Chapter 228 – A Chosen’s Chosen

Chapter 228 – A Chosen’s Chosen

As we stroll through the village, we garner more attention than usual. Keeping in mind that usual means a day before or so. Still, there are more eyes on us, some slightly wider, some frowning a tad, some just curious. It’s hard to pinpoint the reason behind all of those, but after examining myself, my little mate, and my new intimate companion, I do find a hint.

Codae might be back to her strict and cold personality, which shows fiercely on her gorgeous face and in the way she simply handles herself, but there’s one tiny detail that differs from that image.

Her tail.

I don’t think raccoons wag their tails like some canine species, but her striped appendage clearly sways with much more gusto and even pride. It curls slightly with each wave, and whenever I move a little closer or let our hands brush against each other, it speeds up. To me, it might not be that significant of a change, but for Beastkin, it might as well be equal to a massive grin spreading on one’s face.

There’s no doubt Codae is internally happy. And her subordinates can tell.

It’s only a matter of time before she gets asked about the reason for her elation.

Nevertheless, we’ll keep playing this secret game for now. I don’t intend to undermine her efforts after managing to convince the submissive chieftess to remain in power. Technically speaking, I can see her doing that even after publicly revealing that we have mated, her still considered one of the strongest females in the community, all thanks to my earlier display. But, we would first need to clear up that misunderstanding.

In any way, that’s a thought for later.

The Shaman’s hut finally comes into our sight. It’s located near the farming section of the settlement, placed slightly on the side so it doesn’t interfere with the crops nearby. Still, it shares a lot of ground with the fields and cabins of the people responsible for overseeing them. Which is good as they don’t have to go far in case they need some help.

Also, from the appearance of the healer’s house and the plethora of herbs hanging off the front porch, it’s rather obvious that this person specialises in plants, at least to some extent. They might be a Herbalist Class or something similar, which would match their role as the Shaman fairly well. Codae mentioned that this person takes care of their healing too, further supporting this notion.

As for the hut itself, it takes the form of a circular structure with only one level and an extremely tall conical roof made of something akin to straw but more durable, perhaps a local substitute. The tip is layered, allowing smoke to escape through the rain-proofed gap. As I mentioned before, lots of stuff is attached to its edge, ranging from small bundles of flowers to sizable planters full of leafy flora.

Codae brushes aside a curtain of herbs and leads the charge. We follow the chieftess as she opens the door without knocking. However, she does it gently, visibly aiming for a quiet entrance, most likely not to disturb the woman inside during her craft. If someone is making mixtures or potions there, it’s only natural to let them focus on those fine steps.

I barely avoid coughing out loud as the heavy smell of an uncountable number of intense scents hits us right in the face. For a second there, it’s hard to breathe, but after we get more used to the warm assault, it becomes more bearable and even somewhat pleasant. I share a glance with Sirgia, both of us going through the same experience, and we smile at each other as she wipes away a few tears the blast has forced out of her.Yôur favorite stories at novelhall.com

Honestly, I’m not surprised it’s this violent. While the inside of the hut is riddled with tables and counters full of alchemical devices and tools, also full of ingredients in various stages of processing, the most impressive sight can be found above our heads.

The mentioned conical roof is not just for decoration or as a means to direct smoke towards the hole. No, every half a metre or so, a metal ring supports its structure, with hooks attached to it. There are dozens of those circles, all holding an unbelievable amount of herbs and other stuff. A wooden staircase runs to the very top, creating multiple additional floors just to reach all those things. It’s an impressive contraption and an amazing use of free space.

Our guide navigates through this minefield with confidence until we find a specific desk with a person leaning over it. I kind of expected the healer to be an old wise guy or a young and hot chick with a knack for it, knowing my luck. But, I’ve been only half right.

An older pure-blood Beastkin of a canine subrace is who we stumble on. It’s a lady, judging by the green robes the person is wearing, which hug their body comfortably, tied around their waist. You can’t miss the characteristic curves. And I know she isn’t as youthful as in the past due to spots of slightly faded fur over the short brown natural coat she is equipped with.

“Baba, do you have a moment?” Codae stops a safe distance from the woman.

The Shaman freezes mid-motion for a moment, then resumes her work with a delicate sigh.

“Codi-dear, I told you many times to send Daki-boy ahead if you wish to meet so that I don’t end up in the middle of something and have to disrespect you by talking with my back turned.” A warm, kind of grandmotherly voice reaches our ears. “You are lucky this isn’t anything time-sensitive. But, one day you’ll bring someone important, and how will it look when an old lady shows such disregard—”

She smacks her hands together a few times to clear them off some yellowish dust and turns around, giving us the first peek at her specific breed, pausing mid-sentence, most likely after noticing that the warning she has been giving to the chieftess is a bit too late.

