Chapter 307: Chapter 307

“Quick, Dad, get her! She’s coming after me!”

“I got your back, keep moving.”

Jake leaned out from behind the blue pillar, and aimed downfield as he spotted his ravenwolf son, Timothy, flapping his wings and weaving through the almost net of beams and pillars as he fled. Visible laser beams shot at him, the boy just barely dodging as he flew erratically.

Spotting the snake girls gaining on him, he took several shots, striking their vests and causing them to light up.

Sharona huffed, looking down at her vest flashing. She had around a minute before she could participate again, and she had to head to the red base first as well. “Aww. We almost got him!”

Blaze looked around, then pointed back toward their base. “Quick, let’s go hide by the fort. Then we’ll flank the others!”

The two quickly slithered off, weaving between the pillars and keeping themselves out of sight. Jake was always amazed to see how well they moved three-dimensionally, moving up, over, or around obstacles effortlessly.

Timothy landed near Jake, breathing heavily. “Thanks, Dad. They ambushed me, and I just barely got away!”

“It’s good that you did. Taiki and I were about to move out and go to conquer their base. Come with us, but keep a low profile. We are going to sneak up on them.”

Timothy got a determined look, crouching down with Jake. “Awesome, let’s do it!”

Watching and waiting, they moved through the laser tag battleground and crossed over to the red side. It was like a jungle of beams and pillars and small tunnels and structures, with plenty of places to hide or approach the main bases. Laser firing could be heard all around them, the many girls engaging each other across the battlefield.

Avalara’s disembodied voice recording suddenly spoke to them through their vests, “Warning: Our base is under attack.”

Timothy whispered, “Who’s watching our base?”

Jake quietly replied, “The moms. Nora, Clara, and Aiko are on offense too, trying to flank the enemy from the other side, to help us get an opening. We’ll just have to trust that your moms will stop your snake sisters.”

The teams were largely snakes versus birds, but since the snake girls outnumbered the rest with the treants playing defense on both teams, a couple more moms ended up on team bird to even out the teams a bit.

They moved quietly over toward the other end of the map, arriving at the fortress-like base. The small party of boys spotted the defending treant girl high on the fortress wall.

“Ah, here we are. It’s important to keep moving. Fire, move, hide, wait until someone else pops out to hit your treant sister, and then move again as you hear their focus move. Remember, your vests must be visible if you’re firing.”

The boys nodded, and they continued. As they got closer, they had no choice but to enter what was basically a killing field in front of the enemy fortress. Jake’s treant daughters’ cute faces lit up as they spotted them, and they laughed as they started firing their laser repeaters.

He had to tuck and roll over to a pillar to avoid being tagged by the rapid-fire lasers, and his boys dashed as they spread out and returned fire.

The treant children were not quite as mobile, and got tired from running a lot. So for them, they made it so they were often the defenders, and wouldn’t have to run back to base each time if they got taken out. They stood on perches up on top of the fortress, strapped in with their vines, which allowed them to fire on those approaching even from a long distance if they were accurate enough and caught people between covers.

Instead, the treant children could take a number of laser hits before needing to sit out for a period, unable to fire their weapon. Not only that, they received what were a lot like semi-machine gun laser rifles, in that they could fire much more rapidly than the pistols.

The two boys and Jake returned fire, tagging them several times as they executed their strategy. Eventually, the two treant daughters were taken out, their vests flashing and their lasers no longer firing.

“Aww.” Ava’s daughter kicked the ground, and pouted. “I didn’t get any of you!”

The other daughter was smiling, and Jake could tell she had fun as she complained, “You’re too fast, and you keep hiding! No fair!”

He waved and smiled at his cute tree daughters before they moved stealthily through the rest of the base, and neared the final area near the target. He had signaled to his sons to stay back a bit, which he was thankful for.

Because Jake could feel a sort of change in the air, and a feeling that he was being watched. Of course, he could use his mana sensory or his Umbral Gaze, but they tried to keep things more mundane for their battles to keep things fair to the kids.

