"That expins his bonding process. Do you think it would work for any cadet guard or just the ones his Mana picks out?" Aria asked brushing her hand over the spot she'd shot. The feathers were a little disheveled but nothing more. "Because there's a few girls I know of that have some mutations that would make us very powerful as a team."

  "Possibly only the ones his Mana picks." Sapphire replied getting her pistol back from Aria and making it disappear into her new storage.

  "Do you think maybe it would have been a good idea to test out Aria's storage mutation first in case you were wrong?" I asked slightly scolding the two of them.

  They both had the decency to go red with embarrassment and look away.

  "We might have been a little too hasty." Aria said back.

  "A bit?" I shot back.

  "Possibly a little bit more than a bit." The angel muttered and Sapphire just tried not to catch my eyes

  I rolled my eyes at the girls. Part of me was slightly hesitant about how they would act together but now that Aria bonded with me, Sapphire seems to be treating her like she won't shoot her in the face. I guess when someones coming into our dorm armed it was a normal response.

  "Well I'm going to go finish my shower while you two get sorted."

  Sapphire instantly switched back into 'guard mode' at the thought that I simply go into a room without her. "Absolutely not. You are not to be alone."

  "And we went through this, I do need some privacy especially in our own dorm. I'm also punishing you for shooting yourself and making Aria do the same."

  Sapphire tried to come up with an argument but I'd already turned around and walked back into the washroom. I did close the door just to prove my point.

  I was still feeling a little frisky after being blue balled but I had a feeling that wouldn't be too big of a problem with Sapphire around. It did make me think how her family units work that she was talking about before. Like could Aria be a part of it or what?

  I let my thoughts fly as I properly dried off and took care of some of the more private reasons for using the washroom, unknowingly someone had snuck in.

  "Can I help you at all?" Aria asked as I'd just finished drying my hair.

  "Jesus Christ!" I swore repositioning the towel back on my lower half. "How in the hell are both of you so quiet?" Not the best things to say to an angel so I just hopped they were different to Earth's lore.

  Aria offered a smile. "There's a part of our training that involves moving quietly. It mainly involves making sure we don't wake our Acolytes if they are asleep but it's become a bit of a habit for me."

  Granted, they get ninja training. Why am I not surprised, but that still doesn't expin how someone who's just over a head taller than me can walk around so quietly.

  "Sapphire has asked if you are hungry and want to get an early dinner and she sent me to ask." The angel continued.

  "Yeah that sounds good just give me a second to finish up." I replied.

  Aria didn't make a move to leave.

  "You're not going to leave are you?"

  "I am your guard Acolyte. One of us must be with you at all times."

  "Outside of our dorms." I countered.

  "Not just out there. We must be avaible in any situation, we can't risk you slipping in the water and breaking open your head."

  I gave her a 'oh really' look but she held strong and didn't budge. I don't dislike the attention but I could already feel it getting smothering at times but who knows maybe I'll get use to it. There are definitely pleaserable ways of being smothered.

  She did however offer me a new set of clothes almost the exact same as my ones this morning as Sapphire and I had done a pretty good job of leaving them in the corner in our distraction.

  I offered Aria thanks for the clothes and under her gaze removed the towel and started getting dressed. Unlike Sapphire who seemed to reveal in seeing me naked Aria had the complete opposite reaction, she blushed so deeply I was afraid she'd lost all her blood and tried to look anywhere but at me.

  Nice to know some of the monster girls in space are shy.

  I didn't give her a show like I had Sapphire and was quickly in my new uniform and ready for dinner. My stomach made itself known a few times, reminding me I'd skipped out on lunch.

  Once outside of the washroom we found Sapphire flipping a knife in her fingers as she waited. She'd also put on another uniform as her old one was still in a pile.

  "Are you ready John?" My mia asked, the knife vanishing in her hands.

  Yeah that ability was so cool.

  "Yes are you guys ready?"

  In response both girls pulled their weapons out of their own storages checking to make sure they were loaded and made sure they had spare rounds. Aria for her part pulled that entire sb of metal out checking each gun on it before making it disappear like it was normal. Granted for her it was but still.

  "How much can you put in there?" I asked the angel as she did the same with her quintuple barrel. The gun was put into her storage as well leaving only a sidearm on her hip visible.

