Chapter 268 (Patreon)

Chapter 268

Riven moved through the steps that’d been drilled into him over the past month, shifting his body while simultaneously using his mana to enhance his reflexes even outside the realm of his speed buff Blessing of the Crow.

When the draconic man Jerakie slashed out at him with his flaming green claws and tried to enter close combat, Riven would kite him with a ceaseless barrage of roaring black and red.  When he wasn’t able to riftwalk or dodge effectively, he’d deflect with his spear-staff and utilize barriers of ice; only truly engaging full-on with physical attacks if he saw an obvious opening.  Jerakie was a melee fighter with some mid-ranged abilities involving the green flames of his heritage, unleashing depictions of fiery green drakes at Riven that could wipe out entire swaths of the stone floor for thirty yards out - but those attacks were far shorter than Riven’s own abilities which gave him an advantage as long as he kept distance.

Thus, he fought like a true mage as much as possible.  Ever since he’d truly taken this fighting style to heart, he’d also started winning at an increased rate.  No longer did he lose more of these duels against the elites of Gluttony’s following than he won, but the tide had reversed - if only barely.  Nevertheless it was a big step forward for such a small amount of time and very much underlined the truly obvious flaws he’d had and now acknowledged - easy fixes finally coming to rest.

Flame, blood, shadow and sin - with the occasional flicker of death mana that he still wasn’t entirely used to, swirled around him in a roaring cyclone by the end of the fight as he hovered twenty yards off the ground with his spear-staff channeling the mana into a point.

His opponent was still pulling himself out of the crater, one arm hanging loosely by charred tendons and his scales ravaged by the onslaught, before acknowledging Riven’s win with a grunt.

The mana subsided, the drums sounded, and the crowd cheered as the next contenders for the fights that’d been going on for weeks now started making moves to enter the arena.

As the draconian man shuffled out towards the healers, Riven turned his attention to Lillith - who’d appeared to float alongside him with a stern expression.

“How’d I do?” Riven asked, winking with a laugh when she shook her head and folded her arms.

“Better, but still lots of improvements to make.”  She stated with a nod in the draconian man’s direction.  “You let him inside you guard all too often, and your technique still needs work when you are engaged in close combat.  Have you been working on your mana pulses?”

“Yes.”

“Did you do it during the fight?”

“Yes, Lillith.  And if you’re about to ask me where you hid them-”  Riven pointed towards the left wall and up above.  “Those two spots.”

A smile crept onto her lips as the two assassins reappeared from thin air.  “Very good.”

Riven chuckled and was about to ask whether or not that was all of them, when a strange sense of pulling overcame him.  It was like someone was poking at his soul, and Gluttony noticed it too with an abrupt shift in their combined attention to a tiny fluctuation in their shared soul aperture.

In an instant Riven was dragged in alongside Gluttony to meet the odd change, and Riven found himself inside the equivalent of a nether realm - though he could tell it was more of a mirage rather than a true nether realm.

Swamp laid all about him in a flat marshland that stretched out for miles on end,and a strange, green-tinted man with bloodshot eyes glared daggers at him from across a distance of perhaps twenty feet in length.

Riven felt Gluttony’s disgust and irritation simultaneously grow, and as Riven watched - the strange man’s body slowly unfurled before his very eyes.  The belly of the green man bulged, exploding outwards in a swarm of leeches, worms, and insects with a sickly viscous layer of gunk connecting them like a membrane.  The limbs went next, and then the head, and the man’s body continued to grow.  It grew to the size of a house, then a school, then grew even far beyond that until the large abomination cast a shadow over the land from the clouds and beyond.

The writhing mass of creatures grew enormous eyes that flashed open likely fleshy orbs, and mouths began to open from within the body and writhing limbs of the creature from a thousand different places at once.

“Gluttony…” The creature hissed, glowering down at Riven’s position with obvious distaste.  “My master greets you from the beyond.”

A rumble sounded out from Riven’s soul aperture, but otherwise Gluttony didn’t bother replying.

This in turn made the abomination in front of Riven laugh sardonically.  “Not even willing to acknowledge my presence?  After so many untold eons?  Come now Gluttony, I thought we’d-”

A snap of power erupted from Riven’s soul core where Gluttony had imbedded himself into the very fabric of Riven’s internal realm.  It felt like someone had just kicked Riven in the nutsack while simultaneously giving him a large dose of cocaine, and his body seized in a rigid spasm.