He held out his hand as he hid behind a pillar. “Wait, boys. I think…your mother Bloodberri is here. I want you two to hide back a bit and wait for the right moment. Then after she makes herself vulnerable, go for the win.”

Taiki chirped sadly, and Timothy pouted. “But Dad, you can’t sacrifice yourself! You’re the Chief!”

Jake arched his brow at them. “It’s just a game, not life or death, remember? This chief here will do what it takes to win, as long as it doesn’t involve cheating. Now c’mon.”

He rushed forward, moving through the fortress maze. He still hid and paused, letting the boys keep up, but he made sure to observe everything around him–especially above.

A golden loop of tail zigzagged around some pillars, before suddenly unfurling a big surprise: a laser pistol, gripped by the tip of her tail and pointed at Jake’s chest.

He swayed backward, avoiding the laser shot, but the laser gun was tossed upward–into Berri’s waiting hand above him–she had snuck from above, moving quickly. Jake almost managed to point his pistol from the odd position and shoot her vest in time, but he was just in shock by the overall maneuver, delaying him fractions of a second.

She tagged him in the chest, his vest flashing.

Jake frowned as he stood up. “Ah, crud.”

“I knew you’d come here, Jakey! I got you!” Berri danced, her body and tail swaying back and forth.

Two laser shots tagged her in the vest at the same time, from Timothy and Taiki.

Blood groaned. “I told you he wasn’t alone, sister! You just had to showboat! Still, that was a killer move.”

The two sons dashed forward, heading deeper into the base, where the target to destroy for victory awaited.

Jake said, “You two be careful! They probably have more heading back!”

Timothy saluted as he ran off. “We got it, Chief! Your sacrifice will be forever remembered!”

Jake smiled at Berri. “That move was pretty great. Your idea?”

Avalara’s warning rang out from her vest that her base was under attack, but Berri talked over it, replying, “You bet! It’s hard to find cool moves within the rules, and I have to be creative. I’m a biiiig target.”

They had to change rules multiple times, because the snake girls had such unique advantages with their lengthy bodies. Originally, they had blocked their vests with their tails, then they had started firing their guns from behind cover where it was impossible to counter them, among many other sneaky tricks, until they outlawed these.

The lights of the area lit up repeatedly as his sons no doubt fired on the base, Berri’s vest giving her the same warning that her base was under attack. What was likely a dozen shots or so from both boys later, Avalara’s voice came through speakers. “Game over. Team Blue wins!”

They started moving toward the center, the family heading to meet up as they often did after the rounds. But Taiki and Timothy ran out from the base, beelining for Jake.

“Yay! We did it, Dad! We beat Rena and Nyxa too!”

Jake laughed and hugged his two sons to him, Taiki chirping happily all the while. “Good job, boys. You had fun?”

Taiki chirped happily some more as he nodded, nuzzling into Jake’s chest as he ruffled their ears on top of their heads. Timothy replied, “It was awesome! Taiki is so fast, and his tail even whipped around the other side of a pillar and got a shot in! Nora and Clara helped, too.”

Rena and Nyxa came from behind them, and looked on at them with wry smiles. “Those two were too fast for us, with Nora and Clara covering them from the other side…”

Everyone eventually arrived at the center, giving their good game hugs and high-fives, talking about their different almost-wins and ‘deaths.’ Fun was had by all, and this wasn’t their first match for the day. They often chose different aspects of the games to be tweaked, playing different games within the laser tag arena.

They could change up the teams, alter how many teams were in the game, and they could also get rid of the base objectives and lower the cooldowns on the ‘deaths’ and just go for points, and many more options.

They had already played a few games, the free-for-all melee sort of tag game a constant choice of theirs.

Blood addressed the kids, “Now, I hope everyone had their fun for now–mommies and Daddy are going to go off and relax.”

A chorus of awws rang out, though many of them nodded happily–understanding that their parents could definitely use some time to relax.

