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Chapter Forty-Two: The Cascadian Ambassador
Google Docs: For Suggestions<< Previous| Table Of Contents| Next >>Anton peered through the windows, watching the arriving ship come into dock above the Numengrad skyline. The capital of the Federation was usually cool this time of year, however, the warm air from the southern storms had finally reached the city, causing an abnormal amount of humidity. Anton opened the window the few inches it allowed. Windows in the Red Citadel – the centre of government for the Federation – couldn’t be opened fully. Still, the subtle breeze freshened th...
Chapter Thirty-Nine: Shadow and Splinters
Google Docs: For Suggestions<< Previous| Table Of Contents| Next >>Serena vaguely sensed a disruption in the aetherfield before the skull's eyes glowed red, and a familiar gruff voice spoke out.“Hmm… Captain. Miss Thornheart,” Anathor intoned in greeting. Serena opened her mouth as a question formed, but quickly closed it. Anathor had once told her he could leave the ship if he had to, but it wasn’t a good idea as the ship would begin to behave strangely if he was gone for too long. As captain of the Vengeance, Serena had never know...
Chapter Thirty-Eight: Chesterfield
Google Docs: For Suggestions<< Previous| Table Of Contents| Next >>Amelia blinked awake in the embrace of Serena’s arms. She was warm, cosy, and wanted to do nothing but lie here for hours listening to her girlfriend’s cute snoring. Serena, of course, denied snoring adamantly. That snoring had become yet another tool in Amelia’s ever-growing repertoire of things to tease Serena about.Amelia stared at the creeping morning light bathing the room for a few minutes until the sound of footsteps reached her ears. They were too energetic to be a...
Chapter Thirty-Seven: A Whispered Confession
Google Docs: For Suggestions<< Previous| Table Of Contents| Next >>Serena sat down at the ironwood table. It wasn’t comparable to the enormous gold-trimmed table in the grand dining hall at their home estate. Instead, this table only politely whispered of House Halen’s wealth. The rest of the room continued in a similar vein, boasting great tapestries and heavily framed paintings. While not produced by the most skilled artists in the Empire, these still exuded a quiet sense of affluence.Looking across the table, Serena found the Empress of ...
Chapter Thirty-Six: Father and Daughter
Google Docs: For Suggestions<< Previous| Table Of Contents| Next >>“We’re almost there,” Serena said as the carriage trundled along the road. There were no tramlines to the outskirts of Shimashina, so they had to make do with a horse-drawn carriage. “Remember your lessons. First impressions are important, especially towards my father.” The father in question would undoubtedly meet them when they arrived. Hopefully, their lateness didn't irritate him. After she and Amelia had run the last fifty klicks to Shimashina, rode the platea...
Chapter Thirty-Five: Little Big Horns
Google Docs: For Suggestions<< Previous| Table Of Contents| Next >>Wings! She did have wings! Amelia couldn’t contain her growing excitement and leapt up, bouncing around the area, giggling uncontrollably. “You mean it!?” she asked Serena as she stopped and began tippy-tapping the floor with her four hands. “We’re going to fly to Shimashina!? You’re going to ride me!?”“Ha!” Serena exclaimed, looking amused at Amelia’s antics. “Not quite. We’ll fly within fifty klicks of the city and enter the forest before the perimeter ...
Chapter Thirty-Four: Interrogation II
Google Docs: For Suggestions<< Previous| Table Of Contents| Next >>“W-w-wh–” Polina stuttered, her face drained of colour and eyes wide in fear. “Wh- what’s that!” She scrambled backwards, pressing her body hard against the tree.“Har har!” Amelia bounced around the area, clambering up a tree and looking down on the shaking Polina. “It’s me! Amelia! Aren’t I cute!” Amelia dropped down and approached the pair. Serena was groaning and rubbing her forehead. Concerned that perhaps she was getting a headache, Amelia fired off ...
Chapter Thirty-Three: Interrogation I
Google Docs: For Suggestions<< Previous| Table Of Contents| Next >>With every step, Amelia felt herself bond closer to her divine form. She walked on her six limbs, as the movement felt more natural given her elongated body. Her talons were razor-sharp and easily sliced through earth, stone, and wood. Her great wings were difficult to control entirely, but depending on her will, they could become an impenetrable shield or wall of soft feathers.The endless ocean of aether inside her begged to be used, circulating throughout her body and pushing ...
Chapter Thirty-Two: Who Is Amelia Thornheart?
Google Docs: For Suggestions<< Previous| Table Of Contents| Next >>In one moment, Serena saw Amelia’s eyes filled with fear, hope, and determination. Then Amelia Spoke Asclepius and night became day. The aetherfield twisted and boiled as energies manifested at levels she had never seen or experienced before. These forces didn’t harm her; they simply flowed about, announcing to the world, ‘I am here!’.Then the night returned, and Amelia was gone. In her place, a pair of gigantic taloned feet gripped the ship, each one large enough to wra...
