Going Feet First Ch. 06

Necela, Galen noted.

Last statue was of a figure in chainmail, padded with leather and wearing a cloak with the hood drawn. In one hand was a sword, in the other was a plaque bearing a circle, half white and half black.

"Day, night, and twilight," Celia mumbled, pointing a finger at each statue as she indicated them. "Calia of Love, Necela of Life, and Moitri of Death."

"I am rather curious as to what she's saying."

Galen and Celia turned around just as Haru came walking up the aisle between the two rows of benches. Her hood was drawn back, her long, white pony tail freely swaying behind her while loose strands of hair dangled in front of her face. She seemed almost normal as she casually walked among the hand-carved benches, hand behind her back, sword in its hilt with two strings tying it in place. A rather ironic peace-knot.

"Commenting on the Three, is she?"

Still surprised, Galen nodded. "Calia, Necela, Moitri."

Haru hopped onto the stage beside them and looked up at the statues. "Love, life, death. Three goddesses, three stages in the circle of life. And these three are worshipped across our world, with their children tending to what they can't bother themselves with."

"Children?!" Galen said in shock, looking up at the statue of Necela.

The witch grinned as she turned to him. "Oh, yes. Calia and Necela have several, though Moitri only ever bore two..."

She rubbed her chin and quirked her mouth as she looked to be thinking something through. "Perhaps you've heard of Calia's youngest, Galaeus? Fighting off Demons in the east? Or Necela's youngest, ruling her own little island to the far, far west?"

Galen shook his head. "I only know Necela."

"Of course," she grumbled, still holding her chin as she returned her gaze to the statues. "It's clear to me now that you are her champion for this issue in this part of the world. When you die, she'll probably scoop up your soul to participate in the little contest she holds in the afterlife every once in a while. I wish you the best of luck in that, for if you win, you and her can give me another cousin."

Galen blinked. "Cousin?"

Fighting to hold in her chuckle, Haru moved one hand behind her back while the other patted the base of Necela's statue and said, "Aunty."

She then patted Calia's statue, "Aunty."

And finally, Moitri's statue. She paused expectantly, like she couldn't imagine them being so naïve as not to get it.

Even Celia understood that last part, and both she and Galen stood with wide eyes. They nodded, staying silent.

"How does it feel to survive a fight with the daughter of Death herself?"

The Paratrooper stood in place as he stared at the Witch. Her magic, her power, her speed, her "reasons" for going back on Fretheim's contract... everything about her now clicking into place. With all that in mind, he unconsciously shifted, putting himself between her and Celia.

"So you now know Necela and Moitri's youngest. Congratulations off-worlder."

Gathering himself and keeping a neutral, placid expression, Galen dug in his heels and said, "I want my magic back, and I want to leave."

Haru grinned. "Of course you do. But here's the thing. With the war ending around here, life is about to get boring. I don't want to go south into the mountains, so I want you to make things interesting."

He frowned, taking hold of the sling of his rifle. "What do you mean?"

With a twisted look, the Witch's black eyes narrowed over her wicked smile. "Kill Iim'treemay. Or Jrastra. Or Prince Jackson. Shake it up for my entertainment."

"Fuck that!" Galen snapped. "My magic isn't worth that!"

Haru quirked her mouth. "Pity. I guess Celia will have to die now and I'll kill the Princess myself. Xerivan!"

Fast, rapid thumps slammed in Galen's chest and the world slowed down. Something shifted behind him, and in a second he spun around to see a flying ball of smoke and teeth coming straight for him. With little else to do, he grabbed onto Celia and swept a leg underneath her to knock her off her feet and, with the utmost care, lower her down to the floor.

Just as Xerivan was about to collide with him, the Private shoulder tackled into the Shadow Shifter, a fist swinging in as he screamed out a battle cry. With everything he had he hit the demon, and it instantly burst into smoke. Realizing this, Galen brought his rifle off his shoulder and spun on his heel, taking aim at Haru.

"Can't kill me, Galen!" she cackled. "I'm the daughter of Death herself!"

"I made you bleed before, dammit! You fuck off from the Princess and Celia or I swear I'll fucking hunt you down in this life and the next!"

The Tree Elf, barely grasping what happened and not understanding anything being said, sat up and looked worriedly to Galen. Still baring her maniacal grin, Haru snapped her fingers and pointed to the Elf, and once again Xerivan came charging in, only now he came from the ceiling.

