Underworld - The Succubi - Book 7 - Chapter 4

It was music that queued my approach. This wasn’t just the semi-melodious sound of my friends trying to sing in tune, but literal instruments expertly played that filled the surrounding halls. The families that had come with Whitfield and his wife were proving to be far more prepared for throwing together a marriage ceremony than any of the original members of Sanctuary could’ve dreamed of being. It was an old song that had likely never been heard on the surface world, but it undoubtedly struck a festive tone.

Music was the last thing I’d expected. I realized I didn’t even know Aeris’s favorite song. I’d been standing there with Khun who wore a navy-blue suit jacket similar to the black one I’d borrowed. He wore a top hat and polished boots. They weren’t real, and the pointy toes common to shoes on the surface wasn’t a trend here, but he seemed real enough after all the master orbs I’d supplied him. I still hadn’t looked into how far our dungeon had progressed, but that time would come in a day or two.

The steel door to The Bridge opened outward. I’d intended to go through the ceremony without using Mana Sight to experience the wedding in real time, but I hadn’t expected this. I manipulated my perception of time momentarily to take in what everyone had done.

I’d always considered the room gigantic since it was nearly a half mile from one side to the other with a ceiling a hundred meters tall. Clarissa had constructed a second-floor balcony in the past. It had taken her days even with the dungeon’s help. I’d even been in this same room just the day before. In a matter of hours, our shy Earth Mage had outdone everything she’d done in the past combined.

Along the edge of the once deadly gap in the middle of the room stood pillars that reached all the way to the ceiling. I wasn’t sure if my arms would reach halfway around one when trying to hug it. At the bridge, stood an arch that was twenty feet tall. Twisted around it was a climbing vine with countless white blooms. The closest pillars to the center of the room also had flowering vines of yellow and purple. There was now a railing at the sides of the bridge and along the edges of the chasm it joined. Glancing up, I saw that even the balcony had been redone. There was now a railing, and more flowering vines weaved throughout. Clarissa and Olivia had outdone themselves, but that was just the beginning.

Rows of stone pews had been risen facing the archway. White cloth was draped over each. Sitting there were more people than I thought we knew. Most of the original group sat near the front. They’d ditched the comfortable t-shirts and athletic shorts for suits and gowns. Jasmine sat with the girls. The families that came with the Whitfield’s sat behind them with more than thirty children. I spotted Ujurak the dwarf we’d capture-rescued near the back with a dozen dwarves all dressed in polished armor.

They weren’t the only surprise. A dark elf with a potbelly, a gothic looking dwarf, and a buff halfling sat next to each other on the other side of the isle. I recognized them. They were the merchants that had sold to us when we’d first entered the Underworld.

This didn’t include the small band, which stood off to the side. It looked to be made up of the teenage children of a family. The oldest girl played the flute. The oldest boy, a cello. A younger girl played a harp, and a boy that looked to be her twin played a bass saxophone. There was also a boy no more than twelve playing something like a snare drum with a larger, deeper sounding drum next to it.

The moment I stepped into the room my mind went into autopilot. I thought to smile at those turning to see me and it felt like a deer-in-headlights moment even though my feet kept moving. I was still mindful enough to notice Mistress Nava sitting in the back sitting woodenly but was too caught up in the moment to react. The Korean girl that had helped us during my confrontation with the human group Nava had brought from the surface was sitting beside the succubus without looking up.

I ascended a set of stone stairs that led up to a small stage below the archway, stopping before Pastor Whitfield who was already standing there behind a podium.

It all mirrored much of the tradition of the surface world to the point it felt surreal. It had been more than a year since any of us had lived there, and this was the closest glimpse at what we’d left behind since our arrival. In a very real since, it had been a blessing that the Underworld was so different than the surface. There was very little to remind us of home. But now that it seemed home had been brought to us, it was impossible not to think of what we’d been missing.

Aeris would’ve been happy with any kind of ceremony, but she had grown up in a very traditional household and had been homeschooled. I knew this was something she would’ve wanted but never thought she could have.

Russ and Travis walked in behind me with the same awkward confidence I felt. When only Olivia walked in after them and stood on the other side of the stairs, I internally cringed. Jeremiah had insisted it would be alright, but what would Aeris think?

Then came three flower girls lined up side by side between the ages three and six if I had to guess. The youngest was platinum blond like Debra Whitfield, while the other two had more a Mediterranean look. The oldest was in the middle and walked a little too fast but kept them going in the right direction. The blond girl was on the right and shyly tried to stay close to the oldest, while the youngest girl on the left went at her own speed as started offering guests flower petals.

A little black boy of maybe five in an overly large suit marched forward carrying the ring like he was a man on a mission. Once he reached the stairs, he held up the scarlet pillow where it obstructed his face as if it was his duty to show it off. Upon it sat the ring Aeris had picked out.

It was then that the music changed.

