Chapter 10
The Goblins of Marrak
The sun high in the sky cast shadows across the ruined city of Marrak, remnants of ancient towers piercing the fiery afternoon haze. From their vantage point atop a grassy hill, Elowen, Iris, Seraphina, and Preacher laid in silence, listening to the distant sounds of goblins shrieking and chattering they're ominous chorus. A sense of foreboding hung in the air, thickening their resolve.
Seraphina broke the silence, her voice quivering with apprehension. "Uggg, why did it have to be goblins?" She clenched her fists, in frustration. Memories of tavern tales echoed through her mind, stories laden with tormented women and cruel fates.
Iris, her auburn waves glinting in the sunlight, flipped her dagger in her hands with a casual grace. "I don't see the problem," she said, her mischievous smile a stark contrast to Seraphina's worried tone. "Preacher and I have fought these creatures before. Besides, look at them—foul brutes, sure, but not too clever. We can outsmart them."
"Yes, but have you fought this many?" Seraphina pressed, her eyes wide as she surveyed the valley below, where a horde of over ten thousand green-skinned figures swarmed like a restless tide. "Those nasty creatures… Do you know what they do to women when they capture them? It would be best if you don't get captured. It would be better to die instead."
Iris rolled her eyes, shrugging off Seraphina's dark musings but the chill of her words sent an involuntary shiver through her.
The goblins had terrorized travelers and raided nearby villages for too long, leaving destruction in their wake. Desperate villagers had sent pleas to the King, and in response, he dispatched Preacher and his small band to deal with the problem.
"Camouflage," Preacher said, his voice steady while his eyes narrowed in focus. Elegant sigils glimmered in the air as he cast a spell to envelop Seraphina and Elowen while Iris used her own magic to cast the spell. "Remember, you're not invisible. It's a bending of light that keeps you hidden from sight. Despite being hidden from view from the outside world, we can still see each other that's one of the benefits of this spell but even though they can't see us, they can still hear and smell us, so you must be quiet, and we will have to approach from downwind."
Elowen furrowed her brow, bewildered. The complexities of Preacher's magic eluded her, and it made her head hurt trying to understand it. "How does light... bend?" she muttered, lost in thought.
"Don't overthink it," Iris interjected with a glow of confidence. "The practical application is they won't be able to see us—that's all that matters. This gives us a distinct advantage."
Preacher rummaged in his dimensional storage and pulled out his long rifle, its metallic surface reflecting the sun. Iris's eyes lit up with delight, recognizing the strange artifact that had come from his old world.
Elowen blinked at the rifle with curiosity morphing into disbelief. "What is that? Did he just pull that out of thin air?"
Iris grinned, leaning forward. "That's the extra-dimensional storage he possesses. He can store just about anything in there—like that rifle. It's very loud and can punch a hole through anything he points it at."
Preacher affixed his scope to the rifle and drew his focus on the chaotic creatures below, seeking a vantage point for strategic entry. "I'm not using it to take them out, I'm looking for us a way in. Not enough ammo to take out this many goblins." He peered intensively down the scope at the goblins below skittering over the ruins. "There's a weakness. Look there—by the trees. Only a few goblins over there; they're isolated. We can slip in through that gap."
The tension in the air shifted. With a collective breath, they prepared. Preacher returned his rifle to storage. "We need to move carefully, no sound." Preacher cautioned, his tone grave. He led the way, moving like a shadow amongst the underbrush.
As they made their descent down the hill, the goblins below continued their noisy bedlam, oblivious to the impending ambush. Elowen's heart raced. Each clang of metal and mocking laughter threatened to unravel her nerves.
Iris wove in and out of the shadows, mimicking a mischievous sprite. "What if we pranked them?" she said telepathically, "Toss a rock or two!"
"No, I have something better in mind," Preacher said as he crouched low, directing their path like a conductor. Seraphina clenched her jaw, every nerve alight as the closer they approached the swarm, the more vividly those tavern tales replayed in her mind.
They reached the trees, their hearts pounding like drums in the silence of anticipation, tension thrumming in the air. The few goblins lurking nearby continued in their chaotic antics, unaware of the threat creeping ever closer.
