Thad sat in his office at his enchanting table. He was currently working on an order for a new customer, and it was a simple enchantment that aided them with the absorption of mana. Elves didn't generally have a problem with absorbing mana, but that wasn't true for all of the races. Trolls, Ogreblooded people, and even some beastfolk struggled to absorb mana into their bodies at a reasonable speed.
"I wonder how Rya and the kids are doing?" He asked as he carefully etched small runes onto the inside of a ring.
Suddenly, the ground began to shake violently, causing a bunch of shit to began to fall over and off of his desk. His chair cracked, and he well and truly fucked up the rune as the vibrations had sent his hand jerking violently to the side.
"HOLY HELL!" Thad shouted as he held onto his table for support, and he was more thankful than ever that it was held in place by weighted enchantments underneath the feet.
The shaking didn't last awfully long, but it left him dazed. He couldn't remember the last time Michigan had a damn Earthquake. Once the shaking had stopped, he waited another minute or so before he began to pick up everything that had fallen to the ground. Wouldn't have done him any good to start picking up everything only for that to happen again.
Once things were fully situated, he breathed out a heavy sigh.
"Well, that sure was something." He said, then he grabbed the ring he was working on and grimaced, "I guess I better get started on a new one.
Still, even as he got back to work, he couldn't but wonder what the hell was with that Earthquake.
"Could it... no that's silly." He said, although he couldn't quite banish the thoughts he now had.
●●●
Clyde Bookerson sat at his desk currently staring at the information that was brought to his attention. Lina had brought him something that made him feel ill at ease, and she too was not feeling very good about the whole situation. Jobs and postings for help come through all of the time, and he doesn't always have the time to check each individual one. He usually lets people like Ali, or Lina take care of things like that.
Well, Ali had done that, and got some help for a case further up North. He doesn't usually get involved with most of these cases as he usually has his hands full around here. Ali did tell Lina about this specific request just a moment ago and told her to relay it to Clyde along with the information for it. The reason being was that Ryanna Jonnadeer was asked to do the job given the unknown danger, and well... even Clyde wouldn't fuck with her, to put it lightly.
"And it looks like she added her daughter, Nadia Brown, and Osidious Vanir to this request. However... I don't like this." Clyde said with concern, looking at Lina who was giving him an equally concerned expression.
"From the location on the map... it looks like it's the same place where you found me..." She said, and Clyde nodded.
"It could just be a coincidence, but it just-" He said, then was cut off as the ground began to shake.
"FUCKING SHIT!" Clyde yelled as he fell out his chair.
"DAD, ARE YOU OKAY?" Lina yelled over the sound of the rumbling.
"I'M FINE!" He yelled back as he moved to the back wall of his office on his hands and knees.
Thankfully his bulk was enough for him to stabilize himself as he braced himself against the back wall and used it to get to his feet. The shaking soon stopped after that, and he shook his head to clear the buzzing from it.
"Good god. You okay darlin'?" Clyde asked, and not to his surprise, she was just fine.
Lina ran up to him and began to make sure he was okay. Clyde began to chuckle as be just patted her on the head.
"I said I'm fine. Are you okay?" Clyde asked.
"Yeah, I'm okay. That just looked like a bad fall. What was that? An Earthquake?" Lina asked, and Clyde rubbed his chin in thought.
"Maybe?" He replied hesitantly.
He honestly didn't know. It was most likely an Earthquake, rare as they are around where they lived. He surveyed the damage to his office, but since he didn't have much in the way of decorations, it was mostly fine. He did notice that he busted his chair when he fell, and he groaned. He had to buy yet another one.
He also noticed that in the spot where Lina had been standing, there were now deep holes in the concrete floor that looks like they had been dug into with something strong and sharp, like nails or claws. There was also what looked like the broken remains of shoes, specifically high heels, around the holes. Then he looked down, noticed Lina's bare feet, and began to laugh.
Lina followed his gaze, saw her bare feet, and her face turned red. This caused him to laugh even more, and now she was just giving him a red faced pout. He just pulled her into a hug as he continued to laugh.
"We should go make sure everyone else is okay." Clyde said after a moment, and Lina nodded as he released her.
"Yeah. I bet you Ali is freaking out." Lina said as she began to head for the door.
