Book 9. Chapter 41: A Family Reunion |
Jake let out a long, shuddering breath as his bonds rushed back into his core like a breaking dam. The sudden influx of his family’s connection was euphoric, washing away the lingering exhaustion of the brutal battle.
He sent a quick Renewal spell, restoring some of Ainora’s body to bring her away from the brink of death. The crack in her core mended, becoming whole as the incredible golden flames of Family restored her. She didn’t stir, and Jake allowed his State of the Family fade away.
Then he looked toward the ridge. The rest of his wives were already making their way down into the devastated clearing. There was no massive Tartarus army waiting for them, nor any frantic Beast Tide.
Since the sisters had effectively just finished the Contest to claim the Primordial Node before Jake and Bree even arrived and had sent the ‘Immune Tide’ away, the area had been largely locked down. Aside from the scorched remains of a minor stampede of neutral beasts that Fhesiah and Tanda had effortlessly cleared, the family was entirely unbothered.
But it wasn’t time to celebrate just yet. He had a family and pack to put back together.
He drew the mana from his wives, restoring what was lost. Then, he cast [Bound Resurrection].
A pulse of spirit echoed out from his chest, and a wave of mana formed. A silhouette of Bree’s body was restored first, the giant amazoness growing and filling out by the moment. It took a lot more time than Jake expected–it appeared her immense size and the reconstruction of her dense, newly evolved vessel were just that much more complicated than other resurrections he had witnessed.
It took a few minutes of heavy, sustained channeling to reconstruct Bree’s tier-defying biology.
A moment later, Bree stirred. Her emerald scales knitted fully together, and her fiery vines bloomed with radiant, triumphant warmth. She opened her eyes, saw Jake standing in front of her, and didn’t hesitate. She tackled him into the dirt in her bipedal form with a heavy, rumbling purr.
Berri cheered, pumping her fists in the air. “Wooo! Way to go, Jake and Bree! You did it!”
Fhesiah clapped with a smile. “That was quite the epic battle. Now remember, I’ll have the recording for our perusal later. That way, Bree can watch the part she missed.”
Bree’s smile was wide. “I like that.”
Ruby smiled and nodded. “I’d love a copy. The Chief and Clansister Bree fought so well.”
Tanda’s tail was wagging furiously behind her as she watched Jake and Bree fondly. “Oh! Were you going to form the Hearthbond now or in front of your sisters?”
Bree paused. Her heavy tail thumped rhythmically against the dirt as she looked down at Jake. Her emerald eyes glowed with a potent mix of feral hunger and warmth.
For a brief second, Jake could see a petty, younger-sister urge in her expression. The desire to wait until Ainora and Isolyn woke up just so she could forge the bond right in front of them and rub her victory in their faces.
But then, her expression softened.
Bree murmured, “As much as I’d love to make them watch just to prove a point, this isn’t about hurting them or making them pay. It never was. I want to come home, Chief. Right now.”
Jake smiled, reaching up to cup her cheek. “I don’t think I could wait another minute anyway.”
They were already at Summoner’s Bond Level Five: Love. The foundation of trust and love had been forged in the fires of their trials, their many battles fought together. With little more than a thought, Jake and Bree opened their Hearths completely to one another, and his void…tentacle reached out and wrapped around her soul.
Bree gasped softly as the tether between them fundamentally shifted. Deep within the spiritual plane, a fragment of their souls was exchanged, linking them together forever.
In that exact moment, the flame of her spirit–the Savage Forgemother flames–arrived in Jake’s core. It was a heavy, chaotic fire, thrumming with the rhythmic beat of auril and raw, monstrous essence.
Within his Crucible, the spark took root and instantly expanded, granting him closer to a five-percent share of her unique flames and their special spiritual weight. And he noted that already, they were at the third level of the Hearth Bond. They had already found a strong level of synchronicity in their desires for their pack and family.
Truly, bonds forged in conflict were strong, and he was sure that their…body tempering sessions and some of his hearth enchanting and investment to prepare her for the Hearthian Bond had helped a bit too.
As always, he wasn't the only one to feel the change in his hearth.
Around the fractured, muddy clearing, his wives suddenly fell silent. One by one, Fhesiah, Tanda, Bloodberri, Ophelia, and the rest closed their eyes, looking inward as the Hearth automatically shared a small fraction of Bree’s flame with all of them. Even at just a one or two percent trickle, the sheer, primal vitality of it was intoxicating.
“Oh, my,” Fhesiah purred, her golden eyes fluttering open as she fanned herself with a smirk. “That is… remarkably potent. So chaotic and thick with fertility. It feels like I could grow an entire forest just by breathing…or burn it down, if I wanted.”
Tanda’s tail wagged even faster, her druidic senses humming. “It’s so warm! The auril heartbeat inside the flame is amazing. It’s like pure, untamed life.”