When the door opened back up, a veiled Aeris slowly strolled forward. Her dress didn’t bell out at the hips like Debra Whitfield’s did but traced her natural curves. I’d always considered her petite, but t-shirts and armor didn’t do her figure justice. The dress was sleeveless, showing off her pale, silvery skin tone.

A few steps in, she froze as she took in the room. The veil might have covered her face, but it didn’t hide her tears from my enhanced sense of sight. It was as I had hoped. This was far more than she had expected. She didn’t start moving again until her eyes locked on mine.

I must admit that I barely grasped what was being said during the ceremony. Despite my level and the abilities magic provided, it was one of the most human moments I’d ever had. It was hard to pay attention to any one thing, but the focus I had was trained on Aeris.

When it was finally time, I lifted her veil. She didn’t wear makeup because she didn’t have to. There was the natural purple tint to her cheeks that showed when she blushed. She glowed with it.

Wiping the tears from her cheeks with my thumb, I leaned in, only slowing for her to contain a giggle.

As I held her, there was a sudden pop from above. We both pulled away to see a series of fireworks go off above us. It only took us a moment to find Audrey the Fire Mage in the back who was controlling the show.

The music changed again and the people in the pews stood. Everyone congratulated us. Everyone. This included the dwarves who I didn’t really know. Even Mistress Nava did the strangely intimate gesture of kissing us both on the cheek. From there, we headed back to the dining area and soon food was served.

It shouldn’t have surprised me, but with music came dancing. It was then that I learned the blue magic, Social Paralysis. Just kidding. All jokes aside, I was never a dancer, but I’d learned enough in junior high to survive a slow dance. With Aeris as my partner, I more than survived.

I wasn’t alone in my insecurity, but not all of the gamer geeks the Head Mistress had taken from the surface world were the same. Audrey and Clarissa seemed to have every possible pop dance move memorized. Olivia joined them when Russ proved to have worse rhythm than I did. Aeris didn’t know all of them but picked them up with little effort.

As for the guys, Skyler couldn’t dance but cared so little that he did so anyway. Travis was actually the best dancer amongst the guys followed by Perry. The rest of us were, eh.

Strange enough, most of the songs were slow, so it wasn’t like what we might typically consider dance music was played. That didn’t stop us from trying. Then there were the families that had come with the Whitfield’s. Even the younger kids made us look bad. It was like they knew a whole repertoire of ballroom dances that fit the music far better than our stuff did. That was until Trevon happened.

He’d gotten ahold of a bass saxophone. Through our conversations, I knew he’d been a band geek and into classical music. I had no idea what that meant until he started playing. James Brown’s I Got Youblared and those from the surface that knew how to dance went giddy. It was the type of song that everyone knew even if you didn’t know what it was called.

Aeris pulled me into it where I did something that was a mix between the twist and moonwalk without actually moving my feet. It was horrendous, but my wife laughed so it was more than worth it.

Then the oldest girl who’d been playing the flute stepped up next to Trevon who was basically dancing and playing at the same time, and she flawlessly joined in playing. She watched Trevon carefully, as she obviously didn’t know the song. The young guy on the drums came in next. He was less timid than the girl and easily picked up the beat. The rest joined in during the second half of the song.

Unexpectedly, the adults didn’t hesitate to dance as well.

It only stayed “normal” for the first half an hour. Skyler started it by doing handstand pushups to the beat. That lasted a few reps until he was literally hopping on his hands. Chris of all people was next to join in. His ambush ability allowed him to swing around to the back of a target with rapid speed. He was no longer restricted to limited uses of the ability.

Steve was next. Our assassin farm appeared in front of Skyler, holding a double bicep pose before going invisible and reappearing a second later with his arms outstretched and a smug look on his face. On his next reappearance he held a different pose, then another, and another.

The incubus, Zorik, wouldn’t let them have all the fun. He ran all out at Skyler who was still hopping on his hands only to turn into water an instant early before splashing into him and reforming on the other side.

Skyler tossed himself up with his hands to land on his feet and was soaking wet. He chased after Zorik who cackled as he ran.

Jess approached at Clarissa and Audrey’s prodding. Her ability was like a mix of Steven and Chris’s. She could simply move so fast in a short distance that it looked like he faded from existence and reappeared. Then to my astonishment, the normally bashful Clarissa spun, sending her head of blond hair spinning before jumping up and diving into the ground. No exaggeration. She dove into the ground like it was a pool of water. Then she shot up out of the ground like a fish out of the water and dove back in.

Audrey had both hands in the shape of guns and was shooting small balls of fire from her index fingers only for them to explode like fireworks in the air above. Even the unsocial Lydia was beside the floating Aeris and showing off some footwork that made anything I did look foolish. Queen Degima, the living Fire Core humanoid we’d basically adopted stood right next to them tapping the butt of her spear against the ground to the beat.

Russ took that opportunity to come over and offer me a drink. I’d been sipping on the beast-feeder drink Smith’s Dregs even in my human form while I watched. It had grown on me in my months away. It helped that it didn’t taste like blood.