As Preacher and the women gathered together among the tree's, Preacher motioned to them to be silent by placing a finger over his lips. Turning to the goblins he silently spoke the words "water bubble" suddenly there were dozens of water bubbles about the size of soccer balls covering the heads of the goblins. After a moment of struggling and thrashing about, the goblins all fell dead drowned by Preacher's spell. Preacher then opened his dimensional storage and pulled all the dead goblins in, hiding their bodies from the rest of the horde.
Seraphina and Elowen stared in shock at what they had just witnessed, Preacher had killed twenty goblins without a sound, drowning them with water bubbles.
He just pulled water out of thin air and drowned those creatures. It was a little more than frightening the power Preacher commanded. He hadn't beat them in open combat, he assassinated them.
A silence fell over the small group, each of them grappling with the reality of what they had just seen. Preacher wiped a bead of sweat from his brow, his expression unreadable as he addressed the stunned women. "This is how we do it," he said softly. "It's not about brute force—it's about precision, strategy, and above all, stealth."
Elowen swallowed hard, her heart racing. "But isn't that... isn't that cruel?" Her voice was barely more than a whisper, as if struggling with the weight of the implications.
"It's war," Iris replied sharply, her eyes glinting with excitement. "Out here, kindness doesn't serve a purpose. Our lives depend on us being quicker and smarter than them. If we don't eliminate the threat, they'll kill us without a second thought."
Preacher nodded, his gaze scanning the horizon where the horde remained, oblivious to their cunning maneuvering. "We have to keep moving. The longer we linger, the more chance someone will discover us."
Elowen, still grappling with the stunning display of magic and deadly efficiency, finally found her voice. "What's the next step, then?" She asked.
Preacher and the women, still using the camouflage spell, silently worked their way around to what looked like the main gate to the city. Iris bouncing and dancing off the rocks and stone ruins of the city. Elowen and Seraphina followed Preacher stepping where he stepped. Preacher and Iris stopped a little distance from the city gate as the other two drew up behind them. Preacher and Iris were using hand gestures that he had taught her over the course of their adventuring. Apparently the activity of the goblins had them worried because there was too much activity for that time of day; it was only early afternoon. Something had the goblins stirred up.
Preacher and his little band of goblin slayers didn't have to wait long. At the edge of the forest two large Hobgoblins with carts appeared along with a band of goblins accompanying them.
Seraphina and Elowen looked horrified when they saw what was in the carts, it was humans, one cart of men and a second cart of women. The men looked as if they had been severely beaten and several appeared to be wounded. The goblins danced and poked and stabbed at the men in the cart as if to cause them to die by a thousand cuts.
In the second cart all the women huddled as close to the center of the cart as possible as the goblins stuck in their hands touching and feeling the women in their sensitive and private places while making obscene gestures and gyrations with their bodies.
Preacher and Iris were already formulating a plan. As Preacher was gesturing with his hands he was explaining to Iris telepathically how he wanted her to approach. "Take Seraphina with you, have her free the women while you take out the large Hobgoblin. I'll approach from the front with Elowen and take out the big one in front while she frees the men. Make sure to decapitate him, no sound. I'll drown the rest with a water bubble." Iris nodded and motioned to Seraphina to follow her. Meanwhile Elowen drew up closer to Preacher. Preacher very quietly told Elowen what they were planning to do.
As Iris made their way around the goblins to get in position from the rear, Preacher cast the spell a second time and water bubbles instantly formed around the smaller goblins' heads, at that moment both Preacher and Iris targeted the two Hobgoblins each one slicing through their thick necks instantly decapitating the huge brutes. With the last of the smaller goblin's dead, Preacher once again opened his dimensional storage and pulled all the dead goblins in.
To the captives in the carts it looked as if water bubbles just appeared in midair from nothing and killed the smaller goblins while the two larger hobgoblins suddenly lost their heads.
Preacher canceled the camouflage spell and he and the women came into sight of the human captives. Elowen and Seraphina with their swords, broke the locks on the cart doors and got the people out as they made a run back to the forest.
After a short time Preacher found a small hollow for them to hide in. Preacher and Iris immediately went to work healing the men who had been injured by the goblins. "I can get you to a village nearby." Preacher told them. "How did you come to be captured by the goblins?"
"We're merchants, we were captured on our way to the capitol city." One of the men said. "And what of the women?" Preacher asked motioning to them as Iris continued to heal them from bruises and injuries. "Don't know, they were already captured when they captured us." "Hmmm," Preacher muttered, "they must be from the neighboring villages."
