Back on the Road

About a week later in a certain Beastkin village…

I dodge to the side as a vicious punch flies right next to my head. Grabbing the arm that appears in its place, I push my shoulder into my assailant's body and shove them to the ground. With a loud thud, they hit the grass hard, rolling away immediately. I'm already launching a follow-up kick, but it's interrupted by a sweeping strike aimed at my other leg. Jumping over it, I collide with my opponent and we both hit the grass with a groan.

Before either of us can secure advantage, we roll to the sides, ending up in a crouch, facing each other. Codae pants heavily as I release slightly rougher breaths. Her visible skin glistens in the morning sun, her feminine charms hidden only beneath a tight top and elastic shorts, courtesy of our travelling wardrobe. She's grown rather attached to the gym clothes our talented ladies back at home managed to replicate to some extent.

My eyes wander over her athletic form, taking in all its beauty and fierceness, including those taut and tender breasts of hers. But, it's not like I'm the only one eyeing my opponent. The chieftess roams her gaze over my frame with even greater hunger in her sharp eyes as similar sports underwear is the only thing I'm currently wearing.

And it certainly doesn't help in hiding certain aspects of male physique.

Can I control that part to be less pronounced? Sure, I do. But should I deny the pretty lady the joy of gazing upon a fairly captivating physical reaction that only assures her that her charms are not lost in the middle of a rough fight? Most likely not.

Having seen enough, our gazes connect again, and a more visible flush taints Codae's cheeks. I smirk at her knowingly and get ready to continue. Her brows furrow in deep concentration and effort. As she leaps right at me, I respond with the same. We clash in the middle, starting to exchange blows once more.

In the last few days, our mornings looked just like this. We would begin the day with a friendly spar, usually revolving around Martial Arts. The amazing chieftess prides herself in her prowess and continues to hone her skills. Though, I've had a feeling that inviting me to join was just an excuse to get sweaty, rubbing our bodies together under the guise of training.

Nevertheless, I didn't reject the invitation. I would never. The perspective of practising more is just as lucrative as the prospect of getting touchy with my newest mate. Plus, there are things I need to start using even more. After becoming an actual Demigod and beginning my divine journey, quite a lot of my abilities have evolved too.

Where previously the enforced cooldowns for some of the more powerful skills were damn high, now I can use them less sparingly. The most crucial change was What's Mine Is Yours. I now need only a few hours to borrow a different ability from my Partners. And that's why I'm able to practise different things with the incredible chieftess, like our Martial Arts through the feline Goddess of War Astrea.

Yeah, I know she isn't a goddess, but in my heart, she might as well be.

Heart Swap is still too far away from being considered a useful skill on a daily basis, but at least it doesn't take two weeks to recharge anymore. It's down to five days, which is much more bearable, but still can make things difficult if I want to visit many of my distant ladies. For that reason, Sirgia's most recent project is something unspeakably valuable. No wonder she's been putting her everything into it since the conversation in the centre of the settlement.

A flying kick interrupts my train of thought, which I quickly catch as my head tilts to the side. But, that proves to be a mistake as Codae grins at me wickedly, and her other leg shows up on top of my other shoulder. Using her momentum, she swings around me and topples us both to the back. Landing on her hands, she hoists me through the air while standing upside-down, and smashes me into the ground. Her midsection lands on my face right away as she pins me down, her powerful thighs cupping my cheeks.

"Gotcha!" She chuckles victoriously. "It's shameful to admit that I can only best you when you are daydreaming, but a win is a win!"

Snorting softly, I meet her eyes, raising a brow at her. It takes her a moment to fully realise in what position she's exactly put herself in, and more rosiness spreads over her already heated face. Codae tries to hold her voice in as I wiggle a bit underneath her, but with my mouth pressed right against the very thin material covering her hot mound, the scent of her need fills my nose right away.

When a faint shudder passes through her frame, I take action. She should have secured my legs instead of boasting. Pulling them in, I bend myself enough to wrap my knee around her neck from behind and yank the raccoon lady off my face. Jumping after her, I completely switch our positions.