Jake chuckled, and added, “We’ll play again later, don’t worry. For now, you can play among yourselves some more here for a bit, or head over to the arcade. The prizes have been restocked, and–”

Nora interrupted, “Prizes! Oh, I wanted to win that Janda plushy this time! Let’s go, Clara!”

Clara nodded, and was quick to rush out of the arena with several others.

There was a chorus of yeahs! And talk about what they wanted to buy with their points, as most of the many kids stormed out, except for the much slower treant children, and a few others.

Rena and Nyxa paused and turned to them. “Don’t worry, Moms and Dad! We’ll watch the little ones as they play.”

Nyxa added, “Relax and enjoy–we all know how hard you’ve worked, especially you, Yona. Thanks for always watching over us.”

Yona smiled at them. “Thanks for watching them for me, nya. Do call on me if you need anything!”

Rena nodded and said goodbye, and Blaze took a moment to pout at Jake. “You need to hurry up and unlock the JBB form, so I can collect it!” ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝~𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖~𝕟𝕖𝕥

Sharona said, “We didn’t win all the Space Wars ones yet. Let’s go, I still need that bergling action figure!”

Ophelia chuckled, watching the rest of them leave with a wry smile, and her wings fluttering. “Off they go to enjoy their gambling for children. To earn points for prizes or capture stuffed animals.”

Tanda’s tail was wagging, and she was getting excited for what was about to happen next. “You say that, but you look like you want to go too.”

“I do. I would like to fight Nora and Clara in the fighting games; I know they were looking forward to it. But I’m excited to relax with my Chosen, and have some girl time, too.”

Jake chuckled. “We’ll get time for everything, not to worry. The kids won’t be tired of those games for a few hours, and if they are, they’ll just play in one of the escape or play rooms.”

Blood added, “And all it takes to get them excited again is to bring out some new prizes. You won’t miss out.”

Berri nodded. “That’s right! I can’t wait to go play some more with them too. But I’m still beat from that fight. Calling Echidna is tiring, and I can’t wait to enjoy Jakey in the bath. Let’s go!”

Jake arrived in the hot springs first by himself, wearing his red and gold swimming trunks. The expansive room was heavily influenced by his and Nessa’s honeymoon experience, feeling like they were outdoors even though it was all inside. A haze of steam covered the room, with plenty of stacked stones and green plants, including lilies floating on the water.

There were several areas with different pools separated by stairs, and even a cave leading over to another grotto for more private rendezvous.

Jake groaned as he lowered himself into the warm water. Hot enough to scald or burn a human from Earth to death, the water felt fantastic on Jake’s skin. The steam wafting off the water opened Jake’s pores, and the vitality and mana running through the water currents gave him a pleasant tingle on his skin as he waded through the water to find his seat.

There were a few concentric rings of stone that somehow stayed under the surface just enough to sit on for their larger bodies, which would help facilitate their massage and pampering ring. He sat down and faced the entrance, just in time for his wives and future wives to arrive.

They appeared in flashes of light, the ten, or eleven women, depending on how you looked at it. They were all wearing swimsuits, to help make the others more comfortable, even if many were perfectly fine being naked in front of each other–the girls often took baths together, after all. But Ruby and Yona hadn’t yet been intimate with Jake, and he really wasn’t wanting this to just become a giant orgy and to have it happen at that time.

Even if he was certain that plan would get tossed in the end, several of his wives present, such as Ophelia and Nessa, were not interested in that kind of activity. So he would do his best to make sure to avoid making them uncomfortable.

There would likely be a time when a few of them snuck off to the grotto for a while, but he would stick to the plan of relaxing and bonding in a more family-friendly way first.

Most of them had chosen simple red and gold bikinis–the colors of their family, aside from a few standouts. Fhesiah was in her draconic form, to Jake’s surprise, and had picked a g-string, which was not a surprise at all. Bloodberri also had a surprise with what was bikini bottoms as well–she once again had her gap in her thighs, somehow.

And Avalara had come with both of her lesser avatars, each wearing leafy one-pieces.

