Chapter 552: You Smell Like Wet Dog: Redhome Interlude Part 2

Ares' parting gift for Sandy back at Xasca had been a 'cruel' one. 1000 high grade. It wasn't all Sandy's, she was gifted a third of it and the rest was to go to the Legion sisters when she finally met them later, but the amount was still pretty impressive... For ordinary people. Sandy was at a loss throughout the Federation journey to Central Land because there was so much stuff she wanted to buy! The problem, though, is that the Federation was hardly a place in which cheap items lined the shelves. There were some smaller shops here and there with reasonable prices, sure, but the more eye catching items, the sort of stuff nobles would buy, were all naturally sold exclusively in the higher end shops. Sandy was at a loss because she could very well afford a lot of interesting products she might not find anywhere else but she would be spending all her pocket money before she even reached Red Sun! Ares had told her all about the various amazing chefs back in his home town and she wanted to try them all, what with being a gluttonous rhino and all, so saving this money was important! She could spend some of it aboard the Federation but she had to be careful not to go overboard and drown herself in deals for the deluxe. Though, then again, if she was going to be living in Red Sun then maybe splurging aboard the Federation, a country she might never step foot on again, was perhaps the wiser choice? The restaurants and stalls in Red Sun weren't going anywhere... Hence it was a difficult and 'cruel' conundrum! Analysis paralysis!

In the end, Sandy divvied up her stardust and vowed not to use more than half during her temporary stay on the Federation. That seemed reasonable to her so she went out with that conviction but returned form her shopping spree with considerably less stardust in her pocket than she was initially expecting. Fifty high grade... That was all she managed to retain after her unplanned buying bonanza. Amongst the list of purchases there was a stone-carved figure of a certain someone she knew all too well, Ares! There was indeed now Ares merch aboard the Federation and it sold like hot cakes. Some people who lived through the krakyrn and Scylla incidents were able to learn a memory sharing art since and so various scenes had been recreated in paintings, murals, and statues that all lined the stores of master craftsmen who saw an opportunity. The statue Sandy thought looked cool was one of Ares splitting an attack from the Scylla with his Primordial Blade to defend the Federation behind him as he floated above the ocean. It was incredibly detailed and depicted even the fluttering of his shirt in the wind and the strain on his face mid slash...

It was a bit awkward because, actually, this particular scene was Dominus' moment in the spotlight, he was the one in control during that incident, but nobody needed to know that! Sandy didn't know it either, she'd only met Ares in Xasca after all and what came before that was a mystery. Piecing together his exploits here though, either by asking Aejaz in her spare time, or listening to bards recount what others had seen, was fun in its own right and gave her something to do other than just gazing out at the sea and enjoying the wildlife splashing about. In the end, the statue cost a pretty penny but Sandy quite liked it. Sure she had the real deal by her side but he wouldn't always be around, she knew that just as well as Enyo and Bellona did, so having a tiny product to remind herself of him whenever he was off doing his own thing was neat. It was also a pride thing, her partner was someone who had statues made in his honor after he heroically saved an entire country from doom and devastation!

Actually, the Federation wasn't unique in its appropriation of Ares' image and image rights! The world outside the Blade was abuzz with his recent appearance, and everything it entailed, and salesman had gone bananas creating Brotherhood Ares and Garmr merch. Fluffy Garmr toys were all the rage and somebody even went overboard to create a life-sized replica teddy which was sold for a few million high grades. It wasn't worth nearly that much objectively but people in the outside world had cash to burn and Ares' revenant form was making waves up and down the domains; it wasn't surprising the daughter of some rich noble would want a giant fluffy replica of someone they had come to idolise, after their exploits at the Brotherhood trial, and so that was exactly what happened. The trial was easily the most talked about event in recent history and the buzz surrounding it absolutely refused to die down even now. It was understandable people felt that way, the fundamentals had rocked the world as everyone knew it and they were each anomalies of the cultivation universe that were intriguing in their own right.

