A&O Volume 2: The Long March South – Chapter 3: A Talk With The Gods
After the ceremony, the duo walked around the entirety of the city and waved at the citizens who cheered for them as they walked by. It took a few hours but by nightfall, the entire city had been visited and the Raven's Rock had been fully decorated and readied for the celebration party that was about to follow. By 5:00 in the late afternoon, there were families from the clan towns and from the capital who were entering the grounds of the palace. The entire council of clan elders and clan leaders were also present, as well as the mayors of the new towns and villages filled with the escapees who were now getting used to life on this continent. Amelia and Ophelia wanted this occasion to be celebrated across the empire and it was Amelia's idea to let the residents of the empire into their home as she justified it as "Showing them that we are all one big family" and this was reason enough for Ophelia to go along with it.
As the party was underway inside the numerous ballrooms of the palace, the duo were still finishing up their looks inside their bed chamber. Both of them wore black dresses with golden accents but Ophelia had an accompanying black and red coat with Amelia sticking to the black and gold scheme. Both of them wore their crowns upon their heads and as they finished their looks, the two of them looked at one another and had smiled upon their faces.
"You look beautiful darling" Ophelia said as she stepped closer and cupped her beloved's face
"I can say the same about you Ophie" Amelia replied as she kissed the hands that cupped her face
"I truly am lucky to have someone like you by my side. After everything we have been through, I am so happy you accepted who I am" Ophelia added as she pressed her forehead against hers
"Well, you still have some things to confess, but we can get to that later. Let's enjoy the night for now Ophie" Amelia stated as she kissed her beloved on the lips
"Of course, what kind of wife would I be if I was not upfront about things"
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Inside the "Imperial Ballroom" the largest and the main ballroom of the palace, things were lively as people were chatting amongst themselves and striking up conversations that left people laughing. Clan leaders and elders exchanged polite words and bows of respect as they were now part of a much larger entity than the previous kingdom and it came with many more duties that required them to get along.
"This is truly a joyous occasion wouldn't you say so Python?" The elderly but sharply dressed elven clan leader Wilcor asked as he turned to his lamia comrade
"It really is, I can't believe so much has happened in such a short amount of time. I am happy for them as well as it finally diverts her wrath from us elders HAHAHAHA!" Python, the lamia clan leader and mother of the gigantic lamia Erhet joked with a smile as she slapped the back of her elven comrade
"Well, we have worked hard to ensure her vision was implemented. So give yourselves a pat on the back as well" A kitsune wearing a black and white kimono said as she took a sip of her wine
"Ah! Yamato! Was wondering when the leader of the kitsunes would show up, how are you nowadays?" Wilcor asked as he grinned and looked at her
"Well, it has been a little weird meeting the newer kitsunes, but we have learned a lot. I even feel incredibly proud that one of us has been by Her Majesty's side before even coming here" Yamato added with a smile
"Hmph, lucky" Python remarked with an eye roll
"Ooo, someone is jealous" Wilcor remarked with a sly smile
"Oh shut it! Us lamia are Her Majesty's personal bodyguards, you and your elves are just lazing about all day" Python fired back
"Oi! We are doing diligent research that Her Majesty has tasked us with, don't you dare call us lazy!" Wilcor added, his eyes narrowing
"Oh yeah? And what if do? Tree kisser" Python retorted with a sly smile
"Gasp! Alright then! Bring it on scaley!" Wilcor replied with an offended expression as he began hopping back and forth with his fists raised
"Tsk tsk tsk, what do you think Her Majesty will think and do when she sees two of her most trusted allies fighting each other over petty things" Yamato chimed in as she stood between the duo
"Probably hang us upside down from a balcony of the palace as punishment" Python added
"Mhmm. And do either of you want that?" Yamato asked as she shifted her gaze between the two of them
"No, no I think not" Wilcor added as he returned to normal and straightened up
BADAMBADDAMPAMBADAMPAM!