Avalara had mentioned to him she thought she wasn’t far from being able to manage a third or fourth lesser avatar without straining her mind and soul too heavily. While this didn’t have many true advantages, as she mostly used them as nannies, she may be able to do something else special with them soon.

Nessa, Ruby, and Yona had selected cute one-piece swimsuits with an open back as well. Nessa’s was blue and gold, Yona’s was a pristine white, and Ruby’s was a blood-red color that matched the tips of her hair and her pupils, as well as her nails, he noticed.

Fhesiah posed, showing off her slightly changed body. She was trying to differentiate her two forms a little more, it seemed, allowing this form to appear just a little more muscular, around Ophelia’s level, and with a smattering of bronze scales in more areas.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Faye placed a hand on her hip, standing a little askew to show off her bikini body. “What do you think, Husband? Don’t we all look amazing?”

The other girls were all too happy to spin around and show off their swimsuits, and Jake smiled at all of them, taking time to meet each of their eyes one by one. He shared his thoughts with those that could hear them as he did and said aloud, “I’m a blessed and lucky man; there’s never been a doubt in my mind about that. You all look fantastic.” He added, for those he couldn’t yet share his thoughts, “And Yona and Ruby, you both look sexy and cute in yours. They’re very fitting, and I’m glad that you both could join us.”

The two girls in question blushed, and their tails reacted in different ways–the badger girl’s tail swayed rapidly, but in a narrow pattern, while Yona’s twin tails rippled before they straightened upward.

Done posing, the girls started walking over to the stone steps to enter into the hot springs. Tanda’s tail wagged lazily behind her as she entered, her smile beaming as her knees went under. “Ohh, I love that–it’s so warm!”

Blood moaned as her snake body entered as well. “Mmmm, that’s wonderful. Thanks for getting this set up, Faye and Nessa. The water feels great.”

Fhesiah grinned as she stepped in too. “Nessa nearly did the cold pool all by herself. I’m sure she’s hoping to enjoy some time alone with our dear husband.”

Nessa blushed from next to her, wading into the water as well. “That’s not fair to point out. Most of us are hoping for some time alone with him, not just me.”

Fhesiah chuckled as she looked to Avalara, Bree, and Ophelia. “Ah yes, you battle junkies get awfully excited around this time, don’t you? You did just battle it out against some pretty challenging enemies.”

Ophelia snorted. “As opposed to you, who’s excited all the time?”

Avalara giggled, her deer ears wiggling. “Now, now. I know you are teasing in good fun, but we’re supposed to be here to relax. Let’s make this a positivity zone. Only compliments and good feelings from here on out. And preferably, no war talk, unless it’s to praise your clanmates for their valor.”

Tanda smiled, her tail wagging underwater, and her raven wings fluttering. “Oh! I like that.”

Jake greeted each of his girls in the water with hugs and kisses, each finding their seats and sighing as they enjoyed the pleasant heat and vitality of the water for a few minutes. Already some happy discussion about their kids started popping up, soft laughs and playful splashes and movements through the water as they got the hang of their new location.

He looked over his girls, with Ophelia and Tanda flanking him, their firm but soft bodies pressed up against him. “So, how are we doing this? I feel like there are enough of us and of different sizes and desires for grooming and things that the logistics are complicated.”

Blood chuckled from across the ring. Berri had been complimenting Nessa for representing snakes in Team Wind. “You’re right, Milord–even dinner these days is a quite complicated affair, requiring planning, but worry not. I have taken care of it. You need only pamper the woman in front of you, with some help.” She nodded over to the inner ring, where it rose up to match her desired height, and Nessa sat down proudly, with one of Avalara’s avatars standing next to her.

Jake arched his brow at her, wondering why she in particular was going first, and she smiled. “We decided on this order because, well… Blood and Faye have something planned in the middle, before we switch to the cold pool.”

The girls all started to get in position around the ring, Jake’s eyebrows rising. Rather than form a sort of massage circle, it seemed they were performing various activities.

He waded over to Nessa, and kissed her on the lips before he helped her get into position on her stomach, as he could feel what she wanted.

