We arrived back in the Redwood village in short time later. Delphia had held Khaire for a while longer, and once again made Vikoss and Rory give her another round of hugs. Both men blushed when she kissed both of their cheeks and made them promise to keep their sister safe, but the pair took to that with a fierce determination in their eyes like they had just received a declaration from a God.
"Those three will be just fine." Delphia said, her face streaked with dried tear stains, but her smile was bright and proud.
"They will. I have no doubt about that." I said, giving my own reassuring smile to Delphia, which she returned with confidence.
We soon landed back in the village, and made our way to Delphia's home. We arrived and walked inside a moment later, where we were greeted to a sight I found pretty cute. Serena and Sheila were in the living room sharing a couch, talking to each other in low voices before they heard turned to us as we entered the room. The cute part was the sigjt of Valerie leaning against Serena, softly little snores escaping her as she napped away.
"You're back." Sheila said with a grin, standing up quickly and making her way over to us.
I wasted no time as I stepped to to her, grabbed the back of her head gently, and bent down for a kiss. She melted into the kiss, her strong body pressing against me, which caused her large breasts to push into my chest rather distractingly. Her body was fit and toned with lean muscle on full display, which seemed to be something she took pride in. These tits though? They were soft and pliant, and it took more willpower than I'd care to admit not to just take them in my hands and start playing with them.
"How was the visit? Sorry I didn't go with you. I'm really not as close to them as you and Del seem to be, and plus I wanted to help Terroth and Marina help their new lady pack up." She said, pointedly leaving out the other part she told me about for now.
I just smiled as I brought a hand up to brush a stray locke of hair from her eyes, which made her blush furiously, but the gesture also put on a smile on her beautiful face.
"You don't gotta explain yourself to me. I understand. As for the visit, it was nice. A little emotional and bittersweet, but nice." I said, and that made her smile again as she leaned up to place another soft kiss on my lips.
As our lips parted, I turned my head to Serena and Valerie. Serena had proded Valerie awake, with the pretty dhampir woman still blinking the sleep from her eyes as she fought to regain full consciousness. She got very tired when she was relaxed, and in general, it seemed like she could just make herself fall asleep whenever she wanted to. I wondered if that was a dhampir thing, or just how Valerie was. Serena was looking at me with a complicated expression, her eyes flicking between Sheila and myself, and then where her body pressed against mine with a hand on my middle, as well as where I had my left hand resting on her right hip.
"I..." Serena said, seeming to want to address what she was feeling, but opting for something else instead, "... don't feel comfortable there. I know those three are good people, and I know it wasn't all of their people that did what the other did... but... the memories of the day they arrived... and what we found when we arrived here..."
Delphia crossed the distance, taking the now free spot beside her daughter. She put an arm around her, and pulled her into a loving side hug.
"I understand baby. No one is faulting you for that. You're allowed to feel that way." Delphia said softly, Serena breathing out a low and happy breath as she leaned into her mother's shoulder, "However, it is something we need to discuss, and I want you and your brother to try and get used to the idea of seeing them again. After all, they are closer to family now."
Serena's head turned abruptly to lock eyes with her mother, Delphia's soft eyes and warm smile doing a lot to calm Serena down before anything truly came to a head.
"I... should have expected that. You have been talking about them a lot. That's just like you to take them in like that." Serena said, her wary look turning into a soft smile.
"I thought they were nice..." Valerie said, rubbing at her eyes with both hands, "But I too felt uncomfortable. The big man is... a lot."
I laughed, both at how adorable she looked right now, tired eyes and cute fangs, and also at her words, as her thoughts were the same as mine only a day ago.
"He's... much different now." I said, and both Valerie and Serena blinked a few times, clearly wanting me to continue.
"Who you met was angry and protective Vikoss. The boy now though?" Delphia added before I could, her smile fond and proud, "He reminds me a lot of Elias. Big, strong, and imposing yes, but also kind, considerate, and rather cuddly if I'm being honest."
