It didn't take long to clean up the village, and I was more than happy to heal everyone, even if they seemed physically fine. I had used my Abyssal Flame to torch the bodies and burn them to nothingness, blood, bones, and all. I did end up throwing Raizen's and Jerrion's corpses into my Abyssal Storage, as I still thought it was a good idea to travel to the village where these assholes had originally come from, and it would be proof of what happened here, and the eventual outcome.
I still had Garreth as well, who was currently immobilized and being watched over by one of my shades. He didn't go unnoticed, as my shade had dragged him by his hair close to me while I worked, and while many people wanted him dead, with me agreeing with their feelings about him wholeheartedly, I did need him to eventually find this other village of theirs. For now though, I was going to finish helping these people.
The people were thankful to me, and even the wary ones warmed up to me and smiled, many crying tears of joy and relief as I made their pains subside. My ladies were also very popular, as they wasted no time in helping people with cleaning up debris and the bloodstains I couldn't get rid of, as well as just chatting with people, and offering their condolences and reassuring words. The "pretty women" were also very popular among the village children, and that made me smile, both in agreement and at how well the two were with the children.
I did get... slightly possessive at all of the men oogling both of them, and even telling them how beautiful they were, but they didn't go as far as that, and I guess this was just the byproduct of having gorgeous women as my lovers. Even so, if it went beyond just that, I wasn't against creating a few new injuries. The growls I made seemed to get my point across. Both women found it amusing, but that was mainly because they assured me that they would be breaking bones themselves if someone decided to get handsy or something. Their loyalty to me was strong in our bond, as was mine to them, and it did a lot to put me at ease.
Everyone else had made their presence known as well, and Terroth had become quite popular amongst the ladies as he offered to help people with moving things around with Marina's help. The woman just smiled as this happened, and I was actually not shocked to see the love in her eyes that she held for the bear man. Stranger things have happened in my life, and it least it was something mostly wholesome.
Serena had taken both Valerie and Sheila to meet her parents and the others, and had even found time to drag Terroth away from wooing the fox ladies of the village to introduce her friend and party leader. The sibling's parents had an intense look of pride in their eyes as they told them about forming a party in the city of Arbigold, and how strong they had become since leaving.
My eyes softened as I watched Delphia talking with Valerie after a moment. I didn't listen in on their conversation, but with the look of shock on Delphia's face, followed by understanding, and even a few tears, I could guess what they were speaking about. Delphia had eventually wrapped Valerie in her arms, and gently stroked the back of the Dhampir's hair. The crying that came from Valerie was something I could hear, but the moment didn't look or sound sad.
Delphia had the look of a determined mother on her face as she comforted Valerie, and I could only assume that's what she had decided she would be for Valerie. I actually had to hold back my own show of emotion, as I was still mending people's injuries. The whole thing was just nice to see after so many hardships, and it no doubt helped to reaffirm for my Dhampir that people genuinely cared about her. My thoughts made me chuckle to myself.
"My Dhampir..." I thought to myself, but the words sounded right, and at this point, I was just waiting for her, but I would not hold back how I felt about her when asked.
Sheila was smiling, but seemed more subdued. She obviously didn't share much about herself, which I could understand. She had opened up to me once, but it had only been briefly, and it was clear that it wasn't something she liked to do, or just wasn't good at it. Either way, she got the hug treatment as well, and I smiled at the redness in Sheila's cheeks as I continued my task.
Delphia and Alina had both insisited I take care of everyone else before I healed them. I thought it unnecessary, but I also didn't want to disrespect their wishes. They really seemed like people who cared a lot about others, and put themselves after everyone else. I could relate to that, and despite what they had been through at the hands of Raizen, they seemed in high spirits. So, I just sped up my task of helping people recover.
I will say that I did feel obligated to give my full attention to Alina and Delphia when I healed them though. They were not just the villagers of this village like everyone else was to me. Alina was basically Benji's girlfriend, a young man who I had really grown fond of over my time knowing him, almost like a younger brother. Delphia didn't need much explanation. She was the sibling's mom, and just for that fact, she was important. Plus, with how I felt about Serena and my slowly growing feelings for her, I really wanted to impress the woman.
I started with Alina first, my hand glowing with my black energy.
"May I?" I asked as I reached my hand out, and stopped it about a foot away from her.
Her lips trembled as she stood next to Benji, her hand firmly in his. She then took a deep breath in and out, and then nodded. I smiled gently as I brought my hand forward, and laid it atop her head. She sucked in a sharp breath, but in that time, it was already done. No more injuries, no more bruises or cuts, and most importantly, the regrowth of a healthy and orange furred ear.
"There." I said gently as I took a step back.
Alina's eyes were wide as she felt her body where I assumed it had hurt the most, and there was no reaction except for the watering of her eyes. Then, she reached up tentatively and felt her ear, now feeling a fully grown and fluffy appendage. Moisture began to fall down her cheeks as her lips quivered. Benji, while frustrated that his magic was no yet strong enough to do what mind could, still had gratitude and tears in his own eyes as he looked at me.
