by Andur
After she cooled down, she introduced herself as Beth. I had to assure her that I would stop my mother from using any gene-altering methods on her. Seems like her previous life with my parents left her a little traumatized. I’ll admit that being turned into a catgirl isn’t high on my list of priorities either. Though I have to say that my mother had a somewhat legit reason for her actions. Mom’s treatment helped Beth to control her berserker mode.
Ok, she still went on a rampage now and then, but at least she managed to direct her aggression at people who deserve it. She had a real problem with her anger issues back then. And she still has trouble with keeping herself in check from what we’ve just seen. I’ve to remember that when I bring up old memories.
She has cooled down by now, but I can see in her eyes that she is still unhappy with the situation.
“Adea can blow up a continent?” Marcus asks alarmed, looking at me with wide eyes. It looks a little ridiculous when he is surprised while being in his demon form. I really want to check out the extent of his shapechanging capabilities. Can he turn into an animal, or does he have to stick to a humanoid form? And now that I think about it, why not an inanimate object? There are quite a few kinky things we could try if he turns into a vibr-
“You are drooling,” Marcus reprimands me with a sharp whisper.
I try to gather myself and wipe my mouth with my sleeve. There is no time to lose myself in a dream world. “I am sorry. Regarding Adea, yes, at the peak of her powers she can blow up continents. The current reincarnation of her isn’t quite that capable though,” I answer.
He sighs in relief. “But she will reach that level of power sometime?”
Shrugging, I try to downplay the situation. “Her control will increase and she is a decent person. In all the time I’ve known her, she never lost control.” Though she is quite capable of wiping out a city, with residents and pets included, if the right buttons are pushed. I probably shouldn’t mention that to Marcus. His parents would freak out if they learned about it.
What the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve over… or something along those lines.
Mother raises both hands in surrender. “I am sorry. I didn’t realize that being friends with us was such a traumatizing experience. I hope we can overcome that. At least I hold no grudge against you. I understand if the current you is different, and that you would rather not get involved with us. A lot of time has passed and people can change. Sometimes it’s better not to face the past.”
It took a while, but after the initial commotion was over, the crowd dissolved. They gathered in small groups for discussions and to devour the buffet.
Beth sighs and looks around to study the other ambassadors. “It’s not like I actually resent you after all this time. I actually liked playing the aunt for Seria. You still opened an old wound though. And I am not particularly interested in meeting your husband again. Did he manage to overcome his… issue?”
“He goes by Shade now. Don’t worry. It has been quite some time since he last freaked out,” Mother answers with a perfectly straight face, not giving away anything. She didn’t lie, but she also forgot about giving Beth all the information.
I shudder, remembering our recent conversation. There might be a real possibility that Dad freaks out once he meets his other version. So I step in to steer the conversation away from Shade. “Why don’t we talk about your realm, Beth? How did you do in this life? And is your realm interested in cooperating with us?”
Beth shrugs, stretching the fabric of her a little too tight dress. “I am not sure. What’s there to tell? We call ourselves the Jesserj Trading Inc. Don’t be fooled by the name. The corporation rivals any decently sized continent in power. We provide safe trading and portals between several different realms. The spirits were always a thorn in our sides. Interdimensional travel would be so much easier without them.
“As for my time between my reincarnations… I am afraid that I don’t have that much memories between now and the life we had together. I think that I was alive when you fought the calamity the second time, though not for long.”
Both my eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “You were!? Why didn’t you seek us out?”
Beth blushes. “Can we talk about something else? I really don’t want to talk about it since we weren’t on the same side. It was a really, really shitty reincarnation and I didn’t have memories of you back then. My soul got wrecked and I should probably thank Shade for repairing it to the point he did, it cut down my reincarnation time. But I think I lost a lot of memories nonetheless and spent quite some time recovering. This new reality seems to unlock memories of different timelines. I’ve no other explanation for my set of memories.”
She was on the other side? And she died? Does that mean that we killed her?
The only one who apparently figured something out is Mom. Her eyes widen in horror and she covers her mouth with both hands. “I am so, so sorry! To have memories of being reduced to such an existence. Now I understand everything. I never should have allowed him to do something like that to anyone.”
Beth raises a hand, stopping Mom from speaking any further. “Please, just don’t talk about it. I am doing my best to wall off my memories of that time. I don’t want to speak or hear about it. A lot of things went really wrong back then. Let’s just pray that there is no version of Sharid running around.”
Oh, yeah. But to be honest, I quite liked Sharid. Even if she was the reincarnation of my father’s gender-bent nemesis. She did really good as a woman. I had no problem with her hooking up with my brother.
Marcus looks from Mom, to Beth, and then to me. “Can someone try to bring me up to date? I don’t understand anything.”
“And that’s for the better!” Beth and Elona answer in unison.
64. ~Strategy.~
“You can’t teach employees to smile. They have to smile before you hire them.”
The Journey to the Afterlife
Kingdom Newerth, Capital City
Seria
“Why don’t we find another subject to talk about? Like how to deal with the spirits? I am afraid that we could get a real crisis on our hands if we handle this the wrong way. And we didn’t exactly get anywhere during the past three hours,” I say while I try to keep eye contact with everyone. We are still at the buffet, talking to Beth.
