Sally watched the Master of Felicitas fight the enemy, which Command had informed her to be demons. She remembered listening to the priests talk about the gods and demons, and how the demons often signaled the beginning of the Overflow. Once she reached the gate, Sally was ordered to wait on top of the wall and make sure that those inside the city didn't cause trouble.
This was the first major event that Felicitas had to deal with, but the way the Master and Guardians handled the situation gave her reassurance.
"I wish I could see the Master's face," Ashley sighed dreamily.
"Did you see how he took on the demon's attack without moving?!" Kim sounded amazed and awed.
"Wait! They are retreating!" Sally cut the chatter.
Her team watched as the demon army seemed to fade away like the fog as the sun rose.
"Why do you think they are retreating?" Kate asked.
"Obviously because they are afraid of the Master!" Ashley declared, punching and kicking the air.
"Though the Master is powerful, I get the feeling that the demons' retreat is connected to something else," Sally voiced. Something about the way the leader of the group of demons was acting made it seem like he was planning something.
Sally felt an odd resonance, and when she turned her head, she saw a massive object falling from the sky. The sky began to look as if an enormous wound had appeared as it became red like blood.
"Sally..., is it?" Kim asked her, with fear in her voice.
"Command, I need confirmation. Reporting the start of the Overflow." Sally spoke in the device. Her body felt tense after spotting something society had taught her to fear. Looking down, Sally was surprised to see her hands were trembling.
"Team Leader Sally, we are processing your report and can confirm that the Overflow has begun." The voice answered in its usual unemotional voice.
Hearing the calm voice of Command helped her to fight down the fear bubbling up inside of her. "Command, what are your order?" She requested, sounding less frantic compared to before.
"You team will observe the city to prevent any mass panic. Stay calm and remember your training, Team Leader." Command reinforced.
"Team Thirty engaged," She acknowledged.
"What about the Overflow?" Kim asked her. The others looked similarly stressed.
Turning towards them, Sally tried to sound confident. "Remember what our instructors said about being in stressful situations. Concentrate on what we have the power to change. Felicitas was created by the Master, who is powerful. Command likely knows what can be done, so they appropriately assigned us this task." She paused to let her words sink in. "Remember, we are training to search unexplored areas, where we will be in hostile environments. But I know we can do it."
Her teammates looked more confident as they remembered their goal.
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"Team Leader," a voice called out to her. As her screen brightened to show the outside world, she felt herself groan in exhaustion. As her mind got up to speed, Sally remembered that her team was assigned to observe the city. They had slept on top of the wall in shifts.
Command had informed her the monsters would be reaching the city by today, preventing her from sleeping well. They were provided with sleeping aids, but she didn't like how they made her head feel fuzzy.
"Status?" She groggily asked the team.
"No sign of the monsters," Ashley's voice sounded awake even with the decrease in sleep.
"Patrol revealed no disturbances within the city," Kim reported.
"Everyone looked relaxed, considering everything, Team Leader," Kate chimed in. "Listening in on conversations, many are aware of what is happening. The funny thing is how relaxed they were as they talked about it."
As she listened to the report, Sally found it, also, strange but considered a likely scenario. "With how easily the Master dispatched those demons, the residents likely feel reassured about the outcome."
"I have been feeling a little better after I thought about it," Ashley agreed.
Off in the distance, they could hear a rumbling noise. Sally turned her head and could see a cloud emerging over the horizon.
"What is that?" Ashley looked towards Sally.
Sally just stood and stared at the cloud. It was like something was at the tip of her tongue, as she tried to connect the dots in her mind. Never before had she heard such a loud rumbling noise. Staring at the cloud and listening to the noise as it grew loud, vibrating her chest, Sally slowly felt her mouth opening as it dawned on her. "Command, reporting the arrival of the Overflow to Felicitas," she said, not realizing how quiet her voice was.
"Your orders are to continue to monitor for any questionable activities," Command ordered.
"Understood, Command," she responded the familiarity bringing a sense of purpose.
"Is that what I think it is?" Kate asked Sally.
"Yes," Sally said.
Her team watched as the cloud came closer, like a cloud of death with a single purpose. Out of the darkness could be seen the shape of horrific creatures. Compared to what they have trained against, these creatures were beyond their imagination. In the wave were creatures that were taller than most buildings. Each monster seemed to be created from the nightmares of all that live. Twisting and squirming tentacles grew out from many of the monsters. Horns and fangs spiked out of their mouths. The closer they came, the more horrific they appeared.
"Team Leader...," Kim asked her as they all stood their ground.
"Team Leader, your orders," Ashley pleaded.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Sally stood in front of them as if sheltering them from what was coming for them with a single-minded focus. "Whether we live or die, I will hold with Felicitas and stay here. The place has given us everything while asking for nothing from us in return. I will understand if you all want to retreat, but I can not." She stated without any judgment in her voice.