“A true monster’s flame,” Blood grinned. “I like it. Welcome to the family, big sister.”
Berri smiled. “Welcome, welcome! A new flame to practice with! I do think one of our girls is a lot like this one.”
Sati nodded. “A heat of a natural forge. Special, truly.”
Even Yona reacted, [Ohh, Bree’s here now! I love it. Like a fiery mama bear…with plants. Congrats, Bree!]
Bree let out a breath that was half-laugh, half-sob, utterly overwhelmed by the sudden, absolute acceptance echoing through the bond, and how all those flames of her true family arrived within her hearthvines. She leaned down to capture Jake's lips in a fierce, deeply passionate kiss. It was a celebration of survival, victory, and an unbroken pack.
“What a joyous song your heart sings, new sister. We’ll give them some room,” Avalara chuckled, stepping closer into the clearing with a knowing smile. “However, we do still have two extremely grumpy demigods to wake up.”
Jake reluctantly patted Bree’s hip, signaling for her to let him up. She stood, pulling him effortlessly to his feet.
At the same time, Tanda and Bloodberri moved to the massive, ruined physical remains of Ainora and Isolyn.
“I’ve got the Ice Queen,” Berri declared, her hands glowing with holy light.
“And I will tend to the Stormy Bitch,” Tanda nodded, channeling the deep, fertile nature magic of Brigid and Cernunnos as her tail wagged lazily, the girl sending several swirling green regenerating spells into the knocked-out wolf.
Ophelia tilted her head, her brow furrowing. “That’s kinda mean… though I guess she deserves it after all she said.”
Tanda blinked, looking back at Ophelia in genuine confusion. Her ears twitched. “Mean? Why?”
“Well, calling her a bitch…”
Tanda tilted her head, still confused, but shrugged and went back to healing the lightning bird wolf.
Fhesiah chuckled. “She gets a pass with that word, Lia. Bird-dog privileges.”
It took a combined effort, but eventually, with a gasp of localized thunder, Isolyn’s massive chest heaved. Her glowing eyes snapped open before her ears went flat on her head. It seemed the reality of their crushing defeat settled heavily into her reborn avatar.
And not long after, Ainora woke up and slowly pushed her massive, lightning-wreathed wolf form off the ground. She took one look at Jake and Bree, who were still standing entirely too close to one another, making unabashed bedroom eyes. Ainora groaned, a deep, feral sound of disgust.
“Ugh,” Ainora grumbled to her sister. “Is he going to mount her right here in the mud? Talk about insult to injury. We just lost her, and now we have to watch them mate.”
Isolyn, still shaking the frost off her glacial fur, just sighed. “Mortal victory rituals are so terribly crass.”
Ainora’s ears pinned flat against her skull as Bree leaned in to steal another quick kiss from Jake. Her snout wrinkled in sheer, unadulterated horror.
“Yuck,” Ainora shuddered, her feathery fur standing completely on end. “With the lips and the wetness and everything? Humans are so utterly gross. Maybe mounting her would have actually been better.”
“Agreed,” Isolyn murmured, looking away to spare her glacial eyes. “There is no dignity in swapping spit. How unsanitary. And what is with that form? You seriously could shapeshift into that? Just what purpose could that possibly serve?”
Bree finally pulled back from her kisses, resting her forehead against Jake’s and letting out a rich, bubbling laugh at her sisters’ expense. She turned to the two defeated demigods.
“Get used to it, sisters,” Bree teased, her dinodog tail wagging. “We’re a very affectionate clan.”
Ainora’s disgust faltered for half a breath as her storm-bright eyes narrowed on Bree’s chest, where the new bond burned beneath the flesh. Isolyn noticed it too, her frosty expression tightening–not with contempt this time, but with the uncomfortable realization that Bree’s heart had not dimmed. It had grown louder.
Ainora huffed, pointedly ignoring the teasing as she turned to Jake. “Fine. You have proven your point, Human. You have the weight of a sovereign, and you clearly have the strength and endurance to back it up. We yielded. We will join your ‘Hearthtribe Alliance.’ So... what now? Do we just sit around this valley and stagnate at the peak of the Second Tier while we wait for your people to catch up?”
“First of all,” Blood said, slithering up beside Tanda to stand directly in front of Ainora, her Monarch aura flaring just enough to make the air heavy. “Jake isn't just a human anymore. He tore the potential out of Tartarus's grasp to rewrite his biology. He is a Hearthian. My husband. Address him by his name or his title. Calling him 'Human' like it's a slur just makes you look ignorant–he earned his rewards and titles through undeniable meritorious service, yet you look down on him?”
Berri nodded vigorously, crossing her arms. “Yeah! He beat you, didn't he? So if he's just a weak human, what does that make you two? Blind, toothless pups?”
