The journey to Talahurah was quick and peaceful, thanks in large part to the Imperial Span. Having a dedicated road, elevated from the wilderness and monsters, gave travelers safe passage to the biggest cities of the Commonwealth. The many wagons, carriages, and adventurers they passed during their trek demonstrated that. It wasn't the only blessing. Many smaller villages and towns were founded along the path, all teeming with life as proof of Kanae's prospering empire.
And Rown Company profited greatly from its partnership with the Commonwealth. Way stations dotted the length of the span, providing refuge for those who wanted a break. They stopped often to exchange weary languisteeds, so that their journey continued without pause. All operated and performed by Renya's own empire.
"Talahurah ahead! Talahurah ahead!" The carriage driver's announcement came around late in the morning, signalling the end of their pilgrimage.
"You hear that, Arenade? We're finally here. Maybe you're a little too exhausted to even hear me," Kanae said, stretching her wings until the tips touched both sides of the carriage.
Arenade's eyes were blank. Covered from head to toe in spunk, a goblin simulacrum continued fucking her pussy while a second face-fucked her. The other two laid inert on the floor, out of mana from overuse. Their carriage orgy had lasted for days with no end in sight. Kanae was more than happy to cast Restore Mana to keep them going. In the end, they only really needed two. Four was a crowd.
The simulacrum shuddered. It blew its load down Arenade's throat, then pulled out to lay its cock over her eyes.
"Ahehe… Goblin cock… more… cock… goblins… to ruin me… a high elf… of divine existence…" Arenade muttered deliriously.
"God, I love that look on you." Kanae scooted closer and cupped her jizz-stained face in both hands. "My high elven sex slave, reduced to being a goblin cumslut. We're almost to Talahurah though. Time to snap out of it. You've got your pilgrimage, right? Unless you want to stay this way and show everyone how much you love goblin dicks~"
"Uuhh… Huh? G-Get off of me already!" She pushed the one rubbing its dick on her face and kicked the other between her legs.
Both simulacra stumbled back and obediently took a seat. It was the most still they had ever been since the start of the journey. Now that Arenade had come to her senses, she curled up in the fetal position.
"I had sex with goblins all week… I had sex with goblins all week… What's wrong with me? What have I become?" Arenade mumbled.
"You're the one who shoved the simulacra into boxes and had servants load them in. Don't kid yourself. What else would you have brought them for?" Kanae rolled her eyes.
"Other things! Like, y-y-you know… serving me, and stuff…"
"Oh, yeah. A serving of goblin co—" A fist came flying, and Kanae saw white. Next thing she knew, she was lying on the floor next to one of the unpowered simulacrum. "Ow… I deserved that…"
"Kanae, honey. Be a dear, and clean us up already," the high elf demanded menacingly.
"Yes, my sweet wife…"
It took several casts of Prestidigitation to tidy the cabin up and remove the cum from them. Kanae helped Arenade stow the simulacra back into their trunks, looking like a mob duo getting rid of some bodies. They opened the windows to air out the interior. Crisp winds carried the scent of tangy pine in, lifting away the musk of sweat and spunk.
Kanae stuck her head out to take a deep breath. The Talahurah Steppes greeted her with its vast undulating grasslands, like waves at the mercy of the winds. Below the Imperial Span, packs of beastmen hunters stalked grazing gazelles. A large herd of highland horses trotted south to get an early start away from winter. The most breath-taking sight of all, however, was the Kh'shanti tree in the heart of Talahurah.
Although nowhere near as gargantuan as its predecessor, the seedling had grown tremendously enough to be seen from a distance. The Kh'shanti dwarfed the pines and birch around it. Deep blue-green leaves gradually turned orange as it heralded the autumn season.
"How tall do you think it is now, Arenade? Want to make a wager? If my answer is closer, I get to fuck you with my Cock Ring of Hardening on later tonight. My guess is 150 feet," Kanae said.
"I'm not taking that bet! But I will make a guess. I think you're too conservative. That's at least 200 feet," Arenade insisted.
They were probably going to get the real answer soon. The carriage steered onto the off-ramp for Talahurah. Staying on it any longer would lead them straight to Highgreen, where Rown Company planned to branch off towards Artaggon. As they rolled in, some citizens recognized Kanae and Arenade right away. Their commotion running up them roused more and more people to see their monarchs. Soon, the streets filled with waving onlookers. Two harpy children landed atop the carriage, and their mother swooped in to pick them up. She bowed apologetically before giving her kids a scolding.
