Chapter 220: (Book 2 releases tomorrow on Amazon!)


    <strong>Chapter 220</strong>


    Skinwalkers.


    They were… fawning? Over Ath?


    If that was even the right word.


    Prostrating or attending to her with different odds, ends, gifts and food they had on hand, Riven watched the strange pale creatures deliver her trays of refreshments while she sunbathed in their newly built temporaryir next to Tanya’s family cabin.


    Hakim’s cabin?


    Who knew. They all shared it so who cared.


    “Ath…” Riven said with a dumbfounded look on his face, equivalent to those the others had on their own faces when they’d returned to the woond home to find this amalgamation of demonic entities. “Just how did you convert them into servants, one more time?”


    “We wish to serve the great one!” A pale, faceless humanoid creature with abnormally long and wiry, wed limbs said fervently. It bowed and prostrated itself before Riven next. “We did not know an archdemon existed on this! We are indebted to her gracious act of sparing us, and wish to grow in her shadow so that we too may one day find glory!”Ath smugly smirked Riven’s way, gesturing to the nest she’d crated. Bloodsilk now formedyers uponyers of walls, webs, and cocooned carcasses of animals - creating a multiyer structure of her webs between therge trees with only a single central tunnel shaped like a funnel that allowed the sunlight onto her sunbathing spot. “It was my charm! I am a princess after all!”


    She gave him a wink on the web hammock she’d created, then closed her eyes and enjoyed the deep tissue massage one of the other demons was giving her. “You should do this more often, you know. I’d like it more if it wasing from you. Or Fay…”


    Fay blushed, and Riven outwardlyughed and shook his head in amazement.


    Julie was less enthused by it, and her voice quivered when she spoke next to Hakim. “Didn’t these creatures eat John and Sara? Sara… she was pregnant… She was so nice…”


    “We ate them long before you knew her.” One of the skinwalkers said, cocking its head to the side from a perched position up above in the webbing. “The person you always talked to was actually me. I am the Sara you’ve known all along. My real name is Selzi, and yes - I am actually pregnant with child. That is not false.”


    This admission was something of a shock to Julie, who didn’t know how to handle the information at all. She stuttered twice, had a series of conflicting emotions cross her face, and then she simply turned to leave - walking out the hole used as a door with Hakim quickly following.


    “Interesting. As long as they’re not hostile I don’t mind.” Tim stated with a shrug. “Going to start on your crafting gig today?”


    “In a few hours, yes.” Riven nodded, letting Fay help him up and feeling his soul jolt when a strand of Gluttony yanked a little too hard on one of his shattered fragments. “Uhm, I’m going to need to rest for a while though. I have an off-world meetingter today with The Blood Moon Requiem, so I’ll probably be out ofmission for while. If you need me, just talk to my demons - they’ll be staying here while I’m gone excluding Fay. She’ll be escorting me to the vampirepound back home. Latest, we’ll be gone until tomorrow morning.”


    Tim frowned, and Len’sughter was heard alongside Tanya and Genua outside. “Just what exactly is The Blood Moon Requiem anyway? Not a lot is known about it on the forums, all the Panu forummunity knows is you’re registered as a lost prince of that ce and it has to do with off-world vampires.”


    “That’s basically all there is to it. Space vampires.”


    Tim snorted augh at Riven’s deadpan expression. “Alright, fine. Keep your secrets!”


    They exchanged smiles and a handshake - Riven already feeling week from standing for more than a dozen seconds. “Alright man I’ll see you when I get back. Ath? Mind making that thing bigger for Fay and I to join?”


    “YOU’RE JOINING?!” Ath eximed in a squeal of delight, immediately opening her eyes and getting to work in a blur of motion that sent strands of blood webbing in numerous directions. “Ooooh a midday nap! I’m so excited to cuddle with the two of you! Skinwalkers, take a hike. I need private time with my man and subus friend.”


    “Yes, mydy!” Ak’ra - Selzi’s husband, grabbed the other skinwalker and abruptly shifted, turning into their Sara and John figures before exiting the bloodsilk nest with over twenty other skinwalkers in tow. They all bowed or said respectful well wishes, and one of them even offered Tim help training his thieving ss up.


    “You’re willing to help level my pickpocket ability?” Tim asked, repeating the offer this unknown demon had justid out. His freckled face twisted into a confused half-smile. “Why? I would certainly appreciate it but… why me?”


    The skinwalker’s bald head bowed low. “You are friends of the great one, it would be an honor to help you along with your ss evolutions! I have a very simr ss involving subterfuge as well, and I too have the pickpocket skill. When I overheard your mother Tanya talking about it, I told myself that I should ask. Not to brag, but I am rather good at it.”


