The Court of Souls?

“In Norse mythology, Ragnarök is a series of future events, including a great battle, foretold to ultimately result in the death of a number of major figures (including the gods Odin, Thor, Týr, Freyr, Heimdallr, and Loki), the occurrence of various natural disasters, and the subsequent submersion of the world in water.”

- The Journey to the Afterlife

***Dedessia, the Sea of Souls, Nurien***

***Elona***

I groan and open my eyes. We are still lying on the ground, Shade is on his back with all four limbs stretched out. I hurry to place an ear on his chest, fearing the worst. But he is still breathing. Good! I didn't suck him dry!

I survey the room and find our clothes all around us. We simply tossed them away as we managed to undress each other. Gods, what a night. I still feel sore between my legs.

“Shade? Or should I call you Angrod? What do you remember?” I shake him with my hands on his chest.

He moans. “Celes, give me five more minutes. Then I swear that I will find you a nice rope and we can do all sorts of things.”

A rope!? I don't remember any ropes. Just the whipping! It was so nice to have a little control... no. Elona! Don't go there! I reach for Shade's earlobe and pinch it.

“Yes. I am awake! Don't rip it off!” At last he opens his eyes and surveys the room. His eyes stay stuck at the scratches on the wall. “Wow. Lucky. I surely wouldn't have liked it if you had used your nails on me. Do you think we have to pay for that?”

I look at the wall and shrug. “Do you intend to tell anyone?”

“No?” He lets his hand wander to my hips and then up to my chest. He closes his eyes. “That's the best!”

I frown. “Seriously? You had me for the entire night and you are still thinking about it.”

“Sadly not. I want to, but I can't get it up,” He answers with sadness in his voice.

“What do you remember?” I ask and try to ignore the massage he is giving me.

He looks past me at the ceiling and shares his memories with me. “...we were together during several lifetimes. It is fragmented, but there are some old memories in which we were normal persons or people who at least remembered a bit of their past lives. Then I remember at least two instances where we were gods. The most recent one seems to be about me being Angrod and you Celes. So the soul-bond brought us back together.”

“Too bad. I hoped you would remember a little more than me, but I don't have much more than you. I just want to know, why are we here!? We had our own pantheon and a peaceful life, damn it. I can remember no reason to bite the dust just like that. Something must have happened!” I get to my knees and crawl over to my panties. “This realm sucks! I want to go back to the multiverse.”

Shade, or Angrod, I am not sure of what to call him now, sits up. “Maybe the multiverse ended! Or we are involved in some kind of sick plot twist? I am fairly sure that it wasn't designed that way, but who knows what my mind could have cooked up when I created the multiverse. The entire process was highly instinctive. It wasn't like I had a proper blueprint when I created the damn thing. Maybe it bugged out?”

What the hell is he talking about? I remember that he created the multiverse, but was he always that strange? I dig through my fragmented memories of our past relationships. Then I slump. I am eternally bound to a psycho!

Suddenly I notice a tear running down his left cheek.

I crawl back to him. “Did you remember something crucial?”

He shakes his head. “No. It's just... these memories are messing with my mind. This world is so backwards and lacks the most necessary things in life. I already had a mental breakdown when I remembered about baths and toilet paper! And that was just two weeks ago!”

I tilt my head. “You had your first bath and toilet paper two weeks ago? Aren't you twenty-five?”

“Yes! Damn it! And just now... just now...” He sobs and shudders. I hurry to his side and hug him. “Shhh... Calm down. What did you remember?”

“Chocolate!”

I freeze. “Chocolate?”

“Yes! There is none in this world! Not even sugar! Not a single coffee bean or carbohydrate crystal! This is hell! Whose sick mind is able to conjure up a reality like this?”

Then I pat his head until he finally regains control of himself. Afterwards I try to clean the mess we've made.

But I quickly decide that leaving the room as it is and acting as if it doesn't have anything to do with us, is the better choice.

When we are both ready to face the outside world, I link arms with him and we head for the door. But he holds me back. “How should we call each other.”

I think about it, but just for a moment. “I feel much more like Celes, but staying Elona might be better for our relatives. And since there are the slave collars, I strongly suggest to keep our real names hidden.”

He nods. “Right, call me Angrod when we are alone.” He opens the door and we step outside. Then I get a last glimpse at the chaotic room. It looks like a bomb exploded. We hurriedly retreat back to the ballroom.

“They are still partying.” Shade mumbles.

“Of course. The festivities are going on twenty-four-seven. People can party and go to sleep as they like. Doreen mentioned that there is an army of servants who keep everything running,” I answer.

As we walk, I snuggle up to Shade and wrap my tail around his hips, joining us together. I imagine my own expression, grinning from ear to ear and with his arm around my shoulders. This is the best day in this world so far. Not only have I found my soul partner, I also got a whole bundle of my memories back. And he also remembered and accepted me.