I actually didn't blush this time, although it was a near thing. Actually, given how Delphia's smile widened when she looked at me, maybe I didn't hold back my embarrassment as well as I thought I did.
"You can just call me Eli, Delphia." I said, and she gave me a pointed look, her smile still in place.
"And you can just call me Del. Or mom. Either one works." She replied, and yeah... definitely no question about the state of my face now, given the burning I felt on it.
"I..." I said, the woman's ability to fluster me both somewhat irritating, and admittedly impressive, "That's... not fair."
She laughed softly, and then scooted over just a bit, which left a spot just big enough for... well, me of course. She smiled as she patted the seat next to her. I approached slowly, and took the offered seat. She just kept giving me that same bright smile with her ears standing straight up on her head, her tail resting comfortably in her lap as it swayed slowly.
"Life isn't always fair, my dear boy." She said, then reached over and ruffled my hair, which felt a lot nicer than I wanted to admit, "I like your full name, Elias. I believe it fits you perfectly, and it's just what I prefer to call you. As for me, you should just call me whatever you are comfortable with. I just wanted to make it clear where we stand. I see you as one of my own now. You saved my life, my husband, and my people. Most importantly, you kept my babies safe, and returned them to me. You treated them with kindness and respect, and did so much for them without even thinking twice about doing so. So yes, I am being unfair, because I won't accept anything less. Despite what happened to us... to me, something wonderful has come out of it. I feel like my family has grown in only a few short days, and that extends to everyone in this room. Including you, you big sweet softie."
I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out. I wasn't upset, far from it, but I didn't know what to say. My heart felt so full in the moment that I thought it might actually explode. Delphia then smiled, reached over to the little table next to us, and grabbed a small cloth.
"I suppose it's my turn now." She said, reaching up and dabbing at my eyes, which I just now realized were wet, with trails tracking down my face.
I let out a small, weak laugh, the wetness now obvious in my voice. Once she was satisfied, she put the now wet cloth down, and pulled me in for a hug. I returned it, not out of any kind of instinct or feeling that I should, but because I wanted to. I would've probably hugged her first if she had let me.
"There there." She said softly, a hand rubbing the back of my head soothingly, "You boys always forget how much you really need this. You are strong Elias, but you don't have to be right now.'
She was more right than I had realized until now. I had my loves, and they always helped me more than I could ever properly say, but this feeling, this parental warmth that she gave off and was now showering upon me was what she truly meant. I hadn't spent that long with my mom after getting her back in my life, and I realized I was missing this kind of connection more than I thought. Delphia was not trying to replace what I already had, but she had definitely added herself to those I thought of in the same sense. My own mom, Anya, and now her. It's funny how much life can change in such a short time.
"Yeah..." I said, my voice sounding weaker than I wanted, but I couldn't do anything about, "Definitely not fair."
She let out a soft laugh, her hand now rubbing my back in slow circles.
"I already said I am being unfair dearie, so you'll just have to deal with it." She murmured softly, and I just closed my eyes and let the moment happen. It was peaceful in a way I had almost forgotten about, and I wasn't in any rush to make it end any sooner.
■ ■ ■
Once I was able to stop being a fucking baby, we all just sat and talked for a time about nothing important, which was soothing to my mind, as well as the other women around me. Cici and Clarissa, unsurprisingly, loved Delphia and her kind nature. Valerie and Sheila were a bit more shy about it, but neither of them pushed her away when she decided to reign affection upon them as well. All of it made it really hard to want to leave, but we had to. We were just waiting on everyone else.
It had only been about 20 minutes or so before Benji also arrived, complete with his fuzzy passenger who had all but refused to not be plastered against him. From the constant smile on his face that never wavered, it was clear he had zero issues with the arrangement. Alina and her parents greeted all of us with smiles, and hugs and handshakes were exchanged while we all waited the others who I was told would arriving soon.