Isolyn actually flinched, recognizing her own exact insult from her letter being flawlessly thrown right back in her face. Ainora choked, her feathery fur puffing up in sheer indignation, but she couldn't formulate a counterargument to Berri's brutal logic.
Bree smiled warmly, her chaotic vines dimming as she looked at her sisters. “I call him Chief, but you don't have to call him your sovereign if it hurts your pride too much. Still, it’s the truth. He’s the leader of the Hearthtribe Alliance, which you said you’d join. That makes him your chief too.”
Isolyn and Ainora exchanged a long, deeply skeptical look. Perhaps calling a mortal their chief carried a little too much pack-follower subservience for two ancient, apex predators to stomach on day one.
Isolyn cleared her throat, a faint, frosty dusting of embarrassment appearing on her snout as she looked away. “I... suppose the little one’s assessment is fair. Very well. We shall endeavor to use his proper title. Lord Hart will suffice.”
Berri’s eyes widened. “Little one? Who’s little? Why, I ought to–”
“And second of all,” Tanda interrupted gently, her tail swaying as she stepped closer to Bree. “You might have apologized a little to Jake for being rude, and this was good. But you two still haven't apologized to your sister.”
Both demigods froze. They looked at Bree.
Ainora shifted uncomfortably, her massive paws kneading the frozen dirt. For a demigod of the storm, she suddenly looked incredibly small. “Bree… we did not mean to drive you away.” Her jaw worked, thunder popping faintly in her mane. “We wanted you safe. We were certain we knew what that meant. We were… cruel. I am sorry.”
Isolyn nodded slowly, her glacial eyes dropping to the ground. “I apologize for attempting to cage you and for insulting the path you chose. I still do not understand all of it. I am not certain I like all of it. But I can see that it is not weakness.” Her voice thinned. “We missed you when Mother cut you away from us. That is the truth.”
Bree’s expression softened completely. She stepped away from Jake, walking over to her two massive, mythological sisters. She didn't say anything; she just wrapped her arms around their thick necks, pulling the terrifying incarnations of ice and lightning into a deep, affectionate hug.
“I know,” Bree eventually murmured, her voice thick with emotion. “I forgive you, and I missed you too. I just…wanted you to understand me, even if it’s just a little. Welcome to the tribe, you grumpy mutts.”
Resting her heavy, lightning-singed chin over Bree’s shoulder, Ainora dropped her voice to a low, rough murmur. “We still don't like how you left us. And I still think your…chief is painfully fragile compared to what we truly are. Our main bodies would shatter this entire valley by accident. But… we felt how you fought with conviction today, and we can see it did not make you weak. If this pack of yours gives you a reason to fight like that, then we won't try to drag you back to the mountain. Deal or no deal, we are your sisters, Bree. We will respect your choice and do our best to…help you.”
Isolyn bumped her icy snout affectionately against Bree’s temple, letting out a soft, begrudging huff. “Even if his mortality is painfully obvious. If fighting by his side keeps that fire in your chest burning so brightly, little sister, we will endure him.”
Bree’s vines bloomed a little brighter, a wet, rumbling chuckle vibrating in her chest as she squeezed their thick necks tighter. “I didn't just fight for them today, you big idiots,” she whispered back, resting her head against Ainora's mane. “I fought for you, too. I told you–I wanted my sisters to have a real home and pack. And now you do. The choice is yours.”
Ainora hesitated for a moment. “Do not expect us to just roll over and bare our bellies,” she muttered, though there was no real bite to her warning. “We are demigods, and fighting under this sky made us far too weak. We will... observe this pack of yours. To see if it is actually worthy of us.”
“A thorough assessment period is mandatory,” Isolyn murmured softly. “But we will... consider the offer. For your sake.”
With that, Ainora let out a long, shuddering sigh, leaning her heavy weight fully into the embrace, while Isolyn simply closed her eyes, the ambient cold around her warming just a fraction.
Jake watched the three of them, a sense of satisfaction settling in his chest. The Triarch was partially together again, and it seemed they were growing for the better.
Isolyn cleared her throat, shaking out her fur to regain some semblance of her cold dignity as Bree returned to Jake’s side. “Still, Ainora was right with what she said before. Fighting in this Tier is genuinely beneath us. The idea that you want us to fight here in the Second Tier is insulting to our strength, and truthfully, a waste.”
Ainora nodded. “The best-case scenario if we stay is for us to earn or improve some measly Tier 2 worlds. The amount of potential we could earn is far greater in the Third. One might say, from what we paid to be here, we’d be at a significant loss without getting at least a Third Tier world for ourselves.”
Jake was a bit surprised that the cost to enter was so great. In a sense, Beast Avatars were probably the…second cheapest Divine Entity to bring into the Sector for a higher-tiered being. There was a reason Divine Descendants were the most common, and Champions were a bit less common than Beast Avatars at this stage of the contest. Even though Hestia ‘paid less’ to make Jake one since he was in Tier 0 at the time, it was still probably a bit higher than the Divine Descendant and the Beast Avatar. And for several reasons.
