“Abenaki mythology, Beings of the Golden Age:

A-senee-ki-wakw: They are race of stone giants, the first people Gluskab created but then destroyed because they crushed other animals and injured the earth with their great size.”

- The Journey to the Afterlife

***Dedessia, the Sea of Souls, Semper Fidelis***

***Shade***

They finally arrived. I am so glad that the stupid tree managed to bridge the distance that fast. Well, relatively fast, for a tree. Two months for fifty thousand kilometres are incredible for a tree. It means that I can start my expedition soon.

My eyes wander to the window which is filled with the sight of Yggdrasil. The tree placed itself next to the city and is now spreading its branches above us. A truly impressive scene. According to Doreen the tree will support us with purified water and food from now on. Though there is still a ghastly wound in its trunk, it started closing rapidly as soon as the tree arrived.

That's quite the pet to have.

This safe zone has almost perfect living conditions. Since the swamp is right next to the city, we never had water problems. When times get harsh, we simply have to get some dirty water and distil it with magic. The tree had to stand somewhere, so we gave up a few of the crop fields around the city. But the additional food from Yggdrasil is certainly worth the loss.

“Quit staring at the tree and ready yourself. They are about to call us to the stage,” Elona nags from right next to me. She starts pulling on my outfit to correct it.

As if the harem girls didn't already do a perfectly fine job. This morning I was swarmed by them. Before I knew it, they had me in formal robes and cleaned up like a penguin. No, a penguin has it better, it is more accurate to compare my current appearance to a peacock.

“Stop that glance. You look fine. Very manly. The shimmering cloth isn't a problem. It's all about how you carry yourself,” Elona says and pinches my cheek.

She is doing it again, reading my thoughts. I want to know how she does it.

“You are my eternal partner. How could I not read your thoughts? You are an open book to me.” She hugs me with a stupid grin on her face.

I curl the corners of my mouth downwards and nod. That makes a little sense I suppose? “I was just wondering how much longer Doreen and Tisha are intending to talk.”

The two of them organized a huge party in front of the palace. All citizens from both clans are supposed to mingle with each other in a peaceful manner. We even went as far as to mix up their living areas to prevent them from forming two camps.

Doreen and Tisha have been talking to the citizens for more than half an hour. They are taking their time while standing on a balcony which reaches out above the plaza with the partying citizens. Their speech contains information about the current status of our clans and possible dangers in this place.

Somehow the people managed to create the atmosphere of a real party. There are stalls and dancing areas with music, as well as artists and other people who put their craft on display. It feels like a little marble of innocence in this world.

I let my eyes wander around the room. Elona's parents are discussing something with Quianna and Antonius. It seems like they are winning the argument.

Ishaan is standing right next to us, waiting for the party to end. He isn't a fan of gatherings with many people.

I turn my attention to Elona. The harem girls braided her hair in a complicated pattern. There is also some make-up on her face, but only a slight amount to emphasize her natural beauty. Normally I don't like make-up on women, but if it isn't used excessively the effects can be quite breathtaking. Elona also managed to summon a white wedding gown from somewhere. It fits her really well. I especially like the fact that it emphasizes her cleavage and hips.

“Quit staring. They are about to call us to the stage,” Elona corrects my lecherous behaviour. But she doesn't seem to be angry about the fact that I am eating her up with my eyes. It's more about me doing it in front of others.

I force my eyes away. If this continues I'll eat her up on stage. That would be quite the scandal. Or not? The people of this realm are different and more relaxed towards social standards than in any other world. It comes with the fact that all of them remember different cultures from their previous lives.

“Good luck.” Ishaan raises a hand and nods. “You have my blessings.”

This forces both of my eyebrows up to my forehead. “Dad, are you feeling well? I thought that you didn't fully approve of Elona?” I reach around my wife and hug her with one arm.

Elona leans against me, a smirk on her face. “We had a really long discussion with each other. Your Dad values you, despite his actions. He is too much of a macho to say it loud. When our discussion advanced to the wedding ceremony, I found a little weakness of his. So in exchange for a little favour he will play nice.”