“Congratulations again, man,” he said, holding out a goblet. “Punch?”

“Sure,” I replied, taking the cup in my other hand. “What’s in it?”

“It’s made from surface fruit courtesy of the Head Mistress’s merchants. Also, vodka from the dwarves.”

“What,” I coughed, almost spitting out my first sip of the punch. “The dwarves drink vodka?”

He shrugged. “Not for the reason humans do on the surface.”

When I looked confused, he added. “Its very difficult for anyone with over 100 Constitution to get drunk. Trust me. I asked the kid’s parents before spiking anything. Did you know the average toddler is over level 100? They commonly have all the 100 stat bonuses before the time they are three.”

I let out a shrill whistle. “Underworld babies are more powerful than the strongest people on the surface.”

“True, but they don’t just naturally get that way. They have them kill bugs and small animals at a ridiculously young age. Not that they have much choice. We had it easy starting out in the Head Mistress’s dungeon. Can you imagine growing up no knowing when a random high-level creature might wander by and wipe out everyone you know?”

“Yeah, actually. I thought about it a lot when I was gone. Aeris wants kids. As many as the Whitfield’s have, and then some. But the last thing she wants it to raise them here.”

“That sucks, man. Really, but…” He turned to me with his own goblet in hand and held it up. There was a time I thought he’d look ridiculous in his long-tailed suit jacket with frilly shirt underneath, but with his physique he looked good.

He gave me an insistent glare until I held up my cup as well. “We needed this. So did you. Especially you and Aeris. I don’t want to underplay all the work the others are doing. It’s paying off and will even more in the future. But we wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for all the stuff you guys have gone through. There’s a time for grim conversations, but this is not one of those times. Enjoy this.”

How was I supposed to respond to that? So I clanged my goblet against his and took a drink. I could certainly taste a little vodka, but… “If no one can get drunk, then why exactly did you spike the punch?”

“Seems stupid, right?” He chuckled, watching Olivia for a moment before saying, “Because it’s something I would’ve probably done at your wedding if we’d never come to the Underworld. Not the entire bowl.” He quickly corrected. “But your cup? Definitely.”

“I’ll drink to that.”

“Cheers.”

We both chugged.

After he finished his cup, he sat it down, then set his sights on Olivia. “Wish me luck.”

As soon as he left, the man who officiated the wedding walked over with his hands crossed behind his back and stood at my side.

“Pastor Whitfield,” I greeted.

“Call me Jeremiah. I’m not a fan of titles.”

“Okay, Jeremiah. Thank you for helping to make this possible.”

He grinned. “Good friend you have there.” He motioned to Russ who looked like he was shadowboxing instead of dancing, but he was showing promising rhythm.

“The best.”

“Let’s have a chat,” he said, waving me to follow. We didn’t go far.

Sitting down at one of the farthest tables fifty feet from the bulk of the crowd and the noise, he removed his top hat to show off a head of short brown curls. It reminded me of a roman style haircut for some reason.

“Can I see what’s left of the Focal Crystal?”

The way he said it made it obvious he not only knew I had used it, but how.

I removed the cloudy lens shaped crystal from my inventory and handed it to him.

He gave it a close look then spun it around before handing it back. “It only has forty to fifty percent durability left. There’s no guarantee that if you cast the same spell you would succeed or end up blowing yourself up. Unless you have no other choice, I wouldn’t chance it.”

“I understand.”

“You’ve increased your level in an extremely short time.”

My gaze fell and I replied, “Yeah.”

“As your friend said, there’s a time for everything. One of the hardest things to do is to be thankful for the good in light of the bad. But now it’s not only you who will suffer if you don’t, but your wife will feed off your distress. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a time for melancholy. Just know that you can lead Aeris into it and lead her out of it.

“If you need to talk, come find me. That’s why we have come. But also know that when the time comes for you and Aeris to leave, we will make sure you have less to worry about while you’re away.”

I gave this man I’d only met once before today a long look.

He grabbed my shoulder and gave it a shake, before standing up and leaving me to my thoughts. What he said reminded me of the reaction Princess Jale’s Aunt Alexandria had given me when she learned I was a Light Mage.

How had she said it?

“Most vampires would see you as our greatest threat. In the future, especially with a lich at your side, you could destroy us all. But with this token, House Tir will always be open to you. Any of the branch families will treat you like one of their own, and if you return to us, or come to the branch family, we will help you.”

Jale had questioned her aunt’s words then what she said next had imprinted themself on my mind.

“Today’s matters are settled. In the day that you come into power, please remember our willing friendship.”

An absurdly powerful, grandmaster beast-feeder that was nearly level 60,000 had spoken as if the day would come when I would decide whether their race would live or die.

He was right. Now was not the time to think of these things. It was time to be thankful for what I had. Glancing up from the ground, I intended to search for Aeris when I found Mistress Nava not ten feet away watching me.