Odds were, these two canines in front of him would probably need to rest for a few days before they could be driven by the sisters again. During that time, these beasts’ minds would be active–just who knows what two randomly powerful Tier 2 beasts might get up to? And if a Tartarus Divine Entity managed to slay them even while they weren’t driving them, they would have to ante up again or just take the loss–the Beast Avatar gone forever, no respawn.
Regarding the sisters and their help to Clan Hart or Hearthtribe, Jake had spent a lot of time thinking about this. While these two were right about the Second Tier and their impact, there was something they didn’t care about that Jake and his family did: people.
Sure, Tier 3 worlds were bigger and had more people on them, depending on the specifics. But it wasn’t anywhere near the Energy Rating difference of six to eight to one, thanks to fertility and other complex mechanisms. At any rate, Jake had realized there was a way that they didn’t have to compromise.
“Actually,” Jake said, dusting off his armor. “The duel is over. You can advance those avatars to the Third Tier right now if you want. Go wild. Race to the highest level you can before the War Trial starts, and participate however you like. However, we’d prefer if you work together with the Accord Nobles once you’re in there.”
Ainora sighed. “I suppose…we could work with Lord Guan Yu and his allies. Mother does respect him and his ‘brothers.’”
“You would let us ascend immediately?” Isolyn asked, her glacial eyes narrowing in thought. “But Lord Hart... if these bodies cross into the Third Tier, we will not be able to fight alongside you in the Second Tier First Stage. This was not our deal with our sister. Don’t tell me you are rejecting our help? I know Bree said you didn’t need us… but then you said…”
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
What Isolyn said was true. The Framework and Tartarus would allow Isolyn and Ainora’s Third Tier avatars into the Second Tier War Trial. However, the Alliance and Sector 87’s Council would not allow it.
Many Councils decide against this, and with several good reasons. All higher-Tier entities should be participating in the true battlefield that matters: Tier 3. And by entering in the Second Tier, this would increase their enemy’s budget for bringing their own entities, and this often hurt the Alliance’s chance of winning. Thus, they eliminate the option. If Jake truly wanted, he could appeal for an exemption for the sisters, but he didn’t.
“I know, and I meant what I said about valuing your help,” Jake grinned, his expression softening to reflect his genuine respect for their strength. While he had won, he understood that these two weren’t truly able to bring out their full strength. “I didn't invite you to this alliance just because you can drop city-ending lightning or freeze a leyline. I can find artillery if I need to. What I truly want for the War Trial is your thousand years of combat experience, your cunning, and your apex bestial instincts. That’s a kind of strength that our tribe is missing and could help us win the war.”
Ainora scoffed, her tail giving a sudden, agitated flick as she looked away, though the feathery fur around her neck puffed up noticeably. “Hmph. As if I care for your mortal flattery.”
Fhesiah smirked at this but mercifully let the lightning wolf’s flustered pride be.
Isolyn, however, stood a little taller at the praise. “Be that as it may, the Alliance’s rules are absolute. If we ascend these vessels to the Third Tier, we cannot enter the War Trial’s Second Tier battleground with them. How do you propose we provide this 'experienced help'?”
“You’ll need vessels to project into the Second Tier,” Jake said, his grin returning. “And we’ve already got them.”
Ainora froze. Her glowing, avian-like eyes widened in sudden, dawning horror as a very specific memory clicked into place. “Oh no. Lord Hart... you can’t mean...”
Jake dug into his Monster Menagerie and pulled out two templates the two girls should be intimately familiar with.
Two distinct bursts of light hit the clearing as Jake manifested the templates. The Heroic Hound of Arawn stood tall and silent, radiating the deep, solemn energy of winter. Beside it, the Sun Lioness of Lugh materialized, giving off the intense, midsummer heat and blinding light.
Ainora took one look at the radiant, feline avatar, and her feathery hackles raised so high she looked twice her size.
“That cat?!” Ainora demanded, her voice cracking with pure, indignant outrage. “You expect me, the apex of the storm, to drive that feline again? It reeks of midsummer heat! It’s blindingly bright! And it’s a cat!”
Bree snorted, slapping her tail against the ground to hide her laughter. “Aww, but you make such a very cute kitty, Sis. I’ll even get you a ball of yarn.”
“I will bite your tail off, Bree,” Ainora snarled, though there was no real venom in it.
Isolyn, meanwhile, walked a slow circle around the Heroic Hound of Arawn. She nudged it with a glacial paw, a heavy sigh escaping her jaws. “At least you fed this one a cooked steak before. But Lord Hart, this vessel is incredibly weak. It is still…”
“I know,” Jake admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “They were captured from Beast Avatar descendants in the First Tier and scaled up into this one; they are a bit lacking. But you found resonance with them, didn’t you? How about this? Could you drive one of these?”