Clyde followed her, and as he did so, his mind went back to their conversation before the Earthquake. He was going to give Thad a call here in a moment to ask him to let him know the moment his wife and those kids got back. He wanted to make sure whether or not this was related to what happened, because his intuition was never wrong, and something told him this was all connected.
●●●
Carlington was a simple man. Well, as simple as a Kitsune male could be, at any rate. Today was a long day, yet today wasn't too bad. He did have to preform surgery on one patient who used far too much power in his left arm, which led to a mana vein collapsing. He was able to save most of it, but unfortunately some of it was unable to be saved, which could potentially lead to less mana capacity or mana output. All things considered though, he was lucky.
He had also help a young harpy girl who was still in the process of learning proper flight. She crashed into a tree trying to land, and actually got one of her wings impaled by a particularly sharp branch. She was a tenacious little one though, and once he removed it and had one of his healers close up the wound, she was as happy as could be. That made him smirk as he thought of his little fox, who was not so little anymore.
He had gotten out of work at around 5pm, and he had went to surprise his wife who was still working at the bakery, and maybe convince her to close up early for the day so they could spend some time together. She had agreed once he arrived, had flipped up the closed sign, and then proceeded to drag him into her office in the back.
At first, Yuna had told him that Ryanna had taken Nadia, as well as Elizabeth and Sid out on some kind of job, and that they would be back later in the day. Carl wasn't really worried. There wasn't really anything super dangerous in this state, and plus that crazy woman wouldn't let anything happen to those kids. And that Sid? He was powerful, so much so that even he didn't know how vast his power was.
Also, apparently his daughter had 3 tails now? That was definitely something to ask her about when she got back considering that is definitely a few years too early at most. Yuna suspects that Sid is involved in some way, but they both also agreed that it wasn't a bad thing if he was. Only positive things happened to a Kitsune the more tails they had, and they also liked Sid a lot, and he made their daughter happy. They cared about that the most.
"Goddamn Yuna...." Carl groaned as his brain shut off.
She told him all of that roughly 7 or 8 minutes ago. Currently, Carl was balls deep into his wife, who he had placed upon her desk, and was thrusting into her like a wild beast as she had her legs wrapped around his waist. Her arms were wrapped around his neck as they traded heated kisses, each powerful thrust of his Kitsune cock making her squeal in delight.
He couldn't help but marvel at how after all these years, her pussy felt the exact same as when they first met almost 40 years ago. Kitsune aging slows down considerably upon gaining your 3rd tail, and once you get your 4th, you're functionally immortal. Carl had 5 tails, so he actually was ageless, as well as having a vast supply of mana and incredibly strong fox fire, as well as increasing his already insane speed even more. Yuna would hopefully gain her 5th tail within a decade, allowing them both to truly spend the rest of their lives together.
"OH FUCK! MHM! WRECK MY PUSSY!" Yuna screamed, almost causing Carl to laugh.
"And... you want me to get another one of you..." Carl groaned as Yuna clenched around him, bringing him closer to his release.
Suddenly, the ground, no what felt like the entire world, began to rumble with the force of an angry God.
"HOLY!" Was all Yuna said as the shaking intensified.
"SHIT, HOLD ON TO ME!" Carl yelled as he held his wife close to his chest.
This had the unintentional effect of bouncing Yuna up and down on his cock quite vigorously, and he groaned in both distress and pleasure. The first earthquake he had experienced in a long time, and it chose this moment to happen?
"OH FUCK!" Yuna screamed as her vaginal walls tightened around him so hard he couldn't think straight.
"GOOD GOD!" Carl said, as the pleasure suddenly became to much.
With a beastial growl, Carl's cock twitched erratically as he began shooting heavy ropes of seed into Yuna. Her body and pussy convulsed around him as the intense vibrations only served to seemingly force more and more spunk to shoot into his wife in what he honestly felt was the greatest orgasm in his entire life. The shaking only lasted about 10 seconds, but he continued to shoot his load for at least another 5. After it stopped, he looked at his wife, who had a big dopey smile on her face.
"Hell... are you okay dear?" Carl asked her, moving a strand of messy hair from her face.
"Oh baby... can we do that again?" She asked, and yeah, Carl did laugh this time.
"This woman..." He thought, as he gave her a stupid grin, and kissed her.
Yuna giggled like a damn teenager as they made out for a little while. Eventually, they were able to separate themselves from each other.