Another 10 minutes saw Terrorth, Marina, and Nazumi walking in next, and I laughed at seeing his expression of both happiness and confusion in equal measure as 2 women held both of his arms firmly with theirs, his arms pressed between both of their impressive chests.
The women released him long enough for him to greet Takesh with a handshake, before walking up to me and doing the same. As we clasped forearms, he pulled me in close, and I went with it, as it appeared as if he wanted to ask me something.
"Eli..."He whispered, his voice low enough that no one else should be able to hear him, "How... do you manage all of the attention? I feel like I am completely drained."
The laugh the burst from my lips was not very tasteful of discret, but I couldn't help it. That caused many heads to turn towards us, and I noted the smirking faces of most everyone in the room, as high stats mixed with large fluffy ears were very abundant, as was their ability to hear. Nazumi in particular was blushing furiously, and she had brought her tail in front of her and was gripping it tightly as she failed to contain her embarrassment. That made me feel a little bad, so I schooled my laughter, and just gripped his shoulder.
"I am not the best person to ask this, given my... nature. That being said, I can happily bullshit you. Drink plenty of water, and make sure to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables." I said sagely, and he just deflated, but ultimately just gave me a stiff nod while glaring at me.
"Thanks." He said dryly, looking for all the world like a grumpy teen, which just made me laugh again.
I had thought that everyone that was going to show up was already here, but I was proven wrong only a few minutes later as another knock came from the front door. Delphia walked up to it, and admitted Ezra inside with a smile. I had planned on stopping by and saying goodbye to him, but it seems at though it wasn't needed. He walked up to me, a half smile in place, and we shook hands.
"I wouldn't be much of a leader if I didn't see off our honored guests before they left." He said, and I smiled right back at the man.
"We appreciate it, and for everything else. The home you let us use was nice and comfy." I replied, and he just nodded at me, his smile still in place.
"It is yours for whenever you come to visit again. I'll make sure it is kept up on until you return." He said.
"Thank you sir." Clarissa said with a small bow of her head, "We appreciate your hospitality."
"It was lovely. It's a very... intimate setting." Cici said, her words actually causing the stoic older man's cheeks to color.
"Yes, well... you ladies are welcome. You've all been wonderful to have. Every single one of you is welcome here." He said, doing his best to school his features.
There was a brief lull in conversation before Serena stood up. She shared a look with her brother, and they gave each other a nod and the both stepped forward, Alina still not releasing her hold on Benji. The sight made me smile fondly, thoughts of Cici's loving clinginess coming to mind. Just like me, it was clear he too relished the feeling. They both had everyone's attention, and Serena opened her mouth to speak first, her eyes settling firmly on me.
"We... are staying here. At least, for a bit." She said, and when no one interjected or said anything against that, she continued, her eyes now going to Sheila and Terroth, "Don't get me wrong... you both are like family to me, and I don't want to break what we have. At first, everything we did was to get by, to grow stronger, and to build enough courage to face our problems here head on, but I genuinely grew to enjoy what we were doing. The quests, the few dungeon delves, all of it... but it was the feeling of belonging, and being cared for that made me truly love being around you both. I don't want that to change, but I... I can't bring myself to leave just yet. Mom and dad... they are safe, and I get to see them again everyday, I can hug them whenever I want, I can talk to mom about my problems, I can go to dad when I need help with stuff I don't feel like doing alone..."
As she spoke, her gaze moved to her parents, who smiled so warmly at her I thought an aura of love would spontaneously manifest around them. Honestly, this was a thought I had but had never voiced. Why would they want to leave?
"I feel the same way as Sis." Benji said, his arms firmly wrapped around Alina, the woman in question wearing a small and peaceful smile on her face as she listened to him speak, "I am not ready to leave... and honestly, I'm not sure if I will now. At least not when it comes to the party. I... don't like fighting, the blood, the risks... I only did it to get stronger, for mom and dad... and Alina.