Suddenly, the trumpets sounded and all eyes turned to the main entrance of the ballroom, the doors opened, and in stepped the Empresses, with everyone immediately bowing with respect as they walked in, with the music getting grander and grander as they played their entrance. The two monarchs walked in with their black dresses and the people who looked at them were left in awe of their beauty.
Amelia and Ophelia nodded as they passed everyone and made their way to the front of the ballroom and the stage that was placed at the end. Both of them climbed up the steps and stood on stage, looking back at everyone present and smiling. They saw Sister Mary and Mother Felice with Liliana and the children off to their right, sitting on a massive table accommodating them while around the rest of the room were the numerous clan leaders and mayors of the villages and towns.
"Thank you all for coming tonight" Amelia began as she looked at the people gathered before them
"It has been a long time coming to get to this point, there have been many struggles and obstacles that have made life hard along the way. But here we are, I thank you all for attending our wedding and continuing to be loyal and faithful subjects" She continued as she held Ophelia's hand tighter
"I promise, to be an Empress you will be proud of, and Empress that will help in every way she can. I may not as be well versed in a lot of things like Ophie, but I promise to do the best I can with the abilities I have" She finished as she gave them a small bow
The room then erupted into a chorus of cheers and applause as the attendants raised their glasses towards the new Empress, with Mother Felice, Sister Mary, Liliana, and the children in particular being louder than most. With their fervor and loudness causing some heads to turn as they continued to cheer. Ophelia and Amelia however were smiling as they looked at them, very happy about their support. As it served as a reminder for the duo of the younger portion of the empire.
"Right, just like Empress Amelia has said. I am also thankful for everyone attending our wedding and I am happy you have all been diligently and dutifully fulfilling the tasks assigned to you. We promise that these tasks are vital for the future of our empire and I am happy to see them slowly come to fruition" Ophelia stated as she looked at the attendees
"Now, We say this. Take the week off as a small gift from us to you all. Rest up and get ready for a new set of objectives and assignments that we shall assign to your respective clans. We wish you a good night and enjoy the party!" Ophelia finished, with the room erupting into a loud set of applause, with some people raising their glasses and mugs of alcohol to her.
{!}
Suddenly, the applause began to drown out rapidly and the duo saw their surroundings turn from bright and colorful to dull grey and white.
"Amelia, get behind me" Ophelia stated as she conjured up dark tendrils with weapons from her shadow
"No, I will face this with you" Amelia replied as she unsheathed her dual daggers and went back to back with her lover
The duo continued to scan the area as the colors fully faded away. Their eyes scanning a complete replica of the room they were in minus the people in it with a lot of focus. Suddenly, two portals opened up from the ground and in the ceiling, one of them had a golden glow of ethereal beauty while the other one had a sort of purple and blackish color.
Two figures then emerged from the portals respectively, the one from the golden portal was a woman dressed in a fluttering white dress that complemented her fair skin and flowing and fluttering golden hair, her beautiful face had a pair of golden eyes and a smile that brought warmth to the duo as they looked upon her, The Goddess Of Creation: Histy, had arrived. The figure rising from the purple portal however was a man of purple skin wearing a black toga and crossing his arms, his long horns perched atop his head were menacing and gave the duo a sense of danger along with his black eyes that locked onto both of them, The God of The Demons, Darkness and Destruction: Harcun, had also arrived.