Arenade directed the coachman to the Talahurah Branch of the Eminence of Sin, the very chapter that ran a bordello in the adjacent building. Kanae fondly remembered working as a fellow prostitute and having met the ogre Thume, who was now a member of Amethyst Hall. Judging by the ruckus going on inside, business was booming.
Bright Cloister emerged from the carriages, looking a little worse for wear. They must not be used to traveling long distances. Arenade, on the other hand, was perfectly fine and went to whip her followers into shape, but not without a slight limp from being fucked the entire way here.
Kanae turned to the modest Eminence church in time for Erin and Taileen, the High Priestesses of the Talahurah chapter, to come out. The hare beastmen twins lit up and ran down the steps.
"Queen Kanae!" Erin threw herself into Kanae for a big hug.
"Psst. It's Empress Kanae now," Taileen whispered.
"You two can call me whatever you want. Queen, empress, whatever." Kanae smiled.
"Hey, I'm the other ruler of the Commonwealth, too. Where's my hello?" Arenade folded her arms.
The twins straightened their backs and curtsied.
"Whatever brings you to Talahurah? We weren't expecting you at all," Erin said.
Kanae thumbed at Arenade.
"I founded Bright Cloister, a denomination that purely worships…" Arenade snapped her fingers.
Behind, her followers boomed, "Our beloved Demigoddess Arenade!"
Erin and Taileen were both taken aback.
"We've come to spread her light." Arenade smiled.
"O-Oh… I guess it isn't out of the ordinary to see worship of Demigoddess Arenade. After the Ortesian invasion, sentiments for high elves sort of plummeted. That involved the demigoddess, too," Erin explained nervously.
"Bright Cloister is a little intense… and weird," Taileen said in a low voice, but not low enough for Arenade to miss.
"Don't call my followers weird!" she yelled.
"Hiee! I'm sorry, Your Majesty!" the beastman woman cried.
For the time being, Arenade sought to make use of the Eminence church as her base of operation. They unloaded their belongings from the carriages, and Erin showed them to available rooms in the clergy's quarters. Taileen insisted Kanae and Arenade have the High Priestess' bedchamber. As one of the smallest chapters, there weren't very many big rooms or lavish accommodations.
Arenade quickly made herself at home, rearranging furniture and shoving her trunks under the bed. She pushed the ones containing the simulacra to one corner of the room, then set a note atop that read, 'Do not touch'. Bright Cloister regrouped in the church's main worship chamber to discuss their plans.
"Uhm, Kanae?" Erin leaned in and whispered. "Bright Cloister is harmless, right?"
"Most of the time. Just let them do their thing. When they realize Talahurah isn't really interested in what they have to sell, we'll be out of your hair in no time. But forget about them. I want to meet with Sheeba. Where is living now?" Kanae asked.
"The Chieftain lives in Treering. It's a circular neighborhood that surrounds the Kh'shanti. I don't think she's around right now though. Sheeba goes out hunting a lot and comes back in the evening," the half-succubus explained.
"Until late, huh? Guess I'll check out the Kh'shanti for now," she said.
On the way out, Taileen rushed to catch up.
"Kanae, wait! I need to do some shopping in the markets. May I leave with you?" Taileen panted.
"Of course, you can. I'll even help," Kanae offered.
They flew into the city alongside other flying beastmen going about their day. No matter where one was in Talahurah, two landmarks were almost always visible— the new Kh'shanti and the toppled one. Destroyed by Avaline von Cleisseldor during the Ortesian invasion, the fallen Kh'shanti now served as a home to many once again on its side. Leaves still clung to the branches, draining whatever life still remained in the tree. Lumberers continued to shave away at the splintered end, taking away chunks of wood to be put to use elsewhere.
The people had carved deep into the trunk. Doors opened into cozy little homes, and bright lights shone through the windows and drapes. Buildings had even been constructed on the sky-facing side of the tree.
In fact, Taileen brought Kanae to an upper walkway of the fallen Kh'shanti, where rows of small shops stretched a section of the trunk's length. Iron lanterns hung on hooks between each store. People mosied about and browsed leisurely. A lift left behind on scaffolding transported them up and down, leveraging the weight of heavy stones.
They visited three different stores, filling out three bags each containing vegetables, fruits, and freshly-butchered meat. The mood was uplifting. Kanae might have thought the Kh'shanti had never collapsed with how unfazed everyone seemed atop their old monument.