He looked down at the woman in his arms, and small droplets of tears fell from her eyes as she looked at him like no other man existed in the entire world but him.
"I refuse to leave Alina again. I don't want to be too far away from my mom and dad again either." He said, and then looked at Sheila and Terroth, his eyes warm and his smile bright, "You two are the reasons we didn't fall apart. You could have easily ignored us and told us you couldn't do anything for us, but you didn't. You took us in, fed us, gave us a place to live, and helped us to grow stronger. You also gave us a place where we belonged. You both... are like family to me. I'm not saying I don't ever want to see either of you again, and I could even change my mind about things in the future, but..."
"Benji, it's okay." Terroth said, his eyes meeting Benji's with a smile, "I understand. I'm pretty sure we all do." Both men looked around, seeing understanding nods from everyone in question, before Terroth continued again.
"Sheila and I have been honored to have you both with us. You two have been two of the best party members we could have asked for. More than that, you are our friends. Hells, I saw you like family the moment you trusted us to tell us about your problem in this village. You inspired Sheila and I to train harder, to grow stronger, so we could do our best to help you both." He said, before shooting a wry grin at me, "It just so happens that someone else decided to step in instead."
"Take as much time as you need. If you haven't noticed, we've all been... kinda slacking when it comes to Guild matters." Sheila said, and Terroth actually laughed, and then looked down to either side of him, smiling fondly at the women at his sides.
"We're taking a break. We haven't had one in a while, and I can't say I'm upset about. We'll get back to it... probably." He said, both of his women smiling at him and nodding their heads encouragingly.
"I'd never stop you from doing what you want." Marina said with a smile.
"Neither would I, although I am looking forward to spending more time getting to know my new mate." Nazumi said fondly, the words causing Terroth's face to burn, making everyone else erupt in to laughter.
"All that being said," Sheila said, still laughing and wiping a tear of merth from her eyes, "Terroth is right about what he said. I have enjoyed all of our time together. You two made me know what it feels like to have a brother... a sister..." Sheila said, her smile genuine, and trembling slightly, "That's what made me strive to also keep growing. I wanted to help you both in any way I could. I figured that you two would leave if we ever had the opportunity to help your people... and-"
Anything else Sheila said was abruptly cut off as Serena launched herself forward and slammed into the wolf woman. Sheila let out a surpirsed grunt as Serena wrapped her arms tightly around Sheila, hugging her as hard as she could.
"Don't talk like I'm never coming back." Serena said, her voice shakey as she hiccuped, tears running from her eyes, "I love my family, and my brother... but I love you too. You're like the sister I never had, and Terroth is like... an uncle, or something?"
Terroth made an odd choking noise, and it looked like he was struggling between being touched and offended. Sheila just laughed, her own tears joining the mix as she buried her face in Serena's hair.
"I don't want to leave right now... but soon, I want to rejoin everyone. I love the party we have formed, and..." She paused, her gaze lifting to lock firmly with mine, "I know where I want to be."
That made me smile, and the smile I got back from her was enchanting. I was then shocked when Benji suddenly surged forward, crying like someone had died, as he tackled the women, and it was only Sheila's strong frame that kept them upright.
"Hells, Benji. Calm yourself." Sheila said, although there was no heat in her tone, and the look on her face was warm and serene.
"You both have done so much for us, and I will miss you both." He said, looking up to meet Sheila's eyes, "I will cherish all of oir memories, and I will always be happy to see you both, but my place is here. With them."
Sheila just smiled, ruffling the boys hair before she pulled them both closer. The moment was sweet, and it was only broken when Sheila turned around, and stared at a nervous looking Terroth expectantly.
"Get your ass over here." She said, her tone both kind but also brooking no argument.