This time, it's my crotch in her face, but I hold her wrists locked above her head. She tries to copy me, aiming for my neck too, but I've been expecting that. Moving out of the way just a little, I catch her knee with mine and press it to the ground next to her shoulder, twisting her flexible body quite a bit. With one hand busy with her arms, I use the other to secure her free leg, preventing it from trying anything funny again. And so, I end up in a half-crouch, half-kneel over her gorgeous visage, my quite noticeable bulge rubbing against her cheek.

"In my opinion, there's nothing shameful in taking advantage of your opponent's moment of weakness." I chuckle at her, watching as her eyes keep wandering between my face and the hidden package just barely away from her plump lips. "You just need to make proper use of it until the very end."

Codae tries to fight me, but even with the bonuses coming from our union, she can't rival my pure numerical values paired with this divine body. Though, when her struggle shifts our position to some extent, I notice her true goal. It's way too obvious when she catches a whiff of the thing she's been aiming for, her eyelashes fluttering in pleasure.

Maybe we have fooled around a bit too much during our sparring sessions in the last week.

Shaking my head, I move off her, to Codae's slight disappointment. She accepts my hand, however, and I pull her up and against my chest. My palms immediately land on her firm bottom and she lets out a delighted sigh, which turns into a delicious moan when my fingers caress her lovely tail. I enjoy playing with it as much as she does, so I let myself indulge in that heavenly fluffiness for a while as we catch our breaths after the fight. Our bodies are riddled with quite some bruises. Until this awkward grappling finish, we've really been focusing on improving our skills.

I'll take care of those blemishes in a moment.

"Enough…" Codae whispers into my ear, her fingers grasping my shoulders tightly.

I gradually withdraw my fingers. "Oh? Did you grow bored of having your tail stroked?"

"As if." She snorts to the side, then looks me in the eyes with just a trace of timidness in that strong expression of hers. "Everyone will simply notice the scent of my desire if we go into the village like that. You tease."

Laughing openly, I join our lips in a gentle kiss. "I promise to help you out before we leave. I'm sure you wouldn't want to miss our departure due to not being able to stand."

The chieftest clears her throat but doesn't deny my words. The thing is, our intimate moments have been growing more and more intense the more comfortable she became with her very submissive nature. I've been wondering at times if it's not too much, but Codae has continued to ask for more. Who am I to disagree, then?

She lets out a gloomy sigh. "It feels like you've arrived here just yesterday… I can't believe it's time to go already…"

Cupping her fierce face, I tenderly brush my thumb over her soft cheek. "We would have been gone for almost a week now if not for the Gate project. I can't remain here for long. You know I'm on a journey for my beloved mate. But, thanks to her brilliant mind, we might be able to see each other in the flesh more often than I ever expected in the first place."

"I guess I should feel lucky." The raccoon lady snickers. "There are so many females that must be dreaming of such a possibility. And here, I might be the first one to experience it. As long as that magic gateway works."

"It will." I nod to myself. "If anyone can make it work, it's our little genius out there. Now, let's take a dip and get dressed. According to Sirgia's estimations, she should be done in an hour or so."

We take a stroll to the nearby stream, taking one last look at our training area. Codae will need to direct a few workers here to collect all the fallen logs from the trees our blows have toppled in the process. This is not a forest spot anymore but a clearing. My added stats have made her so much more powerful.

Jumping into the river after shedding our underclothes, we mess around for a few minutes. Codae hasn't been this needy before, but I can't blame her for wanting to be pampered a little before I'm gone and she has to return to her previous life. Thus, I gladly embrace her like a caring lover while we wash each other, my palms actively caressing her gorgeous body and charming Beastkin features.

The moment we walk out of the water and dress up, she's all business again, the stern and firm face of a serious village leader making a return. Only her tail betrays her true feelings at the moment, swaying cutely from side to side whenever I'm near. We even hold hands for the duration of our trip back to the settlement.