"Congratulations on your wedding! Sorry I wasn't able to be there personally!" Histy said, her voice like a soothing and warm lullaby to the duo's ears
"Indeed, we just missed it! If not for our godly duties, the two of us would have been in attendance physically" Harcun added, his deep and booming voice filling the room
"We are honored to be meeting you, Goddess of Creation and God of Destruction" Ophelia said as she fell to her knees, with Amelia doing the same
"Oh please, Histy and Harcun are fine. Right little bro?" Histy stated as she had a small smile as she placed her hands on her hips and glanced at her brother
"Indeed, Histy and Harcun are just fine. You are the mortals we have been keeping track of the most after all, so much so we consider you both as friends, so please rise" Harcun added with a joyous tone that could barely be picked up on due to the deepness of his voice
"If you say so...Histy and Harcun...I mean Miss Histy and Mr Harun" Amelia said as she and Ophelia slowly rose
"Eh, good enough" Histy remarked with a shrug
"Anyways, Harcun and I are here to congratulate you both on your wedding and making it this far! We are so happy to see your progress so far!" Histy added with a joyous tone as she walked over and patted the heads of both of the mortal women
"She is right, we are absolutely ecstatic about everything going well so far. By the way Ophelia. Have you told her about yourself yet?" Harcun asked as he also got on the stage and looked down at the two of them,
"Well, not yet. I was planning to sometime later but since you brought it up" Ophelia trailed off as she looked at Amelia who wore an understanding expression
"I understand Ophie, you can tell me when you are ready, I can wait" Amelia said as she gave her beloved a small smile
"Right, it's a better time than any" Ophelia muttered under her breath as she gave a small smile, a bit mad at her cowardice for putting this off for so long
Harcun and Histy shared a knowing glance as the two Gods moved off to the side and made themselves invisible, leaving the duo alone. Ophelia conjured up a couch for the two of them to sit on together and she held her beloved's hands as she stared into her eyes, her heart clenching as she saw Amelia's smile.
"I don't know how to word it in any other way but...I...I am not from this world" Ophelia confessed, with Amelia keeping her smile
"I...I came from a world that was so mired in conflict and hatred against one another. I was a person of more than average intellect there. I was a researcher for the government before I was conscripted into being a soldier and forced to fight in a bloody war I cared little about. Suffice to say I died in that war, cold, alone and bitter, it was a dreadful life and I believed that I did not contribute to anything in that life" Ophelia continued
"So imagine my surprise when I was reincarnated and told by the Gods that I have a chance to influence this world and make it better. So I did the most I could with the power that I had"
"And then, things happened. From getting visions of the future to having strangely stronger abilities and powers than the people around me did. I got to meet Mister Harcun and Miss Histy who revealed the true nature of what I am. They told me I was to be a catalyst of sorts, one that would bring positive change to the world. And that entailed me having powers beyond the comprehension and lifetime of a normal mortal" Ophelia added as she looked down with a saddened expression
"Meaning you would outlive me....and that we will never have our happy ending..." Amelia stated, a frown on her face as well as she took everything in.
"Oi! oi! oi! Don't look like that!' Histy's worried voice suddenly rang out as she and Harcun rematerialized
"You make it sound so much more grim than it really is!" Harcun added with a bit of an amused tone
"What do you mean?" Ophelia asked, with her hugging a nearly crying Amelia
"Yeah....what do you mean" Amelia chimed in as she tried her best to bury her tears
"Well, it is true that we have made you a catalyst of change. We did not really specify you had to be alone" Histy answered as she looked at them
"Indeed. In fact, it is one of the wedding gifts we have come to give both of you" Harcun added
"Please, allow us" He added as he raised his hand and bathed both of them in a bright light, with them hugging each other whilst floating in the air
"Now, I told Amelia before she came here that I had stripped her of her Holy Magic and replaced it with something else, a more potent type of magic that is as dangerous as it is amazing. Tell me Amelia, have you felt different recently?" Histy asked as she stood in front of the floating duo
"Well, I feel hungrier than normal sometimes, I crave a lot of meat nowadays which is weird, but when I eat meat it still fills me" The blonde hair empress replied with a confused expression
"Good, then that means the magic has successfully rooted itself in you properly" Histy stated with a smile
"It is called Carnomancy. A magic that manipulates blood, flesh and bone. The first of its kind in this world. And something that I assure you will be very helpful in the future" Histy added, her smile growing larger
{!}
"How does it work?" Amelia asked with a curious stare that was shared by her lover
"Well it works in many ways I bet you will figure out on your own, but an important thing to note is that you are able to create things or clones out of the biomass of enemies and foes you kill and absorb, they also increase your strength the more you absorb and the higher quality of the kill that is absorbed" Harcun chimed in
"Yep! And to add to that, you are still able to cast the Holy Magic spells that you know, meaning the buffs and blessings you give are still available to be given regardless of your lack of Holy Magic" Histy added, making Amelia's eyes widen
"Now, now. You can figure the rest of it later on your own as we have duties to attend to. But before we go, here is what our main gift is! Harcun! Hit it!"