At the same time, a dose of pure sin energy shattered the fabric of the false world they found themselves in and crashed into the unknown creature.  The monster screamed in agony and reeled backwards in the broken world Riven now found himself in, and malice poured out of Riven as Gluttony temporarily took hold of Riven’s body.

“You are not worthy of my acknowledgement, worm.  But since you insist, perhaps I can show Greed’s lapdog a little more face after all.”  Gluttony’s third eye opened on Riven’s head, and his mouth split open along the corners all the way back to his ears as numerous sharp teeth sprouted from his mouth.  The air thundered, and Gluttony lifted one of Riven’s hands to beckon to the creature.  “Now tell me, king of worms, what poorly concocted scheme this time made you think it was a good idea to come and speak to the Great Maw?”

The world pulsed again around them, the remaining fabric of reality completely disintegrating this time until the world of swamps was no more - and they found themselves in a black abyss of nothingness.

The screeching of the monstrous creature abruptly stopped when it flared with a pulse of its own power, and its numerous eyes narrowed into slits as it let out a deafening roar of intense rage from the thousands of jaws around its flailing body.

Riven and Gluttony just sat and watched, a deep sense of calm malice embedded into Riven’s soul, as the monster in front of them quieted down.  They pointed a finger in the monster’s direction, and Gluttony spoke once more.  “Do what you have come to do.  Say what you have come to say.  I will tolerate your presence for only a small amount of time, Gambler.  If this were another era, I would have already flayed you open and devoured you whole - be glad that this is not that era.”

Gambler?

Oh.

The Gambler?

Riven had been hearing a little bit about this person over the past weeks.  He knew this creature to be something akin to a general in Greed’s army, and he was likely responsible or partially responsible for the attack on Genua.  The attack on Riven’s child.

Cold hate slowly filtered in, adding to Gluttony’s own.

He tried to pull on his mana, but none came, and anger turned into confusion.  “Gluttony, if you were able to hurt him here - why can’t I?”

Gluttony inwardly laughed.  “I directly attacked his soul.  It’s something I’m quite good at, and though I do approve of your aggression - it is impossible to kill him here.  Let the worm speak… Let us see what verbal vomit he has to offer us...”

“He tried to kill our child.”

“But he didn’t.  He failed.”

Riven blinked, tightening his fists, and retook control of his body as he restrained himself from giving Gluttony a rude response.  However he couldn’t fault Gluttony because Gluttony had been the one to save their child, while Riven had been an utter failure of a father in that instant.  Instead, he turned his ire on the monster ahead with an obvious sneer.  “Gambler.  I’ve got to ask… Was it you that tried to kill my unborn child?  Did you take any part in concocting that plan?”

The monster, which had been seething in the background, suddenly stilled - and then it he slowly began to laugh.  The laughter built, and built some more, until it echoed across the plane of this strange, false world.  “Yes, and I was oh so disappointed that I did not splatter the child’s brains onto the pavement as anticipated.  Nor did my agent even kill the mother… It is a true tragedy, but expected of one with such inexperience.  It is a tragedy that will be corrected in time when I drag them into the depths of hell in future days to come.  But that is not why I came to speak with the Maw.  I came for… other things.”

Riven’s fists tightened harder.  He opened his mouth to speak, but found that he could not put into words the description of just what he was actually feeling right now.  If he couldn’t actually kill the beast ahead of him in this place, then there was no point in making himself out to be a hotheaded fool.  “Very well.  Tell me, how did you contact me?  Is it the vial of my blood I sense inside your spatial pocket in the middle of your body?”

The Gambler seemed surprised by Riven’s deduction, and eventually pulled out that same vial Riven had described.  It looked down, then up, then down and up again until it settled on Riven once more.  “I’m surprised you noticed, hatchling.  I-”

Riven formed a fist, and the vial of blood shattered.  His essence on the other side of this strangely constructed communication line shuddered to the same extent that Gluttony’s pulse had done.  The blood was without a doubt the pillar holding up this ‘phone call’ so to speak, but he kept the communication line intact and grinned viciously at the image of The Gambler’s body on the other end of string that connected them.  Somewhere out there, he’d created a crater inside the demon that pulsed with remnant blood energy that was rapidly evaporating.  He perhaps had a few minutes left to talk at most, and he may not be able to kill this creature in this realm as he couldn’t truly summon mana here - but the mana in Riven’s blood was still connected to him while in such concentrated form.  And the bloody scar it’d left in the monster’s side was very satisfying, even if it was in the end - insignificant.

