Underworld - The Succubi - Book 7 - Chapter 3

Our first guest arrived within the hour. Richard didn’t say anything until they were entering the mess hall from the inner chamber. We were still sitting at the same table when he said, “Introducing Master Khaba and Mistress Nane of the goblin tribe.”

I wasn’t the only one that shot to my feet. Aeris had darted over. I strolled up behind her to greet them.

The elder goblin was in his hobgoblin form. His level was registering exactly level 1,000, which was all the evidence I needed to know he was still hiding his actual level. Hiding and scavenging was their way of life, so there was nothing to be offended about.

In his form, his skin was almost navy blue in color, and he looked much more human than goblin. I couldn’t say he was rightly handsome, but he wasn’t ugly either.

“Master Khaba,” I greeted, unable to hide the tension in my voice.

He held his hand palm up and I returned the gesture.

“Friend Elorion,” he replied.

I didn’t wait to address the issue. “Aren’t you afraid of being here? We have officially joined the succubi.”

He waved away my worries. “It is a special occasion. And… Richard has accommodated our questions in your time away. More than once your people have been in danger, but the most we’ve done is provide information. My people have been in hiding for too long. Our idea of friendship has been self-serving. If I’m honest, I never expected your group to survive this long. It’s time we take a risk.

“So let me first apologize for not doing more to help you in the past. And secondly, congratulations are in order.” He took out a small wooden box with a latched lid and offered it to me.

“As far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing to forgive,” I said while taking the gift. “And thank you for the gift.”

Khaba placed his palm to his chest and grinned. “And don’t think our friendship will burden you.”

The hobgoblin started to change. It wasn’t like the first time I’d seen him power up into his purple, enlarged form, but he did grow slightly, and the rich purple returned to his skin.

Immediately, I cast Creature Observation.

Khaba

Level: 21,040

Health Points: 10,103,000

Mana: 2,069,000

Attributes

Strength: 3,688

Dexterity: 3,352

Constitution: 10,103

Intelligence: 2,069

Wisdom: 100,012

He revealed his true form. Despite my level and advanced ascendancy, my body still reacted like a human in my current, most natural form. Heat blanketed my chest and back. A sense of dread came with it. I no longer feared him, but I’d only been in the level 700s when we met. He could’ve easily killed us without much effort. So why hadn’t he?

He was overly cautious by nature, but perhaps I’d been underestimating his desire for peace.

I chuckled because it was better than the alternative. “You are most welcome.” I didn’t really know how to respond.

It was then that I noticed his wife had changed to her purple form as well. She had Aeris were already deep in conversation so I hadn’t interrupted, but it seemed their conversation had gone in the same direction as ours had. Nane wasn’t exactly beautiful in any traditional sense. That didn’t mean she wasn’t attractive. Her level was only half that of her husband’s.

I didn’t have time to think through our relationship with their people as I would’ve liked, for another set of guests arrived soon after. It seems this is what we get for deciding the day before that we’d get married. It’s not like we’d set a time, either.

“Pastor Jeremiah Whitfield and his wife Debra,” Richard announced.

The round-faced man was already smiling as he headed in our direction. He wore a charcoal, 1800s-styled suit with a top hat. At his side was a beautiful blond-haired woman that was at least six inches taller than he was. Looking down, I saw she wasn’t even wearing high heels beneath her ankle length dress. Her face was long and thin much like her brother Bishop Mather’s.

They weren’t alone. At a quick count, a dozen children between two and sixteen followed behind them. They were split evenly between girls and boys. The girls wore purple dresses that umbrellaed downward at the waist. The boy’s suits matched their father’s. Even their youngest son’s did and he couldn’t have been more than two.

I looked down at my plain t-shirt, athletic shorts, and bare feet rather embarrassed. Even Aeris was still in pajamas.

“We’ve arrived early,” the pastor bellowed. “Excellent.”

