Dodging the swipe of a paw made of pure light, Asterios swung his greatsword in response, slicing through the spiritual construct without an issue. The problem came afterward. He watched as the cut closed in front of his eyes and all the evidence of his counterattack was gone from the thing’s body. Blocking an attempt at getting stomped on, he didn’t strike back, jumping further away instead.
“What kind of a monster is this?” Silvia asked from the other side, creating a pillar of fire to stop the beast in its tracks before it lunged after her betrothed.
“A Sphinx.” Abyss’ voice echoed through the chamber and everyone looked up towards its source.
The woman’s head poked out of the hole through which they had descended into this room, suspended past its edge while upside down. As expected, its owner’s face showed a complete lack of being bothered by such a position.
“I heard about those,” Althea joined in. “Weren’t they supposed to be more interested in playing games with their prey before deciding to finally feed? Some fictional stories went as far as to even suggest they would spare the challenger if enough games had been won.”
“Half of it is true,” the dark-skinned lady agreed. “Unfortunately, you aren’t up against a real Sphinx but a spiritual construct with the form and mannerisms of one. It lacks its usual intelligence in favor of more bestial instincts. At the same time, it can’t use its trademark abilities and magic that enthralls its prey to play along with its entertaining ploy.”
“How come it’s down here?” Asterios asked, glad for a moment of respite to think as the light-based entity couldn’t decide who to lunge after first.
“He loved to use them as his pets. They were his favorite.” Abyss showed no emotions but he could discern the slightest hint of distaste in her voice after spending enough time by the woman’s side. “As to why we found ourselves in a chamber with one, I believe your Dryad mate has mistaken its energy with a cluster. The method of its creation is quite similar so that’s not something to be ashamed of. Even I might have guessed incorrectly with both of them put in different rooms side by side.”
“And this is the first time we run into it or make such a mistake?” Althea frowned in disbelief.
“There is no way he would put them in every facility with how high their number is. These are most likely sprinkled around in a few chosen or random locations. I could see him keeping them close while he worked on the seal just so he could come and play with them,” their guide answered.
“Like scratch its belly and rub its ears?” Asterios raised a slightly uncertain brow at her.
“No, like throw one of my children to it and watch the entity struggle to keep its life until it falls into complete despair after learning that it was all just entertainment for the pair,” Abyss corrected him.
“The more reason to get rid of this abomination,” Silvia said, floating around in her flaming form.
“Enjoy your fight. I shall retreat into the safety of these shadows until you finish here. This construct can emit a similar aura to the cluster so it’s uncomfortable for the two of us to be in its presence for longer periods of time,” the realm’s creator reasoned and they saw Umbra’s top hat poke out of the tunnel to nod at them.
“We don’t exactly have all the time in the world to play around so let’s wrap it up quickly,” Asterios suggested, exchanging glances with his princess and his mentor. “The girls on the surface are working hard to keep the skeletons off our butts.”
“You might need to absorb it like the cluster,” Althea advised. “It seems to use up its condensed energy to regenerate. Forcing it to burn through its reserves will take way too long.”
“I’ll need you two to hold it down for me, then.” He began circling the monster. “It takes a bit of focus to properly siphon all that mana without causing it to go crazy. I would rather not risk it blowing up in our faces and instead choose to simply leave it to its own devices while we jog to the actual cluster.”
“You should never pass on a free meal.” Silvia showed an elegant smirk. “The energy it gives you might come in handy throughout the day.”
Chuckling softly, he had to agree with her clever advice. Right after, the duo decided to make a move and the battle resumed. They weren’t in that much danger thanks to Ast’s protection. Otherwise, as Abyss had said, the intense light might hurt their bodies over time. Thankfully, his shadows stuck to them even after they had separated, the ladies wearing thin suits of his darkness over their personal attire.
Or the lack of thereof in Silvia’s case as her entire form was that of a feminine-shaped Elemental of fire.
Due to that, she volunteered as the bait. Her techniques were better for causing her opponent harm rather than restricting them. She could still employ many tactics suitable for such a task, but she was more than happy to leave that part to the draconic lady. Floating around the rectangular arena, she threw a few balls of fire at the creature to gain its hatred, at which she succeeded in a flash.
