BXBX NOVEL Chapter 384 383: Reconvening
"Why would you do something so stupid?! I could of used a multitude of spells to achieve the same effect without straining my Core! What if you didn't drink the potions in time?! What if the strain shattered your Core instantly?! What if- mph?!"
Seeing the Vampire so emotional and animated with worry made my heart warm up, but her nagging was getting a little tiring - I know it came from a place of love - and we had more pressing matters to discuss past my newly created spell.
So... I silenced her in the best way I knew how; a very secret, special technique that would force her brain to stop functioning for a few moments...
I pulled her forwards and slammed my lips against hers, slipping my tongue past her plump lips and kissing her deeply, all while my hands snaked down to her juicy rear and squeezed those two delicious mounds of flesh with gusto.
Anput snickered beside us as Leone moaned into my mouth, before her face went crimson as she tried to push me away, punching against my chest as she desperately tried to save her image in front of the assembled legionnaires, all of whom whistled and chuckled at the Princess' state.
Letting her go when I got a sufficient taste of cinnamon, I grinned at the furiously blushing, yet quiet Leone as she glared at me, her eyes watery as she stamped her foot on the ground.
She glared at me hard, those crimson eyes of hers matching her cheeks, and I chuckled as she stomped off towards Anput, likely wanting to complain about me to our Jackalkin wife, who was smirking at us both.
With Leone dealt with for now - I would sit down and go over everything properly later - I approached Mom, Nirinia, and Adelina, who were standing by the Fenghuang skull and edge of the pit, staring at the corpses with frowns.
"Mom? What was special about the undead that kept both you and Nirinia focused on them instead of the Fenghuang thing?"
In response, Mom tossed me a rotting head, which I caught gingerly as she stared wordlessly at the Fenghuang skull, her ruby eyes narrowed.
Ignoring the squishy flesh under my fingertips, I looked down at the decaying head, looking past the blanched flesh that was peeling off the bone, oily hair that grew from parts of the scalp, and empty eye sockets, and looking at what Mom wanted to show me.
She had peeled - or maybe it had fallen off naturally - a part of its brow away, revealing the dirty bone underneath, or more specifically...
The symbol that was emblazoned on the bone - the same symbol that we saw when the Necrotic Lord sacrificed itself earlier, and I instantly grew nauseous at the sight of it.
"That... That's what was special about them. They weren't ordinary undead; they were 'blessed' by the Arch Fiend of Deathly Pestilence itself, granting them an unearthly endurance that makes them nearly indestructible. Well... you can pull them apart and render them slightly harmless, but you get the point. All of them that crawled from the pit were stamped with that symbol. Which means-"
"This was a former Ceremonial Grounds of some sort for Nua'Morte! Is it connected to the Gates, or is it purely coincidence? And yes, it's a good thing you managed to hold them back Chordeva, Nirinia... We wouldn't have been capable of combatting such creatures alongside the Fenghuang construct..."
Arch Mage Kolia strode to stand beside me, lifting the head from my hands without care as she studied the symbol, blanching slightly and taking a deep breath.
"Yes... most likely, these are the corpses of former cultists to the Arch Fiend from ages long past. And also yes, we need to see if the other places where Gates were reported to have been seen were also Ceremonial Grounds or not. If they are, then the Fiends are back once more, wanting to return in power. If not, then this is one unlucky coincidence..."
Kolia nodded, still staring at the symbol as she said "Further research is required for this, but for now I believe rest is warranted for the troops. The healers need to work overtime to combat the pestilence that was inflicted on some of the legionnaires, and the mages need to begin our study of what remains... If not of the Gate, then at least of the Fenghuang skull and these cultists; we may be able to garner something from their remains."
"Do so, Kolia. Damnit, this would turn into a troublesome outing now wouldn't it? Nirinia, stand guard over the Fenghuang skull. Adelina, go tend to the legion; get it back in order and set up camp for tonight. We'll be here for tonight and tomorrow most likely now. Jahi... come with me."
Mom handed out her orders swiftly, before beckoning for me to follow her as she walked around the pit, staring down into its depths quietly, leading me away from the others.
"I'm sure I don't need to say how stupid what you did earlier was... frying your circuits, shattering your Core, drying it out... Leone most likely has that covered. What I will say on that matter is... good job. It's impressive that you were able to deal that much damage with such a half baked spell like that."
She glanced over at me, a small smile on her lips as she said that, before she looked back into the pit.
"That aside, I believe we should have this talk now, considering all that's happened, instead of later, when I've deemed you worthy to take over the mantle of the Asmodia Family."
Stopping, Mom took a deep breath and sheathed her claymore into the earth, leaning on the large blade as she looked at me, her features completely serious.