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The Hero Became a Succubus! - Chapter 192
🕑 Added 2023-06-20 01:13:28 +0000 UTCAlt link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qKk2Ym3KfuIb9YfOAQEULOhTCIMrLC-EFLRepHZKkIU/edit?usp=drive_link
Chapter 192
For the past week, Kanae had been laying in the corner of her cell and holding Arenade's Halo of Holy Radiance to her chest. She stopped crying after the first day, couldn't stop thinking about their memories until after the second, and now on the third, her mind swirled with what they could have done differently.
Hunger was an afterthought. Grief left an aching pit in Kanae's stomach instead and feeding just didn't sit right with her.
The dungeon door creaked open. Sire Amerys, or better known to Kanae as Sylas Briarborn, the Knight of Copper, entered and stopped in front of the cell.
"Words cannot express—"
"Then don't," Kanae said, curling up and shutting her eyes. "You aren't here just to offer condolences, are you?"
"No… I came to also inform you, as a fellow Knight of Color, that we've concluded our investigation into the orbal capacitors. Their designs and enchantments match the same ones from Seer Yesenia. It is all dark magic in origin. We will avenge her! The next time Capillis sees Yesenia in battle, we shan't hold back! Er…" He sighed heavily and gripped the bars. "I understand this is a difficult time for you, but we have a duty to our loved ones back home. W-Well, I suppose you are a succubus. Can a succubus even feel love? Perhaps beloved thralls instead?" Sylas' awkward rambling ended with an even more awkward clearing of his throat.
Kanae didn't respond. She opened her eyes to look at the Halo's smooth edge, warm from her holding it so long.
He shifted to a more somber tone and said, "The Lights of Capillis have completed funeral rites for Arenade. They have their own tradition on things here. You should at least visit her at their barracks' chapel one more time before she is moved to their crypt."
Sylas lingered for a moment longer before realizing he wasn't wanted here. He left the dungeon, presumably to return to work.
Kanae got up for the first time in two days. Her muscles were sore, but it was her heart that was in pain the most. The cell door slid open to the slightest push. It was never locked to begin with after all. However, instead of going to the Lights' barracks like Sylas suggested, she wandered to the top of Capillis City.
The massive dam was a work of wonder and genius engineering. Stolas glittered under the bright morning sun of Artaggon. A light breeze caressed Kanae's cheeks. She lifted the Halo until the sun was dead in the center. It reminded her of whenever Arenade activated its powers. The blinding light also reflected off the Ring of Destined Matrimony.
"The ring?" Kanae gasped. She brushed the sigil on her wrist to bring up the character sheet, then selected the enchanted item from Glentir's Rift to read its description.
[Ring of Destined Matrimony: This mythical-level enchanted item comes in a pair. Whoever wears them will have their souls linked and become destined to reunite in their next life, but they will be without the memories of their past life.]
Something like this wouldn't have been possible on Earth. Hell, everything Kanae had experienced until now was a magical journey. If her choices in life led up to this, maybe…
Kanae closed her eyes during another breeze, imagining that it was Arenade caressing her cheeks. She furled her wings and walked forward, but when one foot dangled off the long fall, the images of their children came to mind. Suvee, Kanade, Pan, Revah, Mikki, Teana, and even Arenade's adopted son, Nelly…
Don't let our kids be orphans. Those words echoed in Kanae's mind. Her eyes snapped open, and she stepped back from the edge.
"Damn it, Arenade… It's so unfair that you had to go and say that," Kanae muttered.
But it was what she wanted— needed to hear. Kanae wanted to be with Arenade in this life, not the next. This was their life together. At least, it should have been.
If Arenade saw her like this, what would she think? Probably wear a big, shit-eating grin that Kanae cried and mourned so much.
"What are ya doing up here all by your lonesome?" Moira asked, accompanied by her daughter Aisha.
"Finally decided to get out of that cramped, musky cell?" Aisha scoffed.
"Just getting some air," Kanae lied.
The older goblin woman shot Kanae a doubtful look. Especially at the wings tightly furled on her back. It made Kanae conscious of herself and relaxed them into a more comfortable state.