Passing the treeline, we find ourselves before the reinforced outer walls that replaced the old palisade. A ring of Inversicate now protects the residents, and the only points where an enemy might try to charge in besides somehow hopping over the battlements are the four cardinal gates. Each of those is further guarded by watchtowers, not to mention multiple metal gratings and layers of magical enchantments.

With this, even the Cockasauruses won't be able to put a scratch on my old man's hometown. Though, they should be considered small fry compared to other threats that these defences are supposed to ward against.

The Oreads and Sirgia have outdone themselves, that much is clear. Now, the rest lies in the hands of Codae and the protectors of this place. She knows that, of course. That's part of why we have been sparing daily, or multiple times a day. Using various skills from my Partners, I shared lots of pointers with her, related to numerous weapons. She is going to more actively train her subordinates so they can fight more effectively.

Or more like not get left behind in the dust with the huge leap ahead she's made from our union.

Nevertheless, I don't doubt she will be able to create a small force to protect her people. Codae has the qualities of a great leader. Even as we pass through the gate, plenty of individuals pay respects to her. She acknowledges them in return, upholding her fierce image. Looking at their gear, they could use some upgrades, but we don't have enough time for Sirgia to take care of it herself. If the gateway works, we'll just buy a few things from the Dwarves and deliver them on our way back.

We make a few stops so that Codae can talk to the villagers. Some send me a look or two, but even after the big announcement that she's made on that stage, the people haven't stopped viewing her as their chief. I worried about that a little, but Codae's charisma and no-bullshit approach continue to secure her the spot of the Alpha.

Soon enough, the main square enters our sight. The stalls have been rearranged a bit to fit the newly installed magical passageway. It stands next to my father's memorial in the form of an equally tall arch wide enough to fit two carriages side by side. A man is adding finishing touches to the stone pavement surrounding it, currently kneeling next to a mirrored pedestal lacking a statue.

He notices us approaching and jumps to his feet. "Chieftess! My Lord! A fine day, isn't it?"

"How is the work progressing?" I ask, staring at the empty platform.

"Just splendid!" The man bows deeply. "We are almost done with all the decorative elements! As soon as the second statue is finished, we will achieve perfect symmetry! I swear the gateway will look magnificent between the two of them!"

"Yeah, I admit that was a good idea." I rub my chin thoughtfully. "Is it done already too? I would love to see it before I go."

He chuckles awkwardly. "Oh, I'm afraid it won't make it in time… These things take a lot of it and immaculate effort… I promise you won't be disappointed, though!"

"Bummer." I sigh lightly. "But, I can at least take a peek at the current stage, no?"

The worker's eyes widen and they snap between mine and Codae's. "Well… Uhhh… The artist is a very proud one and she won't allow for early seeing…"

"Really? Not even a tiny peek?" I raise a brow at him.

Codae rests a hand on my shoulder with a visible smirk. "Let's not stress out the artisan. It's going to be her lifetime's work. You'll be back soon enough to inspect it, right?"

The guy before us nods eagerly and I shrug lightly. "Not wrong. I guess I should worry more about the technical side of things."

"Nothing to worry about there!" A familiar voice reaches us from behind the pedestal.

A brown-haired head peeks past it and Sirgia smiles at us proudly. Leaving the worker to his own devices and catching him exhaling in relief, I step closer to my genius artificer, who is kneeling over some plates with inscribed runes. They seem perfect already to me, but she keeps caressing the engraved path with a precise tool of hers.

"Are you about done too?" I crouch next to her.

"Yes, Master." She returns to work. "I'm applying the final protective layer over the runes. Since they have to be exposed to the world, it's best to supply them with multiple safeguards against the weather conditions and other external influences, including physical damage."

"If you say so." I snicker quietly. "And how sure are you that this thing will turn on?"

My petite lover pauses for a moment, tilting her head cutely. "Hmmm… About seventy-five to twenty-five?"