Ares, though, appeared to be unique even amongst the other fundamentals so the level of attention he was garnering, or perhaps 'Garmr-ing' was a more relevant term, was appropriately proportionate. Also this Garmr deal was a massive breakthrough in the realm of evolution as revenants had been a stagnant race for eons. Only Dominus, at least as far as people knew, had ever transcended known possibilities for what a revenant could be and anything else that came close was typically a result of adept traits not natural evolution. An evolved revenant, one of the top three races, sparked very interesting debates about the potential for all hitherto stagnant races to continue evolving by virtue of mixing bloodlines to develop in interesting ways. Dragons were infamous for not mating outside their own race but if a draconic bloodline enabled something like Garmr then maybe they could do the same for other races too. There were talks about abducting and breeding dragons forcefully, dragging the stubborn mules out of their secular and isolated lifestyle to make the world a better place, but the people who suggested such things either typically disappeared or were mysteriously burnt to a crisp in a way that 'subtly' hinted at the culprit's identity. As an aside, another group that were particularly fascinated with Garmr, out of genuine and pure respect for the most part, were the body temperers who were all sort of like impressed gym bros. Real recognise real, apparently... Though some were wondering if they could develop such raw power if they devoured some Garmr meat so it wasn't impossible Ares would have rare game hunters hounding him in the outside world. Collectors, alchemists, chefs even; there were a bunch of people who wanted Ares dead not because he'd bothered or offended them in any way but purely because he was a specimen worth experimenting with and on. Ares had opened a real can of worms with his Garmr debut but that was problem for the future.

Back over in Sheryashka, after learning much about Ares through Aejaz, who wasn't sleeping anyway and had plenty of free time to recount various stories, the Federation finally docked at Central Land. There was still a trip back to Red Sun from the port but everyone headed there was already capable of flight and so that journey passed quickly too. From there, everyone went their separate ways to go take of personal matters or catch up with people they hadn't seen in a while. Onno needed to stop by his businesses and make sure nothing had gone away while he was away, Esme had friends who she wanted to chat with and flaunt the details of her high class luxury stay on the Federation to, Aejaz wanted to go see Allie immediately and she was probably either at the nearest alchemy association buying ingredients or at home mixing them so he checked the former first, Nibbler went to go check out where Ares' house was for future reference, the Kazaz prince figured he should explain his new identity to sect HQ so that he wouldn't be seen as some random intruder and so he could gain identification for his new form, and Massai had already departed from the group to go investigate the secrets regarding his sect's destruction after receiving intel from Drai back at the Oasis sect. This left Sandy, her brothers, Lara and Arla, and various other fellahin who'd come along with them to do as they pleased. Ares promised the sect would take them in, and he was basically the sect master so his words held weight, but he wasn't here currently so they figured it was best to find a temporary residence to wait in until he returned. They could maybe go and talk to Heaven's Path but there was no need to complicate things when they could just wait outside for a few days. Also, this was a good opportunity to see what sort of place this new home of theirs was like. Though they'd be inside the sect for the most part, knowing the local area, and where to find whatever they were looking for, seemed like a good idea to help get settled comfortably.

Sandy wound up by herself after her brothers went towards the Scorched Grounds coliseum. The brother that pestered Ares back at Oasis, Jack, had only heard tales of this place from his other brother's international stint. Seeing the impressive building up close and personal was like a dream come true for him and they took a tour to go view every level of it. As for Lara and Arla, their attention was drawn to the auction house, Myriad Masks. Initially they saw the 'Ares not welcome' sign and wanted to investigate what they imagined would be a fun little side story but, as they drew nearer, they heard shouting and yelling coming from an open space slightly behind the venue. Turns out there was a theatre show underway, which was the original purpose of this building to begin with, and it was possible to get a sneak peak at the play from a nearby rooftop they'd snuck onto so they were essentially watching it for free. They had to use their divine sense to get a better view and hear properly but it was entertaining and so they stuck around leaving Sandy all by her lonesome. She could have joined them, and she was tempted, but she was drawn to something else entirely. Food! She was a foodie at heart and, now that she was in the place Ares had learnt to cook, there were options aplenty that couldn't be ignored or delayed! She had the names of all the places Ares recommended memorised down to a tee and wouldn't be content with heading over to the sect until she'd tried every single one of them!