I then realized the elder goblin and his wife were still standing there, and Jasmine was—

Spinning around, I saw she was sitting with an armored Chris and grimy-faced Lydia at one of the furthest tables having a quiet breakfast. At least, she had been. She was now looking at our new guest in horror.

Glancing back, I immediately realized who it was that had caused her such a reaction. I likely didn’t even need mana sight to see the light magic radiating from Debra Whitfield’s complexion.

I quickly scanned her and was left blinking at what I found.

Debra Whitfield

Level: 27,333

Health Points: 5,051,500

Mana: 5,498,000

Attributes

Strength: 10,010

Dexterity: 10,004

Constitution: 10,103

Intelligence: 10,996

Wisdom: 100,009

She was almost at an equal level to my own…

I recalled Bishop Mather was one of the sole Grand Master Light Mages of the Illuminated Cathedral. It seemed his sister was just as talented.

Then I examined Pastor Whitfield.

Jeremiah Whitfield

Level: 25,333

Health Points: 6,389,000

Mana: 3,193,200

Attributes

Strength: 100,818

Dexterity: 10,099

Constitution: 12,778

Intelligence: 10,644

Wisdom: 10,058

I slumped forward as if trying to get a closer look at his status screen before eyeing him again and glancing back at my screen. Nothing about his physique spoke to him having a strength build. No wonder this crazy couple was willing to travel the Underworld with a bunch of kids and a toddler. Their levels would’ve been respect full even on the Cavern Level.

Shaking my head to myself, I realized once again how sheltered we’d been by the Head Mistress. Her dungeon had been designed to raise a group of humans from their weakest state. Even all of Mistress Nava’s pestering had been within her calculations, if not directly initiated by her. This meant that Lady Contessa, Captain Waldemar and his band of minotaurs, even Nava’s hell hound pet had likely been part of Lilith’s plan. It was only as we went out into the Underworld that things became out of her control. And what of my trip to the vampire realm? Had she been building me up just to send me out to see how I did?

I looked back at Jasmine and waved.

She shook her head as if rousing herself from her own thoughts.

When I motioned for her to join us, she turned her head to the side like she was pretending she didn’t see me. She rose from her seat to obey my summons even though she obviously wasn’t excited about it when Aeris flashed by. The wind sprite grabbed her hand and said, “You have to meet Debra.”

My mouth slowly parted until my chin drooped. Only Pastor Whitfield had been there when we met him, so how did Aeris know his wife? And she spoke as if she knew him well. I’d really just returned, so there was much we hadn’t had the chance to talk about, but exactly how much had I missed? How was a council member of the Illuminated Cathedral even close enough to arrive here in a day’s time?

The elder goblin and his wife stepped to the side and bowed their heads as the couple reached us.

The pastor and his wife were all smiles as they greeted everyone. “You must be Master Khaba,” the man said as he took the goblin’s hand and shook it.

“Nane,” Debra said with a softspokenness her husband lacked, but they were both almost aggressively friendly. The elegant woman wore white gloves all the way up to her elbows to shield others from her light magic attribute.

Strangely enough, Nane placed her hand between both of Debra’s and they shared a warm smile.

Jeremiah then offered me his hand, and I shook it. What else was I supposed to do?

In response to offering me congratulations, I asked, “How are you here?”

“Now that’s tale of political intrigue and a dark conspiracy.”

It was Debra who replied before he could. “He left the council against the advice of even his closest friends. Once he learned there was a community here, it was inevitable.”

“Hey,” the pastor objected. “Some of those friends came with us, and I didn’t hear you complaining.”

She was far less animated than her husband as she offered her retort, “I’m not your friend, I’m your wife. And you would’ve got an ear full if you hadn’t decided already.”

Was she teasing him or being serious. I couldn’t decide.

“And there you have it,” Jeremiah said matter-of-factly.

“There’s more?” I asked, looking past him but seeing no one.

“Two other families. You’ll meet them later. They’re in your middle perimeter in the room you call, The Bridge. They’ll help them get set up.”

“Set up?”

