5.55 – Escalation

5.55 – Escalation

Trekking back to the Guild with Lucinda at her side, Rosalie's head was spinning.

She couldn't even make concrete plans on how to handle the rest of the day: either Zoey or Delta could be back in their room by now, or neither, or both. Of course, Rosalie hoped for Zoey alone: that would be easiest. Work her way into explanations one by one, starting with the person she was most comfortable with. But she doubted she'd be so lucky.

While walking, Rosalie was forced to give Lucinda some details on what had happened the past few weeks. Of course, she couldn't explain Zoey's situation in full, but if she wanted Lucinda to permit even the smallest delay, then she had to give her something. After much insistence, Lucinda conceded she would have to trust Rosalie's judgment. Especially because Rosalie emphasized that she had news—significant news—about Zoey, and other developing situations, that she intended to give only to her father.

Though, the idea of having that discussion nearly paralyzed Rosalie every time she thought about it. Even Lucinda finding her in a sex toy store might not compare to having to explain to Father just what Zoey's class was, and what it meant for Rosalie. Enzo was a practical man, but even he might balk at the cost. Not that, to Rosalie, there was any real 'cost'. But explaining to her father that she had a girlfriend who, as a means of progressing in advancement, had to fuck her into a brainless mess at least once a day—oh, gods, Rosalie didn't even know where to begin with it. How she would explain it to him without dying on the spot?

Maybe she wouldn't. Could she concoct some story that got the relevant details across, while hiding the mortifying ones?Vissit novelbin(.)c.om for updates

Lucinda insisted on learning more about her team, even if Rosalie wouldn't give the exact details on the 'big secret' of Zoey's class. Because that Rosalie had found allies—permanent ones—that she intended to keep against her father's wishes was a staggering announcement, especially because Rosalie wasn't someone known for resisting her father's will.

To excuse Zoey's position on the team, Rosalie merely mentioned an unusual but powerful class, given that Zoey was untrained and would be, on first glance—especially to a woman like Lucinda—no hardened wayfarer of a caliber deserving to be called a colleague of Rosalie's.

Delta's placement was a trickier explanation, but not unjustifiable. The foxgirl was no prodigy of a generation, as Rosalie's father might have arranged as her teammate normally, but that she was so competent with zero formal training suggested an immense talent to be cultivated. Rosalie was willing to admit that much about the woman, despite her misgivings. Delta was simply an excellent offensive addition to a party, perhaps acceptable even at the highest tier of competition. And, again, she came from no notable family; she was entirely self-taught. In a way, that spoke more to her potential than her actual skill and quick progression did.

Maddy was the easiest to explain. Rosalie had quickly sussed out, in one of their first conversations at a bar, that Maddy was a daughter of the Moonlight Weaver, a prominent officer, if not especially prominent, of the Sovereign. Even at a base level, Maddy wouldn't be out of place on Rosalie's team. Doubly so if the two of them worked well together, which, admittedly, was yet to be discovered. Of course, the secretive and more important factor of Maddy's place on the team was that she seemed amenable to the requirements of Zoey's class. But Rosalie could hardly explain that to Lucinda.

Finally, the last topic of conversation they broached during their short trip to the Guild was that Rosalie hadn't told her teammates who she was, yet. Her surname. And that she intended to do so during the trip to Mantle. So, she asked Lucinda to not let anything slip.

Arriving at their destination, the sprawling hollowed-out tree that served as Treyhull's largest Guild, Rosalie led her long-time mentor and weapons trainer up the towering staircase, headed for their team's shared room.

So lost in thought, and busy with detailing her explanations to Lucinda, Rosalie had forgotten to plan for the obvious.

Both Zoey and Delta had returned for the day. And, from the noises emanating from the room she and Lucinda were approaching, they were both 'relaxing' from a hard day's work. Through very intimate means of stress relief.

Why?

Couldn't a single thing not go wrong?

Zoey looked down at the foxgirl she had pinned into the bed. Her hips were flush against her ass, all fourteen-inches of her ridiculous girlcock bulging Delta's insides out. Her hand was on the back of Delta's head, helping grind her face into the sheets. It was, in summary, an especially lewd pose. In most other situations, Rosalie might have hesitated at the display. But here, now, she hastily waved her hand.

"Now, please."

"Give us a few more—" Delta started.

"Now!"

Zoey, at least, recognized the panic in Rosalie's voice. She pulled out of Delta, making the foxgirl suck in a little gasp of air, then shuffled to the side of the bed and scooped up their clothes from the floor. She tossed Delta's to her, then started to get dressed. Delta seemed ready to keep protesting the interruption, but at Rosalie's expression, decided against it. She also started pulling her clothes on.

Rosalie glanced over to the doorway; she could see Lucinda, even if her teammates couldn't. The older woman was leaning against the doorframe, her amusement growing by the minute, however much she tried to mask it. She quirked an eyebrow at Rosalie, and Rosalie hastily looked away.

Seriously. What kind of assumptions was she making about Rosalie, her teammates, and especially, what Rosalie had been doing these past two weeks as she delayed setting off to Mantle?

Certainly nothing flattering.

And the worst part was, she was probably correct about most of it. Though, Rosalie was not some kind of degenerate. There were extenuating circumstances behind all of her indulgences. She just couldn't explain them to Lucinda.

"What visitor?" Zoey asked, slipping on her panties and her bra. "What's going on?"

"An ally of mine. Nothing bad." Sort of. "It's complicated. I'll explain. Our schedule might have been accelerated."

"Rosalie?" Lucinda's voice came suddenly from the doorway. "Who are these people?"

Rosalie's head turned.

There, in a semi-circle, surrounding a no-longer-amused, suddenly-serious-looking Lucinda, were four individuals in carved animal masks. Like they'd come fresh from a masquerade.

"We are the Church of the Shattered Sphere," the lead figure hissed, answering Lucinda's question on behalf of Rosalie. "And we've come seeking reparations. Stand aside, woman, if you have any sense. We've only come for them."

A long, wicked-looking finger outstretched itself menacingly toward Rosalie.