She started with Little Miss Remmy's and, after informing the loud and punkish Gavel she was Ares' partner, received a gourmet experience like no other that left her in heaven, slumped and drooling for more in her seat in a daze. This was the best meal she'd ever had in her entire life and the fact she now lied a quick walk away from this place was perhaps the ultimate blessing. That cute little elf chef really knew what she was doing! This one restaurant alone convinced Sandy she'd made the right choice in departing from her home land but everything that came after only further cemented it. The next shop she found was Shu's patisserie and the experience there couldn't even be put into meaningful words. As far as Sandy could remember she walked in, was bombarded by a creamy target rich environment, bought about half the things on the menu, ate deserts soft as clouds and calming as warm snow, and then floated out of the shop with none of her wits about her. She could have been robbed inside that shop for all she knew because everything that transpired all felt like a dream that didn't happen in reality. She very nearly walked inside twice because she wasn't even sure if she'd actually gone in the first time! This place was lethal! Wallets beware! It didn't end there either as she found Fixer's sandwich bar not even five minutes later. Ares' description of this place was that it was high quality food and plenty of it for cheap and Sandy was left stunned at the size of one of the three sandwiches she ordered for herself because Ares had really undersold it. The sandwiches were each the size of a lunchbox! The filling was so copious it was spilling out the opposite end whenever Sandy took a munch but lord did it taste phenomenal! Of course the freshly squeezed juice was just the icing on the cake. Speaking of cake, Fixer had also apparently started selling simple cakes too at the behest of some of his locals and so Sandy enjoyed a smooth and sugary Victoria sponge with wonderfully fresh jam to boot.

There had, simply put, never been a happier rhino in the history of Sheryashka. If her face wasn't covered by her fellahin garb as she walked around somebody would have seriously reported her to the local authorities for smiling like a perverted creep... Which was ironic given the fact that an actual authority-cum-pervert was tailing Sandy and smiling like a creep herself... This would mark the end of Sandy's casual foodie trip through Red Sun for now. She still planned on checking out everywhere left on her to do list but a knight, borderline magically given how fast it happened, appeared directly in front of her and gripped her shoulders with enough strength to prevent her from going just about anywhere. This tall, sturdy knight in white armor stood tall and leant over her with a domineering aura. Sparks were practically flying off this oddly-determined knight as they stared deep into Sandy's eyes that were just about peeking through her clothes. The knight's head came closer and Sandy thought she was being detained and investigated because she was a strong cultivator who showed up out of nowhere. That would have been somewhat understandable for safety reasons but what came next complicated her understanding of this situation as the knight took several deep inhalations like some kind of perv. It was now clear to Sandy that there was woman under all that armor because her deep excited breathing was oddly erotic and definitely determinable feminine... Though it did raise a question of why. This knight had backup, there were other guards nearby who'd seen all this play out in real time, but they walked away after the knight began acting weird as though this was entirely natural! Sandy wanted to report she was being harassed but the guards were not only on this woman's side, they were actively ignoring her behaviour as though it was normal! What kind of backwards place was this!?

Sandy was tempted to fight for her rights and bat away this oddly lustful and persistent woman but she realised, after trying to move her arms, that despite having a higher cultivation than the knight she was being restrained! This was the strongest pervert Sandy had ever seen! Both her propensity for open, unabashed lewdness and her talent for cultivation were equally prodigious! Sandy was about to verbally complain, before escalating the issue if it wasn't resolved amicably, but it seemed the knight had every intention of beating her to the punch and speaking first. "I smell my husband on you!" Naturally, Sandy was taken aback and recoiled in confusion. Not possible! There was no way she'd touched this creep's husband! She'd literally only just arrived here and the only man in her life was Ares!... 

Wait a minute... The gears in Sandy's head were turning but she was interrupted by the knight who refused to back down.

"You really smell like him, did he slobber all over you?!" Apparently the scent was ingrained deep enough that the knight was assured something more intimate had happened. Again, though, this was impossible! The only intimacy Sandy had with a guy was when Ares was removing the stepper brood mother's poison!... Ares again... Sandy's mind raced as she recalled the various descriptions Ares had given of his first wife Enyo and everything clicked.

"Ah... Wait a minute, I really did touch your husband..." Sandy muttered to herself under her breath. Of course this was heard by all the people nearby pretending to mind their own business as they were eavesdropping intently. This was juicy conversation! A jaded wife confronting her husband's secret lover in public? For free? They didn't need to pay to watch this drama unfold? It was too good to be true! At least they truly thought so up until they realised it was just Enyo who was responsible for the 'altercation' and then everyone began dispersing. Her reputation had spread pretty much far and wide already and everyone knew at least roughly what kind of woman she was. The way she ogled her husband in public, got handsy with her sister also in public, and drooled in front of lewd shops, again in public, all made her temperament pretty clear. She could only fool those who weren't familiar with her antics. She was pretty spooky when she was in full law-mode, delivering intense justice to criminals and righting wrongs in public order with a heavy fist, but that appearance crumbled whenever she was off-duty and people had seen more than enough to grasp what sort of relationship Ares had with her and the people around them. Put simply, Enyo was a known element around these parts! So what if someone slept with her husband? She wouldn't get mad about it, she'd just be excited if anything. Point in case, she wasn't about to throw hands with this new woman, she looked ready to drag her away and have girl-talk with her. It may have seemed otherwise due to the helmet blocking her facial expressions but those who knew her waged she was grinning wide with flushed cheeks.

