SSV 4 Chapter 14 (Patreon)

When Mona, Daeva, and I got back to Daeva’s temple, there was a small party waiting for us.

Skel had her arms crossed, and I spotted Stella hiding behind Melody shaking like a leaf as she peered at Skel.

I had a feeling she wouldn’t be a fan of the Fenris Wolf being a ghost titan either.

“Master!” Stella glanced up first.

It only took a moment before she shouted. “I need a hug” and threw herself up into the air for me to catch her.

I caught her using my normal arm and my shadow arm. We spun in place as she clung to me with maybe a little too much strength. I knew she was trying to bring me comfort, and I had to admit, her soft supple body was relaxing.

“Why is your arm all Voidy?” Stella grabbed it and lifted the appendage.

“Because it isn’t real.” I let go of my power and my arm faded out.

Then Stella gasped as she realized my true arm was gone. “Master! Aww, poor master. I need more hugs.” She squeezed herself tightly to me. “Come inside, tell us everything. The girls in Point City are worried.”

I frowned, wondering how they knew. But I had a feeling Mona had rushed out fast enough to catch their attention. “Seems you’ve been missed.”

“Don’t care. Nobody missing me matters except you, My Fated. And we will never be apart.” Mona smiled, seeming satisfied with her new fortification in my mind. She seemed more level headed again though, it seemed the trip had helped her regain her composure.

“Shoo.” Stella waved Mona away. “Master is hugging me. Hey, maybe we can go down and just skip the other conversations. We could get into bed and play with what your new Voidy limbs can do.” She studied me. “It’s kind of hot. You’re like half Void, half Miles now. And of course, entirely my Master.” Stella batted her lashes at me.

I lowered myself and Stella to the ground while Daeva put our loot down outside the temple.

“You could have waited.” Daeva commented to Skel.

“Ah. I’m here because Doctor Wells used our communications to convey concern about The God King here. I guess the new girl ran away from Point City, and that is concerning?” Skel’s eyes flicked between our party, not quite sure how to interpret the current scenario.

“Ah.” Daeva made a small grunt. “Then, I’ll bring these over to your lab.” She excused herself as Melody and Stella pressed in around me.

“What happened?” Melody poked at the Voidy appendages.

“We fought the Fenris Wolf. Daeva died three times, and I lost two limbs. We, lost.” I hated saying those words, but I was starting to accept it a bit more. I was impeded at first, but I was growing stronger as a result. “But then I began using my power to replace them, and so far, It’s working out.”

I wrapped both of them in a hug, careful about the strength of my new arm.

“Your new arm is super comfy. It reminds me of sex.” Stella hugged me back and continued to compliment my new arm.

Mona stood just outside of the hug, shaking her head until I sent as much caring and love as I could towards her little nest in my mind.

It must have worked, because she visibly slackened.

I could feel her trying to wrap herself up in the thoughts I sent her way. I tried to convey the comfort of snuggling up in a blanket by the fire.

“I’m so sorry.” Melody brushed my arm. “You can still feel that though?”

“Yeah, just like with the rest of my power, I can feel it.” I replied.

Melody smirked. “Good. Then we are going to do a check up and make sure you are all whole, even if part of you is made from your power.” Melody glanced at Mona. “Are you going to join us?”

Mona paused, seeming torn at the question.

“No. You two take good care of him. If I have to come back out here…” She trailed off, leaving the threat unsaid.

Our telepathic connection filled in some of the dots for me. She wanted the physical time, but she wasn’t sure that she could share me right now without going ballistic.

And I appreciated that she knew herself well enough to not be put in a situation where she might hurt Melody or Stella.

Mona turned to me. Once again reading my surface thoughts.

You are reading mine too. We are closer for this, my fated. She smiled. Every night when you dream, I’ll be there.

Before I could respond, she jumped and shot away.

“What did Twinkles say?” Stella asked.

“She’s been invading my dreams lately. She was promising that it would happen more.” I told her honestly.

Stella gasped. “She’s in your dreams?! Like a succubus?”

I froze, knowing that having Mona invade on being my succubus would not go over well. But I got the connection. Sometimes sex demons invaded dreams.

“No, more like just Mona being Mona.” I tried to assure Stella.

I’m pretty sure it is very much like a succubus. I just knew she was licking her lips as she spoke in my head.

The new closeness with her mind was strange. It was going to take a bit to get used to, but it was undoubtedly my new normal. I couldn’t imagine she’d disengage anytime soon. And if I was honest, I had grown used to having Mona available anytime I needed her.

Stella pulled at my arm more eagerly. “Then you need to come with me, so I can show you how a succubus treats her master properly.”

“Look, I’m fine. There’s no need for pity sex.” I pulled back a little as we entered the temple.

Melody looked pissed. “Is that what you think this is?”

