft sweet-scented tone. 

"I have!" I strode. 

"They're a bit of a handful wouldn't you say?" I asked trying to make conversation with the sweet boy in front of me. 

"They're good people I swear!" He jumped up to his knees suddenly. But came back down controlling himself. 

"You just have to get to know them, they're not too kind to the inamorato law," he started. 

"What's that anyway? The inamorato thing? I've heard it over and over, no one's explaining," I said annoyed. 

"You don't know?!" Kit started. He faced me, sitting on his knees. 

I explained the elves thing. 

"Ah - I see, well if you'd let me explain," 

"Sure - please, go ahead," 

"Basically - warriors need an inamorato to build up strength. It's a bond that creates mana and stores it in the warrior's body." He explained that it was the most normal thing in the world. 

"Uh-huh…" I stated. I had an idea where this was going. 

"Other guilds have slaves - or paid escorts to do that bidding," is not problematic at all. 

"But the Red Lions don't do things like that - and instead that job falls to the science building - so Dan or Arthur get pulled to do that job whenever I'm not around,"

"Okay - so how do they build up strength to generate mana?" I asked almost afraid of what Kit was going to say next. 

"Through the sexual arts of course," he stated. 

Right of course - like that's normal. 

"The bond requires for Crown and Hearts, it can only be between males, and one must always take the role of Heart so that Crown can build up power." 

My face was constructed, I was disgusted. I shook it off. This must be normal in this world. 

"Right - of course - makes sense," I said sarcastically, but Kit took it at face value. 

"Okay - last question - do both men have to agree to the inamorato contract?" I asked. 

"Not at all - as long as both males have the symbol of Amor drawn on their bodies, the mana will flow through the sexual act." I blinked.

"Can the symbol be used on anyone or is it special?" I asked, hoping for the best. 

"Each inamorato relationship has its special circle, revealed through the ritual of Nuptial."

Just another world for weddings. 

I sighed - I wasn't liking the sound of that. 

"Once the symbol is revealed - it can be drawn multiple times over, and used however many times you like," said Kit happy to explain all of this. 

"And can you have multiple inamoratos?" I had to know. 

"Only if a Crown deems it so - Hearts have no say once they're contracted through the ritual of Nuptial," he explained. 

"So a Crown can have multiple inamorato's but a Heart cannot?" 

"That's right - unless a heart were to become a Crown - but that rarely happens - to do - they would - umm-. 

"What?" 

Kit swallowed.

" - need to submit a Heart," explained Kit. But continued. 

"That's why The Lions of the Red Sea, have this rule, they fear for their lives - and only force the science building whenever there's a need for mana. They like being men too much."

There was a pause.

"I'm more than happy to become a Heart for anyone who needs it - but more and more are Arthur and Dan being rented out." 

Rented out? That sounded so strange. 

"It must be because I'm not that tight anymore," he said ever so casually. 

I blushed. 

This introverted - skinny ass - flat-ass - not-that-good-looking boy - was more of a slut than me?!

He looked like a vampire not even going out - here he was - in a place where strong beefy men - come knocking at his door - asking for sex. 

When all my life I had struggled to even get a guy a liked attention. 

Where I had worked to achieve this sports body. 

And he even had a bit of a beer gut belly. 

How in the world!

I was jealous to say the least.

"You get more ass than me man," I said dejected. I had taken a sat in Indian Pose on the floor.

My legs were starting to become numb. 

He flushed. 

"Do you at least enjoy it?" I asked with one hand on my cheek. Looking bored. 

"Ah - umm - I guess - sometimes - if they're not too rough - " he said red in the face in between mutters. His face was pretty.

Again in that feminine-looking way.

Dan also had feminine features now that I thought about it.

I too had feminine features. 

Were we all just fem-boys in the science building?! 

I yawned and rested on my back with both my hands on my head. 

There was a pause between us. 

I closed my eyes. 

I felt how Kit started moving his hand to touch my stomach. 

I opened one eye.

He stopped in his tracks.

"So what's the deal? Are we free to leave or do we need to fulfill a certain hours or something?" 

He had stopped right before touching my belly. 

He pulled back. 

Went back to a fetal position. 

He looked at me through the open hole his arms made with his thighs.

"You can leave whenever you want - just report back tomorrow, okay?" He said in a sweet tone. 

"All right - " I swung forward and landed on my feet. 

"See you tomorrow then - " I said and properly started heading out through the place I had come in. I got out of there as fast as I could.

This was weird!

This was way too weird!