Jake started to massage Nessa’s lower back, causing her to groan from his efforts. “Ahh, that feels amazing. Your strong hands, combined with the warm water…oh!”

Avalara started pressing into her heel with both her thumbs–massaging her foot.

“Mmm… I do like that. Thanks, Ava.”

“Hehe, it’s no problem at all. I’m really glad you joined our clan, Nessa. It’s in part thanks to your efforts that Jake and the rest can relax.”

Nessa groaned in happiness as Jake began chopping her back, giving her more pleasant sensations. “Mmm… What do you mean?”

“Love and Justice are here fighting and reducing our burden, aren’t they? And your unique talent allowed Clan Hart to split up, and fight on two, even three, fronts, with confidence. You’re an important addition to our clan, and I appreciate you.”

The other girls shared similar sentiments over their bond, and her heart soared with pride. “Thanks, Ava.”

Jake smiled at that, and he enjoyed the feeling of the water and steam as he worked, but he was focused on making his serpent wife feel good for now. She groaned as he kneaded a knotted muscle with his palm, and he continued his ministrations on her sensuous body with both his hands.

He observed the area around them as he always did with his Umbral Gaze and his many shared senses, and he realized that the other girls had all paired off.

Avalara’s other lesser avatar handed out grooming materials such as brushes and what looked to be some kind of water gun or massager, which he saw Tanda using on Ophelia. It cycled water through it underwater like a water jet, and seemed to be giving her pleasant sensations on her owl-like wings.

Bloodberri was working on Ruby, giving her a massage as she lay on the stone. Ruby was blushing, and Berri and Blood were giving her compliments.

Berri said, “I really like your hair; it’s cute! Sharona says she wants to have colored tips like you.”

Ruby smiled at that, and she seemed to be blushing at their attention on her. “Thanks, Berri. And thanks, Bloodberri, for the massage. It feels good…” She frowned.

Blood asked, “What’s the matter? You don’t seem to be enjoying yourself.”

“I’m…not sure that I deserve it. I didn’t…do anything. I was nearly a burden, according to Aisling.”

Blood shook her head. “That was merely prophecy, and it didn’t happen. In the end, you did well to control your urges, keeping yourself strong. The enemy was dangerous, but you helped keep the Aspect busy and give Tanda and Nessa more time to chase down the betrayer. Without your help, Ophelia may have been wounded terribly, or suffered a loss–one that she may not have fully come back from. The seal is as dangerous as it is powerful.”

Berri added, “Yeah! Don’t be down–you did great, and we value your help. I know it’s hard when it feels like you don’t excel, or don’t belong. It was like that for us at first, too.”

Ruby frowned, her tone questioning. “You? I… can’t imagine that. You’re both so amazing. But I feel like… I am empty. Aside from fighting and eating, I have nothing. And… compared to everyone else, I am weak.” Her fists clenched in front of her, her claw-like nails scraping the stone underwater.

Blood continued her massage of Ruby’s back. “Dark Lamia society is different from most, valuing power and pleasure, and nothing more. To Jake, we were…or perhaps it was only I that was a monster, from the beginning–hiding my influence on Berri from him entirely. And Faye and Lia were both so strong and capable, and with the walls that I had built up around us both… We felt the same as you. Thankfully, Berri stood up to me and didn’t give up in helping me trust others and find love. And Jake didn’t give up on us, wanting us to be our best selves.”

Berri added, “I think it’s okay if fighting is all you are ever good at–if you like it, what’s the problem? Don’t worry so much. Since you want to be more than a killer or a monster, we’ll help make sure that never happens! You can count on us.”

She leaned in and whispered, though Jake could still totally hear her. “Besides, you do like something else other than fighting–our Jakey. Don’t worry, it will happen eventually–he promised you, after all. I’m sure the time will be right soon enough.”

Ruby smiled at that. “Thanks, Bloodberri. You’re right, I’ll just…take my time. I’m truly lucky I ended up in this pack, this Clan.”