"Ok, get everyone as close together as possible and everyone hold on to each other. I'll get you to the nearest village." With that everyone gathered around Preacher, as he recast the camouflage spell to hide Iris, Seraphina and Elowen. "Stay here. I'll be right back, let me get these people to safety."
"Teleport." Instantly he and the people they freed were transported to just behind the hill Preacher had left their horses.
As soon as Preacher and the former captives appeared, Preacher suddenly felt dizzy and fell on his hands and knees. Looking up at the people he had just helped, he fell over, losing consciousness. The majority of the people Preacher saved ran off for the village about 20 Km to the south, all but four women.
The four women looked at each other and picked up Preacher and carried him to a grove of trees. "WOW!!" one woman exclaimed "he is really heavy." She was the youngest of the four, only sixteen years old. The other three women were in their early to mid-twenties. "Yeah, he's a lot heavier than he looks." one of the other women agreed. The four women struggled to get him over to a nearby grove, they laid him down under a large oak tree.
When Preacher woke up it was nighttime. The stars were shining in the deep black of the night. He looked around and there were four women over by a fire with a large pot. Preacher could smell the food being cooked, the aroma of it stirred his hunger. He started to say something but only managed a grunt. One of the women noticed Preacher stirring around and came over to him with a bowl of food.
"You're very lucky good sir, you suffered mana depletion from transporting so many people by yourself, that's why you passed out." Preacher just stared at the woman still not being able to speak. "Here, here's some stew to help you recover your mana." The woman held out the bowl and handed it to Preacher. The stew was warm and savory, but he didn't recognize the meat or some of the herbs, but it tasted good. Just as he was about to finish the stew, he passed out again.
"Oh dear, looks like he passed out again." the first woman said. "Well ladies, it looks like he's out for the night. So, we have him all to ourselves." The other three women cackled and howled with delight. "Let's ride him and get all we can from him." The first woman said. The others all cackled and howled in agreement. The four succubi took their turns on Preacher, repeatedly, late into the night."
When Preacher finally awoke it was morning. He lay on the ground covered by a blanket and…. Stark Naked!! There was another body laying next to him, a young female with long black hair and ears that were shaped like elven ears. Then Preacher saw she too was naked.
"Good morning, lover," she said in a husky voice. The figure beside him stretched, her silhouette framed by the glow of the morning sun. The blanket that had cocooned them slipped away, revealing a stunning beauty whose features were only enhanced by the morning light. Her flowing hair cascaded down her shoulders, and as she yawned, two sharp canines glinted in the sunlight—a reminder of her otherworldly nature. "Your mana and your life force was so delicious. You fed all four of us last night."
Preacher's heart raced. "Four?" He scanned the glade, his mind spinning as he realized the other three were gone. He had known about her kind—succubi, who roamed the night preying on the life force of unsuspecting mortals. "Don't worry lover they're gone, they got what they wanted from you and left." She said sleepily
Breathing deeply to calm himself, he turned his eyes back to her. "So why are you still here?
"Because lover, you have something I want." she said. Preacher eyed her wondering what more she could want from him.
"Hahahah don't be so suspicious." She laughed at him, "It's really easy, I just want to have a child with you." Preacher was shocked "Waite... What... you want what??"
"A child, yeah, that's what I want from you. You're the only human that can give me that." She said. "Most humans can't even last one whole night before they die from life force depletion with a succubus. You took all four of us and we didn't even put a dent in your life force or mana reserves. You're the only human I can mate with and have a child from."
"Whoa ..wait, you just told me I took four of you on and you couldn't deplete my mana reserves….. How did I end up unconscious"
"Oh, that yeah, that was Ezmeralda's doing, she enchanted you when you teleported us but you woke up too soon so she gave you some of our food we were making for ourselves, but she slipped a sleeping potion into yours to put you back out."
"So, she roofied me." Preacher mused.
Angela looked confused by Preacher's statement, "Well, if you mean you were drugged, then yeah that's what happened. Now getting back to what I propose…"
"But wait… I already have two wives." Preacher contended.
"That's ok lover I don't mind being third in line. And since I'm going to be your next wife, let me introduce myself. I'm Angela the Succubus." She said mischievously
"Well Angela, I have to get back to my companions. I know they're waiting for me." Preacher said trying to find an excuse to leave but Angela wasn't having any of it. "Don't worry lover, they're all fine, they're hiding in the ancient city, but you won't find them without my help."