    “Sounds like a good deal to me.” Riven said encouragingly, smiling at the continued look of surprise on Tim’s face.


    Tim, for his part, slowly nodded and then gave Riven and the two women standing with him a wave. “I’ll see youter tonight or tomorrow! Good luck with your meeting!”


    “Thanks man. Adios for now.”


    Thest of them left, leaving Riven standing with an arm over Fay’s blue shoulders to support himself and staring at the nest’s entrance.


    “You two just going to stand there looking sexy or am I going to have to drag the both of you down with me?” Ath saidzily from the back, getting a sharp inhale from Fay when she and Riven turned around to look at the other demoness.


    Ath was missing her chitin now, the outer shellyer she usually wore was gone and in its ce was softer ck skin - emphasizing her nowpletely bare feminine qualities. She was seductivelyid out with her head propped up on one hand, and grinning at the two of them like a predator about to pounce. Hiking up a pointer finger, she wed in the air signifying them toe to her. “I’m waiting…”


    “Didn’t realize it was going to be that kind of nap!” Rivenughed, sitting down on the bloodsilk that’d been very rapidly transitioned from hammock into a pseudo-bed. He winced when he put his entire weight down, his lumbar spine screaming at him with the act, and jolts of his injured soul painfully lit up when his mana channels that connected his physical body to his soul realm twitched. “I may not be able to be as active as I usually am.”


    Fayughed, gently pushing him forward into Ath’s grip and helping him up onto the bed. “We can do the work, don’t worry. Just rx, enjoy the sunshine, and let us put on a show that I’m sure you’ll enjoy.”


    “Did you tell him yet?” Ath asked curiously, pushing her warm body up against his with a gleeful grin.


    “Of course I did!” Fay promptly replied - kicking off her knee-high boots andughing at the smug look Riven was making when Ath started taking off his belt. “I couldn’t keep that a secret for long! You know that. He approves, just like you’d said he would.”


    Ath giggled evilly. “Yeah I kind of counted on it, let me avoid the discussion myself. Alright, cat’s out of the bag - now let’s have some fun!”


    ***


    Helicopter des whirred about them, beating against the air and delivering Riven, Fay, and Allie at The Blood Moon Requiem’spound where dozens of vampire soldiers bearing Wraithtide’s sigil of an orb wreathed in deathly ck-teal mes stood at attention.


    Allie gave the necropolis pilot a thumbs up. “Thanks Jack, we’ve got it from here!”


    “No problem my queen, always a pleasure to escort you from ce to ce.” The military man in the cockpit gave her a thumbs up back through the window, and when the three others were off - began lifting up off thending spot before heading towards the airfields their military were using.


    Riven and Allie watched the helicopter go as Fay adjusted Riven’s legs on the wheelchair.


    “Remind me to ask General Viku about getting some modification specs for our own fleet on Panu.” Allie muttered under her breath when the sound of the beating des keeping the machine aloft were no longer heard. “If what you say about Wraithtide’s fleet is correct, they’re thousands of years in development ahead of us. Maybe more.”


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    “Probably more.” Riven nodded in agreement. “But I doubt it would work. Already asked Kathrine about this and she said the system would either tax the evesting hell out of that kind of knowledge, or in the more likely scenario - it’dpletely stop it froming at all through numerous means including and not limited to smiting people dead. That kind of knowledge would be something that could shift the bnce of these world trials and the politicalndscape so fast and so drastically that Elysium likely just wouldn’t allow it.”


    Allie’s shoulder’s sagged. “Damn. And speak of the devil…”


    Out of the innerpound where the main body of the fortress was located, came Kathrine. Her long brown hair was swept to one side and the usual style of a form fitting ck dress with red flowers of her house on it was worn yet again - though she had six of her own personal house guards with her.


    She took about twenty seconds to reach them, then nodded in greeting to both Fay and Allie - getting polite smiles in return, before giving a genuine grin Riven’s way. She then bowed low at the waist. “Riven… I never got to say thank you for saving my life. What you did, using your malignant prophecy to make sure that I didn’t die, has both me and my parents flustered in a good way. None of us are sure how we will ever repay your kindness.”


    Riven waved a hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about it. You’ve had a rough time now, with two attempts on your life since getting here and you’ve never done me wrong.”


    She raised her head and straightened her posture, a soft gaze lingering on him before turning heel and gesturing them to follow. “Suitable words from my future husband, I suppose. Come now, your family is waiting for you on the other side.”