Back on Earth, she would be considered what’s called a dachshund, or a sausage dog amongst the kids, the rather small but comically long dog with a cute snout and flat ears. The healer shares those qualities, save for being short and long. Her enchanting black eyes adorn the partially aged snout nicely, which currently hangs open from surprise.

I guess she is a bit worried about having used most likely private and affectionate pet names for her chieftess and a known hunter.

“Goddess almighty! As it was spoken!” She drops to the ground, putting her forehead on the very floor as she practically kowtows before us. “Praise be her Chosen One!”

Well, maybe it wasn’t the pet names.

Codae blinks blankly at her and looks at me. I chuckle wryly and shrug.

“Please, get up. There’s no need for any of that.” I kneel down to help the old lady up.

“What is the meaning of this?” the chieftess asks.

“Stupid girl!” The Shaman chops her on the head with quite a lot of force. “I shared with you the revelation I received on the same morning that it was given to me! How dare you stand so high and mighty next to a Demigod appointed by our Goddess herself! You should be on your knees!”

“Hey, hey! It’s all good! As I said, we don’t need any of that worship stuff or such.” I step between them before she clobbers Codae even more, beating her into a pulp for such disrespect. “And she already was. More than enough times to give her a break for a while.”

Sirgia giggles next to us while the one who has knelt gains a fairly noticeable rosy tint over her fierce cheeks. The woman looks a bit confused, but she ultimately accepts my reasoning with a polite nod.

“As you wish, My Divine Lord.” She bows deeply. “Allow me to introduce myself, please. I’m a Shaman and it’s my pleasure to serve you and your entourage, Your Holiness.”

“It’s nice to meet you too. I’m Alastair, you already know who, and this is Sirgia, one of my mates.” I point towards the petite Dwarf by my side, who curtsies respectfully. “Is there a name you go by or...?”

“Oh, no, this one doesn’t have a need for a name. My life’s purpose is to serve the chief, right after the Goddess, of course. I’m just a Shaman, a Healer, or for those I hold dear, a Baba. You may use any term you wish to, My Lord.” Baba smiles endearingly. “May I ask what is the purpose of your visit to our humble village in the middle of nowhere?”

“We were just passing by, heading towards the Dwarves, when we stumbled on this settlement. A slight complication arose during our visit and we dealt with those big chickens. Now, we are just looking around to help while my group reinforces your defences,” I explain.

“Ah. You are the individual who has saved us. I heard about it, unfortunately unable to witness your divine descent myself, treating our injured in the meantime.” She smacks Codae on the arm. “Pah! Illusion! Are you blind, child? Even your father would have recognised the signs, and he could barely see with one eye!”

Codae turns even more embarrassed, clearly not bothering to play the strong chieftess persona in front of the affectionate old lady. “I’m planning on correcting that soon, Baba...”

“You better. Or Goddess hold me I’ll smite your ass harder than she herself would for showing such disrespect to her chosen!” The Shaman squints at her. “Now, how may I help you, My Lord?”

“That was my question.” I smirk lightly. “Codae said you might have an idea about how to aid the people. I can help with healing and rejuvenation. My companions are helping with more technical aspects. I can also offer a few blessings as you can imagine.”

“That’s wonderful! What are those blessings if I may know?” The Healer clasps her hands together almost like in a prayer.

“One that brings out true pleasure for the blessed, also remedying some issues that might have troubled a couple and troubled their lovemaking. One that enhances stamina so that the lovers can relish each other for longer. And one that guarantees the creation of a new life within the next attempt,” I list my current repertoire.

“Praise be! We would be so blessed to receive them, especially the last one!” She closes her eyes and definitely prays silently to Lumina.

“That’s the point.” I snicker quietly.

“She is right, though,” Codae joins in, placing a hand on my shoulder. “There are couples from different subspecies or subraces who find it slightly more difficult to bear offspring. Not that there are issues with the combination. It’s just the chances of impregnation being low for both parents, resulting in quite the struggle.”

“Then Master can help them.” Sirgia smiles proudly. “We have already confirmed the effectiveness of his blessings.”

“We have to hold a gathering,” Baba suggests. “It will also be a good opportunity for you to fix your mistakes, girl.”

“I know.” The raccoon woman huffs, crossing her arms over her chest. “I already apologised multiple times and promised to do it publicly too.”

“Actions speak louder than words.” The old lady waves a finger at her.

