“Alright,” said Jack, focusing all of his attention on Rachel. “This is going to sound harsh, Miss Warren, but I have to ask it. Why are you willing to help us against your own kind?”

If the question bothered her, she didn’t show it at all. She returned his attention, focusing her purple eyes on him. “Two reasons, sir. One is bigger than myself. Even if it’s just to a few of you, I want to help show that most of us aren’t the demons we used to be. We understand why the community and guilds fear us, but that was generations ago. Many, many generations. We do have our bad apples, just like everyone else, but most of us just want to live our lives like normal. We only take what we need, either from a willing partner, or a pleasant one night stand where the other leaves with a smile. We’re not any more monstrous than our orc friend over here.”

Britt grunted at the comparison, but didn’t object to it either, which Jack considered.

“And the second?”

Rachel the succubus actually blushed. “I want to help Phil. Something about him compels me to offer as much of myself- I… I mean my assistance as I am able.”

“Awww!” Tina gushed. “I haven’t seen you look that adorable since we started high school!”

Britt eyeballed Rachel but didn’t give any indication what she was thinking. Jack glanced back and forth between the succubus and the party leader, who was also blushing a little, but nervously looking at Britt. Jack suddenly had a much clearer understanding of what was happening but chose to ignore it for now.

“And what about you, Miss Hart? Did you want to assist as well?”

“Oh. I just wanted a tour of the guild hall, but sure, I’ll help,” she said happily.

“A tour? You didn’t want to join the party or anything? You just wanted to play tourist?”

“I can join the party?” she asked, the idea clearly having never crossed her mind.

“Oh shit,” muttered Britt, low enough that only Phil caught it. “Motherfucker did that on purpose.”

“I see no reason why not,” Jack said happily. “It’s up to the party leader, really, but who wouldn’t want a fae on their team? Or a succubus for that matter!”

Both Tina and Rachel exchanged glances, then turned to Phil, their eyes sparkling at the idea of joining the party, or, more accurately, him.

“Whoa!” he said, holding his hands up in defense. “First of all, that’s not a decision I’d make without consulting the rest of the party first. Second, you ladies are aware it’s a lifetime commitment, right? You’d be stuck with me until I kicked the bucket.” They both nodded vigorously, clearly willing to make that sacrifice. He looked at Britt for help, but only found a contemplative look on her face. Seriously? he thought.

“I mean, as intelligence assets go, they’d be amazing,” she said. “Rachel, you can control how strong of an effect you cast, right? Like, getting someone to the point of wanting to impress you, but not enough to try to fuck you right there?”

“To an extent,” she said. “They’ll still need to sleep with someone for the charm to wear off.”

“That’s how she got us all the test answers in high school. The teachers were putty in her hands. After that, they’d sneak off with whatever student or teacher they were having flings with. Everyone won!” Tina boasted, eliciting a chuckle from Jack, who was clearly enjoying the weight he’d just dumped on Phil.

“So she’d be useful for getting people to talk, Phil. Definitely better than me having to rough them up like I used to. They’d say anything they thought I wanted to hear to get me to stop and couldn’t always be trusted. But a man would sell out his own parents if they thought they’d get a piece of her, wouldn’t they?”

Phil nodded, having to concede the point. “Yeah, for Rachel, they’d probably sell out a couple generations just for one of her dazzling smiles.” He tried not to notice the way she blushed at that.

“And Tina… you can see auras. Does that mean you can generally tell who’s a good person and who isn’t without ever speaking to them?”

Tina shrugged. “Usually. I get a better impression if there’s physical contact. For instance, Phil is probably the greatest person alive. That may be personal bias speaking, though, since I’ve been watching him for a few years. You, Brittany, have a strong protective streak in you, and will do anything to shield innocent people from pain if you can. Your aura is very earthy, grounded, immovable, usually. Oh, and Mr. Jack-”

“I’m ok, thank you,” Jack said. “I’m fine not having my aura read for me. I trust your skills, given what I know about Miss Hughes, and she’s exactly how you described her. Bit rough around the edges at times, but solid and dependable. Well, what do you say, Phil?”

“To what? I said I had to discuss it with my party. Reese and Rose aren’t here. I won’t make this kind of decision without their input.”

Jack held up a finger and pulled out his phone. He tapped at the screen for a couple seconds, smiled, and put it away again. “They should be here shortly.”

Phil’s face fell. “You pulled them out of counseling for this?”

“They can always head right back. They just need to give a yes or no, right?”

Phil threw his hands up in frustration. There’s no way he felt he could’ve expressed the importance of the two getting the help they needed, especially since it revolved around the collective love life of the party, which the guild heavily frowned upon for reasons like this.