“YOU BARBARIC, UNEVOLVED  APE!  I WOULD BE CURSED TO INTERACT WITH NOTHING MORE THAN BABOON, IT SEEMS!” The Gambler screamed, irritation flecked his words like a potent venom.  “We have not even discussed terms and you already wish to end our talks!?  You are a short sighted fool!”

“Not as foolish as to use the blood of a vampire as a means of communication AFTER trying to kill my kid.”  Riven shot back, a content grin on his face.  He wanted to ask if Gragle was alright, but assumed the gnome was dead if The Gambler was here with that vial.  He’d have to check later.  “Tell us why you have come.  The means by which you contacted us are disappearing and will be gone within minutes.  Speak.”

Snarling, The Gambler cursed at him in a language that he didn’t understand - but elicited chuckles from Gluttony.  Frothing at the mouth and writhing his numerous appendages that were many hundreds of times longer than Riven’s own body, the bestial creature rippled in irritation.  “I have come to set terms.”

“Terms?” Riven repeated dryly.  “You can fuck right off.  How do those terms sound?”

“I do not speak with you, child.  I speak to the Great Maw.”  The monster replied with a hiss, appendages swarming.  “Greed has not left the prison that held us yet, because he is waiting and watching.  Watching… the Commandments.  Their echoes of hatred still linger in the dark, and they scheme to gain a foothold over demonkind before our rise has even truly begun.  Greed has sent me here as a messenger, that we agree to a ceasefire, and work together on a temporary basis.”

There was a pause as Gluttony’s curiosity was peaked.

Then, seeing that neither Riven nor Gluttony had anything else to say, The Gambler smiled across all its many mouths.  “I am glad you can listen to reason.  Good.  Greed has found the location of an inheritor… a Reincarnation to be.  His time in the prison has bore fruit, and he has overheard them talking of treachery.  The commandments of Purity, Piety, Judgement, Selflessness, Truth, Humility, and Patience scheme to move soon.  Perhaps it would interest us both if we strike together with the combined might of our churches, when The Seventh Wing sends down her blessing and incorporates herself into a reincarnation.  What says The Great Maw?”

Gluttony seemed to tense, and he spat the words out like venom.  “The Seventh Wing?  Purity has chosen a vessel?”

The Gambler growled out his acknowledgement.  “Yes.  And though as much as I’d like to see the both of you kill each other, and as much as Greed holds a deep seated hate for you, we both know where our priorities lie when it comes to the endless war against the heavens.  I can prove to you that I do not lie, and if you wish it - we may work together to send Purity back into the abyss to recuperate.  Perhaps, if we are lucky, we may even capture her reincarnation and hold her for an eternity that she shant break from.”

***

Was it a trap?

Probably.

Was there some truth to what The Gambler had said?

Apparently so.

Did Riven really want to go kill or abduct Purity’s reincarnation?

Not really.

But Gluttony did.

And yet… Would Riven even be involved?  He wasn’t entirely sure he would be.  Rather, it may completely exclude him as B, A, and S grade players from the churches of Gluttony and Greed were on the chessboard in attempting  the mission should it be enacted.  Players that were currently far more powerful than Riven was.

A lot was on Riven’s mind as he looked in the mirror, turning and evaluated the strange demon-styled suit Athela and Fay had picked out for him.  It was made of a deep burgundy with spikes along the shoulders and came out with a flare in the back like a tuxedo, but had numerous bright red trimmings and a large black sigil of Gluttony on the inner vest.  The style had been picked out by his two girlfriends only a few days ago, and though Athela was still on a mission - she’d no doubt appreciate that he wore it to this event even despite her absence.

No doubt she’d make him wear it again when he had the same kind of event with her own family.

“You, look, startlingly good!  I’m such a lucky woman!” Fay said when she turned the corner, putting on a wide grin and stepping into the room with a sparkling black dress that fit her slender, athletic body like a glove.  She stepped up to Riven in the mirror, put an elbow on his shoulder as they stared at one another, and then leaned in with a kiss.  Meeting his lips and then playfully rubbing her horns against his cheek, she reached down for his hand and gently intertwined fingers.  “I, uhm, I want to say thanks for coming.  Thank you for asking to do this in the first place, they’re all so excited to meet you.  You have no idea how much this means to my clan, to my family.  To me.”