I turned and found Aeris floating toward us with Jasmine in tow. My fiancé’s face was beaming while our vampire friend wouldn’t so much as look up from the floor.

In response to my questioning gaze, Aeris just shrugged. She then spoke. “Thank you for coming, Pastor. Debra. I never intended for this to be so spare of the moment, but…”

“Don’t be silly,” the well-dressed lady replied, rushing over to give her a side hug. “You hinted as much even if that’s not what you intended. And who is this?”

Jasmine probably would’ve fled as fast as her magic could take her, but Aeris had a firm hold of her hand. Instead, she mumbled, “Jasmine, Light Mistress.”

“Don’t fear, child. I can’t contain my light magic as Elorion can, but I have no intention of harming you. That’s what these are for.” She held up her gloves. “I have to admit, I also fancy the way they look.”

The dark elf’s face inched up so that her shoulder length, dark purple hair fell back enough to reveal jittery but curious eyes.

“Do you know what my people believe about the difference between vampires and humans?”

Jasmine was still subdued as she replied. “That we’re monster.”

“No,” Debra shook her head, and her voice took on an insistent tone. “That there is no difference.”

The dark elf vampire looked up at her with as much confusion as I felt. Her mouth cracked open enough to reveal her dainty fangs.

I knew that she wasn’t that young. Probably even a few years older than I was. But in that moment, as the elder light mage reached over and tenderly looped purple hair behind the girl’s ear, she looked like little more than a grown child.

“I’m a dark elf,” Jasmine said as if the woman didn’t know.

“Yes. You’re very beautiful.”

The vampire girl just stared up at her.

From my conversations with Jasmine, I only had an overview of what her life had been like, but that was enough to know it had been bad. She hadn’t just been abused when she was younger. She’d never gone a day without abuse. I had no idea how to help her and wasn’t sure Aeris would either. We’d both done what we could. Maybe, just maybe, this Debra and her husband could do what we couldn’t, or at least knew where to start.

It was then that my eyes met Aeris’s. She had the same mischievous look I’d grow accustomed to, but there was also a touch of sadness.

“So you were just going to keep this from me?” I said gesturing to the pastor and his wife.

She grinned. “I may have been hoping to surprise you, but also you didn’t give me much a choice. Did you really think I was going to let Richard officiate?”

“Sure,” I said with a playful squint.

“I can’t help it that you missed me so much.”

“Any other surprises I should know about?”

“Absolutely not,” Debra said, suddenly interrupting. She’d stepped forward and was pushing us apart. “You both will remain here as your friends take care of the arrangements. I’ll take Aeris and the girls. Nane, would you like to help me get the ladies dressed?” Turning back, she addressed her husband. “Jeremiah, our time is limited as it is. You get the boys.”

“Naturally,” he replied.

A moment later, Debra led the way toward Aeris’s room after taking Jasmine by the hand. The elder goblin Nane ushered Olivia to follow, then went over to Lydia and insisted she come as well.

“I’m off to help at The Bridge,” Skyler called out as he walked off with another full loaf of bread.

When Russ and Travis started following him, the giant man spun and pushed them back. “What are you doing? You two are the best man. You have to get dressed.”

“There can’t be two best men,” Travis objected. “Not that I’d mind…”

“Same,” Russ echoed. “We shouldn’t put any pressure on El. It’s too spare of the moment.”

“Whatever. Everyone knows you guys are the closest to him. Figure it out. And who’s to say there can’t be two best men? If it bother’s you so much, you’re both small enough that you could be equal to one.” The big guy chuckled to himself as he walked away. Taking a big bite out of his loaf of bread, he waved with it.

They both turned to me.

I looked to the pastor who looked back and forth between the three of us before chuckling himself. “Come on,” he said, waving us to follow.

It wasn’t just us, but Chris was recruited by Jeremiah and the pastor’s male kids that hadn’t left with Debra tagged along.

I glanced back to see a toddler craning his neck to see the murals behind him. An older brother had to take his hand for he was walking off to the side as he looked.