Yona turned to the side, where Sati was the one giving her a massage. She added, “You’re not the only one, nya. It was luck and fate that brought us here, in the shape of a nice, foxy dragon lady. I heard from Aunty Aria recently–my entire old clan is doing so well too! It’s all thanks to her, too.”

Fhesiah grinned from where Ophelia was digging into her back. “Ah yes, praise me more. See, Lia? Some are thankful for my hobbies.”

“Of course, I know that–things have certainly worked out for the better–how could I not see that after what happened with Sati? From the beginning, I respected your strength and your capability. I’m always amazed at what you manage to accomplish, and that’s the truth. The list of your talents is lengthy.”

“Don’t sell yourself short–it’s the same for you. You’ve proven to be a perfect ally and sister wife, and I’m truly glad that you’re the one who answered Jake’s call when he used that token. Why, you’re a million times better than a centaur, after all.”

Ophelia snorted. “Thanks, Faye.”

Fhesiah grinned. “In all seriousness, I do believe I’m blessed that it was you. You helped ground Jake, and kept me on a tight leash. I think we’re all better for it.”

“And yet you won’t stop training those fire elemental strippers behind my back.”

Fhesiah pouted. “That’s not fair to them at all! To call them strippers is like calling Sati a stripper. They are still finding themselves, and learning about the world. They didn’t have all the benefits Sati received, let alone a few extra years in a special trial. Besides, Sati has been spending time with them, too. It’s all aboveboard, I promise!”

Ophelia narrowed her eyes at that, but relented when she realized that grooming a bunch of fire elementals might be a little too far, even for her. They continued their chat, and Jake couldn’t help but chuckle. Already, it felt like the bonding was going well. He moved on to Nessa’s tail, and her body went rigid.

“Um, maybe not…while they’re around. It feels good, but… it’s very sensitive.” Nessa blushed.

Avalara giggled. “What’s the matter, Nessa? You don’t have to be embarrassed about a few pleased sighs, or a little more than that even. You’re among sisters and friends here, aren’t you? Besides, there’s at least one shameless one that will make the sounds you make easy to forget.”

Fhesiah took that moment to moan a little louder. “Mmm, my, my, Lia. Such strong hands, it feels so good. You know, you could work the lower half a little more, if you didn’t mind.”

“Oh sure, sister. I don’t mind at all.” She began massaging her ass and thigh–but really digging into Fhesiah, with her supernatural strength.

“Er, wait. Ow–maybe–ah! Not that hard. Wait–I’ve changed my mind.”

Nessa giggled at that, and then was happy to place her snake tail in his hands, and then wrapped the rest of it around his leg. She gave out her pleased sighs as he worked on her tail, relaxing into his touch. He made sure to share his thoughts about loving her form, the things that made her special, and thank her for all that she did.

The time eventually ran out, and now it was Jake’s turn to be on the receiving end, lying down on the slab. Nessa and Ava worked on his back and legs first, digging into his flesh pleasantly. The warm, energizing water soothed his muscles and skin in a way that almost had him feeling floaty, buzzing with contentment. And then his wives’ hands worked out the knots in his body, giving him more pleasurable sensations.

He noticed that all the other girls had switched, reciprocating their treatment, continuing their conversations.

Nessa eventually cycled out to join another, and now Jake worked on Avalara’s avatar with Ophelia.

Avalara giggled a little, “Hehe, but this body doesn’t really do all the hard work!”

Ophelia was massaging her back. “You’re still always working hard for us, and taking care of our kids besides. We appreciate you.”

Jake was running a brush through her tail tuft and hair, and he added, “We can bring your battle avatar in here later, and we’ll all get the brushes out.”

Avalara laughed as she imagined that. “That’s silly! No, that’s okay. I didn’t make that body for fun, though I’m a little jealous of Bree’s dual capability.”

Bree was enjoying Ruby chopping her shoulders, and she replied. “I can teach you how I did it, Ava. We may be a different mixture of plant and beast flesh, but we should be able to make it work.”

“Mm…no offense, I do love your body, but I just don’t feel like a body like yours fits me. I like my mate to be stronger than me, to be able to pin me down, and…” She giggled. “Sorry. You know?”