The Private didn't hesitate in diving forward, tackling Celia to put his body between her and the incoming Demon. The black fog collided with his back and Galen gritted his teeth to wait for the end.

But nothing came.

He opened his eyes and saw Celia was staring up at him with a bewildered look. Haru's chuckling made him look up to find her kneeling right in front of him with that same twisted smile planted on her face.

"You would give your life for this girl, and even for the Princess of a race that hates your kind so much."

"In a heartbeat," Galen growled.

The witch leaned in, placing her mouth next to his ear as she whispered. "I like that. Now I won't harm your friends because you passed my test."

He looked down right as she pulled a white jewel the size of his fist from her belt and slammed it into his chest. The wind was knocked from his lungs just as she planted a kiss on his cheek.

"You are a lot of fun. I hope we meet again, Galen."

Black fog consumed Haru, whisking her away to the cathedral doors and out into the night. Galen rolled off of Celia trying to catch his breath. His left arm lit up in a blinding white glow as a vine tattoo wound its way around the limb and a circle of feather tattoos wrapped around the forearm. It felt like all the power in the world was flowing into him, like his soul was getting properly seated within his chest.

"Galen! Are you okay?! Galen!"

He blinked and sat up in a flash, sucking in a lungful of air. As he breathed out he turned to Celia, sitting with a worried face at his side. Looking at the vine tattoo on his arm, and feeling his magic within once again, he grabbed onto his Elf and pulled her in for a long, deep kiss. His hands wrapped around her back, one coming up to cup the back of her head.

When he finally broke the kiss, he rested his head on her shoulder and whispered, "Please don't come with me into danger again."

"Something tells me that may not be possible," she replied, stroking his hair.

............

Riding in the back of a flat-deck wagon through the underground, Galen kept his arms wrapped around Celia as she slept on top of him. She seemed so at peace in that position, using his body as a pillow while she rested, her cloak as a blanket. He felt her breathing against his chest, her hands against his shoulders. Despite whatever happened the past two weeks, she slept just as soundly as she did the night before they were separated.

A sharp inhale drew his attention to his left, where Petra was curled up by his feet. Using his Sun-Kissed jacket as her own pillow, she too spent the ride to the Drow city simply napping away while Dreek and Keetle drove the wagon.

Trailing in behind them was the prison cart with most the Sun-Kissed packed inside and Flak riding shotgun beside Ssz'Vasbryn. At the rear of the convoy would be Iim'treemay in a human stage coach with Jrastra herself ensuring her safe-guard.

Checking his watch, Galen frowned as he stared at the moving hands. His time-keeper had proven fifteen hours off, if sun-up was considered six AM, which put the days at twenty-five hours long. That also made his watch quite useless in telling the passage of time.

I wonder when the engineers here will discover clockwork? he thought.

Pushing the thought from his head, he looked back to his watch and figured the amount of time spent since they had rode back into the tunnels. Going off of how long it had taken him to reach surface in the first place, there wasn't much more time before they would arrive in Faerssune; an hour at the most.

Giving a sigh he decided to try again for at least a few minutes sleep. He shut his eyes and shifted his hands on Celia's back to bring them closer together near her waist.

Galen.

His eyes snapped open, given to the sight of the inside of a hollowed-out tree with a winding path carved up around its inner circumference. Celia wasn't on top of him anymore. Blinking wildly, he sat up to see two people standing around a bubbling cauldron.

"You finally fell asleep. It's good to see you again."

He rubbed his eyes and looked again. "Celia? Tanza?"

The two Elves smiled at him as he stood up, Celia standing in nothing but her green, translucent small-cloth while Tanza adjusted the belt of her deep, blue robe.

"Join us," the Elder beckoned. "I've been trying to contact you for a while but at this distance I can't do so while you are awake."

Galen looked to Celia, who smiled back. "Come, Galen. We haven't long before we come to the Dark Elf city and Dreek wakes us."

"Alright," he mumbled, cautiously moving over to join the two Elven ladies at the cauldron.

"I want to congratulate you two on your reunion," Tanza said. "I was worried sick for the longest time and I'm glad you're both together again."

"It was a bit of a journey," Galen admitted.

"I imagine so. But I would also guess it was worth it."