"Nothing hurts anymore... and my ear... it's fixed..." Alina said, before looking at me, her body trembling, "Thank you Mister Elias... I... don't know what to say... "
"You don't have to say anything or do anything. Just take care of this one." I said, jabbing a thumb at Benji.
Despite the tears falling from her eyes, they lit up, and she gave me a bright smile as she squeezed Benji's hand more firmly.
"I can definitely do that. I don't ever want to be without him ever again." She said, her words making Benji's face turn red, but he too gave a big happy smile.
"I don't either. Being away from everyone hurt... but being away from you... it made me realize a few things." Benji said, and that caused Alina to turn to him with curiosity dancing in her bright amber eyes.
"Like what?" Alina asked, her voice shaking as she looked at him, his gaze implying what he had yet to say.
Benji took a deep breath in, and exhaled it slowly. His eyes met mine, and I smiled and nodded at him.
"Just fucking go for it, man." I thought, and only a moment later, he did just that.
"I realized how much I..." He said, pausing, before determination burned in his eyes, "How much I love you."
Alina said nothing at first, but the smile, and the happy tears didn't need any explanation. I was sure she knew already. A man doesn't look at a woman like he does without being madly in love. I should know that better than most. Still, hearing it was something completely different, and it meant so much more when spoken aloud.
Alina, with a speed that surprised me, but definitely surprised Benji more, she jumped on him, and pressed her lips to his. He actually didn't fall over this time, and he held the small woman in his arms as she assaulted his mouth with hers. A moment later, they came apart with an audible pop, and both were breathing heavily. I had to stiffle a laugh with how dazed Benji looked.
"I love you too, my Benny." Alina said, and then buried her face in his neck.
All of the redness in Benji's face abruptly vanished, and it was replaced with warm contentment, happy tears, and a smile that warmed my heart to see as he held her close and stroked the back of her head. He had seemed so sad at times, even broken in a sense, but now? He reminded me of myself back when I met Cici. His heart was being mended, just like mine had been, and I had no doubt his feelings for Alina would be stronger than ever before.
Leaving the two lovers to their devices, I moved over to Delphia, who was smiling so brightly at the scene of her son and Alina that I actually felt that the light around her from the sunlight was somehow brighter than everyone else. I really wished she would have at least sat down or something, but she stood tall and proud, despite the wobbling of her left leg. Thankfully, her husband was next to her, and seemed to be holding most of her body weight up with his own strength, and I found myself respecting the man more.
"I'm so happy to see those too finally acting on their feelings." Delphia said, a wide smile on her face, before her attention settled on me completely, "Thank you for everything you are doing, dear. I'm so glad little Alina doesn't have to live with the scars that bastard gave her."
I didn't say anything at first, mainly because the thought of Raizen doing this to these poor girls had my anger rising despite his corpse being in my storage. I hadn't asked what happened to leave Alina or Delphia with their injuries, but I could guess, and none of them were good. Delphia seemed to notice this, and she gave me a pained smile, sensing what I was thinking.
"For me...well... when Raizen first came and took me for himself, I had refused. Even when he slapped me, hit me, and threw me around, I refused." She said, and I saw Benarious clenching his teeth, anger filling his eyes, "Then when he ordered me to perform a sex act on one of the other girls... I slapped him... and that's when he slammed me to the floor and stomped on my leg."
"He's lucky he's dead aleady." Benarious said with a growl.
Even though Delphia knew it was just posturing, as Raizen had been simply too strong for any of them to contend with, her husband's words still made her eyes fill intense love for him as she rubbed her cheek against his shoulder. Benarious pulled her close to himself, turned, and kissed the top of her head. I couldn't help but smile at the cute sight despite the topic. After a moment, Delphia spoke again.
"As for Alina, she was always feisty, rowdy, and always giving Raizen problems. No matter what he did to her, or what he made her do, she always told him exactly how she felt. She was stronger than me in that regard..." She admited, shame filling her eyes, "One day, I guess she must have hit a nerve, because her grabbed her by the ear and pulled it so hard, most of it just ripped right off... I can still remember her scream."
"Fucking animal." I growled, and despite the darkness of the story being told, Delphia smiled softly at me.
"You're a nice boy, Elias." Delphia said, her words causing me to blink, and helping my anger to fade.
"He really is." Sheila added from the side where she, Valerie, and Serena still resided.
"He always jumps head first into problems for us." Serena added.
"He's done so much for all of us... I am so, so grateful to have met him." Valerie said, her words making me smile.
Delphia wobbling slightly put my mind back on track, and I internally cursed myself for getting distracted. I brought my hand up, and reached out towards Delphia.
"Please, ma'am. Let me heal you now." I said, and Delphia smiled, and she in turn reached out to me, and gently laid her hand in mine.
I channeled my ability into her, and again, the results were immediate. She gasped as all bruises disappeared, all marks of injuries vanished, and most importantly, her leg made small popping and cracking noises in the span of a second. I removed my hand from Delphia's shaking one, and the woman blinked several times, tears gathering in her eyes.
