Chapter 493: Being a Creepy Masochist Doesn’t Make me a Masochist!
"Yes, tattoos are only something we do in Verdant Spire," I answered Benjamin’s question. "When we come of age, our priestess—who is always Lotus—does a ritual and the vines slither into our bodies in form of black or dark green design."
The memory of that day flashed through my mind unbidden—the scent of sacred herbs burning in the ceremonial fire, the cool touch of Lotus’s fingers against my skin, the strange and wonderful sensation of the vines accepting me, marking me, making me whole.
It had been a moment of transformation, of becoming, of stepping fully into my identity as an Amazon woman.
It used to be geometry and round designs around the shoulder blade, but that changed after Irina, my grandmother, took over as Queen.
The vines had come with her rule, slithering and curling across our bodies in patterns that told stories of growth and connection rather than just sequential precision.
I am mixed, by the way, so vined artistic tattoos roam my arms, legs, and torso, but geometric ones surround joint parts like my wrist, elbow, knees and ankles.
The combination of styles represented my heritage—the old ways and the new, the traditions of my ancestors and the innovations of my grandmother’s reign.
They were a map of who I was, written in magic upon my skin.
"Ohhh! When am I going to get my own tattoos?!" Benjamin asked enthusiastically.
He leaned forward in his saddle, practically bouncing with anticipation, and I was at a loss of words.
The question hung in the air between us, innocent and eager, and I felt my heart clench with the impossibility of answering it honestly.
How do I tell him it only works on women without making it seem like I’m gatekeeping?
"You see... It only works on Amazon women of a certain young age, between 30 and 40," I explained carefully, choosing my words with deliberate precision to avoid causing misunderstanding. "I personally got mine at the very young age of 28."
I had been so proud that day, so full of joy and accomplishment.
To receive the tattoos at such a tender age was a mark of great promise, a sign that the vines had recognized something special in me.
The memory brought a soft smile to my face, even as I worried about Benjamin’s reaction.
"Ah. I see. So you’re gatekeeping."
Nooooo! He still managed to think so?!
I opened my mouth to defend myself, to explain more fully, but he continued before I could form the words.
"And what do you mean the young age of 28? Since when was that young?" His brow furrowed in confusion and disappointment, then I realized that he truly didn’t understand.
I heard about how a human or other shorter lifespan individuals get confused by our age standards.
"No... I am sorry, Benjamin," I apologized for being insensitive. "In human terms, 28 years should be around 12 years. To Amazons like me that lived in Verdant Spire from birth, 20 - 40 year olds may act like a human child of 10 to 15 years old. This changes greatly if the Amazon grew up alongside humans."
The explanation felt inadequate, clumsy a little, but it was the truth.
Time moved differently for us, flowed like honey rather than water, and sometimes I forgot that Benjamin experienced the world at a different pace.
He was young by Amazon standards, barely more than a child in our reckoning, and yet he carried himself with such maturity and wisdom that it was easy to forget.
Forgive me, my love...
"Hahaha! Chill out, please. I was just pulling your legs!" Benjamin bursted out laughing, as he gave me a friendly slap on the back that nearly sent me stumbling forward.
His laughter was warm and pure, filling the air around us with joy. "You’re so serious all the time... Well, that’s if you’re not being a creepy masochist... Oh! The fight is getting to a hotter level! Who IS that elf?!"
I was still blushing from being so directly called creepy by the one I love, the emotional pain sweet to my heart.
Ah... Pain truly makes alive. It reminds us that we feel, that we exist, that our hearts beat with purpose and passion!
I refuse to see it as masochism or perversion!
That said, we are only about 120 meters away from the battle, why am I not feeling the heat of the dragon’s flames?!
I looked forward to getting burned a little too—the sensation of fire against my skin, the smell of singed hair, the sharp reminder that I was still vulnerable despite my strength.
There was something intoxicating about danger, about the edge between life and death. It made everything else fade away, leaving only the pure, crystalline moment of existence.
No wait, more importantly, how are the adventurers not seeing us?!
They were locked in a desperate struggle for survival, their attention consumed by the massive beast that threatened to end them all, but surely someone must have noticed our presence:
We were not exactly subtle—a woman in Amazon armor and a man on horseback, standing in the middle of an open plain, watching a battle unfold.
And yet, their eyes never strayed from the dragon.
With Benjamin’s magic that has been sort of unstable since we left Lei and the others, they should have caught on the fluctuation already: it indicates he’s a bigger threat than the dragon.
The magical energies that swirled around him were impossible to miss for anyone with even the slightest sensitivity, a beacon of power that should have drawn attention like moths to a flame.
But even the dragon is ignoring us!! The insolent lizard!
Benjamin must be doing something...
But I don’t sense any magic circulating or even any barriers.
The thought troubled me deeply, a whisper of unease that curled in the back of my mind.
Was he masking our presence somehow? Or was something else at work, something I could not see or sense?
Is he doing it without magic?
The question seemed absurd, and yet, the evidence was there before me.
I turned to look at his entertained face glistening in the afternoon light and his hair fluttered by the wind as he held his chin in focus, and I got calm of spirit.
The warmth of the sun caught the golden strands of his hair, setting them ablaze with light, and the gentle breeze carried the scent of grass and wildflowers to my nostrils.
He truly was the best medicine, the cure for all my anxieties and doubts. Just being near him made everything seem right, made the world feel whole and complete.
Wait, more importantly!!
"Benjamin, are we not going to help them?! They’ll actually die if left alone with that dragon!"
My voice came out sharper than I intended, edged with urgency and concern.
The adventurers were skilled, yes, but they were outmatched—badly so.