Terroth opened his mouth to speak, but he then yelped in a strangely high pitched voice as the women began dragging him forward, and when they reached the trio hugging, then let go of him and Marina pushed him forward. He stood there awkwardly for a moment, and in that time the trip had opened their arms, allowing a space in their midst for him to join them. It was only a few more moments before he seemed to square himself, and he stepped into the emrbace. His hug was sloppy, but eventually he managed as the other closed around them, and they just stood there, murmuring words of thanks and comradery.
While they did that, I spoke to Ezra briefly. He did not have much to say, but he wished us all well on our trip back, and promised once again that we were welcome back anytime. I would he coming back this way, so that wasn't an issue. Not just for my armor, which I would admit I was excited for, but for everyone else. To see Delphia and Benarious again, to see Benji and to make sure him and Alina were doing all right, and most importantly, for Kharie and Serena. Whatever they chose to do, I would at least want to see them again, and I wouldn't let anything get in my way.
I shook Ezra's hand, and as I did, I met his gaze.
"I didn't forget what I said, either. I will keep my eyes open for your wife. If she's out there, I'll do my best to find her, and bring her home."
The man's grip tightened, and his eyes misted slightly as he gave me a nod, the gratitude in his eyes almost overwhelming.
"T-thank you, Elias. I know it's foolish of me to hold out such hope... but I refuse to believe she is gone." He said, and I smiled as I patted his shoulder.
"It's not foolish, Ezra. Wishful thinking... maybe, but foolish? Not at all. Trust your instincts. They haven't led me wrong yet, and mine... their trusting yours. Whatever news I find... I'll let you know."
He nodded at me once more, before releasing my hand and stepping back. I only had enough time to turn around before a fuzzy shape slammed into me, and took me a moment to realize the obvious lack of a large and soft chest pressing into me. Usually it was the women in my life doing this, but even so, I did not move to push Benji away from me. He had never done this to me before, so I wasn't exactly sure how to respond. I slowly reached up and patted his back comfortingly.
"This is new." I said, and he stiffened for a moment before I swear I saw his ears turn red underneath the fur, and he backed off.
"Sorry, I just... couldn't control myself." He said, raising his head to meet my eyes, "You've done so much more for us than you had to, and I guess it's all really hitting me now that you're about to leave."
I chuckled and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm not leaving forever. Give me a week or two, and I'll be back. At least, I hope so. Don't wanna make any promises I can't keep, but what I can promise is that I will be back." I said reassuringly, and he nodded, and then smiled in a way I've never seen from him before.
"I hope so... I know I probably came across as weird when we first met. I was just so enamored by your strength, but then it went beyond that. You did things for us you didn't have to do. You saved my sister's life the moment we first met, and fron there, you just kept going. You freed my people, saved my family, and asked for nothing in return than for us to be happy. So... I hope it's not overstepping, but... how do you feel about Big Brother Eli?"
I just stared at him, and realized that my heart was not being allowed to rest for even a moment around these people. I'm not sure if they were trying to overwhelm me with all of this, but it was definitely working... but not in a bad way. My eyes had recently just dried, but now.
"You all suck." I said, my tone light with no heat in it as I pulled him in and patted him on the back, "As if I already didn't see you like that. Kinda hard not to when you're... well... you."
That made him laugh, the tears he shed evident in his voice.
"Great." He said, his words shakey from his emotions, "I've always wanted a brother. I've love my sister... well, both of them, since I see Sheila as my sister too."
He smiled over at Sheila, and I looked to see her smiling right back, nodding with trembling lips before she turns away and brought her hands to her face to wipe at her eyes.
"I feel the same way about Terroth, although like Serena said, he's more like... an uncle or something." He said, and Terroth just sighed.
"I am not that old..." He protested, which just got laughs from everyone present. Naturally, he sulked and grumbled while his women just patted his arms reassuringly.
"I happen to like older men." Nazumi said happily, the words causing Terroth to choke on nothing. That had me snorting like a fucking idiot.
