Making plans

Bee-bee-beep. Bee-bee-beep. Bee-bee-beep.

I opened my eyes with a groan, sitting up. Noa curled against me, covering her ears with her palms. "What's that noise?" She asked plaintively, cracking open a single eye.

"Alarm." Archer mumbled, sitting up as well. "Ko. Shut it off."

I nodded, dismissing the noise. "Sorry, didn't know it would wake you too. First time using that Spell."

Archer yawned, stretching. "Why did you want to get up so early, anyway?"

I reached out to brush a strand of hair from her face. "A surprise for Noa."

The beautiful Nature Spirit opened her eyes more fully, pulling the covers over her naked form. "A surprise?" She blinked up at me. "What is it?"

I chuckled, booping her on the nose. "If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it?"

"Ah." She considered for a moment. "I don't like surprises. They make me get out of bed."

Archer rolled her eyes, slipping out of bed and beginning to get dressed. "But if you don't get out of bed, who will eat your breakfast?"

That did the trick. "Food?"

"Yep. It'll take a few minutes to cook, so go ahead and stay in bed for a bit. But if you go back to sleep, you'll miss the surprise and breakfast."

Noa nodded seriously, reaching out to wrap her arms around me. Her uncovered breasts enveloped my side, pressing pleasantly against my skin. I could feel her nipples, slowly hardening from the cool air. "Mmm. I won't miss it."

I gave Archer a mock panicked look. "Help! I'm being held captive!"

She rolled her eyes, a fond smile quirking her lips. "I'm sure you'll survive. Noa, feel free to enjoy him while I'm gone."

The Archdemon turned and walked out the door, hips swaying as she pulled it shut behind her. Noa hummed happily, shifting so she was perched on my chest with her face only centimeters from mine. I raised an eyebrow. "Good morning."

"Good morning." She blinked. "Can you have sex with me?"

I felt my lips twitch into a smile at her bluntness. "I would love to. Any real reason why?"

She tilted her head. "Sex is the best way to transfer Mana, and if we're going somewhere, I need to store enough to leave my Tree."

"I see." I wrapped my arms gently around her. "Would you like me to be rough?"

Her cheeks pinked. "Yes. It feels better that way."

"All right, then." I flipped her on her back, positioning myself over her. "Let's give you enough Mana to last the day."

——————————————————————————

"Wow, Noa." Archer's lips were held in a small smirk. "You're becoming quite the dirty girl. Any more lust coming from up there and I'd already be full."

Noa flushed, still leaning against me. "Not my fault." She mumbled. "Your venom is still working."

"Oh, no. My venom works for only a few hours on humans, it'd work for less than half that for Nature Spirits. That was all you, Noa."

Noa's cheeks only got brighter red. "M-Mana transfer." She stated. "I needed more Mana for today."

"Honestly I'm a bit impressed." Archer continued, turning to set the table. "I've barely had to do a thing. I think little Noa's getting addicted to Mana transfer."

Noa said nothing, studiously avoiding my gaze. I snickered, pulling out a chair and reaching to pile eggs and bacon onto my plate. "Sorry for not getting anything for you, love. I just found a golden opportunity and couldn't resist giving it to Noa. I'll have to find you something too to make it even."

Archer blushed faintly, taking a seat. "It's not an issue. I don't need elaborate gifts to be happy, you've given me too much as it is. Just spend a day with us sometime, we can go have a picnic in the outside world."

I nodded, thinking it over. "I'm sure there's a nice spot near Carne Village we could go to. Plenty of sunshine there, some trees for Noa."

"We'll have to wait for some nice weather." Archer mused. "It's been quite cloudy lately."

Noa blinked once, lowering her fork. "Can't we just use [Control Weather]?"

Archer sighed, a small frown crossing her face. "No, Noa. It's… it's a human thing. I don't like relying on Magic for something that we could get by waiting a few days."

"But if Archer-nee wants something now, why doesn't she just go and get it?"

I shrank slightly under Archer's glare. "What?"

"You spoil her too much."

"We spoil her too much." I corrected. "Don't you dare try to pin this all on me. I'm usually only here half the day, and I suspect that her 'beloved nee-sama' has been coddling her just as badly as I have."

Noa nodded shamelessly. "Nee-sama loves spending time with me. She braids my hair and tries to show me how to cook."