Galen looked to Celia, and brandishing a new smile, he said, "I would do it all again if I had to."

The younger Elf blushed and returned that loving look.

One corner of her mouth curling up, Tanza brushed a stray strand of Celia's hair behind her ear while commenting, "I wouldn't doubt it. It pleases me to hear this, just as I'm pleased to tell you that all five of us have caught from you, Galen."

At first the Soldier cocked an eyebrow in wonder at what she meant, but then it clicked and his cheeks flushed red as he looked to the floor. Five daughters. Just like that. Damn.

"That's... that's good to hear. Congratulations."

"Thank you," the Elven Elder replied, her hand automatically touching her belly, the simple joy obvious. "Now, with that all said, I must get to the purpose of my communion."

"Oh?" Galen asked, intrigued.

"Sharing a bit of magic knowledge. I've come to the understanding you will be seeking out our lost sisters?"

He nodded a solid affirmative. "I will, yes."

"Then I want you to know my trick for storing away goods on another plane, a more advanced portion of the Elven conjuration you were gifted with."

Galen's heart jumped a bit as he perked up. "That'd be mighty appreciated."

Tanza smirked and raised a glowing hand to his forehead, "I know. I haven't much time before you wake, so I won't be able to chat once I grant you this knowledge. So this is a farewell for now. Safe travels, you two, may there be plenty of good sex along the way."

A wave of heat warmed his skull as Galen's whole face went beet-red. Chuckling, the Tree Elf Elder pressed her cool hand to brow and her knowledge came pouring into his mind like a crashing wave. Like a film reel on fast-forward, the Private saw thousands of images of Tanza performing the spell, only there was more. He... felt what she did as she cast the magic. Felt the magic flow through his body, how it flowed, and what image to hold in his mind and how to manipulate it. He saw everything.

The moss of your rifle is hurt, quite severely. Be sure to cast your healing spell on your rifle should you wish for it to come alive again.

Those last bits of Tanza's words echoed in his skull as his eyes began to open. There was a dim glow down the tunnel. A blue glow. Petra was already sitting perched on the wagon, eyes wide and jaw slacked with her tail waving in anticipation behind her.

Coming up on the city, he thought. Last chance I got at some comforts before I head out again. May as well enjoy it.

............

"Is the result satisfactory?" Necela asked, smiling as she locked gazes with Raekirra through the pitch black of the underground.

The deity frowned and crossed her arms. "My mistress was not pleased with what became of Faerssune, the spread of surface vegetation throughout it."

"Please," Necela said while dismissively waving her hand. "It adds value to the city, and the Val'sharess' empire."

"It is also an annoying reminder of how you are forever hovering over my affairs," a new voice boomed, making Necela turn with a cocked eyebrow while Raekirra quaked in fear.

"Lolth. It has been a while. Where have you been, I wonder?"

While no mortal eye could see through this darkness, both the Goddess of the Night and the underling of the Spider Queen could easily see the Elven figure appearing before them from the shadows.

"Tending to personal matters, Necela... Though now I see that may have been a mistake. I part only a few weeks and you warp one of my cities, personally interfere with my subjects, and distract my Raekirra from her duties. Your nose is too far in my realm, and my servant too far out of line."

"My mis-" Raekirra started.

"SILENCE!" Lolth snapped before looking to Necela. "I want to hear from the horse's mouth why the solitary nature of my Underdark has been desecrated."

Looking none-too-impressed, Necela crossed her arms. "Surface matters were swallowed by matters of the Underground. What was done was to ensure this intertwining of affairs was as short as possible."

"Hmm... Quite so... Care to elaborate?"

"There was a human noble who paid a great sum for Moitri's daughter to come down and kidnap the daughter of your Val'Sharess. He was also fated to kidnap several other women in the future to use them for his personal pleasures, two of which were of mortal nobility."

"This was to set off several wars that lead to the death of tens of thousands, including many from your underground. It would leave much ruin in the mountains south of here, and a shortage of volunteers heading east to assist young Galaeus. This would leave him vulnerable to a Demon offensive some years from now that would ravage this part of the world, from the Prairie Provinces in the east to the Bladed Sands in the west."

"Interesting..." Lolth noted. "And you stopped this... how?"