“I know!” Codae throws her arms into the air. “I don’t think there’s anything I haven’t done or given Alastair already.”

“And what is that supposed to mean?” The Shaman tilts her head in confusion.

The chieftess bites gently on her bottom lip while shooting me a glance. “I... He offered to be my mate... And I have accepted...”

A gasp escapes from the Dogkin woman’s lips, and in the next moment, she is all over Codae, raining down joyful kisses on the younger female’s cheeks interchangeably.

“Congratulations!” Baba squeezes her hard. “It’s such an incredible honour! You have no idea how much the Goddess favours you!”

The expressions gradually change as she explains from curious, to somewhat coy and amorous, until a complete silence once more befalls onto the gathering, not a single piece of fur moving an inch.

“Is... Is that true?” Someone breaks the silence, turning out to be a lady bearing the features of a squirrel in her humanoid half-blood form.

“If your races are naturally compatible and it’s possible for you two to sire children, you will be pregnant minutes after embracing your mate.” I kneel on one knee to bring myself to her level and gently place my palm on her hair.

The mountain of a man behind her moves closer and I meet the eyes of the pure-blooded panda. He searches mine for any hint of deception, clearly caring about the female greatly and not wanting to see her hurt either physically or mentally. I nod at him firmly, which makes him swallow heavily. The two look at each other and the woman jumps into his arms, getting pretty much lost in his bear hug.

I guess this particular combination is amongst the ones that struggle with their chances.

Then, as I stand up, a sea of voices hits me from ahead.

“When are you going to bless us?” A man pushes himself closer.

“Are you going to do it here? Do we need to line up? Register?” A woman jumps up and down to make herself more visible.

“How much does it cost? Are you accepting produce as a donation?” Some farmer waves his hands from the back.

Those are just the few I pick up in the chaos and before Codae once more shouts over all of them with her powerful tone.

“Silence!” She booms at the full capacity of her lungs, which is fairly boosted by the boons she receives from our connection .”You know that we respect each other’s privacy in this community. In case someone wouldn’t want to take part in a massive ceremony, we decided to provide house visits. For the next three hours, you can come yourself or send someone to me, Daki, and the Shaman, and we will write down your submission. After we gather enough for today, we shall begin our visits. We will let you know during the conversation if yours will fit or if it will have to take place tomorrow. Is that clear?”

There’s a lot of nodding, which is good.

“Great.” The chieftess nods too. “Before you are dismissed, there’s one more announcement I would like to make.”

A faint colour tinges the Raccoonkin’s cheeks as she takes a step closer to me, entwining her fingers with mine.

“I have been selected as a candidate for Alastair’s mate after he thoroughly evaluated my strength and capabilities. As one of the witnesses to his heroic prowess, I found myself willing to accept that position. Although we are now mated, there will be no change in the village’s leadership, as per his wishes. You should of course treat him right and listen to his words, but I will remain in official charge whenever he isn’t around, and even when he is. If you have any doubts, he will gladly accept any challengers to prove his physical competence,” she adds.

The rosy blush grows a little as literally nothing happens, the crowd simply staring at us while blinking slowly. Sighing softly, I lean to the side and slide the fingers of my free hand into Codae’s hair, pulling her in for a deep kiss. She doesn’t fight it like many might expect, instead leaning into me in return, staying up in my hands as I roughly make out with the fierce woman, her palm coming up to my cheek.

When we separate, a deafening roar fills the plaza as the majority of the crowd celebrates loudly. And that majority turns out to be females, cheering and whistling with big smiles, happy to see their chieftess finally get some of it. The men also give some applause, but the single ones simply accept their defeat if they were still hoping to change her mind, or exhale in relief that the scary girl is finally satiated.

“Alright! That’s enough!” My slightly flustered mate shakes her fist at them. “Get the fuck back to work or I’ll beat your ass!”

Laughing, the villagers quickly scurry away, some already having eyes on the people she has listed earlier. Only a handful remain, including Daki and who has to be Benu, his soon-to-be girlfriend if things go right.

Well, why not help those things a little?

Giving a wink to Codae, I hop off the stage. “Daki, my friend, it’s good to see you. I hope you enjoyed the show. And who might this be?”

“Hello!” The white-furred pure-blooded feline waves at me cutely. “I’m Benu and I’m his childhood friend! Someone has to keep an eye on this klutz whenever he is back from his hunts, right? I swear he is like a different person out there.”

“A friend? Not a mate?” I let out a mock gasp while touching my chest. “But you two look so great together!”

Daki scratches his head while looking aside as Benu giggles adorably.