Riven raised an eyebrow and thought about ruffling her hair, but seeing how much time she’d taken in making it look absolutely perfect - he decided not to.  Instead, he just pulled her in for another kiss and wrapped his arms around her waist.  “Of course, silly.  I wouldn’t miss it for the world.  I love you, remember?”

Fay’s blue cheeks flushed a bright pink, and she looked away but kept her grip firm on his back as she pressed up against him.  “Thanks.  I love you too, and I needed to hear that.  You’ve been so busy lately that we haven’t had a chance to talk much, you’ve been distant.”

“And I apologize for that, but it’s also why I decided to push this forward.”  Riven brought a hand up to her chin and lifted her face to meet his own.  “I wanted to show both you and Athela that you’re important to me.”

“And Genua?”

The question caught Riven off guard, and he shifted his head from side to side before shrugging.  “I’m not sure where that’s going.  We had a one night stand and now it’s… complicated.  But right now, I only have eyes for you and Athela.”

Fay grinned.  “Kathrine is going to be very angry if she hears that.”

“Kathrine is in a forced marriage situation due to the Blood Moon Requiem, for political gains, and we all know it.  Stop teasing me.”  Riven shot Fay an irritated glare, only to soften his frown when she giggled up at him and put a hand on his cheek.

“I know.” Fay stated softly.  “Are you ready to go?”

Riven’s frown completely evaporated, and he let out a chuckle with a nod.  “Yes.  I’m ready.  Let’s go meet your family, shall we?”

Five minutes later, Riven was let into the Sojavi Clan’s combined nether realm while holding Fay’s hand.  Stepping through the portal, he came upon a sprawling complex of stone architecture akin to Mayan designs built into a mountainous jungle landscape.  Unlike previous visits to most of the other nether realms he’d been in, this one had a very real sense of physicality to it.  His senses all worked here, unlike individual nether realms, and if he remembered correctly it was because the amount of demons residing here all gave a portion of themselves into creating the world they shared.  Individual realms had an absolute safety to them though, which is why they were often used to begin with, but combined nether realms like this one made things more… communal.  Social.

And the sight before him left him somewhat staggered.

Well over a thousand different succubi and incubi all knelt in submission on the stone panels leading towards the central-most building of the complex.  They were dressed in their finest outfits in a variety of styles, had blue skin and small black horns or tails just like Fay did, the complex had been decorated with blooming yellow and red flowers, and incense burned along multiple waist-high flat pillars in a thick cloud of intoxicatingly good aromas.  The very air he breathed was refreshing even despite the smoke, and he quickly noted there to be four people at the very front of the crowd - one of which he recognized.

“Hello, Tupper.  It’s nice to see you here.”  Riven said with a friendly wave, and Tupper shot the people beside him a nervous glance before standing to his full height and nodding.

“I greet the Great Maw’s Reincarnation with utmost respect!” Tupper announced, bowing deeply at the waist and causing Riven to raise an eyebrow.

Fay giggled, whispering into Riven’s ear, and he scratched the back of his head.

“No need for that man, we know each other well enough by now.  Just call me Riven.”  

Tupper abruptly shook his head.  “That would be disrespectful of your esteemed position, my lord!  Please, allow-”

“That’s an order, Tupper.”  Riven replied with a sigh.  “I appreciate the respect, but you’re a friend - and you’re Fay’s brother.  Please stand straight.”

Hesitating once again, Tupper shot the people beside him another look - getting an unsaid message from one of the women beside him, and did as Riven asked.  He cleared his throat nervously and slumped his shoulders before sticking out a hand.  “Nice to see you again, Riven.  How’s the Abyssal Descent going?”

“That’s more like it.” Riven laughed, clasping hands with the incubus and gesturing to the others.  “I assume these are the rest of your family that I requested to meet?”

“They are.” Fay cut in, quickly walking over to pull the two women and one man up to their feet in standing positions.  One of the women was slightly older than Fay, but not by much.  Nevertheless because it was noticeable at all, this was likely Fay’s mom he’d heard so much about.  He could certainly see where Fay got her genetics, and if she was anything to go by - Riven would not be disappointed if he and Fay ever got married and lasted another few thousand years together.