Beth shrugs and tilts her head. “Why am I not surprised that you guys are involved in all of this. If there is mayhem and a general threat to the multiverse itself, one can be sure that the three of you aren’t far away. Though I am not entirely sure that you guys aren’t the actual threat.”
“Four!”
“Hiii!” Beth jumps half a metre into the air as Shade appears out of thin air right behind her.
He ignores her and continues, “And I heard that we found yet another one of our old friends. Seems like this multiverse wants to reunite us with old acquaintances.”
She steps back to gain some distance from him. “It’s you! …But why four?” She bites her lower lip with a wary expression on her face.
“Oh, that’s simple.” I step closer to Marcus and hug him from the side, pressing a wet kiss onto his cheek. “Mom and Dad were so nice to include Marcus in our little bond. I’ve finally found a partner to share my life with, so it’s four from now on.”
Marcus starts smiling, but Beth ruthlessly crushes his bubble by addressing him directly, “My sincere condolences. Do you realize that you committed to a bond which reaches beyond death?” She looks at all of us in turn.
Marcus tries to answer, but Shade is faster and doesn’t allow Beth to shut him out. “Oh, don’t try to ignore me. It has been such a long time, Lidith.” Shade steps forward and hugs Beth, who stiffens upon the unexpected contact. She gently pushes him away. “Thanks, but I go by Beth now. I would appreciate it if you try to use the new name.”
Shade nods. “Of course.” Strangely enough, he doesn’t pursue the matter and steps back. “Why don’t we celebrate a little?
I think that I’ve found a way to interrupt the signal which is controlling the spirits! If we manage to utilize this against their base, we might be able to win without fighting.” He spreads his hands, expecting praise.
Beth squints her eyes at Shade. “But?”
Seems like she doesn’t believe that my father suddenly came up with a solution to the spirit problem. I admit that it sounds too good to be true.
“What do you mean?” Dad lets his hands fall to the sides of his body.
“I remember your antics perfectly well. If you advertise one of your little gadgets as you just did, then there is a catch to it. Spit it out. What’s the problem?” Beth waves her hand at Shade, gesturing away his enthusiasm.
“Ahem, well. You obviously remember at least some things about me.”
“Everything!”
Dad shows his open palms as an offering of peace. “Okay, let’s just say that the range of my device isn’t exactly mentionable. To be honest, we’ve to plug it into their communication system.” He scratches his head, a guilty expression on his face.
This time it’s my turn to throw up my hands. “Then what help is your device? If we’ve already fought our path all the way into their station, then blowing it up is just a formality. Why would we bother to use their communication system to send your strange signal if the result is the same?”
He raises a finger to stop me. “You would be right, if the signal was an ordinary one. If I’ve made no mistake, then my signal has the exact frequency to cause a resonance effect with their souls. I’ve thought long and hard about it. The multiverse abhors the fusion of different souls. It’s like a physical law. A quantum wave that intersects with others always tries to return to its original state.
“That’s also why a-” he raises both hands and makes air quotes with his fingers, “-‘damaged’ soul automatically repairs itself. It requires complicated magical constructs to prevent this auto-repair function from forcibly dispersing the spirit’s soul. Of course, spirits can be born naturally in mana storms, but they should die within a few months to up to a year after their birth. It’s a shame that I didn’t realize it earlier.”
“So the spirits which are created by our enemy have some kind of protection? An enchantment that protects the different parts of their soul from rejecting each other? And if you manage to interrupt that enchantment, then their souls will disperse like they do when they die?” Marcus asks. “That’s brilliant! I would’ve never thought that you actually had a reason to avoid our party with the ambassadors.”
Shade cocks his eyebrows in silent surprise. “Why did you think that I was hiding in my basement?”
I answer with a little guilt in my voice. “We thought that you were trying to avoid your responsibilities, loading off all the work on us.”
Shade blinks, looking at me as if I am some kind of strange bug. “My work is always important. I can’t be bothered with suppressing all the other realms. Have they sworn their fealty? Or why are you guys already partying?”
Elona links arms with Shade. “Honeybear, why don’t you leave the diplomatic stuff to people who actually have an idea of diplomacy? So, why exactly should we kill the spirits with this new signal of yours?”
He purses his lips. “The enemy constantly sends a signal to control the spirits. If we send out our own signal, then we might not get the desired result. The two signals could interfere with each other. But if we send it over their own system, we might be able to send it over their whole network. If the plan succeeds we might be able to get them all. Then we just have to wait for a few months.
“I admit that it doesn’t stop them from creating new ones, but they are obviously stockpiling them like ammunition. If we destroy their supply of drones, then they are restricted to what they can produce.” Dad turns towards Beth and looks at her expectantly.
She furrows her forehead in apparent suspicion that something is up. “What?”
“Do you still have your berserker ability?”
“Yes?”
“Great! You can be our spear-point. I suspect that their main base will have a lot more troops, now that they know that we are on their tails. Maybe we can recruit Adea too. Her deathray will clear a path.”
