Alessa woke up needing to pee, she almost stepped out of her bedroom, but the cool morning air on her skin made her look down and remember that she wasn’t wearing any pants.

All that lay below her pajama top, was lovely olive skin and the thatch of dark curly hairs, that lay between her long, muscular legs.

Increased comfort with her current living situation and the things that she’d be doing, making ample use of her memory of last night’s sight and the things that she could sometimes hear coming through the supposedly soundproofed walls, if she concentrated, had resulted in her current state of extreme undress.

Feeling a muddled mixture of mild guilt, and embarrassment, She blushed as she dashed back inside and hurriedly pulled some pants on.

*****

Alessa’s morning started as they always started. First she prayed to the spirits and the Aria’s Ancestors as Granny Alma taught her.

Then she meditated as the master taught her. Next came stretches and a few time-dilated hours of training in the training rooms.

Fighting a horde of the unnumbered shades till either they’d all been beaten, their bodies returning to the gray world where they’d be reconstituted. Or till she ran out of steam and had to retreat, leaving the fighting ring.

The creatures clambering at the edge of the ring, taunting her with their shifting limbs and faces. Jeering at her as they boasted of their victory.

Unfortunately today was one of the days where the shades one, though Alessa was unsatisfied calling it a win when she remembered that they’d beaten her by having a portion of the horde explosively self-destruct. Going off like living grenades.

After training she took a shower, to wash off the sweat. Memories of last night were still in her head, and she ‘was’ tempted, her fingers straying as she soaped herself, but there was a time and place for everything.

After the shower, she found that a familiar smell was filling the hallways. She wandered into the kitchen and found the master standing at the stove.

“Nh...Morning.” he said. Smiling one of his old non-smiles. Looking perfectly content as he attended to a frying pan full of grease  and some kind of fragrant blend of spiced meats.

“M-,...morning, Master.” said Alessa.

“Hungry?” he asked.

She almost said yes, but she was already running late and this morning was one of the mornings where she had to go to Granny Alma’s house to report on her progresses and train as an Ancestor-in-training.

*****

Alessa slipped out of the house as the sun was just finished its journey into the sky. The Aria had prospered under her Master’s rule.

The biggest growth came in the three year period after the Merchant Angelo came to live in village.

There was something about his baleful gaze that kept the elders from starting up with their usual foolishness.

The newborn who were born were raised as villagers and tradesmen instead of soldiers. This and the passing of the years was long enough that those that weren’t carrying deep seated grudges with the tribe would come to see what had been built some of them even choosing to settle down or marry into their people.

Thus Aria village became a Aria Town A small town, yes, but still a town. Boasting a population of nearly twenty thousand.

A number that was high enough to a troublesome gleam in Old Rodell’s eye, though now that the master was back, Alessa hoped that he, Angelo and the Green Granny would be able to curb whatever nonsense the old man was thinking of brewing.

As Alessa made her way over to her great grandmother’s house. She was trying to sneak over without being seen, but naturally things wouldn’t go her way.

She got waves and nods from the people who saw her. She was still known by her people, having unknowingly gained a small amount of acclaim as the Aria warrior who served closest to the lord of the eastern Katia.

A few of her former fellows in the guard’s saluted her and with a blush she saluted back.

Unbeknown to young Alessa, She’d kind of become a big deal over the years. Master William’s teachings were quite efficient and the results they brought were enough that the whole world might be at his door, were they to know.

Of course some of it had to do with Alessa’s own talent and comprehensive abilities. The fact that both Alma and Billy seemed to agree that the best way to teach a pupil was to keep them constantly in over their head, meant that she’d likely not notice this till much later in her life...if ever.

*****

The Green Granny’s front door was unlocked like always all the Aria houses were. Which would seem to make them a great target for thieves but barbarians weren’t folk who took such things sitting down.

And also there was an enchantment that made it so that the unlocked doors were only unlocked for close friends and family.

Alessa entered the comfortably large house, heading directly for the kitchen because by now she knew that her grandmother would have already made breakfast, but she, Alessa was expected to brew the tea.

Making one of the many milder medicinal blends as practice for her potion making.

Alessa made the tea and found the woman waiting where she always was, sitting in her den. Today’s breakfast was a hearty, savory gruel, made heavy with forest greens and chunks of venison.