"Ah?!" Sandy yelped as she was hoisted over Enyo's shoulder and kidnapped in broad daylight by this hulking brute. She was utterly stunned that she felt incapable of resisting because she knew how powerful she was! This Enyo woman was not at the peak of transition realm, and her cultivation was definitely lower than Sandy's, and yet she still felt like an immovable mountain with a deep threat lurking beneath the surface. This was incredibly bizarre to Sandy because she could fight above her cultivation no sweat, like Ares, so she was now questioning how strong this deranged woman was! Delusional, creepy, and mighty? That was a deadly combination! Ares had not sufficiently conveyed the extent of this unusual woman's strangeness! Sandy thought he was overexaggerating at the time but, as it turned out, he was being generous and speaking kindly of his barbaric wife! Sandy tried to drop off Enyo's shoulder and walk on her own two feet but there was a barrier around her body that locked her in place and prevented any movement whatsoever, not even permitting her to budge an inch as though she were wearing full body bondage. She was being overpowered and overwhelmed effortlessly! Was this was it meant to be the head of the Redhome harem? Sandy felt a little competitive actually. She wanted to have a spar with this oddball wife because she'd never met anyone quite like this. Sandy believed to the utmost she was a uniquely impressive cultivator in Sheryashka but this notion was being tested by a woman who seemed to be entirely driven by the power of lewdness and irrational levels of affection for her husband. Sandy had never seen such absurdity! This woman was definitely not all there in the head! Alas, she could do nothing about it other than be dragged semi-willingly into the sect and all the way over to Ares' house. She would have wound up here eventually so it's not like it was all bad. She could continue with her food tour at another time but, for now, it was finally time to be tested by Enyo's personal kangaroo court. Bellona and Enyo, Sandy was about to meet these two and have her fate unilaterally decided. Ares wanted Sandy in his life but, after coming into contact with Enyo, Sandy tacitly understood Enyo held a lot of power in this family and the end result would probably rest on her shoulders... Much like Sandy currently physically was! The symbolism was truly ironic...

Anywho, Sandy was dragged into the living room and placed on the couch next to Bellona. Aejaz and Allie, mid-conversation, were shooed out of the room after Enyo greeted the former which meant there were now only three people left in the living room... And one Nibbler too. Enyo hadn't seen this sharkdog before but, despite his adorable and friendly smile, she steeled her heart, picked him up by the waist, and gently plopped him outside the room. "I don't know who you are, tiny friend, but us three ladies need to have a private conversation. You can play around in the rest of the house for now ok?" Enyo gave Nibbler a pastry from Shu's place, that she happened to have on her person, and walked back into the room with a steady pace but one that was noticeably slightly quicker than usual. She was clearly in a good mood and wanted to get this talk started ASAP but, first, speaking to a guest, one as important as this, with her helmet on was disingenuous and rude. Sat beside her was a potential new sister in arms so it was only right to be open! Enyo removed her helmet and, though it was supposed to be a causal gesture, nothing that warranted a response, Sandy let out an audible gasp.

This pervert woman is this hot!? Sandy was unaware that a woman this good looking could also have screws loose, it didn't seem realistically possible! Even Sandy felt somewhat attracted to Enyo, her looks were killer and she couldn't help but call Ares a lucky dog in her mind. That bastard had been fondling and laying with this beauty?! Somebody had been living a great life! That aside, though, Sandy went into this conversation respectfully because she had a feeling Enyo was not as simple as she appeared to be. Perversion, blatant as it was, aside... Enyo's aura made Sandy back down instinctively. She was intimidating but. Sandy was challenged in a way she'd never been before so this was going to be quite a fascinating conversation for her for many reasons. Though she'd planned to get along with these two women regardless there hadn't always been a desire to get to know them on a deeper level. They could be friends, loosely, or whatever, that was roughly how Sandy viewed it. They were vehicles to get into Ares' life and that was where her feelings about them ended. Maybe she could even overtake them and supersede their position in Ares' world if she played fair and tried hard enough... Now though? Now she was curious on a personal level.