"Yeah ok." Preacher smirked, "I'll just contact them with telepathy." Preacher thought to himself.
"If you're thinking of contacting them through telepathy, that won't work." Angela said with a knowing smile. "Sorry but you took on four succubi last night. It's going to take a day or two to fully recover and to use your special abilities. The girls were forced to go into the city last night when the goblin horde came out from the ruins looking for their booty. When they saw nothing was there, they started searching for their prize in the forest. Needless to say, that forced the girls into the city with all the goblins out in the surrounding forests."
"Where are they?" Preacher demanded.
"Relax lover, they're safe. I guided them to a building out of the way from the main body of the hoard. Your wives Seraphina and Iris as well as your girlfriend Elowen, the elf, boy you sure get around don't you lover, anyway they're all safe."
"Elowen isn't my girlfriend, she's just here helping us complete this quest so we can meet with the beast king." Preacher interrupted her.
"Say what you want lover, but I saw how she looks at you, she may not have announced it openly yet but trust me she is so into you, but I'll check on them for you so you know they're ok."
With that Angela turned into a mist and floated down to the city, to the building where she had hidden them. Preacher could do nothing but wait for what seemed like forever, but it was only a couple of hours when Angela finally returned.
Preacher stood up when she coalesced before him. "Well?" Preacher asked. "Oh, don't worry they're exactly where I left them." Angela said
"You left them?" Preacher looked suspiciously at Angela.
"Oh, didn't I mention before I'm the one who looked after them and led them to safety. We had a nice little chat. By the way we've come to an agreement to share you until I get the child I want." Angela's look expressed playfulness, but her eyes expressed dead seriousness.
"I'll take you to your companions, but only if you agree to my terms, otherwise I can't guarantee they're safety much longer, before the horde finds them."
Preacher's blood froze in his veins, were his companions, his wives, in danger? "Tell me where they are!!" Preacher shouted angrily.
"Tut tut dear, agreement first." Angela waggled her finger at Preacher all the while smiling seductively at him.
Preacher knew he wasn't going to win this. "Fine," he said. "Just get me there. I agree."
Angela let out a squeal of delight "I promise lover you won't regret this." She said as she danced around, their agreement sealed with a kiss, Preacher's world melted away and they reappeared in front of his wives and Elowen still locked in an embrace.
The sun was still rising, casting golden beams that danced upon the crumbling ruins of the ancient city. The air was filled with a sweet scent of petrichor left behind from the previous night's rain, mingling with the faint aroma of the stew he had eaten. Preacher blinked upon arrival, still grappling with the reality of having survived the night with four succubi. The memory of warm laughter echoed in his mind as Angela's playful voice clung to him.
"Here we are, lovers reunited!" Angela said, her red eyes sparkling with mischief as she gestured toward the makeshift hideout where his wives and Elowen sat. They all looked relieved to see him, their expressions shifting from worry to joy. As he approached, however, he noticed they glared daggers at the new arrival that was with him.
Angela, with her bright red eyes and playful smile, seemed unbothered by the deadly gaze of Preacher's wives and Elowen when they materialized. "Here we are, lover!" she exclaimed, spreading her arms as if presenting a grand prize. "Home sweet home back with your lovely companions."
"Preacher!" Seraphina and Iris exclaimed, rushing into his arms. Their embrace was tight, fueled by the anxiety of their separation.
"We thought we lost you!" Iris chimed in, her voice a melodic blend of concern and relief. She intertwined her fingers with his as they stepped back, allowing him to breathe.
"Elowen!" he called out, spotting the elf perched on the edge of a stone wall, her graceful form a stark contrast to the rugged ruins. She jumped down, her vibrant green eyes wide with relief, and joined the embrace.
"I was so worried! We felt the mana drain last night; we thought it was a trap," she said, looking between Preacher and Angela, the last words laced with suspicion.
"Careful, now," Angela teased, her voice low and sultry. "I'm not here to harm your precious Preacher, darling. In fact, I'm here to share him." She grinned mischievously, and the air thickened with tension.
"Share him?" Seraphina pulled away, a frown creasing her forehead, while Iris held tighter to Preacher's arm.
Angela's expression turned earnest. "Yes, indeed! Your lovely husband here is quite special. He survived my kind's attentions for a whole night, and I want to have a child with him. A child who can thrive in both our worlds!" Her eyes sparkled with challenge and allure.
