Dark Empathy by Archibald Bradford (inspiring books for teens TXT) 📕

gift from Paul Fletcher, an elderly farmer back home in Kettering that had taken the couple under his wing when Milly and Nameless had first bonded.

It was Paul that had taught Nameless the importance of complimenting the sensitive cow.

He searched for more words of praise while running his hand over his hair.

Just as Volka had once suggested he kept it longer now: tied in a short ponytail at the back of his head, with the Valkyrie’s feather dangling down the right side of his face in a tight braid.

“I’m sure that he would tell you how well the hat compliments your pretty horns.”

As Milly beamed at him, her bond-mate reflected back on the dear old man.

Shortly after Nameless recited the Aegis Covenant and committed himself to the protection of monster girls everywhere, Paul had taken him aside and given him a gruff hug, then held him by either shoulder at arms’ length and looked him square in the eyes.

I’m as proud of you as if you were my own son.

Nameless doubted he would ever forget the words, and they never failed to put a smile on his face and a fire in his belly whenever he thought back on them.

His smile faltered somewhat though when Milly stepped over to take up the pitch-black spear that was leaning against the wall next to the mirror. Unpleasant memories of the terrible violence she had so recently faced flitting across his mind and made his blood run cold for a moment.

Shaking off the feeling of dread that seeing her so armed brought out in him, he quickly recovered his cheer.

“Come on baby, we still need to get to the Bastion to pick up my uniforms.”

He paid the store clerk and shortly afterwards they caught up to Erica and Nina in the street, the four of them heading to Divinity Square and the towering old world structure.

In less than an hour Nameless stood with all of his bond-mates in the spacious supply room where the Aegis quartermasters operated.

He stepped out of the fitting room, clad for the first time in his cadet uniform as he turned to face his bond-mates, his arms held slightly away from his hips.

“So, uh, how do I look?”

With the girl’s eyes on him he was a bit self-conscious, but for the most part their reactions were fairly predictable.

Milly beamed at him and Erica’s eyes hooded while she bit the tip of her pinky finger as she admired his physique. Ophelia’s eyes welled with pride as the woman that raised him dabbed a lacy hanky at her cheek, while Volka, his warrior angel, made a quick joke to the misty eyed Flutterby that he didn’t catch.

Meanwhile the tiny red-skinned Nina stomped forwards, set her enormous black hammer down next to him, and looked him over, her eyes pausing on his surname stitched into the breast of the uniform.

The three-foot tall powerhouse clearly liked what she saw.

“‘Armstrong’. Sounds badass.”

It was a bittersweet moment for Nameless as he considered that the last man to bear the name, his father, was indeed badass enough to fight a Chimera.

He was pulled out of the poignant thought though as his Gigas started unbuttoning his new pants.

“N-Nina?!”

“Shut up. We’re fucking.”

“Not here we aren’t.” Ophelia scolded as she fluttered forwards on her violet wings, shooing the tiny red giant’s hands away from his groin with her hanky; “Today and tomorrow are the only days off we’ll have for a while, and we have much to do. So you’ll have to control yourself until we get back to the dormitories.”

Nameless quickly sorted out the pants of his crisp new uniform while the Gigas sulked and one of the nearby quartermasters heaved a sigh of relief that he wasn’t going to have to try to interfere with the powerful monster’s amorous ambitions.

Having passed the initial hellish three weeks of his training, Nameless was now considered an Aegis cadet, and was therefore required to wear a uniform in the same cut and style as that of the full operatives, though his was a dull white rather than grey.

This had proved a slight problem for the quartermasters as they had never fitted someone his size before, Aegis operatives typically being more... just, more.

He and the other cadets in his class had been given two days off to procure their uniforms and recharge before they began the next phase of their training.

“Yeah, I have something to pick up still in the market quarter.” Erica remarked as she shook her head slightly to clear away her own ardent thoughts.

Ophelia frowned as she looked at the cat-girl.

“Dearheart, you three just came from the market quarter!”

The Katje rolled her eyes.

“I poked my head in while Milly was getting her new headwear. They said it wasn’t quite ready yet, and everyone was in such a rush to see our hubby in his new getup I didn’t wait! I won’t be long. You’ll see: it’ll totally be worth it.” She finished with a seductive purr.

Nameless took up the package containing his spare uniforms and gave the Katje a suspicious look.

“What are you up to kitty?”

She sashayed up to him and leaned over the paper wrapped bundle in his arms to lick him on the tip of his nose with a dry rasp of her rough tongue.

“It’s a secret, you’ll find out. But not until we get back to the dormitories and Nina has a chance to blow off some steam, or blow you, whichever one she’s after.”

The giant in question slipped one hand under Erica’s long hemmed shirt and gave her ass a healthy squeeze of appreciation.

“I like where your head is at. But now I’m curious.”

“Whatever surprise she has in store will have to wait.” Ophelia said with authority; “I still want to visit with