I resisted the urge to snort. "I can imagine how well that goes."

"I set the drapes on fire." Noa paused. "It was an accident."

"I'm sure it was." I agreed. "I'm more surprised Archer tried in the first place."

Said Archdemon raised a sheepish hand. "In my defense, she asked if she could help me."

"Mmm." I nodded sagely. "And even knowing that Noa is hopeless with technology, you gave her what she wanted."

Silence.

"Yep. I'm totally the one who spoils her."

"…Shut up."

I took that as a victory, returning to my meal. Noa finished first and was immediately on her feet, tugging my sleeve with an expectant look. I chuckled to myself at my childish mate's antics, finishing my food and picking up our plates. Archer rolled her eyes as Noa's attention turned to her, but still finished off her hefty portion in record time.

"Let's go." Noa grabbed ahold of Archer's arm, tugging her along. "We're all ready now."

"Will I need my bow?" Archer asked, ignoring the Nature Spirit.

"Not to my knowledge." I reached out to ruffle Noa's hair, hand passing through the violet halo like the light show it was. "You can always just Trace your own if worst comes to worst."

Archer grimaced. "Keep in mind, no matter how good the bow I choose is, it's always going to be one rank less than the original."

I gave her a smirk. "Well, if you were to wear your ring…"

Instantly, the dark-skinned Archdemon's cheeks lit up. "I-in public?"

Noa blinked, turning to look. "Ring? What ring?"

Archer huffed, shaking off her blush. "Fine. You're right, the benefits outweigh the gains as long as we aren't going out anywhere public." She shot me an inquisitive glance, unasked question hanging in the air.

"We're not. At least, not anywhere that would recognize the ring as valuable."

Archer took this as confirmation, reaching into her pocket to don the ring that would allow her to access my Inventory. Her bow remained on the wall where it normally was, but there was a Mirrored copy that I kept in my Inventory at all times in case the original broke unexpectedly. In an emergency she would be able to pull it out in a heartbeat.

"Uaah." Noa pulled Archer's hand close, examining the bejeweled ring. Her toneless voice held a hint of interest. "It's pretty."

My lips quirked. "I have one for you too once I know you won't lose it."

She nodded firmly. "I'll try to stop losing things."

Truth be told, the Nature Spirit couldn't help her habit. She went incorporeal so often it was hard for her to remember to take anything new with her. Things she lost were simple to find, but the problem remained. Perhaps if she weren't so absent-minded she would remember more easily, but I wasn't holding my breath on that one.

"All right, Ko." Archer reached out to take my hand. "We're ready whenever."

"[Greater Teleportation]." I chanted.

Our surroundings flashed, changing in an instant. White walls became towering trees, ruins of various buildings still woven in their roots. I made sure that we were in a less forested area this time, further away from the main city. Still, the sheer number of trees was mind-boggling.

"What is this place?" Noa asked, releasing my hand to step away.

I smiled. "A whole forest of sleeping Hamadryads. Would you like to wake them up?"

She didn't reply. Instead, she raised a single hand and an invisible pulse rippled out from her. The dappled sunlight peeking through the branches shone down on her in a natural spotlight, setting her pink hair aglow. Her violet halo glowed, unhidden by any interference.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the trees around us creaked and groaned. Then the first Hamadryads revealed themselves, stepping out of their trees to look at us.

Archer's arms locked around my arm, her eyes hidden in shadow. A deadly aura surrounded her, and I could hear a low growl from deep in her chest.

I could understand why her instincts hated them so much. The Hamadryads were beautiful. Male and female alike were exquisitely detailed, as if someone had drawn them straight from a painting. Their clothes were light and airy, showing a great deal of skin while somehow hiding everything that mattered. Their hair was every shade of green you'd ever seen, matching the color of their trees' leaves.

"Down, girl." I murmured, leaning down to kiss Archer on the forehead. "They're not even looking at me."

She growled. "If one of them so much as touches you, I will eviscerate them in the most painful way possible."

I rolled my eyes, wrapping my arms around her. "Oh, calm down. None of them are my Maidens, are they?"

She continued to growl threateningly, wings slipping out to curl around me. Her tail wrapped around my wrist, and her grip tightened on mine. "Then it shouldn't be a problem for them to stay the fuck away."