    Allie and Fay shared a look, each of them rolling their eyes while Fay pushed Riven ahead - letting the vampiric guards fall in line around them while they marched into the walls of the innerpound.


    Construction was still underway concerning repairs, and there were many corridors and rooms that still held bloodstains. The bodies had been cleaned out and servants were putting the walls back in ce with various kinds of crafting magic, but they all stopped to prostrate themselves when the three royals passed.


    “Anything I should know about this meeting?” Riven asked curiously, turning a corner in the inner sanctum of the fortress and eventuallying to a stop inside the ritual room he’d usedst time.


    Kathrine cleared her throat and nodded to the wizards, sorcerers and ritualists lining the area - signaling them to start the process when the runes and crystals began lighting up. “Not necessarily concerning your family, no. General Viku no doubt knows more about the inner squabbling than I do, and he is a trustworthy man that served your mother well. I have no doubt he has your best interest in mind so if in doubt, ask him for any advice you might want. As for the rest of what recently transpired…”


    Her voice trailed off and her face fell, red eyes casting themselves to the floor and porcin features contorting with worry. “The empire is not in a good ce right now. There will be political upheavals at worst, assassinations are being carried out daily in one sector of the empire or another, and the elder council has congregated to enter seclusion indefinitely until they can fix whatever it is they are trying to fix about this problem. Elder Thune and High Queen Nephridi have always been at odds, but it’s never been this bad before.”


    “No point in worrying about things we can’t fix, but sending that little bitch Lord Barimont to force Allie’s hand like that was an absolute no go.” Riven shrugged. “Neither of us have regrets.”


    “You got that right… He tried killing Lahn.” Allie muttered venomously. “Good riddance.”


    Kathrineughed, shaking her head while Fay remained still and silent. “Good gods… Are the two of you ready to enter the ritual? I believe it is ready to activate.”


    ***


    Riven’s hologram form materialized on board the supercarrier right on time, and General Viku’s spirits rose when - for the very first time - heid eyes on Allie’s figure alongside the prince. There was also Kathrine Vonsi Crushada, but she was less important to General Viku than the two heirs of his house were.


    “My prince, princesses!” General Viku bowed low and took a knee, the glow of light from above reflecting off his perfectly shaved head and polished te armor. “Your highnesses! Thank you foring. I sincerely appreciate the time you’re taking out of your doubtlessly busy schedules in order to run the inheritance your parents left behind! Much is needing to be done.”


    The walk through the gship was just as awe inspiring to Allie as it’d been to Riven, with the bay doors shielded by some kind of forcefield being the same exact point she stopped this time around - a replica of how he’d been taken so aback by seeing the neb and starship fleet of sleek, dagger-like ck and red vessels outside inary orbit.


    “Wow…” Allie said, just staring absolutely wide-eyed at the thousands of craft floating with the backdrop of a beautiful starry disy. “This is incredible… Riven! Why didn’t you tell me about this!?”


    She whirled and red at him usingly, getting augh from his spectral self-image.


    “I did tell you about it! You just chose to ignore it.”


    “Did not! This is WAY cooler than you made the previous trip out to be!”


    Fay was equally stunned, and came up to the forcefield’s edge while gawking into the abyss beyond. “This is incredible…”


    “Right?!” Allie agreed with a huge smile, joining Fay at the lip of the drop off while lights blinked randomly throughout the fleet beyond.


    Kathrine cleared her throat, getting Riven’s attention while General Viku grinned in satisfaction at the reaction Allie was having to the tour.


    “Yes, Kathrine?” Riven asked, ncing left to where her own spectral visage stood beside him.


    Kathrine beamed. “I think you two shoulde visit my own ce sometime, now that General Viku was kind enough to create such a message delivery system. My parents have been wanting to meet you, and Allie as well, to discuss potential trade negotiations and uing wedding ceremonies scheduled for next yet. Would that be alright?”


    “Next year?” Riven repeated - suddenly struck dumb. “That’s… awfully close.”


    Kathrine’s face fell into a concerned frown. “Is something the matter? I’d already talked to Ath about things like you’d said and she understood the situation… I hope there aren’t second thoughts on the matter. I realize that our rtionship will never be real, and is more of a political ploy for both our houses as well as a means to acquire more of the gift for the empire - but…”


    Riven shook his head, giving her an encouraging smile. “No, you’re fine. It’s just hitting me a bit harder now that you’re giving me a timeline. Sorry if I came out as shocked.”


    Her eyes searched him for a bit, and she took in a deep breath before steeling herself. “Very well. I’ll tell my parents you need to have some more time, and if we need to put a hold on the wedding we can. Whatever makes things mostfortable for you.”