Preacher, caught between amusement and disbelief, raised his hands. "I had no idea this would happen. But… I did agree to her terms to ensure your safety." His gaze shifted from Angela to his companions, who were now exchanging glances, trying to decode what this agreement meant. "Didn't you tell me you already talk to them and had already come to some sort of agreement?" Preacher asked Angela.
"Well, about that, my love, I lied to you, sorry. I only said that to get you to make the agreement with me. If you thought they were already cool with it you would be more willing to make the agreement." Angela replied.
"Wait, so you lied to me for my own good?" Preacher raised an eyebrow, sounding more bemused than angry. The spark of mischief in Angela's amber eyes warned that she was playing a game far older than their quaint human squabbles. "You do realize you just conjured a whole realm of problems, right?"
"Oh, darling," she cooed, her laughter echoing like silver bells. "Sometimes, the most complex problems lead to the most beautiful solutions. Is it so hard to fathom that I—a succubus—could want a family?"
"But why do you need a child?" Iris interjected, uncertainty pooling in her gaze.
Angela stepped forward, her form shimmering as she sunk into a confident stance. "Our kind cannot easily reproduce, especially with humans, but he… he has something exceptional about him. I want a child who can walk in both realms—be a bridge, if you will. The four of us—" she gestured back to the empty space—"our powers combined with his human essence would create something powerful."
"Power?" Elowen scoffed, her perceptive nature unyielding. "What of his will? What of his choice?"
"His choice has already been made in agreeing to protect you all!" Angela's voice rose slightly, defensively. "But I'm not here to force anything. As I said, we will share him and I will become his third wife."
Preacher sighed deeply, feeling the weight of their gazes and opposing desires. "Could this even be real? What if we could build something stronger together? A child… if that's what it takes, I will consider it," he said, feeling a weight settle in his heart.
Iris frowned, biting her lip in thought while she looked up at him, her determination fighting the uncertainty in her heart. "If this is what you think, then I will support you, but know this, I won't back down on my place in your life. I am still the Alpha female in this pack," she stated resolutely.
Elowen glanced towards Angela, assessing her. "And you... you'll keep your end of the bargain? No trickery? No harm will come to him or us?"
Angela secured her playful demeanor, now radiating sincerity. "I assure you, as long as we have this understanding, no goblin hoard or curse will touch a single hair on his head or any of yours."
The silence hung before them, tension laden as they contemplated the potential paths before them. Preacher felt the beating of his own heart, loud against the stillness, realizing this was as much a choice for them all as it was for him.
"I accept," he finally declared, locking eyes with both his wives and Elowen, who nodded, supportive yet cautious.
Angela clapped her hands with a childish delight, "Wonderful! But for now, let's tidy up. I know some goblins might still be lurking, and I'd hate for the grand escape to become a ruckus. We have a future to plan, after all!"
"We still have to eliminate the goblin threat, that's why we're here." Preacher informed her.
Angela thought for a moment. "Well, it's still morning and most of the goblins will be in their central lair. The only ones that will be out will be a few patrols and guards. The main horde will still be asleep, they won't be coming out for quite awhile. Let me see where they are and I'll come back and let you know."
The air shimmered as Angela's misty form glided through the ruined stonework of the ancient citadel, remnants of long-forgotten battles where both brave souls and vile creatures once clashed. Her ethereal form slipped between cracks in the weathered masonry, feeling the warmth of the sun's first rays filtering through the rubble. The goblin lair beckoned with a sinister promise hidden in its dank, cavernous depths.
Preacher and his wives, Iris and Seraphina sat down while waiting for Angela's return. Elowen was the only one keeping a vigilant watch for any passing goblin patrols
"I can't believe that witch got you to agree to allow her to become your wife." Seraphina said
"Yes," Iris agreed. "How could you allow yourself to be put in that position?"
"I have no memory of last night, Angela said that one of the older succubi drugged me somehow." Preacher replied. "I'm not happy about this either. I agreed only because she said your lives might be in danger and I couldn't contact you telepathically nor could I teleport."
The women just sighed, Elowen then spoke up. "Preacher, if you give her what she wants then what? Is this just a contractual agreement?"