"You're a stupid girl, you know that?" Moira snapped angrily.
"W-What?" Kanae backed away with every step Moira took up to her.
"We goblins live short lives. Most of the time, less than half of what the other races get. That means we don't got time to sit in the dungeon for a week, twiddling our thumbs. That busty elf friend of yours lived her life and made her choice. Now, go celebrate that she lived, say your self-centered sappy eulogy, and move on. I need you to get what you need done here and bring me to my boy Mitty and my grandkids. These bones of mine might be more brittle than rotting wood, but I can still pack a punch with my cane!" Moira brandished her walking cane and waved it in Kanae's face.
Kanae, taken aback, looked up at Aisha who shook her head. It was a sign that warned not to test her mother's threats. It felt nice to have a mom again.
"Thanks." Kanae wiped the wetness from the corner of her eyes and spread her wings. "I'm going!"
The chapel was near the Lights of Capillis barracks. Kanae flew straight there. An air of gloom hung over the enclave of high elves. There were few about. Standing guard in front of the chapel was a lone elf. She was dressed in full Light regalia, including the helmet. Kanae only recognized her after landing. Second Captain Wendy Ironspear.
"Are you here to see Arenade, too?" Kanae asked.
"I'm standing vigil, as is tradition when a captain has passed. Vincient stood vigil over former First Captain Thanclad. It… feels strange that I should be the one to do so because of what I did, but Andora insisted," Wendy explained.
Kanae noticed how red her eyes were even behind the helmet. Two visible streams, now long dried, stained her cheeks.
"What does your tradition say about a succubus coming to pay respect?" Kanae was prepared to use force to go in, but Wendy stepped aside to let her through.
"Take as long as you like," she insisted.
When Kanae entered, she paused at the entrance upon seeing Arenade's lifeless body on a platform surrounded by flowers and swords. A light that seemed to pass through the ceiling and many floors of the city enveloped her. Kanae choked down a quivering breath before walking down the aisle. Arenade looked so serene and at peace. The blackish purple fissures on her skin were gone.
"Sorry for taking so long to see you," Kanae began in a whisper. "The only time I imagined coming to see you in a church was during our wedding. We never got around to that… It's been one thing after another. Sometimes, I still can't believe that dirty beggar in Orturic was you. That dirty, fallen demigoddess of a beggar ended up being the best thing to happen in my life. You and… everyone, too. Now, my best friend is in a coma. The woman I wanted to marry and grow old with is gone. Ahhhh! I should just grope the hell out of you! Maybe you'll wake up and say, 'Even when I'm dead? Seriously?' Right? Something like that… Just say something…" Tears cascaded down her cheeks. They dripped over Arenade's face, sliding down as if she was also crying. "Why do you guys have to go and leave me? I thought we were in this together? I hated you for taking me away from my world at first. Now, I hate you for making me fall in love with you."
Once the tears stopped, Kanae placed the Halo of Holy Radiance on Arenade. It deserved to go with her. At the time, she looked so happy to get her hands on this item.
"Suited you like the day you first got it," Kanae said.
"They say this column of light illuminates the most holy of the Supreme One's servants. It's my first time seeing it, and I'm in awe." Andora came up next to her and glanced down at the Halo. "I considered coming to the cell and taking it from you."
"Why didn't you?"
"For one thing, I figured out you're a lot more powerful than I am. Secondly, I'm not keen on hurting someone who was already mourning. Which leads me to my next question: there was something going on between you and the first captain, wasn't there?" she asked.
Maybe it was because Arenade loved the Lights of Capillis, but in a moment of weakness, Kanae to Andora that they were a little more than just a couple seeing each other. Andora listened while not so much as reacting or flinching. Of course, Kanae kept Arenade's true identity a secret. She didn't tell her about their mission and who they were, only about their personal lives.
Andora leaned back in the pews after absorbing it all. "I suspected you two had history… I didn't think you two had that much history. Even going as far as having children together. Wow. A succubus and a high elf. Sounds like a match against all odds."
"Tell me about it. I want nothing more than for Arenade to wake up and complain like she always did." Kanae sighed.
