Chapter 99: Exploration
Chapter 99: Exploration
A/N: This chapter is kind of personal interaction between characters to flesh them out. I know that harem's worst deficiency is character development, but I won't throw away the charm of the novel and delve into character development and fights.
To be clear, the first seven will always remain special, even when he gets more special women, the place of the seven women in his heart will remain immovable.
Good day.
***
"Huff! Why do I feel that the owl is petty?!"
Yue frowned and looked at massive corridors filled with uncountable books. And this was just one of the many massive collections of books.
"You felt right." Nik spoke while frowning, "We definitely need a guide to find out the books or scrolls that describe the method of bending the gravity."
"Nik?"
Yue suddenly looked at Nik before asking with a hesitant expression.
"I... no, all of us had a question."
Finding a chair to sit down, Yue looked at him with hopeful expression while Nik sighed. Honestly, he was more than unwilling to lose his time right now. The library was huge and they didn't even have the slightest clue as to where they should be looking for.
"Really? Now?"
Nik smiled bitterly while Yue thought for a while before shaking her head.
"If you don't want, then let's do it another time."
She smiled and stood up but somehow, Nik's lips couldn't help but twitch.
He immediately grabbed her hands and pulled her in, bringing his face closer to her's while gazing into her sky-blue eyes with utmost seriousness.
"Where did you learn that?"
He questioned. Yue was many things demanding princess, an incredibly flexible partner, a pouty little teen and a gentle and accommodating woman.
But she wasn't a manipulator. Her thoughts would always reflect from her expression, her eyes would remain clear, devoid of deception.
And yet, today, he felt a sliver of mischievousness passing through her pupils.
But still, an incredibly tantalizing and inviting smile appeared on her face as she craned her neck up, closing the distance between their eyes, their nose coming into contact with each other.
"Nina did. But I never thought it would be this effective."
Yue smiled cheerfully before giving his lips a soft peck, leaving Nik speechless.
"Honestly... making me feel guilty by smiling like that... you are turning into a vixen."
Nik growled, letting go of Yue's hands, he immediately grabbed Yue's soft ass, taking revenge for all the time Yue had pushed her knee below his h.i.p.s during his sleep.
"Eep! You don't like it?!"
Yue asked nervously. All her confidence crumbled as the enticing feeling of her butt getting grabbed so possessively sent shivers to her spine.
A wolfish smile touched Nik's lips.
"No, I loved it, my little enchantress."
A full passionate kiss ravaged Yue's mouth numb, her eyes grew a bit hazy while she gently hugged Nik's waist.
"So? Ask. What's on your mind?"
Yue nodded her head as she looked up with clear eyes again. As if not willing to let any clues slide from her detection.
"Are you... by any chance... the next Avatar?"
"No."
Nik replied with a shrug. Her question didn't surprise him, instead, he was already thinking that the group, at least, Karna should have asked this question way before.
"An Avatar can control four elements at the same time. I, on the other hand, control only one element at a time."
Nik spoke. He wasn't lying. While his elemental energy could definitely allow him to control multiple elements at the same time, he needed a lot of time and practice to achieve such a feat.
"But... multiple elements?"
Yue still wasn't satisfied by her answer while Nik shrugged.
"It's not unheard of. Remember Azula?"
"I don't forget crazy."
Yue pouted and snuggled against Nik's chest.
"Well, she can bend and control fire and lightning on her will."
"That's not a proper answer. You have already shown us, at least, Karna and I, that you can bend Gravity, Lightning, Water... not to mention the purple lightning that Pavka uses."
"Whatever." Nik shrugged. "If it does make you feel any better, just title me as a lesser avatar. To be able to manipulate multiple elements, but not at the same time."
"Either way." Nik flicked her forehead in annoyance, "Let's find the damn Gravity Bending scroll/book already."
***
"Well... advance waterbending techniques, huh?"
Karna looked at the large shelf filled with thick books that made her dizzy at sight. But she wasn't the one to fear, so she clenched her jaws and glared at the books as if they were the enemies that needed to be vanquished before she finally took one book out.
The strange red binding of the book had piqued her interest, making her select that particular book prior to anything else.
"The Pleasure of Water Bending."
The e.r.o.t.i.c artwork on the book that definitely featured multiple bums being manhandled by tendrils of artwork, made Karna's eyes go wide and almost instantly, she threw the book away.
"Who could even write such a"
As Nik's image flashed within her mind, she immediately ate her words back.
"Nevermind... perverts won't leave the world even if you curse."
She then picked the next book, this was a pitch-black one with golden imprints on the cover.
The History of Water Tribe's Committee.
"This is supposed to be the advance technique corner, damnit!"
Instead of throwing the book, she placed it back and then started rummaging through the shelf, and yet, even after her dissatisfaction and curses, her mind kept on begging to read that unholy book.
Her eyes were curious enough to beg to lay their eyes on those peaches once again.
As if sighing in exasperation by the demands of HER OWN body parts, Karna walked up to the fallen book, dusted its cover before reading the contents.
