by Eric Vall
“Guess we’ll find out soon enough,” I muttered while we turned toward the jungle’s edge. “Raynor did mention Tenebrae babies don’t affect their mother’s powers until later in pregnancy. That could be something.”
Aurora’s eyes went wide as she heated up the iron for me again. “It’s a Tenebrae-Ignis Mage. That’s exactly the kind of baby we would have! Our child will grow up to be just as prowly as Nulena, but with your gift for innovative weaponry, and my quick temper. It’ll be the most notorious rebel-bandit in Illaria.”
“Also a possibility,” I allowed.
“I’d like to see your other super babies conquer anything with our baby around to lead an uprising,” Aurora snorted, but then she furrowed her brow. “Although, I don’t know who I should root for in that case, because I do want each of your heirs to succeed in their endeavors…”
I just smiled as I moved onward to the next vine-covered tree, and every time we stopped to install another rune, Aurora was either deep in her scheming thoughts, or asking me what I thought about various types of villains.
So, I decided to keep my most recent theory to myself for now, and I focused on the terrain we crossed over while I carried on tweaking the details of our battle plan here and there. It was dusk when we started making our way along the northern foothills, but since I was engraving the silencing runes on boulders, we didn’t have to worry about giving away our location with Aurora’s flames anymore.
I only needed to engrave a dozen silencing runes in this area anyways, and by the time darkness fell, the two of us were jogging through the muted perimeter of trees on our way back to Bobbie. My snatchers’ gems didn’t have any alerts to give me when I sent them back toward Serin, but I made sure they knew we’d be needing their assistance for stationing our troops in a couple days.
Aurora had a dreamy look in her eyes while we drove back to Falmount, and even though her delirious belief that I wouldn’t ever have to die still concerned me, I was glad to see her so happy while she kept her boots propped out the window. The thought of our child becoming a rebel-bandit put a smirk on my face as well, and I couldn’t help wondering if its fledgling side would mean I’d be bailing my child out of dungeons by the time it turned six.
I could hear the commotion at the Falmount station before we even reached the village, though, and when I parked Bobbie in the mud on the other side of my moat, my generals were hollering above the ruckus of the storm to get our incoming Defenders organized beside the platform.
“I’m gonna make sure everyone who’s returning from the outposts is taken care of,” I told Aurora. “You should head inside and check if Nulena’s blinded Shoshanne yet.”
“No way,” Aurora snorted. “If you’re stuck working late, then I am, too.”
I sighed as I pulled the woman into my arms, but before she could kiss me, I hoisted her over my shoulder and carried her to the front steps of the mansion.
“I thought we agreed I’m supposed to spoil you like crazy when you’re pregnant. War or not, I’m a man of my word.”
Aurora was blushing when I set her down, and I nudged my giggling half-elf into the entryway without much effort.
“I expect you to make a huge scene about how tired you are until Shoshanne has you tucked on a pile of feather pillows, too.”
“If you insist,” the half-elf sighed, and she let out her loudest yawn as I chuckled and closed the door.
Shoshanne was already fussing over the drenched woman before I crossed the bridge, and when I reached the lane, I could hear Nulena desperately insisting the healer tend to her at once. Then Alfred announced dessert would be served before dinner this evening, and I trudged through the stormy town with a grin on my face knowing my pregnant lovers were in good hands.
I stopped in at Flynt’s Pub before I headed for the station, though, and once I made sure the barkeep knew to serve the returning troops all they wanted on the house tonight, I cleared the place out to make room for them to settle in.
Then I met my generals beside the platform, and Haragh and I took over unloading everyone’s gear while the Defenders met with Kurna and Urn about the recent developments. Haragh kept snickering as he spied on their progress, and while I pretended to be too busy to notice, I did keep most of my attention on the announcements.