65. ~Trouble.~
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
The Journey to the Afterlife
Kingdom Newerth, Capital City
Marcus
“You look winded.” Seria calmly observes me as I wave goodbye to the last guest. It's the guy who looks like an imp, and this evening he tried his best to drink me under the table. But I managed to resist. The ambassadors from the other realms really took their time before they decided to retreat for the night. And it's kind of hard to throw someone out of the party if a lot depends on making a good impression.
I drop my hand as soon as the imp-guy is out of sight. “That's because it's really hard to smile despite the fact that you don't feel like it. At all. I wore the same expression for over seven hours!”
She frowns and reaches up to tug at my cheek. “But you are still smiling. If you don't feel like it, then why are you still smiling? The room is empty, except for us.”
I reach up to feel my face and it's no surprise that my hand encounters the tugged up corners of my mouth. “A cramp.”
“Must be one hell of a cramp then. I've had cramps, but never in my face. How does it feel?” She gloats and reaches for my face to pull and rub, but without achieving anything.
“As if someone used flexible stickers to rearrange my expression to his satisfaction. Please stop that, it feels demoting,” I answer the question sullenly.
It's bad enough that we have to endure the whole ordeal again. Shade and Elona decided to postpone the attack on the enemy base until all the negotiations are over. They hope that we will get some more assistance aside from Beth. Surprisingly, she agreed readily enough to help us, even though her discussion with us was nothing more than an informal meeting. It felt like she was eager to prove that she is on our side.
I wouldn't have done that, had I been in her shoes. There wasn't a real plan to begin with. So far, it is just an idea. And I am still not entirely sure of what to think about Shade's idea to involve Adea. The girl has her own problems. Fighting in a real war should not be part of her troubles.
There is also the issue of involving a student in the state's affairs! No matter how you look at it, she is still a child. So what if she regained some of her old memories? That doesn't mean that she suddenly reached mental maturity out of nowhere. Shade wants to toss her into the fire nonetheless. We have to protect her at least long enough to give her a chance to get a grip on herself. Seria mentioned often enough how dangerous she can be.
“I hate being ignored.” Suddenly Seria leans in and starts nibbling on my collarbone. “Do you mind teleporting us to my apartment?”
“Ahem, why this sudden interest? I thought you don’t like this form?” I try to clear my throat, but fail miserably. The sound turns into a choked croak, but at least I dealt with the smoke problem. Her hand is simply too distracting. What was I thinking about?
“Something wrong?” She leans in closer, pressing up against me.
“I can teleport us. As soon as you take your hand away. It's distracting.” I reach for her shoulders and try to concentrate, but that isn't easy if a beautiful woman has her hand inside my pants. “Are you sure that you want to do it right now? Aren't you tired?”
Her eyes flash golden and she smiles, letting out the succubus in her. “I am just trying to make good use of this new form of yours. This whole day was so tedious that I simply need some time off. Everyone else already fled the scene, so why should we wait?” Then her expression turns smug. “Seems as if I am able to perform some transformations on your body without the use magic. Do you really want to tell me that you can't do something as simple as teleporting us?”
I groan as a shudder runs down my spine. She is usin
g her succubus abilities on me, that's for sure. Enough is enough. If she wants to play dirty, then so can I. Flicking a wrist at the room's entrance, I seal it with a barrier of raw force. It's a dirty and inelegant job, but it will stop unwelcome intruders from stumbling over us.
“Why-”
Flipping her around, I force her to the ground and push up her dress. It helps that she didn't hold back and undid my trousers, freeing me. Pulling her panties aside, I position myself and push as far and deep into her as I can. She gasps in surprise and tries to get up, but I reach for her neck and push her down. “Do you really think that you can tease me after a day like this?”
To my own surprise she isn't disturbed by my aggressive behaviour. Instead she giggles and reaches backwards, gaining hold of my trousers and pulling me closer to grind against me. “Apparently your transformations have an effect on your mind. Who would have thought that my lovely Marcus can be this forceful? And to simply take me in such a public place. Aren’t you afraid of someone walking in on us?”
We are behind a barrier. If someone enters the room it would be akin to breaking down a door. I say nothing and force one of her arms behind her back to keep her in place. Answering her movements, I follow her rhythm for minutes until both of us reach the peak of our union.
Seria is still under me when I feel my barrier shudder and crack. Two people appear with a flash inside the room. The damned woman had to call it!
“Marcus, we need to talk! There is an emergency... By the gods! What are you two doing in a public place! And what are you doing to Seria! That's no way to treat a woman! Get off her!” Clarity shrieks with a high pitched voice.
Damn! I realize that the way I am holding Seria down surely looks like it happened without consent by the other party. And surely enough, my parents had to teleport right into the room. That's the one thing I didn't completely ward against. I thought that it would be abundantly clear that I don't want to be disturbed if the whole room is warded.
Seria moans and circles her hips, not caring in the slightest that we got company. “But I am not entirely opposed to being held down. It's so rare that he is the aggressive one. Can't you give us a few more minutes? I've a feeling that he isn't quite done.”