They sat in silence for a few minutes while waiting for them to show up. Britt sat there watching the other women stare longingly at Phil, who kept shifting uncomfortably in his seat at the attention. Jack was too immersed in some mobile game to notice or care. Not soon enough for Phil’s liking, the door finally opened and Adele ushered in Reese and Rose, who looked confused at being summoned. Rose’s eyes were puffy and red, as if she’d just recently been crying.

“Ah! Great!” Jack said excitedly as he put his phone away and leapt to his feet to greet them. Everyone else stood and faced them as well. “Miss Campbell, Miss Mora! So glad you could join us. I apologize for taking you away from something important. We’ll make sure you get comped on the backside for your time right now.”

Rose nodded silently, while Reese crossed her arms and glared at him. “This better be important, Jack. Your timing couldn’t have been worse.”

“Level of importance is a matter of perspective, Miss Campbell. Let me explain, then you can decide. Mr. Thomas here has refused to make a decision without consulting his party members. Commendable, but inconvenient if I’m to begin setting up the ceremony before sundown.”

“Ceremony? Ah. I get it,” Reese said. “Britt? Any objections?”

“We may have to adjust the schedule, but I have none.”

Reese smirked at the hidden meaning in her words, then turned to Rose.

“Rose?”

Rose sniffled, but looked at Phil, Rachel, and Tina, before looking at Britt.

“If Britt approves, then I trust her judgement.” She glanced at Phil quickly before looking away. “When it comes to the party, that is.”

Ouch, thought Phil.

Jack beamed. “Great! I’ll get started then, if the party leader has no further objections?”

Phil turned to face the two women again. “Are you sure this is what you really want? There’s no going back once it’s done.”

““We’re sure,”” they said at the same time, heads nodding vigorously. Phil shook his, trying to figure out where all that devotion suddenly came from. Twenty-four hours ago, he’d only known Tina as a tired waitress in a rundown bar and he’d never even met Rachel before, and now they were both pledging their lives to him. What the actual fuck, he thought. Sensing he was the only one that was waffling, he turned back to Jack and nodded.

“Brilliant! You’ve certainly got an interesting party, Mr. Thomas! An orc, an elf, a mage, a succubus, and a fae, all being led by a human. Truly remarkable.” He turned to Reese and Rose. “I hope that was important enough for you, Miss Campbell. Your family has increased by two today. Adele, please be a dear and escort them back to their appointments. If they wish, they can extend their time for another hour at my expense, as an apology for interrupting them.”

The stern looking woman gave Jack a brief head nod, then ushered the girls back out. Jack spun around and clapped his hands. “This’ll be my first bonding since becoming guild master. Please be patient with me everyone.” He immediately moved over to the other side of the expansive room and opened up a chest. He paused for a second, turning back to the four of them. “While I’m getting this set up, would you mind telling me how all of this,” he waved his hands around, indicating all of them, “happened?”

He went back to pulling things out of the chest setting them carefully on a nearby table while Britt and Phil quietly debated how much they should tell him. Attempting to find a way to explain Rachel’s eagerness to join him without revealing the foursome the night before proved more difficult than expected. Once they thought they’d finally come up with a reasonable explanation they opened their mouths to speak, only to be cut off.

“Oh!” Jack suddenly said, whipping around to face them. “You should know I’m going to issue a statement from the guild that relationships within the party are no longer taboo. It’s a massive pain in the ass arguing against them, and nearly every party has someone sleeping with someone else. Frankly, if it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen, and nothing we say will stop it. That means you don’t have to hide the fact that you and Britt are sleeping together. And those two as well, if I don’t miss my guess. Or Miss Campbell.”

I sound like one of those player assholes when you put it like that, thought Phil. “Uh… I won’t deny what you guessed, but how’d you know about Reese?”

“Cameras, man! I told you earlier, right? They’re fucking everywhere! You didn’t think they’d miss that little peck on the cheek, did you? I can access the feeds on my phone. Now just tell me everything that happened that led to this point. Take your time, leave out no detail. Start from the last time I saw you. This is going to take some time to set up anyway. Gotta hit the leylines just right.”

For the next two hours Phil and Britt traded off telling the guild master the events of the last couple days, including the more personal details of the relationship balance in the house, if only so they could illustrate the sudden and dramatic shift in Rose’s behavior. They did leave out the exact details of the previous night’s adventures after the bar, since they weren’t pertinent to the quest or any of his business. Phil had left out his night with Reese in the initial telling, but she had freely offered that information as well when her and Rose joined them halfway through telling. She had wanted him to understand why she’d been pissed about being summoned earlier and so that he had a proper gauge of the party’s emotional and mental status. That’s when Phil realized they weren’t just telling him this to pass the time. It was an oral report. When Jack had asked Rose if she’d like to contribute anything to it, she asked to defer her statement until later.