We head directly for one of the buffets and eat something, ignoring the world around us. We can deal with the world later.

“They are talking about us.” Shade comments while he fills his plate with various kinds of meat. This world's culinary culture isn't very developed. Spices are rare, so having an assortment of cooked or fried meat with some vegetables can be seen as food for the high society.

I turn around and notice that several people are watching us. Creepy. What's wrong about being cosy with each other? “Did you notice their glares?”

“Shades possess extraordinary hearing. I can listen in on their conversations. Oh, I can also see in the dark and change my shape by the way,” he explains.

“Really? So what are they talking about? And can you make it longer?” I ask, not caring about our audience.

Shade almost drops a piece of meat. “Was it too small?”

I bump my hip against his. “That was a joke. So?”

“Most of them are speculating that you managed to enthral me. Which is right. A minority thinks it is the other way around. And some others are too puzzled to come to a conclusion. Several groups are discussing if the fusion between Draconis and Carissimi was false information, or if you are acting against Doreen's wishes.”

I nod and take a bite from a red fruit which I acquired at the buffet. “Wow. That ability is really neat. I want to have it too.”

My senses are already sharpened by my ability to control my inner magic system. But Shade's hearing is extremely powerful. He can discern between different voices in this hall, which I can't.

“Elona!”

“Urgh. Gods, please kill him,” I mumble and face the direction from where Lirian's voice came from. He is approaching us. Quianna follows him with Antonius on her heels and I wonder when she managed to reel in that one.

Shade looks up from his tray with food. “Who do you want me to kill?”

I gulp and hurry to stop him. “No violence here. Remember? And don't kill him. He belongs to an allied clan.”

Lirian reaches us. He clearly intends to pull me away from Shade, but my newly acquired partner steps in front of me. He speaks with the muffled voice of a full mouth, displaying his bad manners in front of the whole audience. “My woman. Touch her ever again and I'll do worse than eating you.”

Lirian's eyes widen and he steps backwards. “Elona, you shouldn't associate yourself with someone like him.”

“Oh, but I do. And I simply love him.” I hug Shade from the side. “He is strong, smart, fierce, and he knows how to bone me in a way which makes me scream more than just his name.”

Lirian's jaw drops, but Quianna steps forward. “Sis, Doreen wants to see all of us. She wants to finalize some points about the fusion.”

“Already!? Damn, I thought we still had time?” I pull at Shade's clothes and he follows me. “Show me where she is.”

Quianna leads me to another private room where I find Doreen and Moonray with some other representatives at a long table. Mom and Dad are sitting next to her.

Doreen's attention wanders directly from me to Shade who still has the tray with food in his hands. “What is he doing here?”

I guide Shade to the table and we take the seats between the two parties. “I've struck a deal with Semper Fidelis. They will take us in and allow Yggdrasil to take root in their safe zone.”

Since I am already talking I decide to use the chance until I am interrupted. “It is much better than a fusion with Draconis. Carissimi, weakened as it is, would be simply assimilated by a much stronger clan like Draconis. On the other hand, a fusion with Semper Fidelis would be a fusion of equal partners who are in mutual need of each other.”

Doreen opens her mouth to speak, but Chloe leans over and whispers something into her ear.

Moonray raises his voice, “What nonsense. Granddaughter, you barely know that man. How can you trust him? Your grandmother and I already came to an agreement.”

Shade raises a finger. “But is that agreement as beneficial to that wonderful tree of yours? Our safe zone would allow it to heal up. I heard that Yggdrasil is heavily damaged and our city provides a lot of unused living space. Your people just have to perform some minor adjustments to their new homes.”

I edge closer to Shade's side. “And I have found my soul partner. There is no one in the whole of Dedessia whom I trust more.”

Doreen's head snaps to Chloe. “How did you know!?”

Chloe draws in a deep breath, it is as if she wants to inhale the entire room through her nose. “I can smell it! An entire night of sweating and rubbing naked bodies against each other. They smell as if they've been hugging each other since yesterday.”

Shade leans over. “She reminds me of someone.”

Doreen's left eye starts twitching. “I am sorry, Moonray. Since I was presented with a much better alternative, I have to decline your offer..”

“Doreen...” But Moonray snaps his mouth shut. “I am glad that Elona managed to secure such a great deal for your clan. It is indeed beneficial to what I had to offer. Since your clan's safety is secured, I will retreat now. I'll leave you alone, so you can talk about the finer details.”

Moonray stands up and leaves together with his party. When they are gone I can feel all eyes on me and Shade. Especially Doreen's.

After a while she smiles a dangerous smile. “So. What makes you believe that you can walk in on a negotiation and make decisions for the clan. Last time I checked, I was the leader.”

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