"Simple enough," Necela said with a shrug. "I set a surfacer upon a slaver who was set to deal with that human noble, and by doing so set forth a chain of events that both assisted in ending the war between Faerssune and Redding and saw the troublemakers ended." The goddess paused, tapping her chin. "Though I must admit, the former was a fluke."

The Spider Queen nodded, though her brow furrowed. "Clever, though I had been looking forward to seeing how this pitiful war the mortals had waged was progressing, that must have been much more interesting. However, now that the closing curtains on the war are being drawn, I find myself... bored with this expanse of the Underdark."

"Knowing you, you'll try to find new entertainment in the new caravans destined to open up with Redding. Beast attacks, bandits, settlements, infighting. You never stay idle."

"True. There is the new greenery in Faerssune. New chances to... experiment... Hmm... Consider that favor I owed you squared, Necela, as I'm not taking my annoyance out upon your surface. Raekirra!"

The young Deity was quick to bow in response to being addressed, "My mistress."

Lolth glared down upon her protégé and she growled, "Don't fail me again. My mercy shall not come a second time. Until next time, Necela."

.............

A long sigh escaped Galen as he stared out over the open cavern that was Faerssune. Wearing nothing but his pants, he stood ten stories up in a grand bedroom carved into the central pillar of the cavern, with the walls and ceiling glowing a light blue, just bright enough for a surfacer to see without any extra aid. It was a comfortable place for his final night in the Underdark, and with his belly full with food from the Princess' dinner, his uniform clean and complete, and all his equipment safely stored in... whatever "plane" the Tree Elf magic sent items to, the Private found himself smiling.

Felyn was healed, along with all the others that were wounded in Haru's attack. Celia was safe and sound, laying on the bed behind him on her belly while Petra performed something she called "heesik'x vores" on her. His mind translated this to "remedy of battle," though it looked more like a rather firm massage.

He stuck his hand out to the side and closed his eyes, drawing the image of the tea he had made disappear earlier into his mind's eye. A weight burdened his arm then, and when he looked, that cup of sweet sustenance was in his grasp, still steaming even.

It's magic, it doesn't have to make sense, he thought, taking a sip.

He breathed out with that fresh taste of honey and herb still fresh on his tongue.

"Galen," Petra called.

He turned around to see both the girls stripped down to nothing, the Neko sitting on Celia's thighs with a devilish smirk. The Elf's eyes were fluttering and rolled back in bliss. Galen raised his eyebrows and gave them both a questioning look, one that had Petra's grin widening.

"Care to indulge in the magic my fingers have to offer?" she asked in Nekonian, holding her hands up for him to see and wriggling her fingers. "Heesik'x vores is an old method meant to reset a warrior's body after a campaign. With how old Celia is, I'm surprised I couldn't get a pop out of her spine, though I did manage to undo several knots in her muscles. You, however, oh, I'm sure I can have your back cracking like a falling tree."

"Really now?" he asked, taking a sip from his cup and looking to Celia as she began to sober up from that euphoric state.

"It truly is delightful, love..." she mumbled pulling her head up from the bed sheets and looking back at Petra. "And who are you calling old? I'm only eighty-nine."

"My grandmother is younger than you," the Neko teased, rubbing her hands over Celia's backside. "But as far as Elves go, I guess you are still quite young."

Getting a stiff "uh-hmm" from the Elf as she laid her head back down, Petra looked back to Galen and motioned him over, "Come on, lay down, you'll love it."

Smirking and taking another sip of his tea, Galen made his cup disappear and began undoing his belt. "I'll see if I do."

Dropping his trousers, he laid face-down on the king-sized bed beside Celia and Petra was quick to climb off of the Elf's thighs and onto his. When they were both settled, those clawed hands started pressing down on his spine near his nape, pushing in to the point of discomfort. He grunted, but then he felt the Neko's breath on the back of his neck.

"Relax. I have to press tension from your muscles before I can soothe them. The end result is worth everything you have to endure."

Ain't that the truth, he thought before giving a long exhale and trying to release his back muscles.

"Galen," Celia whispered.

He pulled his head out of the bed sheets and looked to his left, finding her face just inches from his. She smiled and placed a hand on his cheek before coming in to kiss him. As their lips touched, Petra felt her Master's back muscles relaxing and, as guilty as she felt to ruin this moment, drove her fingers into the various pressure points.