Coven Of Shadows

Mediating this morning to conceal my overwhelming aura, I reached Rank 8 becoming considered as a High Demon in Asmodeus's eyes, and coven.

Opening my eyes, I looked down at the forest as I was sitting on top of the mountain of Nurma's old cave, to where I still go for isolated training once in a while.

And sighing, as looking down to the coven settlement where everyone was, we were running into a problem this week. The other coven's challenged us to a fight.

Well, to be fair, a sparing exercise since most of my kids have grown a fair amount to not offend us by challenging us directly, but setting up stuff this.

How could I not be offended by this.

I should tear out a spleen or two.

Sighing, but then again, even the girls and Ursula keep telling me this is regular when it comes to clans and groups like this, and kids start young in training.

I grew up, from my memories a little different, so this is understandably insane to me, having kids fight each other, I trained them to hunt, not to fight.

"Daddy!" Hearing a young voice, I turned my head following a flow of hair, to see one of my baby boys, he had scruffy green and black hair, leaf green skin and leafy ears, and demon horns and a tail like me, none recived wings like me, but I'm loving it a little.

"Morning Shiloh, how are you," I asked sweetly, and running up to me giving me a hug, "I'm so amazing!" He screamed, and chuckling as this one's cunning.

I asked something else, despite his sweet manner and playful act, he's a cunning brat sometimes, but it's kind of funny to me so I go along sometimes.

"Is everything alright back home, you're not fighting with the other kids again are you?" I asked and he smiled brightly, so he is... I'll... Deal with that later.

But then he said, "Actually someone came over not too long ago with a message for auntie Athena, she told me to tell you we leave tomorrow! I can't wait!"

Hearing him, "I see, shall we head back down then," I asked, getting back up to head back and talk to him. On our way back he gave me updates on the others.

Sighing as these kids were blood thirsty. We made our way back to the coven, where entering a walled gate; stepped into what seemed like a small scale village.

Heading to the center of the village to a cabin the girls and me regularly meet in, and seeing Athena already here. I came in and Shiloh ran off somewhere else.

"Morning, what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you today," she greeted looking back at me, "Can't I just say hi to a friend," I said pleasantly and she laughed.

"As my high priest and second in command, as well as the father of 90% of our covens population, no..."

But joking around, "Kidding. Yes. Is that all Aster?" She asked, sitting on a counter with some contracts for our trade exports, "Yes, as well as a question too"

Announcing my true intentions, "I sense chaos in the atmosphere, it's getting closer, are we ready?" I asked and looking down at the trades, she sat there silent.

And with growing displeasure about her silence, she said, "You're a Rank 8 Demonic Sorcerer, Alison and me are Rank 7 Witches, and Autumn is still a Rank 6, while Nurma just became a Rank 6 Goblina Hunter"

Hearing her, our numbers sounded good, but not good enough, "I believe we'll manage, so calm your worries Aster, anything we face we'll take care of"

Hearing her for the final time, "Okay, I shall put my full trust in you," I said getting a thanks in turn, talking to her some more casually about some other things.

I left and went to see my girls, Nurma was out hunting and Autumn was back at our home, I spoke with her for a little while and saw our five kids, I had a lot...

The children I had with Autumn all looked human without their demonic features, but what was most noticable about them was their abundance of mana and excelling skills in sorcery, truly geniuses here.

They can be snotty at times just like human children, but they have a lot of pride that I had to humbled to make them behave, it's still there, but now nobled..?

Seeing them off as we had hired a few instructors to live here and teach the children until they were fifteen. They went off to their Witch instructors for lessons.

After leaving, Nurma came back not too long after covered in blood and was a mess from a big hunt.

But when seeing me, she ran and gave me a hug, soaking my priestly clothes in blood, making me have to pick her up and put her on my shoulder to stop it.