Chapter Thirty-One: Observation
Google Docs: For Suggestions<< Previous| Table Of Contents| Next >>In the skies above Kenhoro and Tanhae, Faren gripped the ship's railing with white knuckles, forcing himself to take deep breaths as the upper-sky island came into view. Of all his friends and acquaintances, he didn’t know anyone who got more airsick than he did. He felt queasy travelling on a tiny ship like this, especially as the storm season winds meant he was constantly off balance.“Ready with the rope, Mister Faren!” yelled the captain, struggling to keep the ship...
Chapter Thirty: The Second Word of Divinity
Google Docs: For Suggestions<< Previous| Table Of Contents| Next >>For the next week and a half, Amelia followed a simple schedule. First, she would wake up in Serena’s arms and give her a blast of healing magic. Serena had remarked that she suspected her body might be getting younger as a side effect, although she wasn’t sure. The pair of them decided to keep an eye on things.The next daily task was washing, followed by breakfast and a morning coffee. Serena had raised an eyebrow when Amelia returned with a twenty-pound sack of Jimari coff...
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Polina’s Confusion
Google Docs: For Suggestions<< Previous| Table Of Contents| Next >>Mel paced in front of the door to the training room. Back and forth she went, too distracted in her thoughts to stop. Her throat was constricted and she felt like she wanted to be sick. A pit of anxiety had formed in her stomach that gnawed at her mental state. She wanted desperately just to run away.Unfortunately, running away was tricky while her broken arm was wrapped in a sling.For the third time, she raised her fist to knock and for the third time, she hesitated. Beyond tha...
Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Merchant Girl From Tanhae
Google Docs: For Suggestions<< Previous| Table Of Contents| Next >>“And how did all this happen?” Aiden asked as he stepped into the room carrying a tray of food. The restaurant workers he was assisting let out little gasps of shock as they took in the scene of devastation and lust-driven violence.“She happened,” Amelia said with a grin, gesturing to Serena standing proudly over a pile of unconscious demons. “The one with three pairs of horns put his blade against my throat, so Speaker Halen protected me!” Amelia emphasised Serena...
Quick Notice 13/05/2025
For those who haven't noticed, I'm currently running through the first 77 chapters, updating numerous typos and fixing consistency errors. The reason that this is happening is I have a deadline with Tapas under my non-exclusive contract to meet. The reason that this is happening now is I've done the classic the-due-date-is-the-do-date level of university procrastination many of us our familiar with!The good news is that the overall quality of the series, especially in the first arcs, will improve. Looking back, it's amazing how ...
Chapter Twenty-Seven: A Good Show
Google Docs: For Suggestions<< Previous| Table Of Contents| Next >>When Serena turned and showed Amelia her painted peeka face, it was only the result of a titanic amount of self-control and the presence of Aiden that prevented her from blurting out something entirely inappropriate.While she bit her tongue to stop giggling with enough force to crush a warrior wrapped in orange aura, Amelia was delighted to see that Serena seemed to be facing the same predicament.“Look at you two,” Aiden said, as the finishing touches were made to his painte...
Chapter Twenty-Six: The Moonrain Festival
Google Docs: For Suggestions<< Previous| Table Of Contents| Next >>After having her hair ruffled and cheeks squeezed, Amelia was able to recount the tale of events to an annoyed-looking Serena. Her girlfriend’s glare softened when Amelia explained Grandmaster Gu’s reaction and the hair ruffling slowly changed into a gentle head massage.“Mmm…” Amelia murmured, “I don’t understand why they got so aggressive so fast. I would have thought trainee officers would be far more composed…”“Idiot,” Serena replied, running her hands t...
Chapter Twenty-Five: Breaking Bones
Google Docs: For Suggestions<< Previous| Table Of Contents| Next >>After an awkward exchange of morning greetings, Serena took a shower in the washroom. She sat down as the warm water rained down upon her, clutching both her horns in a mixture of embarrassment and frustration. Was it normal for her thoughts and emotions to be so strong? She knew she liked Amelia, but the magnitude of her urges and how often she gave into them was like nothing she had ever experienced before.What she did to Amelia last night – what she enjoyed doing – were t...
Chapter Twenty-Four: Breaking Boundaries
Google Docs: For Suggestions<< Previous| Table Of Contents| Next >>The week building up to the festival was a blur of activities, new experiences and satisfying bedtime exercises that were slowly becoming increasingly risqué. As they became more comfortable with each other's bodies, Amelia felt their connection grow. When they were alone, she would sometimes sit on Serena's lap, interrupting her work. While the demon would click her tongue and roll her eyes, Serena would still embrace and kiss her before complaining about being distrac...
Chapter Twenty-Three: Tea With The Empress
Google Docs: For Suggestions<< Previous| Table Of Contents| Next >>Amelia blocked the three-strike combination with ease. Now that she knew how to tense the muscles in the right places to avoid her guard collapsing, defending against the attacks that came in a half-second was becoming satisfyingly easy.Another dozen swings came at her from the grandmaster. At first, it was a challenge, but then Amelia understood it was only a matter of figuring out how to move her body in a way that could keep up with her perception. She could see every attack ...