  Well I'll give her this, she was a literal walking armory at this point.

  "I haven't fully tested the limits of it." Aria replied. "Perhaps it is something we can consider in the future especially with Sapphire having it as well. She could have a smaller capacity for all we know and as per your reasonable request we won't test armor penetrating rounds on me first."

  "Not a priority but something to think about." Sapphire added.

  Not a priority? It would be the first thing I'd test if I had it. Knowing how much you could hold and if it's weight depending or size or maybe both. I feel like they have their priorities wrong.

  "I'm good to go." Sapphire said moving towards the door. I followed and Aria took up the rear.

  Before she opened it however Sapphire turned back to me and both her and Aria said.

  ""Shield.""

  I already had it on thankfully but the message was well received.

  Now that I had two guards the position Sapphire originally had of by my side had changed. She now took point checking every room before we entered while Aria took up my left. They'd mentioned that they knew I was right handed and therefore had left my right side free if anything were to happen but with Aria besides me using her wing as a barrier behind us I don't think there was any fear there. Like she was well over seven feet tall and looked like she could win a wrestling match against the sasquatch women I'd seen. Who would be dumb enough to actually try anything?

  Wait don't answer that.

  It didn't take us long to reach the canteen again, this time however it was very quiet probably because it's between the normal food times. There was still a familiar face and the moment we entered she locked onto our position.

  "John over here." Tayatt the lion hybrid women or Vattares as their called out here yelled out trying to stand up and come over. Unfortunately for her the two Vattares guards besides her just happened to be in a position that trapped her against the wall so she couldn't easily escape.

  "Are all Acolytes this eager to get away from their guards?" I asked but motioned for us to join them.

  "Most have never had this level of protection even if their nobles." Aria responded. "It's actually quite normal until they get use to it, you however seem to be an outlier in that regard if what Sapphire says is true. You seemed to rely on her instantly, at least outside of the dorm."

  My mia stayed silent as we approached the table with the other Acolyte and took our seats. Without talking to each other the Vattares guard on the left moved away so I could sit besides Tayatt and Aria sat on my other side.

  Our table was in the corner slightly which allowed the now five guards to easily create a barrier between Tayatt, myself and the rest of the canteen even though it was pretty quiet. It was also interesting to watch Sapphire sit facing out while Aria kept one eye on me at all times. Tayatts guards were doing the same with the one to her right made sure she was looking at her Acolyte and by extension me while the other copied Sapphire looking out across the room. Her bunny girl guard however was using this opportunity to eat while she could.

  It was very simir to when I was here with Amethyst now that I think about it. Ra'ray had stayed watching her Acolyte while the other two had been scanning the room.

  "Didn't think I'd catch you here John." Tayatt said now that we were all sitting down. "Most new Acolytes seem to spend all their free time in there rooms in between csses."

  "Well gd I could break the mold I guess?" I said back.

  Tayatt chuckled. "Well I'm very gd you're here dinner would have been awfully boring without company."

  I looked at her guards and the one watching over Tayatt spoke. "What she means to say is instead of gushing over the cute male that's in her css to us she actually get to talk to him over a meal."

  "You make it sound like a date." I smiled back.

  "Oh I wish. Vanaress has warned us that if she catches anyone in css sleeping with the male Acolyte she will fail them on the spot. I bet she just wants you all to herself when she gives you a private lesson." Tayatt grumbled.

  "Don't mind her too much. She doesn't have any Acolyte friends right now and doesn't know how to hold back. Her tongue has gotten her into trouble a few times."

  "My tongue is perfectly fine and flexible thank you very much Ovara." Tayatt said matter of factly.

  I chuckled slightly at the two of them. "Well if you don't pn on sleeping with me I'm sure my guards will be okay with me making a friend today."

  "Oh I fully intend to sleep with you, just once we became full mages. I'd rather not fail right now." Tayatt said back.

  "At least your honest." I returned putting more thought than expected into the logistics of what she was implying.

  Aria came to my rescue before I could ask something uncivil. "I can vouch for Sapphire that would be an acceptable deal."

  My mia offered a nod but didn't turn around.