Bree became thoughtful. “Hmm…we’ll have to give that a try–I can see some value in that. I’m sure there’s some combination where Jake could…” She trailed off, thinking about how maybe Jake could pin her down properly.

The many girls’ hearths flickered, their desire increasing as they thought about what they might enjoy.

Ophelia pouted. “Hey. At this rate, you’re going to make us all horny. Maybe we should move this to the cold water pool before…”

Jake did his best to push out his Presence, calming his wives.

Now Fhesiah pouted. “Awww, and we were inching closer to my desired result, and without me doing or saying anything! Still, as much as I am enjoying this, I did hope a few of us could explore the grotto with our dear husband sooner rather than later.”

Ophelia snorted. “Explore, huh? I did suspect that it would come sooner than we planned. I can tell Jake likes the idea.”

Jake didn’t need to defend himself. Of course, hearing his wives soft sighs and quiet moans with so much of their flesh on display filled him with desire. But he intended to focus on relaxing, and helping his wives relax for a little longer.

After Ophelia’s turn was Yona’s. Most of his wives had grown in size more or less at the same time that he did, or were in the Second Tier when he met them. So seeing his large hands on her much smaller body was a bit shocking. Yona was smaller, but clearly more mature than his daughters, which was a stark contrast.

The girl in question started purring after just a few moments. “Mmm, that feels so good, nya. I could just fall asleep.”

“Thanks for all that you do for our children, Yona.”

“I like it! They’re so much fun. They’re all handling your being away just fine. Of course, Avalara passing messages helps. I wish I had that ability…”

Jake smiled at her, and scratched her ears on top of her head above the water. “We’ll find some time to further our bond together soon, I’m sure. Then that won’t be an issue.”

She smiled at this. “I know that. I’m excited; I know you’ll make it magical. I’ve heard all the other girls’ stories already.”

Yona was relaxed, and he could feel the contentment from her purring and over their bond, and in her odd moon and stars hearth flame. He could tell deep down that she deeply desired him, but she kept it out of her thoughts and words so as not to burden him. A truly loving, patient, and caring woman.

When it was time for her to massage him instead, she ran her retractable clawed fingers through his hair. He enjoyed the pleasant sensations as she scratched his scalp, and the reversal of the role as Ruby helped massage him.

Next was Ruby to be massaged; the badgerdillo girl hesitantly got onto the slab with Fhesiah joining to help take care of her.

Ruby asked, “Um, can I smell you while we do this?”

Jake smiled at that. Tanda, Bree, and Avalara all loved to bask in Jake’s scent plenty as well. “No problem.”

He sat with her draped over his lap, and began brushing her hair and tail. She made sniffing and chuffing sounds, and pleasant sighs as he ran the brush through her fur. Ruby had a smiling, contented expression, a calm sweeping over her as he took care of her.

Fhesiah said in his mind, [Wow, that was fast. She was still a bundle of nerves and anxiety even after our pep talk, but you sure tamed her quickly.]

Jake considered the badger girl. She was still finding herself, and trying to find her place in the world. While Fhesiah sort of raised her, it was more that she found her among the many Bloodbeast Sect experiments and favored her, helping her survive them.

Ruby had shown a tenacious will even among the many surviving monsters in the heretical urn, and that continued as she found sapience and sentience and entered the Second Tier. This was a rarity that made her special, both to have that occur and also to stay pure despite the tainted blood’s corruption–with or without Fhesiah’s help.

As for her looks, it seemed she had taken much from the vampire noble that Fhesiah had defeated. Perhaps, the closest body type to hers was Bloodberri’s, but a shrunk-down version and a more lithe, or streamlined appearance.

He wouldn’t be surprised if she changed some more as she found confidence in herself and made her choices. Odds were, each of his wives would change a little as they became Hearthians, as well.

“Thank you for fighting for me and my family. Like my wives said, you’ve done well. I saw your fight, and I was impressed. One could say that your actions saved the day and helped us capture the betrayers, in the end.”

