Bolt Action Serenade

Coming to was less horrible the third time. Especially because I felt relatively comfortable. Like someone had moved me to lay in a better position while I was out. “Please tell me all that was a super fucked dream.” I groaned out as I forced myself to sit up. But no. Woods, road, demon corpses, ache in my leg.

“Sorry, no dream. But at least you’re not alone now?” a deep and sultry woman’s voice spoke nearby.

I looked around and saw no one. “Hello? Who’s there?”

“Your arm, love.” the voice responded softly.

I looked down and whooooo boy that’s, that’s a thing. The bands were all gone, I think. It looked like my normal skin at least. But the runes were all there like tattoos. Though, they seemed a bit different. I couldn’t tell you how, I sure couldn’t remember what they looked like on the bands, but I still felt like they were changed now that they were on my skin directly. “Okay, alright, that’s… uh. Okay so you’re the blood elemental I’m guessing?”

“Smart girl. Glad I found you and not some idiot that would have the bands destroyed instead.” When she talked I could see red light pulsing slightly through the runes.

“Not gonna kill me or take over my body are you?” I asked, laughing nervously even though I figured if she was she would have already.

“Considering you put me back together at significant risk to yourself while already badly injured, I do feel that would be rather rude at best.” Her tone was upbeat, friendly. Listening to her was calming and reassuring and just plain nice, though I couldn’t tell you why.

“Oh good. Are you okay? Are you um… stuck with me now?” I asked, remembering the System mentioning a contract.

“Voluntarily. As I thought you were, though now I think you simply accidentally accepted the contract from me without realizing it. For which I apologize, had I known you were not aware of what was happening I would have held off on finalizing the contract. I am dreadfully sorry dear.” she sounded sincere, and sexy. Oh, oh that’s it. Okay yeah. I like girls. Sorry poor dead Bernson, that’s why I didn’t want to bang you. Nothing personal, you just didn’t have the boobs for me I guess.

“Oh, well. You seem nice so far so I’m not too horribly torn up about it.” I said with a smile, forced though it was. “But, uh, it would be super helpful if you could still do that health stuff the band did?”

“Not normally an ability of my kind, but my time split into pieces and shoved into leather husks did have some benefits at least. Give me a few moments to take a look at your insides~.” Okay that was one hundred percent teasing. Right? Maybe I’m just horny but that sounded like seduction tones. But before I could ponder that more she spoke again “You are not in very good shape, love. The bleeding has all but stopped but the infection is worse. Did you not take a yellow vial when I- oh, oh no. Oh that is not…”

“What, what is it?” I felt panic swelling in me again, she sounded scared. I didn’t need anybody but me being scared at that moment damn it.

“Love. Get up and keep walking. Faster if you can. I am so sorry, the band was wrong. You must have a skill that affects infections, it made diagnosing yours less accurate. This is far worse than I thought at first and you need to get to a doctor right away. The infusions are not strong enough for this and its going to spread through your leg fast. You have a week at most, possibly far less, before it reaches your organs and your chances go from bad to worse.”

I couldn’t help it, I laughed. Of course things were worse than they seemed. Why would they be okay? Why would things actually be going well? Things have always only gotten worse! Ever since mom-… ever since she… it’s right there, the trailing edge of a memory that I grasp at with everything I have but it slips away. My laugh turns into a sob. “Fucking… fuck. Yeah, yeah I need to get up.”

“Love, I know this is difficult right now and I know you feel overwhelmed. But I have watched you since you put that first band on and you are more incredible than I think you know. You will get up, you will get moving, and you will find help in time.” She sounded so sure, more sure than I think I was capable of being.

“Yeah, yeah I got it.” I dragged myself to my feet, the pain still bad but like annoying background noise at that moment considering everything else going on. I retrieved my rifle and made sure I had everything ready before I continued down the road at as increased of a pace as I could stand.

After a few minutes I remembered my notifications.

[Level 12 reached. You have 5 unspent Attribute points. Would you like to spend these now?]

I nodded as I silently accepted. Then a thought occurred to me. “Hey, uh.. actually you know I never asked your name.”

“Elementals don’t typically have those ourselves unless we reach a certain level of power. Strong enough to gain the notice of realms. I’m a rather minor one myself, weak enough to fit inside your rather pitiful Anima.” Then her voice turned panicked “Oh no offense dear! I didn’t mean to imply you’re somehow lesser of a person for having a thin Anima, larger ones are typically only found on spell casters after all, and from what I can tell I think you might have one low power spell at most. You’re still incredible, love, just not an Elementalist. Which is completely normal.”

I chuckled “You know, when I hit eleven I actually got offered an Elementalist class advancement?”

“You’re kidding.” she sounded unconvinced.

“Not at all. Elemental Savant. I didn’t take it, I don’t have enough knowledge on the subject to feel comfortable taking it. But it was in fact offered. I’m guessing that my interaction with you had something to do with it.”

“A wise choice, you feel far more like someone with a physical focus on your abilities. Though I am happy you at least had enough for me on the other side of things.” She said, her tone still apologetic.

“About that, I hit twelve and was wondering if you had advice on what I should do with my points.” I asked, figuring that I could really make do with another perspective at least.

“To be honest dear I find the trust you’re placing in my already to be-... oh. Oh damn it all I am so sorry, love, I forgot. You’re missing your entire life aren’t you? You likely have a gaping hole where lessons about the System and it’s bits and bobs should be.” She sighed and I felt, actually FELT how sorry she was. “I’ll throw in some basics for the moment, the first of them being that sharing details about your Status is considered something saved for family, lovers, or close friends. So keep your details to yourself as much as you can. Might I assume you at least read the descriptions of your Attributes, skills, and such?”