"Contractual or not, I made the agreement if only for your sakes. My abilities are returning. It didn't take as long as she thought it would, but the agreement was sealed with a kiss, apparently that's how they seal their agreements and no she didn't get any part of the ethereal blue flame like you two did." Preacher said to Seraphina and Iris. "If anything, this was an agreement made from coercion."
At the mention of the ethereal blue flame, Elowen sat up and took notice. "You two share in the Ethereal Blue Flame?" She asked them
Both women looked at each other, their expressions a mixture of pride and trepidation. "When I performed the Mating Ritual with Preacher, the Ethereal Blue Flame came out and enveloped me," Iris said, her voice low and melodic. "It wasn't just a blessing; it was a union of our essences, a merging so profound that even the stars seemed to bow in recognition. Even with his very essence, we are one."
"The same with me," Seraphina said, "when we spoke the vows of marriage the Ethereal Blue Flame came out and joined me with Preacher also, we are one."
Elowen contemplated this revelation, her mind racing. The Ethereal Blue Flame was more than a binding force; it was the power to create or destroy, it's magic was unparalleled in this world. If Angela saw your bonds with the flame as a threat," she mused, "what if she seeks to undermine it? Or to harness it for her own gain through having a child with Preacher?"
Preacher's expression darkened. "She already said that that's what she wants, is to have a child with me. Such a union could lead to a powerful offspring—one that could manipulate the very forces of light and darkness." His voice trembled, acknowledging the horror of such a prospect.
Seraphina shuddered. "Knowing her, she wouldn't hesitate to do just that. She thrives on chaos and thrives more on controlling her assets."
"We need to find a way to thwart this," Iris said, determination glimmering in her eyes like the ethereal glow of their bond. "But how?"
Elowen's mind raced with strategies, head spinning with the lore of their world. "If we amplify your connection and strengthen the flames between us all, we can create a barrier—a radiant shield that can repel her attempts to break us apart. But we must act quickly and with precision, for the succubus will not be idle while we plot."
Preacher looked to his partners, new resolve lighting his heart. "What must I do?"
"Perform the Marriage Ceremony with me,," Elowen said. "With the four of us we can create a powerful bond she can't break."
"I don't think you know what you're asking, but with Irises and Seraphina's consent." Both women gave their consent immediately to prevent that succubus from taking Preacher from them.
Preacher looked at his two wives "You know if we do this there's no going back, it's an eternal bond." All three looked at each other with resolve in their hearts and on their faces. "We agree." They said.
"Then let Elowen and I complete the Marriage ritual, and may Elowen also become one with all of us," Preacher proclaimed, the brilliance of their collective energy beginning to rise.
The Ethereal Blue Flame flickered to life, igniting the air around them with a shimmering aura. With carefully measured steps, Preacher and Elowen faced one another, hands grasped tightly, their intentions pure.
Words of ancient power flowed from their lips in a melodic cadence, wrapping them in the warmth of the flame. The flame expanded, enveloping Seraphina and Iris, intertwining their energies in a luminous display of unity.
With each passage of their vows, a resonance grew—a heart-pounding symphony of destiny. As the ritual reached its zenith, the flame surged, forming a protective barrier, a radiant shield born from their trust, loyalty, and love. The ground trembled momentarily as the energies bonded, forging an eternal link among them.
The air grew still, a palpable peace washing over them. Elowen beamed with her new bond with Preacher Seraphina and Iris. She suddenly felt whole as if she had been living her life as a one dimensional character in a book, and now she was fully realized, vibrantly painted in colors she never knew existed. As if on command all four spoke in unison, "We are one." In the distance the sound of a raven could be heard.
After what seemed like an interminable amount of time Angela finally coalesced before the foursome. "Ahh isn't that sweet, you did pick up a fourth wife." Angela said playfully, "See I told you she was in love with you. And it's sweet how you think you can protect Preacher from me, but an agreement is an agreement and he's as much as mine as he is yours."
With that statement Seraphina Iris and Elowen all jumped in front of Preacher calling upon the Ethereal Blue Flame in each of them guarding Preacher from Angela.
"Ahhh, isn't that precious!" Angela exclaimed. Angela then turned into a mist and passed right through the magical barrier, then rematerialized right in front of Preacher and gave him a kiss. "They're so cute trying to protect you like that. And I know you all think I'm after the Ethereal Blue Flame Preacher carries but you should know I don't want your power. I told you love, I just want a child with you because you're the only man that can give me a child."