'I am not breaking my promise.'
She chanted inwardly while her eyes grew wider and wider, her pupils dilated the monstrosities of water bending, yet, her body twitched.
She immediately stood up and started practicing the movements presented in the book.
This time, she will be the one to enlighten Nik.
Just the thought of gaining an upper hand during their night activities made Karna giddy with utmost smugness and happiness.
'These really are advance techniques.'
If Karna had a companion with herself, he or she would point how dirty her grin actually looked like, even on her own face.
Unknown to the mature tomboy, she had already been infected by Nik...
***
"I should have stayed back!"
Sokka muttered as he placed the illicit book back in its place with disappointment clear on his face.
"Nina taught me techniques better than this one."
He sighed while walking out of the chamber that depicted the s.e.x.u.a.l positions and how to increase the pleasure of the partners.
"Well, if I follow the patterns, the fire bending department isn't far away." He thought darkly before quickening his pace.
"Might as well learn something useful."
Till now, Sokka had been laid-back because he had no reason to fight anymore. The Fire Nation and the Water Tribe were now in an alliance. This was a fact that he couldn't change, even with Avatar around, there was hardly anything he could do to change that.
'If I openly fight the Fire Nation, I'll be marked as a traitor by the tribe to cut any and every connection with me. If that happens, Katara might get implicated.'
He looked up and sighed.
Even though the Fire Nation was responsible for the death of his mother, he couldn't just start attacking the nation as a whole. He wanted revenge, not world peace.
To avenge his mother, he needed to slay the man who killed her. Katara claimed that she still remembered the bastard's face.
Not to mention, only by getting to the fire nation will he get any information on his father. His stay in the destroyer as a prisoner allowed him to learn a few rumours that there was a band of terrorist attacking and targeting small fire nation based merchants.
While this information ignited Sokka's hope on finding clues about his father, he hid this fact with Katara. If all of this was pointless, he didn't want to hurt Katara by giving her pointless hope only to get it snuffed away.
This was an act of extreme selfishness. Sokka wasn't beguiled enough to blame this action on the fact that he wished to protect Katara.
No, he blamed the fact that 'he' wasn't willing to hurt Katara.
Sokka understood the difference well and also knew if Katara ever found this fact and how Sokka had kept it hidden, their relationship would take a 180.
Just like that, he made his way towards the fire department of the library.
***
"The topics of the books are connected."
June muttered and took out a green-covered book before rummaging through its contents.
"Alright, the poison topic follows this direction."
June looked to her left and continued moving while taking out a book every now and then.
While June might not be as detailed as Sokka, even she had found the pattern of the books. Each topic was connected to the book placed behind it and next to it.
In this way, if she had to somehow find the books on exotic poisons, she needed to first go through the books of flora while making a comparison on which book contained more information about the poisonous herbs.
This way, she easily found her direction, but still checked out various books for caution's sake. Unlike Sokka, June also wasn't willing to let her head get wrapped up in overconfidence.
Literacy was a luxury that June obtained at the later stages of her career as a mercenary. And she wasn't willing to leave the chance of learning about more plants that could harm her due to a single success on cracking the pattern get to her head.
***
"What are you saying?!"
Katara immediately jumped up in shock while glaring at Nina. Somehow, Nina still looked quite annoying to Katara's eyes, yet, a sweet feeling spread within her.
Rolling her eyes, Nina shrugged.
"It is obvious, you know. Everyone knows, I guess, even Nik knows."
She stood up and tiptoed towards Katara, gazing at her pitch-black eyes with her dark-blue ones.
"You know, I kinda like Sokka, that is why accepted the deal.
Maybe, I would be willing to teach you a few stuff. Just like I gave Yue a few pointers."
Katara took a step back and calmed her heart. She frowned and kept glaring at Nina.
"What do you mean?"
"What do I mean?" Nina looked a bit confused before chuckling and shaking her head.
"You wish to get in Nik's bed. I get it. Even I feel like something is coming down when I am near him, you know.
But you have to be honest with yourself. S.e.x isn't a bad thing, it is the society who made it back."
Nina walked around Katara while her appraising eyes observed Katara's assets that were exposed due to the thin clothing.
"Either way, acceptance is the first step in any relationship. Nik has many women by his side, but if you wanna get a piece of him, you gotta accept his quirks.
Only then are you qualified to find out if your relationship with him actually last or sink."
Katara finally sat down as she gazed at Nina seriously.
"What if..."
"No what ifs"
Nina shook her head and sat in front of Katara.
"I am not lying. Your group, even if for a day, allowed to witness many things... heck, a friggin talking owl!
And for that, I, a shameless harlot, a man-pleaser, am in your debt. All of your debt. So, I feel like I might just help you with a few stuff.
Bending elements isn't my forte, by bending d.i.c.ks is. So? Are you willing to lessen my debt towards your group?
Wanna learn a few things about bending from me?"
Nina let out a predatory smile before winking at Katara, making her flush.
***