A silent cacophony of hums echoed through the clearing, unintelligible noises just below the audible spectrum. I could hear it faintly with my sharpened senses, and Archer could evidently hear it as well judging by her odd expression. Noa replied in the same language, the start of a conversation that lasted quite a while.

Archer gradually calmed as it became evident that the Hamadryads were more interested in Noa than me, though she solidly refused to release her hold on me. The Archdemon's possessiveness would've been almost adorable if not for the uncomfortable position it put me in. My movement was limited, as was my field of vision. Her horns were poking into me whenever she turned to look at something else, only adding to the situation.

I glanced behind me at one of the trees, a thought occurring. If these things comprehended language… "Hey, would you mind giving us something to sit on?"

To my surprise, a large root moved to poke out of the ground before punching back in, creating an arched benchlike seat about half a meter off the ground. "Er… thank you." I told it, stepping back to sit down.

Waiting was a lot more comfortable after that.

Archer gradually settled down, snuggling into my side and closing her eyes. I could tell she was still awake due to her gently swaying tail, but at least she was no longer actively blasting the forest at large with murderous intent. I took it as a victory and began running my fingers through her hair in soothing motions.

"Ko?" Noa's confused voice made me look up. She was standing uncertainly in front of me, surrounded by a crowd of Hamadryads. "Am I a goddess?"

I blinked. "…Very technically, yes."

"Ah." She turned and said something. Instantly, the entire clearing knelt.

"Do I want to know?" I asked drily.

She shook her head. "They wanted to know if I'm a goddess."

"L-lovely." I felt Archer shake with silent laughter. "Congratulations on your new cult."

My lips twitched. "Noa, you do know that these people are your responsibility now, right?"

She blinked once. "…Ah."

"If you're going to be their goddess, you'll have to visit frequently, teach them how to live, and even appoint a ruler if you decide they need one." I continued. "It shouldn't be much of a problem once we get the routine down, but until then it will be a lot of work."

The Nature Spirit frowned, visibly considering. "…I can keep them?"

"Of course." I smiled at her. "As long as you take care of them and visit every now and then, I think it'll be a wonderful learning experience for you."

"Un." She nodded once. "Thank you."

"Not a problem, Noa. Immortals like us need long-term projects to keep us sane through the years, and this one is as good as any."

"…Can I lean on you now? Archer-nee looks comfortable."

I sighed. "Noa, finish one thing before moving on to another."

The Divine Spirit tilted her head, turning to look at the kneeling Hamadryads. "How am I supposed to do that?"

I thought for a moment, considering. "Well… you could ask them where a safe location is. Tell them that you're willing to place a fragment of yourself among them as long as they guard it well."

Noa spoke, her soft voice flowing into the words of the odd language. One of the taller Hamadryads rose, bowing low, and replied. Noa blinked once. "He says there is a place."

My lips twitched. "Fantastic. Have them lead you there. We'll follow behind."

She nodded, speaking to them once more.

"Are you sure you should be encouraging this?" Archer sighed. "If she gets into this, I just know I'm getting dragged in as well."

"Oh, I'm counting on it." I agreed.

"What, is this your idea of entertainment?"

My smile died.

"Immortality can be a draining thing, Archer." I said softly, leaning back against a broken stone wall. "Even more so if you have no hobbies to entertain yourself with. This land can become something great if we stand back and guide it gently." I shrugged. "More than that, I believe it could be a learning experience for you two. A crash course in living forever."

"In case you haven't noticed, I've been immortal for quite some time." She deadpanned.

I snorted. "You've been an ageless warrior. That's something very different. The battlefield is simple—just kill whatever's standing in your way. Time seems to rush by, one battle blending seamlessly into the next. Real life is harder. You have to plan ahead, look several decades into the future before making a decision."

"And you're trying to teach us to do that… by giving us a kingdom?" Archer asked incredulously. "That seems like a terrible idea."

"You spent your human life fixing radiators and strengthening pipes." I countered. "Then, in the course of ten days, you taught yourself an entirely new branch of magecraft and used it to fight several Heroic Spirits to a standstill. Why? Because you suddenly had very real consequences for your actions."

"These are real people!" She protested.