"Say, you aren't angry at Wendy and Vincient? Even after what they did, Sire Amerys allowed them to keep their positions. Apparently, they were incredibly remorseful and wanted to make things right. After hearing how close you two were, I'm surprised you aren't rampaging," she said.
"Arenade loved the Lights of Capillis. I'm not going to taint her sacrifice. Besides, it wasn't Wendy who did it. She had practically surrendered. The demon named Yesenia did. We all heard the voice…"
Andora sniffled and rubbed her eyes. It seemed everyone felt Arenade's loss. The second captain stood up and walked back to Arenade where she placed a hand on the casket.
"I wonder how much you haven't told me yet?" Andora asked, to which Kanae tried not to let the answer show on her face. "First Captain Arenade recognized us as vassals of the Ehmvier Duchy. Our names and titles should have all been expunged from the history books of every high elven civilization. The only ones who remember us are Lord Charron and those long gone. She even neglected to tell us her family name, which I find suspicious. Though… Just by looking, I can tell you don't want to say anything else. I just have one last thing I want to ask— is the child between you and her a high elf?"
"A high elf… succubus," Kanae answered reluctantly.
"I see. I'm glad then. It honestly… really gladdens me." She bowed to Kanae, graciously to Arenade, and then marched out of the chapel.
That might have made Andora the first high elf to regard a high elf succubus positively.
"I should probably leave, too." Kanae got up and smiled at Arenade. "I have work to do, and a promise to keep."
Two more weeks before Arum Taum. Kanae dreaded telling everyone what happened to Arenade, but she vowed to finish her mission here and return home in time for the festival.
Kanae barged into the throne chamber while Sire Amerys was holding a meeting. Everyone gaped at her. One demon man even let slip the glass cup in his hand.
"Uhhhhhh… Well, then! It looks like I must conclude our conference today. Let us meet again tomorrow first thing in the morning!" Amerys clapped his hands and shooed them out, shutting the door behind them.
"Bad time?" Kanae asked.
"The Hellfire War Games are beginning soon." He gestured to the map on the table, furnished with markers and figures. "Warchief Gabrul, Seer Yesenia, and I will vie for dominion over the badlands. It's clear to me that Yesenia wanted to cripple my forces before then and took advantage of the Lights to do so. It pains me that Arenade was caught up in that. Again, I sincerely apologize for that. Your companions will want to leave before that. I can arrange for Arenade's body to leave with you."
"No, I don't think Arenade would want to be anywhere other than with her own people. I also appreciate the word of warning, but I can't go without the others who should still be in Yesenia's domain," she explained.
Amerys shifted his stance to a more proud one, that which Knights of Colors exude. Copper pressed a finger to where Stolas converged at the dam city Capillis. He traced south along the river, going east, then south again, and finally to a place named Aberron.
"Aberron is mostly inhabited by demons. The other races are enslaved. Do not trust free non-demons. They may prove to be even more nasty than the demons," Copper said.
"Can I get away looking like this?" Kanae asked, using Human Form to hide the tail and wings but leaving her horns behind.
"Ehh… If they aren't paying too close attention. Assuming she hasn't been caught, I have a contact in Aberron. Find a pale blue-skinned demon named Raksha. She runs a pottery store as a cover. There's a ship scheduled to leave for Aberron soon. We may be at each other's throats in the badlands, but we're allies in service to Lord Charron at the end of the day. They won't attack a merchant ship coming into their port. As for your necromancer friend, I wish I could tell you more about the undead. It is possible Yesenia may know more. According to my predecessor, that old seer hailed from the uncharted north almost a hundred years ago."
"Thanks. Oh, and one more thing. You don't mind if I go wild over there, do you?" She lifted her tail up to the map, dripping saliva over Aberron.
"Ah, right. At the end of the day, they are our enemies. Just make sure Raksha isn't caught up in your rampage." He smiled.
Kanae gathered her belongings and met up with Aisha and Moira at the docks outside of Capillis in the afternoon. They were standing underneath the shadow of a medium-sized carrack. Sailors were loading crates into the bay of a lower deck. It had nothing on the Renya's warships, but this wasn't meant for piracy or carrying large cargo.
