Chapter 318 – Meeting Death

"Do you all love one another and promise to work together in your marriage?" the Priestess asks.

I have to lie and say, "Yes."

Azula spits out a yes of her own, and my wives and sexual partners lists grow yet again. I guess I get something from all these wives.

I give Azula's leash a good tug and force her into a kiss. I'm so tempted to force her through the lust infusion, but I don't wish to risk getting her pregnant or scare Mommy when Azula attacks me, and some of my wives have to restrain her.

"Remember your place, pet," I say, letting her go.

"I remember it well," Azula mutters.

I turn to the front of the temple and walk over to my lovers. Three groups have formed, though it's more like four groups, really. Elora is hardly welcomed in my group of ex-wives, standing outside of their circle, quiet while the rest chat amongst themselves. And then my lovers and my pet's harem are the other two groups. "Remember to send the weakest to me," I shout back. "I'm looking forward to getting another ice bitch bloated. This time, she'll be begging for every kid I put in her."

"Yes, dear," Azula says.

Geta blocks my way, stopping me from getting into Mommy's warm embrace. "Sorry, dear," Geta says. "We need to visit my Goddess. Fertility had asked all the goddesses who are a part of life to join her in her temples. I wish to see if my Goddess wishes that too, and to work out the deal for her supporting you."

This stupid fucking war really sucks. I could be cuddled up with my lovers in some far-off land, but instead, I have to deal with all this shit. "I guess," I say. "I do want to get some more help. Hard to trust a bunch of women who let me get captured twice."

"Thank you, dear," Geta says.

Could I really get this woman pregnant? But why am I even asking that? The better question is why she said 'thank you' to me after I said I don't trust her abilities?

"Mommy," I say. Even when I've finally married Mommy, I still can't stay around her for long. "Sorry, I'm going to be busy today."

"We understand, baby," Mommy says. "Try to get something to eat for lunch, and remember you're pregnant. And don't work too hard. Why don't you take Nakuma and Yuki with you?"

"That would be good," I say. I need to talk to Nakuma about the Champion thing anyway, and I can trust them a bit more than Geta to keep me safe. "Thanks."

"We are happy to join you," Yuki says, stepping to my side and taking my hand. Nakuma watches our hands closely as her tails wiggle behind her.

What have these two been doing while I was gone?

"Then we can get going," Geta says. I follow behind her and up into a carriage she must have arranged for us.

I get in and pull Yuki in with me, and Nakuma forces herself onto our bench, hugging Yuki closely. Yuki shivers softly for a moment, but melts into our bodies and surrenders to whoever grabs more of her.

The slight lurch comes, and we begin our quiet trip to Death's Temple.

Sounds like the perfect place to bring a pregnant woman who gets nightmares.

…

I don't know what I expected. Why would Death's temple be anywhere else? I doubt Death will say no to getting a spot in an actual temple rather than a small building inside a graveyard, unless she likes to pretend she's dead as well.

Inside is the usual group of Priestesses. Each fell to their knees the moment Geta stepped inside. Even free, I'm not getting that kind of response. If you can just send divine beings down and they're this powerful, why not do that instead of killing some random Champion?

These Goddesses are fucking confusing.

"You can pray, my love," Geta says. "Ignore the Priestesses. They don't have much choice in their reactions. Death has stated many times that she'll never name a Champion, so the Priestesses never thought they would get to meet someone who can represent their Goddess."

"Is that why you get to come down here?" I ask.

"Yes, Death saved up a lot of her divine power to let me come down here. I have a lot to apologize for, as I've wasted her power with my failings and hurt you. And I'm sure Death will help. She needs new life for her to get new souls, and Nature's creations don't bring the same power as those that go through Fertility."

So she wants people to be born so they can die for her. This world really is fucked.

I go over to one of the few pews the stone room has and close my eyes. Yuki and Nakuma sit on either side of me, and then I'm gone from the stone room and into a sea of white.

Sure, there was no chance I wouldn't be brought up here, but really? You can't just say 'get the Valkyrie pregnant and I'll do something to help you'?

"That wouldn't be fun," Death says. "Now, welcome. I had to clean up a bit before showing you a corner of my realm."

I'm back in a stone room. Blue lights flicker around the sides. The only soft thing in the room is the perfect form of the Goddess of Death. Her eyes are just red dots of light, and her skeleton shines through her skin. She looks the most different from the other Goddesses I've had the misfortune of meeting. Perfect is the only word I can ever come up with to describe them. I don't know why or how different beings can be perfect, but they have to be. My mind won't let them be anything else before me.