As her words hung in the air, a hushed silence enveloped the scene. The three women—strong, capable, and fiercely loyal—turned their gaze to Angela, who stood there with tears shimmering in her eyes.
She then turned to the three women. "And you three," Angela continued, her voice quivering with vulnerability, "I was open and honest about my feelings with you. I only wanted a child that could bridge the gap between my world and yours. Is that so wrong?"
In that moment of vulnerability, something shifted in the hearts of Seraphina, Iris, and Elowen. They saw the depth of Angela's soul—a longing born not from malice, but from the ancient sorrows of her kind."Angela," Seraphina spoke with a calmness that contrasted the tempest of emotions swirling around them, "we protect Preacher because we love him. But if a child is to bridge our worlds, we will not fight you.Iris nodded, her flames flickering softer, "What if we explored this together? You speak of love, as do we. A child born of this union could unite our realms, but it must be out of love, not obligation.""Well spoken, Iris!" Elowen chimed in, her own ethereal light glimmering as she took a step closer to Angela. "Perhaps we can be the guardians of this child. Let's work together to create something beautiful and new instead of allowing our hearts to be shrouded in conflict."Angela's tears glistened, not as signs of betrayal, but of possibility. "You would consider this?" she asked softly."Yes," the three answered in unison, their resolve brightening. They would not shy away from their love for Preacher, nor their responsibilities toward the realms they held dear. They would be allies, gathered under the fragments of hope that hung in the air like a tapestry yet to be woven.
"Now back to the task at hand that we still need to deal with." Angela continued. "There's a large mass of goblins in a central building at the center of the city." Angela informed them. "Since they are all gathered together in one central location, I can easily eliminate them at one time."
"How can you do that?" Elowen asked.
"Very easily, dear," Angela replied, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Succubi have a rather… unique ability. We exude a special hormone that compels men to submit to our desires. In small doses, it makes them compliant. In larger doses…" she trailed off with a smirk, "it disrupts their central nervous systems. They'll end up tearing each other apart."
Preacher's heart raced with intrigue. "How does that help us?"
Angela's smile widened, revealing sharp canines. "Simply put, if I release the full dose of my pheromones, chaos will ensue among the goblins. They'll become frantic, driven mad by a flood of hormones from their own brains. The ensuing mayhem will burn out their own neural pathways." She explained, her red eyes gleaming with irresistible allure. "I'll descend to the lowest level of their lair and let it rise through the corridors like a creeping mist. It will take about thirty minutes for all the effects to manifest."
"And what of the chieftain?" Seraphina chimed in, her concern palpable.
Angela's expression shifted slightly. "The hobgoblin is sturdy. A brute, the type who drinks in excess and takes pride in his strength. You four may have to handle him yourselves. But fear not, I will leave behind a trail of my mist to guide you."
With that, a swirl of vibrant energy enveloped her until she transformed into a haunting mist with tendrils that danced playfully in the air before darting away towards the center of the city.
"Let's move," Preacher commanded, weaving a spell of camouflage around them. He could feel his magic aligning with the rising tension like a living pulse. They followed the trail of mist, its scent intoxicating and slightly alluring as it flickered just out of reach.
As they navigated the abandoned streets, they encountered the first group of goblins. They were squabbling over the remnants of a once-great feast, too engrossed in their chaos to notice the four adventurers slipping silently into position. Preacher, with a flick of his wrist, sent forth a shimmering bolt of energy that enveloped the nearest goblins, frying them to ash in mere moments.
"Quickly!" Elowen urged the others, leading them deeper into enemy territory, confidence overriding her fear. The mist swirled thicker now, inviting and dangerous.
As they approached the vast central building, the cacophony of goblin voices grew louder, and the scent of anger and wasted greed filled their lungs. Preacher ordered Iris, Seraphina and Elowen to cover each side of the building. Once they were all in position, Preacher then ordered them to deploy a shield around the building to prevent any of the goblins or Angela's pheromones from escaping.
Preacher and his companions were holding the line as Angela's mist took effect. The room inside pulsed with tension as the creatures continued to fail and claw at their skin and eyes, finally the chaos began to die down. The storm of chaos quelled into an eerie silence, the remnants of the goblin horde lying lifeless among one another. As the last echoes of conflict faded, the room fell still, and the air returned to its natural scent.