Ruby’s eyes widened. “Really? You’re not just…saying that? I don’t…see how.”

Jake shook his head. “I’m not just saying that. As I was choosing where to Reverse Summon, I had strongly considered joining Team Wind to help. I had watched through Ophelia's and Tanda’s eyes, and because I saw you handling the Aspect of Eternal Night and Sati was on her way, I knew I could count on your strength to buy them some time. I chose to help capture the betrayers instead.”

Ruby tilted her head, still a little doubtful, and Fhesiah hummed as she massaged Ruby’s feet. “I hadn’t thought of that. So maybe Aisling’s vision had a bigger impact than I had imagined–if you hadn’t shown up when you did, the two betrayers would have been erased without question. We’d all have forgotten the ringleaders and their crimes and threats, other than Calix.”

Sati nodded. “Fortune and fate are capricious; even a small thread changed can alter and remake the entire tapestry.”

Jake asked Ruby, “So you hear that? You performed an important action, that nobody else could do because you were there. I appreciate you working hard and being strong for this family. Like everyone else, you deserve a reward as well.”

Ruby smiled. “I…thanks, Chief. I did get a bit of a reward when the Aspect and Champion died, just from being in your party; I can feel it. But…this is wonderful too. I could just lay here forever.”

Jake smiled at that, continuing to alternate brushing her tail and scratching the base of her ears as she sniffed his stomach. “After the guild war situation has resolved, we’ll find some time together. If we don’t end up rushing off to another world to help rescue it, we’ll all be working on helping the natives rebuild, less focused on battle. It appears the earthquakes and tempests, along with the rampaging monsters on the fire continent, had ultimately displaced a fair number of people who need more help.”

“I’m…not sure how good I will be at that. But… I’ll do my best.”

“That’s a good attitude, and sometimes, that’s all it takes. We’ve already seen that you are brave, ready to fight even when you’re scared for your well-being. As for finding your passion, don’t be afraid to lean on us a little–that’s what families, and clans are for.”

Fhesiah said in his mind, [I have wanted to work with her and her blood, but she shies away from it every time, perhaps because of her fear of losing control. Blood is a potent alchemical material, and magics that involve it are powerful, linked to the essence of life. Maybe if you brought it up, it might help her accept it, or try harder?]

Jake would give her a light nudge. “You know, there might be much that you can do with your blood and your ability to control it, from crafting items to helping us with our bloodlines, or even helping with magical research. Faye and I could really use your help, and we could work together on it for a while. You might like doing that.”

“Really? You…want my power for…something other than fighting? But using blood is… like my claws. It’s only good for killing.”

“Claws can protect another, just as they can kill, can’t they? And you could say the same about fire on its own, but several of us can use flames to heal. Even Tanda’s beautiful flowers she raised can be used to kill or for medicine alike. It’s all in how you use it, and I know we can find a ton of ways to use your ability that can help others–I can promise you that.”

She smiled wider at that, and something within Ruby seemed to shift, and Jake realized what it was–her hearth. The bloodflame somehow stabilized within her, and she took a calming breath. “Thanks, Chief. You’re right. I’d…like to try it.”

Fhesiah arched her brow at this. [I mean… I told her all of this before, but…well, you’re the Chief, after all. She’s also a lot more relaxed now than the few times when I brought it up.]

It wasn’t long before they swapped once again, Ruby and Fhesiah taking care of Jake instead.

When they were done returning the favor, Fhesiah’s arm latched onto his, and she helped him stand upright.

Fhesiah grinned. “There. Now, Husband, a few of us wanted to show you the grotto for a little bit, and help you relax in another way.”

Blood snaked over and grabbed his other arm, and began tugging him off across the water. “That’s right. Meanwhile, the rest will continue here and head over to the cold pool. We’ll meet them there in just a little bit.”

Tanda and Avalara followed, wanting to join them. He knew these were the girls more willing to enjoy Jake with others around, so he was sure he was going to enjoy this event in more ways than one.