"Should we head back with all of this? I can always check out the Kh'shanti later," Kanae suggested.
"No need! It's very near," Taileen insisted, lifting off the walkway and flying towards the shaven stump.
An entire neighborhood of homes had been erected around the base of the fallen Kh'shanti. Talahurah guards patrolled the round promenade. After all, they had a new Kh'shanti to protect. The two landed beside the tree, which Kanae needed to crane her neck up to see from down at the bottom. Thick roots were embedded into the stump, cannibalizing the old one.
"Man, did this thing grow fast!" Kanae marvelled.
"The last time Grovetenders had taken a measurement, they said the base of the trunk is 30 feet in diameter and about 270 feet tall. It's really nice having a Kh'shanti to look up at again." Taileen smiled in delight.
"What the… Arenade and I weren't even close!" She gasped.
When Kanae placed a hand on the Kh'shanti's hard trunk, it thrummed with life. Like someone had plucked the string of an instrument. Again. And again. And again. Almost as if it had a beating heart inside.
"Wait. Grovetenders?" Kanae recalled Taileen saying.
"Oh, right. Last year, some folks started feeling a connection to the Kh'shanti. They came together and named themselves Grovetenders. Some say Gaea speaks to them. The members are more protective than fanatical. A few Sisters have joined their ranks, too. You get a very pretty tabard of the Kh'shanti on it!" Taileen explained excitedly.
An unsettling feeling stirred inside Kanae's chest. She drowned out Taileen's spiel and closed her eyes. The beating heart of the Kh'shanti pulsed louder with every passing second until—
"Greetings, succubus queen."
The world suddenly looked empty, then Kanae came face to face with Gaea, a Faerealm demigoddess. The divine entity's skin wasn't a verdant green like she remembered, but covered in bark. Gaea's beauty was still unmistakable beneath it all. The lower half of her body was enveloped in the Kh'shanti, and she protruded from the trunk like a new branch growth.
"Gaea!" Kanae gasped.
"Thanks to you for holding up your end of the deal, I am able to exist in Faerealm and this plane. You have my sincerest gratitude. For as long as this Kh'shanti lives, Talahurah is under my protection. I also have a gift for you! I've cleared it with the Supreme One. Hold out your hand," Gaea urged as a flower sprouted from her palm.
"Is this really ok? You being in this plane, I mean. The Supreme One isn't mad that I brought you here?" she asked.
"Not at all! If anything, I've taken over for Arenade's absence. Devotion to Demigoddess Gaea has never been greater now that I have access to this plane," the divine being explained.
Nectar from the flower on Gaea's palm dripped onto Kanae's hand. Golden and viscous like syrup, the substance radiated with warm otherworldly energy. Faerealm energy. She motioned for her to drink it, and so Kanae lifted the nectar up to her lips and drank. A tender embrace enveloped her, as though surrounded by the love of nature itself. No surge of power. No thunderous fanfare. Just warmth.
[You have been bestowed with a new skill, Nectar of the Grove!
Nectar of the Grove: Once per day, you may secrete a dollop of honey to fully restore someone's health, mana, and stamina.]
"Excuse me?! This sounds like a Paladin's Lay on Hands! I can heal someone without needing to Bond or cast Flash Heal over and over again… Er… Oh, come on! Another support spell? I want to cast big fireballs and shit!" Kanae complained.
"Now, now. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Normally, I only grant this to alraunes, but I'm making an exception. This spell won't cost you mana. And don't even bother trying to fill a container once a day. The nectar is purely magical and will dissipate if not imbibed. Farewell, succubus. Use my gift well." Gaea bowed and retreated into the Kh'shanti. "I nearly forgot!" Her voice echoed in the empty space. "Tell your fallen demigoddess wife, Arenade, she better not poach my followers!"
Kanae blinked once and returned to her world, standing in front of the young great tree. Taileen was still beside her, explaining about who the Grovetenders were and what they do around Talahurah.
"Erin and I were even thinking about joining them. Not entirely though! We're still very much adherents of the Eminence of Sin. We just like the idea of helping protect the Kh'shanti," Taileen explained.
"Uh, yeah. I don't see why not. Gaea sounds like a reasonable demigoddess," Kanae said, unlike someone else she knew.
"Really?" The beastman smiled hopefully.
"Why do I have a bad feeling about Bright Cloister being in Talahurah…" she grumbled under her breath.