Several of the Defenders started chuckling when they heard we finally pinpointed the cause of the storms that’d been hammering them all week, and most of them threw their arms up or shook their heads. The troops who hadn’t experienced any storms looked confused as they eyed the purple flashes illuminating Falmount every few seconds, but even this lot didn’t seem too surprised to hear I’d impregnated Rekekis’ sister.
Overall, the promise of free drink and food at the pubs, as well as brand new housing, seemed to outweigh the immortal aspects. The troops just gathered their gear and sloshed their way down the lanes, and while some of them wondered aloud whether they’d be struck down within the hour, I heard a few “fucking gods” being muttered along with a couple sighs.
“Ye’ might be onto somethin’ here,” Haragh grunted as we watched the troops vacate the station. “Thought ye’ lived too wild a life, but this works out well. Keep up the crazy shit, and no one’s put off by anything anymore.”
“Yeah,” I snorted. “That was my plan all along.”
“Of course, it was,” Haragh said with a broad grin. “It’s the ogre in ye’.”
I chuckled as we rejoined the other generals, but I declined the invitation to drink away my immortal dilemmas with them for a few hours. Then Kurna suggested I sleep with one eye open in case Rekekis tried to blow my house over in the night, and I rolled my eyes as the three generals chortled their way down the lane.
Most of my residents were hold-up in their houses with smoke billowing from their chimneys as the storm over Falmount continued unabated, and I took a few detours on my way home to double check on whether the trenches we formed were holding out. I altered a few of the waterways that had eroded during the day, and I expanded the width of the riverbeds my mages dug out south of the village so nothing would flood over if the rain kept up all night.
Then I connected with my automatons’ gems, and I could sense Big Guy and the ten Boms were still patrolling the perimeter of Falmount in sections like I’d ordered them to do, and their treads barreled through the mud without any hindrance.
I was scanning the remaining fleet of Boms in my clearing as another three jets of lightning flashed through the treetops, but I stopped in my tracks as my eyes caught on to something in the western woods. My powers surged through the soil a split second later, but I didn’t sense any presence in the blackened trees, and I listened as well as I could for a heartbeat as thunder rumbled overhead.
I didn’t register anything out of the ordinary, though, and aside from the healers at the infirmary and my women chatting inside the mansion, it sounded like I was the only person in the area. The Defenders on the lookout tower had abandoned their posts once the lightning began, too, and all the houses nearest to the mansion had firelight glowing from the windows.
I was alone outside on this edge of town, and I wiped the rain from my face before I eyed the darkened forest one more time. Just as I shifted my boots to continue toward the house, though, another flash of lightning struck the spires.
This time, I was sure I hadn’t imagined it, and I pulled my pistol out from its holster as I kept my eyes glued on the point where a figure had been watching me from the western woods.
Chapter 17
I made my way into the woods as I double checked my magazine, and when the next flash of lightning came, there was no figure where I’d seen one moments before. Still, I continued into the blackened forest as rain dripped down my face, and I kept a constant scan of the terrain even if I wasn’t picking up any presences.
There had definitely been someone out here, though, and I’d learned not to underestimate the number of possibilities this realm had in store. My mind offered
up everything from minions as weightless as Deya, to mages who could levitate when they walked, but my primary concerns were more gruesome than this.
The fabled Wraith Witches I’d only heard about but never seen were supposed to be floating temptresses made of shadows, and while I initially shrugged away the chances of this, I changed my mind the moment I heard someone say my name.
It wasn’t an ordinary voice, either, it was soft and almost lyrical as it whispered “Mason” up ahead, and I knew the Wraith Witches were known to lure their victims in with their songs.
I steeled myself while I prepared to be entranced by some eerie tune, but when my name drifted through the rain again a couple minutes later, it was less faint than before.
This time, the voice almost sounded familiar, and I turned full circle while I squinted through the rain and scanned the trees. My heart was nearly leaping out of my chest, though, because the last time I’d been out in the woods at night with a familiar voice, a Wendigo had tried to eat the flesh off my bones.