Jake summoned much newer captured template scans from the Heroic Beasts. This time, the actual Beast Avatars of the four Celtic Divine, scaled to his current level. Of course, Jake couldn’t get any sort of faith or divinity contained within his scans. Something about them was clearly different from the sacrificial beasts he had used before, a spirituality that was missing, despite their auril and mana levels being clearly higher.
Isolyn just gave him a frosty glare. “Lord Hart… these are quite obviously male and are also worse in many respects. They will not work.”
Jake scratched his head. “How the hell did you make them work the first time, then? You’re the ones who changed them.”
Ainora tapped her lips. “No, it was not us. We… had made a small deal with the Celts to have some fun puppets to play with. They are the ones who changed them. Which, in retrospect…”
Isolyn’s eyes widened, and her jaw dropped. Then, she growled. “This never would have happened if we didn’t make that deal! Argh!”
Bree chuckled. “I’ll have to thank Brigid. I hadn’t thought about this, but Iso’s right. Those Celts sure are crafty.”
Jake asked, “So what is it you want me to do? You were able to drive all sorts of beasts as puppets, including a sharkgoblin and a badgerdillo I had. Bree had to give up her essence to come here as she is. You can’t do that, right? Do you just want me to find a pretty decent template, or what? I could—”
Jake was about to say he could scan the two special wolves in front of him to manifest copies of them, but then Bree nudged him mentally.
[Don’t do that. Part of what helped me realize what might be missing was what was in that Heroic Boar of Brigid I drove. Let’s find another option. If you make their beast avatars your Permanent Summons, that also fulfills the goal…but I know they can’t be convinced of that yet, even if Blood or Faye were to try to enforce the exact wording of their deal.]
Ainora was clueless about their telepathic discussion and how Jake could actually capture templates by merely scanning them. “I don’t care what you do, but you need to do something. You can’t expect us to march into a Second Tier War Trial in these pathetic bodies. We won’t have it.” Ainora glared at the glowing lioness, huffing.
Berri prodded the golden lioness and offered, “Maybe Jakey can upgrade these templates!”
Jake’s eyes widened at the idea. “Upgrade? How… they’re just… mana constructs. Huh. Hadn’t thought about that. Maybe I could?” He would definitely need to do some research on this. And if there was a place he could manage it, Haldrith sounded like the one.
Isolyn harrumphed. “Hmph. Bree had said something similar to you helping her build her vessel or otherwise. If you couldn’t do at least this much, then I have even more reason to doubt her words.”
Bree gave them a smile. “You know, it may help if you gave a… material donation to nurture them. If you found anything extra you didn’t quite use for these two avatars…”
Ainora hesitated, then nodded. “Hm. Very well. I suppose it is in my best interest to help… a little.”
Isolyn asked, “So what is your plan then, Lord Hart? Don’t tell me you intend to waste time for this next year. I sense your family is already near the peak of the Second Tier. You should be ready to ascend.”
Jake shrugged. “Maybe by your definition. We’re heading to Haldrith next, but mostly for research and aid. We’ll have at least a year before the War Trial starts, right?”
Isolyn groaned. “Ugh, that world had the mixed-Tier contest. Disgusting. And yes. I do believe you should be getting the polls imminently. All the active Contests are getting pushed to their conclusions rapidly, and when they reach a certain threshold, the polls will go out. From that point, it will be around one year to start.”
Ainora nodded at that. “It could be any day now, truly. Wars are finishing, but new ones haven’t taken their place for some time now. The number of active Conflicts is now at an all-time low. Just think, there are over 400 Alliance-owned Tier 2 Worlds, but only a couple dozen or so of them are Contested right now. That number would normally be around a hundred. Even the Tier 3 persistent Conflicts appear to have stagnated.”
When Valtor had proposed they get involved in ten of the Conflicts last year, they weren’t the only ones available. There were plenty of other worlds that were already heavily invested in, where their Planetary Lords had actually aligned their own defenses–just as Jake would do if any of his worlds became Contested.
Or, where a Guild had already arrived from the very beginning, as if a divine mandate from their patron Divine to claim it. However, there really wasn’t much available for them now.
For example, he knew there was a Tier 2 World currently being saved by one of the Einherjar Subguilds, a Norse Origin world that didn’t need Hearthtribe’s help to claim it. As far as Jake could tell, the Alliance had been winning most of its final Conflicts, which was surprising.
While Hearthtribe could have arrived to help in some of those Conflicts, a lot of times it would have had a negative outcome–fallout from Divine patrons getting annoyed for stealing their potential recruits and more. Before they knew it, they could have had War Games and similar declared over some grievance.
