The Seroyotes had blended with Clinmere, the only island that held their population, and its nature rhymed with them. Thus, when it came to procreation, they did not hide away in the confines of opaque walls, instead they acted under the open sky and conceived with the sun and the stars as their witnesses.

  And so, when the vials of potion trickled out from Ewan’s humble adobe, a batch of especially marked men and women melded into the woods, and their constant moans of ecstasy stirred the peace into a lustful clamor. Clinmere embraced a pinkish hue, the birds and the beasts yielded their territories to the onset of untimely heat, and the rest of the winged populace waited for the good news, turning a blind eye to the bad news that would come with it.

  The potion didn’t touch their sanity, they still held to their reason as they indulged. It just revved their drive, amplified their urges, and resuscitated their physical function beyond the suppression of the curse. The men burned their lives to gain virility and the women withered away for fertility, just for their next generation.

  Nevertheless, the subject that the potion dealt with opposed rational thoughts to begin with, not to mention the long blank that the curse forced them under. A week hadn’t passed when the batch of men and women broke the instructed structure of pairings, and they fell in a mayhem of animalistic depravity.

  Ewan sighed on a cliff, looking down at the forest and the hubbub it contained within. He did warn Abelard of this, that the spike in their appetite might lead to defiance of rules. If he wanted some clarity for the next generation, the confines of the walls was his best choice. Yet, he stuck to the conventions…

  “Who will be the father of your child…” he muttered playfully then chuckled.

  ……

  “We’re here,” Nana’s voice came from the bracelet as the dense foliage and the protective shield blurred them before the island.

  “The package has been delivered, over,” Kidd said.

  “Good job, now scuttle back and look for more drifting barrels,” Ewan said, strolling down the mountain, opening a gap in the cover for Nana with the temporary token.

  “Yes, sir,” Kidd saluted and heaved a phew, glancing at Nana. But before he could launch, a delirious and emaciated Seroyote broke away from the forest and rushed at her, a spray of sand trailing behind him on the beach.

  Ewan blasted off, shredding the woods around him in his wake, and landed in front of Nana without a ripple in the waves, facing the winged man. And he smiled at him, his Ryvia out for the kill if his words weren’t enough. “She’s mine, go look for someone else,” he said.

  The marked Seroyote stared at him then at Nana and Kidd, grunting with each breath, and turned and left. Luckily, the sanity left in the batch was enough to overwhelm their lust when death greeted them.

  “Boss, your potions are wild,” Kidd said, sheathing his dagger.

  “What did you create?” Nana asked, pinching his waist.

  “It really wasn’t my potion,” Ewan said, flinching away from the sting. “They were too pent up already; the potions just opened the dam.”

  “I-I’m leaving, Boss,” Kidd said and scampered back with Ewan’s nod, ripping the cloud when he sped up. Lance was away from Stormfalcon, searching for a deep trench in the ocean for Stefan, so the security of the warship was down to the bare minimum currently. Stefan helmed the ship and Nyte assisted him, but the assurance of safety needed the presence of a Step-1.

  “You’ve been enjoying yourself in your little hut then,” Nana commented as they ambled up the mountain. “You must have a lot to ‘observe’ now.”

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  “I was busy with the potions, how could I observe anything,” Ewan said with a dry laugh, keeping a hand’s distance from her lest another poke, pinch, or a bite came at him. The news of what his potions had done here had already stirred the insides of Stormfalcon—dishes shattered on days, flaming chilies often laced the food, and the sudden outbursts in the corridors and in the mechanics hall tortured the three men. If Ewan hadn’t ordered zero contact when he dove into the research, their whines would’ve flooded the channel.

  “I’ve been here for a minute and a man already came at me,” she said, breaking the branch that blocked her, then she crushed it in her fist. “You’ve been here for how long now? How many have knocked on your door already?”

  “None, my doors were always closed…,” Ewan said.

  Nana yelled a short howl. “I don’t want to hear!” she said, covering her ears, and strode ahead.

  …..

  She sulked by the table, carping and grumbling, her hands crossed under her hills, as Ewan sorted through and bagged the potions he created for her—mainly the stabilizers and the ‘Tonic’ and ‘Enliven’ versions of Hunter’s Worth. Unlike Ewan, Kidd, and Lance, a Seaborn walked a gentle path of progress beyond the thorny inception, so its advancement rite barely threatened Nana. The stabilizers were still necessary though, and the rest was just in case.

  “I smell perfume,” she sniffed and mumbled.

  “That’s your own,” Ewan replied, adjusting the stack of vials on the shelf, the glasses clinking.

  “No, it’s a different smell,” she said, her nose twitching.

  Ewan sighed and walked to her, leaning towards her with his hands on the table, and she bent back, grabbing his shirt. “It’s still the night jasmine, the one I like,” he said, whiffing her neck.

  “I only use that for my hair,” she said softly, her voice dimming. “Don’t change the topic, you’ve stayed here for so long, you didn’t come back even once. You don’t plan…” Before she could finish, Ewan kissed her and shut her mouth.

  “Finally, some quiet,” he said with a smile when he let go and licked his lips. “Vanilla?”

  “On coming back…” And she finished her sentence with a hazy whisper, her eyes misty and glazed. Ewan kissed her again, pulling her waist in, and she replied, hugging his neck.

  …

  …

  “I’m…really easy for you…aren’t I?” she whispered after minutes of entanglement, her shallow pants mingling with his.

  Ewan flicked her nose and pulled her cheek, his smile widening. “You’re the toughest book I’ve ever read. My emotions go haywire whenever I read you,” he said. “But I’ve loved every page since the first word. So, show me some pity and keep being easy for me, after all, I’m the only fiancé and husband you’ll ever have.”

  . And it has 40+ chapters ahead of the Royal Road release on it!

  You can also join my

  Note: Members are charged on the day they join, and then monthly on that same date. For example, if you join on the 10th, you'll be charged on that day, and then monthly on the 10th.