"That's lower than I expected to hear from you, honestly." My brows rise in surprise.

A delicate giggle escapes her lips. "This is an extremely difficult operation. Even so without the second gateway present. We can make sure everything is as it should be here, but we won't fully know until we finish the Gate in the second location and try linking them together. This is ancient technology. I wouldn't be shocked to see it fail. There are so many variables I might have missed. Or altered incorrectly, like the system to charge it more efficiently by a single person. No sane individual would have gotten rid of that safeguard."

"Ouch." I touch my chest with a fake wince.

She rolls her charming eyes at me. "No one had a Demigod and his harem at their disposal either, Master. These Gates will function only in the hands of your trusted people, the mates the closest to your heart, who are able to wield your strength properly."

"That's a bit of a problem," Codae joins in, leaning against the pedestal. "I kind of hoped to maybe establish trade with the Dwarves after you set up the second gateway, perhaps offer a shortcut for travellers while setting up a decent fee. But, after you leave that place, there won't be anyone to power it up."

"There's an easy solution to that issue." Sirgia stands up, dusting off her knees.

I groan while swiping a hand down my face.

"I'm sure Master will find a nice girl to establish a valuable connection with," she continues just as I have expected. "I didn't have many friends back at home, but I know a few trustworthy females."

"You can't just assume I will make a girl mine everywhere I go." I frown at her while putting my fists on my hips.

"Speaking from experience, isn't that exactly what happens?" Codae laughs amusedly.

"Don't use yourself to prove the case." I squint at her. "This was not planned. And you should be more against it. Do you want even more competition for my affection?"

"Bring it on." She grins back at me with a spark of a challenge in her fierce eyes. "You already have so many, what will one more change?"

"Fuck me…" I rub my eyes.

"Later, remember?" The devilish chieftess smacks me on the shoulder.

I give up. Shouldn't have expected anything else from them. These just seem to be the women I tend to attract. Whatever happens, happens. At least I know that regardless of their teasing, Sirgia won't push anyone onto me without actual mutual interest present. They tease me way too much about this, though.

"Anyway, what's left?" I try bringing the conversation back onto the proper tracks.

"We should try activating the Gate," my petite lover replies. "I'll examine all the circuits while Codae operates it. It won't get us anywhere, but I'll be able to spot any discrepancies and mistakes, ensuring that everything is as it should be. I really hope I haven't messed anything up."

Placing a hand on top of her soft hair, I pat it lovingly a few times. "You haven't. I believe in you. Now, let's get this over with. We have been delayed quite a bit already."

She nods and gestures at the chieftess to follow her. I walk away, stepping off the decorative platform surrounding the arch and cross my arms while watching them from a distance. The structure itself is very simple, yet artistic. Its ends on both sides are wider while the apex narrows down just enough to fit the row of glyphs engraved on its black surface. The sigils have a slight violet sheen to them.

I bet the palette is intentional.

The ladies exchange a few words next to the left edge of the arch as Sirgia reminds Codae about the entire process. They discussed it multiple times ahead of this moment, but it never hurts to go over it once more. The proud chieftess definitely doesn't mind. I can feel her anxiety through our connection. She worries about performing well and matching my expectations.

Not that I would ever blame her for failing. I'm not exactly sure what I should even expect from this experimental take on an old transportation method.

Finishing their final consultation, the girls share a nod. Beside me, a small crowd of villagers gathers, sensing an upcoming event. Mostly they are from the stalls and I accept a chilled drink from a kind female Dogkin, who expresses her thanks for the blessing I shared with her and her mate. They are so happy to be expecting and it does bring a smile to my face.

Any chatter dies down when Codae places her palm on the curved pillar. We can't see much happening as she closes her eyes, but I can sense her pushing mana into the carved array. The energy kickstarts a number of crystals embedded into the arch and bounces back to the sender. She struggles with the feedback for a moment but manages to find her bearing.