So they had focused on the low-hanging fruit of worlds that actually required their help instead. And no doubt, even these beast sisters had been avoiding many of the same worlds, except to arrive for the raids and enjoy the secondary instances as pickup groups.
Jake pulled up his Alliance interface. “It’ll take us some time to figure out the details of your vessels. For now, let's make this official.”
He navigated the menus and sent the Hearthtribe Alliance invitation. The system notification popped up in his vision.
[Alliance Invitation Sent to Guild Leader Aenorath of Guild: Twin Calamity]
Jake noted the name with a silent hum. Twin Calamity. It was a pointed, prideful erasure of the Triarch, and he wasn’t so sure if it was a sad name or a mere snub of Bree, or what.
Bree replied to his thoughts, [Probably a little bit of both. I’m sure they were quite bitter I left them, Chief.]
The invitation was accepted quickly, and Blood and Nessa quickly began perusing the information.
“Speaking of your guild,” Jake said, looking around the massive, empty canyon. “Where is everyone? I figured if you were claiming nodes on a Beast World, you'd have an army of… zealots or at least beasts you kept as allies with you, but we hadn’t found anyone here in the past couple of weeks. The Framework shows you have thousands of members.”
Ainora gave a dismissive shrug, her emerald static starting to pop lazily around her. “We recruited some beasts and a few cultists on the lower rungs who worshipped our shadow as we conquered. They could not follow us here. Their mere presence would draw the world’s immune response, and most would die trying to stand in our shadow. So we left them to climb at their own pace.”
“They climb too slowly,” Isolyn agreed, her tone entirely apathetic. “An apex predator cannot drag an entire valley up the mountain by the scruff. We use each world as a step, and we ascend to higher vistas. I suppose the remnants of our guild might be grinding in the dungeons of previous worlds we’ve conquered, but we don't pay attention to them.”
Jake exchanged a knowing look with his wives. It was the exact trap Clan Hart had actively avoided. If Hestia hadn't aligned for them to take a break for a few years, Jake and his wives and what was effectively a few handfuls of elites would have rocketed upward, leaving the rest of their people completely in the dust. The sisters had the raw power, but they had no concept of or care about how to actually lead a pack beyond their pack of one. They were wasting the most valuable resource of all, in his opinion.
Nessa stepped forward, her administrative instincts immediately kicking in. “If you have abandoned them, transfer their administrative control to our logistical corps. We will fold them into the Hearthtribe Alliance’s infrastructure and direct them to farm resources or aid us in our war preparation efforts. It is a waste to leave thousands of members idle.”
Ainora waved a massive paw, clearly not caring in the slightest. “Whatever. Take them, though we did take a tithe of resources… They'll never amount to anything by the time we're gone anyway. Most will never reach us in time. That is simply the shape of the climb to the peak.”
With a few taps on her Menu interface, Ainora carelessly transferred the sub-commander permissions over to Nessa and Blood.
“It's official, then,” Jake smiled, dismissing the menu. He turned to look at the massive, bruised sky above the Tartarean camp. “Hearthtribe will be arriving on this world within a few days. Hundreds of mobile, elite hunters throughout the world. They’ll start working to claim all the nodes. But we’ll be going.”
Ainora stretched her massive, lightning-wreathed limbs as she arched her back–an almost feline pose, though Jake knew many canines would do it too. “We will probably only stay for another week. With only a year and some change, we’ll be lucky to get halfway through Early Tier 3, and the first levels come much quicker than the end of it.”
Tier 3 was fifty levels and separated into Early, Middle, and High. ‘Early’ was levels 51 through 70, so the idea that they, overpowered beasts that leveled differently from humans, could only get about ten levels in a single year was a bit surprising. They would definitely be disadvantaged for the War Trial.
Isolyn shook out her icy fur again and looked at Bloodberri. “Before we part ways to grind our levels, there is one matter remaining. I have not forgotten my promise to prove my sincerity, Bloodberri. We will gather the appropriate gifts from this world’s depths and others.”
“Indeed,” Ainora agreed, her tone taking on a rare note of genuine respect. “And once our vessels are forged and we join you for the War Trial, we…hope to present them to the descendants of Mother’s Champion. We do wish to see and scent the echidnean blood ourselves. Was…our apology sufficient to your satisfaction?”
Berri paused for a moment but then smiled. “I did feel like you meant what you said. I’m…happy you want to meet them. That sounds perfect! And by the time the War Trial starts, we’re going to have even more babies to show you! Because the dungeon raids are done! The sisters are beaten! The alliance is made! There are literally zero excuses left!” She slithered next to Jake, grabbed his arm, and hugged him tightly.
Blood grinned and added to Jake, “My sister speaks the truth, Lord Husband. We have waited long enough. Our duties are suspended. It is time to return to our chambers and grow our dynasty.”