I frown heavily while bringing my fingers to my chin. “Hmmm. Would you mind giving me your hand for a moment?”

She tilts her head but grants my request and offers her furry palm for me to hold onto. Her not-boyfriend looks at it with some confusion and perhaps worry, but I extend my other hand to him, and after a few seconds of processing, he offers me his.

Closing my eyes, I let some of my aura roll over my arms and onto our interlocked hands.

“Mhm. Mmmmmm. Yes. Mhm. Uh-huh. Mmmmmmmm, yes.” After a while, I open my eyes and face them with a serious expression. “It’s just as I thought.”

“W-What is it?” Benu looks between her palm and my face with some visible concern.

“You two are practically made for each other!” I grin at her joyously. “Your compatibility is through the roof! And while I can’t pry into every little detail, I just know he would treat you like the snowy princess you are! Perhaps I even sense something deeper there. Do you sense it too?”

Daki clears his throat as it inevitably dried up from the tension and I let go of their hands. Benu shoots him a few glances while nibbling on her bottom lip, their eyes meeting a few times. She must be blushing like hell under all that white fur.

“Well...” Her tail curls up and leans a tad closer to his. “Maybe...”

“What are you waiting for, then?” I raise my brows at them. “Sometimes the hero of your own story is closer than you think.”

I watch as their tails prod at each other while they keep their gazes locked, and soon, the two fluffy appendages coil together in a union of black and white. Slowly backing away while they get lost in their little fantasy, I remove myself from their peripheral vision and Benu offers Daki her palm, which he accepts and brings up to his muzzle to greet with a light kiss. They move closer, and she soon leans into his side, wrapping her arms around his. Their tails continue to twirl as they walk away.

“Ahhh, young love...” Baba sighs delightfully next to me.

“I guess sometimes it can be the woman that misses all the hints.” I chuckle quietly.

“And how much of that was bullshit?” Codae scoffs, though I can tell she doesn’t mean to be rude by it.

“Honestly, I did put on a bit of a show out there, but holding onto them like that, I actually felt something. I don’t know if it was their physical compatibility or what, but I could tell they were . So, no, I haven’t totally conned the poor girl.” I smirk at her. “You would have told me he was a bad guy before, right?”

She snorts to the side. “I would have whooped his ass years ago if he was. No chance ever that I would let him even dream about courting any female from our community.”

“Thought so.” I smile at her knowingly. “As I said, you are an amazing leader.”

Wrapping my arms around Codae’s waist, I bring her into me and she readily accepts another kiss, sighing in bliss.

“So, the cat is out of the bag now?” I ask while gently but firmly nibbling on her lip.

“I figured it was better to let it be known than to let rumours spread...” The raccoon girl moans quietly.

“And it wasn’t just you getting aroused at the thought of being put in your place in public?” I pull on it a bit more.

Codae shudders in my embrace as I hit the nail on the head. I could feel how excited she was by that kiss on the stage.

“You and your submission kink.” The Shaman chuckles mirthfully.

“Baba!” The chieftess yanks herself off me with a jump, remembering that we aren’t alone.

“Oh, don’t Baba me. I saw you swooning over our hero multiple times while looking like a hopeful puppy just waiting to be leashed. It’s a wonder neither of your parents wasn’t a canine.” The old female shakes her head. “I wish you two the best. It’s time for me to do my duty.”

As Codae fixes her hair and tail, the Healer strolls towards a pair of Beastkin standing respectfully at the edge of the plaza. I offer her an apologetic smile, but she only rolls her eyes at me. Then, they drop briefly to the empty collar around her neck and she flushes even more. Huffing to herself, she goes to handle the registration too.

While the trio handles the queue, I walk up to Ayumi, who obviously was part of the gathering too, and I fill her in on as much of my story connected to this sudden godhood as I can. We wander through the village while talking, visiting Sirgia hard at work and observing the little genius in her natural habitat, already perfecting the rough idea I suggested earlier.

We separate after Codae finds me and my turn to work arrives. She guides me around and we meet with so many couples, families, mates, or fresh dates. There’s some small talk in each case, I grant them the blessing they wish for, and we are on our way. Since no one really knows what a Hall of Serenity is, we can notice the effects of our tour rather quickly, with plenty of amorous sounds and noises escaping the open windows of the log cabins.

We finish when it gets really dark, somewhere before midnight I would say. Codae wants to escape to her lonely home, but I yank her back to me by one of the black belts and force her to come to my mother’s house. She is more than willing to listen.

I can’t come to the family dinner without my new girlfriend, can I?