Already accustomed to how a feline would behave on instinct, Silvia effortlessly moved out of the way of all the swipes, stomps, and lunges. She and the other women trained tirelessly together whenever Asterios was and wasn’t looking. Going against Miria wasn’t anything new to most if not all of them. A lot could be learned from such sparring sessions and none of them neglected such an opportunity.
Proving their decision right, the flaming princess abused the lion’s overextended attack to shape a swirling cone with her fire and stick it into the beast’s side. The construct screamed in an imitation of pain and tried to slash back at her but its hindquarters were partially split open by the blow it had received, already stitching up but not fast enough for it not to stumble and fall onto the ground. Ensuring their victory, she slapped her wrists together and shot a hasty beam of vicious heat right at its head, blowing it up on the spot and singeing the wall behind it.
Every time she did that it brought forth very fond memories of their early adventures and Silvia couldn’t help herself but sneak a peek at Asterios.
He was watching at that moment and offered her an appreciative nod that conveyed the smile hidden beneath the coat of shadows. She was grateful he couldn’t see her blush in that form, caught a bit off guard by their unexpected contact.
Althea materialized a few wooden logs out of her spatial storage and reinforced vines shot out of them to bind the construct. They wrapped around its frame tightly but not strong enough to cut into its surface. If she exerted too much strength, the entity could simply phase through the restraints and regenerate as it went.
But, that was more than enough for Asterios to act.
Approaching the big monster from its blind spot, he noticed that the intensity of its light was flaring, so he needed to wrap it up soon. The protection he had extended to his lovers wouldn’t fend it off forever. He placed his palm on the beast’s body, but just as he was about to begin, the whole place quaked so much that his feet lifted off the floor and he punched a hole in the spot he was touching.
The Sphinx didn’t like that.
Thankfully, Silvia popping its head a second time made it forget about the tiny prickle of pain somewhere above its back right leg.
“Selene must be causing quite a scene up there.” He snickered to himself. “We better hurry before she drops the ceiling on our heads.”
Getting right to it, Asterios spread his shadows over the Sphinx’s frame and closed his eyes to focus. After a few seconds of getting accustomed to the distracting buzzing of its light, he repeated the steps he had taken with the other cluster and sucked in all the available energy. Rather than manifesting it the same way, he let Tia guide it to the artificial sun above her impressive home, making it grow a little.
A few minutes passed before everything was absorbed and the pretty Dryad instructed him to withdraw. There were no important changes so visiting her was not necessary. He was going to do it with the upcoming cluster anyway. She was already preparing things for him.
Opening his eyes again, he stood in the now empty chamber. It wasn’t yet dark since the main cluster remained in place. The ladies withdrew their techniques and looked at him for further guidance. Abyss and Umbra floated into their sight and rejoined the group.
“Come on. Who knows what traps await us on the way to the cluster.” Asterios waved at them and started heading towards the entrance. “Tia, can you point us—”
Another tremor hit them, thrice as strong as the previous one, and most of them landed on all fours. It felt much closer this time. Like it took place almost directly above them. Some rubble fragments poured out of the carved tunnel, scattering on the perfectly white floor with a tinkling noise.
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
~Go straight for two intersections then take right.~ Tia wasted no time to respond and they broke into a run.
Ast’s party had to move through two of the invisible death barrier rooms before they reached their destination. Knowing how to deal with them, they weren’t a challenge any longer and more of a nuisance, slowing them down by a few minutes. The occasional earthquakes didn’t help. They lessened in intensity, though.
Finding the correct resting place of the cluster, they stopped in front of the floating sphere.
“Well, then.” Silvia glanced at him, dismissing her avatar to display her small smile. “Enjoy your meal.”
He stared back at her thoughtfully, stroking his chin. “Hmm. I don’t think I will.”
“Why?” She frowned softly, trying to figure him out.
“We can always collect more of them later to execute Tia’s plan. I had infused one of the clusters into my natural source and onyx Dragon’s Heart. It’s only logical I offer one to my crimson Heart too to keep it fair and balanced, isn’t it?” Asterios finally smirked back.
“Ah. I see.” Althea hit her palm with her fist. “You want to put her inside the energy flow like we were in with your other Heart in hopes that might aid her growth without being too direct of an influence over her ancestry.”
Silvia’s amber eyes widened slightly. “You don’t have to—”
“I want to.” He silenced her with a delicate kiss. “Will you assist me?”