Isolyn blinked, processing Bloodberri’s intense, predatory focus. “Ah. Expanding the pack’s numbers and securing the bloodline. That is a biological imperative we can actually respect. Mother would certainly approve of such ruthless propagation.”
Ainora nodded approvingly, but then her brow furrowed as she looked over at Bree, who was currently leaning warmly against Jake’s other side. “Wait. If expanding the pack is the ultimate goal, why haven’t you begun breeding with him yet, Bree? It’s been several years. You have been displaying all this excessive, pointless affection, but you haven’t actually–”
Ainora suddenly stopped, her feral features scrunching up as she realized she was actively inquiring about her sister’s mating habits. She physically recoiled. “Actually. Nevermind. Stop. I am not ready to know. I do not want to know.”
“Agreed,” Isolyn murmured, looking away to spare her glacial eyes. “Some mysteries of this… clan are better left unsolved. We are leaving before we are subjected to any more of it.”
Bree just chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound in her chest. [Let them wonder,] she sent through the tether, her thoughts humming with warm anticipation. [While I did make this body with having your progeny in mind, my evolution is still largely in flux. I think I would rather wait until I have become a Hearthian. And since the window is short, that means waiting until after the first stage of the War Trial, at the very least.]
Bree’s stomach then let out a thunderous, echoing growl. Her newly evolved, multi-ton vessel demanded fuel.
Jake laughed, reaching into his spatial storage. He pulled out two massive, pre-cooked auril beast legs. With a quick, localized pulse of his Hearth flame, he seared the outside of the meat, letting the rich fat sizzle and pop in the freezing air. Bree immediately snatched one, tearing into it with a happy rumble, while grasping another in her hearthvines.
Fhesiah took the opportunity to step close to Jake. She pressed a dark recovery pill past his lips. The bitter chalkiness coated his tongue for only a second before a rushing flush of stamina and vitality slammed into his veins, settling the deep aches in his bones and flesh.
Ainora and Isolyn froze. Their massive noses twitched. They had just burned through incredible amounts of vitality being resurrected or healed, and the savory scent of roasted beast fat was thick in the air. Since the meat was from Highlands, the vitality was perfect for restoring their bodies and spirits.
Isolyn cleared her throat, her glacial eyes locked entirely on the meat in Jake’s remaining hand. “If you expect us to exert the effort required to improve our vessels, Lord Hart, it is a tactical imperative that we are adequately fueled. For the alliance’s sake, of course.”
“Yes,” Ainora agreed quickly, her feathery fur puffing up. “We cannot be expected to work on an empty stomach. As it stands now, it will take a few days for me to fully recover from our bout and for my sister to recover from being resurrected. Plus, our avatars require rest…”
Jake rolled his eyes before heating and then tossing several heavy roasts to each of the demigods. He supposed that was as close as they would get to asking. They caught the meat in midair with mana, refusing to abandon their dignity.
“We will see you when our vessels are ready. I do hope to see you again soon, Sister.” Ainora said before the giant haunch arrived in her mouth, her static sparking as she turned to leave.
“Yes. I do look forward to meeting more of Mother's bloodline, and I do hope it will be soon. See you, Bree.”
With a final huff, the two massive demigods bounded out of the canyon, he guessed to head back to Isolyn’s glacier.
After they disappeared, Ophelia said, “So…that happened. Twin Calamity is a fitting name.”
Fhesiah sighed, her mood dropping as she watched where the two canines went. “I’m a bit disappointed. I thought for sure Husband would be going home with two more Waifus before we got here. But it looks like they are both a bit of a fix-her-up type of Waifu. This is going to take a lot of work.”
Blood huffed. “After the disrespect to Milord, they should have to earn his affection. At least conquer him a few worlds.”
Jake…wasn’t sure what to say to that. It was true that the two were rude, but really, it was grounded in something that Jake could respect, even if it was a bit misguided. At the same time, Fhesiah was right–those two needed to experience a different type of growth than level-ups.
The whole family was relieved that things were over, and Bloodberri was quite excited to go home for many more reasons than just one.
He triggered the Refuge portal. It took a few minutes to summon on this Beast World even within the Primal Dominion, and Bree continued to feast on the meat to recover as they waited.
Eventually, the portal tore a stable hole in the center of the frozen clearing, revealing the warm sunlight of the Sanctuary, and his family walked through.
The biting, ozone-stained wind of the Ashen Canopy vanished the second his boots hit the grass on the other side. The ambient, welcoming, bone-deep heat of the Divine Hearth washed over them. Jake immediately triggered the Clean spellform. A fizzing tingle swept across his skin. The crusted blood and monster viscera evaporated into a faint mist, leaving him smelling only of the Sanctuary’s fresh air.
