Great Journey: Whims of Fate

As Bastion and Elyra were enjoying their third dance of the night, sudden tremors rocked the banquet hall, bringing the festivities to an abrupt halt.

When the music stopped, they could finally hear the faint sounds of battle echoing from outside the palace.

Panic spread quickly among the young nobles, while Bastion and Elyra made their way toward Damian, Cyrus, and Seraphina.

"What's happening?" Cyrus asked nervously. 

As a weak mage with no real fighting power, even after gaining his Class at Apprentice Rank, he knew he would be helpless if a fight broke out. Worse yet, his personal guard was still stationed back in his room at the guest palace.

"Sounds like one hell of a fight if the tremors are reaching this deep into the palace," Damian said grimly.

"We should arm ourselves and wait for reinforcements." Bastion suggested.

"Why not try to escape?" Cyrus asked.

"And go where? Straight into a skirmish?" Bastion shook his head. "We have no idea what's going on. Better to stay put and let the soldiers do their jobs."

Suddenly, a massive explosion rocked the palace walls, sending violent tremors through the ground, ceiling, and floor. Paintings, fixtures, and even a chandelier crashed to the ground with a deafening clatter.

"Good thing the palace was built sturdy. Money well spent," Damian muttered.

The tremors ceased, along with the sounds of battle, leaving a heavy silence in their wake. Someone had clearly won, but they had no way of knowing who.

A few tense minutes later, the captain of the guards arrived. Without a word, he took the prince away under heavy escort, while his men quickly moved to usher the guests, including the future dukes, through a side exit and back to the guest palace.

Alone in his room with Elyra, Bastion looked out the window and noticed the orange glow of fires spread sparsely against the night sky. The city was likely under attack at this very moment. 

Still too weak to do anything about the situation, Bastion decided to get some sleep after changing into his traveling clothes. Normally, he slept nude, but the thought of being attacked while naked was enough to make him keep his clothes on tonight.

Elyra didn't join him in bed this time, opting to hide in the corner of the ceiling. The city was in danger, and they might get attacked, so a night watch was in order, as is the duty of a shadow.

Early the next morning, an attendant arrived and gave them a week to vacate the guest palace before retreating. This essentially meant the party was over, as scheduled.

Bastion didn't want to stay in the city any longer, having already completed his personal objectives. Besides, the city was still reeling from the aftermath of whatever had happened the night before.

He had Elyra set up his armored carriage and escort to bring them back to the castle as soon as possible.

By the afternoon, they were on their way out of the city.

Bastion looked out the window and observed the devastation. Houses were destroyed, pools of blood lingered, foul mana hung thick in the air, and occasionally, he spotted piles of bodies being stacked to be taken out of the city and burned.

The city was an absolute mess, and all he had to go on was that the city had been attacked by demons the previous night, though no demons were seen among the corpses.

'Perhaps they were immediately taken in for research? No, too many dead people means too many demons to move by morning. Most likely, they dissipated once they died, which would explain the foul mana in the air,' Bastion thought.

He wasn't an expert on mana, but he could at least tell that the mana lingering in the air was foul, carrying a corrupting nature.

'It's definitely the Demon Lord's lackeys acting up. I just hope they start this little hero's story after I graduate, and not before or during school.'

"What are you thinking about, Master?" Elyra suddenly asked while laying on his lap.

She hadn't gotten any sleep last night so Bastion had her take a nap on his lap since the trip started.

"You've read the founding story of this kingdom, right?" Bastion replied, still gazing out the window while his hands played with her furry tail and ears.

"Yes, Mother read me that book when I was a child."

"It's real, and I suspect the Demon Lord will revive sometime soon. This attack is a prelude to its servants' growing activities."

"Wasn't the kingdom's founding thousands of years ago? How do they still have servants paying attention?" Elyra asked.

"Why do you shadow wolfkin still serve as the Diamondhart family's shadow?"

"Because we love you and your family. You treat us as you should and have never taken us for granted," she replied sincerely.

"Then they commit massacres because they love their god."

"Is that how it works?"

"It could be. Although, in their case, it would probably be called devotion or lust for power. Anyway, I suspect the time for its revival is within our lifetime."

"What are we supposed to do?"

"Get strong enough to survive it."

"Okay."

She didn't seem bothered by the revelation, nor did she doubt Bastion's words. She neither panicked nor overthought, leaving everything to Bastion and trusting his judgment. She accepted it easily, promising to increase her training efforts.

Bastion appreciated this aspect of Elyra. She was his ideal partner, always following his lead and taking care of him with unwavering devotion.

Though she often kept her emotions reserved, she would gladly reveal her truest feelings whenever he asked or showed her affection, creating a bond of quiet trust between them.

She was truly his shadow, steadfast, loyal, and always by his side.

Their relationship worked because they each understood their roles. Bastion led and provided, while Elyra followed and supported, forming a partnership built on loyalty, trust, and devotion.

He honestly didn't need anyone but her. 

'I'll eventually have to get married though. Most likely to multiple women. That sounds troublesome. Why would men want more than one wife? I don't understand the appeal of harems, other than the amazing sex,' Bastion thought with a sigh.

"What are you worrying about now, Master?" Elyra asked.

"About how annoying marrying multiple women will likely be. Any recommendations?"

"You are free to choose, Master."

"Answer honestly."

"Pick someone who can fulfill your needs in a way I cannot. I am your shadow, personal maid, assassin, scout, duelist, wolfkin, lover, and sparring partner," she replied sincerely.

"If you find someone who can do things I don't already do, you will find a use for them and depend on them, just as you do with me. You will love and appreciate them as you love and appreciate me. They will feel valued and will return your love, just as I do. In this way, you can maintain harmony and balance among your women," she concluded.

Bastion had already thought about it in much the same way.

He had even come up with an ideal party lineup. So far, he was missing a heavy fighter, a supporter, healer, mage, and a production specialist. He personally fulfilled the roles of tank and army killer.

In terms of domestic needs, all of them were already covered by Elyra as his personal maid. She could cook, clean, manage accounting and logistics, and even raise children. She also gave relevant advice when asked.

This left the ideal party lineup as the only real criterion for choosing his future wives.

Ideally, he would choose battle maniacs who wanted to avoid drama as much as possible.

Bastion sighed one last time, dreading the future, before giving up on his train of thought and simply relaxing. There was no use worrying about future problems, it was better to leave them for his future self.

"You've finally relaxed," Elyra said with a smile, lying on her back to look up at Bastion.

"Thanks to you."

"Liar. You just gave up on thinking about it anymore."

Bastion chuckled before leaning in for a deep kiss. Elyra sat up slightly and reciprocated.

After the kiss, he leaned back in his seat and shifted his thoughts to the upcoming social gatherings at the mansion. Now that he was eighteen, it was his duty to show his face and be paraded around like a prized stallion.

As the heir to thirty percent of the kingdom, he was expected to meet with his vassals, many of whom would no doubt try their utmost to present their daughters as potential candidates for his primary wife.

He did not mind that part. What bothered him was having to navigate the fake atmosphere of a party filled with old men and pretty young girls.

It is going to feel just like one of our company parties all over again. Smiling faces hiding scheming minds. Asskissers, bootlickers, and showoffs. 

'Ugh,' Bastion thought, mildly disgusted.

"You're stressed again," Elyra said with a sigh. 

She sat up, kneeled in front of him, tied her hair into a ponytail, took his member out of his pants, and started licking.

This time, Bastion finally relaxed and tossed away all problems and worries to the future him.

Right now, he has a lovely mouth to enjoy.

-----

Support me on Patreon

patreon/babywrath