She sighed cordially and stole one more peck from him. “With your every request, My King.”
He snorted quietly and led them closer to the cluster, affectionately holding onto Silvia’s palm. Althea retreated to the side but he waved her in, not intending to leave his mentor out of it. Knowing he could host multiple people inside him, it was only proper to let the Dragon lady meet with her best Dryad friend at the very least if she wouldn’t be helping out.
Falling into a peaceful meditative rhythm, they allowed their minds to relax.
※ ※ ※
Tia greeted them all with a sweet hug, skipping around the trio who had appeared inside her tree, sitting atop the charming lawn. She grabbed a quick kiss from Asterios before helping the girls up. He chuckled warmly as Silvia received many more embraces due to this being her first visit here. The energetic Dryad was able to match Miria’s enthusiasm at times.
“I heard everything and prepared your crimson volcano for our field trip.” The timber-bodied female winked at him alluringly. “As long as you are ready to get naked again, we can move out whenever you wish to.”
“It honestly feels like you are already naked,” the princess commented on their host’s choice of undergarments, the leafy vines barely protecting the woman’s decency.
“You are right. There’s no need to pretend, is there?” With a cunning sparkle in her glowing green eyes, she dematerialized the obstruction, displaying her charms proudly to the group.
Silvia shot Asterios an apologetic look and mouthed sorry while he just smirked in amusement, more than used to the constant teases of his frivolous mates.
Paying the sly Dryad no mind, he led Silvia outside while explaining everything they could see. She was aware of most things, of course, but that didn’t stop her from loving every second of the personal tour she was receiving. It was similar to a walking date in a place she had been told so much about but never had a chance to experience herself before.
The other pair stalked after them, chatting together about various stuff too, content leaving the lovey-dovey duo to their little outing. After about fifteen minutes of strolling around, Asterios led them into his volcano, guiding the group through the cavern shaped like a Dragon’s head. Silvia’s smile widened as she lay her eyes on the bubbling red lava and the imposing crimson throne in the center of the heated chamber.
As Tia had said, she had taken care of most of the preparations. The array they had used during their previous ritual was different in a few spots, already altered to accommodate a third variable in the equation, save for Asterios, of course. It still needed to be filled with blood but the draft would be helpful.
“Off with those pesky clothes already! Shoo! Shoo!” The pouting Dryad flicked her hands at Asterios as if that would chase his attire away.
The other two chuckled lightly while he shook his head. Granting her wish, he dismissed his garments with a wave of a rolling flame. He could feel everyone’s gazes wandering over his form for a few seconds, admiring it unabashedly, before the clothed duo followed suit. Naturally, he returned the favor, basking in the beauty of his mates’ enthralling figures. They were always a wonder to look at. And meeting their eyes, he knew they knew it exceptionally well, smiling at him warmly.
Like the last time, the ladies seated him on the throne, offered a devoted kiss, and got to preparing the ritual. His mind immediately filled with thoughts and urges characteristic of his crimson half, with which he connected deeply through the symbolic throne. Thankfully, he didn’t need to tell anyone to kneel in front of him. The women were already moving close to the ground as they drew with his blood, additionally giving him the best view of their delicious rumps.
They were finished in a flash and took their spots before Asterios, sitting in their respective runic circles while facing him. Silvia was placed at the end of the chain, the last link before the power flowed into him. He met her gaze with a firm expression as she awaited his words eagerly.
“Let the energy your sister-mates cleanse flow through you. Don’t try to absorb it. Allow it to come to you if it finds a compatible space to fill in. Allow it to stimulate your bloodline. Don’t force your ancestry to align with this essence. Focus on cultivating your core,” Asterios commanded gently but decisively.
“I defer to your magnanimous guidance, My Lord.” She respectfully lowered her head. “I shall never steal the essence that rightfully belongs to you.”
A deep chuckle answered her. “You are part of me. What is mine is also yours. I only need to properly conduct it to your utmost benefit. Now, begin. We have a god to throw to his knees.”
With Tia initializing the flow, they started the ritual. Her and Althea’s roles remained unchanged. One siphoned the energy while the other stored and managed it. Silvia kept her mind open and her soul laid bare to her beloved. Just as he had said, he was part of her too. All of her was his too. She didn’t need to hide anything, trusting him to make the correct decision for their family.