"Though we are frightened, we will not abandon you, Team Leader," Ashley voiced her feeling, with the others agreeing.
"Then let us watch with both eyes open and have faith in the Master," Sally said.
The Overflow rushed towards the city like a tidal wave. Everything shook to the rhythm of the monsters gait. There seemed to be an expectation as the monsters came closer to the walls.
Sally watched as the monsters were only several hundred feet away when a rainbow of light flashed before her eyes. Her helmet quickly compensated for the light, allowing her to recover soon. What she saw shocked her. The monsters were piled on top of one another. The force of the wave was strong enough to press all of them, in the front, upwards when they ran into some type of barrier.
"That is the same type of barrier that blocked the demons' attack!" Kate shouted.
"Command must have known that a barrier existed to prevent the Overflow from reaching us," Sally mentioned. Such an act only helped to reinforce her feelings towards the city and to see it as a beacon of hope.
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"Mother, are you sure about your decision?" Eli asked as she watched her mother go through her wardrobe, while she lay on her mother's bed.
As her mother placed a dress in front of her and viewed herself in her mirror, Elisognia said, "When I saw what He is capable of, I understood that this was the path I would take." She tossed the dress she was holding to the floor, on top of an ever-growing pile of clothing. Grabbing another dress, she continued, "my daughter, there are certain things you will understand as you grow older. Sometimes when both your mind and body reach the same conclusion, you must cast aside any common sense and chase after a bigger purpose."
Contemplating the words that her mother spoke to her, Eli sighed and said, "whatever you decide, I will support you."
Looking back at her, her mother said, "you and your siblings will need to step up and listen to the advisors, as all of you begin your training. The process will be long and difficult, but being a leader is often a difficult process."
"I understand. All of us will work hard to bring honor to the both of you." Eli reassured her mother.
"This is the one!" Elisognia declared as she looked at the dress.
"Mother, I think I may have misunderstood how dirty your mind is," Eli stated as she tried to wrap her mind around how wrong her image of her mother was.
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Han sat in a chair in front of one of the many mini restaurants in each of the districts. For those who didn't want to go to the Shopping District, he had made it easy for people to grab a quick bite to eat.
Next to the chair was a small table that had a teacup and saucer. Han added several more sugar cubes into the tea and used the provided teaspoon to mix in the sugar, making sure not to allow the spoon to scrape the bottom or hit the sides. Bringing the cup to his lips and enjoying the taste of the sweetened tea, Han eyed the orderly group of guards, maids, and his creations. They stood in front of the gate that led towards the Elven Kingdom. The golem assigned to the gateway moved towards the door and opened it.
A crowd gathered around the guards and maids to see what was happening. Everyone was very excited about the sudden event that came with no announcements, aside from word of mouth about the Ladies of Felicitas, his creations, leaving the stronghold with a formation of guards and maids. Inside of the city, his creations were treated like royalty and were loved by the people. He could hear cheers for each of his creations, many of them from women and girls who asked for an autograph on a favorite store item of his creations on them.
He often watched how his creations interacted with the residents of his city, enjoying how they greeted the people and asked how they were doing. Even Anacolis and Aracia were friendly, inquiring about how people were fairing. Sometimes the way they acted coldly towards humans made his heartache, but they seemed to be caring towards those inside of Felicitas.
As the door opened, Han heard a loud cheer. There was movement as the guards made room through the crowd. With the group cleared, Han could see his guests, Elisognia and Eli with their attendants. Next to Eli was Selestra, who whispered into her ear and caused Eli to look over to where he was sitting. Seeing him enjoy a cup of tea, Eli gave a weird look and whispered to Selestra who giggled.
He felt himself chuckle at the way Selestra got along with Eli. There was little doubt that she was commenting on how Han didn't care for those in the city to know that he was the Master. For him, having people treat him like a king wasn't something he was interested. Being able to walk around and casually talk with the residents was more enjoyable to him.
A woman's mature voice asked from behind, "what is the great lord planning about, now?"
"I was thinking about how I enjoy watching those I care about living in a peaceful environment," He said and turned to the side of the chair, "are you sure you have the time to snoop into other people's lives, Hannah?" He grinned at her.
Hannah leaned against the doorframe and stared out into the city, "the only reason why I am able to have so much time to pry is thanks to the Master of this city, who does not like anyone to know of his status." She turned out and started to head back into the restaurant.
"You make me sound like some kind of hero out of a light novel," Han slightly shook his head. "I guess I should get ready to welcome my guests?" He sighed, as he finished the remainder of his tea. Without a word, he shifted from the cafe to his throne room. After appearing on his throne, the twin doors opened, and his creations, maids, and guests came walking in.
In front of the precession, Helania walked in front of the group and stopped several feet away from him. With his creations behind her, Helania kneeled in front of him. In a reverent voice, Helania said, "Master, the elven queen and her group have arrived to meet you."