She, as well as the other women, had dressed more appropriately as I had began healing everyone, but she was still able to stare in awe at her bare arms, which were once covered in small scrapes and bruises, where only healthy and smooth skin remained now. Everyone was impressed while watching me heal someone, but actually experiencing it for yourself had to be a different matter all together.
"Honey... please let me go..." Delphia said, and while Benarious was hesitant to do so, he did as his wife asked.
As he did, Delphia just stood there, her leg no longer wobbling. She took a shakey breath as she took a step forward with her once injured leg, and when it hit the ground and she put her full weight on it, she let out a small hiccuping laugh. She then bent her knees in an impressive display of Dexterity that had her bottom actually touching the ground, before she stood back up with no issues. I then had to look away, as she began crying and laughing simultaneously as she started to hop up and down, the motion causing physics to do its thing.
"I feel... so wonderful..." She said, tears trailing down her cheeks, before she stopped her movements, and looked at me, "You... are a sweet boy."
I actually felt my face become warm as I scratched the back of neck. What was it with moms and their ability to do this to me? Anya's words usually caused a similar reaction to happen to me as well, turning me almost into a blushing maiden akin to my Clarissa. It was also a little weird to be called that after I just violently murdered all of the assholes that had invaded their village, but I appreciated her kind words despite them making me feel the way I did.
"I'm just... doing my best to help." I said, and she did not let my actions or my nervousness go unnoticed, as she giggled.
"So strong and courageous, yet you're so adorable." She said with a smile, and now even the other women were giggling at me, and I heard my girls burst out laughing about 20 feet away from me.
"I AGREE!" Cici said from her place, where she and Clarissa were talking to and playing with a few of the village children. Delphia too laughed merrily as she winked at me.
"I can see how a kind man like yourself would have more than one mate." She said, and then leaned in conspiratorially, "You have been getting many looks from the ladies here, but you don't seem very interested in them. That being said... I have noticed something else... tell me, do you plan on mating with my daughter?"
I coughed, and my eyes widened at the bluntness of the woman. Serena and Sheila's ears proved to be more than just incredibly cute and fluffy appendages, as Serena choked on her own spit, while Sheila began to laugh heartily.
"MOTHER!" Serena squawked, which only made her mother and Sheila laugh harder.
I glanced a look over at Benarious, who just had a small smirk on his lips. When our eyes met, he just shrugged, as if saying, "That's just Delphia." When I looked over at Valerie, she had her head down, a blush on her cheeks. Once I finally gained a modicum of control, I looked back at Delphia, unsure of what to say, as she genuinely looked like she expected an answer. I would not lie to this woman though.
"I... well... do like Serena. She's gorgeous, and incredibly kind." I said, which made Delphia's smile widen, and it made Serena's cheeks heat to ridiculous levels.
"She is that, isn't she? I sense some hesitation though..." She said, and her words made me subconsciously look over at both Valerie and Sheila again, and of course she noticed that too. However, that seemed to placate her, and she just smiled softly at me, "I see. You are a very busy and popular man, it would seem. That's fine, and I won't push. However, just know... I am perfectly fine with it."
I just nodded stiffly, and did my best to smile back at her. She was earnest in her words, and a very nice woman. I did like Serena, and I wouldn't lie about my feelings I had, or about what I wanted. I still wanted to get to know her more than I did before I went any further. I was more far along with Valerie and Sheila in that regard, and with the looks I was getting from Valerie especially as of late... I truly felt like something wonderful was building between us faster than the others. She hadn't been around me for all that long, but I felt that feeling of love growing in my chest for her with each passing second.
Before I could think too much further about my romantic life, a voice sounded behind me.
"You've done well, Elias, and I can't thank you enough for what you've done here." The voice of Ezra said, which had me turning around to look at the strong man.
"I was happy to help. Everyone should be okay now. I just... can't do anything about the mental pain." I said softly, and the man gave me a pained smile as he nodded.
"Yes... that will take some time..." He said, before shaking his head, and fixing me with a smile, "I got my old home cleaned up, and I'd like for you, your mates, and your friends to join me inside." He said, and then looked over at Delphia, Benarious, Alina, and her parents, "You're all welcome to join us as well, if you wish. I wouldn't dream of splitting any of you up, but I do wish to ask these people some questions that I'd rather not ask them out here."
At those words, I saw my girls nod at me from where they were. They pat the kids on their heads, with a few even jumping up and hugging my girls, which made them giggle happily before setting the kids back down, and beginning to make their way towards me.
"We'd all be happy to join you." I said, and everyone else nodded their ascent.
"I'll go find Terroth and Marina and drag them back here." Sheila said, her nose sniffing the air, before locking onto a specific direction, and beginning to trot that way.
As I looked around us, at the mostly smiling villagers, I felt a sense of pride and accomplishment well up inside of me. It wasn't perfect, with some of the villagers having distant and haunted looks in their eyes, but it was far better than before, and at least now, they all had the change to begin the healing process. I could go, relax, and chat with the village chief with a clear mind.
"By the way," Ezra said, nodding his head to the side, where I turned to see a fearful looking Garreth, who smelled very strongly of piss, "What are you going to do with... that?"
I just grinned at the man.
"He's going to be my unwilling guide."