Things proceeded without an issue. Everyone did their part and the energy continued to flow uninterrupted. With three conduits instead of two, it was transferred much smoother, even with Silvia nicking at its stream a tiny bit now and then. It wasn’t much and it went unnoticed by the other ladies, but the owner of the spiritual current knew and endorsed it. He monitored his flame-touched mate for the tiniest of telltales that something wasn’t as it should be, but his worries were unfounded.
In what felt like a few hours, Asterios was aware of the cluster’s power dwindling in the outside world. The flow slowed down and the final traces were passing through his ladies. It would soon be done and his heart wouldn’t have to tense at each pained grunt and whimper leaving their lips from the spiritual overstimulation and pressure. Their fortitude made him proud. They were worthy mates that made his entourage peerless.
Then, just as they were wrapping up, a louder whine escaped the redhead’s throat as her face turned towards the sky. A single spark glinted between her supple breasts and she lit ablaze with dark amber flames erupting from beneath her. She screamed at the top of her lungs while being swallowed by the violent fire, making Asterios jump off his throne and drop down to hold her.
He ignored the searing heat as he embraced one of the loves of his life, looking for anything he could solve to stop her anguish. But, no matter how hard he searched, he found nothing wrong with her or the energies swirling inside her circuits. Something else was going on. Something he hoped was beneficial to her rather than hurtful.
Right in his arms, Silvia assumed the bright form of her flaming self, the screaming slowly ceasing and turning into soft groans as her forehead rested atop his shoulder. The dark ginger fire making up her flowing hair glowed repeatedly with a rhythm similar to breathing. As things calmed down, he delicately pulled her back to take an examining glance at her form, finding his fiery princess already smiling at him lovingly.
Smiling.
Her elegant lips had definition on her one-toned face. All the other features had joined them too. Previously it was only her eyes, but now she sported a cute nose, graceful ears, and a few other things that existed below a woman’s shoulders, including her dainty nipples and the plump swell of her femininity between her thighs.
Her entire form was sharper and more… natural.
As she attempted to stand, Asterios assisted her, catching the sight of her tongue flicking outside of the brightly glowing insides of her mouth to lick at those newly gained lips. She peered into his eyes with joy and excitement as his palms held onto her lithe waist. He didn’t need to hear any words to understand what she wanted to receive permission for from him.
“Go. Test your limits. We shall discuss this later.” He grinned at her.
She pressed a scorching kiss into his mouth and smashed their chests together before winking out of existence, leaving a fiery aftertaste on his tongue and hot spots over his skin. Still smiling, he turned to his other mates and found Althea’s carnation paler than before as she rested her back against Tia’s front with her eyes closed.
“What’s wrong with her?” Asterios knelt by them and brushed his fingers against his Lesser Dragon mate’s cheek.
“She is in no danger. Just overexerted from all these rituals. Rest is all she needs for her soul to flourish again,” the Dryad replied comfortingly.
“I’m fine—”
“You clearly aren’t,” he interrupted Althea. “How can we help?”
A tiny smirk appeared on the timber-skinned lady’s lips. “We both understand what’s the best for her. And I know just the place where she can comfortably absorb all the essence, basking in its warmth.”
Asterios frowned briefly then caught on. He shifted right away and offered his draconic back to the women. They climbed atop him and he hastily flew out of the volcano, heading straight for Tia’s massive Tree. He dove into its crown and she directed him to a specific place, showing him an arrangement of branches and leaves that created a perfectly flat plateau amidst the other, more typical formations. Nothing obstructed the glowing sun from shining on this place.
Landing delicately, he waited for them to slide off his scales before transforming back. He gazed into the sky as Tia lay his precious mentor down on the blanket of soft leaves.
“You are right. I can feel the essence nourishing my soul and rejuvenating it.” Asterios nodded to himself with his fists against his hips.
Turning around to peer at the women, he paused mid-motion. They peered right back at him from below, Tia’s slender fingers roaming over Althea’s fit stomach and delicate pelvic area. The smirk on the Dryad’s lips grew even more.
“That wasn’t the essence I had in mind.” She nibbled at her bottom lip. “We have something much more effective at hand, don’t we?”
Seeing his teacher’s hopeful but unwilling to inconvenience gaze, he could only chuckle in response.
They certainly had.