With a nod, Harcun snapped his fingers and the floating empresses bathed in purple light were immediately placed into a massive swirling pillar of a multitude of colors that formed a sort of kaleidoscope around them. They felt a sort of stream of magic penetrating their skin, going deeper and deeper into their bodies and souls, it was a warm and relaxing feeling that comforted them as the duo locked eyes with one another with small smiles.
"In our names, we grant you both the power to do what needs to be done in order to fulfill your visions. You have our blessings in everything you do and let it be known that whether they are the Divine Beasts of Old or the most sentient of creatures, all shall bow before you. We bless you both, Ophelia and Amelia Erstad, the "Chosen Of The Gods" Bring about the change that is needed in this world and bring destruction to those who stand in your way. This we say, in our Divine Names" Harcun stated as he held up his hands, with magic energy spilling out of them and into the spiral
"And is you are both to ever be in danger or being separated by age, I cast this. The Gift of Semi-Immortality. This shall allow both of you to keep living with one another for as long as you like, only when both of you are ready will you die. This however does not exempt you from being hurt however, so beware. You may not die but it will hurt like hell" Histy added as she flung a gold orb of magical energy into the spiral
"Finally, this is a pendant that will be sealed inside both of you. In the impossible event you die in combat or for some ridiculous reason that somehow kills you, this pendant can be used to bring you both back without any problems" Harcun said as he materialized a purple pendant in the shape of a heart, broke it in two and threw it into the swirling pillar
With their gifts finished, Harcun safely brought them both back down and then looked at Histy who simply nodded. The duo monarchs reoriented themselves and Ophelia let out a small gasp as she looked into Amelia's eyes. They were no longer that of a warm and comforting gold but of a very bright crimson.
"Amelia...your eyes" Ophelia muttered in shock, conjuring a small mirror in her hand
{!}
"Wha! Waht the?!" Amelia let out a gasp as well as she saw her eyes new color
"Oh right, forgot to tell you both that changing her magic might have the side effect of changing her eye color but are you really going to let a new color get in the way of you both?" Histy asked as she noticed their understandable shock
"No..." Amelia answered
"Then we are good. We will be sending you back in time for a bit, just when you both enter so be ready to say your speeches again, and congratulations to you both again!" Histy added with a smile
"Enjoy the party kids!" Harcun said with a smile as he snapped his fingers and sent both of them back in time.
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Standing outside the door, Amelia and Ophelia could only share a chuckle after their experience. It was a lot happening in one moment but in the end it sorted itself out, sure there would be more time to discuss them in greater detail but for tonight, they were going to enjoy each other's company and the company of friends and family.
"Are you alright Amelia?" Ophelia asked as her grip on her hand tightened
"I am, we will have to talk about your past another time but for now. I just really want to spend time with you and everyone else. It's supposed to be a happy day after all, right Ophie?" Amelia replied as she pulled her lover's hand up and kissed it then kissed Ophelia on the cheek
"You always know what to say...I love you Amelia" The black haired empress said with a smile
"I love you too Ophie. Now and forever" The blonde hair empress replied
Suddenly, the trumpets started sounding and the familiar tune made them both smile. The doors opened once again and they entered the ballroom for a second time. This time however, was strengthened by the love and the happiness they had deep inside that was overflowing, as tonight. Tonight was a night they would keep in their minds and hearts for the rest of their lives.
A/N: And here we go! CHAPT 3 baby!!! It took a while since I had to rewrite some stuff lmao but in the end I think it turned out great! If you have comments or reactions, leave em below for me to read and I am thankful to you guys for enjoying the story so far! And as always, Stay Safe and Enjoy Your Day!
BTW: NEXT CHAP IS A EXTRA STORY