As they were about to board, a pegasus descended from the city.
"I heard you were going to Aberron!" Andora called from atop her mount. "Is it true?"
"Why? Were you planning to come with us?" Kanae asked.
The elf shook her head. "I can't. A Lights' duty is to safeguard Capillis from the undead and serve as Lord Charron's honor guard. We play no role in their war games, as much as I'd like to avenge Arenade myself. However… I can wish you luck. Give them three hells, succubus."
"I will," she promised.
During the journey to Aberron, Kanae rekindled her resolve to see the mission through. Even if it would be without Arenade. The kids were back home. She shouldn't keep them waiting.
Aisha had a tough time maintaining composure. Every once in a while, she rushed above deck and barfed over the ship. Hobgoblins don't belong on damn boats, was what she remarked spitefully after every bout of vomiting. It didn't help her seasickness that spellcasters conjured spells to speed the boat up, making the hull rock and groan like crazy.
Finally, on the fourth day, they arrived in Aberron.
A tall, stone wall— though not as massive as the dam of Capillis— surrounded the city. Gunports lined the length of it with cannons sticking out of them. Gargoyles sat atop the wall. The ship sailed into an opening and pulled into port from within. Kanae, Moira, and Aisha beheld a city made of wooden huts and giant, overlapping ships on an island. On the inner walls themselves, there were levels upon levels of buildings from top to bottom, interconnected by zigzagging gangways and rope ladders. Walkways, some long collapsed, led to the center of the city.
Flotsam and debris crashed against the shore and the stone wall. A rank smell overpowered what was supposed to be the fresh scent of open waters. In the distance, a bell rang loudly and echoed across the city. People emerged from their shoddy dwellings on the wall, marching across the hazardous bridges.
"What's going on?" Kanae asked.
"Yer in luck, lass." The ship's captain, a one-eyed lupine beastman, emerged from below deck smoking from a pipe. "Sounds like the Aberron Brawl is about to begin."
"Er, my friends and I are actually looking to buy nice pottery. Know any nice stores that might sell some around here?" She intercepted him before he could leave with his crew.
"Pottery? Lass, in a place like this? Well… I guess there is one place run by a blue lass like yerself. Raksha, methinks her name was? Ye can find her in Rotwater Scum o'er there." He pointed a yellowing claw to a level on the wall in which the floor was partially submerged in water.
Aisha staggered down the ship with Moira on her back. She looked a lot better not being on the rocking ship.
"I don't know about you two, but I want to see what all this hubbub is about with the Aberron Brawl," Moira said.
"It couldn't hurt to take a look." Kanae shrugged.
They entered the island and followed the crowds into a circular coliseum. Kanae couldn't believe how filthy and poor people were. Demons were dressed in tattered clothes. Those that looked to have even a modicum of money were holding chain leashes to enslaved non-demons. It was like Brimstone all over again. She tightened the cloak on her, hoping no one would notice what she was.
Everyone was free to enter the coliseum. Seats were filling up quickly. A separate, much smaller area had been partitioned off from the masses. Judging by how finely they were dressed, those demons were the wealthy cabal. If Esta, Eliza, and Lapis were here… Where would they be? Hopefully, not slaves.
It wasn't until Kanae looked down did she get her answer.
Standing alone in the arena, barefooted and in tattered garbs, was Estaline von Cleisseldor, the Knight of Silver. Her hair was covered and matted with dirt. All she wielded was her signature greatsword. Esta was staring right at Kanae with a mixture of relief, elation, and caution. All that vanished when cloaked ritualists summoned a monster into the arena, and the drakeling knight was forced to turn her attention to the more pressing threat.
Someone flew in on a familiar broom, wearing an even more familiar wide-brimmed hat, but she wasn't Elizabeth Bedlam. This woman had horns protruding from her forehead and was much too scrawny. Kanae got her name immediately, because the entire coliseum chanted her name.
"Ye-sen-ia! Ye-sen-ia! Ye-sen-ia!" they roared.
"Welcome to Aberron Brawl, where slavers pit their slaves against my magically-enhanced monsters for fame and glory. Let the brawl begin!" Yesenia lifted the cap and grinned.