    They stared at each other in silence for a solid ten seconds after that, while Fay and Allie continued to point out things to one another at the edge of the pilot’s bay like little school children at the zoo.


    “Thank you, Kathrine.” Riven eventually replied, and he gave a nod. “That would be appreciated. I’ll meet your parents in time, just… give me a bit. With everything that’s happening, I’m beginning to feel overwhelmed.”


    “Of course.” She politely smiled back, though the smile no longer reached the corners of her eyes. “I’m sorry if politics have corrupted your view of our empire. It really isn’t that bad of a ce most of the time.”


    “Questionable.” General Viku muttered with a sideways nce, getting the attention of both Kathrine and Riven simultaneously. His red eyes narrowed. “It’s a cesspool. One that the queen has been trying to clear up for some time, but the corruption is rampant and the other elders make things hard for the rest of us. At least, that is my opinion. I am, however, far older than you princess - I am sure you’ll probablye to the same conclusion as I eventually given time. Your parents are good people though, so at least you have that going for you.”


    Princess Kathrine Vonsi Crushada was somewhat taken aback by this statement, but she shook herself out of her momentary shock at being addressed by this high ranking military official with a curtsy. “Thank you for your kind words concerning my parents, and for the insight you have granted me. I will meditate upon your wisdom and seek answers, I assure you.”


    General Viku scoffed with an eye roll, then quickly corrected himself and shook his head like a wet dog. “Sorry, princess! I did not mean that as a rude thing. I just don’t need to be addressed as formally or cated with such aggrandizing words, I am a mere head of House Wraithtide’s military. A privatized general of the empire. Nothing more.”


    The rest of the tour was much the same asst time. The central deck showed therge constructed stargate with merchant fleetsing in and out, as well as therge space station they were docking in and the Luteski far below.


    “51.23 Million vampire citizens, and over 6 billion ves.” General Viku stated after a while of shocked stares from the two women who hadn’t been here before. He turned his bald head to meet Allie’s respondent gaze. “That is what your family lords over and controls. It is your inheritance, where your brother - and you to a lesser extent as second in line to the house name after your parents left - is able to make and changews that determine the way people life. To most if not all of those ves, your word isw. You are gods to them, so far out of their reach that they can’t evenprehend it.”


    Allie blinked. “Why are you telling me this like you’re trying to make a point?”


    General Viku gave a sad smile. “Because, Princess Allie Wraithtide, though it is Riven’s name that holds the most dominant power of this house - it is you with the true power behind it. After speaking with Riven previously and after watching the two of you on Panu, it is very apparent to me that Riven is a weapon. A sword that he begrudgingly shapes himself into in order to make his own version of the world. He is a threat, a hidden dagger you use to spearhead your advancement of the civilization you are building on the frontier - and he allows you to do this because he loves you. Would I be wrong in assuming that it will likely be a shared venture between the two of you when running Luteski?”


    Allie slowly began to blush at the mention of Riven’s brotherly affection toward her, but Riven gave her a warm smile and calmed her down - allowing her to nod. “You’re probably right. What about it?”


    General Viku chuckled and folded his arms while his gaze shot back to the and merchant fleets beyond the window. “Because though you haven’t yet been to the empire up until now, your name is already known far and wide as being absolutely ruthless. It is a quality many of our kind are proud of, proud of FOR you! It is needed in your line of work, in order to get things done properly. To crush your enemies into dust so that order may remain.”


    The man sighed, then fully faced the young woman with determination set in his hardened jawline. “Those enemies I speak of live within your own house, princess. Before you enter into the room where your extended family is now gathered here on this ship, know this: they are not your friends. They are vultures, maggots trying to eat away at the diseased corpse of the dying animal that was your house so that they could squeeze thest of life and prosperity from it before its end. They are corrupt beyond measure, and they think only for themselves. Given there are a few of them that aren’t like this, but that’s how most of them are - and I want you to be very aware of this before speaking to them. They have the smiles of snakes, and the venom to go along with it. The reports I give you when we meet the rest of your family will show some of these things in an obvious light, while other things are not as well defined - but Kathrine will be there to guide you if she sees things amiss. Things that I myself have seen, where you can make jumps of logic even despite not having true proof. Now, are you ready to go in there? Are you ready to pull out that cloak of ruthlessness that you so readily use back on Panu? Are you willing to do what needs to be done in order to better the lives of your citizens? Because if not, if you are not ready to face the family branches, we may perhaps want to postpone this meeting to another date.”