There was a bowl for Alessa waiting and it smelled good enough that she didn’t regret missing out on whatever her other teacher had been making.

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“Hello, Granny.” said Alessa. Putting down the tea.

“Ah...good morning to you too, child.” said Alma. Looking as spry as she’d always had, her eyes not the least bit rheumy, despite the fact that she was no longer a demi-god.

“I take it our lord has returned from his gray world into this one again, dear?” said Alma.

Alessa startled wondering how the old woman knew.

Alma simply smiled.

“Silly child. Didn’t you feel the world tremble as he entered it again. I imagine anyone who knows how to sense such things will have understood what and who it was. ‘You’ need to practice more.” said Alma.

Alessa deflated a little. Nodding.

“Y-,...yes Granny.”

Alma nodded as well, her look still stern, her expression softened. She took a bite of a porridge and took a sip of tea and smiled.

“Excellent tea, dear. At least you’ve picked up something well. While most of that work is best left to the medicine folk, its still good to know a few important tricks.” said Alma. Lecturing gently, with her eyes closed.

Going on several tangents that dealt with the history of the Aria and the uses of the potion making knowledge and the uses of all the other knowledge.

Then speaking a little on the knowledge itself. Somehow managing to correctly guess the parts that Alessa was struggling with and enlighten her by offering possible solution.

She opened her eyes shortly afterwards, her gaze bright and slightly mischievous.

“In any case...I do believe the lord’s return will stop the Elders from getting too high for their horses now. Good...good...Tell me child. I feel he’s changed. His aura was different. How does he look after his time away?” said Alma.

Alessa startled again. The old woman could go on and on, and she generally prefered that one not interrupt unless one had to.

Now that she’d been asked to speak Alessa felt like she’d kind of forgotten how to talk. Having to take a second to find her words again.

“Er...H-, he looks like himself?” said Alessa.

As she thought about it she found that the words didn’t do justice to what she wanted to convey.

The man looked like him but he was a sleeker,  more compact him. Losing a few inches in height but gaining several degrees of glossiness and tone.

Looking delicate and striking at the sametime. A pristine mixture of hard and soft, like a flower carved from stone. Like an idealized painting come to life.

His figure imposing, somehow seeming out of reach, even if he was standing right next to her. She’d felt it as he grew and gained power.

Feeling it in the same way the sea feels the approach of the moon, His gains in power pushing power onto all those who held some connection to him and the gray world.  

Their cultivations rising, the speed of their cultivations’ growth multiplying, rising exponentially till they were almost forced to progress.

Rising to higher and higher levels of power and control. Their minds expanding as the gray energy forced their consciousness to grow.

The old woman nodded, seeming satisfied with Alessa’s simple words. Then she opened her eyes again her look sharper and even more mischievous.

“He looks like himself, Mhm?...Well, tell me child...have you bedded him yet?”

At which point Alessa, nearly choked to death on her porridge. Sputtering as she tried to answer. Somehow managing to inhale and swallow, the metal spoon she’d been using to eat it.

“Gra-...Granny…”

Alessa frowned. She understood that it would be for the tribe just like any marriages and birth that happened amongst the Aria were for the tribe.

Planned and chosen according to their need. Still besides knowing they were mostly positive, she very conflicted over exactly what type of feelings she felt for her master.

And she was pretty sure she’d need time to explore them a bit before  turning towards the daunting task of trying to ‘woo’, the man.

A big part of which would likely be her learning what wooing is first and learning how to do it, without looking like a complete idiot.

From what she’d read in the books in the house’s library it was kind of trial and error thing. As well as social thing. Which likely meant that poor Alessa was going to be in for a hard time.

Her trial and error experiences doubled down on both the trials and the errors and her social skills were one of the few skills that she had, that had stayed at around the same very low level across the years.

An even harder task would be getting past the vanguard made up of his two partners Elena and Edna, and Tamra who seemed to serving as some sort of concubine or junior wife.

Alma just smiled as if reading the young woman’s thoughts.

“It’s fine dear, take your time. Aria tribesmen know how to wait. The first chief waited for centuries before the goddess would have him as her groom. As a fourth realm practitioner you’ll likely have plenty of opportunities. Just don’t take too long. Your old granny wants to see and hold her grandchild's child before she passes.” said Alma. Punctuating her words with a faked cough.