"You're energetic today," I said, "Well of course, I asked if we could participate in some of the battles with the other bastards and they sent me a letter"

But hearing her, my face became blank, "Now we'll be able to prove that we're stronger! Hahahah!" She said and Autumn just giggled, "Girl, you had thirty-five kids with Azzy, I don't think there's anyone stronger than you, hahaha," she said getting her to gloat and cheer.

She wasn't doing that when she found out that our kids don't grow up in a month or in the first year like she originally thought they would. But good for her.

"Yeah, and because of that I have a bunch of little supergoblins! Hahaha," she cheerer, "You done?" I meddled in, and glancing back, "Just a little more~"

Letting her finish up, I made her freshen up and I chatted with her as we walked to the lake, she was pumped for the other coven's challenged, funny.

Spending time with her for a few more hours, she got tired and wanted to rest from hunting, so I took her home and laid her to rest. After I went to see my kids.

And visiting, outside of the fifteen getting magic instructions by the witch instructors, I came by to where the rest were getting trained by hunters.

Sitting in on their lesson, I saw all thirty-five of my kids, I've also noticed a pattern, Nurma is training her kids in both the sword and bow, whileas the witches, Autumn, Athena and instructors are passing down their more traditional approach of having them become proper witches and warlocks first.

Alison wanted her two kids to be more connected with the rest, so she was the only one to have her kids at least practice swordsmanship at a young age.

She also had an idea, but she wanted to talk to me about it later before getting it approved by Athena.

So hanging around the kids and being asked to help out by their instructor on some of the movements, I helped for a little while getting them to practice one more bow skill, until I noticed Alison here watching.

Having to step off to the side to speak to her, "You're very hard to get in touch with these days, avoiding responsibilities are we~" she teased but that was only one time, that's all. "I'm just busy with work," I said back and she raised her brow looking surprised.

But leaning in, getting close, "After all, who's going to clean up your messes, Ali," stiffening up, "Yeah yeah, you said we wouldn't talk about that," she accepted.

So straightening up myself, "Anyhow, what's this idea you wanted to run by me," I asked after bullying her a little for some of her failed missions, "Oh yeah, almost forgot because of you, dummy," she sneered jokingly.

Pulling out some paper from her clothes? "We're a big community, basically a big family here, you have sum like fifty kids, the youngest ones are being babysat by their older siblings at their lessons, and us mothers and most likely you are tired from hunting, trading, as well as personal training," she said, and I agreed.

"So I devise we invite a few large families of people who could work under trade management with our potions, and then their kids all in which I have profiled, can join our community and give all our kids more of a range to you know, be kids in a normal community not around siblings and cousins, stuff like that, plus when your kids start to require energy, they'll have best friends to help or they can finally have a chance to date or explore options, and we get more business"

Getting dumped with all this info, it puzzled my mind, but she had a point, and I've fed everyone with a soul the moment they showed signs of reacting to their natures, so if we can build a long social trust...

This could would out with the most benefits.

Looking back at her, "Yeah, 100%. And I think this will get approved definitely," I told her getting her to smile.

"See, plus if they join and we get stragglers or family of theirs to move in with us at the spare cabins, you could so lay with them and expand our community's man power, like with you trapping the instructors by having kids with them and getting us resources" she said making me to sigh and the instructor over heaing us gulp as it wasn't exactly like she said.

"Nurma an Autumn got so jealous when it happened, I don't know," but hitting my chest, "You have a nack for getting us important resources, have pride in that," she said grinning, but she doesn't know punishment.

"Anyhow Incubus, you participating in tomorrow's battles," surprised she remembered that, "Yeah, I can't let y'all have all the fun," I said smiling back.

Hitting my chest, "I'll see you there, were all going to fight and gain face all around the region," she said as she started walking off, "For sure, more than before"

Seeing her walk off, I turned back to the kids lesson and went back to finding a way to spend some time with them before going to see the others children.

Going back home later that night.

Opening the door, I saw the two witches and Nurma already inside, and grabbing me, they said, "Hey bae, give us some encouragement before our fight, okie~"

They said making me grab two of them, "Shall we~"