Eventually, Jack had finished setting up for the ceremony. It wasn’t that there was a lot of equipment to set up. It was just three crystal orbs on pedestals. It had just taken Jack a while to track down the leylines flowing under his office. Phil didn’t have a clue in hell what he was talking about, but accepted Reese’s explanation that it was magical energy that flowed throughout the world. When he asked why they couldn’t just mark the spots on the floor, he learned that they constantly moved about, and that they only had a limited time to complete the ceremony before the flow moved again. It was like a flowing river that changed its course over time, but much quicker since leylines weren’t affected by geography, just usage. If someone further up the stream used a lot of power, it would divert the flow.

“Ok! Before we begin, I’m going to be honest with you, a full blooded human has never been a party leader before. I honestly have no idea how this may affect you.” Jack shrugged. “Hopefully all will go well.”

“You’re telling me this now!?” Phil complained.

“Would you have changed your mind if I’d told you earlier?”

Phil glanced to Rachel and Tina and saw the worry in their eyes. The fear that they may not be able to join the party after all. He shook his head and sighed. “No. No I wouldn’t have.”

Jack smiled. “I really like you, Phil, you know that? We need more like you in our ranks. Ok, ladies stand over here, please? Thank you. Now just place your hands on the orb like so… perfect.” He guided Rachel and Tina over to the pillar and had them each grasp it with both hands, their bodies facing Phil’s pillar. Next, he trotted over to Phil.

“Ok, now you stand here and place your hand on top like so. Just the one hand will be fine. Perfect. Ladies? You remember what to do? Great.” Phil stood facing Tina and Rachel as his current party members gathered around him. Britt placed a hand where his neck met his shoulder. Reese took his free hand and held it in hers, while Rose grabbed his forearm. “Ok, by maintaining contact with the party leader throughout the ceremony, you ladies are agreeing to and welcoming your new party members willingly. If you do not agree with this ceremony and release the party leader from this point on, it will fail and there could be a backlash. Everyone understands this?”

Britt and Reese nodded immediately, while Rose hesitated for a second before nodding as well. Jack nodded and made his way over to the third orb placed just off-center between the other two, creating a very shallow triangle. He looked over at Rachel and Tina, then glanced over at Phil and his party. Nodding, he lifted his hands.

“Alright, then! Let’s hope this doesn’t vaporize you, Phil!”

“Wait, what!?”

“Here we go!” Jack slapped his hands on his orb and Phil’s world turned white.

*

Hello there.

Who’s there?

I’ve gone by many names. I prefer Gaia.

Gaia? Like Mother Earth and all that?

The very same. I am the goddess of this world. I gave it life.

What’s going on? I can’t see anything. I can’t feel anything.

Does that bother you?

It’s a bit disconcerting, yes.

Perhaps this will help?

Slowly, the world began to take shape. A floor rapidly spread out, rising to form walls, windows, a ceiling. Chairs and tables flowed up like liquid from the floor. A familiar looking desk occupied one side of the room. Phil blinked, slowly turning and observing his surroundings. This was definitely Jack’s office. He jerked back in surprise.

Before him stood, well, him. He was looking at himself. Reese, Britt, and Rose arrayed around him. Rachel and Tina were staring at his other self, and Jack was smiling gleefully as he gripped the crystal ball in front of him.

“What’s going on?” he asked. He suddenly felt hands on his shoulders.

“We’re between seconds.”

Phil whipped around at the sound of the voice and his head collided with something firm, yet soft. Stumbling back a couple steps, he took in what was before him, or rather, who. She was easily nine feet tall, hair the color of fire, and the greenest eyes he’d ever seen. Her sky blue skin contrasted with her hair, but it was her massive chest that had his attention. To his initial perception it was massive, but he realized she was fairly well proportioned for being nine feet tall. Tearing his eyes away from the wonderous peaks, he took in the white dress she wore, admiring how it hugged her body except where her long blue leg slipped out through a slit that went all the way up to her waist. He was reminded of a cheongsam, or what Chuck would call “The Dragon Lady Dress.” Looking up, he met her gaze and was rewarded with a dazzling smile.

“Oh, you’re much more of a gentleman than my son-in-law. He can’t keep his eyes of my daughter’s chest. My sister’s as well, now that I think about it. I do so hope my nephew doesn’t grow up like that. What the hell Su and Ephine see in him I’ll never understand.”

“Um, Gaia?” he asked, confused. The tall blue beauty realized she was off topic and smiled apologetically.

“Terribly sorry, dear. The godly affairs of another plane of existence aren’t something I should bother you with. So, I’ll bet you’re wondering what’s going on, right?”

Phil nodded silently, choosing not to bring up that he’d already asked that twice. The tall woman moved gracefully around him and examined everyone currently frozen, nodding approvingly.