We watch as inscribed glyphs light up with powerful purple glow one after another like a loading bar. In less than a minute, they cover the entire structure. It's obvious that it's not easy on Codae, who isn't used to controlling her mana this way, but the proud warrior Racoonkin doesn't yield.

A pulse of warmth bursts out of the gateway when all the sigils activate, making everyone jump a bit as it's completely invisible to the naked eye. The chieftess takes her palm away, brings forth a small knife, and cuts her finger. Then, she traces a few symbols over a specific area of the arch in front of her. As she adds the last stroke, another pulse hits the crowd.

The space in the middle starts shimmering like in a hot desert. Sirgia walks around while scanning the entire thing with her perceptive gaze. Making two laps around the magical monument, she nods at Codae, who wipes the bloody mark off. Immediately, the shimmering fades away and the glyphs power down until everything shuts off completely.

As people start wondering amongst themselves if it's been a success or a failure, I approach my pair of mates, resting my hands on their shoulders. "What's the verdict?"

"Everything is working as intended," Sirgia replies with a satisfied smile. "The final test can only be conducted after we set up another one."

"I'm glad." Codae glances at her trembling hand as I reach out to heal the cut. "This shit is draining as fuck. I feel like I've strained a muscle I never knew I had. And it's not in a comfortable spot."

"It will get better with practice." I chuckle warmly. "Congratulations, though. You are the first key holder of the soon-to-be legendary gateway. What's the blood for, by the way?"

"Just one of the security measures, Master," my Dwarf wife explains. "Can't have people try to mess with it on their own. Even if they won't be able to power it up, it's good to prevent any unnecessary deaths amongst the overly curious."

"Understandable." I nod at her. "Will we need to register the gatekeepers to each portal like this?"

"No need. The spell imbued into the entire thing makes a check for traces of your divinity. We receive some of it alongside your usual spiritual energy. That way, anyone from your close Partners can be designated to this role. And they will be able to switch with someone else without me having to redo the arrays," she replies.

"Gotcha. You thought far ahead. Smart girl." I grin and lean down to offer my genius mate a tiny peck.

"I worked hard too, you know…" Codae whispers behind me, her hand still in mine.

Turning around, I yank her into me, evoking a surprised gasp from the fierce chieftess, and steal her lips with gusto. She practically purrs into my mouth as I dominate her tongue in the process. 

Sneaking a firm squeeze onto her majestic bottom, I pull away and leave her hand with a dainty peck. "Didn't want to go too far in public."

"Everyone is aware of who is on top anyway. It's honestly a surprise they haven't caught us during our nightly walks yet." She snorts, glancing aside at a group of hunters staring at us. "Quit gaping and get back to work! If I see you back without at least three fat boars, you are going to sleep outside!"

They hastily sprint away and most of the crowd disperses, save for some bolder females who send the chieftess a few jealous gazes. She faces them proudly, pushing her body more against mine.

Giving her pleasant rump another squeeze, I smirk lightly. "Did I mention how much of a turn-on badass girls like you are for me?"

She grins back at me, her gorgeous tail swaying faster. "Plenty of times, but please, keep going."

We share a chuckle and turn to Sirgia.

"We can return to your mother's house, Master," she announces. "I'll gather our things. Our friends are already gathering outside the settlement."

So, that's exactly what we do. A moment later, we are back at Ayumi's cottage and Codae leads us in. I spot the signs of Mom in the kitchen while Noah is seated in the guest room, slumped over the plethora of toys and little gadgets my brilliant Dwarf came up with for him and his friends.

"Big Bro!" He spots us right away. "Mom! They are back!"

Ayumi joins us with a cordial smile, jogging up to me first. She graces me with a loving hug, then presents Sirgia with the same. Codae makes a face, but she rolls her eyes at her tough friend and embraces the chieftess anyway.

"Judging by your moods, it's completed?" Mom asks, already knowing the answer.

"It is. The portal is set, the defences are reinforced, and everything is wrapped up as scheduled," I answer as she moves to stand before me.