Both my eyebrows draw together and my head snaps back to Ishaan. “Favour!?”

Ishaan looks away. “If I play nice, I don't have to go on stage.”

“Ishaan may be very powerful, but I would have never imagined that he is so shy! In fact it is hard for him to be in front of strangers because he lived so long as a hermit. So when I demanded that he has to escort us onto the stage, he totally freaked out! So now he can stay behind the curtain. Most people don't know of his presence anyway,” Elona explains while huddling against me. “How someone like him could get goosebumps from standing in the lamplight, I have no idea.”

Ishaan reddens just a bit, which gives his pale skin a slightly pinkish touch. “You have to go out. Tisha is about to call you outside. And I can't go out there in any case. This set-up is supposed to symbolize that Semper Fidelis and Carissimi are one from now on. So with you two on stage it is perfect. Doreen and Tisha are also there as representatives of each clan.”

And indeed, I can hear my mother speaking the final words of their speech. “...and so we are not only happy to announce the unification of our people, but also the bond between two of our higher immortals, Shade, clan head of Semper Fidelis and Elona from Carissimi. May they be happy with each other.”

“That's our signal!” I reach down and grab Elona's butt, pushing her onto the balcony.

She squeals just a little and grabs my chest. “How could you! So embarrassing!” she whispers.

“My hand is out of their sight because of the balustrade. In theory you could have foregone the skirt,” I whisper back and raise my hand to wave at the cheering people.

“Impossible! The dress is one piece.” Elona gathers her expression into a disarming smile and raises one hand for the masses.

The cheering turns even louder. I harbour the slight suspicion that she just used her powers to influence them. Something like a charm?

“Don't be silly. It's just the fact that I am the girl. And I am pretty,” she speaks in a hushed tone.

She is doing it again! And I don't believe her. She did something.

That's when events turn hairy. Suddenly alarms are raised and I can see one of Doreen's higher immortals flying towards us. He is coming from outside the city; must be one of the perimeter guards. Someone always has to keep an open eye. Even during a party.

“An asenee, a stone spirit! Huge! It's advancing towards the safe zone.”

The cheers turn into screams of panic and some people run off to flee, but most simply drop their heads. Asenee are one of the most dangerous spirits. They can grow in size as they please and have huge power. Fighting them off is only possible if you have a huge amount of higher immortals at your disposal. Even then, casualties are guaranteed.

The reason why the citizens aren't fleeing is because they have nowhere to run. A low can't even scratch an asenee, much less survive in the harsh land outside the safe zone.

Doreen and Tisha start calling commands to their subordinates. I watch the panicked zoo in slight amusement. There is no real reason to be that afraid. Asenee may be strong, but they are slow and stupid. All they have is power. If you know the correct spell to solve the problem, they aren't an issue at all.

Elona balls her hands into fists. “This is not how my wedding was supposed to be.” She grabs my earlobe and pulls me down to eye level. “Fix it!” She growls and glares at me with red, glowing eyes.

How is any of this my fault?

“You heard the lady. It's time to show that this clan has more than enough power to defend itself. Will you solve the problem, or do I have to go?” Ishaan calls from inside the room. “It would certainly be better if they don't know that I am here. This spirit is surely just another attempt at weakening us.”

He is right. I draw a deep breath and cast levitation magic, lifting Elona and me from the balcony and high into the air. From up here we have a good view of what is going on. A huge tower is approaching the safe zone from the west. It looks like a stone golem, but blown out of any proportion. With at least a hundred metres in size, it would tower above every building inside the city. Even the palace with its high towers is no match. The highest tower reaches seventy metres, but that's it.

The giant is approaching us slowly, but steadily. Each step is shaking the earth under its enormous feet. And it is quite fast. I wonder how it got so close without anyone noticing. Maybe it approached as a smaller version and gained mass later on?

There are some scouts who are trying to distract the thing with spells. But the spirit doesn't even take notice of them and heads directly for the city.

Doreen and Tisha join us together with some of the other higher immortals. “We have to evacuate and gather our forces to repel it.”