Beside him, Bloodberri, Fhesiah, Ophelia, and the rest executed the exact same maneuver. With a synchronized pulse of mana, their spatial rings flared. Heavy, dented mythic armor vanished. Soft, breathable tribal wear materialized over their bodies in its place.
They completed the wardrobe swap just as a chaotic blur of wings, scales, and stomping feet rushed them from the tree line.
“Aunty Bree!”
Jake barely braced himself before half a dozen of his children slammed into him and Bree. Bree dropped to her knees, wrapping her massive, emerald-scaled arms around as many of the kids as she could fit. His kids were big, but she was just that much bigger.
“I'm here, you vicious beauties,” Bree sobbed, burying her face in the pile of children. “I'm home. And I'll always be close by, just like your moms and dad. Forever.”
Jake smiled, ruffling a few heads and pulling his children into a quick hug. “We won. It’s over.”
The kids spent a few minutes together, and he and his wives made sure to hug and kiss every single one of them, as for some, it had been a few days since they last cycled out from their search. He was happy to be home and to know that they had another year or so of peace before there should be anything for them to rush off to.
His wives began to act. Not all of them were interested in some sexy group fun, even if many of them wished to have children in the near future during their one-year-plus window.
Bree and Bloodberri were each excited, and Yona also knew what their return meant. Ruby, Nessa, Ophelia, Avalara, and Tanda each started making offerings for activities, and the kids began to split up and start moving off to new tasks with their mothers and aunties.
“Okay, so we’re going to the training yards to show Aunt Ruby our new spells, right?” Blaze asked, her sharp eyes scanning the group. “Wait, why aren't Dad, Aunty Bree, and Mommy BB coming? And why is Yona looking at Dad like she’s about to pounce?”
Nora immediately buffeted Blaze with a wing. “Shh!”
“Because Dad and Aunty Bree are both exhausted from their duel, Blaze,” Rena said smoothly, grabbing the large, fiery girl’s shoulders.
“Right! Super exhausted,” Nyxa chimed in quickly, herding the other younger kids backward. “Bree was even resurrected! They both need rest, and Mommy Berri, Faye, and Yona will help with her recovery.”
The rest of the wives moved in to…distract the rest of the kids and allow them to relax. Tanda and Ophelia flanked the children, eagerly corralling them toward the obstacle courses. Tanda was ready for more kids too but was perfectly content letting Yona and Bloodberri take the lead on a new pregnancy, and Ophelia always preferred to avoid the crowded intimacy of the royal chambers.
[We will go rest and have fun with the little ones,] Nessa’s dry, amused voice drifted across the Hearth tether. [I want a lot more than a single year of peace before a multiversal meatgrinder begins. I will wait until I can take my time and fully enjoy becoming a mother for the first time.]
[My thoughts align with Nessa’s,] Sati echoed softly, leading a few of the girls toward the training area. [The threads of fate do not yet sing the song of motherhood for my dharma. Unless my Ishvara were to wish it…]
Jake caught Bloodberri’s eye. They didn't want to wait another second. With a thought, they enveloped Jake, Yona, Fhesiah, and Bree with the Refuge portals, depositing them directly into the center of the royal chambers.
The heavy doors clicked shut, the lock engaging. The lighting dimmed to a warm, golden glow.
Yona dropped her usual polite maid demeanor instantly. Her twin tails lashed behind her, and a feral, throaty purr rumbled in her chest. She practically lunged at Jake, pressing her small body flush against his chest.
Her dark eyes dilated, tracking the movement of his throat as she inhaled his scent. Animalistic eagerness radiated from her core–she wanted a child, and her bestial instincts demanded she stake her claim right now, it seemed.
“I'm excited to join Bloodberri in having my own child, Master,” Yona murmured, her breath hot against his collarbone. Her claws lightly snagged the fabric of his shirt, pulling him down toward her lips.
Bree stepped forward, her bipedal form thrumming with heat. Her chaotic vine-wear didn't need a storage ring. The broad leaves simply withered and retracted into her emerald scales like a satisfied exhalation, revealing her tanned flesh.
Fhesiah chuckled. The dragon-touched demoness stepped close, her golden eyes flashing, and slowly pulled the first knot of her tribal wear loose with a single, deliberate claw.
“I could use the ring to undress,” Fhesiah whispered, letting the fabric slide an inch down her shoulder. She traced a claw lightly down Jake's arm. “But where is the fun in that? Tell me, Husband. Do you want me to undress the others, or do you want the honor of doing it yourself?”
Jake answered by sliding his hands down to Yona's waist, capturing the nekomata's lips in a deep, bruising kiss. Yona moaned into his mouth, her hands eagerly tugging at the hem of his shirt, while Bloodberri slithered up behind him to drag her nails lightly down his spine. Fhesiah let her top drop to the floor, her predatory smile widening as she leaned in to join them.