Marina let out an uncharacteristic giggle that was at odds with how she presented herself, as well as how I remembered her from our first meeting. After a moment, Benji and I disengaged, and he looked at me with an easy smile.
"Thanks to you, everything is back to the way it should be." He said, then looked over at Alina and reached out his hand. She stepped up to him, her smile bright, and took his hand without hesitation, "In some ways, despite what happened, it is even better, and has brought many of us closer together."
Alina's smile was the picture of innocence, and even though their was pain in her eyes, there was also a building hope and happiness that warmed my insides to see.
"Thank you for everything, Mister Elias. For everything you did for us, for healing me... but mostly...thank you for bringing Benji back to me. I will be forever grateful to you, and I wish you well on your journey and I will pray for you and your mates safe return when you visit again." Alina said, her words earnest and sincere.
I couldn't help myself as I reached and pet her on the head. She was just adorable, and I couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. Her cheeks reddened considerably at the gesture, but she did not push me away.
"Thank you, Alina. We will be fine. I hope you will do your best to keep Benji out of trouble." I said, which made her giggle, and made him look at me with mock hurt, hand to his chest.
"Hey!" He exclaimed, which just made me laugh.
"And you, you take care of her. Love her, protect her, cherish her." I said, and he looked at me with graditude in his eyes.
"I will. With all that I am, I will." He said with conviction in his eyes. His declaration made Alina smile with undisguised affection as she molded herself closer to his side and leaned in to plant a kiss on his cheek.
"And I will do the same for him, and to be a woman worthy of him." Alina said, and Benji turned his head to lock eyes with her.
"You are, and always have been. Always will be." He said softly, leaning in to press a kiss of his own to her forehead, "It's my turn to prove myself to you, and I promise you that I will never leave you wanting for anything."
Well fuck, isn't that just adorable? For Benji to act like this... it spoke volumes as to how serious he truly was. Judging from the smile, and the tears gathering in Alina's eyes, she could also feel the weight behind his words.
After that, I gave more friendly and cordial goodbyes to everyone else, noticing how Serena was keeping back, with her and Delphia hugging Valeria and Sheila tightly. None of the women had dry eyes, but that were smiling, making promises to each other to return as soon as they could. Of course, those promises hinged completely on me also returning, which was just a given.
Alina's parents were nice people, with Takesh thanking me with a firm handshake, while Lia actually gave me tight hug as she thanked me repeatedly for helping them, and most importantly, helping her little Alina. Once that was over, I walked up to Benarious next, and he held out a large hand to me, and I took it without hesitation.
"Our home is your home, Elias. Words can never properly express my gratitude to you or what you've done for my family, but... thank you. I..." The man said, trailing off, his hand tightening around mine as pain and anger flashed in his eyes, "I am not sure I will ever fully be free of those memories... of what those bastards did... of them..."
He closed his eyes, his lips compressing into a thin line as the stoic man, usually exuding such calm and confidence, began tk shed tears. That reminded me of what Delphia had said under the effects of the truth potion, and my own anger flared for just a moment. That was a scar that very well may never heal. Worst of all, I could see how he felt. Angry, yes, but there was also a weakness, shame, of not being enough.
"That will never happen again." I said, my words causing him to look up at me with such vulnerability in his eyes that it almost made me tear up again, but I pushed through that for now, "The threat to you is gone, and I swear to you, I will not stop there. For my family, for yours, and for the rest of those like you, I will keep making the this world safer."
The full weight of my words settled in the whole room, making everyone pause as they heard my declaration. The more I thought about it, the more it sickened me. If I found them, I would definitely take out rouge elements of all kinds. Those like Raizen were a prime example in showing me that power corrupted all, even to people like the Beastkin. However, there were the larger elements that I found to be the biggest threats. Places like Farendell, and these shitty fucking nobles who have gone unchecked for far too long. Well, I wanted that to change, now more than ever.
"I promise all of you..." I said, my voice a low growl that conveyed my conviction, "Change is coming."