Aegis Online

 (Whoooo! Finally, last chapter I got to introduce my favourite character! Dana’s just awesome, and hot, and…. And hot! I have so many ideas for this story, and I really want to use them all! It’s difficult to decide what I’m doing at any moment. XD ah well, Patreon, please support me, etcetera etcetera. On with the chapter! Also, I’m trying to think of a name for you guys, as a fanbase! Any suggestions will be carefully considered, so pop your ideas in the comments section!)

I blink, taken aback by Sasha’s carefree attitude.  She didn’t seem like any of the baristas I’ve ever met. She seems happy and fulfilled, instead of passive-aggressive and apathetic. A voice breaks through my confused thoughts, as Dana pokes my cheek teasingly. “Helloooooo, Earth to Kettrin. Are ye receiving me, cap’n?”

I start, and then look up at the taller girl, as she grins down at me. “Ye wanna have a coffee or something? My treat, whatever ye like!” Feffer drops back to the floor, having received enough affection from Sasha, and curls up at my feet, trapping them, under his bulk. I bite my lip, then say, hesitantly, “Black coffee, please…”

Sasha chuckles, “order what YOU want, lady, not what society SAYS you should enjoy! Fight the power!” she pumps a fist in the air in a vaguely-Revolutionary manner, and I can’t help but giggle. Brushing a strand of dark hair out of my face, I look back up at Dana. “Um, caramel latté, please…”

She grins and nods. “One large caramel latté, and an extra-large Puppercino, please, and I’ll have me usual!” Sasha nods cheerfully. “Trenta macchiato, plus five shots, got it” And cranks the cafetiere into life, the machine letting out various grinding noises as it pulverises the beans. Looking around, I spot someone near the door. He’s HUGE, probably seven feet tall, and muscled as all get-out. He’s sitting in a chair that looks extremely unhappy with the seating arrangements, and reading a book. He notices my gaze, looks up, and smiles, giving me a brief nod, returning to his book.

Sasha finishes up our drinks, and Dana pays, bringing them to a table, placing the plastic cup with the Puppercino on the floor for Feffer, who immediately buries his muzzle in the contents. I giggle, and Dana rolls her eyes, muttering, “I swear, this freakin’ dog!” she chuckles, nudging him with one of her boots.

I sip my coffee, smiling as I look around, enjoying the atmosphere, as Sasha serves a couple of people in white robes. Dana glowers in their direction, and I notice the hench guy with the book eyeing them up guardedly. I tilt my head towards Dana. “What’s with the scowling? Do you know those two?”

She shakes her head. “Not personally, but those pricks are from the Church of One. They’re basically a legalised cult. ‘One Man, One Woman, One Way To Live’. They hate, hate, HATE the LGBT community with a warped and undying passion.”

I frown. “But, why? What’s the point? They just hate people for the sake of it, then.” Dana nods and sighs. “Yeah, that’s why Sasha had to hire Matt over there.” She gestures to the musclebound hulk near the door. The two robed people leave after paying, after turning to scowl back at anyone who happens to be in the café.

Once they’re gone, Sasha sighs and leans back against the counters. “Ugh, I hate that lot so much…. And they won’t stop trying to get me closed down! They despise me, because I own this place and the ground it stands on, and they can’t buy me it, they keep sending ‘health inspectors’ around and they always fail because I keep this place spotless, and it’s a dog-friendly place anyway.”

I sigh, sipping my coffee. “That sucks… I only figured out who I was a few days ago, and now there’s so many more people out there who hate me for just wanting to be myself…”

Dana pats my hand, and I blush shyly, looking away as Feffer bats his empty plastic cup around, pouncing on it and worrying it playfully his floofy tail beating the air.  “Hey, if ye ever wanna chat, I’ll give me phone number out. I have tae go to work most days, but I’ll always hae time tae chat wi’ ye, ya li’l cutie!”

I turn red as a sunburnt tomato, and, when I open my mouth, all that comes out is “Zsvdveubfiomfiunf!!” Dana and Sasha cackle, “Keysmash!” and Feffer lollops over from beating up his used cup, resting his enormous head on my lap and looking up at me with soulful eyes. I rub his ears softly, starting to smile. “I’d… I’d like that, thanks.”

About ten minutes later, we part ways, with Dana ensuring that I put her number into my cell, and I take the grav-train back to my apartment. The return journey takes longer, due to the congestion at the stations on my route slowing me down, but no-one seems to twig that I’m anything other than a normal girl! A constant buzz of euphoria vibrates around me, and I can’t stop smiling, repeatedly checking Dana’s number in my cellphone.  

It seems like my trip home takes an eternity, especially when the grav-train had to halt a couple of times, but, by one PM, I’m heading through my front door, hurriedly stripping off and neatly folding my girlclothes, and tugging on my podwear,  placing my palm on the scanner to open the large, dull-green military-surplus shell. “Welcome back, Miss Kylie.” It drones, and I climb in, settling myself in the centre of my little metal world. “Please load Aegis Online!” I giggle, eager to dive back in and resume my adventures alongside Asteria. The plastic and metal crown descends, and I close my eyes, letting myself fall back into the world I’ve come to love for its freedom, for my wings, and for meeting Asteria, and now Dana, Feffer, and Sasha. Just from a week or two of playing, my social circle has widened… 

I open my eyes, breathing deep. The scent of the forest around me fills my nostrils, warmed by the sunlight. Loam and rich earth, sun-warmed bark and leaves, and the heady smell of ripe fruit. Sitting up, I stretch luxuriously, spreading my wings to shake out my feathers, the sunlight washing over them. Looking around, I spot Asteria, sitting on a rock, a dark scowl on her face. Packing up my little camp, I beat my wings once, making a long-jump to land right in front of her and giving her a hug. “Morning!” I giggle chirpily, and see the scowl fade away as she buries my face in her chest. WHY does she like doing that so much?!