Half of me wanted to sprint back to the mansion as a shiver sifted through my limbs, but my pregnant lovers were back there, and if anyone was creeping around in my woods, there was no way I’d bolt now with my family just beyond the tree line.
So, I unlocked the safeties on my pistol instead as I took another two steps, but then I heard my name as clear as day behind me, and calm washed over me while I let out a ragged sigh of relief.
“Fucking hell,” I chuckled as I stowed away my pistol. “You know what kind of life I lead. Maybe next time you could…”
I forgot how to talk when I turned around.
Nemris wasn’t wearing a damn thing as she stood in a glade entirely overgrown with dense green vines, and her creamy skin emitted a glow just strong enough to illuminate the strange oasis around her. I’d always thought her sheer dress was distracting enough, but while I raked my eyes from her pearly nipples to the sleek mound cresting her slender thighs, I decided anything would be modest compared to this.
She was blindingly beautiful as she sent me a coy smile to tempt me over to her, and as soon as I finished memorizing the curve and tuck of her entire glistening frame, I stumbled forward.
The rain stopped falling on me within the bounds of her glade, and even the deafening thunder faded to a dull roar as I stopped within arm’s length of the glowing goddess.
“W-Why are you…” I breathed as her nipples drew my eyes again like a magnet.
“I came to say how sorry I am,” Nemris murmured.
“I forgive you,” I said without a single thought, but after I let my gaze drift to her sleek pussy for another minute, I blinked and forced myself to look at her face. “Sorry for what?”
“I have never led you to Rekekis before, but I didn’t have another choice,” the goddess said softly, and my pulse kicked up a notch as my interest peaked.
“You knew he was here before you sent me?” I clarified.
Nemris nodded. “In the past, I’ve deliberately sent your soul across the furthest sects to keep Rekekis from you if I could, but there was no one else I could trust to save this world. Deya and Dragir are the only mortals in the universe who carry my bloodline from my life in the physical plane. Rekekis didn’t even know they were here when he tracked down his pawn’s soul to continue molding it. But when I found out he was poised to destroy this world, I took you from your life on Earth and brought you here even though I knew Rekekis would want it.”
It was easier not to ogle the woman now that all this was out on the table, and I furrowed my brow as my first thought made my gut clench.
“Then I need you to tell me the truth about something,” I told her.
“Anything,” Nemris replied. “I will never lie to you.”
“You said the gods could grab hold of a mortal’s soul to influence it,” I began, and part of me didn’t want to know her answer, but I needed to ask. “Is that what this is? Am I under your control?”
“No, I could never do that to you, Mason,” Nemris murmured, and a small smile came to her ethereal face. “I fell in love with you the first time your soul passed through my domain. When you arrived, you looked at me like I was the most beautiful thing you’d ever beheld, but then you asked me if your family was okay before you said anything else. You did the same thing after your next hundred lives, and no matter who you became each time, I knew you would choose the right path for the sake of those who loved you. How could I ever want to influence a soul like yours?”
I nodded as my nerves relaxed all at once. “I believe you, but why wouldn’t you respond to me earlier? You must know I have only one means of getting into the Master’s fortress, and no answers about the elements involved to do it.”
Nemris arched a silver eyebrow. “I would help you in a hundred ways if you didn’t always scold me for it later.”
“I scold you?” I clarified.
“Always,” the goddess sighed. “You’ve banned me from delivering too many of what you call ‘cheats.’ Which I disagree with entirely. I only love you endlessly, and I don’t see why it should matter if you destroy your enemies with a few extra nudges from me, but--”
“Yeaaah, that does sound like a cheat,” I muttered. “It’s less fun to win with cheats.”
“Well, there you have it,” Nemris huffed. “I gave you one rune, and one power unpossessed by the others in this realm, and I refuse to be scolded for either.”