But only perfect to look at. I don't think a single one of them is actually perfect. Most just seem to try to make themselves feel better by hurting me. Space is an ok wife, but the rest are strange, and now I get to find out what Death's way of torturing me is.

"Yes," Death says. "Looking at us, we are nothing short of perfection. But we are all warped, and the mortals have to handle the fallout of imperfect beings reigning over them. Fertility's goal is interesting, and I'm happy to put a Priestess in her temple. But that is not something you need to handle. Sit wherever you wish; I don't mean to keep a pregnant woman standing."

There aren't many places to sit in this stone crypt. Who knows what hides in the dark corners, besides the Goddess of the realm, of course. Maybe it's just me who doesn't know, as I don't see why Geta wouldn't know what hides in the shadows.

Time to be bold, Alzi. It worked with Fertility and Space, so why not the one who has sent a useless being to my side?

I step over to her and sit in Death's lap, relaxing into her. My head rests over her soft breasts.

"The corners hide nothing," Death says. "No, death only hides the when and how. Yet, even that becomes clear when the moment nears. The spirits simply prefer the darkness to the light. Now, about that useless servant. For that, I'm sorry. She works in my name, and her failures are my failures. I promise I am working with Fertility to solve the little issue with Nature's beasts. I don't normally bring about death. Like Geta once told you, I handle what happens after their death. But that isn't all I can do. I can bring about death, even sweep it across the land if I truly wish. I didn't think I would need that power, so I sent Geta down. And now I don't have enough power to bring the beasts that Nature has grown into my realm. But I can lend that to Fertility. She has begun the preparations for a ritual. You can kill the Queen, but don't continue your spree of revenge. We will need their bodies for this ritual. Ritual sacrifice is not a pleasant way to die, that much I promise you, Alzi."

"If that's all, then why am I here?" I ask. "I could be doing other things. If you are already working with Fertility, then why bring me here?"

"Geta told you I don't create Champions. The only thing that Champion would bring about is death, obviously, and I don't need help causing death in the lower realm. All those in your realm will be mine eventually, and I don't mind waiting. So, I can't mark you like the others have done. I must find a different way to give you some of my power."

"I don't care for it," I say. "I do not need you as a part of me. I'll bring my enemies to your door, but I will not have you as a part of me."

"Yet you have destruction."

"I did not ask for that. But I see no problem with it. Destruction isn't against me. Death goes against me. I've given life to so many and plan for even more. How could I have death around that"?

"You've created life. Yet you also have destruction in you. I don't see how having death, a natural part of life, will stop you."

Her warm hand glides over my womb. I'm hardly showing yet. I'm just mere days pregnant, but my Skills and stupid plan make it possible that I'm starting to show my pregnancy.

"Your babies aren't dying from my touch. But, that isn't what I was talking about, so there's no need to try and convince you to let death in. I'm just going to give you Geta for now. She can't be away from me forever, but she can be for a long time. Long enough to be yours. She'll be your servant for a while."

"How is that any different from now?"

"She is currently acting under my command. Now, she will act under your command without caring for my wants or directions. She won't be in charge of helping me gather the dead or anything else."

"What do I have to give you for this? How would this help me?" I ask.

"There is your normal way to pay for things. I do have a soft bed, or you can promise to give Geta the kids. But I sent her down to help you, and she hasn't done that very well. She has worked to protect you, but she was missing when you needed her the most. She acted in Elora's best interest rather than yours. However, that is going to be fixed now that you are the head wife. But she still has me hanging over her like Isda has Sex over her. I'll free her from that. She won't have to worry about that anymore. I'm sorry for taking time out of your day for this. And thank you for sitting with me. It is rare for anyone to be willing to sit next to me, much less on my lap. She'll be useful, but you'll need to keep her close, as she'll get other Goddesses messing with her if she isn't near you. Sorry, your kids are causing a bit of a stir. We have an old agreement not to let Goddesses live in the mortal realms. So, just keep Geta around to help defend you, and let the others attack. Nanoka and Geta should be enough to defend you and your lovers."

"I guess," I say. "I'm stuck with her anyway. I'll keep her around."

"Don't worry about forcing her into bed. She'll like it, but if you don't want to ever give her a kid, she'll be fine. She hardly even thinks about it; her job is to deal with the dead, not the living. But be careful with Isda. She will likely snap, along with the dryads. Nature breaks the rules the most."

"Thanks," I say. I knew I shouldn't like Annoris. I'm sure Nature told her to be my maid.

"Have a nice day, and be careful when visiting Goddesses, as not all of us will be welcoming to you. Have someone who can pull you out of the temple. Syro would be a good woman to bring along with you."