I raise my hand and gather mana into a spell matrix. “Don't bother, just tell the scouts to get out of the way. Preferably yesterday.”

“What are you talking about?” Doreen gasps.

“That if I blast it now, then it won't reach the fields. My fiancée requested that I take care of that thing.” I answer and finish the spell formation. The blue orb of mana in my hand ignites and turns red, forming a swirling vortex of red energies.

Doreen gasps upon seeing the spell in my hand. But then she starts sending mental orders to the scouts around the asenee and they disperse, trying to gain as much distance as possible.

I raise my hand and point the orb at the asenee. Then I disperse the sequence which held the spell locked to my hand and the vortex shoots forward.

On it's way the vortex gathers energy as it converts the molecules in the air. While slowly moving towards the spirit, it grows in size and intensity. When it reaches the giant, it already has a size of about twenty metres in diameter. The spirit doesn't even attempt to evade and the vortex impacts the spirit's chest.

Making contact with the first solid matter, the spell runs rampant and the chaotic energies spin out of control. The vortex quickly grows in size and ferocity as it shreds the spirit's upper body.

“It would be prudent to assist me.” I pour my mana into a barrier spell, enclosing the city and a good part of the fields. The barrier is much too big for me alone. It is stretched thin, but the other higher immortals quickly catch on. Coordinated by Tisha and Doreen, they pour their mana into the barrier spell and a golden, shimmering force field snaps into existence.

The spirit raises both hands in an attempt to contain the spell, but the action only adds fuel to the process. Then, at last, the reaction bounces out of its boundaries, the vortex expands and converts to pure energy.

A flash of light almost blinds me, but I raise a hand to protect my eyes. A visible shockwave travels outwards. The explosion blows apart the remaining part of the spirit's upper body and bits and pieces of the monster are flung outwards. Luckily most of it away from the city.

The shockwave flattens the closest cornfields and some of the debris impacts the shield, but nothing which our combined force could not handle.

When the dust cloud settles, all that remains are the two trunks of the spirit's legs. They are still standing, a pitiful reminder of the enormous creature. The rest was obliterated and a stunned silence envelops the scene.

I take Elona's hand in mine and cheers erupt all around us. “Is that what you wished for, Dear.”

Her cute mouth works in a conflicted expression of anger and happiness. It's only then that I realize that the cheering is accompanied by dirty whistling and shouts to go for it. Finally Elona regains her voice.

“How long do you intend to grope and rub my ass in front of the entire clan?”

I freeze up, realizing that I never took my hand away from her butt. “You... can grope me too... if you want to?” I squeeze one more time, just to savour the moment. It will be gone soon enough.

Her expression turns into a cruel grin. “Oh, no. I have a much better idea.”

She reaches up and cups my cheeks in her hands, and then her lips are on mine. Her tongue pushes past my lips and I respond her demands. That's not the reaction I expected! I thought she would hit me for smudging her honour.

Our tongues fight a fierce battle and I feel the sudden need to rip off her clothes and take her in every way I can imagine.

But suddenly the world starts swaying and I feel my energies being sucked out of me. I try to cling to my powers, but they are rapidly drained away.

My vision tunnels and my head lolls to the side as my body slumps. Just barely, I manage to stay conscious. Strangely enough I don't fall, though I don't even have enough energy to power the levitation spell.

Elona is holding me up in front of her, tightly gripping my clothes at my chest.

“That was delicious. Doreen, Tisha, if you'll excuse me and my husband. I am still hungry and I think he owes me a dessert.”

She flaps her wings and takes me with her down to the palace. I want to speak, but I don't even have enough power to do that! And she wants to suck out even more!?

HEEELP!

“Ahahaha, don't worry. I will help you. My mother told me that it is even more intoxicating if you get to do it sixty-nine. There are a few ways for a succubus to bind a man to her. I'll work you through all the important positions I want to do. And when we are done, you will burn with lust and beg me for more. But unless you behave, I wont quench that fire inside you. Mwahahaha.”

.