“I’m not scolding you,” I chuckled, and the adorable blush on the goddess’ cheeks made me grin even more. “I appreciate both, and you’re right. That was plenty for me to work with against the Master, but now that Rekekis is pissed… how likely is it I’m gonna live through this war?”
Nemris’ expression sobered at the words, and she considered me for a moment before she responded.
“I have always had faith in you, Mason,” the goddess replied. “This is why I didn’t intervene when I realized Nulena was within the realm. I knew she had the power to deliver you to Rekekis at last, but still, I had faith in you. That hasn’t changed even now. I believe you’ll survive this and much more, if you only remain as determined as you always have.”
“What’s the extent of Rekekis’ powers?”
“It would be impossible for me to say now that so much has occurred,” Nemris admitted. “Without Chaos on his side, his powers are limited in their execution. Destruction is far less effective without it. He will not want to convey his wrath through channels Nulena could disrupt, but you’ve also created an heir to his domain. Every day your child grows, its powers will build as Rekekis’ fade. The rate of this cannot be determined, but his existence alone means Rekekis cannot access the physical plane himself. He cannot appear in any lifeform now, so his pawns are more vital to him than ever. They’re his best chance of getting to you.”
“And the Master’s one of them,” I guessed.
“Yes,” Nemris confirmed. “His is a newly acquired soul that Rekekis intended to mold for the next few lives while he sought you out amongst the realms. The Master has only been under Rekekis’ control for two lifetimes, and while his soul has always been cruel and spiteful, he is less cunning than you, and has had far less success in his past endeavors.”
“What does he--” I tried, but the goddess placed her fingers against my lips, and a spark shot across my skin from her touch.
“I know you can destroy him regardless of anything else,” Nemris told me, “but I don’t have much time in the physical plane, and I came to say more than this.”
“What is it?” I mumbled in a daze, and the goddess removed her hand from my mouth so I could focus better.
“I allowed Nulena to throw the cosmos out of balance, and despite knowing you’ve never risked the lives of the innocent when it could be avoided, I let this happen without your consent,” Nemris admitted. “After Vasdor was the first time you’ve ever demanded I send you back for the sake of your women, so I didn’t regret it at the time, but I know something like this
will not let your soul rest easy.”
“Yeah, no shit,” I snorted.
“Which is the reason I’m standing here naked,” the goddess continued. “I have a means of making it up to you.”
A wonky grin came to my face as I finally let myself look down again. “I’m not sure sex completely outweighs the issue here, but I mean… I’m willing to try it out.”
“What I offer is more than that,” Nemris giggled, and the silvery sound made my blood heat up while the goddess stepped closer. “I have no spectra to assist me after my brother was destroyed two thousand Elysian years ago. Until Dragir ascends, I cannot influence the proper forces to balance the Chaos of what I’ve allowed to happen. Unless you give me a child.”
I stared while the goddess brought herself flush against me, and my breath hitched from the spark of her power.
“You… h-how could that--”
“The child of a goddess of the pantheon is an incredibly powerful being,” Nemris replied, and she brushed her lips against mine to override the last of my senses. “More so than a spectra, even. Let me bear your child, Mason, and I will ensure the imbalance I’ve helped cause for you is countered.”
“All of it?” I mumbled as a haze took over me, and when Nemris nodded, I slid my palms around the cinch of her waist as I delved my tongue into her mouth.
She didn’t have to say anything else to command my full attention on the matter, but I’d waited so long to have her in my arms again that I hardly cared what the answer was.
Nemris’ touch was so overwhelming I barely registered her hands prying my clothes off, and I had the naked goddess laid out on the damp soil of her glade without knowing when I’d lifted her legs around me. All I could think of was the spark of her skin against mine as her cosmic eyes burned up at me, and with her glittering hair strewn around her, she looked more ethereally gorgeous than ever.
Still, having Nemris entirely at my disposal was more than I could comprehend in the moment, and I just devoured her lips like a man possessed as her fingers began to tremble against my neck.