The second woman was Fay’s sister if Riven had to guess.  Nithidi?  Nitidi?  Niridi?  He couldn’t remember.  Fuck.  She was taller than Fay and certainly more confident, and held his gaze almost teasingly as his eyes swept over her bright yellow dress that matched Fay’s own in style.

Then, lastly, there was a slightly older and very handsome man that Riven could only assume was Fay’s father by process of elimination.  He wore a cool, calculating look and - though he showed respect in the formal gestures - he did not have the same aim to please about him that the two women did.  Or at least that’s what Riven got out of it based on expressions between the three.

Fay gestured to each of them in turn.  “This is my mother, Saemi.  This is my sister, Nitidi.  And this is my father, Artirus.  Obviously you know Tupper already, so that’s… That’s my family!  Uhm… Thanks for coming again, Riven.”

She gave him a sheepish smile, and her mother Saemi was already stepping forward with a warm handshake and an extraordinarily wide, brilliant smile.

“It is such a pleasure to meet my daughter’s future husband!” Saemi exclaimed loudly, oozing with giddiness as her handshake almost became violent by how excited she was.  “A prince of the Blood Moon Requiem and, more importantly, Gluttony’s Reincarnation!  I am so, SO excited to host you this evening in our estate!  I hear you have another minion slot open?  Is that true?  Perhaps you’d consider our other daughter to add to your-”

“Mother!” Fay exclaimed, a blush overcoming her face as her fists clenched with embarrassment - and she dropped her voice into a low hiss.  “We’ve been over this!  Stop it immediately!”

“Nitidi.” Fay’s sister politely said, pushing her mother out of the way and taking Riven’s hand next.  “I must say, the things Fay tells me about you and your intimacy are rather interesting.  Perhaps I’ll get to see them for myself one of these days.”

Fay’s jaw dropped, and Riven’s pale face blushed to the next degree as he gave his girlfriend the side-eye.

“I… Well it’s nice to meet you.”  Riven said, taking a step back and wondering just what kind of impression he gave off to these people that they’d think he wanted that.  As it was, Athela and Fay were more than enough.  It was certainly flattering, but already having such a busy life he was not sure he’d be able to handle another woman in that realm of things even if he wanted to - and he certainly didn’t want to invest emotionally into anyone else.  “And, uh, you’re Fay’s father, Artirus?  It’s a pleasure.  Truly, it is.”

Artirus for his part gave a stiff bow, and politely extended his hand to shake with a smile.  “I apologize for appearing nervous, if that is how I come off.  I was just caught off guard when I heard the news that you’d be attending one of our banquets, and haven’t really wrapped my head around the fact that my beloved daughter is marrying into something beyond royalty.  Please, allow me to escort you into our home.  Fay told me that you liked to keep things informal so it will be more or less without ceremony, I am hoping she told me correctly…”

“She did.  And yes, please lead on.  I’m excited to finally catch a glimpse of what Fay’s home is like, and the wonderful people that raised her.” Trey stated immediately, glad to get an out and avoid the stares of Fay’s sister and mother as Artirus began leading him through the crowd; while other succubi and incubi began to stand and cheer - creating a roar of approval and chanting Gluttony’s name as he went.

Halfway through the crowd though, he noticed that Fay had fallen behind.  Turning and walking back to grasp Fay’s hand, he saw her eyes widen and begin to water - before wiping her tears away and loudly laughing amidst the happy rise in mood around them.  “You really are quite a sob story a lot of the time.  Quit crying and be happy!  This is going to be fun!  I’m assuming there’s alcohol?”

“Oh we have lots of alcohol, count on it!” Her mother Saemi chimed in with a giddy skip to her step.  “Part of being a clan based on information gathering to sell to the cosmos is that we know where all the best wineries are!”

Fay for her part, just let Riven lead her forward until she locked arms with him and pressed against him.  Together, both smiling, they made their way through the crowd towards the inner sanctum of Fay’s family home - where many of the incubus and succubus children waited to greet them with a shower of flowers and laughing cheers.

As for Riven - he very much wondered what their children would turn out to look like should they ever have one together.  Would it be something like these kids?  If so, they were going to make adorable babies.

He should probably start looking for engagement rings after the whole ‘conquer Panu’ thing was over.