“Sort of. I come home literally a fraction of the man.” Mona clearly wasn’t blocking my self deprecation at that moment.

“Absolutely not. You are our man. You are hurt, and I want to show you that even after this, nothing has changed.” Melody let go of my arm and made me stare into her eyes. “Say it.”

“Nothing has changed.” I repeated, and Melody pressed her lips to mine in a heartfelt kiss that shifted to a little more heat as she lifted a leg and pressed it to my hip.

Grabbing her thigh to help her keep steady, I felt her lean back. I took two steps, following her motion until she was pressed up against the wall while we kissed.

She broke the kiss and took a deep breath staring into my eyes. “We are going to go have some fun.”

“That was hot.” Stella’s face popped up right next to ours. “I want my turn.”

She grabbed my head and slammed her lips to mine, the tingle of ki drained from my lips to hers as she held the back of my head like she was afraid I’d run. “Master, your succubus needs to be fed. I’ve been starving while you’ve been out for the day.” She kissed me again, her arms wrapping around my waist, locking the three of us together.

My power wrapped both of them up in tight cords of energy. “Okay, then let’s retire to the bedroom and see if we can’t satisfy that hunger.” Lifting them both over my shoulder, I felt a little pep in my step as I hauled them off.

***

After the night with Stella and Melody, I stepped out of the temple into the morning light feeling great.

The two girls were still passed out back in our bedroom.

“Hello, God King.” A woman wearing barely anything gave me a fluttering wave as she walked past. She had dark, nearly black skin, and unkempt dark hair with little wisps of fire coming out of her eyes.

Between the fire and the claws for hands, she had the natural look of a villain, but she was as friendly as could be.

I waved back, not even considering it as I waved with my void limb, but she nor anyone else nearby reacted to the limb. “How are you?”

She jumped a little, not expecting me to engage her in conversation. “Oh. I’m great.” She perked up and a tail started to wag behind her. “Are you going somewhere, God King?” A pair of wolf ears popped out of her messy hair.

“Yeah, walking over to Frankie’s.” I lifted my hand and the pallets of metal floated out behind me. “I offered to help her build something. Sorry, what’s your name?”

“Vaash.” Her flames flickered a little extra as she smiled at me, eying the floating pallets. “I’m heading that way, mind if I join you?”

“Not at all Vaash, and call me Miles. God King is a mouthful.” Giving her a winning smile I continued on only for her to catch up with a skip in her step. I was feeling good and maybe a little flirty after the night with my ladies.

“So, you just moved in?” Vaash asked.

“Sort of. I don’t think I can stay here permanently. I’ll have to go back to Point City eventually, but I think I will be back. Maybe I’ll split my time between the two.” I rubbed at my chin. New Haven had been growing on me.

I was feeling connected to its people and invested in its growth. And I had to admit I felt more like myself within the city.

But I still had women back in Point City and some unfinished business. There was a lot more to figure out before I could make either home long-term.

“Oh. Of course. You must be busy.” She nodded, a strange look on her face. The little trails of fire made it hard to see her eye color, but it looked like a bright orange. It was made more vibrant by flames that burned like eyelashes. “Like my eyes?” She asked.

“Sorry.” I chuckled. “I was curious about the fire. Is that uncomfortable?”

She shook her head. “Not at all. Fire and heat do absolutely nothing to me. It’s made my life harder in the past, but here things are going really well. I’m so happy to be here.”

The way she spoke, it sounded like she hadn’t spent much time in New Haven. “A recent change?” I asked.

“Yeah. I was in the batch just freed from Point City.” She had a funny look as she eyed me. “I heard you work for the BSH.”

I let out a sigh. “Yeah, I do. But I also lead an initiative to get low risk inmates therapy so they can be productive after they are done with their sentences.”

“At North Point? I tried to apply, but they said I didn’t qualify.” She frowned. “Not that I hold a grudge against you or anything, but part of me still wants to run and hide. It’s hard to settle in here and feel safe.”

“What did you go away for?” I asked, curious.

She looked away, not able to meet my eyes. “Five counts of arson. But I didn’t mean to! I just run really hot.”

Curious, I patted the top of her head with my void arm, getting a sense of her heat with my arm.

“Don’t!” She panicked and tried to pull away, but she wasn’t fast enough. My void arm sat among her hair, and I watched absolute fear flash across her face.

I smiled, holding my hand there and ruffling her hair. “That’s quite hot. I feel like I just stuck my hand in the oven.”

“You didn’t burn.” Her face grew more puzzled. “I guess that’s what I should expect from somebody people call a god.”

I nodded. “Then, you just moved here. Have you found a job yet?”

“I am helping clear some monsters, but I’m also a walking forest fire hazard.” She replied.

“Can’t control the heat?” I asked.

“This is me controlling it. I got up to eight thousand during a test before I melted the meter they were using.” She stated the number proudly.