"Yes." I agreed. "They are. Real, living, breathing people. And Noa's going to act as their goddess." I shrugged. "Or their version of Satan. Up to her, really."

"…You're actually serious." She finally whispered. "You're actually doing this."

I nodded, dropping the smile. "I am deadly serious." I gestured around us. "This, here, is a brand-new kingdom. It's in its' beginning stages, yet, but it's here. There are humans, Demihumans, animals, monsters. It's up to you to figure out how to lead them, to teach them to live in harmony." I paused. "Or just get them to slaughter each other. That works too."

"But, what if we fail? What if we mess up?"

I shrugged. "Then I'll step in to help you fix it. You won't learn without a few mistakes, after all."

"Ko!" She pointed vaguely out into the distance. "You're talking like these people are just puppets!"

I blinked at her. A wry smile tugged at my lips. "Welcome to immortality, doll." I said quietly. "Enjoy the gift basket of general apathy and endless existential grief. Play nicely with the little toys around you, because they break very easily."

I waved at the forest around us. "Feel free to treat each and every one of these people as a special snowflake to be loved and cherished. But when you start doing that, you'll quickly find yourself going mad with loss. They're mayflies, Archer. Momentary specs in the cosmos. And honestly, the sooner you accept that, the better."

Archer fell silent. "Have you… have you ever done something like this?"

"Built a kingdom from nothingness?" My lips curled. "What do you think YGGDRASIL was? Ask Rubedo or Whisper sometime, learn what I did to forge the world you came to know. The Heavens are fair—every being enters the world the same. From nothing, as nothing. I became a mortal—born a child, grew to adulthood. I was human, but I think you know full well exactly how much I care for 'normal' behavior." I clenched my hand into a fist. "Weapons were fragile, brittle. Too weak to hold my strength. So I beat the shit out of everything I faced with nothing but my strength and skill. It wasn't until I reached the limit of humanity and forced the Heavens to acknowledge my might that they allowed me to regain my immortality."

I flexed my hand, rippling scars flickering in the light. "I formed my kingdom by example—I fought until my bones shattered, shredding my flesh. I fought until my entire body was covered in scars. I fought until none could deny my might. I proved it was possible to take power from the Heavens. Then I just sat back and watched." My lips curled. "You could do that, if you want. Set an example in the sky for them to look up at and challenge. It was because I fought that people tried to match me, sharpening themselves until they, too, reached the very limits of possibility. You could pull a Merlin, put a sword in a stone for them to pull free. It's all up to you, Archer; do whatever you feel fits you best."

"Rubedo said there was a war." Archer said quietly.

"When the World Tree was first set ablaze, yes. For life, for freedom, for greed." I agreed. "As the Worlds diminished, everyone sought to take refuge in the ones they believed to be the safest. When it was down to the last nine, all the survivors of ten thousand Worlds collided at once in an attempt to reign supreme."

I was bullshitting, now, but I had gathered enough information on my own to make vague statements.

"Think about it." I continued. "When I brought you into this world, there were more Races than could have possibly developed naturally. Creatures from every possible environment, from every possible era, all taking refuge in the last nine Leaves. And, of course, everyone believed that they had the sovereign right to rule over everything that was left."

Archer nodded.

"You don't need to tell me everything." She said. "I haven't, not about my past."

A sigh escaped me.

"Dragon-sama?" Noa's voice sounded in my ear.

"Hmm?" I raised a hand, surprised she'd thought to use Message. Normally she'd just raise her voice. "Yes, Noa?"

"These ones want my help with things." She said.

I nodded slowly. "What kind of help?"

"The kind that I can give. I don't know, how long it'll take."

I smiled. "That's all right. You have the Teleport Ring, right?"

"Nn."

"Then stay as long as you like." I said. "Do you need Archer to stay with you?"

"No. I'll be busy. Have fun with Archer-nee."

I nodded. "All right. I'll send Sebas out instead, then. Is that okay?"

"Sebas is nice."

"All right. Are you sure you don't want one of us to stay?"

"No. Have fun. I want to do this on my own."

I smiled to myself, ending the Message, then glanced at Archer. "We have the day to ourselves, apparently."

Archer blinked once, then smirked. Her tail coiled around my ankle.

"I don't suppose you'd mind breakfast in bed?" She asked sweetly.

Word count :3371