Chapter Twenty-Two: Grandmaster Grandpa
Google Docs: For Suggestions<< Previous| Table Of Contents| Next >>“How’d this happen, then?” Serena asked Amelia, lightly kicking the stone encasing the complaining demon.“This weirdo,” Amelia made sure to emphasise that word for extra effect, “came up to me like some homeless beggar and tried to get me to go with him to some traveller’s bed or whatever! Shameless!”“Is that so?” Serena intoned, drawing her marbled sword. “Which bit do you want me to cut off first, Aiden the Drunk?” The blade glowed red as aura coursed t...
Chapter Twenty-One: The Kenhoro Officer Academy
Google Docs: For Suggestions<< Previous| Table Of Contents| Next >>“You’re here,” grumbled the grizzled captain as Serena once again found herself standing in an ethereal fog that stretched endlessly into the darkness. “You’ve committed a cardinal sin,” the captain said, his voice muffled in the unnatural expanse. “There will be a punishment.”Serena’s thoughts were full of Amelia, and she felt anger rise within her. Was she still drunk? She was probably still drunk. “For falling for a woman? A human?” she snapped at the el...
Chapter Twenty: Two Girlfriends And Many Drinks
Google Docs: For Suggestions<< Previous| Table Of Contents| Next >>The door swung shut behind them, leaving them in silence, staring at the bed whose very existence made Amelia’s heart race. Amelia cast an eye sideways to see Serena with a nervous expression on her face. The demon was chewing her lips.“Well!” Amelia exclaimed as cheerfully as she could. “It looks very… cosy, doesn’t it?”“I will return to reception. Have them bring another bed,” said Serena, turning to the door. Amelia intercepted her, throwing her arms wide an...
Chapter Nineteen: The Greatlord of Kenhoro
Google Docs: For Suggestions<< Previous| Table Of Contents| Next >>Amelia gripped the handhold Serena had created and pulled herself up. Serena was just in front, using her magic to create little holes in the earth and stone. Together, they ascended up the shaft the Salinas Speaker had desperately created to escape.Amelia could have jumped out easily, or used earth magic herself to bring both of them to the surface. However, she didn’t propose the option, and Serena didn’t ask. Instead, she was glad they had silently agreed to this slow asc...
Chapter Eighteen: Mutual Confession
Google Docs: For Suggestions<< Previous| Table Of Contents| Next >>Serena was thrown back, smashing through the wall into the building beyond. Despite being wrapped in yellow aura, the shock caused her to bite into her tongue. She spat blood, raising an arm to protect herself as the ceiling collapsed on her. She hurried the Word to form, layering the aether upon itself, folding it into the required structure for communion with Narean.Surprisingly, she found it formed with unusual obedience. Speaking Narean always included a brief battle of will...
Chapter Seventeen: Coffee Before The Storm
Google Docs: For Suggestions<< Previous| Table Of Contents| Next >>As they plummeted down, the wind roared in Serena’s ears and Amelia's grip almost crushed her hand that was covered in second-level aura. Seven hells! The human was strong when she wanted to be! The ground rushed up to meet them and Serena smashed through a wooden table, denting the stone floor underneath and throwing up dust and splinters.To her right, Amelia had somehow gone through the table head first, face-planting the stone floor. Her legs wiggled in the air as she m...
Chapter Sixteen: A Highguard Mystery
Google Docs: For Suggestions<< Previous| Table Of Contents| Next >>Hotel Highguard oozed wealth. Its lobby was lined with marble walls, and the floor was covered with a shiny black rock Amelia had never seen before. A dozen pedestals were dotted about, each holding an expensive-looking piece of earthenware inscribed with ornate patterns. On the far side of the lobby, a grand staircase layered with a red carpet led to the floors above. There were two elevators on one side, each with a smartly dressed demon attendant.“Take your raincoat and hat...
Chapter Fifteen: Matching Masks
Google Docs: For Suggestions<< Previous| Table Of Contents| Next >>As Serena led her charge towards the centre of Kenhoro she was constantly bombarded with questions. Amelia was intrigued by every little sight or smell. Honestly, it was endearing to see somebody so fascinated by demon culture. On more than one occasion, Serena had to stop Amelia from walking into someone as she was so distracted by the next shiny thing.She did her best to answer what she could, although she often failed to give further detail when the inevitable follow-up quest...
Chapter Fourteen: Kenhoro
Google Docs: For Suggestions<< Previous| Table Of Contents| Next >>With a hiss of steam and a clunk, the metal gangway came to a stop. A familiar man in a dark blue uniform was waiting for her. Two pairs of small horns crowned his head, from which an enormous ponytail flowed. From behind a pair of spectacles, sharp green eyes with a hint of gold glared at her; a rare trait that suggested the man had ancestry from the far West.“Dockmaster Yu. Always a pleasure to see you well,” Serena said smoothly with a smile. She had come to appreciate Sh...