Elisognia and Eli approached him and kneeled. Han felt one of his eyebrows lift up in confusion at the scenario, his confusion evident on his face. Both of them appeared in outfits different from what he had the last seen. While Eli had worn something which looked formal and appropriate for a dignitary, Elisognia was wearing a dress the split down the front and allowed a partial glimpse of her breasts.
Noticing his confusion, Elisognia said, "with your help, my kingdom was able to survive two catastrophes, the invasion of the demon army, and the Overflow. Before coming here, I learned that the shield you provided had blocked the Overflow. The placement of the shield is far enough away from our major trading cities, allowing the residents to have a piece of mind instead of being terrified. With how the demon army had killed off so many of our men, we would not have had the numbers to defend against the Overflow as we had in the past. Those who witnessed the Overflow had told me that the numbers were several times higher than in the past, guaranteeing our doom if not for your grace."
"The gates have also helped with the transportation of goods from the edges of the kingdom to the capital," Eli added to what her mother said.
"With your assistance, I knew what needed to be done and talked to my advisors. The Elven Kingdom will become a vassal nation to the City of Felicitas." Elisognia stated, surprising Han with the revelation.
"To become vassals to our a very high honor, and carries a great responsibility. I assume you have prepared yourself before stating such a thing?" Helania stood and turned to face Elisognia.
"We understand what would be required of us, so as ruler of the Elven Kingdom, I pledge myself to my new Master." Elisognia calmly stated as she looked directly at Han, her face showing how serious she was on the matter.
Han stood and slowly walked towards Elisognia. He looked into her eyes and tried to understand what her rationale was for placing her people under his control. A part of him wondered if this was natural, considering he helped provide security and stability to a nation that was desperately trying to hold onto survival against a force that saw them as beneath them.
When he was directly in front of the Elisognia, he continued to look at her. He slowly looked gazed at her feet, to her long shapely legs, her slender waist, her ample breasts, and her flawless face. With his index finger, he placed it on her stomach and slowly traced the outline of her body. Upon touching her breast, he noticed the way she blushed and broke eye contact. A moment seemed to pass with his finger pressed to the bottom of one of her breasts, the silent room only highlighting the audible sound of Elisognia breathing becoming more pronounced. Her lips were slightly opened, letting more air pass through her the moist opening. With deliberate pressure, his finger pressed into her breast and went upwards. Reaching where her nipple, Han noticed how hard it became and could even be seen through the fabric. Slowly bending his finger, so her hard nipple was resting on top of his finger, he placed his thumb on top and gently kneaded it.
He enjoyed hearing how she sharply breathed in, as she felt the sensation. Moving his hand, he gently pulled his hand towards him and pulled on her nipple. From the way her eyes slightly lost focus and her the corner of her lips moved upwards, he knew that she was getting aroused, causing him to smile slightly.
"I will think of your words as just a slip of the tongue and forget about you calling me your Master," He whispered to her so that no one could hear but them. "I am unsure you fully grasp what you would be committing to by calling me by such a title."
"Master, I already think of myself as yours. Who else can I belong to, aside from you? Everything of me is yours to do as you will." She breathed out, her voice seemed to beg him.
Leaning forward, Han whispered into her ear, "what will become of your daughter?"
"With the help of the advisors, she will begin to take more responsibilities and assist help make day to day decisions. Being by your side, I will take descend from my position. With your guidance, one of my children will ascend the throne and take my place." Her voice rose, when he let go of the nipple he was pulling. When he used the back of his fingers to feel the exposed part of her breast, her voice sounded calmer as she seemed to enjoy the feeling of his skin against hers.
"I will give you one more chance to walk away from this." His words were softly spoken.
"I am firm in my decision." She said to him.
Deciding he wasn't going to tease her any further, he looked at her and said, "join the others. From this day forth, you will stand among my creations. After this, you will go through the process to be reborn as one of my creations." Pausing, he looked at Eli and asked, "how do you feel about this?"
"Eli bowed her head, and said, "Your Highness, I respect my mother's decision and stand by her. I will help to build your kingdom into something worthy of your care and protection." Looking up, she smiled at him to let him know that she still considered him a friend. She would likely continue to speak casually to him when they were not in official roles.
Nodding his head, he went back to his throne and sat down. Glancing over to Helania, her expression seemed to express that this was all natural and meant to happen. A part of him imagined that Helania dreamed of him ruling this entire world. He sighed and looked at everyone. "To mark this day as a special one, Felicitas will have a celebration to welcome my new vassal state.
Everyone in the room began to clap their hands, each one of them looking happy about the union. Helania turned to him and said, "Master, I will have the chefs and waitresses prepare a grand feast to offer to the residents."
Han nodded his head and watched as everyone began to walk out of the room. The was a gently hissing noise as three long metallic capsules rose out of the ground. His eyes glanced over to the three remaining women, Elisognia, and the two demon women. Lifting his hand and motioning them over. "I look forward to seeing what the three of you will look after receiving my gift." He grinned as the three women obediently walked over to him.