“Impressive.” I knew she thought I meant her power, but I was even more impressed by how badly she was trying to reestablish herself and use her ability to help the city.

These people weren’t villains because they wanted to be, but because their powers practically forced them. An image of Stella in that bathroom when I first found her flashed through my mind.

We kept walking, and I had a thought with the metal floating behind us.

“What other powers do you have?” I knew she’d have a second.

She opened her mouth and closed it before sighing. “One is my hellhound. I can shift into a three story tall hound, and I have my extreme heat from that one. There’s no pyrokinesis or anything. I’m just stupidly hot. It also gives me some super strength and durability.”

It also explained why she barely wore any clothes.

I waited for the other. Clearly it put her on edge.

“The other is that I can see ghosts.” She nearly whispered.

“Wait, really?” I was very interested in that power.

“You believe me?” She sounded dumbfounded. She must have dealt with skeptics in the past.

I nodded. “I know that ghosts exist. There are powers related to them.” I wasn’t going to straight up recruit this woman to fight the Fenris Wolf, but I was curious if she could help me hone my power to be able to damage the Fenris Wolf further.

I wasn’t going to lose the next time I chose to take it on.

Vaash nodded excitedly. “Yes. I can see them. When someone dies, I see the ghost, but most of them disappear shortly after.”

I nodded. smiling. “Super cool.”

We walked a little further before I changed the topic. “How are you at arts and crafts?”

She raised an eyebrow. “I set most of that stuff on fire.”

I lifted a pallet of metal closer to me. “What if we were using sheets of steel for the project?” I could have used my abilities to fix Frankie’s problem, but Vaash’s abilities would work as well. I figured it might help her establish herself if she used her skills to better the community. “I was going to make some things for Frankie, but with your power, you could probably weld and bend everything to make it.”

Vaash raised her brows and tried to wave me off. “Oh please, you don’t need to find me a job.”

“You’re doing me a favor. Take the job. Honestly, you could do a lot with the metal, but it's limited, and I’m not sure when I can get more.”

Vaash’s mouth hung open. “That’s a ton of metal. I mean, if I was trying to make roofs it wouldn’t last, but you could make a lot from all of that.”

I could tell she was starting to get excited, but then her face fell a little. “I don’t have anything to trade for something of that value… unless…” A sparkle entered her eyes again. “Unless you’re interested in things I can provide with what you see in front of you?” She gave me a suggestive look.

“I didn’t really have that in mind. I just wanted to help you get a job that fit your skill set. And I enjoy trading here in New Haven.” We reached Frankie’s mill, and I opened the door.

The pale, tatted up woman turned away from where she was working on her grains. “Back already?” She looked around me and raised an eyebrow at Vaash. “Making friends?”

“This is Vaash. She’s super strong and super hot. I wanted to get her to form the silo and the upgraded waterwheel.” I replied.

Frankie gave me an amused grin. “I wasn’t aware that looks were a quality in how you selected people for jobs.”

I played back what I had said and realized the misperception.

I rolled my eyes. “Really Frankie? She can make herself over eight thousand degrees. Vash, come here.” I cut free one of the rolls of metal from the pallet and floated it up to us before I rolled it partway out. “Can you cut a one foot strip off?”

Vaash eyed the roll of metal and stuck a finger out. Flames licked off the edge of her finger as she drew it across the metal, and the cut went through the sheet like a hot knife through butter. “Like that?”

“Great. Now roll it into a circle and then pinch the metal together to make a circle?” I instructed.

Vaash bent it into a crude circle with the same effort someone else would use to bend a piece of paper. I knew that she’d need something to roll it with later, but she was certainly strong enough for the challenge I’d given her.

Once she finished forming it, her finger got hot again and she pinched it together like it was clay.

The seam was a bit crude, but she shifted her hand into a wicked looking claw and just scraped it into a smooth seam. “How’s this?” She held it up.

It was honestly far better than I’d expected. “Perfect. Will that do, Frankie?” I gave the woman a flat stare.

“Yeah. That’ll do. Vaash was it?” Frankie asked.

Vaash glanced at me. “I’ll find a way to repay you for this.” Then she turned to Frankie. “Yes, I’m Vaash. And Miles said that you needed some things made. I guess, I’m an apprentice metal worker now.” She seemed to be taking to the idea pretty quickly.

It made me flash back to Daeva’s earlier words. Vaash was a good example of a super whose abilities had made them into a villain. She really did want to use her powers to help; she just needed some more work on control.

“Then we better get you started.” Frankie looked at my arm. “What’s wrong with you?”

“New arm.” I waved it up and down like I was showing it off.

She frowned. “New arm? You know that’s not normal, right?”

“Don’t worry, it’s better than the last one.” I smirked.

Frankie tilted her head. “Uh huh. Well, good for you.”