Then I felt the claws about my thighs tighten, sharp pain shooting through my legs at the same time as the tongue’s tip teased my g-spot. The mix of pleasure and pain made the heat swell within me, shoving me off the precipice, and sending me tumbling headfirst into pleasure. I screamed, instinctively squeezing my thighs together. That slammed the harpies against each other, not hard enough to make them fall but hard enough to make them drop me. I was only distantly aware of the fall, though, screaming for an entirely different reason as pleasure tore through my being.

When I came too, the harpies had grabbed hold of me again. Despite the fact that they must have grabbed me with all their might, there was no blood, and very little pain. I was fairly certain that I was hard to injure, actually; the pain I’d felt earlier had probably been due to the situation increasing my sensitivity, rather than actual damage being inflicted on my body. Still, it had been a delightful experience.

“I can handle it myself, from here,” I informed the harpies, gently tugging myself free and spreading my wings wide. After taking a moment to pull up my panties, I flapped my wings a few times and flew up to the platform. A moment later Mifa flew down to land upon her perch. 

Abigail was sitting on the floor, her skirt and underwear both pushed down around her ankles, her fingers wet and a satisfied smile on her lips. I was fairly sure she’d recovered her magic power during all that.

“Well that was certainly enlightening,” Mifa remarked. “But I suppose for now you’ll want your map…” A harpy flew up to Mifa, holding out a rolled up piece of parchment. Mifa took it, in one claw, before holding it out to me, in turn. “Go on. And don’t forget your promise - I’ll be wanting salt.”

“You’ll get it,” I promised, taking the map and putting it in my pouch. “But for now, I fear I must get this one back up the tower and perhaps into a bed…”

“My. Someone’s certainly concerned about the wellbeing of her friends,” Mifa said, a small smile on her lips.

I chose not to comment, simply leaning down to pick up Abigail in the now familiar princess carry. From there, I flew toward the window.

“Do come back, sometime!” Mifa called after me.

I didn’t respond, simply heading out the window, and toward the top of the tower. Flying back into the window we had come from, I carried Abigail to the couch and carefully laid her down upon it. She was quite tired out, eyes closed and a peaceful expression on her lips. I was glad to see it. Even if I might never get to again.

I turned to head back toward the window, trusting that Abigail could see herself out. Before I made it more than a foot, however, a hand reached out to grab my shirt.

“Your boobs are still hanging out,” Abigail murmured, sleepily.

“...So they are.” I carefully turned my boob door back into a window, a small smile on my lips. “Thank you. For taking care of me so far.”

“...It doesn’t have to be over,” Abigail whispered, softly. “You could tell me the truth.”

I hesitated. I wanted to tell her. Having a confidante sounded quite nice. But even if she didn’t tell anyone that I’d messed up the rite, even if she accepted that I had knowledge of a past life, which in turn had given me knowledge of this world via a porn game - could she accept that I was a former human? A former man? I didn’t know that I could stand to see the look on her face when she found out. If I was going to lose her companionship, regardless, wasn’t it better to choose the route where I couldn’t be betrayed? Where she hated me the least amount possible, given the circumstances?

Yet if there was even a chance that she would stay by my side…

“We’ll talk when I get back,” I said. I was only delaying the inevitable. Whatever decision I made, it would all end the same. Even if she accepted me, the fact remained that I would eventually be fleeing to live in hiding among humankind. There was therefore no future in which we remained like this for good. 

I knew that.

But still. For just a little while longer. I wanted to keep her by my side. 

“You promise?” Abigail demanded, sitting up.

“I promise,” I said, taking her hand in mind and giving it the lightest possible squeeze. Then I let her go, and moved toward the window.

It was high time I got my salt.