A few moments later, Asteria allows me to pull free of her bosom. Her outfit has changed, from the diaphanous white gown to something a lot more… Goth-punk. She’s wearing a black corset, trimmed in red, an open-fronted red-and-black tartan skirt over crimson short-shorts, and big, stompy black leather boots with a sole about two inches thick. The whole ensemble is accentuated by a snakeskin belt. Her hair, too! It’s black where it was blonde, and red where the green streaks should be. I stare, looking her up and down, my face slowly heating up, as the nocturnal goddess in front of me smirks. “What do you think?” she purrs, her black lipstick and eyeliner standing out beautifully against her pale, moonkissed skin.

I bite my lip, trying not to stare. She looks… incredible. A line pops into my head as I absently activate my streaming software, Asteria’s little magical camera-sprite hovering around her already, and, by way of introduction, state, “Welcome back, guys, it seems that I hast acquired an ample-bosomed Gothic maiden to court…”

Asteria cackles in delight, her shaking shoulders causing… intriguing motions elsewhere on her body, and I struggle to tear my gaze away from her cleavage. “Well, did anything happen while I was out-of-game for a couple days?”

“Well, by dear little sky-queen, there were a couple of events that transpired while you were so cruelly torn away from my arms!” Asteria laments dramatically, winking at me as she speaks. My chat is babbling about ‘big-tiddy Goth GF’ in the corner of my eye, and I giggle. “Oh? And what events might those be, my midnight blossom?” I return the ridiculous over-emphasized dialogue, my lips curving up in a matching smirk to Asteria’s.

She sighs, rubbing her temples. “Yeah, that asshole from Tillberry has been stalking us. He tried getting to you while you were asleep, and he brought some friends. Luckily, I hatched my monster egg and managed to persuade him that going away was the smarter option…. After I dismantled the half-dozen goons he brought along! Don’t worry; they didn’t lay a hand on you.”

I blink. “Wait, you hatched your monster egg?! Did you get something really awesome??” I ask excitedly, and then....the belt slung around Asteria’s hips shifts, the snake’s head raising and regarding me with cobalt eyes. It spreads leathery wings, and then curls one around in an unmistakable bow. “Greetingsssss… I am Naberiussss, the ssservant of Lady Asssteria.” It says in a sibilant, whispery voice. I start, and then squeal, “Oh my Gods, he’s sooo cool!” Naberius’s tongue flicks out and vibrates, as he blinks lazily. “I am indeed cold-blooded, missss Kettrin…” the snake responds, before closing one aqua eye in a slow wink. I can’t help but chuckle, then curtsey politely towards Naberius

“Ssshe hasss good mannersssss, thisss young lady!” he hisses approvingly, as Asteria continues, petting his scaled head. “After that, I actually found the stone we were looking for, as well as the dungeon entrance! Only problem is, we aren’t being allowed in. A contingent of troops from the capital city has set up shop in front of the entrance and I’ve spent an HOUR arguing with the commander. I won’t forget the name of General Rutger Kael’Dornis any time soon. He’s a grumpy, arrogant old fart who thinks only of glory and honour. He’s been sending squads into the dungeon, and none of them have returned.”

I groan in frustration. “Really?? He DOES know that the loss of his men means that whatever’s in there is either much stronger, OR much more numerous? He’s marching his troops into a meat-grinder, one by one!”

Asteria nods, scowling again, but not as thunderously as before. “Yeah. I managed to spend a little time in their camp before he got a bee up his butt and had me thrown out. LITERALLY, too! But, even his own soldiers are getting antsy and unnerved. They don’t like the idea of marching to their deaths, and, if reinforcements are on their way like the General claims, they won’t be here for a couple weeks at best. Plus, sooner or later, he’s going to piss off enough Argos and they’ll form an army of their own and drown him in respawning bodies. We come back, they don’t. His pride and stubbornness are going to get him and the rest of his warriors killed!”

Her face darkens as she growls about this General Kael’Dornis, and I can understand why she’s so stuffed-up about it. The sound of armoured boots crunching over the grass and twigs of the forest floor reaches us from right behind a tree. Asteria whirls and snaps, “spying on me now, huh, General Dickhead?!”

Around the bulk of the tree… steps a pretty Andromal woman in plate armour. She’s tall and slim, with light purple skin, a barbed tail, and goat-like horns. “Actually, General Dickhead is my FATHER. I’m Captain Dickhead, his adopted daughter,” she smiles, crossing the small distance between us. Saluting, she introduces herself as “Captain Brandia Kael’Dornis-Galatea,” and then… apologizes to Asteria.

“Please, forgive my intrusion, as well as for what happened back at the camp. My father isn’t a bad man; he’s just… unable to accept that his glory days are behind him. He’s clinging to the past, and even I can’t convince him that this fools’ errand is wasting lives, equipment, and gold on a wild duckgoose chase. The only way to get him to give up is for someone else to clear the dungeon before he does. Buuut…” I watch the captain pace slowly across the grassy clearing. “Since he won’t let anyone past, that’s not likely to happen anytime soon. However, I’ve been thinking and I’ve got an idea. There’s one small catch…” the pretty demonic girl smirks impishly. “You’re going to have… to take me hostage!”