“A fae. Very nice. There’s only about a dozen left on this world, you know? You’re a lucky guy to snag one. A succubus. I’m especially happy about this one. They’re trying so hard to live normal lives now. With your help she’ll be able to do great things.” She moved over to Jack and smiled. “I like this guy. Always so eager. Madly in love with his aide but doesn’t have the balls to tell her. Shame. She’d let him take her on his desk if he only asked.” She giggled and moved over to Phil and his party. “The orc. Did you know she thought you were cute right from the start? That’s why she was such a bitch to you. Overcompensating like a school girl. She genuinely thought you were weak and didn’t want you in the party though. Now she’ll march through hell and back just to get you your favorite ice cream.”

Phil raised an eyebrow. “Really?” The tall woman looked up and smiled, giving him a small nod. Then moved on to Reese.

“The mage. She called herself a Merlin, once, remember? If only she knew the truth of it. She actually is a direct descendant of the man himself. They lied about him having children so that no one would attack them. Issues with the mother, you see? She wasn’t well liked at times.”

“Who was the mother?”

“Morgana Le Fay.” She laughed at his expression. “They probably also hid it so that Arthur never found out that Merlin was fucking his sister. Anyway, she has tremendous power locked away in her, she just doesn’t realize it yet. The burden she still carries is a potent block to her full potential. It’ll be up to you to help her achieve that. It will take time, and I worry it may come at great cost, but once unlocked, she will truly be a force to be reckoned with. Ah, the elf.”

Phil’s eyebrows shot up at the sad tone of voice when referring to Rose. “Why do you say it like that?”

Gaia sighed. “Her pain is too great. I fear she may not recover. This is why I brought us here. She doesn’t realize it yet, but she’s about to do something catastrophic that may very well end the world. It’ll be a snap judgement, and she’ll immediately regret her actions, but it’ll be too late by then. Remember when Mr. Nimble warned of a backlash if someone let go during the ceremony?”

Phil nodded, then guffawed. “Wait, Mr. Nimble? His name is Jack Nimble? Oh, please tell me his middle initial is B.” It didn’t occur to him until later that he had focused on the wrong part of her statement.

Gaia smiled, delighting in Phil’s amusement, but also a tad surprised that’s what he focused on. “Bernard,” she confirmed. “Anyway, Miss Rose here is going to remove her hand from your arm. The backlash of power that results isn’t going to kill you, though. It’s going to kill her.” She pointed at Britt, sobering Phil up immediately.

“Britt?” he asked, shocked. “Britt dying will lead the world to destruction?”

“Not directly, but eventually. The loss of Britt will devastate the party. Rachel and Tina won’t have joined because of the failed ceremony. You and Reese will never recover from Britt’s death and quickly drift apart emotionally. Rose will take her own life over the grief of killing someone she cared so deeply for. Future wives... sorry, party members, will never know of your existence, and the event that your party would have stopped before it began will consume my world, leaving it a dead rock for the rest of eternity. Her half second of doubt and hatred will doom billions, all because she can’t accept that her asshole boyfriend needed to die. Speaking of which…” she walked over to where Phil was watching and placed her fingers on his temple.

He felt a tugging sensation, like someone was yanking out a few too many hairs at once. Wincing, he managed to avoid slapping at her hand. She must have realized that and gave him a grateful smile before mouthing ‘sorry’ to him. Slowly he felt something pulled from his head. He waited until she stopped moving before turning his head to see what she’d done. In her hand was a white ball of gaseous energy. She let it weave between her fingers and around her hand before it settled in her palm, quivering slightly.

“Looks like the mess you left on Tina’s chest last night, doesn’t it? Oh, right, you don’t remember, do you? Don’t worry, I’ll fix your memory problems before I return you. They’ll take some time to fully return though.”

Phil’s jaw dropped. Is she really a goddess? Making jokes like that?

“What? Just because we’re gods and goddesses doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy a good fuck every now and then. Haven’t you read any Greek mythology? It’s about the only aspect of deities they got right. Then there’s my son-in-law. Every night he’s got his dick in two or three different women. Look, I get that you’re a pure soul and all that, but after turning an orc, a mage, a fae, and a fucking succubus into your personal harem, can you really criticize me for making a lewd joke?”

“Uh… sorry?” he said, surprised she’d read his mind. She waved it off.

“Nah, don’t worry about it. If that shocked you, imagine how pissed off this pile of jizz got. Come on, man. You’re dead. Lighten up!” She flung the ball on the ground then snapped her fingers, smirking. “It’s all about showmanship.”

The ball flared brilliantly, a bright white light shooting up before taking the shape of a large man wearing jeans, boots, and a leather jacket over a red shirt. Blond hair fell to his shoulders, and a severe grimace made the man’s face almost unrecognizable.

“Goddess or not, could you not compare my soul to a handful of jizz?” he grumped. Turning to Phil, he smiled at the astonished expression. Bruce held out his hand. “Hey, Phil. Pleasure to finally meet you.”