  "Great! Now I've been dying to ask. How does the whole monogamous retionship of humans work? Like do you just pick one female and cim her as your own and if so how does the ciming work?"

  Now I've got to expin marriage to aliens? This definitely wouldn't have been on my bingo card of things I was going to do in life.

  "Might I suggest we proceed and get food first before the rest of your css finish and come here?" Ovara the Vattares besides Tayatt asked.

  "That would be a good idea." Aria chimed in.

  Tayatt agreed with a groan and all of her guards moved to create a bubble as she got out with Ovara on her right, the bunny girl covering the rear and the Vattares I didn't know the name of taking the front. Once in position they waited for us.

  As Aria moved around so I could escape it became obvious to everyone I had no idea what to do.

  "I keep forgetting you're new to all this." Tayatt chuckled. "I'd offer for you to ride on my back but I don't think your guards would appreciate that."

  Sapphire let out a low hiss in response.

  Ignoring her Tayatt patted her left hip. "Come stand here."

  I complied only after getting a nod from Sapphire. Once I was besides the Vattares Aria dipped back to stand by the bunny girl and Sapphire sided up on my left.

  "There we go, now we're protected from all sides." Tayatt cheered.

  "Feels weird." I said still trying to get my head around it. "Liliana had a guard that made sure she was between us at all times yet now I have another Acolyte besides me when Sapphire said they were one of the most dangerous things to her."

  Starting to walk towards the canteen with the Vattares I didn't know the name of carving a path Tayatt expined. "So the Liliana thing was probably because she thought you were a threat in some way and to be fair a newly formed Acolyte tend to be a bit explosive."

  Yeah that tracks.

  "As for this it's the better of two evils for our guards. We could have one of them between us but it would mean one of each of us would need a guard to do that and that would make it really hard to talk to each other not to mention we would take up a lot of space as we walked. By doing this we can combine our strengths at the price of needing to trust another. Don't do this with anyone you don't trust however and don't whatever you do purposefully put a guard between you and a full mage, it's considered disrespectful."

  "Got it." I replied as we came up to the selection of food.

  It wasn't an impressive feast I'll admit but it was still interesting looking at foods that were familiar to me and so different. There was something resembling brussel sprouts except pink. Like what do you need to farm to make your food pink? Needless to say I stay far away from them and instead focused on what looked simir enough.

  Once I'd stacked my pte I took Sapphires in my other hand to hold so she could focus on her guarding. Tayatt saw this and copied taking one of her guards meals as well.

  We then made our way back in a simir fashion after making sure everyone had a pteful and as much as I was trying to get use to it the looks I got from everyone else in the room still made me uncomfortable.

  "I'm not use to it fully myself." Tayatt offered after seeing the face I was making.

  "I don't think it's my Acolyte status as much as I'm male." I said back a little less on edge now that we were safely back in our corner. Would never have thought that having a wall of bodies would make me feel safer.

  Unlike st time though Sapphire was now beside me while Aria watched the crowds. My new angel guard had also unfolded her wings in a way that almost gave us a curtain for privacy.

  "You will have to get use to it quickly John I'm sorry. Not a lot of the soldiers especially have seen a male in uniform much less an Acolyte. They tend to be sectioned off in a different training ground for obvious reasons, and well a male Acolyte is even rarer." Sapphire said already taking a bit of everything on my pte to test. Ovara was doing the same for Tayatt.

  "One of many things." I said back subtly squeezing her ass.

  "Jealous." The other Acolyte whispered.

  "You wouldn't mind if I switched Acolytes for a couple of days right Tayatt?" Ovara sarcastically remarked.

  "If you got to fuck him before me I'd....." Tayatt trailed off as she noticed someone coming towards us.

  When I followed her gaze I was meet with the other woman from our css who had successful blocked our instructors attack. The one with horns that reminded me of a deer.

  Tayatt however did not seem happy. "What's she doing?"

  "Not a friend then?" I said trying to understand.

  "No she's a noble. Her family were trialled for male trafficking but the charges were mysteriously dropped even though there was a ton of evidence against them."

  Oh? Of course there was a sex trade in space, why wouldn't there be?

  "My bets they bought the courts out." Tayatt continued.

  I stayed quiet as she approached with four guards all the same species more curious than anything.