“I did, yes. Though I’m not really sure what Anima is, no description for that.”

“Put simply, it’s like a pool in your soul. Elementals’ souls can dwell inside of it when Contracted to you, but the size of the pool limits the ‘size’ of elemental that can fit and thus can be Contracted. There is also a matter of what is often called depth. Though saturation or density might be a better term from my perspective. Effectively it is the measure for how much power you can share with a Contracted Elemental. You can think of it as similar to your Mana Pool, but reserved for your Elemental to use. Though unlike your Mana Pool it never drops and needs to be refilled. It’s just a limit on how much of an Elemental’s power can be increased by your own.”

“Wait.” I looked down at my arm, like I was attempting to look at her face. It felt silly, but it was a reflex I guess. “So, someone could contract with a weaker elemental and just have a high uh, Anima depth and make it as strong as a much stronger elemental?”

“A simplified explanation, but not inaccurate.”

I nodded “Okay, so would you prefer wider or deeper?” I asked with a smirk, my mind suddenly going to very dirty places and I had to fight the urge to laugh.

“That is kind of you to ask, but I am not notably uncomfortable with my cur-”

“Just answer, what would be more comfortable for you?” I interrupted, trying to make my tone show I wasn’t up for an argument.

“Well… a wider Anima would give me, for lack of a better term, some more breathing room. The depth here is acceptable for a being of my power so if I have to chose one, I’d rather have some space to stretch my legs as it were.”

I immediately put four points into Focus to bump it to ten and suddenly felt my new friend’s surprise. “That better?”

“Oh love~ This is glorious. Thank you so very much and do tell me if I can ever show you how grateful I am~.” Okay that time was definitely flirty.

I put the last point into Willpower, taking a guess that turned out accurate. The pain in my leg didn’t lessen, but I could push through it slightly better. I guessed that Endurance might lower the pain, but Willpower might just help me deal with it better. Either one would help me move just that much faster and find help sooner. I noticed I also got that free extra point to Coordination from Racing Heart and smiled.

“Oh! I forgot what I had asked. You don’t have a name, right?”

She chuckled “Something I wonder if we have in common. Does your Status still have yours, or was it lost with the rest of you?”

“Just lists an error. So maybe we name each other?” I offered, only mostly paying attention as it took effort to keep up my pace while remembering to not put full weight on my right foot.

“Love, what next, a proposal?” she laughed, the sound like rain on temple bells, nature and art mixing beautifully. “You are unlike anyone I’ve encountered, and I’ve been around for a few centuries. Though, not quite so capable as I am now.”

I raised a brow. “What’s that mean?”

“Elementals are not normally quite so aware and intelligent as I am until they gain significantly more power. I was technically sapient for most of my existence, but more like a small human child than the brilliant being I find myself now.”

“Humble as well.” I chuckled.

“Oh I’ll test out humility later, for now I am basking in a mind far more capable than I could even understand before you saved me.” She chuckled in return.

“So, you got pulled apart, probably through a contract you couldn’t properly understand, placed into those bands for however long that was, and then when I put you back together you were just smarter? Any idea why?”

“I don’t need an idea, love. The bands had runes that allowed for a higher level of thought and understanding, though in a far too limited and controlled way. That combined with my fragmented nature kept any part of me from being actually intelligent but still able to fulfill the task forced on me by those terrible leather prisons. Now whole, with at least a remnant of the runes remaining not just on your flesh but on my very soul, they have had the assuredly unintended side effect of making me fully and gloriously sapient. I am glad for it too, I don’t think I’d understand enough to help you out in my previous condition.”

“Well that makes two of us.” I smiled, happy I was actually right about her being friendly and telling the small voice in my head that whispered she was just faking it to shut the hell up. “So, names… Carmilla sounds right for you. Not sure why, just feels appropriate.” I nodded to myself.

“Carmilla~” she practically moaned the name out and had I not been distracted by my low level panic and high level pain I think I might have needed a change of underwear from how that sent shivers down my spine and between my legs. “I will cherish the name as long as I exist, love.”

I felt myself blush. I had noticed her calling me love. “I hope I’m around to call you that name for a long, long time then.”

She laughed, rain on bells again, gods her voice was the sweetest wine poured directly into my ear. Which did leave a weird mental image in my head, but you know what I stand by the statement anyway.

“Esme.” She spoke and I nearly tripped, so distracted had I been by thinking about wine in my ears. “It too, feels right for you. I do admit that my experience with human names is limited, but I do recall a lovely woman that wore me once who others called Esme. She had a bright smile and indomitable eyes, even as she thought she was dying. Don’t worry love, she lived. Just like you will.”

“Esme, yeah. I love it.” I laughed heartily “Esme and Carmilla, has a ring to it.” And then I felt a draw to my Status and took a look at it “Oh hey, its official now. System has updated my name to Esme.”

“Oh, that’s good to hear!”

“You know, I have a question. How are you speaking with me, is it like telepathy or something?”

She laughed, a slow, deep, teasing sound that seemed to get closer to my left side as it went on. Then she spoke, the sound coming as if she were pressing her lips to my ear. “Love, I’m a blood elemental. I simply make the sounds next to your ear drums. I’m literally inside of you right now.”

My knees wobbled and my womanhood clenched. I could feel my nipples digging harder into the fabric of my bra as they hardened and knew that my face was probably as red as the blood Carmilla was swimming in. “O-oh.”