Jashen and I dragged a mattress upstairs.
"Turn with your body."
"My body?" Jashen asked confusedly. "Like this?" She moved her arms to the right.
"No. Your body. Rock your body."
"L-like this?"
"Jashen, I will strangle you."
Eventually, we managed to drag the mattress into the room and dropped it in the middle of the floor.
I collapsed onto the mattress with a loud yawn. Jashen headed back downstairs.
She later returned with a blanket and curtains.
She tossed the blankets at me and approached the window on the right wall.
I rolled up in the large blanket and watched as Jashen hung up the curtain.
The room was draped in darkness and Jashen quietly stepped over.
She bent down and felt around with her hand.
She grabbed my arm and slowly lowered herself onto the mattress.
I tried to move aside but she held me in place by moving her hand to my chest. She then knelt with her thighs around mine.
We soon lay chest to chest with her arms around my neck, and her face beside mine.
"Jashen, what are you…"
She turned her head and pressed her lips against my ear. "Spank my bottom." She whispered, "Please."
My eyes went wide as all my blood rushed down. "What are you talking about?"
Jashen giggled softly as she reached back and took my hand. She guided it to her ass near her tail. "Here, spank me here, like you'd do a baby."
I stared at her with my hand on her ass.
"You can't be serious," I whispered harshly.
"But I am, that's why I'm asking." She licked my ear. "It's very soothing for me."
I blinked and swallowed a lump that felt like a brick. What is this? Why does this shit happen to me?
With a thumping heart, I gave her ass one spank. She pushed her butt against my hand and smiled. "More, like you're hitting a drum."
Fuck my life.
I patted her ass again with a rhythmic thump.
Pap. Pap. Pap.
Jashen closed her eyes and hummed softly. "That's perfect, thank you," She whispered.
I continued and after a while, the sexual nature of the act faded. It felt more like when a cat sits in your lap and sticks its butt in the air.
Except… It's a grown-ass woman.
I sighed softly. "No one ever hears about this."
"Of course."
I continued to pat her ass until she fell asleep, I joined her shortly after.
— — —
In the morning I awake to a face full of drool and the usual morning breath.
I rolled Jashen off me and looked away from the sun as it peeked through the curtains.
"Another day."
Jashen pulled me back into bed.
"Five more minutes," she mumbled.
"Get off me."
Jashen squeezed me. "No."
— — —
Time continued to roll until the end of the week.
When I entered the academy, every first-year student was directed to the auditorium.
Inside the auditorium, all twelve elite scholars were on stage along with head professor Tectus.
First-years sat in the front rows. I took my seat near the end of the row. Reinhardt sat beside me. He looked well rested for someone who had a full schedule.
"Hey," he bumped shoulders with me. "You've been off campus a lot lately. What's going on?"
I reclined in my seat and crossed my arms. "I've been at home," I answered.
"Home? Like your estate? Or…"
I gave him a side eye. "Home."
Reinhardt narrowed his eyes, his gaze wandered over to a long orange hair on my collar.
"Uh-huh."
I ignored him.
The auditorium fell into a hard silence as Tectus took the center stage.
He clasped his hands behind his back.
"Today twelve of you have been chosen to carry a torch of light in a world of darkness."
He raised a fist.
"And the rest of you have been deemed useless, worthless, pathetic. A stain on humanity that can never be cleaned."
He stepped back and gestured towards the twelve elite disciples. "Choose your page! Let this world know who you deem to be worthy."
The first elite scholar stepped forward and produced a small card. She looked down briefly.
"I've chosen Diana Lute Blaze as my page."
A young girl stood to feet and marched up to the stage. She stepped in line beside her page and looked over the crowd with her arms at her side.
The Next elite scholar stepped forward, another female fire user. The same one who snatched Reinhardt earlier.
"I've chosen Reinhardt Faluh Tide as my page."
Reinhardt tightened a fist and grinned as he stood to his feet and marched upstage.
One by one, elite scholars stepped forward to claim their page. Until finally there was only one elite scholar left.
Lance.
He stepped forward with sharp eyes and a clenched jaw. He looked over the crowd and locked eyes with me.
The first-years around me held their breaths.
"I've chosen Lafayette Dumica Tide as my page."
They sighed in unison as I stood to my feet and walked onto the stage. When I stepped beside Lance, his shoulders dropped a bit.
Tectus looked over all 24 of us.
"Hold your heads high. You represent the first, the best, and the brightest of your peers. All of you stand here for a reason, and you now have the responsibility to prove that reasoning correct."
He continued.
"You will face challenges, tribulations, and pressure from all sides. You must not let it shake you. Because this is only the beginning." He raised his head. "Is that understood?"
Almost everyone stomped a foot down and saluted with a hand over their chest.
"Sir, yes sir!"
Tectus nodded and turned his attention to the remaining students. His frown deepened as his eyes narrowed.
"You worthless sacks of shit! What's the matter with you!" He jumped down from the stage with a thud. "Where's your rage! Where's your passion! Where's your fucking vigor!"
He snatched a student out of his seat and dragged him up by the collar. "You lost! And you're just gonna accept that?! You're gonna sit here with a sad ass expression with a thumb up your ass?! Huh?! Answer me!"
"N-no…"
"Louder!"
"N… NO SIR!"
Tectus tossed the young boy aside and looked over the other students.
"You all should be sick to your stomachs! You shouldn't be able to breathe, cause this ain't fair! Not to you! And not to me!" He slammed his fist against his chest.
"You're more capable than the motherfuckers on that stage! You have a stronger drive than the motherfuckers on that stage, your minds are stronger! Your body is tougher! Don't let this be the end!"
He continued.
"Because failure isn't the end! It's the beginning of something great! It's when you can push past your limits! It's when the sweat finally means something! The late-night training! The early morning jogs! It adds up!"
He threw a hand down.
"You will win! That's not an option! You will challenge these pages every day until they break! Don't let them sleep! Don't let them eat! Keep them paranoid and looking over their shoulders! Do. You. Understand!!!"
"Yes sir!"
"Louder!" He shouted as he threw his arms in the air.
"YES SIR!"
"Even louder! Stand on your feet and shout it at the top of your lungs! Come on!"
The students stood to their feet and screamed. "SIR, YES SIR!"
Tectus pointed a finger at them. "Out fucking standing! Every one of these pages better have a challenge list longer than a dragon's neck! And if I see any of you saying you can't do it, I will put my foot so far up your asses you'll taste polish for a week!"
He gestured towards the door. "Now get out there, make anything and everything possible! Keep your heads high and march with pride!"
The first-years roared as they raced out of the auditorium. Even after losing they refused to give up.
Tectus watched them leave with a determined expression, before turning back to us. "Don't get complacent, dismissed." And with that, he turned to leave.
The elite scholars peeled off with their new pages in tow. I fell in step beside Lance. "So," Lance nudged my shoulder as we walked down the hall.
"Hm?"
"You're a page, it's exciting, right?"
I sighed. "No, if anything I'm terrified. Did you hear what Tectus said? I'll have a challenge list, I won't be able to get anything done."
Lance nodded. "Yeah, if you aren't careful you could be in some serious trouble."
I frowned.
I really needed to open that seal now.
More than that, the first person who challenges me, I need to beat them. I need to beat them so badly that no one else tries me.
Maybe even near death.
No, I… I shouldn't be thinking like that.