"In all seriousness though, what the hell was that?" Yuna asked as she wiped down her desk, and Carl had to fan himself with the collar of his shirt as she scooped a glob of his seed up off of the desk and put it into her mouth.
"All seriousness my ass." He thought, before he coughed and replied, "Ahem, mhm, earthquake I believe. It was far more violent than I would have imagined given where we live."
Yuna had a quizzical look on her face, before it disappeared completely, and she grinned.
"Maybe we should start having sex on war zones from now on." She said, and Carl barked a laughed.
Then, Carl's phone rang, and he fumbled getting it out of his pocket for a minute.
Incoming call from Thadwick Jonnadeer
He answered almost immediately.
"Thad?" He said as he picked up the phone.
"Carl! Glad you answered. Are you and Yuna okay? I had to call and make sure. That was a really bad one." Thad replied.
Carl turned to Yuna, who was looking at him fondly, and the small droplet of spunk on the side of her face did not go unnoticed. Carl swallowed.
"Yeah, yeah we're fine. How about you? Any word from Ryanna or the others?" Carl asked him as Yuna actually became more serious. Any news about Nadia was worth hearing, after all.
"No, nothing yet, but I'm worried. I have a feeling that, that was no normal earthquake. It sounds dumb but..." Thad said, trailing off at the end.
Carl thought about it, and yeah, he was right. Kitsune's had a good sense about things, and the more he thought about it, the more he thought Thad might have a point. At any rate, it was better safe than sorry.
"Hey, Thad, you mind us stopping by in a bit? I want to be ready for when they all get back." Carl asked.
"Absolutely. I actually just got a call from Clyde as well. He and Lina are also having similar thoughts, and he wanted to share something with me, so they are heading over as well. All of us are involved in this, as we all have loved ones there, so I don't think he'll have any issues with it. I'll be waiting for you both." Thad replied.
Carl looked at his wife, who just nodded at him. He was always amazing how she could go from bubbly to serious in an instant. Both men said their goodbyes and hung up. As they finished cleaning the office, and made to leave, Carl couldn't help but wonder just what the hell was going on.
●●●
A few moments earlier
The flames died down as Nadia stood from the floor of the cave. Her and Rya had to dive to the side to avoid getting hit by the flames. Rya had screamed when Liz almost got hit, and she had to dive in the opposite direction. Rya was currently up on her feet, waiting right at the edge of the column of fire, although when she tried to get past it, she grimaced and had to take a step back. This demonic fire was too hot, even for her.
Then, the columns of fire died down, and only left smoke in their wake as they dispersed. Nadia saw Sid, all bloodied and limping, looking white as a ghost. He had tears falling from his face as he struggled to run. Her heart began to beat irregularly. She'd never seen him so injured before, but...
"Where is...?" She asked, and then Rya screaming next to her drew her attention elsewhere.
Nadia's gazed snapped to where she thought Liz was and...
"LIZZIE!" Nadia scream as her face became immediately drenched with her own tears.
There was Liz, her best friend ever since the day either of them could walk. Her friend's normally happy and stoic demeanor was replaced with fear and pain, tears falling from her eyes, with a flaming sword through her chest. Each drip of her friend's blood onto the cave floor made her heart feel like it was beating just a tad slower each time. Then, like she was just a piece of garbage to this fucking asshole, he yanked his sword free, and she fell limply to the ground.
"MY BABY!" Rya screamed with a level of grief and pain that Nadia could almost physically feel it, and Rya's body erupted into flames as she began to run forward.
She wouldn't make it in time. Sid wouldn't make it in time. What could she do? She felt so inferior to this demon that nothing she did would do a goddamn thing. The demon already had his sword raised, aiming for Liz's head.
"LIZZIE NEEDS ME!" She screamed, in her head or outloud she wasn't sure, but it didn't matter. She had to try something... anything. She had to-
"I'LL KILL YOU!" Sid roared, causing the ground beneath their feet to shake so violently she fell backwards onto her ass.
Rya was mid stride and it caused her to trip over her own feet and she put her hands up just in time to avoid smashing her face into the stone below her. Varanaxus, the demon lord asshole, also stumbled from the rumbling, and then they all got pushed back several feet as mana exploded from Sid in torrents of blue and...
"Red?" Nadia thought, then she had to shield her eyes when the brightness became too much for her eyes.
When she opened her eyes again, there was nothing she could do but stare.
"What..?" Was all she could manage.