"Does that mean you are leaving?" My little brother hops off his perch and stares up at me with his feline ears lowering onto his hair.

Ayumi scratches behind them gently. "Your brother has very important business to take care of and you know it. We should be grateful he could stay with us for so long. Aren't you happy you were able to spend time with him?"

"I am…" Noah lets out a sad sigh. "But… I don't want him to go… We'll be alone… Again…"

At his words, even Mom's smile falters a bit and she blinks a few times. Reaching down, I bring my lil bro up into my arms and step closer to Ayumi so that we are all face to face.

"You have my word that I'm not going to disappear. If you ever feel worried, you can find the chieftess and talk with me through her. I'm sure she will be more than happy to help. We can speak telepathically over any distance," I reassure him, then look my mother in the eyes. "And I swear on the Goddess' name that I'm going to find Dad and bring him here no matter what, even if I'll have to drag his ass throughout the entire realm while the whole world is against us. He is a resourceful guy. Tends to find trouble easily, but never gives up on his family. In the end, it's what's always kept him alive. Got it?"

She stares back at me with wide eyes before tears start rolling down her furry cheeks. Ayumi rests her forehead against mine and brushes her fingers against my face. Noah joins in, his arms wrapping around my neck, and the three of us share a silent moment.

"It won't take long before we can see each other again," I add quietly. "Sirgia will set up another magical door when we arrive in her homeland and we'll take you both for a fancy trip in a Dwarven city. It will be a lot of fun. Just think of all the toys we might find in the shops there."

Noah snickers and sniffs lightly, squeezing me harder. "Okay…"

I pull away and check on Mom, who wipes the glistening trails off her fur. "Will you be alright?"

"Of course." She forces on a delicate smile. "You are a grown man, and from what I heard, much stronger than your father. Just don't forget to let me know that you are fine as often as you can. I won't act like I'm not going to worry. It's a curse all mothers share."

"Ayumi." Codae moves to her side, squeezing Mom's shoulders. "I'll check in with Alastair every morning and evening. I can't say that I completely understand, yet, but this should make it easier for both of us, no? I'll visit, or you can come to me. I kind of got used to having company so it might feel a bit weird living on my own again."

"Yet?" My mother obviously catches onto the only insignificant detail in the whole speech. "Are we going to have a little chief soon?"

My newest mate turns bright red as she looks away. "No… We've just… met…"

A tinkling laugh escapes Ayumi's lips and she hugs her best friend. "Take as much time as you need. I feel like we'll have a lot of topics to talk about while Alastair is gone. You know who to ask if you have any questions."

I chuckle at their antics with Sirgia while Noah grimaces, not exactly following the conversation but smart enough to figure out that we are talking about some weird adult stuff. Letting him down, I pat his ears affectionately and turn to the ladies, who just finished embracing each other.

"Well, then. I guess this is the best I can get." Ayumi grins at us. "Wait here for a moment. I'll bring you the provisions I made for your little trip. You could use a taste of some home cooking. Not that your charming mate is a bad cook or anything."

"I dare not compete with a mother's dishes." Sirgia bows down low, making my mom chuckle sweetly. "But, I memorised the recipes you shared with me so Master will be able to experience your love whenever he wishes to."

"Thank you. I'm proud to have such an amazing daughter-in-law." Mom winks at her and disappears into the kitchen.

I chat a little with Noah while waiting, his mind successfully redirected to the possible wonders we are going to stumble into on our tour of the Dwarf capital. It certainly pains me to leave them like this after Dad disappeared from their lives, but we can't stop. The girls are working hard on locating him already, and from what I've heard from Ailish, she might be onto something with her investigation of the cult alongside Madeline.

We just have to wait patiently. The moment she or someone else finds anything substantial, I'm going to instantly Heart Swap there. I'm not going to lose him again.

When Ayumi returns with a handful of neatly wrapped packages, I thank her from the bottom of my heart and pass the food onto Sirgia so she can store it all where she tends to organise our supplies. We exchange a few more hugs and chaste kisses on the forehead before stepping outside. My new family waves at me cordially from the doorstep as we slowly walk away, my eyelashes doing this unnecessary thing where they flutter really quickly.

I never thought I would be able to witness a sight like this. It's so… nice.

But, it still lacks one crucial component before it's perfect, and that gives me strength not to look back, directing all my focus ahead of us.

Sirgia suddenly runs ahead, but before I can question her, Codae grabs my wrist and drags me away. When we show up in front of her own house, her intentions become clear. We barely make it past the doorstep before she throws herself at me, her hands exploring my body impatiently.

What follows is ten minutes of the fiercest love we've made up to date. We don't even make it to the bed or check if anyone is around. Codae needs me to focus solely on her and that's what I do. Screams of pleasure fill the cabin as many pieces of furniture suffer in the process, reminding us of our first time. I take her hard until her body is reduced to a quivering mess as she stares back at me with pure adoration, her exquisite body stained with our combined liquids.

A short break later, involving a lot of me using Rejuvenate, Codae is in a state that allows her to walk straight without stumbling too often. Making our way through the village, the two of us reach the upper gate where most of our friends and companions are waiting for us. The Lilies and the Oreads are standing together, ready to accompany us even further, while a few familiar faces show up in the farewell crowd that has gathered for our departure, including Daki and his girlfriend, standing arm in arm.

Codae escorts us past the gate and stops, everyone filling in behind her. I turn to face her and she graces me with an honest smile.

"First of all, thank you, all of you, for everything you have done for our community. You might have brought a herd of Cockasaurues onto us, but ultimately, we ended in a much better place than anyone would ever expect," she says, evoking a few laughs from the crowd. "Now, I'm not going to drag this out with some grand speech. We wish you luck in your travels and may the Goddess watch over you. Though, with you being a divine being not that far from her, I'm sure you'll be more than fine."

It's my girls' turn to chuckle this time, and I shake my head with a wry grin.

"Before you go, I wanted to present you with a small gift if you would be so kind as to accept it," Codae adds and I look at her curiously.

Flicking her wrist and activating one of the storage rings I've given her, she brings forth a flat wooden box the size of a forearm. Holding it towards me, she steps as close as can and lifts the lid. Inside, I find a beautiful black leather leash atop a purple cushion. 

Glancing up, I find her smiling at me while nibbling on her bottom lip, a faint trace of rosiness spreading over her fair cheeks. A collar of the same material adorns her pretty neck. This particular set of items was created by Sirgia after our second expedition with my Void Chains in use. 

"I'm hoping that this little trinket will serve as a memento, reminding you of me whenever you look at it," Codae continues, affectionately grazing the collar with her finger. "And also bring you back one day so you can… reconnect the pieces."

Delicately closing the lid before anyone manages to find an angle on the precious memorabilia, I lean forward to join our lips in a sensual kiss. Neither of us fights for dominance right now, we simply enjoy the intimate connection, brushing our mouths together with tender care.

Drawing myself back before we get lost in our small world for way too long, I accept the exquisite case. "Thank you. I'll cherish it. I kind of feel bad for not coming up with anything to give you back that would help you think of me."

"Oh, I have plenty of things I'm going to remember you by very deeply." She flashes me an impish grin. "Courtesy of my talented sister-mate."

I let out a snort as Sirgia giggles.

Of course.

"Alright. Until next time, Chieftess Codae." I extend a hand to her.

She grabs it firmly and we share a strong handshake. "Until next time, My Chief."

We step back, and the gathered villagers start shouting their farewells. My party waves back at everyone, and we slowly get on the move. The plan is to reach the mountains before dusk. With the help of the Lilies, who know this jungle like their own pair of pants, it shouldn't be a problem. Then, we gotta rely on our Oread friends to bring us to the other side. After that, we'll be on the last straight to the Dwarf Kingdom.

I can't wait.