Rya looked dumbstruck, her rage temporarily replaced by trying to figure out just what the fuck she was seeing. Even Varanaxus had wide eyes, his prior actions temporarily halted, and he had even dropped his sword due the sheer impact and force of Sid's mana. It was almost like this demon could see his own impending doom, and what he saw fightened him to his core.
●●●
Pain was Liz's whole world right now. She was so weak and losing so much blood that she was surprised she was still somewhat conscious. She had immediately tried to heal herself, but she was completely spent on mana. Healing Sid takes a lot more mana than healing someone else, but she wasn't just going to leave the man she loved injured when she could do something about it. She could feel Sid's mark pulsing with energy, and with Sid's emotions.
Her heart ached at the pain he felt in his chest, at the thought of losing her. This wasn't supposed to be like this. This was supposed to be a simple job, like her mom said. She couldn't blame her though, or really anyone for that matter. Who could have seen this coming? Maybe Sid, but he couldn't control that part of his power. It was just... a really unfortunate situation.
She thought of Nadi, of her mom, her dad, and the wonderful life she'd lived up until this point. It was really good, wasn't it? And then, she met a man who she thought never existed. A man who loved her for who she was, and who did everything he could to make her happy. And not just her, but Nadi as well.
At first, it was a strange prospect when her mom first gave them the idea. Harems, or multiple partner relationships, weren't uncommon among many of the paranormals in this world, although it was uncommon amongst certain types of paranormals. Elves were one, for example. Most of her kind were content with just one spouse, and she too thought that would be her as well.
With Sid though, it felt different. When she was with him and Nadia, she only felt warmth. It felt like how it was supposed to be, like they were all made to love and be loved by each other. It was definitely odd though, as she had desire for any other man except Sid, but she was comfortable sharing him with Nadia in ways she didn't think she would be. It actually turned her on, if she was being honest, and she actually was starting to question herself, because when she thought about him getting a 3rd or even 4th girlfriend, all she felt was more warmth. Having a big happy family that they all created together didn't sound too bad... not at all.
"Sid... I love you." She thought, as she felt herself slowly slipping away, and she was thankful for the time she had been given. She supposed what people said was true. Your life does flash before your eyes during this time.
Suddenly, a rush of power swept over her, as well as the entire cave. The ground rumbled, but at that same time, her mark pulsed, and filled her with vitality. Not enough to heal her, but enough to clear some of the fog from her brain. She still felt herself slowly slipping towards the darkness, but something had eased her pain, and extended her time by a bit more time. Being a healer is both a gift and a curse, as you can feel how much life a person has left in them, and unfortunately, she found that applied to herself as well.
She opened her eyes, and struggled to look towards Sid, who was the source of this intense power. Her eyes, heavy as they were, could still open to the size of dinner plates apparently.
There he stood, a blue arua surrounding his body, but now his aura was tinged with red, and red lightening shot off of his body in violent sparks that all but vaporized the stone they struck. His eyes glowed red like an angry god of war, and his teeth were clenched so hard she thought they might break. Then, red lightening covered his entire body, causing the earth to shake once again.
Through their bond, through the pain and rage, he was still there, and it was almost like she could hear him. No... she definitely could hear him.
"KILL THE DEMON! PROTECT MY LIZ!"
The words screamed through their bond, and they were very simple words. Simple words yes, yet ones that filled her with hope, made her heart warm, and brought tears to her eyes.
"Oh Sid..." She mumbled, causing her to cough up blood, but she wouldn't give up. Not when he was doing all of this for her. Maybe, just maybe, everything would be okay?
Then, Sid shot forward like a meteor, and everyone gasped as it was faster than anything they'd ever seen before. Varanaxus barely had time to bring his arms up to block, his eyes wide, and when Sid's fist arrived in less than a millisecond, it struck the demon's arms with such force that it sounded like the world's loudest bass drop, and the entire world shuttered as the demon's armor, and the bones in his arms, shattered, and he was sent flying backwards into the wall so fast, he looked like a black blur.
Liz felt his presence, his bloodlust, his desire to protect her, all at once. She could also vaguely feel how strong Sid was now, and it was almost enough to make her laugh. The pain was too great, and she didn't even want to try speaking again given the damage done to her, but the feeling was there all the same. It was enough that she almost felt bad for this demon lord guy... almost.
"He's so fucked." She thought, and then Sid shot towards the demon, intent on ripping him limb from limb.